The Cat's Meow

J. Michael Squatrito Book Launch Party

2012-02-09T13:16:00.000-08:00

Middletown Library is pleased to present a Book Launch Party featuring the newest release in the "Overlords" series by J. Michael Squatrito...

We hope to see you on this special day!

Event Rescheduled - Meet the Author featuring Mr. Anthony M. Pesare at the Middletown Public Library

2012-01-26T10:48:00.000-08:00

Middletown Public Library is pleased to host Middletown's Police-Chief, Mr. Anthony M. Pesare, as one of our featured authors!

Orginal Event postponed due to snow. It has now been rescheduled to Thursday, February 16th, at 6:00pm!
We hope you will join us as we welcome Chief Pesare to the Middletown Public Library!

American Indian Awareness Month at MPL

2011-10-25T11:43:00.000-07:00

Native American Pow -Wow at Middletown Public Library!

Saturday, November 19th at 12:00 Noon

November is American Indian Awareness Month. The Aquidneck Island Intertribal Indian Council is bringing Native culture to the Middletown Public Library. There will be drumming, histstory, storytelling, and more.

click on the images for additional infomation about the Aquidneck Island Intertribal Indian Council.

Ruby Tuesday Gives back to the Middletown Library

2011-10-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library

Enjoy a meal at Ruby Tuesday in Middletown, between October 21 - 23, 2011, and present a copy of the flyer to your server, and 20% of the total bill will be dontated to the Middletown Public Library!

We hope to see you there!

How to Write and Publish Your Book

2011-10-12T16:10:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered how to write a book and get it published?

Local author, J. Michael Squatrito, (author of "The Overlords" series) will be hosting a five-week program at the Middletown Public Library, and he will help you to accomplish this goal!

For now these sessions have been postponed. Please check back with us for the new dates and times.

Local Author, Hollie Delaney - event planned!

2011-09-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

"Meet the Author" at the Middletown Public Library is pleased to host local author, Hollie Delaney at our next event!

Thursday, September 29th at 6:00pm in the Library Meeting Room!

Just announced: new book, "Understanding" will be released locally during this Library Event!

The Middletown Public Library has received an autographed copy of her book, "The Meeting" and we have made that available for all to enjoy! (Click on cover image to reserve title).

"The Meeting" is the first novel of "The Business" series and is available for purchase locally at Island Books and Barnes and Noble- Middletown, and available for checkout at the Middletown Public Library!

"Borrowed" from "The Meeting"...

"For Victoria Hamilton things were getting odd. The guy at the library staring at her without embarrassment. The same guy standing on the snow covered street in the dark. Then again across from her office in broad daylight on the coldest day of the year. An email referral from some long quiet foreign Clients. The subsequent phone call from an unkown lawyer followed by an email from his employer describing requirements for a property not to exceed ten million dollars. Now that was...well...very odd.

Victoria's life was finally working for her. No complaints. Kids grown and definitely living their own lives. A well situated condo that contains only her necessities. A boutique real estate brokerage functioning within her business model that treated her well. She could buy her lattes, pay her bills and have the occasional tryst if someone struck her fancy. After all the starts and stops in her life, Victoria understood that she was marking time. She was fine with it.

But the usually quiet winter was just getting plain weird."

Great adult read...a little mystery, intrigue, suspense, and some sizzling romance all set in local Newport! I enjoyed reading this book... (Sue, staff of the Middletown Library)

For additional information about the author, you can visit her website at: http://victoriaslilas.com/

Spotlight on a Local Author - Hollie Delaney

2011-07-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

The staff of the Middletown Library had the pleasure of meeting Local Author, Ms. Hollie Delaney, when she stopped by the library to donate a copy of her book!

A connection was made, and we have invited Hollie to participate in our "Meet the Author" program! Library Director, Theresa Coish, will be contacting Hollie and inviting her to join Theresa on her monthly radio broadcast with Mr. Art Berluti on WADK local radio.

(click on image cover to reserve library copy)

The Middletown Public Library has received an autographed copy of her book and we have made that available for all to enjoy!

"The Meeting" is the first novel of "The Business" series and is available for purchase locally at Island Books and Barnes and Noble- Middletown, and available for checkout at the Middletown Public Library!

"Borrowed" from the book...

"For Victoria Hamilton things were getting odd. The guy at the library staring at her without embarrassment. The same guy standing on the snow covered street in the dark. Then again across from her office in broad daylight on the coldest day of the year. An email referral from some long quiet foreign Clients. The subsequent phone call from an unkown lawyer followed by an email from his employer describing requirements for a property not to exceed ten million dollars. Now that was...well...very odd.

Victoria's life was finally working for her. No complaints. Kids grown and definitely living their own lives. A well situated condo that contains only her necessities. A boutique real estate brokerage functioning within her business model that treated her well. She could buy her lattes, pay her bills and have the occasional tryst if someone struck her fancy. After all the starts and stops in her life, Victoria understood that she was marking time. She was fine with it.

But the usually quiet winter was just getting plain weird."

Great adult read...a little mystery, intrigue, suspense, and some sizzling romance all set in local Newport! I enjoyed reading this book... (Sue, staff of the Middletown Library)

For additional information about the author, you can visit her website at: http://www.victoriaslilas.com/

Check back with us soon for program details!

Got a Talented Kid?

2010-12-22T08:16:00.000-08:00

Looking for a great way to help your teens spread their artistic wings and really fly? The Junior Duck Stamp is a national art contest administered by the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program. The first place national winner of the art contest graces that year's JDS and is sold by the U.S. Postal Service and Amplex Corporation for $5!

So what do you do? Students from around the United States submit drawings to their state, territory or district competition. Winners from these competitions, called the "Best of Show," are then submitted to the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest. One image from the 53 Best of Show entries will become the next Junior Duck Stamp.

K-12 students attending public, private, or home schools in the United States and the U.S. Territories are eligible to enter, as long as they are U.S. Citizens, resident aliens, or nationals. U.S. Citizens attending schools abroad may enter through their legal state of residence.

The contest ends March 15, 2011. So grab your pens, pencils, acrylics, paints and crayons and get to work!

For more general information and contest eligibility go to http://www.fws.gov/juniorduck/ArtContest.htm#GeneralInformation.

Write Your Own Movie: Teen Screenwriting Program

2010-11-30T16:25:00.000-08:00

Everyone has a movie within them. Now it's time to set yours free. Screenwriter extraordinaire Andria Tieman will show teens how to get that feature film out of your head, onto paper and into the hands of movie producers.

The group will meet for 5 Thursday night sessions: January 13^th, January 20^th, February 3^rd, February 17^th and March 3^rd. Each workshop will begin at 6pm and run 90 minutes. Participants must be between the ages of 12-18 years old.

The program is FREE! Light refreshments will be provided.

For more info or to reserve a space email ChristinaWolfskehl@yahoo.com or call (401) 846-1573.

Start the School Year Off on the Right Foot!

2010-08-03T10:21:00.001-07:00

Required summer reading can seem like a drag. It doesn’t have to be. Middletown Public Library is turning your school obligation into a celebration! We’re hosting a book club/pizza party aimed at discussing the summer reading selection “Sarah’s Key” by Tatiana de Rosnay.

We are offering 3 sessions. Pick one and be prepared for food, fun and fiercely brilliant literature.

It’s FREE, but space is limited. To reserve your spot email ChristinaWolfskehl@yahoo.com (please indicate preferred session).

DATES

Thursday, August 19th at 5:00pm

Tuesday, August 24th at 6:00pm

Monday, August 30th at 10:00am*

*In lieu of pizza we'll have breakfast goodies!

2010-06-28T05:32:00.000-07:00

HOW I BECAME THE NEXT J.K. ROWLING
...or the Summer I Wrote a Totally Awesome Book and Got It Published!

Have you ever dreamed of becoming the next Stephenie Meyer or J.K. Rowling? Now’s your chance! Author J. Michael Squatritro (“The Overlords” series) will be at Middletown Public Library for an exclusive 5 week program teaching tweens and teens how to write a book. The group will meet every Tuesday night @6PM from July 6th until August 3rd. Stories and artwork developed in this workshop will be bound and sold at the library. Participants will receive a free copy!

The event is FREE! Food and drink will be provided.

SIGN UP NOW! SPACE IS LIMITED!

For more info or to reserve a space email ChristinaWolfskehl@yahoo.com or call 401 846-1573

Just the facts, Ma'am

DATE/TIME: Every Tuesday from July 6th until August 3rd @ 6pm

LOCATION: Middletown Public Library, 700 West Main Road, Middletown

PHONE FOR PUBLIC: 401 846-1573 CONTACT: Christina Wolfskehl (Young Adult Librarian) or Theresa Coish (Library Director), 846-1573

SPONSOR: Middletown Public Library, Screencraft Tileworks, and the Friends of the Library

ADMISSION: Free

Meet the Author with Ann Hood

2010-05-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, May 29th @ 3PM MPL continues the “Meet the Author” series with critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author Ann Hood. Hood will be here to discuss and sign her latest novel, "The Read Thread."

In China there’s a belief that people who are destined to be together are connected by an invisible red thread. After the death of her daughter, Maya opens the Red Thread, an adoption agency that specializes in placing baby girls from China with American families. Brilliantly braiding together the stories of the Chinese birth mothers who give up their daughters and the American families desperate for a child, Hood writes a moving and beautifully told novel of fate and the red thread that binds these characters lives. Elle Magazine calls the book a "wisely woven novel" about loss and reconnection.

The event is FREE and all are welcome! Light refreshments and drink will be provided.

For more information about Ann Hood or “The Red Thread” go to: http://www.annhood.us/

Public Forum on Saturday, May 15th!

2010-05-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

Remember that community service survey I talked about a few months back? That survey is helping us plan our future. And now we want to talk to YOU about it!

On Saturday, May 15th @ 2PM, MPL will hold an open public forum to discuss the Library's 2010-2015 long range plan. Patrons are invited to share their needs and concerns.

The Library Board of Trustees and staff will explain the reasons for undertaking the long range plan, its goals and objectives, and the planning process.

For more info please contact Library Director Theresa Coish @ 846-1573 or tcoish@middletownri.com.

And it's not too late to be heard. Click here and fill out the online community survey. YOUR VOICE COUNTS!!!

Underage Drinking in Newport County

2010-04-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

Did you know underage drinking cost the citizens of Rhode Island $218 million in 2007?

To combat this problem Middletown & Newport have teamed up to create "Working Together Against Underage Drinking." This task force aims at educating teens and adults about the dangers and consequences of underage drinking.

During the past two years they have been attacking the problem through a combination of media (e.g., newspaper ads and stories, moving billboards, banners, posters), enforcement (e.g., party patrols, checks of bars and liquor stores), and policy (e.g., underage drinking ordinances, training of liquor servers, school policies).

How effective have their efforts been? That is where you come in. Please take the survey. It's only 5 minutes long and confidential. Also the information gathered will help the task force as they move towards reducing this $218 million problem.

Meet the Poets & Open Poetry Mic!

2010-04-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

This is one of the coolest happenings MPL has had the radical distinction to host, daddy-o. In honor of National Poetry Month we are turning our popular "Meet the Author" series into "Meet the Poets". Celebrated local poets Aaron J. Hampton and Jean Michelle will be here to read their outstanding work and talk to us about life as a poet. They'll even give us tips on how to go from unpublished genius to critically acclaimed sensation!

And due to popular demand, we've just added an Open Poetry Mic to immediately follow. So for all you cool cats willing to share your words, come on down and gift us with your flow, daddy-o!

Online Educational Videos

2010-04-15T06:39:00.000-07:00

This is too cool not to pass along.

Providence Public Library has created 3 educational videos as part of a grant from the Rhode Island College Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities.

