Category: Author Events

Public Libraries will host PA One Book Every Young Child Story Times and Traveling Trunks!

Lancaster County’s public libraries will participate in the 12th annual One Book, Every Young Child statewide early learning initiative, to highlight both the importance of early literacy development in preschoolers, ages 3-6 years and specifically the vital role that adults have fostering that development.  The initiative is a collaborative effort of Pennsylvania public libraries, museums, early childcare centers and other youth-oriented associations in the Commonwealth. This year’s book selection is Daniel Finds a Poem written and illustrated by Micha Archer.  Published in 2016 by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin House LLC, this book is for children ages 3 to 6.

Early learning starts in Pennsylvania’s Public Libraries. During story time, youth librarians foster early childhood literacy and school readiness skills. Now in its 12th year, One Book, Every Young Child is a valuable program that highlights the importance of early literacy development in preschoolers and the significance of reading early and often to children, as well as engaging them in conversation and other activities around books. Public Librarians during the reading of the book, engage children in open-ended discussion about the story line and characters, introduce new vocabulary, talk about alphabet letters and make a point that reading books builds a critical foundation of knowledge, readying a child for school.  Encouragement is given to parents to “Read to One’s Child Every Day”.  Libraries have additional copies of Daniel finds A Poem for parents and caregivers to borrow.

Daniel Finds a Poem by Micha Archer

About the book…
Daniel wants to participate in the Poetry in the Park event, but first asks his animal friends for help. After a week of discovery, he is able to share a magical poem that incorporates the essence of the entire book. The collage illustrations help to celebrate a sense of wonder and poetry everywhere.

Daniel Finds a Poem is the first book Micha has both written and illustrated. The idea came to her from a sketch of a little boy on a stage. Daniel’s journey through the park, and through a week, asking his animal friends in the park what poetry is leads him to a poetry reading where he proudly reads the poem he has been gathering all week.

The Reviews Are In…

“In accessible yet colorful language, Archer reminds readers that poetry exists all around us. A vividly illustrated, inventively told opportunity for early readers to grasp the power of language to observe, entertain, and mystify.”                                          ~ Kirkus Reviews

“In illustrator Archer’s first book as author, rich, multi-layered collages illuminate a celebration of nature’s beauty.”                                                ~ Publishers Weekly.

For more reviews, visit Micha’s website at www.michaarcher.com/about-micha/

Story Times/Traveling Trunk Programs @ Public Libraries

List of scheduled events celebrating early literacy; libraries may require registration.
Please contact your local public library for more information.

Saturday. April 1 at 10:00 am
Lititz Public Library

Tuesday, April 4 at 10:00 am
Adamstown Area Library

Wednesday, April 5 at 10:00 am
Adamstown Area Library

Wednesday, April 5 at 11:15 am
Pequea Valley Public Library (Intercourse)

Thurs. April 6 at 10:30 am
Adamstown Area Library

Friday, April 7 at 10:30 am
Salisbury Township Branch Library (Gap)

Monday, April 10 at 12:30 -2:30 pm
Strasburg-Heisler Library

Tues. April 18 at 10:30 am
Lancaster Public Library (Lancaster City)

Wed. April 19 at 10:30 am
Moores Memorial Library (Christiana)


One Book, Every Young Child
Author Visits: April 24 

Monday, April 24 at 10:00 am
Manheim Township Public Library

Monday, April 24 at 5:00 pm
Ephrata Public Library


Tuesday, April 25 at 10:30 am
Elanco Library (New Holland)

Tuesday, April 25 at 10:30 am
Quarryville Library

Friday, April 28 at 10:30 am
Lancaster Public Library WEST- Mountville Branch

Tuesday, May 2 at 10:30 am
Lancaster Public Library EAST – Leola Branch

Wednesday, May 3 at 10:00 am
Manheim Community Library

Thursday, May 4 with Manheim Community Library at 10:00 am
Held at local Farm Show Complex, 502 E Adele Ave, Manheim, PA 17545.

