Picture Books are Not just for Babies

by Erika Kosin Rowan Public Library

            What constitutes a “Picture Book”?  A picture book is a medium that uses illustrations that help embellish or enhance a story or narrative. When most adults think of a picture book, they envision toddlers and preschoolers being read to.  While many of the books in the picture book section of the library are meant for smaller children, there are some within the stacks that are definitely not “baby books” and are written with the older child in mind. 

              Historically, many books that are now categorized as a chapter book, such as Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz, are considered the beginnings of picture books.  These are stories were heavily illustrated when they were originally published.  Today, many children’s chapter books include illustrations to help enhance the story, but do not compare to the richness of text and imagery that can be found in the larger formatted, full color picture book.  Most picture books for older children contain rich vocabulary and the accompanying illustrations help provide a historical or cultural context.

            Some authors are well versed in picture books, but do not expect their stories to be shared with the young child.  Allen Say writes and illustrates children’s books rich in text and historical accounts that explore the world and culture of Japanese-Americans.  Grandfathers Journey, a former Caldecott winner, follows generations within his family as they move back and forth between Japan and the Americas, while Tea with Milk follows a young girl who returns with her family to Japan only to feel out of place with the Japanese culture.  Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine brings the historical story of the slave Henry Brown and how he mailed himself to freedom after seeing his family sold off.   This book is a small window into the effects of slavery and the strength and ingenuity some slaves evoked to bring themselves to freedom. 

            Other picture books for older readers are fun, but cautionary tales that may upset the younger child.  One such book is A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon which follows Camilla, a young girl who tries so hard to fit in that she begins to change color.  This book is geared towards elementary school kids who understand the concept of hiding things they like because they are afraid it will make them look un-cool.  For the younger child, the idea of changing colors and developing stripes may be upsetting.    Silent Movie by Avi tells the tale of an immigrant family through black and white images, invoking the feel of a silent movie, a feat that might not have been possible as a chapter book.    

            Over the years fairytales and folktales in their original text have been repackaged and published in Picture book form.  From Anansi the Spider’s trickster ways to the Grimm Fairytales, these cautionary tales are woven and explained in both text and illustration.  Rapunzel illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky includes rich imagery where each illustration is a textured oil painting, giving life to the characters and a unique setting to the popular tale.  These original texts are often seen as too scary for the younger child.

            If your child is a strong reader, do not discourage them from checking out a heavily illustrated picture book from the library.  Take a look at the book to make sure it is appropriate for your child and allow them to immerse themselves in the rich history, culture and vocabulary that can be found within the text and images of a picture book.

Explore Art With Children

by Dara Cain for Rowan Public Library

Is art just fun and games for children to participate in?  Look further and you will discover that children are actually learning a great deal when they do art activities. Art provides some of the building blocks of child development.  The best part about art is that children have so much fun creating that they don’t even realize that they are learning!

Art projects provide plenty of opportunity for children to work on their fine motor skills. They will learn how to use a pencil to write carefully, use crayons to draw, and hold a paintbrush to make the desired marks. They may use scissors to cut paper into definite shapes and squeeze glue from a bottle in a controlled manner.  These tasks help a child learn to control materials and are essential to the growth of fine motor skills in young children. 

Art is a way for children to practice their communication skills and also a great way for children to express themselves.  A child might document an actual experience by drawing a picture of a fun day at the zoo.  He may emit feelings of joy or sadness by the choice of colors and types of lines he creates.  He can share an emotional experience by painting a portrait to reflect the loss of a pet.  In some cases art is the presentation of an expression, but it may also be that the physical process of creating is the expression. Art allows a child to communicate feelings he might not be able to express verbally.

Art education strengthens problem-solving and critical-thinking skills when children have the freedom to engage in projects without having to follow specific directions.  Instead, they can focus on the discovery of “how” and “why” when given the free will to make choices and work through challenges.  An example of a challenge might be a child who made the color brown when he intended to make the color orange. He now has to think about what he did and make the appropriate corrections. Another example is a child who finds out that the glue he is using isn’t holding down his project and has to decide what to try instead.  Art allows children to make their own assessments and to discover that a problem may not have just one answer.

