October Dial-a-Stories Are Live!
Leave a CommentWe uploaded 12 stories in our Dial-a-Story October lineup: 304-826-BOOK (2665)! This is a phone number you can call 24/7 and listen to stories, jokes, and poems. No internet required — just a phone.
Dial 1: “Goldfish Ghost” by Lemony Snicket (children’s story read by Lynda)
Dial 2: “Frankenstink!” by Ron Lightburn (children’s story read by Sarah P.)
Dial 3: “Goodnight Monster” by Helen Ketteman (children’s bedtime story read by Lynda)
Dial 4: “Bats at the Library” by Brian Lies (children’s story read by Sarah P.)
Dial 5: Joke Line for all ages (read by Sarah P.)
Dial 6: “Nature Stopped and Listened” a poem from “Getting Stronger” by Pittsburgh author Keshara Bailey
Dial 7: “Cinderella Skeleton” by Robert D. San Souci (read by Tessa)
Dial 8: “Teacher from The Black Lagoon” by Mike Thaler (read by John B.)
Dial 9: “The Frogs and Toads All Sang” by Arnold Lobel (read by Tessa)
Dial 10: “Five Little Monkeys Trick or Treat” by Eileen Christelow (read by Ruth)
Dial 11: How to Build a Haunted House by Frank Tupta (read by Lexie)
Dial 12: Halloween Hustle by Charlotte Gunnufson (read by Shelby)
At the end of each selection, you will automatically be redirected to the main menu, but if you don’t want to wait until the end, you can dial # to go to the main menu.
3-Sentence Horror Story Contest!
Leave a CommentYou have exactly 3 sentences to scare the bejeezus out of us! Online submissions are accepted through October 21st for three different age categories: kids, teens, and adults at https://bit.ly/3EFGiSM. A panel of judges will select a winner from each age category. Winners get a $25 gift card to Black Bear Burritos!
The Rules:
- Your submission must be 3 sentences long.
- Submissions must be your own work.
- Anyone under the age of 18 requires parent or guardian permission to enter.
- Participants must reside in Monongalia County.
Disclaimer: Contest submissions and author names may be shared on Morgantown Public Library System’s publications and social media. All other personal information will be kept private and will only be used for contact if you are a winner.
FREE Notary Services
Leave a CommentAll Morgantown Public Library locations are now offering FREE notary services! Participating locations include our four branches and the Aull Center for Local History.
- This new library service is completely FREE of charge.
- It’s always good to call ahead of time to make sure a notary is available (https://www.mympls.org/contact/).
- Be sure to bring your photo ID with you (not expired for more than 3 years)
- Please do not sign your document(s) before you come in.
About notaries: https://www.nationalnotary.org/…/what-is-a-notary-public
Young Adult Space Opera Recommendations
Leave a CommentWhat is a Space Opera?
According to Goodreads, “space opera is a subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that emphasizes romantic, often melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in space, generally involving conflict between opponents possessing powerful (and sometimes quite fanciful) technologies and abilities. Perhaps the most significant trait of space opera is that settings, characters, battles, powers, and themes tend to be very large-scale.” (https://www.goodreads.com/genres/space-opera)
Our Recommendations
Amanda, library teens specialist, has put together a list of young adult space operas (6th grade to adults). The following recommendations are all on display on the second floor Teenspace and compiled in Beanstack as a recommended reading list.
Aetherbound by E. K. Johnston
YA JOH
After escaping her abusive family’s interstellar merchant ship, seventeen-year-old Pendt lands on a remote space station run by the Brannick twins, and together they make plans to thwart the destinies they never wanted.
Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
YA KAU
Told in separate voices, eighteen-year-old Tyler Jones, top graduate of Aurora Academy, and a group of misfits and troublemakers embark on their first mission with Auri, a stowaway from the distant past.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
YA MEY
As plague ravages the overcrowded Earth, observed by a ruthless lunar people, Cinder, a gifted mechanic and cyborg, becomes involved with handsome Prince Kai and must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect the world in this futuristic take on the Cinderella story.
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
YA KAU
The planet Kerenza is attacked, and Kady and Ezra find themselves on a space fleet fleeing the enemy, while their ship’s artificial intelligence system and a deadly plague may be the end of them all.
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
YA KAU
Two star-crossed lovers must fight for survival when they crash land on a seemingly uninhabited plane.
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
YA SAN
When a long-term attack against her world by the alien Krell escalates, Spensa’s dream of becoming a pilot may come true, despite her deceased father being labeled a deserter.
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
YA REV
Teenaged Amy, a cryogenically frozen passenger on the spaceship Godspeed, wakes up to discover that someone may have tried to murder her.
Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza
YA BEL
When their paths cross after a brutal attack Aly is falsely accused of making on Rhee, they are forced to work together to save their own lives and the universe.
Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray
YA GRA
Teenaged soldier Noemi and an enemy robot, Abel, who is programmed to obey her commands, set out on an interstellar quest to save her home planet, Earth colony Genesis.
