Being a parent is hard work! There are joys and tribulations and endless questions about the effectiveness of parenting skills. Well, now in the book To What Miserable Wretches Have I Been Born?, Suzanne Weber gives voice to the little ones who let parents know what they think about the things parents do. Find out their thoughts about that first visit to the doctor or that first trip to see Santa Claus! How do they feel about attending those mommy and me classes or when you decide that they're ready for that big girl or big boy bed. I laughed out loud reading these poems and I'm sure you will too. There is some colorful language so may not appeal to everyone. Here is one poem called "Cry Guide," being read by the author. Enjoy!

Caleb's Crossing / Geraldine Brooks.

Bethia Mayfield, a minister’s daughter on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, seizes opportunities to learn new things. She listens as her father instructs her brother in Latin and Greek, accompanies local herbalists and midwives, and furtively trades knowledge with her Wampanong Indian friend Caleb.  Life is hard in 17^th century colonial Massachussett. Teenage Bethia loses her parents and is indentured as a servant, accompanying her brother and Caleb to Boston where they prepare to study at Harvard College.   An independent spirit who chafes against the religious and domestic roles assigned to her, Bethia observes and supports the struggle of Caleb and other Native American students who are between two cultures.

Its only a matter of time and interest before one may discover something new within a library. Essentially, a library is a gateway to nearly a endless journey of cultures, sciences, and imaginations. However, we may expect to discover something new - we dont always discover something expected, and in my case, nor pleasant.

Browsing along our new Non-Fiction shelves, I came across a interesting title that had an equally interesting cover;

Wicked Bugs by Amy Stewart

Opening the book and reading into it more, I began to think - maybe inquiring into this book wasn't such a great idea after all. Reading facts about either dangerous or destructive bugs, made me almost immediately paranoid about whats waiting for me in my back yard or at the local garden when I decide to go for a walk. Yikes. Yet, with all the disturbing information I came across of every page I turned, I still couldn't help my self but to keep reading.

Although - not all the information was so disturbing to me as hearing about the Black Fly from West Africa, which has left many villagers near the river blind because of the parasites it carries. One interesting fact that made me more alarmed for another species other than my own, was about the terror the Asian Giant Hornet subjected to the common honeybee colonies. According to Stewarts book - "In Japan these hornets are called suzumebachi, which translates to "sparrow wasp." They are so large, measuring five centimeters from head to tail, that when they fly they actually resemble small birds."

The honeybee colonies are at a obvious disadvantage when a pack of 30 hornets raid a bee hive and within hours massacre as many as "thirty thousand". However, the honeybees do come up with a clever and valient effort to try and fight off their enemies. (I will leave that for you to discover on your own.)

Still, the book is full of other small critters, (and some not so small) which perpetuated my paranoia and made me rethink taking a hiking or camping trip this summer. I was then reminded about another insteresting read I came across a while back.

The Hypochondriacs by Brian Dillon

We're adding online story times to our YouTube channel! Here's the latest: Lover Boy / Juanito el Cariñoso : a bilingual counting book, written by Lee Merrill Byrd, with illustrations by Francisco Delgado. Here’s the link to the English version and here’s the Spanish version. Enjoy!

On Thursday, May 31st, 2012 from 4pm-5pm, there will an important special training event for all interested teens who want to volunteer for the Summer Reading Celebration 2012 program at the Joyce Ellington Branch Library.

We are especially inviting members of the Joyce Ellington Library's teensReach group to this special training event!

Those volunteers attending this event will learn to sign-up kids for the Summer Reading Celebration program, award prizes and assist Joyce Ellington Library staff in summer programs.

Summer Reading Celebration 2012 starts on Friday, June 1st, 2012 and ends on Tuesday, July 31st, 2012.

For more information on this training for volunteers or to become a volunteer at the Joyce Ellington Library Branch, please contact Adrian Barrientos, Youth Services Librarian at (408) 808-3043 or by e-mail: adrian.barrientos@sjlibrary.org.

If you are a new arriver to the United States and looking for a place to learn your English and computer skills, come to Tully Community Library for these FREE classes.  

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. Fall 2012 class will start on August 14. Take advantage of this opportunity and call Overfelt Center.

