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  • Summer Reading Club is for the Whole Family

    Here my entire family went to the Spark Place for the first time! We all had a great time learning about all the possibilities!

    Over the years, Kathryn Dowell and her family have frequented the Beavercreek Community Library and taken part in lots of storytimes, crafty programs, and the annual Summer Reading Club. Kathryn’s three children, Indigo (11yrs), Iona (9yrs), and Idris (6yrs), love the Beavercreek library, or as they call it “The Mr. Tim Library,” and they’re passionate writing club goers as well as voracious readers!

    Kathryn discussed how Summer Reading Club brightens her family’s experience during the warmer months and how fun it is to participate together.

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    How long have you and your family participated in Summer Reading Club at GCPL, and what made you want to start?

    Too many years to count. We always love Library programming! I scour the program catalog for the many offerings. 

    As a parent, what would you say the benefits of participating in Summer Reading Club as a family are? What do your kids think the most fun parts of Summer Reading Club are?

    As a parent, I’m happy to say that my kids are very motivated readers. During Summer Reading they are reading books IN the Library before we even leave. My kids say they are happy to be rewarded for what they love to do; READ! 

    This is everyone outside of Beavercreek with the last book of the Ursula Vernon, Dragonbreath series (hence the pout from Indigo). We were sad the series was over, as it became a family favorite reading them all aloud together.

    What does your family enjoy most about Summer Reading Club?

    We love the themed programming. From Jeri at Fairborn and their Sew Much Fun projects to blacklight painting at Xenia, we enjoy all the creative ways the library makes the theme fun.

    Because of COVID, the past two years of Summer Reading Club have looked a little different. This year it looks like things are on their way of going back to “normal.” What are you most looking forward to for Summer Reading Club ‘22?

    I appreciate how the libraries and staff continue to support our family with virtual offerings, make and take bags or extra space in programming.

    I know you and your family are avid library-goers. What would you tell someone or another family that may on the fence about visiting the library or joining the Summer Reading Club?

    It’s only great things! With programming for all ages and interests, there is fun for everyone and their levels of comfort. 

    What’s one of your favorite memories from Summer Reading Club that you have with your family?

    We love the Wave foundation visiting with their animals. We appreciate Peace Lutheran allowing their space. We’re excited that the WAVE Foundation will be at a few GCPL locations in August; we’ll definitely be there!

    —

    Here is our Summer Reading Kick off at Beavercreek!

    Summer Reading Club is more than a library program; it’s an experience you get to have with your family. At the library we strive to foster a sense belonging and provide a space for you and your loved ones to hang out and bond over your favorite stories and fun activities.

    The summer fun isn’t over yet! Summer Reading Club runs through July, and there’s still time to track your reading and win prizes. Your library also has tons of family-friendly activities, including visits from Newport Aquarium’s WAVE Foundation in August.

    This summer, read as a family and maximize your fun at the library! Learn more at greenelibrary.info/src.

  • The Great Train Robbery, Week 2

    Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Great Train Robbery

    Were you sucked into the story from the beginning? It took me about two chapters to really get into the story, but after that, I was hooked. I liked how the pieces of the story unfolded slowly–it was nice to have the story emerge piece by piece. Sometimes, I feel like that can slow the story down, but in this case, it just made me want to keep reading.

    In these first two sections, the biggest obstacle that Pierce and his companions overcame was the problem of the four keys. They knew that two keys for the safes were stored in the railway office, and they knew, from a conversation with Fowler that Fowler kept the third key on his person at all times. But, the group had to figure out where Edgar Trent kept the fourth and final key, and they had to figure out a way to get copies of all of the keys. I thought it was fascinating the way they went about securing the keys. I felt sad that Elizabeth Trent was just used for her connection to her father. I think she was probably a nice person, and she didn’t deserve to be dragged around by Pierce. She did inadvertently share that her father had a weird habit of going in the wine cellar in the mornings, and that made Pierce believe that Trent was storing his safe key down there. Were you surprised that Trent’s key was actually the first key they obtained? I thought it was going to be the hardest one to get, but it ended up being pretty easy. I liked how they did that carriage fake to gain entry to Trent’s house. 

