The Distant Hours

I have been waiting for The Distant Hours with great anticipation since I read a review of it last winter. Kate Morton writes the sort of books that I can’t wait to get back to. I dive into them and have to be dragged out, and I’m sad when I finish one.  The House at Riverton (1920s England) and The Forgotten Garden (Australia and Cornwall) were beautifully written; atmospheric with intriguing characters and involving plots, books you could lose yourself in. unfortunately The Distant Hours proved difficult to get into. People Magazine called it “nuanced”. That’s one way of describing a 500 plus page book that doesn’t begin to get interesting until 400 pages in. I found myself reluctant to return to the book, it became a chore rather than a pleasure. Things do pick up in the last 100 pages or so. You will have to decide for yourself whether the commitment is worth it. I only persisted so long because I am such a fan of Kate Morton’s early books.

Holiday Hours

The Library will be closed Thursday and Friday in honor of Thanksgiving. We will be open again on Saturday 9-5. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Award Winner or Not?

Fallen by Lauren Kate is a popular book with the teen crowd--it's a supernatural romance need I say more. There is a glowing blurb on the cover by P.C. Cast (another wildly popular author with teens) that reads "Sexy and fascinating and scary...I loved loved loved it!" Does it need any further recommendation? While straightening up in the teen section yesterday I noticed that Fallen had a silver sticker on it denoting it as an award winner--you know like the Caldecott and Newbury winners have? Anyhow, I didn't remember this book ever winning such an award, and when I looked closer at the sticker it read "The Stephen T. Colbert Award for the Literary Excellence". Of course I researched this award and found this description:

The Stephen T. Colbert Award For The Literary Excellence is the most prestigious award given for literature in the United States. To qualify for the award, there is only one requirement: you must be Stephen Colbert. The first recipient of the Stephen T. Colbert Award For The Literary Excellence was the book I Am America (And So Can You!), a work of such staggering genius that it was given the award before it was even published. Subsequently, several books have been honored retroactively with the award.

Too funny! I don't know if we have a reader who is putting these stickers on their favorite books, but it certainly did give me laugh.

Potter Mania Begins

I have posted before about Cake Wrecks, a really amusing blog about professionally made cakes, often created with hilarious errors. They have a post up of some extraordinary Harry Potter themed cakes, no errors on these beauties! The golden snitch and the sorting hat are spectacular. I wanna have a Harry Potter party!

Food for Fines

City of Dover employees' FOOD DRIVE is on! Bring a canned good or dry staple item to the Library and get $.50 deducted from your current fines for each item you donate to our collection box! Sorry, donations may not be used to pay for "lost" items or as credit towards future fines. Help us help the local food pantries! Donations accepted up until 4:00pm on Monday, December 13th.

Harry Potter Tattoos

I was doing a Google image search looking for a picture of Harry Potter's marauder's map for a library project (more on that later) when I noticed loads of  Harry Potter themed tattoos. Apparently quite a few people are walking around with Potter quotes, Hedwig, Dumbledore, a house elf, and even the dark mark permanently etched onto their bodies. I like the series, but not enough to wear it forever. I also ran into another site that specializes in literary tattoos. There were some really striking images.What literary quote or image would you choose as a tattoo?

Patti Smith Rocks

The National Book Award winners were announced last night, and rock musician Patti Smith won for her nonfiction book Just Kids. In her acceptance speech Ms. Smith said “I dreamed of having a book of my own, of writing one that I could put on a shelf. Please, no matter how we advance technologically, please don’t abandon the book. There is nothing in our material world more beautiful than the book.” Well said Ms. Smith--we couldn't agree more!

Here is the full list of winners:
Fiction: Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon
Nonfiction: Just Kids by Patti Smith
Poetry: Lighthead by Terrance Hayes
Young People's Literature: Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

The View from the Library

This is the view of the skylights from my desk this morning.

 It brought to mind a certain song I'm sure you have heard before.

