Library Notes
May 2011
Betty Moore
I have been enchanted recently watching several RPL DVDs that feature the joy of music and performing, especially by amateurs.
“Young@Heart” follows a chorus by that name during their final weeks of rehearsal before a big concert. It also shows the group’s performance at a prison and the emotional visit afterwards with inmates. What is unexpected is that the average age of the chorus members is 81! Their music is also unexpected. Rather than singing nostalgic hits from their youth, their repertoire ranges from James Brown to Coldplay. They have toured Europe and sung for royalty. Viewers get to know performers personally, since the documentary looks at many of them in their homes as well as in rehearsal and performance.
“Mad Hot Ballroom” follows fifth graders from New York City’s public schools as they learn ballroom dancing and prepare for competition. Going beyond the tango, jazz and other dances, viewers visit students in their homes and learn their thoughts about dance, their hopes, and their families.
“A Musical Quartet” contains four great documentaries. One of them, “Small Wonders,” is about a woman who teaches school children to play the violin. We watch her transform them from beginning musicians to performers at Carnegie Hall.
“The Audition: A Once in a Lifetime Chance on the World’s Most Famous Stage” takes you behind the scenes at the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions. It shows the intense pressures young opera singers face as they struggle to succeed in one of the most difficult professions in the performing arts. The documentary looks at several regional winners competing for a chance to sing at the Met and to launch their professional careers.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Check out 'Yours Forever: People and Their Letters'
By Rebecca Hyde
Rowan Public Library
Thomas Mallon’s “Yours Ever: People and Their Letters” is not an anthology but a love letter to the art and craft of letter writing.
It is a very personal and judgmental survey. Mallon describes it as “a kind of long cover letter to the cornucopia of titles” in the bibliography, from which the reader can choose the selected or collected letters of so-and-so.
The book is loosely organized around the circumstances of life motivating the letters: absence, friendship, advice, complaint, love, spirit, confession, war and prison.
Sorting the collections was like herding cats. And letter writing itself is changing. What is a blog? “Half diary, half letter-to-the-world,” says Mallon. If a reader is inspired to dip in or consume one of the titles mentioned, Mallon will have no regrets for the years spent on the project.
The correspondence is sometimes an introduction to a family and their times: “The most important letter Jessica Mitford ever wrote was a forgery, addressed to herself (‘Darling Decca’) at the age of nineteen on February 3, 1937.” This forged invitation to a European tour from an imaginary girlfriend and her well-positioned family was intended to be Jessica’s ticket to war-torn Spain and elopement with her second cousin. The couple transmitted news of the Spanish war for a press bureau. Mitford continued to write letters during her life as a muckraker and Communist Party member. A second marriage was long and happy. Before her death in 1996, friends had already died off, and Mitford realized that “she missed the arrival of their letters more than the people themselves.”
Examining Wilfred Owen’s World War I correspondence, Mallon remarks that Owen was never a natural soldier, rather a boy drawn to botany, evangelical religion and Keats. An older poet, Siegfried Sassoon, offered some “military-sounding” literary advice: “Sweat your guts out writing poetry,” and don’t publish too early. Owen was killed a week before the Armistice. The power of the letters, Mallon concludes, makes one almost forget that Owen’s poetry made his reputation.
Will Mallon’s book motivate us to write letters? Perhaps, if we start with a “thank-you”? See “Just a Note to Say...” by Florence Isaacs.
By Rebecca Hyde
Rowan Public Library
Thomas Mallon’s “Yours Ever: People and Their Letters” is not an anthology but a love letter to the art and craft of letter writing.
It is a very personal and judgmental survey. Mallon describes it as “a kind of long cover letter to the cornucopia of titles” in the bibliography, from which the reader can choose the selected or collected letters of so-and-so.
The book is loosely organized around the circumstances of life motivating the letters: absence, friendship, advice, complaint, love, spirit, confession, war and prison.
Sorting the collections was like herding cats. And letter writing itself is changing. What is a blog? “Half diary, half letter-to-the-world,” says Mallon. If a reader is inspired to dip in or consume one of the titles mentioned, Mallon will have no regrets for the years spent on the project.
The correspondence is sometimes an introduction to a family and their times: “The most important letter Jessica Mitford ever wrote was a forgery, addressed to herself (‘Darling Decca’) at the age of nineteen on February 3, 1937.” This forged invitation to a European tour from an imaginary girlfriend and her well-positioned family was intended to be Jessica’s ticket to war-torn Spain and elopement with her second cousin. The couple transmitted news of the Spanish war for a press bureau. Mitford continued to write letters during her life as a muckraker and Communist Party member. A second marriage was long and happy. Before her death in 1996, friends had already died off, and Mitford realized that “she missed the arrival of their letters more than the people themselves.”
Examining Wilfred Owen’s World War I correspondence, Mallon remarks that Owen was never a natural soldier, rather a boy drawn to botany, evangelical religion and Keats. An older poet, Siegfried Sassoon, offered some “military-sounding” literary advice: “Sweat your guts out writing poetry,” and don’t publish too early. Owen was killed a week before the Armistice. The power of the letters, Mallon concludes, makes one almost forget that Owen’s poetry made his reputation.
Will Mallon’s book motivate us to write letters? Perhaps, if we start with a “thank-you”? See “Just a Note to Say...” by Florence Isaacs.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Library Notes
May 15, 2011
Cathy Brown
Authors have long been fascinated with the end of the world. Even the renowned Robert Frost wrote about it almost a century ago in his poem “Fire and Ice.” In the post-apocalyptic genre, however, most lean toward the fire and less toward the ice.
One of the most recent young adult series in the genre is the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. With casting recently announced for the main character of Katniss Everdeen in a planned movie trilogy, interest in the book series is sure to increase. In The Hunger Games, readers are introduced to the nation of Panem, which is the successor to an unknown part of the North American continent some time after a devastating war. Panem is controlled by the Capitol, located in the area of the Rocky Mountains, which originally controlled thirteen districts. However, seventy-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, District 13 rose up against the Capitol and the other twelve districts have been told that it was completely destroyed. As punishment for the rebellion, every year each of the remaining districts must send two “tributes”--one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen--to compete in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is a fight to the death with the sole survivor and his or her family being provided a home in the Victor’s Village in their home district, while also being paraded through Panem on a Victory Tour as a reminder to the other districts of the power of the Capitol if they ever decide to rebel again. Throughout the three novels, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mocking Jay, Katniss becomes the inspiration for a new rebellion against the Capitol and the end of the Games.
Another young adult trilogy in the post-apocalyptic genre is the Maze Runner trilogy by James Dashner. The two published books, The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials tell of a world that has been decimated by a solar flare and a virus called the Flare. In order to find the cure, a mysterious group called WICKED locks a group of teenage boys in a maze in a desperate attempt to find the most intelligent of those not infected. The second book picks up after the boys have left the maze, but have not yet passed the tests that WICKED deems necessary in order to find the cure. The third book in the trilogy, The Death Cure, is expected in October of 2011.
Of course, the end of the world isn’t restricted just to young adult literature. In the past two years, several adult books in the genre have been published, among them Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Justin Cronin’s The Passage. The Road takes place after an unknown cataclysmic event has caused a “nuclear winter”. Readers follow the travels of the main characters, known simply as the man and the boy, a father and son attempting to move south in order to find warmer weather. Along the way, they fight against starvation, cannibals, and disease.
The Passage is the first in a planned trilogy of novels covering not only the apoclyptic events that end life as humanity knows it, but also a century later as the descendants struggle to continue. In The Passage, the end is brought about by a virus, meant to cure all disease, which instead causes vampire-like mutations to those that are infected. Most of the novel deals with the Colony, located in present-day California. The Colonists are the descendants of children brought there by the US Army when the virus overtook North America. They subsist on century-old generators and batteries, waiting for the day when the lights go out and they are left defenseless against the “Virals,” the name given to the infected. Cronin has given his world a supernatural twist in that the Virals are connected to the original Viral that created them. Otherwise, it fits in well with the post-apocalyptic genre.
May 15, 2011
Cathy Brown
Authors have long been fascinated with the end of the world. Even the renowned Robert Frost wrote about it almost a century ago in his poem “Fire and Ice.” In the post-apocalyptic genre, however, most lean toward the fire and less toward the ice.
One of the most recent young adult series in the genre is the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. With casting recently announced for the main character of Katniss Everdeen in a planned movie trilogy, interest in the book series is sure to increase. In The Hunger Games, readers are introduced to the nation of Panem, which is the successor to an unknown part of the North American continent some time after a devastating war. Panem is controlled by the Capitol, located in the area of the Rocky Mountains, which originally controlled thirteen districts. However, seventy-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, District 13 rose up against the Capitol and the other twelve districts have been told that it was completely destroyed. As punishment for the rebellion, every year each of the remaining districts must send two “tributes”--one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen--to compete in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is a fight to the death with the sole survivor and his or her family being provided a home in the Victor’s Village in their home district, while also being paraded through Panem on a Victory Tour as a reminder to the other districts of the power of the Capitol if they ever decide to rebel again. Throughout the three novels, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mocking Jay, Katniss becomes the inspiration for a new rebellion against the Capitol and the end of the Games.
Another young adult trilogy in the post-apocalyptic genre is the Maze Runner trilogy by James Dashner. The two published books, The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials tell of a world that has been decimated by a solar flare and a virus called the Flare. In order to find the cure, a mysterious group called WICKED locks a group of teenage boys in a maze in a desperate attempt to find the most intelligent of those not infected. The second book picks up after the boys have left the maze, but have not yet passed the tests that WICKED deems necessary in order to find the cure. The third book in the trilogy, The Death Cure, is expected in October of 2011.
Of course, the end of the world isn’t restricted just to young adult literature. In the past two years, several adult books in the genre have been published, among them Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Justin Cronin’s The Passage. The Road takes place after an unknown cataclysmic event has caused a “nuclear winter”. Readers follow the travels of the main characters, known simply as the man and the boy, a father and son attempting to move south in order to find warmer weather. Along the way, they fight against starvation, cannibals, and disease.
