#FDL: Upcycle Your Old Books

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Give your old books new purpose with these upcycling ideas!  Check out the links down below if you are a beginner or advanced crafter.  We are very supportive of upcycling books instead of throwing them away.  We have hosted programs in the past such as Blackout Poetry and DIY Book Page Roses that have been fun.   If you don’t have time to craft, you can donate your old books to the library.  They will most likely be placed in our book sale downstairs. Here is some additional information about it.

Book Riot’s 30 Easy To Advanced DIY Crafts With Old Books You Can Do.

Great Upcycling Ideas For Vintage Old Book Pages

Upcycle: Book Folding

Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Assistant

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

 

2020-03-03T10:19:18-06:00February 27th, 2020|

#FDL: Audie Award Finalists

These are a few audiobooks nominated for Audie Awards. The Audie’s are given by the Audio Publishers Association for the best audiobooks of the year.  Check one of these out for a “sure bet” listen.  We offer several audio formats including eaudio, CD book, and playaway.

Becoming, written and narrated by Michelle Obama, published by Penguin Random House Audio

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, narrated by Tom Hanks, published by HarperAudio

The Testaments: The Sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, narrated by Ann Dowd, Bryce Dallas Howard, Mae Whitman, Derek Jacobi, Tantoo Cardinal, and Margaret Atwood, published by Penguin Random House Audio

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, narrated by JD Jackson, published by Penguin Random House Audio

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James, narrated by Dion Graham, published by Penguin Random House Audio

Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris, narrated by Louise Brealey, published by Macmillan Audio

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert, narrated by Blair Brown, published by Penguin Random House Audio

The Night Tigerwritten and narrated by Yangsze Choo, published by Macmillan Audio

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates, narrated by Joe Morton, published by Penguin Random House Audio

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang, narrated by Emily Woo Zeller, published by Dreamscape Media

The Institute by Stephen King, narrated by Santino Fontana, published by Simon & Schuster Audio

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas, narrated by Bahni Turpin, published by HarperAudio

For the fulling listing of finalists, visit the Audie Awards website. 

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

2020-02-20T20:30:05-06:00February 20th, 2020|

FDL Reads: Secret Man

Secret Man: The Story of Watergate’s Deep Throat By Bob Woodward

Reviewed by: Melissa Friedlund, Reference Assistant

Genre: Nonfiction, U.S. History

Suggested Age: Adults

What is This Book About?  For decades, the identity of the secret informant during the Watergate scandal, known as “Deep Throat,” remained a mystery.  Numerous theories were floated over the years but reporter and author, Bob Woodward, would not divulge his source.  In 2005, Mark Felt revealed that he had been the informant known as Deep Throat. This is the story of Mark Felt’s interactions and relationship with Bob Woodward as told by Woodward himself.

My Review: I have not seen or read All the President’s Men, so all I knew of Deep Throat were cliched meetings in dark garages with a shadowy figure. I found this book to be interesting, but a little wandering.  Some details were intriguing, like Felt schooling Woodward in a bit of spycraft to set up their clandestine meetings. And unfortunately, some questions, like Felt’s motivations for being Woodward’s source, were left unanswered due to Felt’s failing memory later in life. At times, the narrative seemed meandering when the reasons why certain recollections were grouped together was not clear. Overall, it’s a captivating bit of history. I listened to the eaudiobook on Hoopla, but print and CD book versions are also available.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Demystify, Unmask, Bittersweet

Give This a Try if You LikeAll the President’s Men by Bernstein & Woodward, Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers by Daniel Ellsberg, Blind Ambition: The White House Years by John Dean

Rating: 4/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

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

FDL Reads
2020-02-28T11:26:13-06:00February 19th, 2020|

Career & Education Resources

If you’re thinking of a new career or need a boost with your education goals, the library’s online Career & Education Resources can help! Located under the Research Tab (Online Research Resources) on our website, you’ll find a variety of free tools to help you reach your goals. Learn a new skill or improve a skill that you already have, such as typing, Microsoft Excel, or business communication. You can also create a resume, prep for your GED test, improve your English language skills, or learn a new language with these resources. Kids can even work on their reading skills and learn while they play games with ABCMouse.com. Ask a librarian for more information or assistance using these.