All the leaves are brown
And the sky is grey
I went for a walk
On a winter's day
I'd be safe and warm
If I was in L.A.
California dreamin'
On such a winter's day

Stephen Abram has Killed the Romance

Recently I read a blog post by Stephen Abram titled "Are books smelly?" in which he outlined the components of book smell: Glue, dust, mould, ink and dryness. He expounded a bit on each of these, but dust is the one that has really stuck with me--the principle component of dust being sloughed off human skin. Ewww!!!! I always loved the scenes in books where the bibliophile would happen upon a library--usually in a large English castle--and take a favorite title off the shelf, open the book, and breath in the heady scent. Romantic? Not anymore--just dead skin of the previous Viscounts, Dukes, and Lords who had spent time in that library. Thanks Stephen for killing the romance.

Free Lecture on Loons Tuesday, November 16th

The Friends of the Library present Loons by John Rockwood, Tuesday Night at 7:00 in the Lecture Hall.

Have you ever heard that haunting and eerie sounding call of a loon on a lake? Doesn’t it send shivers down your spine? Want to know what loons are really communicating to each other and learn more fascinating behaviors about these elusive aquatic birds? Join us for a spectacular and very entertaining multi-media slide show, filled with stunning close up Loon photos by Professional Photographer, John Rockwood.

10 Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2010

As much as I am loathe to bring up anything related to the upcoming holiday season I am going to do it--if this offends you please stop reading now and accept my apologies.

OK, for all others who have little ones to buy for, and are not completely done with your shopping (my own sister falls into this category--can you believe it?!? Most annoying.) the New York Times has announced their 2010 Holiday Gift Guide--The 10 Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2010. Here is the line up:

1. Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan illustrated by Sophie Blackall.
2. Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee.
3. Busing Brewster by Richard Michelson and illustrated by R.G. Roth
4. Children Make Terrible Pets written and illustrated by Peter Brown.
5. Henry in Love written and illustrated Peter McCarty.
6. Here Comes the Garbage Barge! by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Red Nose Studio.
7. Seasons written and illustrated by Blexbolex.
8. Shadow by Suzy Lee.
9. Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead and illustrated by Erin E. Stead.
10. Subway written and illustrated by Christoph Niemann.

The Library Will Be Closed for Veterans Day

The Library will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, November 11, in honor of Veterans Day.

Free Saturday Matinees are Back

Saturday Matinees are back after a brief hiatus due to our Book Sale! We have some great family movies on tap for November:

• Sat., Nov. 13--Toy Story, rated G.
• Sat., Nov. 20--Oceans, rated G.
• Sat., Nov. 27--Tinker Bell & the Great Fairy Rescue, rated G.

As always movies are FREE and open to the public. Follow this link to see a full listing of upcoming movies along with descriptions.

Don't Look for Nora Ephron on Twitter!

Nora Ephron was on NPR's Morning Edition today plugging her new book, I Remember Nothing: and Other Relfections, which is a collection of essays. This was a great way to start my day because she is really such a hoot. In the interview Ms. Ephron talks about how as she gets older she doesn't feel the need to be up on the latest trends hence the title of my blog post. Here is Ms. Ephron's list of things she refuses to know anything about:
"The former Soviet Republics, the Kardashians, Twitter, all Housewives, Survivors, American Idols, and Bachelors. Karzai's brother, soccer, monkfish, Jay-Z, every drink invented since the Cosmopolitan, especially the drink made with crushed mint leaves. You know the one." I don't feel so bad now that I know very little about anything on that list, however when the mint is plentiful in the garden I do like an occasional Mojito.

Mystery Author Rosemary Herbert here Nov. 15!

We're pleased to host a visit from award-winning mystery editor and new mystery novelist Rosemary Herbert on Monday evening, November 15 at 7pm in the Library’s Lecture Hall.
Herbert is an Edgar-nominated editor-in-chief of “The Oxford Companion to Crime and Mystery Writing”, co-editor with the late Tony Hillerman of “A New Omnibus of Crime”, and also worked for ten years as the book reviewer for the Boston Herald. But from the age of nine, when she read Nancy Drew novels under the covers with a flashlight, Rosemary wanted to become a mystery writer. With the publication of “Front Page Teaser: A Liz Higgins Mystery” (Down East Books, 2010), she has finally made her dream come true.
Her experience in the newsroom as well as her career in academic and public libraries were used to great advantage to create Liz Higgins, a gutsy reporter for Boston’s scrappy tabloid newspaper, the Beantown Banner. Liz rails at being assigned only light and community news stories that, at best, receive front-page teasers leading to articles buried deep in the newspaper. When a devoted mom goes missing from Liz’s community news beat, the reporter vows to discover the truth about the disappearance and nail front-page news in the process.
In a reading and booktalk leavened with humor and entitled “From Nancy Drew to Dream-Come-True”, Rosemary will tell readers why her first novel is a love song to the news-reporting life, as well as a tribute to librarians. She will also reveal how Boston’s lively Irish music scene was useful to her as a mystery writer, and discuss the roles of romance and the holidays in mystery fiction. Rosemary is currently hard at work on the 2nd Liz Higgins Mystery.
Mystery readers will surely enjoy this “behind-the-scenes” explanation of how a mystery novel is researched, and how story lines are developed and connected. This program is free and all are welcome. For more information, call us at 516-6050.

