Kurious Kitty's Kurio Kabinet

Celebrate Black History Month! Part 2

2012-02-13T09:00:00.004-05:00

A wise woman, don't you think? We all should follow in Jordan's footsteps and encourage a love of learning in the younger generation.

Read more about this fabulous woman in Barbara Jordan: Getting Things Done by James Mendelsohn [B JOR]. For kids, Jordan is profiled in Women of the Lone Star State: 25 Texas Women You Should Know [J 920 WOM].

We received sad news this past weekend of the death of Whitney Houston, yet another talented woman:

This song, and many more are on Whitney, the Greatest Hits [CD FEMALE VOCALIST HOU].

Poetry Friday--"The New Heart"

2012-02-10T00:01:00.000-05:00

In preparation for Valentine's Day on Tuesday I thought I'd share this little poem found in the City Lights Pocket Poets Anthology, edited by Lawrence Ferlinghetti [808.81 CIT]:

A New Heart
by Semyon Kirsanov, translated by Amselm Hollo

I'm busy!
I am building
     a model, of an entirely
          new
                heart!

A heart
    for the future: to feel
          and love with. A heart
                to understand men with:

And also, to tell me, whom
      I should freely
          shake by the hand--
and to whom
      I should never
           extend it.

Now head over to Laura Salas's blog to see what she has in store for the Poetry Friday Round-Up.

Photo courtesy Open Clip Art Library.

Early Photography

2012-02-09T09:00:00.001-05:00

Salon.com recently posted an interview and slideshow, "Postcards from the Dawn of Photography," which is remarkable. It relates to a exhibit now on display at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, "Silver, Salt, and Sunlight: Early Photography in Britain and France." The exhibit runs through Aug. 19, 2012. The Library has a pass to the Museum of Fine Arts, purchased through the generosity of the Friends of the Library of Windham. You can book passes up to a month in advance, so plan to see this exhibit before it closes.

We have some interesting histories of photography in our collection including The History of Photography: From 1839 to the Present by Beaumont Newhall [770.9 NEW].

Happy Belated Birthday, Charles!

2012-02-08T09:00:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was the 200th birthday of prolific writer, Charles Dickens. Happy Birthday, Charles! His birthday celebration took place around the world!

Dickens' birthday was celebrated all over the web yesterday, including on the Google icon!

Most people by the time they reach adulthood, will have read at least one Dickens novel, probably it is Great Expectations. High school students either love or hate being assigned Great Expectations. In my case, more than 40 years later, I still remember the effect that the description of Miss Havisham's home had on me! Powerful writing! Look for Dickens' novels in F DIC. Or, you can download copies on your ereader at Project Gutenberg.

The Gardner Museum

2012-02-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

On January 19th, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum re-opened after an extensive redesign and building project.

The Gardner Museum is a legacy of Boston's legendary socialite and art collector, Isabella Stewart Gardner. Gardner was, to put it mildly, a character! Her life is explored in The Art of Scandal: The Life and Times of Isabella Stewart Gardner by Douglass Shand-Tucci [709 SHA].

The museum was the victim of a major art theft in 1990, as yet unsolved, and has provided the subject matter for Boston novelist, Brian McGrory's, thriller Dead Line [F MCG].

The Gardner should be on your list of places to visit this spring. I mention the spring because the museum is famous for its lush and beautiful gardens and for its hanging nasturtiums which bloom every April. And don't forget the Gardner's extensive art collection, which can be enjoyed all year round.

Photo courtesy the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

Celebrate Black History Month!

2012-02-06T09:00:00.001-05:00

This is a powerful piece, written by a powerful woman, Sojourner Truth, and recreated by a powerfully talented woman, Alfre Woodard:

Sojourner Truth has been a popular subject for children's biographies. In our collection we have at least six--from heavily illustrated ones like A Picture Book Biography of Sojourner Truth by David A. Adler, to more extensive ones suitable for older children like Sojourner Truth: Ain't I a Woman? by Patricia C. McKissack [all found in J B TRU].

Look for more Black History Month posts each Monday in February.

Photo courtesy Library of Congress.

Poetry Friday--Happy Birthday Langston Hughes!

2012-02-03T00:01:00.001-05:00

February 1 marked the 110th anniversary of the birth of Langston Hughes. What a perfect excuse to share a Hughes poem (as if one needed an excuse)!

Me and My Song

Black
As the gentle night
Black
As the kind and quiet night
Black
As the deep productive earth
Body
Out of Africa
Strong and black
As iron
First smelted in
Africa
Song
Out of Africa
Deep and mellow song
Rich
As the black earth
Strong
As black iron
Kind
As the black night
My Song
From the dark lips
Of Africa
Deep
As the rich earth
Beautiful
As the black night
Strong
As the first iron
Black
Out of Africa
Me and my
Song

from The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes [811 HUG]

Stop by The Iris Chronicles for this week's Poetry Friday Round-Up.

Photo courtesy Yale University.

Do You Speak Italian?

2012-02-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick lesson in speaking Italian:

In Italian, hands place an emphasis on the words that is unmistakable!

Perhaps you'd like to learn to speak Italian using your voice? Rest assured, we can help. On our shelves we have several resources for beginners including the Pimsleur Language Program series titles Basic Italian [458.342 PIM] and Conversational Italian [458.342 PIM], which come with CDs.

In The Best of Dean Martin [CD MALE VOCALIST MAR], Martin sings several songs in English and Italian. But, if listening to Martin and singing along isn't challenging enough, we have several operas sung in Italian, that will surely put your Italian language skills to the test! (Look for the "Black Dog Opera Library" recordings in AB/CD 782.1.)

Favorite Books

2012-02-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

The website Flavorwire: Cultural News and Critique ran an article on Sunday titled, "Your Favorite Authors’ Favorite Books of All Time."

This question comes up periodically, "What's your all-time favorite book?" It's something I can't answer! Except for a few children's books, not one adult book springs to mind as my all-time favorite! There are many books, however, that I've really liked. So, here's a short list of some very "likeable" works of fiction:

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield [F WIN]

Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson [F ROB]

The Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger [F KLU]

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez [F GAR]

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston [F HUR]

What Is Left the Daughter by Howard A. Norman [F NOR]

Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks [F BRO]

Repurposing

2012-01-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

Remember back to elementary school when you repurposed milk cartons into bird feeders? Well, the repurposing movement continues to this day and has gone way beyond bird feeders! In December, lifehacker, had a round-up of the "Most Popular Repurposing Tricks of 2011," and although there was a project that used milk cartons, there were no bird feeders! At the end of the article are links to repurposing projects from 2008, 2009, and 2010.

If you're interested in repurposing with an eye toward making art, have we got a book for you! It's 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse: Remake, Restyle, Recycle, Renew by Garth Johnson [745.5 JOH]. It consists of nothing but photos of completed projects--there are no instructions, so it is not a do-it-yourself guide. But, if you are someone who is looking for inspiration you'll find all you need in this book!

It's Almost Oscar Time!

2012-01-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

Last Monday the nominations for this year's Academy Awards were announced. There is a startling number of nominees for "Best Picture"--there are nine titles up for the award! It makes you wonder if 2011 was a particularly artful year, or if there is some other reason for all the nominees? I'll leave you to ponder it on your own...

Of the nine nominees, five are films based on books! They are:

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close based on the novel of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer [F FOE].

The Help based on the book group favorite novel by Kathryn Stockett [F STO].

Hugo based on the children's graphic novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick [J SEL].

Moneyball based on the nonfiction title, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game [796.357 LEW].

War Horse based on the children's novel by Michael Morpurgo [J MOR].

The bookless nominees are The Artist, The Descendants, Midnight in Paris, and The Tree of Life. The winners will be announce on Sunday, February 26.

Photo by Loren Javier.

Gone Fishing!

2012-01-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm not exactly off fishing, but I am off on my annual writer's retreat in Vermont and will not be posting today or tomorrow, other than to tell you that tomorrow's Poetry Friday Round-Up will be found at Hey, Jim Hill! Jim Hill is new to Poetry Friday--he only discovered it last month--and this is his first outing as a Round-Up host, so stop by and say "welcome aboard!"

Photo by bluebirdsandteapots.

Shipwrecks

2012-01-25T09:00:00.001-05:00

I'm sure everyone is aware of the recent shipwreck off the Tuscan coast. The Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground near the tiny island of Giglio and dozens lost their lives.

Some of the photos of the wreck are really spectacular, but the most striking one I've seen is a satellite image that reveals the massive hulk of the ship. Click here to view it.

Shipwrecks are the subject of many books in our collection, perhaps because New England has a long shipping history, and shipwrecks are obviously part of that history. Here's just a sampling:

Delaney, Frank. Simple Courage: A True Story of Peril on the Sea. [910.9163 DEL]

McCollum, Sean. Anatomy of a Shipwreck. [J 363.123 MCC]

Quinn, William P. Shipwrecks around Boston. [910.452 QUI]

Ritchie, David. Shipwrecks: An Encyclopedia of the World's Worst Disasters at Sea. [910.4 RIT]

It probably won't be long before a tale of the Costa Concordia appears on our shelves!

Youth Media Awards

2012-01-24T09:00:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, at their annual meeting, the American Library Association announced the winners of its Youth Media Awards. The two biggies are the Newbery Award and the Caldecott Award. The 2012 Newbery Award for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature is Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos [J GAN]. The 2012 Caldecott Award for the most distinguished American picture book for children is A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka [JP RAS].

The Newbery Honor Books are Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai [J LAI] and Breaking Stalin’s Nose, written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin [J YEL].

The Caldecott Honor Books are Blackout, illustrated and written by John Rocco [JP ROC], Grandpa Green illustrated and written by Lane Smith [on order], and Me...Jane illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell [JP MCD].

Many other awards were announced. The Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults went to Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley [YA WHA].

A New Voice in the Heavenly Choir

2012-01-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

Singer, Etta James, passed away last week. There's a nice tribute at Weekend Edition on NPR. Be sure to check it out.

We have Etta on CD: Etta James Her Best, and Heart of a Woman, [CD BLUES JAM]. She also appears on several compilation CDs such as The Ultimate Diva Collection [CD JAZZ ULT].

Poetry Friday--Frost in the Air!

2012-01-20T00:01:00.003-05:00

There's nothing better than good ol' Robert Frost poem for a cold winter's day, especially one like "A Winter Eden," which makes me smile despite my cold-weather crotchetiness.

