Kids Can Get Messy at Mentor Library's Trashy Tuesday

What does Mentor Public Library have in common with Oscar the Grouch? (Besides the fact that we -- much like the grouch's eyes -- never close.)

We both love trash.

Granted, we don't love it for the same reasons. Oscar loves trash because, well, he's a grouch.

We love trash because it gives us a chance to teach kids about recycling and reusing.

That's why we're teaming with Bonnie Rice from the city of Mentor and Beth Bollas from the Lake County Solid Waste District to have Trashy Tuesday on November 5.

Rice and Bollas will also show children some of the fun ways they can reuse their trash.

From 10 to 10:45 a.m. and again from 1 to 1:45 p.m., Beth and Bonnie will show kids how to make a wallet from recyclables.

Then from 11 to 11:45 a.m. and again from 2 to 2:45 p.m., kids can learn how to go green by making their own paper and beads.

We hope the kids who come to any of the Trashy Tuesday sessions have a lot of fun, learn something about recycling, and even bring those lessons home to their families

All of the Trashy Tuesday programs are free and open to kids from kindergarten to sixth grade.

However, we ask that parents register their children beforehand. They can do so by calling Mentor Public Library at (440) 255-8811 ext. 221 or on the library’s website.

And now, because it's obligatory, Oscar the Grouch singing about trash:

Trick or Treat on Halloween at Mentor Public Library

Halloween costumes are kind of like wedding dresses.

Your children put a lot of effort into picking the right one, but then they only get to wear it once.

If your kids want to get an extra use out of their costume (or if they just want to get a jump start on Trick or Treating,) they can wear it to the Mentor Public Library on Halloween and get candy.

(Don't tell the kids, but we'll let them have candy even if they don't wear a costume. We just prefer when the kids dress up, because it's more adorable.)

See, more adorable.

We'll be giving away candy all Halloween (or, at least, until we run out.) You don't have to register or anything like that. Just bring your kids and get some candy.

You can also check out a book or a movie while you're here, if you want. We are a library, after all.

We love Halloween at Mentor Public Library, so most of us here will probably be in costume too.

I think this photo is from last year's Halloween, but who knows for sure? Maybe it was just a Wednesday.

Have a fun and safe Halloween!

Zombies Invade Mentor Public Library

The undead skulked the stacks of Mentor Public Library during our second annual Zombie Day Friday.

Where were you when the infection struck?

Do you like dressing up as a zombie? Wearing a costume for Halloween?  Don't forget that this Saturday (10/26/13 from 2-3:30 pm), our Teen Anime club is having a Costume Contest.  Also, costumed kids under 12 can come into the library on Halloween and and get candy.

For more spooky fun -- including ghost hunts, spooky puppet shows and Halloween luminaries -- visit the Mentor Public Library website.

Anime Club Hosting Costume Contest this Saturday

Perhaps I'm biased, but I think the Anime Club at Mentor Public Library is pretty incredible.

They do fun stuff (like make candy sushi) and they often do it while in costume as their favorite anime characters.

We've seen cosplay from Naruto, Vocaloid, Black Butler and more pop up at Anime Club, so we thought it would be fun to have a costume contest.

The contest will be from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at our Main Branch. All teens are welcome.

And you're not limited to anime either. You can dress as your favorite video game or comic book character too. (It's not a bad excuse to bring out your Halloween costume early.)

Just be awesome and be who you want to be.

To get ready for the contest, some of us at the library broke out our finest Portal costumes, Wonder Woman lassos and Totoro hoodies for a video.

We hope you enjoy it.

Visit the Mentor Public Library website for more info on the Anime Club costume contest.

Margit Liesche coming to Mentor Library to talk about new novel, ‘Tryptich’

Margit Liesche, the author behind the WWII-era Pucci Lewis novels, is coming to Mentor Public Library to talk about her newest mystery, Tryptich.

Tryptich tells the stories of two sets of mothers and daughters—one based in 1956 Budapest during the Hungarian Revolution and the other in 1986 Chicago as the daughter of refugees learns the truth about her mother’s death.

