Autumn is by far my favorite season. I love the early fall when the temperature drops in the morning and make you grab a scarf and a jacket on your way out the door. I love when the leaves start changing colors, and then making messy piles on the lawn. I love late fall when all you can think about is a bowl of warm soup and hot tea for lunch and then curling up on the couch with a soft blanket and a good book.

At the library in the fall, I love having families linger a little longer after story time. It is so much fun to watch the kids play together, while the parents and caregivers get a well-deserved chance for some adult communication. Making plans to meet at the park to spend the last of the sunshine for the week on the swings and sliding down the slide.

Some of my favorite fall books for children include; “Fall is for Friends” by Suzy Spafford, in which Suzy Duck and her friend, Emily work hard to get the leaves to fall of the tree so they can celebrate fall. “Fall leaves fall” by Zoe Hall chronicles the life of leaves and how the changes in the leaves signal the changes in the seasons, with fall being the favorite of the characters in the story. “Fancy Nancy and the Fall Foliage” by Jane O’Connor is a new favorite of mine. I appreciate a girl who loves fall and fashion enough to create something beautiful with a bounty of fall leaves. And my last pick for an autumn themed book is called “In November” by Cynthia Rylant. This is a beautiful book that explains how animals and plants prepare for winter in late fall.

We have some fun things happening for children this November. Our Bedtime Story Hour will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. Come and join us for story time and then spend some time playing with a fun educator with ECFE who will lead us through some exciting learning activities. On Saturday, Nov. 16 at 3 pm in the Meeting Room, we will be introduced to a variety of reptiles from the R.A.D Zoo. And on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 10 a.m., the library will host a special story time by the River Front Performing Arts who will be here to share a bit of their upcoming performance of The North Woods Nutcracker. We will have the opportunity to meet, sing and dance with some of the characters. Each child in attendance will receive a free ticket for the live performance on Dec. 7 or 8. Our ongoing Lego Club will meet on Thursday, Nov. 21 starting after school at 3:30 p.m. Join us for the challenge of the day or just have fun free building. For more information please call, (507)359-8331 ext. 182

Finally, I want to let you know that the library will be closed for a few days throughout November. We will be closed in observance of Veteran’s Day on Monday, the 11th. The Library will close early at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27 and remain closed on Thursday, the 28th for Thanksgiving. This year we will also be closed on Friday, Nov. 29, the day after Thanksgiving. We will be open after the holiday on Saturday, Nov. 30 from 9:30 a,m, until 5 p.m.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page or the events calendar to stay informed on closing, cancellations, holiday observances and upcoming events.