"Dover Counts" Counting Contest

As part of the festivities celebrating this year's "Dover Reads" book choice, Tuttle's Red Barn: the story of America's oldest family farm, a jar of "Dover Counts" popcorn kernels will be in the Children's Room from February 14 through March 10.

Stop by, check out the jar (and the book), and guess how many popcorn kernels there are. A prize will be awarded to the person making the closest guess!

The Library Will Be Closed in Honor of Presidents' Day.

Monday, February 18, the Library will be closed in honor of Presidents' Day.

The Kinder, Gentler Library

While doing some historical research today, I ran across this poem in an 1884 issue of the Dover Enquirer newspaper. It was in a Letter to the Editor and the anonymous writer explains: "The dull prose of the usual Library Rules is so generally overlooked, or if looked over so generally disregarded, that the following rules in rhyme are sent to you...in hopes that they may have influence with the frequenters of the New Public Library. Those who are musically inclined can sing them to the good old familiar tune of Greenville."

Gently, reader, gently moving,
Wipe your feet beside the door;
Hush your voice to whispers soothing,
Take your hat off, we implore.

Mark your number, plainly, rightly,
From the catalogue you see:
With the card projecting slightly,
Then your book bring unto me.

Quickly working,
Without shirking,
Soon another there will be.

If above two weeks you’ve left me,
Just two cents a day I’ll take,
And unless my mind’s bereft me,
Payment you must straightway make.

Treat your books as if to-morrow
Gabriel’s trump would surely sound,
And all scribbling, to your sorrow,
‘Gainst your credit would be found.

Therefore tear not,
Spot, and wear not,
All these books so neatly bound.

These few simple rules abiding,
We shall always on you smile;
There will be no room for chiding,
No one’s temper will you rile.

And when Heaven’s golden portals
For you, on their hinges turn,
With the books for all immortals,
There will be no rules to learn.

Therefore heed them
Often read them,
Lest your future weal you spurn.

In 1884,the City had just established its first public library and it seems that borrowers haven't changed much in those 124 years! Anyone know the melody for Greenville? Perhaps our librarians could learn it and we could sing our books back into the library!

Indulge Your Inner Child

I thought it fitting that we should report on the The Cybils since it is a "blogger-run, blogger-inspired award". The Cybils were the internet's first literary awards, and the acronym translates to Children 's & YA Bloggers' Literary Awards. This award was designed to recognize both a book's merit and its popularity. The founders felt that the Newbery Award was a bit too elitist for their tastes, and were looking for an alternative. Anyone with an email address can nominate their favorite children's book--very democratic. The Cybils are in their second year, and have picked some great books like Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale & Boy Toy by Barry Lyga--definitely worth taking a look.

A Fascination with Food

It all started with Julie and Julia. Julie Powell set herself a goal of cooking all the recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year. Her stories were amusing, interesting, and involving. Her description of the trauma of cooking a lobster was so hilarious I almost fell off the couch. Next up I read James Haller’s Vie de France: sharing food, friendship, and a kitchen in the Loire Valley. Haller was the critically acclaimed chef at the Blue Strawbery. Since I was fortunate enough to eat there, and have an interest in books about Americans living in France, this book was doubly fascinating to me. Haller and several of his friends rented a house in France for a month during the summer. Though he had sworn off cooking during his vacation, Haller was so inspired by the wonderful ingredients available in the local markets he could not help but make one gourmet meal after the other. I envy his friends. The next food book I devoured (sorry, terrible pun) was Service Included: four star secrets of an eavesdropping waiter by Phoebe Damrosch. This book was not so much about cooking; instead, it focuses on the intricate details of running a top New York City restaurant. It’s like Kitchen Confidential from a waiter’s perspective. I recommend listening to Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. You get the benefit of his sarcastic delivery as he tells you war stories from the restaurant business, as well as useful tips. Did you know Hollandaise sauce is like a petri dish for bacteria, untouched bread is often recycled to the next table, and you should never order fish on Monday? Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl is an entertaining look at the restaurant business from the viewpoint of a critic. Reichl wanted to experience a restaurant as a normal diner would, and not be given kid glove treatment as a critic, so she developed many disguises over the years to fool New York restaurants. She dined as Chloe the blonde divorcee and Brenda the red haired hippie. Donning these disguises taught her things about herself, as well as the restaurants she was reviewing. Next I read The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn, which I will review at length in a later post; stay tuned! The short version is an American loses her job and decides to fulfill her life dream of attending the Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Paris. I did tell you I like books about Americans in France. The foodie book I just finished was Amanda Hesser’s Cooking for Mr. Latte: a food lover’s courtship, with recipes. This is almost chick lit for the gourmet set. Every now and then you need to read something light! Amanda details her romance with Mr. Latte, a man so ignorant about food that he ordered a latte after dinner! Amanda has her hands full educating his palate and winning his heart. Can she be happy with a man who invited her to a chain restaurant for their first date?

