newsletter of the Peoria Public Library Volume 26, No.1
JANUARY 2017
Music in the McKenzie 2017 Artists Announced Peoria Public Library will again present a series of monthly free concerts by acoustic artists at North Branch in the McKenzie Room. With the following line up, music lovers will find plenty to experience and enjoy this year. All concerts are held on a Sunday afternoon from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the McKenzie Room. They are family friendly and CDs are sold with a portion of the proceeds going to support The Friends of Peoria Public Library. January 29: Andy Hatfield with Doug Knecht This bluegrass duo consists of two fabulous pickers who entertain around the area with each other and in a variety other bands. February 12: the Brother Brothers Rich harmonies and thoughtful songs accompanied by guitar, cello, violin and banjo are offered by Peoria natives Adam and David Moss as the group Brother Brothers out of New York. Their ability to pull the listener into their quietly energetic musical journey is a joy to experience.
July 30: Bones Jugs With bones, jug, xylophone, kazoos, resonator guitar, 6-string banjo, upright bass, trap kit, horns, washboard and a medley of knick-knacks and noise makers Bones Jugs conjures up their eclectic acoustic sound. August 20: the Rainmakers A Kansas City, Missouri-based original rock band with Bob Walkenhorst (vocals, guitar, harmonica); Rich Ruth (bass, vocals); Pat Tomek (drums); Jeff Porter (guitar, piano, vocals)
March 12: Turas Meaning trip or journey in Gaelic, Turas brings traditional Irish music to central Illinois. This group of friends is on a journey to share songs, stories, and good times (what the Irish call craic) with their audience. Playing a wide variety of Irish/Celtic music, Turas never fails to deliver on good music and good times.
September 10: the Sweet Potatoes The Sweet Potatoes come out of Southern California to dish up their own unique blend of country, folk and homespun Americana. Featuring acoustic guitars, ukulele, accordion and harmonica, this trio will bring a smile to your face with their sweet harmonies and finely crafted songwriting.
April 23: Banjovi & Hawkins Banjovi & Hawkins play a mix of traditional bluegrass, country, folk and rock from the 70s. They have played at The Red Barn, The Tartan Inn and are part of The Shoppes at Grand Prairie’s “Performance on the Prairie”. With Jim Bonnett on banjo, guitar, harmonica and vocals and Chris Hawkins on guitar and vocals.
October 1: Pint & A Half Combining the intimacy of a singer/songwriter performance with the sound and soul of a full band, Pint & a Half’s catchy hooks, close harmonies, and hard-driving rhythms create a powerful and fun live show.
May 21: Random Strangers Chuck Mahieu and Steve Fairbanks have been inspired their whole lives by the bands and the songs of the British invasion era, the psychedelic 60s and the folkie 70s. Their set list includes songs by The Beatles, Neil Young, The Kinks, Bob Dylan, Lovin’ Spoonful and many more. June 11: SMD & the Underground Sarah Marie Dillard, Brandon “Muffin Man” Mooberry, and Nick “The Kid” Fairley combine in this SoulFolk trio.
November 12: Roundstone Buskers Roundstone Buskers bring a piece of Ireland to the heartland with their jigs and reels. Named for Roundstone, Ireland, the “Buskers” consisted of Shannan Sullivan (fiddle), Tom Jones (bodhran/percussion/whistles) & Tom Grafton (guitar/ hammer dulcimer). December 17: Henhouse Prowlers Playing music inspired by the roots of bluegrass while branching out into a sound uniquely their own.
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Peoria Progress to be Shown Again The Local
Now Read eRead Illinois Axis 360 Books Right on Your Computer! On December 5, Baker & Taylor released a browser-based
History and Genealogy Department at Peoria Public Library hit a local history goldmine when they uncovered a film can labeled Peoria Progress and had it converted to digital so it could be viewed again. In November a standing room only crowd filled the McKenzie Room to catch a glimpse of Peoria of the early 1960s. A second showing let more people see it, but the demand continued. The film will be shown again on Saturday, January 14 at Main Library at 2:00 p.m. The 20 minute film was produced by the City of Peoria and used to promote the city. The images in the film date to the late 1950s and early 1960s and include the downtown and other areas of the city. Larry Ware, Audio Visual Specialist and William Baker, WTVP producer, worked to get the film digitized and ready for a comeback after almost 60 years on the shelf. Larry Ware and William Baker will talk about the film and how it was transferred from film to digital media after the viewing. The program is free and open to the public.
