“Adventure Begins at Your Library!”
To celebrate the joy of reading and bestow the spirit of adventure on your summer, the Yonkers Public Library has eight weekly themes to help you get the most out of your summer reading journey.
This week, August 5 to August 11, is “Exploring Under the Stars”.
“Space: the final frontier.” You might know this quote from the famous sci-fi tv show Star Trek, as Captain Kirk describes the galactic adventures that his crew embarks on throughout the series. When you look up in the sky, do you find yourself curious about the endless wonders that exist far beyond Earth?
Human beings have always looked to the stars. Astrology is the long-time practice of divination using the stars to predict events. Popular movies like Fly Me to The Moon look to the history of the Apollo 11 launch, and movies like Arrival ask if there really is life beyond our own atmosphere. Even nursery rhymes like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star remain popular, although there are many more lyrics to the song than you might be familiar with.
Read on to learn more about space, the stars, and the fun to be had with YPL this week!
The Stars in Our Sky
When you look up into the night sky, you may only see a handful of stars. But astronomers estimate that there are around 100 billion stars in our galaxy. The star you may be the most familiar with is the sun, but you may also be familiar with some constellations, groups of stars that form particular shapes in the sky that we’ve given names to.
There’s so much to learn about stars, and YPL has the resources to help you on your galactic learning journey! Check out Gale in Context for elementary students and middle school students for engaging, learning resources to answer all your most burning questions.
Looking to do a little stargazing? Borrow a telescope from YPL. Check out this website to find out what planets will be visible on the night you plan on searching the stars from your own backyard. Looking to find more fellow amateur astronomers? Check out the Westchester Amateur Astronomers and join them at a Star Party next Saturday night, August 10th. You can also check out this article from Westchester Magazine to find the best places to go stargazing in Westchester.
Looking to learn more and have a fun afternoon with young ones? Check out a museum pass to the Hudson River Museum and check out the planetarium! The Hudson River Museum pass grants free admission for two adults and up to six children or grandchildren. Includes a 15% discount in the Museum Shop. Free admission to one ticketed event (choice of Planetarium show or a Glenview tour).
Humans in Space
Human travel to space may have once seemed like an impossibility, but humans have orbited our planet for decades thanks to the work of scientists at organizations like NASA.
Human exploration of space was defined by “The Space Race”, a period from the late-1950s to the mid-1970s where the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a competition to see which nation could “conquer” space first. While NASA was planning to launch the first satellite into space in 1957, the Soviet Union beat them to it with the launch of the Sputnik satellite. The USSR also sent the first animal, a dog named Laika, into Earth’s orbit in 1957, but she died on the journey. There is a long history of animals in space, as they helped us to understand the impacts of gravity and space travel on living organisms.
Yuri Gagarin was the first human to enter space on behalf of the Soviet Union in April 1961. Quite famously in May 1961, President John F. Kennedy gave a speech committing the United States to “landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth” by the end of the decade. This goal was achieved in July 1969 when Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon.
Today, astronauts on the International Space Station conduct research on life in space, with the current Expedition 71 researching neuro-degenerative diseases and therapies, space botany, space-caused fluid shifts, and algae-based life support systems. NASA has also sent many robot rovers to explore the surface of Mars, finding evidence that the planet was wetter and warmer billions of years ago than the dry landscape it is today.
Join Us at the Library
Looking to stay cool in the dog days of summer? Join us in-person and online for out of this world programs!
Riverfront Library
Monday, August 5th at 2:00PM - Summer Matinee: A Million Miles Away: A biopic about Jose Hernandez and his path from a farm worker to becoming an engineer and an astronaut. A tale of perseverance, community and sacrifice to accomplish a seemingly impossible dream.
Virtual
Tuesday August 6th at 4:00 PM - Art with Erica: Adventure Begins at Your Library - Stars and Space: Bring your own art supplies and join artist Erica Soto to celebrate the cosmos!
We will be creating a painting of Stars and Space. All you need are some watercolors, paper, and colored pencils, and some creativity.
Crestwood Library
Saturday, August 10th at 2:00 PM - Mixed Media and Munch Art with Say: Under the Stars:Join Say Marte for a fun hour of mixed media and munching in celebration of our Summer Reading Adventure Begins at Your Library. All supplies & snacks are provided, just bring your creativity. Registration required.
Be sure to check out the wide variety of astronomy books we have available on the shelf and online! You can always ask a librarian for help if you’re looking for something specific.
There’s even more fun to be had reading thi summer! There’s still plenty of time to sign up for Summer Reading on Beanstack. Download the Beanstack app or go to the Beanstack website on your desktop or laptop to create an account for you and your family. Check out this video to help you get started.
Participants can log books on Beanstack from June 1 to August 15 on Beanstack. For every book that you log, your name will be entered into a drawing for different prizes (i.e. Amazon gift card, prize baskets, and more). Each library branch will host its own drawing.
Check out the recommended reading lists Yonkers Public Schools Grades K-12 on the YPL website.
You can check out all of our Summer Reading themed events on the Yonkers Public Library Event Calendar.
This is a collaboration from A to Z!
Alison Robles is a Part-Time Junior Clerk at the Crestwood Library. She is an avid reader with a passion for YA lit, historical fiction and fantasy. A Yonkers native, she is currently pursuing an MS in Information and Library Science from the University at Buffalo.
Z is the Branch Administrator at the Crestwood Library. She enjoys cultivating library experiences for patrons of all ages and connecting people with resources and has been doing so for over 30 years.