Dover's Black Day

Did you see the story on WMUR this morning about Dover's flood in 1896, the Calamity on the Cocheco? The DPL librarians provided a great deal of the information to the news station. We are so excited to see it air!

Book Sale Bargains!

Get a bag or a box of books for $1.00. There are still tons of books available. Why not stock up in preparation for winter storms?

A New Library!

On my way home yesterday I heard a story on Public Radio International's The World that I just had to share with you. The small nation of Bhutan, located between China and India, with a population of 684,000, has just opened its second library in the village of Ura. The library was opened by the non-profit group Read Global. Though the villagers were somewhat skeptical at first, the library has been a rousing success. The librarians have been working extra hours because the kids are begging them to stay open just a little longer. Here is a short piece from the story: "On this Saturday, after the usual half day at school, fifty kids are crammed in here, reading, helping each other, and clambering to get onto one of six computers. Even though they can’t get on the Internet yet, they’re excited to be able to play with technology they don’t have at home." You can watch a short clip of the kids in the library from the PRI link above.

Isn't it nice to hear happy news once in awhile?

Reduced Prices at our Book Sale!

The Dover Public Library's Annual Book Sale is still going on and prices have been reduced! Here are the new prices that will be in effect through Saturday, Nov. 6:

Hardcover Books $1

Large-size Paperbacks $.75

All Media $.50

Paperbacks $.10

Children's Skinny Paperbacks $.10

How Would You Like Your Stieg Larsson?

Did you know that many of the popular best sellers are available at the Library in a multitude of formats? Take Stieg Larsson's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo for example. You can read it as a hard cover book, listen to it as a CD, watch it as a DVD, download the audiobook to your MP3 player or PC, or download the eBook.

Would you prefer Bill Bryson's latest, At Home; A Short History of Private Life? You can read it as a hard cover book, a large print book, listen to it on CD, download the audiobook to your MP3 player or PC, or download the eBook.

Next time you look for a book, consider the possibilities.

Never-Ending Book

I recently read an article on the CNN web site titled "Never-ending book heralds new chapter in e-publishing." You know when you are reading a really fabulous, engrossing book and you are dreading the moment when you read the final page because you will have to try and find something equally fantastic to read next? This article is arguing that with the advent of e-publishing the book doesn't have to end. Hmm...for my own part I have certainly read books that I don't want to end, but I still think they have to. Don't you? A reader comment made at the end of the article asked the question: wouldn't this be like a Soap Opera? I am not convinced this is a good thing--what do you think?

Vote Tomorrow!

In case the non-stop political ads, phone calls from pollsters and politicos, and signs decorating every strip of roadside grass haven't clued you in, elections are being held tomorrow. 

The Dover City Clerk says the general election is Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010. Polling places in the City of Dover will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Polling places are as follows:

Ward 1, St. Mary' Church Hall, Chestnut Street (Between Third and Fourth Streets);

Ward 2, First Parish Church Hall, Central Avenue (Between Church and Angle Streets);

Ward 3, Langdon Place, Middle Road (Between Hubbard Road and Augusta Way);

Ward 4, Maple Suites, Holiday Drive (Off Back River, between Durham and Mast);

Ward 5, St. John's Methodist Church, Cataract Avenue (Between Rutland Street and Sunset Drive);

Ward 6, Riverside Rest Home, County Farm Road (At the intersection with County Farm Cross Road).

For more information on the general election or to see sample ballots, visit the election section of the Dover City web page or call the City Clerk's office at 603-516-6020.

