King County Library System - Library Talk. - April 2009

What is Plunkett Research?

Plunkett Research is a gem of a database, offering industry statistics, trends, and analysis, as well as profiles of the leading companies in each industry, all in one location, providing a broad, yet accessible survey of 27 industry sectors. It should prove useful if you need to do market or investment research, if you're looking to start a new business, or for job seekers.

Where to start?












(Plunkett Research homepage)

Select one of the industry sectors listed under Industry Research Centers. There are 27 of them, from Advertising to Wireless, plus Canadian, International, Middle Market, and Private Companies, as well as Job Seeker Resources & Tools.

Which of these is not a book about knitting available from the King County Library System?

A. The Knitting Man(ual): 20+ Projects for Guys and the People Who Knit for Them
B. Knitting for Good: a Guide to Creating Personal, Social & Political Change, Stitch by Stitch
C. An Angora in Angora: Knitting for Rabbits and Other Small Pets
D. Things I Learned from Knitting-- Whether I Wanted to or Not
E. Anticraft: Knitting, Beading, and Stitching for the Slightly Sinister
(answer after the break)

 In honor of the Big Read I said  I would read about Alaska so I chose Two in a Red Canoe; Our Journey Down the Yukon.  Hey I thought, a young couple in love braving the wilderness, what a lovely romantic story! What did I know?  My friends laughed because they know my idea of the great outdoors is mall parking lots. And camping out?  Getting there before the mall opens.  Anyway I started to read-- the authors Megan and Matt prepared for a year before they started their 2,000 mile journey down the Yukon.  Whoa, that isn't preparing for a summer jaunt!  Megan worried about bears and if she will be strong enough to paddle for 2000 miles, Matt believed that she would manage and wouldn't get eaten by a bear!  However mosquitoes were another matter.  Ugh!  Megan describes the mud and the bugs, but she also describes the great beauty of the Alaskan wilderness.  Even more so she writes of all the welcoming people that wave to them from the banks of the river, who invite them to share a meal.  It was hard for me to read about the paddling and the storms.  But it was a pleasure to read the historical notes that were included with each place they visited and of course Megan's description of all the interesting people encountered on their voyage.  Matt's photographs were the perfect accompaniment to Megan's descriptions.  Will I ever take a canoe journey?  Never!! However I might read another adventure story--what would you suggest?

The name says it all - you'll find practice tests for all levels of education, accompanied by test preparation material from the #1 name in college and vocational prep, Peterson's.

Where to start?

On the home page, content is organized into 7 sections to point you quickly in the right direction:

• High School Tools
  
• College Prep Tools
  
• Career Tools
  
• Graduate School Tools
• International
  
• Online Books
  
• Family College Planning Center
  

Each section includes a brief description, collection of online practice tests, online books, 'resources,' articles and related links.

Test prep is the biggest part of Testing & Education Reference Center - it includes online practice tests and full-text PDF versions of Petersons and ARCO test taking guides.

You'll find practice exams for SAT, GED, ASVAB, just about any test acronym you can think of plus military, high school entrance, nursing, postal service exams and lots more. These exams may be timed to create a realistic test-taking environment.

To take an online practice exam, create a user ID and password separate from your library card #.  Once you've logged in, you can start, stop, and resume exams multiple times. It also saves test scores and tracks your progress through multiple exams.

The exams launch in separate windows and are easy to use. 

I'd never heard of National Poem in Your Pocket Day until I read about it on the Academy of American Poets website while browsing for some information on National Poetry Month. On April 30th people are encouraged to keep a poem in their pocket and share it with co-workers, family, and friends throughout the day. It actually sounds like a day I can get behind; I'm for anything fun and simple that doesn't involve costumes (I usually don't partake in Talk Like A Pirate Day).

Now I just need to choose a poem to carry around. The library collection has a lot of interesting poetry books. Here are a few that I looked at while in search of my pocket poem:

Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy by Sonya Sones. A novel about what happens when a family member has a mental breakdown told entirely in first person poems.

Technically, It's Not My Fault: Concrete Poems by Jack Grandits. The design of the text is interesting without even reading it, and, when you do read it, it is really funny!

The Columbia Anthology of American Poetry. All of your favorite, famous American poets in one handy volume.

Great Online Sources for Finding Poems:

Columbia Granger's World of Poetry. KCLS has a subscription to this online database. You can read or listen to poems, read poet bios and commentaries and more. To access the database you'll need your library card number.

Poets.org. The website of the American Academy of Poets.

Bartleby.com. Full-text of many classic poems.

I'm looking forward to hearing your pocket poems this Thursday, April 30!

Two recent wars give inspiration for two very disparate graphic novels - Waltz with Bashir and the Pride of Baghdad. The visual interpretation of these historical events is a powerful medium. Frank and succinct writing in both novels guide the reader through beautifully crafted and moving works. While the subject matter is gritty, they can be read briskly, leaving plenty of time for contemplation and reflection. These are best intended for mature audiences.

Waltz With Bashir by Ari Folman.

I stumbled across this gem while searching for the DVD of the award-winning documentary of the same name. Ari Folman was a member of the Israeli army in the early 1980's. His patrol was involved in the massacre of hundreds or thousands of Palestinians, yet Folman was unable to remember his personal whereabouts during the slaughter. Although his memory is faulty, he attempts to recreate his time spent in the war. Interviews with his fellow soldiers help him to fill in the gaps, as he realizes his memory may not be as solid as he once believed. The horrors of war resonate with Folman's conscious as he pieces together his past and comes to terms with his personal involvement.

Pride of Baghdad by Brian Vaughn.

When the United States bombed Iraq in 2003, civilians weren't the only casualty. This graphic novel is based on the true story of four lions that escaped captivity from the Baghdad zoo, and were loose on the streets of Baghdad. For the first time, these domesticated animals must find their own food and defend themselves against predators. The illustrations showcase the harsh, violent realities of a city caught in the mist of war. This book is not intended for weak stomachs. War is violence, and this book emphasizes how it affects all members of a society, including the animal world.

If your students have to do an assignment involving library resources (and we hope they do), they'll need a library card. Here are a few tips on preparing your class for working with their library.

If a student does not yet have a library card, they will need to apply for one at their local library or apply online. The link to the application is in the upper right corner of kcls.org. Allowing time for the card to come in the mail or parents to make the trip to the library may have to be factored in to that student's assignment timeline.

Most students already have a card, though they might not know where it is. If that's the case, they can get a replacement card at their local library, get a replacement through the library's web page, or have a library staff member look up their card number.

Some students may have fines blocking card use: if their fines and other charges are over $10, they will be unable to check items out, though they will still be able to use library databases. Often, the fee is the replacement cost for a book that was never returned: if that item is brought back, the maximum fine is $3.

If the student has problems using their card, a trip or phone call to the library will often clear them up.

Having each student write their library card number in a student planner can save time: usually only the number is needed, not the card itself.

Gary Paulson never chose to run the Iditarod; the decision was made for him, gradually, over many days and nights in the northern Minnesota woods. He spent those days and nights running his sled dogs, and the more he understood them the more he felt connected to the natural world around him. The separateness of him from his dogs, his dogs from the wolves, and the wolves from the rest of the world began to disappear.  He writes, "...The beauty of the woods, the incredible joy of it is too alluring to be ignored, and I could not stand to be away from it - indeed, still can't - and so I ran dogs simply to run dogs; to be in and part of the forest, the woods."

