Happy Halloween!

Upcoming Events

Preschool & Family Storytimes
Livermore Public Library
Join John for the fun each week:
Mondays: 7pm Family Storytime, Civic Center (through December 13)
Fridays: 10:30 & 11:00 Toddler & Preschooler Storytimes, Rincon (through December 17)

Saturday, November 27

Sunday, November 28

CHILDREN'S FAIRYLAND

Lake Merritt, Oakland
Storytelling at 1:30 & 2:30 each day

Saturday, December 18

WAIKIKI AQUARIUM

Honolulu
Storytelling 10am-12 noon

Sunday, December 19

HAWAII CHILDREN'S DISCOVERY CENTER

Honolulu
Storytelling at 11am, to celebrate the center's 12th birthday

Wednesday, December 22

CHILDREN'S FAIRYLAND

Lake Merritt, Oakland
Storytelling at 5:30pm, part of the Fairy Winterland Celebration

Livermore Library storytimes resume
Monday, January 10, 2011



January 14-16, 2011
Attending Asilomar Reading Conference

Saturday, January 29

Sunday, January 30

CHILDREN'S FAIRYLAND

Lake Merritt, Oakland
Storytelling at 1:30 & 2:30 each day



Saturday, May 21
San Leandro Library
Manor Branch
Storytelling at 10:30am


Other recent or upcoming events include storytelling for Rainbow of Knowledge in Los Gatos, ILM Tree in Lafayette, Bright Horizons Family Solutions in SF, and San José Public Library.  For regular updates, connect with me on Facebook!

John's Mailbag

I opened my mailbox recently to discover a thick envelope from an elementary school I'd visited about a week before. It was filled with notes from students of various ages, thanking me for my storytelling performance. What a pleasant surprise! Here are a few quick excerpts--some funny stuff in here!


"Dear John Weaver, Thank you for coming to our school and telling us stories again. I liked all of your stories... I also liked the voices and impressions. When you told us all of the stories, you made us laugh and everybody liked it. I thought when you told us the stories, you did it way better than last year. Anyways, thank you again for coming."


"Thank you Mr. Weaver for coming to our school and telling real cool story's. I like all of the stories because they were all funny."


"...that was really cool how do you do those voices those where funny voices to me and those princess stories i loved those."


"Dear John: I really liked your stories but the one I liked the most is the one with all the talking animals and my favorite animal in it was the fish because I really REALLY! liked his voice."


"I want to say thank you for comming to our school and telling us stories. They were really funny... I hope you can come again so other kids will laugh as much as we did."


"You mister, are 1 funny story teller. You should try my mom's fudge, it's so yummy."

Read Up! Use Your Mind

Have you got your library card & book bag ready? This time out, I’d like to share a few books that should get your imagination running. Plenty of newer entries on this list—and one oldie that I consider an all-time classic!

Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson
I hope you’ve already been long-acquainted with this one! Harold’s been spun off many times into further adventures in animation & in print—but it’s the Crockett Johnson original that deserves your fullest attention. I suppose some kids might’ve been inspired to take crayon to wall after meeting Harold—but I was never one of them.

Something to Do, by David Lucas
This is very much in the tradition of the Harold series, and it will also appeal to parents who have a little one who has been known to whine, “I’m booored!” The little bear claims to have nothing to do, but a solution is at hand. Before long, big bear and little are walking and drawing, with their pictures becoming real.

The Squiggle, by Carole Lexa Schaefer
Another book about lines coming to life (well, at least within a child’s fertile mind). Rather than a drawn line, this is a red string. A few pages in, and you’ll be ready to fight the cat for the last bit of yarn in the house!

Not a Box, by Antoinette Portis
Not a Stick, by Antoinette Portis
If you read these books aloud, you’ll have the honor of getting corrected by cute little animals that get increasingly frustrated with having to tell you that things are not always as they seem to serious adult eyes. Ask the children present what the box or stick have transformed into, and they’ll be glad to help you out!

Higher! Higher! by Leslie Patricelli
Whenever I went too high on a swing as a child, I was afraid I might end up doing a full loop. The girl in this book doesn’t seem to believe in “too high”—in fact, it would seem the moon is not far enough! Not much text here, just a far-reaching imagination.

In My New Yellow Shirt, by Eileen Spinelli & Hideko Takahashi
I wish I’d known as a little boy that getting clothes for your birthday could actually be FUN! In his new yellow shirt, this boy can be a lion, a fish, pirate treasure, and a submarine! His shirt keeps him entertained all day. I’d love to see a sequel starring gift socks!

I hope you check these out, and maybe find some new favorites. If you’ve got some great books in mind—whether they fit in with this list or not—please share them with me!