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Badge Drop #10: *STARSTRUCK*

by Sara W

Summer Game 2017 may have put STARS in your EYES, but stay tuned for some excitement from the STARS in the SKIES!



There's some AWESOME ASTRONOMY afoot on Monday, 8/21! The only thing that can eclipse the AWESOMENESS of the Summer Game is AN ACTUAL ECLIPSE!!! Join us at the Downtown Library on Monday, 8/21 from 1-3 pm for our SOLAR ECLIPSE VIEWING PARTY. There will be solar eclipse viewing glasses (the must-have accessory of the summer) available to share!



But BEFORE you look up, LOOK BELOW! Hey! BADGES!!!!


2017 Badge Drop #10
echo theme_summergame_badge(1504,1501,1502,1509,1507,1512,1506,1503,1511,1513,1505,1510,1508);
?>



Now think of a number. NO, another number. Did you think of 13? Well, think of it now. THIRTEEN!!!!!! It's important because....



THAT'S HOW MANY DAYS OF SUMMER GAME REMAIN! Just 13 more days of CODE HUNTING and POINT GATHERING, SG hunter-gatherers! Gotta get out there and FORAGE for FUN while there's still FUN to FORAGE!



Time's a-tickin'! Collect those codes! Create those comments! Procure those points! BADGE THOSE BADGES!



As always, THANKS FOR PLAYING!!!


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Blog Post

The Dark Tower

by PizzaPuppy

The Dark Tower series (one of author Stephen King's crowning achievements) tells the story of gunslinger Roland Deschain and his quest to find and protect the fabled Dark Tower, said to be the link between all universes. Roland's world is a post-apocalyptic desolate wasteland where time no longer moves chronologically and reality is fraying. The eight book series combines elements of fantasy, science fiction, horror and classic Western into a brand new epic story. The movie adaptation of the Dark Tower series opened on August 4th to mixed reviews (to put it lightly). Even if fans were not quite satisfied with the adaptation, they have devoured the Dark Tower series since the beginning of its publication in the early 1980's. Now is the perfect time to catch up on this epic series!

The series consists of The Gunslinger, The Drawing of the Three, The Waste Lands, Wizard and Glass, The Wind Through the Keyhole, Wolves of the Calla, Song of Susannah, and The Dark Tower. These novels also have Book on CD (BOCD) counterparts, available here. King's collection of short stories entitled Everything's Eventual also includes Dark Tower related stories, specifically "The Little Sisters of Eluria" and "Everything's Eventual".

Drawing on the popularity of the novels, a series of prequel graphic novels was published after the novels were completed. The prequels begin with The Gunslinger Born and continue with The Long Road Home (available through MeLCat), Treachery (also only available through MeLCat), The Fall of Gilead and Battle of Jericho Hill.

The first two novels themselves have also been adapted into graphic novels, all available through MeLCat. The Gunslinger series consists of The Gunslinger: The Journey Begins,
The Battle of Tull, The Way Station, The Man in Black, and Last Shots. The Little Sisters of Eluria was also adapted into comic book form. The comics continue with The Drawing of the Three series, consisting of The Prisoner, House of Cards, Lady of Shadows, Bitter Medicine, and The Sailor.

There have been several nonfiction works detailing the intricacies of the Dark Tower universe. Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance, Revised and Updated is an encyclopedia of Dark Tower-related information, originally written by Robin Furth for Stephen King's exclusive personal use while he was still writing the series in order to prevent continuity errors. It was later published once King realized how valuable it would be to his "Constant Readers". There's also The Dark Tower Companion: A Guide to Stephen King's Epic Fantasy.

Additionally, there are many other Stephen King works that reference or are related to the Dark Tower series. A partial list includes Salem's Lot, Eyes of the Dragon, Bag of Bones, Black House, Insomnia, Desperation and its companion novel The Regulators, From a Buick 8, Cell, Rose Madder, Hearts in Atlantis, and The Stand.

