Summer Updates

by Emily

School is almost over!! WOOOOOO!!!

Summertime means awesome stuff at the Iowa City Public Library. Here’s the details:

Summer Library Bus:

Once again, we’re partnering with City of Iowa City Transit to offer free bus service for children and teens (and their parents) through grade 12. Just show your library card on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM, June 4 – August 15 and you can ride to the library for FREE! Return passes are issued at the library (just ask at any desk).

Summer Reading Program: Groundbreaking Reads!

The summer reading program at ICPL has seen some big changes this year, and we’re all super excited to get you all reading! This year, there’s a gameboard and activities to complete, so be sure to register here starting May 28th, and in person (at the library) on June 1st. The grand prize this year is a Kindle Fire!

Spring into Summer Reading!

by Emily

Photo via flickr, Nomadic Lass

Trees are blooming, birds are singing…it’s perfect weather for reading outside!

And since spring is finally here, we can start dreaming up ambitious summer reading lists, right? When I was growing up, May was filled with dreams of marathon Harry Potter reading sessions (anticipating the release of a new book), backpacks full of new books from the library, and competing with my friends to get the most books read before school started again in August.

This summer, I’m catching up on my teen reads. Of course I’ve read The Hunger Games (but who says I can’t read it again?), I’ve yet to read a Sarah Dessen novel (any recommendations?), Divergent is still a mystery to me, and my copy of The Fault in Our Stars is gathering dust under my textbooks. Time to get reading!

I’m scouring YALSA’s 2013 Best Fiction for Young Adults list for ideas, too. I’d like to give Libba Bray’s new book, The Diviners, a try, and I’ve been hearing lots of great things about Shadow and Bone, the first book in the Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo.

Want help finding great books to read this summer? Check out Goodread’s Popular Summer 2013 list, NPR’s 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels, the top ten of the Best Fiction for Young Adults list, or the Iowa High School Book Award nominee list. Craving some nonfiction? Check out YALSA’s Nonfiction Award winners and nominees.

Summer Reading Program Winners Announced!

by Emily

It’s been a busy summer, and now that things are drawing to a close, it’s time to announce the winners of the Summer Reading Program prize drawing. So, without further ado:

Grand Prize (Nook): Claire Rutherford

Runner-up (Marcus Theatres gift certificate): Hurie Bah

Runner-up (Prairie Lights gift certificate): Emma Kaboli

Runner-up (iTunes gift certificate): Anh To

Thank you to all participants. Keep reading!

Weekend Champloo, July 6-8

by Emily

After two weekends of inside activities, I’m trying to get you guys out of the house/library. I mean, it’s summer, right? Time for summer activities!

Youth Disc Golf Clinic, Saturday, July 7, 9:00-11:30 AM, Coralville Lake, East Overlook Picnic Area. Admission is free! I’ll admit, I know very little about disc golf, but it sure looks fun, it requires little physical movement (which is a bonus when outside in 100+ temperature, or you’re totally lazy like me), and it doesn’t look too difficult to learn. The Press-Citizen says, “Andy & Diane Hamer of Vicious Circle Disc Golf will conduct a clinic for young people at the disc golf course at the Sugar Bottom Recreation Area. Some discs will be available to borrow, or bring your own. This will be a free event. Meet at the picnic shelter in the day use area.”

Midsummer Night’s Dream Read Through, Sunday, July 8, 1:00 PM at Beadology, 220 E. Washington St., Iowa City, IA 52240. Admission is free! This looks interesting if you’re into Shakespeare or acting: “This community reading of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream is an ACE Experiment event. Scripts/books will be provided for participants to use. You need no experience or “talent” to participate, just a willingness to either read, act, and/or watch the play unfold. Bring food and drink to share.” I did a Shakespeare reading once with a bunch of friends – we didn’t act it out, but sometimes reading the play aloud makes for funny moments, especially with this play.

Not technically this weekend, but…

Remember to register for the I Am Number Four movie watching/book discussion program which takes place Tuesday, July 10 in Meeting Room A at 1:00 PM. You can register here by clicking the “Register Now” button and providing some basic information. Several copies of the book are available to borrow from the Fiction Desk on the 1st Floor of the library, if you can’t track down a copy. Just ask!

Books to Movies Reminder

by Emily

Hello, hello!

