A Librarian has the Best Summer Ever with the FCPL Summer Challenge: Part 4

by Fae Giffen, Community Librarian 

Hi! My name is Fae and I’m a Community Librarian for Fresno County Public Library. I’m determined to have the best summer ever by doing the Fresno County Public Library Summer Challenge and sharing my experiences with you on this blog.

Here's what I did this week.

#38 Write a six-word memoir.

Nothing ever went according to plan.

#11 Commit a random act of kindness.

I went; I played Skee-Ball for an hour; I won a pencil; and I gave my card with the leftover balance to a kid who really wanted a new toy.

#27 Read a graphic novel.

I didn’t know much about Lumberjanes when I checked out a copy from FCPL, just that it was a camp story and was getting great reviews.

And it’s delightful! A mix of summer camp and supernatural adventure that remains lighthearted and joyful. I liked it so much I checked out the 2^nd volume from FCPL’s e-catalogue.

#41 Read a graphic novel.

Read two graphic novels? Ok, I said! And out came Paper Girls. I bought this almost a year ago and then I moved. It sat in a box of unpacked books under my bed until I found it last month and decided to give it a try. Wow. Just wow. I wasn’t really trying to theme my comic reading, but I somehow chose two stories of female friends off on adventures…that couldn’t be more different if they tried. While Lumberjanes is sweet and innocent and full of laughs, Paper Girls is dark and straight-up scary at times. I don’t want to spoil anything, but check it out. If you were a fan of Stranger Things, you’re going to love Paper Girls.

#31 Read for 20 minutes.

Know what will keep you so engrossed during your lunch that you’re almost late getting back to work? Evil clowns, that’s what. 

#14 Visit the FCPL Teen Blog.

It’s silly that it’s taken me 4 weeks to include the FCPL Teen blog in my Best Summer Ever, but better late then never. You can read blogs from librarians and reviews written by teens for teens, and there’s even a weekly giveaway called "Free Fridays" that you can enter to win books. And, while you’re there, don’t forget to check out the Summer Challenge blog for even more ways to win prizes this summer

#17 Get caught up on current events – Read a newspaper or magazine.

It’s time to tell you the strange, magical story of my The Wall Street Journal subscription. I don’t actually have one. I have an e-subscription to the Fresno Bee and my Grandmother gave me a subscription to The Smithsonian Magazine for my birthday (Check out a copy sometime. It’s awesome.), but that’s it. Then one day, when I was feeling especially depressed about the state of the world, The Wall Street Journal showed up on my door step. I took it inside, read it, and expected that would be that. But that wasn’t that! It kept showing up. I looked for a name or address on the paper, so I could give it to its rightful owner, but there was nothing, and it just kept coming. It’s been five months now and I know this mistake will be corrected, but for the time being I’m just enjoying the ride, especially on lazy Sunday mornings.

#13 Create a list of five goals for the upcoming year.

My list is all about trying new things in the coming year. We all get into ruts, but that’s no excuse for staying there.

1.       Visit a country I’ve never been to before.

2.       Visit someplace in California I’ve never been to before.

3.       Visit a place in Fresno County I’ve never been to before.

4.       Make a new friend.

5.       Learn a new skill.

That's all, for now. Check back next week for even more adventures, and see my Summer Challenge activity log on the WOW! Blog.