On Friday, March 30th, there will be a drawing for an over 500 million dollar jackpot. All it takes to win the whole thing is to guess 5 numbers between 1 and 56, and guess a "mega" number between 1 and 46. Sounds easy, you think, but the odds are 1 in 178 million to make that mathematically near impossible feat happen. But someone is going to be that one suddenly wealthy person. Could it be you? Edward Ugel tells his and others stories of chasing after the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. There are fictional stories of lottery winners, and an excellent, though sad, documentary of a group of lottery winners.

Do you ever feel like no one is paying attention to you?  That's the way Moose feels in Kelly Bingham's Z is for Moose.  A truly hilarious tale that will keep classes in stitches!

Moose will start to infiltrate the story at around the letter, "D."  He can't wait around until "M" comes around!  That's much too long to wait!  By the time "M" comes around, Moose will be in for a surprise.  You will be sure to smile at the surprise ending.

This book may seem like a concept book for toddlers.  However, the humor seems to be just right for lower elementary readers!  This is not your typical alphabet book!

It’s time to start booking your summer holiday plans. Have you considered cruising? The thing I love most about cruising is the ability to visit multiple sites (even multiple countries!) in a short period of time without ever having to change your hotel room. You’re on a floating hotel! Just unpack once and your room floats from one fabulous city to the next as you relax on deck, play games, watch shows, and eat and drink to your heart’s content. Oh, yes, you can exercise, too.

San José Public Library offers books, travel guides, and DVDs on cruising for you to take advantage of. You can even use our databases to research the different cruise lines and ports of call so you can be sure to make the right decision for you and your family. You can cruise the ominous oceans, the stupendous seas, the rambling rivers or the cozy canals. So come on! Start researching your dream vacation today and you can be on your way to paradise this summer!

Did you follow Battle of the Bands this year? Did you vote for your favorite bands?

All the bands had an additional chance at winning a prize this year:

our teensReach members voted for the best videos and here are the winners:

First place:

Second place:

Third place:

Honorable Mention:

Let us know what you think of the videos in the comments!

Chicago is America’s favorite city and is also known as The Second City. The Windy City is a dynamic city, its location on the beautiful front of the Great Lake of Michigan and its historical significance, make the city a hub for travelers in the land of Lincoln. Travelers to Chicago can enjoy the history, art, attractions, shopping, business, and the city neighborhoods.  Checkout Travel Books at San Jose Public Library to plan, prepare, and guide you in your next trip to the Windy City. 

Here are some other great places to enjoy:

Downtown Chicago,  Willis Tower AKA Sears Tower,   Navy Pier, Grant Park, Field Museum of Chicago, Museum of Science and Industry, Millennium Park, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Magnificent Mile, Wrigley Field , DePaul University, Lincoln Park Zoo   

Jennifer L. Holm is well-known for her Babymouse books, starting with Babymouse:  Queen of the World (AR 0.5, Level 2.2).  Ms. Holm takes a more serious tone in the Newbery Honor Book, Turtle in Paradise (AR 4.0, Level 3.7).  Babymouse readers who are moving up to upper-elementary school reading will be pleasantly surprised by the likeable Turtle character.

Like the protagonist in The Absolute Value of Mike (AR 8.0, Level 3.9) by Kathryn Erskine, Turtle has a parent who is in an arrested stage of development.  Like Mike, Turtle is sent off to a far away place while the parent is busy with work.  In 1935 Florida, Turtle finds a different culture and bonds with her cousins, who run the Diaper Gang.  Turtle finds a treasure map and seeks a way to get her family out of financial trouble.  Does she succeed?  Why has her mom's boyfriends shown up in Florida?  Read it and find out!

For March 2012, our Online Book Club continues by discussing The Butterfly Mosque by Willow Wilson, another featured title of this year's community reading program, Silicon Valley Reads, which focuses on the theme "Muslim and American."

Each week, we'll put forth a different question to prompt reflection on the book and its ideas.  We hope you will participate in the discussion by leaving comments below!

For Week 4, we'd like to ask: After reading about Willow's experience living in Egypt, how has your perception of life in the United States changed or deepened? Have any personal trips abroad had a similar effect on you?

Reading about Willow's life in Cairo, it really hit me how fortunate we are in the United States to have relatively clean environments in which to live.  Dealing with our air pollution is one thing, but I'm not sure how long I would last breathing in smelly dust from desert dirt.  And I'd gladly risk pesticides and preservatives over having to dodge maggot-infested fruit and contaminated meat.

I also was struck by Willow's surreal experience with Patriot Act survelliance in the Denver airport.  Of course, she still has no idea what really happened - that trenchcoat-wearing man who snapped her photo could have just been an ordinary guy who wanted a picture of an odd white woman in a hijab.  But clearly survelliance was going on - as evidenced by the experience of her friends who were questioned.  I guess I'd hope the authorities would've concluded much earlier that she didn't pose a threat.  It's scary that this could happen to you for so long without any obvious signs and then that innocent people would continue to have their lives inconvenienced by their own government.

