Oceans of Possibilities DVDS

Oceans of Possibilities DVDS

The Oceans of Possibilities summer reading program is in full swing so add an ocean-themed DVD to your summer movie viewing.


Cover ImageThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

A group of explorers embark on a journey to hunt down the ‘jaguar shark’ that ate one of their crew. As their adventure takes them into dangerous waters, the group finds magic both in their bonds to each other and in the colorful world around them.

Starring Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Anjelica Huston, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Michael Gambon, Noah Taylor, Bud Cort, Seu Jorge.

Cover ImageOpen Water 

Susan and Daniel are a happily married couple who are taking a much needed vacation to the islands. They are hoping for a memorable trip. However, their vacation turns tragic when their scuba diving party leaves them in the middle of the ocean by the careless diving boat crew. As the reality of isolation sets in, they turn to one another for support. Unable to flag down passing boats, they begin to panic as encircling sharks begin to appear.

Starring Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis, Saul Stein.

Cover ImageAquaman

An action-packed adventure that reveals the origin story of half-human, half- Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime–one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but also to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be: a king.

Starring Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Kidman.

Cover ImageLife of Pi

A young Pi Patel, overcoming a cataclysmic shipwreck, finds himself stranded on a lifeboat with the last survivor, a ferocious Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.

Starring Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Rafe Spall, Tabu and Adil Hussain.

 

The hunt for Red October

A Soviet nuclear sub captain turns rogue and heads straight for the U.S. mainland, hoping to defect. When his deception is discovered, the U.S.S.R. ships begin the hunt to stop it. But one special agent for the CIA may be able to save it.

Starring Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones, Sam Neill.

Cover ImageIn the Heart of the Sea

A recounting of a New England whaling ship’s sinking by a giant whale in 1820, an experience that later inspired the novel Moby-Dick.

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland, Ben Whishaw, Brendan Gleeson.

Cover ImageThe Light Between Oceans

A lighthouse keeper, living off the coast of Australia with his wife, finds a baby on an adrift rowboat. They rescue and raise the child as their own, changing their lives and that of a stranger.

Starring Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Rachel Weisz, Bryan Brown, Jack Thompson.

Cover ImageMaster and Commander the Far Side of the World

A sudden attack by a French warship inflicts casualties and severe damage upon his vessel, and a Captain of the British Royal Navy is torn between duty and friendship as he embarks on a thrilling high stakes chase across two oceans to capture the enemy.

Starring Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, James D’Arcy, Edward Woodall, Chris Larkin, Max Pirkis, Jack Randall, Max Benitz, Lee Ingleby.

Cover ImageKon-Tiki

This story is based on the true adventures of Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl who crossed the Pacific Ocean in a balsa wood raft in 1947, together with five men, to prove that South Americans back in pre-Columbian times could have crossed the sea to settle on Polynesian islands. After gathering financing for the trip with loans and donations, they set off on an epic 101-day-long journey across eight thousand kilometers, all while the world was watching.

Starring Pål Sverre Hagen, Anders Baasmo Christiansen, Tobias Santelmann.

Cover ImageCaptain Phillips

Based on the true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, which was the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.

Starring Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi.

Cover ImageAll is Lost

The tale of a lone sailor’s fight for survival after his boat is damaged in the Indian Ocean.

Starring Robert Redford.

 

Cover ImageSoul Surfer

The incredible true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcomes all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith.

Starring AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, Lorraine Nicholson, Carrie Underwood.

Cover ImageUSS Indianapolis Men of Courage

The story of the crew of the U.S.S. Indianapolis, which was sunk in shark-infested waters after delivering the first atomic bomb during the waning days of World War II.

Starring Nicolas Cage, Matt Lanter, James Remar, Brian Presley, Johnny Wactor, Adam Scott Miller, Cody Walker, Callard Harris, Yutaka Takeuchi, Mandela van Peebles, Craig Tate, Joey Capone, Emily Tennant, Weronika Rosati, Shamar Sanders, Max Ryan, José Julián, Patrice Cols, Tom Sizemore, Thomas Jane.

Cover ImageCast Away

Chuck Noland, a FedEx systems engineer, finds his by-the-clock existence and relationship with Ph.D. candidate Kelly Frears abruptly ended when a plane crash leaves him alone on a tropical island. In his struggles for survival, he begins a new personal journey.

Starring Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Nick Searcy.

 

Discover more with the Summer Sampler

New this summer! Discover library programs and highlights from all over the county with the adult Summer Sampler! The weekly Summer Sampler features booklists, recipes, area attractions to enjoy and lots of other fun activities for the summer. Additionally, the sampler highlights events specifically for adults happening at libraries throughout Allegheny County.

Find copies printed each week in the Reference Department at Sewickley Public Library.


The Summer Sampler is provided by the Allegheny County Library Association and participating libraries.

Summer Reading Returns June 6

Summer Reading Returns June 6

The Summer Reading Program at the Sewickley Public Library is for more than just kids! Adults can get in on this fun, summer reading challenge, too. Discover Oceans of Possibilities with us as we navigate a summer of fun for all-ages from June 6 – August 6.

