@6 -7:45pm
Writing Club meeting
Open to to all adults and youthwho are wring stories for children
Imagination - Creativity – Inspiration
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Children's Wring Club May meeting
Thursday, May 31
@6 -7:45pm
who are wring stories for children
Imagination - Creativity – Inspiration
@6 -7:45pm who are wring stories for children
Imagination - Creativity – Inspiration
Children Programs from May28 to June 2
Thursday, May 31
@ 3:45pm
For children age 3 to Gr. 3
@ 6:45 - 7:45pm
The B&B Therapy Dogs are back again at the Neptune Library.
Sign up now to read to the Dogs!
@ 3:45pm
Book Bingo
Win books in the library version of this popular game! For children age 3 to Gr. 3
@ 6:45 - 7:45pm
Read to the Dogs
Did you every read to a Dog?The B&B Therapy Dogs are back again at the Neptune Library.
Sign up now to read to the Dogs!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Children's Writing Club needs your support
Imagination - Creativity – Inspiration
Neptune Public Library is proud to present the very first fruits of our Children's Writing Club
- an essay, a short story, and a film review.
We would like to hear what you think and help us choose our "Feature of the Month"
Please vote using the poll on the right.
Thank you for your support!
Easter
An Essay by Bobby Dykeman
Easter is awesome! Easter is a wonderful time to hang out with friends and family to catch up. For me though, I just like to fool around with my friends and play. This Easter was one of the best ever!
This Easter, my friends came over for brunch and an Easter egg hunt. We spent a long time setting up for the egg hunt. We hung the colorful plastic eggs from strings under the deck and on trees in the backyard. It looked so cool when we were finished! It was all worth it in the end.
To make the hunt even more fun, along with the candy, we put letters in the eggs too. These letters at the end would be unscrambled to spell the words CHOCOLATE BUNNY! One boy, Nicholas, guessed what the letters would spell from the minute my dad said there were fourteen letters. Nicole didn’t get any letters and claimed she was “too cool”.
After the hunt we went inside to watch Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It was the perfect way to calm down from all the excitement of the Easter egg hunt. We watched Harry play Quidditch and kill a Basilisk. I loved this Easter.
Easter is a very special holiday to me. It is one of my favorites! I hope everyone had a happy Easter this year.
Now I have one last question for you. What does Easter mean to you?
Lost and Found
A short story by Wildflower
It’s a beautiful beach day. After some long hours of surfing and diving into the waves, I became so hungry that my stomach started making funny noises. I jumped out of the water, walking over to my beach bag and dug out a packet of my favorite cookies. As soon as my pale, wrinkle finger picked out the first cookie, my stomach rumbled even louder.
Just then I made a big mistake, a very big one. I was hungry alright but at the same time I was also curious to know how loud my own stomach could sound. So instead of eating the first cookie right away, I kept holding the cookie under my nose, a quarter inch from my mouth. And how amazing! My stomach was not just rumbling louder, it growled, growing so loud, that it was growling like a monster! I couldn't help but smile with the thought that there was actually a monster inside my tummy and I would do anything to stop it from growling at me. While I was smiling and thinking my interesting thought, a “SQUAWK” sound blasted my ear drums and my precious cookie was snatched out of my fingers. “squawk, squawk, squawk!” a big seagull was flying away with my cookie.
” Thief! Ugly seagull thief!” I was so mad, I swung my hands above my head and chased after the bird thief. I was so mad to think that the chase between a bird and a human was never a match won. I was so mad to realize that while swinging my hands after the bird, I dropped all my cookies into the water. And worse, in a blink, a dozen of seagulls gathered around me for a surprised feast. Some gratefully thanked me with a generous dropping on my head. I was dumfounded, humiliated and so mad at myself. All I could do was dip my head into the water and clean away the bird dropping.
- “ Don’t you throw that plastic onto the water?”
I was startled. I looked up and saw a girl my age staring at me with a challenging look. It took me a long second to realize she meant the empty cookie bag still in my hand. Without saying a word, I walked past her toward the garbage can. My face was getting hotter and my legs became heavy as I could feel her eyes still on me. The only good news was the monster inside me seemed to be calmer. It might be too sad to growl...
- “That’s my favorite cookie by the way” she shouted after me.
God, leave me alone I prayed but still said nothing.
But the girl didn’t seem to take my silence as a hint. She quickened her step and caught up to me by the garbage can.
- “I have never seen anyone feed the birds the way you did. It looked really fun!”
I wished I could disappear into the sand. Just as I turned to walk away, she reached out her hand and handed me another packet of the same cookies. At the sight of those cookies, my stomach started growling louder and louder...
By the way, her name is Ally, she is now my best friend and my worse enemy.
Hunger Game
A film review by Nicole Dykeman
On March 23, at 6:15 pm, my life was changed. I laughed, I cried, and I jumped ten feet out of my seat. All of this happened within the course of two and a half hours at the mall movie theaters.
I waited one hundred thirty three days. It seemed like one hundred thirty three years. Yes, I counted. I don’t care if you think I’m a nerd, or a geek, or another creative name you wish to think up. Do you want to know why?
It was worth it. The Hunger Games movie had to be the best book based movie I’ve ever seen in my entire time on this planet. Every “i” was dotted, and every “t” was crossed. They really hit the nail on the head this time.
Normally movies based on books are really terrible in comparison, one terrifically awful example being the Percy Jackson movie. It was nothing like the book, and I was ashamed of it. For example, one of the characters, Annabeth, was supposed to be a blonde, and in the movie she was a brunette. For the Hunger Games movie, Jennifer Lawrence dyed her hair from blonde to brown to be Katniss, Josh Hutcherson dyed his hair from brown to blonde so he looked more like Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth dyed his hair from blonde to brown to look like Gale. Even the extras on set let the stylists dye their hair insane colors like blue and pink to be citizens of the Capitol!
The Harry Potter movies were actually well written, and most details were similar to the books. I mean, I understand that you can’t make a seven hundred page book into a two and a half hour movie and expect every little detail to be included. That’s why the Hunger Games movie was so amazing. They only had three hundred pages to transfer to screen.
Even though the mood of the Hunger Games is very suspenseful and serious, there were some funny moments included in the movie. Most of those moments were my favorite parts. There is one scene in the movie where Katniss slams a knife into the table so it’s sticking out. Another character, Effie, gasps from across the room and yells, “That is mahogany!” while Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta’s mentor tells Katniss, “Congratulations, you just killed a table!”
Every bit of this movie had terrific acting. One of the best scenes in the movie takes place right before Katniss is going to be sent up the tube to the Hunger Games arena. Katniss is being comforted by her stylist, Cinna, who is played by singer Lenny Kravitz. Jennifer Lawrence does a phenomenal job at making herself seem completely terrified, from the expression on her face, to the way she talks, and the way her body is shaking uncontrollably. It was so emotional, and it made me cry. The realistic acting is the same reason I cried when Katniss was speaking to her little sister and best friend Gale for the last time before she has to get on the train for the Capitol, and at the death of Rue, an innocent twelve year old sent along with Katniss to the heart-breaking fight to the death the government broadcasts on television.
I nearly had a heart attack when Peeta and Katniss are attacked by mutated dogs in the arena. It had suddenly gone completely silent and dark, and I knew it was coming too, because I read the books! Yet I still jumped out of my skin when the hideous monsters attacked.
Not only was reading these books and watching the movie enjoyable, but I learned a lot. Katniss is a great role model not just for girls, but for all young people in general. She is a strong independent individual who always puts her family before herself, just like when she volunteered to go to the Hunger Games so her sister Prim didn’t have to. I decided to start living my life as Katniss would, doing more for my family and making careful choices, knowing it affects everyone around me what I do. Maybe I’ll even start braiding my hair and take up archery – then I’ll be just like Katniss!
Neptune Public Library is proud to present the very first fruits of our Children's Writing Club
- an essay, a short story, and a film review.
We would like to hear what you think and help us choose our "Feature of the Month"
Please vote using the poll on the right.
Thank you for your support!
Easter
An Essay by Bobby Dykeman
Easter is awesome! Easter is a wonderful time to hang out with friends and family to catch up. For me though, I just like to fool around with my friends and play. This Easter was one of the best ever!
This Easter, my friends came over for brunch and an Easter egg hunt. We spent a long time setting up for the egg hunt. We hung the colorful plastic eggs from strings under the deck and on trees in the backyard. It looked so cool when we were finished! It was all worth it in the end.
To make the hunt even more fun, along with the candy, we put letters in the eggs too. These letters at the end would be unscrambled to spell the words CHOCOLATE BUNNY! One boy, Nicholas, guessed what the letters would spell from the minute my dad said there were fourteen letters. Nicole didn’t get any letters and claimed she was “too cool”.