The Passage is the first in a planned trilogy of novels covering not only the apoclyptic events that end life as humanity knows it, but also a century later as the descendants struggle to continue. In The Passage, the end is brought about by a virus, meant to cure all disease, which instead causes vampire-like mutations to those that are infected. Most of the novel deals with the Colony, located in present-day California. The Colonists are the descendants of children brought there by the US Army when the virus overtook North America. They subsist on century-old generators and batteries, waiting for the day when the lights go out and they are left defenseless against the “Virals,” the name given to the infected. Cronin has given his world a supernatural twist in that the Virals are connected to the original Viral that created them. Otherwise, it fits in well with the post-apocalyptic genre.
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Sara Grajek
May 8, 2011
Throughout history, there have been many great women to look to as role models. Harriet Tubman, Clara Barton, and Rosa Parks made history by standing up for what they believed in and for those who needed their help. We have made heroes out of these amazing women, and yet there are many other lesser known stories, just as much a part of our history, available at Rowan Public Library.
The Mercury 13: The Untold Story of Thirteen American Women and the Dream of Space Flight which takes place in 1960 and 1961. Author Martha Ackmann writes of 13 women selected to undergo the same rigorous testing as the Mercury 7 astronauts (which included Alan Shepard and John Glenn). Hoping to become astronauts, the women endured a battery of tests that at times seemed to border on torture. One such test, designed to see how a person would react to orbiting in a gravity-free state required the insertion of a large syringe into the ear. Cold water was trickled into the test subject’s eardrum, to throw off their balance. Nurses evaluated how quickly – or slowly - the test subject reacted. Test subjects reported loss of movement in their hands, rapid movement of the eyeballs, and staggering disorientation. The worst part was repeating it in the other ear. While preparing for the third phase of testing, the 13 were informed by NASA that they would not be moving forward. Sending a woman into space was not a priority and although the women of Mercury 13 had come further than any other in training, it would take until 1983 before a woman astronaut made it into space.
The Woman Behind the New Deal by Kirstin Downey tells the life and achievements of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Labor Secretary. Frances Perkins became the first female Secretary of Labor, agreeing to take the post in 1933 just after a plunge in the American economy that sent real estate values plummeting, un-employment rising, and the stock market into a free fall. Firm in her belief that many thought themselves wealthy, but had little savings; that companies had spent money on expensive machinery to boost productivity and employed fewer workers; Perkins created a list for the new president hoping to make a difference. After FDR was sworn in, he consulted with Perkins. She outlined her dream plan for revamping the Labor Department. In short, the department would need to provide work for the unemployed with short term public works projects, prohibit child labor, limit work days to eight hours, create a minimum wage, implement workers compensation, create unemployment compensation, provide social security for the elderly and move responsibility for immigration to another department. In their final form, these would emerge as a series of programs and departments known as the New Deal. Perkins came to the job with a strong background having witnessed the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, served as an Industrial State Commissioner of New York (making her the highest paid woman in government at the time, and due to her talks on fire code and safety became known as a national expert on fire prevention.
Many women have played important roles in history that should be remembered. Browse Rowan Public Library’s shelves to see whose story you can discover.
May 8, 2011
Throughout history, there have been many great women to look to as role models. Harriet Tubman, Clara Barton, and Rosa Parks made history by standing up for what they believed in and for those who needed their help. We have made heroes out of these amazing women, and yet there are many other lesser known stories, just as much a part of our history, available at Rowan Public Library.
The Mercury 13: The Untold Story of Thirteen American Women and the Dream of Space Flight which takes place in 1960 and 1961. Author Martha Ackmann writes of 13 women selected to undergo the same rigorous testing as the Mercury 7 astronauts (which included Alan Shepard and John Glenn). Hoping to become astronauts, the women endured a battery of tests that at times seemed to border on torture. One such test, designed to see how a person would react to orbiting in a gravity-free state required the insertion of a large syringe into the ear. Cold water was trickled into the test subject’s eardrum, to throw off their balance. Nurses evaluated how quickly – or slowly - the test subject reacted. Test subjects reported loss of movement in their hands, rapid movement of the eyeballs, and staggering disorientation. The worst part was repeating it in the other ear. While preparing for the third phase of testing, the 13 were informed by NASA that they would not be moving forward. Sending a woman into space was not a priority and although the women of Mercury 13 had come further than any other in training, it would take until 1983 before a woman astronaut made it into space.
The Woman Behind the New Deal by Kirstin Downey tells the life and achievements of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Labor Secretary. Frances Perkins became the first female Secretary of Labor, agreeing to take the post in 1933 just after a plunge in the American economy that sent real estate values plummeting, un-employment rising, and the stock market into a free fall. Firm in her belief that many thought themselves wealthy, but had little savings; that companies had spent money on expensive machinery to boost productivity and employed fewer workers; Perkins created a list for the new president hoping to make a difference. After FDR was sworn in, he consulted with Perkins. She outlined her dream plan for revamping the Labor Department. In short, the department would need to provide work for the unemployed with short term public works projects, prohibit child labor, limit work days to eight hours, create a minimum wage, implement workers compensation, create unemployment compensation, provide social security for the elderly and move responsibility for immigration to another department. In their final form, these would emerge as a series of programs and departments known as the New Deal. Perkins came to the job with a strong background having witnessed the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, served as an Industrial State Commissioner of New York (making her the highest paid woman in government at the time, and due to her talks on fire code and safety became known as a national expert on fire prevention.
Many women have played important roles in history that should be remembered. Browse Rowan Public Library’s shelves to see whose story you can discover.
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Library Notes / May 1, 2011
Dara L. Cain
Happy Birthday! Gary Paulsen
Born May 17, 1939, Gary Paulsen is one of America’s most admired writers of contemporary literature for young readers. To date he has written over 175 books and 200 articles and short stories for young people and adults. Many of his books often appear on the best books list of the American Library Association and three of his novels – Hatchet, Dogsong, and The Winter Room were Newbery Honor Books. Paulsen’s books are great for young teens that enjoy reading stories set in the great outdoors and characters that experience thrilling and challenging life obstacles.
Hatchet
Thirteen year-old Brian Robeson is on a small engine plane headed north to the Canadian oil fields to visit his dad. Mid-flight the pilot has a heart attack and dies. Brian is left alone to try and land the plane. When the plane crashes into an icy lake Brian narrowly escapes with his life. The plane is too damaged to radio for help. Armed with only the hatched his mother gave him as a gift and the clothes on his back Brian must learn how to survive alone in the Canadian woods. This is the first book in the Brian’s Saga series. The other titles in the series are The River, Brian’s Winter, and Brian’s Return.
Dogsong
A young teenage boy named Russel Susskit can’t bear to wake up in the morning to the sound of his father’s coughing, the piercing noises of the snow machines, and the stench of diesel oil. He is frustrated with the modern ways of his Eskimo village and longs for the traditions and the songs that celebrated his people. Inspired by the words of the wise Eskimo shaman Oogruk, Russel sets out on a journey with the last remaining dog team in his village. Traveling across tundra, ice floes, tundra, and mountains Russel is troubled by a powerful dream of a long-ago self whose adventures mirror his own. Russel’s heroic journey of self-discovery and his yearning desire to find his own song will ultimately change his life forever.
The Winter Room
Eldon and his older brother Wayne live on a farm in northern Minnesota with their parents, their Uncle David, and their great-uncle. During the course of a year follow this family through the change in seasons while they do the plowing, the harvest and the butchering. The best time of the year is winter when Eldon and his brother spend their evenings in the winter room gathered around the wood stove listening to their Uncle David tell amazing stories. One evening Uncle David tells the story of “The Woodcutter,” and Eldon immediately realizes that his uncle is not the person he believed him to always be. This story has the ability to change everything for the brothers.
Dara L. Cain
Happy Birthday! Gary Paulsen
Born May 17, 1939, Gary Paulsen is one of America’s most admired writers of contemporary literature for young readers. To date he has written over 175 books and 200 articles and short stories for young people and adults. Many of his books often appear on the best books list of the American Library Association and three of his novels – Hatchet, Dogsong, and The Winter Room were Newbery Honor Books. Paulsen’s books are great for young teens that enjoy reading stories set in the great outdoors and characters that experience thrilling and challenging life obstacles.
Hatchet
Thirteen year-old Brian Robeson is on a small engine plane headed north to the Canadian oil fields to visit his dad. Mid-flight the pilot has a heart attack and dies. Brian is left alone to try and land the plane. When the plane crashes into an icy lake Brian narrowly escapes with his life. The plane is too damaged to radio for help. Armed with only the hatched his mother gave him as a gift and the clothes on his back Brian must learn how to survive alone in the Canadian woods. This is the first book in the Brian’s Saga series. The other titles in the series are The River, Brian’s Winter, and Brian’s Return.
Dogsong
A young teenage boy named Russel Susskit can’t bear to wake up in the morning to the sound of his father’s coughing, the piercing noises of the snow machines, and the stench of diesel oil. He is frustrated with the modern ways of his Eskimo village and longs for the traditions and the songs that celebrated his people. Inspired by the words of the wise Eskimo shaman Oogruk, Russel sets out on a journey with the last remaining dog team in his village. Traveling across tundra, ice floes, tundra, and mountains Russel is troubled by a powerful dream of a long-ago self whose adventures mirror his own. Russel’s heroic journey of self-discovery and his yearning desire to find his own song will ultimately change his life forever.
The Winter Room
Eldon and his older brother Wayne live on a farm in northern Minnesota with their parents, their Uncle David, and their great-uncle. During the course of a year follow this family through the change in seasons while they do the plowing, the harvest and the butchering. The best time of the year is winter when Eldon and his brother spend their evenings in the winter room gathered around the wood stove listening to their Uncle David tell amazing stories. One evening Uncle David tells the story of “The Woodcutter,” and Eldon immediately realizes that his uncle is not the person he believed him to always be. This story has the ability to change everything for the brothers.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Travel back in time to other places with Historical Fiction
By Erika Kosin
These days, the term historical fiction is not as taboo amongst children, especially girls, due to the popularity of historical fiction series such as American Girls and Dear America. Many youngsters who found a love of these stories set in different time periods usually develop an appreciation for historical fiction that carries through into their late teens. What these lucky few find out is that there are many wonderful stories out there that can be found in history and historical fiction is a great place to start.