A winter garden in an alder swamp,
Where conies now come out to sun and romp,
As near a paradise as it can be
And not melt snow or start a dormant tree.

It lifts existence on a plane of snow
One level higher than the earth below,
One level nearer heaven overhead,
And last year's berries shining scarlet red.

It lifts a gaunt luxuriating beast
Where he can stretch and hold his highest feat
On some wild apple tree's young tender bark,
What well may prove the year's high girdle mark.

So near to paradise all pairing ends:
Here loveless birds now flock as winter friends,
Content with bud-inspecting. They presume
To say which buds are leaf and which are bloom.

A feather-hammer gives a double knock.
This Eden day is done at two o'clock.
An hour of winter day might seem too short
To make it worth life's while to wake and sport.

from West-Running Brook [811 FRO]

Today's Poetry Friday Round-Up is brought to you by Elaine at Wild Rose Reader.

Photo by samenstelling.

9 Minutes and 19 Seconds That Could Change Your Life

2012-01-19T09:00:00.002-05:00

Just sit down and watch this. Then give it a little thought and try to figure out how you can find 30 minutes in your day...

It seems to me that the best way to find those 30 minutes is to get yourself a dog! I have a friend who rescues dogs, so if you're serious about getting a dog, click here.

If you don't want to get a dog, I'd suggest finding a buddy! Then the two of you can get your exercise, keep up on current gossip, and perhaps discuss one of the exercise books in our collection such as Walking: A Complete Guide to the Complete Exercise by Casey Meyers [613.7 MEY].

A Whole New World of Borrowing!

2012-01-18T09:00:00.002-05:00

We're back! Today's our first day as an active member of GMILCS Inc. I know you're going to find lots to like about this new integrated library system including the ability to have notifications emailed to you, or to receive them as a text messages on your cell.

Or, you might want to view the online catalog on your smart phone, if so, scan this QR code:

Want to keep track of the books you read? You can now keep a running list!

Are you interested in a particular subject? If so, you can search the catalog, save the search, and then set things up so that you can be notified when new items on that subject are added to the collection.

With your library card, also known as the Common Borrower Card, you have access to the collections of 12 libraries with more than a million items to pick from!

There's much to learn and much to explore! You can start from our website, or from the GMILCS Inc. site.

If you come to the Library this Saturday at noon, we will be having a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and there will be GMILCS demonstrations.

We look forward to seeing you!

Library Closed Today

2012-01-17T09:00:00.001-05:00

The Library is closed to the public today while we switch over our data from one automated system to another. When we reopen tomorrow, we will be part of the GMILCS consortium!

Until then, check out these introductory videos on using features of the new system:

See you tomorrow!

Martin Luther King Day!

2012-01-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

The Library is closed today in celebration of Martin Luther King Day (we will also be closed to the public tomorrow while we switch over to a new Integrated Library System.

To celebrate MLK Day, I thought I'd share some of the memorable words of Dr. King. These are taken from a book in our collection, Martin Luther King, Jr. on Leadership: Inspiration & Wisdom for Challenging Times, by Donald T. Phillips [B KIN]:

When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind.

There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must do it because his conscience tells him it is right.

Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education.

The essence of man is found in freedom.

Whenever men and women straighten their backs up, they are going somewhere, because a man can't ride your back unless it's bent.

A leader has to be concerned with semantics.

Have a great day and come visit us at the Library on Wednesday when we'll be up and running as part of the GMILCS consortium with access to more than a million items!

Photo courtesy Library of Congress.

Poetry Friday--Break, Blow, Burn

2012-01-13T00:01:00.003-05:00

There's nothing like a bright pink cover to grab your attention! Break, Blow, Burn: Camille Paglia Reads Forty-Three of the World's Best Poems [821.009 PAG] did just that--it jumped out and grabbed me with its pinkness. Fortunately, what is inside the book went on to hold my attention.

Each of the 43 poems is accompanied by several pages of Camille Paglia's explanation of what is going on in the poem. Even a very short poem such as the one below, has more than two pages of commentary! The biggest advantage to the book is that Paglia not only includes old chestnuts such as "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams, which many students have to analyze, but it also has several relatively unknown contemporary poems.

My Makeup
by Rochelle Kraut

on my cheeks I wear
the flush of two beers

on my eyes I use
the dark circles of sleepless nights
to great advantage

for lipstick
I wear my lips

Head over to A Teaching Life where Tara is rounding up the Poetry Friday offerings for this week.

Better Traveled Than I Am!

2012-01-12T09:00:00.002-05:00

A yellow rubber ducky disappeared from outside a home in Hampton, NH last spring. The ducknapper has not been nabbed, and the duck is still missing--well, almost. Photos of the duck (now named Gale Ducky) have been appearing on Facebook. The photos show Gale Ducky in various settings around the world ! So, despite being abducted, the duck appears to be unharmed and quite happy traveling--most recently to Austria and Aruba!

Gale Ducky reminds me of the most famous rubber ducky of all--Ernie's Rubber Duckie! Let's all sing:

For more of Ernie's songs check out Songs from the Street: 35 Years of Music [CD CHILDREN SON].

Photo courtesy Gale Ducky.

Don't Try This At Home

2012-01-11T09:00:00.001-05:00

In the past I've written about "building" projects using unusual materials, for example, there is the person who constructed buildings out of staples.

Well, I've found an artist who uses the ultimate non-building material to construct her model cities--jello! Liz Hickok makes reproductions of cities such San Francisco and Scottsdale, AZ with molds and jello! Not only that, she makes videos of the installations. Here's "Godzilla Eats Scottdale":

You'd have to know we have a book on Jell-O--it's Jell-O: A Biography by Carolyn Wyman [664 WYM], and, if you looked through our cookbooks, you know you'll come upon a gazillion recipes for the former dessert item that now has so many other uses!

Resolutions

2012-01-10T09:00:00.001-05:00

If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that 90% of New Year's resolutions have to do with losing weight and/or getting in shape. I'd be lying if I said losing weight wasn't on my list for 2012!

Last year at this time I did a round-up of diet/exercise books in our collection that had been published in the prior 12 months. It's time to do it again!

Amen, Daniel G. The Amen Solution: The Brain Healthy Way to Lose Weight and Keep It Off. [613.25 AME]

Harlan, Timothy S. Just Tell Me What to Eat!: The Delicious 6-Week Weight Loss Plan for the Real World. [613.25 har]

Moreno, Mike. The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor's Plan Designed for Rapid Results. [613.25 MOR]

Taubes, Gary. Why We Get Fat and What to Do about It. [613.712 TAU, also AB/CD 613.712 TAU]

Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook. [641.5635 WEI]

We even have books that introduce the importance of a proper diet and exercise to young children:

Bunting, Eve. My Dog Jack is Fat. [JP BUN]

Ettinger, Steve. Wallie Exercises. [JP ETT]

Don't Forget!

2012-01-09T09:00:00.003-05:00

The NH Presidential Primary is tomorrow. The polls open at 7:00 AM and close at 8:00 PM. Voting takes place at the Windham High School.

While at the High School, take a look at the Nesmith Quilters' latest effort. It is not yet completed and already it is gorgeous (see last year's quilt here)! You can purchase raffle tickets to win the 2012 quilt. The winner will be drawn at the Strawberry Festival and Book Sale on June 2, and proceeds will be used to purchase books and materials for the Library (and materials for next year's quilting project).

And now, for your viewing pleasure, here's NH's own Fred Marple (he sometimes goes by the name of one of his other personalities, Ken Sheldon) explaining NH's First in the Nation Primary:

For more official information about the primary, visit the NH Secretary of State website.

And don't forget that new voters can register at the polls tomorrow.

Poetry Friday--"My Bomb"

2012-01-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

I came across a poem in The Extraordinary Tide: New Poetry by American Women [811 EXT], by Beckian Fritz Goldberg, which took me back to my youth and the threat of nuclear holocaust that hung over us during the cold war years with Russia. Perhaps it'll bring back memories for you, too.

My Bomb

Better than a dream, it left gargantuan
roses in the Japanese garden, and the rabbits
heavy as children. we would crouch
in the classroom beneath our desks
and concentrate on being small, study
the whitecaps of our knees. Once

we went below the library,
the dark shelves stacked with cans
of creamed corn, green beans, mandarin oranges
we'd eat like the dead for five years
and rise again. Thus,

I learned the catechism: proton, electron,
neutron. I learned to contemplate
the Invisible. I went to sleep

in the fire-cloud folding like the brain
and dreamt about the power of my bomb,
girls flashing to the sidewalks, cities
filigreed, the bird-cinders,
light bright as the mirror on the shoe of God

and afterward, pink as phoenixes,
the American Beauties pressing
their mammoth lips to the charge of the ski.
This is how I loved the earth

with my life. With the pure nuclei of
my matter. How it fell into my hands.
Better than desire,
my bomb lit the face of my own

twentieth century. I had it
so no one could use it. I would have more
so no one could have enough.

We're not building fallout shelters anymore, but the threat of nuclear disaster is always there. So, for 2012, I pray that the people of our planet will wake up and learn to co-exist without threatening each other with annihilation.

I didn't mean to start the year off on a depressing note! I'm certain there will be many more uplifting poems found at the Poetry Friday Round-Up being hosted at Teaching Authors .

Photo by MaestroBen.

Here's a Chance to Speak Up and Be Heard!

2012-01-05T00:01:00.000-05:00

NH Digital Resource Consortium from DeerfieldCS on Vimeo.

View the video and then head over to the U.S. Department of Education for the National Education Technology Plan, or, go directly to the survey for New Hampshire by clicking here. You may also like to visit NH Educators Online.

If you don't make an effort to participate, then you've missed a great opportunity to shape the future for NH's youth.

A New Ambassador

2012-01-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

A new "National Ambassador for Young People's Literature" was announced on Monday. It is Walter Dean Myers. Myers takes the place of Katherine Paterson who has been Ambassador since 2010.

Myers is a talented writer of poetry, fiction, biographies, and picture books for children and young adults. A small sampling of his titles that are in our collection includes Blues Journey [J 811 MYE], The Greatest: Muhammad Ali [J B ALI], Jazz [JP MYE], Monster [YA MYE], 145th Street: Short Stories [YA MYE], and Sunrise Over Fallujah [YA MYE, also YA AB/CD MYE].

To read more about Myers and his new post, click here and here.

Mr. Myers has as his platform for his term, "Reading Is Not Optional."

What Is a Luddite?

