What is this book about? This novel is the sequel to Lisa See’s Shanghai Girls, however, I believe there is enough background information given to read it on its own. Joy is nineteen years old and has just found out a big family secret. This takes her on a journey from her home in California to Shanghai to find her birth father. China in 1957 was in the midst of the beginning of Communism. Joy gets caught up in the Communist vision, falls in love and quickly marries a Chinese man when she visits a village collective. She soon finds that life in the collective is not the ideal that it is promised to be. When Pearl finds out what happened to her daughter, she is horrified and follows her to China to try to save her.
My Review: I have enjoyed several of Lisa See’s novels and this one is good as well. See always does her research and it really shows here. Communist China comes to life through the eyes of Joy. The hardships she faces while living in the collective were sometimes difficult to read. The tragedy surrounding this period was that Mao’s Great Leap Forward ended up being a man made famine. We see the horrors of that famine and what desperate people will do out of extreme hunger. In the beginning, Joy is a bit foolish as a character, but you must remember that she is just a teenager and still naïve. She definitely learns some very hard lessons by the end of the whole ordeal.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Insightful, Tragic, Eye-Opening
Give This a Try if You Like…Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Memoirs of the Geisha, The Killing Fields
Author: Matthew McConaughey | Narrator: Matthew McConaughey
From the Academy Award–winning actor, an unconventional memoir filled with raucous stories, outlaw wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction.
Yearbook
Author: Seth Rogen | Narrator: Full Cast and Seth Rogen
A collection of funny personal essays from one of the writers of Superbad and Pineapple Express and one of the producers of The Disaster Artist, Neighbors, and The Boys
The Handmaid’s Tale is the chilling tale of Offred, a woman who is stripped of her personal identity and forced to work as a surrogate for wealthy and powerful couples in a near-future dystopia. Emmy Award winner Claire Danes brings this modern classic to vivid, eerie reality.
Reese Witherspoon is the heart behind this audio adaptation of Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman. Drafted three years before it was set aside for Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, this listen features characters and storylines that many listeners will be quite familiar with.
Author: Ethan Hawke | Narrator: Ethan Hawke
The novel of a young man making his Broadway debut in Henry IV just as his marriage implodes—a book about art and love, fame and heartbreak from the acclaimed actor/writer/director.
Sunshine Girl
Author: Julianna Margulies | Narrator: Julianna Margulies
Known for her outstanding performances on the groundbreaking television series The Good Wife and ER, Julianna Margulies deftly chronicles her life and her work in this deeply powerful memoir.
-Annotations from the publishers
–Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist
#FDL is an update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.
Good morning and welcome back to story time! I’m Miss Sharon. It was nice taking some time off to get ready for Summer Reading but it’s also nice to be back with you doing story time! Today’s books are all about Pig the Pug.
Song: The More We Get Together
The more we get together, together, together,
the more we get together, the happier we’ll be.
Cause your friends are my friends,
and my friends are your friends,
the more we get together the happier we’ll be!
Written and illustrated by Adam Blabley and read with the permission of Scholastic.
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Song: The Wheels on the Bus
The wheels on the bus go Round and Round,
Round and round,
Round and round.
The wheels on the bus go Round and Round,
all through the town. (Roll hands around each other)
The wipers on the bus go Swish, swish, swish;
Swish, swish, swish;
Swish, swish, swish.
The wipers on the bus go Swish, swish, swish,
all through the town. (“Swish” hands in front of you like windshield wipers)
The horn on the bus goes Beep, beep, beep;
Beep, beep, beep;
Beep, beep, beep.
The horn on the bus goes Beep, beep, beep,
all through the town. (Slap palm in front of you like honking a horn)
The doors on the bus go open and shut;
Open and shut;
Open and shut.
The doors on the bus go open and shut;
all through the town. (Push hands back and forth in front of you)
The Driver on the bus says “Move on back,
move on back, move on back;”
The Driver on the bus says “Move on back”,
all through the town. (Point thumb over your shoulder)
The babies on the bus says “Wah, wah, wah;
Wah, wah, wah;
Wah, wah, wah”.
The babies on the bus says “Wah, wah, wah”,
all through the town. (Rub fists in front of eyes)
The mommies on the bus says “Shh, shh, shh;
Shush, shush, shush;
Shush, shush, shush.”
The mommies on the bus says “Shh, shh, shh”
all through the town. (Hold index finger in front of mouth as if saying shhh)
Written and illustrated by Adam Blabley and read with the permission of Scholastic.
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Song: Skinnamarink
Skinnamarinky dinky-dink (Put your left elbow in right hand, wave.)
