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Librarians Are Reading...

At a recent staff meeting TSCPL staffers shared what they were reading.  Here's The First Patientthe list, with comments from the readers:

Gluten Free Girl by Shauna Ahern  --Not just your typical recipe book, but also her story.  She writes so well it's a fun read.

The First Patient by Michael Palmer  --Better than his last one, a medical thriller, an easy read and quick.

The Appeal by John Grisham --Not one of his best, different, especially the ending.

Ciao Italia Slow and Easy by Mary Ann Esposito --(a cookbook) I'm not so sure, it doesn't have very good pictures, but I am going to try a recipe from it.

Fowl Weather by Bob Tarte --It's really, really good, very involving.
Bird of Another Heaven
Antony and Cleopatra by Colleen McCullough  --Extremely historically detailed.

Bird of Another Heaven by James D. Houston  --The stuff about the last King of Hawaii is fascinating.

The Summer of Ordinary Ways by Nicole Helget --A memoir, the chapters read like short stories, full of indelible images, grim yet the writing is beautiful.

Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe --Still a really good book, really great characters, her favorite was Ophelia.

The Galton Case by Ross McDonald --An excellent hard-boiled story in the vein of Dashell HammetRepossessed.

Against the Machine by Lee Siegel  --A cultural study of the Internet and how it has affected human interactions.

Repossessed by A.M. Jenkins  --A demon vacations by possesing a human teenage boy, it takes you through what it means to be human in a fun story.  (Also a Printz honor book)

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale  --A fractured fairy tale, she loves stories like this where the female characters get to be the hero.

Posted on March 16, 2008 by Deb at 05:08 PM | | Comments (0)

Library Videographers Boost William Allen White Nominees' Exposure

Traditionally, the Kansas William Allen White (WAW) book award nominee booktalks have been performed annually by Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library staff in person at local area schools. Realizing that it is impossible to reach all students in the service area in person, Sandy Lane and Robin Clark collaborated with Topeka area gifted students to produce these highly creative videos on Youtube featuring book reviews of the current William Allen White nominees for 2007-2008. The videos include interviews from “The Dr. Dyl Show”, several inanimate object reviewers, masked anonymous book reviewers, and one with exceptional headgear.

The boost in exposure includes posting the WAW video links on local, state, regional and national library list servs, the WAW official website, online library newsletters and blogs, as well as emails to area school media specialists.

Hopes are that as students view these peer produced video reviews, they will be more interested in reading the nominees and better prepared to vote by April 15, the end date for selection of the William Allen White award for 2008.

Stay tuned for more videos to come. . .

Posted on January 08, 2008 by Robin at 02:00 PM | | Comments (0)

Thoughts on Recent Reads from our Staff

Here's what our staffer's had to say about some of their recent reads:Rhett Butler's People

An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor--"James Herriotesque, but with cruder language"
Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCraig--"Better than Scarlett, but no Gone With the Wind"
Black Monday by R. Scott Reiss (the audiobook version)--" a far fetched story that was thrilling to listen to and thought provoking"
Pontoon by Garrison Keillor--"Funny"
Before I Die by Jenny Downham--"One of the best I've read in a long time"
Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfield--"Really good, kid friendly, and easy"
World Without End by Ken Follet--"Liking it"Star of the Sea
Dexter in the Dark by Jeff Lindsay--"Disappointed"
the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher--"Great!"
Star of the Sea by Joseph O'Connor--"a really good historical"
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson--"very good, a compulsive read, the Vietnam novel to end all Vietnam novels"
The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connely--"good for a fast read"
the Close to Home cartoon collections by John McPherson--"like Gary Larsen"

And from someone who had seen the recently released movie adaptation of No Country for Old Men--"Fabulous!  Go See it!"

Posted on January 05, 2008 by Deb at 08:50 AM | | Comments (0)

The Best Books You Aren't Reading: Before I Die

Before I Die by Jenny DownhamIt's hard to believe that I haven't been awed by a book since this summer. I don't remember how I discovered this title, but whoever recommended it needs to be thanked a million times over. Despite the lackluster cover, Before I Die is somewhere in the Top 10 young adult books I've ever read.

Warning: if you are sensitive about the subject of death and dying, this book is probably not for you.

What would it be like to stare into the face of death at only 16? After fighting leukemia for four years, Tessa only has a few weeks, maybe months, to live. She decides that rather lie in bed and wait to die that she will make a list of things she wants to see or do before the end. Such things include the usual teenage proclivities of sex, drugs and petty crimes, but also falling in love, getting her parents back together and living long enough to see her best friend's baby born.

