An Ojibwe Murder Mystery for Teen Book Club | Brittney Uecker, Youth Services Librarian - It’s been a minute since I’ve read a book I truly couldn’t put down, but this month’s Teen Book Club pick, “Firekeeper’s Daughter” by Angeline Boulley, has me flying through the pages. After tragedy strikes her family, Daunis Fontaine’s dream of a fresh start at college is put on hold and she feels stuck and…
How Can Caregivers Best Support Early Reading Concepts? | Brittney Uecker, Youth Services Librarian - I recently attended the Ready 2 Read Rendezvous Conference put on by the Montana State Library, a training focused on early literacy support. Speakers provided informative workshops about brain development in children, enhancing storytime programs, and engaging with community partners that have common goals. While this training affirmed many elements we already provide at the…
“Amari & The Night Brothers” is a “Lit” Book Club Pick | Brittney Uecker, Youth Services Librarian - When I saw one of my librarian friends on Twitter describe B.B. Alston’s “Amari and the Night Brothers” as “lit”, I knew I had to give it a read. And after flying through this book in just a few sittings, I knew it had to be a Middle Grade Book Club pick. Amari Peters is…
“Sadie” is Not Your Typical Missing Girl Story | Brittney Uecker, Youth Services Librarian - Teen Book Club for high-school aged patrons begins this month at the Lewistown Public Library. Our first pick is a fitting story for this spooky, Halloween season: “Sadie” by Courtney Summers. When radio personality West McCray travels to the small town of Cold Creek, Colorado to investigate the disappearance of 19-year-old Sadie Hunter, he is…
Explore Poems of All Kinds for National Poetry Month | Brittney Uecker, Youth Services Librarian - April is National Poetry Month. The theme of this year’s celebration, supported by the Academy of American Poets, is “There’s a poem in this place,” and if you are talking about the Library, there are many. Sylvia Plath’s work is sharp, dark, and undeniably influential, her poetry included. “The Collected Poems”, edited by Ted Hughes,…
Métis Storyteller and Author, Chris La Tray, to Present In-Person at the Lewistown Public Library | Brittney Uecker, Youth Services Librarian - The Lewistown Public Library is honored to host Montana poet, Métis storyteller, and Little Shell tribal member Chris La Tray for an in-person event on Thursday, March 24 at 6PM in the upstairs Meeting Room. His presentation, entitled “The Day That Finally Came” draws on 150 years of history to tell the story of who…
Montana Memory Project Holds 2nd Annual Photo Prompt Writing Contest | Brittney Uecker, Youth Services Librarian - For the second year, the Montana Memory Project is hosting its annual Photo Prompt Writing Contest. Participants will select any photo from the nearly 35,000 in the MMP collection and write a short story inspired by the image. Prizes include gift certificates to the Distinctly Montana store, subscriptions to their magazine, and passes to the…
Youth Book Club Reads “The Girl Who Drank the Moon” | Brittney Uecker, Youth Services Librarian - Has your child ever read a book they loved so much that they couldn’t wait to talk about it? One of the greatest joys of reading for children and adults alike is talking about books we’ve read and why we loved them (or didn’t). For kids, the structure of a book club makes this practice…
Two New Adult Programs Begin at the Library This Month | Brittney Uecker, Youth Services Librarian - We are excited to bring two new adult programs to the Lewistown Public Library this month. If you are looking for something to spark joy and build community during these dark winter months, these programs are sure to do both. Our new Welcome to Lewistown Book Club is open to both new and longstanding Lewistown…
Make a Reading Resolution to Guide You Through the New Year | Brittney Uecker, Youth Services Librarian - I’m sure you’ve heard it a few times by now, but happy new year! I hope the past year was filled with joy and that the coming one brings with it even more positivity. There’s no better time than the start of a new year to think about goals, especially when it comes to reading.…
Library Staff Selects Books of the Year | Brittney Uecker, Youth Services Librarian - The rumors are true: at the Library, we really like books, and we actually read them too. While we can’t read every book in our collection, having a plethora of books at our disposal ensures that we have each read a fair amount of those available to our patrons. To close out my 2021, I…
Library to Host Reading and Discussion with Montana Poet Laureate Mark Gibbons | Brittney Uecker, Youth Services Librarian - The Lewistown Public Library is honored to host Montana Poet Laureate Mark Gibbons for a reading and discussion on Thursday, December 9 from 6-8PM. This Montana Conversations program is sponsored by Humanities Montana and is part of their Hometown Humanities event, which brings humanities-based programs to Lewistown for this year. Having lived in Montana his…
Gratitude for the Connection, Escape, and Dependability of Books | Brittney Uecker, Youth Services Librarian - With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we are no doubt finding ourselves thinking about the things we are grateful for. As a librarian, writer, and proud bibliophile, not a day goes by where I am not engaging with literature in some way, and this part of my life has become so ingrained that I sometimes…
