Happy Birthday Jan Berestain!

Jan Berenstain's birthday is today (July 26th) and she would have been 92 this year. She is best known for the children's books she wrote with her husband (Stan Berenstain) and later her son (Mike Berenstain).

 

The popular Berenstain Bears Books have been a favorite among kids for almost four generations. The first in the series, The Big Honey Hunt, was written and illustrated by Jan and Stan Berenstain in 1962. The husband and wife duo continued to publish nearly 300 books together in the Berenstain Bears series until Stan's passing in 2005. Jan Berenstain then continued the series with the help of her son Mike Berenstain until her passing in 2012. Mike Berenstain now continues the beloved children's series his parents started, with new releases each year.
Celebrate Jan Berenstain's birthday by reading one of her great stories. The IPL has many available to enjoy. What's your favorite Berenstain Bear book?

Jeanne Guerra At The IPL!

Author Jeanne Guerra will be at the Independence Public Library on May 9th, 2015 for a Book Signing and Author Visit. She'll discuss her book Overalls, Oatmeal, & Dreams, which is based on Independence's Wapsipinicon Mill. All ages are welcome, and there is no registration required. The Author Visit is from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM this Saturday.

Triumph Over Destiny

Author Peladija Woodson-Diers will give a presentation on Monday morning at 10:00am.  Peladija wrote a book, Triumph Over Destiny, about her parent's survival from WWII Austria to America. Copies of her book will be available for purchase and signing after the presentation.

Interested in reading the book, but unable to attend the program?  The library has a copy of Triumph Over Destiny that you may ask to be put on the waiting list.

TIPLINE: President's Day

The Independence Public Library's Interesting Nuggets of Exploration: President's Day

It's President's Day, and yes, the library is open. So don't forget to stop in and satisfy your literary cravings. You might even consider some presidential reads in honor of the holiday.




Of course, the IPL has plenty of biographies for any age, but there are even some options in the fiction section. Newt Gingrich, a presidential candidate from 2012, has written a number of historical fiction novels (we have some in regular and large print.)









And if you're looking for a little more drama (or humor), give some political commentary a try. You can find a large selection of political topics in the 300's of the nonfiction section. There's also a large selection on NEIBORS to explore.

How's That 5-5-5 Reading Challenge Coming?

So far we have fifty patrons reading toward the May 5th challenge deadline. If you got started on January 1st, you should have about nine books down. If you're a little behind, don't panic there is still plenty of time. In fact, if you started the 5-5-5 Reading Challenge today, you would still have a little over three days for each book to read. Sound impossible? Think again, we've already had one patron complete the challenge. (That's right! 25 books read in under two months!)
So if you still want to get in on the challenge you can sign up online and pick up your challenge log the next time you are at the library, or sign up directly at the library.
And if you're looking for book ideas for that challenge, give Iowa author Carol Gorman a try. Tomorrow is (February 16th) is her birthday. You can find her books in the Young Adult and Junior Fiction sections of the library.

Happy Birthday To Two Great Children's Authors

A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jane Yolen and Mo Willems, who will both be one year older today. Celebrate at the library by checking out one of their many wonderful children's books. Many of you may know Mo Willems from his Elephant & Piggie books, or Jane Yolen from her How Do Dinosaurs series. Of course they both write much more than that, but too much to fit in a tiny blog post, so head to the IPL and discover their fantastic fiction.

Meet The Writers!

Stop in today and you may catch a glimpse of some of our Resident Writers for NaNoWriMo and the Young Writers Program.
If you still want to get in on the fun of writing a novel in the month of November, it's not too late. Just ask up at the Circulation Desk and we'll get you started.
If you want to get some tips and tricks to get you going try our IPL NaNo Padlet Page.

Book Discussion: Defending Jacob by William Landay

Drop in on the Book Discussion at the Independence Public Library on October 28th. The group will be talking about Defending Jacob by William Landay at 6:30 PM. If you haven't read the the book yet, and don't mind spoilers, there are still copies available at the circulation desk. Just checkout a copy and come with what you've read.

You can also get a head start on next month's book: The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman.

Meet Local & Regional Authors at The IPL

The CAMEO Series has another opportunity to meet face to face with great authors. The Author Fair will be open from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM on Saturday, October 11th. Seven authors will be available to meet and discover, and patrons will have the chance to hear each speak. The speaking schedule is listed below and on the IPL website. You can also download a program for more information.

Author Speaking Schedule:

10:00 AM   Mary Potter Kenyon
10:20 AM   Jeffery Kirkendall
10:40 AM   Gary Lee Martinson
11;00 AM   Linda McCann
11:20 AM   Debra Stacey
11:40 AM   Sonja Draga Stefanovic Wessels
12:00 PM   Anneliese Heider Tisdale