Career Transitions: Practical, personalized tools for job searches and career exploration. ♦♦♦

Testing and Education Reference Center: Study materials and practice entrance, certification, and license exams. College, technical school, financial aid, and career info. ♦♦♦

GCF LearnFree: Free online and app-based computer, Internet, and technology training, as well as lessons in job searching, reading, math, and life skills. Contains Technology tutorials and Microsoft Office tutorials.

Typing Basics (GCF LearnFree): Free tutorial using audio, images, animation, and text teaches users to type by practicing with more than 400 sentences and almost 500 words.

English Language Basics (GCF LearnFree): Includes a literacy program for adults developing stronger reading and grammar skills and an English Language Learning program for non-native speakers.

Mango Languages: Language-learning resources for more than 70 languages. A free app is also available for tablets and phones. ♦♦♦

ABCMouse.com: Helps kids learn to read through phonics and teaches lessons in math, social studies, art, music, and much more. For kids age 2 to 7. ■■■

Research resources with a ♦♦♦ symbol are accessible to any user on Fondulac District Library’s computers in the library or 24/7 with an Internet-connected computer or device and your Fondulac District Library card number outside the library.

Research resources with a ■■■ symbol are accessible to any user on Fondulac District Library’s computers within the library only and, due to licensing restrictions, are not available for access outside the library

2020-02-18T13:26:36-06:00February 18th, 2020|

FDL Reads: Eleanor and Park

 

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Reviewed by: Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Suggested Age: Teens, Adults

What is This Book About?  It’s 1986 and Eleanor is the new girl at school. She has curly red hair and a eclectic fashion sense.  Park is a quiet, half Korean guy who mostly keeps to himself. Park lets Eleanor sit next to him on the bus and they eventually connect through music and comic books.

My Review:  I did not expect to like this book as much as I did! This was a book that I lost myself in as I couldn’t get enough of the plot and characters.  I think what appealed to me most about Eleanor and Park was that it was so true to life in terms of how many teen relationships begin. Rainbow Rowell made me feel like I was in Eleanor’s place during her point-of-view chapters. This novel captures what it really feels like to have crush on someone as a young adult. I especially like how naturally Eleanor and Park’s relationship progressed from mere curiosity to the mutual, almost voyeuristic way that both of the characters interact on the bus. The fact that the two don’t even speak to one another until about fifty pages in was also something that I felt captured the way teens probably behaved, especially during the 1980s, when they did not have texting as way to communicate. The novel does delve into some darker subject matter pertaining to emotional abuse, so be cautioned.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Nostalgic,  Romantic,

Give This a Try if You Like…Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns, Fangirl

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

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

 

2020-02-12T16:02:39-06:00February 12th, 2020|

#FDL: Romance and Chick Lit Giveaway!

 

These books are coming out this month and later this spring!  Enter your name below to win ARCs of all of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver

Lydia and Freddie. Freddie and Lydia. They’d been together for more than a decade and Lydia thought their love was indestructible. But she was wrong. On Lydia’s twenty-eighth birthday, Freddie died in a car accident.  So now it’s just Lydia, and all she wants is to hide indoors and sob until her eyes fall out. But Lydia knows that Freddie would want her to try to live fully, happily, even without him. So, enlisting the help of his best friend, Jonah, and her sister, Elle, she takes her first tentative steps into the world, open to life and perhaps even love again.

The Roxy Letters by Mary Pauline Lowry

Meet Roxy. She’s a sometimes vegan, always broke artist with a heart the size of Texas and an ex living in her spare bedroom. Her life is messy, but with the help of a few good friends and by the grace of the goddess Venus she’ll discover that good sex, true love, and her life’s purpose are all closer than she realizes.

The Love Story of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey

The world has changed around seventy-nine-year-old librarian Millicent Carmichael, aka Missy. Though quick to admit that she often found her roles as a housewife and mother less than satisfying, Missy once led a bustling life driven by two children, an accomplished and celebrated husband, and a Classics degree from Cambridge. Now her husband is gone, her daughter is estranged after a shattering argument, and her son has moved to his wife’s native Australia, taking Missy’s beloved only grandchild half-a-world away.  The last thing Missy expects is for two perfect strangers and one spirited dog named Bob to break through her prickly exterior and show Missy just how much love she still has to give. In short order, Missy finds herself in the jarring embrace of an eclectic community that simply won’t take no for an answer–including a rambunctious mutt-on-loan whose unconditional love gives Missy a reason to re-enter the world one muddy paw print at a time.

