Poh-tay-to, Poh-tah-to

How do you say "Gaiman"? How are you supposed to say it?
What about "Scieszka"? Or "Funke"? "Konigsburg"?

Hear the correct pronunciation direct from the author the name belongs to, at Teaching Books, who've put together an archive of voice recordings of famous authors. Sometimes, the author will tell a story (like Sherman Alexie or Tony DiTerlizzi), so they're all worth a listen!

Teaching Books: Author Name Pronunciation Guide

May Events at the Warren Civic Center Library

(picture courtesy of the Nature Discovery web site)

Nature Discovery presents "Reptiles and Amphibians of Michigan"

Did you know that 18 species of snakes call Michigan home? Get ready for Be Kind to Animals Week by learning about the snakes and other reptiles and amphibians living in our state.

Staff from "Nature Discovery" will be on hand to do a presentation, which will include live specimens. At the presentation's conclusion, participants will have an opportunity to handle some of the animals.

Saturday, May 3rd, 2008, at 12.30 p.m.

Yoga Saturdays for Children and Teens

Yoga is a great way to develop balance, flexibility, strength, and have fun while doing so. Personal fitness trainer/ Yoga instructor James Abney will be here to teach the basics of yoga.

Participants should wear comfortable and appropriate clothing (loose-fitting pants and top), and should alos bring a non-slip mat and a bottle of water with a lid.

**Parents must arrive at the start of the program to sign a consent and liability waiver in order for a child to participate in the program.**

Middle and High School Students: April 19th, May 10th, and June 21st, from 12.30-1.30 p.m.

Elementary School Students: April 19th, May 10th, and June 21st, from 1.45-2.45 p.m.

Please call 586-751-0770 to register for any of the events listed.

Teens! Be part of an ALA Survey!

YALSA (the Young Adult Library Services Association) is looking for your input! How do you use the internet? What sites do you visit most often? Click here to share!

Libraries are Reading! #5

What is the best biography you’ve ever read?

Stacey R: Wake Up, I’m Fat!, by Camryn Manheim (BIO MANHEIM – WCV)

Tricia GW: On Writing, by Stephen King (autobiography) (AUDIO BIO KING - ARM)

Pat G: Plain Speaking: An Oral Biography of Harry S. Truman, by Merle Miller (B TRUMAN - TPL)

Kathy F: Dearest Friend: A Life of Abigail Adams (BIOG ADAMS – WAM)

Stephanie L: I’ve only read The James Dean Story, by Ronald Martinetti, but it was very interesting! (B DEAN – CLL)

Nathan: FDR, by Jean Edward Smith (BIO ROOSEVELT – CHE)

Margaret H: It’s not the best, but the most recent: Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography, by David Michaelis (B SCHULZ - MCL)

More Than Just Books!

Opposing Viewpoints

On the left hand side of the Warren Library Website you’ll see a link called Databases. Give it a click and scroll down the screen until you spot “Opposing Viewpoints” (3rd from the bottom) It’s one of our absolute favorite databases. Here’s why…

Opposing Viewpoints offers over 250 topics of current and often controversial interest. It includes essay with both pro and con positions, full text magazine and newspaper articles, excerpts from reference books, pictures, primary sources, and a selection of web sites related to the subject. Each source gives a complete bibliographic citation.

If you don’t see your topic listed on the first screen, you can do a subject or keyword search and find related information. It covers everything from abortion to youth. Some of the material is on a more scholarly level but there is also information that would be useful to junior high or high school students. If you’re determined to snag an “A” on a term paper, this database certainly is your secret weapon.

We enthuastically recommend it for term papers, debate topics, and current events. It's available from your home computer too. We guarantee you will be overwhelmed with the amount of material offered. Even if you’re not officially doing research but just want to gain a little more understanding of an issue this is a great spot to begin. Topics such as death, divorce, animal rights, gambling, gangs, war crimes, water pollution and many more are covered in great detail.

Outside of a Dog, #5

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

We recommend books to library users and sometimes they generously share good reads with us. A woman who stops by the library frequently suggested we give the book “Blindsided: Lifting a Life above Illness: A Reluctant Memoir” by Richard Cohen a try.
This particular library patron often reads biographies, memoirs, and personal narratives, so we knew we were in for a good read. The book didn’t disappoint. Richard Cohen is married to television personality Meredith Vieira. His slim book gives us an intimate and honest look at his continuing struggles with MS and cancer.
Bio Cohen WCV

In response to her recommendation let us suggest some other good biographies and memoirs.