A Tribute to a Librarian

Today my mother died after a short month-long illness. She was not only a great mom, she was my mentor as a librarian. Before her retirement in the late 1980s, she had worked in local public libraries for about 30 years and I basically grew up in a library. She always instilled in me an appreciation of books and reading and she always let me read whatever I wanted. We liked a lot of the same books but we also liked to “bicker” about the merits of various titles we’d read. In fact, my mother was reading and enjoying one of my favorite books of this year, “The Lonely Polygamist” by Brady Udall, when she passed away.

There were two children’s books that we’d argued about when I was in grammar school. These two books were her favorites from her own childhood: “Hitty: Her First Hundred Years” (1929) by Rachel Field about a doll’s travels over a century, and “The Secret Garden” (1911) by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the story of lonely orphans on the Yorkshire moors. Over and over, she’d recommended these books to me and each time I tried to read them I hated them. She finally gave up and “Hitty” became a running joke between us, calling any book we’d disliked “Hitty-ous”.

This past Monday, October 25, I opened a box of donated books at the library. My mother had been admitted to a hospice house three days earlier. This is absolutely a true story: the two books on top of the pile were “Hitty” and “The Secret Garden”. I know now that this was her signal: she is still nagging me to read these damn books. I promise, Mom, this time I’ll read them! Lovingly, Cathy

Musings on Candy Corn

Where do you stand on candy corn? Some of the librarians are addicted to it, you can't leave them alone with the bag of the stuff or they will demolish it. Others of us can't abide the stuff. Lets see, I could eat a luscious piece of chocolate with nuts and caramel, or a blob of sickly sweet wax. I agree with Lewis Black's assessment, from his hilarious essay, "Halloween; It's Scary for all the Wrong Reasons". 

Nothing proves just how stupid we are as a people more than candy corn. Which, by the way, is not candy at all. You can actually melt it down and run a car. I think it's tar based. Candy Corn is the only candy in the history of the country that has never been advertised. It just appears.

 Want to read the rest of the essay? Check out Nothing's Sacred by Lewis Black.

Happy Halloween from the DPL!

Literary Halloween Costumes

Do you know what you are going to be for Halloween? I've come across a few amusing literary Halloween costume ideas lately that I thought I would share with you. Why be a boring old ghost when you could be Miss Havisham, or Captain Underpants. They have some good ideas at Lit Drift. On the other hand, consider what famous literary characters would like to wear for a costume. Spark Life proposes that Holden Caulfield wouldn't dress up because it would be too phony, and Edmund from The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe would be a box of Turkish Delight. The most unexpected find were the pet costumes featured in the Critterati Contest. Waiting for Dogot cracks me up. Make sure to look at both slide shows on this page.
What literary character would you dress as?

Books, Books, & More Books!

The Dover Public Library's Annual ENORMOUS, GIGANTIC, STUPENDOUS Book Sale is almost here. The sale starts this Friday, Oct. 29 from 9am to 5:30pm, for Dover Public Library cardholders, and on Saturday, Oct. 30 from 9am to 5pm for the general public. As you can see from the picture we have a few books so don't miss it.

The Vampire in Literature and Film

Vampires have breached the gates of Harvard! A new class offered by Harvard's Extension School--The Vampire in Literature and Film--is proving to be quite popular, 183 enrolled. Professor Sue Weaver Schopf is teaching some of the classics, like The Vampyre by John Polidori, and some more modern titles by Charlaine Harris, and yes Stephenie Meyers. Professor Schopf loves the Twilight series, and scoffs at the criticism it has received. "She is just as interested in the strange, overwhelming negativity that surrounds Stephenie Meyer's chaste young-adult series as she is in its mass appeal. Why do these books provoke such a strong reaction?" FYI--there are already plans in place to teach the course again next fall. Follow the link to read the article about the class in the Boston Globe.

Forget Shakespeare, It Is the Zombies that Jane Needs to Worry About

Dear Jane Austen Loving Librarians,

Now that the dust has settled from your quibble over who is more awesome, Jane Austen or William Shakespeare, I must you ask a more important question. Could Jane Austen kick a zombie's butt? Because Dover is under threat of imminent zombie attack this Saturday at 3pm.

Perhaps we can find the answer in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith.

 It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she's soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating undead. Can she vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry? Complete with romance, heartbreak, swordfights, cannibalism, and thousands of rotting corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you'd actually want to read.      

