SJCPL Blog

Don’t miss your chance to meet comic book and graphic novel artist Gene Ha tomorrow (Friday, July 25) at 2:00 p.m. at the Francis Branch! Bring your portfolio and Gene will give you tips and suggestions. He will also show you how to develop a character or two, draw action, and more. Bring in a picture of your favorite comic, graphic novel, or manga character and Gene will draw your portrait AS THAT CHARACTER! This program is perfect for the budding artist or anyone who has any interest in the art of comics. Please call us at 282-4641 if you have any questions.

With all the comic-based summer blockbusters like The Dark Knight (Batman), Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Hellboy 2, as well as 2009’s upcoming Watchmen, it is easy to see why so many people love comics. You probably know that SJCPL has several superhero-related graphic novels and movies to choose from. But did you know that we also have a cool collection of comic book titles to peruse! It’s true! Whether it be Batman, X-Men, Spider-man, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern or Captain America, we have heroes to ignite your imagination!! We have back issues as well so you can catch up on the latest storyline in each series…whether it be the new Green Goblin menace plaguing ol’ Spidey or the death and reawakening of Captain America in the continued Winter Soldier storyline…We also have several books that can help you create your own comics or teach you the craft of pencilling, inking, and coloring comics so you can break into the biz!

So exit that movie theater, hop in your car, and come to SJCPL to continue your pursuits of all things superheroic!

(click on each book below to see holdings!)

Construction is progressing nicely. Windows are being installed and drywall ceiling will be completed by this week. Bricklayers will be working on the expanded exterior. Inside lots of things are happening. Interior framing and duct work are being worked on and mechanicals are getting installed.

Are you thinking of taking a “staycation” this year? For those who aren’t up on the hippest, newest words, the term staycation refers to a vacation taken at or near your home. In my family growing up, those were about the only kind of vacations we took–the other kind being the ones where you go and stay with unsuspecting relatives! Since I’ve taken my share of Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois vacations, I thought I’d post about some of my favorite spots. Let’s talk turkey…Turkey Run State Park, that is.

I’d always heard that Turkey Run had gorgeous scenery, but I was a little skeptical after I looked at the map and saw that it was located in Central Indiana, near the Illinois border, where I thought it was flatter than flat. We took I-65 south to Lafayette and then headed west over towards the state line. My expectations stayed low because it was still flat until we got to the park. Then, what a surprise! The park is formed where Sugar Creek has eroded the land into deep canyons–not on the scale of the Grand Canyon or anything, but for Indiana, very nice. There are plenty of hiking paths in varying degrees of difficulty: through ravines, dry and wet creek beds, scaling walls of rock, and paved paths. A variety of recreational opportunities abound, including canoeing, fishing, and horseback riding. Let’s talk food! The cuisine at the lodge was smorgasbord style, homemade and divinely delicious. I’d go back just for the food. The lodge is also homey, with a fireplace, games and old-time rocking chairs to sit in.

If you go, check out and take with you, SJCPL’s hiking guide to Turkey Run State Park. And while you are there, remember that it is located in Parke County, Indiana. Does anyone know what Parke County is famous for? Covered bridges! Also consider checking out and taking with you, SJCPL’s guide to Parke County covered bridges. For more things to do in Parke County, see their tourism website.

There is a similar park in Illinois called Starved Rock State Park, but I have to say that Turkey Run is much nicer in terms of peacefulness, tranquility and lack of crowds (we visited in late fall). Starved Rock is close to Chicago and attracts hordes of visitors. You can read about Starved Rock if you decide to forgo the trip out there.

For those who want more creative, exciting and perhaps even weird ideas for your staycation, here are some more titles for your enjoyment! Many of these titles are located in Main Library’s Local & Family History Services, where one of our collection focuses is Indiana and the Midwest.

FICTION

Brida: A Novel by Paulo Coelho
December by Elizabeth Hartley Winthrop
Queen of Babble Gets Hitched by Meg Cabot
The Valley-Westside War by Harry Turtledove
What Was Lost: A Novel by Catherine O’Flynn

NONFICTION

Books: A Memoir by Larry McMurtry
Camp Camp: Where Fantasy Island Meets Lord of the Flie by Roger Bennett
Love as a Way of Life: Seven Keys to Transforming Every Aspect of Your Life by Gary Chapman
The X-Files Book of the Unexplained: Volumes One and Two by Jane Goldman
The Plot to Save the Planet: How Visionary Entrepreneurs and Corporate Titans Are Creating Real Solutions to Global Warming by Brian Dumaine

DVDs

Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan: The Complete Third Season
Lil’ Bratz: Party Time
The Mummy Returns: Deluxe Edition
What Not to Wear: Mom Makeovers
WrestleMania XXIV

CDs

The End Begins–Tantric
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Overcomer–Alvin Slaughter
The Sound of Madness–Shinedown
Trust Me–Craig David

