Hello Ashland families!

I hope you've had a wonderful start to your 2023. We have many exciting events coming up this March, so read on for more info about those, as well as some book recommendations and articles to check out.

The Friends of the Library will be hosting a 2-day sale this March. The sale will have a Member Preview (join at the door!) on Friday night from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Saturday will be open to everybody from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Why not stop by and pick up some great books?

Thanks for stopping in!

Ryan
Children's Library Assistant

March Events!

One Time Programs

Local Author Visit with
Leah Hirschorn

Saturday, March 11 from
10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
For ages 3-7

Leah Hirschorn, from right here in Ashland, is the author of the newly released picture book Learn Something. She will read the book, answer any questions kids (or parents) might have, and lead a fun craft!

"You are the Hero of Your Own Story" Author Visit with Shawn Peters

Friday, March 17 from
2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
For grades 4 – 7

Shawn Peters is the author of two middle grade adventure books: The Unforgettable Logan Foster and its sequel, The Unforgettable Logan Foster and the Shadow of Doubt. Shawn lives in Hopkinton, MA.

The interactive session will include an author talk, two separate readings from his books, as well as an improvised superhero story based on a volunteer’s own suggestions and the audience’s participation with sound effects along the way.

Parachute Party

Saturday, March 18 from
11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
For ages 3 - 6

Have fun working as a group to keep the parachute up in the air.

Second Annual
Once Upon A Bookfest
Saturday, March 25 from
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
For Families

The Second Annual Once Upon A BookFest... is a one of its kind book festival devoted to the kids, tweens, and their families. We'll be hosting authors and illustrators whose books you've loved or that you'll love discovering! The day will be spent in workshops, meeting the authors, and hanging out with fellow book lovers. It's going to be magical!

Be sure to click the link above to get all the information.

Books by the visiting authors and illustrators are highlighted at the bottom of this email.

Family Movie: Luca

Tuesday, March 28 from
3:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
For familes

Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, the original animated feature is a coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. Luca shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, but all the fun is threatened by a deeply held secret: he is a sea monster from another world just below the water's surface

(animated, rated PG)

SEED, Inc "Fossils"

Wednesday, March 29
2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
For Grades K – 5

Come explore with fossils. Learn how fossils form, examine fossils that are millions of years old, and even dig one out for yourself!

S.T.E.A.M. Story and Craft: "Potato Clocks"

Thursday, March 30
2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
For Grades K – 3

Use a potato to make a battery that will power a mini clock. Kids will take their clocks home with them.

Recurring Programs

Monday or Friday After School Story and Craft
Mondays at 4:30 p.m.
Fridays at 4:00 p.m.
For ages 4-8

Each week we will read a story and do a related craft project.  For Pre-K through early elementary. Mondays and Fridays will have the same craft.

Ashland Moms -- Little Crafters
Monday, March 27 at
10:15 a.m.
For ages 0-5

The Ashland Moms offer a story & craft program for little ones once a month. Caregivers are asked to participate with their children.

Project ABC Play Group
Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m.
For ages 0-5

Come explore and learn to play with your little one to stimulate their growth and development. This structured program helps prepare children for socialization and a school experience.

PJ Storytime
Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m.
For ages 3 and up

Come in your pajamas, and bring your favorite stuffed animals! We will read stories about a different one of Ryan's stuffed animals every week.

Lapsit
Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.
For ages 0-4

Join Miss Lois for a story time full of songs and fingerplays. Check out the songs performed by Miss Lois here!

Read to a Dog

Thursday, March 16 and
Thursday, March 30 at 6:00 p.m.

For kids who are reading

Children will have the chance to read to one of our corgi friends - Knives or Machete. Both are registered therapy dogs.

Lego Club

Thursday, March 9 and Thursday, March 23 at 4:00 p.m.

For ages 5 and up

Each child will be given a box filled with an assortment of Lego blocks to build a creation using only what's inside the box. Creations will be displayed.

 Saturday Morning Storytime
Saturday, March 4 
at 10:30 a.m.
For ages 3 and up

On Saturdays without other morning programs, come listen to Ryan read some of his favorite stories aloud.

Crafty Saturday
Saturdays all day
For ages 4 and up

Join us for a different drop in craft project every week.

BookFest Authors' and Illustrators' books!

One Day a Dot
Illustrated by
Braden Lamb
and Shelli Paroline

Starting with one tiny dot and continuing through the Big Bang to the rise of human societies, the story of our universe is told in simple and vivid terms. But the biggest question of all cannot be answered: Where did that one dot come from?

