Bring Home Commander Toad

It's toward the end of the work day for me...a patron calls...I answer...the voice on the other end says, "Bring Home Commander Toad." A second later, he says, "Please, Mom." That's all it takes, we will be reading non-stop Commander Toad books by Jane Yolen for the next week. The Children's collection at each branch has a great selection of Easy Readers for your child to read with help and to start learning to read on their own!

Through a Lens

The front page of the March 28, 1927 New York Times read "Slot Photo Device Brings $1,000,000 to Young Inventor." The Photomaton (predecessor of our photobooths) was the result of the creativity and tenacity of a man from a small town in Siberia. American Photobooth documents the history of the man and his machine, and features examples of how the photos have (and have not) changed over the years.
In Instamatic Karma May Pang shares her never-before-seen images of John Lennon that capture him at home and at work, in color and black and white. Definitely worth a look!

Learning to Cook

I’ll admit it: I don’t know how to cook. Over the last few months I’ve been on a mission to eat a little healthier and to know exactly what ingredients go into my food—which means less take-out. During my attempts to learn how to cook, I’ve perused the shelves of cookbooks at KPL and I’ve come across some great finds. My favorite is How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. Author and food-aficionado Mark Bittman has put together a detailed cookbook that includes over 2,000 recipes and instructions on everything from how to properly dice an onion to the best type of cookware for certain foods. It’s the perfect book for the beginner chef or someone simply looking to expand their recipe repertoire.

From Poverty to the Presidency

As the campaigning for U.S. President heats up, take a break and see how it is done in Bolivia. At least how Evo Morales, the first fully indigenous president of Bolivia since the Spanish Conquest almost 500 years ago, did it. Alejandro Landes' documentary, Cocalero, about Evo Morales' rise to power is a refreshing look at a campaign that doesn't require millions of dollars to be successful.

In Defense of Food

OK I admit it, I love food and I love to eat! That's why I was so interested in reading In Defense Of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. The relationship between people and food is a subject author, Michael Pollan, explores often in his writing. Pollan's focus with this book is to "help us reclaim our health and happiness as eaters", which intrigued me. There have been so many books written about the subject of food and diets that it is overwhelming.

Pollan takes a step-back point of view with this confusing and complicated subject and offers a fresh perspective. He discusses the ideology of nutritionism and the roles of the food industry, nutrition science, and journalism. He looks at how food has become the "sum of their nutrients", the complexity of our modern food products, and what he calls "foodlike substances".

I feel that he offers a thoughtful big-picture approach to eating throughout his book. Even if you do not agree with all of his opinions, you think about what you eat and how you eat in a different way. I know I did. Check out Michael Pollan's other books at KPL, too!

Home Town Memories

Feel like taking a walk down memory lane? Stop in the local history room and spend a little time with our collection of books from the Images of America series by Arcadia Publishing. This series tells the history of individual communities throughout the country using historic photos and images. The history room collection contains dozens of these gems for Michigan cities and towns, from Albion to Ypsilanti. After a few minutes with the book for your home town you’ll be fondly saying, “Oh, I remember that…”

NoveList

So you have just finished that last Nora Roberts book or maybe you’ve just read that last book in the Steve Hamilton mystery series set in Michigan’s U.P. and you’re thinking what next. The library subscribes to a great database that can help you find that next book you want to read.

NoveList® can help you find your next book to read. This database of over 155,000 fiction titles for readers of all ages lets you use your favorite author to link to other books you might enjoy. And once you find a title, you can link direct to KPL’s catalog from NoveList to see if the book is available at the library.

Speaking of the Beach…

I’ve been dreaming about the beach and beach-reading lately. Something about all this snow has me reminiscing back to the first real warm spring day last year, when friends encouraged me to drop everything, pack a quick bag and head to South Haven with them. We savored the warm sun till it dipped over the lake’s edge, and as we sat in the sand, I asked each person to share about a book that “stuck” with her, and why she remembered it.

Here is their list:

Jen remembered Cold Mountain, by Charles Frazier because its images and characters drew her in.

Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull stuck with Michele. It was a quick read, and every time she’s read it, it had a different meaning for her. With each read, she found something else that would speak to her.

Carla spoke of Johnny got his Gun, a powerful anti-war novel that included flashbacks back and forth to the present. She was intrigued by Dalton Trumbo's stream-of-consciousness writing.

Looking for something to read (or re-read) as you dream about the beach? Try polling some of your friends and learn what has “stuck” with them.

At KPL's sixth annual Teen Literature Seminar held on March 14, 2008, a topic that was mentioned by more than one speaker was the lack of high quality nonfiction being written for teens today. In that light, and in light of the current issues surrounding the presidential campaign, I offer, for the consideration of young and old alike, Race: A History Beyond Black and White by Marc Aronson. Reviewers have said:

"An essential resource for anyone studying the idea of race." - School Library Journal
"...[a] challenging offering from one of our finest history writers" - Kirkus Reviews
"an impressive, informative study that demands attention. It is likely to be dissected and debated—especially by students with a sophisticated grasp of history—and will, it is hoped, inspire questions." - Booklist

Other recent notable additions to the nonfiction section of the Teen collection include:
Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Ges Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez
Red: The Next Generation of American Writers - Teenage Girls - on What Fires up their Lives Today by Amy Goldwasser (ed)
One Hundred Young Americans by Michael Franzini

More Than Just the Proposal

As the nonprofit librarian, I’m often asked by those who work for grassroots, community-based organizations about the steps one should take when drafting a proposal for funding. I always recommend that the person consult our extensive array of nonprofit management books, periodicals, web links, and reference titles to help them understand the grant-seeking process from a broad, holistic perspective that takes into account administrative issues ranging from budgeting to public relations campaigns. Long-term success of any nonprofit is based largely on managerial competence. Remember, there are many books on the second floor of the Central library that cover the subject of proposal writing but don’t forget to supplement those titles with materials that provide your organization with knowledge capital and best practice tools.

HAPPY SPRING

Happy first day of spring to all. This milestone after a rather harsh winter reminds me of an assignment I had as a 17-year-old freshman at WMU when I took “Librarianship as a Profession.” The professor asked the class to read from a list of books that had a “tremendous impact” on American society. The one I chose was Rachel Carson’s SILENT SPRING, a volume that alerted the populace to the dangers of the widespread use of pesticides, particularly DDT. Carson warned that if this were to continue there would be, indeed, a “silent spring” in which “no birds sing.” Originally published in 1962, a fortieth anniversary edition was released in 2002. Kalamazoo Public Library owns the original 1962, the 2002, a PBS video, and a CD of this landmark work, and there will be a discussion of it at the downtown library on Tuesday, May 6, from 7-8pm.

Motor City

The city of Detroit plays such a big part in the stories of Detroit Noir that she becomes another character--not just the setting. The collection contains works by authors who have a special connection to the Motor City: Joyce Carol Oates, P.J. Parrish, and Michael Zadoorian are just a few. References to Vernors, the Ren Cen, Grand River Avenue, and other landmarks make the book a special read for those familiar with Motown. Motor City Dream Garages by Rex Roy features photographs of majestic garages of Detroit (a natural fit for the home of the big three automakers). Spectacular Homes of Michigan hit the shelves this week as well. It takes a look at the work of several interior designers throughout the state, including D.J. Kennedy. One of Kennedy's well-known projects was the design of Dennis Archer's 1920's mansion in Detroit. The luxury of the houses rivals the garages of Roy's book!

Far Pavilions

Like many readers of fiction, I have a collection of old favorites I look up from time to time for a good read. One such favorite of mine is The Far Pavilions by M. M. (Mary Margaret) Kaye. Set in India during the colonial era, The Far Pavilions is a romantic saga, lavish in history, and rich in both characterization and description. It includes all the ingredients for a good read: believable and interesting characters, meticulously researched history that is well blended into a plot line with adventure, romance and a bit of intrigue. However, it is not a quick read at over 900 pages. M. M. Kaye also wrote two other similar historical novels: Shadow of the Moon, also set in India; and Trade Wind, set in Zanzibar off the coast of East Africa.