Missoula Author Caroline Patterson Will Bring Writing Workshop to the Library | Brittney Uecker, Youth Services Librarian - The Lewistown Public Library is excited to host Missoula author Caroline Patterson for Montana Women Writers Workshop, a two-part event, on Thursday, November 18 and Thursday, December 2 from 6-8PM. The workshop will take place in the upstairs Meeting Room of the Library and Caroline will join us virtually. This Montana Conversations program is brought…
Teen Writers Group Returns to the Library | Brittney Uecker, Youth Services Librarian - I am excited to announce that Teen Writers Group, our creative writing program for junior high and high school students, returns to the Library on Thursday, November 4th. This group will meet weekly on Thursdays at 3:30PM in the youth area of the Library, excluding closures for holidays. Teen Writers is all about self-expression. My…
New Picture Books Provide Laughs and Lessons | Brittney Uecker, Youth Services Librarian - As we creep closer and closer to the holiday season and the whiplash of Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas, now is the perfect time to read a few books that are perfect any time of year. There will be enough pumpkins and turkeys and snowmen in the coming months. Here is a roundup of…
Celebrate Intellectual Freedom During Banned Books Week | Brittney Uecker, Youth Services Librarian - Books = good. Censorship = bad. The freedom to read = essential. That’s the gist of Banned Books Week, an annual celebration of the value of free and open access to information that brings together librarians, authors, teachers, and readers of all kinds by drawing attention to the harms of censorship. The event…
Class visits resume at the Lewistown Public Library by Brittney Uecker - Starting at the beginning of September, another program has returned that makes the Library feel like a little more normal: classroom visits. Last week, nearly 100 students came through our doors with their classmates to learn about how the Library works and check out materials, with more visiting in the coming weeks. While many of…
Hometown Humanities will bring community-centered programming to Lewistown by Brittney Uecker - After a year-long postponement due to the pandemic, Humanities Montana is bringing Hometown Humanities to Lewistown for the 2021-2022 year. Each year, a rural location in Montana is selected to host a full calendar of humanities-based programming in order to “enrich lives, strengthen cultural infrastructure, and build relationships.” Past Hometown Humanities locations have spanned…
Appreciate the Great Outdoors with these Camping Stories by Brittney Uecker - As summer starts to wind down in the all too near future, hopefully you can spend some time in the great outdoors. This week, I bring you a roundup of picture books about camping, hiking, and enjoying nature. These stories teach lessons about trying new things, appreciating the ones you love, and not leaving your…
Two new essay collections bear striking similarities by Brittney Uecker - Isn’t it interesting how we tend to read books in pairs? It always seems that I will read a great book, then unintentionally follow up with one very similar in subject or style. Recently, I’ve read two newly published essay collections that fit such a pattern. Both “White Magic” by Elissa Washuta and…
Summer Reading Program Tails & Tales is a Success by Brittney Uecker - The Library concluded our 2021 Summer Reading Program, Tails & Tales, on Saturday, July 10th after six weeks of exciting programming, fun activities, and reading experiences all about animals. Over 100 youth participants and their families took part in Summer Reading this year and we are grateful for their enthusiasm and support. This year, we…
Storytime Returns In-Person to the Library by Brittney Uecker - I have an exciting announcement that I’ve been waiting to share with our library community for a while. Beginning Friday May 21st, our two storytime programs, Books & Babies and PreK/Kinder Storytime, will resume in-person at the Library. Books & Babies (ages 0-2 and caregivers) will be held every Friday at 10:30AM and PreK/Kinder Storytime…
Celebrating National Poetry Month with Multifaceted Children’s Poet, Shel Silverstein by Brittney Uecker - Naturally, we are a little obsessed with National Poetry Month here at the Library. From our book displays to our latest podcast episode to word-of-mouth, we have been all about poetry for the month of April. To keep the trend going, let’s talk about one of my favorite poets and quintessential children’s wordsmiths: Shel Silverstein.…
Journal Your Way into a New Season by Brittney Uecker - If you haven’t noticed, spring is in the air here in lovely Lewistown. Though it comes every year, the welcomed shift of a new season always feels like a fresh start and a spark of inspiration. The changes in the air, the sunlight, the scents and sounds come piecemeal, but together catapult us into a…
Check Out These Exciting New Youth Non-Fiction Titles by Brittney Uecker - Several new additions have been recently added to the youth non-fiction collection that will intrigue young readers of all ages and provide information and perspective on key topics. Starting Out Baby Animals series by Kate Riggs – This irresistible series about unique baby animals utilizes simple words and explanations for the youngest readers. Close-up pictures…
Two Montana-Based Writing Contests for All Ages by Brittney Uecker - February offers two exciting writing contests for Montana writers of all ages, and the opportunity to win some awesome prizes and showcase your work. The 13th Annual Missoula Writes contest is organized by the Missoula Public Library and accepts fiction, non-fiction and poetry submissions from Montana residents ages eight and up. Entries are judged by…