    It was hard for them to get the keys from the railway office! There were so many moving parts during that section. I couldn’t believe that they were able to keep everything straight. Could you believe they actually got the keys? What did you think about the fact that they used that little boy as a distraction so that Agar could pick locks in the office? That was wild that that actually worked. Watch the clip below if you’d like to see how that scene played out onscreen. 

    Were you shocked during the section about the hanging that public hangings seemed like public entertainment? I couldn’t believe the people around the hanging site would rent out their houses so that rich people could watch the hanging without being around the common folk. I cannot imagine wanting to watch something so gruesome. That sounds disgusting. But, the hanging did provide a distraction for Willy to escape from prison. Want to read more about the prison that Willy escaped from? Check out this article about the Newgate Prison. It sounds like a pretty ugly and sad place. 

    Were you curious why Pierce wants so much lead shot? I thought that was an interesting thing to need. I assume it’s something needed for the robbery, but I can’t imagine what. Do you think they are going to be shooting a lot of people? That doesn’t really seem like Pierce’s style, though. 

    This section ends with Pierce getting a leopard. This leopard allows Agar to go on the train unnoticed, and then, he is able to work on the safes. The team now has an inside man, Burgess, so it seems like they will be unstoppable. I thought it was so interesting that all of the men agreed to work for Pierce, and they did so much work without knowing what they were going to be stealing. Agar didn’t know for sure until the very last page of this section. They must have trusted that Pierce had something really big to take. Did you catch that when Crichton was writing about the people’s interest in leopards that he mentioned an automaton statue of a leopard attacking a man can still be seen in the Victoria and Albert Museum? Clink this link if you’re interested in seeing the automaton that captivated the interest of the people. Make sure to watch the video at the end of that article, so you can see how the automaton was played!

    What do you think will happen in the next section? We still have half of the book left! Do you think they will end up being successful? 

    I hope you enjoyed reading this section. I can’t wait to hear all of your thoughts in the comments! Make sure to read Part 3 for next week!

  • Enjoy More Summer Fun with Silly Sea Adventures at Your Library

    Mark Wood is a Summer Reading Club favorite, and he’s back again this year with a brand new sea-themed fun show! Now a full-time entertainer, Mark started his show business career in the third grade and taught himself magic from books he borrowed from his local  library.  For the past 40 years, Mark has entertained library patrons during the summer months with his fantastic fun shows.

    I had the pleasure of discussing Mark’s new show and what he loves about entertaining our youngest library-goers.

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    What made you want to start the Mark Wood Show?

    I saw a magician perform at my elementary school when I was 8 years old, so I started doing magic tricks I learned from books at the Jackson City Library and then performed shows at various events in southeast Ohio. I never stopped doing magic, so I have been entertaining audiences for more than 50 years.

    What’s your favorite part of performing for kids/families?

    My favorite part of entertaining audiences is watching the reaction on the children and adults faces when they enjoy what I am doing.

    Having performed at libraries in the past, what do you love about the Summer Reading Program and how do your shows incorporate the yearly theme?

    I always incorporate the library reading theme in all my summer programs. I believe it is so important to encourage the young audiences to read books and see how much they can learn about everything by just reading! All the fun things the librarians do for the summer reading really helps draw in new patrons and keeps everyone interested!

    Mark and Yellow Springs Librarian-extraordinaire Ms. Janet during past Summer Reading show.

    We’re so excited to have you back at GCPL! What do you hope our patron’s get out of your Silly Sea Adventures Show?

    My 2022 reading show “Silly Sea Adventures” is full of comedy, magic, and lots of audience participation. I hope everyone can come see my exciting program. I have performed at many of the libraries in Greene County and always look forward to returning!

