Dream Big -- READ!

Woo hoo!  School's out! 

Yes, summer vacation begins this week for most of the area schools.  For the kids in school, this is wonderful news:  No homework to do; no tests to take; and no assigned reading to struggle with.  The idea now is to have fun, and lots of it! 

Tackle a Good Book This Summer!

Wait--No reading??  Did you know that children who read over the summer vacation are more likely to be reading at or above grade level by the beginning of the next school year than children who do not read ?  What can you do to help your child improve his or her reading skills rather than remain static or--worse--possibly lose skills?

Find Your Muse in a Book!

It's easy:  Sign up for the Summer Reading Program at the Virginia Public Library!  Children who sign up for the program can choose their own books and earn chances to win raffle prizes, both of which encourage them to finish their books.  There are also wonderful programs every week.  For example, there will be theater, magic, Legos, duct tape, and animals of all sorts.  

Registration, book counts, book reviews, and more will all be done online this year as it was last year.  Online registration began on May 24th and many of you have already taken advantage of that convenience.  Registration in the library begins on Thursday, May 31st.  The registration period will end on Thursday, June 28th with the program itself ending on Tuesday, July 31st.  Registration, book counts, book reviews, and more will all be done online this year as it was last year. 

To register, go to the Virginia Public Library Online Programs page.  To find more information on the different events, visit the Summer Reading Program events page. 

Susan Hoppe -- Reference Services Librarian

 

Spring is in the Air

Spring is definitely here.  The frogs and toads sing us to sleep at night.  Hummingbirds sipping nectar and various finches, grosbeaks, and other seed eaters entertain us during the day.  All of the activity makes me want to get out and DO things.

A bike repair book at VPL

As with many people, I started the year with a resolution to become more fit.  It was tough during the colder months to get outside much.  Now, however, I have no excuse not to get on my bike and ride!  If your bicycle hasn't been out for a while and you prefer the DIY method of repair, Fred Milson's Complete Bike Maintenance: for Road, Mountain, and Commuter Bicycles is the newest of several repair books you can borrow from the library.

Well-Behaved Dog

Another of my favorite activities, and one that gets me outside and moving, is working with my dogs.   Though there are many training books at the library, I focus on hunting with my bird dogs and choose books that will help with that.  One of my favorite books is Positive Gun Dogs:  Clicker Training for Sporting Breeds, by Jim Barry, Mary Emmen, and Susan Smith.  A good book for training a well-behaved family dog is Imagine Life With a Well-Behaved Dog: a 3-Step Positive Dog-Training Program, by Julie A. Bjelland. 

Square Foot Gardening

Bicycling and dog training help with my goal of becoming more fit and active.  Something else that is going to help me with that is gardening.  This year we have installed two raised beds.  Due to the nature of our gardens, we have decided to follow the Square Foot Gardening method.  Don't know what that is?  Take a look at All New Square Foot Gardening, by Mel Bartholomew.  In addition to this title, we have books for container gardens, hanging gardens, traditional gardens, and many more to get your garden started and to keep it growing.

Deep Dish

Lest you get the idea that I only do outdoorsy-things in the spring, I will confess that spring is when I read more chick lit than any other time of the year.  This year I have discovered, for me, a new author--Mary Kay Andrews, a Georgia author who bases her delightfully funny novels in the South.  I have now read most of the titles our library owns by her and will say that I have found them all just as delightful as the first one.  I am currently reading Deep Dish, which is a hilarious look at what happens when The Cooking Channel is pits hunky "kill it and grill it" chef Tate Moody against former runner-up Miss Teen Vidalia Onion Gina Foxton against each other to determine who will be the next TCC star.

Not into chick lit or gardening?  Don't have a dog or a bike?  No problem!  Your library has books on hundreds of different topics, so we are sure to have something for you here.  Even if we don't have what you need, we can find something for you in a different library and bring it right here, just for you!

Susan Hoppe -- Reference Services Librarian

Second Weekend in May

The second weekend in May is nearly here, and you know what that means!  Yes, Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 13!  Have you found the perfect card or picked her favorite flowers yet?  Why not go for something a little different this year and suggest some new book titles to your mom this year? 

Baby Laughs

For a new mother who prefers non-fiction and humor, you may want to suggest Baby Laughs : The Naked Truth About The First Year of Mommyhood, by Jenny McCarthy.  This book is for those with new babies and who are perhaps not quite finding the humor in diaper changing. 

Come Home

Moms who are fans of murder mysteries may like Lisa Scottoline's new novel, Come Home.  In this thriller, Jill's life is thrown into turmoil when the daughter of her ex-husband asks her to investigate his murder.  Jill is not only searching for her ex-husband's killer, but also struggling to keep her family together and to understand her relationship with Abby, her ex-stepdaughter. 

Then Came You

Jennifer Weiner has a new book out that explores what might happen when an egg donor, surrogate mother, mother-to-be, and her stepdaughter are thrown together by the husband's sudden death.  In Then Came You, the father of this unborn child names the stepdaughter, not his wife, the guardian of the as-yet-unborn child. 

Deep Dish

Mothers who prefer lighter fare may enjoy Deep Dish, by Mary Kay Andrews.  It is a fun and romantic look at what happens when Gina, chef of canceled local television show Fresh Start, and Mr. "Kill It and Grill It" Tate Moody, chef of the hunting-fishing-cooking show Vittles, vie to be The Cooking Channel's next big star. 

You can find these and more great books by searching our library catalog.

Happy Mother's Day!

Susan Hoppe -- Adult Services Librarian

Using the Library to Help Your Garden Grow

One of Many Gardening Books

Many of us have been working on our gardens for a few weeks already, while some of us are just getting started.  Fresh vegetables and fruits are not only part of an enjoyable summer, but also a way to keep food costs down. 

One of Many Gardening Books

This post has been designed to help beginners get started on the garden path and to provide more experienced gardeners with avenues down which they can find inspiration.  Some of the resources listed below are available in our library or through our website while others are available from other libraries within the Arrowhead Library System.  Still others, such as some of the databases and the internet links, can be accessed by way of your home internet connection.

Books

One of Many Gardening Books

Damrosch, Barbara. The Garden Primer. Workman Pub: New York, NY. 2008. (635 DAM)

Gianfrancesco, Richard.  How to Grow Food:  A Step-By-Step Guide to Growing All Kinds of Fruit, Vegetables, Salads and More.  Firefly Books:  Richmond Hill, ON.  2011.  (635 GIA)

Myers, Melinda.  Month-by-Month Gardening in Minnesota:  What To Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year.  Cool Springs Press:  Franklin, TN. 2006. (635.9776 MYE)

Ruppenthal, R.J. Fresh Food From Small Spaces: The Square Inch Gardener's Guide to Year-Round Growing, Fermenting, and Sprouting. Chelsea Green: White River Junction, VT. 2008. (635 RUP)

These and other books related to gardening can be found in the 630 to 635 range on the Library's shelves. You can also search for gardening books through the library's online catalog.

Periodicals

Better Homes and Gardens

Organic Gardening

Northern Gardener, published by the Minnesota State Historical Society

More magazines related to gardening can be found in the databases provided by the Arrowhead Library System and Virginia Public Library.

Internet Links

University of Minnesota Extension--Gardening and Horticulture.  The University of Minnesota Extension office has much information available for Minnesotans and others in our gardening zone.

Though they may not be specific to our region, links to many gardening-related websites can be found through the Internet Public Library.

Happy Gardening!

Susan Hoppe -- Reference Services Librarian