Larson Library Weblog

The Gathering Storm is Here

2009-11-17T16:42:00.003-07:00

The Gathering Storm is here. As I told you in previous blog messages Robert Jordan, the author of the Wheel of Time series, passed away before ending the series. Brandon Sanderson was chosen by the widow of Robert Jordan to finish the series. The end of the series was so long that it was decided to break it into 3 parts, The Memory of Light. The Gathering Storm is the first of the three books. I finished the book last weekend and I was really impressed by the combination of Robert Jordan's story told by the master fantasy writer, Brandon Sanderson. I had previously read all of the books a few years ago. In anticipation of the new books, I re-read the first five. When The Gathering Storm came out I abandoned the reading of previous books and read it. I was surprised how familiar everything was, Brandon Sanderson supplied background where needed, and there was incredible action. He went from main character to main character telling their story just like Robert Jordan had. I saw an interview Brandon Sanderson did on the book tour, he said that any main characters left out of this book will show up in the last two books. Rand and Egwene were highlighted as they faced their own inner fears and major threats from enemies and sometimes friends. We also got to see Mat and Perrin and Nynaeve and Aviendha and Min and Siuan all with their own problems, defeats and triumphs. It's like visiting with old friends. There are new people to become acquainted with too. I highly recommend this book, you could probably read it without reading the others but it will make more sense if you read the previous books. The Gathering Storm is being catalogued right now but will be available soon for check-out. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Change Your Brain Change Your Life

2009-10-27T16:48:00.002-07:00

"New York Times Bestseller" -non-fiction by Daniel G. Amen is a detailed account of the recent extensive research into the functions of each and every portion of your brain. Not only does it give the functions of the brain but the how and why.It is very much in detail of not only of the tests that have been developed in this study ,but the different treatments . It is available now in audio-book (cd) form at Larson. Very interesting for those of us that like to know what effect our brain has on our behavior! Speedy

The Gathering Storm

2009-10-22T09:44:00.003-07:00

The Gathering Storm will be released on October 27, 2009. This is the first book of the three that will complete The Wheel of Time series. Robert Jordan, the author of the first 11 books, passed away last year. His widow chose Brandon Sanderson, a well-known fantasy author himself, to complete the series using Robert Jordan's notes. Brandon Sanderson has recently published his own new book, Warbreaker. The Gathering Storm continues the story of the small group who left the Two Rivers area, Egwene, Nynaeve, Perrin, and Mat, to follow the young man who would become The Dragon Reborn, Rand al Thor. Others joined them along the way, Elayne, Aviendha, and Min. They, and many more, are involved in helping Rand in his fight against The Forsaken and The Dark Lord. The books are very detailed, full of unusual characters, exciting battles, and romance. All of the books should be available in the Navajo County libraries and I highly recommend them if you love Fantasy like I do.

New Hours

2009-03-25T17:14:00.002-07:00

The library started new hours March 2, 2009. We are now open 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. We are closed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We are aware that not everyone is happy with the new hours but we also recognize someone would be unhappy no matter what hours we were open.

We do expect a reduction in overhead costs and the wear and tear on employees. In spite of a 10% increase in patrons in 2008 we have not hired additional staff and as the Town has instigated a hiring freeze in all departments, we don't expect to hire anyone anytime soon.

The library staff and the community is better off than many other communities that have had to close branch libraries or severely reduce operating hours and layoff staff. And we still have over 27,000 items in the library including BOOKS, audiobooks, music CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes that will never die, magazines, newspapers, community information, and yes, computers with internet access. The library also has WiFi that's always on.

The material check-out periods are very generous--2 weeks for a Bestseller, 3 weeks for regular books, 1 week for DVDs and magazines, 3 weeks for audiobooks. And we allow 1 renewal for everything except Bestsellers, DVDs, and magazines. And it's all FREE!

So some people might have to adjust their schedule to get to the library but we have all had to make adjustments to our budgets, schedules, retirement plans....

Story Time AKA Fun Time

2009-02-10T12:56:00.002-07:00

We sure kept busy during the holidays with Christmas crafts and holiday stories. We had our 5th annual "Twas The Story Time Before Christmas" pajama party. This is my favorite time of the year with the kids. To see the wonder in their eyes and the excitement on their faces. We sang christmas songs, read "Twas The Night Before Christmas". We then made "magic reindeer food" and a Christmas craft. The parents brought some yummie treats to share and we made hot chocolate with the yummies. There were goody bags with toy and treats for all the children.Then our guest of honor came to see the children, you should of seen their faces when Santa Claus came to see us! We got a lot of great pictures and one of them ended up on the front page of our local newspaper (The Independent).
The story time kids love to sing and do "The Bear Hunt" song. They ask for this song almost every week. So we went on a "Bear Hunt" in the library. The children had to find the bears(cut out) that were hiding in the children's. area of the library. They are so proud of their accomplisments.
Now we getting ready for a Valentine's Day party. We love parties and so do the kids. Well I guess that is all for now.
Come and see us at Story Time on Tuesday and Wednesday at 10:00. See Ya Later. Nana Diana

Warm Reads

2009-01-16T14:28:00.003-07:00

It may be cold outside, but that makes it the perfect time of year to stay indoors with a good book. Here are a few that will help to keep you warm!

Fiction: The Sand Castle by Rita Mae Brown. Seven-year-old Nickel sets off for a day at the seashore with her mother, aunt, and cousin Leroy. Everyone's excited when they reach Chesapeake Bay--everyone except for Leroy. Nickel delights in tormenting her cousin, and as her taunting escalates, the family history between her mother and aunt rises to the surface--and then a crab bites Leroy, and they must all come together.

