Blogs

National Dance Day - Saturday, July 31

I must admit it - I'm addicted to the Fox television show, "So You Think You Can Dance."  Every week I sit in my comfortable stuffed chair and snack on junk food while beautiful, athletic, and talented young dancers perform.  I've never been interested in dance before, so I think producer/judge Nigel Lythgoe must be doing a good job.  Recently, he announced National Dance Day, a time for everyone to "get up and move."  Always thinking, if not moving, the lightbulb went off!  Our library has dance movies and books.  I can celebrate Dance Day by doing my favorite thing - reading or watching a movie.  It's not what Nigel had in mind, but it works for me!  You might also enjoy the following DVD's or books:

Saturday Night Fever
Hairspray
Michael Jackson's This Is It
Dirty Dancing
Mad Hot Ballroom

"Wimpy" News

If you're a Diary of a Wimpy Kid fan, you probably know the DVD will be released on August 3.  To place a hold on one of the library's copies, click here.  Just a reminder, our DVDs cost $1.50 for a one-week rental. The sequel, based on the second book, Rodrick Rules, is scheduled to be released March 25, 2011.

                                                               
Diary of a Wimpky Kid 5 is scheduled to hit the streets Novemeber 9 with a 5 million book first-print run.  It's the largest print run for the series to date!  The cover and title, The Ugly Truth, was just revealed on July 29. Be one of the first kids to read it by placing a hold here.          
 

Lezlee's Blog

Every summer the demand for audio books seems to rise with the heat.  For every car ride and every child in that car, patrons need a good book to listen to.  I am always happy to recommend my favorite titles and glad to see  that the interest is so great, but I wonder why it seems to taper off when summer comes to an end.  As an avid audio book listener myself, I am rarely without a book that I am "reading".  I love books on CD.  Even if you just go from here to there around town, and even after the vacations are over, remember the benefits and pleasures of hearing a good book.  You are never too old to enjoy being read to.  Next time you come to the library, let me know what YOU have been listening to.  Miss Lezlee.

How Thrilling! The Winner is ...

The International Thriller Writers recently announced the 2010 Thriller Award winners.  The Neighbor, by Lisa Gardner, took first for the best hard-cover novel.  Called "gripping," with "a compelling narrative" "full of inventive twists," Gardner's 11th thriller featuring Sgt. Det. D. D. Warren has the immediacy of today's news headlines combined with the puzzle of the perennial "whodunnit."

 

 
 
 
 
Ken Follett received the ThrillerMaster Award, in recognition of his legendary career and outstanding contributions to the thriller genre.
 

Catch the Wave: Science of Sound & Music

Science

View more pictures of this event on Flickr

Also, be sure to explore what's going on at your library by clicking here!

BOOKS FOR BOYS

BOOKS FOR BOYS

                  

Every summer it seems we get many requests from parents asking us to help their school-age sons find something to read.  Many times these boys are reluctant readers. Connecting a child with a book he is eager to read is one of our greatest pleasures!

Did you know there are also great websites that have book suggestions for boys, tips for getting boys to read, and more?

Guys Read, a web-based literacy program for boys is a great place to start.  It was begun by author (and Flint, MI native) Jon Scieszka, named in 2008 as the first National Ambassador for Young People's Literature.

Boy Meets Book is also an excellent website for finding books boys will like and tips for parents of boys. This website was created by Michael Sullivan - teacher, librarian, chess instructor, author, storyteller, and expert on boys and reading.

One of my favorite websites for reading about children's books is KidsReads.com. Besides the Great Books for Boys list, other features include lists of new books, series books, and books into movies as well as trivia, author interviews, contests and more.

For other reading lists for boys, try BoysRead.org and Parents Choice Book List for Boys

Catch the Wave: Science of Sound & Music with Marcey Walsh

FRIDAY JULY 9
11 am - 11:45 am

What do water balloons, whoopee cushions and slinkies have to do with science?  Marcey Walsh will show you! Lots of interaction and fun with an average of 20 volunteers during the program.  For ages 4 and up. Free!

Boost Your Summertime Fun - Visit our July Displays

Come to the library and sharpen the joys of summer!

In July, our display spotlight is on "Beach Reads" -- books that are enthralling, mesmerizing, funny, moving, thrilling, cryptic, charming, riveting, jocular  ... well, you get the picture!

And, your "Road Trip" this summer gets the spotlight in another display.  You'll find more than you'll ever need to get the most fun out of your next jaunty excursion!

W. S. Merwin Named New Poet Laureate

W.S. Merwin has been named the 17th U.S. Poet Laureate for 2010-2011.
 
