Ann Arbor Police Department Online Exhibit Debuts

Fri, 09/29/2006 - 12:18pm by ulrich

The Ann Arbor District library's web site is now home to an online pictorial exhibit and history of the Ann Arbor Police Department. The exhibit, one of four local history collections on the library's research page, features a large assemblage of images of the police department and its officers, police vehicles, artifacts and documents. The pictorial collection is accompanied by the complete text of Lieutenant Michael Logghe's True Crimes and the History of the Ann Arbor Police Department which traces the history of the department from its beginnings in the 1870s to the late 1990s. The narrative is filled with fascinating accounts of the organization, development, and controversial issues which faced the department, as well as inside information on the large array of major criminal investigations which have been part of that history, such as the 1908 student riot at the Star Theater, the murder and aftermath of Officer Clifford Stang in 1935, the student unrest of the 1960s and and 1970s, the shocking co-ed murders, and numerous others.

Children's Bestseller List

Thu, 09/28/2006 - 2:46pm by kidlit

Here are the top ten bestselling children's books as reported in the September 18, 2006 issue of Publisher's Weekly. There's something for everyone here . . . pirates, huge turtles, singing pigs and the importance of punctuation.

1. Is There Really a Human Race? by Jamie Lee Curtis Illustrated by Laura Cornell.
2. The Beatrice Letters by Lemony Snicket. Illustrated by Brett Helquist.
3. Pirateology edited by Dugald Steer
4. Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a
Difference! by Lynn Truss. Illustrated by Bonnie Timmons
5. Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies
6. Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor.Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
7. Owen and Mzee by Craig Hatkoff. Photos by Peter Greste.
8. Pirates by John Matthews
9. Olivia Forms a Band by Ian Falconer
10. Flotsam by David Wiesner

GLBA Awards

Thu, 09/28/2006 - 2:08pm by muffy

Trying to avoid the football crowd on Oct. 7th?

Head to the 2006 Great Lakes Booksellers Association Trade Show at the Hyatt Regency Dearborn (Directions).

Check out the schedule of events; and author appearances, which include big names such as Chris Bohjalian, Brian Freeman, Kathe Koja, Joyce Maynard, Ridley Pearson, Julia Spencer-Fleming; and many regional/local favorites.

If you happen to be free on Friday, Oct. 6th, it will be worth your while to check in at the luncheon where the 2006 Great Lakes Book Awards will be presented to:

Katrina Kittle, for The Kindness of Strangers, (Fiction)
Paul Clemens, for Made in Detroit, (General Non-Fiction)
Elisha Cooper, for A Good Night Walk, (Children)

Founded in 1995, the awards honor the year’s brightest and most deserving books about America’s heartland; recognize and reward excellence in the writing and publishing of books that capture the spirit and enhance awareness of the Great Lakes region. Past Winners.

Let me tell you a dirty little librarian secret – publishers will be throwing advance readers at you down every isle – you could very well pick up a FREE prepublication Jane Smiley, Jonathan Lethem, Nelson DeMille, Walter Mosley, just to name a few. (There is an admission charge to the Exhibits).

Contemporary Cinderella Fairy Tale

Thu, 09/28/2006 - 1:04pm by StoryLaura

With the help of a glass slipper, magic ring and plenty of courage, Bella battles a furious father and ancient hostilities to save her prince and kingdom. This noble read by Diane Stanley is perfect for the upper elementary fantasy crowd who loved Ella Enchanted, The Two Princesses of Bamarre,and Beauty: A Retelling Of The Story Of Beauty & The Beast.

The Baby-Sitters are Back

Wed, 09/27/2006 - 6:29pm by anned

Any child of the eighties will remember the adventures of Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey. Now you can revisit Ann M. Martin’s The Baby-Sitters Club series thanks to comics artist, Raina Telgemeier (known for her webcomic Smile). She has updated our old friends for a new generation in her graphic novel adaptation of Martin’s series, recently published by Scholastic/Graphix. Telgemeier’s clean and expressive black and white artwork enhance the story by adding comedy, action, and emotion.

