The Alphabet Ends with "Y"

Author of the “Kinsey Millhone Alphabet” mystery series has passed after a battle with cancer. The series began in 1982 with A is for Alibi and now ends with Y is for Yesterday. The final installment, Z is for Zero, was scheduled for publication in 2019. The author was adamant that her books not be ghost-written, so Kinsey Millhone unlikely to have a neat ending. The series earned Ms Grafton best-seller status and numerous awards. Her novels were published in 26 languages.

Best Kids Books for 2017!

Picture Books
Stolen Words by Melanie Florence
Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library by Carole Boston Weatherford
A Different Pond by Bao Phi
Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers
Why Am I Me? by Paige Britt

The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse by Mac Barnett
Buddy and Earl Go to School by Maureen Fergus
Now by Antoinette Portis
Town Is by the Sea by Joanne Schwartz
Silent Days, Silent Dreams by Allen Say

Middle Grade Books (Ages 9-12)
Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin
The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore
Pablo and Birdy by Alison McGhee
A Properly Unhaunted Place by William Alexander
Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar
The Doorman's Repose by Chris Raschka
The Secret of Nightingale Wood by Lucy Strange
The Lotterys Plus One by Emma Donoghue
Wicked Bugs by Amy Stewart

Teen Books
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins
Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham
The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco
Crossing Ebenezer Creek by Tonya Bolden
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtueby Mackenzi Lee
Landscape with Invisible Hand by M.T. Anderson
A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge
Queer, There, and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World by Sarah Prager
The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater

Tax Legislation

There’s buzz in the nonprofit community about what kind of impact the newly passed tax legislation will have on charitable giving. For some middle income filers, who normally itemize, contributions to charity won’t be deductible in the future.

For those in a financial position to do so, some suggest contributing more than one year of donations to your favorite charities before midnight on Sunday 31 December 2017.

The Friends of the Ocee Library is a non-profit group whose purpose is to promote general knowledge of library services and to provide financial assistance for special library needs and events. Our primary focus is on children's services.

If you can make a financial donation to Friends of Ocee Library, you can do so online through Georgia Gives Day. 

We'll gladly accept support as a Friends volunteer or through membership. For more information, please contact us at email@oceefriends.org

Thank-you!

Quality vs Quantity

Feeling guilty for not spending enough time with your under fives? The good news is that quality time matters more than quantity. Having fun is the main thing. Try eating together - older kids can help with food prep. Let them help with other chores around the house like unloading the dryer. Turn up the tunes and dance! Get away from the same daily routine and try something new. READ, READ, and READ some more. 

Besides books, the library offers story-telling, music, art programs, movie showings, and more. Pick up a calendar next time you're in and get to know Ocee kids' librarians Ms Kennedy and Mr Brown.

Old & New

Whether you're behind on reading this year's books and are looking ahead to new releases, here's some suggestions for 2017 fiction (flying bears, can walnuts get you pregnant, and teen friendships) and what to look forward to in 2018 (Barbara Kingsolver, Zadie Smith, Kate Atkinson...)

Storybook Dads

Storybook Dads records prisoners reading bedtime stories onto CDs and DVDs, so children in 5,000 families across Britain can share time with their dad. Christmas is an especially busy time for this organisation. Kids can keep the recordings and listen anytime they're lonely and missing their dads. Several inmates have been trained in audio production to edit the recording - they even include sound effects. The charity also has a program for incarcerated moms as well. Prisioner who maintain contact with their families are 6 times 
less likely to re-offend.

“This project has helped my daughter so much, to the point where she wants to come and see me. I believe this is because of the comfortable surroundings in the DVD, which helped to change the horrible picture of prison in her imagination as she saw her daddy on the TV happy and smiling...so grateful for what Storybook Dads has done for me and more importantly for my children.”

The Best Things About...

reading aloud with kids.

You get to to "revisit childhood favorites."

"They truly understand how big of a nerd I am. It humanizes me …"

“When Joaquin asks me what a meaning of a word is.”

Adding "our own little flourishes to certain favorites."
“When they start reading to you.”

“My 12-year-old is an avid reader. He now tells me what to read! On the way to sports practices, we can always talk about books.”

Best of 2017

Esquire and Signature have their "best of" lists out for year end/winter reading. What books have you missed? 

      

There's lists of books on the power of silence and conversation-worthy books to advert dinner disasters.

      

Holiday Hours

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System will be Closed in observance of the New Year

Friday, December 29, 2017 through Monday, January 1, 2018 

We will reopen on Tuesday, January 2, 2018.

Christmas Closings

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System will be closed in observance of Christmas:

Friday 22 December through Monday 25 December

AFPLS will reopen on Tuesday, December 26, 2017.

Harp & Flute Performance

Aster Duo

Sunday, December 17 from 4-5:30 pm.

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Principals Christina Smith (flute) and Elisabeth Remy Johnson (harp) will present a family-friendly program of flute and harp music, along with discussion of the musical selections and their instruments. Free and open to the public.

Happy Hanukkah!

Learn more about Hanukkah or visit the library. Ocee has over 50 children's titles about Hanukkah for you to enjoy during the 8 day "Festival of Lights". You can also find kosher and holiday recipe books!

Family Holiday Traditions

Take a look over these family Christmas traditions that aim for quality over quantity! Books, charity, food, and experiences are the common thread. Which ones will you adopt for your family and friends? 

(PS: AFPLS can help with 'experiences'. You can check out free passesto Georgia State Parks and Atlanta Zoo. Ask at the circulation desk.)

“This is how we do presents: Something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read and then Santa’s gift (something special).” ― Christine Simpson

“We try to do presents that are all experiences and spending time together. We do get a few extra presents that my son wants. We give books about what experiences we are doing. We always give as a present one ornament for our tree, which my son will get when he goes off and has his own. We always pick a charity in giving back and donate to them. We make cinnamon rolls, which my son loves. They are a treat during the holidays.” ― Kathy Fulham    read more 

Free Gift Idea

"Hey, great idea: if you have kids, give your partner reading vouchers next Christmas. Each voucher entitles the bearer to two hours’ reading time while the kids are awake. It might look like a cheapskate present, but parents will appreciate that it costs more in real terms than a Lamborghini.” Nick Hornby, The Polysyllabic Spree

Need Presents?

Looking for Christmas gifts, books or magazines for your holiday guest room, or children's books to to keep the kids busy over the winter break? Browse the Friends of Ocee Library Book Nook (in front of the self check out). We often get books in like new condition. Our prices will help stretch your budget as well - hardbacks: $2, soft cover: $1. Children/small paperbacks: 50 cents. Money raised at the Nook are used to fund library programs and materials, so your gift gives twice!

Library Closing

Libraries remain closed today due to icy conditions. They are scheduled to open Sunday. Visit the AFPLS website to manage your account or download materials. 

"Silver and Gold"

Caught up in the commercialization of the season? Signature has a list of book quotes to ponder. Here's a couple:

Janet Evanovich, Visions of Sugar Plums, 2002
“Everyone wants a Christmas tree. If you had a Christmas tree Santa would bring you stuff! Like hair curlers and slut shoes.”

Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones’s Diary, 1996
“Ugh. Would that Christmas could just be, without presents. It is just so stupid, everyone exhausting themselves, miserably haemorrhaging money on pointless items nobody wants: no longer tokens of love but angst-ridden solutions to problems…

Early Closing TODAY

Libraries in the AFPL system will close at 1:00 today due to the weather. If you must be out on the roads, be safe.

Speak Up!

Mental Floss reports, "if you're trying to commit something to memory, you shouldn't just read the same flashcard over and over. You should read it aloud, according to a new study from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.

The research, published in the journal Memory, finds that the act of reading and speaking text aloud is a more effective way to remember information than reading it silently or just hearing it read aloud. The dual effect of both speaking and hearing helps encode the memory more strongly, the study reports. The new research builds on previous work on the so-called production effect by Waterloo psychologist Colin MacLeod, who is also one of the current paper's authors. "

This week at Ocee

12/5/2017 10:00 AM Story Time for Babies
12/5/2017 10:30 AM Story Time for Preschool
12/6/2017 10:30 AM AARP SMART Drivers Safety Program
12/9/2017 10:30 AM SAT Mock Exam

Consolation - Wisława Szymborska

Darwin.
They say he read novels to relax,
But only certain kinds:
nothing that ended unhappily.
If he happened on something like that,
enraged, he flung the book into the fire.

True or not,
I’m ready to believe it.

Scanning in his mind so many times and places,
he’d had enough with dying species,
the triumphs of the strong over the weak,
the endless struggle to survive,
all doomed sooner or later.
He’d earned the right to happy endings,
at least in fiction
with its micro-scales.

Hence the indispensable
silver lining,
the lovers reunited, the families reconciled,
the doubts dispelled, fidelity rewarded,
fortunes regained, treasures uncovered,
stiff-necked neighbors mending their ways,
good names restored, greed daunted,
old maids married off to worthy parsons,
troublemakers banished to other hemispheres,
forgers of documents tossed down the stairs,
seducers scurrying to the altar,
orphans sheltered, widows comforted,
pride humbled, wounds healed,
prodigal sons summoned home,
cups of sorrow thrown into the ocean,
hankies drenched with tears of reconciliation,
general merriment and celebration,
and the dog Fido,
gone astray in the first chapter,
turns up barking gladly
in the last.

Georgia Gives

Georgia Gives Day is an online giving platform for Georgia non-profits. Giving Tuesday is an international day of giving back. Show your love for the library with your tax deductible donation! Or give of your time by volunteering!

Early Voting Starts Next Week at Ocee

Fulton County will open 18 early voting sites for the Municipal General and Special Runoff Elections. Early voting polls will be open November 27, 2017 through December 1, 2017 from 8:30 am – 7:00 pm. To see the list of early voting locations Click Here .  Visit www.fultonelections.com or call 404-612-7020 for more information.

National Book Awards

Actress Cynthia Nixon emceed the 68th National Book Awards ceremony. “For many of us, books provide a welcome escape into another world.” Literature can also, she said, provide “broadened perspective.” “They expose us to an experience we couldn’t imagine on our own. Books matter.”

Young People’s Literature
Far From the Tree by Robin Benway

Poetry
Half-light: Collected Poems 1965-2016 by Frank Bidart

Nonfiction
The Future Is History: 

How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia by Masha Gessen

Fiction
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

$ Smart, Art, H2O at Ocee This Week

Money Smart Kids – Understanding Credit
Tuesday, November 21. 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm.
We’re always looking for extra cash and credit cards can easily seem like the best option for teenagers. Join us as we teach wise credit decisions, choosing a credit card, your credit score, and the importance of understanding how spending today will affect you in the future. Aimed at middle and high schoolers. Sponsored by UGA Extension – Fulton County.

small, Small World Preschool Art
Tuesday November 21. 10:30 a.  – 11:30 am.
small, Small World. small, Small World is a multi-sensory learning experience for children ages 2 to 4 and their caregivers. Each session participants will embark on a 40-minute journey to far-off locales where they learn about children around the world through music, movement, art, and literature. A free program funded by the City of Johns Creek. Advance registration required. Class size is limited to 12 participants. Register online at www.johnscreekarts.org. 

Johns Creek Environmental Campus
Wednesday, November 22. 11:00 am – 12:00 pm.
Come visit the library and learn all about what happens to water before and after you use it. See the journey it takes to get all cleaned up. Find out where all the water goes once it's all cleaned up. Presented by David Horton. Sponsored by the City of Johns Creek.

Yoga Schedule Update

Sundays at 4:30
Class will be held on Nov 19 and will resume there after the election on December 10. No class the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

Wednesdays at 10:15
Classes continue except for November 22 and December 6.

Thanksgiving Holiday Hours

Please note holiday hours for the AFPL system.

November 22 Wednesday - library closes at 6 pm 

November 23 Thursday Thanksgiving - Closed 

November 24 Friday - Closed 

Take care of Yourself

Signature recommends 15 books for self-care-

         

        

12-18 November Programs

Energy Yoga
Sundays:  November 12. 19. 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm.
Wednesday: November 15. 10:15 a.m.
Introduces basic yoga and meditation techniques for beginners. Bring a yoga mat or towel and wear loose comfortable clothes. Open to adult patrons only.

