Dog Days with Greg Heffley

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney
Reviewed by Suzanne M., Director

Jeff Kinney's hit children's series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, is back! Dog Days, the fourth book, chronicles Greg Heffley's summer vacation and no one can make summer vacation seem as awful as Greg can! Instead of going to the pool or the beach or just enjoying the great outdoors, Greg is playing video games with the curtains drawn. Unfortunately for Greg, his mom has other plans.

Kinney's series is a phenomenon. Adults and kids alike can appreciate Greg's sarcastic yet utterly ignorant view of the world. A combination of egocentric but lazy, Greg's plans never seem to pan out and oftentimes his dopey friend Rowley is left in the lurch. You want to hate Greg Heffley... but you can't! The drawings are hilarious and all 4 books have many, many laugh-out-loud moments. It is no wonder this series has made even the most reluctant readers head to the library!

So how will Greg's summer turn out? Will he get to sleep all day and play video games all night? Or will Greg be thwarted by mom's dreams of fun family outings and creating a classic literature book club for the neighborhood boys? Reserve your copy of Dog Days to find out! And while you are waiting for Diary of a Wimpy 5 to be released, go see the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie when it hits theatres April 2, 2010.

This title is available through the Chester County Library System. Click here to learn more about author Jeff Kinney and the whole Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

Candy Corn Counting Contest Winners!

Our October Contest has ended. Thank you to all the children who made guesses. There were 253 candy corns in the jar! To win, you had to be the closest to that number in your age group without going over.



Congratulations to our winners!

Lexi G.
0 - 3 age group

Emma G.
4 - 6 age group

Shane R.
7 - 9 age group

Laina H.
10+ age group

Prizes can be picked up at the Circulation Desk.

Stay tuned for our next contest in December!

"Check Out" South of Broad

South of Broad by Pat Conroy

Reviewed by Cathy S., Librarian

I argued with myself whether I should read Conroy’s latest novel before or wait until after my visit to Charleston, South Carolina in the heat of August this year. I’m glad I waited! Not that everyone has to have visited the Holy City in order to enjoy this deeply engrossing tale, but I could truly feel the heat, humidity and humanity of one of the most beautiful southern cities.

As in many of Pat Conroy’s previous novels, he spins a tale that can be very real but outrageous. How can such a disparate group of young people come together—and stay together—as lifelong friends, or as long as their lives last? How can they withstand—or inflict--such harsh, even cruel, event? Leo King, as a rising high school senior, is working his way through court-ordered community service, after having fought his way back from a mental breakdown after finding his 10-year-old beloved older brother dead by suicide. His parents, both educators and his mother a former Roman Catholic nun, loom large in Leo’s recovery and life journey, as do several of the adults whom he works with and for as a young adult.

Learning and living in Charleston, with friends from that most aristocratic and privileged South of Broad neighborhood, and friends new-found that summer before senior year—a pair of orphans, brother and sister twins, and the cocky son of the first African American football coach at Leo’s new public school (he was expelled from his Catholic High School), Leo finds his way into an unexpected senior year with changes, challenges and confrontations that unfold for all of them.

Conroy starts this tale in 1969, then takes us 20 years ahead to center the action in Leo and his friends’ adult lives. He shows us, and describes in sometimes eloquent prose, how the past has shaped their present and futures, and how the darkness follows them. Their journey together to San Francisco to find and bring home one of their group cements them forever. Against the backdrop of Hurricane Hugo in September, 1989, more than one crisis develops, tragedy strikes, and Leo finds—again—despair then resurrection out of the mystery of his brother’s long-ago death.

If there is something that doesn’t quite ring true, it is the way Conroy puts such mature insight into the younger Leo. But Conroy shapes amazing characters and shows us how the bonds of family and friendship are the strongest forces tearing us apart and holding us together—stronger even than hurricanes.

Reserve your copy of South of Broad from the Chester County Library System today! To learn more about Pat Conroy visit his website.

Robert Langdon is back!

America's favorite symbologist is back in Dan Brown's newest thriller. With an initial print run of 6.5 million, The Lost Symbol was the largest first printing in publisher Random House's history. Fans of The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons have made The Lost Symbol the fastest selling adult-novel ever.