    —

    Don’t miss Mark Wood’s Silly Sea Adventures on July 5th at the Fairborn Community Library and July 6th a the Yellow Springs Community Library!

  • The Great Train Robbery, Week 1

    Welcome to July’s Online Book Club! This month, we’re reading The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton.

    The Online Book Club, if you’ve never joined us before, is a book discussion group that takes place entirely online. Each week, I write a new blog post that talks about different aspects of the book, and you can interact directly with me and other readers by leaving your comments. Check back each week and see what new topics we’re talking about.

    In The Great Train Robbery, a handsome and charming thief named Edward Pierce pulls off the greatest train robbery of the century, stealing a train car loaded with gold bullion. The story tells the why and the who of the mystery, but even though readers follow the action of the robbery, they are still left to wonder exactly how the crime took place. 

    If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the movie version starring Sean Connery. Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for the movie. Feel free to still leave comments on the blog posts, even if you’re only watching the movie and not reading the book.

    We’ll read Part 1 and Part 2 for next week. I can’t wait to hear what you think in the comments section!

  • National Velvet, Week 4

    Welcome to the final discussion about National Velvet by Enid Bagnold. 

    Did you enjoy the ending? The final chapters did not go down like I thought they would. I was genuinely surprised by the way things turned out. What did you think? 

    Like I mentioned in the blog post last week, Velvet did not seem well-prepared for the race. I’m still not sure how she actually made it all the way through the event since it didn’t seem like she had any prior notice to the course. I was surprised during the racing part, Mi couldn’t even see what was happening. I thought that was a little bit frustrating because readers didn’t really know what was happening to Velvet. It felt like we built up her conquering the race, but we didn’t even get to see her participate, and we didn’t get to see her perspective. Were you disappointed by that? The racing scene was so chaotic since it was so busy and packed. I didn’t enjoy it. 

    Then, Velvet dismounts from the horse too quickly after winning, and the doctors realize she is a girl. I guess Mi and Velvet just never expected that she would win and that’s why they had no contingency plan for people finding out her gender? The whole plan was a mess from the get-go. Were you surprised that the racing officials were so upset that she was a girl? The men believed that she was committing fraud and was trying to get prize money in a dishonest way. But, it really seemed that Velvet didn’t care at all about the prize money. She just wanted to jump and she wanted The Pie to have the experience of winning. And, she wanted him to be famous. Don’t you think The Pie will continue to be famous even though he didn’t get to keep the title? 

    In the end, Velvet is not convicted of fraud, and she is able to continue on with her life. At the end, we figure that this isn’t the last adventure Velvet will have since she is the kind of person who just has great things happen to her. It is pretty spectacular how many great things happened to Velvet in a short time over the book. She was given a bunch of horses in an inheritance, she wins a raffle, she wins a race and is given prize money to enter another big race. Then, she wins that big race. What else could possibly happen to her? I can’t imagine what would be left for her to do in life. 

    Are you curious about how some of the racing scene played out in the movie? Check out the clip below to see Velvet and Mi working to get into the race. 

    Do you think Elizabeth Taylor plays a convincing Latvian young boy in that scene? I think it was pretty obvious that she was incredibly young to be participating in the race, but I guess people weren’t as concerned about that sort of thing back then. Want some more behind-the-scenes information about Elizabeth Taylor and the movie? Check out this list of facts from the filming. Which fact were you most surprised by? 

    And, if you’d like to read more about the mother character, check out this article. I thought Velvet’s mother was so kind and generous, but she wasn’t described in a very flattering light. So, I enjoyed how this article reinforces that she was a great mom.

    Finally, if you enjoyed this book and are looking for similar books or movies, check out this list I created. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list!

    Thanks for following along this month! I can’t wait to read your thoughts about the last section in the comments! Come back next month as we read The Great Train Robbery. I hope to hear from you in the comments!

