Mendenhall Library 's Upcoming Youth Programs in February

Story Time for February 2019 

     Mendenhall Library has Story Time every Thursday morning at 10 am. We love seeing our sweet preschooler's smiling faces, and their laughter is so contagious. They are always full of wonder about the theme for Story Time. Story Time is a great opportunity for preschoolers to interact with other preschoolers. We read stories, sing songs, dance, and make a craft to take home. All preschoolers are welcome to join in the fun. Here is a list of our Preschool Story Time dates and themes for February.

     February 7 theme is Dental Health Month. We are so excited that we will have a special speaker at Story Time. A local dental hygienist will explain to our preschoolers the proper way to brush their teeth, and also how important it is to do so. Below is one of the books I will read.

February 14 theme is "Will you be my Valentine?"
February 21 theme is "National Bird-Feeding Month!"
February 28 theme is "Once Upon a Time Fairy Tales!"

K-5 Program
     February 5 at 4 pm Kindergarten through 5th grade will be making homemade spinners. This will be a fun project so bring your friends.

Tween2Teen Program
     February 26 at 4 pm Rock painting. We will paint kind and inspirational quotes that the teens can give away or place somewhere for someone else to find.

Poetry 101 at Brandon Library

Are you a poet? Do you want to be? Not sure because you haven't had the time or the know-how to really get started?

You're in luck! Poet Tommy Little will be here at the Brandon Library hosting a workshop on the importance of mood and emotion in poetry, focusing mainly on the blank verse form.

If you want to hone your skills--or just want to come and enjoy the poetry--meet us here at 6:00 pm on Tuesdays, February 5, 12, 19, & 25!

Call the library at (601) 825-2672 for more information. We hope to see you there!

Flowood Book Club

Flowood Book Club

February 19, 2019, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Everyone is invited to come and discuss their favorite books and,

perhaps, learn of a few more good reads in the process. 

 The club shall meet every third Tuesday of the month thereafter from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

 There shall be coffee and refreshments for attendees.

We hope to see you there!

One of our main purposes here at the Flowood Library is to promote an interest in reading and improve literacy. We do a lot of this through our children’s programs and through our adult book club program. We also try to anticipate the needs of our community in the books that we order for our collection.

For the Flowood Book Club, we provide the coffee. Our attendees bring their critical expertise and discuss what they liked or did not like about a selected book. The debates can be quite lively and thought-provoking. I can’t comment on the coffee.  

After high school, many young adults do not continue reading books for business or pleasure. Reading opens minds to new ideas and new possibilities. It is one of the primary ways we educate ourselves and a good education leads to better opportunities in life. Reading is an essential skill that we must learn and learn well if we are to succeed. Mark Twain once said, “The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.”

In high school over the course of one summer, I was required to read three books that had no appeal for me at all. And I was a little miffed at having been assigned homework over the summer. Why did English teachers always assign dry material to read? I read two of these books and appropriated the CliffsNotes for the third. I passed the test and moved on. After school, I would go home and read what I wanted to read: comic books and action-adventure novels. 

I never lost my love for reading. As an adult, I still read, but I am more particular in what I spend my time reading. One of the books that I very much enjoyed in recent years was Last of the Breed by Louis L’Amour.

This book is a western, but it takes place in the late 1980s in Siberia. It is about an Air Force officer Major Joseph Makatozi (Joe Mack) who is forced down by the Soviet Air Force. He is taken prisoner and moved to a prison camp where he is interrogated. He is given an ultimatum to share what he knows about the experimental aircraft he was flying, or he can remain in prison.

Joe Mack quickly escapes by pole vaulting over a fence and out of the prison camp.  With the Soviet Army in pursuit, he disappears into the Siberian wilderness. Joe Mack is an Air Force officer, but he is also a Sioux Indian.  As the months drag on he leaves behind the man he was in the Air Force, and to the dread of his pursuers, reverts back to his native heritage of a Sioux warrior. 

    

Last of the Breed was a page turner and a pleasure to read. I had the privilege of discussing this book at a book club meeting.

