(Candy Guess winners from left to right: Cameron Dierking, Cayden Dierking, and Keegan Dierking.)
The Blue Springs North Branch had two special prize giveaways at the closing of the "Dream Big Read" Summer Reading Program: The Candy Guess and the Grand Prize drawing for a Slip’n Slide Surf Rider. With every reading list completed, each child got to guess how many pieces of candy were in a large candy jar and enter their name in the Grand Prize drawing.
This year’s Summer Reading Program was a ravishing success! Thousands of local teens participated, writing just under 30, 000 book reviews. How amazing is that?! This summer was a flurry of library bucks and prizes, but one special Blue Springs North teen walked away with an extra special prize.
I did some research to get ready for Bad Poetry Day, which is August 18, and apparently, a good contender for worst poet ever is Scotsman, William McGonagall. Around 1877, when he was about 50 years old (it’s hard to say for sure, because his exact birthdate is unknown), he believed God spoke to him and told him to write; and that’s what he did for the rest of his life, which amounted to about 25 more years. McGonagall seemed oblivious to all criticisms of his work and retained an amazing level of self-confidence in his abilities as a writer.
It's that time of year again where everywhere you look, you see signs of back-to-school. Most of what you see is geared toward preparing students for back to school with supplies, books, clothes, etc. But here at the Library, we would also like to help teachers prepare for back to school with our Teacher Assistance service.
It’s coming, folks. I know it has been in the back of your mind all summer: A faint, persistent da-dum, da-dum as August 12th draws closer. You wait with baited breath until finally, it strikes - SHARK WEEK!
I was going to write a nice little blog about the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, which goes from Friday, July 27 to Sunday, August 12, and I got overwhelmed. There are so many discussion points: location selection, venue construction, opening ceremony, closing ceremony, hotel costs, ticket info, uniform design, the meaning of the rings, the purpose of the torch relay, attendance, political controversies, event schedules, athlete bios, coach bios, judge profiles, weather forecasts, back stories, commentator toupees. Oh, what’s a blogger to do?
After finally graduating college, my friend Jordan and I took a trip to New York City to celebrate. Where would be the first place two librarians would go? The New York City Public Library! This library was absolutely amazing. We even bought matching library shirts.
Besides going to see the library, we went up in the Empire State Building, Times Square, and the 9/11 Memorial. We also took a ferry out to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We even took a stroll through Central Park.
Are you a Shakespeare newbie? Does 17th Century English seem like a foreign language? What exactly does "iambic pentameter" actually mean?
Shakespeare does not have to be a daunting subject. Do not be intimidated! Shakespeare can be enjoyed on many levels. Guaranteed; everyone can enjoy something about the Bard.
