Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Holiday Open House Dec. 3rd



Come celebrate the season at Helen Hall Library's Holiday Open House on Dec. 3rd from 5:00-6:30 pm. We will serve refreshments, and the Teen Advisory Board will have crafts for children to make. Santa arrives at 5 pm--remember to bring your camera!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Giving Thanks @ Your Library

We asked children and teens what they were most thankful for at Helen Hall Library. Here are their responses:

· Story time—Max & Nijee, age 2
· Books—Holly, age 2
· All the space to run around—Liliana, age 2
· That everyone’s so nice, and there’s plenty of train books to read—Ian, age 2
· Movies—Kaylee, age 3
· Water fountain and the computers—Banks, age 3
· Dr. Seuss books and the toy cars—Nicholas, age 3
· Toys—Colton, age 3 ½
· Curious George night and the computers—Grant, age 4
· All the books—John, age 4
· Computers—Parker, age 4
· Food—Jaiden, age 4
· Thomas the Tank movies—Spencer, age 5
· Using the computer—Briana, age 5
· Books—Kayla & Esther, age 5
· Audio books—Skylar, age 6
· Bat books—Mia, age 6
· Books—Jack & Joe & Bryan, age 6
· DVDs, movies—Sharon & Steven, age 6
· Books and movies—Braden, age 6
· Computer—Sahand, age 6
· Librarians—Eunice, age 7
· Movies and all the stuff in the library—Elexa, age 7
· You have so much books that I like, and I love this library—Trinity, age 7
· Nice workers and good books—Zeke, age 7
· Books—Emily & Daisy, age 7
· Books, DVDs, and computer time—Blake, age 7
· I love the library, and I am thankful when I have the library to myself—Calista, age 7
· That people let them borrow books—Richard, age 7
· I like to read—Kevin, age 7
· The books and the computers and the library—Miguel, age 7
· Checking out Magic Tree House books—Jonas, age 8
· Books—Josemaria & Liam, age 8
· Computers —Seana, age 8
· Books and movies—Celeste, age 8
· Librarians—Ava, age 8
· Reading—Massiel, age 8
· Free books you can rent—Bianca, age 8
· Baseball books—Jake, age 8
· Movies and books—Daniel, age 8
· Webkinz Club—Molly, age 9
· Books—Belen, age 9
· Info.—Craig, age 9
· Computers and fiction books—Nate, age 9
· Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series—Alex, age 9
· Books and librarians—Tyler, age 9
· Computers—Seth, age 9
· Selection of books—Andrew, age 9
· Computers and funny books—Travis, age 9
· Secrets of Droon book series—Jason, age 9
· Comic books—Alessandra, age 9 ½
· Helpful librarians—Jordan, age 10
· Books—Alyson & Payton & Ian, age 10
· That there are many books to choose from—Katia, age 10
· Books and computers—Samantha, age 10
· Dairy of a Wimpy Kid book series—Kaden, age 10
· The library helps you learn and read, and it’s always grateful to have books—Stasia, age 10
· Everything—Andrew, age 10
· Books, magazines, movies, and CDs—Summer, age 11
· Computers and books—Kobey, age 10
· The selection of drawing books—Nathan, age 11
· Computers—Kaeden, age 11
· All the books and series—Lindsey, age 11
· Books and computers—Shelby, age 11
· Getting Garfield comics, Percy Jackson, summer reading programs—Ruthie, age 11
· The good books—Savanna, age 12
· Nice librarians—Virginia, age 12
· Books—Hannah & Itzue & Amanda, age 12
· A very big variety of books and the teen section that makes some books I like easier to find—Katrina, age 12
· Nice books and nice people—Roxanna, age 12
· Books, I love reading—Arista, age 12
· The books, movies, and that we have a beautiful library here in League City and the workers—Maegan, age 12
· The kind people who help me find the books I am looking for—Hayley, age 12
· The selection of sci-fi and anime books, thank you—Savannah, age 13
· Books and computers—Sterling, age 14
· Ability to use the Internet for research and projects—Jacqueline, age 14
· Graphic novels collection—Maggie, age 16

We would love to hear what you're thankful for also!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Trick or Treat @ Your Library



Bring your children to Helen Hall Library on October 31st between 10 am and 6 pm for some treats! Candy will be passed out in the youth section, the adult section, and at the check out desk. While you're here, check out a spooky book or DVD!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Countdown to Robert Jordan's new book

It's the beginning of the end! The first book in the three-volume final installment of The Wheel of Time comes out soon and Helen Hall is having a party in its honor on November 15!

Details:

Greet “The Gathering Storm
Sunday, November 15, 2009
2:00-4:00 pm

A Celebration of the Beginning of the End of The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan- Test your trivia knowledge, sample Marin al'Vere’s honeycakes and Seanchan Kaf; then take souvenir photos in front of our Shadar Logoth background.

We hope to see all Robert Jordan fans there!