These videos are a MUST WATCH for anyone who works with children, teens or adults with special needs. The programs are aimed at teachers and librarians, but the tips and techniques discussed can be used by everyone!

Video 1: "Hands On Literacy" Wendy Kirchner of Meeting St. School presents this workshop to teach librarians how to effectively include children with special needs in library group activities.

Video 2: "Serving Diverse Populations in Library Programming" A panel of experts discuss how librarians and others who coordinate programs for the public can more seamlessly include those with disabilities.

Video 3: "Understanding the Patron with Mental Illness" This workshop presented by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, RI Chapter helps us explore the myths and misconceptions of people living with mental illness and mood disorders. Specifics include a discussion of effective communication strategies with both adults and children and techniques for de-escalation.

Should anyone wish to have copies of any of the handouts referenced in the presentations, just notify kbullard@provlib.org and she will forward them.

Financial Workshops @ MPL!

2010-04-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

Money is on everyone's mind these days. You can't open a paper, turn on the tv or go online without seeing or hearing about it. In order to make ends meet we are all tightening our belts. But what if you didn't have to pull that belt so tight?

Starting in May MPL will host a series of FREE financial workshops on a variety of topics, including Making Sense of Retirement, A Smart Start to Mutual Funds, AND MORE!!! Financial advisor David MacDonald (or as we like to call him "that money smart fellas from Edward Jones") will lead the workshops and help you make the most of your hard-earned money!

Up first is:
TOPIC: Paying for Education
TIME: May 11th @ 6:30PM
SUMMARY: The seminar is designed to provide participants with information so that they may understand the value and importance of planning for their children's or grandchildren's future education costs.

And don't worry about the dinner; refreshments and light snacks will be served! (A free seminar and food? That sounds like a financially savvy move to me!)

Resources for Victims of the 2010 Flood

2010-04-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

The Providence Business News and the Providence Journal have great articles which list all available resources for victims of the 2010 flood.

Flood victims are also encouraged to call United Way of RI: Simply dial 2-1-1 and you'll be connected to someone who can help.

Are you looking to help others in need? Serve Rhode Island coordinates volunteers statewide. Register as a volunteer at (401) 331-2298 or online at www.ServeRhodeIsland.org.

If these articles don't have the information you need call us at (401) 846-1573.

Remember: you are not alone!

Safe Travels!

2010-03-31T06:38:00.000-07:00

Yes we are indeed open today and we would love to see you -- that is if you aren't busy sump-pumping your basement. For those looking to get to us and do not own one of those nifty Duck Tour buses (I'm asking Santa for one this year), here's a link to the RI Department of Transportation's website. They have a list of flooded/closed streets in RI.

SAFE TRAVELS MPL'ers!

Computers Down THIS Thursday, April 1st

2010-03-30T14:44:00.001-07:00

Well...I got good news and I got bad news. Which do you want first? Okay bad news it is.

BAD NEWS: All public computers will be unavailable this Thursday, April 1st until 3PM.
GOOD NEWS: We’ll be uploading, updating and upping their awesomeness.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Meet Fantasty Writer J. Michael Squatrito!

2010-03-22T08:31:00.001-07:00

Middletown Public Library continues the “Meet the Author” series with local writer J. Michael Squatrito. He will be here to discuss his fantasy/adventure series “The Overlords” including unreleased details about the next book! He’ll also talk about how he successfully bypassed publishers to create this popular book series with a strong Rhody following.

The event is FREE and all are welcome! Food and drink will be provided.

For more information about J. Michael Squatrito or “The Overlords” series go to: http://www.the-overlords.com/

For more information on "Meet the Author" call (401) 846-1573 or email ChristinaWolfskehl@yahoo.com.

Get Your Geek On!

2010-03-10T18:33:00.000-08:00

Meet Cecil Adams, author and self-anointed "world's smartest human." His syndicated weekly column, The Straight Dope, appears in over 30 newspapers throughout the US and Canada, and now you can find him online!

Armed with a high IQ, extensive research and an abrasive sense of humor (his tag line is "Fighting Ignorance Since 1973. It's taking longer than we thought"), Cecil aims to answer off-beat questions from a very curious public. Have you ever wondered if you ate too many carrots, would you turn orange? What "dangers of disease" do hot-air hand dryers prevent? And if you're on a deserted island, how can you tell which plans are poisonous? Cecil's got the answers for you!

The site is fun and pretty easy to navigate. Users can search the archives, post to the message board and even ask Cecil a question! It's simple. It's fun. It's educational. So grab your mouse and get ready to laugh and learn!

Tell Us What You Think

2010-03-02T17:33:00.000-08:00

MPL is always looking to improve the services we provide our wonderful patrons! We want to know what you think about the job we are doing: what do you like? What needs improvement? What new services do you want to see?

Please help us by participating in our our annual community service survey. You can do it online or fill one out in our library. It's quick. It's easy. So get online and get heard!

And We're Back!

2010-02-10T07:14:00.001-08:00

Our website is back up and running! And boy are we so excited for you to see it! We've still got links to your favorites (online book requests, amazing electronic resources, etc.) PLUS we've added a ton of new stuff: Children's Page, Teen Corner, even a section on Upcoming Events happening at our library.

So grab a cup of coffee and check out the awesomeness! And if you've got time, take our online survey.

Digital Bookmobile National Tour

2009-08-29T09:08:00.000-07:00

Mondays can be so very drab. Rainy weather. Kids not back in school just yet. On days like this does your brain scream out the eternal parental question: "What to do, what to do?!" Consider yourself saved thanks to the Cranston Public Library and the Digital Bookmobile!

LOCATION: Cranston Public Library: Upper Parking Lot
140 Sockanosset Cross Road, Cranston, RI
DATE: Monday, September 21, 2009
TIME: 10:00am - 4:00pm
PRICE: FREE

Cranston Public Library and Ocean State Libraries will host the Digital Bookmobile, an immersive download experience inside a 74-foot, high-tech tractor-trailer.

Readers of all ages are invited to engage digital downloading through interactive demonstrations and experience the library's audiobook, eBook, music, and video download service at this free event.

The Digital Bookmobile is housed inside an 18-wheel tractor-trailer. This 74-foot community outreach vehicle is a high-tech update of the traditional bookmobile that has served communities for decades. The vehicle is equipped with broadband Internet-connected PCs, high definition monitors, premium sound systems, and a variety of portable media players, all of which help visitors explore the library's download service. Interactive learning stations give visitors an opportunity to search the library’s digital media collection, use supported mobile devices, and sample eBooks, audiobooks, music, and video.

Come and learn about digital media and the latest gadgets and technology. There will be a raffle and other fun stuff!

All Ages are welcome. Registration is not required. The Digital Bookmobile is handicap accessible and will be parked in the upper parking lot of Cranston Public Library for this event.

The Digital Bookmobile is a service of Ocean State Libraries and the Cranston Public Library. The Digital Bookmobile is operated by OverDrive, Inc.

For more information call: (401) 943-9080 EXT6 or email: central@cranstonlibrary.org

New Arrival!

2009-08-24T07:17:00.000-07:00

Amigoland by Oscar Casares

This is an AMAZING new novel that is getting OUTSTANDING reviews!

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review.
Casares expands the clean, tender prose of his debut collection, Brownsville, into a winning novel. In an American town just north of the Mexican border, the estranged Rosales brothers are equally ambivalent and inwardly volatile. Don Fidencio is snappish, sickly and endearing: he refuses to admit his own incontinence, smokes cigarettes against his nurses' wishes and identifies people, often cruelly, by their physical appearances (such as The Gringo With The Ugly Finger). Meanwhile, his widower brother, Celestino, a diabetic, feels adrift toward the edge of a flat world. He's slowly drawn out, thanks to his Mexican cleaning woman, Socorro, who travels from the other side every day, wishing that the geographical and social borders between them could be gently... swept aside. The mysterious reason for the brothers' estrangement forces the three characters to push back from one another outwardly while returning, internally, to their own weaknesses, and their distinct voices pick up the thread of narration so easily that, from even mundane details, it's plain to see how love, borders, death—and most of all, willful ignorance—are part of everyday reawakenings. With Casares's blessing, you can laugh at them all. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

More Reviews
"Oscar Casares' AMIGOLAND, his first novel and a follow-up to his much-acclaimed book of short stories, Brownsville, is a liberating journey full of warmth and color....The group's impromptu trip to Mexico feels like a refreshing, rejuvenating trip for the reader as well as the characters. And the ending? Bittersweet, unexpected and undeniably precious. All told, AMIGOLAND is full of new friends and makes for perfect summer reading." (Bookpage)

"Knowing, touching and true." (Kirkus *starred review*)

"By turns hilarious and heart-breaking, this story of two feisty, aging brothers and their bumpy road trip to the past is a delightful romp. Think "Sunshine Boys" go south of the border, but funnier, much funnier, and infinitely more poignant." (Cristina Garcia, author of Dreaming in Cuban and A Handbook to Luck)

The 4-1-1 on 2-1-1

2009-08-12T08:41:00.001-07:00

I originally posted this entry back in February of this year. However since our blog has spiked in interest since then (whoo hoo! keeping recommending us to your friends!), I thought a reposting might be in order.

The United Way is helping Rhode Islanders get connected to the resources they need thanks to a new program called 2-1-1.

What is 2-1-1?
It's an easy to remember phone number and website linking users in need to available health and human service programs. From the single mother needing food for her children to the senior citizen looking for in-home care, United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island brings people and services together.

What will United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island do?
They deliver comprehensive information and referral services, free of charge and 24/7/365, to the public by telephone, through the Internet and in print publications, in any language.

What can services can they connect you with?
After-school programs, Alzheimer's resources, basic needs - food, shelter, child care/health services, consumer protection, counseling, crisis intervention, disability services, domestic violence programs, donating food, clothing, etc., emergency shelter, energy/utility assistance, family counseling, financial assistance, health care/insurance, HIV/AIDS testing, homelessness, housing or rent assistance, job training, legal assistance, mentoring opportunities, parenting education programs, problem gambling, senior services/elder care, substance abuse programs, suicide prevention, transportation assistance, veterans services, and volunteer opportunities.

So dial 2-1-1 on your phone or click here and start getting the information you need to help create a better tomorrow!

Library Closed

2009-08-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

In observance of VJ Day, we will be closed Monday, August 10th.
We will reopen on Tuesday, August 11th.

New Arrival!

2009-08-05T07:27:00.000-07:00

Amateur Barbarians by Robert Cohen

This book is getting some rave reviews and is worth a look!

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review.
Artfully juxtaposing two contrasting personalities (as he did in Inspired Sleep), Cohen explores the terrain of male middle age in a novel that keenly observes the dissatisfactions of contemporary life. Teddy Hastings, the 53-year-old principal of a New England middle school, yearns for a grand adventure that would celebrate his manhood. Restless and impulsive, Teddy unwittingly causes a scandal that lands him briefly in jail. Disgraced and forced to take a sabbatical, Teddy leaves his wife, Gail, behind and flies to Ethiopia, where his college dropout daughter is working with orphans. Meanwhile, Oren Pierce, the younger man appointed in Teddy's absence, skitters through life in the same manner he has always done: perennially uncommitted, congenitally irresolute, though he is eventually forced to confront the limits of his desultory lifestyle. (Gail comes into play, as well.) Teddy's sojourn in Africa is the most dynamic part of the book, though it is Gail who acts as the novel's fulcrum; witty, sensual, focused and centered in reality, she remains an indelible figure as the two men in her orbit are diminished by the collapse of their dreams and expectations. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"Hey, Stinky Feet" @ MPL!

2009-08-04T16:10:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to run a marathon, to get your feet all stinky? Well pull up a chair (and some medicated foot powder too!) and let me tell you about a cool thing we got happenin' at our very happenin' library.

