Month: October 2020

Haunted Gingerbread Houses

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This year’s annual Haunted Gingerbread Houses program took place virtually, with families creating their own masterpieces, and then joining a Zoom program to show off their spooky — and not-too-spooky — creations!

Each family was given an empty creamer container, and, unlike past years, had to supply all of the other materials and decorations on their own.

We were so impressed with the creativity and time that went into these houses! Each one is very unique, with clever details, and one-of-a-kind uses for all sorts of candy. Great job, everyone!

We posted large pictures of each haunted gingerbread house on the front windows of the library for the week leading up to Halloween. Here they are:

Thanks so much to our participating families! Happy Halloween, everyone!

Virtual Halloween Parade

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It’s that time of year again … time for costumes, candy, and spooky fun! This year, we are hosting a virtual Halloween Parade this Friday, October 30, at 11 a.m.

Join us on Zoom for some Halloween fun and to share your costumes with our children’s librarians! Pets are welcome, too!

We have program bags for this event, which you may pick up this week in the Children’s Room any time the library is open, or you may call ahead for curbside pickup.

Register once for the whole family. We’ll send you the Zoom invite. See this page for more information and registration.

We hope to see you there!

Virtual Tween/Teen Pitch Night

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Entrepreneurs in grades 6 to 12 will present their best ideas for a chance at expert advice and a cash prize. After submitting a promotional video of their ideas, finalists go live on Zoom with successful local entrepreneurs to present their elevator pitches.

Applications for Tween/Teen Pitch Night are due on Monday November 2. See https://www.hudsonlibrary.org/tween-teen-pitch-night/ for more information on how to enter.

The live, virtual Tween/Teen Pitch Night will be on Thursday November 19 at 6 p.m. on Zoom. Go here to register to attend the event. Families and friends are encouraged to sign up for the program to cheer on the presenters!

Prizes are made possible through generous funding from the Burton D. Morgan Foundation.

Learn All About Voting

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With this year’s highly anticipated presidential election right around the corner, it’s time to help your children learn more about voting. What does it mean to vote? Who gets to vote? Who gets to run for office? What is an election? Why is it important?

So many possible questions! We have set up a display of voting-related books, both fiction and nonfiction, in the Children’s Room.

Relevant books include biographies, picture books about voting, and nonfiction titles about many facets of government and the voting process.

Of course, feel free to stop in the Children’s Room or call for recommendations or assistance. Happy reading!

Virtual Live Event with Author Jerry Craft

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On Thursday, October 22 at 6:30 p.m., the Hudson Library & Historical Society will host a live virtual streaming event with Jerry Craft, author of the children’s graphic novels New Kid (2019) and Class Act (2020). Jerry Craft is both a New York Times bestselling and Newbery Medal-winning author. He will discuss his books and then have a Q&A session with participants. This program is for children in grades 3 and up.

New Kid follows seventh-grader Jordan Banks, who was brought up in Washington Heights and is now starting at a new prestigious private school known for its academic excellence. However, Jordan isn’t just the new kid, he is also one of the few kids of color in the whole school. As seventh grade progresses, Jordan struggles with trying to fit into these two different personae his old life and new school are demanding of him.

Class Act, the sequel to New Kid, follows Jordan’s friend, Drew. Drew knows that because of the color of his skin, he must work harder than any other student at his school. As the year progresses, he struggles with his fellow students and even his closest friend, as they take everything in their lives for granted.

New Kid is the winner of the Newbery Medal, the Coretta Scott King Author Award, and the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature.

Booklist called New Kid “possibly one of the most important graphic novels of the year” and Kirkus Reviews said it was “an engrossing, humorous, and vitally important graphic novel that should be required reading in every middle school in America.”

Registration is required for this live Zoom program. See this page for more information.

Arrangements for the appearance of Jerry Craft made through HarperCollins Speakers Bureau, NY, NY.

Grade-Level Book Bundles

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We are now offering grade-level book bundles for checkout, with titles geared toward children reading at pre-K, kindergarten, first grade, or second grade levels.

Each bundle consists of five to six easy-reader fiction books for young readers. Books within each bundle can vary in characters and in complexity, but are chosen to be appropriate for that grade-level reader. Come in and check them out, or call us for curbside pickup!

If you would like some assistance in choosing books and materials for a child of any age and reading level, please visit the Children’s Department, or call us at 330-653-6658. We are happy to help!