RSS Feed

Tag Archives: National Book Award

New and Featured Books for Kids/Juvenile Readers for 10/18/2012:

Posted on

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:

The Insomniacs by Karina Wolf and illustrated by The Brothers Hilts

Cat’s Cradle, Book 1: The Golden Twine by Jo Rioux

Frankenstein: A Monstrous Parody by Ludworst Bemonster (and Rick Walton and Nathan Hale).

Benjamin Franklinstein Meets Thomas Deadison by Matthew McElligott and Larry Tuxbury

Underground Train by Mary Quattlebaum and illustrated by Cat Bowman Smith

The Gospel Cinderella by Joyce Carol Thomas and illustrated by David Diaz

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

The Perfect Pumpkin Hunt by Gail Herman and illustrated by Adrienne Brown, Loren Vasquez, and Manuela Razzi

Bad Apple: A Tale Of Friendship by Edward Hemingway

Snowmen At Work by Caralyn Buehner and illustrated by Mark Buehner

Ready For Pumpkins by Kate Duke

Mystery Ride! by Scott Magoon

Pluto Visits Earth! by Steve Metzger and illustrated by Jared Lee

My Friend Isabelle by Eliza Woloson and illustraed by Bryan Gough

Katy Duck Is A Caterpillar by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and illustrated by Henry Cole

Working Mummies by Joan Horton and illustrated by Drazen Kozjan

The Fox Maiden by Elsa Marston and illustrated by Tatsuro Kiuchi

Amelia Rules: Her Permanent Record, written and illustrated by Jimmy Gownley

My First Ghost by Maggie Miller & Michael Leviton and illustrated by Stephanie Buscema

Halloween Forest by Marion Dane Bauer and illustrated by John Shelley

Nightsong by Ari Berk and illustrated by Loren Long

The BOO! Book by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer and illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli

Vampirina Ballerina by Anne Marie Pace and ilustrated by LeUyen Pham

FICTION:

Uh-Oh, Cleo: Underpants On My Head by Jessica Harper and illustrated by Jon Berkeley

Parrot In The Oven: Mi Vida by Victor Martinez

Gran, You’ve Got Mail! by Jo Hoestlandt and illustrated by Aurélie Abolivier, and translated from the French by Y. Maudet

Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen by Donna Gephart

Calvin Coconut: Man Trip by Graham Salisbury and illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers

Ramona’s World by Beverly Cleary

Deenie by Judy Blume

Princess Posey And The Monster Stew by Stephanie Greene and illustrated by Stephanie Roth Sisson

Invisible Inkling: Dangerous Pumpkins by Emily Jenkins and illustrated by Harry Bliss

NON-FICTION:

Seas And Oceans by Andy Owen and Miranda Ashwell

Unlikely Pairs: Fun With Famous Works Of Art by Bob Raczka

Halloween by Laura Marsh

5,000 Awesome Facts (About Everything), edited by Becky Baines

A President From Hawai’i by Terry Carolan and Joanna Carolan and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon

Help Me Learn Subtraction by Jean Marzollo, with photographs by Chad Phillips

Halloween Drawing Book by Ralph Masiello

* * *

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:

10/16/12.

10/12/12.

10/11/12.

09/21/12.

09/06/12.

And for Young Adults:

08/17/12.

07/10/12.

04/12/12.

04/03/12.

And for Kids/Juvenile Readers:

08/07/12.

07/25/12.

07/13/12.

06/26/12.

Author quotes: Discrimination, discovery, and freedom.

Posted on

As I said last week, when you’ve set out to share great quotes from wonderful authors with the world, then it’s nice to be doing so from a library, where there is never a shortage of such unique and talented voices, with such wisdom to share. And today I didn’t want to limit myself to just one voice, so today we are going to hear from three of American literature’s finest…

First we have a nice perspective from one of the writers at the center of the Harlem Renaissance:

“Sometimes I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It is beyond me.”

-Zora Neale Hurston, from “How It Feels To Be Colored Me,” an essay which appeared in The World Tomorrow in May, 1928.

