Anniversary of Pride and Prejudice

This year marks the 200^th anniversary of the publication of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.This still popular novel portrays life in the genteel countryside society of that time.  It chronicles the misunderstandings and later mutual enlightenment between the quick-witted Elizabeth Bennet  and the haughty Mr. Darcy.

The book has been published, adapted, translated, and loved over the past 200 years. The library has several copies of Pride and Prejudice in both regular and large print, on Audio CD, and 10 movies (one on Blu-Ray) based on the book with a music CD from the 2006 film.

There are adaptations such as Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James;  Elizabeth Aston's novel Mr. Darcy's Daughters has pleased many Austen fans; Carrie Bebris uses a lighter tone in her Mr. and Mrs. Darcy mysteries--the first is Pride and Prescience. Stephanie Barron takes a more serious approach  and imagines Jane Austen herself as the sleuth in her British mysteries--the first in her series is Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor.

Teen novels using Austen’s theme are Prom & Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg  and Heather Vogel Frederick’s Pies & Prejudice. 

Try one or more of the above suggestions or check with the librarians in the Teen and Adult department for other authors who celebrate Jane Austen and her works.

Prizes, Prizes, Prizes

Extra! Extra! This is the last week for a chance at winter prizes for children, teens, and adults.

Children must read aloud, or be read aloud to, for fifteen minutes a day for twenty-one days, after which they are eligible for a small prize. Children 2-5 years old who complete twenty-one days' of reading may register for the "Winter Reading Preschool Party" on Friday, March 1st from 11am-12pm. Story, craft and activity stations, along with special guests, will be available for the entire family of readers.

School-aged children in grades K-5 who complete fifteen minutes of reading a day for twenty-one days may register for the first ever “Night at the Library” on Friday, March 1st from 6-8pm. Zionsville firefighters, police officers and more will present a readers-theater. Craft and activity stations will be available for the entire family of readers, and we'll have delicious pizza and dirt pudding, too.

For teens in grades 6-12 and adults 18+, we made winter reading a piece of cake this year by eliminating the need for computers or passwords. All that teens and adults have to do is write down anything they have been meaning to read, or anything they are already reading, on a personal Challenge Sheet. When we say "read anything," we mean it: magazines, newspapers, cookbooks, short stories, long novels, textbooks...you name it. Ebooks, journal articles for research, the Twilight series, War and Peace, books assigned for school, mysteries, biographies...anything. Turn in the Challenge Sheet at the second floor Reference Desk at the Library by 5pm on this Sunday, March 3rd. Teens will have a chance at winning one of FOUR prize baskets. Adults will have a chance at winning ALL of the prizes displayed in the Sixth Street window.

Good luck and thanks for supporting the Library -because by participating in our programs, reading and otherwise, you support us. Did you know that? You help our state statistics and all sorts of other statistics just by joining in the fun. Your participation says to everyone, "My library is important to me." It doesn't get any easier than that.

Chocolate Ice Cream

While many teens were happy to have Presidents Day off, around 40 of them made a point to come to the Library.  Why?  For a Chocolate Ice Cream Taste Test.  Teens learned about the history of ice cream in America, FDA regulations on everyone's favorite frozen treat, and tried seven different kinds of chocolate ice cream.  Teens in grades 6 and up used very specific terms when evaluating ice cream in a blind taste test.  using words like "soggy, fruity, nutty, creamy" teens evaluated their ice cream carefully from look, texture, taste, and after taste.  Parents will be happy to know that they will not have to spend extra cash on expensive ice cream, since Haagen-Dazs was evaluated as bitter  by many teens and one even gave it a -1 star rating on a five star scale, saying it was terrible.  On the bright side, this means at least one parent never has to worry about her teen eating her expensive chocolate ice cream.  Of course, another teen will never know how that ice cream tasted.  He asked if he had to try the seventh ice cream, because he was full.  Parents will be happy to know that we did not require anyone to eat chocolate ice cream.  If you want to see photos of Monday's event, just check Wednesday's Local Living section in the Indianapolis Star.

Now if you are an adult that was told by the teen librarian that the program was for teens only, you will be happy to know that this program will be offered as part of our Adult Summer Reading Program.  Yes, it may seem crazy, but we are already thinking about summer and have actually been thinking about it since before Christmas.  Teens will have to take a back seat as adults get the chance to try several different flavors of chocolate ice cream.  The program is scheduled for Tuesday, June 18th from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and no, it's not too early to sign up. 

Friends of the Library Presents A Toddler/Preschool Busy Bag Program

As of Friday, February 22, there are two spots open for our Busy Bag Program!!

When is it?
Monday, February 25 @ 6:30-8:30pm

Cost: $10 membership to Friends of the Library (read below)

Registration limited to 12 adults*

Sign up today! 873-8342

What’s a busy bag? 

