Fiction

Here in Texas we have had three inches of rain since the first of the year! They held a community prayer meeting in Houston to pray for rain and the squirrels have largely disappeared from the trees around our house. The stock market is fluctuating, Congress is inept, our credit rating has been dropped (and should have been!), and I found a small mole on Rufus' side.
Regarding my upcoming trip to Fort Worth to see Hal and Sylvia Harbuck

(remember him from the radio station, KSCB, and how great he was in the Chamber of Commerce? They don't make 'em like Mr. Harbuck anymore and he deserves my time and attention to go to his house and run his life for him! Odd how he groans when I walk in the door and I'm greeted with an affectionate "No, we don't want any", followed by "and we don't have any bedroom for you to sleep in--unless you got money!")

anyway, Himself says that Sylvia and I can eat at a nearby convenience store before any movie or shopping (now, there's a word he hates--"shopping") and thank goodness her son, Craig, has a pool and ice water and three wonderful dogs, all for a delightful afternoon in Fort Worth's 102 degree heat! Because Sylvia still looks like a model (the older version, that is--said her best friend in all kindness!), I have to take some nice, fashionable clothes--the best Beall's has to offer, don'cha know--and I'm grateful, seriously, for some "time off" from the routine to just visit and enjoy Harbucks and their really delightful family.

Anyone remember the older boy, Hal J., and the middle son, Barry (he and Bonnie, my daughter, were classmates, I think) and I can assure you Hal J. is really well-known as a talk show host on the radio there (sorry, I forgot the call letters) and Syl and I keep a sharp eye on them--which I think they secretly appreciate, don't you? Sure they do.

Okay, you know how your eyes get tired, sometimes, after too much reading--oh, one more thing about Hal Senior, Syl's husband, some of you may not know, he's battling Macular Degeneration but can still read a computer screen for messages; contact me for his address, should you want it. Anyway, as we read more and/or get older (that is, you get older, not me!) A big help is Large Type books, and since Mysteries and Westerns are two prime destinations for readers wanting "escape", we try to order in a good selection of each, certainly in Fiction.

Let me tell you about one from an excellent writer of Westerns, Wilbur Smith (that sounds like a fake name, doesn't it?), who's written 30 of these novels! This one is, "Those in Peril", and it concerns a kidnapping, off a private yacht belonging to Hazel Bannock, owner of Bannock Oil, and she is not on board at the time, but her daughter, Cayla, is and the ransom asking price is 20 billion! Complications in political and diplomatic circles "make it impossible for the world's major powers to intervene, so when Hazel is given evidence that her daughter is being tortured, she calls on Hector Cross." Somehow, I began talking about a Western and have ended up on the high seas.

The inestimable Mr. Cross is the owner/operator of Cross Bow Security and he doesn't mind "taking the law into his own hands when it's clear what has to be done." The assasins/hijackers are very mean and bloodthirsty, the writing is very graphic over what is done to some of the participants, in torturing them, some violent deaths, and, finally a good end with some--not all--of the people still alive and a good beginning ahead. I really got interested in this book--I'm thinking that maybe he's not exactly a Western author, but he sure writes a good adventure story and has done his research for them "on his numerous expeditions." Impressive!

Another "read" to consider is "Through the Cracks", by Barbara Fister, and, for some reason, her picture on the back flyleaf and the caption under it amused me. I haven't heard of this author, and, indeed, she has written only one other novel, but it was well praised--anyway, here's a picture of a pleasant looking, smiling, middle-aged lady who's been, I can tell, to the hairdresser to get her hair "blonded up" (I made that phrase up, as you can tell!) and it says, "Barbara Fister lives in rural Minnesota where she works as a librarian at a small liberal arts college." Period. End of biography. They didn't even mention her other novel, set in my hometown of Chicago, she was married or single, no mention of a nice doggie, or where she got her haircolor done--nada.

Okay, so I've looked in her newest book, her Chicago P.I. is named Anni Koskimen, and her new client has her up against some bad odds. "After spending 20 years in prison, a black man convicted in a notorious rape case has had his sentence overturned--and the victim wants to know who was, then, really responsible for the crime that has scarred her life." However, even if Annie can find out who did the crime, a conviction won't be possible on the old charge--unless the rapist has done it to another woman--and the victim has put time and effort into finding out that there are, indeed, indications that someone is "attacking women with ferocious anger." Then, as Annie digs deeper, the state's attorney who prosecuted the original case insists the conviction was solid-no miscarriage of justice was committed--and that the man only got out on a technicality.

