Baldwin Public Library
 

What's new heading

Check here for new additions to our web page or Library services.

Video Games
Vacation Loans
Playways
New Acquisitions
Readers' Advisory
New Audio-Visual Acquisitions (now includes CDs)
Atrium Displays
Web Sites of Interest



VIDEO GAMES

The Library now has video games to lend! We have games for the following platforms: PlayStation2, PlayStation3, XBOX360 and Wii. Games are available in the Children's Room and the Adult Department. Games may only be borrowed on Adult cards, by Baldwin residents. The loan period is 7 days-games may not be renewed. Adult titles include Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS2, PS3, XBOX360 and Wii), Halo 3, The Lord of the Rings Conquest (XBOX360), Madden NFL 09 (XBOX360), Mario Part 8 (Wii). Children's titles include Lego Star Wars (XBOX360), Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii) and Lego Indiana Jones (Wii).


VACATION LOANS


All Baldwin residents whose library cards are in good standing may participate in the Library's vacation loan program beginning June 22. In keeping with the leisurely pace of summer, all young adult and adult non-special books may be borrowed for a vacation loan period until September 14. New books, items in high demand, and school assignment/reading list titles are not included. Now is a great time to read all those terrific books that you meant to get to all year. For more information, please call the Circulation Desk at 223-6228.


PLAYAWAYS


The Baldwin Public Library is proud to announce the addition of Playaways, the newest technology in audiobooks, to our collection. Playaway is the simplest way to listen to an audio book on the go. It comes preloaded with one book on it. No cassettes or CDs. No downloads. Simply plug in earphones or a car adaptor to Playaway’s universal jack and enjoy! And at a mere 2” x 3 ¼”, the Playaway is the ultimate in lightweight portability. Playaways may be borrowed for 28 days. Look for this new collection of best-selling titles in the Audio Books area. Read more about them here.



NEW ACQUISITIONS

Graphic of books

CHECK HERE FOR NEW NON-FICTION ACQUISITIONS OF SPECIAL INTEREST
(THESE TITLES ARE LOCATED IN THE NEW BOOK GALLERY)


The Food of a Younger Land: A Portrait of American Food--Before the
National Highway System, Before Chain Restaurants, and Before Frozen Food, When the Nation's Food Was Seasonal

by Mark Kurlansky (394.1209 F)

Just what we need in hard times, recipes for booya, mullet salad, Georgia possum and taters, kush, and Montana fried beaver tail. Kurlansky, the author of best-selling books about salt, cod, and oysters, discovered these gems in a two-foot-high stack of the "raw, unedited manuscripts" for an inspired but never completed WPA endeavor titled America Eats. As he explains in his invigorating introduction, the Federal Writers’ Project sent starving writers of all stripes across the country to gather information about "American cookery and the part it has played in national life." The results are vivid and playful dispatches from pre-interstate, pre-fast-food America, when food was local and cuisine regional. Fun, illuminating, and provocative, this historic reclamation appears while we’re in the midst of the worst financial crisis since the one Franklin D. Roosevelt fought with his job-creating stimulus package and while we’re grappling with a plague of unsafe food and environmental woes associated with industrial agriculture. But don’t despair. Whip up Ethel’s Depression Cake, and throw a bailout party.

Source: Booklist


The Teeth May Smile but the Heart Does Not Forget: Murder and Memory in Uganda
by Andrew Rice (967.6104 R)

From Rwanda to Sierra Leone, African countries recovering from tyranny and
war are facing an impossible dilemma: to overlook past atrocities for the sake of peace or to seek catharsis through tribunals and truth commissions. Uganda chose the path of forgetting: after Idi Amin’s reign was overthrown, the new government opted for amnesty for his henchmen rather than prolonged conflict.

Ugandans tried to bury their history, but reminders of the truth were never far from view. A stray clue to the 1972 disappearance of Eliphaz Laki led his son to a shallow grave—and then to three executioners, among them Amin’s chief of staff. Laki’s discovery resulted in a trial that gave voice to a nation’s past: as lawyers argued, tribes clashed, and Laki pressed for justice, the trial offered Ugandans a promise of the reckoning they had been so long denied.

