LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Lamorinda Kids Read


Marrissa Moss Photo provided

The Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda libraries will once again give out books to kids as part of the Lamorinda Kids Read program, which will feature East Bay author Marissa Moss and her book "Mira's Diary: Bombs Over London," a fun and interesting adventure of a young girl who time travels to World War I London. Free copies of the book, recommended for kids in third through seventh grade, will be offered at the three Lamorinda libraries starting Sept. 2.

"Thanks to Friends of the Lafayette Library we bought 100 copies that we will give to our young readers," says Lafayette's children's librarian Ginny Golden. Moraga and Orinda will each have 50 copies, also purchased by their respective Friends. Last year, the Orinda Library's 50 copies were gone within a few hours.

Copies will also be available for borrowing and can be purchased at local partner bookstore Storyteller in Lafayette. The three children's librarians also plan to meet with their counterparts in local schools to give out books and talk about the program.

Community reads for kids started a few years ago in Contra Costa County. Last year, the process started with a connection between Golden and author Gennifer Choldenko. "We had a lot of fun organizing the event and immediately met with success," remembers Golden, "so we decided to do it again!"

Orinda children's librarian Lin Look and Moraga children's librarian Lea Stone met with Golden and all agreed Moss's book would be a great choice. "Mira is the young girl who writes the diary," explains Golden. "Her mom is a time traveler and Mira follows her. This book is the third in the series; the first was set in Paris, the second in Rome."

Along her way Mira meets with famous characters of the time, Beatrix Potter and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. "I like the idea of time travel, the incorporation of history, and the young heroine family dynamic," says Look. Stone adds that the book is fun to read and that the program offers different activities in the three cities.

Moss will visit libraries and meet with young readers at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9 at the Moraga library for a journal workshop, and at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11 in Lafayette. Children can also follow in the footsteps of Sherlock Holmes and learn how to crack codes with Penny Warner, author of "The Code Busters Club" at 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 15 at the Orinda Library, Sept. 16 at Moraga, and Sept. 26 at Lafayette.

"Another important piece of the program is the time travel writing contest," says Golden. The grand prize winner will receive four tickets to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in San Francisco and each library will have an additional prize winner, too. Contest forms are available in all three libraries and online. Entries are due by Sept. 22.

Other fun activities include the presentation of time travel movie classics like "Back to the Future" and "A Wrinkle in Time," book discussions, scavenger hunts, and craft making. The complete program is posted on flyers at each of the libraries, and online at ccclib.org.

"We hope that children can travel to different [libraries] and take part in as many activities as possible," concludes Golden.