Summer is for Science!: Part 4 Chemistry

Posted by Alana T.

Back in the day, I was one of those geeky kids who took things apart and (tried to) put them back together.  I was also fascinated by chemistry and, growing up in the country, I had access to some pretty horrific chemicals.  This was also back when safety wasn't a big concern.  In retrospect, it's a wonder I survived.

If you are of a particular age, you may recall playing with a chemistry set and want to buy one for your kids or grandkids.  Let me tell you now, you will be disappointed; safety is a major concern, so none of the 'fun' stuff (explosions, electric sparks, acids) is in the modern kits.  Fear not!  The library saves the day...

The Joy of Chemistry: The Amazing Science of Familiar Things by Cathy Cobb and Monty Fetterolf.  This book is great for parents who want to brush up on the the basic chemistry concepts with their kids and/or save money buying a chemistry set.  The book starts with a grocery list (literally) of common items to be used in the forthcoming activities; most of these items will already be found around the house.  After creating some stock solutions, you are ready to jump into the science. Each short chapter starts with an demo, then dives into the explanation of what happened and why.  All the major chemistry concepts are covered and explained clearly.  I think the activities are a little simplistic for older kids (13+), but fantastic for the younger set.  For adults, it's an interesting read and some of the demos are really cool.

What Einstein Told His Cook (with Recipes) by Robert L. Wolke
This is a great resource for parents who like to make everything a teaching moment and for people learning to cook who have a lot of 'why does that happen?' type of questions. There aren't experiments in this book, but there is a lot of basic and intermediate chemistry info.  This is the friendliest of the cooking chemistry books (and there are quite a few).  Sprinkled throughout are recipes that highlight a particular concept. 

Perhaps the previous books don't provide that edge of your seat excitement you remember as a kid.  Two online options that are nearly guaranteed to create thrills and cause addiction are Foldit and EteRNA.  The concepts behind the programs are simple: 1) the human brain is better than any algorithm at interpreting patterns, 2) get lots of brains interpreting, 3) brains love games.  Your brain (and those of the kids) will be helping scientists solve real-world chemistry problems.  Hop over and and begin by learning rules of protein or RNA chemistry.  The interface for eteRNA is classier than FoldIt, but both are straightforward.   Foldit has a YouTube channel to provide help. These are great games for teens and adults, but young kids are pretty quick on the uptake.  Shhhh, real learning will take place.

Summer is winding down, but that doesn't mean the chemistry fun has to end.  When Halloween rolls around, have the kids sort their loot and dedicate a hefty portion to science.  Hop over to candyexperiments.com and let the fun begin.  The site is great for young kids, and a good primer for older ones.  Because many of the activities involve microwaves and sugar (which gets super hot), adult supervision is necessary.  But let the kids take the reins here, let the featured experiments be a guideline to try new ones.

If you want some great chemistry reads, hop over to my previous post "Better Living Through Chemistry".  I hope you've enjoyed this summer series, but don't let the science fun end now.  Keep at it!

EPL Patron Reviews: The Maid: A Novel of Joan of Arc

Posted by Laura A.

The Maid A Novel of Joan of Arc written by Kimberly Cutter.

I read this book since my sister Joan was named after Joan of Arc plus she was the name my daughter chose for confirmation.  This book was a quick read and had four sections. Section 1 began with her childhood and her visions. I was astounded to learn that her father was abusive. As to whether the book was true or not, the author at the end of book states that most of the book was factual and documented by historians.  The description of her simple life on the farm brought back wonderful memories of my three visits to Domremy. The 2nd section begins when she went to live with her cousin.  The 3rd section is going to war and the last section is her death and her confessions to the priest.  It was a fantastic book that was written in a very descriptive, factual way.  I highly recommend the book.

Did you love Downton Abbey? Try one of these until Season Three arrives.

Posted by Alana T.

Have you seen the trailer (released last week) for the upcoming season of Downton Abbey?  As many others were, I fell in love with the characters, plots, and setting of the series. Season three isn't coming out until January 2013, but until then, there are a few other options to fill your Edwardian cravings.

Cold Comfort Farm (book by Stella Gibbons, also available on DVD).  This 1932 novel is a cutting and hilarious tale about a city-bred young, 'orphaned' woman and her move to the country to live with her poor (and ill-mannered) relatives.  The DVD features some well known Brits (Kate Beckinsale, Stephen Fry, Ian McKellen) having a great time mocking the class system of the post war 20's

The Buccaneers (book by Edith Wharton and BBC adaptation). A visually rich production, the DVD follows four American heiresses, marrying into titled British families who are nonetheless desperate for American money.  The story follows the generation of Brits that created the Crawley dilema featured in Downton Abbey - her American money tied to his British estate.