On Wednesday, August 19th at 6:00PM the Middletown Public Library will welcome writer, martial artist and athlete extraordinaire Alexander Loudon! She be on site to give a FREE seminar called "Hey, Stinky Feet" (brilliant name, no?) based on her latest book. The seminar and book are aimed at helping you run your first marathon safely! She will take you from the couch to the finish line, giving you all the information you need to achieve your dream!

To learn more about Alexander, check out her very impressive biography.

Free Stuff!!

2009-08-03T07:44:00.001-07:00

This entry is originally from January of this year. But because I'm getting lots of questions about museums and other cool/fun stuff to do on the cheap, I thought I would repost it.

Did you know the Middletown Public Library has discount passes to some amazing museums in Rhode Island AND Massachusetts? Well we do!

We provide passes and coupons to a variety of educational and cultural destinations throughout little Rhody and our sister state to the north. Passes and coupons can be obtained at the Circulation Desk.

So what passes do we have?

Audubon Society of Rhode Island, Bristol, RI & Seekonk, MA
Pass admits 2 adults and 4 children under the age of 18

Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum, Bristol, RI
Pass admits 2 adults and 6 children under the age of 18

Children's Museum, Providence, RI
Coupon allows free admission for up to 4 people

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
Coupon admits 2 adults at $8.00 each and discounted admission to special exhibits

Museum of Science, Boston, MA
Coupon admits up to 4 people at $5.00 each

New England Aquarium, Boston, MA
Coupon admits up to 4 people at $8.00 each - not valid July and August

Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
Pass allows 2 adults free admission and 10% discount in the museum store

Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence, RI
Pass admits up to 4 people at below prices:
July and August: $9.00 adults, $5.00 children/Rest of the year: $6.00 adults, $3.00 children

So gather up your friends and family and go see something wonderful!

(Please remember that passes cannot be reserved or renewed. Overdue fine is $5.00 per day. And if the pass is lost or damaged full replacement cost is charged.)

Recommendation from the Librarian

2009-08-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

Grey Gardens, a film by Albert and David Maysles

I watched this documentary about a year ago and WOW! HBO recently produced a fictionalized account of the life of Edith "Big Edie" Bouvier Beale and her daughter, Edith "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange; that film was based on this cult classic. If you've seen that movie or want to know more about Jackie O.'s eccentric family then this is a MUST SEE!

SUMMARY
Meet Big and Little Edie Beale—high-society dropouts, mother and daughter, reclusive cousins of Jackie O.—thriving together amid the decay and disorder of their ramshackle East Hampton mansion. An impossibly intimate portrait and an eerie echo of the Kennedy Camelot, Albert and David Maysles’s 1976 Grey Gardens quickly became a cult classic and established Little Edie as a fashion icon and philosopher queen. Thirty years later, the filmmakers revisited their landmark documentary with a sequel of sorts, The Beales of Grey Gardens, culled from hours of never-before-seen footage recently found in the filmmakers’ vaults.

Roam (or Rome) If You Want To!

2009-07-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

Lonely Planet is an awesome website whether you plan on sight-seeing or just want to see a site! This website offers users information (and inspiration!) on travel, tips to ensure an awesome vacation experience and destination information to help you plan that perfect getaway.

Lonely Planet produces not only a website, but also: travel guide books including specialist activity guides, shoestring guides and phrasebooks: a television series called Lonely Planet Six Degrees: and webisodes on their travel video site. Lonely Planet has established a valuable online community of independent travellers, allowing travellers to upload and watch their own video as well as view videos created by Lonely Planet.

Its a pretty cool site even if you plan on having a stay-cation!

New Arrival!

2009-07-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

Do you love a good vampire story? Looking for a new series with some "bite"? Then this one's for you!

The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Book Description

The visionary creator of the Academy Award-winning Pan's Labyrinth and a Hammett Award-winning author bring their imaginations to this bold, epic novel about a horrifying battle between man and vampire that threatens all humanity. It is the first installment in a thrilling trilogy and an extraordinary international publishing event.

They have always been here. Vampires. In secret and in darkness. Waiting. Now their time has come.

In one week, Manhattan will be gone. In one month, the country.

In two months--the world.

A Boeing 777 arrives at JFK and is on its way across the tarmac, when it suddenly stops dead. All window shades are pulled down. All lights are out. All communication channels have gone quiet. Crews on the ground are lost for answers, but an alert goes out to the CDC. Dr. Eph Goodweather, head of their Canary project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats, gets the call and boards the plane. What he finds makes his blood run cold.

In a pawnshop in Spanish Harlem, a former professor and survivor of the Holocaust named Abraham Setrakian knows something is happening. And he knows the time has come, that a war is brewing . . .

So begins a battle of mammoth proportions as the vampiric virus that has infected New York begins to spill out into the streets. Eph, who is joined by Setrakian and a motley crew of fighters, must now find a way to stop the contagion and save his city--a city that includes his wife and son--before it is too late.

Recommendation from the Librarian

2009-07-28T14:17:00.001-07:00

The Wrestler starring Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood.

Last night I watch this AMAZING film!

Summary
His sense of identity fading into nothingness after the spotlights dim and he experiences a close brush with mortality, a retired wrestler begins to evaluate his life while considering the comeback that could very well kill him in director Darren Aronofsky's poignant portrait of an introspective former superstar in the twilight of his career. Back in his heyday, wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was an icon in the ring. His image immortalized in action figures and video games, he would headline arenas across the globe. Twenty years later, those glory days have passed, and Randy is forced to earn his keep by brawling before handfuls of fans in high school gyms and community centers around New Jersey. In the wake of a heart attack, the former icon attempts to earn a little extra cash while working in a deli and making an effort to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter, Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood). Yet, despite Randy's continued attempts at convincing local stripper Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) to settle down with him in his humble trailer, the ring still calls to him. Later, when the prospect of a high-profile rematch with his longtime nemesis presents itself, Randy is forced to weigh his mortality against his desire to hear the crowd roar one last time. The Wrestler snagged two Oscar nominations, one for Best Actor (Rourke) and one for Best Supporting Actress (Tomei). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

If the summary hasn't convinced you that this is a truly great film, click here to read the outstanding review by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Roger Ebert.

Wait! What'd I Miss?!

2009-07-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

Have you ever bumped into a friend on the street who gushed about this totally cool program that happened at his/her library? Did you get green with envy and think "Darn it! I wish I would have known about that!" Why not sneak a peak at other RI public library websites so you can find out what else is happening in this magnificent state.

Rhode Island Public Library Web Sites is the best place online to find out what is happening at your local library. The site lists the homepages for EVERY public library in Rhody. Surfers can find out information such as programs for adults, teens and tots, library hours, community events - - its all there!

Click on any one of the links to go to the website of an Ocean State library. It's safe surfing and fun ahead for all who are willing to dive into this awesome ocean!

Locals Make Documentary

2009-07-23T16:07:00.000-07:00

Here's more proof (as if we needed it) that Rhody folks are some of THE coolest folks on the planet. This site was passed along to me by the very proud parents of an amazing Middletown photographer who's on the adventure of a lifetime with some other Rhodies! These brave men and one woman are heading to the Northwest Passage to document what is happening both environmentally and politically to this elusive maritime route through the Arctic and Canadian Archipelago.

Over 100 years after the Northwest Passage was finally transformed by Roald Amundsen from the realm of legend, it is once again being viewed as a gateway to riches. According to the U.S. Geological survey, the Arctic contains 1/4 of the world's undiscovered energy resources. The sovereignty of the Arctic is in dispute, with five countries - Canada, Russia, the United States, Norway and Denmark - being recognized under international law. A race among these nations is underway for the Arctic's fish, diamonds, shipping routes and oil.

Hole in the Wall Productions has assembled a team of sailors, divers and filmmakers uniquely suited to not only take on the challenges of an Arctic expedition, but to capture it on film in dramatic and compelling ways that highlight environmental and political issues surrounding the Passage.

The site includes a very cool blog detailing the crew's planned route, their current location, recently taken film clips and journal entries about the day-to-day happenings of this adventurous group. Don't forget to sign up to receive email news and announcements (a link is provided at the bottom of the homepage).

So check it out! WHOO HOO! Rhody folks are so terribly cool!

On Order Now!

2009-07-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

Amateur Barbarians by Robert Cohen

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Artfully juxtaposing two contrasting personalities (as he did in Inspired Sleep), Cohen explores the terrain of male middle age in a novel that keenly observes the dissatisfactions of contemporary life. Teddy Hastings, the 53-year-old principal of a New England middle school, yearns for a grand adventure that would celebrate his manhood. Restless and impulsive, Teddy unwittingly causes a scandal that lands him briefly in jail. Disgraced and forced to take a sabbatical, Teddy leaves his wife, Gail, behind and flies to Ethiopia, where his college dropout daughter is working with orphans. Meanwhile, Oren Pierce, the younger man appointed in Teddy's absence, skitters through life in the same manner he has always done: perennially uncommitted, congenitally irresolute, though he is eventually forced to confront the limits of his desultory lifestyle. (Gail comes into play, as well.) Teddy's sojourn in Africa is the most dynamic part of the book, though it is Gail who acts as the novel's fulcrum; witty, sensual, focused and centered in reality, she remains an indelible figure as the two men in her orbit are diminished by the collapse of their dreams and expectations.

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"I'm BORED!"

2009-07-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

Now that summer is finally, truly here (ignore today's weather) are you looking for some memorable activities to do with the Short People*?

The Rhode Island Family Guide is a website and FREE guide book that gives families in RI listings of resources for fun, adventure and well-being here in the Ocean State.

The site and guide books offer sections on family fun destinations, activities, health care, safety & emergency, shopping, camping and MORE!

The 2009 guide books are available at many state institutions including this awesome library. So stop by our Circulation Desk and ask for your free copy.

*Definition of Short People: The adorable, sweet faced little people who live in your house and constantly announce their boredom despite having access to a room full of toys and a backyard the size of a wildlife preservation.

See a Book, Take a Book. Have a Book, Give a Book.

2009-07-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

Longtime patrons know about the Paperback Honor Books. For those of you who don't, lemme tell ya about 'em!

Our Paperback Honor Books are books that anyone (patrons and non-patrons) can take out without checking out. That's right! Simply walk over to our THREE spinning book carousels (located near the reference computers) and grab paperback copies of recent bestselling titles by today's most popular authors. And since there is no check-out, you are not required to have a library card. What a great option for when you forget your library card or have out-of-state, book-loving guests!

You may be asking yourself, "If I don't check these books out, how do I know when they are due?" This is the AWESOME part! These books are due whenever you want to return them. 2 days? 2 months? Never? Whenever! There's no late fee or charges.

And if this inspires you, we welcome you to donate your gently used paperbacks so we can keep this collection growing.

Funny Fun Fact

2009-07-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist this.

Did you know that Booksellers Magazine (this is an awesome geek mag geared towards all book lovers) runs an annual Oddest Book Title contest?

Here's the BRILLIANT list of this years nominees!

• 'Baboon Metaphysics' by Dorothy L Cheney and Robert M Seyfarth.

• 'Curbside Consultation of the Colon' by Brooks D Cash.

• 'The Large Sieve and its Applications' by Emmanuel Kowalski.

• 'Strip and Knit with Style' by Mark Hordyszynski.

• 'Techniques for Corrosion Monitoring' by Lietai Yang.

And the *winner* is (drum roll please!)....

• 'The 2009-2014 World Outlook for 60-milligram Containers of Fromage Frais' by Professor Philip M. Parker.