Finally, I could relate to the embarassment she felt in the taxi when the other American girls launched into a loud, sexually-explicit, conversation.  In my first trip overseas, I was intent on experiencing life in another country on its own terms and not my own.  Unfortunately, I had to share this experience with other American college students who were only interested in getting drunk on a daily basis and made no attempt to modify their behavior to fit their new environment.

What about you? How has your perception of life in the United States changed or deepened after reading the book? Have personal trips abroad had a similar effect on you?

See our Online Book Club page for more information about this book and the previous weeks' questions

On Thursday, March 22, the Edenvale Branch Library presented a Hunger Games Party.   Participants worked on word searches, crossword puzzles and trivia quizzes.   Participants also created Mockingjay pins, and decorated cookies.   Everyone entered a drawing to win some Hunger Games memorabilia.  After the drawing, participants gathered in a circle, and discussed the Hunger Games Trilogy as well as other interesting books including The Giver by Lois Lowry, The Iron King by Julie Kagawa and Legend by Marie Lu.    

The causes of Whitney Houston’s death were announced last week – and cocaine abuse appeared to be a major contributing factor.  Something else that happened last week while I was working at the Tully Community Library was that a representative of the nonprofit Asian American Recovery Services came into the branch bringing a stack of newsletters with Houston’s tragic death as one of its front page stories.  It was filled with articles on all the ways that someone can come under the power of addiction:  alcohol, prescription and illegal drugs, emotional abuse, smoking – but the one I knew the least about was problem gambling – which apparently can be a real problem for people and their families.   

Our neighbors come into the library for a lot of reasons, of course, but one is that it is a clearinghouse for free and useful information for the entire community.  Some of this helpful information can be found in the “Community Bulletin Board / Free for All” area in every library branch.  For example, there are the services that Asian American Recovery Services offers, such as support, counseling, resources and education are either free, based on a sliding-scale or Medi-Cal paid.  Their mission is to decrease the incidence of substance abuse and other addiction in the Asian and Pacific Islander communities in the Bay Area.  You can reach them at (408) 271-3900.  

Pugs in a Bug by Carolyn Crimi first caught my eye because of the beautiful purples on the cover and the humorous-looking dogs sitting in the Volkswagon.  Sure enough, the wonderful illustrations are a delight to behold.  When reading the jacket, I was surprised that the artist, Stephanie Buscema,  has worked for Marvel and DC comics!  As I mentioned before, I really like to see artists stretch beyond their comfortable niches!

As a big proponent of developing reading readiness skills, I was pleasantly surprised to see the phonetic structure and narrative of the book.  Young children will enjoy the rhymes along with the funny dogs.  I especially enjoyed the way the pastel colors blend from page to page.  Add the concept of counting, and you have a great book for toddlers! 

Young children will throughly enjoy the story of six dogs as they are each picked up for a pleasant drive.  Unexpectedly, they come upon a dog parade and join in for fun and games.  Pick this title up for your fun-loving toddler!

Is your dog in the pokey and needs to be sprung?  Have the law on your side with information extracted from Nolo Press’ magnum opus, 6^th edition, by Mary Randolf, J.D.      

Every Dog’s Legal Guide – A Must-Have Book for Your Owner

Thirteen chapters broken up into bite sized bits:

• Dogs and people
• State and Local regulation
• Buying and selling dogs
• Landlords and dogs
• Veterinarians
• Traveling with your dog
• Barking dogs
• Assistance dogs
• If a dog is injured or killed
• Providing for pets (Including a chapter on: Why you can’t leave money to a dog- and what happens if you try.)
• Dog bites
• Dangerous dogs
• Cruelty

A guide to legal research and state statutes is included.

Abundant resources (references to corresponding Nolo legal publications) and endnotes provided. For those with furry four-footers and those who live amongst them, I highly recommend this work that is peppered with humor, providing necessary information, simply stated and cleanly formatted.

You’ll find copies of this work located in branches throughout San José, and an eBook to boot.

If you don't have a pooch to share your life with, consider a visit to the San José Animal Care Center  Bring a friend home with you today.

Name: Angie Miraflor

Branch/Location: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library

What are your top three favorite books/movies?

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Wayne's World, and Manhattan. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson, and The Pleasure of My Company by Steve Martin.

What are your hobbies? What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

Photography, going to sporting events (hockey, baseball, etc.), traveling, wine tasting, and jogging/running.

What do you like most about working at SJPL?

I've worked with some of the most caring, creative people at SJPL. A week doesn't go by where we don't think about the future of libraries and how our organization can be part of it. It is amazing!

