For Adults - Fondulac District Library | East Peoria, IL

Staying Home with FDL

As we all navigate this unprecedented time and do our part to stay home to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, we thought it might be fun to share what FDL staff are doing to pass the time. While most of us are still working from home, we definitely have more time on our hands for reading, creativity, hobbies, and more. So here’s what some of us have been up to this week – we hope you enjoy!

Streaming Music from Hoopla – “As I’m settling in to my new office and working from home, I’ve been enjoying streaming music from the Hoopla Bonus Borrows collection, particularly some of the greatest hits albums, in between meetings. Wednesday, it was the sweet, soothing sounds of James Taylor’s Greatest Hits.”

Movies and Popcorn – “Other things that are getting me though: coffee (lots of it), an occasional walk around the neighborhood looking for the newly blooming spring bulbs, and family movie nights. We’re watching some throwbacks, like the 80’s classic Teen Wolf. We love popcorn with our movies and will be looking to try some new flavors soon. I love salty flavors, so I’m excited to try Frito Pie popcorn!”

– Genna, Director

Painting – “I have been acrylic painting at night to help me unwind! After a full day of entertaining and caring for a toddler and keeping up on the day to day chores it’s so relaxing to take a small break from reality.”

– Katie, Circulation Assistant

Baking – “Here’s my recipe for Vegan Cinnamon Swirl Bread. It’s a simplified version of this recipe from vegweb.com. I’ve been making this for years, and I feel like it’s pretty fool-proof. If you don’t normally cook, I would recommend trying websites like Supercook where you type in what ingredients you have in your kitchen and it finds recipes that use only those ingredients.”

– Cindy, Youth Services Assistant

Vegan Cinnamon Swirl Bread
1 cup non-dairy milk (I think plain almond milk works best)
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided (I always use turbinado sugar aka Sugar in the Raw, but regular should be fine)
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 egg replacer (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×5″ loaf pan.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together oil, milk, the egg replacer, and 1 cup of the sugar. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture. In a separate small bowl, combine the cinnamon and remaining 1/3 cup sugar.
Pour 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle 1/3 the cinnamon sugar on top of the batter. Repeat layers twice. Bake 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. (Keep an eye on it after the initial 45 minutes to make sure the top corners don’t burn.) Cool in pan for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Tip: If you have never used flaxseed before, there are lots of things you can do with it. As a general rule, 1 Tbs of ground flaxseed combined with 3 Tbs of water can be used to replace one egg in most recipes for baked goods. Flaxseed is also great for sprinkling in things like smoothies, oatmeal, and homemade granola.

Severance by Ling Ma – “Honestly, and this is a little weird, I’ve been enjoying listening to Severance by Ling Ma (audiobook available from hoopla). It’s a book about the fallout from a world-ending virus that started in China and spread throughout the world, and the point of view is from a Chinese American woman and her dealings with the fallout, racism, and misogyny. I know how it sounds; why would anyone read this right now? I can’t explain why, but as soon as I heard the premise, I had to read it, and it’s the book I listen to late into the night as I work on my sewing projects. It could be the uncanny similarities that pop up throughout the book (a VIRUS started in CHINA and people were RACIST about it), or it could be the stark differences bringing me comfort (the world isn’t literally ending like it seems to be in the book). Whatever it is, I’m into it.”

Planning My Days – “Lastly, (but most importantly in some ways) I would not be able to function on a normal day, let alone these whacky times, without my planner. I really have been finding comfort in scheduling out my day. My husband and I are lucky to be able to work from home, but with daycare shut down, we need to be able to balance watching our son and working. We tried winging it, and it was chaos. It might seem robotic to schedule time with your kid, but it really does help me, and maybe it will help you too. Don’t feel like you have to schedule everything; find your balance and do whatever is useful to you.”

– Jessica, Reference Specialist

Baking – “I’ve been working my way through my repertoire of bread recipes. This is an Amish recipe; it makes two white loaves that are not too sweet for sandwiches, but toast up into a lovely treat to slather with butter.”