A Busy Bag is a small, portable (housed in a Ziploc™-type baggie), age-appropriate manipulative activity for a toddler and/or preschooler that aids in developing motor and literacy skills.  The activity is ideal for occupying a child, for example, while he or she waits for a doctor’s appointment, rides in the car, or sits in church services.

What happens at the Busy Bag Program?

Parents will assemble everything needed to make a tote bag full of 12 different busy bag activities. There will be different self-serve stations you will rotate through to make the various busy bags. All the supplies will be supplied and any prep work will be done; you just have to do the basic assembly. Directions will be posted and staff will be there to help and answer any questions.

These bags must cost some money to make. Is the program free?

Online Busy Bag programs often are valued at about $60 per person (after all, you are getting 12 activities for your child!) but ours is totally funded by The Friends of the Hussey-Memorial Public Library. The only requirement is that you are or become a member of the Friends of the Library. Individual membership is $10/year. Basically, you get a $60 value for $10, plus you get to be a valued part of our library’s Friends community!

What does a Friends membership do and what will be expected of me?

You can be involved in the Friends as much or as little as you like. Beyond your $10 membership dues, participation is up to you. Your membership dues alone help to fund library programs and library grants (for example, those colorful rugs in the YS department were results of Friends’ donations). If you wish to go deeper, you can attend Friends quarterly meetings and have a voice in how the Friends supports the library; or perhaps you would like to volunteer for working a book sale.

*Childcare not available. This program is for adults.

 

Give Your Heart Some Love

   

 

February is all about the heart.  Our hearts work for us day after day, but do they get any love?   The library has what you need to show your ticker the appreciation it deserves.  It doesn’t want flowers, and especially not a high fat, high calorie dinner.  The heart’s love language is spelled S-W-E-A-T.

Just like our loved ones, the less attention the heart receives, the more trouble it gives.  Come to the library and choose one of our cardio DVDs.  It will make your heart very happy.   

 

Weight Loss Cardio Kick is a powerful, athletic program that begins with aerobics and toning intervals and ends with pure cardio.  There are two 20 minute sessions so you can do both together, or do them on alternating days.

 

Step aerobics is another great way to get your heart pumping.  If you are new to step, Kari Anderson has a great workout.  Go: Step Workout for Beginners will get you moving.  Because her cueing is very good, she will introduce you to this form of exercise without frustrating you in the process.

 

An instructor who is just plain fun is Petra Kolber.  One of her new DVDs is Liquid Grooves.  This is not a traditional fat burning workout.  Instead, it is a fluid series of gentle, total-body motions.  Don’t worry about getting lost, she is a pro and will keep you moving.  Petra is from England, so it’s fun to listen to her British accent as she encourages you through the workout.

We have easy beginner routines, as well as advanced non-stop heart pounding workouts.   With over 70 cardio DVDs to choose from, we’re sure you can find one you will like.  Pop it in to your DVD player (and actually exercise along) and your heart will be your friend for a long time to come.

What if?

Last week’s meteor explosion over Chelyabinsk reminded me that good science fiction often begins with a question: “What if?  What if suddenly, and without warning, the earth’s rotation began to slow for no apparent reason? What if each time night fell, it lasted a little longer?  What if each new dawn heralded a longer day? These are the questions Karen Thompson Walker poses in her debut novel, The Age of Miracles, named one of the Best Books of 2012 by People, O: The Oprah Magazine, Financial Times, Kansas City Star, BookPage, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist.  “The slowing,” as it is comes to be called, not only wreaks havoc on crops, commerce, and circadian rhythms, but also pitches Julia, the novel’s thirteen-year-old narrator, into an altered world of shifting alliances. 

Tom Perrotta starts with a different hypothetical question in The Leftovers.  What if millions of people from all races and religions were to disappear miraculously in a “Rapture-like phenomenon”?  The Boston Globe says this about The Leftovers:  “In his provocative new novel Tom Perrotta dives straight into our unease…it’s a gentle, Perrotta-esque go at sci-fi, without any mangled bodies or bombed-out buildings; it’s a realistic novel built on a supernatural foundation.”

 Last, but not least, for the sci-fi inclined, I highly recommend Margaret Atwood’s In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination. This collection of essays (which includes both previously published and unpublished material) will appeal not only to readers interested in the evolution of speculative fiction, but also to those looking for insight into Atwood’s creative process. Who would have guessed that the author of the acclaimed The Handmaid’s Tale, Oryx and Crake, and The Year of the Flood began her literary career writing about two superhero rabbits named Blue Bunny and White Bunny?   It's funny, insightful, and well worth reading.