Margit Liesche

Liesche is herself the child of Hungarian missionaries who settled in San Francisco after years in China. She drew from her family’s own hushed recollections of the Budapest Revolution to write Tryptich.

“Triptych was conceived at a summer writer's workshop with this exercise prompt: 'My mother never…' I quickly added, 'lived in the same world as me,’” Liesche said. “My parents ended up in the States by default, as refugees, after they were forced to leave their missionary post in China, and Soviet-ruled Hungary refused to allow them to return.”

Liesche added that her mother never seemed to fit into her adopted country and that, to her, Hungry would always be home.

Liesche’s workshop sentence grew into a page, and the idea on the page resonated with her.

“I realized I wanted to write about a mother-daughter relationship, specifically about how a refugee mother’s sense of loss and displacement might influence her daughter’s life choices and character,” she said.

Liesche will talk about her family and Tryptich when she speaks from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, at the Mentor Public Library’s Main Branch. She will also be selling and signing copies of her book.

Her talk is sponsored by the Friends of the Mentor Public Library.

Liesche has also written the mysteries Lipstick and Lies and Hollywood Buzz, which follow the adventures of Pucci Lewis. Lewis is an undercover agent and Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP.)

Though Tryptich and the Pucci Lewis mysteries are different, they are connected by strong female characters and an interest in history.

“Besides the focus on trailblazing women, I learned that I liked to build stories based on little known slices of history,” she said.

Liesche’s talk is free and open to the public. However, people are asked to register for the program. They can do so by calling Mentor Public Library at (440) 255-8811 ext. 215 or by visiting the library's website.

Can't Get Enough of Paws to Read

It's been awhile since I've written about or posted any photos from Paws to Read, which is odd because it's one of my favorite programs that we do at Mentor Public Library.

Paws to Read paris shy readers (between the ages of six and 12 years old) with therapy dogs who are trained to be good listeners.

The dogs help the kids relax so they can get used to reading to an audience.

And the dogs get ear scratches, belly rubs and the adoration of grateful children. Seems like a fair trade to me.

Here are some photos from our Paws to Read session Wednesday at the Mentor-on-the-Lake Branch.

Caesar struggles to stay awake while Sarah scratches his tummy.

Alyse reads to Fragg.

Ava has an attentive audience in Hannah.

Maggie read a stack of books to Fragg.

Haylee lay down beneath the table while Katie read to her.

Sadie gets a turn with Hannah.

Caesar looks like he's going to take a nap again when Nick reads to him.

Paws to Read is taking a break for the holidays, so its next session will be in January.

For more information on Paws to Read and other children’s programs at Mentor Public Library call (440)-257-2512 or log on to www.mentorpl.org.

By the way, if you want, we have more Paws to Read photos on our Facebook page.

The Young Ladies of Girl Talk Tackle Cyberbullying

Have I told you about our Girl Talk group? (Which is not to be confused with our American Girl Book Club.)

Some of our Girl Talk girls goofing around after their June program where they talked about manners.

Girl Talk is a quarterly series for girls that encourages them to discuss important topics.

Since its inception, Girl Talk has tackled topics like inner beauty, friendship and social decorum. The library offers them a safe place where they can state their opinions without the fear that they will be judged or ignored.

The next Girl Talk meeting is this Monday, Oct. 21, at our Mentor-on-the-Lake Library Branch. The girls will talk about Internet decorum and cyberbullying; and, if you're a girl in fourth through eighth grade, then you're invited to join them.

Girl Talk is the brainchild of Lyndsey Gvora, one of our library associates. She came up with the idea while at summer camp.

As a former camp counselor for teens, Gvora learned the value of giving girls the opportunity to play team-building games, discuss meaningful topics and create things with their hands. She believed girls visiting our library would enjoy a similar forum.

For more information on Girl Talk or to register for this Monday's meeting, call the Mentor-on-the-Lake Library Branch at (440) 257-2512, the Main Branch at (440) 255-8811 ext. 215 or visit our website.

Zombies Are Invading Mentor Public Library

Zombies are invading Mentor Public Library next Friday and the fun is going to be infectious.

Too corny? I can try again.

