#FDL - Fondulac District Library | East Peoria, IL

#FDL Banned Books Week: A Wrinkle in Time

Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time is about Meg Murry’s journey through space and time to save her father from evil. She is accompanied by her younger brother, Charles Wallace and their friend Calvin O’Keefe. This children’s classic had long road to publication as it was a bit unusual to have a female protagonist in a science fiction novel in 1962. Also, the novel tackles heavy topics such as the nature of evil and includes several religious references. It is for these reasons as well as others that the book has faced challenges by the public for its appropriateness for children and in schools. However, A Wrinkle in Time has prevailed and remained a favorite with children since its publication. It was the recipient of the Newbery Medal in 1963 and has spawned several sequels and two movie adaptations.

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

Susie Rivera2019-09-26T15:01:45-05:00September 26th, 2019|

#FDL Banned Books Week: To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most beloved American novels. Harper Lee’s classic novel, told from the viewpoint of young Scout Finch, is about a wrongly accused African American man who is on trial in the South during the Great Depression. The novel has faced many challenges throughout the years, with critics citing violence, racism, and language. However, Lee’s novel contains powerful life lessons such as condemning prejudice and standing up for what’s right. These themes are a big reason why the novel can be found in many junior high and high school curriculums. According to PBS’s website, Mockingbird “has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country.” Indeed, in 2018 it was voted as America’s #1 best-loved novel in The Great American Read.

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

Susie Rivera2019-09-25T12:31:09-05:00September 25th, 2019|

#FDL Banned Books Week: The Grapes of Wrath

John Steinbeck’s classic was an instant bestseller when it was published in 1939. Chronicling an Oklahoma family’s migration to California, this novel was not celebrated by all and subsequently banned as well as burned. Once place where this occurred was in Kern County, California, the endpoint of many journeys west and the setting of the novel. Powerful landowners and employers in California did not like the way they were depicted in the novel. Though The Grapes of Wrath is fiction, it is based on true events. The officials banned the book from public libraries and schools.

Despite these efforts, Steinbeck won the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for this novel. It was also referenced heavily when he won the Nobel Prize in 1962. The Grapes of Wrath has become one of the most important American classic novels and is frequently taught in high school curriculums across the country.

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

Susie Rivera2019-09-24T09:19:28-05:00September 24th, 2019|

#FDL: Banned Books Week

This week is Banned Books Week. The American Library Association discusses the purpose and history of Banned Books Week on their website.

“Banned Books Week (September 22-28, 2019) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. It brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools. By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship.”

This year, we will be featuring a frequently challenged book each day on #FDL.

Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

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

Susie Rivera2019-09-24T09:20:59-05:00September 23rd, 2019|

#FDL: Win a Copy of The Secrets We Kept

Get your hands on a copy of Reese Witherspoon’s latest pick, The Secrets We Kept, by Lara Prescott.

Here a little more about the book from the publisher:

“A thrilling tale of secretaries turned spies, of love and duty, and of sacrifice–inspired by the true story of the CIA plot to infiltrate the hearts and minds of Soviet Russia, not with propaganda, but with the greatest love story of the twentieth century: Doctor Zhivago.

At the height of the Cold War, two secretaries are pulled out of the typing pool at the CIA and given the assignment of a lifetime. Their mission: to smuggle Doctor Zhivago out of the USSR, where no one dare publish it, and help Pasternak’s magnum opus make its way into print around the world. Glamorous and sophisticated Sally Forrester is a seasoned spy who has honed her gift for deceit all over the world–using her magnetism and charm to pry secrets out of powerful men. Irina is a complete novice, and under Sally’s tutelage quickly learns how to blend in, make drops, and invisibly ferry classified documents.

The Secrets We Kept combines a legendary literary love story–the decades-long affair between Pasternak and his mistress and muse, Olga Ivinskaya, who was sent to the Gulag and inspired Zhivago’s heroine, Lara–with a narrative about two women empowered to lead lives of extraordinary intrigue and risk. From Pasternak’s country estate outside Moscow to the brutalities of the Gulag, from Washington, D.C. to Paris and Milan, The Secrets We Kept captures a watershed moment in the history of literature–told with soaring emotional intensity and captivating historical detail. And at the center of this unforgettable debut is the powerful belief that a piece of art can change the world.”