Every month on the third Tuesday of the month the Flowood Book Club gathers to discuss the latest book.  The book for the month of February is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larrson.

Have You Heard?

February Story Time at Magee Library

We love seeing our little ones every week at Magee. Every Wednesday at 11 am, we have our Story Time for Pre- Kindergarten age. We read books, sing and dance, and make a craft. Each week our stories all follow a theme. Some weeks, we use books that correspond with a holiday. Other weeks, the stories all include a particular animal or object. Sometimes, we read books are all written by the same author. February is a great example of using the upcoming holidays and introducing our little ones to new authors.

The first Wednesday of February is the 6th and that week is the Chinese New Year. Each year celebrates an animal and 2019 is the Year of the Pig. All our books will feature pigs. We will finish with a fun and simple Pig craft.

The 13th, we will get ready for Valentine's Day with some funny books and a really easy craft. We will also do some dancing and singing. It is always fun to the little ones jumping and spinning.

The last two Wednesdays of the month, we will feature two of our favorite children's authors.

On the 20th, author Jane Yolen will be our focus. Yolen's books are great for this age group for two reasons. First, the stories are short and action filled to keep the attention of our little ones. Second, the page illustrations are very colorful. Our craft this week will be taken from one of the books.

The 27th will be the last Story Time for February so we will end the month with one of our favorite authors, Mo Willems. His books feature a misbehaving pigeon that we will read about in one book. Another book will feature his beloved characters, Elephant and Piggie.

We hope to see you every Wednesday at 11 am at the Magee Library!

Gotta Love February at the Pearl Library! It's All About Showering Patrons With Really Good Stuff!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

This event should not be missed! Seriously!  

It's the eleventh annual, Come in From the Cold With a Good Book, the Pearl Public Library's star Library Lover's Month program. The library, local businesses and the Friends of the Pearl Library sponsor the two-day, sweet love fest! Free cookies, donuts and coffee! Yes, you read that right. It's all free, Wed. Feb. 13 and Valentine's Day, Thurs. Feb. 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days!

A huge shout out to  Community Coffee, Dunkin' Donuts, The Donut Factory, Sam's Club of Pearl, Wal-Mart of Pearl, That Special Touch Bakery and Simply Southern Cafe and Grill of Flowood for always coming through with fantastic, generous donations!   

Mmm, mmm, library love soooo good it makes you see sweet birds! 

Well, uh, actually you are seeing birds...paper mache ones. That would be Becky's Simply Crafts adult program Tues. Feb. 5 at 6 p.m.

Simply Crafts is a fun, FREE, and informal adult crafting group that meets every first Tuesday of the month at 6:00 at the Pearl Library.  There is no material fee, and all supplies are provided.  

WOW! Doesn't that sound so relaxing? Oh yeah, so relaxing it makes your eyes glaze over. That's OK! Lisa has just the thing for you! 

A Lavender Eye Pillow!

Uh-huh, Make and Take Lavender Eye Pillow, that's Lisa's How-to Tuesday program Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. Registration is required.  It's so easy. You can go through the CMRLS website at www.cmrls.lib.ms.us, click on EVENTS, choose the How-to Tuesday program and click on VIEW MORE. Or, you can call the library at 601-932-2562 and ask for Lisa or anyone at the reference desk.

How-To Tuesday's meet every third Tuesday of the month at 6:00 at the Pearl Library, and, as always, are absolutely FREE.  

Goodness, all these free, wonderful offerings seem like such a blessing don't they? Sure do.

And, hey, the Pearl Library also gives you a chance to be a blessing too!

Lisa reports that the Pearl Library Blessing Box started by Team Tungsten Robotics has been a huge success.   "We had many generous donations in November and December which sustained us throughout January. We are now in need of more canned food donations to help those in our community who are in need," she said. "We are accepting cereals, boxed foods, canned foods, and hygiene items.  Items can be placed directly in the blessing box in our front lobby or brought to the circulation or reference desks if the box is currently full.  Thank you for supporting your community!"

WOW! So much good stuff! You just have to get in all of the Pearl Library's February LOVE!

We'll see you there!

