December New Releases

We're going to be closed for the next three days - better hurry in and pick up some new books to get you through to Saturday!

Picture Books

The Snow Queen: A Tale in Seven Stories by Hans Christian Andersen
"Hans Christian Andersen's beloved tale The Snow Queen is an enchanting story of the bond of love and friendship between young playmates Kai and Gerda."

Telephone by Mac Barnett
"In this picture book a string of birds on a telephone wire plays a game of telephone, with the usual mixed up results."

Sleepover with Beatrice and Bear by Mônica Carnesi
"Beatrice the bunny wants to share winter with her best friend, Bear, but he will be busy hibernating."

I am Jazz! by Jessica Herthel
"Presents the story of a transgender child who traces her early awareness that she is a girl in spite of male anatomy and the acceptance she finds through a wise doctor who explains her natural transgender status."

Angelina's Big City Ballet by Katharine Holabird
"Angelina goes to the most famous city in Mouseland to perform at the Big Cheese Dance Show with her cousin Jeanie, but the two clash over whether tap or ballet is better."

Chapter Books

Magic in the Mix by Annie Barrows
"Life seems to be back to normal for 'newly twinned' sisters Miri and Molly until their magical house sends them on a new time-traveling adventure to the Civil War, where they must risk everything to save two unusual soldiers and come to terms with the emotional truth about Molly's past."

Ballerina Dreams: From Orphan to Ballerina by Michaela DePrince
"At the age of three, Michaela DePrince found a photo of a ballerina that changed her life."

Ares and the Spear of Fear by Joan Holub
"After overcoming many challenges, Zeus and his fellow Olympians arrive at the temple of Delphi -- only to find a giant snake guarding the entrance!"

Nuts to You by Lynn Rae Perkins
"After surviving being carried off by a hawk, a young squirrel resolves to find his way home, as his best friends begin their search for him."

I Survived True Stories: Five Epic Disasters by Lauren Tarshis
"...From the group of students surviving the 9.0 earthquake that set off a historic tsunami in Japan, to a boy nearly frozen on the prairie in 1888, these unforgettable kids lived to tell tales of unimaginable destruction -- and against all odds, survival."

Teen Books

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
"Spending her summers on her family's private island off the coast of Massachusetts with her cousins and a special boy named Gat, teenaged Cadence struggles to remember what happened during her fifteenth summer."

Confessions: The Paris Mysteries by James Patterson
"Sixteen-year-old Tandy Angel moves to Paris for a fresh start with her siblings and to be reunited with James, her lost love, but her detective work soon uncovers long-buried family secrets that threaten to destroy her life."

If You're Reading This by Trent Reedy
"For a responsible sixteen-year-old Michael Wilson has a lot of problems -- his father was killed in Afghanistan in 2005, his overworked and overprotective mother will not talk about their situation, and does not want him playing football, and he has suddenly started to receive letters that his father wrote before his death."

Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross
"Sixteen-year-old Maude Pichon, a plain, impoverished girl in Belle Epoque Paris, is hired by Countess Dubern to make her headstrong daughter, Isabelle, look more beautiful by comparison but soon Maude is enmeshed in a tangle of love, friendship, and deception."

The Accidental Highwayman: Being the Tale of Kit Bristol, his Horse Midnight, A Mysterious Princess, and Sundry Magical Persons Besides by Ben Tripp
"In eighteenth-century England , young Christopher 'Kit' Bristol unwittingly takes on the task of his dead master, notorious highwayman Whistling Jack, who pledged a fairy he would rescue feisty Princess Morgana from an arranged marriage with King George III."

Staff Avoidances - Our Least Favorite Holiday Songs

Because, sometimes, the best advice isn't about what you SHOULD see, it's about what you should keep away from. Below are the results of a poll asking staff members to list their least favorite holiday songs.

"The Little Drummer Boy" (Original title "Carol of the Drum," written by Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941)

• "Pa-Rum-Pa-Pum-Pum - can't stand that line. It's like fingernails on a chalk board to me."

"Wonderful Christmastime" (Written by Paul McCartney in 1979)

• "I love Paul McCartney, but I don't like this song. I have no explanation why."
• "I agree!!!"

"Feliz Navidad" (Written by José Feliciano in 1970)

• "OMG - over and over and over. Makes me want to hurt people."

"Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" (Written by Randy Brooks in 1979)

• "Please. Once in a lifetime is enough."
• "So agree!"

"Dominick the Donkey" (Written by Ray Allen, Sam Saltzberg, and Wanda Merrell in 1960)

• "Most annoying, but oh, so awesome! (Not)"
• "This song makes me want to punch a radio. Donkey...your reckoning will come."

"All I Want for Christmas is You" (Written by Mariah Carey in 1994)

• "This song NEEDS TO NEVER BE PLAYED EVER AGAIN!"
• "Incorrect; Mariah is flawless."

"Any Christmas Song Done By a Country Singer!" (That's a whole category, not a song title.)

"A Holly Jolly Christmas" (Written by Johnny Marks in 1964)

• "When it...comes on the radio - I quickly turn the dial - you can't get it out of your head!"
• "Agreed!"

"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" (Written by Tommie Conner in 1952)

• "I'm sorry, no matter who sings it, it is Disturbing!!"

"Santa Baby" (Written by Joan Javits in 1953)

• "Okay, 'Santa Baby' is my pick. There is no singer who doesn't make it sound creepy. Michael Bublé sings it with particular weirdness, and I love that jazzy Canuck."

"In brief summary - All of them!"

