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Read It!

Family Book Club: "The Green Ember" by S.D. Smith
 
Aurora Public Library and Jefferson County Public Library welcome S.D. Smith, author of "The Green Ember" for a virtual visit on Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. Register for the event here

The Green Ember

Get ready for this special event by reading "The Green Ember" throughout January! Free copies (that you can keep) are available at Aurora Public Libraries, while supplies last. Please call your branch to see if there are copies remaining. Unlimited copies of the eAudiobook are available free with your library card via HooplaDigital
For JCPL patrons, "The Green Ember" is available for checkout and online as an eAudiobook via HooplaDigital and Axis360.
 
Below is a suggested reading schedule. Every Monday, there will be a new blog post related to the chapters we read that week! 
- Monday, Jan. 4 - Sunday, Jan. 10: Prologue - Chapter 14 (Forest Flight)
- Monday, Jan. 11 - Sunday, Jan. 17: Chapter 15 (Picket's Check) - Chapter 30 (The Green Ember)
- Monday, Jan. 18 - Sunday, Jan. 24: Chapter 31 (Jupiter's Crossing) - Chapter 44 (The Beginning)

Chapters 15 (Picket's Check) - 30 (The Green Ember)
1. Do you think Picket and Heather will be safe at the Savory Den?
2. Who are some of the rabbits they meet there?
3. What was the point of the swinging birds on ropes hanging in the tree? What went wrong when Helmer was fighting them?
4. Why are some of the rabbits are not very friendly toward Heather and Picket?
5. Did you expect the news that Heather and Picket are told about their family?

Don't forget to register to virtually meet S.D. Smith on Jan. 25!
Posted by [email protected]  On Jan 19, 2021 at 11:44 AM
  
Read It!

Family Book Club: "The Green Ember" by S.D. Smith
 
Aurora Public Library and Jefferson County Public Library welcome S.D. Smith, author of "The Green Ember" for a virtual visit on Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. Register for the event here

The Green Ember

Get ready for this special event by reading "The Green Ember" throughout January! Free copies (that you can keep) are available at Aurora Public Libraries, while supplies last. Please call your branch to see if there are copies remaining. Unlimited copies of the eAudiobook are available free with your library card via HooplaDigital
For JCPL patrons, "The Green Ember" is available for checkout and online as an eAudiobook via HooplaDigital and Axis360.
 
Below is a suggested reading schedule. Every Monday, there will be a new blog post related to the chapters we read that week! 
- Monday, Jan. 4 - Sunday, Jan. 10: Prologue - Chapter 14 (Forest Flight)
- Monday, Jan. 11 - Sunday, Jan. 17: Chapter 15 (Picket's Check) - Chapter 30 (The Green Ember)
- Monday, Jan. 18 - Sunday, Jan. 24: Chapter 31 (Jupiter's Crossing) - Chapter 44 (The Beginning)
 
Chapters Prologue - 14 (Leave your thoughts in the comments below)
- When Father is telling Heather and Picket the story of King Jupiter, did you feel like the family was connected to the King somehow?
- When the wolves arrived, were you worried their parents Heather and Picket would not escape? Do you think their parents and Jacks are okay?
- Who are the two rabbits that helped save Heather and Picket?
- Why do you think Picket doesn't like Smalls?
- Can you guess why the wolves are destroying towns?

Don't forget to register to virtually meet S.D. Smith on Jan. 25!
Posted by [email protected]  On Jan 11, 2021 at 3:29 PM
  
Read It!

Family Book Club: "The Green Ember" by S.D. Smith
 
Aurora Public Library and Jefferson County Public Library welcome S.D. Smith, author of "The Green Ember" for a virtual visit on Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. Register for the event here.

The Green Ember

Get ready for this special event by reading "The Green Ember" throughout January! FREE copies (that you can keep) are available at all Aurora Public Library branches, while supplies last. Unlimited copies of the eAudiobook are available free with your library card via HooplaDigital.  
For JCPL patrons, "The Green Ember" is available for checkout and online as an eAudiobook via HooplaDigital and Axis360.
 
Below is a suggested reading schedule. Every Monday, there will be a new blog post related to the chapters we read that week! Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
 
Reading Schedule
Monday, Jan. 4 - Sunday, Jan. 10: Prologue - Chapter 14 (Forest Flight)
Monday, Jan. 11 - Sunday, Jan. 17: Chapter 15 (Picket's Check) - Chapter 30 (The Green Ember)
Monday, Jan. 18 - Sunday, Jan. 24: Chapter 31 (Jupiter's Crossing) - Chapter 44 (The Beginning)
Posted by [email protected]  On Jan 04, 2021 at 11:53 AM
  
Read It!

