Staff Picks

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

I had heard a lot about Murakami so I finally decided to see what all the fuss was about. He is perhaps the most well-known modern Japanese author and his name often appears in the same sentence as "Magical Realism" and/or "Kafkaesque". Rightfully so. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is one of the most bizarre books I've ever read.  

On the surface, the premise is simple. A young man who recently left his job searches for his missing cat. His search quickly takes a turn for the strange and he meets a colorful cast of characters including a female mystic obsessed with water, a World War II veteran who survived an unbelievable mission in Mongolia, and a high school girl with a scar and a morbid fascination. Along the way, the protagonist reflects on his married life and delves deep into his relationship with his wife and her enigmatic brother.  

One of the reviews on the book used the word "Dreamlike" and that is the best word I can think of to describe The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. If you're a fan of mystery, the fantastical, and you like the strange intertwined with the mundane, this is the book for you.

Nicholas Yeatman
Information Specialist

Staff Picks

Debuting in May 2016 (and finding its way onto our library shelves soon after), The Thank You Book will be the 25th and final book in Mo Willem’s highly acclaimed Elephant and Piggy series. These books are a favorite of both our patrons and library staff. The two main characters, Gerald and Piggy, share stories of friendship and fun and we are sad that their series is ending.

But, there is good news! If you love Gerald and Piggy like I do, there is another fun series you should definitely check out: Ballet Cat by Bob Shea. In this series, friendship and humor are the overriding themes as well, and the story is presented in a similar format as Elephant and Piggy. Each character has its own color coded speech bubble, much like a comic book would feature.


As if that is not enough, one of the titles is Dance, Dance, Underpants! How fun is that?

Andrea Delvalle
Information Specialist - Youth Services

STEAM Rollers: A Book Club for Grades 3-6

STEAM Rollers: A Book Club for Grades 3-6 - Cumming Library,  April 28th at 4:00 p.m

Little Author in the Big Woods, a Biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Yona Zeldis McDonough is the featured book. Most children are familiar with the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. What they don't always realize is that Wilder's books are autobiographical. This narrative biography describes more of the details of the young Laura's real life as a young pioneer homesteading with her family on many adventurous journeys. This biography points out the differences between the fictional series as well as the many similarities.

We will explore how pioneer families lived and traveled and give you a chance to test your own survival skills. The STEAM Rollers book club for children in grades 3-6 will be at the Cumming Library on Thursday, April 28 at 4:00 p.m. Registration is recommended.

Holly Raus
Information Specialist - Youth Services

Bookmarks Book Club for Teens Meets April 28

From the opulent Tsar Nicholas and Empress Alexandra to the dubious and infamous Rasputin to the poverty stricken peasants, Candace Fleming provides the reader with intimate details into the lives of the royal family in The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia.

Both sad and enlightening, the book is a very interesting read about Russia during the time of World War I and is this month’s selection for the Bookmarks book club for teens in grades 7 and up. Visit the FCPL catalog to reserve a print or eBook version of The Family Romanov.

The book club will meet at the Cumming Library on Thursday, April 28th 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.

eResource Update: New hoopla App

Through hoopla, FCPL offers a wide variety of movies, TV shows, music, and audiobooks for kids and adults that can be viewed or listened to online or in the hoopla app.

The hoopla app is available for Apple, Android, and Amazon devices and was just updated with Kids Mode, a new tool that limits browsing to kid- and family-friendly content.

Hoopla users can turn on Kids Mode to browse only content suitable for children up to age 12 in the hoopla app. Here’s how:

1. Open the hoopla app and tap My Hoopla
2. Tap the gear icon to open Settings
3. Swipe the Kids Mode toggle switch to enter Kids Mode
4. Tap Cancel to exit Settings and you are now browsing in Kids Mode

You can browse and check out titles while in Kids Mode. When you want to browse material for adults, simply return to Settings and swipe to toggle the Kids Mode switch to the off position.

Kids Mode is also available when you’re using hoopla on a desktop or laptop computer. Simply log into your account and then click your user name to access your Profile. Toggle the checkbox for Kids Mode on or off, as needed, then click the Update button to save your preferences and click the hoopla logo to return to browsing.