Skinnamarinky Doo (Right elbow in left hand, wave.)
I (Point to eye.)
Love (Cross your arms over your heart.)
You! (Point to audience.)
Skinnamarinky dinky-dink (Left elbow in right hand.)
Skinnamarinky Doo (Right elbow in left hand, wave.)
I (Point to your eye.)
Love (Cross arms in front of heart.)
You! (Point to audience.)
I love you in the morning (Cross arms above your head.)
And in the afternoon (Cross arms around your chest.)
I love you in the evening (Cross around your tummy.)
And underneath the moon! (Cross arms above head again.)
Skinnamarinky dinky-dink (Left arm in right hand, wave.)
Skinnamarinky doo (Right arm in left hand, wave.)
I (Point to your eye.)
Love (Cross arms in front of heart.)
You (Point to audience.)
Too (Show two fingers.)
Boo boop we doo! (Wave and kiss!)
(Tune: Oh My Darling Clementine)
Thanks for sitting, thanks for listening,
Thanks for coming here today!
Now that story time is over
Hope you have a lovely day!
For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures. But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train.
It is 2015, weeks after the Supreme Court marriage equality ruling, and all Sebastian Mote wants is to settle down. A high school art history teacher, newly single and desperately lonely, he envies his queer students their freedom to live openly the youth he lost to fear and shame. When he runs into his childhood friend Oscar Burnham at a wedding in Washington, D.C., he can’t help but see it as a second chance.
This debut about three women–transgender and cisgender–whose lives collide after an unexpected pregnancy forces them to confront their deepest desires around gender, motherhood, and sex.
In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.
Seventeen-year-old Pakistani immigrant, Zara Hossain, has been leading a fairly typical life in Corpus Christi, Texas, since her family moved there for her father to work as a pediatrician. While dealing with the Islamophobia that she faces at school, Zara has to lay low, trying not to stir up any trouble and jeopardize their family’s dependent visa status while they await their green card approval, which has been in process for almost nine years.
Dean Foster knows he’s a trans guy. He’s watched enough YouTube videos and done enough questioning to be sure. But everyone at his high school thinks he’s a lesbian—including his girlfriend Zoe, and his theater director, who just cast him as a “nontraditional” Romeo. He wonders if maybe it would be easier to wait until college to come out. But as he plays Romeo every day in rehearsals, Dean realizes he wants everyone to see him as he really is now––not just on the stage, but everywhere in his life. Dean knows what he needs to do. Can playing a role help Dean be his true self?
– Annotations from the publishers
–Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist
#FDL is an update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.
What is this book about? Twenty four years ago millionaire resort owner Mildred Story sent a letter to her four adult children. It read five simple words – “You know what you did.” After years of insisting they had no idea why they were disowned and disinherited by their mother, three letters arrives in the mail. The letters are addressed to Mildred’s grandchildren. Milly, Aubrey and Jonah are offered jobs at the lavish resort on Gull Cove Island that their grandmother owns. She claims she wants to get to know them and make up for lost time. Having never met their grandmother, and only having met each other once as children, all three grandchildren are less than thrilled at the offer. However, their parents insist they go for the summer and attempt to get back in Mildred’s good graces. Shortly after arriving it is clear to Milly, Aubrey and Jonah that something is awry, and the three are determined to find out what really happened on the island twenty four years prior. However, they soon realize that some things are better left in the past.
My Review: I could not put this book down. From start to finish there were so many twists and turns that I was left guessing up until the last page. The story is told from the perspective of all three grandchildren in first person, alternating each chapter. This format made it easy to become emotionally invested in Milly, Aubrey and Jonah’s lives and better understand their frame of mind and thought process throughout the story. One thing I loved about this book was that I felt there weren’t any loose ends or unanswered questions once the story was complete. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery/thriller.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Exciting, Shocking, and Scandalous
Give This a Try if You Like… One of us is Lying by Karen M McManus, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Hi, everyone! My name is Miss Haley, and I’m so happy you’re joining me today for bilingual story time at Fondulac District Library. Bilingual is a word that means more than one language, so that means we’ll be singing songs and reading books in English and Spanish today as we learn about rainforests. Are you ready? Let’s go! ¡Vamos!
Written and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal and read with the permission of Candlewick Press.
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Craft: Hanging Sloth
Pick up a craft kit at the library while supplies last from the Youth Services Department or the drive-up window.
Supplies needed at home:
Scissors
Coloring utensils (crayons, markers, or colored pencils)
Glue (liquid or stick)
Included in supply kit:
Two pages of sloth template
Two paper fasteners
One piece of yarn
Instructions:
Color your sloth.
Cut the sloth out from the template.
