As we settle into November, thoughts will of course turn towards Thanksgiving, a holiday that celebrates family, food, and gratitude.  Back in elementary school, when we traced our hands to make paper turkeys, we also learned about the first Thanksgiving back in the 17th century, a glossed-over tale that ignores the complicated truth of our country’s history with Native Americans ( or American Indians, or First Americans, or simply Indians, depending upon personal preference; terminology matters ). President Obama has declared November National Native American Heritage Month , a time to advocate for and celebrate the rights (and rites), traditions, and unique cultures of Native Americans.     The truth is that it is easy to call up images of teepees, headdresses, and dream catchers, and say that we know what it is to be an American Indian.  We live among towns whose names can be traced back to Native American roots, yet we tend to understand little about the cultures that have inspired these towns.  In fact, there are two Native American tribe reservations in Suffolk County: The Poospatuck and Shinnecock Reservations.  Really, the Native American population is comprised of distinct groups and tribes, each with their own histories and ways of living. To learn more about the many threads of Native American culture, The Library of Congress created a great web resource…Read More »

What comes to mind when you imagine taking an autumn road trip? Foliage, roadside farm stands, fields of pumpkins…all the typical stuff, right? If this is the type of trip you look forward to each year–safe, quaint, and suitable for all ages–then I implore you to take advantage of resources provided by The Travel Channel and Fodors , as well as the many travel books we have here at the library, including Fodor’s New England .  If instead, you long for a more…how shall I put it…macabre experience, read ahead (at your own risk) for a Northeast road trip route designed to scare, thrill, and fright.     First, a few tips:   If you do not enjoy any combination of the following, please feel free to skip this post: Haunted houses, scary movies, ghosts, Halloween, New England, road trips.  While I appreciate your readership, I understand that not everyone enjoys this stuff.  To be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of horror, myself.  However, lots are.  So, this post is for them.  To your left, you  will see the most recent posts of Checking the Shelf.  Feel free  to catch up on any old posts you missed! Please be respectful of the areas you visit.  Just…Read More »

Like most kids, I was a child who worshiped the summer.  Ice cream trucks, swimming pools, no school; my birthday is even during the summer!  What could be better?  Now, as an adult, I’ve gained such an appreciation for the fall.  I love wearing chunky sweaters and chunky boots, picking apples, and taking walks at dusk, just as the chill picks up and the leaves swirl around.  We’re fortunate to live on Long Island, where there is an abundance of activities to keep us engaged in the season.   Fall fun starts at the LPL, where we strive to create dynamic seasonal programming .  This year, I think we have really outdone ourselves!  I am so excited to be a part of our first “Pumpkin Palooza.”  Visit us on Friday, October 21st to enjoy some pumpkin refreshments and view decorated pumpkins created by the LPL staff. I’m looking forward to seeing some elaborate pumpkins from my talented coworkers.  If you decide to get a head start conceptualizing your own pumpkin designs and want to avoid the muck of pumpkin carving, here are some “no carve” pumpkin decorating ideas, via Longisland.com .     A great hands-on activity that we will be offering is our Fall Ceramic Workshop on Tuesday, October 25th (registration begins Tuesday, September 20th), where you can tap into your inner artist…Read More »

Another summer has come and gone, and with it goes the pure joy of reading paperbacks on the beach or listening to audiobooks by a glistening swimming pool.  Did you get to read everything on your summer reading list?  I know that I did NOT!  This summer may have passed quicker than any other in my life.  It was a whirl of busyness and chores and responsibilities that hardly left me with enough time or mental focus to delve into those juicy, sprawling novels that are especially scrumptious to read during the summer.     Before I share my recent reads, I should also let you know that I have a new home in the LPL: the Children’s Room!  This has been an exciting change.  However, coupled with the start of a new semester (I am a librarian-in-the-making), this move means that I have less time to read “adult” books.  So, if you’re not in the market for children’s and tween book recommendations, I apologize.  I will keep reading adult fare, so even if the recommendations for these books may seem fewer and farther between, don’t give up on me, yet!  Maybe, just maybe, you will even be inspired to…Read More »

