Summer Reading: Cool Reads for Hot Days

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Jennifer Zachman in Library Blog

Of all the joys that summer brings including ball games, gardening, and swimming, one of my favorites is quietly relaxing and slowing down with a good book, preferably in the shade of a tree. Like me though, you’ve likely heard the saying, “So many books, so little time” and you wonder not only when you’ll find that elusive quiet time to read, but you also find yourself asking the age old question, “What should I read?” Though I’m sorry I can’t help you find the quiet time, I and a host of fellow library folks love to read, and we can help you find some enjoyable summer reads to bury yourself in during those precious quiet moments you find squeezed in between your kids’ ball games, the pool, and pulling weeds from your vegetable garden. Still think you’re strapped for time? Consider listening to one or more of these titles and many more on an audiobook or a downloadable version for your portable device. They’re all available at your library. Really, you can read all summer long!

Here are a few reading suggestions by our staff to get you started:

For Adults

15 Seconds by Andrew Gross. An adrenaline ride as Henry goes from “respected doctor to desperate fugitive in less than an hour.” (Kathy)

Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride by Sandra Bricker. Sherilyn has landed the ideal job as a wedding planner, but why does everything go wrong when she plans her own wedding? Is she allergic to the groom? (Crystal)

At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon. First in a series about an Episcopal priest, his parish, and the small fictional town of Mitford, North Carolina. Quirky, loveable characters reminiscent of television’s Mayberry. (Amanda B.)

Caught by Harlan Coben. A missing teenager, a sexual predator, and an ambush journalist – all combine for a chilling adventure of twists and turns. (Kathy)

The Edge of Recall by Kristen Heitzmann. In this high-stakes, action-packed thriller, landscape architect Tessa Young has suffered from nightmares since she was a child, but designing and building complicated labyrinths has a healing effect on her. (Jennifer Z.)

Night Passage by Robert B. Parker. Jesse Stone comes to a charming town to be the next police chief, but soon discovers that bedlam lurks under the town’s sweet façade. (Kathy)

Rosemary and Rue: An October Daye Novel by Seanan McGuire. Gritty fantasy and mystery set in San Francisco with a strong, independent, main character who doesn’t take no for an answer. (Jennifer B.)

Round Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks. Who knew traveling around Ireland with a fridge as a companion could be so hysterically funny? Be careful what bets you make when you’re less than sober. (Kathy)

Sisterchicks Do the Hula: A Sisterchicks Novel by Robin Jones Gunn. The islands beckon, and best friends Hope and Laurie make the dream of a Hawaiian getaway a reality, complete with pineapples, sunshine, and a stowaway. (Jennifer Z.)

Snobs by Jullian Fellowes. For Downton Abbey fans! Can a ‘commoner’ manage to land the title Lord? Has society progressed beyond the old snobberies? An intelligent look at the type of marriage that can facilitate social climbing while still asking if that’s a desired goal in this day and age. (Holly F.)

Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym. Visit a small English village where two spinster sisters express their devotion to their clergymen by knitting them socks and helping with the missionary slide shows. (Giny)

For Teens

Chime by Fanny Billingsley. Quirky with interesting language and characters set in early twentieth century Swampsea where strange creatures lurk. (Diane)

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. This sci-fi classic about a group of genius children conscripted by the military to fight real life ‘video games’ has been an enduring favorite for decades. (Holly F.)

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Jacob explores an abandoned orphanage and discovers disturbing facts about the children who once lived there. (Jennifer Z.)

Divergent by Veronica Roth. Sixteen-year-old Beatrice must make a decision that will define her identity for the rest of her life. (Jennifer Z.)

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Classic story of three brothers and their quest for identity. (Corbie)

Take Me to the River by Will Hobbs. Ride the rapids of the Rio Grande and outsmart an evil kidnapper in this adventurous survival story. (Diane)

For School-aged Kids

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. A dog that needs a home, a young girl who needs a friend, all in a small town in Florida; what more do you need? (Amanda B.)

Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood. Enter the Bliss bakery and find enchanted confections passed down for generations to a long line of kitchen magicians. (Jennifer Z.)

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen. A loopy Floridian eco-adventure meets the world of reality television. Careful you don’t get chomped! (Jennifer Z.)

Knucklehead by Jon Scieszka. Growing up in a family of all boys made for some rather exciting days in the childhood home of favorite children’s author Jon Scieszka. (Jennifer Z.)

