LIBRARY NOTES

January 19, 2012

The Call, by Yannick Murphy, is the unusual, sometimes annoying but ultimately satisfying story of one year in the life of a veterinarian in rural New England. The title stems from the structure of the book. Each of the seasons of the year are divided into multiple short sections that each use a call for vet services (or the lack of calls) as a starting point for the narrator’s observations about events in his life. The pattern, for more than 200 pages, is call, action, result, what my wife said, thoughts on drive home, etc. I found this to be fairly disruptive to an otherwise engaging story full of realistic, conflicting emotions and quirky and endearing characters, more than one of whom keep large typically barn animals inside their homes like a dog.

Early in the story the narrator’s son is injured in a hunting accident, so much of the story and characterization has to do with how this affects the family: everyone’s grief, the father’s quest for vengeance, the boy’s medical state, the sisters reacting to his absence at home. There’s some mystery, a great sense of place (although the specifics of the location are never revealed) and terrific characterization of each family member. Even the house has a personality. I eventually got used to the format and it did make it fast to read, but in the back of my mind I kept thinking that it was a cop out on the author’s part to not write a more traditional narrative. The story and people make it well worth the read but it feels a little like Murphy is sharing her notes or sketches before she actually turned them into a book.

Keeping with the rural, northern theme, we have recently gotten three books by the state poet laureate, Sydney Lea. We are sponsoring a visit from him later this year and partly in preparation for that, we now have: Young of the Year, To the Bone and Pursuit of a Wound.  Outdoorsy and hearty,  Lea’s poems and his persona defy a lot of stereotypes about poets and poetry. He’s a hunter and a conservationist, has published in poetry anthologies and Sports Illustrated. His clear, descriptive and evocative language can turn ordinary details into powerful moments. An example of this is “Leonora’s Kitchen,” in which everyday items take on great poignancy when we realize Leonora has left them there seemingly for just a few minutes, planning to return to a quiet, uneventful evening, but this is not at all how it turns out. His poem “Horn,” about the emotional impact and expression of a relative of the instrument I’ve played most of my life perfectly captures the melancholy character of this darkest of wind instruments. It will be a great treat to hear him read his poetry live this summer.

A reminder to people with eReaders, your library card number gives you access to a large collection of eBooks, for no fee. Call the library for your number and instructions, and don’t be discouraged by the number of steps it entails. They each take just a few seconds, and accessing books this way instead of buying them will save you money and support your local library.

January 5, 2012

January is the month where thanks to the Friends of the Joslin Library I have the chance to go to the American Library Association Midwinter meeting. A lot of what I’ll be doing at the meeting is meeting with a group of 9 other librarians from all over the country to create this year’s Amelia Bloomer List of Recommended Feminist Books for ages 0-18. It’s a very intense experience of many hours spent in one room passionately discussing whether the 134 nominated books have the literary merit and are sufficiently feminist to be included on the list.  This year there are two books by Vermont authors on the nomination list, Beth Kanell’s The Secret Room and Erin Moultons’s Flutter.

I’ve spent the last few weeks engrossed in the nominated books, since to be able to fully participate, we need to have read each of the 134 books. A favorite nomination that also continues to be very popular at the library is Tina Fey’s autobiography, Bossypants. It’s no surprise that she’s hilarious and more than once I had to stop laughing long enough to read parts aloud to my family. Dissecting whether she’s a champion for women in general or an extremely ambitious, hard working woman who created a spot for herself individually (or both) is sure to be hotly debated, and is something she discusses in the book, mixing humor with pointed observations about the experience of being female in the comedy world.

A very serious contrast to this and one that like Bossypants definitely has appeal for adults is the remarkable, informative and often disturbing  Flesh and Bood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy, by Albert Marrin. A National Book Award finalist, this is not just the story of the horrific Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, but also a history of immigration to New York City and labor relations. Powerful photographs complement the writing. The Tina Fey book made me read things aloud, and this one we had to pry out of the hands of a holiday guest  because he became so captivated by it he abandoned his social responsibilities!

Two favorites for younger readers are Small Acts of Amazing Courage, by Gloria Whelan, and Addie on the Inside, by James Howe. Both of these authors are prolific and acclaimed, and these are great additions to their output. Whelan’s character Rosalind is a smart, independent British teenager living in India at the end of World War I. Seeing imperialism, class conflict, a rally where Ghandi speaks and Rosy’s first ever trip to England, which she has been brought up to think of as home even though she has lived in India her whole life, is truly a treat. Addie is another girl who makes up her own mind about things and her navigation through seventh grade, her first boyfriend and being a touch eccentric in conformist-heavy middle school are not new themes, but they’re well handled in this book. I knew I had to read this when the New York Times called Addie “a soul sister for future Elena Kagans,” and I wasn’t disappointed.

In case anyone is worried, there are also plenty of new books at the library that have nothing to do with this project or with young women trying to forge their identities. A few that are flying off the shelves are Tom Clancy Locked On, Michael Connelly The Drop and Patricia Cornwell’s latest, Red Mist. P.D. James’ new book Death Comes to Pemberley is here, as are the winners of the 2011 Man Booker Prize and the 2011 National Book Award, respectively Julian Barnes’ The Sense of an Ending and Jesmyn Ward’s Salvage the Bones. Enjoy!

December 22, 2011

There are several biographies on the new materials shelf right now, with topics ranging from movie stars to world leaders, delivered in ways as diverse as confessional memoir and graphic novel format.

The title of Judy Collins’ memoir, Sweet Judy Blue Eyes My Life in Music, is a play on the famous Stephen Stills song written about her, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, and the cover features her picture with, yes, very blue eyes. Early in the book she describes the first time he played the song for her. The spontaneous, surprising intimacy of that moment sets the tone for the rest of the book, in which she writes honestly about her struggles with alcohol, her relationships and, of course, her music. The pages are filled with stories of other musical icons of the 60s, too: Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, but not in an egregious way. She entwines anecdotes (which given the times are pretty colorful) with descriptions of musical partnerships and the artistic evolution of the individual musicians and also the folk music scene in general. This is a great companion to another recent autobiography that brings to life a different musical scene in the same era, Patti Smith’s Just Kids.   