Teens will lose their minds at our Zombie Apocalypse party.

Still too much? How about I cut out the puns and just tell you what's going to happen?

We're celebrating our second annual Zombie Day from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 18 at our Main Branch.

Teens can come to the library that afternoon and “zombify” themselves. (Most of them will have the day off from school for NEOEA Day.)

After getting made up as undead, the teens will skulk the stacks of the library during the our zombie walk.

Teens who come to Zombie Day should dress for undeath. Being a zombie is never a cleanly enterprise.

They'll also be zombie games and snacks. (Not brains--at least, I think not brains.)

Zombie Day is open to all teens. However, the library asks that they register beforehand. They can sign up by calling Mentor Public Library at (440) 255-8811 ext. 215 or by visiting the library’s website.

Zombie romps: The only sort of party that's supposed to bite.

Learn the Right Way to Deep Fry a Turkey

Want to know what happens when you deep fry a frozen turkey?

It explodes.

And, yes, that may look cool in slow motion on YouTube; but it's significantly less cool when it's your garage burning.

But here's the rub: fried turkey is tasty. It's not tasty enough to justify burning down your house, but it is delicious.

The solution: Learn the right way to fry a turkey.

Then you can enjoy a perfectly fried bird and not turn your house into kindling.

Fortunately, the professionals from Gander Mountain are giving a demonstration on the safe (and delicious) way to fry a turkey on Thursday, Oct. 17, in the parking lot of Mentor Public Library’s Main Branch. The demonstration will begin at 6:30 p.m.

And, yes, there will be free samples when they're finished.

The outdoor chefs will even suggest special marinades and spice rubs that can you can use.

This program is part of a partnered seminar series by Mentor Public Library and the Mentor Gander for hunting and fishing enthusiasts.

During the last year, the professionals from Gander Mountain have talked about everything from kayak fishing to urban deer hunting at the library.

The outdoor cooking program is free and open to the public. However, the library asks that people register beforehand. People can sign up by calling (440) 255-8811 ext. 215 or by visiting the library's website.

Never Stop Learning with Learn4Life

At Mentor Public Library, we never want people to stop learning.

We're not subtle about it either. We named our blog Lifelong Learning at Mentor Public Library. Sure, it's a tad verbose but it gets to the heart of what we're about.

And we don't care what you learn about. Or, to phrase it better, we don't want to tell you what you should be learning. It can be anything -- how to build a deck, how to fry a turkey, how to be a ninja.

We just want to help you find something that fascinates you, and then help you learn everything you can about it.

One of the ways we encourage people to learn is by subscribing to a digital service called Learn4Life. (It used to be called Ed2Go, if that sounds familiar.)

Learn4Life gives you access to free online courses, most of which are taught by college professors, on a variety of subjects.

Accounting, digital photography, college readiness, computer fundamentals, creative writing, alternative medicine, paralegal -- take a look at all of your options. Learn4Life is bound to have something that interests you.

And I can't stress this enough. It's free! All you need is a Mentor Public Library card.

So take a course on Learn4Life. Take three, if you life.

The universe is an interesting place, and there's all sorts of stuff out there that you didn't even know that you wanted to know.

Vote for your Favorite Scarecrow at the Library

Last week, we invited families to come to Mentor Public Library to make scarecrows.

Now, the scarecrows have been made (and some of them are pretty adorable.) They are guarding the walkway between our Main Branch and our Read House.

So the next time you're at our Main Branch, check out the scarecrows. You can visit them anytime the library is open between now and October 28.

We even have a ballot box by the doors of our foyer so you can vote for your favorite.

Voting will end on Wednesday, Oct. 23, and the most popular will be announced that Friday. The family that makes the winning scarecrow will win a surprise.

After the voting, families can take the scarecrow they made home and use it as a Halloween decoration.

So who is your favorite?

For more programs and events for children and families, visit the Mentor Public Library's website.

The 6 Worst Reasons to Pick a College

Patricia Saddle, the president of the College Planning Center, visited the Mentor Public Library to help us kick off our College Prep Series.

She offered teens and parents advice on how to make their college applications stand out, find financial aid, and do almost anything else involved in the college search.