Paulson's book Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod is his chronicle of racing in the eleven hundred and eighty mile sled dog race in Alaska. The Iditarod was especially dangerous for someone with Paulson's limited experience. His first summer he knew so little about training for the race that he tied his dogs to a rusty old bicycle, jumped on and set off down the road. He managed to keep the bike on two wheels until a rabbit crossed the road and the dogs chased it through the woods for miles. In Alaska he and his dogs were blown off a mountain, saved by his snow hook catching on the rock face. He endured moose attacks and dogfights, sleep deprivation, hallucinations, frostbite and many, many skunks.

What makes Winterdance unforgettable is learning why Paulson did run the race. I have never seen frozen waterfalls in Alaska's interior or watched the sun rise in a golden blaze across the Bering Sea. Paulson's book gives us a greater sense of nature's importance.

My childhood memories include watching my cousins ride in rodeos, hanging out in the animal barns at the fair, and riding horses with my sister.  It's not surprising, then, that I felt right at home reading The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson.  It has a realistic feel that I attribute to a combination of Johnson's background as a police officer in New York City and his more recent experience living in Wyoming.  

The main character, Walt Longmire, has been a county sheriff for 24 years.  Accustomed to handling drunken brawls and holiday lights, he initially pegs the death of Cody Pritchard as a hunting accident.  However, it soon becomes apparent that Cody's death was no accident.  Instead, it could be retribution for his role in a brutal crime.  Walt must figure out who is behind it before the other three young men who were involved meet a similar end.

Like a small town, this book is full of interesting and interconnected people.  Walt's deputy, Victoria Moretti, comes from a long line of cops in South Philly.  Where Walt is Wyoming-bred, mild-mannered, and popular, Vic is a foul-mouthed newcomer who sometimes rubs people the wrong way.  She's also very good enough at her job.  So good that she'd be moving toward the top of the ladder if she'd stayed in Philadelphia, and Walt has her pegged to be his replacement when he retires in a couple of years--if he can figure out how to get people to vote for her.  Walt's best friend since childhood is Henry Standing Bear, former special ops soldier and current owner of the Red Pony bar.  A supporting cast of friends, neighbors, and law enforcement personnel round out the community.

The Cold Dish is the first book in the Walt Longmire series.  The fifth installment, The Dark Horse, will be out in May, and Craig Johnson will speak and sign books at Bellevue Regional Library on Tuesday, June 16, at 7 pm. 

An Illustrated Treasury of Read-Aloud Poems for Young People: More Than 100 of the World's Best-Loved Poems for Parent and Child to Share 

While April is National Poetry Month treasuries such as these are perfect for every day of the year.  While 100 poems sounds like a lot, it's a drop in the bucket for the number of wonderful poems parents can share with their children.  Even if your favorite poems may not be included in this treasury, your memory will be jogged to remember and recite the favorite poems of your own childhood.  Once you start reading these poems you may want to stop until you have read them all.  Some of the poems included are: My Shadow by Robert Louis Stevenson, Life Doesn't Frighten Me by Maya Angelou, The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear, There is No Frigate Like a Book by Emily Dickinson and The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost.  Not only will you and your child enjoy the poetic language, reading some of these poems will spark some interesting discussions!

Which of these is not a book about a quest available from the King County Library System?

A. A Devil To Play: One Man's Year-Long Quest to Master the Orchestra's Most Difficult Instrument
B. Sundays with Vlad: From Pennsylvania to Transylvania, One Man's Quest to Live In the World of the Undead
C. To Air is Human: One Man's Quest to Become the World's Greatest Air Guitarist
D. One More Broken Window: One Man's Quest to Revive Stickball in New York City
(answer after the break)

I'm sure you're familiar with the "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign. Years ago I saw a comedian talking about how this could be expanded to address other social issues. For example, his program called "Just Get a House" would combat homelessness.  The thrust of his joke was that if it were so easy, we'd all be doing it anyway.

Whenever I see self-improvement books that promise to teach you to do something or completely revamp the problem areas of your life, I think of that joke. I mean, if someone wants to teach me how to manage my time, should I spend my time reading the book or would it be better to just get on with what I need to do?

But despite my skepticism, I'm still drawn to books that promise to make my life easier. Recently I picked up The Experts' Guide to Doing Things Faster: 100 Ways to Make Life More Efficient by Samantha Ettus. The book is broken up into sections such as home, work, mind, body, love, and travel. Within each section are about fifteen essays written by experts on a topic. And, many of them are people you've actually heard of.

Stacy London, the co-host of TLC's show "What Not to Wear" does a piece on choosing an outfit. Hannah Storm, former co-anchor of "The Early Show" on CBS, pens an essay on getting ready in the morning.

There isn't really much earth-shattering here, but there are lots of useful articles on topics like improving your posture, solving crossword puzzles, and planning a vacation. You can also learn to speak another language, do math problems in your head, and improve your gas mileage.

The one that really threw me was the essay by Rande Gerber (bar owner, restaurateur, and supermodel Cindy Crawford's husband) titled "Stock Your Home Bar." Did you know that having two brands of gin in your home bar should be enough but that with the rising popularity of tequila, you should have many different brands on hand? Or that there are at least six different kinds of drink glasses that you should own? Maybe I'll just get a house...

Across King County people are feeling the economic pinch: layoffs, reduced hours, decreased benefits and mounting bills. To help our community members cope and get back on their feet, KCLS is hosting Look To Your Library..especially now : how-to demonstrations of the latest job-search and financial tools.

For an entire week, Friday May 1 - Friday May 8, 2009, most KCLS libraries will open one hour early.  During the first two open hours every day that week, librarians will demonstrate the latest job-search tools.

We'll also be blogging right here on many of the same services over the next two weeks - please come back for more...

When times get tough, look to your library for information, ideas and inspiration. Find much more at Look To Your Library......especially now!

Silver Pigs by Lindsay Davis

P.I. Marcus Falco works one of the toughest cities in the world- Rome, under the reign of Emperor Vespasian. That's right, he's not a Private Investigator, he's a Private Informer, which is basically the same thing, only instead of the dangerous streets of L.A. or New York, Falco is roaming the Aventine. Falco's not an ambitious man- he's happy enough with his shabby existence even though his landlord is threatening to kick him out and his family gave up on him long ago. All that changes one fateful day. There's a dame involved, of course, one Sosia Camilla to be precise. Sosia Camilla is young, beautiful, wealthy and innocent- everything that Falco is not. He rescues her from kidnappers and she's appropriately grateful (although maybe not as grateful as Falco would have liked).

When Sosia Camilla is murdered, Falco feels compelled to unravel the mystery. Her family, all patricians and senators, hire him to investigate the connection between Sosia Camilla's death and some illegal silver ingots (called pigs, hence the title) that Sosia evidently knew something about. Silver comes from Britain, so Falco leaves the comforts of the Empire behind to trace the illegal silver to its source. In Britain, he meets another dame- this one not the sweet and innocent type. Helena Justina is Sosia's cousin and a senator's daughter. She's a divorcee with a sharp wit and an even sharper tongue. Together, they might just stand a chance of discovering who's behind Sosia's death and the silver pigs.

This is the first of the Falco mysteries. There are nineteen to date. Lindsay Davis does a great job with both the noir-like narrative and the historical details. Rome comes alive in all its dirt and glory. Falco does too. He's crude, rude and secretly tender-hearted. He's also pretty smart and observant, as one would expect from a P.I. Politics play an important part in the story; Rome was a hotbed of intrigue in 70 A.D. With this first novel, Davis begins to introduce a large cast of background characters, from Falco's best friend on the local police force, to the Emperor Vespasian himself. Readers looking for a good mystery or a good historical will enjoy these books and anyone who was sad when HBO's Rome ended will find a bit here to cheer them up (Just don't expect events to get quite that torrid! Although its not hard to imagine Didius Falco and Titus Pullo sharing a drink in a seedy tavern on the Aventine.).