Collection Highlights for December 2014

December is a busy month for many people, but if you have a little time to spare to unwind, come to the library and check out our featured collections!

Children's Holiday Books, Movies, and CDs

Our holiday books are always a popular part of the collection, but there's plenty more to choose from! We have a large Christmas collection, in addition to our books about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Winter Solstice! The carts are divided into a few different sections - books about the Religious Aspects of Christmas, the Tales of Santa Claus, and Christmas Family, Friends, and Flubs. We also have a section for Hanukkah Stories, Kwanzaa Celebrations, and Holiday Media.

Staff Picks

• Kwanzaa by Deborah M. Newton Chocolate
• Just Enough is Plenty by Barbara Diamond Goldin
• Manga Claus: The Blade of Kringle by Nathaniel Marunas
• The First Christmas by The National Gallery, London
• Three French Hens by Margie Palatini

Children's Winter Stories

If you'd rather read books about winter fun, we have plenty of those too! Also on this table are take-home holiday coloring booklets and a coloring holiday banner.

Staff Picks

• Snow Moon by Nicholas Brunelle
• Sled Dogs Run by Jack London
• My Little Polar Bear by Claudia Rueda
• Winter Lullaby by Barbara Seuling
• A Hockey Story by Richard Torrey

Adult Holiday Books, Movies, CDs, and Audiobooks

Adult Recipe Guides and Other Non-Fiction

We have so many holiday items, we had to use two tables to display them! Across from the circulation desk, you'll find our adult holiday movie and fiction collection, at the table across from the computer lab, you'll find cookbooks, decorating guides, and other non-fiction. Both tables have an extensive collection of CDs, come in and take them off our hands!

Staff Recommendations - Favorite Holiday Movie

The weather outside...is actually pretty great right now, but just in case you want to cozy up in the glow of your television with a mug of cocoa and a bag of chocolates, here are some viewing suggestions.

White Christmas (1954)

From IMDB: "A successful song-and-dance team become romantically involved with a sister act and team up to save the failing Vermont inn of their former general."

From the staff: "I like Bing's voice."

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

From IMDB: "When a nice old man who claims to be Santa Claus is institutionalized as insane, a young lawyer decides to defend him by arguing in court that he is the real thing."

From the staff: "It sends a fantastic message of how not to be selfish!"

A Christmas Carol (1983)

From IMDB: "A bitter old miser who makes excuses for his uncaring nature learns real compassion when three ghosts visit him on Christmas Eve."

From the staff: "This version has a great cast and a wonderful look to it, it is a...family favorite."

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

From IMDB: "Repelled by the commercialism he sees around him, Charlie Brown tries to find the true meaning of Christmas."
From the staff: "A classic with a great score - great message and I love his tree!"

Home Alone (1990)

From IMDB: "An 8-year-old boy who is accidentally left behind while his family flies to France for Christmas must defend his home against idiotic burglars."

From the staff: "I love the kid's resourcefulness in foiling the 'bad guys'."

Olive the Other Reindeer (1999)

From IMDB: "When Santa cancels is annual flight because of a hurt reindeer, a young Christmas loving dog named Olive is convinced she has what it takes to get Santa's flight off the ground and save Christmas."

From the staff: "Sweet and funny and great art."

Holiday Inn (1942)

From IMDB: "An inn, which is only open on holidays, a crooner and a hoofer vie for the affections of a beautiful up-and-coming performer."

From the staff: "Classic and because I like the idea of only working on holidays."

Love Actually (2003)

From IMDB: "Follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England."

From the staff: "Too many stories...but the rest are great. And what a cast!! Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman, Colin Firth."

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

From IMDB: "Harry and Sally have known each other for years, and are very good friends, but they fear sex would ruin the friendship."
From the staff: "Nora Ephron + Harry Connick + 2 X-Mas scenes. Flawless."

A Christmas Story (1983)

From IMDB: "Ralphie has to convince his parents, his teacher, and Santa that a Red Ryder B.B. gun really is the perfect gift for the 1940s."
From the staff: "'You'll shoot your eye out!' And who can forget the F-bomb?"

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)

From IMDB: "A grumpy hermit hatches a plan to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville."

From the staff: "Who doesn't love Cindy Lou Who who's no more than 2?"

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964)

From IMDB: "A misfit reindeer and his friends look for a place that will accept them."

From the staff: "The Bumble gets me every time! Also the friendship between the Bumble and Yukon Cornelius is quite sweet."

A Year Without a Santa (1974)

From IMDB: "When a weary and discouraged Santa Claus considers skipping his Christmas Eve run one year, Mrs. Claus and his elves set out to change his mind."

From the staff: "Heat meiser & cold meiser that is all."

The Nutcracker (1993)

From IMDB: "On Christmas Eve, a little girl named Marie falls asleep after a party at her home and dreams herself (or does she?) into a fantastic world where toys become larger than life..."

From the staff: "Always loved this ballet went to see it when I was 8 and I remember getting my own nutcracker that year for Christmas and completely loved it."

Elf  (2003)

From IMDB: "After inadvertently wreaking havoc on the elf community due to his ungainly size, a man raised as an elf at the North Pole is sent to the U.S. in search of his true identity."

From the staff: "Will Ferrell is great in it and I love when they sing, 'Baby, It's Cold Outside.'"

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

From IMDB: "A creature is intent on stealing Christmas."

From the staff: "My all time favorite!! Classic and very funny."

Christmas Vacation (1983)

From IMDB: "The Griswold family's plans for a big family Christmas predictably turn into a big disaster."
From the staff: "I am all about National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Would that we could all have a Griswold Family Christmas."

