It’s a great time to be a science fiction fan!

by Hope Loman  Rowan Public Library

We're in a library. Books are the best weapon in the world. This room's the greatest arsenal we could have. Arm yourself!
— The Doctor, Season 2, Episode 2


Once derided as something only “nerds” or “geeks” would enjoy, the sci-fi genre has become mainstream entertainment, appealing to boys and girls of all ages.  The Star Wars franchise is one of the biggest movie series ever and only continues to expand, with seven official movies to date and plans for even more; Star Trek, originally premiering on CBS forty years ago, just had a successful summer blockbuster, with a new television series expected to premiere early next year; most recently, the series Stranger Things became an overnight phenomenon when it came to Netflix this June.  Now, all of the series that have just been listed are distinctly American in origin, so I would be remiss if I failed to mention a certain sci-fi franchise that is just as popular and beloved, but might not be as easily recognizable to us “across the pond” because of its English origins: Doctor Who.

Doctor Who is a British science-fiction TV program that has two distinct series: the Classic Series, which ran from November 1963 to December of 1983 in twenty-five minute episodes, and the Revived Series, which has run in forty-five minute episode format from March of 2005 up to the present on the channel BBC One.  Doctor Who, a Time Lord from the alien planet Gallifrey, goes on various adventures as he travels through time and space in his Time and Relative Dimension in Space (TARDIS) machine, disguised as a blue British Police box.  As a Time Lord, he has the ability to regenerate, causing the Doctor to gain a completely different appearance and set of character traits (a clever explanation for when the actor wishes to be written off the show).  Doctor Who is often joined by his companions, a changing cast of men and women who act as the audience’s surrogate, and fights against a rogues gallery including the mutant Daleks and robot-like Cybermen.

If this premise sounds intriguing to you at all, then the Rowan Public Library can be your Doctor Who central.  We have copies of the complete seasons of each of the Revived Series, as well as different collections of episodes of the Classic Series and several different Doctor Who specials.  If you are a fan of graphic novels, there are also copies of The Tenth Doctor, volumes 1 through 3 by Nick Abadzis and Robbie Morrison, The Eleventh Doctor by Al Ewing, and The Twelfth Doctor by Robbie Morrison.  For reference, there is the Doctor Who Character Encyclopedia¸ and for a behind-the-scenes look at the history of the Classic Series and how it was made, there is The Making of Doctor Who by Terrance Dicks and Doctor Who, the Key to Time: a Year-by-Year Record. Visitors to NC Live can also find some interesting ebooks and articles in regards to this subject: one fun find is Who is the Doctor: The Unofficial Guide to Doctor Who—The New Series by Graeme Burk, which is part episode guide, part series of essays written by authors of official Doctor Who fanzines.

Finally, we now have Doctor Who’s Days on Tuesdays—a new program every second Tuesday at 4:30 at Rowan Public Library HQ where we have begun screening episodes of the Revived Series, beginning with the Ninth Doctor.  Doctor Who was originally intended as a family show; for this reason, although we are advertising the program as being primarily for teenagers, we wouldn’t mind seeing their parents or younger siblings come along. So if this article has piqued your interest at all, as the Doctor once said: All of the time and space, everything that ever happened or ever will—where do you want to start?

Library has series that can make learning to read fun

By Jennifer Nicholson  Rowan Public Library

Labor Day has passed and summer is coming to an end. Schools are back in session, and the kids are getting back into a routine. This is sometimes the time of year when parents wonder where the time has gone as little ones start kindergarten, first grade, middle school or even high school.
As a mother of a 4-year-old, I am now finding myself doing the same thing, wondering when my newborn turn into a preschooler. While I am slowly bracing myself for him to start kindergarten next year, I am also trying to ensure that he is ready for kindergarten. He is already curious about the world he lives in, and especially curious about reading. Yet, to a 4-year-old who already knows his alphabet, making the connection from knowing his letters to putting them together to create words and reading those words is not an easy concept.
Rowan Public Library is proud to introduce Bob Books. These books were created by a kindergarten teacher who wanted to give young children the tools to cross from learning letters to reading words.
These books provide parents and teachers easy-to-follow tips to help encourage and introduce young children to reading. Each series will have about eight to 10 books, while each book will help children become more familiar with sight words and different word concepts, such as rhyming words and complex words.
At the beginning of each book, parents will find helpful tips, as well as the words that will be introduced in that book. While the illustrations are simple and some parents may feel the books are too simple, remember that repetition is key in helping children learn new words.
Another series to help introduce reading to preschoolers is one created by The Child’s World Inc. publishing company. This series features large type and simple sentences and supports a given phoneme. The series is based on current research on how the brain acquires sounds and how that process is applied in learning to read. This series helps children learn how each letter sounds and how to sound out words, and provides key sight words that children need to learn. This is a great way to help children learn phonics.
While reading to your child is one of the best ways to introduce words to his or her vocabulary, simple interaction with parents and other family members is also a great way to broaden and enhance a child’s vocabulary.
The Rowan-Salisbury School System has provided parents free access to a program called Ready Rosie. Parents can download the app or access the Ready Rosie website at https://readyrosie.com/register. Enter your zip code and select the Rowan-Salisbury School System, and create a username and password. It only takes two minutes to complete.
Ready Rosie provides parents and grandparents tips to help build a child’s literacy and vocabulary through everyday play and activities. Have a child who loves race cars? There is a great video of a grandparent teaching a child the words “flip” and “slide” through playing with race cars. Ready Rosie has tips to promote reading while visiting a grocery store. Ready Rosie is a great free and easy program that any parent in Rowan County can access.
Reading to a child is still the best and easiest method to introduce reading concepts. Parents and grandparents can access many great resources through the library that can build literacy and vocabulary. For more information or to check out the Bob Books and other great books, please check out the Rowan Public Library at rowanpubliclibrary.org or by visiting your nearest library location.