  • Beavercreek Adult Take-and-Make: Bandana Garland

     

    Happy Summer, everyone!

    You can sign up for a kit here:  https://greenelibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/62b4a92e9d461aa0a45f2f45

    This month we’re making a patriotic garland using red, white and blue bandanas!

    The idea came from here:  https://www.hgtv.com/lifestyle/entertaining/how-to-throw-a-patriotic-party-on-a-budget

    Included in your kit:

    3 bandanas 

    6 feet of jute rope

    This craft is very easy, but a little tedious.

    1.  Take one bandana and fold in thirds.  Then fold in half twice.  You will have a square with folded edges on the outside. 
    2.  Using scissors or a rotary cutter, cut off all the folded edges so you have a stack of squares.
    3.  Cut the squares into 1/2″ strips.  Make sure the strips aren’t much bigger than 1/2″ or you may not have enough to finish.
    4.  Repeat with the other 2 bandanas.

    5.  On the jute rope, loop each end, and tie a knot (so that you can easily hang it later).

     

    6.  Stack one strip of each color bandana and tie it in a knot around the jute rope.  I’m not going to lie, this is tedious work and slow going at first.  However, after a few, a found a good rhythm and it wasn’t so bad.  Once you’ve tied the knot, fluff out the strips and slide to the end of the rope.  This is a perfect opportunity to listen to an audiobook!

    7.  When you’ve run out of strips or rope, you’re done!  Your garland should be 5-6 feet in length.

    As always, we love to see your finished projects!  Feel free to post them to our facebook page here:  https://www.facebook.com/BeavercreekCommunityLibrary

    Happy Crafting!

    -Morgan

  • There’s Never Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen at Your Library!

    Join the Cooking Caravan for creative culinary experiences at GCPL this summer! The Caravan is a group of chefs, artists, actors, and musicians devoted to enriching health and feeding artistic hunger.

    I had the chance to discuss some of the culinary programs with the Caravan’s Artistic Director John.

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    GCPL is excited to host a number of your Chef Battle programs! What’s the most fun part – for Caravan staff and the audience alike – of these performances and why? 

    First of all, we are excited to perform our Chef Battles at several Greene County community libraries this summer! The most exciting part of our Chef Battle is that we have no idea what the outcome will be. We show up with ingredients, tools, and chefs. Zero recipes, zero concepts. A few audience members are picked as sous chefs and we make something up. There’s so much fun to be had when making things up as you go along.  

    On your website, your mission states you feel it’s your duty to inspire and illuminate the minds of tomorrow; what is the overall message you wish you wish kids & teens to take away from a Cooking Caravan performance?

    “What’s in the fridge is what’s for dinner?” We advocate to work with what you have. Whether it’s ingredients or instruments, our job is to give our participants an experience that challenges them and inspires them to continue creating. There’s also a more practical application, though. Cooking is a basic skill that every human needs to know and explore at some level. If we can open your mind to even one new ingredient, our mission is accomplished.

    What should our patrons expect from your Chef Battle experiences? What should they know going in?

    They should expect a healthy amount of braggadocio and shenanigans. Our environment is stripped down, but the personalities are BIG. Our chefs’ main skill is their ability to unlock the ideas of their sous chefs. The sous chefs ultimately decide what to do with the ingredients, and the chefs are there to teach the fundamentals, handle any complicated or dangerous skills, and guide the experience. There is also an announcer that keeps the most important member of the team engaged: the audience (who are also the judges)!

    Anything else you wish to share with our patrons?

    Our Chef Battle produces bite-sized portions for the audience to sample and judge. One chef/sous chef team will walk away victorious, but everyone will walk away entertained. We only use whole produce, seeds, oils, herbs, and spices, and sometimes grains. There is never any meat, nuts, or dairy in the ingredients. There aren’t any heated elements in the battle; it’s just raw food, simple techniques, plating, and presentation. We can’t wait to see you all this summer!