Many 4th through 8th grade students, however, will answer with a resounding no when asked if they like historical fiction. On the other hand, if you ask them if they would like to read a book about a boy living on Alcatraz with Al Capone as in Al Capone Does My Shirts, or the book Blue about a girl living in North Carolina during the Polio outbreak, they might be slightly more interested. While the authors of these works may have spent months or years conducting historical research in order to accurately set the time and place, the experiences of the characters have to resonate with the youth of today in order to peak their interest. Some interesting stories that can be found at the Rowan Public Library include:
Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle – On the beaches of Newport, RI in 1929, Reuben Hart and his best friend Jeddy find a dead body washed up along the shore. They are certain the man is a bootlegger, trying to smuggle liquor onto shore. Suddenly the two are engrossed in the illegal activities happening in their town and when they meet the charismatic captain of the elusive Black Duck, the legendary rum-running boat that worked off of the coast of New England during the time of prohibition, find they are in too deep.
Historical House Series by various authors – This set of six books takes a look at 6 different girls who all lived at No. 6 Chelsea Walk, England during the years 1764, 1857, 1895, 1914, 1941 and 1969. While each twelve-year-old girl has very different experiences tied to the time-period they grew up in, the house, starting as a girl’s school in 1764 and becoming an apartment building by 1914, and the town they live in also accurately portrays the changes in time. This series are for those who like the American Girls series.
Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznik – Set in Paris, this award winning book takes place in 1931 Paris, as 12-year old Hugo lives in the walls of the train station making sure the clocks are running on time. When he befriends a young girl and her grandfather, a toy maker, he is taken on a journey of self-discovery and science as he unravels the mystery of the automated man that his father left behind. Told through both text and illustrations even reluctant readers may find this one interesting.
Nory Ryans Song by Patricia Reilly Giff – The Irish potato famine that began in 1845 was caused by a blight that attacked the potato crops. When 12-year old Nory Ryan wakes up to the foul smell of rotting potatoes, she can’t shake the works of her Grandmother, that without the potato crop they would all starve. As hunger quickly sets in, Nory refuses to give up and uses her new found strength to try to save her family as her community falls apart as they dream of moving to America where no one goes hungry.
By Erika Kosin
These days, the term historical fiction is not as taboo amongst children, especially girls, due to the popularity of historical fiction series such as American Girls and Dear America. Many youngsters who found a love of these stories set in different time periods usually develop an appreciation for historical fiction that carries through into their late teens. What these lucky few find out is that there are many wonderful stories out there that can be found in history and historical fiction is a great place to start.
Many 4th through 8th grade students, however, will answer with a resounding no when asked if they like historical fiction. On the other hand, if you ask them if they would like to read a book about a boy living on Alcatraz with Al Capone as in Al Capone Does My Shirts, or the book Blue about a girl living in North Carolina during the Polio outbreak, they might be slightly more interested. While the authors of these works may have spent months or years conducting historical research in order to accurately set the time and place, the experiences of the characters have to resonate with the youth of today in order to peak their interest. Some interesting stories that can be found at the Rowan Public Library include:
Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle – On the beaches of Newport, RI in 1929, Reuben Hart and his best friend Jeddy find a dead body washed up along the shore. They are certain the man is a bootlegger, trying to smuggle liquor onto shore. Suddenly the two are engrossed in the illegal activities happening in their town and when they meet the charismatic captain of the elusive Black Duck, the legendary rum-running boat that worked off of the coast of New England during the time of prohibition, find they are in too deep.
Historical House Series by various authors – This set of six books takes a look at 6 different girls who all lived at No. 6 Chelsea Walk, England during the years 1764, 1857, 1895, 1914, 1941 and 1969. While each twelve-year-old girl has very different experiences tied to the time-period they grew up in, the house, starting as a girl’s school in 1764 and becoming an apartment building by 1914, and the town they live in also accurately portrays the changes in time. This series are for those who like the American Girls series.
Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznik – Set in Paris, this award winning book takes place in 1931 Paris, as 12-year old Hugo lives in the walls of the train station making sure the clocks are running on time. When he befriends a young girl and her grandfather, a toy maker, he is taken on a journey of self-discovery and science as he unravels the mystery of the automated man that his father left behind. Told through both text and illustrations even reluctant readers may find this one interesting.
Nory Ryans Song by Patricia Reilly Giff – The Irish potato famine that began in 1845 was caused by a blight that attacked the potato crops. When 12-year old Nory Ryan wakes up to the foul smell of rotting potatoes, she can’t shake the works of her Grandmother, that without the potato crop they would all starve. As hunger quickly sets in, Nory refuses to give up and uses her new found strength to try to save her family as her community falls apart as they dream of moving to America where no one goes hungry.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Library Notes
Cathy Brown
Did you know that all the really famous (or should that be infamous?) poisoners in history have names that begin with the letter ‘C’? Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce does. Thanks to the Victorian-era chemistry laboratory left behind by her uncle, Tar de Luce, Flavia knows a great deal about chemistry—both the kind that will kill and the kind that will just really annoy her older sisters.
In the Flavia de Luce series, Canadian Alan Bradley has created a unique heroine. Flavia lives in the small British village of Bishop’s Lacey, which seems to have more than its fair share of murder and intrigue, in the post-World War II years. While being tormented by her sisters and seemingly never able to please her philatelist father, Flavia dreams of the day she will be recognized as the great chemist she knows she is. To that end, Flavia uses her knowledge to help the local police (whether they want her help or not) in the first three novels of a planned six: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag, and A Red Herring Without Mustard.
One does not have to have Flavia’s knowledge of poisons to enjoy the books, but don’t make the mistake of thinking these are just standard murder mysteries either. With Flavia as the novels’ narrator, Bradley has done a wonderful job of letting the reader see the citizens of Bishop’s Lacey through the eyes of a child. Flavia may be “book smart” beyond her years, but she is not as nearly “street smart,” which leads to her placing herself in a series of dangerous situations in her efforts to find the truth.
Published in 2009, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie involves Flavia in a murder that occurs in her father’s cucumber patch. Through her knowledge of the chemicals, pure stubbornness and riding a bicycle named Gladys, Flavia not only solves that murder, but also solves the twenty-year-old mystery of the suicide of her father’s school headmaster.
Last year, Flavia returned in The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag. When the citizens of Bishop’s Lacey witness the death of a nationally renowned puppeteer during a show, Flavia (and Gladys) once again ride in to bring the killer to justice. In the process, Flavia uses her deductive skills to solve the mysterious eight-year-old death of a local child and find, along with discovering a local drug ring.
This past February, Flavia’s latest adventure, A Red Herring Without Mustard, was published. Due to her guilt over accidentally burning down a gypsy tent, Flavia is tied to one murder attempt, one actual murder, and accidentally solves the mystery of an infant that disappeared several years before.
Those that enjoy a good mystery will definitely take delight in the antics and deductive powers of young Flavia. Contact Rowan Public Library to check out any of the books in the series and to find other great mysteries.
Cathy Brown
Did you know that all the really famous (or should that be infamous?) poisoners in history have names that begin with the letter ‘C’? Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce does. Thanks to the Victorian-era chemistry laboratory left behind by her uncle, Tar de Luce, Flavia knows a great deal about chemistry—both the kind that will kill and the kind that will just really annoy her older sisters.
In the Flavia de Luce series, Canadian Alan Bradley has created a unique heroine. Flavia lives in the small British village of Bishop’s Lacey, which seems to have more than its fair share of murder and intrigue, in the post-World War II years. While being tormented by her sisters and seemingly never able to please her philatelist father, Flavia dreams of the day she will be recognized as the great chemist she knows she is. To that end, Flavia uses her knowledge to help the local police (whether they want her help or not) in the first three novels of a planned six: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag, and A Red Herring Without Mustard.
One does not have to have Flavia’s knowledge of poisons to enjoy the books, but don’t make the mistake of thinking these are just standard murder mysteries either. With Flavia as the novels’ narrator, Bradley has done a wonderful job of letting the reader see the citizens of Bishop’s Lacey through the eyes of a child. Flavia may be “book smart” beyond her years, but she is not as nearly “street smart,” which leads to her placing herself in a series of dangerous situations in her efforts to find the truth.
Published in 2009, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie involves Flavia in a murder that occurs in her father’s cucumber patch. Through her knowledge of the chemicals, pure stubbornness and riding a bicycle named Gladys, Flavia not only solves that murder, but also solves the twenty-year-old mystery of the suicide of her father’s school headmaster.
Last year, Flavia returned in The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag. When the citizens of Bishop’s Lacey witness the death of a nationally renowned puppeteer during a show, Flavia (and Gladys) once again ride in to bring the killer to justice. In the process, Flavia uses her deductive skills to solve the mysterious eight-year-old death of a local child and find, along with discovering a local drug ring.
This past February, Flavia’s latest adventure, A Red Herring Without Mustard, was published. Due to her guilt over accidentally burning down a gypsy tent, Flavia is tied to one murder attempt, one actual murder, and accidentally solves the mystery of an infant that disappeared several years before.
Those that enjoy a good mystery will definitely take delight in the antics and deductive powers of young Flavia. Contact Rowan Public Library to check out any of the books in the series and to find other great mysteries.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Library Notes
Edward Hirst
If you have been in a grocery store over the last few months it will come as no surprise that prices are rising. One way to ease the crunch from a tight food budget and high prices at the store is to plant a garden. But, what if you live in an apartment or just don’t have much space to create a garden? You can create a small space garden, and at Rowan Public Library we have just the books you need to get started.
My favorite book on this subject is Sugar Snaps and Strawberries by Andrea Bellamy.
Bellamy writes that, “A movement to embrace home-grown edibles, whether propelled by economics or the hope for sustainability, is taking shape around us”.
Her introduction leads to the basics of creating a garden in a small space, in which beauty combines with functionality. Bellamy offers design tips as she discusses assessing space, common site problems, preparing containers, raised beds, and soil; sowing; growing; maintaining plant health; pruning; and harvesting. She highlights edibles from apples to zucchini, with details for the cultivation and enjoyment of each fruit and vegetable, including useful growing tips and information on the most popular varieties. Of particular intrest are Bellamy’s suggestions for “veggie patches” on balconies, patios, and the tiniest of city plots.