January Children’s Book Review by Madison Gailus You Are A Lion! And Other Fun Yoga Poses By Taeeun Yoo Yoga has become ever increasingly popular in libraries and schools and this book makes for a great introduction to some basic poses. At first, you see a group of children in a field doing some stretches and poses while welcoming the morning sun. You then begin your practice. A child in the grass shows you how to do the pose depicted using a simple white background. When you turn the page, you see the pose is named after an animal who is also doing the yoga pose alongside the child. This page is full of color and takes you to a place that reflects the animal’s habitat. Images are done in block prints with pencil drawings and the use of Photoshop. This allows for a soft and bright feel. When you get through the seven poses (lion, butterfly, dog, snake, frog, cat, mountain) you find yourself back in the field from the beginning of the book in a rest position, as the sun is high in the sky now, ready to take on the day. A great way to calm those high energy ones in storytime or a classroom setting as the book elicits the feel of play while demanding their attention as the next pose is introduced. (Picture Book, PreS- Grade 2) –
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reader to eRead Illinois libraries that allows users to access e-books from their browser without having to download any additional apps or software. The reader is compatible with Chromebooks through the Chrome browser and with Mac and Windows based computers through Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer. eRead Illinois libraries will be among the first in the country to have access to the browser-based reader. For more information, visit the eRead Illinois help page, available through the link on the ereader page at www. peoriapubliclibrary.org. Of course, eRead Illinois Axis 360 books are always available through apps you download to your mobile device from the appropriate store. Until now, they could not be read on a computer without downloading an additional program. This will greatly benefit schools that have students read in computer labs as well as those who do not use a portable device to access ebooks. eRead Illinois was initially funded by the Secretary of State through the Illinois State Library. The total grant amount awarded was $985,219 for the two-year project, which ran from June 1, 2013 through May 31, 2015. The project is now self-sustaining through member fees paid by participating libraries. The goals of eRead Illinois are to expand e-book access across Illinois, provide training to increase expertise on e-books, and explore further opportunities for increasing access to e-books through collaboration with Illinois authors, libraries, publishers, and other organizations. If you have a library card from Peoria Public Library, you can download eRead Illinois electronic books to your tablet, computer, or other device. Peoria Public library also offers e-books from ADML Overdrive and Tumblebooks. These e-books are available in the libraries’ online catalogs as well as under the e-books tab on the website.
The Board and Staff of Peoria Public Library wish you health, happiness and prosperity in the new year!
TT H O HewO TiTitle tless NNew
January by Robin Helenthal
The Bear and the Nightingale is a debut novel by Katherine Arden and set at the edge of the Russian wilderness. Growing up, Vasilisa listens to fairy tales told to her and her siblings by their nurse. Her favorite story is of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon that appears during the freezing cold nights to claim unsuspecting souls. The children were told by the nurse to honor the spirits of the house, yard and forest that protected their home from evil. When Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a wife from the city who forbids the family to honor the household spirits. When crops start to fail, evil creatures creep from the forest and hard luck strikes the village, Vasilisa must defy her stepmother and use the gifts that she has long concealed to protect her family from the evil dangers that have stepped out of her nurse’s most terrifying tales. The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian deals with the weird and mystifying world of parasomnia, a place that is someplace between dreaming and wakefulness. Annalee Ahlberg is a sleepwalker, which in the past has manifested itself in different ways, from her tearing up a flower bed to almost jumping off a bridge. When Annalee goes missing, her children are afraid of what may have happened. A search party is sent to look for her and her husband flies home from a business trip. Her older daughter Lianna is questioned by detective Gavin Rikert, who continues to call and stop by their house after the police find a swatch of Annalee’s nightshirt hanging from a tree branch near the river. Lianna’s younger sister Paige, starts to swim the river looking for clues. There are a lot of unanswered questions: Why does Annalee only sleep walk when her husband is not home? If she died while sleepwalking, where is the body? Why does the detective know so much about her?
