Library Notes for the week of September 24

Skagit Kids Read Week is September 23-29. Join the kids in reading Crazy Hair Day by Barney Saltzberg. This is a great picture book story about an elementary school boy named Stanley who wraps, dips and sprays his hair for crazy hair day at school.

We have several new books on raising children. Here are a few you might want to check out next time you are in the library.

In Defense of Childhood by Chris Mercogliano. As co-director of the Albany Free School, Chris Mercogliano has had success in helping youngsters find their way in the world. He regrets, however, that most kids' lives are subject to some form of control from dawn until dusk. Lamenting risk-averse parents, overstructured school days, and a lack of playtime and solitude, Mercogliano argues that we are robbing our young people of "that precious, irreplaceable period in their lives that nature has set aside for exploration and innocent discovery," leaving them ill-equipped to face adulthood.

Practical Wisdom for Parents by Nancy Schulman. Starting with the premise that parents today face more pressures than ever, the authors admit that getting a child into preschool can be a hurdle. The atmosphere of competitiveness is one of the most significant changes they've witnessed during their combined 59 years in the field. Discussions of bedtime, meals, discipline, and toilet training combine to make this a practical and comprehensive resource.

A Special Education by Dana Buchman. Fashion designer Buchman was a woman of accomplishments, when her toddler was diagnosed with neurological, spatial, and motor-skill problems. As Charlotte grew older, she manifested dyslexia, had trouble counting and telling stories, and moved awkwardly. In this intense memoir, Buchman details her journey to find the means to help her daughter learn.

Library Notes for the week of September 17

If you are afraid of that computer your kids insist you have to have to communicate with them, remember we are offering free computer classes. Computer Basics is Wed., the 19^th and Surfing the Internet is Sept. 25^th. Get more details and sign up at the library.

No! I Don’t Want to Join a Book Club by Virginia Ironside. Marie Sharp is about to turn 60, and unlike many of her peers, she has no interest in taking up paragliding or living for three months with a tribe in Africa. She's intent on accepting this new phase of her life. Marie, in fact, has such an easygoing attitude toward aging that her friends are constantly inviting her out to dinner and on vacation. And though Marie has declared herself done with romantic entanglements, there's a very kind old friend, recently widowed, who has a crush on her.

Starburst by Robin Pilcher. A young, beautiful French violin virtuoso, an English mother working as a comic, a retired photography director, and a newlywed festival director, among others, meet and forge friendships as they each chase their dreams.

Getting Rid of Matthew by Jane Fallon. Helen, office staffer at a public relations firm, is fast approaching her 40th birthday. She is in despair of ever getting out of the secretary pool or snagging a full-time commitment from Matthew. When Matthew abruptly leaves wife Sophie and preteen daughters Suzanne and Claudia to move in with Helen, she's not sure it's the happy ending she had envisioned. Then she meets Sophie and begins a head-spinning ruse to convince Matthew to go back home to his family.