It's 'happily ever after' at our Tangled party

We had a lot of Rapunzels at our Tangled party, but only Sadie brought her own frying pan.

Kids made their own lanterns, sang along to their favorite Tangled songs and tried to pin the nose onto Flynn's wanted poster—“They just can’t get my nose right”—during our Tangled party on Thursday.

The young princesses even got special Rapunzel-inspired nail art if they wanted.

Claire decorates her lantern during our Tangled party.

It was quite the princess party, and the fun's not over.

Check out our event calendar for more programs and story times at Mentor Library.

You can also visit our Facebook page for a lot more photos from our Tangled party!

Alexis shows off her Rapunzel-inspired nail art.

Get wrapped up in Mentor Library's 'Tangled' party

Do your kids love Tangled? Do they know every word to "I've Got a Dream" and "I See the Light?" Do they ask you to buy them a chameleon so they can name it Pascal?

If so, they're going to love our Tangled party on Thursday, Nov. 19, at our Main Branch. If not, they're probably still going to love our party.

We're going to have games, crafts and a singalong, all celebrating the Disney story. Kids can make their own lanterns like Rapunzel and Flynn, as well as their own crowns. They can try to pin Flynn's nose on his wanted poster. ("They just can't get my nose right.")

And, of course, there will be music.

The program is free and open to kids from the ages of four to nine. However, we do ask that you register for the program beforehand. Also, we only have so much space; so the sooner your kid signs up, the less likely they are to be left out of the fun.

You can register on Mentor Library's website or by calling us at 440-255-8811 ext. 221.

See you at the party!

Open the Disney vault with Hoopla

Hoopla just added a big chunk of everybody's childhood to its collection.

If you don't remember Hoopla, it's that cool digital service we offer that lets you read eBooks and comics, stream music and audiobooks, and watch TV shows and movie anywhere and at any time for free.

You can now stream a lot of Disney movies, music and more using Hoopla. (And it's still free with your Mentor Library card.) Check out some of the Disney classics, rarities and oddballs that Hoopla added to its library.

Movies

Let's get this out of the way. No, Frozen is not on Hoopla—not the film, at least, not yet.

No, right now Hoopla's great for finding that bit of forgotten freshness from your childhood.

Did you love Oliver & Company? The Sword in the Stone? Black Cauldron? Hoopla has them all.

Hoopla's Disney collection is especially kind to those who came of age in the 1990s. Did you sing along with Tevin Campbell while watching A Goofy Movie? Did you enjoy the Ducktales, Recess and Doug movies? You can watch them all right now for free.

Hoopla also has cult favorite Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken. Depending on whom you are, that either doesn't matter to you or is the single most important thing you'll learn all day. (She's blind and rides a horse off a high dive!)

Hoopla also has some cool Disney documentaries, including the environmentally minded Sacred Planet and Trail of the Panda.

Animation buffs will love Frank & Ollie—a documentary about Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, two of Disney's most famous artists—and The Hand Behind the Mouse, the story of Mickey Mouse's other creator, Ub Iwerks.

Music

Pretty much all of the classic Disney soundtracks are available to stream on Hoopla: Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Sleeping Beauty, Jungle Book, and, yes, Frozen.

There are also more Princess compilations than you can shake a scepter at. The best of the batch is probably The Ultimate Song Collection.

It also has the soundtracks for Disney channel hits like High School Musical, Hannah Montana and the recently premiered Descendants.

You can also find Disney techno, country and jazz compilations. The jazz album, in particular, is splendid. (It's worth streaming just to listen to Esperanza Spaulding hum "Chim Chim Cher-ee.")

A lot of great singers and musicians have taken a shot at the Disney canon: Louis Armstrong, Brian Wilson, Los Lobos and more. You can listen to their takes for free.

Here's a pro tip. You're best bargain of the bunch is Disney Classics. (Remember, you can check out 10 items from Hoopla each month, so you want to get the most out of each checkout.) In one album, Disney Classics gives you nearly 100 songs that you've probably known by heart since you were 12. Borrow it before your next vacation, and it will become the soundtrack for your every road trip.

More

Hoopla also has a useful collection of Disney audiobooks based upon the novelizations of their films: Toy Story, Brave, Big Hero 6, Tangled, Frozen and more. They're great for car rides with the kids.

You can even stream episodes from all five seasons of Bill Nye the Science Guy.

That's a lot to watch, listen and love. Start wherever you like. Me, I'm rewatching Goofy Movie.

Party like a Princess at Mentor Library

Lila coordinates her cupcake with her crown during the princess party at Mentor Library.

Every year, Mentor Library hosts a tea party in May. Two years ago, our theme was Pinkalicious. Last year, we had a practically perfect Poppins party.

This year we tried to top ourselves with a princess party!

Grace, Abby and Meghan pause to pose while making their magical mirrors.