After the hunt we went inside to watch Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It was the perfect way to calm down from all the excitement of the Easter egg hunt. We watched Harry play Quidditch and kill a Basilisk. I loved this Easter.
Easter is a very special holiday to me. It is one of my favorites! I hope everyone had a happy Easter this year.
Now I have one last question for you. What does Easter mean to you?
Lost and Found
A short story by Wildflower
It’s a beautiful beach day. After some long hours of surfing and diving into the waves, I became so hungry that my stomach started making funny noises. I jumped out of the water, walking over to my beach bag and dug out a packet of my favorite cookies. As soon as my pale, wrinkle finger picked out the first cookie, my stomach rumbled even louder.
Just then I made a big mistake, a very big one. I was hungry alright but at the same time I was also curious to know how loud my own stomach could sound. So instead of eating the first cookie right away, I kept holding the cookie under my nose, a quarter inch from my mouth. And how amazing! My stomach was not just rumbling louder, it growled, growing so loud, that it was growling like a monster! I couldn't help but smile with the thought that there was actually a monster inside my tummy and I would do anything to stop it from growling at me. While I was smiling and thinking my interesting thought, a “SQUAWK” sound blasted my ear drums and my precious cookie was snatched out of my fingers. “squawk, squawk, squawk!” a big seagull was flying away with my cookie.
” Thief! Ugly seagull thief!” I was so mad, I swung my hands above my head and chased after the bird thief. I was so mad to think that the chase between a bird and a human was never a match won. I was so mad to realize that while swinging my hands after the bird, I dropped all my cookies into the water. And worse, in a blink, a dozen of seagulls gathered around me for a surprised feast. Some gratefully thanked me with a generous dropping on my head. I was dumfounded, humiliated and so mad at myself. All I could do was dip my head into the water and clean away the bird dropping.
- “ Don’t you throw that plastic onto the water?”
I was startled. I looked up and saw a girl my age staring at me with a challenging look. It took me a long second to realize she meant the empty cookie bag still in my hand. Without saying a word, I walked past her toward the garbage can. My face was getting hotter and my legs became heavy as I could feel her eyes still on me. The only good news was the monster inside me seemed to be calmer. It might be too sad to growl...
- “That’s my favorite cookie by the way” she shouted after me.
God, leave me alone I prayed but still said nothing.
But the girl didn’t seem to take my silence as a hint. She quickened her step and caught up to me by the garbage can.
- “I have never seen anyone feed the birds the way you did. It looked really fun!”
I wished I could disappear into the sand. Just as I turned to walk away, she reached out her hand and handed me another packet of the same cookies. At the sight of those cookies, my stomach started growling louder and louder...
By the way, her name is Ally, she is now my best friend and my worse enemy.
Hunger Game
A film review by Nicole Dykeman
On March 23, at 6:15 pm, my life was changed. I laughed, I cried, and I jumped ten feet out of my seat. All of this happened within the course of two and a half hours at the mall movie theaters.
I waited one hundred thirty three days. It seemed like one hundred thirty three years. Yes, I counted. I don’t care if you think I’m a nerd, or a geek, or another creative name you wish to think up. Do you want to know why?
It was worth it. The Hunger Games movie had to be the best book based movie I’ve ever seen in my entire time on this planet. Every “i” was dotted, and every “t” was crossed. They really hit the nail on the head this time.
Normally movies based on books are really terrible in comparison, one terrifically awful example being the Percy Jackson movie. It was nothing like the book, and I was ashamed of it. For example, one of the characters, Annabeth, was supposed to be a blonde, and in the movie she was a brunette. For the Hunger Games movie, Jennifer Lawrence dyed her hair from blonde to brown to be Katniss, Josh Hutcherson dyed his hair from brown to blonde so he looked more like Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth dyed his hair from blonde to brown to look like Gale. Even the extras on set let the stylists dye their hair insane colors like blue and pink to be citizens of the Capitol!
The Harry Potter movies were actually well written, and most details were similar to the books. I mean, I understand that you can’t make a seven hundred page book into a two and a half hour movie and expect every little detail to be included. That’s why the Hunger Games movie was so amazing. They only had three hundred pages to transfer to screen.
Even though the mood of the Hunger Games is very suspenseful and serious, there were some funny moments included in the movie. Most of those moments were my favorite parts. There is one scene in the movie where Katniss slams a knife into the table so it’s sticking out. Another character, Effie, gasps from across the room and yells, “That is mahogany!” while Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta’s mentor tells Katniss, “Congratulations, you just killed a table!”
Every bit of this movie had terrific acting. One of the best scenes in the movie takes place right before Katniss is going to be sent up the tube to the Hunger Games arena. Katniss is being comforted by her stylist, Cinna, who is played by singer Lenny Kravitz. Jennifer Lawrence does a phenomenal job at making herself seem completely terrified, from the expression on her face, to the way she talks, and the way her body is shaking uncontrollably. It was so emotional, and it made me cry. The realistic acting is the same reason I cried when Katniss was speaking to her little sister and best friend Gale for the last time before she has to get on the train for the Capitol, and at the death of Rue, an innocent twelve year old sent along with Katniss to the heart-breaking fight to the death the government broadcasts on television.
I nearly had a heart attack when Peeta and Katniss are attacked by mutated dogs in the arena. It had suddenly gone completely silent and dark, and I knew it was coming too, because I read the books! Yet I still jumped out of my skin when the hideous monsters attacked.
Not only was reading these books and watching the movie enjoyable, but I learned a lot. Katniss is a great role model not just for girls, but for all young people in general. She is a strong independent individual who always puts her family before herself, just like when she volunteered to go to the Hunger Games so her sister Prim didn’t have to. I decided to start living my life as Katniss would, doing more for my family and making careful choices, knowing it affects everyone around me what I do. Maybe I’ll even start braiding my hair and take up archery – then I’ll be just like Katniss!
Comments for Children’s Writing Club
Essay: “Easter” by
Bobby Dykeman
Not only did Bobby turn Easter into a literary event, the
hunt itself was literary! This essay
was charming and really conveyed the excitement of the Easter celebration. I could visualize the fun everyone had in
setting it up—perhaps just as much as the hunt itself. I would like to have known more about the
idea for using “Chocolate Bunny” in the eggs. Who came up with it, and how did
it work? Did each egg have a single letter?
This was not clear and if Bobby had spent a little more time explaining
it, it would have made the essay even better. As a writer, you always have to
keep your reader in mind, and realize that the reader knows nothing until you
explain it.
Story: “Lost and Found” by Wildflower.
This story, which has at its center
a grumbling stomach, is very original. I
remember when I was young and my stomach would grumble, and how embarrassing
that was. I hadn’t thought of it in
years. That no longer seems to happen,
but this story brings back the memory in vivid detail and the embarrassment
that went along with those stomach noises.
There are nice images here: for
example, the “pale wrinkled finger” from having been in the water so long. The
story takes an great little twist at the end with the appearance of another
girl, her warning not to throw the plastic bag into the water, and the
narrator’s embarrassed response. How a
potential fight turns into a friendship makes a splendid ending.
Review: Hunger Game by Nicole Dykeman
Thank you, Nicole, for explaining to
this out-of-touch adult why the Hunger Games is such a huge phenomenon. It seemed to come out of nowhere and now it
is the talk of the country. Thanks to
you, I not only understand what it’s all about but why it’s so popular. As a critic, you did a good job of telling
about the movie without giving away the plot, and also conveying its
excitement. I liked your descriptions of
the acting. Your tears and fears—telling
readers about them was strong evidence of the movie’s power. Reflecting on what you learned gives the movie
an added dimension. It actually makes me
want to see it!
P.S. I had my hair cut today, and
the people in the salon were talking about the movie. Nothing they said gave me the sense of it the
way Nicole’s review did.
--Mary Walton
Mary Walton is a member of Neptune public library and a published author of 16 books
http://www.allbookstores.com/Mary-Walton/author
Tween Book Club Meeting
Wednesday, May 233-4pm
Book Club Meeting for:
The High Power of Lucky
By: Susan PatronGr. 4-7
Programs for Children from May21-May16
Friday, May 25
@ 10:30 am
Toddler Storytime
@ 3:45 pm
Toddler Storytime
Creepy Crawlies
Stories, fingerplays& a craft
for 2 years old.
@ 3:45 pm
Superheroes
Celebrate your favorite heroes in this program
featuring a story, craft, and game
For age 3 to Gr. 3
Friday, May 11, 2012
Children's Writing Club needs your support
Imagination - Creativity – Inspiration
Neptune Public Library is proud to present the very first fruits of our Children's Writing Club
- an essay, a short story, and a film review.
