Grandparents Day Fun

My grandmother wasn’t like my friends’ grandmothers or the grandmas I read about in books.  She didn’t knit fluffy mittens or bake cookies and pies. She chewed Beeman’s gum and saved shiny pennies for me in a fat, little coin purse that opened and closed with a snap.  Her apartment in Indianapolis didn’t have either an apple tree for me to climb or a magic wardrobe leading to another world.  Despite--or perhaps because of these things--I loved her dearly.

What do you remember about your grandparents?

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter proclaimed the first Sunday after Labor Day to be Grandparents Day.  This year Grandparents Day falls on September 8.

Families, drop by the Library's Mayfield Room on Sunday, September 8, anytime between 1 PM and 4:30 PM and make pop-up cards to send to grandparents.  (The pictures you see here, don't do justice to the clever, 3-D construction.)  Materials, instructions, and snacks will be provided  by Youth Services.  No reservation is required.  Grandparents and great grandparents are encouraged to join the fun!  For more information visit the Library's calendar of events.

Paying for College

Higher education comes at a much higher cost today than in the past.  Since attending college just over a decade ago, the cost of tuition at my alma mater has doubled.  This does not include the price of room and board.  College is not meant to strike fear into the pocketbooks of parents, but the sad thing is that it does.  Some families are more financially capable of others when it comes to saving and planning, but I don't think anyone was really able to plan enough and budget for today's cost of a college degree.  Whether you have one or two kids in high school or a couple in elementary or middle school, paying for college should be somewhere in your brain.  If you haven't started, the Library is here to help.  The experts at ISM College Planning are making their way to Zionsville to answer your questions about paying for college.  On Monday, September 9th, ISM College Planning will be here at 6:30 p.m. to do a presentation on paying for college.  Students and parents with students in all grades and of all ages are welcome, registration is recommended.  Then, in a first ever session, students are invited back on Monday, October 21st (during Fall Break) for a pizza and scholarship search!  Spaces are limited to only ten students per session.  Registration is required for both the 1:00 p.m. session and the 2:30 p.m. session and is open to students in grades 6-12 only. 

Remembering the March on Washington: August 28, 1963

Wednesday, August 28th marks the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.  The March is still numbered among one of the largest political rallies in United States history.   The rally included approximately 250,000 people from across the country.  The iconic view of the rally is the large crowd that lined both sides of the reflecting pool from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument.

The March included speeches and songs to inspire the crowd.  But the day is best remembered for Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech.  This is especially true of the end of the 17-minute speech, when he cast aside his script and led into the words; “I have a dream”.  It not only caused great reaction across the Mall that day, the speech was deemed the top American speech of the 20^th century by a 1999 poll of scholars.

If you want to read the text of this speech, or other landmark speeches given by Dr. King, you can find them in “A Call to Conscience”.  This book is a collection of several of his well-known speeches, including “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” given the evening before his assassination.

Charles Euchner’s “Nobody Turn Me Around” is an hour-by-hour account of the March.  The author takes you behind the scenes where you’ll meet the people involved.   Any large gathering with differing opinions will have tension, and there was plenty here.  Despite it all, the day was a success.  It is known for spurring the country to action, and led to the passage of civil rights laws.

“The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.” was posthumously compiled from his writings.  The book was commissioned by the King family, and gives the background to the leader's motivation and thoughts throughout his tumultuous and world-changing life. 

It is good for us to learn about our country’s past, including this day, the most significant demonstration for freedom in the history of the United States.

Three Fitness Icons

The names Leslie Sansone, Denise Austin and Kathy Smith are synonymous with fitness.  These ladies have been producing fitness DVDs and books for decades.  Denise and Leslie are now in their fifties, and Kathy is 61!  Even so, none of them are slowing down.  Let their longevity inspire you to try one of their  books or DVDs.

Leslie is the queen of in-home walking.  Perfect for the person just getting off the couch, Leslie has an upbeat, encouraging personality.  Her DVDs are based on walking a 15 minute mile, but in addition to walking, you will perform moves such as knee lifts and “side-to-sides.”  If walking is your passion, then Leslie will give you the workout you’ll love.  Her latest DVD gives you 5 days of easy-to-follow workouts.  Each day you'll walk from 1 to 5 miles, and a short toning sequence will tone a specific muscle group.

You may remember Denise from her long-running exercise show on ESPN.  Denise has a more diverse range of workouts, from boot camp to Pilates to cardio.  She has that “girl next door” quality that will make you feel as if you are working out with a friend.  Her "3 Week Boot Camp" will put you through intervals of toning and cardiovascular training.  It includes two workouts to alternate during your three weeks of training.  Each workout is around 20 minutes, so can fit into your busy schedule.

Kathy Smith is an awesome example that remaining fit can also help you maintain a youthful appearance.   Kathy is meticulous about demonstrating proper form.  Try Kathy if you want a good foundation for working out with weights.  You will learn form as well as the function of the exercises you are performing.  Her newest is a kettlebell workout.  With her twenty-five minute tutorial, you'll learn everything you need to work out safely and successfully with this piece of equipment.

These three ladies prove that we can stay fit as we get older.  There are many "one hit wonders" in the fitness industry, but these ladies have stood the test of time.

Kids Are Invited to a Take It Apart Party, Tuesday, August 20 at 4pm

What's a Take It Apart Party? It's where you take broken electronics apart and see what's inside! 

Who can come? Kids in Grades 1-5 with an adult (register at http://www.zionsville.lib.in.us/hmmpl/page/events)

Where is it? In the Mayfield Rooms in the Youth Services Department

What should we bring?

