Having just enjoyed a white Christmas in Tennessee, I was glad to see the white flakes feathering down on Sunday afternoon here in Grayson County.  The cold weather has brought many customers out to the Van Alstyne Library, stocking up on reading, listening, and viewing material for a predicted cold spell.  I’ve noticed that extreme weather sends people to the grocery store to lay in extra supplies and to the library for the same reason.  It’s nice to know reading materials are considered as important as food! 

Nelda Scoggin Reynolds visited the library last week to deliver the third volume of her research about the Scoggin Family.  This volume is John Weston Scoggin in Grayson County Texas.  We very much appreciate having this carefully researched volume placed in the Van Alstyne Library.

All of you family researchers, beginners as well as more experienced, mark your calendars for Saturday, January 29.  Dale Rideout, an experienced family researcher from Howe, Texas will begin a four-part genealogy workshop at the Van Alstyne library.  The workshop is free, but Mr. Rideout is requesting $15.00 to cover the cost of materials for each participant.  Materials include a CD and numerous handouts.  We know you will benefit from his information about online resources, using research tools, working with census records, and saving and organizing your research. Register at the library by calling 903-482-5991.  For more information, call Dale Rideout at 903-487-0525.

Book Reviews by Teen Council:  Bailey Smith read Uglies by Scott Westerfield.  In answer to the question did you like the book? She says: “Yes, I even bought the complete series.  Can’t wait to get started on the next one!” She says the book is about “a community that has a social problem between ugly people and pretty people.  So to resolve the issue they come up with a surgery people are required to get when they turn 16 but some people don’t want to be pretty.  Uglies is a super dramatic book and has a major twist in the end.”  Bailey learned “that it’s not ok to be judgmental.  It can really hurt people and cause major social diversities.”  Bailey recommends the book to any teen, especially teen girls.  She says the book was 100% unique.  It had a great moral and taught its moral in a very interesting and captivating way.”

Aaron Emdy reviewed Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer by Van Jenson and Dusty Higgins.  In the book, “Geppetto was killed by a vampire so Pinocchio begins to go out at night to slay them; his nose is his weapon.  The town will not listen to his warnings about vampires.  The vampires kidnap his friend, so he goes to save her, finds that Geppetto was turned into a vampire, accidently kills him, and then swears to kill all vampires.”  She recommends the book to anyone who likes a twist on a classic story.  The unique thing about the book was Pinocchio being a vampire slayer and using his nose as a weapon.