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There's still time to participate in summer reading!

If you haven't signed up for summer reading, don't miss out! Kids and teens can pick up a prize pack when they've met their goals. Everyone who signs up and finishes will be eligible for the drawings for grand prizes in their age group.

All logs must be turned in and books or time read entered on Beanstack by 5 p.m. Sunday, July 25. All children and teens must pick up their finisher prizes by 5 p.m. Sunday, July 25.

Because we are only about halfway through summer reading, there are still some great programs coming up. Check these out!

"Move Your Tails" Fitness Class for K-5th graders: Join Miss Alyssa (registered 200-hour yoga teacher and 3-year boxing practitioner) for this 30-minute fitness class combining yoga, boxing, cardio play and high intensity interval training that will get K-5th graders burning energy and building confidence. This class may be challenging for children with pre-existing conditions such as asthma or heart problems, so please consult with your physician before enrolling your child. 2 p.m. Saturday, July 17 in the Community Room. Registration is required.
You are invited to this summer's Moviecraft Red Carpet Premiere: Family, friends, and community members are invited to attend the official premiere of this summer's Teen Moviecraft film, celebrating the work of Randomly Exploding Productions! Each team member will be honored for their achievements, and attendants can enjoy refreshments and meet the cast and crew of the film after the show! 7 p.m. Friday, July 30 in the Community Room
"How to Write a Story" Story Reading: Have you been following along with Miss Chelsea's "How to Write a Story" videos? Celebrate finishing your story by participating in a story reading, "poetry slam" style! All writers are encouraged to come and bring their family or friends for the event. Snacks and drinks will be provided. 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1 in the Community Room

Click the big, red button below to visit the library's Summer Reading web page for kids and teens.

We have a brand new app!

As you may have noticed, our app had gone on hiatus for a little while. We are so happy to let you know that we have launched a brand new app, the KanShare Libraries app. It lets you do all the things you loved in the old app, but is a little easier to use. Find it in the Apple App Store or in the Google Play Store. Download it today and find titles, place items on hold or renew items you have checked out!

The Friends of the Library book sale returns

After having to cancel last year's book sale because of the worldwide pandemic, the Friends of the Derby Public Library is excited to announce that this year's book sale is on!

Hardcover books will be available for 50 cents each, paperbacks for 25 cents each, and DVDs/CDs/Books on CD will be $2 each. Mark your calendar now and don't miss this sale!

6:30-8 p.m. Friday, July 23 Friends-only preview sale
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, July 24 and 1-4 p.m. Sunday, July 25, sale is open to the public

"A Plethora of Pike" in High Wall Gallery

A dozen works in multiple forms of creative disciplines by local art teacher and artist Laine Pike

Plethora, a word that describes abundance, is appropriate given the different mediums on display. The show includes photography, gouache, oil paintings, and printmaking. Ms. Pike, who has taught art classes at the Derby Recreation Commission for the last 5 years, is inspired by youth and adult classes that change in focus frequently, allowing her to explore avenues of artistic expression.

Drawing, painting, pottery, glass-fusing, and photography are all areas in which Laine likes to create, with her favorite subjects being birds, sunsets and flowers. The work hung on the High Wall includes several very large paintings, but Laine also works in smaller dimensions as well. One can see her love for florals in the macro photographs.

Learn more about Laine Pike and art that is on display at the library by clicking the big red "Read More" button below.

Artist reception: 6-7:30 p.m., Friday, July 16 for artists in both the Gathering Space Gallery and High Wall Gallery; light refreshments will be served

Beck on Point

Toronto Lake

Five books recommended by Amelia:

Rain Before Rainbows by Smriti Prasadam-Halls

Itsy Mitsy Runs Away by Elanna Allen

What About Worms!? by Mo Willems

Bop Bop Dinosaur by Jim Cosgrove

Jasper & Ollie by Alex Willan

Ariadne
by Jennifer Saint

First Line: Let me tell you a story of a righteous man.

