Labor Day
The Library will be closed tomorrow, September 1st, for Labor Day. The first Monday of September has been dedicated to the workers of our nation since Congress passed the act in 1894. Before that, the idea of a workingman’s holiday was driven by the labor movement of the late 19th century.
Early learning eBooks and games through the library
We all know how important it is to offer early learning opportunities to our kids, whether it’s through reading to or with them or through fun and educational games. Here are a few free and fun online activities that the library has to offer.
ABCmouse
ABCmouse is the newest addition to our lineup. It is offered free to libraries. If you are inside the library you can go tohttp://abcmouse.com from one of the library’s computers or your own device to get free access to the full online curriculum. It is geared toward preschooler through kindergarteners and consists of consist of books, puzzles, games, songs, art activities, and/or printables and covers the subjects of Reading, Math, Science, Art, Colors and Music.
TumbleBooks Library
TumbleBooks library has animated talking picture books. TumbleBooks also has puzzles and games, chapter books, a language learning section, and non-fiction books. There is no login or no software required; it is accessed directly online using a browser on your computer or mobile device. You can follow the link to it either on our library’s website,http://lmlibrary.org, or the state’s website, http://www.kslib.info/digitalbooks.
BookFlix
BookFlix also has animated talking picture books, but they are each paired with a non-fiction book. The books are grouped by subjects that you can browse through to find a pairing you’d like to read. Each pairing includes links to puzzles, games, and other things about the subject. No software required, and it is also accessed directly online. To access it, sign in to your Kansas Library Card, http://kslib.info/ecard, then click the BookFlix access link.
Kansas Library Cards are free to any Kansas resident and can be obtained at any Kansas Library. They are different from your regular local library card.
Britannica E-STAX
Another new addition is Britannica E-STAX. It’s offered through the State Library and is a nonfiction ebook service for Pre-K to Grade 12. You can browse through the ebook collection by title or subject, or you can use the search bar to find what you want. The books can be read online using a browser or offline on a PC/Mac, iPad, or Android tablet using the optional iPublishCentral Reader. To access Britannica E-STAX, sign in to your Kansas Library Card, http://kslib.info/ecard, then click the Britannica E-STAX access link.
When I looked to see what sort of things were going on today, July 27th, I found all kinds of interesting and unusual holidays. Today is officially regarded to be Bugs bunny’s birthday. In 1940 the wascally wabbit debuted in Tex Avery’s A Wild Hare.
Today is also Parents’ Day, a day set aside to promote responsible parenting and to recognize positive parental role models. It is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of July each year.
It is Aunties Day, a day honoring Aunts and Godmothers; Take Your Houseplant for a Walk Day; and Walk on Stilts Day (hopefully not while carrying your houseplant).
It also happens to be National Crème Brûlée Day. Although there does seem to be some confusion as to whether it falls on the 21st or 27th. Well, for our purposes we’ll say it’s the 27th.
In honor of National Crème Brûlée Day, I thought we might focus this column on some of the newest and more unusual cookbooks available for checkout.
Guy on Fire: 130 recipes for adventures in outdoor cooking
by Guy Fieri, with Ann Volkwein
This is the perfect time of year to explore outdoor cooking. Guy Fieri, of Food Network fame, introduces us to the equipment and rules of barbecue as well as some very interesting recipes (charred octopus and white bean salad anyone?) Some of the recipes included in this book might be a bit ambitious for the average camper, but I thought the baked ziti and the pineapple upside-down cake with rum blueberries might be worth a trying out.
Salad samurai : 100 cutting-edge, ultra-hearty, easy-to-make salads you don’t have to be vegan to love
by Terry Hope Romero
Salad Samurai ( I just really like the name), according to the book cover will “teach you the way of the veggie warrior, rescuing salads from their bland, boring reputation and ‘side’ status“. The author, Terry Hope Romero, is an award-winning chef and bestselling author. There are salad dressing recipes, hearty salads, seasonal salads, and even sweet and savory desert salads. So if you’re thinking vegan or just looking to find a really good new salad recipe, give this book a chance.
