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SEPTEMBER 1, 2010
Earl, Earl go away...
According to the National Weather Service, Hurricane Earl should miss us. This is not to say we will not get bad weather and residual effect, but at least we should not get walloped with a full fledged hurricane. Personally, I am very happy about this. As you read this, there are portions of my house for which all the siding is gone and one can stand in the room and peek out at the world. The plan is that this will NOT be the case by Friday when the weather should hit, but any degree of less wind, rain etc. I am definitely believing is a good thing. As storms go, I generally don’t mind hurricanes. I figure they are better than other things: tornados, tidal waves, etc. But hurricanes have not been particularly kind to me. Remember Doria? Probably not, but I had a friend with a pet rabbit, the rabbit decided that very day was a good day to escape. Ever chase a rabbit in a hurricane? It was interesting. I remember singing G-L-O-R-I-A as Gloria knocked out our power for a week. That was no fun. I was working in a small private school library during Floyd. It was my first week on the job and my first week working in a school. We had all arrived that morning though the school was on the coast and in direct line of being hit. As the morning wore on, the weather was getting increasingly worse. Everyone was in a twitter – will they send us home? Will we be stuck? Will it really hit US? It was taking a lot of effort to keep students calm while the administration figured out what to do. Around 10, I heard a collective gasp from the teenagers in the next room. Although this was my first experience working with this age, I knew gasp then quiet could not be good. I walked into the room to see a glass door blown in. Rain, wind, and debris were blowing into the library. Welcome to the job. Of course, all maintenance and admin were in a meeting assessing the weather, so left on my own I begged the Science department to help be block the window and helped myself to a vacuum to clean up the glass. I roped off the area, then got everyone calm. It was shortly after that we got word we’d close at noon. Chaos broke out again – how would students get home? What if parents could not be reached? What if the storm was already too bad? We calmed everyone, yet again and I wondered, why me my first week on this job? I looked at the clock. 11:15. I could do this! Just 45 minutes. Less, really. The storm grew worse, the rain coming down in torrents. I, too, wondered how I’d get home. Then, at 11:47…. The fire alarm began. We all looked at each other in stunned silence. No way. But this had to be real…it was the edge of a hurricane outside. No one would do a drill in that weather. Maybe an electrical problem? We paused. The alarm kept going and all 500 plus students and staff trudged out into Floyd to see the fire trucks come up the drive. We found out later, that in fact there had been no fire. But a kindergartner learned some very valuable lessons from the fireman. We hope you stay dry during Earl and you can always come check out something to keep you distracted at the Library!
----------------------------------------------------------------- AUGUST 30, 2010
Where have you been?
Believe it or not, that's a question I ask myself frequently. I've worked in Saxton B. over twenty-five years and have seen lots of people come and go. I have formed relationships, even if only over the circ desk with many of you, our patrons. So when I don't see one of you for a long time I can't help but wonder where are you. Where is the man, a Reverend from out of town, who would come in each week and borrow lots of foreign film He often was my eyes to what to recommend to others. Haven't seen him in months. Did he move? Then there was a family of home schoolers, four in all, who would borrow lots of materials from us and interlibrary loan things needed for their studies. Where'd they go? Are they borrowing from another library? There was a woman who would be here at least once a week and would borrow lots of mysteries. Hard to keep up with her reading demands. She was out of work. Did she get a job and now has no time to read? And what about the countless of you who used our computers on a regular basis to send resumes, and conduct the business of job searching. I like to think you've found new positions and have your own computers now. Some of you come in over the summer while long-term vacationing at the lake. Come fall, you disappear. Some of you have moved away, some letting us know, others seemingly leaving without a trace. Sadly, some of our regular patrons have passed away. Yes, I notice your comings and goings and I care. Some of you return after a brief hiatus and I'm always glad to see you back. Others have fallen off the face of the earth. Are you buying your own books now? If you're still around we hope you'll stop by Saxton B. Each and everyone of you who walk through our doors is special to me. When you don't come in, I miss you. So where have you been?
----------------------------------------------------------------- AUGUST 27, 2010
Blogging about a book about a book....
Lane Smith’s latest picture book, titled It’s a Book, arrived in the mail today.
