Money Smart Week: April 21st-28th, 2012

Did you know that April is National Financial Literacy Month?
The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago began partnering with the American Library Association in 2011 as part of the expansion of Money Smart Week, whose mission is to promote personal financial literacy. Libraries of all types have participated in Money Smart Week, partnering with community groups, financial institutions, government agencies, educational organizations and other financial experts to help consumers learn to better manage their personal finances. Below are some events and materials to help increase your financial literacy.

Books on Finance
The Eastern Shores Library System offers many different books on personal finance, credit repair, debt management, and retirement planning. Here is a list of some of the more recent books available via EasiCat.

The Behavior Gap: Simple Ways to Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money by Carl Richards
Clark Howard’s Living Large in Lean Times by Clark Howard
Credit Repair by Robin Leonard
Earn It, Learn It: Teach Your Child the Value of Money, Work and Time Well Spent by Alisa Weinstein
The Essential Credit Repair Handbook by Deborah McNaughton
Family Finance: Tips on Finance for Daily Living by Cliff Williams
Financial Fitness Forever: 5 Steps to More Money, Less Risk, and More Peace of Mind by Paul Merriman
The Handy Personal Finance Answer Book by Paul Tucci
Live It, Love It, Earn It: A Woman’s Guide to Financial Freedom by Marianna Olszewski
Managing Retirement Wealth: An Expert Guide to Personal Portfolio Management in Good Times and Bad by Julie Jason
Money Matters and Personal Finance: Information You Should Have Been Taught in School by Richard Marinaccio
No More Mac ’n’ Cheese!: The Real-World Guide to Managing Your Money for 20-Somethings by Lise Andreana
Personal Finance by George Callaghan, Ian Fribbance, and Martin Higginson
Protecting Your Parents’ Money: The Essential Guide to Helping Mom & Dad Navigate the Finances of Retirement by Jeff Opdyke
Seven Steps to Financial Freedom in Retirement by Hank Parrot
The Smartest Money Book You’ll Ever Read: Everything You Need to Know about Growing, Spending, and Enjoying Your Money by Daniel Solin
The 10 Commandments of Money: Survive and Thrive in the New Economy by Liz Weston
Credit Management Kit for Dummies by Steve Bucci

The Ultimate Financial Plan: Balancing Your Money and Life by Jim Stovall

Ozaukee County Money Smart Week Events:
April 21st, 2012 and April 28th, 2012

To find out more about Money Smart Week Events @ Frank L. Weyenberg Library please check out out website for details. http://www.flwlib.org/news.cfm?id=252

Concordia University will be hosting Your Money Smart College for students and a Financial Resource Fair for everyone, details are here. http://www.co.ozaukee.wi.us/PressReleases/UltimateYouthFinancialExperience.htm

Calling all kids for Children's Book Week

Kids—did you know there is a week dedicated to honoring books for children and teens, and encouraging young people to discover the adventures awaiting them in books? It’s called Children’s Book Week, and it takes place next month, May 7-13, 2012. School libraries and bookstores across the country will host special story times and author events. If you go to the Children’s Book Week website, you can find out about some of the national events, finish a story that was started by a famous author, or download a free bookmark illustrated by Lane Smith (author/illustrator of It’s A Book and other cool reads).
The highlight of Children’s Book Week is a gala in New York City at which the winners of the Children’s Choice Book Awards are announced. These are the only book awards whose winners are chosen by children and teens, and you can go online to vote now until May 3. Last year, a record-breaking 525,000 children and teens voted. This year you can be one of them!
The finalists were chosen by tabulating the votes of 12,500 children and 7000 teens in various regions of the country. Check out the list below to see what books kids say are the best. If you want some more book suggestions, you can see the finalists from previous years by going to the Children’s Book Week website.
Here are the finalists for 2012: come to the library and read a few….and then don’t forget to vote!
Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year
Bailey by Harry Bliss
Dot by Patricia Intriago
Pirates Don’t Take Baths by John Segal
Three Hens and a Peacock by Lester L. Laminack
Zombie in Love by Kelly DiPucchio

Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year
Bad Kitty Meets the Baby by Nick Bruel
A Funeral in the Bathroom: And Other School Bathroom Poems by Kalli Dakos
The Monstrous Book of Monsters by Libby Hamilton
Sidekicks by Dan Santat
Squish #1: Super Amoeba by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year
Bad Island by Doug TenNapel
How to Survive Anything by Rachel Buchholz
Lost & Found by Shaun Tan
Okay for Now by Gary D Schmidt
Racing in the Rain: My Live as a Dog by Garth Stein