Too Soon to Say Goodbye by Art Buchwald
Bio Buchwald WCV
Mr. Buchwald is diagnosed with a terminal condition. Convinced by his doctors he only has weeks to live, he enters a hospice. A year later he is still there!

Birdhouse Chronicles: Surviving the Joys of Country Life by Cathleen Miller
974.853 M SHL
Deciding to leave their ad age jobs in San Francisco a husband and wife discover there is much more trauma and drama in adjusting to life in rural Pennsylvania then they ever could have anticipated.

Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp
Bio Knapp WAM WMB WDB
A young woman faces the difficult realization that she is an alcoholic. Her struggle to come to terms with her family history, her difficult romantic relationships, her ambitions, and ultimately her drinking makes an engrossing story. Knapp wrote several books after this one, each are equally fascinating.

Slow Motion: A True Story by Dani Shapiro
Bio Shapiro SHL TPL
At 23 years of age Shapiro’s life in is chaos. She is a college dropout, having a difficult affair with a married man, and indiscriminately using a variety of illegal drugs. When a family tragedy occurs she is forced to face the many flawed decisions she has made. She takes readers along on the arduous journey of rebuilding her life.

Hidden Power: Presidential marriages that shaped our recent history by Kati Marton
973.173 M WCV WAM
Not exactly a biography but rather an inquisitive and entertaining look at some recent political presidential couples. The NYT called the book “an entertaining shot of history”

Wake Up, I’m Fat! by Camryn Manheim
Bio Manheim WCV WAM WMB
Probably best known for raising her Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama series, and dedicating it triumphantly to “all the fat girls!”, Manheim, activist and actress, tells a story of growing up fat, being the “Acid Queen,” and beating David E. Kelley (creator of her hit show “The Practice”) at Cribbage.

On Writing by Stephen King
Audio Bio King ARM
Part autobiography of the humorous sort, part wake up call to aspiring writers, King’s nonfiction is as riveting as his fiction.

April Events at the Warren Civic Center Library

Macomb Literacy Partners and Great Parents Great Start present "Read to me, Rosco" and a magic show. This is a great interactive story time for children. Each child will receive a free book and a free snack!

Saturday, April 12, 2008, at 1 p.m.

Yoga Saturdays for Children and Teens

Yoga is a great way to develop balance, flexibility, strength, and have fun while doing so. Personal fitness trainer/ Yoga instructor James Abney will be here to teach the basics of yoga.
Participants should wear comfortable and appropriate clothing (loose-fitting pants and top), and should also bring a non-slip mat and a bottle of water with a lid.

**Parents must arrive at the start of the program to sign a consent and liability waiver in order for a child to participate in the program.**

Middle and High School Students: April 19th, May 10th, and June 21st, from 12.30-1.30 p.m.

Elementary School Students: April 19th, May 10th, and June 21st, from 1.45-2.45 p.m.

For Middle and High School Students

It's National TV Turn-Off Week, so step away from your television and come to the library!

Learn basic jewelry-making techniques and makes a bracelet set using beads and Swarovski crystals.

Monday, April 21, 2008, from 6.30-7.30 p.m.

Curious George Adventure!

(ages 2-5)

It's time to mokey around with Curious George. Decorate a mask, play a game, and prepare a recipe you can take home and bake. Bring your camera - a surprise visitor might show up!

Saturday, April 26, 2008, 2 p.m.

Please call 586-751-0770 for details, or to register for any of the programs listed above.

Libraries are Reading, #4

What is your favorite nonfiction book?

Stacey R: Schott’s Original Miscellany, by Ben Schott, and Fat! So?: Because You Don’t Have to Apologize for Your Size, by Marilyn Wann (031.02 S – WCV and 306.4 W - CHE)

Tricia GW: Grimm’s Fairy Tales, by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm [I can cheat because it’s in the 300s!] (J 398 G - FRA)

Wanda: A Question of Honor, by Lynne Olson & Stanley Cloud (940.54 O - WCV)

Pat G: 1776, by David McCullough (973.3 M – HPW)

Stephanie L: In Cold Blood: A True Account of Multiple Murder and Its Consequences, by Truman Capote (364.1523 C – RAY)

Margaret H: There are too many to list!!
I enjoy Jon Katz, Anne Lamott, Anna Quindlen, Sherwin Nuland, and Otherwise: New and Selected Poems, by Jane Kenyon (811.54 K - TPL)