We would like to hear what you think and help us choose our "Feature of the Month"
Please vote using the poll on the right.
Thank you for your support!
Easter
An Essay by Bobby Dykeman
Easter is awesome! Easter is a wonderful time to hang out with friends and family to catch up. For me though, I just like to fool around with my friends and play. This Easter was one of the best ever!
This Easter, my friends came over for brunch and an Easter egg hunt. We spent a long time setting up for the egg hunt. We hung the colorful plastic eggs from strings under the deck and on trees in the backyard. It looked so cool when we were finished! It was all worth it in the end.
To make the hunt even more fun, along with the candy, we put letters in the eggs too. These letters at the end would be unscrambled to spell the words CHOCOLATE BUNNY! One boy, Nicholas, guessed what the letters would spell from the minute my dad said there were fourteen letters. Nicole didn’t get any letters and claimed she was “too cool”.
After the hunt we went inside to watch Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It was the perfect way to calm down from all the excitement of the Easter egg hunt. We watched Harry play Quidditch and kill a Basilisk. I loved this Easter.
Easter is a very special holiday to me. It is one of my favorites! I hope everyone had a happy Easter this year.
Now I have one last question for you. What does Easter mean to you?
Lost and Found
A short story by Wildflower
It’s a beautiful beach day. After some long hours of surfing and diving into the waves, I became so hungry that my stomach started making funny noises. I jumped out of the water, walking over to my beach bag and dug out a packet of my favorite cookies. As soon as my pale, wrinkle finger picked out the first cookie, my stomach rumbled even louder.
Just then I made a big mistake, a very big one. I was hungry alright but at the same time I was also curious to know how loud my own stomach could sound. So instead of eating the first cookie right away, I kept holding the cookie under my nose, a quarter inch from my mouth. And how amazing! My stomach was not just rumbling louder, it growled, growing so loud, that it was growling like a monster! I couldn't help but smile with the thought that there was actually a monster inside my tummy and I would do anything to stop it from growling at me. While I was smiling and thinking my interesting thought, a “SQUAWK” sound blasted my ear drums and my precious cookie was snatched out of my fingers. “squawk, squawk, squawk!” a big seagull was flying away with my cookie.
” Thief! Ugly seagull thief!” I was so mad, I swung my hands above my head and chased after the bird thief. I was so mad to think that the chase between a bird and a human was never a match won. I was so mad to realize that while swinging my hands after the bird, I dropped all my cookies into the water. And worse, in a blink, a dozen of seagulls gathered around me for a surprised feast. Some gratefully thanked me with a generous dropping on my head. I was dumfounded, humiliated and so mad at myself. All I could do was dip my head into the water and clean away the bird dropping.
- “ Don’t you throw that plastic onto the water?”
I was startled. I looked up and saw a girl my age staring at me with a challenging look. It took me a long second to realize she meant the empty cookie bag still in my hand. Without saying a word, I walked past her toward the garbage can. My face was getting hotter and my legs became heavy as I could feel her eyes still on me. The only good news was the monster inside me seemed to be calmer. It might be too sad to growl...
- “That’s my favorite cookie by the way” she shouted after me.
God, leave me alone I prayed but still said nothing.
But the girl didn’t seem to take my silence as a hint. She quickened her step and caught up to me by the garbage can.
- “I have never seen anyone feed the birds the way you did. It looked really fun!”
I wished I could disappear into the sand. Just as I turned to walk away, she reached out her hand and handed me another packet of the same cookies. At the sight of those cookies, my stomach started growling louder and louder...
By the way, her name is Ally, she is now my best friend and my worse enemy.
Hunger Game
A film review by Nicole Dykeman
On March 23, at 6:15 pm, my life was changed. I laughed, I cried, and I jumped ten feet out of my seat. All of this happened within the course of two and a half hours at the mall movie theaters.
I waited one hundred thirty three days. It seemed like one hundred thirty three years. Yes, I counted. I don’t care if you think I’m a nerd, or a geek, or another creative name you wish to think up. Do you want to know why?
It was worth it. The Hunger Games movie had to be the best book based movie I’ve ever seen in my entire time on this planet. Every “i” was dotted, and every “t” was crossed. They really hit the nail on the head this time.
Normally movies based on books are really terrible in comparison, one terrifically awful example being the Percy Jackson movie. It was nothing like the book, and I was ashamed of it. For example, one of the characters, Annabeth, was supposed to be a blonde, and in the movie she was a brunette. For the Hunger Games movie, Jennifer Lawrence dyed her hair from blonde to brown to be Katniss, Josh Hutcherson dyed his hair from brown to blonde so he looked more like Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth dyed his hair from blonde to brown to look like Gale. Even the extras on set let the stylists dye their hair insane colors like blue and pink to be citizens of the Capitol!
The Harry Potter movies were actually well written, and most details were similar to the books. I mean, I understand that you can’t make a seven hundred page book into a two and a half hour movie and expect every little detail to be included. That’s why the Hunger Games movie was so amazing. They only had three hundred pages to transfer to screen.
Even though the mood of the Hunger Games is very suspenseful and serious, there were some funny moments included in the movie. Most of those moments were my favorite parts. There is one scene in the movie where Katniss slams a knife into the table so it’s sticking out. Another character, Effie, gasps from across the room and yells, “That is mahogany!” while Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta’s mentor tells Katniss, “Congratulations, you just killed a table!”
Every bit of this movie had terrific acting. One of the best scenes in the movie takes place right before Katniss is going to be sent up the tube to the Hunger Games arena. Katniss is being comforted by her stylist, Cinna, who is played by singer Lenny Kravitz. Jennifer Lawrence does a phenomenal job at making herself seem completely terrified, from the expression on her face, to the way she talks, and the way her body is shaking uncontrollably. It was so emotional, and it made me cry. The realistic acting is the same reason I cried when Katniss was speaking to her little sister and best friend Gale for the last time before she has to get on the train for the Capitol, and at the death of Rue, an innocent twelve year old sent along with Katniss to the heart-breaking fight to the death the government broadcasts on television.
I nearly had a heart attack when Peeta and Katniss are attacked by mutated dogs in the arena. It had suddenly gone completely silent and dark, and I knew it was coming too, because I read the books! Yet I still jumped out of my skin when the hideous monsters attacked.
Not only was reading these books and watching the movie enjoyable, but I learned a lot. Katniss is a great role model not just for girls, but for all young people in general. She is a strong independent individual who always puts her family before herself, just like when she volunteered to go to the Hunger Games so her sister Prim didn’t have to. I decided to start living my life as Katniss would, doing more for my family and making careful choices, knowing it affects everyone around me what I do. Maybe I’ll even start braiding my hair and take up archery – then I’ll be just like Katniss!
Neptune Public Library is proud to present the very first fruits of our Children's Writing Club
- an essay, a short story, and a film review.
We would like to hear what you think and help us choose our "Feature of the Month"
Please vote using the poll on the right.
Thank you for your support!
Easter
An Essay by Bobby Dykeman
Easter is awesome! Easter is a wonderful time to hang out with friends and family to catch up. For me though, I just like to fool around with my friends and play. This Easter was one of the best ever!
This Easter, my friends came over for brunch and an Easter egg hunt. We spent a long time setting up for the egg hunt. We hung the colorful plastic eggs from strings under the deck and on trees in the backyard. It looked so cool when we were finished! It was all worth it in the end.
To make the hunt even more fun, along with the candy, we put letters in the eggs too. These letters at the end would be unscrambled to spell the words CHOCOLATE BUNNY! One boy, Nicholas, guessed what the letters would spell from the minute my dad said there were fourteen letters. Nicole didn’t get any letters and claimed she was “too cool”.
After the hunt we went inside to watch Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It was the perfect way to calm down from all the excitement of the Easter egg hunt. We watched Harry play Quidditch and kill a Basilisk. I loved this Easter.
Easter is a very special holiday to me. It is one of my favorites! I hope everyone had a happy Easter this year.
Now I have one last question for you. What does Easter mean to you?
Lost and Found
A short story by Wildflower
It’s a beautiful beach day. After some long hours of surfing and diving into the waves, I became so hungry that my stomach started making funny noises. I jumped out of the water, walking over to my beach bag and dug out a packet of my favorite cookies. As soon as my pale, wrinkle finger picked out the first cookie, my stomach rumbled even louder.
Just then I made a big mistake, a very big one. I was hungry alright but at the same time I was also curious to know how loud my own stomach could sound. So instead of eating the first cookie right away, I kept holding the cookie under my nose, a quarter inch from my mouth. And how amazing! My stomach was not just rumbling louder, it growled, growing so loud, that it was growling like a monster! I couldn't help but smile with the thought that there was actually a monster inside my tummy and I would do anything to stop it from growling at me. While I was smiling and thinking my interesting thought, a “SQUAWK” sound blasted my ear drums and my precious cookie was snatched out of my fingers. “squawk, squawk, squawk!” a big seagull was flying away with my cookie.