Friday, October 23, 2009

Results of Webkinz Library Contest

Several members of the library's Webkinz Club entered my Design a Webkinz Library contest. Here are the results:

1st place: Megan, who will receive a bookworm super bed!















2nd place: Hannah


3rd place: Becky


The judges and I thought all the entries were fabulous! I always enjoy viewing libraries through the eyes of children. Congratulations--you are all winners!

Our next Webkinz Club meeting will be November 19 at 4:30 pm. Please bring (just one) of your favorite Webkinz or stuffed animals with you.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Fall Youth Programs begin September 8th

Helen Hall Library offers free programs for children of all ages this fall! If you're interested in toddler story time, preschool story time, pajama story time, elementary book parties, family events, the teen advisory board, or teen anime, then please check out our fall brochure for more details:

http://www.leaguecitylibrary.org/documents/2009%20Fall%20brochure%20text%20only.pdf

September is Library Card Sign Up month. The most valuable card in your wallet is a library card. It gives you free access to thousands of books, magazines, and movies. Library cards at Helen Hall are free to anyone who lives in Texas and has proof of residency.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Another Vampire Series*

A League City author, Gerry Bartlett has written a vampire series that is sure to entertain! Gloriana St. Clair struggles with her weight, a centuries-old relationship with a Scottish vampire, and starting a new business in Austin Texas. Turned while between diets (aren't we all - between diets that is), Gloriana can never go back; she will always have curves, attract trouble like a magnet, and find herself attracted to men she shouldn't be. The first book is Real Vampires have Curves.

*Read more about this series and other vampire series on Novelist Plus on the Helen Hall Library website; www.leaguecitylibrary.org.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Sookie Stackhouse!

from Wikipedia:
a fictional and main character in The Southern Vampire Mysteries, a series of nine books written by New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris that were first published in 2001. The series is a first-person account of Sookie's life as a barmaid and telepath in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. The first book in the series, Dead Until Dark, won the Anthony Award for Best Paperback Mystery in 2001.

(This series was recommended to me by the CCHS librarian as a good after-Twilight selection)

Books in the series:
Dead Until Dark
Living Dead in Dallas
Club Dead
Dead to the World
Dead as a Doornail
Definitely Dead
All Together Dead
From Dead to Worse
Dead and Gone

Find them under "Harris" in our Mystery section, first floor.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Pope Joan, A Novel by Donna Woolfolk Cross

Suspend for a moment the belief that a woman could never be Pope and you will enjoy this “historical” fiction. The novel is filled with descriptions of the dark ages (A.D. 814) including war, plague, Vatican intrigue and politics, and the status of women.
Joan is born in a Frankland village to a Saxon mother and an English father. Joan is very bright and is taken under the wing of a Greek scholar. Ultimately, she takes the place of a younger brother at a Benedictine monastery when he is killed by Saxon invaders. She thrives in the learned environment dressed as a man and then moves to Rome where her wisdom and medical skills allow her to outshine her peers.
Although, “she leads a man's life, Joan dies a woman's death, losing her life in childbirth. In this colorful, richly imagined novel, Cross ably inspires a suspension of disbelief…” Publishers Weekly 2006.

You can read more about Pope Joan at the following websites:
http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/Story?id=1453197&page=1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Joan
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/doubleissue/mysteries/pope.htm
http://wais.stanford.edu/Religion/religion_FirstFemalePope(110503).html
And in this book at Helen Hall Library:
The Myth of Pope Joan by Alain Boureau.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

10 more days to submit your sestina!

It's not too late to participate in the library-wide Patron and Staff Sestina Contest!

What's involved: write a sestina exploring the theme of change/rebirth/resurrection/tranformation/metamorphosis (for Spring!) and then post it in the comments section of this entry (you will need a Blogger account). The deadline for entries is Sunday, May 31, 2009, after which our fair and impartial judge will select winners- who will be notified via Blogger within one week. Prizes include Esteban's and Kolache Factory gift certificates!

Monday, May 4, 2009

Teen Program Report- Fungible Friday: Second Childhood Edition

We ate chicken nuggets and way too much sugar
We played wii Mario Kart

We made noodle crafts

We wore our pj's and brought our plushie pals (that's Priscilla the Unicorn)

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Library Patron and Staff Sestina Contest

What's involved: write a sestina exploring the theme of change/rebirth/resurrection/tranformation/metamorphosis (for Spring!) and then post it in the comments section of this entry (you will need a Blogger account). The deadline for entries is Sunday, May 31, 2009, after which our fair and impartial judge will select winners- who will be notified via Blogger within one week. Prizes include Esteban's and Kolache Factory gift certificates!

I hear you thinking "Ok, sounds fun- but what the heck is a sestina?" Well, that is the fun part- it's only just about the most complicated poetry form in the English language....