What are your major accomplishments while working at SJPL? What achievements are you proudest of?

I've been a huge advocate for teen services and I feel like my voice has been heard within SJPL.

If you could choose any superpower, what would it be and why?

To be able to fill out a staff highlights survey in a wittier manner.

Check out Angie's blog posts!

Angie is a Senior Librarian at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. 

Starting a business from scratch is not for everyone, finding a location, marketing, and building a brand can be daunting tasks for new businesses.  What is the alternative if you still want to be a business owner but don't want to start from the ground up?  Have you considered a franchise? Some of the benefits of franchises are established brand and name recognition and centralized marketing/ advertising support.  If this is something that you might be interested in learning more about, FranNet can help. FranNet provides free consulting and can help you decide whether you are a good match for a franchise.

David Kessler, a renowned grief counselor, recently wrote Visions, Trips, and Crowded Rooms. He takes the reader through three possible stages of a person's last days. The first is "vision" is deceased relatives appear, or a corner of the room begins to glow. The second stage is getting ready for a "trip". People talk to caregivers about packing their bags or wondering where the tickets are. The "crowded rooms" stage is when the dying begin to see more relatives and people they don't remember in the room with them. Case histories are described from the experiences of different types of health care professionals. The book contains a message of hope, that we do not die alone.

Pandora Gets Jealous by Carolyn Hennesy is the beginning of a  fun series for tweens and teens that love books based on Greek mythology. It will even appeal to Percy Jackson fans! Our heroine is Pandora Artheneus Andromaeche Helena (or Pandy, for short). She is the thirteen year old daughter of Prometheus (who is famous for stealing fire from Zeus and giving it to mortals). Pandy brings a mysterious box to school that Zeus had given her Father. Pandy accidentally unleashes seven kinds of misery into the world. Zeus gives her six months to collect all the evils. The trouble and adventures Pandy gets into with her friends, Alcie and Iole, keeps the action moving and the tone, fun. 

Pandora continues her adventures in Pandora Gets Vain, Pandora Gets Lazy, Pandora Gets Heart, and Pandora gets Angry.

For March 2012, our Online Book Club continues by discussing The Butterfly Mosque by Willow Wilson, another featured title of this year's community reading program, Silicon Valley Reads, which focuses on the theme "Muslim and American."  While The Muslim Next Door helped us to better understand the beliefs and practices of Muslim Americans living in the United States, in The Butterfly Mosque the author lets us share her experience as an American whose faith leads her eventually to Cairo, Egypt and a life very different from the one she may have imagined growing up in America.  

Each week, we'll put forth a different question to prompt reflection on the book and its ideas.  We hope you will participate in the discussion by leaving comments below!

Week 3: What new insights into the Middle East, Muslims, and Islamic life does Wilson present? Has reading this book altered your views of Islam? In what way does the book challenge the stereotypes portrayed by the media?

Welcome to week three of the March Online Bookclub! How has your reading been going? I have always been interested in Egypt. Actually, I will clarify that statement.  I have been interested in Egypt and King Tut since purchasing a pocketbook about the discovery of the tomb when I was  11! At that age I was fascinated (I still am) and I read that book over and over.  I wanted to become an Egyptologist or a curator of Asian Art. At the time I had no sense of anything political. Now I think about things "inconvenient" to the romance of it all. "Why did so many treasures leave Egypt?" comes to mind. Anyway, what was really eye opening about The Butterfly Mosque was how shopping, cooking, and cleaning are daily obstacles to someone unused to the way things work. I can't imagine going to buy a live chicken for my dinner. Reading Willow's descriptions of modern day Cairo were interesting and informative.  I can't say that my views of Islam changed. Prior to reading Butterfly, and other Silcon Valley Reads books, I had no real view. I am very happy to keep learning to broaden my knowledge bit by bit.

I am hoping to hear what some of you think about the questions. Does the book challenge stereotypes? Let's talk.

See our Online Book Club page for more information about this book and to preview the next weeks' questions

Take two parts science, add one part magic, throw in a large dose of audience participation and you've got Xtreme Science Magic, a show offered at a number of San Jose Public Library branches during the month of March. In this video, children at Willow Glen Library delight in the "smoke-ring blaster" at a performance March 10. The educational and entertaining show will be at six additional locations this month including King, Evergreen, Berryessa, West Valley, Vineland, and Santa Teresa libraries. Details and show times can be found here. All performances are free.