Wednesday, May 10 at 10:30 am
Milanof-Schock Library (Mount Joy)

Thursday, May 11 at 10:30 am
Milanof-Schock Library (Mount Joy)


About the Author…

Micha Archer grew up in a family that travelled everywhere and around the world twice. At home, her mother insisted that her five children go outside! and not watch TV, so Micha spent many hours keeping up with her three older brothers; running, biking, skating, climbing trees and building small worlds for little trucks. They made forts in the front yard, forts in the back yard and snow forts in the winter. When she finally had a little sister, she played school with her and taught her to read at the age of three. Micha’s room had stuffed animals and real animals with cages stacked like a little zoo. She made her own dolls and sewed their clothes. And she drew. She drew and she drew and she drew some more.

The things Micha did as a little girl led her to what she does today—she teaches, travels, hikes, bikes, gardens, paints and even built her own house with her husband. Her travels and love of nature filled her memory with the colors, patterns, textures and architecture that appear in the pages of her books. If there are trees in her books, you know she is imagining herself climbing them.

When she had her own children, they made weekly trips to the library and spent hours reading aloud every evening. With no television in the house, her two children filled their time with drawing and creating books of their own at the kitchen table and playing in the woods and gardens around their house. Her children, now grown, have remained creative artists, readers, builders and environmentalists.

For a complete list of Micha Archer’s books, visit

http://www.michaarcher.com/

For more information about the One Book, Every Young Child early learning initiative visit: www.paonebook.org

Previous selections for the Pennsylvania One Book, Every Young Child program are:

  • 2016 – Kite Day by Will Hillenbrand
  • 2015 – Number One Sam by Greg Pizolli
  • 2014 – Stripes of All Types by Susan Stockdale
  • 2013 – The Bus for Us by Suzanne Bloom
  • 2012 – Stop Snoring Bernard by Zachariah OHora
  • 2011 – Whose Shoes? A Shoe for Every Job by Stephen R. Swinburne
  • 2010 – What a Treasure! by Jane and Will Hillenbrand
  • 2009 – If You Were a Penguin by Wendell and Florence Minor
  • 2008 – Up, Down, and Around by author Katherine Ayres and illustrator Nadine Bernard Westcott
  • 2007 – A Splendid Friend, Indeed by author and illustrator Suzanne Bloom
  • 2006 – Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse by author and illustrator Lindsay Barrett George

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Adriana Trigiani Author Appearance ~ General Admission Tickets now available!

Tickets for luncheon spots are SOLD OUT!  However, we do have good news since we now have General Admission Tickets for sale!  The cost of General Admission tickets is $35, which includes hearing the author presentation AND a reserved copy of Kiss Carlo to be released in June. Contact Sue Newswanger at 717-354-8016 or email at news1165@gmail.com to purchase tickets. Checks should be made payable to The Council of Friends.

General Admission Ticket Order Form

Adriana Trigiani is coming to Lancaster County! The award-winning author will appear at the 2017 Spring Author Luncheon on Thursday, April 27, 2017 at 12:00 noon at the Calvary Church, 1051 Landis Valley Rd, Lancaster, PA.  The Council of Friends of Public Libraries, Aaron’s Books and the Library System of Lancaster County will host the luncheon, which is a fundraising event for public libraries in Lancaster County. “Trigiani’s appearance is generating much excitement among readers who look forward to hearing about her upcoming book, Kiss Carlo.” says Mary Ann Heltshe-Steinhauer, public relations manager for the Library System and committee member on The Council of Friends.

About the Author
Adriana Trigiani, Italian American best-selling author, is beloved by millions of readers around the world for fifteen bestsellers, including the blockbuster epic The Shoemaker’s Wife; the Big Stone Gap series; Lucia, Lucia; the Valentine series; the Viola series for young adults; the bestselling memoir Don’t Sing at the Table and All the Stars in the Heavens, an epic tale from the golden age of Hollywood. She is the award-winning filmmaker of the documentary Queens of the Big Time. Trigiani wrote and directed the major motion picture Big Stone Gap, based on her debut novel and filmed entirely on location in her Virginia hometown. She lives in Greenwich Village with her family.

