Library News & Events - Fondulac District Library

Read it! Stream it!

Pick up one of these books adapted for the screen right now.

Nine Perfect Strangers by Lianne Moriarty: “Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amidst all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten days are going to be. Frances Welty, the formerly best-selling romantic novelist, arrives at Tranquillum House nursing a bad back, a broken heart, and an exquisitely painful paper cut. She’s immediately intrigued by her fellow guests. Most of them don’t look to be in need of a health resort at all. But the person that intrigues her most is the strange and charismatic owner/director of Tranquillum House. Could this person really have the answers Frances didn’t even know she was seeking? Should Frances put aside her doubts and immerse herself in everything Tranquillum House has to offer—or should she run while she still can?”

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: A new verse translation by Simon Armitage: “Preserved on a single surviving manuscript during from around 1400 composed by an anonymous master, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was rediscovered only two hundred years ago and published for the first time in 1839. One of the earliest great stories of English literature after Beowulf, the poem narrates the strange tale of a green knight on a green horse, who rudely interrupts the Round Table festivities one Yuletide, casting a pall of unease over the company and challenging one of their number to a wager. The virtuous Gawain accepts and decapitates the intruder with his own axe. Gushing blood, the knight reclaims his head, orders Gawain to seek him out a year hence, and departs. Next Yuletide Gawain dutifully sets forth. His quest for the Green Knight involves a winter journey, a seduction scene in a dreamlike castle, a dire challenge answered – and a drama of enigmatic reward disguised as psychic undoing.”

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

September 2nd, 2021|

FDL Reads: Circe

Circe by Madeline Miller

Reviewed by: Isaac Jacobs, Reference Assistant

Genre: Mythology, Fantasy

Suggested Age: Adults

What is This Book About?: Circe revisits the mythology of Circe, a daughter of Helios, god of the Sun. An unusual daughter, she does not possess strong powers or divine beauty. In fact, she sounds like a mortal- a source of disdain from her family. With a curious mind and a dangerous fondness for humans, she discovers her skills as a witch and gets herself into messy situations with her spells and potions, proving to be a potential problem for the Olympian gods. Cast into exile by Zeus, she is banished to a deserted island where she nurtures her skills in witchcraft, befriends beasts, and falls in sync with nature. She has encounters with famous figures in mythology, such as Daedalus and Icarus, the Minotaur, and Odysseus. However, with the moments of bliss come dangers of many types, both mortal and divine.

My Review: As a Classics major, I have always loved reading mythology. Unfortunately, some myths are biased and illustrate very shallow characters. I have always viewed Circe’s story as this- neglected and missing context. She is famously deemed as a malicious and scheming woman- but Madeline Miller brings to life her journey that leads to the character we know of today. She delves into the complicated nature of both Circe’s familial and mortal relationships and the internal war of divinity versus mortality. Which is worth it, and will she have the ability to make this choice?

And I truly think that this book has a broader message beyond the retelling of Circe’s story, but to our own lives; finding who we are, and what we want in our lives.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Captivating, eye-opening, surprising

Give this a try if you like… The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, mythological fiction,

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

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

September 2nd, 2021|

Bilingual Story Time (Online) – Lucha libre

Enjoy our last Bilingual Story Time with Miss Haley with some fun lucha libre stories! Pick up a craft kit while supplies last, and find more Spanish-language picture books through our online catalog!

September 2nd, 2021|

Library Card Sign-Up Month

September is national Library Card Sign-Up Month! FDL joins the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries nationwide to remind parents, caregivers, and students that a library card is the first step towards academic achievement and lifelong learning. Libraries offer free and fun educational resources and activities for all ages that bring families and communities together, and studies have shown that early literacy leads to success in the classroom and beyond.

This September, sign up for a new library card, renew your expired card, or replace your lost card to be entered into the prize drawing for an Amazon HD 8 tablet!

Make sure everyone in your household has their own card, encourage your friends and neighbors to get their library cards, and be sure to explore all the great resources and programs available with your library card!

