Blog Post
He wrote "This land is your land..."
by Maxine
Today, July 14 is the birthday of folksinger and songwriter Woody Guthrie who was born in Okemah, Oklahoma in 1912. Guthrie never finished high school and spent his spare time reading books at the local public library. He taught himself guitar with one he found in the street. When the drought hit in Texas in the 1930's causing the same devastation as the Dust Bowl, Woody joined displaced workers who were moving to California and chronicled their struggles in some of his songs including "So Long. It's Been Good to Know Yuh," in which he wrote,:
"A dust storm hit, an it hit like thunder;
It dusted us over, an 'it covered us under;
Blocked out the traffic an' blocked out the sun.
Straight for home all the peole did run,
Singinn'
So long, it's been good to know yuh..."
Guthrie continued writing about people facing hard times. Many of his songs still ring true: "Hard, Ain't It Hard," "This Train is Bound for Glory," Sharecropper Song," and "Someday."
Blog Post
New Knits on the Block
by manz
Let me make a confession: I don’t know how to knit. And working at the library with a slew of fabulous, fun and new knitting books, well, I feel a bit guilty. I was recently searching for the movie The Goonies in our catalog and a wonderful book came up in the search instead: New Knits on the Block. A book that features knitting projects inspired by costumes, toys and decorations. What does that have to do with The Goonies, you ask? There is a knitting project called Goonie’s Treasure Bath Set, Which consists of a Jolly Roger wash cloth, a stuffed parrot, eye patch, and head scarf- all stitched up for bath time play. The fun doesn’t stop there. The book also has directions to knit the following: a St. Elmo’s Fire firefighter hat, Labyrinth felted wizard and princess hats, a Schneider tool set and pouch (my personal fave), The Tooth is Out There alien tooth fairy pillows, a Benetar guitar pillow, and even The Last Unicorn dress up headpiece. I could go on and on with the pop culture titled, magically adorable crafty projects. If I could knit I would make these treats for every kid I know, and possibly a few for myself.
The author, Vicki Howell, is the host of DIY’s Knitty Gritty, and is well respected in the knitting world for her funky, hip edgy designs. (I know it’s summer and folks don’t want to knit scarves in the summer, but these are toys! And toys are needed year round.)
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #117
by muffy
In The Dirty Secrets Club*, the best clue San Francisco forensic psychiatrist, Jo Beckett finds at the 3rd high profile murder-suicides of the week is the word “dirty” scrolled on the thigh, in blood-red lipstick, of the latest victim – Callie Harding – the Assistant U.S. Attorney. Someone is picking off the members of the “Dirty Secrets Club”, A-list celebrities who trade secrets and thrills.
Meg Gardiner’s hardback U.S. debut boasts a taut, complex plot, break-neck pacing; a smart, tenacious and emotionally vulnerable protagonist with her own secrets to hide; and a realistic rendering of a city under siege.
Critics are comparing Gardiner to Michael Connelly, Jeffery Deaver and Tess Gerritsen. Gardiner practiced law in LA and taught at the University of California Santa Barbara. Her previous Evan Delaney (available only in paperback) novels are big hits in the UK where she now lives.
*=Starred Reviews
Blog Post
A powerful new novel about China
by annevm
Readers in Ann Arbor Reads earlier this year may be interested in Beijing Coma by Ma Jian. I have an uncle who is immersed in the book this summer, maybe because he was at Tiananmen Square a few days after the 1989 massacre. He says the book is "heavy," but definitely worth reading. There's a good review in The New Yorker magazine.
Blog Post
Three Shadows...
by erin
This is one of the more bittersweet graphic novels that I have read in a long time. A fast read, but one that will stick with you. Three Shadows was written by Cyril Pedrosa who is a French comics writer who began his career in animation, working on, among others, the Disney films Hunchback of Notre Dame and Hercules. The story is a haunting fable about a family living an idyllic existence until three mysterious shadows arrive and change everything. The illustrations are lovely and very evocative - be prepared to shed a few tears!
Blog Post
Parent Bits - New Baby Coming
by ryanikoglu
When the BIG news is... a new child is coming, The Scholastic website offers parents very useful information, and it is very easy to use.
The Library offers books to read with young children in anticipation.
Try Waiting For Gregory;
We Belong Together: A Book About Adoption and Families;
Dear Baby: Letters From Your Big Brother;
Benny And Beautiful Baby Delilah; and
What To Expect When Mommy’s Having a Baby.
Blog Post
Bridge to Terabithia
by pkooger
In Katherine Patterson's Newberry award winning novel, "Bridge to Terabithia," two 5th grade kids dream up a magical land where they can escape from the pressures of everyday life. Jesse and Leslie don't quite fit in with the rest of the kids in their rural community. Their friendship and their imaginary kingdom provide them with a safe place to be themselves.
The story follows a young boy who has to handle some very grown-up situations. Jess and the other characters in the book deal with issues such as poverty, child abuse, and the death of loved ones. Patterson handles these issues with tenderness and humor while maintaining a realistic representation of a child's world view. The story manages to be uplifting without shying away from the darker realities of life.
For more information on Katherine Patterson and her writing, visit her Wikipedia article or her homepage at Terabithia.com.
Blog Post
It's raining, so read a book
by RiponGood
What should one do on a rainy day? Can't mow the lawn or go to the beach. You could watch a movie or clean the bathroom. I suggest reading a book. This morning I picked-up a copy of Counting Heads by David Marusek. The story takes place on our lovely planet Earth in 2134. Life is wonderful. The Information Age has given way to the Boutique Age. Instead of items being mass produced, you have have your clothes, food, even medicines made for you right at home with nanotechnology. But, it all comes at a price...
Blog Post
Tweens can Download Savvy--free!
by RayaPapaya
Attention tweens! Savvy is a new novel about a girl whose family members each manifest a special power at age 13.
Of course, it can be hard to get your hands on one of the AADL's copies of popular new titles like this one, but luckily, to promote this debut novel by Ingrid Law, Penguin is teaming up with 35 tween-centric Web sites to give away free e-book copies of the title.
From July 14 to 20, visitors to those sites, including: bered.com, Allykatzz.com, and Girlslife.com, will be able to download a copy of the book via Penguin's minisite for Savvy. The e-books can be read through Web browsers and posted on blogs or social networking sites; the book will only be readable during the weeklong promotion. (If you can't wait until then, chapter one is already available for download here.)
Blog Post
Kid Bits - Find Something You Can Do
by ryanikoglu
BORED?
You CAN FIX it!!!
Explore the Arts & Crafts books and start some projects.
On the NEW book shelf we have
Usborne Little Book Of Vacation Activities;
D.I.Y. Kids: Design Your Own; and
Ralph Masiello's Dragon Drawing Book.