Charlie Bucket. Matilda Wormwood. James Henry Trotter.  Veruca Salt.  Miss Trunchbull.  If you know these names, congratulations!  You have been fortunate enough to peek inside the mind of renowned Welsh author Roald Dahl, whose stories have inspired dreams and nightmares for decades. In the coming week, we celebrate Roald Dahl 100 , the 100th anniversary of Dahl’s birth (September 13th) and reflect on the various characters–human and otherwise–that he brought to the page and, by extension, the screen.   Dahl’s name has been in the news recently; this past July saw the release of yet another film adaptation based on his work: The B.F.G. (Big Friendly Giant, in case you didn’t know).  Despite his many successes and enduring appeal, Roald Dahl is an unlikely children’s author.  This former fighter pilot began as a writer for adults.  He became famous for his children’s books, which are macabre, at best.  Other ways to describe his work: grotesque, chilling, and creepy.  Think about it: Children getting sucked into chocolate river pipes; a principal who terrorizes her students; witches turning children into rats and trying to squash them under their heels; a giant rolling peach that destroys everything in its path.  The children in the worlds created…Read More »

That time of the year is creeping up on us…marble notebooks, mechanical pencils, 3-ring binders, graphing calculators that cost more than a weekend getaway.  By now, you have probably combed through the sales and picked up jeans here and loose leaf paper there.  I bet you’ve traversed the county, on the hunt for the perfect backpack for your first-grader.  All of the preparation will be worth it when the big moment arrives: The First Day of School.     How do you deal with the back to school transition?  Are you bouncing off the walls with excitement, feeling weightless from the relief of no longer needing to keep antsy children entertained all day, every day?  Are you consumed with anxiety, thoughts of book reports and pages upon pages of math and science homework sheets dancing through your daily nightmares?  The school year is a stressful time for parents and students.  It’s a constant juggling act, whether you’re a student or a parent, and most of us often feel just one misstep away from dropping everything.  As you gather your supplies and plan your carpools, take comfort in these few things that will help with the transition back to early mornings…Read More »

Readers, I had a proud moment last week.  I caught a Jigglypuff! She is adorable and pink, with big, blue eyes.  Like a sweet and stealthy ninja, she has the ability to lull enemies to sleep.  Though she is small, she will one day evolve into a pompadour-sporting Wigglytuff.  When I look at her in my Pokédex, I almost cannot handle the cuteness.     Oh readers, I really thought that I would be immune to Pokémon Go.  I was wrong. I am not a gamer and I have never participated in Cosplay, Comic Con, or anything related to Anime.  Although Pokémon is a part of my generation, it never felt that way.  My brother, nearly nine years younger than me, is the Pokémon superfan, has been since the time he was sporting baby teeth.  My parents could probably wallpaper their house with the Pokémon trading cards my brother collected over the years.  So, how did I get here?     To start, Pokémon fever has invaded my second home, the Levittown Public Library.  We are excited to be a Pokémon Go gym, meaning that we are a location, designated by the game, where Pokémon trainers (players) can battle for…Read More »

Sunday, July 31st is the 36th* birthday of our favorite wizard and arguably the most valiant Gryffindor, Harry Potter.  Harry happens to share his birthday with J.K. Rowling, the brilliant writer we have to thank for Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  Although the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows , was published nine years ago, we’ve never really said goodbye to Harry, have we?  This is partly to do with film adaptations and other projects that show us new ways to appreciate the stories and characters, including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida and Pottermore , which Rowling calls “the digital heart of the Wizarding World.”  The Harry Potter series, much like The Boy Who Lived, survives and thrives today, despite changing trends and generations that grow up right before our very eyes.  Any day is a good day to discuss Harry Potter, but now is an especially great time.  Not only are we celebrating the birthdays of Harry and J.K. Rowling, but we will also see the release of a new project, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child .  This new play, based on an original story by Rowling, will debut July 30th on London’s West End.  Rowling refers to this…Read More »