Several years ago, my wife and I went to see the movie House of Sand and Fog, at her suggestion. I remember being very moved by the movie, though I was also rather irritated at my wife for recommending something so incredibly grim. Still, the movie stuck with me and when I recently saw the audiobook version at the Woodinville Library, I had to check it out and see which was better. I'll stop short of saying that the book was better than the movie, for the film was a first-class effort. I will say, though, that the book-version of House of Sand and Fog is a much deeper experience, for it really enables the reader to get inside of the heads of the main characters. This is important because the self-absorption of each of these characters is precisely what creates the conflict that, in the end, brings them all down.

Kathy Nicolo, an alcoholic who's husband has left her, has her San Francisco house siezed by the county for non-payment of taxes. Though the county is in error on this matter, the house, which she inherited from her deceased father and co-owns with her absentee brother, goes up for auction anyway and is purchased by Colonel Behrani, a formerly important Iranian immigrant who sees the house as a real estate venture that will provide his family with a chance to restore themselves to some semblance of their previous respectability. Each party has a vested interest in retaining ownership of the house and neither is willing to relinquish their claim. This basic conflict is further complicated by the involvement of Lester V. Burdon, the severely codependent police officer that participated in the eviction of Kathy and has now become infatuated with her and develops an agenda of his own. Circumstances gradually become more adversarial until an extremely tense confrontation involving all three parties leads to the shattering climax of the story.

The book House of Sand and Fog reveals much about the history of each character and this information helps explain the intractability and irrationality of each of the players. The Colonel, who served under the Shah in pre-revolutionary Iran, is deperate to bolster his pride, which has been battered by the necessity of working at menial jobs and lying about his family's stature to their successful fellow immigrants. Kathy, the black sheep of her family, cannot face her family's reaction to the fact that her own irresponsibility led to the loss of her father's house. And Lester, unhappily married and greatly insecure in his role as a police officer, sees a relationship with Kathy (and thus deepening involvement in the conflict) as an answer to his own problems. The insightful prose of the author, Andre Dubus III, brings to life the inner conflicts and outer circumstances of this tragic story. As a bonus, I listened to House of Sand and Fog as an audiobook, and the words were really brought to life through the gifted narrators who were none other than the author and his wife, Fontaine Dollas Dubus.

Though the story is very, very grim and is definitely not for the faint of heart, House and Sand and Fog is a fascinating cautionary tale about the logical outcome of an unwillingness to let go. 

 

There is so much misery in David Grann's new adventure biography/travelogue, that it helps to be in a comfortable chair with food and a cool drink nearby.

The Lost City of Z:  A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon is a fabulous read, and has all my favorite themes - eccentric biography, exotic travel, and forgotten history (and misery).  When Percy Harrison Fawcett disappeared in the Amazon in 1925, looking for what he called "Z" (El Dorado), he was known around the world as one of the greatest explorers of his time.  A contemporary of Shackleton, he was nearly insufferable as a travel companion, but legendary in his endurance and drive. 

After more than seven expeditions through Brazil's jungles, Fawcett's interest in lost civilizations had become an obsession.  Nearly penniless, he scraped together enough funding for a final trip with his son Jack, and one of Jack's closest friends.  The three were last seen by the Kalapalos tribe as they marched further into the jungle.

Fawcett's mystique has never died, and scores of subsequent expeditions (some of which also never returned) were launched in an effort to track down the explorers.  Even today, a number of Fawcett enthusiasts remain, and some rather intriguing theories have emerged to explain Fawcett's disappearance.

Grann, in speaking with surviving family members, discovered that some of Fawcett's personal diaries had never been released to the public.  In his reading of these logs, Grann discovered clues that suggested Fawcett intentionally misled the press about his whereabouts.  The logs also suggested a coded true location of the expedition, leading Grann to set out himself into the Amazon to follow Fawcett's footsteps.

And the lost city?  Well, there are some very compelling theories on that too...

It is the time of year when I want to escape the Pacific Northwest, with its short-lived promises of a beautiful spring day, but then followed by an ugly (or worse) snowy day the next.  Or should I say beautiful hour and then an ugly hour?   Okay, some say that that is part of the charm of this area.  Alright it is, but I want some other place's charm.  Like Paris.  Now I have been to Paris twice and it wasn't warm and balmy, but I was so overwhelmed by the beauty and the history and ooohhh the food, I didn't notice or mind that I had to keep my down coat on the whole time.  So when I saw the pretty red sparkles on the cover of Paris: Wish You Were Here!  It put me in the mood for an armchair visit to the City of Lights.  Actually I read it while sitting on my chaise lounge, doesn't that sound more appropriate?  

The book itself is beautiful to look at.  It is full of colorful art reproductions from different eras.  The pages with text are soft colors with pretty trim or background images.  I noticed all the lyrics of songs about Paris are on the pink pages!  The "tour" of Paris is arranged by the arrondissement.  Thank goodness the definition was included:  "ar-ron-disse-ment (n) (1807) an administrative district of some large French cities.  Traditionally written in Roman numerals (5th= Ve)."  Each district is described with a short history and what can be visited there today.   In one way Paris: Wish you Were Here! Is a traditional guidebook--it lists shops, museums, restaurants, and of course sites to see.  What makes this book so appealing, besides the physical beauty of the book, are the excerpts from the many authors, poets and songwriters throughout.  They range from Benjamin Franklin's letter to Mary Stevenson; and Julia Child explaining her start in French cooking; to Langston Hughes describing his arrival in Paris with only seven dollars; to David Sedaris describing a French class, with a cruel instructor.

Sitting in my chaise lounge, reading and looking at Paris: Wish You Were Here!  I managed to travel to Paris and forget about the snow and rain outside my window.  You can too.  Bon Voyage.

 

And last but most definitely not least in our celebration of the 2010 Sasquatch Award Nominees is Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy.  This is the fictionalized story of the author's aunt Syvia who was one of 12 children to survive the Lodz ghetto during the holocaust.  This is

Roy's way of preserving the story her aunt didn't talk about until well into her old age.  It's written in beautiful, intense, free verse through the eyes of young Syvia who is 4 years old when the nightmare begins.  She is 10 when she and the other "children of the cellar" are released with the few remaining survivors at the end of the war.  About a quarter of a million Jews were forced into the Lodz ghetto but only 800 walked out.  This is the story of Syvia's survival in a powerful little book.

Obviously this is a heavy one but even with such a tragic and horrific topic the author does, in fact, write a story for children.  Many times these deeply disturbing subjects about children are written for adults even though it is through a child's eyes.  Jennifer Roy has masterfully presented an incredibly tough topic in a way that children will understand but not be overwhelmed by.  Talk about a tough assignment.  But this was a labor of love for Roy and the result is masterful.

Reading and content levels are 4th grade through adult.  Adults will appreciate the beautiful simplicity of the writing along with the amazing story it brings to life.  Young readers will get the most out of this book if they share it with an understanding, caring adult.  Parents, teachers and caregivers can answer any questions that arise.

Powerful, beautiful, heart wrenching and written for children.  It can be done.

