Spring Break 2018 Activities for Kids, Tweens, and Teens

If you’re planning a staycation for spring break, make sure your plans include the Forsyth County Public Library.

With dozens of programs and events on the calendar for kids, tweens, and teens – plus a few more activities for grownups – you’re sure to find something to keep the family entertained. Here are a few highlights for each day:

Monday, April 2

The Cumming Library will present Beadweaving, a Just My Imagination workshop sponsored by the Georgia Museum of Art on April 2 at 2:00 p.m. This two-hour program is free and recommended for families with children ages 7 to 14. Athens artist and teacher Toni Carlucci will demonstrate the process of simple beadweaving, and participants will use beads to create their own woven beadwork.

Students in grades 5 and up, as well as adults, can experience the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at 6:30 p.m. at the Cumming Library as instructors from World Jiu-Jitsu Academy demonstrate some basic moves and discuss the principles behind them.

Snuggle in for stories at Once Upon a Family PJ Storytime beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Sharon Forks Library. This family-friendly storytime is open to children of all ages and will include silly fairy tales, songs, and puppet shows.

Tuesday, April 3

Students in grades K through 5 can enjoy a buffet of books while sampling the different flavors of fairy tales....old, new, and fractured in two special Book Tasting: A Fairy Tale Feast programs at the Sharon Forks Library at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Participants will create a few snacks inspired by fairy tales, but space in both programs is limited and tickets will be handed out beginning 30 minutes prior to each program.

Alice's Garden Games, beginning at 11:30 a.m. at the Hampton Park Library, is a friendly competition between families and children of all ages. This hilarious gaming event is inspired by Alice's trip down the rabbit hole and participants can play a nonsensical game of croquet, giant board games, and more Wonderland-themed tournaments!

The Post Road Library will present its fifth annual Touch a Truck program from 1:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and all ages are welcome to experience all the fun of a parking lot full of cool vehicles. Sit in a Forsyth County fire truck, climb inside an ambulance, and then check out a Sawnee EMC cherry picker, a giant dump truck, plus several cool vehicles from the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office! Cool off with car crafts inside the library, too. Parking is limited, so participants may need to park across the street, where the Sheriff’s Office will assist pedestrians with crossing Post Road.

Students in grades 3 – 6 can design their own mini golf course at Mini Golf Mania starting at 3:00 p.m. at the Cumming Library. Participants will have a chance to play through all the courses created in this 90-minute program.

Tweens and teens, ages 10 and up, are invited to get crafty at 6:30 p.m. at the Hampton Park Library with Tiny Crafts: Wonderland Edition. Participants will make miniature version of everything from bows to books.

Tween Scene: Egg-straordinary Egg Challenge at the Post Road Library at 6:30 p.m. is “egg-cellent” for tweens ages 10 to 12 to join hilarious challenges with both real and plastic eggs.

Wednesday, April 4

Spring Break Puppetpalooza is back at the Sharon Forks Library and children of all ages are sure to enjoy fairy tale puppet shows at 10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.

Elementary STEAM Team: Brilliant Biomes at the Post Road Library at 1:15 p.m. will take students in grades K through 5 on a virtual trip around the world to study biomes in the tundra, desert, tropical forest, and ocean. Participants will also conduct science experiments and create biome-themed crafts.

The school principal is threatening to recall all students to school and completely ruin spring break, unless we can crack the code at Teen Breakout: Save Spring Break and stop his diabolical plan! Teens in grades 6 and up will love this latest breakout game beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Cumming Library.

Tween STEAM Slime Lab mixes up amazing ooey-gooey polymer science for students in grades 4 to 7 at the Sharon Forks Library at 6:30 p.m. Participants will experiment with creating several slimes to take home, including galaxy, fluffy, crunchy, and chalkboard slime.

Thursday, April 5

Callooh! Callay! It's time to celebrate poetry at The Jabberwock’s Poetry Slam, beginning at 2:30 p.m. at the Hampton Park Library. This Lewis Carroll-inspired poetry slam is designed for children ages 7 to 13 and participants will make up words, play games, and learn about the poetry surrounding us every day: in music, on the TV, in our favorite books, and you can even find poetry in the things our parents & friends say. When we're done, we'll record our masterpieces!

Families and children of all ages can meet the adorable costumed character Paddington Bear as he appears at A Beary Special Storytime with Paddington Bear at 6:30 p.m. at the Cumming Library.

