Dr. Joyce Brothers, whose soft voice, clear explanations, and preference for pastels calmed generations of anxious, questioning Americans, has died.

In 1955, Dr. Brothers was a wife and new mother. Her doctor husband was paid $50 a month as a resident. Looking for a way to pay the bills, Dr. Brothers studied the popular game show The $64,000 Question and realized that the most popular contestants were the ones with the most improbable interests. At 5', with delicate features, Brothers, who had a PhD from Columbia and a near-photographic memory, became a self-taught expert on boxing before becoming a contestant. The result of her astute analysis and hard-charging studying was that, after riveting weeks on the show, she became the first woman to win the big prize.

That national attention led to a multi-pronged media presence as a straight-shooting advice expert. She had several TV shows that bore her name, a call-in radio show, a column in Good Housekeeping magazine, and she enjoyed frequent guest appearances on television. She also authored several books, including the 1981 What Every Woman Should Know about Men.

Dr. Brothers, who was 85, died in Fort Lee, NY of respiratory failure.

If you’ve got a hankering for life on a ranch, then you might enjoy these audiobook tales.

For the youngest cowpokes, there’s Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa, a series of short friendship stories about a young cowgirl and her horse. It's a 2006 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award nominee. The series continues with Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: Partners, Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: School Days, Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: Rain or Shine, Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: Horse in the House, and Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: Spring Babies.

Slightly older buckaroos may also enjoy the adventures of Hank the Cowdog, who acts as the Head of Security at his ranch. You can listen to Hank’s hilarious adventures in The Case of the Tender Cheeping Chickies, The Case of the Monkey Burglar, The Case of the Booby-Trapped Pickup, The Case of the Most Ancient Bone, The Case of the Blazing Sky and The Quest for the Great White Quail.

This week is Bike to Work Week, and this Friday May 17th is Bike to Work Day!

Celebrate with Ann Arbor by riding your bike to work and logging it in the commuter challenge. On your way home from work, stop in the library and check out a book about bicycle repair, building your own bicycle, staying safe while bicycling, the joy of bicycling, or a story about bikes to read to a child!

Ann Arbor's Get Downtown program also has a lot of helpful resources for the local biker, such as tips for commuting, maps of bicycle trails and places to park your bike.

For those of you who prefer to celebrate Bike to Work Week outside of downtown Ann Arbor, the library has plenty of books featuring maps of bike trails throughout southeast Michigan and Washtenaw county.

Get ready for some rootin’ tootin’ fun with Reed Gunther: The Bear Riding Cowboy, a “wild” west tale about a goofy bear-riding cowboy Reed Gunther who usually means well but manages to make things worse. Lucky for him he is helped by his stalwart bear companion, Sterling, and by Starla, a no-nonsense fearless rancher. In this first installment Reed, Sterling, and Starla must prevent the onslaught of a whistle-stop tour of monsters from California all the way to New York City. To compound their trouble, a malicious circus owner tries to stop Reed so he can collect the monsters for his freak show.

The story is fun and energetic, propelling readers from one thrilling episode to the next. The art is expressive, giving everyone personality and sparkle. Though in some ways this is like watching old 50’s cowboy shows, you’ll not get bored. If this first volume appeals, don’t miss lassoing Reed Gunther: Monsters and Mustaches: Vol. 2.

The Downtown library has a shelf in the Youth Department known as the Parent Shelf. On this shelf you’ll find a variety of parent-child related books on a multitude of topics- including everything from ABCs to tantrums to potty training to home schooling. These books are available for checkout, and can be found in the catalog when searching “parent shelf,” if you’d like to have one sent to a branch of your choice.

One topic that might be of interest is child safety, both in the home and in the community. We’ve got books that cover everything from bike helmets to baby proofing to stranger danger. Check out such titles as:

SafeKids 101: Preparing kids to stay safe at home and in the community

Protecting the gift: keeping children and teenagers safe (and parents sane)

The safe child book: a commonsense approach to protecting children and teaching children to protect themselves

Join us Friday afternoons in May to learn geeky stuff.

