Summer Reading Plans...

Things are falling into place for this summer's reading program!

The theme this year will be "Express Yourself @ Your Library" and we have some great programs planned.

We'll draw manga with Cartoon Express...


And you will all walk away (unless you are me and cannot draw a straight line to save your life) knowing how to draw your favorite characters or even how to create your own.

I have a book discussion planned on Saving Francesca by Printz Award winning author Melina Marchetta. I love this book. I love Melina Marchetta--what a fantastic writer!

Francesca has spent her whole life letting other people tell her who she is, especially her mother, Mia. One day, though, Mia doesn't get out of bed. She's had a breakdown and is now suffering from serious depression

Through the novel, Francesca struggles with defining herself, fitting in at her formerly all-boys private school, finding a new group of friends, and holding her family together.


I love this novel.

We will have goodies to eat, sit in a big circle, and talk literature the way the muses intended--no holds barred and no lectures (and lots of junk food--did I mention the junk food?). This is not your jr. high/high school English class (unless you have an awesome teacher, in which case I envy you because I didn't).

Copies of the book are here for you to check out or to purchase for $5.00!

I bought mine yesterday, because one of my best college professors once spent a week checking our novels to make sure we'd written in them, because you should always write in your novels.

I'll post a discussion guide here within the next week so that you know what kind of questions we'll be chatting about as you read.

We'll also design our own jewelry with local artist and author Candie Cooper. Check out her blog here.

Candie suggested taking old books and cutting up the pages, then decoupaging them with other neat things to make pendants. The neat thing about that is--we can all do that at home with minimal trips to Wal-mart for supplies.


And the less I end up spending at Wal-mart on craft supplies, the better.

Registration for the reading portion of our program starts June 1, make sure to come down and sign up!

I'm really excited about my first summer program here at the library; I think we have some fantastic events planned. I hope you all come and join the fun!