Banned Books Week 2007

September 29th through October 6th is Banned Books Week. Check out the American Library Association’s Challenged and Banned Books page to find out more information.

The most challenged book of 2006 was And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. Some of the other books that topped the list last year were the Gossip Girls series by Cecily Von Ziegesar, Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and Beloved by Toni Morrison.

The list of most challenged books of the 21st century (2000-2005) is topped by the Harry Potter series. It’s in such good company as Robert Cormier’s The Chocolate War, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, and the Captain Underpants series.

Stop by your local branch in the next week and check out one of these 100 most frequently challenged books and celebrate your freedom to read.

Family Fun at the Library

Family Fun Jam Fall Festival

Come and join the Library for a very special installment of our Family Fun Jam! It’s Fall Festival time and Hart Memorial will be hopping with plenty of activities for the entire family. Get together and decorate pumpkins, make a variety of beautiful crafts, and go wild with seasonal games and activities of all kind. We’re also putting on a scarecrow Reader’s Theater production that stars… you! There will be no ghouls, monsters, or anything scary at this program so bring along the entire family for a day of fall fun.

Hart Memorial Library
Lillie Room, 2nd Floor
October 14 at 2 p.m.


Monster Bash!

Monsters, princesses, pirates, cowgirls, oh my! Come to the Library in your most “bootiful” costume and have some spooky fun this October. Gulp down some gruesome grub at Dracula’s Dastardly Dead Man’s Diner while listening to spooktackular music. “Ghouls” and “boooys” can take part in creepy crafts and party games and have super fiendish fun.

Poinciana Branch
October 22 at 7 p.m.

St. Cloud Branch
October 24 at 7 p.m.

Buenaventura Lakes Branch
October 29 at 7 p.m.

Alfred Hitchcock Film Series

Come join the Library in October for a special film series throughout the entire month. In the spirit of Halloween we’re showing seven films by the master of suspense and fear, Alfred Hitchcock. The movies will be shown at Hart Memorial in the downstairs viewing area and at the Poinciana Branch in the multipurpose room.


The Man Who Knew Too Much (PG)

A doctor’s family vacationing in Morocco gets involved in a web of spying and intrigue.

Poinciana Branch
October 4 at 6 p.m.


To Catch a Thief (Not Rated)

A retired American jewel thief living on the French Riviera seeks to prove his innocence by exposing the burglar who has been imitating his technique.

Hart Memorial
October 9 at 2 p.m.


North by Northwest (Not Rated)

Enemy agents mistake a New York City advertising executive for an American spy.

Poinciana Branch
October 11 at 6 p.m.


The Birds (PG-13)

When Melanie Daniels rolls into Bodega Bay in pursuit of eligible bachelor Mitch Brenner, the small California town is inexplicably attacked by thousands of birds.

Hart Memorial
October 16 at 2 p.m.


Marnie (PG)

A woman robs her employers and changes her identity. When her next boss catches her, he forces her to marry him.

Hart Memorial
October 23 at 2 p.m.


The Trouble with Harry (PG)

Harry is dead and nobody minds, but everyone thinks they are responsible. After several unearthings, humor and love affairs, the real cause of death is revealed.

Poinciana Branch
October 25 at 6 p.m.


Rear Window (PG)

A photographer with a broken leg takes up the fine art of spying on his Greenwich Village neighbors during a summer heat wave. Things really begin to get hot when he suspects a salesman may have murdered his nagging wife and buried the body in a flower garden. He enlists the help of his girlfriend to investigate the highly suspicious chain of events. Events that ultimately lead to the one of the most memorable and gripping endings in history.

Hart Memorial
October 30 at 2 p.m.

Library Closings

All branches of the Osceola Library System will be closed Monday, October 8 for a staff training and inservice day.

We will reopen Tuesday, October 9 for regular business hours. Please call 407.742.8888 for any questions or concerns.

Grant Writing: Surviving the First Cut!

Continuing in our series of great grant workshops the Library is happy to offer the latest installment. The Grant Resource Network of Osceola County will be offering an informational session on grant writing and teach you how to make it past the first step of the grant writing process. The workshop is free and open to anyone interested in sharpening their skills and expanding their horizons.

Space is limited is 30 so register early to be assured a spot. Call us at 407.742.8888 or check our events calendar to sign up online.

Hart Memorial
Lillie Room – 2nd Floor
October 10 at 3 p.m.

New Storytimes, Updated Times

Coming this October the Library is offering an exciting new program for the little ones. Mother Goose Storytime is for toddlers and preschoolers and will feature a mix of favorite songs, stories, and fingerplays. This program will be offered in the afternoon, perfect for those families with busy morning schedules. So come on by to play and learn at the Library.

For those parents already attending some of our programs, times will be changing starting in October in order for us to be able to offer more sessions and options for everyone. Please check the online calendar to get the updated times and dates.


The Library offers lots of great storytimes and programs for children, from baby to schoolagers.

Baby & Me- A meet and greet for our youngest patrons. Babies up to 18 months and their parents are invited to stay, play, and discover.

Toddler Tales – Storytime to help encourage those emerging language skills for children 18-36 months.

Preschool Rockin’ Readers - Books, music, movement and more at this interactive and engaging program for 3-5 year olds.

Mother Goose Storytime – Storytime for toddlers and preschoolers.

Kidz Kaboom – For the 1st to 5th graders. An after school program of crafts, creativity, and fun.

Family Fun Jam – An event for the entire family. Held once a month at Hart Memorial.

Oscar Presents – Our monthly movies for the younger crowd.

Book Clubs, October 2007

October's Book Club has several exciting books in line. Come and join us Thursday, October 11 at the Buenaventura Lakes Branch for a meeting and open discussion of 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper. The group starts at 10 a.m. and light refreshments will be served. Come on by, bring your copy and be ready to enjoy.

In 90 Minutes in Heaven, Baptist Minister Piper tells of experiencing heaven for the 90 minutes he was pronounced dead at the scene of a car accident. After coming back to life and working through a long and painful recovery, friends and family finally convince him to share his remarkable story.

To place a copy of the book on hold, please call 407.742.8888 or visit us at OsceolaLibrary.org and check out our online catalog to place a hold over the internet.

The second book this month will be A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini on Thursday, October 18 at 2 p.m. in the Poinciana Branch.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heart-wrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love.

Call or request early to be assured a copy to borrow.

To keep up on the curve, also check out our Book Club Blog for a list of all the upcoming books this season.

New Homeowner Landscaping Workshops

Interesting in gardening and wanting to make your own the perfect oasis? Then coming soon to the St. Cloud Branch is a fun and informational new workshop that's just for you. Presented by Osceola County Extention Services, this workshop will show you tricks and tips to help you create a low-maintenance and Florida friendly landscape for your home. Just a few of the topics that will be covered are landscape design, irrigation, pest management, and sustainable gardening.

St. Cloud Branch
Robert A. Fisk Room, 2nd floor

October 9 at 6.30 p.m.
October 12 at 9 a.m.

Registration is required for this event and has already opened so sign up early to reserve a spot. Call 407.742.8888 to register by phone or go to our online calendar to sign up online.

Osceola Writer's Group

The Osceola Writer's Group meets every month at the St. Cloud branch library, on the second floor in the Barbara U. Thornton Room. Bring along yourself, your muse, and your ideas for stimulating discussion, tips, and conversation about writing and publishing with other aspiring writers.

St. Cloud Branch
September 18 at 6.30 p. m.

For more information call 407.742.8888.