Inquisitive children

by Pam Everhardt Bloom  Rowan Public Library

Inquisitive children make the best patrons at a library and often ask the toughest questions.  With tablets in their hands and a bombardment of news surrounding them, sometimes these queries arise from subjects adults might deem unsuitable for kids. The right words may be difficult to find, particularly with young children. Some recent additions to the Children’s Room at Rowan Public Library will resonate with young and old alike and may trigger some important conversations.

Sudden death can be inexplicable and young children, often excruciatingly literal thinkers, may ask questions adults aren’t prepared to answer. Two books written by mother and son, Elke and Alex Barber, illustrate the questions Alex had when his father died unexpectedly when he was three. Is Daddy Coming Back in a Minute? and What Happened to Daddy’s Body? are both followed by the subtitle, Explaining (Sudden) Death in Words Very Young Children can Understand. Forewarning - the straightforward stories from these books are reality based and adults may find them difficult to read. Be reassured, the illustrations by Anna Jarvis depict events from ambulance to crematorium in a kid friendly style and the books are packed with hope and love.

A new series for the library, Being the Best Me! By Cheri J. Meiners, provides short, illustrative stories about feelings in a story format with large illustrations that depict differing facial expressions.   Each book also includes a longer adult guide for reinforcing the book theme and a list of games and activities to reinforce each concept.  Titles are: Forgive and Let Go; Be Positive; Bounce Back; Feel Confident and Have Courage! This series not only answers questions, the books also promote emotional intelligence.

 The following new biographies provide a historical perspective to many social justice questions children may inadvertently view on the news. Pete Seeger gave author Anita Silvey his blessing to write his biography, Let Your Voice Be Heard, the Life and Times of Pete Seeger.  The dialogues in the book come directly from Seeger and are factual accounts of what he said and what others said to him. Complete with photographs, source notes, an informative afterword, and under 100 pages, this book is an excellent fit for age 10 and up. Just add music and you will be ready for thought provoking discussions.   Other new biographies include, The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton, Poet by Don Tate; Believe, the Victorious Story of Eric Legrand with Mike Yorkley; She Stood for Freedom, the Untold Story of a Civil Rights Hero, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland by Loki Mulholland and Angela Fairwell; The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch by Chris Barton and Yours for Justice, Ida B. Wells, the Daring Life of a Crusading Journalist by Philip Dray.

  Hug your child and become as inquisitive as your kids. Stop by for a look at juvenile non-fiction. Find answers for those hard questions in life while enjoying a good read.  You may discover that today’s popular adult narrative non-fiction style has long been present in the Children’s Room at Rowan Public Library; children just call them stories.

