What's New!
Categories
The 2018 Teen Fiction Anthology is here!
Click the link below to read the award winning stories from the 2018 Teen Fiction Writing Contest.
PPLD's Maker in Residence for October/November 2018 was Gay Houghtaling. A decade ago, she saw an art exhibit made up entirely of suitcases filled with found objects. This exhibit introduced her to the art of assemblage, the art of displaying a collection of objects in a way that expresses a meaning or idea. Gay works with Who Gives a Scrap, a local creative reuse store, to provide craft swaps and classes through the Pikes Peak Library District. Gay has an eclectic teaching background that includes Kindergarten in an overseas classroom, language acquisition and cultural studies for children moving overseas, fourth grade art, and reentry programs for tweens and teens. She currently homeschools her 12 year old grandson.
She taught classes throughout Pikes Peak Library District and hosted open studio hours at Library 21c.
Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information about this program.
To make your own LEGO prints, all you need is:
- Paint
- LEGO bricks
- Paper
Dip your bricks into the paint and stamp them onto your paper. It’s best not to over saturate the bricks. Experiment with different designs. Try using all sides of the bricks.
Grab a few of these delicious picture books and create a healthy snack or meal that you can all enjoy! (Find cookbooks in J 641.5). Click link below to see booklist.
Get to know – and get help from – Pikes Peak Library District’s Board of Trustees!
On the evenings of Wed., Oct. 10 and Tue., Oct. 16, members of the PPLD Board of Trustees will be shadowing our library employees at seven different branch locations. Board members will be working everything from circulation to security to helping our patrons! They’ll be available for library related assistance, and be there to answer any questions you may have about PPLD. Make sure to stop by and see our board members at your favorite library branch!
Wed., Oct. 10
- 6 - 8 p.m.: Scott Taylor, Old Colorado City Library
- 7 - 9 p.m.: Mina Liebert, Library 21c Makerspace
Tue., Oct. 16
- 6 - 8 p.m.: Wayne Vanderschuere, East Teen Center
Cathy Grossman, Ruth Holley Library
Kathleen Owings, Penrose Library Security
Keith Clayton, Penrose Library Circulation & Information Desk - 6 - 9 p.m.: Debbie English, Fountain Library
Just as every person is unique…every book has a unique story to tell. You may like it – or you may not… but in America, the author is free to tell his or her story for all to enjoy. Our public library proudly includes them in the collection. We invite you to read these picture books with your child, and encourage you to have a discussion. You may be surprised to discover some old favorites…and may actually make some new “book friends”.
Here is a list of Banned and Challenged Picture Books. Some are non-fiction, while others are on the picture book shelves. Ask your friendly librarian for help. Click link below for list:
Teach your child electricity concepts with our new, hands-on Light and Sound Touch Circuit. By simply grabbing hold of the handles, the energy flows and sets off colorful LED lights and fun sounds! This game is available at our Educational Resource Center.
For ages 3 and up.
Sharpen your spatial awareness and critical thinking skills with the strategy game RUMIS! Compete to outwit your opponent(s) by reconstructing historical Inca monuments of a pyramid, tower, stairs, and wall. This game is available at our Educational Resource Center.
For ages 8 and up.
In 2018, over 70 young authors submitted original stories to PPLD's Teen Fiction Writing Contest. Each story began with the sentence "The letter could not have come at a worse time", which was chosen by New York Times best-selling author Sandya Menon. The young authors in our community took this common beginning and crafted a huge variety of stories that tackled big topics, such as: grief and loss, growing up, building a better world, and the weight of responsibility.
Winners were chosen through anonymous scoring by a group of dedicated PPLD staff members. The three top stories in both the middle school and high school categories were announced at the awards ceremony on July 29, 2018, and will be published in a digital anthology in September.
Middle School Winners:
- 1st Place: "A Girl, A Thousand Shirtwaists, and a Fire" by Molly Heinold
- 2nd Place: "Dear Louella" by Emma Reeves
- 3rd Place: "Elenora" Claire Deeds
High School Winners:
- 1st Place: "The Apiary" by Alexandra Wollinka
- 2nd Place: "An Impossible Choice" by Sophia Mayhugh
- 3rd Place: "A Work-Ruled Vacation" by Shanleigh Glide
Congratulations to all the winners and entrants! Thank you to all the young authors who entered and to those who encouraged them to put their ideas on paper. If you were unable to attend the awards ceremony, your judge's feedback sheet and participation certificate have been mailed to the address listed on your submission form.
IN RESPONSE TO KOAA ARTICLE DATED 8/27/2018:
While many libraries across the U.S. do offer “Drag Queen Storytime,” Pikes Peak Library District does not provide it as a library-sponsored program. If ever offered or sponsored, the program would be part of a larger exploration of diversity as well as contextualized for children and families in a broad frame of respect for individuality and difference.
The “Drag Queen Story Hour” by Sarah Bellum, which is taking place at Penrose Library on September 1, is sponsored by Club Q. This program is offered by a member of the community under the auspices of another organization and is not sponsored by the library.
We make our meeting rooms available to the public, and all community members are allowed to use them for any purpose as long as it does not violate our Meeting Room Policy. This use does not violate our policy in any way.
