Blog Post
New French books at the library
by Tara LS
Look for new French books on the shelf at all branches very soon marked with "NEW" stickers. The library just received many new French books. The selection includes:
Books by Francophone African authors:
Kiffe Kiffe Demain by Faiza Guene
La Retournee by Fawzia Zouari
Les Sirenes de Bagdad by Yasmina Khadra
Books translated from other languages:
La Maison aux esprits by Isabel Allende
Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Le Zahir by Paulo Coelho
Other new French books include:
Impuretes by Philippe Djian
Plateforme by Michel Houellebecq
La ligne noire by Jean-Christophe Grange
Blog Post
Looking for something to read? Try...
by wheloc
In the back of Fly By Night, Frances Hardinge gives us the following warning: "This is not a historical novel. It is a yarn. Although the Realm is based roughly on England at the start of the eighteenth century, I have taken appalling liberties with historical authenticity and, when I felt like it, the laws of physics."
What she fails to mention is that it's a rollicking good yarn. It follows the adventures (and mis-adventures) of Mosca Mye. Her problem is she loves words of all shapes and sizes (her father broke convention and taught her to read before he conventionally died) but she lives in a world where most folks fear education and distrust any sort of writing. In trying to better herself and broaden her horizons she encounters a variety of colorful characters, from con men to tradesmen, dutchesses to revolutionaries. Written by, for and about bibliophiles; Fly By Night is ultimately a story about the power of words, and whether this power should be feared or embraced.
Blog Post
Recipes inspired by Dr. Seuss
by anonymous
I’m a fan of food and of books, so of course, I’m a big fan of the Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook, with recipes “concocted” by Georgeanne Brennan. Consume Katroo “Happy Birthday to You” Cake and read the book it is inspired by on a child’s big day! Beat the heat with Nice Lime Ice (Hold the Mice!) and I Can Read with My Eyes Shut! Cook up Nook Hook Cook Book Dogs and continue with One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. If anything, check it out to peruse recipe titles like Brigger-ba-Root Doughnut Shoot and Noodle-Eating-Poodle Noodles, inspired by If I Ran in the Circus and by Fox in Socks.
Blog Post
Sticky Burr!!
by anned
Read the inspiring story (in graphic storybook form) of an anthropomorphic seed pod who becomes a hero. And there’s even a song to learn at the end!
Sticky Burr and his good friend Draffle the Dragonfly save Princess Oralee (of the lightning bugs) and the entire village of burrs in this exciting adventure for middle-graders. For even more fun visit the Sticky Burr website.
Blog Post
Great Grandpa Could Not Have Imagined
by StoryLaura
What you can make with that thing he used to clean his pipe with! All kids five and up are invited to join us for Pipecleaner Fun when we make crawly critters and other outrageous creations at the Pittsfield Branch this Wednesday, June 20th at 4:00 p.m.
Blog Post
Tiger Tail Soup Anyone?
by StoryLaura
Find out why Tiger is so mad and Bear is so sad at the Downtown and Pittsfield “Safari” preschool storytimes this week.
Blog Post
Any bug lovers out there?
by manz
The periodical cicada has invaded the Midwest by the billions over the past few weeks- particularly in parts of Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. These red-eyed beauties (yes, I said beauties!) spend 17 years underground before they emerge, and when they emerge, boy are they en masse! Some people find them amazing, others find them loud and messy. You can be your own judge of that. Find more cicada facts, and colorful pictures too, here. Happy reading, and don’t let them bug you too much!
Blog Post
New Stories to Go Bags!
by anonymous
Pittsfield now offers Stories to Go bags! Also carried at the Downtown Library and at the Mallets Creek Branch, these canvas bag kits contain an activity folder, a CD or a DVD, and a few books centered on various subjects. We have six new themes this year! These include: Bedtime, Food & Eating, Going to School, New Baby, Potty Time, and Teeth.
The Teeth Stories to Go bag, funded by the American Dental Association, includes such fabulous activities as singing Brush Your Teeth to the tune of Jingle Bells and Sparkle, Sparkle to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. It also provides directions to an experiment, using an egg, illustrating how acid weakens your teeth. Kids become acquainted with visiting a dentist’s office through a DVD from their perspective. Plus, great characters like the Berenstain Bears take the fear out of a visit to the dentist and educate kids about their teeth! Dr. Karen Stewart developed the teeth kit. She is completing an oral health literacy project with the American Dental Association Institute for Leadership and Diversity.
Blog Post
Storytime Fun
by StoryLaura
This week’s Downtown and Pittsfield storytimes will take you traveling around the pond and off to India and Timbuktu!
Blog Post
Nancy Drew on screen
by anonymous
A movie adaptation of the popular girl’s detective and adventure series, Nancy Drew, reaches theater screens June 15th. In the film, Nancy is conspicuously out of place as a student at Hollywood High, but soon, she is up to her old ways investigating the death of actress Dehlia Draycott. Interesting factoid, Carolyn Keene is actually a pseudonym for the many different writers that penned the series since it was created in 1930. For example, Mildred Wirt Augustine is the author of the very first book, The Secret of the Old Clock.