Ah, the Sports Movie, a genre so dependable we know all the tropes: inspirational speeches delivered by grizzled coaches, basketballs swishing through nets just as the buzzers sound, the underdogs who score the winning goals, and the opponents who eventually learn they’re more alike than different.  Yeah, they can be predictable.  But isn’t that what we love about them?  When we turn on a film that revolves around athletic endeavors, we expect to see characters overcoming adversities and pushing themselves past physical and mental limits.  We want the hard-fought happy ending.  Also, how can we really blame filmmakers for indulging in cliches when so many of our favorite sports movies are based on true stories?  When we’re feeling down and in need of a pick-me-up, these are the types of films that remind us we are stronger than we know.   Of course, we have to acknowledge the elephant on the page: any time a real event is translated into a fictional rendering, there’s always going to be a certain degree of freewheeling with the facts.  If you’re watching any of these films for a lesson in history, proceed with caution and supplement your viewing with quality resources on the…Read More »

Summer reading is here!  This year’s overall theme of Wellness, Fitness, and Sports not only lends itself to some pretty cool handmade signage, as displayed throughout the building (I have some seriously talented coworkers), and creative programming ( check our newsletter for all the details ), but it also reminds us of the many books and films related to this topic that would make worthy additions to our Summer Reading Lists. Keep reading for some sports-related book recommendations and check back in next time to read about our favorite sports films.   The high-stakes of athleticism serves as a great foundation for compelling fictional and nonfictional stories.  In fact, some of the most popular and well-reviewed releases in recent years center around America’s favorite pastimes.  These stories can even come from the unlikeliest of sources.  For example, I was surprised to see that John Grisham–usually known as a master of legal thrillers–has a repertoire of sports novels, including Bleachers (football), Calico Joe (baseball), and Playing for Pizza (football).  A recent standout in this genre was The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach, which was one of the most lauded books of 2011.  I just picked this one up and am looking forward to seeing if it lives up to the hype; I’m told it’s a sprawling story…Read More »

Now that Summer Reading has officially begun at the Levittown Public Library, I think it’s time we check in with our reading lists and plan for the sun soaked months ahead.   Back in March, I shared with you the smattering of books I had recently read , including two graphic novels, a few Young Adult reads, and a couple of more adult books.  Since then, I’ve added another seven books to my 2016 tally.  I have to say: The books keep getting better!  I am so looking forward to a summer filled with epic tomes and breezy beach reads.  Before I get to my list, I would like to encourage all the readers out there to please feel free to comment below and tell us about your “recent reads:” the good, the bad, and even the very bad.  Together, let’s help to make this the best Summer of Books yet.   The Sound of Gravel: Ruth Wariner   Ruth Wariner’s memoir is one of my favorite types to read because it details a world, and a worldview, that is unlike my own.  Wariner grew up in a polygamous Mormon colony in Mexico.  She persevered in spite of burdens that no child should have to bear: poverty, abuse, and most horrifying, a mother who more or less turned the other cheek,…Read More »

Thank you to everyone who attended our Summer Reading Kick-Off Outdoor Festival!  We had a beautiful afternoon of games, music, crafts, and more. This is only the beginning of our Summer Reading programs.  If you were unable to attend the event and register for one of our Summer Reading clubs, please consult our newsletter  or call the appropriate department for more information.

