What's New!

Supplies:

• Paint
• Plastic trays
• Paper
• Eye droppers
• Water
• Straws
• Paper cups

Steps:

1. Put paint into paper cups and use the water to thin out the paint.
2. Put your paper on a plastic tray.
3. Dip an eye dropper into the watered down paint and drip it onto your paper.
4. Gently blow the paint drips through a straw to spread the paint across your paper.
5. What kind of designs can you make?

July is World Watercolor Month! Many illustrators use watercolors to paint pictures in children’s books. If the watercolors are transparent (see-through), they can be used by themselves or in soft layers. Some watercolors are opaque, (not see-through).

Here is a list of a few illustrators who use watercolors, (in red). Find the book by looking under the author in the JEasy section of the library, or by asking your friendly librarian. Look closely at the pictures and see if they look transparent or opaque. Don’t forget to pull out your own watercolors, and give watercolor painting a try! Click on the pdf link below to see the list of books:

Supplies:

• Paint
• Q-Tips
• Paper plates or pie pans
• Paper

Steps:

1. Put paint on plates or pans.
2. Dip the Q-Tips into the paint and use like paintbrushes.
3. Experiment! What kind of designs can you make?

Supplies:

• Paint
• Paintbrushes
• Rubber bands
• Small box/container
• Paper cut to fit the bottom of the box

Steps:

1. Put a piece of paper in the bottom of the box.
2. Stretch the rubber bands across the top of the box.
3. Use a paintbrush to cover your rubber bands with paint.
4. Pull on the bands to splatter the paint on to your paper.

1. Cut out one large star and four small stars.
2. Cut four strips of white paper.
3. Fold paper strips accordion style.
4. Glue or tape together.
5. Draw a face.

Congratulations to the winners of All Pikes Peak Writes, PPLD's adult fiction writing contest. PPLD received over 60 submissions this year. The five winning stories were announced at an award ceremony on Saturday, May 5.

You can read the winning entries by clicking here.

First Place
“In the Shadow of the Mountain” by Leisel Hufford

Second Place
“A Rational List” by Sandra Hendricks

Third Place
“Hungry” by Davyne DeSye

Honorable Mention
“Checkmate” by Molly Bailey
“Friends Aside” by Ann Amicucci

“By the sea, by the sea….By the beautiful sea!
You and me, you and me…Oh how happy we’ll be!”

June is “The Great Outdoors” Month! Oceans and lakes, sea creatures and mermaids! Stop at the library for a great book…but make sure to keep it out of the water! Click on pdf below for reading list.

PPLD's Maker in Residence for July/August 2018 was paper crafting instructor Monique Santos, a Colorado native and enjoys all things “Colorado”! A perfect day would be a morning hike with a friend, cup of coffee, afternoon of playing with the girls and dinner with the family. When she is not busy as a wife and stay at home mom of two daughters 6 & 4 she enjoys being a part of the Colorado Springs community. Whether it be at her daughters school, community centers, crafting events or the library she is passionate about sharing her love for creating.

She taught classes throughout Pikes Peak Library District, as well as hosted open studio hours at Library 21c.

Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information about this program.

Supplies:

• Paint
• Assorted cups and/or jars
• Paper plates or pie pans
• Paper

Steps:

1. Put paint on plates or pans.
2. Dip the top of a cup into the paint.
3. Press the top of the cup on to the paper to make a circle.
4. Experiment! You can use different-sized cups to make a variety of circles, or dip the bottom of the cup into the paint to make a solid circle instead.

“Zipping on wheels…Off you go! Flying fast and spinning slow.
Riding a bike on a sunny day…your worries and cares just fade away!”
May is “National Bike Month”!!! After taking a spin around the neighborhood on your bike, choose one of these picture books to relax with! See link below for reading list.

PPLD's Makers in Residence for May/June 2018 were Charles and Tauni Orndorff. The Colorado Springs natives have been making costumes and props for over 15 years. Their skills include sewing, fabrication, 3D design, and much more. They are currently instructors at the Pikes Peak Makerspace where they teach resin casting, silicon molding, and vac-forming.

They taught Resin Casting with Silicon Molds classes throughout Pikes Peak Library District, as well as hosted open studio hours at Library 21c.

Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information about this program.

April is National Humor Month!
“Knock, Knock! Who’s there? Boo. Boo who? Why are you crying?”
It is said that “Laughter is the best Medicine”. Sometimes there is no better way to connect kids with books, than to find one that tickles the funny bone! Here is a list of humorous picture books. Click on link below!

Supplies:

• Kool-aid squeeze bottles
• Straws with different diameters, one needs to fit inside the other.
• Masking tape
• Paper
• Scissors
• Duct Tape

Rocket directions:

1. Drink all the juice and then clean and dry the bottle.
2. Tape the small straw to the opening of the bottle. Insert a bit into the bottle, make sure air is flowing through straw.
3. Cut paper into a square, fold over itself and tape in the shape of the top of a rocket, it should be a point.
4. Tape the large straw at one end so that no air can escape from one side.
5. Put the large straw over the small straw, put the rocket nose on top, and SQUEEZE bottle to shoot rocket. MAKE SURE NO ONE LOSES AN EYE!
6. With a square of duct tape fold a triangular shape, leaving a lip of sticky tape exposed to tape onto the straw. These are fins, kids can use them as decorations but also to experiment. See if your rocket flies better or worse with the fins added.