The can’t cook book : 100+ recipes for the absolutely terrified!
by Jessica Seinfeld
I’d like to mention The can’t cook book even though it’s checked out right now and I haven’t had a chance to get a good look at it. According to the description it will “show you how to prepare the deliciously simple food you love to order in restaurants…in easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions”. I think this cook book sounds like it’s more my speed.
This is the author’s second book. Her first book, Deceptively Delicious, was a #1 New York Times bestseller. If the author’s name sounds a bit familiar, it’s because her husband is Jerry Seinfeld. Yes, that Jerry Seinfeld.
Keep cookin’ cowgirl : more recipes for your home on the range
by Jill Charlotte Stanford
“Cowgirls have always known that what makes people happy is good food, prepared simply.” This book is filled with simple dishes that will stick to your ribs plus black and white photos and anecdotes of cowgirls past. These recipes are suitable for Sunday dinners with the family or for out on the range.
The author has written several other books including The Cowgirl’s Cookbook andYou Might Be a Cowgirl If…A Guide To Life on the Range.
 The dairy-free kitchen : 100 recipes for all the creamy foods you love–without lactose, casein, or dairy
by Ashley Adams
This book actually does have a recipe for crème brûlée in it!
Ashley Adams has a blog on About.com called Dairy Free Cooking. She discovered, like many people, that she has a food allergy to dairy. She has since mastered the techniques of dairy-free substitutions in cooking and baking recipes.
The Dairy-Free Kitchen includes tips on how to avoid buying hidden dairy and finding nondairy calcium sources – including spinach, almonds, and sesame seeds among others. There is even a chapter on making dairy-free milks, butter, cheeses and yogurts. Now, I don’t think I would ever go so far as to make my own milk or cheese, but some of the recipes are interesting and don’t look too complicated. The last chapter is devoted to recipes just for kids, traditional family staples with a dairy-free twist.
These are just a few of the cookbooks currently available. Visit us at the library and see a display of all our newest cookbooks. As always, all of the books on display are available for checkout.
Summer reading events this week
* Legos at the library, Children’s Summer Reading Program – Tuesday, June 24th
We’ll be playing Legos at the Library. Build to your heart’s content. Each hour we’ll have a new group starting. Come at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 or 4:00 to begin building. Each group is limited to 24 builders.
* Smoky Hills Public Television, Children’s Summer Reading Program – Wednesday, June 25th at 2:00 p.m.
This program is aimed at kids from kindergarten to grade 3. We’ll be having fun with Smoky Hills Public Television. Space is limited, so be there early!
* Dan, Dan the Magic Man! – Friday, June 27th at 2:00 p.m.
Do you believe in magic? Come one, come all to see Dan, Dan, the magic man perform. This action packed show for all ages will guide kids into a world of science and illusion.
DB_Blue_GoldNew website design
The Kansas State Library website, where we can go to checkout downloadable audiobooks and ebooks among other things, has a new look. The site was down briefly during the upgrade. This may have caused some problems with checking out ebooks, but the transition is over and all of the problems have been sorted out.
You can get to it through our library’s webpage or directly by going to http://www.kslib.info/digitalbooks.
On the left of the page, you’ll find tutorials, links to software, and frequently asked questions. There is also a link where a patron can request that the library purchase a certain book for checkout.
Direct links to ebook and audiobook checkout are in the center of the page. These links include:
Audiobooks
OneClickdigital Audiobooks – Mostly fiction, some popular non-fiction. Registration via the Kansas Library eCard Login (http://kslc.org) is necessary to create your username/password.
Ebooks
3M Cloud Library – Bestsellers, predominantly fiction, a little non-fiction. Login with your Kansas Library eCard number.
Freading eBooks – No holds, smaller publishers, huge catalog with a wide variety of fiction & non-fiction. Access books via the Kansas Library eCard Login at http://kslc.org
Enki Library eBooks – Includes self-published authors, independent publishers, and a high variety of fiction & non-fiction. Login with your Kansas Library eCard number.
TumbleBooks Library – Animated talking picture books. No login, use directly online.