About Adriana’s upcoming book, Kiss Carlo
Adriana Trigiani explores the vibrant, complex Italian-American experience in this dazzling novel that brings to life the golden years of post-war America—a celebration of ambition, risk, love, reinvention and one remarkable family with a secret. It’s 1949 in south Philadelphia. Diligent, hard-working and proud, the Palazzinis have built a solid life for themselves and their three sons. Now that World War II is over, their sons, each one a decorated veteran, have returned home to the family cab company, to rejoin their world as it was before they left. A captivating, multilayered novel about the power of family secrets, the triumph of true love over grief, and the courage to risk everything for the American dream, Italian style.

To learn more about Adriana Trigiani, visit her website: https://www.facebook.com/adrianatrigiani

General Admission Ticket Order Form

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Author Lois Kathryn Herr to Visit Milanof-Schock Library!

Lois Kathryn Herr

On Thursday, September 8 at 6:30 p.m., the Milanof-Schock Library in Mount Joy will host local author Lois Kathryn Herr who will talk about her book “Dear Woman of My Dreams.” Please visit the Library’s website www.mslibrary.org to register for this program or call 653-1510.

Herr has released the first in a new book series in which she gives voice to three generations of women and the struggles and successes that shaped them. An eye-opening portrait of the journey of the modern woman, “Dear Woman of My Dreams” is real-life fiction, creatively rendered and based on extensive family archives which include letters, journals, pictures and other memorabilia.

Dear Woman of My Dreams bookcoverThis book is the first in a series of stories that chart the experiences of the women in Herr’s family. With photographs and diary entries, the book follows the author’s mother, Kathryn Nisley Herr, and her experiences as a young woman in 1923. This coming-of-age story is told in Kathryn’s own words as she goes about her daily life at Lebanon Valley College with her friends and with her mother and grandmother at home in Harrisburg as well as on a cross-country train trip. She writes to the woman that she sees as herself in later years, and the book closes with a brief chapter based on letters and the diary Kathryn wrote when she was 100 years old.

People in the area will know Kathryn from her adult years in Elizabethtown – teaching at the Elizabethtown High School and Elizabethtown College, serving as president of the Elizabeth Hughes Society, and partnering with her husband Ira in growing the Elizabethtown Public Library. Active in her church (the Evangelical United Brethren, later St. Paul’s Methodist), she established their church library.

For more information about the author, visit http://www.loiskathrynherr.com/

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Dr. Amanda Kemp – Author, Advocate, Professor and Poet – to speak about Racial Justice

Say the wrong thing amanda kemp sm photoDr. Amanda Kemp —advocate, author, professor, and poet-performer— will present a timely and relevant mini-workshop and dramatic reading from her book “Say the Wrong Thing,” a searing and tender commentary about life within her interracial family. The event is happening at the Lancaster Public Library on Thursday, September 8th at 6:00 pm.  Dr. Kemp will share insight and strategies for creating racial justice and a strong sense of shared community.

A survivor of New YorSay The Wrong Thing Bookcoverk City’s foster care system, Amanda Kemp grew up in poverty in a predominantly African American and Latino neighborhood and went on to earn a B.A. from Stanford University and a Ph.D. from Northwestern University. A life-long advocate of racial justice and equality, Dr. Kemp has taught at Cornell University, Dickinson College, Millersville University, the University of the Arts, and Franklin & Marshall College where she chaired Africana Studies.

Seating is limited so sign up today!  https://lpl-saythewrongthing.eventbrite.com

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The Council of Friends and Aaron’s Books to host best-selling mystery writer, Susan Elia MacNeal!

Susan Elia Macneal_croppedThe Council of Friends of Lancaster County Public Libraries and Aaron’s Books are pleased to announce that Susan Elia MacNeal will be visiting Lancaster County on Tuesday, October 11th at 6:30 pm the Bent Creek Country Club at 640 Bent Creek Drive, Lititz, PA for an evening author appearance.  The event is a fundraiser for Lancaster County Public Libraries.  MacNeal is the author of The New York Times– and USA Today-bestselling Maggie Hope mystery series, starting with the Edgar Award-nominated and Barry Award-winning Mr. Churchill’s Secretary.   Tickets are $25 and include author presentation and refreshments.  Tickets may be purchased at Aaron’s Books, 35 East Main St, Lititz or by going online at www.aaronsbooks.com    Ticket order forms are also available at all local public libraries.

