SummerQuest 11 Hint

Hint: You do not have to recommend the book to someone you know. You can choose to recommend it to a stranger, a celebrity, a librarian, a politician or a fictional character.

SummerQuest 11

An ongoing quest in any bibliophile's life is to read through that list of "to read" books. For today's quest, go through your list and pick out a book somebody recommended to you to read. Don't have any recommendations? Any book recommended on the Ravenous Readers blog will do, or find the "Get Personalized Good Reads" link on the library catalog to get a personalized recommendation from a librarian. Your challenge, regardless of whether or not you like the book, is to recommend it to two people whom you think would like it. Tell us the book and whom you recommend it to in the comments.

Achievement 7: Image Unlocked!

The Paiute leader named Tau-gu, revealed in the first segment of this SummerQuest image, is now shown to be standing with his famous acquaintance, John Wesley Powell. Powell explored and surveyed many of the arid lands in the West, and served as the second Director of the United States Geological Survey. He is best known for leading the first known expedition through the Grand Canyon.

To learn more about John Wesley Powell and the scientific advances he made in his time, read some of these suggestions: http://bit.ly/John-Wesley-Powell

What is one of the most famous parts of Arizona? The Grand Canyon surely must be one of the top contenders. If you can't go up there this summer, explore some of the books, movies, and more to be found through this link. http://bit.ly/Grand-Canyon

This public domain photograph was believed to have been taken by Frederick Samuel Dellenbaugh and dates from between 1871 and 1874. The original photograph is archived by the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University.

SummerQuest 10 Hint

Hint: Did you find your pattern online? In a book? Did you try our Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center database?

SummerQuest 10

Your quest, should you choose to accept it, is: make a craft from a pattern. Your challenge is to create your own pattern to share and post it on Instructables or another free craft site. Post a description and a link in the comments.

SummerQuest 9 Hint

Hint: Need some inspiration? Check out the library's Outdoor Adventures page.

SummerQuest 9

What does every epic quest have in common? Heroic acts of valor in the face of evil? Inexplicably keeping your hair looking awesome even as you go for weeks without a shower? Awesome swords?! No, no, and nope!  Every quest involves lots of hiking from place to place! Take up the mantle of epic fantasy hero as you hike, whether it's deep into rugged mountains, parched desert, or across town. Your challenge is to take a picture when you reach your destination and post it on flickr, or describe your trek in the comments section. Five responses will complete this quest and unlock the next piece of the puzzle!

SummerQuest 8 Hint

Your hint: Check out Tucson Museum of Art's website and type "artist built studio" into their search function.

SummerQuest 8

Today your quest is to visit an art gallery, either in person or virtually. Your challenge is to find the local Tucson artist who built his/her own studio out of adobe. Instead of posting the answer, describe his/her style of artwork, and your favorite thing about it. After 5 people have responded, we will post the answer and unlock the next piece of the picture!

SummerQuest 7 Hint

Hint: Take a look at the Pima County Public Library's "Giving to Charities" webpage.  We also recognize that times are tough and many of us don't always feel like we have anything to give.  Think about what you can give.  Did you donate a plastic bag to the library to be reused as a book bag? Did you pass up on a bag at your favorite store and leave a token instead? Maybe you gave someone change for a soda or shared your lunch. Remember that no matter how small, caring gestures always make an impact.

Achievement 6: Image Unlocked!

Continuing the theme previously unlocked, the arches at Tumacácori speak eloquently to the time when Father Kino arrived in the lands of the O'odham, carrying the architecture of Old Spain and ushering in so many of the changes that transformed Arizona into the place it is today... even the many saguaro cactus that remain only as skeletons of their former selves, the face of the swelling population that moved to Arizona over the centuries.

Can I suggest you might go visit the Tumacácori National Historical Park and count that as one of your "Explore" activities? Before you go, read about the monument's history, by trying one of these: http://bit.ly/tumacacori

If learning more about saguaros sounds more interesting, there's plenty to choose from here: http://bit.ly/about-saguaros You know it is pronounced "sah-WAH-row" don't you?

