Springfield Library Corner
March 27, 2003

ELEANOR'S CHOICE: FUN AND USEFUL WEBSITES FOR THIS WEEK

Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood at http://www.misterrogers.org/mister_rogers_neighborhood

1930’s Project – America in the 1930’s at http://xroads.virginia.edu/~1930s/front.htm

GORP.Com – Great Outdoor Recreation Pages at http://gorp.com/index.html

Selected Design for the World Trade Center Site at http://www.lowermanhattan.info/rebuild/new_design_plans/

Military.Com at http://www.military.com

Women Soldiers of the Civil War at http://www.nara.gov/publications/prologue/women1.html

JOY'S PICKS

Is winter ever going to leave for good? Will our gardens really start to grow again? Jekka Mcvicar’s “New Book of Herbs” is the perfect antidote for spring fever. It is a comprehensive volume that introduces the non-herbalist to the many uses for these wonderful plants. A catalog of the top 100 herbs is also included along with beautiful color photos to help with their identification.

Family life in 2003 is a study in diversity. Intercountry adoption is the subject of “The White Swan Express” by Jean Davies Okimoto. This is a charming story of four Chinese orphans who find homes with families in North America. Very young children will enjoy reading this book with their parents.

If you follow a vegan diet you are probably very healthy. But are you bored with your meals? Author Robin Robertson can show you how to create fabulous food from amazingly varied recipes in “Vegan Planet.” Four-hundred recipes from around the world make this cookbook an invaluable resource for those who choose this way of life.

Bestselling author Luanne Rice has a written another winner. “The Secret Hour” is a compelling page turner with an engaging plot that twists and turns. The characters are realistic and immediately evoke the reader’s sympathy. This is a hard one to put down.

If you like thrillers and you’re not easily scared be sure to read “Derailed” by James Siegel. The plot is intense, intricate and horrifying. This book is definitely not recommended for bedtime reading!

NAT'S "YOU SAW IT HERE AT SPRINGFIELD FIRST"

“Cloning,” “Police Corruption,” “National Security,” and “Islamic Fundamentalism,” are a few new titles at the library, all from the excellent “At Issue” and “Opposing Viewpoint” series published by Greenhaven Press.

Each volume explores one current controversial issue by presenting essays from experts offering differing opinions on the topic. Sample chapters from the “Islamic Fundamentalism” book include “Islam is Compatible With Democracy” and “Fundamentalist Islam is Not Compatible With Democracy.”

These books are very worthwhile for students conducting research and adults trying to comprehend thorny issues. But readers should be aware that the books in this series, just like any other books published in the United States where we have freedom of the press, may subtly project a viewpoint.

For instance, the volume on capital punishment is titled, “Does Capital Punishment Deter Crime?”, whereas simply “Capital Punishment” might suffice. Likewise, the volume on Islamic fundamentalism is the only “At Issue” volume on religious fundamentalism and only a scant two pages in chapter 10 is devoted to a cursory overview of fundamentalism in Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Confucianism.

So, come read these books for an introduction to a controversial subject – and then read other materials in our rich collection to round out your view of the serious issues that confront society today.

LIBRARIAN'S PICK OF THE WEEK

“Death of a Village” by M.C. Beaton. I always enjoy the laid-back Hamish Macbeth mysteries by Ms. Beaton, because, although there is indeed a mystery, or in this case, mysteries, the reader can just relax and let Hamish do all the work.

Macbeth, the town constable, is constantly in danger of being promoted and removed from his beloved town of Loch Dubh because of his brilliant solutions to local crime problems. In the new book, Hamish solves several mysteries, flubs a new romance with his explosive temper and his innate ability to say the wrong things to women, and befriends a new character, who, if he stays in town, may prove to add a little more excitement to the village, even if he is in his eighties.

The main mystery this time is why a formerly friendly village on Hamish’s beat suddenly becomes overly religious and hostile to outsiders. The solution is intriguing. Beaton’s Hamish series never fails to involve you in the local lifestyle, and though you may not be on the edge of your recliner as you read, you won’t be able to put the book down.

Also new and recommended: “Loose Screws” by Karen Templeton; “Night Wind” by Stephen Mertz; “Office of Innocence” by Thomas Keneally; “Fathers and Daughters” by Anthea Fraser; “All Night Awake’ by Sarah A. Hoyt; “Queen Maker” by India Edghill; “Engaged to Die” by Carolyn Hart; “Breakout” by Richard Stark; “Tourmaline” by Joanna Scott; and “Sins Out of School” by Jeanne M. Dams.

New Talking Books: “On Whale Island” by Daniel Hayes; “Stone Kiss” by Faye Kellerman; “The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt” by Edmund Morris; “Reversible Errors” by Scott Turow; “Prey” by Michael Crichton; “James Madison” by Garry Wills; “Rumpole Rests His Case” by John Mortimer; “A Week in Winter” by Marcia Willett; “Leadership” by Rudy Giuliani; “My Losing Season” by Pat Conroy; “Courting Trouble” by Lisa Scottoline; “How to Be Alone” by Jonathan Franzen; “Blessings” by Anna Quindlen; “The Conquerors” by Michael Beschloss; “The Paris Option” by Robert Ludlum; “Shadow Warriors” by Tom Clancy; and “Every Breath You Take” by Ann Rule.

For the kids: “Rats!” by Richard Conniff; “Please Do Feed the Bears” by Phyllis Naylor; “100 School Days” by Anne Rockwell; “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” by Zita Newcome; “Dogs, Dogs, Dogs!” by Leslea Newman; “My Big Brother” by Valorie Fisher; “Piggy’s Pancake Parlor” by David McPhail; “Making Plum Jam” by John Stewig; “K is for Kitten” by Niki Leopold; “McDuff Saves the Day” by Rosemary Wells; “Witch Twins at Camp Bliss; “How Angel Petersen Got His Name” by Gary Paulsen; “A Bunny for All Seasons” by Janet Schulman; “Moon Rope/Un Lazo a la Luna” by Lois Ehlert; “Science Fair Success Secrets” by Bill Haduch; “The Grizzly Gazette” by Stuart Murphy; and “A Journey” by Apolo Anton Ohno.