The Family Stone (2005)

From IMDB: "An uptight, conservative, business woman accompanies her boyfriend to his outgoing and eccentric family's annual Christmas celebration and finds out she's a fish out of water in their free-spirited way of life."

From the staff: "My favorite...because it's depressing and I'm always depressed @ Christmas."

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

From IMDB: "In the year before the 1904 World's Fair, the four Smith daughters learn lessons of life and love, even as they prepare for a reluctant move to New York."

From the staff: "This movie is a total pick-me-up, everything works out of the best, even the attempted overturning of a trolley car; besides, Judy Garland is amazing."

NPR Best Books of 2014

NPR came out with its list of Best Books of 2014. Below we've listed those titles available here!

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen (In LP only)
Quest by Aaron Becker
El Deafo by Cece Bell
Life Drawing by Robin Black
Kinda Like Brothers by Coe Booth (Book on order)
Flashlight by Lizi Boyd
Do or Die by Suzanne Brockmann
Night Heron by Adam Brookes
Firebird by Misty Copeland
Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle
Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Perfidia by James Ellroy
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay by Elena Ferrante
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan
The Farmer and the Clown by Marla Frazee (Book on order)
The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
The Peripheral by William Gibson
Gray Mountain by John Grisham
Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix
California by Edan Lepucki
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Tinseltown by William J. Mann
A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing by Eimear McBride
The Children Act Ian McEwan
All Our Names by Dinaw Mengestu (In LP only)
How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran
Family Furnishings by Alice Munro
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi
The Girl Next Door by Ruth Rendell
Lila by Marilynne Robinson
Some Luck by Jane Smiley
Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan
Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
Deep Down Dark by Héctor Tobar
Nora Webster by Colm Tóibín
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jaqueline Woodson

Recipe Recommendation

With the holidays coming up, you might be at a loss for what to bake - never fear, the William Hall Library staff loves to eat and, consequently, loves to bake! 

Glazed Lemon Nut Bread

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of butter

3/4 cup of sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel/zest

2 cups of flour (sifted)

2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp of salt

3/4 cup of milk

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp sugar

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and lemon peel, beat well. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt and add in small batches to the creamed mixture, alternating with milk. Beat until smooth. Stir in nuts. Pour into 8 and 1/2 by 4 and 1/2 by 2 and 1/2 inch loaf pan and bake at 350°F for 50-55 minutes or until cooked through.

While the bread cooks, combine the 2 tsp of lemon juice and 2 tbps of sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

Let cool in pan for ten minutes, then spoon mixture of lemon juice and sugar over the top.

Remove and cool before serving.

(If you don't like walnuts, either don't add them, or reserve chopped walnuts in a bag and add last as a crunchy topping.)

Better Late than November - November New Releases!

Here's a few recommended titles from our Children and Teen Shelves (practically) brand new!

Picture Books

Circle, Square, Moose by Kelly Bingham

"When Zebra and his enthusiastic friend Moose are asked to exit a book about shapes, Moose has other plans."

The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water by Gemma Merino

"A little crocodile cannot get himself to like water, and then finds out the reason why."

Don't Turn the Page! by Rachelle Burk

"Sammy knows that the end of story time means bedtime. 'Don't turn the page,' he repeatedly tells his mother. But curiosity continues to get the best of him, and he wants to know what happens next as his mother reads him the story of Little Bear."

Flashlight by Lizi Boyd

"In this story without words, a boy explores the woods after dark with a flashlight." 

Mr. Wayne's Masterpiece by Patricia Polacco

"Because she is afraid to read an essay aloud in English class, Patricia is invited to take Mr. Wayne's drama class where she paints sets, participates in fun exercises, and memorizes every part of the play the others are rehearsing."

Chapter Books

Copper Magic by Julia Mary

"The year is 1906, and twelve-year-old Violet Blake unearths an ancient talisman -- a copper hand -- beside the stream where her mother used to harvest medicine." 

Fantasy League by Mike Lupica

"In Los Angeles, twelve-year-old Charlie's skill at fantasy football gains the attention of both the local media and the owner of a professional football team."

The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale

"Who says princesses don't wear black? When trouble raises its blue monster head, Princess Magnolia ditches her flouncy dresses and becomes the Princess in Black!"

Treasure Hunters: Danger Down the Nile by James Patterson

"Twelve-year-old twins Bickford and Rebecca Kidd and their two older siblings travel to Africa to track down priceless artifacts that will keep their family's treasure hunting business afloat long enough to rescue their kidnapped mother -- and possibly find their missing father." 

The Witch's Boy by Kelly Reagan Barnhill

"When a Bandit King comes to take the magic that Ned's mother, a witch, is meant to protect, the stuttering, weak boy villagers think should have drowned rather than his twin summons the strength to protect his family and community, while in the woods, the bandit's daughter puzzles over a mystery that ties her to Ned."

Teen Books

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

"In alternating chapters, eighteen-year-old Darcy Patel navigates the New York City publishing world and Lizzie, the heroine of Darcy's novel, slips into the 'Afterworld' to survive a terrorist attack and becomes a spirit guide, as both face many challenges and both fall in love."

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

"In 1959 Virginia, Sarah, a black student who is one of the first to attend a newly integrated school, forces Linda, a white integration opponent's daughter, to confront harsh truths when they work together on a school project."

Love is the Drug by Alaya Dawn Johnson

"Emily Bird is an African American high school senior in Washington D.C., member of a privileged medical family, on the verge of college and on the edge of the drug culture, and not really such which way she will go--then one day she wakes up in the hospital with no memory of what happened."

