#FDL: Books with Buzz & Giveaway
A few of the latest buzz-worthy books are available to check out from the library, or enter the giveaway below to win your own copy!
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
2021 National Book Award Nominee in Fiction
Thirteen-year-old Anna, an orphan, lives inside the formidable walls of Constantinople in a house of women who make their living embroidering the robes of priests. Restless, insatiably curious, Anna learns to read, and in this ancient city, famous for its libraries, she finds a book, the story of Aethon, who longs to be turned into a bird so that he can fly to a utopian paradise in the sky. This she reads to her ailing sister as the walls of the only place she has known are bombarded in the great siege of Constantinople. Outside the walls is Omeir, a village boy, miles from home, conscripted with his beloved oxen into the invading army. His path and Anna’s will cross.
Five hundred years later, in a library in Idaho, octogenarian Zeno, who learned Greek as a prisoner of war, rehearses five children in a play adaptation of Aethon’s story, preserved against all odds through centuries. Tucked among the library shelves is a bomb, planted by a troubled, idealistic teenager, Seymour. This is another siege. And in a not-so-distant future, on the interstellar ship Argos, Konstance is alone in a vault, copying on scraps of sacking the story of Aethon, told to her by her father. She has never set foot on our planet.
Beautiful World, Where are You by Sally Rooney
Sally Rooney is the bestselling author of Normal People and Conversations with Friends.
Alice, a novelist, meets Felix, who works in a warehouse, and asks him if he’d like to travel to Rome with her. In Dublin, her best friend, Eileen, is getting over a break-up and slips back into flirting with Simon, a man she has known since childhood. Alice, Felix, Eileen, and Simon are still young—but life is catching up with them. They desire each other, they delude each other, they get together, they break apart. They have sex, they worry about sex, they worry about their friendships and the world they live in. Are they standing in the last lighted room before the darkness, bearing witness to something? Will they find a way to believe in a beautiful world?
Fault Lines by Emily Itami
Combining the incisive intimacy of Sally Rooney with the sharp wit of Helen Fielding, a compulsively readable and astonishingly relatable debut novel about marriage, motherhood, love, self and the vibrant, surprising city that is modern Tokyo.
Mizuki is a Japanese housewife. She has a hardworking husband, two adorable children, and a beautiful Tokyo apartment. It’s everything a woman could want, yet sometimes she wonders whether she would rather throw herself off the high-rise balcony than spend another evening not talking to her husband and hanging up laundry.
Then, one rainy night, she meets Kiyoshi, a successful restaurateur. In him, she rediscovers freedom, friendship, and the neon, electric pulse of the city she has always loved. But the further she falls into their relationship, the clearer it becomes that she is living two lives—and in the end, we can choose only one.
Funny, provocative, and startlingly honest, Fault Lines is for anyone who has ever looked in the mirror and asked, who am I and how did I get here? A bittersweet love story and a piercing portrait of female identity, it introduces Emily Itami as a debut novelist with astounding resonance and wit.
Three Girls from Bronzeville by Dawn Turner
They were three Black girls. Dawn, tall and studious; her sister, Kim, younger by three years and headstrong; and her best friend, Debra, already prom-queen pretty by third grade. They bonded as they roamed the concrete landscape of Bronzeville, a historic neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, the destination of hundreds of thousands of Black folks who fled the ravages of the Jim Crow South.
These third-generation daughters of the Great Migration come of age in the 1970s, in the warm glow of the recent civil rights movement. It has offered them a promise that they will have more opportunities, rights, and freedoms than any generation of Black Americans in history. But the girls have much more immediate concerns: hiding under the dining room table and eavesdropping on grown folks’ business; collecting secret treasures; and daydreaming about their futures. And then fate intervenes, sending them careening in wildly different directions. There’s heartbreak, loss, displacement, and even murder.
Three Girls from Bronzeville is a memoir that chronicles Dawn’s attempt to find answers. It’s a celebration of sisterhood, a testimony to the unique struggles of Black women, and a tour-de-force about the complex interplay of race, class, and opportunity, and how those forces shape our lives and our capacity for resilience and redemption.
*Annotations from the publishers
–Post by Melissa Friedlund, Reference Specialist
#FDL is a weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria.
Join the Friends of Fondulac District Library!
“The only way to have a friend is to be one.” – Ralph Waldo Emmerson
Become a member of the Friends of FDL to support the library and give back to the community! The Friends group supports the mission of the library through advocacy, donations, and volunteerism – and their support is essential to FDL! These dedicated volunteers maintain the ongoing book sale, help promote the library throughout the community, support our collection and facilities, and sponsor and assist with important programs like Summer Reading. Members pay annual dues of only $5 and meet quarterly. There are several opportunities to volunteer throughout the year, because the Friends:
- Facilitate the annual BIG Book Sale
- Collect paperback books to send to the troops
- Celebrate with awesome holiday basket giveaways for patrons
- Assist with fun events like Star Wars Day, Big Rig Petting Zoo, & FOLEPI’s Enchanted Forest
- Host the annual Holiday Craft & Bake Sale (with amazing homemade treats and gifts)
- Plus much more!
And if volunteering is not your thing, donations are always appreciated to support their endeavors and the library. Learn more at fondulaclibrary.org/support-fdl/friends/ and stay tuned for more ways to support the Friends during National Friends of Libraries Week later this month!
Book Character Pumpkin Decorating Contest
• Parents may help children paint and decorate their pumpkin.
• Carved pumpkins will not be accepted – only painted/decorated whole pumpkins may be entered.
• Submissions will not be accepted before 9 a.m. 10/16, or after 8 p.m. 10/19.
• All contest submissions must be accompanied by an entry form, available in the Youth Services desk.