Highlights from Fresh Air for the Week of September 18th to 22nd, 2006

Wed, 09/27/2006 - 5:56pm by nosch

On Wednesday, Maureen Corrigan reviewed Nell Freudenberger’s first novel, The Dissident. A September 2006 Book Sense pick, this is “a bold, intricately woven first novel about an enigmatic stranger who disrupts the life of one American family” (publisher synopsis). Also check out her 2003 award-winning short story collection, Lucky Girls. Hear the review on Fresh Air here.

Also Wednesday, New York Times columnist Frank Rich spoke about his new book, The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina. Rich, a former theatre critic for the Times, now writes about politics and culture. Get in line for this new book now – this title is on its way to our shelves and our Hot Books list. Listen to Rich talk about his new book on Fresh Air.

Friday was a movie kind of day on Fresh Air. Critic Robert Edelstein reviewed a new movie version of Robert Penn Warren’s novel All the King’s Men, starring Sean Penn; featuring Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Patricia Clarkson, and James Gandolfini; and directed by Steven Zaillian, best known for writing the screenplay for Schindler’s List. See the 1949 version of the film, starring Broderick Crawford, who won an Oscar for his work in this film. Listen to Edelstein’s review on Fresh Air.

Also Friday, Fresh Air aired a 1999 interview with actor James Woods. Woods can be seen on TV this fall in the new CBS drama Shark, and you can catch some of his big screen work on our shelves in Once Upon a Time In America and The Virgin Suicides. Listen to the interview here.

What's Michael? Planet of the Cats

Tue, 09/26/2006 - 4:39pm by erin

Volume 11 in the spot-on tails of cats, Japan and absurdity by Makoto Kobayashi is just as fab as the previous 10 volumes. No one draws cats with as much humor and accuracy as Kobayashi. The stories show how people interact (and often make idiots of themselves) with cats - while letting us look into the lives of cats and the people who love (and hate) them! Whether you are a cat-lady-in-training or an official cat-hater you *will* find something to love in these great stories.

The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey...In the Wild West!

Tue, 09/26/2006 - 4:06pm by erin

Steve Sheinkin's snappy and concise graphic novel">graphic novel is a unique and hilarious blending of Jewish HumorJewish wit and wisdom warmly set in the Wild West. Sheinkin was inspired by an equal childhood love of an old copy of 101 Jewish Stories and a book on the wild west - while this may seem an unusual pairing it works quite well. As Sheinkin puts it - Harvey is part old world rabbi, part western sheriff.

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #35 (What I did this summer)

Sun, 09/24/2006 - 11:31am by muffy

Nordic mysteries.

If you like Sun Storm and Borkmann’s Point, you might just like these…

Jar City is a thriller by Icelandic author Arnaldur Indriðason, the first to be translated by Bernard Scudder from Icelandic. Set in modern day Reykjavik, this police procedural is as twisted as its city streets and as chilling as the arctic wind. It also introduces Inspector Erlendur, a dogged loner of a policeman with a few secrets of his own. Jar City won the Glass Key Award for Best Nordic Crime Novel 2002. (Reviews).

Silence of the Grave is another cold case for Erlendur and his team. It explores even deeper into the complex psychological character of this desolate and windswept community and its unspoken secrets. Besides the 2003 Glass Key Award, Silence also won the British CWA’s Golden Dagger Award 2005.

For additional titles on forthcoming new thrillers/mysteries… go to Overbooked’s Crime Fiction Stars.

"Shock"

Sat, 09/23/2006 - 11:11am by Robb

On Friday 9-21-06 Diane Rehm hosted the co-authors of "Shock" Kitty Dukakis, Larry Tye, and Michael Dukakis, professor of political science at Northeastern University, former Massachusetts governor, and 1988 Democratic presidential nominee.

Depression affects countless numbers of people in varying degrees. The authors purport that Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) can offer immediate relief to some people suffering from severe depression. In the book, Kitty Dukakis describes her personal experience and co-author Larry Tye details its recent resurgence as a treatment option. Over the years Electroconvulsive Therapy has been depicted in several films, books, and songs, almost always in an extremely negative light. How many remember that Thomas Eagleton lost his Democratic vice-presidential nomination in 1972 when it was discovered he had undergone Electroconvulsive Therapy?