Tales about critters

“Critter Tales” is coming soon and we’re all excited to see the live animals coming into the library! Since we are librarians we also love to read about our favorite animals and their protectors.  These are some of the great books that we recommend to your little critters:

Miss Elizabeth’s Pick: “Wild Wings” by Gill Lewis.

“Wild Wings” is a must read for budding nature lovers.  Callum is young Scottish boy who vows to protect the osprey that has made a nest on his family farm.  During the course of Iris the osprey’s nesting and migration, Callum experiences friendship, loss, and philanthropy.  

Miss Paula’s Pick: Animal Ark series by Ben Baglio.

Animal Ark follows the adventures of young Mandy Hope and her friends. Mandy loves animals and likes to help out at her parents' veterinarian clinic but she often finds animals outside the clinic that need help, too.  Mandy is always willing to go out of her way to help an animal in need.  This series is wonderful for any youngster who longs to spend time with and help animals. 

 

Miss Mary’s Pick: “Beaver Pond, Moose Pond” by Jim Arnosky.

Jim Arnosky is one of Miss Mary’s favorite nature authors.  For small ones just learning about the wonders of wildlife across the world, Arnosky uses factual information and his exquisite artwork in a manner appealing to children.  Beaver Pond Moose Pond is one of her favorites because she loves beavers!

Miss Levonn’s Pick: “The Buffalo are Back” by Jean Craighead George. 

This Sequoyah nominee is an enjoyable history of the buffalo starting with the multitude that lived in Oklahoma and the Great Plains to their near extinction, and then back to the many herds that now roam in our national parks.  I have seen buffalo wallows on the farm I grew up on and have always enjoyed thinking of them up on the hill, watching over the calves and protecting them from predators.

While we are thinking of the predators you might also want to read “The Wolves are Back” also by Jean Craighead George or “When the Wolves Returned” by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent.  Both of these books point out how wolves were also brought back from near extinction and are a necessary part of the natural ecosystem.

If you and your little readers want to investigate more facts about animals check out the 570s through 599 in the nonfiction sections.  There you will find a wide range of other books the librarians enjoy, such as:

(JUV 577 SHA) Eco-tracking: on the trail of habitat change by Daniel Shaw

(JUV 590 STO) Where wild things live: wildlife watching techniques and adventures by Dan Story

(JUV 639.9 STE) Kids' easy-to-create wildlife habitats by Emily Stetson

(EASY 590 SIW) Animals Up Close: Zoom in on the world's most incredible creatures by Igor Siwanowicz

(EASY 591.4 JEN) Actual Size by Steve Jenkins

And if you cannot find your favorite animal, just ask at the help desk and we would be more than happy to track down any book you need. See you at Critter Tales on Tuesday, February 26th at 4:30pm!

Be mine by Heather

 

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, many people will be choosing special cards, gifts and/or candy for those that have special meaning in their lives.  One of my favorite memories of this holiday when my children were in elementary school was watching them prepare their Valentines for family and friends.   It was so fun to watch them pick out the little cards and choose the candy they wanted to give with their Valentines, then write ever-so-carefully “to” and” from” names on each card. Their anticipation of celebrating at school with their friends was a joy to watch.

Valentine’s Day is celebrated in numerous countries around the world, each with its own variation of traditions and customs for the holiday.  In Finland, Valentine’s Day is known as “Friends Day” with an emphasis on remembering all of your friends (not only your loved ones).  Norway enjoys a custom of a character named “Jack” Valentine who delivers gifts and candy to children at the back door of their houses.  In Japan, the holiday is more about women giving to men – and it is typically chocolate that is given, not necessarily cards and flowers.  The Japanese men reciprocate in the month of March.