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

When Julian Jessup, an eccentric, lonely artist who believes that most people aren’t really honest with each other, writes the truth about his own life in a green journal and leaves it behind, others start writing in their own truth, which leads to unexpected friendship and love.

The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow

Mary, the bookish ugly duckling of Pride and Prejudice’s five Bennet sisters, emerges from the shadows and transforms into a desired woman with choices of her own. Mary’s destiny diverges from that of her sisters. It does not involve broad acres or landed gentry. But it does include a man; and, as in all Austen novels, Mary must decide whether he is the truly the one for her. In The Other Bennet Sister, Mary is a fully rounded character—complex, conflicted, and often uncertain; but also vulnerable, supremely sympathetic, and ultimately the protagonist of this debut novel.

Postscript by Cecelia Ahern

Seven years after her husband’s death — six since she read his final letter — Holly Kennedy has moved on with her life. When Holly’s sister asks her to tell the story of the “PS, I Love You” letters on her podcast — to revisit the messages Gerry wrote before his death to read after his passing — she does so reluctantly, not wanting to reopen old wounds.  But after the episode airs, people start reaching out to Holly, and they all have one thing in common: they’re terminally ill and want to leave their own missives behind for loved ones. Suddenly, Holly finds herself drawn back into a world she’s worked tirelessly to leave behind — but one that leads her on another incredible, life-affirming journey.

*Annotations provided by each publisher

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

2020-02-11T16:24:09-06:00February 11th, 2020|

FDL Reads: Dragons of Autumn Twilight

Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Reviewed by: Laura Warren, Adult Services Manager

Genre: Fantasy

Suggested Age: Adults

What is This Book About? Dragons of Autumn Twilight begins as a group of friends are reunited after not seeing each other for an extended time. A few of the friends are missing and a mysterious note is in their place. As they begin their journey, they find that unfamiliar religious order has invaded the town they have all been called to. With some difficulty they manage to flee the town, have barely time to breathe, and are then attacked by another group of Draconians. These friends swiftly realize they are in much deeper than they had once thought and greater forces are at play in all of this. These friends are in for the adventure of a lifetime if they can all manage to make it through.

My Review: I decided to revisit this title due to the surge in popularity Dungeons and Dragons has seen in the past few years. This is the first novel in the Dragonlance series. This novel was released in 1984 and was based on a Dungeons and Dragons campaign played by the authors and some of their friends. For those of you who play or are familiar with Dungeons and Dragons, the fact that this is a campaign is no surprise. It feels like a role-playing game. Many of the characters have become tropes that players would play for many years to come. The setting is greatly influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien’s writing, but if you are going to be influenced by a famous fantasy writer, may as well be one of the best. This was a fun book that I really enjoyed and reminded me how much fun a good role-playing game can be. Though this book is not perfect, it will scratch that Dungeons and Dragons itch if you don’t have a group to play with, or will give you a feel for the world if you are unfamiliar.

Three Words That Describe This Book: nostalgic, fun, adventure

Give this a try if you like: Dungeons and Dragons, The Shannara series by Terry Brooks

Rating: 4/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

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

FDL Reads
2020-02-07T09:24:38-06:00February 6th, 2020|

#FDL: 2020 Alex Award Winners

 

About the Alex Awards

The Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. The winning titles are selected from the previous year’s publishing. The Alex Awards were first given annually beginning in 1998 and became an official ALA award in 2002.

The award is sponsored by the Margaret A. Edwards Trust. Edwards pioneered young adult library services and worked for many years at the Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore. Her work is described in her book Fair Garden and the Swarm of Beasts, and over the years she has served as an inspiration to many librarians who serve young adults. The Alex Awards are named after Edwards, who was called “Alex” by her friends. – The American Library Association

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World, By C. A. Fletcher.  In a dystopian future, where the world’s population is believed to be only in the thousands, Griz lives on an isolated island. When a charismatic stranger arrives and absconds with one of the family’s beloved dogs, the 16-year-old embarks on a quest to get her back.

Do You Dream of Terra-Two? By Temi Oh. A crew of 10 astronauts, 6 of whom are teens, set off on a 23-year journey to begin settling an uninhabited planet known as Terra-Two. This character-driven sci-fi novel will draw teens into its orbit with interpersonal conflict.

Dominicana, By Angie Cruz. In 1965, 15-year-old Ana Cancion leaves the Dominican Republic married to a man twice her age and eventually discovers her own voice in Washington Heights, New York. Though historical fiction, this powerful immigrant story is increasingly relevant today.

