Banned Books Week

In honor of Banned Book Week here are a few of my favorites from the banned book lists.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Apparently not everyone loves this story as much as I do. High schools and even one college have banned this classic novel, though you’ll generally find it taught in most American Literature courses.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

This novel explores the darkest side of human nature so I often recommend it to fans of The Hunger Games and other dystopian novels. It’s another book that shows up both in high school curriculum and on banned books lists.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

It’s the quintessential antiwar novel and one of the most banned books of our time. I read this one in high school specifically because of the controversy but discovered that I appreciated Vonnegut’s biting satire a lot more when rereading it as an adult.

1984 by George Orwell

Can you imagine never having heard of an Orwellian future or 1984 scenario?  George Orwell’s nightmarish vision of the future has been banned in both the former U.S.S. R. and the United States.  I suspect Orwell would have appreciated the irony.  

 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Since publication in 1884 this American novel has been banned, challenged and even revised to be less offensive.  Mr. Twain seems like a pretty feisty character himself. I wonder what he would have thought about that.

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kakfa  

On the other hand Franz Kafka had a very dark view of government and I think he easily would have anticipated his work being banned by the Nazi and Soviet regimes. That's literally Kafkaesque.

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist

Staff Picks

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is the story of two sisters who make vastly different choices during the German occupation of France.   This captivating war story has plenty of suspense and lots of heart!

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist

Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence - 2016 Longlist Announced! (Fiction)

The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction were established in 2012 to recognize the best fiction and nonfiction books for adult readers published in the U.S. the previous year. The shortlist will be announced in October and the winners (one fiction and one non-fiction) will be announced January 10, 2016. For more information go to http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/carnegieadult.

Fiction Nominees

The Distant Marvels by Chantal Acevedo

The Harder They Come by T.C. Boyle

Mothers, Tell Your Daughters by Bonnie Jo Campbell

Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg

Outline by Rachel Cusk

The Green Road by Anne Enright

Purity by Jonathan Franzen

Best Boy by Eli Gottlieb








City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg

Delicious Foods by James Hannaham








Welcome to Braggsville by T. Geronimo Johnson

Marvel and a Wonder by Joe Meno

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Honeydew by Edith Pearlman

The Book of Aron by Jim Shepard

Prudence by David Treuer

A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler

The Dying Grass by William T. Vollmann

The Visiting Privilege by Joy Williams

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara







Beth Moore
Information Specialist

Local Experts Present Fall Genealogy Series

Four local genealogy experts will lead events designed to help both amateur and experienced family genealogists discover their own histories as part of the Forsyth County Public Library Fall Genealogy Series.

Cliff Roberts will launch the series with a presentation entitled “Using Civil War Records in Genealogy” on Wednesday, October 7 at 6:00 p.m. at the Sharon Forks Library.

“Fortunately for the genealogist,” says Roberts, “vast amounts of records were collected during the Civil War.  From service records to family letters, from pension applications to unique wartime census data, these are wonderful resources that give us today a new perspective on our ancestors during this difficult time in American history.”

Library patrons can go even further back in human history at “The Making of the Human Family in America: A Historical & DNA Perspective” on Thursday, October 8 at 6:00 p.m. at the Hampton Park Library. Presenter Joy Chappel will explain how our ancestors traveled great distances to create a blended continent of diversity, and how DNA studies are mapping these historical movements.

Genealogist Elizabeth Olson teaches that researching your family’s history online can be rewarding, if you’ve got the proper tools. Learn about genealogical research and free resources online and at the library in Olson’s presentation “Effective Tips for Genealogy Research Online” on Thursday, October 15 at 3:00 p.m. at the Post Road Library.

Doing genealogical research is a bit like doing a jigsaw puzzle. You just can’t see the whole picture until you have all the pieces. Presenter Kathy Dempsey will help explain how certain kinds of public records may help fill in the gaps in your research in her talk “How Land Records Can Help Your Genealogy Research” on Monday, October 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Cumming Library.