Meanwhile, Annie's friend, Dugan, has a case in which an undocumented Mexican gang member has been arrested for the murder of a missing woman and this case "has gripped the city and fueled anti-immigrant sentiment." This author has her characters believable, the plot seems to move right along--the print is rather small and that can be distracting (remember my earlier comment on people's eyesight sometimes being affected? This print wouldn't be a picnic to read!)

They mentioned "Avalon Park" and I sat up straighter--the park near our apartment, in Chicago, was called that and I really sat up when the characters went to an all-night diner called "Clarkes", which was my maiden name--things were getting spooky, I thought! You have to "stay with" this book--it's not some story you breeze through while waiting for your computer to sign on--once you've started, you keep on keeping on. Interesting story and pretty well written--a good Summer read!

One of the disadvantages of not being able to go into Liberal Memorial Library is not being able to find the book I want, check it out, put it on my desk, take it home after work and begin to read it. This is because I'm nine and a half hours away! And, let me tell you, Poppets, that the book "Untold Story", by Monica Ali, that you'll hear about next is one I'd grab off the shelf--now.

Have you heard Ms Ali's interesting theory--that Diana, yes, that Diana--did not die in that terrible car wreck, driven by a drunk chauffeur and chased by the press by car and motorcycle--Diana survived. Had she lived, she would have turned 50 years old July 1 of this year. "Adored by millions, she suffered rejection, heartbreak, and betrayal; surrounded by glamour and the constant attention of the world's press, she fought to carve a meaningful role for herself in helping the needy and dispossessed."

The book is based on the interesting supposition--suppose Diana had not died but lived, would she ever have found peace and happiness or would her fame have caught up with her again? This author fast forwards this "what if" scenario and the averted Paris tragedy to a small, not-a-town-you'd-notice in the Midwest and a lady named Lydia who works at an animal shelter "and swims a lot". She has close friends and a man who adores her but doesn't really know her. The question is about the cost of celebrity and the possibility--or not--of reinventing a life.

A man (a reporter) breaks into her house carrying a camera, and goes up to her bedroom, opens the door, and finds himself facing a revolver and a furious Lydia. Better get the book--I know I will. The cover is a picture of Diana, half-turned away from the camera but you'd know her anywhere. Enjoy and ponder the question asked in the book--i.e. what would have happened had Diana not died?

This thriller, "Pacific Heights", by Paul Harper, is actually the work of a man named David Lindsey, who lives in Austin, Tx., about an hour and a half from Kerrville and sometimes I wonder why authors use a fake name? Ah well, "ours is not to question why", dear readers. This title is the start of a new series, and a former intelligence officer headlines this "psychologically twisted novel" a man named Marten Fane--and the monster he has to capture is a man named Ryan Kroll, "known throughout the private sector as a man who can obtain information by any means, often using "creative" and violent tactics to get what he wants."

When Kroll finds material--and steals it--from a psychotherapist who is treating two wives of prominent San Francisco's powerful men whom Kroll is having affairs with, it becomes obvious that he is responsible for manipulating them to the point of their insanity and it becomes deadly. It becomes Fane's job to stop him and while Fane is known for his clear head and brains and he "might be the perfect person to foil Kroll's mental games and prevent him from committing what could possibly be a form of murder."

Okay, so I did my usual "stroll " through the book. The professional therapist learns the name of the man beginning to desperately worry both women--the same man but under different names--Ray Kern and Philip Krey--"and to see these two damaged women reverse their characters in the face of this man's manipulation of them was sobering to Vera (the therapist). It spoke to the power of this man's personality and influence over them and it was very frightening. What kind of a man could have such an effect on these two very different women? And why would he want to?"

That last question I found "the hook" in this story. Not only why would he want to but also he obviously had gotten a lot of information on the two women but for what purpose--hate? an old score to settle? Was the fact that the two women went to the same therapist central to Kroll's "plot"? Really a great ending--scary and believable. Get the book and plan to step up late at night--several nights--to finish it.