The third Langdon installment begins in the U.S. Capitol Building where he learns his old friend and mentor, Peter Solomon, has been kidnapped. In order to save Peter, Langdon must crack an ancient Masonic secret--one that he doesn't believe truly exists. Langdon embarks on a wild scavenger hunt through Washington DC with secrets, codes, riddles, and symbols to guide him. Complicating matters is a seemingly sinister CIA agent with her own agenda.

Dan Brown has a knack for mixing enough history with his fiction to make his readers believe the unbelievable. The many twists and turns make The Lost Symbol a thrilling page-turner. To reserve a copy from the Chester County Library System visit the Online Catalog. To learn more about Dan Brown or this book visit http://www.danbrown.com/ or http://www.thelostsymbol.com/.

Annual Spring City Halloween Parade

The Annual Spring City Halloween Parade will be held Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 6:30. The parade will start at South Main and Walnut Street. Costume contestants should pick up their entry numbers at Mowrey-Latshaw Hardware, Perry's Place, or George's Music NOW! For more information visit: http://springcitylions.org/halloween.htm

Rain date is Thursday, October 29.

This event is sponsored by the Spring City Lions Club.

Thanksgiving Food-for-Films Program

During the month of November bring non-perishable items to the library. For every 2 items donated receive 1 free DVD rental!

Guidelines:

1. You must present donations at the circulation desk with your library card during normal business hours to receive your DVD coupon.

2. Donations are for free DVD rentals only and may not be combined with any other offer such as 2-for-1 rental days, or exchanged for fines, printing, faxing, or cash.

3. Food will be collected from November 2 - 21, 2009 at the Spring City Public Library only.

4. DVD coupons must be redeemed by January 31, 2010.

Examples of items that will be accepted:
Cans of beef stew, canned vegetables, canned soup, boxed dinners, boxed macaroni/pasta, unopened paper goods

All donations benefit the Spring City Food Pantry. Please see Suzanne, Library Director, with any questions about the program.

Start your holiday season off by giving!

"Check Out" Juliet, Naked

Juliet Naked by Nick Hornby
Reviewed by Suzanne M., Director

Nick Hornby's latest novel Juliet, Naked is not something I would normally select to read. However, his previous works (High Fidelity, About a Boy, Fever Pitch, and Slam) were so well-liked, I decided to give his latest book a try.

As Juliet, Naked opens British museum curator Annie is ending a 15-year relationship with Duncan, an idiosyncratic professor. She is determined to stop wasting time and make a fresh start--wherever and whatever that may be. Through a series of circumstances, she strikes up an email flirtation with Tucker Crowe, a reclusive American singer who hasn't been heard from since 1986. Their exchange becomes friendlier and soon, through a separate chain of events, Tucker is on a plane to England with the hopes of meeting Annie. Two major complications await Annie and Tucker--Tucker's many children and ex-wives are all converging in England at the same time and Annie's ex-boyfriend's obsession with all things Tucker Crowe.

I really enjoyed this novel. The premise could have easily become preposterous, but Hornby just does it so well. Annie, Duncan, and Tucker were engaging characters supported by a unique group of family, friends, coworkers, and acquaintances. A quick read, Juliet, Naked is a refreshing break from some of the dark story lines being published this fall.

You can reserve this book today through the Chester County Library System online catalog. To learn more about Nick Hornby visit: http://www.nicksbooks.com/

Wednesday is Phillies Day at the Spring City Library!

Show us your Phillies Spirit!
Come to the Spring City Library on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 sporting your Phillies gear and receive a free DVD rental coupon.



Coupons will be issued only at the Spring City Public Library and must be redeemed by January 31, 2010. Coupons cannot be redeemed for cash, printing/copying/faxing, or library fines.

Sock it to Us!

During the month of October, the Spring City Public Library will be participating in the Sock it to Us! program. Sponsored by RSVP of Chester County, Sock it to Us! collects new pairs of socks for men, women and children. The socks are then distributed to the homeless throughout the winter. You can find the Sock it to Us! collection box near the circulation desk starting Tuesday, October 13, 2009. Socks will be collected through Saturday, October 31, 2009. If you have any questions about the program, please see Suzanne or Cathy.
Even one pair makes a difference... donate today!

Welcome!

Welcome to the Spring City Public Library blog! This is where you can find the most up-to-date information about the library. We will post events, book reviews, new materials, and library updates so check back often! We would also love to hear from you--leave your comments, questions, and suggestions! Thanks for visiting us!

Suzanne, Director