Each guest lecture in the Fall Genealogy Series is free, but advance registration is requested. For more information, or to register, please visit www.forsythpl.org or call 770-781-9840.

What to Read Next: Try NoveList Plus on ForsythPL.org

NoveListPlus is a database designed to help readers find new books to read. NoveList Plus provides enhanced subject access to over 125,000 fiction titles and more than 90,000 full-text book reviews or annotations.

What Can NoveList Plus Do For Me? 

Patrons of the Forsyth County Public Library can use NoveList Plus to:

• Explore fiction and nonfiction by genre, audience level, setting, geographic area, time period, subject, and appeal factors
• Find and print a list of all the books in a series, with annotations included and with titles listed in order
• Find “read-alikes” for titles or authors you have read and enjoyed in the past.
• Locate information on genre definitions, genre trends, and a Reader’s Advisory Toolbox

What Appeals to You?

One of the newest and most exciting features of NoveList Plus is the appeal mixer. Often readers enjoy books with a certain mood, feel, tone, or pacing. Now NoveList Plus allows you to create a customized list of book recommendations based on your chosen combination of appeal factors.

Create Your Own Reading List

The Appeal Mixer is a fun way to create a potential reading list for yourself, for your children or other members of your family, or even for your neighborhood book club. To use the Appeal Mixer, visit the Reader's Corner pages for Teens or Adults on www.forsythpl.org and click on  NoveList Plus. You can also find links to NoveList K-8 Plus on the Reader’s Corner  pages for Elementary and Preschool.

Once you're in NoveList Plus, look for the “Browse By” drop down menu and choose “Appeal." Now you can choose up to three categories, including character, illustration, pace, storyline, tone, and writing style. Next, choose from a drop down list of appeal factors for each of your three categories and NoveList Plus will return a list of titles matching the criteria you selected. If you want to narrow the list, click on “view all” and you can further filter your results from the left side of the page.

Get for More Book Recommendations

NoveList Plus is just one of many ways you can find book recommendations from the library. You might also like to try our Personalize Reading Suggestions for Adults, Teens, and Kids, check out the FCPL Group on Goodreads, or join in one of our Book Clubs for Adults, Teens, and Kids.

Library to Host Dozens of Fall Break Programs, Sept. 28 - Oct. 2, 2015

Forsyth County Public Library’s schedule of Fall Break events includes over 30 programs to engage the imagination and intellect of both children and families during the upcoming break for Forsyth County Schools.

Professional flamenco dancer Julie Baggenstoss will introduce children and families to the vibrant music and moves of flamenco at the Post Road Library on Monday, September 28 at 11:45 a.m. As part of the library’s One World Forsyth program, the “Ferdinand the Bull and Flamenco” event will include an interactive performance of the classic children’s tale The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf, a flamenco demonstration, and crafts celebrating the culture of Spain. All ages are welcome and no registration is required.

Katherine Jansen
(Image: Little Red Book Shop)

Dianna Tribble, owner of the local Tribble Farms, will visit the Sharon Forks Library at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, September 28 to talk with elementary-aged children about bees, honeycombs, and how honey is made. Tribble will also give a demonstration of honey extraction. No registration is required to attend.

Katherine Jansen, local author of three books for children, will host three special storytimes at the Cumming Library on Tuesday, September 29 at 10:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., and 3:15 p.m. Jansen’s Barnyard Series of books includes Then Again Said the Hen, A Friend in the End, and Forgiving Fox, all fully illustrated by artist Jeffrey Yey. All ages are welcome. No registration is required to attend.

Abby the ArchaeoBus, Georgia’s mobile archaeology classroom, will visit the Post Road Library from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 30. Got a miniature Indiana Jones in your family? Bring them to visit the ArchaeoBus and check out the hands-on exhibits on the bus, as well as displays, puzzles, crafts, trivia, and activities in the library parking lot.

