¡Buen Viaje! We are arriving at our last international destination for our series of “You Are Here” summer reading lists for teens. Before we head home with our cool souvenirs and many more stamps in our passports, we are exploring the rich history, mythology, and culture of Central and South America in this week’s list of titles.

San José Public Library’s Summer Reading Celebration ends tomorrow, but we hope that you’ll continue to explore the world through the many materials the library has to offer. Thanks to all of you that participated this year, and congratulations to all of the winners! Enjoy the rest of your summer…We hope that your next “You Are Here” destination will be at your local library, but not before enjoying a restful night’s sleep in your own bed, which is always the best part of returning from vacation, right? :)

You Are Here: Central & South America

Chasing the Jaguar by Michele Domínguez Greene

After having unsettling dreams about the kidnapped daughter of her mother's employer, fifteen-year-old Martika learns that she is a descendant of a long line of curanderas--Mayan medicine women with special powers.

City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende

When fifteen-year-old Alexander Cold accompanies his individualistic grandmother on an expedition to find a humanoid Beast in the Amazon, he experiences ancient wonders and a supernatural world as he tries to avert disaster.

Go and Come Back by Joan Abelove

Alicia, a young tribeswoman living in a village in the Amazonian jungle of Peru, tells about the two American women anthropologists who arrive to study her people's way of life.

Keeper by Mal Peet

In an interview with a young journalist, World Cup hero, El Gato, describes his youth in the Brazilian rain forest and the events, experiences, and people that helped make him a great goalkeeper and renowned soccer star.

The Queen of Water by Laura Resau and María Virginia Farinango

Living in a village in Ecuador, a Quechua Indian girl is sent to work as an indentured servant for an upper class "mestizo" family.

Useful Fools by C.A. Schmidt

A fifteen-year-old Peruvian boy, whose mother runs a clinic for poor village children, becomes caught up in the war after Senderistas bomb the clinic, killing his mother and throwing his family into turmoil.

Once again, world news has focused on a terrorist act, this time in Norway. The alleged shooter believes that his country should not tolerate anyone who comes to live there from mid-east countries. How do parents respond to such news?

One way is to be sure to teach young children about friendship and tolerance. Materials that can be checked out from the San José Public Library can aid in illustrating this lesson. I would like to highlight three books that can be used for this important task.

Margaret and Margarita, Margarita y Margaret is a picture book by Lynn Reiser that is in both English and Spanish. It is about two children that meet at a park. Although they do not speak each other's language, they have a great time and look forward to playing together in the park again.

Cat and Mouse, written by Tomek Bogacki, is the first in a series of picture books featuring the title characters. In this book, a kitten and a young mouse become friends, not knowing that they are supposed to be enemies. Their siblings also meet, and all play happily together.

And to Think That We Thought That We'd Never Be Friends was written by Mary Ann Hoberman and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Starting with the children of one family and ending with the entire world, people discover how quickly they can end an argument and learn to be friends.

Come to your local public library and check out the resources available to parents and caregivers about teaching tolerance and friendship to young children!

G’day mates! Pack a Vegemite sandwich, because we’re heading to the land down under in our second to the last “You Are Here” summer reading list. There is no shortage of great books coming out for teens from our neighbors across the Pacific, including these titles below. If you’re looking for some laughs, you can also check out Flight of the Conchords, my favorite comedic musical duo from the island nation of New Zealand.

The clock is ticking…Just a few more days left to finish writing your Summer Reading Celebration reviews in order to claim your free book and get entered into our last raffle drawing for a $50 book store gift card!

You Are Here: Australia & New Zealand

Beatle Meets Destiny by Gabrielle Williams

When superstitious eighteen-year-old John "Beatle" Lennon, who is dating the best friend of his twin sister, meets Destiny McCartney, their instant rapport and shared quirkiness make it seem that their fate is written in the stars.

Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Year Eleven at an exclusive prep school in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, would be tough enough, but it is further complicated for Amal when she decides to wear the hijab, the Muslim head scarf, full-time as a badge of her faith--without losing her identity or sense of style.

Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks

Young prodigy Cadel Piggot, an Australian antisocial computer hacker, discovers his true identity when he enrolls as a first-year student at an advanced crime academy.