 In it, a tech-savvy donkey works on his laptop while asking his gorilla friend a bunch of annoying questions about the book he is reading – “Can you blog with it? How do you scroll down? Can it tweet?” When the donkey starts reading the book he becomes completely engrossed, but promises the gorilla, "I'll charge it up when I'm done!" To which the mouse (hidden under the gorilla’s hat) delivers the final punch line… “It’s a book, jackass.”  I am a fan of Lane Smith and I like this book - I think it’s a clever commentary on what’s happening to books in our digital age. But, even before it arrived at our library it was generating a lot of talk - especially among fellow librarians, who don’t know where to put it. I mean, it IS a picture book, written and illustrated by a children’s author, and advertised for readers ages 4 – 8. But, many librarians are reluctant to shelve it with all the other picture books in their collections. Some seem worried about the last page of the book, where the mouse calls the jackass a ‘jackass.’ Others just think the humor is geared to adults. As I’ve been following the debate among my fellow librarians, I’ve been trying to decide myself where to put it. The punch line doesn’t bother me (in fact check out Lane Smith’s blog post about jackasses in children’s lit). But, I do think the joke is going to be lost on young kids. My guess is that many kids, even the computer savvy ones, don’t know what tweeting, blogging, or wifi is, and the whole thing is going to go right over their heads. Well, as we were chatting about this in our office, our cataloger offered to ‘test’ out the book on her granddaughter. Her granddaughter read it, and laughed. She thought it was funny - even though she didn’t know what ‘tweets’ and blogs were. When our cataloger asked her what she thought about the last line and pointed at the donkey, her granddaughter said she thought that the donkey was a rabbit! I guess it goes to show how hard it is to predict what kids are thinking. Come check out the book yourself and let me know what you think!
----------------------------------------------------------------- AUGUST 25, 2010
It's That Time Again!
The end of August, the beginning of September can only mean one thing: school is starting. It’s a good time to restock those office supplies, remind people to drive carefully and review the role of public libraries.The public library is a place where people of all ages can come to find reliable information, reading material for relaxation, use a computer and more. It is a place that should be comfortable and safe for all people and allow everyone to be productive. To this end, all public libraries have a set of policies and rules to ensure these goals. Our library is no different. The start of school is always a good time to refresh people’s memories about these things. It seems to fit in with the notion of syllabi and new years. The Saxton B. Little Free Library asks patrons of every age to follow our Code of Conduct, which is available in the Library. In sum, it asks people to behave in a quiet and appropriate manner for public work places. For example, we ask for the use of indoor voices, no use of cell phones, no rowdiness, etc. We do this so that people may work, read and use the library. We also ask that no food be brought to the library and that drink be only in a lidded container. This is to prevent spillage and costly damage and to keep at bay those pesky little creatures that are always trying to find indoor homes (like mice!). Unfortunately, our Library does not have the staff or facilities to provide an after school program. This does not mean that youth shouldn’t come to the library! Only that parents and guardians should remember that the library cannot be responsible for their children. This is for the wellbeing of all. Since we consider safety a most important issue, we ask that parents be familiar with our unattended children policy. We are grateful to our patrons who work with us and support these policies. Here’s to another productive and safe school year!
----------------------------------------------------------------- AUGUST 21, 2010
Meet the Author ~ Glen Maynard
On Tuesday, August 24th at 6:45, Glen Maynard, author of Strapped Into an American Dream will be at Saxton B. for a talk and book signing. This event is part of The Connecticut Author Trail.
