Blog: Aurora Public Library Blog

Aurora Public Library Blog

Welcome to Aurora Public Library’s blog. A place where our library staff share their thoughts, insider knowledge and overall love of all things book and community.

Feel free to comment on posts, re-blog and enjoy. To ensure a civil and focused discussion, comments will be held for a brief period before being published.

Recent Posts

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Check It Out! Board Games at Home

Board Games at Home
by Elizabeth

Board games make for a great boredom buster! Check out these games you can play with friends and family while practicing social distancing. Tell us your favorite game and share more recommendations in the comments below!

Posted by [email protected] On Apr 03, 2020 at 1:43 PM

Draw It! Sheep

Draw It! by Kristin

Grab a pencil and piece of paper - it's time to Draw It! Our APL staff member Kristin shows step-by-step how to draw an adorable sheep!

Let us know how your sheep turns out in the comments below and tell us which drawing tutorial you'd like to see next!

Posted by [email protected] On Apr 01, 2020 at 10:23 AM

Family Book Club ("Midnight for Charlie Bone" Part 2)

Family Book Club
by Tess

The votes are in and the winner for April is "A Snicker of Magic" by Natalie Lloyd! You can check out a copy here on HooplaDigital with your library card!

In this club we read middle grade fiction appropriate for ages 6 - 12, but anyone is welcome if you enjoy children's literature! I will be posting discussion questions weekly based on the book we are reading and I will also provide activities that relate. Please comment on the discussion questions so we can stay connected through reading!

March's book: "Midnight for Charlie Bone" by Jenny Nimmo

Questions for "Midnight for Charlie Bone" by Jenny Nimmo
Leave your answers in the comments below!

How did you feel about Runner Bean's accident? Who did you think did it? Were you worried about him?

How did Emma (Emilia) wake up? Remember your guess about how they were going to do it -- were you right?

Why do the Bloors want Emma (Emilia) to stay asleep?

How did you feel about the Ruin Game? Were you worried for Charlie?

How did Uncle Paton help make things work out for Emma (Emilia)?

What did you think of the book? Please share your thoughts and bring up anything else you'd like to talk about!

Click here for an activity based on "Midnight for Charlie Bone"

Posted by [email protected] On Mar 30, 2020 at 3:02 PM 3 Comments

APL Reader's Corner - "Wild Seed" by Octavia E. Butler

Welcome to APL Reader's Corner!
with Tessy and Nicole

**Video may contain spoilers**
Join APL staff each week for a discussion of some of their current reads! Each week they will discuss a book from a different genre. Join the discussion live on at Facebook.com/AuroraLibrary each Friday at 1 p.m. (MST) and leave your thoughts in the comments below! (See discussion questions below - questions may contain spoilers!)

The next discussion will be at 1 p.m. on April 3, 2020 on our Facebook page and will feature "The Stored Life of A.J. Fikry" by Gabrielle Zevin (available instantly on hoopladigital.com).

Discussion Questions for Octavia E. Butler's "Wild Seed"
- Is Doro’s world-view understandable due to his powers? Are they moral?

- Where/how do you think Doro got his powers? Are all the other “wild seeds” linked to him? Where is he from? Where are they from?

- What do you think about Anyanwu staying and marrying Isaac in the village of Wheatley?

- What are your likes/dislikes of the main characters? Their flaws and strengths?

Posted by [email protected] On Mar 29, 2020 at 8:32 AM

Create It! - Stomp Rockets

Stomp Rockets
by Adam

Supplies Needed
· 2 liter or similar-sized plastic bottle
· Bike tire inner tube (demo one is 26 inches but most sizes will work)
· Small piece of 1 inch PVC pipe (Size can vary)
· Duct Tape
· Scotch Tape (Masking and electrical will work as substitutes)
· Scissors
· Paper
· Markers/Crayons/Colored Pencils

Launcher
1. Take out the inner tube and cut it with the scissors just above the valve. Do not cut off the valve.
2. Pull one end of the tube over the mouth of the bottle and use the duct tape to anchor it in place.
3. Pull the other end of the tube over one side of the PVC pipe and duct tape in place

Rocket
1. Personalize a sheet a paper by drawing a picture, writing your name etc. Roll the paper around the pipe, making sure that it is snug but not tight. Tape the seam.
2. Slide the paper up and down the pipe to make sure that it moves freely and adjust tightness as needed.
3. Make a cone by cutting out a baseball diamond from a different sheet of paper and joining the straight edges with tape. Use additional tape to seal the cone as airtight as possible.
4. Place the cone over the rocket body. It will overhang so taping will be easier if you reinsert the pipe to give yourself a solid surface to tape on to.
5. Tape down the edges of the cone.
6. Create fins by cutting out triangles and then taping them to the body of the rocket.

Launch
1. Place your rocket on the pipe and aim it skyward away from people, animals and trees. Never launch directly into a tree, you will have a hard time getting your rocket back in one piece 😉
2. Stomp on the bottle to launch the rocket.
3. Retrieve the rocket and re-inflate the bottle (either with a bike air pump or by blowing into the pipe – if you use this method, be sure to sanitize the pipe!)
4. Have fun!

Tips & Tricks
1. Fins help with stability and aerodynamic flight. Consider different numbers of fins and shapes of fins. Notice how each combination affects the flight of the rocket.
2. Change the launch angle of the pipe. Track how far each launch goes and see which angle is the best.
3. Do not underestimate the range of your rocket. It will go farther than you think.

Tell us how your rocket flew in the comments below! How far did it go? What type of fin worked best?

Posted by [email protected] On Mar 27, 2020 at 8:56 AM

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