She also gave the six worst reasons to choose a college or university.

Patricia Saddle talks about selecting colleges at the Mentor Public Library.

1. Your friends are going there.

This is also true for "your boyfriend/girlfriend is going there."

Listen, the college that's right for your friend/significant other/twin sibling isn't necessarily right for you. Your college of choice should be compatible with you socially, financially and academically.

Of course, you might have a friend or two going to your first choice; but a college shouldn't be your first choice just because you have a friend or two going there.

You'll make other friends at college. Besides, you can always keep in touch with your old ones via Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/texting/actually seeing each other on break.

2. You can go home when you want to.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to go home on occasion, but part of the point of college is leaving the nest, Saddle said.

3. It's got a great football team.

Your college's football team probably won't make your resume look any better. This rule applies to a college's baseball, volleyball, floor hockey and curling teams, as well.

And you can probably catch your team of choice's game on ESPN∞ anyhow.

Exception to this rule: If you will be playing on said team, it's reasonable to consider how good it is.

4. The admissions counselor was really helpful.

The admissions counselor is supposed to be helpful. It is their job.

5. The campus is beautiful.

OK, not all campuses are equal; but if you catch any campus on the right day in the right light at the right angle, it will look lovely.

That is not a reason to spend $80,000 and the next four years of your life there.

6. It's a great party school.

Yes, you do need to be socially compatible with your prospective college.

Yes, you should go somewhere you feel like you will make friends.

No, that doesn't mean you should go to a college just because it hosts an awesome streetfest or is very accommodating to binge drinkers.

Our college prep series continues at 6:30 p.m. today at our Main Branch. A representative for LEAF will talk about financial aid and how to get scholarships, grants and loans.

You can register for the program on the library's website or by calling (440) 255-8811 ext. 215.

Make a Scarecrow with your Family at Mentor Public Library

When was the last time your family did something together?

I'm talking about all of you.

Not just you and the youngest kids, who are always looking for something to do anyhow. I'm talking about spouses, grandparents, emotionally detached teens and maybe a cousin or two.

Wouldn't it be nice if you all got together again? Maybe you could do something fun and make something that you can keep as a memento.

How about a scarecrow?

What sweeter remembrance of family togetherness can there be than something that scares birds and tiny trick-or-treaters?

Rally your relatives and make best scarecrow ever during the Scarecrow Lane program from 2 to 3:30 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 5 at the Mentor Public Library’s Read House.

We will provide clothes, straw and the other raw materials needed to make a scarecrow.

Then your family will make and dress them. If you want, you can also bring your own clothes to dress the straw man. (What else were you going to do with that canary yellow suit?)

Afterward, all the scarecrows will guard the walkway between the library’s Main Branch and the Read House from now until Monday, Oct. 28.

Then, beginning on Oct. 7, people can visit the scarecrows and vote on which is their favorite. Voting will end on Wednesday, Oct. 23, and the most popular will be announced Friday, Oct. 25. The family that makes the winning scarecrow will win a surprise.

After the voting, your family can take the scarecrow you made home and use it as a Halloween decoration.

The Scarecrow Lane program is open to any family. However, the library requires them to register beforehand. Also, space is limited so families should sign up as soon as possible.

People can register by calling Mentor Public Library (440) 255-8811 ext. 221.

You should do it. It will be fun for the family -- all of them.

It's Hip to Be a Square at our Minecraft Club

Do your kids love Minecraft?

Do they spend hours building masterpieces from blocks?

Are they always trading strategies with friends or watching Machinima videos for new ideas?

If they do, then they would probably love our new Minecraft Club.

Starting Oct. 3, we will be holding club meetings from 4 to 5 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of the month at our Main Branch.

Each session will feature a new challenge. Kids will mine, explore and share strategies in the wide world of Minecraft on the library's server.

The club is for children from eight to 12 years old. Each kids must bring their own charged laptop, tablet or mobile device and have an active Minecraft account.

You will also need to sign up your child (or children) for our Minecraft Club. You can do that on our library's website or by calling (440) 255-8811 ext. 221.