Tessa's short life made me think sharply about my own. Am I doing the things I want? What if there really was no possibility of tomorrow? What do I want most out of my life? While she comes to terms with never going to college, getting married, having children, or getting a job, she does manage to do quite a few firsts in her short time left. Although it sounds very "stop and smell the roses," Jenny Downham has crafted a truly inspiring novel that is anything but depressing.

Posted on December 28, 2007 by Meghan at 09:00 AM | | Comments (0)

Grown-ups can read William Allen White nominated books too!

SacrificeEven though I am long past the targeted age group that reads William Allen White Children’s Book Awards nominated books, I do like to read good juvenile fiction.  If you are like me, or if you have a preteen or teen that is looking for a good read, you might want to check-out The Sacrifice, by Kathleen Benner Duble. The Sacrifice is the story of Abigail Faulkner.  It is 1692 and the hysteria created by the witchcraft accusations is spreading beyond Salem.  Abigail, who is ten, lives with her family in Andover, Massachusetts.  Two of the girls involved in the trials in Salem are brought to Andover to root out witches, creating fear and suspicion between friends and neighbors.  Abigail and her family are caught in the tragedy that results from the accusations.

This novel is written for 12 to 14 year old readers.  However, there is much to recommend this book to older teens and adults.  This story explores how the accusations of witchcraft devastated not only the accused and their families, but their community as well.  It also explores how human beings often forget what they know to be true when they are afraid.

The Sacrifice is well written and grabbed my interest from the very start.  Abigail is a likeable and engaging character.  My only criticism, and it is a minor one, is that Abigail seemed older than her years.  I’m sure that children in 1692 had to grow up much faster than they do now, but to me she seemed too wise, too mature, for her age. Other than that one small complaint, I would recommend The Sacrifice to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
Reviewer, Susan Schafer

The Sacrifice by Kathleen Benner Duble is a William Allen White nominee for the 2007-2008 school year for 6-8 grade students. Kansas students vote for their favorite nominated book through their schools. Winners of the William Allen White Awards are announced in April. 

Posted on August 30, 2007 by Lissa at 09:21 AM | | Comments (0)

Having a Judy Blume moment.

Everything I Needed to Know...I can't remember when I read my first Judy Blume. I'm pretty sure it was Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, but the details elude me beyond that. Did I get it at the library? Did someone buy it for me? Was it a book that was passed around my circle of friends? Regardless, I was fascinated by Margaret. As she worried about experiencing her "firsts," I worried right along with her. Was I normal? Would I ever be able to fill out a bra? And what the heck is she talking about, a belt that goes under your clothes and holds something in place- that sounds AWFUL!

This collection of essays from today's popular YA and Chick Lit authors is rife with the stress of puberty. Whether it was Deenie that let you know having a back brace wasn't the end of the world or Forever... that allowed you believe true first loves don't necessarily mean "forever," reading these author's experiences gave me a (painful) trip down memory lane. The most fascinating part of this collection for me were the multiple essays on the same titles and how everyone remembers different significant parts of the plot that spoke to them. For example, in Deenie, some remembered her only as the pretty girl who had to wear a back brace. Others sympathized with her sister as being labeled "the smart one" and therefore could never be at the same level as Deenie for being "the pretty one." One author saw herself in the outcast girl who was called "Creeping Crud" because of her eczema.

What's your greatest Judy Blume moment? Which book spoke to you?

Posted on August 17, 2007 by Meghan at 08:30 AM | | Comments (1)

Have you read a good movie lately? The Golden Compass

The Golden CompassRead the book, then watch the movie!
The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman
This first book in the His Dark Materials series was published in 1995 and a movie version will be released in theatres in early December.