Evening ESL Writing, ESL Conversation Club, and ESL Reading are done by volunteers and Family Learning Center Coordinator. No sign up necessary, just come on time. The schedule is the followings:

ESL Writing Class on Tuesdays (5 PM -6 PM). ESL learners will be taught different practical writing skills. This FREE ESL Writing class is specially designed for English-as-a-Second-Language learners to gain basic writing skills. No sign up is necessary.

Mỗi thứ Hai quý vi sẽ được học những chương trình ESL khác nhau như ngủ vững hay cấu trúc văn phạm.Ven a las ESL clases gratìs de escritura en Inglés y aprende vocabulario y gramatica.

ESL Conversation Club is on Wednesdays (5 PM-6 PM). 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 Reading Class takes place every Thursdays (5 PM - 6 PM). ESL learners are given the opportunity to take advantage of  this intensive reading practice session to gain reading comprehension and expand their English language vocabulary. The program is facilitated by Family Learning Center Coordinator/Librarian, Chieu Nguyen.

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.

Many library materials for English as Second Language learners in various formats are available to check out from the library and take home. Don't forget to ask us for help.  To check out you will need a valid library card and a PIN.

FLC Computer Orientation – Wednesday (6PM-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.

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.

Citizenship Class – is also available on Wednesdays (6PM-8PM) for those who are acquiring their U.S naturalization. This is one of the Family Learning Center Programs. The class takes place  in Community Room and it is conducted by volunteers. U.S. History & Civic lessons will be given to enable adult immigrants to pass the citizenship test.  

Citizenship Mock Interview – Wednesdays (6PM-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.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call Ms. Chieu Nguyen at 408-808-3030 or email her at chieu.nguyen@sjlibrary.org

前不久敝人閱讀了天下雜誌CommonWealth Magzine 2011年教育特刊 (第486期2011年11月30 日—12月13日)，雜誌中提及閱讀是未來公民所應具備的五大技能之一，在閱讀中尋找樂趣的孩子，能發掘書中無限可能，勇敢推出未來之窗。對於這個想法，我個人深感贊同。因此，想推薦聖荷西公共圖書館 (San Jose Public Library)館藏之中幾本跟閱讀有關的中文著作，和家長及老師朋友們分享。

大量閱讀的重要性  李家同著

書本封面清楚地告訴讀者，基礎得靠閱讀來奠定，大量閱讀是基礎教育的起點。作者強調大量閱讀可以訓練語文能力，並且列舉許多好書與大家分享。

教出孩子的中文力  天下雜誌出版

其中收錄了作家張曼娟暢談對語文教育看法的2片DVD、1片CD和1本導讀手冊。當您看完DVD或聽完CD，一定更能激勵自己教育孩子學習中文的熱情，並且更懂得如何想方設法地引導他們。再者，藉由語文能力的進步，也將增進孩子們對閱讀的興趣。

名家讀書法  孫琴安著

書中收集了七十七位古今中外著名的思想家、文學家、藝術家和科學家的讀書方法和經驗，相信讀者可以從中找出適合自己的讀書法加以活用，使之成為自己個人的讀書風格。

小學時期的閱讀能力決定一生的成績  金明美著 ; 張琪惠譯

從小學三年級時期的閱讀能力，就可以看出將來的成就嗎?沒錯，如果小時候閱讀能力不佳，未來的學習之路也會困難重重。不過，別擔心，按照書中提出的八種策略反覆練習，定能增強孩子的閱讀能力。

教出閱讀力、培養Super小讀者          柯華葳著

這兩本書就像是為父母及老師準備的參考手冊，提供有系統的方法和步驟來引導孩子提升閱讀力。不知要如何幫助孩子的父母，可以在書中尋找指引。

A Land More Kind than Home, set in the hills of North Carolina, is a novel of suspense involving  two brothers,  hard times, tenuous family relationships and religious tension. Here author Wiley Cash discusses the inspiration for his first novel.

You can read more,  including, excerpts from the book at Wiley Cash’s website.

Parents face new, harsh realities when making the all important decision about where to send their kids to school.  Budget cuts can mean larger class sizes and a shorter school year for many children.  You do have choices, but do your research first!  Start with the CA State Department of Education website to find the API score of your neighborhood school.  Talk to your neighbors and friends and ask lots of questions.  Ask your district if there are any charter schools that have open enrollment.  What about private schools in your area?  Is homeschooling a possibility?  Greatschools.net  has ratings from parents like you for many public and private schools.

