Do you enjoy visiting other libraries? Want to make a game of it? Visit the library now to pick up your passport. The crawl will be held October 1 to 31, 2023. The Smithton Public Library District will have a small gift for anyone who visits us as part of the crawl. If you are …
Lessons in Chemistry | Bonnie Garmus Summary: Set mostly in the 1960’s in a male dominated science institute. A brilliant female scientist is trying to make her work recognized and appreciated by any method she can. Constantly ignored, put down and cheated by her male counterparts, she proves that women do have brains along with …
Smithton Public Library District’s2023 Summer Reading Program FOR AGES 0-100+! Visit the library to sign up the whole family, beginning Monday, May 22, 2023. Everything you need to complete the reading program is in the folder! A few notes: Please read at or above your reading level. When determining your age, please use the age …
The Belleville Sound Exhibit | Creator: John Wegrzyn Summary: This fascinating exhibit is currently at the Belleville Public Library and features the Belleville connection to sound in the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Recommendation: I had no idea how influential Belleville was to the music scene from the 40’s through the 70’s. Did you know …
Tax Time is here, and paper forms are in our vestibule area. If you would like to print your own forms at the library, we will print the first two copies of the FORMS for FREE. You may print out ONE instruction booklet for FREE at the library. You will have to pay for the …
Episodic storytelling can engender an addictive loyalty in fans. If you have never seen these shows at all, my suggestion is to try a half-dozen episodes before giving up – usually you need a few shows to detail the relationships between characters. I was watching Voltron and Sailor Moon when they came out in America. …
Mixed Nuts | Screenplay by Nora Ephron Summary: A group of very bizarre individuals man a suicide hotline on Christmas Eve. Recommendation: Mixed Nuts is a 1994 American Christmas dark comedy film. The Cast will surprise you. Steve Martin, Madeline Kahn, Adam Sandler, Juliette Lewis and Rob Reiner to name a few stars in this …
Do films like Die Hard and Gremlins count as Christmas movies? This reviewer says yes. Rare Exports (2010) rated R Summary: Young Pietari lives with his stern reindeer-herding father Rauno in arctic Finland. On the eve of Christmas, an enormous excavation at a nearby mountain disturbs the locals and captures Pietari’s curiosity. When Rauno’s reindeer …
Get inspired for the holiday! Read something you’ve never heard of before. Read something as old as you can find. Read something brand new, hot off the shelf. Read a classic you enjoy over and over. And share with your family! Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree | Robert Barry Summary: When Mr. Willowby’s Christmas tree is …
Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) – United States rated PG Summary: A young boy named Kubo must locate a magical suit of armor worn by his father in order to defeat a vengeful spirit from the past. He gains help along the way before facing a very personal fear – his family. Recommendation: The …
The Last Unicorn (1982) – United States rated PG Summary: When a young unicorn learns she may soon be the last of her kind, she leaves the safety of her protected forest and enlists the help of a clumsy sorcerer as they embark on a long journey to save the unicorns from extinction. Recommendation: I …
Millennium Actress (2001) Japan rated PG Summary: Past and present collide as a film director discovers a mysterious key that unlocks the secrets of a legendary actress who vanished at the height of her career. There are multiple angles to watch this story unfold from regarding how connected the viewer is – one of the …
Tokyo Godfathers (2003) PG-13 Summary: The story takes place on Christmas Eve in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Middle-aged has-been Gin, aging transvestite Hana, and teenager runaway Miyuki are homeless friends who have formed a makeshift family structure bond. That bond is tested when they find an abandoned baby while searching for food in a trash dumpster. They …
Warm up with a good book! December 1, 2022 to February 28, 2023. Patrons can visit the library to register in-person and pick up a reading log. Additional Reading Logs can be downloaded here. Age groups: 0-5 6-12 13+ How it Works Registration for youth and adults begins Thursday, December 1, 2022 and the program …
Today’s modern Thanksgiving in America was built with a multigenerational foundation of customs and rituals involving the serving of specific dishes (cutting of the turkey, slicing of the ham, serving of the pie) with the occasional experimental foray like adding a new tradition to welcome an newly-gained family member (Italian sausage lasagna for the in-laws …
The Secret of Kells (2009) – Ireland, France, and Belgium Summary: In a remote medieval outpost of Ireland, young Brendan embarks on a new life of adventure when a celebrated master illuminator arrives from foreign lands carrying a book brimming with secret wisdom and powers. To help complete the magical book, Brendan has to overcome …
Tales of the Night (2011) – France Summary: Silhouetted characters are set off against exquisitely detailed backgrounds bursting with color and kaleidoscopic patterns, as the film weaves together six exotic fables each unfolding in a unique locale, from Tibet, to medieval Europe, the African plains and even the Land of the Dead. In Ocelot’s celebrated …
Game Changer (2021) | Neal Shusterman Summary: With every rough tackle on the football field, high schooler Ash is bounced from one dimension to the next–in one place he lives in a gated community instead of tract housing and in another segregation continues to exist–forcing him to consider different perspectives while finding a way to …
Let’s introduce animation from some other lands. Being from near Belleville, IL, this title always amuses. We start in in France (their home, the race) and travel to Belleville (which looks a great deal like NYC), the place from which grandma must rescue her grandson. The Triplets of Belleville (2002) – France, Belgium, Canada, and …
“Watch these for yourself before sharing with kids depending on their maturity level. Death, war, orphans, neglect, disease, independence, and responsibility are explored in these selections. All are worthy of viewing if only for their visuals as they contain sad portions or themes.” -Cinda Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Summary: As the Empire of the …