National Ice Cream Month

by Amy Notarius  Rowan Public Library

July is National Ice Cream Month and it’s not too late to celebrate. Check out ‘Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones’ from Rowan Public Library. Pastry chefs Anne Walker and Kris Hoogerhyde founded Bi-Rite Creamery in San Francisco after making ice cream for another restaurant for several years. Bi-Rite sells more than half a million scoops of ice cream a year, all hand made in small batches in a single ice cream machine. 

Their focus has always been on making ice cream with intense flavors; and the recipes they share here are sure to make your mouth water, from the traditional chocolate, vanilla, and cookies and cream, to the more exotic honey lavender and caramelized banana. 

Hoogerhyde and Walker start out with detailed, step by step descriptions of the techniques you’ll need for the four types of frozen desserts included here—ice cream, sorbets, granitas, and ice pops--then move on to the individual recipes.  You will need an ice cream machine, but beyond that you probably have everything already. Recipes for sugar cones and toppings like hot fudge and almond toffee are also included (You can even make your own marshmallows!)

These chefs love making a product that makes people smile (This isn’t the fudge ripple you eat by the pint at midnight after yet another blind date). Making ice cream at home is special and fun, because you’re probably making it to share, and you can adapt the recipes as you like or even invent your own. The possibilities are endless. So stop by Rowan Public Library and treat yourself today.

by Rebecca Hyde Rowan Public Library

by Rebecca Hyde  Rowan Public Library

                For some of us, self dialogue comes and goes, and it’s often annoying and exhausting.  Sven Birkerts crafts his conversations into essays, linking the present moment, a detail or item, to the past through self-questioning. 

                A photo, a lighter, a stone shard  –  these are objects Birkerts picks up and examines as he reconsiders his life.  For the reader, the objects are clues that reveal Birkerts as the bookseller, son, parent, young writer, and middle-aged author, who can be funny, regretful, astute, or meditative.

                 The first essay, “The Other Walk,” is an introduction to his style of self-examination.  The time is “this morning,” and a middle-aged Birkerts sets out on his routine early walk.  But “going against all convention,” he turns right instead of left and takes his circuit in reverse.  What was routine is now re-examined from a new perspective, which gives rise to new questions.  Why hasn’t he written about this topic (his early morning walks) before?  He used to walk because of sleeplessness (“edgy, anxious midlife”), not to see anything but to get into the day, in a way he could tolerate.  Why walk now?  He walks to set up his writing day, to start his thinking, testing the hardness of a thought against the rhythms of walking, or simply get the sense of the day, a prelude.

                “Lighter” is an examination of things lost and found, of memories accumulated and deleted.  Birkerts plays with a cigarette lighter, which appears in a package from his brother, who found it among the accumulated stuff in the old family home that’s to be sold.  He feels “the quick flash of wires making first contact,” and it’s the lighter of fifty-years ago, his father’s old prize from the war, which Birkerts took apart for study on the drafting table.  There was a “scene,” when his father came home from the office.  That second-guessing fizzled when Birkerts saw his engraved initials.   A gift from whom?  There’s no pulse of recollection.  But there are questions like “What kind of friend am I?” or “If this, then what else?”  How much of his living has moved out of reach?  It’s like a memory film, “a whole forgotten existence rustling over the sprockets of the projector and flowering there on the screen.”  His son Liam brings it to an end.  He’s impressed with the lighter:  “Wow – who gave it to you?”  Dad can only say “I’m really not sure.”

                If you’re interested in the essay as a genre, see John D’Agata’s “The Lost Origins of the Essay.”  The anthology begins with “The List of Ziusudra” and concludes with John Berger’s “What Reconciles Me.”  For D’Agata, the art of the essay is an alternative to nonfiction read for information.

Summer Fun Activities

by Hope Loman Rowan Public Library

            Now that summer is here, the days are longer, hotter, and lazier.  They can also run the risk of being boring, with extra hours of daylight to burn and no idea of what to do with them.  Here’s a list of things you can do this summer that are cheap (or free!), family-friendly and fun, with related book suggestions that can all be found in our library’s catalog:

·         Learn how to knit/sew –  Once you master some of the basics, you can continuously improve your technique, and make a variety of items for yourself, your home, or your friends. Knitting basics : all you need to know to take up your needles and get knitting by Betty Barnden is an excellent beginner book that gives step by step instructions on a variety of items. Sewing Basics by Wendy Gardiner guides the reader through sewing by hand and with a machine.   