Show Us Your Books!

February is Library Lover’s Month, and the Forest Public Library is announcing one of its most ambitious promotions of the year: SHOW US YOUR BOOKS! Throughout the month of February, the Friends of the Forest Public Library, along with other library partners, will be participating in a book drive goal of 100 new nonfiction books to update the library’s collection. Librarian Dianne McLaurin explains the purpose for the book drive. “We are asking as many individuals, businesses, organizations, and supporters as possible to donate one (1) new nonfiction book to the library during the month of February. Just one! Despite continued reductions, the library’s book budget sustains the fiction areas of the library with bestsellers and favorite authors; however, the budget to purchase new nonfiction is almost nonexistent. This collection is vital to the library’s relevance and circulation, which is why we are so excited about the upcoming book drive. We want people to show us their passions, show us their interests, show us their love, and show us their books!”

According to McLaurin, an old, irrelevant, out-of-date nonfiction collection sends us message that a library is all of those things, too. "We often hear that libraries are not a bookstores, but we are not museums either. In this age of digital design and colorful graphics, covers make a huge difference to a patron perusing a shelf. We have a responsibility to provide patrons with the most current and attractive resources available. The idea of that "old book smell" does not apply when a library's goal is to be a modern conduit of information."

The book drive begins February 1^st and ends with a Mardi Gras Party on Fat Tuesday! Each person, business, organization, or supporter who purchases one new nonfiction book or gives a donation for a single book purchase receives Mardi Gras beads and an invitation to attend. The program will feature New-Orleans style food and music, along with a display of the new collection.  According to McLaurin, the Mardi Gras theme is part of the promotion. “Last year, the library received a large donation of Mardi Gras beads – bags full of beads. We didn’t know how we would ever use them, then we came up with the idea…Beads for Books! Show us your books, and we will throw you our beads! We have a container filled with beads in the center of the library, so we can accommodate plenty of books."

McLaurin stated that additional information on the donation process is available at the library; however, she explained the basics. “Donations can cover any subject from flea markets to finance, from Legos to law, from baking to banking, from tattoos to technology, from religion to real estate, from sports to sewing, from dinosaurs to drawing. Whatever your career, hobby or interest, show us your books! Parents and grandparents may also wish to donate books for the juvenile nonfiction collection on behalf of the children in their families, as well as teachers for the grades and subjects they teach. We have an extensive subject list available at the front desk.”

Several options are available to anyone who wants to purchase a book, since not everyone is able to visit a bookstore during the month of February. New nonfiction books can be purchased directly from online websites such as Barnes and Noble and Amazon. If anyone isn’t sure how to order online, the staff at the library can find books based on specific interests and within a donation range, then choose a book according to what we have and what we need. During the cataloging process, a book plate will be placed at the front of the book with the name of donor and the year. Many nonfiction books range from $20-25, which might not seem like much for one individual, business, or organization; however, multiply that amount by 100, and the contribution to the community is invaluable.

For more information concerning the 2019 nonfiction book drive, please contact the Forest Public Library by telephone at 601-469-1481 or by email at forest@cmrls.lib.ms.us. The library is part of the Central Mississippi Regional Library System serving public libraries in Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith counties.

February Fun at the Morton Library

Happy Library Lovers Month!  

         February is Library Lovers Month, and the Morton Library has many fun and interesting events for library lovers old and young alike!

        To celebrate Library Lovers month we will be having a contest. The rules are simple: just come by the library any time during the month of February, fill out a heart telling us why you love the library, and you will be entered to win a fabulous gift basket from French’s Pharmacy! The drawing will be March 1^st. Good luck!

       Another big event we are excited about this month is Valentines for Veterans.  This event will be held on February 14^th at 5:00 p.m. We will be making Valentine’s Day cards and sending them to hospitalized veterans at the VA in Jackson. We had this event a few years ago and the attendance was great. Everyone who came out enjoyed making cards for the veterans, and we were told the veterans really enjoyed receiving these cards. So, come join us and help make someone’s day a little brighter!

