I'm away from Canyon Creek for most of the week, though some families may join me for tales@twilight on Wednesday, October 26.

I'm exploring the darker side of stories this week with Canyon Creek children by sharing two tales of suspense and mystery. The first is for my kindergarten and first-grade friends, who will hear me read aloud The Spider and the Fly, a wonderful picture book adaptation of Mary Howitt's original poem, as illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi. "The Spider and the Fly" is an old cautionary tale that still has currency today, despite it having first been published in 1829.

Second-grade students and upper elementary youth will have opportunity to hear "A Wolf and Little Daughter" from the magnificent anthology The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales told by Virginia Hamilton with marvelous illustrations by Leo and Diane Dillon. The collection contains many wonderful tales, but the repetitive text of "A Wolf and Little Daughter" stands out, if only for the song it features. The original meaning of song may have been lost but its melody will linger in the minds of listeners long after they've heard the tale.

I spent the past week at Sunrise Elementary School, but I'm scheduled to return to Canyon Creek the week beginning Monday, September 26. We'll continue to celebrate International Dot Day by filling the library with dots the children have created and returned to me.

We're celebrating International Dot Day this week and through the rest of the month by decorating dots I will then display from the library's ceiling. We'll be revisiting The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds, but this week's feature story is Ish, which is the second book in Reynolds' Creatrilogy.

I'm spending this week at Sunrise. I look forward to welcoming Canyon Creek students to the library beginning Monday, September 12.

I'm excited to welcome all students to the library this week. For most of them this will be their first checkout visit of the year. Children will receive their new checkout cards and explore the new features the library has to offer.

The book I'm presenting to my school friends in first through fifth grade is I Yam a Donkey! by Cece Bell. I'm sharing a couple of pop-up books with Kindergarten students, including One Red Dot by David A. Carter and The Wide-Mouthed Frog (A Pop-up Book) by Keith Faulkner and Jonathan Lambert (illustrator).

I'll be at Sunrise this week, though some classes may visit the Canyon Creek Library for checkout at their teacher's discretion. I will welcome all students to our little library next week.