Do you have a favorite book about cooking or food? Let us know.

There is Life After Cirque du Freak

Yesterday I was in the Teen Corner of the library and overheard a conversation between a mother and son. He was looking for the Cirque du Freak series by Darren Shan and their conversation went something like this:

Mom: Haven’t you read these before?
Son: Yes, several times.
Mom: Why don’t you get something else?
Son: But I like these.
Mom: You might like some of these other books.
Son: Maybe, but I know I like these.
They left with several in the Cirque du Freak series and nothing else.

The Cirque du Freak series has been wildly popular here at the DPL, how could they not be with titles like Tunnels of Blood and Killers of the Dawn. I have lost count of how many times I have replaced lost or stolen copies, or ones that have just fallen apart—a sure sign of popularity. So for all the frustrated mothers I have put together a list of books that will hopefully appeal to the Cirque du Freak obsessed.

Dread Locks (or Red Rider’s Hood) by Neal Shusterman
Freaks by Annette Curtis Klause
Gil’s All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez
Gothic!: Ten Original Dark Tales edited by Deborah Noyes
The Hand of the Devil by Dean Vincent Carter
Love Curse of the Rumbaughs by Jack Gantos
Ostrich Eye by Beth Cooley
Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
Sorcerers of the Nightwing by Geoffrey Huntington
Thirsty by MT Anderson

Free Internet Safety Program: "Parents in Charge"

On Wednesday, February 20 at 7pm, come to the Lecture Hall to hear Melissa Royer, a trained forensic examiner and data recovery specialist, speak on the important topic of "Parents in Charge": how to keep your children safe from online pornography, predators, illegal downloads, and inappropriate correspondence on the family computer.

• Learn the secrets of supervising your children on the Internet


• Learn how to monitor and secure home-based computers from predators


• Learn how to decipher text-messaging jargon
  
• Learn how to use the built-in security features on your home computer
  
• Learn how to monitor chat room activities and conversations

This valuable and informative program for parents is free and is sponsored by the Friends of the Dover Public Library.

Solve 2 Library Quizzes to win a Fine-Free Year!

It’s time once again for our annual library puzzle. The first ten DPL cardholders to correctly solve the conundrums below will earn a fine-free year at the Dover Public Library. Because 2008 is a Leap Year with an extra day in February, we’re requiring that you solve both the puzzles to win! They’re short but tough. Good luck!

Who’s Driving What?
There are four librarians’ cars parked in a row at the back of the library parking lot. They belong to Sara, Denise, Sandy and Nancy. One car is red, one is blue, one green and one white. From the following clues, figure out who drives which car:
Ø Nancy’s car is to the right of the blue car, which is to the right of Sara’s.
Ø Denise doesn’t like white or blue cars.
Ø Sandy’s car is not next to Denise’s car and is next to a red car.
Ø Denise and Sara are the only two who have letters in their name which are also in the colors of their car.

How Many Books?
Sally is a frequent borrower and always has many books checked out of the library. Strangely, among the books she has checked out now, their covers are either blue, white or brown!
Ø Some are paperbacks and some are hardcover.
Ø There are more brown books than any other color.
Ø She has an equal number of brown paperbacks and brown hardcovers.
Ø All but three are hardcover.
Ø There are twice as many brown paperbacks as white paperbacks.
Ø There are three times as many blue books as white ones.
How many books does Sally currently have checked out?

Please turn in your answers to both quizzes at the adult circulation desk or send an email to me at c.beaudoin@dover.lib.nh.us. Inveterate puzzle-solvers are certainly eligible to solve the quizzes, but only cardholders will benefit from the prize of a fine-free year! Have fun!

