| News From the Children's Room Greetings friends and welcome 2021! I will be taking a little break from programs but will be back mid-January with virtual storytimes, activity kits, a book group and more. Make sure to check our Events Calendar for the most current offerings! AND if you missed the 'live' productions of Tanglewood Marionettes you will be pleased to know that recorded videos are available through Tuesday, January 5th to watch and rewatch; who doesn't want to see Cinderella over and over again. Don't forget: if you are looking for your next best book, please email me at cbender@manchesterpl.org for personalized recommendations. For great titles please check out a few new favorites listed below plus New and Notable Books for Kids and Reading for Change located on our Children's webpage. These lists are continuously updated as new books come in! I wish everyone a Happy New Year and a bedside table filled with good books! Ms. Carol
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THE MAGIC CONTINUES... 
Although the live Zoom programs have passed, we are pleased to share video recordings of Tanglewood Marionettes productions of Cinderella and An Arabian Adventure through Tuesday, January 5th. Whether you missed the live programs or want to watch them again ~ you are in for a treat! Our audience were ages 3 to 91 and everyone was truly delighted by these shows ... enjoy! CINDERELLA can be viewed HERE Set in the 18th Century and featuring a dozen lavishly costumed 30" marionettes, this production of Cinderella is a Tanglewood Marionettes showpiece. The beautifully painted settings and all your favorite characters are here to tell this classic fairy tale with wit and style; a crowd-pleasing performance for all ages! AN ARABIAN ADVENTURE can be viewed HERE Featuring over a dozen beautifully hand-crafted marionettes and exquisite 'story-book' style scenery, An Arabian Adventure tells the tale of a prince who is thrown into a dungeon because of his love for a beautiful princess. Facing danger at every turn, the courageous prince must battle his way out of the underground prison to save his princess from a tragic fate. With a soundtrack that features professional acting set to both classical and traditional folk music plus clever stage illusions and lighting effects, An Arabian Adventure is an action-packed drama that is sure to delight audiences of all ages! Essex and Manchester Public Libraries are pleased to co-sponsor this program featuring award winning, nationally renowned puppeteers Anne Ware and Peter Schaefer, who have been performing as Tanglewood Marionettes since 1993. We thank our Friends of the Manchester Library for their support and sponsorship.
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| FROM OUR FRIENDS Early Childhood Partners Winter 2021 Programs start January 4th, 2021 
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HELP! Support for parents in these challenging times THE KINDA GUIDE ... check it out HERE Developed by parents and education professionals at EdNavigator, a nonprofit organization that specializes in supporting families’ educational success, The Kinda Guide offers weekly, one-stop, ad-free guidance and information. Think of it as your down-to-earth, fun-to-read handbook for managing life, work, and school while the whole family is together at home, yet somehow feeling more disconnected than ever. Offerings for Parents from our Friends at Early Childhood Partners 
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A Few Favorites Books from 2020
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| | Fern and Otto: A Story about Two Best Friends
By Graegin, Stephanie
2020-09 - Schwartz & Wade Books
9780593121306 Check Our Catalog Perfect for fans of Erin Stead and Emily Winfield Martin, here is a charming picture book about two friends who enter a fairytale world hoping to find an exciting story to tell. When best friends Fern, a bear, and Otto, a cat, go searching for an exciting story in the forest, they have different ideas about what that means. Fern thinks they should stop and watch a race between a …More
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| | If You Come to Earth
By Blackall, Sophie
2020-09 - Chronicle Books
9781452137797 Check Our Catalog From two-time Caldecott Winner author-illustrator Sophie Blackall If You Come to Earth is a glorious guide to our home planet, and a call for us to take care of both Earth and each other. This stunning book is inspired by the thousands of children Sophie Blackall has met during her travels around the world in support of UNICEF …More
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| | The Suitcase
By Naylor-Ballesteros, Chris
2020-09 - Houghton Mifflin
9780358329602 Check Our Catalog A powerful story about immigration, trust, and new beginnings, full of heart and humanity, for anyone who has ever felt unwelcome or out of place. Perfect for fans of Allen Say, Francesca Sanna, and Yuyi Morales. When a weary stranger arrives one day, with only a suitcase, everyone is full of questions: Why is he here?
Where has he come from?
…More
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| | Willa the Wisp (the Fabled Stables Book #1)
By Auxier, Jonathan
Illustrator Demidova, Olga
2020-10 - Harry N. Abrams
9781419742699 Check Our Catalog A new, fully illustrated chapter book series from New York Times-bestselling author Jonathan Auxier Welcome to the Fabled Stables, a magical building filled with one-of-a-kind creatures. Creatures including the Gargantula, the Yawning Abyss, the Hippopotamouse . . . and Auggie. Auggie is the only human boy at the Stables, and he takes care of all the other animals. The Fabled …More
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| | The Silver Arrow
By Grossman, Lev
2020-09 - Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
9780316539531 Check Our Catalog A New York Times bestseller
"I loved every page. This is middle grade fiction at its best."-- Ann Patchett From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians comes a must-read, wholly original middle-grade debut perfect for fans of The Chronicles of Narnia and Roald Dahl.
Dear Uncle Herbert,
You've never …More
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| | The Blackbird Girls
By Blankman, Anne
2020-03 - Viking Books for Young Readers
9781984837356 Check Our Catalog Like Ruta Sepetys for middle grade, Anne Blankman pens a poignant and timeless story of friendship that twines together moments in underexplored history. On a spring morning, neighbors Valentina Kaplan and Oksana Savchenko wake up to an angry red sky. A reactor at the nuclear power plant where their fathers work--Chernobyl--has exploded. Before they know it, the two girls, who've always …More
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| | Echo Mountain
By Wolk, Lauren
2020-04 - Dutton Books for Young Readers
9780525555568 Check Our Catalog "Soothing and exquisitely written." -People "Surely there has never been a better time to read about healing, of both the body and the heart." -The New York Times Book Review
"A supple tale of struggle, ingenuity and the restorative power of generosity even in bitter times. This is a book that will soothe readers …More
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