March New Releases

We got a ton of new things in children's and young adult, get 'em before their spines crack!

Picture Books

Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall
"Red's factory-applied label clearly says that he is red, but despite the best efforts of his teacher, fellow crayons and art supplies, and family members, he cannot seem to do anything right until a new friend offers a fresh perspective."

The Dinner that Cooked Itself by J.C. Hsyu & Kenard Pak
"In this retelling of an ancient Chinese folktale, a hardworking young bachelor is rewarded for his kindness."

Peep and Ducky Rainy Day by David Martin
"When Peep visits Ducky on a rainy day, the little pals have no trouble finding things to do. Inside there is a tent to build and a pillow fight to be had! And outside, with the help of galoshes and umbrella, it's fun to captain a boat--until a woosh of wind and a clap of thunder sends them running back in!"

Mia's Thumb by Ljuba Stille
"Mia's family members, from her brother to her grandparents, try all they can think of to get her to stop sucking her thumb."

Up & Down A Lift-the-Flap Book by Britta Teckentrup
"Little Penguin misses his friend and decides it's time to visit."

Chapter Books

Has Anyone Seen Jessica Jenkins? by Liz Kessler
"Manifesting an ability to become invisible, Jessica, along with her best friend Izzy, organizes a band of fellow students who also demonstrate supernatural abilities only to be targeted by an unscrupulous adult."

The Paper Cowboy by Kristin Levine
"In a small town near Chicago in 1953, twelve-year-old Tommy faces escalating problems at home, among his Catholic school friends, and with the threat of a communist living nearby, but taking over his hospitalized sister's paper route introduces him to neighbors who he comes to rely on for help."

Half a Man by Michael Morpurgo
"Follows the experience of a young man who after years of being told not to ask his World War II veteran grandfather about his injuries learns how his grandfather survived a torpedo attack on his ship."

Witherwood Reform School by Obert Skye
"Siblings Charlotte and Tobias are trapped within a creepy reform school--and entangled in its dark secrets."

The Chosen Prince by Diane Stanley
"Prince Alexos, the long-awaited champion of the goddess Athene, follows the course of his destiny through war and loss and a deadly confrontation with his enemy to its end: shipwreck on a magical, fog-shrouded island. There he meets the unforgettable Aria and faces the greatest challenge of his life. Based loosely on Shakespeare's The Tempest."

Teen Books

Get Happy by Mary Amato
"On her birthday, Minerva, a seventeen-year-old singer/songwriter, hears from the father she has never known and her placid life is turned upside down."

How We Fall by Kate Brauning
"As first cousins, seventeen-year-olds Jackie and Marcus, know their love is taboo, but living in the same house, working at the family's vegetable stand, and especially seeing Jackie's missing best friend, Ellie, keep drawing them together."

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
"Sixteen-year-old Malencia (Cia) Vale is chosen to participate in The Testing to attend the University; however, Cia is fearful when she figures out her friends who do not pass The Testing are disappearing."

V is for Villain by Peter Moore
"Brad Baron and his friends discover dangerous secrets about the superheroes running their society."

Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero
"Sixteen-year-old Gabi Hernandez chronicles her senior year in high school as she copes with her friend Cindy's pregnancy, friend Sebastian's coming out, her father's meth habit, her own cravings for food and cute boys, and especially, the poetry that helps forge her identity."

Collection Highlights for March 2015

The month of March is fast waning, but don't worry! You still have time to check out our featured collections before April begins.

Women's History Month - For Kids!

Picture Books, Non-Fiction, and Chapter Books

We set up a display of books - both fiction and non-fiction, historical, and modern - about women and girls going on adventures, shaping the past, looking to the future, and generally being awesome.

Staff Picks

• Eugenie Clark: Adventures of a Shark Scientist by Ellen R. Butts & Joyce R. Schwartz
• Nikki & Deja: The Newsy News Newsletter by Karen English
• Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
• Loud Emily by Alexis O'Neill
• Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees by Franck Prévot

Holiday Display Cart

Ready for spring? So are we! Come take a gander at our books and movies celebrating the coming of spring and the holidays of Passover and Easter.

Staff Picks

• The Passover Journey: A Seder Companion by Barbara Diamond Goldin
• Here Comes T-Rex Cottontail by Lois G. Grambling
• At Jerusalem's Gate: Poems of Easter by Nikki Grimes
• The Four Questions by Lynne Sharon Schwartz
• Mama Built a Little Nest by Jennifer Ward

Women's History Month Adult Display

We also have a display of adult books about women and by women (though anyone is free to check them out!), on display in front of the circulation desk! Includes fiction and non-fiction and we've included pictures of some of our favorite authors to give you inspiration for reading.