And if that wasn't enough silliness for you check out some of the "unlucky" titles that failed to make the list:

'Excrement in the Late Middle Ages'
'Tiles of the Unexpected: A Study of Six Miles of Geometric Tile Patterns on the London Underground',
'All Dogs Have ADHD' (This one is my PERSONAL favorite and it was clearly robbed of it's spot on the top six!)

While we don't carry any of these titles in the OSL system, email me at ChristinaWolfskehl@yahoo.com and I will gladly order you them through our out-of-state interlibrary loan service. I mean this. Honestly! I REALLY want to see that 'All Dogs Have ADHD' book!

Be Creative @ Your Library

2009-07-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

There are some really wonderful things happening RIGHT NOW at our library.

AWESOME PRIZES!

1. You can "Be Creative @ Your Library" by reading 5 books or more. For older kids, reading 100 pages counts as 1 book.

2. Write the title of every book that you read into your folder. Roll the dice to get your question number. When you've answered your question, put a color dot on your paint palette!

3. When you've got at least 5 colors, you qualify for a READING CERTIFICATE, a PAPERBACK BOOK and a BAG of PRIZES to boost your creativity!!

FREE PROGRAMS!
Tickets will be available beginning the Monday one week prior to each performance:

Monday 7/20 Keith Munslow, Artist/Musician
Friday 7/31 Great Baldini, Magician
Thursday 8/13 Creative "Mad Scientist"

All shows begin at 10:30am

FREE CRAFTS!
Limited enrollment! Sign up the week before each workshop.

Wednesday 7/22 "Be Creative" with Origami
Wednesday 7/29 "Be Creative" with Beads

All programs begin at 10:30am

Free Passes!
To Roger Williams Zoo, Providence Children's Museum, Green Animals, Casey and Watson Farms, Quonset Air Museum, Butterfly Zoo, South County Museum, Audubon Society of RI, Fort Adams, First Beach Carousel, McDonald's Restaurants and MORE!

New Arrival! (This Just In!)

2009-07-14T14:41:00.003-07:00

My Abandonment by Peter Rock

Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The engaging but limited perspective of 13-year-old Caroline, the hillbilly girl that lived in the park, reveals a highly circumscribed world. When first met, Caroline and Father are scavenging for materials to make a shelter in the forest park outside of Portland, Ore., where they seem to be hiding out. They make cautious trips into the city to the supermarket and the library, but a lapse by Caroline brings police attention, and they are taken into custody. Jean Bauer, whose profession is unclear, helps Father secure employment and brings pots and pans and school clothes for Caroline. Who are these two? Caroline walks past posters with my face on them, my old name, and no one sees me. Father says: If I weren't your father... how could I have walked right into your backyard and walked away with you and no one said a word? This is a tale of survival, of love and attachment, of mystery and alienation. It is an utterly entrancing book, a bow to Thoreau and a nod to the detective story. Every step of this narrative, despite providing more questions than answers, rings true. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Library Journal (Starred Review)
[A] deeply unsettling and finely wrought tale....Rock deftly ratchets up the uncertainties, and the idyllic edges past the unusual toward the unthinkable and the tragic. My Abandonment is a haunting story, masterfully told. -- Booklist. The novel has many uneasy moments and allusions to stories left untold in Caroline's life, but Rock's insight into his characters' worries and hopes propels the story to its emotional conclusion. A compelling read; recommended for all fiction collections.

New Arrival! (This Just In!)

2009-07-14T14:41:00.001-07:00

Connect to the Catalogue

2009-07-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

Our homepage is down, but will be up soon, we promise! (Hey, have I ever broken my word to you?) Until then if you want to check out our amazing and ever-growing collections please go to: http://catalog.oslri.net/. You'll be able to search the Ocean State Libraries Catalog for books, videos, CDs, periodicals, eBooks, and more!

YA Summer Reading: Nip It in the Bud!

2009-07-08T09:06:00.000-07:00

Hey there all you tweens and teens! I know summer has just begun and the last word you want to hear out of anyone's mouth is "homework"...but you know you do have some summer reading to do, right?

Why not start now? It's a perfect time to get this done. It's raining cats and dogs and there's only so much Wii one can play on any given day. Plus waiting until the last second will guarantee all copies of the book are checked out. (BOO!) Then you'll have to spend that hard-earned summer-job money buying a copy of the book at B&N. (Double BOO!)

And it's so ridiculous easy to get that summer reading book. Seriously, I'm talking 4-steps easy. Just grab your library card and dial 846-1573. (That's the library's phone number so no prank calls you cheeky lads and lasses!)

1.) Tell the librarian you would like to order a book.
2.) Give the librarian the title and author.
3A.) If it's available in the library, ask that it be pulled and left at the Circulation Desk for pick-up.
3B.) If it's not available in the library, ask that a copy of the book is shipped to MPL.
4.) Thank your super-awesome and very humble librarian.

So until Mother Nature figures out RI is not WA, use these soggy days as inspiration to stay indoors and get that summer reading done!

New Arrival!

2009-07-07T14:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a delightful chick lit novel for you. Heartbreak, betrayal and humor. How can you resist?

The Penny Pinchers Club by Sarah Strohmeyer

Summary
When Kat discovers that her husband, Griff, has been hiding a secret bank account, her joyful consumerism suddenly loses its appeal. Are their fights about money more serious than she understood? Is he, as her friends suggest, preparing for a divorce? Just in case, Kat decides it's time to start saving and she joins an eclectic but lovable group of savers called the Penny Pinchers Club who teach her that saving time with family is as important as saving money. An irresistible and wonderfully warm-hearted novel about the unexpected ways hardship can lead to happiness.

To learn more about the author, visit her website!

New Arrival!

2009-06-30T15:15:00.000-07:00

How I Became a Famous Novelist by Steve Hely

From Publishers Weekly
Biting, hilarious and improbably affectionate, comedy writer Hely's debut skewers the literary world with a sendup of the quest to write the Great American Novel. Words are Pete Tarslaw's thing, and after watching a bestselling novelist prattle on about the truth, his calling and other ridiculous ideas on TV, Pete concludes that the sole way to save face at his ex-girlfriend's upcoming wedding is to become a famous novelist himself. His quest to construct a by-the-numbers bestseller is guided by rules like "At dull points include descriptions of delicious meals and where to live (An easy way to get credibility as an author is to live someplace rugged), though the real adventure starts once he bags $15,000 for The Tornado Ashes Club: his dance card is full of one-night stands, dizzying meet-and-greets with Hollywood big shots and appearances at grad schools. Meanwhile, Pete senses his moral barometer plummet as his Amazon ranking rises. Granted, Hely's shooting at some pretty easy targets that have been hit before, but it's hard not to love the way he does it with such merciless zeal. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reviews
“Biting, hilarious, and improbably affectionate.”—Publishers Weekly

“A hilarious send-up of literary pretensions and celebrity culture. . . . Will hit close to home for publishers, writers, and readers.”—Bob Minzesheimer, USA Today

“A satiric, facetious, and laugh-out-loud funny first novel.”—Kirkus (starred review)

Trips on a Tankful

2009-06-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

Although stories about the economic crisis are becoming fewer and farther between, many of us are still watching our wallets like hawks. We want (o wait! make that NEED) to vacation without putting ourselves into the poor house. So how do you get that invigorating "just vacationed" feeling without breaking the bank? Take a trip on a tankful!

Visit Rhode Island offers some great ideas of day trips, links to tourist information centers all across Rhody, maps, contests, you name it! The site is meant to promote the awesomeness that is Rhode Island and to alert you to all the wonderful local fun stuff and businesses happening in our very happening state.

So go ahead: take a day trip with the loved ones and feel like a new person when Monday rolls around again!

Just Arrived! Great Debut Novel!

2009-06-15T07:45:00.000-07:00

You or Someone Like You by Chandler Burr

Summary
Anne Rosenbaum leads a life of quiet Los Angeles privilege, the wife of Hollywood executive Howard Rosenbaum and mother of their seventeen-year-old son, Sam. Years ago Anne and Howard met studying literature at Columbia—she, the daughter of a British diplomat from London, he a boy from an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn. Now on sleek blue California evenings, Anne attends halogen-lit movie premieres on the arm of her powerful husband. But her private life is lived in the world of her garden, reading books.

When one of Howard's friends, the head of a studio, asks Anne to make a reading list, she casually agrees—though, as a director reminds her, "no one reads in Hollywood." To her surprise, they begin calling: screen-writers; producers, from their bungalows; and agents, from their plush offices on Wilshire and Beverly. Soon Anne finds herself leading an exclusive book club for the industry elite. Emerging gradually from her seclusion, she guides her readers into the ideas and beauties of Donne, Yeats, Auden, and Mamet, with her brilliant and increasingly bold opinions. But when a crisis of identity unexpectedly turns an anguished Howard back toward the Orthodoxy he left behind as a young man, Anne must set out to save what she values above all else: her husband's love.

At once fiercely intelligent and emotionally grip-ping, You or Someone Like You confronts the fault lines between inherited faith and personal creed, and, through the surprising transformation of one exceptional, unforgettable woman, illuminates literature's power to change our lives.

Review
"Smart, literate, and humane...deftly melds an entertaining tour through...the culture of the moment with an original investigation into the timeless themes of great literature and the painful, private fault lines of deep marital love. In the process, he creates a heroine that few readers will forget." (John Burnham Schwartz, author of The Commoner and Reservation Road)

"Provocative...weighs in on the issue of identity politics and also makes a powerful case for why great books are a great danger to small minds." (NPR's Fresh Air )

"You Or Someone Like You is a pitch-perfect, often very funny novel about why, in this crazy world, we still bother to read. It's for anyone who defiantly clings to the belief that a book can change our lives." (David Ebershoff, author of The 19th Wife and The Danish Girl)

"In his first, well crafted and thoroughly enjoyable novel, New York Times scent critic Chandler Burr presents a sweeping spectrum, set in Hollywood, of contemporary religious and social issues...it is well worth the read." (Jewish Book World)

"A true celebration of intellect.examines the personal decision each of us must make to run from, or embrace, our identity." (Publishers Weekly)

"A savvy novel that deals with Hollywood from a cultural rather than a tabloid perspective." (Kirkus Reviews *starred*)

"[Burr's] field work serves the novel well, with depictions of Los Angeles culture that feel spot-on...It's a genuine thrill to read what people like Albert Brooks, to give just one of many examples, might think of Jude the Obscure..." (Time Out New York)

And Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program...

2009-06-12T13:09:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the break. It's been almost one week since I've updated our blog. But I'm back and I've got something for ya (don't I always?). Here's a new mystery we just ordered and you will love it!

Last Known Address by Theresa Schwegel

Summary

Detective Sloane Pearson is new to the Sex Crimes Division but no stranger to being treated like an incompetent blonde by her hardened male co-workers. She’s also no stranger to hard-to-crack cases, and her latest is as tough as they come: A rapist is on the prowl, dragging women to deserted building sites or vacant apartment buildings peppered all over downtown Chicago, and forcing them to fight---knowing, of course, that he’ll win.

When a real estate agent Sloane knows is attacked by the violent predator, Sloane finds herself taking a case that threatens her secret plans to leave her long-time lover. Her personal bond with the victim and a would-be relationship with a man she interviews along the way lead Sloane down a dangerous path---one that poisons the investigation as well as her personal life.

Sloane’s balancing act topples when her father falls ill. Between coping with his weak heart and following the few weak leads she has, her case begins to go the way that many rape cases go: The victims fall away, one by one, suddenly unsure of what they saw or unwilling to relive the horrifying moments again and again.

When Sloane helps a hungry young Sun-Times reporter declare the case serial, she loses support: Her bosses demand she get a suspect or move on. Sloane stays on the case, though---no matter how much it strains her personal relationships. Even her partner claims she’s in too deep: He doesn’t believe there’s an arrest on the planet worth a cop’s life. Sloane disagrees: Someone’s got to take up the fight.

