admin - Fondulac District Library | East Peoria, IL

#FDL: Five Facts About 3D Printing

This part of the printer is called a hot-end-assembly. FDL blogger and 3D printer repair woman, Carey Gibbons, replaced the part on the left, which had seen 600 hours of work, with the shiny new part on the right this week.

Did you know that FDL has a 3D printer?

Now you do! Our website has information on how to access our 3D printer related services here. At that link, you can find a general FAQ and another link to our 3D printing request form. But, 3D printing in general is pretty amazing on both small and large scales. Since our own 3D printer just underwent some in-house repairs, I thought it would be a good time to share some 3D printing facts.

Some printers can print with weird materials like chocolate, metal, or wood. Most 3D printers, including the one at FDL, print with two kind of plastic filament – ABS or PLA. While our printer is capable of using ABS, we only use PLA because ABS filament emits toxic fumes. However, some printers are capable of printing with chocolate. Others use metal, mostly for the purpose of casting parts, but uses for metal printing have increased. Popular tech site AdaFruit even has info and tutorials on printing with wood based filament.
The medical community has embraced 3D printing technology. 3D printing has been used in medical technology for everything from creating custom braces for people with broken limbs to models of an individual patient’s brain from MRI scans. And before you think that this technology is only available in the biggest, wealthiest cities of the world, our very own OSF has a model heart library for use in treating patients and saving lives.
3D printing can take a really long time. Even though FDL’s 3D printer looks like a microwave, 3D printing is not like popping a frozen dinner in one and waiting for it to come out in a couple of minutes. 3D printing takes time – sometimes a lot of time. While 3D printing might seem like magic, it’s slow magic, and patience is key. The longest print job we’ve ever done at FDL took 22 hours. But this guy worked on a model motorcycle for over a year, using plastic filament very similar to what we use at FDL.
3D printing a gun is highly unrealistic. When the library got a 3D printer, a few people brought up the idea of the 3D printed gun, either because it had been mentioned in the news or was the subject of a popular crime drama. Most 3D printers in commercial areas for public use have a system of checks to prevent weapons of any kind from being printed. For example, at FDL, print requests are reviewed very carefully and any that are deemed dangerous are denied. Both of the 3D print specialists at FDL are well versed in print files and how certain items can be used. For more information, All3DP has a super informative article about the idea of the 3D printed firearm.
But 3D printing in space is not. In 2014, the International Space Station 3D printed its first object – a ratchet wrench. Many more items have been printed since. In fact, the company BeeHex, funded by a grant from NASA, has developed a 3D printer for the sole purpose of printing pizzas for use in space. The future is now, right?

Post by Carey Gibbons, Reference Specialist

About #FDL

Welcome to #FDL! #FDL is a twice weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria. Twice a week, library staff will make posts that highlight some aspect of library life and relate it to you – our readers. Have you ever wanted to know which Dewey number represented a certain topic? Are you looking for book recommendations based on your favorite television show or television recommendations based on your favorite book? Have you ever wondered about the secret details of librarian life? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then #FDL is for you. We look forward to writing posts that are informative and entertaining and hope that you enjoy getting better acquainted with Fondulac District Library.

admin2017-07-26T09:49:30-05:00July 26th, 2017|

#FDL: Five Questions

Tom with one of his favorite comic book series, Locke and Key.

Welcome to #FDL’s feature column, Five Questions, where we ask library staff and other East Peoria residents roughly the same five questions. For our next Five Questions column, we’re interviewing Tom Armbruster, one of FDL’s custodians – helping make FDL a awesome place you want to come to. He’s also a Library Friends volunteer.

1. Who are you?

I am the son of A.J and Mary Ann, brother of Elizabeth and Christopher. Husband of Marie, Father of Chad. I am a bassist, the “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” Master of the Universe, a pop culture consumer and (according to my mother) an unsung hero. “I’m trying really hard to be the shepherd.”

2. What is your favorite part of working at FDL?

I like seeing all the behind the scenes prep work for the exciting programs that the library does. Like the giant SORRY! Board and the Garbage Masher for Star Wars Day. And getting to see all the new and donated books that come in for the main collection and the Friends book sale.

