Library Commits to State-wide Safety Program with Mask Requirement

Forsyth County Public Library announced today that it will join other organizations across the state in the Georgia Safety Promise, a public-private partnership program led by the Office of the Governor along with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Georgia Department of Public Health, and other organizations.

"Being part of Georgia Safety Promise means that the library is extending its efforts to protect patrons, volunteers, and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic by promoting social distancing, wearing a face covering, cleaning surfaces, and washing and sanitizing hands," says Library Director Anna Lyle.

Beginning Thursday, September 3, all library visitors will be required to wear a mask, including children ages 5 and older. Patrons who do not have a mask may request a free, disposable mask at the main entrance of each library branch.

"Many of our patrons expressed concern that masks were encouraged, but not required, to visit the library. We want our patrons to know that we're listening and that we're taking additional steps to protect our community," says Lyle.

FCPL is also making a temporary change to its food and drink policy. Beginning Thursday, September 3, visitors may not consume food or drinks inside the library.

"We're making a change to the food and drink policy because it would be impractical to eat or drink with a mask on. It's important that patrons keep their masks on for the duration of their visit," adds Lyle.

As part of its commitment to Georgia Safety Promise, FCPL will continue a number of safety measures already in place.

For example, signs are posted to encourage social distancing and limiting visits to 30 minutes or less. Hand sanitizing stations continue to be available at the entrance to each library and throughout the buildings. Returned materials continue to be quarantined for up to four days before being returned to the shelves and curbside pickup services remain available.

“I am so proud of the Library’s amazing staff and volunteers who have continued to deliver vital library services to Forsyth County residents during this difficult time.  We have provided access to our materials and facilities while placing an emphasis on safety for everyone.  We are grateful to our patrons for their support,” says Lyle.

For more information on current library operations, including WiFi internet access and Contact-Free Curbside Pickup, please visit our current COVID-19 response page.

Staff Picks: Fiction for Introverts

While extroverts may find social distancing isolation difficult, introverts confined in close quarters with their housemates may long for some alone time. If your best conversations are with your own inner voice, the characters in these short fiction novels may be relatable.

Weather by Jenny Offill

Lizzie Benson balances working at a public library while caring for family members and supporting a fringe environmental organization. This slice-of-modern-life story focuses on mental health issues and global concerns. 

Also available as an eAudiobook on OverDrive.

The Circus by Jonas Karlsson

A Swedish baker gains valuable insight after he loses a lifelong friend in a bizarre disappearing act mishap. Fans of The Twilight Zone and psychological fiction will enjoy this one!

 Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

Keiko Furukura is content with her job at the neighborhood convenience store even though her family and friends have different ideas about what she should do with her life. This award-winning Japanese translation has become a favorite of introverts around the globe.

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist
#WeKnowBooks

FCPL joins national Libraries Transform Book Pick event in September

Forsyth County Public Library (FCPL) joins other libraries across the country in offering access to the same eBook for a two-week period through the Libraries Transform Book Pick program.

The eBook selection is Lauren Francis-Sharma’s epic saga Book of the Little Axe published by Atlantic Monthly Press, an imprint of Grove Atlantic.

During the lending period, September 14 - 28, eBook copies of Book of the Little Axe will be available without waitlists or holds through U.S. public libraries using OverDrive. Readers only need a valid library card to borrow and read the eBook.

About Book of the Little Axe

Ambitious and masterfully wrought, Book of the Little Axe is an incredible journey, spanning decades and oceans from Trinidad to the American West during the tumultuous days of warring colonial powers and westward expansion.

In a starred review, Booklist said Francis-Sharma “offers fascinating characters across the broad sweep of the American continent at a time of great tumult, warring colonial powers, the spread of slavery, and expansion West” and described the story as a “compelling saga of family bonds, ambitions, and desires, all subject to the vagaries of powerful historical forces.”

About Libraries Transform Book Pick

The Libraries Transform Book Pick program is a collaboration between Booklist, the book review magazine of the American Library Association (ALA); Libraries Transform, the American Library Association’s public awareness initiative; and OverDrive, ALA Library Champion and lead sponsor of Libraries Transform.

The selection of Book of the Little Axe for the Libraries Transform Book Pick was made in consultation with experts at Booklist. Atlantic Monthly Press is providing this title to public libraries for simultaneous use for two weeks at no cost.