A sestina (also, sextina, sestine, or sextain) is a highly structured poem consisting of six six-line stanzas followed by a tercet (called its envoy or tornada), for a total of thirty-nine lines. The same set of six words ends the lines of each of the six-line stanzas, but in a different order each time; if we number the first stanza's lines 123456, then the words ending the second stanza's lines appear in the order 615243, then 364125, then 532614, then 451362, and finally 246531. This organization is referred to as retrogradatio cruciata ("retrograde cross"). These six words then appear in the tercet as well, with the tercet's first line usually containing 1 and 2, its second 3 and 4, and its third 5 and 6 (but other versions exist, described below). English sestinas are usually written in iambic pentameter or another decasyllabic meter. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sestina)

more information:
from the Academy of American Poets

Humorous sestinas from McSweeney's Internet Tendency

and finally, an example:

Sestina of the Tramp-Royal
by Rudyard Kipling
First published in The Seven Seas (1896).


Speakin' in general, I 'ave tried 'em all,
The 'appy roads that take you o'er the world.
Speakin' in general, I 'ave found them good
For such as cannot use one bed too long,
But must get 'ence, the same as I 'ave done,
An' go observin' matters till they die.

What do it matter where or 'ow we die,
So long as we've our 'ealth to watch it all —
The different ways that different things are done,
An' men an' women lovin' in this world —
Takin' our chances as they come along,
An' when they ain't, pretendin' they are good?

In cash or credit — no, it aren't no good;
You 'ave to 'ave the 'abit or you'd die,
Unless you lived your life but one day long,
Nor didn't prophesy nor fret at all,
But drew your tucker some'ow from the world,
An' never bothered what you might ha' done.

But, Gawd, what things are they I 'aven't done?
I've turned my 'and to most, an' turned it good,
In various situations round the world —
For 'im that doth not work must surely die;
But that's no reason man should labour all
'Is life on one same shift; life's none so long.

Therefore, from job to job I've moved along.
Pay couldn't 'old me when my time was done,
For something in my 'ead upset me all,
Till I 'ad dropped whatever 'twas for good,
An', out at sea, be'eld the dock-lights die,
An' met my mate — the wind that tramps the world!

It's like a book, I think, this bloomin' world,
Which you can read and care for just so long,
But presently you feel that you will die
Unless you get the page you're readin' done,
An' turn another — likely not so good;
But what you're after is to turn 'em all.

Gawd bless this world! Whatever she 'ath done —
Excep' when awful long — I've found it good.
So write, before I die, "'E liked it all!"

(This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was was published before January 1, 1923)

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Home Affordable Modification Program

Many find it hard to believe, but before I was a librarian I worked in the mortgage business. Therefore, I have been following the housing crisis with some interest and have heard references to the President's plan to help homeowners facing foreclosure. However, references were all that I heard- I kept seeing "the program" mentioned on television and online, but no one gave details or even called it by its official name. I thought "I would find this pretty frustrating if I were one of the people this program was meant for," so I decided to do some Googling and see what I could pull together in terms of details.

For the basics, I found the original Treasury Department press release:
Home Affordable Modification Program Guidelines,
March 4, 2009


To find out if you are eligible, go here:
makinghomeaffordable.gov

For context I also read some articles in national newspapers, like The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times

And, finally and sadly, I learned that scammers are already coming out of the woodwork: information about that can be found here, and local scam reporting resources can be found here. I hope this helps!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

National Library Week

Helen Hall Library is celebrating National Library Week, April 12 - 18. We have a whole slate of activities, including storytimes, Discovery Zone Science for elementary school aged children, a Basic E-Mail class for adults, and the "Pocket Puppeteer" on Friday morning. An additional special event is a reception on Thursday to honor the "Outstanding Ike Responders," the city employees who went above and beyond and the ones who served on the Ride Out Team. The library staff greatly appreciates these individuals and departments who kept us safe and informed during the storm and who quickly got essential city services up and running after the storm.

We invite you to participate in all the activities this week. Most of all, we want you to keep on visiting us and using all our services. We are here for you, and that is what National Library Week is all about!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Fun Library Facts

I am going to periodically post interesting facts about the library on this blog. First up is the fact that in March 2009, the library checked out over 61,000 books, CDs, DVDs and other items. This is the first time in history that this many items were checked out in a non-summer month. We love breaking records like this at the library, and we hope it means that we are providing you with what you want from us!

ECCENTRIC WORDSMITH

Eccentric Wordsmith

If you fit the profile of a wordsmith, you enjoy challenges.
Maybe you play scrabble or work crosswords. There are three
nonfiction books about eccentric wordsmiths and the genius of
their lives. Loanlady is enthusiastic about recommending them
for a slow satisfying read. Rich vocabulary and absorbing.

THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN: A TALE OF MURDER, INSANITY,
AND THE MAKING OF THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY 1998
BY Simon Winchester 423 w759P Second Floor Nonfiction
THE MAN WHO MADE LISTS; LOVE, DEATH, MADNESS, AND THE
CREATION OF ROGET’S THESAURUS 2008 BY Joshua Kendall
413.092 R 732ke
THE MEANING OF EVERYTHING: THE STORY OF THE OXFORD ENGLISH
DICTIONARY
BY Simon Winchester 423.09 W759m

From Loanlady

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Celebrate National Poetry Month

Did you know that April is National Poetry Month? Shower your mundane world with splashes of delight and joy through the language of poetry! Come on! Indulge yourself! What’s your mood?
For laughter, try The Old Dog Barks Backward or The Best of Ogden Nash by Ogden Nash; I’m too Young to be Seventy: and other Delusions by Judith Viorst
For fun, how about Poemcrazy: Freeing your Life with Words or Wham! It’s a Poetry Jam!
For inspiration, try the Persian poets Hafiz and Rumi: The Subject Tonight is Love or Rumi: Gardens of the Beloved
Come visit upstairs and sample original poems by local poets, too! Browse through the poetry section to find your favorite poet!
From The Poetry Lady

Books for the anime lover

This post is based on the book talk I did for the teens during All-Day Anime a couple of weeks ago!

We have a big selection of manga graphic novels in the teen section, which are the basis for a large amount of popular anime series, but some people may not know that there are also anime shows based on books! Here are a few good ones that can all be found in the teen section.

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit by Nahoko Uehashi
This book is the basis of the anime Moribito that ran on Cartoon Network. It's a story about a woman bodyguard named Balsa who has sworn to save lives to atone for lives she has taken in the past. She is an independent woman who does not like to get involved in the affairs of others, but she finds herself saving the life of a young prince while she is passing through a foreign city and ends up becoming his bodyguard. The prince is in trouble because he holds within his spirit an egg that will hatch into a water spirit that will revive the land from the drought it is suffering through. She must protect him from an evil creature that seeks to eat the egg (which would kill the prince as well) as well as the prince's own father.

The book is not set in Japan, but in an imaginary world that shares many traits with feudal Japan and China. Some of the settings might seem familiar to those of you who are fans of Inu-Yasha. There's a lot of action, as there are so many people out to get the prince. If you liked the anime, you should definitely check out the novel for the whole story! Also, it's the first book of a series, and the second one will be coming out in May and continues the adventures of Balsa.


Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe
This book has not only been adapted into an anime movie, but you can also find the manga version over in the graphic novels section. But the original is the best! Wataru is a ten year old who is currently facing some problems at home. His parents' relationship is on rocky grounds, and finally they decide to get a divorce. His mother does not take this well and grows depressed to the point where she tries to commit suicide. Wataru wants to find a way to change events and alter his fate, and he finds it when he unexpectedly stumbles upon a parallel world called Vision.

In Vision, Wataru is a hero, known as a Traveler and respected by the inhabitants of the world, which includes beast people and dragons. His objective is to collect the five gemstones, and he is given a sword and armor in order to succeed. Once he has the gemstones, he can ascend the Tower of Destiny and ask the goddess of fate to change his fate. But he is not the only one who wants to change his fate, and he must face his rival Mitsuru, who has magic powers and will stop at aboslutely nothing to reach the Tower of Destiny first.

Anyone who likes fantasy RPGs should love this book, as the entire world of Vision is supposed to be an RPG made real for Wataru. He even undergoes a test to see if he will be a magic user or a sword user!


The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadow by Fuyumi Ono
This book is similar to Brave Story in that the main character, a teenage girl named Youko, finds herself drawn into a different world. In her case, though, it is because she belonged to that world in the first place, having been blown into our world accidentally before she was born. She is carried into the other world by Keiki, a mysterious man who turns out to be a kirin who is searching for the next ruler of the kingdom of Kei (one of the titular Twelve Kingdoms). Unfortunately, when she lands in the world of the Twelve Kingdoms she is lost in the wilderness. Her bright red hair betrays her as an outsider, and she meets hostility from both humans and demons. However, Keiki gave her a sword that gives her fighting skills, and she develops a strong determination to survive until she is reunited with Keiki.

This book is the basis for the Twelve Kingdoms anime that was really popular a few years ago. It is an excellent book, full of action. Youko faces a lot of adversity on her way to becoming the Empress of Kei, not knowing who she can trust and who will betray her as well as being set upon on all sides by demons. She gets into a lot of trouble, but she also gains some close allies and friends, including an anthropomorphic rat named Rakshun. The world of the Twelve Kingdoms shares a lot of similarities with ancient China, though, like the world of Moribito, it is entirely fantasy. This book is also the first in a series, and if you enjoy it I recommend checking out the second, Sea of Wind as well as the third, The Vast Spread of the Seas, which just came out this month.

Mmmmm, yummy! HQN Paranormal Romances...

Helen Hall Library owns these titles in the HQN Paranormal Romance series:

Lord of Legends
Krinard, Susan.
He is Arion, King of the Unicorns. Powerful and seductive, he could possess any female he desires--until he is condemned to life as a human. Only the innocence of the enchanting Lady Mariah Donnington can release him from his curse.

