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Teens! Don't forget about the summer reading program. You still have time to sign up. Just read at least 4 books to have your name entered to win some cool prizes like an MP3 player, a gaming chair, a lava lamp and more! And, after you've spent some time this summer reading, join us for our "So long to summer" Party. There'll be food, fun, and prize drawings will be announced.
Musician Rick Kelley entertained crowds around the city last week!
With some original songs and some "borrowed," Rick had kids and adults alike dancing in the aisles. He taught us how to do the shovel, the hand jive, and even had his very own posse to help with one of his songs. It was overheard by some that this may have been the best program yet this summer!
Hundreds of kids from around the city came to hear about adventures in reading with Ed Venture. During the magic filled program, Ed Venture had to continuously empty his water jug (which kept getting filled from the magic rain forest), helped kids to spell, used volunteers to help demonstrate how to use punctuation, and more! Rooms were filled with laughter and awe watching and listening to Ed Venture. Remember, there is still time to sign up for the summer reading program, and there are two weeks left of special programs like this.
Yankee Clipper, West Leonard, and Seymour branches are having their parking lots resurfaced today. If you need to return books, please select a different location, as you won't be allowed to enter these parking lots.
The parking lots will reopen on Saturday morning.
A Constellation Album: Stars and Mythology of the Night Sky
by P. K. Chen
Among the bevy of constellation books this one stands out. The layout is very easy to use, and the way the spiral binding lets one look at the actual sky photo of the constellation and then turn the transparency to overlay the photo with the pictorial image of the legendary figures is very nice. Each of the 45 constellations has 2 pages. One page with the image and next to it the story from the old Greek and Roman mythology, as well as interesting scientific facts about the stars. A must see for novice star watchers.
Available now: NEW: 523.8 C42c
Extreme Weather: Understanding the Science of Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Floods, Heat Waves, Snow Storms, Global Warming and Other Atmospheric Disturbances
by H. Michael Mogil
Filled with interesting, understandable science about something that is still mysterious to many of us: the weather, especially the "extreme" kind. If you ever thought that reading about the weather would be dull, this book will definitely change your mind. Many photos, charts, and graphs add to the content, and also help answer the question, "Is the weather really becoming worse?" Check it out and find out!
Available now: NEW: 551.5 M724e
World Encyclopedia of Fossils and Fossil-Collecting
by Steve Parker
This is just a great, great read for any fossil lover! This book is full of beautiful photos, clear text, information on major world sites. It also includes some history and how-to, legal and ethical codes, and many photos of the different types of fossils. It is just the right size, with large, readable text, to really enjoy sitting down with and imaging how things might have been eons ago.
Available now: NEW: 560.75 p228W
Vanishing World: the Endangered Arctic
by Mireille De la Lez
Published to coincide with the International Polar Year, this book consists almost exclusively of very large photographs of just what the title says: an area of our earth that may well be vanishing.
Available now: NEW: Oversize 577.09113 D37v
Spotted Owls: Shadows in an Old-Growth Forest
by Jared Hobbs
Surely one of the most beautiful of this mysterious family of birds, a whole book on the Spotted Owl is a real treat. Listed as "Endangered " in Canada, and "Threatened" in the U.S, due to the loss of it's territory, this book gives us a stunning look at the Spotted Owl and life in these old-growth forests, and why they are important for us as well as the owl.
Available now: NEW: 598.97 H652s
Venomous Animals of the World
by Steve Backshall
No one can resist the fascination of deadly life forms. Backshall is a naturalist who has traveled the globe for the BBC, National Geographic, and the Discovery Channel, and has written guidebooks to some of the world's most exotic places. Now he's concentrating on some of our planet's most exotic animals: the venomous ones. Some will be familiar (although he always has some new and surprising information about them), and some will be real surprises. Great text and amazing photos.
Available now: NEW: Oversize 591.65 B128v
The Grand Rapids Public Library has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to host The Big Read from September 2008 through June 2009. The Big Read, an NEA initiative designed to restore reading to the center of American culture, gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 23 selections from American and world literature.
The Big Read in Grand Rapids will focus on The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. This classic work of noir fiction features the detective Sam Spade who has been hired to search for a missing woman and the statue for which the book is titled. The book was also made into a movie.
Event-specific activities will take place in May 2009.
GRPL is one of 208 libraries and other organizations to receive a grant to host The Big Read, which has supported more than 500 public library partnerships. The latest Big Read grantees represent 46 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Stay tuned to the blog for updates on The Big Read!
Jeff Wawrzaszek's It's Magic program ran branch wide during June 17th through 20th and was a huge success. A total of over 1,000 people attended. Whether it was being wowed by the appearing and disappearing handkerchiefs, dazzled by the rope tricks, or mystified by the several thousand-year-old "Linking Rings" illusion, fun and laughter was experienced by all during this very professional and highly energetic performance!
Jeff has been performing magic professionally since his high school (30+) years, winning numerous awards and honors and performing on several different continents! As a performance artist, pantomime, and magician rolled up into one, Jeff had the adults smiling and applauding and children screaming for more as coiled-up snakes sprung into action. He also taught "airhead" Billy the value of the Summer Reading Program!
Over 3500 kids and teens have registered for the Summer Reading Program at the Grand Rapids Public Libraries so far. You'll see their names on a bee or a butterfly at all our locations. Stop in today to sign up.
We have weekly programs, too, with magicians, puppeteers, and more!