If you have questions about accessing hoopla or any other FCPL eResources, please visit the Ask Us desk at any branch, or bring your mobile devices to our next Technology Open House at the Cumming Library on Tuesday, April 19 and Tuesday, May 17 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

More than 4,000 Patrons Attend Spring Break @ the Library

Last week, the library hosted over 40 programs for kids and teens during Forsyth County Schools’ spring break. Programs included puppet shows, movie screenings, an author and illustrator visit, animal programs, a music program, and more family fun.

Many of our patrons took advantage of their staycations by attending these programs. In total, the library saw over 4,000 patrons attend our spring break programs!

Many thanks to our Youth Services staff for planning and presenting the programs. Thanks to all of the other branch staff for accommodating large crowds in the branches, too!

Below are a few program highlights:

Each branch presented a spring break edition of Puppetpalooza, our popular over-the-top puppet show series. The Cumming Library provided an especially entertaining program recap after their Puppetpalooza programs.

“Two great groups this morning!  Katelynn, Lorraine, and I performed the shows alternating with the activities. Everything went mostly well, except for during the second performance, the volcano became a little too active and fell off the stage. Ooops! For a grand finale, we pulled out our new GIANT parachute, and the kids LOVED this!! The moms held the parachute while the kids all jumped and giggled underneath.” –Julie Boyd

The Sharon Forks Library presented a Minute to Win It program, which included fun mini challenges for elementary schoolers and their families.

“Egads! Jill and I were not expecting so many eager competitors for the Minute To Win It challenges...This was a super fun event and we received many compliments from parents and kids who were enjoying all the challenges. I can’t say enough about how awesome our team of TAB volunteers performed today. Honestly, there is no way that we could have pulled this off without them!” -Kim Ottesen

The Post Road Library hosted its annual Touch a Truck event, featuring a variety of vehicles for kids to see up close!

“It was a glorious day for Touch a Truck...We had a fire truck, a Sawnee bucket truck and the cab of an 18 wheeler. The police brought a squad car, their mobile command unit and a hostage crisis vehicle. The gentleman with the 18 wheeler also brought two golf carts. The kids got to enjoy touching the trucks as well as touring the mobile command unit, honking truck horns and getting all sorts of swag – from firefighter hats and sheriff’s badges to pencils and stickers – from our guests. There were also some crafts inside once families got done touring the vehicles...Many, many thanks to Kelly for organizing this terrific event yet again!” -Lisa Echols

Spring break week finished up with a visit from beloved children’s book character, Pete the Cat, who took a tour of Forsyth County and met with excited fans at all of the library branches. The Hampton Park Library saw a huge audience for their program, I Like My Stories: A Groovy Pete the Cat Storytime.

“What a turnout!!!! We had Pete fanatics both big and small! The highlight of our show today (other than our Pete, of course) was Ms. Vanessa’s AWESOME live-action Pete the Cat:  I Love My White Shoes. She put on her white shoes and recreated Pete’s fateful journey, stepping in strawberry (Jell-O), blueberry-ish (Jell-O), and a delightful “mud” concoction. Did Ms. Vanessa cry? Goodness, NO! She kept walking along, singing her song! There were lots of oohs and aaahs during this amazingly accurate recreation...This was seriously a great group of kids! They sang along, counted, and kept their cool when the best cat EVER came into the room!!”
-Stephanie Hampson

Be sure to check out the library’s spring break photo album on Facebook. Staff did an excellent job capturing the fun and excitement at all of our programs last week.

THE LAST MONSTER Author Talks with Teens at Post Road Library

Ginger Garrett, author of The Last Monster, will talk with middle- and high-school students about her new book at a special after-hours signing party on Saturday, April 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the Post Road Library, 5010 Post Road, Cumming. The event is free, but advance registration is requested.

Participants will receive The Last Monster temporary tattoos and bookmarks, and even discover their own secret monster name. Teens are encouraged to wear monster costumes for a chance to win a Starbucks gift card and a signed copy of The Last Monster in the event’s monster costume contest.