Music for Preschool
Tuesday: November 14. 10:30 am – 11:30 am.
Preschoolers and their parents are invited to attend entertaining and educational programs. Learn how music teaches your child early literacy skills, improves motor function and deepens the bond between preschooler and parent.

Legacy Audiobook Club
Tuesday  November 14. 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm.
An audiobook club open to the adult and senior community! This trailblazing book club doesn’t just read, we listen!  Join us for thoughtful discussion about books that inspire us, inform us, and connect us to each other! Free and open to the public. Ages 18 and up. For information call 770-360-8897.

Database Crash Course with Mr. Johnson 
Thursday, November 16. 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm.
A topical crash course featuring AFPLS databases with Ocee’s Adult Services Librarian, Mr. Ryland Johnson. Learn how to navigate EBSCO Databases for research. Great for high school students, college students, and professionals! Adults & students of all experience levels are welcome. First-come, first-served. Laptop users welcome. Adults only ages 17 and up. Adult Reference Area.

Declawing Test-Anxiety: 
Put the Tiger to Bed with Proven Success Strategies
Saturday, November 18. 10:30 am — 11:30 am. 
Explore potential confounding factors such as processing speed deficits and learning differences, familial expectations, generalized anxiety disorders, metacognition, and self-regulation strategies. Help your students take the edge off of high-stakes testing. Teens ages 13+ and parents. No registration required.

Hairy Pawtter

What a creative & informative way to help find forever homes for their shelter cats & dogs!

Look to the Stars

Try looking to the stars for your next book. Whether or not you believe in astrology, Bustle looks to the zodiac to help you find what authors you should read. 

        

Bless Your Warm Hearts!

Thank-you to everyone who donated coats at Ocee library for North Fulton Community Charities! A car trunk full of cosy warm winter wear was delivered to NFCC for their Warm Coat Day this Saturday.

Ocee Programming

Yoga & Meditation
Mondays:  November 6, 13. 11 am – 12 pm 
Introduces basic yoga and meditation techniques for beginners. Bring a yoga mat or towel and wear loose comfortable clothes. Open to adult patrons only.

Movies on the Big Screen: The Boss Baby
Tuesday, November 7. 10:30 am
A hilariously universal story about how a new baby's arrival impacts a family, told from the point of view of a delightfully unreliable narrator, a wildly imaginative 7 year old named Tim. 

Chess Club  
Wednesdays:  November 8. 6 pm. – 7pm.
Club members will learn strategies, game variations and perhaps have the opportunity to participate in a tournament. Ages 5 and above.

Libraries Closed for Veterans Day

All branches of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System will be closed in observance of Veterans Day on Friday, November 10 and Saturday, November 11, 2017.   

You can renew your books online by visiting afpls.org or downloading the AFPLS app in app store (iOS only, at this time). 

Coat Drive

Brrrr! Imagine this morning without a warm coat or clothes. Friends of Ocee Library is collecting coats for North Fulton Community Charities Warm Coat Day. Please consider donating your gently used coats and winter-wear to keep someone else warm this winter.

You'll find a donation box in the lobby until Thursday 2 November. 

Show Your Love

The library gives to our community everyday. You have the opportunity to give back to the library via Friends of Ocee Library and

Georgia Gives Day is an online giving platform for Georgia non-profits. Giving Tuesday is an international day of giving back the Tuesday after Thanksgiving 28 November. Show your love for the library with your tax deductible donation!

Women Horror Writers

It began will Mary Shelley's Frankenstein 200 years ago. Mental Floss recommends these modern women horror writers just in time for Halloween! Read more about these talented authors and then check the library for their novels. And leave the lights on!

What's on

Teen Java Coding
Wednesday November 1.  6pm. – 7pm.
Learn basics of Java, including basic programming, conditions, “loops”, and arrays. Java is an essential and popular programming language used to make mobile applications in Android. Laptops welcome. Grades 6 and above. No younger siblings please. Registration required. Limit first 30. Register at Patron Services desk or call 770-360-8897.


English as a Second Language 
(ESL) Group Classes
Thursdays: November 2, 9, 16. 4pm. - 6pm.
Group classes in conversational English as a Second Language (ESL) for beginner to intermediate English speakers. First come, first served. No advanced registration is necessary. Free and open to the public. Ages 18 and up. No textbooks needed.