” Thief! Ugly seagull thief!” I was so mad, I swung my hands above my head and chased after the bird thief. I was so mad to think that the chase between a bird and a human was never a match won. I was so mad to realize that while swinging my hands after the bird, I dropped all my cookies into the water. And worse, in a blink, a dozen of seagulls gathered around me for a surprised feast. Some gratefully thanked me with a generous dropping on my head. I was dumfounded, humiliated and so mad at myself. All I could do was dip my head into the water and clean away the bird dropping.
- “ Don’t you throw that plastic onto the water?”
I was startled. I looked up and saw a girl my age staring at me with a challenging look. It took me a long second to realize she meant the empty cookie bag still in my hand. Without saying a word, I walked past her toward the garbage can. My face was getting hotter and my legs became heavy as I could feel her eyes still on me. The only good news was the monster inside me seemed to be calmer. It might be too sad to growl...
- “That’s my favorite cookie by the way” she shouted after me.
God, leave me alone I prayed but still said nothing.
But the girl didn’t seem to take my silence as a hint. She quickened her step and caught up to me by the garbage can.
- “I have never seen anyone feed the birds the way you did. It looked really fun!”
I wished I could disappear into the sand. Just as I turned to walk away, she reached out her hand and handed me another packet of the same cookies. At the sight of those cookies, my stomach started growling louder and louder...
By the way, her name is Ally, she is now my best friend and my worse enemy.
Hunger Game
A film review by Nicole Dykeman
On March 23, at 6:15 pm, my life was changed. I laughed, I cried, and I jumped ten feet out of my seat. All of this happened within the course of two and a half hours at the mall movie theaters.
I waited one hundred thirty three days. It seemed like one hundred thirty three years. Yes, I counted. I don’t care if you think I’m a nerd, or a geek, or another creative name you wish to think up. Do you want to know why?
It was worth it. The Hunger Games movie had to be the best book based movie I’ve ever seen in my entire time on this planet. Every “i” was dotted, and every “t” was crossed. They really hit the nail on the head this time.
Normally movies based on books are really terrible in comparison, one terrifically awful example being the Percy Jackson movie. It was nothing like the book, and I was ashamed of it. For example, one of the characters, Annabeth, was supposed to be a blonde, and in the movie she was a brunette. For the Hunger Games movie, Jennifer Lawrence dyed her hair from blonde to brown to be Katniss, Josh Hutcherson dyed his hair from brown to blonde so he looked more like Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth dyed his hair from blonde to brown to look like Gale. Even the extras on set let the stylists dye their hair insane colors like blue and pink to be citizens of the Capitol!
The Harry Potter movies were actually well written, and most details were similar to the books. I mean, I understand that you can’t make a seven hundred page book into a two and a half hour movie and expect every little detail to be included. That’s why the Hunger Games movie was so amazing. They only had three hundred pages to transfer to screen.
Even though the mood of the Hunger Games is very suspenseful and serious, there were some funny moments included in the movie. Most of those moments were my favorite parts. There is one scene in the movie where Katniss slams a knife into the table so it’s sticking out. Another character, Effie, gasps from across the room and yells, “That is mahogany!” while Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta’s mentor tells Katniss, “Congratulations, you just killed a table!”
Every bit of this movie had terrific acting. One of the best scenes in the movie takes place right before Katniss is going to be sent up the tube to the Hunger Games arena. Katniss is being comforted by her stylist, Cinna, who is played by singer Lenny Kravitz. Jennifer Lawrence does a phenomenal job at making herself seem completely terrified, from the expression on her face, to the way she talks, and the way her body is shaking uncontrollably. It was so emotional, and it made me cry. The realistic acting is the same reason I cried when Katniss was speaking to her little sister and best friend Gale for the last time before she has to get on the train for the Capitol, and at the death of Rue, an innocent twelve year old sent along with Katniss to the heart-breaking fight to the death the government broadcasts on television.
I nearly had a heart attack when Peeta and Katniss are attacked by mutated dogs in the arena. It had suddenly gone completely silent and dark, and I knew it was coming too, because I read the books! Yet I still jumped out of my skin when the hideous monsters attacked.
Not only was reading these books and watching the movie enjoyable, but I learned a lot. Katniss is a great role model not just for girls, but for all young people in general. She is a strong independent individual who always puts her family before herself, just like when she volunteered to go to the Hunger Games so her sister Prim didn’t have to. I decided to start living my life as Katniss would, doing more for my family and making careful choices, knowing it affects everyone around me what I do. Maybe I’ll even start braiding my hair and take up archery – then I’ll be just like Katniss!
Comments for Children’s Writing Club
Essay: “Easter” by
Bobby Dykeman
Not only did Bobby turn Easter into a literary event, the
hunt itself was literary! This essay
was charming and really conveyed the excitement of the Easter celebration. I could visualize the fun everyone had in
setting it up—perhaps just as much as the hunt itself. I would like to have known more about the
idea for using “Chocolate Bunny” in the eggs. Who came up with it, and how did
it work? Did each egg have a single letter?
This was not clear and if Bobby had spent a little more time explaining
it, it would have made the essay even better. As a writer, you always have to
keep your reader in mind, and realize that the reader knows nothing until you
explain it.
Story: “Lost and Found” by Wildflower.
This story, which has at its center
a grumbling stomach, is very original. I
remember when I was young and my stomach would grumble, and how embarrassing
that was. I hadn’t thought of it in
years. That no longer seems to happen,
but this story brings back the memory in vivid detail and the embarrassment
that went along with those stomach noises.
There are nice images here: for
example, the “pale wrinkled finger” from having been in the water so long. The
story takes an great little twist at the end with the appearance of another
girl, her warning not to throw the plastic bag into the water, and the
narrator’s embarrassed response. How a
potential fight turns into a friendship makes a splendid ending.
Review: Hunger Game by Nicole Dykeman
Thank you, Nicole, for explaining to
this out-of-touch adult why the Hunger Games is such a huge phenomenon. It seemed to come out of nowhere and now it
is the talk of the country. Thanks to
you, I not only understand what it’s all about but why it’s so popular. As a critic, you did a good job of telling
about the movie without giving away the plot, and also conveying its
excitement. I liked your descriptions of
the acting. Your tears and fears—telling
readers about them was strong evidence of the movie’s power. Reflecting on what you learned gives the movie
an added dimension. It actually makes me
want to see it!
P.S. I had my hair cut today, and
the people in the salon were talking about the movie. Nothing they said gave me the sense of it the
way Nicole’s review did.
--Mary Walton
Mary Walton is a member of Neptune public library and a published author of 16 books
http://www.allbookstores.com/Mary-Walton/author
Programs for Families and children May14-May19
Friday, May 18
@ 10:30
or 2 years old
@ 3: 45 pm
featuring a story, craft, and movie.
For children age 3 to Gr.3
Saturday, May 19
@2pm
Movie for Families
Sky High
@ 10:30
Toddler StoryTime
Quacking Up
Stories, fingerplays, & a craft for 2 years old
@ 3: 45 pm
Thomas the Tank Engine
All aboard for this programfeaturing a story, craft, and movie.
For children age 3 to Gr.3
Saturday, May 19@2pm
Movie for Families
Sky High
Thursday, May 03, 2012
Children's Writing Club needs your support
Imagination - Creativity – Inspiration
Neptune Public Library is proud to present the very first fruits of our Children's Writing Club
- an essay, a short story, and a film review.
We would like to hear what you think and help us choose our "Feature of the Month"
Please vote using the poll on the right.
Thank you for your support!
Easter
An Essay by Bobby Dykeman
Easter is awesome! Easter is a wonderful time to hang out with friends and family to catch up. For me though, I just like to fool around with my friends and play. This Easter was one of the best ever!
This Easter, my friends came over for brunch and an Easter egg hunt. We spent a long time setting up for the egg hunt. We hung the colorful plastic eggs from strings under the deck and on trees in the backyard. It looked so cool when we were finished! It was all worth it in the end.
To make the hunt even more fun, along with the candy, we put letters in the eggs too. These letters at the end would be unscrambled to spell the words CHOCOLATE BUNNY! One boy, Nicholas, guessed what the letters would spell from the minute my dad said there were fourteen letters. Nicole didn’t get any letters and claimed she was “too cool”.
After the hunt we went inside to watch Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It was the perfect way to calm down from all the excitement of the Easter egg hunt. We watched Harry play Quidditch and kill a Basilisk. I loved this Easter.
