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National Arbor Day is coming up on Friday April 28, 2017. Trees contribute to our Earth in important ways, including preventing species loss, slowing climate change, and adding to the beauty of nature. Help us celebrate this special day by planting new trees and honoring the amazing trees around us.
Plant trees
No idea on how to choose or plant trees? Check out The Homeowner’s Complete Tree & Shrub Handbook by Penelope O'Sullivan or Taylor’s Guide to Trees by Norman Taylor to plant the perfect tree for your area.
Explore Indiana
Another way to celebrate National Arbor Day is to spend time outside admiring the beauty of trees all around us. Explore the parks of Indiana at home through the stunning images in Indiana State Parks by Matt Williams or take an outing like the walks highlighted in Nature Walks on the Indiana Prairie by Alan McPherson.
But before you go, learn about the trees you’ll see in 101 Trees of Indiana by Marion T. Jackson or Native Trees of the Midwest by Sally S. Weeks, Harmon P., Jr. Weeks, and George R. Parker.
Learn about the Animals that Live for Trees … Literally
Learn about over four hundred different animals from around the world who live in habitats filled with trees in Wildlife of the World. Check out Rainforest by Thomas Marent, a collection of photographs of different animals and plants that survive in tree filled rainforests, which also includes a CD that plays the unique sounds of a rainforest!
Books Inspired by Trees
See how trees inspired John Fowles to write many of his fictional works in The Tree and discover a forester’s fascinating stories about how trees communicate and care for each other in The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben.
March 2017 is genealogy month for the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library (KHCPL). On Friday, March 3 and Saturday, March 4, KHCPL held the program “Exploring Your Story.” Tammy Lively and Barbara Trice, two local community members, allowed the Genealogy and Local History Department (GLHD) to delve into their family backgrounds. The staff of GLHD spent many hours tracing both ladies’ genealogy. A portion of Tammy’s family was successfully traced back twenty-seven generations to England and included several members of the King Henry VIII's Royal Family. Barbara’s family was only traceable for 6 generations as most of the paper records for African-Americans begin after the abolishment of slavery.
To help with the paper research, Tammy took two DNA tests and Barbara took three DNA tests. The results of these tests, in general, confirmed what the paper trail indicated. Tammy’s heritage is largely European, and Barbara’s is largely African. Of course, despite what was found, genealogical research never really ends. No doubt, more will be added to each woman’s family tree as new information becomes available.
For those who like to search for family history, there are resources available to read and learn. There are also resources for pure enjoyment.
Family Tree Magazine is a monthly publication chock full of articles about how to look for information. This magazine can be downloaded from Zinio, read at KHCPL, or purchased from bookstores.
KHCPL also has many how-to manual on how to conduct genealogical research, which include:
- Finding Your Roots: The Official Companion to the PBS Series by Henry Louis Gates
- Journeys Home: Inspiring Stories, Plus Tips and Strategies to Find your Family History by National Geographic
For those doing their research, there are several companies with online sites offering short tutorials:
Genealogy is not all research, however. There are also many fictional books to enjoy that feature a genealogical theme. These include:
- The Quieting by Suzanne Woods Fisher. A young Amish woman is helping her father with his genealogical research when her Grandmother insists it is time to return home to be married. Conflict results.
- The Lost Quilter by Jennifer Chiaverini. Master quilter Sylvia Compson discovers a stash of letters in the attic of Elm Creek Manor and traces a tale back to 1859 and an escaped slave.
- Death on the Family Tree by Patricia Sprinkle. After her Aunt Lucy dies, Katharine Murray discovers her aunt's possessions and unwittingly discovers a branch of her family tree she never knew existed.
A search of the KHCPL catalog using the search term Genealogy Fiction will net several more print and audio books. And speaking of audio books – in addition to some of those mentioned above, check out Hoopla and OverDrive for audio books.
The Kokomo-Howard County Public Library is proud to be one of only eight libraries in the country -- and the only one in Indiana -- to host Discover Tech: Engineers Make a World of Difference. This traveling exhibition will run from February 25 to May 19 at KHCPL South. It will be open to the public whenever KHCPL South is open, which is:
Monday -- Thursday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sundays: 2 to 5:30 p.m.