If you have problems logging in or have trouble downloading, there’s an email address and phone number, located on the upper right side of the page, where you can speak directly to knowledgeable people at the Kansas State Library. Below this there is also a news section, where you can find out if any problems you’re having might be widespread and if they are working to fix it.
Cinco de Mayo
Celebrated in parts Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, Cinco de Mayo is known as El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (The Day of the Battle of Puebla). It commemorates the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, when an outnumbered Mexican army defeated the invading French.
In the United States, where it is a much bigger holiday, Cinco de Mayo has grown to be a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage.
Liberal’s Cinco de Mayo community celebration is being held on Saturday May 10th. There will be a parade at 1:00 p.m., traveling north up Western Avenue to end at the fair grounds and followed by the Liberal Rodeo Fiesta held there at the Seward County Fair Grounds.
The library has several children’s books about the holiday, including:
Cinco de mayo : celebrating the traditions of Mexico
by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith
Book Description
A young Mexican American from California learns about her heritage and celebrates the holiday with her friends, family, and community.
Max celebrates Cinco de Mayo
by Adria F. Worsham ; illustrated by Mernie Gallagher-Cole.
Book Description
Join in the celebration of Cinco de Mayo as Max is invited to a fiesta at Jose’s house which includes food, music, dancing, and a parade as part of the fun.
Star Wars Day – May the Fourth be with you
Some of you may not know this, but today, May 4th, is a holiday as well. It’s an unofficial, fan-created, holiday, but a holiday none the less. The day was chosen based on a pun, “May the Fourth be with you”.
It’s said that the first use of the pun was on May 4, 1979, the day the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was elected. There was ad in the London Evening News proclaiming, “May the fourth be with you…” Since then is has become an internationally celebrated holiday.
This year’s celebration is bound to be a big one, with so much talk about the new movie, “Star Wars Episode VII”, floating around on the internet. It’s going to be a day for fans worldwide to break out their Darth Vader helmets and Wookiee costumes or maybe grab their lightsabers to show off their dueling skills.
If you’re like me you might want to go a little more low key and have a Star Wars party and movie marathon with a few friends. The Library has all of the Star Wars movies available for checkout, episodes one through six, plus “The Clone Wars” an animated adventure from 2008 which is meant to take place between episodes two and three.
The library also has just shy of a hundred Star Wars books, ranging from fiction to non-fiction; adult to children’s books; Lego books to comic books. There are print books and audiobook versions. Here are just a few of the newer ones:
William Shakespeare’s The empire striketh back : Star Wars part the fifth
by Ian Doescher
This is the second in the William Shakespeare’s Star Wars trilogy, with the third book soon to follow in July.
Book Description
Many a fortnight have passed since the destruction of the Death Star. Young Luke Skywalker and his friends have taken refuge on the ice planet of Hoth, where the evil Darth Vader has hatched a cold-blooded plan to capture them. Only with the help of a little green Jedi Master—and a swaggering rascal named Lando Calrissian—can our heroes escape the Empire’s wrath. And only then will Lord Vader learn how sharper than a tauntaun’s tooth it is to have a Jedi child.
Art2-D2’s guide to folding and doodling
by Tom Angleberger.
This is part of a popular children’s series, “Origami Yoda”.
Book Description
Kellen and the kids from McQuarrie Middle School – with some help from Art2-D2 – present this guide to mastering over seventy-five activities inspired by the bestselling Origami Yoda series, including: doodling, folding, and more! May the doodles by with you!
The wildlife of Star Wars : a field guide
by Terryl Whitlatch and Bob Carrau.
This field guide catalogs some of the some of the amazing creatures that inhabit the Star Wars universe. It is organized by planet, from Tatooine through to Coruscan with a helpful index in the back.
Star Wars. Kenobi
by John Jackson Miller
This book takes place before the events of episode four.
Book Description
Ben—Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, hero of the Clone Wars, traitor to the Empire, and protector of the galaxy’s last hope—can no more turn his back on evil than he can reject his Jedi training. And when blood is unjustly spilled, innocent lives threatened, and a ruthless opponent unmasked, Ben has no choice but to call on the wisdom of the Jedi—and the formidable power of the Force—in his never-ending fight for justice.
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