Blog posts by Marlene

Kids Create: Pipe Cleaner Daffodils

Marlene Assistant Branch Manager - Cypress HillsAssistant Branch Manager - Cypress Hills

Spring has sprung here in Brooklyn! And in honor of all the growing new plant life, we are making some beautiful flowers out of pipe cleaners.  Supplies: Pipe Cleaners 3 yellow 1 orange 1 6-inch green  Glue Pencil (optional) Steps: 1. Fold all 3 yellow pipe cleaners in half, open them up and arrange them in a star. Twist them at the middle so that they stay in place.  2. Take the end of one of the pipe cleaners and roll it tightly (like a snail!) Repeat until all the "petals" have been rolled up. Arrange them to your liking.    …

BKLYN Presents: Black History Month Books to Celebrate

Patricia, ; Marlene, Assistant Branch Manager - Cypress Hills

During the month of February, we celebrate Black History month and invite you to join the celebration! Carter G. Woodson, an African American historian and former slave, began the celebration in 1929 to celebrate the contributions of African Americans to the United States of America. At first, it was a two week-long celebration. Imagine a two week-long birthday party! He decided on February because it was the birthdays of two men who were very important in the lives of African Americans: Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, Former United States president Gerald Ford decided…

BKLYN Kids Presents: New Books for a New Year!

Marlene Assistant Branch Manager - Cypress HillsAssistant Branch Manager - Cypress Hills

Books for Toddlers, Tweens and Everyone In Between By Samantha Owen, Marlene Michalek and the BPL New Books Committee -- Youth and Family Services BPL librarians recently announced their favorite new children’s books from the latter half of 2021. This year’s selections celebrate body positivity, take readers to fantastical worlds, and highlight important historical people and events. On this list you’ll find The People Remember, written by Ibi Zoboi and illustrated by Loveis Wise, a nonfiction picture book that honors African American…

Pens to Paper and Fingers to Keys: It’s Time for NaNoWriMo 2019!

Marlene, Assistant Branch Manager - Cypress Hills

National Novel Writing Month—abbreviated NaNoWriMo—starts today! For those of you who don’t know, NaNoWriMo is an annual internet-based writing challenge that takes place every November. The challenge? Write a 50,000 word first draft of a book…in 30 days. Don’t worry, it only sounds impossible. NaNoWriMo is a time for writers to throw aside doubt, fear, and possibly a bit of sleep to write 1,667 words (or more!) a day. It can be stressful and hectic, but is also deeply rewarding when you look back at what you’ve accomplished. I’ve taken part in (and successfully “won”) NaNoWriMo for the…