Diane Keaton has also recently written a book, Then Again: a Memoir. This, too, has plenty of stories about other famous people, including her famous partners, Woody Allen, Warren Beatty and Al Pacino. She writes about her professional life, her Oscar nominations and win, her start on Broadway with Hair in 1968. But much of the material is more personal. She battled bulimia, grew up trying to please her father, isn’t as confident as one might expect such a successful woman to be. These things aren’t that different than what might be written by or about a lot of actresses. What is unique and most interesting is when Keaton writes about her mother. Her mother kept journals of both words and photographic collages through much of her life, including up until the end when she had Alzheimer’s so severely she was reduced to writing just one word at a time and eventually no words at all, just numbers. The journals at first intimidated Keaton, as they were such a powerful look into her mother’s life. But they gave her a chance to compare her life with her mother’s, to analyze “what’s lost in success contrasted with what’s gained in accepting an ordinary life.” Figuring that out is one of the reasons ordinary people are attracted to biographies of hugely successful and famous people, but it’s not that often the author acknowledges and participates in the process.

In complete contrast to confessional memoirs by artistic women is Mark Ribowsky’s Howard Cosell: the Man, the Myth, and the Transformation of American Sports. Cosell was flamboyant enough that even a non-sports fan who hardly watches TV like me is curious about him. This highly researched book tells Cosell’s life story and also the story of sports broadcasting, which, partly because of technological changes but also because of over-sized personalities like Cosell’s, found a new identity during his time.

Representing over-sized personalities on the world stage is Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero, by Chris Matthews. Based on interviews with people who knew Kennedy in different capacities, research of Kennedy’s school years, and influenced by Matthew’s lifelong admiration for Kennedy, this book practically overflows with details about Kennedy’s upbringing, his entry into politics and the ways that his views evolved. Good photographs for the enjoyment of Kennedy-philes, too.

Lastly, and most unusual, is Gandhi: a Manga Biography, by Kazuki Ebine. At 192 pages of mostly pictures (manga is the Japanese word for comics and books in this style often feature long and complex stories told using pictures), it is by no means an in-depth look at Gandhi’s life. But the pictures are very expressive, and many important aspects of Gandhi’s life and beliefs come through in a way that is accessible to many ages.  

Dec. 8, 2011  

The festive holiday decorations make it an especially fun time to come to the library. And inside is even more celebratory: last week we installed new computers at all the pubic computer stations. We’ve also added another computer so we can accommodate the needs of more patrons at one time. These are fast, easy to use, state of the art machines that will make checking email, internet surfing, researching, writing and all sorts of other things fun and efficient.

We also now have a Kindle available for use in the library. We have a Kindle subscription to the daily New York Times, so this will always be available. It’s exciting to be able to offer this great newspaper to patrons without taking up any of our precious, limited space. Patrons can also load library books or other material on it if they choose to by using their own Amazon account.

As in previous years, this winter we will co-sponsor a Vermont Humanities Council Reading and Discussion series with the Warren Pubic Library. The name of the series is “Outsiders: Those Who Fell Outside the Cultural Norm.” It features four books about marginalized populations in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including American Indians, disabled people and people considered genetically inferior by some at the time. Copies of all the books are available at the Joslin and Warren libraries. The first book, for the discussion January 18th, is Education for Extinction: American Indians and the Boarding School Experience, by David Wallace Adams. The topics are thought provoking and challenging and all of the books look intriguing. As always there will be a Humanities Council scholar to guide the discussions and add insight and context to the topics.

On a lighter note and just in time for holiday entertaining, is Natalie MacLean’s Unquenchable: a Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines. MacLean is an award winning writer and sommelier. She has written for prestigious food and wine magazines, plus has an enormously popular free newsletter about wine. The book is full of suggestions about wine, such as “Field Notes from a Wine Cheapskate” at the end of each chapter, but it’s also an entertaining travelogue, since she describes travelling to eight wine producing regions. And not surprisingly, the people she encounters are wonderfully colorful. There are many hilarious moments in the book, which reduce the stuffiness and pretension that sometimes surrounds wine. This is a good read that makes wine accessible, financially and otherwise.   

And also on quite a light note and filled with plenty of hilarity, is Tim Dorsey’s When Elves Attack: a Joyous Christmas Greeting from the Criminal Nutbars of the Sunshine State. The nuttiest criminal is Serge Storms, a murderer with a unique set of ethics that dictate on whom he unleashes his psychopathic tendencies. But even psychopaths can feel holiday spirit, so Serge gets himself a place to live and, in his own demented way, begins to embrace the holiday season. Serge’s interaction with more typical traditions, such as going to the mall, provide a deliciously irreverent antidote to excessive holiday cheer.

November 23, 2011

It’s a great time to be immersed in books: the “best of 2011” lists are starting to come out which is a great way to learn about books that might have gone unnoticed, the National Book Awards were just announced, and a lot of interesting and popular authors have recently come out with new books.

Carson Morton’s Stealing Mona Lisa has earned a spot on Kirkus Review’s “Best Fiction of 2011” as well as Library Journal’s “Best Mysteries of 2011.” It should get recognition for best cover, too. The art, the golden color and the art deco font evoke such a feeling of early twentieth century Europe that you can’t look at it without wanting to delve into that world. The story is a suspenseful combination of real people and events with Morton’s fiction interspersed.

The National Book Award for nonfiction went to The Swerve: How the World Became Modern, by Stephen Goldblatt. It’s in our collection but usually checked out- remember you can place a book on hold by logging into your account, calling or emailing, and we’ll let you know when it’s your turn. Other new nonfiction in the collection include new books by Bill Clinton, Tom Brokaw, and The New, New Rules, by Bill Maher. This will make you laugh so hard you’ll cry, but will also make you think. Maher spares no one he deems stupid or unenlightened and it’s very enjoyable to read him taking down a variety of people and ideas. The prolific James Patterson and John Grisham have new books as well.