2012-01-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

If you were resistant to adopt the world of social media (blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) you may have been labeled a "Luddite." I've seen this word used for several years now, but I'd never seen an explanation of the origins of the term...until now. In looking for something completely unrelated I came upon an "Advertisement for the Nottingham Hosiery Company" on the British Library Online Gallery . The information accompanying the advertisement told of the revolutionary development of a machine used to make knit stockings:

The machine was also the target of some hostility from professional hand-knitters around the country. Most famously, in Leicester in 1779, a man called Ned Lud broke into a cottage and ("in a fit of insane rage," according to the Oxford English Dictionary) destroyed two stocking frames. Mr Lud unwittingly lent his name to the 18th century anarchist, anti-technology movement, the Luddites.

So that's the story behind the word!

Library News

2012-01-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

The Library is closed today for the New Year's holiday. Please come back tomorrow, and in weeks to follow. Starting mid-month we're going to be part of GMILCS Inc., a consortium of southern New Hampshire libraries! Through a common borrower card, Nesmith Library users will have access to the collections of 12 libraries, which adds up to over a million items! To get a taste of the online catalog, click here.

Have a happy New Year!

Poetry Friday--"The Pen"

2011-12-30T00:01:00.000-05:00

To finish off the year, here's a simple, but lovely poem from Tunisia by Muhammad-al-Ghuzzi (translated by May Jayyusi and John Heath-Stubbs):

The Pen

Take a pen in your uncertain fingers.
Trust, and be assured
That the whole world is a sky-blue butterfly
And words are the net to capture it.

from Voices: Poetry and Art From Around the World [YA 808.81 VOI]

Fly over to The Drift Record/Julie Larios for the final Poetry Friday Round-Up of 2012.

Have a safe and happy New Year!

Photo by najeebkhan2009.

A New Year's Resolution!

2011-12-29T09:00:00.001-05:00

In 2012, vow to climb the highest mountains on all the continents.

Whoa! How hard can it be--a 15 year-old did it, so why can't you?

I suppose the big reason for me is time, followed by money, and then, of course, physical condition!

If you're not up to the challenge yet, try something a little more manageable--like hiking--and, closer to home--like Mount Monadnock or the White Mountains.

Here are a few guidebooks (more may be found in 917.42):

Adamowicz, Joe. The New Hiking the Monadnock Region: 44 Nature Walks and Day-Hikes in the Heart of New England. [917.429 ADA]

The Appalachian Mountain Club's White Mountain Guide: Hiking Trails in the White Mountain National Forest. [917.42 AMC]

Buchsbaum, Robert. AMC's Best Day Hikes in the White Mountains: Four-Season Guide to 50 of the Best Trails in the White Mountain National Forest, Including Snowshoeing. [917.422 BUC]

Densmore, Lisa Feinberg. Hiking the White Mountains: A Guide to 39 of New Hampshire's Best Hiking Adventures. [917.42 DEN]

BachFest

2011-12-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

One of the wonders of the internet is the ability to listen to radio stations from cities all over the world. (Remember in the olden days how you could pull in stations from a state or two away only on late Sunday evenings?)

Right now, in New York City, radio station WKCR 89.9 (Columbia University) is holding a BachFest which features the music of Johann Sebastian Bach during the holidays (ending midnight on 12/31).

We have several Bach CDs in CD CLASSICAL BAC, and, we also have a children's CD for the youngest listener, Baby Bach Concert for Little Ears [CD CHILDREN BAB]

Spelunk

2011-12-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

"Spelunk" has to be one of my favorite ridiculous-sounding words! It has a simple definition: to explore caves.

To be a spelunker, though, requires a bit of work. You must know where the caves are and how to do your exploring in a safe and environmentally responsible way, but, the rewards can be great. Here's an article from the British newspaper, the Daily Mail, on a crystal cave found in Iceland. I think you'll agree, the photos are stunning!

To learn more about caves and the in and outs of spelunking, look for one of these:

Brimner, Larry Dane. Caving: Exploring Limestone Caves. [J 796.52 BRI]

Lindop, Laurie. Cave Sleuths. [YA 551.447 LIN]

Tabor, James M. Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth. [796.525 TAB]

Zappa, Marcia. Caves. [J 551.447 ZAP]

Closed Today!

2011-12-26T09:00:00.001-05:00

The Library is closed today. We hope you'll visit us tomorrow or the next day.

Tonight you might want to drive around town to view the holiday lights!

There's a slideshow of "Holiday Lights Across the Globe" from the BBC. Click here to enjoy the show!

Closer to home is the Zoolights exhibit held annually at the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, MA.

The Nesmith Library has a Zoo New England pass that was donated by the Friends of the Library of Windham FLOW). Click here for more information about the museums/attractions to which we have library passes.

Photo courtesy Zoo New England.

Poetry Friday--"Noel"

2011-12-23T00:01:00.004-05:00

Here's a poem by Linda Pastan to think of when the pressures of the season become a bit too much to bear:

Noel

Like a single
ornament,

the red cardinal
on a pine

outside
the window

is our only
decoration,

until
the snow.

from Traveling Light: Poems [811.54 PAS]

This week's Poetry Friday Round-Up will be found at Dori Reads. Have a safe, healthy, and happy holiday!

Photo by peterjr1961.

Good Grief!

2011-12-22T09:00:00.001-05:00

Not much time left for gift-making (or buying--at all costs avoid the mall). Cookies are always a welcomed gift! Bar cookies are the easiest of all--no need to refrigerate, or roll, or press, or drop. Bake in one large pan, cut and go!

Plenty of bar cookie recipes in these:

Cookie Classics: Timeless Family Favorites. [641.8654 COO]

Crocker, Betty. Betty Crocker's Best of Baking: More Than 350 of America's Favorite Recipes. [641.71 CRO]

Hansen, Liv. Christmas Cookies from the Whimsical Bakehouse. [641.8654 HAN]

Rosenberg, Judy. Rosie's Bakery Chocolate-Packed, Jam-Filled, Butter-Rich, No-Holds-Barred Cookie Book. [641.8654 ROS]

While you're busy baking, keep the kids occupied by having them "decorate" plain brown paper lunch bags for you to pack the cookies in. Simple!

See, no need to sweat--you've got everything under control.

We're Getting Close!

2011-12-21T09:00:00.001-05:00

Santa's gearing up for his big weekend trip. The kids of the world are beside themselves in anticipation. Parents are ready to drop from exhaustion. What to do? Everyone should stop for a few minutes to enjoy a favorite Christmas book. Here are just a few of my favorites:

DePaola, Tomie. The Cat on the Dovrefell: A Christmas Tale. [JP DEP]

Gammell, Stephen. Wake Up Bear, It's Christmas. [J GAM]

Hoffman, Mary. An Angel Just Like Me. [JP HOF]

Moeri, Louise. Star Mother's Youngest Child. [J MOE]

Paulsen, Gary. A Christmas Sonata. [J PAU]

Rosen, Michael J. Elijah's Angel: A Story for Chanukah and Christmas. [J ROS]

Tornqvist, Rita. The Christmas Carp. [J TOR]

And, if you have a few hours to spare, try one of my favorite holiday movies:

A Christmas Memory. [DVD CHR]

Elf. [DVD ELF]

Love Actually. [DVD LOV]

A Musical Gift

2011-12-20T09:00:00.003-05:00

If you, or someone you know plays a musical instrument, and you don't know where to find sheet music, then have I got a gift for you! It's the International Music Score Library Project. This is from the "portal" page:

We at the IMSLP believe that music should be something that is easily accessible for everyone. For this purpose we have created a music library to provide music scores free of charge to anyone with internet access, with several other projects in planning.

Say someone sends you a YouTube video of a piano solo such as the one below:

If you enjoy the piece and want to attempt to play it, you need the music. Then visit IMSLP and type in the composer's name, Debussy, Claude, then the title of the piece, "Arabesque." You will end up at this page:

A few more clicks and you've got the music ready for you to print off.

Of course, if you can't play the piano, then you might want to learn! We can help you with that, too. Borrow Popular Piano Self-Taught by Win Stormen [786.3 STO]. Once you get the basics down, come back for Easy Piano Tunes by Anthony Marks [J 786.2 MAR]. Before you know it, you'll be browsing IMSLP for even more!

In Memorium--Russell Hoban

2011-12-19T09:00:00.003-05:00

Last week the writer, Russell Hoban, passed away in London.

Hoban is the author of The Mouse and His Child, a story about a pair of wind-up toy mice [J HOB, also J AB/CD HOB]. It is a children's book that does not shy away from confronting the realities of life, including death. It is considered a children's classic, although I'd venture to guess that not many people are familiar with it.

Just right for this time of year, another classic, Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, a Jim Henson film, is based on the book of the same name by Russell Hoban [J DVD EMM].

But of all Hoban's works, my favorite is Bread and Jam for Frances [JP HOB]. Frances is one, very typical little girl, in the guise of a badger. Irresistible and fun!

Poetry Friday--"Every Painting by Chagall"

2011-12-16T00:01:00.001-05:00

Here's a poem by former U.S. Poet Laureate, Kay Ryan,

Every Painting by Chagall

Every twined groom and bride,
every air fish, smudged Russian,
red horse, yellow chicken, assumes
its position not actually beside
but in some friendly distribution
with a predictable companion.
Every canvas insists on a
similar looseness, each neck
put to at least two uses. And wings
from some bottomless wing source.
They are pleasure wings of course
since any horse or violinist
may mount the blue
simply for wanting to.
(In freedom, dear things
Repeat without tedium.)

from The Best of It: New and Selected Poems [811.54 RYA]

In case you've forgotten the term for writing about art, it is ekphrasis, I always forget it myself, so I looked it up to save you the bother!

Don't forget to visit Kate, everyone's favorite Book Aunt, for this week's Poetry Friday Round-Up.

Waste

2011-12-15T09:00:00.002-05:00

I think I'll step up on my soapbox today and rant a little. Have you ever taken a walk in the woods and come across a beautiful little babbling brook that has one or two old tires smack in the middle of it? (Even worse is finding a grocery cart in the middle of a brook in the middle of nowhere, but that's a rant for another time.)

We waste so much in this country it sometimes makes my head spin. It's stunning to think about all we throw away. If we were smart, we'd encourage people to come up with new ideas to reuse materials such as old tires.

