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Monday, June 14, 2021

We are so excited to announce this year's Portland Creates winners!

 We are proud and excited to announce this year's winners of Portland Creates.

 

Our winners were chosen by three judges: Merry from the Port, Sara who is the middle school's art

teacher, and Elizabeth who grew up around the area and is a writer. People’s Choice was chosen by the

 community via the most votes.

 

In the Adult category, this year's first place winner was Jenasen M. with “Contemplation”

The second place went to Kerri G. with "Garfield". For the winner of People’s Choice, Shelly P.  with

 “Shellody - A Land of Fairy”.



In the Teen category, this year's first place winner was Libby B. with "Sunflowers"

The second place went to Autumn R. with "Horizon Coast". For the winner of People’s Choice, Libby B. with

 “Beautiful Women”.

 


In the Childrens' 10-12 category, this year's first place was Avery V. with "A Ripple in the Pool of Rainbows"

The second place went to Avery V. with "My Anger Dragon". For the winner of People’s Choice, Eloise N.  

with “Riverside Ranch”.

 


In the Childrens' 6-9 category, this year's first place was Morgan B. with "Frost Forest"

The second place went to Ava S. with "Green Leaf Palm Tree". For the winner of People’s Choice, Evelyn H. 

with  “Spirit Horse”.

 

 

We would like to thank our very dedicated voters that came in regularly to support their favorite artist and/or

artwork. Everyone who participated made this year so successful and we are so grateful for you!

Thursday, June 10, 2021

If you need a hot summer read, stop by our display today!

 ðŸŒž 

We can hardly believe its summer already! We've been such busy bees preparing for it that we were taken by surprise when it arrived...but not too surprised. We planned many exciting summer programs for you to get involved in, so make sure you call or stop in to see what's being offered (you might find an in-person program that you like). If you're not looking for something that gets you engaged in that way, maybe you're more interested in kicking back with a book instead. If so, you might be able to find your next summer read by checking out our summertime book display by our large print section. Don't forget, if you can't find something to interest you there you can always ask a staff member for suggestions. We are always happy to help!

Saturday, June 5, 2021

Find Your Rainbow - Happy Pride Month

With June finally here that means two things. It’s finally summer! And it’s also Pride month! 

Whether it’s resources or a good sappy romance, we’ve got you covered 

(and if we don’t have a specific item, don’t forget we can always try and request an item to be 

ordered through MelCat)!

 

Below are some recommendations from our collection and a surprise book specifically from 

MelCat:

 

Just introduced to the world of Pride and LGBTQ+? 

Well, A Quick and Easy Guide to Queer Identities might just be the book for you! 

Told from the perspective of talking snails, this book can guide you through the sometimes 

confusing menagerie of orientations and gender identities. 

  

It may not seem apparent with how and what we’re taught in school, but all kinds of people on 

the LGBTQ+ spectrums have existed throughout history! Queer There and Everywhere 

goes tells the stories of many historic people we were never told were LGBTQ+ 

(including the inventor of the high five).

 

My Rainbow is an adorable picture book about a mother who will do anything to make her 

transgender daughter happy, going as far as to make a custom wig so she can happily show off

her rainbow.

 

Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World and Freeing Finch are two LGBTQ+ books geared towards 

students in the middle school ages. The first, is about Ivy, a young girl whose house was just

demolished by a tornado. When her precious drawing journal goes missing, Ivy secretly thinks...

and hopes that her crush was the one that took it, a fellow student, her new friend, a girl. 

The latter book is a story about a transgender girl the struggles to find her sense of belonging. 

With the help of a dog and her neighbor animal rescuer, Finch discovers that people she can 

trust most to bring out the best in her, might be the last people she ever imagined to believe in.

 

Prefer graphic novels? Perhaps Bloom is right for you! Bloom is about Ari, a boy trying to 

escape his father’s struggling bakery. But while interviewing for his replacement, he meets an

easy-going boy that loves baking almost as much as Ari wants to get away from it.

Recently the star of our teen book club over the spring, The Grief Keeper is about an immigrant

girl that gets caught trying to cross the border. In a desperate attempt to stay, she jumps at the

chance to participate in an experimental study with unknown and risky side effects. She just 

never imagined that one of the side effects would be falling in love.

 

Last but not least, it’s the surprise book from MelCat! The Invisible Orientation is an introduction

and thorough guide to everything about asexuality. It provides resources and tips for anyone

that knows an asexual person (or just ace for short) and for people who are ace. Please

remember, this book is not available at our library. If you wish to get this item through us, 

it must be requested through MelCat.

 

Of course, these aren’t all of the LGBTQ+ books we have, but only a sneak peek.