A terrific piece of new fiction to lose yourself in is The Barbarian Nurseries by Hector Tobar. It is the story of a family in Southern California, told from the perspective of their Mexican live-in maid. She struggles to make sense of their priorities while also trying to understand how she came to be a maid in California at all, after studying art in Mexico City as a young woman. Tobar conveys the concurrent realities of all of the characters: the man trying to hold the family finances together and be a good parent, the mom looking for identity and fulfillment through overspending and complex enriching activities with her kids. He especially captures what it is like to live with young boys, their attraction to electronic toys juxtaposed with their need for quiet affection and consistency. And when the maid Araceli thinks back on her life in Mexico City as she is inspired to when when she strokes the Mexican tile in the American kitchen where she now works, the way she remembers the city’s “unevenness, its asymmetry and its improvised spaces” both critically and with affection portray the contradictions of that sprawling city perfectly. Circumstances require Araceli to get to know the boys, Los Angeles and the legal system more intimately than she ever hoped to, and it’s both entertaining and educational to join her on those endeavors.

In the children’s room we have Inheritance, the last installment of the hugely popular Inheritance Cycle,  by Christopher Paolini, in print and audio versions. This is the conclusion of the story that started with Eragon, and although they each seem like impossibly long books for kids, the storytelling is great and kids don’t seem to be daunted by the hundreds of pages.


November 10, 2011

Saturday, November 19th at 2 pm children and young adult author Erin Dionne will present a program at the Library. Her most recent book, Notes from an Accidental Band Geek, has been chosen for the IndieBound Next Winter List, a national list of recommendations from independent booksellers. Her earlier books include The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet and Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies. Total Tragedy is the story of a girl finding her own path and dealing with family issues, one being the fact her parents are Shakespearean scholars who named her Hamlet, another being her genius little sister. Models tells the story of how Celeste responds to her aunt entering her in a beauty pageant for not-so-skinny girls. All three books show middle school friendships, the search for identity and family expectations in an honest, entertaining and insightful way. And all three are in our collection. It will be a treat to hear how these quirky characters came to be.

A favorite new addition to the adult fiction shelf is Boundaries, by Elizabeth Nunez. Much of the story has to do with Anna’s experience as a Caribbean immigrant. She experiences constant reminders that she’s not as assimilated to her New York life as she thought she was. Her parents are far away geographically and culturally, her work at a publishing house is threatened by accusations that she doesn’t understand the American audience. Nunez makes these experiences personal and accessible, but what makes the book even more engaging are Anna’s more universal experiences: struggles with ambitious, ruthless colleagues, aging parents and navigating a new romantic relationship after a divorce. It’s a quick, easy read with unexpected and long-lasting impact.

We have the new  Walter Isaacson biography of Steve Jobs in print and audio is ordered and on the way. It hasn’t stayed on the shelf for more than a few minutes since we got it so I haven’t read it but reports are that it’s a good read about this fascinating man’s personal and professional life. Also new in audio is Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns, which has been very popular in print. The CD version is perfect for learning some history on a long road trip.

Our Civil War discussion series continues to flourish ( two more sessions November 16th and 30th at 7 pm). We have a new addition to the collection based on a recommendation by a participant: Upon the Altar of the Nation: A Moral History of the Civil War, by Harry Stout. Yale professor Stout analyzes the moral implications of a war in which both sides claimed to have God on their side. Critique of speeches, sermons and letters from the time show the climate of righteousness on both sides, with clear implications relevant to more contemporary conflicts in which motives are masked by religious passion and claims of moral superiority.

October 27, 2011

Reading Charles Shields’ well-researched biography of Harper Lee, Mockingbird, adds greatly to the already rich and rewarding experience of immersing oneself in To Kill a Mockingbird, as many of us in the area have been doing this month. Lee did not participate in the writing of this biography and in fact resisted Shields’ efforts to learn more about her and even to fact check, but the author nonetheless managed to interview hundreds of people who knew Lee. He also delved into Truman Capote’s archives and studied the interviews Lee gave in the early 1960s before she stopped granting interviews. The result is a readable book full of facts and anecdotes that gives the reader a strong sense of what Lee’s life was like. There is a temptation when reading this to begin thinking of To Kill a Mockingbird as possibly more autobiographical than it really is, and to see Scout as a fictionalized version of Lee. This is easier to avoid in the sections about her adult life, which end up being as fascinating as the parts about her childhood that seem more directly related to the influential story that has impacted so many people over the last fifty years. You can find Mockingbird on the new biography shelf at the library.

When She Woke, by Hillary Jordan, is a futuristic take on The Scarlet Letter, powerful because it is not that hard to imagine our society reaching the extremes portrayed in the book. Rigid laws inspired in part by the political power of Evangelical Christians require coloring the skin of accused criminals so the accused are immediately recognizable and their transgression visually and publicly represented. The main character, Hannah Payne, is turned red for having an abortion after a passionate relationship with a public figure. Hannah courageously navigates the horrific system, refusing to name the father, forging friendships with other ostracized women, and learning to think independently of the conformist, narrow-minded culture surrounding her. She is a complex, and fierce feminist protagonist who somewhat inadvertently becomes a rebellious leader in this captivating and thought provoking page-turner. 

Upcoming programs at the Library are the 2nd, 3rd and 4th installments of our Civil War Discussions. The first one was very interesting and educational and the next ones promise to be even better as we cover topics more specifically and hear from multiple participants. These are Wednesday evenings at 7, November 2nd, 16th and 30th.

For people of any age who love to wear costumes, get spooky, eat candy, hear stories about bats, spiders and such, we’re having a Halloween party Saturday, October 29th at 2 pm. 

And on Saturday, November 19th at 2, author Erin Dionne will present a program on her newest young adult book, Notes from and Accidental Band Geek. Anyone who ever played in band, had friends in band, or watched their kids go through a band program will be able to relate to this story of a high school girl who finds her “tribe” by playing in the band. Plans are coming together for some appropriately themed live music to enhance the festivities, and in a related note, people planning to attend the program can purchase copies of the book ahead of time at a reduced rate at Tempest Book Shop (especially if they promise to check that Rick’s been practicing).