The image of Tumacacori was made available courtesy of photographer Ken Lund through a Creative Commons license: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kenlund/3443102021/in/photostream/

SummerQuest 7

The luckiest of heroes have a fairy godmother who blesses their quest with gifts or magical endowments. In real life, not everyone is so lucky, which is why your quest today is to be someone else's fairy godmother and explore philanthropy by making a donation. There are numerous organizations to which you can donate, especially local Tucson groups. Your challenge is to discover the many different ways you can donate to the Friends of the Public Library and make a donation either there or to another organization. In the comments, please tell us who you chose to bless and one thing you love about that organization. After five comments, another piece of the picture gets unlocked.

SummerQuest 6 Hint

Hint: Looking for inspiration? Try searching online for "maps of fictional places."

SummerQuest 6

This quest might look easy, but there's more to it than meets the eye! Draw a map. Sounds easy, right? Well, here's your challenge: draw a map of a fictional place from a favorite book, and share it by posting it to Flickr or another website where you can share pictures. Leave a comment with a description and link for the rest of us to admire both your drawing skills and literary taste! After five responses, we'll unlock another piece of the picture.

Achievement 5: Image Unlocked!

The magnificent saguaro stands on a skyline, aged and dimming into history. Or is that just an imaginary idea about what the Old West was, promulgated by Hollywood?

The White Dove of the Desert, San Xavier del Bac, is an iconic monument to the genuine history of southern Arizona. Find out more about San Xavier though this link: http://bit.ly/San-Xavier

Are you curious about what the Old West was really like, here in Arizona and around the southwest? Try one of these books or videos: http://bit.ly/the-old-west.

Maybe you'd like to relax with a bit of that Hollywood history, movies featuring the old and the new southwest: http://bit.ly/movies-about-the-west

SummerQuest 5 Hint

Your hint: Check out ALA's frequently challenged books list for current titles that are frequently challenged in the United States, or ALA's frequently challenged classics book list for classic literature that has faced attacks on your right to decide for yourself what to read.

SummerQuest 5

The character of a hero is shown by undertaking quests that are dangerous, challenging, and a test of will and fortitude. Your quest is to find and read a banned book -- a book that someone, somewhere, believes neither you nor anyone else like you should be allowed to read. Your challenge is to write about the book once you have finished reading it, regardless of whether or not you liked it. Write about it on a blog, or review it on a bookseller site like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Bookmans, on Goodreads or LibraryThing. Then let us know where you put it! After five people have responded, we will unlock another piece of the picture.

SummerQuest 4 Hint

Hint: Check out the Librarian Files on our website and search for "ghosts."

Achievement 4: Image Unlocked!

The roadrunner is an iconic image of Arizona. A member of the cuckoo family, roadrunners can really cover ground -- up to 20 miles per hour! But do you know if they can fly? To find out, you might look into some of the library's books about roadrunners and other desert wildlife.

To find out roadrunners, read one of these books: http://bit.ly/about-roadrunners

To find about desert ecosystems and the animals we share the state with, I bet you will find something interesting here: http://bit.ly/arizona-natural-history

SummerQuest 4

This quest is not for the faint of heart. By the light of a candle (or a flashlight) in the darkest of night, read a ghost story. If you thought that was your challenge, think again: we challenge you to find a real life Tucson ghost story, and post a brief summary in the comments. After five people have responded, we'll unlock another piece of the puzzle.

Achievement 3: Image Unlocked!

The photograph in the upper left is of John A. Rockfellow, and was taken in 1933. Rockfellow came west from New York state in the 1870s, and prospected in southern Arizona for several years. Eventually he homesteaded in the Cochise Stronghold near Willcox in 1883 and formed the NY Ranch with several partners. Rockfellow was also a surveyor and mapmaker, and an early engineering professor at the University of Arizona. He wrote a book about his experiences, entitled Log of an Arizona Trail Blazer, in 1933.

Image graciously provided by Lisa Waite Bunker from her family's photographs.

Achievement 2: Image Unlocked!

Flash of lightning! Rumble and crack of thunder! Monsoon season in Arizona brings spectacular lightning storms, and much-needed water to the desert lowlands of the state.

To read more about Arizona's monsoon weather -- it will be here before you know it -- start here: http://bit.ly/Arizona-monsoons

If you're interesting in learning about weather (specifically extreme weather!), give this link a try: http://bit.ly/disastrous-weather

SummerQuest 3 Hint

Hint: Use Google or some other search engine to search using the terms: "cattle tank, gardens, Tucson."