To see other CAT events visit http://sites.google.com/site/ctauthortrail2010/HOME.   Please welcome Glen Maynard as he talks about his book, the writing life, and shares some special insights about the writing process. "Strapped Into An American Dream" details my one year journey through America's 48 states in an RV. The longer journey was the road to publication. It eventually became a race against time to realize another dream...having my parents read about my journey in pages of a hard covered book. Sure they read my 20 newspaper articles in local papers along the way, but the finer details were missing. This trip would not be complete until my story was published. Rejection after rejection led me to signing with an agent in CO, where my wife and I had moved in 1993. This agent held my book for two years, and I ultimately had to take my book back following my divorce. I was told that HarperCollins had cut my book out of their quarterly line at the last minute, and so my search continued. The agent was not pleased that I took the book back, but my divorce meant I had to tweak the book. I moved back to CT and my book had to be retyped in it's entirety onto a computer, since technology moved ahead of my Word Processor. Now with my manuscript on a computer, I blasted query letters to agents, no longer having to do so through the US mail. I emailed query after query while the cows started to come home, but I persisted. I put too much into this manuscript to just let it go. I promised myself that I would not quit until my story gets published, and a new decade greeted me. Query letters only led to rejection, and a couple more agents that could not sell my book. They could only sell me on sending them a few hundred dollars to satisfy their fee. My father began with his health problems, and one day I walked to my mailbox to find my SASE with my manuscript greeting me upon pulling the door down. My heart again sank to my stomach. The agency that sounded so hopeful, having asked to see my manuscript, rejected it after several months. Each step of the way was an eternity. I stared at the returned manuscript, thought about my father's failing health, and believed that he would never be able to see me realize my dream. I gave it a solid week before I restarted the process. Having no bites as the years passed, my frustration increased while my father's health declined. He had slowed considerably into his 80's. They did a stress test on him for a knee replacement operation. They said his heart couldn't take an operation, and he needed open heart surgery. While in the hospital, he lost a lot of blood due to their negligence, and he had a stroke. This was when I came to the realization that my father would never see my book. My mother told him who was here, but he didn't quite understand, and he couldn't speak. He recovered slowly, but there was a difference. The important thing was that he was still among us. I still had a chance. I finally had an agent respond that he couldn't help me, but knew of a small publisher who might be able to. I queried them, and we went back and forth until my book proposal turned into a publishing contract. That was wonderful news, but books can take up to a year before they come out, and I wasn't sure I had a year. The process did take forever, but I'll never forget my satisfaction in seeing my father sitting in his recliner one day reading my book. I didn't think the moment would ever come to fruition, but I felt like I had just won the race. There is a second book completed, which is a work of fiction, but I am only in the beginning stages of finding an agent. There is no race like there was with the first book. My father has slowed, but is doing well for 85 years old.
----------------------------------------------------------------- AUGUST 20, 2010
Speaking of dystopian fiction…
I recently finished reading Gary Shteyngart’s latest novel Super Sad True Love Story. Here’s a shortened version of the description from the book jacket: “In a very near future, a functionally illiterate America is about to collapse. But don’t tell that to poor Lenny Abramov, the middle aged son of an angry Russian immigrant janitor, proud author of what may well be the world’s last diary. Despite his job at an outfit called Post-Human Services, which attempts to provide immortality for its super-rich clientele, death is clearly stalking this cholesterol-rich morsel of a man. Lenny’s from a different century—he totally loves books (or “printed, bound media artifacts,” as they’re now known), even though most of his peers find them smelly and annoying. But even more than books, Lenny loves Eunice Park, an impossibly cute and impossibly cruel twenty-four-year-old Korean American woman who just graduated from Elderbird College with a major in Images and a minor in Assertiveness. As the country is crushed by a credit crisis, riots break out in New York’s Central Park, the city’s streets are lined with National Guard tanks on every corner, the dollar is so over, and our patient Chinese creditors may just be ready to foreclose on the whole mess.” Basically as the city and the country fall apart around them, the mismatched Lenny and Eunice are left to figure out if their odd relationship can survive. I really liked this book, it was entertaining and thought provoking (I found myself thinking about Lenny, Eunice, and futuristic America as I went about my errands last weekend). But, as Su pointed out in her blog post last week, this type of fiction IS scary, because the dire future it depicts seems so possible. For instance, in Super Sad, everyone carries around these mini cell phone/computers called äppärät that stream news, messages, and advertisements, and they scan the people around you rating everything from their credit scores to their hotness. Plus, you can find out anything about anyone by way of their globalteen accounts. In short, the äppärät is basically an upgraded iPhone and globalteen is a bigger, less private facebook. People are materialistic and shallow, the US is financially failing and in debt to China, and companies are merging into all powerful corporations (ex: UnitedContinentalDeltaAmerican). In this not so distant future books are, and I quote from the jacket, “smelly and annoying,” and people only 'scan text' on their äppäräts. Sound familiar anyone? If this too-close-to-home futuristic description hasn’t scared you off yet, then I actually recommend Super Sad True Love Story. Despite the fact that some of it was super sad, it was often hilarious and is definitely an entertaining read. Check out the website for the book at: http://supersadtruelovestory.com/press/
----------------------------------------------------------------- AUGUST 18, 2010
Good to think about
Today is the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits each state and the federal government from denying any citizen the right to vote based on that citizen’s sex. In other words, ratified on August 18, 1920, this amendment gave women the right to vote.
