Dark Tales for Halloween

These two dark novels are real treats for fans of literary fiction.  Grab a bowl of candy corn and enjoy!

The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue is the story of a changeling who steals a young life but spends it with a heavy heart.   Runaway Henry Day seems to relish his new life in the woods while the impostor Henry Day grows ever-protective of his new human family.   It’s not the typical monster story but a very human one about family secrets, deceptions and regrets.

For fans of gallows humor and anti-heroes there’s Graeme Cameron’s Normal.  While The Stolen Child shows a monster with a human heart, Normal reveals the monstrous heart inside of an otherwise normal appearance.

I really enjoyed this comically dark tale despite the fact that the narrator couldn’t be less sympathetic.  He’s a ruthless and conniving psychopath whose life takes an unprecedented turn when he develops a strange fascination with a young cashier, kidnaps an atypical victim, (She’s so critical of the accommodations that he ends up preparing gourmet meals to slip into her cage.) and finds himself in a position to rescue (rather than maim) a damsel in distress.  

What happens when a serial killer faces an identity crisis?  Check out Normal by Graeme Cameron to find out.

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist

Featured eResource – Mango Languages

Have you ever wanted to learn a second language, or perhaps brush up on your high school Spanish or German?  Planning a trip and need to learn some phrases to help you navigate in another language and culture?  Are you a non-native speaker of English and want an English course taught in your native language?  FCPL has the resource for you!

Mango Languages is a language- and culture-learning resource that offers access to 71 foreign language courses and 17 English courses taught completely in the user’s native language.

Each lesson combines real-life situations and audio from native speakers with simple, clear instructions. The courses are presented with an appreciation for cultural nuance and real-world application by focusing on the four key elements of language learning: vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, and culture.

Features include:

• Ability to create a profile and save courses you are working on and track your progress
• Skip around in lessons and begin at any lesson or chapter of your choice
• Voice comparison feature to practice and perfect your accent 
• Toggle on and off the narrator feature 
• Small collection of foreign films with option to add subtitles in the language or origin of the film, English, or both 
• Mobile app for both Apple and Android users

Patrons may access Mango Languages from computers at the library, or they can access Mango from their home computers. For more information or help getting started, please visit the Ask Us desk at your local Forsyth County Public Library branch.

World Almanac for Kids Adds U.S Government and Writer's Modules

Kids and teens looking for help with their writing or with understanding U.S. government should check out the latest content updates to The World Almanac for Kids. It's a free resource from the Forsyth County Public Library and can be accessed by visiting www.forsythpl.org and clicking eLibrary > eResources > Encyclopedias and Reference.

New U.S. Government Module

Election year begins in only a few short months, but the presidential campaigns are already heating up. Use this module to understand the foundations of our government with overviews of all branches of the government and easy-to-understand bullet points. You'll also see colorful images and a glossary on all key areas, from the executive branch, legislative branch, judicial branch, and the Constitution to elections, political parties, civic responsibilities, and more.

Fun Facts articles include interesting and sometimes surprising information on topics such as the Supreme Court, ratifying Constitutional amendments, campaigning, and lots more.

New Writer's Corner Module

Writing well is a critical skill for all students, and the new Writer's Corner module covers all of the basics.

Concise entries—many with helpful images and diagrams—clearly explain the often-confusing rules of grammar, punctuation, and writing. From nouns, pronouns, parts of speech, and sentence structure, to exclamation points, dashes, and capitalization, to spelling, prefixes, and commonly confused words, the new Writer's Corner module provides a quick and convenient reference for students hoping to improve their writing skills.

Fun Facts articles offer interesting tidbits of information about the English language.

More research and homework help resources are available on the library's website. Just visit www.forsythpl.org and click eLibrary, then eResources. You can view resources by grade level by clicking on Students - Preschool, Students - Elementary School, Students - Middle School, or Students - High School.