We served the kids tea, finger sandwiches, and cupcakes while they made hennins (those conical princess hats) and mirrors (so they can ask who’s the fairest.)

We also played Princess Bingo and Pin the Kiss on the Frog.

Natalie tries to plant a lip print on the frog while blindfolded.

And this is a library; so, of course, there was a story time. Ms. Mary and Ms. Kim from our Children's Department performed Leah Wilcox's Falling for Rapunzel.

Ms. Mary narrated and Ms. Kim performed as Rapunzel.

Even if you missed the party, there's still plenty of fun to come. Check out the online calendar for more programs and events at all three of Mentor Library's branches.

And visit our Facebook page for more photos from our Princess Party.

Emmie and Ellie share cupcake-stained smiles during our tea party.

Party like a princess at Mentor Library's Princess Tea Party

Join the fun at Mentor Library's Princess Tea on Saturday, May 2.

Every year on the Saturday before Mother's Day, we throw a tea party for kids at our Main Branch. And each year we try to make it bigger and better than the year before.

But how do you top a tea party that was practically perfect in every way?

Party like a princess. That's how.

We're hosting a Princess Tea Party at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, at our Main Branch.

Kids will make hennins (those conical princess hats) and mirrors (so they can ask who's the fairest,) as well as play princess bingo. They'll even see a puppet show!

The party is for children ages five and older. Each family should have one adult accompany their child to the party (but not more than one adult. We want to leave as much room for kids as possible.) And each person should bring their own teacup.

It’s always a lot of fun; but the room tends to fill up quickly, so you’ll need to register soon to make sure there’s space for you and your child.

See you at the party!

Party with the 'Princess & the Frog'

We were just getting warmed up after our Frozen program.

This time, we decided to host a program for Disney's most ambitious princess, Chef Tiana.

For our Princess & the Frog program, kids made their own crowns (and frogs.) They also played games and had a sing-along.

The sing-along quickly turned into a dance party.

Then the children went to Tiana's restaurant to make their own 3-course snack: a fruit frog, pizza and chocolate pie. The kids turned out to be quite the gourmands.

There's no such thing as too many sprinkles.

For more photos from our Princess & the Frog program, visit Mentor Library's Facebook page. For more programs for kids (and adults too,) check out our online event calendar.

Mardi Gras! New Orleans in Music, Movies, Books & More

It's Fat Tuesday and that means Mardi Gras!

And New Orleans may not be the only city that throws a party before Ash Wednesday, but we would be remiss if we missed this chance to highlight all the music, movies, books, plays, documentaries and even cuisine that wouldn't exist without The Big Easy.

So we present 10 items from our collection that either are either from New Orleans artists or use the city as a setting.

1. Treme

Though it was created by David Simon, Treme is so much more than The Wire set in New Orleans. However, the two shows have this in common: Their settings are also their lead characters. For four seasons, Simon and his crew depicted the people of New Orleans—Mardi Gras Indians, musicians, chefs, human rights lawyers and more—trying to rebuild their city after Hurricane Katrina.

With its focus on music, cuisine and local culture, Treme is the best show about New Orleans—give or take Frank's Place.

2. Louis Armstrong

You cannot, cannot talk about the city of New Orleans without talking about the music. This is where jazz was born! And, yes, Louis Armstrong gets his name in the header, because he's the greatest. But we could just as easily spend hours talking about (and listening to) Dr. John, Trombone Shorty, Fats Domino or Jelly Roll Morton.

You can download more songs from New Orleans' finest on Freegal or stream their albums on Hoopla, both of which are free to use with a Mentor Public Library card.

3. When the Levees Broke

Spike Lee is at his best when he has something to say, and one of the most important topics he has ever tackled is New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. This documentary examines the tragedy through the eyes of the storm's survivors.

For another auteur's take on Katrina, read Dave Eggers' Zeitoun.

4. My New Orleans: 200 of my favorite recipes and stories from my hometown by John Besh

Crawfish and rice! Chanterelles! Gumbo! What to cook for Mardi Gras or Reveillon—the best of the city's cuisine from a chef who grew up with it.

Also, for our younger chefs, may we recommend Tiana's Cookbook: Recipes for Kids.

5. Princess & the Frog

Speaking of Princess Tiana... Disney steeps this classic fairy tale in a southern sensibility. Don't just borrow the movie; get the soundtrack too for when your kids inevitably have the songs stuck in their heads.

6. Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

It's difficult to describe Toole's singular novel in a single word or phrase. Picaresque? A comedy of errors? Let's just call it a classic. Confederacy follows Ignatius J. Reilly—an overstuffed cocktail of intellect, buffoonery and free-floating hostility—as he pinballs against the colorful characters of New Orleans.

