This weekend the Children's Services at the Hicksville Public Library will be hosting a musical tribute to America in Stand Up and Sing America.

The fast-paced production will feature music from our nation's beginning to its songs of today. According to Myra Heyman, library clerk, the tribute will reflect feelings of pride and patriotism towards our country, as well as its cultural diversity. During the show children will listen and sing along to such songs as This is My Country, Polly Wolly Doodle, When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and People Got to be Free.

The production is one of several children's shows the library holds in its Community Room throughout the year, and in fact is part of a larger ongoing program of scheduled activities for children. The children's program includes art classes for children aged 3-9, and storytime for children under five years of age.

According to Heyman, the classes and activities are designed to promote child development, to foster an interest in reading, and to simply get children to feel comfortable spending time in the library.

The Stand Up and Sing America concert will be held in the Community Room of the Hicksville Public Library on Saturday, February 26 at 2 p.m. The show is appropriate for children kindergarten age and older and their parents. Approximately 200 people show up for these periodical productions in the 235-person maximum capacity Community Room. Subsequently, you must pick up an entry number in Children's Services a half-hour before the show begins.

Registration is required for the library's art and storytime classes, and there is a nominal materials fee for some of the craft classes. Registration for the first two days' of any class held for Hicksville residents, but after that other area residents are accepted.

For children ages 3 to 5 there is a Time For Art class that will be meet on March 27, April 3 and April 10 at 7 p.m. In this class the child, accompanied by a parent, will use different forms of colored sand to create a sand painting and a sand art creation. Registration will be held on March 20 at 7 p.m., and there is a $9 materials fee for this class.

Children ages 6 to 9 will learn to draw several cartoon designs in the Creative Art class. The class will meet on April 26, May 3 and May 10 at 7 p.m. Registration will be on April 17 at 7 p.m. There is also a $9 materials fee for this class.

Storytime combined with a related craft is the logic behind the Storycraft class. Children in grades K-2 and who are comfortable attending the program by themselves can take part in this activity. Registration will take place on March 1 at 7 p.m. and the class will be held on March 8 at 7 p.m. The class size is limited to 15 children.

The library holds storytime sessions each month. Registration for the May sessions of Preschool Storytime (ages 3-5) and Tiny Tots Storytime (ages 2-3) will be on Tuesday, April 18 at 9:15 a.m. Class sizes are limited to 25 and 15 children, respectively. Preschool storytime will be held on May 2, 9, 16, and 23 at 10:30 a.m. The Tiny Tots Storytime sessions will be held on May 4, 11, 18, and 26 at 10:30 a.m.

Children, ages 2 thru 4, will be jumping for joy as they dress in costume and play along to songs and activities with musical instruments, props and puppets. Registration for the Jump for Joy class will be on April 26 at 7 p.m. The class dates are May 8, 15, 22 and 29. The class for children ages 2-3 will be held at 6:30 p.m. and the class for children ages 3-4 will be held at 7:30 p.m. There is a $7.50 registration fee and classes are limited to 20 children.

A Spring Craft class in which children ages 6-9 will be shown how to make a whirligig from yesteryear will be held on March 21 at 7 p.m. Registration will be held on March 14 at 7 p.m. There is a $2 materials fee and the class size is limited to 15 children.

A Children's Craft class will be held on April 17 at 7 p.m. Children will have to bring an empty clean and small jar as they are taught to make a victory jar garden as they did long ago. Registration is on April 10 at 7 p.m. and the class size is limited to 15 children aged 6-9.

Children ages 6-9 will be taught how to make a folded, flower-like fan for mom or some other special person in the Mother's Day Craft class. Registration will be held on April 27 at 7 p.m. and the class will be held on May 8 at 7 p.m. The class size is limited to 15 children.