Military Records - Gretchen Beilfuss Witt - Library Notes

Gretchen Beilfuss Witt

Library Notes

March 29, 2013

                                                            Military Records

Much of our public historical focus has recently been on the 150^th anniversary of the American Civil War.   One of our most heavily used collections in the library is the North Carolina Confederate Troops Compiled Service Records.   North Carolina had more participants in the Confederacy than any other Southern State.  These records on microfilm indicate a serviceman’s participation in the war effort, when they appeared at roll call or if they were absent, if they were prisoners of war or in hospital.  If you are lucky some of the records include letters of commendation, reports or other interesting documents or correspondence.   The History Room also has pension records for North Carolina soldiers of the Civil War.  These pensions were awarded to the soldier or his wife, if deceased, and in some cases to his parents if they had relied on him for there livelihood.  Pensions were given by the state of North Carolina, not the federal government, and were awarded at the county level.   These records are invaluable for genealogical research.

With the focus on the sesquicentennial, we forget that we are fast approaching the 100^th anniversary of the beginning of World War I [WWI], 1914.  Despite the fact that the Americans came late into the war, not declaring war until 1917, the United States citizens contributed greatly to this conflict.  Just recently, with the help of the Genealogical Society of Rowan County, the History Room was able to acquire a similar set of military records pertaining to WWI.  These records were compiled by the WPA [Works Progress Administration] which actively saved many of our older records by re-writing  and preserving many local accounts of all types of activities.  The World War I Service Card Files were created as a response to acts of the Congress in 1919 and 1922 requesting the Adjutant General of the US provide individual states with a statement of service for the men and women from that state who served during WWI.  The cards for those personnel from North Carolina were provided to the Adjutant General of North Carolina on February 14, 1924.  The cards contain the records of officers, nurses and enlisted men from all three branches of service.  The records seem to have included everyone whether or not they were killed in action, died of wounds or disease or were living.  For example, Roscoe A. Page born in Salisbury enlisted on June 1, 1917 at 21 and 11/12 years of age.  He was sent overseas in September of 1918 and was honorably discharged in July of 1919 having suffered no wounds.  A neighbor from Guilford, Lt. John Paisley faired less well; he was killed in action in France June 21, 1918 and buried there.  These cards too are helpful in genealogical research often stating where the person was born, where they lived at the time of enlistment, parents or spouses, where they received military training, what engagements they were involved in during the war, their regiments and any awards.  The information is listed alphabetically by person rather than by individual towns or counties.  This new microfilm, a treasure trove of information, includes all service personnel in North Carolina. 

Along with these newly acquired records, the History Room also provides access to Ancestry.  Ancestry hosts a variety of records, including the Draft registration cards of WWI.  The draft registration does not indicate military service; however, 24 million or approximately 98% of all men under the age of 46 living in the United States actually registered.  The population of the US at the time was around 100 million people so using the WWI Draft registration database provides the names of nearly one quarter of the population whether they were new immigrates, naturalized or born here.   Together these databases can provide a unique picture of an ancestor and provide some interesting tidbits of U.S. History. 

Happy Hunting!

Library Notes



Rebecca Hyde

Children reading about the March family in Louisa May Alcott’s novel “Little Women” are also learning about Louisa’s own Alcott family during the Civil War and life in New England. Older readers can revisit the March/Alcott family in several recently published books focusing on the relationship of Louisa and her parents, and intellectual life in nineteenth-century America.

Eve LaPlante is the author of “Marmee & Louisa: The Untold Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Mother,” and of a companion volume, “My Heart is Boundless: Writings of Abigail May Alcott, Louisa’s Mother.” LaPlante is a great-niece of Abigail and a first cousin of Louisa. The discovery in a trunk of a cache of letters and journals (supposedly burned) written by Abigail led to a series of discoveries in scattered archival collections, which provided a window into Louisa May Alcott’s portrait of her family.

It seems that Louisa’s childhood was much harsher than that of the March family in “Little Women.” Bronson Alcott was a brilliant, outspoken idealist, but as a husband and father, he fell short. The marriage was marked by conflict, long absences, and a refusal to work for money. Divorce was discussed. Abigail filled in for her absent husband and supported the family by becoming a social worker and an employment agent. She encouraged a very young Louisa to write and shared her own girlhood journals with her daughter. (Abigail had a surprisingly happy life growing up.) Abigail was confidant of her child’s talent; Bronson was troubled by the “darker temperament” Louisa shared with his wife.

LaPlante concludes Louisa incorporated her mother’s younger, happier life into “Little Women,” into the portrait of Jo. Louisa saved her own girlhood troubles for her later, more adult novels.

Two other books focus on Louisa and her father and their close circle of friends. “Eden’s Outcasts,” by John Matteson, tells the story Bronson Alcott and Louisa, of their father-daughter relationship and as adults, living lives inspired by ideas of writing and reform. Bronson’s utopian ventures failed but the Alcott family’s living drama was turned into Louisa’s literary success with the publication of “Little Women.” And, to his credit, Bronson finally appreciated his daughter. For her part, she was steadfast through his stroke and life as an invalid.

“The Concord Quartet: Alcott, Emerson, Hawthorne, Thoreau, and the Friendship That Freed the American Mind,” by Samuel A. Schreiner, recreates the drama of the four men’s lives. It’s the story of “friendship in action”: of shared everyday life and a powerful philosophical conviction that “the soul had inherent power to grasp the truth” and that “the truth would make men free.”

Library Notes
April Everett
March 17, 2013
Bless this [Un]Happy Home

We had watched our share of house-hunting shows on TV.  We weren’t like those people, always demanding more space, expecting perfect paint colors, paying more attention to the curtains than the HVAC.  No, we weren’t like those people, we were DIYers.  We didn’t want a fixer-upper, but we weren’t afraid to get a little dirt under our nails.