Nonfiction: Dewey, the Small-town Library Cat Who Changed the World by Vicki Myron. This is the charming true story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa.

Mystery: Mrs. Pollifax on Safari by Dorothy Gilman. Mrs. Pollifax has been sent on safari by the C.I.A. and told only to take pictures of all of her companions, in order to find the international assassin whose next target is the president of Zambia. It sounded so simple, but shortly after Mrs. Pollifax started taking pictures, someone stole her film. And right after that she was kidnapped by Rhodesian terrorists. And right after that--well, read for yourself....

Audiobook: Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog by John Grogan. #1 "New York Times"-bestselling chronicle of life with a wildly neurotic Labrador retriever; now a major motion picture from Fox 2000, starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston.

Young Adult: The Crown Rose by Fiona Avery. The story of Isabelle of France, born heir to the throne; her life from childhood to her later years was one of turmoil, strife, and longing.

Science Fiction/Fantasy: The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson. To end the Final Empire and restore freedom, Vin has killed the Lord Ruler. But as a result, the Deepness--the lethal form of the ubiquitous mists--is back, along with increasingly heavy ashfalls and ever more powerful earthquakes. Now, humanity appears to be doomed; their only hope is the coming of the legendary Hero of Ages...

Christian Living: Every Now & Then by Karen Kingsbury. Alex Brady is on a desperate quest to rid the city of heartache, but first he must find a way to deal with his own. A police officer, and the son of a New York City firefighter who died in the Twin Towers on 9/11, Alex must find a way to move forward into the future God has planned for him.

Royal Reads

2009-01-15T12:14:00.003-07:00

I have read all of Philippa Gregory's books set during the time of King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I and other assorted royal figures during that time period. She has taken us into the private world of the royal courts. She has based the books on historical facts while speculating on the lives of these interesting people.

Her first book in the series was The Other Boleyn Girl. It was made into a movie last year. It tells about the rivalry between the sisters, Mary and Anne Boleyn seeking the attention of Henry VIII.

The Queen's Fool was about a young Jewish girl on the run from the Inquisition, who is placed as a spy (and fool) to Queen Mary and Princess Elizabeth waits to make advantage of Hannah's information.

The Virgin's Lover takes place in the court of the young Queen Elizabeth I. Elizabeth is in love with a married man, Robert Dudley, whose wife will not set her husband free but cannot prevent him from entering Elizabeth's lively court.

The Constant Princess is the story of Henry VIII's first wife, Katherine of Aragon, who was a princess in Spain and was married to Henry's brother, Arthur. When Arthur died, she became the wife of Henry VIII.

The Boleyn Inheritance tells the story of three women, Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII's 4th wife; Jane Boleyn, Anne Boleyn's sister-in-law who betrayed her and her husband and Anne's brother, George; and Katherine Howard, Henry VIII's ill-fated 5th wife.

The Other Queen is the story of the exile of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her constant scheming to return to Scotland and also tells about the turmoil in the court of Elizabeth I.

I've enjoyed all of these books and highly recommend them. I think her historical facts are well researched.

The past few months, I noticed the check-outs on a new book were high so I had a chance to read it and really enjoyed it too. The name of the book was Lady Elizabeth and the author was Alison Weir. The book starts with Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth I) receiving the news that her mother (Anne Boleyn) has been executed. Her half-sister, Mary, had ridden to the castle where Elizabeth was staying. Elizabeth was only 3 years old. In this book, Mary is fond of her young half-sister, even though Elizabeth's mother was the cause of her own mother being replaced. Through the years, the two half-sisters are rivals for Henry's VIII's attention as he introduces them to their new stepmothers. The story takes Elizabeth through her childhood and teen years, through the reign of Mary (later called Bloody Mary), and up to her own reign. When I checked what else Alison Weir has written, I found a lot of other books about royal figures. She tells a good story and cites references.

Check the card catalog for books by these authors.

'Here if You Need Me" by Kate Braestrup

2008-12-09T14:47:00.004-07:00

"Here if you need Me" is a very spiritual account of one women dealing with life and death . Her perspective will let you see all the bad things that happen to good people in a different light. If it was a movie it would be a "chick flick", but it's not. It's reality. A sad book for those of you that are easily depressed. "Speedy"

KIDZ NEWS

2008-11-14T09:38:00.003-07:00

For Halloween the Story Time kids looked "spooktacular" in their costumes. We read "in A Haunted House", The kids craft was to make a "spooky house." The parents brought some goblin goodies too. We had a great time and was in the Independent Nov. 7th.

Our next event is this next Wednesday Nov. 19th at 10:00 we will be going to the Lakeside Fire Department for a field trip. We will continue the children's fire safety program. This will be an extension from what children learned about fire safety in Sept. when the Lakeside Fire Department came to story time and brought the fire truck and ambulance. The children really listened to the fireman and really had a great time getting in the fire truck and honk the horn and run the siren, it was cool!

Come join us at Story Time, we work real hard to have some "Serious Fun"

Story Time is Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10:00.