Why should kids have all the fun? Parents are welcome to attend Family Fun Night: Fairy Tale STEAM at 6:30 p.m. at the Sharon Forks Library to experience STEAM games and puzzles. Then, compete in fairy tale trivia and work together on several fairy tale-related STEAM challenges. This program is for families with children grades K through 5 and lines will form 30 minutes prior to the program.

Friday, April 6

Explore the science behind one of the most well-known fairy tales, The Tortoise and the Hare, in Preschool Fairytale STEAM at 10:30 a.m. at the Hampton Park Library. Children ages 3 to 5, and their caregivers, will explore the story through a variety of early literacy, STEAM, music, and hands-on early learning station activities.

 Breakout Box: Escaping Wonderland is a breakout box event for tweens and teens, ages 10 and up, at Hampton Park Library at 2:30 p.m. Use problem solving, trouble shooting and teamwork to solve puzzles, riddles and clues in order to breakout of Wonderland before time runs out.

Teens in grades 6 and up can take over the library with video and board games from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at After Hours Teen Lounge: Gaming Madness at the Sharon Forks Library.

For more information on programs at the Cumming, Hampton Park, Post Road, and Sharon Forks Libraries, please visit www.forsythpl.org.

Sharon Forks Library Grand Reopening a Success

More than 1, 350 Forsyth County residents and library patrons celebrated Saturday’s reopening of the Sharon Forks Library with tours, educational games, cultural performances, and family activities.

Boy Scouts from Pack 205 opened the newly expanded and renovated library branch with a flag raising ceremony and then music from the Lambert High School Orchestra’s String Quintet filled the adult section of the library as patrons began to explore their new library.

World Languages Collection Opens

In recognition of the new World Languages collection at Sharon Forks that now includes books in Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, patrons participated in several cultural programs.

Instructors from the University of North Georgia spoke about the history of Chinese tea traditions and prepared five teas for patrons to sample.

Several styles of Indian dance were performed by Darshini Natyalaya School of Dance and Atlanta Nritya Dance Academy.

Chien Hong School of Kung Fu demonstrated a traditional Chinese Lion Dance.

Amid all this excitement about the collection, several patrons took a moment to express their appreciation for these new materials. One patron exclaimed happy surprise to see new books by popular Chinese authors and quickly checked out a generous stack of books. Another couple inquired about books in Hindi and gasped with delight to find hundreds of fiction and non-fiction books in their native language. Yet another patron complimented the library on acquiring such a great selection of non-fiction books in Tamil.

Kishore Devarapalli, his wife Jyothi, and their youngest son Krishna, have been patrons of the Sharon Forks Library for 11 years; but, if they wanted to read books in Telugu, they had to bring them back from India or purchase materials from their local temple. Krishna can now read and write in Telugu and Kishore and Jyothi plan to use the World Languages collection to share more of their family’s culture and history with their children.

“We will take just a few books this time and leave some for others, because we expect this collection to be very popular once people know about it,” says Kishore.

“We love this collection!” exclaims Veda Verisetti as she explores Telugu short stories and novels with her husband Suresh Dhulipudi, daughter Amrutha, and son Siddharth.

Veda teaches Telugu and is passionate about bringing her family’s culture and traditions alive through sharing the language. The children are also learning to read and speak Telugu and Amrutha will begin teaching it to others next year.

While the family has about 150 Telugu books at home, their collection consists mostly of novels carried over during their move from India, scholarly books acquired during college, and several things purchased from online retailers who carry books in Telugu.

“I’m so happy for this new space. It’s very nice,” Suresh says as the family selects a few books to check out.

Shyam Kasthuri and his wife Priya Narasimhan welcome the opportunities the World Languages collection will bring for parents to share their culture with their children, especially when frequent trips to India can’t always be managed.

“This a good collection and our parents will be so excited to visit and spend an afternoon surrounded by both familiar stories and popular new books in their language,” explains Shyam, who plans to check out books in Tamil.

Priya, who is fluent in Tamil and Hindi, says having a collection like this to share with her parents brings her family’s traditions closer to their new home while also sharing the culture with their children.

“When I speak to my children in my language, I am showing them my emotion,” says Priya, who believes that reading in Tamil is an important way to help her children learn new words and continually expand their use of the language.

“We’ve been reading online magazines in Tamil, but we don’t have access to very many print books. Now this library has a whole collection that we can use to share our culture and history with our children,” says Shyam.