Attendees can step into the monster lab to suit up in a selection of creepy props and accessories before snapping a pic in the monster photo booth. A makeup artist will also be on hand to give guests scary monster makeovers.

Garrett wrote several works of historical fiction, such as The Serpent Moon trilogy, Lost Loves of the Bible series, and The Chronicles of the Scribe series. She also authored or co-wrote several non-fiction books and devotionals for teens and adults.

The Last Monster is Garrett’s first fictional work for teen readers. But she was already an expert in the kind of stories teens want to read and the characters to which they can relate. In writing The Last Monster, Garrett drew on her own experiences as a parent, as well as feedback from other teens.

“I’d written a lot of books for the inspirational market but I knew the most important book I would ever write would be the one that gave a hurting kid hope,” says Garrett about her motivations for writing The Last Monster. “The teenage years can be tough. An encouraging word from a friend, parent—or a book—can be life-saving.”

The story begins with Sofia, a 7th grader and cancer survivor with a prosthetic leg and an estranged best friend, as she receives a mysterious and ancient book. Sofia learns that she is the next Guardian and must find a way to protect all the grotesquely beautiful, but eternally lonely monsters hidden in our world.

The Last Monster is a “story steeped magical realism about love, fear, and the thrill of discovering who we were born to be” says the book’s publisher, Delacorte Press/Random House. The book will be released April 12 to bookstores nationwide, but early reviews have been positive.

The School Library Journal said that while “the fantastical elements are compelling, it’s the real-world situations that make this book stand out. . . a perfect recommendation for introspective kids who feel like outsiders.”

“We’re so excited to have small part in the national launch of Ginger’s latest book,” says Lisa Echols, Youth Services Supervisor at the Post Road Library. “Ginger moderates our W3: Wednesday Writer’s Workshop, so several of our teen patrons have received the benefit of her professional feedback and literary critiques. Now a wider audience of teens will have an opportunity to talk with her about creative writing, and enjoy some monster-sized fun in the process.”

“Ginger will also be hosting a series of four writer’s workshops over the summer here at the Post Road Library,” adds Echols. More information about dates and times will be announced as part of the library system’s Summer Reading program and teens will be able to register for Garrett’s workshops later in the spring.

The library has several copies of The Last Monster on order for its collection and patrons can reserve a copy on the library’s website. National retailers, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble, are taking pre-orders. Garrett will also have copies of the book on sale during the event and she will donate a portion of the proceeds to the FCPL Friends & Advocates.

Garrett will sign books purchased at the event, as well as those patrons purchased elsewhere.

For more information, or to register for The Last Monster Book Release Party, please visit www.forsythpl.org.

River of Words Flows Through Hampton Park Library

Next week, a new river will flow through north Forsyth. River of Words, a traveling exhibit of art and poetry, will be on display at the Hampton Park Library April 16 to 30.

Coordinated locally by the Georgia Center for the Book and Project WET (Water Education for Teachers), a program of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, River of Words is a national poetry and art competition. Each year, students in grades 4 – 12 are invited to create visual art or poetry that shows an understanding and appreciation of the natural environment and their local watershed.

Part of Your World by Carina Lefkovits
Shiloh Point Elementary School
River of Words State Winner, Category II

More than 150,000 entries have been submitted since the River of Words program began in 1997. Entries are judged on a state and national level. Thirteen Forsyth County students from Shiloh Point, Brookwood Elementary, and Matt Elementary were recognized as finalists or state winners.The exhibit is touring across Georgia and most recently stopped at Shiloh Point Elementary School.

This is the third year Shiloh Point has hosted the exhibit. Several students there have won state-level awards each year. Over the last four years there have been two national-level winners at the school who received trips to Washington, DC and California for the national award ceremonies.

The Hampton Park Library is the last stop on the schedule for the River of Words exhibit. It will return to the Georgia Center for the Book at the Decatur Library in May to be refitted with winning poems and art from the 2016 competition. Those winners are expected to be announced in May.