            Encourage your child to get creative and use his imagination. Art helps to develop a child's creativity by giving him or her the freedom to think independently, experiment, and to analyze.  Get out the art supplies and let them explore so that their creativity has a chance to blossom. You may want to check out Rowan Public Library’s website to find out dates and times for free art classes offered to children of all ages.  While you are at the library feel free to browse the art section in the Children’s Department where you will discover some fun and informational books that talk about famous artists, types of art, and how the history of art has evolved.  Here are some of the great titles you may want to look at with your child:

    A Book About Color:  A Clear and Simple Guide for Young Artists by Mark Gonyea
    Children’s Book of Art by Dorling Kindersley Limited
    Diego Rivera: An Artist For the People by Susan Goldman Rubin
    Get Into Art People: Discover Great Art and Create Your Own by Susie Brooks
    Henri’s Scissors by Jeanette Winter
    A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant

Visit Rowan Public Library’s website: www.rowanpubliclibrary.org

Making a list, checking it twice, saving it forever

by Pam Everhart Bloom for Rowan Public Library

The library recently changed to a new and improved online card catalog. It’s a system I think patrons will come to love. I personally love the saved list feature found within your personal account and can imagine all sorts of uses for different ages. All you need to access this feature at home is your library card number and your PIN. (Note: PINs may be set up or changed at the library or over the phone.)

To start your first list, go to the Rowan Public Library Home Page, www.rowanpubliclibrary.org , and click on “Find Books.” Enter your search term and begin looking for items of interest.

For example, my inspiration for a saved list was a children’s book, “Dem Bones,” written and illustrated by Bob Barner. Like many excellent picture books, this book reads on two levels. Reading the author’s dedication, “To Dr. Robert Wilkerson who is frequently humerus and to my boney wife,” I expected this would be a book loved by both children and adults. There’s a simple story line song, “The ankle bone connected to da leg bone,” with enough scientific information added to each page to provide fun details for all ages.

After finding this clever book with cross-over appeal, I thought it might be fun to develop a list for a family read, with everyone in a household pursuing their own bone-connected book and discussing their favorite reads. Here’s how my list developed.

Once I brought up “Dem Bones” in the catalog, I clicked on the “Add to List” icon to the right of the book image. A box popped up asking for my card number and PIN. This information then opened up my personal library account within the catalog. I selected the “Create New List” option and named my new list, “Family Reads.” “Dem Bones” was automatically added to my list and I began to select my other books. It was as simple as placing the word “bones” in the search window and clicking on the icon to add books to my saved list, “Family Reads.” Once completed, I printed a hard copy of my list to use while searching the shelves.

My saved list was a fun way to look for connections on a reading level for all ages and also a different way to emphasize a lifetime of reading with children beyond the bedtime story. Books saved to my list were: “Bones, Bones, Dinosaur Bones” by Byron Barton; “Ask the Bones: Scary Stories from Around the World” by Arielle Olson; “Bone by Bone: Comparing Animal Skeletons” by Sara Levine; “You Can’t See Your Bones with Binoculars: A Guide to your 206 Bones” by Harriet Ziefert; “Your Body Battles a Broken Bone” by Vicki Cobb; “Do Buildings Have Bones” by Time-Life for Children; “Talking Bones; Secrets of Indian Burial Mounds” by William O. Steele; “Human Bones: A Scientific and Pictorial Investigation” by R. McNeill Alexander; “Strong Women, Strong Bones: Everything You Need to Know to Prevent, Treat and Beat Osteoporosis” by Miriam E. Nelson; “It’s Not Just Growing Pains: A Guide to Childhood Muscle, Bone, and Joint Pain” by Thomas Lehman; “Blood, Bones, and Butter; the Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef” by Gabrielle Hamilton; “Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within” by Natalie Goldberg; “Bones of the Lost” by Kathy Reichs and “Land of the Buffalo Bones” by Marion Dane Bauer.