Finding Grace by Alyssa Brugman

Undecided about her future after graduating from high school, an Australian girl takes a job caring for a brain-damaged woman.

Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey

Eighteen-year-old New Zealand boarding school student Ellie Spencer must use her rusty tae kwon do skills and new-found magic to try to stop a fairy-like race of creatures from Maori myth and legend that is plotting to kill millions of humans in order to regain their lost immortality.

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

High school student Taylor Markham, who was abandoned by her drug-addicted mother at the age of eleven, struggles with her identity and family history at a boarding school in Australia.

The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera

As her beloved grandfather, chief of the Maori tribe of Whangara, New Zealand, struggles to lead in difficult times and to find a male successor, young Kahu is developing a mysterious relationship with whales, particularly the ancient bull whale whose legendary rider was their ancestor.

A little girl interacts with three friendly and energetic cats. Repetition and simple vocabulary make Oh, Cats! written by Nola Buck and illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott, a nice story for beginning readers. Children who don’t read yet may enjoy the repetition, rhyming and cute illustrations.   

Cat Days, written by Alexa Andrews and illustrated by John & Wendy is another helpful book for emergent readers.  A friendly green-eyed orange cat sits, plays and runs in this simple, gentle story.  

We've got some good news and some better news!

First, the good news. Storytimes at Almaden Branch and other San José libraries will not occur during August. Why is this good news? The librarians will be taking a break from storytimes in order to re-charge themselves to offer even better storytimes in September and beyond.

Now, the better news! Almaden Library will offer these great storytime alternatives in August:

Reading to Children

Let your children listen to stories read by an experienced reader in the beautiful Children's Library at the branch. Your children can pick the books that they want to hear or can leave it up to the reader. This service is aimed at children up to age 12. No appointment is necessary — just drop in!

Our readers and the convenient times they read to children:

Stephanie — Wednesdays at 1:00-2:00 PM

Michele — Thursdays at 1:00-2:00 PM (Michele will be off on July 28)

Laura — Fridays at 1:30-2:15 PM

Christian — Saturdays at 12:00-1:00 PM (Christian will be off on July 30 and August 6)

Reading Buddies

What: Reading Buddies are trained teen volunteers that can either read to your child or help your child practice reading. Younger children can have 1-on-1 time with a caring, enthusiastic teen mentor who will help them practice their reading in a low-stress environment.

When: Every Wednesday at 5:30-6:30 PM in the Children's Library at the branch

Almaden Library storytimes will be back in September, and so will these great alternatives. Stay tuned to the Events Calendar, call the library for information at (408) 808-3040, or come in and pick up a print calendar.

The Atlantic has just posted its 2011 Fiction issue online. Great reads! Which story was your favorite? Available in installments through tomorrow, so check it out soon!

Finding information on venture capital investments can be difficult until I found the Money Tree Report site recommended from Information Advisor's BestBizWeb Newsletter. The Money Tree Report is a joint project of Pricewaterhouse Coopers and National Venture Capital Association with data coming from Thomson Reuters. This site provides information on VC investment activity by region including, of course, the hub of activity, Silicon Valley. You can find out which VC firms are doling out the most money, which sectors are getting the most money, which companies are receiving VC money, how much, and what stage of development the company is in. There's a lot more information in this site, some information you can view without registering but registration is free and easy to do. The information on this site would be helpful for investors interested in getting a first look into what might be the next big company or for those looking for VC money.

Come and join us for a FREE talk and slide show on Iran by published author Brian Appleton in the Almaden Branch Library's Program Room on Wednesday, July 27, at 6:30-7:30 PM.

Brian is the author of Tales from the Zirzameen, a recent book about his experiences in Iran before, during, and after the revolution of 1979, during which he was also taken hostage. You may also purchase Brian's book at this event, which includes time for book signing.

Brian will accompany his talk with a slide show of pictures from Iran taken during his return trip in 2008.

Please join us for a lively discussion and learn more about Iran.

For more information about Brian, please see his Tales from the Zirzameen website.