Non-Fiction

2008-10-29T15:34:00.002-07:00

We have several informative books in the library on methamphetamines. It is not a subject to be taken lightly! There are two in adult non-fiction that I found very educational. These are "Crystal Meth ;They Call it Ice" by Mary F. Holley and "Overcoming Crystal Meth Addiction" by Steven J. Lee. There is also a couple of dvds that deal with this subject. The one that really caught my attention was the young adult book "Methamphetamine: the dangers of crystal meth". It is written in very simple terms and to the point. Be aware and educate yourselves and your children. Knowledge is power! Tomye G. (Speedy)

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

2008-10-29T14:55:00.004-07:00

This is a first novel for David Wroblewski. It is the story of a young man who was born mute and his coming of age on a Wisconsin farm where his family has been raising extraordinary dogs for many years. It is a very peaceful existence with his mother and father, Edgar is excited to have a litter of the dogs to train and raise. When his father's brother moves in, the peace is disturbed by the fighting of the two brothers, his father finally asks his brother to move out. Shortly afterward his father dies unexpectedly and his uncle returns to help Edgar's mother and eventually they become a couple but Edgar starts to suspect that his uncle was responsible for his father's death. After a confrontation with his uncle, he flees to the Wisconsin wilderness with 4 of the dogs. In time and after many adventures he returns to the farm. This book has a very dramatic ending. Oprah Winfrey has added this book to her recommended reading list. I highly recommend it too.

Teen Read Week

2008-10-14T14:35:00.009-07:00

National Teen Read Week (Oct. 12th - 18th) is upon us once again, and we're very excited about this year's theme: Books With Bite. The Young Adult Library Services Association, which sponsors Teen Read Week, is promoting a variety of books—from vampire stories, to cooking, to technology (Books With Byte)—to encourage young adults to read.

Teen Read Week 2008 will be celebrated at thousands of public and school libraries, classrooms, and bookstores across the country. Although many teens realize the importance of reading, they have a huge menu of activities to choose from when deciding how to spend their free time, and reading often gets lost in the shuffle. Show the world that you know reading is fun by picking up a book this week.

Nine days left for Food for Fines!

2008-09-22T14:56:00.003-07:00

From an earlier post:

"In case you got busy and forgot to return your summer reads on time, we are offering "Food for Fines" during the month of September. One canned or non-perishable item 10 oz. or larger is worth $1.00 overdue fine forgiven. This offer is only good for fines, not lost or damaged items. All proceeds go to the Love Kitchen so you can clean up your library account and support your community at the same time! Let's ensure a good harvest for our neighbors."

We're also happy to accept donations even if you don't have fines, or you can make donations directly to the Love Kitchen.

New county library website

2008-09-19T11:55:00.003-07:00

Greetings, everyone! The Navajo County Library District (which includes Larson Library as well as all of the public libraries from Whiteriver to Winslow) has recently acquired its own web server, and is now hosting its own website and catalog; both had previously been hosted by the Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records department. This changeover includes a complete site redesign, and has also given us the ability for more frequent updates, including library happenings, lists of local events, and contact information for each library.

The new URL is http://www.navajocountylibraries.org.

Funbrarian News

2008-09-12T11:04:00.002-07:00

With school back in full swing again, so am I. Blue Ridge keeps me very busy, which is a good thing. A busy funbrarian is a happy funbrarian. Some people get to have all the fun, That's Me! I sure love my job!
I get to read to about 1,000 children every month for Blue Ridge elementary and Mid School. Last week for the first time I had a high school Early Childhood Development Class come here for a little workshop or training on working with children. We had a blast and learned a lot too. The High School kids were great.
LOOK- We have been getting a lot of NEW CHILDREN'S BOOKS- YEAH! So be looking a the children's "New Books Shelf" at the library. A few of the new books titles are:
Beware Of The Bears
Beauty And The Beaks
Bats In The Library
The Best Halloween Ever
Frankenstien Takes The Cake
Wilbur And The Moose
Butterflies In My Stomach
and many more.
I'm not really ready but I am feeling fall in the air. I guess I'll be thinking about Halloween now. I'll get back with you on Halloween next time.

"The Last Lecture"/ " The Shack"

2008-09-11T14:14:00.005-07:00

Everyone that I have met that read "The Last Lecture" really loved it. I read it and thought it was overrated. An amazing professor and lecturer, but I thought it was more for his children... until I watched it on PBS. Between the two, I really grasped the BIG picture of how he explained how to live our lives. Catch it online
or on PBS

I stepped out of non-fiction and read William Young's "The Shack". Now here's a book that is food for thought. The book is fiction and "Mack" is not a real person but fictitious. But "Willie" Young initially wrote it for his kids and it evolved into what it is today. Do I believe it? I did the entire way through it. It is number one on the trade paperback list. See you next time!

Fall For Books

2008-09-11T12:59:00.002-07:00

Several teen readers won movie passes by reading six books during the summer reading program. We hope everyone enjoyed their summer reads.

In case you got busy and forgot to return your summer reads on time, we are offering "Food for Fines" during the month of September. One canned or non-perishable item 10 oz. or larger is worth $1.00 overdue fine forgiven. This offer is only good for fines, not lost or damaged items. All proceeds go to the Love Kitchen so you can clean up your library account and support your community at the same time! Let's ensure a good harvest for our neighbors.

This is also our way of celebrating National Library Card Sign Up Month. A library card in good standing is your passport to adventure, entertainment, information, recreational reading, watching, and listening--all at your public library--for free. It would be a shame to let overdue fines stand in the way of all that's available to you at the library so open the cupboards, the pantry, and hit Safeway, then bring your items to the library and get your fines forgiven.

If you haven't been to the library for awhile we have some new magazines like Field & Stream, Boating, Golf Digest, More, and Parent & Child. We also have new release DVDs and bestseller fiction and non-fiction. Our CD collection is quite a bit larger and we just rotated the audiobooks so we have a fresh batch for your road trips. Come check us out! :)

Robert Jordan - Brandon Sanderson

2008-09-11T12:46:00.003-07:00

For fans of Fantasy novels, you have probably heard that the author, Robert Jordan, passed away on September 16, 2007. His real name was James Oliver Rigney, Jr. He died from Amyloidosis, a rare blood disorder. He left unfinished his epic series of books, The Wheel of Time. He had written 11 of the books, and had the outline for the 12th when he became sick. During his illness, his blog, Dragonmount, was very active with good wishes from fans and fans of his series were able to tell him how much his books meant to them. Among these fans was a young author, Brandon Sanderson, who was a frequent visitor to Dragonmount. After Robert Jordan's death, his widow contacted Brandon Sanderson and asked if he would write the final novel of the Wheel of Time series using her late husband's notes, and he agreed.