Book Summary: Lyra Belacqua lives at Jordan College in Oxford among the learned scholars but with very few playmates of her own. Luckily she has her demon, Pantalaimon, who accompanies her everywhere, changing shapes to resemble different animal. Lyra can't remember her parents, who both died in an airship accident. Her closest human friend is Roger the kitchen boy, and they make mischief and fight with the other children in town.
Lyra's uncle Asriel visits the college, and would have been poisoned is Lyra had not been spying on the professors in their private rooms. He asks her to eavesdrop on another meeting where she learns about dust, the strange mystical particles that fall from the sky, and of her uncle's travels in the far north. Around the same time in Oxford, children are disappearing, rumored to be taken by Gobblers. Lyra is frantic when her friend Roger is missing and she determines to travel with Pan to the north to find Roger and the other children. Before she can set off, a charming woman named Mrs. Coulter arrives at the college and takes Lyra on as her assistant. On the morning Lyra leaves, the Master of the college gives her a small golden compass in secret, an Alethiometer. He tells her that the device will tell the truth, but she must learn how to read it.
Uncertain of who to trust, Lyra faces adventure and danger, but she continues to search for Roger and travel north as she discovers more truths about herself, her family and the Gobblers.

Book Review: This is a wonderful novel and I am looking forward to the movie. The one thing that always disappoints me in series is when the story just seems to stop at the end, when I can tell that much more is going to happen. Phillip Pullman does a great job of hooking the reader and making us care about his characters, particularly Lyra and Pan. The book has many themes -- family, coming of age, physics, philosophy, religion, friendship, adventure - and would be highly discussable. Although the series is marketed to teenagers, adults would certainly enjoy the story as well, and some parts are quite descriptive and mature for younger readers.

I listened to the excellent full cast unabridged audio book recording from Listening Library, and I highly recommend it. Having the action and characters brought to life through voices and sound effects made the story much more dramatic and suspenseful. If you like adventure fantasy like the Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, you should read all three books in the His Dark Materials series: The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass.

Movie Trailer: http://www.goldencompassmovie.com/

Posted on August 10, 2007 by Lissa at 11:43 PM | | Comments (0)

Novellas; or, the curse of the quick read

I packed several novellas, or short novels, for my vacation reads so that I would have maximum choice with minimum weight in my luggage. The upside is that so far all of the book are wonderful. The downside is that by the second day of vacation, I am starting my third book. If I’m going to keep reading at this pace,  I thought I should blog as I go...

D.A. by Connie WillisD.A. by Connie Willis
This is the third book I have read by Connie Willis. (After To Say Nothing of the Dog and Doomsday Book). I adore her writing and rather than rush through it all and run out, I am parceling out a new book to myself every few years so that I can continue to discover new things from her writing. I slipped this one into my plan (Passages was supposed to be next) because when I saw it in the New Books Shelves I simply couldn't resist.

In a not-too-distant future where UCLA is still a college of choice for west coast students and the competitive college application process is in full swing, Theodora Baumgarten is a typical high school student, except for one thing. While many of the other public school students around her are striving to build their academic portfolios so they can be considered as Cadet applicants to the elite space Academy at the International Space Station, Theodora has no interest in going into space. She's content to bide her time in high school with her favorite computer hacker friend KimKim, while they ridicule the obsessed students who talk constantly  about the space Academy. At a mandatory school assembly, Theodora is startled, confused and soon frantic when her own name is announced as the newest space Cadet and she is whisked home to pack. Despite her protests, Theodora's situation becomes worse and KimKim cannot rescue her friend. Anyone else would be thrilled to be chosen for the Academy program, but Theodora didn't even fill out an application, so how has she ended up on a whirling space station? More importantly, how can she get home again without ruining her chances for UCLA?

Connie Willis writes science fiction screwball comedy. For much of the novella D.A., I had no idea to what the title could possible be referring. And by the time I figured it out (okay, I admit, the character figured it out before me...) the plot was twisting deliciously and I was completely hooked. A few pages later it was over. As in -- "the end." This dilemma is the basis of my love-hate relationship with short stories and short novels. I get caught up in a story and befriend the characters only to have way too much left to my imagination when I run out of pages to read. I could happily read about Theodora's adventures all week, but instead I have just a glance at this world, a glimpse of another life. However satisfying a story that leaves me thinking might be, I am still left wanting more...

Check it out – it’s under 100 pages and you’ll want to read it in one sitting.

Posted on August 02, 2007 by Lissa at 02:52 PM | | Comments (2)

Have you read a YALSA lately?

Things Not SeenDon’t get stuck in a reading rut.  Take a look at some of the great offerings from the Young Adult Library Services Association’s Best Books for Young Adults award winners from the past few years.  These high interest titles are chosen for their “proven or potential appeal to teens”. 

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore     Meet Biff, recently raised from the dead by the Angel Raiziel to record his story of Jesus’s tween years so they can add this gospel to the mix.  Follow Biff and the Savior as they learn about friendship, sacrifice, and how to save mankind. 

Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements     Bobby is 15 and he woke up invisible today, for real.  Neither he nor his parents quite know what to do, but one thing is for sure; nobody can find out.  While Bobby and his parents search for a cure and a way to live this unseen life he meets Alicia, a blind girl who befriends Bobby in his odd condition.

Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman     A Magician himself, the author takes personal effects and interviews from Houdini’s widow to create this special biography.  Escape traces Houdini’s family life before and after he found success as a magician.  Devoted to his wife and mother he spent a great deal of time in Europe perfecting many of the escape secrets artists use today.  Later in life he spent a great deal of energy de-bunking spiritualist before he himself died an untimely death.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach    This is an interesting and provocative read for almost any age.  Mary Roach takes an original and in-depth look at the un-sung heroes of medicine organ donors, surgical cadavers, crash-test volunteers and many more to give a very human account of the necessary work they do for us.

Take a look at other YALSA awards on their site.

Check out our catalog for all of these great titles.

Posted on July 26, 2007 by Shari at 09:30 AM | | Comments (0)

The final countdown is on for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (image courtesy Mugglenet.com)As the clock approaches midnight all over the world, fans will finally find out whether or not The Boy Who Lived will be the one to die. Spoilers have been flourishing all over the Internet the last few weeks and we here at PaperCuts are not going to join in (in fact, you'll have noticed a severe lack of HP news since the leaks started). With respect to Ms. Rowling, we're going to wait to find out what happens as originally intended! (Note: comments submitted with spoilers will not be posted.)

The library will have copies of the book available on the Best Seller Express kiosk featured in the atrium (that's the hallway with the large wood column in the middle of the library) at 9am on Saturday morning. These copies are on a first come, first serve basis, only check out for 14 days and are not renewable. Regular copies of the book are available to have a hold placed on them. Ask a librarian for details!

Of course, after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is out, read, reread and finally set down, what are we going to do? Never fear--TSCPL is planning to host the biggest Harry Potter party in the region! Get your finest wizard gear on, polish that wand and be prepared to celebrate the life (and death?) of one of literature's greatest heros.

When: Saturday, August 4th
Where: Marvin Auditorium
Time: 1-4pm

Gryffindor!There will be a costume contest, trivia, games and prizes! Brush up on your Muggle Studies and get a glimpse into your future with Divination. There might even be a surprise or two as you compete with your House to win the Hogwarts House Cup!

After the party, we'll also be hosting an adult book discussion covering The Deathly Hallows. Muggles 16+ are welcome to register for this lively discussion about Harry, what happened, what was missed and what we're going to do now that it's over.

When: Wednesday, August 8th
Where: Menninger Board Room
Time: 6:30-8:45pm
Call: 785-580-4540 to register.

See you there!

Posted on July 20, 2007 by Meghan at 09:24 AM | | Comments (0)

The Best Books You Aren't Reading: Twisted

Twisted by Laurie Halse AndersonI’m finding myself in a literary famine. Everything coming out right now has such sameness to it that I might as well just choose one, read it five times in a row and call it good. However, as I plow through my ever-towering pile of “books I’ll someday have time to read,” I’m finding a feast for the imagination in young adult literature.

Laurie Halse Anderson is probably best known for her award winning novel Speak (it even got turned into a not-so-shabby television movie). I loved Speak, bought copies for all the young teens in my life and even pressed it on a few unsuspecting adults who were tired of reading the same old boring stuff I was trying to get away from. When her last book, Prom, came out, I was pretty excited to get my hands on it. However, it didn’t ring true for me (girl who hates everything prom stands for and goes to prom) and I was gravely disappointed. However, her newest YA book Twisted finally gave me some hope. It was another one of those books where I couldn’t put it down, had to find out what happens next RIGHT NOW. No time for silly distractions of eating and sleeping.

Tyler has always been the scrawny punching bag of his school. Tired of being bullied, he decides to do something that will make him infamous—and it sure does, ending up with handcuffs, the back of a police car and a night in jail. With his brand new rap sheet and reputation to match, suddenly everyone knows Tyler—but it’s not quite the attention he was looking for. Yet, when the hottest chick in school, Bethany, starts flirting with him and hanging on his arm, Tyler can’t help but wonder if she’s really interested or just being punked. One night at beer bash gone horribly wrong, Tyler has his chance to find out. However, his decision leads him back down the path to social pariah. A few days pass and some indelicate pictures of his ex Bethany show up on the Internet. The police are back at his doorstep and Tyler has moved beyond infamous; he’s been skyrocketed to notorious.