Reading Resolutions for a New Year by Brittney Uecker - Maybe time is just a social construct, and that the shift from one year to the next is only an arbitrary distinction. But there is definitely something about flipping the page to a new calendar year that gets me excited about setting goals and renewing my focus. I didn’t set a reading resolution for 2020,…
The Best Youth Books of 2020 Bring Something for Everyone by Brittney Uecker - This year brought a dead stop to many of the parts of my job that I adore. In-person storytimes, classroom visits, and programming events have been put on hold to ensure patron safety. In the meantime, I’ve thrown my energy into collection development, working to curate a youth collection that has something for everyone. For…
Striving for diverse identities and experiences in library collections by Brittney Uecker - In November, I attended a virtual training from the Montana State Library about implicit bias and the role libraries can play in better serving the underserved in our community. The talk was presented by Miranda Murray and Jordann Lankford, facilitators for Bright Trail Education and Indian Education for All (IEFA) instructional coaches. A key focus…
Physical Objects Play a Critical Role in Telling Colorful Stories by Brittney Uecker - I am currently writing a short story about a broken coffee cup. Of course, the story itself is not just about the coffee cup, but the cup holds enormous significance for the main character. It is a symbol, an omen, a message sent through the ether that she is trying to interpret. It also acts…
Graphic novels encourage reluctant readers and incorporate visual art by Brittney Uecker - Last week, S.E. Hinton, author of the 1967 young adult novel “The Outsiders”, responded to a tweet from a teacher asking her to consider creating a graphic novel version of her seminal book that would “engage more readers who are reluctant and striving”. Hinton’s negative response, which claimed that her book “shows (readers) they CAN…
The library dives into the world of podcasts to create – In the Stacks – by Brittney Uecker - Podcasts have been important, popular, and accessible avenues of information for over a decade, and in this unprecedented time of fast change and social isolation, they are more important than ever. Sounds a lot like something else I know – oh yeah, libraries. The role of a library is expansive and sometimes difficult to define,…
Librarian advocates for the value of ‘reading endurance’ by Brittney Uecker - I am currently in the slog of a book I cannot stand. The summary sounded interesting and it received decent reviews, but upon reading it, I’m finding myself struggling to turn the pages. The pacing is slow, the plotline vacillates between downplaying significant events and overdramatizing mundane ones, and the characters are vapid and undeveloped.…
Youth Librarian moved by Rob Rufus memoir by Brittney Uecker - Much in the same way that adolescence itself encompasses an enormous spectrum of experience, books about teenagers can be engaging for a wide age range. Rob Rufus’ memoir “Die Young With Me” is one such book that has appeal for both teenagers and young adults. “Die Young With Me” tells the story of seventeen-year-old Rob…
Library Summer Reading Program: Bingo! by Brittney Uecker - We are officially two weeks into this year’s Summer Reading Program, Imagine Your Story. As one of our SRP activities this year, we have created Summer Reading Bingo sheets that are full of book suggestions, activity ideas, and ways to engage yourself and your family in stories and fulfill your reading goals. This week, I…
Awarding winning young adult author Jason Reynolds books available at the Lewistown Public Library by Brittney Uecker - Young adult author and activist Jason Reynolds has served us two incredible works this spring. As the recently named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the Library of Congress, Reynolds is the author of several middle-grade and young adult novels and books of poetry, including “All-American Boys”, the “Track” series, “Long-Way Down”, and “Look…
Making technology your friend: Library offers online resources for children during stay-at-home directive by Brittney Uecker - Like a lot of our patrons, I am in the challenging position of trying to fill the roles of parenting, working from home, and taking the place of school for my children during this pandemic. While everyone’s motivation was high for the first few days, we are starting to struggle with staying engaged and active.…
Another round of Teen Book Club at the Library by Brittney Uecker - After a rousing round of discussion for our winter book, Teen Book Club is back again with another exciting pick: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. Sign-ups will begin February 11, and we will meet on March 11 at 4 pm to discuss the book. Set in Middle America in the 1980’s, this story alternates…
Celebrate National Shelfie Day by Brittney Uecker - As a lover of both oddball holidays and plays-on-words, I am a big fan of National Shelfie Day, which takes place this year on Wednesday, January 22nd. Conceived by the New York Public Library in 2014, Shelfie Day is a time for librarians and book lovers to celebrate books by posting a photo of their…
New Teen Book Club Offered at the Library by Brittney Uecker - This winter, I’m excited to be offering LPL’s Teen Book Club. For our first book pick we will be reading Katherine Arden’s “The Bear and the Nightingale.” Sign-ups and book distribution are happening now at the youth desk. Participants will have a month to read the book, and we will meet once on Wednesday, Jan.…
Join the new LPL Teen Book Club - Teen Book Club is geared for ages 13-18. Pick up a copy of the book at the youth desk and meet on January 15th to discuss. Contact Brittney Uecker for more information.