The World Languages collection at Sharon Forks currently houses about 500 books in each language and adds to the growing collection of books in Spanish housed in the World Languages collections at the Cumming and Post Road libraries. To browse materials, visit catalog.forsythpl.org and select the World Languages tab in the navigation pane.

Library Tours & Storytimes

Throughout the day, library staff led behind-the-scenes tours, hosted storytimes with costumed characters from popular children’s literature, and assisted patrons with more than 600 inquiries.

By the end of the day, when Girl Scout Cadette Troop #15517 led a flag lowering ceremony, nearly 5,000 books and materials were checked out.

Opening day a wonderful success and a testament to the value the Forsyth community places on literacy, education, and diversity. Additional photos are posted in the Sharon Forks Library Grand Reopening album on the Library’s Facebook Page.

Staff Picks - Adult Non-Fiction

The Skinnytaste Cookbook by Gina Homolka

The author talks about her journey to eating healthy and creating meals her family likes to eat. She says she wants to love the food she eats and I feel the same way. She talks about how we get “stuck” in the diet trap by buying processed, so-called “weight loss” foods that are nothing more than junk food.

There are 150 recipes in this book that are easy to make. The ones I tried have low-calories and use made-from-fresh ingredients found in a regular super market. I was over joyed at how flavorful the dishes were and how much my family loved them.

I made Kiss My (Shrimp) and Grits recipe. When I tasted this dish, I felt like there was a flavorful party going on in my mouth. I could see my family's faces smiling as they ate. It was happening to them too. When I made the Double Chocolate Chunk Walnut cookies; I never imagined putting avocado into a cookie or that it would taste so amazing. My family enjoyed the cookies and eate every one. I also made the Pumpkin-Obsessed Vanilla-Glazed Scones (yummy), Quinoa Tabbouleh and Acorn Squash, all good.

The author has a key to each recipe that tells the reader if the recipe is V – Vegetarian, GF – Gluten Free, Q – Quick (30 minutes or less) FF = Freezer Friendly – SC – Slow Cooker. Gina helps simplify eating healthy. This is a beautiful hardback book with wonderful pictures inside of food and some of Gina and her family. I can’t wait to try more recipes and learn more from The Skinnytaste Cookbook.

Nora St. Laurent

Collection Support Aide

Two Authors Meet Teens and Families at Cumming Library

Two authors of debut books for teens and children will visit the Cumming Library to meet readers and sign books this month.

First, A.M. Romero will speak at the launch event for her debut novel, The Afterlife Mortals, on Saturday, March 24 at 2:00 p.m.

A long-time member of the Cumming Library’s Teen Writers Club, Romero is expected to speak with other teens about her inspiration, her writing process, and the unexpected lessons she learned about writing and publishing a novel.

Teens who love supernatural characters and adventurous plot lines will enjoy The Afterlife Mortals, a story of two friends, Jo and Axel. After suffering tragic and untimely deaths, Jo and Axel wake to find themselves stuck in an afterlife they only dreamed existed, pursued by a demon through heaven and hell, while one angel tries to help these battered mortals find life again.

“I really was interested in what it takes to publish a book and was able to get more knowledge about how it all works,” Romero says.

The book was printed by Aaron Publishing and paperback copies will be available for purchase at the event and on Amazon.com, or it can be borrowed from the library.

Romero will take questions from the audience and talk aspiring writers through the steps of editing, printing, and marketing a book before she signs copies of The Afterlife Mortals.

Children’s book author Jacqueline Leigh will appear as a guest reader at Twilight Tales on Thursday, March 29 at 6:30 p.m.

Though she now lives in North Carolina, Leigh graduated from Forsyth Central High School and visited her hometown last summer for the launch of her first children’s book, Time for Bed with Ford and Red.

Children and families who attend Twilight Tales will hear Leigh read her story of a young boy and his stuffed bunny as they travel through the exciting world of dreams. The book is intended for toddlers and preschoolers in hopes of reducing bedtime anxiety and promoting healthy and happy sleep, says Leigh.

In addition to enjoying other stories, songs, and crafts at the event, families can meet Leigh and purchase signed copies of Time for Bed with Ford and Red.

Leigh will also share details about her next book, The Spill, publishing this summer.

For more information about these authors or other library programs, please visit www.forsythpl.org.

