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#FDL: Audiobooks Read by Celebrities

June is audiobook month! Check out one of these books read by a celebrity.

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

Author: Margaret Atwood | Narrator: Claire Danes

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.

Go Set A Watchman

Author: Harper Lee | Narrator: Reese Witherspoon

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.

A Bright Ray of Darkness

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.

Susie Rivera2021-06-17T13:34:16-05:00June 11th, 2021|

#FDL: Books for Pride Month

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

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.

Let’s Get Back to the Party by Zak Salih

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.

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

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.

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

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.

Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan (YA)

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.

Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve (YA)

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.

Susie Rivera2021-06-08T10:44:02-05:00June 4th, 2021|

FDL Reads: The Cousins

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

Reviewed by: Katie G, Circulation Assistant

Genre: Mystery / thriller

Suggested Age: Young Adult

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

Rating: 5/5 stars

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.

Susie Rivera2021-06-11T17:24:29-05:00June 3rd, 2021|

FDL Reads: Whatcha Mean, What’s a Zine?

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

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.

Susie Rivera2021-06-11T17:26:41-05:00May 26th, 2021|

#FDL Film Review: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Reviewed by: Melissa Friedlund, Reference Specialist

Genre: Biography

Rating: PG

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

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

#FDL is an update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.

Susie Rivera2021-05-21T11:38:19-05:00May 21st, 2021|

FDL Reads: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

Reviewed by: Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Suggested Age: Adults, Teens

What is This Book About?: In 1714 France, a young Adeline LaRue lives in a small town. She wishes to have a more exciting life than one destined for a typical young woman in the village. One night, in desperation, she prays to a god to live rather than be trapped in an arranged marriage. Her wish is granted; however, she is is cursed to live forever and immediately forgotten by everyone she meets. The book goes back and forth in time. We see Addie in the beginning, struggling to survive even after her own family didn’t remember her. Then it flashes back to the present where Addie has adapted to her challenges, but is still saddened that she cannot keep lasting relationships. But, one day, the status quo changes when Addie meets someone who has more in common with her than meets the eye.

My Review: I picked up this book after it had been heavily praised on social media. The beginning is slightly slow until the main plot kicks in at about halfway through the novel. I really enjoyed Schwab’s poetic writing style and the plot twists she introduces towards the end of the novel are great. I like historical fiction and this switches back and forth from that to a modern romance. It is very tragic and painful, especially the chapters that cover Addie’s time in France. Remember, she is quickly forgotten by everyone she meets. If you enjoy genre blenders, you will like this novel as it has a little romance, fantasy, and historical fiction all in one.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Tragic, Romantic, Poetic

Give This a Try if You Like… The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, The Loneliest Girl in the Universe
by Lauren James, All the Lives We Ever Lived by Katharine Smyth

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.

Susie Rivera2021-06-03T19:22:37-05:00May 20th, 2021|

2021 Summer Reading Program: Reading Colors Your World!

Join us for the library’s 2021 Summer Reading Program – Reading Colors Your World! – June 1 to July 31.

We encourage readers of all ages to explore humanity, nature, culture, and science. Be creative, try new things, explore art, and find beauty in diversity. Expand your world this summer and READ!

Kids, teens, and adults can earn badges for reading materials from FDL and for attending library events — and earn prizes! Fun online and outdoor programs are scheduled throughout the summer for all ages, including outdoor Family Movie Nights, weekly online story times, and programs for exploring creativity, diversity, nature, science, and more! Aside from all the fun, summer reading is especially important for students to prevent the “summer slide” so they don’t fall behind when they return to school in August. Readers can register and track their progress online at fondulaclibrary.beanstack.org or on-the-go with the Beanstack app! Follow FDL on Facebook and Instagram for more updates and summer surprises!

Sign Up

Check Out

Borrow books, audiobooks, and magazines from Fondulac District Library, or download or stream eBooks and audiobooks from Axis 360, hoopla, Overdrive, and Tumblebooks. Search the online catalog and our digital collections at fondulaclibrary.org.
Whether it’s reading a graphic novel, listening to an audiobook, or reading an article, it counts! Materials must be borrowed and read within the program dates.

