In 1776 the Dominguez-Escalante expedition traveled through the Canyon Pintado region just south of Rangely, Colorado. The goal of the expedition was to find an easy route to California. However, the individuals on that expedition were far from being the first human inhabitants of the area. The Fremont Culture and later the Ute people had […]
Continue readingMarvel and a Wonder
In 1995, the fading farm town of Mount Holly, Indiana, has an air of mourning. Shops are empty. Factory farms have muscled out people like Jim Falls, a struggling chicken farmer. A Korean-War veteran with old age ailments, he fights to survive each day while raising his biracial teenage grandson Quentin. With an off-putting weirdness, […]
Continue readingPicture book of the week: Drum Dream Girl
On an island of music, the Drum Dream Girl imagines playing the drums – but she is told over and over again that only boys can play. Drum Dream Girl hears the rhythm wherever she goes and taps along, until finally her music is heard in public and celebrated by all. Margarita Engle’s Drum Dream Girl […]
Continue reading90 Years Ago in Grand Junction
On Sunday, September 20, 1925 the residents of Grand Junction must have been excited about the upcoming week. Monday would mark the beginning of classes at the first college in Grand Junction and the newest institution of higher learning in Colorado. Grand Junction State Junior College opened it doors to students at 8:00 AM on […]
Continue readingPicture book of the week: Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great
A goat with good dance moves and decent enough marshmallow square-making-abilities is filled with envy when Unicorn enters the scene. What’s so great about making rainbow cupcakes, turning things into gold, and flying? Bob Shea’s Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great tells the tale of a jealous goat who learns that he has some pretty impressive traits […]
Continue readingPicture book of the week: My Cousin Momo
Momo is a flying squirrel, and his cousins are excited for him to come visit. But when Momo comes into town, his cousins soon realize he isn’t quite what they were expecting. Momo is shy, he dresses differently, and his idea of pretending to be a superhero is wearing a giant muffin costume! Momo’s cousins are frustrated […]
Continue readingMesa County Libraries in 1901
1897 saw the formation of the Woman’s Library Association in Grand Junction. This organization had determined a need for a free public library in the city and was dedicated to making the goal a reality. In 1900 the association received a promise of $5,000 from renowned philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to build a new library. Construction […]
Continue readingColorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami
After Tsukuru Tazaki is rejected by his four best friends without explanation, an unfulfilled wish to die dominates his early adulthood. He moves through life broken and unable to truly connect with others. Gradually, he builds a life around his one true love: the building of train stations. Through this life, he meets a woman […]
Continue readingA gem of a library in Collbran
If you plan a trip up to the Grand Mesa to view the changing seasons in the coming weeks, we urge you to visit the Collbran Branch Library, located at 111 Main St. in Collbran. We can’t promise you’ll see riders on horseback from the windows of the library, but we are confident you’ll enjoy seeing how Mesa […]
Continue readingPicture book of the week: The New Small Person
Elmore Green is a happy only child – he enjoys lining his things up and not having them moved, watching whatever he wants on television, and eating orange jelly beans. One day, however, a new small person arrives on the scene, and everything changes. Elmore doesn’t like sharing attention or play things with the new […]
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