Since necessity is the mother of invention, people in third world countries have come up with ingenious ideas for reusing old tires. One of the uses is footwear, such as these from Somalia:

Or a rugged mat like this one from Uganda:

When forward thinking people realize there's a way to make money reusing materials, they soon find a way to do it. If you're thinking, "Who'd want something made from an old tire?" take a look at the products on this page!

We have lots of awesome books to get you started thinking about reusing rather than wasting. Here's just one: 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse: Remake, Restyle, Recycle, Renew by Garth Johnson [745.5 JOH].

Okay, I'm stepping off my soapbox now...

Sandal photo by mwanasimba. Mat photo by piekaboo. Roof photo courtesy useitagain!

Being Driven Ding Dong (Merrily on High)?

2011-12-14T09:00:00.001-05:00

Are you tired of the same old holiday music? If I never heard "Silent Night" again, I'd be perfectly happy.

We have holiday music that is a nice switch from what you've been hearing on the Boston stations since Veterans Day! (Be thankful you don't live in Cape May, New Jersey where WEZW-FM has been playing seasonal songs since October 17!)

An American Christmas, 1770-1870. [CD HOLIDAY AME]

Anonymous 4. A Star in the East: Medieval Hungarian Christmas Music. [CD HOLIDAY ANO]

The Chieftains. The Bells of Dublin. [CD HOLIDAY CHI]

A Cowboy Christmas. [CD HOLIDAY COW]

Festival of Light. [CD HOLIDAY FES]

McKennitt, Loreena. To Drive the Cold Winter Away. [CD HOLIDAY MCK]

Wassail! Wassail! [CD HOLIDAY WAS]

Of course, some people find comfort in the tried and true tunes. If you're one of them, and you'd like to sing along with the radio, look for The Best Christmas Songs Ever [781.723 BES], or one of our other books which contain holiday music and lyrics.

War Horse

2011-12-13T09:00:00.001-05:00

A little more than a week ago, the world premiere of a new Steven Spielberg movie, War Horse, took place in New York. The film is based on a children's book of the same name by British author, Michael Morpurgo. We have the book in our children's fiction section, so check it out before the film is released locally on Christmas day.

I think this is going to be a not-to-be-missed film, but you may want to bring along a pocketful of tissues.

When Reindeer Get Hot

2011-12-12T09:00:00.003-05:00

The Journal of Experimental Biology recently published an article on the way reindeer cool down. They are so well clad in fur, that they sometimes tend to get overheated, especially when they're making an extended trip round the world!

Not being a scientist, the article sounds reasonable to me, but it does make me wonder if perhaps the reader's leg isn't being pulled when the reporter tells us that the head researcher's name is Arnoldus Blix. Hmmm, that sounds suspiciously close to the name of one of Santa's reindeer, Blitzen, which Wikipedia tells us originally was Blixem, then Blixen. Coincidence?

And then, when Blix explains that the reindeer are trained to run on a treadmill, I'm led to believe that I may have been had!

Who cares? Not me, I love the idea of reindeer! Especially reindeer on a treadmill! And I like these holiday books about reindeer, too:

Brett, Jan. The Wild Christmas Reindeer. [JP BRE]

Foreman, Michael. The Little Reindeer. [JP FOR]

Stainton, Sue. Christmas Magic. [JP STA]

Poetry Friday--Do Rabbits Have Christmas?

2011-12-09T00:01:00.002-05:00

If you're not familiar with Aileen Fisher's Do Rabbit's Have Christmas? [J 811.52 FIS], you must look for it. It is a lovely melding of poems by Fisher and illustrations by Sarah Fox-Davies. The book, published in 2007, five years after Fisher's death, has an note by Karla Kuskin. In it Kuskin says, "These poems do what poems should do: They take you someplace wonderful, someplace else."

Kuskin is absolutely right! But, if you don't believe me, maybe this poem will convince you:

Sparkly Snow

Last night the sky was reckless,
a reckless millionaire:
it threw down chips of diamonds
and strewed them everywhere.
And on this bright cold morning
when we go stomping out
footprints full of diamonds
follow us about.

Who hasn't marveled at the sparkle of the sun on newly fallen snow? It is like chips of diamonds!

Head over to see Robyn Hood Black for this week's Poetry Friday Round-Up.

Hemingway

2011-12-08T09:00:00.003-05:00

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain [F MCL, also available as an ebook] is an up and coming book group discussion title. If you haven't read it, it's a novel about Ernest Hemingway's first wife, Hadley. I enjoyed the book, but the character of Hemingway was a real turn-off. From all I've read about Hemingway, he wasn't a nice person in real life either.

This Sunday, at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, there will be a discussion, "Hemingway's Letters: From Childhood to Paris." I hope to get a little more insight into the writer and perhaps learn to understand, if not like, him a bit more.

If you didn't know, the JFK Library has a large collection of Hemingway's personal papers.

Day of Infamy

2011-12-07T09:00:00.003-05:00

Seventy years ago today, the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It led us into the war that quickly became known as World War II. There is a wealth of material available on this event at the Library in the 940.54 and J 940.54 sections.

For kids we have the recollections of a young girl whose home was riddled by Japanese bullets during the attack: Pearl Harbor Child: A Child's View of Pearl Harbor--From Attack to Peace by Dorinda Makanaōnalani Stagner Nicholson [J 940.53 NIC].

The National World War II Museum in New Orleans, has an online exhibit on December 7, 2011. Be sure to check it out.

Talking Animals?

2011-12-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

Have you seen this porcupine video?

Clearly it seems as though this little guy has a lot to say!

How do animals really communicate? Elementary school-aged kids can find out in How Animals Talk by Susan McGrath [J 591.59 MCG], Prairie Dogs Kiss and Lobsters Wave: How Animals Say Hello by Marilyn Singer [J 591.59 SIN], and Hello, Hello! by Miriam Schlein [JP SCH].

For adults we have this one: Animal Talk: Interspecies Telepathic Communication by Penelope Smith [591.594 SMI].

Gift Math

2011-12-05T09:00:00.004-05:00

Rather than purchase a gift for grandparents, or aunts, or neighbors, etc., parents often have their kids make a gift. This year think about making an in-a-jar gift. It's both practical and can act as a learning experience for elementary school-aged children. How so? By reinforcing math concepts such as measurements and fractions!

If you're not familiar with the in-a-jar gift concept, here it is in a nutshell: the ingredients for a recipe are layered in a canning jar, decorated with ribbon, and the instructions for completion of the recipe are included.

Here are three books that will provide you with specific recipes to please most people on your kids' holiday lists:

Gifts in a Jar For kids: Recipes to Make Your Own Gifts. [641.815 GIF]

Gifts in a Jar: Muffins & Breads, Recipes to Make Your Own Gifts. [641.815 GIF]

Parks, Lonnette. The Mason Jar Soup to Nuts Cookbook. [641.5 PAR]

Many more recipes can be found online, including ones for individual pies BAKED in a jar! Simply do a Google search on "gifts in a jar" and you'll find sites like this Australian page, which has some very unusual jar ideas.

Photo by stetted.

Poetry Friday--"Ultimatum: Kid to Kid"

2011-12-02T00:01:00.005-05:00

On Monday I heard a report on WBUR about a comedy club group, ImprovBoston, which "wants to nip bullying behaviors in the bud by taking humor-based workshops into Massachusetts schools."

I found it interesting because many states now require an anti-bullying curriculum in the public schools. As an individual long out of school, I wonder if the curriculum is having an effect? (For those who are interested in the subject, we have books such as The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander: From Preschool to High School--How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle of Violence by Barbara Coloroso [371.782 COL] just waiting for you to borrow.)

While flipping through The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes [811 HUG], looking for a poem that wasn't even related to the subject of bullying, I came across this poem which stopped me cold:

Ultimatum: Kid to Kid

Go home, stupid,
And wash your dirty face.
Go home, stupid,
This is not your place.

Go home, stupid,
You don't belong here.
If you don't go,
I will pull your ear.

I ask you if you'd like to play.
"Huh?" is all you know to say,
Standing 'round here
In the way.

So go home, stupid!
I'll spit in your eye!
Stupid, go home--
Before I cry.

Wouldn't this poem be a good one to start a classroom discussion? Even a second-grader can figure out what's going on in this scene. Who's the bully and who's the bullied?

Chalk this up to serendipity--looking for one thing often leads to finding something else that suits your needs, or your spirit, even better.

Without a doubt you're going to find something unexpected at the Poetry Friday Round-Up, hosted today at Carol's Corner.

Photo courtesy Library of Congress.

Snails

2011-12-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey [594.38 BAI] is small format book with some big ideas--one being we need to slow down and pay attention to the small things. This slim volume has a lot going for it to my way of thinking--it is meaningful, I learn a lot about a subject I had no prior knowledge of, and it is short--fewer than 200 pages. Plus, there are tiny little illustrations!

Before we go any further, I'd like to let you know that this isn't a "natural history of the snail" book, it is first and foremost the story of a woman who is stricken with a mysterious disease and her path through a long and painful recovery.

If your book group is looking for a good book to discuss, you can't do better than this one. Unless, of course, your group has an aversion to slimy gastropods.

Elisabeth Tova Bailey has developed her website to go with the book, where she has discussion questions ready for book groups. Even if you don't read the book, you should check out the website where you can hear an audio of the sound of a wild snail eating! How awesome is that?

Three-Dimensional Paper Engineering

2011-11-30T09:00:00.002-05:00

Three-dimensional paper engineering is simply a fancy way of saying pop-up books! The University of New Hampshire has received a donation of almost 2,000 pop-up books and they are now on display at the UNH Museum. What a great way to spend an afternoon, but you'd better make plans now, the exhibition is only open through December 16.

We don't generally purchase pop-up books in our children's room collection due to the fragility of the medium, but, we do have a fine example of an adult pop-up book which we keep in our reference collection for people to oooh and aaah over: Fenway Park: Legendary Home of the Boston Red Sox by John Boswell and David Fisher [R 796.357 BOS].

We do have several books for kids on paper engineering, such as The Usborne Book of Paper Engineering by Fiona Watt [J 736.982 WAT]. Just in time for the holidays is How to Make Holiday Pop-Ups by Joan Irvine [J 745.594 IRV].

Before they were commonly known as pop-up books, paper engineered books were referred to as movable books. There's an organization known as the Movable Book Society, which has on its website, a great collection of links for anyone who is interested in paper engineered books.

