lclark

The American Library Association announced their annual awards on Monday, January 28. You can see the winners here. But if you are looking for some more great reads for your kids, check out these books the Erlanger children’s department staff loved in 2018: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Flight of Swans by Sarah McGuire Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows by Ryan Calejo Sweep the Story of a Girl and her Monster by Jonathan Auxier Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi Willa of the Wood by Robert Beatty   Realistic The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle by Christina Uss Breakout by Kate Messner Front Desk by Kelly Yang The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon Miscalculations of Lighting Girl by Stacy McAnulty   Historical Fiction The Journey of Little Charlie by Christopher Paul Curtis The Button War by Avi My Year in the Middle by Lila Quintero Weaver   Graphic Novels Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol All Summer Long by Hope Larson Crush by Svetlana Chmakova   Mystery/Thriller/Horror The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson Winterhouse by Ben Guterson Small Spaces by Katherine Arden   Nonfiction Pass Go and Collect $200: The Real Story of How Monopoly Was Invented by Tanya Lee Stone Thomas Paine and the Dangerous Word by Sarah Jane Marsh Eliza: The Story of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton by Margaret McNamara Hidden Dangers: Seek and Find 13 of the World’s Deadliest Animals by Lola M Schaefer   Written by Lisa Clark, Jill Frasher, and Maria Parker. They all work at the Erlanger branch and can be found working the children's reference desk or doing programs.

It’s November. Which means the air is cooler, holidays are here, and writers of all ages are rushing to create a 50,000 word novel in just 30 days. NaNoWriMo, also known as National Novel Writing Month, is an exciting, community-driven writing exercise that challenges participants to write a novel in the month of November. As the website says, “this is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel.” NaNoWriMo started in 1999 and has steadily grown. It is now a non-profit company that supports young writers programs around the county and has published its own writing guide. Last year over 400,000 people participated in NaNoWriMo. I first heard about NaNoWriMo in 2008 and have written or attempted to write novels several times since then. It’s a great writing exercise and the official website offers community forums and pep talks from published authors to give you inspiration. There is an emphasis on just getting the story out and it takes away the pressure of trying to make your story perfect. This is a great way to get your creativity out and to challenge yourself to something new. If you are in need of more inspiration before beginning NaNoWriMo, check out these books to jump start your creativity: Lost for Words by Natalie Russell Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken Also an Octopus by Maggie Tokuda-Hall Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert   And these books to help make your writing better: Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner On Writing by Stephen King   Lisa Clark is a library associate at the Erlanger Branch where she runs the adult writers group.

Last year, I started thinking about going back to school. I had been out of college for several years and I had a couple subjects I was interested in. After taking a few graduate level classes at NKU, I still didn’t have a clear idea of what my end goal would be. Plus, taking classes can be very expensive. That’s when I discovered Gale Courses, a database offered by the library. As long as you have a library card, you are able to take any of the classes offered on the site. For free! These are instructor-led classes on a myriad of subjects, mostly focusing on personal and professional development. Each class lasts for around six weeks. Two lessons are released every week (one on Wednesdays, one on Fridays). You can sign on when you want and go through the lessons at your leisure. It is user-friendly and easy. The best part is the classes are not graded, except for the final test (if you pass, you get a certificate of completion). You can really work at your own pace. There is nothing to lose if you decide a class isn’t for you or if life gets too busy.   So far, I have completed two classes: one on editing and one on writing. I am currently taking a sign language class, which has been great. I’ve learned a lot through these classes and I’ve only had positive experiences. I like that each lesson is a mixture of readings, activities, quizzes, and discussion topics. It has given me the opportunity to strengthen skills I already have and to explore others that I am interested in. Some of the subjects you can take are: accounting, drawing, [...]