In 1918, the legislation failed and it’s ultimate pass was neither easy nor won by great margin. I’m struck by this sometimes. I used to read dystopian fiction. I like it. It makes me think and when I started reading this genre, it made me hopeful. I could look at these alternate worlds and no matter how bad I felt about what I was seeing in “RL” (real life in geek speak), the stories were worse. You may note the past tense. “Used to read,” I don’t so much any more, because now it bothers me. This is difficult. Some of the best books I’ve read, bother me. Most recently, I read Suzanne Collin’s Hunger Games and Catching Fire. I am now among the many anxiously awaiting the third and final book of the trilogy. I think these books are fabulous! At the same time, they are two of the most frightening books I’ve ever read. These days I am thinking it’s good to be reminded of historical anniversaries, both good and bad. And while I still am bothered by dystopian fiction, I think its good to read, at least every now and then. Though I warn you, I found these tales scary! If you’d like to sample some dystopian fiction, come check out one of these novels! I'd love to hear your opinion.  Brave New World / Aldous Huxley Hunger Games / Suzanne Collins The Handmaid's Tale / Margaret Atwood Thinner Than Thou / Kit Reed
----------------------------------------------------------------- AUGUST 16, 2010
Crossing Over
I read blogs, lots of blogs. Several this summer have mentioned the ever growing trend of adults reading teen novels or what we call YA at Saxton B. Opinions abound as to the reason more adults are eating these up. One theory is that the books are shorter, which makes the story tighter, get to the point quicker without a lot of wasted words that may not add to the whole. The young adult novel can possibly be read in one sitting and for many adults pressed for time this is a real plus. Another factor often cited is the toned down level of sex and violence in teen literature. Mostly though the die hard converts to the teen genre swear that it's all in the writing and the wonderful stories that are told. So if you haven't ever read any young adult novels here are a few that are mentioned over and over again. This is the first in a trilogy and one that our whole staff loved. Merand captures it beautifully in her review: I absolutely loved this book! It was a great read. The suspense was perfect, the characters engaging, the plot spine-tingling. The basic premise of the Hunger Games is certainly not original - many books, movies, and short stories have been written along the same theme of society/government taking people and setting them in life or death situations as a form of entertainment. There are elements in this story that remind me specifically of the short story "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell combined with Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery". But even though the literary themes are not unique, the twists that Collins has put on the story are, and very entertaining too. One of the best aspects of this book, for me, was that I actually liked the main character, Katniss. It's been awhile since a teenage girl from the YA books I've recently read has appealed to me as much as Katniss does. She's practical, clear-headed, and self-reliant. So much better than the overly emotional, sentimental, wishy-washy girls I've read in other books. Katniss certainly has her problems but I can understand them, relate, and sympathize. My only disappointment is that this is the first book in a series - not a bad thing in itself, really - but I'm not looking forward to waiting several months to find out what happens next! Definitely worth the time it takes to read this book (which only took me several hours since I couldn't put it down!). It's a great time to pick this one up as number three, Mockingjay hits our shelves August 24th. We can't wait! Note that all three will soon be available at Saxton B. in large print.
