Blog Post
A Series of Unfortunate Events
by PizzaPuppy
A brand new television show based on the popular Series of Unfortunate Events books is coming to Netflix on January 13th, making now the perfect time to catch up on Lemony Snicket's whimsical gothic novels.
Over the course of 13 books we follow Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire: 3 siblings who are orphaned after a fire destroys their house and kills their parents. The children are placed under the protection of their distant relative, the mysterious Count Olaf, but soon realize that Olaf is scheming to steal their inheritance and do away with the Baudelaire children altogether. Along the way, the Baudelaire children discover that their parents were part of a secret organization, and much of the later books revolves around the Baudelaire children uncovering dark family secrets. Lemony Snicket narrates with a quick wit and dark humor, often going off on tangents or explaining the meaning of words as he goes along. Snicket also begins each novel with a polite warning that if a happy book is what the reader is after, they won't find it here.
If you haven't seen the trailer for the new 8-episode series, take a look here.
Looking for more Series of Unfortunate Events-related stuff? Give the Tragic Treasury a try. This collection of songs featured in the audiobooks remains true to Snicket's books, and Snicket himself plays accordion on multiple tracks. Or maybe re-watch the 2004 movie adaptation featuring Jim Carrey as the tricky Count Olaf.
Blog Post
Radiant Child
by manz
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat is a beautifully illustrated picture book that is a wonderful introduction for young children to a one-of-a-kind modern artist. There is definite Caldecott Medal buzz around the bold and colorful illustrations by author Javaka Steptoe.
The book focuses on Basquiat’s childhood in Brooklyn, his early passion for drawing and his declaration that he will some day be famous. The message that art doesn’t have to be neat or clean shines through as we follow the artist on his journey to become a cultural phenomenon with a true vision (before his untimely death, which doesn't grace the pages of this book).
Blog Post
Storytime: W is for Wind!
by eapearce
This week at storytimes at Westgate and Traverwood, AADL storyteller Elizabeth shared stories about wind! Whoooosh! An old man complained about his noisy house and the wind outside in Too Much Noise, until the town’s wise woman solved his problem in a unique way. Ben floated away to the moon with his red balloon in Come Back, Ben and the mouse and his boat were blown every which way by the wind in The Mouse and the Wind, a story from Arnold Lobel’s classic Mouse Tales. We also tracked down the owner of a lovely hat that the wind had whisked away in Whose Hat Is That?
For more windy favorites for preschoolers, try Windblown by Edouard Manceau and The Wind Blew by Pat Hutchins.
Blog Post
PreK BITS - “W” is for WINTER Wonderland
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel presented stories of WINTER outdoor PLAY at Storytime this week.
UNDER MY HOOD I WEAR A HAT … a dressing story of sequence.
“Hat, Jacket, Pants and Boots” … an action song that speeds up. It is sung to the tune of “Head, Shoulders, Knees And Toes” recorded on the CD SINGIN’ And GROOVIN’: 25 Best Sing-Along Songs
10 On The SLED … a sledding story to count on.
For more stories of WINTER try these favorites:
KATY And The BIG SNOW … a classic by Virginia Lee Burton.
NANUK The ICE BEAR … a polar bear family story.
The WINTER TRAIN … all aboard!
WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND … you can sing while you read.
LEMONADE IN WINTER: A Book About two Kids Counting Money …
OVER And UNDER The SNOW … secret worlds can be found.
IF IT’S SNOWY And YOU KNOW IT CLAP YOUR PAWS … another sing-along book.
RED SLED ... an almost wordless adventure in pictures! YOU tell the story.
SUPER SNOW DAY SEEK And FIND … a picture puzzle book of snow day fun.
Be sure to wear two pairs of mittens and two pairs of pants!
The more it snows tiddley-pom, the more it goes tiddley-pom,... the more it goes tiddley-pom on snowing.
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #624 “I've always wanted to play a spy, because it is the ultimate acting exercise. You are never what you seem.” ~ Benedict Cumberbatch
by muffy
Ascension, the first book in a new series by Gregory Dowling is set in 18th century Venice in the weeks leading up to the Feast of the Ascension.