Other books at the library that you may find helpful on this subject are Lasagna Gardening for Small Spaces: a Layering System for Big Results in Small Gardens and Containers by Patricia Lanza; Raised-Bed Vegetable Gardening Made Simple: the Three-Module Home Vegetable Garden by Raymond Nones; Beds and Borders: Traditional and Original Garden Designs by Wendy B. Murphy.
Edward Hirst
If you have been in a grocery store over the last few months it will come as no surprise that prices are rising. One way to ease the crunch from a tight food budget and high prices at the store is to plant a garden. But, what if you live in an apartment or just don’t have much space to create a garden? You can create a small space garden, and at Rowan Public Library we have just the books you need to get started.
My favorite book on this subject is Sugar Snaps and Strawberries by Andrea Bellamy.
Bellamy writes that, “A movement to embrace home-grown edibles, whether propelled by economics or the hope for sustainability, is taking shape around us”.
Her introduction leads to the basics of creating a garden in a small space, in which beauty combines with functionality. Bellamy offers design tips as she discusses assessing space, common site problems, preparing containers, raised beds, and soil; sowing; growing; maintaining plant health; pruning; and harvesting. She highlights edibles from apples to zucchini, with details for the cultivation and enjoyment of each fruit and vegetable, including useful growing tips and information on the most popular varieties. Of particular intrest are Bellamy’s suggestions for “veggie patches” on balconies, patios, and the tiniest of city plots.
Other books at the library that you may find helpful on this subject are Lasagna Gardening for Small Spaces: a Layering System for Big Results in Small Gardens and Containers by Patricia Lanza; Raised-Bed Vegetable Gardening Made Simple: the Three-Module Home Vegetable Garden by Raymond Nones; Beds and Borders: Traditional and Original Garden Designs by Wendy B. Murphy.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Dr. Betty Middleton
Rowan Public Library
SALISBURY — If you are a fan of Patricia Cornwell’s medical examiner novels, then you will love Kathy Reichs’ Dr. Temperance Brennan.
Kathy Reichs’ first novel, “Deja Dead,” propelled her into the spotlight when it became a New York Times bestseller and won the 1997 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel.
To date, she has written 13 novels which have been translated into 30 languages. Her books have been the inspiration for the Fox television series “Bones,” with Temperance “Bones” Brennan as the main character.
A large portion of the novels is based on Kathy Reichs’ real-life experiences.
She is adamant about getting the scientific explanations correct to help the reader better understand her chosen field.
Currently, Reichs is a professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, a consultant for the Laboratoire de Sciences Judiciaires et de Medecine Legale for the province of Quebec, and she has also consulted with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Chapel Hill.
In the novel “Break no Bones,” Dr. Temperance “Tempe” Brennan takes her archaeological students from UNCC to work on a site of prehistoric graves on Dewees, a barrier island north of Charleston, S.C. During their excavation they uncover a “not so prehistoric” body.
“Fatal Voyage” brings the forensic anthropologist back to North Carolina to join the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team in the investigation of an airplane crash in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains. She stumbles upon a body part that doesn’t match up with the remains of any of the plane’s passengers. As usual, she works to trace the remains, which turn out to belong to a man killed 40 years ago.
In “Cross Bones,” the death of a middle-aged orthodox Jew in Montreal leads Brennan to the Holy Land, where the clues lead to ossuaries found in Masada and Jerusalem. The carbon 14 dating of the ancient skeletons indicates a first century AD connection and the names seem to link all of this to the family of Jesus.
Brennan, the fictional heroine in the novels, also a forensic anthropologist, shows the parallels with the real life of Dr. Kathy Reichs. Reichs’ ability to hold the reader’s attention is due to the real-life experiences she brings to her writing, and the professional expertise which helps her explain the details so we can all understand.
Rowan Public Library
SALISBURY — If you are a fan of Patricia Cornwell’s medical examiner novels, then you will love Kathy Reichs’ Dr. Temperance Brennan.
Kathy Reichs’ first novel, “Deja Dead,” propelled her into the spotlight when it became a New York Times bestseller and won the 1997 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel.
To date, she has written 13 novels which have been translated into 30 languages. Her books have been the inspiration for the Fox television series “Bones,” with Temperance “Bones” Brennan as the main character.
A large portion of the novels is based on Kathy Reichs’ real-life experiences.
She is adamant about getting the scientific explanations correct to help the reader better understand her chosen field.
Currently, Reichs is a professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, a consultant for the Laboratoire de Sciences Judiciaires et de Medecine Legale for the province of Quebec, and she has also consulted with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Chapel Hill.
In the novel “Break no Bones,” Dr. Temperance “Tempe” Brennan takes her archaeological students from UNCC to work on a site of prehistoric graves on Dewees, a barrier island north of Charleston, S.C. During their excavation they uncover a “not so prehistoric” body.
“Fatal Voyage” brings the forensic anthropologist back to North Carolina to join the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team in the investigation of an airplane crash in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains. She stumbles upon a body part that doesn’t match up with the remains of any of the plane’s passengers. As usual, she works to trace the remains, which turn out to belong to a man killed 40 years ago.
In “Cross Bones,” the death of a middle-aged orthodox Jew in Montreal leads Brennan to the Holy Land, where the clues lead to ossuaries found in Masada and Jerusalem. The carbon 14 dating of the ancient skeletons indicates a first century AD connection and the names seem to link all of this to the family of Jesus.
Brennan, the fictional heroine in the novels, also a forensic anthropologist, shows the parallels with the real life of Dr. Kathy Reichs. Reichs’ ability to hold the reader’s attention is due to the real-life experiences she brings to her writing, and the professional expertise which helps her explain the details so we can all understand.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Library Notes
March 12, 2011
Lynn A. Denison
An intriguing title caught my eye recently as I was browsing the section in the library for new nonfiction. The title is How to Get Things Really Flat. Reading the subtitle piqued my interest even more: Enlightenment for Every Man on Ironing, Vacuuming and Other Household Arts. I found myself reading and laughing out loud at some of the ridiculously funny anecdotes the British author Andrew Martin describes. Although the target audience is men, the tips are helpful for women as well. This is not a dry guide to doing household chores. Some of the chapter headings will give you an idea of the book’s tone: Chapter 3 on ironing includes sections such as “Do I Need to Bother with the Controls on the Iron?” and “What Is the Worst Thing That Can Happen During Ironing?” Chapter 6 on dusting includes a section on “During Dusting, Where Does the Dust Go?” Chapter 7 on cleaning includes a section on “How to Impress People with Bicarbonate of Soda.”
This book set me on the trail of similar “How To” books that we might have on our shelves. The trail led to two books written by Erien Bried, How to Sew a Button and Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew and How to Build a Fire and Other Handy Things Your Grandfather Knew. The author, a senior staff writer at SELF magazine for the last nine years, gives hope to the domestically challenged among us in a practical, useful, yet humorous manner. Some of my favorite topics in How to Sew a Button include, “How to Properly Fold a Fitted Sheet.”, “How to Use Vinegar to Clean Almost Anything”, “How to Rid Your House of Mice”, and “How to Polish Your Image by Shining Your Own Shoes.”
Written for men but with women still in mind is the wonderfully helpful, back-to-basics, you can do anything guide, How to Build a Fire. Whereas How to Sew a Button deals with home-ec type things, this book offers a number of lessons on being a grown up. Some of my favorite tips include: “How to Keep a Secret”, ‘How to Make a Good Cup of Coffee”, “How to Buy a Car”, and even “How to Make Toast.”
The explanations in each book are short but helpful and most importantly, fun. After reading these books from the library, you may even decide to purchase two or three to keep on hand. They make wonderfully impromptu gifts for friends and family. As a librarian, I always feel that a book you have read and then care enough to share with a friend is a pretty special gift. Of course, Rowan Public Library is your headquarters for all kinds of “How To” books. Come by to check out our wide selection on books of all topics and experience the friendly and helpful service we always strive to provide for our patrons.
March 12, 2011
Lynn A. Denison
An intriguing title caught my eye recently as I was browsing the section in the library for new nonfiction. The title is How to Get Things Really Flat. Reading the subtitle piqued my interest even more: Enlightenment for Every Man on Ironing, Vacuuming and Other Household Arts. I found myself reading and laughing out loud at some of the ridiculously funny anecdotes the British author Andrew Martin describes. Although the target audience is men, the tips are helpful for women as well. This is not a dry guide to doing household chores. Some of the chapter headings will give you an idea of the book’s tone: Chapter 3 on ironing includes sections such as “Do I Need to Bother with the Controls on the Iron?” and “What Is the Worst Thing That Can Happen During Ironing?” Chapter 6 on dusting includes a section on “During Dusting, Where Does the Dust Go?” Chapter 7 on cleaning includes a section on “How to Impress People with Bicarbonate of Soda.”
This book set me on the trail of similar “How To” books that we might have on our shelves. The trail led to two books written by Erien Bried, How to Sew a Button and Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew and How to Build a Fire and Other Handy Things Your Grandfather Knew. The author, a senior staff writer at SELF magazine for the last nine years, gives hope to the domestically challenged among us in a practical, useful, yet humorous manner. Some of my favorite topics in How to Sew a Button include, “How to Properly Fold a Fitted Sheet.”, “How to Use Vinegar to Clean Almost Anything”, “How to Rid Your House of Mice”, and “How to Polish Your Image by Shining Your Own Shoes.”
Written for men but with women still in mind is the wonderfully helpful, back-to-basics, you can do anything guide, How to Build a Fire. Whereas How to Sew a Button deals with home-ec type things, this book offers a number of lessons on being a grown up. Some of my favorite tips include: “How to Keep a Secret”, ‘How to Make a Good Cup of Coffee”, “How to Buy a Car”, and even “How to Make Toast.”
The explanations in each book are short but helpful and most importantly, fun. After reading these books from the library, you may even decide to purchase two or three to keep on hand. They make wonderfully impromptu gifts for friends and family. As a librarian, I always feel that a book you have read and then care enough to share with a friend is a pretty special gift. Of course, Rowan Public Library is your headquarters for all kinds of “How To” books. Come by to check out our wide selection on books of all topics and experience the friendly and helpful service we always strive to provide for our patrons.
Sunday, March 06, 2011
WAR STORIES
PAUL BIRKHEAD – MARCH 6, 2011
“I have seen enough of one war never to wish to see another.”
