New and Featured Books for Kids/Juvenile Readers for 10/29/2012:

Come and check out these and some of the other new books and materials (or at least new to us) for younger and juvenile readers added to our library collection…

EASY READING:

Mousterpiece: A Mouse-Sized Guide To Modern Art by Jane Breskin Zalben

Just Say Boo! by Susan Hood and illustrated by Jed Henry

I’m Bored by Michael Ian Black and illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover by Cece Bell

Lucy Can’t Sleep by Amy Schwartz

Abe Lincoln’s Dream by Lane Smith

The Monster’s Monster by Patrick McDonnell

Alicia’s Fruity Drinks/Las Aguas Frescas De Alicia by Lupe Ruiz-Flores and illustrated by Laura Lacámara

Pumpkin Countdown by Joan Holub and illustrated by Jan Smith

FICTION:

Legend Of The Ghost Dog by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

All The Wrong Questions #1: Who Could That Be At This Hour? by Lemony Snicket and illustrated by Seth

Lulu Walks The Dogs by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Lane Smith

A Dog Called Homeless by Sarah Lean

Bully by Patricia Polacco

The Prince Who Fell From The Sky by John Claude Bemis

NON-FICTION:

Haunted Histories: Creepy Castles, Dark Dungeons, And Powerful Palaces by J. H. Everett and Marilyn Scott-Waters

Heroes Of Olympus by Phillip Freeman, adapted by Laurie Calkhoven, and illustrated by Drew Willis

Abraham Lincoln & Frederick Douglass: The Story Behind An American Friendship by Russell Freedman

Did The President Really Get A Ticket For Speeding In A Horse-Drawn Carriage? And Other Questions About U.S. Presidents by Sandy Donovan

The Buck Stops Here: The Presidents Of The United States by Alice Provensen

The Christmas Coat: Memories Of My Sioux Childhood by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve and illustrated by Ellen Beier

So, You Want To Be A Writer? – How To Write, Get Published, And Maybe Even Make It Big! by Vicki Hambleton and Cathleen Greenwood

Guy-Write: What Every Guy Writer Needs To Know by Ralph Fletcher

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Please note that books mentioned here could be checked out between the time they end up on the blog and when you come to check them out. If you don’t see the items you’re looking for then please come up to the front desk, OR call us, OR send us an email at robinsbaselibrary@gmail.com and  we’ll put your name on the reserve list for when the item returns.

* * *

Previous New/Featured books for Adults:

10/19/12.

10/16/12.

10/12/12.

10/11/12.

09/21/12.

And for Young Adults:

08/17/12.

07/10/12.

04/12/12.

04/03/12.

And for Kids/Juvenile Readers:

10/18/12.

08/07/12.

07/25/12.

07/13/12.

February is Black History Month.

In February of 1926, historian Carter G. Woodson, the son of former slaves and the founder of the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History established Negro History Week to honor and recognize African American achievements to American history.  In 1976 the week was expanded into a month by the United States, thereby designating February to be Black History Month.  The month of February was chosen because it is the birth month of both the abolitionist Frederick Douglass (1817-1895) and President Abraham Lincoln. Woodson also founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, which is now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

It’s important to remember that African American history isn’t about just one month, nor is it about dates and a few facts and figures. It’s a celebration, and it’s about acknowledgment and understanding of the contributions made, and about respecting that people matter. And it’s about remembering that Black History is American History, and that this is a nation of many stories, many angles and beliefs, and many colors.

Resources from the internet:

Black History Month at History.com.

African American History Month at the Library Of Congress, National Endowment For The Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institute, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.

The National Endowment for the Humanities has a nice collection of resources and lesson plans for Black History Month.

Historic places in the Civil Rights movement.

The origin of Black History Month.

The history of Jim Crow.

Black History Month internet resources for kids.

Articles on Black History and Heritage Month from the Smithsonian.

Black History Month resource center from BlackState.com

A Harlem Renaiisance timeline from the Schomburg Center.

100 Famous African American men and women from the 20th century, a database of African American inventors, a timeline of black political history, and puzzles for all ages from About.com.

from here.

We would like to take this month to highlight, suggest, and remind you of the many print and electronic resources here at the library that may be of interest to anyone researching, learning, or just reacquainting themselves with African-American culture and history.

Reading material for 02/13/12:

Some reading material from around the internet:

SeaWorld is being sued… by five of its “enslaved” killer whales.

Teens learn robotics as factories lack skilled workers.

Origami robots that run only on air.

RIP Whitney Houston.

Listen to Whitney Houston’s isolated vocal track from “How Will I Know?”

Sophisticated jewelry heist stumps Chicago cops.

Take a tour of NYC sewers on Valentine’s Day. Seriously.

California’s volcanoes to be monitored more closely.

34% of people aged 25 to 29 years old have moved back home.

The Pentagon to lift some restrictions on women in combat.

Social media explained.

Amazon tries out the brick and mortar approach.

Google might open a store too.

How to improve your odds in online dating.

The FBI file on Steve Jobs.