The novel It also has ties to the Dark Tower series and has a widely anticipated movie adaptation coming out on September 8th. The trailer is available to watch here (if you dare!) and an interactive VR experience was released yesterday for the bravest of heart. You can also catch up with the 1990 made-for-TV movie, available here.

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Blog Post

PreK Bits - "S" is for SLEEPYHEADS

by ryanikoglu

This week Ms. Rachel presented stories that needed quiet so the sleepyheads can go to sleep.
The HINKY PINK ... A Hinky Pink came to live in the Tailor's house. She would not go to sleep until she had a perfect bed.
Ms. Betsy played guitar and Ms. Rachel led the action song "Wake Up You Sleepyheads”. Here is a youtube.com clip for demonstration.
OWL At HOME has several stories in the book. We heard about "Strange Bumps" in the night. They were "most unpleasant !".

For more books for and about SLEEPYHEADS try the following favorites:
The SQUEAKY DOOR had a Grandma putting her Grand-daughter to bed ... she needed quiet.
SLEEPYHEADS ... where every quiet creature lays their sleepy head.
QUIET BUNNY'S MANY COLORS ... find them in the garden.
The QUIET BOOK ... very thoughtful, lovely prose, and beautiful gentle illustrations.
SHH! WE HAVE A PLAN ... who needs to be quiet?
TIPTOE JOE ... tiptoe to be quiet.
HANK FINDS AN EGG ... on a quiet walk in the woods. What shall he do?
The FAMILY BEDTIME TREASURY: Tales For Sleepy Times and Sweet Dreams ... a treasure trove in one book!
BEDTIME FOR BEAR ... with a "small but effervescent" overnight guest. Delightful storytelling and illustrations!
Find a cozy space. Read a cozy book.
Good Night!
Sleep Tight.

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Blog Post

Badge Drop #9: Copious Commentary!

by mariah




WHOOOOOEEEEEE, Summer Gamers! Now that we're DEEP into SG Season, things are getting INTENSE!



This week we've got badges that will send you to the HIGHEST HEIGHTS — flying with noted night bombers, rooting out records in the final frontier, and even shimmying up a (bean)stalk for EPIC ADVENTURE!



But OF COURSE, that's not all! We wouldn't leave you hanging ALL THE WAY UP THERE, so we've balanced all of that out by GETTING DOWN (in a DEEP GEOLOGICAL sense) with one badge that is TOTALLY THE PITS!


2017 Badge Drop #9
echo theme_summergame_badge(1458,1459,1460,1461,1462,1499,1490,1465,1491,1500,1498,1497,1492,1494,1496,1495,1493);
?>



BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! We reassured you last week that WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! But we really really DO, and often your fellow gamers and library users do TOO (ESPECIALLY when you might be helping your fellow gamers DECIPHER TRICKY BUSINESS and earn MORE BADGES)!



So UP THAT CHATTER! Ramp up the remarks! Hit REPLY to add your voice to this thread, or the MANY, MANY others all about Summer Game and all the BEST STUFF happening at YOUR LIBRARY, and you will be richly rewarded with the COMMENT MASTER badges!



And... speaking of REWARDS... STAY TUNED for a shop drop later tonight!



As always, THANKS FOR PLAYING!!!


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Blog Post

PreK Bits - "E" is for elegant ELEPHANTS

by ryanikoglu

Ms. Rachel celebrated ELEPHANTS in Storytime @ Malletts Creek.
ELMER is a favorite classic tale of individual differences.
For action and song we played "Paddling Down the River" ... a fast and slow song. You can here an authentic version of this early American folksong on the CD UP IN The BATTEN HOUSE with Mark Tamsula. The CD includes many more authentic American folksongs too!
SITTING IN MY BOX ... a tale of peace and chaos ... including one elephant.