      As always, Preschool Story Time is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. in the meeting room. Story time is a great opportunity to introduce your little ones to reading. We have stories, music, and a craft every week. This month our themes are:

February 5^th: So Many Bears

February 12^th: Happy Valentine’s Day

February 19^th: Silly Sloths

February 26^th: Polar Bears

       For this month’s K-4^th grade craft night we will be making Cardboard Bugs! Join us February 21^st at 5:00 p.m. to make 3D bugs out of cardboard and pipe cleaners.

      

      Our tweens (5^th-8^th grade) will be having a craft night this month as well. Join us February 7^th at 5:00 p.m. to make bird seed art. We will be using bird seed and dried beans to create pictures!

        Join us for any of our programs this month, and don’t forget to tell us why you love your library!

Poets Meet at Flowood Library

Poets Anonymous

February 9, 2019, 9:00-11:00 a.m.

Share your interest in writing poetry with a group of talented poets. This group meets every second Saturday of each month at the Flowood Library. 

What is poetry you may ask? World Book Online, a digital library resource located at our CMRLS website states that,

Poetry is a kind of writing that uses the sounds as well as the meanings of words to create ideas and feelings. The writings are called poems. Poems have sounds and rhythms that people like. Poems have been used as songs, prayers, and magic spells. People clap their hands to favorite rhymes. Many people enjoy reading and hearing poems, and some people enjoy writing them. People who write poems are called poets.

There are three main kinds of poems. Lyric poems are short poems that describe things or express strong feelings. Japanese poems called haiku are one of the shortest kinds of lyric poems.

Narrative poems are poems that tell a story. Some of these poems are stories of heroes and battles. Others tell a story about one person.

In dramatic poems, one or more people in the poem tell the story. The plays of the English writer William Shakespeare are dramatic poems.

Poems have a rhythm. The language flows in a certain way. Sometimes the language has a regular pattern or beat.

Poetry has been an important art since early times. Some Greek poems are more than 2,500 years old. The Old Testament of the Bible contains Hebrew poetry.

The ancient Romans learned much about poetry from reading the Greek poets. They wrote their poems in Latin, the Roman language. In Europe, many educated people learned Latin and wrote poems in Latin. But about 500 years ago, people began writing in their own languages. Many styles and forms of poetry then became popular.

In the 1900s, poets wrote many new kinds of poetry. Many poems were free verse. Today poets write poems in new forms and in forms that are hundreds of years old.

Poetry is found in the lyrics of your favorite music. Words that rhyme can be used to help with memory. Poetry is a form of expression that is uncommon in literature.

How hard can it be to write a poem? Not hard at all.

The following is my first attempt at writing poetry. It is a narrative epic of a terrible battle that took place many years ago. It is a parody of The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore.

The Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house.

Everything was stirring including the mouse.

Who cares about stockings?  Who cares about St. Nick?

There's a mouse in the house, and it's making me sick.

Mama with a 'kerchief was standing on a chair.

Sis with a broom was swinging at the air.

Brother by the mouse hole was looking quite puzzled.

I had my shotgun and was adjusting the muzzle.

When out on the lawn we heard such a clang.

We ran to the door just as the doorbell rang.

We opened the door and to our surprise.

The Orkin Army appeared to our startled eyes.

They brought in their sprays and they poisoned our house.

And we had to leave because of one little mouse.

The Orkin Army failed as we knew they would.

But, there was one man left, and we knew he could.

Along came Santa with his pesticide and spray.

He would rid the house of the mouse or he wouldn't go away.

So he sprayed and he zapped with all his great might.

The mouse was choking and coughing, but it saw the light.

The mouse ran out at a very quick rate.

It had to run to the store for some Kaopectate.

Santa said, "I'm in the wrong business, don't you know.

Ridding houses of mouses is the best way to go."

On to his sleigh as he drove out of sight.

Santa's Pesticide Service began on this night.

The next meeting of Poets Anonymous will be February 9, 2019, between 9-11 a.m. This group meets every second Saturday at the Flowood Library.

Come express your inner poet with a group of talented writers of poetry.

Be Your Best Self in 2019!