The River of Words exhibit is suitable for all ages and may be visited during the library’s regular hours, Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Sunday from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Chatterbooks: A Book Club for Grades K-2 – Cumming Library – April 28, 2016 at 4:00 p.m.

Butterfly Tree by Sandra Markle


 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 Butterfly Tree by Sandra Markle, is a beautifully illustrated story about the migration of the Monarch butterfly as seen through the eyes of a child. Jilly and her mom are fascinated by the phenomenon, and set out to get a closer look. What they discover on this journey, is a beautiful display of the many surprises nature has in store. Registration required.

Lorraine Lane
Information Specialist-Youth Services
Cumming Library

Sharon Forks Named Busiest Library in Georgia

What does it take to become the busiest library in the state? Just ask any staff member at the Sharon Forks Library and they will say that the honor of being the highest circulating library belongs to its patrons.

According to data from Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS), patrons of the Sharon Forks Library checked out 984,291 physical materials in fiscal year 2015. That’s nearly 300,000 more books, magazines, CDs, and DVDs than the second place library branch in the state for circulation.

“We were pleased, but not surprised, to find Sharon Forks at the top of the list,” says Sharon Forks Branch Manager Mendy Gunter. “These circulation figures demonstrate that our community finds library services relevant and valuable, and it further highlights the community’s need for additional shelving space and public meeting space that will come with the upcoming repurposing and expansion of the Sharon Forks Library.”

The Sharon Forks branch was not alone in receiving recognition for high circulation levels. Out of 405 library facilities in Georgia, all four FCPL branches were included in the top 50 rankings. The Post Road Library ranked 6th, the Cumming Library ranked 7th, and the Hampton Park Library ranked 49th.

“Our staff works diligently to make all our libraries welcoming for patrons, with both desirable programming and in-demand materials for pleasure reading and learning. When we see circulation statistics as high as these, it’s clear that our staff members are selecting and promoting materials that are interesting and relevant to the community. But, we could not offer new and current materials without the financial support of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners,” says Forsyth County Public Library Director Anna Lyle. Lyle also credits Forsyth residents’ commitment to education, literacy, and life-long learning for the high use of the public libraries.

System-wide, FCPL had a per capita circulation rate of 11.33 in FY 2015, the highest rate in Georgia and nearly triple the state’s average per capita circulation of 3.64. FCPL also beats the most current national average per capita circulation of 8, according to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

“With careful planning and staff dedicated to serving the public, we were able to open both the Hampton Park and Post Road Libraries in the midst of a recession. All four of our branches returned to pre-recession operating hours on January 1, 2015 and our digital collection of eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, and eVideos grows each month,” explains Lyle. “Thanks to our funding partners at the local and state level, as well as organizations such as the FCPL Friends and Advocates, our library system remains strong.”

Looking ahead, Gunter encourages “members of our community to stop by Sharon Forks before June 30 and check out a couple of books to help us reach our next goal of circulating 1,000,000 items this year.”

Library Limelight: Bruce Koehler, Volunteer, 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!

Later this month, libraries across the country will honor their staff and volunteers as part of the ALA's Celebrate National Library Week. In this month's edition of Library Limelight, we're honoring a veteran volunteer at the Cumming Library.

Bruce Koehler
Volunteer
Cumming Library

Where is your hometown?

Massapequa, New York, on the island

How long have you been at FCPL?

This is my 25th year with FCPL, and I volunteer four days a week.

What other jobs have you had at FCPL?

I started in 1989 after recovering from a stroke (July 24, 1988). Previously, I worked at Norfolk-Southern in Virginia for ten years.

Why did you choose to work in a library?

I heard about the opportunity from people at the library while recovering.

Describe your job in five words or less.

Books, Audiobooks, DVDs, and Alphabetizing.

What is unique about your job?

I have to communicate with everyone, co-workers and patrons alike, with limited speech. 

What is your favorite part of your job?

I keep track of how much I accomplish every day and it is rewarding to me.

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

I have been to Alaska three times. The fresh air is exhilarating!

What are your hobbies?

I attend North Lanier Baptist Church and the Optimist Club.

