A New Perspective on the Olympics

I have to admit that while I watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics I was reminded of the parade of tributes from the Districts in The Hunger Games. Apparently I wasn't the only one who made that uneasy connection. I found this today.

Best-Ever Teen Novel

NPR has been asking for nominations for the Best-Ever Teen Novel.  They have now whittled the nominations down to a list of 235 titles.  It is really fun to take a look at what is on the long list.  Readers can vote for up to 10 titles to be included in the Top 100.  I am still trying to decide on my 10--it is really hard.  Here are a few of the ones I am thinking about: 

• Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
• Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
• Maze Runner by James Dashner
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Which John Green novel do I pick?  What about Libba Bray?  I can see this is going to take me awhile.  Any thoughts?

Story Time Moved Outside Today

The weather was so perfect today that Miss Kimberly decided to move Story Time outside. It's the perfect place to enjoy beach balls and balloons with a story and many friends.

Long ago in the library history Miss Bessie Parker held a Story Time outside. I don't think she had any bubbles with her but she did have a splendid hat.

Castle in the Clouds

This past Sunday I took advantage of the DPL's free pass to Castle in the Clouds, to visit the historic Ludnow Estate and its grounds, in Moultonborough, NH.  The pass provides free access for 2 adults and 2 children--which is a wonderful value considering adult admission is $16 per person.  The whole day was such a pleasure--the access road up to the parking lot is absolutely beautiful--filled with mountain waterfalls and scenic vistas of the moutains and lakes.  Parking is near the Carriage House and you can choose to walk up to the Estate or take the trolley.  The Ludnow Estate was built in 1913-1914 by Tom and Olive Plant and boasted many modern conveniences previously unheard of in private homes.  After touring the house (especially the library with its leather bound classics) and grounds don't forget to have lunch at the Carriage House Cafe, which has a patio overlooking the mountains and lakes.  The grounds of the Estate also offer hiking trails (which give you amazing views of the Castle from above), horse back riding, and a trout pond where you can feed the ducks and the absolutely enormous trout.  If you haven't visited I would make room on the calendar and call today to book the free pass!

No Fret Cooking with Marilynn Carter Tonight

The No Fret Cooking program by Marilynn and Steve Carter starts at 7pm tonight in the Library Lecture Hall. Meet Dover's newest author and listen to companion music at the same time. Marilynn Carter will talk about publishing her first book: a cookbook entitled “No Fret Cooking”  and share some recipes. Marilyn has been cooking since the age of 15 and works in the area as a holistic health practitioner. With her belief that the food we eat is another path for health, “No Fret Cooking” evolved with simple, healthy, delicious recipes for everyone, and no fret, with room for a cook’s own creativity and personalization.  Cookbooks will be available for purchase too.

Get Jiro!

Coming soon to the DPL--Get Jiro! a graphic novel by none other than Anthony Bourdain & Joel Rose with illustrations by Langdon Foss. FYI-- I think Get Jiro! is pretty violent. Here is the description:

In a not-too-distant future L.A. where master chefs rule the town like crime lords and people literally kill for a seat at the best restaurants, a bloody culinary war is raging. On one side, the Internationalists, who blend foods from all over the world into exotic delights. On the other, the "Vertical Farm," who prepare nothing but organic, vegetarian, macrobiotic dishes. Into this maelstrom steps Jiro, a renegade and ruthless sushi chef, known to decapitate patrons who dare request a California Roll, or who stir wasabi into their soy sauce. Both sides want Jiro to join their factions. Jiro, however has bigger ideas, and in the end, no chef may be left alive!

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night

It was a dark and stormy night at the Library last night. Lightning lit up the sky and even shut down some computers at one point. The stuffed animals who attended the Teddy Bears' Sleepover were not deterred from having a fabulous time. These are just some of a few of the things we caught them doing. Who know what high jinks went on after hours.

More New eBooks Are Available!

The following are eBooks purchased on July 13th and available through NH Downloadable Books. Thanks to Merrily for compiling the list.