~ Thomas Jefferson
There are a multitude of quotes about war and seldom will you find ones glamorizing it. Just like General Sherman famously said, “War is Hell.” If you haven’t actually been in combat, one way to get a feel for warfare is to read a memoir of someone who witnessed the horror first-hand. Rowan Public Library’s shelves are stocked with personal narratives from servicemen and women who have fought in all branches of America’s armed forces.
An Ace of the Eighth: an American Fighter Pilot’s Air War in Europe is a first-person account of World War II written by Norman “Bud” Fortier. Mr. Fortier was an aviator in the U.S. Army Air Corps who flew over one hundred combat missions in the skies above Europe. This narrative is full of interesting facts about the men and the aircraft that helped subdue Nazi Germany and is punctuated with photographs of Fortier, his comrades, and the aircraft that they piloted.
In No Bugles, No Drums, the setting is the Korean War. In this book, freelance journalist Rudy Tomedi gathered the reminiscences of dozens of Korean War veterans. Set roughly in chronological order, these narratives tell the story of the conflict in Korea from several points of view which makes for very interesting reading.
We Were Soldiers Once and Young by Harold Moore is the story of a small group of American soldiers in the 7th Cavalry who fought against all odds in the first significant engagement with Viet Cong regulars in Vietnam. In this battle, fought in the fall of 1965, the Lt. Col. who commanded the American forces was none other than the author himself. The book is sure to shock the reader with its descriptions of the bloody and gritty combat experiences of Moore and the men of his battalion. By the way, if the book’s title sounds familiar, it was made into a movie starring Mel Gibson back in 2002.
Speaking of personal narratives of war, and Vietnam in particular, Rowan Public Library is partnering with Waterworks Visual Arts Center to honor and illustrate the Vietnam experiences of Rowan County servicemen and women. Photos and oral histories are being collected at Rowan Public Library and will culminate in a photography exhibit at Waterworks in August 2011. Please call Paul Birkhead, at RPL’s East Branch (704-216-7841) if you would like more information.
PAUL BIRKHEAD – MARCH 6, 2011
“I have seen enough of one war never to wish to see another.”
~ Thomas Jefferson
There are a multitude of quotes about war and seldom will you find ones glamorizing it. Just like General Sherman famously said, “War is Hell.” If you haven’t actually been in combat, one way to get a feel for warfare is to read a memoir of someone who witnessed the horror first-hand. Rowan Public Library’s shelves are stocked with personal narratives from servicemen and women who have fought in all branches of America’s armed forces.
An Ace of the Eighth: an American Fighter Pilot’s Air War in Europe is a first-person account of World War II written by Norman “Bud” Fortier. Mr. Fortier was an aviator in the U.S. Army Air Corps who flew over one hundred combat missions in the skies above Europe. This narrative is full of interesting facts about the men and the aircraft that helped subdue Nazi Germany and is punctuated with photographs of Fortier, his comrades, and the aircraft that they piloted.
In No Bugles, No Drums, the setting is the Korean War. In this book, freelance journalist Rudy Tomedi gathered the reminiscences of dozens of Korean War veterans. Set roughly in chronological order, these narratives tell the story of the conflict in Korea from several points of view which makes for very interesting reading.
We Were Soldiers Once and Young by Harold Moore is the story of a small group of American soldiers in the 7th Cavalry who fought against all odds in the first significant engagement with Viet Cong regulars in Vietnam. In this battle, fought in the fall of 1965, the Lt. Col. who commanded the American forces was none other than the author himself. The book is sure to shock the reader with its descriptions of the bloody and gritty combat experiences of Moore and the men of his battalion. By the way, if the book’s title sounds familiar, it was made into a movie starring Mel Gibson back in 2002.
Speaking of personal narratives of war, and Vietnam in particular, Rowan Public Library is partnering with Waterworks Visual Arts Center to honor and illustrate the Vietnam experiences of Rowan County servicemen and women. Photos and oral histories are being collected at Rowan Public Library and will culminate in a photography exhibit at Waterworks in August 2011. Please call Paul Birkhead, at RPL’s East Branch (704-216-7841) if you would like more information.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Gretchen Beilfuss Witt
February 21, 2011
Going Green
Our culture is increasingly aware of the impact our choices make on our environment. Recycling is part of our everyday life, yet when it comes to larger concerns, what can we do? I have a house built in the 1920s which I love; it has character and a coziness which makes it home. Yet it is drafty, hard to heat and it's not getting any younger. As rooms are remodeled and appliances need to be replaced, how can I maintain my cozy cottage and have a healthier, more energy efficient home that is kinder to the environment?
Barry Katz's "Practical Green Remodeling" has some of the answers. This colourful and engaging work clearly explains what the advantages of a green home are from an economic as well as from a philosophical stand. Even small improvements can make a big difference; "If just one quarter of the single-family homes in the United States reduced their energy use by 20%, it would prevent 48 million tons of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere each year." Katz categorizes the fundamentals of green housing into three classifications – "energy efficiency, resource conservation and healthy living environments."
He offers practical advice on finding a green contractor and what questions to ask. Excellent examples and sidebars illustrate how to build or remodel with the least impact to the environment without sacrificing aesthetics or comfort. The book explains R-Values and what can be done to reduce a buildings demand for heat and cooling. Katz discusses the types of appliances, heating units, toilets, faucets and other items that use resources of all types. Energy Policy acts and EPA criteria are addressed as well as how to comply with new equipment requirements. He offers practical advice on how to save water without it costing you a cent. Did you know that by cutting one minute from a daily shower can save 1,000 gallons of water per year per person? Or putting a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank can help you determine if you have a leak.
Katz also discusses types of healthy, sustainable, non-toxic materials to use in construction, interior design and decorating. House plans, air flow illustrations and other helpful diagrams are plentiful and make this a very usable resource. "Toward a Zero Energy Home" by Johnston and Gibson, "A Healthy Home Handbook" by John Warde and "How to Plan, Contract and Build your own Home" by Scutella and Heberle are among the books related to green building, energy efficiency and healthy home environments waiting to be checked out.
February 21, 2011
Going Green
Our culture is increasingly aware of the impact our choices make on our environment. Recycling is part of our everyday life, yet when it comes to larger concerns, what can we do? I have a house built in the 1920s which I love; it has character and a coziness which makes it home. Yet it is drafty, hard to heat and it's not getting any younger. As rooms are remodeled and appliances need to be replaced, how can I maintain my cozy cottage and have a healthier, more energy efficient home that is kinder to the environment?
Barry Katz's "Practical Green Remodeling" has some of the answers. This colourful and engaging work clearly explains what the advantages of a green home are from an economic as well as from a philosophical stand. Even small improvements can make a big difference; "If just one quarter of the single-family homes in the United States reduced their energy use by 20%, it would prevent 48 million tons of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere each year." Katz categorizes the fundamentals of green housing into three classifications – "energy efficiency, resource conservation and healthy living environments."
He offers practical advice on finding a green contractor and what questions to ask. Excellent examples and sidebars illustrate how to build or remodel with the least impact to the environment without sacrificing aesthetics or comfort. The book explains R-Values and what can be done to reduce a buildings demand for heat and cooling. Katz discusses the types of appliances, heating units, toilets, faucets and other items that use resources of all types. Energy Policy acts and EPA criteria are addressed as well as how to comply with new equipment requirements. He offers practical advice on how to save water without it costing you a cent. Did you know that by cutting one minute from a daily shower can save 1,000 gallons of water per year per person? Or putting a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank can help you determine if you have a leak.
Katz also discusses types of healthy, sustainable, non-toxic materials to use in construction, interior design and decorating. House plans, air flow illustrations and other helpful diagrams are plentiful and make this a very usable resource. "Toward a Zero Energy Home" by Johnston and Gibson, "A Healthy Home Handbook" by John Warde and "How to Plan, Contract and Build your own Home" by Scutella and Heberle are among the books related to green building, energy efficiency and healthy home environments waiting to be checked out.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Serendipity at the Library
by Betty Moore
What better place for serendipity could there be than a library? “Serendipity” is accidentally stumbling upon something fortunate, especially while looking for something completely unrelated.
Have you ever come to the library to get one particular item, then left with several others – after overhearing another reader tell how much he enjoyed what he just turned in, or passing by an interesting DVD on the “New DVD” rack by the door? Maybe you came in to get a tax form and discovered the ongoing Friends Book Sale.
Give yourself the time to discover things you didn’t even know you wanted to know – at the library! Recently, a gentleman asking a question at the reference desk told me, “Last year I made a resolution to spend at least an hour in the library each week.” He was pleased with what he’d learned over the year, just by setting aside a time for exploring the library.
It’s not too late to add this to your own New Year’s resolutions.
Maybe you’ve never been on the second floor or visited the children’s room. You may not have taken the time to look at the display cases, or decorative stained glass windows. You may not know there are murals and sculpture. You may not have seen the historic maps and prints.
Wander through the 149 magazines and 13 North Carolina and national newspapers at Headquarters. I recently passed through the magazine section at the Salisbury branch and a circus train on the cover of “Trains” magazine caught my eye. The fascinating photo-filled cover story on “what it takes to put Ringling on the rails” contains circus train history and culture as well as how older cars are adapted for circus train use.
Finally, treat yourself by visiting a library branch you’ve never been to before. Rowan Public Library’s Salisbury, China Grove, and Rockwell locations each have attractive, comfortable surroundings full of resources with unique activities and displays. You’ll be surprised and pleased to see both familiar and different things at each branch, plus you’ll get to meet other helpful, friendly staff members.
Be open to serendipity at the library!
by Betty Moore
What better place for serendipity could there be than a library? “Serendipity” is accidentally stumbling upon something fortunate, especially while looking for something completely unrelated.
Have you ever come to the library to get one particular item, then left with several others – after overhearing another reader tell how much he enjoyed what he just turned in, or passing by an interesting DVD on the “New DVD” rack by the door? Maybe you came in to get a tax form and discovered the ongoing Friends Book Sale.
Give yourself the time to discover things you didn’t even know you wanted to know – at the library! Recently, a gentleman asking a question at the reference desk told me, “Last year I made a resolution to spend at least an hour in the library each week.” He was pleased with what he’d learned over the year, just by setting aside a time for exploring the library.