One Day a Dot is a beautiful and vibrant picture book that uses the visual motif of circles as to guide young readers through the stages of life on Earth.

Bear and Chicken
by Jannie Ho

When Bear finds a chicken frozen in the winter snow, he brings it home to try to defrost it. As Chicken awakens, he fears that Bear is actually prepping to eat him. Oh no! All signs are pointing to a fateful end for Chicken-being wrapped like a burrito, chopped basil and veggies sitting on the counter, the huge pot on the stove that’s just the right size for a chicken to fit inside.

It’s almost time for lunch, so Chicken makes a run for it! But in the end, Chicken learns that perhaps he too quickly jumped to conclusions. 

Counting Birds
by Heidi E.Y. Stemple

What can you do to help endangered animals and make a positive change in our environment? Get counting! Counting Birds is a beautifully illustrated book that introduces kids to the idea of bird counts and bird watches. Along the way, they will learn about Frank Chapman, an ornithologist who wanted to see the end of the traditional Christmas bird hunt, an event in which people would shoot as many birds as possible on Christmas. Chapman, using his magazine Bird-Lore to promote the idea of counting birds, founded the first annual bird count.

Rica Baptista: Llamas, Iguanas, and My Very Best Friend
by Janet Costa Bates

Rica Baptista wants—no, needs—a pet. A llama, a kinkajou, or maybe an iguana? She even has a name picked out: Frederica, her own name, after her Cape Verdean great-great-grandfather. But Rica’s parents say no almost faster than their mouths can open. The worst part is that Rica can’t tell anyone the real reason she wants a pet, because she’s not supposed to know—she overheard that her best friend, Laini, is moving away, and Rica worries about being left behind.

Much Ado About Baseball

by Rajani LaRocca

Twelve-year-old Trish can solve tough math problems and throw a mean fastball. But because of her mom's new job, she's now facing a summer trying to make friends all over again in a new town. That isn't an easy thing to do, and her mom is too busy to notice how miserable she is.

But at her first baseball practice, Trish realizes one of her teammates is Ben, the sixth-grade math prodigy she beat in the spring Math Puzzler Championships. Everyone around them seems to think that with their math talent and love of baseball, it's only logical that Trish and Ben become friends, but Ben makes it clear he still hasn't gotten over that loss and can't stand her.

Pearl and Wagner: Five Days Till Summer
Illustrated by R. W. Alley

Pearl and Wagner have only five days left in the school year with their awesome teacher, Ms. Star, and Pearl is not excited about next year's teacher, Ms. Bean. Pearl imagines taking spelling tests with super-hard words, doing one hundred jumping jacks every morning, and counting backward--by sevens! Pearl announces she's going to stay in Ms. Star's class forever. But is Ms. Bean as bad as she seems?

There's a Princess in the Palace: Five Classic Tales Retold
by Zoë Alley

In this hilarious collection of princess stories with a distinctive spin, there's Cinderella, who was, though you may not know it, Sleeping Beauty's mom; Sleeping Beauty, who didn't fall asleep because of the ***** of a needle?it was sheer boredom; Snow White and her diminutive friends?Les, Lou, Sam, Hank, Nat, Myron, and Bethanne; the princess of frog fame; and the princess of pea fame.

The Adventures of Robo-Kid
by Diane deGroat

Imagine you could meet your favorite comic-book hero in the real world. What kinds of questions would you ask? Would you go on new and exciting adventures? While heroes might seem larger than life, everyone can use some help from a friend.

The Flower Garden
by Renée Kurilla

After planting a seed packet in the backyard, things don’t go as expected for best friends Anna and Tess. They fall asleep in the sun and wake up to blooms as tall as buildings! Did the seeds really grow that fast?

All is explained when Anna and Tess meet May, a little garden gnome whose magic is responsible for the transformation. The girls are May’s size now, and they follow her through the flower garden and into May’s underground gnome home—discovering new things about their world and themselves along the way.

The Yin-Yang Sisters and the Dragon Frightful
by Nancy Tupper Ling

When a fearsome dragon takes over their village bridge, twin sisters Mei and Wei have opposing views of how to fix the problem. Wei wants nothing more than to confront that stinky old dragon head on, but Mei favors a more thoughtful approach. With Wei’s confidence and gumption plus Mei’s creativity and diligence, it’s only a matter of time before everyone can be happy again.