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A Treasure of Books for Two Towns

Reserve your tickets
to see Anita Silvey,
author of this year's community read!

The Book

book cover"What children's book changed the way you see the world?" Anita Silvey asked this question of more than one hundred of our most respected and admired leaders in society. Writers (Anna Quindlen, Sherman Alexie, Bobbie Ann Mason, Azar Nafisi, Angela Johnson, David McCullough, Ann Tyler, Dave Eggers,); inventors and scientists (Steve Wozniak, Andrew Weaver); politicians and activists (Donna E. Shalala, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.); artists (Wendell Minor, Pete Seeger); and the media (Lesley Stahl, Scott Simon) are just some of the people who share their stories. The lessons they recall are inspiring, instructive, and illuminating. And the books they remember resonate as influential reading choices for families.

Reserve your copy of Everything I Need To Know... today!

Events Based On the Book

Click here for a .pdf brochure of events!

Keynote Speaker for 2010 Community Read, Anita Silvey
Ken Olsen Science Center, Gordon College, Wenham, MA
Thursday April 8, 2010
6:00 - 7:00 p.m. Meet the Author Reception
7:30 p.m. Anita Silvey's Author Talk
Come meet the author of this year's community read at the Ken Olsen Science Center! General admission is $8.00; Student and Senior rate is $5.00. Tickets will be available through this web site, in person at the library and at the door on the evening of the event.

Events gone by...

On January 23rd we held the KICK-OFF EVENT for our Treasure of Books for Two Towns community read. Staff and patrons came dressed as their favorite children's book characters, and prizes were awarded for the best costumes. Pictures of this event coming soon!

We celebrated A Treasure of Stories With Sharon Grimes on February 8th, as Sharon and eager young readers recreated classic childhood stories like Goodnight Moon and The Mitten.

On Wednesday, March 10th we held our Working Together to Promote Education Through Literacy: Infancy and Beyond panel discussion, designed for parents and educators. Featured panelists were Pat Purdy (Owner, Banbury Cross Children's Bookshop), Lisa Davis (MS, CCC/SLP, Cape Ann Early Intervention), Gretchen Hunsberger (Massachusetts Programs Director, Reach Out and Read), Missy Andrichak (Kindergarten teacher, Winthrop School) and Cynthia Griffin (Liaison, Early Childhood Partners).

Learn More About the Author

Anita Silvey Anita Silvey is a children's and young adult book expert! She has an illustrious career in the children's book industry as former Editor-in-Chief of The Horn Book Magazine and a publisher of children’s books for Houghton Mifflin Company. Ms. Silvey is the author of 100 Best Books for Children and 500 Great Books for Teens, and the editor of Children’s Books and Their Creators. To find out more about Ms. Silvey, visit her web site.

What We Learned From Children's Books

What have you learned from a children's book? EMAIL a childhood title, author, and a few sentences explaining why it was important to you, for posting on the web site. You can see all of the responses at the What We Learned From Children's Books web page.
Here is the most recent response:

coverCirculation Librarian Dede McManus chose These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder as one of her most treasured children’s books. Dede says: "I remember my third grade teacher reading the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilders, starting with Little House in the Big Woods and ending with These Happy Golden Years.  My teacher would read to us right after recess to settle us down.  I can remember the hush in the room and dazed expressions as everyone listened intently to the stories. The Little House books are great stories about the American frontier and still an American classic."
~ Dede McManus, Circulation Librarian

Click here for more!


Submit a Review or Read Reviews of the Books

There is another way you can share favorite books: submit reviews to the Hamilton-Wenham Public Library! If you have read Everything I Need to Know... or any of the many children's books it covers, let us know with a review! And yes, if you sent us a reader response you can also submit it as a review. Visit our Reviews page and click "Sign Me Up" to get started. If you have any questions please call the library at 978-468-5577, ext.19.

Further Reading (and Viewing)

projectorSometimes a great book inspires a great movie. Sometimes a great book inspires a not-so-great movie. If you're interested in seeing movies based on the books in Everything I Need To Know..., here is a list of movie adaptations at our library, together with the books they are based on. Read the book, watch the movie, and see what you think!

Brought To You By...

Sponsored by The Friends of the Hamilton-Wenham Public Library and a Mother Goose on the Loose Grant. These federal funds are provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

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Modified 3/22/2010