3. What are you reading/watching/listening to right now?

I’m reading Homeward Bound a Paul Simon biography by Peter Ames Carlin, Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage and Manners by Therese Oneill and Good Clean Fun: Misadventures in Sawdust at Offerman Woodshop by Nick Offerman (Which is making me want to buy ALL THE TOOLS and make ALL THE THINGS.). I’m watching American Gods, Fargo, Better Call Saul, and recently became obsessed with Rick and Morty (Wubba Lubba Dub Dub!). I’m listening to “The West Wing Weekly” podcast from Hrishikesh Hirway and Joshua Malina and a mix of “previously unreleased” tracks from Paul Simon on CD. (My car has a CD player.)

4. If you didn’t already have your dream job, what would you be doing?

The Dream Job for me would be to be a professional musician playing bass in a touring band. Don’t need to be a millionaire rockstar, but being onstage and playing music would be a blast.

5. Is there anyone in the DCU who would be able to pick up Thor’s hammer?

Wonder Woman (Marvel Vs. DC) and Superman (JLA/Avengers) both have, but I would also make the argument that Batman could because if Beta Ray Bill could wield it because if he just wanted to protect his people, then Batman, who wants to protect the people of Gotham City, could as well.

Interviewed by Carey Gibbons, Reference Specialist

About #FDL

Welcome to #FDL! #FDL is a twice weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria. Twice a week, library staff will make posts that highlight some aspect of library life and relate it to you – our readers. Have you ever wanted to know which Dewey number represented a certain topic? Are you looking for book recommendations based on your favorite television show or television recommendations based on your favorite book? Have you ever wondered about the secret details of librarian life? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then #FDL is for you. We look forward to writing posts that are informative and entertaining and hope that you enjoy getting better acquainted with Fondulac District Library.

admin2017-07-18T15:24:14-05:00July 18th, 2017|

FDL Reads: Salad Cookbooks

FDL Reads Special Edition! A message from Dawn Dickey, Reference Assistant:

It’s too hot to cook, so I’ve been checking out cookbooks. I mostly prefer cookbooks that have nutrition information for each recipe, plenty of photos, and ingredients that are relatively easy to find.-Dawn Dickey, Reference Assistant

Cooking Light Big Book of Salads

Shaun Chavis, ed. 288 pp.

The editors of Cooking Light know how to publish recipes that catch the eye of cooks and consumers. This well-rounded cookbook includes

Pictures with every salad recipe + nutritional analysis of each salad
Ingredient guides; “100 Calorie Salad Boosters” (like 1 Tablespoon crunchy Chinese noodles); and “Shout-out” sections for various ingredients, like couscous, mangoes, or artichokes
Try: Soba noodles with chicken and vegetables p. 123; Greek chicken and barley salad, p. 155

Three Words that Describe this Book: colorful, helpful, mouth-watering

Give this a try if you like to try easy-to-make recipes that will likely please your palate!

Rating: 5/5 – top notch!!

Tossed: 200 Fast, Fresh, and Fabulous Salads

by Jane Lawson. 432 pp.

This cookbook has an intriguing title, but for me, the intrigue stopped there. I think the cookbook tries to be trendy but falls short on practicality. For example, the “poolside” section has a recipe for “marinated baby octopus salad,” not something I’m going to take to the pool any time soon – ditto for recipes asking for quail eggs and smoked trout. Not all the recipes have photos, and the text, interspersed with extra-large words, is annoying. And there is no nutrition information for the recipes – an essential for me. Interesting recipes to try: chicken with mixed rice, golden raisins, and cashews (p. 254) or Thai-style chicken salad (p. 329).

Three Words that Describe this Book: trendy suburban eats

Give this a try if you don’t mind slogging through uninspiring text/font to find some interesting recipes.

Rating: 3 out of 5 because of the annoying things & lack of nutrition information

Salad as a Meal: Healthy Main-Dish Salads for Every Season

by Patricia Wells. 360 pp.