For four years, Andrew Rice followed the trial, crossing Uganda to investigate Amin’s legacy and the limits of reconciliation. At once a mystery, a historical accounting, and a portrait of modern Africa, The Teeth May Smile But the Heart Does Not Forget is above all an exploration of how—and whether—the past can be laid to rest.

Source: Amazon.com book description


After Many a Summer: The Passing of the Giants and Dodgers and a Golden Age in New York Baseball
by Robert E. Murphy (796.3576 M)

For New Yorkers—especially Brooklynites—1957 will always be the year that
lives in infamy. It was when the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants
delivered a one-two punch to the city by both abandoning their hometown for California. Millions of bereft and angry baseball fans wondered how such a thing could be allowed to happen: Who was to blame? After poring relentlessly through archives, original news stories, and government documents, Robert Murphy gives the most fully-researched answer to that question yet offered. Packed with history, rich in baseball lore and legend, this is a book that any New York history buff and all lovers of America’s national pastime will relish.

Source: Amazon.com book description


The Art of Making Money: The Story of a Master Counterfeiter
by Jason Kersten (B Luciano K)

Art Williams spent his boyhood in a comfortable middle-class existence in 1970s Chicago, but his idyll was shattered when, in short order, his father abandoned the family, his bipolar mother lost her wits, and Williams found himself living in one of Chicago’s worst housing projects. He took to crime almost immediately, starting with petty theft before graduating to robbing drug dealers. Eventually a man nicknamed “DaVinci” taught him the centuries-old art of counterfeiting. After a stint in jail, Williams emerged to discover that the Treasury Department had issued the most secure hundred-dollar bill ever created: the 1996 New Note.

In The Art of Making Money, journalist Jason Kersten details how Williams
painstakingly defeated the anti-forging features of the New Note, how Williams and his partner-in-crime wife converted fake bills into legitimate tender at shopping malls all over America, and how they stayed one step ahead of the Secret Service until trusting the wrong person brought them all down.

Source: Amazon.com book description


Rocket Men: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon
by Craig Nelson (629.454 N)

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon. In this extensively researched account of that epic achievement, author Nelson moves seamlessly between Apollo 11 astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins, their nervous families and the equally nervous NASA ground crew. Nelson follows Armstrong in nail-biting detail as he tries to find a place to land with less than a minute's worth of fuel remaining. A central section of the book provides some backstory on the feverish American-Soviet game of one-upmanship in the year leading up to the Apollo 11 launch. For instance, Nelson describes Apollo 8 as an almost reckless gamble by NASA to beat the Russians in sending men to orbit the moon The book also describes the sad personal toll the mission took. Collins was best able to deal with the cost of fame yet expressed the anticlimax of life after Apollo 11: 'I seem gripped by earthly ennui'.

Source: Publishers Weekly


Cooperstown Confidential: Heroes, Rogues, and the Inside Story of the
Baseball Hall of Fame

by Zev Chafets (796.357 C)

Cooperstown is a sleepy New York village with a population barely eclipsing 2,000. But Chafets explains why Cooperstown and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a must-see destination for hundreds of thousands of baseball fans each year, diving into more than just the 200-plus players that have received baseball immortality by induction into the Hall of Fame. Chafets briefly explores the history of how the Hall of Fame came to pass, but the real good stuff comes as he dives into the politics of the museum and how race has played a role in who has received election and who has received the shaft. He looks at those who oversee the hallowed halls, the writers who act as gatekeepers to the Hall of Fame, and explains how election can make what was once a player's worthless memorabilia into a gold mine. Much of Chafets's subject matter is sure to strike a chord with baseball fans, and many will surely disagree with his stance on steroids as it relates to a player's induction. The relationships he develops with the Hall staff, combined with his accessible style, give the reader a glimpse beyond what one might see at the exhibits.

