The Wizard of Oz & The Kinnelon Library

Were you aware that momentous anniversaries are in the works here in Kinnelon? I am talking Wizard of Oz and the Kinnelon Children's Library which is celebrating in engaging and creative fashion!

The book The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz written by L. Frank Baum was first published in 1900, making it officially 110 years old.

According to the Wikipedia entry on the book, you can choose to take the book at face value or interpret it in terms of the political, social and economic environment of the late 1800s.

For the sake of the children, we'll stick with the face value, but it is fun to consider the story as part of a larger context... [Hmmm, I wonder what Francis Kinney's take on the story might have been?]

The movie The Wizard Of Oz marks its 75th anniversary this year - a milestone I find hard to believe given how timeless the production seems. I remember seeing [parts of] the movie as a child; it terrified me. Luckily, I have outgrown my terror and now have renewed appreciation for it...

For the Wizard of Oz celebration, the Kinnelon's Children's Library has transformed itself into a magically engaging Emerald City filled with a yellow brick road, a tornado, lions, scarecrows, witches, tin men and books.

You can watch the movie, admire the ruby slippers [silver in the book], and also take part in many of the activities that Galina Adair, Head of Children's Department, Louise Solomon, Nancy and the oh-so-patient student assistants have organized.

In a separate post, I'll share additional details and photos relating to the Wizard Of Oz celebration taking place at the Kinnelon Library.

In the meantime, I encourage you to explore what our library offers by visiting the website.

For example, there's Storytime for kids age 2 to 5. Children can build their reading confidence by reading to therapy dogs Senna and Hannah on Saturdays from 10:30 to 11:30am. The dogs' next appearance takes place on Saturday, March 20th, 2010.

Look for mentions of scavenger hunts. They are terrific fun and teach our kids how to discover the many resources available at the library. The prizes are cool and the kids' enthusiasm for the hunt palpable!

I wish my library had been this much fun when I was a kid!