San Jose Public Library has resources in their Parenting and Educational Resource Center collections that can also help you to make an informed decision.  

Good Luck!

Top 5 Reasons to Enroll Your Child into Our Summer Reading Celebration!

1. The number of books read during the summer is consistently related to academic gains. (Bridging the Summer Reading Gap, 2003)

2. Children who read six or more books over the summer gained more in reading achievement than children who did not.  (Bridging the Summer Reading Gap, 2003)

3. One to three months of academic growth can be lost over the summer. (National Summer Learning Association)

4. Students who do not engage in educational activities during the summer typically score lower on tests at the end of summer than they did at the beginning. (Summer Learning Loss: The Problem and Some Solutions).

5. Libraries contribute to the intellectual growth of children during the summer.  (Making the Case for Library Services to Children and Teens, State Library of North Carolina)

You can start to sign up for the Summer Reading Celebration June 1.

The Berryessa teensReach members did a wonderful job in helping the Friends fo the Berryessa Library to set up and provide customers services throughout the day.

Do you have a friend or relative that is learning English as a Second Language?

Are they looking for an opportunity to practice their English skills?

The Alviso Branch Library offers a ESL (English as a Second Language) Conversation Club on Saturdays from 12pm (noon) to 1pm.  Participants of this ESL Conversation Club not only get to practice their English skills with engaging learning activities with our wonderful facilitator. They get the opportunity to meet new people from other countries and other cultures. Those who participate can share their stories and experience while learning new ways to communicate in English.

The Alviso Branch Library is located on 5050 North First St., San José, CA 95002. For more information, please call (408) 263-3626.

This month’s book for San Jose Public Library’s Online Book Club is The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett. This exciting book features the author enmeshing herself in the world of rare books. The book discusses collecting, dispenses facts about rare books and details the dogged determinism of Ken Sanders in stopping a book thief. Partially set in the Bay Area, this book has a wide cross section of interest; book lovers, true crime aficionados and a dash of technology and history. 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!

Question for Week 4: How will ebooks effect the status and cost of rare books?

The rapidly growing sector of ebooks is changing the nature of the publishing world. Both the major publishing houses and the few remaining retailers expect their growth in the online area, with print material declining. That should make print copies rarer through time. The status of ebooks is more in the latest and greatest of the ereaders, not necessarily the content. The well cared for rare books should maintain their value, but collectors need new people who are interested in acquiring rare books for the market to retain or increase the value. Rare books will always have a place in museums or special libraries. Perhaps there is a way to digitally emulate the look of a rare book.

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

My interest in reading Between Shades of Gray by Ruth Sepetys was two-fold.  First, I read about how Sepetys' book-talks were beseiged by Fifty Shades of Grey fans.  The author, Ruta Sepetys, says that many Fifty Shades of Grey fans learn something new when they attend her book-talks.   Many were not aware of Joseph Stalin's ethnic purges during World War II.  Second, as I mentioned in my review for Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin, my husband's grandfather was a victim of one of Stalin's purges.  He was taken away during the night and never heard from again.  His family had to flee the Soviet Union and endure many hardships when they moved to Germany.

Between Shades of Gray is a unique look at a survivor of one of Stalin's purges.  In this case, the main character, Lina, is a Lithuanian.  Due to the fact that the Soviet Union was an ally during World War II, many Americans do not know about the extent of Stalin's atrocities towards the educated class from the Baltic states.  Lina and her fellow purgees move from various work camps until she finally reaches Siberia.  There, many perish due to the extreme cold.  Labeled as criminals, Lina and her family labor day to day not knowing what will happen next.  Can Lina survive?  What about her brother and mother?  Will her new love survive?

Sepetys is a descendent of one of those Lithuanian purgees.  At the end, she explains about her connection and about what happened to Lina.