或許你認為身為中國人理所當然中文程度應不差，但卻發現即使是新聞主播也常常讀錯字，新聞標題更是錯字連連又加語意不清，不禁感慨大夥兒的的中文程度真是一代不如一代。但自己的中文真的好嗎?  陳銘磻的著作作文最常寫錯的字或許可讓你檢視一下自己的中文程度。

書的內容深入淺出介紹漢字及寫文章的用字和技巧，但最吸引人的應該就是作者收集了許多大家經常讀錯和寫錯的字，令人訝異原來簡單不過的日常用語，竟也這麼容易發生錯誤。幾個簡單的例子：

易讀錯音的字                                      

碗粿：ㄍㄨㄛˇ

牛軋糖：ㄍㄚˊ

腓力牛排：ㄈㄟˊ

乾煸四季豆：ㄅㄧㄢ

常見的錯別字

叉路：岔路

片斷：片段

詳實：翔實

閒嗑牙：閒磕牙

兵慌馬亂：荒

很有肚量：度

許多因形、音、義相似而容易混用的錯別字，例子讀來令人莞爾，讀者可以輕鬆閱讀且不失趣味。但中文畢竟博大精深，有些字音字義可能查遍辭源辭海仍莫衷一是，雖然如此，各位讀者若是對所讀的的內容覺得有疑問或是不服氣，建議還是順手查查字典辭典，就當是增加學識並減少些錯用的機會吧。

In the third century, a legendary giant, Finn McCool, walked the Irish countryside, helping farmers and villagers. He was a great warrior and had a kind heart, but he lacked one thing: wisdom. The villagers overlooked this fault, but Finn had a desire to better himself and learn the secret of wisdom. He took two giant steps to the next village, where a secretive old man lived who would reveal the secret of wisdom to the right person. The old man somehow knew Finn was on his way, and told him to catch the red salmon in the River Boyne. Finn's quest is just beginning in Finn McCool and the Great Fish. The reading level is 2nd or 3rd grade; best for reading aloud.

If you haven’t been to our Tully Community Branch Library, come and check it out. Lots of fun programs and lots of materials to check out! DVDs nowadays can be checked out for three weeks. Valid library card and PIN are needed at checkout.

Inclusive Storytime with Stay and Play: 1^st Tuesday 11:30-12:00 Noon in Storytime Area.

Bilingual Vietnamese/English Storytime: 2^nd Thursday 10:30-11:00 AM in Storytime Area.

Preschool Storytime with Stay and Play: Every Thursday 10:30-11:30 AM except for 1^st and 2^nd Thursday.

Toddler Storytime with Stay and Play: Every Tuesday 11:30 AM-12:30 PM except for 1^st Tuesday.

Stories with Ms. Kathy: Every Tuesday 6:30-7:30 PM in Storytime Area. The program is performed by our wonderful Storytelling volunteer, Kathy B.

Wednesday Fun: Every Wednesday starting at 4 PM in Community Room. Program normally takes approximately 1 hour. It is supervised by library staff with the help of teensReach volunteers.

• First (1^st ) Wednesday: Wii Tournament. Children play in a tournament setting. Two names are drawn out to play against each other. Winner goes to next round. They compete until we get a champion. After the tournament they can play by sign up.
• Second (2^nd) Wednesday: Game Day. Youths play board games and collect stickers or small giveaways.
• Third (3^rd) Wednesday: Movie Flick! (Movie Day). Youths watch movie in Community Room. Popcorn and mixed drink are served.
• Fourth (4^th) Wednesday: Craft Activity/ Contest. Youths will participate in an art and craft activity or a contest. The program is normally presented or supplied by Unit of Programming Services.
• Fifth (5^th) Wednesday:  Game Day will take place if we have the fifth Wednesday of month.

Bilingual Library Tour (Spanish & Vietnamese upon request). This is one of the Family Learning Center Programs. The tour begins at Market Place and led by Family Learning Center Coordinator, Chieu Nguyen, and/or a Spanish speaking staff.

Special group library tours can be arranged to introduce ESL students and immigrant families to library services and resources.  The guided tour will be given in either Spanish or Vietnamese upon request.  Please call the branch at (408) 808-3030 for more information.

Citizenship Class – Wednesdays (6-8PM). This is one of the Family Learning Center Programs. the class takes place  in Community Room and it is onducted by volunteers.

U.S. History & Civic lessons will be given to enable adult immigrants to pass the citizenship test.  

Citizenship Mock Interview – Wednesdays (6-8 PM). This is one of the Family Learning Center Programs. The program takes place in Community Room at the same time with Citizenship Class and it is conducted by volunteers.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to practice for the citizenship interview!  If you think you are ready for the interview, come and let our staff put you through the test.  Trained volunteers will simulate the interview process and help prepare you for the actual test.

Conversation Group - Wednesdays (5-6PM). This is one of the Family Learning Center Programs and takes place in Family Learning Center Classroom. The program is facilitated by the Family Learning Center Coordinator/Librarian, Chieu Nguyen.

ESL learners will have the opportunity to practice their conversation skills in a comfortable and friendly environment.

