Elect to Read ... a Banned Book!

In this election year, it is important to remember how fortunate we are as Americans. We have the right to vote for members of our government, and our government cannot govern what we can or cannot read. This does mean some members of the public won't try to censor books that we have the right to read if we so chose. At the library, we celebrate "Banned Books Week" to be bring awareness to everyone's freedom to read. A display of frequently banned books is currently at the library. Patrons are welcome (and encouraged!) to check these books out.

For more information see:

Banned Books That Shaped America
http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/censorship/bannedbooksthatshapedamerica

11 Books That Were Banned for Completely Ridiculous Reasons
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/11-books-that-were-banned-for-completely-ridiculous-reasons/

Summer Reading Program 2016 - Two Weeks Left!

We are having a blast this summer for the Summer Reading Program - On Your Mark. Get Set. READ!

Here are a few highlights from the summer so far:

The Summer Reading Program's kick off event featured the Perot Museum's TECH Truck. Participants made their own rockets, and launched them outside. 

The Haltom City Public Works Department brought their trucks for the kids to see on "Big Truck Day." 

Boitumelo brought their fun of music from the world to the library for a special concert made possible through the Arts Council Northeast's Masterwork Concert Series. 

Reading Buddies is held every Tuesday and Thursday at 2:00 where young readers can read with Junior Volunteers and to Reagan, the reading dog.

This is just some of the fun we have had so far! Be sure to check out the library's Flickr page to see more photo albums. 

Check out the library's Facebook page to see what else is going on! Don't forget to turn in your Reading Log by Wednesday, July 27th.

First Finds! July New Books at the Haltom City Public Library

The first of the month = First Finds! Here is the latest installment of new and interesting books from the collection. 

Before the fall by Noah Hawley
Genre: Mystery; Thrillers and suspense
"The stories of ten wealthy victims of a plane crash intertwine with those of a down-on-his-luck painter and a four-year-old boy, the tragedy's only survivors, as odd coincidences surrounding the crash point to a possible conspiracy." - NoveList





But what if we're wrong: thinking about the present as if it were the past by Chuck Klosterman
"The best-selling author of Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs explores the idea that today's mainstream beliefs about the world are fundamentally incorrect, drawing on original interviews with forefront intellectuals and experts to consider how the music, sports, literature and other present-day conventions may be perceived in future centuries." - NoveList





You may also like: taste in an age of endless choice by Tom Vanderbilt
Genre: Social topics, Business and economics
"From the best-selling author of Traffic, a brilliant and entertaining exploration of our personal tastes--why we like the things we like, and what it says about us." - NoveList








The girls by Emma Cline
Genre: Adult books for young adults; Coming-of-age stories; Psychological fiction

"Mesmerized by a band of girls in the park she perceives as enjoying a life of free and careless abandon, 1960s teen Evie Boyd becomes obsessed with gaining acceptance into their circle, only to find herself drawn into a cult and seduced by its charismatic leader." - NoveList

Want more? Click on the "First Finds" label below to see more recommended books.

Tarrant County Heritage Traveling Exhibit

The Library is honored to host a special exhibit from the Tarrant County Historical Commission: the Tarrant County Heritage Traveling Exhibit. The Exhibit was made possible through a grant from the Fash Foundation.

The panel topics of the Exhibit are the following:
1. Introduction
2. The land of Tarrant County
3. Indians of Texas
4. Indian tribes of the area
5. Texas frontier
6. The Republic
7. Birds Fort
8. Early towns
9. Map of early Tarrant
10. The Fort established
11. Ripley Arnold
12. General Tarrant
13. Tarrant statue
14. The County created
15. First courthouses
16. Courthouses
17. Early towns
18. Two communities
19. The Civil War
20. African-Americans
21. African-American heritage
22. Cattle drives
23. The trails
24. Trail heritage
25. Hispanics
26. 1895 courthouse
27. Transportation center
28. Railroads
29. Tarantula map
30. Rail lines
31. Rail heritage
32. County functions
33. The Dragstone
34. Pioneer homes
35. Grapevine and Fort Worth homes
36. Knapp Park
37. Courthouse restoration
38. Restoration
39. More restoration
40.The Westside
41. Clock tower
42. Historical Commission
43. Historical designations
44. The  County Archive
45. Preserving heritage

The exhibit will be on view at the Haltom City Public Library in June and July 2016.

The Library is grateful to the Birdville Historical Society for coordinating with the Tarrant County Historical Commission in securing this exhibit for us.

First Finds! June New Books at the Haltom City Public Library

The first of the month = First Finds! Here is the latest installment of new and interesting books from the collection. 

Paul McCartney : the life by Philip Norman
Genre: Biography
"Since the age of twenty-one, Paul McCartney has lived one of the ultimate rock-n-roll lives played out on the most public of stages. Now, Paul's story is told by rock music's foremost biographer, with McCartney's consent and access to family members and close friends who have never spoken on the record before. PAUL McCARTNEY reveals the complex character behind the façade and sheds new light on his childhood--blighted by his mother's death but redeemed by the father who introduced him to music. This is the first definitive account of Paul's often troubled partnership with John Lennon, his personal trauma after the Beatles' breakup, and his subsequent struggle to get back to the top with Wings--which nearly got him murdered in Africa and brought him nine days in a Tokyo jail. Readers will learn about his marriage to Linda, including their much-criticized musical collaboration, and a moving account of her death. Packed with new information and critical insights, PAUL MCCARTNEY will be the definitive biography of a musical legend,"--Amazon.com.