"William Merwin’s poems are often profound and, at the same time, accessible to a vast audience," said James Billington, Librarian of Congress. "He leads us upstream from the flow of everyday things in life to half-hidden headwaters of wisdom about life itself. In his poem ‘Heartland,’ Merwin seems to suggest that a land of the heart within us might help map the heartland beyond—and that this ‘map’ might be rediscovered in something like a library, where ‘it survived beyond/ what could be known at the time/ in its archaic/ untaught language/ that brings the bees to the rosemary.’"

For information about Merwin and his poetry, visit The Poetry Foundation and the Library of Congress Poetry Page.
 

Cool Like That: Director and Skateboarding Pioneer Stacy Peralta

Some people just seem inherently cool.  Stacy Peralta is one of  those people.  He was an original surfing/skateboarding Z-Boy in the ‘70s and helped paved the way for skateboarding superstar Tony Hawk. 

Today Peralta is busy making noteworthy documentaries.  His current film, Crips and Bloods: Made in America, presents interviews with current and former Los Angeles gang members and draws a connection between modern problems and social injustices of the past.

And, if you have even the slightest interest in surfing you should definitely check out the visually awesome Riding Giants about big wave surfing and Dogtown and Z-Boys which documents the rise of skateboarding and its impact on youth culture.  Peralta also wrote the screenplay for the popular Heath Ledger film Lords of Dogtown.  

Get a Head Start on International Book Club for Next Year!

The International Book Club is on hiatus for the summer, but you can get a head start on what we'll be reading this fall.  On Thursday October 21 at 7:00 pm, we are excited to welcome local author  Twesigye Jackson Kaguri as he talks about his new book The Price of Stones.  This story of Kaguri's experiences building a school in his home village in Uganda has been compared to Three Cups of Tea.  We have copies of the title on audiotape and in book form. There will also be a copy available later this summer as a downloadable e-book.  The author has been interviewed in local and national media, including Time.  You can also see a video about the book here. 

In November, date to be announced, we will be discussing the book
Beyond the Sky and the Earth : A Journey into Bhutan by Jamie Zeppa. Come learn about this beautiful country and its people through the author's eyes.  We are working on getting some special guests to help us discuss and understand the book.

Travel around the world this summer with a good book!

Summer Tutoring - Off to a Great Start!

Exciting things are happening this summer at the library!  First of all, summer reading has begun.  Lots of children are turning in their charts and getting prizes and smiling faces are all around!!

One of the best programs we offer every year is Summer Tutoring.  Young adults, mainly from East Lansing High School, volunteer their time each week to help kids in grades K-6.  It is wonderful to see teenagers giving of their time in this way.  So far we have had between 10-15 students and 12-15 tutors.  We have lots of educational games and plenty of books to choose from to help with reading and math.  The program runs through August 10 and meets every Tuesday morning from 10:30-12.  If you have any questions feel free to contact Phyllis Thode at 351-2420.

Lightning Thief Party planning!

 
Attention all teens! If you are a  Lightning Thief fan, join us  THIS THURSDAY, June 24 at 3:00.  We will be having our meeting to plan for the Lightning Thief party.  Please come and bring your ideas. I think at the last Teen Advisory Board meeting we decided that we would re-create the meeting room as Camp Half-Blood.  So if you (or someone you know) is good at making big letters for a banner, we will make that on Thursday to hang that over the meeting room door. 
 
Then we will need to decide what we're going to do at the party.  As kids enter the meeting room, we could have a table or area represent a cabin. What else?
 
Bring all your best ideas and be ready to plan this - it will be big and FUN!
 
The party itself will take place on Thursday July 15 at 2:00.
 
See you this Thursday - we need you!

 

Review: The Passage by Justin Cronin

There are three important things you need to know about Justin Cronin's new epic novel, The Passage.

First: You'll want to cancel any appointments, meetings, and commitments you had planned for this week.  Trust me, they are no longer important.  Once you start reading this book you won't be able to put it down.  Cronin does a masterful job of quickly building tension and then maintaining it over the entire span of the novel.  Reading The Passage feels like reading Stephen King at the height of his game (fellow lovers of The Stand, this book is for you!), which is probably why King wrote a rave review for the dust jacket.  Just like with King’s novels I was afraid to keep reading, lest one of my favorite characters get killed or infected with the terrifying virus that plagues Cronin’s tale.  But the story was so compelling that I was afraid to stop reading!  I had to know what happened next so I kept reading, and reading, long into the night.  Which brings us to the important question of sleep.  Sleep no longer matters. 

Tunes n Tales by Tricia

"Beach Bummin' Around"

Wednesday June 23          2-2:45 pm

Marvin the Zany purple monster puppet is back again with his Hawaiian shirt and flirtatious way to share the book he has written all by himself about bummin' around on the beach. Lots of laughter and fun songs for all participants!!

Tricia combines her talents as a storyteller, musician, and teacher, to make children's entertainment interactive and fun!

To find out more about Tricia, click here.

 
 
 

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