I have been a fan of Laurie Halse Anderson from the very beginning, with the publication of her award-winning debut novel Speak. Anderson's latest effort, Wintergirls, has a similar emotional intensity and lyrical quality. The novel deals with multiple issues: anorexia, bulimia, cutting, grief, and family dysfunction. Although extremely difficult to read at times, it is equally difficult to put down. For a detailed [and, in my opinion, excellent] review of Wintergirls, click on this link from teenreads.com: Here's a great book for discussion, one that could easily be a choice for an intergenerational read. We liked it so much in our library that we have copies both in the YA and adult collection. Based on a true story, the murder of Grace Brown, and set in 1906, this historical novel weaves history, and romance in the telling of a murder mystery. Comparisons can be made to choices young women make today to those facing Mattie Gokey. Mattie must decide whether to follow her dream of college or marry Royal Loomis. Complicating her decision is her responsibility to her sisters after her mother's death and the family's struggle to keep their farm. Another favorite and one that appeals to a wide audience, Mercedes is not alone in loving this one: A wonderful book that I could hardly put down. Typically we think thrillers and adventure stories keep us on edge, not the daily life of a seventh-grade boy, but it was engrossing. I love to read YA novels where the teen isn't mired in a life of drugs, sex, and living on the edge; where the teen is decent and interested in school and his family. This story was poignant and funny, heartbreaking and hilarious. We suffer the embarrassments of being in junior high in 1967 with Holling. We enjoy his foray into love with a sweetness that is lacking in so many relationships today (can you revel in the thrill of getting a Coke at a restaurant?) We can relate to Holling's heights and descents. His father is controlling and neglectful, but his motivation is stability and success for his family. He and his sister, as with most siblings, abide with each other but don't truly appreciate one another until they are stretched. The crux of the book and the most intricate relationship is between Holling and his teacher, Mrs. Baker. This isn't a Dangerous Minds/Stand By Me kind of relationship but one that has far-reaching effects on both student and teacher. Mrs. Baker challenges Holling and Holling has some surprises for Mrs. Baker as well. Of course, the setting of America during the Vietnam War adds plenty of drama with teachers' spouses being sent off to war and the other dramatic events that occurred during 1967-68. The war looms over life but there is still time for Shakespeare plays and Opening Day at Yankee Stadium. A fantastic read - one that will leave you smiling and crying! Hope our readers will add their picks. Perhaps at a later date we'll do the cross in reverse and feature some great adult books for teens.
----------------------------------------------------------------- AUGUST 11, 2010
Kindles Sold Out!
Now, by this title I do not mean that in some former hippy slang. THAT is a whole different discussion. I mean, they are not available – sold out – no more on the virtual shelf.
I was snooping around today, trying to think about what I might write about. (That is after remembering and forgetting half a dozen times that this was my blog day.) I came across an different blog’s entry from July 27 that said the Kindle was sold out. No way, I thought. So I went over to Amazon to see. Sure enough, Kindle, wireless 6” Wi-fi – temporarily sold out. Free 3G Wi-fi – temporarily sold out. The 9.7” ones at almost triple the cost are currently available. I have to say, I was surprised at the sold out status. I would think the larger ones would be more popular, though they are significantly more expensive. Here at our library and libraryland in general, the debates and discussions continue. Do you have a Kindle? A different brand? Do you love it? Hate it? We’d love to hear from you!
----------------------------------------------------------------- AUGUST 9, 2010
Kindles, Sony Reader, Nooks and Crannies! - Update
In our Wednesday blog this week Su begged the question to E or not to E. Seems this is a topic on many minds. Consider these blog posts and musings I came across this week: Not an E Book - Early Word Blog Visit their site to see the trailer of the new picture book by Lane Smith called It's a Book. Not only is it book, it's a riot! Roxanne Coady, owner of R.J. Julia's in Madison is vacationing in Maine this week and has A Question for You? When in the middle of the night her power went out and all gadgetry failed, and sleep was out of the question, Roxanne resorted to an old fashioned flashlight by which to read Nicole Krauss's Great House (not due out until October). Reading by flashlight was a trip down memory lane, as it must have been thirty years since she had read this way. One thought led to another and she began to wonder: "this experience of holding a book - of being one with the words and being immersed and surrendering to the story - is it uniquely tied to a physical book? Can the experience of reading be duplicated with an electronic device? Does it engage the same dimensions of the brain and therefore elicit the same sensations? Most of my recent conversations about books quickly gravitate toward electronic reading. This is not a discussion about trying to stop the march of technology, but simply a curiosity I have, and I would love to have a further conversation. And an easy way for us to do this is for you to go to the rjjulia blog." From the Daily Beast The CEO of Ingram Book Company, David "Skip" Pritchard, speaks out on Will the Book Survive? I don't own an e-book reader, I hardly own a cell phone but I'm very interested in the technology. Frankly, I'm looking for a device that will do three things. First, be capable of downloading and playing audio books, secondly, be able to connect via wifi to the internet, and lastly to have a decent sized screen for e-book reading. I can see the advantages to e-books. The ability to bookmark, search and find is a key factor for me. I also think being able to jump off to explore an idea on the net that is presented in the text of a story, fiction or non-fiction, would be great. The ability to look up a word, hear it spoken immediately has appeal. I like the idea of carrying several books in a compact format for vacation reading. In the end though, I don't see the hard copy of the book going away and I really don't want to see it's demise. I love holding one, opening it's pages, breathing in it's unique smell. Want to know how paper is made?Here's a link to a great video by Melissa Klug, who works for Glatfelter, which manufactures many of the papers that are used in the books on our bookshelves. http://www.glatfelter.com/learning/interactive_tour.aspx What e-book reader can produce such stunning effects as deckled edges, french flaps, or Step-backs, Die-cuts, and Foil, Oh My! Click on the previous link to learn about most of these in a video presented by Michael Kindness, one half the team doing a fantastic job talking about books on a podcast called Books On the Nightstand. The edges are mentioned in this podcast http://booksonthenightstand.com/2010/02/botns-books-podcast-65-cookbooks-on-the-nightstand.html We're not going to solve this question anytime soon. This will be an ongoing conversation in the our book world. One last thought for this blog post. I truly wonder what impact e-books will have on libraries. It's something I think about often. How about you? We'd love to hear your thoughts on any of this? If you have a reader, please chime in. If you abhor the thought, let us know why.