Deep Fried oreos

Talk about deep fried Oreo’s….hmmmm. Sounds delicious! It’s fall, y’all, and time to head to a local or state fair. Often I attend many festivals in different North Carolina cities and towns to learn more about our state’s rich history. The North Carolina State Fair is a great way to learn about businesses and organizations that are in the state, as well as fill your tummy with interesting food. So what is all the hype about the state fair? Food, amusement rides, or crafty vendors?

Depending on the person you ask, I am sure you will receive a different response. The North Carolina State Fair began as a way for North Carolina farmers to learn better farming practices through demonstrations provided by the North Carolina State Agricultural Society. Today fairs and festivals have a variety of delicious and delicate sweets including typical carnival foods such as turkey legs, ice cream, and funnel cakes. One the most  exciting things are the freebies! Yes, free samples of food, t-shirts, stickers, small toys, magnets, pencils, and pens. However, most fairs also dedicate a portion of the fair to showcase their original purpose: to educate visitors about raising animals, growing and producing food in innovative ways, and rural folkways.

Now that you’ve read a little history, I encourage you to get out, visit, and learn about our county by visiting the Autumn Jubilee at Dan Nicholas, Rockwell Fest, the Rowan County Fair in Salisbury, Gold Hill’s Founders Day, or the Denton Street Festival in Denton to celebrate with others. So venture out and explore a festival somewhere in Rowan County, or somewhere else in the state. Just be sure to take cash, it’s accepted everywhere!

Amber Covington 09/02/2016

Fall Programs in Children's Room

by Pam Everhardt Bloom  Rowan Public Library

Summer is ending and Fall Programs in the Children’s Room at Rowan Public library are in full swing.  In addition to our weekly storytime and art programs beginning Sept. 12^th at all branches, your library also offers two monthly clubs, Explorer and Adventure Club, for 2^nd through 5^th graders on selected Saturdays at Headquarters (Salisbury). Club dates are Sep. 10^th and 24^th, Oct. 1^st and 15^th, Nov. 5^th and 12^th from 11 am to Noon.   

Explorer Club’s focus this fall is on life skills. At our Sept. 10^th meeting, “Dewey See It?” children will play “Stump the Librarian” and learn how to access the collection in the Children’s Room. More than a traditional book club, Explorer Club takes a different twist. Instead of reading a selected book before they arrive, children are introduced to different books from the collection and challenged to read something they might never consider trying. Fun activities this month for children focus on using Dewey Decimal and also exploring library themes within fiction and picture books.  One book, Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein has been a favorite of kids and adults since it was published in 2013. We except excitement when young patrons discover more Grabenstein selections that continue the same literary connections, puzzles and surprises loved in the original. Indeed, Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics and The Island of Dr. Libris hold fast to the author’s original format of mystery and action, providing literary clues as well as an author’s list of challenges and great classics to read.  A more contemporary version of The Magic Treehouse series, C. Alexander London’s book, We Sled with Dragon, lands twins Oliver and Celia in yet another Accidental Adventure series as they search for the long-lost Library of Alexandria.  Other selections the club will explore could entice readers of all ages.  Those books include, Richard Wright and the Library Card by William Miller, Tomas and the Library Lady by Pat Mora, A Summer of Sundays by Lindsay Eland, The Legend of Spud Murphy by Eoin Colfer, The Ninja Librarians: The Accidental Keyhand by Jenn Swan Downey, The Library Card by Jerry Spinelli, Under Copp’s Hill by Katherine Ayers, The Dragon in the Library by Kate Klimo and older classics such as Gertrude Chandler Warner’s The Deserted Library Mystery from her timeless Box Car Children Series.

Continuing the theme of life skills from the first Explorer meeting this fall, our two club programs will continue to include targeted opportunities for thinking and doing. Adventure Club programs focus on hands-on science and/or craft based activities. September 24th’s Adventure Club is not to be missed. Kids will find the Makey Makey controller experience electrifying. Come October, Explorer Club will visit the COOP, RPL’s new Cooperative Lab Maker Space at Headquarters and activities will include a demonstration of our new 3-D printer.

Don’t miss the fun. Mark your calendar for two different club meetings each month in the Children’s Room at Headquarters, Sept. – Nov., and check the RPL postings for details about weekly programing and other special events for children this fall at all branches. All programs are free and open to the public. See you in September!