The Girl Before: A Novel by JP Delaney starts with the request: Please make a list of every possession you consider essential in your life. Although this seems to be a strange request when applying for an apartment, two women answer and the consequences are devastating. First there is Emma, looking for a new place to live after her apartment was broken into. Every one that she looks at is either too expensive or she does not feel safe, until she sees One Folgate Street. The house is a masterpiece but there are rules. The architect who designed the house keeps full control, no books, no throw pillows, no photos or any other personal effects. The space is intended to change the tenant and it does. The next applicant is Jane, she is looking for a fresh start after a personal misfortune and is instantly attracted to the space and its creator. After moving in, Jane learns about the previous occupant and her unfortunate death. The woman had been similar to Jane in age and looks. As Jane tries to unravel the truth from the lies, she makes many of the same choices, meets the same people and experiences the same terror as the previous girl. The plot hinges on the past and the present and a tragic event.
Local History and Genealogy Projects Evolved in 2017 by Amber Lowery
In the ever evolving institution of the Main Library Local History and Genealogy Department, there is always something new going on. In January 2016, the department got four brand new microfilm machines! These sleek instruments replaced the troublesome, clunky dinosaurs of days gone by. If you haven’t come by to see or use them before now, you do not know what you are missing! Not only are they much easier to read and use, but also you can now save what you find to an external drive instead of printing them out. The library employees have also been doing some shifting of materials to make room for new items and protect some of the older materials. We have not removed any of the books from the collection! We’ve just moved them to our annex to better protect some of the titles that are in a fragile state or aren’t used as much to allow for more room for new items. In the near future, there are also plans to rearrange a bit of the microfilm before the Chicago Tribune runs out of room! Some nearly finished projects by library staff include the 1910 obituary index, a new format to the marriage records from 1825-1884, and the completion of the Works Project Administration scanning project. The 1910 obituary index will be on the shelf early in 2017, while the marriage records and the WPA scans will be finished in 2017. We are happy to show off the small changes we have made to make the collection easier to use! Winter is a great time to come in and get quick training and look for that newspaper article. Come enjoy the latest issues of genealogy periodicals that we carry and see if we have anything new in the area you are researching. We are open Mondays through Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Remember, you can always check for more information at our website, www.peoriapubliclibrary.org.
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uary
Jan
CALENDAR
of programs and events
Tuesday, January 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31
All locations of Peoria Public Library will close at 3:00
p.m. on Saturday, December 31 and reopen Tuesday, January 3 during regular library hours. North Branch is always closed Tuesdays.
LAKEVIEW BRANCH After School Homework Help – 4:00-5:00 p.m.
A room will be booked for you to use during our After School Homework Help Hour, to work on homework or assignments, alone or in groups. A staff member will also be on hand to assist with research and library resources. Grades 4 through 8. Wednesday, January 4, 11, 18 & 25
January NORTH BRANCH One-on-One Genealogy Digital Resource Assistance
Are you interested in exploring your family history and don’t know where to begin? Schedule a thirty minute one-onone appointment at North Branch with one of our library reference assistants and receive an introduction to some of the valuable and free online research databases Peoria Public Library has to offer. We can give you a basic introduction to Ancestry Library Edition, Heritage Quest and Newsbank, as well as suggestions for other useful resources to guide you in your research. Call Mary at 309-4972100 to schedule an appointment. January 3-31 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Chinese New Year Display
Celebrate Chinese New Year this month by checking out items from our display. Books, movies, and more will be on display for check out, along with make-it take-it crafts to help you celebrate this holiday.
LAKEVIEW BRANCH – 10:15-10:45 A.M.
Monday, January 9, 23 & 30 NORTH BRANCH – 10:30-11:00 A.M. Tiny Tots Storytime
Ages 12 to 23 months. Wednesday, January 4 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Drop In Fun – 1:00-5:00 p.m.
Are you getting a case of cabin fever? Drop in for some fun! We will have tables set up for coloring, puzzles, and building with Lego bricks. Parent supervision required for children under 6. Wednesday, January 4, 11, 18 & 25 NORTH BRANCH Brainy Baby Storytime – 1:30-2:00 p.m.