Come the Night
Krinard, Susan.
The Great War has ended, and Gillian Maitland is to marry a werewolf of her father's choosing—ensuring the purity of their noble bloodline. Still, she can't forget Ross Kavanaugh, the American whose forbidden touch unleashed a passion she'd never known. And when Ross returns unexpectedly to England, he's no longer the man she remembers, but a hard-boiled ex-cop who harbors a dark secret.

Chasing Midnight
Krinard, Susan.
By day, Allie Chase lives among the artists and eccentrics of 1920's Greenwich Village, in search of adventure. By night, she haunts the city's back alleys and seedy speakeasies, driven by a more primal hunger.
Here, amid the glitz and unrestrained morals of jazz-age society, even a vampire can fall prey to the temptations of the flesh. One look into the golden eyes of the dashing Griffin Durant, and Allegra knows she's not dealing with just a man....

Dark Rival
Joyce, Brenda.
A Highland warrior sworn to protect innocence through the ages, Black Royce is a battle hardened soldier of the gods. Then he is sent to New York City to protect a healer from those who would use her powers for themselves.

My Favorite Earthling
Grant, Susan
Keira, warrior-queen of the galaxy, is as famous for her beauty as she is for avoiding marriage. But when an upstart little planet called Earth threatens her world with its fleet of spaceships, the fate of her people lies in her hands. She must bind herself to a barbarian from the rogue world...or face the destruction of her own!

Dark Seduction
Joyce, Brenda.
Malcolm of Dunroch has been chosen by the secret Brotherhood, a nameless society of pagan knights sworn to defend mankind. He is a novice to his extraordinary—and dangerous--powers. But he has already broken his vows--for an innocent woman’s death is on his hands. Malcolm is determined to fight his dark sexuality, denying himself all pleasure…until fate sends him another Innocent, the beautiful bookseller, Claire Camden.

Playing With Fire: Tales of an Extraordinary Girl
Showalter, Gena.
Average, ordinary Belle Jamison becomes the guinea pig for an experimental formula that allows her to control the elements, which should be cool but really isn't. Because sexy, cool government agent Rome Matthews has been ordered to hunt Belle down and neutralize her.

Preschool Picks

Are you bored with the books you are reading to your three to six-year-old? Do you and your child have a sense of humor and enjoy laughing together? Why not read some of these books:

E WIL Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
Pigeon begs, pleads, and wheedles to drive the bus.

E WIL Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems
Pigeon gives many reasons why he shouldn’t go to bed.

E CRO Click, Clack, Moo by Doreen Cronin
Using a typewriter, the cows demand electric blankets or they will go on strike.

E CRO Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin
Farmer Brown goes on vacation not realizing the animals have special plans while he is gone.

E STA Saving Sweetness by Diane Stanley
When little Sweetness runs away from Mrs. Sump, the mean woman who runs the orphanage, the kind hearted sheriff goes to rescue her from the dangerous Coyote Pete. The question is who is rescuing whom?

E STA Raising Sweetness by Diane Stanley
The kind sheriff has adopted eight orphans, but his ideas about housekeeping and cooking, such as spaghetti with peanut butter, lead Sweetness to find a wife for the sheriff.

F WAT Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watts
Scaredy Squirrel is a afraid to leave his tree, but something changes his outlook. (Be sure to read the fly leaf where it gives the reader a warning before reading the book.)

F WAT Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend by Melanie Watts
Scaredy sets out to find the perfect friend, preferably one with no teeth, and who is germ-free and predictable.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Are You a Happy Camper?

My friends and family were shocked when they heard that I loved camping! What? Just because I hate dirt, bugs, germs, heat, humidity, and mosquitoes? I solved most of those problems by camping in the winter, but for most people, camping season is just beginning. Check out some of the books Helen Hall has to offer about camping:

Camper’s Guide to U. S. National Parks (796.54 M831c vol. 1 & 2)
Camping for Dummies (796.54 H691c 2000)
Camping in Comfort: A Guide to Roughing It with Ease and Style (796.54 H237c 2007)
Eating Hearty in the Wilderness with Absolutely No Clean Up : A Backpacker's Guide to Good Food and "Leave No Trace Camping!" (641.578 K92e)
Let's Get Primitive: The Urban Girl's Guide to Camping (796.54082 M545L 2007)
Stressing and Unstressing in a Tent (796.54 B967s)
Texas Parks and Campgrounds (917.64068 M647t 2003)

Important News About Fungible Friday: Second Childhood Edition

Miss Jenny just ordered Mario Kart!!! So if you are lucky enough to be a teen mark your calendars for April 24, 6-8 pm. This is an after-hours event so you must be in the building before 6 pm!

Saturday, March 28, 2009

New and Improved Teen Section



This is what you used to see when you looked over at the Teen section from the children's play area...



...and this is what you see now! The Teen Advisory board designed these canvas panels...Thanks, TAB!



This is how our seating area used to look...




...and this is how it looks now!




This is our old broken couch...




