Dr. Seuss Drawing Contest!

March 2 was Dr. Seuss’ birthday!  Kids of all ages helped us celebrate by entering our Dr. Seuss Drawing contest with a picture of their favorite Dr. Seuss character.  Take a look below to see some snapshots of the submitted entries!  For a closer look, make sure you stop by the children’s and young adult areas at the library!

March Madness in April Contest

“March Madness in April” is your chance to pit well-known authors from eight genres against each other in a March Madness style throwdown.  Compete against Mukwonago book lovers to determine which author is the best.  Stop by the library, pick up your bracket at the front desk, fill out your predictions, and hand it in by April 6th! 

Correct picks rack up points as the tournament progresses.  Whoever has the most points when the “champion author” is announced on April 30th wins the prize!  Check the library foyer bulletin board or our Facebook page often to see how the tournament progresses.

Easy Days Barbershop Quartet

Join us at the library on Tuesday, April 3rd at 6:30pm for a wonderful performance by the Easy Days Barbershop Quartet.  Enjoyed by audiences of all ages, the Easy Days Barbershop Quartet has established a reputation as a top notch quartet, entertaining and full of fun.

Members of the Midwest Vocal Express, the Easy Days quartet competes as a Seniors quartet in the Barbershop Harmony Society contests, and were named the 2009 Land O' Lakes District Seniors Champions.  Expect a fast-paced, 45 minute show featuring a repertoire filled with familiar songs of the 30s and 40s and breezy banter sure to provide a great time for all.  For more information, please stop by the Circulation Desk or call us at (262) 363-6411.

If You Like the Hunger Games…

It appears that vampire romance novels are out and gloomy outlooks on future societies are in, especially since Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games Trilogy is all the buzz!  The much anticipated film hits theaters on Friday, March 23, 2012, so be prepared and check out the series.  If you can’t get a copy to read or you have already read the series then take a chance with one of these dystopian novels:

Feed by M.T. Anderson
In a future where most people have computer implants in their heads to control their environment, a boy meets an unusual girl who is in serious trouble.

The Roar by Emma Clayton
In an overpopulated world where all signs of nature have been obliterated and a wall has been erected to keep out plague-ridden animals, 12 year-old Mika refuses to believe that his twin sister was killed after being abducted, and continues to search for her in spite of the dangers he faces in doing so.

Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer
14 year-old Cosmo Hill escapes from his abusive orphanage and teams up with three other people who share his unusual ability to see supernatural creatures, and together they determine the nature and purpose of the swarming blue Parasites that are invisible to most humans.

Matched by Ally Condie
Cassia has always had complete trust in the Society to make decisions for her, but when she is being paired with her ideal mate, a second face flashes on the screen, and Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility as she tries to decide which man she truly loves.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape.

House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

In a future where humans despise clones, Matt enjoys special status as the young clone of El Patrón, the 142 year-old leader of a corrupt drug empire nestled between Mexico and the United States.

Rash by Pete Hautman

In a future society that has decided it would "rather be safe than free," 16 year-old Bo's anger control problems land him in a tundra jail where he survives with the help of his running skills and an artificial intelligence program named Bork.

XVI by Julia Karr

In 2150 Chicago, girls are walking billboards. Upon turning 16, they receive government-issued tattoos on their wrists that read “XVI.” They’re supposed to keep the girls safe, but in reality, the tattoos broadcast their brand-new sexual availability.

The Secret Under My Skin by Janet McNaughton

In the year 2368, humans exist under dire environmental conditions and one young woman, rescued from a workcamp and chosen for a special duty, uses her love of learning to discover the truth about the planet's future and her own dark past.

Birthmarked by Caragh O’Brien

In a future world baked dry by the sun and divided into those who live inside the wall and those who live outside it, 16 year-old midwife Gaia Stone is forced into a difficult choice when her parents are arrested and taken into the city.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Lena looks forward to receiving the government-mandated cure that prevents the delirium of love and leads to a safe, predictable, and happy life, until ninety-five days before her eighteenth birthday and her treatment, when she falls in love.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

In a future Chicago, 16 year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

In a future world where those between the ages of 13-18 can have their lives "unwound" and their body parts harvested for use by others, three teens go to extreme lengths to uphold their beliefs--and, perhaps, save their own lives.

All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin

In a dystopian future where chocolate and caffeine are contraband, teenage cellphone use is illegal, and water and paper are carefully rationed, Anya Balanchine finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight as heir apparent to an important New York City crime family.