Presidential Shopping

2011-11-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

I hope you all shopped locally this past Saturday. The President and his daughters shopped at a D.C. bookstore, and here are a few of the titles they purchased:

Diaz, Junot. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. [F DIA, also AB/CD DIA]]

Juster, Norman. The Phantom Tollbooth [J JUS, also J AB/CD JUS]

Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever [J KIN]

Muth, Jon. Zen Shorts [JP MUT, also JP KIT MUT]

Obreht, Téa. The Tiger's Wife [F OBR, also AB/CD OBR]]

Selznick, Brian. The Invention of Hugo Cabret [J SEL]

Shopping locally is something you should consider supporting throughout the year. Money spent in town will probably stay in town. It just makes sense.

Creativity

2011-11-28T09:00:00.001-05:00

Sure you can get a job done within time constraints, but is it the best job you can do?

Something to think about. Read about New Hampshire's MacDowell Colony in Community of Creativity: A Century of MacDowell Colony Artists [709.73 COM]. The MacDowell Colony continues to afford creative people the time and the space in which to work. It's a place we should all be proud to claim as uniquely New Hampshire.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T09:00:00.003-05:00

One of the things I'm most looking forward to this Thanksgiving is the opening of the new Muppet movie titled The Muppets.

If you're a Facebook fanatic, make sure you check out The Muppets page. There are already over a million "likes."

And once you're in a Muppet mood, visit the library to borrow one of our many Muppet movies such as The Muppet Christmas Carol [J DVD MUP].

This is the last post for this week. The Library is closing at noon today and will be closed tomorrow and Friday. We will be open regular hours on Saturday and Sunday. Have a great Thanksgiving!

Just In Time For the Holidays

2011-11-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

A new movie is being released which promises to be the just the kind of feel-good entertainment people look for at this time of year, We Bought a Zoo.

We have the book upon which the film was based, also titled We Bought a Zoo. It's by Benjamin Mee and it's in the biography section [B MEE]. We also have it in audio [AB/CD B MEE]. Now's the time to borrow a copy, it's due out in the theaters on December 23.

The Moon

2011-11-21T09:00:00.002-05:00

I've heard that the moon is made of green cheese, but from the looks of this new map released by NASA, I'd say the moon is made of rainbow sherbet. Who knew?

A New Map of the Moon

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter science team released the highest resolution near-global topographic map of the moon ever created. This new topographic map shows the surface shape and features over nearly the entire moon with a pixel scale close to 328 feet.

Although the moon is Earth's closest neighbor, knowledge of its morphology is still limited. Due to the limitations of previous missions, a global map of the moon’s topography at high resolution has not existed until now. With LRO's Wide Angle Camera and the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter instrument, scientists can now accurately portray the shape of the entire moon at high resolution.

Here are some moon books to occupy you and your kids during the daylight hours:

Asch, Frank. Happy Birthday, Moon. [JP ASC] When a bear discovers that the Moon shares his birthday, he buys the Moon a beautiful hat as a present.

Cazet, Denys. Minnie and Moo Go to the Moon. [E CAZ] Two cow friends, Minnie and Moo, decide to drive the farmer's tractor all the way to the moon.

Goldburg, Myra. Catching the Moon. [JP GOL] Using a mouse as bait instead of a worm, an old woman fishes all night long, confusing the fishermen as well as the Man in the Moon.

McCarty, Peter. Moon Plane. [JP MCC] A young boy looks at a plane in the sky and imagines flying one all the way to the moon.

Schaefer, Carole Lexa. Full Moon Barnyard Dance. [JP SCH] A beautiful night and a full moon inspire the barnyard animals to hold a dance by the pond, where the arrival of some clouds provides them with an unexpected experience.

Image and caption courtesy NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/DLR/ASU

Poetry Friday--"Luxury"

2011-11-18T00:01:00.002-05:00

We have a number of May Sarton's books in our collection. Sarton, although born in Europe, was a New Englander. She can also be counted as a New Hampshire resident since we lived, for a time, in Nelson.

Here's a right-on-the-money cat poem from Coming into Eighty: Poems [811 SAR]:

Luxury

My cat, Pierrot
The eloquence
Of his sleep!
Tucked under
The ample breast
His paws
Are two velvet pillows
His thick-furred boots
Stretch out
In luscious abandon,
His colors are blue-gray
And silvery white.
His purrs lightly
Embroider the air.

No emerald,
No mink muff,
No ermine vest
Could provide
The luxury
Of this cat's sleep.
How rich I am!

Head over to Tabatha Yeatts: The Opposite of Indifference for the Poetry Friday Round-Up.

Countdown to Thanksgiving

2011-11-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's just one week away! How did that happen? I wish I knew.

It's not too late, though, to find some new dishes to help you celebrate Turkey Day. Come on down to the library and borrow one of our cookbooks. I'm sure you'll be able to find recipes that are a change of pace from the same old same old.

Tired of green bean casserole? Try cooking with fresh veggies, without the canned soup and canned onions. There are plenty of recipes in Farmer John's Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables by John Peterson [641.651 PET].

Tired of mashed potatoes? Potatoes: Simple and Delicious Easy-to-Make Recipes might be what you're looking for
Susanna Tee [641.6521 TEE].

Tired of pumpkin pie? About a cookie buffet? We've got a gazillion cookie cookbooks for you to browse through. You can start with A Year of Cookies by Lorraine Bodger [641.8654 BOD]. Cookies aren't special enough? How about a whoopie pie? Whoopie Pies by Sarah Billingsley [641.8654 BIL] has a pumpkin whoopie pie with cream cheese filling!

I'm not going to suggest messing with the turkey, though, there are some things that are sacred! And, if you're tired of feeling like you've swallowed lead weights, you can lighten up your holiday cooking with Fat-Free Holiday Recipes by Sandra Woodruff [641.568 WOO]. Also by Woodruff is Secrets of Fat-Free Baking [641.815 WOO].

There's still time to get planning--but you've got to start now!

Turkey Time

2011-11-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

I'm looking forward to watching the PBS program scheduled for tonight at 8:00, "My Life as a Turkey."

There seems to be an abundance of turkeys in the neighborhood this year. I had one saunter through my backyard and I'm in a heavy traffic area. I've been fascinated by the story of wild turkeys and their reintroduction into New England.

There's lots of turkey info available from NH Fish and Game, click here.

We have several books on turkeys including Turkeys by Julie Murray [636.952 MUR]. And of course, we have lots of Thanksgiving turkey stories! 'Tis the season.

Movie Favorites

2011-11-15T09:00:00.001-05:00

Did you notice the full moon last week. It was bright and strikingly beautiful, and the minute I saw it I thought, That's Cosmos' moon!

For those of you who are now scratching your heads, Cosmos' moon plays an important part in one of my favorite movies, Moonstruck starring Cher [DVD MOO]. An all-round fun and funny film.

Now that I've started mentioning favorite movies, I might as well mention a few more. Ranking at the top of best holiday movies is Love, Actually [DVD LOV], which stars two of my favorite British actors, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. A great feel-good movie.

Also in the feel-good category is Enchanted April [DVD ENC]. Believe it or not, the setting is the real star of the film--Portofino, Italy. This movie is my number one all-time favorite.

If, after watching Enchanted April, you find yourself looking for more of the same, don't miss A Room with a View [DVD ROO].

The Commitments [DVD COM] is also a favorite. It can't be called a musical, but it is full of music. Here, too, the setting, Dublin, plays an important role in the story. As does Bloomington, Indiana in the bicycle racing movie, Breaking Away [DVD BRE]. In both of these films the ending is satisfying though not exactly what you may have hoped for.

As you can tell, I have lots of favorite movies, so I'll stop here for now. What's your favorite movie?

Picture Book Month

2011-11-14T09:00:00.001-05:00

November is "Picture Book Month" as we are told on the site, Picture Book Month: A Celebration! Five children's writers and illustrators have begun the celebration, and what a party it is, and continues to be for two more weeks!

Please take the time to read some of the posts--you'll be surprised at how valuable picture books still are in these days of interactive media and ereaders. There's nothing like snuggling up with a child on your lap, poring over illustrations, and sharing a great story!

Speaking of picture books, we just received part of the 2011 crop of holiday picture books including Little Bunny and the Magic Christmas Tree by David Martin [JP MAR], A Christmas Tree for Pyn by Olivier Dunrea [JP DUN], and Elmer's Christmas by David McKee [JP MCK].

Poetry Friday--"The Death of a Soldier"

2011-11-11T00:01:00.005-05:00

I've already written about the "Poetry for Young People" series of books in our children's room. We are now up to 21 titles!

For Veterans' Day, from the volume Wallace Stevens (with watercolor illustrations by Robert Gantt Steele) [J 811.52 STE], comes this poem:

The Death of a Soldier

Life contracts and death is expected,
As in a season of autumn.
The soldier falls.

He does not become a three-days’ personage,
Imposing his separation,
Calling for pomp.

Death is absolute and without memorial,
As in a season of autumn,
When the wind stops.

When the wind stops and, over the heavens,
The clouds go, nevertheless,
In their direction.

The autumn references make this a doubly appropriate poem for today. The editor of the volume, John N. Serio, explains how Stevens was inspired by a book of letters written by a French soldier. The soldier wrote to his mother that 'The death of a soldier is almost a natural thing.' Serio tells the young reader, "Stevens used the season of autumn, when we expect leave to fall, to communicate this feeling."

If you haven't already done so, I urge you to visit Teaching Authors for this week's Poetry Friday Round-Up.

Social Media

2011-11-10T09:00:00.001-05:00

I attended an interesting workshop at a recent library conference. It was on social media--you know, blogs, Facebook, YouTube, Linked In, etc.--and legal issues. This short video was shown as an introduction to the workshop, and it drove home the point that social media is conquering the world. I thought you might like to watch it, too.

I thought it might also be fun to compare today's social media revolution with the revolution brought on by the development of the the telegraph and Morse Code in the mid-19th century. Here is one title to delve into: Lightning Man: The Accursed Life of Samuel F.B. Morse by Kenneth Silverman [B MOR]. Richard Brookhiser, a reviewer from the New York Times described the changes wrought by Samuel Morse.

Before the telegraph, as Silverman points out, communication was a function of transportation. Messages traveled only as fast as ships, horses or trains could carry the bearers. After the telegraph, communication seemed magical, virtually instantaneous (hence the "lightning" of the title). What did people make of the change? Morse, and many of his peers, believed in what Silverman calls an "ideology of redemption through communication." They thought men and nations would be brought closer together, and war would cease--this despite the fact that the telegraph quickly became a tool of war reporting, and war making.