For the second year in a row, the Levittown Public Library will be kicking off our summer reading programs with a jam-packed, prize-filled outdoor festival!  This year’s event will take place on Saturday, June 11th, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in Levittown Veterans Memorial Park, in front of the library.  Last year, we were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of our community and the generosity of the many companies, vendors, organizations, and individuals who donated raffle prizes and other items to help make our first Kick-Off Festival such a success.  We are thrilled to take that experience and build upon it.  Our goal, which we have been working hard to achieve, is to create an afternoon that offers something for all of our patrons (and their families, friends, coworkers, etc…all are welcome!).  As you can see below, each reading program has a slightly different theme, and Festival events and activities will correspond appropriately:   Adult: Exercise Your Mind. Read! Teen: Get in the Game: Read Children’s: On Your Mark, Get Set…Read!   Summer is the “Season of the Reader” (my own unofficial term). Road trips, airplane rides, beach days, park visits, air conditioned evenings…These are all things that go perfectly…Read More »

Once a year, just ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, ESPN broadcasts a surprising competition, an event not typically considered as synonymous with a network known for its around-the-clock sports coverage: The Scripps National Spelling Bee .  That’s right, ESPN devotes three separate viewing blocks–including a primetime hour (8 p.m. on Thursday, May 26th)– to showcase a group of adolescents competitively spelling words.  How could this possibly compete with the excitement of lay-ups, power plays, or extra innings?  If you have to ask that question, then clearly you have never watched the high-stakes tension of this elite spelling bee.   This is the first year that the Levittown School District has participated in the 2016 Long Island Regional Scripps Spelling Bee, held at Hofstra University on March 13 .  Although our district will not be represented at the national level, Nassau County has a speller in Rika Mizoguchi (AKA Speller No. 155), an eighth grade student at Harry B. Thompson Middle School in Syosset .  Go Rika!   Don’t let the term fool you; although “spelling bee” sounds like a cute little turn of phrase, akin to “Oh my stars,” this is a serious competition with serious prizes.  And there’s a lot of swag to be won : The champion goes home with a $40,000 cash prize, a $2,500 savings bond, a complete reference library, and an all-expense paid trip to be a guest on Live! With Kelly and Michael (rather, Live! With Kelly at press time…).  Runners up don’t do too…Read More »

Last year, I took my first trip to Washington, D.C.  Unfortunately, I was only in town for a short time, so it was impossible to see everything on my (very) long tourist wishlist.  Despite the time crunch, I made sure to fit in my number #1 destination: The Smithsonian National Museum of American History.  I had two must-sees: Dorothy’s slippers from The Wizard of Oz and Julia Child’s kitchen.  Both were as exciting to see in person as I had imagined, though I was surprised (and a little disappointed) that Dorothy’s slippers didn’t have as much sparkle as they do in Technicolor.   I’m sharing this little anecdote because, not only is it positively RIVETING (haha), but it also brings us conveniently to the topic of International Museum Day , celebrated annually on May 18th.  We’ve discussed museums a bit in the past–see “ A Day at the Museum –” though that was more in the context of our many museum passes available for loan to Levittown Library cardholders.  The museum passes are still extremely popular items, and I encourage our patrons to call or stop in if they’re looking for a fun way to spend an afternoon with friends, family, or even a relaxing day on their own. As…Read More »

Despite the rainy weather we’ve been experiencing, there’s no denying that Levittown is in bloom.  The trees have come back to life, overflowing with brightly colored buds that have or soon will litter the ground; the prettiest natural confetti there is!  Many of you reading this will spend your weekends turning up dirt and planting new flower beds, nurturing your herb gardens, or preparing for what will hopefully be an abundance of ripe vegetables.   When it comes to gardening, I am a happy observer and an unskilled participant.  It would be nice to think that keeping a plant or a flower or a vegetable patch alive is as simple as a little dirt and water.  Maybe in some cases it is that simple, but I know enough to realize that in most cases there are other variables to consider: time of year, amount of water, amount of sunlight, amount of dirt (type of dirt?), fertilizer…and on and on.  Gardening is a science of pH balances and photosynthesis, not to mention a beautiful art.  My eyes were recently opened to the wonders of gardening.  It was a likely source: a book.  Go figure.  In fact, it happens to be a…Read More »