ESL Class – Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday (10:00-12:00 PM). This is one of the Family Learning Center Programs and takes place in Community Room.  ESL classes are being offered by East Side Adult Education Program and the Tully Community Branch Library. Students must register with Overfelt Adult Center at 1901 Cunningham Ave, San Jose. Phone 408-254-8100. There will be $30 fee.

FLC Computer Orientation – Wednesday (6-7 PM). This is one of the Family Learning Center Programs and takes place in Family Learning Center Computer Area. The program is conducted by Family Learning Center Coordinator/Librarian.

Adult & children learners will be introduced to ESL software and other resources available on the Family Learning Center computers.

Music and Movement with Preschoolers – First Thursday (10:30AM-11:00 AM). This is one of the Family Learning Center Programs and it takes place in Children’s Storytime Area.  Parents will be taught to use music to enhance the children’s learning experience.  Parents and children will have the opportunity to do craft and play music games such as, parachutes, bean bags, scarves and rhythm sticks.

ESL Computer Class – 2^nd Thursday of each month (11 AM–12 Noon). This is one of the Family Learning Center Programs and it takes place in Family Learning Center Computer Area. Program is conducted by Family Coordinator / Librarian, Chieu Nguyen.

ESL learners will have the opportunity to learn basic computer skills. The class will include mouse exercise, typing, MS Word, MS Excel, and Internet Explorer usages for emailing and searching.

Computer Tutoring for ESL Learners – Every Monday in even months (10 AM–12 Noon). This is one of the Family Learning Center Programs and it takes place in Family Learning Center Computer Area. The program is conducted by volunteer.

ESL learners will be tutored on basic computer skills i.e. mouse exercise, typing, MS Word, MS Excel, Internet Explorer usages for emailing and searching.

Homework Center: Every Tuesday and Wednesday 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM. This is one of the Family Learning Center Programs and it takes place in the classroom. Program ends in April 2012 and will resume after the summer.

Free homework help from teensReach volunteers with 3.0 Average GPA to youths grades K-8^th.

teensReach Meeting and Training: Third Wednesday 6-8 PM in FLC Classroom. Conducted by Michele Rowic, teensReach Coordinator and Volunteer Supervisor.

Join a monthly meeting for teens interested in library and community volunteer activities. Bring your creativity to enhance the library's outreach to the community. All teens are invited to attend. Newcomers please fill out the teensReach application available at the information desk. Right after the monthly meeting, new teensReach volunteers will be provided an orientation and training at 7:00-8:00 PM.

Monthly Booksale by teensReach: First Tuesdays 4-7 PM in Community Room.

Adult Volunteers Recruitment: Interviews conducted by Michele Rowic, teensReach Coordinator and Volunteer Supervisor. Please call Michele at 408-808-3030 for more information.

Singing Class for Seniors 50 plus in Vietnamese. Every Wednesday 5:30-8:00 PM

Basic Computer Class in Vietnamese. Every Wednesday 7-8 PM

Basic Computer Class (with Spanish translation). Every Tuesday 6:30-8: 00 PM.

Let's take a quick virtual tour created by our staff, Mark Lorensen. Have fun and hope to see around at Tully Library.

Are you planning on taking the SAT this spring or summer? San José Public Library will be offering 5 SAT essay writing workshops to help learn how to write a great essay for the SAT test.  In these workshops (presented by Kaplan) you will get advice about what essay graders are looking for, as well as strategies on writing effective essays.  These workshops will include practice essay writing and evaluation. All high school students are welcome to participate. 

On Thursday March 1, children and their families came to the Edenvale Branch Library to celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday.   One of the Edenvale Branch Library TeensReach members read Ten Apples up on Top, then Councilmember Ash Kalra read Cat in the Hat.   After a fun reading of those two books, teens showed children how to make “Thing One” and “Thing Two” hats.   Children, teens and families enjoyed delicious cake, apple juice and other delicious refreshments, provided by the Friends of the Edenvale Branch Library.   

The Santa Teresa Branch Library is hosting the New and Small Business Workshop series.  Topics range from “Blogging for Your Business and SEO for Your  Website” presented by Cheryl and Sam Ellemberg of ABD Productions to Lynnea Hagen of the Abundance Company speaking on Business Plans. 

These free workshops give local entrepreneurs a chance to network with each other and give valuable advice.  Blogging, for example, is a chance for businesses to advertise products, sales, or post testimonials from customers in addition to having the chance to communicate with the public.  Blogging workshops include advice for bringing repeat traffic to the business website, blog website design, and tips for creating new content on a regular basis.  

We meet every 2nd Saturday of the Month from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Santa Teresa Branch Community Room.  No registration required.  For more information on this workshop series and past topics shared check out our Facebook and click on the Events link, Past Events.  Looking forward to networking with you.

