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Sunday, September 25, 2011

Series for September
Marissa Creamer
9/16/11

Rowan Public Library has some fresh new releases in some of our favorite series for teens and younger readers:

Gilda Joyce, everyone’s favorite psychic detective, is back with another adventure in “The Bones of the Holy,” by Jennifer Allison. The fifth installment of this popular mystery series finds Gilda in St. Augustine, Florida, reportedly one of the most haunted cities in the U.S. Although relishing the ghostly atmosphere of this historic city, Gilda is concerned about her mother’s impending wedding to Eugene Pook, an antiques dealer. Her “psychic signal” warns her that something is wrong. What happened to Eugene’s former fiancĂ©, who mysteriously vanished many years ago? Who is the ghostly woman in white, who appears in Gilda’s dreams? (And will Gilda really ask Eugene to complete “The Joyce Family Application?”) You won’t want to miss Gilda’s most ghostly adventure yet.

Ally Carter brings us a new “Heist Society” novel: “Uncommon Criminals.” Raised in a family of art thieves, Katarina Bishop has decided to rebel by using her skills to return items to their rightful owners. Returning priceless objects of art plundered by the Nazis is one thing, but stealing the infamous Cleopatra Emerald from an unscrupulous dealer is another job altogether. Kat will need to assemble her team of cohorts and concoct a scheme to liberate the jewel, which has not been seen in public in thirty years and is said to be cursed. Could Kat be in over her head this time? It’s another whirlwind adventure around the globe as Kat seeks the elusive Cleopatra. Will she be able to dodge the curse and return the emerald to its rightful owners?

Speaking of curses, are the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place really under a curse, as Madame Ioneseco says? There certainly are mysterious goings on when the three feral children and their governess, the unflappable Penelope Lumley, are sent to London in “The Hidden Gallery,” the latest Incorrigible adventure by Maryrose Wood. The children have made much progress since last we saw them. They hardly ever howl at the moon, and for the most part, they resist the urge to chase squirrels up trees. (But encountering the palace guards in their bearskin hats may prove to be a bit of a challenge.) This entertaining tale features a mysterious fortune-teller with an ominous warning, a horde of angry pirates, a secret passageway, and some very strange behavior by Lord Ashton during the full moon. Be on the lookout for clues to the children’s (and possibly Penelope’s) mysterious past.

Come to Rowan Public Library, where you can find the complete series for each of these exciting titles.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

HIT THE ROAD
PAUL BIRKHEAD – SEPTEMBER 18, 2011

Did you hit the road this summer? My family and I took several trips to see family, so we put a lot of miles on the old minivan. Like the millions of other Americans we joined on the highway, we didn’t give much thought to how smooth and worry-free our trips were thanks to the Interstate Highway System. The Interstate Highway System began in the 1950’s and continues to provide a network of roads that make it relatively painless to drive just about anywhere in the continental United States. If you stop by Rowan Public Library, check out these materials that show just how much travelling by car has progressed through the years.

Just a century ago, travelling across the United States required major planning and a commitment to spend several months doing it. I know that’s hard to imagine, but if you need help, watch Horatio’s Drive, a DVD at Rowan Public Library. Horatio’s Drive is a PBS documentary directed by the legendary Ken Burns. The story features the remarkable journey of Horatio Nelson Jackson, a retired doctor from Vermont, who makes a wager that he can drive a car from San Francisco to New York City in 90 days. Piece of cake, right? Well, the year is 1903 and no one has completed a journey cross country in a car yet. What follows is an exciting tale of Horatio and his companions, auto mechanic Sewall Crocker and a pit bull named Bud. The journey is filled with perils and numerous setbacks. Partway through the trip, others join the race to reach New York City first. Will Horatio win the race or can he even complete it

After watching Horatio’s struggle on the bad roads crossing America, I was really grateful that we now enjoy a network of smooth interstate highways. Just how those highways came to be is a fascinating story in itself. If you’re interested in learning more about it, I recommend Earl Swift’s book, The Big Roads: The Untold Story of the Engineers, Visionaries, and Trailblazers Who Created the American Superhighways. This book sheds some light on some of the characters that helped design and build the interstate system and actually debunks some previously-held myths.

If the subject of automobiles or travelling interests you, or you enjoy learning about the history of America, hop in your car and make the quick trip over to Rowan Public Library.

Just remember to drive safely.