We have many tutoring programs available at the Evergreen Branch Library starting January 2013. All programs are free and are run by our very active volunteers.

Volunteer Manuel Beronilla will provide tutoring in Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, Physics and Statistics for high schoolers. This program will be every Thursday (starting January 17) in Group Study Room A at 4:00 p.m. Please drop in, no registration required.

Volunteer Siri Balusu provides tutoring in Math and Science for kids in grades 3-6 every Tuesday and Wednesday starting at 5:00 p.m. in Group Study Room B. Registration is not required.

Volunteer Urvi Gupta will begin her OneInMath program at 4:30 p.m. in the Community Room on Tuesday, January 15. Kids in grades K-2 will learn simple ways to add and subtract. This will help them understand math concepts quickly. Video instructions and face-to-face tutoring will be provided. This program is also offered at the Berryessa and Hillview libraries. Registration is required, so please sign up online at the OneInMath website.

Tutoring for all grade levels is also provided online through tutor.com. All you need is your valid Library card number and pin number.

Has the winter weather and shorter daylight hours created more indoor time for your family? This is the perfect opportunity to capture the moment with winter-themed activities.  Young children can learn a little bit about hibernation, elementary-school aged kids can conduct cool winter-themed science projects and kids of all ages can enjoy making snowflakes for all occasions.

Here are a few titles to help you get started.

Under the Snow
This beautifully illustrated book provides an interesting look at how animals adapt to living in winter conditions. Author Melissa Stewart, an award-winning science writer, captures the quiet and calm of winter days. This is a perfect read-aloud for young, budding scientists.

Explore Winter: 25 Great Ways to Learn about Winter
Aimed at elementary school-aged children, this book is chockful of experiments that can be conducted at home with common household items. Science concepts are introduced, vocabulary defined, and simple activities are provided that emphasize the subject. There are also fun facts and jokes interspersed throughout the book that kids enjoy.

Snowflakes for All Seasons
Tired of the same old snowflakes patterns? This book has an abundance of ideas to craft one of their distinctive snowflakes. You can also learn different techniques for creating your own unique snowflake for different occasions. Who knew you could have so much fun with just a pair of scissors and paper?

Ringing in the New Year is done in many cultures, in many different ways, and at many different times of the year. Emery Bernhard's book, Happy New Year!, brightly illustrated by Durga Bernhard, introduces children to many different traditions from around the world. The book explores ancient and modern traditions from such varied places as Rome, Egypt, Bali, Ecuador, China and Japan. Adults are bound to learn new things from this book too!

Customers at the Evergreen Branch Library voted for their favorite book in October. All votes were tallied on Election Day (November 6, 2012) and The Hunger Games series has been chosen as the favorite.The other titles in the top five are Harry Potter, Goosebumps, Magic Tree House and Captain Underpants.

If you are looking for something new to read, try one of these.

Happy Reading!

The Freddy the Pig series of children's novels by Walter R. Brooks was one of the first reasons I got hooked on reading. They were first published between 1927 and 1958, but it was in the '80s that I tore through all 26 books in the primary grades. As an animal lover, I was delighted by the adventures and personalities of Freddy, Jinx the cat, Charles the rooster, Mrs. Wiggins the cow and so many more. Simon the rat is one of the great all-time villains if you ask me. Incidentally, Walter R. Brooks also created Mr. Ed the horse of TV fame.
 

I'm not alone in my adoration of Freddy. The Friends of Freddy was founded in 1984. They hold biennial conventions, publish a quarterly newsletter, and work to ensure the Freddy books will be available for generations to come. SJPL is great place to start delving into the world of Freddy and his friends (and in fact was for me when I was a kid!).

August is Audio Appreciation Month! Celebrate this event by checking out various audio book and music titles at your library! Here are a few recommendations for children.
* indicates Series

Books on CD

Harry Potter* by J.K. Rowling

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart

39 Clues* by Various Authors

A series of intriguing adventure stories written by today's popular authors such as Rick Riordan, Gordon Korman, Peter Lerangis and more. These audio books will engage readers by combining card collecting, reading and online gaming.

Digital Audio Books

Besides compact disc, you can also download audio books to your digital audio player, including your iPod, smartphone, or home computer via OverDrive Digital Library or OneClickdigital. Using your digital audio player, you can transition or navigate to other chapters of the book without having to change discs. Here are a few recommended digital audio book titles:

Children's Digital Audio Books

Artemis Fowl* by Eoin Colfer

The Mysterious Benedict Society* by Trenton Lee Stewart

Percy Jackson and the Olympians* by Rick Riordan