Easter is a very special holiday to me. It is one of my favorites! I hope everyone had a happy Easter this year.
Now I have one last question for you. What does Easter mean to you?
Lost and Found
A short story by Wildflower
It’s a beautiful beach day. After some long hours of surfing and diving into the waves, I became so hungry that my stomach started making funny noises. I jumped out of the water, walking over to my beach bag and dug out a packet of my favorite cookies. As soon as my pale, wrinkle finger picked out the first cookie, my stomach rumbled even louder.
Just then I made a big mistake, a very big one. I was hungry alright but at the same time I was also curious to know how loud my own stomach could sound. So instead of eating the first cookie right away, I kept holding the cookie under my nose, a quarter inch from my mouth. And how amazing! My stomach was not just rumbling louder, it growled, growing so loud, that it was growling like a monster! I couldn't help but smile with the thought that there was actually a monster inside my tummy and I would do anything to stop it from growling at me. While I was smiling and thinking my interesting thought, a “SQUAWK” sound blasted my ear drums and my precious cookie was snatched out of my fingers. “squawk, squawk, squawk!” a big seagull was flying away with my cookie.
” Thief! Ugly seagull thief!” I was so mad, I swung my hands above my head and chased after the bird thief. I was so mad to think that the chase between a bird and a human was never a match won. I was so mad to realize that while swinging my hands after the bird, I dropped all my cookies into the water. And worse, in a blink, a dozen of seagulls gathered around me for a surprised feast. Some gratefully thanked me with a generous dropping on my head. I was dumfounded, humiliated and so mad at myself. All I could do was dip my head into the water and clean away the bird dropping.
- “ Don’t you throw that plastic onto the water?”
I was startled. I looked up and saw a girl my age staring at me with a challenging look. It took me a long second to realize she meant the empty cookie bag still in my hand. Without saying a word, I walked past her toward the garbage can. My face was getting hotter and my legs became heavy as I could feel her eyes still on me. The only good news was the monster inside me seemed to be calmer. It might be too sad to growl...
- “That’s my favorite cookie by the way” she shouted after me.
God, leave me alone I prayed but still said nothing.
But the girl didn’t seem to take my silence as a hint. She quickened her step and caught up to me by the garbage can.
- “I have never seen anyone feed the birds the way you did. It looked really fun!”
I wished I could disappear into the sand. Just as I turned to walk away, she reached out her hand and handed me another packet of the same cookies. At the sight of those cookies, my stomach started growling louder and louder...
By the way, her name is Ally, she is now my best friend and my worse enemy.
Hunger Game
A film review by Nicole Dykeman
On March 23, at 6:15 pm, my life was changed. I laughed, I cried, and I jumped ten feet out of my seat. All of this happened within the course of two and a half hours at the mall movie theaters.
I waited one hundred thirty three days. It seemed like one hundred thirty three years. Yes, I counted. I don’t care if you think I’m a nerd, or a geek, or another creative name you wish to think up. Do you want to know why?
It was worth it. The Hunger Games movie had to be the best book based movie I’ve ever seen in my entire time on this planet. Every “i” was dotted, and every “t” was crossed. They really hit the nail on the head this time.
Normally movies based on books are really terrible in comparison, one terrifically awful example being the Percy Jackson movie. It was nothing like the book, and I was ashamed of it. For example, one of the characters, Annabeth, was supposed to be a blonde, and in the movie she was a brunette. For the Hunger Games movie, Jennifer Lawrence dyed her hair from blonde to brown to be Katniss, Josh Hutcherson dyed his hair from brown to blonde so he looked more like Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth dyed his hair from blonde to brown to look like Gale. Even the extras on set let the stylists dye their hair insane colors like blue and pink to be citizens of the Capitol!
The Harry Potter movies were actually well written, and most details were similar to the books. I mean, I understand that you can’t make a seven hundred page book into a two and a half hour movie and expect every little detail to be included. That’s why the Hunger Games movie was so amazing. They only had three hundred pages to transfer to screen.
Even though the mood of the Hunger Games is very suspenseful and serious, there were some funny moments included in the movie. Most of those moments were my favorite parts. There is one scene in the movie where Katniss slams a knife into the table so it’s sticking out. Another character, Effie, gasps from across the room and yells, “That is mahogany!” while Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta’s mentor tells Katniss, “Congratulations, you just killed a table!”
Every bit of this movie had terrific acting. One of the best scenes in the movie takes place right before Katniss is going to be sent up the tube to the Hunger Games arena. Katniss is being comforted by her stylist, Cinna, who is played by singer Lenny Kravitz. Jennifer Lawrence does a phenomenal job at making herself seem completely terrified, from the expression on her face, to the way she talks, and the way her body is shaking uncontrollably. It was so emotional, and it made me cry. The realistic acting is the same reason I cried when Katniss was speaking to her little sister and best friend Gale for the last time before she has to get on the train for the Capitol, and at the death of Rue, an innocent twelve year old sent along with Katniss to the heart-breaking fight to the death the government broadcasts on television.
I nearly had a heart attack when Peeta and Katniss are attacked by mutated dogs in the arena. It had suddenly gone completely silent and dark, and I knew it was coming too, because I read the books! Yet I still jumped out of my skin when the hideous monsters attacked.
Not only was reading these books and watching the movie enjoyable, but I learned a lot. Katniss is a great role model not just for girls, but for all young people in general. She is a strong independent individual who always puts her family before herself, just like when she volunteered to go to the Hunger Games so her sister Prim didn’t have to. I decided to start living my life as Katniss would, doing more for my family and making careful choices, knowing it affects everyone around me what I do. Maybe I’ll even start braiding my hair and take up archery – then I’ll be just like Katniss!
Neptune Public Library is proud to present the very first fruits of our Children's Writing Club
- an essay, a short story, and a film review.
We would like to hear what you think and help us choose our "Feature of the Month"
Please vote using the poll on the right.
Thank you for your support!
Easter
An Essay by Bobby Dykeman
Easter is awesome! Easter is a wonderful time to hang out with friends and family to catch up. For me though, I just like to fool around with my friends and play. This Easter was one of the best ever!
This Easter, my friends came over for brunch and an Easter egg hunt. We spent a long time setting up for the egg hunt. We hung the colorful plastic eggs from strings under the deck and on trees in the backyard. It looked so cool when we were finished! It was all worth it in the end.
To make the hunt even more fun, along with the candy, we put letters in the eggs too. These letters at the end would be unscrambled to spell the words CHOCOLATE BUNNY! One boy, Nicholas, guessed what the letters would spell from the minute my dad said there were fourteen letters. Nicole didn’t get any letters and claimed she was “too cool”.
After the hunt we went inside to watch Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It was the perfect way to calm down from all the excitement of the Easter egg hunt. We watched Harry play Quidditch and kill a Basilisk. I loved this Easter.
Easter is a very special holiday to me. It is one of my favorites! I hope everyone had a happy Easter this year.
Now I have one last question for you. What does Easter mean to you?
Lost and Found
A short story by Wildflower
It’s a beautiful beach day. After some long hours of surfing and diving into the waves, I became so hungry that my stomach started making funny noises. I jumped out of the water, walking over to my beach bag and dug out a packet of my favorite cookies. As soon as my pale, wrinkle finger picked out the first cookie, my stomach rumbled even louder.
Just then I made a big mistake, a very big one. I was hungry alright but at the same time I was also curious to know how loud my own stomach could sound. So instead of eating the first cookie right away, I kept holding the cookie under my nose, a quarter inch from my mouth. And how amazing! My stomach was not just rumbling louder, it growled, growing so loud, that it was growling like a monster! I couldn't help but smile with the thought that there was actually a monster inside my tummy and I would do anything to stop it from growling at me. While I was smiling and thinking my interesting thought, a “SQUAWK” sound blasted my ear drums and my precious cookie was snatched out of my fingers. “squawk, squawk, squawk!” a big seagull was flying away with my cookie.
” Thief! Ugly seagull thief!” I was so mad, I swung my hands above my head and chased after the bird thief. I was so mad to think that the chase between a bird and a human was never a match won. I was so mad to realize that while swinging my hands after the bird, I dropped all my cookies into the water. And worse, in a blink, a dozen of seagulls gathered around me for a surprised feast. Some gratefully thanked me with a generous dropping on my head. I was dumfounded, humiliated and so mad at myself. All I could do was dip my head into the water and clean away the bird dropping.
- “ Don’t you throw that plastic onto the water?”
I was startled. I looked up and saw a girl my age staring at me with a challenging look. It took me a long second to realize she meant the empty cookie bag still in my hand. Without saying a word, I walked past her toward the garbage can. My face was getting hotter and my legs became heavy as I could feel her eyes still on me. The only good news was the monster inside me seemed to be calmer. It might be too sad to growl...