Buried Treasure

by Paul Birkhead  Rowan Public Library
     
    Rowan County has such a long and interesting past that it’s hard not to wonder what relics we might be walking over every day.  From Revolutionary War campsites to Civil War skirmishes, the local area has seen its share of history.  While I personally haven’t heard any local tales of buried gold, Rowan Public Library has many items in its collection that are sure to spark an interest in treasure hunting.
    It seems I’ve always been fascinated by history, archaeology, and buried treasure.  One of the first books I ever remember reading was a Hardy Boys mystery titled The Secret of the Lost Tunnel.  In the book, the Hardy brothers follow clues and elude the bad guys in a search for gold buried during the Civil War.  This title is #29 in the series, so if you (or a reluctant young reader you know) like it, there are plenty more where that came from.  Another book from my childhood, available at Rowan Public Library, is Treasure Under Your Feet.  My grandfather knew the authors, Roy Volker and Dick Richmond, and I read his autographed copy many times.  The book talks about the hobby of metal detecting and instructs the reader where the best places are to look for treasure on land and under water.  Another book to consider is Treasure Hunting for Fun and Profit by Charles Garrett.  Mr. Garrett pioneered the development of the modern- day metal detector and founded Garrett Electronics, which became the world’s largest manufacturer of the devices.
    Sometimes the story behind a particular treasure is so fascinating it almost doesn’t matter that it might not be true.  One such legend is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and it is called the Beale Treasure.  The story goes that in the early 1800’s, a man named Thomas Jefferson Beale entrusted a box to his friend and told him to open it in ten years if he didn’t return.  Well, after Beale did not return and more than twenty years had passed, his friend opened the box and found three letters inside written in code.  Without a key, this man had no luck decoding the letters, and shortly before his death he gave them to an acquaintance.  That man, James Ward, was actually able to decipher one of the letters using the Declaration of Independence as a key.  The letter explained how the hoard of gold and jewels came to be acquired.  However, the other two letters that explained where to find the treasure could not be deciphered.  When Ward published a pamphlet about his efforts, a treasure mystery was born.  A book that tells about the treasure and efforts to find it, including how the Declaration of Independence was used, is Gold in the Blue Ridge, by P.B. and Walter Innis.
    Another popular treasure story is the Oak Island Money Pit.  This place is a lot farther from Rowan County as it is on the southern shore of Nova Scotia, Canada.  A discovery of a pit on the island by some young boys in the 1790’s started a two-hundred year quest to find out what treasure lies at the bottom.  Most theorize that pirate loot is buried there, while others speculate that Templar treasure or a literary cache from some ancient civilization awaits the finder.  Whether a treasure exists or not, more than a few lives and several fortunes have been lost over the years while attempting to find it.  The dig even managed to captivate a famous United States President.  To learn more, read The Secret Treasure of Oak Island by D’Arcy O’Connor.  It can be checked out from the library as well as DVD sets of Seasons One and Two of the popular History Channel Series The Curse of Oak Island.
    Whether the treasure you seek includes diamonds, gold or just a good story, don’t forget Rowan Public Library is the best place to start your search.   
   

Myths and Legends

by Gretchen Beilfuss Witt  Rowan Public Library

            It’s that time again; the time of year when the young and young at heart choose what to be for Halloween.   Will they be the latest Disney princess or the darkest Sith Lord, a brain-eating zombie or little Red Riding Hood?  When ghouls, ghosts and Marvel heroes populate our streets later this month what mysterious tales will be shared.

            In her book “Zombies” of the Creatures of Fantasy young adult series, Amy Hayes, describes the increasingly popular phenomenon of zombies.  Hayes delves into beginning of the zombie legend with origins in Caribbean voodoo traditions, continuing with creatures from other traditions that resemble zombies, the Draugar from Norse mythology and the Ojibwe tribe’s baykok.   In examining, the current status of the zombie in popular culture, she touches on scientific research, movie cult classics and the increasingly trendy “walk of the zombie.”   The first Zombie Walk was held in Sacramento California to promote a midnight horror film festival in 2001.  A few years later “Zombie Walks” were all the rage drawing crowds of 4-800 in cities across the US celebrating the 2006 remake of the movie “Dawn of the Dead.”  Zombie walks are popular in other countries as well; in 2012 twelve thousand people showed up in Santiago while twice that number gathered in Buenos Aires.  She rounds out her entertaining narrative by describing types of zombies and how to stop them.

            Another book in the Creatures of Fantasy series turns to lighter fare and explains the variations of the “little folk.”  They include all the creatures that dwell in the borders of places – the edge of the woods, in the overlap of adjacent worlds.  Many among us might describe fairies as petite, female winged creatures like Tinker Bell in Disney’s Peter Pan.  However, fairies can be gnomes, brownies, elves, banshees, leprechauns and other similar characters.  The term fairy might come from the French ‘fees’ which translated to English is “enchanted” making fairy tales stories of enchanted peoples.   Greg Clinton relays in his book the characteristics and special powers of the fairy, for instance the control of wealth or time.  One such story tells of two fiddlers invited to play for an evening party find one night’s revel is over a hundred years in their own time.    Clinton examines the appearance of fairylike creatures in other literature from Tolkien to the elusive Persian/Iranian Peris.  Beautifully illustrated, Clinton shares the history of the fairy from changelings to the appearance of fairies in the modern Renaissance Faire.