...and these are our awesome new beanbag chairs! The Friends of the Helen Hall Library bought these for us...Thanks, friends!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Sports Books On Order

I like cookies, so here goes! Bloggers are being rewarded with cookies....
We lady library book selectors often pass up the books that would appeal to a male audience. To remedy this ongoing problem, we have ordered some recently published sports books for Helen Hall. Look for these titles to arrive in April.

The 50 Greatest Plays in Pittsburgh Steelers Football History, by Steve Hickoff
A Biographical Dictionary of the Baseball Hall of Fame, by John C. Skipper
The College Football Book, by Sports Illustrated
Eli Manning: The Making of a Quarterback, by Ralph Vacchiano
Football's Greatest Stars, by Allan Maki
Game of My Life Texas: Memorable Stories of Longhorn Football, by Michael Pearle
How Football Explains America, by Sal Paolantonio
What it Means to be A Longhorn: Darrel Royal, Mack Brown and Many of Texas Greatest Players, by Bill Little
Yogi Berra: Eternal Yankee, by Allen Barra

Signed:
Blue Ridge Rocker (as in Rocking Chair)

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Any Dancing with the Stars fans out there?

I admit it--I'm completely addicted to this show...AND to dancing!!

Are you one of those people who have dreamed of gliding across the dance floor? And then you checked out the price of dance lessons and screamed, "Yikes!" If so, the library is the place for you! We have books, videos, and DVDs that can teach you how to ballroom dance, and we even have ballroom and big band music you can dance to! Here are just a few examples:

Books
Ballroom Dancing (793.33 M821b10)
Ballroom Dancing : The Romance, Rhythm, and Style (OVERS 793.33 R462b)

DVDs
Ballroom Dancing Basics (DVDE 793.33 B193 2004)
Ballroom Dancing. Intermediate (DVDE 793.33 B1932 2007)
Ballroom Dancing. Advanced (DVDE 793.33 B1931 2007)
Mad Hot Ballroom (DVDE 793.33 M1781 2005)
Strictly Ballroom (DVDE 793.33 S9176 2005)

Plus many others, including country dancing, party dancing, social dancing, latin dancing, and more!

Friday, March 13, 2009

I bet you'd be suprised at how much of the Disney Radio current playlist is available at Helen Hall Library! Take a look:


Jonas Brothers: BB Good

Drew Seeley and Selena Gomez: New Classic

Paramore: Decode

Taylor Swift: White Horse

Zac Efron And Corbin Bleu: The Boys Are Back

Demi Lovato: La La Land

David Archuleta: A Little Too Not Over You

Jonas Brothers: Tonight

The Fray: You Found Me

Taylor Swift: Love Story

Zac Efron: Scream

Jesse McCartney: How Do You Sleep

Tiffany Giardina: No Average Angel

David Cook: Light On

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

A List of Titles Which Might, Appeal to STEAMPUNK Fans

Foglio, Phil Girl Genius YAGN FOGLIO
Philip, Pullman (all titles) YA-F PULLMAN
Oppel, Kenneth Airborne and sequels YA-SF OPPEL
Reeve, Philip Hungry City Chronicles YA-SF REEVE
Gibson, William and Sterling, Bruce Difference Engine SF GIBSON
Stephenson, Neal Diamond Age SF STEPHENSON
Mieville, China (all titles) YA-F MIEVILLE
Aiken, Joan The Wolves Chronicles J-F AIKEN
Stevermer, Caroline College of Magics SF STEVERMER
Knox, Elizabeth Dreamhunter YA-F KNOX
Wrede, Patricia and Stevermer, Caroline Sorcery and Cecelia YA-F WREDEW
rede, Patricia and Stevermer, Caroline The Grand Tour YA-F WREDE
Novik, Naomi His Majesty's Dragon F NOVIK
Reeve, Philip Larklight J-SF REEVE
Richards, Justin The Death Collector YA-F RICHARDS
Verne, Jules 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea SF VERNE
Wooding, Chris Haunting Of Alaizabel YA-F WOODING
Beddor, Frank Looking Glass Wars YA-F BEDDOR

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

My Favorite Picture Books

After 12 years of assisting in story times and paging through picture books, I've listened to and read many wonderful stories. Below is a list of some of my all time favorites (based on responses from children in story time, my love of the subject, or how loud I laughed when I read them):

