Goodall Library Corner: October 2022

by Goodall Library staff

Latest News

We are excited to announce that our new Children’s Librarian, Miss Lexi, will be joining us here at Goodall starting on October 24th. Our former Youth Services Librarian, Nicole Bowley, has taken over as Assistant Director since Jean Collins retired in September. She has retained Young Adult services alongside her new Adult Services duties, and so Miss Lexi will be in charge of programming and services for children aged 0-12 and their families. Please be sure to stop in and give her a warm welcome once she starts!

Our Book Sale fundraiser was a huge success – thank you to all who donated materials and purchased titles to help our library! We made a profit of $1,130 and all of the proceeds are going to be used to make the library an even better space for our wonderful community. Special thanks to our staff, members of our Library Board, and to our amazing volunteers Gregory Beech and Denise St. Pierre for all they did to set up and run the sale and make it such a success.

We have a great display of scary movies and tv series on DVD in our mezzanine. You can stop by to browse or put select titles on hold at minerva.maine.edu. If you need a recommendation, just ask one of our librarians and we’ll find the right level of horror for you.

Upcoming Programs:

Wed 10/26 @ 2:30pm-4:30pm: Spooky Lego Club Contest. No sign-ups necessary; drop in and join us for our regular weekly Lego Club – but with a fun twist! Build a Halloween-themed Lego creation and put it on display to be entered in the contest. Staff will vote on the top 3 most creative designs and those builders will win a prize! Suggested for ages 5-12. Parents may design too, just not as a part of the contest 🙂

Fri 10/28 @ 2pm – 4pm: Trick or Treat at the Library. All ages welcome! Come in costume and trick or treat around to all the library desks for some candy. Then pop into our Community Room to paint your very own Halloween ornament to take home.

Sat 10/29 @ 2pm: Author Talk: War Pigeons. Join author Elizabeth G. Macalaster for a fascinating presentation on her book War Pigeons: Winged Couriers in the U.S. Military, 1878-1957. Elizabeth’s presentation traces the remarkable service of homing pigeons in the U.S. Military, from its beginnings after the Civil War to the birds’ invaluable communications role in every branch of the military. Interspersed among the slides will be opportunities for the audience to learn about homing pigeons’ superpowers. Light refreshments will be served.

New Books:

Adult Fiction: Malice House by Megan Shepherd. Megan Shepherd is a bestselling author and her newest title is sure to hit the charts as well. Malice House is a complex tale full of dark magic, family secrets, and nightmarish monsters that are sure to give even the most seasoned horror reader a thrill.

Young Adult Fiction: Usagi Yojimbo Collection by Stan Sakai. While housed in our juvenile graphic novel section, this series is sure to be a hit with teens as well. It is now a popular tv series, and shares the action-packed adventures of a samurai rabbit who battles evil creatures in an ancient-Japan setting.

Adult Nonfiction: When Caregiving Calls: Guidance as You Care for a Parent, Spouse, or Aging Relative by Aaron Blight, Ed.D. This well-reviewed title offers compassionate, caring, and comforting caregiving advice, interspersed with the author’s own personal experiences. It is a useful title for both personal and professional use and really covers the whole journey of caring for another adult.

Children’s: The Weird Sisters: A Note, a Goat, and a Casserole by Mark David Smith. This new junior fiction chapter book/transitional novel is the perfect pairing with the Halloween season. It tells the tale of three oddball witch sisters who move to a new town and open a pet store. A customer comes in to ask for help in finding her missing pet goat, but as they set out to search, they come across another mystery – a curious casserole dish and a note suggesting the sisters should leave town. Humor ensues as the witch sisters try to get to the bottom of all of this, and the book’s short chapters are sure to be accessible to readers just beginning their chapter book journey as well.