When the space shuttle Atlantis completed 13 days travel and landed on Thursday, a 30-year odyssey for NASA's shuttle program ended. Despite two fatal accidents that killed 14 astronauts and destroyed two of NASA's five spaceships, this program made space flights appear routine. Atlantis returned from 135th shuttle mission and will retire at the NASA's museum. The details of a follow-on program are still to be revealed, but it will focus on building new spaceships that can travel beyond the International Space Station's 400-km orbit into deep space. We have several adult and children's books in the library about NASA's shuttle program:

• On the Shuttle: Eight Days in Space by Barbara Bondar
• John Glenn Returns to Orbit: Life on the Space Shuttle by Peter Rees
• The Space Shuttle by Robert Taylor
• Space Shuttle by Melvyn Smith

Patrick Taylor's book, An Irish Country Doctor, continues to chronicle Taylor's love of the Northern Irish countryside. An Irish Country Village, An Irish Country Girl, and others tell of pastoral life and simple pleasures involving central characters Kinky Kincaid, Barry Laverty, and Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly. With a wonderful ability to capture the essence of a small village goings-on and the landscape that surrounds it, Taylor's book makes for a fast and joyous read.

After reading the Harry Potter series, you might feel depressed because there aren't anymore titles coming out!  However, the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan will help to fill the void.  The first in this series is The Lightning Thief (AR 13.0, Level 4.7).

Like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson faces many disadvantages in modern life.  However, he soon finds out that he has some special powers and belongs to the mythological world of Camp Half-Blood.

Told from the first person, this series is especially great for kids who don't like to read all that much.  And guess what!  There is a sequel to Percy Jackson!  The subsequent series, Heroes of Olympus is told from the third person and switches viewpoints.  This is great for those of you who like to read or write fan fiction! 

The Lightning Thief:  the Graphic Novel (AR 1.0, Level 3.1) by Rick Riordan is an excellent companion to the original 2005 version.  This book is especially good for visual learners.  A word of warning, though.  Don't expect a graphic novel of the movie!  This graphic novel is a faithful version of the book!  Riordan fans rejoice!

When was the last time you and your family saw a puppet show? Well if it's been awhile and you love puppet shows the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library is the place to be on Saturday, July 23 at 2:00PM. The Caterpillar Puppets, a husband and wife team, will be here to present "Aztec Pinocchio," an adaption of the world famous story Pinocchio by Collodi. In their adaption Maldo the Magician, turns his little boy marionette, Pinata, alive by giving him a butterfly as a heart. The first thing Pinata must do as a lively puppet boy is save Maldo from the deadly spell placed on him by an evil magician! Join us as we cheer Pinata on in this exciting adventure! Of course if you would like to enjoy the original Pinocchio the library has items available in many formats: books, ebooks and dvds and in many languages.

This program is part of our Summer Reading Celebration Programs. Remember if you joined Summer Reading and you've read at least 15 books then it's time to pick up your prizes which include a FREE BOOK! Summer Reading Celebration prizes will be available for pick up until August 6th.

Let me tell you how exciting it has been for me to introduce the Adult Summer Reading program to adult ESL learners at Tully Community Branch Library. For the first time since we started the Adult Summer Reading program at San José Public Library, I felt the excitement and anticipation of the students in my ESL Conversation Group to join this program. They never thought it was possible for them to join such a program since they are English learners. Somehow, I managed to convince them it is possible and that they can read books in any language and be able to fully participate in the fun drawings for prizes. It took some convincing, but the results were so well worth it. For the past 3 weeks, I have been correcting little book reviews in English from my ESL learners.  I am so excited to present these museum tickets to this adult learner. The program will end on July 30. But, you still have time to complete your book and be part of the excitement!

We’re continuing to head east in this week’s installment of our “You Are Here” reading lists. These books span the massive continent of Asia, including India, China, and Japan.

Teens, don’t forget… You still have nearly two weeks to submit your five reviews for the Summer Reading Celebration in order to pick up your free book. We still have drawings left at all SJPL locations for two $50 bookstore giftcards. We also encourage those of you with the time and imagination to submit a video review for a chance to win a NOOK Color! Check these awesome book trailers out for some inspiration if you want to get cinematic, but remember, it can be as simple as you in front of the camera talking about a book you enjoyed.

Chain Mail : Addicted to You by Hiroshi Ishizaki

The boundaries between reality and fantasy become blurred when four disillusioned Tokyo teenagers, who have never met, collaborate to write an online fictional story--a psychological thriller told from four points of view.

Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet by Kashmira Sheth

Growing up with her family in Mumbai, India, sixteen-year-old Jeeta disagrees with much of her mother's traditional advice about how to live her life and tries to be more modern and independent.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa

On the first day at a Japanese high school, an irrepressible girl announces her lack of interest in "ordinary humans" and proceeds to form a club dedicated to finding aliens, time travelers, and other forms of supernatural life, with the intention of having fun with them.

Subway Girl by P.J. Converse

In Hong Kong, Chan Tze Man, called Simon Chan, leaves high school because he cannot master English, but when he befriends Amy, a Chinese American who knows little Chinese, their unlikely bond gives hope to both.

Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai

The setting is Sri Lanka, 1980, and it is the season of monsoons. Life for Amrith seems rather uneventful and orderly, but things change in a hurry when his male cousin arrives from Canada.

Wandering Warrior by Da Chen

Eleven-year-old Luka, destined to become the future emperor of China, is trained in the ways of the kung fu wandering warriors by the wise monk Atami.

Around the World in 80 Tales by Savior Pirotta.

Take a trip around the world with this delightful collection of short fairytales from Austria to Zimbabwe and over 70 countries in between! As you travel through these tales you’ll visit with pirates, dragons, dancing hyenas, mermaids, giants and even a shell with a beautiful singing voice. You will encounter good friends, fierce enemies, tricky animals and all sorts of amazing and strange wonders. This story-feast is beautifully and charmingly illustrated, adding to the fun.

 With the latest (and last) installment of the Harry Potter series setting records in movie theaters now, I got to thinking about a different Harry altogether. Never before has popular culture starred so many witches, wizards, vampires, werewolves and other shape-shifters, and fairies -- both old-world Grimm fae and pretty Disney-type fairies.  Not even her publisher can claim that J.K. Rowling's hugely popular Harry Potter books started this trend, but it certainly brought fantasy to a wider audience and likely encouraged the urban fantasy boom. If you're looking for a good read in this genre, I strongly suggest Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series.

Harry Dresden is first introduced in Storm Front. Modern-day Chicago's only professional wizard/detective finds himself struggling to pay the rent, trying to live by his code of ethics, risking his life to save innocents, and being eyed with constant suspicion by police and his fellow wizards. Did I mention Harry's involvement in the vampire war? Oh, or that his faerie godmother is trying to trap him in the Summerlands? Harry makes powerful friends and enemies, and in each book I wondered how on earth he was going to get out of this mess. In each, of course, Jim Butcher works a little magic of his own, and Harry manages to come up with a brilliant plan to win the day. In the twelfth book of the series, Changes, the author ends with the best (most awful?) cliffhanger ever. Now, I can't wait for book number thirteen, due out in late July.

Add your name to the waiting list for the latest in the Dresden Files, Ghost Story, and join the fans eagerly waiting the publisher's release date of July 26, 2011. Then, take your time enjoying the rest of the Harry Dresden series while you wait for your turn. Start with Storm Front and follow it up with Fool Moon and the other ten titles. The Library offers most of them in both "real book" and e-book formats. Some titles are available on CD.

The Lunatic Express : Discovering the World -- Via its Most Dangerous Buses, Boats, Trains, and Planes by Carl Hoffman.

With the purpose of understanding what travel is like for the world’s poorest population, journalist Carl Hoffman spent five months circumnavigating the globe in 2008-2009, using some of the most notorious and dangerous public transportation.  A true story of danger, adventure and self-discovery.

"I laughed so hard I thought my brains fell out," said a 6 year old child after watching a performance by the amazing ventriloquist Steve Chaney and his sidekick Corny Crow. Well we don't want anyone to lose their  brains but we do want you to join us at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library for a very funny show. Steve and Corny will be at the library on Saturday, July 16 at 2:00PM as part of our special Saturday Summer Reading Celebration Programs.

Steve and Corny have been performing in libraries, schools and at fairs for over 20 years. His shows include songs, stories, jokes and lots of laughter; so join us for a great time! Steve and Corny might inspire you to learn more about ventriloquism and the library has many books on the subject so check out a few after the show.

