Yearly Archives: 2020


Homeschool Art Show

Attention Homeschoolers! We want to see YOUR art in the LIBRARY!

Paint in cups with brushes

This May, we are having a Homeschool Art Show in the Community Room Gallery.

Some guidelines apply:

  • Entries must be turned in by April 30
  • Art must be framed with a wire or matted for hanging
  • Open to Homeschool Children in Grades K-5
  • Art will be on display from May 1 – May 31
  • Art will be available for pick-up June 1 – June 6

Entry forms are available at the Children’s Desk, so make sure you stop by and see us.

We look forward to seeing what you have created!

And don’t forget, every month we have a different art show on display in the Community Room for your viewing pleasure. Have you own art or a collection you’d like to display? Contact Jan at 330-343-6123 for more information.

-the Children’s Department


An Invitation for Collections

Merriam-Webster defines “Collection” as “something collected – especially: an accumulation of objects gathered for study, comparison, or exhibition or as a hobby.” 

Another definition would be “the act or process of getting things from different places and bringing them together.” 

“A collection of interesting or beautiful objects brought together in order to show or study them as a hobby” would be another definition. 

A collection can be anything – stamps, rocks, seashells, hats, baseball memorabilia, Legos or antiques. 

Do you have a collection that you would like to share with the library and our patrons? We would love to display your items for a month. We have two display cases in the foyer as you walk in the front doors, plus an additional display case by the front desk.

Please contact Jan Ridenour at 330-343-6123 at the library if you are interested and would like to book a month to show off your hobby! Kids’ collections are always welcome.

We have exhibited pottery, 3-D print items, decorated eggs, glass shoes, old photos, vintage purses and gloves, historic fire department items, folk art, cork screws – just to name a few. Let yours be the next! 

lego collection in display case
LEGO Collection

-Jan, Library Assistant


Book Quotes

Can You Guess Which Books these Quotes Belong to?

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

“After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die.”

“And Max, the king of all wild things, was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all.”

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

“Daughter of Eve from the far land of Spare Oom where eternal summer reigns around the bright city of War Drobe, how would it be if you came and had tea with me?”

“You is kind. You is smart. You is important.”

“I hope she’ll be a fool — that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”

Have your guesses? Scroll down for the answers!


Answers

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice: A Book-to-Table Classic (Puffin Plated)

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

“After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die.” Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

Where the Wild Things Are

“And Max, the king of all wild things, was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all.” Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” Animal Farm by George Orwell

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 1) by C. S. Lewis (2002-03-05)

“Daughter of Eve from the far land of Spare Oom where eternal summer reigns around the bright city of War Drobe, how would it be if you came and had tea with me?” The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

“You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Great Gatsby

“I hope she’ll be a fool — that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

-Mallory Thompson, Librarian


It’s No Mystery!

When I was a young girl, my favorite books were mysteries. I read Carolyn Keene’s Nancy Drew books. I loved searching for the clues and trying to decide “who dunnit.” It was fun to read the Encyclopedia Brown series and solve the puzzles.

So it’s no mystery that I continue to read mystery and suspense novels, although the characters and plots are a little more challenging.

Some of my favorite authors now are James Patterson, Louise Penny, David Baldacci, and Mary Higgins Clark, to name only a few.

I encourage you to pick up one of these and try it! You might just fall in love! After all, it is Valentine’s Day!

-Roxanne, Library Assistant


Happy Ukulele 2

In the two years that I’ve been playing the ukulele, there is one thing that I know for certain: the ukulele is just a happy instrument.

Before I even purchased my ukulele, I had read reviews that stated this same thing. When you pick up a ukulele, you just can’t help but get a little happier. And when you play, it’s nearly impossible not to smile.

I was very skeptical. Then I got my ukulele.

From the first time tuning it to playing Christmas songs at the recent Very Merry Ukulele programs at the Library, I have found more joy from playing the ukulele than I could have imagined. Simply strumming, I immediately relax. And when I’m playing a song, I forget that I can’t sing and just sing all the louder for it.

My favorite songs to play include “Stand by Me,” by Ben E. King “Let it Be,” by the Beatles and “I’m Yours,” by Jason Mraz. I also just really love messing around and usually end up playing random chords in the Island Strum (down, down, up, up, down, up).

Liz playing ukulele

Looking to get started with Ukulele? Check out these resources:

-Liz Strauss, Teen/Outreach Services Manager


10 Book Series for Fans of Harry Potter

Artemis Fowl

Artemis Fowl

By Eoin Colfer

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genuis, and, above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn’t know what he’s taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren’t the fairies of bedtime stories; they’re dangerous! Full of unexpected twists and turns, Artemis Fowl is a riveting, magical adventure.