----------------------------------------------------------------- AUGUST 6, 2010
D.E.E.R. Day!
Here’s a shot of our mascots for the day:  People who dropped everything and read:  It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon at the library, and all that reading sure tired us out:  If you couldn’t join us today, why don’t you put aside some time this weekend to D.E.E.R. at home?
----------------------------------------------------------------- AUGUST 4, 2010
To E or not to E
The e-book debate is long standing in Libraryland. On the one hand, it is a popular new media, some people very much want and some argue it IS the wave of the future. On the other hand, makers of these devices have said publicly that they are NOT for shared use, namely libraries, there are still issues with this new media and some hate it. |
| Add a comment (3 comments) | posted by Su |
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I hate the Internet. How can that be after my exclamations above? It's a time gobbler, that's why. I often complain about not having enough time in a day to read all the books I'd like to read. Sometimes, I think if I would spend less time on the web, I'd have more time to do all those real life things, like cook, clean, get outdoors, see friends in person and yes, read!
It's truly a love/hate relationship, one that needs a balance and a more disciplined approach than I'm giving it. Perhaps I should try a no Internet week, something like a no tv week, to help wean myself from this time bandit. But, oh would I miss it!
| Add a comment (1 comment) | posted by CarolK |
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| Add a comment (1 comment) | posted by Megan Q. |
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Special thanks to Mercedes for this post....
This morning I went into the living room and something small and furry, but no tail, scurried across the floor and under the chair. It didn't move like a mouse either but if it was a bug, it was the biggest bug I had ever seen. Of course I screamed. Rand came running and when he checked it out, he didn't know what it was but suspected a spider (he was wise enough not to mention this though). He decided to get a glass to put over it and then figure out what to do next. I was worried we had some mutant, diseased mouse running around. Well, he moves the chair to catch it and exclaims: "It's Mr. Crabs!" We have a crab in our fish tank, a pretty big one, it looks kind of like a mini-lobster (our best educated guess is that he is a red claw crab). Apparently he escaped from the tank, as Rand had been worrying for months he would do, was covered in fuzz and dust (hence the furry look) and was scuttling around my living room. Glad to say, Mr. Crabs has been returned to the tank and I am so glad Rand was home to deal with it! That was enough excitement for one day for sure!!!
UPDATE!!!
Tuesday night, Crabs strikes again! Rand and I are sitting on the couch talking when all of a sudden something furry comes scuttling across the floor. I shriek, because you can't get over the gut reaction but it's a short shriek and then I announce Mr. Crabs is out again. This time we got pictures and video of our escape artist. He looks much more spidery this time than last time, not quite as furry.
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According to Mercedes her crab might be a red claw crab. I'd call him Houdini!
If you'd rather read a book about crabs instead of being scared by them try these books that can be found in our library:
Clumsy crab / by Ruth Galloway.
One is a snail ten is a crab : a counting by feet book / April Pulley Sayre and Jeff Sayre ; illustrated by Randy Cecil.
A house for Hermit Crab / Eric Carle.
