Author Fran Wilde Builds Monsters, Predicts Futures with Local Writers

Fran Wilde, two-time Nebula award-winning author of such science fiction and fantasy novels as Riverland and Updraft, leads two online writing workshops sponsored by Forsyth County Public Library and Forsyth County Arts Alliance.

The first two-hour workshop, “Build a Monster,” is intended for tween and teen writers in grades 5 through 10 and will be hosted online at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 15.

Wilde explains that students will engage in “loud and fun” brainstorming activities designed to expand their creative writing skills. The workshop will help young writers use that creativity to build monster characters and then develop problem-solving techniques to defeat those monsters in their stories.

Admission to the “Build a Monster” workshop is free, but advance registration is required.

Wilde’s next two-hour workshop, “Writing the Future,” is intended for teen writers in grades 9 and up, as well as adults, and will be hosted online at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 22.

Writers often struggle to describe the possibilities of the future for readers in the present, so Wilde designed this workshop to help aspiring writers imagine future possibilities from multiple perspectives and write stories about them. Participants will use “Please, Stop Printing Unicorns,” Wilde’s front-page Op-Ed from The New York Times, as a starting point for discussing ideas and examples of writing about characters and settings in the future.

Admission to the “Writing the Future” workshop is free, but advance registration is required.

“We’re grateful to the Forsyth County Arts Alliance for supporting the library’s author visits and writing workshops and we’re delighted to host Fran Wilde’s virtual appearance for local writers,” says Programming Manager Tracy Walker.

“In addition to winning Nebula and Hugo awards and other literary honors, Ms. Wilde also directs the Genre Fiction MFA concentration at Western Colorado University and is a respected educator. We know teen and adult writers will come away with new perspectives for achieving their writing goals.”

To register for a writing workshop or for more information on Fran Wilde and her forthcoming novel The Ship of Stolen Words, please visit www.forsythpl.org. 

April 2021 Reading Challenge - The White Book by Han Kang

 

The White Book by Han Kang

Sand

And she frequently forgot, 

That her body (all our bodies) is a house of sand.

That it had shattered and is shattering still.

Slipping stubbornly through fingers. 

In South Korea, as in many Asian cultures, white is traditionally regarded as a color of mourning. The White Book by Man Booker Prize-winning South Korean author Han Kang describes an assortment of things that are white like sleet, salt, and sugar cubes. This slim, lyrical book features melancholy poetic vignettes that center on a family’s grief over the death of a newborn. Other entries describe city living, the natural world, and life in Korea following World War II. 

I don’t usually read books of poetry but I really enjoyed this thoughtful and beautifully written book. If you’re looking for a somber literary book or want to complete FCPL's April 2021 Reading Challenge – Read a Book of Poetry or a Play, check out The White Book by Han Kang.  

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist
#WeKnowBooks

OverBOOKed to Read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

Based on a true story from a crime in 1981, this novel-like narrative focuses on the decade-long mystery of a murdered woman in Savannah, Georgia. A cast of unusual characters: "the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman's Card Club; the turbulent young redneck gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the 'soul of pampered self-absorption;' the uproariously funny black drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young blacks dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight" [Excerpt from FCPL catalog]. The book had a 1997 film adaptation produced by Clint Eastwood and stars Kevin Spacey and John Cusack.

Join the overBOOKed book club for a virtual discussion of this title on Thursday, May 20, at 10:00 a.m. OverBOOKed meets virtually at 10:00 a.m. every third Thursday of the month. Register here to receive your GoToMeeting link to join the discussion!

The eBook and eAudiobook versions of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil are available through OverDrive. Anyone with a Forsyth County Library card can sign up for a free OverDrive account. Sign up for a free card today and start enjoying FCPL's digital catalog from wherever you are!

Christina
Information Specialist
#WeKnowBooks

Updated Library Statement Regarding COVID-19

All Forsyth County Public Library locations are open and operating on a regular schedule. The library's business hours are posted at www.forsythpl.org.

