CGHS Library

In the Evening

In the Evening, photo by Chloe J.

Farm

Summer Clouds, photo by Victoria J.

Summer Travels

Somewhere along Highway 50, photo by Victoria J.

Enjoy Summer

Northern Painted Turtle - photo by Alex Paul

What I Am Really Going To Do This Summer

Gonna Read. 

Duh.

I have a few rules for personal reading. 

1.     1. No serial killers.

2.     2. No child abuse.

3.     3. At least one character has to be likeable.

4.     4. Happy endings preferred.

5.     5. No preaching, and while you are at it, don’t tell me what to think or what to do.

6.     6. A little wit, please. 

Here are a few books that made the cut.

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall – Delightful is not a word I use often, but this looks like it might be.

The Yellow Admiral by Patrick O’Brian – Royal Navy. Check. Napoleonic Wars. Check. Russell Crowe. No wait, that’s the movie, Master and Commander, based on two books from this series. This book is the 18^th in the series, and they are all yummy, with lots of swashbuckling, clever dialogue, nifty characters, and suspense.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows – OK, I’m cheating. I already read this one, but it was so good, I’m going to recommend it here. My mother even liked it, and she hates everything. 

The Extraordinary and Unusual Adventures of Horatio Lyle by Catherine Webb – This looks like a kiddie book, but I read the first chapter, and I don’t think it is.  “It was short, had no shoes, wore a shirt and trousers that might once have been white, but which now would shame even the most scruffy of scarecrows. It had a tangle of dark brown curls sticking out in every direction from its head, and a pair of intently squinting and blinking grey eyes. It was, in fact, a girl, still young enough to get away with pretending to be innocent, but old enough to be very, very guilty indeed.” 

The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King – Laurie King has written many books but her only series I really like features Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. Normally, I refuse to read books that are retreads of classic literature because the original is almost always way better, but I make an exception for these books. This is the ninth in the series that begins with The Beekeeper’s Apprentice.

The Reason for God by Timothy Keller – “It would be inconsistent to require more justification for Christian belief than you do for your own, but that is frequently what happens. In fairness you must doubt your doubts. My thesis is that if you come to recognize the beliefs on which your doubts about Christianity are based, and if you seek as much proof for those beliefs as you seek from Christians for theirs—you will discover that your doubts are not as solid as they first appeared.”

The Motivation Breakthrough by Richard Lavoie – Somebody I respect a whole bunch told me to read this one.

The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene – Read it in college. Liked it. Want to read it again.

House by Tracy Kidder – I was strangely drawn to this one. Plus, I’ve read stuff by Tracy Kidder before and always like his stuff. Among Schoolchildren was very good.

Miss House's Summer To Do List

10. Trim nose hairs, merely for the experience.

9. Adopt a penguin since summer is such a difficult time for them.

8. Prank call Mr. McDiffett.

7. Pretend to be Katrina F. for a day.

6. Develop an emotion. Then take an Anger Management class to get rid of all that emotion.

5. Watch Legally Blonde and Hell Boy II at the same time.

4. Prank call Mr. McDiffett.

3. Watch a wedding in Las Vegas; then cry.

2. Hitchhike to Wilsey

1. Learn to pop lock and drop it.

Bogdan S. demonstrates proper hitchhiking technique 

as he helps Miss House prepare for her summer.

Visit Your Local Library Over the Summer

If the public library nearest you does not have what you are looking for, ask them about ordering it from another library.

Council Grove Public Library (Sarah H. says the public library just received a shipment of new books, including some young adult titles.)

Dwight Public Library

Pottawatomie Wabaunsee Regional Library Mini Library in Alta Vista

Elm Creek Township Library in Wilsey

Manhattan Public Library (pictured)

Dorothy Bramlage Public Library in Junction City

Emporia Public Library

Before School

Spock Is So Wise

Who Reads Most?

So far this year, the Juniors are the Big Readers, checking out 776 books from this library. Last year, they checked out 626 by this time.

The Freshmen checked out 581 books.

The Sophomores checked out 456 books exactly, matching their total for last year.

The Seniors checked out 193 books, dropping from 269 last year.

That's still a lot of books!