Explore our new catalog. Make a family list for vacation. Teach your kids to make lists of their favorite reads and keep your own list of all the books you’ve checked out to read. Create a list of all the resources that worked best with your last lesson plan. Keep track of the DVDs you don’t want to miss or want to recommend to friends. Whatever your fancy, there’s a saved list waiting for you by simply using your library card and your personal PIN. And if none of my selections brought a smile, check out “Animal Jokes to Tickle Your Funny Bone” by Michele C. Hollow.

Books such as ‘The Livable City’ offer ideas for better cities

by Edward Hirst for Rowan Public Library

Where might the happiest city on earth be? According to the award-winning journalist Charles Montgomery in his book “Happy City,” it might be Bogota, Colombia. Enrique Penalosa was the mayor who committed to changing the perception of his city and improving the lives of the residents. His plan for reducing traffic and creating public space for people has played a large part in creating a more livable city.

In the book “The Livable City” from the Partners for Livable Communities, the authors define what makes a city livable: open space, free-flowing traffic, historic preservation, attractive cultural and civic institutions, good housing, good jobs and good schools. This book provides the tools that help civic leaders get a handle on the many of the problems cities face today.

Jeff Speck writes about many problems he sees in American cities that he believes can be solved by improving their walkability in his book “Walkable City.” Public health, sustainability and even the lagging economy, he argues, can be boosted by making cities friendlier for pedestrians. Drawing on his background as a city planner and architectural designer, Speck makes a convincing case for revitalizing our public spaces in favor of foot traffic, with steps such as planting more trees and narrowing roads, investing in public transit systems and designing visually interesting buildings.

For thousands of years streets have been a major center of commerce, socialization and cultural exchange. But the advent of automobiles and suburbanization in the 20th century eroded the richness of American street life. Streets and sidewalks, once filled with people, are now filled with automobiles. In the book “Street Reclaiming,” David Engwicht prescribes a series of methods for returning vibrancy to our streets.

These days everyone is familiar with smartphones and smart homes, but how about smart cities? Increasingly such things as traffic patterns, sewage flow and street lighting are all being guided by software. In his book, “Smart Cities,” author Anthony Townsend takes a look at how cities are upgrading their infrastructure for the Internet age.

Time Travels

by Marissa Creamer Rowan Public Library

                Since the publication of H. G. Wells’s iconic novel, “The Time Machine,” time travel has remained a popular topic in literature.  In “The Time Machine,” the first of Wells’ science fiction novels, a Victorian scientist propels himself into the distant future and finds a world where suffering has been replaced by beauty, contentment, and peace. This apparent paradise is inhabited by the naive and delicate Eloi.  He learns that the Eloi are fearful of the dark, however, for in tunnels beneath their paradise lurk the sinister Morlocks. When the scientist’s time machine vanishes, he knows he must search these dangerous tunnels if he is ever to return to his own time.

                There seems to have been increased interest in time travel in recent years, as many new books featuring time travel adventures have been released. The young adult novel “Timebound” was originally self-published by Rysa Walker of Cary, N.C.  It gained national attention when it won the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award in the YA category. “Timebound” tells the story of 16-year-old Kate, who is stunned to learn about a secret family history involving time travel and a conspiracy by a rogue scholar from the future to rewrite history and change society. When history alters and Kate’s family is lost, she must use her genetic ability to travel back to the 1893 World’s Fair and prevent the murder that changed everything.  In saving her family, however, she may erase the memory of the boy she loves.

                Catherine Fisher brings us another young adult story of time travel involving a mirror that provides a gateway into the past and the future: “The Obsidian Mirror.” The mirror of the title has great and terrible power; it can open a portal to the past, but those who venture in are often lost.  Three people seek the mirror:  one has been sent from the future to shatter its power; another, obsessed with its power, will protect the mirror at all costs; and the third needs the mirror to find a murdered father and save his life. All converge at creepy Wintercombe Abbey during a solstice blizzard, but only one can succeed. The story continues in the new release “The Slanted Worlds.”