Once again we are offering a FREE Singing Class for 50 plus Vietnamese Seniors 50 or older. Learn how to read music and practice singing Vietnamese songs. Sheet music will be provided by the instructor, Thanh Tran, a volunteer and social worker from County of Santa Clara. No prior experience in singing is required. Class takes place every Wednesday from 5:30-8:00 PM at Tully Branch Library.

Lớp học hát miễn phí cho người Việt cao niên mỗi chiều Thứ Tư 5:30-8:30 PM tại thư viện Tully. Mỗi học viên sẽ được chọn hai bản nhạc và giáo viên sẽ cung cấp bản nhạc miễn phí. Ghi tên tại lớp vào ngày khai giảng. Không cần phải có kinh nghiệm.

陳文茜的亂世佳人,

小品文章彙編成冊, 說歷史, 論經濟, 看人生.

沒有累贅的形容詞, 沒有華麗的辭藻, 就聽她娓娓說故事.

一杯咖啡一杯茶, 你無需正襟危坐,

但掩卷之後, 增加了知識, 更增添了感動.

     Mankell's Wallander mysteries have a world-wide reputation. As someone who has come late to the party -- this is my first Wallander and it is late in the series -- I have a hard time understanding why. Perhaps the translation is part of the problem; the language often seems as flat as the country around Skane, where the story is set; but I doubt it. I think it's in the original, along with what seems to me an overabundance of ambagious maundering about family (Linda is the daughter of Kurt Wallander, the main character in the series) and some unforgiveably vague reasoning, e.g. "She knew he was her father, though she did not know how." Not on in a mystery, one would think. Possibly _Before the Frost_ is simply not Mankell at his best.

Have you ever thought about running a marathon? Does it seem like something you have always wanted to do, but never got around to? Well, the San Jose Rock 'n' Roll marathon is on October 2, 2011 and there is still plenty of time to register!

What now, you don't feel ready?  Need answers to all of the questions running through your mind? Well, pull out your library card and check outa book or movie here at the library that will help you train.

Also, if you register today, July 13,2011 (PST), with online code LUCKY 13, you get $13.00 off!

Rock on!

Do you like camping? If so, you and your family may enjoy Dear Dragon Goes Camping written by Margaret Hillert, and illustrated by David Schimmell. In this easy reader, a boy, his parents and his dragon prepare for and go on a camping trip. Simple sentences and repetition make this a good book for beginning readers. This is also a great story for parents to share with their children before going on a camping trip.  

There are many great places to go camping in California, including the San Jose Family Camp which is operated by San Jose Parks, Neighborhood & Recreation Services.  

Here are some other blog posts written by San José Public Library staff that have useful information:

Science Summer Camps: Mad Science

Science Summer Camps: Youth Science Institute (YSI)

Summer Camps: City of San Jose Parks and Recreation Department

Summer Camps for Children on the Autistic Spectrum

Ah, the question on every entrepreneur's mind. Well, there are options even in these times where it's harder to qualify and money is drying up.

These are just a few options that you may not have heard of:

• Opportunity Fund: Offers business loans for businesses that have been in business for at least more than a year. They provide an alternative to borrowing from banks or credit cards.  In addition, Opportunity Fund offers IDA's (Individual Development Accounts). IDA's are a special savings account to help you buld an asset such as owning your own business, home, or college education. If you are eligible for an IDA, Opportunity Fund will also match funds.
• SAFE-BIDCO:  stands for State Assistance Fund for Enterprise, Business and Industrial Development Corporation. They offer state and federal loans for small businesses at almost every stage including start-up. A good alternative to traditional financing through banks.
• Prosper: A unique alternative to traditional loans. In brief, borrowers create a listing online with their purpose for requesting funding and potential investors review listings and can invest money directly to fund your borrowing request. It's basically peer-to-peer lending.

There are so many travel guides published these days. How do you know which one is the right one for you? Do you want more photos or more text? More maps or more history? Here is an alphabetical list of travel guides with their various attributes so you can easily decide which ones have the features you want most when planning your holiday.

AAA Essential: This guide focuses on geography, not history. It has beautiful color photographs. There are fold out color maps at the front and back. It uses symbols for cost level and quality of each establishment. It uses a confusing color coding system, some by topic and some by location. There is not a lot to choose from in each category. There is no glossary and not much practical information.