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer. Alex and Conner accidentally fall into their grandmother’s cherished book and leave their own world behind to meet up with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about. (Jennifer Z.)

Little House books by Laura I. Wilder. Classic tales of Laura and her family as they head west as pioneers into the great frontier. (Dotty)

Scepter of the Ancients (Skullduggery Pleasant series) by Derek Landy. Meet a walking, talking skeleton who aims to save the world along with his 12-year-old sidekick. Harry Potter style, flare, and highly entertaining. (Corbie)

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt. A lonely dog and a mama cat and her kittens are safe, if only they can stay underneath. Magical and suspenseful. (Kristen)

For Pre-school Kids

The Animal Boogie ill. by Debbie Harter. The jungle animals are wiggling, flapping, and grooving to the beat of the Animal Boogie. Kids can dance along with the accompanying CD. (Jennifer Z.)

Don’t Squash the Sasquatch by Kent Redeker. A really fun book that combines animals to make new names. Sasquatch himself is fun and appealing. (Vicky)

The Frogs and Toads All Sang by Arnold Lobel. A charming and imaginative collection featuring recognizable animal characters. (Amanda B.)

How to Clean Your Room in 10 Easy Steps by Jennifer Larue Huget. A hilarious look at cleaning your room. Step 1 – Make sure your mother hollers, “GET UP THERE AND CLEAN YOUR ROOM—NOW!” using all three of your names. Great for kids and parents alike! (Kristen)

It’s a Book! by Lane Smith. Think picture books are going the way of the dinosaurs? Check this book out for kids, but also for all those wired and non-wired adults! (Kristen)

Not Your Typical Dragon by Dan Bar-el. On his seventh birthday, Crispin Blaze tries to breathe fire. Read this funny book to see what he does breathe out in all kinds of situations. (Vicky)

Now I’m Big by Karen Katz. A little girl can do an amazing number of things by herself that she needed help with as a baby. (Jennifer Z.)

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox. Rhyming text compares babies born in different places and in different circumstances, but they all share the commonality of ten little fingers and ten little toes. (Vicky)

Bark, George by Jules Feiffer. What’s going on with George? When his mother says to bark, he quacks like a duck and moos like a cow. (Vicky)

Enjoy these titles, and be sure to visit the library this summer for more great ideas, and sign up for the Summer Reading Program beginning June 1 too! In the meantime, what are some of your favorite books?

By Jennifer Zachman

Jennifer Zachman is a lifelong reader and a librarian with Poudre River Public Library District. She enjoys sharing stories with others and loves baseball, camping, scrapbooking, and watching her daughter dance.

5 Ways to Avoid the “Summer Slide” and Keep Kids Reading

Posted on May 27, 2013 by Molly McCowan in Library Blog

School’s almost out for summer, and teachers and parents everywhere are already talking about how to prevent children from experiencing the dreaded “summer slide.” Here are some fun ways to keep your child’s reading levels up during the summer months.

1. Join a summer reading program

A summer reading program is a fantastic way to keep kids excited about reading over the summer. Poudre River Libraries’ 2013 program, “Dig Into Reading,” starts on June 1 and ends on August 4, and is open to all ages – even babies. Everyone is challenged to read for 10 hours, and after those hours are logged and you keep reading, Poudre River Libraries will donate $1 to Wildlands Restoration Volunteers for each additional hour read. Participants who log 10 reading hours will also be entered into weekly drawings for prizes, and there are fun events for each age group happening throughout the summer. In 2012, Poudre River Libraries’ Summer Reading Program had over 11,000 participants, and the odds are looking good for another great summer of reading! For schedules and more information, visit www.poudrelibraries.org.

2. Start a kids’ book club

Starting your own kids’ book club can be a perfect opportunity to make reading fun: kids can invite their friends, meet once a month, and talk about the book they just read. Poudre River Libraries makes it easy to start a book club, with pre-made kits for many popular children’s and young adult books. The kits include 10 books in a container with questions, book reviews, author information, and a sign-out sheet. Click here to see which books are available as book club kits.

3. Read a book as a family, and then see the movie

A great way to get kids interested in reading is for them to read a book (or comic) that has been adapted into a movie. The whole family can read the book—such as Harry Potter, Where the Wild Things Are, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, etc.—and then rent the movie and have a family movie night to celebrate.