Through hands-on activities and interactive displays, Discover Tech will introduce young audiences to engineering and technology -- both high- and low-tech. The exhibition is designed to spark creativity and imagination in young minds through STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skills, which are now considered a crucial part of education.
Discover Tech aims to both inspire and explain. Did you ever wonder how engineers think or what role engineering plays in our everyday lives or wish that that some would explain rocket science to the rest of us? Discover Tech has answers to these questions.
There are accompanying resources for adults and educators as well as child just looking to explore the world of science.
Materials for Adults & Teens
- STEM Fiction: Works of fiction featuring STEM elements.
- Teaching STEM: Resources for teachers.
- Real People in STEM: Biographies of famous scientists.
- Invention and Innovation: Inventions, discoveries, scientific breakthroughs, new technology, and STEM concepts.
Materials for Children
- Discover Tech Picture Books: Picture books featuring STEM elements.
- Real People in STEM: Juvenile biographies of famous scientists.
- Build It Yourself: STEM projects children can make.
- Invention and Innovation: Inventions, discoveries, scientific breakthroughs, new technology, and STEM concepts.
As part of the exhibition, KHCPL South will hold a special Discover Tech book discussion on April 20th at 6:30 pm. The featured selection will be Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly, which is the true story of the female, African-American mathematicians whom NASA employed as human computers who helped launch the U.S. space program.
Once again the the new year comes around and many of us are regretting some of our over indulgences of the last few months. This is the time of year when we make our new resolutions to lose those unwanted pounds and make permanent changes to our lifestyle (hopefully changes that will stick this year). The library is here to help you with those New Year's resolutions. We have fitness videos, downloadable music, books, cookbooks, downloadable videos, eBooks, etc... all to help motivate you towards your new goals. This year we thought we might go a step further and put you in contact with the fitness organizations in our community. So join us on January 7th from 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. at KHCPL South to find out some of the health and fitness options Kokomo has to offer.
While you wait for our event, you can check out some of the fitness resources below, or view even more fitness materials by visiting our list Fitness Resources for 2017.
Books
Features an abundance of information on how to exercise safely and effectively by providing a custom program that is tailored to lifestyles, needs, medical problems, and age, and offering tips on choosing the right equipment, staying motivated, and much more.
Between his positive, can-do spirit and practical, brass tacks strategies for getting in shape, it's no wonder that Donovan Green has reached 3.7 million daily viewers via his unique No Excuses platform on DrOz.com. With No Excuses Fitness, Green delivers a comprehensive month-long plan designed to help readers lose 10 pounds in 30 days. Filled with healthy recipes, workouts that can be done anywhere and with minimal equipment, and daily tips for staying focused (especially through plateaus), and featuring a foreword by Dr. Oz's wife Lisa, No Excuses Fitness will inspire and guide anyone interested in losing weight and gaining optimal health.
Women are not small men. Stop eating and training like one. Because most nutrition products and training plans are designed for men, it's no wonder that so many female athletes struggle to reach their full potential. ROAR is a comprehensive, physiology-based nutrition and training guide specifically designed for active women. This book teaches you everything you need to know to adapt your nutrition, hydration, and training to your unique physiology so you can work with, rather than against, your female physiology. Exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist Stacy T. Sims, PhD, shows you how to be your own biohacker to achieve optimum athletic performance. Complete with goal-specific meal plans and nutrient-packed recipes to optimize body composition, ROAR contains personalized nutrition advice for all stages of training and recovery. Customizable meal plans and strengthening exercises come together in a comprehensive plan to build a rock-solid fitness foundation as you build lean muscle where you need it most, strengthen bone, and boost power and endurance. Because women's physiology changes over time, entire chapters are devoted to staying strong and active through pregnancy and menopause. No matter what your sport is running, cycling, field sports, triathlons-this book will empower you with the nutrition and fitness knowledge you need to be in the healthiest, fittest, strongest shape of your life.
DVDs
Having helped shape some of today's hottest bodies, one of America's most sought-after diet and fitness experts, Harley Pasternak, here shares his revolutionary five-week program that will help you lose weight and get fit without feeling hungry or deprived. From Hollywood to your home, get direct access to the world's top celebrity trainer, whose scientifically-proven 5-Factor approach balances fitness and diet in one easy-to-manage program that can reveal the A-list physique in all of us.
