Teen picks: Books you wish your parents would read

Posted by the Edwardsville Teen Advisory Board

The library has an active group of young people who help develop youth programs, work on projects and generally have a great time during thier meetings.  Starting this month, the Teen Advisory Board will post reading and viewing suggestions. This month's theme for book/movie picks:  Books You Wish Your Parents Would Read.

Non-Fiction

Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists by Anthony Amore
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins










Fiction

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
The Curious Case of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: A Fable by John Boyne
The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Pet Sematary by Stephen King

Everything For a Dog by Ann Martin
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
Love That Dog Sharon Creech
The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling









Movies


 Breakfast at Tiffany's
Rebel Without A Cause
Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Reference Question of the Month: September

Posted by Judy T.

Who Am I?  Each of the numbered lines below contains a few clues about an author whose birthday is (or was) in September or October.  Can you guess each author’s name?

1.  I was born in Maine, which is still where I live.  The first novel I wrote was Carrie, and I am considered a master of horror fiction.  My books are consistently bestsellers and several have been made into movies.

2.  I was named a Dame of the British Empire in 1971 and was the creator of the famous Belgian detective who relies on his “little gray cells” to solve murder mysteries. 

3.  My best-selling novel, published in 1906, exposed unfair labor practices and filthy conditions in Chicago’s meat-packing houses.  This expose led to passage of the Pure Food and Drug Law.

4.  I started practicing veterinary medicine in Yorkshire, England in 1940.  My wife encouraged me to write about my life as a vet, and my books were huge successes in the United Kingdom and the United States.   

5.  I was born in Dublin, Ireland and am best known for the sophisticated and witty plays I wrote at the end of the 19^th century.  My only novel tells the story of a young man who sells his soul so he will retain his youth and beauty.   It was considered immoral and caused a scandal as did aspects of my personal life.    

6.  I was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1894.  My first volume of poetry, Tulips and Chimneys, was published in 1923, and I wrote my final volume in 1963.  I always gave my name in lower-case letters with no punctuation.

7. I’ve written many Western novels as well as crime fiction.  Several of my books have been adapted into Hollywood hits. One of my Westerns became a movie starring Paul Newman. My novel about a star struck loan shark became a movie in 1995 starring John Travolta.  Although my Westerns were set in Arizona, I set my early crime fiction in Detroit.  Since 1980, I have often used Florida as a setting for my books.

Answers:  1. Stephen King – born Sept. 21, 1947  2.  Agatha Christie – born Sept. 15, 1890  3.  Upton Sinclair – born Sept. 20, 1878  4.  James Herriott (pen name for James Alfred Wight) – born Oct. 3, 1916  5.  Oscar Wilde – born Oct. 16, 1854  6.  e.e. cummings – born Oct. 14, 1894  7.  Elmore Leonard – born Oct. 11, 1925

 

Six Degrees of Recommendation

Posted by Staff

The staff is flexing thier filmography muscles to find new ways to explore our fabulous DVD collection and make recommendations.  The rules of our game were simple: ONE - only DVDs from Edwardsville; TWO - each selection must be based on something, anything from the previous DVD; and THREE - only 48 hours per choice (get that list moving!).  The results are explained below.  Links between selections are highlighted in purple.

(1) Jacob D.: Whip It (2009).  Ellen Page stars in a coming of age inspirational sports movie.  And the sport is ROLLER DERBY!..........(2) Amanda E.: Drew Barrymore directed Whip It.  Her breakout role was in E.T. (1982), a film about a young boy and his encounter with an Extra-Terrestrial...........(3) Mary M.: Band of Brothers (2001) was produced by Steven Speilberg.  It is a ten part mini-series set during WWII and based on the experiences of Easy Company...........(4) Susan C.: Atonement (2000); Based on the book by Ian  McEwan.  A young girl changes the course of several lives with an accusation.  The repercussions of her actions take the viewer through the tragedy of WWII and into the close the of the 20th century..........(5) Cary H.: State of Play (2003 BBC miniseries) included James McAvoy, an actor who also starred in Atonement.  The show explores the relationship between government and journalism with regard to the murder of woman, conspiracies, coverups an the oil industry..........(6) Evan E.: Shaun of the Dead (2004) features Bill Nighy (a main character in State of Play) as Shaun's dad.  This British comedy pokes fun at the zombie film genre...........(7) Gwen B.: Star Trek (2009).  I love all things exploring a better or diverse community; Simon Pegg plays Scotty...........(8) Judy T.: Ratatouille (2007) Remy dreams of becoming a chef and when he meets Linguini; strange and wonderful things start happening in a Paris restaurant.  The music for this funny animated movies was composed by Michael Giacchino who also composed the music for Star Trek...........(9) Jacob V.: Julie and Julia (2009).  Like Ratatouille, this film takes place (or parts of it do) in France and also has an emphasis on the world of cooking...........(10) Emily B.: The Devil Wears Prada (2006). A film starring Meryl Streep (also in Julie and Julia) about an aspiring journalist who struggles to impress at her new job as a personal assistnact to the editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine.