With our economy feeling poorly, you may find yourself wanting to do more business research, not less, if only to make sure that the business you do engage in is not too risky.ABI/INFORM Global is a ProQuest business database which can help keep you on top of the information curve. In this database you will find articles from worldwide business periodicals containing information on advertising, marketing, economics, human resources, finance, taxation, and computers. For example, search for the word investing in articles from the last three months, and find such useful titles as Your Money Matters (A Special Report): Alternative Investing --- Alternative Answers, and How to Profit From Obamanomics.

If you come into the library to read our investment and business newsletters, this database may be a great resource to access from your home or business. If you come into the library to peruse our Value Line binders (don't forget Value Line is now online!), you may also want to try the ABI/INFORM Trade Industry database for research on particular companies or industries. In this database you will find articles that track business conditions, trends, management techniques, corporate strategies, and industry-specific topics worldwide. For example, search for the word Seattle in articles from the last three months to see how local companies are holding up.

Happy investing!

Sometimes I find myself reluctant to read a particular book, in spite of good press and recommendations from friends.  This often happens when I know that the book deals with something sad, because I like to feel happier when I read.  So that was why, even though I loved John Green's book An Abundance of Katherines, I was wary of reading his Printz Award-winning first novel, Looking for Alaska.  What finally pushed me over the edge was finding out that the audio version is read by Jeff Woodman, about whom I raved recently in another posting.  My admiration for his reading overcame my reluctance, and I am happy that it did.  Looking for Alaska was well worth the slightly weepy commute.

The story is that of sixteen-year-old Miles Halter, who leaves a life with no real friends-- and no anticipation of acquiring any--to seek the "Great Perhaps" at the boarding school his father once attended.  There he finds people who accept him as he is--slightly geeky, with a memory for the last words of famous people and an unexpected interest in his comparative religions class.  These new friends include his roommate, Chip, generally known as "the Colonel", and Alaska Young, the beautiful, intelligent, and troubled flame around which other students gather.  Miles is no exception, and he quickly falls into a pattern of smoking, drinking, homework, and pranks, while longing for a deeper relationship with Alaska.

The book is marked into days "before" and days "after" a tragic event that shatters Miles' world.  In the aftermath, he seeks answers to some of life's most difficult questions:  How much can one person truly understand another?  What happens when we die?  How do we learn to forgive ourselves?  As he works to find a new sense of balance, Miles learns about himself, the nature of friendship, and how some people can change your life forever.

Jeff Woodman was a wonderful reader, portraying each character clearly and with the full range of emotions inherent in the story.  Whether you opt for the print or audio version, Looking for Alaska will have you pondering the "Great Perhaps."

101 Kid-Friendly Plants: Fun Plants and Projects for the Family by Cindy Krezel

Last time I blogged I wrote about gardening books for adults; today I'm going to write about a great book to get you and your kids working with plants.  As more of us transition our lives "green" it's a good idea to bring the younger generation along with us and show them the joys, spills, thrills, and the beauty and deliciousness of growing plants.   Indoor and outdoor activities are included with special projects such as butterfly gardens, herbs in pots, gardens for cutting flowers as well as an extensive list of plants suitable for children to use.  Color photographs extend the use of this book and makes identification and recognition of plants easier for children to learn.  Gardening with children reignites the joy of working the earth that most of us experienced as children, rejuvenates us and helps us establish a lasting connection with the earth and our children. 

Which of these is not a book about psychic spies available from the King County Library System?

A. I Was a Psychic Spy for the FBI: a Memoir
B. PSI Spies: the True Story of America's Psychic Warfare Program
C. The Stargate Chronicles: Memoirs of a Psychic Spy
D. The Psychic Battlefield: a History of the Military-Occult Complex
E. The Men Who Stare at Goats
(answer after the break)

Ah, Lawn Boy.  Number 11 on our list of 2010 Sasquatch Award Nominees.  Seldom have I seen one small book generate such widely ranging responses.  People either love this book as the funniest thing they ever read or they hated it as the most tedious piece of economic blather ever written.  Read it and see which camp you will run screaming for afterwards.

When a 12-year-old boy's eccentric grandma gives him an ancient (but still working) riding mower for his birthday the adventure begins.  Well, kind of.  The unnamed narrator's lawn is so tiny that it only takes a couple of minutes to mow it and it never really seems to grow anyway.  So begins his summer job of mowing neighborhood lawns in hopes of getting enough money to buy a new innertube for his bike.  But once he becomes involved with a local accountant his business takes off and he ends up with a lot more money than he ever thought possible... a lot more.  It's every kids dream of becoming a millionaire by selling lemonade or mowing lawns.

Adults seem to enjoy the joke of the complex, economics text book chapter headings and some of the free market interpretations from the creative accountant.  But kids will most likely enjoy the rags to riches story in this little book.  The language is high in many places putting this firmly in the 5,6,7,8 range but 4th graders will also be able to handle most of the vocabulary. 

So, now it's your turn.  Love it?  Hate it?  Read it and see! 

Hugo Baskerville was so cruel and his death so strange that a legend spread across the Devon moors: the Baskerville family would always be cursed, pursued by a black spectral hound. But when Sir Charles Baskerville was found dead outside his ancestral home hundreds of years later, Sherlock Holmes was more interested in the facts of the case than a family curse. Sir Charles went out to enjoy a cigar and an evening walk, but he never returned. His footprints showed he had lingered at a gate leading out to the moors, then tiptoed to the end of an enclosure. His butler found him dead, his face horribly distorted. Near his body were the footprints of a gigantic hound.

Dr. Watson travels to Baskerville Hall to investigate Sir Charles' death and report his findings to Holmes, who is involved in another case. Watson is an observant narrator, but he's also a little slow connecting the facts of the case. This enjoyable narrative device allows us to try and solve the case right along with Watson as he meets the suspects.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote four novels and fifty-six short stories about Sherlock Holmes, but it was a rare case such as this where Holmes admitted his opponent might be his equal. An escaped madman and the possibility of a real beast roaming the moors add to the danger surrounding Baskerville Hall. It all helps make The Hound of the Baskervilles one of Doyle's best.

Number 10 on our hit parade of 2010 Sasquatch Nominees is How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor.  "The day I decided to steal a dog is the same day my best friend, Luanne Godfrey, found out I lived in a car."  That's the first line from this book with a deceptively perky cover and title.  The reality is that it is a heartbreaking yet gentle story about childhood helplessness in the face of great loss. 

When Georgina's dad abandons the family she and her brother and mom end up being evicted from their apartment and living in their car.  Her mom works two minimum wage jobs trying to save enough money to rent an apartment.  Georgina is desperate to find a way to help her mom make enough money to have a real home again.  A reward poster for a lost dog gives Gerogina the seriously unfortunate idea to steal a dog and then return it for the reward.  The plan doesn't work quite like she planned though because her conscience makes itself heard loud and clear.

The seriously heavy topic is handled very well and the characters are all realistic.  Georgina is a sympathetic character that will capture the hearts of readers.  Grades 4 - 6 are more likely to be ready to handle the tough topics in this story but I would recommend that adults be available for discussion.  Kids may need to talk about what they experience through Georgina's eyes particularly in today's economy where homelessness is something they hear about on a daily basis.

Terrier by Tamora Pierce

The Lower City beat is a tough one for a cop in Corus, the kingdom of Tortall's capital city. Rats (thieves) walk every street. Sixteen-year-old Beka Cooper grew up in those slums. She knows what it's like to be poor and desperate. That's why she wants to be a Dog, one of Corus' police guards. They patrol the streets, nab Rats, break up fights and generally keep the peace. They also take bribes, within prescribed limits, chief of which is the Happy Bag, given by the Rogue, the king of the thieves.

