400 Richland Street’s 10th Birthday Celebration!
400 Richland Street has hit the double digits! Mark your calendars for the library building’s 10th birthday open house celebration on Saturday, November 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Join us for fun activities, a special story time, treats, a sculpture dedication in the Reading Garden for long-serving Trustee Colleen Cole, and more. Watch the library’s webpage and social media pages for more information about the upcoming festivities!
It’s hard to believe that an entire decade has passed since the opening of the new location. This chapter of the library’s history has been filled with innovative programs, community events, and the addition of numerous modern resources and services for library patrons. All of us at FDL are excited to see what is on the next page of this adventure, and we hope that you will be a part of the story. Stop by to check out the party – and some new books, music, games, equipment, and other materials too!
FDL Reads: The House on Tradd Street
The House on Tradd Street by Karen White
Reviewed by: Dawn Dickey, library volunteer
Genre: Paranormal Fiction
Suggested Age: Adults
What is the book about?: Real estate agent Melanie Middleton had only met eccentric Nevin Vanderhorst, owner of an historic Charleston, South Carolina home, one time before he unexpectedly died, leaving his entire estate to her. The only problem? Despite specializing in selling historic old houses, Melanie despises them. She prefers new houses with less history – and fewer ghosts, because Melanie can see and hear and smell and sense the ghosts. Mr. Vanderhorst’s will stipulates that Melanie must live in the house for one year before she can sell it, and she must use inherited money from Mr. Vanderhorst’s estate to renovate the house to its former glory. With the help of her trusted friend Sophie (who knows lots about Charleston’s historic houses) and famed journalist Jack who offers to help with the renovations, Melanie reluctantly undertakes the huge task of renovating. But from the very beginning, it seems the house and its ghostly inhabitants have different ideas about Melanie living there and about the fate of the house. Let the spooky happenings begin!
My Review: I was looking for a spooky read as Halloween approaches, and The House on Tradd Street did not disappoint! There are ghostly presences, doors that mysteriously lock and unlock apparently without human intervention, displaced items that pop up where they aren’t supposed to be, life-threatening “accidents,” and much more. Tied in with the supernatural happenings is the mystery of what really happened to Mr. Vanderhhorst’s mother, who disappeared when he was a small child. I love the many layers of this book: who or what is creating the havoc at the house, what happened to the mother, and Melanie’s own estrangement from her parents. The characters are likeable, vulnerable and cranky at the same time, and the house is a character in itself! Author Karen White deftly ties the layers together and then, little by little, unknots them. These layers create suspense and make for an edge-of-your-seat, page-turning read!
Three Words That Describe This Book: ghosts, peril, romance
Give This a Try if You Like…Ghosts or the Ghost Whisperer television series; ghostly reads such as Darynda Jones’ series
Rating: 5/5
Speak: A Panel Discussion
This week, during 2023’s Banned Books Week and as we wrap up the Central Illinois Reads: Freedom to Read initiative, the library is proud to share this video displaying intellectual freedom in action.
On May 4, 2023, Fondulac District Library hosted a panel discussion with East Peoria Community High School students about the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. The book, about a teenage girl’s journey through her trauma after a sexual assault, is often challenged and/or banned due to its portrayal of lived experience and mature content. The eight participating students spoke thoughtfully, eloquently, and maturely in sharing their insights about the book and the complex issues it includes, as well as the challenges it often receives.
We thank EPCHS’s Jill Dawson for organizing this group of students and Ben Diggle for videotaping this event.
(Please note that microphones were not used for this event, and volume adjustments will be necessary throughout viewing.)
Banned Books Week 2023
“This is a dangerous time for readers and the public servants who provide access to reading materials. Readers, particularly students, are losing access to critical information, and librarians and teachers are under attack for doing their jobs.” – Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom
Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to read and spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. For more than 40 years, the annual event has brought together the entire book community — librarians, teachers, booksellers, publishers, writers, journalists, 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.
In a time of intense political polarization, library staff in every state are facing an unprecedented number of attempts to ban books. ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom ALA documented 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in 2022, the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago. The unparalleled number of reported book challenges in 2022 nearly doubles the 729 book challenges reported in 2021. Of the record 2,571 unique titles targeted for censorship, most were by or about LGBTQIA+ persons and Black, Indigenous, and people of color.
When we ban books, we’re closing off readers to people, places, and perspectives. But when we stand up for stories, we unleash the power that lies inside every book. We liberate the array of voices that need to be heard and the scenes that need to be seen. Let freedom read!
Fondulac District Library is a proud supporter of Banned Books Week. Let freedom read!
STEAM to-go Kits Help Kids Learn New Skills!
Kids learn quickly, so starting them off young will help them build a strong foundation of financial knowledge. With that base of knowledge, children will develop money habits that will help them mature and develop with confidence. Good money behaviors develop into good habits. The earlier that they are taught, the faster they catch on, and with practice, the routine will become a habit. By gaining basic financial knowledge early, later decisions such as buying insurance, paying bills, saving for major purchases, won’t be so daunting.
A STEAM kit that we have recently added to our collection at FDL is the Money, Math, and Economics Kit.
The Money, Math, and Economics Kit introduces the concept of money recognition, money management and math skills using play money in a hands-on play environment. The kit encourages interactive play to help children buy, sell and learn the value of money and teach basic financial literacy concepts.
This kit includes:
- A fun game, Buy it Right. This game gives players the opportunity to make purchases based on what is needed and how much the item costs. Hint: It took me a few minutes to read the directions and get the game board set up. You might want to do all of that first, then call the kids to play.
- An ATM machine that lets you deposit and withdraw money.
- A book, Math at the Store. This book shows a family at the grocery store doing their shopping. It features the skills, counting, adding, subtracting, greater than/less than, and using money.
You can find a list of STEAM kits at FDL on the
Library of Things page.
– Kris, Youth Services Specialist
#FDL: Book Adaptations Coming Soon
There are plenty of book-to-screen adaptations premiering by the end of 2023. Check out this list and read the book or listen to the audiobook before seeing it on film.
-After Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant chemist, is fired from her position in a patriarchal lab, she is given the opportunity to host a TV cooking show in the 1950s.
-On Apple TV+ on October 13, 2023
-Follows historical events in the 1920s surrounding the murders of the wealthy Osage people in California after oil was found in their territory.
-The book was a bestseller in 2017, winner of the Edgar Award and National Book Award nominee
-Film release will be in theaters on October 20, 2023
-World War II novel that alternates between the viewpoints of Marie-Laure LeBlanc, a blind French girl, and Werner Pfennig, a German boy in military school.
-Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (2015)
-Series premiere will be on Netflix on November 2, 2023
-The film is scheduled to be released in the United States on November 17, 2023
-This adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel produced by Oprah will be musical this time around.
-The original novel was the Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.
-The theatrical release date will be December 25, 2023
–Post by Susie Rivera, Adult Services Specialist
#FDL is an update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.