Statista as the name alludes features statistics, interesting and useful statistics, especially for investors and entrepreneurs. Statista is actually a subscription product but you can still access a lot of content for free. A few examples of what kind of interesting statistics you can find on the website:

• Number of daily activations of Android devices
• Unique number of Pinterest visitors and average time the user spends on the site per month
• Market share of web browsers on different continents

Their statistics are not just tech oriented, the site covers statistics across many different industries.

Perhaps, the Yelp chart pictured might have helped in your decision to purchase stock?

http://www.statista.com/chartoftheday/media/

The Landry News (AR 4.0, Level 6.0) is an older title by the school-related author, Andrew Clements.  However, it's theme is so timely because of the unobjective news reporting practiced by many cable "news" networks.  Please also note the wonderful illustrations by the Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck author, Brian Selznick!

Cara, whose parents have divorced, first used her newspaper, The Landry News as a way to inappropriately express the truth, no matter who was hurt.  Now she is at a new school.  She disapproves of the lacksadaical way that her fifth grade teacher, Mr. Larson, runs his classroom.   She prints her dissatisfaction in her newspaper.  How will Mr. Larson react when he sees it?

The Constitution's First Amendment is explored in this novel.  Should truth be tempered by mercy?  How does truth and mercy fit in The Landry News?  Will Mr. Larson ever change?  Find out and check out this wonderful book!

Have you ever wondered how a new picture book is created?  “What Do Illustrators Do?” written by Eileen Christelow teaches and entertains the reader with whimsical graphics and text.

The story of two young artists gives the reader a glimpse into the world of illustrating children’s books. The humor and whimsy will leave you smiling.

On Thursday, March 15th @ 3:30, there will be a St. Patrick's Day Pin Craft in the Community Room of Santa Teresa Branch Library. We will cut out shamrocks from felt and glue them to the back of foam, and then place a pin on the craft. All the materials, like ribbons, buttons, and green glitter glue, will be provided. Please join the tween and teen leprechauns for a wonderful craft!

Some kids enjoy scary stories before bedtime... but what do ghost kids consider to be a scary story? Find out in the hilarious new picture book by David LaRochelle, The Haunted Hamburger. There are actually three separate stories in the book which father ghost tells to his wide awake ghost kids in an effort to get them to go to sleep. 

The first tale, the Scary Baby, is all about ghostly Uncle Ned who flies about town trying to scare various people without any luck whatsoever. When he finally ends up in the bedroom of the scary baby, the baby’s crying is so awful that he decides to hide in an open drawer - big mistake - as (spoiler alert!) the baby’s mother comes in and mistakes Uncle Ned for a diaper! While this is truly a horrifying thought for the ghost children listening to the tale, human kids will definitely get a kick out of the illustration of poor Uncle Ned turned into a baby’s diaper.

Then there is the title story in which boastful cousin Nell somehow gets defeated by a hamburger in a race, solving math problems, and even in a scary face making contest. The full page illustration of the hamburger’s winning scary face: two green pickle eyes, scary yellow mustard mouth, and ketchup red cheeks is sure to get a laugh from non-ghost kids.

Lastly the tale of the Big Bad Granny... most frightening of all to the ghost children - where ghost Grandma comes up the stairs with a “Thump Thump Thump” to kiss ghost children all over the face with her red lipstick if they don’t go to sleep!

Tonight there will be lines of Science Fiction Fans waiting outside of movie theatres across the country to be among the first to see John Carter of Mars, Disney's latest film. 

Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote Princess of Mars 95 years ago and tonight it will be translated onto the big screen.  We've got several copies in print here at the library, but I want to encourage you to download the ebook version.  It is available for free on Project Gutenburg.

Why download an ebook version?  Well it is a scanned copy of the original 1917 edition of the book.  It includes some really gorgeous artwork by Frank Schoonover and while we do own one copy of that 1917 edition, you can't check it out.  If you are among the folks waiting in line tonight, you can read the book while you wait.  I know I always prefer to read the book first, then see the movie, don't you?

Check in with us and let us know what you thought of the book and the movie!

Divergent is set in Chicago in the future.  Society has split into five different factions that all have different beliefs as to what caused the downfall of the world as we know it today. The Candor believes the fault lies with deceitfulness, and believes in always telling the truth, no matter the consequences. The Erudite believes the faults lies with ignorance, and are always striving to be educated. The Amity blames conflict, and always strives to keep the peace. The Dauntless blames cowardice, and always try to be brave. And the Abnegation believes it was selfishness that was to blame, and so they put the needs of other before their own.

Beatrice Pryor has to make a decision that will forever change her life.  Should she stay with her family in her faction and remain a member of the selfless Abnegation, or should she leave behind the lifestyle that she struggles to achieve for something different.  She has always been fascinated with the displays of courage by the Dauntless, but is that the right place for her?

