Author Archives: GPL

At Home with the Studio: Craft Books on hoopla

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Since we are all likely home more and having to find ways to get creative with our time I have rounded up some books from our free service, hoopla, to help with projects that you may have been putting off or that suddenly are very relevant to you! Whether it’s that sewing machine you are dusting off or making your own soap so that you are sure to never run out we’ve got you covered.

 

Easy Home Sewing Projects
By Charlie Moorby

Available on Hoopla

There’s something for everyone in this bright and inspiring collection of home sewing projects! Whether you’re moving into a new home, redecorating an old house, or just updating a room, you’ll find quick and easy projects here to make your living space simply beautiful. Designed to let you give your dwelling a speedy fabric makeover, this book offers inspirational ideas for every room. Transform the heart of your home with bright kitchen accessories, or create the perfect table linen setting. Create a bold boudoir with bright bedroom designs, make tactile toys for the nursery, or revamp your home office with a functional organizer. And don’t neglect the deck, with lovely al fresco accessories and more. 101 Home Sewing Projects is guaranteed to stir up your creativity with clear step-by-step instructions and gorgeous color photography.

 

Mending Matters
By Katrina Rodabaugh

Available on Hoopla

Mending Matters explores sewing on two levels: First, it includes more than 20 hands-on projects that showcase current trends in visible mending that are edgy, modern, and bold-but draw on traditional stitching. It does all this through just four very simple mending techniques: exterior patches, interior patches, slow stitches, darning, and weaving. In addition, the book addresses the way mending leads to a more mindful relationship to fashion and to overall well-being. In essays that accompany each how-to chapter, Katrina Rodabaugh explores mending as a metaphor for appreciating our own naturally flawed selves, and she examines the ways in which mending teaches us new skills, self-reliance, and confidence, all gained from making things with our own hands.

 

An Almost Zero Waste Life
By Megean Weldon

Available on Hoopla

What is zero waste living? Although the practice has been around for generations out of necessity, it is making a comeback as concerns grow about the fate of our environment. To put it simply: it is attempting to send no waste to landfills. Although you may have read or heard about “zero waste,” “sustainable,” or “green” living, the concept can sometimes seem too complicated, the author’s tone a bit self-righteous, or riddled with advice geared for people with 5 acres of land in the country with dreams of raising livestock and homesteading. This is not that book.

Can a “regular” person do this? Absolutely! Zero waste isn’t necessarily about zero, but more about changing or altering the way we see the world around us, how we consume, and how we think about waste. It’s about making better choices when we can, and working to reduce our overall impact by reducing the amount of packaging and single-use plastics we bring into our life.

 

Handmade Soap Book
By Melinda Coss

Available on Hoopla

In a world filled with pollution and chemicals, this book shows you how to create your own soaps and bathtime luxuries using only natural ingredients and very little specialist equipment. Create the perfect gift for family and friends, kids and grown-ups. This book features a huge range of tempting ingredients, such as peach, peppermint, ylang ylang, cinnamon and chocolate, and includes recipes for shampoo bars, body splashes and bath creams. The simple, sumptuous and easy-to-follow recipes and luscious photography will be an inspiration to anyone who cares about what they put on their skin.

 

Start Your Own Etsy Business
By Jason R. Rich

Available on Hoopla

Whether you’re a master crafter, a carpenter, a jewelry designer, or have become passionate about making the best home décor in town, now is the time to go from hobby to full-time business owner. And with million shoppers ready to discover your unique offerings it only makes sense to join the largest, most successful online community of creative entrepreneurs on Etsy. Our experts have teamed up with successful shop owners to provide you with Start Your Own Etsy Business, an easy-to-understand, comprehensive blueprint that takes you through setting up, branding, marketing, and managing your store. Plus, gain worksheets, templates, resource lists and tips designed to go from passion to profits. If you’re ready to share your passion for your craft with millions around the world, this guide is for you.

 

The Book is Always Better than the Movie…and the TV Show!

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The news broke recently that Anne Rice has sold the rights to two of her book series, The Vampire Chronicles and Lives of the Mayfair Witches, to AMC so that they can bring them to the small screen.  Together, these two series comprise 18 novels in total.  As any avid reader will tell you, the book is always better than any movie or TV adaptation and should always be read before any viewing of visual representation.  Luckily, since it will likely be some time before these two series are brought to the screen, now is the perfect time to delve into these two sumptuous worlds!