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

Giveaway

Enter your name here for a chance to win an ARC of the book mentioned in this post. ARCs are “advanced reading copies.” These are free copies of a new books given by a publisher to librarians before the book is printed for mass distribution.

Susie Rivera2019-09-20T10:50:28-05:00September 20th, 2019|

#FDL: Perks of Your Library Card

It’s library card sign-up month! Apply for your Fondulac District Library card in September and try out a few of our services you may not realize we offer.

Access Digital Content: Hoopla Digital is a streaming service that we offer our patrons. Stream movies like I Kill Giants or watch episodes of The Great British Baking Show. You can also access eBooks for all ages, music albums, audiobooks, and comics. To create an account, each patron needs an email address, library card number, and PIN. Hoopla will prompt you to create a unique password for your account. Get the app to download content to a mobile device for access without mobile data. It’s perfect for travelling. Also check out Axis 360 and Libby, two other library apps you can use to checkout eBooks and eAudiobooks.

Learn a New Language: Mango Languages offers learning activities for more than 70 languages. Anyone with a valid library card can create an account for free. Use Mango within the library or remotely. The website as well as the app facilitate learning through a mix of audio and written instructions.

Check Out Equipment: Did you know that you can check out equipment with your library card like wifi hotspots and Rokus? Click here for more details on the equipment we offer.

Play Games: Gaming at the library can be fun for all ages. We offer a variety of classic and modern board games for checkout. Games for adults can be checked out from the Adult Services Department, and games for children can be checked out from the Youth Services Department. A patron may check out up to 2 games at one time for a 1 week period. Patrons can also play video games at the library. Video gaming systems in the children’s department are for children age 13 and under and adults who accompany them. Gaming systems in Teen Space are for teens age 14 through 19 and adults who accompany them. You need either a library card or a photo ID to play the video games.

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

Susie Rivera2019-09-12T15:58:15-05:00September 11th, 2019|

#FDL: Meet Our New Library Intern

Alex Schenk is a new face you will see at our Information Desk. She is our student intern from Germany.

1. Who are you?

I’m the new student intern at Fondulac District Library, and I’ll stay here until the end of January. I’m studying library and information management in my home country, and this internship will help me to receive my bachelor’s degree. My hobbies are swimming, reading, and movies.

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

So far I think that would be working at the reference desk. It’s amazing to be able to help our patrons.

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

Right now I’m reading the book The Hate U Give by George Tillman. It’s a book full of important topics and messages, and I already look forward to watch the recently released movie after I finish the book. I’m currently also quite obsessed with The Great British Baking Show. I just finished watching the TV series Good Omens, and I can recommend the series as well as the book by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett to everyone who likes fantasy, dark humor, and irony.

4. If you weren’t interning at FDL, what would you be doing?

Well, if I wouldn’t be here I would still be on summer break since the new semester at my university begins in October. I usually spent my summer break at my parents’ house because they live close to the biggest lake in Germany. So if I wouldn’t be interning here, I would probably lay at a beach by the lake.

5. What are some of the biggest differences you have noticed between the U.S. and Germany?

Oh, I could write a whole book about that by now. But one of the most annoying differences is the keyboard! I didn’t knew that the German and the American keyboards are different until I came here. Where you guys have the Y we have the Z, where you have the Z we have the Y and some other keys are also swapped. I’m still not quiet used to that. Transportation is also a big difference. In Germany we like to do everything by public transport and the U.S. is a driving culture. And it feels like everything is bigger here than in Germany– the cities, the cars, the libraries…

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

Susie Rivera2019-08-30T11:37:47-05:00August 30th, 2019|

#FDL Film Review: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Reviewed by: Sarah Baker, Circulation Assistant

Genre: Romance, fantasy

Rating: NR

What is this movie about?: Mrs. Muir, a widow, leaves her husband’s family and takes a cottage by the seaside-a cottage that is haunted by the ghost of its former occupant, Captain Daniel Gregg. Most renters barely lasted one night, but Mrs. Muir is determined to make it her home. Captain Gregg is intrigued and comes to befriend the widow. When she falls on hard times, he helps her write a book about his life. The publisher is completely taken with her and the tome, placing Mrs. Muir on the path to comfort. But at the publishers, she meets a man who charms her. Miles Fairley, a children’s author better known as Uncle Neddy, woos her, but isn’t all he seems. The resolution to this story is so good, I’m not going to ruin it here!

My Review: “Oh, this lovely place is haunted? Perfect, I’ll move in right away with my young daughter and middle-aged servant!” Haunted house movies all seem to start this way, but this one takes a lovely turn. There’s no gore, violence, or even creep out factor. Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison play against each other so well. Harrison isn’t quite to Henry Higgins levels of rude and brash, and because his character isn’t a man of breeding and education, they’re much easier to tolerate. He’s also kinder, showing softness to Mrs. Muir in times of distress. And Gene Tierney! I could rave about her gorgeous wardrobe designed by Oleg Cassini, the loving way that director Joseph L. Mankiewicz frames her, but really, she would shine through no matter what. She has a grace and strength that make her so likable.

Three Words That Describe This Film: Sweet, Romantic, Fun

Give this a try if you like…Ghost, Laura, My Fair Lady

Rating: (out of 5) 4.5/5

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

Susie Rivera2019-08-08T18:38:59-05:00August 8th, 2019|

#FDL: August New Fiction

These titles are all coming out this month. Check with us to place holds on new copies in our system.

Chances Are... by Richard Russo

One beautiful September day, three 66-year-old men convene on Martha’s Vineyard, friends ever since meeting in college, and must puzzle out a lingering mystery from the summer of 1971.

What Red Was by Rosie Price

A sophisticated and conversation-starting novel of modern love, sexual violence, and toxic inheritance from a new literary voice.

Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall

In a novel that spans decades, two young couples’ lives become intertwined when the husbands are appointed co-ministers of a venerable New York City church in the 1960s.

The Swallows by Lisa Lutz

When a creative writing assignment leads to unsettling allegations about her school’s indifference to sexual assault, a new teacher organizes a group of marginalized girls in an escalating gender war.

The Other’s Gold by Elizabeth Ames

A novel that begins on a college campus follows the friendship of four women across life-defining turning points.

The Warehouse by Rob Hart

In a near dystopian future, the best you can hope for is to land a gig at the Cloud, an all-powerful tech company. However, not all is what it seems to be in this thriller, which is already in the process of being adapted for film by director Ron Howard.

Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

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

Susie Rivera2019-08-14T12:19:49-05:00August 1st, 2019|

#FDL: Best Books of Summer 2019

Our summer reading program is almost over, but that’s not an excuse to stop reading! Summer 2019 has been quite a season for great books. Check out these lists below for the most popular reads so far.

USA Today Best-Selling Book List

USA today “ranks the 150 top-selling titles each week based on an analysis of sales from U.S. booksellers.” This summer has been dominated by Delia Owens’ Southern mystery, Where the Crawdads Sing, but recently Daniel Silva’s most recent release, The New Girl, has taken the #1 spot.

Publisher’s Weekly Summer Reads 2019

Publisher’s Weekly has it covered in their guide to summer reads of 2019. Staff picks include titles from various genres. Young Adult as well as Children’s books are included. A few of their recommendations are Casey McQuiston’s romantic comedy, Red, White and Royal Blue as well as the YA sci-fi novel, Aurora Rising, by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.

Oprah Magazine’s 28 Best Beach Reads of 2019

These books “belong in your suitcase” according to the editors of Oprah Magazine, whose picks still carry quite a bit of weight in the bookish world. There’s something for everyone on this list including those who love suspense, romance, nonfiction, fantasy and more. The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory, My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing, and The Bride Test by Helen Hoang are all great picks from this list.

Check out all of these titles at our library or via our digital collections.

Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

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

Susie Rivera2019-07-25T18:44:29-05:00July 25th, 2019|