Brookhiser's last point is clearly taken up in Mr. Lincoln's T-Mails: The Untold Story of How Abraham Lincoln Used the Telegraph to Win the Civil War by Tom Wheeler [973.7092 WHE]. What would Mr. Morse have thought of the instantaneous communication that takes place today? Back then instantaneous was simply figurative.

Time Management

2011-11-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I mentioned meditating for a moment of time. Sometimes, though, people will tell you that they don't even have a moment to spare. These people are the perfect audience for books on time management. I would direct them to one of these:

Davidson, Jeffrey P. The 60-Second Organizer. [640.43 DAV]

Morgenstern, Julie. Time Management from the Inside Out: The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule--And Your Life. [650.1 MOR]

Rulnick, Mary Jo. The Frantic Woman's Guide to Life: A Year's Worth of Hints, Tips, and Tricks. [640 RUL]

Stack, Laura. Leave the Office Earlier: The Productivity Pro Shows You How to Do More In Less Time--And Feel Great About It. [650.11 STA]

A newly published book is Buddha Standard Time: Awakening to the Infinite Possibilities of Now by Surya Das [294.3444 SUR]. It sounds fairly interesting and is a twist on the traditional methods of managing time.

Provides an introduction to Buddha Standard Time, a concept that allows for the existence of a fourth dimension of timelessness, and provides tools and techniques for accessing Buddha Standard Time to relieve stress and find focus and creativity.

Meditation

2011-11-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

I am one of those people who can't shut off thoughts, and thus, has found it a complete waste of time to consider meditation! However, that was before I found the following video. The time involved in meditating for a moment is completely do-able.

If you make it through a minute, or a moment, and want to embark on a more focused meditation program, come to the library where our materials on meditation are found in many formats:

Chödrön, Pema. How to Meditate [A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind]. [AB/CD 158.12 CHO]

Mindfulness & Meditation. [DVD 294.3 MIN]

Rosenthal, Norman E. Transcendence: Healing and Transformation through Transcendental Meditation. [158.125 ROS]

Simpkins, C. Alexander. Living Meditation: From to Principle to Practice. [291.4 SIM]

There's plenty more, just check our catalog using "meditation" in a subject search.

Happy Anniversary!

2011-11-07T09:00:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was the 5th year anniversary of Kurious Kitty's Kurio Kabinet! (That makes today's the one thousand, two hundred fifty-sixth post!)

Well, let's party! Hmmm...that means party planning books. We've got 'em in the 793.2 section. Lots!

Now what kind of party should we have? I know! A storybook party! Where's that copy of Storybook Parties: 45 Parties Based on Children's Favorite Stories by Penny Warner [793.21 WAR]? I'm thinking Pippi Longstocking [J LIN]--with everyone in wild-woman braids!

Poetry Friday--"Every Morning"

2011-11-04T00:01:00.005-04:00

Horses Made a Landscape More Beautiful: Poetry by Alice Walker [811 WAL] is a slender volume that can get lost on our shelves. Take the time, though, to look for it. When you do, flip through to page 16, where you'll find a fun little poem that is bound to resonate with you if you're over the age of 40:

Every Morning

Every morning I exercise
my body.
It complains
"Why are you doing this to me?"
I give it a plié
in response.
I heave my legs
off the floor
and feel my stomach muscles
rebel:
they are mutinous
there are rumblings
of dissent.

I have other things
to show,
but mostly, my body.
"Don't you see that person
staring at you?" I ask my breasts,
which are still capable
of staring back.
"If I didn't exercise
you couldn't look up
that far.
Your life would be nothing
but shoes."
"Let us at least say we're doing it
for ourselves";
my fingers are eloquent;
they never sweat.

Laura Salas is the hostess for today's Poetry Friday Round-Up. Run right over! Yes, run! You can do it--you're doing it for yourself!

Photo-Illustrated Picture Books

2011-11-03T09:00:00.001-04:00

Sometimes a photo-illustrated picture book story can be a lot of fun for a child, especially since it leaves the child thinking that real things can come to life. There are a few classics in this genre such as The Lonely Doll by Dare Wright published in 1957 [JP WRI].

Now comes My Milk Toof: The Adventures of ickle and Lardee (on order) by Lee Inhae. ickle and Lardee are baby teeth that have fallen out of a child's mouth and gone on to have a series of adventures. You can read the latest adventure, "Home Security," on the My Milk Toof blog.

The book trailer for My Milk Toof shows the complexity involved in the creation of an ickle and Lardee adventure:

Percussion

2011-11-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

Wasn't that fun? If you'd like to learn about percussion music, we can get you started with these items from our music collection:

Blue Man Group. Audio. [CD ROCK BLU]

Dworsky, Alan L. Slap Happy: How to Play World-Beat Rhythms With Just Your Body and a Buddy. [786.8 DWO]

Hart, Mickey. Planet Drum: A Celebration of Percussion and Rhythm. [786.9 HAR]

O'Brien, Eileen. Learn to Play Drums. [J 786.9 OBR]

Building a House of Spit

2011-11-01T09:00:00.001-04:00

I hope you find the clip below as fascinating as I do. You can catch the complete "The Animal House" episode tomorrow at 8 pm on channel 2 or Thursday at 9 pm on channel 11.

Watch A Crystal Chalice on PBS. See more from Nature.

To learn more about nests, come to the library to borrow Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds by Paul J. Baicich [598.156 BAI].

Remembering Florence Parry Heide

2011-10-31T09:00:00.001-04:00

Florence Parry Heide passed away last week at the age of 92. She was a prolific writer of books for children and will be remembered fondly by those who grew up up with The Shrinking of Treehorn, a wry book with illustrations by Edward Gorey (sadly, we no longer own a copy).

Perhaps the best way to remember Florence Parry Heide is to come to the library and read her books. Today, Halloween, is the perfect day for the poems in Grim and Ghastly Goings-On [J 811 HEI].

The House of Wisdom [J HEI], with illustrations by Mary Grandpre, is a beautiful book based upon a true story. It is a celebration of a time and place where a library was known as "The House of Wisdom."

The Day of Ahmed's Secret, co-written with her daughter Judith Heide Gilliland [JP HEI], will warm your heart with its big "reveal." Your funny-bone will be tickled by A Promise Is a Promise [JP HEI], and you'll learn that you're not alone in your fears through Some Things Are Scary [JP HEI].

A big thank you to Mrs. Heide for these great books that she has left for us to enjoy for years to come.

Poetry Friday--"Grotesque"

2011-10-28T00:01:00.002-04:00

Just in time for Halloween, here's a rather creepy poem about flowers!

Grotesque
by Amy Lowell

Why do the lilies goggle their tongues at me
When I pluck them;
And writhe, and twist,
And strangle themselves against my fingers,
So that I can hardly weave the garland
For your hair?
Why do they shriek your name
And spit at me
When I would cluster them?
Must I kill them
To make them lie still,
And send you a wreath of lolling corpses
To turn putrid and soft
On your forehead
While you dance?

from Amy Lowell: Selected Poems [821 LOW]

The Poetry Friday Round-Up is being hosted by my alter-ego at Random Noodling.

Photo by Auntie P.

The Debate Rages On

2011-10-27T06:43:00.002-04:00

There has been almost endless debate about which is better--a physical book or an e-reader?

For now, you can compare and contrast the two at the library. We have started to lend Kindle e-readers. They come preloaded with a variety of popular fiction titles such as Sixkill by Robert B. Parker and Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks. The Kindles go out for two weeks, just like a regular book. So, if you're curious about all the fuss, borrow one of our Kindles, give it a test drive, and you, too, can weigh in on the debate!

By the way, a test performed in Germany and reported at Science Daily, showed that although readers perceptions differed, there were "no disadvantages to reading from electronic reading devices compared with reading printed texts." We have yet to hear from you though...

If you already own an e-reader and wish to learn about downloading e-books for free using your Nesmith Library card, please come to the next "Electronic Readers and Electronic Books: e-Readers and the Library" workshop being held on Thursday, November 17, at 6:30.

Brandwashed?

2011-10-26T09:00:00.000-04:00

Here's an interesting piece from NPR on what advertising, branding, and clever marketing techniques are doing to us, and more importantly, to our children.

After watching come to the library and borrow:

Consuming Kids the Commercialization of Childhood. [DVD 659.1071 CON]

Linn, Susan E. Consuming Kids: The Hostile Takeover of Childhood. [305.23 LIN]

Schor, Juliet. Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture. [305.23 SCH]

Warning--it is disturbing!

Monster a Day!

2011-10-25T09:00:00.010-04:00

A very talented illustrator of children's books is Kevan Atteberry (and he's quite stunning in looks*). Two of Kevan's books are particularly appropriate for this time of year. Frankie Stein and Frankie Stein Starts School, both written by Lola M. Schaefer, are found in our picture book section [JP SCH].

In recognition of this rather monstrous month, Kevan has started posting "October's Monster A Day" on his Facebook page. Click here to check out the month's offerings thus far.

*Here's Kevan's photo. Was I right? Quite stunning...

Food

2011-10-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

PBS Food is a new page on the the PBS website that deals with all things food including recipes, blogs, contests, etc. The site is colorful and appealing, in more ways than one--check out this photo of the black bean chili!

Hey, no drooling on the keyboard!

PBS was around way before the food channels on cable and set the standard for cooking shows with the late Julia Child and Joyce Chen. Over the years, those innovators were followed by many other food stars such as Jacques Pepin, Mary Ann Esposito, Paul Prudhomme, and Martin Yan.

We have some of Julia Child's shows on DVD, The French Chef with Julia Child and The French Chef 2 with Julia Child [both DVD 641.5944 FRE], as well as her cookbooks and memoirs. You'll also find books by some of the other cooks seen on PBS, including Lidia Bastianich's Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy [641.5945 BAS] and Steven Raichlen's Raichlen on Ribs, Ribs, Outrageous Ribs: 99 Top-Notch, Tasty, Truly Tempting Recipes Plus Slaws, Sauces, Baked Beans, and More [641.66 RAI].

Poetry Friday--Where Home Begins

2011-10-21T00:01:00.000-04:00

Wherever Home Begins: 100 Contemporary Poems [YA 811.54 WHE], selected by Paul Janeczko, is sadly out of print, but luckily for us, it still occupies a place on our shelves.