Day of Honey : A Memoir of Food, Love, and War by Annia Ciezadlo

Moving between Beirut and Bagdad amid war and ceasefire, freelance correspondent Annia Ciezadlo delves into food and dining customs of the Middle East, from ancient writings to modern café culture and wartime subsistence.  Whether investigating what Iraqi cuisine remains after the fall of Bagdad or transcribing her Lebanese mother-in-law’s family recipes, Ciezadlo  shows her gift for description and characterization. In the clips below she tells how she came to write the book, and demonstrates one of the recipes included in the appendix.

May 17th is the birthday of Gary Paulsen who was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1939.  He ran away from home when he was 14, and joined the carnival.  This began a wide array of occupations: construction worker, engineer, sailor, and ranch hand to name a few.  He was working nights as a satellite technician for an aerospace company in California when he was struck by the sudden inspiration to become a writer.  He walked off the job that night and never went back.  About writing, he says: "I just work. I don't drink, I don't fool around ... The end result is there's a lot of books out there."  More than 200 books, in fact, including Hatchet (1988), about a 14-hear-old boy who survives nearly two months in the northern wilderness, and his most recent novels Woods Runner (2010), Lawn Boy Returns (2010), and Liar, Liar (2011).  From The Writer's Almanac edited by Garrison Keillor, May 17, 2012.

Meet Simpkin, Barnaby, Gwenny, Charlie, Elizabeth and Honey!  These cute critters recently visited the King Library Children's Room to star in their first video. 

They meet the librarian, Ms. Violetta, and learn how kids can get a library card and use it responsibly. Ms. Violetta introduces them to the many services the library has to offer: like books and videos to check out, story times, events, homework help, and much more!

Stay away from that fish, Simpkin!

I’ll admit it: I’m a big Twilight fan. Even though I’m quite far from being a teenager, I love the romance and angst of it all. So when I saw that Stephenie Meyer had written The Host, a book NOT within the Twilight series, I was very skeptical. This was before the Twilight series was done and I couldn’t imagine Stephenie writing anything that didn’t take place in the hallowed Twilight universe or with its beloved characters. So when the book came out, I boycotted it. I knew I would not be able to accept some other world by this great (yes, I said great) author.

Now it’s been a few years since the last Twilight book came out. Last month I saw a trailer for a movie made of this book and decided it was time. Time for me to finally read The Host. So I checked out the enormous tome and dove in. It’s a hefty book! No way a slow reader like me could read the whole thing in three weeks. There was a list of people waiting for it, so I wouldn’t be able to renew it. Because of this, I read the first half and listened to the second half on CD in my car. I was dubious about liking it but, like her other novels, it dragged me right in. The characters are so well-drawn. The plot is intriguing and exciting.

The story takes place in an alternate America. Aliens have landed and have taken over the bodies of almost all of the Earth’s population. The humans act as hosts to these parasitic beings who are much more peaceful than we are. But there remain sects of resistant humans trying to escape being taken over by the peaceful parasites, called “souls.”

I don’t normally read science fiction, but this really drew me in. The story is really about displacement, adaptation, and trying to forge a good life and make everyone happy, which is pretty much impossible. This book is classified as adult fiction, where Twilight was for teens, but I would recommend it for teens and adults. It’s a wonderful story and [dare I say it?] even better than the Twilight series.

Everyone is invited to the Edenvale Book Club at Edenvale Branch Library on Wednesday, June 6, at 6:00 PM. All are welcome to join us in Meeting Room B.

This month we will discuss A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain by Robert Olen Butler.

This book is a 1992 collection of short stories by Butler. It received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1993.

"Each story in the collection is narrated by a different Vietnamese immigrant living in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The stories are largely character-driven, with cultural differences between Vietnam and the United States as an important theme." — Wikipedia entry

Kids, parents, other adults, and teens are warmly invited to the FREE program For Goodness Snakes at Almaden Branch Library on Thursday, May 17, at 4:00 PM.

With photographs of real kids, The New Kid by Susan Hood presents real experience by kids at school.  When a kid is new in a new environment, he can "act bad", because "he is sad".  Then eventually, when his friends make him feel at home, he is not sad anymore, therefore he "does not act bad".  The book rhymes from first page to last.  For Preschool to Grade 1.

The Rose Garden team met on Bike to Work Day at the "Breath the Air" bike station on Park Avenue for water and fruit, then on to Starbucks for a coffee before starting our day.  The Rose Garden Library team are saving the air and going green byriding, not driving, to work. 

