Dia de los Muertos at the library

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a time for families and friends to gather and remember loved ones who have died. Three FCPL branches are hosting special celebrations of this holiday for patrons.

For Grades 6 to 12

The Hampton Park Library will host a Day of the Dead celebration Thursday, October 30 at 6:30 p.m. Make ofrendas for remembering special loved ones, decorate sugar skulls and calavera masks, make papel picado (intricately cut paper banners), and eat special treats. Registration is requested.

The Post Road Library will host its own Day of the Dead celebration on Sunday, November 2 at 2:15 p.m. We will make papel picado, giant paper marigolds, and sugar skull Sharpie mugs! Mexican treats and snacks will be served. Please register to attend.

For the Family

Bring the kids and join us for Day of the Dead celebration at the Cumming Library on Sunday, November 2 at 2:00 p.m. We will honor loved ones that have passed on with a special storytime, and then have snacks and craft activities. No registration is required.

For more information, please click here or check the Events Calendar at www.forsythpl.org.

Staff Picks

So Creepy and So Good!

The spooky photographs included in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children made me a little hesitant to read it but I’m glad I worked up the nerve.   The peculiar children in this wonderfully creepy novel aren’t the villains they may appear to be but the victims of something much nastier.  Family secrets, Nazis and more traditional monsters fill the pages of this engaging fantasy.    

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist

Staff Picks

Life, Animated by Ron Suskind

Temple Grandin by Thinking in Pictures

Born on Blue Day by Daniel Tammet

Look Me In The Eye by John Elder Robinson

I Am Intelligent by Peyton Goddard

We hear so much about autism and the spectrum, but what is it, exactly?  Is it just excessive geekiness?  Consider that what makes us so successful as a species is our ability to communicate, and not just through words but with complex social cues.  It’s instinctive; babies seek out faces, adults can decipher expressions and body language at a glance.  Except when they can’t.  For people on the spectrum, parts of the brain are wired differently.  They have to learn social interactions as if it were a foreign language.  Temple Grandin likened it to being an anthropologist on Mars.

You can follow these anthropological journeys in Life, Animated by Pulitzer prizewinning journalist and father of an autistic child Ron Suskind, Thinking in Pictures by autism pioneer Temple Grandin, Born on Blue Day by autistic savant Daniel Tammet, and Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison, the autistic brother of Augusten Burroughs, who has problems of his own (Running With Scissors.)

For a darker look at the dangers a girl with autism can face, seek out Donna Williams Nobody Nowhere and Somebody Somewhere or Dawn Prince-Hughes Songs of the Gorilla Nation.  Or see what it’s like to advocate for a for a special needs child whose behavior is unacceptably violent with I Am Intelligent by Peyton Goddard. (Ask us how to get these books via Interlibrary Loan.)

Then see why your brain screams at you to avoid people who act differently by reading The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker.  We’re all of us different, but some are more different than others.

Mary Kretsch
Information Specialist

Staff Picks

Wings of Fire : the Dragonet Prophecy is the first book in a new series. It is action-packed and full of suspense. I loved how the main characters are dragons and it's a dragon-centric world - the humans are called "Scavengers" and are considered prey and aren't that important to the story. There are seven different tribes, or types of dragons - Skywings, Mudwings, Seawings, Nightwings, Icewings, Sandwings, and Rainwings. Each type of dragon has different physical characteristics and abilities and they typically do not interact with dragons outside of their own tribes.   The dragons, however, have been fighting a war for many years and there is a group, the Talons of Peace, that have foretold of five dragonets that will be born and stop the war when they are ten years old. I loved the personalities of each of the five dragonets. I cannot wait to finish reading the series.

Meredith Bowermeister

Information Services Supervisor

Staff Picks

Find inspiration for fantastic lunches and more in Beating the Lunch Box Blues by J. M. Hirsch.

The target audience for these recipes may be children but with lunches like mini meaty cheesy quiches and DIY hoisin lettuce wraps, moms and dads will be incorporating the suggestions in their own lunches too.  This slim book includes breakfast and dinner recipes that provide handy leftovers. (The sweet and sour chicken was exceptionally easy and delicious!)  With full color photographs and helpful hints for packing tacos and making sandwiches sog-resistant Beating the Lunch Box Blues is a book that's definitely worth checking out.

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist

Staff Picks - Teen Middle

The House on the Gulf by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Mystery abounds in this heart-felt story centered around a single mother struggling to raise two teenagers.  Told from the thirteen year old daughter’s perspective, the tale begins as Britt and her mother and brother, Bran, move into a spacious home by the ocean in Florida, where Bran has arranged to house sit for the summer.   Having previously lived in a sparse apartment, their living conditions seem like grandeur to Britt.  This is a dream come true for their family, but Bran begins to act very peculiar, and when questioned, he behaves even more mysteriously.   Because the house is located in an area primarily occupied by senior adults, Britt’s only friendship is with Mrs. Stuldy, the next door neighbor.  Through this relationship, Britt learns facts that cause her to become even more curious about everything.  She begins digging, only to become increasingly confused.  This quick read will keep you guessing up to the end where everything satisfyingly comes together.


