Thomas, 4th Grade, Reviews Eoin Colfer's "Artemis Fowl"

Artemis Fowl is about a 12- year old criminal mastermind. His dad invested a lot of money into a failed market (transporting cola to Russia) so their fortune is not as big as it used to be. So when his father went missing, he took over the family and will do anything to regain his fortune, legal or illegal.  He even tries to steal the fairies gold (in this book, fairies are real)! I like this book because you want to see if Artemis outsmarts the fairies. I think it’s a good read for 4^th and 5^th graders.

Ashley, 5th Grade, Reviews Lemony Snicket's "The Wide Window"

The Wide Window is about three children named Violet, Klaus, and Sunny who have bad luck. Their parents died in a house fire so they ended up in the care of their Aunt Josephine. Aunt Josephine ends up living in a cave. Captain Sham forced her to leave so he could have the kids to himself. The kids spent their time with him as slaves trying to escape and reunite with their aunt.

 

My favorite part was when the kids found Aunt Josephine. I liked that section because they missed her and were worried sick. I love reunions!

 

My least favorite part was when Aunt Josephine had to pretend to jump out the window but ran out the front door instead.

 

I would recommed this book to kids like me who enjoy reading adventures.

 

Thomas, 5th Grade, Reviews "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban".

Harry better watch out! The mass murderer Sirius Black is after him after breaking out of the wizard prison, Azkaban. This has never been done because it is guarded by dementors, evil creatures who suck the joy and happiness out of you. Most prisoners are driven mad from the lack of a happy memory! Twelve years prior Sirius betrayed Harry’s parents to Lord Voldemort, the most feared wizard ever! Now Harry is being hunted down by Black. Meanwhile at Hogwarts, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Remus Lupin is teaching the class how to deal with everything from boggarts to Red Caps. He even teaches Harry how to use the Patronus charm (the only known defense against dementors) after Harry encounters some dementors on school grounds. Professor Dumbledore was furious; he clearly stated that the dementors stay off school grounds. The dementors are at Hogwarts to protect the students against Sirius Black. But the dementors grew restless, they longed for fear, anger, and misery. That is what they feed off of. It’s their version of steak or chicken. In other words, food. The worst they can do is the Dementor’s Kiss. They suck your soul out of you! You’ll live, but you’ll be a shell, with no thoughts, feelings, etc. It’s a very good book. I would suggest it to 6^th , 7^th, and 8^th graders. I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Marina, 5th Grade - "My Trip to California"

During the summer I went to California with my family. My uncle got married, and we were invited for a celebration brunch for his marriage. During the flight, I read more than 100 pages of "Twilight". It was great how I got to read so many pages. The flight was 6 hours and felt long, and I was glad when we arrived at my grandfather's house where we would stay.

The next day, we went to Hollywood. We saw the Kodak Theatre and Chinese Theatre. I thought it was so cool how movie stars put handprints in front of the Chinese Theatre. I recognized a few people I heard of, Shirley Temple, Jackie Cooper, and Warren Beatty. From there, we were able to see the "Hollywood" sign on the hills and we took many pictures.

On Saturday, we went to the Disneyland Hotel Goofy's restaurant, where the brunch was taken place. The restaurant was a buffet, and the food was delicious. After the meal, we went to Disneyland. I went on many rides. My 4 year - old brother was really scared of "Haunted Mansion", and he still whines about it!

The following day, my uncles and aunts and my cousin all came to my grandfather's house for a barbeque. Since I'm turning 11 on August 19th, they gave me a surprise birthday party. I thought it was wonderful having the whole family come together. I got a chess set, a DS game, and many more. It was a very fine day for me.

My grandfather has a book about my ancestors, and he told me that my family tree can be traced to a thousand years ago! I heard that my family was well known back then, and had a successful business. About 200 years ago, one of my ancestors tried to start a paper company in Japan. He bought a paper making machine from the US to be shipped to Japan, but the ship sank on the way and the business failed. I was sad to hear the story but was amazed at how my family started such a long time ago.

I had a lot of great times at California, and I wish that I could go back there some time again!