- “That’s my favorite cookie by the way” she shouted after me.
God, leave me alone I prayed but still said nothing.
But the girl didn’t seem to take my silence as a hint. She quickened her step and caught up to me by the garbage can.
- “I have never seen anyone feed the birds the way you did. It looked really fun!”
I wished I could disappear into the sand. Just as I turned to walk away, she reached out her hand and handed me another packet of the same cookies. At the sight of those cookies, my stomach started growling louder and louder...
By the way, her name is Ally, she is now my best friend and my worse enemy.
Hunger Game
A film review by Nicole Dykeman
On March 23, at 6:15 pm, my life was changed. I laughed, I cried, and I jumped ten feet out of my seat. All of this happened within the course of two and a half hours at the mall movie theaters.
I waited one hundred thirty three days. It seemed like one hundred thirty three years. Yes, I counted. I don’t care if you think I’m a nerd, or a geek, or another creative name you wish to think up. Do you want to know why?
It was worth it. The Hunger Games movie had to be the best book based movie I’ve ever seen in my entire time on this planet. Every “i” was dotted, and every “t” was crossed. They really hit the nail on the head this time.
Normally movies based on books are really terrible in comparison, one terrifically awful example being the Percy Jackson movie. It was nothing like the book, and I was ashamed of it. For example, one of the characters, Annabeth, was supposed to be a blonde, and in the movie she was a brunette. For the Hunger Games movie, Jennifer Lawrence dyed her hair from blonde to brown to be Katniss, Josh Hutcherson dyed his hair from brown to blonde so he looked more like Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth dyed his hair from blonde to brown to look like Gale. Even the extras on set let the stylists dye their hair insane colors like blue and pink to be citizens of the Capitol!
The Harry Potter movies were actually well written, and most details were similar to the books. I mean, I understand that you can’t make a seven hundred page book into a two and a half hour movie and expect every little detail to be included. That’s why the Hunger Games movie was so amazing. They only had three hundred pages to transfer to screen.
Even though the mood of the Hunger Games is very suspenseful and serious, there were some funny moments included in the movie. Most of those moments were my favorite parts. There is one scene in the movie where Katniss slams a knife into the table so it’s sticking out. Another character, Effie, gasps from across the room and yells, “That is mahogany!” while Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta’s mentor tells Katniss, “Congratulations, you just killed a table!”
Every bit of this movie had terrific acting. One of the best scenes in the movie takes place right before Katniss is going to be sent up the tube to the Hunger Games arena. Katniss is being comforted by her stylist, Cinna, who is played by singer Lenny Kravitz. Jennifer Lawrence does a phenomenal job at making herself seem completely terrified, from the expression on her face, to the way she talks, and the way her body is shaking uncontrollably. It was so emotional, and it made me cry. The realistic acting is the same reason I cried when Katniss was speaking to her little sister and best friend Gale for the last time before she has to get on the train for the Capitol, and at the death of Rue, an innocent twelve year old sent along with Katniss to the heart-breaking fight to the death the government broadcasts on television.
I nearly had a heart attack when Peeta and Katniss are attacked by mutated dogs in the arena. It had suddenly gone completely silent and dark, and I knew it was coming too, because I read the books! Yet I still jumped out of my skin when the hideous monsters attacked.
Not only was reading these books and watching the movie enjoyable, but I learned a lot. Katniss is a great role model not just for girls, but for all young people in general. She is a strong independent individual who always puts her family before herself, just like when she volunteered to go to the Hunger Games so her sister Prim didn’t have to. I decided to start living my life as Katniss would, doing more for my family and making careful choices, knowing it affects everyone around me what I do. Maybe I’ll even start braiding my hair and take up archery – then I’ll be just like Katniss!
Comments for Children’s Writing Club
Essay: “Easter” by
Bobby Dykeman
Not only did Bobby turn Easter into a literary event, the
hunt itself was literary! This essay
was charming and really conveyed the excitement of the Easter celebration. I could visualize the fun everyone had in
setting it up—perhaps just as much as the hunt itself. I would like to have known more about the
idea for using “Chocolate Bunny” in the eggs. Who came up with it, and how did
it work? Did each egg have a single letter?
This was not clear and if Bobby had spent a little more time explaining
it, it would have made the essay even better. As a writer, you always have to
keep your reader in mind, and realize that the reader knows nothing until you
explain it.
Story: “Lost and Found” by Wildflower.
This story, which has at its center
a grumbling stomach, is very original. I
remember when I was young and my stomach would grumble, and how embarrassing
that was. I hadn’t thought of it in
years. That no longer seems to happen,
but this story brings back the memory in vivid detail and the embarrassment
that went along with those stomach noises.
There are nice images here: for
example, the “pale wrinkled finger” from having been in the water so long. The
story takes an great little twist at the end with the appearance of another
girl, her warning not to throw the plastic bag into the water, and the
narrator’s embarrassed response. How a
potential fight turns into a friendship makes a splendid ending.
Review: Hunger Game by Nicole Dykeman
Thank you, Nicole, for explaining to
this out-of-touch adult why the Hunger Games is such a huge phenomenon. It seemed to come out of nowhere and now it
is the talk of the country. Thanks to
you, I not only understand what it’s all about but why it’s so popular. As a critic, you did a good job of telling
about the movie without giving away the plot, and also conveying its
excitement. I liked your descriptions of
the acting. Your tears and fears—telling
readers about them was strong evidence of the movie’s power. Reflecting on what you learned gives the movie
an added dimension. It actually makes me
want to see it!
P.S. I had my hair cut today, and
the people in the salon were talking about the movie. Nothing they said gave me the sense of it the
way Nicole’s review did.
--Mary Walton
Mary Walton is a member of Neptune public library and a published author of 16 books
http://www.allbookstores.com/Mary-Walton/author
Teen Book Club meeting
Wednesday, May 9@ 3-4pm
Book Club meeting:
Heist Society
By Ally Carter.Next month book will be:
Split by Swati Avasthi
Program for Children and Families May7-May12
10:30am
Puddle Buddies
Stories, fingerplays, & craft for 2 yeas old @3:45
Mother's Day Craft
Make a gift for your mother in this holiday craft
Saturday, May 12@ 2
Family movies
Zathura
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Children's Writing Club need your support
Imagination - Creativity – Inspiration
Neptune Public Library is proud to present the very first fruits of our Children's Writing Club
- an essay, a short story, and a film review.
We would like to hear what you think and help us choose our "Feature of the Month"
Please vote using the poll on the right.
Thank you for your support!
Easter
An Essay by Bobby Dykeman
Easter is awesome! Easter is a wonderful time to hang out with friends and family to catch up. For me though, I just like to fool around with my friends and play. This Easter was one of the best ever!
This Easter, my friends came over for brunch and an Easter egg hunt. We spent a long time setting up for the egg hunt. We hung the colorful plastic eggs from strings under the deck and on trees in the backyard. It looked so cool when we were finished! It was all worth it in the end.
To make the hunt even more fun, along with the candy, we put letters in the eggs too. These letters at the end would be unscrambled to spell the words CHOCOLATE BUNNY! One boy, Nicholas, guessed what the letters would spell from the minute my dad said there were fourteen letters. Nicole didn’t get any letters and claimed she was “too cool”.
After the hunt we went inside to watch Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It was the perfect way to calm down from all the excitement of the Easter egg hunt. We watched Harry play Quidditch and kill a Basilisk. I loved this Easter.
Easter is a very special holiday to me. It is one of my favorites! I hope everyone had a happy Easter this year.
Now I have one last question for you. What does Easter mean to you?
Lost and Found
A short story by Wildflower
It’s a beautiful beach day. After some long hours of surfing and diving into the waves, I became so hungry that my stomach started making funny noises. I jumped out of the water, walking over to my beach bag and dug out a packet of my favorite cookies. As soon as my pale, wrinkle finger picked out the first cookie, my stomach rumbled even louder.
Just then I made a big mistake, a very big one. I was hungry alright but at the same time I was also curious to know how loud my own stomach could sound. So instead of eating the first cookie right away, I kept holding the cookie under my nose, a quarter inch from my mouth. And how amazing! My stomach was not just rumbling louder, it growled, growing so loud, that it was growling like a monster! I couldn't help but smile with the thought that there was actually a monster inside my tummy and I would do anything to stop it from growling at me. While I was smiling and thinking my interesting thought, a “SQUAWK” sound blasted my ear drums and my precious cookie was snatched out of my fingers. “squawk, squawk, squawk!” a big seagull was flying away with my cookie.