Continue reading "The Best Books You Aren't Reading: Twisted" »

Posted on June 08, 2007 by Meghan at 08:30 AM | | Comments (0)

Maureen Johnson is DANGEROUS!: a TSCPL Podcast

Maureen Johnson

Maureen Johnson is mad and she’s not going to take book banning sitting down! Recently her second novel, The Bermudez Triangle, made waves in the small community of Bartlesville, Oklahoma when a mother petitioned for the high school library to remove their copies from the shelf. When ninja librarian Susan Hunt tipped off Maureen, she was not only incredulous and appalled at the news, but decided to take great strides to rectify this situation.

Read about the book banning on Maureen’s blog, starting here and check back for more updates as this process goes on!

Maureen was gracious enough to chat with me on the phone about what’s going on with her book banning, as well as talking about her other books including Devilish and Girl at Sea, being a secret-sister on John and Hank Green’s vlog Brotherhood 2.0 and Free Monkey’s upcoming world tour. Take a listen!

Listen Now!Maureen Johnson interview, pt. 1
Maureen Johnson interview, pt. 2

Can’t believe this happened? Sign Maureen’s petition to have The Bermudez Triangle put back on the shelf!

Read Neil Gaiman's comment, Meg Cabot's pleas for banning her own book, and watch John Green's response to the news.

Posted on May 11, 2007 by Meghan at 03:36 PM | | Comments (1)

The Best Books You Aren't Reading: Elsewhere

Elsewhere by Gabielle ZevinIt’s been awhile since I read a book that had me nailed to my seat. Usually when a book gets me this good, all of the household chores get waylaid and dust bunnies accumulate around my feet. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin is so good, I didn’t even want to eat dinner since that would take precious time away from me finding out just what would happen to Lizzie.

Ever wonder if you’ll see your beloved pet again? Do the dead need health insurance? Is it possible to fall in love after you die? If you’re like me and love the show Six Feet Under or you like to contemplate what happens to you after you die, Elsewhere gives a humorous suggestion of what the afterlife might entail without tipping into the macabre.

Continue reading "The Best Books You Aren't Reading: Elsewhere" »

Posted on May 04, 2007 by Meghan at 08:30 AM | | Comments (1)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows covers revealed!

The U.K. and U.S. versions have both been released! What do you think?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

UK Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

UK Deathly Hallows

Read the official story from the BBC News.

Posted on March 28, 2007 by Meghan at 10:12 AM | | Comments (4)

Nick Hornby dabbles in YA Lit.

Readers of PaperCuts already know how much we adore Nick Hornby. I am delighted to find out he has a young adult novel coming out in October!

Nick Hornby (photo courtesy TheBookStandard.com)From The Book Standard:

High Fidelity and About a Boy author Nick Hornby will release his first young adult book, Slam, in October, Penguin Young Readers Group announced today. The book is about Sam, a boy on the edge of adulthood who deals with a "life-altering teenage moment," falls hard for a pretty girl, and talks to his idol, champion skater Tony Hawk, or at least, talks to a poster of him, the publisher said in a release today.

"Our world-class young readers publishing program is perfectly positioned to take Nick's new book to the top of the young adult market," said Doug Whitehead, president of Penguin Young Readers Group. "We are proud to now have Nick among our list of national bestselling adult authors who have written books for a Y.A. audience." Clive Cussler, Jan Karon and Mike Lupica have all worked with Penguin Young Readers Group for the transition to young adult novels.
Continue reading this article here.

Stay tuned for more news!

Posted on March 14, 2007 by Meghan at 09:21 AM | | Comments (1)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows out July 21st!

Book 7 (photo courtesy mugglenet.com)I’m so excited, I can barely type! The last installment of the Harry Potter series has officially been set for release on July 21st. Start your speculations now and get to re-reading the entire series in preparation for this magical event!

From CNN.com:

LONDON, England (AP) -- "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the last of seven installments of the boy wizard's adventures, will be published July 21, author J.K. Rowling said Thursday.

Rowling announced the publication date on her Web site.

Bloomsbury, her British publisher, said it would publish a children's hardback edition, an adult hardback, a special gift edition and an audio book on the same day.