When we closed on our house, we got the keys and jumped right in.  The furnace wouldn’t cut on, one of the walls upstairs crumbled to the ground with a mere thump, and the bathroom floor turned out to be rotting from water damage.  It felt like a scene out of that 80s classic The Money Pit (starring Tom Hanks).
That was almost three years ago, and since then our house has quite marvelously become a very happy home.  We have learned so much as we drywalled, sanded, painted, installed p-traps, and replaced flooring.  This article is not intended to be a laundry list of laudable improvements we have made; rather, my hope is that it will inspire those of you who may find yourselves with a home that’s more fixer than upper.  Spring is only a few short days away and the library has so many wonderful resources to help you patch and perk up your dwelling place:

HOME REPAIR
Help, it's broken! : A Fix-it Bible for the Repair-Impaired by Arianne Cohen is an excellent one-stop shop for anything from fishing your wedding ring out of the sink to installing a garbage disposal.  In addition to the many real-life scenarios, Cohen also shares a yearly maintenance guide to help you avoid repairs.
Wiring 101 : 25 Projects You Really Can Do Yourself by Jodie Carter and Plumbing : Basic, Intermediate & Advanced Projects by Merle Henkenius are packed with detailed, step-by-step instructions.  Projects are arranged in order of complexity, and the authors steer clear of jargon.

HOME IMPROVEMENT
As a home owner, one of the hardest decisions I have made is paint color.  The Art of Exterior Painting : A Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing Colors and Painting your Home by Leslie Harrington and James Martin is an excellent resource for the indecisive painter, with full-color photos and lots of advice on blending in, accenting architecture, and techniques.

Thrifty DIYers will appreciate Budget Makeovers : Give Your Home a New Look edited by Jean Nayar.  Kitchen Makeovers for Any Budget by Chris Gleason is full of advice on when and how to refinish cabinets, and details four complete modeling projects.

LAWN & GARDEN
If you’re looking to spruce up your deck or patio, look no further than Deckscaping: Gardening and Landscaping on and Around Your Deck by Barbara W. Ellis.  This book gives advice on landscaping and planting techniques as well as furniture choices, water features, and ornaments.
If you’re ready to move off the deck and tackle the yard, the New Complete Home Landscaping by Catriona Tudor Erler is a comprehensive guide to landscape design.  Erler explains design elements, offers tips on adding features, and advises readers on what to plant.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS
In addition to our books, DVDs, and databases, the library offers a variety of programming for all ages.  This spring, the library will offer a home organizing workshop on Saturday, April 20th, and a home gardening workshop on Monday, April 23rd.  Visit the library in-person or online at www.rowanpubliclibrary.org for more details.  Best wishes on all your home improvement projects!

Library Notes
John Tucker
Finding and Mapping your Course-Orienteering

    A new craze has taken hold in Charlotte and throughout the south-Orienteering.   It is the skill of charting and finding your way by use of a compass and map.  This outdoor activity began in 1919 by a Swiss scout leader who believed that the activity was not simply a survival skill, but a fun event for scouts and families.   In the year 1961, the International Orienteering Federation was formed and in 1971 the United States Orienteering Federation became a reality.  Orienteering has been a long time competition in the Olympics but until recently was only talked about in circles of Boy and Girl Scouts.  The Public Library has always been the go-to-resource for finding your way with information and this skill of Orienteering is no different.

    The Scout Merit Badge Series; “Orienteering” published by the Boy Scouts of America would be the first resource to investigate.  This booklet describes the fun in learning to use a compass and a map.  It sounds so basic, but the truth is that explorers like Lewis and Clark, Marco Polo, and Amelia Earhart used these same skills to cross many new horizons.  Today, competitions for Orienteers are growing in number at scout camps and merit badge outings, but also local programs for families and teams of friends.   This book presents two types of Orienteering, score orienteering and cross country orienteering.  The later event is like the television show the Great Race-finding one’s way around the countryside unassisted.  After reading this text we might leave the GPS device at home and participate in the skill that will keep us from getting lost in the world.

    A second book to investigate is “Maps and Compass: the Complete Orienteering Handbook” written by Bjorn Kjellstrom.   Being oriented to one’s surroundings and charting a course through the unknown sounds like a true skill for life.  Orienting skills are used by surveyors, engineers, military personal, hunters and fishermen, backpackers, sailors, and camp counselors searching for “lost sheep”, cross-country runners and cyclists who chose their routes as opposed to following a predetermined course.   For most of us orienteering skills solely embrace our ability to read a road map in preparation of  a family vacation.  This text is broken up into user friendly chapters beginning with map reading, compass skills and then the adventure of putting them together in the field.

    A third resource to consider is titled “Orienteering: The Skills of the Game” by Carol McNeill.   For those who are competitively minded this book will help to refine your skills.  From experienced guides to young  explorers this book will help you enjoy your time in the field.  Skills covered include: aiming off, punch and run, and running on the compass needle.  Speed is the main point in this text so that you can increase the odds that your team will come in first place.

    Getting oriented is indeed a life skill that enables us to select a course, map out our path, and check our progress along the way.  We all look for help when “orienting ourselves” in a new direction such as times of a career change, education or finding a job.  We map out our career path and obstacles that might challenge our charted path.  As an avid sailor I would not be able to sail the lakes, rivers and waterways of North Carolina unless I had and followed an accurate map.  Such maps keep me safe as well as those who travel with me.  The same holds true for planes, trains and automobiles.  Remember that LIFE happens along the journey and not simply at the end of the road.  Our lives are better enriched as we become oriented to our surroundings.  This process can begin with a single trip to the public library.  We simply need to know which direction we wish to discover.  Happy Reading!