From the worst slums of Chicago’s west side to the glittering Loop skyscrapers, Sloane finds no shortage of suspects. As she loses everything she’d called home, she can only hope to find the rapist before she also becomes a victim.

Alas Dear Reader, a Great Sadness Fall Upon Us...

2009-06-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

Blah. Blech. Yuck.

Okay, I've officially "had it" with this weather! It's June 6th and I want to get a sunburn. I want the backs of my thighs to helplessly stick to the vinyl seats in my car. I want to complain about the unbearable humidity like the dutiful New Englander I am! And thus far I have not been able to do any of my traditional summer activities yet. I'm starting to become logy (great word, no?). Then I thought if I'm logy, you might be logy too. So that makes for a logy party of two. And what if a great number of other people are feeling logy as well? Oh my! That's a disturbing amount of logy for little Rhody.

Thus to combat the vast, mass loginess abounding in the Ocean State, let's watch this silly video.

Now don't you feel better?

New Arrival!

2009-06-04T14:13:00.001-07:00

Do Not Deny Me: Stories by Jean Thompson

Do you love David Sedaris? (You do?! Yet another reason I liked you!!) Here's a wonderful new author (fiction, mind you) for you to read.

Product Description
Jean Thompson, heralded as "America's Alice Munro...one of the best contemporary short-story writers" by Kirkus Reviews, delivers twelve exquisite new stories that combine her beloved trademarks of dark humor, seductively sharp wit, and uncanny observations on human nature. Do Not Deny Me is a fictional primer on how Americans live day to day: Thompson's characters -- a middle manager in the midst of midlife crisis, an urban single visiting her best friend turned suburban mother, a grieving woman looking for guidance -- are instantly recognizable in their predicaments, foibles, and sensibilities.

A brilliantly wrought exploration of the myriad circumstances that Americans are experiencing right now, this superlative collection perfectly captures the joys and amusements, trials and sorrows of its fictional inhabitants. Do Not Deny Me should be savored, word by word.

For more information about Jean Thompson, check out her website.

New Arrival!

2009-06-03T08:39:00.000-07:00

Perpetual Check by Rich Wallace

This is a gem of a book that only 3 libraries in Rhode Island own. And we've got it!

Summary
Randy is a chubby ninth grader with a Cub Scout hair cut who guesses M&M colors with his eyes closed and makes up words. He’s also a chess whiz who has defeated his older brother Zeke in nine of their last ten matches. Zeke is a high school senior, a soccer champ, and a chess natural who can beat just about anyone if he decides to really concentrate. So why is his loser little brother the better athlete, the better chess player, and the first to have a girlfriend?

The competition heightens when both Randy and Zeke qualify for the Northeast Regional of the Pennsylvania High School Chess Championships (Randy is seeded, Zeke is not)—and play their way right into a brother-to-brother final round. Told in alternating points of view between brothers, Rich Wallace’s new novel brings to life one of America’s favorite pastimes in a suspenseful story about competition and family loyalty.

Rich Wallace is the author of several books for young adults, including One Good Punch, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; and Wrestling Sturbridge, an ALA Quick Pick. He lives in Pennsylvania.

Review from Booklist
Two brothers endure a weekend chess tournament in this novel told in alternating viewpoints. Zeke, a high-school senior, has an edgier personality than his brother, Randy, a freshman who takes a relaxed, humorous, and savvy approach to life. The brothers are not helped by their jerk of a father, who spouts off clichés glorifying aggression. Both brothers’ voices describe Zeke’s gradual realization that emulating his angry and shallow father will get him nowhere, in chess or in his relationships. Eventually, the brothers meet in a match and grow closer through the experience. Wallace makes a subtle connection between the ability to see potential moves on a board and the ability to see the truth of life, and he tells his story in a series of revealing details. Wisely, he doesn’t let the story go on too long and offers a short novel that presents a fascinating study of two fully formed characters.
Grades 8-11.
--Todd Morning

Young Adult Summer Pen Pal Program

2009-06-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

A very cool thing is happening in RI thanks to the amazing Aaron C., Young Adult librarian at Greenville Public Library. Aaron is putting together a YA summer pen pal program for teens 11-18 years old. And we are talking old school pen-pal'ing. Paper and pen! (Come on, you know you want to try it. See how old people did it way back in the 1980s.)

Here's the 411:

~Fill out an introductory letter form* and turn it in to the MPL Reference Department by July 3rd. (*Forms are available in the YA section or email ChristinaWolfskehl@yahoo.com for a copy.)

~Aaron C. (the YA librarian I mentioned above) will match you with someone your age who has the same interests. Your pen pal will be from another town or city in Rhode Island.

~Check back after July 14th to find out who your pen pal partner is.

~Write letters to your pen pal and turn them in at the Reference Desk. (Don't worry! The letters are only read by your snail-mail buddy. We just save you the postage when we forward them to your pen pal.)

~I will email/call when you receive a new letter from your pen pal.

So whaddaya say? Take a break from texting and try connecting with someone the old fashion way.

Recommendation from the Librarian

2009-05-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

Good Night, and Good Luck [DVD]

I want to make it abundantly clear: this recommendation has nothing to do with my ever-growing Robert Downey, Jr. obsession (although he is brilliant in the movie). My recommendation is based purely on the fact this is a great film.

Good Night, and Good Luck, directed by George Clooney (that's right, Dr. Doug Ross!), garnered some notable nominations at the 2006 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. It is a worthwhile film. Trust me!

Summary
The film takes place in the 1950's America, during the early days of broadcast journalism. It chronicles the real-life conflict between television newsman Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee. With a desire to report the facts and enlighten the public, Murrow, and his dedicated staff - headed by his producer Fred Friendly and Joe Wershba in the CBS newsroom - defy corporate and sponsorship pressures to examine the lies and scaremongering tactics perpetrated by McCarthy during his communist 'witch-hunts'. A very public feud develops when the Senator responds by accusing the anchor of being a communist. In this climate of fear and reprisal, the CBS crew carries on and their tenacity will prove historic and monumental.

The film stars David Strathairn, Robert Downey, Jr., Patricia Clarkson, Ray Wise, Frank Langella, Jeff Daniels, George Clooney, Tate Donovan, and Tom McCarthy.

Clean Your House; Better Your Community

2009-05-28T14:38:00.000-07:00

Have you started your Spring Cleaning and have lots and lots of books, CDs, and DVDs that are looking for a good home? Want Uncle Sam to give you a tax deduction for those materials*? Why not donate those materials to the Middletown Public Library?

Donations may be left at the Circulation Desk. If you'd like a receipt so you can claim this donation on your taxes, simply ask a staff member at the desk to provide you with one. It's that easy. And trust me, you'll feel better. Who doesn't love a clean house and doing good in their community?!

*Please note: the Library cannot appraise or place values on materials received as donations. Books not used for the Library’s collection are donated to the Friends of the Library's bookstore. Funds raised by the bookstore are used to support the Library.

Children's Room is Closed

2009-05-27T06:32:00.001-07:00

The Children's Room will be closed today. We are renovating it so our wonderful, short patrons have an even cooler place of their own to hang out (with great lighting and computers).

The rest of the library remains open so come on down. We're sure we can find something to keep those growing minds busy!

Cool New Website for YAs

2009-05-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

Are you smart with money? It can be hard to get a handle on the Benjamins when your after school job pays only a few Washingtons a week. Well fear not dear reader, I've found a way to raise your dollar IQ points without breaking the bank.

The Federal Trade Commission (or simply FTC to those hep cats out there in cyberspace) is the nation's consumer protection agency. This remarkable agency protects consumers like you and me from false advertising and unfair business practices. Basically these are the folks who keep a close eye on all those claims Billy Mays makes on 3am infomercials.

To prove that they aren't a bunch of unfun money geeks, the FTC just set up an experimental website called You Are Here. The site helps users become savvy consumers by demonstrating the benefits of competition, the influence of advertising on buying decisions, and the rules and regulations that many business people need to follow. Essentially this site makes you money smart and doesn't bore you to death in the process. (Why wasn't this available when I was in high school?!)

So what can you do on the site? (So glad you asked!) There's a ton of fun stuff: you can design and print advertisements, uncover suspicious claims in ads, and learn how prices are determined based on supply, demand and production costs.

So get money smart!

Library Hours for Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

In observance of Memorial Day, the library will be closed Sunday and Monday.

We will reopen Tuesday morning at 9:30am.

Just Arrived!

2009-05-20T08:44:00.001-07:00

Watchmen by Alan Moore

In honor of the impending DVD release of the film, I would like to introduce all my graphic novel lovin' YA'ers to THE BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL OF ALL TIME*!

Amazon.com Review
Has any comic been as acclaimed as Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen? Possibly only Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, but Watchmen remains the critics' favorite. Why? Because Moore is a better writer, and Watchmen a more complex and dark and literate creation than Miller's fantastic, subversive take on the Batman myth. Moore, renowned for many other of the genre's finest creations (Saga of the Swamp Thing, V for Vendetta, and From Hell, with Eddie Campbell) first put out Watchmen in 12 issues for DC in 1986-87. It won a comic award at the time (the 1987 Jack Kirby Comics Industry Awards for Best Writer/Artist combination) and has continued to gather praise since.

The story concerns a group called the Crimebusters and a plot to kill and discredit them. Moore's characterization is as sophisticated as any novel's. Importantly the costumes do not get in the way of the storytelling; rather they allow Moore to investigate issues of power and control--indeed it was Watchmen, and to a lesser extent Dark Knight, that propelled the comic genre forward, making "adult" comics a reality. The artwork of Gibbons (best known for 2000 AD's Rogue Trooper and DC's Green Lantern) is very fine too, echoing Moore's paranoid mood perfectly throughout. Packed with symbolism, some of the overlying themes (arms control, nuclear threat, vigilantes) have dated but the intelligent social and political commentary, the structure of the story itself, its intertextuality (chapters appended with excerpts from other "works" and "studies" on Moore's characters, or with excerpts from another comic book being read by a child within the story), the fine pace of the writing and its humanity mean that Watchmen more than stands up--it keeps its crown as the best the genre has yet produced. --Mark Thwaite

*Time magazine wrote "A work of ruthless psychological realism, it’s a landmark in the graphic novel medium. It would be a masterpiece in any."

For All You Cool Mamas Out There

2009-05-19T15:02:00.000-07:00

Helping people effectively surf the Internet is a great way to find some really fantastically awesome websites. (Sigh...I love being a librarian!) Here's one I came across recently, and I know we have several moms who follow the blog thus I wanted to pass this along.

Simple Mom is a site that is designed to help "home managers" live simply and stay sane. It's written by moms and the articles are practical and short. Read about green and frugal living, money management, organization, making your home a heavenly haven and MORE!

You can also get the updates on your RSS feed. (Not sure what that is? Let my web guru Lee Lefever tell ya: click here.)

E-Zone Awesomeness Right in Your Home

2009-05-18T06:34:00.000-07:00

You've heard of E-Zone, right? YOU HAVEN'T?! Well pull up a seat, dear reader, and lemme tell ya all about this fancy new technology! This is VERY cool and totally addicting! O! And you don't even need to leave your house to get it.

E-Zone is a digital media download site where you can browse, check out, and download best selling digital titles 24/7 to your PC and PDA at home, in the office or from anywhere in the world. And we are talking not only books (both audio and print), but music and movies too! Yay! Oh, did I mention...its FREE!

Using the Ocean State Libraries E-Zone is easy! If you need help, there's a quick guided tour. The guide walks you through the basics, from getting started to downloading to burning to a CD. In just a few minutes, even the newest user can be enjoying a downloaded title.

For more information about E-Zone click here or simply talk with to your nearest (and coolest) reference librarian.