·         Take pictures – Use your digital camera, buy a disposable one, or find an older model at a thrift shop. You can take photos around the house, walk around town, or find inspiration in nature. Tom Ang’s Digital photography masterclass shows how to see the world through a photographer’s eyes. Understanding exposure : how to shoot great photographs with a film or digital camera by Bryan Peterson shows you techniques to make pictures stand out.     

·         Learn to cook – Summertime means that there are more fresh fruits and vegetables available at the local supermarket or farmer’s market, which gives you a range of meal options to choose from.  Kitchen on fire! : mastering the art of cooking in 12 weeks (or less) by Oliver Said promises to make it easy for anyone to cook like a chef while Heidi Swanson’s Super natural cooking : five ways to incorporate whole and natural foods into your cooking focuses on remaking traditional recipes with a healthy twist.  

·         Learn to paint – Whether you’re an amateur or an expert, painting is a way to pass the time, get creative, and relax.  You can use something as simple as watercolors or fingerpaints, and paint subjects as simple as still lifes.  Painting for the absolute and utter beginner by Claire Watson Garcia promises to show you basic skills and techniques to help you find “what works.” Creative Kid’s Murals You Can Paint by Suzanne Whitaker can give you ideas for larger projects for the whole family to tackle.

·         Write poems/stories – You can get started on the great American novel, or think smaller and write shorter works in a notebook, or a free word processor online.  If you need inspiration, look for Alice LaPlante’s The making of a story : a Norton guide to creative writing, which will guide you through getting ideas, techniques you can use, and other sources to read from.

These are just a handful of ideas to get you started and make sure your summer is a productive one--a quick Internet search can provide you with other methods, and this is only a very small sample of the books the library offers on these topics.  Pick one--or all--of these and be able to look back on a productive summer full of memories once fall rolls around.

Summer and College Preparation

by Jennifer Nicholson Rowan Public Library

The summer temperature has now reached record high; and the beach and lakes are calling. Yet, this is the perfect time of year for raising juniors and seniors to start reflecting on what they would like to do after high school; to start planning to take the dreaded, and yes, the dreaded SAT or ACT test, and which schools they would like apply for admission to.  While the beach may be more fun, the Rowan Public Library can help students with these big summer tasks.

Many students may not realize that the library offers free online test prep through NCLive.org via Learning Express Library and also through the Gale Courses.  The Learning Express Library offers students free test prep and tutorials, easy to access from any location with any Internet connection.   The Learning Express Library also, offers homework help on various subjects including, math, English, and history. Students and parents who are interested in accessing the Learning Express Library through NCLive.org can access the database simply with their library card or can call the library for the direct password.  Learning Express Library does require students to create a username and password, but to access the database is completely free to students. 

The Gale Courses offer students the opportunity to access free online classes that students can take, class topics range from creative writing, math, to personal development, to even SAT and ACT test prep.  These courses run 6 weeks, and provide students with helpful tips and techniques to help them preform better on the SAT and ACT; however, hurry classes start on July 15^th and August 12^th.  Again, these classes are completely free and are done completely online.  No running to school or location for classes, just simply logon to the computer.  For more information or to access the library’s free online resources visit our website at rowanpubliclibrary.org, and click on the online tools link, located on the left hand side.

            While preparing for the SAT and ACT test is vital for students, selecting and applying to college can be just has daunting, one great resource is the College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC.org).  This website, while it also offers test prep, allows students to explore and apply to all the colleges and universities of North Carolina, find financial aid and assistances, and there is even helpful articles for moms and dads.  Students can apply to multiple schools at the same time through this website, saving you time for more summer fun! 

CFNC.org is also has great resources and database for even elementary and middle schools students.   Helping students explore different career options, planning which high school courses they should study, giving students an extra advantage when they start attending high school and preparing for college.  CFNC.org also provides helpful resources and articles for parents, students in the military considering college, to even transfer students and students with disabilities.  For more information please, visit CFNC.org.

For students who are looking for more helpful books on college planning and test prep, here are a few that might help:

Kaplan SAT Premier 2015-2016

Kaplan ACT 2016

1,460 ACT practice questions by Melissa Hendrix

The college application essay by Sarah Myers McGinty

Admissions essay boot camp : how to write your way into the elite college of your  dreams by Ashley Wellington

Smart strategies for paying for college by G.S. Prentzas

Fiske guide to colleges 2014 by Edward B. Fiske

To access these books students can visit the library at any of our three branches or access our online catalog.  Students are also encouraged to contact their local high school and school guidance counselors. 

Applying and preparing to go to college, can be scary for any student; accessing these free tools and resources can help make this next journey in life a little easier.

Jennifer Nicholson

YA Coordinator/Librarian