Library Notes
March 3, 2013
Erika Kosin

Dr. Seuss and Beginning Readers

    Each year thousands of children’s books are published due to the various stages of development and reading abilities of children such as chapter books, picture books, and informational books, but there are also books that help children learn their reading independence called beginning readers.  Beginning Readers are those books that help children transition from having picture books read to them to reading books on their own.  They are great for building basic vocabularies and providing context for new words to help encourage children as they learn to read.  Beginning readers may take the form of early chapter books, known to libraries as the “easy readers”, or they may fall into the picture book category, using distinct vocabulary and large format pictures as Move Over, Rover!  by Karen Beaumont and Not a Box  by Antoinette Portis.

Since 2006, the Assocation for Library Services to Children (ALSC) a division of the American Library Association (ALA) has an annual award to the “author and illustrator of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers, recognizing the winner’s literary and artistic achievements in demonstrating creativity and imagination to engage children in reading”.  This award has been appropriately named the (Theodor Seuss) Geisel Award.  Past winners and honor books have included picture books and “easy readers”, but they all have a story told in words and pictures that an emergent reader can use to learn to read on their own. 

    Why would Theodor Geisel, best known as Dr. Seuss, have this award named after him?  Not only are his books funny and popular, but The Cat in the Hat was created to provide first graders with a new reading primer that they would not want to put down using only 225 words (it actually ended up with 236) from a list of 348.  The Cat in the Hat was so successful that Geisel and his wife decided to launch “Beginner books” a division of Random House publishers that would focus on fun reading primers for children.  With this imprint, the first Berenstain Bears book and P.D. Eastman’s Go Dog Go were published along with another challenge for Dr. Seuss, a book with only 50 words, Green Eggs and Ham.  This endeavor has led to the standard in children’s beginning reader books, a fun story with a limited number of words that encourages children to learn to read.  

Some favorite characters for beginning readers that can be found at the Rowan Public Library, by those other than Dr. Seuss, include:
 “Elephant and Piggie” series by Mo Willems – Elephant and Piggie are best friends, even though they are very different.  Look for special guest Pigeon on the back cover of each book!
“Frog and Toad” by Arnold Lobel – Each book includes five short adventures of frog and his friend Toad, from flying a kite, to cleaning house, each adventure will keep kids entertained.  While published too early to win an award, a definite favorite among children.

“Fly Guy” series by Tedd Arnold – Follows the adventures of Fly Guy, an actual fly, and his human friend Buzz. 
“Pearl and Wagner” by Kate McMullan – Tells about the adventures of two unlikely friends   Pearl, a hardworking rabbit, and Wagner, a daydreaming mouse, as they spend time in and out of the classroom.
“Henry and Mudge” by Cynthia Rylant – Henry learns about life, loyalty and love with the help of his bullmastiff Mudge.

   

Library Notes
February 24, 2013
Dara L. Cain


The Caldecott Medal: Celebrating 75 Years of Distinguished Picture Books

January 28th was a very exciting day in the library community!  At the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle “approximately 12,500 webcast viewers joined more than 1,300 onsite audience members for the 2013 ALSC book and media awards.”  This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Caldecott Medal which was established in 1938 and named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustration Randolph J. Caldecott.  “This medal is to be given to the artist who has created the most distinguished picture book of the year.” 

    The prestigious Caldecott Medal was awarded this year to This Is Not My Hat illustrated and written by Jon Klassen.  In this humorous story a little fish knows that it is wrong to steal a hat from a sleeping big fish but decides he can’t help it if the hat fits him perfectly.  There’s just one problem!  The unsuspecting little fish doesn’t realize that the big fish wants his hat back, and rightfully so.  Readers will enjoy anticipating the consequences as the big fish chases the unsuspecting little fish. 

    The Caldecott committee selected five Honor Books this year noteworthy of attention.  Creepy Carrots! illustrated by Peter Brown and written by Aaron Reynolds is a cleverly-frightful tale. Jasper Rabbit insists on eating the best carrots grown in Crackenhopper Field every morning, noon, and night.  Things take an unsuspecting turn for Jasper when he senses that he is being followed.  Is it Jasper or are the carrots from Crackenhopper Field “creeping” up on him everywhere he goes?  Taking matters into his own hands Jasper comes up with a plan to keep the creepy carrots inside the carrot patch permanently.

    Extra Yarn illustrated by Jon Klassen and written by Mac Barnett takes place in a cold soot covered town where a young girl named Annabelle discovers a mysterious box filled with colored yarn. After knitting a sweater for herself, her dog, a boy and his dog, her classmates, her teacher, her parents, the people in town, and the buildings it seems that there is an infinite supply of yarn in the box.  When the archduke arrives and demands that Annabelle sell him the magic box, she refuses, and he decides to steal it.  Much to his dismay he finds the box empty and tosses the box into the sea.  Magically, the box finds its way back to a happy Annabelle who has transformed the town from black soot to a plethora of beautiful colors.

How many kinds of green are there?  There’s forest green, sea green, jungle green and khaki green just to name a few!  Green illustrated and written by Laura Vaccaro Seeger is an engaging concept book that explores the color green using cleverly positioned die-cuts of varying sizes, shapes, and quantities that form unexpected connections between adjacent spreads.  A “slow green” inchworm becomes the hook on which hangs a “faded green” sign and the “glow green” fireflies become the leaves on the “shaded green” tree.  Seeger takes it one step further by discussing the absence of green:  a stop sign is “never green” to the “forever green:” a child planting a seedling that becomes a massive tree. 

Elliot, a quiet boy who enjoys wearing tuxedos, discovers during his visit to the aquarium that a penguin would be the perfect pet.  What could be more wonderful than a “properly dressed” penguin! In the story One Cool Friend, illustrated by David Small and written by Toni Buzzeo, an absentminded father agrees to his son’s request. In this humorous tale Elliot sees to it that his penguin named Magellan receives the upmost care after doing the proper research.  He creates a home for him at night in the freezer with a supply of frozen seafood to eat. During the day he lets him splash around in a tub of ice water. In his bedroom there is even an ice skating rink created from a backyard wading pool and an air conditioner. How will Elliot’s father react when he realizes what he has agreed to?

