A Youthful Frame of Mind
News from the Rod Library Youth Collection
October 2013
- Displays... Hispanic Heritage Month, Squirrels!!, LGBTQ
- New Books!
- Book Give-Away!
- New and Temporary Employees
Hispanic Heritage Month!
Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrating Hispanic culture, and recognizing and affirming the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States. What better time to read wonderful stories about remarkable people of Latino and Hispanic heritage? The Youth Collection will be displaying a number of great Hispanic themed books in the Blue Box Displays. Martín de Porres : the rose in the desert written by Gary D. Schmidt is one of these great books. Winner of the Pura Belpre Award, this book is about a Spanish nobleman and a former slave who transcends his circumstances and triumphs.
Squirrels!!
Has anyone else seen all the crazy squirrels running around on campus? Or maybe you've seen the one hiding out in the Tree Room of the Youth Collection. Either way, the Youth Collection has a wide variety of squirrel themed books. This month some of these books will be in our Blue Box Display. Come visit us in the library and check out some of these books.
LGBTQ History Month!
New Books in the Youth Collection!
Here are five new books that the Youth Collection will be adding to its selection!
Click on the link to see reviews and book covers!
Ten Orange Pumpkins by Stephen Savage -- Savage is the author for the New York Times bestselling illustrator of Polar Bear Night. His new book Ten Orange Pumpkins is a picture book perfect for Halloween time. The reader will encounter spiders, witches, and more in the journey of ten pumpkins mysteriously disappearing in the countdown to Halloween. This book is entertaining and a great way to help young children learn to count.
I See The Promised Land, A Life of Martin Luther King Jr. by Arthur Flowers, Manu Chitrakar, and Guglielmo Rossi -- is a unique graphic novel that tells the story of Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and Civil Rights movement. The author Arthur J. Flowers uses a rhythmic style and includes a variety of methods to write the story. He uses colloquial language as well as sophisticated descriptions to fully contextualize the story. The story telling style mixed with Manu Chitrakar’s illustrations creates a unique perspective. Chitrakar is a Patua scroll artist from Bengal, India who had not previously heard of King. He draws on his own experiences of oppression to construct creative and distinctive illustrations. The book also tells of the major events that occurred in the South during King’s life and his role in the movement. It includes a history of slavery and information on the fight against segregation.
Bully by Laura Vaccaro Seeger -- A picture book that helps the reader understand how bullying might begin and end. The story starts with a pre-title page that illustrates how the attitude responsible for bullying arises. The story shows a little bull who is initially treated poorly, acts out in frustration and treats other, smaller animals poorly.
The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail by Richard Peck -- Is a novel about a young mouse on a journey to discover who he is and who he may become. Nameless and parentless “Mouse Minor” drops out of Royal Mews Mouse Academy after being bullied by fellow mice. The young mouse develops a plan to visit ancient Queen Victoria in hopes that the all-knowing monarch can tell him who he is. The voyage of self-discovery takes him onward, to strange and wonderful places. The story also resembles other famous books about mice, such as, Stuart Little, and The Tale of Despereaux.
Win a New Book in Our Book Give-Away
MidwinterBlood by Marcus Sedgwick -- Sedgwick writes a "part love story, part mystery, part horror," futuristic novel about Eric and Merle whose souls have been searching for each other since their untimely parting.
Margritte's Marvelous HAT by D.B. Johnson -- D.B. Johnson writes and illustrates the surreal story of famous surrealist painter Rene Magritte and his very mysterious (and mischievous!) hat. While the art reflects some of Magritte's own work, the text sets readers on a fun and accessible path to learning about the simpler concepts behind Mr. Magritte's work.
Click on the link to see reviews and book covers!
New and Temporary Employees
This year the Youth Collection is adding a few new additions to the staff. Justus Thompson is the new graduate assistant and will be helping with event planning and public relations. Justus is a first year grad student in the Communications Department. He sits behind the service desk at the front of the Youth Collection during the week days and is a great person to ask if in need of any help. Jeff Coon is also a new addition. Jeff is the temporary Youth Librarian. He has spent many years in the library and is a great resource for anyone with questions.