Julie Boyd
Youth Services Supervisor

Motivational Speaker to Help Library Patrons Dress for Success

Jackie Martin is the founder of
A Matter of Motivation, as well as
an Independent Certified Coach,
Teacher, and Speaker with
The John Maxwell Team.

Motivation and leadership coach Jackie Martin will present a seminar for women entitled “Dressing for Success: Putting Your Best Self Forward” on Wednesday, November 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the Sharon Forks Library at 2820 Old Atlanta Road, Cumming.

The seminar aims to explain how career-minded women, including teens and college-bound young women, can put their best selves forward by presenting an appropriate image during job interviews, college admission interviews, and any time it’s necessary to make a good first impression.

“The biggest mistakes women make when dressing for interviews or other important events are to wear clothing that fits poorly or is too revealing, wearing too much jewelry, or ignoring the appearance of their feet,” says Martin.

There are plenty of strategies that women can use to dress professionally, even on a small budget, says Martin.

 “First, take stock of what you already own and know which pieces are appropriate for interviews and business events. Then when you’re shopping, search online for great deals and then supplement with pieces from outlet malls, consignment shops, and discount retailers.”

Part of the seminar will focus on stretching your wardrobe dollars by purchasing classic pieces that can be used several seasons and then accessorized to look on-trend. Style Fashions, a local consignment store, will stage a fashion show demonstrating how to find complete outfits on a small budget.

Dressing to be your best professional self doesn’t end with the proper clothing for women. It is also important to accessorize properly, maintain a well-groomed hairstyle, and apply makeup appropriately for a business setting. Another portion of the seminar will include presentations from Jodi Bond, a Mary Kay Cosmetics consultant, and tips on wearing just the right accessories from Park Lane Jewelry.

“Good grooming, including hair, makeup, and even fingernails are like icing on the cake. They give us a polished and finished appearance. Not to mention how it makes a woman feel when she knows she’s having a good hair day,” stresses Martin.

After dressing for success, women need to be able to communicate effectively during interviews and business meetings. In another segment of the seminar, Martin will address verbal and nonverbal communication strategies to help participants communicate their strengths and appear calm and confident in any professional situation.

“We’ll have fun exploring the ways to make the best first impression,” says Martin of the seminar. “We’ll also discuss how looking good on the outside can make you feel more confident on the inside.  Standing tall, making eye contact, and giving a firm handshake will help you start off on the right foot.”

Jackie Martin is the Founder, Coach, and Chief Motivational Officer of A Matter of Motivation. In addition to hosting seminars for the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce and teaching continuing education courses on leadership at the University of North Georgia, she is also a John Maxwell Certified Coach, Teacher, and Speaker.

Participation in Dressing for Success: Putting Your Best Self Forward is free, but registration is requested. For more information or to register, please visit www.forsythpl.org.

Staff Picks - Ghost Stories

I love a good ghost story, especially this time of year. Here are some I've particularly enjoyed recently:

From our Teen High collection:

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
(Book 1 of the Shades of London series)
Georgia Peach Award nominee for 2012-2013

A London boarding school and a Jack the Ripper copycat who must be stopped.

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson
(Book 2 of the Shades of London series)

The Shades, London's secret ghost-fighting police, take on inexplicable threats lurking underground. 

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Friendship, families, wealth, and amnesia. An ending you will not see coming!

From our Adult collection:

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian

The Stepford Wives meets The Shining. Small town Vermont, herbalists, twins, and a plane crash.

Joyland by Stephen King

College students, small town amusement park, 1970's, and a haunted ride make for a fun summer! 

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

Young short-order cook with an ‘odd’ name sees dead people and solves crimes. 

Rooms by Lauren Oliver

Family, ghosts, secrets and the haunted house that holds them. 

Help for the Haunted by John Searles

Teen born into a supernatural family must come to terms with her parents' deaths.

A Sudden Light by Garth Stein

Set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, a coming of age ghost story about a boy trying to save his parents' marriage. 




Beth Moore
Information Specialist

Bookmarks: A Book Club for Grades 7 & up - Cumming Library - October 23rd at 1:00 p.m.