New Magazines Have Started Coming In!

Next time you are at the Library make sure to take a look at these interesting new magazines:

Cooking With Paula Deen
EatingWell
Figure
Fit Yoga
Maximum Fitness
Paste
Small Business Opportunities
Whole Dog Journal
Cookie
Wondertime

Best Selling Books of 2007

You can see the top 50 best selling titles of 2007 according to Publishers Weekly, as well as lists separating the top sellers in fiction, non-fiction, and children’s books here.

How many of these books did you read? I have to admit I only read 2 ½. (I only skimmed You: on a diet, but it was very interesting).

1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows J.K. Rowling. 7,740,000 copies sold

2 The Secret Rhonda Byrne. 2,947,000

3 Eat, Pray, Love Elizabeth Gilbert. 2,015,000

4 A Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hosseini. 1,377,000

5 The Dangerous Book for Boys Conn and Hal Iggulden. 963,000

6 The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini. 960,000

7 Water for Elephants Sara Gruen. 913,000

8 The Memory Keeper's Daughter Kim Edwards. 866,000

9 The Road Cormac McCarthy. 736,000

10 You: On a Diet Mehmet C. Oz and Michael F. Roizen 689,000

What's in a Name? Part 2

I posted a pseudonym quiz last Thursday, and here are the answers:

Emily Bronte wrote as Ellis Bell
(and Anne Bronte wrote as Acton Bell)
Charles Dickens also wrote as Boz

Eric Arthur Blair is better known as George Orwell

James Alfred Wight is James Herriot

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson is Lewis Carroll

Agatha Christie also wrote as Mary Westmacott

and my personal favorite is that Anne Rice was born Howard Allen O'Brian

Can You Watch My Fish; and other questions at a full service library

I never know what sort of questions I will get each day; you expect that at the Reference Desk. However, the Circulation Librarians certainly won the prize for the most unusual question last week when one of our patrons said he couldn’t take his fish home with him and would we mind watching it for him? Sure enough, he had a small glass bowl with a very disgruntled looking fish in it. I found myself looking around for a hidden camera. Would the Cat in the Hat be walking in next? Having no policies in place to guide us in answering fish sitting queries we agreed. However when he came back the next day to ask for another day of fish sitting we had to politely decline. Who knows where this could lead? Would there be hamsters trundling through the gardening section, kittens frolicking past the knitting books, and a pony on the lawn? While we do pride ourselves in offering a vast array of services, sadly, pet sitting is no longer one of them.

I wonder what I will be asked tomorrow….

Jane-Stop This Crazy Thing!

No, I don't want to talk to you of the Jetsons episodes but something much more serious and insidious. Yes, it's Jane Austen. She is infiltrating society at an alarming pace. How many versions of Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility can we take? I was never so disappointed as when someone pointed out to me that the plot of Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary was a remake of Pride and Prejudice. Way to ruin a good movie. And then there are the books that take off from there... Books mimicking Austen or about Austen lovers, The Jane Austen Book Club (movie soon to be shown at our fair library), Austenland, Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife, etc. Do you know that when you type Jane Austen in the library catalog as topic, you pull up 87 different items including I Have Found It, a movie described as an Indian version of Sense and Sensibility? On and on it goes. But it isn't really the books and movies that annoy me-it's the Janeites themselves. Every time a book or a movie comes up to the front desk to be checked out, it begins. "Oooh, P & P! Don't you just love Colin Firth as Darcy?"(Duhhh, who wouldn't like Colin Firth as Quasimodo?) " And what about Elizabeth's response to her father in Chapter 13, pg 108, paragraph 5, line 1-3? She's so witty. I wish I could think of things to say like that..." Well I hate to break it to you- she didn't say that. Jane Austen sat for hours with a cup of strong black tea thinking of the perfect thing to say. That's why it's intelligent and witty. I say enough is enough. There are tons of I love Jane sites on the Internet but I have yet to find an I hate Jane one. But I have hope. I have a cause. Jane haters unite! See you on the Internet. P.S. To those who looked up the aforementioned reference-gotcha!