A Memory of Light, the 12th book of the Wheel of Time series is expected to be published in the Fall of 2009. Universal Pictures has acquired film rights to the Wheel of Time series movie(s).

The internet has many websites to follow this history making fantasy writing. Robert Jordan's Dragonmount website and blog is still active and also check out Brandon Sanderson's website as well. All of the books should be available in most libraries.

If you are not familiar with the Wheel of Time Series, following are the books in the order they were written:

Eye of the World
The Great Hunt
The Dragon Reborn
The Shadow Rising
The Fires of Heaven
Lord of Chaos
A Crown of Swords
The Path of Daggers
Winter's Heart
Crossroads of Twilight
Knife of Dreams

New Spring (Prequel)

Brandon Sanderson has written a stand alone fantasy novel, Elantris. His first book of the Mistborn series was The Final Empire and the second book was The Well of Ascension. He also has a young adult series with a main character named Alcatraz. His first book is Alcatraz and the Evil Librarians. Upcoming will be the third Mistborn book in the Fall of 2008. In 2009 his Warbreaker series begins and continues into 2010 when his Dragonsteel series begins. There will be a new Alcatraz book in 2010 also. Whew!

It has been fun reading this new epic fantasy writer and to revisit the late Robert Jordan's books before the new book comes out.

Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

2008-08-08T14:40:00.002-07:00

Synopsis: (From Library Journal)
Most of this work deals with non-Europeans, but Diamond's thesis sheds light on why Western civilization became hegemonic: "History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples' environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves." Those who domesticated plants and animals early got a head start on developing writing, government, technology, weapons of war, and immunity to deadly germs.

***

Review: I've never actually sat down with a print copy of this book; instead, I've listened to it on a Playaway, a special kind of dedicated MP3 player with an audiobook preloaded on it. These little guys are great for anyone who wants all of the benefits of a digital audiobook with none of the hassle of downloading it and loading it to a player themselves, so they're very popular with some of our patrons who've heard great things about this technology but don't necessarily know how to use it as well as they'd like.

Guns, Germs, and Steel was the very first Playaway I'd listened to, although I'm an enthusiastic consumer of audiobooks in general (the iTunes store and Podiobooks.com are both great places to look!), and I thought it was great. The narrator hits the perfect note to keep this book interesting; while I have begun reading hundreds of nonfiction books, the list of those I've actually completed can probably be counted on the fingers of one hand, so the fact that this book could hold on to my limited attention span should tell you something. I also thought it was very well written in general, although I'm not sure if I'd have made it all the way through the printed book.

That would have been a shame, too, because Mr. Diamond makes some very interesting points about why certain cultures have been historically dominant to others, and why society is structured the way that it is today. Whether you agree with his points is up to you, but it's very substantial food for thought nonetheless.

School is back in session!

2008-08-08T14:11:00.002-07:00

Welcome back to all of our wonderful teens and younger visitors; hope this school year's a great one for all of you! Some of the schools may have moved, but the library is still right where you left it, so come on over any time.

For all of our older patrons, we've also gotten a big batch of new bestsellers in, including multiple copies of Stephenie Meyers' Breaking Dawn, and James Patterson's Sail. Most of these great new books are in very high demand, so if you'd like to get your hands on a copy, there are two ways of getting on the waiting list: you can contact the library (368-6688 or larsonlibrary@navajo.lib.az.us) and ask to be put on the list, or you can go to our online catalog at http://www.navajoco.lib.az.us and place a hold for a copy yourself. We're very grateful to the Navajo County Library District for providing this wonderful service, through which we all have access to any public library book in Navajo County.

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey

2008-07-25T13:53:00.002-07:00

Synopsis: Trained from childhood to a life of servitude and espionage, Phèdre nó Delaunay serves her master, Anafiel Delaunay, as both a courtesan and a spy. She is skilled at ferreting out the dangerous secrets of the noble houses of Terre d'Ange, an alternate history version of France which was settled in ancient times by a race of angelic beings. When she uncovers a treasonous conspiracy, however, her life takes on a new and deadly purpose, catapulting Phèdre, her friends, and her entire nation into the deadliest peril they've ever known.

***

Review: I began reading this series with mixed emotions; I've never been a huge fan of romance novels, so I felt a little bit of trepidation just looking at the cover art. I was, however, very pleasantly surprised; the characters and plot of every novel in this series are beautifully, lovingly crafted, and every word is filled with a sense of beauty and wonder. They rival (or exceed!) the greatest epic fantasies I've ever read, and the author's alternate history religious mysticism is very authentic and makes these books fit in very well as part of any fantasy collection. I think the series will appeal equally to readers of high fantasy or romance; if you combined Nora Roberts and George R. R. Martin, you'd get something close to Jacqueline Carey's writing.

I do have to point out that there are elements that may offend some readers, however, and this book is very definitely for adults only. There are a few fairly explicit sexual scenes (the main character is a courtesan, after all), though nothing that feels tacked on for cheap thrills; it's all very much a part of the plot, and a part of who the character is (Phèdre views her service as a divine calling, so in her mind there's nothing immoral about it). Some of the religious elements may also be questionable to some (I personally don't find them any more offensive than any other fantasy novel with fictional deities, but others may disagree).