October 13, 2011

Sharing a title with a collection of talks given by Rudolf Steiner, the guru of Waldorf education, Rebecca Coleman’s novel, The Kingdom of Childhood, shows both the idealism of Waldorf schools and the pressure to adhere to its strict standards. in this context, the main character, Judy McFarland spirals from midlife, middle classed angst to madness in a story that is hard to put down. Judy has been a teacher for years at the Waldorf school her own kids attended. For the most part she is a true believer in the Waldorf approach to education and culture, particularly for young children, in part because it echoes powerful memories she has of her own childhood in Germany. These memories are interspersed with the contemporary story and provide an almost ominous background that help prepare the way for Judy’s increased instability.

Judy’s family life is starting to come undone: her distant husband has been struggling to finish an advanced degree for what seems like ages, ignoring Judy and reacting more and more erratically to the pressure because of what turns out to be drug addiction. Her oldest daughter has gone to college and rejected her progressive upbringing, questioning what she learned in her Waldorf days and coming out on what her Vietnam War-protesting parents think is decidedly the wrong side of political issues. Her son Scott is derisive of the sheltered Waldorf world and seems to just want to be a “normal” teenager, and not a particularly likable one. Into this mix comes Scott’s friend Zack, new to town, lonely, attractive and assigned to work with Judy on a school project. Sexual obsession on both their parts develops pretty quickly and the complications of their relationship fill the rest of the book. The point of view switches from Zack to Judy and as more details from Judy’s past get gradually revealed, it begins to appear that Zack will be okay, but Judy’s slide into irreversible darkness comes off as believable and almost inevitable.

New on the non-fiction shelf is a book and CD collection, Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations of Life with John F. Kennedy. These are recordings and transcripts of conversations Jackie Kennedy had with historian Arthur Schlesinger in 1964. After they were made the recordings were kept private until their release this fall in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of Kennedy’s inauguration. Introduced and annotated by Michael Beschloss, these promise to show new insight into Kennedy’s outlook on the world and world leaders of his time at the same time they offer a glimpse into him as a person from this fascinating, sophisticated and intelligent  First Lady.

A reminder that the first of our Civil War discussions will take place Wednesday, October 19th, at 7 pm. In this first meeting we will determine topics of most interest to participants so we can focus our guided study to learn more about this dynamic period of American history. There are many resources already in the Library collection to support Civil War research and exploration, and local Civil War enthusiast Alice Evans will augment our collection with some of her own materials collected over years of study.  

September 29, 2011

There’s a lot going on in the library world this fall. October is busy with the Vermont Humanities Council Vermont Reads programs we are doing in collaboration with the other Valley libraries, the Mad River Valley Senior Citizens, Inc., the Waitsfield United Church of Christ, the Warren United Church, and the Big Picture Theatre's Tuesday Night Movie Club. The book is To Kill a Mockingbird, one of those rare books that merits rereading multiple times. It will be a pleasure to hear it analysed and discussed and to know people all over the state are experiencing this powerful story. Another rare thing is a movie of a book that is as compelling as the book, and seeing Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch is always a treat. The first event, a community potluck and introduction to the book, takes place October 6th at 6 pm in the Warren Town Hall. Information about all of the events is available from the libraries. We also have multiple copies of the book, so please come get one.

Also in October we will begin a four part series of discussions in honor of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War. Local Civil War scholar Alice Evans will lend her expertise as well as many of her resources to this guided study of each year of the war. Each participant will have access to a wealth of materials related to a specific aspect of the Civil War, and then share information they have learned with the rest of the group. This will give each person the benefit of research about a wide range of topics, such as specific battles, soldiers from Waitsfield, the role of photography, POW treatment, life in the camps, and more. The sessions will be on Wednesday evenings at 7 pm., and the first one will be October 19th.

There are two new technology related treats: it is now possible to download library eBooks onto a Kindle.This means you can read books on your Kindle for free!! There is a link on our website that will show you what’s available. Library patrons now also have access to Universal Class, which provides over 500 free online courses about almost everything you can think of.

Archer Mayor’s new book is here, as are new books by Clive Cussler, James Patterson and Louise Penny. Former Vermont Reads author Julie Otsuka (When the Emperor Was Divine) has a beautiful new book, Buddha in the Attic. It is the story of Japanese brides brought over from Japan to the United States to become wives to men they had never met. Otsuka brings poetry to the harshness of their lives and their disappointments. From short but expressive sentences, we learn about how Americans treated these women, the husbands who are nothing like what the women had anticipated on the boat ride from Japan, the work they do inside wealthy homes or on farms. A strong sense of individual women comes through at the same time a feeling of what happened collectively to Japanese women of that era fills the book with melancholy.

Highlights in the children’s room include a new collection from Shel Silverstein, a new book by Maurice Sendak, and the gorgeous Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick, in which the stories of two characters pursuing paths that ultimately intersect are told partly in words and partly in drawings.

September 15, 2011

August 18, 2011

For a parent of a son who loves technology and uses it glibly and enthusiastically, This Beautiful Life, by Helen Schulman, is a cautionary tale. It is also a well-told sad, realistic story filled with humanity and flawed but likeable characters. The Bergamots are a family of four, recently moved to New York City after years of what sounds like a rather idyllic life in Ithaca. Their new lives are not unlike the lives of plenty of other characters in contemporary fictional families: dad with an all-consuming, lucrative job, frustrated mom who drinks probably a bit too much and wonders why she spends so much time driving the kids to their activities even though she has a PhD, smart, good-looking kids who attend a fancy school and have active social lives with sophisticated peers that secretly intimidate them.

Things get dark in a frightening, contemporary way when Jake, the fifteen year old son, receives an explicit video from an eighth grade girl. Filled with mixed emotions, chief of which is confusion, he forwards it to a friend. It happens quickly, without him really thinking about the consequences, and the result is awful.  As a reader I already didn’t completely trust the friend and also already liked Jake. Jake seems  like basically a good guy who is overwhelmed by his new life, his new body (at one point he’s appalled by his hairy body, reminding us he’s not that far from childhood) who has no point of reference for how to handle this situation. Of course the video goes viral, and the aftermath affects Jake’s whole family. Similar plots have shown up in novels and real life, but what makes this impossible to put down is that each character elicits empathy: Jake, his parents, the poor girl who made the video in the first place, even Jake’s little sister. I ended up feeling protective of all of them and very invested in how their lives would turn out.

