SUMMER READING

School is finally out in Fairfax County so it is time to spend time being self-indulgent with great books. The summer reading program for children is underway with a theme of Read Around the World. The program is run in conjunction with the Fairfax County Schools, and the Friends of Reston Regional Library help underwrite the cost.

Reston Regional Library has all the lists you need for the books recommended for each age, and wonderful librarians in the children's section who can help you locate the perfect choice for your child. Go sign up TODAY! As you can tell from these photos from last year, it is truly a family affair.

Preschoolers through 6th graders who read (or have read to them) 15 books, record it on a log, and turn that in will qualify for the coupon book. The coupon book is full of discount and free prizes the child can claim. One coupon book per child and lost coupon books cannot be replaced.

Students in grades 7-12 read eight books and record them on the log in order to get the coupon book.

For more details on the Summer Reading Program, click here.

For teens there is a great film contest called "Cool Clips." Run by Pohick Library, this program invites the teens to create a film, on any subject, no longer than 5 minutes. Reston has only had one teen film submission for the last several years. You can change that! For more information, click here.

At Reston specifically, there are many great programs coming up. Check the list here, and be sure to sign up early!

Photos by Alicia Isaac

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Wordzzle #3

This is the third week of a "Saturday Puzzle" for the Friends blog. For the foreseeable future (subject to pre-emption by FRRL business) the blogger will post a word challenge for our devotees. Let us know what you think!

A wordzzle challenge is where you take 10 preselected words and make a short paragraph from them. There is also a mini, where you do the same with 5. And if you're an enthusiast, you can do all 15! If you want more guidance, look here at the blog views from Raven's Nest.

Once you are satisfied with your paragraph, you can post it as a comment to this post, OR, e-mail it to us here.

These are the words you were to use this week: parasite, meals on wheels, crows, it's my fault, everything but the kitchen sink, on sale, patriotism, the love of my life, library card, common sense

For the mini: blackmail, California, stethoscope, postage, crank

Why don't you play along?  Here are the words for the NEXT Wordzzle. You have until next Saturday!

Next Week's Ten Word Challenge will be: swashbuckler, heads-up, dry martini, recovery, jungle gym, whiskers, bathing suit, spade, circular reasoning, abrasive

The Mini Challenge: butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, stagnation, chart, star crossed lovers, apricot brandy

At the request of some, the blogger brought back the hooded man for her offering this week. Just the challenge, not the mini.

The hooded man hurried through the alleys of the old city, moving steadily as the dark of evening descended. He ducked suddenly through a doorway and entered a room filled with everything but the kitchen sink, all of it the detritus of past civilizations. “Angelo!” he called. “I’m back.” A door in the back, almost indistinguishable in the hazy darkness, opened. A tall giant of a man emerged. He made an odd picture. He was wearing a long red gown, was heavily bearded, and his shoulders served as perches for two crows, one on each side. “Were you noticed?” Angelo asked. “I’m afraid so. It’s my fault for being so close to the site,” the hooded man answered. “Where was your common sense?” Angelo inquired, an eyebrow perched high like a look-out. “I know -- I’m sorry. Those old ruins are the love of my life,” said the hooded man.

“No one followed me,” he continued.” I made sure of that. I came the long way.” “Well,
 Angelo conceded, “it doesn’t matter now. How much time do you think we have?” The hooded man considered, and answered, “Red, Blue and Silver were all there, but they have much further to go to report and receive instruction. So, I think perhaps 3 hours?”

“Alright, you’ll have to find a different look for when you return.  You can wear one of those uniforms.” Angelo gestured to a rack of dusty uniforms representing many countries. All of them were discards from colonial powers who had once occupied their country. “Those aren’t even current!” the hooded man objected. “Just combine enough pieces to look smart, and act like you’re in charge. These idiots are so full of pre-colonial patriotism, they won’t be able to tell whether you’re a military official or a meals on wheels provider,” Angelo rejoined. “Now tell me about the parasites at the dig. Have they figured out what the figure is?”

The hooded man moved over to the uniforms. As he started rummaging through them, he talked back over his shoulder to the giant. “I don’t think so. That lead excavator was practically salivating at the sculpture. They’ve left guards on it for the night.”