High School Student Lauren ReviewsHarry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: The Movie

           A Critical Approach 

I absolutely love the Harry Potter series! However, when a movie is made from a book, I become a little apprehensive.  I am one of those people who love this series so much, that I get upset when parts are eliminated, modified or lacking the detail from the book.  One part that I did not like was in the beginning where the director changed the way Harry went to the Burrow. Also, the movie left out the part where Harry was asked by the Minister of Magic to become the “poster child” for the Ministry.  I felt that was an important subject since it showed how the Ministry felt badly for accusing Harry of lying the previous year and wanted the public not to look unfavorably upon its governing body.  The movie went too quickly when discussing many key parts of the school year.  The discovery of horcruxes and investigating the memories surrounding them were not giving those crucial parts of the story justice. In conclusion, I believe this movie was one of the better ones in the series to date.  I anticipate the final two movies.  Since the last book of the series will be made into two separate movies, hopefully, there will be enough opportunity to tell the story without leaving anything out.   Only a year and a half until then!  
 

Alexis, 3rd Grade - "My Independence Day Float"

If I were to have my own float in the Chatham Fourth of July Parade...well it would be totally awesome. I have already designed an Independence Day float in my mind. There  would be a tall green Statue of Liberty with two bright stars next to her. Behind the statue there would be a big poster board representing the U.S. A with the word FREEDOM on it. On the bottom it would have red, white and blue stripes. Miley Cyrus would be on the float singing God Bless America while red spot lights illuminate her body. Like I said...it would be awesome! 

Jacqueleen Reviews "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie"

One of my favorite books of all time is Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie. This book is about Alex, the main character, and his journey through the rough time of his brother fighting leukemia, which is a type of cancer. You probably assume that this book is serious, but it’s not. There are lots of sections where this book is very funny, and you can’t help but to laugh out loud! In the end Alex ends up raising money to help his brother, and learns that even the toughest of tough times can always turn around in a blink of an eye. I enjoyed this book very much because it teaches you a very valuable lesson, it teaches you a whole lot about one of the most serious cancers, and it’s extremely humorous!

Photograph Taken By Jaime Sabonya

Elementary School Student Shobhit Writes About Books

I like to read books

I love to read them all

They are so nice to read

When I get books

I read them all

I never stop

Sean, Caitlin & Ashlynn Write About "Book Buddies"

Sean - First Grader   I really loved the buddy reading program.  I got to read to a fourth grader.  He was really funny.  I really liked when he read to me too.    Caitlin - First Grader   I liked the reading buddy program I liked reading to the older girls.    Ashlynn - First Grader   I liked the reading buddy program I got to read to my neighbor Madison. It was fun we took turns reading.

Fashion Trends by High School Student Lauren

With fall approaching and school starting soon it is time to do one of my favorite things: shopping! This season there are many great trends to follow. One of my favorites is ankle boots. They can make any plain outfit look chic. You can pair them with skinny jeans or a cute skirt with leggings or tights. A great outfit to pair ankle boots with is colored skinny jeans. The “it” colors for jeans this year are grey, black, and dark blue. For skirts this season the best type to get are mini. Get anything mini that is a solid color so you can pair it with a funky graphic t-shirt or top. For tops this year, fashion is going grunge and 80’s. Graphic t-shirts with bands on the fronts or edgy designs will make any outfit. The shirts this season are also loose. A loose white t-shirt paired with black jeans and ankle boots will have you set. For outerwear a leather jacket in either black or dark brown is a must. A leather jacket will work with any outfit. It is very stylish and will make you look great too. Wait! You have to remember to accessorize. The hot trends this season are fedoras, oversized leather bags and lots of jewelry. Fedoras are great hats that come in many styles and colors. Purses this season are huge and come in different colors of leather so it will be easy for you to find one to complete any look. Necklaces are multi-chained in either gold or silver with colored stones. For bracelets: bangles, bangles, and more bangles in all different colors and styles. With these trends you will be able to rock out this season of fashion.

