For years, I've toyed, off and on, with having a budget. Recently, I have taken the very serious step of incorporating it into every facet of my life. After reading a long list of self-help books on financial success, saving money, etc., I have a grip on most of the spending.
I am really excited about the new MCPL Website. It truly is a virtual library. Besides the new eye-catching look, the home page offers links to lots of exciting and useful things. It's fun to just "click around" and see where you end up. For example, under "Books, Movies, Music" you can find the most recent additions to the library's catalog, as well as upcoming additions. There is even a list of this week's most popular titles. All of the titles have links to the catalog so you can request them quickly.
Mr. Jim Cosgrove, a.k.a. Mr. Stinkyfeet, was here this week. It was loud and it was awesome. For those who don’t understand the significance of a visit from Mr. Stinkyfeet, let me say that a Mr. Stinkyfeet concert is one of the library’s unofficial holidays. In this case, an unofficial library holiday is defined as an event or slot of time in which people and children are encouraged to pick up instruments and sing very loudly about peanut butter.
How do you decide what book you want to read? Do you choose it by the cover? Do you rely on recommendations from others? Do you stand in front of the library shelves and wait for divine intervention to overtake you? I actually have tried all of these methods! I’d like to share a little tip that will provide you with a quick method to learn what the book is about.
If you enjoyed Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, then you will enjoy reading the first book in a series of six books written by Elizabeth Aston, entitled Mr. Darcy’s Daughters.
The Bookies at the Blue Springs North branch, a readers and community advisory group that reads and recommends Young Adult books and programs for the library, met in July to learn how to properly care for their skin. Jackie Anderson from the House of Heavilin, presented a clinic on essential skin care. The teens were able to perform facials. Mrs. Anderson explained that there are several causes of acne, including stress, hormones, diet, and of course improper skincare. The tips the teens received were:
From page one of her debut novel, Catherine Banner weaves an enchanting tale of triumph and tragedy. The Eyes of a King is the story of a war-ridden land called Malonia. Leo North is a teenager not too unlike his peers. He attends the local military school and hates every minute of it. However, Leo is immediately fascinated with a book he finds in the snow, a book in which strange writing appears all by itself.
Building Blocks Makes Great Read Alouds for Young Children
Designed to encourage reading aloud to children from birth through kindergarten age, the Building Block Picture Book Award is sponsored by the Children’s Services Round Table of the Missouri Library Association.
Truly, we are a society on the go. In our world of cars, fast food, and hurried schedules, our lives our becoming more and more portable. One of the great things about books is that you can take them almost anywhere. With Raytown’s recent renovation, we have created some reading areas near our large windows to take advantage of our afternoon sunlight. Many mornings, we will see patrons reading their morning paper in comfort or relaxing with paperback.
Heading back to school is a great time to ramp up for all that new school work and all those extra-curricular teams. But for our library staff who lead storytimes all through the spring and summer, it's an opportunity to catch our breath. Storytimes at Boardwalk will be on hold for two weeks from August 23rd to September 4th. The computer system that handles sign-ups may still list the storytimes during that time as open for registration, but in fact, they are not.