Library to Offer New Saturday Storytime for Pre-school Kids by Brittney Uecker - Beginning on December 7, LPL will begin offering Saturday Storytime at 11:00 a.m. in the youth area. This program will be geared towards kids ages 3 to 6 and will be a chance to share songs, stories, and crafts. In addition, our Friday Storytime at 10:30 a.m. will now be geared specifically towards babies ages…
Library to Offer New Saturday Storytime for Pre-school Kids by Brittney Uecker - Beginning on December 7, LPL will begin offering Saturday Storytime at 11:00 a.m. in the youth area. This program will be geared towards kids ages 3 to 6 and will be a chance to share songs, stories, and crafts. In addition, our Friday Storytime at 10:30 a.m. will now be geared specifically towards babies ages…
Micro-Review: Margaret Atwood’s “The Testaments” by Brittney Uecker - “The Testaments” by Margaret Atwood, the long-awaited sequel to her 1985 dystopian novel “The Handmaid’s Tale”, is just as riveting as the original, but elevates its themes of resilience and sisterhood in the face of brutality. This book is told through three interwoven tales of women placed on various sides of Gilead – one on…
Establishing a Reading Routine with Your Family by Brittney Uecker - I came across a quote recently that struck me. Dr. Marilyn Jager Adams said, “Reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills required for learning to read.” It’s not a surprise that reading to children is such a critical element to their development, but…
Youth Creative Writing Group - The youth creative writing group is back in September! The focus for the youth writing groups is to learn about writing stories and sharing them with each other. Both groups will be held on a weekly basis. Our new and improved youth creative writing program will serve two groups: a younger group (ages 9-11) and the…
Library First Day of School Review Roundup by Brittney Uecker - Well, folks, it is happening – by the time you read this, my daughter will have officially started kindergarten. There is a part of me that is wrapped in the sentimental emotions of this major milestone of parenthood – it seems like just yesterday; my little girl was a baby obsessed with blueberries and Sesame…
Super Summer Reading Program by Brittney Uecker - This summer has been out of this world with the many events and programs LPL has hosted as part of our Summer Reading Program, Universe of Stories. Staff and patrons alike have learned about the planets, viewed the skies through telescopes, launched rockets, looked at constellations in the STARlab planetarium, made space-themed crafts and read…
Observations by Brittney Uecker - For the third meeting of Wednesday Writers on May 8, I have given my budding writers the task of writing a list of observations to share with the group. In discussing ways to find inspiration and ideas for stories, we talked about the skill of observing the things and experiences we encounter during our daily…
Wednesday Writers by Brittney Uecker - As a recreational writer myself, one of the things I have been most excited about doing as a librarian is facilitating a creative group. I am pleased to announce that LPL’s youth creative writing program, Wednesday Writers, will have its first meeting on Wednesday, April 10th, at 4 pm in the Youth Area. My goal…
Wednesday Writers by Brittney Uecker - As a recreational writer myself, one of the things I have been most excited about doing as a librarian is facilitating a creative group. I am pleased to announce that LPL’s youth creative writing program, Wednesday Writers, will have its first meeting on Wednesday, April 10th, at 4 pm in the Youth Area. My goal…
Pleased to Meet You! By Brittney Uecker - Hello, LPL patrons! My name is Brittney and I am the new face of the Youth Area at the Lewistown Public Library! I came here from Missoula where I did my BA and MA in Forensic and Biological Anthropology and worked in wildlife genetics before heeding my library calling. My husband grew up in Lewistown…