Deadly by Julie Chibbaro can be found on Link+.  After reading an article about strong female lead characters in an article by Joanna H. Kraus in the San Jose Mercury News, I became interested in reading the titles she recommended.  Of course, this was after reading the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  I was interested in reading other young adult titles with strong female protagonists like Katniss Everdeen.

Prudence is a young lady who is much more interested in learning about science in the male-dominated early 1900's.  She applies as an assistant to an epidemiologist, Mr. Soper.  Soon, Prudence finds herself involved in finding the cause of several typhoid epidemics around the city. 

This tale is a fictional account of what happened to Typhoid Mary.  Mary Mallon was the first person who was identified as a healthy carrier of the typhoid disease.  It was unheard of at that time for a healthy person to spread disease.  Trying to convince the public, the courts, and Mary Mallon becomes an uphill struggle. 

Julie Chibbaro is also the author of Redemption, also a Link+ book.

This detailed tutorial walks users step-by-step through the process necessary to download e-books available free from the San Jose Public Library and read them on the Barnes and Nobel NOOK This video features the NOOK Color, but the same process works for the standard NOOK as well. For additional information, please see New User's Guide to eBooks, eAudioBooks, & eMusic and Frequently Asked Questions about Digital Content.

Full Transcript of Narration:

Introduction

Welcome to the San Jose Public Library’s e-Book tutorial for the NOOK.

Set-Up/Installing Adobe Digital Editions

To turn on the NOOK, first press the Power button, located on the top left side of the device, then, on the touch screen, touch and slide out the onscreen bar to “wake up” your NOOK.

Using the provided USB cable, connect the NOOK to your computer. Once the NOOK is connected, from your computer, go to the library’s homepage (sjpl.org) and click on “Downloads”. From the Downloads page, click on “OverDrive.”

From OverDrive’s homepage, scroll down until you see a section called “Getting Started” on the lefthand side. From here, click “Adobe Digital Editions”. From the following page, click “Download Adobe Digital Editions”. You will be taken to Adobe’s website, where you can click to “Install” Adobe Digital Editions. Click Yes when prompted and the installation will begin. After following the installation prompts and closing the dialogue box, you will be asked to click that you agree with the software’s terms of use. This will open a setup menu. Click next. Here you will be asked to “authenticate” your computer. If you already have an Adobe username and password, enter them at this time. Or, to register, click “get an Adobe ID online” and create an Adobe ID by filling out your information online. However, for our example, we will keep it simple and instead select “Don’t Authenticate” and continue without creating an ID.

Downloading an e-Book

Once Adobe Digital Editions has been installed, you can return to Overdrive's homepage and browse their vast selection of digital titles to find exactly the e-book you are looking for.  Or, for our example, we will click on "Advanced Search" from the top left corner. This allows us to limit the Format to "Adobe EPUB eBook" as well as to "Only show titles with copies available."

After finding a title you want, next to “Adobe EPUB Format”, select "Add to Bookbag." You can then either browse for more titles or "Proceed to Check-Out." You will then be prompted to sign-in using your Library Card number and your PIN. Before confirming checkout, you have an option for the number of days you wish to check out the e-book. Once you are done, press "Confirm Check-Out."

Transferring an e-Book to the NOOK

From the following screen, press "Download." When prompted, select to Open the file. Adobe Digital Editions should automatically open and the book will be downloaded to the program. You can either read the e-book on your computer screen, or, to transfer the e-book to your NOOK, first click on the Library Icon at the top left of the screen. Your library displays a list of the books you currently have downloaded. Click and drag the title you wish to transfer to the folder on the left side labeled “My Nook.”

Once you have transferred the e-book or ebooks you have downloaded onto your NOOK, you may “safely remove” the device from your computer.

Reading an e-Book on the NOOK

After disconnecting your NOOK from your computer, press the arch-shaped Menu button to pull up a menu on the screen. On the menu, touch Library. On the top right of the screen, touch “My Stuff” and then “My Files.” Here you will find the e-books that you transferred to your NOOK from your computer. Touch a title to open it. To flip through pages, touch and slide your finger across the screen. Note that, once you have opened an e-book, the page you left off on will be remember and the title will also appear on your NOOK’s homepage.