    —

    Don’t miss the Cooking Caravan at these GCPL Community Libraries:

    June 27 – Fairborn

    June 28 – Yellow Springs & Xenia

    July 12 – Beavercreek

  • National Velvet, Week 3

    Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of National Velvet.

    Did you enjoy this section? I’m still having a bit of trouble keeping up with the dialogue. It’s just so different than modern dialogue. I can definitely tell that this book wasn’t written in the past couple of years. What do you think? Did you have trouble keeping up with the story?

    One thing that drove me crazy in this section was the fact that I could not find any information about what a Threadneedle Race was. That’s the race that Velvet wins before she decides she wants to go for the Grand National. I found lots of information about threading the needle, but nothing seemed like what Velvet was doing in this section. During the race, readers see Mrs. Brown several times with a needle flashing in the air. I could not find anything about this kind of horse race anywhere. Can any of you help me out? If you want to see what threading the needle is, check out this article or check out the clip below. 

    Mi was sure nice to the girls, making sure they were able to enter into the races. Why is he so nice to them? Is it just because of how much he respects their mother? It seems like he has kind of adopted the family as his own. I think that’s really nice because the Dad doesn’t really stand out as an overly loving or kind character. He’s not really mentioned that much. 

    In this section, Velvet wins her first race, and then, she decides that she wants to race the piebald in the Grand National race. I didn’t realize before starting this book, but the Grand National race is incredibly dangerous, and many horses have died while attempting it. If you’d like to read more about the dangers of the race, check out this article. It was a little surprising to me, after knowing what I know about the race, that a 14 year old girl would be so excited about entering. The dangers of the race were not really mentioned at all in this book, and I think that was a little unfortunate. The book is less believable once readers understand how incredibly dangerous it would be for Velvet to even consider racing. 

    Near the end of the section, Mi and Velvet decide to name the horse, “The Pie,” and Mrs. Brown gives her English channel money to Velvet, so that Velvet can enter the race. That was really sweet when Mrs. Brown handed over her coins to her daughter. Weren’t you surprised when the bank didn’t want the gold coins? I couldn’t believe that Mi didn’t seem to understand that what he was paying with was incredibly valuable. 

    Velvet decides to actually do the riding in the horse race, and she cuts her hair, so she’ll look like a jockey. Near the end of the section, Mi explains the route to her, and again, that part is just so incredibly unbelievable. She doesn’t even seem to know where she’ll be going, and she has no idea what the jumps are. This is a dangerous course–she couldn’t just head into the race without knowing anything about any of the jumps. She would be dead after the first jump. Velvet doesn’t seem to have any idea what she will do if people find out she’s a girl and not a jockey. What do you think she will do? Will people find out? What do you think will happen at the end of the book? 

    What other things jumped out to you in this section? Are you excited to get to the ending? Are you bothered by the fact that a young girl is participating in such a dangerous event? 

    I hope you’ll be able to finish the book for next week! I can’t wait to hear all of your thoughts in the comments section!

  • Venture Down Under Through Sounds of the Didgeridoo

    Prepare to be transported to the fantastic and wild world of Australia through the culturally rich music of the didgeridoo! Didgeridoo Down Under celebrates the instrument and its otherworldly sound. Founder, Darren Liebman, shares how the DDU show is an energetic fusion of Australian music, culture, puppetry, comedy, and interactive storytelling that’s perfect for kids and families.

    Darren discussed his passion for entertainment, education, and motivational storytelling with me.

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    What is it about Australia and the didgeridoo as an instrument that excites you? How do you share that with kids? 

    I was born in South Africa, but many of my relatives live in Australia, and I’ve visited many times. The didgeridoo has been played for at least 1,500 years by Australia-native Aboriginal people, making it a culturally significant instrument that creates an otherworldly sound. Plus, it’s heaps of fun to play, especially the variety of animal sounds that can be created with it. We use the didgeridoo and various percussion instruments to play mostly high-energy rhythms that get the audience hopping and grooving. The music connects with the audience and open channels of communication that enhance every other aspect of the show.