Teen Book of the Year
Clockwork Prince: The Infernal Devices, Book Two by Cassandra Clare
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Passion: A Fallen Novel by Lauren Kate
Perfect by Ellen Hopkins

Author of the Year
Jeff Kinney for Diary of a Wimpy Kid 6: Cabin Fever
Christopher Paolini for Inheritance
James Patterson for Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life
Rick Riordan for The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus, Book 2)
Rachel Renee Russell for Dork Diaries 3: Tales from a Not-So-Talented Pop Star

Illustrator of the Year
Felecia Bond for If You Give a Dog a Donut
Eric Carle for The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse
Anna Dewdney for Llama Llama Home With Mama
Brian Selznick for Wonderstruck

The Ship of Dreams

In 1912, the biggest ship to be afloat, was the Titanic. She was 11 stories high and 4 city blocks long. She had a double bottom that was divided into 16 watertight compartments. She would be able to float with any 2 compartments flooded and since “no one could imagine anything worse than a collision at the juncture of 2 compartments”, she was labeled unsinkable, and yet, 2 ½ hours after hitting an iceberg, she was gone, as were over 1500 passengers. For many years, it was believed that almost the entire starboard side had been ripped open by the iceberg. However, in 1986, a diver discovered that the riveted plates to the hull had been scraped and bumped, allowing water to rush in.

Although it’s been 100 years since this tragedy, people young and old alike, are still fascinated by this ill fated ship. The following books write about the people most closely associated with the ship from those who designed and created her to those who were her passengers. Many of these books have detailed accounts of this voyage because the stories are told by the survivors of this ship. Violet Jessop not only survived the Titanic, but 4 years later she survived when she was on the Britannic and that ship went down.

-Titanic: The Last Night of a Small Town
-Wreck and Sinking of the Titanic: The Ocean’s Greatest Disaster
-Titanic Survivor
-Titanic: An Illustrated history
-Voyagers of the Titanic: Passengers, Sailors, Shipbuilders, Aristocrats and the Worlds They Came From
-Down With the Old Canoe
-A Night to Remember
-The Discovery of the Titanic

Like I said before, the young are as intrigued about this ship as are the old. Many of the juvenile books are full of pictures, cutaway diagrams, and details that may be overlooked in other books. Did you know that you can smell an iceberg before you see it, that the biggest of the 3 anchors weighed over 17 tons, each funnel was big enough to fit two trains, that each of the two steam engines were the size of a three-story house, and that the cargo included such things as 30 cases of golf clubs and tennis rackets, 300 cases of walnuts, 50 cases of toothpaste, and 12 cases of ostrich plumes? The following books would help you learn more about this voyage:
-Titanic: Voices From the Disaster
-Titanic
-Titanic
-Exploring Titanic
-Escaping Titanic
-The Titanic: An Interactive History Adventure
-You Wouldn’t Want to Sail on the Titanic
-882 ½ Amazing Answers to Your Questions About the Titanic
-Iceberg Right Ahead

If you want to read a story of this voyage, you might enjoy these books from our adult collection:
-The Dressmaker
-Promise Me This
-The Company of the Dead
-Raise the Titanic
-From Time to Time

YA collection:
-Fateful
-Amanda/Miranda
-Titanic: The Long Night

Children’s collection:
-Unsinkable
-Tonight on the Titanic
-Voyage on the Great Titanic
-Titanic, April 14, 1912
-Titanic Crossing
-SOS Titanic
-Back to the Titanic

A DVD that shows all the mistakes that caused this tragedy is, Titanic: How It Really Sank and who can ever forget seeing Titanic and watching Jack and Rose as they stood, arms spread out, on the bow of the Titanic? This movie will be released April 6th in 3-D. James Cameron along with National Geographic, will be presenting the special, Titanic: the Final Word on April 8th. On April 9th, Bob Ballard, who discovered the final resting place of the Titanic, will be presenting another program, Save the Titanic. You will also be able to read about what “really happened” in the April printing of the National Geographic. With new technologies, it is possible to view the remains in a way that wasn’t possible before. There are quite a few pictures comparing the new ship to the one that now rests below.


Picture courtesy of Easicat

Shakespeare lives!

