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Online Book Club - The Long Walk, Question #1
For January and February 2013, our Online Book Club is discussion the Silicon Valley Reads 2013 selection, The Long Walk by Brian Castner. If you've read the book, please participate by leaving your response to the discussion question in the comments below!
Question #1:
How does the structure of narrative serve to set the tone of the story? Do you think the non-chronological nature of the book reinforces the themes, or does it distract from them?
Let us know what you think!
Silicon Valley Reads 2013 Event Schedule Now Posted!
Silicon Valley Reads has now posted the 2013 schedule of events on their website.
The Long Walk by Brian Castner and Minefields of the Heart by Sue Diaz, focus on the experience of war on veterans and their families.
Kickoff for Silicon Vallery Reads will be on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013 7:30 p.m. at Campbell Heritage Theatre when authors Brian Castner and Sue Diaz are interviewed on stage by Mercury News columnist Mike Cassidy.
These themes are also explored in books for children and young adults: Night Catch [PreK-Gr 2] by Brenda Ehrmantraut; Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine and a Miracle [Gr 2-5] by Brian Dennis, Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery; Back Home [Gr 5-8] by Julia Keller; and Purple Heart [Teens] by Patricia McCormick.
See our events calendar for Silicon Valley Reads events happening at San Jose Public Library branches. Our Online Book Club will also discuss the selections in January through April.
Each year Silicon Valley Reads encourages everyone in Santa Clara County to read and discuss the same book during the months of February and March. Free public events are held in libraries, schools and community locations, and the book is featured in high school, colleges and book clubs discussions.
Three Kings Day
Hurray for Three Kings' Day, written by Lori Marie Carlson and illustrated by Ed Martinez is a story about a girl named Anita and her family, and how they celebrate the Three Kings Day, also known as Epiphany. The family's celebration begins on the evening of January 5, and continues into the evening of January 6. This book is also available in Spanish.
The Legend of Old Befana: an Italian Christmas Story, retold and illustrated by Tomie de Paola is a gentle story about Old Befana, who visits the children of Italy on the Feast of the Three Kings to leave them gifts.
Strega Nona's Gift is another delightful story by Tomie de Paola. The reader learns about many Italian holidays, including the Eve of Epiphany, where it is believed that all animals can talk. The author recommends another book, Celebrating Italy by Carol Field for additional information about Italian holidays.
All of these books have interesting plots, cultural details, and beautiful illustrations. Happy Reading!
Months of the Year
Would you like to teach your child or children the months of the year? Any time is a good time to start; however, January is an especially good time.
Here are some fun picture books to help them learn the about months of the year.
A Kitten's Year, written by Nancy Raines Day, and illustrated by Anne Mortimer shows a gray and white kitten participating in various activities throughout the month, growing with each beautifully illustrated page. This book is also available in Chinese.
Parade Day: Marching Through the Calendar Year, written and illustrated by Bob Barner shows parades for each month of the year. The back of the book has information about the months of the year as well as some holidays during each month. There are also directions how to create and decorate a calendar out of paper.
Snowy Flowy Blowy: a Twelve Months Rhyme, written and illustrated by Nancy Tafuri shows a word for each month accompanied by seasonal scenery. This is a great book for chidren learning about rhyming words.
Game On! Wii at the East San José Carnegie Library
Looking for something entertaining with your friends after school?
Are you under the age of 18 and enjoy playing video games?
Well then, come join us for a Wii game or two with your friends at the East San José Carnegie Branch Library on Fridays, from 4:00 -5:00 PM.
This is a fun way to spend the afternoon hanging out at the library with your friends challenging each in an interactive Wii game in the library's community room.
The Nobel Peace Prize 1964: Martin Luther King Jr.
At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement as quoted on NobelPrize.org.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Biography
San Jose Public Library Collections:
- Nobel Peace Prize
- Nobel Prize
- Martin Luther King
- Civil Rights Movement
- Special collection of materials related to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights movement
- King Library Third Floor Plan for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.& Civil Rights Collection
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library
More Information:
Geocaching - Modern Day Treasure Hunting!
Are you looking for a fun way to get your family or a group of friends outside for fun and some exercise? Go geocaching! Geocaching has been around for a little over a decade. Using a GPS unit or smartphone, you are given the hidden container’s coordinates, or the "X" marks the spot, and you are off on a new adventure. The fun is in finding the "treasure" but for kids it might be all about trading the goodies in the box with a small trinket brought from home. The idea is if you take something from the cache you should replace it with something you brought of equal or greater value. The cache typically has a log for you to record the date and your name or alias and a collection of miscellaneous items. Geocaches are located all over the world but the San Francisco Bay Area, in particular, has loads of hidden caches just waiting to be discovered!
To get you started, you can find more information about geocaching before you head out in the San Jose Public Library collections.
Other Resources
Geocaching.com – comprehensive site with information about geocaching, GPS coordinates of cache locations as well as upcoming events.
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) – offers beginning classes to introduce you to geocaching. They also have a passport program, the Preserve Circuit Geo-challenge, where you locate the MROSD’s hidden caches in a number of their preserves, stamp your passport with the official stamp then turn the completed passport into the district office for a limited custom District cache tag (while supplies last).
2013 MLK Celebration at King Pool
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., SF Rec and Park hosts
its annual celebration at MLK Swimming Pool
on Saturday, January 5, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., featuring performances by the Young and Gifted Choir, Echoes of Praise, and members of the Golden Gate Philharmonic Youth Orchestra; words of inspiration from Rev. Willie Williams; and water performances by the SF Merionettes, the MLK Blue Dolphin Swim Team, SF Tsunami Water Polo, and the Bayview YMCA. This event is free to all and includes lunch and swimming from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information, call MLK Pool at (415) 822-2807 as quoted on SF Rec and Park Event Website.
San Jose Public Library Collections:
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
- Special collection of materials related to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights movement
- King Library Third Floor Plan for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.& Civil Rights Collection
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library
More Information:
- The Northern California Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Foundation
- 2013 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Festival & Parade (The Dream and 50 years)
- Black Power
2013 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Festival & Parade (The Dream and 50 years)
Celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with an MLK Day festival,
march and parade in 
that centers around Yerba Buena Gardens on January 21, 2013.
Attend a full day festival with live music, speeches, a reading festival as well as a march and parade from Caltrain to Yerba Buena Gardens to commemorate the Selma to Montgomery march.
The 2013 MLK March and Parade kicks off at 11am at San Francisco’s Caltrain Station and journeys on to Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and Gardens.
The 1.5 mile march crosses over Lefty O’Doul Bridge and stops at Willie Mays Plaza at AT&T Park to commemorate the Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, marches, which crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, a symbol of violence and victory in the civil rights era.
At conclusion of the March an interfaith commemoration will bring together the region’s faith leaders to commemorate the vision of Dr. King and to lead participants in a spiritual reflection of Dr. King’s message as quoted on Northern California Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Foundation
Cost: FREE
San Jose Public Library Collections:
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
- Special collection of materials related to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights movement
- King Library Third Floor Plan for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.& Civil Rights Collection
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library
More Information:
2013 is the International Year of Water Cooperation.
2013 is the International Year of Water Cooperation.
In December 2010, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 as the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation (Resolution A/RES/65/154). In reflection of this declaration, the 2013 World Water Day, which will take place on 22 March 2013, also will be dedicated to water cooperation.
The objective of this International Year is to raise awareness, both on the potential for increased cooperation, and on the challenges facing water management in light of the increase in demand for water access, allocation and services as quoted on UN Water Website.
San Jose Public Library Collections:
More Information:
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