Anyone who’s seen Spotlight , the recent Best Picture winner at the Academy Awards, may have noticed something surprising.  The Boston journalists investigating abuse in the Catholic Church had a few unexpected and powerful allies: Librarians.  That’s right, librarians played a crucial role in this important story.  You might assume that librarians exist only in public, school, or university libraries; on the contrary, librarians work in a wide range of settings, including museums, high-powered corporations, and yes, newspaper offices.  The librarians that we see in the film are responsible for organizing and pulling old articles, or “clips” as they’re called.  We see librarians dropping off folders overstuffed with clips, moving compact shelving with the press of a button, and gathering reels of microfilm.  In one scene, we see three of the reporters huddled in the basement of what we can assume to be the Boston Globe’s library, poring through directories that list the placements of Boston priests over the years.  Without these tools, it would have been nearly impossible for the reporters to build their story and expose decades of corruption and cover-ups.     Let’s be honest: When we think about exciting professions, we don’t automatically think of librarians.  How…Read More »

One of the most popular and well-respected figures in children’s literature will be celebrating a very special milestone.  On April 12th, Beverly Cleary will turn 100!  In her 100 years, this daughter of a farmer and a schoolteacher has come a long way from the small town of Yamhill, Oregon.  She has created iconic characters who have stood the test of time, including Henry Huggins, Mr. Ribsy, Ramona and Beezus Quimby, Leigh Botts, Ellen Tebbits, and Ralph S. Mouse.  Their stories still line library bookshelves far and wide, delicately teaching young readers how to love, laugh, imagine, forgive, and be brave. Though, the most important thing that these characters taught, and the most important thing that Beverly Cleary has taught millions of children is the most obvious: HOW TO READ! It would be an impossible task to count up the number of readers who have become readers because of Beverly Cleary’s words.   For her talent and many literary contributions, Beverly Cleary has been awarded numerous honors, including the 1981 National Book Award (Ramona and Her Mother), the 1984 Newbery Medal (Dear Mr. Henshaw), the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, and the National Medal of Arts.  She’s influenced many of our…Read More »

We are three full months into 2016 and I don’t know about you lovely readers, but I am flying through some great books! If you’re a faithful fan of the LPL’s blog, and I hope you are, then you should be familiar with past posts, in which I encouraged us all to read outside our comfort zones and experiment with new genres and different authors.  Some of you may have even joined me in the 2015 Reading Challenge.  To those of you taking the 2016 Challenge , I hope it introduces you to great reads and proves a worthwhile experience.  As for me, I’m skipping the challenges and reading lists, and going back to just reading the books that appeal to me.  And I’ve gotten off to a good start, with ten books read, including three graphic novels, four young adult novels, one middle grade novel, one adult novel, and one adult biography.  I apologize if YA and graphic novels aren’t in your usual reading arsenal–I promise to read more adult literature in the coming months. But, hey, you never know: You just might listen to my recommendations and discover a whole new world of great literature.   Blankets: Craig Thompson Despite its massive heft…Read More »

I love magazines.  I love that I can spend an hour or two (or less) with a magazine and read it from cover to cover.  I love that I can bring a couple of magazines–or one really good one–to the gym and that those pages of text and photos will get me through an hour on the elliptical.  I love that magazines can distill information into helpful or entertaining blurbs while also using their wide-reaching platform to tell more expansive stories, stories that reveal hidden topics or introduce us to interesting people or places.  I love that magazines can be serious or silly, or sometimes both.  I don’t even mind waiting for a bit at the nail salon or in the dentist’s office if they have a spread of new magazines, like People or Glamour (or Us Weekly, if we’re being honest).  So, I’m a pretty lucky lady to work in a library, and it’s even luckier that I work at the Levittown Public Library, which boasts an impressive magazine roster that continues to grow.   Magazines are actually just one part of a larger collection: Periodicals.  For example, these include the magazines you see in the Reference, Young Adult,…Read More »