Returning/Removing an e-Book Title

While the NOOK is connected to your computer, you can return a book before its due date if you finish early. From your library, click the drop down arrow over the title that you wish to return and then click “Return Borrowed Item.” Once the item is returned, you will no longer be able to read it on your NOOK. To then remove the title itself, click and hold down on the title until a menu appears. From the menu, select “delete.” This same process can be used on the homepage to remove a title by selecting “Remove From Home.” Note that you can remove items just from the homepage without deleting them from your NOOK.

Conclusion

You are now ready to download e-books for free from San Jose Public Library and Overdrive and enjoy reading them in the palm of your hand. For Additional information, refer to your NOOK’s user manual. Also, visit SJPL.ORG to browse e-book titles available from OverDrive.

Grace is thirteen.  She’s become withdrawn since her Dad, a policeman, was killed in a drive-by shooting about a year ago.  Her sister, Regan, decides she needs Grace’s help with a project.  Regan wants early admission to what she considers the best college, and with their Mother’s approval  she drafts Grace to "help" her.  The scheme?   Adopt a shelter puppy and train it to become a service dog.  The last thing Grace wants to do is help Regan with anything.  She sees Regan adjusting to life without their father and Grace resents her. She feels that Regan is being disloyal to their Dad’s memory.

But here they are at the animal shelter looking at dogs in a totally chaotic setting, Grace can barely stand the noise, all the barking and scratching, when something strange happens – a dog talks to her!  Not a very cute dog, actually a gray-and-brown-mutt, an "…unkempt, prickly coated mutt…" (page 5).  Grace convinces Regan that Rex is the dog for them.  Sure he’s no longer a puppy, but he tells Grace that he’s smart and trainable and cheap!  As they leave the shelter with Rex she starts to think:  "My mom and sister thought my coming here would help me get back to normal.  Instead, I heard a dog talk.  I think that’s either irony or payback."  (page 9)

Is Grace really hearing Rex talk?  Together can they solve the mystery of her Dad’s shooting before Rex leaves Grace to become a companion to a needy little girl?  Can Rex help Grace to re-connect with her friends and get back to her “normal” life?

Randi Reisfeld and HB Gilmour are the co-authors of several books including the T*Witches series.    The two began work on What the Dog Said several months before HB Gilmour died.  Ms. Reisfeld completed this book in her honor. 

Maurice Sendak died today.  He was a transformative author and illustrator of books for children.  Where the Wild Things Are is his best known title, which won the Caldecott Medal in 1964.  As a child, I spent many hours listening to Really Rosie - a musical based on his books with music by Carol King.   You might enjoy reading them too!

Relive that fateful night that took place one hundred years ago in these lavishly illustrated pages of Titanic: The Tragedy That Shook The World, published by Time Life Books.  In large format this book contains never-seen-before photographs of Franck Brown (aka Father Brown), an accomplished photographer who had been on the ship shortly before he disembarked in Ireland.  Pictures tell stories from the time of ship constructions to its discovery in 1985 and today's lasting memories in films and books. 

Captain Smith, Molly Brown, Jack Phillips, Benjamin Guggenheim, John Jacob Astor IV, Dorothy Gibson...names and faces of survivors and victims that look out from haunting portraits on these pages lend a human touch to the book.  Read the tragic story of the Titanic sinkage as if it just happened yesterday.

Check out other books on the Titanic.

Though having the look of an old cookbook (it doesn't have a picture for every single recipe), this book does cover different types of vegetarian dishes:  appetizers, soups, pasta, legume dishes, egg and cheese dishes, whole grains, desserts, and lasagne.  Other varieties are also found:  wheat germ burgers,  chili pot pie, mabu tofu, brown rice & broccoli, black bean hummus & carrot slaw sandwiches, corn custard, and many more.

This book is brought to readers by the Editors of Sunset Books.

I recently found a website that can help to answer the question from many friends and acquaintances "How can you sustain your life if you don't eat meat?":  www.nutritiondata.self.com.  You can type in "asparagus", "brussel sprouts", "turmeric", "tofu", "broccoli", "peanuts", "whole wheat", "quinoa", "black bean", "squash", etc. in the seach box for "name of food", you will get amazing answers in colorful graphical charts.

