San Jose Public Library’s annual Summer Reading Celebration (SRC) promises to be more fun than ever this year, with the introduction of a Bingo-style activity grid in place of the traditional reading log. As always, kids will have lots of incentives to read books of their choice - a proven way to help prevent learning loss during the summer months. The activity grid will additionally reward participants for other literacy related activities, such as attending library programs.

Special SRC programs will be held at all library branches throughout the summer. For children, these include many activities related to this year’s "Dig Into Reading" theme - for instance, we’ll be planting seeds, creating fossil art, making hedgehogs, and decorating pet rocks! Libraries will also offer a variety of free performances for families including the Fratello Marionettes, magician Dan Chan, singer/songwriter Peter Apel, and many others. We’ll also have our annual Graphic Novel Contest, Teen Book Trailer Contest, and special SRC Kick-Off Event on June 2. Check out sjpl.org/summer for more information about Summer Reading events and activities.

Separate activity grids are available for pre-readers, readers, teens, and adults, giving everyone a chance to participate and win prizes. Prizes include toys for the kids, free books, entries in drawings for gift cards, and even an iPad Mini!  Beginning June 1, you can pick up an activity grid at any SJPL location or print one online. Get ready to play!

Celebrate the upcoming birthday of beloved children's book author Dr. Seuss! Special Dr. Seuss Birthday Parties will be held at several San Jose Public Library locations in early March. Kids will enjoy Seuss stories, Seuss-themed crafts, and other activities.

Dr. Seuss, author of The Cat in the Hat, The Lorax, and more than 40 other children's books, was born on March 2, 1904. His birthday coincides with the National Education Association's Read Across America Day, and many schools and libraries are holding special events to celebrate both.

Fun fact: Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel, used the pseudonym Dr. Seuss for books he both wrote and illustrated, and the pseudonym Theo LeSieg for books he wrote that were illustrated by others. LeSieg is Geisel spelled backward! Find titles by both Theo LeSieg and Dr. Seuss at your local library. For all things Seuss, visit seussville.com -- and come to the library for a birthday celebration!

Take two parts science, add one part magic, throw in a large dose of audience participation and you've got Xtreme Science Magic, a show offered at a number of San Jose Public Library branches during the month of March. In this video, children at Willow Glen Library delight in the "smoke-ring blaster" at a performance March 10. The educational and entertaining show will be at six additional locations this month including King, Evergreen, Berryessa, West Valley, Vineland, and Santa Teresa libraries. Details and show times can be found here. All performances are free.

When Heidi was just a newborn, she and her mentally disabled mother mysteriously appeared at the door of their kindly next-door neighbor, Bernadette. Although Bernadette has agoraphobia and is afraid to leave home, she discovered a connecting door between the two apartments that made it possible for her to look after Heidi and her mother. The three of them create their own unique household and family bond. As a young child, Heidi is content and has little reason to question her origins or her unusual living arrangement. However, at age 12 several nagging questions begin to haunt her. Her mother calls herself So B. It… does she have another, more conventional name? And what is the meaning of the strange word, soof – the only word in her mother’s 23-word vocabulary that isn’t a common one? When Heidi discovers some old photographs showing her mother at a Christmas party in Liberty, New York, she vows to find answers about her family history… even though it means embarking on a solo cross-country bus trip from Reno to New York. In So B. It, author Sarah Weeks has created a strong and likable heroine. You’ll find yourself routing for Heidi in her quest to unravel the mysteries of her past and discover her true identity. Recommended for grades 6-9.

Lake Travis in Texas, the Deschutes River in Oregon, and Captiva Island in Florida are are few of the vacation spots visited by Willow Glen area residents this summer. Postcards from these and other travelers are currently on display in the children's area at Willow Glen Library. Other local families have been to Minnesota, California's Avila Beach, Disneyland, and Universal Studios. Take a moment to enjoy the postcards and, better yet, send us one yourself and we'll display it too. You don't even have to worry about an address label or stamp -- both are included in our "Postcards From Novel Destinations" kits available next to the display. The postcard program is part of San Jose Public Library's Summer Reading Celebration.

Children at Willow Glen Library recently enjoyed "Aztec Pinocchio," a funny and engaging bilingual puppet show presented by Caterpillar Puppets. Skilled puppeteer Joe Leon had the kids shrieking with laughter throughout the performance, which tells the story of Maldo the Magician and how he brings his marionette boy to life using a butterfly for a heart. The show was presented as part of our Summer Reading Celebration and funded by Friends of Willow Glen Library. If you missed it, you can catch another performance at King Library on Saturday July 23 at 2 p.m. Or, join us here at Willow Glen on July 23 for music and magic with Peter Apel.