Thank you for continuing to wear your mask and practice social distancing.

Contact-Free Curbside Pickup

Contact-Free Curbside Pickup is available at all four Forsyth County Public Library branches. Appointments are required to request items and pick them up. Learn more about Contact-Free Curbside Pickup.

eLibrary Services and Email a Librarian

The eLibrary remains open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide patrons with access to eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, and many eResources.  

FCPL Academy provides helpful online tutorials for many of these resources. If you need assistance with any of these resources, or if you have any questions at all, please Email a Librarian. 

Access Free WiFi in Library Parking Lots

We realize that many library patrons depend on the library for WiFi internet access. WiFi access is available in the parking lots of all our branches from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily, including weekends. Any patron using WiFi in the parking lot must remain in their vehicles.


Updated April 15, 2021. 

Reading Challenge: Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I fondly remember reading the entire Little House series and was beyond excited when, as a fourth grader, the Little House television series debuted. I chose to reread Little House on the Prairie based on this nostalgia and also to view it through the lens of recent controversy over the depictions of Native Americans and Blacks. But the real shock I experienced was the constant danger in which the family was placed during their pioneering venture. 

I truly have to wonder what Pa Ingalls was thinking to take a woman, two little girls, a baby, and a bulldog away from all extended family forever to embark alone in a covered wagon without even joining the safety and comradery of a wagon train on the basis of a rumor from Washington, D.C. that pioneers were going to be allowed to settle in Indian Territory. So it happens that he decides to plop down three miles into Osage territory and build his house within yards of an active Indian Trail. Reading as an adult, I was full of anxiety each time Pa left Ma and the girls alone to hunt or travel to the nearest town 40 miles away. Each chapter describes a terrifying event, including a chimney fire, prairie fires, nearby Indian gatherings that go on for days, with nights filled with blood-curdling war cries, their cabin surrounded by a wolf pack, a panther lurking nearby, and Indians walking in the house unannounced and taking food when Pa was away. Not to mention the entire family almost succumbing to malaria and the risk of serious injury from Pa single-handedly cutting down trees and fashioning logs to build the house. I found it terrifying and certainly not the charming adventures I remembered from childhood. Then after planting their crops and spending only one year in this location, word gets around that a new Indian treaty has been signed and settlers within Indian Territory will be forced to move. Pa says they will be leaving the next morning and they pack up what will fit in the wagon and are back on the trail headed to who knows where.

It is amazing to me that Laura Ingalls Wilder was able to write these stories in later life without experiencing significant post-traumatic stress syndrome! Instead of a sweet stroll down memory lane, this reading challenge gave me new perspective into the extreme challenges faced by American pioneers and the remarkable fortitude they possessed.

Holly
Youth Specialist
#WeKnowBooks

Author Carmen Agra Deedy Celebrates Día de los Libros with Forsyth Families

Nationally renowned author and storyteller Carmen Agra Deedy will speak and share stories with children and families in an event celebrating Día, a national effort to emphasize the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds.

The event will be held online Thursday, April 29 at 6:30 p.m. Admission to An Evening of Storytelling with Carmen Agra Deedy is free, but advance registration is required.

The first 150 registered participants will receive a free copy of Deedy’s latest book, Rita & Ralph’s Rotten Day, courtesy of Forsyth County Public Library and Forsyth County Arts Alliance.

Deedy is the author of twelve books for children, including The Library Dragon, The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet!, Martina the Beautiful Cockroach, and 14 Cows for America, a New York Times Bestseller. Funny, insightful, and frequently irreverent, Deedy’s stories are culled from her childhood as a Cuban refugee in Decatur, Georgia.

Deedy served as the Summer Reading Champion for the national Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) in 2020 and read stories to thousands of children and families in her Picture Book Friday video series on Facebook.

“Carmen Agra Deedy is such a strong supporter of early literacy and programs to help children love and enjoy reading. She’s also a wonderful storyteller, so audiences of all ages hang on her every word. She’s an ideal partner to help us celebrate Día this year,” says FCPL Programming Manager Tracy Walker.