Storytime Leader Robert Carter Writes About Audio Books

During the summer, many people look forward to enjoying a good book on the beach. My family anticipates enjoying a good book in the car. On past road trips to Maryland and Maine, we've laughed as we listened to Stockard Channing's wonderfully funny readings of the Ramona Quimby books by Beverly Cleary. My children actually groaned when we arrived home before the end of Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass (performedby a full cast). But our favorite was probably Jim Dale's reading of Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. The Starcatcher books are hilarious and engrossing adventure tales about the origins of Peter Pan, Tinkerbell,  and Captain Hook. They are certainly delightful books on their own, but Jim Dale's vocal characterizations bring them to sparkling life. If you've ever listened to Mr. Dale reading any of the Harry Potter books, you'll know that you often forget you're listening to only one man reading all the different parts.

So if you're planning a long car trip this summer, check out the audio book section of the children's library. Not only will they help the miles melt away, they're something the whole family can enjoy together. Even a storytime reader likes to have a book read to him every now and then.

4th Grader Catherine's Poem "Library"

 Library

This is the library where books call out to you.

"Come read me, come read me,"

They call out to toddlers too.

There is even a corner with soft comfy chairs

This is the library where everyone cares.

They have programs to encourage you to read.

This is the library you definitely need!

This perfect library is...

The Library of the Chatham's!!!!!!!

5th Grader Emilie's Entry - Photography Contest

Middle School Student Elizabeth Writes About Her Favorite Books

One of the things I love about the library is discovering the books of authors I have never read before. When I was younger, I got the book Ginger Pye for Christmas. I read it and absolutely loved it; it had an interesting plot and was very well written. When I finished reading it, I decided to go to the library to see if the author, Eleanor Estes, had any other books. When I got there, I saw she had written many books, and over the course of a few months, I ended up checking them all out and reading each of them. I'm glad I discoverd these books, as I still consider Ginger Pye and some of Estes' other works my favorite books.

Photograph Taken By Alice Roche

 

Fablehaven stars Kendra and Seth, two children who are sent to stay with their grandparents for part of their summer vacation while their parents are away. When they arrive on their grandfather's enormous property, he leaves them with a puzzle and a warning to stay out of the woods. Kendra focuses on solving the puzzle while Seth breaks the rules and enters the forest, and together they discover that their grandfather's land is actually a preserve for magical creatures like fairies, satyrs, and witches.

 

Fablehaven has been compared to Harry Potter; both have children discover that there is a magic hidden from most people. However, the two series aren't really that similar. Fablehaven follows both children equally, even while they are apart, though the story focuses more on Kendra towards the end. Seth is actually the cause of most of the trouble in the book, while Kendra, her grandparents, and their housekeeper try to fix his mistake.

 

The story is open for sequels, but doesn't end on a cliffhanger. There is much more of Fablehaven that can be explored, and the book has several sequels already. The story is fun and has some surprising twists, and I can recommend it to people interested in fantasy.

Photography by Jaime Sabonya

"Read" - A Poem by Alexis, 3rd Grade

Reading…… yes reading is really fun; you can even read 

with someone…. come on reading is fun 

so don’t watch TV just go to your favorite library 

at the library you could read about your favorite author 

reading yes reading is really fun 

so go ahead and read with someone you love.

Chris, 10th Grade, Writes About Summer @ Library

Summers for me often consist of tennis camp and a lot of video games, things that can get old fast.  But, when I was little I would go to the library almost every day and take part in the different activities that would be going on there.  From what I can remember, I had a lot of fun.   I recently started volunteering here at the library and the children’s center.  Watching the kids play on the computers and learn to read is a real joy!  I really like how they can make fun out of anything!  All of this makes me wish that I was one of them playing on the computers and doing the arts and crafts.  Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to see more of these kids as I get to volunteer at more of these events over the course of the summer.  These are things that do not ‘get old fast.’   

Photograph taken by Alice Roche, Children's Department Staff Member.

Julia's Entry for Our Photography Contest

Tear - a Poem by 5th Grader Ashley

A raindrop falling down the roof 

not knowing where to go  

I know what it feels like 

a tender tear falling down my face 

all I want you to do is save me too 

I need someone to be with me before I fall 

Like a tear drop

                          

 

Anthony's Entries - Photography Contest

Yanik, Niklas & Lena on Chess at the Library

Chess at the Chatham library was great! Every time we learned something new like checkmate, check, castling and more. At the very last class the teacher played against all the players which was a terrific practice. The only disadvantage was, that you sometimes had to wait too long for your turn. Maybe one could increase the number of teachers!! And overall by letting us compete against other players more often, would be even more fun! We definitely want to go next year again and we wish it would be on more often.