Abby the ArchaeoBus
(Image: The Society for Georgia Archaeology)

Continue your archaeological adventure with a screening of Journey to the Center of the Earth starring Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, and Seth Meyers inside the library at 3:15 p.m. The film is rated PG and no registration is required for the film or Abby the ArchaeoBus.

The Sharon Forks Library will host the Chattahoochee Nature Center’s “Hunters in the Sky” program at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, October 2. This program is suggested for grades K and up and will include up-close encounters with an owl and a hawk as they learn about these interesting native raptors. Advance registration is not required.

Other programs, such as Puppetpalooza, Kids Knit finger knitting class, parachute games, movies, craft and toy workshops, storytimes, and teen trivia, are also scheduled. For a complete schedule of Fall Break programs, please visit www.forsythpl.org.

Reading Rules: A Book Discussion Group for kids in grades 3-6 - Cumming Library - Thursday, September 24 at 1:00 p.m.

Abby Takes a Stand by Patricia McKissack

Reading Rules: A Book Discussion Group for kids in grades 3-6 featuring discussion and  STEAM crafts and activities based around the chosen book for the month. This book club meets during the day and is designed for the schedules of families who homeschool their children, but all children are welcome to attend.  Abby Takes a Stand by Patricia McKissack is the featured selection. When Abby and her cousins help their grandmother clean out her attic, they discover an old menu and grandmother recalls for her grandchildren what happened in 1960 in Nashville, Tennessee, when she, aged ten, passed out flyers while her cousin and other adults held sit-ins at restaurants and lunch counters to protest segregation. Discussion will revolve around the American Civil Rights Movement followed by STEAM bridge building activities.  The Reading Rules book club for children in grades 3-6 at the Cumming Library will be held Thursday, September 24 at 1:00 p.m. Registration is recommended.

Holly Raus
Information Specialist-Youth Services
Cumming Library

Page Turners: A Book Club for Grades 3-5 featuring discussion with STEAM crafts and activities based around the book. - Cumming Library –September 24, at 4:00 p.m.

Abby Takes a Stand by Patricia McKissack

Abby Takes a Stand by Patricia McKissack is the featured selection. When Abby and her cousins help their grandmother clean out her attic, they discover an old menu and grandmother recalls for her grandchildren what happened in 1960 in Nashville, Tennessee, when she, aged ten, passed out flyers while her cousin and other adults held sit-ins at restaurants and lunch counters to protest segregation. Discussion will revolve around the American Civil Rights Movement followed by STEAM bridge building activities. Registration is recommended.

Holly Raus
Information Specialist-Youth Services
Cumming Library

Chatterbooks: A Book Club for Grades K-2 – Cumming Library – September 24th at 4:00 p.m.

Emmanuel'sDream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah 
 by Laurie Ann Thompson

Chatterbooks is a book club designed for children in grades K-2 that incorporates a story, book discussion and a craft. This month’s book is Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah By Lauren Ann Thompson & Sean Qualls. In Ghana, West Africa, a baby boy was born with only one strong leg. His mom encouraged him to do things just like the other children in the village, which at times proved difficult but Emmanuel persevered. This is a true story about a young boy who cycled 400 miles across Ghana to spread his powerful message: disability does not mean inability. It is not necessary to read the book ahead of time.  September 24, 2015 – 4:00 p.m. – Cumming Library – Registration required.

Lorraine Lane
Information Specialist-Youth Services
Cumming Library

Visit the new Storywalk at the Cumming Library!

There is a new Storywalk to visit in the Secret Garden at the Cumming Library featuring "The Prickly Hedgehog” by Mark Ezra and there is even a little stone hedgehog to search for as he peeks from under a fern or bush.  A Storywalk allows you to read a children’s book that is posted page by page throughout the garden. Storywalks are found across the nation at libraries, parks, and hiking trails and are used to encourage literacy and family time spent in the great outdoors. The Cumming Library Storywalk also features a Hopscotch Board with a rule refresher posted nearby and an outdoor Tic Tac Toe spot using rocks painted with adorable bumble bees and ladybugs as the playing pieces. Come visit The Storywalk and sign our guestbook!

