Hit movies coming
soon to a library near you 
Movie lovers will want to keep an eye on the library's DVD shelves - February's movie order is on its way!
Coming soon, you can enjoy both mainstream hits and an acclaimed HBO miniseries that aired late last year. New arrivals include:
Before I Go to Sleep: Based on the book by S.J. Watson, this film features Nicole Kidman as an amnesiac whose every day is a new beginning. Before long some terrifying truths emerge, which force her to question everything (and everyone) around her. Colin Firth also stars.
Fury: Brad Pitt plays a battle-hardened army sergeant leading his men on a deadly  mission behind enemy lines at the end of World War II.
Gone Girl: Ben Affleck's wife is missing, and as the search for her continues, suspicions begin to fly about his involvement in her disappearance. Based on the bestselling Gillian Flynn novel.
St. Vincent: Bill Murray teams with Melissa McCarthy to deliver a sometimes funny, sometimes teary story about a boy who finds a friend in his misanthropic war veteran neighbor.
The Equalizer: Denzel Washington plays a man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and has dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when he meets a young girl under the control of Russian gangsters, he can't stand idly by - he has to help her.
The Judge: Robert Downey Jr. is Hank Palmer, a big city lawyer who returns home when his father - the town's judge - becomes a murder suspect. Palmer starts digging for the truth and mends fences with his estranged family in the process, but will he have to bond with his old man during visiting hours at the clink? You'll have to watch to find out.
The Book of Life: Torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart, Manolo embarks on an adventure that spans three fantastic worlds where he must face his greatest fears.
The Boxtrolls: Based on Alan Snow's Here Be Monsters, this animated film features an orphaned boy doing battle with an evil exterminator in an effort to save his underground cave-dwelling friends.
Olive Kitteridge: The always brilliant Frances McDormand becomes the taciturn and unlikable title character in this HBO miniseries, based on Elizabeth Strout's heartrending book about small-town New England life and the tortured souls who live it.
Coming up at the Wallkill Public Library
Christine Adams' recent Felted Penguins program was a hit. Above, participants' creations are on display.
Monday: School's closed, but the library's open! Come in for a Drop-In Craft from 1-3 p.m.
Tuesday: Textile Tuesday and the Quilters' Circle meet between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. in the community room of Town Hall. The Teen Book Club meets at 3:30 p.m. to discuss John Green's The Fault in Our Stars and Gayle Forman's If I Stay. The Adult Fiction Club meets at 6:30 p.m. to discuss One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey.
Wednesday: Toddler Story Time meets at 10 a.m. and again at 11:15 a.m.
Thursday: The Knit and Crochet Club meets at 6:30 p.m.
Author's visit an inspiration to writers
Bestselling novelist Jennifer Probst visited the Teen Writing Club this week.

There are moments that are life changing. We were lucky enough to have one of those during our Teen Creative Writing Club this past week, thanks to visiting author Jennifer Probst. Jen kindly gave her time and insight into the world of writing, giving avid writers a "free pass" to express themselves on the page using words and feelings to bring their stories forward. Writers who attended the session were able to describe where their writing style comes from and how life experience enhances the direction of their work. This type of advice opens the door for young writers to walk through and become the next generation of storytellers.

Jen's suggestions on character development, riding out a story idea to the end and being true to your own voice were music to a writer's ears. The Creative Writing Program at the library has become an outlet for writers, editors, and storytellers to share their thoughts and ideas with no judgment - just thought-provoking growth. We all got up after an hour of discussion and said, "Wow - that was great." And it was.

 

                -Carolyn Thorenz

Children's Coordinator  

Activities help bring books to life for kids
Magic Tree House Book Club members do a lot more than just read.
The Magic Tree House Book Club, now in its third session, has since October succeeded in not only instilling a love of reading in young elementary schoolers, but has opened new worlds of learning to them in the process.
Lesson plans and activities developed by Wallkill Public Library children's coordinator Carolyn Thorenz expand on topics covered within the popular Mary Pope Osborne books featured in the club. Because the second session of the book club dealt with a story involving Leonardo da Vinci, Carolyn's participants learned about the Renaissance, reviewed Latin prefixes, and read other titles, including Bedtime Math 2 and If: A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers.
They traced their own hands and filled in their illustrations with bones, muscles, and nerves. In the spirit of great inventors, they designed paper airplanes, pinwheels, and boomerangs.
They enjoyed a visit from John G. Borden Middle School teacher Adam Selig, who brought with him a 3D printer, prompting an overview of the history of inventions, from the first printing press to present innovations like the 3D printer itself.
Not bad for a group of first through third graders.
The library's Magic Tree House Book Club, which meets weekly at Ostrander Elementary School, was made possible by a grant the library won from Target.
Advocacy Day set for end of February
Once again library users, employees, trustees, and friends will be traveling to Albany to show their support for libraries as part of the New York Library Association's annual Library Advocacy Day.
This year's event is Feb. 25. For only $12 per person, participants will be able to take a bus upstate and meet with legislators in an effort to persuade them to restore or increase state aid funding to libraries.
Bus pickup points will be the same as in previous years: supporters can catch a ride from the Palisades Center Mall in West Nyack; the Newburgh Mall; the New Paltz Thruway exit; the Kingston Thruway motel; or the Catskill Park and Ride lot.
Online registration is available here. 
Youth employment program offers training
The Ulster County Office of Employment and Training now has funding to help young adults between the ages of 16-21 find a job.
The Youth Employment Program offers services that include paid work experience, GED preparation, resume writing, mentoring, and much more.
Youth job fairs, occupational skills training, job searching, and interview assistance are among the other offerings of this valuable program.
Those eligible must be recent high school graduates or drop-outs, meet federal income guidelines, and/or be getting public assistance or food stamps.
For more information, visit Ulster Works or call 340-3170.

 
Quick Links