 

Chatham Residents Anusha and Nishita Spend a Year in India

Ed.'s Note: Chatham residents Nishita and Anusha spent the past school year in New Delhi, India. Here are their thoughts on their experience.

Nishita, 4th Grade

My India experience was great! I loved India a lot. School was a little hard but I made many friends. I really missed the libraries over there. There were no libraries at all except a small one at our school! In India we lived in Noida, a suburb of Delhi the capital. We had a maid and a driver over there so it made things way easier. In my apartment you could go downstairs and all your friends would be there. India is an amazing place and I miss it a lot! But I can’t wait to visit the Chatham Library again!

Anusha, 9th Grade

When my parents announced that we were moving to India for a year, the last thing I thought I would miss was the library. I didn’t want to move halfway around the world, thousands of miles away from my friends. I also didn’t want to miss my first year of high school. When I first arrived in India, I was nervous about making new friends and going to a new school, where many kids conversed in Hindi, a language I barely knew. But after a few weeks, I was settled into my new life in India. I had a whole group of friends, school was enjoyable and I didn’t have too much homework. It was then that I decided to make my first visit to the school library. I was used to school libraries that were large, spacious and packed with books but this one was barely the size of a classroom, and contained about one bookcase full of fiction. The remaining books were either reference books or textbooks. When I told my parents about my school library, they started to look for a public library. However, there wasn’t a single one in the city. Some bookstores had small libraries, but the books were limited and often in bad condition, not to mention that there was a hefty payment due every month. So my sister and I had to resort to buying any books we wanted to read. I had a chance to read some Indian authors as well. Overall, I had a great time in India at my new school with my new friends. However, one of the first things I did after joining Chatham High in May was visit the library; and I must say, the one thing I missed the most was the library.

Photograph of Children's Room Globe by Storytime Leader Robert Carter

Some Pictures From Our Photography Contest - 1

Our contest was for students 3rd grade and up.  These photographs were by Anna.

High School Student Anthony Writes About His favorite Books

Right now, I am reading "The Steel Wave, A Novel of World War II," by Jeff Shaara.  It's a good book.  I have read Shaara's "To The Last Man," and "The Rising Tide," as well.  I like these books because he makes history interesting.  Besides historical fiction I also like action books by Tom Clancy or Vince Flynn.  These are long and complex books where several seemingly unrelated incidents come together and make a complete story.  Vince Flynn's main character is Mitch Rapp, a CIA operative.  Tom Clancy's protagonist is Jack Ryan, a military man who becomes president.  These books hold my interest because they have complex plots and lots of action

4th Grader Patrick Reviews "Deadly Waters"

Deadly Waters

By: Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson  

My favorite book is Deadly Waters, because it is a mystery, it always keeps you guessing, it teaches me about manatees in a way that I can understand, and there is one surprise after another. My favorite part was when they figured out what was making the manatees sick.  My least favorite part was when Gordon stole Jack’s very expensive camera.

Chatham's Budding Photographers

The Library of The Chathams held a photography contest for 3rd to 6th graders.  These were the prize-winning entries.

Best in Show
Jayathi, 5th Grade

Second Place
Marina, 4th Grade

Third Place
Bonnie, 4th Grade

"To the Library" by First Grader Leighton

I like going to the library because there are a lot of books there and I like to read. I like to read because it's fun to feel like you're inside a story. My favorite books are chapter books about made-up things, like The Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke. My Daddy reads it to me before I go to bed. I also like the series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which I read myself, because they are funny books and sometimes they are scary. Percy Jackson is the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. He has to go on quests, like looking for Zeus's most powerful lightening bolt because the other gods think he stole it. I think other kids would like these books because they are exciting to read.                                                                      

                                                                     

                                             

4th Grader Elyzia Reviews "Time Stops for No Mouse"

Time Stops For no Mouse, by Michael Hoeye, is an adventure story. There is a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. The story is about Hermux Tantamoq, who is a watchmaker. Hermux is also a mouse, and so adventures are pretty big for him. One lonely day, a beautiful, young, adventurous mouse named Mrs. Perflinger, comes in with a badly broken watch. She says she needs it to keep perfect time because every second counts. The story gets exciting when Mrs. Perflinger, the love of his life leaves, never comes back, and he finds out that Mrs. Perflinger was kidnapped! Hermux, the witty mouse goes on the adventure of his life! Once you read Time Stops For no Mouse, you’ll want to read the whole series!