Scott County's Distinguished Young Woman of the Year Olivia Triplett is presenting the "Be Your Best Self" program at the Forest Public Library on Tuesday, January 22 at 6:00 p.m. Triplett will be discussing five points of being 1) healthy, 2) ambitious, 3) involved, 4) responsible, and 5) studious. The program, aimed at teens, is offered in connection with the library’s newly-formed TAB organization. Triplett serves on the library’s Teen Advisory Board and part of this service includes planning programs for teens.

Brandi Parker, Youth Services Librarian, explains that the active members of the Teen Advisory Board must meet certain requirements to qualify for a $1000 Friends of the Forest Public Library scholarship to be awarded in May 2019. Parker explains that members must attend monthly meetings, assist in planning and participate in programs, and volunteer in the library to be considered eligible for the scholarship.

Triplett, the daughter of O.B. and Ingrid Triplett, attends Scott Central Attendance Center. She is an All-A Honor Roll student and a member of the Beta Club. She enjoys exercise, photography, piano, cooking, and hunting. Triplett states, “I want to be more of a leader in the community, make the library a fun place for teens, and make a difference!”

For more information on tonight's program, please contact the library at 601-469-1481. The Forest Public Library is part the Central Mississippi Regional Library System serving public libraries in Rankin, Scott, Simpson and Smith counties.

A Mad Tea Party at the Brandon Library

Join us next week for Family Night on Thursday, January 24 at 6:00 pm as we celebrate Lewis Carroll's un-birthday with a tea party fit for a Queen (of Hearts, obviously)!

We'll have music, crafts, games, and refreshments galore. Come dressed as your favorite Alice in Wonderland character, or just let your clothes go MAD!

Don't be late for this very important date! We'll see you there.

Crochet @ Flowood Library

Join us as we learn to Crochet with Donna at the Flowood Library on 1/17/2019 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. You will need your own crochet hook and your favorite color yarn. Preregistration is requested.

According to World Book Online, a library database available at our CMRLS website, crochet not to be confused with the word croquet “is a type of needlework that uses a hooked needle to pull a thread into interlocking looped stitches to form a fabric. People commonly use crochet to create baby clothes, sweaters, hats, mittens, purses, shawls, comforters, and afghans. Artists create flat and three-dimensional artworks in crochet.

People first crocheted with wool yarn, or fine cotton, silk, or linen thread. However, almost any fiber may be crocheted. Today, people crochet items made of light and heavy cotton, acrylic and wool yarns, and plain and metallic threads. Crocheted material may have a smooth, shiny, fleecy, or nubby texture. Different colors and threads may be combined for interesting surfaces. People may also work in beads, sequins, and baubles.

Crochet hook sizes are generally chosen to match the thread thickness. Thicker yarns need thicker hooks. The hooks may be made of metal, wood, plastic, or bone.

There are many different crochet stitches. The basic chain stitch begins with a loop. A thread is drawn through the loop to form another loop. The first row builds up in this way until a length of stitches forms and becomes the fabric edge. The final fabric results by working loops into rows back and forth from the beginning edge row The middle finger and thumb of one hand hold the thread so it can be picked up by the hook held in the other hand. Other stitches include the single, double, slip, loop, bullion, picot, and cross treble. These stitches are all variations of the chain procedure.

Crocheting is a popular hobby because the materials are usually inexpensive and the work proceeds quickly. The projects are easy to carry, which enables people to work on them in spare moments. Many classes, magazines, exhibits, and Internet discussion groups are dedicated to the subject of crochet.

The word crochet means hook in French. An early form of crochet was used in France and other western European countries in the late 1700s. However, crocheting as we know it today did not become widely popular until the 1840s. At that time, books and women's magazines contained printed patterns for crocheted doilies, tablecloths, pillow covers, and edgings. Since the 1960s, people have explored the crochet technique and applied it to wall-hangings, window treatments, sculpture, and wearable art. It is an important craft along with weaving, macrame, knitting, and other needlework techniques.”

Pam, a member of our library staff, offers a testimonial of her experience with the class.