On the new non- fiction shelf, a highlight is Charles C. Mann’s new book, 1493. This is the sequel to his earlier book, 1491, which described the Americas before Columbus arrived. 1493 discusses the ecological and agricultural impact of the arrival of the Europeans, and how this influenced the direction of history. The book is full of information and analysis, but also, like 1491, accessible and engaging.

Maybe a little related, is Weeds, a new book by Richard Mabey. It’s sort of a biography of weeds, their history, how they’re viewed in different cultures.  He manages to give these often-maligned plants unique personalities, even making the annoying ones purposeful and intriguing. Next time I’m combing burdock from my dog’s fur I’ll be sure to remember that it is responsible for the invention of Velcro.  

On a lighter note, Vermont author/illustrator Harry Bliss has a delightful new picture book out, Bailey. Bailey is an adorable dog who goes to school, experiencing many of the same pleasures and struggles as young humans do. He has some unique challenges, too, such as a tendency to eat his homework and become quite distracted by squirrels and trash in the cafeteria. Good back-to-school inspiration and filled with tail-wagging moments. According to Amazon, this book is for ages 4-8, but that really places inappropriate and maybe even a little cruel limitations on people older than eight.   

August 4, 2011

At the library we’re getting more and more excited about Waitsfield resident Rob Williams coming to the library August 8th at 2 pm to share facts, pictures and anecdotes about his experiences as a yak farmer. Yaks are intriguing animals on many levels. There is obviously the practical appeal which makes it possible for us to host someone who raises yaks for food and fiber, but yaks also have an undeniable place in our imaginations. Books featuring heroic yaks, books with heroic children working with yaks, and anthropomorphized yaks all figure into children’s books we have at the library. Then there is the fact that the part of the world most famous for yaks, the Himalayas and Tibet, is gorgeous and fascinating, making for good story telling and stunning photography and illustrations. And they wouldn’t enjoy their prominent place in children’s books if it weren’t for two more facts about yaks: they look really, really cool and yak is a fun word which lends itself especially well to inventive and whimsical rhyming. Some titles to enjoy before next Monday’s program: Go Track a Yak, by Tony Johnston,  The Lucky Yak, by Annetta Lawson, Pemba Sherpa, by Olga Cossi, and Kami and the Yaks, by Andrea Stryer. These happen to be children’s books, but the program promises to appeal to all ages.

The new books shelf is brimming with summer reads for a variety of reading tastes. The preternaturally prolific but ever entertaining James Patterson has a new book, Now You See Her. (Patterson also contributed to kids’ literature this summer with Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life, on the new shelf in the children’s room.) Eric Van Lustbader adds to the thriller genre with Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Dominion as does John Hart, with Iron House. For the more gently-inclined, Anne Rivers Siddons’ new book, Burnt Mountain, is an engaging story with very human characters who are easy to relate to. Jennifer Weiner delves into the powerful emotional implications of modern fertility technology in her newest novel which is partly inspired by an article Weiner read about real people dealing with gestational surrogacy.

For anyone in need of something completely different from the political craziness of Washington D.C. the past few weeks, Bernie Sanders donated a published copy of his famous filibuster speech to libraries all over the state. Other craziness in the news is the stranger-than-fiction story of “Clark Rockefeller,” really Christian Gerhartsreiter.The story of his many false identities and the trickery and deceit he managed to pull off amongst otherwise savvy circles is told in Mark Seal’s The Man in the Rockefeller Suit: The Astonishing Rise and Spectacular Fall of a Serial Imposter. To say this reads like a very suspenseful novel is an understatement. As one reviewer wrote, “Forget fiction. Pop this jaw-dropper in your beach bag.”

July 21, 2011

I recently returned from the annual conference of the American Library Association in New Orleans. It was a whirlwind educational and fun trip made possible by the generous Friends of the Joslin Library.

The highlight was participating as a host for the Amelia Bloomer Breakfast. This event is held every two years and celebrates the Amelia Bloomer List of Recommended Feminist Books for ages 0-18. After spending months looking for and reading and reviewing possible titles, this breakfast is the time our committee shares our list and celebrates with other librarians. We hosted three authors and one illustrator whose work is on our list and it was inspiring and illuminating to hear how they turned their research and ideas into good literature for youth. Their books, Pemba Sherpa, Summer Birds, The Firefly Letters and She Sang Promise, are at the library.

On a sillier note, Scholastic threw a great party for Dav Pilkey of Captain Underpants fame. He was there signing copies of his new book and spoke in a surprisingly serious way about his childhood and how he came to write his hilarious irreverent books that are such hits with young boys (and a bunch of librarians). His newest book, Super Diaper Baby 2, is also in our collection, as are many of his others.

Another very rewarding event was the celebration of the Pura Belpre Award, the ALA award for Latino literature for youth. The award turned fifteen this year, and the presentation of this year’s awards was given in the style of a quinceanera party, the party some Latina girls have when they turn fifteen. Once again the award -winning authors spoke eloquently about their writing craft, their backgrounds and how excited they are to have their cultures recognized through this award. There were complimentary copies of the award books, and these will add some diversity to our collection, with some especially good picture books to augment the options for storytime.

All in all, a great experience. And now it’s good to be back home at the library buzzing with summer activity. The summer reading program has begun and the first session, on origami, was a big hit. The following weeks promise to be entertaining and educational, too. The programs are each Thursday in July at 3.

On August 8^th we may become the first library ever to host a program about yaks! Rob Williams from the Vermont Yak Company will present a program about these eclectic animals: slides, photos, stories about yaks and working with them. Yaks are famously pack animals, but are also useful for their hide, their hair and allegedly are quite tasty to eat. Come learn more August 8^th at 2 pm at the library.

For a good summer fiction read, try J. Courtney Sullivan’s new novel, Maine. You’ll love some characters, be infuriated by others, feel like they’re based on someone you know, get caught up in what’s going to happen to all of them, and be sorry when the book is over.

