A Book for Very Brave Readers

Wed, 10/22/2008 - 11:29am by annevm

Here's a great book to summon Halloween nightmares, The Gruesome Guide to World Monsters, by Judy Sierra, with horrifying illustrations by Henrik Drescher. The monsters are drawn from folklore around the world, and each is assigned a “gruesomeness rating,” from Frightening to Fatal. 'Tweens and teens should take this book, to scare themselves and their friends, when they go to AXIS Coffeehouse: Halloween SPECIAL EDITION.

Vampire Hunter stalks AADL

Tue, 10/21/2008 - 8:45pm by elijah

Do you remember Blade? You know, the half-vampire daywalking vampire slayer from those awesome movies? Well we have the Blade comics collected in graphic novels! Sit ringside as Blade fights hordes of vampires, Shield agents, Wolverine, and...Santa Clause? (Don't let his jolly exterior fool you, Santa is a fighter!) Blade also digs deeper into his past--and finds out more about his destiny.

Film - Election Day

Tue, 10/21/2008 - 4:45pm by K.C.

Don't miss Election Day, a film that follows eleven people on November 2, 2004, in the last presidential election. You'll meet a diverse group of individuals from poll workers and watchers to voters casting their ballots for the first time. A discussion will follow led by students with the Michigan Community Scholars Program. The film is made available courtesy of Michigan Public Television.

Thursday, October 23, 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Downtown Library's Fourth Floor Meeting Room

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: Audiobook

Thu, 10/16/2008 - 7:01pm by Cherie Lee

When four best friends find a pair of pants that magically fit all their very different shapes they make a pact to share them over their first summer apart...

The audio opens with music but otherwise has no special effects but the reader, Angela Goethals, gives each girl a compelling voice (even if they aren't always distinctive enough to tell apart). I actually laughed out loud to Goethal's animation at things that I would have only smiled at had I simply read it which is always the sign of a good reader.

You can also check out the book or film from our library.

NBA announces finalists of Young People’s Literature Award

Wed, 10/15/2008 - 5:46pm by K.C.

The National Book Award committee has named the finalists for the Young People’s Literature Award. The winner will be announced in New York on November 19.

The five finalists are Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, The Underneath by Kathi Appelt, What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart, and The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp.

Poems for tough times

Wed, 10/15/2008 - 9:38am by Maxine

As a response to the intensity of election season and current economic woes, the Academy of American Poets has compiled poems called "Poems for Times of Turmoil." Included in the list are poems by Gerard Manly Hopkins, Walt Whitman and Hart Crane. The Academy is a wonderful resource for finding poems from their vast archive, essays and reviews on poetry, occasional poems for that special day and poetry events. Following is one of my favorites from their current list, "Thing," by Rae Armantrout whose words are a voice of sanity amid the media frenzy:

We love our cat
for her self
regard is assiduous
and bland,

for she sits in the small
patch of sun on our rug
and licks her claws
from all angles

and it is far
superior
to "balanced reporting"

though, of course,
it is also
the very same thing.

Books With Bite

Tue, 10/14/2008 - 8:00am by Bertha

It's all about reading for the FUN of it. You really don't need to pick a week, a single week?, to give yourself time to read anything you're interested in. It's still pretty cool that there were 4,800 public and school libraries last year that signed up to participate in Teen Read Week. Not so surprising this year's theme, if you read it that way, has a vampire slant to it, with the interest in the Stephenie Meyer series. November 21 just may be marked on some of your calendars, but anyway, the Thumbs Up! list is one place to find some great titles. My favorites these past few weeks have been, by Laura Resau, and Cures for Heartbreak by Margo Rabb.
Take this survey Teen's Top Ten, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books.

Chesstastic this Sunday, Oct. 12!

Thu, 10/09/2008 - 1:48pm by K.C.

Come and play one of the world's most popular games with players of all ages and abilities. Chess sets are provided. Challenge old friends and meet new ones!

Sunday, October 12 | 1:00-4:00 PM | Pittsfield Branch, 2359 Oak Valley Dr.

We will never forget him

Thu, 10/09/2008 - 1:20pm by Maxine

Today, October 9, is the birthday of John Lennon, famed Beatles member, peace activist, poet, artist and musician who struck out on his own to create unforgettable songs. Lennon was born in 1940 in Liverpool, England. A brilliant lyricist known for his pungent wit as well as ability to tap into the deep emotions of his listeners, Lennon became a spoke person for the peace movement of the Sixties and was a harsh critic of the Vietnam war. But most of all, we remember him for songs like "Hey Jude," which calls out to all of us to "make it better." Lennon was killed outside his apartment house in New York City on December 8, 1980.

ACT/SAT Test Practice this Saturday

Wed, 10/08/2008 - 12:19pm by K.C.

Is the ACT or SAT in your future? Learn how to access Learning Express Library which offers a wide variety of practice tests including the ACT and SAT. Take a practice test, and then find out how you did.

Saturday, October 11 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Pittsfield Branch - Computer Training Center