Starflight by Melissa Landers
YA LAN
The outer realm may be lawless, but it’s not like the law has ever been on Solara Brooks’s side. Since off-world travel doesn’t come cheap, Solara indentures herself in exchange for passage to the outer realm. She just wishes it could have been to anyone besides Doran Spaulding, the rich pretty-boy who made her life miserable in school. When Doran is framed for conspiracy on Earth, Solara cons him into playing the role of her servant on board the Banshee, a ship manned by an eccentric crew with their own secrets.
Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
YA ROT
Living on a violent planet where everyone develops a unique power meant to shape the future, Akos and Cyra, youths from enemy nations, resent gifts that render them vulnerable to others’ control before they become unlikely survival partners.
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James
YA JAM
Stranded on a spaceship speeding away from Earth, Romy is euphoric when she gets word that she will soon be joined by another ship, but as the Eternity gets closer, Romy begins to suspect that the captain has a mission all of their own.
Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine & Ann Aquirre
YA CAI
Petty criminal Zara Cole is recruited into the Honors, an elite team of humans chosen by the Leviathan to explore the outer reaches of the universe.
Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston
YA POS
Ana, an orphan found drifting through space, joins with an Ironblood boy to find the coordinates of a lost spaceship which may hold clues to her identity, as they end up discovering dark secrets in a forgotten part of the universe.
The Disasters by M. K. England
YA ENG
Nax and a handful of other space Academy washouts are the only surviving pilots after the school is hijacked by terrorists, but in order to spread the truth about the attack, Nax and his fellow failures must execute a dangerous heist.
Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis
YA LEW
Sixteen-year-old heiress and paparazzi darling Liddi Jantzen must save her brothers in this outer-space retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Wild Swans.
Zenith : The Androma Saga by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings
YA ALS
Most know Androma Racella as the Bloody Baroness, a powerful mercenary whose reign of terror stretches across the Mirabel Galaxy. To those aboard her glass starship, Marauder, however, she’s just Andi, their friend and fearless leader.
Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
YA RYA
Part of the first generation to be conceived in deep space, fifteen-year-old Waverly is expected to marry young and have children to populate a new planet, but a violent betrayal by the dogmatic leader of their sister ship could have devastating consequences.
Borrow a Board Game!
Leave a CommentLive at the Amphitheater!
Leave a CommentWe have 4 FREE Library Events for kids at the newly renovated Ruby Amphitheater at Hazel Ruby McQuain Park!
- Kid’s Yoga (Tuesdays, August 3 & 17 | 6:00pm)
Come do yoga with Sarah Schaefer! She will bring you stories, movement, and mindfulness in this meditative evening for children ages 2-8. Please bring your own yoga mat if you have one. For those without mats, we will have extras available. - Tony Music (Saturday, August 21 | 11:00am)
An unforgettable musical afternoon starring Tony Music (https://www.tonymmusic.com/). This event is most appropriate for children ages 1-8! Come ready to play, sing, and dance! - Sun Safety Demonstration (Tuesday, August 10 | 6:00pm)
West Virginia University’s 4-H Extension Service presents a sun safety evening with a story time and activity focused on UV rays and their effects for kids ages 5-11.
Parking: Parking is available by the amphitheater with overflow parking at the Wharf District Garage
Registration is not required.
This program is made possible by our partners.
Register Today!
Leave a CommentAnnouncing the 2021 Summer Reading Program (Grade K-5)! Registration is officially open! Log your books, earn brag tag prizes, and join us for virtual and in-person events such as book trails, bird walks, and take-home craft kits over the next two months!
Sign up for the Summer Reading Program: https://bit.ly/3bSkruv
More Info: https://www.mympls.org/2021srp
Try Out iVOX!
Leave a CommentiVOX is a children’s book app (ages 3-8) that is part ebook, part audiobook, and part virtual pop-up. Your kids can follow along with their favorite stories while interacting with 3D characters and environments–immersed in the story like never before! With your library card you can even download the stories onto your device and watch it back without needing to connect to WIFI.
Available for both iOS and Android, iVOX is part of VOX Books that you can check out at our library. Simply download the app, select a book, and tap on the cover to bring favorite stories to life.
Explore iVOX:
- Download the iVOX app for Apple or Android.
- Open the app, enter your zip code, and click on “Morgantown Public Library.”
- Sign in with your library card number–the number that appears above the barcode.
- Pick a book from the titles that are displayed, tap on the cover, and start reading.
- Use it as a learning tool for young readers or simply to enhance the
reading experience.
Register Today!
Leave a CommentRegistration for the Morgantown Public Library’s “Big Family Book Club” is closed! We’ve chosen a book everyone in the family can enjoy, “Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library” by Chris Grabenstein (recommended to elementary ages to adults). Read the book with your family, complete activities, and win prizes! You will even get a chance to meet the author, Chris Grabenstein, in a virtual gathering on June 22nd. All participants will receive a FREE copy of the book and each week you will receive a postcard in the mail with activities and discussion questions to guide you as you progress through the book.
Learn more: https://www.mympls.org/bfbc/