I guess it's a matter of personal opinion whether these factors are selling points or make the book unreadable, but there's no escaping them since they're central to the story. If you make it through the first few chapters without being scared off, I think you'll really like the rest of the series. I know I do!!

The end of summer is near!

2008-07-18T17:08:00.002-07:00

Our summer reading program ends tomorrow with a big party starring Nana Diana! Come to the library between 11:00-12:30 on Saturday, July 19th to claim your final prizes, and for the big final drawing! (Any child who completed their reading log is eligible for one of the big prizes.) Even if you didn't finish, come join us for great food and a really fun time!!!

Non-Fiction

2008-07-09T16:30:00.002-07:00

For the non-fiction lovers, we have the most interesting rotating collection that I've seen yet. It is our Southwest, Indian, & Storytelling rotating collection. One thing I realized about this collection is that you could research a short vacation in the state,find out the history, and find the unique attractions that are available within 150 to 200 miles from here. It covers gold mining towns, ghost towns, a book on Mesa's history and many other tales of places in the state that would be unique and pocketbook friendly to visit. I am impressed.

New Books

2008-07-09T11:56:00.004-07:00

We are finally getting some new books in--Rogue, Sail, Nothing to Lose, Fearless Fourteen, and getting to order many patron requests. I also have an order in for replacement DVDs for ours that have not been returned to the library, ahem.
Sorry, but I do have to say that library material that doesn't get returned and is popular enough to be replaced, cuts into the budget for new stuff.
Here is a partial list of some of the titles I've ordered.

Killer Heat
Breaking Dawn
Plague Ship
Beverly Hills Dead
The Bucket List
Water Horse
La Vie En Rose
John Adams
Warrior Heir
Dragon Keeper
Deal Breaker
No Choice But Seduction

Once they arrive, we do need some processing time but we promise you will have some new reading and watching material before the summer people go home.

Teen Summer Reading

2008-07-09T10:05:00.002-07:00

If you are between the ages of 13 and 18 and you can read 6 books between today (July 9th) and July 25th, sign up for the Teen Summer Reading Program. You're guaranteed a gift certificate to the Bookworm or the movie theater worth $10.00!! We have a lot of new young adult books and we can also help with summer required reading lists so come check us out.

7th Son: Descent by J.C. Hutchins

2008-07-01T10:49:00.003-07:00

Synopsis: "The President of the United States is dead. He was murdered in the morning sunlight by a four-year-old boy." So begins J.C. Hutchins' award-winning 7th Son trilogy; three weeks later, seven men — John (a construction worker), Michael (a U.S. marine), Kilroy2.0 (a computer hacker), Jonathan (an employee of the United Nations), Father Thomas (a Catholic priest), Dr. Mike (a psychologist specializing in criminal profiling) and Jack (a geneticist) — are kidnapped and brought to a government facility. The scientists there reveal to the seven men that they are human clones, created as part of a top-secret project called 7th Son, designed to be the perfect team to deal with any crisis. They are not only identical physical copies of each other: to help them work together better, they all share the same childhood memories. They've been brought together to catch the man responsible for the President's death: Johnathan Michael Smith, a.k.a John Alpha - the man from whom they were all cloned, and whose memories they share...

***

Review: I can't speak highly enough of this series. Originally rejected by publishers, the author, J.C. Hutchins, refused to let his novel die, and turned to the Internet to distribute it. He began releasing free weekly chapters of the book in audio format, just like the old serial radio dramas (in fact, he's famous for his cliff-hanger endings). His audience eventually grew to the point that more than 30,000 people from around the world were downloading each chapter, until St. Martins' Press (the publisher of authors such as Richard North Patterson, Bernard Cornwell, and Janet Evanovich) took notice. The trilogy will begin appearing in print in the summer of 2009, with the release of Descent; the second and third books, Deceit and Destruction, will follow later.

Although the first book won't be available in print until next year, you can find the complete trilogy as a free audio download at the author's website, http://jchutchins.net, as well as at http://www.Podiobooks.com, a great site with thousands of hours of free audiobooks. Mr. Hutchins reads the books himself, and the quality of his reading is the best I've ever heard in an audiobook (his publisher will also be selling copies of his audio version when the printed book goes on sale), and it gets even better with every chapter. The characters are likeable and believable, and the action scenes are truly thrilling. I've already listened to the complete trilogy three times, and I'll be pre-ordering multiple copies of the print versions as soon as they're available.

2008-06-27T16:45:00.002-07:00

LIBRARY - ANTICS
We sure have been having a lot of fun with bugs(literally) this summer with "Catch The Reading Bug" Summer Reading Program.
Last week we had a lot of "bug fun". We went on a "bug hunt" while waiting for our "Bug Zoo". The bug hunt proved to be a lot of fun and educational too for kids of all ages. Tony and his Bug Zoo was so cool. He got the kids all excited to learn about "Entomology". Parents and kids really enjoyed his show and insects.
Oh Yeah did I tell you we actually got to hold real neat bugs like the Madagascar Beetle and African Centipedes!!!
July 1st we are looking forward to having Patrick and Amy of "Double Flute and Tuba" performing at the Library at 1:00. They will be great entertainment for the whole family.
Don't forget Thursday July 3rd Ronald Mc Donald will be here at 3:00. Of course Ronald Mc Donald is always a favorite. So get the kids, bring your camera and come join Ronald Mc Donald with Library Magic Show. Hey kids after the Magic Show have your picture taken with Ronald Mc Donald.
Having Fun at your Library ! Nana Diana
Children's Funbrarian

A note for laptop users

2008-06-24T15:53:00.002-07:00

Larson Library is pleased to offer unsecured wireless Internet access to our laptop-using patrons. This access is left open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and the signal should reach to our parking lot and front lawn without difficulty, so please feel free to use it even if the library isn't open. There is no charge for this service.