COMING SOON! (On Order Now)

2009-05-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

How to Sell by Clancy Martin

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. A Canadian in 1987 goes to Texas and gets crushingly corrupted in Martin's sexy, funny and devastating debut. Bobby Clark is 16 when he leaves a dead-end setup with his single mother and grass-is-greener girlfriend, Wendy, and heads to Fort Worth to get into the fine jewelry business under the stewardship of his salesman brother, Jim. In no time, Bobby and Jim are snorting lines, Bobby's moving in on (and smoking crank with) Jim's mistress, Lisa, and getting a crash course in amazingly crooked business. Scams, bait-and-switch deals, bogus jewelry and startling treachery are day-to-day at the jewelry store, until the store's gregarious owner gets into trouble at the same time Bobby tries to save Lisa from a massive flame-out. Years later, Bobby's back in Fort Worth, married to Wendy (and with a child) and still in the jewelry business with Jim when Lisa reappears, engaged in an equally questionable if older profession. Bobby's helplessly honest narration is a sublime counterpoint to the crooked doings he's complicit in. Reading this is like watching one man's American dream turn into a soul-sucking nightmare. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reviews
“Dirty, greatly original, and very hard to stop reading.”
—Jonathan Franzen

“How to Sell is outrageous, theatrical and slicker than oil. It tells the tale of Bobby Clark, a high-school dropout who joins his older brother at a jewelry emporium in Texas. It's a festival of drugs, diamonds and sex. Quality is nice, but any drugs, any sex and any diamonds will do, because anything can be spun into something better. Prostitution, a saleswoman turned hooker suggests at one point, is a more honest kind of living than the jewelry trade (at least in this book). ‘With what I do now,’ she tells Bobby, ‘I sleep well at night.’ . . . With How to Sell, Martin has written a gem of a story. Selling it probably won't be hard. The bigger challenge for Martin might be to learn how to stop selling.”
—Louisa Thomas, Newsweek

“How to Sell is, with memorably dark comedy, a virtual handbook on fraud. The world the Clark boys build for themselves and teeter precariously upon—one driven by wads of cash, adrenaline, an indiscriminate lust for sex and money, and a misunderstanding of what in life is really at stake—is a compelling setting for Martin’s propulsive storytelling. His narration feels cinematic, the sets and scenery popping off the page. With remarkable skill as the story spools out, Martin omits just enough exposition and interior insights to keep his characters shrouded in mystery, as if constantly reminding us that we’ll always be the customer, never the insider. Speaking of customers, prepare to be a much shrewder one after reading How to Sell.”
—Rachel Rosenblit, Elle

“A timely meditation on greed and the American Dream.”
—Men.style.com

“It’s a lean and mean book, perfect for those who distrust all this recent talk about change. The kind of novel—cool and dark—that goes with you to the beach and then keeps you thinking at night.”
—Benjamin Alsup, Esquire

“Clancy Martin writes with no-nonsense punch, detailing the schemes—fake certificates, ‘antiques’—shady jewelers have been running for centuries. If the sentences in How to Sell feel lived-in, well, that’s because the author himself is a former con man, borrowing liberally from the gem-scam life before going straight (He’s a philosophy professor now; go figure.) By the time you’re hooked on the book’s insidious plot twists, concerning sibling rivalry and a meth-addicted mistress who sleeps better hooking than she does selling Faux-lexes, you’re blissfully unaware you’re downing a metaphor: No commission can buy you a soul.”
—Adam Baer, GQ

“It's hard to imagine a more seductive blurb than that delivered by Jonathan Franzen for Martin's first novel. Here goes: ‘Dirty, greatly original, and very hard to stop reading.’ Sex, of course, may sell, but Martin's wicked take on money, the jewelry business and American passions could prove to have multiple pleasures. Oh, and by the by, Martin teaches philosophy at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and bases his book, at least in part, on an earlier life as a jewelry salesman in Texas.”
—Kansas City Star

COMING SOON! On Order Now!

2009-05-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

Italian Shoes by Henning Mankell

Summary
From the prizewinning "master of atmosphere" (Boston Globe) comes the surprising and affecting story of a man well past middle age who suddenly finds himself on the threshold of renewal.

Living on a tiny island entirely surrounded by ice during the long winter months, Fredrik Welin is so lost to the world that he cuts a hole in the ice every morning and lowers himself into the freezing water to remind himself that he is alive. Haunted by memories of the terrible mistake that drove him to this island and away from a successful career as a surgeon, he lives in a stasis so complete an anthill grows undisturbed in his living room.

When an unexpected visitor alters his life completely, thus begins an eccentric, elegiac journey--one that shows Mankell at the very height of his powers as a novelist.

A deeply human tale of loss and redemption, Italian Shoes is a testament to the unpredictability of life, which breeds hope even in the face of tragedy.

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. A tragic operating room error has cost Swedish surgeon Fredrik Welin his career in this moving novel from Mankell, who's best known for his Kurt Wallander mystery series (Firewall, etc.). Welin, 66, lives on a remote island with only his dog and cat for company. His routine is abruptly shattered by the arrival of an elderly woman who proves to be Harriet Hörnfeldt, the youthful love he ditched four decades earlier. Hörnfeldt, who's dying of cancer, has sought out Welin because she wants to share a secret about their relationship. This reintroduction to the world of human emotions and interactions proves to be the first of many, leading the doctor to an awkward attempt to get absolution from the woman whose perfectly healthy arm he mistakenly amputated. Mankell displays his considerable gifts for characterization as he succeeds in making his emotionally limited lead character sympathetic. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Just Arrived!

2009-05-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

The Dope Thief by Dennis Tafoya

Are you looking for a tense, edge-of your-seat mystery from a brand new author?

Summary

Ray and his best friend, Manny, close ever since they met in juvie almost twenty years ago, have a great scam going: with a couple of fake badges and some DEA windbreakers they found at a secondhand store, they pose as federal agents and rip off small-time drug dealers, taking their money and drugs and disappearing before anyone is the wiser. It’s the perfect sting: the dealers they target are too small to look for revenge and too guilty to call the police, nobody has to die, nobody innocent gets hurt, and Ray and Manny score plenty.

But it can’t last forever. Eventually, they choose the wrong mark and walk out with hundreds of thousands of dollars, and a heavy hitter, who is more than willing to kill to get his money back, is coming after them. Now Ray couldn’t care less about the score. He wants out---out of the scam, out of a life he feels like he never chose. Whether the victim of his latest job---not to mention his partner---will let him is another question entirely.

Dennis Tafoya brings a rich, passionate, and accomplished new voice to the explosive story of a small-time crook with everything to lose in Dope Thief, his outstanding hardboiled debut.

Because I Heart Lee Lefever

2009-05-11T07:57:00.000-07:00

When you are looking for something on the Internet (and you don't have your trusty librarian sitting beside you) do you ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of information out there? Do you hit the ENTER key and get a results list that could rival War and Peace?

My computer guru Lee Lefever (remember him?) has put together a great video designed to help you get more from your web searches.

So watch it, then surf the world wide web with confidence!

Library Closed Sunday, May 10th

2009-05-09T11:53:00.001-07:00

In observance of Mother's Day the library will be closed. We will reopen on Monday.

Have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Recommendation from the Librarian

2009-05-06T06:55:00.000-07:00

Looking for a great document? I got one for you and it'll knock your knee socks off! It's totally tubular, dude!

Surfwise : The Amazing True Odyssey of the Paskowitz Family

Summary
Legendary surfer, Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz, abandoned a successful medical practice to withdraw from the lifestyle of mainstream America. But unlike other American searchers such as Thoreau and Kerouac, Paskowitz took his wife and nine children along for the ride, all eleven of them living in a 24-foot camper. The family spent their days living by Doc's rules on health, fitness, sexuality, and above all surfing. The Paskowitzs' prove that America may be running out of frontiers, but it hasn't run out of frontiersmen.

Here's a recent article on Doc from Surfer Magazine.

COMING SOON! (On Order Now)

2009-05-05T14:26:00.000-07:00

A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy by Charlotte Greig

Summary
Susannah’s official boyfriend, Jason, is the perfect foil for her student lifestyle. He is ten years older, an antiques dealer, and owns a stylish apartment that prevents her from having to live in the seedy digs on campus. This way, she can take her philosophy major very seriously and dabble in the social and sexual freedom of 1970s university life. But circumstances become more complicated than Susannah would like when she begins to have an affair with her tutorial partner, Rob. Soon she is dating two men, missing her lectures, exploring independence and feminism with her girlfriends, and finding herself in a particularly impossible dilemma: she becomes pregnant. Forced to look beyond her friends and lovers for support, she finds help and inspiration from the lessons of Kierkegaard and other European philosophers.

A Girl’s Guide to Modern European Philosophy is a delightfully insightful, bittersweet coming-of-age romp, in which love is far from platonic and the mind—body predicament a pressing reality. It even succeeds where many introductions to philosophy have failed, by effortlessly bringing to life the central tenets of the most important European philosophers of modern times.

Review
“A distinctive coming-of-age tale from a talented debut novelist based in the U.K…Susannah can be as dizzy as Bridget Jones, and her youthful confusion gives the novel much of its screwball charm. But she is also utterly serious about philosophy, and the author’s use of choice excerpts from great thinkers of the modern age sets this book apart…Women’s fiction that expects an intellectually adventurous and emotionally honest reader.”
–Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

What Is All This Twittering About?

2009-05-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun word that seems to be on everyone's lips these days: Twitter. People are talking (and talking) about Twitter. They discuss how often they Twitter, who's feeds they follow and how they unabashedly love all things Twitter. Oprah Winfrey just dedicated an entire show to it. A lot of people are using Twitter and just as many are wonderin' what it is (I'm with these people).

One of my favorite web gurus who makes everything internet sound so simple is Lee LeFever. He posts these wonderful 3 minute videos that explain everything about anything.

Here's one he made about the phenomena that is Twittering:

Edward & Bella...& Catherine?

2009-04-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

Are you obsessed with the film Twilight? Director Catherine Hardwicke has put together a book about the making of this popular teen horror/romance film.

Twilight Director's Notebook takes a look at the film through the eyes of it's director. The book is filled with never-before-seen pictures of the film and behind-the-scene's gossip!

Summary
In this intimate book, readers will follow visionary director Catherine Hardwicke through the creative process that went into transforming Stephenie Meyer’s breathtaking novel into box office gold. Designed to replicate the director’s own personal notebook that she kept on set, readers will discover the inside secrets on wardrobe, storyboard sketches, behind-the- scenes photographs, personal notes about Catherine’s favorite scenes, and much more.

Children's Room Closed Until Saturday

2009-04-28T16:18:00.000-07:00

Let's file this little news item under good news/bad news. The bad news is that our wonderful Children's Room will close on Wednesday, April 29th and reopen on Saturday, May 2nd. (I know your disappointment moms and short people, 3 days without access to great books and videos?!) The good news? We are getting new lighting in the room (ah yes, no more eye strain).

The rest of the library will be open.

Swine Flu Info

2009-04-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

At this time there are currently no confirmed cases of Swine Flu in Rhode Island and or any New England states.

Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is working with healthcare providers, schools and other state partners to increase surveillance efforts throughout the state. RIDOH’s primary goal is to protect the health of all Rhode Islanders.

According to RIDOH the best things we can do right now are:

*Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand gel.
*Cough into your elbow.
*If you are sick, stay home from work, school or day care.

Rhode Island Department of Health, in close contact with state, regional and national partners, is monitoring and assessing the reported cases of swine influenza in the United States. For a current listing of confirmed cases, visit http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/investigation.htm. For general information about the Swine Flu, visit http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/general_info.htm

Going Green? Recycling in Middletown

2009-04-27T08:20:00.000-07:00

It seems you can't pick up a newspaper or turn on the television without being bombarded by the words " going green". But what does it mean? "Going green" means to pursue knowledge and practices that can lead to more environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible decisions and lifestyles, which can help protect the environment and sustain its natural resources for current and future generations.