Scholastic Children's Books, the U.S. publisher, said it would offer a hardback edition at a suggested retail price of $34.99, a deluxe edition at $65.00 and a reinforced library edition at $39.99.
Continue reading this article here.

Posted on February 01, 2007 by Meghan at 09:00 AM | | Comments (3)

Harry Potter #7 Title Announced!

Harry Potter 7 (photo courtesy images.countingdown.com)It’s here, it’s here! J.K Rowling has announced the 7th and final title of her Harry Potter series on her official website. Searching any number of HP sites will reveal the name to you, but if you want to figure it out for yourself, click on the eraser on J.K.’s desk. It will lead you to the “room of requirement” where you can solve a series of puzzles and play a game of hangman to reveal the title. Can’t wait? Click below!

Continue reading "Harry Potter #7 Title Announced!" »

Posted on December 21, 2006 by Meghan at 09:55 AM | | Comments (4)

An abundance of John Green: a TSCPL Podcast

John Green (photo courtesy sparksflyup.com) This past Monday, John Green, author of the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award winning Looking for Alaska and most recently An Abundance of Katherines, took time out of his busy schedule to chat with me over the phone. Find out what he has to say about living in New York, creating Katherine, winning the Printz award and why librarians are vital to young adult literature.

Listen Now!
John Green speaks!


Can't get enough of John Green? Check out his blog (I love the video of him talking about the very serious business of being a writer followed by his version of "turning the beat around"). Still confused by the mathmatical formula that Colin discovered to chart when all of his relationships were doomed to fail? John's site gives a lengthy description and has a plug-in for you to chart your own relationship history.

Posted on December 08, 2006 by Meghan at 09:51 AM | | Comments (1)

Behind the scenes of Harry Potter 5!

Originally uploaded to hpana.com. Thanks to Karen for finding this amazing clip from HBO!

Posted on November 21, 2006 by Meghan at 08:53 AM | | Comments (0)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie trailer!

In case you didn't make it out to see Happy Feet this weekend, here's the trailer for the the next Harry Potter movie! Enjoy--and discuss!

Posted on November 20, 2006 by Meghan at 10:08 AM | | Comments (0)

The Best Books You Aren't Reading: New Moon

New Moon Some loves last a lifetime, while others quickly fade away. Bella and Edward’s love will last for all eternity—that is, if he stops being stubborn for one minute and turns her into a vampire. Torn between his love for her and damning her to a soulless existence, Edward does what he thinks is best; he breaks her heart and vows never to see her again. Without Edward, life has no meaning and she slogs through the days and weeks by trying to maintain some semblance of sanity. It isn’t until her best friend, Jacob Black, comes to her rescue that life seems almost bearable. As Jake falls in love with Bella, she is torn between moving forward towards a “normal” life and betraying her one true love, no matter how he feels about her in return. Of course this new love couldn’t come without strings attached. Jake’s genetic code wakes up what has laid dormant for sixteen years; he’s a werewolf. Now Bella is caught between two warring clans—and everything is far from normal.

Start with the first in Stephenie Meyer’s amazing trilogy, Twilight. With an exciting cliffhanger at the end, I can’t wait for the third one to come out!

Posted on November 19, 2006 by Meghan at 07:35 PM | | Comments (3)

Harry Potter Movie 5 Trailer Release Date!

Harry Potter and the Order of the PhoenixExciting Potter news!  Warner Brothers announced yesterday in their Harry Potter Newsletter that the trailer for "Order of the Phoenix" will be shown in front of the movie "Happy Feet", which opens on November 17th!  The newsletter did specifically state that the trailer would only be available on the big screen when it is released.  Let's see how long it takes to find its way to the internet. 

Posted on October 11, 2006 by at 12:15 PM | | Comments (4)

The End is near!

The End by Lemony SnicketThat is, the end of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events is near.  The final book, the thirteenth in the series, appropriately entitled The End, will be published next Friday.  Friday, the 13th!  Will we find out what happened to the Baudelaires’ parents?  Have the Quagmire triplets finally been reunited? What do the initials VFD stand for? Is Mr. Poe a volunteer or a villain?  Did Justice Strauss survive the fire at the Hotel Denouement (Which happens to have rooms organized by the Dewey decimal system. Yea libraries!)?

If you can’t wait for some more clues to the mystery, you might want to look into purchasing The Beatrice Letters or checking out the Snicket website where you can watch the Vile Videos. 