Does the phrase, “I’m not tired” and “I’m just not sleepy” sound familiar to any parents?  In the charming bedtime story Sleep Like a Tiger, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski and written by Mary Logue, a not-so sleepy girl in a red dress and crown has very understanding parents who innocently coax her to bed as they talk about the ways different animals fall asleep.  The child, snug in her pajamas, imitates each of the animals she talks about - from bears who are “mighty sleepers” to snails that “curl up like a cinnamon roll.”  Finally, she drifts off to sleep imagining herself snuggled into the tiger’s tail while embracing her own stuffed tiger. 


   

Library Notes
Blissful Journeys: One Reader’s Vicarious Trip through Love and Happiness
February 17, 2013
Pam Everhardt Bloom

The thought of February makes me want to cry. Cold weather is not my idea of a good time. Add dark skies and my normally sunny disposition takes a nosedive. In February, I always make the effort to sit in the sun when the occasion presents. I also look for books to lighten my mood.

“Le Road Trip: A Traveler’s Journal of Love and France,” by Vivian Swift fits the bill. Who wouldn’t want to travel vicariously to France when the illustrations so beautifully duplicate a moment in time? The book is filled with hundreds of beautiful watercolors that document the author’s honeymoon journey.  Ms. Swift is a seasoned traveler, as is her new husband, and this memoir/journal is full of tips and musings of their road trip and their leisurely exploration of a much loved and visited France. This is not a guide book in the traditional sense. Instead the book opens with the author’s statement, “Every road trip has its ups and downs, just like a love affair, or the stock market…But more like a love affair.”  With chapters titled “Phase One: Anticipation,” to “Phase Five: The Going Gets Tough,” this book might make the perfect belated Valentine gift to yourself in the cold dreary month of February.

A selection that unexpectedly fit my category of light fare and a book I continue to think about is, “Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World” by Eric Weiner. Weiner, a foreign correspondent for National Public Radio has reported a multitude of sad situations throughout the world. This time the field of positive psychology becomes Weiner’s guidepost as he sets out to discover places of bliss. He describes carrying a conviction based on a Henry Miller saying, “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”

See them I did and I laughed out loud while reading this book. Ten countries in ten chapters with an introduction and epilogue; at the very least you might just find a new understanding of happiness. Or like me, a newfound obsession with Iceland. (Note: Asheville, N.C. is mentioned in one chapter.)  The book on CD is also available at the library and I intend to listen to Weiner reading his book as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, I’m currently reading “12,000 Miles in the Nick of Time: A Semi-Dysfunctional Family Circumnavigates the Globe” by Mark Jacobson. Jacobson, a respected writer and journalist, sets off on a three month journey with his wife and three children, ages 16, 12, and 9. Light fare from a man who is known for exploring the seamy side of urban life? The first chapter, “Burning is Learning,” finds the family at the Holy River Ganges witnessing a cremation. Decidedly different from my view of world travel, I’m laughing by chapter two as I read Jacobson’s rational for whisking his children away from Brooklyn, N.Y.; “The biggest swindle in the history of the species was underway right here in the U.S.A. Corporate social engineers, closet Mengeles every last one of them, had dismantled the stages of human development… Like Moses, I would lead my children from pop bondage.” More than just a travel book, this book, like “Le Road Trip,” is a love affair. Jacobson, however, is in love with his children and this book will make any parent smile.

Love of place, love of happiness, love of family; it is a blissful journey for February. My mood has lifted.                                                                                                                                                                                  

Take a delightful dip into thrilling true crime stories


By Edward Hirst

Rowan Public Library

The appeal of historical true crime is not so difficult to imagine: vivid eras are brought to life in these accounts; they are usually well researched. Readers are offered the satisfaction of the compulsion to face the worst in human nature; the assurance that justice has been done, and the chance to empathize with the victims in their hours of need.

Erik Larson conveys what life was like in Chicago as the 19th century drew to a close in the book “The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America.” Chicago’s city leaders were out to prove to the nation and to the world that Chicago was up to the challenge of putting together a monumental World Exposition.

Larson goes into great detail to describe the effort put forth by numerous architects, builders and politicians. He also tells the darker story of H.H. Holmes, whose engaging charm seduced at least a score of unfortunate women, and the activity that took place at a building just a short distance away from the fair site.


“The Great Pearl Heist” is the story of an elaborate criminal scheme that unfolded over a period of several months in 1913 London. The pearls in question were part of a magnificent necklace that had been assembled over a long period by Max Mayer, one of the finest jewelers in London. It was a situation made for a heist, and one of the greatest criminals of the period, Joseph Grizzard, seized the opportunity to make it.


Fortunately for law and order, the London’s Scotland Yard and the underwriter who had insured the necklace for Lloyd’s of London were just as inventive and daring.


In “The Girls of Murder City: Fame, Lust, and the Beautiful Killers Who Inspired Chicago,” Douglas Perry writes about Maurine Watkins, a girl reporter with the Chicago Tribune in the 1920s, who was the first to cover the sensational story of two Jazz Age women who killed their men with the same casualness they gave to filing their nails. In this account, journalist Perry illuminates both the murderesses who held court at Cook County Jail and the newspaper writers who showcased them.

Paul French writes in the book “Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China” of a mutilated corpse that is found at the base of Fox Tower on Jan. 8, 1937, which poses a special problem for Peking police.


The victim was a free-spirited young woman named Pamela Werner. When Pamela wasn’t attending school in Tientsin, she lived in Peking with her adoptive father, Edward Werner, a scholar and former British consul. She had been beaten to death and then dumped at Fox Tower.