The Vampire Chronicles series begins with the book Interview With the Vampire.  This book tells the story of Louis and how he was “born to darkness” as a vampire in Louisiana in the late 1700s.   Louis’ despair over the death of his brother and his own role in it were the driving force behind bringing him to the attention of a lonely vampire, Lestat, and his decision to give Louis “The Dark Gift.”  It is a story that spans two centuries of his life, detailing how he came to despise his Maker, Lestat, and how he broke away from him after much struggle.  Rice tells Louis’ story beautifully, evoking the time periods of which she writes with rich language that conjures pictures of life at the time quite readily.  This book is well worth reading even if you’ve seen the movie version starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, as the book does a more comprehensive job than the movie of putting the reader inside the heads of the characters and showing how they retain their humanity.

The first book in the Lives of the Mayfair Witches series is The Witching Hour.  It tells the story of the Mayfair family of Louisiana, a family of witches who, over the centuries, have been haunted by a spirit named Asher.  Asher has been both a boon and a bane to the family, as he imbues one witch in each generation with power, but it always comes with a price.  The main character, Rowan, is the latest witch in the family to come to his notice despite having been given up for adoption when she was born, in the hopes that Asher’s power over the family will come to an end without a powerful witch for him to manipulate.  Unbeknownst to the family, Asher has been manipulating their bloodline to fulfill an end of his own, irrespective of the damage he does to the Mayfairs.  It is a sweeping tale that spans many centuries and locales, and several generations of Mayfairs.  It is an extraordinary family.

Rice’s writing is, in a word, sumptuous.  The worlds that she creates with her settings and her characters are seductive and alluring.  Both of these series have characters who grapple with questions of the nature of good and evil, and what it means to be human.  I think Rice hits upon the reason why we love our monsters so well—they are us and we are them.  It is by pondering our natures, and theirs, that we can discover for ourselves what we think it means to be human and can come to understand what our ideals of good and evil are.  As good as I think the TV series that are going to be based on these books will be, they will likely be primarily focused on action and plot.  It is only in reading the written word that we can fully come to understand these characters and their motivations, which is why the book is always better.  These books in particular are spectacular fiction that you definitely will want to read before the shows are developed, and are worth reading again and again because you always come across something different to ponder with every reading.

 

Written by Casey, a member of our Patron Services department. She loves mysteries, especially Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, and historical fiction.  She also loves horror and fantasy novels.

A Glowing Recommendation: The Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award

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When I was a kid, my favorite book was Harold and the Purple Crayon. I loved the idea that, with enough imagination, one could create their own magical world, just by thinking it so. Picture books serve an important role in early childhood development. They promote early literacy and language development and provide a special opportunity for children and their caregivers to spend quality time together.

The folks at the Indiana State Library’s Center for the Book think these books are important, too. The Indiana Center for the Book program, an affiliate of the Library of Congress’s program of the same name, sponsors events and serves as an information resource at the state and local level promoting reading, writing, literacy, and the literary heritage of the state.

Each year, the Center for the Book grants the Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award to one outstanding children’s book. Now in its sixth year, the Firefly Award aims to encourage caregivers and young children to enjoy exceptional picture books with each other. Past winners include There’s a Monster in Your Book by Tom Fletcher and Noisy Night by Mac Barnett.

How the award process works

Youth librarians from across the state send in their nominations to the Center. The Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Committee, comprised of Indiana librarians, caregivers, and program coordinators involved in early childhood development, then selects five titles to be finalists for the award. Finally, children five years and younger are encouraged to vote for one of the five nominated titles, and the title with the most votes is that year’s winner.

This year’s nominees

B is for Baby

Written by Atinuke and illustrated by Angela Brooksbank

“Baby’s brother is getting ready to take a basket of bananas all the way to Baba’s bungalow. What about his little baby sister? Will she come along for the adventure too?”

 

 

Don’t Blink!

Written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by David Roberts

“A page turns every time you blink, bringing you closer to the end of the book–and bedtime– Win the staring contest and you don’t have to go to bed! An interactive bedtime story that gives young readers a chance to avoid bedtime, provided they don’t blink, but for every blink, a page turns, bringing the end of the story and sleep closer.”

 

Firefly Home

Written by Jane Clarke and illustrated by Britta Teckentrup

“When Florence is lost, she has to decide which bright lights in the night sky are home.”