Be an Informed Traveler

One of my favorite blogs to peruse is Arthur Frommer Online. If the names sounds familiar its because Arthur Frommer is a renowned travel expert and publishes Frommer’s travel guides. His blog is full of useful tips on travel bargains, helpful travel search engines, government regulations affecting travel, and new trends in travel. One of his latest tips is, “If you're renting a car in the U.S.A. and not using BreezeNet.com, you're paying too much. BreezeNet.com is a comparison service that searches the prices of up to 50 car rental companies (including purely local ones) and then tells you where you can get the best deal for the dates when you need wheels.” If you are planning a vacation, this blog is well worth checking out.

"Dover Reads" Kick-Off Celebration

"Dover Reads" is a citywide reading project, sponsored by the Dover School District Community Involvement Committee, which encourages everyone to read the same book to promote a sense of community and the joy of reading. This year, Dover will be reading Tuttle’s Red Barn: the story of America’s oldest family farm written by Richard Michelson and illustrated by Caldecott Award winner, Mary Azarian. (Yes, this is the story of Dover's very own Tuttle's Red Barn!)

All are welcome to join us for the sixth annual "Dover Reads" kick-off celebration on Thursday, February 14th in the Dover City Hall Auditorium @ 4:00pm. Special activities and events, such as the annual essay contest, the "Math Counts" contest, a vacation week craft at the "Make-it, Take-it" craft table in the library's Children's Room, and the final celebration and awards ceremony, will be announced.

Come See the Valentines from the Thom Hindle Photographica Collection

Thom Hindle is a nationally recognized collector of photographica and has been featured in numerous magazines, newspapers, and books. You can see his collection of valentines with a photographic theme in the Reference Room. All the valentines feature a photographer or camera; many are mechanical valentines; pull a tab and a figure or object moves.

What's in a Name?

Recently I was ruminating on the bizarre practice of famous authors writing under pseudonyms, pen names, nom de plumes, whatever you want to call them. I was trying to think of possible reasons for doing this. Do they find themselves so closely associated with a certain genre that fans would be disappointed to read something else? During the 18th century pen names were used if the writing was controversial. Ben Franklin wrote as Silence Dogood, Alice Addertongue, amongst others. Of course some women wrote as men because of the social codes of the day—George Eliot for example (real name Mary Ann Evans) and George Sand (Amantine Aurore Lucile Dupin—pen name seems a good idea in this case). I ran across another author that had eleven pseudonyms—seems a bit much. The popular young adult author Meg Cabot started a new series under the name Jenny Carroll. The first book just has the name Jenny Carroll but subsequent volumes said “from the popular author of the Princess Diaries”--sounds to me like Jenny Carroll wasn’t doing so well on her own. Here are a few current popular authors writing under pseudonyms: Janet Evanovich as Steffie Hall, Stephen King as Richard Bachman. Jayne Anne Krentz as Amanda Quick and others, Barbara Mertz as Barbara Michaels and Elizabeth Peters, Eleanor Wilder as Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb, and Dean Koontz as Deanna Dwyer and K.R. Dwyer.

See if you can match up the real names with the pseudonyms below, check back next week for the answers:

Real Name:
Charles Dickens
Emily Bronte
Eric Arthur Blair
James Alfred Wight
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson
Agatha Christie
Howard Allen O'Brian

Pseudonyms:
Mary Westmacott
Ellis Bell
Boz
George Orwell
Lewis Carroll
James Herriot
Anne Rice

Whatever You Do, Don't Run

Whatever You Do, Don’t Run by Peter Allison

Peter Allison has been charged by elephants, threatened by badgers, squeezed by pythons, and swam with elephants. As a safari guide in remote Africa he rarely has a boring day. His stories are short and often humorous. After being tormented for days by a group of monkeys who used his tent roof as a trampoline, Peter had the brilliant idea of scaring them off with a toy leopard, the monkey’s natural enemy.

I ran back to my tent, where the monkeys were in full swing. They scampered into the branches at my approach, but didn’t move to far from their game. They just sat bobbing and swaying, adding an occasional “Kwo!” which I was convinced was laughter.