Beka, a ward of the Lord Provost who governs the kingdom's Dogs, could have her pick of jobs, but she wants to work in the Lower City where she spent the first eight years of her life, before Lord Gershom took her in. She's determined to succeed and has Lord Gershom's support, even if his wife and her siblings are against it. He pairs her with Goodwin and Tunstall, two of the city's best, for her "Puppy" year. Beka, given the nickname Terrier for her tenacity, is armed with more than determination. She has the magical ability to hear the souls of the dead and a supernatural cat named Pounce. When the ghosts, who are carried by pigeons, speak of killings in the Lower City, Beka and her partners invesigate. Soon it begins to look as though the child murders, the disappearance of several poor laborers and a new cache of fire opals on the black market, may all be connected somehow.

Terrier is Tamora Pierce's 15th Tortall novel and one of her best. The fantasy elements merge well with the procedural plot, providing ample entertainmetn for both teen and adults. Related via Beka's journal, the tale comes alive, smattered as it is with colloquiel language and colorful characters. (My favorite is Rosto the Piper, one of the more charming thieves in Tortall.) Beka, like all of Pierce's heroines, is smart and independent, but with the needed flaws that so many fantasy heroes lack. Set several centuries before Pierce's other books, readers familiar with Tortall will still enjoy the details of the world. Beka herself is the ancestress of a prominent character in Pierce's popular first series, The Song of the Lioness.

Look for the second book in the Beka Cooper Trilogy, Bloodhound, where Beka must discover who is behind a wave of coin forgeries. It's due out this month!

The Sasquatch Award often highlights an outstanding non-fiction title along with the chapter books and the 2010 list is no exception.  This year Patrick O'Brien's The Mutiny on the Bounty came out on top.  It's graphic novel approach to a complex historical event combined with O'Brien's excellent writing style results in an informative and interesting book.  In order to make this story work for children O'Brien focused on events rather than on the larger than life personality clashes between captain and crew.  Readers will learn about life on a British military ship where the captain was king including lovely details like what hardtack is and the weevils that eventually infest it.  When food runs low the crew stops picking out the weevils and starts eating them for the protein.  Such detail will simultaneously gross out and educate which is an excellent combination sometimes. 

The artwork includes sweeping double page spreads with lots of detail that readers will enjoy picking through.  Between the well written text and the well done artwork this book is an engaging historical treat.  Plus kids get introduced to one of the most interesting mutiny stories floating around out there!  Kids in grades 4-6 will get the most out of the story but 3rd graders will also enjoy this book.

What kind of guy would don a 100-pound pack and hike through the Sonoran Desert by starlight, barefoot, and in full knowledge of the fact that there are rattlesnakes everywhere? A guy like naturalist and author Craig Childs, that's who. As he says himself, "There are times when I get too close to things I should not even approach. I can't tell you what it means. It is an errant foolishness buried like a dog bone in my head." And rest assured that The Animal Dialogues: Uncommon Encounters in the Wild is chock full of just such incidents of "errant foolishness," though it also filled with lyricism, humor, awe, and a deep and profound connection with the creatures with whom we share this fragile planet.

The Animal Dialogues consists of 36 essays, never more than a few pages in length, each of which describes an encounter Childs has had with a particular species such as bears, dogs, northern spotted owls, pronghorn antelopes, smelt, red-spotted toads, wasps, and so on. Within each essay, we learn a little about the animal and also a little about Craig Childs. Though they are collected into generalized groups (such as "Carnivora" and "Aves"), the essays are arranged randomly and can be read in any order without loosing the spirit of the book. Some of the stories are terrifying, like the time he was hiking in the eastern Arizona mountains and suddenly found himself in a close-quarters staring match with a predatory mountain lion. Some of the stories are hilarious, like the time he essentially got beat up by a raccoon that Childs was trying to rescue from a desert sinkhole. Many of the stories focus on the mystical wonder that arises from such chance meetings, such as his description of the communion between himself and a sea lion on a moonlit island in the Sea of Cortez. In all cases, the animals and his encounters with them are described in great detail and with great sensitivity.

One especially interesting aspect of The Animal Dialogues is the way the stories gradually paint a picture of the author, like seemingly random pieces of a puzzle coming together. Craig Childs lives simply...in a teepee, in fact. He likes to tie one on once in awhile. He is fond of physically pushing himself to the limit. He definitely gets around; the essays take place in British Columbia, Washington, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Mexico, and so on. And he positively lives to disappear into the wilderness for long stretches of time.

While I find many aspects of his lifestyle highly appealing, I recognize that I personally am probably not up to it, nor are most us, I dare say. So check out The Animal Dialogues for yourself. It might be as close as you ever get (or perhaps even want to get) to experiencing nature on nature's terms.   

I first picked up The House at Riverton because it is about an era I enjoy, Edwardian England.  I was surprised to discover that it starts in 1914 and travels to 1999.  (Actually it starts in 1998 and goes back to 1914 and comes forward and then ends in 1999).  I had thought it was going to be a fascinating little upper class house party story.  Well, there are house parties but the story is more--it is about the major changes in society and how they are resisted and embraced. 

World War I accelerated the changes, servants and the nobility alike enlisted in the service to save the world.  Thousands died or were maimed, mentally and physically.  Women had to enter the work force and become independent.  (I realize that's a good thing, but their parent's didn't think so).   Upper class young women's main occupation was to prepare themselves for marriage and children and to be a decoration to their husbands.  

All of this is told through the eyes of Grace Bradley a ninety-eight year old former housemaid and now a retired Doctor of Archeology living in a rest home. A young woman, Ursula comes to visit Grace to ask about the suicide of a poet, Robbie Hunter, which happened at Riverton in the summer of 1924.  Ursula is making a film of the house party and the suicide and wants Grace to verify that the set for the movie is accurate, and also add any information.   Grace clearly remembers her first day as a fourteen-year-old entering into service at the House at Riverton.  Her training begins when she is told that she was to be honored and grateful working for the Hartfords, the owners of Riverton, and she was to keep their secrets and deserve their trust.  Grace did.  She kept a secret from the first time she was with the children, David, Hannah, and Emmeline, and she kept all the secrets of Hannah and Emmeline until after her own death in 1999.  The House at Riverton is a mystery, a social history and proof of how the present is haunted by the past.  Enjoy.

Our eighth entry in the 2010 Sasquatch Award Nominee excursion is Ten Ways to Make My Sister Disappear by Norma Fox Mazer.  What sibling hasn't thought about this every once in awhile?  I know I wanted to sell my older brother to the farmer down the road but my mom said no.  Oh, well.

10 year old Sprig is so, so tired of living in her older sister's shadow.  Dakota has everything worth having, does everything better, and teases Sprig whenever she complains.  It's just no fun having a perfect older sister.  But when things begin to go really wrong in Sprig's life it comes as a huge surprise to her that sometimes big sister's are kind of useful to have around.

This story is a light, fun read with a few heavy bits mixed in to give it some depth.  Sprig's dad has gone to Afghanistan to build schools and she deeply misses his presence.  She's also dealing with being a tween and a tiny bit of romance blooming in her life.  It's all very confusing for her but she is naturally a bright and happy person and that helps her face the difficulties and confusion pretty well.  There is humor, friendship, disappointment and the joys and pains of family life all wrapped up in this little book.  Kids in 4 - 6 grade will most likely understand Sprig's world but 3rd graders will enjoy the funny story of friendship.