If you come to the Flowood Library on the third Thursday night of each month, you will encounter a group of ladies who are excited about learning to crochet. The class is designed for beginners who want to learn how to crochet, although we have those who are experienced come to be part of the class. We welcome any and all who have an interest in crocheting or who just want to observe and be sociable.

The class originated in September 2018 as a result of a number of patrons expressing a desire to learn how to either crochet or knit. We have a patron, Donna, who volunteers her time to teach a beginner level crocheting class.

The first thing that a person interested in the class needs to know is that they can either call the Flowood Library or stop by and preregister for the class. However, if one does not preregister, they can just come to the class at 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday night of each month. Normally a person attending the class will need to bring their own supplies. This includes a crochet hook and yarn. We suggest purchasing just regular yarn and a size “J” crochet hook.

The first thing that is taught is the basic chain stitch. This is the beginning stitch of all crochet projects. Next, Donna teaches how to single crochet and then double crochet. So far most of the attendees have learned how to chain stitch and single crochet. However, if a person has never been to the class, they can still come and start from the beginning to learn how to chain stitch. Donna provides both one on one instruction and group instruction.

Currently the class is crocheting a small square just to give everyone practice crocheting. We have discussed crocheting a scarf next using the single crochet stitch. This will be a fun and easy project. Then Donna is going to teach how to double crochet and how to read a pattern for a crochet project.

We encourage anyone to come who has an interest in crocheting or just would like to make some new friends. Make 2019 the year you venture out to the library to learn something new and fun.

Begin Sewing at the Brandon Library!

Learn the basics of sewing with us!

Do you want to use our sewing machines acquired with the So, Sew! grant? Just let us know! For more information, call the Brandon Library at (601) 825-2672.

January 12: Apron
January 19: Fold-Up Shopping Bag
January 26: Thumb-Finger Potholder

Please preregister.



Supply List:

Class #1 - Apron

• Fabric - 1 yard 45 inch wide for the main color
• 1/2 yd for the second color
• 1/2 yd fusible interfacing
• thread to match 
• usual sewing notions (if you're bringing your own machine)

Class #2 - The fold-up shopping bag

• 1 yard 45 inch wide fabric
• thread to match. 
• Usual sewing notions (if you're bringing your own machine)

Class #3 - Thumb-Finger Pot Holder

• We will use the scraps from the first two projects or two fabric pieces approximately 8 x 10 inches 
• 1 piece each of Insul-bright and quilt batting - 8 x 10 inches
• thread to match.
• Usual sewing notions (if you're bringing your own machine)

****Usual Sewing Notions (if you're bringing your own machine)
This is a list of the basic items needed for beginning sewing. Please put your name on all your supplies.

• Scissors – please be sure these will easily cut fabric.
• Seam ripper 
• Tape measure - 60 inches at least 
• Seam gauge 
• Water soluble disappearing ink pen FOR FABRIC or other marker for fabric 
• Pins and pin cushion 
• Hand sewing needles - sharps size 10 or an assortment of sizes
• Thimble 
• Large safety pin 
• Box or container for supplies 
• Needle threader - can be helpful if you have difficulty threading needles 
• Small sack for scraps/trash - bring this when attending a class 

Some stores sell preassembled kits containing many of these supplies. It is best not to purchase these as the scissors do not cut well and the needles and pins are not sharp enough to use without marring the fabric. Most all of these supplies should be available at fabric stores or Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, etc.

If you are bringing your own sewing machine, please bring sewing machine needles - several sizes are very useful. Also, bring the instruction manual for the machine.

National Popcorn Day @ Magee Library

January 19 is National Popcorn Day and we plan to celebrate it by giving away a “Popcorn Bowl”. How do you enter your name in the drawing for the “Popcorn Bowl"? Simply come by the Magee Library and check out an item. That easy! For every item a Library cardholder checks out, they get one entry to put in the drawing!

No one knows the origin of Popcorn day. But according to the website, https://www.popcorn.org/Facts-Fun/National-Popcorn-Day, it was obviously someone with good taste! Fun activities to try? String some unsalted and unbuttered popcorn and place the string on a tall bush or a low tree for the birds...or make popcorn balls!

