The Summer Reading Program: Help Them Dig It, Not Dread It!
It’s that time of year again, the time when eager young readers plunge into their favorite books and earn prizes for meeting their reading goals. Every year thousands of kids and teens take part in Mid-Continent Public Library’s Summer Reading Program (SRP). Now, I won’t get started on how jealous I am of them. The fact that there was nothing like this when I was growing up, and knowing how I would have cleaned up in a program like this, would just be unnecessary bitterness. So, let me move on.
Ok, you have arrived at the Library, and you need to find some information about World War II. So, you go the computer, enter WWII, and up comes this number. You write down this random, seemingly meaningless, number on a piece of paper and head off into the stacks to find. When you locate the number and your book, you notice that the other books around it also appear to be about WWII. You assume that the number somehow indicates books on WWII, but you have no idea why. Nor do you probably care. You just want to get your book.
My journey into the quilting world began in the car while traveling with a friend. I was bored, so I grabbed one of her quilting magazines to pass the time. I was immediately hooked. Before we arrived home, I was already planning my first project, a "foundation pieced" Christmas, wall hanging. If you are not familiar with this process, I suggest a book we have entitled Foundation-Pieced Quilts 14 Favorites from Quiltmaker Magazine.
For fans of well-written science fiction, like me, finding an author that can creatively weave together both a great story and great characters can be difficult. A lot of the time the science fiction element can overshadow character development, especially in tech oriented science fiction. However, this doesn’t seem to be as much of a problem with the sci-fi tales that are being created for young adults and juveniles. And, today, one of the best writers for that age group is Margaret Peterson Haddix.
I really enjoyed Stefanie G’s blog, The Origins of April Fool’s Day (posted on the Antioch Branch page on March 26, 2013). It struck a chord with me because I found evidence of an April Fool’s joke in the book I am currently reading.
As a member of the Northland Diversity Council, I want to share with you an exciting event that took place Saturday, April 13th. The Northland Diversity Council had its annual Unity through Diversity Awards Dinner recognizing outstanding educational, business, and personal achievements in diversity in the Kansas City Northland area. With Congressman Emanuel Cleaver as a keynote speaker and the reading of the winning entries of the student essays, it was the event not to be missed.
When I was in elementary school, the first thing that I would do when I came home was grab a snack and watch The Brady Bunch. It didn’t matter how many times had seen Marcia’s nose get broken or Peter break the vase (Mom always said, "Don’t play ball in the house"), I could never get enough of my favorite family. It was only thanks to reruns that I got the chance to get acquainted with the Brady’s. Unbeknownst to me at the time, The Brady Bunch was actually canceled the very year that I was born. It didn’t matter though.
Where the Sidewalk Ends, the fun begins For those who wish to learn the outs and ins Of the beautiful art of poetry Or the simple story of The Giving Tree. So please allow me to take some time To tell you about Shel Silverstein.
Monday is opening day at Kauffman Stadiumm and it looks like, for the first time in ages, long suffering Royals fans may have something to look forward to. The way that the team has performed in the preseason bodes well for the coming year. Of course, this could be a complete anomaly and they might collapse the second the actual season gets underway, but hope springs eternal. But to be honest, I have never been a great fan of Major League Baseball. It seemed to me that it focuses too much on personalities and salary.