Explorer's Guides: This guide has color photos scattered throughout. Maps are black and white. The pricing levels are in the text, not indicated with symbols. There is a very brief glossary of phrases. This guide is a lot like the Globetrotter guide so if you like this one, that one may work for you as well.

Eyewitness Top 10: This guide is published by Dorling Kindersley, renowned for their beautiful photographs. It mimics the Insight Guides travel guides, laid out very much the same with lots of lovely color photographs. It has a fold out map like the Time Out travel guides. There is a glossary of phrases. This series gives you the top 10 of everything, but it sometimes feels forced trying to find ten good listings for each category.

Fodor’s: These guides give you both history and geography. There are no photos. Text and maps are in two colors, making them easier to read. They use symbols to indicate various facilities and the pricing levels. It is very well organized and easy to read with lots of information, as it should be since it is one of the oldest travel guide publishers in the world.

Footprint: This guide supplies mainly geographical information, with little history. There are no color photos (well, maybe one). Maps and text are in two colors making them easier to read. They use an odd letter code for pricing levels of hotels which is hard to understand. There is a glossary.

Frommer’s Day by Day: This guide has lots of color photos. Maps are in color as well. There is a separate folded map in a pocket and a fold out map in the cover. It uses the same pricing symbols in every section, making it easy to follow.  It is well organized.

Globetrotter: This guide does not supply historical information. There are small color photos and color maps throughout. The layout is cluttered and the maps are small. There is a separate folded map in a back pocket. It uses broad price groupings instead of symbols, but there are no dollar amounts noted for them. There is no glossary, but there are a few phrases provided. It is color coded by location.

Great Destinations: There is not much history in this series. There are a few photos, but none in color. There are clear black and white maps throughout the guide. They list features for each area (lodging, restaurants, museums, etc.) with a separate index by price in the back.

Insiders’ Guide: This series is different than most. It seems better for people relocating to an area than visiting it. They give information on shopping, arts, parks, education, media, etc. but very few hotels. You will also find "Close Up" boxes, sometimes giving background but also featuring some odd things like 'fro yo'. Text and maps are in two colors, making them easier to read.

Insight Guides: These guides were the first to feature extensive beautiful color photographs. It is now owned by Discovery Channel. It provides a good amount of history. In addition to the gorgeous photos, there are small color maps inside the front and back covers, plus a separate big color map. Places are listed with numbers, referring to maps so you can easily locate them. There is a section of travel tips in the back by topic and list of places, and also a glossary of common words and phrases.

Let’s Go: Denoted as a “student travel guide”, this series gives some history and lots of practical information. There are no photos, but there are some small maps throughout. There is a number guide (1-5) for cost with the $ amounts spelled out. The contents are all in black and white. There is nothing for kids included, but there is an extensive glossary of phrases.

Lonely Planet: This gives lots of history and lots of detail on places. There are very few color photos and a few black and white maps. The maps are easier to read than those in the Rick Steves’ guides, but they are quite small. There is a very short glossary.

Moon Handbooks: The focus here is on geography and parks, not much on lodging or food. There are very few color photos at the front of the guide. There are black and white photos and maps throughout. The maps are well-detailed and easy to read.

National Geographic Traveler: Lots of text on history and geography. Lots of color photos – a lot like the Insight and Eyewitness guides. There are a few maps, some cluttered and some without much information, so it’s not so easy to read. There are symbols for price and facilities, but the hotels and restaurant section is in the back, making it hard to plan your stop in a particular location.

Rick Steves’: These guides include more background information, but they have very few recommendations. You won’t find any large or color photos. There are a few black and white maps throughout, but they are not so easy to read. The best feature is the walks and tours. There is a good glossary with helpful pronunciations provided.

Rough Guide: These give more cultural description than other guides. The contexts section at the back gives more history and a bibliography. There are a few black and white photos throughout and two color maps with good detail. There is also a small collection of color photos and maps in the front. This guide used to be more budget focused. It still gives hostel information but it lists pricier options as well.

Time Out: These guides are made up of short lists, but they also include side bars with history. There is also a “Don’t Miss” section. The map is folded into the back cover, but it folds out to a good size – very handy.

