Monday, November 25, 2013

Stocking Stuffers

Everyone knows that books are the best presents at Christmas.  Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating and not everyone thinks that way, but they should!!  Here are some ideas for the stockings you need to fill this year.

The Valley of Amazement, Amy Tan
From the author of The Joy Luck Club, this book is something to get lost in.  no one does the mother-daughter relationship like Amy Tan and this is no exception.  From the parlors of courtesans in Shanghai, to a remote Chinese village, to San Francisco at the turn of the 19th century, Tan weaves them all together in a fantastic story of three generations of women whose lives are torn apart by circumstances they can’t control.  A beautiful story, sure to keep you enthralled during cold winter nights.

Fifteen Minutes, Karen Kingsbury
Many people want to experience their fifteen minutes of fame, which is just what Zack wants when he competes on a popular television series.  Overnight, he is suddenly the most popular singer on the show and, though he swore it wouldn’t change him, he is discovering he might be wrong.  His college sweetheart, left at home, isn’t sure what to do and when she receives an offer that would take her half-way around the world, there are choices to be made.  Can their relationship survive his fifteen minutes?

Command Authority, Tom Clancy (December 3)
Tom Clancy passed away on October 1 of this year and this is the final book that he authored.  Someone new is holding the cards in Russia and he’s got a dark secret that has remained hidden for years.  Can President Jack Ryan be the one that can provide a solution to that mystery?

Hunted, Karen Robards (December 10)
New Orleans Cop turned outlaw Reed Ware is holding the city’s elite hostage at a Christmas party to solve a drug case cover-up that could be the biggest department secret ever seen.  To get to the bottom of things, Ware creates a situation that traps the mayor, city council members, and other top dogs inside a posh mansion, causing the city to bring in a hostage negotiator whose father is also trapped inside.  But she’s got her own secret – she’s got a thing for Reed that’s lasted for years.  How will this work out for them?

Innocence, Dean Koontz (December 10)
He lives beneath the city, outside its rules and limitations, hiding from a community that would certainly destroy him if it had the chance.  She lives in hiding, desperate to keep herself secret from enemies that are out to get her.  But the two of them are bonded by destiny as a reckoning approaches and only the two of them can do what needs to be done.  An edge of your seat read!

Have a hard-to-buy-for person on your list?  Ask them if they have a library card and tell them to get on over there to give themselves their own present! J  or, you could always go buy them a book or a gift card and get reading.  After all, what else is there to do when the sun goes down at 5 and TV doesn’t cut the mustard?

Happy Holidays!


PAFL Update:  Pipestone Area Friends of the Library is looking for members – anyone who is a friend to Meinders Library is welcome to join!  The Friends group works hard to promote the library, raise money for projects, and organize their yearly book sale, in addition to the HUGE amount of support they provide throughout the year.  Call us for the date of the next meeting!

The booksale is coming up (December 26 – 28) and people will be able to start dropping off books on the 16th of December.  If you have any books lying around you want to get rid of, please bring them on down to the library!  We do not take encyclopedias or text books, but other than that, everything is fair game!

If you have questions or have a book you’d like to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (507) 825-6714.  The hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday from 10 AM – 8 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM.  Meinders Community Library is located at 1401 7th Street SW, on the south side of the high school.


Friday, November 15, 2013

Therapy Dogs in Libraries

Pipestone County Star 11-21-2013

Meinders Library will be hosting a Read to a Dog session on Saturday, November 23rd, from 1-3 PM.

Why do children like to read to dogs?  Besides the obvious reason (it’s a dog!), a dog doesn’t care if you pronounce things right, he just likes to hear your voice.  A therapy dog is a non-judgmental listener and kids relax and begin to enjoy reading when they don’t feel as if someone might correct them.  It gives them a chance to learn that reading is fun and often leads to improved reading skills!

While the visits can be short ones, the effects typically last longer than just the time spent with the dog.  Since reading was made more fun by the presence of a furry friend, children learn to associate reading with enjoyment and will be more willing to pick up a book on their own.  In fact, research is showing that five or six visits with a dog can help a child gain two reading levels.

There are many libraries that are beginning to develop dog programs and some whose programs are very well established.  Both children and adults respond well to reading with dogs and seeing a dog in a library always ups the excitement, not to mention getting a non-intimidating reading partner.

Between 1 and 3 in the afternoon on November 23rd, families can sign up for 15 minutes of quality reading time with an exceedingly happy listener.  Come and join us – it’s guaranteed to be a good time!  If there is enough interest in a program like this, we will try to schedule monthly visits with Marian and Montana and maybe there are more dogs in the community that would like to help!

PAFL Update:  Pipestone Area Friends of the Library is looking for members – anyone who is a friend to Meinders Library is welcome to join!  The Friends group works hard to promote the library, raise money for projects, and organize their yearly book sale, in addition to the HUGE amount of support they provide throughout the year.  Call us for the date of the next meeting!

The booksale is coming up (December 26 – 28) and people will be able to start dropping off books on the 16th of December.  If you have any books lying around you want to get rid of, please bring them on down to the library!  We do not take encyclopedias or text books, but other than that…

Book Club Reminder: The book club meets the fourth of the month and the next meeting will be November 21st  (the fourth Thursday this month is Thanksgiving).  The next book is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.  If you don’t have a copy, let the library know and we would be happy to order one for you.  Everyone is welcome!!


If you have questions or have a book you’d like to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (507) 825-6714.  The hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday from 10 AM – 8 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM.  Meinders Community Library is located at 1401 7th Street SW, on the south side of the high school.