LibraryPoint Blog

In Bark, George by Jules Feiffer, George is a small dog with a big problem. When his mother tells him to bark, he can't. Instead he says, "Meow," not quite the sound his mom was expecting. George keeps trying, but to his mother's growing frustration, he can only produce the sounds of other animals, like "Oink" or "Moo." Finally George's mother takes him to the vet who promises to get to the bottom of the problem. The cause of George's unusual sounds is even funnier than the idea of a dog who quacks.

Now that we’re all hooked on our tablets and smartphones, let’s face it, those old “PeeCees” are getting less and less use in our everyday lives.  But that hardly means their usefulness has run out!  Here are some great ideas to extend the lives and functionality of your aging hardware.

Sometimes you check out a book that starts a new family hobby. The book Paletas started a wonderful new hobby for our family. The day before my son found this book he was watching a Food network show on Paletas, the delicious Latin-American treats that we call popsicles. The next day my son found this book at the library: Paletas : Authentic Recipes for Mexican Ice Pops, Shaved Ice, and Aguas Frescas by Fany  Gerson. It was summertime and we made the key lime popsicles rolled in pie crust crumbs and each popsicle tasted just like a piece of key lime pie. We also made the avocado paletas and even though they sounded dreadful, they were really delicious! Of course we also made the more traditional lemon-lime popsicles.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, the mind often turns to The Feeling—you can’t sleep, can’t eat, and feel distracted during the day. Anything that takes you away from your beloved is a nuisance. If this sounds familiar, you’ve probably experienced the lovesickness brought on by the Perfect Book. Those sleepless, word-filled nights can take a toll, but who could pass up the thrill of finding that unforgettable, irresistible book? 
 

That’s where Hook Up with a Book! comes in.

This February, your library staff would like to set you up with the book of your dreams!

Whether the newest James Patterson novel makes your heart skip a beat, or you swoon over a well-written biography, there’s an amazing book just waiting for you. To aid your matchmaking librarians, simply complete this online questionnaire and we’ll set you up with some of our finest offerings.

You can also stop in at England Run, Headquarters, Porter,  Salem Church, or Snow to browse potential blind (book) dates in person.

Although most people are aware that the fictional character of Count Dracula was based on a real person, very few people in the U.S. know the details of his life and how he was viewed by the Romanian people today. The political career, battles, and world that the historical Prince Dracula lived in remain a source of enigmatic fascination for the vast majority of people who associate the name with the classic film starring Bela Lugosi. Radu Florsecu’s biography of the historical Dracula, Dracula: Prince of Many Faces, illuminates the true events of Dracula’s life and compares and contrasts them to Bram Stoker’s classic novel.

Don’t you love the new year’s big events--the Super Bowl, the Oscars, and the American Library Association’s book awards?  

Last week, librarians everywhere eagerly watched this year’s announcements, hoping to hear that their favorites were selected.  Many shouted in exaltation, while others shook their fists at colleagues who didn’t make the choices we preferred.  Although I did a little of both, one announcement was particularly thrilling.  Tamora Pierce, one of my favorite authors, won the prestigious Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring her significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens.  

The University of Mary Washington's 2013 Chappell Great Lives Lecture Series continues on Thursday, February 7, with a lecture on Brigham Young by John Turner author of Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet:

Brigham Young at age forty lived in western Illinois, was a faithful disciple of the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith, and had but one wife. He was known for his spiritual fire, collegial leadership, and tireless missionary service. Within ten years, much had changed. By then, Young had led thousands of religious refugees to the Salt Lake Valley, stood at the head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was the governor of the newly created Utah Territory, and had been sealed in marriage to fifty-five wives. Young, moreover, had become a very different sort of leader: hyper-sensitive to criticism, vigilant against potential rivals within the church, and violent in his rhetorical responses to everything from criminality to U.S. interference in Utah affairs. In his talk, John Turner will follow Brigham Young from Illinois to Utah, explaining how that transition affected both Young’s personality and the place of his church within American society.

There's that familiar anecdote: a child gets a nice, big, expensive toy for his birthday. The parents have spent hours putting it together,. For all of their sweat, pain, and suffering they find that the child is most fascinated with the big cardboard box the toy came in.

Cardboard, by Doug TenNapel, is a clever variation on that premise. Mike, an out-of-work carpenter, has nothing for his son Cam's birthday. A strange old man approaches him with an offer. For just a handful of change, Mike can get his son an amazing gift. It may seem like an ordinary cardboard box, but whatever Cam makes out of the corrugated paper pulp comes to life.

This readalike is in response to a patron's book-match request. If you would like personalized reading recommendations, fill out the book-match form and a librarian will email suggested titles to you. Available for adults, teens, and kids.  You can browse the book matches here.

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry: "A love story, an adventure, and an epic of the frontier: Set in the late nineteenth century, Lonesome Dove is the story of a cattle drive from Texas to Montana. Augustus McCrae and W. F. Call are former Texas rangers--partners and friends--who have shared hardship and danger without ever quite understanding each other. Gus is the romantic, a reluctant rancher who has a way with women. Call is driven and demanding, a natural authority figure with no patience for weakness. The two could hardly be more different, but both are tough, redoubtable fighters who have learned to count on each other, if nothing else." 

If you enjoyed this western epic and are looking for similar novels, here are some other titles you may enjoy:

Little Big Man by Thomas Berger
Fictional reminiscences of an 111-year-old man telling of his checkered career as plainsman, Indian scout, and squaw man and of his colorful acquaintances. (worldcat.org)

The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark
 A cowboy is unable to prevent three wandering travellers from being unjustly lynched for murder. (worldcat.org)