The British government increased its efforts to impede the investigation, suggesting that a cover-up, if not a full-blown conspiracy, was afoot. Racial bigotry also played a role in the British government’s insistence that the investigation should focus on Chinese rather than foreign residents.

Be sure to stop by Rowan Public Library for your chance to step back in time.

Library Notes


Lynn Denison

January 22, 2013



Now is the time when NASCAR fans are becoming excited about the beginning of a new season. The NASCAR season is the longest running season of any sport in the United States, usually beginning in February and lasting through November. One of our new books at Rowan Public Library is NASCAR Nation, How Racing’s Values Mirror the Nation’s, by Chris Myers. To quote the author, “America is the greatest country on earth. . . . If cars are for most Americans, then NASCAR is also for most Americans. Baseball is American’s pastime and football is American’s passion, but NASCAR is its roots . . . It’s family time and it’s NASCAR time. NASCAR has millions of steadfast fans.”

In NASCAR Nation, longtime Fox Sports broadcaster and NASCAR prerace show host, Chris Myers, makes the case for what makes racing the embodiment of the best that makes America great. As you read this book you’ll enjoy learning about Chris’ experience of going from a NASCAR outsider approximately ten years ago to a part of the inner circle in the close knit NASCAR community that he now calls home. It is a light and easy read and one recommended for those who are new to NASCAR as well as for those who can’t remember when NASCAR wasn’t a big part of their lives.

NASCAR is the highest class of stock car auto racing in the United States. “Stock car” means, in the original sense of the term, an automobile that has not been modified from its original factory configuration. Later the term stock car came to mean any production-based automobile used in racing. This term is used to differentiate such a car from a race car, a special, custom-built car designed only for racing purposes. Today most American stock cars may superficially resemble standard American family sedans, but are in fact purpose-built racing machines built to a strict set of regulations.

For those new and long time racing fans the library has a plethora of books as well as DVDS’s on the subject. One of the DVD’s is Red Dirt Rising, a film that “chronicles the origins of stock car racing during the Fightin’ Forties and explores the origins of what has become one of the most lucrative sporting organizations in the world.” We also have Petty Blue, the story of the Petty family, known as “NASCAR’s royal family of racing;” Together: the Hendrick Motorsports Story; The Ride of Their Lives, and many other NASCAR related DVD’s.

Some of the books we have include In the Blink of the Eye: Dale, Daytona, and the Day that Changed Everything, by Michael Waltrip and Ellis Henican; Growing Up NASCAR: Racing’s Most Outrageous Promoter Tells All, by Humpy Wheeler & Peter Golenbock ; He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back, by Mark Bechtel; Real NASCAR: White Lightning, Red Clay and Big Bill France, by Daniel S. Pierce; and a beautiful book, NASCAR Then & Now by Ben White with many photographs by Nigel Kinrade.

These are just a few of the offerings we have available. Please stop by Rowan Public Library soon to explore these and other materials to increase your knowledge of NASCAR and help you enjoy this exciting racing season even more.

Library Notes
1-20-2013
Marissa Creamer

The Magic of Snow

The hustle and bustle of the holidays is behind us; the glittery decorations have been put away for another year; the giddy euphoria of New Year’s Eve is past. We are left with the stark reality of January, with its resolutions to lose weight and exercise, and the cold, gray, dreariness of winter. In winter we need some magic, some sparkle, something to brighten up the gray landscape; we need snow. There is something magical about the first snowfall; everything looks pristine when covered in a fresh blanket of glistening white. The stark gray trunks of trees are beautiful in contrast; the world is peaceful and quiet.

The mystery of the snowflake has long fascinated humans. The first medieval scientist to examine snowflakes was so astounded by their remarkable symmetry that he wondered if these ice crystals might even have souls. You can explore the magic of snowflakes with “The Snowflake: Winter’s Secret Beauty,” by Kenneth Libbrecht. This fascinating book details what snowflakes are, how they form, and why each one is unique. Libbrecht also discusses snow crystals and what type of weather conditions produce snowflakes. These fleeting works of art were “plucked from the air as they fell” and photographed by Patricia Rasmussen.

Of course, it was the snowflake savant Wilson Bentley who first photographed snowflakes, on his Vermont farm back in 1885. "Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others. Every crystal was a masterpiece of design and no one design was ever repeated. When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost. Just that much beauty was gone, without leaving any record behind." Using a bellows camera with a microscope attached, Bentley was finally able to replicate the visual complexity of a single snow crystal in a photograph. His passion for the amazing diversity of snowflakes led to a collection of over 5000 photographs. Read more about Wilson Bentley and his enthusiasm for snow in the Caldecott Medal-winning children’s book “Snowflake Bentley,” written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, with illustrations by Mary Azarian.

Although snow is a relatively rare occurrence in this area, you can still bring the gossamer beauty of a snowfall into your home with “100 Snowflakes to Crochet,” by Caitlin Sainio. Designed for all skill levels, this book begins with a review of crochet basics, and contains discussions of materials and finishings, the structure of snowflakes, and methods of blocking and starching your creations. The “Snowflake Selector” lets you browse for a pattern that matches your skill level so you can make your own indoor snowdrift. Projects show you inventive ways to use your creations, and include a beautiful “Blizzard Scarf,” snowflake-adorned pillows, framed snowflake art, and a colorful snowflake mobile.

Come to Rowan Public Library for these and other books about snow, and make sure you are well stocked with plenty of reading material in case we actually see some of the white stuff and get snowed in!