• One parent per family (required) for supervision. (Things can get pretty crazy!) It’s especially great if you bring someone who knows electronics or mechanics who can tell you what you are seeing.
• A friend! This is a cool, way-fun program to do with friends.
• Any broken down appliances or items you have around the house (hairdryers, cameras, etc.). We have quite a selection for you but if you have something that’s been sitting in your garage, bring it. (Avoid items with digital readouts, batteries, anything glass.)
• Basic tools (screwdrivers, hammer, etc.), but make sure they’re labeled. We will have some tools on hand but no one likes waiting for the right tool at a destruction party.

2013 United We Read: "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore"

Zionsville and Boone County, let's read together. The 2013 United We Read selection is "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore," by Robin Sloan. When the tale begins, we find Web designer Clay Jannon unemployed after the recession. He finally lands a job working the graveyard shift at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore and discovers that the store’s plucky owner and sparse customers are involved in a secret, worldwide mission that he can’t resist unraveling. It's a fast-paced adventure with books and technology at its core, paired with lifelong friendships and a bit of romance --all of which will have you turning the pages for more. I read this book over two nights, staying awake long past bedtime, and when I finally switched off the light on the first night, the book cover glowed in the dark!

Starting on Monday, August 19th, borrow a copy of "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore" from the Library and see it glow for yourself. This year, we're releasing the United We Read selection earlier because we heard you say that you wanted more time to finish the book before attending its corresponding programs in the fall. On Monday, August 19th, we'll have a display at the second floor reference desk full of print and audio copies of "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore" ready for you to borrow.

Read the book, talk about it with us at our Book Talk on Monday, September 30th from 6:30-8PM, and come back on Tuesday, October 8th for a special visit from San Francisco via Skype with author Robin Sloan from 7-8PM. The week after that, join us as we welcome Georgetown Market for Juicing 101 on Tuesday, October 15th from 7-8PM (there's a lot of healthy eating done in this book). The final program is a 2-part Introductory Calligraphy class on Tuesday, October 22nd from 6-8PM and Tuesday, October 29th from 6-8PM, taught by Zionsville artist Julia Fish Thompson.

So on Monday, come and help us empty the United We Read book display...borrow the book that rated 4 stars on Goodreads, Novelist and Amazon, read it, talk about it, and sign yourself up for the programs.

Thank you Youth Summer Reading Sponsors!

Thank you to all of the sponsors of our Youth Summer Reading Program. We had an outstanding summer with over 1,800 children participating this year-WOW! 

AppleBee’s 

Boone REMC 

Carmel Ice Skadium/Arctic Zone Iceplex 

Chick-Fil-A at the Pyramids 

Climb Time Indy 

Friends of the Library 

Hachette Book Group 

HMMPL Library Foundation

Indiana Beach Amusement Resort 

Indianapolis Children’s Museum Indianapolis 

Indianapolis State Fair 

Kings Island 

Laser Flash  

Monon Community Center 

Texas Roadhouse 

If you would like to support the 2014 Youth Summer Reading Program call 317-873-8342 and ask for Julie.

Dog Days of Summer

The “Dog Star” Sirius is rising and setting with the sun, signalling the “dog days of summer.” What better time, then, to highlight books about man’s best friend?

Dog lovers will enjoy A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron, a moving story about a dog who finds answers to some of life’s biggest questions through a series of canine reincarnations.  Another perennial favorite is Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain, the tale of a big-hearted pooch named Enzo who shares his master's passion for fast cars.

The Dangerous Book for Dogs (reputedly co-authored by Rex and Sparky) provides a humorous take on what makes dogs tick.  Chapters address critical canine concerns like: "The Formal Rules of Fetch," "What to Do During a Thunderstorm,“ and "How to Escape Humiliating Costumes."

On the nonfiction front, Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean should please dog lovers, students of American history and film buffs, alike.  In this true account, Orlean tracks Rin Tin Tin’s meteoric rise from abandoned puppy to legendary silent film star.  What was it about Rinty that struck such a chord in American hearts?   Read and find out.

Last, but not least, if you own a dog, or are thinking about buying (or adopting) one, you may want to browse the Library’s collection of books related to canine health, obedience, grooming, and training, where you’ll find titles devoted to many of your favorite AKC breeds.

Thank you, Zionsville!

Adults, you read and logged your books like champions this summer. You came in for your prizes, which included valuable local coupons, and took lots of them with you. Let's give a resounding "thank you" to Zionsville merchants, who were generous with their coupon donations to encourage reading. The best way to thank them? By using the coupons. It's that simple --and fun. We'll do it again next year and until then: great job and keep reading and visiting the Library.

Big Dave's Deli

Black Dog Books

Cheveux Salon & Spa

Cobblestone Grill

Cold Stone Creamery @ Traders Point 86th Street

Grapevine Cottage

 Kern Bros. Shoes

 Kristeens

 Le Dolce Vita Patisserie

 Monical's Pizza @ Traders Point 86th Street

 My Sugar Pie

 NjS Studio Salon & Spa

 Noah Grant's

 Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt Zionsville

   Patrick's Kitchen

  Pizza King of Zionsville 

  Schakolad Chocolate Factory @ Traders Point 86th Street

  Stone Creek Dining Company

  Traders Mill Grill & Bar

Want to support Adult Summer Reading and see your business in this list? Call the Library at 873-8341 and ask to speak with Lisa.