Also being published on the same day as The End, is a compilation of all the theme songs by The Gothic Archies that have been featured on the audio versions of A Series of Unfortunate Events.  The cd is entitled The Tragic Treasury: Music for “A Series of Unfortunate Events”.  The Gothic Archies is a side project of the band The Magnetic Fields.  Check out some of their music today!

And if you want more info on The End, continue reading about Mr. Snicket (aka Daniel Handler) here in a story by CNN.

Posted on October 05, 2006 by at 02:55 PM | | Comments (0)

Today is Roald Dahl's Birthday!

James and the Giant PeachOn September 13, 1916, the beloved children’s author Roald Dahl was born in southern Wales.  Even though his stories were fantastical, Dahl was one of the first modern authors in the children’s field to portray the lives of children realistically.  Along with Louise Fitzhugh, author of Harriet the Spy, Dahl’s child protagonists are smart, well-behaved children who deal with families and adults that are verbally abusive and neglectful.  It’s no wonder that fantastic things happen to the children in Dahl’s world; he creates an escape for the horrible lives that these children lead.  Dahl’s inspiration for these stories come from his own tragic childhood and varied life. He lost his father and sister at an early age and attended an abusive boarding school before traveling the world and joining the Royal Air Force in WWII as a fighter pilot.  After being shot down and recovering, he spent some time in Washington D.C. as an attache before becoming a writer. Read more about Dahl's life here.

I always enjoyed reading these books as a child as they made me feel empowered.  They helped me to see that I am capable, smart, and invaluable.Since "growing up", I've reread these titles and find I feel the same way about them and they give me the same empowered feeling.  My only wish is that I could rememdy situations in my life by befriening a BFG, have the genius of Matilda, save people from Witches, and escape from monotony by voyaging in a giant peach with some friends (Although, I wouldn't have giant insects as friends.  That scares me a bit).  Relive the magic of Dahl's world or experience it for the first time.  Check out some of his books today!


Posted on September 13, 2006 by at 08:30 AM | | Comments (0)

Homework help for your kids!

Governor Kathleen SebeliusHomework Kansas, a new online tutoring resource offered by the State Library of Kansas and Kansas Public Libraries, was launched at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library’s Kokari Computer Training Center with a special appearance by Governor Kathleen Sebelius.  Leah Anderson’s fourth grade class from Lowman Hills Elementary helped demonstrate the program for the press, the Governor, 53rd District Representative Ann Mah, State Library Director Christie Brandau, TSCPL Director Gina Millsap, and Tutor.com CEO George Cigale.

“One of the best kept secrets about public libraries is that we partner with schools and parents to improve literacy and student achievement.” says Gina Millsap. “Now with the addition of Homework Kansas to the Overson-Campbell homework center, the library is positioned to help children succeed in school.”

Continue reading "Homework help for your kids!" »

Posted on September 06, 2006 by Meghan at 01:32 PM | | Comments (0)

Ah, to be a child again

James Earl Jones loved The Cat in the Hat, Stephen King also liked Dr. Seuss as well as Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and Paul Newman enjoyed The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.  Almost everyone has a favorite childhood book (for a list of more celebrity favorites click here).  Wind In the WillowsMine, or at least one of mine, would have to be The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.  This book is memorable to me because it is the first book I can recall staying up all night long to read!  I was still in school at the time, and I remember the dread and excitement that came over me when I realized that I had stayed up all night.  I may have been really tired in school the next day, but I just couldn't put the book down until I had followed every last one of the adventures of Rat, Mole, Badger and Toad.  By the way, I did try reading William Horwood's The Willows in Winter, which he wrote as a sequel to Grahame's classic novel, but I don't remember enjoying it half as well as I did the original.
So what was your favorite book as a child?  Click on the comments link below this post to let us know. 

Posted on August 12, 2006 by Deb at 09:00 AM | | Comments (6)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in theaters Thanksgiving '08!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The 5th movie isn’t even out yet, but HP fans now have another date to add to their calendar!

From Reuters.co.uk:

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth instalment of the lucrative franchise, will come out in cinemas on November 21, 2008.

Now, Warner Bros. just needs to hire a director and confirm the cast. The fifth instalment, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," bows in July.

The "Prince" date will mark a return to the Thanksgiving period for the sorcerer series. Of the four "Potter" films to date, only the third instalment, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," has been released during the summer.

Paramount Pictures also has just planted a flag in November 2008, declaring November 7 for DreamWorks Animation's "Madagascar" sequel. Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett-Smith and David Schwimmer are set to reprise their roles as the main characters of the animated franchise.
Continue reading this article here.