A manipulative hot dog vendor? A costumed detective? An ambivalent pants magnate? The French Quarter's dandiest dandy? All fodder for Reilly's jaundiced rants.

7. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

New Orleans' heat, headiness and Gothic architecture provide the perfect backdrop for Rice's horror story.

8. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

Whether we're talking about the play or any of the movie versions, Streetcar just wouldn't be the same if you moved it to New York, San Diego or anywhere beside New Orleans.

9. Gumbo Tales: Finding my Place at the New Orleans Table by Sara Roahen

Roahen was a stranger in a strange land when she moved from Wisconsin to New Orleans, and she figured the best way to learn her new hometown was by taste. Follow Roahen through po-boys and pho, Sazerac and braciolone. Then plan your own culinary excursion to The Big Easy.

10. Gambit

After the Channing Tatum movie comes out, he's going to be everyone's favorite X-Man. So get ahead of the curve and read all about the kinetic mutant from Nolia.

The joy of singing 'Let It Go' at the top of your lungs

Do you want to paint a snowman? Princess Marian does.

Those who don't don't hear "Let It Go" everyday may not realize it; but, yes, Frozen is still definitely a thing.

Tiny Annas, Elsas and even a few Svens filled our Garfield Room yesterday afternoon to play games and make crafts inspired by the Disney movie. And, of course, there was a singalong.

Bella flings a snowball during one of our Frozen games.

Kids painted Olaf, built their own Frozen forest, decorated cookies and tested their aim with a snowball challenge.

And then they sang!

(We apologize for the video's bad lighting and shaky camera, but how could we not share that? May we one day all love something as much as Aven and Bryn love Frozen.)

For more photos from our Frozen program, visit Mentor Library's Facebook page.

Payton decorates her snowman cookie with gusto (and sprinkles.)

Fan Favorite Friday: Disney Princesses

If you have a daughter between the ages of three and 14, no introduction to the Disney princesses is necessary.

In fact if you've ever met or been a kid, you likely have a passing familiarity with Disney's roster of royalty.

The Disney princesses have an approval rating that no real-life royal family could ever match, making them the perfect subject for this Fan Favorite Friday. (And, remember, you can borrow any and all of these movies, books and CDs from Mentor Public Library.)

Now, the first thing one must know about the Disney princesses is that there are levels to immersion. One begins, of course, with the movies: Snow White, Cinderella, Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, Brave, The Princess & the Frog, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Pocahontas, Mulan and Tangled.

(Disclaimer: With all due respect to Sofia the First, The Ice Princess, Tinkerbell and personal favorite Princess Vanellope Von Schweets, only the royalty pictured above are official Disney-sanctioned princesses. Expect to see the ladies from Frozen join them soon.)

However, if your kid loves Aurora or Mulan or Merida or any of this royal coterie, you've probably already memorized the movies and maybe even the sequels.

That's why we have the Princess Story DVDs that you can borrow. (Perfect for themed birthday or Halloween parties.) And the Disney Princess volumes. And the Sing-A-Long Song videos.

The princesses also feature in a panoply of books—everything from 5-minute stories for bed time to the Princess Encyclopedia for the exhaustive. Princess Tiana even has a cookbook for kids.

If your child prefers something more interactive, there are also Disney princess games: pre-reading games for the young'ns and The Enchanted Journey for kids who are a bit older.

And if your child has already watched the movies, read the books and played the games, there's always the music. (That is, if you or your child need a break from the Frozen soundtrack.)

There are Disney Christmas albums, tea party albums, fairy tale songs, Spanish recordings and, por cierto, original soundtracks. If you need somewhere to start, may I recommend the Disney Princess Ultimate Song Collection?

So the next time your kid is in a Disney mood, we have dozens of ways to indulge them. Let them put on their tiara, have a tea party, sing "Part of your World" and watch a classic.

After all, we all deserve to feel royal sometimes.

Come back each week for a new Fan Favorite Friday.

A practically perfect tea party with Mary Poppins

Last year’s tea party may have been Pinkalicious, but this one was practically perfect in every way.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Mary Poppins, Mentor Public Library hosted a special tea party Saturday at its main branch. Children made chalk drawings, haberdashed their own Mary Poppins hats, danced to “Step in Time,” ate crumpets and drank raspberry lemonade with the moms and grandmas.

The only way it could have been more fun is if we held it on the ceiling.

We dangled umbrellas and kites from the ceiling as decorations.

Eva makes a chalk drawing. The kids took their drawings home so they could jump into them later.

Kids could make their own Mary Poppins hat, but Keeley already had a pretty stunning hat of her own.

We served cucumber sandwiches, sweets and raspberry lemonade.

Gigi and Jenna show off their new hats.

To everyone who was there, we hope you had as much fun as we did.

For more programs for kids and adults at Mentor Library, check out our event calendar.

Remember, summer reading starts soon...