– Sylvia, Circulation Specialist

Amish Bread
1 pkg active dry yeast
1/2 c plus 2 c warm water or milk
1 heaping T lard or shortening
1/2 c sugar
1 T salt
7 to 8 c all-purpose flour (mine took 7 c)

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the 1/2 c warm water. (You can put a spoonful of sugar in too, to make the yeast extra happy.) Let this sit until foamy. In a large mixing bowl, combine the lard, sugar, salt, and the remaining 2 c water. Into the mixing bowl, stir the yeast and enough of the flour to make a soft, elastic dough that doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl. Cover the dough with a towel and let rise until double (about 1 1/2 hours) in a warm, draft-free place. Punch the dough down, and divide it into two balls. Form two loaves. Put the loaves in greased loaf pans. Cover with a cloth and let rise again until double (45 to 60 minutes). Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 45 minutes. The bread will sound hollow when it’s done.

Beth Weimer2020-04-03T15:39:54-05:00April 3rd, 2020|

#FDL: Books With Buzz-April

Pretty Things by Janelle Brown

To save her mother, a con artist who hustled to give her a decent childhood, Nina must run her most audacious, dangerous scam yet that involves a privileged young heiress as they both try to survive the greatest game of deceit and destruction they will ever play.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Patricia Campbell’s life has never felt smaller. Her ambitious husband is too busy to kiss her good-bye in the morning, her kids are wrapped up in their own lives, and she’s always a step behind on thank-you notes and endless chores. The one thing she has to look forward to is her book club, a close-knit group of Charleston women united by their love of true crime and suspenseful fiction. This predictable pattern is upended when Patricia is viciously attacked by an elderly neighbor, bringing the neighbor’s handsome relative, James Harris, into her life. Sensitive and well-read, James makes Patricia feel things she hasn’t felt in twenty years. But there’s something…off…and then Patricia’s senile mother-in-law insists she knew him back when she was a girl.

If I had Your Face by Frances Cha

Kyuri is a beautiful woman with a hard-won job at a Seoul room salon, an exclusive underground bar where she entertains businessmen while they drink. Though she prides herself on her cold, clear-eyed approach to life, an impulsive mistake with a client threatens her livelihood. Her roommate, Miho, is a talented artist who grew up in an orphanage but won a scholarship to study art in New York. Returning to Korea after college, she finds herself in a precarious relationship with the heir to one of the country’s biggest conglomerates. Down the hall in their building lives Ara, a hair stylist whose two preoccupations sustain her: an obsession with a boy-band pop star, and a best friend who is saving up for the extreme plastic surgery that she hopes will change her life. And Wonna, one floor below, is a newlywed trying to have a baby that she and her husband have no idea how they can afford to raise in a brutal economic reality. Together, their stories tell a gripping tale at once unfamiliar and unmistakably universal; their tentative friendships perhaps these women’s only saving grace.

Three Hours in Paris by Cara Black

Kate Rees, a young American markswoman, has been recruited by British intelligence to drop into Paris with a dangerous assignment: assassinate the Führer. Wrecked by grief after a Luftwaffe bombing killed her husband and infant daughter, she is armed with a rifle, a vendetta, and a fierce resolve. But other than rushed and rudimentary instruction, she has no formal spy training. Thrust into the red-hot center of the war, a country girl from rural Oregon finds herself holding the fate of the world in her hands. When Kate misses her mark and the plan unravels, Kate is on the run for her life, all the time wrestling with the suspicion that the whole operation was a set-up.

Eden by Tim Lebbon

Earth’s rising oceans contain enormous islands of refuse, the Amazon rainforest is all-but destroyed, and countless species edge towards extinction. Humanity’s last hope to save the planet lies with The Virgin Zones, thirteen vast areas of land off-limits to people and given back to nature. Dylan leads a clandestine team of adventure racers, including his daughter Jenn, into Eden, the oldest of the Zones. Jenn carries a secret–Kat, Dylan’s wife who abandoned them both years ago, has entered Eden ahead of them. Jenn is determined to find her mother, but neither she nor the rest of their tight-knit team are prepared for what confronts them. Nature has returned to Eden in an elemental, primeval way. And here, nature is no longer humanity’s friend.