Okay, Poppets, Rufus Cooper wants his evening walk--we're down to 91 degrees at dinnertime and I'll need a sweater!--so, I hope you've got some idea of what, perhaps, to read. Go see the movie "The Help", keep reminding yourself that although it's hot, you're not watching a house float downstream of the river you've been living on, nor do you have to endure a tornado that has destroyed your home entirely, so fix an iced tea or pour a glass of chilled white wine, go out on your patio or deck or backyard tonight and be thankful that some bright boy invented air conditioning.

Do not forget fresh water for your dog or cat both in the morning and at night 'cause after it's been in the dish all day, it tastes "funny". Hang on, Fall is coming and I just know that when it's Sept. 1st, you'll feel it's Fall and feel cooler. By the way, my governor, Rick Perry, has declared for the presidency and while I can't understand why anyone in their right mind would want to be president, I wish him luck--and I do all of you. Bye!

Curious George Wartime Escape

August is here and thoughts are turning to the start of another school year. Summer activities have wound to a close at the library with the final event for summer reading--the tee shirt claim. Readers who reached their goal were not only able to come and pick up their tee shirts on August 4 in the late afternoon, but were treated to an ice cream sundae of their own construction as well. Good work, all you diligent readers! Remember, if you were unable to come to claim your shirt on August 4, you will need to pick it up by August 20, or call the library to make other arrangements.

On the 9th, the library hosted Kansas State University Children's Literature professor Joe Sutliff Sanders who was brought to Liberal in conjunction with the Wartime Escape exhibit currently at the Mid America Air Museum. Sutliff Sanders presented a wonderful, informative program focusing on World War II conditions in France at the time of the German invasion helping those in attendance to better understand the climate under which the German born Jewish Reys, creators of the popular Curious George books, escaped from Paris, and eventually from Europe. Sutliff Sanders was keynote speaker that evening at the Mid America Air Museum for a Chamber After Hours event. The library is excited to partner with the Air Museum on this project, which was made possible, in part, by a grant from the Kansas Humanities Council.

The library has planned additional activities to go along with the Air Museum exhibit which include two days designated for Read with Curious George. Youngsters may come between the hours of 3:30 and 5:30 on Tuesday, August 23, and Thursday, August 25, and read with our large Curious George plush. We will have a number of Curious George titles available. Any youngster taking part will get their name entered into our drawing for a Curious George plush and book combination. In addition, there will be tickets to the museum exhibit given away.

On Tuesday evening, August 30, a bi-lingual Curious George story time will take place in the Children's Library at 6:30 p.m. The regular story time on Thursday, September 1, at 9:15 a.m. will have the Curious George theme. On Saturday, September 10, a video session will take place at 10 a.m. in the Cooper Clark Room. This will feature short stories from the PBS Curious George program and will last approximately 90 minutes. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Museum tickets and a chance to enter the drawing will also be available at these events, which are open to anyone interested.

The library has purchased additional Curious George books for our collection. These include some bi-lingual titles and some Spanish titles. Several of the DVDs which are produced by the PBS Curious George series were also purchased. For patrons interested in the book which parallels the exhibit, it is entitled The Journey that Saved Curious George by Louise Borden, with illustrations by Allan Drummond. This book can be found in the Children's Library. Another recent addition to our collection is the biography entitled H. A. Rey by Cari Meister. This is a simpler written, smaller book which contains a glossary and suggested websites in the back.

As Sutliff Sanders mentioned in his presentation, there are a lot of children's books which deal with the holocaust that help children to better understand it. One book which he shared is entitled The Grand Mosque of Paris: A Story of How Muslims Saved Jews During the Holocaust by Karen Gray Ruelle. This book is on the current list of nominated titles for the William Allen White Award in the third through fifth grade category. Here's a description which the WAW Committee provided:

"During the Nazi occupation of Paris, no Jew was safe from arrest and deportation to a concentration camp. Few Parisians were willing to risk their own lives to help. Yet many Jews found refuge in an unlikely place, the sprawling complex of the Grand Mosque of Paris. Not just a place of worship, but also a community center, this hive of activity was an ideal temporary hiding place for escaped prisoners of war and Jews of all ages, including children."

The library owns both of these titles, as well as many others about World War II and the holocaust. They are well worth checking out.

Story times begin again August 18. This is a fun time for little ones. It not only exposes them to early literacy skill building but also gives them socialization time. It's a good time for parents, grandparents, and caregivers to connect as well. Check with the library for a schedule of times and age groups or go to our website at lmlibrary.org.

