Blog Post
Kid Lit - "The Classics"
by ryanikoglu
People ask, "Where are the Classics" for children? Although there is no single list, there are web sites to help lead the way.
Rutger's University suggests "Read or reread some of the titles that have achieved classic status. As you read, consider whether these works are still of interest to and will appeal to today's young people." On the list they provide links wherever possible, to electronic text version of books that are out of print.
Madison Public Library suggests, "The following titles appear on lists of classic children's literature. Most have been issued in several different editions, offering a range of illustration styles from which to choose." The part I like is they also suggest "contemporary" and "future" classics for children and "further information".
Blog Post
Kid Bits - Adoring Dora ?
by ryanikoglu
For Dora fans, do you know you can find Nick Jr. Dora The Explorer Essential Guide in her non-fiction Dewey address of J 791.457? There is a copy in every Library Branch.
Blog Post
Parent Bits - What's in Manga and Anime?
by ryanikoglu
No Flying No Tights has something for everyone! The home page presents three options: “sidekicks for kids,” “the original no flying no tights for teens,” and “the lair for teens and adults.” The site helps walk the fine line between teen appeal and more adult content.” The site’s creator, Robin Brenner, is a library student and “comics and graphic novel enthusiast.”
Anime Cafe offers a "Parent's Guide" for finding anime that is suitable for children. Right-up-front you can choose by age groups. I hope this helps.
Blog Post
Ain't Nothing But a Man: my quest to find the real John Henry by Scott Reynolds Nelson
by Tahira
Was John Henry of the famous song "John Henry" a real person? Did he really beat the steam drill and die with a hammer in his hand? These questions and more are answered in the book Ain't Nothing but a Man by Scott Reynolds Nelson. Reynolds takes the reader on a journey to find the answers and explores the life of Black railroad workers during the Reconstruction Era. An excellent read for Black History Month.
Blog Post
Baby Bits - Piggies!
by ryanikoglu
PIGGIES get their stage in Baby PlayGroup this week. We'll do a gentle home-grown version of The Three Little Pigs. You can check out Piggies by Audrey Wood, the fingerplay story; or Piggy In The Puddle by Charlotte Pomerantz for a rhythmic romp in the mud. VERY oink!
Blog Post
DVD Bits - Issues of Race
by ryanikoglu
In honor of African-American History Month, don't forget movies that tell stories of crossing racial barriers in America. Imitation of Life is the same story told twice in films of 1934 and 1959. Both films are on one DVD. A Patch of Blue with Sidney Poitier and Guess Who's Coming To Dinner with Katherin Hepburn and Spencer Tracy; Corrina, Corrina with Whoopi Goldberg and Ray Liotta; and Ruby Bridges who was the first child to integrate her local elementary school in New Orleans.
Blog Post
Microsoft & Yahoo - Together at last?
by remnil
How can your friendly neighborhood business correspondent pass up a story like this? Microsoft has just made a $44.6 billion bid (yes that's a "b") to buy Yahoo. The move comes following search giant Google reporting pretty sad earnings for the final quarter of last year.
The bid is an aggressive move by Microsoft to gain dominance in an area where they're lagging: online advertising. Google's expertise is search, but they make their money in internet advertising. And they're really good at it. But with its tepid recent earnings and Microsoft's latest move, could the Google juggernaut be in danger of hitting a wall, or at least a bit of molasses? What do you think?
Blog Post
The R-word
by remnil
The R-word - recession, that is - has been bantered about a lot more recently. With job losses, a pitiful housing market, and the subprime mortgage crisis, its prominence isn't overly surprising, nor is politicians' desire for a bit of economic development. It also is not surprising that people aren't really in a spending mood right now, which further risks bringing about the R-word. In hopes staving off said recession, the House has passed a "stimulus package" that could result in a $600 check appearing in your mailbox. Providing that the Senate agrees, that is.
A $600 check does sound mighty nice. But the question is, will you spend it? The "stimulus" part of the economic stimulus depends on us going right out and buying that new ipod or laptop. Of course, with the economy as rotten as it is, some might want to save it for a rainy day.
So, what if you got a big, fat $600 check in the mail? Would you save it? Spend it? If so, on what? Let's see if Congress' plan is really going to work.
Blog Post
Sweet, Sweet, Memory by Jacqueline Woodson
by Tahira
Sarah's family gathers at her grandmother's house and share memories of her grandfather. Sarah can't express how she feels until her relatives repeat grandfather's words that once touched her heart, "Everything and Everyone goes on and on." Jacqueline Woodson touches her readers' hearts in this poignant story.
Blog Post
DVD Bits - Nobody Knows
by ryanikoglu
This Japanese film title Daremo shiranai translates to "Nobody Knows",... a touchingly beautiful film based on a true story. For more than a year, four siblings take care of each other without the presence of a parent. They range in age from 12 to 5 years old. They manage to protect the secret that they are "home alone". The quiet film footage of the children involved in their daily routines is a skill full work of patience and art.