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February Smythie

Smythie
The monthly e-newsletter of the Smyth Public Library
February 2020
Volume 13, No.11

Events…

Hidden History of the Seacoast
Tuesday, February 25, 6 pm

Hosted by Terry Nelson, the author of the recently published Hidden History of the New Hampshire Seacoast, come learn about the hidden history of our state’s seacoast. Nelson shall discuss his findings and content of this book. As described in an overview: “The New Hampshire Seacoast has a wealth of overlooked history. Some remnants are hidden in plain sight, and others are just plain hidden. Meet the minister and early religious founder who was involved in an armed confrontation in Dover with another preacher in 1640. Find out how a onetime high school assistant principal in Rochester became a world-famous business leader and ended up meeting President Grover Cleveland. Discover the story of “ghost” racetracks in Somersworth before they disappear, as well as the “pile of rocks” that stopped a multimillion-dollar building project in Windham.”

Candia Meet the Candidates Night
Tuesday, March 3, 6:30 pm
Smyth Public Library is hosting another Meet the Candidates Night in our meeting room. All candidates running for town offices/positions are invited.

HOW-TO’s

Coming Soon!
How To: College Essays workshop
Write Your College Essay
presented by Robin Small

In this one day workshop, students may arrive with no more than a college essay
prompt and will leave with the tools they need to create finished products that
showcase their unique voices and experiences. We will inspire their creativity,
help them inject personality into their essays so they stand out to readers, and
turn a task that seems as exciting as cleaning the bathrooms at the airport into
one that you might actually enjoy.

How To: Whole Grains

February 13, 6 pm
Nutrient-rich “how-to”” event! Hosted by Dietician Marilyn Mills and Hannaford Market, come learn new and delicious ways to use all the many varieties of grains available for making your meals wholesome and satisfying.

How To: Get Your Garden Ready Seminar
Followed by a Seed Exchange
Thursday, February 20, 6:30 pm
Join us here at the library for a “how-to” seminar on preparing your garden for the spring and summer seasons. This event is sponsored by the Ag Commissions. Following the discussion, a “seed exchange” will occur where those in attendance could take home something new for the 2020 gardening season!

If you have a special talent you’d like to share, please see Heidi at the front desk
Check out our monthly calendar on our website for all our events and programs.

Coming soon to your favorite library…

Wednesday, March 11, 6:30 pm-Traveling Egypt and Israel
A photo journey with the Meagher’s

Thursday, March 19, 6:30 pm-“How To”: Keeping Chickens
Sponsored by the Ag Commission

Tuesday, March 24, 6 pm-“How To” Painting with Currier Art Museum
In this beginner level class, students will begin by exploring springtime scenes from the Currier Museum of Art permanent collection. Led by an Art Center instructor, students will then create their own landscapes using paint and collage techniques, drawing inspiration from the birch trees and lilacs of New Hampshire.

Candia Heritage Trust Fund books!
Smyth Public Library~A History 1791-2016 for $10 each
A Sense of Place~Candia’s Past & Present 1763-2014 for $15 each
Water Powered Mill Sites in Candia, NH for $20 each
Holiday Special: Buy all three for only $35

New on our shelves…

New Fiction…

The secret guests: a novel Black, Benjamin
In the shadow of Vesuvius Alexander, Tasha
A long petal of the sea: a novel Allende, Isabel
To the edge of sorrow: a novel Apelfeld, Aharon,
Lady Clementine Benedict, Marie
Grace is gone: a novel Elgar, Emily
House on fire Finder, Joseph.
When you see me: a novel Gardner, Lisa
The Reversible Mask Goldberg, Loretta
Too close to home: a novel Grant, Andrew
The sixth victim Harris, Tessa
Into the fire Hurwitz, Gregg Andrew
Hindsight Johansen, Iris
Ask again, yes: a novel Keane, Mary Beth
The vanishing Krentz, Jayne Ann
Girl in snow: a novel Kukafka, Danya.
Mr. Churchill’s secretary: a Maggie Hope novel MacNeal, Susan Elia.
The Body Outside the Kremlin May, James L.
Needles and pearls McNeil, Gil
Circe Miller, Madeline
The hollows: a novel Montgomery, Jess
The peacock emporium Moyes, Jojo
The sacrament: a novel Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson
Lost Patterson, James
The river murders Patterson, James
A small town: a novel Perry, Thomas
Westwind Rankin, Ian
Many rivers to cross: a DCI Banks novel Robinson, Peter
The mirror thief: a novel Seay, Martin
Astonish me Shipstead, Maggie.
The maze at Windermere Smith, Gregory Blake,
Moral compass: a novel Steel, Danielle
The vacationers Straub, Emma
Still water: a novel Stuart, Amy,
Hunter killer: a novel Taylor, Brad
The Other People Tudor, C. J.
All the ways we said goodbye: a novel of the Ritz Paris Williams, Beatriz
Treason Woods, Stuart
Woven in moonlight Ibanez, Isabel

