The theme of the 2011 Summer Reading Celebration is One World, Many Stories! Starting June 18th, your local San José Public Library location will be having special events to celebrate.

Childhood is a great time to start learning a second language (or continue exposure to a first language). In the month of June, the San Jose Public Library will offer several performances that give you the opportunity to be entertained, while immersing your child& in Spanish.

Kids Concert:

Mariela Herrera

This  bilingual (Spanish / English) show will include songs, stories, music and fun for children age 1-6. 

Mariela will perform at the Cambrian Branch Library on Saturday June 18, 2011 at 2:00pm and at the Biblioteca Latinoamericana Branch Library on Friday July 1, 2011 at 3:00pm.

Puppet Show:

Aztec Pinocchio with Caterpillar puppets

This show tells the story of Maldo the Magician and how he brings to life his little marionette boy, using a butterfly for a heart.

This bilingual performance will take place at:

Hillview Branch Library on Wednesday June 22, 2011 at 6:30pm,

Biblioteca Latinoamericana Branch Library on Thursday June 23, 2011 at 3:00pm,

Dr. Cruz-Alum Rock Branch Library on Saturday June 25, 2011 at 2:00pm,

Family Concert:

Colibrí

Colibrí, Spanish for hummingbird, is a duo that presents lively, interactive musical journeys through Latin America. Using an exciting array of traditional folk instruments, Lichi Fuentes and Alisa Peres create a bridge linking children in the U.S. with those in the Spanish-speaking world.

You can enjoy the music of Colibrí at:

Willow Glen Branch Library on Saturday, June 25, 2011 at 2:00pm

Almaden Branch Library on Tuesday, June 21, 2011 at 3:00pm

Dr. Cruz-Alum Rock Branch Library on Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 2:00pm

The San José Public Library also offers a variety of Spanish/English bilingual books for children and parents to enjoy. Here are a few favorites:

• My Colors, My World = Mis Colores, Mi Mundo by Maya Christina Gonzalez
• Just a Minute by Yuyi Morales
• Uno, Dos, Tres; One, Two, Three by Pat Mora.

One of the great appeals of the Willow Glen area is that it is such a pedestrian-friendly and canine-friendly neighborhood! Resident dogs enjoy strolling the downtown sidewalks with their owners and sniffing noses with friends old and new. If they get to linger at the table of one of the many sidewalk cafes, or step into a shop with a bowl of water by the door and a jar of dog treats on the counter, that's even better! The adorable Churro is one of those resident dogs. This Chihuahua/Dachshund mix is five years old and started her puppyhood in an animal shelter before her forever family found her.

Did you know that both the Chihuahua and the Dachshund are listed in the top ten dog breeds for children by the American Humane Society? So it's perfect that Churro now belongs to youngsters Sora and Lucas and their doting parents. One sunny but cold spring day, little Churro visited the Willow Glen Branch Library with her family, showing off a pink jacket which protects her from the weather. Pets are not allowed inside the library, but they do occasionally accompany their people here. It's not unusual to see a dog leashed to the bike rack on a sunny afternoon while a customer runs inside to pick up a request--maybe something to read relaxing at a Lincoln Avenue cafe or Willow Street Frank Bramhall Park.

A really good children's book can be enjoyed as much by adults as it is by children. A Long Way from Chicago is such a book... in fact, it's one of my favorite children's books of all time. Set in the Depression era, the book is about a brother and sister who take the train from Chicago to a hick town south of the city to visit their grandma every summer from 1929 to 1935. That first summer Joey and Mary Alice are only age 9 and 7, and they soon find out that "what little we knew about grownups didn't seem to cover Grandma." Grandma Dowdel is a no-nonsense, hard-working woman with little tolerance for people who put on airs or stick their nose into others' business. She's not afraid of using unorthodox means to put fools in their place, often with hilarious results. The short chapters, each a story unto itself, coupled with the book's country charm and ever-present humor, make it a fast read and a good pick for a historical fiction assignment for students fifth grade and up. When you've finished with this book, pick up the equally good sequel, the Newbery-Medal winning A Year Down Yonder, in which 15-year-old Mary Alice goes for an extended stay with Grandma. You may also enjoy the many other books for children and young adults written by author Richard Peck.

April 10-16, 2011, was National Volunteer Week. The Willow Glen Branch Library thanked all its volunteers on Friday with a small celebration and tokens of appreciation. Also, Barbara Adams was announced as the 2011 Volunteer of the Year for Willow Glen Branch. Hooray, Barbara! Her name has been added to the plaque by the Tech Center. Saturday, the Friends of Willow Glen Library hosted their quarterly book sale. Everyone who donated, worked, or bought items at the sale is appreciated.

I have always loved libraries, and working at the library has shown me how many other people love the library, too. In the face of never-ending cutbacks, staff no longer have the time to devote to activities such as keeping the picture books free of smudgy little fingerprints, or cleaning the Tech Center keyboards with cotton swabs. The city has few resources to spare for luxuries such as patio furniture or very extensive, specialized magazine subscriptions. Children can listen to stories, or read to dogs, and everyone enjoys better, more extensive collections because of all of our volunteers, including the Friends of the Library. Donors, supporters, and volunteers are vital to making the library the place it is by helping with all of the above, plus by assisting staff with crafts and other family-friendly programs, tutor in the Tech Center, and host book clubs. Say "Thank you!" to a volunteer today!