July 2, 2004

Library Corner…

Everyone else has a “byline” in this column, so I think our readers should know that Joy always writes the first part of the column. So TA-DA! Here’s Joy! Ready, get set, quilt! Take a peek at Maggi McCormick Gordon’s “The Quilting Sourcebook” and your let your imagination run wild. The author begins with the basics and guides you with baby steps towards the quilt of your dreams. So get busy and create a family heirloom for generations to enjoy. Are you looking for projects to keep your children busy this summer? “Look at My Book” by Loreen Leedy is a self-help manual for elementary school-aged author wannabees. The book itself is a fun read with helpful hints, colorful illustrations, and a Richard Scarry-ish format. Adults will love it too. If you want to give your home an updated, funky look without spending a lot, don’t miss “Hardware Style” by Marthe Le Van. This is an off-beat decorating book that suggests taking items from your local “Home Improvement” store and using them in unusual ways. The projects are simple to execute and the accessories you create will be fun and functional. Author Steve Almond is a “Candy Freak.” He presents an amusing, informative view of the candy business with personal observations that make his book a charmer. And he definitely will push your sweet tooth into overdrive. Heat got you down? Take a break from your hectic schedule and relax in the coolness of Springfield Library. Our AC is up and running and the cozy furniture in our periodical section is oh so inviting. You can check your email, check out a video, and read that book you’ve wanted to read all winter. It’s great entertainment and the price is right. And on your way into the library take a look at the display case in the foyer. Alessandra, our reference librarian, has put together a delightful display of vintage wedding photographs. Look closely and you may just recognize some members of the library staff! Are you an artist looking for a place to exhibit your work? The Free Library of Springfield Township features the work of 11 artists each year (1 artist per month). We invite anyone interested in exhibiting in 2005 to contact us at 215-836-5300. From Leslie and the Children’s Room: “The Hunting of the Last Dragon” by Sherryl Jordan.Fresh from their dragon slaying adventure, Jude and Jing-wei rest in a monastery, where a monk records their tale. We, the readers, learn the tale through Jude’s words. The author does manage to let us know everyone’s point of view, even while portraying our engaging protagonist as a bit slow on the uptake.The story is a perfect summer book; it moves along at a fast pace, maintains a period atmosphere and is enjoyable reading. “Kitty Princess and the Newspaper Dress” by Emma Carlow. The book begins “meet kitty princess. She likes to think she’s the cutest kitty in town. But once upon a time she was the rudest.” Her fairy god mouse is telling the tale, and it is really quite funny. The FGM gets tired of being bossed around, and so Kitty has to go off to town to get her own dress. Well, she walks into one store and she orders shoes, and she walks into another store and she orders jewelry, and in another she orders a dress. The problem with this perfunctory ordering is that she pays no attention to which store is getting the orders, so the green grocer gets the order for shoes,etc. This is a book that is fun to read aloud and the pictures match the text.Alessandra’s Debut As a Reviewer! Melanie Sue Bowles’ book “The Horses of Proud Spirit” is a moving memoir of the horses that have been given sanctuary at Proud Spirit. The horses, some of which have suffered severe abuse, astound Melanie and the reader with their ability to trust, return the love they are given, and enjoy the companionship of other horses. Meet Dusty, Maddy, Annie, Wrangler and many others of these alluring creatures and share with them the lessons learned in compassion, strength and loss. This book is a must-read for horse lovers! In “A Taste of the Past,” Andras Koerner reconstructs the daily life and household of his Hungarian Jewish great-grandmother, Therese (Risa) Brauch (1851-1938). This entertaining account of what life was like in the nineteenth-century places a special emphasis on the meals Risa served her family. The book includes over 85 authentic recipes adapted for the modern cook. Try one of these savory recipes and enjoy!