Gosford Park (DVD)  set in the 30's, written by Julian Fellowes (creator of Downton Abbey), stars Helen Mirren, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Clive Owen   The story follows the the untangling of a murder and the intricate and delicate relationships among the staff and family.  The unsung star is an amazing house, very similar to the one featured in Downton Abbey

House of Eliott (DVD) Set in London during the 1920s, the series follows the story of two British sisters who turn their dressmaking business into a fashion house.  It is a complementary look at a changing British society set after the first world war..


Looking for a good read?  

The Crimson Rooms by Katherine McMahon may take place in 1924, but Edwardian morals and the ghosts of WWI infuse the tale with a sense of repression and unease. It tells the story of a young female lawyer as she deals with her first murder case, a family scandal, and an illicit love affair.

The Fox's Walk by Annabel Davis-Goff. After 10-year-old Alice Moore is left in the care of her autocratic grandmother at a country estate during World War I, she is forced to piece together her world, which is on the brink of revolution, from overheard conversations, servants’ gossip and her own keen observations.

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton. A story set in England between the two world wars about an aristocratic family, a house, a mysterious death and a way of life that vanished forever, told in flashback by a woman who witnessed it all and kept a secret for decades.

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (also a DVD adaption). A tragic, spiritual portrait of a perfect English butler and his reaction to his fading insular world in post-war England. 

Reference Question of the Month: August

Posted by Judy T.

There is the possibility that the weather may be moderating; kids are struggling to find something to occupy their days; local stores are stocked with school supplies.  In other words, it’s August. With that in mind, we have some school trivia for you. 

1.  In 1903, the first box of crayons was sold.  How much did it cost?

2.  Which of the following is NOT listed in the book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum?

            a. eat fruit every day

            b. flush

            c. clean up your own mess

            d. don’t hit people

           

3.  When was the first public school built in Edwardsville?

4. What is the name of the teacher who takes her class on madcap field trips aboard a very special school bus?

            a. Miss Lockhart

            b. Miss Dunkley

            c. Miss Frizzle

            d. Miss Booker

5.  What famous writer said “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education”?

6.   Dick and Jane were the popular main characters in a series of books used to teach children to read from the 1930’s through the 1960’s.  What was the name of their sister?

Answers: 

1. Five cents.  The box included black, brown, blue, red, purple, orange, yellow, and green crayons.  

2.  a--The author does not say to eat fruit every day, although he does say warm cookies and milk are good for you.

3.  The first public school was built on Kansas Street in 1864 and named after Judge Dale.  In

1886, Columbus School, today District 7’s oldest school, was built on a site adjacent to the Dale School.  In 1877, a free school for black children was opened in a building that had formerly been used as the county courthouse.  The building would eventually become Lincoln School.

4.  c-- Miss Frizzle from the Magic School Bus series of books

5.  Mark Twain

6. Sally was their 3 year old sister

Books that foretold the future...

Posted by Alana T.

It has often been said that science fiction foretells the future.  Certainly, there are many examples of seemingly fantastical inventions (for their time) that are commonplace today: videophones (Skype, anyone?), instant foods and stretchy clothing. Then, there are the things that are supposed to be everywhere in the 21st century, but haven't yet materialized (darn) - a colony on the moon and my own personal rocket jetpack. 

Sometimes though, science fiction is more subtle.  It isn't the do-dads that are important, it's the political or cultural atmosphere imagined in a novel that foretells the future.  Think of our lives today, electronic everything, corporate this & that, mixed with a general feeling that things were somehow better in the past.  Three of the best examples of this are described below.  If you don't usually read science fiction, give one of these a try.

Neuromancer by William Gibson  Written in 1984, this book introduced us to the term cyberspace and won the Hugo, Nebula, and Phillip K. Dick Awards.  Basically a crime thriller, this is a many layered, gritty story featuring flawed characters and a complex social/technological future.  The protagonist, Case, is a burnt-out (literally) hacker hired by a mysterious employer for an equally mysterious job.  Because of previous cybercrimes, Case has been given a neurotoxin that prevents him from jacking into cyberspace; his employer promises to reverse the damage.  Case takes the job and everything spirals out of control.