New Adventures for a New Year

by Marissa Creamer Rowan Public Library

  

                It’s a new year and Rowan Public Library has new adventures to help you through the doldrums of winter. Curl up with one of these stories featuring young people (and a “space cat”) who embark on a journey and experience exciting adventures:

“The Theory of Everything” by Kari Luna blends realism, science fiction, fantasy, and eighties rock music into an unusual story with heart. Sophie has started yet another high school, but that hasn’t stopped her “episodes.” One minute she’s talking to “Fab Physics Boy,” and the next thing she knows she’s in the middle of a panda marching band. Or watching birds in the wallpaper pattern peel off the wall and fly away. Like her missing theoretical physicist father, Sophie has no control over these visions, and her mother fears she may be suffering from a mental illness. Determined to figure out her visions once and for all, Sophie sets out for New York City to search for her father and learn about his string theory of parallel universes.  Has he become lost in one of these alternate worlds?  Guided by her shaman panda Walt, Sophie learns more about her travel episodes, love, and acceptance.

 Another fourteen year old girl embarking on a journey is featured in the latest Fairyland book by Catherynne Valente. In “The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two,” September is beginning to fear that she will never find her way back to Fairyland when the Blue Wind arrives and winks her “out of the world like a firefly.” Soaring to the moon in her Model A Ford, which seems to be coming to life, September hopes to be reunited with her old friends Elle and Saturday. First, however, she must deliver a package to the Whelk of the Moon. She soon learns that the moon is in danger of being destroyed by the terrible Yeti Cinderskin, and sets out to confront him. Along the way September meets many creatures that guide her as she searches for her path in life.  As usual, Valente’s descriptions are magical: “his clothes flashed—long periwinkle trousers with teal patches and curling cornflower shoes like a jester’s. But what his coat hid within flashed brighter. September gasped. Planets hung on the lining of that thick jacket—small globes full of swirling clouds or shifting seas, continents like tiny chunks of ruby or topaz, cool silver moons and boiling purple suns. Light poured out from the depths of the coat, bathing her in colors.” If you are new to Fairyland, make sure you begin with September’s first visit: “The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.”

In the latest “Binky the Space Cat Adventure” by Ashley Spires, Binky is embarking on a journey as well. In “License to Scratch,” Binky, his assistant space dog Gordie, and commanding officer Gracie see disaster on the horizon at the appearance of “SUITCASES!”  Their humans are about to set off into deep space unprotected! Binky and Gracie are loaded into portable space pods for the long “flight” to the “pet hotel, “which turns out to be...the vet! Will their humans ever return? Agonizing days of boredom lead to an escape attempt and the discovery of sinister goings-on involving aliens (bugs). Sadly, this fifth title is reported to be the last Binky Adventure. Don’t miss out on the trademark combination of dry humor, slapstick, and heart in this graphic novel series for all ages.

Journey to Rowan Public Library for these adventures and find many more.

LIBRARY NOTES

USING LESS IN THE NEW YEAR


PAUL BIRKHEAD

Have you ever noticed the piles of trash that collect on curbsides the day after Christmas? The amount of paper and cardboard that gets thrown away is quite staggering. However, in a day or two, the refuse gets carted away and the problem appears solved, right? Not quite. Let the resources at Rowan Public Library educate you about what happens to all the trash that we generate, why we throw away so much, and what we can do to lessen our impact on the environment.

Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash is a book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward Humes. In Garbology, Humes gives the reader an inside look at what happens to the roughly 102 tons of garbage that an average American generates over a lifetime. The journey from curb to landfill is both fascinating and heartbreaking. It is especially disheartening to learn that edible food makes up a large portion of our trash.

Food waste is the topic of the book, American Wasteland, by Jonathan Bloom. Bloom makes a point that even as grocery prices skyrocket, the amount of food Americans squander continues to increase. One reason might be that Americans are more detached than ever from the sources of their food. Another reason is that fewer Americans have memories of times when food was not in abundance, such as during the Great Depression. The problem of food waste can also be partially blamed on modern technology. In a sad bit of irony, modern-day, efficient refrigerators and freezers have enabled us to keep food longer, but it has also made it easier to forget about food until it’s too late to salvage.

Don’t Throw It Out is a book by the editors of Yankee Magazine. Inside the book are hundreds of nifty and thrifty ideas to help you waste less and save more. Want to get that last bit of ketchup out of the bottle, keep your eggs fresh, or bring biscuits back to life? Practical tips are shared so the reader can tackle questions that crop up in the kitchen. In fact, the book analyzes every room of a typical house and advice is given to “make it last”, “fix it fast”, and “pass it along” the right way.

In the coming year, let us all pledge to be mindful of the three R’s of the environment: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Also, don’t forget to stop by Rowan Public Library and check out a book or two. It’s the ultimate in book recycling.

Library Notes


Rebecca Hyde

December 23, 2012



What do food critics do between meals? How can one plan a life around tasting food, good and bad? Would you want to know a food critic as a friend? Would they be obnoxious, controlling tablemates? For the following writers, food criticism is the art of living.

M. F. K. (Mary Frances Kennedy) Fisher was a writer for whom food was the thread of memories: love of food and a passion for cooking bring together descriptions of friends and meals, social commentary on food preparation and consumption, and advice on how to develop a taste for living. Life is best lived when attention is paid to small details and to relationships: an intermingling of food, love, and security. The young M. F. K. Fisher found life good when eating hoarded chocolate bars at school. When aging and ailing, she recommended the practice of spare but appreciative eating. The last essay in “An Alphabet for Gourmets” collected in “The Art of Eating,” describes the “Perfect Dinner”:

Fisher was a great correspondent. As with cooking, she started early. Letters to friends and family have been collected in “M. F. K. Fisher, a Life in Letters: Correspondence, 1929-1991.” Here again is the thread of interest in developing a discerning taste or mind, whether applied to food or to the complexities of public and home life. Most of her letters begin with a thanks of appreciation for a note received. The importance of other people and the warmth of her interest in them shine forth in Fisher’s letters. In a last letter to good friend and neighbor Lawrence Clark Powell, Fisher speaks of aging and coping and why : “It’s a question of dignity. I don’t know the answer, but it adds enough spice to the dish to make it edible, whether or not I want to eat it. The only answer for that is to say ‘bon appetit’ to myself and to you too. Love,…”

Jeffrey Steingarten is a food critic with a sense of humor. He has collected some of his more outrageous “Vogue” magazine essays in “The Man Who Ate Everything: and Other Gastronomic Feats, Disputes, and Pleasurable Pursuits.” He is a frequent critic of our obsession with health. “Salad the Silent Killer” pokes fun at our attempts to categorize food as good or bad: even the “good” guys (raw vegetables) contain chemicals which make the vegetable indigestible, or nutritionally useless, unless cooked. In “Primal Bread,” on the other hand, here is a person who flatly says the world is divided into two camps, those who can live happily on bread alone and those who need vegetables, meats, etc. Steingarten belongs to the first category, and will always use its bread in judging a restaurant.

