MERRY CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas in many different languages. More about Christmas ..."On the Net".

CHRISTMAS QUIZZES & HUMOR

Here's a list of some Online Christmas Trivia Quizzes to use to confound friends and family:

QUIZZES

Yahoo's List of Christmas Quizzes
Great American Christmas Quiz
Spike and Jamie's Christmas Home Page
Brain Candy--includes jokes and humorous lists
Christmas Carnivals Christmas Quiz
River Songs Christmas Quiz

Here's a list of some sites containing jokes and funny stories or song variations concerning Christmas:

HUMOR

Humor Matters--many links
Greg's Christmas Pages
Dezert rose--many links
Yahoo List of Christmas Humor Sites
Comic Relief Christmas Humor
Brain Candy Humor Links--scroll to Christmas related sections

HOLIDAY FUN

It's too late now to get to the library--we're closed until Tuesday morning. What to do with the kids after they've watched all the movies and opened all the presents?

Try sitting them down in front of the computer. There are lots of online games, coloring pages, puzzles, quizzes, etc. available related to Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa--the major holidays right now.

LINKS TO MANY SITES
Yahoo's List of Christmas Games Sites
Yahoo Hanukkah Links
Kid Sites
Chiff List of Sites--some for grownups, too
Rexannes's Christmas Fun Links
About.com's Links
Cybersleuth Kids
Surfing the Net With Kids--includes sites for Hannukah and Kwanzaa
Santa's Christmas Page
eMints Christmas Games and Crafts
Koala's Christmas Links--Australian site
Kids Christmas Corner
Debbie Perkins Christmas Fun Links--some religiously inclined
Worcester Public Schools Holiday Links--includes Hanukkah & Kwanzaa
Busy Teachers Cafe December Resource Page--Includes Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Winter
DMOZ Hanukkah Links
DMOZ Kwanzaa Links

CHRISTMAS GAMES & MORE
Kinder Planet Games
Kids Domain Games
Kids Turn Central
DLTK's Online Games & Puzzles
Billy Bear's Christmas Activities
The Kidz Page Games
Free Christmas Games
Merry Christmas.com--some links are for things for sale
Winnie the Pooh Christmas games
Blackdog's Christmas Page
Christmas Games--some Shockwave Games


HANUKKAH GAMES & MORE
Kids Turn Central
About.com Hanukkah Online Fun
Zigzag Games
Virtual Chanukah Games
Billy Bear's Hanukkah
The Kidz Page


KWANZAA GAMES & MORE
Primary Games
About.com Kwanzaa Activities
Lil Fingers Kwanzaa Games
Billy Bear's Kwanzaa Fun
The Kidz Page Kwanzaa

DECEMBER 16 BIRTHDAYS

Today is the birthday of several famous writers and composers:

Jane Austen (1775), English novelist. More links to online information about her and her books can be found at
Republic of Pemberley
Austen.com
Wikipedia
George Santayana (1863), "philosopher, poet, literary and cultural critic". More on him can be found at
A George Santayana Home Page [annoying page design]
Wikipedia
Noel Coward (1899), British playwright, especially of witty comedies. More info and links about him can be found at
Noel Coward Society
Wikipedia
Margaret Mead (1901). anthropologist. More about her can be found at
Library of Congress
Wikipedia
Arthur C. Clarke (1917), noted science fiction author. More about him can be found at
Clarke Foundation
Salon People
Wikipedia
Philip K. Dick (1928), Chicago-born science fiction author. More about him can be found at
Official Philip K. Dick Page
Wikipedia
Philip K. Dick Award

Also, today is Beethoven's birthday (1770). More can be found at Ludwig van Beethoven's Biography
Wikipedia
Classical Cat
Modern Hungarian classical composer Zoltan Kodaly was born today (1882), too. More about him can be found at
Wikipedia
Guild Music

SNOWFLAKES FOR 2005

Once again I've been cutting out paper snowflakes for the bulletin board in Youth Services. Last year (2004)--entries for November 28, December 6, and December 18--I listed online links and EGVPL books related to snowflakes, real and constructed; these links and books are still available. Just use the Archive links in the sidebar for November and December, 2004.

A few "new" links include:

3-D Paper Snowflakes Craft--includes printable templates, from DLTK

Snowflake patterns--printable templates with clear sections to cut out

Foam Snowflakes--from the Carol Duvall Show

PaperSnowflakes.com--links page to all kinds of snowflake related pages, including other kinds to make, movies, games, etc.

Beaded Snowflakes:

Wire and Bead Snowflake

Kids Domain Easy Beaded Snowflake--made with chenille stems

About.com's Snowflake

Double Snowflake--uses a wire form

Danielle's Place Winter Crafts for Kids--includes snowflakes made from beads and chenille stems, macaroni wheels, and pop bottle rings

What Works Chenile/Bead Snowflakes--no pics, but clear instructions

Snowflake Ornaments--uses wire forms

KayRay.com's Easy Beaded Snowflake--very clear illustrated tutorial

Martha Stewart Beaded Snowflake

JOHN LENNON ASSASSINATION

It was twenty-five (!) years ago today that former Beatle John Lennon was assassinated in New York City outside of his apartment building. John is remembered as a creative (sometimes controversial) songwriter, poet, and performer. Even after he left The Beatles, he continued to produce memorable songs and lyrics. Many critics would agree that Imagine is the song that most often pops to mind when John Lennon is mentioned.

Several books came out this year about John Lennon that are available at the Elk Grove Library:

John Lennon: All I want Is the Truth: A Photographic Biography (2005) by Elizabeth Partridge (NEW BIO LEN)

John (2005) by Cynthia Lennon (NEW BIO LEN)

MEMORIES OF JOHN LENNON (2005) edited by Yōko Ono (not yet released)

PEARL HARBOR DAY

It was on this day in 1941 that the American Navy at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii was bombed by the Japanese Air Force, effectively precipitating the entry of the United States into World War II. We remember the men who died there and in the subsequent war years on this day. At Pearl Harbor, visitors can tour the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial and Museum. More links to information about the U.S.S. Arizona and that day can be found at the University of Arizona Library's site.

The Elk Grove Village Library has numerous books on the event as well as non-fiction documentaries and fictional movies. Among them are a 5 volume DVD series, Pearl Harbor: December 7, 1941 (940.54 PEA), the 2001 movie Pearl Harbor starring Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett (VHS & DVD), and the 1970 movie Tora! Tora! Tora! (VHS & DVD). One of the most recent books on the subject is Reflections of Pearl Harbor: An Oral History of December 7, 1941 (2005) by K.D. Richardson (NEW 940.5373 RIC).

STAN BERENSTAIN, 1923-2005

Stan Berenstain, well-loved children's author/illustrator, died last Saturday, November 24, at the age of 82. He was co-author with his wife, Jan, of the popular Berenstain Bears Family books and programs. They also wrote a popular cartoon strip, "It's All in the Family", which appeared in McCall's and Good Housekeeping magazines from 1956 to 1990. A few of their early cartoons can be seen on the Norman Rockwell Museum site from a 2003 exhibit of their work.

An autobiography, Down a Sunny Dirt Road by Stan & Jan Berenstain, is available at the Elk Grove Village Public Library in both Adult and Youth Services. Their books in Youth Services are so numerous they are kept in three blue bins on top of the shelves in the "Easy Readers" section. One of my favorites to read to my kids was Bears on Wheels.