It’s not too late to add this to your own New Year’s resolutions.
Maybe you’ve never been on the second floor or visited the children’s room. You may not have taken the time to look at the display cases, or decorative stained glass windows. You may not know there are murals and sculpture. You may not have seen the historic maps and prints.
Wander through the 149 magazines and 13 North Carolina and national newspapers at Headquarters. I recently passed through the magazine section at the Salisbury branch and a circus train on the cover of “Trains” magazine caught my eye. The fascinating photo-filled cover story on “what it takes to put Ringling on the rails” contains circus train history and culture as well as how older cars are adapted for circus train use.
Finally, treat yourself by visiting a library branch you’ve never been to before. Rowan Public Library’s Salisbury, China Grove, and Rockwell locations each have attractive, comfortable surroundings full of resources with unique activities and displays. You’ll be surprised and pleased to see both familiar and different things at each branch, plus you’ll get to meet other helpful, friendly staff members.
Be open to serendipity at the library!
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Library Notes
Rebecca Hyde
The question could be “Can you tell me about yourself?” or “Why did you (or could you) do that?” or “What are my options?” Our answers may or may not come easily. Understanding why we think the way we do (our personal philosophy) is difficult for most of us. Why make the effort? Our philosophy can help or hinder us. As Lou Marinoff says, in “Plato not Prozac,” we need to “evaluate the ideas we hold to craft an outlook that works for us, not against us.”
A famous and engaging example of one who lived a “well-examined” life is Michel de Montaigne. He was as curious as a cat, absorbed in his task of learning “how to live well.” As Phillip Lopate says (“The Art of the Personal Essay”), “Montaigne’s circling, minute self-observations … remind one more of a cat examining its fur.” And what was life like for Montaigne?
Montaigne lived in a time of war and treachery (France, 1533-1592). He was a political advisor, officeholder, landowner, and head of household. He lived in dread of the “kidney stone,” a particularly painful disease from which his father had died. And he never ceased to mourn the death of a dear friend (Etienne de La Boetie, author of a moving treatise against tyranny). Montaigne’s affairs with women and his tedious duties in local government could not divert him from his need to come to terms with grief, pain, and fear of death. So he began a lifelong examination of the human condition and a struggle to accept it through self-study. This very personal endeavor produced the “Essais” (“attempts” or “trials” in French), and Montaigne is commonly referred to as “the first great essayist” or “greatest essayist.” In any case in the “Essays” are found the elements of the personal essay as a literary form: a reflexive conversation, an intimate and relaxed discussion of life/reality as experienced by the “I” author.
In “The Art of the Personal Essay,” Lopate chose to include three of the hundred or so “Essais.” In “Of Books,” Montaigne the critical reader speaks his mind freely because his opinion is the measure of his personal insight, not the measure of things. He reads for pleasure, or for knowledge that “instructs me in how to die well and live well.” The two other selections reveal an individual who is tolerant yet curious about the differences among human beings (“Of a Monstrous Child”) and rather egalitarian when examining the sexuality of men and women (“On Some Verses of Virgil”). Skeptical, undogmatic, with a generous dose of self-forgiveness, Montaigne insists that we look at our own personal experience and try to learn from it.
Rebecca Hyde
The question could be “Can you tell me about yourself?” or “Why did you (or could you) do that?” or “What are my options?” Our answers may or may not come easily. Understanding why we think the way we do (our personal philosophy) is difficult for most of us. Why make the effort? Our philosophy can help or hinder us. As Lou Marinoff says, in “Plato not Prozac,” we need to “evaluate the ideas we hold to craft an outlook that works for us, not against us.”
A famous and engaging example of one who lived a “well-examined” life is Michel de Montaigne. He was as curious as a cat, absorbed in his task of learning “how to live well.” As Phillip Lopate says (“The Art of the Personal Essay”), “Montaigne’s circling, minute self-observations … remind one more of a cat examining its fur.” And what was life like for Montaigne?
Montaigne lived in a time of war and treachery (France, 1533-1592). He was a political advisor, officeholder, landowner, and head of household. He lived in dread of the “kidney stone,” a particularly painful disease from which his father had died. And he never ceased to mourn the death of a dear friend (Etienne de La Boetie, author of a moving treatise against tyranny). Montaigne’s affairs with women and his tedious duties in local government could not divert him from his need to come to terms with grief, pain, and fear of death. So he began a lifelong examination of the human condition and a struggle to accept it through self-study. This very personal endeavor produced the “Essais” (“attempts” or “trials” in French), and Montaigne is commonly referred to as “the first great essayist” or “greatest essayist.” In any case in the “Essays” are found the elements of the personal essay as a literary form: a reflexive conversation, an intimate and relaxed discussion of life/reality as experienced by the “I” author.
In “The Art of the Personal Essay,” Lopate chose to include three of the hundred or so “Essais.” In “Of Books,” Montaigne the critical reader speaks his mind freely because his opinion is the measure of his personal insight, not the measure of things. He reads for pleasure, or for knowledge that “instructs me in how to die well and live well.” The two other selections reveal an individual who is tolerant yet curious about the differences among human beings (“Of a Monstrous Child”) and rather egalitarian when examining the sexuality of men and women (“On Some Verses of Virgil”). Skeptical, undogmatic, with a generous dose of self-forgiveness, Montaigne insists that we look at our own personal experience and try to learn from it.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sara Grajek
Rowan Public Library
Library Notes
Every year, I take a look back at the list of books I’ve read in the past 12 months. I also review my “to-be-read” list. It seems that list grows a little longer every year, yet the list of books I’ve read never grows quite as much. Recently I read Howard’s End is on the Landing by Susan Hill, where the author looks around her house one day and realizes how many books she has collected and hasn’t read. Although Hill has a different taste in reading materials than I do, she reads classics and literature while I choose young adult fiction, a wide-variety of non-fiction, and current fiction, I found it interesting to read about her year of “reading from home.” During that year, she chose to only read books that were already in the house, the exceptions to this rule being academic books from the library and books sent to her from publishers to review. While I have no intentions to stop checking out books from the library, I think this year may involve reading from my very long “to-be-read list.” What books are on your reading list this year? Chances are, Rowan Public Library has some of them. I know they have many of mine.
The London Eye Mystery by the late Siobhan Dowd has been on my reading list since it was first published in 2008. Dowd received much critical acclaim for the few young adult books written in her short career. A human rights activist, her books are poignant and leave you thinking about them long after you have finished them. In The London Eye Mystery, Ted and Kat take their cousin Salim to the London Eye and watch as he circles high into the sky and back down – and doesn’t emerge from the ride. Where could he have possibly gone when Kat and Ted were watching the exit the whole time? When the police and other adults can’t solve the mystery, Kat and Ted (who has Asperger’s) take on the challenge.
Explorers David Livingstone and Ernest Shackleton are well-known, but Colonel Percy Fawcett? David Graham tells us in the Lost City of Z, during his era, Fawcett was just as well known. After hearing Fawcett speak at the Royal Geographical Society, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used his experiences as inspiration for writing The Lost World. A few colleagues believed he was “immune to death.” His last adventure proved them wrong however when he departed for the Amazon with his 21 year old son, searching for El Dorado, or the City of Z, as Fawcett called it. The entire group vanished, leaving behind few clues and a group of adventurers determined to find him.
Oliver Sacks, the neurologist/author who is perhaps best known for his book Awakenings, writes about the complexities of the human brain. Musicophelia: Tales of Music and the Brain, examines the science of music. Readers will learn about the man who was struck by lightning, then experienced an overwhelming desire to listen and learn to play music. You’ll read how music can help senile patients regain lost memories and help bring movement to immobile patients. Sacks believes music can be beneficial to neurology because it works in many areas of the brain. Even if one area of the brain were to become damaged, another part may still recognize or remember music.
With these books, and the 116 others that are still on my list, I should be able to find something to read this year. Reading from home, as Susan Hill did, but mostly, reading from the library.
Rowan Public Library
Library Notes
Every year, I take a look back at the list of books I’ve read in the past 12 months. I also review my “to-be-read” list. It seems that list grows a little longer every year, yet the list of books I’ve read never grows quite as much. Recently I read Howard’s End is on the Landing by Susan Hill, where the author looks around her house one day and realizes how many books she has collected and hasn’t read. Although Hill has a different taste in reading materials than I do, she reads classics and literature while I choose young adult fiction, a wide-variety of non-fiction, and current fiction, I found it interesting to read about her year of “reading from home.” During that year, she chose to only read books that were already in the house, the exceptions to this rule being academic books from the library and books sent to her from publishers to review. While I have no intentions to stop checking out books from the library, I think this year may involve reading from my very long “to-be-read list.” What books are on your reading list this year? Chances are, Rowan Public Library has some of them. I know they have many of mine.
The London Eye Mystery by the late Siobhan Dowd has been on my reading list since it was first published in 2008. Dowd received much critical acclaim for the few young adult books written in her short career. A human rights activist, her books are poignant and leave you thinking about them long after you have finished them. In The London Eye Mystery, Ted and Kat take their cousin Salim to the London Eye and watch as he circles high into the sky and back down – and doesn’t emerge from the ride. Where could he have possibly gone when Kat and Ted were watching the exit the whole time? When the police and other adults can’t solve the mystery, Kat and Ted (who has Asperger’s) take on the challenge.
Explorers David Livingstone and Ernest Shackleton are well-known, but Colonel Percy Fawcett? David Graham tells us in the Lost City of Z, during his era, Fawcett was just as well known. After hearing Fawcett speak at the Royal Geographical Society, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used his experiences as inspiration for writing The Lost World. A few colleagues believed he was “immune to death.” His last adventure proved them wrong however when he departed for the Amazon with his 21 year old son, searching for El Dorado, or the City of Z, as Fawcett called it. The entire group vanished, leaving behind few clues and a group of adventurers determined to find him.
Oliver Sacks, the neurologist/author who is perhaps best known for his book Awakenings, writes about the complexities of the human brain. Musicophelia: Tales of Music and the Brain, examines the science of music. Readers will learn about the man who was struck by lightning, then experienced an overwhelming desire to listen and learn to play music. You’ll read how music can help senile patients regain lost memories and help bring movement to immobile patients. Sacks believes music can be beneficial to neurology because it works in many areas of the brain. Even if one area of the brain were to become damaged, another part may still recognize or remember music.
