Haley McKenna Banned Book Week Winning Essay

Independence is a trait that I desire, and at one time I thought of myself as being independent.
Reality showed me otherwise.
From the outside looking in people may have thought I was independent, but what they did no see was that everything I did; the jobs I had, where I lived, and how I spent my money was dictated by my family.
Even my dream of going to college was put on hold.
My twin sister married into money and was fortunate enough to have her education paid for by her mother-in-law, while I always had to work hard for everything. We did not have any other siblings, so it was up to us to take care of our mother. For the past five years it had been my responsibility to take care of her.
It is hard to admit, but my mother has been addicted to drugs for over ten years. Taking care of her had been hard on me, and became too much for me to handle. When I went out of town I left her the money to pay for the bills, but instead she spent all my money on drugs. I returned from my trip and found out that we only had one week until we had to move out of the apartment, and I lost everything: my car, apartment, furniture, etc.
I did not have any money left to find somewhere else to live, and within a week I was homeless. My sister, who once said she did not have room in her house to take in my mother, all of a sudden found room.
Being homeless was the best thing that happened to me. During this time, I realized how much of my life was controlled by my family, and I was ready to make a change to move away from them. Fortunately, a dear friend was kind enough to invite me to move in with her. Not knowing anyone but her and her boyfriend, I moved here to Cookeville, ready to start my life over.
I came to the library to find a book to read, and I picked up The Mulberry Tree by Jude Deveraux. The central character Lillian Manville was a lot like me, and I found myself not wanting to put the book down. Her husband controlled every aspect of her life, and even held her back from pursuing her dream of having her own business.
The changing point in her life was when her husband passed away and she had to leave her home and move to a new city. Like me, she did not know anyone; not even herself.
The timing of this book in my life was perfection. Reading how she overcame the obstacles put in her path by adjusting to a new town, finding her independence, and making a new life where she can be fulfilled, gave me hope that I will also overcome the obstacles put in my path.

Haley McKenna

"Looking At Countries" Series

Everyone likes to learn about life in other countries.

Here in the Children’s library we have a new series of titles:
“Looking at Countries”
Looking at Nigeria
Looking at Venezuela
Looking at Poland are some of tiles we have.

This series is on a 3rd grade reading level but offer lots of pictures, maps and charts for younger readers too.

Many adults like to read a J book for quick information, too.

Read Beyond Reality

Area teens will be reading for the fun of it as Putnam County Library System celebrates Teen Read Week(TM), October 18 – 24, 2009. They join thousands of other libraries, schools and bookstores across the country who are encouraging teens to celebrate this year’s theme, "Read Beyond Reality @ your library®." Teen Read Week(TM) is the national adolescent literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest-growing division of the American Library Association. This year’s theme encourages teens to read a wide variety of materials that are out of this world, just for the fun of it.

Literacy is a topic of both local and national concern, and falling test scores and lower graduation rates among teens today are a serious issue. Studies show a regular reading habit increases reading proficiency, and we agree. One of the most important ways teens acquire the habit is by watching adults they respect. Being around adults who are avid readers can counteract the latest statistics from The Nation’s Report Card, which indicate that in homes across America the number of different types of reading materials has decreased, and a smaller percentage of seventeen-year-olds saw adults reading in their homes.Parents of teens are encouraged to celebrate Teen Read Week(TM) at home. PCLS offers these ideas:

· Visit the public or school library with your teen to attend a program or to check out books. · Set aside time each night for the family to read.

· Give books or magazine subscriptions to your teen as a gift or reward.

· Share your favorite book with your teen.

· Surf the web with your teen to learn about new books or authors. A good place to start is YALSA's Booklist's page.

· Join a book discussion group at the school or public library.

Today’s teens seem to have less and less free time, and there are increasingly more activities for them to take part in during what little leisure time they have. That is why it’s important to encourage teens to set aside some time to read. PCLS hopes to increase teen literacy locally by offering a book discussion for teens during Teen Read Week(TM). PCLS libraries will be hosting a county-wide book discussion for teens on the book “Coraline” by Neil Gaiman. Register to attend our discussion and pizza party on Wednesday October 14th, 2009. Teens that register for the event and commit to attending the discussion will get a FREE copy of the book (pick up anytime at your library location)! Discussions will be held at the Cookeville, Baxter, and Monterey locations of the library system. Call your location for starting times of the event. Can’t wait to see you there!