New Fish Tank in the Children's Department!

Stop by the library and check out the new fish tank in the children's department!  Say hello to Spongebob and friends and see if you can find the 3 frogs!  The fish tank was purchased by the Friends of the Mukwonago Community Library with funds from the Miracle on Canal Street Grant.  This is a wonderful new addition to the library!

Author Visit! Marcia Carmichael Author of "Putting Down Roots"

Join author Marcia Carmichael, the historical gardener at Old World Wisconsin, as she discusses her newest book, “Putting Down Roots: Gardening Insights from Wisconsin's Early Settlers.”  Ms. Carmichael will share timeless lessons with today’s gardeners and cooks about planting trends and practices, garden tools, popular plant varieties, and favorite flavors of Wisconsin’s early settlers.  Program will be held on Saturday, March 17th at 1:30pm.

For more information, please stop by the Circulation Desk or call us at (262) 363-6411.

Subscription Databases: NoveList

Looking for reading suggestions, reviews, or book discussions?  Then look no further than NoveList Plus or NoveList K-8 which can be found with the library’s subscription databases here.  NoveList helps readers find the books they will love and makes finding reading recommendations easier than ever.  Access is free, but if signing in from home you will need your library card!

NoveList Plus
Includes over 200,000 fiction and readable nonfiction titles, plus feature content including lists of award-winning books, book discussion guides, booktalks, recommended reads and more.  With NoveList Plus:

• Search for books by title, author, or series and find related book reviews, information about the author, publication details, order of series, and supplemental articles.
• Browse both fiction and non-fiction books by age group and genre.
•  Find read-alikes and booklists for every title, author, and series.
• Get book discussion guides which provide background information about the author, summary of the book, and list of appropriate questions.
•  See more than 185,000 book cover images and approximately 36,000, first chapter excerpts.
•  Search through 1,850+ Award Lists.

NoveList K-8

Contains enhanced subject access for over 60,000 fiction titles aimed at the K-8 population.  NoveList K-8 has the same features as NoveList Plus, but also includes a “Teaching With Books” page which is wonderful for helping teachers and parents alike.  This page contains:

• Picture book extenders which contain discussion questions and customized activities.
•  Book discussion guides that provide background information about the author, summary of the book, and list of appropriate questions.
•  Teen and children’s award winners lists.
•  Booktalks.
•  Curriculum-based book lists and annotated bibliographies.
•  Curriculum standards and lexile information.

March's Staff Picks!

The Mukwonago Community Library will feature staff picks for each month of the year!    March’s featured staff members are Laura and Jennifer.  You can find their picks at the library by the windows behind the Reference desk or right here below.

Jennifer's Picks! 

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency

            by Douglas Adams

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi All

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Rip the Page!  Adventures in Creative Writing

            by Karen Benke

The One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard

Paula Deen’s Kitchen Classics by Paul Deen

Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens

Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens

Thing Thing by Cary Fagan

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Ford County by John Grisham

A Painted County by John Grisham

Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen

Characters, Emotions and Viewpoints

            by Nancy Kress

The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis

Investment Biker by Jim Rogers

Taste of Home Casseroles, Slow Cooker and Soups

Midnighters by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Laura's Picks! 

The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Banks

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry

Dances With Wolves by Michael Blake

Boy in the Stripped Pajamas by John Boyne

The Cat Who Series by Lilian Jackson Braun

The Innocent by Harlen Coben

Beach Music by Pat Conroy

Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy

Knockout by Catherine Coutler

The Passage by Justin Croonin

Lost Empire by Clive Cussler

Prime Cut by Diane Mott Davidson

The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans

Outlander Series by Dianna Gabaldon

Gone by Lisa Gardner

Vanish by Tess Gerritsen

The Hostage by W.E.B. Griffin

A King’s Ransom by James Grippando

Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen

Turning Angel by Greg Iles

The Green Mile by Stephen King

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

Ann of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Vanishing by Marcia Muller

The Island by Gary Paulsen

Dead Man Walking by Helen Prejean

The Shipping News by Annie Proulx

Julie and Romeo by Jeanne Ray

Interview With the Vampire by Ann Rice

Kilo Class by Patrick Robinson

Dead Ringer by Lisa Scottoline

Marching Season by Daniel Silva

Broken by Karen Slaughter

Dead in the Water by Stuart Woods