For those of you with a special place in your heart for Winnie the Pooh, he will be turning 90 on August 21. If you would like to send him a birthday card, here is the link

http://www.nypl.org/blog/2011/06/29/winnie-the-pooh-birthday

Even though you may be bustling around to get children ready for the start of school, don't forget that the library has great resources for both academic and leisure reading. Stop by frequently. See you at Memorial Library!

Drop by the library for August events

The ice cream and t-shirt pickup wrapped up the summer reading program for the year. If your child or teen earned a t-shirt for completing the program and reaching their summer reading goal, they can be picked up at the library.

The library has partnered with the Mid America Air Museum on its latest exhibit, "The Wartime Escape: Margaret and H.A. Rey's Journey from France." It tells the story of the Reys journey, featuring framed prints by artist Allan Drummond and supplemental images from the DeGrummond Collection of Children's Literature at the University of Southern Mississippi. The whole exhibit was organized by the Institute for Holocaust Education in Omaha.

The library is running programs in conjunction with the Air Museum's exhibit.
One of the programs will feature Kansas State professor Joe Sutliff Sanders, a specialist in children's and adolescent literature, who teaches a broad variety of courses relevant to books for young readers, who will be at the library over lunch on Tuesday, August 9. He journaled in photographs the journey of the Reys, authors of the Curious George books as they fled Paris in the summer of 1940 on their bicycles over a five month adventure by bike, train, and boat that brought them over the Atlantic Ocean.

The Library and Lunch pick of the month is "The Metropolis Case" by Matthew Gallaway. The group will meet on Tuesday, August 16 at 12 p.m. The novel is a debut for the author and follows the interconnected lives of four characters living in different cities, all of whom have a passion for Richard Wagner's Tristan and Isolde: Lucien is an opera singer coming of age in mid-19th century Paris; Anna, an opera singer reaching the height of her career in 1960s New York; Maria, a promising young singer but a difficult student; and Martin, an aging lawyer whose love of music might save his life.

The author is a former musician who twines opera and punk by illuminating their shared passion and chaos. My opera experience dates back to spending a semester abroad and ending up at Moravskie divadlo one night with three fellow students, two from Iowa and one from Michigan, as we watched Madama Butterly in Czech. According to an educated source, Phillip, a library co-worker the play was stolen from the Chinese.

The Book and Movie will feature "How it Was With Dooms" by Xan Hopcraft on Thursday, August 18 at 6 p.m. Xan recounts the life of Dooms, a cheetah who lived on the Hopcrafts' game ranch in Kenya until Xan was 7.

The library invites young adults to a Teen Reader's Advisory as they collaborate on new and exciting ideas for programs at the library. They will meet on Thursday, August 25 at 4 p.m.

The library had the pleasure of having western romance writers Linda Broday and Phyliss Miranda in the library a few weeks back for a presentation and book signing. According to one of their newest blog entries, in Petticoats and Pistols (great name) Liberal is smokin' hot.  http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style

As always, for the latest library programming take a peek at the library website or grab a newsletter from the circulation desk. Stay tuned and connected through our social media pages. If you have any questions or suggestions about books or programs don't hesitate to ask. Hope to see you at the library this fall!

Young Adult Fiction

Pay attention, Poppets! This column will be a little, teensy-weensy bit different than previous columns by yours truly--i.e. this will be a column talking about Young Adult (or YA ) books that are written for and published for boys and girls between 11 and 17-- and the subject matter is not what it was "when I was that age" (sounding like the typical "older generation".) I had asked my director, Jill, about doing a column for YA readers and she thought it a good idea and I, for some reason known only to God and me, thought that would bear fruit in, oh, 3 or 4 months.

The books arrived yesterday. I honestly did not look on their spines, of the first two books I pulled out of the box, 'cause I just knew that of course they would be fiction, for this Sunday. They were--but not adult fiction -- which I picked up real quick when the first sentence I read was; "When Sam met Grace, he was a wolf and she was a girl." I thought - "Oh, yeah, I dated those guys in college, figured out what THEY wanted quickly, smiled sweetly, and found a date for a tennis game--where there was a net to jump over!"

To go on, "That should have been the end of their story, but Grace was not meant to stay human--now she is the wolf." Now, I was confused--I mean, I went to high school and college with girls known to be "fast"--we all did! Remember how they dressed and the make-up and the "attitude"? Well, I suppose you could, if you wanted to, find some of my classmates who might think I had the last of the 3--but I was usually on the courts, in the pool, in the yearbook office, or getting rid of--and despairing of getting the attention of--either one type of college boy or the other. But I was not a "wolf"!