                For a more humorous spin on time travel, try Scott Meyer’s “Off to be the Wizard.” Author of the online web comic “Basic Instructions,” Meyer brings us a comedic novel about computers, time travel, and human stupidity. Meet Martin Banks, amateur hacker, who stumbles upon a computer program that can manipulate reality. Despite his vows to keep a low profile, it’s not long before Martin’s “alterations” to reality get him into hot water.  With federal agents in pursuit, Martin flees back in time to Medieval England to live as a wizard while he tries to figure out how to get out of his predicament.  Of course, things don’t go exactly as he planned, and Martin soon learns that being a wizard is not quite as easy as he thought it would be. Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the ride in this first installment of a planned series.

                Other recent titles involving time travel include: “The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells” by Andrew Sean Greer, “The Beautiful Land” by Alan Averill, and the “Ruby Red” young adult series by Kerstin Gier.  You can find all of these books and many other time travel adventures at Rowan Public Library.

The Greatest Generation

On June 6, 1984, President Ronald Reagan gave a speech in France that some have ranked as one of the best of his political career.  On that day, the fortieth anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy, President Reagan gave tribute to the warriors who secured Pointe du Hoc.  Point du Hoc was a cliff that overlooked the Utah and Omaha beaches and had been fortified by the Germans with heavy guns.  U.S. Army Rangers, after a dangerous beach landing and strenuous climbing under murderous fire, finally succeeded in securing the cliff.  This amazing story is told in marvelous detail by Douglas Brinkley in his book, The Boys of Pointe du Hoc.  Brinkley also shares some interesting background stories about Reagan’s speech.  While Reagan commemorated a specific event in the invasion, some mark that speech as the beginning of a renewed appreciation for all World War II veterans.

Someone who covered Reagan’s visit to Normandy that year was NBC News anchorman Tom Brokaw.  Impressed by the speech and inspired by the stories of aging veterans, Brokaw began documenting the experiences of the generation of Americas who survived the Great Depression and won the Second World War.  Tom Brokaw’s book, The Greatest Generation, was published in 1998 and quickly became a best seller.  In the years that followed, Brokaw received a great number of appreciative letters from not only veterans, but from their families as well.  It seemed that everyone wanted to share their experiences or tell the story of a loved one who never made it home.  Brokaw compiled several of these missives into another book called, The Greatest Generation Speaks, in hopes that we could all share in appreciating their duty, honor, and sacrifice.  A third book, An Album of Memories, soon followed and it helped to tell even more stories of those who lived through the trying times of the 1930’s and 40’s.  This scrapbook of Americana contains not only fascinating stories, but also memorabilia and personal photographs that make those stories come alive.

In 2004, the National World War II Memorial was completed and officially dedicated.  This memorial, set on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was built to salute American men and women who served and sacrificed in the armed forces and civilian population during that time period.  Some have criticized that it took the government too long to acknowledge the World War II generation and that a large segment of the population did not survive long enough to see it.  Because so many of that generation continue to pass away every day, a strong push has been made to get the surviving men and women to the memorial before it’s too late.  The 2012 film, Honor Flight, documents the story of how one community came together to raise the funds to get its veterans to the memorial.  I challenge anyone to watch that movie and make it through the entire show without tearing up.

If you’ve known a member of the Greatest Generation or are lucky enough to still have them around, take a moment today to appreciate their courage and sacrifice.  If you happen to be a member of that generation, please accept my sincerest thank you.  Stop by a branch of the Rowan Public Library to learn more about the members of the Greatest Generation.

Histories of Rowan will help with Wikipedia edit-a-thon

by Gretchen Beilfuss Witt Rowan Public Library

As part of the 411 events in which Rowan Public Library is participating, Rowan Public Library will host a Wikipedia edit-a-thon on April 1st at 6:30 pm.  Wikipedia is a widely used internet resource for all types of knowledge.  In order to facilitate quick but accurate information, Wikipedia encourages those with access to documented information to actively participate in providing or editing data found in the online encyclopedia.  The Wikipedia edit-a-thon will provide an opportunity to craft paragraphs highlighting the rich history of Rowan's past full of interesting events and colorful characters. 

            There are several books that are important in reflecting an accurate picture of Rowan's past.  Carolina Cradle by Ramsey describes the first inhabitants of this land, the first white explorers and the pioneers that followed.   His work is an attempt to trace the process by which this section of the South was populated and the character of the initial settlers; how they worked with, organized and supervised one another.  The book offers genealogies, maps, land grant information, passenger lists and an extensive bibliography.

            The first and still widely respected History of Rowan and her prominent families was published in 1881 and written by the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Reverend Jethro Rumple.  In his nearly five decades in the community, he took the opportunity to speak to the children and grandchildren of those who participated in the colonial formation of the county, the Revolutionary War and the early years of the republic.  He began as pastor in 1860 and remained until 1904.  As such, he obtained access to family papers, oral histories and the like that are no longer available.  In his book, he gives short compiled genealogies, descriptions and locations of homes, businesses, and events and notes important community leaders.   It is an invaluable resource for Rowan’s past.

            In the bicentennial year of Rowan, 1953, a well-respected historian and native Salisburian, James S. Brawley wrote another history of Rowan county, “The Rowan Story.”  It both clarified some of Rumple’s information and included the later history of the county.   He speaks of the activities and persons who participated in the recovery of Rowan after the Civil War up to the current [1953] business ventures.  He addresses religious development, well-known citizens, railroads and distilleries, governmental members and clubs.   Brawley followed this work twenty years later with "A Brief History" a somewhat condensed but useful book on the important bits of Rowan's history.   With these books and the many other resources, the hope is to expand and enhance the data available in the online encyclopedia during and after our Edit-a-thon.

Also with regard to the noteworthy history of Rowan, the library will be hosting the premiere of the next episode of the "Ramble through Rowan's History" DVD series.  The movie, entitled “Courage & Conflict:  Rowan in the Civil War”, is approximately forty minutes in length.  The film covers from the pre-war organization of militia groups to the raid of General Stoneman who razed the Salisbury Confederate Prison in April of 1865.  The premiere will be April 10, 2014 at 7:00 pm in the Stanback Auditorium.

the possibilities of photography to create art

Rebecca Hyde Rowan Public Library

             For Diane Griliches, Vivian Maier, and Edward Curtis, taking pictures was a means to an end.  The different ends pursued illustrate the possibilities of photography to create art, capture a moment, or record history.

            Diane Griliches, the author of “Thinking Photography,” had a profession as a director of community musical theater.  But early magical years of snapping away with a Brownie box camera and spending hours in a dark room left their imprint.  As an adult, Griliches still feels the magic, but curiosity has led her to examine photography as “a gift of science to the arts.”  Her book covers technical and aesthetic elements of picture taking.  Griliches hopes that readers will be enticed into the joy of the hunt, the discovery, the capture, and the possibility of artistic creation.   The photographs in the book are collected according to theme (“The South,” “Animals,” “Children”) or process (high contrast, infrared, triton, hand-painted).  Griliches supplies notes, on technique or thoughts on the composition.

            “Vivian Maier:  Out of the Shadows,” by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams, is the result of a team effort.  Maier (1926-2009) was an amateur photographer whose took more than a hundred thousand pictures of what pleased her as she roamed city streets.  She ended life in poverty.  Her belongings, including photo negatives and rolls of undeveloped film, ended up in a storage facility.  In 2007, the trunks and boxes were bought for $250 by a Chicago auctioneer, who sold them in small lots.  One of the collections was made available to Cahan and Williams, who organized the pictures in this book into “a photo memoir,” placing Maier’s work in the context of her life: pivotal years in France and New York City, travel across the United States, Chicago, the beach, the year 1968.  It appears that Maier lived her adult life through a camera, and the photos are her daily journal.  Cahan and Williams are reminded of Emily Dickinson:  Maier “lived an irregular, mysterious life and was able to convey what she felt about our shared world in a way that helps us see that world anew.”