This book is a great read for anyone who enjoys stories like  The Hunger Games or Legend set in a dystopian future.  Read it now before the sequel Insurgent comes out this May.

Students from Harker School will be here at Santa Teresa Library on two Fridays in March eager to teach kids about science! 

 Weather and Natural Disasters

Friday, March 16       A  AA  

4:30 PM

   4:30 PM

Age range:  2nd to 5th grade 

Earthquakes & earthquake safety, hurricanes, tornadoes and other forms of wacky weather will be just some of what the Harker teens will tell us about.  There will also be several fun group activities -- such as making a tornado in a bottle!   kdkdkdkthe 

Earthquakes & earthquake safety, hurricanes, tornadoes and other forms of wacky weather will be just some of what they'll cover.  Also, there will be several fun group activities such as making a tornado in a bottle!

Genetics and DNA

Friday, March 23

4:30 PM

Age range:  4th to 6th grade

The second science event will be all about something very close to you:  your genes!  If you are interested in the structure of DNA, blood types, cloning and more -- this is the place to be.  You may even be able to be a genetic scientist for a day and extract DNA yourself -- DNA from a strawberry! 

This year on March 12, 2012 the Girls Scouts of America will celebrate their 100^th birthday. When I learned this, I was a bit surprised. Girls Scouts is so ingrained in my consciousness I was sure they were older than that. I was a Girl Scout when I was young. My cousin Donna was the troop leader, so I guess I figured it was in my blood. I vacillated between hiding from things that were too scary for wimpy me and reaching my dreams of learning new things.

I have to admit that some of the things we did at summer day camp were pretty boring and tedious. How many sit-upons and lumpy bead necklaces does one girl need? But they also took me beyond my expectations: making a campfire, cooking on it, camping outside, hiking in the woods, exploring careers, getting along with all kinds of people, making do with what you have. My strong, wild, creative cousin showed me that a girl can be whatever and whoever she wants to be. So thank you GSA (and Donna!) for helping me to become the strong, not so wild, creative, happy and successful woman I am today. You can do it, too!

The Friends of the Edenvale Library are looking for dedicated volunteers to be a part of their awesome volunteer team. The Friends of the Edenvale Library make a difference in the Edenvale Community by serving as library advocates and by raising money through book sales which fund special library programs and events such as author visits and performers.   

The next member meeting is on Wednesday, March 21st at 6:15 PM at the Edenvale Branch Library.  The Friends meet on alternating months on the 3rd Wednesdays.

The next book sale is Saturday, April 28th, from 10 AM - 6 PM at the Edenvale Branch Library. There are opportunities for sorting books (ongoing) and for volunteers on Wednesday & Thursday prior to the sale; and on Sunday (the next day) for cleaning up.

For more information, please contact Judy at JudyPurrington@aol.com or 408-799-3262.   You are also welcome to join the Friends of the Edenvale Library Yahoo! email group.

Read Emily's Fortune for an exciting story about eight-year-old Emily, who is left all alone, bereft of any family except for Uncle, Victor, of whom she is afraid and with whom she would never live.  This is her story of how she runs away from Uncle Victor to find her Aunt Hilda, who lives in Redbud.  She meets a fellow traveler, Jackson, who is also alone, and together they travel across the U.S on a hair-raising ride of train and stagecoach to her Aunt Hilda.  I highly recommend this title to children who are assigned historical fiction or California or Western fiction.  The book is for children grades 3 and above.

Another favorite historical fiction along the same vein is Barbara Brooks Wallace's Peppermints in the Parlor.  Taking place in San Francisco, Emily, newly orphaned,  finds her aunt and uncle's house on Sugar Hill Hall strangely changed.  All is not well, there is evil lurking around every corner.  This novel will work for either a mystery or a historical fiction novel assignment.  This novel is a little longer than Emily's Fortune and a little more difficult to read, but it is just as suspenseful and fun to read.  Be prepared that the beginning of this story is a little slow as it builds up suspense, but both stories are equally well-written and provide insight to the California West in late 19th century America.  I recommend both.  Peppermints in the Parlor is for children 4th grade and up.

In 1987, a United States Congressional resolution was passed designating March as Women's History Month. This is a great opportunity to learn about and recognize women who have made a positive impact in the world. In this spirit, a number of San Jose Public Library locations are offering a Women's History Quiz highlighting some of these inspirational women. Anyone 12 years old and older is welcome to pick up a quiz, return it to the library anytime during March, and win prizes including bookmarks, books, and possibly a $20 Target gift certificate. Alviso and Joyce Ellington Branches are among the libraries presenting this program. Check it out at the library!

The Berryessa Branch Library is holding a "Teens Rock the Library" concert this Thursday, March 8, 2012 - 2:00pm - 4:00pm !!

Bring your friends and join us for some great local music!!! 

Don't get pinched this year!

