Blog Post
What does being "green" really mean?
by Maxine
"There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew." ~Marshall McLuhan, 1964
Today, April 22 is the official anniversary of Earth Day which was first observed in 1970. Since then, both national and local groups hold celebrations, usually either the weekend before or after. In Ann Arbor, Earth Day festivities will be sponsored by the Leslie Science Center on Sunday, April 27. To become more knowledgeable about environmental issues, check out the Library's wide ranging collection of materials on global warming and energy conservation.
Blog Post
Kid Bits - Going Places
by ryanikoglu
Got wheels? Let's GO !!
But Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus!.
In Mouse Tales "The Journey", Mouse sets out to visit Mother. And if you are very courageous, see what it's like to get In The Driver's Seat. These are the stories for Malletts Creek and Pittsfield Branch Storytimes this week.
Now pick out something by Richard Scarry like Richard Scarry's Cars And Trucks And Things That Go and study those pictures when you get home.
Blog Post
Kid Bits - Dragonology
by ryanikoglu
Kids have asked for books about dragons. The pictures were the treasures! Look for The Book Of Dragons with illustrations by Michael Hague. Dr. Ernest Drake's dragonology : the complete book of dragons. If you like to draw, find Ralph Masiello's dragon drawing book and get out your colored pencils! For stories of girls who went up against dragons look for The Serpent Slayer: And Other Stories Of Strong Women with illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman.
Blog Post
On the move...
by RiponGood
When was the last time you had to move? Did it take a moving truck and several car loads of stuff to get the job done? Imagine moving an entire planet. Thanks to author Greg Bear you can in Moving Mars. The story centers around Casseia Mujumdar and follows her life from student revolutionary to planet president. Casseia's former lover Charles Franklin has found a way to move anything an infinite distance. With war looming between Earth and Mars, will Charles make the ultimate sacrifice to save the planet?
Blog Post
Artemis Fowl: Audiobooks
by Cherie Lee
Some twelve year olds might be prodigies. Artemis Fowl, however, is a criminal mastermind. While plotting to restore his family's wealth after his father's disappearance this young Irishman discovers an entire world below Ireland, full of fairies, elves, and all manner of creatures of legend. But gone are the days when magic is their only weapon. These mythical folk are armed with high-tech gadgetry and they bring it all out in defense of their gold.
All the audiobooks are read by Nathaniel Parker who does excellent Irish accents and voices for all the characters. The stories also start and end with a techno-rock theme that, while some may find cheesy, I quite liked and I thought it definitely fit the tone of the story. I liked the audio versions so much that I listened to the entire series which is currently five books long with a sixth (Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox) scheduled to come out July 15th. It is also worth noting that the audio versions are the original Irish editions and not changed or edited for America. There are very few changes, but if you'd like the original versions, audio's the way to go.
Blog Post
An eerie coincidence?
by Maxine
Did you feel the earthquake this morning (Friday, April 18) at about 5:45 a.m.? The epicenter was in Illinois but some Ann Arborites who were up that early felt some weird vibrations. Adding to that weirdness was my discovery that on April 18, 1906, the catastrophic San Francisco earthquake hit, and because of resulting fires, most of the city burned to the ground. That quake measured 8.3 on the Richter scale and was felt from Southern Oregon to south of Los Angeles and as far east as central Nevada. Scientists later determined that the San Andreas Fault had moved about 23 feet. To learn more about earthquakes, check out the Library's books and dvds.
Blog Post
Star Dreams: Exploring the Mystery of Crop Circles
by ballybeg
Huge, sweeping patterns of intricate, geometric shapes appear in fields of standing wheat and barley over night. No tracks appear leading to the shapes. The crop circles are perfectly formed - with mathematical precision and utilizing ancient symbols - and they have created a following of “croppies” all over the world. Star Dreams investigates the phenomenon, interviewing true believers (in the other-worldly artists) and researchers, and providing dozens of aerial shots of the most breath-taking circles. Though you may argue about how they get here, there is no doubt they are mysterious and beautiful. Hundreds of circles appear in England every summer and you can track each one as it is reported. For more on crop circles try Secrets in the Fields: The Science and Mysticism of Crop Circles.
Blog Post
The Winter Prince
by joy k
Having grown up reading a lot of fantasy books, I used to be of the opinion that the world didn’t need any more retellings of the King Arthur legend. Didn’t the ones already out there cover all the bases? But I’ve been forced to revise my opinion after reading The Winter Prince by Elizabeth Wein. This retelling is told from the perspective of Medraut (called Mordred in most other versions) and is more a character study than the usual quest. So if you’re looking for a fantasy book that’s a little different, check this one out—and then read the companion books: A Coalition of Lions, The Sunbird, The Lion Hunter, and (coming soon) The Empty Kingdom.
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #108
by muffy
It's not often that you come across a debut novel as sure-footed and well-crafted as Tom Rob Smith's Child 44*.
In the last winter of Stalin's reign, Leo Demidov, a national hero and a ranking officer of the Moscow MGB (State Security) is aware that his good fortune (nice apartment, beautiful wife, imported foods) is precarious at best – balancing on luck and political gamesmanship. When he refuses to denounce his wife on trumped up charges as a spy, he was demoted and exiled to a remote city and quickly becomes involved hunting down a serial killer preying on young children. What Leo sees as his redemption cast him as the enemy of the state and a fugitive on the run.
Bleak, brooding and chillingly affecting, with a “relentless” pace and a layered plot, this unexpected story of love and family, of hope and resilience is a hypnotic psychological thriller - surely not to be missed. Prepublication film rights already sold to Ridley Scott.
For fans of the Arkady Renko series by Martin Cruz Smith and Emil Brod series by Olen Steinhauer.
* = Starred Reviews
Blog Post
Poem in Your Pocket?
by Bertha
Yep, it's poem in your pocket day; it's official. Not to worry though, if you don't get an opportunity on this particular day to share your poem,
April is National Poetry Month. You'll want to browse the 811's and maybe start with these: Blue Lipstick, by John Grandits, is full of concrete poems (words, ideas, type, and design that combine to make pictures and patterns). Or try some Sijo, a traditional Korean form of poetry, by Linda Sue Park, such as Tap Dancing on the Roof, or most anything by Mel Glenn or Naomi Shihab Nye.