” Thief! Ugly seagull thief!” I was so mad, I swung my hands above my head and chased after the bird thief. I was so mad to think that the chase between a bird and a human was never a match won. I was so mad to realize that while swinging my hands after the bird, I dropped all my cookies into the water. And worse, in a blink, a dozen of seagulls gathered around me for a surprised feast. Some gratefully thanked me with a generous dropping on my head. I was dumfounded, humiliated and so mad at myself. All I could do was dip my head into the water and clean away the bird dropping.
- “ Don’t you throw that plastic onto the water?”
I was startled. I looked up and saw a girl my age staring at me with a challenging look. It took me a long second to realize she meant the empty cookie bag still in my hand. Without saying a word, I walked past her toward the garbage can. My face was getting hotter and my legs became heavy as I could feel her eyes still on me. The only good news was the monster inside me seemed to be calmer. It might be too sad to growl...
- “That’s my favorite cookie by the way” she shouted after me.
God, leave me alone I prayed but still said nothing.
But the girl didn’t seem to take my silence as a hint. She quickened her step and caught up to me by the garbage can.
- “I have never seen anyone feed the birds the way you did. It looked really fun!”
I wished I could disappear into the sand. Just as I turned to walk away, she reached out her hand and handed me another packet of the same cookies. At the sight of those cookies, my stomach started growling louder and louder...
By the way, her name is Ally, she is now my best friend and my worse enemy.
Hunger Game
A film review by Nicole Dykeman
On March 23, at 6:15 pm, my life was changed. I laughed, I cried, and I jumped ten feet out of my seat. All of this happened within the course of two and a half hours at the mall movie theaters.
I waited one hundred thirty three days. It seemed like one hundred thirty three years. Yes, I counted. I don’t care if you think I’m a nerd, or a geek, or another creative name you wish to think up. Do you want to know why?
It was worth it. The Hunger Games movie had to be the best book based movie I’ve ever seen in my entire time on this planet. Every “i” was dotted, and every “t” was crossed. They really hit the nail on the head this time.
Normally movies based on books are really terrible in comparison, one terrifically awful example being the Percy Jackson movie. It was nothing like the book, and I was ashamed of it. For example, one of the characters, Annabeth, was supposed to be a blonde, and in the movie she was a brunette. For the Hunger Games movie, Jennifer Lawrence dyed her hair from blonde to brown to be Katniss, Josh Hutcherson dyed his hair from brown to blonde so he looked more like Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth dyed his hair from blonde to brown to look like Gale. Even the extras on set let the stylists dye their hair insane colors like blue and pink to be citizens of the Capitol!
The Harry Potter movies were actually well written, and most details were similar to the books. I mean, I understand that you can’t make a seven hundred page book into a two and a half hour movie and expect every little detail to be included. That’s why the Hunger Games movie was so amazing. They only had three hundred pages to transfer to screen.
Even though the mood of the Hunger Games is very suspenseful and serious, there were some funny moments included in the movie. Most of those moments were my favorite parts. There is one scene in the movie where Katniss slams a knife into the table so it’s sticking out. Another character, Effie, gasps from across the room and yells, “That is mahogany!” while Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta’s mentor tells Katniss, “Congratulations, you just killed a table!”
Every bit of this movie had terrific acting. One of the best scenes in the movie takes place right before Katniss is going to be sent up the tube to the Hunger Games arena. Katniss is being comforted by her stylist, Cinna, who is played by singer Lenny Kravitz. Jennifer Lawrence does a phenomenal job at making herself seem completely terrified, from the expression on her face, to the way she talks, and the way her body is shaking uncontrollably. It was so emotional, and it made me cry. The realistic acting is the same reason I cried when Katniss was speaking to her little sister and best friend Gale for the last time before she has to get on the train for the Capitol, and at the death of Rue, an innocent twelve year old sent along with Katniss to the heart-breaking fight to the death the government broadcasts on television.
I nearly had a heart attack when Peeta and Katniss are attacked by mutated dogs in the arena. It had suddenly gone completely silent and dark, and I knew it was coming too, because I read the books! Yet I still jumped out of my skin when the hideous monsters attacked.
Not only was reading these books and watching the movie enjoyable, but I learned a lot. Katniss is a great role model not just for girls, but for all young people in general. She is a strong independent individual who always puts her family before herself, just like when she volunteered to go to the Hunger Games so her sister Prim didn’t have to. I decided to start living my life as Katniss would, doing more for my family and making careful choices, knowing it affects everyone around me what I do. Maybe I’ll even start braiding my hair and take up archery – then I’ll be just like Katniss!
Comments for Children’s Writing Club
Essay: “Easter” by
Bobby Dykeman
Not only did Bobby turn Easter into a literary event, the
hunt itself was literary! This essay
was charming and really conveyed the excitement of the Easter celebration. I could visualize the fun everyone had in
setting it up—perhaps just as much as the hunt itself. I would like to have known more about the
idea for using “Chocolate Bunny” in the eggs. Who came up with it, and how did
it work? Did each egg have a single letter?
This was not clear and if Bobby had spent a little more time explaining
it, it would have made the essay even better. As a writer, you always have to
keep your reader in mind, and realize that the reader knows nothing until you
explain it.
Story: “Lost and Found” by Wildflower.
This story, which has at its center
a grumbling stomach, is very original. I
remember when I was young and my stomach would grumble, and how embarrassing
that was. I hadn’t thought of it in
years. That no longer seems to happen,
but this story brings back the memory in vivid detail and the embarrassment
that went along with those stomach noises.
There are nice images here: for
example, the “pale wrinkled finger” from having been in the water so long. The
story takes an great little twist at the end with the appearance of another
girl, her warning not to throw the plastic bag into the water, and the
narrator’s embarrassed response. How a
potential fight turns into a friendship makes a splendid ending.
Review: Hunger Game by Nicole Dykeman
Thank you, Nicole, for explaining to
this out-of-touch adult why the Hunger Games is such a huge phenomenon. It seemed to come out of nowhere and now it
is the talk of the country. Thanks to
you, I not only understand what it’s all about but why it’s so popular. As a critic, you did a good job of telling
about the movie without giving away the plot, and also conveying its
excitement. I liked your descriptions of
the acting. Your tears and fears—telling
readers about them was strong evidence of the movie’s power. Reflecting on what you learned gives the movie
an added dimension. It actually makes me
want to see it!
P.S. I had my hair cut today, and
the people in the salon were talking about the movie. Nothing they said gave me the sense of it the
way Nicole’s review did.
--Mary Walton
Mary Walton is a member of Neptune public library and a published author of 16 books
http://www.allbookstores.com/Mary-Walton/author
Programs for Children and Families from 4/31-5/5
Friday, May 4
@ 10:30 am
@ 3:45pm
Age 3 to Gr. 3
Saturday, May 5
@2 pm
@ 10:30 am
Toddler Storytime
Whose Hat?
Stories. fingerplays & crafts
for 2 years old@ 3:45pm
Cinco de Mayo
It's fiesta time!
We're celebrating with a story game, and crafts!Age 3 to Gr. 3
Saturday, May 5
@2 pm
Movie for Families
Happy Feet 2 Thursday, April 19, 2012
Children's Writing Club Meeting
Thursday, April 25
@ 6 - 7:45 pm
Children's Writing Club Meeting
Open to all adults and youth who are interested in writing stories for children
Imagination - Creativity – Inspiration
Tween Book Club Meeting
Wednesday, April 25
@3 pm
By Pseudonymous Bosch
Gr. 4-7
@3 pm
Book club meeting for:
The Name of the Book is SecretBy Pseudonymous Bosch
Gr. 4-7
Programs for Children and Families from 4/23 to 4/28
Friday, April 27
@ 10:30 am
Toddler Storytime
Bunny HopFor 2 years old
@ 3:45 pm
Get ready for adevnture in this program
feature everybody's favorite explorer!
Age 3 to Gr. 3
Saturday, April 28
@ 2pm
Movie for Families
Lady & the Tramp
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Children's Writing Club needs your help
Imagination - Creativity – Inspiration
Neptune Public Library is proud to present the very first fruits of our Children's Writing Club
- an essay, a short story, and a film review.
We want to hear what you think and help us choose our "Feature of the Month"
by clicking the link below to our facebook and post your comments and vote.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Neptune-Public-Library/109639535732341
For Non-facebook members, please drop your comments and vote at our circulation desk.
Thank you for your support!
Neptune Public Library is proud to present the very first fruits of our Children's Writing Club
- an essay, a short story, and a film review.
We want to hear what you think and help us choose our "Feature of the Month"
by clicking the link below to our facebook and post your comments and vote.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Neptune-Public-Library/109639535732341
For Non-facebook members, please drop your comments and vote at our circulation desk.
Thank you for your support!