Angelo directed, “then find a uniform and you can go back tonight. Sound official and convince them they must show you that the find is still intact. Make lots of noise about foreigners trying to steal our cultural treasures.” The hooded man turned toward him. “I don’t have any identification or credentials to get closer to the site!” he exclaimed. “Bah!” cried Angelo. “Those cretins won’t be able to tell that from just looking at you. Flash a library card and they’ll let you in!” He handed the hooded man a small pen. “This has a camera in it. Use it to take photos of the sculpture. We must be the first to have them. I’ll alert the crew to begin formulation. Time is of the essence.”

The hooded man sighed, and put the pen in his pocket. “Angelo,” he began to ask, “must I wear the hood? I would like some other name in this story than the hooded man!” “Well,” the big man began. “I don’t think you should wear the hood with a uniform. Okay. You can take it off.” The hooded man smiled in relief. “That was getting quite old!”

The next morning at dawn Dr. Hill began his morning walk to the site. As he passed the shopkeepers, he greeted them. Many of them responded with a smirk. Dr. Hill wasn’t quite sure what was being conveyed by those looks. He decided to cut through the market to grab a newspaper, certain that the smirks meant some foreigner had done something grievous again. As he entered the market square he looked around him in astonishment. All over the market place replicas of the sculpture from the site were on sale! “How could this have happened?” he wondered aloud. “Could it be connected with the hooded man that I saw watching us yesterday?” One of the vendors took pity on him. “No, Dr. Hill. Not the hooded man. Perhaps the man with the unusual uniform though.”

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Ready, Set, READ

To continue from yesterday, here are photos of the murals in the "Ready to Read" Center in the Childrens' area of Reston Regional Library.  The blogger wasn't aware until late yesterday that a different artist painted the murals (although it is apparent from their styles!).  To make up for the error, the blogger is posting photos of ALL of the murals in the Center!

Jeff Lonnette is a tremendously gifted local artist (and an art teacher in the Fairfax County Public School System).  The longer you gaze at these, the more you see the characters of childhood stories that he cleverly captured.  Children can come in here and see old friends like Red Riding Hood, the Old Woman in the Shoe, the Mouse and the Lion, and others. 

Mr. Lonnett has a website you can visit. Additionally, FCPS will be exhibiting his work along with other teacher/artists from November 3-15 at the Ernst Cultural Center at the Annandale Campus of Northern Virginia Community College. 

This last photo shows how we protect the murals when we use the room as our 'staging area' for the Semi-Annual Book Sales.  You can tell this is late in the sale because the walls are visible. When we start, the boxes are piled high!

We hope you and your children enjoy the work the Friends of Reston Library do in order to make the Childrens' area inviting.  If you'd like more information about either artist, please ask at the Childrens' help desk.

Photos by Darlene

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VHS Sale Success!

We are mid-way through the VHS sale and have sold over 800 of the tapes! We began the day with slightly over 1200 tapes on Saturday the 9th. Hurry over today, Sunday, because Charly's skill with restocking at just the right moments ensures that everyone is able to find something to take home!

Thank you Friends for supporting us through donations and sales!

Mark your calendars now for the HUGE SEMI-ANNUAL Used Book sale. Last weekend in September. We'll kick off the event on Thursday evening, September 25, for Friends night -- members only!

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Winner of Final Drawing

The winner of our last pair of movie passes from Reston Town Center Multiplex Cinema is Natasha Merchant of Herndon. Thank you everyone for your participation! Everyone who entered but did not win received a coupon good for savings at the book sale.

Speaking of the book sale, the countdown is upon us! Set-up begins on Monday and by Thursday evening (April 24), when Friends' Night opens at 6, the tables will be loaded and cashiers will be standing by waiting to take your money. If you're not a member, or you've let your membership lapse, you can remedy that on Thursday evening! On Friday at 10 a.m. we'll open to the general public, as we will on Saturday at 10. On Sunday we'll open at noon.

Speaking of money, we do NOT take credit cards but we do take cash and checks. We'll have three cashiers set up most of the time and we'll be happy to help you turn your movie tickets from Reston Town Center Multiplex Cinema into savings on your purchases!

While at the sale, don't forget to look in the display case at the front doors -- it holds some nice gift books for sale...the kind you give to significant others and they think you paid full price at the retail store! If you decide to tell them where you got the book, they'll just think you're smart AND kind!

The book sale proceeds benefit Reston Library as well as other library programs throughout the county so come support your reading habit!

See you there!