Monstrous Affections: An Anthology of Beastly Tales ed. by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant

"An anthology of stories explores the intersection of fear and romance, ambition and sacrifice, loneliness and rage, love requited and avenged, and the boundless potential for connection, even across extreme borders."

Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan

"High school junior Leila's Persian heritage already makes her different from her classmates at Armstead Academy, and if word got out she liked girls life would be twice as hard, but when a new girl, Saskia, shows up, Leila starts to take risks she never thought she would, especially when it looks as if the attraction between them is mutual, so she struggles to sort out her growing feelings by confiding in her old friends."

Recipe Recommendation

It's that time of the month - cookie time! Are you enjoying this season's fashion trend for cool plaids? Then do we have the cookies for you - Lumberjack Cookies! They will fill you with all the hearty sense of accomplishment that felling a tree gives you (without the danger, fresh air, or splinters).

Lumberjack Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of butter
1 cup of molasses
2 eggs
4 cups of sifted flour
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of salt
2 tsps of cinnamon
1 tsp ginger

Recipe:
Cream together butter and sugar. Add molasses and unbeaten eggs. Mix well. Sift together the dry ingredients and stir in to the wet. Put 1/4 cup of sugar in a small bowl. Dip your fingers into the sugar, then pinch off a ball of dough and roll it to the size and shape of a walnut. Roll the ball in the bowl of sugar before placing it on a greased cookie sheet, keeping each cookie about three inches apart. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. This recipe makes 3-4 dozen large soft cookies.

Collection Highlights for November 2014

We have four highlighted areas of our collections for November, come give them a look!

Children's Thanksgiving Books & Movies

As you can see, this display has been hugely popular. There are still plenty of books left, though, whether you want to learn about the history of Thanksgiving on the Saints, Strangers, and Wampanoags shelf, how different families celebrate Thanksgiving on the Families at Thanksgiving shelf, or you just want to hear the turkey's side of things on the Talk Turkey shelf.

Staff Picks

• Turkey Pox by Laurie Halse Anderson
• 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving by Catherine O'Neill Grace and Margaret M Bruchac
• Duck for Turkey Day by Kathryn Mitter
• I Am the Turkey by Michele Sobel Spirn
• On the Mayflower: Voyage of the Ship's Apprentice & a Passenger Girl by Kate Waters

Children's Historical Fiction

There's no need to travel into space or use a magic wand to have an adventure - the history books are full of great inspiration for stories! This portion of our collection is all about what it was like to be a kid in the past, be it hundreds of years ago or when your own parents were younger.

Staff Picks

• Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman
• Eleanor,, Crown Jewel of Aquitaine, 1136 by Kristiana Gregory
• Around the World by Matt Phelan
• The Amazing Air Balloon by Jean Van Leeuwen
• This Means War! by Ellen Wittlinger

Adult Thanksgiving Books & Movies

Not sure what to serve as an appetizer before the feast? Not sure why EVERYONE cooks a turkey on Thanksgiving? Not sure why we even bother celebrating at all? Never fear, the answer to all these questions and more can be found on our adult Thanksgiving book display.

Staff Picks

• Heritage of America Cookbook by Better Homes and Gardens
• The Thanksgiving Ceremony: New Traditions for America's Family Feast by Edward Bleier
• The Artful Pie: Unforgettable Recipes for Creative Cooks by Lisa Cherkasky and Renée Comet
• A Great and Godly Adventure: The Pilgrims and the Myth of the First Thanksgiving by Godfrey Hodgson
• Daily Life in Colonial New England by Claudia Durst Johnson

Cozy Up with a Classic

Reread an old favorite or discover a new love with our display of classic literature.

Staff Picks

• Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
• The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
• Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

 

Seed Saving Workshop

It's never too early to start thinking about your garden! As part of a series of workshops, the William Hall Library hosted a program on Thursday, November 6th at 6:30pm. The lecture was given by Annmarie and Bill of the Edgewood Garden Club, with the assistance of Loretta, a Hall staff member.

How does your garden grow?

These workshops are intended to support the Seed Library at the William Hall Library. If you participated in growing flowers or vegetables with our seeds this year, you're encouraged to join us. There will be three additional workshops on the following dates:

Thursday, February 15 2015

Thursday, May 7 2015

Thursday, August 6 2015

In the meantime, here is a list of resources to check out for all of your gardening endeavors: 

Seed Saving Booklet - Save your seeds and return them to the library, so others can enjoy the fruits (and flowers!) of your labor. 

Soil Testing - The University of Rhode Island has closed its soil testing laboratory after making arrangements with the University of Masschusetts and the University of Connecticut to provide soil testing services for the state of Rhode Island. The information below is for the University of Massachusetts Soil Test Lab and for the University of Connecticut Soil Test Lab. Both labs provide assessments of pH, nutrient levels, lead level, and recommendations for action. The UMass test appears to be more comprehensive (including, for example, cation exchange capacity), but either one will suffice for the purposes of getting your soil properly amended for vegetable growing.

UMass Instructions for Collecting Sample.

UMass Soil Submission Test Form ($15.00 fee)

UConn Soil Sample Collection Information and Submission Form ($8.00 fee)

University of Kentucky Gardening Manual - Excellent resource, but use the Rhode Island tables for planting dates, harvest dates, etc. This is an outstanding introduction to vegetable gardening. It covers a wealth of topics in plain English with excellent illustrations. You could make this your main resource for gardening information, filling in with information on vegetables (planting, fertilizing, watering, weeding, harvesting, etc.) from the better seed suppliers, from university agricultural extension services, from the URI extension master gardeners and similar sources. 