Unfortunately, we no longer have access points for dialup users, or for wired network cards. If you don't have a wireless network card in your laptop, there are USB wireless adapters available on the market for a reasonable price ($20-$60, depending on brand); several models are carried by our local Radio Shack and Wal-Mart stores, and many are also available at local computer stores or via the Internet.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

2008-06-20T13:01:00.002-07:00

Synopsis: San Francisco teenager Marcus Yallow and his friends ditched class one day to play a round of their favorite new ARG (Alternate Reality Game), Harajuku Fun Madness. Little did they know that a terrorist attack would interrupt their fun, blowing up the Bay Bridge and sending their city-and their world-reeling. The teens are picked up and questioned by a Homeland Security agent, and when Marcus refuses to give her the password to his cell phone, all four are locked away and questioned as suspected terrorists. Days later, three of them are finally released: all but Marcus' best friend, Darryl.

The other three are told that if they ever breathe a word of what happened, even to their parents, they'll be picked up and locked away again. They emerge into a chaotic world that has changed out of all recognition from the one they knew; their free country is no longer free. It has become a police state, where every citizen is treated like a potential terrorist. If he ever wants to see Darryl again, Marcus is left with only one option: take down the Department of Homeland Security himself.

***

Review: I loved this book, so much that I bought a second copy and donated it to the library. It shows, first off, the power that today's teenagers can have if they're willing to put forth the effort. We live in a time of sweeping technological and social change, and today's young people have better access to information on world events than any generation before them.

It also raises what I think are some very important questions about the price each of us is willing to pay for our freedom and our safety. We may disagree on the answers to those questions, but they desperately need to be asked if we're going to continue to exist as a society.

Parents, one small caveat: there are some scenes in this book that might disturb your child (they're supposed to...); I wouldn't recommend this one for anyone under the age of fifteen unless you read it first and decide it's okay. None of these scenes feel salacious or like they're glorifying violence, however, so if your child is mature enough to separate fantasy from reality they shouldn't have any trouble, and the book wouldn't be nearly as effective without them.

Teens, this is one of the best books ever written for young adults. Even if you hate reading, I think you'll like it, and if you love reading then you're in for a real treat. Don't expect to read the whole thing in one sitting; take some time between chapters to digest it, and have an internet connection handy because you will want to look some of this stuff up and try it yourself. :)

The author, Cory Doctorow, is also one of the foremost advocates of Creative Commons, a system of copyrights designed with the Internet in mind. He's released a free e-book version of Little Brother under a Creative Commons license through his personal website, Craphound. You can also find a copy here at the library, or at The Bookworm (if they don't have a copy in stock, they'll order it for you; the ISBN is 9780765319852).

Readers' Advisory

2008-06-20T12:48:00.002-07:00

One of our goals when we started this blog was to start making regular Readers' Advisory posts. What is Readers' Advisory, you ask? Simply put, it's our recommendations on what books to read (or movies to watch). If there's one thing that all of us here at the library love, it's books! I live on a steady diet of science fiction, fantasy, and young adult; Diana knows books that your kids will love, and that will keep them coming back for more; Tomye has the nonfiction section under control; Vickie devours all of the above, plus thrillers, suspense, and gentler reads. We'll do our best to keep you informed of the newest and best in our favorite genres.

Now, with so many new books coming out every year, not even the most dedicated bookworms can keep up with them all. If you find a title you'd like us to review, or if you want to offer your own opinion, just email it to larsonlibrary@navajo.lib.az.us and we'll see that it gets posted here.

Happy reading!

Library computer software upgrade

2008-06-20T12:31:00.002-07:00

To protect our library patrons, Larson Library uses a program called Cornerstone to revert our public-access workstations to their original settings and delete any user-generated changes (translation: it gives the computer amnesia every night so that your personal information isn't stored and can't be stolen). We have recently upgraded to the newest version of this program, and we have also installed a complimentary Control Center program which forces all of the computers to shut off at a specific time each day. Please be aware that if you're using one of our computers at the end of the day, it will shut itself off 5 minutes before closing time, and any unsaved work will be permanently lost.

We hope that this change will prove beneficial to both the staff and the Town, as it will help us to keep operating costs down if we are able to close on time every night.

Literacy Collection

2008-06-19T18:42:00.004-07:00

You may have already noticed--we've relocated our literacy collection! But, if you haven't, this collection is now located on the shelves behind the last row of Adult Nonfiction. We're pretty excited about this relocation because it is now much more accessible, which means items are circulating at a much greater rate. This collection also includes our foreign language materials and ESL (English as a Second Language). So, if you're considering learning a new language, we currently have Rosetta Stone in Arabic, French, Mandarin Chinese, and Portuguese, among various other language programs. On the other hand, if you wish to build your English skills and are transitioning from another language, we have a number of great ESL books that should be helpful. As a side note, we have also moved our Spanish children's books to the foreign language section in this same area. Lastly, our adult literacy materials encompass both fiction and nonfiction--and since these materials are on rotation, you can expect to see new materials periodically. By the way, these materials are also a helpful item for students/adults with special needs--a great way to continue to build reading skills. Take a look--I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Library ANT-ICS

2008-06-16T15:28:00.002-07:00

It's not too late to sign up for the children's summer reading program"Catch the Reading Bug".
Kids come and sign up and start today. You can earn prizes just for reading! Besides prizes we have a lot free activities going on this summer and they are all FREE. We have the Creepy Crawly Zoo coming Wednesday, June 18th at 12:30. Come and SEE and LEARN and even Hold a lot of cool bugs! Bring a friend to see FREE movies on fridays at 10 :30.
In July we will have Ronald Mc Donald and a puppet show that is always fun,and more. So start reading and pick up a calender of events. We also have fun at Story Time on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10:00. Come join the fun with bubbles and dancing and singing and activites, stories and arts and crafts. See Ya There Nana Diana
Children's Funbrarian

Summer is here!