Conjure Women by Afia Atakora

Conjure Women is a sweeping story that brings the world of the South before and after the Civil War vividly to life. Spanning eras and generations, it tells of the lives of three unforgettable women: Miss May Belle, a wise healing woman; her precocious and observant daughter Rue, who is reluctant to follow in her mother’s footsteps as a midwife; and their master’s daughter Varina. The secrets and bonds among these women and their community come to a head at the beginning of a war and at the birth of an accursed child, who sets the townspeople alight with fear and a spreading superstition that threatens their newly won, tenuous freedom.

*Annotations from the publishers

#FDL is a weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria.

Susie Rivera2020-02-23T14:34:15-06:00April 2nd, 2020|

Staying Home with FDL

The Adventure Zone podcast – “You should go all the way back to episode 1 and listen to the episodes in order. There are well over a hundred episodes, so once you get into it, it can keep you entertained for hours and hours.”

The Twilight Zone – “My parents and I have been rewatching the original series on Netflix. It’s not exactly light-hearted, but it’s such a good show.”

Archiving Family History – “I’ve been working on transferring my family’s old VHS home movies onto DVD. It’s been an ongoing project for a few months, but the extra time I’ve gotten this past week has helped me get close to finishing all of them.”

– Cindy, Youth Services Assistant

The Chronicles of Narnia series – “When I was a kid, I was utterly addicted to all books, but I had a special weakness for The Chronicles of Narnia. I would finish The Last Battle, and I’d turn right around and start in on The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe all over again. Now that many of us are stuck at home and looking for things to do, rather than cleaning out my closets, I’ve turned again to my childhood obsession. I won’t be reading them a half a dozen times, but I will be reading them in order.” The Chronicles of Narnia series is available from our digital catalog in eBook and audiobook formats from ADML/Overdrive, Axis 360, and hoopla.

All Creatures Great and Small series – Another series of “comfort food books” I’ve been bingeing on is James Herriot’s classic animal stories about his experiences as a veterinarian in Yorkshire in the 1930s. I own all five of his books, and while re-reading them, I discovered to my intense delight that I’d only read the first three. So there have been new stories to discover, even in a well-loved series. The series is available in eBook format from our Axis 360 collection.

– Sylvia, Circulation Specialist

Making Facemasks – Melissa has been making fabric facemasks to donate, which you can read more about here. “When my daughter is helping me, we are binge watching NCIS. When it’s just me, I stream an audiobook on my phone using the hoopla app. I’m currently enjoying A Study in Scarlet Women.” This audiobook is available to check out from hoopla.

– Melissa, Reference Assistant

Handel’s Messiah – “For me, having some work to do at home has helped having to stay home. Listening my pastor’s daily devotion and listening to music has also helped big time. Yesterday I listened to Handel’s Messiah & today I listened to Queen (We are the Champions).” FDL cardholders can stream music albums from hoopla.

– TJ, Circulation Specialist

Mindcraft: Builders and Biomes – “We play a variety of games in our home, but the ones we are playing now are the Mindcraft: Builders and Biomes boardgame and Animal Crossing on Nintendo Switch.”

– Laura, Adult Services Manager

This Podcast Will Kill You – “I love this podcast by two grad students studying disease ecology, and they just released six episodes where they exclusively cover COVID-19, discussing the virology, control, vaccines, and even mental health with experts. Sometimes it’s helpful to hear information in a format that doesn’t involve alarming headlines and pundits.”

– Beth, Communications Specialist

Beth Weimer2020-03-28T13:02:09-05:00March 27th, 2020|

#FDL: Inspiring Stories for Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month. Try one of these inspiring women’s stories. Click on one of the titles to find it in our catalog and place a hold.

Taking Flight by Michaela DePrince

“The memoir of an orphan who danced her way from war-torn Sierra Leone to ballet stardom, most recently appearing in Beyonce’s Lemonade and as a principal in a major American dance company.”

My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud’Homme

“The bestselling story of Julia Child’s years in France—and the basis for Julie & Julia, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams—in her own words.”

Wild: From lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

“At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and she would do it alone.”

My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor

“The first Hispanic and third woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor has become an instant American icon. She recounts her life from a Bronx housing project to the federal bench, a journey that offers a testament to her own extraordinary determination and the power of believing in oneself.”