Develop your baby’s pre-literacy skills with this lapsit program, designed to introduce children and their caregivers to books, songs, rhymes and finger plays that will help them understand new concepts and enhance their love of learning. Caregivers will be encouraged to engage their child through one-on-one interactions, making reading time fun. Age 0 to 23 months.
Wednesday, January 4 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Graphic Novel Club – 4:00-4:30 p.m.
Join us each month to discuss which comics we’ve read, what we loved, and what we wish we’d skipped. Each month we’ll have a different theme and try to read one graphic novel that fits the theme, but also discuss everything else we’ve read since our last meeting. This month’s theme: Historical. Grades 6-9. Thursday, January 5, 12, 19, 26 MCCLURE BRANCH Fun Time Storytime – 10:00-10:30 a.m.
Ages 3 to 6. Thursday, January 5, 12, 19, 26 NORTH BRANCH A-Z Storytime – 10:30-11:00 a.m.
We’re learning the alphabet! Join us for letter-themed stories, songs, and crafts as we focus on learning the shapes of letters and the sounds they make! Ages 2 to 3. Thursday, January 5 LINCOLN BRANCH TNT 3-D Snowflakes and Subs – 5:00-6:00 p.m.
For tweens and teens ages 10-18. Learn how to make giant 3D paper Snowflakes! Enjoy mini-subs and snacks as we create a winter wonderland inside of the library. This is a registered program, and spots are limited so call 497-2600 today! Thursday Nights Are For Teens! Friday, January 6, 13, 20 & 27 NORTH BRANCH Busy Bees Storytime – 10:30-11:00 a.m.
Children of all ages. Saturday, January 7, 14, 21, 28 NORTH BRANCH Busier Bees Storytime – 10:30-11:00 am
Children of all ages.
Tuesday, January 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Preschool Storytime – 10:30-11:00 a.m.
Ages 3 to 6.
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Find new audiobooks with the new books starting January 1, 2017
Saturday, January 7
Monday, January 9
January 12 & 17
MCCLURE BRANCH Finding Reliable Health Information Online – 11:00-11:45 a.m.
NORTH BRANCH Pajama Storytime – 7:00-7:45 p.m.
LINCOLN BRANCH Puppet Show: “Witch’s Winter Kitchen” – 10:00-10:30 a.m.
Learn how to navigate the mess of unreliable or irrelevant health information available online using these key (and FREE) resources. Saturday, January 7 NORTH BRANCH Cabin Fever Family Fun Fest – 12:00-4:00 p.m.
Winter blues got you down? Join us for an afternoon of movies, activities, and fun for the whole family! 12:00 p.m. – Teen Beach Movie; 2:00 p.m. – Muppet Treasure Island Saturday, January 7 MAIN LIBRARY Pinktastic Celebration Sensation! – 3:004:00 p.m.
Join us for a yearlong celebration of Pinkalicious. We’ll read a book from the series and have fun activities relating to each Pinkalicious story. This month: Pinkalicious Sunday, January 8 & 22 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Sunday Crafternoon – 12:00-5:00 p.m.
The storytime room will be open for families to relax and read books, color, and work on projects. Some crafting supplies will be provided. Parental supervision is required. Sunday, January 8 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Between the Lines Genre Book Club – 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Join us for a book club designed for reluctant readers. We will focus on a specific genre each month. This month we will be reading graphic novels. Choose one of your favorites or visit the Lakeview Branch for a suggested reading list. Ages 13 to 17. Monday, January 9 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Sci Fi & Fantasy Book Club – 6:30-7:30 p.m.
This month: Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor
Join us for a picture book party! We’ll enjoy stories, songs, and a craft! Wear your pajamas and bring a blanket or stuffed friend to snuggle --- you’ll be ready for bed when you head home! Children of all ages. Tuesday, January 10 – 10:00-10:45 a.m. Saturday, January 21 – 11:00-11:45 a.m. MCCLURE BRANCH Computer Basics
Ages 3 to 6. Thursday, January 12 NORTH BRANCH Cozy Adult Tea Time – 3:00-4:00 p.m.
Come learn about tea! We’ll talk about various types of tea, tea time etiquette, and different tea rituals. Then enjoy a cozy afternoon tea experience with us. Adult only, please. Call 497-2000 to register. Thursday, January 12
Do you know how to turn on a computer, but not much else? Then this class is for you! Join us in exploring the basic skills and knowledge you need to start taking advantage of a desktop or laptop computer, including basic terminology and basic navigation on devices themselves. Register to guarantee your spot by calling 497-2700 or sign up in person at the McClure Branch.