Lambert String Quintet Tunes Up for Grand Reopening of Sharon Forks Library

Lambert High School’s String Quintet, The Fab Five, will help staff and patrons at the Sharon Forks Library begin a new chapter in the library’s history when they play at the grand reopening celebration on Saturday, March 24 at 10:00 a.m.

The Fab Five, Serena Gao, Rachel Zhou, Joey Jin, Minjae Kim, and Carson Tufts, will be among the first to perform in the newly expanded and renovated library.

“The library has been such a big part of our lives since elementary school – we were honored to be part of such an amazing event for our community,” says violinist Joey Jin.

“We all think it’s awesome that we get to combine two of our favorite things: music and books. It should be a lot of fun!” adds cellist Carson Tufts.

They will perform inside the library until noon, but additional activities for children, teens, and adults are planned throughout the day.

“The wait is almost over for our patrons and we’re looking forward to celebrating our grand reopening with the whole community,” says Sharon Forks Library branch manager Mendy Gunter.

“We’ll start with The Fab Five and a flag raising ceremony led by Cub Scout Pack 205, then self-guided scavenger hunts and staff-led tours will give the public an opportunity to explore the whole library, even behind-the-scenes areas such as the automated book returns and work areas,” explains Gunter.

Much beloved storytime programs return to Sharon Forks with a special visit from book characters Elephant and Piggie at 10:30 a.m. Patrons will hear special readings of Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggie books and take photos with the costumed characters in a meeting room that is nearly twice as large as it was before construction began.

“We’ve missed seeing our youngest patrons in our weekly storytime programs, but we’ve been working on new programming ideas and our patrons are going to love what we’ve planned for the spring and summer,” says youth services supervisor Cleo Joyce.

Portions of the grand reopening festivities will highlight not only the expansion of the building, but also new additions to the library’s collection of materials.

“Sharon Forks serves a diverse community and its collection will now include print materials written in Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu,” explains library director Anna Lyle.

Several cultural demonstrations and performances will help celebrate the launch of this new World Languages collection.

First, Yunjuan He, Qi Cui, Zi Chen, and Xinying Ye from the University of North Georgia will share Chinese culture and traditions and offer tastes of five different teas to patrons in the library’s Hot Spot at 11:00 a.m.

The Hot Spot is a new addition to this branch and, like the Hot Spot at the Post Road Library, is a multipurpose space that works well for adult and teen programs, meetings, study sessions, and workshops.

Next, two Indian dance performances will be given in the Meeting Room by Darshini Natyalaya School of Indian Classical Dance at 1:00 p.m. and Atlanta Nritya Dance Academy at 1:30 p.m. Both groups have performed at the library’s annual Diwali celebrations and are enjoyed by both children and adults.

Then, dancers and martial artists from the Chien Hong School of Kung Fu will perform an interactive Chinese Lion Dance at 2:30 p.m. Instructors are expected to share Chinese culture and explain how lion and dragon dances help communities celebrate important occasions. Members of the audience may also enjoy an opportunity to participate in the dance.

Much to the delight of the younger patrons, Elephant and Piggie will return to the Meeting Room at 4:00 p.m. for a Dance around the World party. Children of all ages are invited to dance to music from around the world with two of their favorite characters!

“We hope that everyone will enjoy coming back to Sharon Forks for programs, for books, and to become an active participant in the library community,” says information services supervisor Meredith Causey.

Patrons can commemorate their participation in the library’s grand reopening by creating a self-portrait that will become part of a community art display. Patrons of all ages may visit the Children’s area and use the provided supplies to create a self-portrait to contribute to the “Faces of Sharon Forks” display.

Patrons who want a break from celebrating are welcome to visit the spacious new Teen Room to play a board game. Or, join a family-friendly, pirate-themed breakout game or an escape room game for teens based on clues from Stranger Things. New games begin every hour between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. in the library’s two new Conference Rooms.

At the end of the celebration, Girl Scout Cadette Troop #15517 will lead a flag lowering ceremony at 5:00 p.m.

“We’re so grateful for our patrons who love the library and have been so patient during the construction process. It will be our pleasure to welcome everyone back to a bigger, more beautiful, and more functional library,” says Gunter.

For more information on the Sharon Forks Library Grand Reopening, please visit www.forsythpl.org or view and share the Event on Facebook.

Curious George to Visit Early Literacy Storytime at Cumming Elementary

Spring is in the air, and local children are invited to celebrate with a special early literacy program hosted by Forsyth County Public Library (FCPL), Georgia Highlands Medical Services (GHMS), Literacy Forsyth, and Forsyth County Schools.