The last Chinese chef

"The Last Chinese Chef" was recommended to me by a friend who had traveled in China; I was not disappointed.

This novel by Nicole Mones tells the story of Maggie McElroy, a widowed American food writer who travels to Beijing with two goals. The first is to investigate a totally unexpected Chinese paternity claim against her late husband's estate. The second is to write a magazine story about an up and coming half American Chinese chef who is competing in a major culinary event.

What could have been melodramatic in lesser hands than Mones' shows how "food can heal the human heart", an assertion that Maggie at first rejects but comes to believe, as her grief lessens and her life evolves.

America: what could have been ...

I've always been a voracious reader of American history, so I thought I had a pretty good understanding of it. Certainly the founding of our nation and the people who shaped it held no great mystery for me. Or so I thought. Well I was wrong. American creation, by Joseph Ellis takes a novel approach to the unfolding of our republic and the remarkable prescience of its leaders. He offers a compelling critique of the strengths and shortcomings of Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton and Adams which leaves the reader in awe - but dismayed. He writes that our legacy of slavery and the displacement of Native Americans were not inevitable outcomes. The founders knew slavery was an abomination and seriously considered ways to mitigate or even eliminate it entirely. President Washington and then Secretary of War Henry Knox envisioned the creation of a series of Indian homelands whose political and geographic integrity would be guaranteed by federal law. Ultimately these protectorates would have been assimilated as new states. Ellis writes about our history not only as it was - but what it might have been.

Digging It!

Trying to attract the birds, find activities for your children, exercise for yourself and pure visual enjoyment can be had from creating and tending a garden. Vine ripened tomatoes, fresh zucchini and spring peas are so delicious straight from the garden. Lots of space is not necessary but enjoyment is huge. The library has many books to choose from including: Bird-by-bird gardening, Newspaper, pennies, cardboard & eggs for a better garden growing. These are just a couple of our new books. Many of the gardening books are on display in the first floor rotunda.

Invasion of the crab-body snatchers!

Did you know that there are parasites in the animal world that actually "body-snatch" by taking over a host and forcing it to do what the parasite wants? One such parasite, called Sacculina (pictured left), begins life swimming peacefully through the water, resembling a tiny shrimp, but as soon as it finds a host crab, its agenda changes! It sheds its body and injects a tiny blob of cells into the crab which grows tentacles throughout the entire crab, including its brain. Rendered helpless, everything the crab does is now controlled by the cunning and relentless Sacculina. Although the crab eats, it can't grow since all of its food feeds greedy Sacculina, and can't breed but cares for Sacculina's young as if they were its own, even though the babies will eventually move on to inflict themselves on other unsuspecting crabs! Sacculina even makes its male crab victims behave like females in order to better care for its babies! Learn about this freaky parasite and many others in What's eating you? : parasites--the inside story, by Nicola Davies. It is located in the Children's Room at J 591.65 DAVI.

INSPECTOR NORSE

Henning Mankell is one of my favorite mystery writers. His books feature Kurt Wallander, a hard working, conscientious policeman as the main protagonist. Mankell, a Swede, places his police procedural books in Ystad, Sweden. Translated in over 30 languages,his yarns evocatively portray Wallander as a wonderfully complex and compelling crime solving detective,with the action set against a backdrop of the ordinary, hum-drum details of daily life.

Kurt Wallander himself feels increasingly out of kilter with the modern world.The crimes he encounters seem like the years' encroaching darkness, part of a world that is revolving away from innocence.

Some of my favorite Wallander mysteries include: "Fifth Woman", "One Step Behind","Before the Frost", and "Faceless Killers"( the first Wallander book published in 1991). Mankell's books are strong on characterization, plotting, and atmosphere and provide the perfect winter respite, despite the fact that they occur in Sweden!

by Teresa M-R