Earn Badges

Record your minutes in Beanstack or on your reading log.
Earn one badge for every 50 minutes (PreK – 2nd graders), 100 minutes (3rd – 8th graders), or 150 minutes (high schoolers and adults) of reading.
Earn one badge for attending any three Fondulac District Library programs. Register online for programs at fondulaclibrary.evanced.info/signup/calendar.
Earn 10 badges to complete the program.
Kids can collect their badges from the Youth Services desk.

Win Prizes

Participants receive prizes for earning 5 badges AND for completing the program by earning 10 badges.
If using a reading log, participants must present it to a librarian to redeem badges.
Participants who complete the program will also be entered into a prize drawing!
Prizes are available while supplies last. The last day to pick up prizes is August 14.

SRP 2021 Brochure and Reading Log

Beth Weimer2021-08-03T15:33:33-05:00May 17th, 2021|

FDL Reads: The Wife Upstairs

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

Reviewed by: Becky Houghton, Reference Assistant

Genre: Mystery

Suggested Age: Adult

What is this book about? Jane, a young woman in her 20’s, has recently relocated to Birmingham, Alabama, and is working as a dogwalker for the wealthy residents of a gated community known as Thornfield Estates. She also supplements her income by “finding” and pawning just a few valuable trinkets abandoned carelessly by the residents. One day while walking the dogs, she is nearly run down by one of the residents, recently widowed Eddie Rochester, as he pulls his car out of his driveway. Eddie’s wife, Bea, died tragically in a boating accident along with her best friend, Blanche, who also lived in the neighborhood. Jane and Eddie quickly begin a relationship and fall in love, but Bea’s influence and death looms large between the two who each have suspicious pasts. Their lives, the circumstances of the boating accident, and Jane’s efforts to be accepted by the residents of Thornfield Estates as one of them make this reimaging of the classic Jane Eyre an interesting tale.

My Review: I enjoyed this book and Hawkins’ way of slowly revealing key elements of each character’s past life. The story is told by the characters themselves, giving the reader different perspectives on some of the key events. Hawkins is a good storyteller and knows how to create suspense for her readers. This is her first adult novel, having previously written primarily for young adults. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy a gothic story that will keep them guessing even at the very end.

Three words that describe this book: Intriguing, Gothic, Unresolved

Give this a try if you like: The Woman In the Window by A. J. Finn or books by B. A Paris.

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.

Susie Rivera2021-05-27T16:38:48-05:00May 13th, 2021|

Aspiring Student Journalists

As an aspiring journalist, you’re probably craving some inspirational reads! Here are three great titles on our YA shelves. You can either check them out in person or reserve them through FDL’s online catalog.

Looking to do journalism professionally? We’ve included some articles, academic links, and scholarship info as well!

A NewsHound’s Guide to Student Journalism by Katina Paron and Javier Güelfi (Non-Fiction)

Covering the basics of journalistic values and practice, this graphic textbook offers cub reporters a primer on the drama, adventure and ethical conundrums that make journalism rewarding and fun. Using ripped-from-the-headlines examples, the authors challenge students to engage with the big issues. – annotation from the publisher

Sources Say by Lori Goldstein (Fiction – Elections/High School Newspaper)

The newsroom is Cat’s home away from home, and now, as a high school senior, she is finally editor-in-chief of the school paper. Not that anyone reads it: Her earnest exposé of an unhealthy student culture don’t sit well with many. Her sister, Angeline, is a popular social media influencer who has worked hard to make her YouTube channel, “Ask an Angel,” a success, even though Cat dismisses the work and focus that go into being a vlogger. The upcoming student council election sees Angeline and her ex-boyfriend, Leo, running for class president in a very public battle. While Angeline starts by making campaign promises based on popular demands, she comes to realize there are real problems that need to be addressed. Meanwhile, Cat’s reporting skills and journalistic ethics will face their greatest challenge against the competition of social media and the danger of fake news. – adapted from jacket

Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Smith (Fiction – Photojournalism/Native American Heritage)