Teens and tweens, join us at Edenvale Branch Library on Thursday, March 15, at 4:00 PM to make a cool shamrock pin for St. Patrick's day — without the pipe, of course.

Bring your friends and join in the fun!

All supplies will be provided.

Oh no, the book I want isn’t on the shelf. I really wanted to read 'The Hunger Games' but it’s checked out… everywhere!"

Or maybe you finished all three Hunger Games books and are wondering what to read next.

Well the Library has a nifty tool to help. Click on Books and Media at the top of our site. In the section about books, click on What to Read Now (NoveList). Enter your library card number and PIN to enter NoveList. Entering the title "Hunter Games" you come up with a list that includes terrific books from authors such as Scott Westerfeld and Nancy Farmer.

NoveList lets you type in a title, an author, subject or keyword, and then creates a list of similar books for you. You can even refine the list by pace of the story, setting, audience age group and more.

Give it a try when you’re wondering what to read next.

Princess Ka’iulani, starring Q'orianka Kilcher, shows glimpses of the adolescence and early adulthood of Victoria Ka’iulani Kalaninuiahilapalapa Kawēkiu i Lunalilo Cleghorn, the last princess of the Kingdom of Hawaii.   Princess Ka’iulani was daughter of Princess Likelike, from the the House of Kalākaua, and Archibald Scott Cleghorn, a Scottish businessman. 

Iron Jawed Angels, starring Hilary Swank as Alice Stokes Paul, Frances O'Connor as Lucy Burns and Anjelica Huston as Carrie Chapman Catt, is about women’s rights activists who worked hard to influence the United States government to grant women the right to vote.  

Mona Lisa Smile, starring Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst and Julia Stiles, is about a professor (Julia Roberts) who teaches art history at Wellesley College in the 1950’s.   Although the female college students had more rights than their mothers and grandmothers did, they still lived in a world where women were expected to behave a certain way.

San Jose Public Library has many other movies that you may be interested in.   Come on by, and visit!    Any DVD that you check out from one SJPL location may be returned to any other SJPL location.

Spring is soon approaching, bringing a variety of intriguing and exciting changes in nature, weather and social activities! Learn more about spring and the many ways to celebrate this season by checking out the following titles:

 The Children's Room of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library offers super Saturday programs each Saturday at 3:00PM. March offers craft programs, a puppet show, a science magic show and more. Check out our March line up below.

• March 3: Game Day: Do you like to play games? Join us for some board game fun.
• March 10: Taiwanese Glove Puppet Show: The San Jose-Tainan Sister City Organization will be presenting "The Twelve Animals of the Zodiac." Join us for this unique puppet show featuring hand glove puppets.
• March 17: Xtreme Science Magic Show with Don O'Brien: This show is science, magic and bubble fun all in one. Join us for a fun filled interactive program for the whole family.
• March 24: ABC to Drawing: Did you know you could draw pictures using the letters of the alphabet and numbers? Our volunteer, Vidhi, will show us how it's done; children will be so proud of their masterpieces. Check out Vidhi's blogspot to get an idea of what she will be doing http://abc-to-drawing.blogspot.com/
• March 31: Snow Day with the Children's Discovery Museum: We'll be having a snow day in the Exploration Room. Children will be using microscopes to compare real snow to instant snow. Because of the hands-on nature of the program seating is limited; so come early and get a spot.

Periodically we have to remind ourselves, as denizens of this part of the world, that we live in a region brimming with natural beauty. What better way is there to appreciate the natural world than to take a stroll through the majesty of our parks and open space preserves here in Northern California and, in fact, the Greater Bay Area in general.

For my money, springtime in the Bay Area is the best time of the year for hiking the variety of beautiful trails, regions, and biospheres that we're lucky to have access to on a regular basis 'round these here parts. The hills are verdant and green, the waterfalls and creeks are as full as they're gonna get, and wildflowers rule the grassy regions unlike any other time of the year. That being said, get yourself ready for those planned outings on your "must-do" list or the spontaneous opportunities that exist with a book like 101 Great Hikes of the San Francisco Bay Area. There are plenty of other books to guide you if you need help, but the important part is to just get out there and breathe the cool air of hiking freedom.

A couple of my favorite local hikes: Sunol Loop in the Sunol Regional Wilderness & the Old Landing Cove Trail at Wilder Ranch State Park in Santa Cruz.

How's your New Year's resolution going? If your resolution was to lose weigh, have you thrown in the towel yet? Well, I say don't, we are all a work in progress and you can't lose your 30, 40, 50 pounds in a couple of months. You definitely have to make some life choices. One life choice is to eat clean. Eating whole grains, eating organic when you can, and just eating the things that you can pronounce. Yes, that's basically not eating the processed stuffed. This book will get you on the right track.

 "Just the Rules!" is an excellent resource to get you started on your eating clean process.