New on the non-fiction shelf is Deborah Valenze’s Milk: a Local and Global History. This examines the story of how and why milk came to be a staple in many cultures. A mix of history, nutrition and anthropology, this book is an accessible and fascinating look at a topic with local relevance. There are some great photos, too, my favorite being the female band playing in the dairy barn at the University of Wisconsin. 

June  30, 2011

I remember when it seemed as all of my friends were passing around copies of Ursula Hegi’s Stones from the River so I was very excited when Hegi’s newest book, Children and Fire, came out this spring. Set once again in 1930s Germany and with some characters from Stones from the River in cameo roles, Children and Fire isn’t the powerful and thought provoking journey into ethics and complex personalities the earlier book is, but it does offer insight into a fascinating period in German history.

Thekla, the main character, is a fourth grade teacher in 1934, and  she is deeply committed to teaching and her students. She struggles to find a path for herself and them, however, after coming into her teaching position in a questionable way and facing the changes in German society as Hitler becomes more powerful. Accepting the teaching position is only one of many compromises Thekla makes, compromises that seem small and justifiable to her as she is making them, but which clearly weaken her and affect her relationships with others. In spite of this, Thekla is often a likable and sympathetic protagonist, and the biggest strength of the book is the way Hegi shows how it was possible for a well-meaning person like Thekla to gradually succumb to the pressures of the time almost without even realizing it. The personalities of several of the students come through strongly, adding to the sadness of the book, since so many of them are headed toward awful futures. The story of Thekla’s parents years earlier is mixed in with the events of 1934. This offers an interesting backstory that impacts the more modern story in a somewhat predictable but formative way. Ultimately, the characters and time period are fascinating enough that although this probably isn’t a book that will still provoke strong reactions years later like Hegi’s earlier book, it’s still very much worth reading.

On a lighter, more summery note, Sonya Sones’ Hunchback of Neiman Marcus is a quick, unusual book that’s actually not as light as it seems like it will be at first. It is written in verse - not structured verse, but more like stream of consciousness thoughts expressed in short sentences and spread out on the page. This makes it delightfully easy to grasp huge chunks of words and ideas at one time, leaving the reader flitting through the pages laughing, crying, nodding in recognition. The main character and narrator, Holly, is a writer unable to meet the deadline for her next book, a mother whose daughter is about to leave for college, a wife with doubts about her marriage, and the daughter of an ailing, aging mother. She’s a bit obsessive and paranoid but the scenarios and expression of her feelings jump around so much that the mood changes before her neuroses can have a chance to get annoying. Her feelings about her family, her career and her body come off as honest and realistic. There are some poignant moments about her daughter leaving and her worries about her mother, but the best part is the way Sones throws in just the right amount of Anne Lamott-like self-deprecating humor. Periodically throughout the book Holly’s daughter, Sam, discerns that the emotional climate calls for brownies and the recipe for Sam’s brownies is included at the end of the book. It’s a pretty entertaining read itself, for a recipe, and the brownies are quite delicious.

The Waitsfield Elementary School Library has once again generously lent us all of their DCF books for the summer, so we have the full complement of books from the current list, and multiple copies of several titles. And for other reading for kids (of all ages), we have the  Me...Jane StoryWalk installation in the library lawn for another week, followed by I Took My Frog to the Library in the same location for the following two weeks. Please come take a pretty walk and enjoy some good stories and pictures!

May 26, 2011

Being a librarian plus a parent who reads aloud to my kids for hours at a time (often books my mother read aloud to me so clearly this is genetic), it was a given that I had to read Alice Ozma’s book, The Reading Promise. It was probably also a given that parts of it would make me cry and that I would be interested personally and professionally in what books she wrote about. But I’m happy to say that even with those expectations, I love this book even more than I thought I would.

The Reading Promise is the story of Alice and her father and the books they read together from the time she was a young child until her first day at college, literally every single night for almost nine years. If she was away from home, he read aloud over the phone; before going to prom, she carefully perched in her prom regalia while he read to her before she left with her date since she wouldn’t be back until after midnight.

Any two people who embarked on a journey like this would have to have a strong and unusual relationship, and the book is as much about their relationship as it is about their reading project. Ozma writes tenderly about her father without being sentimental, portraying him as a real person. She also writes honestly about how eccentric this pursuit was and how there were times it made her uncomfortable, like when he showed up at a late night play practice, book in hand, anxious to get the reading in before the midnight deadline. Jim is a single dad to a girl who seems just about as quirky as he is, but she needs girl-specific parental guidance sometimes just like any girl would. An especially entertaining scene is one in which he has carefully censored a book with mature themes and language to the point where there are so few words left for him to read aloud that she knows he’s up to something. She gently pokes of fun of him at times, but it is always clear she not only loves him but also has enormous respect for him.

Because they continued reading together for so long, the span of books they read is large and diverse, from classic children’s books like Beezus and Ramona to Shakespeare, with a wide variety of realistic fiction, fantasy, adventure, old and contemporary books mixed in. She includes a partial list of what they read at the end of the book, and also starts each chapter with a quotation from a book that gives perspective on the events or life lessons in that chapter. This is very cleverly done and serves well to integrate the books into the personal story.

The end of the “streak,” as they call the project, looms as college for Alice approaches. As with the rest of the emotions in this book, she writes about the bittersweet feelings without overstating, allowing the reader to feel a miniature version of what they must have felt during the transition. The end of the book describes their lives after “the streak,” still making use of the pertinent quotations at the start of each chapter, assuring us that Alice and her father continue to rely on books for guidance, wisdom and enjoyment.

We’re gearing up at the library for a summer we hope will be filled with people coming in to satisfy their warm (?) weather reading needs. We will do the summer reading program for kids each Thursday afternoon in July. And we will start off the summer with a visit from author Kate Hosford, who grew up in Waitsfield and has written the delightful Big Bouffant. Big Bouffant tells of Annabelle, a whimsical and likeable young girl full of unique ideas. An afternoon with her creator promises to be entertaining and may even result in new hairstyles all around! Kate’s program will be at the Joslin Library Wednesday, June 22^nd, at 3 PM.