Día, also known as El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), nurtures cognitive and literacy development in ways that honor a child’s home language and culture. Día is also intended as a celebration of children and offers an opportunity to connect them to the world of learning through books, stories, and libraries.

“Ms. Deedy has a lovely ability to connect with children through stories. And, thanks to a generous grant from the Forsyth County Arts Alliance, hundreds of Forsyth County families will be able to add a free copy of Rita & Ralph’s Rotten Day to their home libraries,” says Walker. 

Copies of the book will also be donated to Forsyth County Head Start classes as part of the library’s Día celebration.

For more information, or to register for An Evening of Storytelling with Carmen Agra Deedy, please visit www.forsythpl.org.

April 2021 Reading Challenge- Kids' Book Spotlight- Teen Collection

 The FCPL Reading Challenge for April is to read a book of poetry or a play. Check out some of these titles from our Teen Collection!

Teen Middle (Grades 6-8)

Jelly

by Jo Cotterill

Twelve-year-old Jelly hides her true self behind her humor and keeps her true thoughts and feelings locked away in a notebook. Can she find the courage to share who she really is? Angelica (Jelly for short) is the queen of comedy at school. She has a personality as big as she is, and everyone loves her impressions. But Jelly isn't as confident as she pretends to be. No one knows her deepest thoughts and feelings. She keeps those hidden away in a secret notebook. Then her mom's new boyfriend, Lennon, arrives. He's kind and perceptive, and he is the first person to realize that Jelly is playing a part. Jelly shares her poetry with him and he convinces her to perform one of her poems as a song at the school talent show. Can Jelly risk letting people see the real her? What if it all goes wrong?

Immersed in Verse

by Allan Wolf

Contains advice, ideas, writing activities, and encouragement from a working poet for aspiring poets. Includes poems by a variety of poets from the unknown to the famous, including Langston Hughes, e.e. cummings, Eve Merriam, and more.

Surviving the Applewhites

by Stephanie Tolan

Will anyone take on Jake Semple? Jake Semple is notorious. Rumor has it he burned down his old school and got kicked out of every school in his home state. Only one place will take him now, and that's a home school run by the Applewhites, a chaotic and hilarious family of artists. The only one who doesn't fit the Applewhite mold is E.D. -- a smart, sensible girl who immediately clashes with the unruly Jake. Jake thinks surviving this one will be a breeze . . . but is he really as tough or as bad as he seems?

Teen High (Grades 9-12)

Like It Never Happened

by Emily Adrian 

As one of The Essential Five theater students at her alternative high school, Rebecca Rivers is preparing to become an actress and enjoying junior year with the perfect boyfriend until life-changing rumors threaten everything.

Shout

by Laurie Halse Anderson

A poetry memoir that is as vulnerable as it is rallying, as timely as it is timeless. In free verse, Anderson shares reflections, rants, and calls to action woven between deeply personal stories from her life that she's never written about before. Searing and soul-searching, this important memoir is a denouncement of our society's failures and a love letter to all the people with the courage to say #MeToo and #TimesUp, whether aloud, online, or only in their own hearts. Shout speaks truth to power in a loud, clear voice-- and once you hear it, it is impossible to ignore.

For Everyone

by Jason Reynolds

For Every One is just that: for every one. For every one person. For every one dream. But especially for every one kid. The kids who dream of being better than they are. Kids who dream of doing more than they almost dare to dream.  All the kids who are scared to dream, or don't know how to dream, or don't dare to dream because they've never seen a dream come true. . But no matter how many times a dreamer gets beat down, the drive and the passion and the hope never fully extinguish--because just having the dream is the start you need, or you won't get anywhere anyway, and that is when you have to take a leap of faith.

If you need help selecting a book for any of our Reading Challenges in 2021, please Email a Librarian, use our book lists for kids, teens, and adults, or visit the Ask Us desk of any Forsyth County Public Library branch.