The title of this book is a bit misleading. The author writes: “In my own personal definition, a salad as a meal does not need to include lettuce or greens; it can simply be a light and refreshing salad-related entity.” This runs counter to my own definition of “salad” and means that the cookbook contains many types of main dishes. The recipes reflect the author’s location in southern France. For a Midwesterner in the U.S., this poses a challenge in locating ingredients such as fresh mackerel or mussels or buffalo-milk ricotta cheese. There is no nutrition information, and, although there are photos, the photos are often artful garden photos and not photos of the actual dishes. Try: Provence on a Plate (p.92).

Three Words that Describe this Book: fresh, flavorful, unique

Give this a try if you like … cooking with a French flair, especially seafood

Rating: 3 out of 5 for interesting recipes but lacking in practicality

admin2017-07-17T10:59:54-05:00July 17th, 2017|

#FDL: Instructional DVDs

Did you know that FDL has instructional DVDs? I briefly thought about creating a video message about our instructional DVDs, but figured I would stick to writing. But we do have a wide variety of instructional DVDs. I know we’re in the digital age and you can learn a lot of things YouTube, but professionally made instructional DVDs will most likely have a higher quality production value, and can be viewed if you do not have access to the internet at home. FDL has instructional DVDs on a number of things, all located in the Special section of our DVD collection, but here are a few specific selections:

Simple Steps to a Greener Home: Produced by GAIAM, Simple Steps features eco-friendly living guru Danny Seo. Seo provides viewers with a green living guide to everything from remodeling to recycling and and shows that sustainability can also be done in style.

Homestead Blessings: The Art of Gardening: This is one of many Homestead Blessings instructional DVDs and takes us out of the home and into the garden. This guide covers a number of gardening styles, from the small container garden to the multi-acre vegetable garden. It also covers gardening for both food and aesthetics and has information for gardening beginners and the “seasoned” professional.

Learn to See, Learn to Draw: In this DVD, Larry Withers teaches viewers not only how to draw, but how to look at life as an artist in order to better learn how to draw. Withers looks at drawing as a skill and helps viewers to see that once they understand their subject matter, drawing becomes much easier.

30 Minute Yoga for Weight Loss: This is another DVD produced by GAIAM, and features yoga instructor Suzanne Deason. While this DVD says that this is yoga specifically for weight loss, it serves as a great beginner’s guide for people of any body type who want to try yoga for the first time.

Anyone Can Play Guitar: Have you always wanted to learn guitar? This helpful DVD will help you learn with no previous music knowledge on your part. The lessons were developed and the DVD hosted by Vern Juran, who has years of experience in teaching private and group guitar lessons.

These are just a few of the instructional DVDs we have at FDL. Feel free to come by and browse our entire selection!

Post by: Carey Gibbons, Reference Specialist

About #FDL

Welcome to #FDL! #FDL is a twice weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria. Twice a week, library staff will make posts that highlight some aspect of library life and relate it to you – our readers. Have you ever wanted to know which Dewey number represented a certain topic? Are you looking for book recommendations based on your favorite television show or television recommendations based on your favorite book? Have you ever wondered about the secret details of librarian life? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then #FDL is for you. We look forward to writing posts that are informative and entertaining and hope that you enjoy getting better acquainted with Fondulac District Library.

admin2017-07-13T08:37:31-05:00July 13th, 2017|

FDL Reads: Donner Dinner Party

Donner Dinner Party (Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales) by Nathan Hale

Reviewed by: Sylvia Shults, Circulation

Genre: Historical Fiction (Graphic Novel)

Suggested Age: Tweens, Teens

What is the book about?: Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales is a graphic novel series that describes events from history in a way that makes them easy to understand and very, very entertaining. It helps that the author chooses stories that really have the potential to hold an audience’s interest … things like the Donner party tragedy. You say history is boring? Not when Nathan Hale is here to tell those hazardous tales! The secret is that there are two Nathan Hales. Nathan Hale the Revolutionary spy tells the stories, while Nathan Hale the author writes them all down.