So, I looked at the book cover, and it said, "Forever", by Maggie Stiefvater, and on the spine was the YA symbol--ah yes! The clouds parted and the sun came through--Jill had sent a selection of books for teens-just as I'd suggested. I thought all was well--I'd simply look at the flyleaf info and leaf through and read parts of the book. Yeah, right.

Okay, in this book the wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be killed in one big roundup and while Sam loves Grace, "and one boy and one love really change a hostile, predatory world? The past, the present, and the future are about to collide in one pure moment--a moment of death or life, farewell or forever." Yeah, I guess. In any case, dear readers, we have got to--absolutely got to--keep in mind that these books are not written for the world-weary and world-wise of we "grown-ups", but (all together now!) for Young Adults.

There's a lot of tenderness between these two people, and descriptions or scars and dirt literally on their skin and underneath their nails because they change into wolves and are in the woods, she learns who wants to kill Sam and who wishes her harm and has to use her skills, both human and wolf, to deflect the death coming at them. I am not going to divulge the end of the story but it not only involves Sam but her father and his understanding and thoughts.

Okay, next YA title. "On the Volcano", by James Nelson, which also involved grave danger but a love story and how it all affects Katie's father and their future. (For those of you who have little or no interest in YA books and are about to leave me and run errands or floss the cat's teeth, thanks for staying this long and better luck the next column For those of you who are still here and have young adults to buy for or just want to know "what's out there for my teen reader", stay awhile.) See, the thing I realized about the YA books was that if it is well written, and you start looking through it, the principles of a good story and the characters reach out and "grab" you and keep you interested.
Katie and her father live on their own, on the side of a crater of a collapsed volcano and they've built a happy life up there--"far removed from the frontier perils of the world below them"--but then Katie's birthday comes along. "With it comes grave danger and tremendous love and also, heart-pounding but tender romance, the kind to build a life on." A tragedy happens with a young man, Jess, who finds his way up the volcano side, involving the rape of Katie, and it seems as it her sense of guilt and somehow being to blame will hurt all of them.


Lorraine, who I'm sure is her father's good friend, is very supportive of her and her dad and what was necessary to do, but, of course, the sense of guilt over having to kill Jess haunts them, then another man, Dan, is killed and his father comes to face them, first saying he believes that two Indian tracks prove that two men were trailing his son, then, upon spying a glass in their cabin much like his murdered son, accuses Katie's dad, Jack, of killing him. No amount of explaining to the desperate father, by Jack and Lorraine, convince him otherwise, and he shoots Katie's dad. So, soon after Dan's father rides away, Katie knows how to track him and shoot him with bow and arrow. I think all ends up well, Katie is "taken" with the young deputy and all's well that ends well, I guess, and it seems that the deaths were easily explainable and forgivable.

Even I have heard of the authoress, Carol Lynch Williams, who wrote the excellent novel, "The Chosen One", listed on "Best Books for Young Adult Readers" and her new one is, "Miles From Ordinary", a story about a young girl, getting her first job helping at the library and Lacey, 14, is so hopeful not only for her job but also for her mother starting out on a new one at a store. Her dad's gone and her mother's always been "different" and is scared about how Momma's going to do at the Winn-Dixie food store, beginning that day also, and would she stay there?

Lacey looked forward to having a friend at the library whom she could talk to and maybe spend overnight with---if she could leave Momma overnight. She's a caring, loving daughter who has to look after her mother and worry where she is. A boy, Aaron, whom she went to school with last year, helps her look for her mother when she isn't at Winn-Dixie, later in the day, and she tells him a little about her mother's illness and her Aunt Linda. These YA books, I've learned in a short time, are constantly full of things happening, thoughts expressed--silently or aloud to others--and constant drama.


Her mother is possessed by Granddaddy's memory, adopts his voice and then tell Lacey that he misses both of them and wants both she and her mother to "join him" and Lacy is propelled to her bedroom, by Momma, and turned towards the closet where Granddaddy hung himself--you'll have to get the book and read the final chapter yourselves! Be warned--this is not a "pretty" story.
Gary Schmidt wrote "Okay For Now", and I'm hoping, as I open it, that it's less dramatic and quirky and frightening than the previous books. The story is about a young man, Doug Swieteck, and his daily living in a new environment/home he calls "the Dump. " It is the summer of 1968, the Apollo space missions are underway, Joe Pepitone is slugging for the New York Yankees, and the Vietnam War is raging.