Family Book Club Year in Review: "Stella By Starlight" by Sharon M. Draper
by Tess

Join Family Book Club on Monday, Dec. 28 at 5 p.m. as we meet to discuss our favorite book(s) from this year! Here is the final of my four favorite books from this year. 

"Stella by Starlight" by Sharon M. Draper

Stella By Starlight

Stella by Starlight is a historical fiction novel about Stella and her family who live in North Carolina in the 1930s. They experience hatred and racism from the KKK (Klu Klux Klan) but find strength and joy in their community. That's what I loved most about this book. I really enjoy stories about people who come together and support each other during difficult times. I love stories about people who fight for their rights and persevere in spite of obstacles.

Stella is a very endearing character. She struggles in writing class. While most kids pursue things that come easily for them, Stella has a passion for something she finds challenging. Stella loves to write and she works hard to improve. She is brave, sweet, and tenacious. Above all, she and her family have hope. 

I highly recommend this book. Hopefully, you will learn some history and be inspired by the characters, as I was. It is available in print and as an eAudiobook via HooplaDigital. Click here to place a hold or check it out.
Posted by [email protected]  On Dec 28, 2020 at 8:52 AM
  
Read It!

Family Book Club Year in Review: "Mimus" by Lilli Thal
by Tess

On Monday, Dec. 28 at 5p.m., Family Book Club will be meeting to discuss our favorite book(s) from this year! Each Monday of December I will be posting a short book recommendation for four of my favorite novels that I read in 2020. Register to receive the Zoom link here. 
 
"When Stars are Scattered" by Omar Mohamed & Victoria Jamieson

When Stars Are Scattered

In this historical fiction graphic novel, Omar and Hassan are separated from their mother when war hits Somalia. They are forced to flee with neighbors to a refugee camp in Kenya. They live there for 15 years before being relocated to America. The story of their lives is one over 70 million people are currently experiencing and most people never get to leave the camps.  This book is an eye-opening account of life in a refugee camp, how difficult it is, but also how much love and support there is in the community, at least in Omar's experience. 

I appreciate that it is a graphic novel (and don't let anyone tell you those aren't real books!) because the imagery is that much more powerful. You can literally see how Omar and Hassan lived in the refugee camp. I am a visual learner and I know I'm not the only one! Sometimes it is difficult to imagine another person's experience without actually seeing it for yourself. 

The graphic novel is illustrated by Victoria Jamieson who has written many other graphic novels such as "Roller Girl". The dialogue and other text is written by Omar himself, which makes the book a memoir as well. I highly recommend this book!

"When Stars Are Scattered" is available in print as as an eComic via Overdrive, free with your library card.
Posted by [email protected]  On Dec 21, 2020 at 3:53 PM
  
Read It!

APL Reader's Corner
with Julie & Elizabeth

Welcome to APL Reader's Corner! This month we are reading "We Met in December" by Rosie Curtis. Let us know what you think about the book in the comments! Check it out instantly as an eBook from hoopla digital.

Looking for some festive romance reads and movies? Check out Holiday Romance and December Movies of the Month on hoopla - free with your library card! 

Posted by [email protected]  On Dec 18, 2020 at 1:00 PM
  
Read It!

Family Book Club Year in Review: "Prairie Lotus" by Linda Sue Park
by Tess

Join Family Book Club on Monday, Dec. 28 at 5 p.m. as we meet to discuss our favorite book(s) from this year! Each Monday of December I will be posting a short book recommendation for four of my favorite novels that I read in 2020.

"Prairie Lotus" by Linda Sue Park

Prairie Lotus

 
"Prairie Lotus" by Linda Sue Park is one of my favorite reads in 2020. This is a historical fiction novel about Hanna, who experiences tremendous racism due to being half-Chinese. Her mother has passed away and her father decides to move them east, away from Los Angeles, where is there is a large Asian community. The year is 1880 and Caucasian people considered themselves superior to all other races. Hanna's father, a white man, does his best to protect her but ultimately it is up to her to fulfill her dreams of getting an education and becoming a dressmaker in her father's shop. 
 
I enjoyed this story because of it's authenticity. I am not very familiar with America in the 1880s and I love to  learn about different time periods and other peoples' experiences. I loved Hanna. She is brave in the face of hatred and proves her worth to the town, even though she shouldn't have to. 
 
"Prairie Lotus" is available in print and online as an digital audiobook via Overdrive with your library card.
Posted by [email protected]  On Dec 14, 2020 at 3:15 PM
  
Read It!

Read It! "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens
Review by Nicole

Hello there! If you have read my posts before you will know that I am a Wisconsin native who moved here to lovely Colorado just at the start of the year. To keep in touch with some dear friends we started a book club that I get to virtually attend about once a month and we discuss a book one of our groupmates recommended. I just virtually met up with my WI book club this past weekend and it had felt like forever since we had our last book discussion. Our discussion for this month was “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens. 

“Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens


 This was a book I was really looking forward to both reading and discussing. Like all widely talked about books,  I was interested to view for myself what the hype was for this book. Since it has been published in 2018, it was a New York Times Bestseller for 32 non-consecutive weeks, sold more than 7 million copies worldwide, was A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick and A Business Insider Defining Book of the Decade. That’s a lot of hype! The premise of having a coming of age story mixed with a possible murder was of great intrigue as well.  

Kya Clark, also known as the “Marsh Girl” around her quiet town of Barkley Cove on the North Carolina coast, has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. In 1969, when the beloved and handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, everyone immediately suspects Kya. But she is not what they say. Sensitive, and somewhat reserved Kya is yearning to be loved and when she is highly sought after by two young men in town, Kya slowly starts to open herself to a new life, and then the unthinkable happens.  

This book was not only a great book to read but also gave us a great discussion. We divulge into Kya’s character and personality from the time she was a little girl to a young woman. She has had many hardships in her life but Delia Owens created a strong, and resilient character in Kya. The narrative jumps back and forth between present day in 1969 and less than a decade before that in 1952 as we learn about Kya’s home life and her fascination with the gulls and the marsh. This brought on some great conversation about Kya, the people in her home town, and the symbolism of the marsh and its variant wildlife.  

If you are looking for a book that has love loss, and bit of mystery, this is the book for you! 

If you are looking for books similar to “Where the Crawdads Sing”, check out “Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance”  by Ruth Emmie Lang, “Magic Hour” by Kristin Hannah, and  “The Wildlands” by Abby Geni

Check back for my next review for the book, “Marriage Vacation” by Pauline Brooks.  
Posted by [email protected]  On Dec 12, 2020 at 9:07 AM
  
Read It!

Family Book Club Year in Review: "Mimus" by Lilli Thal
by Tess

On Monday, Dec. 28 at 5p.m., Family Book Club will be meeting to discuss our favorite book(s) from this year! Each Monday of December I will be posting a short book recommendation for four of my favorite novels that I read in 2020.
 
"Mimus" by Lilli Thal

Mimus


Originally written in German and translated to English by John Brownjohn, this a fantasy novel set in a fictional country with a medieval time period setting. King Philip and King Theodo have been at war for years yet peace looks within reach. King Philip agrees to a meeting with King Theodo to sign a peace treaty. King Philip's son, Prince Florin, follows a few days behind his father. Yet, they are betrayed. Upon reaching King Theodo's court, Prince Florin sees his father in chains and he himself is forced to become the jester's apprentice.

Mimus, the jester, must entertain King Theodo with witty jokes, songs, and acrobatics. Reluctantly he takes Prince Florin in and, just as reluctantly, Florin learns the jester's tricks. Throughout the story, Prince Florin, who is now reduced to a slave, must try to find a way to escape with his father and seek revenge on the evil King Theodo. He also forms an interesting relationship with Mimus, his jester master.

This is one of my favorite children's books of all time and I re-read it this year. I know I will read it again in the future! It is well-written, dark, humorous, and readers will eagerly read to find out what happens to Prince Florin, his father, and Mimus. 

Parts of the story are unpleasant as Prince Florin and King Philip are not treated well. It is also suspenseful in places. I recommend for ages 9+.

Order a copy of "Mimus" by Lilli Thal through Prospector with your Aurora Public Library card.
Posted by [email protected]  On Dec 07, 2020 at 1:17 PM
  
Read It!

Family Book Club


Out of My Shell

"Out of My Shell" by Jenny Goebel is our Family Book Club pick for November!

Out of My Shell: Chapters 12-23
1. Olivia helped the sea turtle by smashing the pool's emergency light. Was this the right thing to do?
2. Now the turtle has made a nest, Olivia realizes the eggs are not safe. What does she try to do to protect them?
3. Since her barrier didn't work, what do you think she'll try next?
4. If you were in Olivia's shoes, what would YOU do?
5. She left the nest alone and the eggs hatched but some of the babies went the wrong way! Do you think calling the aquarium was a good idea?
6. Everything resolves itself well in the end and Lanie teaches Olivia to see a bit of hope in their situation. How did you like the book?

Copies of "Out of My Shell" are available at Tallyn's Reach Library and Jefferson County Public Libraries and unlimited eAudiobooks are available via hoopla digital - free with your library card!

Join Aurora Public Library and Jefferson County Public Library for a live Q&A with author Jenny Goebel on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 5 p.m. via Zoom! Register here.

Virtual Visit with Author
Posted by [email protected]  On Nov 23, 2020 at 2:11 PM
  
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