    The DDU Show is much more than music. It includes culture, comedy, character building, storytelling, and audience participation. It’s interactive, educational, motivational, and super fun for all ages. You’ll learn about Australian sea creatures, the Great Barrier Reef and more, all while moving & grooving to the pulsing rhythms of the didgeridoo! 

    What do you and your crew enjoy most about performing for kids & teens at the library? 

    We appreciate that performing gives us a platform to share our beliefs and positive messages about treating others with kindness, tolerance, and respect, and protecting the planet. We wake up every day with passion, drive, and purpose to contribute positively to our communities and planet. We do what we love, and we love what we do. It is a privilege to be able to perform for – and hopefully inspire – every audience.

    This year’s summer reading theme is Oceans of Possibilities. How do you incorporate this theme into your performance? 

    DDU is perfect for the 2022 SRP theme “Oceans of Possibilities” because Australia is home to the Great Barrier Reef and countless unique marine creatures, some of which we talk about during the show. We always promote environmentalism and protecting the oceans. 

    —

    Don’t miss Didgeridoo Down Under on Wednesday, June 22 at the Xenia and Fairborn community libraries!

  • National Velvet, Week 2

    Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of National Velvet.

    Did you enjoy reading this week? This is a different type of story than what we’ve had before. Definitely a lot less stressful than The Hunt for Red October last month! 

    I felt like I had a bit of a problem getting into the dialogue. I felt like the conversations were just hard for me to understand. Did you feel that way? Maybe there was a lot of slang or descriptive words that I wasn’t familiar with that really hindered by ability to understand everything I was reading. 

    So far, we’ve met the Brown family and Mi. Were you surprised that Velvet was as old as she was since she was pretending to ride the cut out horses? I felt very sad for Velvet because of her teeth and the band she had to wear. It seemed terribly uncomfortable, and everyone was quite mean to her about it. I also thought the way that everyone talked about Mrs. Brown was very odd. They mentioned her weight a lot, didn’t they? It was very different. I felt like her weight was her defining feature in this section, and I didn’t like that. 

    What did you think was more surprising in this section? The fact that Velvet actually won the piebald horse in the raffle or the fact that she got all of Mr. Cellini’s horses? I think the fact that she became a horse heiress was way more surprising. I thought that scene kind of came out of left field. Did you think it was a little out of place? I felt like it almost took away from the special-ness of having the piebald horse because she had a bunch of other horses, too. I had to read the Mr. Cellini scene more than once to understand what I was reading. It started off so sweet with him showing the horses off and giving the horses away to Velvet. That was so kind, and it made sense that he would want a sweet person who was obsessed with horses to have his prized animals. But, then, Mr. Cellini kills himself right after talking to Velvet and she hears him do it? I don’t understand why that was the way the author decided to have Velvet get some more horses. It seemed unnecessary, and I think, it was more confusing than helpful to the plot. What did you think of that scene? Why do you think the author included this scene in the book? 

    This section ends with Velvet deciding that she would like to race the horses in the local race. What do you think it going to happen to her when she races? Do you think she will enjoy it? What do you think will happen in the next section? 

    Did this first section and all of the narrative choices make you really curious about the author, Enid Bagnold? Check out this article first to get some background information about her, and then check out this website to see some of her papers and books. I liked seeing her signature, and I thought the old copies of National Velvet were neat to look at. Finally, check out this article to see what her house looked like. Isn’t the house so grand? Which room would you enjoy the most? 

    Finally, did you know there was also a television series based this story? Check out the intro below–does it look like it would have been a fun show? Have any of you ever see it before? 

    I hope you’re able to read through chapter 12 for next week. I can’t wait to hear your impressions of the first section in the comments.