We’ve all been through it. I don’t think you can get out of high school without it. For some it may be a struggle and for others an appreciation. What am I talking about? Why of course studying Shakespeare!
Now it’s been a great many years since 12th grade English, but I can still recite parts if not all of the “Tomorrow” speech from Macbeth. Shakespeare’s words speak to all generations. Shakespeare knew just how to draw in his audiences. He wrote not only for royalty, but for the general masses. Shakespeare’s words remain timeless, pure classic.
William Shakespeare was baptized April 26, 1564 and died April 23, 1616. He was an English poet and playwright who is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist according to Wikipedia.
Shakespeare grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and married Anne Hathaway at age 18. He had three children, a daughter, Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Shakespeare’s early career began in London where he worked as an actor, writer and part owner of a playing company.
Most of Shakespeare’s works were written between 1589 and 1613. He was a prolific writer who wrote both comedies and tragedies, and later in life tragicomedies commonly known as romances. He also wrote poems, sonnets and historical drama. Some of his greatest works include Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and King Lear as well other popular titles.
Although Shakespeare was well thought of during his day, his rise to greatness wasn’t until after his passing. Generations of students, scholars, writers and historians continue to study and interpret his works. His plays remain forever popular with audiences around the world.
Most Shakespeare titles in book format can be found on the shelves of the Weyenberg Library in the call number area of 822.33. Here you will find books about the person, complete works, individual plays, guides, criticism and interpretation.
If you are uncertain of where to begin your studies, it’s always best to begin with an overview of the topic. While an encyclopedia such as the World Book Encyclopedia may provide you with a good summary, you may also want to choose a simple introduction such as:
· An introduction to Shakespeare by Marchette Gaylord Chute
· Gale Research edition of Shakespeare for students
If you would like to know more about the man himself you may enjoy the following titles.
· William Shakespeare: the man behind the genius: a biography by Anthony Holden
· Shakespeare as political thinker edited by John E. Alvis and Thomas G. West
If you want to talk like Shakespeare be sure and check out this book.
· Speak the speech: the Shakespeare quotation book by William Shakespeare
If you enjoy watching Shakespeare performances you may want to review this book before you go.
· A theatergoer’s guide to Shakespeare’s characters by Robert Thomas Fallon
If you would like to know more about what Shakespeare’s Globe Theater was like may we suggest the following book?
· Shakespeare and his theatre by John Russell Brown
If you would rather listen to or view Shakespeare’s works, the Library has a large selection of audiobooks and DVDs of popular Shakespeare plays for your listening and viewing pleasure. Don’t forget to check out the Children’s department for additional titles suited for younger audiences.
Join us on Tuesday, April 3 at 6:30 p.m. for the Weyenberg Public Library Foundation Fine Arts series with an interactive presentation of To Be: Shakespeare here and now with the Optimist Theatre.
Picture courtesy of Google Images.

Great New Teen Series!

Are you looking for a new series to fill the spot of Harry Potter, Twilight or The Hunger Games? Do you like action/ adventure novels? Fantasy novels? Dystopian fiction like The Hunger Games? How about fairy tale retellings? Or books like Twilight? Well, here are some new teen series that may appeal to a lot of people, not just teens!

Fantasy Fiction
One of my favorite genres is fantasy, so I am always excited to find a new fantasy series or author that I really enjoy. Here are some great fantasy series that are new or have a new book being released soon. I am a huge fan of both Kristin Cashore and John Flanagan, so I cannot wait for their new books to come out!

Seven Kingdoms Trilogy by Kristin Cashore
(Book 1: Graceling, Book 2: Fire, Book 3: Bitterblue)

Seven Realms by Cinda Williams Chima
(Book 1: The Demon King, Book 2: The Exiled Queen, Book 3: The Gray Wolf Throne, Book 4: The Crimson Crown)

The Brotherband Chronicles by John Flanagan
(Book 1: The Outcasts, Book 2: The Invaders)

Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa
(Book 1: The Iron King, Book 2: The Iron Daughter, Book 3: The Iron Queen, Book 4: The Iron Knight)

His Fair Assassin by Robin LaFevers
(Book 1: Grave Mercy)

Beyonders by Brandon Mull
(Book 1: A World Without Heroes, Book 2: Seeds of Rebellion)

The Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer Nielsen
(Book 1: The False Prince)


Dystopian Fiction
By now, a lot of people have read The Hunger Games and are eagerly awaiting the movie release. If you enjoyed Suzanne Collins’ books, or have read The Maze Runner or The Knife of Never Letting Go, here are some other dystopian books that you may enjoy!

