Monday, December 22, 2014

Wild Pets, Ramona, Henry and Archie!


Hello Friends! More National Geographic just arrived! I've stocked Skookum up with a bunch for your enjoyment over the holidays. Thank you Lorraine and Ambrose for the donation! As I've mentioned before, National Geographic issues are great for student papers, poster board reports, and even art projects. I love taking them on car trips or on flights. I never have to worry about a charger or electrical outlet to read the material. I'm looking forward to perusing the issues on brain science, black holes, and the food revolution.

For the kids, I've also included a few books by one my favourite authors Beverly Cleary! We've got The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Ramona and Her Father, Henry and Beezus, and the classic Beezus and Ramona.


And for you Archie diehards...more comics!

Hope you have a fantastic holiday! See you in 2015!

Cheers,

Jacqueline

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Fantastic Mr. Fox, Dinofours, Let's Count, & The Runaway Bunny

Hello Friends! I want to thank Maureen, Donna, and our other visitors for their donations to Skookum over the past month. We had a box load of Danielle Steel and Catherine Coulter books donated that filled our library to the rim. As a result, our book selection appealed more to adults. This afternoon while checking Skookum I found this little note stating that we needed more kid's books:


You are absolutely right my friend! So, I have stocked the library with more kid's books that I hope you will enjoy!


I have also added my last set of Archie comics. The comics go quite fast so come by soon if you would like to check them out.








In addition, take a peek in our green pail where you will find a stocking of festive pencils and activity pads that have games and more for you to enjoy during your break.



Cheers and Happy Holidays!

Jacqueline

Friday, October 31, 2014

Hallows' Eve Books

Hello Friends! Happy Hallows' Eve! We had some space in Skookum so I popped in a few books this morning and of course a few treats for the trick-or-treaters! For adults, I have added The Algebra of Infinite Justice, The Ophelia Cut, Amagansett and Wyck's piece on Emily Carr.

For the wee-ones, we have I Like Bugs, The Diamond Castle, Let's Learn Colors, Chicka Chicka ABC, Down at the Seaweed Cafe, Thomas the Train, and Robert Munsch's Angela's Airplane.

And finally, a big shout out to our awesome Skookum visitors Aliya and Samuel! Glad you love the books Aliya. 

Hello Samuel! Thank you for your note!

Grab a few Halloween pencils while you trick or treating this evening!

Have a wonderful day and enjoy the festivities! Tonight, I'm going to be curled up in a warm fuzzy blanket reading this by candlelight. 

Cheers,

Jacqueline

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Reason, Reckoning, and Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Hello Friends! I want to send a big thank you out to Jack and Grace for their generous donations to our Little Free Library. From the very beginning, Jack and his family have been huge supporters of Skookum. Jack and his wife attended our Skookum Launch Party in December of last year and his son is one of our Kickstarter Backers

I also want to thank my mom Grace. She is a voracious reader and sent up a ton of books a few weeks ago. Her dedication and commitment to educating others has been incredibly inspirational. In fact, after we installed Skookum I dedicated the structure to her and my father. They have always been supportive of literacy and lifelong learning.

So, on to the books! It's a bit academic this month with the Theories of Social Inequality, Oriental Enlightenment, The Use and Abuse of History, and the Surrender of Culture to Technology. I find if I have any difficulty sleeping, I just grab one of these books and I'm out in about 30 minutes. Fans of Naomi Klein will appreciate her work on the globalization debate. For lighter reading, you may want to check out Merle's Door or School Days.

For the tweens, we have Invisible in the Third Grade, The Mystery of the Dark House, and Ice:

For the wee ones, I've stocked a few board books such as Night Night, Baby and Animal Crackers:


And finally a big shout out to our Skookum visitors! Hello Dakota, Mom and Dad! Addy and Paige! And Melea! We hope you enjoyed visiting the Little Library and if you have any suggestions for books please feel free to leave a note and I will see what I can find!



Hope you have an amazing day! And if you have a moment, check out Robert Frost's October.

