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Listen to this!
Audiobooks get their day in the sun |
 Happy Audiobook Month! June has been christened as such by the Audio Publishers Association. For those who have so far resisted the charms of being read to, who may even hold in disdain those who claim they've "read" a book after listening to one, they should refer to John Colapinto's mid-May piece in The New Yorker. The Pleasures of Being Read To describes exactly that, going on to examine, among other things, how an actor's portrayal of a literary character or narration of a story can change the listener's perception of the entire book. Colapinto says he began listening to audiobooks three years ago while cramming for an interview, and has since become hooked. He lists among the appeals of the audiobook the ability of the listener to appreciate certain authors whose works he might not have been able to get through in book form. If Colapinto's praise isn't enough to propel you to the library's audiobook section, take a peak at Judith Shulevitz's May 18 essay in The New York Times' Sunday Book Review. She also delves into the pleasures derived from listening to a talented narrator, especially when said narrator is reading a great book, and says her children, too, are mesmerized by novels they'd likely pass up if they were to browse through the stacks themselves....classics such as The Chronicles of Narnia and A Wrinkle in Time. She uses audiobooks to keep her kids entertained during long car trips, and winds up enjoying the material as much as they do. If you're now in the mood to celebrate Audiobook Month in your own car, or wherever you choose to listen to it, see below for our latest releases. Happy listening! |
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Coming up at the Wallkill Public Library
 This week's the calm before the storm (which you may know better as the Dream Big...Read Summer Reading Program).
Please note that there will be no Story Times this week - they'll resume during the Summer Reading Program.
Speaking of which, if you missed this week's Early Bird Registration for the summer program, you'll get two more chances to sign up for the events your children want to participate in: there will be another Early Bird Registration from 3-7 p.m. Wednesday, and one more from 3-6:30 p.m. Thursday.
Also Thursday, the Knit/Crochet Club will meet at 6:30 p.m., and the Friends of the Library will meet at 7 p.m. at the Friends' Used Book Shop.
Ongoing
There are a few more spots left open during the morning session of Lego Camp. These sessions are geared toward grades K-2, and will take place from 9 a.m. to noon July 9 through July 13. Instructors from Play-Well Teknologies will use real-world concepts to teach and enhance building skills. Cost is $120, which goes directly to Play-Well Teknologies.
Wallkill River School instructor Rudy Troncone will offer workshops focusing on the basics of cartooning (including anime and sketch) June 27-July 25, from 6-7:30 p.m. Ages 11 and up are welcome to attend. Cost is $50. Registration forms are available at the front desk.
Tickets for the June 30 Geek the Library Night at Dutchess Stadium are on sale now. Come watch the Renegades play the Staten Island Yankees, and then stick around for the fireworks. The $15 ticket price includes both, as well as a Renegades hat. Tickets may be purchased at the front desk or by visiting GadesGroups.com and entering the password wallpl.
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For your listening pleasure....  The following are either available now or coming soon to our shelves:
Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James Need we describe the plot by now? Suffice it to say, you don't want to be listening to this with the kids in the backseat. Or your husband in the driver's seat, come to think of it. Or your dog in the passenger seat. Just save it for a vacation by yourself (you know those - they're more commonly known as "trips to the grocery store")....you'll be less self-conscious. (We personally think Ellen DeGeneres' narration of the tale is probably less embarrassing than the real deal.)
Some Kind of Fairy Tale, by Graham Joyce
For 20 years after Tara Martin disappeared from her small English town, her parents and her brother, Peter, have lived in denial of the grim fact that she was gone for good. And then suddenly, on Christmas Day, the doorbell rings at her parents' home and there, disheveled and slightly peculiar looking, Tara stands. It's a miracle, but alarm bells are ringing for Peter. Tara's story just does not add up. And, incredibly, she barely looks a day older than when she vanished.
Summer Nights, by Susan Mallery
Shane Stryker is done with passion. This time around, he's determined to meet someone who will be content with the quiet life of a rancher's wife. And the fiery, pint-size redhead who dazzles him at the local bar definitely does not fit the bill.
Small-town librarian Annabelle Weiss has always seen herself as more of a sweetheart than a siren, so she can't understand why Shane keeps pushing her away. Shane has formed the totally wrong impression of her...will she be able to win his heart?
 The Orphanmaster, by Jean Zimmerman
It's 1663 in the tiny, hardscrabble Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, now present-day southern Manhattan. Orphan children are going missing, and among those looking into the mysterious state of affairs are a quick-witted 22-year-old trader, Blandine von Couvering, herself an orphan, and a dashing British spy named Edward Drummond.
Suspects abound, including the governor's wealthy nephew, a green-eyed aristocrat with decadent tastes; an Algonquin trapper who may be possessed by a demon that turns people into cannibals; and the colony's own corrupt and conflicted orphanmaster.
I, Michael Bennett, by James Patterson Detective Michael Bennett arrests an infamous Mexican crime lord in a deadly chase that leaves Bennett's lifelong friend Hughie McDonough dead. From jail, the prisoner vows to rain epic violence down upon New York City - and to get revenge on Michael Bennett.