You CAN Handle the Truth: New Non-Fiction Picks

Posted by the Information Services Department (Gwen B., Amanda E., Lisa E., & Mary M.)

Every month, the cataloging department gets to see new books before everyone else.  Listed below, along with their Dewey Decimal classification, are our top picks of the non-fiction books that looked most interesting, ultra-informative, or just plain fun.

0-999 GENERAL WORKS

001.944 TAY  Monsters of Illinois: Mysterious Creatures in the Prairie State by Troy Taylor  You'll find the usual vampires and the Piasa bird, but have you heard about our (IL's) bigfoot and Thunderbird stories?  For all those and more, you'll need to check out this book.

006.7 AMI  How to Blog a Book: Write, Publish, and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time by Nina Amir The title says it all.  Start a targeted blog, build an audience, and then use them to convince editors that you have a great book waiting in the wings.







300-399 SOCIAL SCIENCES

307.1  WOO  We Shall Not Be Moved: Rebuilding Home in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina by Tom Wooton  After Hurrican Katrina, residents of New Orleans had to face not only the physical devastation around them, but also the lack of governemnt services.  This book recounts the moving stories of residents who created thier own community resources to begin anew.

332.024 ECO  The Money Smart Family System by Steve and Annette Economides


Written by "America's Cheapest Family", this book provides a system to help you raise financially savy children.  Everyone will learn to earn, budge and spend wisely.

362.175 SAL  Walking on Eggshells: Caring for a Critically Ill Loved One by Amy Sales   Written by a social worker, this book gives sound, comforting advice for those caring for an ill family member. 









600-699  TECHNOLOGY

616.02 BEN Rabbit Housing: Planning, Building, and Equipping Facilities for Humanely Raising Healthy Rabbits  by Bob Bennet  If you are interested in raising rabbits as part of your urban homestead, you'll find all the info you need here.  Good for pet bunnies, too.

641.2 HUG  The Homebuilt Winery: 43 Projects for Building and Using Winemaking Equipment by Steve Hughes.  Whether you need to build wine racks or grape press, you will find instructions for easy to build equiptment (and much cheaper than you can purchase).  There are no wine recipes here, the author assumes the reader has basic knowledge of fermentation processes.

641. 673 LEW  150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches by Alison Lewis Everyone seems to have a favorite variation on grilled cheese sandwiches, a perennial American comfort food.  If you want to go outside the box, this book is for you.
 







700 - 799 THE ARTS

702.3 PEO  The Successful Artist's Career Guide: Finding Your Way in the Business of Art by Margaret Peot.  If you're thinking of moving from hobbyist to pro, this book can help you.  It contains advise on everything to pricing your work, taxes, writing a good artist's statement and more.  Interviews with succesful artists provide interesting and informative encouragement.

Book Review: The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken

Posted by Alana T.

This is book three From the Files of Vish Puri, India's Most Private Investigator.  Mr. Puri and his idosyncratic collection of employees and family members continue to amaze and amuse.  The descriptions of food, politics, geography and the social intracacies of Indian life are vivid, providing the reader with a distinct sense of modern India.  Unlike previous books, this one is based on a serious historical topic, the partition of India in 1947 and the resulting degredation of relations between India and Pakistan.  The story and dialog are still lighthearted however, and Mr. Puri manages to save the day, solve the murder, and eat more street food than seems possible. 

Following the lead of some other culinarily based 'cozy' mysteries(e.g. the Hannah Swenson and Goldy Schulz series) the author has included recipes at the end.  Considering Mr. Puri's status as a gormand, and the mouthwatering list of foods described throughout the book, including recipes is a great idea.  I tried two, Mummy's Most Excellent Punjabi Curry and the eponymous Deadly Butter Chicken.  The first is a surprisingly mild curry; tasty, vegetarian, and gluten free!  The 'deadly' chicken is not swimming in butter as you might imagine, but features marinated chicken in a tangy, gently spiced tomato-based sauce.  If you try the recipes, don't be frightened by the list of ingredients and spices; flavors blend and overall spiciness decreases during cooking. 