Librarian’s Pick of the Week:
“I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason” by Susan Kandel. Kandel’s first novel is a winner. Cece Caruso, former New Jersey beauty queen
who now lives in West Hollywood, is a writer who specializes in biographies. Right now she is obsessed with Erle Stanley Gardner, who, we learn, not only wrote Perry Mason books, but also short stories for Black Mask and Best Detective, travel books, novelettes featuring Ed Jenkins and Speed Dash (separately,) and conceived the “Court of Last Resort,” wherein criminals who claimed to be innocent could write to the author and ask for their cases to be reinvestigated. These facts are interspersed with Cece’s research, her relationship problems with her daughter and friends, and her “Court of Last Resort” look into a prisoner’s request to investigate the crime for which he has been imprisoned for 46 years, the murder of his wife, Jean. Albacco’s case appeals to Cece because of his letter to Gardner in 1958, but she finds that the case itself raises questions. She starts an investigation of the people in Albacco’s life (wearing items from her vintage clothing collection), only to create mayhem and murder as she goes. What secrets worth killing for still lie buried after all those years? You might stay up all night reading to find out!

Alessandra’s Aces:
Like chewing gum? Have I got a site for you!
Smarty Jones fans can find Triple Crown History
Have an RV? Get outta town here.
Still haven’t found a camp for Junior?
Great recipes for Mexican food lovers.
Get that shrimp on the barbi!
For dog lovers!
Get into Literature for Children
And remember your teenagers with Favorite Teenage Angstbooks

June 30, 2004

Library Corner,

You can give your older home a facelift without diminishing its charm. Mary Gilliat's "Great Renovations and Restorations" touches on all aspects of restoring and updating. With this guide you can breathe new life into your old house and add to its value as well. If you're an expert in your field, you may want to learn how to "Start & Run a Consulting business." Author Douglas Gray will guide you through the process and direct you toward success. If you're a good communicator with marketable skill and you value your independence, this just may be a good path for you to follow. Jean Reynolds Page has a winner with her first novel "A Blessed Event." It's about friendship, loyalty, and the unexpected. Don't be surprised if this one keeps you up all night long. Those little dolls that nest into bigger dolls that nest into still larger dolls have always been fascinating to me. Rett Ertl's "The Art of the Russian Matryoshka" tells about the history of these dolls and how they relate to Russian history. Their craftmanship has blossomed since the fall of the Soviet Union and their collectible value has soared. We all know what happens when you wash a wool garment in hot water... just like that famous "Seinfeld" episode...Shrinkage! But this can work to your advantage if you are into the craft of knitted felt. "Knit One, Felt Too" by Kathleen Taylor shows you can create beautiful projects that go from knitted yarn to felt in seven easy tips. Give this technique a try. You won't believe how easy it is! Are you ready for the summertime? When the heat gets to you there is nothing like a good author and a cold drink to help you cool off and relax. Goi ahead and be lazy. The warm months fly by all too quickly so get outside and soak up some rays and get lost in a book.(TV has nothing but reruns anyway!) And encourage your children to get started in their summer reading NOW. Avoid
the late August rush so they won?t be disappointed when their favorite books are checked out to someone else. And don?t forget about the library?s ongoing art exhibits. The artist for June is Jessie Laspina of Norristown. She will be displaying her works in watercolors and oil. Jessie has won numerous awards, including awards in juried shows. She has exhibited her works in numerous shows and galleries including Woodmere Art Museum in Chestnut Hill and Hans Art Gallery in Norristown.

From Leslie and the Children’s Room:

“The Flower Hunter” by Deborah Kogan Ray is
about our own William Bartram, America’s first naturalist. It is a children’s picture book, but it is meant to be read aloud by adults. Almost every two page spread is two thirds picture and one third text. Bartram grows from a young boy to a man in the book, and his story is an interesting one. This is a wonderful example of the new non-fiction for kids. “The Last Princess” by Diane Stanley is about Princess Ka’iulani of Hawai’i. The illustrations are stiff yet beautiful and every two page spread has one full page each of picture and of text. The illustrations are stiff yet beautiful and the story is told simply. And the story! Here again non-fiction provides riveting reading.

Alessandra’s Aces:
Not photogenic? Edit your pictures here.
Teach kids how to prepare for any disaster here
Visit the Lewis and Clark Historic Trail
online auctions.
Interested in international law?
Check out the National Council for Research on Women
The National World War II Memorial
For great vacation ideas see novascotia.com/.