Staff Picks

• The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler
• When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple ed. by Sandra Martz
• The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud
• Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
• She Matters: A Life in Friendships by Susanna Sonnenberg

Springtime Programs

It might not feel that way outside, but spring IS here and we have a new line-up of upcoming programs! Come in, check them out, we'd love to see you there.

Children's Programs

Asterisks indicate registration is required.

Hall currently has two storytimes - 1, 2, 3, Play with Me! for children ages 1-3 and their caregivers, and Kick-Off to Kindergarten, for children ages 4-5. The storytimes run in seven-week sessions. Our next session will begin the week of March 30th, so if you haven't signed up, there's still time!

Asterisks indicate registration is required.

We're expanding our kids clubs! In addition to our ongoing Lego Club, which meets every other Wednesday for children in grades K-3, we'll be adding a Minecraft Club! This club will meet on the first Thursday of the month from April-June, space is limited, so be sure to register!

Teen Programs

We're currently accepting volunteers under age 18 who need hours to fulfill a quota set by school, church, scouts, or another organization which requires volunteer hours to fulfill a course or another requirement. The library can offer between two and four hours of work per volunteer, per week.

Adult Programs

Our regular Tai-Chi classes meet Monday nights from 6:30PM - 7:30PM.

This month's Book Club selection is The Story Hour by Thrity Umrigar, it will be discussed on Wednesday, March 25th. The Book Club meets on the last Wednesday of the month at 6:30PM. The follow month's book will be Norwegian by Night by Derek Miller - this book is the Read Across Rhode Island book of the year!

The Spring Concert Series will be wrapping up on March 28th with a performance by soprano Blythe Walker.

John Wiening performs on the classical guitar.

Poetry Out Loud will meet on Saturday, April 11th from 2:00PM-3:30PM; it is a community poetry sharing event in honor of National Poetry Month.

A community sewing group, Sew Seeds of Love, meets on the second Monday of each month at 5:30PM for the purposes of completing a sewing project for charity.

The Civil War Roundtable will be meeting at 6:30PM on the third Wednesday of every month through June. The April meeting will be about the David Willis House in Gettysburg and the speaker for the May meeting will be Kathy Wright of the American Civil War Museum.

The library's Seed Library will begin with a kick-off event on Saturday, April 25th.

There will be a Children's Clothing Swap on Saturday, May 2nd from 2:00PM-3:00PM and a Baby and Toddler Clothing Swap from 3:00PM-4:00PM.

The Cranston High School East Chamber Music Orchestra will perform on Thursday, May 7th from 5:00PM-7:45PM.

Songs for Springtime

We polled the staff to find out which soundtracks they like to listen to in springtime (and despite the snow on the ground, we're optimistic that spring will show up eventually).

Juno: Music from the Motion Picture - "Consists of cheerful, upbeat, occasionally silly songs with a pop-folk vibe."

Eat, Pray, Love: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - "Has some very pretty samba songs which seem happy and springlike to me and a wonderful version of 'S'Wonderful' sung by Joao Gilberto. It also has 'Harvest Moon' by Neil Young which is a favorite love song - 'In spring, a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love' - isn't that so?"

Something's Gotta Give - "Again Samba songs (what's with me and samba?) and some songs in French - Paris = Spring."

Riverdance: Music from the Show - "When I think of Spring this is the Soundtrack I go to. Celtic upbeat springy etc. (Beautiful composed music.)"

P.S. I Love You: Music from the Motion Picture - "Has some good songs on it."

Leap Year - "May be a day in February, but the movie takes place in Ireland and the Soundtrack is spunky."

The Sound of Music: Original Broadway Cast Recording - "The hills are alive, these are a few of my favorite things; spring-like."

Now & Then and Akeelah and the Bee - "Fun 60s pop & Motown! Play these with the windows a down cruising down the highway."

Rhode Island Heart Gallery Display

Haley and Seth

Alexis and Jake

The William Hall Library is happy to have a beautiful display of pictures of children currently in foster care who are looking to be adopted by a loving family. Our display is part of the tenth annual Heart Gallery put on by Adoption Rhode Island. From their flyer -

"The children featured in this Heart Gallery are a representation of the hundreds of children in foster care that are waiting for families of their own. The children in this Gallery are beautiful, they have many talents, they hope for better tomorrows, they worry about the unknown, they have waited too long, they dream of belonging to a family. The children in this Gallery are hopeful that as this beautiful exhibit travels across our state, a family might see them and just know they are the child for them."

Miguel

Ryan

We encourage our patrons to come in, look at the pictures, and learn the children's stories.

Kayley

Makayla

 

Edward

Rashae

Carlos

Elisamuel and Joshua

James and Alyssa and Michael

Jenise