Click here to download Ticket Order Form

Queen coverThe event is in celebration of the release of the SIXTH book in the Maggie Hope Series. The Queen’s Accomplice is her most captivating story to date in her award-winning series. Blending thoroughly researched WWII historical facts with one-of-kind storytelling and a resourceful, daring heroine, The Queen’s Accomplice is an unforgettable read.

England, 1942. Great Britain and the U.S. have joined forces to fight the Nazis. The relentless Blitz may have paused, but London’s nightly blackouts continue. Under the cover of darkness, a madman is killing young women in eerie and exact re-creations of Jack the Ripper’s crimes. What’s more, he’s targeting women about to serve as Winston Churchill’s spies and saboteurs abroad. The officers at MI-5 quickly realize they need the help of special agent Maggie Hope to find the killer dubbed “the Blackout Beast.” A trap is set. But once the murderer has his sights on Maggie, not even Buckingham Palace can protect the resourceful spy from her fate.

The Maggie Hope novels have been nominated for the ITW Thriller Award, the Dilys Award, the Sue Federer Historical Fiction Award, and the Bruce Alexander Historical Fiction Award. A former book and magazine editor whose first job was assistant to novelist John Irving, Susan graduated cum laude and with departmental honors from Wellesley College, cross-registered for courses at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and attended the Radcliffe Publishing Course at Harvard University.

About the author…

SUSAN MACNEAL is the Barry Award–winning and Edgar, ITW Thriller, Dilys, Agatha, Macavity, and Lefty Award–nominated author of the New York Times bestselling Maggie Hope mysteries, including Mr. Churchill’s Secretary, Princess Elizabeth’s Spy, His Majesty’s Hope, The Prime Minister’s Secret Agent, and Mrs. Roosevelt’s Confidante. She lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with her husband and child.

For more information visit susaneliamacneal.com | Twitter: @SusanMacNeal | Instagram: susaneliamacneal | Blog: susaneliamacneal

YA Author Visit at Manheim Township Public Library!

Jennifer Rose, YA Author
Jennifer Rose, YA Author

Manheim Township Public Library, 595 Granite Run Drive Lancaster, PA, is hosting local author Jennifer Rose on Saturday, July 9th at 2:00 PM. Jennifer visits us to talk about her book, It’s Not a Perfect World, but I’ll Take It: 50 Life Lessons for Teens Like Me Who Are Kind of (You Know) Autistic.

Jennifer Rose has autism. She’s also a published author, and a college student who loves reading, writes fan fiction, and wants to be on TV someday. She likes watching old movies with her family, listening to classic rock, deconstructing pop culture, Japanese animation, Jewish stuff, Dr. Who, and sushi.  However, she sees the world a little differently than most people around her. She’s had trouble coping with school, has struggled with bullies and mean girls and struggling with her own feelings of bitterness and inferiority, but she has also achieved much in the face of adversity. Through it all, with the help of her parents, Jennifer’s learned a few lessons.  Outlined in her book, Jennifer’s wisdom covers a wide breadth of topics, including:

#5: There are many ways to make a difference.

#20: You won’t be perfect at everything, not even the things you do best.

#22: Down times will be bouncing up soon . . .

#23: . . . but meanwhile, try to enjoy what you have.

#44: Talk about your feelings, even when it’s hard.

#45: Learn to take jokes, even your dad’s.

It's Not a Perfect World_Jennifer_Rose_BookcoverIt’s Not a Perfect World, but I’ll Take It is an uplifting ode to being different. Told with irresistible honesty and humor, Jennifer’s fifty bite-sized stories will have teens and adults nodding in recognition and discovering new things about themselves.

She will also talk about the process of writing and getting published, and about what it’s like growing up with autism. Bring your questions. A book signing session will follow. Copies of the book will be available for purchase. ($12.95 + tax, cash or check only)

Please register for this FREE program by visiting our website at www.mtpl.info/events, by calling the library at (717) 560-6441 or when you visit the library. Drop-ins also welcome.