Source: Publishers Weekly

Video Acquisitions During June 2009
(All in DVD format)


Features


Bride Wars
Designing Women: the Complete First Season
Gran Torino
The International
(Tyler Perry's) Madea Goes to Jail
Marley & Me
My Bloody Valentine
"Pillow Talk"
Quantum of Solace
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Revolutionary Road*
Taken
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
The Uninvited

*Also in Blu-Ray format






Non-Features

Australia to the Max (919.4 A)
Confronting Death: a Christian Approach to the End of Life
(236.1 C)
Jerusalem: Center of the World
(956.94 J)
King Lear
(822.33 King Lear)
This Is the Life: How the West Was One
(782.42 T)
Turning Setbacks into Comebacks with Willie Jolley
(158.1 J)
Waking the Baby Mammoth
(569.67 W)





Audio Book Acquisitions During June 2009
(All in CD format)

Fiction

Connelly, Michael The Scarecrow
Cook, Claire The Wildwater Walking Club
Cussler, Clive with
Paul Kemprecos
Medusa
Deaver, Jeffery Roadside Crosses
Hoag, Tami The Trouble with J.J.
Ludlum, Robert &
Eric Van Lustbader
The Bourne Deception
Macomber, Debbie Summer on Blossom Street
Margolin, Phillip Fugitive
Michaels, Fern Mr. and Miss Anonymous
Michaels, Fern Under the Radar
Parker, Robert B. Brimstone
Pelecanos, George The Way Home
Rosnay, Tatiana de Sarah's Key
See, Lisa Shanghai Girls
Smith, Wilbur Assegai
Steel, Danielle

Matters of the Heart

Non-Fiction

Gladwell, Malcolm
Outliers
302 G


Biography

Tye, Larry
Satchel
B Paige

 



CD Acquisitions During June 2009

Adderley, Cannonball Somethin' Else MJ Adde Som CD 4263
Ciara Fantasy Ride MA Ciar Fan CD 4270
Chesney, Kenny Greatest Hits II MC Ches Gre CD 4264
Elliot, Richard Rock Steady
MJ Elli Roc CD 4261
Eminem Relapse MA Emin Rel CD 4260
Kitaro Impressions of the West Lake MA Kita Imp CD 4266
Manuelle, Victor Muy Personal ML Manu Muy CD 4265
Passion Pit Manners MA Pass Man CD 4267
Studdard, Ruben Love Is MA Stud Lov CD 4268
Travers, Pat Travelin' Blues MA Trav Tra CD 4262
Utada This Is the One MA Utad Thi CD 4269

 

READERS' ADVISORY Graphic of turning book pages



This bibliography called "The Reader's Shelf" is edited by Neal Wyatt and appeared in the June 15, 2009 volume of Library Journal.


IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME: COOL WOMEN'S FICTION

With its long hot days, summer cries out for books to sink into and savor.
These women authors-variously classified as writers of chick lit, romance, and women's fiction-know how to create novels that fit the season perfectly. Their delightful tales seduce readers into setting and scene and sustain interest with characters and dialog that are always as funny as they are charming. So while the thermometer and humidity rise, retreat to whatever counts as your cool back porch and surrender to the sweetness of lives that promise to always work out in the end.

Sarah Addison Allen pens novels of pure joy backed up with dashes of magic. In the case of The Sugar Queen (FIC Allen), magic comes in the form of the color red and books that appear whenever they are needed. Allen's great sense of pace and detail is on full display as she effortlessly braids together the tale of three women: Josey, the browbeaten daughter of the town matriarch, Della Lee, the trashy no-good girl, and Chloe, the town's expert sandwich maker. The color red is magic for Josey, Chloe is followed around by books, and Della Lee finds solace in Josey's closet. As the women learn more about one another and aid in navigating their relationships with men and mothers, the hidden secrets of their lives are revealed.

Gil McNeil's The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club (FIC McNeil) is a tender and funny story, full of rich detail, quirky characters, and great dialog. Devastated after her husband leaves her and then dies in a car wreck, Jo Mackenzie needs a reason to start over. She and her two adorable kids move from London to a small town where her grandmother has a knitting shop. Taking over the store gives Jo something to do, and eventually she and her sons forge a new beginning with the help of the town, a new love, and a huge dog named Trevor.

Mixing razor-sharp dialog with a comforting and supportive sensibility, Jennifer Crusie's Bet Me (FIC Crusie) is a book ready-made to wile away a summer afternoon. Minerva Dobbs overhears what she thinks is a bet between Calvin Morrisey and her ex-boyfriend about Calvin's ability to seduce Min. War is waged. As Min takes pot shots at Cal and he somehow decides she is charming, friends watch in various states of fascination. Romance fans should read this book for the ice cream and bread roll scenes alone, but all readers eager for a new version of the classic happily-ever-after will delight in Crusie's modern interpretation.