Young Artists 
Saturdays:November 4, 18. 4pm. – 5:30 pm.
Learn the basic techniques of drawing, painting, elements of art, principles of design, and cartoon/anime’ drawing.

Early Voting at Ocee

In preparation of Election Day, Tuesday, November 7, 2017 the Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections urges residents to visit www.mvp.sos.ga.gov  to verity their polling place before heading out to vote. On Election Day, residents must vote at their assigned polling place.



Early voting continues until Friday, November 3, 2017. Fulton has 22 Early Voting Locations throughout the county. Registered voters can vote at either of the locations that are open until 7:00 p.m. Visit Fultonelections.com to learn more.

50 Ghost Stories

Mental Floss presents the spookiest ghost stories for each state. We'll start you out with Georgia. When the Army Corps of Engineers flooded the foothills of the North Georgia mountains to create Lake Lanier in the 1950s, 59 square miles of farmland, homes, and businesses disappeared beneath the water. In the process, the federal government relocated more than 250 families—along with 20 cemeteries and all their corpses... read more!

Make Us SMILE!

amazonsmile

Friends of Ocee Library is now participating the AmazonSmile - a shopping rewards program to benefit charities. When you sign up and shop, Amazon will donate .05% percent of your order total to your favorite non-profit (Friends of Ocee Library, please!). There is no cost to shoppers. Money raised from the Book Nook and the smile program helps fund library programs and buy materials.

Fall Fest Fun at Ocee

Teen Advisory Board (TAB) 
Presents a Fun Fall Festival
Saturday, October 28. 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Join us for a fun afternoon featuring a movie starting at 3pm, games, and apple fun! Courtesy of Ocee Friends. 

Warm Coats, Warm Hearts

Friends of Ocee Library is collecting winter wear for  

North Fulton Community Charities

Annual Warm Coat Drive 

Please donate your gently worn coats, hats, gloves, scarves by November 2.

All sizes are needed! You'll find a donation box in the foyer.

Thank-you for your warm kindness!

Information Self Defense

Information Self-Defense:
How to Spot Fake News & Conduct Research Online
Thursday, October 26. 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
A topical crash course featuring AFPLS databases with Ocee’s Adult Services Librarian, Ryland Johnson. Learn simple techniques to evaluate the quality of online information. First-come, first-served. Laptop users welcome. Ages 17 & up. Adult Reference area.

In a related article, researchers explain why constantly checking social media can harm your mental health. They also include ways to cope. It's no surprise, the library plays a part!

“A proactive way to dispense these thoughts is by funneling these emotions into action, whether that’s reading a book, meditating, joining a volunteer group or donating to an organization of your choice. Shifting the focus on the positive will ultimately morph your thinking.”

Make a New Friend!

The Atlanta Fulton Public Library System has 23 Friends groups who volunteer their time to raise funds for their branch library primarily though memberships and book sales. Please visit Friends of Ocee Library's Book Nook. All profits from sales help fund programs and buy materials for Ocee!

Programs at Ocee

small, Small World Preschool Art
Tuesday  October 17. 10:30 a.m.  – 11:30 a.m.
small, Small World. small, Small World is a multi-sensory learning experience for children ages 2 to 4 and their caregivers. Each session participants will embark on a 40-minute journey to far-off locales where they learn about children around the world through music, movement, art, and literature. A free program funded by the City of Johns Creek. Advance registration required. Class size is limited to 12 participants. Register online at www.johnscreekarts.org. 

Legacy Audiobook Club
Tuesday October 17. 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
An audiobook club open to the adult and senior community! This trailblazing book club doesn’t just read, we listen!  Join us for thoughtful discussion about books that inspire us, inform us, and connect us to each other! Free and open to the public. Ages 18 and up. For information call 770-360-8897.

Teen Java Coding
Wednesday October 18.  6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Learn basics of Java, including basic programming, conditions, “loops”, and arrays. Java is an essential and popular programming language used to make mobile applications in Android. Java is often an easy language to learn. Laptops welcome. Grades 6 and above. No younger siblings please. Registration required. Limit first 30. Register at Patron Services desk or call 770-360-8897