'Get a Clue' at the Library
Summer Reading started this week at the Hastings Public Library, encouraging readers of all ages to “Get a Clue @your library.” You can still sign up, with materials available for preschool through grade 4 in the children’s room, for grades 5-12 in the Teen Zone and for adults at the main desk.
While the theme might suggest reading mysteries, there is also room for exploring other types of books. Now is the time to take on the challenge of losing the clueless feeling you get when you are unfamiliar or uncertain about a topic.
John Stossel of ABC’s 20/20 wants us all to be more informed about the media messages bombarding us. In “Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity” he uses his experience as a consumer advocate and investigative journalist to attack the conventional wisdom we assume to be true.
If you are getting ready to start college or you know someone who is college age, read Terry McMillan’s “It’s OK if You’re Clueless and 23 More Tips for the College Bound.” This slim volume offers sage advice from a bestselling author who has been there. Beware if you are a parent – a few of the tips are somewhat blunt about the need for the college aged to sever the apron strings.
Half the battle of getting a clue is learning the lingo. Ren Volpe, auto mechanic and teacher, presents a crash course on basic car maintenance and how to talk to your mechanic in “The Lady Mechanic’s Total Car Care for the Clueless.” Another area where lingo reigns supreme is the financial world. Seth Godin and Paul Lim demystify it all in “If You’re Clueless About Accounting and Finance and Want to Know More.” This is targeted at the business person, but anyone needing to make sense of news stories about the economy could benefit.
In my world, a lack of sports knowledge is not gender specific, but for those hoping to have a bit more to say when the conversation turns to sports, try “The Smart Girl’s Guide to Sports: A Hip Handbook for Women Who Don’t Know a Slam Dunk from a Grand Slam” by Liz Musiker. And guys, just use self-check out and no one will ever know!