University of California at Davis Gardening Manual - This manual is focused on community gardens.

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Interactive Map - Edgewood is in zone 6b.

Freeze/Frost Occurrence Data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - For the state of Rhode Island.

Planning Date Provider for Vegetable Seeds and Plants - Also refer to gardening books and seeds suppliers.

Recommended November Activities for the Whole Family

There's a definite chill in the air outside, but don't fret! (Well, okay, maybe fret about your gas bill.) Just because it's cold, doesn't mean there's nothing to do, check out these upcoming events and programs offered around the state.

Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum "Children's Thanksgiving Floral Workshop" - Offered on Sunday, November 22nd from 10:00am to 11:00am at the Carriage House, 101 Ferry Rd. Bristol, Rhode Island 02809. Participants pay $15.00 per arrangement, Members pay $12.00, registration is required.
From their website: "Blithewold's gardens are bountiful, for which we are truly thankful! Green up your holiday by joining us for this fun and festive class where we will make use of nature's gifts. Children will create and take home a unique 'pilgrim hat' floral centerpiece to add to your family's Thanksgiving table."

Coggeshall Farm Museum "Hearth Cooking Workshop" -  Offered every Sunday in November at 4:00pm, address is 1 Colt Dr. Bristol, Rhode Island 02809. Admission is $60.00 per person and $50.00 for Members. Reservations required by the Wednesday before the Sunday programs, space is limited, intended for ages 16 and up.
From their website: "Explore what it meant to "eat local" in 1790s Rhode Island. Working from the first American cookbook, originally published in 1796, guests prepare several 'receipts' at the hearth using produce made on the farm before sitting down to enjoy the fruits of their labors by candlelight." 

Museum of Work and Culture "Veteran's Day" - 10:00am on November 11th, at 42 S. Main St. Woonsockett, Rhode Island 02895. Admission is free for veterans and their families and for anyone who brings a donation of unopened socks, t-shirts, or underwear to be donated to the United Veteran's Council.
From their website: "The museum event will start immediately following the dedication of the new City of Woonsocket Veteran's Park, which is scheduled for 9:00am, rain or shine. The museum program will include a performance by musician and historian Rick Spencer who will present his repertoire of WWI songs. Refreshments will be served."

Providence Children's Museum "Mad Science" - Tuesday, November 11th at the Providence Children's Museum 100 South St. Providence, RI 02903. Shows at 2:00pm and 4:00pm, recommended for ages 4 and up. Admission $9.00, adults and children - discount passes are available at the Central Library.
From their website: "Experience mesmerizing science experiments during a mind-bending interactive show that introduces children to the scientific method, air pressure and the states of matter. Audiences will be amazed by foggy dry ice storms, giant beach balls floating in the air and more!"

Roger Williams Park Zoo "Paint Night at the Zoo" - Thursday, November 20th at the Roger Williams Park Zoo, located 1000 Elmwood Avenue Providence, Rhode Island 02907. This program lasts from 6:30pm to 9:00pm. Admission is $35.00, the class is intended for participants ages 16 and up, but children 13 and up may participate if they are accompanied by an adult, registration is required. 
From their website: "You've heard the hype, now be part of it at Paint the Night at the Zoo! This instructor led workshop is designed to guide artists of all skill levels step by step through creating artwork to be proudly displayed at home. We'll provide everything you need: canvas, paints, brushes and even a glass of wine for participants 21 and older."

Recipe Recommendation

It's officially fall outside and, if you're like most New Englanders, you've stocked up on apple cider and are prepared to hydrate solely with this magical liquid from now until lemonade season starts up. But here's the thing about apple cider - it doesn't keep indefinitely and before you know it those tart cups of juice will start to feel a little fizzy on your tongue. Apple cider inevitably ferments and if you're not planning on starting a home-brewing business, you might be left with a lot of cider and not enough time to drink it.

But fear not! There's something you can do that takes massive quantities of cider and transforms it into something even more awesome - Apple Cider Molasses.

Here are the ingredients:

Apple cider

Here is the list of required equipment:

A crock pot

Here are the instructions for the recipe:

Pour a gallon of cider into your crock pot. Turn it on. Wait. 

That's it. That's literally all that you do and in 24 hours or so your cider will cook down into a thick, dark molasses that can be substituted for regular molasses in any recipe. Add it to chicken for a sweet, tart, glaze. Put it in cookies. Go nuts! It has a lighter flavor than regular molasses and just a hint of appley goodness, providing a new twist on old favorites.

Storytime - October 25th and 28th

In keeping with the season we read books with scares (and laughs!). Our 4s and 5s got to play at being Dr. Frankensteins, making their own monsters! The 1 - 3s very bravely read some spooky books.

Kick-Off to Kindergarten Read:

There are Monsters Everywhere by Mercer Mayer

The Monster' Monster by Patrick McDonnell

Eek! Creak! Snicker, Sneak by Rhonda Gowler Greene

1, 2, 3, Play with Me Read:

Five Little Pumpkins by Iris Van Rynbach

It Hardly Seems Like Halloween by David S. Rose

November Promotion - Book Bag Bundle!

Do you have a special occasion coming up? Is it today? Have you neglected to by a gift? Ordinarily that could be cause for panic, but never fear! The William Hall Library is offering a Book Bag Bundle sale.

For $10.00, you can get a Cranston Public Library bag, two candy bars, and as many books as the bag can comfortably - or uncomfortably - hold. 

Inquire at the Circulation Desk for more information!

