West Virginia Book Festival authors, dogs and a children’s theater troupe are among the highlights of children’s programming at several branches of the Kanawha County Public Library system in September. Call the host library to register.

Bringing Books to Life: 2010 West Virginia Book Festival Children’s Authors
The Library Dragon; Franny K. Stein; a true story about the impact of 9/11; a tale about a new baby joining a family – these subjects and more come together in the books of the featured children’s authors of the West Virginia Book Festival. Learn more about the 2010 authors – Carmen Agra Deedy, Jim Benton and Sarah Sullivan – through their books.

All ages.
Main Library • 304-343-4646: Saturday, September 18, 2 p.m.
Dunbar Branch Library • 304-766-7161: Monday, September 20, 7 p.m.
Riverside Public Library • 304-949-2400: Thursday, September 9, 6 p.m.
St. Albans Branch Library • 304-722-4244: Wednesday, September 29, 10:30 a.m.

Kids Crochet
Learn some simple crochet stitches to make a present for yourself or someone else. Participants will make a string game, shoe laces, a key chain, or a scrunchie.  All materials provided. Limited to 10.

Ages 8-12 • Registration required.
Main Library • 304-343-4646: Saturday, September 18, 10 a.m.
Sissonville Branch Library • 304-984-2244: Saturday, September 11, 11 a.m.

Tales to Tails: Read with the Dogs
We’ve gone to the dogs… but not just any dogs!  We’ve got dogs who love to listen as young patrons improve their reading skills by reading aloud.  Participating dogs are registered therapy dogs. Patrons are required to sign up for a four-week reservation to read to the dogs.

Grades 2-6 • Registration required.

Introducing Tales to Tails: Read with the Dogs
Meet the dogs and learn about this program
Main Library • 304-343-4646: Monday, September 13, 5:30 p.m.

Read with the Dogs
Individual reading sessions from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Limited to 12.
Main Library • 304-343-4646: Mondays, 6 – 7:30 p.m.: September 13, 20, 27; October 4

Dog Day Afternoons and Evenings, too!
Sign up for 10-minute individual reading sessions on these days only. All sessions are on a
first-come, first- served basis.
Grades K-6.
Clendenin Branch Library • 304-548-6370:  Thursday, September 30, 6-7:30 p.m.

We Can Do It: American Women in History
Bright Star Children’s Theatre of Asheville, N.C., presents an inspiring exploration of the lives of notable American women, including Amelia Earhart, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Helen Keller and Susan B. Anthony.  Visit www.brightstartheatre.com for more information, including a study guide for educators.

This play is best appreciated by students in grades 2 – 8 (adults also welcome).
Main Library: Thursday, September 16, 2 p.m.
Clendenin Branch Library • 304-548-6370: Friday, September 17, 10 a.m.
Dunbar Branch Library • 304-766-7161: Thursday, September 16, 6 p.m.
Riverside Public Library • 304-949-2400: Wednesday, September 15, 1 p.m.
St. Albans Branch Library • 304-722-4244: Monday, September 13, 6:30 p.m.
Sissonville Branch Library • 304-984-2244: Tuesday, September 14, 6 p.m.

Home School Day at the Library
During National Home School Month, visit these libraries to learn about the services and resources offered by KCPL.  Clendenin and Elk Valley libraries are hosting a program at the Clendenin Library. A special presentation of the play, “We Can Do It: American Women in History,” will be a part of the day’s activities at the Main Library and Clendenin Branch Library.

All ages • Registration required.
Main Library • 304-343-4646: Thursday, September 16, 9 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
Clendenin Branch Library • 304-548-6370: Friday, September 17, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Elk Valley Branch Library • 304-965-3636: Friday, September 17, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Clendenin Public Library
Riverside Public Library • 304-949-2400: Friday, September 17, 10 a.m. -noon

Jim Benton

Benton is the New York Times bestselling author/illustrator of more than 20 books, including “It’s Happy Bunny,” “Franny K. Stein” and “Dear Dumb Diary.” His presentation, “The Compulsive Creator,” begins at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 17. He’ll talk about his career and how the creative process works.

