Snow, Snow Go Away, Come Again Another Day! Or Year!

By Jan Pease

I’m ready to wave goodbye to February and winter.  Just had to express that feeling.  Anyway, here are some new children’s novels that will be good for “spring” reading in March.

“Dr. Snow Has Got to Go,” by Dan Gutman, is  the first book in Mr. Gutman’s new series, “My Weirder-est school.”  Mr. Gutman states in an interview on his amazon  page that he writes for the kids who don’t really like to read.  His “My Weird School” series has something like 23 copies sold.  Ooops, I meant to type 23 MILLION copies sold.  The new series promises to be more of the same.  Dr. Snow is a scientist who comes to Ella Mentry School to help students with their science fair projects, with ensuing chaos.

“Click,” by Kayla Miller, explores a situation that  is hard for most students to handle,  the dreaded school variety show.  Olive doesn’t fit in with any of the groups at school, so she can’t seem to insert herself in any of the acts.  What can the person do who gets along with everyone but isn’t part of a clique? Why, become a witty, entertaining emcee, of course.

“The Duchess and Guy,” by Nancy Furstinger, is based on the story of a shelter dog who is rescued by a beautiful actress who marries Prince Harry, whose grandmother is very fond of dogs.  Of course the beautiful actress is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Guy the beagle is a real dog.

“The Gilded Wolves,” by Roshani Chok, is a great big, lush novel for teens.  It’s on my “to read” list, because it sounds interesting.  This book is a fantasy set in a semi-historical Paris, with intrigue between the great houses of the city.   A heist is involved, as our hero tries to retrieve an artifact from another great house.

 Finally, the big question for today is: “Who in the World is Carmen Sandiego?”  This has surprising resonance with me, because I often have a snippet of the old song, “Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?” stuck in my head as an ear worm.  Who is Carmen, the mystery woman in the red fedora? And why does she travel around the world?

Oops! There is one more book I have to share. “Tooth by Tooth: Comparing Fangs, Tusks, and Chompers,”   by Sara Levene, takes a look at human teeth compared to other creatures.  For example, what animal would you be if your top canine teeth grew almost down to your feet?    Interesting to think about.

 

These books, and many more, are waiting for you at Litchfield library.  See you there!

Closing at 5 p.m. February 20

Litchfield Library will be closing at 5 p.m. today due to the weather.

Author Visit: The Girl in Building C

Book Club Kits: The Latest and Greatest

by Beth Cronk, Litchfield head librarian

Our Friends of the Litchfield Public Library group is always looking for ways to help the library.  Recently they received a donation from Joe and Nancy Paddock of ten copies of Nancy’s Minnesota Book Award-winning memoir.  The Friends purchased a tote to put them in and gifted the set to the library.  Our library system cataloged it as a book club kit, and it’s now available for anyone in the system to borrow for use with their book club or other group.  You can find it by searching “Book Club in a Bag: A Song at Twilight of Alzheimer’s and Love.”

You can find all of the book club kits in Pioneerland Library System by searching “Book Club in a Bag” as a title.  They really aren’t in bags; they come in plastic tubs.

One of the newest book club kits is “Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be” by Rachel Hollis.  This was, and continues to be, one of the most popular books of the past year.  Litchfield Library has owned a print copy of this book since last April, and it has yet to make it to the shelf; it has been checked out to people on the waiting list this entire time.  We also got an audiobook copy in November.  The twelve-copy kit belongs to the Dawson library, but you can request that it be sent here if you’d like to use it for your book club or group of friends.

On Tuesday, March 5, Hutchinson author and historian Mary Krugerud will be giving a presentation at the Litchfield Library about her new book, “The Girl in Building C: The True Story of a Teenage Tuberculosis Patient.”  Join her in the meeting room at 6:30 to learn about the history of tuberculosis, its treatment, and Minnesota sanatoriums.  Minnesota Historical Society Press recently published this collection of Marilyn Barnes’ letters to her family from the Ah-gwah-ching State Sanatorium in Walker, Minnesota in the ‘40s.  Litchfield Library has a copy of this book, but Dawson Library has a ten-copy book club kit available to order.

My adult book club is currently reading “The Underground Railroad” by Colson Whitehead, using the twelve-copy book club kit from Montevideo Library.  This book won both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.  It’s an imaginative take on the actual history of slaves escaping the South.  If you’d like to join us, you can check out a copy at the library’s front desk and come to the meeting at noon on Tuesday, March 12.

