Babcocks to visit the library

Former Montana Governor Tim Babcock and his wife Betty will be visiting FCLS this Friday afternoon for a book signing. Their biography, Challenges: Above and Beyond, co-authored by Linda Grosskopf, tells of their personal and public lives. The book covers the governor’s years in office, experiences at the Battle of the Bulge, his involvement in Watergate and business successes and failures.

The signing will take place on Friday, July 31st at 3pm at the Main Library in Kalispell.

Men on the Moon

The artwork on Google's homepage today just reminded me that it is the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. I am sure it is no coincidence that a couple of new books on the topic have been published this summer.

Rocket Men: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon, by Craig Nelson, is the tale of events leading up to the Apollo landing. Nelson introduces the astronauts, the turmoil the mission caused for the their families, and how it would change their lives forever. The book tells of the greater politics surrounding the mission (this was dead in the midst of the American-Soviet space race, remember), and also the harrowing details surrounding how, with only minutes of fuel left, the astronauts frantically rushed to find a place on the moon to land.

The other side of the journey is told in Buzz Aldrin's Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon. A more intimate account than than Rocket Men, this memoir is an account of Aldrin's life upon return to earth. Suddenly a celebrity and unable to maintain a regular career, Aldrin struggled with depression and alcoholism. This is the story of his journey towards finding love, direction for his life and satisfaction in becoming the space advocate he is today.

If you are a fan of these topics and want more to read, head to the nonfiction shelves in your library and browse from 520-524 (astronomy) and 629.4 (space travel).

check it out! books

I took some much needed relaxation this weekend and finished a graphic novel, picked up on Friday because I liked the cover images. Tamara Drew is a beautifully drawn fiction about a writer's retreat in the British countryside. As the Scotsman wrote, "Anyone who still thinks that comic books aren't for grownups should have a look at Tamara Drewe. Tamara Drewe might be easy to read but it is a rich, complex work that commands full attention." If you haven't yet delved into the world of graphic novels, this would be a great starting point. Enjoy!

Summer Reading!

Kira Shanks playing the violin at the Instrument Petting Zoo Storytime in Columbia Falls.

Don't forget that the Summer Reading Program is in full swing at the Flathead County Library System! The theme this year is BE CREATIVE, so we have been doing all sorts of art, theater, music (see above!), and other creative activities. See here for the full scoop on all of the summer's festivities.

Most Requested Youth Fiction for Summer 2009 (so far)

We have had a LOT of kids coming into all of the Flathead County Libraries this summer asking for all kinds of books. Here is an interesting list of our most requested (in no particular order):



1. Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
2. Warriors series by Erin Hunter
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
4. Hank the Cowdog series by John Erickson
5. Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne
6. Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park

Are there any other favorites being read in the Flathead this summer? Let us know!