The Teen Art Contest is for teens and by teens. Teens create the art, and teens determine the winners.

The theme for our 2018 Teen Art Contest was "Hidden Beauty." Teens were encouraged to show us where they have found hidden beauty in the ordinary, everyday world.

All of the artwork will be displayed at either Penrose Library, East Library, or Library 21c during the month of April.

Here are the winners!

Best In Show
Clear by Isabella Huhn

High School - First Place
Letting Go by Celine Hanlon

High School - Second Place
Masked by Elizabeth Ward

Middle School - First Place
Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder by Connor Murdock

Middle School - Second Place
Beauty of the Mountain by Adyline Poirson

Coordinator’s Choice - High School
Color through Clutter by Rebecca Gearhart

Coordinator’s Choice - Middle School
A Shoe by Adia Byron

You can view the winners here:

Make a paper flowers out of coffee filters and droppers with liquid water colors!

Supplies: jars or cups, droppers or pipettes, liquid water colors, coffee filters, scissors, wax paper (to protect the surface you’re working on)

Directions: fill the jars with different water colors and add water to make a solution. Cut out flower shape in coffee filter paper. Use droppers to apply droplets to your coffee filter paper. Once you’ve colored the flower, let it dry before hanging in the window. (Project from High Prairie Library)

Kids at Monument Library enjoyed a Marshmallow Build STEM program by figuring out how to keep their structures from crashing. Kids used toothpicks, straws, and spaghetti!

Practice reading aloud and improve fluency by sharing a story with one of our loveable Paws-to-Read therapy dogs. Click on the link below for a great reading list. Here are times and library locations for PPLD Paws to Read programs:

• Mondays at 4 p.m. - Monument
• 2^nd and 4^th Mondays at 3 p.m. - Fountain

• Tuesdays at 3 p.m. - Manitou Springs
• Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m. - East
• Tuesdays at 4 p.m. - Ruth Holley, Old Colorado

• Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m. - East, Library 21c, Penrose, Rockrimmon
• Wednesdays at 4 p.m. – Monument, Cheyenne Mountain

• Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. - East

• Fridays at 4 p.m. – Sand Creek

• Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. - East
• 1^st Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. – Ute Pass

Check out this great current events site for kids. There's good news...more daylight is on the way!

https://www.dogonews.com/2018/3/7/rejoice-its-time-to-spring-forward

PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence for March/April 2018 was Joanna Bolek. She has taught art processes in the context of mindfulness/awareness for over 20 years to diverse populations. She has a masters degree in art education. She is also a qualified meditation and Dharma Art instructor.

Sarah tought throughout Pikes Peak Library District, as well as hosting open studio hours at Library 21c.

Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information about this program.

The popular on-demand film streaming service Kanopy is now available for free to Pikes Peak Library District patrons. Library card holders can access Kanopy and sign up to start streaming films instantly by visiting ppld.kanopy.com. Films can be streamed from any computer, television, mobile device or platform by downloading the Kanopy app for iOS, Android, AppleTV, Chromecast, or Roku.

Offering what the New York Times calls “a garden of cinematic delights,” Kanopy showcases more than 30,000 of the world’s best films, including award-winning documentaries, rare and hard-to-find titles, film festival favorites, indie and classic films, and world cinema with collections from Kino Lorber, Music Box Films, Samuel Goldwyn, The Orchard, The Great Courses, PBS, and thousands of independent filmmakers.

Click here for a list of supported browsers

When she was in 9^th grade, Crystal Reavis dropped out of high school. “I got in with a group of friends that thought partying was more fun than being responsible,” she says. “I was a cheerleader. I wasn’t in the out crowd. But my parents left me with some friends to make my own decisions when I was 13, which led to partying and not doing my schoolwork.”

Now a married mother of two, Reavis is part of the first group of graduates from Pikes Peak Library District’s Career Online High School (COHS) program. A graduation ceremony was held from 6 - 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 14 at East Library, 5550 N. Union Blvd.

“This is something I have wanted to do, but I don’t drive because of epilepsy, so getting a GED was hard. Dragging kids onto the bus is almost impossible. And most people don’t want your kids in the class with you,” says Reavis, who also homeschools her children: Gauge, age 9; and Kahlan, age 1.

While on PPLD’s website, self-described “library junkie” Reavis found information about COHS, and said, “‘This is something I can do!’ And my husband (David) said, 'You absolutely should!’ It was a perfect fit for me.”

Reavis was able to finish the program in four months, getting career certification in office management. The flexibility of a self-paced, online program benefited the busy Reavis. “I could go on there anytime I wanted, which was really great. Having two kids is hard enough, and when you homeschool you have to fit it in when you can,” she says.