POPCORN BALLS

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup unpopped popcorn
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 5 cups miniature marshmallows

1. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Set aside.
2. Add vegetable oil to a 4-quart saucepan, and heat over high heat. When the oil is hot, add popping corn. Keep pan moving constantly. When corn stops popping, remove from heat. Put popcorn in the prepared baking dish.
3. Melt butter In a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in marshmallows and cook until melted, stirring constantly. 
4. Pour marshmallow mixture over popcorn and mix with a spoon to coat evenly.
5. Let mixture cool slightly. Smear butter on your hands or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Mix popcorn with your hands so that it is evenly coated.
6. Form popcorn into 8 balls.

 Finally, take a picture of yourself and share on social media using #NationalPopcornDay.

LAKE: Stuffed Animal Sleepover

We had so much fun at story time this month.  Everyone brought a stuffed animal for the stuffed animal sleepover.  After some stories, songs and making a jet pack for our furry friends, we had chocolate milk and put them down for a nap.  I thought, "Whew!  Done with that!  Time to get some more work done."  I had forgotten how much work stuffed animals can be.  I went to shelve some books and when I came back some of them were playing with the copy machine while the others were playing with the train. If you want to see all the things the stuffed animals got into at the library, go and visit our Facebook page and search for the hashtag #cmrlslake.

I finally got them all rounded back up from all their adventures and mischief and they agreed that if I read them a story, they would go back to sleep.  So we read a book together and then they all laid down in my office under a nice soft blanket and that's where I found them the next morning when it was time for their owners to pick them up.  I think they had fun at the library.  I hope they visit again soon, but I must admit that I'll have to think twice before I let them stay the night at the library again. Babysitting stuffed animals is a big responsibility.

A Visit from Winnie the Pooh

Winnie the Pooh

Join us for Family Story Time at the Flowood Library on 1/12/2019 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. We will enjoy stories, music, crafts, and snacks as we celebrate A.A. Milne's birthday. Winnie the Pooh will be here as our special guest. Tigger wanted to be here, but he had another engagement.

Growing up I never knew that much about Winnie the Pooh other than he had a few cartoons, a few books, and a Disney World ride at Magic Kingdom. How would I approach learning more about Winnie the Pooh? In the old days, I could reach for a dusty encyclopedia and possibly find the answer? Do they make dusty encyclopedias anymore? I could also check out a book at the local library. But what if the library is closed for the day?

Through the CMRLS (Central Mississippi Regional System) website I have access to an online World Book Encyclopedia where I can find answers to a number of questions including, "Who is Winnie the Pooh?"

I go to the website cmrls.lib.ms.us where I find the Digital Library drop-down menu.  I click on Virtual Reference Collection and then on to the subheading World Book Online.  I click on the Kids box category because Winnie the Pooh is based on a character made for children. Then I type in the name Winnie the Pooh.

World Book Online tells me that, "Winnie-the-Pooh is a toy stuffed bear who is the title character in two books by the English author A. A. Milne. Both books have become classics of children's literature. The first is a collection of stories called Winnie-the-Pooh (1926). The bear also appeared in a second book, The House at Pooh Corner (1928).

Milne’s stories describe the adventures of a boy named Christopher Robin and his animal friends in a forest called the Hundred Acre Wood. The boy is the only human being in the adventures and serves as the kindly master of the animals.

Winnie-the-Pooh is a gentle-natured bear who loves honey. Other characters include a gloomy donkey called Eeyore, a peppy tiger called Tigger, a timid pig called Piglet, a philosophical owl called Owl, an interfering Rabbit, and a kangaroo named Kanga and her baby called Roo."

World Book Online provides an option where the article can be read to you. There is a category for Pictures, Videos and More, and a category for More Information.

Additional hyperlinks are available so you can learn more about the author of the Winnie the Pooh stories, A. A. Milne, and the illustrator who drew Winnie the Pooh, Ernest Howard Shepard.

