Happy summer! We hope you’ve been able to enjoy the cool air in the mornings, the sunshine in the evenings, and lots of good books in between. Here at the BECLS, summer is the busiest, craziest, most wonderful time of the year, and we’re thrilled to be able to share the joy of the season with our library community, as our buildings have fully reopened and so many new and familiar faces have come through our doors.

Our 2021 Summer Reading Program is in full swing, with almost a thousand children participating: reading or being read to every day, taking home craft activities every week, and experiencing the thrill of weekly prize drawings. Our Summer Reading audiences have also thrilled to storytelling presentations, drawing demonstrations, and animal visits both virtual and in-person (or in-creature, we should say). Maybe you saw the incredible pictures in the Free Press last week of our visit from a red-tailed hawk, an American kestrel, a great horned owl, and even a bald eagle!

Exciting things are happening within our walls, too: the Friends of the Deep Valley Libraries have reopened the Pages Past Bookstore! And we’ve converted the conference room at our Mankato location into a quiet study area for those who need a space free from distractions, while other parts of the building are full of distractions of the best possible kind: new book displays, new yard games to check out (perfect for these long summer days!), new puzzles and playthings, new toys and trains, and new spaces to create for children and adults alike. We hope you'll stop by soon and enjoy them all!

 

The Blue Earth County Library in Mankato is accepting donations of new and gently used children's books (anything appropriate for students in grades K-12) for the Salvation Army's Back to School Community Event. We are collecting donations through July 20, and the book drive can be found near the Check-Out Desk. Thank you for sharing the wealth and spreading the word!

Get "social" with us, why don't you? We're on social media—and if you are too, we'd like to be friends! Find the BECLS on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter to learn what new books are hitting our shelves, read recommended articles, participate in prize giveaways and other challenges, and get a little dose of the library from the comfort of your home (or phone).

Unsettled Ground | Claire Fuller

From the award-winning author of Our Endless Numbered Days, Swimming Lessons, and Bitter Orange comes a brilliant novel about an unusual family held together by a string of lies, a small town with too many questions, and a sudden death that threatens to undo them all. Claire Fuller masterfully builds a tale of sacrifice and hope, of homelessness and hardship, of love and survival, in which two marginalized and remarkable people uncover long-held family secrets and, in their own way, repair, recover, and begin again.

The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu | Tom Lin

An astounding debut that reimagines the classic Western through the eyes of a Chinese American assassin on a quest to rescue his kidnapped wife and exact his revenge on her abductors. Ming Tsu blazes his way across the West, settling old scores with a single-minded devotion that culminates in an explosive and unexpected finale. Written with the violent ardor of Cormac McCarthy and the otherworldly inventiveness of Ted Chiang, The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu is at once a thriller, a romance, and a story of one man’s quest for redemption in the face of a distinctly American brutality.

Home Waters | John N. Maclean

A remarkable memoir about the power of place to shape generations and the author's family's century-long love affair with Montana's majestic Blackfoot River, the setting for his father's classic novella, A River Runs through It. Maclean returns annually to the simple family cabin that his grandfather built by hand, still in search of the trout of a lifetime. A universal story about nature, family, and the art of fly fishing, Maclean’s memoir beautifully portrays the inextricable ways our personal histories are linked to the places we come from—our home waters. 

How the Word Is Passed | Clint Smith

Beginning in his hometown of New Orleans, Clint Smith leads the reader on an unforgettable tour of monuments and landmarks—those that are honest about the past and those that are not—that offer an intergenerational story of how slavery has been central in shaping our nation’s collective history, and ourselves. Brought to life by the story of people living today, Smith’s debut work of nonfiction is a landmark of reflection and insight that offers a new understanding of the hopeful role that memory and history can play in making sense of our country and how it has come to be.

Raft of Stars | Andrew J. Graff

"For fans of William Kent Krueger, this debut novel follows two young boys running from the law in the woods of northern Wisconsin. With memorable characters and an adventurous search, this is the perfect tale for a summer read. Think 'free space' or 'published since 2020,' BINGO players!"

Metabolical | Robert H. Lustig

"This book was suggested to me as I continue to improve my health through diet. At times it can get quite detailed with statistics and research, and I'm glad I chose to listen to it. It is very informative and aligned with what my specialists have been saying. There was also information new to me, like views on dental health. When considering what to consume, this book has been very helpful in how I make decisions now."

Pink Is for Boys | Robb Pearlman

Pink is for boys... and girls... and everyone! This timely and beautiful picture book rethinks and reframes the stereotypical blue/pink gender binary and empowers kids (and their grown-ups) to express themselves in every color of the rainbow. 

Don't Tickle the Tiger | Sam Taplin

You mustn’t tickle the tiger or you might make it roar... but that touchy-feely patch is ever so tempting! Little children will love pressing the touchy-feely patches to hear the animal sounds in this hilarious and charming book.