2008-06-16T14:37:00.002-07:00

Hello, everyone! Summer has arrived and brought the heat with it; it's a perfect time to come into the library and cool off with a good book!

If you're interested in socializing with your reading, the Larson Bookies book discussion group meets monthly at the library to discuss great books and chat. We'll be posting a list of books and discussion times soon, so keep an eye on this space.

The teen summer reading program is in full swing; teens ages 13-18 are welcome to sign up. This year's theme is "Metamorphosis," and any teen who reads at least six books this summer is eligible to win one of our very cool prizes.

For the younger set, our children's summer reading program has started with a bang. This year's theme is "Catch the Reading Bug!" and there are all kinds of creepy crawlies hanging out at the library these days. Let us know if you'd like to sign up; reading logs and event calendars are available at the circulation desk, or call our children's librarian, Diana Owens, for more information.

Speaking of phone calls, we've made some changes to our phone system. The main number is still the same (928-368-6688), but we've added extensions for each staff member, and a new voicemail system.

To reach Vickie, Tomye, or Maureen (the circulation staff), press 1.
To reach Diana (children's/youth services), press 2.
To reach Kendra (me! Cataloging, repair, and computer questions), press 3.
To reach Jessica (the Director/boss lady), press 4.

That's all for now, but check back soon for more announcements, and a few surprises we've got in the works. It's going to be a great summer here in the White Mountains!

Arizona Adult Literacy Week

2008-02-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

A message from the Adult Education Division of the Arizona Department of Education:

The fourth annual Arizona Adult Literacy Week is scheduled to begin Sunday, February 17 and continue through Saturday, February 23, 2008. This year, the Arizona Association for Lifelong Learning and the Arizona Department of Education are working collaboratively to promote this event. Through this public awareness campaign, we encourage all Arizonans to become involved in the literacy needs of their communities.

Many libraries will be receiving posters and bookmarks to advertise this celebration. Likewise, we are encouraging all of you to get involved! For more information on how you can become involved with Arizona Adult Literacy Week, please contact one of the Arizona Department of Education (ADE)-funded adult education providers in your area:

Heidi Fulcher, Director, Apache & Navajo Counties
Northland Pioneer College Ad Ed
Phone: (928) 289-6535
e-mail: hfulcher@npc.edu
P.O. Box 610
Holbrook, Arizona 86025

Happenings

2007-11-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again: we are now raising funds for Shop With A Cop! For anyone who isn't aware of this wonderful program, it allows local police officers to take disadvantaged children shopping for Christmas presents; the amount each child gets to spend depends on how much is donated to the program. In previous years, due to the incredible generosity of our White Mountain residents and visitors, hundreds of local children's lives have been blessed. If you'd like to make a donation to this wonderful program, you can do so at Larson Library or the Pinetop-Lakeside Police Department.

On a lighter note, we've recently purchased several dozen new CD audiobooks; this section has the highest circulation rate in the library, so expect to see it continue to grow! We've also added some new DVDs to the collection, including Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Transformers, 300, and The Da Vinci Code.

Thanksgiving is next week, and so our entire staff would like to thank you, our wonderful friends and neighbors, for your continued support of the library and its programs. We hope that in the future we can continue to grow and improve to better meet your needs! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Have a wonderful holiday!

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

2007-11-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

From http://www.nanowrimo.org:

What is NaNoWriMo?

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

In 2006, we had over 79,000 participants. Nearly 13,000 of them crossed the 50k finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.

So, to recap:

What: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month's time.

Who: You! We can't do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let's write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.

Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.

When: Sign-ups begin October 1, 2007. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at midnight. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.

Still confused? Just visit the How NaNoWriMo Works page!

Fall Fun!

2007-09-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

That's right: the leaves are changing, temperatures are falling, and the library is having a party! Join us on Thursday, October 4th at 5:00 p.m. for our Harry Potter Forum, where we'll discuss the series and the controversy it's caused as part of our annual Banned Books Week celebration. Here are the types of questions we'll be discussing (warning: this discussion will contain heavy spoilers!):

What was your favorite scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?
Do you think that the films are good adaptations, or are they leaving too much out?
Do you think it's appropriate for characters to die violently in a children's book?
Who is your favorite Hogwarts couple?

"Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, this annual ALA event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. This year, 2007, marks BBW's 26th anniversary (September 29 through October 6).

"BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met."
Source: http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm

Check back soon for more fun events!

Press Release

2007-07-25T15:43:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Larson Library Summer Reading Program Highlights

Lakeside, AZ---Date 7/23/2007

Over 250 children ages 3—12 participated in the Summer Reading Program and were entertained by Ronald McDonald, the Zinghoppers, a puppet show, and Thursday movies with free popcorn in addition to the regular Story Times on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The pizza party Saturday, July 21st officially ended the program and marked the release of the last Harry Potter book. Attendees were treated to pizza, pumpkin juice, and Harry Potter-themed cake. They also received free books, goody bags, and prizes.