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Mariane Satrapi

“In black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country.”

#FDL is a weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria.

Susie Rivera2020-01-31T15:17:17-06:00March 26th, 2020|

Making Facemasks

If you’re looking for ways to contribute during the COVID-19 crisis and know how to sew (or want to learn), making fabric facemasks is one way to help. Melissa, one of our reference assistants, wanted to make a difference while staying home and joined volunteers all over the country in sewing masks to help stop the pandemic. Melissa is making her masks out of old t-shirts and flat elastic hair bands. She recommends finding a tutorial video online to help you get started. There are two types of masks needed, basic fabric masks for personal use or for people still working at essential businesses (grocery stores, utilities, etc.) and masks that have an insert for a filter that may be needed by medical staff if there is a shortage of PPE supplies.

To get involved with sewing masks to donate locally, join the COVID-19 Community Face Mask Initiative group on Facebook: facebook.com/groups/CommunityFaceMaskInitiativePEORIAIL/.

Some hospitals have specific requirements for the donations they’re seeking. UnityPoint Methodist has a pattern available on their website for the type of masks they need, as well as other ways to donate or get involved.

Joann Fabric has launched a program that gives away free fabric, elastic, and other materials so that customers can make facemasks at home to donate to hospitals. An instructional video is also available on the company’s website.

For more information on the effectiveness of DIY masks and materials, check out smartairfilters.com/en/blog/best-materials-make-diy-face-mask-virus/.

The CDC also has guidelines and instructions for face masks available on its website at cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/face-masks.html.

Beth Weimer2020-03-25T12:56:43-05:00March 25th, 2020|

#FDL: The Hate U Give-Book vs. Movie

Book vs Movie: The Hate U Give

It’s the age old debate. What was better, the book or the movie? Since I’m a bookish person, I often tend to say the book, but in my experience my judgment often depends on whether I first saw the movie or read the book. Whatever comes first determines how I picture the characters. The hate u give by Angie Thomas was written in 2017 and was turned into a movie in 2018. I’ll try to compare the movie and the book in the following post. All judgment is purely my opinion and is of course not universally valid. If you want to form your own opinion you can check out the book and the movie in the library!

The Story

The hate u give tells the story of sixteen year old Star Carter. Star lives her life torn between two worlds. One world includes her poor, predominantly African American neighborhood and another is her fancy, nearly all white school. One world contains her family and her childhood friends and the other world contains her boyfriend and her school friends. In one world she is just Maverick’s little daughter and in the other world she is cool “by default” because she is black. It is tough, but Star balances her lives and she is happy until her childhood best friend, Khalil, is shot by a police officer. Star’s two perfectly separated worlds collide with each other and she has to make some difficult choices. Because she is the sole witness, only she can tell the world what really happened that night. But can she speak up if every word she says endangers her family?

The Book vs The Movie

I read the book before I watched the movie and this is most likely the reason why I wasn’t very happy with the casting of some characters. Starr and her boyfriend Chris especially looked different in my imagination. I will not use that as an argument against the movie since the way people look in books is mostly a matter of interpretation. But some characters did not only look “wrong,” they missed entirely. DeVante, one of the main characters in the book, didn’t exist in the movie. Some of his storyline was written into the role of Starr’s older brother but readers of the book will miss DeVante’s cheeky character. Since DeVante didn’t exist in the movie, the role of Uncle Carlos also had to be changed. Carlos is the brother of Star’s Mum and he is a cop. These are the similarities between book and movie. In the book Carlos is also torn between two worlds. He knows the life in Star’s community and judges what happened to Khalil, but he is also a policeman and he knows the job and what can happen on the job. Carlos tries to help DeVante to get out of his gang, but since there is no DeVante in the movie that part of the story misses too. Carlos’ character simply had a bigger role in the book then he had in the movie. But it was not only Carlos. The characters of Starr’s school friends were changed too. Maya and Hailey play a part in the movie but I missed an entire story line. The book describes a fight between the three girls during which Starr decides that a person who can’t understand or support her is no friend to her. The fight also happens in the movie, but we just see the escalation, we don’t see how Starr grows and we don’t see how much it costs her to break with Hailey.