Looks at yoga as a giant step in the evolution of women's fitness. Women yoga experts and practitioners from different cultures discuss the importance of yoga as a resource for all women.
Features 4 complete 15-minute workouts from Men's Health Magazine to help you improve your body.
Winter solstice will fall on December 21 in 2016, ushering in winter for the Northern Hemisphere. The term “solstice” is derived from the Latin words sol meaning sun and sistere meaning to stand still. A solstice is an astronomical event during which the sun is either in its northernmost or southernmost position.
Two solstices occur each year. In the Northern Hemisphere, winter solstice falls on December 21 or 22 when the sun reaches its lowest position over the Tropic of Cancer. This marks the first official day of winter and is the shortest day and longest night of the year. Summer solstice falls on June 20, 21, or 22 when the sun reaches its highest position over the Tropic of Cancer. Summer Solstice is the first day of summer as well as the longest day and shortest night of the year.
Mankind's observance of the winter solstice predates Christmas celebrations by thousands of years, and many of the earlier traditions have been incorporated into modern Christmas celebrations. To learn more, check out The Winter Solstice by John Matthews.
The United States is known as the “Melting Pot”. No other month shows this more clearly than December with its blend of Christmas traditions from all over the world.
German immigrants are credited with introducing many of our Christmas traditions including the Christmas tree. In early America, Christmas trees were decorated with homemade items, fruit, cookies, candy, and candles. Store bought ornaments were rare until the late 1800s when F.W. Woolsworth discovered glass ornaments on a trip to Germany, which he then began importing and selling in his dime stores. Craft enthusiast still enjoy making their own ornaments. If you would like to try making homemade ornaments, then check out these books.
- Christmas Ornaments to Make: 101 Sparkling Holiday Trims by Better Homes and Gardens
- Make Your Own Christmas Tree Ornaments
- More Christmas Ornaments Kids Can Make by Kathy Ross
Santa Claus is a true product of the melting pot. He is a blend of the traditions of the English Father Christmas, the Dutch Sinterklaas, and the Byzantine Saint Nicholas. The popular American version originated from the poem “A Visit from St Nicholas,” better known as The Night Before Christmas, which has been attributed to Clement Clarke Moore. We owe our contemporary image of Santa to Coca-Cola's advertising campaign of the 1930s as well as Thomas Nast's iconic cartoons.
There is even a small town in Indiana named Santa Claus. Originally named Santa Fe, their application to establish a post office was rejected by the United States Postal Service because another Santa Fe, Indiana, already existed. There are many folk tales on how they arrived at the name Santa Claus, but history only records that in 1856, Santa Claus, Indiana, was officially recognized by the United States Post Office Department. Beginning in the 1920s, the number of letters sent to Santa Claus by children from all over the country began causing staffing and logistical problems, and in 1929 the postal service declared they would never authorize another Santa Claus Post Office.
Many churches and homes display a nativity scene, or crèche, during the month of December. This tradition can be traced to Saint Francis of Assisi who created the first one in Greccio, Italy, in 1223. In Mexico, the children anticipate the observance of Las Posadas during which a nativity scene is carried through village streets or families recreate Mary's and Joseph's pilgrimage to Bethlehem by going to different houses looking for “room in the inn” until they are welcomed. At the designated home, a party ensues where they break a piñata, have a meal, and receive small packages.
Explore these and more traditions with some of these titles.
- America's Favorite Holidays by Bruce David Forbes
- Celebrate Christmas by Deborah Heiligman
- Christmas in Williamsburg: 300 Years of Family Traditions by K.M. Kostyal
- Christmas Songs Made in America by Albert Menendez
- Encyclopedia of Christmas by Tanya Gulevich
- The Winter Solstice: The Sacred Traditions of Christmas by John Matthews
- The World Encyclopedia of Christmas by Gerry Bowler
November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). This is an annual event that encourages people to write a novel between November 1 and November 30. Many bestselling novels began as part of National Novel Writing Month. These include Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, Cinder by Marissa Meyer, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, and The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.