Introduction to Linux and the Command Line -- Friday May 10: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Speak to your computer in a language it understands. Learn how to interact with a Linux machine from the command line, navigate the file system, create directories and edit files from the command line, write and invoke scripts, and automate basic tasks. Supplement the class with a Linux bible.

Introduction to Python -- Friday, May 17: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Gain introductory knowledge of Python, a general purpose, high-level programming language, by way of brief lectures about core elements of the language coupled with interactive exercises. Get the kids involved with Python for kids or Hello World!: computer programming.

Introduction to Web Applications -- Friday May 24: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Learn how to build applications using Google App Engine. Discusses the basics of web sites, web servers, and modern web applications. Following this discussion, we will learn how to build applications in Python using Google App Engine. By the end of the class, students will have built their first web application, and deployed it to Google's servers. Supplement the class with Essential app engine.

All classes take place in the third floor library training center downtown. Registration is not required. Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Go to classes and handouts for more information.

From the gregarious Glee kids to the harmonious horde of High School Musical, kids these days love their theater! And it’s not just on TV or in music. Check out one of these great books and read about awful auditions, big solos that bring the house down, backstage drama and pursuing your dreams! There’s no business like show business!

Better Nate Than Ever – Unbeknownst to his parents, Nate skips school and runs off to the Big Apple to audition for a fabulous role in E.T. The Musical. Will Nate be the next big Broadway star, or will his parents catch him and drag him back to his mundane small town life?

Starring Jules (as herself) – Jules can’t wait to be on TV! She has an audition for a mouthwash commercial, but everything keeps going wrong! Can Jules land the part, and also befriend the new girl?

Drama – Callie is the stage manager for this year’s big musical, and she is committed to making it the best one the school has ever produced. Enter, the twins, stage right. Justin and Jesse both have amazing voices, as well as a knack for getting Callie into confusing romantic entanglements. What’s a young theater professional to do?!?

James Beard was a renowned American chef who introduced French cuisine and gourmet cooking to America. Called the "Dean of American cookery” by the New York Times in 1954, his foundation's awards are likened to the 'Oscars' of the culinary world. Just some of the award categories include best cookbooks (in various subcategories), chefs, & tv and radio cooking shows. The awards are voted on by culinary professionals & the full list can be found here. Below are some of the highlights:

Cookbook of the Year: Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America- delicious food from the many countries that comprise Latin America

Baking and dessert: Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza- From acclaimed Portland baker, Ken Forkish, comes this popular book about how to make the perfect bread

Focus on health: The New Way to Cook Light: Fresh Food & Bold Flavors for Today’s Home Cook- More than 400 recipes for healthy eating

General cooking: Canal House Cooks Every Day- Recipes inspired by the authors' blog, Canal House Cooks Lunch, by home cooks for home cooks

International: Jerusalem: A Cookbook- 120 recipes that highlight the flavors of Jerusalem

Vegetable focused & Vegetarian- Roots: The definitive compendium with more than 225 recipes- one more reason to love your veggies!

If you are a fan of the Starz original series Da Vinci's Demons you might be interested in Paul Strahorn's book The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior.

It tells the compelling tale of the events of 1502 when Italy, torn apart by warring factions, was on the brink of political convulsion. Cesare Borgia and his army threatened to take the city of Florence and Machiavelli thought of a way to stop him. He seems to have offered up Da Vinci to become Borgia's military engineer--something that Borgia wanted dearly and Da Vinci had already declined.

It is a story about genius and events that changed world history. These three men, each epitomizing a distinct aspect of humanity, spent time together in 1502 and Strathern masterfully describes the events.

What a rare opportunity for anyone who has small children in the family or teachers and caregivers who work with small children. Jim Gill is coming to Ann Arbor to give a workshop and a family concert.
The workshop will be at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, 2013 at the Downtown Library. The concert will follow at 7:00 p.m. At the workshop he will talk about how music plays such an important part in children's development. You will learn a lot but you'll also be entertained.
A Jim Gill family concert is fun for the whole family.
Don't miss these great events that are a part of our Children's Book Week celebration.