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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
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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