Stephani Lindsey

Youth Specialist

Sharon Forks Library

#WeKnowBooks

April 2021 Reading Challenge- Kids' Book Spotlight- Juvenile Collection

The FCPL Reading Challenge for April is to read a book of poetry or a play. Check out some of these fun options for our budding poets and thespians!

Beginning Chapter Books (Grades 1-3)

Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem

by Kate Dicamillo

Stella Endicott loves her teacher, Miss Liliana, and she is thrilled when the class is assigned to write a poem. Stella crafts a beautiful poem about Mercy Watson, the pig who lives next door -- a poem complete with a metaphor and full of curiosity and courage. But Horace Broom, Stella's irritating classmate, insists that Stella's poem is full of lies and that pigs do not live in houses. And when Stella and Horace get into a shouting match in the classroom, Miss Liliana banishes them to the principal's office. Will the two of them find a way to turn this opposite-of-a-poem day around? 

The Soggy, Foggy Campout

by Henry Winkler

Everyone in Hank's class has to write and perform a poem, so when his family goes camping, Hank finds plenty of inspiration in nature, even when a rainstorm threatens to ruin their night.

Break an Egg!

by Quvenzhane Wallis

When Shai Williams, who plans to become a star on Broadway, loses the lead role in the third-grade musical at her performing arts elementary school in Atlanta, she learns an important lesson about adaptability, from her mother, aunt, and grandmother, all actresses.

Chapter Books (Grades 3-5)

On Stage

by Lisa Bany-Winters

Presents games and activities to cover basic theater vocabulary, puppetry and pantomime, sound effects, costumes, props, and makeup.

Inside Out and Back Again

by Thanhha Lai

Through a series of poems, a young girl chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her mother, and her brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama.

Cast Away: Poems for Our Time

by Naomi Shihab Nye

Poet Naomi Shihab Nye shines a spotlight on the things we cast away, from plastic water bottles to refugees.

If you need help selecting a book for any of our Reading Challenges in 2021, please Email a Librarian, use our book lists for kids, teens, and adults, or visit the Ask Us desk of any Forsyth County Public Library branch.

Stephani Lindsey

Youth Specialist

Sharon Forks Library

#WeKnowBooks

Need stress relief? You need the Big Library Read.

Living through a pandemic has definitely been challenging and we could all benefit from embracing humor to reduce stress together, right?

FCPL patrons can do just that by checking out psychologist and stand-up comedian Brian King’s The Art of Taking It Easy, with no holds and no waiting from the library's OverDrive eBook collection.

Read The Art of Taking It Easy

The Art of Taking It Easy is available through OverDrive's Big Library Read program, the world’s largest digital book club, and is available for immediate checkout to library cardholders through April 19, 2021.

Learn to Manage Stress with Dr. Brian King

Dr. Brian King got a degree in psychology before becoming a world-touring comic and the host of humor therapy seminars attended by more than ten thousand people each year. The Art of Taking It Easy explores what stress is, where it comes from, and what it does to our bodies and brains. He delves deep into how to address everyday stress—as well as anxiety, insecurities, repression, and negativity—and gives insight into resulting ailments such as anxiety disorders, depression, hypertension, obesity, substance abuse disorders, and more.

Dr. King's techniques are chemical and cost free, and embrace humor, resilience, relaxation, optimism, gratitude, and acceptance. Instead of a dry medical approach to dealing with stress, this unique volume is filled with life-changing tips and instructions presented with humor and a wealth of memorable, smile-inducing anecdotes.

Join the Conversation

To join the discussion about The Art of Taking It Easy, learn about past Big Library Read titles and download Libby, visit biglibraryread.com.

April 2021 Reading Challenge- Kids' Book Spotlight- Easy Collection

The FCPL Reading Challenge for April is to read a book of poetry or a play. Check out some of these fun options for our youngest poets and thespians!