Keeper of the Lost Cities (1)

Keeper of the Lost Cities

By Shannon Messenger

Twelve-year-old Sophie has never quite fit into her life. She’s skipped multiple grades and doesn’t really connect with the older kids at school, but she’s not comfortable with her family, either. The reason? Sophie’s a Telepath, someone who can read minds. No one knows her secret—at least, that’s what she thinks, until she meets the mysterious (and adorable) Fitz, who reveals a shocking truth. Forced to leave behind her family for a new life in a place vastly different from what she has ever known, Sophie still has secrets. Finding the truth could mean life or death – and time is running out.

The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1)

The Magisterium

By Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial. Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail. All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him. So he tries his best to do his worst — and fails at failing. Now the Magisterium awaits him. It’s a place that’s both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future.

The Last Apprentice (Revenge of the Witch)

The Last Apprentice

By Joseph Delaney

For years, Old Gregory has been the Spook for the county, ridding the local villages of evil. Now his time is coming to an end. But who will take over for him? Twenty-nine apprentices have tried—some floundered, some fled, some failed to stay alive. Only Thomas Ward is left. He’s the last hope, the last apprentice.

Cinder

The Lunar Chronicles

By Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

The Serpent's Shadow (The Elemental Masters Book 1)

Elemental Masters 

by Mercedes Lackey

the series largely focuses on Elemental Masters, people who have magical control over air, water, fire, or earth. Each elemental master has power over elementals, as well. Each book in the series is loosely based on a fairy tale.

Carry On (Simon Snow Series)

Simon Snow

By Rainbow Rowell

Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who’s ever been chosen. That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right. Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here–it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

The Legend of Greg (An Epic Series of Failures)

The Legend of Greg an epic series of failures

By Chris Rylander

Risk-averse Greg Belmont is content with being ordinary. He’s got a friend–that’s right, just one–at his fancy prep school, and a pretty cool dad (even if he is obsessed with organic soaps that smell like a mix of salted pork and Icelandic bog). The problem is, Greg isn’t ordinary . . . he’s actually an honest-to-goodness, fantastical Dwarf! With the help of new friends, Greg learns the history of the Dwarves, marked with epic failures since the beginning of time. The return of the magic they once wielded means big changes are afoot, escalating tensions with the Dwarves’ sworn enemy: the Elves.

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Book 1)

The Grisha Trilogy

By Leigh Bardugo

Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold—a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed. Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country’s magical military elite. As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.

Mister Monday: The Keys to the Kingdom, Book 1

The Keys to the Kingdom

By Garth Nix

Arthur Penhaligon is not supposed to be a hero. He is, in fact, supposed to die an early death. But then his life is saved by a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock. Arthur is safe, but his world is not. Along with the key comes a plague brought by bizarre creatures from another realm. A stranger named Mister Monday, his avenging messengers with bloodstained wings, and an army of dog-faced Fetchers will stop at nothing to get the key back, even if it means destroying Arthur and everything around him.

-Mallory Thompson, Librarian


My Favorite Book

When people ask me what my favorite book is, I draw a blank. I cannot think of a single title, author or even genre! But when I take a minute to reflect, I can think of hundreds of titles, authors, and genres that have stayed with me over the years and newer ones that have more recently touched my heart.

What defines a “favorite” book? Is it by a beloved author? Is it one that a friend or loved one recommended long ago? Is it a story that I could really relate to at the time I was reading it? Does the main character remind me of someone? There are just too many aspects of what makes a “good” book to even make it possible for me to pick a favorite! So I have learned to adapt; what are one or three books that make me smile when I think about them?

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

One classic title that has long been a “favorite” of mine is definitely Anne of Green Gables and its sequels by L.M. Montgomery. I relate to Anne in so many ways; we both have overactive imaginations, we both would rather be daydreaming, and we both love the people in our lives with a fierce passion. Anne and I both have tempers, we both tend to act before we think, and we both find that people are naturally drawn to us. 

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

One new “favorite” that I stumbled upon this past year was Ohio author Margaret Rogerson’s An Enchantment of Ravens. I’ve long been a fan of Holly Black’s modern faerie tales, but this story, while similar, also took the reader back in time, which was appealing to me as a fan of historical fiction. The story was, in a word, cool. As in, “Wow, that’s so cool!” I can’t give too many details without spoiling too much of the story, but I can say that it was an unexpected pleasure to read. I chose it on a whim after reading the author’s other book, Sorcery of Thorns, which I also really enjoyed. Enchantment was so different yet so similar to anything else I have read. I truly was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. I am so glad it struck me though, because I know I will be reading it again!

-Julie, Library Assistant