NBA Finalists Announced

Not that NBA the National Book Awards of course!
Here is the list of fiction finalists:

Adult Fiction
Great House by Nicole Krauss
I Hotel by Karen Tei Yamashita
Lord Misrule by Jaimy Gordon
Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey
So Much for That by Lionel Shriver

Young People's Literature
Dark Water by Laura McNeal
Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers
Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

To see the finalists in other categories visit the NBA web site.

Library in Autumn

We had a drenching downpour earlier this afternoon and it looked like November was setting in early. Then the sun broke through the grey sky and it turned into such a splendid Autumn day I had to take some photos.

Halloween Drop-in Story Time!

Calling all ghosts, goblins, witches, princesses, etc., to join us on Monday, October 25 @ 7:00pm for a special Halloween "drop-in" story time for ages 3 & up.
Miss Kimberly will try not to be too scary!
If you'd like to--- wear your Halloween costumes or come in your pajamas. All are welcome.

Great Expectations of Cake

Put down your weapons, quarreling Jane Austen and Shakespeare Librarians, and think of Charles Dickens. Poor Charles, the Miss Havisham Wedding Cake that was entered in the Decorated Cake Competition at the Royal Melbourne Show in Australia was disqualified for being in poor taste. Personally I would have given it extra points for being hilarious. Check out the Hotham Street Ladies blog for more photos.

Jane With a Little Bit of Yiddish

I was reading an article about Howard Jacobson, winner of the Man Booker Prize for his novel The Finkler Question (on order at the library), in the the New York Times Book Review. Now Mr. Jacobson is a Jewish man who writes about the Jewish experience, but he refers to Jane Austen several times during the interview--I am not making this up. “I’m an old-fashioned English lit. man,” he said. “Straight down the line — it’s George Eliot, it’s Dickens, it’s Dr. Johnson, it’s Jane Austen.” Early in his career he tried to write like his heroes, but that didn't work so well for a Jewish man from New York. Mr. Jacobson has been likened to an English Philip Roth (he writes about British Jews), but he would rather be the English Jane Austen. I will leave you with my favorite quote of the article--maybe my new favorite quote period.

“I’m an English writer who happens to know about Jews and would like to write like Jane Austen, with a little bit of Yiddish,” he said.

Silver Lake Summers Tuesday Night at the Library

Tuesday, October 19 at 7:00pm in the Library Lecture Hall
Sponsored by the NH Humanities Council, we are proud to offer the Pontine Theatre's presentation of Silver Lake Summers, which explores the life of E.E. Cummings. An American poet and painter, he was a life-long summer resident of Silver Lake, NH in the town of Madison in Carroll County. His home, Joy Farm, is on the National Historic Register and Harvard University is home to a large collection of his letters, diaries, manuscripts, notebooks and sketchbooks. These materials form a basis for this show which includes scenes from their full length play and featuring remarks about the poet's special connection to New England, along with slides of historic photos and his paintings.

Co-Directors of Pontine Theatre Marguerite Mathews and Greg Gathers are the creators and performers of this presentation. Together they offer a theatre of astonishing dramatic and visual integrity.

Want to Save Money?

That usually gets people's attention! If you haven't borrowed one of the library's Kill A Watt Energy Detectors now might be a good time. What is a Kill A Watt Energy Detector you may ask? It is a small device that allows you to plug your appliances or electric devices into it, and you can monitor the energy usage of that item. Armed with this information you can quickly identify the biggest opportunities for savings. Winter is coming and that usually means higher utility bills so take advantage of a Kill A Watt Detector today so you can have some extra $$$ in your pockets for the holiday season!

An Evocative Scent

Fragrances are wonderful memory triggers. The smell of Coppertone immediately brings back my memories of happy  days at the beach. Finally, there is a perfume for all of us devoted readers. It is called In the Library, and it is a "warm blend of English Novel, Russian & Moroccan Leather Bindings, Worn Cloth and a hint of Wood Polish". The creator of the perfume says of his inspiration: 

There are few things more wonderful than the smell of a much-loved book.  Newly printed books certainly smell very different from older ones.  Their ink is so crisp though the odor of their paper is so faint.  Older books smell riper and often sweeter.  Illustrated books have a very different odor from those with straight text and this smell often speaks of their quality.  I've also noticed that books from different countries and different periods have very individual scents too.  These speak not only of their origin, but of their history to this moment.  I can distinguish books that were well cared for from those that were neglected.  I can often tell books that lived in libraries where pipes or cigars were regularly smoked.  Occasionally I run across one that I am certain belonged to an older woman fond of powdery scent.  Books from California smell very different from those I buy in New York, London or Paris.  I can tell books that have come from humid places - these have a musty richness in the scent of their pages.

