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Library Lines 3/17/2022

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Article Date
March 17, 2022

During Spring Break, the Chatham Area Public Library will be hosting activities for kids every day. These activities are loosely based on the American Girl: Josefina books by Valerie Tripp; so bring your kids, have some fun, and learn about a different time and culture. Monday, March 21, make a large tissue paper flower anytime between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. Tuesday between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. stop by to make your own tortilla. Wednesday is an interactive concert with drum and guitar. This starts at 5:30 p.m. and a duo will play Latin American children’s songs. If you want to learn some Spanish, play games, and sing out loud, Dr. Josse and Patrick will entertain the kids with music and activities Josefina just might love herself. Thursday at 6:30 p.m. is a Spanish storytime. Lastly, goats from Refuge Ranch will be at the Library from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. on Friday.

In addition to participating in as many events as you want, here are some books to checkout that will also take you into the Hispanic culture. Meet Josefina by Valerie Tripp introduces nine-year-old Josefina, the youngest of four sisters living in New Mexico in 1824, as she tries to help run the household after her mother dies. Riding Freedom by Pam Muñoz Ryan is a fictionalized account of Charley (Charlotte) Parkhurst who ran away from an orphanage, posed as a boy, moved to California, and fooled everyone by her appearance. Set in more present day, Merci Suàrez Changes Gears by Meg Medina follows Merci as she starts sixth grade. She knew things would change, but she didn’t expect her grandfather to start acting strangely, not fitting in at her private school, or dealing with Edna Santos’ jealousy. Cynthia Lord’s A Handful of Stars is the story of twelve-year-old Lily and how she befriends Salma, a Hispanic girl whose migrant family is in Maine for blueberry picking season. The two girls bond over their love for dogs, but as the local blueberry pageant approaches, the girls are confronted with the hard truths of prejudice and migrant life. For more fantastical books, try Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Kelly Jones. Through a series of letters, Sophie Brown, age twelve, tells of her family's move to her Great Uncle Jim's farm, where she begins taking care of some unusual chickens with help from neighbors and friends. The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera is a science fiction book. Petra Peña wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller like her abuelita. But Earth has been destroyed by a comet and only a few hundred select people are chosen to journey to a new planet, Petra and her family included. When Petra awakes to the new planet, she discovers she’s the only person who remembers Earth.

Spend Spring Break with some exciting activities for the whole family at the Library. Even if you can’t make it to these events, check out a book and have some fun reading. All these books and many more are available to check out and enjoy from the Chatham Area Public Library.