The story of Winnie the Pooh was inspired by the stuffed animals belonging to A. A. Milne's son, Christopher Robin.  One never knows where inspiration will appear.

I found using World Book Online to be user-friendly and very informative. It reminds me that Google and Wikipedia may not have all the answers to my questions when I'm performing research.

Winnie the Pooh is coming to the Flowood Library on January 12, 2019, from 10:30-11:30 a.m. I sure hope he brings some honey!

Art Display at Raleigh Public Library

Come by the Raleigh Public Library and look at the wonderful art display by Lucy Scott Walker. Lucy is a resident of Raleigh, MS and enjoys painting with acrylic medium on canvas. Lucy does a wonderful job making each picture look life like. Each brushstroke creates a picture that makes you think you can walk right up to its subject. Lucy has a variety of subjects including landscapes, animals, and buildings. Some of her paints you might recognize. She has painted Shongelo Park, Vicksburg plantation ruins, several well know cabins, and the old Coursey Doctor's Office that is now State Farm in Raleigh. Her art will continue to display through the end of January.

Rolling into the New Year Strong at the Pearl Public Library!

So, you would think with the busy programming year the Pearl Public Library had in 2018, there would be some down time and uh, just chillin' out right now. Right? 

NOT!

Well, actually there is some chillin' going on, just not that kind of chillin'! No, this is the brrr kind of chillin'.  It's cold themed programs. However, it would be nice if the temperature would straighten out and act like it's winter time! LOL!  

Already underway is the Snuggle Up and Read adult program. All you have to do is write a book review for every book you snuggle up with. Every book review is a chance to win a throw blanket and hot chocolate basket. The drawing will be held on Fri. Feb. 1.

Please mark you calendars!  Here comes the biggie! As February is Library Lover's Month, the Pearl Library is second to none in showing the community some good lovin'! 

It's the patron favorite Come in From the Cold With a Good Book on Wed. Feb. 13 and Thurs. Feb. 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day! This is the eleventh year for the event when patrons are treated to free cookies, donuts and coffee all generously donated by area businesses. 

Community Coffee, the Donut Factory, Dunkin' Donuts, That Special Touch Bakery, Sam's Club of Pearl, Wal-Mart of Pearl and Simply Southern Cafe and Grill in Flowood help out every year to make this event spectacular! The program is also sponsored by the Friends of the Pearl Library. Volunteers will be on hand to answer any questions about the Friends' group. Registration forms to become a Friends' member will be available.  

You really don't want to miss this! What a great time to bring your family and friends, sit in the little, sweet cafe the Pearl Library creates and just enjoy the free treats and fellowship!

We'll see you there!

January Events at Pelahatchie Public Library

The Pelahatchie Public Library has several events scheduled for the remainder of this month.  One is the adult book club that meets Wednesday, January 16, at 9:30 a.m.  Our book club is in its sixth year and we have read almost 100 titles during that time.  This month's book for discussion is Jodi Picoult's novel, The Storyteller, a story set in present day with flashbacks to World War II.  As always, Ms. Picoult's story of a Nazi soldier living under an assumed name in the United States tugs at issues of morality; and if you're familiar with her novels, it has that little twist at the end that you may or may not have seen coming. 

The other upcoming program is Ladies Movie Night.  Back by popular demand, on Thursday, January 24, at 6:30 p.m., we will show Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, rated PG-13.  The movie runs 114 minutes and was produced by Universal Studios.  There will be popcorn and drinks served for all who attend.

Art on Exhibit @ Flowood Library

The Flowood Library offers an opportunity to see a gallery of exhibits by local artists.  Currently, we have several paintings available to be viewed by the public free of charge.  Paintings of tigers, but no lions or bears.  Oh, my.  Parrots, owls, cardinals and other birds of a feather such as seagulls and pelicans.  We have polar bears putting on quite a show.  An assortment of fish accompanied underwater by sea turtles.  We can enjoy the peaceful scenery of houses on the beach or we can see a forest in the trees.  Several other critters are represented in this display.

Come to the Flowood Library and enjoy our art gallery of paintings created by a local artist.  The exhibit is open during regular library hours and is free to the public.