Ruth Reichl, in a “Los Angeles Times Book Review,” wrote of M. F. K. Fisher’s genius in insisting on the importance of life’s small moments. Reichl must be a likable person. We also have her funny, perceptive, touching book,” Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table.” In her apprenticeship, Reichl is guided by the discovery at an early age that “food could be a way of making sense of the world… if you watched people as they ate, you could find out who they were.” Food could also be dangerous. Her manic-depressive mother sometimes served strange food, crafted from food bargains. On one occasion, twenty-six people ended up in the hospital. Reichl’s stints along the way as a waitress in a failing restaurant, an impoverished social worker on New York’s Lower East Side, and staff member in a collectively owned restaurant in Berkley, helped prepare her for her job as food critic for “The New York Times.” The book is the story of how a person finds what they’re born to do.

Library Notes


April Everett

12/16/12



Giant, gold-rimmed glasses. Cheesy, big-toothed grin. Fringed Western shirt. Turquoise bolo tie. The year is 1994, the phase is cowgirl, and what blooms is a yearbook photo I will forever wish extinct. Fast forward to 2005. I’ve answered a Craigslist posting for a temp job transcribing a poorly written manuscript for a peculiar, elderly woman. I begin to suspect that my “boss” has stolen the manuscript and is trying to pass it off as her own, which is the only crime worse than being the actual author of the wretched work. I pay a visit to the history room of the local university (my “boss” is an alleged alumni), and I pull out volume after volume of their yearbooks until I finally locate her name. It’s most definitely not her.

Whether you’re looking for a humorous trip down Fashion Faux Pas Lane or trying to solve good, home-grown mysteries, the dusty old yearbook can prove a valuable tool. Fast forward to 2012 and meet North Carolina Yearbooks, a collection of college and high school yearbooks from all over North Carolina. This collection is available for browsing through DigitalNC.org, the official site of the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center. The Center is a statewide digitization and digital publishing program maintained by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Center works with libraries, archives, museums, historical societies, and other cultural heritage institutions from across the state to provide online access to their special collections.

DigitalNC.org allows you to browse photographs, newspapers, scrapbooks, maps, artwork, manuscripts, and more supplied by more than 80 counties in North Carolina. These items are grouped into collections such as Images of North Carolina, North Carolina City Directories, and North Carolina Newspapers. Of course, my personal favorite is the North Carolina Yearbooks collection. The yearbooks offer high quality images and are searchable. They are surprisingly “real” as the onscreen format mimics a real yearbook and allow you to turn pages like a physical book. According to the Center’s website, the student yearbooks “provide a window into college life in North Carolina from the 1890s to the present. From sports teams to sororities, fashions to hairstyles, these volumes document the changing attitudes and culture of college students year by year.” A number of private and state-funded institutions are participating in the yearbooks project.

Visit the Digital Heritage Center online at DigitalNC.org and use the tabs along the top of the page to browse by collection or by county. Note that there are also special exhibits and slideshows covering topics such as basketball, lighthouses, and therapeutic travel in North Carolina. While you’re browsing, be sure to look up a friend, family member, or (better yet) your boss in one of the North Carolina yearbooks.

News and Notes Enough with the Words and Promises


By John Tucker

As musical carols are to the holidays, debates and promises are to an election year. Like it or not--listeners are always treated to an earful. The difference is we look forward to one, and hope that we will survive the other. Have your ears taken in more statements and stalemates than can be digested in a single sitting? If so, don’t give up on the words flying around; change the mode of communication to a book rich in wisdom, supported by smiles and a belly laugh or two. Might I suggest a trip to the library where a humorous look at life awaits?

First to catch my eye was the book titled “Cosbyology” by Bill Cosby, a collection of laugh-out-loud stories that embrace family life, work, school and sports. “Cosby”- the comic son of William and Anna who was born in 1937; “ology”- study of…how does one study the life of a comic? We laugh our way through his ordeals and “first” situations of life experiences. I found my smiles turned to chuckles, then to laughter that had to be shared with others. It is quite the collection of essays and observations from the “Doctor of Comedy”.

Second, the book titled “Cotton Mill Boys: and other characters I’ve known” by Richard Thorpe is a memoir of life in a mill village from the 1940s and 1950s. These recollections of childhood will give new meaning to life on a road called Railroad Street and chicken dinners from scratch before B.C. (meaning before Colonel Sanders). Can you remember the joy of the two o’clock whistle? How about learning that your house key not only unlocked your home, but every other house at the mill? If you can’t remember when… this book can help you recall a simpler time.

A favorite collection of wit and wisdom is titled “Look Who’s Laughing” compiled by Ann Spangler and Shari MacDonald. These short stories record the humor in everyday relationships. No bond is too sacred for these jovial jaunts. You will snicker at the tale of a preacher visiting a church member and helping himself to the bowl of peanuts on the coffee table. By the end of their visit, the parson confessed that he had eaten all of the peanuts in the bowl. “Oh that’s alright. Ever since I lost my teeth, all I could do was suck the chocolate off of them.” I thought that would get to you, please check out the rest of the tales in this rib-tickling text.