Holly Raus
Information Specialist-Youth Services
Cumming Library

Bookmarks: A Book Club for Grades 7 & up - Cumming Library - Thursday, September 24 at 1:00 p.m.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Jacqueline Woodson's words are planted in our hearts, growing and blossoming as her story unfolds in the narrative free verse Brown Girl Dreaming.  From infancy through childhood, the author eloquently shares her memories revealed through her mastery of the written word.  Woodson's life growing up in a time of civil rights change in South Carolina then New York are the scene for her reflections.  The reader experiences a series of treasures that the author shares from her heart to ours. Listening to the audio version of this book, read by the author, is an added treat!  This title is the selection for Bookmarks book club for teens in grades 7 and up.  This book club meets at the Cumming Library on Thursday, September 24 at 1:00 p.m. and is designed for the schedule of homeschoolers, but all teens available at this time are welcome to attend.  Registration is recommended.

Julie Boyd
Youth Services Supervisor
Cumming Library

Library Limelight: Denise Leeson, Branch Manager, Cumming Library

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!

Denise is pictured here with her husband
on a recent trip to Niagara Falls.

Denise Leeson
Branch Manager
Cumming Library

Where is your hometown?

Lakeland, Florida: home to Publix, Florida Southern College and the Dreadnaughts!

How long have you been at FCPL?

15 years

What other jobs have you had at FCPL?

I was a Circulation Assistant, Assistant Circulation Supervisor, and Youth Services Supervisor

Why did you choose to work in a library?

The cliché answer: I love reading and books.  How amazing it is to give people words every day that enrich their lives!

Describe your job in five words or less.

People, books, fun, printer questions

What is unique about your job?

I have the best staff ever, so basically, I come to work and play. 

What is your favorite part of your job?

Introducing the library and its amazing offerings to our community. 

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

Two years ago my husband and I traveled to Rome, Italy and cruised the Greek islands and visited Istanbul. We almost had the kids sell everything and send it to us so we could live in Santorini, Greece. 

What are your hobbies?

Reading, yoga, cooking, traveling, walking my dogs, puzzling, and being with family

What are you reading right now?

The Twelve by Justin Cronin, Ms. Marvel Vol.1, No Normal by Willow Wilson and FISH: a remarkable way to boost morale and improve results by Stephen Lundin

Paper books or eBooks?

PAPER

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I am currently attending Leadership Forsyth 2016, an opportunity afforded to me by FCPL and I look forward to learning more about our community and using this knowledge to better promote our library to the citizens of Forsyth County.  

Staff Picks

If you enjoy a wicked twist, check out My Abandonment by Peter Rock.  This chilling and thought-provoking story is told from the perspective of a 13-year-old girl whose life has been molded by unimaginable hardships.

A gripping mystery and unforgettable story of survival that will haunt your thoughts long after you’ve finished the book.

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist

Staff Picks - Adult Non-Fiction

Yes, Please by Amy Poehler

Chose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris

Gumption by Nick Offerman

Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan

A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety by Jimmy Carter





Non-fiction foray! Being a perpetual fiction reader since the age of 4, factual books have always eluded my pleasure reading interest. I was determined to venture down a new literary path. This summer I have listened to some excellent stories. I started with autobiographies of Amy Poehler and Neil Patrick Harris, read by the authors. I had such fun listening to them that I added a book by another entertainer, Nick Offerman from Parks and Recreation, and then decided to start adding any biographies read by their authors. Hearing stories in the authors' own voices is terrific. My summer trips have been riddled with smiles, laughter and even a few tears. The best side effect was my habitual use of a dictionary to make sure I had the best definitions for the vocabulary used by these funny, intelligent and interesting people. If you have a long commute or plans for a long car ride in your future I recommend picking up some great non-fiction CDBs at your favorite library branch.

Denise Leeson
Branch Manager
Cumming Library