Saturday, January 30, 2010

Caldecott Award

The 2010 Caldecott Medal winner is The Lion & the Mouse, illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney.  Lovely watercolor illustrations retell this Aesop fable. 

The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association for excellence in illustrations in children's  literature.

Look for this and other Caldecott winners at your library.  You can see a list of winners for other years at the American Library Association website. 

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Robert Parker

Well known crime novelist, Robert Parker, died suddenly on January 19.  He was working at his desk on another novel when apparently he was killed by a heart attack.  He was 77 years old.

He is best known for his Spenser series and Jessie Stone series of mystery novels.  Characters and books from both series were the basis of movies.

Spenser was a disciplined and prolific writer.  His editor tells us that more books will be released since he had some already finished.

Information from the New York Times is availalbe here.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The LIbrary Brand

The library brand is books, (though libraries do provide other services, such as computers.)

Some visitors never make it past the new book section of the library. That’s okay, but don’t forget some of these tried and true authors who aren’t necessarily on the best seller lists.

C. J. Box writes a suspenseful series about an ‘unlikely hero,’ game warden Joe Pickett . The author states that his main character is something of, by necessity, a lone wolf, as his enforcement area can be 5,000 square miles of rough country with backup far away. Joe Pickett is an ordinary man who wants to do the right thing.

Tony Hillerman’s books are set in the American southwest and feature Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police. Hillerman is known for his attention to detail and weaving Navajo culture and lore into his mystery stories. The movie Skinwalkers was based on his books. Hillerman died in 2008.

William Faulkner is considered one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century, winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949. Most of his books are set in his native state of Mississippi.

In recent years, three of his books, As I Lay Dying, The Sound and the Fury, and The Light in August were featured on Oprah as part of her book club.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Happy New Year!

In the U.S., New Year's Day is becoming a time to relax and recover from the previous holidays. Morning hours can include watching the spectacular Rose Bowl Parade on television and later seeing the game.

Americans generally ignore the good luck shenanigans that are popular in other countries. But a large percentage of us still think we can cook and eat our way to a prosperous new year.

Corned beef and cabbage is one lucky choice because cabbage leaves signify money in this and other cultures. Many people think pork should be included in the New Year's meal. For hundreds of years, the hog has signified prosperity. Black-eyed peas, hog jowls or ham are lucky foods in some areas as is rice.

Making New Year's resolutions is an admirable New Year's Day activity. One to include this year are more visits and use of your public library.

The new year brings another series of programs for adults at libraries in the three county area.

Computer classes for adults start in January at Union Co. Public Library. Basic classes on learning to use a computer and some intermediate classes will be offered.
In addition, as part of this series of classes, we will teach a series on using Learning Express, an online program that can help you brush up on job and interview skills. Assistance will also be offered on filling out government forms online.

The class series for adults repeats in February in Baker County, and in March in Bradford County. Check your library for a schedule or look (and register) online under Library Events on our webpage.


http://www.newriver.lib.fl.us/