Ann Swanson has no idea how much money her family saves each month by using the library, but she’s guessing it’s plenty.

In a typical 30-day span, Ann said, she and her two youngest children check out two movies, a couple of video games and up to 30 books. Then there are the dozen or so books she checks out weekly to read to the children in the daycare she operates. And when they are offered, Ann attends KDL’s Early Childhood Essentials classes for free, rather than paying fees of about $25 per class.

Minus the classes, that’s an estimated $638 the Swanson family checks out in library materials every month, according to KDL’s Value Calculator. And that also doesn’t include the weekly Storytimes she brings her daycare children to at the Kentwood (Richard L. Root) and other branches.

“You should see my calendar at home right now; it’s just filled with anything and everything to do (at KDL) that fits,” said the mother of five. “With such a large family, I never could have afforded to do so many fun things on our own.”

As much as they get from their library, the Swansons also give back. Two of Ann’s children have been library volunteers for many years, and this year her youngest, Kolby, 11, will become the third.

An avid reader since childhood, Ann said she was not a heavy library user until she became a parent because she grew up living far from a public library.

“I think that’s why I really didn’t know all the services that were available at libraries until I had kids of my own,” she said. “I still know people who don’t use libraries and I can’t imagine why not. I definitely get my money’s worth.”

Ann Swanson was the winner of KDL’s “Tell us how KDL has saved your family money” contest, and has received a $25 Schuler Books & Music gift card. Share your own story here.

Though the story is familiar, Teague puts his own twist on this tale, and it becomes clear that the wolf isn’t always bad, just hungry. After their farmer pays them for their work and moves to Florida, the pigs must each decide how to spend their money, with predictable yet humorous results. In the end, all four animals wind up living together in the brick house, happily ever after.

With its large, colorful illustrations, this book is perfect for reading aloud to a group. Because the story is one they have likely heard before, asking children what they think will happen next will elicit a positive response and allow for conversation as you read together. Check out other picture books by Mark Teague and notice how the illustrations are similar. Children delight in seeing characters they recognize in books, and Teague’s comical illustrations help tell his stories. Talking about the pictures and asking what will happen next are both great ways to get your child ready to read!

This article originally appeared in our Early Lit Bits eNewsletter. Read the most recent issue online or sign up to receive this monthly update highlighting early literacy tips and resources for parents and caregivers.

• Free programs (including the Hybrid Home Guy, free computer classes & more!)
• Summer Reading @ KDL for adults (win great prizes!)
• Free downloadable eBooks, music, and magazines
• Local Indie @ KDL
• Monthly eNewsletters

Enjoy!

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Karen Russell, a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for her debut novel Swamplandia!, is a master of the short story, and her St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves and Vampires in the Lemon Grove are both available at KDL. Also, those who have enjoyed Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory would also like his Complete Stories. Readers who want to take a quick trip to Latin America for the summer might enjoy Happy Families by Carlos Fuentes. Be warned, however, that those families are not all happy.

Many of these short story collections and more are available for download as eBooks.

I grew up in the country and didn’t have many kids to play with in our area.  My sisters were 8 and 12 years older than I was, so they really didn’t want to play much.  My oldest sister started college the same time that I started kindergarten. 

My favorite thing to do was read, and I absolutely loved Summer Reading Club.  One year the program included a chart with the presidents on it.  I can still remember wondering what color president I would have for my chart.  There were about five colors and we didn’t get to choose a color. The following year the theme was states, and again I couldn’t wait to fill in my chart. 

I went to the library every Saturday, and once in a while during the week as well.  I can remember the end of the SRC parties to this day.  I can even remember what the library smelled like.  I read every Nancy Drew book even though the librarian didn’t consider them quality literature. When I ran out of those books, I read biographies and I believe that started my love of American history.  I majored in American studies at college and still love biographies.

Summer Reading Club is a passion of mine;  I want to connect children with the many joys I experienced each summer at the library.  I love SRC and have participated in over 30 of them!

We want to hear your memories too! Please leave us a comment and share your memories of participating in Summer Reading as a child.

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman tells the story of Tom, a World War I veteran  who takes his new bride to a lighthouse posting off Australia’s western coast. Deeply in love and captivated by their island home, they long for a child. When a boat washes up on shore carrying a dead man and a live baby girl, they bury the man and raise the child as their own. But Tom is haunted by their choice, and the possibility of the child’s other relatives, until he makes a fateful decision. Stedman’s lyrical writing evokes the island’s charm and utter isolation, as well as Tom’s heartbreaking dilemma.

The Edge of the Earth by Trudy Schwarz  follows Trudy Schroeder, raised in middle-class Midwestern comfort and frustrated by the tidy life plan laid out for her. When Trudy escapes to a lighthouse off the coast of California, she discovers the unpredictable beauty of a world entirely different from her own.

Lighthouse Bay by Kimberely Freeman, set in 1901, a ship sinks off the coast of Lighthouse Bay in Australia. The only survivor is Isabella Winterbourne–escaping her loveless marriage and the devastating loss of her son. One hundred years later, Libby Slater leaves her life in Paris to return to her hometown of Lighthouse Bay.  In this adventurous love story spanning centuries, both Isabella and Libby must learn that letting go of the past is the only way to move into the future.

TEENS: Read as many of the books from the list and then visit the MLA website to vote!  The top teen vote counts toward the book that will receive the Thumbs Up! stamp.

• The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde
• Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
• Every Day by David Levithan
• Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick
• How to Lead a Life of Crime by Kirsten Miller
• The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen by Susin Nielsen
• Revived by Cat Patrick
• Sons of the 613 by Michael Rubens
• Bomb by Steve Sheinkin
• Cardboard by Doug TenNapel

The Samurai’s Garden is a quick read, with the story lasting 206 pages, with a novella in the last pages of the novel. It is written in a straight-forward style, and at a quick pace that keeps the readers hooked. The storyline is interesting and readers will grow to care for Hiro and Hanako. A concern for interested readers would be that some general knowledge about the time period would be useful, as the book does not explain what a daimyo is, or the customs of etiquette appropriate for the time period. A read-alike for this novel would be Ron Rash’s The Cove, simply in the style of the writing, but for others set in historical Japan, the novels of Gail Tsukiyama and Memoirs of a Geisha by Andrew Golden are similar.

Kiyono is continuing the story of the Hanakas through their succeeding generations, in The Plum Blossom Covenant. No release date has been set as of this writing.

Kiyono’s book is part of the Local Indie @ KDL collection, housed at the Cascade Township and Kentwood (Richard L. Root) branches. It was created to give independent authors, filmmakers and musicians the opportunity to be added to our shelves and to be featured by staff in order to increase viewers, readers and listeners.

Click here to browse our Local Indie @ KDL collection.

(reviewed by Emily at the Cascade Township branch)