 

Last year KCLS participated in King County Reads - where we encouraged everyone to read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. I was thrilled to discover this new version of the book adapted by Sarah Thomson. If you missed the original, here's the basic story. Greg Mortenson took off traveling to the middle east where he tried to climb K2, the 2nd highest mountain in the world, and some would argue the most challenging. He did not make the summit and upon his descent, he strayed from the trail and got lost. Eventually he stumbled into a remote village, where locals wholeheartedly welcomed him and nursed him back to health with food and kindness. He was shocked to see the village's school, its lack of teachers and supplies. Students were copying their lessons with sticks in the dirt. Greg was inspired by their desire to learn and vowed to return to their village and build them a proper school, and so he did. To date, as director of the Central Asian Institute, Greg has constructed over 50 schools and is dedicated to improving the quality of education for these children, especially young girls. This is a powerful, moving humanitarian story and I'm so excited to see it accessible for a younger audience. It's a great way to share Greg's message with your kids, your students or anyone who wants a simplified version of his story. The book has a great Q&A with Greg's daughter Amira, and information on Pennies for Peace, a fundraising opportunity for interested students. Whereas a penny in American is considered worthless, in Pakistan or Afghanistan a penny can purchase a pencil and help promote education and literacy. Color photographs make a stunning addition and I wish they had been included in the original. Perfect for middle and high school students, parents, or anyone wanting a concise, simplified version of this remarkable story. Highly recommended!

Which of these is not a book about a quest available from the King County Library System?

A. Hyper-Chondriac: One Man's Quest To Hurry Up and Calm Down
B. Vaccinated: One Man's Quest To Defeat the World's Deadliest Diseases
C. Grail Quest: Visiting Every Castle in Monty Python's Holy Grail
D. The Year of the Goat: 40,000 Miles and the Quest for the Perfect Cheese
E. Father Knows Less, or, Can I Cook My Sister?: One Dad's Quest to Answer His Son's Most Baffling Questions
(answer after the break)

Here is a beautifully written baseball book that might appeal to sports non-fans. Of course, baseball fans will love it that much more.

The Girl Who Threw Butterflies tells the story of eighth grader, only-child Mollie Williams and her attempt to play on her school's all-boys baseball team. Mollie has recently lost her father in a single-car accident, an "accident" she suspects might have been a suicide. Mollie shares a love for playing baseball with her late father, and possesses a "secret weapon" taught to her by him. Mollie can throw the impossibly difficult knuckleball pitch, sometimes called the "butterfly ball."

Best friend and budding feminist Celia convinces her to try out for the team, and motivates Mollie with true tales of women who have competed against professional male players, including the tale of Jackie Mitchell, who struck out Babe Ruth in the 1930s: "None of that All-American Girls thing with Madonna and Geena Davis," Celia tells her. While supremely self-aware Mollie struggles to keep the memories of her father alive, her mother undermines the effort by trying to eliminate all household traces of him, including items that Mollie treasures, such as her father's old baseball mitt.

Here lies the true conflict at the center of the story, that between Mollie and her mother:"Things had gone missing... it was a gradual, invisible, but profound disappearance, like erosion. The surface of the earth being transformed. But this was worse, really--it was intentional. It was thievery." Excellent inner dialogue captures Mollie's insightful views about her mother, and about her own life, in general. If it sounds too heavy, it's not. The book provides plenty of sports action, school humor, and baseball lore.

Another baseball themed book that may appeal to sports non-fans is Bette Lord's In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. This one tilts towards historical fiction. If anyone knows of other books featuring girls playing baseball feel free to post a comment.

Today's entry in the 2010 Sasquatch Nominee tour of books is Heat by Mike Lupica.  Baseball fans will thoroughly enjoy this story of baseball wonder kid Michael Arroyo who pitches his team into a chance at the Little League World Series.  His dad always told him that was the most amazing thing Michael could do as a kid and then he would be on his way to the big leagues.  But there are a few things standing between Michael and his dream.  First of all he's good.  Very good.  Too good.  The other coaches think he's too good to be just twelve years old.  They want proof that he's not a 15 year old cheating to help his team win.  So all Michael has to do is prove he's 12.  Unfortunately his parents are dead and his birth certificate is in Cuba and beyond his reach.  And if anyone finds out that he's living with his 17 year old brother Carlos he'll be taken away and he'll lose his family and all his dreams will be crushed.  It's a mess and all Michael wants to do is play ball.

This is a book that deals with the high level topics of illegal aliens, the deaths of both parents, being removed from home by child protective services and many more tough issues.  The baseball makes it accessible to the 5th, 6th grade crowd but the larger topics may require some parental support to help kids understand. 

 The Puget Sound area is fortunate to have quite a few gardening stars living, working the earth, and writing about gardening. Although many people first think of Ciscoe Morris when they think of gardening, I would like to introduce you to several other writers I turn to when working in my garden or giving advice at Master Gardener clinics.  Mary Robson has written two guides perfect for the neophyte and adept gardener alike: Washington and Oregon Gardener's Guide: Proven Plants for Inspired Gardens and Month-by-Month Gardening in Washington and Oregon: What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year.  Who doesn't want to have a beautiful garden and do less work - everyone I think!  Valerie Easton has several great books that take the guesswork out of what grows well in our area: A Pattern Garden: The Essential Elements of Garden Making and Plant Life: Growing a Garden in the Pacific Northwest.  I'm a sucker for fragrance and one of my favorite guides for placing the best plants in my garden is Fragrance in Bloom: The Scented Garden Throughout the Year by Ann Lovejoy.  Ann is also a masterful cook and showcases the bountiful produce from her garden and inspires us to do the same in Fresh From the Garden Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Kitchen Gardens.  Take a look at Ann's other books; you will be amazed at the variety and depth of subjects offered.  If pruning is on the horizon for you I highly recommend Cass Turnbull's Guide to Pruning: What, Where, When and How to Prune For a More Beautiful Garden.  Cass is not only a recognized expert in pruning and landscaping (and founder of Plant Amnesty) she is a funny and engaging writer as well.  Steve Solomon is an opinionated gardener and a well-know proponent of sustainable gardening.  Growing food all year long is possible in our climate and Steve shows how it can be done.  Gardening When it Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times and Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades are two of his books that offer expert advice on helping every family become more self sufficient.  So what's keeping you inside? Get out and get growing!

I've been hearing a lot of news about budget cuts at Washington's public colleges and universities (see this Seattle P-I article about budget cuts). With colleges tightening their belts and limiting some of their offerings, choosing the right college could be more important than ever. The library has books, databases, and recommended websites that might help students decide where to apply and where to go.

Books
The Best 368 Colleges by Robert Franek

Cool Colleges for the Hyper-Intelligent, Self-Directed, LateBlooming, and Just Plain Different by Donald Asher

America's Best Colleges for B Students by Tamra Orr

The College Prowler Series - This series is written by students for students and gives unbiased reviews of schools including academic life, social life, and of course, food.

Databases
Testing and Education Reference Center 
Search for schools that have a particular program or specialty. This database also has SAT and ACT test prep books and practice tests.

Careers Education Reference Collection
Search college and scholarship-themed reference books.

Websites
KCLS librarians have put together a selection of recommended websites for post-secondary education.

A note of caution: if you read about a feature of a school that you really like, it's always a good idea to talk directly with the school about that feature, program, or service before you get your heart set on it. Things can change really fast...especially now when some colleges are making large budget cuts.

Here's a little bit of library math that always makes me nervous: a class of 30 kids times 5 books each for a project on the Revolutionary War. That makes 150 books needed in a one week period at a single library, when a medium sized neighborhood library might only have ten books at an elementary school level. Sure, we can order books from other libraries, but even then, 150 books might not be possible. And if more than one class is doing a report like this in the whole county, you can multiply that 150 again and again.