Title	Author(s)
15 Seconds	Andrew Gross
Abraham Lincoln	Seth Grahame-Smith
The Absolutist	John Boyne
Against the Law	Kat Martin
Against the Storm	Kat Martin
The Age of Miracles	Karen Thompson Walker
The Alexander Cipher	Will Adams
All Souls	Michael Patrick MacDonald
Amy, My Daughter	Mitch Winehouse
Best Staged Plans	Claire Cook
The Birth House	Ami McKay
Blackjack	Andrew Vachss
Bloodline	James Rollins
Brenner and God	Wolf Haas, Annie Janusch
Bronx	Jocelynn Drake
Bruno, Chief of Police	Martin Walker
Cannibal Reign	Thomas Koloniar
Columbine	Dave Cullen
A Coven of Witches	Joseph Delaney
Criminal	Karin Slaughter
Dark Water	Tricia Rayburn
Dark Woods, Chill Waters	Marcus LiBrizzi
Dead and Berried	Karen MacInerney
Divergent	Veronica Roth
Eat the City	Robin Shulman
Endurance	Alfred Lansing
Ethical Chic	Fran Hawthorne
The Evil Inside	Heather Graham
Faith, Hope, and Ivy June	Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Finding Magic	Stacia Kane
Flight from Berlin	David John
Forty Signs of Rain	Kim Stanley Robinson
Ghost in the Polka Dot Bikini	Sue Ann Jaffarian
Gone	Michael Grant
Gone Girl	Gillian Flynn
The Great Escape	Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Guys Read: The Sports Pages	Jon Scieszka, Jacqueline Woodson
Harry Lipkin, Private Eye	Barry Fantoni
The Hiding Place	Karen Harper
How the Hot Dog Found Its Bun	Josh Chetwynd, David Cole Wheeler
How to Be a Proper Lady	Katharine Ashe
Hunger	Michael Grant
The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln	Stephen L. Carter
Insignia	S. J. Kincaid
The Japanese Ninja Surprise	Jeff Brown, Macky Pamintuan
Keepsake	Kristina Riggle
The Last Policeman	Ben H. Winters
The Long Walk	Brian Castner
Monsters on the March	Derek the Ghost
A Most Naked Solution	Anna Randol
The Mount Rushmore Calamity	Jeff Brown, Macky Pamintuan
Murder on the Rocks	Karen MacInerney
Never Tell	Alafair Burke
Nightwalker	Jocelynn Drake
Nowhere Near Respectable	Mary Jo Putney
Odd Interlude #1	Dean Koontz
One Moment	Kristina McBride
Only Mine	Susan Mallery
Patricide	Joyce Carol Oates
Port City Black and White	Gerry Boyle
The Prisoner of Heaven	Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Quarantine	Lex Thomas
The Receptionist	Janet Groth
The Red House	Mark Haddon
Red Mars	Kim Stanley Robinson
Scary School	Derek the Ghost, Scott M. Fischer
Seating Arrangements	Maggie Shipstead
A Single Thread	Marie Bostwick
Size 12 and Ready to Rock	Meg Cabot
So Close to You	Rachel Carter
Some Kind of Fairy Tale	Graham Joyce
The Spook's Tale	Joseph Delaney
Summer Blowout	Claire Cook
Tell the Wolves I'm Home	Carol Rifka Brunt
The Thread	Victoria Hislop
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn	Betty Smith
Waiting for Sunrise	Eva Marie Everson
What You Wish For	Kerry Reichs
When a Scot Loves a Lady	Katharine Ashe
Whiplash River	Lou Berney
Wicked Nights	Gena Showalter
The Wildwater Walking Club	Claire Cook
Year Zero	Rob Reid
Yes, Chef	Marcus Samuelsson

Teddy Bear Sleepover

Calling all Teddy Bears & Stuffed Friends...

There will be a special Teddy Bear Sleepover drop-in story time on Tuesday, July 17 @ 6:30p.m.

Bring your stuffed animals to story time & let them sleep at the library! Come back in the morning (after 10a.m.) to pick them up. Hopefully, we will get pictures of what goes on when teddy bears sleep over at the library! (for ages 3-6)

Fictional Friends

I just read an interesting article titled "Bad Book Review Sparks Fictional Friendship."  When writing his novel, The Bright River, Patrick Somerville decided to open an email account for one of his characters, and the character actually received real email (not just spam).  A reader was confused about something in the story and decided to ask the person they thought would know best--the character in question.  A friendship of sorts ensued.  This started me thinking about questions I would ask book characters if I were able.  I have many questions for Mrs. Rochester in Jane Eyre, and for both Rose and Joseph in the Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender.  Who would you have questions for?

London Summer Olympics

The last time the Olympics were held in London it was 1948 and Ted Vogel, a longtime Dover resident, was representing the US as a marathon runner. Mr. Vogel was the top American finisher, coming in 14th. He was just finishing the 26 mile race when the Star Spangled Banner began to play for the winner of the decathlon. Instead of collapsing like the other marathon racers, Ted Vogel gained fame by standing erect at attention until the band finished. 

 

This July, to celebrate the return of the Olympics to London, the library is honored to display Mr. Vogel’s collection of memorabilia from his Olympic Games. The collection will be in our glass display cases from July 10 through the end of the Games.

Try some BOOK SPINE POETRY!

We saw this idea on a Twitter hashtag and thought it was very clever! Create a poem by collecting appropriately-titled books, stack them up, then recite your amazing verse (otherwise known as doggerel!)
We had some laughs with this at the library over the weekend. Feel free in join in the fun and create your own crafty book stanzas! Send us a picture at: libraryquestions@dover.nh.gov. Here's a few of ours:

"See Isabelle run when the wind blows! Never fear learning to fly!"