We have some programs coming up in July that require just a little bit of pre-planning on your part. Tuesday, July 10th at 1:00 PM, we’ll be gathering in Meeting Room A for a viewing of “I Am Number Four,” eating some pizza, and discussing both the book it’s based on (I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore).

The same deal happens Tuesday, July 17th at 1:00 PM, only then we’ll be watching “Hugo” and discussing the book it’s based on, The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick.

We have both books available in a variety of formats (print, audiobook, eaudiobook, and ebook), but they’re really popular right now, so check online availability here.

I’ll see you July 10th!

 

Zombie Craft-pocalypse TOMORROW

by Emily

Just a quick update: tomorrow from 2-3 PM in Meeting Room A, we’ll be gathering for a zombie “craft-pocalypse.” What exactly IS a zombie craft-pocalypse, you ask? Well, here’s a little preview:

I somehow managed to make a cute zombie…and so can you! See you tomorrow!

Teen Summer Reading Program: EXPLAINED.

by Emily

 

So I’ve referenced this Summer Reading Program thing a lot, but I really haven’t explained the specifics. Fear not!

Here’s the deal: come into the library between now and July 31st, sign up at the Fiction Desk, get a form and a book review, read 5 books and record them on the form, write a book review, then turn in both to the Fiction Desk and you get a FREE BOOK. Plus, you are entered into a prize drawing for gift certificates to iTunes, Prairie Lights Bookstore, and local movie theaters, or a NOOK Color! You can return as many 5 book forms as you can manage, and thus have better odds at that NOOK. ;)

And if you’re struggling to find a good book, check out this blog post with a bunch of helpful links to book lists.

That’s it. Not too difficult, right? If you’ve got questions, stop by the Fiction Desk anytime, or say hello at Teen Tech Zone, Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays all summer. See you there!

Young Adult Reading Lists!

by Emily

 

School’s out, the Summer Reading Program has begun, and now you’re looking for a good young adult novel. You’ve come to the right place!

Here’s a collection of some lists of various shapes and sizes for your young adult book selection pleasure:

  • VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) has Perfect Tens lists for the past several years posted on their site.
  • This list suggests young adult titles that correspond with the Summer Reading Program theme, “Own the Night.”

And don’t forget to check out the book lists on the back wall of the Young Adult section in the library, with such themes as “Chick Lit with Bite (but No Vampires),” “Literary Hellions,” “Dystopias,” and “Zombies Attack!”

So pick a book (or five), drop by the library and check it out, and sign up for the Summer Reading Program! Happy reading!

FREE Local Band Concert with United Action for Youth TONIGHT!!

by Emily

 

We’re kicking off the Summer Reading Program Tuesdays with a bang! We partnered with United Action for Youth (UAY) to bring you a couple of local bands: Downstairs Attic and Basic Rotation. Stop by TONIGHT from 7:00-9:00 PM in Meeting Room A at the Iowa City Public Library and celebrate summertime!

Weekend Champloo, May 18-20 (and some updates!)

by Emily

History of Blindness in Iowa Exhibit, Iowa City Public Library, Iowa City. Thursday, May 17 – Friday, May 25. Free admission. The blurb in the Press Citizen says, “The exhibit highlights daily experiences and historical achievements through personal histories and photographs. Listening to the provided audio, visitors will learn about a unique part of Iowa’s history from the voices of those who lived it.” Cool!

Gizmo Guys/Farmer’s Market, Chauncey Swan Park, Iowa City. Saturday, May 19, 10-11:00 AM. Free admission. Jugglers! and fresh produce! and lots of people outside in the sun! Summertime is here!

Walking Tour of Civil War-Era Iowa City, Old Capital Museum, Iowa City, Sunday, May 20, 1:00-5:00 PM. Suggested admission of $10, admission is free for children 12 and under. Seven sites to view, indoor and outdoor, Civil War entertainment…how cool! Even if the Civil War isn’t really your cup of tea, I’m sure it’ll just be fun to see people in old-timey outfits, right? ;)

Update:

I just put LOADS of new paperbacks on the turny shelves in the YA section, so read ‘em! Then be sure fill out your Summer Reading Program form (you can get them from the Fiction Desk starting June 3) and earn a chance to win a Nook Tablet or gift certificates from Prairie Lights, iTunes, or local movie theaters!

Also, if you’re looking for ideas for reading material this summer, the 2012 Selected Books from YALSA (the YA branch of the American Library Association) are in the YA Reading Lists Binder under the bulletin board in the YA Fiction area. Take a look!

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