The 5 Owls Harry Potter Reread
The character of Harry Potter was born in 1980, and that means that this summer, on July 31, Harry Potter will turn 40! To celebrate, we are reading one Harry Potter book per month until his birthday. We would love for you and your family to join us.
We will post discussion questions here each month.
The first post will be general discussion question about that month’s book. For these discussions we ask that the chat stay within the events of that book. No spoilers!
A little bit later in the month, we will introduce a second post where overarching themes in the series and theories can be discussed. Let spoilers fly!
We encourage families to use these discussion questions to foster conversation, and to create and follow their own rules regarding message boards on the internet. Grownups can use our forum to share their family’s revelations, or to take a break from the little ones and engage with other fans on your own terms.
Are you a first-timer or a Hogwarts expert? Either way, we are excited for you to go on this magical journey!
Librarian’s Pick: Noel Street – Richard Paul Evans
“The year is 1975. Elle Sheen—a single mother who is supporting herself and her six-year-old, African-American son, Dylan, as a waitress at the Noel Street Diner—isn’t sure what to make of William Smith when his appearance creates a stir in the small town of Mistletoe, Utah. As their lives unexpectedly entwine, Elle learns that William, a recently returned Vietnam POW, is not only fighting demons from his past, but may also have the answer to her own secret pain—a revelation that culminates in a remarkable act of love and forgiveness.”
Librarian’s Pick: Monster, She Wrote – Lisa Kroger & Melanie R. Anderson
“In Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction, scholars of the weird Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson trace the genealogy of women who’ve dealt in the unsettling, from the 17th century into the present. This book is inspired not only in the way it explores what the off-kilter, the monstrous and the half-known has meant to women for centuries but also in how it illuminates the often unusual lives of the women who crafted these dark worlds. Amelia Edwards was a swashbuckling explorer who traveled Egypt with her female partners in the Victorian era and wrote stories about mummies. Daphne du Maurier enigmatically referred to herself as a “disembodied spirit” throughout her childhood. Shirley Jackson was whispered to be a witch. As rebels within the male-dictated feminine role, were these women writing themselves as monsters? Or was it the world around them that was malformed, menacing?”
Librarian’s Pick: You Suck At Cooking –
“I had just perused several stunning cookbooks, replete with jaw-dropping dishes that made me both hungry and in want of a nap, when I picked up You Suck at Cooking and saw recipes like “Toasted Walnut Cauliflower Stuff” and “Broccoli Cheddar Quiche Cupcake Muffin-Type Things.” This book is the antidote to precious food culture, and it’s the first cookbook to ever make me repeatedly LOL. The (anonymous) author turns the expected on its head in a voice that’s perhaps best described as Super Mock Textbook. In the “Things You Might Need” section, for example: “There are many heat sources to choose from, each more dangerous than the next. . . . Make sure you choose the heat source that is just dangerous enough for you.” Thing is, the recipes herein could become anyone’s favorite go-tos. Don’t dare miss the section on sandwiches.”
January / February 2020 Newsletter
Our January/February newsletter is now available! View our Upcoming Programs page, or view the PDF directly! Registration for Westbury and Carle Place residents begins December 23, 2019.
Don’t forget to check out our Children’s Programs as well!
Librarian’s Pick: Ninth House – Leigh Bardugo
“In Leigh Bardugo’s instantly gripping new fantasy, Ninth House, Alex Stern can see ghosts. This ability makes her perfectly suited to monitor Yale’s underground societies, which perform occult rituals under cover of darkness. When a ritual goes wrong and Alex senses the ghosts of Yale becoming restless, she must race to find out the sinister reasons why. The world of this book is so consistent and enveloping that pages seem to rush by. Bardugo, a veteran of the fantasy space with her Grishaverse series, never lets the narrative become overtaken by the lore, and she includes plenty of winking callouts to the horrors of modern collegiate experiences. Creepy and thrilling, this one deserves a place on your fall reading list.”