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson  Written in 1992, this book presaged the emergence of the avatar, online gaming and governmental outsourcing taken to an extreme.  The main character is a pizza delivery guy who 'lives' his life on the metaverse (known to us as the internet) selling his coding skills to get by.  He witnesses a crime while plugged in that has serious implications in real-life (an online virus that causes a coma).  The storyline ties in with Sumerian mythology and the concept of language being hardwired in our brains (and idea pretty much accepted by biologists today).

Noir by K.W. Jeter.  To cope with the depressing reality in which he lives, the main character has a surgeon implant a device that allows him to view everything as if it were a noir film from the 40's.  Set in the not too distant future where the rich are very rich and everyone else struggles (sound familiar?), corporations own everything and copyright issues related to computer software are all important. This a missing persons/murder mystery and very well written.  Thankfully, banks in the real world have yet found a way to reanimate a person after death so he can work for pennies a day to pay credit card debts.  Unfortunately, many of the other, then imagined, details about the banking industry are all too real today.

Staff Summer e-book Picks

Posted by Staff

Many of the staff regularly download e-books and we use a variety of types of readers (Nooks, Kindles, Sonys, phones, tablets, computers, the list goes on).  To request and/or checkout e-books, visit Overdrive and follow the instructions (or download one of our PDFs).  You will need your barcode and PIN; if you have questions, give us a call and the circ staff can help you with the process.

Following were some of our favorite summer e-reads:

The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baster.  A fantastic collaboration between these two well known sci-fi authors.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.  A prize winning young adult book that is very readable for adults.

Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit by Barry Estabrook.  A fascinating look at the recent history of the tomato and why the quintesential summer food disappoints us at the grocery store.

The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian.  An historical love story from Syria 1915 to New York 2012.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.  A woman disappears on the day of her 5th anniversary.  Is her husband a killer???

A Taste For Death by P.D. James.  One of the early Inspector Dalgliesh novels, it is a classic, good British mystery.

Heaven is Small by Emily Schultz.  A great summer read about a man who lands a job at a romance publishing house and suspects that he really is in Heaven.

The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne.  A sequel to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.  A little adventure, a little action, and a little old-fashioned sci-fi make this classic a good choice.

Celebrate Trees!

Posted by Alana T.


The trees in my yard are suffering through the drought and I've spoken with a few library patrons who've mentioned their trees are drooping too.  We usually don't think much about trees until they do something we don't like (drop branches, or too many leaves, or prickly seeds), but they have complex lives.  Choose one of the books below and think positive thoughts for our beleaguered friends.

“Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.” Kalil Gibram, Sand and Foam


Seeing Trees: Discover the Extraordinary Secrets of Everyday Trees by Nancy Ross Hugo and Robert Llewellyn.  The author takes a close-up view of common trees to help us appreciate the uncommon beauty of plants - she suggests we all look as carefully at trees and their behavior as we do for birds.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein.  Who can forget the ents? 


Forest Trees of Illinois by Robert Mohlenbrock.  If you hike the trails (or even just walk through the neighborhood) and want to know "what tree is that"?, this is the book to help.




The Orchard: A Memoir by Theresa Weir.  A city girl moves to the country and learns the ups and downs of modern commercial fruit growing.

Fruit Trees in Small Spaces: Abundant Harvests From Your Own Backyard by Colby Eierman.  Learn which fruit trees to plant in your yard to give years of edibles.

The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed by John Valliant.  This one of those stories to convince you that truth is stranger than fiction.  A sacred golden-colored Sitka spruce is destroyed by a former logger and then he disappears.


 The Lorax by Dr Seuss.  Ecology and love of natural beauty told with rhymes and colorful pictures - a favorite childhood classic.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.  A poignant story of a generous tree and boy she loves.

Trees: National Champions by Barbara Bosworth (photographs), Roger Conover (forward) and Douglas R. Nickel and John R. Stilgoe (essays).   Amazing photographs of the "champion trees" of America - trees that are the largest of their kind.  The author travels throughout the country to visit these amazing, old plants and tell their stories.

Top Ten Biographies of the Past Year

Posted by Staff, summarized from Booklist magazine

Booklist recently published  a list of their favorite biographies from the past year.  These titles combine the arts of investigation, analysis and storytelling to portray remarkable individuals.  All descriptions are from Booklist.

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert Massie.  A gorgeously detailed portrait of Catherine the Great seems destined to become a classic.