Easter
An Essay by Bobby Dykeman
Easter is awesome! Easter is a wonderful time to hang out with friends and family to catch up. For me though, I just like to fool around with my friends and play. This Easter was one of the best ever!
This Easter, my friends came over for brunch and an Easter egg hunt. We spent a long time setting up for the egg hunt. We hung the colorful plastic eggs from strings under the deck and on trees in the backyard. It looked so cool when we were finished! It was all worth it in the end.
To make the hunt even more fun, along with the candy, we put letters in the eggs too. These letters at the end would be unscrambled to spell the words CHOCOLATE BUNNY! One boy, Nicholas, guessed what the letters would spell from the minute my dad said there were fourteen letters. Nicole didn’t get any letters and claimed she was “too cool”.
After the hunt we went inside to watch Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It was the perfect way to calm down from all the excitement of the Easter egg hunt. We watched Harry play Quidditch and kill a Basilisk. I loved this Easter.
Easter is a very special holiday to me. It is one of my favorites! I hope everyone had a happy Easter this year.
Now I have one last question for you. What does Easter mean to you?
Now I have one last question for you. What does Easter mean to you?
Lost and Found
A short story by Wildflower
A short story by Wildflower
It’s a beautiful beach day. After some long hours of surfing and diving into the waves, I became so hungry that my stomach started making funny noises. I jumped out of the water, walking over to my beach bag and dug out a packet of my favorite cookies. As soon as my pale, wrinkle finger picked out the first cookie, my stomach rumbled even louder.
Just then I made a big mistake, a very big one. I was hungry alright but at the same time I was also curious to know how loud my own stomach could sound. So instead of eating the first cookie right away, I kept holding the cookie under my nose, a quarter inch from my mouth. And how amazing! My stomach was not just rumbling louder, it growled, growing so loud, that it was growling like a monster! I couldn't help but smile with the thought that there was actually a monster inside my tummy and I would do anything to stop it from growling at me. While I was smiling and thinking my interesting thought, a “SQUAWK” sound blasted my ear drums and my precious cookie was snatched out of my fingers. “squawk, squawk, squawk!” a big seagull was flying away with my cookie.
” Thief! Ugly seagull thief!” I was so mad, I swung my hands above my head and chased after the bird thief. I was so mad to think that the chase between a bird and a human was never a match won. I was so mad to realize that while swinging my hands after the bird, I dropped all my cookies into the water. And worse, in a blink, a dozen of seagulls gathered around me for a surprised feast. Some gratefully thanked me with a generous dropping on my head. I was dumfounded, humiliated and so mad at myself. All I could do was dip my head into the water and clean away the bird dropping.
- “ Don’t you throw that plastic onto the water?”
I was startled. I looked up and saw a girl my age staring at me with a challenging look. It took me a long second to realize she meant the empty cookie bag still in my hand. Without saying a word, I walked past her toward the garbage can. My face was getting hotter and my legs became heavy as I could feel her eyes still on me. The only good news was the monster inside me seemed to be calmer. It might be too sad to growl...
- “That’s my favorite cookie by the way” she shouted after me.
God, leave me alone I prayed but still said nothing.
But the girl didn’t seem to take my silence as a hint. She quickened her step and caught up to me by the garbage can.
- “I have never seen anyone feed the birds the way you did. It looked really fun!”
I wished I could disappear into the sand. Just as I turned to walk away, she reached out her hand and handed me another packet of the same cookies. At the sight of those cookies, my stomach started growling louder and louder...
By the way, her name is Ally, she is now my best friend and my worse enemy.
Hunger Game
A film review by Nicole Dykeman
On March 23, at 6:15 pm, my life was changed. I laughed, I cried, and I jumped ten feet out of my seat. All of this happened within the course of two and a half hours at the mall movie theaters.
I waited one hundred thirty three days. It seemed like one hundred thirty three years. Yes, I counted. I don’t care if you think I’m a nerd, or a geek, or another creative name you wish to think up. Do you want to know why?
It was worth it. The Hunger Games movie had to be the best book based movie I’ve ever seen in my entire time on this planet. Every “i” was dotted, and every “t” was crossed. They really hit the nail on the head this time.
Normally movies based on books are really terrible in comparison, one terrifically awful example being the Percy Jackson movie. It was nothing like the book, and I was ashamed of it. For example, one of the characters, Annabeth, was supposed to be a blonde, and in the movie she was a brunette. For the Hunger Games movie, Jennifer Lawrence dyed her hair from blonde to brown to be Katniss, Josh Hutcherson dyed his hair from brown to blonde so he looked more like Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth dyed his hair from blonde to brown to look like Gale. Even the extras on set let the stylists dye their hair insane colors like blue and pink to be citizens of the Capitol!
The Harry Potter movies were actually well written, and most details were similar to the books. I mean, I understand that you can’t make a seven hundred page book into a two and a half hour movie and expect every little detail to be included. That’s why the Hunger Games movie was so amazing. They only had three hundred pages to transfer to screen.
Even though the mood of the Hunger Games is very suspenseful and serious, there were some funny moments included in the movie. Most of those moments were my favorite parts. There is one scene in the movie where Katniss slams a knife into the table so it’s sticking out. Another character, Effie, gasps from across the room and yells, “That is mahogany!” while Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta’s mentor tells Katniss, “Congratulations, you just killed a table!”
Every bit of this movie had terrific acting. One of the best scenes in the movie takes place right before Katniss is going to be sent up the tube to the Hunger Games arena. Katniss is being comforted by her stylist, Cinna, who is played by singer Lenny Kravitz. Jennifer Lawrence does a phenomenal job at making herself seem completely terrified, from the expression on her face, to the way she talks, and the way her body is shaking uncontrollably. It was so emotional, and it made me cry. The realistic acting is the same reason I cried when Katniss was speaking to her little sister and best friend Gale for the last time before she has to get on the train for the Capitol, and at the death of Rue, an innocent twelve year old sent along with Katniss to the heart-breaking fight to the death the government broadcasts on television.
I nearly had a heart attack when Peeta and Katniss are attacked by mutated dogs in the arena. It had suddenly gone completely silent and dark, and I knew it was coming too, because I read the books! Yet I still jumped out of my skin when the hideous monsters attacked.
Not only was reading these books and watching the movie enjoyable, but I learned a lot. Katniss is a great role model not just for girls, but for all young people in general. She is a strong independent individual who always puts her family before herself, just like when she volunteered to go to the Hunger Games so her sister Prim didn’t have to. I decided to start living my life as Katniss would, doing more for my family and making careful choices, knowing it affects everyone around me what I do. Maybe I’ll even start braiding my hair and take up archery – then I’ll be just like Katniss!
Overall the Hunger Games movie was a great experience and I don’t believe any readers will be disappointed with the story that came to life on the screen. The details were spot on, and any minor differences were barely noticeable. If you haven’t read the books, I suggest you do. You’re missing out on a fabulous trilogy, and maybe now you can help me count down until the movie for the second book, Caching Fire. Only about 600 more days!
Programs for children and families from 4/14 to 4/20
@ 2pm
Family movies
Happy Feet 2
Friday, April 20
@ 10:30am
Splish Splash
for 2 years old
@3:45pm
Monkey Business
Go bananas over this primate program featuring a story, craft, and movie
For age 3 to Gr. 3
Thursday, April 05, 2012
Programs for the Week of April 9 to April 14
Wednesday, April 11@ 3-4pm
Teen Book Club
Book dicussion:
"I'm Number Four"
By Pittacus Lore
Gr. 7-12
Thursday, April 12
@ 3: 45 pm
Spring Storytime
Spring is in the air with the seasonal storytime!
age 3- Gr. 3
Friday, March 30, 2012
Easter Party
Friday, April 6@3:45 pm
Easter Party!
Celebrate with stories, games, crafts, and freshments!
Children age 3 to Gr. 3
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Children's Writing Club
Thursday, March 29@ 6-7:45pm
Children's Writing Club meeting
Open to library patrons of all ages Who are working on a children's book or thinking of writing one
Imagination - Creativity - InspirationTween Book Club Meeting
Wednesday, March 28@ 3pm
Book discussion:
Lost & Found
By Andrew Clements
Gr. 4-8
Sign-up and get a free book
Programs for Children and Families from 3/26-3/31
Monday, March 26@ 10:30
Mother Goose Time
Melody Makers
Babies 6-24 months
Friday, March 30
Friday, March 30
@ 10:30
Toddler Storytime
Counting Sheep
For 2 years old
@ 3:45pmPirates-Ahoy mates!
It's pirate's life for you in this program
It's pirate's life for you in this program
feature a story and a craft
Saturday, March 31@ 2 pm
Family movies
Family movies
Alvin & the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
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