April showers bring May flowers!
Last month, this column was all about the month of March and the many celebrations associated with March events, some weather related, some more complex. Continuing that theme, the good news is that now we are in the month when “April showers bring May flowers!” Hoping that we are all enjoying the change of seasons and that we got past April Fool’s Day unscathed,  I’d like to focus on a little known, but to a librarian very important, holiday known as the “International Children’s Book Day,” celebrated each year on April 2nd.

The work of a great Author.
Danish author and beloved writer of fairy tales, Hans Christian Anderson was born on April 2, 1805.  Hans Christian Anderson’s tales are examples of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity. While to many, the name “Hans Christian Anderson” is synonymous with “fairy tales,” it is important to remember that Anderson’s tales can be edgy and even scary. It is believed by some child development professionals that fairy tales give children the opportunity to conquer their fears vicariously in order to mature into well-adjusted adults. They do so because in fairy tales’ children are often depicted as problem solvers, even heroes. Most of us remember well the lessons of “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” Fairy tales are a safe place for children to work out the complexities of personality and character development. And, they are timeless.

Anderson’s works have inspired ballets, plays, and films, both animated and live-action.
While International Children’s Book Day honors Anderson, the day is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children’s books generally. I invite all of you who have children in your lives to visit our Children’s Room and to browse our children’s non-fiction collections, especially 398.2, the Dewey Call Number for “Fairy Tales.”

In closing, April brings the solemnities of Passover, Palm Sunday and Good Friday, followed by the joy of Easter Sunday. All of us at the Public Library of Catasauqua, Trustees and Staff, wish all of you the Blessings of this season.


NEW BOOKS:

Adult Fiction:
“The Big Kahuna,” Janet Evanovich and Peter Evanovich
“The Night Window,” Dean Koontz
“The 18th Seduction,” James Peterson and Maxine Paetro
“The Fall of Crazy House,” James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonne
“Blessing in Disguide,” Danielle Steel

Adult Non-Fiction:
“The Pioneer: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West,” David McCullough
“Ladies Who Punch:  The Explosive Inside Story of ‘The View’,” Ramin Setoodeh
“First: Sandra Day O’Connor,” Evan Thomas

Juvenile Fiction:
“Training Camp (The Wizenard Series #1),” Wesley King

In celebration of International Children’s Book Day,  the Library has purchased the following titles from The Penworthy Company, a high quality publisher of children’s books for ages PK to Grade 5:
“Curious George Discovers Plants”
“Curious George Discovers the Seasons”
“Curious George Harvest Hoedown”
“Dino Park”
“Library Day”
“Mr. Moon Wakes Up”
“Real Lie Heroes”
“Rocket Science”
“Spiders and Other Deadly Animals”
“The Story of Coding; Wendy Saves the Day”
“Women Who Launched the Computer Age.”

New to the Collection:
A patron donated 64 volumes of Nancy Drew mysteries by Carolyn Keene.