How to Participate

FCPL patrons who wish to read the Libraries Transform Book Pick can place a hold on the eBook version of Book of the Little Axe by Lauren Francis-Sharma in OverDrive or the Libby app now and it will be automatically delivered on September 14. Or, patrons can simply log into OverDrive or the Libby app anytime between September 14 and 28 to immediately check out and download Book of the Little Axe with no holds or waiting.

Sponsors of this special reading event will lead online discussions regarding the book on Facebook and Twitter. Patrons who wish to join the discussion are encouraged to use the hashtag #LTBookPick on social media.

If you need assistance downloading the eBook version of Book of the Little Axe, please contact Forsyth County Public Library or visit the Ask Us desk inside any FCPL branch.

Kids' Book Spotlight - School Daze Teen Books

Check out these school-related books just in time for Back to School (no matter what school may look like for you!)!

Teen Middle (Grades 6-8)

Miss Ellicott's School for the Magically Minded
by Sage Blackwood

Chantel would much rather focus on her magic than on curtsying, which is why she often finds herself in trouble at Miss Ellicott's School for Magical Maidens. But when Miss Ellicott mysteriously disappears along with all the other sorceresses in the city, Chantel's behavior becomes the least of her problems. Without any magic protecting the city, it is up to Chantel and her friends to save the Kingdom. On a dangerous mission, Chantel will discover a crossbow-wielding boy, a dragon, and a new, fiery magic that burns inside her -- but can she find the sorceresses and transform Lightning Pass into the city it was meant to be?

Schooled
by Gordon Korman

Homeschooled by his hippie grandmother, Capricorn (Cap) Anderson has never watched television, tasted a pizza, or even heard of a wedgie. But when his grandmother lands in the hospital, Cap is forced to move in with a guidance counselor and attend the local middle school. While Cap knows a lot about tie-dyeing and Zen Buddhism, no education could prepare him for the politics of public school.

Griff Carver, Hallway Patrol
by Jim Krieg

Legendary Griff Carver joins the Rampart Middle School Hallway Patrol and, with the help of his new friends, Griff solves the case of counterfeit hall passes.

School for Sidekicks
by Kelly McCullough

Superhero geek Evan survives a supervillian's death ray and is sent to the Academy for Metahuman Operatives. Unfortunately, instead of fighting bad guys, Evan finds himself blacklisted, and on the wrong side of the school's director. Can he convince his semi-retired has-been mentor to become a real hero once again?

The First Rule of Punk
by Celia C. Perez

Twelve-year-old María Luisa O'Neill-Morales (who really prefers to be called Malú) reluctantly moves with her Mexican-American mother to Chicago and starts seventh grade with a bang--violating the dress code with her punk rock aesthetic and spurning the middle school's most popular girl in favor of starting a band with a group of like-minded weirdos.




Teen High (Grades 9-12)

Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd
by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci

With illustrated interstitials from comic book artists Hope Larson and Bryan Lee O'Malley, Geektastic covers all things geeky, from Klingons and Jedi Knights to fan fiction, theater geeks, and cosplayers. Whether you're a former, current, or future geek, or if you just want to get in touch with your inner geek, Geektastic will help you get your geek on!

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

    by E. Lockhart

   Frankie Landau-Banks. No longer the kind of girl to take "no" for an answer. Especially when "no" means she's excluded from her boyfriend's all-male secret society. Not when her ex-boyfriend shows up in the strangest of places. Not when she knows she's smarter than any of them...when she knows Matthew's lying to her. And when there are so many, many pranks to be done.

   

   

One of Us is Lying
by Karen M. McManus

When the creator of a high school gossip app mysteriously dies in front of four high-profile students, all four become suspects. It's up to them to solve the case.

Trapped
by Michael Northrop

Seven high school students are stranded at their New England high school during a week-long blizzard that shuts down the power and heat, freezes the pipes, and leaves them wondering if they will survive.

Wilder Girls
by Rory Power

It's been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her. It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything. But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.

Amy Billings
Youth Specialist
#WeKnowBooks

Kids' Book Spotlight - School Daze Chapter Books

Enjoy these fun books about school...no matter what school looks like for you this year!

Beginning Chapter Books (Grades 1-3)

The School Is Alive!
by Jack Chabert

Sam Graves discovers that his elementary school is alive and plotting against the students, and, as hall monitor, it is his job to protect them--but he will need some help from his friends.

Captain Awesome vs. the Sinister Substitute Teacher
by Stan Kirby

When a sinister substitute teacher takes over their class, it is up to Eugene and the rest of the Sunnyview Superhero Squad to find Ms. Beasley and foil the sub's plot.