Cheers!

Jacqueline

Saturday, August 23, 2014

The Secret of the Alchemist, Love & Treats!

Thank you to one of our Skookum patrons for the additional book donations including The Secret of the Alchemist, The Tree of Death, Love, and Because I Wanted You.  I've also added a few more treats for all you summer readers including tiny bubbles, colourful pencils, and some groovy erasers! Take a few while grabbing your books! 


Have a wonderful summer day!

Cheers,

Jacqueline

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Summer Reading Challenge 2014: Prize Fun!


Skookum Reads! Summer Reading Challenge: Prize Fun!

This summer we launched our first reading challenge! The goal was to read or have an adult read to you 100 books by the end of August! This week I began stocking Skookum with little prizes for those of you who have accomplished this goal or are getting close. Today, I've included a series of animal notebooks for you to draw or write in. Take one while visiting us! Tomorrow will be something new…but you'll have to wait!

Keep reading! We still have a few days left of sunshine!

Cheers,

Jacqueline

Breaking Dawn, Virtual Culture & Deep Doo Doo

Hello Friends,

I want to send a big thank you to our neighbours Bettyann and Donna for the book donations! We really appreciate them. For Stephanie Meyer fans, you'll find Breaking Dawn and New Moon from the Twilight Series. There are also a series of books I've included on the virtual culture and technology. For history lovers, we have The Pity of War written by Harvard professor Dr. Niall Ferguson.

Last week I headed out to the Clearbrook Library for their Pet Parade! While visiting, I found a ton of books for the kids, tweens and teens. There's Deep Doo Doo (who doesn't love a title like that?), Pirates of the Caribbean, Fish Face, Last Days in Africville, and Geronimo Stilton's Meet Me in Horrorwood

But my favourite in the stack is The Missing Piece Meets the Big O by Shel Silverstein! Shel is hands-down my favourite author of all time and I am excited to share his work. Even as an adult, I love to sit back with Where the Sidewalk Ends or Light in the Attic and just peruse his artwork and poetry. Like Dr. Suess, Shel makes reading fun with his rhythmical stories and crazy illustrations. Fun fact: Shel wrote the song A Boy Named Sue which was made famous by Johnny Cash! 

I also want to send out a big hello to all of our Skookum visitors this past month! Dakota, your penmanship looks fantastic!


Have a great day!

Cheers,
Jacqueline

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Missing: Skookum's Guest Book


Hello Friends,

This afternoon I noticed that Skookum's Guest Book was missing from the library. It typically sits in a little green pail with a series of free bookmarks for visitors to grab. The Guest Book serves as both a record and place where our patrons communicate with us. It means a great deal to me and my family and we would appreciate it's return. 

Thank you,

Jacqueline

P.S. If you would like to see what some of our visitors have shared, click here and here.

Update: Skookum's Guest Book has been returned! Thank you!!

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Woods, Paretsky, and Delinsky

Thank you for the awesome donations today! We now have a series of books by Stuart Woods and Sara Paretsky including Orchid Blues, Orchid Beach, and Tunnel Vision. You'll also find Pay It Forward and Not My Daughter. Enjoy!



Saturday, July 19, 2014

George, Winnie, Flowers, and our Reading Gnome


Hello Friends! This afternoon I added a stack of new books to Skookum's Library. Richard Scarry's Just the Right Word, Winnie the Pooh, Bears on Wheels, and Curious George.  The Counting Kisses board book is great for those little ones just learning their numbers.  For garden enthusiasts, I have included a series on vegetables, flower arrangements, and designing flower beds and borders.


Lastly, I want to thank my good friend Lisa for this belated birthday gift!  We have a new gnome in our little Skookum garden. He's a definite cutie:


Hope you have a wonderful weekend and enjoy a good book along the way!

Cheers,

Jacqueline

Monday, July 7, 2014

Sedaris, Rushdie, Dubus & Summer Reading Clubs!