New Non-Fiction…

When to walk away: finding freedom from toxic people Thomas, Gary,
Enlightenment now: the case for reason, science, humanism, and progress Pinker, Steven,
Retirement 101: from 401(k) plans and social security benefits to asset management and medical insurance, your complete guide to preparing for the future you want Cagan, Michele,
The little book of common sense investing: the only way to guarantee your fair share of market returns Bogle, John C.
The man who loved China: the fantastic story of the eccentric scientist who unlocked the mysteries of the Middle Kingdom Winchester, Simon.
Searching for stars on an island in Maine Lightman, Alan P.,
Father of lions: one man’s remarkable quest to save the Mosul Zoo Callaghan, Louise,
Self Reiki: tune in to your life force to achieve harmony and balance Harsono, Jasmin,
Life in the garden Lively, Penelope
Folks, this ain’t normal: a farmer’s advice for happier hens, healthier people, and a better world Salatin, Joel.
Preserving old barns: preventing the loss of a valuable resource Porter, John.
That’s my team!: the history, science, and fun behind sports teams’ names Volponi, Paul,
K: a history of baseball in ten pitches Kepner, Tyler
The Cobra-Ferrari wars, 1963-1965 Shoen, Michael L.
Never stop walking: a memoir of finding home across the world Rickardsson, Christina,
A travellers guide to Montserrat dialect: Montserrat English
Race to the pole: tragedy, heroism, and Scott’s Antarctic quest Fiennes, Ranulph
999: the extraordinary young women of the first official transport to Auschwitz
Macadam, Heather Dune,
I know where I’m going: Katharine Hepburn, a personal biography Chandler, Charlotte.

New Books on CD…

A long petal of the sea: a novel CD (8) Allende, Isabel
Beating about the bush CD (6) Beaton, M. C. writing as Marion Chesney
House on fire: a novel CD (8) Finder, Joseph
When You See Me CD (9) Gardner, Lisa.
Lost Hills CD (6) Goldberg, Lee.
Moral compass: a novel CD (6) Steel, Danielle
Treason CD (6) Woods, Stuart
New Video…

I am the night DVD 1231 [R]
Official secrets DVD 1232 [R]
Joker DVD 1233 [R]
Once upon a time in… Hollywood DVD 1234 [R]
Little women DVD 242C
Ever after DVD 248 [PG13]
Monumental: in search of America’s national treasure DVD 973.932
The Big Trip DVD 1235A [G]

Charles Darwin once made a pro and con list for marriage. Among pros was “a constant companion and a friend in old age better than a dog anyhow”. Cons included: “less money for books” and “terrible loss of time”.