Polly Diamond and the Super, Stunning, Spectacular School Fair
by Alice Kuipers

Today is the school book fair, which is very exciting for Polly Diamond, who loves books and writing, and who possesses a magic book which turns anything she writes into reality--but she also has to be careful because sometimes her book, Spell, does not quite understand a word and misinterpretations can be catastrophic.

Horrible Harry and the Field Day Revenge
by Suzy Kline

Spurred on by the promise of a mystery prize, Harry and Doug are determined to win the most points on Field Day, but Harry's sneaky tactics annoy their competition, making the two boys targets for revenge.

Junie B's Essential Survival Guide to School
by Barbara Park

Junie B. offers advice about taking the school bus, doing homework, staying out of trouble, taking tests, and keeping friends.







Chapter Books (Grades 3-5)

No Talking
by Andrew Clements

The noisy fifth grade boys of Laketon Elementary School challenge the equally loud fifth grade girls to a "no talking" contest.

Nikki & Deja: Substitute Trouble
by Karen English

While Ms. Shelby-Ortiz is recovering from an injury, substitute Mr. Willow takes over Nikki and Deja's third-grade class with disastrous results.

Saving Fable
by Scott Reintgen

Indira Story grew up in Origin, yearning to be the hero of her own story, but after finally being chosen to attend Protagonist Preparatory, she learns that side characters can be heroes, too.

The Best School Year Ever
by Barbara Robinson

The six horrible Herdmans, the worst kids in the history of the world, cause mayhem throughout the school year.

Mr. Wolf's Class
by Aron Nils Steinke

Chronicles the everyday adventures of Mr. Wolf, a new teacher at Hazelwood Elementary school, and his class of wild and special students.








Amy Billings
Youth Specialist
#WeKnowBooks

Friends Bookstore Sidewalk Sale begins August 26

Got books? Get your shop on as the FCPL Friends & Advocates host sidewalk sales at all four library branches this week!

Stop by and shop a wide selection of books for children and teens, as well as test and educational guidebooks. A selection of books for adults will also be available.

Cash and credit/debit cards will be accepted.

Mark your calendar to shop one (or all!) of these special outdoors book sales:

POST ROAD LIBRARY
5010 Post Road
Wednesday, August 26, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

CUMMING LIBRARY
585 Dahlonega Street
Thursday, August 27, 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 29, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

HAMPTON PARK LIBRARY
Friday, August 28, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

SHARON FORKS LIBRARY
Sunday, August 30, 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, September 1, 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

In the event of inclement weather, sidewalk sale days will be rescheduled. Stay tuned to FCPL's social media channels for updates.

Please remember to protect our volunteers and your fellow book lovers while shopping the Friends Bookstores sidewalks sale: please wear a mask and practice social distancing.

Enjoy your new books!

Staff Picks: Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rikfa Brunt

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt 

Tell the Wolves I'm Home is a coming-of-age story set in 1987. Fourteen-year-old June’s beloved uncle and closest friend is dying of AIDS.  Carol Rifka Brunt’s story captures '80s attitudes toward the epidemic that range from hostility and fear to sympathy and shame. Uncle Finn, a well-known artist, spends his final months painting a portrait of June and her older sister. Each time the girls sit for the painting, it could be the last time they see their uncle alive.

Finn’s death introduces June to a new friend who complicates her relationships with her family by revealing a new perspective on Finn’s life. 

Tell the Wolves I’m Home is an emotional family saga about grief and growing up at the end of the 20th Century with richly drawn characters you won't soon forget. 

Alicia Cavitt

Information Specialist

#WeKnowBooks  

Kids' Book Spotlight- School Daze Picture Books and Early Readers

School may be a bit different this year, but these school-related books are still a ton of fun!

Picture Books

Wemberly Worried
by Kevin Henkes

A mouse named Wemberly, who worries about everything, finds that she has a whole list of things to worry about when she faces the first day of nursery school.

We Don't Eat Our Classmates
by Ryan T. Higgins

When the class pet bites the finger of Penelope, a Tyrannosaurus rex, she finally understands why she should not eat her classmates, no matter how tasty they are.

All Are Welcome
by Alexandra Penfold

Illustrations and simple rhyming text introduce a school where diversity is celebrated and songs, stories, and talents are shared.

