An Outstanding Year for Milwaukee Public Library's East Branch

by Ann Miller

Milwauakee Public Library East's Book to Art Club was busy, busy, busy in 2016!  Check out their wonderful projects and reads!  (Their sculptures look particularly fun!)  We can't wait to see what they have in store for 2017!  Thank you Beth Gabriel for submitting this!

2016 Book Discussions

  • January:  “The Rosie Project” by Graeme Simsion
  • February:  “Through the Woods” by Emily Carroll
  • March:  “Room” by Emma Donoghue
  • April:  “The Man in the High Castle” by Philip K. Dick
  • May:  “Euphoria” by Lily King
  • June:  “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” by Gabrielle Zevin
  • July:  “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins
  • August:  Best of summer reading!  Attendees brought their favorite summer read to share while having an open hour of crafting and coloring.
  • September:  “The Ghost Bride” by Yangsze Choo
  • October:  “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened” by Jenny Lawson
  • November:  “Redefining Realness” by Janet Mock
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Creativity Reigns at Davis Academy

by Ann Miller

Davis Academy was bustling with creativity this past year!  Check out these amazing projects that tie in with their readings.  Thank you Stacy Brown for submitting these wonderful pictures.  We can't wait to see what you'll do in 2017!  (As a fellow Book to Art Club member who enjoys creating culinary art projects, I'm now wondering if I can pair these mud cupcakes with butter beer!)

We read "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" by J.K. Rowling to kick off the year.

We read "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" by J.K. Rowling to kick off the year.

We made time turner necklaces...

We made time turner necklaces...

...and marauder's maps.  And, of course, we had butter beer!

...and marauder's maps.  And, of course, we had butter beer!

We read "The War That Saved My Life" by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and did finger knitting, since knitting is a way that they give to one another in the novel.

We read "The War That Saved My Life" by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and did finger knitting, since knitting is a way that they give to one another in the novel.

We also read "The Book of Scavengers" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman and made secret messages out of code.

We also read "The Book of Scavengers" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman and made secret messages out of code.

Today we are discussing "Fuzzy Mud" by Louis Sachar and are making fuzzy mud out of slime.  We don't have pictures of that just yet, but we do have pictures of our mud cupcakes that we will be enjoying.       …

Today we are discussing "Fuzzy Mud" by Louis Sachar and are making fuzzy mud out of slime.  We don't have pictures of that just yet, but we do have pictures of our mud cupcakes that we will be enjoying.

                                                                                                      --Stacy Brown

Call for Fall Submissions

by Ann Miller

Autumn has arrived and fall programming has begun including the Book to Art Club.  Like the rest of you, Mead Public Library in Sheboygan, WI has been busy, busy, busy!  We've been collaborating with our neighboring art museum, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, and participating in the NEA Big Read.  We chose "True Grit" by Charles Portis, and we were lucky enough to have a local exhibit at JMKAC that tied in with our chosen book--"Rhinestone Cowboy" Loy Bowlin's Holy Jewel Home.  As you can imagine, our "True Grit--Rhinestone Cowboy" art is spectacularly sparkly!  I will have project photos to share in the near future.  

As much I love to share what's happening at my home library, I would also love to hear what my sister Book to Art Clubs are doing and report it right here, so send me a few lines and a few pictures and help me create an inclusive Book to Art Club blog!

All the best,

Ann

"Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron" at Mead Public Library

Today's post comes to us from Ann Miller and other staff at Mead Public Library in Sheboygan, Wisconsin! Check out their chapter page for more details.

by Ann Miller

Our very first "The Book to Art Club" discussion at Mead Public Library in Sheboygan, WI was a success.  We had 8 people, only half of which were staff.  Our four non-staff attendees seemed excited to attend our next discussion, "The Family Fang", and one even took fliers for friends.  

I was thrilled to lead our inaugural discussion with Jasper Fforde's "Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron".  In addition to basic art supplies, we had a stereoscope as a leapback item, laptop and book form Ishihara tests, a laptop showing videos from Jasper Fforde's website, and Ishihara spoon cupcakes. 

Book to Art Club attendees at work on their art projects inspired by Jasper Fforde's Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron.

Book to Art Club attendees at work on their art projects inspired by Jasper Fforde's Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron.

Art projects inspired by Shades of Grey.

Art projects inspired by Shades of Grey.

Ishihara spoon cupcake top.

Ishihara spoon cupcake top.


You can download the discussion questions that Mead PL used in their first Book to Art Club meeting (Question 3 was based on a Goodreads member's post).