http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ Notes from staff and users of the Takoma Park Maryland Library. en-us davidb@takomagov.org 2009-04-29T11:47:51-05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/001750.html We have received a whopping large shipment of Graphic Novels for the adult section, carefully selected from various sources. If a picture tells a thousand words, consider the creative density of a format combining both word and image. The Graphic Novel format is the fastest growing segment of the publishing world. This means there's an increasing wealth of well-written stories available to interested readers, the trick is to wade through them to find the best. Here are a few of the more interesting titles (capsule reviews after the jump). 1750@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2009-04-29T11:47:51-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/001748.html Book sale on the library lawn. 10-3, May 16th. Book donations accepted through the 8th. Call the library for details. 301.891.7259 Update: No more donations please. We have run out of room. Many thanks to all of you who have contributed books. 1748@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2009-04-28T14:44:12-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/001714.html More than a building that houses books and data, the library represents a window to a larger world, the place where we’ve always come to discover big ideas and profound concepts that help move the American story forward and the human story forward. That’s the reason why, since ancient antiquity, whenever those who seek power would want to control the human spirit, they have gone after libraries and books. Whether it’s the ransacking of the great library at Alexandria, controlling information during the Middle Ages, book burnings, or the imprisonment of writers in former communist block countries, the idea has been that if we can control the word, if we can control what people hear and what they read and what they comprehend, then we can control and imprison them, or at least imprison their minds.Obama's 2005 speech to the American Library Association Please read the full text of the speech. picture source: Pundit Kitchen footnote: Here are some bits from Obama's answers to an interview conducted just before his speech. (American Libraries; Aug2005, Vol. 36 Issue 7, p48-52, 5p - accessible full text via our Masterfile subscription) Can you tell us more about the effect libraries have had on you? Here's another interesting fact: People always mention libraries in terms of just being sources for reading material or research. But I probably would not be in Chicago were it not for the Manhattan public library, because I was looking for an organizing job and was having great trouble finding a job as a community organizer in New York. The Mid-Manhattan library had these books of lists of organizations, and the librarian helped me find these lists of organizations, and I wrote to every organization. One of them wound up being an organization in Chicago that I got a job with. Tell us something that you're not going to say in your speech. You know, I have a soft spot in my heart for librarians. Although I'll probably mention this in my speech, I have been known to misbehave in libraries. What's your main message to librarians? That our prosperity as a nation is directly correlated to our literacy. 1714@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2009-04-05T19:04:01-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/001696.html You're invited to a special performance of Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! on Tuesday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m. Middle school students will bring medieval characters to life as they perform poems from the Newbery Medal-winning book, and music will be provided by local musician Wendy Lanxner and her students. The performance will open the annual meeting of the Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library, but you don't have to be a member of the Friends to come and enjoy the show, as well as some goodies to eat and drink. No registration required; the show is best for school-aged children and older. 1696@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2009-03-18T16:29:01-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/001537.html Here's the third -- and final -- installment of our Best Books for Kids 2008. This list focuses on non-fiction, graphic novels, folktales and poetry, and some re-issued classics. There should be something for every reader on one of these lists! Part 1: Board books and picture books Part 2: Books for beginning readers, novels for middle grade readers, and teen novels. Happy Reading, Karen MacPherson, children's and teen librarian 1537@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2008-12-05T18:14:08-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/001535.html Here's the second installment of our listing of Best Kids Books of 2008. This list focuses on books for beginning readers, novels for middle grade readers (those ages 7-12), and teen novels. Part 1: Board books and picture books Part 3: Non-fiction, graphic novels, folktales and poetry, and some re-issued classics. Happy Reading! Karen MacPherson, children's and teen librarian 1535@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2008-12-05T16:46:19-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/001530.html