CHILDREN’S

Oink, Oink Benny by Barbro Lindgren (Preschool)
Outcast (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness) by Michelle Paver (Grades 4–7)
Potato Joe by Keith Baker (Preschool)
Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story by Janet Halfmann (Grades 2–4)
Troll Blood by Katherine Langrish (Grades 4–8)

LARGE PRINT

Below the Surface by Karen Harper
Death Angel by Linda Howard
Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich
No Choice but Seduction by Johanna Lindsay
One of Those Malibu Nights by Elizabeth Adler

Please join us at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 22, for James and the Giant Peach, our next offering in the Children’s Summer Film Series. The movie will be shown in the Colfax Auditorium on the lower level of the Main Library. It runs for 79 minutes and is rated PG. Come join us for a fun movie and cool off!

When eight-year-old Dinah loses her parents to a fatal car accident, she is sent to live with her Aunt Jane. Years later, Dinah still has not come to terms with her parents’ death and, fearing for her niece’s health, Aunt Jane decides she might have to commit her to a psychiatric ward in their small town of Bizenghast. The only person that Dinah can count on to support her troubled mind is her best friend Vincent. While out in the woods one day, Vincent and Dinah happen upon a hidden mausoleum that has been fabled to disappear according to many people who claim to have found it. Dinah would rather turn back, but Vincent enters the mausoleum, and she follows. Upon reading aloud from a plaque and touching a stone “key,” Dinah’s name is written on a contract. Suddenly, a menacing, human/spider-like creature comes down from the ceiling. The creature, who calls herself Bali-Lali, threatens to kill Dinah unless she fulfills the contract and appeases all of the ghosts trapped in the mausoleum by setting their spirits free. Dinah and Vincent must journey to the mausoleum every night to free all of the ghosts and unlock the four tower guards in order to win Dinah’s freedom and a large reward.

The main reason I decided to pick up this particular title one day was because of the awesome artwork on the cover and the intriguing premise of ghosts. The author of Bizenghast, M. Alice LeGrow, does an excellent job of portraying a “Gothic” setting as the backdrop to really interesting stories about numerous tortured souls. If you’re in the mood for not one but multiple ghost stories, I highly recommend Bizenghast. The Main Library and the Francis Branch carry the first four volumes. You can place a hold online if you would like them sent to your favorite SJCPL location.

Looking for a cool biography to beat the heat? Take your pick from the many that SJCPL has to offer. Read about Barack Obama’s journey of self-discovery in Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. Raised by his white mother and grandparents, Obama in his adult years returns to Kenya to learn more about his father. The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts is both a tragic and comic tapestry of interviews with the many comedians that knew the late Chris Farley. Some interviewees featured are Mike Myers, Chris Rock, and David Spade. If you like historical biographies, William Wilberforce: Life of the Great Anti-Slave Trade Campaigner might be just for you. Learn of the great exploits of Wilberforce as he fights persistently in the 1800s English Parliement to end not only the slave-trade but slavery itself. For a more contemporary tell-all, New York Times bestseller Barbara Walters: Audition features the ambitious climb of Walters in the world of television told with great candor and moments of intimacy as she recounts the golden age of television as well as lost romances. Music lovers may enjoy Willie Nelson: An Epic Life, a truly epic storytelling of the guitar-plucking icon who came from a life of poverty to become one of the most prolific and bestselling performing artists today. If you crave juicy celebrity bios, Stori Telling is the one for you. Tori Spelling rose to fame under the nepotism of father and high-powered television producer Aaron Spelling to make her mark in Beverly Hills 90210, and on she goes explaining feuds within the family and her exploits in the world of reality television shows.

So come to SJCPL, where we have a biography to pump up your summer reading!!

On Saturday, July 12, nearly 70 residents, including me, showed up at LaSalle Square for a fun experience called Transopoly. The meeting space, provided by the Rev. Eddie Miller, allowed citizens to provide input for the redevelopment of LaSalle Square. Consultants divided the participants into teams to play. The South Bend Tribune provides more information on video. If you are interested, find another article about Transopoly here.

What are your thoughts about the redevelopment of LaSalle Square? It’s not too late to express your ideas! There will be another meeting at the LaSalle Square on Tuesday, August 19, from 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Attention Manga and Anime fans! Join us for another Manga/Anime Club (BOB) meeting as we learn all about Japan’s Obon Festival. We’ll be designing paper lanterns in observance of Japan’s “Day of the Dead” using water colors and your very own imagination. We’ll also decide on which films we’ll be watching for upcoming BOB meetings so make sure you don’t miss out! BOB welcomes all tweens and teens ages 10-17. We’re meeting Friday @ 4:00 p.m. Feel free to call us at 282-4641 if you have any questions.

Funding for programs provided by the Friends of the St. Joseph County Public Library.