Tip from the front desk

Congratulations! You are in very good company as you visit Smyth Public Library!
Americans Went to the Library Nearly Twice as Often as the Movies in 2019, Gallup Poll Finds
When it comes to getting Americans out of the house, public libraries remain undefeated. According to a Gallup poll conducted in early December, adults averaged 10.5 trips to the library in 2019, compared to just 5.3 movie theater outings. Libraries also outpaced live sporting events, live music or theatrical events, national or historical parks, museums, casinos, amusement parks, and zoos by even greater margins.
As Forbes reports, women are largely responsible for libraries’ dazzling performance in the poll: They averaged 13.4 visits for the year, while men only tallied 7.5. Their numbers were almost even for concerts, zoos, museums, and movies, but men spent about twice as much time as women at casinos, sporting events, and parks.
People with higher incomes participated in more activities overall, which isn’t exactly surprising, since tickets to concerts and sports games don’t come cheap, and even free museums and national parks can end up costing a bunch if you have to travel to get there. As Gallup points out in its report, this discrepancy probably isn’t just about free book rentals. Public libraries these days offer a variety of services, programs, and resources, which often include access to computers and free Wi-Fi.
Age also factors into Americans’ library habits. In 2019, people between the ages of 18 and 29 clocked an impressive average of 15.5 visits to the library, about three more than 30-to-49-year-olds and nearly nine more than 50-to-64-year-olds.
But the overwhelming takeaway is clear—regardless of age, gender, or economic status, Americans spent more time at the library in 2019 than any other recreational location.
How do the stats compare to time spent binge-watching full series on Netflix, you ask? Well, that’s a question for another poll.
Excerpt By Ellen Gutoskey
Online January 29, 2020

Come to the library for books, movies, programs and more!

Heidi Deacon, Director

Try out our new “Volunteer Your World” ideas at Smyth Public Library. Visit our Volunteer Your World Page

Coloring night for all ages, all supplies provided, Fridays 6-7 pm

Writers’ group
Currently on a writer’s break!
Sign up if interested in joining the group!
The Smyth Public Library hosts a gathering of writers once or twice a month where we work together on timed writing exercises using prompts and other sources of inspiration. The writing periods will be followed by sharing some of the work with each other. The goal of the group is to loosen up and get the pen moving on paper. We don’t seek to have a finished work by the end of the session and you don’t need to arrive with a finished piece of writing to share. The writer’s group is a place to meet with other writers and to flex your writing muscles. Please come ready with a writing medium of your choice: paper and pen/pencil, computer, tablet, etc.

Drop In Family Game Nights!!
First Friday of every month at 6:30

Knitting & Crochet Circle
Help with the cap, blanket, and scarf charity project, work on your own items, or just come to learn. Call Lisa 587-0603 for more info.
Third Wednesday of the month, 6 pm

Monthly Lego Night!
EVERY third Friday 6:30-7:30 for all ages.

Family Movie Night
Friday, February 28, 6 pm

“Arctic Dogs”rated PG

LITTLE FREE LIBRARY
Brought to you by the Friends of the Smyth Public Library
The Little Free Library is up and running at the CYAA complex – anyone can take advantage!

Did you Know???

The New York Public Library is 125 years old. They went through their records and these are the ten most checked out books:

1. The Snowy Day (Ezra Jack Keats)
2. The Cat in the Hat (Dr. Seuss)
3. 1984 (George Orwell)
4. Where the Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak)
5. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
6. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
7. Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)
8. How to Win Friends and Influence People (Dale Carnegie)
9. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (J.K. Rowling)
10. The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle)

In theGallery…

CURRENTLY FEATURED:
Art by Moore School artists

ART WANTED!!!
Our art gallery and (locked) glass case is always available for the works of local artists. Just see Heidi at the front desk to display your works

LOVE TO SHARE A GOOD BOOK?
Now! 2 groups! 2 times!
How about sharing your thoughts on a book at the friendly monthly book discussion group?

Wednesday, February 19, 7 p.m.
Chemistry
by Weiki Wong

At first glance, the quirky, overworked narrator of Weike Wang’s debut novel seems to be on the cusp of a perfect life: she is studying for a prestigious PhD in chemistry that will make her Chinese parents proud (or at least satisfied), and her successful supportive boyfriend has just proposed to her. But instead of feeling hopeful she is wracked with ambivalence – the long demanding hours at the lab have created an exquisite pressure cooker, and she doesn’t know how to answer to the question of marriage. When it all becomes too much and her life plans veer of course, she finds herself on a new path of discoveries about everything she thought she once knew. Smart, moving, and always funny, this unique coming-of-age novel is certain to evoke a winning reaction!.