For two weekends this year, March 18th-20th and November 4th-16th, mystery buffs will gather in Cape May, New Jersey to celebrate one of the most famous–and trendiest– fictional detectives: Sherlock Holmes.   Sherlock Holmes Weekend is an interactive experience for ticket holders to gather clues, piece together the evidence, make deductions, and participate in other “Holmesian” games and activities. For those of us not making the trek to Jersey, we can still have some fun getting better acquainted with the famous resident of 221B Baker Street.     Honestly, I don’t know much about Holmes, aside from the more well-known facts.  I know where he lives: the aforementioned Baker Street, in London, of course.  I know that he is gobsmackingly brilliant, with a knack for observation and deduction.  Lastly, I know that he solves crimes with the help of his flatmate, Dr. John Watson, who is far more straightlaced than the eccentric Sherlock.     The character was created by physician-turned-writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes was in 1887.  Eventually, Doyle wrote him into over fifty short stories and four novels, including The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Hound of the Baskervilles , both of which are available here at the Levittown Public Library, as are…Read More »

Calling all crafters!  Warm up your hot glue guns, gather your beads and ribbons, and line up your glitter tubes.  March is National Craft Month!  Sponsored by the Craft & Hobby Association, specifically the CHA Foundation and Cre8time.org , National Craft Month is a time to reignite your creative spirit and connect with the large and diverse community of crafters.     Crafting is the perfect hobby; it can be done alone, in groups, and for very little money. The key to crafting is in learning how to see the ordinary as having the potential to be extraordinary, new, and unique.  Soup cans can be turned into lamps, the cork from a bottle of wine can be made into a pair of earrings, and spare buttons can be turned into a wall collage.  Get in the habit of keeping spare odds and ends for future projects; an empty cookie tin or an extra box where you can throw in buttons, bits of material, missing parts of board games, even old placemats.  In fact, upcycling–basically the phrase “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” put into motion–is still a big trend.  Visit Popsugar to view their fantastic, inspiring list of 221 Upcycling Ideas .  Personally, I think…Read More »

What’s the one thing we could all use more of?  Money?  Probably.  Fun?  Sure.  Time? Absolutely.  We could all use more hours in the day.  Every four years we kind of get our wish and are given the rare February 29th, a calendar anomaly and the time equivalent of found money: found time.  Make the most of your extra day and do something special, fun, different, brave, spontaneous, unexpected. Take a leap!     Here are some suggestions on how to make this extra day count:   Hop in the car and go somewhere you’ve never been.  Drive with or without a destination in mind.  Go somewhere you’ve always wanted to go, or just hit the road and see where it takes you.  This could mean driving for thirty minutes or three hours.  Today, make it your mission to see what you have never seen.   Have a Tech-Free Day.  Turn off your wifi, close your laptop, ignore the gaming systems and let your mind and eyes relax.  Enjoy the simpler things, like a walk around your neighborhood, a new magazine, or an old hobby that you’ve been neglecting.   Organize, Organize, Organize!  This sounds like the least adventurous way…Read More »

When I was in high school, I had an English teacher who asked our class to think of songs related to The Scarlet Letter , one of those nineteenth-century novels that’s included on every high school curriculum.  We tried to think of songs that already existed and that shared similar themes, narratives, tones, etc. with the book (my suggestion was R.E.M.’s “Losing my Religion”).  It was such a fun and logical assignment because books and music share a common goal: to tell a compelling story.   Some pieces of music tell a story with only instruments, while others make use of evocative lyrics.  Music can enhance so many everyday experiences, from driving in a car to playing basketball to reading a book.   There’s a reason movies have soundtracks: music brings out nuances in a story and heightens emotions that the artist is trying to elicit.  Haven’t we all had those moments of joy, nostalgia, or perhaps triumph, when a certain song plays in our head, or we can’t help but feel that the moment would cross the line into a cinematic experience if only there was a soundtrack playing in the background?   Last month, I was again reminded of the special link…Read More »