New Arrivals - Children and Teen Oct 2014

Check out some of the new books on our Children and Teen shelves, get 'em while they're fresh!

Picture Books
Ladybug Girl and the Dress-Up Dilemma by Jackie Davis and David Soman
It is Halloween and Lulu must decide on a costume. Should she be Ladybug Girl or something new? She tries many different costumes, but nothing seems right. Maybe she'll think of the perfect costume as she enjoys the autumn day with her family by pumpkin picking and going on a hayride. But it isn't until Lulu and Bingo help a little girl who is lost that Lulu discovers who she was meant to be for Halloween–Ladybug Girl, of course! After all, she is Ladybug Girl and it is important to be true to yourself.
Pete the Cat and the New Guy by James Dean and Kimberly Dean
Pete the Cat is back in Pete the Cat and the New Guy by New York Times bestselling authors James and Kimberly Dean. There's a new guy in town, and Pete can't wait to meet him. After all, more friends mean more fun. But who can he be? When Pete finally meets Gus, he realizes they're very different from each other . . . but that's what makes him cool. Gus is special in his own way, just like Pete and just like you, and there is something everyone can do! The message of acceptance shines through and is perfect for young readers learning to navigate the social waters. Fans of Pete the Cat will delight in the rhythmic storytelling and fun repetition throughout the book.

Drop It, Rocket! by Tad Hills
Rocket, the beloved dog from the New York Times bestselling picture books How Rocket Learned to Read and Rocket Writes a Story, is back in a Step 1 leveled reader. Rocket is ready to find new words for his word tree with his teacher, the little yellow bird. He finds a leaf, a hat, and a star . . . but when he finds a red boot, he doesn’t want to let go. What will make Rocket drop it? 
 
Sebastian and the Balloon by Philip Christian Stead
On a boring day, on a dull street, Sebastian sat high atop his roof—something he was never supposed to do. When he launched himself into the air in his balloon made of Grandma's afghans and patchwork quilts, his journey took on a life of its own and his boring day turned into the adventure of a lifetime.

Three Bears in a Boat by David Soman
Three bear siblings break their mother’s favorite blue seashell, and rather than tell her, they decide to set out in their sailboat to find her a new one. On their quest they encounter salty sailors, strange new islands, huge whales, and vast seas but no blue seashells. When a treacherous storm suddenly blows in, the three bears find themselves tossed about in their little boat, far from Mama. What will become of their search, and what will it take to bring them safely home?


Chapter Books
Alvin Ho: Allergic to the Great Wall, the Forbidden Palace, and Other Tourist Attractions by Lenore Look
Alvin, an Asian American second grader who’s afraid of everything, is taking his fears to a whole new level—or should we say, continent. On a trip to introduce brand-new baby Ho to relatives in China, Alvin’s anxiety is at fever pitch. First there’s the harrowing 16-hour plane ride; then there’s a whole slew of cultural differences to contend with: eating lunch food for breakfast, kung fu lessons, and acupuncture treatment (yikes!). Not to mention the crowds that make it easy for a small boy to get lost.

Another Day as Emily by Eileen Spinelli
Eleven-year-old Suzy just can't win. Her brother is a local hero for calling 911 after seeing their elderly neighbor collapse, and only her best friend was able to win a role in the play they both auditioned for. Feeling cast aside from all angles, Suzy sees a kindred spirit in Emily Dickinson, the subject of her summer project. Suzy decides to escape from her disappointments by emulating the poet's life of solitude: no visitors or phone calls (only letters delivered through her window), no friends (except her goldfish, Ottilie), and no outings (except church, but only if she can wear her long white Emily dress).

The Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern
As befits a future President of the United States of America, Maggie Mayfield has decided to write a memoir of the past year of her life. And what a banner year it's been! During this period she's Student of the Month on a regular basis, an official shareholder of Coca-Cola stock, and defending Science Fair champion. Most importantly, though, this is the year Maggie has to pull up her bootstraps (the family motto) and finally learn why her cool-dude dad is in a wheelchair, no matter how scary that is.
Minion by John David Anderson
Michael Morn might be a villain, but he's really not a bad guy. When you live in New Liberty, known across the country as the City without a Super, there are only two kinds of people, after all: those who turn to crime and those who suffer. Michael and his adoptive father spend their days building boxes—special devices with mysterious abilities—which they sell to the mob at a price. They provide for each other, they look out for each other, and they'd never betray each other. 

But then a Super comes to town, and Michael's world is thrown into disarray. The Comet could destroy everything Michael and his dad have built, the safe and secure life they've made for themselves. And now Michael and his father face a choice: to hold tight to their life or to let it unravel.
 

Screaming at the Ump by Audrey Vernick
Twelve-year-old Casey Snowden knows everything about being an umpire. His dad and grandfather run a New Jersey umpire school, Behind the Plate, and Casey lives and breathes baseball. Casey’s dream, however, is to be a reporter—objective, impartial, and fair, just like an ump. But when he stumbles upon a sensational story involving a former major league player in exile, he finds that the ethics of publishing it are cloudy at best. This emotionally charged coming-of-age novel about baseball, divorce, friendship, love, and compassion challenges its readers to consider all the angles before calling that strike. 
 
Teen Books

I Kill the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora
When Lucy, Elena, and Michael receive their summer reading list, they are excited to see To Kill A Mockingbird included. But not everyone in their class shares the same enthusiasm. So they hatch a plot to get the entire town talking about the well-known Harper Lee classic. They plan controversial ways to get people to read the book, including re-shelving copies of the book in bookstores so that people think they are missing and starting a website committed to “destroying the mockingbird.” Their efforts are successful when all of the hullabaloo starts to direct more people to the book. But soon, their exploits start to spin out of control and they unwittingly start a mini revolution in the name of books. 

Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis
Nolan doesn't see darkness when he closes his eyes. Instead, he’s transported into the mind of Amara, a girl living in a different world. Nolan’s life in his small Arizona town is full of history tests, family tension, and laundry; his parents think he has epilepsy, judging from his frequent blackouts. Amara’s world is full of magic and danger--she’s a mute servant girl who’s tasked with protecting a renegade princess. Nolan is only an observer in Amara's world--until he learns to control her. At first, Amara is terrified. Then, she's furious. But to keep the princess--and themselves--alive, they'll have to work together and discover the truth behind their connection. 

The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel
The Boundless, the greatest train ever built, is on its maiden voyage across the country, and first-class passenger Will Everett is about to embark on the adventure of his life!
When Will ends up in possession of the key to a train car containing priceless treasures, he becomes the target of sinister figures from his past.
In order to survive, Will must join a traveling circus, enlisting the aid of Mr. Dorian, the ringmaster and leader of the troupe, and Maren, a girl his age who is an expert escape artist. With villains fast on their heels, can Will and Maren reach Will’s father and save The Boundless before someone winds up dead?

Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir by Liz Prince
Growing up, Liz Prince wasn't a girly girl, dressing in pink tutus or playing Pretty Pretty princess like the other girls in her neighborhood. But she wasn't exactly one of the guys either, as she quickly learned when her Little League baseball coach exiled her to the outfield instead of letting her take the pitcher's mound. Liz was somewhere in the middle, and Tomboy is the story of her struggle to find the place where she belonged. 

Schizo by Nic Sheff
Miles’s little brother Teddy is missing. The police believe he drowned at the beach—the very same day Miles had his first schizophrenic episode. But Miles knows better—Teddy is alive. Kidnapped. There was even a witness! Fueled by guilt, Miles sets off to rescue Teddy.

There is so much to overcome, though. The endless pills he must take. The girl who steals his heart and plays with it. The black crows that follow him.

As seen through Miles’s distorted perception, his world closes around him as he pushes to keep it open. What you think you know about his world is actually a blur of gray, though, and the sharp focus of reality proves startling. 

Storytime - October 21st and 23rd

We had a great turnout for both of our storytimes this week at Hall! Our 4s and 5s read all about dragons and made their own dragon masks to take home and terrorize their neighbors and our 1 - 3 year olds read stories about bears.

Kick-Off to Kindergarten Read:

George, the Dragon, and the Princess by Chris Wormell

Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood by Timothy Knapman

Who Wants a Dragon? by James Mayhew

1, 2, 3, Play with Me Read:

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.

Mama's Little Bears by Nancy Tafuri

October Book Club - The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian

There's still time to get your copy of October's selection for Reading in the Hall - The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian. The book club will meet Wednesday, October 22 at 6:30pm.

Do you like The Great Gatsby? Do you like mysteries? Do you like Vermont? Then this is the book for you! Chris Bohjalian is a writer who combines compelling plots with great characters to deliver a satisfying read every time. 

Famous Opening Lines

Here's a fun little quiz from the Christian Science Monitor - How many first lines of famous books do you know?

http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/2014/0612/Famous-opening-lines-Take-our-literature-quiz/Can-you-match-the-famous-first-line-to-the-novel-it-comes-from

National Book Award Finalists

Good morning, readers! Below is a list of finalists for the National Book Award, check them out!*

Fiction:

An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine

Aaliya Sohbi lives alone in her Beirut apartment, surrounded by stockpiles of books. Godless, fatherless, childless, and divorced, Aaliya is her family's 'unnecessary appendage.' Every year, she translates a new favorite book into Arabic, then stows it away. The thirty-seven books that Aaliya has translated over her lifetime have never been read-- by anyone...As she tries to overcome her aging body and spontaneous emotional upwellings, Aaliya is faced with an unthinkable disaster that threatens to shatter the little life she has left.

The UnAmericans: Stories by Molly Antopol

Moving from modern-day Jerusalem to McCarthy-era Los Angeles to communist Prague and back again. The UnAmericans is a stunning exploration of characters shaped by the forces of history.

Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle

Isolated by a disfiguring injury, Sean Phillips crafts imaginary worlds for strangers to play in. From his small apartment in southern California, he orchestrates fantastic adventures where possibilities, both dark and bright, open in the boundaries between the real and the imagined. As the creator of Trace Italian-- a text-based, role-playing game played through the mail-- Sean guides players from around the world. Lance and Carrie are high school students from Florida, explorers of the Trace. But when they take their play into the real world, disaster strikes, and Sean is called to account for it.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr*

From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, a stunningly ambitious and beautiful novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of WWII. 

Redeployment by Phil Klay

Phil Klay takes readers to the frontlines of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, asking us to understand what happened there, and what happened to the soldiers who returned. Interwoven with themes of brutality and faith, guilt and fear, helplessness and survival, the characters in these stories struggle to make meaning out of chaos.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel*

One snowy night a famous Hollywood actor slumps over and dies onstage during a production of King Lear. Hours later, the world as we know it begins to dissolve. Moving back and forth in time-from the actor's early days as a film star to fifteen years in the future, when a theater troupe known as the Traveling Symphony roams the wasteland of what remains-this suspenseful, elegiac, spellbinding novel charts the strange twists of fate that connect five people: the actor, the man who tried to save him, the actor's first wife, his oldest friend, and a young actress with the Traveling Symphony, caught in the crosshairs of a dangerous self-proclaimed prophet. 

