Those of you who download eBooks and eAudiobooks from KDL have probably noticed that our eBook website recently underwent a makeover as OverDrive upgraded it to their new “Next Generation experience.”

Now that you’ve had a chance to use the site for a while, OverDrive wants to know what you think. Share your thoughts by taking their survey, and they will reward one lucky winner with an iPad!

The survey runs through April 30, and the data will be used to enhance library services in the future.

Good luck!

With spring break coming up, you may be wondering what to do that week.  Some people will go on vacation, while others will be planning a “staycation!”  Why not include Kent District Library in your plans?  The library has a great collection of books, DVDs, music, audiobooks, magazines, and much more!  Have an eReader? Check out our online collection of eBooks and eAudiobooks.  Did you know that we also have magazines and music available?  Spend some time exploring!

Not only does KDL have lots of items available to check out, but we also have lots of fun activities happening during the week of spring break!  Stop at the library and build yourself a new house at one of our Family Building Bricks Parties!  Go to the Kentwood (Richard L. Root) branch and see a movie, or enjoy everything Star Wars at the East Grand Rapids branch.  If magic is more your style, the Sand Lake/Nelson Township branch will have Stormy the Magician poof in for a visit!  Some teens will enjoy Minecraft building or Mario Kart racing, while others may want to enter our poetry competition. School-age kids have their own Wii gaming party, as well as Beyblade Battles and a Science in the Stacks program.  Preschoolers can join in the fun with a Garden-themed Storytime, and all ages will enjoy our Drop-in crafts.  

For more information, including dates, times and branches, please check out our Spring Kaleidoscope, found here or stop by one of our 18 branches for a paper copy.

Spread the word! Now is the perfect time to sign up for a KDL library card.

If you sign up for a library card before March 31, you have the chance to win some amazing prizes including an overnight stay at the JW Marriott, a three-month family membership to the YMCA, gift certificates and more! All you have to do is sign up for a KDL card and participate in our Find Your Happiness Scavenger Hunt, which will introduce you to all the amazing free services KDL has to offer. Visit your local branch for more information or to sign up. Happy Hunting!

Check out all the vendors that donated prizes. If you visit any of these businesses, make sure to thank them for their generosity and community involvement.

Don’t forget… KDL is your place for happiness!

Grow Happiness @ KDL by sharing your favorite joke with the library staff.  Check out the KDL collection of jokes, cartoon books and humorous writing.  Create a funny caption for pictures posted in our library branches and on KDL Facebook pages.  In conjunction with Gilda’s Club LaughFest.

Friday, March 1 – Sunday, March 31

Ally Carter has two very successful teen series.  What these two series have in common are a bit of mystery, humor, good characters and an eBook that puts characters from each series together. (Double Crossed is the eBook and KDL doesn’t have it available but it can be downloaded for free online or from your favorite eBook store.)

Perfect Scoundrels was just released and is the third in the Heist Society series.  This book reveals much more about W.W. Hale V and his relationship with Kat.  Don’t worry, there is still a good scheme and a surprise twist.  And if you look closely at the reflection in the cover girl’s glasses…

The last book published in the Gallagher Girl series was Out of Sight, Out of Time.  There is a sixth book tentatively scheduled to be released this year!  But no title information or cover as of March.  According to her website, the sixth book should wrap up the series although she is not ruling out another book or spin off.

The Spring 2013 issue of the KDL Kaleidoscope program guide is now available at your local branch library. Or check it out online. You’ll find all you need to know about spring programs and get some great information on library resources and staff recommendations.

It’s sure to be an exciting spring at KDL, and you don’t want to miss a thing. Check out the KDL Kaleidoscope today!

Teen angst, drama… not in these books!  These teen titles are KDL Happiness Project approved… sure to turn those frowns upside down!

Recently, I finished reading two Historical Fiction books for Teens that really grabbed my attention.  I finished each book with a little sadness because they are not part of a series so I had to leave those characters behind.  The first one is Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys.  (Her first book Between Shades of Grey was excellent also!)  Out of the Easy is set during the 1950s in the French Quarter of New Orleans and the story centers around Josie Moraine.  Josie desperately wants to escape her life in the French Quarter, where her mother works as a prostitute, and go to college.  But she becomes entangled in a murder investigation which may tie her tighter to everything she wants to leave behind.

The other book is Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein.   This book is set during World War II and is divided into two parts.  The first part is narrated by “Verity”, who has been captured by the Germans while she is working as a spy in France.  The story she tells is how the Germans were able to capture and torture her for information and about her friendship with a British girl named Maddie.  The second part is Maddie who helps the reader understand who “Verity” really is and ties up the questions from part I.  This is a story that will linger with the reader after the book is finished!

The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. The award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood.

Take a look at our Coretta Scott King Author Award Winners booklist and our Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winners booklist.

The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

The 2013 Newbery Medal winner is The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. Ivan’s transformative emergence from the “Ape at Exit 8” to “The One and Only Ivan, Mighty Silverback,” comes to life through the gorilla’s own distinct narrative voice, which is filled with wry humor, deep emotion and thought-provoking insights into the nature of friendship, hope and humanity.

The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

The 2013 Caldecott Medal winner is This Is Not My Hat, written and illustrated by Jon Klassen.

In this darkly humorous tale, a tiny fish knows it’s wrong to steal a hat. It fits him just right. But the big fish wants his hat back. Klassen’s controlled palette, opposing narratives and subtle cues compel readers to follow the fish and imagine the consequence.