            “Edward Sheriff Curtis,” by Edward Curtis and Joanna Cohan Scherer, is a collection of photographs taken by Curtis of Native American tribes in the first decades of the twentieth century.  Curtis wanted to provide an anthropological resource of a “vanishing race.”  But since the old way of life was passing, and because Curtis insisted on accuracy, his subjects helped him create his photographs, putting on traditional clothes and demonstrating the old tools and weapons.  And then there is the artistry used by Curtis to produce his spectacular images.  Joanna Scherer of the Smithsonian Institution is an anthropologist and a photographer, and she says we can appreciate both the record and the artistic creation.       

           

           

Sorry We’re Closed (But Not Really)

April Everett Rowan Public Library

This has been one of the harshest winters we have experienced in the Southeast in recent years.  Crippling ice storms, record cold temperatures, and heavy snow fall has certainly interrupted our daily routines.  But rather than being a glass-half-empty person, I’m going to challenge you to make the most of these winter blues.

As I write this column, the library is actually closed due to inclement weather--but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying all that the library has to offer.  If you have an internet connection, you have access to ebooks, eaudiobooks, evideos, downloadable music, digital magazines, articles, online classes, and so much more.

The library subscribes to NCLive, which offers free access to thousands of audiobooks, ebooks, and videos for streaming.  There are also hundreds of thousands of articles you can read or do text-to-audio and listen instead.  Since NCLive tends to be heavy on the non-fiction, those in need of an escape may be more interested in NCDigital Library, which offers thousands of popular materials in the form of downloadable books, audiobooks, music, and videos.  There’s even a collection of Disney read-along ebooks that are always available and offer interactive fun for children learning to read.

If magazines are more your style, the library recently obtained a subscription to Zinio, the world’s largest electronic newsstand.  With a collection of more than 50 magazines including Do it Yourself, Good Housekeeping, Interweave Knits, Popular Photography, and Oprah Magazine, you’re sure to find a magazine to inspire creativity.

Need something to listen to while you’re cleaning the house or shoveling snow on the sidewalk?  Check out OneClick Digital, which offers you free access to downloadable audiobooks on a variety of topics, including language learning, history, biography, classic literature, and more.  These audiobooks are compatible with most iPods and WMA compatible MP3 players.

If you are looking for more of a challenge, browse our Learn4Life course catalog, which boasts more than 300 instructor-led online courses covering anything from digital photography to beginning guitar; software help to medical transcription.  Click on a course to look at the syllabus, read more about the instructor, find out course requirements, and read student reviews.  Each course lasts six weeks and is available to you free of charge with your library card.  The next session of courses begins February 19^th.

Don’t have an internet connection?  We’ve still got snow day fun covered!  Right now the library is sponsoring several contests as part of our 411 Community Read this year.  Grab your camera and snap a few photos to submit for the Photography Contest, open to students and adults (submissions accepted March 9 – April 9).  Or, put together a “shelf room” that mimics one of the scenes from our Community Read book, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore.  You can create a shelf room using household items (shoebox, glue, craft papers, etc.).  The project can be completed as individual or as a family, with cash prizes awarded to each.  For children and teens, there’s also a Hidden Picture coloring contest with cash prizes.  If you haven’t already, pick up entry forms at any library location.

While there are few things more comforting than snuggling up with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book, the library of 2014 is so much more than our brick-and-mortar walls can hold.  So when you run out of reading material and are still snowed in, remember your library card gives you access to so much more.  Visit www.rowanpubliclibrary.org to discover all the places you can go with your library card from the comfort of your own home.