With these books, and the 116 others that are still on my list, I should be able to find something to read this year. Reading from home, as Susan Hill did, but mostly, reading from the library.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Library Notes
January 23, 2011
Dara L. Cain
2011 Newbery and Caldecott Winners
The Newbery Award is the first children's book award in the world established in 1922. It is named in honor of eighteenth-century English bookseller John Newbery and is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association. The purpose of the award is "to encourage original creative work in the field of books for children.” This year’s Newbery winner is Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool. Set in 1936, 12-year-old Abilene Tucker feels deserted in Manifest, Kansas where she has been sent by her father to live for the summer with an old friend while he works a railroad job. Abilene is saddened to learn that her father’s hometown is desolate and boring until she discovers a box containing some old letters that refer to a spy known as the Rattler. These letters send Abilene and her new friends Lettie and Ruthanne on an exciting spy hunt to uncover Manifest’s long-held secrets. Also worthy of attention are this year’s honor books which are Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman, Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus, One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia, and Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm.
After the Newbery Award was created it became apparent to many people that the artists designing picture books for children were equally deserving of recognition and encouragement. As a result, a second annual medal known as the Caldecott Medal was established in 1938. “This medal is to be given to the artist who had created the most distinguished picture book of the year and named in honor of the nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph J. Caldecott.” This year’s Caldecott winner is A Sick Day for Amos McGee illustrated by Erin E. Stead and written by her husband Philip C. Stead. In this kindhearted story zookeeper Amos McGee spends quality time each day with his animal friends at the zoo from playing chess with elephant to conducting races with tortoise. Everything is status quo until Amos gets sick with a cold and must stay home in bed. To Amos’s surprise his animal friends make a surprise visit to his home and reciprocate kindness by taking care of him. Penguin helps by keeping Amos’s feet warm and when Amos sneezes rhinoceros is there to provide a handkerchief. Erin Stead’s use of woodblock-printing techniques and soft flat colors portray a gentle story about friendship and love. This year’s honor books are Interrupting Chicken, written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein and Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave illustrated by Bryan Collier and written by Laban Carrick Hill.
January 23, 2011
Dara L. Cain
2011 Newbery and Caldecott Winners
The Newbery Award is the first children's book award in the world established in 1922. It is named in honor of eighteenth-century English bookseller John Newbery and is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association. The purpose of the award is "to encourage original creative work in the field of books for children.” This year’s Newbery winner is Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool. Set in 1936, 12-year-old Abilene Tucker feels deserted in Manifest, Kansas where she has been sent by her father to live for the summer with an old friend while he works a railroad job. Abilene is saddened to learn that her father’s hometown is desolate and boring until she discovers a box containing some old letters that refer to a spy known as the Rattler. These letters send Abilene and her new friends Lettie and Ruthanne on an exciting spy hunt to uncover Manifest’s long-held secrets. Also worthy of attention are this year’s honor books which are Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman, Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus, One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia, and Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm.
After the Newbery Award was created it became apparent to many people that the artists designing picture books for children were equally deserving of recognition and encouragement. As a result, a second annual medal known as the Caldecott Medal was established in 1938. “This medal is to be given to the artist who had created the most distinguished picture book of the year and named in honor of the nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph J. Caldecott.” This year’s Caldecott winner is A Sick Day for Amos McGee illustrated by Erin E. Stead and written by her husband Philip C. Stead. In this kindhearted story zookeeper Amos McGee spends quality time each day with his animal friends at the zoo from playing chess with elephant to conducting races with tortoise. Everything is status quo until Amos gets sick with a cold and must stay home in bed. To Amos’s surprise his animal friends make a surprise visit to his home and reciprocate kindness by taking care of him. Penguin helps by keeping Amos’s feet warm and when Amos sneezes rhinoceros is there to provide a handkerchief. Erin Stead’s use of woodblock-printing techniques and soft flat colors portray a gentle story about friendship and love. This year’s honor books are Interrupting Chicken, written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein and Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave illustrated by Bryan Collier and written by Laban Carrick Hill.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Children’s Biographies have interesting Character
January 7, 2011
Erika Kosin
Children’s biographies are usually seen as a source of facts and dates on historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln for reports or informational tidbits on popular musicians and sports heroes that children are interested in. What sometimes gets overlooked are the biographies that tell interesting stories about people’s lives that took place throughout history. Many of these interesting stories about people can not only be found with biographies, but also with the picture books, especially if the story is simply told with many illustrations. Some of these books may not be about someone famous, but rather about a person who knew someone famous or just had an interesting life. While basic or in-depth, these stories may peak a child’s interest causing them to research a topic previously unknown to them. Some of the interesting stories about real people that can be found at the Rowan Public Library include:
Mary Smith by A. U’Ren – Ever wonder what people did before alarm clocks? How did they get to work or school on time? This story about Mary Smith tells of how the townspeople in one England village made sure they got up on time using a pea shooter.
The Magical Garden of Claude Monet, Picasso and the Girl with a Ponytail, and Camille and the Sunflowers: A Story about Vincent Van Gogh by Laurence Anholt – This series of three books contain stories about young people and their encounters with famous artists. All inspired by real people, these are a great story books for a child’s first look at some famous artists.
The Day-Glo Brothers by Chris Barton – Have you ever seen a traffic cone with that bright orange color? This fun biography tells the story of Bob and Joe Switzer’s who invented fluorescent colors and how these colors changed the way we live today.
Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning by Laurence Anholt – Ever find a fossil hidden in the earth? Mary Anning discovered one of the most important fossils, the great ichthyosaur, when she was twelve years old in Lyme Regis in Dorset, England. Learn about her path to discovery starting with her surviving a lightning strike at fifteen months old.
January 7, 2011
Erika Kosin
Children’s biographies are usually seen as a source of facts and dates on historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln for reports or informational tidbits on popular musicians and sports heroes that children are interested in. What sometimes gets overlooked are the biographies that tell interesting stories about people’s lives that took place throughout history. Many of these interesting stories about people can not only be found with biographies, but also with the picture books, especially if the story is simply told with many illustrations. Some of these books may not be about someone famous, but rather about a person who knew someone famous or just had an interesting life. While basic or in-depth, these stories may peak a child’s interest causing them to research a topic previously unknown to them. Some of the interesting stories about real people that can be found at the Rowan Public Library include:
Mary Smith by A. U’Ren – Ever wonder what people did before alarm clocks? How did they get to work or school on time? This story about Mary Smith tells of how the townspeople in one England village made sure they got up on time using a pea shooter.
The Magical Garden of Claude Monet, Picasso and the Girl with a Ponytail, and Camille and the Sunflowers: A Story about Vincent Van Gogh by Laurence Anholt – This series of three books contain stories about young people and their encounters with famous artists. All inspired by real people, these are a great story books for a child’s first look at some famous artists.
The Day-Glo Brothers by Chris Barton – Have you ever seen a traffic cone with that bright orange color? This fun biography tells the story of Bob and Joe Switzer’s who invented fluorescent colors and how these colors changed the way we live today.
Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning by Laurence Anholt – Ever find a fossil hidden in the earth? Mary Anning discovered one of the most important fossils, the great ichthyosaur, when she was twelve years old in Lyme Regis in Dorset, England. Learn about her path to discovery starting with her surviving a lightning strike at fifteen months old.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Library Notes
Lynn Denison
December 17, 2010
Several events occurred recently that gave me the inspiration for today’s library column. First I read a quote from Groucho Marx which I thoroughly enjoyed, “Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.”
Next I learned about the tragic accident involving a hero war-dog named Target. Target, who saved the lives of several US soldiers by fighting off a suicide bomber, was euthanized by mistake after being brought back from Afghanistan to the States by his handler. This event touched me deeply and brought to my attention the important part these animals and their handlers play in the service of our country. Often they are unsung heroes.
Shortly after that a patron called to ask for a new non-fiction book—The Scent of the Missing written by Susannah Charleston. When the book came across my desk the subtitle captured my attention: Love and Partnership with a Search-and-Rescue Dog. The detailed descriptions of the life of a search and rescue team were fascinating. The entire book is a great read, even the sad parts, but happily the book doesn’t end sadly as so many other animal books do!
Checking to see what other books we might have on dog heroes, I came across the book titled Dog Heroes of September 11th: A Tribute to America’s Search and Rescue Dogs by Nona Kilgore Bauer. In this book dogs brought to work from all across the country are profiled, along with their handlers/trainers. These dogs worked at Ground Zero, Fresh Kills Landfill, and the Pentagon. The reader receives an in-depth look at the workers, both human and canine, who helped bring closure to so many families that would not have gotten it otherwise.
A friend in the children’s services division told me I must include the book Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle by Major Brian Dennis. Although this book is found in the children’s area it is a heartwarming book to be shared with the whole family. Of course, we have many, many more books, as well as DVD’s and CD’s, for animal lovers. Why not stop by today to take advantage of the wealth of materials we have available for you at Rowan Public Library?
Lynn Denison
December 17, 2010
Several events occurred recently that gave me the inspiration for today’s library column. First I read a quote from Groucho Marx which I thoroughly enjoyed, “Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.”
Next I learned about the tragic accident involving a hero war-dog named Target. Target, who saved the lives of several US soldiers by fighting off a suicide bomber, was euthanized by mistake after being brought back from Afghanistan to the States by his handler. This event touched me deeply and brought to my attention the important part these animals and their handlers play in the service of our country. Often they are unsung heroes.
Shortly after that a patron called to ask for a new non-fiction book—The Scent of the Missing written by Susannah Charleston. When the book came across my desk the subtitle captured my attention: Love and Partnership with a Search-and-Rescue Dog. The detailed descriptions of the life of a search and rescue team were fascinating. The entire book is a great read, even the sad parts, but happily the book doesn’t end sadly as so many other animal books do!
Checking to see what other books we might have on dog heroes, I came across the book titled Dog Heroes of September 11th: A Tribute to America’s Search and Rescue Dogs by Nona Kilgore Bauer. In this book dogs brought to work from all across the country are profiled, along with their handlers/trainers. These dogs worked at Ground Zero, Fresh Kills Landfill, and the Pentagon. The reader receives an in-depth look at the workers, both human and canine, who helped bring closure to so many families that would not have gotten it otherwise.
