River Rapids District Library
227 E. Broad Street
Chesaning
(989) 845-3211
www.riverrapidslibrary.org

A new session of Toddler Time and Story Hour starts this week! Call the library at 845-3211 to sign up!

Book Discussion Group is reading The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander for our March book.

“The time: July 1918. The place: The town of Yekaterinburg, just on the Siberian side of the Ural Mountains. In the Ipatiev House, the former Tsar of Russia and his family live imprisoned by Bolshevik soldiers. As a loyalist army presses toward the town and the Romanovs pray for a rescue that will never come, their captors receive a stark authorization from Moscow: Nikolai, his wife, and their five children are all to be shot to death. This is the story, recounted in all its vivid and terrible drama, of Robert Alexander’s novel The Kitchen Boy. Although the general facts surrounding the captivity and murder of the Russian royal family have long been known, some key gaps in our knowledge have continued to raise curiosity and fuel speculation. When, in 1991, the secret mass grave of the Romanovs and four of their attendants was discovered, two bodies – those of the Tsarevich Alexei and his sister Grand Duchess Maria — were not found. Remaining unrecovered is a family suitcase packed with 36 pounds of priceless jewels. There was yet one other remarkable disappearance. Mere hours before the Romanovs and their servants were led to their deaths, the family’s kitchen boy, 14-year-old Leonka Sednyov, was ordered away from the Ipatiev House. He was never heard from again.

“Combining these mysteries with a meticulously researched body of facts, Robert Alexander has crafted a tale of intrigue, tragedy, and betrayal in which all appearances are utterly believable yet nothing is quite what it seems. The story is recounted by Misha Semyonov, a recent widower now in his nineties who fled to America during the tumult of the Russian Civil War. With death approaching, Misha wants to set the record straight for his granddaughter and for the world at large: he is none other than Leonka, the vanished kitchen boy. Eighty summers ago, he carried a series of secret messages between the ex-Tsar and a band of potential rescuers, and, on the night of July 16-17, 1918, he bore witness to the royal massacre. But Misha must face his own issues of guilt, truth, and deception. Although he has resolved to convey “a thousand truths” to his granddaughter, will he dare to disclose the ultimate, shattering facts of his own existence?

“Seen through the youthful, astonished eyes of Leonka but told by the cynical, misanthropic voice of Misha, the novel allows the reader to know a family that discovered greater nobility in its squalid exile than it had ever known in the gilded palaces of St. Petersburg. But The Kitchen Boy is about more than history —it is also a deep and moving meditation on the nature of evil and the power of forgiveness.”

We will be meeting on Wednesday, March 21 at 7 p.m. Stop in and pick up a copy to enjoy. Bring a friend; there will be yummy refreshments!

Intro to Microsoft Word - This class will cover screen layout, tips for typing in Word, some basic editing such as selecting, replacing, inserting, using bullets and spell checking, using Print Preview, saving, closing, opening, printing and some helpful quick commands. Thursdays, March 8 and 15, 2–3 p.m. Please call the library to register at 845-3211.

Thursdays, March 8 and 15, 2–3 p.m. Please call the library to register at 845- 3211.

NEW! The library is starting a knitting/ crochet club called In Stitches. The next meeting will be Saturday, March 10 at 2 p.m. at the library. All levels of knowledge are invited, including those wanting to learn. If you are a beginner, please bring along size 8 knitting needles and some worsted weight yarn.

Don’t forget to enter slips for the books you read into the Adult Winter Reading Program, which runs through March 3!

The River Rapids District Library began selling non-resident library cards on a trial basis on Jan. 2. This is an effort to reach out to our supporters, who we appreciate. Non-residents will have three different levels of cards to choose from depending on the range of services they are interested in purchasing. Tier 1 cards will cost $80 and be limited to a total of 10 items checked out at one time. Purchasers of this card will not have access to MeLCat interlibrary loan, Overdrive or any paid databases. Tier 2 cards will cost $100 and have no limit on the amount of items checked out. Purchasers of this card will have access to all library services, with the exception of Overdrive. Tier 3 cards will cost $125 and will have access to all services with no limit on the number of items checked out.

All non-resident cards will expire on Dec. 31 in order for the library board to evaluate this trial run. Cards maybe upgraded to a higher tier throughout the year by paying the difference. Cards purchased later in the year will not be prorated.

Download Audiobooks and eBooks Anytime, Anywhere - We are proud to offer you best-selling and classic audiobooks and eBooks available 24/7 from the library’s website, www.riverrapidslibrary.org. You can browse the collection, check out with your library card, and download to PC, Mac®, and many mobile devices. If you would like assistance getting set up to use Overdrive with your e-reader or audio device, please call the library at (989) 845-3211 and set up an appointment with Erin.

Winter Hours: Monday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Tuesday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Wednesday Closed; Thursday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Friday Closed; Saturday noon – 4 p.m.; Sunday Closed.

St. Charles District Library
104 W. Spruce Street
St. Charles
(989) 865-9451
www.stcharlesdistrictlibrary.org

The St. Charles District Library will be closed for redecorating Saturday, Feb. 25, through Sunday, March 11. Normal business hours will resume on Monday, March 12. The library will be installing new carpeting, flooring and painting.

Simon the PAWS Reading Education Asssistance Dog will at the library on Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 3:45 to 5 p.m. Please call 989-865-9451 to discuss the program and schedule a time for your child to come in and read to Simon. The program is by appointment only.

The St. Charles District Library Board will meet on Sunday, March 4, 2012, at 6:30 p.m.

The Book Discussion group will meet on Monday, March 5, at 6 p.m. to discuss the book Night Road by Kristin Hannah. After a string of foster homes and the death of her heroin-addict mother, Lexi Baill is taken in by a newly discovered great-aunt who lives a spartan life near Seattle. Lexi soon meets Mia and her loving twin brother, Zach. The friendship flourishes, and Mia’s mother draws Lexi into the family circle. A slowly growing attraction between Zach and Lexi begins, but then Lexi, Mia, and Zach collectively make a bad decision that results in a tragedy with extreme repercussions.

The Friends of the Library will meet on Tuesday, March 6, at 6 p.m. to make preparations for the Spring Book and Bake Sale. New members are welcome and encouraged to come and join the friends!

Hours of Operation: Monday – Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Raucholz Memorial Library
1140 N. Hemlock Road
Hemlock
(989) 642-8621

The Hemlock Page Turners will meet at the Raucholz Memorial Library on Monday, Feb. 27 at 1 p.m. to discuss Sandra Brown’s book Rainwater. Copies of the book are available to check out, and new members are welcome.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program at the Raucholz Memorial Library Wednesdays during the months of February, March and April by appointment only. Call the library at (989) 642-8621 to get on the schedule.

“Art Rocks” at the Raucholz Memorial Library in Hemlock. Local artist and friend of the library, Susan Pack, will host a craft event on Thursday, March 8 from 4 to 6 p.m. This program is for children ages kindergarten and older. Young children should have a parent with them. The event will be held in the Richland Township meeting room. Please call the library at (989) 642-8621 to register your child.