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GLASS EXHIBIT June 26, 2008

Posted by Ms. Klemundt in Announcements.
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If you’ve been knocking around the house looking for something to do and driving your family nuts with your restless pacing, there’s an exhibit about glass at the Museum of Science & Industry that looks really neat. Glass is one of those materials that is both beautiful and useful — and fascinating! To get to the Museum, you can take the CTA #10 Museum of Science & Industry bus, or the #2 Hyde Park Express, the #6 Jackson Park Express, or the #X28 Jackson Park Express. Or you can take the Metra Electric line from the Randolph or Van Buren Street stations downtown. Check here for all the specifics.

After taking in all of the technology at the Museum, you may be looking to commune with nature a bit, so walk around the south side of the Museum to Wooded Isle. It was constructed for the Columbian Exposition of 1893 and it, along with the Museum itself, is one of the few remaining “structures” from the Fair. You can read about the Fair in this entry from the online version of the Encyclopedia of Chicago. If you like your history with a side of scandal, add Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City to your summer reading list.

Curious about the whole phenomenon of a World’s Fair? Check out the ExpoMuseum, a website created by passionate fan of World’s Fairs.

You might enjoy these three books June 16, 2008

Posted by Mrs. Roy in Reading Recommendations.
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If you enjoy mysteries I suggest you give these two books a look. “Monkeewrench” by PJ tracy and “Don’t Look Back” by Karin Fossum.
“Monkeewrench” is written by a mother daughter team. The setting is Minneapolis; so close to home. Someone is murdering people and these murders duplicate those murders found in a new video game designed by the Monkeewrench Group. Who is the Monkeewrench Group? In additon to the Minneapolis murders there is a murder in Wisconsin. Is this murder tied to those in Minneapolis? The story plot and characters kept me reading late into the night. Watch out for the ending—

Another mystery for your summer time reading is “Don’t Look Back” by Karin Fossum. Ms Fossum is a popular Norwegian mystery writer . This book is the first Inspector Sejer mystery novel to appear in the US. Enjoy.
A young girl disappears from her neighborhood, then returns home unharmed. While searching for the missing girl the search party discovers the corpse of a teenage girl from the village. Who wished this well liked girl dead? Is there a link between the disappearance of one girl and the death of the other? This story plot shifts often. You are given glimpses into peoples lives and secrets. Small towns are not necessarily any safer than big cities.

A change of pace for this next story. ” ‘Mudbound’ is a story of racism and well kept secrets. Set on a desolate farm in the Mississippi Delta at the end of World War ll, the novel explores the complex relationshop between two families; the owners of the land and the sharecroppers who live and work on it.” The landowner’s wife, Laura, is trying to come to terms with living in the Delta, its deprivations and social expectations. The son of the sharecropper and the brother of the landowner have returned home from World War ll. It is their friendship upon which the story turns. I found this story to be heartbreaking, stark and then hopeful. This is Hillary Jordon’s first novel. She won the 2006 Bellwether Prize for her book.

Books for the youngest June 16, 2008

Posted by Mrs. Roy in Reading Recommendations.
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If you find yourself with some time to read to a 3-6 year old this summer the following are a few titles that I think they might enjoy—you may also.
“Morning Dance” by Todd Hannert
“Giggle,Giggle,Quack” by Doreen Cronin
“I took my frog to the library” by Eric Kimmel
“Widget” by Lyn Rossiter McFarland
“Princesses are not quitters” by Kate Lum
“Duck on a Bike ” by David Shannon
“I am not going to school today” by Robie H. Harris
“Click Clack Moo” by Doreen Cronin
Don’t take your snake for a stroll” by Karin Ireland
“Can you guess” by Margaret Miller
“Ten terrible dinosaurs” by Paul Strickland
“In the rain with Baby Duck ” by Amy Hest
“Book! book! book!” by Deborah Bruss
If you give a mouse a cokkie” by Laura Joffe Numeroff
“David’s Father” by Robert N. Munsch
“McDuff moves in” by Rosemary Wells
“Snowmen at night” by Carolyn Buchner

KEEPING UP WITH THE WORLD June 16, 2008

Posted by Ms. Klemundt in Web Resources.
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If, like me, you’re having a busy summer already and are finding it difficult to keep up with what’s happening in the world, try checking in with The Christian Science Monitor (http://www.csmonitor.com) each day or so. It’s the online version of the print newspaper and while it is published by the First Church of Christ Scientist in Boston, it is not a “religious” newspaper. It was founded in 1908 in response to the “yellow” journalism of William Randolph Hearst and others and prides itself on balanced reporting. It’s a great source for international news and while it’s not the best place to keep up with breaking headlines, it is a good place for thoughtful takes on the news of the day and interesting features. So stay busy, but stay up on the news as well!

NEW BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY June 4, 2008

Posted by Ms. Klemundt in New books in the Library.
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Wetlands
by Peter D. Moore
Call Number: 577.68 MOO 

This book is part of the Ecosystem series from Facts on File.  Other books in the series include:

Other new books in the Res Library include: