Kent District Library (MI)'s Blog, page 106

We Asked, You Answered: Dinner with an Author

Recently, we asked this question on our Facebook page:

If you could have dinner with an author, who would it be?

We received a host of great responses including , Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Jodi Picoult and C.S. Lewis.

Who would you add to the list? Leave us a comment and let us know. And don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook!

 

 

Early Lit Bits: App Review — Toca Kitchen Monsters

If you are looking for a silly, interactive and well-crafted app for young children, check out Toca Kitchen Monsters. In this app you and your child will have a chance to talk and play together as you feed two hungry monsters. As you play, you are able select from a variety of foods and 5 interactive ways to prepare them. The fun part is watching the monsters reaction when you feed it! It all depends on how the food is selected, prepared and spiced. While playing with your child, talk about the food and how you prepare it. Try introducing new words like “chop” and “blend.” Talk about how you think the monster liked the food.  Have fun and make the most out of screen time by playing together! This app is available free for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.

– Julie R. at KDL’s Caledonia Township branch

 

 

This article originally appeared in our Early Lit Bits eNewsletter. Read the most recent issue online or sign up to receive this monthly update highlighting early literacy tips and resources for parents and caregivers.

 

KDL Top Ten – 8/23/2013

Do you blanch at the thought of summer coming to an end?  Then, get yourself into a jam, or possibly a pickle, with this well-preserved booklist!  View 10 of the most popular titles in Canning and Preserving at KDL – click on the link to this week’s KDL Top Ten list!

 

Library Impact Story: Bethany Refugees

For many visitors to the Kentwood (Richard L. Root) branch, the library serves as a gateway to many resources they need to start a new way of life.

Since November, two groups from the Bethany Christian Services Refugee Resettlement Program have toured the branch. Bethany’s West Michigan resettlement program helps some 600 refugees annually — people who have fled their home countries because they fear for their safety. Read the full story here.

 

 

 

Grandville Branch Power Restored

The Grandville branch is currently closed due to a power outage that is affecting much of the downtown Grandville area. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and hope to reopen as soon as power is restored.

UPDATE: Power has been restored and the branch has re-opened. Thanks for your patience!

 

MeLCat Unavailable Thursday Evening

MeLCat, the service that allows KDL cardholders to request items from libraries around the state, will be unavailable starting at 5:00 PM tonight (Thursday, August 22) to perform a software upgrade. Placing requests and renewing MeLCat items will not be possible during this time. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

 

The New 52: Superhero Redux

I have always enjoyed Batman, especially when Christopher Nolan re-launched the Batman films. But I never really got into the graphic novels because I thought the storylines might be so confusing or convoluted with past character interactions and story plots that I would be out of the loop.

However, DC Comics, the creators of iconic super heroes such as Batman, Superman, Flash and Wonder Woman, have decided to relaunch their entire line of graphic novels. The revamping of the storylines is called The New 52 and began in 2011 with the Justice League. While I just discovered The New 52 a week ago, I have been really impressed with the artwork and storylines of the few graphic novels I have read. I have read voraciously the first volumes of Batman, Batman Dark Night, Batgirl, Green Arrow and am about to start reading Batwoman and Catwoman once my holds come in.  So if you have ever had any interest in reading your favorite superhero graphic novels but had been put off, now is your chance to start while the storylines have started over.

 

 

Can’t Get Enough of Cedar Cove?

Neither can we!

The new Hallmark Channel TV series, Cedar Cove, based on the has charmed viewers with a beautiful small town setting on the northwest coast, likable characters, and light romantic suspense.

If you’ve read the Cedar Cove series, be sure to check out other books by Debbie Macomber.  For all of you hard-core Debbie fans looking for similar authors, let us recommend a few!   and  write books that are especially similar.  You may also want to try anything by Mary Kay Andrews or Kristan Higgins and David Baldacci’s One Summer.  You can find several other recommendations on the Contemporary Romance sheet on the Popular Authors by Genre portion of our website.

For a similar viewing experience, try the TV series Everwood.

Finally, tell us who your favorite Cedar Cove character is!  You might have guessed that one of our favorites is Grace (the librarian)!

 

Updated OverDrive Media Console App

[image error]Users of KDL’s free eBooks & eAudiobooks may have noticed that the OverDrive Media Console app for mobile devices was updated today. The new OverDrive Media Console 3 adds some great new features, including:

A redesigned user interface with an all-new look, streamlined navigation and a one-stop reorganized menu. App functions are just a swipe and tap away.


Users can sync bookmarks and reading progress across multiple devices using a free, opt-in registration service called OverDrive One.


Variable speed playback. Play eAudiobooks from .5x to 2x normal speed. (iOS only)


First-time user tutorial screens. The app now provides guidance to help new users add a library and get books.

If your device runs iOS 6 (or newer) or Android v4.0 (or newer), you will be prompted to update your app, or you can download it directly. (If you have an older device, the current version of the OverDrive app that you have installed will continue to function as normal.)

Questions? Give us a call at 616-784-2007 or fill out the Support Request Form.

Happy Downloading!

 

Author Elmore Leonard Dies At Age 87

Well-known Michigan author Elmore Leonard died at his home in Bloomfield Township on Tuesday at the age of 87. Elmore Leonard started out writing westerns for magazines in 1951.  60 years later he was still publishing a book a year because “it’s fun.”  In 2009, Elmore Leonard was honored with a lifetime achievement award from the American chapter of PEN.  Last year, he was presented with an award for distinguished contribution to American letters from the National Book Foundation.