Summary: Ariadne is a princess of Crete. She is the daughter of the mighty king Minos. She is the half-sister to the fearsome Minotaur. As she grew up in the palace she learned from a young age how women can suffer because of the men in their lives. But she sees her savior in the hero, Theseus of Athens. He has been sent to Crete as an offering to the Minotaur. Ariadne takes pity on him and helps him navigate the Labyrinth and defeat the Minotaur. With Theseus’ victory they escape the island but will this be Ariadne’s happy ending or will the legends repeat themselves?

My Thoughts: This book was so much better than Circe. I struggled through that one so I was a little hesitant reading another Greek myth retelling. I know that it isn’t the same author but it was still something I thought of as I picked up Ariadne.

I loved the cover. It is eye catching but simple. I remember seeing it many times before it was released. The marketing was really well done for this book. I felt like the story moved along at a perfect speed, the characters were likeable. It stuck to story lines of the original myths while also giving the sisters their own personalities.

I was not familiar with Phaedra and Ariadne’s stories. I knew of the Minotaur, Daedalus, Icarus and Theseus but not all the details. Greek mythology is filled with shocking tales, death, and tragic love stories. I liked how the author intertwined the story lines. The love and devotion of the sisters was a strong theme but also how women are ruled by the men in their lives. I think it was a great read and a fun retelling.

Click here to find Ariadne on the KanShare catalog.

Release date: May 4, 2021

Ashley's rating:

Survive the Night
by Riley Sager

First Line: Fade in.

Summary: Two months earlier, Charlie’s best friend, Maddy was murdered by the Campus Killer. But what makes things even worse is that Charlie could have done something to stop it from happening. She blames herself. And the only way she feels that she can move on from this tragedy is to leave school and go home to try and heal.

At the university ride board she meets a young man who offers to drive her home since it is on his way. Charlie is so desperate to leave Olyphant that she accepts. But as soon as she gets into his car she starts to wonder if she has made a terrible choice. Little things start to happen which makes Charlie wonder if Josh is not what he seems. Will she survive the long night time drive?

My Thoughts: I had so much fun reading this book! I kept having to tell myself to relax. I was caught up in the tension and fear. It immediately sucked me in. And Charlie is a very unreliable narrator since she has a disorder that takes her out of reality if things become too much for her. As I read I never knew what to believe and what is one of the movies in her head.

Riley Sager’s books always have the feel of an eighties horror movie. That may be one of the reasons I love them so much. They can be cheesy at times but that is how I want an eighties movie to be. There was lots of twists and turns. I did not expect the ending at all. Some things seemed a little obvious but I was very shocked by big reveal. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants a fast and fun thriller for the summer. It hits the spot perfectly.

Click here to find Survive the Night on the KanShare catalog.

Release date: June 29, 2021

Ashley's review:

Get your copy of Celebrating Derby now!

Celebrating Derby — 150 Years: 1869-2019 is a wonderful book that lets you see what life was like in the early years of the town we call Derby, but was originally named El Paso.

Pick up your copy today at the library for $20.

Looking for someplace to discuss books? We've got you covered!

We have three active book groups here at the library that are open to everyone. If you love to read and talk about the books you read, pop in to one or more of the book groups!

Bemused Biblipohiles — meets at 1 p.m. July 7. The title for July is The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. The book club will meet in person in the Frank Fanning Conference Room.

Hauntingly Good Reads — meets at 7 p.m. July 12. The title for July is Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. The book club will meet in person in the Frank Fanning Conference Room.

Joyful Page Turners — is taking a break during June and July. The club will begin meeting again in August.

Bemused Bibliophiles meets during the day and reads popular books that have been on the bestseller list. Hauntingly Good Reads meets in the evening and explores all kinds of books that have a supernatural/magical/unexplainable kind of bent—we look far beyond the traditional vampires, ghosts and witches.

Joyful Page Turners is the most enduring book club at the library—it's been meeting regularly since May 2000! Books selected for this book club include just about everything: classics, modern bestsellers, non-fiction, and more.

Click the red "Read More" button below to visit the book club page on the library website, where you can find lists of books each book club has read.