The Fault in Our Stars

Last week we received the new teen book "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green. I was suprised that it was a signed copy (I was wondering if he signed every single copy?) The very next day I came across an interview with the author in which he was asked that very question. Apparently he thought it would be a fun way to engage with his fans--of course he thought he could just sign the 1,200 preorders but things quickly got out of hand. Final tally--150,000 signatures and a repetitive stress injury. The good news is he has sold 150,000 copies!

Do You Suffer From Text Neck?

Last week I watched one of the morning shows present a story on how staring down at smartphones and tablets all the time is creating terrible posture and stress on the neck. Two days later I saw another article on the hidden dangers of touchscreens.  The youngest case of text neck is  a 3 year old boy who  loves to play video games. Once I started looking into it I found articles all over the place on the dangers of repetitive stress injuries, neck and back strain, all caused by those helpful little devices we love so much. Today I am going to be like your mother and say, "sit up straight! Put that phone away, go outside and play!" And if you can't do that, at least hold your arms out and try to look straight ahead. Pull your shoulder blades back and down to restore the natural curve of your neck.

And To Think...

Good news to all aspiring writers out there--Dr. Seuss' first book, And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street, was rejected for publishing 27 times! A chance meeting with a friend, who had just become a publisher, and the rest is history. There was a great story about "How Dr. Suess Got His Start On Mulberry Street" on Morning Edition.

For Fans of Downton Abbey

If you are a big fan of PBS's Downton Abbey series then you know that one episode a week is not enough. We have created a brand new bookmark of suggested reading and viewing just for you. Try the books and DVDs on this list which cover the Edwardian period, class differences, manor life, and the lives of the serving classes. Gosford Park was written by Julian Fellowes, the same man who created Downton Abbey, and is a terrific movie in its own right. It also stars Dame Maggie Smith so how can you go wrong?

The Children’s Book by A.S. Byatt
Mina by Jonatha Ceely
The Shooting Party by Isabel Colegate
Snobs by Julian Fellowes (creator of Downton Abbey)
Fall of Giants by Ken Follett
American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin
Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
The perfect Summer by Juliet Nicolson
Below Stairs by Margaret Powell
The Guynd: a Scottish Journal by Belinda Rathbone
The Edwardians by Vita Sackville-West
House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons

Brideshead Revisited DVD
Gosford Park DVD
Upstairs Downstairs DVDs

Remembering Bessie Parker

 

I found a lovely surprise on my desk this morning. Someone had donated this photo of a story time given by Bessie Parker, who worked at the Dover Public Library from 1900-1948. She is said to have worked here for 52 years so she may have started even earlier than 1900. I would love to hear from anyone who recognizes children in the photo, or even attended a story hour given by Bessie. Do you have a story time memory you would like to share?

Award Winners Announced

The American Library Association announced the winners of the John Newbery, the Randolph Caldecott and the Michael L. Printz medals this morning. And the winners are:

The John Newbery Medal for most outstanding contribution to children's literature:

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Newbery Honor Books:
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin

The Randolph Caldecott Medal for most distinguished American picture book for children:

A Ball for Daisy illustrated and written by Chris Raschka

Caldecott Honor Books:
Blackout illustrated and written by John Rocco
Grandpa Green illustrated and written by Lane Smith
Me . . . Jane illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:

Where ThingsCome Back by John Corey Whaley

For a complete listing of 2012 Youth Media Award announcements click here.

Dover Reads!

Celebrate the 10th anniversary of “Dover Reads”! "Dover Reads", a citywide reading project sponsored by the Dover School District Community Involvement Committee, encourages everyone in Dover to read the same book to promote a sense of community and the joy of reading.

This year, we are very excited that the committee has chosen The Talisman of Elan and Antarctic Ice by Dover resident Jim Mastro.
All are welcome to join us for the annual "kick-off" celebration on Friday, January 20th in the Renaissance Room @ the Dover Middle School from 7:00-8:00 p.m. Come and meet Jim and hear his presentation on his life as a scientist exploring Antarctica, and his path to becoming an author.
For more information about "Dover Reads" and upcoming events click here

Edgar Award Nominees for Best Mysteries 2011

Here are the nominees! Awards ceremony is April 26 in New York City!

Best Novel
The Ranger by Ace Atkins

Gone by Mo Hayder

The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino

1222 by Anne Holt

Field Gray by Philip Kerr

Best First Novel
Red on Red by Edward Conlon

Last to Fold by David Duffy

All Cry Chaos by Leonard Rosen

Bent Road by Lori Roy

Purgatory Chasm by Steve Ulfelder

Best Paperback Original
The Company Man by Robert Jackson Bennett

The Faces of Angels by Lucretia Grindle

The Dog Sox by Russell Hill

Death of the Mantis by Michael Stanley

Vienna Twilight by Frank Tallis

Best Fact Crime
The Murder of the Century: The Gilded Age Crime That Scandalized a City and Sparked the Tabloid Wars by Paul Collins

