Summer Reading Program Kicks Off!

Sign-up for the Summer Reading Program begins Tuesday, June 12  for kids, teens and adults.  For children and teens, attend our kick-off event on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday at 3 p.m.and decorate your own cloth book bag.  Then you'll be all set to carry home fantastic books to read and the fabulous prizes you win!

For babies and preschoolers, Storytime is back!  Miss Kris offers stories, music, movement, and fun every Wednesday at 10 a.m. beginning June 13.

For adults, we start off the summer with Judy Williams, the Racine Coupon Lady.  She'll teach you everything you need to know about saving money by using coupons, from finding and organizing your coupons to setting up a stockpile and managing your pantry and freezer.  This class is free and registration is NOT required.  Drop in Monday morning from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and prepare to start saving!

Also for adults (and also this week) the Friends of APL are hosting a program on flower arranging taught by staff from Treasure Hut.  Learn how to make the most of your summer garden blooms on Tuesday at 1:30 under the tent on the library's front lawn.

On Wednesday, June 13, learn how to download ebooks from OverDrive to your Nook, Kindle, smart phone or other ereader.  Registration is required for this class, so please call the library and have your name added to the list.

Then, as part of Delavan's Celebration of Freedom featuring the American Veteran's Traveling Tribute, the library offers kids a chance to show their colors.  Decorate your bike (wagon, scooter, stroller . . ) in red, white, and blue at the library, then parade to Phoenix Park.  Bike decorating is from 1 to 3 p.m. at the library and all materials will be provided.

Saturday, June 16 at 10 a.m.,  Frank Landi examines the buildings in the business district of downtown Delavan in his program "Delavan's Historic Architectural Ornamentation.

All library programs are free and open to the public.

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More Novel Destinations Readers' Reviews!

Bikini Season by Sheila Roberts
Bikini Season is a fun and cute book about friendship.  A group of friends join together to diet together.  Everyone learns something about themselves along the way. Amid the funny situations they get into, they learn more about life, love, and friendship.  A great summer read! -- Dorris

Betrayal of Trust by J. A. Jance
J. A. Jance's new installment in the J. P. Beaumont series is an excellent police procedural that covers a multitude of dangers facing teens today, including snuff films, cyber bullying, predatorial advisors, non-functioning parents, and suicide.  There is just enough humor sprinkled through the story to lighten its message, and the sub-plot where Beau actually discovers who his father was is a nice twist and proof that these characters continue to surprise and entertain.  It's also refreshing to experience investigative work through the eyes of someone in their sixties, bad knees and all.

Tough love and courage reign in the end, families reunite as a gift for the dying, and reconstructive knee surgery looms as a starting point for the next time Jance treats her readers to more in the lives of these favorites.  It is a great story and scores 5/5 in my book!  -- Diane

Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts
As usual, Nora Roberts writes great attention-getting stories with attractive, assertive characters that are too good to be real.  Rowan fights fires by jumping out of airplanes.  She is beautiful and strong.  She can fight men bigger than she is.  She can't cook and I liked how she got upset when she learned that her dad was dating.  Her shortcomings made her more human.  They guy is also perfect. . . strong, good looking, and owns his own arcade business.  As always in Nora Roberts books, the couple solves the case and ends up with each other.  --Monica

Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez
Julia Alvarez explores the interrelated stories of a boy and his farm in Vermont and a Mexican family's hardships in the U.S.  Alvarez challenges readers to see the whole picture of Mexican migrant families, especially those torn between family members who are legal and illegal.  Though the issues are difficult and a reality that some care not to explore, the story is heartwarming in its narration through the voices of two budding adolescents.  I recommend reading this book.  -- Colleen

The Bible Jesus Read by Philip Yancey
Reading this book helped me understand the Old Testament better, especially the Psalms.  It shows, in simple everyday language, how the Old Testament relates to the present.  People avoid the Old Testament because they feel it's not relevant in today's society and/or it's hard to understand.  This book helps the reader gain a better understanding of these books.  --Joyce