The library is a great place to get books, attend free programs, use computers…. and stay cool. With temperatures soaring into the 90s this week, health professionals are encouraging those without air conditioning in their homes to seek out public places that are air-conditioned. Sounds like a great opportunity to visit your local KDL branch! All 18 of our branches are air-conditioned and a wonderful place to work, relax or enjoy time with your children.

For more information on how to “beat the heat,” check out this article from the Grand Rapids Press. In addition, this article highlights services offered to seniors during this time of extreme temperatures.

If your home is too hot, the library is a cool place to be!

The John Ball’s Traveling Zoo program scheduled to take place Thursday evening (July 21) at the Plainfield branch has been cancelled due to the extremely warm weather. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

See our event calendar for other great events happening this week at KDL.

The next round in the KDL Wii Tournament Series is taking place at the Cascade Township branch on Thursday, July 28 at 1:00 pm.  The tournament, for teens in grades 6-12, features the always exciting Super Smash Bros. Brawl!  Plan to join us for this awesome tournament which includes snacks and prizes. Registration is required; call 784-2007 or register online. Mark sure to arrive by 1:15 pm in order to join in on the fun.

 Here are a few of the guidelines:

• It will be single player, with most battles consisting of 4 players.
• The battles will be timed.
• There will be a few preliminary battles before the top participants are placed in the tournament bracket.
• Wiimotes and nunchucks will be provided, but if you wish to use a classic remote or Gamecube controller you may bring one with you.
• Some but not all of the characters and levels have been unlocked on the systems, but if any are unlocked throughout the tournament game play they may be used.
• Items will be set to random throughout the event.

Hope to see you there!

If you love American Idol then you don’t want to miss the Grandville Idol Talent Show, taking place at 7:00 pm on Thursday, August 4 at the Grandville branch’s outdoor amphitheatre. Channel your inner Randy Jackson as you watch the best young talent compete for fun and prizes. This is sure to be a great night of entertainment!

If you can sing, dance, tell jokes, or have another special talent, sign up to perform in the show! If you think you’ve got what it takes to impress the audience, stop in the Grandville branch. All talent show participants must pre-register.

A big thank you to Macatawa Bank for sponsoring this exciting program.

Shout! Shout It Out! by Denise Fleming

Children are often told to settle down and be quiet.  Here is a great picture book that encourages kids to shout and rejoice in their own knowledge.  With bright colors and unique paper art, Denise Fleming creates page after page of  happy, multicultural children exhibiting their knowledge of the alphabet, numbers, colors etc.  Toddlers and preschoolers, whether or not they have mastered all these facts, will be able to join in the fun.  This book is sure to bring smiles to adults and children alike.  Be prepared for repeat readings! 

This is a great book to encourage the early literacy skill of print awareness.  Print awareness is a child’s realization that words are everywhere and that each word has meaning.  Learning how a book is held and how to follow words on a page are all part of this early literacy skill.

As we enter the final week of the Harry Potter movie franchise, you might want to review the books in the series. Yes, it is to late to re-read the series, unless you are a very fast reader, but there is a short cut: The Complete Harry Potter series in comic form by Lucy Knisley. Her illustrations are very entertaining and a great way to remember what happened in which book.

If you just want a review of the movies, check out this video review from Warner Bros:

Give HP a thumbs up if you will be watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 this weekend!

To celebrate the end of Summer Reading Club, the Kentwood branch is hosting Kentwoodpalooza! Taking place on July 28 at 5:30 PM at the Library Amphitheatre (community room if the weather is bad), this event will feature awesome music by local teen rock bands.

Free hot dogs and root beer while they last. Doors will open at 5:15 PM.                      

This exciting event is sponsored by Kent District Library, Friends of the Kentwood Library, Kentwood Cat Clinic, Dr. Joseph Antonucci, Breton Gardens Family Dentistry, and Cooks Hot Dogs.

We hope to see you there!

This year, KDL celebrates its 75th anniversary! As we look forward to a bright future, we also look back to see how far we’ve come. Join us on a small trip down memory lane to the 1980s.

 The Grand Rapids Press, 11/30/1980

Grand Rapids Press, 8/5/1982

The Advance, 9/9/1986

Lowell Ledger, 10/8/1987

For more 75th anniversary photos and archival media, visit KDL’s Flickr page.

Each month KDL staff join Shelley Irwin on the WGVU Morning Show to talk about what’s going on at the library. This month, listen to Youth Paraprofessionals Lynda Austin (Englehardt Branch) and Janna Slot (Byron Township Branch) talk about KDL’s Summer Reading Clubs for Teens and Adults. Enjoy!

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Download WGVU7-7-11.mp3

In the last month, I read two dystopia fiction books. The first was Unwind by Neal Shusterman, published in 2007. A sequel is expected to be published next year, so it is a good time to revisit this title.

Unwind is set after the 2nd Civil War which hinged on reproductive rights. Instead of abortions before a child is born, a parent or guardian can decide to have a teenager unwound. This involves a medical procedure that harvests body parts to use on others as needed. The story focuses on three teenagers that have been scheduled to be unwound. Two of the teenagers are being forced to the procedure, while that last one is a willing participant. The story unravels to show the dynamics of the society that has evolved and how these teenagers are caught up in something that is so much larger than their own issues.

The other book is the first in a new trilogy, Wither by Lauren DeStefano. After genetically altering a generation of infants to prevent all diseases, a terrible side affects occurs in the following generation: all males die at the age of 25 and all females die at the age of 20. This creates a world where young girls are kidnapped and forced to be brides while the controversry continues between finding a cure or leaving well enough alone. Rhine has known no other world and is kidnapped and forced to marry a wealthy young man. But the seperation from her twin and the horror she discovers within the house drives her to find a way out before her life is over.

You might also enjoy the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld or Delirium by Lauren Oliver.