If you are interested in reading the previous Vish Puri mysteries, or requesting other movies and books based in India, jump over to our previous post for some more reviews.

Spread the Word - Get Your Library Card Today!

Posted by Staff

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month.  Of course, you have a card, but how about your friends and neighbors?  It doesn't matter if they live in Edwardsville, contact everyone you know and drop a hint about how useful that card is (and it is, isn't it?).  To sign up for a card, residents of Edwardsville need a photo ID and something current with their name and Edwardsville address on it (mail, utility bill, checks/bank statement, rental agreement, etc.).  Most local libraries have similar rules.  If someone you know needs to know where to go or what he or she needs to get a card, give us a call (692-7556) and we will help. 

Patron Book Review: The Shape Shifter

Posted by EPL patron and guest blogger, Irv S.

The Shape Shifter (2006) is an example of Tony Hillerman's ability to tell a fascinating story while weaving into it a discussion of Navajo culture.  He introduces Native American traditions, integral to the novel, with the dialog and thoughts of the characters.  Hillerman doesn't preach, he just tells, and very well indeed.

Both of his usual protagonists, Joe Leaphorn, the 'legendary lieutenant', and Joe's protege, Sgt. Him Chee, of the Navajo Tribal Police, appearn in The Shape Shifter, but it is principally Leaphorn's story this time.  The lieutentant, recently retired, is enticed to investigate an old crime which the FBI considered closed but about which he had lingering doubts.

Inveterate readers of murder mysteries will find themselves anticipating the plot twists but enjoying the novel nonetheless.  It is short on surprise and suspense, but long on entertainment and edification.

It isn't Hillerman's best, but I am an unabashed fan of his writing and enjoyed it thoroughly.  I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in Native American culture or just enjoys good fiction, but I preferred the author's A Thief of Time, Skinwalkers, Listening Woman, and The Blessing Way.

More Books for Boys

Posted by Theresa S.

Listed below are a few more selections to add to our previous list of engaging reads for boys.  Needless to say, these would be great for girls, too!  All titles have been tested and approved by younger relatives.  Descriptions are summarized from Amazon.

For Middle School:

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, Darth Paper Strikes Back, and The Secret of the Fortune Wookie; all by Tom Angleberger  "In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet."

Aliens on Vacation (Intergalactic Bed and Breakfast) and Aliens on the Rampage; both by Clete Smith  "David isn’t happy about leaving Florida and his friends to summer with his crazy grandmother in “Middle-of-Nowhere,” Washington.  Arriving at her Intergalactic Bed & Breakfast, he isn’t surprised by its the-60’s-meets-Star-Wars décor, but he is surprised by the weird-looking guests."

Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading and Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Extra Credit; both by Tommy Greenwald  "Charlie Joe Jackson may be the most reluctant reader ever born. And so far, he’s managed to get through life without ever reading an entire book from cover to cover. But now that he’s in middle school, avoiding reading isn’t as easy as it used to be."

Age 7-8

The Deadlies: Felix Takes the Stage and The Deadlies: Spiders on the Case; both by Kathryn Lasky  "The Deadlies are like any other family with a loving mother and bright, rambunctious children. Except they're spiders and poisonous."

Visit Beautiful Old Books From the Comfort of Home



Poissons, Ecrevisses et Crabes, de Diverses Couleu  - 1719 - Renard, Louis (author) - Amsterdam - The Warnock Library

Posted by Alana T.

Do you love old books - really, really old books?  Jump over to rarebookroom.org.  This educational site provides access to high quality digital scans of some of the great books of the world.  Where else would you get the chance to see Copernicus' book describing the earth orbiting the sun, Shakespeare's First Folios, and copies of Beethoven's sheet music?

From their home page: "Over the last decade, a company called "Octavo" digitally photographed some of the world ’s great books from some of the greatest libraries. These books were photographed at very high resolution (in some cases at over 200 megabytes per page). This site contains all of the books (about 400) that have been digitized to date. These range over a wide variety of topics and rarity. The books are presented so that the viewer can examine all the pages in medium to medium-high resolution."

Old books are a source of much fascination with the public.  Popular novels have been written about the mysterious, lost book, collectors spend fortunes buying rare books at auction, and a near endless supply of myths circulate featuring ancient tomes.  Interestingly, few people get a chance to see a real example of an old book.  The experience can be both awe-inspiring and disappointing.  The books themselves can be stunning (beautiful, hand-done illustrations, intricate bindings), but they can be difficult to read.  And be advised, most of these books are not written in English.  Still, they are beautiful. Jump over and take a look.