The web-based nonprofit NaNoWriMo was created to help aspiring novelists meet the goal of writing 50,000 words, which is the minimum length for a novel. Its objective is to help writers produce a workable rough draft rather than publication ready story. Participation is free. Users need only to register for an account. Then beginning mid-month, they can begin uploading their text to verify the word count. Novels can be written in any language and any genre with any theme whatsoever. Quite simply, if you believe you’re writing a novel, then so does NaNoWriMo. It offers the support of an online community in addition to writing resources and pep talks from established authors. Alexander Chee, Jenny Han, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Daniel José Older, and Maggie Stiefvater are giving this year’s pep talks.
KHCPL is a 2016 NaNoWriMo Come Write In! Center. KHCPL South will host a NaNoWriMo weekly workshop from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. every Sunday in November. Meet with other writer, swap ideas, get inspired, conduct research, or simply write.
For those for whom writing is a solitary art, KHCPL also offers free Wi-Fi, quiet study rooms, and public access computer. You can also visit our NaNoWriMo resource page on Pinterest.
KHCPL’s collection contains both books to help you hone your writer skills and conduct research. Writers’ Manuals in KHCPL’s Collection include:
- The Art of Fiction by John Gardner
- Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
- Characters & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card
- The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White
- How to Write Like Tolstoy by Richard Cohen
- On Writing by Stephen King
- On Writing by Eudora Welty
- Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin
- This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosley
- Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
- Writing Your Novel from Start to Finish by Joseph Bates
- Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
All Hallows’ Read is the brainchild of author Neil Gaiman. In 2010 he had the sudden inspiration to start a new holiday tradition that involved giving books. The next major holiday was Halloween, and All Hallows’ Read was born. The idea behind All Hallows’ Read is to encourage people to “give someone a scary book for Halloween.” Old books, new books, secondhand books, hardcovers, paperbacks, eBooks, audiobooks, they are all fair game. Gather together and share a book with family or friends, or gift a total stranger as a random act of kindness. Rather than a sugary treat, All Hallows’ Read gives someone an experience by connecting that person with a story.
While booksellers were quick to embrace the book giving aspect of All Hallows’ Read, libraries quickly embraced the reading aspect. And during the month of October, librarians encourage patrons to read a scary book to celebrate Halloween. It became a celebration of reading as well as one of books. If you don’t enjoy scary books, try something creepy or spooky or atmospheric. If none of those suit your taste, try something seasonal. If you don’t care for the theme, then simply read. Read a book this Halloween.
Board Books
- Boo! by Leslie Patricelli
- Eek! Halloween! by Sandra Boynton
- If You're Spooky And You Know It by Aly Fronis
- Llama Llama Trick or Treat by Anna Dewdney
- Little Blue Truck's Halloween by Alice Schertle
Picture Books
- Bad Kitty, Scaredy-Cat by Nick Bruel
- Birdie's Happiest Halloween by Sujean Rim
- Boo! Haiku by Deanna Caswell
- Hooray for Halloween, Curious George by H. A. Rey
- Peep and Egg: I'm Not Trick-or-Treating by Laura Gehl
- 10 Busy Brooms by Carole Gerber
Easy Readers
- Fancy Nancy's Fabulous Fall Storybook Collection by Jane O'Connor
- Haunted Halloween by C. A. Krones
- Have No Fear! Halloween Is Here! by Tish Rabe
- Yo Ho Ho, Halloween! by Pam Muñoz Ryan
- You Got A Rock, Charlie Brown! by Charles Schulz
Middle Readers
- Captain Awesome Vs. the Spooky, Scary House by Stan Kirby
- A Haunted Halloween by Ray O'Ryan
- It's Halloween, I'm Turning Green! by Dan Gutman
- October Ogre by Ron Roy
- There's a Zombie in My Bathtub by Henry Winkler
Juvenile Fiction
- Charlie and the Grandmothers by Katy Towell
- The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox
- The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier
- Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty
- Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz
Jr. High Fiction
- The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
- The Night Parade by Kathryn Tanquary
- Ravenous by MarcyKate Connolly
- The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud
- The Truth against the World by Sarah Jamila Stevenson
Teen Fiction
- Asylum by Madeleine Roux
- The Haunting of Sunshine Girl by Paige McKenzie
- Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies by Lindsay Ribar
- This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
- Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke
Adult Fiction
- Candy Corn Murder by Leslie Meier
- The Cottage on Pumpkin and Vine
- First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen
- The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
- The Stitching Hour by Amanda Lee
Celebrate All Hallows’ Eve by reading a scary book this Halloween.