Reavis’ accomplishment has unsurprisingly moved her family. “My son said, ‘I want to make sure I finish school now because I see how happy you are.’ When the diploma came in, my husband actually cried and told me how proud he was of me. He knew how important it was for me,” recalls Reavis.

“Thank you to Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District, to all of the librarians, and especially (PPLD Adult Education’s) Teona (Shainidze-Krebs) and Julie (Beck). They have both been with me every step of the way. If anyone were to ask me why they should enroll, I would say that it really will change your life. Once you have a diploma, you can do anything, whether it’s a better-paying job, going to college, or getting a sense of accomplishment.”

Ah yes, college. Reavis, once a teenage dropout, is about to start studying Anthropology through Ashford University. And she’s been trying to get a family member to enroll in COHS, as well. “My dad lives in Florida, and they have the same program there. He never finished school because his parents died. I told him, ‘You have to do this!’ And now he’s looking into it.”

For more information about Career Online High School, visit ppld.org/cohs.

The Winter Olympics will take place in Pyeong Chang, South Korea this month! Don't just watch it on TV. Take this time to move with your child! You may not really be able to ice skate or compete in luge, but you can use your imagination! Athletes need to have good balance. Practice walking on a line. If the weather is nice...pretend to LUGE down the slide at the park. Indoors, wear slippery socks and slide around on the smooth floor like you are FIGURE SKATING. Or make a modified CURLING course...using a ball or toy truck and a broom, and land on a bulls-eye on the floor. Don't let your kids have all the fun! They want to judge your spins and turns on the ice rink as well! Here are some books to help your athletes "warm up". Click on link:

2018 marks the 10^th year of the Giant Puppet Project at Mountainside Elementary School (MES) on Fort Carson. Concrete Couch works with the students to design and build a marionette puppet that is based on a favorite children's book. The most recent project, inspired by The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister, is now installed at Library 21c.

The project involves kids from military families, their parents and siblings, and community volunteers. It is designed to boost literacy skills, has a pre-engineering element, and is just plain fun! Kids ages 6 - 10 are involved in the 11-day experience. The installations are up at MES for one year, and each puppet has about eight different moving parts! For the installation at Library 21c, Rainbow Fish was simplified to be a non-moving sculptural piece.

Sponsors of the program include the Bee Vradenburg Foundation, Joseph Henry Edmondson, El Pomar and Quail Roost Foundations, the Hillsdale and Alpenglow Funds, Colorado Industrial Recyclers, the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and Barb and David Winter.

Special thanks go to the many volunteers who assist in this and other Concrete Couch projects. You guys are the bomb!

~The Staff at Concrete Couch

Aru Shah and the End of Time, by Roshani Chokshi
Release: March 2018
Percy Jackson fans rejoice! There’s a new hero in town and a new mythology to explore in Aru Shah and the End of Time. Aru Shah’s tendency to stretch the truth has landed her in some hot water after she lights a cursed lamp and sets things in motion that will be difficult to undo. Chokshi’s new series is part of a new imprint of titles handpicked by Rick Riordan himself.
See Also: The Serpent’s Secret, by Sayantani DasGupta (Release February 2018)

Legends of the Lost Causes, by Brad McLelland
Release: February 2018
After Bad Whiskey burns down his home, Keech finds himself on the path of finding the Char Stone, a legendary stone of massive power. Can he and a band of orphans outlast against undead outlaws, and find the stone?

The Last Grand Adventure, by Rebecca Behrens
Release: February 2018
A journey to find her grandmother’s sister, might just make Bea’s summer a lot more bearable. But any epic road trip is bound to have some bumps along the way.

The Ambrose Deception, by Emily Ecton
Release: February 2018
Three students are chosen to participate in the scavenger hunt of a lifetime. Winning could mean a scholarship that would make a lot of things better. When the three start the hunt they find themselves running around Chicago, chasing down leads, but the scavenger hunt may have more in store for the three than a simple scholarship.
See Also: Spin the Golden Lightbulb, by Jackie Yeager (Release: January 2018)

Winterhouse, by Ben Guterson
Release: January 2018
When orphan Elizabeth Somers is sent to the Winterhouse Hotel, she finds a lot of things charming, like the library. But as she continues to live at Winterhouse she stumbles upon secrets and she starts to think that maybe she’s connected to the house and it’s family in a way she can’t really explain.

PPLD's Maker in Residence for January/February 2018 was Charlie Mussi, an award-winning retired photojournalist whose work has appeared in national newspapers, international magazines, and table-top books. In 2001, he was recognized as one of the world's 125 finest photographers and set out on a unique global photographic essay to record "A Day in the Life of the U.S. Armed Forces." Since retiring, Charlie has rediscovered the fun of photography and enjoys teaching, coaching, and conducting photography workshops. In 2015, Charlie started the PPLD Community Photography Contest to recognize the amazing photography talent in the region.

Charlie taught Digital Photography as Art & Play classes throughout the Library District, as well as hosted studio hours at Library 21c, where patrons could talk to him about his work.

Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information about this program.