School's First Day of School
by Adam Rex

It's the first day of school at Frederick Douglass Elementary and everyone's just a little bit nervous, especially the school itself. What will the children do once they come? Will they like the school? Will they be nice to him? The school has a rough start, but as the day goes on, he soon recovers when he sees that he's not the only one going through first-day jitters.

Dinosaur vs. School
by Bob Shea

Fearless Dinosaur takes on new challenges as he starts preschool, from meeting new friends to pasting glitter and googly eyes, but one task requires assistance from everyone.

Early Readers

Second Grade Rules, Amber Brown
by Paula Danziger

Amber Brown loves the second grade but wonders if she will ever receive an award from Deskarina, the desk fairy, for keeping her desk clean.

How to Start Kindergarten
by Cathy Hapka

When Steve befriends David, the new kid at school, he tells David to do what he does, but his plan backfires when David begins copying everything, from Steve's clothes to his lunch.

Yasmin the Teacher
by Saadia Faruqi

When Ms. Alex is called away from the classroom, she leaves Yasmin in charge, but the other children just ignore her and start acting silly and noisy--until Yasmin thinks up a way to motivate them to finish the math assignment, quietly.

Mittens at School
by Lola M. Schaefer

Mittens wants to see everything during his visit to Nick's school, but the kitten gets into trouble while everyone is away from the classroom.

  Miss Bindergarten and the Very Wet Day

  by Joseph Slate

  A very rainy day keeps Miss Bindergarten's class indoors much of the day and when they finally go out, two girls slip and fall into a puddle.

  Amy Billings

  Youth Specialist

  #WeKnowBooks

Staff Picks: Separation Anxiety: a Novel by Laura Zigman

Separation Anxiety: a Novel by Laura Zigman - Adult Fiction

One of the many perks of being a librarian is getting to see so many new book releases every day. At the Post Road branch we have a little red cart in our workroom where we put new books until they are shelved in the New & Notable display area. We temporarily label all of our new books on the spine with a round neon orange sticker. For bibliophiles, those orange dots are the equivalent of Krispy Kreme Doughnut’s “HOT NOW” sign: irresistible.

While filling this cart the other day I came across Separation Anxiety: a Novel by bestselling author Laura Zigman. The bright teal and yellow cover grabbed my attention and pulled my focus to the central image of a middle-aged woman wearing her dog across her torso in a baby carrier. I was instantly transported to a time about ten years ago when my family and I literally bumped right into a lovely woman at a farmers’ market who was wearing her little dog in the same fashion. My family was entranced, and quite jealous because there was no way our 85-pound Black Lab mix, Ike, would ever fit in a Baby Bjorn. My youngest couldn’t contain his affection and even asked the lady if he could kiss her “fur baby.” Mercifully, she consented. Her dog, however, didn’t seem quite as open to David’s advances.

I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of comfort animals for stress relief, and finding this book during the COVID-19 pandemic definitely rekindled my interest. The inside book jacket describes it as “a hilarious novel about a wife and mother’s increasingly disastrous attempts to course correct her relationships, her career, and her belief in herself.” Hilarious, yes, at times; surprisingly, also full of such tenderness, hope, and redemption that I was sad to reach the end.

The main character, 50-year-old struggling writer Judy Vogel, sees herself as an “increasingly invisible middle-aged woman, hiding an ever-expanding perimenopausal body in boxy sweaters and boyfriend jeans.” This may sound like an overplayed trope on female aging, but this book touches on many other themes including marital problems, anxiety, addiction, dashed dreams, parenting challenges, awkward house guests, edibles, Marie Kondo, cancer, adult braces, and even a “Secret Pooper” leaving his mark at the local Montessori school. The common thread connecting them all is Judy’s newly developed penchant to self-soothe by wearing her mini Sheltie in a baby sling.

We could all use some extra comfort these days. Why not do it vicariously through Judy Vogel’s furry new accessory and the absurdly comedic and heartwarming misadventures she experiences along the way.

Leslie
Youth Specialist
#WeKnowBooks

Kids' Book Spotlight- Teen Science Fiction

Lose yourself in far off worlds with these Science Fiction titles!

Teen Middle (Grades 6-8)

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
by Kwame Mbalia

Seventh-grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he's going to spend on his grandparents' farm. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up and steals Eddie's notebook. Tristan chases after it, and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to get it away from the creature, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters. 