• All pumpkins must be picked up by 1 p.m. on October 31.
Books for Children With Food Allergies
Life can feel so much harder when food allergies and intolerances stop you from safely enjoying food, especially when you’re a little kid. Children don’t always understand why their friends at school or their family members can eat certain foods and they can’t, which can be socially isolating.
Many allergies can also be life-threatening, so it is important to teach children about them at an early age so they can understand just how careful they need to be, whether they themselves have an allergy or someone they know does. Food allergies can sound scary, but learning about how to live with them doesn’t have to be.
If you’re looking for materials that will help your child understand food allergies and how to feel about them, allow them to see themselves represented in a book, or teach you safe recipes and tips for helping your child navigate their allergies, check out these helpful books and online resources below.
Picture Books on Gluten Intolerance:![](https://fondulaclibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/The-Gluten-Glitch-by-Stasie-John.jpg)
A Gluten-Free Birthday for Me! By Sue Fliess
I’m a Gluten-Sniffing Service Dog by Michal Babay
The Gluten Glitch by Stasie John
Eating Gluten-Free with Emily: A Story for Children with Celiac Disease by Bonnie J. Kruszka
Picture Books on Peanut Allergies:
The Peanut-Free Café by Gloria Koster
The Princess and the Peanut Allergy by Wendy McClure
No Peanuts for Pete by Christina Roderick
Picture Books on Other Food Allergies:![](https://fondulaclibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/The-Bugabees-Friends-with-Food-Allergies-by-Amy-Recob-1.jpg)
Daniel Has an Allergy by Angela C. Santomero
The Bugabees: Friends with Food Allergies by Amy Recob
Books for Parents of Children With Food Allergies
Guides:
Kid’s Guide to Life with Food Allergies by Kai Brown
My Kids Can’t Eat That! (EBK): How to Deal with Allergies & Intolerances in Children by Christine Bailey
Allergies, Away!: Creative Eats and Mouthwatering Treats for Kids Allergic to Nuts, Dairy, and Eggs by Frances Park
Eat Like a Dinosaur: Recipe & Guidebook for Gluten-free Kids by Paleo Parents
The Food Allergy Mama’s Easy, Fast Family Meals: Dairy, Egg, and Nut Free Recipes for Every Day by Kelly Rudnicki
Fearless Food: Allergy-Free Recipes for Kids by Katrina Jorgensen
Online Resources:
Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE)
“Best Food Allergy Online Support” – MyKidsFoodAllergies
– Haley, Youth Services Assistant
FDL Reads: Dune: The Graphic Novel
Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 1
By: Frank Herbert, adapted by Brian Herbert
Reviewed by: Melissa Friedlund, Reference Specialist
Genre: Science Fiction
Suggested Age: Teens, Adults
What is the book about? This book is the latest graphic novelization of the science fiction classic, Dune, written by Frank Herbert in 1965. It is an epic story of greed, mysticism, and betrayal all set in the far distant future when Earth is a barely remembered footnote and interstellar politics revolve around the precious spice from the planet Arrakis. The royal House Harkonnen has controlled Arrakis for forty years, but now the emperor has ordered their rival, House Atreides, to take their place. Trading their vibrant, water-rich, ancestral planet of Caladan for the what seems like the desolate wasteland of Arrakis, also called “Dune,” the members of House Atreides follow the emperor’s orders all while anticipating a deadly trap.
My Review: If you’ve never tackled the original novel, this would be a great introduction into Frank Herbert’s Dune universe. This graphic novel is a scene-by-scene adaptation of the first part of the original novel, but the artwork allows you to absorb quickly what Herbert may have taken pages to describe. Since I am a big fan of the 1984 film version, I relished the similarities this book has with that film, especially the dialogue. I found the artwork to be fantastic, especially how it conveyed the powerful nature of the giant sandworms and how the ornithopers looked like sleek birds cutting through the air. Overall, this was a faithful and enjoyable rendition of the pivotal science fiction classic. The graphic novel series of Dune will be published as a series of three books. I am eagerly anticipating the next two in the series, as well as the new movie adaptation coming out in October.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Saga, Space Opera, Expansive
Give This a Try if You Like…Dune by Frank Herbert, Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation by Tim Hamilton & Ray Bradbury, or Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
Rating: 5/5
#FDL: Banned Books Week
This week is Banned Books Week. The American Library Association discusses the purpose and history of Banned Books Week here:
“Banned Books Week (September 26-October 2) 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.”
The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 156 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services in 2020. Of the 273 books that were targeted, here are the most challenged, along with the reasons cited for censoring the books.
Despite the efforts of challenges, these materials have, for the most part, remained available to read. So, stop by the library or place one of these books on hold to celebrate your freedom to read.
- George by Alex Gino
Reasons: Challenged, banned, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, conflicting with a religious viewpoint, and not reflecting “the values of our community” - Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds
Reasons: Banned and challenged because of author’s public statements, and because of claims that the book contains “selective storytelling incidents” and does not encompass racism against all people - All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, drug use, and alcoholism, and because it was thought to promote anti-police views, contain divisive topics, and be “too much of a sensitive matter right now” - Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted because it was thought to contain a political viewpoint and it was claimed to be biased against male students, and for the novel’s inclusion of rape and profanity - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and allegations of sexual misconduct by the author - Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin
Reasons: Challenged for “divisive language” and because it was thought to promote anti-police views - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Reasons: Banned and challenged for racial slurs and their negative effect on students, featuring a “white savior” character, and its perception of the Black experience - Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Reasons: Banned and challenged for racial slurs and racist stereotypes, and their negative effect on students - The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Reasons: Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and depicts child sexual abuse - The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Reasons: Challenged for profanity, and it was thought to promote an anti-police message
#FDL is a weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.