"His home life includes a father who has lost his way, a brother accused of robbery and an older brother coming home from war--and what wounds will he have and how will his being added to the family affect Doug's life? Then, he meets Mrs Windermere "who drags him to a theater opening he does Saturday grocery deliveries and meets people who will surprise him and affect his life. This is, supposedly and an aim of the author's, that transforming power of Art over disaster in a story about creativity and loss, love, and recovery, which includes survival. A grand plan for any author, I thought, and began to look through it.

His wonderful art instructor also teaches him about life, a little about love, and he also learns his brother, Lucas, is coming home "a little bit changed", the letter says from his buddy written to his mother, and his father made them all go to the Bullard Paper Mill annual picnic and he and Mr. Bullard won the contest on Baseball stats, and Mr. Bullard teaches him how to throw horseshoes, and his sort of- girlfriend gets him to show her, and lots of things happen to young master Swieteck. There's saving Joel in a bad, really bad asthma attack, there's the part about being bribed by a print of Au dubon's, "The Snowy Heron" to help in a play, Lucas gets a job helping the Coach at the high school (who was really impressed at how well Lucas could handle his wheelchair going up and down the library steps) and all's well that ends well for Doug's family and friends. The End.

Good Heavens! These YA books can wear you out just trying to tell about them, much less, as a reviewer, having to read almost all the book to see what else is coming around the corner for the characters. I can certainly see why the readers get so involved in the stories! I'm most admiring of the authors who have the "secret" to writing challenging plots and believable characters, and I can pity the writers who think writing a book for young readers is a piece of cake--you better have an excellent, empathetic sense of what's going to come out real and believable or else think of something else to do. These stories are really good, and in trying my feeble best to tell about them--I'd have to write a column for each book--as witness the last part of my effort to "wind up" the story "Okay For Now." I had a hard time even finding a stopping point, so much was still happening up until the last three pages and I just finally stopped--and could have gone on for another 6 or 7 sentences. I'd unequivocally urge you to pick up one of these titles or any on the shelves in the library and begin reading--you'll be there for another hour, standing or sitting in the same place--and just "pulled in" to the characters and their lives.

I will promise to do this twice more before the end of the year; meanwhile, eat your veggies, don't complain about the heat--you have shady spots and air conditioning--no one likes a whiner, if, by the time you read this no compromise has been reached by the "I've taken a stand and won't move off it" men and women of Congress, pray for all of us! I'd have been, with that attitude, sent to my room "to collect myself" and it's always tough when people "take a stand" and express it verbally and in writing because then they can't or won't abandon it for fear of appearing "weak." As one of my neighbors can say (with devastating tone and puzzled look--very effectively) "Really?

I loved the last part of "Harry Potter" and thought the actors had matured in their craft well and ended with a flourish and my next movie is going to be "Cowboys and Aliens" 'cause who wouldn't want to watch the fun of seeing Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig stand off winged monsters and awful creatures--all the while on horseback? The trick is to do it with aplomb (no, I won't tell you what it means--look it up!) Y'all take care and let's all rejoice that we're going to have Football season--here in Texas it's un-American to have it cancelled for any reason!

Summer Events

Summer Reading 2011 has now gone into the history books here at Memorial Library. Readers have turned in their logs and the tee shirt order has been submitted. High readers were rewarded with Grif Golf and a picnic this past Tuesday. Everyone who attended had a fun (but rather warm) time out in the sun, but then got to eat their fill of pizza in the nice, shady picnic area. Our high readers are to be commended. It takes at least 35 hours of reading in the five weeks of summer reading to get into the club. As a whole, Summer Reading 2011 was very successful. Well over 450 young people took part, with 3,522 hours of total reading time turned in between the children and the teens.

The only thing that remains is for everyone to claim their tee shirts, which will take place on Thursday, August 4, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. If your child earned a tee shirt, please mark that date on your calendar. It is truly a shame to have children work for their tee shirts then not have them claimed.

Doing cooperative projects with other agencies is one of the fun things about this job and a great one is coming up. As was mentioned in this column space last Sunday, Mid America Air Museum is bringing an exhibit called Wartime Escape from Exhibits USA to their facility from July 27 to September 23. The library is planning some interesting programs in conjunction with the exhibit. The exhibit tells the story of Curious George creators H.A. and Margret Rey and their escape from Paris just as the Nazi invasion was taking place during WW II.