Benton has received many awards, including the Gryphon’s honor award, the Eleanor Cameron award, the Addy award and the Lima award. He is the creator of many licensed properties, some for big kids, some for little kids and some for adults. New projects include “Kissy Doodles” and “jOkObO,” which highlight his sketchbook drawings and paintings. Benton lives in Michigan with his wife and two children.

Sarah Sullivan

Sullivan is the author of four picture books.  Her latest, “Once Upon a Baby Brother,” was published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux in June. “Passing the Music Down,” a story inspired by two old-time fiddler players, is forthcoming from Candlewick in 2011. Sullivan will speak at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 16. Her talk, “From Old-Time Fiddle Players to the Marvinosaurus: Writing for Children and Young Adults,” will feature a behind-the-scenes look at the process of creating books for children and young adults.

Sullivan holds an MFA in Writing for Children from Vermont College where she won the Harcourt Post-Graduate Scholarship.  A former lawyer, she now writes and teaches full-time.  She and her husband Rick have three grown children and one grandson.

In addition to Benton and Sullivan, the West Virginia Book Festival line-up includes, among others: New York Times best-selling authors Nicholas Sparks and Diana Gabaldon, Civil War historian James Robertson, children’s author Carmen Deedy, and E. Lockhart, author of books for teens.

The West Virginia Book Festival, scheduled for Oct. 16 and 17, is an annual, two-day event celebrating books and reading presented by The Library Foundation of Kanawha County, Inc., Kanawha County Public Library, the West Virginia Humanities Council, The Charleston Gazette and the Charleston Daily Mail. For more information, visit www.wvbookfestival.org.

Patrick Frank, author of On the Blue Ridge Line, has cancelled his book signing and interactive affair at Taylor Books on September 11^th due to a family emergency.

However, another author will be holding a book signing on September 11^th in place of Mr. Frank. Ellen Galinsky, author of Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs, will be signing copies of her book on Saturday, September 11^th from 2-4 PM at Taylor Books, located at 226 Capitol Street in downtown Charleston.

Ellen Galinsky is the President and Co-Founder of Families and Work Institute and helped establish the field of work and family life at Bank Street College of Education, where she was on the faculty for twenty-five years. Her more than forty books and reports include Ask The Children, the now-classic The Six Stages of Parenthood, and Mind in the Making, published by Harper Studio in April 2010. She has published more than 100 articles in academic journals, books and magazines.

In another first, Ellen has identified skills from child development research and neuroscience that help children thrive both now and in the future—that’s why they are called life skills.

All of the life skills involve the part of our brain (the prefrontal cortex) that weaves together our social, emotional and intellectual capacities in pursuit of our goals. Ellen believes that we will not be able to effectively address the achievement gap in this country unless we help all children gain these life skills.
Among her findings are:

• Any child can learn these skills at any age—it is never too late;
• Any adult can teach these skills; and
• Promoting these skills doesn’t call for expensive toys or equipment or lots of time—they involve doing fun, everyday things in new ways.

Mind in the Making offers a new approach to understanding how our children learn.

Call Taylor Books at 304-342-1461 for more information.

The West Virginia Archives and History Library of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History will continue its series of after hours lectures on Tuesday, September  7  from 6:00 pm  until  7:30 p.m with the program “Charleston: Then & Now” with Dr. Billy Joe Peyton, associate professor and chair of the history department at West Virginia State University.

Peyton is the author of Charleston: Then & Now which was published in January of 2010 as part of Arcadia’s Then & Now series.

To register contact Robert Taylor at (304) 558-0230, ext. 163, or by mail at Bobby.L.Taylor@wv.gov .

Our friends at the East End Pet Food Pantry say they are in desperate need of donations of dog food and cat food. They report, “…as soon as the food comes in it’s going out!” The East End Pet Food Pantry is located in The Book Exchange at 1588 Washington St E.

For more information email eastendpetpantry@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/East-End-Pet-Food-Pantry/312756724908

The 9th Annual Mothman Festival will be in Point Pleasant, WV on Saturday and Sunday September 18th and 19th, 2010. For more information visit www.mothmanfestival.com or email jeffdwamsley@gmail.com.