Shuri
by Nic Stone

For centuries, the Chieftain of Wakanda (the Black Panther) has gained his powers through the juices of the Heart-Shaped Herb. Much like Vibranium, the Heart-Shaped Herb is essential to the survival and prosperity of Wakanda. But something is wrong. The plants are dying. No matter what the people of Wakanda do, they can't save them. And their supply is running short. It's up to Shuri to travel from Wakanda in order to discover what is killing the Herb, and how she can save it, in the first volume of this all-new, original adventure.

The Clockwork Ghost
by Laura Ruby

It was only a few weeks ago that the Biedermann twins, Tess and Theo, along with their friend Jaime Cruz, followed the secrets of the Morningstarrs' cipher further than anyone had in its century-and-a-half history -- and destroyed their beloved home in the process. But the Old York Cipher still isn't solved. The demolition of 354 W. 73rd Street only revealed the next clue in the greatest mystery of the modern world, and if Tess, Theo, and Jaime want to discover what lies at the end of the puzzle laid into the buildings of New York by its brilliant, enigmatic architects, they will need to press on.

   

Archimancy
by J.A. White

Cordelia Liu knew Shadow School was going to be different. Still, she didn't expect the school grounds to be filled with ghosts. Cordelia soon realizes she's not the only one who can see the ghosts; her new friend Benji can too. Together with super-smart Agnes, the trio are determined to find out why the ghosts are there, and whether there's a way to set them free. But the school was created with more sinister intentions, and someone is willing to go to extreme lengths to ensure that the ghosts remain trapped forever.

Emmy in the Key of Code
by Aimee Lucido

Twelve-year-old Emmy is the only one in her family who can't make music to save her life. And now that her dad's symphony job has uprooted her to a new city and school, everything seems even more off-key than usual. Until a computer class changes her tune -- Emmy discovers that her coding skills can really sing. Now life is starting to seem a little more upbeat, especially with computer whiz and possible best friend Abigail around to share tips and tricks with. But can Emmy hold on to her new found confidence with bad news and big secrets just around the corner, or will her new life come to a screeching halt?

Teen High (Grades 9-12)

Pitch Dark
by Courtney Alameda

Lost to time, Tuck Morgan and his crew have slept in stasis aboard the USS John Muir for centuries. Their ship harbors a chunk of Earth, Which, unbeknownst to them, is the last hope for the failing human race. Laura Cruz is a shipraider searching the galaxy for the history that was scattered to the stars. Once her family locates the John Muir and its precious cargo, they are certain human civilization is saved. When Tuck and Laura's worlds collide-literally-the two teens must outwit their enemies, evade brutal monsters that kill with sound, and work together to save the John Muir...and the whole human race.

Force Collector
by Kevin Shinick

Karr is a teenage boy: he goes to school, helps his parents, likes speeders and droids. But when he touches certain objects he gets searing headaches and blacks out, or has visions of people and places he doesn't know. He sets out to discover what connection his mysterious Force powers have to the fabled Jedi-- and what the Force has in store for him. Accompanied by his droid companion, RZ-7, and Maize, a new girl at school, his adventure will take him from Utapau to Takodana and beyond.

The Similars
by Rebecca Hanover

The Similars are all anyone can talk about at the elite Darkwood Academy. Who are these six clones? What are the odds that all of them would be Darkwood students? Who is the madman who broke the law to create them? Emma couldn't care less. Her best friend, Oliver, died over the summer and all she can think about is how to get through her junior year without him. Then she comes face-to-heartbreaking-face with Levi--Oliver's exact DNA replica and one of the Similars. Emma wants nothing to do with the Similars, but she keeps getting pulled deeper and deeper into their clique, uncovering dark truths about the clones and her prestigious school along the way. But no one can be trusted, not even the boy she is falling for who has Oliver's face.

The Loop
by Ben Oliver

Luka Kane has spent 736 days wrongfully imprisoned inside the Loop awaiting his execution. Each day is the same. Each day is torturous. But things are starting to change. Whispers of war are circulating. Strange things are happening to the prisoners. And the warden delivers a message: Luka, you have to get out. Now Luka must decide whether breaking out of the Loop is his only way to survive, especially if there's any chance of saving the ones he loves. But the population on the outside may be far more terrifying than anything he could have imaged. And in order to save his family, he'll have to discover who is responsible for the chaos that has been inflicted upon the world.

Rebelwing
by Andrea Tang

At New Columbia Preparatory Academy in a near-future Washington, D.C., black market smuggler Prudence Wu and friends Anabel, Alex, and Cat become key players in a conflict with the United Continental Confederacy. 






Stephani Lindsey
Youth Specialist
#WeKnowBooks