4. Make a fun reading chart and post it on the wall

Setting a goal early on, and keeping track of the progress toward that goal, can be a wonderful motivation tool to keep kids reading. First, come up with a list of books that your child would like to read. (Poudre River Libraries has a helpful tool for this that suggests books based on what books your child already likes. Click here to check it out.) When you have your list, draw and decorate a fun chart together. Then put up on the wall and list the books on it. There can be small prizes for completing each book, or a big prize at the end of the list—you decide! Check out the Libraries Pinterest Board for more craft ideas.

5. Make sure that reading is a daily activity

It’s important to remember that any kind of reading is good reading. Encourage your kids to read something every day: in the morning, hand them the comics section of the newspaper. In the daytime, find an activity that includes reading, such as writing down recipes from a cooking show and making them together. In the evening, have your child read you a few pages of the book that he or she is currently reading. And don’t forget to model being a reader yourself… even adults can join the Summer Reading Program and win prizes!

How I Made a Movie with My iPad in Under an Hour

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Kristen Draper in Library Blog

Hello, and welcome to the Poudre River Public Library District’s blog! My name is Kristen and I am the Digital Literacy Librarian here at the Poudre River Public Library District. My job is to help people learn how to use new technologies appropriately and effectively, whether it is job related or simply for fun. It certainly keeps me busy! There is so much new technology to learn and then to teach, it can be a bit like herding cats!

Speaking of cats, my 2 are not sure about our newest family member – a small black and tan puppy named Chaco. We love him, though, and as with any baby, what does a proud mama do? Take videos of course! But then what? In the past, I have been known to let videos and pictures languish on the camera for weeks, even months, and then MAYBE post them to Facebook or send them to family members. This time, however, I decided to make a movie. With only an iPad. Immediately.

How did I accomplish this, never having used iMovie before? Easily, and in about an hour! The first step was to download iMovie onto the iPad (cost $4.99). Then, I started taking videos within the iMovie app with a simple press of the record button on the screen. (I could easily import other videos I had taken as well.) Once I shot the videos, I started editing, again within the iMovie app. I was able to edit the video into shorter clips, change the order of the clips, make cuts, add music, captions, beginning and ending titles and a theme, and then upload the finished product to Facebook without ever having to leave the iPad. Amazing!

If all of this sounds too difficult (or too expensive), don’t worry. We will soon have all of the equipment and apps available at the library for you to learn how to create your own short video. Make videos for work or school, post them to YouTube or Facebook, and watch what happens when you create your own fun!

Take a look at my short video created on an iPad in about an hour!

Welcome, Chaco!

What’s the “A” All About?

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Charlotte Lakamp in History, Library Blog, Local Happenings

Many times I have had visiting friends and family ask me what that giant “A” up on the hill is all about. Of course I am happy to divulge the tale of the white symbol above our city, but I also wonder how many of our locals may not really know what that “A” is all about.

The “A” comes to us courtesy of Colorado State University as one of the longest standing traditions at the school. But why would CSU place an “A” on the hill; CSU was founded in 1870 as the Colorado Agricultural College. The “A” stands for the Aggies; the original team name/mascot for the college. The “A” was first created on December 4, 1923. In just 6 hours of construction a CSU tradition was born. “The following year, on Sept. 20, students lengthened and widened the “A” to its present size of 450 feet high and 210 feet across.” Each year the “A” is maintained by freshman football players and several other campus organizations. They hike up to it with buckets of white paint, truth be told- getting themselves whitewashed also.

The name change from Colorado Agricultural College to Colorado State University officially took place in 1957. A newer sports tradition is the “Orange Out” where team members and fans wear the original color of the Aggies – Pumpkin orange. Another fun fact is according to CSU “in 1946, the Aggies adopted a Rocky Mountain bighorn ram as the official mascot. The original ram was named “CAM” for Colorado A&M, and one of his descendants remains our mascot today.”

Go Rams!

By Charlotte Lakamp

More Resources:

http://www.colostate.edu/features/csulogos.aspx
http://www.colostate.edu/features/history.aspx
http://www.csurams.com/trads/the-a.html

The Pros & Cons of eReaders

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Molly McCowan in Library Blog

Ever since eReaders debuted in 2007, critics have debated their significance in the publishing world. Do they represent the extinction of traditional publishing? Or the dawn of a new era of more convenient, accessible reading? However you look at it, eReaders have sparked a new way of reading.

Still on the fence about whether or not an eReader is right for you? Here is an in-depth list of pros and cons that might help you decide.

Pros of an eReader

1. It’s eco-friendly. No paper = less toll on the environment. No physical books also means that the lifetime carbon footprint of your “library” is drastically lessened. (eBooks don’t need to be physically shipped to you!)