Travellers (Thomas Cook): Thomas Cook is a widely known travel company in the UK. Their guides include lots of background. There are many color photos, but fewer lists of things to do and places to go. There are a few small color maps. There are no price guides or evaluation of the restaurants and hotels in the text - they are listed in the back.

The Bread of Angels: A Journey to Love and Faith by Stepanie Saldana

Stephanie Saldana spent a year in Syria, living in a Christian community in Damascus, learning colloquial Arabic and studying the Koran. Her memoir is a personal exploration of faith and love.

We’re boarding our first international flight in this week’s installment of our "You Are Here" summer reading lists. Pack your beret, lederhosen, or wacky royal wedding hat…Next stop: Europe! We’re exploring England, France, Italy, Germany, and more in this week’s list of recommended reads, which contain a mix of sci-fi, romance, mystery, and historical fiction.

Teens, don’t forget to keep writing those book reviews! Last week we gave out the AMC Gold Experience movie packs to lucky winners at all SJPL locations in our first bi-weekly Summer Reading Celebration raffle. Don’t worry though, there’s still time to read and write reviews before July 31 in order to win upcoming prizes, or you can finish up that video review for a chance to score the Nook Color!

You Are Here: Europe

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

When Anna's romance-novelist father sends her to an elite American boarding school in Paris for her senior year of high school, she reluctantly goes, and meets an amazing boy who becomes her best friend, in spite of the fact that they both want something more.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

When sixteen-year-old orphan Tessa Fell's older brother suddenly vanishes, her search for him leads her into Victorian-era London's dangerous supernatural underworld, and when she discovers that she herself is a Downworlder, she must learn to trust the demon-killing Shadowhunters if she ever wants to learn to control her powers and find her brother.

Heist Society by Ally Carter

A group of teenagers uses their combined talents to re-steal several priceless paintings and save fifteen-year-old Kat Bishop's father, himself an international art thief, from a vengeful collector. The new sequel is out now: Uncommon Criminals.

Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman? by Eleanor Updale

In Victorian London, after his life is saved by a young physician, a thief utilizes the knowledge he gains in prison and from the scientific lectures he attends as the physician's case study exhibit to create a new, highly successful, double life for himself.

Num8ers by Rachel Ward

Fifteen-year-old British teen Jem knows when she looks at someone the exact date they will die, so she avoids relationships and tries to keep out of the way, but when she meets a boy named Spider and they plan a day out together, they become more involved than either of them had planned.

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

When seventeen-year-old Ginny receives a packet of mysterious envelopes from her favorite aunt, she leaves New Jersey to criss-cross Europe on a sort of scavenger hunt that transforms her life. Check out the new sequel: The Last Little Blue Envelope.

When the government wields its power against its own people, every citizen becomes an enemy of the state. Will you fight the system, or be ground to dust beneath the boot of tyranny?  Brave New Worlds is one of several short story anthologies (other titles: Mirrorshades, Federations, and Wastelands) that take a particular subgenre of science fiction explore it through works submitted by talented authors. Brave New Worlds is a collection of dystopian fiction, which portrays social and political structures gone wrong. While other anthologies only release stories written during a particular year, this collection features some of the best dystopian fiction stories printed. Notable authors include: Neil Gaiman, Paolo Bacigalupi, Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, and Orson Scott Card.  one particular story of note was "Ones who walk away from Omelas" by Ursula Le Guin. Guin, who is famous for writing the Wizard of Earthsea series, takes a fantasy setting and applies a terrible cost for the prosperity of the village. The stories themselves are well written pieces of dystopian fiction exploring life under totalitarian governments and cultures.

Other classic titles you may enjoy include:

• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
• 1984 by George Orwell
• Animal Farm by George Orwell
• Children of Men by P.D. James
• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Written by volunteer Robert D.