My Review: This is some seriously entertaining stuff about some serious subjects. The point of this series is that Nathan Hale, a spy hanged during the American Revolution, puts off his execution, Scheherezade-style, by telling the hangman and the British officer in charge of the hanging tales from American history. It’s a macabre premise for a series, but boy does it work. And the stories Hale shares border on the macabre too. I started off with Donner Dinner Party, curious to see how this could possibly be in any way funny. Hale (both the storyteller and the author) does manage it. Other stories include Harriet Tubman’s story (not macabre but intense), the Battle of the Alamo, and the First World War (Treaties, Trenches, Mud and Blood).

Three Words That Describe This Book: Funny, informative, thrilling

Give This a Try if You Like… History and/or graphic novels.

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!

admin2017-07-11T17:15:18-05:00July 11th, 2017|

FDL Reads: Landline

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Reviewed by: Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

Genre: Speculative Fiction

Suggested Age: Teens, Adults

What is the book about?: Landline is about a marriage in trouble and a magic phone that might have the power to save it. Georgie and Neal have been together since their college years. They love each other, but there have been problems in their relationship that have been festering for some time. Georgie is a T.V. show writer in Los Angeles who is very involved with her job. Neal is a stay-at-home dad who takes care of their two small children. Georgie’s demanding career seems to always come first, and Neal has had enough. The book begins when Neal takes the children away, leaving Georgie behind. Georgie goes to stay with her mom and when she tries to call Neal from a landline phone, she discovers she is talking to Neal in the past. Will this magic phone help fix their marriage before it even starts? Can she even change the future at all?

My Review: I read this book for FDL’s Out of the Box book club. We had a great discussion about it. I was very excited to see it on the upcoming reading list because I have read Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. I had very high expectations for Landline because I loved Eleanor and Park so much. That book was one that I couldn’t put down, and I remember staying up past 1:00 a.m. to find out what happens. Landline didn’t seem to have the same effect on me. Though I loved Georgie’s character, it was just an okay read. Overall, I felt the author could and has done better work.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Realistic (except for the magic phone), Romantic, Funny

Give This a Try if You Like… Contemporary fiction with a twist of magic realism, Books about complicated relationships

Rating: 3/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!

admin2017-07-05T08:10:51-05:00July 5th, 2017|

#FDL: What does it mean to “put something on hold?”

Your local library superhero is here to help!

#FDL: Demystifying Librarian Lingo – Putting Items on Hold

Chances are, you’ve come in to the library to get an item and that item isn’t there. You’ve also probably asked a librarian about that item and they’ve offered to put it on hold for you. But what exactly does that mean? The short answer is when you put something on hold, you are now guaranteed to eventually be able to check out that item. But the long answer is more interesting.

Librarians want nothing more than to get library items into your hands. When an item you want is checked out, not all hope is lost. When we ask you, “Would you like me to put book/movie/item X on hold for you?” we’re really asking you two questions: Would you like us to have that item delivered here from another library? And, would you like to add your name to a list of people who also want this item and have us notify you when it becomes available? When you agree to put an item on hold, your library card number becomes attached to that item and as soon as it becomes available, whether your home library’s copy has been returned or a copy from a different library has been delivered, we will contact you. If other people have not also put that item on hold, you’ll probably have access to your requested item pretty quickly. If the item is super popular, like the new Janet Evanovich book or the new season of Orange is the New Black, you won’t get that item until your name comes up as “next” on the list of people who have put it on hold, and that could take a while.

Some things to know about putting an item on hold:

It’s free and zero trouble for librarians to do for you. If you’re worried about it being time consuming for us or that you’ll be too much trouble – don’t! We do this all the time for everyone and we are super happy to do it for you!
You can ask for an item to be put on hold even if you have a library card from a different library (with one exception, which I will get to in a second). If you have a Peoria card and want an item delivered from Dunlap to FDL, no problem! We’ve got you covered. In Central IL, we have this amazing organization called RAILS (Reading Across Illinois Library Systems). They make it possible for people with a card from anywhere in their service area to check out, return, and place holds on books from anywhere in that same service area for free.
The one time when you absolutely have to use your home library to ask for an item to be put on hold is when a librarian has to look for the item you are requesting from outside of the RAILS service area, which librarians refer to as “outside of the system.” The reason for this is that when a library puts an item on hold that is “outside of the system” it costs money to access and ship that item, and a person’s home library is responsible for those costs (even though you as a patron are not).
If you have to put an item on hold that your library owns but is checked out, you don’t necessarily have to wait for that person to bring it back. For example, let’s say you want a copy of The Handmaid’s Tale but FDL’s copy is checked out to someone else. You put the item on hold, and the Morton Library has it on the shelf. You will get an available copy from a different library instead of waiting for a specific library’s copy to come back. We’re good about sharing like that.
Finally, we’re super flexible about putting items on hold and delivering them elsewhere. Do you have a Peoria card but are requesting a hold at FDL and maybe work really close to the library in Pekin? We can put an item on hold for you here at FDL and have that item delivered to Pekin for you for easy pickup. No extra charges or trouble.