If you love Elephants try these favorites:
ELLA ... a story of Ella the circus elephant by Bill Peet.
ELEPHANT'S STORY ... an elephant memoir.
17 KINGS And 42 ELEPHANTS ... a rhyming tale with superb batik illustrations of a southeast Asian Royal procession.
HOW The ELEPHANT GOT HIS TRUNK ... a re-telling of the how-it-came-to-be story by Rudyard Kipling.
ELLA TAKES The CAKE ... and more stories of Ella by Carmela D'Amico.

And don't forget the non-fiction real information books for young kids on this fun animal !

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Blog Post

Mission No-Longer-Impossible: New Picture Books for Kids!

by krayla

There's a situation here! A MAJOR situation! You're going to an unspecified location at some random time and there will be KIDS, both BIG and SMALL! What is there to say? What is there to do? Never fear, brave humans. You are about to enjoy the company of the world's most interesting and ENERGETIC beings. That means you need some of AADL's NEWEST, most EXEMPLARY EXAMPLES of picture books!

Lemony Snicket, author of the bestselling Series of Unfortunate Events, brings you Goldfish Ghost with illustrations by Lisa Brown! This adorably sinister book introduces a spectacular spectre who happens to be a fish. He travels the town in his ghostly way looking for a friend. DOES HE MEET ONE? Read this book to find out!

SPLISH! SMASH! SQUISH! SPLAT! by Jon Burgerman keeps the MISCHIEF MANAGED and the MESS CONTAINED! Turn each page to add another goofy element to the creature's face. The large bright illustrations are great for entertaining one playful person or an entirely peppy party!

Elephant and Piggie author Mo Willems brings you ANOTHER (yes, another) funny book, titled Welcome: A Guide for New Arrivals! This hilarious handbook gives kids a preview of what's to come in life, from SUPER COOL CATS to SAD SOGGY TOAST, and has a lot of adult appeal!

See? You can do this. You too can entertain YOUNGSTERS at HEART. The biggest hurdle is getting some great books, and then you're good to go!*

*Kind of. There are other things like games, jokes, being the funniest person in the room, and basically knowing all facts about the universe, but that all comes later. Good luck!

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Blog Post

PreK Bits - "P" is for PRINCESS and PRINCE

by ryanikoglu

Ms. Rachel told Prince and Princess Stories this week.
The PRINCESS And The PEA by Rachel Isadora is a classic folktale re-set in Africa.
"Cinderella Dressed In Yellow" is a traditional jump rope rhyme. We had plenty verses with more colors to clap with the rhythm.
KLIPPITY KLOP is an action and participation story by Ed Emberley. It is out-of-print and AADL copies are gone. You can borrow a copy through MelCat. It is a story about Prince Krispin and his horse Dumpling going on an adventure.

For more stories of Princes and Princesses try these titles:
DARING PRINCE DASHING ... a twisted fairy tale.
The PRINCE WHO WAS JUST HIMSELF
The PAPER BAG PRINCESS
The PRINCESS And The FROGS
The PRINCE'S BEDTIME
The PRINCE And The PORKER
PRINCESS LILA BUILDS A TOWER
The SEVEN PRINCESSES
WOULD YOU RATHER BE A PRINCESS Or A DRAGON ?
The FROG PRINCE

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Blog Post

Saints for All Occasions: the best of the best in Irish-Catholic family sagas

by eapearce

J. Courtney Sullivan, author of Maine, Commencement and The Engagements, again returns to Boston (where at least a portion of all of her books take place) in her latest family saga, Saints for All Occasions. A master of depicting tight-knight Irish-American families full of secrets, Sullivan possesses the rare ability to tell stories that span decades without losing the reader in time. Saints for All Occasions technically begins twice: first in 2009 when Nora Rafferty’s oldest son Patrick dies in a car crash and again in 1957 when Nora and her sister Theresa make the voyage from Ireland to America to join Nora’s fiancé, Charlie, in Boston.

