Out and About in Central New Jersey: Just in Time for Back to School–Conquering bullies. A math teacher who noticed. The importance of underwear. Wise Words (and Drawing Lessons) from Some of Our Favorite Authors & Illustrators–Including the Creators of Captain Underpants & Dork Diaries

From The New York Times -- Back-to-School Wisdom From the Creators of Your Favorite Children’s Books

By MARIA RUSSO and JOSEPHINE SEDGWICK AUG. 30, 2017

Conquering bullies. A math teacher who noticed. The importance of underwear. Some of our most beloved children’s book authors and illustrators have shared with us their advice for heading back to school, and their own tales of how drawing helped them through difficult times.

Drawing and Dyslexia

Dav Pilkey is the creator of Captain Underpants, the unlikely superhero who has helped a generation of children jump — irreverently — into the world of reading.

Dav Pilkey: Captain Underpants really started when I was a kid. I was in second grade and I had just started at a new school and I wasn’t doing so well. I have dyslexia, and I had A.D.H.D. They didn’t even have a term for it at the time, but I definitely had it. Plus, I had a teacher who was not very understanding.

She would criticize me and say: “We don’t write like babies in our classroom. I’m going to send you back to kindergarten.” And then she’d get upset with my behavior — I was misbehaving for some strange reason — so she started sending me out into the hallway. She’d get all mad, and she’d say, “Mr. Pilkey, OUT!”

That’s where my creativity took off.

I’d go out in the hallway, and all I really had to do to occupy myself out there was draw and make up stories. I was separated from my classmates so much, but I still wanted to be relevant and I wanted them to know who I was. I’d show them my drawings, and they’d say, “Aah, that’s funny!” That’s where a lot of creativity started in my life, and the Captain came out of that time.

LOVE STORIES? NOT ALL STORIES REQUIRE ILLUSTRATIONS – OR EVEN WORDS ON A PAGE! MORE THAN TWO DOZEN STORYTELLERS WILL BE TELLING STORIES AT HOWELL LIVING HISTORY FARM ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 16TH – AND BEST OF ALL, THE EVENT IS TOTALLY FREE!

www.njstorynet.org

You can also meet your favorite authors at the FREE Princeton Children’s Book Festival the following weekend:

Details: www.princetonlibrary.org/childrens-book-festival/

And at the FREE Morristown Book Festival on Saturday Oct. 14th!

Details: morristownbooks.org

Lots of Story Fun Every Week @ the Bridgewater Library –
Weekly library story programs resume on Tuesday Sept. 5th.
Family Storytime (ages 3-6 plus siblings) Tuesday at 10 a.m., Toddler Times (ages 18mo-36 mo) are Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. Baby Times on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. PJ Time Wednesday nights at 7 p.m.
Starting Sept. 5th, we will also be doing a weekly STEAM (Science, Tech, Engineering, ART, and Math) Tuesdays at 4:30. Geared to K-4th graders but open to all ages.
No registration required for any of these programs. For full details on these and other programs, see the Bridgewater Library Online Calendar.
MORE INTERESTING STEAM PROGRAMS AT THE NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM….

www.statemuseum.nj.gov

Exhibition News:

New Jersey's 9/11 Collection

September 9 & 10, Auditorium Galleries

In honor of the 16th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the New Jersey State Museum exhibition "Our Story: New Jersey's 9/11 Collection" will be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday, September 9 and 10. The Auditorium Galleries are in the building directly in front of the Museum.

See artifacts recovered from the wreckage of the World Trade Center, photographs of the relief and recovery efforts, and personal tributes to the nearly 700 New Jerseyans who lost their lives on that fateful day.

Planetarium News:

New Weekend Schedule

September 9 - October 15

It's back to school time, and time for the Planetarium to return to its weekend-only public showings. We're also implementing a new, earlier start time for presentations. Visit the website for show descriptions and to download a coupon good for $1 off admission.

Weekend Schedule (through Oct. 15):

11 am One World, One Sky

12 noon Magic Tree House: Space Mission

1 pm Laser Space Chase

2 pm Wildest Weather in the Solar System (NEW!)

Exhibition News:

Embattled Emblems: Posters and Flags of the First World War

Opening September 16, East Gallery

2017 commemorates the 100th anniversary of American intervention into World War I. This new exhibition showcases two important collections rarely seen by the public - the posters and flags used to stir patriotism and support the cause of war. It also explores unknown stories of New Jersey's role in the "War to End All Wars." The exhibition is supported in part by the New Jersey State Museum Foundation through the Lucille M. Paris Fund.

The exhibit features 40 visually-striking posters created by American artists in support of the war. Many were designed by well-known artists and illustrators of the day.

Like posters, military flags stimulated patriotism, pride and support for the war. These never-before-exhibited flags, decorated with streamers commemorating famous battles, reflect the military history of two Army divisions in which many New Jersey soldiers served - the 29th "Blue and Gray" Division and the 78th "Lightning" Division. Also included are rare flags of the 111th Machine Gun Battalion and the First Ambulance Company of Red Bank.

The exhibition will be on view through August 19, 2018.

Special Event:

Small Explorers Series

September 16, 10 am

Discovery Den, 2nd floor

Join us this month on an art exploration as we explore color through stories, crafts and play. Our story is "I Don't Draw, I Color!" by Adam Lehrhaupt, followed by a visit to the American Perspectives exhibition to discover some colorful abstract works. We finish up with some hands-on color activities. The program is 30 to 45 minutes long and begins promptly at 10:00 am. Please plan to arrive early. Small Explorers is for children 6 months to 5 years and their caregivers. Space is limited, so advance registration is encouraged. For more information or to register contact Kerry.Scott@sos.nj.gov.

Special Event:

Museum Day Live!

September 23, 9:00 am - 4:45 pm

The Museum is proud to be participating in Smithsonian Magazine's Museum Day Live on Saturday, September 23. Guests can enjoy free Planetarium programs, a printmaking activity and more. Visit the Museum's website or click here to download your FREE ticket.

Exhibition News:

New Exhibition Coming Soon!

Opening October 7

Riverside Gallery, 2nd floor

"Hearth & Home" is a new, family-friendly exhibition that will feature a rare collection of house models made in the 1930s during the Works Progress Administration (WPA), along with actual artifacts used in native dwellings. The exhibition will offer visitors the opportunity to learn about the homes and home life of Native Americans in the Eastern Woodlands and other environments across North America with an emphasis on how each culture had to work with, adjust, respond and adapt to the environment in which they lived.