On a more serious note, peruse the famous “Poor Richards Almanack” written by Benjamin Franklin. These words and phrases record some of the best advice you might recall from your childhood. Phrases like: “No gain without ______”, or “A true friend is the best ____________”. “A penny saved is a ___________________”. “Blessed is he that expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.” “A true friend is the best possession.” “The doors of wisdom are never shut” so catch up on your reading with Ben’s gem of a classic.

In the library collection of short stories and witty essays one text looked out of place, until I opened the first page. “Dancing the Dream” by Michael Jackson is a collection of photos which we might expect and they are wrapped in words, pros and poetry that radiate creativity. Michael Jackson’s observations and reflections help us see that trust, love and faith in others and ourselves is the foundation of a life well lived.

Words are truly a part of our daily lives and these are but a few of the joyous resources that weave together smiles, dreams and visions to take us from our daily grind into a relationship with joyful words. Come to the library and encounter words of joy found faithfully unchanged in a book.

Library Notes


November 16, 2012

Erika Kosin



Creating new Traditions this Holiday Season

Think back to your childhood during the holidays. What do you remember? Many of us cherish the times spent with family, for me I always remember sitting with my siblings and cousins around a block of cheese laughing as we geared up to play a rousing game of cards or Trivia Pursuit. I think fondly of that time, even if as the youngest, I was always the one that the older kids did not want on their team. As we are now ensconced in the holiday season, think about activities that you can share with your children to create memories they will cherish. It may be one event you can attend as a family or a series of things leading up to the holidays. Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukah, or Kwanzaa, make the festivities memorable by creating family traditions.

Not sure where to start, the library can help. From cookbooks such as the Usborne Little Book of Christmas Cooking to holiday decorations that can be found in the book Christmas Decorations Kids Can Make by Kathy Ross, you can spend quality time with your children while preparing for the holiday. Grandparents, aunts and uncles love homemade gifts from their favorite children, so why not check out Holiday Gifts, Favors and Decorations by Helen Sattler or Holiday Crafts by Alan and Gill Bridgewater. Each book contains crafts and ideas for both Christmas and Hanukah. For those gearing up for Kwanzaa, you will find fun ideas in Crafts for Kwanzaa by Kathy Ross. How to Make Holiday Pop-Ups by Joan Irvine can be fun and engaging for the crafty child, showing them how to create homemade pop-up cards for various holidays that they can share with family and friends.

For those of you who are not crafty or may be challenged in the kitchen, you can look for cultural traditions from around the world by perusing the Festivals of the World or the Christmas in series. Both contain holiday and festival traditions from different countries and there is even one that focuses on American Christmas traditions of yesteryear called Christmas in Colonial and Early America. Another idea is to find a fun holiday picture book that can be shared with your children. Make it a tradition by reading this book as a family every year.

Family traditions may include making crafts, baking cookies, sharing a holiday story, or attending a special event. The most important element of a family tradition is the time spent together. This holiday season sit back, relax and enjoy making memories, I know your children will.

Check in with the Rowan Public Library to see what fun programs are happening this holiday season.

Library Notes / November 9, 2012 / Dara L. Cain



Election Day Books for Children

How many years until you turn 18 years old? That is when you can vote on Election Day! Below are several titles that you may enjoy sharing with your youngsters about this historic day to educate them about the election process and the role of the president. Remember, children are the future voters of America.

Duck for President by Doreen Cronin is a fun and educational picture book for young children. Fed-up with his chores Duck holds an election to determine who should be in charge of the farm. In a close election Duck defeats Farmer Brown only to set out on the campaign trail once again, connecting with voters at town meetings, marching in parades, giving speeches, and making appearances on late-night television. After being elected governor Duck has his eyes set on the presidency and is surprised to learn that running a country is very hard work and life on the farm may have its advantages.

Young readers are invited to learn about the election process by following six children running for presidency in the story If I Ran for President written by Catherine Stier. From a child’s point of view discover the election process from beginning to end. Find out about campaigning, primaries, debates, party conventions, and what takes place on Election Day. Brief explanations about the voting process, the popular vote versus the electoral vote, and political parties are discussed.

Catherine Stier is also the author of Today on Election Day. In this picture book characters in the story narrate and share their perspectives about Election Day and the importance of voting. David goes with his older brother Jake to watch him vote for the first time. Find out how Jake learned about the candidates and the ballot issues in preparation to vote. Aidan accompanies his grandfather to the polling place and watches his grandfather vote on the computer which is only one of the ways Americans cast their votes. Bailey tells how she helps her aunt who is campaigning for a seat on the city council and what her job would be. To get a detailed explanation on the history of the election process dating back to Roman Times to the present day check out the book Vote by Philip Steele.

What are the responsibilities of being elected to political office? How does a person get elected? What are the challenges a person will encounter running for office? Read Getting Elected: A Look at Running for Office by Robin Nelson and Sandy Donovan to find out the answers to these questions and more. Another enlightening book that introduces students to how our government works is How Do We Elect Our Leaders by William David Thomas. This is a great choice for children ready to learn more than the basics regarding how we elect our government leaders from the president of the United States and members of Congress to state governors and local mayors. There are sidebars that include interesting information including how animals came to be symbols for the two major parties, women voting and holding office, and gerrymandering.

Don’t forget to check out these other great titles that your children are sure to enjoy. What would the country be like if a kid became President of the United States? Find out in the chapter book The Kid Who Ran For President by Dan Gutman. If your child ever thought about becoming president you are going to want to read So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George. This book includes facts about the qualifications and characteristics of U.S. Presidents along side colorful caricatures. And lastly, find out what it would be like to live at the White House in the story If The Walls Could Talk: Family Life at the White House by Jane O’Connor. Learn about each presidential family’s time and contribution during their stay at the White House.