The man behind the fake Cormac McCarthy twitter account.

Do you want to open up a perpetual, invisible window into your gmail?

Also, men don’t read online dating profiles.

Stephen Fry says that British judges don’t understand twitter.

Arguing for a Zuckerberg tax.

Mad Men: a guide to catching up before season 5, which starts next month.

Also, Thomas Jane was almost Don Draper.

Natalie Portman to join both of Terrence Malick’s upcoming films.

Naomi Watts to play Princess Diana.

Roger Ebert says 3D is killing Hollywood.

It looks like House will be coming to an end in May with the conclusion of its 8th season.

George Lucas says Han never shot first.

Amy Adams to adapt Steven Martin’s An Object Of Beauty.

Anton Corbijn to adapt John Le Carré’s A Most Wanted Man, which will star Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

Navy SEALs moonlight as movie stars.

The trailer for The Bourne Legacy.

In the picture above: 15,000 different books about Abraham Lincoln arranged together to form a three story tower in the lobby of the Ford’s Theater Center for Education and Leadership.

What Dr. Seuss books were really about.

William Gibson on aging futurism.

10 of the greatest kisses in literature.

A neurodevelopmental perspective on A. A. Milne.

The top 10 Batman storylines.

Charles Dickens and Sinclair Lewis.

A list of ridiculous names in Charles Dickens novels (incomplete).

Jeffrey Zaslow, the man who wrote the recent Gabrielle Giffords book and the Chesley “Sully” Sullenberg, died on Friday.

Michael Chabon talks about his new short story.

Books that will change the way you think about love.

This is a very cool site: Better Book Titles.

from here.

How black lights work.

Legacy of nuclear drilling site in Colorado still lingers.

Entire genome of extinct human decoded from fossil.

Can bees make tupperware?

10 things you probably didn’t know about love and sex.

Metaphors trigger the visual parts of your brain.

The psychedelic cult that thrived for nearly 2000 years.

Greek protesters setting Athens aflame.

The world’s tallest hotel is, of course, in Dubai.

Why being sleepy and drunk is great for creativity.

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Previous online reading material:

02/06/12.

01/30/12.

12/27/11.

12/19/11.

New and Featured DVDs for 12/30/11:

Come and check out these and some of the other new DVDs and materials (or at least new to us) added to our library collection…

FICTION:

The Other Guys

Takers

The Box 

2009, directed by Richard Kelly. Based on a short story by the brilliant writer, Richard Matheson, who was responsible for a lot of great, classic episodes of The Twilight Zone, and in fact Matheson’s original story that this movie is based on, “Button, Button” was previously adapted into an episode of the newer version of The Twilight Zone in the 80s.  The film stars Cameron Diaz, Frank Langhella, and James Marsden, and looks a little silly, but also fun. I really enjoyed Richard Kelly’s first film, Donnie Darko, but didn’t care much for his follow up film, Southland tales, so I’m really curious how this will turn out. Check out the trailer below:

The Kids Are All Right

Hopscotch

The Conspirator

Absolutely Fabulous: Complete Series 1

Videodrome

The King’s Speech

2010, directed by Tom Hooper. This movie was the big winner at last year’s Oscars, taking home the Best Picture prize, as well as Best Director for Hooper, Best Screenplay for David Seidler, and Best Actor for Colin Firth, who plays King George VI.

Broadcast News

1987, directed by James L. Brooks. Starring Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks, and William Hurt. This is one of the best and smartest romantic comedies that I’ve ever seen and I really wish that they still made movies like this.

2001: A Space Odyssey

Joe Versus The Volcano

In The Mood For Love

2000, directed by Wong Kar-wai and starring the ever glamorous Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung. I’ve got to warn you: This is one of my favorite movies of all time and I will hype it endlessly. Set in Hong Kong in 1962, it’s the story of a man and a woman who become neighbors and friends and not long after realize that they’re spouses are having an affair together. They develop a longing and an affection for each other but refuse to give in to the same temptation that their married partners succumbed to. The plot sounds horribly sad, but it’s also beautiful, and much credit is owed to cinematographer Christopher Doyle’s visuals. You could literally take any frame from this film and hang it on your wall as art.

NON-FICTION:

Guns, Germs, And Steel

March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed The World And More Stories About African American History

Grizzly Man

Soundtrack For A Revolution

The September Issue

Ken Burn’s Prohibition

This 2011 television documentary by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick has been highly anticipated amongst several of our library patrons so I hope that everyone gets a chance to look at it. It apparently draws very heavily from a book by Daniel Okrent called Last Call: The Rise And Fall Of Prohibition, which we also have. Check out the trailer below:

Life After People

Doomsday 2012: The End Of Days

America: The Story Of Us

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Please note that DVDs could be checked out between the time they end up on the blog and when you come to check them out. If you don’t see the items you’re looking for then please come up to the front desk and we’ll put your name on the reserve list for when the item returns.

* * *

Previous New/Featured books:

12/27/11.

12/23/11.

12/19/11.

12/17/11.

12/16/11.

12/15/11.