Extra titles of this book are available at the front desk

Thursday, February 27, 11 a.m.
A Reliable Wife
by Robert Goolrick
“He placed a notice in a Chicago paper, an advertisement for a “reliable wife.” She responded, saying that she was “a simple, honest woman.” She was, or course, anything but honest, and the only simple thing about her was her single-minded determination to marry this man and then kill him, slowly, carefully, leaving herself a wealthy widow. What Catherine Land did not realize was that the enigmatic and lonely Ralph Truitt had a plan of his own.”
Extra titles of this book will be available at the front desk

What do you say to comfort an English major?
There, their, they’re.

Library Assets…

SERVICE FOR HOMEBOUND PATRONS:
Smyth Public Library is now offering home delivery of library materials for any Candia community residents in need. Please contact us for a registration form for this service or use the link to a form to fill out on our website.

The library is proud to now offer The Healing Library; reading kits to aid with coping with difficult situations. We offer The Death of a Loved One, The Death of a Pet, plus Alzheimer’s & Your Family. These are located in the children’s room, along with books relating to each topic. The kits are available now for check out.

Digital Movies, Music and More –Instantly Available –24/7 –Free with your Library Card!
Movies, TV,Music Albums, eAudiobooks , eBooks, and Comics/Graphic Novels. All in one location, from your computer, tablet or Smartphone!
With hoopla, there are no hold lists, no extra apps or accounts needed or special steps to use it.
It just works! On a mobile device, borrowed content may be temporarily downloaded and accessed offline or, in either the app or on a computer, all borrowed content may be enjoyed while connected to the internet by streaming.

KANOPY
OUR NEW FILM STREAMING SERVICE
Smyth Library Patrons Now Have Access to Kanopy featuring more than 30,000 Films, For Free!
Library card holders can access Kanopy and view up to four films per month. Films can be streamed from any computer, television, mobile device or platform by downloading the Kanopy app for iOS, Android, AppleTV, Chromecast or Roku.
With the motto of “thoughtful entertainment,” Kanopy provides patrons with access to films of unique social and cultural value; films that are often difficult or impossible to access elsewhere, and programming that features diversity, with a wide array of foreign language films and films on race, and current affairs.
TRY IT AND DOWNLOAD NOW AT: smythpl.kanopy.com

Don’t forget – you can always borrow our internet hot spot, telescope and newly offered Ukulele and a dozen baking pans!

Making Your Life Easy:
By going to our website, you can search our entire catalogue for books, CD’s, DVD’s and movies. Once found, you can check to see if what you want is in. If so, just to our website and reserve the book. The next time you come in, it will be waiting for you at the front desk. WITH OUR NEW WEBSITE YOU CAN DO IT WITH YOUR MOBILE DEVICE!
PLUS!! Check out our smythpl.org website updates and Smyth Library’s Public Catalog featuring:

– A crawl of new items.
– “What’s Hot” now covers several choices.
-“Most Popular” titles (a combination of checkouts and reserves are used to determine this list).
– “More Search Options” includes Medium that lets members search by DVD or Large Print, etc.
More Research Options:

Full text articles from thousands of magazines, journals and national newspapers, plus NoveList. Call or e-mail us and provide your name and your library card number, and we’ll give you the password.
Smyth Library has available:
The Candia Heritage Commission is pleased to announce the acquisition of a valuable historical resource, bound volumes of the Rockingham County News encompassing the years 1978-1998. A two week loan of a volume can be arranged by contacting Sis Richter 483-2585, president of the Historical Society or Diane Philbrick 483-8239, chair of the Heritage Commission.

We’re on Facebook!
Like the Smyth Public Library
Look at our page on Facebook for events and updates about our library!

Downloadable Books!!!!
Ipods and Kindles work and you can
Order right from our website!

Kids’ Stuff…
Check out our monthly calendar for children on the Children’s tab on our website.
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS
Candia Kids Conservation Club with Mrs. Lindsey
First and Third Mondays, through May at 3 pm

Library Clubs! Meeting on Thursdays 3&4 pm

First Thursdays 3 pm
Art Club (K-5) March 5

Second Thursdays 3 pm
STEM Club (K-5) February 13
Snowflakes

Third Thursdays 3 pm
Magic Tree House Book Club (K-2) February 20
Tigers at Twilight by Mary Pope Osborne

Fourth Thursdays 3 pm
Crafting Club (K-5)

***Also, starting two new clubs!

Saturdays 1 pm
Creative Writing Club

Second Thursdays 4 pm
Harry Potter Readers Club (Grades 4-7)

FOR TEENS!!
Happening on the Second and Fourth Thursdays at 4pm.