Shakespeare Kicks Jane Austen's Butt!

Yep, that's right. I'm busting on Jane Austen again. How many books about Jane, Eliza, Mr.Darcy, and her neighbors can we stand? I'm surprised they have not come out with one by her mother called Jane Journal: My Experience with the Author in Utero. Now Shakespeare is another story. Lots more. We've had several new novels come in which use Shakespeare's plays in the plot. Juliet by Anne Fortier is a wonderful first novel set in Siena Italy. The books switches between Julie Jacobs in present day Siena and her ancestress Giulietta Tolomei, the model for the original Juliet. Jennifer Lee Carrell's Haunt Me Still has Kate Stanley agreeing to direct MacBeth. And we all know what happens when the Scottish play is involved. Murder and creepiness abound. So much more exciting than polite conversation and witty reparte. Et tu, Jane.

Instant Success!

Funny essay in the New York Times about the book "Operation Dark Heart", which the Pentagon made into an instant best seller by buying all the first-run copies in order to protect national security. There are many authors who are wild with envy about Anthony Shaffer's instant success!

Kids, Reading, & the Digital Age

A new study concerning kids and reading in the digital age had some interesting findings about eBooks. "The study found indications that technology could be a positive motivator to get kids reading -- 57 percent of kids (age 9-17) say they are interested in reading an eBook, and a third of children age 9-17 say they would read more books for fun if they had access to eBooks on an electronic device. " If you have a device that is compatible with the New Hampshire Downloadable eBooks, and are willing to share with your kids there are some great titles available. For teens the popular Maximum Ride and Twilight Series are available, as well as titles by Sarah Dessen, Scott Westerfeld, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Walter Dean Myers, to name a few. There are fewer titles for younger kids, but Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is available. Something to think about if your kids need a nudge.

A Message to Publishers of Weighty Tomes

Dear Publishers,
If you must print books of 900 plus pages please print them in two volumes. I am halfway through Ken Follett's Fall of Giants and am in danger of breaking my wrists due to the sheer weight of the book, or breaking my nose if the book falls on me when I read in bed.

The Ol' Dead Dad Syndrome

I had to laugh when I read an article in Publishers Weekly titled "The Ol' Dead Dad Syndrome: Why are there so many dead parents in kids' books?" by Leila Sales. I have been asking myself that questions for years, and Ms. Sales has some interesting theories. First, lazy writing. She believes that creating and developing characters is hard work, and that some authors take the easy way out, and lop off a few here and there. Second, it is an easy way to create sympathy for a character. "Dead parent equals immediate sympathy." And third, grownups are boring. When kids are left to their own devices they can run wild and get into all sorts of trouble as the Baudelaire children prove in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events series. Ms. Sales suggests one possible solution to this--set the book at a boarding school, summer camp, or another parent-free zone--Hogwarts anyone? I found the article interesting, and believe Ms. Sales was making light of the "syndrome", but with anything these days there are some that took offense. For an interesting defense of dead parents take a look at Nathan Brandsford's blog. Is it me or is everything too complicated these days?

We Are Fearless Readers

Dover Public Librarians celebrate Banned Books Week by reading our favorite banned and challenged books.

Horse by Juliet Clutton-Brock was challenged at a Montana school for promoting evolution.

Support The Hunger Games

I am so embarrassed. A parent right here in New Hampshire is trying to get The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, banned from a Goffstown school, just days before Banned Books week began. This excellent book is not pro-violence in any way. In fact, it is a favorite of the Librarians here. It was chosen as a Librarian's Choice book in 2009 and was also was the 2009-2010 Isinglass Award winner. If you search our blog you will see The Hunger Games mentioned quite a few times, that is how much we like it. Show your support by reading it. I highly recommend it.

We Are Fearless Readers

Dover Public Librarians celebrate Banned Books Week by reading our favorite banned and challenged books.

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson was challenged for promoting homosexuality.