Picture Books

Poetree

by Shauna Reynolds

A shy girl celebrates winter's end by writing a poem to a tree and is surprised when the tree writes back.

The Alphabet Theatre Proudly Presents: The Z Was Zapped

by Chris Van Allsburg

Depicts how A was in an avalanche, B was badly bitten, C was cut to ribbons, and the other letters of the alphabet suffered similar mishaps

Guppies to Puppies

by Susan Freese

With colorful illustrations and informative text, children will learn how to read, write and recite a variety of poems about pets.

Early Readers

Rappy and His Favorite Things

by Dan Gutman

Rappy the Raptor and his classmates write poems about their favorite things to celebrate Poetry Week.

It Doesn't Need to Rhyme, Katie: Writing a Poem with Katie Woo

by Fran Manushkin

Katie and her friends explore writing different kinds of poetry about themselves and their surroundings.

Sports! Sports! Sports!

by Lee Bennett Hopkins

A collection of poems celebrating the joy and anguish of baseball, basketball, football, ice hockey, soccer, swimming, and running races.

If you need help selecting a book for any of our Reading Challenges in 2021, please Email a Librarian, use our book lists for kids, teens, and adults, or visit the Ask Us desk of any Forsyth County Public Library branch.

Stephani Lindsey

Youth Specialist

Sharon Forks Library

#WeKnowBooks

Call the Storyline April 1 - 30, 2021

New stories are available each month in English and Spanish on the FCPL Storyline. Just call 678-513-4199 to hear a story, rhyme, riddle, or song performed by one of FCPL’s talented librarians! 

The Well-Read Frog (English)

When a book-loving chicken keeps visiting the library, the savvy librarian becomes curious. Will she figure out what chicken is doing with all those library books?  Listen to this American folktale and find out!

¿Que estas haciendo? (Spanish)

It’s the first day of school for Chepito, but before the school day begins, he comes across the people in his neighborhood reading all kinds of things. “Why? Why? Why?”, he asks – and their reasons are as different as each person. Once he gets to school and sees all the books, he decides to find out for himself what all the fuss is about.

Ready for a story? Call the StoryLine at 678-513-4199, then leave a comment below and let us know if you enjoyed this month's story!

Library Limelight: Lola Nichols, Information Specialist, Sharon Forks Library

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

Lola Nichols
Information Specialist
Sharon Forks Library

Where is your hometown?

Atlanta, Georgia

How long have you been at FCPL?

Almost 9 years

What other jobs have you had at FCPL?

I started as a Collection Support Aide at Sharon Forks.

Why did you choose to work in a library?

I love books and spreading the word about good titles and introducing patrons to new mystery series. When I was very young, I turned my books at home into library books and made my family check them out!

Describe your job in five words or less.

Slow, swamped. Questions, answers. Programs!

What is unique about your job?

The opportunity to impact lives and having my life impacted by folks visiting the library.

What is your favorite part of your job?

Co-workers and books! And chatting with patrons about a title we both love (or hate). I really enjoy discussing book favorites with our younger patrons who love to read!

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

A couple of years ago my family visited the Pacific Northwest during a particularly hot, dry, and smoky August as there were wildfires burning in the entire area. It was still beautiful! It was particularly memorable sitting on Mount Saint Helens remembering news coverage and the stunning pictures after the last major eruption there. The trip was a great family time. I also rediscovered my fear of heights!

What are your hobbies?

Reading, walking and hiking, kayaking, and practicing yoga!

What are you reading right now?

The Whip by Karen Kondazian, Spin by Patricia Cornwell, and the eAudiobook Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood

Paper books, eBooks, or audiobooks?

All of the above! I still prefer paper though.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

It has been a wonderful learning experience over the years with constant change while some things, like free books for FCPL patrons, stay the same. 2020 brought so many challenges, but FCPL staff were up to the challenge! My co-workers continue to amaze me with their talents. And always, thanks go out to my family for supporting my never-ending fondness for libraries and books!