“Kwo yourself,” I said, and from under the scarf whipped out the toy—a rather poor representation of a leopard, but it was enough to put the heebie-jeebies into the monkeys. They went berserk. “Kwe! Kwe, kwe, kwe, kwe, kwe! Kwe! The whole troop now moved away a few trees, but still watched the predator I held in my hand. I tossed it from side to side, and the pitch of their calls went up an octave. I was amazed at their gullibility, but took great pleasure in it and derived even more at their reaction when I threw the toy into the air. The whole troop called “Kwe!” in unision; one even fell off his branch. Then they fled, yelling a chorus of “Kwekwekwekwe!,” as they went, and I imagined they were saying, “Holy crap! Did you see that? A flying leopard!”

This is fast, enjoyable read. A good choice for reluctant readers.

The Always Entertaining Daniel Pinkwater

I was listening to NPR Weekend Edition Saturday recently, and Daniel Pinkwater was on discussing children’s literature with Scott Simon. For those of you not familiar with Mr. Pinkwater here is a description from his web site:

“Trying to adequately describe Daniel Pinkwater is a Sisyphean task, much akin to describing the shape of a four-dimensional hypercube, or an eggplant. In brief, he is the author and sometimes illustrator of over 80 (and growing) wildly popular books and is also regularly heard on National Public Radio's All Thing Considered and Weekend Edition Saturday, where he reviews exceptional kids' books with host Scott Simon. Said books usually go on to become best-selling classics.”

Anyhow, while listening to this very entertaining segment Mr. Pinkwater mentioned that the general public can access free audio versions of some of his books on his web site. It is a small number of books at present but apparently will continue to grow. Access the audio portion of his site here http://www.pinkwater.com/podcast/ and follow the arrow that leads to the free audio books. The audios are offered through a Creative Commons license—let’s hope more authors follow his lead.

Read one book and call me in the morning…

The English newspaper The Guardian has a fascinating article on shelters, neurological rehab units, psychiatric wards, and hospitals using book groups as therapy for people with learning disabilities, Alzheimers, mental health problems; prisoners, recovering drug-addicts, nurses and carers. They are using bibliotherapy as an “experiment in healing, or, to put it less grandiosely, an attempt to see whether reading can alleviate pain or mental distress.” If you have tried the Library Worth Calculator you know how much money the Library save you every year. One thing we didn’t think to factor in was our capacity to restore well being to readers.

Gone Gardening

Yes I know it's the dead of winter. The wind is blowing, the snow is falling, and the books that come into the library are icy cold. It's enough to make a gal give up her shovel and hoe. However help for the garden addict is at hand. Along with the many garden catalogs that have started to arrive in our mailboxes, the library also has many books to inspire and appease your garden jones. Now is the time to plan and dream and unlike the catalogs-it's free. One of my all time favorite books to linger over during the winter is Tasha Tudor's Garden by Tovah Martin. The beautiful photography and the hope that one day if I'm very good, work hard and keep up spinal strength and strong knees I too might have this garden keeps me going back every time. Another book with wonderful pictures is Cox's Landscape with Roses. The Reader's Digest Country Garden by Charlie Ryrie and the Perennial Gardener's Design Primer are also full of ideas. If you are into herbs, a fun book to dip into is Phyllis Shaudy's Herbal Treasures. Lots of projects, planting ideas and recipes. If you really want to take a step back from reality, a fellow gardener suggested The Gardens of the National Trust. (Procrastinators and lazy gardeners need not apply) Here you will find pictures of the famous white garden at Hidcote and many of the lesser known gardens. Also that a huge mound of yew is called a tump. Who knew? A bluebell woods anyone?

Book Sale News

We now have room to offer books for sale year round! Make sure to check out our ongoing book sale in the Internet Room. Hardcover books are $3, soft cover books are $2, paperbacks and media are $1. All proceeds go to the Friends of the Dover Library.

The Friends will also hold their Spring sale this year beginning April 26 as well as their annual Fall book sale beginning the last weekend in October.

The War Tapes

The library's next Wednesday Evening Feature Film will be The War Tapes, winner of the 2006 prize for best documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival. The War Tapes is a unique film in that it is the first movie filmed by front line soldiers in Iraq. Sergeant Steve Pink is a wisecracking carpenter who aspires to be a writer. Sergeant Zack Bazzi is a Lebanese-American college student who loves to travel and is fluent in Arabic. Specialist Mike Moriarty is a father who seeks honor and redemption. Part journal, part jokebook, part witness, the film offers a view of war rarely seen from the inside out. We learn what the soldiers are thinking every step of the way, from their views on the media's coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom to how they miss loved ones back home. Join us on Wed., Feb. 6th at 6:00pm in the Library Lecture Hall for this unique perspective of the Iraq War.