The Stillwater Public Library offers a selection of Valentine- themed books, music CD’s and audio books for people of all ages to enjoy in preparation for the holiday.  From Easy reader books like “Ruby Valentine saves the day,” by Laurie B. Friedman, to Juvenile selections such as “Cam Jansen and the Valentine baby mystery,” by David A. Adler.   A good choice for young adults is “Valentine Princess,” by Meg Cabot. Those that are inspired by music might enjoy the selection of music CD’s including “Love Songs,” by Miles Davis, or “Picture This,” by Jim Brickman or perhaps for the musician, the book of “Best Songs Ever.”  Interested in making homemade gifts?  “Hearts and Crafts,” by Sheri Brownrigg will give numerous craft and recipe ideas for this romantic holiday.  For mystery lovers, “Death of a Valentine,” by M.C. Beaton has been a very popular item at the library.

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day, however you choose to celebrate!  Hope to see you soon at the Library!

Renew your resolutions! by Danielle

It’s nearly a month into 2013 and most of us have probably broken our New Year’s resolution.  My resolution this year seemed like it should have been easier to keep—“I will be happy.  I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine.” But, just a few days in, I broke the resolution when my persnickety car transmission started acting up, and I let it ruin my whole day. 

Resolutions that involve how you think and feel are much harder to keep then concrete goals like not eating chocolate or drinking more water.  Our thoughts and feelings are always with us, bombarding us at every turn.  I suggest you get some extra help.  The library is filled with books on learning how to think positively, set new personal goals in your life, and improve interpersonal relationships.  Some of our newest items include:

·             “Get What You Want: the Art Of Making And Manifesting Your Intentions” by Tony Burroughs.  Burroughs, shares advice he initially learned on a farm over a ten year period.  He developed “The Code” to be repeated once a day and tried it out with a circle of friends.  It resulted in dramatic and life-changing effects.

·             “What Do You Want To Do Before You Die?” by The Buried Life.  This book is an illustrated selection of answers to the title's question, submitted online and and featured in the MTV reality television series of the same name.  Also included are brief essays on how the authors accomplished some of their lists' tasks and their experiences helping others complete their lists.  

·             “Friendkeeping: A Field Guide to the People You Love, Hate and Can’t Live Without” by Julie Klam.  Klam examines friendship in all its modern varieties, both online and in person, and explores how to keep friends in the face of intimidating odds, including disliking a spouse or being happy in their misfortunes.

·             “The Antidote: Happiness For People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking” by Oliver Burkeman.  Burkeman suggests an alternative to making resolutions.   He suggests making tiny individual changes, repeatedly throughout the year, rather than multiple, ambitious ones at the start of it.

So, one month into the New Year, make a new resolution.  Resolve to drop into the library to find the tools that will help you get back on track and make some real change.

ONE good thing about 15,000,000 new book titles by Jay

From 2011 to 2012, the number of books published increased by 500%.  Just for nostalgia’s sake: in 2003 there were only 300,000 titles published.  One good thing about this huge increase is the prominence of fantastic new women authors. 

Sure, there have always been books written by women, including some of the top literature, such as award winning “Them” by Joyce Carol Oates.  But it was hard to build a collection of female authors when there were literally only a handful of titles available, even up into the 1970s.  With a proliferation of female novelists and tens of millions of choices today, Stillwater Public Library has been able to build a collection of books by new, exciting, and groundbreaking female authors who write with jarring honesty. 

Here is a brief list of some of the great new fiction by female authors I have read in the past 12 months (and be sure to have “The Do” as an appropriate modern soundtrack for your reading):

·           “Sherry and Narcotics” - Nina Marie Gardner’s first novel is about a young grad student who falls in love with a Facebook poster, then moves to Manchester, England to be with him.

·           “How Should a Person Be?” - Sheila Heti’s bold and experimental new novel is about a young artist who tries to figure out how to be a genius.

·           “The Correspondence Artist” - Barbara Browning has written an epistle novel where the action takes place through a series of emails and texts.

·           “Zazen” - Vanessa Veselka writes about a recent geology graduate who moves to the big city, but cannot find a job anywhere.  She then gets caught up in the apocalypse.

·           “We Only Know So Much” - Elizabeth Crane’s debut novel delves into the common theme of “family,” but what a family it is!

