What's New!

Welcome to the 15^th Annual Pikes Peak Library District Mountain of Authors!

Keynote: Lt. Joe Kenda (Ret.)

Check out the 2021 Mountain of Authors keynote address by author and retired homicide detective Lt. Joe Kenda. Joe spoke for approximately 45 minutes, and then opened it up to a question and answer session.

Get your signed book from PPLD Friends HERE!

Lt. Joe Kenda, a twenty-three-year veteran of the Colorado Springs Police Department, spent twenty-one years chasing killers as a homicide detective and commander of the major crimes unit. Kenda and his team solved 356 of his 387 homicide cases, getting a 92 percent solve rate—one of the highest in the country. After retiring from law enforcement, he starred in Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda, an American true-crime documentary series that ran for nine seasons on the Investigation Discovery network and was aired in sixty-nine countries and territories worldwide. At its peak, Homicide Hunter averaged 1.9 million viewers in the US. See Lt. Kenda on his new crime series, American Detective, available to stream now on discovery+.

Live Panel

Please join us for this year's live, in-person panel, "Case File Conversations: Crime and the People that Chronicle It." This hour long presentation will complement the virtual keynote address by Joe Kenda on Sat., May 1, 2021, and recorded local author Book Buzz presentations. The panelists will discuss their respective careers, how they became involved in the field of crime writing/solving/reporting, and their experiences with it in the Colorado Springs community.

Recording coming soon

This year's panelists include:

• 2020 Colorado Book Award finalist (Thriller Category) for Black Pearl and author of police procedural and psychological suspense fiction Donnell Ann Bell
• Retired Colorado Springs Police Officer and compiler of the Homicides of the Colorado Springs Area, 1872 to Present index in Pikes Peak Library District Special Collections, Dwight Haverkorn.
• Hosts of the Colorado Springs Gazette podcast Colorado Cold Case, Olivia Prentzel and Lance Benzel.

Book Buzz

Pike Peak Library District's annual Mountain of Authors program, including the Local Author Showcase, has gone virtual! For our virtual event, local authors have created fun and exciting Book Buzzes (short videos) to share their new books with you. Join us to discover new authors and great books for the fall. View all the videos here and see what the buzz is all about!

Videos premiered Sat., May 1 on PPLDTV YouTube.

Self-Publishing Workshop
Want to publish your own book? Learn more about self-publishing opportunities with the Library, such as Biblioboard and the Indie Author Project. This class is an overview about the self-publishing process, including creating an eBook, distribution channels, and marketing.

Video premieres Sat., May 1 on PPLDTV YouTube.

Take and Makes for origami fun, for ages 9-12, will be available at area PPLD libraries beginning Friday, April 9, 2021.

Supplies:

Take and Makes will supply assorted Origami paper
Optional supplies needed needed from home: Scissors and a pen, pencil, or marker

Directions:

Star Wars X-wing Starfighter
Watch this project at: https://youtu.be/GyOw1JMO4hI and see pdf below for pictures.

1. Fold Paper in half.
2. Fold paper in half again to create a small square.
3. Fold the square into a triangle.
4. Unfold paper completely. Fold sides into each other to create a large triangle. You may want to watch the video for this step.
5. Fold bottom corner of top side down to the crease. Repeat on the other side.
6. Flip paper over and follow step 5.
7. Fold bottom corner of one side up so that it creates a new triangle with a flat side on top. Repeat on other side. Flip paper and repeat.
8. Fold the bottom edge to top of new triangle edge. Repeat on 3 other sides. This will complete the wings.
9. Fold wing tips down to create guns on the wings.
10. Enjoy your finished X-wing fighter!

See directions below for a cool Tortoise project also!

Take and Makes for this project, for ages 2-5, are available starting April 2, 2021 at area PPLD libraries.

Brighten up a wintry day with a tissue paper "stained glass" decoration. Hold your finished project up to a window or a light and let the colors shine through! For ages 2-5.

Supplies:

Included in kit:

• 2 pieces wax paper
• 4 strips construction paper (for frame)
• 2 pieces of tissue paper

Supplies you provide:

• Glue stick or tape
• Child-safe scissors, Optional

Directions:

1. Cut or tear the tissue paper into smaller pieces.
2. Glue tissue paper to one of the pieces of wax paper until the wax paper is filled, or the design is complete. Don’t worry about the tissue paper being over the edge. It will be trimmed later. NOTE: It is easier to spread the glue on the wax paper and then lay the tissue paper on the glue.
3. Take the 4 strips of construction paper and glue them to the edges to create a frame.
4. Trim the frame.
5. Glue the 2nd piece of wax paper onto the tissue paper and frame.
6. Find a window to display your “stained glass"!

Your child can use child-safe scissors to cut the tissue paper. However, when a child tears pieces of paper, they improve hand strength in the small muscles in their hands. These small muscles are important in many fine motor skills – coloring, handwriting, buttoning buttons, building puzzles, and more! Tearing paper also improves hand-eye coordination and the ability of hands to work together. Both skills are needed to write and to use scissors.

What other works of art can you and your child create with torn paper?