How to make that math less scary? Talk to your school's Library Media Specialist and talk to the Children's or Teen specialist librarian at the KCLS library closest to your school. Let's all figure out a way for all the students, and not just the early birds, to get everything they need for a report. That might mean assigning slightly different topics to each student, using electronic resources that multiple students can use at once, or some other creative collaboration.

The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search For God by the late Cornell University astronomer Carl Sagan has much the same premise as Sam Harris' Letter To A Christian Nation, a book I blogged about some time ago. However, I think it's safe to say that these two books offer profoundly different reading experiences.

The confrontational tone of Letter is bound to rile you up, whether you are a believer or nonbeliever, and its format (a letter from him to you) precludes the idea of dialogue and results in a declaration of the author's views. As such, Letter is very effective at generating a visceral response, whichever side of the fence you are on, and this might explain why it was a best seller. The Varieties of Scientific Experience, on the other hand, adopts a different approach altogether. The book is a transcript of a series of Gifford Lectures on Natural Theology that he delivered to live audiences at the University of Glasgow in 1985. The scientific method guides his various arguments: "...where we are asking about the truth, we ought to be sure that it's not inconsistent with what else we know.

We should also pay attention to how badly we want to believe a given contention. The more badly we want to believe it, the more skeptical we have to be. It involves a kind of courageous self-discipline." Overall, the tone of this book is well-reasoned and yet infinitely gentle.

This gentleness derives from Sagan's rationalism as well as from his personality, which was kind, humorous, and interested in connections, both scientific and interpersonal. This sense of connection with his audience is underscored by the lengthy Q&A excerpts that appear at the end of the book. The questions were often from the faithful and his responses were always straight but never demeaning.

So what does he say? Well, he touches on a number of topics: humility deriving from the vastness of nature (including and especially the cosmos), the probability of life elsewhere in the universe, the various interpretations (including his own) of religious experience, and the many and conflicting definitions of "God": "...my proposal is that we call reality "reality," that we call love "love," and not call either of them God, which has, while an enormous number of other meanings, not exactly those meanings."

Towards the middle of The Varieties of Scientific Experience, Carl Sagan quotes a poem from an acquaintance that he believed sums up the essential feeling that underlies human religious experience. His response was telling: "...if we are merely matter intricately assembled, is this really demeaning? If there's nothing in here but atoms, does that make us less or does that make matter more?"

You decide.   

Economic times are bad. People are out of work and tensions are rising. Government resources are stretched to the max. War veterans, suffering from injuries, both physical and mental, struggle to fit back into a society on the edge of collapse. No, its not the twenty-first century, its the 1930s when Maisie Dobbs, trained in psychology and investigation, opens her London detective agency.

Maisie personifies the post-World War One era. She was born to service, hired as young girl to be a maid in a great house, but rose above her station when her progressive, suffragist employer discovered her remarkable intellect. Tutored and eventually admitted to university, she gave up her studies when the war broke out, determined to do her bit. As a nurse on the fields of France, she did more than her bit, and came back scarred, like so many of her generation. Her new business signifiies her first attempt to really move past the war. Unfortunately, the war won't let her, or anyone else who experienced it, go. From her assistant Billy, to the cases they cover, often focused on the displaced and neglected veterans, the war is omnipresent, its tragedies only compounded by the harsh economic times.

Among the Mad, the sixth installment of the series, begins explosively, when Maisie and Billy leave the office on Christmas Eve and an itinerant man, maimed in the war, decides to end his life with a hand grenade. The blast has dire ripples as a series of threatening letters are sent to the government. Unless they do something about the plight of the veterans, something terrible will happen in London. The threats become more pressing as murdered animals turn up all over the city, all killed with poisonous chemicals. Maisie works with Scotland Yard to find the killer, but she's all too familiar with the chemicals used in the war and their devasting consequences. If they can't unravel the mystery before New Years, the terrorist could unleash his poisons on an unsuspecting populace.

Meticulous pacing and rich historical details make these books a joy to read, even if their overall tone is somber and often melancholy. Maisie slowly emerges from her past, but is constantly haunted by it. Each mystery compells her a step further on her road. The first book in the series is Maisie Dobbs, followed by Birds of a Feather, Pardonable Lies, Messenger of Truth and An Incomplete Revenge.

Our next selection in the tour of titles for the 2010 Sasquatch Award Nominees is a show stoppingly unique and exciting book...really!  Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy is one of those amazing and fresh stories that come along just every once in awhile to make us believe that creativity is still alive and well in the world.  Kids who like the Artemis Fowl books will really enjoy Skulduggery Pleasant.  And the best news is that there is already an excellent sequel!  Life is good.

When twelve year old Stephanie's eccentric uncle dies and leaves her his estate she doesn't just end up with money and a mansion.  She also inherits her uncle's enemies.  And they aren't just your regular, every day kind of enemies either.  Stephanie's uncle wrote magical,

horror stories that everyone thought were made up... turns out they were all true.  Now Stephanie is the proud and freaked out owner of a very dangerous, magical (and unfortunately hidden) weapon.   The only thing standing between her and the evil sorcerer who really, really wants it is her uncle's best friend and kind of super spy Skulduggery Pleasant, a "living" skeleton with an excellent sense of humor, and some of his questionable "friends" who might be helping them but it's kind of hard to tell sometimes.  With Skulduggery Pleasant in the lead Stephanie's life quickly spirals out of control but what a ride it is. 

New and interesting bad guys abound and the good guys are just as interesting!  The action is non-stop and so are the laughs.  This is definitely a 4 - 6 grade title because the action, like the Artemis Fowl books, can be intense and the reading level is definitely upper elementary and beyond.  This is a not-to-be-missed fantasy thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

George Plimpton wrote his stunning article about Hayden "Sidd" Finch in an April 1985 issue of Sports Illustrated, a few days before baseball's opening day. Finch, a sensitive Harvard dropout, had recently returned from Tibet where he'd lived as a trapas, or aspirant monk. He owned some clothes, a shepherd's crook, a baseball glove, and a French horn. He stood on the pitcher's mound for his spring tryout with the New York Mets wearing one hiking boot and shouted "Namas-te!" (Sanskrit for "Greetings!"). The gathered players and coaches were skeptical. But when the gawky Finch fired a 168 miles-per-hour fastball, the only sound heard across that Florida baseball diamond was the catcher's bleat of pain.

The Mets were desperate to sign Finch to a major league contract, but it would be difficult. How do you entice someone to play major league baseball who has no interest in money or fame? And Finch had many interests beyond pitching. He was a serious musician who loved to play his French horn in his bath and at the window. He played beautifully. By far the Mets' biggest difficulty in signing Finch was that Finch wasn't real. George Plimpton made him up, and Sports Illustrated ran the story as a joke for their April 1st issue.

Plimpton's article is reprinted in Sports Illustrated Baseball: Four Decades of Sports Illustrated's Finest Writing on America's Favorite Pastime. SI has long produced some of the best sports journalism, and their articles often pass over from great sports writing to great writing. Frank Deford, Robert Creamer, Steve Wulf and others contribute articles to this collection that's less about baseball than the people who play it and those of us who love it.

Every time I spot the latest issue of Glamour on the library magazine display, I grab it and turn to the last page: the Dos and Don'ts page. It is a total guilty pleasure!