This past weekend I headed out to Clearbrook Library and picked up a few gems for the adults and kids!  It was a good thing too because we had several Skookum visitors today!  I am a huge fan of David Sedaris and was hooked on his work after reading the hilarious essay 'Santaland Diaries.'  I've also included an Oprah's Book Club selection 'House of Sand and Fog' and Salman Rushdie's 'Shame.'  For the kids, we have 'Dillion Dillion,' 'The Spoon in the Bathroom Wall' and 'The Knaveheart's Curse.'


The Fraser Valley Regional Libraries have a series of very cool summer reading clubs going on right now!  Head down to your local library and sign up!  There are stickers, prizes and medals to be won! How fun!


Thank you Angela for coming by!  Great to hear that your daycare kids are enjoying the books!  


Hope you have a wonderful week and enjoy the sunshine with a good book!

Cheers,

Jacqueline

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Dora, Super Submarines and the Best Rainy Day Book Ever!


Hello Friends!  I'm so thrilled to report that books are flying off of Skookum's shelf.  Lucky for us, this afternoon I arrived back from an errand to find a large bag filled with children's books at my door.  A big thank you to Mr. & Mrs. Dace for their generous donation of reading material.  We have a special relationship with the Daces as Mr. Jeremy Dace built Skookum and frequently checks up on him to make sure he's okay!  If you're interested in donating more than 3 books to our little library, please feel free to contact me.

I'd also like to welcome Skookum's new visitors!  A big hello to Miss Maleah, Miss Kylee, and their mother!  We hope you enjoy your books!


Have a great day and read!

Cheers,

Jacqueline

Monday, June 23, 2014

Caring for Your Little Library: Roofing


Launching Skookum in the winter of last year was a challenge! British Columbia's weather tends to be cloudy with a chance of meatballs but the harsh climate is a good test for building materials and finishes. I originally used Thompson's WaterSeal (tinted Oak) for the cedar shingles; however, after six months of rain and snow the integrity and look of our roof diminished. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed. So, I picked up my handy dandy notebook and hunted around the tool shed for another product to use. This is what I found:


I prepped the shingles by cleaning them off with a thick nylon brush. I know that the prepping process typically requires a much more intensive cleaning and for those interested in learning more about the care of cedar shakes click here! I then applied a couple of coats of Varathane (clear satin finish) to the shingles. While sealing the roof, I kept thinking about master carpenter Norm Abram from This Old House reminding homeowners to "brush with the grain of the wood." Thanks Norm!

In the image below, the left side of the roof has been sealed with Varathane and the right side is how the roof appears with no sealant.


Once dried, the Varathane leaves a slight sheen to the roof:


I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this product preserves the colour and durability of the shingles. During my Kickstarter campaign, I received several comments and words of advice about roofing the structure. Those librarians living in harsher climates all recommended shingling the roof and I am glad we did. I thought about using vinyl shingles but purchasing such a small quantity is difficult.

If you have roofing suggestions for these little structures, please share!

Cheers,

Jacqueline

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Rivers, Cars, Mittens, and Skookum's Summer Reading Challenge!


Hello Friends! Thank you for your donations! Over the past couple of weeks, we've received great additions to Skookum's library. I've included a few in this bunch! For adults, we have authors Block, Rivers, Ryan, and Wilson. For children, we have both English and French titles! Fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder will enjoy "A Little House Sampler."


We've also included a few board books including Thomas the Train, Birthday Monsters, and Teeth, Tails & Tentacles!


And of course Archie, Jughead, and Betty & Veronica comic books!


We've also launched our first annual Skookum Reads! Summer Reading Challenge! You can download the log here or come by Skookum and pick one up. I've printed up a few and placed them in the green pail. We've been reading a few books every evening and are up to 24!


We've also welcomed several first time visitors to Skookum! A big hello to Mister Thomas, Miss Vanessa, Miss Natalia, and Miss Priscilla! We are thrilled that you visited our little library and we hope that you enjoy your books!




Hope you have a great day and enjoy the sunshine with a good book!

Cheers,

Jacqueline