Matched by Ally Condie
(Book 1: Matched, Book 2: Crossed, Book 3: Reached)

Clarity by Kim Harrington
(Book 1: Clarity, Book 2: Perception)

Insurgent Trilogy by Veronica Roth
(Book 1: Divergent, Book 2: Insurgent)

Dustlands by Moira Young
(Book 1: Blood Red Road)

Science Fiction
Science fiction is another one of my favorite genres, made memorable to me after I read A Wrinkle in Time and Ender’s Game for the first time. From there, I devoured all the other books in the two series. Here are some new teen books/series that having been getting a lot of buzz lately and hopefully will inspire others to read more science fiction titles. I especially enjoyed Cinder!

Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
(Book 1: Clockwork Angel, Book 2: Clockwork Prince)

BZRK by Michael Grant
(Book 1: BZRK)

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
(Book 1: Cinder)

Paranormal Fiction
I love paranormal fiction. I have always been a fan of books about vampires, werewolves, faeries, ghost hunters...etc. So, when I read about a new paranormal series coming out, I get excited and cannot wait to read the first book. Here are a few new paranormal titles that sound really good, including print versions of the e-book sensation and bestseller Amanda Hocking!

Everneath by Brodi Ashton
(Book 1: Everneath)

Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking
(Book 1: Switched, Book 2: Torn, Book 3: Ascend)

Violet Eden by Jessica Shirvington
(Book 1: Embrace)

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

March is Women’s History Month! It is a time to celebrate the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society.

Women’s History Month has only been around since 1987 when Congress expanded the focus of Women’s History Week to a whole month. It began as a way to teach the topic of women’s history in the classroom, as it was a subject generally ignored; the event was a way to increase knowledge of the American population.

Women have made contributions in many areas including science, sports, art, politics, civil rights, and medicine, and they deserve to be recognized for their hard work. Take some time to pick up a book or do research on your own to learn more about these amazing people and their involvement in shaping the world we know today.

For more information on Women’s History Month take a look at these websites:
http://womenshistorymonth.gov/
http://www.gale.cengage.com/free_resources/whm/
http://www.nwhp.org/whm/history.php

Here are some great biographies on remarkable women:

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie
Coco Chanel: An Intimate Life by Lisa Chaney
Amelia Earhart: the Turbulent Life of an American Icon by Kathleen C. Winters
The Curies: A Biography of the Most Controversial Family in Science by Denis Brian
Florence Nightingale: the Making of an Icon by Mark Bostridge
There Is No Alternative: Why Margaret Thatcher Matters by Claire Berlinski
The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe by Randy J. Taraborrelli
Becoming Jane Austen: A Life by John Spence
The Beecher Sisters by Barbara Anne White
My Name is Anne, she said, Anne Frank by Jacqueline van Maarsen
Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman by Sam Wasson
Kate: the Woman Who Was Hepburn by William J. Mann
Rosa Parks by Douglas Brinkley
With Billie by Julia Blackburn
A Necessary Spectacle: Billie Jean King, Bobby Riggs, and the Tennis Match That Leveled the Game by Selena Roberts
Oprah: A Biography by Kitty Kelley
The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown
The Bronte Myth by Lucasta Miller
Tete-a-Tete: Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre by Hazel Rowley
Virginia Woolf by Alexandra Harris
Jane Goodall: the Woman Who Redefined Man by Dale Peterson
Emma Goldman: Revolution as a Way of Life by Vivian Gornick
Georgia O’Keefe: 1887-1986: Flowers in the Desert by Britta Benke
Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits by Linda Gordon
Reading Jackie: Her Autobiography in Books by William M. Kuhn
Ball of Fire: the Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball by Stefan Kanfer

For Kids:

Amelia Earhart: the Legend of the Lost Aviator by Shelley Tanaka
Marie Curie: Discoverer of Radium by Margaret Poynter
Susan B. Anthony by Martha E.H. Rustad
Eleanor, Quiet No More: the Life of Eleanor Roosevelt by Doreen Rappaport
Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Mia Hamm by Clay Latimer
Indira Nehru Gandhi, Ruler of India by Carol Greene
Eva Peron: First Lady of the People by Kremena Spengler
J.K. Rowling by William Compson
Clara Barton: Founder of the American Red Cross by Barbara A. Somervill
Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette and the French Revolution by Nancy Plain
Elizabeth Blackwell: the First Woman Doctor by Ira Peck
Jane Addams: Champion of Democracy by Judith Bloom Fradin
The True Story of Pocahontas by Colleen Adams
Sally Ride: Astronaut, Scientist, Teacher by Pamela Hill Nettleton
Sacagawea: A Photo-Illustrated Biography by Barbara Witteman
Harriet Tubman: Freedom Leader by Tanya Savory
Sojourner Truth: Speaking Up For Freedom by Geoffrey M. Horn
Dirt on Their Skirts: the Story of the Young Women Who Won The World Championship by Doreen Rappaport

