What do Cheetos, a mysterious red beverage, and chocolate have in common? They are the most prevalent items that soil books returned to us by adults. Crayons and magic markers are the top "defacers" of children's books, although bite marks (from dogs or human toddlers) sometimes adorn the returned items.
One area library suffered a particularly high rate of "bathtub line" in some of their books that were returned damaged by adults. That occurred when a reader accidentally dropped the book into the water they were relaxing in (the reader, not the book). Thus, the bottom of the entire book would sustain water damage.
Since damage to our books is usually food- or drink-related, we can sand it off if it is on the page's edge. However, when the actual print is stained, we cannot do so.
Happily, such damage is very rare. I will keep telling myself that as I just ordered a replacement of a very popular book that sported three food groups on several pages. (We do wipe the outside of each returned item with antibacterial wipes. It's the insides that are more difficult to clean.)
In the "let's be thankful" category, I want to express enormous gratitude to Zetha Collins, Avis Smith, and Mary Ruth Baird for manning the registration table for our Summer Reading Program. These ladies have been so helpful over the years, and we thank them for their eagerness to lend a hand. (Avis was a real trooper, staying for hours despite freezing due to air conditioning. Since we had no sweater or blanket, we offered her a tablecloth as cover, but she declined.)
We continue to sign up youngsters into our Summer Reading Program. The annual event runs from June 1 through July 29. Terrific Tuesdays will begin June 14; the come-and-go program will last from 2-4 p.m.
Among the newly released books available for checkout is "The Homewreckers" by Mary Kay Andrews. The novel features Hattie Kavanaugh, who loves her work of restoring homes but gets in financial trouble when she buys a money pit of a house.
Desperate for quick cash, she agrees to star in a reality show to be based in her hometown of Savannah, Georgia. It will feature the renovation and she is cast against a male lead who may be a love interest or an antagonist. Yet the plot thickens when, during demolition, evidence comes to light that points to the mysterious disappearance of a young wife and mother years ago.
"Publishers Weekly" and "Kirkus Reviews" call this work "a delightful summer read about flipping houses and finding true love" and "a fun story with twists and turns that will appeal to romantics and cold-case fans alike."
Come check us out!