 

 

 

Pirate Jack Gets Dressed

By Nancy Raines Day and Allison Black

“Through illustrations and simple, rhyming text a pirate invites the reader to help as he selects his very colorful outfit.”

 

 

The Rabbit Listened

By Cori Doerrfield

“A person dealing with grief or depression often needs someone who will just sit quiet and listen.”

 

 

Find out more

Check out the Firefly Award webpage at https://www.in.gov/library/firefly.htm. There, you will find information on past nominees and winners, as well as activities related to this year’s stories for your child to do at home.

You can also view recordings of each of this year’s nominees being read by a librarian and decide which is your choice for #1!

The winner of the 2020 Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award will be announced in July.

Please note: Book descriptions were taken from Worldcat.org

 

Resume Tips for Teens

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It can be difficult (and feel nearly impossible) to find a job when you have little to no experience. I mean, how are you even supposed to create a resume with nothing to put on it? But what you don’t realize is that as teens you have built up lots of skills that hiring managers are looking for. So here are some helpful tips for writing a resume for the first time.

Part 1: Identify Yourself

You’ll always start your resume off by identifying yourself. Make sure that your name is prominent, but not overwhelming on the page. Always include your full name, address, phone number, and email address.

Part 2: Summary or Objective

This part is my least favorite. Obviously your objective is to get a job, right? Really the best thing to put here is who you are and what you’re looking for. You’re aiming to impress.

Ex: Motivated student who demonstrates strong work ethic and creative ability. Seeking to apply my graphic design skills and artistic drive as a summer intern at your company.

Part 3: Education

As a student or recent graduate, this is where you’ll want to shine. Make sure to list any schools you have attended in reverse order – most recent first.

List classes that might interest the employer, anything that will show off your communication, teamwork, and business skills is especially helpful but never count out creativity too.

Were you in school clubs or groups? Did you do a cool project, senior capstone, participate in community events, or volunteer at your local library? Include all the things!

 

Tips and Tricks: 

  • Create a professional email account. Don’t use the one you’ve had since you were twelve that says “Sassywitch8813.” (This may have been my email address for WAY too long).
  • Avoid abbreviations. To you GHS means Greenwood High School, but to someone else it might mean Greywolf Hippopotamus Society!
  • Make sure your social media is clean or set to private. Employers WILL look you up.
  • If you can, fill out the application directly on the company’s website. Scroll to the bottom and find “Careers,” “Employment,” or something similar.
  • Many employers will immediately disregard a resume with spelling or typing errors, so make sure you have someone else read through your resume before you submit it – that person could even be your favorite librarian!

 

Looking for more resources or resume ideas? Make sure to visit our online database Lynda.com. All you need is a library card!

Young Hoosier Book Award

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Voting Open until June 1st

The Young Hoosier Book Award is a program that encourages students to read books for their own enjoyment. Every year Indiana teachers and librarians get together and read hundreds of books to find the best 20 books that students will enjoy reading on their interest level. The first category is for Kindergarten to Third Grade and is made up of picture books.  The YHBA Intermediate for 4-6th graders. 

To vote students need to read at least 12 of the picture books and 5 of the intermediate books and then click on the Voting Link. 

YHBA Picture Voting 

YHBA Intermediate Voting

These books will be available for curbside delivery by placing them on hold or through our online resource: Libby. Students may listen to audio books or have the books read to them. I have served on the Intermediate Committee a number of years so I can suggest my favorites for this year:

Restart by Gordon Korman

This was my very favorite book of the year!!! It has great humor and is thought provoking. A boy falls off his roof at home and then awakens from a coma with amnesia. He doesn’t even remember his family. When he returns back to school he realizes that everyone is afraid of him and that he was a jock/bully with a bad reputation. The mystery unfolds as to why he was on the roof and if he will decide to make changes in his new life.

 

Superstar by Mandy Davis

This book has great Indiana appeal. A young boy with high functioning autism has to move back to Indiana since his astronaut father was killed in a space accident. He has been home educated but must go to public school so his mother can return to work as a librarian. See how he adapts to all the changes in his life and contends with a mother who has great fears about his future.

 

Unlikely Story of a Pig in the City by Jody Kendall

A great story about a big family in a small city apartment who rescues and tries to raise a baby pig.

 

 

 

Chester and Gus by Cammie McGovern

Chester has failed to pass the canine service dog test and goes to live with a young boy with severe autism.

 

 

 

 

I hope you will enjoy some of the books for this year’s award and participate in voting!