Glue the sloth face onto the head of the body piece.
Use the paper fasteners to attach the sloth arms to the body. The paper is thick cardstock, so pierce the arms with the fasteners first and then pierce through the body. Then flatten out the backs of the fasteners.
Place the yarn under the arms of the sloth so it looks like he’s hanging on a vine. Then bring the ends of the yarn up above the sloth’s head and tie a knot. Now your sloth is ready to hang out and relax!
Did you know that we have a free app available on the Fondulac Library website that can help you and your child learn a new language? It’s called Mango, and you can sign up for free using your library card. Check it out by clicking here!
Dragons have ignited our imaginations for centuries! They’ve been important to fantasy books for just as long. While some dragons are as friendly as can be, there are others who wouldn’t mind a little, tasty human for a snack. Plus, there’s so many different ways dragons can look, depending on the culture they’re from! Some dragons fly through the sky without wings, and some slither over land with no legs. What do dragons look like where your family is from? Here are a couple books for different ages with all sorts of dragons in them!
Whatcha Mean, What’s a Zine?: The Art of Making Zines and Mini-Comics by Mark Todd & Esther Pearl Watson
Reviewer: Cindy, Youth Services Assistant
Genre: Nonfiction
Suggested Age: Teens, Adults
What is this book about? This book tells you pretty much everything you need to know to start making your own zines or mini comics. It starts off by explaining some of the many reasons people create and read zines and includes a brief history of zine culture and how it changed with various technological advances, most notably the copy machine. The bulk of Whatcha Mean, What’s a Zine? goes into the nitty gritty details of how to make a zine. There are several diagrams showing how to fold and cut paper in different ways and instructions for manipulating copiers to do what you want. If you’ve ever thought about making a zine or comic but didn’t know where to start, this book is exactly what you need.
My Review: This book is essentially a collection of zines that talk about making zines. I was already a little familiar with the concept of zines, but this taught me a lot of new methods for physically making them. Printing and binding your own work can be as simple or as complicated a process as you want it to be, and there are really no limits on what sort of content you create. The authors really emphasize the fact that no matter how weird or boring you might think your ideas are, the act of creating something on your own or with friends can be fun even if no one else ever reads it or gives you money for it. Pretty much the whole point of zines is creative expression.
I only have two slightly negative things to say about this book. One is that some of the pages are hard to read because they are handwritten and have a textured background. That’s pretty common with zines, though. The other is that the printer hacks they talk about probably wouldn’t work on many of the machines available these days. Most copy machines and printers work differently now than they did back in 2006 when this book was written, and it’s even easier for anyone to make art on a computer or tablet for free than it was a few years ago. All of the old-school methods they talk about in this book are definitely still useful, but it would be interesting to see an updated version that looks at some of the ways you can start making a zine online or on an app before printing it out.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Three Words That Describe This Book: practical, informative, artistic
Give This a Try if You Like… journaling, making your own comics, the Riot Grrrl movement
Cassie shares why Christine Day’s The Sea in Winter is the perfect book for young readers (ages 8-12) struggling with hopelessness. Find it on the New book shelf in Youth Services or place a copy on hold through the online catalog.
What is the movie about? Some of the names and events have been changed, but this movie is based on a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and a magazine writer. In 1998, Lloyd Vogel, a writer for Vogue magazine, was given an assignment to profile television personality Fred Rogers, also known as “Mister Rogers.” Up until this point, Lloyd’s writing and his personal life have been filled with bitterness, cynicism, and mistrust. While Lloyd shadows Mister Rogers, we get to see many aspects of their lives, both public and private. Meeting Mister Rogers, a truly genuine person who is wholly caring and honest, forces Lloyd to reexamine his preconceived notions, his feelings, and his life.
My Review: I enjoyed this movie quite a bit. It is a little quirky in its story-telling, like using miniatures reminiscent of those on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood as setting transitions between scenes. The way Tom Hanks portrays Mister Rogers, you get a real sense that Fred Rogers was not like everyone else. His active listening skills and his insightful empathy are stunningly honest and a little creepy, to be honest. However, comparing that to Lloyd Vogel’s guarded and irascible demeanor, it really shows how special Mister Rogers really was. It is easy for people to hold on to old hurts and lie to themselves, not really living honestly and in-the-moment. It was very unexpected to end up being so introspective at the end of a movie, but this one really got to me. And I enjoyed the walk down memory lane, too.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Clever, Nostalgic, Unconventional
Give This a Try if You Like…Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (documentary), Officer Clemmons: A Memoir by Francois Clemmons, and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: Neighborly Words of Wisdom from Mister Rogers by Fred Rogers