As the children's librarian and a children's book reviewer for Scripps Howard News Service, I see more than 1,000 new books each year. Most of them aren't worth reading; some of them are good and a relative small proportion of them are great. Because books make a great holiday gift for kids, I've put together a list of the best kids' books of 2008. This first installment looks at board books and picture books. Check back in a few days for a listing of novels, non-fiction and graphic novels. Part 2: Books for beginning readers, novels for middle grade readers, and teen novels. Part 3: Non-fiction, graphic novels, folktales and poetry, and some re-issued classics. Happy Reading! Karen MacPherson, children's/teen librarian, Takoma Park Maryland Library 1530@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2008-12-04T18:43:44-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/001472.html Friends' fall book sale out on the library lawn, November 1st starting at 10 AM. Weather report: sunny. Sorry, no more book gifts as of today because we have completely run out of room. We will post a note when we can start accepting them again. Thanks, many thanks, to all who donated. 1472@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2008-10-29T16:13:36-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/001389.html Chimey certainly liked The sea of monsters ChimeyView SlideShare presentation (tags: takoma artquest chimey)So did Joie. 1389@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2008-08-09T20:32:43-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/001375.html Come read Breaking Dawn , the finale of Stephenie Meyer's best-selling Twilight series. We have four copies of the book, all available for check-out beginning on Saturday Aug. 2 at 10 a.m. 1375@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2008-08-01T18:17:12-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/001359.html 1359@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2008-07-24T15:51:40-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/001346.html Haters by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez. Reviewed by Lensa This book has a lot of interesting things but the best thing about the book is it is a page turner. U want to read more, as U read a chapter U just can't get enough of it. It is the best book i ever read. I don't thing there is any worst thing about the book but when the book ends it is really hard to accept it because it is that interesting. I know some people who read the book twice already. The reasons are that the characters do seem real, all the things that happen have shocking endings at the ends of the chapters and the setting is really interesting. It just looks like it happens right there as you are reading the story. The story takes place at high school in California which makes it much more interesting. Paski, the new girl, didn't have a nice week because of the snotty kids in the school, except a really cute guy whom she liked named Chris who helped her through the the conflict in the school and helped her be a hero by saving lives with her visions and by winning a big race. I recommend this book for girls who like funny stories and a little romance - not too much. I don't recommend this book for boys because i think it is a little girlish book. I think U should really read the book for enjoyment or to laugh out loud. My opinion for this book is --- Ii reallllllllllly liked it so much that I can't wait till part 2 gets out.... Librarian's note: Haters is in our YA section. We also have a number of adult books by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez. El club social de las chicas temerarias -- 2003 FIC VALDES The Dirty Girls Social Club -- 2003 FIC VALDESR Make him look good -- 2006 FIC VALDESR Playing with boys -- 2004 FIC VALDESR 1346@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2008-07-20T16:56:58-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/001344.html The Thief lord by Cornelia Funke, translated by Oliver Latsch. Reviewed by Julia The Thief Lord is about two brothers who run away to Venice after their mother dies. There the brothers meet a gang of street kids who have a leader named Scipio, only a bit older than Prosper himself, who calls himself the Thief Lord, and who claims to have been in all the rich houses – but without permission. They live off of what he steals, selling it to Ernesto Barbarossa, a dishonest shopkeeper. What they don’t realize is that Scipio has a few secrets of his own – like where he disappears to every night. When the brother’s aunt comes to Venice looking for them, she hires Victor Getz, a PI, to find them. Victor ends up locked in the movie theater where they live – but not before finding out that the Thief Lord is no grand thief. Meanwhile, the gang takes on a job for an old man calling himself the Conte. When they find out that Scipio is the son of one of the richest men in Venice (who treats him like he’s stupider than pond scum) they feel betrayed. When they do the job for the Conte, they end up waking the owner, Ida, a photographer. She persuades them to let her come along to the Conte, and she tells them that the wooden wing that the Conte wants belongs to the magical merry-go-round of the Merciful Sisters, an orphanage, which had the ability to change your age. After they’ve given the Conte the wing they find out from Victor, who