“Celebrate Libraries” Gala Event at the Ware Center!

Library CakeThe public is invited to join the Public Libraries in Lancaster County and Sandy Asher, Lancaster County’s Children’s Laureate, at a special gala event that will celebrate libraries!  The event is happening at the Ware Center, 42 North Prince Street, Lancaster on Friday April 1 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm.  The celebration, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Atrium on the 3rd floor of the center.  The gala is the culmination of public library visits by Sandy Asher during the months of February and March that resulted in the creation of projects by children and their families that celebrate libraries!  Those creations will also be on display during the event.

Come and meet representatives from the public libraries in Lancaster County and learn about new and exciting resources that will enhance the library experience!   Learn about the Library’s new Mobile App; OverDrive downloadable audiobooks, e-Books; and more!

Guests will also be able to participate in a special Public Library Scavenger Hunt during the event to win a Kindle™.  They will be asked to answer questions like “Which library has a bank vault in the middle of its main floor?” or “Which library is in a town designated as a ‘great place to visit’ by Smithsonian Magazine?”  There will also be a Kids’ Craft activity and a special Minecraft™ demonstration by the Manheim Township Public Library.  Take advantage of this opportunity to find out more about the programs, resources and services at your public library!

Sandy AsherAbout Sandy Asher

Sandy Asher was named Lancaster County’s Children’s Laureate in December 2014 by the Lancaster Literary Guild.  She quickly saw this honor as an opportunity to promote literacy and libraries.  She states, “There was no job description, other than a general charge to promote literacy and creativity among young people, county-wide.  I figured the best way to reach as many of those young people as possible would be through their libraries.  And so the Celebrate Libraries project was born.”  The project is a collaboration between Asher, The Public Libraries of Lancaster County, and staff from the Library System of Lancaster County.  For more information about Sandy Asher and her work, visit www.sandyasher.com  or  http://usawrites4kids.blogspot.com

Author Luncheon Tickets SOLD OUT! ‘Speaker Only’ Tickets available!

Anna Quinlin pictureAnna Quindlen is coming to Lancaster County! 

Update Luncheon Tickets are now SOLD OUT, however, we do have ‘Speaker Only” Tickets available for $25.00.   Speaker Only ticket holders may also use their tickets as coupon for a 10% discount on the purchase of Anna Quindlen’s new book, Millers Valley at the event. 

Contact Cathy Doremus at 717-627-3772 or email at cdoremus@ptd.net to purchase “Speaker Only’ tickets.  Checks should be made payable to The Council of Friends.

This award-winning author will appear at the 2016 Spring Author Luncheon on Thursday, April 14, 2016 at 12:00 noon at the Calvary Church, 1051 Landis Valley Rd, Lancaster, PA.   Her appearance coincides with the April 5th release of her latest book, Miller’s Valley.  The Council of Friends of Public Libraries, Aaron’s Books and the Library System of Lancaster County will host the luncheon, which is a fundraising event for public libraries in Lancaster County.  Tickets are still only $45 and that includes lunch and a free hardback copy of Anna’s new book!

For more information about Anna Quindlen, visit http://annaquindlen.net

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Sandy Asher “Verses” the Birds Family Program on January 26,2016

Manheim Township Public Library hosts a fun, family program by local award-winning author, Sandy Asher, on Tuesday, January 26 at 6:00 p.m.  The interactive presentation entitled Sandy Asher “Verses” the Birds, has a special focus on “our feathered friends” that also relates to the current “Crow Art Exhibit” at the library.  Join in on an evening of poems, puppets, fables and fun.  Take wing with words: write a poem of your own. (For ages 8 and up.)  Registration requested at https://mtpl.info/events/  or by calling the library at 560-6441, but walk-ins welcome.  For more information about the author, go to www.sandyasher.com .

Asher has written dozens of books and plays and was named Lancaster County’s Children’s Laureate in December 2014 by the Lancaster Literary Guild.  She quickly saw this honor as an opportunity to promote literacy and libraries, so the Celebrate Libraries project was born.  The project took shape with the help of the Literary Guild, Millersville University, the Public Libraries of Lancaster County, and staff from the Library System of Lancaster County.