Leap into Literacy will be held in the cafeteria of Cumming Elementary, 540 Dahlonega Street, Cumming, on Wednesday, March 14 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Admission to the event is free and, while the program is designed for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, children of all ages are welcome to attend with a caregiver.

The program will include stories and songs in English and Spanish, as well as a puppet show designed for Pre-K students, and crafts that children of all ages can make.

Children can also meet the beloved book character Curious George at the event. Leap into Literacy participants can also enjoy a spaghetti dinner from Giorgio’s Family Kitchen and a sweet dessert treat from Publix.

The purpose of the event is to help families understand the importance of encouraging early literacy skills starting in infancy.

“One of the most important aspects of early literacy is the amount parents talk to their children, beginning in infancy,” says Tracy Walker, Programming and Outreach Manager at FCPL.

“Parents who simply talk to their child as they go about their day expose them to 1,000-2,000 words an hour. This is so important in helping them become better readers and learners down the road.”

Several simple early literacy practices will be demonstrated for caregivers during the program to show how easy it can be to incorporate reading and language learning into everyday activities at home.

“Simple, everyday activities and tasks can become great early literacy tools,” says Julie Boyd, Youth Services Supervisor at the Cumming Library.

“Naming and talking about the items you see on a trip to the grocery store or while preparing dinner are wonderful ways to build your child’s vocabulary. Spring is the perfect time of year for outdoor walks and activities. From the naming of flowers to the colors of birds, these are terrific times to explore language, as well,” explains Boyd.

“Movement activities that involve language help children learn new words. Simple finger plays and songs help children develop their fine and gross motor skills while learning new vocabulary at the same time. This is especially important for our kinesthetic learners - children who learn best through physical activity,” adds Walker.

It’s the perfect time of year to be active outdoors. Combining simple movement activities with language is just one of the early literacy tips that event organizers will share with parents and caregivers during Leap into Literacy.

“We all have different learning styles,” says Amy Chang, Title I Director of Forsyth County Schools. “Adding simple movements or facial expressions to the stories we tell at home or daily activities provide invaluable context clues when learning vocabulary.”

Following the stories, songs, and puppet show, participants can make special crafts to take home as they wait to meet Curious George and receive a special sweet treat from Publix.

“Cumming Elementary is looking forward to hosting Leap into Literacy for our youngest county residents, their families, and for the whole community. Spring is a time of celebration, and we look forward to welcoming everyone,” says Chang.

For more information about Leap into Literacy or other similar programs, please visit www.forsythpl.org.

Staff Picks: The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister (Adult Fiction)

The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister 

The Magician’s Lie by Greer Macallister is the captivating story of a female magician in the 1800s who is suspected of murder when her husband's mutilated body is discovered among her props. Brought to justice by a small-town police officer with issues of his own, the magician weaves an evocative story designed to play on his sympathies. The audiobook, performed by Julia Whelan and Nick Podehl, gives an extra dimension to the dynamics between the characters.

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist

#ShelfLife - March 2, 2018

Yes, we love Fridays, but this Friday is one of our particular favorites because it's Read Across America Day! If you're looking for something to read in celebration of this special day, head on over to Instagram and see what's happening in the #ShelfLife.

In addition to some wonderful books, we've got several exciting programs planned for the weekend and next week. Here's a preview:

• One World Forsyth celebrates Chinese New Year
  Sunday, March 4 at 1:45 p.m. at the Post Road Library
  Join an interactive lion dance performance and watch a Kung Fu demonstration by The Chien Hong School of Kung Fu, then enjoy crafts, Chinese snacks, and a fortune cookie to celebrate the Year of the Dog! Free admission. All ages welcome.
• Meet Author Johanna Luthman at "Tying the Windsor Knot" series on royal weddings
  Monday, March 5 at 7:00 p.m. at the Cumming Library
  Madness. Adultery. Witchcraft. No, it’s not a new HBO series; it’s one of England’s most scandalous marriages. Noted historian and University of North Georgia professor Johanna Luthman, author of Love, Madness & Scandal: The Life of Frances Coke Villiers, Viscountess Purbeck, will speak at this first event in our series on royal weddings. Free admission.
• Meet Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
  Thursday, March 8 at 7:00 p.m. at Forsyth Conference Center
  Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and Mr. Maguire will speak at 7:00 p.m., then sign books. Admission is free, but registration is requested.