This is the page on which they show photos of real folks (with identities protected) wearing either fabulous or regrettable fashions. It is typically theme-based: one month it shows people wearing animal prints well or badly. Another month they'll highlight people who have either successfully or unsuccessfully combined plaid and polka dots.

According to the magazine, this has always been one of their most popular features, so they decided it was time to parlay this triumph into a book and Glamour's Big Book of Dos and Don'ts: Fashion Help for Every Woman by Cindi Leivi and the editors of Glamour was born.

The book has all the photos I love. It's got the ones showing the exact right outfit on the exact right body type. And, it's got the ones that make you cringe. The photos include regular Janes and some celebrities as well.

Now, if it was just photos, there wouldn't be much to write about. So, luckily, the book also has advice on how to dress for your body type, "must haves," "if you can only buy one, buy this," and how to buy on a budget. It also has makeovers and explanations on why something is or is not a DON'T--although usually it is pretty obvious.

This is a fun book that you'll enjoy looking through with a friend and if you find yourself in here, I hope you're on a DO page.

And the tour of titles continues with 2010 Sasquatch Award Nominee Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell.  If you like Roald Dahl you're going to love Emmy!  Many Roald Dahl-esque elements can be found in this book.  Over the top baddies in the form of the grown ups in charge, extremely

odd and sometimes scary situations that the main character finds herself in and the lovely, quirky humor.  Emmy has it all!

When we first meet Emmy her life has taken a rather exciting and oddly depressing turn.  Her family has inherited a huge amount of money which should be a good thing.  But her parents have changed and become stuck on the idea of being cool and rich while Emmy seems to be slipping from their minds.  Her teachers and classmates all ignore her like she doesn't exist and she's left lonely and pretty much alone in a big mansion with a very creepy nanny who doesn't ignore her (unfortunately) but instead watches her constantly like a jail warden.  Life is definitely unpleasant.  And then it gets weird.  Emmy starts hearing the classroom rat talking to itself and then to her.  She thinks she's going crazy but then she's dumped head first into the underground world of talking rodents with extraordinary powers who try to help her escape from what turns out to be a dangerous plot to get rid of her and take all her money.

This story has twists and turns aplenty and is filled with wonderfully quirky characters.  The villains are a mix of funny and creepy and will keep you laughing and covering your eyes throughout the whole story.  The old fashioned (dare I say retro) cover may not have big appeal but the story will capture 4 - 6 graders and not let them go until the end.  Plus there's a cool flip-it along the edge of the pages that I found endlessly entertaining.  I'm not sure what that says about me but I think kids will like it too. 

Which of these is not a book about the mind available from the King County Library System?

A. Mind Hacks
B. Kluge: the Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind
C. Mind Fist: the Asian Art of the Ninja Masters
D. The Mind in the Cradle: How Babies Develop Intellect

Answer after the break

The Count of Monte Cristo has it all:  Murder and suicide, deceit, greed, envy, lust and adultery, and most all a complicated and convoluted story of revenge.  Yet some have said this is a children's story-- of a man overcoming terrible circumstances.  The Count of Monte Cristo is one of the more heavily edited and abridged books around, so I think some of the abridgements would work well for kids, but certainly not the 1276 page edition that I read.   (I like to brag about that number).   One critic has said of Dumas; that he wouldn't write a sentence when a paragraph would do.  But what paragraphs!    Dumas's language is lush and lurid.  The Count of Monte Cristo was serialized, so that may have something to do with the word count.  The pages just flew by as I was reading--I can tell when I am enjoying a book because I don't see the pages turn.  When I must put a good book down, I am frequently surprised how far I have read.  Books I don't like, I see every single page number, in fact I think I keep one eye on the number as I read, mmmm that is probably what is slowing me down.

Edmund Dantes is an innocent happily engaged young man at the start of this novel.  Four of his "friends" envy his good fortune, and one covets his fiancée, so they concoct a fake letter, that sends him to prison for life.  His father and Edmund's employer plead with the local prosecuting attorney to save Edmond. But the prosecuting attorney seizes the opportunity to further his career and condemns Edmond to life imprisonment.  Edmond is in prison for fourteen years, the first years are full of despair and anger, but he meets another prisoner, Abbe Faria, who teaches him philosophy, languages, science and the hidden location of a vast fortune.  Edmond escapes and finds the fortune and starts on his avenging path.  But first he discovers what happened to his father and rewards those who helped.  Obviously this a very thin bare bones outline--there is so much to enjoy, in some ways like a very very good made for TV movie, which it was.  I just sank, yes, wallowed in the language, and was amazed at the complexity of the revenge.   If you want a big story with it all you will certainly want to read The Count of Monte Cristo. If you are short for time you might want to read an abridged edition.  Or maybe start with the abridged and then read the other.  I read the abridged edition (441 pages) as a young teen and loved the story, but didn't realize it was abridged until I checked out this copy.

If a simple lifestyle change could help you lose weight, reduce your risk of long-term and chronic diseases, and cut your grocery bills, would you do it?  Would it help to know that, by making this simple lifestyle change, you would be helping to slow the rate of global warming?  If so, Food Matters:  A Guide to Conscious Eating, might be your next favorite book.

A few years ago, author and food columnist Mark Bittman realized he was pretty unhealthy.  The extra pounds he had put on over the years left him with bad knees and sleep apnea, among other physical ailments.  Realizing he need to lose some weight and get healthier, he started eating less meat and more plants.  No calorie counting, no strict rules.  Bittman simply replaced most of the meat and dairy in his diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, and the results were dramatic.  Just by making this simple change in his eating habits, Bittman lost 35 pounds and remarkably improved his health. 

If you are not familiar with Mark Bittman, you should be (full disclaimer: I'm a huge fan).  Author of the weekly New York Times food column, The Minimalist, Bittman has a keen sense for simple but delicious recipes that rely on just a few fresh ingredients.  He has also written a number of excellent cookbooks, including How to Cook Everything: 2000 Simple Recipes for Great Food.  Food Matters can also be considered a cookbook, but only partially so.  As the subtitle suggests, Bittman provides (along with some recipes) guidelines for making food choices that are not only good for you, but good for the environment as well.  What I really appreciate about this book is that, even though it is based on hard science*, it is still very readable and never feels preachy.  Instead, Bittman provides enough information to let the reader make his or her own decisions about what and how to eat.  It's informative, enlightening, and remarkably simple.  With a month's worth of recipes and menu suggestions, there's no excuse not to try.

*Get ready for some horrifying statistics: the average American eats the equivalent of a cup of sugar per day.  A cup of sugar!  EVERY DAY!



 

This is the fourth entry in our 2010 Sasquatch Nominee discovery tour.  For this one we are going into the dark and shivery world of the ghost story with Mary Downing Hahn's Deep and Dark and Dangerous.

Thirteen year old Ali loves her mom but has always wondered why she is so strange sometimes.  She cries easily and spends days in bed if she gets upset by the littlest thing.  When Ali's wild Aunt Dulcie asks her to spend the summer at the family cabin in Maine and help care for her four year old cousin, Ali is thrilled to get away from her mom for awhile.  But the cabin is filled with dark family secrets and Ali and her young cousin Emma are drawn in before they even get settled.

The story is fast paced with a creepy ghost that will send shivers down the reader's back plus it has a wonderfully creepy cover!  Kids in grades 4-6 will particularly enjoy this chilling story.  Mary Downing Hahn has written many books for children and has some particularly wonderful ghost stories in the mix.  Her very best ghost story is Wait Till Helen Comes.  But she also writes funny stories, westerns, stories about friends and more.  She's a talented author who knows how to capture the interest of her readers.