            If your costume selection leans more toward Thor and the Lady Sif, check out “Encyclopedia of Norse and Germanic Folklore, Mythology and Magic” by Claude Lecouteux.  It begins with a short explanation of its use and the history of the pantheons of the Germanic world, both Aesir and Vanir.   While the entries define specific terms, many legends and tales are recounted from this lesser known tradition.   For instance, the hammer of Thor, Mjollnir or “The Crusher” fulfills multiple roles; it is a religious instrument as well as one of battle and in  old Germanic law  taking possession of a piece of land involved the throwing of a hammer.   Lecouteux describes the variations of the “Wild Hunt, “often believed to be about a cult of the dead when the dead can return and the gateway to the otherworld is open.  A fun and unusual look at information and illustrations not readily available for the curious reader.

           

Skill Toys and the Performing Arts

by Emma Rose Rowan Public Library

Most people are very familiar with Rowan Public Library’s materials that can be read, listened to, and watched. But did you know that the library also has Skill Toys – items that you can throw, catch, spin, kick, twirl, and more? Skill Toys are a variety of hands-on props that improve participants’ hand-eye coordination, sense of balance, and reflex speed and accuracy.

Anyone between the ages of 11 – 17 years old is eligible to check out a Skill Toy from RPL’s collection. The Skill Toys available at Rowan Public Library include yo-yos, flower sticks, hacky sacks, the Kendama, juggling balls, spinning plates, jitter rings, and the Diabolo. Most of these items include an instructional element such as a DVD, book, and/or booklet explaining how the skill is performed. To check out a certain Skill Toy, simply visit your nearest Rowan Public Library branch and let a children’s or teen’s staff member know that you would like to browse through the collection. Skill Toys may be checked-out for two weeks.

Skill Toys, also known as Variety Arts Toys, were introduced at RPL through a North Carolina-based group called Flow Circus, which promotes active learning and play through the juggling arts. Mastering a skill toy not only provides gentle exercise and improves rhythm, but it can also give you an entertaining act to relay on for community events, parties and talent shows. In addition, this type of stimuli improves personal development and brain functioning.

Developing positive habits that can increase brain health and functioning is invaluable to young adults as their brains mature. Skill Toys can aid personal development in many ways, providing a sense of achievement upon learning new things, improving problem-solving skills, increasing concentration ability, building self-confidence, and provoking an interest in life-long learning. They can also directly benefit physical health. For example, studies show that juggling has a positive impact on the brain’s structure.

According to a study published in the science journal “Nature,” “Mastering the skill [of juggling] increases the amount of grey matter in areas of the brain that process and store visual information, proving what was not thought possible – that new stimuli can alter the brain's structure. A comparison of brain-imaging scans of non-jugglers and other volunteers before they learned to juggle and three months later, revealed an increase in grey matter in certain areas of the newly trained jugglers' brains.” Skill Toys offer RPL patrons an opportunity to experience these health benefits firsthand.

            Aside from the aforementioned benefits, Skill Toys are just plain fun. This is especially true if you enjoy acting and other performing arts. Those interested in Skill Toys might also check out some of these other items available at Rowan Public Library that can help in any and all endeavors to amuse and amaze:

“Balancing magic and other tricks” by Ormond McGill.

“Performing arts” by Z.B. Hill

“Comedy scenes for student actors : short sketches for young performers” by Laurie Allen

“Circus Skills” by Stephanie Turnbull

“Crafty Juggling” by Nick Huckleberry Beak

“The Kids' Guide to Magic Tricks” by Steve Charney

“275 Acting Games, Connected : A Comprehensive Workbook of Theatre Games for Developing Acting Skills” by Gavin Levy

“How to Make Art : A Book of Ideas, Inspiration, Theory and Practice” by Mel Elliott


Work Cited

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/01/22/offbeat.juggling.brain.reut/

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!