Albert Lea Public Library

Programs this Week

Storytime- Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 10:30 a.m. 
Patty will read stories all about colors.  We will also be making fruit loop rainbows and have a snack.  Families are welcome.
L.A.F. Library Afternoon Fun-  Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
Join April and decorate your own boomerang.  We will be playing BINGO and everyone will enjoy cheez-its for a snack.  K- 5th grade. 
Movie Day- Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
This week we will be showing The Aristocats.  Parents are welcome and popcorn is provided.
Night-time Storytime- Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Same great fun, just at night.
Join us for these great events!  No registration is required.

Memiors Written by a Country Vet

While You're Here, Doc and Just One More Thing, Doc are the farmyard adventures of Maine veterinarian Bradford B. Brown. This small collection of stories is humorous and intriguing. Sure to please fans of James Herriot! Don't miss it if you love animals, farming or a laugh.

Bats in the Library (A Book!)

Bats in the Library by Brian Lies is sure to entertain! Bored with another normal, inky evening, bats discover an open library window and fly in to enjoy the photocopier, water fountain, and especially the books and stories found there.

Banned Book Week Sept 26 - Oct 4

Banned Book Week is sponsored this week! Celebrate the Freedom to Read! Come on in and pick up a pamphlet to see what was challenged this year, where and why.

Weddings from Hell - Supernatural Anthology

If you're looking for some fun short stories from some of your favorite supernatural romance authors, why not try Weddings from Hell. Weddings features stories by Maggie Shayne, Jeaniene Frost, Terry Garey and Kathryn Smith.

Other supernatural anthologies to check out:

• Moon Fever
• An Enchanted Season
• First Blood
• Dates from Hell

Read All About It!

Did you know that your library has 17 local, state and national newspapers?  Grab a paper, find a comfy spot in the Non-Fiction Library and get caught up on all the news and events from one of these newspapers.
Albert Lea Tribune
Austin Daily Herald
Alden Advance
Owatonna Peoples Press
Mankato Free Press
Rochester Post Bulletin
Metro Pioneer Press
Des Moines Register
Iowa Life
Agri News
MN Senior News
Star Tribune
USA Today
New York Times
Barron's- Financial Weekly
MN Explorer
La Prensa

Mini Baked Potatoes with Blue Cheese

From a great, new cookbook, Appetizers, Starters and Buffet Food by Christine Ingram, is the recipe featured on the cookbook cover.

Mini Baked Potatoes with Blue Cheese

20 small new potatoes, 4 tbsp. vegetable oil, coarse salt, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 oz. crumbled blue cheese and 2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives. 

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.Wash and dry the potatoes. Toss with the oil in a bowl to coat.  2. Dip the potatoes in the coarse salt to coat lightly. Spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the potatoes are tender. 3. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and blue cheese, mixing together well. 4. Cut a cross in the top of each potato. Press gently with your fingers to open the potatoes. 5.Top each potato with a dollop of the blue cheese mixture. Place on a serving dish and garnish with the chives. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Children's Programs this Week

Storytime- Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 10:30 a.m. 
Patty will read stories all about you and how special you are.  We will also be making crowns and have a snack.  Families are welcome.
L.A.F. Library Afternoon Fun-  Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
Join April and make your own beaded key-chain.  We will be playing JENGA and everyone will enjoy ice cream for a treat.  K- 5th grade. 
Movie Day- Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
This week we will be showing The Reef.  Parents are welcome and popcorn is provided.
Night-time Storytime- Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Same great fun, just at night.
Join us for these great events!  No registration is required.

Political Biographies

Before the presidential elections arrive, perhaps you'd like to do some reading about the presidential hopefuls:

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama

Worth the Fighting For by John McCain and Mark Salter

Classic poems at the podcast!

"The Owl and the Pussycat" and "Wynken, Blynken & Nod" have been recorded and uploaded to the Albert Lea Public Library's Podcast. These are great classic poems that shouldn't be missed!

Special thanks to our great volunteers. Are you interested in being a volunteer reader? Stop by the circulation desk to pick up a volunteer application/information sheet.

20th ANNIVERSARY OF THE MINNESOTA BOOK AWARDS

Like to read Minnesota authors?  The Albert Lea Public has many of the books that were awarded the 2008 Minnesota Book Awards, given annually by the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library.  By accessing the following website, you can see a listing of all the 2008 (and previous years) winners:  http://www.thefriends.org/mba_winners_2008.html . The awards have numerous categories such as Children’s Literature, General Nonfiction, Genre Fiction, Memoir & Creative Nonfiction, Minnesota, Novel and Short Story, Poetry and Young Adult Literature.  Come to the library or access our card catalog at home at http://alplonline.org/ .

Need Some Humor in Your Mystery?

Carl Hiaassen writes mysteries for both adults and young adults. Some may be familiar with the movie "Hoot" which was based on his book of the same name. His books are often set in Florida. His characters are memorable and are full of humorous descriptions and observations, sure to have his readers laughing. Mystery can often be fun - it's not always the serious genre you might expect it to be. Be sure to check out Nature Girl, Skinny Dip or Lucky You.

If you like mysteries with some laughs be sure to check out:

• Lisa Lutz
• Jennifer Crusie writing with Bob Mayer
• Janet Evonovich

A Website for Fiction Lovers

Looking for a website that has everything you want to know about fiction books?  Fantastic Fiction has information on over 250,000 books and bibliographies on over 15,000 authors.  Find out about new, coming soon, most popular and top author books.  Search for a specific book by author or title.  It also has lists of awards and those who have won them in the current and previous years.

How much do you know about your teacher?

What do teachers really do when the bell rings at three?  Do they sit around giving each other pop quizzes?  No way!  While kids are busy doing their homework, these teachers are goofing off!

What DO Teachers DO (After You Leave School)? by Anne Bowen



I Know an Old Teacher by Anne Bowen




Substitute Teacher Plans by Doug Johnson

How Will You Read Today?

When a comes to reading a book, there are so many choices on how you want to experience it.  What do I mean?  Well, I'll explain.
Do you want to read it as a hard cover or paperback?
Come to a Storytime and listen to a fun story.
How about listen to it on a C.D. or audio-cassette?
There is the Playaway which is similar to an Mp3.
Download a Podcast from our website.
Or, if you are really in a hurry you can see it as a movie.
Which will you pick? Check out the library for your favorite titles.