Just in case you missed it, here are some highlights from this week's #ShelfLife feed on Instagram. Which photo or book is your favorite? Leave a comment below and let us know!

Meet Johanna Luthman, author of LOVE, MADNESS & SCANDAL: THE LIFE OF FRANCES COKE VILLIERS, VISCOUNTESS PURBECK, as she visits the Cumming Library on Monday, March 5 at 7:00 p.m. Dr. Luthman will speak at the first event in our “Tying the Windsor Knot” series on royal weddings. The program is intended for adults and admission is free. #ShelfLife #LoveMadnessAndScandal #JohannaLuthman #authortalk #writersofinstagram #readersofinstagram #nonfiction #history #love #mother #royalwedding #FCPLstories #ForsythReads

A post shared by Forsyth County Public Library (@forsythpubliclibrary) on Mar 2, 2018 at 9:46am PST

We're celebrating Read Across America with all "Things" Dr. Seuss! How will you celebrate the joy of reading today? Leave a comment and let us know! #ShelfLife #ReadAcrossAmerica #ReadAcrossAmericaDay #DrSeuss #kidlit #childrensbooks #amreading #fridayreads #librariesofinstagram #FCPLstories #ForsythReads

A post shared by Forsyth County Public Library (@forsythpubliclibrary) on Mar 2, 2018 at 9:26am PST

Today is National Strawberry Day! If you had trouble growing your own strawberry patch last summer, check out WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY FRUIT GARDEN? 100% ORGANIC SOLUTIONS FOR BERRIES, TREES, NUTS, VINES, AND TROPICALS by David Deardorff (@daviddeardorff) and Kathryn Wadsworth (@kathryn.wadsworth). And, if you enjoy gardening, the Forsyth County Master Gardeners will host working days in The Secret Garden at the Cumming Library on the third Thursday of each month at 10:00 a.m., April through November. Stop by, soak up some sun, and get your hands dirty! #ShelfLife #NationalStrawberryDay #organic #gardening #fruit #ForsythReads #FCPLstories #librarygarden #librariesofinstagram #gardenersofinstagram

A post shared by Forsyth County Public Library (@forsythpubliclibrary) on Feb 27, 2018 at 6:04am PST

Today is National Tell a Fairy Tale Day! Jack and the Beanstalk is one of our favorites, and you’ll find several versions of the story in our collection. For more fun with Jack and the science behind his “magical” beanstalk, come to Preschool Fairytale STEAM at 10:30 a.m. this Friday, March 2! Children ages 3 – 5, with a caregiver, will explore this classic fairytale through a variety of early literacy, STEAM, music, and hands-on early learning station activities. It’s free! #TellAFairyTaleDay #ShelfLife #JackAndTheBeanstalk #fairytale #preschool #kidlit #1000booksbeforekindergarten

A post shared by Forsyth County Public Library (@forsythpubliclibrary) on Feb 26, 2018 at 11:12am PST

Staff Favorites - Adult Non-Fiction

Kitchen Matrix by Mark Bittman

Mark Bittman is one of the country’s best-known and most widely respected food writers. His book A Bone to Pick educates readers about where their food comes from.  Kitchen Matrix includes over 750 simple recipes with techniques to ix and match. I found the design and color pictures in this hardback book wonderful.  I found this book informative, fascinating and helpful.

I appreciated the pictures of spices in their raw form. Many of these ingredients I’ve only seen ground up in a jar. I liked the fact that he puts together flavors that complement one another and taste great. He’s taken the guess work out of cooking for me. I liked the section on entertaining. I love having a go-to book where I can look at what’s in my cupboard and see what I can create from it.

I can’t wait to start making some recipes from the veggie chapter. This author says, “You can probably tell by the length of this chapter that I’m a little obsessed with vegetables. Not only are they what we should be eating more of than anything else, but there are nearly countless varieties that can be prepared (cooked or not), in an endless number of ways…this chapter is ordered largely by season, which is meant to facilitate the kind of ingredients–driven cooking that I highly recommend when it comes to produce.”

This is my new go to book for seasonal vegetables recipes. There is a fun section titled Thanksgiving leftovers that looks inviting and innovative. Some of the desserts look great. Some that stand out are the recipes on donuts, brownies, Ice pops and the fruit desserts look wonderful. This book would make a great gift for any skilled or unskilled cook!

Nora St. Laurent
Collection Support Aide