All in all, you could say that the movie was less drastic than the book. We don’t see the full amount of police brutality that Angie Thomas describes in her book. And the riots in Starr’s neighborhood also seem less violent and more civilized in the movie than they were in the book. That might be the case because the producers wanted to receive a certain rating. But, whatever the reason was, it made the movie tame.

My Opinion

I really liked the book. It was one of the best books I read in a long time, and I was very curious about the movie. But as you might have noticed, I didn’t particularly like the movie. I mean it wasn’t a bad movie. I loved the soundtrack, but the movie was simply not as good as the book. The problem might be that the book was written from Starr’s perspective. And turning a story that was told in first person into a movie is always difficult. The other thing I complained about where the significant cuts in the story. Yes, I know, the movie is already over two hours long and they had to make cuts, but it still pained me. To sum up I would like to say The hate U give by Angie Thomas was an outcry. It portrayed what is wrong in today’s society and the book managed to do that in a way that will impress teens as well as adults. The movie, on the other hand, was a nice movie, but if you say the book was an outcry then the movie was just a whisper.

Enough of my opinion. Check out the movie and the book in the library and form your own opinion!

-Post by Alex Schenck, Library Intern

#FDL is a weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria.

Susie Rivera2022-10-28T11:21:17-05:00March 12th, 2020|

FDL Reads: The Banished Immortal

The Banished Immortal: A Life of Li Bai (Li Po) by Ha Jin

Reviewed by: Dawn Dickey, Library Volunteer

Genre: Biography

Suggested Age: Adult, Young Adult

What is This Book About?: The Banished Immortal tells the life story of Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai (702-762). Li was immensely talented (and he knew it). He was a devoted father, but Li’s wives perhaps found Li to be a poor husband, as he was often away in search of patronage and new opportunities, and often drank to excess. Although Li did enjoy the patronage of Emperor Xuanzong, his outspoken nature led to his removal from the Emperor’s court. Li subsequently became a Taoist and perhaps (for a time) thought he might live with his wife in prayer and seclusion. But Li’s peripatetic nature and his desire for increased patronage and visibility got him into trouble: Following an insurrection, Li attached himself to one of deposed Emperor Xuanzong’s sons as a kind of political adviser. This son was subsequently defeated, and Li was first sentenced to death, then exiled. He was later pardoned.

My Review: Li Bai’s classic poetry is memorized by schoolchildren in China. Although I chose this biography because I wanted to learn more about this famous poet, I wasn’t entirely sure that I would enjoy the book. The life of a Tang Dynasty poet seemed like it could be rather remote and uninteresting. However, I really liked the book! Li had a larger-than-life character, with a unique view of himself, his talent, and his world. And he wrote all these views in exquisite poetry that we can understand and enjoy even today. Meticulously researched and colorfully written, award-winning author Jin brings this immortal of poetry to life through scenery, contemporary accounts, and Li’s own words and poetry.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Colorful, evoking emotion

Give This a Try if You Like… biographies or poetry or learning about different cultures and/or time periods in history

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 Rivera2020-01-29T12:09:14-06:00March 11th, 2020|

#FDL: Books With Buzz – March

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

Escaping from an arranged and abusive marriage, seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone from her 1950s rural village to the vibrant pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the henna artist and confidante most in demand to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own. Known for her original designs and sage advice, Lakshmi must tread carefully to avoid the jealous gossips who could ruin her reputation and her livelihood.

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel

For the first eighteen years of her life, Rose Gold Watts believed she was seriously ill. She was allergic to everything, used a wheelchair and practically lived at the hospital. Neighbors did all they could, holding fundraisers and offering shoulders to cry on, but no matter how many doctors, tests, or surgeries, no one could figure out what was wrong with Rose Gold.

The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai

With the epic sweep of Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko or Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing and the lyrical beauty of Vaddey Ratner’s In the Shadow of the Banyan, The Mountains Sing tells an enveloping, multi-generational tale of the Trần family, set against the backdrop of the Việt Nam War. Trần Diệu Lan, who was born in 1920, was forced to flee her family farm with her six children during the Land Reform as the Communist government rose in the North. Years later in Hà Nội, her young granddaughter, Hương, comes of age as her parents and uncles head off down the Hồ Chí Minh Trail to fight in a conflict that tore not just her beloved country, but her family apart.