The point of summer reading is to enjoy reading for pleasure. You can set your own reading goals for the summer or see what you can accomplish without limits. The summer reading program offers incentives and benchmarks to keep you motivated. Plus, when you log the minutes you read, you earn chances to win awesome prizes! Here’s a breakdown of the treasures we have up for grabs this year:

  • REGISTRATION PRIZE: Just for signing up for Summer Reading, you’ll be entered to win a $25 gift card to Mediterra Cafe. (Must be registered by Monday, June 6th to be eligible.)
  • WEEKLY PRIZES: Each week, we’ll draw the name of one person who has logged minutes during that week. The more minutes you log, the more chances you have to win prizes. Winner can select a $50 gift card to the local business of your choice.
  • COMPLETION PRIZENew this year! If you read for 50 hours this summer and unlock all 11 logging badges, you earn a special prize for being a dedicated reader and completing the challenge! You’ll have your choice of $5 gift card to one of the following businesses: Sewickley Confectionery, Crazy Mocha, OR Ultimate Pastry Shop
  • GRAND PRIZE: At the end of the program, we’ll choose a GRAND PRIZE winner from all participants. Even if you’ve won a weekly prize, you are still eligible to win the grand prize! The Grand Prize winner will receive a $150 gift card to any business of their choice.

How do you get started? Just sign up! Register for the Summer Reading Program here. If you register by June 6, you’ll be eligible for the early registration prize! Even if you sign up and forget to log daily, or even every week (we get it, life’s busy!) – you’ll still be eligible for the weeks you do log and for the grand prize drawing at the end of the summer.

PLUS – back by popular demand is the 2022 Summer Reading BINGO game! Step out of your comfort zone when you aim to read through the suggested categories to get a BINGO and win a prize. Everyone who earns a bingo will get to pick a free book from our prize cart! Pick up a BINGO card at the library or print one out here.

Questions? Try our Summer Reading FAQ or view our video tutorials!

Happy *summer* reading!

Summer In Review

Summer In Review

The 2021 Adult Summer Reading Program has finally come to a close. As we reflect on this past summer of logging, one thing is very clear: we have some seriously dedicated readers in this community! Give yourselves a round of applause ???

We had 176 adults participate in this year’s program and together they logged over 236,800 minutes! That’s just shy of 4,000 hours of reading. In that many hours, you could drive back and forth from Sewickley, PA to Los Angeles, CA 100 times and still have hundreds of hours to spare.  Our point is, that’s a lot of time spent reading and we think it should be commended! So we’re going to highlight the weekly winners and top readers from this year’s Adult Summer Reading Program.

Summer Reading Winners

Week 1 – Lori W
Week 2 – Marc F
Week 3 – Tess R
Week 4 – Jenny B
Week 5 – Nicole D
Week 6 – Ellie Z
Week 7 – Lara H
Week 8 – Michelle W

Grand Prize Winner – Tara C


Adult Summer Reading – Top Readers

Name                      Minutes Logged
Tess R                      18,475
Karen P                        8,975
Kimberly A                        8,612
Michelle W                        8,255
Mae R                        7,560
Tara C                        7,256
Lori W                        7,018
Miriam T                        7,001
Diane P                        6,288
Staci D                        6,260

 

Congratulations to all our winners & our readers! We hope you enjoyed participating in the Summer Reading Program. To learn more about what’s happening at Sewickley Public Library, check out our Event Calendar and/or sign up for our Weekly Emails!

Beach Reads: Books to Take With You on Your Summer Vacation

Ah, summer. Whether you’re working on your tan or catching some Z’s, a good book is always a great addition to throw into your beach bag. If you’re looking for something to read as you lounge on the sand, here are some great choices! And if you’re stuck at home this summer, worry not! These books also do well on solid ground!

Make sure you sign up for our Summer Reading Program, which runs from June 10 to August 10, for a chance to win some amazing prizes!

 

Read more

Rave Reviews from Summer Reading 2015

Summer is winding down, but are you still looking for something to read? Here are some of the books patrons rated highly in the summer reading program and what they had to say.

FICTION

God Help the ChildGod Help the Child
Toni Morrison
“This is Toni Morrison’s latest book and it is, like all of her novels, amazing. The story is set in modern day and is riveting. I could not put it down.”

 

 

The Chaperone
Laura Moriarty
“I have a new favorite author!”

 

 

 

The Girl Who Chased the Moon
Sarah Addison Allen

“I love the novels that this author writes! This is one of my favorites because it combines magic with small town living. Where two women and a town are healing from a tragic event from the past. It also combines a bit of romance in with the mystery of that tragic event.”

 

Light Between the Oceans The Light Between Oceans
M.L. Stedman
“This book grabs your attention and holds it until the very last page. It took me two days to read, and I loved every minute of it. The    way  it’s  written makes it seem like a fairytale, but the actual storyline is touching and sad. Highly recommend.”

 

 

 

NONFICTION

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban I am Malala
Christina Lamb and Malala Yousafzai
“Incredibly inspirational and poignant read. Highly recommend to everyone. Gives a detailed description of history in Pakistan, of       her life, and of her movement to have widespread education.”

 

 

The Boys in the BoatBoys in the Boat
Daniel James Brown
“Super! Excellent education about crew, (history, boats, important persons involved in development), fine and in depth development of individuals, highs & lows…highly recommend!”