A friend in the children’s services division told me I must include the book Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle by Major Brian Dennis. Although this book is found in the children’s area it is a heartwarming book to be shared with the whole family. Of course, we have many, many more books, as well as DVD’s and CD’s, for animal lovers. Why not stop by today to take advantage of the wealth of materials we have available for you at Rowan Public Library?
Friday, December 10, 2010
New Nonfiction at Rowan Public Library
By Edward A. Hirst
Rowan Public Library
Browsing the new non-fiction shelves at the library is something I try to do on a weekly basis, and these are some titles that have caught my eye recently.
“Paint Your House with Powdered Milk” by Joey Green is full of hundreds of off-beat tips for using name brand products in creative and unusual ways.
Besides the useful tips, you can also read the history behind these products, how they got their names, and quirky facts that you probably never knew about them. You’ll never look at the items on your grocery store shelf the same way again after reading this book.
“The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival” by John Vaillant is a well researched account about a Siberian tiger that terrorizes a remote Russian village in the late ’90s. The book is about a tiger that viciously kills a poacher who wounded it and the men who are assigned to track it down.
The story reaches far beyond this, though, to include man’s relationship with tigers over the ages, issues surrounding the collapse of the Soviet Union and how that has affected the people who live along the Russian-Chinese border.
In “The World in 2050: Four Forces Shaping Civilization’s Northern Future,” Laurence C. Smith writes that as our earth warms, it is likely to cause the land farthest from the equator to become more desirable. This will lead to a population and development explosion in the near-Arctic regions and turn the world’s attention north.
Those countries with land bordering the Arctic Rim will likely benefit from global warming. He writes that spring in North America is arriving one day earlier every two and half years, “Imagine your lawn crawling north, away from your house, at a speed of 5.5 feet per day.”
“On The Grid” by Scott Huler is a fascinating trip through the streets, cables, pipes and other infrastructure that keeps our cities operating and makes modern life possible. It is an entertaining journey, with each chapter focusing on one specific element such as electricity, water, transportation and even garbage. We also meet the people who plan the systems as well as the workers who keep everything running.
In “A Splendid Exchange,” William Bernstein tells the story of global trade from its origins in prehistory to the controversies of today. We travel with ancient sailing ships along the silk trade route from China to Rome, to the rise and fall of the Portuguese trade monopoly in spices in the 16th century.
Along the way he examines inventions such as steam, steel and refrigeration that enabled us to import televisions from Korea, lettuce from Mexico and T-shirts from Costa Rica.
“The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates,” by Wes Moore, is a story about two boys who grow up in the same city in similar environments and how one becomes a Rhodes Scholar and the other ends up in jail as a convicted murderer.
The book examines the forks in the road the boys encounter as they grow up and the external forces they encounter that lead them down their respective paths.
Be sure and visit Rowan Public Library for these books and more.
By Edward A. Hirst
Rowan Public Library
Browsing the new non-fiction shelves at the library is something I try to do on a weekly basis, and these are some titles that have caught my eye recently.
“Paint Your House with Powdered Milk” by Joey Green is full of hundreds of off-beat tips for using name brand products in creative and unusual ways.
Besides the useful tips, you can also read the history behind these products, how they got their names, and quirky facts that you probably never knew about them. You’ll never look at the items on your grocery store shelf the same way again after reading this book.
“The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival” by John Vaillant is a well researched account about a Siberian tiger that terrorizes a remote Russian village in the late ’90s. The book is about a tiger that viciously kills a poacher who wounded it and the men who are assigned to track it down.
The story reaches far beyond this, though, to include man’s relationship with tigers over the ages, issues surrounding the collapse of the Soviet Union and how that has affected the people who live along the Russian-Chinese border.
In “The World in 2050: Four Forces Shaping Civilization’s Northern Future,” Laurence C. Smith writes that as our earth warms, it is likely to cause the land farthest from the equator to become more desirable. This will lead to a population and development explosion in the near-Arctic regions and turn the world’s attention north.
Those countries with land bordering the Arctic Rim will likely benefit from global warming. He writes that spring in North America is arriving one day earlier every two and half years, “Imagine your lawn crawling north, away from your house, at a speed of 5.5 feet per day.”
“On The Grid” by Scott Huler is a fascinating trip through the streets, cables, pipes and other infrastructure that keeps our cities operating and makes modern life possible. It is an entertaining journey, with each chapter focusing on one specific element such as electricity, water, transportation and even garbage. We also meet the people who plan the systems as well as the workers who keep everything running.
In “A Splendid Exchange,” William Bernstein tells the story of global trade from its origins in prehistory to the controversies of today. We travel with ancient sailing ships along the silk trade route from China to Rome, to the rise and fall of the Portuguese trade monopoly in spices in the 16th century.
Along the way he examines inventions such as steam, steel and refrigeration that enabled us to import televisions from Korea, lettuce from Mexico and T-shirts from Costa Rica.
“The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates,” by Wes Moore, is a story about two boys who grow up in the same city in similar environments and how one becomes a Rhodes Scholar and the other ends up in jail as a convicted murderer.
The book examines the forks in the road the boys encounter as they grow up and the external forces they encounter that lead them down their respective paths.
Be sure and visit Rowan Public Library for these books and more.
Sunday, December 05, 2010
AUTO REPAIR
PAUL BIRKHEAD – DECEMBER 5, 2010
With the economy the way it is right now, more and more people are choosing to keep their vehicles longer. Unfortunately, that means those same people might have to deal with more car repairs than they’ve had to in the past. It is a common fact, as cars age, that certain parts get worn down or break altogether. However, the library has resources that can help those who are willing to tackle auto repairs on their own.
Perhaps the most recognized resource the library offers on car repair is our collection of Chilton service manuals. For over 100 years, the name Chilton has been the standard for auto repair and maintenance guides. These manuals are still found in most mechanic shops and their stained and tattered pages attest to their use. The library has a great number of Chilton manuals, and while some are kept in the reference section, there are several copies that can be checked out. Most years are covered and they are often broken down into volumes that cover either imported or domestic models.
Another resource that the library offers is 24/7 access to an online automotive repair database. This resource is called the Auto Repair Reference Center (ARRC) and comes courtesy of NC Live. To access ARRC from home, you’ll need a valid Rowan Public Library card number and PIN. If you don’t have a PIN or can’t remember what it is, stop by the library and ask for a new one. Make sure you bring your library card or an ID with you. You can get to the ARRC through a link on our website – www.rowanpubliclibrary.org. Once at our home page, click on the ‘Find It Online’ link. Then, click on the ‘NCLive – Access from Home’ link. At this point, put in your library card number and PIN, and then follow the instructions for obtaining the current password for NCLive. Once at the NCLive site, scroll down the page and click on ‘Hobbies & Interests’ and you’re almost there. The final step is to click on the Auto Repair Reference Center link and you’re in. I know it might seem like a lot of work to get there, but I’m confident you’ll find the ARRC worth it.
The ARRC has repair and maintenance information on over 35,000 vehicles from the 1940’s to the present. Everything you might need to service your car can be found inside: from factory drawings, technical service bulletins, wiring diagrams, maintenance schedules, and even information on recalls. What makes this online database so handy is that new repair procedures and updates are continually being added. There are also thousands of images in the database, and most have been configured to make it easier to view and print them. Not sure you can handle a repair yourself and are thinking of taking your vehicle to a mechanic? There is a labor time guide and repair cost estimator included in the database.
Whether it’s something routine like changing a car’s oil, or a major repair such as replacing a transmission, most auto repair projects can be intimidating for the common person. However, just knowing that the library has resources to help you might instill enough confidence to tackle a job. Stop by the Rowan Public Library and let us help you keep your car running.
PAUL BIRKHEAD – DECEMBER 5, 2010
With the economy the way it is right now, more and more people are choosing to keep their vehicles longer. Unfortunately, that means those same people might have to deal with more car repairs than they’ve had to in the past. It is a common fact, as cars age, that certain parts get worn down or break altogether. However, the library has resources that can help those who are willing to tackle auto repairs on their own.
Perhaps the most recognized resource the library offers on car repair is our collection of Chilton service manuals. For over 100 years, the name Chilton has been the standard for auto repair and maintenance guides. These manuals are still found in most mechanic shops and their stained and tattered pages attest to their use. The library has a great number of Chilton manuals, and while some are kept in the reference section, there are several copies that can be checked out. Most years are covered and they are often broken down into volumes that cover either imported or domestic models.
Another resource that the library offers is 24/7 access to an online automotive repair database. This resource is called the Auto Repair Reference Center (ARRC) and comes courtesy of NC Live. To access ARRC from home, you’ll need a valid Rowan Public Library card number and PIN. If you don’t have a PIN or can’t remember what it is, stop by the library and ask for a new one. Make sure you bring your library card or an ID with you. You can get to the ARRC through a link on our website – www.rowanpubliclibrary.org. Once at our home page, click on the ‘Find It Online’ link. Then, click on the ‘NCLive – Access from Home’ link. At this point, put in your library card number and PIN, and then follow the instructions for obtaining the current password for NCLive. Once at the NCLive site, scroll down the page and click on ‘Hobbies & Interests’ and you’re almost there. The final step is to click on the Auto Repair Reference Center link and you’re in. I know it might seem like a lot of work to get there, but I’m confident you’ll find the ARRC worth it.
The ARRC has repair and maintenance information on over 35,000 vehicles from the 1940’s to the present. Everything you might need to service your car can be found inside: from factory drawings, technical service bulletins, wiring diagrams, maintenance schedules, and even information on recalls. What makes this online database so handy is that new repair procedures and updates are continually being added. There are also thousands of images in the database, and most have been configured to make it easier to view and print them. Not sure you can handle a repair yourself and are thinking of taking your vehicle to a mechanic? There is a labor time guide and repair cost estimator included in the database.
Whether it’s something routine like changing a car’s oil, or a major repair such as replacing a transmission, most auto repair projects can be intimidating for the common person. However, just knowing that the library has resources to help you might instill enough confidence to tackle a job. Stop by the Rowan Public Library and let us help you keep your car running.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)