Gender Queer: A Memoir, By Maia Kobabe.  Kobabe’s path to understanding eir gender and sexuality comes into beautiful focus in this graphic memoir, expressively illustrated with retro colors and simple lines. Readers will recognize a kindred spirit in Kobabe and/or gain insight into what it’s like to identify outside of the cisgender/heterosexual “norm.”

High School, By Sara Quin and Tegan Quin. Critically acclaimed indie rock duo Tegan and Sara Quin lay bare their teenage experiences, the oscillating euphoria and scintillation of first love, the jarring process of finding one’s identity, and early forays into making music in this gorgeous dual memoir.

In Waves, By AJ Dungo.  In this beautiful graphic memoir, perfectly cast in muted beach tones, Dungo interweaves his story of first love with his girlfriend’s passion for surfing, her heroism in the face of cancer, and a primer on the history of surfing.

Middlegame, By Seanan McGuire. Roger and Dodger are twins, created in a lab in order to bestow their creator with the power to shape reality—but only if they don’t figure out how to manifest that power for themselves first.

The Nickel Boys, By Colson Whitehead. Idealistic Elwood and cynical Turner form an unlikely bond at Nickel Academy, a corrupt 1960s reform school, as they endure the abuse meted out by the sadistic warden. Their heart-wrenching story of physical and mental survival is based on the real-life experiences of children at the former Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys.

Red, White & Royal Blue, By Casey McQuiston.  In this quirky political rom-com, First Son Alex fakes a friendship with longtime rival Prince Henry of Britain when an incendiary photo of them is leaked to the tabloids. A genuine romance blossoms between the two, but it must be kept secret for the sake of Alex’s mother’s presidential reelection campaign.

The Swallows, By Lisa Lutz. The arrival of a new teacher with a complicated past ignites a student rebellion against Stonebridge Academy’s misogynistic culture, which has gone unchecked for years.

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

 

2020-02-06T17:53:25-06:00February 6th, 2020|

Drive-Up Window & Drop Box

FDL’s drive-up window and outside drop boxes are super-convenient options for patrons on the go. Located on the side of the library right off of Richland Street, the drive-up window is an easy way to stop by the library to pick up items you’ve placed on hold, renew your items, or pay a fine. You can even ask a librarian to unlock a DVD case if you forgot to do it inside. And the outside drop boxes are an easy way to return borrowed items 24 hours a day. If you return something after hours on the day that they’re due, they won’t be considered late or incur a fine.

(Just remember that special items like Appliance Load Testers, Board Games, Puzzles, Playaway Launchpads, Story Box & Party Box Kits, Rokus, STEM Kits, and Wi-Fi Hotspots must be returned inside and given to a staff member to avoid fines!)

So for those days when it’s pouring rain, you’ve got a car full of hungry kids, or you have a million other errands to run, you can still make a trip to the library quick and easy by using the drop boxes and drive-up window!

2020-07-17T13:39:25-05:00February 3rd, 2020|

FDL Reads: Mooncakes

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu

Reviewed by: Cindy Thomas, Youth Services Assistant

Genre: Fantasy graphic novel

Suggested Age: Teens, Tweens, and Adults

What is this Book About?  Nova is a witch who lives with her grandmothers and works in their magic bookstore.  When her friend tells her there have been weird lights coming from the woods, she goes out to explore and runs into her childhood crush Tam, who is a werewolf.  Tam gets attacked by a horse possessed by dark magic, but manages to get away safely with Nova’s help.  The two go back to the bookstore to research the creature and discover that it can be stopped if Tam can harness the full power of their werewolf magic.  There are still problems, though. Who put a spell on the horse in the first place, and why is it always trying to attack Tam?

My Review:  It’s clear that the creators put a lot of heart into this work.  The characters are really likable and fully thought out.  I think many graphic novels and comics have an unattractive art style, so I’m very picky about which ones I read.  I liked the way this one looked, though, and the story was interesting.  If you read a lot of fantasy novels or magical girl manga, then the plot will be predictable and feel like something you’ve read before.  That being said, I thought this was super cute, and I hope they publish more volumes.  It’s great if you’re in the mood for a quick, lighthearted read.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Adorable, Nerdy, Magical

Give it a Try if You Like:  Lumberjanes, Kiki’s Delivery Service

Rating: 4/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

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

FDL Reads

 

2019-12-03T16:32:26-06:00January 29th, 2020|
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