When Louise Wolfe’s boyfriend mocks and disrespects Native people in front of her, she breaks things off and dumps him over e-mail. She’d rather spend her senior year with her family and friends and working on the school newspaper. The editors pair her up with Joey Kairouz, an ambitious new photojournalist, and in no time the paper’s staff find themselves with a major story to cover: the school musical director’s inclusive approach to casting The Wizard of Oz has been provoking backlash in their mostly white, middle-class Kansas town. As tensions mount at school, so does a romance between Lou and Joey. But ‘dating while Native’ can be difficult. In trying to protect her own heart, will Lou break Joey’s? – adapted from jacket

Articles

The Future of the News Industry, According to Student Journalists by Rainesford Stauffer (TeenVogue)

Student Journalists Are Fighting for Protection After Covering the Crises of 2020 by Raines Stauffer (TeenVogue)

How to Fact-Check Social Media Posts and Avoid Fake News Online by Cindy L. Otis (former CIA Analyst)

Five Reasons You Shouldn’t Be Afraid of “Fake News” by Cindy L. Otis (former CIA Analyst)

Journalism Media and Technology Trends and Predictions 2021 (Reuters Institute) by Nic Newman (former BBC journalist)

How Young People Consume News and The Implications For Mainstream Media (2019) by Flamingo (commissioned by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Oxford University)

Helpful Links

Code of Ethics – Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)

Journalism Guidelines during COVID-19 Pandemic (2020) (University of Massachusetts)

Ethics Guideline for Student Media

Visual Ethics Guideline for Student Media

**Reporting Safely and Ethically (SPJ)

**Guide to Legal Rights in the U.S. (SPJ)

**Your safety is more important than the story – please be extra cautious when covering public speeches, protests, social unrest, and/or other events that may escalate and become dangerous. If you wish to be present, please contact event organizers and law enforcement before attending the event. They will help you strategize a safe way to observe and report the event. NEVER PARTICIPATE – it’s against professional journalistic practice! Also, never let your purpose for being there be in doubt – meaning, you should wear large, visible media credentials that clearly mark you as a member of the press – and NEVER GO ALONE.

Organizations

Journalism Education Association*** (In addition to scholarships, JEA has middle school & high school award opportunities!)

Society of Professional Journalists*

National Student Press Organization*

Quill & Scroll*

* scholarship opportunities for members

*** scholarship opportunities without membership

– Katie Smith, Reference Specialist

Katie Smith2021-05-06T13:03:29-05:00May 6th, 2021|

#FDL: Books for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Read one of these books and learn about the many cultures and histories that make up the AAPI community.

White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht

For fans of Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko and Lilac Girls, the heartbreaking history of Korea is brought to life in this deeply moving and redemptive debut that follows two sisters separated by World War II.

Last Boat Out of Shanghai by Helen Zia

The dramatic real life stories of four young people caught up in the mass exodus of Shanghai in the wake of China’s 1949 Communist revolution—a precursor to the struggles faced by emigrants today.

If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha

A debut novel set in contemporary Seoul, Korea, about four young women making their way in a world defined by impossible standards of beauty, after-hours room salons catering to wealthy men, ruthless social hierarchies, and K-pop mania.

How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C Pam Zhang

How Much of These Hills Is Gold is a haunting adventure story, a sibling story, and the announcement of a new voice in literature. On a broad level, it explores race in an expanding country and the question of where immigrants are allowed to belong. But page by page, it’s about the memories that bind and divide families, and the yearning for home.

What We Carry by Maya Shanbhag Lang

Maya Shanbhag Lang grew up idolizing her brilliant mother, an accomplished physician who immigrated to the United States from India and completed her residency all while raising her children and keeping a traditional Indian home. What We Carry is a memoir about mothers and daughters, lies and truths, receiving and giving care, and how we cannot grow up until we fully understand the people who raised us. It is an examination of the weight we shoulder as women and an exploration of how to finally set our burdens down.

-Annotations from the publishers

#FDL is an update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.

Susie Rivera2021-05-06T14:10:02-05:00May 5th, 2021|