The jacket copy states, "The book is its most powerful if read as a sequence, a progression of interconnected views, many voices that swell into a chorus." That idea doesn't stop me, though, from separating out one title to share with you. No chorus today, just a strong, clear, solo voice.

On the Back Porch
by Dorianne Laux

The cat calls for her dinner.
On the porch I bend and pour
brown soy stars into her bowl,
stroke her dark fur.
It's not quite night.
Pinpricks of light in the eastern sky.
Above me my neighbor's roof, a transparent
moon, a pink rag of cloud.
Inside my house are those who love me.
My daughter dusts biscuit dough.
And there's a man who will life my hair
in his hands, brush it
until it throws sparks.
Everything is just as I've left it.
Dinner simmers on the stove.
Glass bowls wait to be filled
with gold broth. Sprigs of parsley
on the cutting board.
I want to smell this rich soup, the air
around me going dark, as stars press
their simple shapes into the sky.
I want to stay on the back porch
while the world tilts
toward sleep, until what I love
misses me, and calls me in.

Isn't that lovely? There are others in this collection that present images not quite as happy, yet still satisfying. I'll leave them for you to discover on your own.

Head over to Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup for some home cooking and the round-up for today.

Ned Kelly

2011-10-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

You may have heard of Ned Kelly--he's the Australian equivalent of our Jesse James legendary character. There's a lot of background information found on Wikipedia. And like Jesse James, books and film have told Kelly's story in many ways, including Peter Carey's novel True History of the Kelly Gang [F CAR].

In August of this year it was reported that the skeletal remains of Ned Kelly had been identified. They were found in a mass grave at Pentridge Prison in Victoria. The skeleton, however, is missing its skull! You can listen to an All Things Considered story on NPR.

Engraving courtesy State Library of Victoria.

Peanut Allergies

2011-10-19T09:00:00.001-04:00

Schools across America have declared their buildings "peanut-free" zones, or have separated those with known peanut allergies from their classmates during lunchtimes. Parents who took a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to school for their elementary years have trouble understanding the need for peanut-free alternatives for their kids.

A peanut allergy is not just an inconvenience, however, for those who who suffer from it. And it's no fun for a child to witness another child's anaphylaxis episode and a stabbing with an Epi-pen.

Hopeful news now comes from Northwestern University. But until the researchers replicate the results in human subjects, parents will have to deal with peanut-free restrictions.

Here are some materials to help. For kids there's Gloria Koster's The Peanut-Free Café. [JP KOS]

A new classmate with a peanut allergy has Simon reconsidering his love for peanut butter.

And for adults there's Michael C. Young's The Peanut Allergy Answer Book [616.97 YOU].

We also have a number of cookbooks that contain food allergen-free recipes in our 641.5631 section.

Parody

2011-10-18T09:00:00.004-04:00

Parody has a long history in the United States, and can be defined:

par·o·dy [par-uh-dee]
noun
1.
a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing: his hilarious parody of Hamlet's soliloquy.
2.
the genre of literary composition represented by such imitations.

Parodies of children's books are not as common as parodies of adult books, music, films, etc., but Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham [E SEU] has been the basis for many parodies.

Margaret Wise Brown's classic picture book, Goodnight Moon [JP BRO], is probably a close second. A new parody, Goodnight iPad by Ann Droyd (a.k.a. David Milgrim, author of the popular easy reader "Otto" series [E MIL]) is soon to be released. Here's the trailer:

National Book Award Finalists

2011-10-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

The the National Book Awards finalists were announced last week. Of the five fiction finalists, I have read two of the titles, The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht [F OBR] and The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka. Of the two, I liked The Buddha in the Attic better, but, I will have to say, it is the only novel I've ever read that has no plot and no main character! I'll try to read The Sojourn by Andrew Krivak before the winners are announced on November 16.

The other two fiction finalists are Edith Pearlman's Binocular Vision and Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward. I will try to order them and have them arrive before the winners are announced. If one of those two win, and I wait until after the announcement to order it, then it might take months before it arrives!

Poetry Friday--Weird? (Me, Too!) Let's Be Friends

2011-10-14T00:01:00.004-04:00

As a child did you feel a little weird--perhaps a bit out of sync with the rest of the kids in your world? Performance poet, Sara Holbrook, must have felt that way, too, because she wrote Weird? (Me, Too!) Let's Be Friends [J 811.54 HOL], a book of poems for kids.

In the "Introduction" she says,

When I read a poem about hopping popcorn or a lonely flagpole and think--Yeah...I can see that. I can identify--that is a good poem to me.

I hope that kids can identify, too--I know I can, especially with a poem like,

Walking on the Boundaries of Change

Day by day
a tightrope,
walking on the boundaries
of change.
One step--
firm, familiar.
The next step--
shaky, strange.

Some friends will dare danger,
mock or push each step.
Some friends
knock your confidence.

Real friends
form a net.

The poems are accompanied by commentary and poetry prompts encouraging kids to write their own--a nice idea.

From here head over to Fomograms for the Round-Up on this Poetry Friday.

The Boston Book Festival

2011-10-13T09:00:00.001-04:00

This Saturday is the 3rd. annual Boston Book Festival, which takes place around Copley Square. There is a outstanding lineup of authors and panels scheduled to appear. The BBF is free of charge for most events. How great is that?

Here's a list of only a few of the presenters and a representative title from our collection:

Julia Alvarez. Saving the World. [F ALV]

Alison Bechdel. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. [B BEC]

Holly Black. Ironside: A Modern Faery's Tale. [YA BLA]

Kenneth C. Davis. Don't Know Much About Mythology: Everything You Need to Know About the Greatest Stories In Human History But Never Learned. [201.3 DAV]

Vanessa Diffenbaugh. The Language of Flowers. [F DIF, also AB/CD DIF]

Andre Dubus III. Townie: A Memoir. [B DUB]

Ha Jin. Waiting. [F JIN]

Gregory Maguire. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. [F MAG]

Karen Russell. Swamplandia. [F RUS]

Mo Willems. Knuffle Bunny. [JP WIL]

Let's Dance!

2011-10-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

Carl and Ginger will be green with envy after watching this!

Never fear, Carl, we have this DVD: Ballroom Dancing for Beginners [DVD 793.33 BAL] and lots of CDs with dance music, including Putumayo Presents: Latino! Latino! [CD INTERNATIONAL PUT]. As for the doggy costume, you're on your own!

Come Out!

2011-10-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

Today is "National Coming Out Day"! If you, or someone you know, needs guidance in coming out, there is a resources page at Human Rights Campaign.

If you, or someone you know, has been experiencing bullying, or other expressions of hatred, then go to the It Gets Better Project webpage and see how others have been in similar situations and have found that life does get better. More than 400,000 people have pledged to support your right to be who you are. There are celebrities, Major League Baseball teams, and just plain folks who are out there to support you.

If you, or someone you know, thinks that it would be easier to cease living than to continue a life of adversity, please visit The Trevor Project site to make contact with people who care.

If you are a GLBT teen and would like to see your life reflected in the books you read, then check out I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell Do I Read? from Lee Wind for lists of recommended books.

We have many books on sexual identity and coming out, in our collection at the library. When I Knew, edited by Robert Trachtenberg [306.766 WHE], is just one.

A collection of anecdotes and short essays from more than eighty men and women on the precise moment they realized they were gay, illustrated with original art, pop culture images, and personal photos from contributors.

Have a fabulous day!

Columbus Day

2011-10-10T09:00:00.001-04:00

The Library is closed today for the Columbus Day holiday.

Columbus and his effect on the world continues to be discussed more than 500 years after he landed in the Americas. 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created by Charles C. Mann [909.4 MAN] was recently published and now resides on our shelves. Ian Morris's New York Times review in August tells us

"1493" picks up where Mann’s best seller, "1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus," left off. In 1491, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans were almost impassable barriers. America might as well have been on another planet from Europe and Asia. But Columbus’s arrival in the Caribbean the following year changed everything. Plants, animals, microbes and cultures began washing around the world, taking tomatoes to Massachusetts, corn to the Philippines and slaves, markets and malaria almost everywhere. It was one world, ready or not.

1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus [970.011 MAN], which came out in 2006, is also in our collection.

Poetry Friday--A Little Bitty Man

2011-10-07T00:01:00.004-04:00

A brand spankin' new book in our collection is A Little Bitty Man: And Other Poems for the Very Young by Haldan Rasmussen, translated from the Danish by Marilyn Nelson and Pamela Espeland, and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes [J 831 RAS]. It's a delightful collection of short, mostly humorous poems, but I wouldn't exactly say the poems are for the "very young." I interpret "very young" as toddlers to preschoolers. The poems in this collection, although simple, would probably be better appreciated by a slightly older audience, say kindergarten to second grade. (Your ~~mileage~~ opinion may vary.)

The poems, combined with the whimsical illustrations of Kevin Hawkes, make this book a treat!

Here's one of my favorites:

Those Fierce Grown-up Soldiers

Those fierce grown-up soldiers
who shoot guns and fight
should learn from us children
to fight a war right.
First, fight with toy guns.
Then, if your war won't end,
you tickle your enemy
into a friend.

The Poetry Friday Round-Up is taking place today at Great Kid Books.

Road Trip!

2011-10-06T09:00:00.001-04:00

It's that time of year when leaf-peeping abounds! Why not do something a little different this year--combine your foliage seeking with a hunt for New Hampshire's historical highway markers? The NH Division of Historical Resources has updated its page of markers here.

NHDHR, explains the program thusly:

New Hampshire’s historical highway markers illustrate the depth and complexity of our history and the people who made it, from the last Revolutionary War soldier to contemporary sports figures to poets and painters who used New Hampshire for inspiration; from 18th-century meeting houses to stone arch bridges to long-lost villages; from factories and cemeteries to sites where international history was made.

There is a map on the site, which also provides photos and GPS coordinates of each marker.

Say, you're heading up to the Lakes Region for some foliage. You can look at the list of markers arranged by town for Ossipee, or Tamworth, or whatever town you're headed to. Before you go, or after you return, check out our New Hampshire history section in 974.2 for more history than can be placed on a roadside marker! In our reference section we have many town histories, so if you're interested in Ossipee, you can find Ossipee, New Hampshire, 1785-1985: A History [R 974.2 OSS].

Enjoy a little NH beauty, learn a little history, and have a great roadtrip!

Photo by Gretchen Mayr.