Lincoln’s Last Days by Bill O’Reilly

Even though I knew what was going to happen, I still found myself quickly turning the pages as I read this fact-filled suspenseful account of the final weeks of Abraham Lincoln’s life.  Beginning with the end of the Civil War, through the assassination with all its gruesome details, and ending with the punishment of the murderer, Bill O’Reilly, a former high school history teacher, takes the reader, often hour by hour, through the events surrounding the death of our 16th president.  The book is filled with authentic photos that provide added interest, and a section at the end recaps the lives of Lincoln’s family, friends, and enemies. This book is the October selection for the Bookmarks book club at the Cumming Library. This book club is designed for homeschooled students in grades 7 and up. Other teens who are available in the early afternoon are also welcome. Refreshments, donated by the FCPL Friends & Advocates, will be provided.

Registration is recommended.

Julie Boyd
Youth Services Supervisor
Cumming Library

Chatterbooks: A Book Club for Grades K-2 - Cumming Library - October 23rd at 4:30 p.m.

The Composer is Dead by Lemony Snicket

Mozart, Beethoven, Hayden, Dvorak, Bach; they’re all dead!  The Inspector is determined to find out who the culprit is in this super silly mystery.  Various instruments of the orchestra are questioned, but no clues can be found.  As the Inspector investigates each section of the orchestra, he provides witty comments that teach about these instruments.  Kids will enjoy the humor as they waltz through this decomposing tale.  This book is the October selection for the Chatterbooks book club at the Cumming Library.

Registration is recommended.

Julie Boyd
Youth Services Supervisor
Cumming Library

Library Limelight: Sarah Reynolds at Post Road

Library Limelight is intended to be a quick read to help FCPL patrons get to know our librarians and staff.  We hope you enjoy learning about the people who make our libraries great!

Sarah prepares to compete on the FCPL team
“Spells Like Teen Spirit” at Spell Check LIVE! 2014.

Sarah Reynolds
Information Services Supervisor
Post Road Library

Where is your hometown?

Acworth, GA

How long have you been at FCPL?

Just over a year

What other jobs have you had at FCPL?

This is it! 

Why did you choose to work in a library?

It was a fluke. I quit my job in graphic design and for the first time since I was 13 I had no job. I took advantage of the opportunity to explore what I wanted to do, and there was an opening at Chestatee Regional Library System for a part-time job. I applied, got an interview, and waited, and waited, and waited. It turned out a full-time position was coming open and they wanted to offer it to me. Within 2 years I was enrolled in library school, and the rest, as they say, is history! 

Describe your job in five words or less.

Bartender without the booze?

What is unique about your job?

Because every day and every person presents a different combination of personalities, questions, and logistical/technical issues, you truly never know what each day will hold. 

What is your favorite part of your job?

I get to help people  with seemingly little things that mean something to them, and no other institution out there offers this service – for free, without judgment, and with respect.

What’s the most interesting place you’ve lived or traveled?

Belize. I stayed in a cabin without electricity for 8 days, out in the middle of a 600,000 acre jaguar preserve. We hiked at least 5 miles a day. I hitchhiked for the first time in my life and washed my clothes in a stream.

What are your hobbies?

Knitting, crafting of any kind, really. Reading when I can. Does sleeping count?

What are you reading right now?

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver (Lit Chicks) and Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling pseudonym)

Paper books or eBooks?

Paper… and LOTS of audio

Page Turners: A Book Club for Grades 3-5 - Cumming Library - October 23rd at 4:30 p.m.

Fudge-a-Mania by Judy Blume

If you had an arch enemy, how would you feel if your family decided to share a vacation house with the enemy’s family? Peter Hatcher finds himself in just this scenario when his family rents a house in Maine with know-it-all  Cootie Queen Sheila Tubman and her family. To complicate matters, Peter’s irrepressible little brother Fudge wants to marry Sheila. Judy Blume’s familiar characters return in this story with all the funny family quirks, escapades and pet disasters that readers have come to love in the Fudge books.

This book is the featured selection for the Page Turners Book Club for children in grades 3-5 at the Cumming Library on Thursday, October 23 at 4:30 p.m. Registration is recommended.


Holly Raus
Information Specialist - Youth Services

Reading Rules: A Book Club for Grades 3-6 - Cumming Library - October 23rd at 1:00 p.m.

The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester by Barbara O'Connor

Have you ever had to keep a really big secret? Owen Jester's dad lost his job, and now his family is living with his grandfather in Carter, Georgia. Owen hears a loud thud one night and goes in search of what made the noise. The only issue is his noisy, pesky neighbor Viola and how to keep the secret from her. As the adventure unfolds, Owen decides he may need Viola's help after all.   Reading Rules is a book club designed for the schedule of families who homeschool their children, but all children whose schedules allow are welcome to attend.Have you ever had to keep a really big secret? Owen Jester's dad lost his job, and now his family is living with his grandfather in Carter, Georgia. Owen hears a loud thud one night and goes in search of what made the noise. The only issue is his noisy, pesky neighbor Viola and how to keep the secret from her. As the adventure unfolds, Owen decides he may need Viola's help after all.   Reading Rules is a book club designed for the schedule of families who homeschool their children, but all children whose schedules allow are welcome to attend. Registration is recommended.


