Time is running out to get your free tickets for the WGVU Real Oldies Concert at the Ball Park on Saturday, June 1 at 6:00 PM at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park. Featured bands are The Grass Roots, The Eschelons and The Westside Soul Surfers.

You do not have to have a KDL library card to get a free concert ticket at any one of our 18 branches.

Can’t make the concert? You don’t need a ticket to download free oldies music 24/7 from Freegal (but you do need a KDL card).

As part of this fundraiser to help support WGVU Real Oldies and the West Michigan Whitecaps Inner City Youth Baseball/Softball program, a classic car show in the parking lot starts at 3:00 PM.

We are getting ready for Summer Reading @ KDL. Are you?

Don’t miss out on a summer of programs, prizes and fun. Sign up starting Saturday June 1 at any KDL branch.

MeLCat, the service that allows KDL cardholders to request items from libraries around the state, will be unavailable starting at 7:00 PM Tuesday, May 28 to perform a software upgrade. Searching, placing requests, and renewing MeLCat items will not be possible during this time. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Being a Kid… by Charles Fry (full title: Being a Kid in the Midwestern Town of White Cloud, MI (Population 800): Snapshots into the Life of Charles Fry (Born 1929) During the First Ten Years of His Life — and Beyond)

I really enjoyed this collection of reminiscences that Fry wrote first for his own family, but now has shared with the rest of us. Each short memory is a funny, honest and delightful window on life in the 1930s, both on a dairy farm and in a small town. When times were tight, Charles and his three older brothers invented daring and humorous ways to have fun, and found creative ways to earn spending money, too. How Charles gets into the circus for free, or how he gains fame delivering the Press, are just a few examples of this fun read.

Fry’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 Deb at the Cascade Township Branch of Kent District Library)

The creator of Lyle the Crocodile died on Monday, May 16. Bernard Waber was 91 years old. He introduced Lyle in 1962 with “The House on East 88th Street.” His final book, “Lyle Walks the Dog,” was produced with his daughter, Paulis. He also wrote many other picture books, including “Ira Sleeps Over,” in which a young boy is afraid he will be teased for bringing his teddy bear over to a friend’s house.

Tiger in My Soup by Kashmira Sheth 

A little boy grows frustrated when left in the care of his big sister, as she is too busy with her own book to read to him. Finally he asks for lunch instead, and what should form in the steam of his hot soup but a tiger! This imaginative book is bursting with colorful illustrations, which help tell the story.

In one-on-one reading, point out the details of the illustrations and ask questions as you read. What does the boy wear on his head as a helmet? It’s a colander! What do we use that for in the kitchen? Helping your child explain what is happening not only boosts comprehension, but also expands vocabulary. Practice your best growls and pretend to be tigers together. Pretend play allows children to narrate their own stories and is a great way to get 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.

• All Kent District Library branches will be closed on Monday, May 27, in observance of Memorial Day. We will resume normal operating hours on Tuesday, May 28.
• All KDL branches will be closed on Sundays from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Sunday hours will resume on Sunday, September 8.
• For additional 2013 holiday closing information, please view our holiday closings page.

We appreciate your patronage and wish you a Happy Memorial Day!

In honor of Memorial Day, this week’s Top Ten list features ten of the most popular Military-related books at KDL. To view these titles, click on the link to your KDL Top Ten List.

Sure, a good portion of our programs are for families, kids and teens, but we didn’t want you grown-ups to miss out on all the library fun! We have an exciting line-up of programs for adults taking place at our branches this summer. These programs will help you learn a new skill, plan a vacation or even determine if someone is trying to deceive you! Click on each event title for dates, times, locations and the event description. Don’t let the kids have all the fun!

• Book Sales
• Computer Classes and Technology Programs
• Sit-N-Stitch
• Midwest Travels with Steve Ellis
• Zen Design
• Cascade Writer’s Group
• Music on the Deck
• Beneath the Surface: Earth Shelter Project Michigan
• Digging for the Truth Using Linguistic Statement Analysis
• Author Visit: Scott Bitely
• Crossroads: Exploring Business Ownership Options

Reading a Sarah Dessen book is like taking a long stroll with a close friend.  Her characters seem like the girl living next door; someone you know from school. Her newest book, set to be released at the beginning of June, will feel very familiar to her readers.  The Moon and More is set in the beach town of Colby, just like Along for the Ride.

Emaline has the perfect boyfriend and a comfortable life working for her grandmother’s real estate firm in a small beach town. But the unexpected arrival of a demanding film director, and the cute assistant, change Emaline’s outlook. Will she be content attending the local college or should she reach farther? Her mostly absent father is pushing her to attend an Ivy League school, but how can she leave the familiar world of Colby?

This is a great book to take to the beach this summer!