APRIL 2008

The library calendar has something for everyone! Here's what you can look forward to in April.

FOR FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN:

• Tuesdays, 10 a.m. - Tiny Tots Time for babies age 0-24 months.
• Fridays, 10 a.m. - Preschool Story Time for children ages 2-5.
• Saturdays, 10 a.m. - Dads and Donuts for preschool children. (Moms are invited, too).

FOR FAMILIES:

• Saturday, April 19, 1 p.m. - Silly Science puts families in Dr. Gooey's lab to make some super scientific discoveries.

FOR TEENS (GR. 6-12):

• Monday, April 21 from 6-7 p.m. - Poetry Slam lets you read or perform your own poetry or that of your favorite poet. Refreshments included.
• Thursday, April 10, 6-7 p.m. - Wii Gaming Night.

FOR ADULTS:

• Mondays, 9 a.m .to noon - Catholic Charities representative helps with your social services needs.
• Tuesdays (April 8-29), 6 p.m. - Natl. Kidney Foundation of Wisconsin health series.
• Wednesday, April 16, 10:30 a.m. to noon - USDA Rural Development specialist answers your questions about housing programs, loans and grants.
• Thursday, April 17, 7 p.m. - Aram Book Discussion talks about A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

FOR EVERYONE:

National Library Week is April 13-19. No overdue fines will be charged on items returned this week. Celebrate all the good things the Aram Public Library brings to your life!

Phone the library at 728-3111 (728-2620 TDD) or email sbergstromaram@charter.net for more information.

The Color of Water

March 2008 Book Discussion

Thursday, March 20 @ 7 p.m.

The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride is the book discussion selection for March. This interesting and well-written memoir alternates between present and past, exploring the life of McBride's mother along with his own upbringing and heritage.

The son of a black minister and a woman who would not admit she was white, James McBride grew up with eleven siblings in the poor, all-black projects of Brooklyn. His mother was a fiercely protective woman who believed life's blessings and values could overcome racism and adversity. "God is the color of water," Ruth McBride told her children. She herded them to free cultural events, sent them to the best schools, insisted on good grades, and commanded respect.

To young James, she was a source of embarrassment, worry and confusion, and he was 30 years old before he discovered the truth about her early life. The daughter of an itinerant Orthodox rabbi, her family emigrated to America from Poland and settled in small-town Virginia, where anti-Semitism and racial tensions ran high. At seventeen, she fled family

Interspersed throughout his mother's narrative, McBride shares memories of his own experiences as a mixed-race child of poverty, creating a powerful portrait of growing up and a meditation on race and identity.

The publisher's discussion guide will give you something to think about while you're reading. Anyone who has read the book is welcome to attend the meeting.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

COME TO A BIRTHDAY PARTY!
SATURDAY, MARCH 15 AT 1 P.M.

Sam I am, fox in socks, the cat in the hat, and the grinch are just a few of the characters populating some of my favorite children's books, all written by Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss.

Dr. Seuss was born on March 2, 1904. Every year in March, millions of fans celebrate the life and work of this author and illustrator, and this year, we are celebrating too! On Saturday, March 15, Aram Public Library invites you to attend a birthday party for Dr. Seuss. A typical birthday party includes games and cake, but Dr. Seuss had a pretty wild imagination, and I think his birthday party deserves to be a little different.

If Dr. Seuss were to plan a birthday party, what do you think it would be like? Would the cake be miles high with purple and green frosting? Would balancing fish bowls on your umbrella take the place of "pin the tail on the donkey?" Will everyone wear 500 party hats while the Birthday Honk Honker blows his horn?

You never know what will happen when you let your imagination take over. Turn YOUR imagination loose on March 15 at Dr. Seuss's Birthday Party. See you at 1 p.m. here at Aram Public Library!

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