is now on their side after the aunt decides that she doesn’t want Prosper to ever see Bo again, that the money is fake. Meanwhile, the aunt gets Bo and is forcing him to dress up like a doll of her perfect boy and Prosper is practically suicidal. They get Bo back after he misbehaves so badly Esther never wants to see him again, but Prosper is gone with Scipio to the Conte’s island, where Scipio gets a ride on the merry-go-round for repayment. He gets to be about twenty, and he looks like a much nicer version of his father. Then Barbarossa sneaks in, and since it was his idea to give the kids fake money and he’s not exactly nice, they put him on the winged lion, which makes you younger. He gets off by breaking the lion once he’s about five years old, and they give him to aunt Esther. Bo, Prosper and Hornet (one of the kids) live with Ida, Scipio goes to work for Victor and the other kids find their own places. This is a pretty well written story because it gives the realities of being on the streets without being too harsh. It combines the magic of Venice with a sense of reality extremely well, and ties up the loose ends pretty neatly without resorting to fairy-tale-wishes-come-true type writing. The book manages to describe the wonders of Venice without taking too much focus away from the plot, which uses fantasy and reality nicely. I’ve read this book about three times, and it’s exciting and funny every time. I would recommend this book to readers seven and up. Dragon rider by Cornelia Funke, translated by Anthea Bell. Reviewed by Joie What happens if humans are about to invade your home? If you have no chance of being peaceful to each other, nor any chance of living in a place that's not populated by humans again? If your only hope was a legend dragging hundreds of years back, to where the Rim of Heaven lay? Such a journey and adventure would only be possible in Dragon Rider, by Cornelia Funke. The humans are coming. The news circulates from a rat who has heard the event. The dragons who live in the valley only have one chance to live in an area where humans would stop coming. And young Firedrake, his furry brownie Sorrel, and one human boy must find the Rim of Heaven to save the last dragons. Packed with adventure and cleverness, a tale of dragons that will never be forgotten. This book is recommended to any one who enjoys fantasy. It grabs you mind and attention and doesn't let go until the final twist is made. Betrayal and the ever fear of humans keeps you on your toes. Classmates agree that this is a thrilling story with fantasy creatures, and one enemy feared by all. Cornelia Funke is already an international fantasy writer with Inkheart, Inkspell, and The Thief Lord all works enjoyed by millions of people. Dragon Rider is no different. The quest will begin as soon as you open the pages of this imaginative book! Librarian's notes: We have the following books by Cornelia Caroline Funke - Dragon rider (also on cassette) Ghosthunters and the Incredibly Revolting Ghost Ghosthunters and the muddy monster of doom! Igraine the brave Inkheart (also on cassette) Pictures from the movie. Inkspell (also on CD) Pirate girl The princess knight Princess Pigsty El Senor de los Ladrones The Thief lord (also on cassette) Pictures from the movie. When Santa fell to Earth Website 1344@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2008-07-19T17:07:23-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/001342.html Aldous Huxley's The Doors Of Perception Reviewed by Grady The Doors of Perception is an illuminating look into the roots of 60s counterculture. It details Aldous Huxley's experimentation with the drug mescaline in order to change his perception and understand his own mind. It explores the Native American ceremonial use of the drug and compares it to American alcoholism, commenting that mescaline does not cause the disruptive behavior brought on by alcohol. I enjoyed Huxley's description of his state of mind as he describes losing interest in time and the physical shape of his surroundings while he focused on meaning. The language has the feel of a scientific journal but this is contrasted by his religious-sounding language which he uses to describe his experience. Huxley steps outside of himself, leaving behind his dystopian description of the world found in his novel Brave New World, and tries to explain what he felt was a very positive experience. Librarian's notes: Huxley, most famous as the author of Brave new world, wrote novels, poetry, essays, plays, and stories for children. Have you read After many a summer dies the swan ? Seen Huxley's Mike Wallace interview? Yes, there were a lot of Huxleys. Aldous Huxley's grandfather was Darwin's friend, Thomas Henry Huxley; his mother the neice of the the poet Matthew Arnold; his brother the great biologist Julian Huxley. Others in the family are less well-known today but were very curious characters in their time. One of Aldous' aunts, Mary Augusta Ward, was both a best selling novelist and a founder of the Women's National Anti-Suffrage League - yes, she was actively opposed to allowing women votes. (The league was shortly taken over by the Men's League for Opposing Woman Suffrage). 1342@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2008-07-19T16:45:21-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/001329.html 1329@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2008-07-07T10:43:24-05:00