Thanks to Downtown Comics our library branches are celebrating Free Comic Book Day this Saturday, May 4, 2013. Stop by any IMCPL Branch Location on Saturday to pick up your free comic book. Come early – available while supplies last. Get more information on Free Comic Book Day at http://www.freecomicbookday.com/Home/1/1/27/992 .
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Children of all ages and families are invited to hear members of the Indiana Pacers read their favorite stories in children’s literature during “Read Like a Pro — Call-a-Pacer 2013″ on The Indianapolis Public Library’s 24-hour Call-a-Story telephone line.
By dialing 275-4444, or toll-free at 877-275-9007, callers will hear recorded stories from Pacers players who demonstrate their love of reading as a way to encourage young ones to develop the habit.
This year’s “Read Like a Pro — Call-a-Pacer 2013″ schedule includes:
| Beginning April 29 Read by: Paul George Is Your Mama a Llama? Deborah Guarino |
Beginning May 6th Read by: Gerald Green I’ve Lost My Hippopotamus Jack Prelutsky |
| Beginning May 13th Read by: Orlando Johnson Jane Yolen |
Beginning May 20th Read by: George Hill Anthony Browne |
| Beginning May 28 Read by: Ian Mahinmi Judi Barrett |
Beginning June 3rd Read by: Jeff Pendergraph Doreen Cronin |
| Beginning June 10th Read by: Tyler Hansbrough Bill Martin, Jr. |
Beginning June 17th Read by: Miles Plumlee Meghan McCarthy |
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The Newbery Medal book for this year, announced in January, was The One and Only Ivan…a story based on a real gorilla who used to live at Zoo Atlanta. Today at 3:30pm zookeepers at Zoo Atlanta will be presenting a webcast to remember Ivan, who died August 20, 2012. Ivan was a beloved zoo resident missed by many.
From Zoo Atlanta : “We’ll discuss the real Ivan, who called Zoo Atlanta home for 18 years. From the jungles of Africa to the shores of the Pacific Northwest to The Ford African Rain Forest at Zoo Atlanta, his life has become a symbol of the way animals shape our lives — and the power we have to shape theirs. We’ll be joined by our educator instructor Carvel Bennett and primate keeper Jodi Carrigan, who was Ivan’s close friend for 10 years.”
Ivan the gorilla lives at the Exit 8 Bigtop Mall and Video Arcade. Ivan lives in a small glass domain with nothing but a food bowl, a stuffed toy and a television…and the humans that come and press their faces to the glass and point and stare. The zoo owner sometimes gives Ivan a crayon or paint. Ivan likes to draw pictures.
Hello.
I am Ivan. I am a gorilla.
It’s not as easy as it looks.
People call me the Freeway Gorilla. The Ape at Exit 8. The One and Only Ivan. Mighty Silverback.
The names are mine, but they’re not me. I am Ivan, just Ivan, only Ivan. (pages 1-2)
Doesn’t that remind you of Harry Potter when he says to Hagrid in the Sorcerer’s Stone movie, “But I’m just…just Harry!”
Ivan does have a couple friends, an old elephant named Stella and a stray dog named Bob that sneaks into Ivan’s cage every night to sleep on his warm belly. The three of them get by. They don’t talk much about what could be better, they just deal with every day. When the Exit 8 Big Top owner realizes attendance is way down he buys a baby elephant, a terrified baby elephant named Ruby, to make more people want to visit.
We’ve got a new arrival. This is Ruby, folks. Six hundred pounds of fun to save our sorry butts. This gal is gonna sell us some tickets.” (page 69)
Ruby’s arrival makes Stella and Ivan see their situation in a different way. Stella, in particular, can’t stand the idea of Ruby growing up at the mall. While Ivan and Stella have grown old and gotten to the point where life at the mall is good enough, they don’t think life at the mall is good enough for Ruby. So, in the spirit of Charlotte’s Web, Ivan hatches a plan hoping to save Ella from a lonely life at the mall, a plan that just might save the others too. You’ll cry and cheer both. It’s cool to see Ivan get his Mighty back. He isn’t just Ivan. He’s Ivan the Mighty Silverback. Author: Katherine Applegate
Annnnd did you know our own Indianapolis Zoo plans a New Gorilla Exhibit to open in 2013?
| If you like Ivan here are some more stories that imagine what life would be like from the animal’s point of view. We can never really know of course, but it IS interesting to imagine. You also might like to read about the gorilla Koko. Koko learned sign language, which makes you wonder if we CAN learn a little about what animals think. The last four books are about scientists who study gorillas in the wild or in captivity. Really, really fascinating. And I’m warnin’ ya…the animal stories will make you cry, just like Ivan. If you have a pet you’ll go hug it and think more about your responsibility and what it means to have an animal friend. | |||
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Using rhyming text, explores the homes of various animals, including spiders, moles, warthogs, and tree frogs, and describes how the animals use these homes for protection or for hunting food. Author: Catherine Ham
Animals are awesome, but let’s face it; there are a bazillion animal books out there. Emilie, you ask, why should I read this one? (Let’s pretend you asked that.) This book is different. It’s about animal homes. Not only that, there are incredible pictures of the animals in their homes. Also, the book rhymes. Did you know the spittlebug (I didn’t even know there was a spittlebug) makes his house from his spit? It looks like bubble wrap. There are ants that build enormous nests high up in trees. Do you know what a warthog home looks like? You will if you read this book!
Recommended by: Emilie Lynn – East 38th Street Branch
More books about animals and their amazing homes:
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In this latest misadventure, Nate, the all-time record-holder for detentions, gets to see how the other half lives as he follows his best friend Francis’s example and becomes a total neat freak; has Nate totally flipped out?
When Nate makes the worst friend mistake ever and breaks the “secret swear” he made to Francis, he knows he has to make some big changes to earn Francis’s trust back. He decides he can’t do it on his own and turns to Teddy’s Uncle Pedro for help. What good is he? Well, he’s an inventor-magician-handyman-mad scientist. And he hypnotizes people.
Nate doesn’t believe he’s hypnotized until he starts to really act odd. He notices things like Dee Dee’s smudged glasses and a puddle he doesn’t want Teddy to step in. He cleans his room.He rewrites his messy class notes. He cleans his locker. Nate. Cleans. His. Locker. And THEN…Nate gets an A++. Not Gina. Nate! He really has flipped out. But Francis is still mad. It doesn’t matter to him that Nate is trying to change. Lincoln Peirce
Big Nate Series:
1: Big Nate in a Class By Himself
2: Big Nate Strikes Again
3: Big Nate On a Roll
4: Big Nate Goes for Broke
5: Big Nate Flips Out
6. Big Nate In the Zone coming out 2014
| If you think Nate is funny, try some of these: | |||
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