Thunderstruck & Other Stories by Elizabeth McCracken

A collection of stories navigates the fragile space between love and loneliness, including the title story in which a family finds their lives irrevocably changed by their teenage daughter's risky behavior.

Orfeo by Richard Powers

Composer Peter Els --the "Bioterrorist Bach" -- pays a final visit to the people he loves, those who shaped his musical journey and, through the help of his ex-wife, his daughter, and his longtime collaborator, he hatches a plan to turn his disastrous collision with Homeland Security into a work of art that will reawaken its audience to the sounds all around them.

Lila by Marilynne Robinson*

Abandoning her homeless existence to become a minister's wife, Lila reflects on her hardscrabble life on the run with a canny young drifter and her efforts to reconcile her painful past with her husband's gentle Christian worldview.

Some Luck by Jane Smiley*

An epic novel that spans thirty years in the lives of a farm family in Iowa, telling a parallel story of the changes taking place in America from 1920 through the early 1950s.

Non-Fiction:

Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast

When it came to her elderly mother and father, Roz held to the practices of denial, avoidance, and distraction. But when Elizabeth Chast climbed a ladder to locate an old souvenir from the "crazy closet"--with predictable results--the tools that had served Roz well through her parents' seventies, eighties, and into their early nineties could no longer be deployed.

The Heathen School: A Story of Hope and Betrayal in the Age of the Early Republic by John Demos

Near the start of the nineteenth century, as the newly established United States looked outward toward the wider world, a group of eminent Protestant ministers formed a grand scheme for gathering the rest of mankind into the redemptive fold of Christianity and "civilization." Its core element was a special school for "heathen youth" drawn from all parts ofthe earth, including the Pacific Islands, China, India, and, increasingly, the native nations of North America. 

No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War Through Afghan Eyes by Anand Gopal

As U.S. troops prepare to withdraw, the shocking tale of how the American military had triumph in sight in Afghanistan--and then brought the Taliban back from the dead.

The Mantle of Command: FDR at War, 1941-1942 by Nigel Hamilton

Based on years of archival research and interviews with the last surviving aides and Roosevelt family members, Nigel Hamilton offers a definitive account of FDR's masterful--and underappreciated--command of the Allied war effort.

The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Walter Isaacson

What were the talents that allowed certain inventors and entrepreneurs to turn their visionary ideas into disruptive realities? What led to their creative leaps? Why did some succeed and others fail?...This is the story of how their minds worked and what made them so inventive...

Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh by John Lahr

This astute, deeply researched biography sheds a light on Tennessee Williams's warring family, his guilt, his creative triumphs and failures, his sexuality and numerous affairs, his misreported death, even the shenanigans surrounding his estate.

Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China by Evan Osnos

A vibrant, colorful, and revelatory inner history of China during a moment of profound transformation. 

When Paris Went Dark: The City of Light Under German Occupation by Ronald C. Rosbottom

On June 14, 1940, German tanks entered a silent and nearly deserted Paris. Eight days later, France accepted a humiliating defeat and foreign occupation. Subsequently, an eerie sense of normalcy settled over the City of Light. 

Nature's God: The Heretical Origins of the American Republic by Matthew Stewart

Drawing deeply on the study of European philosophy, Matthew Stewart pursues a genealogy of the philosophical ideas from which America's revolutionaries drew their inspiration.

The Meaning of Human Existence by Edward O. Wilson

Edward O. Wilson examines what makes human beings supremely different from all other species and posits that we, as a species, now know enough about the universe and ourselves that we can begin to approach questions about our place in the cosmos and the meaning of intelligent life in a systematic, indeed, in a testable way.

Poetry:

Roget's Illusion by Linda Bierds

Why do we strive to articulate the world even as we know this is a shifting and illusory pursuit? Why do we continue to seek perfection, pursue beauty, yearn for immortality? Roget's Illusion offers no answer. It simply shows the striving.

A Several World by Brian Blanchfield

Landscape here is spatial theater, and a choreography recruits all standalone selves: solidarity beginning in an erotics of attunement, catching likenesses.

Faithful and Virtuous Night by Louise Glück

Tells a single story but the parts are mutable, the great sweep of its narrative mysterious and fateful, heartbreaking and charged with wonder.

Gabriel: A Poem by Edward Hirsch

A short life, a bewildering death, and the unanswerable sorrow of a father come together in such a sustained elegy.

Second Childhood by Fanny Howe

This book, however, is...a contemplation of how old age resembles childhood.

This Blue by Maureen N. McLane

Here are songs for and of a new century, poems both archaic and wholly now.

The Feel Trio by Frank Moten

The organizing principles, in our extramusical tailor's retrofit of fitting, sharp as a tack from the tone worlds of east by southeast of Sheffield, the Bronx's compassionate project/s and fly, flaired, flared Corona: listen to everything, relax the shape, approach with love, be worthy of a lovely t!

Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine

Claudia Rankine’s bold new book recounts mounting racial aggressions in ongoing encounters in twenty-first-century daily life and in the media.

The Road to Emmaus by Spencer Reece

A moving, subtle sequence of narrative poems, from a sharp new poetic voice.

Collected Poems by Mark Strand

Magnificent work by the former poet laureate of the United States and Pulitzer Prize winner whose haunting and exemplary style has influenced an entire generation of American poets.

*All of the nominees are available through OSL, but those marked with an asterisk are available from William Hall.