May Day

Worldwide, May 1st is a day of celebration.  Referred to by most people as May Day, or Beltane, its history goes back to earliest times.  May Day is a time to celebrate the beauty of spring, the bright colors of nature, and flowers, as well as labor.  Dancing around the Maypole, a pole of brightly colored ribbons, is one way to celebrate this day.

I remember that our elementary school used to hold a spring festival each year.  When I was in fourth grade, our class had the honor of dancing around the Maypole in the gymnasium.  We practiced for weeks and on the day of the festival we danced the ins and outs and ups and downs with the ribbons perfectly.  I wonder if any children in America still enjoy this fun.

Here is an image of British children dancing the Maypole.



Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day, I will be reading nature stories this Friday, April 22nd, at, I Can't Believe It's a Book Store, in downtown Washington.  These stories will be suitable for children of all ages and their grown-ups.  The fun begins at 12:00 noon!

National Library Week

The American Library Association officially proclaims April 10-16, 2011, as National Library Week.  This year's theme is, "Create Your Own Story @ Your Library", and author John Grisham is serving as the honorary chair.

National Library Week was first observed in 1958 (the year I was born!).  It is a time each year for us to celebrate all that libraries and librarians do to enrich our lives.  Do you have a special library memory?  Is there a book that has made a significant impact on your life?

I hope you'll visit your library next week and tell the librarians how much they mean to you!