Crabs / by Ann Herriges
Though this may sound a bit ghoulish, for those of you who'd rather eat crabs instead of reading about them I'd over this:
I love crab cakes! : 50 recipes for an American classic / Tom Douglas
| Add a comment (2 comments) | posted by CarolK |
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| Add a comment (0 comments) | posted by CarolK |
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A long, long time ago I took the LSATS, the required test for admission to law school. It required a lot of security measures. Two forms of id, one had to be a picture. You had to also have a copy of your picture id, as that was going to be collected and kept. Then, finally, seated in my assigned seat and a test booklet passed out sitting closed in front of me, they came around and fingerprinted every one on their test booklet. I remember thinking this is just insane.| Add a comment (0 comments) | posted by Su |
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It's mid-July, school's been out a few weeks, and the kids are already bored to distraction, Saxton B. can help. In addition to our dropin story times, Tuesdays & Wednesdays at 10:30AM, summer reading program, First Friday Film Flicks (August 6th, The Water Horse, rated PG at 10:00AM, doors open at 9:45AM,) and Megan's cool events, including a teen movie on July 30th at 6PM, here's a few ideas of things to do.
Start by visiting our webpage located at www.columbiactlibrary.org. The menu on the left will guide you to a full listing of our events, our library materials, and a list of our discounted passes. One extremely popular pass is The Connecticut State Parks and Forests Day Pass which will get you a free day of fun in the sun at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, and Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme. Phone us at 228-0350 to reserve any pass.
How about a picnic? Besides locales close to home including the public beach, Szegda Farm or Recreation Park, take a look in this great book:
Cruising Connecticut with a picnic basket by Jan Mann. 9780977717415
42 unique spots are featured including some places you may never have thought to visit.
We've got several books featuring Connecticut's best. Most are located around 917.46 on our shelves. Here's just a sampling of what you'll find:
Off the beaten path Connecticut : a guide to unique places / Joan and Tom Bross.
Best hikes with children in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island / by Cynthia C. Lewis and Thomas J. Lewis. 0898865433
Fun with the family, Connecticut : hundreds of ideas for day trips with the kids / Doe Boyle. or Massachusetts, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire.
Connecticut walk book East the guide to the Blue-Blazed Hiking Trails of Eastern Connecticut, including the Metacomet and Mattabesett Trails. edited by Ann T. Colson, Cindi D. Pietrzyk.
Gone fishin'-- with kids : (how to take your kid fishing and still be friends) / by Joe Perrone, Jr. and Manny Luftglass. 0965026140
Connecticut Magazine, Yankee Magazine, The Hartford Courant and the Willimantic Chronicle will keep you up to date on what's happening in the area.
Learn a new craft - 746...
go birdwatching - 598....
identify wildflowers - 582...
cook or barbecue - 641...
look at the stars - 520...
Borrow one of our over 1,000 movies on a rainy day.
Save this date, August 6th (rain date, August 9th), when we invite the whole town to join us for D.E.E.R. Day, Drop Everything, Everybody Read. Bring a lunch, 12-1PM, and then we'll read on our front lawn from 1-3PM. Yeah, we librarians will finally get to read on the job!
And if you need a break from family fun, consider traveling The CAT Trail (Connecticut Author Trail). You'll find details on our event calendar or http://sites.google.com/site/ctauthortrail2010/HOME.
Saxton B. will proudly host four great Connecticut authors this summer.
Chris Knopf - Tuesday, July 27th at 6:45PM
Christine Whitehead, Tuesday - August 17th - 6:45 PM
Glenn Maynard - Tuesday, August 24th – 6:45PM
M. William Phelps, Wednesday, September 8th – 7:00PM
Look around, possibilities abound! Oh, and of course READ!
| Add a comment (1 comment) | posted by CarolK |
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| Add a comment (1 comment) | posted by Megan Q. |
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Need something else to read while you’re on the list for any of the books in the popular Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy.? Compiled from many resources you’ll find books by other Swedish authors that you may have missed, some titles that have a similar appeal including strong female protagonists and/or exciting plot, and a few other international thrillers that will put you in an exotic locale. Though nothing may quite compare with Steig Larsson’s Lizbeth Salander, these may keep you reading while you wait. You just might be surprised and find a new favorite.| Add a comment (0 comments) | posted by CarolK |
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