It's hard to believe that the assured and deft Good in Bed (FIC Weiner, LT FIC Weiner) was Jennifer Weiner's debut. Following up with a string of best sellers, Weiner is now a major name in women's fiction, and Cannie Shapiro's story has been extended in Certain Girls . If you missed Good in Bed when it first came out, this summer is the perfect time to rectify that. The pop culture writer for the Philadelphia Examiner , Cannie seems to have her life pretty much in hand until she reads about herself in her ex-boyfriend's new column, "Good in Bed." At first flattened, Cannie comes to think the cad really loves her and they briefly reconnect. Alas, Cannie's first reaction was the correct one, and she soon finds herself dumped again. She also discovers she is pregnant. The story spins out as Cannie comes to terms with her new life and figures out what really matters.

Bread Alone (FIC Hendricks) by Judith Ryan Hendricks is noted for its detail and rich evocation of setting. Wynter Morrison finds her life crumbing around her as she faces divorce and the loss of her once enviable lifestyle. Left with little more than her alimony check, she moves to Seattle and is hired by a bakery. At first her cloister-like life is difficult, but she soon takes comfort in her tiny home and her early-morning job. As she settles into her routine, she begins to process her grief and find new connections-the other women at the bakery and Mac, a bartender and writer who manages to both challenge and comfort her. Mingled in are recipes for the bread she bakes. Fans can follow Wyn in The Baker's Apprentice.

Neal Wyatt compiles LJ 's online feature Wyatt's World and is the author
of The Readers' Advisory Guide to Nonfiction (ALA Editions, 2007). She is
a collection development and readers' advisory librarian from Virginia.



ATRIUM DISPLAYS

Drawings Display by Ralph Gutierrez

Enjoy terrific drawings by Ralph Gutierrez in the display case during the month of July.

Ralph is 10 years old and attends Lenox School in Baldwin. He is academically smart and plays all sports but likes golf, track and swimming. He is musically inclined and plays the violin. Ralph is gifted and passionate with his art. He's been sketching ever since he could hold a pencil. His very first sketch was Plankton from Sponge Bob when he was 1 year old! He keeps himself busy by drawing, building models, airbrushing, computer, music, X-Box and spending time with family and friends.

Exhibit: The Soul's Society: The Art of Christianna Soumakis

Christianna Soumakis, whose past exhibitions include shows at the M55 Gallery in Long Island City, the 2/20 Gallery in Chelsea and the Museum of FIT, will be displaying her art at the Baldwin Public Library during the month of July. The exhibit will go up on Wednesday, July 1st, and the artist will be at the Library on Thursday, July 2nd from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm for the opening.

Soumakis' latest body of work focuses on social/spiritual relationships, expressing her deeply personal experiences via a darkly fantastical welding of stain-painting abstraction and sharp, almost illustrative portraits of family members, fictional characters, and allegorical figures. She casts those around her as players in a surreal, sometimes melting world of spirit and substance, figuration and non-figuration, real and imagined drawing on her life experiences. Soumakis populates the canvas with the spawn of her imagination in all their unpredictability, tenderness, and faith.

Christianna Soumakis received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology. This will be her second show at the Baldwin Public Library.




JULY WEB SITES OF INTEREST


NATIONAL HOT DOG MONTH

Celebrate one of America's favorite and most patriotic foods with fun
facts and new recipes. More than 3 billion hot dogs are consumed annually
in the United States.

http://www.hot-dog.org


SMART IRRIGATION MONTH

Most homeowners over-irrigate their lawns by 30 percent--not only wasting
water but also washing nutrients into rivers and streams and away from the
root zone where the plants can use them. Evaluate your irrigation system
this month.

http://www.smartirrigationmonth.org


FIRST US POSTAGE STAMPS ISSUED

On July 1, 1847, the first postage stamps were issued by the US Postal
Service, a 5-cent stamp picturing Benjamin Franklin and a 10-cent stamp
honoring George Washington. Stamps had been issued by private postal
services in the US prior to this date.

http://www.usps.gov

 

Source: Chase's Calendar of Events 2009



Send comments to info@baldwinpl.org
Last updated: 7/1/09
© 2009 Baldwin Public Library