Visit fondulaclibrary.org/library-cards/ for more information on how to get your card.

August 31st, 2021|

Board Accepting Applications for Trustee Vacancy

Fondulac District Library’s Board of Trustees is looking for a civic-minded and motivated individual to serve as a Library Trustee and to participate in the continued growth of the library. Interested candidates must reside within the boundaries of Fondulac Public Library District and should have a strong interest in serving on an active board that represents the residents thereof.

The current seated Trustees will fill the current vacancy by appointment. The appointed Trustee will serve under the appointment through May 2023. The remainder of the unexpired term (a two-year term through May 2025) will be elected by ballot in the April 4, 2023, Consolidated General Election. A regular, full term of a Library Trustee is six years. More information about the library’s Board of Trustees, including membership, meetings, minutes, and more, can be found at https://fondulaclibrary.org/about-us/trustees/. A description of the Trustee role follows on this page.

Individuals interested in appointment by the Board of Trustees to the current vacancy should submit the application information in writing to Genna Buhr, Library Director, 400 Richland Street, East Peoria, Illinois, 61611, or genna@fondulaclibrary.org.

Applications will be accepted until the seat is filled. All applications will be forwarded to the Board for review. The Board will initially review applications at their September 27 meeting. Please have applications submitted by September 23, 2021, for review at that meeting.

Please contact Genna Buhr, Library Director, at 309-699-3917 x1121 or genna@fondulaclibrary.org with questions.

Trustee Application Information

First and Last Name

Residential Street Address, City, State, Zip Code

Phone Number

Email Address

Please tell us something about your interest in public libraries, specifically Fondulac District Library.

What do you envision your role of the library trustee/board member to be?

Do you have any experience serving on boards, committees, or commissions? If so, please describe.

If you have had board experience in the past, what did you enjoy about it? What did you like the least?

What strengths can you bring to the Fondulac District Library Board of Trustees?

Based on your knowledge of libraries or your impressions of what might be challenging to libraries in the 21st century, what do you see as being possible issues of concern to libraries and librarians in changing times? Challenges and issues can be positive…not necessarily negative.

Based on your knowledge of Fondulac District Library and the population it serves, what specific challenges and opportunities do you see for the library, now and in the future?

Board of Trustees Member Description

Regularly attends board meetings.

Volunteers for and willingly accepts assignments and completes them thoroughly and on time.

Fulfills the Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act Requirement as defined by the Illinois Statutes.

Stays informed about library related matters, prepares themselves well for meetings, and reviews and comments on minutes and reports.

Gets to know other committee members and builds a collegial working relationship that contributes to consensus.

August 31st, 2021|

Lemonade Days!

What does summertime mean to you? Fun in the sun? Baseball? Barbecues? Swimming?

For me, nothing says summer like relaxing with an ice-cold glass of lemonade and a good book… about lemonade!!!

Not only is lemonade a great way to cool off on a hot summer day, it can be a fun life lesson for kids and adults alike. Whether you buy a powder mix at the grocery store or squeeze the lemons yourself, you’ll have a wonderful treat.

Here’s a recipe to try from the book Florentine and Pig by Ava Katzler:

Florentine’s Homemade Pink Lemonade with Fresh Berry Ice Cubes

Serves 6

For the ice cubes:

A big handful of fresh berries – Strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries

For the lemonade:

A big bottle of seltzer water
5 lemons
2 tbsp pomegranate juice
6 tbsp honey

Directions:

Pop one or two berries into each compartment of an ice cube tray. Fill with water and freeze overnight.
Pour the seltzer water into a big pitcher and squeeze in the juice of 4 lemons.
Ask an adult to cut the last lemon int chunks (with the peel still on!) and add to the seltzer.
Pour the pomegranate juice into the seltzer.
Stir in the honey and add your beautiful berry ice cubes just before you serve it to your thirsty friends.

Check out the following lemonade books at the library!