Alvise Marango, having grown up in London, is back in Venice, the city of his birth, alone, barely making a living as a cicerone, if not for his command of the English language. Rescuing an unsuspecting Mr. Boscombe and his tutor Shackleford from some shady characters at the gondola landing, he is hired as guide as they continue their Grand Tour.
After a series of gruesome murders, with the latest being that of Shackleford, Mr. Boscombe is arrested, along with Marango as his accomplice. With a solid alibi and his intimate knowledge of Venetian history and politics, Marango impresses the authority enough to be recruited as a spy.
From the grandest palaces to its darkest alleys, he follows the trail of a missing book that might lead him to a secret society and its sinister plan to destroy the city on its most important and spectacular holiday. That is, if he manages to stay alive.
British author Gregory Dowling moved to Venice in 1981, where he teaches American Literature at Ca' Foscari University of Venice.
Readers partial to the setting and time period might also enjoy Beverle Graves Myers' Tito Amato series (many of them available for download), featuring an opera singer who is also a spy; and Jason Goodwin's The Bellini Card that takes Investigator Yashim of the Edgar Award-winning series to Venice.
Blog Post
Tis the Season for Comfort Food!
by oliviabee
It's getting cold outside! It's the perfect time of year to indulge in some decadent and comforting recipes! Fortunately, the library offers many delicious cookbooks for all your favorite comfort food fixings. Here's some great ones to check out this winter:
Are you are a soup lover? If so, look no further than Cook's Illustrated all-time best soups. The chefs at America's Test Kitchen chose the best and most delectable recipes to include. The recipes cover a diverse spectrum of soup flavors for all taste buds and skill levels. In it's weeknight wonders section, it's got classics like hearty chicken noodle soup and turkey chili. It also consists of other eclectic soups like caldo verde soup, a Spanish soup with potatoes, sausage and kale which is easy enough to make on a weeknight but still allows you to try something different. If you're feeling worldly, check out the around the world section for Italian wedding soup. My favorite was the modern vegetable soup section which consists of elevated classic soup recipes like roasted red pepper soup with smoked paprika or Provencal vegetarian soup inspired from France. It's got something yummy for every soup lover.
If you're looking for some southern comfort, Melba Wilson's cookbook Melba's American Cookbook is an excellent choice. One of Melba's most acclaimed dishes is her fried chicken and she has a whole section in her book to suit your fried chicken fancy. However, her breakfast and brunch section is the most impressive. It's filled with many comforting recipes! She includes quick and easy dishes such bacon and cheese (asiago) scones. One of my favorite recipes is her eggnog waffles. It's perfect for holiday time if you're feeling festive! She makes her eggnog from scratch and tops it with homemade strawberry butter.
I'd recommend 101 one-dish dinners : hearty recipes for the dutch oven, skillet, and casserole pan to anyone! If you're not up on what's trendy in the home cook world, it's all about one dish dinners. All you need is a dutch oven, casserole dish, sheet pan or skillet. This makes dinner quick and easy with minimal clean up! The recipes in this book don't skimp on the savory comfort foods from skillet chicken pot pie to lemon cream chicken with artichokes and potatoes.
Enjoy!
Blog Post
A Holiday Romance from Jill Shalvis
by CeliaM
Looking for something heartwarming and delightful to read this holiday season? Look no further than The Trouble with Mistletoe by Jill Shalvis.
Back cover:
Willa Davis is wrangling puppies when Keane Winters stalks into her pet shop with frustration in his chocolate-brown eyes and a pink bedazzled cat carrier in his hand. He needs a kitty sitter, stat. But the last thing Willa needs is to rescue a guy who doesn't even remember her. Saddled with his great-aunt Feline from Hell, Keane is desperate to leave her in someone else capable hands. But in spite of the fact that he sure he never seen the drop-dead-gorgeous pet shop owner before, she seems to be mad at him. Willa can deny that Keane changed since high school: he less arrogant, for one thing--but can she trust him not to break her heart again? It time to throw a coin in the fountain, make a Christmas wish--and let the mistletoe do its work.
I'm a huge sucker for holiday romances but they do tend to follow a couple of familiar tropes:
- Hero returns home after ten years to discover heroine has a child who is, suspiciously, ten years old.