Escape to Africa

Mark of the Lion by Suzanne Arruda
The premise of this book intrigued me. After serving as an ambulance driver in France during WWI and seeing her fiancé die in battle, a young woman travels to Africa to solve the mystery of her fiancé’s father’s suspicious death, and find his long lost half brother. Jade del Cameron is a modern woman, with bobbed hair, great courage, a great shot, and a disregard for convention. In order to find out the truth, she must outwit stuffy British colonials and a witch doctor with the power to control the deadly animals of Africa. She faces down charging lions and lingering shell shock with the help of her outspoken friend Lady Beverly Dunbury, and a taciturn Somali gun bearer. The only mark against this novel was its heroine’s improbable name Jade del Cameron. I look forward to reading about her further adventures on the Dark Continent.

What is your library worth to you?

One of our librarians recently came across a library worth calculator on a Maine library’s web site. This calculator was designed to put a dollar amount on the goods and services that you take advantage of from your library. How it works is you are required to think about your yearly use of the library in terms of how many books, DVDs, music CDs, etc. that you borrow; how many programs you attend; how many hours you use our Internet computers or wireless access; etc. We were intrigued enough to look into adapting the calculator to our library, and with a little help from some friends we did just that. Follow this link to calculate what the Dover Public Library is worth to you on a yearly basis. My own use came to a whopping $4,190—what a geek, and I had co-workers that came in even higher--even geekier (my spell checker says this isn’t a word, but I think it is). With the price of books, magazines, DVDs, music CDs, audiobooks…it is no wonder that the dollar figure can climb so high. Follow this link to see what the DPL is worth to you and we would love to hear what you came up with.

The Library Will be Closed Monday, January 21

Monday, January 21st the library will be closed in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

"From the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire, let freedom ring. From the mighty mountains of New York, let freedom ring. From the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania, let freedom ring. But not only that: Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi." From the "I Have a Dream" speech, Aug. 28, 1963.

Try This Tough Guy

One of the Library staff members has been raving about Bob Trueluck’s series about Florida Private Investigator, Duncan Sloan. She says they are reminiscent of Dashiel Hammett with a noir atmosphere and terse sentences. So if you like to read about tough guys with a heart of gold; give this offbeat series a try.

"Despite the up-to-date contemporary setting, Truluck's style recalls that of Mickey Spillane in its straight-ahead, get-it-done fashion. The dialogue crackles with staccato sentences, flip wit, the ever-present tension of violence and sex. Readers can expect a nonstop thrill ride with a skilled driver at the wheel, and lots of collateral damage before the checkered flag." Publishers Weekly

Literary Awards Announced

While we were digging out from the snow the American Library Association was announcing the 2008 award winners for youth literature. Here is a run down of the winners:

Newbery Medal
John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature.

Winner: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village, written by Laura Amy Schlitz
Honor books: Elijah of Buxton, by Christopher Paul Curtis, The Wednesday Wars, by Gary D. Schmidt, and Feathers, by Jacqueline Woodson.

Caldecott Medal

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children.
Winner: The Invention of Hugo Cabret, illustrated by Brian Selznick.
Honor books: Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Ellen Levine, First the Egg, illustrated and written by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, illustrated and written by Peter Sís, and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity, illustrated and written by Mo Willems.

Printz Award
Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults.
Winner: The White Darkness, by Geraldine McCaughrean.
Honor Books: Dreamquake: Book Two of the Dreamhunter Duet, by Elizabeth Knox, One Whole and Perfect Day, by Judith Clarke, Repossessed, by A. M. Jenkins (on order), and Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath, by Stephanie Hemphill (on order).

Calling All Artists

The Library is always looking for local craftspeople and artists who would like to display their work at the Library throughout the year. We specifically need some pictures for our bare walls this winter. If you are interested please contact Sandra Erdmann.