Next we have a quote from a novel that not only changed what people could expect from an African American protagonist, but also from an African American novelist:

“When I discover who I am, I’ll be free.”

-Ralph Ellison, from his famous 1952 novel, Invisible Man, which won the National Book Award in 1953.

Our last quote for today comes from a writer who only wrote one novel in her lifetime, but it was an amazing novel:

“I think there’s just one kind of folks: folks.”

-Harper Lee, from her famous novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, 1960. Lee is, of course, pictured above, with her friend, Truman Capote, her childhood schoolmate, neighbor, and best friend.

Elsewhere on the internet:

It’s important to note that both Invisible Man and To Kill A Mockingbird are on The Modern Library’s list of 100 Best Novels, a nice list of the best novels written in the English language in the twentieth century.

It’s also important to note that Invisible Man, To Kill A Mockingbird, and Their Eyes Were Watching God are all on Time magazine’s list of the 100 Best English-Language Novels from 1923 to 2005.

The New York Times’ review of Invisible Man.

Saul Bellow’s review of Invisible Man.

A podcast about Ralph Ellison, and how his works are still being taught today, from Voices Of America.

An interview with Ralph Ellison in The Paris Review.

To Kill A Mockingbird: A historical perspective.

Harper Lee was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007.

To Kill A Mockingbird was named the UK’s most beloved book last year.

The mystery of Harper Lee.

Harper Lee made a rare written appearance in 2006, writing an open letter to Oprah Winfrey in O magazine.

The official website of Zora Neale Hurston.

Study guides for Their Eyes Were Watching God at both Grade Saver and Shmoop.

An interview with Zora Neale Hurston about her research into actual zombies in Haiti.

An in depth biography of Zora Neale Hurston from Gale.

At the library we have quite a few books both by Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Hurston, and Harper Lee, and about them. To Kill A Mockingbird and Their Eyes Were Watching God are always popular, partially because students get assignments involving them every year, so I’m glad that we have those books, as well as quite a few volumes of literary criticism about their authors, but I wish more people would come in asking about Ralph Ellison. Either way, there’s a reason that all three of these authors and their works are considered classics and I hope you’ll come and check them out.

New and Featured Books for 12/15/11:

Posted on

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

FICTION:

Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson

Reamde by Neal Stephenson

The Impossible Dead by Ian Rankin

The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson

Micro by Michael Crichton and Richard Preston

Micro is the second posthumous book from Crichton. Apparently about a third of it was written before his death in 2008 and when it was found in his archives (along with 2009’s Pirate Latitudes, which we also have), his publisher hired author Richard Preston to finish the book based on Crichton’s notes and research.

Little Big Man by Thomas Berger

11-22-63 by Stephen King

As The Pig Turns by M. C. Beaton

Kill Me If You Can by James Patterson

Three new James Patterson books!? That’s crazy, right?

The Litigators by John Grisham

Batman: The Black Mirror by Scott Snyder with art by Jock and Francesco Francavilla

A Clash Of Kings by George R. R. Martin

Shock Wave by John Sandford

NON-FICTION:

Back To Work: Why We Need Smart Government For A Strong Economy by Bill Clinton

Skyjack: The Hunt For D. B. Cooper by Geoffrey Gray

A fun look into this fascinating bit of true crime history. You can find reviews at The Washington Post and USA Today and check out the book’s official website.

Boomerang: Travels In The New Third World by Michael Lewis

Seriously… I’m Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres

One Nation Under AARP: The Fight Over Medicare, Social Security, And America’s Future by Frederick R. Lynch

The Swerve: How The World Become Modern by Stephen Greenblatt

The winner of the 2011 National Book Award for Non-Fiction. Here are some book reviews from NPR and The New York Times. And you can listen to the author reading from his book over at Vanity Fair.

Columbus: The Four Voyages by Laurence Bergreen

I Didn’t Ask To Be Born (But I’m Glad I Was) by Bill Cosby

Empty Pleasures: The Story Of Artificial Sweeteners From Saccharin To Splenda by Carolyn De La Peña

* * *

Please note that books 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 item returns.