We all want a better planet for our children and grandchildren, right? Want to know one simple practice we can all do to ensure the future of our planet? Recycle! And Middletown has a great recycling program. Of course our savvy town leaders have placed all this information online so you can find out about: garbage and refuse ordinances, how to properly recycle yard waste, desposing of hazardous waste, used motor oil & e-waste drop off times, purchasing compost bins & rain barrels and MORE!

To learn more about it CLICK HERE!

On Order Now!

2009-04-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

Do you sometimes feel insecure about the way you look? Well meet Terra Cooper.

Summary
As he continued to stare, I wanted to point to my cheek and remind him, But you were the one who wanted this, remember? You're the one who asked-and I repeat-Why not fix your face?

It's hard not to notice Terra Cooper.

She's tall, blond, and has an enviable body. But with one turn of her cheek, all people notice is her unmistakably "flawed" face. Terra secretly plans to leave her stifling small town in the Northwest and escape to an East Coast college, but gets pushed off-course by her controlling father. When an unexpected collision puts Terra directly in Jacob's path, the handsome but quirky Goth boy immediately challenges her assumptions about herself and her life, and she is forced in yet another direction. With her carefully laid plans disrupted, will Terra be able to find her true path?

Written in lively, artful prose, award-winning author Justina Chen Headley has woven together a powerful novel about a fractured family, falling in love, travel, and the meaning of true beauty.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Sixteen-year-old Terra seems to be a typical high-achieving high-school student. Under her heavy makeup, though, she hides a port-wine colored birthmark on her cheek that makes her feel like an outsider. During yet another attempt to remove the birthmark, Terra runs into Jacob, a gorgeous Goth with a cleft-palette scar. That encounter initiates a transformation in both Terra and her subservient mother. Headley has written an exquisite book that explores the difference between physical and true beauty as Terra and her mother travel from Washington state to China, and from the home of a shame-faced, cruel cartographer into the presence of an adventurous, strong woman and her insightful teenage son. Headley uses map metaphors throughout, even in the activity, geocaching, which helps bond Terra and Jacob in both Washington and China. She also uses Terra’s artistic medium, collage, as a literary device to create layer upon layer of experiences and insights into a artfully written journey of self-discovery, self-actualization, and love. With every carefully chosen word, well-crafted sentence, and fully developed character, Headley maps out a wholly satisfying reading experience that takes readers from terra nullis to terra firma. Grades 9-12. --Frances Bradburn

Book of the Day!

2009-04-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

The "Dead" books are a very cool and funny new series by Marlene Perez that we just got in! It's like the Twilight saga, only with a kick of sass.

Book 1: Dead is the New Black
Summary: While dealing with her first boyfriend and suddenly being pressed into service as a substitute cheerleader, seventeen-year-old Daisy Giordano, daughter and sister of psychics but herself a "normal," attempts to help her mother discover who is behind a series of bizarre attacks on teenage girls in their little town of Nightshade, California.

Book 2: Dead is a State of Mind
Summary: When a gorgeous new student's prediction that a teacher will be murdered comes true, seventeen-year-old Daisy is determined to solve the crime, but when all signs point to the killer being a werewolf, she fears she is in over her head.

Book 3: Dead is So Last Year
Summary: In the beach town of Nightshade, California, home to both human and supernatural beings, the Giordano sisters find summer employment and uncover mysteries involving doppelgangers and oversized football players.

For more information on the books and/or author, check out her website!

Book of the Day!

2009-04-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

Remember when I mentioned that we had just received a cool new book that was sent in Rhode Island? Well guess what? Here's another wonderful new book that is set in Rhody.

Teaser by Jan Brogan

From Publishers Weekly
Troubles abound for Hallie Ahern in Brogan's satisfying third mystery starring the intrepid Rhode Island reporter (after 2007's Yesterday's Fatal). A chance viewing of an online teaser featuring two teen girls on Rhode Island Buzz, a social networking Web site, prompts Ahern to pitch a story to her newspaper, the Providence Chronicle. She receives initial support from her bosses, who see it as an audience-catching exposé: Online Dangers: Your teenager is prey. That promising start is quashed when the investigation puts her in conflict with boyfriend Matt Cavanaugh, an assistant attorney general, and when the paper's editors unexpectedly decide to drop her story in favor of another. The death of one of her young contacts transforms Ahern's quest from news story to crusade, setting her on a course that could cost her job and her life. Brogan's newspaper background serves her nicely in the setup of Ahern's sleuthing, and readers should welcome further entries in the series. (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Intrepid newspaper reporter Hallie Ahern returns in her third novel. When she chances upon an online video clip that seems to indicate men are picking up young girls in a chat room and filming them, Hallie pitches the story to her editors. Then the girls begin dying, and the story becomes a murder investigation. Given its subject matter, this novel is a bit darker than its predecessors, but there are still many moments of lightness and humor. Hallie is a likable protagonist, with a mixture of foibles (including a gambling addiction) that keep her from being a cookie-cutter amateur sleuth, and the author, a veteran journalist, does an excellent job of creating the environment of a newspaper. Brogan is relatively new to the mystery scene—her first novel, the stand-alone Final Copy, was published in 2001—but she displays the kind of natural talent for character, story, and suspense that should ensure a long career in the genre. --David Pitt

For more information on the author, check out her website!

It's a Miracle! Computers are Up and Running NOW!

2009-04-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our SUPERB staff our computers are back up and running! That's right my dear, wonderful patrons the computers are up TWO days ahead of schedule.

The new printing system is in place and it's working beautifully. So come on down and give it a spin. I'd be happy to walk you through it! In fact I'm looking to my right as I type this and there are a couple of open terminals just waiting for you...

Computers Down Until Thursday

2009-04-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

We have some bad news and we have some WONDERFUL news. First the bad news: our computers will be down until Thursday morning. Why you ask? We are updating them because (here's the WONDERFUL news) we are getting a new printing system installed!

WHOO HOO! Viva la technology!!!

The new printing system will allow patrons to pay as they print. That's right! No more running up to the Circulation Desk every time you hit that print button.

Hey there dear reader. Don't let the lack of computer-use keep you away from the library. Feel free to come in and I'll find you some great books in the meantime!

Book of the Day!

2009-04-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

The Geometry of Sisters by Luanne Rice

This is a very cool book we just got in! It's set in Newport, RI (Go Rhody!).

Summary
In the halls of Newport Academy, a unique private school that has attracted generations of rebels, outcasts, and visionaries, a poignant and unforgettable lesson in the eternal truths of sisterhood is about to begin for Maggie Shaw, her fourteen-year-old daughter Beck, and her sixteen-year-old son Travis.

For more information about the author and her latest book check out her blog and official website.

Library Closed: April 12th

2009-04-11T13:31:00.000-07:00

Middletown Public Library will be closed on Sunday, April 12th.

But we'll be hopping back into action on Monday!

The Search Begins: New Library Director!

2009-04-11T09:57:00.000-07:00

The Middletown Public Library is seeking an energetic and enthusiastic individual to work in collaboration with the Board of Trustees and its subcommittees, the Friends of the Library, and with state and local officials towards the continuing development of the institution as an outstanding community resource.

LOCATION: Middletown is an established community of approximately 17,500 residents, located on Aquidneck Island between the cities of Newport and Portsmouth. It is an historic town offering many cultural, educational, outdoor and recreational opportunities. The Library is a vibrant and integral part of the community.

DUTIES: Includes overseeing all Library operations, selection of materials and equipment, planning, supplemental fund raising, and supervising a staff of 15.

QUALIFICATIONS: MLS from an ALA-accredited school, supervisory experience, fiscal management skills, commitment to excellent customer service, demonstrated leadership ability, hands-on management style, experience and knowledge of automated library systems, as well as outstanding interpersonal, verbal and writing skills.

SALARY: Negotiable, commensurate with qualifications and experience. Medical and retirement plans are available.

APPLICATION: Submit resume with letter of application and three letters of reference to:
Board of Trustees
Middletown Public Library
700 West Main Road
Middletown, RI 02842
Attn: John W. Grisham

BOOKSTORE SALE

2009-04-08T10:12:00.001-07:00

Our very awesome bookstore (thank you Friends of the Library!!!!) is having a 2 for 1 sale. That's right; get two books for the price of one. O! And get this: we offer great titles at an unbelievably reduced price! (How does Barnes and Noble stay in business on this island with our great sale just down the road?!)

So what do we have? Well, we have it all. New titles, old titles and titles you weren't looking for, but simply can't do without!

So come on down! Tell 'em Chris sent you!

Bookstore Hours
Tuesday: 1pm - 5pm
Wednesday: 9:30am - 11:30am
Thursday: 1pm - 5pm
Friday: 9:30am - 11:30am
Saturday: 10am - 4 pm

COMING SOON! (On Order Now!)

2009-04-08T06:42:00.000-07:00

Give Me Back My Legions by Harry Turtledove

Are you looking for a truly wonderful historical fiction novel? Well have I got one for you!

From Publishers Weekly
Alternate history icon Turtledove probes the intrigues and battles surrounding Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar's attempts to control uprisings in Germanic lands circa A.D. 9. Caesar appoints Publius Quinctilius Varus, formerly a successful governor of Syria, to become the new governor of Germany, and Varus sets off bolstered by three legions from the overextended Roman army. Sure that he is headed for further glory, Varus is unaware that crafty Prince Armenius, who serves in the Roman army but secretly seethes in indignation at Rome's plans to make Germany another conquered territory, is planning a massive revolt. Turtledove rotates through many points-of-view, from Caesar to slaves and soldiers, to give a panoramic look at the epic battle of Teutoburg Forest, laced with telling details of ancient military life and strategy and lightened with humorous interludes. The fantastic action scenes and taut narrative make this a fine addition to the ancient Roman battles canon.

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

RESERVE YOUR COPY TODAY!

I'm Back and I Got $$$ to Spend!

2009-03-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

I have returned from my vacation (I honestly tried to bring the sunny weather back with me, but Florida airport security confiscated it during a routine check).

Just to give you wonderful readers a "heads up": I've ordered A LOT of books lately *and* I still have money in the this year's fiscal budget to order more. (Whoo hoo!) So dear readers feel free to email me any suggestion for titles, authors, or even subjects! Send the email to: ChristinaWolfskehl@yahoo.com or attach it to this post.

Remember: at MPL we want to make sure our shelves are packed with the books YOU want to read!

By The Way....

2009-03-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

I'll be on vacation until *next* Saturday. Thus, I'm expecting everyone to play nice and share their toys until I get back.

Oh, and please remember to use your inside voice...

What News Anchors Do During Commercial Breaks

2009-03-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, the video has nothing to do with MPL. However it made me laugh so much, and I immediately thought of you, dear reader!

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

RI Teen Book Award Nominees for 2010

2009-03-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

**Recommended for Middle School Students
Darkside by Thomas Becker
Jonathan’s father is in an asylum. He finds secret messages from his father that lead him to the Darkside of London that is ruled by Jack the Ripper’s children. Can he survive?

Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth
When Leela is unexpectedly widowed at age 12, her carefree life ends. But with India changing, can Leela learn what she needs to change her circumstances, too?

Schooled by Gordon Korman
When Capricorn’s hippie grandmother falls ill and she can no longer continue to homeschool him, he must attend public school and experience life with his peers for the first time.

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor
Addie lives in a small trailer with her neglectful mother, but she longs for a normal family and to live with her step-father and half-sisters.