The Children's department is planning programming to showcase Curious George and will host special programming as well. A complete schedule will be available in the near future. All the events are made possible by a grant from the Kansas Humanities Council.

Once summer reading is completed, planning for fall begins once again. Our storytimes will start on Thursday, August 18. The various ages of little ones will return to their previous groupings: Lapsit storytime is for children birth to 19 months; Toddle In storytime is for children 19 months to 3 years, and preschool time is for children 3 to 5. The session times are just going to be tweaked slightly. Preschool time still begins at 9:15 and ends at 10:00, but toddler time is moving up by five minutes to start at 10:15 and end at 10:35. Lapsit time will then begin at 10:50 and end at 11:10. Storytimes are grouped into six sessions, followed by a break of two weeks before the next session begins. Schedules for the first session are now available both in the library and on our website. Be sure you stop in and sign your little one up.

A lot of parents and grandparents have been in this summer wanting to start their children reading or wanting to know what we have for young readers. Our easy reader collection used to be shelved in the center of our easy books. Since the installation of our bins for easy books, the easy reader collection has moved. It is now located on the west side of the first set of north-south running shelving. A lot of the books have the reading level right on the spine, making it fairly easy for someone who has a little time to invest to locate the level of books they are looking for. However, using the card catalog could prove to be a more efficient way.

Once in front of the card catalog screen, click the 'advanced search' button. This allows movement to the center column and changing of the blue word location from 'Liberal Memorial Library' to either 'Children's Area' or even, in this case, 'Easy Reader Books'. Once you have done that, type in 'I can read'. If you want a specific reading level, you can type in 'level 1, for instance following the 'I can read'. For those who are in search of the very first readers, type in 'My first I can read'. Library staff members are happy to assist patrons in locating materials or with any questions they may have. There are a lot of great titles in this section, with new titles arriving regularly. Stop in and check out what we have. See you at Memorial Library!

I Geek...

Residents of Liberal may soon add a new verb to their vocabulary-- 'geek.'

The Liberal Memorial Library is participating in Geek the Library, a community-based public awareness campaign. The campaign highlights what people are passionate about and how libraries can support them, in an effort to heighten awareness about the critical funding issues public libraries face.

Geek the Library features local educational material that introduces 'geek' as a verb, and encourages the public to talk about what they 'geek'--whether it's engineering, superheroes or art. The public awareness campaign illustrates the fact that everyone is passionate about something--everyone 'geeks' something--and that the library supports them all.

"This campaign is designed to provoke conversation about the vital role that public libraries and librarians play in today's challenging environment," said Cathy De Rosa, global vice president of marketing for OCLC, a non-profit library cooperative which led campaign development and conducted a pilot campaign from June 2009 to April 2010. "We hope it will spark important community discussions about how public libraries can remain strong."

The awareness campaign features advertising, social networking elements, a Web site and grassroots community initiatives to draw attention to the need for increased library support. The campaign Web site, www.geekthelibrary.org, provides information about how people can get active and support their local library.

As the economic downturn slowly recovers, millions of Americans are turning to local libraries for educational opportunities, job-searching resources and entertainment. The increased demand for library services is taking a toll on libraries already experiencing flat or decreasing budgets. And state and local cuts are impacting public library hours, programs and staffing, forcing some libraries to close indefinitely.

While most people have visited their public library and understand its important role in their community, many do not know that libraries are at risk or that local funding for libraries is heavily influenced by community members.

This public awareness campaign hopes to start a conversation about library funding to inspire more people to take personal responsibility for keeping their local public libraries vital in their communities. The campaign will not support or oppose any candidate for public office, nor attempt to influence legislation.
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The Liberal Memorial Library and the Seward County Historical Society welcomes award-winning authors Phyliss Miranda and Linda Broday to Liberal from July 14-16.

Miranda and Broday will be discussing their latest western romance, "Give Me a Texas Outlaw" at a social at the Library on Thursday, July 14 at 6:00 p.m. and at a breakfast at the Coronado Museum on Saturday, July 16 at 8:00 a.m.