Posted on August 09, 2006 by Meghan at 10:22 AM | | Comments (0)

Don't kill Harry!

From CNN.com:
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Two of America's top authors, John Irving and Stephen King, made a plea to J.K. Rowling on Tuesday not to kill the fictional boy wizard Harry Potter in the final book of the series, but Rowling made no promises.

"My fingers are crossed for Harry," Irving said at a joint news conference before a charity reading by the three writers at New York's Radio City Music Hall.

The author of "The World According to Garp" and a string of other bestsellers said he and King felt like "warm-up bands" for Rowling, who is working on the seventh and last book in the Harry Potter series, and who has said two characters will die.
Continue reading this article here.

Posted on August 01, 2006 by Meghan at 06:58 PM | | Comments (0)

Harry Potter works magic in schools.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

From the Scholastic website (publisher of the American version of the Harry Potter series):

New data from The Kids and Family Reading Report™, released today by Yankelovich, a leader in consumer trends tracking and Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, quantifies for the first time the impact that the Harry Potter series has had on kids’ reading attitudes and behaviors.  According to the study, both kids and their parents credit the popular books with getting more kids to read for fun and with helping kids do better in school. Just over  half (51%) of Harry Potter readers ages 5-17 years old say they did not read books for fun before they started reading Harry Potter, but now they do, and 65% say they have been doing better in school since they started reading the series. Parents see an even greater impact.  The vast majority of parents (89%) say that reading Harry Potter has helped their child enjoy reading more, and 76% say that reading Harry Potter has helped their child do better in school.

Continue reading this article here.

Thanks to staffer Julie for sending us the article!

Posted on July 27, 2006 by Meghan at 12:05 PM | | Comments (1)

Introducing: Graffiti

GraffitiPapercuts now has a younger, edgier companion site – Graffiti – a library blog for young adults. Check out announcements about events at the library, book reviews of titles you may have missed, plus music, movie, video game and pop culture news. If you like reading young adult books, don’t miss your chance to contribute your ideas and reviews!

Speaking of YAs, have you seen David J’s Place this summer? We have artsy carpet, chi-chi lounge furniture, and chairs designed to let you lean back without falling over!! Plus, there’s dragons and wizards, horses and space ships, adventurers and criminals, true love and first kisses, murder and mayhem, -- and that’s just in the paperbacks! Tons of books, graphic novels, audio books, and magazines will delight every reader. Come check it out!

Posted on June 29, 2006 by Lissa at 11:50 AM | | Comments (0)

Is this the end for Harry?

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Fans all over the world are stunned—would J.K. Rowling really kill Harry Potter? Apparently every character is up for grabs in her last installation of the Harry Potter series. During a recent interview on the British “Richard & Judy” show, Rowling let it slip that she was planning on killing two of her main characters. Could Harry be one of them? As of now the book isn’t finished (nor is there a tentative release date) but J.K. says she has had the final chapter done for several years and has it locked away for safe-keeping.

Check out her interview on MSN and stay tuned to The Leaky Cauldron and J.K.’s official site for more details.

Posted on June 27, 2006 by Meghan at 10:28 AM | | Comments (3)

Author Spotlight: Clyde Edgerton

Walking Across Egypt by Clyde EdgertonI didn’t grow up in the South, but Clyde Edgerton’s stories are some of my favorites to cure homesickness.

Clyde Edgerton’s ear for dialogue captures the thoughts and conversations of older and younger generations in small North Carolina towns. The culture of the local Baptist church is interwoven with some Southern nostalgia, but his quirky characterizations are the most memorable thing about his quiet uplifting stories.

If  you’ve never read Edgerton, start with Walking Across Egypt, the story of a spunky old lady, a stray dog, a hungry teenaged orphan, and the best home-cooking in Hansen County, N. C. Wishing for grandchildren of her own, Mattie Rigsbee befriends a young delinquent named Wesley and takes him in, even though she feels she is “slowing down” at age 78. The sequel, Killer Diller, finds Wesley still at work redeeming himself in the eyes of the Lord and of his foster grandma. Walking Across Egypt and Killer Diller have also been made as movies.

Continue reading "Author Spotlight: Clyde Edgerton" »

Posted on June 25, 2006 by Lissa at 12:42 PM | | Comments (0)

Going on a Trip? Don't Forget the Audiobooks!