If you have any questions about any of this, please ask! We’re here to answer your questions and get you the items you need!

Post by: Carey Gibbons, Reference Specialist

About #FDL

Welcome to #FDL! #FDL is a twice weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria. Twice a week, library staff will make posts that highlight some aspect of library life and relate it to you – our readers. Have you ever wanted to know which Dewey number represented a certain topic? Are you looking for book recommendations based on your favorite television show or television recommendations based on your favorite book? Have you ever wondered about the secret details of librarian life? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then #FDL is for you. We look forward to writing posts that are informative and entertaining and hope that you enjoy getting better acquainted with Fondulac District Library.

admin2017-07-03T12:18:36-05:00July 3rd, 2017|

#FDL: 2017 Alex Awards

The 2017 Alex Awards (Six Months Late)

Many book awards affiliated with the ALA (American Library Association) are given out in January at the organization’s Midwinter Meeting. But it’s honestly, never too late to celebrate those books that won, especially if we’re celebrating during the summer – a time when we seem to be able to do a lot more reading and potentially need more book suggestions. The Alex Awards are given out by ALA and YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) to books that are marketed towards adults but also have high appeal for teen readers. No matter your age, the 2017 Alex Award winners look pretty great, and FDL’s Out of the Box Book Club will be reading one of them in October of this year.

The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst – A young student and exiled champion join forces to save humanity from spirits bent on killing them in this first installment of what looks to be a major fantasy epic.

The Regional Office is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzales – The Regional Office exists to protect the world from all manner of evil forces. But someone is looking to take down the Office from within, and young assassin Rose, has been enlisted to help.

In the Country We Love: My Family Divided by Diane Guerrero – This one is non-fiction. Television star Diane Guerrero recounts her life as a young person whose parents and brother were arrested and deported. While, she is allowed to remain in the U.S., she must rely on friends and extended family, while dealing with this traumatizing separation.

Buffering: Unshared Tales of a Life Fully Loaded by Hannah Hart – Another non-fiction, YouTube star and author of My Drunk Kitchen, Hannah Hart is sharing for the first time her memoir – a collection of stories and anecdotes to big to fit into the 140 characters of Twitter. (This is also the October 18th Out of the Box Book Club pick at FDL.)

Arena by Holly Jennings – Kali Ling fights in the weekly Virtual Gaming League’s RAGE tournaments. The battles are digital, but losing is very real. Kali is determined to make a name for herself as the first female RAGE captain ever, but also recognizes that the stresses of this life may be too much to bear.

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire – This one I have read and it is so wonderful. Nancy has been enrolled by her parents at Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children. She claims to have just returned from time spent in the Land of the Dead, and she must be crazy. Or is she?

Romeo and/or Juliet: A Chooseable-Path Adventure by Ryan North – North takes the Choose Your Own Adventure approach to Shakespeare and has written and illustrated (with the help of guest artists) a version of Romeo and Juliet with hundreds of different possible endings.

Die Young With Me: a Memoir by Rob Rufus – Rob and Nat Rufus are punk rockers. They start their own band and get out of rural West Virginia, experiencing real success. Until Rob is diagnosed a rare form of cancer that has already reached stage four.

The Wasp that Brainwashed the Caterpillar by Matt Simon – Wired writer Matt Simon takes readers on a tour of some of the weirdest and maybe gross ways that animals have used evolution to achieve the basics of life from food to sex. Another non-fiction book, this takes a look at how animals seem to have everything figured out.

