Story time at the library
has become very popular with the preschool-aged children and their caregivers. Joanna Bateman, our volunteer story time leader, has done wonders since she began around a year ago. This past week there were over 20 in attendance for story time. I have attended a few times myself, and everyone has a great time. There are songs, stories and crafts for the little ones to do with their caregivers.
We had a few requests for books for the children recently. Most of those we ordered have arrived. The library acquiring these children’s books was made possible by the South Plains Electric Community Round Up Grant received by the library a few weeks ago.
We added 10 of the books in Cam Higgins’ ‘Good Dog’ series. With easy to read language and illustrations on almost every page, Good Dog chapter books are perfect for emerging readers. The ones we have added to our shelves are “Home Is Where the Heart Is,” “Raised in a Barn,” “Herd You Loud and Clear,” “Fireworks Night,” “The Swimming Hole,” “Life is Good,” Barnyard Buddies,” “Puppy Luck,” “Sweater Weather,” and “All You Need Is Mud.”
From the Planet books written by Stacy McAnulty and illustrated by David Litchfield we added three: “Earth: My First 4.54 Billion Years,” “Moon: Earth’s Best Friend” and “Sun! One in a Billion.”
Another couple of requests we are adding to the children’s section is “Iggy Peck, Architect” written by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts and “More Dung! A Beetle Tale” written and illustrated by Frank Weber.
In large-print fiction we added some new books recently. “All Fours” is only the second novel from author Miranda July. Named book of the year for 2024 by The New Yorker, Vogue, Financial Times, Oprah Daily, Venture and Vox, it was also one of the New York Times top 10 book of the year and one of Time Magazine’s top 10 fiction books of 2024.
In “All Fours” a semi-famous artist announces her plan to drive cross-country, from Los Angeles to New York. Thirty minutes after leaving her husband and child at home, she spontaneously exits the freeway, checks into a nondescript motel, and immerses herself in an entirely different journey.
Miranda July’s second novel confirms the brilliance of her unique approach to fiction. With July’s wry voice, perfect comic timing, unabashed curiosity about human intimacy, and palpable delight in pushing boundaries, “All Fours” tells the story of one woman’s quest for a new kind of freedom. Part absurd entertainment, part tender reinvention of the sexual, romantic, and domestic life of a forty-fiveyear old female artist, All Fours transcends expectation while excavating our beliefs about life lived as a woman. Once again, July hijacks the familiar and turns it into something new and thrillingly, profoundly alive.
Also in large print we have “The Ministry of Time” by Kaliane Bradley. It is a New York Times bestseller and Goodreads choice award for science fiction. Time travel, romance, a spy thriller, a workplace comedy, and an ingenious exploration of the nature of power and the potential for love to change it all. “The Ministry of Time” is the exhilarating debut novel by Kaliane Bradley.
Check it out at the library.
