The Kent County Literacy Council is currently seeking motivated individuals to volunteer as tutors. The Literacy Council and Michigan Family Resources, Inc. have launched the Family Literacy Program, which will provide free tutoring in reading and speaking English to parents of children who attend REACH Head Start and Early Head Start.

Volunteers will be trained and matched with an adult student for weekly tutoring. Tutors will be given free materials, lesson plan ideas and ongoing support. If you have a couple hours a week and a desire to help others, why not volunteer as a tutor?

If you would like to find out more about becoming a volunteer tutor for adult readers in Kent County, please call Shay Kraley at 459-5151 to register for the information session at the Cascade branch of the Kent District Library on Tuesday, December 4 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Bring your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins to the Plainfield Township Branch for a fun program that will have the whole family up and dancing.  Rich Eddy’s Rockin’ Oldies Band will play at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 25, featuring songs from the ’50s and ’60s.

Check out the latest list of Staff Picks for a great book to read!

http://www.booksite.com/texis/scripts/bookletter/showlist.html?sid=5027&list=CNL3

You can also sign up to receive the list by email each month!

http://www.booksite.com/texis/scripts/bookletter/addnluser.html?sid=5027

Is your book discussion group looking for a book to read? Check out KDL’s new Book Club in a Bag kits, which contain several copies of a title, discussion questions, and author information! See the brochure below for a list of titles and how to reserve a bag for your group. 

book-club-in-a-bag-bookmark.pdf

We hope to add more titles next year, so leave a comment with your suggestions!

We are looking for talented 6th-12th grade teens to submit films for our 2nd teen filmmakers contest.  Over $200 in prize money is up for grabs for the best documentary, best animation, best music video, best general film and overall best in the show.  Films will be screened and voted upon at the East Grand Rapids library branch Film Festival on Saturday February 9th at 6:00 pm. 

For additional festival information and contest applications, go to www.kdl.org/teens

Lights! Camera! Action!!!!

It’s hockey season! From now through April, use your KDL library card to get a great deal on Grand Rapids Griffins hockey tickets. At every Friday home game, fans who present a local public library card—from the Kent District Library, the Grand Rapids Public Library or the Lakeland Library Cooperative—at the Van Andel Arena box office will get an upper bowl ticket for just $5! (Limit four tickets per card.)

The Griffins schedule includes Friday home games through April:

November 23
December 7
December 14
December 21
January 11
January 18
February 15
February 22
March 28
April 4
April 11

Sign up for a Kent District Library card at any of KDL’s 18 branches. And if you already have one, don’t forget to use it!

Tickets are subject to availability.

If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you must be at this live performance of Wizard Rock music! Wizard Rock, a new phenomenon in music, is inspired by the famous J.K. Rowling series. On Wednesday, November 14 at 4:00 p.m., the East Grand Rapids branch of KDL will present The Whomping Willows, a band that plays music related to the popular Harry Potter series. Fans of all ages are invited to rock out like Ron and party like Neville. If you wish you could go to Hogwarts, don’t miss this awesome opportunity to hear music about your favorite characters!

Many of our branches are wrapping up exciting series of regular programs this week, but lots of great programs will still be going on into November!

Olivia the Pig Party!

Olivia is not your ordinary pig – she dances, she sings, and she is definitely high energy!  We’re celebrating Ian Falconer’s popular storybook character with crafts and games featuring our favorite pig.  For all ages.

CHOCOLATE!

CHOCOLATE crafts!  CHOCOLATE stories!  CHOCOLATE games!  And CHOCOLATE tasting (of course)!  For ages 6 and up.

Don’t forget to visit our calendar to take a look at all the other November events going on!

In this new release for teens, author Deb Caletti pairs an anxious 18 year old Jade with a young father, Sebastian.  

With all that life brings at you as a teen, sometimes things get overwhelming. Jade DeLuna suffers from panic attacks and finds that looking at an elephant webcam helps to alleviate her symptoms. But when she starts seeing the guy with the red jacket visit the elephant enclosure with a baby on his back she gets really intrigued.

This leads to her getting a job volunteering at the zoo. Eventually she meets Sebastian and Bo and the rest is history, right? Of course not. Because life is not the simple.

Jade’s family life is falling apart and Sebastian isn’t telling the whole story about his and Bo’s past.

Wonderfully written, The Nature of Jade will score big with teens looking for Sarah Dessen readalikes.

Look it up in the catalog here.

In the mood for a good paranormal romance? Check out our recommended reading lists!

Love Bites

Romance Under a Full Moon