The third week in November is National Geographic Awareness Week. To celebrate, check out National Geographic's Most Amazing Moments. Other National Geographic videos in our collection include classic programs such as Tigers of the Snow and For All Mankind, and recent productions such as the Be the Creature series; Welcome to Mars and Guns, Germs and Steel, left, based on the book by Jared Diamond. Coming soon: Inside 9/11 and Strange Days on Planet Earth.

Renee Montagne talks to James Geary about his book "World in a Phrase" on the NPR program, Morning Edition, Tuesday 11-1-05. Geary has collected aphorisms from throughout history. It's a great idea. Pithy statements are so enjoyable. When Geary isn't writing books, he is the Europe editor for Time magazine.

One of many treasures in the book is the following;
"You ought to be thankful, a whole heaping lot,
For the places and people you're lucky you're not."
Dr. Seuss (1904-1991)

The Michigan Library Association's Children's Services Division has announced the winner of the 2004 Mitten Award. This award is for the best children's book published during a calendar year as decided by a committee of youth services librarians from all over the state.

The 2004 winner is Ida B:--And Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan. Two Honor Books were also chosen: The Young Man and the Sea by Rodman Philbrick and Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems.

After 15 years, pre-production is finally under way for a Hollywood version of Maurice Sendak's 1963 children's classic Where the Wild Things Are. Sendak, now 77, will serve as producer on the film, with Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation) directing a screenplay he's co-written with Dave Eggers (A Heart-breaking Work of Staggering Genius). "I don't know what to make of it, exactly," Sendak is quoted as saying in The New York Times, (10/23/05) "but I am so for it. I am in love with it. If Spike and Dave do not do this movie, now, I would just as soon not see any version of it ever get made."

Today (10-28-05) Caryl Phillips appeared as a guest today 10-28-05 on the Diane Rehm show to discuss her new book "Dancing in the Dark"
Bert Williams became one of America's first black superstars during the vaudville era. Ms Phillips fictionalized account of the life of Bert Williams explores the contradictions between the man he was and the character he played on stage. W. C. Fields, star of the silent screen, called Bert Williams "the funniest man I ever saw and the saddest."

As part of his "See What You've Been Missing" campaign, Martin Scorsese has compiled a list of what he considers the Top 10 Movies Best Viewed in Widescreen Format (the preffered format of AADL DVDs): 2001: A Space Odyssey, Ben-Hur (1958), Blade Runner, East of Eden, High and Low, Lawrence of Arabia, Lola Montes (on order), Once Upon a Time in the West, Some Came Running (not yet available on DVD), and Zulu. For more on widescreen vs. fullscreen click Read More, below.

Rosa Parks, known as the mother of the civil rights movement in America, died last night in Detroit's East Side. She was 92 years old. Parks is best known for her refusal to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, and was kicked off the bus. Her refusal started a boycott of the bus system in Montgomery, which eventually ended in a Supreme Court decision outlawing segregation. Mrs. Parks moved to Detroit after the boycott, and has lived there until her death. Mrs. Parks received the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor, which is the highest award given to a civilian.

A number of books have been written about this amazing woman, and her even more amazing life.

Rosa Parks: 1913-2005

Registered Dietician and Certified Fitness instructor Zonya Foco will speak at the Head-to-Toe Women's Expo in Ypsilanti this Friday at 6:30 p.m. Foco, a former dietician with St. Joseph's hospital in Ypsilanti and more recently the host of PBS' "Zonya's Health Bites", spoke about her 1998 book Lickety-Split Meals for Health Conscious People on the Go! this morning on 107one f.m.

The Diane Rehm show Wednesday October 12, 2005 hosted the best-selling author, Judith Viorst. Ms. Viorst takes a poetic and humorous look at the ins and outs of becoming a septuagenarian in her new book
"I'm Too Young to be Seventy" The vast numbers of baby boomers now officially almost 60 may be particularly interested. It seems that group likes to be ready for whatever.

Make sure you've read the book before you see the movie. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe opens on December 9, 2005. This is sure to be popular.