Barack Obama: The Story by David Maraniss.  Maraniss' story begins before Obama was born and ends before he enters politics, covering family histories in both Kansas and Kenya

George F. Kennen: An American Life by John Lewis Gaddis.  In this definitive portrait, the inner life of the enigmatic and sensitive diplomat and historian is revealed.
 

A Difficult Woman: The Challenging Life and Times of Lillian Hellman by Alice Kessler-Harris.  A penetrating look at Hellman's life and impact as a sharp-tongued, quick-witted, and notorious playwright.

John Huston: Courage and Art by Jeffrey Meyers.  An informative picture of  the legendary movie director reveals how a flawed man produced so many nearly flawless films.

Malcolm X.: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable.  Electric with recovered facts and jolting revelations, esteemed history professor Marable's biography is the most incisive portrait yet of the complicated, controversial political leader.

Just One Catch: A Biography of Joseph Heller by Tracy Daugherty.  The first full story of the prophetic, contradictory, and audacious Heller.

The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert Caro.  The riveting 4th volume in the series.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.  Tracks Job's life and turns it into the tale of a flawed hero, noble quest, holy grail and death of a of a king.

Tolstoy: A Russian Life by Rosamund Bartlett.  Focuses on Tolstoy's actions, rationales, and the reactions he elicited in admirably direct prose.

Patron Book Reviews: Big Sky Country

Posted by EPL patron and guest blogger Jeri L.

The first of her newest trilogies, Linda Lael Miller takes us to Parable, Montana where we meet Slade Barlow, sheriff; his half-brother Hutch Carmody; and the woman who just arrived in town, Joslyn Kirk... the one they both remember.  Throw into the mix bad feelings between Slade and Hutch, caused by their father's death and the resulting split of his estate between them. The inheritance was the first recognition Slade received from his father, and he's not sure how to handle it.  Hutch simply wants to buy out Slade's share of the ranch and forget he has a brother.

Joslyn has returned to her hometown trying to correct the wrongs done by her stepfather.  But Hutch and Slade aren't the only ones who remember her past.  Her presence in town brings back bad memories for many of the locals and they let her know it.  She has feelings for both brothers, but not the same kind of feelings as theirs.

The author adds enough drama to her romances as well as emotional upheavals and frustrations as you find yourself wanting to ease the hurts, make people realize the truth, and allow themselves to love.  She also gives you enough hint into the lives of the other characters (Slade's ex; Joslyn's best friend, Slade's step daughter) that you find yourself intrigued as who who will be in the next book, Big Sky Mountain, which comes out in August.  Yes, I'll be reading it, too.

Books for Boys

Posted by Staff

The staff have compiled a great list of titles to interest boys.   These titles are good for readers between the ages of 8 and 12.  We've selected some series, a stand-alone title or two, and a few classics even parents will recall fondly.

Do Not Open by John Farndon.  An encyclopedia of the world's best-kept secrets.  Each page, including foldouts, is chockfull of trivial information that boys love to read about.

For Boys Only by Marc Aronson and H.P Newquist.  A great book for every boy who loves adventure - a treasure trove of information about codes, history, science facts and how to make stuff like fake blood.  This book promises hours of fun!

Peter and the Starcatchers Series by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.  Adventures galore!  Treacherous battles with pirates, a ship carrying a mysterious and precious cargo, and a journey filled with excitement and danger.  A story that reveals the secrets and mysteries of a young Peter Pan

Star Wars, Boba Fett by Terry Bisson.  Tells the story of Boba after Episode Two of the movies. A great read for young Star Wars fans.

Captain Underpants by Dave Pilkey.  Great page flipping movies, jokes, bad guys and more!

James and The Dinosaurs by Doug Johnson.  To avoid doing his classwork, James sets off to find a real life dino.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls.  Set in the Ozark Mountains of OK during the Great Depression, this is the story of a boy and his close relationship with his two hunting dogs.

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George.  This tells the story of a boy and the adventures he has living on his own in the wilderness of the Catskill Mountains.

Baseball Card Adventures Series by Dan Gutman.  These are great for young baseball fans!  Journey back in time to meet your favorite historical baseball players.

My Name is America Series by various authors.  These are great historical journals of young men growing up in important periods of American history.

Big Nate series by Lincoln Peirce. Fifth grade Nate wants to be a cartoonist, but everything and everyone seems to be conspiring against him.  A fun and entertaining series.