Kent District Library (MI)'s Blog, page 79

Four Fabulous Non-Fiction Titles to Try

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Celebrate the Macintosh computer’s 30th Anniversary by reading the story of how it all began!  Isaacson paints a portrait of a complicated man whose genius propelled both industry and artistry to new–and previously unimaginable—levels.

 

Detroit: An American Autopsy by Charlie LeDuff

Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, Charlie LeDuff, turns his investigative powers to his hometown, studying and evaluating the causes of its decline and its attempts at regeneration.  Fascinating!

 

 

The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World’s Largest Unsolved Art Theft by Ulrich Boser

One museum, two thieves, and the Boston underworld–the story behind the lost Gardner masterpieces worth $500 million and the art detective who swore to get them back.  Also participate in the East Grand Rapids branch’s live Skype chat with the author on March 20.  (Registration required).

 

 

My Korean Deli: How I Risked My Career and Mortgaged My Future for a Convenience Store by Ben Howe

This sweet and funny tale of a preppy editor buying a Brooklyn deli with his Korean in-laws is about family, culture clash, and the quest for authentic experiences.  This title is also available as an eAudiobook with wonderful narration by Bronson Pinchot.

 

 

Early Lit Bits: App Review — Avokiddo Emotions

Have fun with your child as you talk and play when using the app Avokiddo Emotions. In this app, users can choose from three different animal characters whom they dress up, feed, make dance, sing etc. Watch how the animals react to the items when you play. Talk with your child about how they think the animal feels: are they happy, sad, mad, embarrassed? Pull down the “knob” to change the objects for over 100 different interactions. You will be laughing along with your child to this entertaining and simple app. It is available for Apple and Android devices for $2.99.   

– Julie R. at KDL’s Caledonia Township branch

 

 

This article originally appeared in our   Early Lit Bits eNewsletter .   Read   the most recent issue online or   sign up   to receive this monthly update highlighting early literacy tips and resources for parents and caregivers.

 

KDL Top Ten — Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy

If you’re looking for an out-of-this-world read, grab something from our sci-fi collection!  These are 10 of the most popular Adult Science Fiction/Fantasy titles at KDL this month:

KDL Top Ten — Adult Science Fiction/Fantasy

If you’re looking for an out-of-this-world read, grab something from our sci-fi collection!  These are 10 of the most popular Adult Science Fiction/Fantasy titles at KDL this month:

“To the Wonder”

Terence Malick’s “To the Wonder”, released on DVD last year, is only the director’s sixth feature film since his first—“Badlands”—was released in the early 1970s. He is a director who obviously takes his time, and who is also notoriously shy of interviews, choosing instead to let his films—beautiful, mysterious, elliptical and spiritual—to speak for him. For the sake of full disclosure, I admit that his second film, “Days of Heaven” (1978), is one of my favorites (I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve watched it), so I always approach a new film by him with a great deal of excitement, and, for the most part, I have not been let down by his subsequent work. (His previous, “Tree of Life”, was stunning to some, baffling to others, but everyone had to agree it was original in its approach to its story.)

“To the Wonder”, like its predecessors, uses voice-over narration and beautiful imagery to tell the story of a man and woman in and out of love. It begins in Paris but soon shifts from that classic locale to Oklahoma (it was filmed in Bartelsville, but this is not mentioned in the film), where the landscape, though present-day, reminds one of “Days of Heaven” and “Tree of Life” (Malick was born and raised in nearby Texas). What’s particularly fascinating about the storytelling here is that it defies the usual expectations about narrative. We’re used to characters being explained–by themselves or by other means– as a way of moving the story forward, but here we learn as much from (sometimes cryptic) visuals cues, voiceover, and snippets of dialogue as anything else. This can take some getting used to, but once the viewer understands this, the story does move forward. Another thing to understand is that increasingly, Malick has been more explicit about religion, which here takes the form, at least in the context of the film, of Christian faith, albeit one rooted less in creed than in mystery. This is shown most explicitly through Javier Bardem’s character, a Catholic priest who, though only briefly involved with the main characters, plays a sort of counterpoint or complementary role to their search for human love, while he seeks to find God more fully in the faces of the poor around him. Finally, there is the ever-present use of natural and manmade imagery that Malick continues to revel in, and that serves to show us in sometimes unexpected places the beauty of the world around us.

“To the Wonder” will test the patience of some, and annoy others with what at least appears as pretentiousness; to this viewer, whatever problems there might be with the film, they are offset by the conviction that here we are confronted with a unique artistic sensibility in the world of contemporary filmmaking, a sensibility on good display in “To the Wonder”.

(This film is rated R.)

 

A Blind Date… with a Book

Tired of the same old genre? Looking to spice up your reading life? During the month of February, stop by the branches below and check out a specially-wrapped book from our display. Fill out the attached “Rate Your Date” form and drop it in the box next to the book display by February 28 to be entered in a drawing. If you don’t like the book, simply return it to the library; its feelings won’t be hurt.

Participating Branches:

Alpine Township (adults & teens)

Byron Township (adults & teens)

Caledonia Township (adults & teens)

Cascade Township (teens)

Comstock Park (adults & teens)

Englehardt (teens)

Gaines Township (adults & teens)

Grandville (adults)

Kentwood (teens)

Plainfield Township (adults)

Sand Lake / Nelson Township (adults)

Spencer Township (adults & teens)

 

SPENCER AND TYRONE TWP BRANCHES CLOSING EARLY

Due to increasingly hazardous weather conditions, KDL’s Spencer Township branch will close today at 5:30 PM and the Tyrone Township branch will close at 6:00 PM. We apologize for the inconvenience and wish all of our staff and customers safe travels if necessary this evening.

Byron Twp. Branch Closed Due to Power Outage

The Byron Township Branch is currently closed due to a partial power outage. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope to re-open the branch when power is restored.

UPDATE: Power has been restored and the branch is now open. Thanks for your patience!

Good News for Readers!

We have some great news to share!  For every gift you give to the KDL Genre Derby to support new digital and physical book collections, a 50% matching gift will be provided by one of our two sponsors, Robert Maloof at Edward Jones or First United Credit Union.

You can help KDL get more books on the shelves!  Vote for your favorite genre by donating at www.fundly.com/KDLgenrederby2014. Don’t forget to share the link on Facebook and Twitter.  Thank you for your help!

Click here to learn more about our Genre Derby.

 

 

 

ALA Youth Awards

Even though Michigan is under a blanket of snow, the 2014 ALA youth awards were announced Monday to the eagerly awaiting librarians.  So without further ado, here are the outstanding books!

The Caldecott Medal for most distinguished American picture book for children goes to Locomotive illustrated by Brian Floca.  The three honor books are:

Journey written and illustrated by Aaron Becker
Flora and the Flamingo written and illustrated by Molly Idle
Mr. Wuffles! written and illustrated by David Wiesner

The Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature goes to Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo.  The four honor books are as follows:

Doll Bones written by Holly Black
The Year of Billy Miller written by Kevin Henkes
One Came Home written by Amy Timberlake
Paperboy written by Vince Vawter

The Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults goes to Midwinterblood written by Marcus Sedgwick.  The four honor books are:

Eleanor & Park written by Rainbow Rowell
The Kingdom of Little Wounds written by Susann Cokal
Maggot Moon written by Sally Gardner
Navigating Early written by Clare Vanderpool

For a complete list of all the awards checkout the ALA.org press release.