Tweens and teens ages 10 to 18, join us for a movie up on the big screen! In The Secret Life of Pets, Max, a spoiled terrier, enjoys a comfortable life until his owner adopts Duke, a giant and unruly canine, and chaos ensues. The Secret Life of Pets is rated PG.
Tuesday, January 10
Friday, January 13
LINCOLN BRANCH Front & Center: Calendar Creations – 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Want to remember special days? Create your very own calendar for 2017. Decorate with your favorite pictures, foods and themes. Ages 10 to 12. Wednesday, January 11 NORTH BRANCH Lincoln Center Local: Free Screenings – 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Lincoln Center Local: Free Screenings brings intimate, exciting, and masterful performances from the New York Philharmonic, American Songbook, Great Performers, Out of Doors and more to audiences ... right here in your community! Join us each month as we view an exciting and entertaining FREE cultural event. Most screenings last approximately one hour. Major funding is provided by the Oak Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Altman Foundation and the Booth Ferris Foundation. For more information, please call 309-497-2143.
LINCOLN BRANCH TNT Movie of the Month: The Secret Life of Pets – 5:00-7:00 p.m.
MCCLURE BRANCH
Friday, January 27 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Baby Playground – 10:15-11:15 a.m.
Calling all babies! Join us for a special playgroup designed to help you explore your world through creative play. Ages 9 months to 24 months. Friday, January 13 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Friday the 13th Party – 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Come play games, win prizes and learn a little about the history of Friday the 13th, all while enjoying snacks. Ages 12 to 17. Saturday, January 14 MCCLURE BRANCH Winter Make It! Take It! – 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Come in from the cold and create a craft to celebrate the winter weather! While supplies last. Saturday, January 14 NORTH BRANCH Math Challenge – 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Experience the joy of math by visiting the Beehive for a fun self-guided math challenge. Challenges will be geared toward students in grade three and up. Drop in any time. While supplies last.
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Calendar Continued Saturday, January 14
Wednesday, January 18
Saturday, January 21
LINCOLN BRANCH Make It! Take It! – 12:00-5:00 p.m.
NORTH BRANCH Genre Evolution Book Club – 6:30-7:30 p.m.
MAIN LIBRARY Autism Resource Group – 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
This month, we’re discussing early works in the dystopian fiction genre. Please read any of the books below! The Time Machine by H.G. Wells The Iron Heel by Jack London Paris in the Twentieth Century by Jules Verne The Fixed Period by Anthony Trollope The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster The Repairer of Reputations by Robert W. Chambers
Are you a parent with a tween or teen with Autism Spectrum Disorder? Join us for resource sharing and support. Minecraft is available in the computer lab during the same time if your child is interested. Please contact 497-2150 to reserve a spot for Minecraft.
Make a craft celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. While supplies last. Saturday, January 14 LINCOLN BRANCH Minecraft – 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. & 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Ages 8 to 14 can join us for Minecraft in the computer lab. Our theme for this month is “Candyland.” Space is limited, so please call 497-2600 to register.
All locations of
PEORIA PUBLIC LIBRARY will be
CLOSED
Thursday, January 19 NORTH BRANCH Third Thursday Film Fest – 2:00-5:00 p.m.
Join us on the third Thursday of each month for a different film released in the 1950s. Bring a snack and enjoy an oldie but goodie on the big screen. This month: Jailhouse Rock (1957) Thursday, January 19 LINCOLN BRANCH Homework Help Lab – 5:00-7:00 p.m.
in honor of
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day North Branch always closed Tuesdays
Tuesday, January 17 LINCOLN BRANCH Front & Center: DIY Hot Chocolate Mug – 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Friday, January 20 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Toddler Art – 10:15-10:45 a.m.
This month: The Living by Matt de la Peña
Come join us once a month for a fun artful activity geared towards toddlers. Let your child explore the world of colors and shapes while learning fine motor skills along the way. Art projects might leave something to be desired but it’s the process that really counts. Please dress for a mess. For ages 2 to 4 years old with a caregiver.