Nana Diana would like to thank the following for their generous donations of time, prizes, and money. The Friends of Larson Library, Laura Prouty, Anne Seal, USA West Realty, Burger King Pinetop, Show Low Family Aquatic Center, Movie Gallery Pinetop, McDonald’s Lakeside, Ponderosa Bowling Lanes, The Bookworm, Taco Bell in Show Low and Lakeside, Quizno's Show Low, Papa John's, Little Caesars, and Eddie’s Country Store. Thanks to our community, our summer programming events broke all previous attendance records.

Library News

2007-07-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who participated in this year's computer classes; you all did a fantastic job! I hope you learned a lot, and that you feel more confident of your abilities.

A big Thank You as well to our intern, Denise Rominger, who will soon be completing her library degree. Way to go, Denise! We're so glad to have had you on our staff; the time was too short.

We'd also like to extend a big Thank You to all of the local businesses who sponsored this year's Summer Reading Program; it was a huge success, in large part thanks to all of you. To find out which businesses participated, look for our forthcoming ad in the White Mountain Independent; a copy of the press release we sent to the paper will also appear on this blog.

That's all for the moment, but check back soon!

Computer Classes Begin June 18th!

2007-05-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

It looks like we've finally set a schedule for our computer classes this summer: we'll be meeting two evenings each week (Mondays and Wednesdays) from June 18th through July 11th. The class topics will be as follows:

6/18 Computer Basics: Starting Up
6/20 Computer Basics II: E-mail and Attachments
6/25 The Internet: Safe Navigation
6/27 It's 2007: Do You Know Where Your Children Are?
7/02 Blogs, RSS Feeds, and Podcasts: Oh, My!
7/04 No class
7/09 Troubleshooting a Misbehaving PC
7/11 Tech Support 101: Where Do I Go for More Help?

Each class starts at 5:30 p.m., and generally runs for about an hour. All students are welcome to attend as many (or as few!) classes as they'd like; we do ask that you sign up for each session you wish to attend, though, as we sometimes have to cap the classes at a certain size.

For more information, or to sign up, please call (928) 368-6688, or e-mail larsonlibrary@navajo.lib.az.us.

Teen Tech Week

2007-03-06T11:12:00.000-07:00

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association, has started a yearly celebration aimed at getting teens to use their libraries for the different technologies that are offered there, such as DVDs, databases, electronic games, and more.

For this first year, Larson Library is holding a special Teen Tech Week Geocaching Contest (details available at http://www.geocities.com/larsonteentech). Prizes include an MP3 player, World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade, and a $20 gift card for music downloads at WalMart.com. Teens between the ages of 12 and 18 are eligible to win; the contest runs from March 4-10, 2007.

You Are Invited To Story Time

2007-01-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!
Let me introduce myself. My name is Nana Diana and I am the children's "funbrarian". I have Story Time a.k.a. "Fun Time on Tuesday and Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m.
We blow and pop bubbles, we sing and dance, we do streamer dancing, we use rhythm sticks we read stories and do a variety of arts and crafts. Children of all ages are welcome, we have many babies that come also. It's great "Free" fun for the kids. Tell your friends or neighbors and relatives.
If you are a school or pre-school, home school or any children's group and would like to arrange for a special story time for your group, give me a call at 928-368-6688 See You There. Nana Diana

The director's first 60 days

2007-01-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

Well I certainly meant to do this sooner. I've been busy shoveling snow. I know, I know. This is an unusually cold winter. I get why they're called the White Mountains. Really. It can stop now.
I haven't really done much since starting Dec. 5th. I changed the mailing address for the library so we are now receiving mail at the library and have given up our post office box. Besides that, I've met a lot of people and ordered a few books.

The Library has some upcoming events:

Arizona Adult Literacy Week February 18 - 24, 2007
Teen Tech Week March 4 - 10, 2007
OneBookAZ and National Library Week in April

These are in addition to our regular book club meetings and weekly story times. We should have something for everyone so stop by and see us at the library! And hey, lets get reading out there!

New mailing address is library physical address:
1595 Johnson Drive
Lakeside, AZ 85929

Book Sale update

2006-11-15T17:24:00.000-07:00

Our Shop with a Cop booksale has been going very well so far; e've already made over $200 for this wonderful cause, and we'd love to make even more! Our new, lower prices are as follows:

Hardcover books: $0.50
Paperbacks: $0.10
Videos: $0.50
(Audiobooks will continue to be $1.00 each.)

We thank all the wonderful members of our community who've shown their support for this project; we're so very grateful!

Shop With A Cop Booksale

2006-10-10T13:59:00.000-07:00

Beginning Monday, October 16th, the library will be holding a book sale to benefit the Shop-With-A-Cop program. For those who are unfamilliar with this program, each year area police officers take local children who could not otherwise afford it out shopping for Christmas presents. The funds come from donations as well as various fundraisers throughout the year, and this year, the library is holding one of these fundraisers.

For those interested in supporting this very worthwhile cause, we will be charging the following prices for each item:

Hardcover books: $1.00
Paperback books: $0.25
Audiobooks: $1.00
Videos: $1.00

Some of the proceeds of the sale will also go to benefit the library's children's program, so please come and help us take care of our community's youngest residents.

Library News

2006-06-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

I just found a website for the Dewey Donation System, a group that's currently trying to get books back on the shelves in the Harrison County, Mississippi public libraries to replace the ones lost in Hurricane Katrina. If you'd like to help, here's a link:

http://deweydonationsystem.org/

They don't ask for direct monetary donations; instead, they post links to each library's Amazon.com wish list, so that you can buy the book from Amazon yourself and have it shipped directly to the library in question. This group has done amazing things for other libraries in the past, and all donations are tax deductible.

Welcome!

2006-06-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

If you're reading this, you've found the weblog of the Larson Memorial Public Library in Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ. We welcome you, and hope you enjoy your stay!