Community Corner
Ferndale Public Library Staff Recommends: Ashley's Road Trip Picks
"I like meeting new faces and interacting with the youngest Ferndale residents during story time," says new Youth Services Librarian Ashley Lehman, who offers book ideas for arm chair travelers or those about to take a journey.
This post was written by Jeff Milo and Ashley Lehman.
Welcome to another round of reading recommendations, compliments of your Ferndale Public Library staff!
This week, one of our newest teammates, Ashley Lehman, is offering up some road trip-themed suggestions (just in time for Fourth of July getaways). Ashley’s only been here 3 months, but her cool easygoingness, engaging personality and the subtle sunniness she brings to the Kids Corner have helped her fit right in, pretty much from that first book she retrieved for a curious young reader.
Lehman is our new Youth Services librarian. She studied at Michigan State University and obtained her Master’s from Wayne State University. Before coming to us she interned at the Troy Public Library.
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Lehman was looking for a career she enjoyed, firstly, but one in which she could be creative and further her education in doing so.
“I wasn’t one of the people who knew that they wanted to be a librarian my whole life,” she said. “I just kind of figured it out a few years ago!"
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Lehman lives in Ferndale with her sister who also works in a library as an early child specialist.
“It's funny how it all worked out; she got me into the early childhood stuff and I got her into the library stuff," Lehman said. "So, we kind of do the same thing now."
Lehman said she’d wanted to work at Ferndale’s library ever since she started the library and information science program at Wayne.
“I have lived and hung out in Ferndale for some time now, so why not have the perfect trifecta of live-work-play," she said. "Plus I don't have to drive to work anymore.”
Nice.
“I like meeting new faces and interacting with the youngest Ferndale residents during story time,” she said. (Calendars for weeklky storytimes are always available, by the way, at both the Kids Corner and the main Circulation desk).
Lehman also said of Ferndale, the library and the overall vibe of our little corner of the universe: “I like the small town library-feel, struck in the middle of a big metropolitan area.”
Ever since her first intro class in librarianship, Lehman’s subscribed to the idea that the library is really more of a community center.“And I think FPL is truly committed to this idea!”
Without further ado ...
Ashley’s Picks (for your next road trip)
Driver’s EducationBy Grant Ginder
FIC Ginder (New Book)
This novel is about a dying grandpa, a car, and a father and son. Finn is asked to bring his grandpa’s car from New York to California so he can drive it one last time. Finn’s road trip takes him to many of the places from his grandpa’s life stories. This story covers family traditions, family folk tales and tackles the distinction between reality and fiction. I enjoyed this book because it reminded me of one of my favorite movies, Big Fish.
Big Fish
DVD
Drama B
Honestly, who doesn’t like a Tim Burton movie?! Colorful, bright and over the top (but in the right way!). Along the same lines of the Driver’s Education, this movie follows a dying father reliving his experiences as a young man. His son must sift through what is fact or fiction from his father’s stories to quickly build a connection with his father before their time is up. This movie is based off of a 1998 novel of the same name, written by Daniel Wallace.
The Legend of Sleeping Bear
Written by by Kathy-Jo Wargin; illustrated by Gijsbert Van Frankenhuyzen
J 398.24 W
The illustrations are spot on and one reason why I love this book! I am a big fan of quality illustrations in children’s books, and illustrator Frankenhuyzen doesn’t disappoint in this Great Lakes legend. Unmistakably painted on canvas, the reader can catch an idea of the artistic process with glimpses of each brush stroke. Sleeping Bear Dunes is a just far enough away from Detroit that a trip there makes you really feel like you are on vacation!
Little Michigan (Little State)
By Denise Brennan-Nelson
J Boardbook B
As a librarian who focuses on early literacy, of course I will add a book for even the youngest of travelers. This book is perfect for babies to explore and for parents to teach words and pictures of locally important things, like the state bird, Michigan flowers, and trees. Of course it also includes rhyming! Rhyming and repetition of sound is an easy and effective way to introduce young readers to new words and sounds, improving their early literacy skills!
Vintage Views Along the West Pike:From Sand Trails to US-31By M. Christine Byron
(RO, Clawson)
I am a sucker for pictures of the Great Lakes and shorelines, add in the fact that this is filled with vintage photos and maps makes this collection that much more awesome. Picked as a Michigan Notable Book of 2012, readers will enjoy the vintage scenery of places and maps that they may have traveled.
The Waters of Michigan
By David Lubbers
972.4 L
This collection of photography is a great way to see a lot of Michigan’s Great Lakes without actually going on a road trip. David Lubbers captures Michigan’s great coast in stunning black-and-white photography. Of course, if you do want to take a state road trip the best place to start is Michigan.org. This site includes a ton of information that is consistently updated to provide the most recent information.
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