Until we are free : my fight for human rights in Iran by Shirin Ebadi
Genres: Autobiography/Memoir; Politics and global affairs; Society and culture
"The first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize recounts how she endured death threats, false accusations targeting her family, arrests, invasions of privacy, home attacks, office seizures and other harassment from the Iranian government for her work as a human rights lawyer." - NoveList

FYI: Read here about Shirin Ebadi and about her winning the Nobel Peace Prize.


Redemption Road by John Hart
Genre: Mystery
"In Hart’s new suspense novel, we meet veteran detective Elizabeth Black, who is facing possible suspension for a suspicious shooting. At the same time, former police officer Adrian Wall is released from prison after serving time for the murder of Julia Stange. Stange’s son wants Adrian dead. Adrian has always claimed his innocence, but after his release, a couple of new bodies turn up at the church. This is a thrilling page-turner that starts at a rapid-fire pace and doesn’t let up. Great book for literary and thriller lovers alike. -- Kelly Currie for LibraryReads."- NoveList


At the edge of summer by Jessica Brockmole
Genres: Historical Fiction; Epistolary novels
"Spending a summer in a French château in the aftermath of her father's death and mother's disappearance, 15-year-old Clare befriends her hosts' son, who she reencounters years later during World War I as an angry and devastatingly wounded soldier." - NoveList

FYI: An Epistolary Novel is one written as a series of letters.




Zero K by Don DeLillo
Genre: Social science fiction
"Jeffrey Lockhart’s father, Ross, is a George Soros-like billionaire now in his sixties, with a younger wife, Artis, whose health is failing. Ross is the primary investor in a deeply remote and secret compound where death is controlled and bodies are preserved until a future moment when medicine and technology can reawaken them. Jeffrey joins Ross and Artis at the compound to say 'an uncertain farewell' to her as she surrenders her body." - NoveList





Want more? Click on the "First Finds" label below to see more recommended books.

On Your Mark, Get Set... READ! Summer Reading Program 2016

It's almost that time of year: SUMMER READING PROGRAM time!

Start your Reading Log!

Beginning Friday, June 3, register for the reading portion of the Summer Reading Program, pick up a log, and start reading. Keep track of all reading for summer and turn your log in for prizes! Last day to turn in logs is Wednesday, July 27 by 8:00 p.m.

This year, we have a lot of great things planned.

Mondays

Every Monday will feature Family Movie Night at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy a family movie and free popcorn.

June 6: The Good Dinosaur (G)
June 13: Hotel Transylvania 2 (PG)
June 20: Minions (PG)
June 27: Shaun the Sheep (PG)
July 4: The Library will be closed for Independence Day
July 11:  Norm of the North (PG)
July 18: Inside Out (PG)
July 25: Zootopia (PG)

Tuesdays and Thursdays

Every Tuesday and Thursday at 2:00 p.m., young readers have a chance to practice their reading skills with a junior volunteer or a reading dog!

Wednesdays

Every Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., Lt. Derek Wood from the Haltom City Fire Department will be at the library to teach a different safety topic and everyone will make a craft. On July 6, John Cooper from BNSF Rail Road will be here to discuss rail safety.

Fridays

Fridays feature the Special Guest Friday programs at 2:00 p.m.

June 3: Summer Reading Program Kick Off with the Perot Museum TECH Truck
June 10: Dinosaur Valley State Park
June 17: Dallas Zoo
June 24: Magic of Brett Roberts
July 1: Turtle Discovery
July 8: Dangerous Edison 
July 15: Author James Martinez
July 22: Boopsie the Clown
July 29: Summer Reading Finale with the Dallas Puppet Theater

Saturdays

Super Science Saturdays will continue for the Summer on the first Saturday of the month at 9:00 a.m.

June 4: Geology
July 2: Lenses, Prisms, and Optics

Special Presentations

Friday, June 10 at 3:30 p.m.: Arts Council NE MasterWorks Concert: Boitumelo
Friday, June 24 at 3:30 p.m.: Arts Council NE MasterWorks Concert: Mr. Blue Shoes
Thursday, July 7 at 11:00 a.m.: Big City Trucks with the Haltom City Public Works Department
Thursday, July 14 at 2:00 p.m.: Human Society of North Texas presents: "Safety With Animals"

Follow Us! 

Don't forget to follow the library on Facebook, Twitter, and now Instagram!

Coloring and Cookies for Grown Ups!

We had a great turnout for our first two after-hours coloring parties, Coloring and Cookies for Grown Ups. While coloring is all the rage, it does have some benefits too.

In the early 20th Century, Carl Jung, the inventor of analytical psychology, prescribed coloring of mandalas as part of therapy. A certified art therapist said that while coloring is not considered art therapy, it does retain some therapeutic benefits. She said, "Just like meditation, coloring also allows us to switch off our brains from other thoughts and focus only on the moment, helping to alleviate free-floating anxiety" (quoted in a CNN article).  It seems impossible to go through the day today without constant interaction with a cell phone, computer, or tablet. Recent studies have shown that heavy usage of these devices may be linked to depression and anxiety. Coloring helps to "unplug."

Interested in coloring? Join us on Friday, June 3rd at 6:30 p.m. and enjoy some relaxing coloring while having fun with others. You can even have cookies!

Further Reading:

"Why Adult Coloring Books are Good for You" - CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/06/health/adult-coloring-books-popularity-mental-health/.

"The Therapeutic Science Of Adult Coloring Books: How This Childhood Pastime Helps Adults Relieve Stress" - Medical Daily
http://www.medicaldaily.com/therapeutic-science-adult-coloring-books-how-childhood-pastime-helps-adults-356280.

"A Neuroscientist Patiently Explains the Allure of the Adult Coloring Book" -New York Magazine
http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/01/neuroscientist-explains-adult-coloring-books.html.