The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott Stamback – Ivan is a terminal resident at Mazyr Hospital for Gravely Ill Children in Belarus. Until Polina arrives, he cares about no one and nothing. But Polina changes his life, making Ivan feel something for the first time.

Post By: Carey Gibbons, Reference Specialist

About #FDL

Welcome to #FDL! #FDL is a twice weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria. Twice a week, library staff will make posts that highlight some aspect of library life and relate it to you – our readers. Have you ever wanted to know which Dewey number represented a certain topic? Are you looking for book recommendations based on your favorite television show or television recommendations based on your favorite book? Have you ever wondered about the secret details of librarian life? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then #FDL is for you. We look forward to writing posts that are informative and entertaining and hope that you enjoy getting better acquainted with Fondulac District Library.

admin2017-06-27T17:51:48-05:00June 27th, 2017|

FDL Reads: Scythe

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Reviewed by: Joscelyn Lockwood, Youth Services

Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction

Suggested Age: Teens, Adults

What is the book about?: Humanity has reached the point that immortality is no mere dream. Nanos in the bloodstream mute pain, heal, and have the ability to make a person young again with proper manipulation. Suicide has become an activity that teens do for entertainment, and governments have been replaced by the all-knowing Thunderhead.

Rowan and Cita are normal teens chosen to become apprentices to a Scythe. This means they have to learn the one method of population control that society has left, sanctioned killing. Neither of them particularly want to become Scythes, and they know only one will be chosen at the end of the year long term. Which begs the question, can one ever become okay with the idea of taking lives?

My Review: I cannot contain my excitement for this book. My expectations were a little low, given the recent rash of Young Adult books that seem to all follow the same blueprint. Mr. Shusterman just blew that right out of the water. The world he has created and the depth of the characters are wonderful. Rowan and Cita’s perspectives and thoughts are engrossing, and you really feel empathetic towards them. Each Scythe they meet in their journey is unique, and their outlooks towards death transcended the book and made me think about how our own culture views death and the possibility of immortality. Far more than your average YA romp, this novel is, thankfully, free of awkward love triangles. I really wish more writers could be this creative while still staying within the genre. It was a treat to read.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Action, Suspense, Thought-provoking.

Give This a Try if You Like… Any type of YA, dystopian worlds, unexpected twists and turns.

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!

admin2017-06-27T14:36:27-05:00June 27th, 2017|

FDL Reads: Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things

Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things by Ted Naifeh

Reviewed by: Sarah Baker, Circulation

Genre: Fantasy, Graphic Novel

Suggested Age: Teens

What is the book about?: Courtney and her parents are moving out of the city and in with her great-uncle Aloysius in his creepy house. Her new classmates are snobbish and mean. Her parents are wrapped up in their own concerns and in climbing the social ladder. And the one kid she started to make friends with just got eaten by a goblin. But Courtney isn’t taking that kind of thing lying down. She’s snuck a look at her uncle’s study and he has books about these creatures. Courtney is going to meet the Night Things head on.

My Review: I started this series back in ’03 when I was working at Waldenbooks and absolutely adored it. Then life kept happening and it got forgotten. I remembered it again after cruising through a Goodreads list and decided to give it another go. It’s held up surprisingly well – a dark fantasy world with a teen witch finding her way, discovering that everything has a price, and who retains what makes her her. The art work is stark and highly reminiscent of Mike Mignola, and gives great atmosphere to the tale. Courtney has a bad attitude and refuses to change who she is. 14 year old me would have adored her; 34 year old me still does.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Dark, Magical, Intriguing

Give This a Try if You Like… The Addams Family, Gunnerkrigg Court, The Dresden Files

Rating: 4/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!

admin2017-06-20T14:43:24-05:00June 20th, 2017|

About admin

Did you know that FDL has a 3D printer?

About #FDL

About #FDL

#FDL: Instructional DVDs

About FDL Reads

About FDL Reads

#FDL: Demystifying Librarian Lingo – Putting Items on Hold

The 2017 Alex Awards (Six Months Late)

About FDL Reads

About FDL Reads