Check out these films for entertainment pertaining to influential women:

Marie Antoinette
The Young Victoria
Pocahontas
Evita
Becoming Jane
Elizabeth, the Golden Age
My Week With Marilyn
A League of Their Own
Coco Before Chanel


Picture from http://www.apbspeakers.com/speaker-news/womens-history-month-profiles-courage

I Want to Read a Bestseller!

If you enjoy reading the books that everyone’s talking about, or simply like to stay abreast of current books, the New York Times Bestseller list is a great resource. You can access it directly through Easicat: from the Easicat page choose the “Search” tab, and then either “Keyword” or “Browse”. On the left side you’ll see a sidebar that says “NY Times Bestsellers.” If you click on the drop-down arrow, you can choose from bestselling fiction, non-fiction or advice titles (advice includes self-help, cookbooks and fitness books), as well as children’s and young adult chapter books (think Hunger Games), paperbacks, and picture books.

The best part about viewing the bestseller lists from Easicat is that you can immediately request a title by clicking the “Request” button. Or if you’re like me, and you have more books checked out than you have time to read, Easicat will keep a list of books you hope to read in the future: log on with your barcode number and PIN under the “Patron Account” tab, and then when you find a book you’d like to read, click on “Add to list” on the right-hand side of the screen.
While the NYT bestseller lists are top-10 lists, you’ll find as many as 50 entries in the Easicat version of the list. That’s because each book is listed in all the available formats. You can decode these by looking at the icon that appears next to the picture of the book.
means it’s a traditional book
means it’s a large print book

indicates a non-musical sound recording, which is a book on CD

Got an e-reader or an mp3 player?

indicates an e-book which you can download onto your e-reader or computer and

is the icon for an audiobook which you can listen to on an mp3 player or computer. Just click on the link that says “Click here to access the title or place a request” and it will take you the Wisconsin Library Digital Download Center (Overdrive).

Looking at the NYT Bestseller list is an easy way to find your next great read. Here’s a few I’ve read or listened to lately:

From the Adult Non-fiction list: Unbroken: a World War II airman’s story of survival, resilience and redemption by Laura Hillenbrand—I didn’t think I would be interested in the story of a WWII airman who was shot down over the Pacific Ocean, but so many people recommended it to me I decided to give it a try. I found myself riveted to the story of a man whose determination and mental toughness brought him to the 1936 Olympics, enabled him to survive weeks at sea in a lifeboat, and then carried him through months of brutality and horror in Japanese POW camps. It sounds like a grisly story, but in the end is an inspiring one.

From the Adult Fiction list: Fall of giants by Ken Follett—The master historical fiction writer wows us again with this book, the first in a series of three that will take us through the twentieth century. Follett’s characters include the rich and the poor, the influential and the ordinary, and the stories take us from the United States to England, France, Germany and Russia as we trace the fates of five inter-connected families.

From the Adult Advice list: Heaven is for real: a little boy’s astounding story of his trip to heaven and back by Todd Burpo—This is a wonderful story about a boy whose brush with death left him with stories about heaven that are nothing short of remarkable. He tells of people he met in heaven who he would not otherwise know because they were not alive during his life on earth, and he tells details of heaven that are consistent with facts in the Bible which he had not yet been taught in his short life. This book will bolster your faith in God, and provide comfort to any who are mourning those who have preceded them to heaven.

From the children’s chapter book list: Wonderstruck by Brian Selznik—This book tells two stories simultaneously: the story of a young boy looking for his father, told entirely with words, and the story of a deaf girl, who has no words, told entirely in pictures. It is by the same author as The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which was the inspiration for the movie Hugo.

Other NYT Bestsellers that have been made into award-winning movies include War Horse by Morpurgo, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, The Descendants by Kaui Hemmings, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carre, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, and The Vow by Kim and Krickett Carpenter. You can check out the book or the DVD, which is indicated by an icon that looks like this:

What should I read next? There’s bound to be something great on the New York Times Bestseller List.

Photo courstesy of Google Images