Another new book club in a bag is “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI” by David Grann.  We read this interesting true crime book in the adult book club last year.  This tub contains ten copies of the book, and it’s housed at the Montevideo library.

Benson has an eight-copy book club kit of “Sister Secrets: A Brother’s Reveal” by Matthew Valan.  I wasn’t familiar with this title, which was published by North Dakota University Press in 2018.  The author is a minister who lives on his farm near Moorhead, and he delves into his family history with this story of his two sisters who were diagnosed too late with bipolar disorder. 

If you have a book club that you can trust with copies that are checked out to you, a kit is a great option for getting many copies at once.  There are 71 different book club kits in Pioneerland with more added all the time. 

Litchfield Library closing at 5:30 2/12/19

The Litchfield Library will be closing at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 12, due to the weather.  We apologize for the inconvenience.

In Case Anyone is Keeping Score!

By Jan Pease

The American Library Association announced its 2019 Youth Media Awards on January 28, so it’s time for our annual scorecard of hits and misses.

The John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature went to “Merci Suárez Changes Gears,” by Meg Medina.  Three copies are available in Pioneerland Library System. One of the copies is in Meeker County, at the Grove City Library.   The Newbery Honor  books this year were “The Night Diary,” by Veera Hiranandani, and “The Book of Boy,” by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.  Two Meeker County libraries, Dassel and Litchfield, have “The Night Diary.”  Three other copies of “The Night Diary” are available in PLS. “The Book of Boy” is found only at Litchfield. 

The Randolph Caldecott Medal, given for the most distinguished American picture book for children, was presented to “Hello Lighthouse,” written and illustrated by Sophie Blackall.  Nine libraries in PLS added this book, including Cosmos, Dassel, and Litchfield.  Four Caldecott Honor books were also named.  “Alma and How She Got Her Name,” written and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, was added to Benson, Hutchinson, Litchfield, and Willmar libraries.  “A Big Mooncake for Little Star,” by Grace Lin, was added by eleven libraries in PLS, including Dassel, Grove City, and Litchfield. “The Rough Patch,” written and illustrated by Brian Lies, was added by nine libraries in PLS, including Dassel and Litchfield. “Thank You, Omu!” written and illustrated by Oge Mora, was added only by Litchfield.

I follow the Theodore Seuss Geisel award every year with great interest.  Poor Dr. Seuss has fallen out of favor with some folks as the inflammatory cartoons he drew for propaganda during WWII have come to light.  I still love Dr. Seuss and am glad the award in his honor is still given for the most distinguished beginning reader book.  The winner this year was “Fox the Tiger,” by Corey R Tabor, which no libraries in PLS ordered.   Four Geisel Honor books were chosen.  “The Adventures of Otto: See Pip Flap,” which no one in PLS ordered; “Fox + Chick: The Party and Other Stories,” which six libraries, including Dassel, ordered; “King and Kayla and the Case of the Lost Tooth,” written by Dori Hillestad Butler, added by two libraries in PLS but none in Meeker County; and “Tiger vs. Nightmare,” written and illustrated by Emily Tetri, which five libraries in PLS added, including Cosmos, Dassel, and Litchfield.

  

Finally, I always check on the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award, presented to the most distinguished informational book for children.  This year the award was presented to “The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science,” written by Joyce Sidman. Seven libraries in PLS added this book, including Grove City and Litchfield. Five Sibert Honor Books were also named: “Camp Panda: Helping Cubs Return to the Wild,” by Catherine Thimmesh; “Spooked! How a Radio Broadcast and “The War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America,” written by Gail Jarrow; “The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees,” written and illustrated by Don Brown; “We are Grateful: Otsaliheliga,” written by Trai Sorell; and "When Angels Sing: The Story of Rock Legend Carlos Santana," by Michael Mahin.

I’d like to know more about how and why various books make the cut.  I wonder why “Fox the Tiger” received the award but none of the PLS librarians read reviews and chose that book.   I may never know, as the committee members keep their deliberations secret.   

I’ll let you in on a little secret.  The person who buys these wonderful books for our Meeker County libraries is – me!  It’s been a very good year!       See you at the library!