Gregor, the Overlander, by Suzanne Collins, the author of the ever popular adult title Hunger Games, is the first of a series about a heroic 11 year old who travels into the magical world of the underworld. It all starts on a hot summer afternoon in New York City when Gregor is stuck at home babysitting his baby sister, Boots, because his mother had to go to work. Boots, Gregor, and his grandma, faintly senile, are stuck in the small apartment. He told his mom that he doesn't mind, but, in truth, life has been hard since his father disappeared two and a half years ago. He really misses his dad and dares not think too far into the future. While he is contemplating his life, he suddenly notices that his sister had disappeared. She had discovered an open air vent in their apartment's laundry room. Before he can say, "No," she had fallen in and disappeared. He soon follows her. The adventure that ensues is the story of the book, not to be missed, especially by avid readers in the fourth through the fifth grades. This book will appeal to both boys and girls.  The world created by Suzanne Collins is both compelling and real, a definite recommend.

Books for the series is as follows:

#2 Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane,

#3 Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods,

#4 Gregor and the Marks of Secret, and

#5 Gregor and the Code of Claw.

The San Jose Public Library carries the titles in various formats including ebook and audio book.  Check it out!

PostSecret is a community based art project in which people write a secret on a hand made post card and mail it to the artist, Frank Warren. The secrets are then posted on his website and he has published several books of secrets.

It is a guilty pleasure to read other people's secrets. Some are shocking, some are sad, a few are uplifting and overall they make you feel like your own secrets aren't so bad after all.

A while back, I pulled a copy of The Secret Lives of Men and Women: a PostSecret Book off the shelves. Immediately I was drawn in to the cleverly decorated cards with their shameful confessions.; And then I turned the page and found a post it note stuck inside. And on it...a secret! One of the previous readers of the book in my hand had added their own secret. But that was just the first post-it secret I found inside. There was more than one!

I must confess that I did not add a secret of my own. But if you choose to check out one of the Library's PostSecret books, I encourage you to add your own post-it secret inside. I promise to leave it in the book...

Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto by Eric Luper. Summer sucks for Seth Baumgartner. In one horrible afternoon he is dumped by his girlfriend who gives the lame explanation that she is “too comfortable” with him; he sees his father having a way too friendly lunch with a sexy woman who is NOT his mother and he gets fired from his job at the French fry stand in the mall. Understandably, Seth is feeling pretty confused and angry about love and relationships. To try to sort some of this stuff out and to blow off some steam, Seth starts recording an anonymous podcast called the Love Manifesto. In it he wonders about the absurdities and mysteries of love such as why normally sane people are "stupid enough to go back for more." He plays appropriately emo music. And he gives a blow by blow account of his “secret” mission to find out who his father’s mystery woman is. As you might have guessed, as the Love Manifesto gains in popularity, its creator’s identity is no longer a secret. That’s when stuff REALLY hits the fan for Seth. This book is a lot of fun; complete with loyal, wise-cracking friends, golf, lots of laughs and maybe even another shot for Seth at figuring out this thing called love.

Available in EPUB format, check out Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto from our OverDrive downloads page, download it, and start laughing.

Don’t have the time, money, or grades to go to Harvard? Well, there is now a myriad of free learning opportunities available online from top instructors and institutions across the world for just about every subject imaginable.

In the old days, the only free way to learn a new subject without was to check out a book at your local library. But if you’re anything like me, you probably can’t sit down and read a textbook cover-to-cover without experiencing a total brain shutdown. These online video courses offer a new, more engaging medium to help DIY learners master their desired subjects at their own pace and free of charge.

Here are a few free learning websites that are worth checking out:

• iTunes U - Free access to online courses from a large variety of top universities such as Stanford, MIT and Cornell. Requires iTunes (free to download).

• YouTube EDU - Another large collection of video lectures from various learning institutions. Search or browse by subject, university, or popularity.

• webcast.berkeley - A collection of free audio and video lectures from UC Berkeley.

• MIT OpenCourseWare - Nearly all of MIT’s courses are available free on this site, most with audio and/or visual components.

• Open Culture - A collection of links to free sources of cultural and educational media content including lectures, movies, audio books, and language courses.

• freevideolectures.com - A browsable collection of video lectures available on the web. Videos can be downloaded in a variety of formats as well as streamed directly from the site.

• LearnersTV - Another good place to browse a collection of online video courses.

• videolectures.net - A large collection of video lectures mostly taken from conferences and workshops, especially in the computer science field. Provides opportunities for interacting with other users.

• Academic Earth - A collection of free online courses from top universities, browsable by subject, instructor, or university.