The Savage City: Race, Murder, and a Generation on the Edge by T.J. English

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard

Girl, Wanted: The Chase for Sarah Pender by Steve Miller

The Man in the Rockefeller Suit: The Astonishing Rise and Spectacular Fall of a Serial Imposter by Mark Seal

Best Critical Biographical
The Tattooed Girl: The Enigma of Stieg Larsson and the Secrets Behind the Most Compelling Thrillers of our Time by Dan Burstein, Arne de Keijzer & John-Henri Holmberg

Agatha Christie: Murder in the Making by John Curran

On Conan Doyle: Or, the Whole Art of Storytelling by Michael Dirda

Detecting Women: Gender and the Hollywood Detective Film by Philippa Gates

Scripting Hitchcock: Psycho, The Birds and Marnie by Walter Raubicheck and Walter Srebnick

Best Juvenile

Horton Halfpott by Tom Angleberger

It Happened on a Train by Mac Barnett

Vanished by Sheela Chari

Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby

The Wizard of Dark Street by Shawn Thomas Odyssey

Young Adult

Shelter by Harlan Coben

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

The Silence of Murder by Dandi Daley Mackall

The Girl is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines

Kill You Last by Todd Strasser

Fans of Phryne Fisher, Rejoice!

We have 2 new audiobooks starring the fearless, unconventional detective righting wrongs and defeating evil doers in 1920s Australia. In Dead Man's Chest, Phryne has promised her two daughters and her faithful companion Dot a quiet holiday by the sea with no murders, however crime has a way of finding Phryne. They arrive at their vacation house to find the staff missing and place ransacked. Things only get more complicated by a gang of vicious smugglers, a film crew in town, and rumors of a pirate's treasure.
In The Queen of the Flowers, Phryne must deal with elephants, an old lover, and the disappearance of one of her daughters.
The Phryne Fisher series by Kerry Greenwood is some of the most entertaining listening you will find. Check it out!

The Library is Closed Monday

Don't forget, the Library will be closed on Monday in honor of Martin Luther King Day. Make sure to stock up on Saturday!

Book Stacks After Hours

Ever wonder what goes on in the Library after everyone has left? Maybe this video of what happens in a bookstore at night will help answer the question.

"I have a dream..."

The Children's Room staff created a bulletin board display in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and invited the children to post their "I have a dream..." comments. Here are a few of their dreams:

"To see lots of Movies"
"My dream is to be a famous dancer."
"I wish there were snowflakes."
"To be 20 already...to drive a bus"
"To see the world and help those in it."

To read more, click on the picture to enlarge it.

What Lies Beneath

I just finished a fascinating, and short, history of what lies beneath the city of London, called London Under by Peter Ackroyd. I thought I had a pretty good idea of what lurked beneath London being a fan of English history, but I was surprised at how much more there is to the story. It is more than old Victorian brick lined sewers and forgotten tube lines. Hidden below the city lies Saxon coffins, mammoth bones, plague pits, sacred springs, relics, buried roads, and even a Roman galley. 

Want a taste of the interesting tidbits you will find in this book? Read on.

In 1865 a gang of workmen, digging beneath the surface of Oxford Street, found a curious trap-door. They opened it and were astonished to find a flight of sixteen brick steps. They followed them and "entered a room of considerable size." The walls were built of red brick, with eight arches originally designed to let in the light. In the middle of the chamber was a pool or bath, about 6 feet in depth. It was half-full of water, and a spring could still be seen bubbling up. It was in all probability a Roman bapistery in which the water still flowed from a tributary of the Tyburn.

Perceval and the Holy Grail

On Tuesday evening January 17 at 7pm, the Friends of the Dover Public Library will present an interactive talk about the Holy Grail by writer and poet Diana Durham. Come hear and participate in one of the world’s most intriguing stories: the quest for the grail as Durham talks about its evolution through the centuries and why it is still relevant in our lives today. Willing audience members will have the chance to become Perceval, Arthur, Morgana, Merlin, the grieving maiden, and other fascinating characters as scenes are acted out from this new dramatic retelling.

In the story of Perceval, the young and impulsive knight travels through a wasteland kingdom of strange warriors and damsels. On his journey, he meets the great King Arthur and the wise wizard Merlin and enters mysterious Grail Castle. Befriended by the sorceress Morgana, he unravels the meaning of the Grail.

Diana Durham speaks and runs workshops about the Arthurian and Grail myths and their meaning, and has told the story of Perceval and the Grail to a wide range of audiences, young and old. She has been called “a fabulous storyteller”, “evocative” and “inspiring”. In addition to her non-fiction book “The Return of King Arthur”, Diana has published two poetry collections, “Sea of Glass” and “To the End of the Night”'. In London, Diana worked with the Angels of Fire performance group, appearing in The Voice Box at the Royal Festival Hall. In New Hampshire, she founded '3 Voices' three women writers, funded in part by the NH State Council on the Arts, who have performed state-wide. She is currently a Visiting Research Associate at the Women’s Studies Research Center at Brandeis University.