This website might even help to transform your friend's perspective towards vegetarian food.

April 27, is the birthday of Ludwig Bemelmans, author of the ever popular, Madeline books.  He was born in Meran, Tyrol, Austria (1898) and came to New York when he was sixteen years old.  He worked in a series of hotels, then started his own restaurant, which became very successful.  He didn't think about becoming a writer until a friend in the publishing  industry happened to see his childlike drawings on the walls of his apartment, and suggested that Bemelmans write and illustrate a children's book - and that was Madeline (1939), which begins: "In an old house in Paris, that was covered with vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines.  In two straight lines they broke their bread, and brushed their theeth, and went to bed.  They smiled at the good, and frowned at the bad, and sometimes they were very sad.  They left the house at half past nine, in two straight lines, in rain or shine ... the smallest one was Madeline!" - Source: The Writer's Almanac 

The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka is an eloquent and beautiful novel depicting the lives of "picture brides," young Japanese mail order brides who came to California early in the twentieth century.  The author uses a unique, lyrical first person plural voice throughout most of the book.  "We sometimes lay awake for hours."  "Secretly we hoped to be rescued."  Seldom are personal names used and yet the author skillfully conveys the variety of experiences and emotions that these nameless women encounter.  Some are only children, no more than fourteen, when they arrive.  They find love, but not always with their husbands.  They become mothers, raise and bury children, work hard, and build very different lives from the ones they left behind.  Otsuka follows them as their children grow up and adopt  American customs, forgetting the Japanese ways their mothers cling to.  Finally the author revisits the time and place of her previous novel, When the Emperor Was Divine, as she follows them into the dark days of World War II when their lives were uprooted once again.  It is a moving, haunting portrait of first generation Japanese American women.   This title is also available as an audiobook and a downloadable ebook. 

In a village in India a daughter is born, a daughter is given away and a life is saved.  A daughter is adopted and raised in the United States. Later this daughter, Asha, returns to India to reconnect with her adopted family and to find her birth mother.  Writer Shilpi Somaya Gowda tells how she came to write Secret Daughter:

Summer Reading Program Celebration 2012!

Children (Ages 0-12)

How to Participate ...

1. Sign up at your local library or online starting June 1

2. Achieve your goal by reading alone or with others. 

3. Only those items read between June 1 and July 31 will be eligible.

4. Read 15 books and celebrate your success by coming to the library to pick up your prize book and certificate starting June 16.

5. Read MORE, Earn MORE - receive exciting prizes when you read.

6. Claim all your prizes at the Summer Reading Celebration desk by August 31. 

Top 5 Reasons to enroll your child into our Summer Reading Celebration!

Summer Reading Prizes for Kids!!  

• Read 5 books to receive a dream big painting sheet.
• Read 10 books to color your own star craft
• Read 15 books to reach the program's reading goal and receive a prize book and certificate.
• Mystery Grab Bag prizes are awarded after every 5 books read once program goal is reached.

  4th annual Graphic Novel Contest! 

 Part of the Summer Reading Celebration.

Check our calendar page for other FREE activities to enjoy this summer!

Check out these colorful story books.  You don't have time to come to the library?  No problem.  You can read these story books with your kids Online. 

Some titles are Ipad-compatable. To find these titles, go to "Story Books" and click on the GREEN button called "iPad Books" ... or use the TumbleSearch feature: type in "iPad" and hit GO.

You need to have a San Jose Public Library card to access these books.   If you don't have a San Jose Public Library card, you can fill out the Online application today.  Then stop by any San Jose Library within 30 days with photo identification and address confirmation to receive and activate your card. Electronic applications will be deleted after one month.
 

Summer Reading Celebration 2012!

Adult (Ages 18+)

How to Participate ...

1. Adults, sign up at your local library or online starting June 1

2. Book reviews can be submitted online after setting up a personal account or can be submitted at your local branch library.

3. Read one or more books every 2 weeks, review them, submit them and you're entered into our bi-weekly prize drawing!

4. Only those items read between June 1st and July 31 will be eligible.

Summer Reading Prizes for Adults!

• Flexible Book Light
• Starbucks Gift Card®
• Re-usable book bags with goodies
• Grand Prize: Kindle Fire

4th annual Graphic Novel Contest! 