2. You can download books almost instantly, from almost anywhere. Heard of a new book you’re dying to read? With one click of a button, it’s yours. Talk about instant gratification!

3. eBooks are often cheaper than print books. Because the publisher is able to take out the overhead expenses of printing, storing, and shipping the books, the prices of eBooks are often much lower than print books.

4. It saves space. Do your bookshelves runneth over? eReaders come in a variety of sizes, with the smallest having a 5-inch screen, measured diagonally (for comparison, an iPad has an 9.7-inch screen). This website compares eReaders by size.

5. It’s much easier to travel with. If you travel (and read) a lot, an eReader might be a smart investment. This also makes it a good option for students who need to get a lot of reading done on the go.

6. You can download more than eBooks. Most eReaders also let you download newspapers, magazines, and even audio books to your device. Many newspapers offer eReader subscriptions, letting you flip through the pages of today’s New York Times without the fuss of spilling coffee on the crossword puzzle.

7. You can change the text size. Having trouble reading the fine print? eReaders allow you to change the font size at will, making reading more enjoyable for those of us with less than 20/20 vision.

8. You can find out-of-print books more easily. Books that are out-of-print gain new life in the eBook world, which is fantastic for bibliophiles who have been searching for a copy of a book no longer being published.

9. It allows you to search for text and look up words. This is particularly useful for students, or for anyone who wants to find a particular word or phrase in a book, or someone who reads with a dictionary next to them.

10. More independent authors and publishers are able to get their books out there. This has leveled the publishing playing field a bit, as some of the past few years’ hit novels started out as humble eBooks. (Fifty Shades of Grey, anyone?)

Cons of an eReader

1. It’s expensive. Although the price of an eReader has come down considerably over the years, the cheapest eReaders on the market are still $100 or more—and that’s not including a cover, which you’ll need to prevent scratches.

2. It’s electronic. This means that your eReader needs something that traditional books don’t: regular battery charging. And, unlike your favorite paperback, if you drop an eReader, it might break.

3. It doesn’t have the same physical presence as a traditional book. Who wants a house with no books on the shelves? It may be the diehard paper lover in me, but when I think of a cozy home, I think of shelves packed with well-loved books.

4. You can’t flip through the pages. Sometimes I like to flip through a book I’ve read to remind myself of the main points, or to find a passage that I particularly like. While eBooks let you search for words, they only let you flip page-by-page, or chapter-by-chapter, so you lose part of the “flip” appeal of a traditional book.

5. It just doesn’t have the same feel as a traditional book. There is something to be said for paper books. The smell of ink, the feel of the pages, the excitement of getting closer and closer to that last page. eBooks will never be able to replace that!

6. It’s not great for gift-giving. Sure, you can give someone an eReader as a gift. But what if you just want to get them the latest bestseller that you know they’ll love? You probably wouldn’t want to give them an eBook.

7. Not all titles are available in eBook form. Keep this in mind when you have a specific book in mind, and suddenly can’t find it through the library or in the eBook store!

8. Speaking of stores…eBooks are a threat to booksellers. The ease and availability of eBooks has (in part) led to a decline in bookstores, since consumers have stopped visiting their local booksellers to find titles they want.

9. Some books just don’t work as eBooks. Anatomy textbooks without images? Children’s books without the color illustrations? Depending on your eReader device, some books just don’t translate to electronic form that well.

10. It can’t be autographed by the author. In fact, eBooks are completely divorced from the author’s social context—there will never be a “first edition eBook” that will become a collector’s item. If this matters to you, you’re officially a bibliophile. Go pick up the latest hardcover and check out that author signing, stat!

Still not sure if an eReader is right for you? The Poudre River Public Library District has 60 Nook Simple Touch eReaders and 30 Nook Color eReaders available for loan! Click here to reserve one today and try it out for yourself.

By Molly McCowan.

Molly is a professional writer and editor living in Old Town, Fort Collins. When she’s not working with words, she can’t wait to get to the nearest river and cast the perfect fly for a hungry trout, accompanied by her Shetland Sheepdog, Misty. Contact her at molly@inkbotediting.com.

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Summer Reading: Cool Reads for Hot Days

5 Ways to Avoid the “Summer Slide” and Keep Kids Reading

How I Made a Movie with My iPad in Under an Hour

What’s the “A” All About?

The Pros & Cons of eReaders

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