New Downloadable Audio Books

Have you looked at the downloadable audiobooks recently? New titles are constantly being added. These are some of the titles that were added in December:

Title	Author
Adam Canfield of the Slash	Winerip, Michael
Adam Canfield Watch Your Back!	Winerip, Michael
Best of Gunsmoke Volume 1	RadioClassics, Inc. © 2005
Blue Heaven	Box, C. J.
Dragon Harper	McCaffrey, Anne
Exile	Patterson, Richard North
Last Call	Grippando, James
Secrets of a Proper Lady	Alexander, Victoria
Stumbling on Happiness	Gilbert, Daniel
Gods Behaving Badly	Phillips, Marie
In Defense of Food	Pollan, Michael
Precious Blood	Hayes, Jonathan
Size 12 is Not Fat	Cabot, Meg

I Have No Reservations About This

I don’t know what it is about Anthony Bourdain. He is opinionated, brash, often foul mouthed, and yet I can’t help but like the guy. It must be that terrific sense of fun he has, as well as the straight shooting attitude. His books and his television show are always entertaining if quirky. His latest book No Reservations; Around The World On An Empty Stomach is no exception. No Reservations is a pictorial essay on Bourdain’s travels around the world, sampling all sorts of exotic meals. Its slightly cranky, brutally frank, and amusing, just like its author.

It's In to Write for Teens

I find it interesting when successful adult authors try their hand at books for teens. Are they simply bored and want to try something new? Do they want to feel like kids again? Who knows but I started thinking about this when Sherman Alexie’s first book for teens, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. James Patterson’s Maximum Ride series, which includes The Angel Experiment, School’s Out –Forever, and Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports, has been extremely popular. The Angel Experiment was a New Hampshire Flume Award nominee for 2007. FYI—the Flume Award is a New Hampshire book award for kids in grades 9-12. Here are some other adult authors that have strayed into the world of young adult literature:

Isabel Allende: City of the Beasts, Kingdom of the Golden Dragon, & Forest of the Pygmies

Michael Chabon: Summerland

Carl Hiaasen: Hoot & Flush

Alice Hoffman: The Foretelling & Incantation by Alice Hoffman

Nick Hornby: Slam

The Whole Dog Journal

The dog lovers in the Library are very excited to discover that the Library is now receiving the Whole Dog Journal. The Whole Dog Journal is like a Consumer Reports for anything canine. They do not take any advertising so they are free to review products critically and accurately. They cover equipment, training, and health issues. The February issue is going to cover one of their most popular topics; what are the best kibbles available for your companion. Make sure to check it out!

A is for Alibi, B is for Burglar

T is for Trespass is the 20^th title in Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone mystery series. The beloved series is twenty five years old now; A is for Alibi premiered in 1982. I wonder what title she will come up with for Z. Z is for Zip, Nada, No More? I would love to hear what titles you can come up with for the remaining books in the series!

A New Year...but No New School

I always get a bit nostalgic as the new year starts and I wish I could be starting a new semester. I am one of those foolish (or life-avoiding) people who could have stayed in school forever. I loved getting my new textbooks, the reading lists, the syllabus calendar, and even the assignments. Luckily, working in a library is a bit like being in school all the time and I can content myself with very entertaining books about life at school.
I think I fell in love with books about prep schools in the late '60s when I read Caroline Glyn's Don't Knock the Corners Off. Does anyone out there remember loving this book about life at boarding school by its brilliant and funny 15-year old author? I was in 6th grade and couldn't believe someone just a bit older than I could actually write this wonderful book! Anyway, Glyn's book started my infatuation with school stories ranging from A Separate Peace to The Chocolate War to, of course, the students at Hogwarts.
Here are some others in that category that may be less familiar but are awfully good too. They run a wide gamut from coming-of-age stories to humorous tales to sinister plots! All are Grade A+ reads!

Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris
Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
The Headmaster's Dilemma by Louis Auchincloss
I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe
Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl
The Headmaster Ritual by Taylor Antrim
The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Still Undecided?

The Presidential Primary is January 8 and up to 40% Of New Hampshire voters still haven’t decided who they will vote for. If you are still tussling over the issue like me, these web sites may help you make up your mind.

Project Vote Smart 2008 Presidential Candidates
Washington Post 2008 Presidential Candidates
CNN Election Center 2008
PBS Vote 2008
New York Times Election Guide

Find out where to vote in Dover; polls are open from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM so plan accordingly. Not sure what ward you are in? Go to the street finder and type your street into the search box to find out.