Wednesday, January 18
Saturday, January 21
NORTH BRANCH Creative Crafternoon – 3:00-5:00 p.m.
MAIN LIBRARY Minecraft – 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Join us each month for an exploration of a different crafting medium. Supplies will be provided, but feel free to bring your own. Ages 12 and up. This month: Recycled Crafts
Ages 8 to 14 are invited to join us for three hours of uninterrupted play. Space is limited, so please call 497-2150 to register.
Use paint markers to decorate your own mug. Grades 7 and 8. Tuesday, January 17 LAKEVIEW BRANCH YA for Adults Book Club – 6:30-7:30 p.m.
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Anyone in need of help with homework can get it at the Library! Help is available for reading practice and for all school assignments. We can assist with test preparation if students bring textbooks or study guides. Assistance is available on a first-come, first served basis. A library staff member will be available to help as well as live online one-on-one help available through Brainfuse. Study groups are welcome!
Saturday, January 21 NORTH BRANCH Teen STEM Challenge – 3:00-4:00 p.m.
There’s a puzzle in the library, and all you have to solve it is your brain and a box of scraps. The most successful team will get a prize! Grades 6 to 12. Saturday, January 21 MCCLURE BRANCH Which Was Better? Book Club – 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Have you ever had one of your favorite books turned into a movie and it didn’t turn out the way you imagined it? Did you love the changes they made to the story when it went to the big screen? Did they miss something you thought was important to the story? Come join us as we discuss these questions in relation to Mary Norton’s classic book, The Borrowers, and enjoy a viewing of the 1998 movie with the same name starring John Goodman. Be sure to check out and read a copy of the book before that date! Library staff at any location can help you secure a copy. Ages 8 to 12. Sunday, January 22 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Silver Screen Sundays – 2:00-4:00 p.m.
This month: Rear Window starring James Stewart and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. January 23-28 MCCLURE BRANCH National Puzzle Day Contest
Help us turn National Puzzle Day into a week-long celebration! Drop in any time this week to complete different puzzles to gain entries into our prize drawing, with prizes like a $20 Barnes and Noble gift card or a puzzle book for your own collection. The more puzzles you complete, the more chances you have to win! Test out your skills of Crosswords, Sudoku, Word Searches, Puzzles, and many more!
Monday, January 23 & 30
Thursday, January 26
Saturday, January 28
LAKEVIEW BRANCH Tadpoles Storytime – 10:15-10:45 a.m.
NORTH BRANCH Sherlock Holmes Story Society – 6:30-7:30 p.m.
LINCOLN BRANCH Dress Up Frozen Sing Along – 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Whether you’ve read the classic Sherlock Holmes stories a million times or none at all, all are welcome to experience The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in this new reading discussion group. Each month, we’ll tackle another short story. Like our hero bid his loyal companion over one hundred years ago, we invite you to “Come at once if convenient – if inconvenient come all the same”! This month: “A Scandal in Bohemia”
For children and families. Don your best suit or gown, top hat or tiara for a magical morning of Frozen fun! Please join us as we sing along with the movie, make a craft, and enjoy a chilly treat!
Ages 2 to 3. Monday, January 23 MCCLURE BRANCH Monday Morning Movie – 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Enjoy movie time with these timeless classics! We’ll provide the popcorn! Sit back and be mesmerized with a different movie each month. This month: Fried Green Tomatoes Monday, January 23 LINCOLN BRANCH Front & Center: National Soup Month Celebration – 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Friday, January 27
Warm up with the story Stone Soup for National Soup Month! Experience the savory taste of this delicious recipe that has been passed down through the years. Grades K through 2. Registration is required. Please call 497-2600. Tuesday, January 24
LAKEVIEW BRANCH Puzzle Craft – 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
National Puzzle Day is Sunday, January 29th. Celebrate by making your own puzzle to take home. While supplies last. Friday, January 27 LAKEVIEW BRANCH LEGO Builders Club – 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Calling all LEGO fans! Join us at Lakeview Branch for our Lego Builders Club. Drop in any time to play. Parental supervision is required.
LINCOLN BRANCH Front & Center: Puzzle Madness – 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Customize your own jigsaw puzzle with painted or drawn designs. Grades 5-6.