Contact
Emily Neff
Manheim Township Public Library
eneff@mtpl.info
Phone (717) 509-4604 Ext 304       FAX  (717) 560-0570

 

Best-selling, Pulitzer-Prize winning author, Anna Quindlen to speak at Library Author Luncheon on April 14, 2016

Anna Quinlin pictureAnna Quindlen is coming to Lancaster County!  This award-winning author will appear at the 2016 Spring Author Luncheon on Thursday, April 14, 2016 at 12:00 noon at the Calvary Church, 1051 Landis Valley Rd, Lancaster, PA.   Her appearance coincides with the April 5th release of her latest book, Miller’s Valley.  The  Council of Friends of Public Libraries, Aaron’s Books and the Library System of Lancaster County will host the luncheon, which is a fundraising event for public libraries in Lancaster County.

Click here for Ticket Order Form

About the Author

Anna Quindlen is a novelist and journalist whose work has appeared on fiction, nonfiction, and self-help bestseller lists. She is the author of eight novels: Object Lessons (1997), One True Thing (2006), Black and Blue (2000), Blessings (2003), Rise and Shine (2007), Every Last One (2010), Still Life with Bread Crumbs (2014), and Miller’s Valley (2016). Her memoir Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, published in 2012, was a number one New York Times bestseller.  Her book A Short Guide to a Happy Life has sold more than a million copies. While a columnist at The New York Times she won the Pulitzer Prize and published two collections, Living Out Loud (1994) and Thinking Out Loud (1994). Her Newsweek columns were collected in Loud and Clear (2005)

About Miller’s Valley

Quindlen’s newest work of fiction is filled with the remMillers Valley Coverarkable insight that is the hallmark of Anna Quindlen’s beloved bestsellers, this extraordinary novel that begins in the 1960s is about Mimi, a woman coming of age as she unearths surprising secrets about her family, and unexpected truths about herself.  As the years go by, the unthinkable starts to seem inevitable. Anna Quindlen’s novel takes us through the changing eras of Mimi and her family, as secrets are revealed, and the heartbreaks of growing up and falling in love with the wrong man are overcome.  A deeply moving, inspiring story of a young woman learning to love and leave, the place and family from which she comes.

Advance praise for Miller’s Valley

“Miller’s Valley is a moving exploration of family and notions of home…Quindlen’s prose is crisp and her insights resonant. This coming-of-age story is driven as much by the fully realized characters as it is by the astute ideas about progress and place.
– Publishers Weekly

“Miller’s Valley reads like a companion to Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge. I always wondered what a book from the perspective of Olive’s daughter would be like. Now, thanks to Anna Quindlen, I know.”
-Elisabeth Egan, author of A Window Opens

“A deeply moving, inspiring story of a young woman learning to love and leave, the place and family from which she comes.”
– Good Reads.co

“Anna Quindlen’s stunning new novel is a masterly study of family, memory, loss, and, ultimately, discovery and finding home. Miller’s Valley reminds us that the place where you grew up can disappear, and the people in it too, but all will live on in your heart forever.”
– Amazon

For more information about Anna Quindlen, visit her website: http://annaquindlen.net

About The Council of Friends

Established in 2000, the award-winning Council of Friends of Public Libraries is made up of volunteers who are avid readers and are committed to promoting reading countywide.  The group has organized and hosted author events that have featured best-selling authors for the past 15 years.  In 2010, they formed a partnership with Independent Bookstore, Aaron’s Books in Lititz that brought authors to Lancaster County while they were traveling on their national book tours.

 

Tickets for the 2016 luncheon will go on sale February 1st.  Cost is $45 per ticket, which includes lunch and the author presentation.

Contact Cathy Doremus at 717-627-3772 or email at cdoremus@ptd.net to purchase tickets.  Checks should be made payable to The Council of Friends.

Click here for the ticket order form

 

For more information, including library hours, visit the Library System of Lancaster County’s website at www.lancasterlibraries.org to access system-wide events as well as your local library’s web page!