Help Us Give Away Free Books!!

Sign up to give away 20 copies of one of your favorite books on World Book Night, April 23. The sign up deadline for volunteers has been extended to February 6.  Read more about this exciting nation-wide program and sign up as a book giver at worldbooknight.org.

Baby Storytime Encore with Sara Waters

Saturday, Febraury 4, 10:30 a.m.

 Stomp your feet! Clap your hands!


Everybody ready for a BARNYARD DANCE!

Storyteller Sara Waters will share Sandra Boynton’s Barnyard Dance—a sing-song romp on the farm.Everybody sing along, because it's time to do-si-do in the barnyard with a high-spirited animal crew, including twirling pigs, fiddle-playing cows, and spinning chickens. Barnyard Dance features lively rhyming text guaranteed to get kids and adults stomping their feet.

THE PIRATES ARE COMING!

Saturday, February 11, 10:30 a.m.

Ahoy, mateys! It's Pirate Weekend!

Join us as we celebrate the Science Museum of Minnesota’s newest exhibit, Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship. The exhibit opens February 18, but you can get a preview at this event at The Red Balloon.  Two pirates—arrr!—host a special storytime followed by lots of interactive pirate activities. You can transform yourself into a pirate with face make-up, tattoos, and eye patch you make yourself. Learn to talk like a pirate with authentic pirate dialect lessons. Participate in the gold doubloon hunt and keep the doubloons you find.

The Science Museum of Minnesota will be offering discount passes to the exhibit. You also may register to win a family pack of free passes to the museum and a family membership. Be sure to dress like a pirate—and, parents, don’t forget your cameras! Avast! You don’t want to miss this exciting event.

THE PIRATES ARE COMING....AGAIN!

Sunday, February 12, 2:00 p.m.

 Pirate weekend continues as storyteller Mike Mann regales listeners with a tale from the high seas: The Not-So-Jolly Roger from Jon Scieszka’s popular Time Warp Trio series.

Friends Joe, Fred, and Sam accidentally trigger their magic book to send them back to the time of the evil pirate Blackbeard, who takes them as prisoners. The three boys must use their wits and quick thinking to outsmart the dangerous band of pirates and get back home. Join us for this exciting and humorous adventure story.

We Love Our Customers Sale!

Tuesday, February 14

Shop today and receive 14% off your total purchase of all regularly priced items in the store.

This one-day-only discount cannot be used for special orders or in combination with any other discounts.

Celebrate “I Love to Read” month with

Laura Purdie Salas, author of BookSpeak!

Saturday, February 18, 10:30 a.m.

BookSpeak! is a collection of wacky, whimsical poems about books and all the treasures they contain. In BookSpeak!, each poem gives voice to a group that seldom gets a voice . . . the books themselves! Characters plead for sequels, book jackets strut their stuff, and we get a sneak peek at the raucous parties in the aisles when all the lights go out at the bookstore!

 Purdie Salas will demonstrate how to make a mini-accordion book imagining what your favorite book would say to you if it could; she will give participants activity sheets they can take home to make their own book. She also will share a mad libs-like activity using her poetry from BookSpeak! You don’t want to miss this delightful event that celebrates what we love best: books!

Tim Kehoe 

Vincent Shadow: The Top Secret
Toys
Sunday, February 19, 2:00 p.m.

St. Paul author Tim Kehoe introduces his newest book, Vincent Shadow: The Top Secret Toys. More toys, more pressure, and more mystery in this exciting sequel to Vincent Shadow: Toy Inventor! After winning the annual Whizzer Toy Invention Contest, twelve-year-old Vincent Shadow can’t wait to start his once-in-a-lifetime summer internship with the renowned Mr. Whiz. Vincent wants to come up with an idea that will make toy history – but he can’t even think of one that will impress his little sister!

In Vincent Shadow: The Top Secret Toys, toys and trouble go hand in hand as Vincent faces the ultimate test: save Whizzer Toys or disappoint kids everywhere. Fortunately, when Vincent puts his mind to it, he can achieve just about anything.

While everyone loves Vincent Shadow, children in grades two to six are particularly fascinated by this imaginative boy inventor.
Tim Kehoe is a toy inventor and creator of the world's first colored bubbles, Zubbles, which was awarded Popular Science's Grand Prize for Innovation in 2005. You can visit him online at www.timkehoe.com.

The WonderWeavers present the stories of Ladybug Girl

Saturday, February 25, 10:30 a.m.

The acclaimed WonderWeavers storytellers will present stories featuring our February character of the month, Ladybug Girl!

Which member of the bug squad are you? Come dressed as your favorite character from the Ladybug Girl stories, and join us for this charming Ladybug Girl storytime!