Saturday, January 28 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Kazoo for You
Tuesday, January 24 LINCOLN BRANCH Read On Book Club – 5:30-7:00 p.m.
This month: Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
In celebration of National Kazoo Day, when you check out a book, you will also receive a kazoo to take home. While supplies last.
Tuesday, January 24
Saturday, January 28
LAKEVIEW BRANCH Family Game and Puzzle Night – 6:00-7:45 p.m.
Unplug from the screens and gadgets in your life and spend time together playing a game or putting together a puzzle. Choose from our large collection of board games and puzzles with a wide variety of age ranges. All families are invited.
MCCLURE BRANCH Chinese New Year Make It! Take It! – 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
The Chinese New Year is here! Learn a bit about this holiday as you create your own Chinese lantern craft and celebrate the start of the Year of the Rooster! While supplies last.
Wednesday, January 25 LAKEVIEW BRANCH From the Screen to the Stage – 5:30-7:30pm
Join us this month for a viewing of the film version of Into the Woods (2014, rated PG). Arrive a little early to enter your name into a drawing to win a free pair of tickets to see the stage version at Peoria Players Theatre! Drawing will take place promptly at 5:30 p.m. The stage production opens at Peoria Players on February 3!
Saturday, January 28 MAIN LIBRARY Winter Make It Take It Crafts for Adults – 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Come and make a great, little winter craft with us while it’s cold and wintery outside. We’ll have snacks while we work to keep us warm. Supplies are limited, so please call 497-2000 to register. Sunday, January 29 NORTH BRANCH Music in the McKenzie Presents: Andy Hatfield – 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Andy Hatfield is a creative musician and teacher from Peoria. He is one of four people (and the second from Peoria) to win both the National Flatpicking Guitar Contest and the National Mandolin Contest, held annually in Winfield, Kansas. Andy’s unique playing style comes from over 20 years of playing and studying bluegrass, jazz, and R & B. Andy is an engaging and active teacher, having taught hundreds of students of all levels to play guitar, mandolin, and banjo. Andy teaches and performs full-time in his native Illinois, and loves to find creative ways to make students sound great. A portion of CD sales support The Friends of Peoria Public Library.
What’s Trending? At Peoria Public Library To find out what’s trending at Peoria Public Library, visit: peoriapubliclibrary.org/ whats-trending
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February Book Clubs
Join a book club at Peoria Public Library this month. New members are always welcome!
At Peoria Public Library
The Big Read Peoria Reads! Selection for 2017 Everyone is encouraged to read Silver Sparrow by Taryari Jones during our one-city, one-book program this spring. The author will visit Peoria February 23-25. Visit www. peoriareads.org for more information. “My father, James Witherspoon is a bigamist,” is the opening line of Silver Sparrow, a novel written by Tayari Jones that unveils a breathtaking story about a man’s deception, a family’s complicity, and the two teenage girls caught in the middle. Set in a middle-class neighborhood in Atlanta during the 1980s, the novel revolves around James Witherspoon’s families—the public one and the secret one. When Witherspoon’s daughters from each family meet, they form a friendship, but only one of them knows they are sisters. It is a relationship destined to explode when secrets are revealed and illusions shattered. As Jones explores the backstories of her rich and flawed characters, she also reveals the joy, and the destruction, they brought to each other’s lives. At the heart of it all are two girls whose lives are at stake, and like the best writers, Jones portrays the fragility of her characters with raw authenticity as they seek love, demand attention, and try to imagine themselves as women.
