Characters in some books are so compelling that they become almost like people you know and like. Once the story ends, I miss these characters very much. It's almost as if a friend moved away, not leaving a forwarding address. I call it book grief.
Did you know that the Buckner Branch has a Young Writers' Club? We meet once a month on the 3rd Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Our kids have all sorts of fun writing adventures here at the Library. This coming November we will embark on the most awesome writing adventure ever! We will attempt to write a novel in one month. Okay, maybe not a very large novel; we are young writers after all. To accomplish this feat, there will be 3 write-ins at the Buckner Branch on the following dates:
Cinder by Marissa Meyer is the first book in the Lunar Chronicles series, and it is a futuristic Cinderella story. Cinder is a cyborg, adopted by a scientist who died of the blue fever (a disease ravaging the nation) soon after bringing her to his family in New Beijing. Left to the mercy of her new mother and sisters, Cinder is treated poorly because she is cyborg...but also being blamed for her adopted father’s death.
It's Halloween time, and I sure hope you're reading a scary book (or two!). If you're not, might I suggest some Shirley Jackson? She is my favorite author you've never heard of. She has the perfect books for a past-midnight reading marathon, if you don't mind glancing over your shoulder every now and then.
We have many wonderful museums and galleries in the KC area, but the best thing of all is that a lot of them are FREE!!!!!
One of my favorites is the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. I have memories of going there as a child on field trips, accompanying my children on their field trips, and now enjoying visits with my children as adults. Hopefully...someday...with grandchildren!
Here is a list of many other museums in the area that are free:
The annual Buckner Festival is October 4th - 6th! The carnival begins Thursday evening and continues through Saturday evening. The theme of this year's Festival is Heritage of Harvest. Highlights of the Festival include live music on Friday and Saturday evenings, craft and food booths, and a parade on Saturday.
The staff of the Buckner Branch will be walking in the parade, dressed as characters from children's books (I hear Fancy Nancy will make an appearance). The parade starts at 10:00 a.m., and we hope you will come out and enjoy the festivities.
My son is a wonderful kid. However, that fact alone does not always translate into good study habits or the kind of grades one would post on the refrigerator under the "World's Greatest Student" magnet. I have spent a lot of time and money on learning centers and private tutors to make sure that he is not the Jethro Bodeen of his school.
There is much more than meets the eye in the Llibrary. Everyone has a vision of the public library with computers, shelves of books, programs, and so much to offer. But behind the scenes, there is much, much more!
Well, my favorite time of year is sneaking up on me: that glorious period between October 1 and November 1 that I call "The Halloween Season." It’s a time for apple cider, hayrides, pumpkin carving, and scaring the wits out of your neighbors and friends. And right about now—right at the edge of Halloween Season—is Halloween Party Planning Season! Here are some of my favorite resources for Halloween parties. Enjoy… but beware!
This year's Teen Summer Reading Program was a big success. Don't believe me? Ask Ashley H., one of the Buckner Branch's regular customers!
Ashley was one of five teens across the MCPL branches to win the grand prize of a brand-new, in-the-box, never-used netbook laptop! We were very pleased to hand the prize to one of our own customers, and (as you can tell from the picture), Ashley was pretty excited herself!