Part of the Summer Reading Celebration

Check our calendar page for other FREE activities to enjoy this summer!

Summer is around the corner and we need to get ready for the Summer Reading Celebration program! If you're an Evergreen teensReach member, please come to the training session on either Wednesday, May 30th OR Thursday, May 31st (4pm to 6pm) to receive more information about this program and learn how to get more involved. The Summer Reading Program starts on Friday, June 1st and your DAILY participation for this program will be much appreciated!

Besides the Summer Reading program, here are some volunteer opportunities that you can participate this month:

• Mother's Day Craft for Kids - Thursday, May 3rd from 4pm-5pm
  Help kids create a special craft for Mother's Day!
• Make a Lei - Monday, May 7th from 4pm-5pm in the community room. Assist children in creating a lei. Materials will be provided.
• Duct Tape Roses - Wednesday, May 16th from 4 pm to 5 pm in the community room. Come and make beautiful roses out of duct tape. All materials will be provided.
• Teen Rock Concert - Wednesday, May 16th from 6pm-730pm in the community room. Come to our rock concert! Dressed to Impress and Layla will be performing, both finalists of the recent Battle of the Bands competition!
• Games for Kids: Dream Big - Thursday, May 23rd at 5pm. Come and help kids play a variety of games and puzzles!

The next teensReach meeting at Evergreen Branch will be on Wednesday, May 16th from 5 pm to 6 pm inside the Community Room. Come and be informed about upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Love to spy? Then check out the following spy titles at your library today! Be entertained as characters go on exciting adventures to infiltrate their enemies and see how secret agents handle the challenges of going incognito to accomplish challenging missions.

Spy Guides

Spy Technology by Ron Fridell

Top Secret: Shady Tales of Spies and Spying by Laura Buller

Spies & Detectives by Hazel Poole

For more recommendations, please see a librarian at your library.

Hal’s parents believe he is living the perfect life for a young boy.  His parents are rich beyond belief, they give Hal everything he ever wants; at least they give him every toy or gadget or article of clothing he wants.  More things than he ever needs, more than he ever asks for, in fact.   In reality all Hal really ever wanted was a dog, and maybe a little more attention from his parents.

As his tenth birthday approaches Hal thinks about how many times he has asked for a dog.  His Mother feels that dogs are dirty and smelly.  Dogs need to be walked or they might make a puddle in her very perfect house.  You see there are no bugs and not even a little dust in the house.  And other than Hal, his Mother, his Father and the maids, who only come there to work, there is nothing alive in Hal’s house.  No mice, no bugs, no plants.  There weren’t even live flowers in the yard only raked gravel.  Why you might ask?  Well according to Hal’s Mother "…because flowers mean earth and mess" (page 2).

How do Hal and his dog finally find each other?  In Hal’s town there is a place called Easy Pets where you can rent a dog for any length of time.  Now I don’t think that renting a dog for a weekend is quite what Hal has in mind.  But that’s where our story of One Dog and His Boy begins. 

I’d recommend this book to all animal lovers.  Author Eva Ibbotson died on October 20, 2010, making this her last book.  All of her fans will miss her.  Please read and enjoy her final heart-warming book. 

It's a new month and that means new Friday Fun events in the Children's Room of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. Our Friday Fun events always take place at 4:00PM, are free, are a great way to start off the weekend and of course are fun for children of all ages.

Here's what our May line-up looks like:

• May 4: Game On! Board Games: We will have a variety of board games and puzzles for children to enjoy.
• May 11: Mother's Day Craft for Kids: This craft is just in time for Mother's Day on Sunday, May 13. Make your mom feel like a "Queen for the Day," by creating a crown just for her. All materials will be supplied.
• May 18: Bella Umbrella Story and Craft: Did you ever want to meet a children's author? Well now you can! Author Marcus St. Marcus will be in the Children's Room to read and talk about his book Bella Umbrella. Children will then make their own umbrella craft. A fun program for children and adults!
• May 25: Make a Lei in May Craft: May 1 is Lei Day but anytime is great for making a Lei. Join us for this fun craft. All materials will be provided, just bring your imagination and creativity. For some added fun we'll dance the hula and pretend we're in Hawaii!