All lectures in the Friends of the Library’s Cultural Series are free and open to the public. Refreshments will follow the program. Please call the Library, 516-6050, for more information.

Saturday Matinees

Saturday Matinees are back! Join us each Saturday at 2:00pm in our Lecture Hall for a FREE movie showing. Here is the line-up for January:

***Jan. 14th--Glee: The Movie, Rated PG.
***Jan. 21st--Dolphin Tale, Rated PG
***Jan. 28th--Real Steel, Rated PG 13

Visit our web site to see a full listing of movies with descriptions!

Afraid of Librarians?

This week’s Time Magazine (1/9/12) has an article entitled “Fearing Well” (p. 36) by Jeff Wise. He cautions us that there are plenty of things to fear, so choose carefully! Apparently, people routinely misjudge risks and fixate on perceived threats which are really not harmful, instead of the really scary stuff that we should be afraid of. In the 4-quadrant graphic illustrating the article, different things are placed on a matrix scale divided by dangerous/not dangerous and what we fear/don’t fear.
You really need to see the illustration, but the bottom left quadrant shows things which have both “not dangerous” and “not fearful” characteristics, and here, along with teddy bears and hugs, are listed Librarians! The description of us says, “In times of stress, we take comfort in trusted authorities.”
So I’m of mixed minds about this characterization. Yes, I’m happy to provide a less-stress, comfortable, fear-free environment in our library for our patrons (and I’ve heard a lot recently about people growing weary of being so tuned-in all the time to their e-devices so they’re seeking more solace, quiet, and contemplative spaces---not that you can find too much of it in our busy library, but anyway… ). Still, I hate to cater to that stereotypical image of the meek and mild librarian whose worst weapon is her “shush”. Not that I want to inspire fear, but neither do we want to be seen as Casper Milquetoasts!
Here are some conflicting images of librarians who could fit into each quadrant of Mr. Wise’s matrix! Which librarian fits your mental picture of us?

Most Popular Downloads

We all know that downloadable eBooks and audiobooks are wildly popular but did you ever wonder which ones are the most popular? Overdrive, the company that supplies the downloadable materials to New Hampshire Downloadable Books has just posted a list of the titles that were downloaded the most at libraries around the country. I was happy to see that Bossypants was the #1 adult non-fiction audiobook. Well deserved, Tina Fey!

Books into Films 2012

Get a head start and read these now, before the movies debut!

JANUARY:
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
Coriolanus by William Shakespeare with Ralph Fiennes, Gerard Butler, Vanessa Redgrave
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver, starring Tilda Swinton
One for the Money by Janet Evanovich with Katherine Heigl as Stephanie Plum

FEBRUARY:
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill, starring Daniel Radcliffe

MARCH:
Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax with the voices of Danny DeVito, Zac Ephron & Taylor Swift
Think Like a Man from “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man” by Steve Harvey
Game Change starring Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin, Ed Harris as John McCain. Book by John Heilemann & Mark Halperin
Being Flynn from the book “Another Bullsh*t Night in Suck City” by Nick Flynn, with Robert DeNiro
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Bk 2 Catching Fire film due in Nov. 2013)

APRIL (on TV):
Great Expectations with Gillian Anderson on Masterpiece Theatre (2 parts)
The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens also on Masterpiece Theatre

MAY:
Hemingway & Gellhorn with Nicole Kidman & Clive Owens from the biography by Michael Reynolds

JUNE:
Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter from the book by Seth Grahame Smith

LATER THIS YEAR (tentative):
The Bourne Legacy by Eric Van Lustbader (not starring Matt Damon as Jason Bourne this time)
The Life of Pi by Yann Martel, with Tobey Maguire and Gerard Depardieu
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien starring Ian McLellan
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz starring Willem Dafoe
Anna Karenina with Keira Knightley and Jude Law in Tolstoy’s classic
Perks of Being a Wildflower by Stephen Chbosky, starring Emma Watson
Cosmopolis by Don Delillo, starring Robert Pattinson
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath with Julia Stiles
The Great Gatsby starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan
World War Z by Max Brooks starring Brad Pitt and zombies
The Alchemist from “Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel” by Michael Scott
Septimus Heap: Magyk by Angie Sage
Startide Rising by David Brin
Mortal Instruments by Casandra Clare (City of Bones Book 1)
Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz, starring Tina Fey
Back Roads by Tawni O’Dell with Andrew Garfield and Jennifer Garner)
Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston, starring George Clooney

Quotable Quotes

This year I plan to subject you all to some of my favorite quotes about libraries and librarians. (Sorry, it's my New Year's resolution to be a better advocate!) Here's one of my all-time favorites from James Lee Burke:"So where do you go to find a researcher who is intelligent, imaginative, skilled in the use of computers, devoted to discovering the truth, and knowledgeable about science, technology, history, and literature, and who usually works for dirt and gets credit for nothing? After lunch I drove to the city library on Main and asked the reference librarian to find what she could on Junior Crudup.”