Both events at the Library and the Coronado Museum are free to the public.
"Give Me a Texas Outlaw" is the fourth in a series of anthologies by Miranda, Broday, Dewanna Pace and best-selling author Jodi Thomas. A fifth anthology is slated to come out in October of this year.

The first three books are "Give Me a Texan," "Give Me a Cowboy," and "Give Me a Texas Ranger."

For more information on the events, contact the Liberal Memorial Library at (620) 626-0180 or the Seward County Historical Society at (620) 624-7624.

For more information on the authors, you can visit their websites at www.phylissmiranda.com and www.lindabroday.com.

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The Liberal Memorial Library is happy to be partnering with the Mid America Air Museum on its latest exhibit, "The Wartime Escape: Margaret and H.A. Rey's Journey from France."

The Library will be running programs in coordination with the Air Museum's exhibit, which tells the tale of Margaret and H.A. Rey perilous escape from France during World War II. The Reys are the renowned authors the Curious George series.

The Library will have children's programming on Curious George for the children as well as programs for adults and teens on World War II and the Holocaust. We will also have tickets to the exhibit.
"The Wartime Escape: Margaret and H.A. Rey's Journey from France" is expected to begin at the Mid-America Air Museum later this month.

For more information on the exhibit, you can contact the Air Museum at (620) 624-5263. For more information on Library programming, you can call us at (620) 626-0180 or visit our web site

Summer Reading

Every year it is just amazing how quickly Summer Reading passes and how much fun everyone has. This year's theme One World, Many Stories has been a great way for children to learn about people from other countries and about the countries themselves. Every week we put up a new map,and the young people have really enjoyed finding various places on each map.

Weekly programs have highlighted different continents. This past week found us 'down under' in Australia where we learned about interesting animals that are not found any place else in the world. Young people learned, for instance, that a red kangaroo can move at over 30 miles per hour. They also learned what a marsupial is and that wombats are nocturnal as well as habitat destructive. In addition, the older children experienced a didgeridoo, a boomerang, and a bullroarer. Toward the end of the week, SCCC student and native Australian Nathan Nelmes came to charm the audience with his accent and to share interesting information about Australia. The library is so fortunate to have these young people available and willing to share with us.

Summer Reading will be coming to a close on July 1. Those who are signed up need to remember to get their reading logs turned in by 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 2.

The final week will feature the continent of Africa. On Tuesday at 1:30, there will be two speakers from that continent. These young men are also SCCC students. On Thursday the Lee Richardson Zoo will be sending an employee from their education department with a special program. These programs are always quite popular. Make sure you plan to arrive early in order to get a good seat and because zoo regulations require that no late arrivals be admitted for the safety of their animals.

Lots of reading has gone on this summer--between the 300 plus children birth through age 12 who are signed up for the program, our teens, and our adult summer readers. One teen set 120 hours for a reading goal and reported in the middle of week four that her goal had been reached! That's an amazing amount of reading.

When young people read things of interest to them, they may not realize that they are also helping to strengthen their reading skills. This leads to academic success, which every parent desires for their child. Parents are to be commended for getting their children involved in this worthwhile program and for setting an example by reading themselves.

Lots of fun books are coming being placed on our shelves weekly. One such title is The Voyage of Turtle Rex by Kurt Cyrus. This book chronicles the hatching of a sea turtle in prehistoric times. This book is a wonderful selection for dinosaur lovers. There seem to be a plethora of sheep books lately. Hide and Sheep by Andrea Beaty finds Farmer McFitt trying to shear somewhat illusive sheep. In this clever counting book, he finally gets the last one sheared as it follows young Mary and heads into school. Another recent sheep book addition is No Sleep for the Sheep by Karen Beaumont. Poor sheep is fast asleep, complete with teddy bear, in the big red barn until a duck quacks loudly at the door. Once duck and sheep are fast asleep, a goat comes to the door. Several other animals disturb sheep's sleep.

A new book by Denise Fleming encourages shouting and is titled Shout! Shout it out! This book encourages kids to show what they know. It goes through numbers, the A-B-Cs, colors, and several other fun things.

Pig Kahuna by Jennifer Sattler is a cute book to show children to not be afraid to try new things. Big brother pig Fergus loves the beach but avoids the water due to the ickiness factor. Check this one out to see what happens when a surfboard floats onto the shore near Fergus and little brother Dink.

Several chapter books have also gone onto our shelves. Whatever your reading preference, come on in and check out our materials, both old and new. See you at Memorial Library!