May 9, 2011

Every spring a new Master List of nominees for the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award (Vermont’s Children’s Book Award) comes out, giving kids lots of new ideas about what to read and libraries new ideas of what books must be on the shelves as summer approaches. There are thirty books on the list and as usual the books are of high quality and diverse enough to offer choices for various ages, reading styles and genders. And it includes one that I found so captivating that I actually found myself tiptoeing into my son’s room to sneak it off his bedside table so I could read ahead while he slept.

 Half Brother, by Kenneth Oppel, is the story of Ben, a thirteen year old who has just moved to Victoria from Toronto, and his family. Ben’s family consists of his scientist parents and a new addition, a baby chimpanzee who his parents have decided to raise like a human child, teaching him sign language, clothing him, feeding him at the dinner table. This is a lot for Ben to deal with at the same time he’s also adjusting to a new town and school, his first crush, his father’s expectations and sometimes clinical approach to family life, and just in general being thirteen.  Maybe a bit predictably but still told in a convincing way, Ben warms to Zan, his “brother,” and eventually develops a rapport with him that many of the more detached researchers around him don’t share.  Different perspectives on the treatment of animals in research settings are presented in balanced ways as Ben’s experiences and opinions widen.  Difficult decisions must be made as the chimpanzee grows and Ben’s father deals with pressures from the scientific world and more specifically the university funding the project .Some of the choices made are a little farfetched, but the occasional plot missteps are more than made up for by the realistic and compassionate character development. Ben’s relationships with his parents, his friends, and Zan feel so authentic and his feelings are so understandable that it’s easy to relate to him and to want him to succeed. And in the midst of so many Young Adult books with vampires, wizards, dystopias and life and death battles, it’s so refreshing to read a coming of age story about a real human boy who matures because he’s confronted with emotions about the real living beings in his daily life.

Continuing with inspiration gleaned from family members’ nightstands, another new addition to the library collection is Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, by Chip and Dan Heath. This one was on my husband’s side of the bed, a side typically stacked with books filled with business- speak, stories of innovators and entrepreneurs, the occasional computer magazine and, frankly, not a stack that has ever inspired me to sneakily raid after he’s gone to sleep.  But when I read that subtitle one night after a long week of Koha transition at the circulation desk, I realized this might be just the book for our collection right now. The authors of this book studied people making changes, their emotional vs. intellectual reactions to changes and why sometimes change is embraced and successful yet other times approached with fear and negativity. This is not the page-turner Half Brother is, but it does have lots of inspiring anecdotes as well as practical advice about how to approach change in a positive, effective way. Understanding the psychology behind people’s reactions to change is a huge part of coping with the big changes we’ve made in the library recently so I’m especially happy to see that this book is currently checked out!

April 28, 2011

Even though it’s snowing a bit outside as I write this, technically it’s spring, and what better time to focus on Ron Krupp’s ideas and books? On Wednesday, May 4th, the Joslin and Warren Libraries will host a program featuring Krupp discussing his book, Lifting the Yoke: Local Solutions to America’s Farm and Food Crisis. The book discusses the pitfalls of the globalization of food production in terms of the environment, society and our own bodies. Individual decisions about what food to consume and how to obtain it impact a wide range of areas, from the plight of small farmers to America’s challenge with obesity. Hearing these issues discussed by someone who has been involved with them since long before they became popular promises to be educational and engaging, especially since Krupp will be joined by American Flatbread’s George Schenk and Robin McDermott of Mad River Localvore Project to make it even more locally relevant. The program is at 6:30 at the Warren Public Library.

Coincidentally, a new book at the library features the themes of organic and subsistence farming. This Life is in Your Hands, by Melissa Coleman, manages to be both sad and optimistic. It also reads sometimes like a memoir, sometimes like a novel, although it is the story of Coleman’s actual experiences. Her parents moved to a remote area of Maine in 1968, a place with challenging farmland potential, but one that became famous in some circles because it was the home of Helen and Scott Nearing, authors of Living the Good Life. Eliot and Sue Coleman, like many others of their generation, found this back-to the-land “bible” at their local health food store and were inspired by it to live more simply, grow their own food and live outside of consumerist culture.

The optimism of the book comes from the optimism of this couple, especially Eliot, as they make impressive progress toward living with very little outside help. Eliot Coleman zealously experiments with organic gardening until he finds things that work better, learning about the way the land works as he tries new (or old but abandoned) techniques. The zealous part is a challenge for his growing family, however, which is where part of the sadness comes in. He comes across as a fairly obsessive workaholic - a visionary to be sure, but a difficult personality, almost crazed in his commitment to improving their farm and living independently. Sue’s mental health varies with the seasons, her hormones and her marital insecurities as the area begins to attract new people, often younger women, some of whom consider clothing an impediment to the natural life. And overshadowing the whole book is a family tragedy the reader knows from the very start is looming over their heads.

Part of what blurs fact and fiction in this book is the way Coleman gets inside the minds of her parents and their friends. She quotes her mother’s journal sometimes, but other times she describes things they thought and felt that she can’t possibly have known or understood as a young child, and even if she did, it’s doubtful she could remember them with such detail years later. It’s also hard to imagine contemporary discussions with her parents revealing that degree of introspection and honesty. I found this a little distracting, wondering what she was projecting or making up and what Eliot and Sue and their contemporaries really experienced. At the same time, their feelings and interactions are some of the most readable parts of the book. These are definitely intriguing people who made me care about them and want to know what would happen with them. The book also works as a snapshot of a colorful and often inspiring period in American culture, the subjectivity of the author ultimately becoming part of its strength.

April 14, 2011

Wingshooters, by Nina Revoyr, is almost painful to read. Filled with sad events and themes -abandonment, bigotry, abuse – and a sense of dread throughout the book that things are only going to get worse, it is also so well written and such a good story, that you can’t help feeling sad approaching the end because then it will be over.

It is the story of Michelle, or Mike, as her grandfather calls her, a young girl abandoned by her Japanese mother and American father and sent to live with her paternal grandparents in rural Wisconsin. It is the 1970s, a time of racial and cultural upheaval and war protests in American cities, but most people in Deerhorn, Wisconsin maintain the same attitudes and lifestyles they have had for generations. Accepting a mixed race child is impossible for many of them and Mike suffers from the racism of teachers, other kids and even the town priest.  In a moving and original characterization twist, Mike’s macho, narrow- minded grandfather goes way beyond stereotypes to love and create a bond with her that comes close to making up for her loneliness and sense of abandonment. They play ball, hunt, bond over their love of dogs and he teaches her important lessons about standing up for herself against bullies, even while he himself still struggles to accept people who are different than he is.

