For Teens - Fondulac District Library | East Peoria, IL

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 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|

#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 Tiger, written 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.

Susie Rivera2020-02-20T20:30:05-06:00February 20th, 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

Beth Weimer2020-02-18T13:26:36-06:00February 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.

Susie Rivera2020-02-12T16:02:39-06:00February 12th, 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.

Susie Rivera2020-02-06T17:53:25-06:00February 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!

Beth Weimer2020-07-17T13:39:25-05:00February 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.

Susie Rivera2019-12-03T16:32:26-06:00January 29th, 2020|