The Biography and Non-Fiction Book Club will meet on Sunday, February 12 at 3:00 p.m. at North Branch to discuss Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert D. Putnam. It’s the American dream: get a good education, work hard, buy a house, and achieve prosperity and success. This is the America we believe in—a nation of opportunity, constrained only by ability and effort. But during the last twenty-five years we have seen a disturbing “opportunity gap” emerge. Americans have always believed in equality of opportunity, the idea that all kids, regardless of their family background, should have a decent chance to improve their lot in life. Now, this central tenet of the American dream seems no longer true or at the least, much less true than it was. Robert Putnam offers a personal but also authoritative look at this new American crisis. Putnam begins with his high school class of 1959 in Port Clinton, Ohio. By and large the vast majority of those students—“our kids”—went on to lives better than those of their parents. But their children and grandchildren have had harder lives amid diminishing prospects. Putnam tells the tale of lessening opportunity through poignant life stories of rich and poor kids from cities and suburbs across the country, drawing on a formidable body of research done especially for this book. Our Kids is a rare combination of individual testimony and rigorous evidence. Putnam provides a disturbing account of the American dream that should initiate a deep examination of the future of our country. & non-fiction (Peoria Reads 2017 tie-in title) book group
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The Bibliophiles Book Club will meet on Tuesday, February 7 at 1:30 p.m. at Lakeview Branch to discuss Fences by August Wilson. In this 1987 Tony Award winner for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize, protagonist Troy Maxson is a strong and proud black man. He has had to be to survive in the 1950s. But then in the 1960s, a new spirit of liberation appears that is changing the world. Now he finds himself reluctant to recognize and accept those social changes.
The YA Book Club for Adults will meet on Tuesday, February 21 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina. Nora Lopez is seventeen during the infamous year 1977 in New York. After a freezing winter, a boiling hot summer explodes with arson, a blackout, and a serial killer named Son of Sam, who is shooting young people on the streets seemingly at random. Not only is the city a disaster, but Nora has troubles of her own: her brother, Hector, is growing more uncontrollable by the day, her mother is helpless to stop him, and her father is so busy with his new family that he only calls on holidays. The super is after her mother to pay their overdue rent, and her teachers are pushing her to apply for college, but all Nora wants is to turn eighteen and be on her own. There is a cute guy who started working with her at the deli, but is dating even worth the risk when the killer especially likes picking off couples who stay out too late?
The Book ‘Em Mystery Book Club will meet on Sunday, February 19 at 2:00 p.m. at Lakeview Branch to discuss Cold Cold Heart by Tami Hoag, 2015 . The next book after The 9th Girl – A young TV reporter captured and tortured by a serial killer who she manages to kill. - Recovering, she returns home and gets involved in investigating the unsolved cold murder case of her childhood best friend.
The Read on Book Club will meet on Tuesday, February 28 at 5:30 p.m. at Lincoln Branch to discuss Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile. Hoping for a new start when she unexpectedly inherits a sugarcane farm, Charley moves to Louisiana, where she balances the farm’s overwhelming challenges with the needs of her homesick daughter, her troubled brother, and her own yearning heart.
The Sci-Fi Fantasy Book Club will meet on Monday, February 13 at Lakeview Branch at 6:30 p.m. to discuss The Rook by Daniel O’Malley. ‘The body you are wearing used to be mine.’ So begins the letter Myfanwy Thomas is holding when she awakes in a London park surrounded by bodies wearing latex gloves. With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to track down the agents who want to destroy her. She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Chequy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain.
The Genre Evolution Book Club will meet on Wednesday, February 15 at 6:30 p.m. at North Branch to discuss the evolution of the Historical Fiction genre. Please read any of theses books: Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott, Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth, I, Claudius by Robert Graves, The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco.
The Sherlock Holmes Story Society will meet at North Branch on Thursday, February 23 to discuss “The Red-Headed League” from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Conan Doyle. Jabez Wilson, a London pawnbroker, comes to consult Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. While studying his client, both Holmes and Watson notice his red hair, which has a distinct flame-like hue. Wilson tells them that some weeks before, his young assistant, Vincent Spaulding, urged him to respond to a newspaper want-ad offering highly-paid work to only redheaded male applicants. The next morning, Wilson had waited in a long line of fellow red-headed men, was interviewed and was the only applicant hired, because none of the other applicants qualified; their red hair was either too dark or too bright, and did not match Wilson’s unique flame color. He was paid a good amount to come and copy the encyclopedia. One morning, a sign on the locked office door inexplicably announced that “THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE IS DISSOLVED- Oct. 9, 1890.” Holmes promises to solve the mystery.
Intercontinental Readers will meet Tuesday, March 21 at 1:00 p.m. at Main Library on LL1 to hold a Skype discussion with the group in Clonmel, Ireland about All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. A stunningly ambitious and beautiful novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel. In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and MarieLaure’s converge.
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