Blame the Dead by Ed Ruggero

The nurses of the US Army’s Field Hospitals, mobile units that operate just behind the battle lines, contend with heat, dirt, short-handed staffs, the threat of German counterattack and an ever-present flood of horribly wounded GIs. At the 11th Field Hospital near Palermo, Sicily in the bloody summer of 1943, nurses also live with the threat of violent assault by one of their own—at least until someone shoots Dr. Myers Stephenson in the head.

*Annotations from the publishers

Contact us to place holds on these titles!

Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Assistant

#FDL is a weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria.

Susie Rivera2020-03-10T16:00:13-05:00March 5th, 2020|

FDL Reads: Flight Girls

Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar

Reviewed by: Becky Houghton, Reference Assistant

Genre: Historical Fiction

Suggested Age: Teens and Adults

What is This Book About: This novel was inspired by real female pilots during World War II. Salazar tells the story of these heroic women through her main character, Audrey Coltrane, and her friends. The story begins when Audrey, who learned to fly from her father at a small Texas airfield, and three other women meet as flight trainers in Hawaii. Audrey, whose first love is flying, intends to work until she has the funds to purchase the small airfield near her home in Texas. She has no interest in the traditional female pursuits of husband and family. She does, however, develop a strong friendship with Lieutenant James Hart. All is well until December 7, 1941 when Japan attacks Pearl Harbor. Tragedy occurs and the flight trainers return stateside to recover. Audrey’s love of flying continues and when an opportunity to join the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots presents itself, she jumps at the chance to support the war effort. Audrey and the other women pilots of WASP transport and test planes for the military, thereby freeing the men of the US Air Force to serve in the war effort. Strong bonds of friendship develop among the women as they perform often dangerous work. Audrey stays in touch throughout the war with Lieutenant Hart but then James’ plane is shot down and he goes missing somewhere near the border between France and Germany. In December 1944, the Air Force unexpectedly ends the WASP’s transport program and the women are sent home to their former lives. Audrey heads back to Texas to buy and run her beloved airfield, but also realizes that she needs to help find her friend James. The story ends with her search.

My Review: I absolutely loved this book. Salazar’s storytelling technique is fast moving and spell-binding. For a first-time author, I would rate Salazar’s book as A+! One of the most interesting aspects of this story was the use of characterization. Audrey and other women were such well developed characters that you truly bonded with them. These women became my friends, not just characters in a book. As a result of this, the emotional impact of events was very powerful. The story keeps the reader’s attention. I was also very interested in the history that the book presents. I knew that women stepped up and helped with the war effort during World War II, but I did not know about the various flying programs that women pilots were involved in. Salazar sheds light on a little-known piece of history and through her excellent characterization tells a story of courageous women in dangerous times.

Give This a Try if you Like…Fly Girls by Keith O’Brien or Resistance Women by Jennifer Chiaverini

Three Words That Describe This Book: Engrossing, Emotional, Educational

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 Rivera2020-03-03T11:26:51-06:00March 3rd, 2020|

Homeschooling Resources

The library has a variety of materials in the children’s, young adult, and adult collections for parents who are homeschooling. They provide details on a variety of homeschooling options, as well as methods for developing and enriching a curriculum. Many books in the library’s collection also include exercises and activities to accompany the subject. These materials are especially useful for children who are hands-on learners.

Available materials cover all of the major class subjects and feature numerous titles from Chicago Press. Topics include, but are not limited to:

English and writing
Art
History
Literature
Math
Reading
Science & STEM Kits
Speech
Test preparation

Additional online resources are available at the library and remotely to Fondulac District Library cardholders, including:

OmniFile Full Text Select
Testing and Education Reference Center
Technology Tutorials
Mango Languages
CIA World Factbook

Explore these online databases and more at fondulaclibrary.org/research/.

Beth Weimer2020-03-02T16:34:40-06:00March 2nd, 2020|