On October 24, immediately following our Prepare with Pedro event, the Red Cross will host a CPR demonstration for teens and adults. Be prepared for a cardiac emergency with this free program.
You can register by signing up in person, calling either library, emailing ofriederich@fosterlibraries.org, or using our online form.
Is beekeeping for you? The RI Beekeepers Association will be at Foster Public Library on October 12 at 5:30pm for a presentation. If you’ve thought about getting involved but don’t know where to start, this event will give you all the info you need!
Space is limited. Please register by signing up in person, calling either library, emailing ofriederich@fosterlibraries.org, or using our online form.
Cookbook Club will meet at 6pm on October 5 at the Foster Center Baptist Church. This month’s theme is autumn vegetables: pumpkins, squash, apples, and more! Visit either library any time to check out our wide selection of cookbooks. Please bring your own place settings and utensils.
Cookbook Club always welcomes new members. If you miss this meeting, no worries. The Cookbook Club will meet on the first Thursday of every month at the Foster Center Baptist Church. Stay tuned for each month’s theme. Hope you can join us!
At Foster Public Library on October 24 at 5:30pm, the Red Cross will be joining us for a presentation on fire safety. The program will end with a story, and all children will get a badge to show they know how to be prepared for emergencies!
You can register by signing up in person, calling either library, emailing ofriederich@fosterlibraries.org, or using our online form.
Audrey recommends: Return to the Secret Garden by Susan Moody
Genre: Historical fiction
Reading Level: Adult
Summary: In an unofficial sequel to Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden, the friendship of Mary, Colin, and Dickon is tested by world wars, unhappy marriages, and the tumultuous jazz age.
Audrey says: In the ’90s, The Secret Garden entered public domain, and a boom of content followed. There was a Broadway musical in 1991, a 39-episode Japanese anime the same year, the 1993 Agnieszka Holland film, and, in 1995, this novel, an unofficial sequel by crime fiction author Susan Moody.
If you look online, this book is absolutely overburdened by negative reviews, which complain that the text lacks the charm and whimsy of the original and has desecrated their favorite childhood story with war, sex, and tragedy. But to me, Moody’s sequel expands Burnett’s world in a brutal but believable way. Dickon goes to fight on behalf of the country he loves so much in World War I, and it destroys his perpetual optimism. Mary, stubborn and impulsive as ever, decides to cut her hair short, travel to India, and join the Communist Party. Colin remains at home, turning his garden into a career by designing tropical greenhouses for wealthy estates.
Throughout the book, the three separate and reunite in various configurations, but it’s clear that they only achieve balance when all three are together. At its core, through all the trappings of drama and suspense, it’s still a story about friendship. I truly loved this generation-spanning character study of my favorite piece of fiction. Don’t be swayed by low star ratings and give it a chance.
Kylie recommends: None of the Above by I. W. Gregorio
Genre: Contemporary
Reading Level: YA
Summary: A teenage girl finds out she was born intersex and everything she knew about herself changes in an instant.
Kylie says: This was an eye-opening story about a intersex person and how that diagnosis impacts her relationships in high school.
Olivia recommends: Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I by Tracy Borman
Genre: Nonfiction
Reading Level: Adult
Summary: This book tells the interesting story of Anne Boleyn’s relationship and influence over her daughter, Elizabeth I.
Olivia says: Tracy Borman is a favorite historical Tudor period author of mine. Each of her books are outstanding, and this one doesn’t disappoint either! I enjoyed the well written timeline of Anne Boleyn’s marriage to Henry VIII and her time as Queen and Mother to the future Queen Elizabeth I. Many people may believe that Queen Anne was forgotten and put aside by her daughter based on what others hoped she would believe after her execution, but this book proves otherwise and offers a unique and fascinating perspective to this famous mother daughter duo. I highly recommend.
Audrey recommends: Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith
Genre: Graphic novel
Reading Level: 8+
Summary: The epic hero Beowulf is reimagined as a five-year-old fighter guarding her candy and toy hoard from the gloom of grown-ups.
Audrey says: As someone who studied Old English extensively in undergrad, I was honor-bound to check out this charming new adaptation about a kindergarten Beowulf and a gloomy grown-up Grendel. I was not expecting how faithful it would be to the original. As I stood in front of the shelf reading the first few pages, I immediately picked up on the period-accurate alliteration and the creative kennings. Weinersmith even adapts the seemingly tangential anecdotes thrown into the poem, even when he could have excluded them for narrative consistency. It brought me so much joy.
If you’re familiar with the original, you’ll get a chuckle out of the clever adaptation choices. But if you’re not a die-hard Beowulf fan like me, the story stands on its own as a tale of kids who are fighting the pressure to grow up too fast. Old English poetry was written for the ear, rather than the eye. That means it’s extremely fun to read aloud, with the high density of stressed syllables and the satisfying cadence of repeated sounds. The verse is bolstered by absurd illustrations from French comic artist Boulet. This is a great book if you want an easy entry into Old English, or a hilarious read-aloud for kids.
Kylie recommends: Teach the Torches to Burn: A Romeo & Juliet Remix by Caleb Roehrig
Genre: YA retelling
Reading Level: YA
Summary: A Romeo & Juliet LGBTQ+ retelling following a relationship between Romeo and Mercutio’s brother Valentine.
Kylie says: A classic retelling with a twist featuring LGBTQ+ characters.
Kylie recommends: Something More by Jackie Khalilieh
Genre: Contemporary romance
Reading Level: YA
Summary: A coming-of-age story about Jessie, a Palestinian-Canadian girl trying to hide her new autism diagnosis while navigating her first year of high school.
Kylie says: I loved the autism representation in this story and the romance was really cute. There are friends-to-lovers, bad boy x good girl, and love triangle tropes. Theater is a big part of the story and Jessie makes a list of goals to achieve that drives the story.