**Recommended for All Students
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Jenna is a 17 year old who awakens from a coma after a serious accident only to learn a startling truth about herself in this novel where technology knows no bounds.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
Frankie Landau-Banks turns her boarding school's secret society traditions upside down in this fun, feminist, and highly disreputable romp!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Welcome to the Hunger Games, a Capitol-endorsed reality TV show in which Katniss can only prevail by killing the other players … even Peeta, who once saved her from starvation.

The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Celia Galante
When her grandmother takes Agnes, her brother, and her friend Honey from a religious commune, Agnes clings to faith as Honey looks toward a future free of control and cruelty.

Pemba’s Song: A Ghost Story by Tonya C. Hegamin & Marilyn Nelson
As Pemba adjusts to leaving Brooklyn for a small town, a black history specialist helps her research the ghostly images pulling her into the life of a slave who lived in her new house.

Shift by Jennifer Bradbury
When best friends Chris and Win go on a cross-country bicycle trek the summer after graduating and only one of them returns, the FBI wants to know what happened.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman
An orphan, a rebel, and a Chosen One join forces while trying to escape being unwound, a process in which a person is harvested for parts. Will Risa, Conor, and Lev escape the insanity of their society?

**Recommended for High School Students
Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway
Audrey's ex-boyfriend has written a hit song about their break-up, and now she has become an unwilling paparazzi magnet.

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
At the height of Northern Ireland ’s “troubles,” Fergus is distracted by his imprisoned brother's hunger strike, being a courier for terrorists, and the body he discovered in a bog.

Child of Dandelions by Shenaaz Nanki
In 1972, the Ugandan president gives 90 days for all Indians to exit the country. Sabine and her family try to preserve a normal life as soldiers terrorize them and people disappear.

Freeze Frame by Heidi Ayarbe
Kyle must re-examine his own memory through the eyes of famous movie directors to solve the mystery of whether he killed his best friend on purpose.

My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, & Fenway Park by Steve Kluger
Follow T.C., Augie and Alejandra for a year as they find their places in the world while navigating through new friendships and first loves.

Newes from the Dead: Being a True Story of Anne Green, Hanged for Infanticide at Oxford Assizes in 1650, Restored to the World and Died Again in 1665 by Mary Hooper
After being convicted, Anne is executed, sealed in a coffin, and awaits autopsy and dissection, but she can't awaken from a coma to stop the doctors from cutting her up alive.

Paper Towns by John Green
Quentin goes on an all-night romp with Margo, on whom he has a crush, before she disappears, leaving Q to spend his final of weeks of high school hunting down obscure clues to find her.

Streams of Babel by Carol Plum-Ucci
Six teens face a bioterrorist attack as four are infected with a mysterious disease and two computer techies assist the US Intelligence Coalition in tracking the perpetrators.

Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher
When her family's rent needs to be paid, Ruby drops out of school to be a taxi hall dancer in 1940s Chicago , where the jazz is hot and the boys are bad.

Three Little Words: A Memoir by Ashley Rhodes-CourterNine years of being tossed around in a terribly flawed foster care system could have ruined Ashley’s life forever, but three little words changed her fate.

Two Parties, One Tux, and a Very Short Film about the Grapes of Wrath by Steven Goldman
Mitch, a shy and awkward junior, negotiates the difficult social situations he encounters, both with girls and with his best friend David, after David reveals to him that he is gay.

And the Winner Is...

2009-03-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

Young adults from across Rhode Island chose Michael Scott’s The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel as their favorite book for the past year in a statewide election. As a result, Scott’s book was awarded the 2009 Rhode Island Teen Book Award. The award is sponsored by the Rhode Island Educational Media Association and the Rhode Island Library Association. Runners up for the award include Devilish by Maureen Johnson and Just Listen by Sarah Dessen.

The Alchemyst kick’s off a series, which is scheduled to have six volumes, filled with magic, mythology, and vampires, readers are introduced to Sophie and Josh Newman, the 15-year-old twin children of archeologists. They have taken summer jobs across the street from one another, Josh in a bookstore and Sophie in a coffee shop. When a sinister man in a sleek, dark car arrives to change their lives, he turns the bookstore to rubble using powerful magic. The bookstore owner turns out to be Nicholas Flamel, a 14th century alchemist, who, with his wife Perenelle, guards the secret to immortal life ... and the sinister man is Dr. John Dee, a magician/astrologer from the court of Queen Elizabeth I, who has been chasing the Flamels across time and space, determined to steal the book that gives them their powers. Josh and Sophie are immediately caught up in an epic battle between these powerful magicians and the ancient beings of myth and legend that they call upon. With Perenelle held captive and Flamel’s powers waning, the safety of the entire human race may depend on Josh and Sophie learning to use their own latent powers, but can they survive their “awakening?”

COMING SOON! (On Order Now!)

2009-03-14T13:24:00.001-07:00

Did you know that Slumdog Millionaire, the little ol' film that picked up about a trillion Academy Awards this year, is based on a book? (Aren't all the best movies these days based on great novels?)

The novel is called Q & A by Vikas Swarup.

From Booklist
Swarup's inventive debut traces the fortunes of Ram Mohammad Thomas from "Asia's biggest slum" to his sudden acquisition of enormous wealth as the biggest winner on the popular quiz show, Who Will Win a Billion? A poor, uneducated waiter, Ram is arrested after the final episode in the belief that he must have cheated. In jail he shares his hardscrabble life with his lawyer: his abandonment at birth in a used clothing bin, the church orphanage where he was dubbed an "idiot orphan boy," the foster home where children were purposely crippled and forced to beg, the estate of an Australian diplomat who was really a spy, the home of an aging Bollywood actress, and his meager waiter job. Each chapter in Ram's life provided him with a correct answer on the show, as a la Forrest Gump, he has been in the right place at the right time. Ram's funny and poignant odyssey explores the causes of good and evil and illustrates how, with a little luck, the best man sometimes wins.
--Deborah Donovan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Check It Out!

2009-03-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

Easily one of the best websites about graphic novels on the Internet is No Flying, No Tights. This website reviews graphic novels for teens. You can browse by genre (superheroes, fantasy, historical fiction, nonfiction, crime and suspense, science fiction, and "realism") or skim the "new sensation" section. Resources particularly appropriate for younger teens are starred. Updates are also available through a free email subscription service.

Read an article that was published (by one my of favorite geek magazines) about this site School Library Journal! (In the article creator Robin Brenner explains where the wacky name of the site came from.)

Reading Across Rhode Island

2009-03-05T15:08:00.000-08:00

What if every person in Rhode Island read the same book? What would we learn about ourselves? What would we learn about each other? Reading Across Rhode Island is the state’s community read. The book selected for the 2009 project is Five Skies by Ron Carlson.

Five Skies tells of the friendship that develops among three men thrown together on a bizarre building project in the isolated canyons of Idaho. With a crisp description narrative, Carlson outlines not only the transformations that take place in the three men, but also develops the setting into a fourth character. Themes for discussion include relationship between men, the value of work, environmental issues and the beauty of nature.

Here are some upcoming programs and events scheduled to celebrate this book!
*A live videoconference with Ron Carlson for schools and libraries on May 8, 2009.
*The annual May Breakfast on Saturday, May 9, 2009 at Rhodes-on-the-Pawtucket in Cranston with Ron Carlson as the guest speaker.
For more information, call Louise Moulton at 455-8134

COMING SOON!

2009-03-04T09:07:00.000-08:00

Forever Princess by Meg Cabot

Are you a big fan of the Princess Diaries movies (you know The Princess Diaries and The Princess Diaries 2)? As you probably know, these popular movies are based on a wonderful series of books by noted young adult author Meg Cabot. Ms. Cabot just released the latest Princess book and it's a great read!

Summary
Although she has recently completed a 400-page romance novel, Princess Mia, in her last month of high school, has yet to pick a college, find a prom dress, or decide if her boyfriend J. P. is really The One.

And for more on the author and her inspiration for this enchanting series go to her website!

MWAH!

2009-02-27T10:16:00.000-08:00

Before signing off for the weekend, we wanted to let you know how much we appreciate you visiting our blog. We've gotten some great feedback and we'd love more! Let us know which features you enjoy seeing! Book of the Day? Coming Soon? Fun websites? How to Videos? Let us know what you'd like to see!

Middletown Public Library wants to give our AMAZING, WONDERFUL, BRILLIANT, AWESOME, and most importantly SUPPORTIVE patrons just what they need! So let us know!

Feel free to email us here at the blog or send an email to ChristinaWolfskehl@yahoo.com.

UPDATE

2009-02-26T16:04:00.000-08:00

Remember a few weeks back when I talked about volunteering for a worthy cause? The Volunteer Center of Rhode Island and Rhode Island's AmeriCorps agency have merged to form the Rhode Island Service Alliance.

The Serve Rhode Island Volunteer Corps (Serve Corps) is a new initiative from Serve Rhode Island, whose mission is to ignite a new energy and interest in volunteerism in the Ocean State. The state's non-profit organizations are in need of help, and we are confident that Rhode Islanders will step up and answer this important call to service.

Sign up is quick and easy! Call (401) 421-6547 or go to the website. Remember: Together we can make a difference.

Featured Lists

2009-02-25T06:52:00.000-08:00

Here's something new and very cool MPL has added our catalogue: FEATURED LISTS & CURRENT TOPICS. The featured lists are what we believe to be the best (and most popular) books and material in our catalogue. These lists include New York Times Bestseller List (Fiction & Nonfiction), the latest and greatest materials on Career Changes & Skills, and all the RI Teen Book Award Nominees from 2007-2009.

By clicking on these links you can find and request some of the best materials the library has to offer.

So take a peak around our catalogue and discover something wonderful!

Hours for Library and Bookstore

2009-02-24T16:21:00.001-08:00

Since this is a common question we hear at the library, I thought I would post this:

Hours

Library:
Monday - Thursday: 9:30am-8:00pm
Friday - Saturday: 9:30am-5:00pm
Sunday: 1:00pm-5:00pm

Bookstore:
Tuesday: 1:00pm-5:00pm
Wednesday: 9:30am-11:30am
Thursday: 1:00pm-5:00pm
Satuday: 10:00am-4:00pm

COMING SOON! (On order NOW!)

2009-02-24T16:15:00.000-08:00

The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Noir master Huston (The Shotgun Rule) should win himself a whole new audience with this bizarre and utterly grotesque stand-alone, told mostly through dialogue that highlights the author's uncanny ear for the spoken word. Former Los Angeles grade school teacher Web Goodhue, now a full-time slacker suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, falls into a job on a crime scene cleanup crew, scrubbing up the remains of the recently deceased. After the crew has finished cleaning up a messy suicide scene in Malibu, Web gets a phone call from the dead man's daughter, Soledad. She and her thug half-brother have another big mess on their hands that needs cleaning, on the QT. Unable to resist the beautiful Soledad, Web soon finds himself in way over his head. Huston, one of his generation's finest and hippest talents, shows in grisly detail what cleaning up after the dead entails. This one should appeal to Chuck Palahniuk fans as well as hard-boiled crime readers. (Jan.)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

RESERVE YOUR COPY TODAY!

Book of the Day!

2009-02-23T07:56:00.000-08:00

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Do you love the new HBO television series True Blood? The new season won't begin until later this year, so why not get your fill of Sookie Stackhouse and Vampire Bill by reading the books the show is based on.

Product Description
Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life-and one of her coworkers checks out....Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea. "A fun, fast, funny, and wonderfully intriguing blend of vampire and mystery that's hard to put down, and should not be missed." (Susan Sizemore)

Praise for Charlaine Harris:
"An author of rare talents." -- Publishers Weekly

"Harris writes neatly and with assurance." -- The New York Times Book Review

"One of the year's best." -- Science Fiction Chronicle