What transpires between 1957 and 2009 seems at first simple: Theresa gets pregnant out of wedlock—at the time a particularly terrible fate for a young Irish Catholic girl—and goes reluctantly to a nunnery for the duration of her pregnancy and to have the baby. She doesn’t want to give her child up, but is forced to by the nuns. Nora—recently married to Charlie—agrees to take the boy in and raise him as her own. The effects of this choice drive the rest of the story, which introduces us to Nora’s other three children and to the path that Theresa followed after her pregnancy. Anyone who is familiar with Boston, with Irish-Catholic families, or with both will connect immediately to the portrait of the Raffertys that Sullivan paints in Saints for All Occasions. Her characters and their choices are believable and well-formed, and she travels between time periods deftly, revealing the secrets of the story to readers at the exact right moments.

Saints for All Occasions is a wonderful read to sneak in on your summer reading list.

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Blog Post

Dying: A Memoir

by Lucy S

At the age of 50, Cory Taylor was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma. She wrote Dying: a Memoir 10 years later, in an energetic rush of creativity, right before her death, when the melanoma had spread to her brain. This perceptive output, at such a time, is astounding, and as readers we are its lucky recipients.

“Despite the ubiquity of death, it seems strange that there are so few opportunities to discuss dying,” says Taylor as she works to establish a conversation around death. “Death is a taboo subject, absurdly so. It is tidied away in hospitals, out of public view, the secret purview of health professionals who are generally unwilling to talk about what really goes on at the bedsides of a nation.” Taylor strives to change this, in part by taking control of the dialogue around her own death, and by taking control of her death itself. She begins the book by telling us that she has just purchased her own euthanasia drugs. She doesn’t know that she’ll use them, but it comforts her to know that she can dictate her end. She doesn’t try to convince us that dying isn’t hard, or sad, but nor does she shy away from the fact that it is unavoidable. “No, there is nothing good about dying. It is sad beyond belief. But it is part of life, and there is no escaping it. Once you grasp that fact, good things can result.” When addressing the fear that she admits to feeling, she adds, “I haven't died before, so I sometimes get a bad case of beginner’s nerves, but they soon pass.”

Taylor moves away from the topic of death for one section of this slim volume to highlight some memories from her interesting childhood spent in Australia and Fiji. This exploration highlights an understanding of her parents, their relationship to each other, and to her, that perhaps she was recognizing in an end-of-life reflection. But even in looking back at her life experiences, Taylor does not fall prey to sentimentality, nor is she mired with regret. “I don't have a bucket list because it comforts me to remember the things I have done, rather than hanker after the things I haven't done. Whatever they are, I figure they weren't for me, and that gives me a sense of contentment, a sort of ballast as I set out on my very last trip.”

Taylor writes beautifully, and it is sad to think we won’t get more from her, but we are fortunate to have this.

Add this to the ranks of When Breath Becomes Air, Being Mortal, and The Bright Hour, the books we read to try to gain insight on and understanding of the inevitable end we all face. Cory Taylor eloquently bestows both to us.

“And that is what I’m doing now, in this, my final book: I am making a shape for my death, so that I, and others, can see it clearly.”

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Blog Post

Celebrating the Life of Poet, Seamus Heaney

by Nholtzman

In the month of August I am always reminded of the poet, Seamus Heaney, who died fours years ago on August 30th. He was a prolific writer; he left behind many poems and a translation of the epic tale, Beowulf.

Every August, I celebrate his life by rereading my favorite book of poems, North. Heaney grew up on a farm in Northern Ireland. His book of poems, North, begins with two poems about the farm he grew up on called Mossbawn. The first few lines of the poem are: "There was a sunlit absence./ The helmeted pump in the yard/ heated its iron,/ water honeyed..."

North has two parts. The first half of the poems deal with Greek mythology and Heaney's "Bog people." The second section of the collection speaks of the political climate and the conflicts in Northern Ireland during the 1970's and before.

If you are looking to delve deeper into Heaney's work, please do! AADL has volumes of Heaney's poetry calling your name...

Selected Poems, 1966-1987

Human Chain

The Burial at Thebes

The Spirit Level