For romance fans: "Midnight caller, acquainted with the night: enraptured! Temptation rising when passion rules. Welcome to Last Chance."

 For our horror readers: "At the mountains of madness, under the overtree, Mr. Shivers whispers, 'You come when I call you.'"

   "Look at me walk through darkness in the deep woods where you are among the missing."

"The lady of the sea, touched by venom; Venus on the half-shell and others. The darkness that comes before total oblivion, more or less."

Monday Matinees Start Next Week

Monday, July 9 at 2PM we will be showing The Secret World of Arrietty, rated G, in the Lecture Hall. The Clock family are four-inch-tall people who live anonymously in another family's residence, borrowing simple items to make their home. Life changes for the Clocks when their daughter, Arrietty, is discovered.

Join us for free matinees every Monday throughout the summer. Click here to see a listing of the movies and dates. BYOP!

Let's Celebrate!

Don't forget we will be closed tomorrow, Wed., July 4th, for the Independence Day holiday, but will be here on the 5th at 9am! Enjoy.

Looking for Some Good Science Fiction?

Flavorwire has written an interesting article about the Greatest Female Sci-Fi/Fantasy Authors of All Time. They list some truly great authors that I highly recommend you read such as Octavia Butler, Connie Willis and Ursula LeGuin. A few I hadn't heard of, and one, Anne Rice, I would not have included. I consider her a horror author. I started thinking of all the truly tremendous, fantastic authors that weren't included; Sheri Tepper, Patricia McKillip, James Tiptree Jr. (yes, James was a woman), Mercedes Lackey, Joan Vinge, Vonda McIntyre, Kate Wilhelm, and Anne McCaffrey. All these authors are deserving of being on the list. In my humble opinion they need to lengthen or rework their list. Who would you add?

Make sure to pack some of these authors in your summer reading bag, you won't be disappointed!

Summer Reading Party Kick-Off Celebration

The Dover Public Library Summer Reading Party Kick-off Celebration!  Please join us on Monday, July 2 @ 10:30am in the Lecture Hall to watch Robert Rivest a comic mime.  Get a sneak preview of Mr.  Rivest on this youtube video--you can hear the kids laughing in the background.

Dream Big and Tumble!

Tumblebooks

TumbleBooks are animated, talking picture books which teach kids the joy of reading in a format they'll love. They are created by taking existing picture books, adding animation, sounds, music and narration to produce an electronic picture book which you can read, or have read to you.  The library has been given free access to their "StoryBooks" and "Puzzles & Games" this summer as part of the TumbleBooks Summer Reading Program.
   Just click on the picture above or look for it on the Children's Room page of the library's website (library.dover.nh.gov) and enjoy unlimited remote access to their entire collection of animated storybooks and educational games.  And, after July 2, when our Summer Reading Program begins, remember to record those titles or minutes spent reading/listening on your Summer Reading Program folders or logs!  Happy tumbling!

How 'bout some PDA?

I just heard a new library term...PDA. Like most of you, I'd always assumed PDA meant "Public Display of Affection" but now I know it also stands for "Patron Driven Acquisition"! Who knew? Simply explained, this is when you ask us to purchase a book (or media item) you'd like to read (or view) and we agree to buy it for the library! We've always called this process "suggestions for purchase" and asked you fill out a slip describing the item you want, but now it's a PDA! So if you'd like to show us a little PDA for fulfilling your PDA, we wouldn't be offended!

Free Legal Forms & Car Repair Info @ DPL & Your Home

I am excited to announce we have two new databases for you to use here at the Library, or at home, available 24 hours a day! The first database is Chilton Library. If you have ever had to research car problems before, you will be familiar with the Chilton's name. This database has already come in handy for me. My 9 year old car has been making a weird clunking noise that gets worse in warm weather so it was really bad yesterday. My husband climbed into the back of the car nearest the noise and we drove around the block. He was able to pinpoint what was making the noise but didn't know what it was called. We logged into Chilton Library with the super secret password (ask for it next time you are here), then plugged in the year and make of my car. We were able to find a diagram of the car which told us the bad part was a  stabilizer link and showed the steps to repair it.The Chilton Library even offers videos of some repairs!

The other new database is called Legal Forms Library. This database provides a wide selection of legal forms specific to New Hampshire, as well as multi-state forms across the most popular legal areas. It includes real estate contracts, wills, pre-marital agreements, bankruptcy, divorce, landlord tenant and many others. You will also find an attorney directory and a dictionary of legal definitions explained in laymen's language. If you have ever tried searching the Internet for legal forms you know what a great resource this is. Forms are easy to find and free!Just make sure to ask for the secret password the next time you are at the library.

If you want to try these databases out at the library, simply go to any catalog computer and click on ONLINE NOW tab. To use them from home, go to our webpage and click on ONLINE RESOURCES or simply bookmark this link.

Let us know how you like them.

This Is the Challenge Facing Libraries Now