August is National Picnic Month… with Watermelon Day (August 3) and Ice Cream Sandwich Day (August 2) thrown in for fun! Though you may already be back in school, find a little time to enjoy the warm summer days with a picnic outside and some of these favorite stories. Click link below for our reading list:
PPLD's Makers in Residence for September/October 2018 were The Reminders (Big Samir and Aja Black), a rare and remarkable musical duo, blending soulful sounds and roots music with insightful messages and thoughtful lyrics. Releasing their debut album Recollect in 2008 and their latest Born Champions in 2012, The Reminders have been recognized and applauded for their work both nationally internationally through concerts, tours, music awards, and television and radio appearances. The duo is constantly and actively engaged with community organizations, schools, universities, delivering workshops, talks, and specially catered performances.
They taught songwriting classes throughout Pikes Peak Library District and hosted open studio hours at Sand Creek Library and Library 21c.
Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information about this program.
Explore the science of "how things go" as you conduct investigations, solve problems, and explore early engineering! This kit is available at our Educational Resource Center
For ages 5 and up.
Race to rearrange molecules and match the challenge formulas in this fun brainteaser logic game! This game is available at our Educational Resource Center.
For ages 8 and up.
Strap in and get ready for a festival that will spark your child’s interest in the arts and sciences. STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) is the future, and it’s also crazy fun.
This free event is powered by Pikes Peak Community College and PPLD.
Activities will include:
- Ollie the Robot obstacle course
- Cool Science demos
- KEPC/PPCC-tv
- Snap circuits
- 3D pens
- Magnetic art
- Blackout poetry
- MakerSpace activities and several other stations
Students can win backpacks and other school supplies by completing the STEAM Ticket to Launch.
- When: Wed., Aug. 1 from 2 - 6 p.m.
- Where: Sand Creek Library, 1821 S. Academy Blvd.
In conjunction with this event, there will be a free screening of Hidden Figures at Sand Creek Library at 11:30 a.m. on Sat., July 28.
Family Place Libraries™ is a network of children’s libraries nationwide who believe that literacy begins at birth and that libraries can help build healthy communities by nourishing healthy families.
Family Place Libraries feature:
- Specially designed spaces
- Programs for ages 0 - 5
- Materials and resources for parents
- Family support services
Our Family Place Libraries also offer extensive collections of toys that are developmentally appropriate for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.
Research shows that play fosters a variety of skills that children need: social, physical, intellectual, creative, and emotional. Through play, children express feelings, communicate, build imagination and vocabulary, and develop eye-and-hand coordination; all vital steps in their journey toward reading and writing.
Your Family Place Libraries
Supplies:
- Paint
- Plastic trays
- Paper
- Eye droppers
- Water
- Straws
- Paper cups
Steps:
- Put paint into paper cups and use the water to thin out the paint.
- Put your paper on a plastic tray.
- Dip an eye dropper into the watered down paint and drip it onto your paper.
- Gently blow the paint drips through a straw to spread the paint across your paper.
- What kind of designs can you make?
Due to popular demand, the ERC now has a set of over 130 magnetic Magna-Tiles for even more building fun! Create flat, colorful mosaics or awesome 3D structures. This game is available at our Educational Resource Center.
For ages 3 and up.
Help your child develop emotional literacy with this fun puzzle activity! Match the situation to the correct character's expressive response. This puzzle is available at our Educational Resource Center.
For ages 3 and up.
July is World Watercolor Month! Many illustrators use watercolors to paint pictures in children’s books. If the watercolors are transparent (see-through), they can be used by themselves or in soft layers. Some watercolors are opaque, (not see-through).
Here is a list of a few illustrators who use watercolors, (in red). Find the book by looking under the author in the JEasy section of the library, or by asking your friendly librarian. Look closely at the pictures and see if they look transparent or opaque. Don’t forget to pull out your own watercolors, and give watercolor painting a try! Click on the pdf link below to see the list of books:
Supplies:
- Paint
- Q-Tips
- Paper plates or pie pans
- Paper
Steps:
- Put paint on plates or pans.
- Dip the Q-Tips into the paint and use like paintbrushes.
- Experiment! What kind of designs can you make?
Supplies:
- Paint
- Paintbrushes
- Rubber bands
- Small box/container
- Paper cut to fit the bottom of the box
Steps:
- Put a piece of paper in the bottom of the box.
- Stretch the rubber bands across the top of the box.
- Use a paintbrush to cover your rubber bands with paint.
- Pull on the bands to splatter the paint on to your paper.
- Cut out one large star and four small stars.
- Cut four strips of white paper.
- Fold paper strips accordion style.
- Glue or tape together.
- Draw a face.
Congratulations to the winners of All Pikes Peak Writes, PPLD's adult fiction writing contest. PPLD received over 60 submissions this year. The five winning stories were announced at an award ceremony on Saturday, May 5.
You can read the winning entries by clicking here.
First Place
“In the Shadow of the Mountain” by Leisel Hufford
Second Place
“A Rational List” by Sandra Hendricks
Third Place
“Hungry” by Davyne DeSye
Honorable Mention
“Checkmate” by Molly Bailey
“Friends Aside” by Ann Amicucci
“By the sea, by the sea….By the beautiful sea!
You and me, you and me…Oh how happy we’ll be!”
June is “The Great Outdoors” Month! Oceans and lakes, sea creatures and mermaids! Stop at the library for a great book…but make sure to keep it out of the water! Click on pdf below for reading list.