Wednesday

The Red Garden


Alice Hoffman finds the part of us that feels the world instinctively, and brings it into kinship with every aspect of the physical world. Transported by her language of flora and fauna, we arrive in a spiritual world where physics and spirit cannot be separated.

Less magical than its predecessors, The Red Garden is for that reason more enthralling. Hoffman has, at times, taken the magical bit a bit too far. But here, as in The Story Sisters, she carries us on the back of bears and the wings of bees into reality, raw and subtle at the same time.

Each chapter is a story unto itself, and could stand alone in a collection of short stories. Yet there are threads woven throughout, linking the generations of inhabitants in one small Massachusetts town from one end of 300 years to the other. And it is in these links, disguised as mere folklore or gossip or impossible legend, that meaning is found.

If you are an Alice Hoffman fan, you will love this book. If you have liked some of her work and been disappointed by some, you will love this book. If you have not read Alice Hoffman, this is as good a place as any to begin your devotion.

Monday

You can't judge a book by it's cover or title



Sometimes books that are put on display just sit there on the shelves. The books we select to purchase for the library have received good reviews, but sometimes their covers or titles don't do them justice.  As the case with "The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady". I probably walked by this book for a month, had conversations with staff members and patrons about it. No one wanted to read it. I'm not sure if it's the neon green woman on the cover or the radioactive in the title.  I honestly felt bad for the radioactive lady for reasons other than her being radioactive. So I decided to take it home and give it whirl.

I found that I really enjoyed reading this book. Marylou Ahearn wants revenge on the doctor who gave her a radioactive cocktail in the 1950's when she was pregnant.  She blames him for ruining her life.  It's now 50 years later and she sets out to get her revenge.  She changes her name to Nancy Archer (Attack of the 50 Ft woman), moves to his town, and inserts herself into his family.  While there were some serious moments, I found myself laughing out loud more than once. As you start looking for books to take to on your summer vacation, don't forget about the radioactive lady!

Oh by the way, let me save you the trouble. The cover of this book does not glow in the dark. I checked!

Sunday

Talk it up: A book club for Grades 1 & 2

Thursdays from 4-5 PM for 6 weeks From April 28-June 2 Read and discuss the book at home as a family. Then the children come to the library to join Miss Angela in a discussion of the story and illustrations. We will also do a theme related craft or activity. Copies of the book will be available one week before each meeting at the circulation desk. Come to as many discussions as you wish. The first book will be “Arnie the Doughnut” by Laurie Keller.

Friday

Missed treasures

This week, I have been going through the children's non-fiction collection looking for books that should be removed from the collection.  Sometimes it's easy to make that decision -  the book is in bad condition or outdated. There are some books that just get lost on the shelves and never checked out. I thought I'd share some of these missed treasures so you can discover them for yourself.

Ask me Anything (J 031 Ask) - Find out any fact you ever wanted to know!

Many Ways: How Families practice their beliefs and religions (J 200 Rot)

Turn of the Century (J 305.23 Jack) Travel back in time to see what it would be like to live without electricity, computers and even ice-cream!!

Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott (323.1196 Freedman) - Any book by Russell Freedman is worth a look at!

Follow the Money (J 332.4 Leedy) A quarter describes all the ways it is used from being minted until it is taken back to a bank.

Zap: A Brief history of television (J 384.554 Cal)

If you would like some more children's non-fiction recommendations, stop by the children's room and I'll share some more treasures with you.

Tuesday

Play Poetry Pursuit!!

***Win a chocolate just for playing! ***Enter your ticket in a raffle to win a gift card! 1) Use an Internet computer to get onto LITFINDER 2) Follow the instructions ( Click Here! ) at the computers to find a poem 3) Listen to the poem using the earphones provided 4) Print out the poem and bring it to the Librarian 5) Fill out a raffle ticket 6) Enter up to 3 times! 7) Take a chocolate! 8) Wait until April 30th to see if you won!

New DVDs

Check catalog for availability

Black Swan
Casino Jack
I Love You Phillip Morris
Little Fockers
Tangled
Tron Legacy
Welcome to the Rileys
Yogi Bear