Seeking Teen Readers to Lead and Run a new monthly Book Club for Teens by Teens!
You pick the title, the time, and we pick up the pizza!

ANNOUNCING OUR NEW SERVICE:
Smyth Public Library presents:
Free Math Tutoring available with sessions by appointment.
With Candia resident, Scott Hewitt, retired Math teacher and current instructor at community college.
For all ages and abilities with help from Arithmetic to Calculus. (scott496@comcast.net)

Baby—Preschool children-
Stories, games, crafts, music, puppets
During Thursday Story Time 10 a.m.

NOW presenting two Storytimes:
Thursdays, 10 am with Jessica
Thursdays, 6 pm with Abigail
Preschoolers and babies welcomed
CANDIA MOMS-MOMMY & ME GROUP
WHERE: The Smyth Public Library Meeting Room
**entrance will be through the side door – I will have more info for those attending**
FREE to any Mom or Mom-To-Be who lives in Candia.
**Registration is required – there are limited spaces available**
SIGN-UPS: Please email Carol at: CandiaMoms@gmail.com.
**Please include: Your name, your cell number, number of children and their ages.**
ABOUT:– This is a non-profit FREE group that was created on a volunteer basis, to provide moms and babies a safe place to meet and socialize, seek advice, etc.

FUTURE ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS!!
Second Friday, 6:00 p.m.
We break out our snap circuits! Build exciting projects including computer interfaced experiments and solar cell applications. Build over 175 exciting projects now with lights. All new kits and all ages welcome! Check our Facebook page for some cool snap circuit projects.

1000 BOOKS before Kindergarten
Personal memory registers and book bags are available for parents.

New books for children…
Happy right now Berry, Julie Gardner
Pete the cat and the perfect pizza party Dean, Kim,
The big snow Hader, Berta.
Ruby Red Shoes Knapp, Kate.
My big bear, my little bear, and me Mazo, Margarita del,
The old truck Pumphrey, Jarrett,
Narwhal on a sunny night Osborne, Mary Pope.

New books for Juniors…
How to think like Sherlock: improve your powers of observation, memory and deduction
Smith, Daniel B.
Minecraft modding for kids for dummies Guthals, Sarah,
Merlin’s dragon — Book 3, — Ultimate magic Barron, T. A.
Merlin’s dragon — Book two, — Doomraga’s revenge Barron, T. A.
Pixie pushes on Bundy, Tamara,
The Eye of Zoltar Fforde, Jasper
Diary of a wimpy kid: wrecking ball Kinney, Jeff
Ali Cross Patterson, James
Mistress Masham’s repose White, T. H.,
From the Junior Shelves~

Book Review by Elizabeth Jones

Best Family Ever
by Karen Kingsbury & Tyler Russell

The Baxter family has shared a lot of adventures in Ann Arbor, but now they are moving to Bloomington. All of the Baxter kids are excited to have a new start, except for Ashley. She does not want to move and leave all of her friends behind, and she feels anxious to start someplace new. Her family rallies around her though, and some advice from her mother assures her that your best friends are the ones around your table each night. This is a heartwarming and easy to read story about the love and faith between family and friends.
New books for young adults…
A school for unusual girls Baldwin, Kathleen,
The stranger game Busby, Cylin
Tell me three things Buxbaum, Julie
We were never here Gilmore, Jennifer,
Have a nice day Halpern, Julie
Swallowing stones McDonald, Joyce.
The conference of the birds Riggs, Ransom
Fangirl Rowell, Rainbow.
Your voice is all I hear Scheier, Leah,
Every last word Stone, Tamara Ireland
All we left behind Sundberg, Ingrid,

From the Young Adult Shelves~

The Stranger Game
by Cylin Busby (Goodreads Author)

The Stranger Game is a dark, suspenseful, and twisty young adult novel—perfect for fans of Lauren Oliver and E. Lockhart—about fifteen-year-old Nico Walker, whose sister returns home after a four-year disappearance.