Since this is the month we celebrate love, it’s only fitting that we also take these few weeks (which include a leap day!) to pay special attention to the care of our hearts…literally.  February has been recognized as American Heart Month since President Johnson’s administration, and in recent years this has proved to be for good reason: heart disease is the leading cause of death for American men and women .   I am not a doctor; I don’t even play one on TV.  I can’t give you medical advice.  I can only repeat the basics of what’s been said by real medical professionals: go to the doctor regularly (especially if you or your family have a history of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or other cardiovascular conditions), eat healthy (at least 80% of the time), exercise, try your best to keep stress at bay, and quit smoking if you haven’t already.   The American Heart Association has a wealth of information about medical particulars and practical advice on healthy living.  This also includes support for caregivers, who should never forget that their own physical, emotional, and mental health is just as important as the health of the person they care for (though I know it can be hard to recognize this).    Go Red For Women is another great organization…Read More »

For the past three years, there is one new year’s ritual that I have followed through on.  It has nothing to do with juicing or meditating or jogging, which could explain why I’ve been so successful at keeping up with it.  At the start of each year, I create a new Pinterest board that I will fill throughout the year with pins of each book I read.  This small, nerdy act fills me with excitement, as it holds the promise that at least two dozen or so stories will surely fill my mind and hopefully my heart (if they’re good enough).  The obvious question that comes up throughout the course of my year, and I’m sure yours as well: What should I read?       What to read, what to read….On the bright side, with a library card you have an endless supply of books available to you.  On the downside, with all those options, how can you possibly select from what is basically a literary buffet? And how do we find the time in our busy schedules to read all these amazing books?       To start with, recommendations can be found in the many “Best Of”…Read More »

Well, it’s almost a new year, and you know what that means.  No, it’s not time to start a diet (well, maybe it is).  It’s time for a final check in with the 2015 Reading Challenge .  I try to be honest in this blog, so let me state for the record: I kind of forgot about our vow to read outside our comfort zones.  At a certain point, I just started reading the books that spoke to me, for whatever reason.  In total, I read 27 books this year (possibly 28; I’m hoping to finish Michael Cunningham’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Hours by the end of the year, thus fulfilling the category, “A Pulitzer Prize-winning book”).     What’s your total for the year?  I didn’t break 30, which is the number of books I read last year, but that just means I have a new goal for 2016.  Below is a brief list and summary of my most recent books read.  If you’re interested in learning about the rest of my 2015 reading list, check out the March  and July  installments of “What Have You Read Lately.”   Gorge –Kara Richardson Whitely (A book with a one-word title)   Kara Richardson Whitely climbed Kilimanjaro…Read More »

In honor of our fantastic Children’s program, Gingerbread House Making , I’ve put together a brief list of other activities for you and your family to enjoy this holiday season.  Like our gingerbread house program, these ideas are meant to generate family bonding and togetherness.  So, bring your restless grade-schoolers, invite your stepmom, your grandmother, or the collection of friends who make up the family you have created for yourself, and take the time to savor these special moments with the people you love.   Jones Beach Holiday Lights Spectacular   Long Islanders were heartbroken when this annual spectacle was on the receiving end of budget cuts a few years ago.  But, thankfully for us, the Holiday Lights Spectacular is back again for the second year in a row.  Last year, I eagerly attended, and as our car drove down the long lane of giant, glowing candy canes, beloved characters, exotic animals, and more, it was like I was transported 15 years to the past, when my family and I first experienced this magical event.  The Holiday Lights Spectacular runs through Sunday, January 4th, and tickets can be purchased in advance.  After driving through the light show, you can park and walk around the Holiday Village, where you…Read More »