Two Views on "Battle of the Books"

Amanda, 5th Grade

The battle of the books is a program, that I would like to continue next year. It helped me to read different styles of books that normally I wouldn’t pick off the shelf. I didn’t know how good an author Michael Morpurgo was until I read Kensuke’s Kingdom for my team. Battle of the Books also helped me realize how important team work is for a competition. In the home room battle some of the teams performed poorly because certain members didn’t read their books. My team made it to the final round! Then we realized one of our team mates was sick that day. Everyone kept pressuring me to find the answers since I was the captain of our team. We did not move up to the national battle because we were relying on that person to read his books and be there. It wasn’t his fault that he was sick but it was hard to succeed without him. So, to sum it all up, Battle of the books helped me learn to try new things, be a leader and that teamwork is very, very, very important.


Elizabeth, 7th Grade

Not too long ago, my school held its annual "Battle of the Books" competition. Battle of the Books is a contest in which students make up teams of about four to six people, and then they read all of the books on a list. Then, once a week during lunch, the students who are on the teams meet with each other and have a competition to see who can answer the most questions about the books. A question would be like this: "In which book does the main character make up an imaginary camp called "Camp fun and Games"? Answer: Holes by Louis Sachar. All of these practice competitions at my school build up to the final, interschool contest. I was in the number one Battle of the Books team for my grade, so we got to participate in the ultimate contest. We competed against many other teams from different schools. My team was in the top two, and at the end of the competition, we brought home a second place trophy. Battle of the Books is a competition that all students do in Lafayette, but it is a voluntary club in the middle school. Battle of the books is very fun because you are with your friends,and it also introduces you to new books. Some of this year's seventh grade books for the Battle of the Books were:

- They Cage the Animals at Night by Jennings M. Burch
- Holes by Louis Sachar
- Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
- Hoot by Carl Hiaason
- Travel Team by Mike Lupica

If you're a kid, think about joining this club!

"In Praise of Chatham" by Elementary School Student Catherine

Chatham

Pretty, friends, grass

Run around, jumproping

Happy, inviting, free, safe, great

Small town

Photograph by Co-ordinating Library Assistant Jaime Sabonya

High School Student & Summer Staff Member Corinne Reviews the Movie Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince

Though the books have ended, Potter fans can still get together in celebration for the movies. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince just came out in theaters, and will be out in IMAX 3-D later this month. But how does the movie compare to the book?

Many people are against making any changes when adapting a book into a movie, but something has to be cut when you try to make a 600-page book into a 2-and-a-half hour movie. I think the book was shortened pretty well- and, most importantly, the movie still makes sense to people who haven't read the book. Two of my friends did not read the book before seeing the movie, and they followed the plot of the movie without much trouble. The movie focuses mostly on the romances found in the book, and I was surprised with how much they kept in. The main plot seems to take a backseat- in the book, we see a lot about Voldemort's past by looking at other people's memories, and Harry and Dumbledore try to learn as much as they can about their enemy. In the movie, we only see two of these memories. Still, the movie didn't drag anything out- everything that was left in the movie was at the very least entertaining.

The movie itself has very good special effects. Harry's first trip into the memories looks very cool, with mist and shadowy shapes surrounding the main memory. There's a scene in the beginning of the movie where a broken room is fixed around Harry, with books and broken glass flying around him. The scene in the cave towards the end is as scary as it sounds in the book. During one particularly emotional scene, the sound is muted and everything is slowed down, as if Harry is not sure if the events are real or a dream.

The movie is both funny and exciting, funnier than I thought it would be. There were some differences between the book and the movie- many scenes were left out, a few new scenes were added in, some plots are simplified- but I think the changes make the movie shorter and easier to follow. Personally, I think this was one of the better Harry Potter adaptations, but either way, we greatly look foreward to the next movie.

Mural Painting of Harry Potter by Michael Rex