Page 10 The INDEPENDENT, September 2, 2010 Between the Bookends By Susan Cackler, Library Assistant Banks Public Library Summer is winding down. Banks Public Library is gearing up for back-to-school. The library can be a great place to work on homework, look for the right books for a re- port or use the computer to do research. And if back-to-school means more time for you to read, drop in and see what we have that you want to read. Join us for craft night Wednesday, Sep- tember 8 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the com- munity room. Enjoy some lively conversation while you work on your favorite craft. Come and meet some new friends or visit with old ones while using the library’s work space and enjoying some light snacks. You may find knitters, scrapbookers, quilters and maybe even a tatter or two. Do you have a youngster who needs something to do on Wednesday morning? Story time at the library could be the an- swer to what to do. Story time is back after a summer break dur- ing August. Our reader, Miss Cathy, picks a few stories around a theme each week and shares these stories with the children in an entertaining, engaging way. Join us for Preschool Story Time on Wednesdays at 10:15 a.m. in the community room of the library. Story Time is designed for children aged three to six, but younger siblings are welcome. The themes for September are: September 8: I Love Books September 15: Happy Hoppers September 22: Deep Blue Sea September 29: Silly Dilly People The Friends of the Banks Public Library can always use your support. You can make a tax deductible donation, become a mem- ber, or volunteer. Money that the Friends raise helps the library purchase Cultural Passes, upgrade equipment and purchase books and movies. Also, we take donations of books that are in good condition. On the shelf: The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Zafon will be best- known to most Americans as the author of the very successful The Shadow of the Wind. However, in his native Spain, he has written many novels for young adults and won Spain’s most prestigious awards for young adult fiction. In this novel, it is wartime and the Carver family decides to move to a small coastal village. But, from the moment they cross into their new house, strange things begin to happen. The spirit of Jacob, the previous owner’s son, is lurk- ing in the house. The Carver kids begin to explore the strange cir- cumstances of that death and discover a mysterious being called the Prince of Mist. The kids are soon caught up in an adventure of sunken ships and an enchanted stone garden that may change their lives forever. Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs. This book may not actually be on the shelf since this is the thirteenth in her popular series of books and it has a devoted following. But if you haven’t been State Farm ® Providing Insurance and Financial Services Home Office, Bloomington, Illinois 61710 Bunny Girt, Agent 1229 N. Adair PO Box 543 Cornelius, OR 97113-0543 Bus 503-357-3131 Fax 503-357-9667 bunny.girt.b71g@statefarm.com reading them, now may be the time to start. This series features forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan and is the inspi- ration for the FOX television hit Bones. This time, Brennan is called to the scene of a drowning in Quebec. The victim is identi- fied as John Lowery, but Lowery was declared dead in 1968 in Vietnam. Brennan must exhume his body and ends up discover- ing yet another set of remains that may belong to Lowery. Dragongirl by Todd McCaffrey. Another chapter has been writ- ten for the Dragonriders of Pern, who were created by McCaf- frey’s mother, Anne. Returning characters include Lorana and Kin- dan. Todd co-wrote several books with his mother and has also written two on his own. This novel features Fiona, rider of the gold queen Talenth. Fiona returns form the past. She seemed to be gone only three days, but aged more than three years. She re- turns as a woman ready to fight against the Thread that threatens her world. Soon she finds herself in a position of leadership and she must try a daring plan to restore the depleted fighting force of dragons. Legacies, a Shadow Grail Novel, by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill. After being orphaned, Spirit White is sent to Oakhurst Academy in Montana. There she learns that she is a legacy not only to the school, which her parents attended, but to magic. All the students have magical powers. Although Spirit doesn’t know what hers is yet, the administrators insist she has one. She soon makes a group of friends who offer comfort to the bereft girl. But something strange is happening at the school. Stu- dents are disappearing and Spirit and her friends must find out what’s happening. Banks Public Library: 111 Market Street. Hours: Mon., Fri., Sat., 11 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Tue., Wed., Thu., 11 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Preschool Story Time: Wednesdays, 10:15 a.m. Phone: (503 ) 324-1382 for information Internet: www.wccls.org Browse library resources, reserve or renew materials online. Call for information. Many kids need social skills help by Chris Thomas, Oregon News Service As kids head back to school in Oregon and across the coun- try, some of their teachers and parents are realizing many chil- dren could use help with the simplest of social skills, such as how to greet a stranger or carry on a casual conversation. The National Association of School Psychologists now in- cludes this type of training in its recommended curriculum. In the past, social skills train- ing was used mostly for stu- dents with diagnosed condi- tions, such as autism. But ther- apist Kristen Wynns says more children now need basic train- ing on how to relate to others, “Everyone is extremely busy, extremely focused on technolo- gy as a means of communicat- ing. As a result, sometimes children aren’t learning some of the social skills that, a few gen- erations back, parents just nat- urally taught their kids.” Wynns uses social skills training in individual therapy sessions and even hosts social skills camps during the sum- mer months. There are also programs available commercially, with multimedia lessons for children to help them improve social in- teraction. One such program, Boost Kids, has seen sales double in the last year, as par- ents and educators become more aware of the problem. Boost Kids founder Rob Heller says he created the pro- gram six years ago when he re- alized his pre-teen son was in need of some social education, “To me, they are life’s most im- portant lessons, and the inter- esting thing is that these things can be taught. I mean, certain- ly they come more naturally to some kids – but at the same time, these are things that can be taught.” Social skills training also in- cludes such concepts as how to resolve conflicts. The Nation- al Association of School Psy- chologists says improving so- cial skills also improves school safety. Back to college green tips given It may be hard to believe, but millions of college students will soon declare an end to the summer season by heading back to their university dorm rooms and apartments. For any green minded stu- dent, now’s a great time to commit to adopting greener liv- ing habits going forward. Here are five easy ways for going green as you head back and hit the books: 1) Bring your reusable mug with you. Most college stu- dents can’t survive without their morning coffee, especially after an all-nighter. If you use a university dining hall, chances are they’ll have reusable mugs. If you rely on a local coffee- house instead, then consider bringing your own mug for your morning java instead of throw- ing away large numbers of dis- posable cups that probably won’t be recycled. 2) Buy used books. Yes, maybe they have a bit of high- lighted text from the last stu- dent, but buying used books not only saves you money, it is also good for the environment. Every book re-used is one less book requiring new paper. This is a well-worn college tradition that makes a lot of sense. 3) Buy other used stuff. Is your dorm room kind of sparse? Do you need a new bi- cycle or computer? Consider using services like freecycle.org or Craigs List to buy (or get free) things that other people no longer want, but you can use. Again, relying on used things is not just great for the tight student budget, it also does wonders for the envi- ronment. 4) Walk. Most campuses are walkable. If you get in the car to make a five minute trip to get to class or the dining hall, that is not only wasteful but also a wasted opportunity for you to work off that Friday night pizza. Leave the car parked at home, plan ahead to arrive on time, and get that exercise! 5) Take a class about the environment or the environ- mental challenges we face. From recycling methods to al- gae fuel, from nanotechnology in solar panels to marine biolo- gy, there are many classes you could take that will teach you See Green on page 22