If you didn't know the library has jigsaw puzzles to check-out, well, now you do! There are puzzles for the aspiring dissectologist and some for the expert. Thanks to donations over the past year, the collection is growing, and, there are even some puzzles for the youngsters.
Song for a Whale, by Lynne Kelly
The story of a deaf girl's connection to a whale whose song can't be heard by his species, and the journey she takes to help him.
From fixing the class computer to repairing old radios, twelve-year-old Iris is a tech genius. But she's the only deaf person in her school, so people often treat her like she's not very smart. If you've ever felt like no one was listening to you, then you know how hard that can be.
When she learns about Blue 55, a real whale who is unable to speak to other whales, Iris understands how he must feel. Then she has an idea: she should invent a way to "sing" to him! But he's three thousand miles away. How will she play her song for him?
The Tween Book club read Song for a Whale, by Lynne Kelly for their February 2021 book discussion. The author graciously agreed to answer questions from the group. Take a look at the interview, which includes a link to a fascinating article, complete with recordings of whale sounds.
The library, along with members of the Cross Plains-Berry Historical Society and volunteers, has begun digitizing the Historical Society's archives that are housed at the library. This project is made possible through a grant from the South Central Library System who is also providing training and assistance. Some digitized oral history archives may alread by accessed online at the Recollection Wisconsin and Digital Public Library of America sites. While this project will take a significant amount of time to complete, we hope you will enjoy the amazing area history as it becomes available. Here are the links to the sites:
Recollection Wisconsin: https://recollectionwisconsin.org/
Digital Public Library of America: https://dp.la/
Check out this interview with the author of one of our favorite reads, The True Meaning of Smekday. We have often read the book for an end of the year selection (just because we like it so much). Adam Rex offered to answer questions for our group, take a look at what he had to say.
Are you about to embark on a new adventure like potty training your child? There is help waiting for you in the Parent Zone of our children's department. Take a look at the variety of resources this special collection has to offer.