What are you reading right now?

I am reading about the United Kingdom, specifically Bedfordshire and London, as I would like to go there sometime.

Paper books or eBooks?

Paper.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I sometimes use a Franklin Language Master device to help communicate.

Staff Picks

Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Finder and Jeffrey Cranor

I’m always looking for good audiobook entertainment for my commute.  You may find the title familiar as Night Vale is also an ongoing podcast.  "Very strange" would be my first description of this audiobook.  It is read in a dry and witty way painting a picture of what appears to be current day setting in an average U.S. small town.  However, time and other things are actually quite bizarre in Night Vale.

Readers of fantasy and science fiction will appreciate this story which reminded me of multiple Twilight Zone episodes all strung together.  Our two protagonists are different in many ways: age, life experience, and personality to name a few. After a rocky start, together they attempt to figure out mysteries occurring in Night Vale, as well as the meaning of a man who has appeared (and disappeared) in both of their lives.

Why does the name King City keep showing up everywhere?  Why is it impossible to get to King City?  Tune in for an unusual tale with monsters, angels, a dangerous and creepy library, and all things odd.

Lola Nichols
Information Specialist

Forsyth County's Proud Poultry Industry History on Display at Hampton Park Library

Forsyth County’s success in the poultry industry began back in the1940s. Now library patrons and community visitors can learn about this important part of the county’s economic growth through two large photo collages at the Hampton Park Library.

Two photo collages created by Bryan White
now hang in the lobby of the Hampton Park Library.

“During the 1940s and 1950s, the poultry industry reshaped our local economy, growing both national and local businesses, as well as providing stable employment for residents,” says Ross Gericke, Branch Manager.

The individuals and businesses depicted in the exhibit were instrumental in expanding Forsyth’s first major industry and preparing the foundation for the steady growth Forsyth County is continuing to experience today.

Several of those businesses still operate in the county and provided financial support for the project, including American Proteins, Inc., Mar-Jac Poultry, Inc., and Tyson Foods, Inc. The project was also supported by a grant from the Forsyth County Arts Alliance Fund at the North Georgia Community Foundation.

A close-up view of the collage featuring the Georgia
delegation to the 1957 American Poultry and
Hatchery Foundation Convention.

Local photographer and artist Bryan White of Whitelake Studios combined period photographs, vintage receipts and letterhead, and his own original work to create the collages. 

For over a year, long-time Forsyth residents Patsy Bennett, Paula Gault, Judi Jenkins, and Mary Helen McGruder worked closely with the artist and library staff to provide the history, context, and images that are reflected in the collages. They worked with numerous other families in the community to gain access to treasured family photographs and documents. 

Former library staff member Carla Beasley also consulted with the Historical Society of Forsyth County to identify relevant images for the display.

The new collages are similar in style to the pieces White created in 2015 depicting the history of Forsyth’s medical professionals and facilities on display at the Cumming Library. 

Several images, including a magazine article, blend
together in the second collage by
Bryan White at the Hampton Park Library.

“As you drive through north Forsyth, you can still see signs and outbuildings from the historic farms, as well as some that are still operating. It’s nice to have this artwork on display at the Hampton Park Library and close to the industry it represents,” adds Gericke.

Long-time Forsyth County residents are sure to recognize a few landmarks in the collages, such as a sign for A.C. Smith Poultry that is still visible on GA 9 in the Silver City community. 

Viewers may also recognize names, such as Leland Bagwell, founder of North Georgia Rendering, or faces such as those featured in pictures from the Georgia Poultry Princess parade and the 1957 American Poultry and Hatchery Federation Convention.

This section of the collage shows the inside operation
of a chicken house. Leland Bagwell, founder of North
 Georgia Rendering, is pictured in the right corner.

“The library is honored to have another piece of our community’s history on display,” says Library Director Anna Lyle. “We are grateful to our partners for supporting this project and we hope the exhibit inspires our patrons and visitors to learn more about our local history.”

For more information, or to view the exhibit, please visit the Hampton Park Library at 5345 Settingdown Road in Cumming.