150 Years--Part 3

2011-10-05T09:00:00.002-04:00

Like all the northern states, New Hampshire played a part in the Civil War (known 150 years ago as the War of the Rebellion). If the many regimental history volumes in our reference collection [R 973.7] are any indication, NH played a big role!

We have several books in our circulating collection that will give you an introduction to the participation of NH in the war including:

Cleveland, Mather. New Hampshire Fights the Civil War. [973.74 CLE]

Closs, Steven Robert. Willing Sacrifice: Granite State Valor during the American Civil War 1861-1865. [973.7442 CLO]

Heald, Bruce D. New Hampshire in the Civil War. [974.2 HEA]

Shaffer, Duane E. Men of Granite: New Hampshire's Soldiers in the Civil War. [973.7442 SHA]

If you'd like to do some intensive research into NH and the Civil War, schedule a trip to the NH State Archives, the NH Historical Society, or the NH State Library, all in Concord.

150 Years--Part 2

2011-10-04T09:00:00.001-04:00

Not to put too fine a point on it, but a lot of people died during the Civil War. The National Park Service has set up a website to honor those who died during the conflict, "Civil War Era National Cemeteries: Honoring Those Who Served." Its contain maps, photos, history, and essays on cemeteries dedicated to the Civil War dead.

There isn't a Civil War cemetery in New Hampshire, but there are several in Vermont and Maine, information about which can be found here.

1865 photo of the entrance to the Gettysburg National Cemetery courtesy Library of Congress.

Of course, the most famous of the Civil War cemeteries is in Gettysburg, PA. The dedication of the site was the occasion of Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address." Look for The Gettysburg Address [J 973.7 LIN] beautifully rendered in black and white scratchboard illustrations by Michael McCurdy.

Linda Oatman High's The Cemetery Keepers of Gettysburg [J 973.7 HIG] is the moving story of a young boy, Fred Thorn, a witness to the battle of Gettysburg.

150 Years

2011-10-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

This year is the 150th anniversary of America's Civil War.

The Civil War has long been a topic of great interest as can be seen by the extensive number of books, old and new, in our 973.7 section.

The Civil War film series by Ken Burns had viewers glued to their seats when it was first shown on PBS back in 1989, and today it still continues to be viewed in DVD format [DVD 973.7 BUR]. And, need I mention the almost unabated love for the Hollywood film, Gone With the Wind [DVD GON], which was originally released back in 1939.

A new book on our shelves was written specifically for the 150th anniversary. It's called The Civil War 150: An Essential To-Do List for the 150th Anniversary [917.304 CIV]. From the Foreward:

There is something about the human condition that makes us seek out the places we have read about, to touch the artifacts or enter the buildings associated with the history.

This book is about feeding that insatiable craving so many of us have to experience the Civil War. In these pages, we describe 150 things the reader can see or do to learn more about the war that pitted brother against brother and family against family. We recommend the reader visit such famous battlefields as Gettysburg and Vicksburg, hold a Civil War Minie ball, attend a reenactment, maybe even take a bite of Civil War hardtack.

The book is a product of the Civil War Trust, a organization "devoted to the preservation of our nation's endangered Civil War battlefields."

Poetry Friday--"Then"

2011-09-30T00:01:00.001-04:00

We have a collection of poetry by women titled The Extraordinary Tide: New Poetry by American Women [811 EXT], the book was published back in 2001, so it can no longer be considered "new" poetry, however, some of its poems can be considered timeless. Here's one by Gail Mazur that falls into that category:

Then

We weren't waiting for anything to happen.
We lived by a lake, no tides to nag us,
no relentless conventions of flow

and ebb. No frantic hermit crabs
dragging sideways in their stolen shells,
nor the drained tidal pools they fled--

Only the soft green surround of pine
and beech, the mackerel clouds, the meek
canoes. We felt enclosed. Safe.

The future looked fictional then,
though I never doubted a lucky life
could break, that rapture and grief

could be handed to me in one hard package,
delivered, and left, however I labored,
whether I rested, or ranted and zigzagged

from morning to evening. I worked
with my back to our life. Moonflowers
bloomed in the nightyard: white,

dazzling, sufficient to the night.

Lovely. Lovely. Lovely.

From here head over to Read Write Believe where Sara is hosting the Poetry Friday Round-Up.

Photo by Mark Kempe.

Marbles

2011-09-29T09:00:00.001-04:00

I was browsing through a copy of one of our magazines, Treasures: Antique to Modern Collecting [MAG TRE], when I came across a notice of the Northeast Marble Meet. The Meet will be held this weekend in Marlborough, MA.

Rare Egyptian marbles dated 2,300 years old by the Smithsonian will be on display and it will be an opportunity to discover new treasures and knowledge for both the advanced and novice collector alike.

I don't know about you, but I find the prospect fascinating! It may be a result of my youth when my brother and I had a small collection of marbles--some of which I believe were from my father's childhood. Nowadays, with electronic gadgetry, kids don't often play with, or collect marbles. It's too bad...

But, if your child develops an interest, maybe after a trip to the Northeast Marble Meet, we have several books on marbles. Marbles by Elizabeth Dana Jaffe [J 796.2 JAF] and Marble Madness by Amanda O'Neill [J 796.2 ONE] are two.

Besides the obvious fun of marble games, using marbles in problem-solving activities for children is a feature of the Smithsonian's Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. Read about it here.

One of the Wonders of the Internet

2011-09-28T09:00:00.001-04:00

One of the wonders of the internet is the access to maps. It eliminates a glove compartment full of maps that are impossible to unfold, read, and refold while riding in a car. Sites that are suited to simple driving directions are Mapquest, Rand McNally, and Yahoo, while Google Earth has some real "gee whiz" features. (For some, there are also questions of Google's privacy invasions to consider, but, that's a topic for another time.)

On the internet I've found specific maps for projects I was working on, such as a map of World War II prisoner of war camps in Europe, or a world map of various diseases. You can find a map of just about anything worthy of being mapped!

New Hampshire's Fish and Game department has a page of maps that includes topographic maps of NH, as well as maps useful for hunters and fisher-folk. Other NH sites have maps of snowmobile, bike, and hiking trails.

For those who like the tactile properties, or the beauty of a map, we still have many map books here at the library from New Hampshire Fishing Maps by Charlton J. Swasey and Donald A. Wilson [912.742 SWA] to the Atlas of Ancient Egypt by Delia Pemberton [932.01 PEM].

Map courtesy NH Fish and Game.

Birdhouses

2011-09-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

This is certainly not a time for birds to nest, but it is a time to start thinking about fall and winter activities such as birdhouse building.

I recently came across a site called Extreme Birdhouses. Take a look at some of the multi-room houses and dream...

If you're not proficient in woodworking, or are not willing to undertake an extreme project, we have plenty of books here at the library that will demonstrate how to make birdhouses--for those with minimal skills on up. Here's a small sampling:

Haus, Robyn. Make Your Own Birdhouses & Feeders. [J 690 HAU]

Jenkins, Alison. Birdhouses: From Castles to Cottages--20 Simple Homes and Feeders to Make in a Weekend. [690.692 JEN]

Laubach, René. The Backyard Birdhouse Book: Building Nestboxes and Creating Natural Habitats. [690.892 LAU]

McGhee, Colin. Rustic Birdhouses and Feeders: Unique Thatched-Roof Designs Built to Audubon Specifications. [690.892 MCG]

Schwarz, Renee. Birdhouses ("Kids Can Do It" series). [J 690.89 SCH]

Photo by Extreme Birdhouses.

Banned Books Week

2011-09-26T09:00:00.000-04:00

This week is officially designated by the American Library Association and American Booksellers Association, along with several other groups, as Banned Books Week. Fortunately, not many books are banned in the U.S., although many are challenged. The challenges come for many reasons, most related to the item in question being inappropriate for a child or teen audience, and most of the challenges come from parents.

You may be surprised at some of the titles on the 2010 Frequently Challenged Books list:

1. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson [JP RIC].
2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie [YA ALE].
3. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley [F HUX].
4. Crank by Ellen Hopkins [YA HOP].
5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins [YA COL].
6. Lush by Natasha Friend [YA FRI].
7. What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones [YA SON].
8. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich [305.569 EHR].
9. Revolutionary Voices: A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology edited by Amy Sonnie [on order].
10. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer [YA MEY]

We have a display of these and other challenged books from 2001 to 2010. Stop by for a look.

Image courtesy ALA.

Poetry Friday--Muriel Rukeyser

2011-09-23T00:01:00.002-04:00

We recently added a volume to our "American Poets Project" collection published by The Library of America, Muriel Rukeyser: Selected Poems (Adrienne Rich, editor) [811.52 RUK]. It contains poems from books published 1935 through 1976.

This one particularly appealed to me since I'm keenly aware of the struggle women artists had in being accepted right up through the 20th century.

Painters

In the cave with a long-ago flare
a woman stands, her arms up. Red twig, black twig, brown twig.
A wall of leaping darkness over her.
The men are out hunting in the early light
But here in this flicker, one or two men, painting
and a woman among them.
Great living animals grow on the stone walls,
their pelts, their eyes, their sex, their hearts,
and the cave-painters touch them with life, red, brown, black,
a woman among them, painting.

This week's Poetry Friday Round-Up is being held at Picture Book of the Day.

[Note: Above I had written about "the struggle women artists had in being accepted right up through the 20th century." Coincidentally, I came across an ArtInfo blog posting late last night which leads me to believe that I should have said "right into the 21st century." Read the post here.]

Photo by Gruban.

What the Fluff?

2011-09-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

There are festivals for nearly every type of food from apples to zucchini, but, I'm sorry to say I missed learning about the What the Fluff? festival its first five years! The festival celebrates Marshmallow Fluff, and the city in which it originated, Somerville, MA.

The festival is taking place this Saturday, September 24. It's only a short 45 minute's drive to Somerville, and who can resist a Marshmallow Fluff celebration?

There's going to be a 70s theme, so don your, or your mother's, old Annie Hall [DVD ANN] outfits before heading out.

There will be a Fluff Cooking Contest at the festival, and there are five award categories! We have at least one book in our cookbook collection that includes a Marshmallow Fluff recipe: The Back of the Box Gourmet by Michael McLaughlin [641.5 MCL].

Let me take this opportunity to remind parents NOT to let their children handle library materials during, or immediately after, consuming a peanut butter, jelly, and Fluff sandwich. Believe it or not, I've been on the desk when a DVD was returned covered in the remnants of such a sandwich! Not a pretty sight!

Image courtesy I am fluff.