·           “Drinking Closer to Home” - Jessica Blau writes another family tale, this one about one of the craziest families you’ll meet.

·           “Ghost Lights” - Lydia Millet too writes about a California family torn apart by a lack of communication and modern age.

·           “Paper Conspiracies” - Susan Daitch has written a historical novel about an event set in 1880’s France, which is being investigated by a twenty-first century film preservationist.

These eight titles are just the very beginning of exciting, bold and truthful new female authors at Stillwater Public Library. 

Upcoming Favorites by Scott

A new year means one thing: a new slate of books to be released.  If you are anything like me then you often find yourself awaiting certain books to hit the shelves.

Here are a handful of the ones that I am excited about this spring:

Nothing Gold Can Stay by Ron Rash—Rash made quite a splash (pardon the rhyme) with last year’s The Cove.  If you like Appalachian-tinged tales of longing and pain then this new short story collection promises to be quite the read.

The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout—I loved Strout’s Pulitzer Prize winning Olive Kitteredge, a collection of stories tied to gather by the title character.  This book is about two adult brothers who try to make sense of the accident that claimed their father’s life when they were just boys.

A Map of Tulsa by Benjamin Lytal—Lytal is an Oklahoma who left for the big lights of New York City and is a former staff member at the New Yorker magazine.  His literary debut is about a college student returning and trying to make sense of his hometown, Tulsa.

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini—Hosseini has delighted with his two previous novels, The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.  This book is supposedly a multi-generational family saga.  With Hosseini’s name attached to it I don’t really care what it’s about.  I’ll read anything of his.

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill—Through the powers of Advanced Reading Copies I am actually already reading this latest by Joe Hill.  You may not recognize the name but you know his dad, a little author by the name of Stephen King.  Hill is a great writer in his own right, and this latest is shaping up to be as good, and frightening, as anything you could expect from the better known member of the family.

Transatlantic by Colum McCann—My favorite book of 2009 was the National Book Award winning novel about a guy attempting to walk a tight rope between the World Trade Towers by McCann.  That book was lyrical and heartbreaking.  He’s finally back with this story about three different real life trips to Ireland by Frederick Douglass, Jack Alcock and George Mitchell, respectively.  It promises to be a somber reflection on the quiet moments that lurk behind great historical events.

Happy Reading!

Unworkable: get organized at work by Stacy

If you walk from desk to desk at your workplace, you’ll see a wide variety of organizing techniques.  A few people will have a clean desk with every paper and project filed in an exact place.  Others have stacks upon stacks of papers in different piles so they can see everything on which they are working (that’s me!).  Still others have a spotless desk, but if you check their drawers they have papers and folders crammed in every which way. 

Whatever the method of organizing being used (or not used), few of us have probably sat down to thoroughly analyze and think through the best way to manage the incoming and outgoing material that passes our workspaces each day.  On Wednesday, Jan. 23 from Noon to 1 p.m., you’ll get that chance!  Professional organizer Shannon Cowan will have a lunch seminar on how to make your workspaces more efficient and cost effective.

The program and lunch are free.  Registration is required by signing up online at http://splsuccessfulspaces.eventzilla.net, emailing askalibrarian@stillwater.org or calling 405.372.3633 x106.  In the meantime, you may want to brush-up on some of these skills with a few of our books:

The Organized Executive by Stephanie Winston – this office organizing classic covers streamlining paper, using efficient filing systems, taking control of your schedule and executing long-term projects.

Making Work Work by Julie Morgenstern – the organizing guru takes on office organizing and introduces small steps you can make in your thinking and behavior to not just organize your work, but also to manage your time and your office relationships.

Home Office Design by Neal Zimmerman – this book covers design side organization and considers actual workstation needs, power requirements, furnishings, storage units, ergonomics and more.

Paper Flow: Your Ultimate Guide to Making Paperwork Easy by Maryanne Bennie – Bennie gives tips and sets out systems for tracking paper throughout its life.  Useful for home accounting and work.