Here we are at the last month of the school year and sadly nothing much has changed. As of writing we are still in lockdown, with curbside pick-up only on Tuesdays 9-12, and Wednesdays 1-7:30). The good news is that the volume of books coming and going from the library has actually increased. Thank goodness for books and reading! As soon as restrictions ease, we will post library opening times on Instagram and Facebook and the library webpage.
The legendary Millarville Library Summer Reading Program will take place, outdoors if necessary with activities such as bingo card reading program, outdoor/ nature ABC activity, story walks etc. Again information will be posted on our social media accounts. If you are interested, leave your information on the library phone, 403-931-3919, and Natasha will get back to you. We recently received a “Making a Difference” Award in the small library division from Marigold!
Our local Book Club Wine and Cheese has been been postponed until the Fall. Each book Club is submitting their favourite reads and this list will be shared on our website and social media.
We have a great art exhibit at the library which will be up for another couple of months. Colin Bell’s paintings are celebrations of life, spirit, light and colour, something we all need right now. Check them out at the library when we are open or on his website, www.colinbellart.com. Our next library art exhibit will feature student art.
When the library opens we will be recruiting more volunteers. This is really the ideal gig for book lovers. You get to sit in the library for a three-hour shift interacting with other book lovers and helping them access books and other library materials from our own library and through the extensive Marigold Library network. (Training is provided!) You can share a shift with another librarian and our system of spares mean the you can accommodate travel (?!) and other activities. If you are interested, call Natasha at 403-931-3919.
Here are a couple of fascinating non- fiction books to sick your teeth into (into which you can sink your teeth – grammar experts?) The Splendid and the Vile: a Saga of Churchill, Family and Defiance During the Blitz, by Erik Larson details the devastation and terror of the Blitz and Churchill’s dogged determination “to never give in”. Through skilful use of intimate diaries as well as public documents, some newly released, Larson has transformed the well-known record of 12 turbulent months, stretching from May of 1940 through May of 1941, into a book that is fresh, fast and deeply moving.
Read this with Clementine: The Life Of Mrs. Winston Churchill by Sonia Purnell. This book follows Clementine from her dysfunctional childhood, through WW1, the Spanish Flu epidemic, the1929 stock market crash and depression and the second World War. It is a riveting, illuminating portrait of a remarkable woman, despite her flaws, living and making a difference in remarkable times, times that provide an interesting context to the pandemic times we are struggling through right now.
And here’s a review for our junior readers submitted by Story Nutbrown, Grade 4.
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street is an amazing book about a family who has lived in the same brownstone for years. Their top floor neighbour is their landlord and he decided not to renew their lease so they will have to move on Christmas. The kids do not want to move, and they need to find a way to get Mr. Beidermen to change his mind and let them stay!
I read this with my family and every time my mom had to put the book down, I would groan and ask if we could keep reading. So, if you like a book with lots of cliffhangers, this is definitely the book for you! This book was an easy read and kept my attention from beginning to end.
I enjoyed how their family all loved each other and really showed it strongly, even though they did have arguments, nobody can live without at least a couple of arguments! I love how Oliver, the only boy, was a bit like me. He loved to read and when I’m reading, it’s the best part of my day!
I thought this book was very realistic which, in my opinion, makes it even more amazing than it already was. This is a middle school book but I think it’s great for adults too!!!
I also suggest the other books in the series by Karina Yan Glaser such as The Vanderbeekers and the hidden Garden, the Vanderbeekers To The Rescue, The Vanderbeekers lost and found, and The Vanderbeekers make a wish. Though I have not read the other books, I think they will be good if they are anything like The Vanderbeekers Of 141st Street!
