Blog Post
A Newberry Honor
by Maxine
Holling Hoodhood (Yes. That's really his name) is a seventh grader who is in the unfortunate position of being the only Presbyterian among his Jewish and Catholic schoolmates and so must stay behind with his English teacher, Mrs. Baker while everyone goes off to religious school on Wednesday afternoons. And so begins the hilarious and touching second novel of Gary D. Schmidt titled The Wednesday Wars. Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, Holling is convinced that Mrs. Baker hates him and that her enforcing on him the study of Shakespeare is part of her vengeance. But of course, Mrs. Baker turns out to be Hollings' guardian angel. Hilarious episodes including one in which he plays Ariel in the community theater production of The Tempest balance the sombre realities of wartime. Schmidt whose other book, Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy was a Printz and Newberry Honor book has another winner here.
Blog Post
Going, Going Green!
by Sancho Panza
You may have noticed that at AADL we’re into green: our new branches feature elements of sustainable design, such as bioswales and convective cooling, and our newest branch, Traverwood (opening this summer!) even boasts the use of ash trees reclaimed from the site. This January we also transitioned from disposable plastic bags to more environmentally friendly, reusable canvas totes, which are available at any circulation desk for $2.
Following that train of thought we’ve added “green living” to the records of titles that focus on practical applications of environmentally friendly ideals—like alternative energy for your home, reducing your carbon footprint and even raising your children “green.” A simple keyword search for “green living” does the trick, bringing up over 70 recent titles. Standouts include Organic Housekeeping and How to Live Well without Owning a Car, a favorite of the people at GetDowntown.
Blog Post
Hats off to reading!
by manz
Today is Read Across America Day! What's that, you ask? Read Across America Day was first celebrated in 1998 as a way to bring awareness to the magic of reading and to motivate children to read. This celebration of reading happens annually on (or around) March 2, purposely on Dr. Seuss' birthday! Students and teachers across the country participate in reading events and festivities. Some have been seen enjoying green eggs and ham, some principals have been known to dress up as Thing One or Thing Two, there have been times when kids across the country have read the same book at the same time, and there are definitely a lot of striped cat hats worn everywhere! It is a very fun time in schools. But let's not forget that every day is a good day to celebrate reading! If you haven't already done so, why not check out what Dr. Seuss is up to.
Blog Post
Story Bits - Leprechauns
by ryanikoglu
Sure and 'tis time for leprechaun lore. Leprechaun's Never Lie is a favorite of mine. 'Twas not enough? Try for more gold with
Clever Tom And The Leprechaun; Too Many Leprechauns; and Fiona's Luck.
Blog Post
It's the end of the world as we know it...
by RiponGood
and the start of a new one. Bloodring is the opening book in the Thorn St. Croix series by Faith Hunter. The world didn't end as expected during the apocalypse. Now the world has been thrown into a new ice age and seraphs battle demons. Our heroine, Thorn St. Croix is a neomage. She escaped the Enclaves and lives among normal humans, hiding her powers. When Thorn's ex-husband goes missing, she's accused of kidnapping him. Thorn must rely on her powers to find him, without being discovered to avoid punishment and possible death.
Blog Post
No Sheep/Knitty® Knit-in
by muffy
Knitters:
Here is your chance to meet Amy R. Singer - blogger, knitter, author and an all-around personality on Sunday, March 9th at the Downtown Library Multipurpose Room, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. (The door opens at noon, hint! hint! and don't say we didn't warn you). And I am assuming you know about all those fabulous FREE patterns on her online magazine.
Amy will be talking, knitting and signing books. We may even have a preview of her next book with co-author, our Jillian Moreno. Amy's program is co-sponsored by Busy Hands.
So bring your projects and look forward to spending a cosy afternoon with 200 other knitting fiends--oops! I mean, friends.
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #103
by muffy
Tired of the bleak Feb. days? Looking for something light and engaging? You might want to try Gods Behaving Badly by first time novelist Marie Phillips.
The immortals of Mount Olympus have fallen, and not just on hard times. Apollo, Aphrodite, Artemis, Eros and Zeus are slumming in modern day London, working menial jobs as a dog walker, a phone sex operator, a TV psychic; and falling for their cleaning woman, all the while worrying about their waning power and each other with their endless squabbling.
"Phillips imagines a hilarious world that explains all that is inexplicable in our own". "Fanciful, humorous and charming, this satire is as sweet as nectar" ~ Publishers Weekly.
Phillips is a graduate of Cambridge University currently working at the BBC and writes for the blog StrugglingAuthor.blogspot.com.
Blog Post
Graphic novel depicts one way to save the earth...
by manz
As the world burns: 50 Simple things you can do to stay in denial, a new book by Derrick Jensen and Stephanie McMillan is a satirical take on the well known book 50 Simple things you can do to save the earth. It goes further to point out that there is more to “saving the earth” than recycling, riding your bike to work and buying compact fluorescent light bulbs. In a quirky and fun way (I know, scandalous!) gold carrying robots, bunny plotists, two smart young girls, corporate bigwigs, and the president demonstrate that there is a bigger picture that many of us are in “denial” about. It’s typical Derrick Jensen, but in comic form! Perhaps you’ll laugh, perhaps you’ll cry.
Blog Post
The King of All Burgers
by jaegerla
This last Saturday Mallie's Bar and Grill of Southgate, Michigan set the Guiness World Record for the heaviest hamburger. This whopper weighed in at 134 pounds! If you would like to learn more about hamburger history and lore, you may be interested in reading Don't Eat This Book!,
Hamburgers and Fries: An American Story, A Short History of the American Stomach, and Fast Food Nation. And, for those of you interested in the story of the veggie burger, Vegetarian America or Vegetariana will fill you in.
Blog Post
Former UM lecturer, Jim Shepard wins 2007 The Story Prize
by sernabad
Jim Shepard walked away with the coveted 2007 The Story Prize last night.
This award, short story’s equivalent of an Oscar, was awarded to Shepard for his collection Like You’d Understand, Anyway, eleven thoroughly researched stories steeped in historical events.
The other two finalists were Tessa Hadley for Sunstroke and Other Stories and Vincent Lam for Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures.
Shepard, who accepted the $20,000 purse at a ceremony held at the New School in New York City, taught creative writing for three years at The University of Michigan in the early 1980s. He is the author of two other short story collections and six novels.