Michele’s “otherness” fades into the background when the town’s attitudes are challenged even more by the arrival of a Black couple, the Garretts. And not only do they move to town, but they work as a teacher and a nurse, bringing them in contact with people, especially children, in a way that threatens most of the town leaders beyond what they can handle. Harassment, outrage and eventually tragedy ensue, all seen through the eyes of Mike who must analyze her own feelings toward the Garretts at the same time she strives to understand the complexities of her beloved grandfather. Truly a beautiful book that I already want to go back and reread.

Part of the continuing effort to increase the Young Adult offerings at the Joslin Library, another new book is Threads and Flames, by Esther Friesner. Friesner’s main character, Raisa, moves by herself from her Polish shtetl to New York City hoping to find work and her sister, who emigrated a few years earlier. The story of how she meets new people, learns English and new skills is well told and an intriguing look at immigrant life in the early twentieth century. When she begins work at the Triangle Shirt Factory thinking she’s lucky, a sense of foreboding begins to permeate the book, especially when there are references to working conditions that contributed to the horrific fire the reader knows is going to happen.  Raisa’s optimistic and resourceful personality shines through in spite of this, making her story a personal and engaging way to remember that event one hundred years later.  

March 31, 2011

On Wednesday evening, April 6th at 7 pm, the Joslin Memorial Library will host Vermont author Joe Sherman and photographer Martina Tesarova. Sherman is the author of several books about many aspects of Vermont, including Fast Lane on a Dirt Road and The House at Shelburne Farms. His work has also appeared in Vermont Life and Vermont Magazine.

This program will focus on his most recent book, Young Vermonters: Not an Endangered Species, published in 2010. The book explores and challenges the often- stated idea that it is impossible for young adults to live and thrive in Vermont. Comprised of a series of interviews with 20 Vermonters between the ages of 21 and 38, the book touches on economics and job opportunities, diversity, social life, religion and more,  told in the interviewees own words as they answer Sherman’s questions. The book features hugely varied backgrounds and professions: tattoo artist,  lawyer, construction worker, writer, waitress, educator, ski tech. Different regions of Vermont are featured as well, including Waitsfield (Grace Potter), Burlington, Cabot, Swanton, Brattleboro and Barre.

What makes this book really fascinating is the way it captures the unique perspective of each of these people. They come alive as individuals and this makes the reader care about their opinions and why they’ve made the decisions they have about where and how to live. Their personalities and choices defy stereotypes, including the ones about people from their generation choosing to leave Vermont and not come back once they reach adulthood.

We are especially fortunate that the author is able to bring not only the photographer for the book with him, but at least one and probably more than one of the people interviewed. It will be exciting to connect real people with the stories in the book, ask questions and to see what they are like in person.

Keeping with the Vermont theme, our “New” shelf features Twin, a memoir by composer, writer and Bennington College professor, Allen Shawn. Shawn’s twin sister, Mary, suffered from autism in a time when awareness and education about autism was a fraction of what it is today. She was institutionalized when she and Allen were just eight years old. Twin describes the effects this had on the rest of this colorful and complex family in a non- sentimental and personal way.

We also have a ski- themed murder mystery, Fade to White, by another Vermont author, Wendy Clinch. This is a fun, quick read, not extremely suspenseful as mysteries go, but with a nice dose of romance and familiar snowy setting- sort of a “Murder She Wrote”- style entertaining read for late winter.

March 3, 2011

Dogs and snow: two of the most wonderful things nature gives us, the topic of many great books, and also the topic of an upcoming program at the Joslin Memorial Library. In a moment of scheduling synchronicity, Saturday, March 5th is the opening of the Iditarod. Also on March 5th at 2 pm local dog sledder, educator and library patron Gail Breslauer will be at the library presenting a program about dog sledding. She will talk about the sport, show slides and participants will even get a chance to meet the dogs.  All ages are welcome.

In honor of this upcoming program I have been enjoying some of the many fiction and nonfiction books in our collection that feature this intriguing sport. The first author to consider is Gary Paulsen, who writes wonderful biographical material and adventure stories for a wide range of ages. Winterdance is a great read about Paulsen participating in the Iditarod. It’s at times entertaining, inspiring and harrowing - the perfect mix of emotions that makes a memoir really worth reading. Puppies, Dogs and Blue Northers is more of a love letter to his dogs, although there is plenty of action in it as well. The chapter on puppies captures exactly how delightful it is to be around puppies, with added interest because these dogs will become workers and part of the pack that teaches them from an early age. The quantity of puppies and his somewhat deranged idea that they should come inside his house make for some very colorful scenes. Dogsong, a Newbery Honor Book that is practically a classic for boy readers who say they don’t like to read, is a story of a boy finding himself through adventure, physical hardship and, of course, his relationship with dogs.

Any of Jean Craighead George’s books about Julie, an Eskimo girl who lives among wolves, are a treat for readers of any age or gender if they enjoy good characterization, animals and a good story. And one of last year’s DCF books, Diamond Willow, by Helen Frost, is beautifully written in diamond shaped verse that tells the story of a modern girl coming to terms with her heritage and her inner resources as she faces the challenges of a solo dog sled experience.

Picture books are a perfect match for this topic because the dogs and the world they live in are so gorgeous.  There are several books about Balto, the famous dog/wolf who brought medicine to Nome, Alaska during a diphtheria epidemic. Iditarod Dream, by Ted Wood is about the Junior Iditarod and is filled with amazing photos and fun facts.

And this list would not be complete without Call of the Wild. It’s hardly possible to read this classic too many times, and for the extra curious, we even have a new biography of Jack London, Wolf, by James Haley.

One of the exciting things about having Gail present a program is the chance to hear firsthand about this topic so beloved by authors and movie makers. Her knowledge and experience are sure to bring a welcome perspective. And did I mention the dogs will be here?