Halloween is almost here and we have an exciting contest going on! All children ages one to twelve can enter our pumpkin carving contest. Stop in to the library and pick up an entry form and then go home and draw the scariest or funniest or prettiest face ever for a pumpkin. Then on October 25, 2003, the library staff will get together and choose the winners. The winning drawings will then be carved by our own Library Director, Brian Hildreth. They will be on display through Halloween. Winners will be announced in this column on October 29. All winners will receive a mystery prize. Age groups are as follows: 1-3 year olds, 4-6 year olds, 7-9 year olds and 10-12 year olds. Entry forms must be in by October 24, 2003. Good luck!

Preschool Story Hour topics for the next two weeks are: October 14-Fire Prevention and October 21-Smokey the Bear. On October 14, your child or grandchild can learn about fire prevention and if the weather permits see a fire truck and meet a fireman. On October 21, there will be a special guest, Smokey the Bear, along with meeting a forest ranger. Also be sure and stop in and view our preschool story board of children during our "Books are a Bushel of Fun" month. Children are pictured along with their favorite book.

Janine Ashcraft, story teller, would like a new name for "Preschool Story Hour". She is looking to the community for help. She would love any suggestions people have. Please give any ideas to the library aides or email the library at MO_CIRC@midyork.lib.ny.us. The winning name will be announced in this column sometime in November. Get those ideas in! Preschool Story hour is every Tuesday from 10:30-11:30am. If you would like a list of all topics please inquire at the circulation desk.

Our first Adult Book Talk, "The Shipping News", was a great success! Be sure to join our next one coming up soon. Details will follow in next week's column.

Don't forget we are offering Free Internet Tutoring services. Some services include: learning how to navigate the World Wide Web, an introduction on using our web based library catalog to find materials, and how to have and manage your own email account. These services are available for any age level, young or old. Call 684-9130 today to make an appointment, ask for Brian.

Let's move on to some new books received this week and we have received many! I will not be able to list all of them, so please stop in and see all the new titles. If you don't see any you like, be sure to stop back often as we are adding to the stacks daily! First we have An Hour Before Daylight: Memoirs of a Rural Boyhood by Jimmy Carter: "In an American story of enduring importance, Jimmy Carter re-creates his Depression-era boyhood on a Georgia farm, before the civil rights movement that changed it and the country" says the publisher. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown: "A murder mystery set against a religious conspiracy theory involving Leonardo Da Vinci's paintings, Jesus, Mary Magdalene, their child and the Holy Grail, The Da Vinci Code mixes page-turning suspense with art history, architecture and religious history," says USA Today. Kate Remembered by Scott A Berg: "A worthy look at a candid Kate," says People, "an unusual and unusually fitting "account" of a life lived outside the usual," says Entertainment Weekly. We also received some new books on tape. They are: The Lake House and Jester both by James Patterson, and Flirting with Pete by Barbara Delinsky.

Our hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 12 - 8 pm, Tuesday and Thursday 10 - 1:30 pm and Saturday 10 - 2pm. The days might be getting shorter and the nights we know are getting colder, but at the Morrisville Public Library you would never notice. Stop in for some friendly conversation and warm atmosphere. While you are here, grab a good book and get lost in a story!