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Viorst, Judith
Bark, George by Feiffer, Jules
Bear Snores On by Wilson, Karma
Big Bug Ball by Lillegard, Dee
Book! Book! Book! by Bruss, Deborah
Boy Who Was Raised by Librarians by Morris, Carla
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Jr., Bill Martin
Chester by Watt, Mélanie
Clap Your Hands by Cauley, Lorinda Bryan
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Cronin, Doreen
Clip-Clop by Smee, Nicola
Doghouse by Thomas, Jan
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Willems, Mo
Duck In The Truck by Alborough, Jez
Duck On A Bike by Shannon, David
Dumb Bunnies series by Pilkey, Dav
Five Little Ducks by Raffi
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Christelow, Eileen
Franklin in the Dark by Bourgeois, Paulette
Froggy Gets Dressed by London, Jonathan
From Head to Toe by Carle, Eric
Giraffes Can't Dance by Andreae, Giles
Girl and Her Gator by Bryan, Sean
Hooway for Wodney Wat by Lester, Helen
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Yolen, Jane
I Went Walking by Williams, Sue
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (and others in series) by Numeroff, Laura
I'm Not Cute! by Allen, Jonathan
I'm Still Here in the Bathtub: Brand New Silly Dilly Songs by Katz, Alan
I'm The Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Sherry, Kevin
Is Your Mama A Llama? by Guarino, Deborah
Librarian from the Black Lagoon by Thaler, Mike
Llama, Llama Red Pajama by Dewdney, Anna
My Lucky Day by Kasza, Keiko
No, David! by Shannon, David
Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude by O'Malley, Kevin
Once Upon a Time, the End (Asleep in 60 Seconds) by Kloske, Geoffrey
Pigeon Finds a Hotdog! by Willems, Mo
Pigeon Wants a Puppy by Willems, Mo
Punk Farm by Krosoczka, Jarrett J.
Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp by Shields, Carol Diggory
Saving Sweetness by Stanley, Diane
Scaredy Squirrel series by Watt, Melanie
Spider on the Floor by Raffi
Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Scieszka, Jon
Stupids series by Allard, Harry G.
Tacky the Penguin by Lester, Helen
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Taback, Simms
Too Many Frogs by Asher, Sandy
True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Scieszka, Jon
We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Rosen, Michael
What Will Fat Cat Sit On? by Thomas, Jan
Wide-Mouthed Frog by Faulkner, Keith
Wolf's Chicken Stew by Kasza, Keiko
Wolf's Coming! by Kulka, Joe

Monday, February 16, 2009

A Bunch of New Chick Lit Series in Teen

I love the Gossip Girls, Clique, Private, It Girl, and A-list series, so I was very excited to find, when i was browsing for new books to order back in December, that a lot more authors are coming out with similar series. I added ALL of them! What I like about these newer series is that they are much more diverse- there are several Christian-themed series and several African American-centered series (and two that are Christian AND African-American and one that is Christian AND Hispanic-American!). Check'em out (literally!)

(All titles listed below can be found in the Teen section of Helen Hall Library (call numer YA-F) alphabetized by author.)

Bard Academy Series by Lockwood, Cara
Vol. 1: Wuthering High
Miranda is shipped off to Bard Academy, a boarding school, to learn how to behave, but when she begins having nightmares and the other students' lives begin to mirror the tragic classics they're reading, Miranda begins to suspect the school is haunted by famous authors who committed suicide.

The Ashleys Series by De La Cruz, Melissa
Vol. 1: The Ashleys
Lauren Page, having changed her style from discount bargain clothes to couture fashions, decides to infiltrate the most popular group of girls at Miss Gamble's Preparatory School for Girls and get revenge for how they have treated her.

The Celebutantes Series by Pagliarulo, Antonio
Vol. 1: On the Avenue
When fabulously wealthy sixteen-year-old triplets Lexington, Park, and Madison Hamilton appear to be involved in the murder of a powerful magazine editor, they decide to do some investigating of their own before the police and paparazzi completely ruin their lives.

The Good Girlz Novels (Christian Fiction) by Billingsley, ReShonda Tate
Vol. 1: Nothing But Drama
Four girls from different backgrounds--one with a police record, one with a frightening secret, one with a tough exterior, and one from high society--meet at a church youth group and learn firsthand the value of honoring their parents.

Drama High Series by Divine, L.
Vol. 1: The Fight
Having broken up with her boyfriend and his player ways, sixteen-year-old Jayd is ready for a fresh start and a new school year at South Bay High, a.k.a. Drama High, but life is not that easy at her Los Angeles high school.

The Clique Summer Collection by Harrison, Lisi
(No particular series order) Sample description from volume: Massie
Back in Orlando for the summer, twelve-year-old Claire has difficulty connecting with her former best friends and decides to prove her loyalty by helping them prepare for the Kissimmee's teen beauty pageant, but when Massie shows up with aims to win the crown, Claire finds herself torn.

The Summer Boys Novels by Abbott, Hailey
Vol. 2: Next Summer
On vacation again together, three cousins share their family's beach house and find a whole new selection of boys-- and the problems that go along with dating them.

The Principles of Love Series by Franklin, Emily
Vol. 1: Love From London
Love Bukowski is living the life of her dreams in London, where she parties with the hottest rock stars, legendary royals, and all-time bad boys while attending the London Academy of Drama and Music with her best friend, Arabella, but when the life of her dreams takes a turn for the worse, Love must decide whether to follow her heart or her head.

Chalet Girls Series by Franklin, Emily
Vol. 1: Balancing Acts
Three teenaged girls try to prevent their secrets from interfering with their love lives and their goals as they work at Les Trois, an exclusive Alpine ski resort, over the winter.

