Springfield Library Corner
May 8, 2003

ELEANOR'S BEST WEB SITES

Alexander Hamilton on the Web at http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/hamilton/

National Park Service at http://www.nps.gov/

Berenstain Bears at http://pbskids.org/berenstainbears/

Frost Date Selector at http://www.victoryseeds.com/frost/

Single Parent Travel at http://www.singleparenttravel.net/

Window to My Environment at http://www.epa.gov/enviro/wme/

JOY'S PICKS

Ice is a commodity that we take for granted. “The Frozen Water Trade” by Gavin Weightman is the story of Boston entrepreneur Frederic Tudor who revolutionized the shipping industry in 1806. This is a fascinating tale about a man who ran with an idea and changed the world.

If you design your garden with flowers as the only focal point you’re missing half the fun. Judy Glattstein’s “Consider the Leaf” shows how to incorporate foliage in your horticultural plan. Your yard will be interesting all year long and the various leaf shapes will enhance your blooms.

Twenty-three year old author Sophie Powell’s debut novel “The Mushroom Man” is a magical story. It will recapture your childhood innocence and challenge your grownup thinking. It’ll make you vacillate between reality and imagination. Clap your hands if you believe in fairies!

Central Park is an oasis for New Yorkers. No one appreciates its beauty like author/photographer Fredric Winkowski. His “A Quiet Walk in Central Park” is a personal glimpse of this unique open space. The photos are breathtaking and his commentary thought provoking.

What can you take to soothe an upset stomach, calm a nagging headache, and help you relax after a long, stressful day. What makes a cold feel better, boosts your energy, and lifts your spirits? The magic elixir is tea. “The Little Book of Healthy Teas” by Erika Dillman takes a fresh, updated look at this centuries old beverage. Drink to your health!

LIBRARIAN'S PICKS OF THE WEEK

“Dead Aim” by Iris Johansen. Alex Graham is a photojournalist who witnesses a murder while on the scene of a tragic dam break. The town below it has been decimated by the flood, and Alex has joined her friend Sarah in helping to find survivors, when Alex decides to take photos of the scene from another viewpoint.

When a mysterious helicopter swoops down and a shot is fired, killing a mysterious man on the scene, Alex has to flee, unwillingly, for her life. She is sent to stay with Judd Morgan, whose past and present involves dangerous, and for Alex, terrifying circumstances.

Morgan must find out who the men who are trying to kill her, and why. This thriller combines excitement, danger and an element of romance as Alex and Morgan investigate together.

Also new and recommended: “The Sinister Pig” by Tony Hillerman; “Dead on Cue” by Sally Spencer; “Darkness at the Door” by Catherine Dain; “Blind Run” by Patricia Lewin; “Since the Layoffs” by Iain Levision; “Mistress of Marymoor” by Ann Jacobs; “No Second Chance” by Harlan Coben; “Best Friends” by Thomas Berger; “Brilliant” by Marne Davis Kellogg; “Turning for Home” by Susan Challis; and “Swimmer” by Graham Masterton.

New nonfiction: “Birds” by Robert Bateman; “Painting Glowing Colors in Watercolour” by Penny Soto; “Positively Fifth Street” by James McManus; “The Privilege of Parenting” by James B. Levine; “Ten Poems to Open Your Heart” by Roger Housden; “His Song” (about Elton John) by Elizabeth Rosenthal; “21 Dog Years” by Mike Daisey; “The Rebbe’s Daughter” by Malkah Shapiro; and “101 Jumping Exercises for Horse & Rider."