When Nico Walker’s older sister mysteriously disappears, her parents, family, and friends are devastated. But Nico can never admit what she herself feels: relief at finally being free of Sarah’s daily cruelties.

Then the best and worst thing happens: four years later, after dozens of false leads, Sarah is found.

But this girl is much changed from the one Nico knew. She’s thin and drawn, where Sarah had been golden and athletic; timid and unsure, instead of brash and competitive; and strangest of all, sweet and kind, when she had once been mean and abusive. Sarah’s retrograde amnesia has caused her to forget almost everything about her life, from small things like the plots of her favorite books and her tennis game to the more critical—where she’s been the last four years and what happened at the park on the fateful day she vanished. Despite the happy ending, the dark details of that day continue to haunt Nico, and it becomes clear that more than one person knows the true story of what happened to Sarah. . . .
Goodreads

Trivia Time!

Every month we ask a trivia question. If you know the answer, drop it off at the front desk or e-mail it here. We will randomly select the winner from the correct answers and the WINNERwill win ONE FREE WEEK of OVERDUE FINE AMNESTY ON ONE BOOK

Last month’s question and answer:
Q. Who penned: “The glory that was Greece…the grandeur that was Rome?”
A. Edgar Alan Poe in “To Helen” (1831)

No Winner!
This Month’s Trivia Question:

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Is the opening sentence of what novel?
From the New and Recent Shelves~
We (being I) are always looking for contributors to this reviews section. The editor has a limited range of taste, so any reviews would be more than welcomed. Just e-mail them in reply to this, or to librarian@smythpl.org
I admit to a rather limited taste in reading materials. I generally eschew science fiction, fantasy and what are euphemistically referred to as “chic books”. I realize this is a deficiency in not only me, but the “From the New and Recent Shelves” section of “The Smythie”.
I may therefore resort to pilfering reviews from Goodreads.com for a book at times to widen the breadth of this service. I’d much rather have a contributing reviewer (or twelve). If you’ve read a book you’ve loved, please shoot me a review so we can enjoy a more personal perspective.

Fiction…

A small town is thrilled to get a prison until it is turned into a federal maximum-security jail. A massive prison break results in the town being pillaged, to say the least. The dozen prisoners who masterminded the escape and left the gates opened were never caught – until 6’2” cop Leah Hawkins gets on the case with the purse strings of a federal grant behind her.

Belief must be suspended of course, but it’s a pretty good cat and mouse game. Just as it looks like the next chapter will be more of the same, Mr. Perry switches it up and keeps the pace and book moving.

The warm and witty sequel to The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club Slip one . . .
Two weddings and a year after her husband’s funeral, Jo Mackenzie is finally starting to get the hang of being a single parent. The boys are thriving, the yarn shop is doing well–thanks to Jo’s improvements–and she’s just about keeping her head above water. Knit two together . . .
But a man from Jo’s past and a new romance with the hunky local carpenter come along and make life a whole lot more interesting. Cast off . . .
Can Jo cope when things get really complicated? Because if knitting really does keep you sane when life starts to unravel, Jo’s going to need much bigger needles. Goodreads

Non-fiction…

Brian Kilmeade is an excellent author of limited topic histories. This one joins his Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates and Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans as well-written histories of appropriately limited scope. We know of the famous Battle of the Alamo from movies and stories, but this book traces Sam Houston’s rise and fall from power and then back to power as he sets out to avenge that loss. Not only did he avenge it, but he negotiated the terms of the peace with Mexico that gave Texas its boundaries and independence. This is a good read lots of generally not known history.

Ever want to be one of those know-it-all reviewers?
Got a book to recommend?
Want to write a blurb?
Have a child with a favorite book who would like to contribute to the Smythie?

We welcome contributors (less for us to write!), especially children and teens to review and recommend favorite books. Just drop Heidi Deacon an e-mail at librarian@smythpl.org or “reply” to this and we’ll include it here. It need not be a new book – it can be a golden oldie, a classic, a trashy beach book or whatever you have enjoyed.
I hope you have enjoyed this edition. Comments, suggestions and, of course, reviews are always welcomed.
Rick Mitchell and the library staff
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