Lorraine Lane
Information Specialist - Youth Services

Scarecrows Take Over Secret Garden at Cumming Library

Visitors to the Cumming Library’s Secret Garden and Storywalk are in for a special treat this fall – handmade scarecrows have taken over the garden!

Library staff, Forsyth County Master Gardeners, and Forsyth County Public Library Friends & Advocates all worked to create a series of seven silly, sweet, and sprightly scarecrows for children and families strolling through the Storywalk to enjoy.

This month’s story, The Lonely Scarecrow by Tim Preston, winds along the garden path as readers learn what happens to a lonely scarecrow whose scary face keeps him from making friends with the animals around him. Each page of book has been posted on a garden stake along an easy-to-follow, numbered path.

“Our Storywalk promotes literacy, physical activity, family togetherness and being in the outdoors,” says Holly Raus, Information Specialist for Youth Services at the Cumming Library. Raus led efforts to launch the Storywalk and increase patron awareness of The Secret Garden earlier this year.

“As soon as we finished building the scarecrows this week and re-opened The Secret Garden and Storywalk, right away families were eager to read The Lonely Scarecrow and see our life-size scarecrows,” says Denise Leeson, Branch Manager at the Cumming Library.

The first scarecrow is suspended upside down, as he’s in the middle of turning a cartwheel. Designed by the Cumming Library staff, this scarecrow will surely have visitors going head over heels for the Storywalk.

The next scarecrow is fashioned from painted clay pots and moss and was made by the Master Gardeners. The third scarecrow scene includes two scarecrows lounging on a bale of hay while reading a book. This charming set of scarecrows was made by volunteers from the Forsyth County Public Library Friends & Advocates.

Other designs for the scarecrow scenes include a prairie-style scarecrow picking flowers, a set of formally-dresses grandma and grandpa scarecrows dancing, and a farmer scarecrow bidding visitors farewell as they leave the garden.
 
The Storywalk is free and open to the public during regular hours at the Cumming Library. The library will also host a special Scarecrow Fall Festival Storytime on Saturday, October 18 at 11:00 a.m. Children will enjoy scarecrow-themed stories, music, and crafts and then explore The Secret Garden and Storywalk.

One World Forsyth Program Series Kicks Off with Diwali Celebration

Forsyth County Public Library will launch “One World Forsyth,” a global cultural studies series, with a celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. The celebration will be held on Wednesday, October 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the Sharon Forks Library.

“We are so excited about bringing aspects of global cultures to our local library. Our new One World Forsyth series offers a fun and entertaining way for children, teens, and adults to widen their worldview by learning about geography, plant and animal life, different cultural traditions, celebrations, games, and even different foods from all around the world,” says Laura Bradley, Program Manager.

One World Forsyth programs will be hosted each month at one of the four library branches on a rotating basis.  These programs are free and are intended for all ages.  Advance registration is not required to attend.  One World Forsyth is sponsored by the FCPL Friends & Advocates. 

October’s Diwali Celebration will include a traditional dance performance, samples of foods and treats served during Diwali, as well as diyas to paint and decorate. A diya is a small lamp made of clay that holds a bit of oil and a cotton wick. These lamps are used as a part of Diwali celebrations to symbolize the spiritual victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair.



November’s One World Forsyth event will be a presentation for National Native American Heritage Month at the Hampton Park Library. Acclaimed storyteller Barry Stewart Mann will present “Peace Pipes and Talking Leaves: Cherokee Leaders and Lore” on Sunday, November 16 at 2:00 p.m.  Through the voices of three historical figures -- Sequoyah, inventor of the Cherokee syllabary; Nancy Ward, Beloved Woman; and Dragging Canoe, brave warrior – Barry Stewart Mann will share Cherokee folklore, customs, and history.


On Monday, December 8 at 6:30 p.m., the Cumming Library will welcome the North Georgia Zoo’s Wildlife Wonders as they present “Animals Around the World” for the One World Forsyth series.  The audience will travel around the world visiting a vast array of animals from the tropics to the desert, from reptiles to insects, mammals, and birds.

“We are continuing to plan One World Forsyth programs for 2015, including events for Chinese New Year, National Women’s History Month, and Caribbean American Heritage Month,” explains Bradley.

Staff Picks

In Shotgun Lovesongs Nickolas Butler writes in beautifully poetic prose about love - romantic, familial, brotherly and hometown. He delves into the wonders of rural Americana set in the small town of Little Wing, Wisconsin (which, not so ironically, is the name of a Jimi Hendrix song) and interweaves the lives of Henry, Beth, Lee, Ronnie and Kip that will have you sniffling and smiling by the end of the novel. I loved the audio version with the full cast of narrators - it really made each character's perspective more cohesive.

Meredith Bowermeister
Information Services Supervisor