To escape the chaos, Bennett takes his 10 kids and their beautiful nanny, Mary Catherine, on a much-needed vacation to his family's cabin near Newburgh, New York. But instead of the calm and happy town he remembers from growing up, they step into a nightmare ... |
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Good news for Stephen King fans (maybe)  Warner Bros. is reportedly thinking of remaking It, the 1990 TV mini-series based on what was arguably Stephen King's best book to date. King fans are well aware that the films based on his books are infamous for being poorly done. And the TV version of It was no exception. The very fact that Richard Thomas - aka "John-Boy" - was cast in a leading role was a harbinger of doom (and not the good, King-like kind, either). The movie's other stars included Tim Reid (WKRP in Cincinnati), Harry Anderson (Night Court), and John Ritter (Three's Company). It was as if the film's producers spent hours (or minutes) trolling for veterans of unfunny sitcoms in search of the most inappropriate leads. And they found them! Though the film's screenplay was okay, its scene execution pretty decent, actually, one couldn't get past the image of Harry Anderson banging his gavel or John Ritter making yet another double entendre in front of Mr. Roper. And it's a shame, because It the book was - quite simply - brilliant. There are book snobs out there who would scoff at the notion of anything in the horror genre being so, but Stephen King is no hack - his writing transcends just about anything that would qualify as horror, today, and - to be honest - a lot of what doesn't, as well. So here's hoping Warner Bros. pulls off what thus far has appeared to be the impossible and stages a great Stephen King adaptation for the big screen. We wish them the best of luck. If only for our own sake. |
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Farm market opening for the season soon!  Saturday, June 23, is the grand opening of the Community Farm Market! To celebrate the event, there will be live music all day as well as a flea market. Free space will be available to set up your own table.
Located at the corner of Bridge Street and Park Avenue, the farm market will be open each Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year you local gardeners are invited to Grow an Extra Row of vegetables or flowers to bring to the market each week. Profits from your surplus will benefit the local food pantry, as well area children who rely on the schools for food during the academic year but need some extra help during the summer. If you're interested in participating, you can drop off your items at 9:30 each Saturday at the market before it opens. For more information about the June 23 event, call 895-3933. |
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Get your library cards before the fall!  A library card is an essential school supply, and now you don't have to wait until your little one turns 6 to get one for her!
Children can now get their own library cards at age 4, just in time for kindergarten! And don't forget, kids ages 4 through 10 get a free goodie bag with their cards! Don't wait until the last minute - come on in today and introduce your child to the wonderful world(s) of reading! |
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Looking for work? Start with a workshop!  Orange Works, Orange County's "one-stop career centers," are offering free workshops for job-seekers throughout June.
The Newburgh office (located on the fourth floor of 3 Washington Center) is offering the following: June 19: One-to-One Resume Review (by appointment only) - 9:30-11 a.m. June 20: Intro to MS Word 2003 (preregistration required) - 10:30 a.m. June 21: Job Search Success - 10:30 a.m. June 26: One-to-One Resume Review (by appointment only) - 9:30-11 a.m. June 27: Intro to Basic Email (preregistration required) - 10:30 a.m. June 28: Your Best Resume - 10:30 a.m. To register for the above programs, call the Newburgh office at 568-5090. The Middletown Orange Works office is located on the second floor of 33 Fulton St., and will be offering: June 18: Job Search & Networking - 10 a.m. June 25: Career Change - 10 a.m. Call 346-1100 for more information from Middletown. |
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Website helps kids and teens help others  You don't have to wait until you grow up to make the world a better place!
GenerationOn's site gives kids the opportunity to see firsthand the issues that need to be addressed in their communities, and then provides them with the tools and resources they need to respond and become part of the solution. The global movement has brought the nation's leading youth service organizations and programs under one umbrella. They've partnered with teachers, community organizations, businesses, and more to inspire younger generations to take action and donate their efforts to the environment, animals, people, or just about any cause that interests them. It's a wonderful way to teach kids the joy of helping others. |
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Don't be afraid to supersize your dreams  This past week, Carolyn, Christine and I had the privilege to visit all 557 students at Ostrander Elementary School to tell them about the summer program we have planned. As the theme is DREAM BIG! we explained that that was exactly what we were doing when we thought about the kinds of things we wanted to offer to the community this year. After our presentation, one little girl in Mrs. Busse's class remarked: "This is like a dream come true!" We got such a kick out of that because that's exactly what we're aiming for! We want to shake you up, get you thinking, meeting new people, trying something new, being creative and being amazed! So often organizations shrink their dreams because they say they don't have enough money or they don't have enough staff or the community may balk at it. Well, we just do it. I suggest you do, too. Sure, some things don't work, several times we have found that we were more enthusiastic about something than the audience appeared to be, but I have to say, those times are exceptions. Mostly, we see the wonderful expressions on delighted children's faces as they are lost in laughter or absorbed in a story, dancing far away from the distractions and realities of the world. Equally as enjoyable is watching the big people in an audience get lost that same way. Yesterday, I met with several members of the collaborative of libraries that are sharing sponsorship of the "Geek the Library" Hudson Valley Renegades baseball game on June 30. As libraries go, this is a bit out of our natural realm! Yet it was so much fun to dream the day and plan the things we want to do to have fun and engage the crowd. We even asked the folks in Bill Gates' office in Seattle months ago if he would be available to throw out the first pitch! What the heck? It can't hurt to ask, to DREAM BIG! As it turns out, his schedule won't allow it, but at least we asked. Could you imagine if he COULD have made it? (Yes, actually, I imagined that often!) Now, we are on to asking some other big names from around the area. We hope to surprise you with another special person to make the night for us. If not, you may be stuck with me, so DREAM BIG. Imagine that someone well known will come out to show his or her support for libraries. I know I have a few people in mind, already(hint, hint: MR)! I think JK Rowling sums this kind of thinking up quite nicely with her quote: "We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better." |
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