- Everyone learns the true meaning of Christmas through a big holiday festival.
- Hero and heroine are stuck in a snow storm and are forced to shelter in a conveniently located abandoned cabin.
This book too has some of those classic elements - the heroine is obsessed with Christmas decorations and wears lots of sweaters and aprons with holiday themed puns embroidered on them. But it also has adorable animal antics, a cast of witty, meddlesome secondary characters, and some refreshing, unpredictable plot twists. Bonus: if, like me, Carl the doberman becomes your favorite character, he is featured in the novella sequel, One Snowy Night.
Blog Post
Storytimes: D is for Dog!
by eapearce
Elizabeth shared Dog stories this week at storytimes at Traverwood and Westgate! We heard about the adorable, yet misbehaving dog who wouldn’t drop the shoe in Drop It, Rocket … until he heard a story, of course! Farm animals had to bravely venture into the scary doghouse to find their missing ball in Jan Thomas’ The Doghouse. Mack the dog ate a cake intended for the farmer in The Cake That Mack Ate, and we met a “talking” dog in Lois Ehlert’s Rrralph! Of course, storytime wouldn’t have been complete without a rousing version of B-I-N-G-O!
AADL’s new Westgate storytimes take place three times a week in the program room:
Mondays, from 11:00-11:30am
Wednesdays, from 1:00-1:30pm
Fridays, from 10:00-10:30am
Storytimes are intended for ages 2-5 years. All are welcome and no sign-up or registration is required.
Blog Post
Quirky new picture book: Pug Man's 3 Wishes
by eapearce
The delightful new picture book Pug Man’s 3 Wishes, by Sebastian Meschenmoser, is described as a “misanthropic gem of a story” by Publishers Weekly and “the antidote to every cute fairy book.” The quirky story features Pug Man, a bipedal pug dog who is having a very bad day. He slept late, there’s nothing to eat for breakfast, and a morning rain has made his newspaper soggy. He’s feeling very sorry for himself when a brightly colored fairy appears out of nowhere and grants him three wishes. Children (and adults, for that matter) might think that they know what he’ll wish for, but everyone—including the fairy!—is in for a surprise. Readers will be touched by Pug Man’s modest wishes, and tickled by his obstreperous third wish in particular.
German author Meschenmoser adds to the book by depicting Pug Man’s bleak life in all black and white until the fairy appears, bringing bursts of color and fantastical beings with her. The unusual story is not for everyone, but certainly will appeal to those tired of fairies coming along to save the day… and to anyone who’s felt a little cranky when they wake up in the morning.
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #623
by muffy
In the same vein as fictional biographies such as Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen; The Paris Wife by Paula McLain; and Mrs. Engels by Gavin McCrea - in which intelligent women whose own aspirations and contribution were marginalized in favor of their spouses. Marie Benedict's debut gives us the story of Mileva Maric, a brilliant physicist and an extraordinarily gifted mathematician.
In 1896, before she was The Other Einstein, Mileva Maric´ was the only woman studying physics at Zurich Polytechnic and easily fell under the spell of a charismatic fellow student. Their courtship was kept secret not only due to the disapproval of the social-climbing Einsteins, but also for disappointing her father who held great hopes for her. An unplanned pregnancy, and failed qualifying exams sent Mileva home alone without any support from Albert.
When they eventually married, it was anything but the promises of being treated as an equal in both love and science. As a devoted mother of 2 boys, she was increasingly treated like a servant. The self-centered, womanizing Albert has no compunctions about deleting her name from papers they assiduously work on together, as a matter of fact, it has been hotly debated for over a century that Mileva might be the mastermind behind his 1905 groundbreaking ideas about relativity.
Benedict draws on many sources, especially letters from Albert, Mileva, and her friend Helene Kaufler, many of them now available at Princeton University's The Digital Einstein Papers Website. "Benedict insightfully portrays Mileva, Albert, and other European intellectuals of the time and dramatizes the difficulties a woman faced when attempting to enter that world. She also vividly captures the atmosphere, the cafes, the boardinghouse, and the customs of Mileva’s world, making for an engaging and thought-provoking fictional telling of the poignant story of an overshadowed woman scientist." (Booklist)