Family Storytime Article and Pictures

Cassie reads to children at the Dec. 27 Family Storytime
 

Cassie enthralls her young audience with tales of winter
 

Cassie and Co. do crafts after the story reading

 

Augusta area children got a chance to have some seasonal fun at the Augusta Public Library's Family Storytime on December 27. Youth Librarian Cassie Banaszak helped the children "get their wiggles out" by leading them through a series of silly motions, then read them two winter-themed stories before offering them a wide selection of crafting materials so they could make their own unique creations.

The library offers Storytimes such as this one several times a year; they are planned for days when area children are out of school due to vacations or teacher inservices. Anyone interested in more information about Storytimes or other programs can consult the library's website at augustalibrary.org, send an e-mail to aulib@augustalibrary.org, or call the library at (715) 286-2070.

(This article will also be appearing--at least theoretically--in next week's edition of the Augusta Area Times.)

Young Architects' Fourth Creation

Joe and Storm present their fourth creation, Eiffel Cards.

FAMILY STORYTIME ON DECEMBER 27

If you're looking for a way to entertain your children in those anti-climactic days following Christmas, you might consider coming to the library's Family Storytime on Friday, Dec. 27, from 1-3 p.m. This event will feature winter-themed stories and crafts. It's free, and all children are welcome to attend. (Please note that they should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.)

For more information, please contact Cassie Banaszak at (715) 286-2070 or banaszak@augustalibrary.org.

HOLIDAY HOURS

The Augusta Public Library will be closed on Tuesday, Dec. 24, and on Wednesday, Dec. 25, for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It will also be closed on Tuesday, Dec. 31, and Wednesday, Jan. 1, for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. The library will be open during its normal hours with the exception of these four days.

Young Architects' Third Creation

Joe and Storm present their third creation, Dark Foot of Beastness

December Book Club Selection: A Cup of Christmas Tea

A Cup of Christmas Tea

The December selection for the Augusta Library's book club for adults was A Cup of Christmas Tea by Tom Hegg. The description of this book on Goodreads is as brief as the book itself:

The story of a young man's reluctant visit to an elderly aunt at Christmastime, and the unexpected joy it brings. More than 1.5 million copies sold.

A Cup of Christmas Tea was a hit among the book club members: Not only was it mercifully short (it took less than ten minutes to read), but it inspired some lively discussions. First, members debated whether the narrator should be blamed or exonerated for his reluctance to visit his elderly great aunt at Christmas. (Most seemed to conclude that while his sentiments were hardly admirable, they certainly were understandable; a few drew parallels between his relationship with his aunt and the relationships that they or people they knew had experienced.) Eventually, the debate evolved into a sharing of members' own Christmas memories. Jane read the poem's sequel, A Memory of Christmas Tea, and everyone shared the assorted desserts that several members had brought. Although the meeting was on December 11, it was already beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

The next book club meeting will be on January 8; we will discuss The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis. The meeting is free, and everyone is welcome to attend. Please contact the library if you haven't yet requested a copy of January selection but would like to obtain one.

Cassie's Top 10 YA Books, 2013

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

The Infernal Devices, Book 3

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Lunar Chronicles, Book 2

Awaken by Meg Cabot

Abandon, Book 3

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

His Fair Assassin, Book 2

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

Of Triton by Anna Banks

The Syrena Legacy, Book 2 (Click here for Book 1)

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

United We Spy by Ally Carter

Gallagher Girls, Book 6

Golden by Jessi Kirby

Young architects' second creation

Joe, Storm, and Centipede

Storm and Joe present their second creation, Centipede. (Apparently Storm was overcome by the beauty of their work, but don't worry; he revived immediately.)

The library says goodbye to intern Amanda Gaveske

Amanda Gaveske on the verge of  completing her library internship

It's never easy to say goodbye, especially when you're bidding farewell to a person as smart, fun, and competent as library intern Amanda Gaveske. Her internship will be officially over on Dec. 12, so she'll no longer be spending a large part of her Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Augusta Public Library after that date.

Amanda will be graduating from UW-Eau Claire on Dec. 21 with a major in English Literature and a minor in Library Science. She also plans to stay in the Eau Claire area, at least for the time being, so a periodic visit to the library where she spent over 143 hours isn't out of the question.

While she's in the process of starting her new career, Amanda is hoping to save enough money to purchase a car. Just an idea for anyone who might be looking for the perfect graduation gift for her...

Cookies and cocoa

 

What's better than books? Books and cookies!

 

From December 9-11, you can come to the library for some delicious cookies, bars, and cocoa as well as literature.

 

They're free and available during regular library hours, so come in, get warmed up, and get nourished. (Well, sugared up, anyway...)

Young architects at the library

Joe, Storm, and the Cardholder 9000.

Almost every day, you can find Augusta elementary students Storm and Joe spending quality time with the library computers. They're masters of the online gaming realm, and they enjoy few things more than a good sojourn in virtual reality.

Imagine their horror, then, when they entered the library and realized that ALL OF THE COMPUTERS WERE TAKEN!!! What was a pair of modern young men to do without a screen in front of them? How would they pass their time in the library?

It was a desperate situation. Books were out of the question--too reminiscent of school. Then what was left?

The solution: architecture! The pair of young builders set themselves to creating a series of structures using the library's collection of wooden triangles and rectangles. They now proudly present the first in this series, and they intend to post a new one each week.

Young architects Storm and Joe proudly present their series debut, the Cardholder 9000.