By Dara L. Cain
Rowan Public Library
Happy birthday, Gary Paulsen.
Born May 17, 1939, Gary Paulsen is one of Americaís most admired writers of contemporary literature for young readers.
To date he has written more than 175 books and 200 articles and short stories for young people and adults. Many of his books often appear on the best books list of the American Library Association and three of his novels ó ěHatchet,î ěDogsongî and ěThe Winter Roomî ó were Newbery Honor Books.
Paulsenís books are great for young teens who enjoy reading stories set in the great outdoors and characters that experience thrilling and challenging life obstacles.
ěHatchetî ó 13- year-old Brian Robeson is on a small- engine plane headed north to the Canadian oil fields to visit his dad. Mid-flight the pilot has a heart attack and dies. Brian is left alone to try and land the plane. When the plane crashes into an icy lake, Brian narrowly escapes with his life. The plane is too damaged to radio for help. Armed with only the hatchet his mother gave him and the clothes on his back, Brian must learn how to survive alone in the Canadian woods. This is the first book in the Brianís Saga series. The other titles in the series are ěThe River,î ěBrianís Winterî and ěBrianís Return.î
ěDogsongî ó A young teenage boy named Russel Susskit canít bear to wake up in the morning to the sound of his fatherís coughing, the piercing noises of the snow machines and the stench of diesel oil. He is frustrated with the modern ways of his Eskimo village and longs for the traditions and the songs that celebrated his people. Inspired by the words of the wise Eskimo shaman Oogruk, Russel sets out on a journey with the last remaining dog team in his village. Traveling across tundra, ice floes and mountains, Russel is troubled by a powerful dream of a long-ago self whose adventures mirror his own. Russelís heroic journey of self-discovery and his yearning desire to find his own song will ultimately change his life forever.
ěThe Winter Roomî ó Eldon and his older brother Wayne live on a farm in northern Minnesota with their parents, their Uncle David and their great-uncle. During the course of a year, follow this family through the change in seasons while they do the plowing, the harvest and the butchering. The best time of the year is winter when Eldon and his brother spend their evenings in the winter room gathered around the wood stove listening to their Uncle David tell amazing stories. One evening Uncle David tells the story of ěThe Woodcutter,î and Eldon immediately realizes that his uncle is not the person he believed him to always be. This story has the ability to change everything for the brothers.
Computer classes: Classes are free. Sessions are approximately 90 minutes. Class size is limited and on a first-come, first-serve basis. Dates and times at all locations are subject to change without notice.
Headquarters ó Tuesday, 2 p.m., Email Basics; May 10, 2 p.m., Absolute Beginners; May 16, 7 p.m., Uploading & Downloading Photos (basic computer skills required); May 23, 7 p.m., Microsoft Word 2003 (basic computer skills required).
South ó May 16, 7 p.m., Introduction to Heritage Quest; May 19, 11 a.m., Digital Photo Editing.
East ó Registration required for East Branch only. May 12, 1 p.m., Digital Photography: Part 1.
Classes are free. Sessions are approx. 90 minutes long. Class size is limited and on a first come first serve basis. Dates and times at all locations are subject to change without notice.
RPL Book Sale: Headquarters, May 6 and 7, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and May 9, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Items for sale include hardbacks, paperbacks, videos and CDs. Everything $2 or less.
JRís Adventure Club: Headquarters, May 21, 11 a.m. The club will choose a project to build, and have books from the library and recommended websites that go along with the project. The club is open to all school-age children. Light refreshments will be served. Call 704-216-8234 to learn more.
Teens invited to meet authorCheralyn Lambeth: East Branch, May 24, 5:30 p.m. Lambeth will speak about the paranormal investigations that were used to create her ghost books and much more. She is a paranormal researcher and nonfiction author who has also worked on multiple feature films. Join us for this free teen event.
Roads Scholar program ěHard Times at the Millî: South, May 24, 7 p.m. Thanks to funding from N.C. Humanities Council and their Roads Scholar program, Dr. Roxanne Newton of Mitchell Community College is bringing her program ěHard Times at the Millî to the South Rowan Regional Library. The program is free and open to the public.
American Girl Club: Headquarters, May 28, 11 a.m. A book discussion group about the life and times of the American Girl characters.
Book Bites Club: South only; May 31, 6:30 p.m, ěDeath Comes for the Archbishop,î by Wanda Cather. Book discussion groups for both adults and children on the last Tuesday of each month. The group is open to the public; anyone is free to join at any time. There is a discussion of the book, as well as light refreshments at each meeting. For more information please call 704-216-8229.
Library closings: May 30, all RPL locations closed for Memorial Day holiday.
Displays: Headquarters ó Doll Society by Jim Bourdain, Lee Street Theatre by Robert Jones; South ó student art by South Rowan High School art class; East ó Art by Colleen Walton.
Literacy: Call the Rowan County Literacy Council at 704-216-8266 for more information on teaching or receiving literacy tutoring for English speakers or for those for whom English is a second language.