The All About Us Novels (Christian Fiction) by Adina, Shelley
Vol. 1: Be Strong and Curvaceous
Carly, a Mexican American scholarship student at exclusive Spencer Academy in San Francisco, hides her status from her wealthy school friends until her new roommate, a Scottish aristocrat, is threatened by an angry young man and needs Carly's--and God's--help.

The Beta Gamma Pi Novels (Christian Fiction) by Moore, Stephanie Perry
Vol. 1: Work What You Got
Hayden, who starts her sophomore year at college, pledges to Beta Gamma Pi and participates in dangerous hazing events while dealing with challenges to her Christian faith and questioning her relationship with Creed, the campus hunk.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Just in time for Valentine's Day- books about Forbidden Love

Aidinoff, Elsie The garden YA-F AIDINOFF
Bennett, Cherie A heart divided YA-F BENNETT
Black, Holly Tithe YAF-BLACK
Blackman, Marjorie Naughts and Crosses YA-F BLACKMAN
Block, Francesca Lia Wasteland YA-F BLOCK
Clare, Cassandra City of Bones YA-F CLARE
Dole, Mayra Lazare Down to the Bone YA-F DOLE
Draper, Sharon Romiette and Julio YA-F DRAPER
Freyman-Weyr, Garret Stay With Me YA-F FREYMAN-WEYR
Gallagher, Liz Opposite of Invisible YA-F GALLAGHER
Glenn , Mel Foreign Exchange: a Mystery in Poems YA-F GLENN
Gray, Claudia Evernight YA-F GRAY
Green, John Paper Towns YA-F GREEN
Hurley, Tonya Ghostgirl YA-F HURLEY
Jenkins, A.M. Beating Heart YA-F JENKINS
Klause, Annette Curtis Blood and Chocolate YA-F KLAUSE
Koja, Kathe Kissing the Bee YA-F KOJA
Korman, Gordon Son of the Mob YA-F KORMAN
Lyga, Barry Boy Toy YA-F LYGA
McCarthy, Maureen Rose by Any Other Name YA-F MCCARTHY
Mead, Rachel Vampire Academy Series YA-F MEAD
Meyer, Stephenie Twilight series YA-F MEYER
Mori, Kaoru Emma series YAGN MORI
Newman, Leslea Jailbait YA-F NEWMAN
Rosoff, Meg How I Live Now YA-F ROSOFF
Ryan, Amy Kathleen Vibes YA-F RYAN
Shakespeare, William Romeo and Juliet 822.33 U3gi
Shmidt, Gary D. Trouble YA-F SCHMIDT
Strasser, Todd Boot Camp YA-F STRASSER
Vaught, Susan Big Fat Manifesto YA-F VAUGHT
Waite, Judy Forbidden YA-F WAITE
Weyn, Suzanne Reincarnation YA-F WEYN
Whitcomb, Laura A Certain Slant of Light YA-F WHITCOMB
Woodson, Jacqueline Behind You YA-F WOODSON
Woodson, Jacqueline If You Come Softly YA-F WOODSON
Zarr, Sara Sweethearts YA-F ZARR

Thursday, January 29, 2009

If You Liked Erin Hunter’s Warriors Series….

Adams, Richard. Watership Down F ADAMS
Shardis,
Plague Dogs
Traveller
Appelt, Kathi . The Underneath J-F APPELT
Avi. Poppy series, The good dog J-F AVI
Bakker, Robert. Raptor Red F BAKKER
Beagle, Peter S. The last unicorn SF BEAGLE
Bell, Clare. Ratha's creature (and series) YA-F BELL
Clement-Davies, David. Fire Bringer, The Sight YA-F CLEMENT-DAVIES
Graham, Kenneth. The Wind in the Willows J-F GRAHAME
Hobbs, Valerie. Sheep J-F HOBBS
Hoeye, Michael. Time Stops for No Mouse J-F HOEYE
Jacques, Brian. Redwall J-F JACQUES
Jarvis, Robin. The Deptford Histories YA-F JARVIS
The Hagwood trilogy
Koertge, Ron. Strays YA-F KOERTGE
Koja, Kathe. Straydog YA-F KOJA
Lasky, Kathryn. Guardians of Ga'Hoole YA-F LASKY
Lowry, Lois. Stay: Keeper's story J-F LOWRY
Martin, Ann. A dog's life J-F MARTIN
Oppel, Kenneth. Silverwing J-F OPPEL
Orwell, George. Animal Farm F ORWELL
Paver, Michelle. Chronicles of Ancient Darkness YA-F PAVER
series
Pierce, Meredith Ann. Firebringer trilogy YA-F PIERCE
Said, S.F. Varjak Paw J-F SAID
The outlaw Varjak Paw
Sewell, Anna. Black Beauty J-F SEWELL
Stein, Garth. The art of racing in the rain F STEIN
Vaughan, Brian K. Pride of Baghdad YAGN VAUGHAN
Williams, Tad. Tailchaser's song YA-F WILLIAMS