Noe Valley Voice July-August 1999
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More Books to Read

Beware: There are two chilling mysteries and a treatise on Jack the Ripper in the most recent shipment of books to the Noe Valley ­ Sally Brunn Library, 451 Jersey St. Besides hard-covers, paperbacks, and magazines, the branch offers CDs, Internet access, and an index to the Noe Valley Voice. Hours are Tuesdays, 10 to 9; Wednesdays, 1 to 9; Thursdays, 10 to 6; Fridays, 1 to 6; and Saturdays, noon to 6. To ask about the availability of a book, call 695-5095.

Adult Fiction

- In Dead Ground, the latest political thriller by Gerald Seymour, a woman witnesses the killing of her lover by the secret police.

- Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs features a forensic anthropologist who tries to unravel the mystery surrounding a group of scorched bodies discovered at a Canadian chalet.

- In The Strangeness of Beauty, by Lydia Minatoya, a Japanese immigrant, settled in Seattle, returns to the strict samurai household of her mother.

- Timbuktu by Paul Auster is a love story, told from the point of view of Mr. Bones, its canine hero.

Adult Nonfiction

- The Bell Tower, by Robert Graysmith, author of the bestselling Zodiac, reveals the true identity of Jack the Ripper.

- With a preface by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, Living in the Face of Death, by Glenn Mullin, presents nine short Tibetan texts along with meditation techniques to prepare for dying.

- Lost Boys, by James Garbino, Ph.D., identifies children who are prone to violence, and offers some positive solutions.

Annotations by Roberta Greifer

Children's Fiction

- Horses involved in different activities -- pictured in beautiful paper collages -- illustrate number concepts in One Horse Waiting for Me, by Patricia Mullins. Ages 2 to 4.

- Two bored guinea pigs leave their cage and find adventure -- some of it scary -- in John Willy and Freddy McGee, by Holly Meade. Ages 3 to 6.

- While a balloon travels around Manhattan creating havoc, its young owner has a calm and educational art experience in You Can't Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum, by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman and Robin Preiss Glasser. Ages 4 to 6.

- In Smart Dog by Vivian Vande Velde, fifth-grader Amy deals well with her bratty classmate Kaitlyn and with meeting a dog who speaks to her. Ages 8 and up.

- You'll see why a 10-year-old boy gets lots of letters from a school to which he hasn't even applied in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by British author J. K. Rowling. Ages 9 and up.

Children's Nonfiction

- In Black Whiteness: Admiral Byrd Alone in the Antarctic, Robert Burleigh makes obvious the strength and courage of a very determined explorer. Ages 7 and up.

- In The Wild Boy, Mordicai Gerstein tells how a young person who spends his first few years living in forests is later able to learn some of the skills involved in living with people. Ages 8 to 11.

- It may surprise you, but insects can be seen in a literary, even lyrical way; they're seen this way in Insectlopedia, which contains poems and paintings by Douglas Florian. All ages.

Annotations by Carol Small

Fairy Tales and Puppet Shows

- Snapdragon Puppets will present "Jack and the Beanstalk," about a boy who's an especially adventurous climber, on Thursday, July 22, at two times, 10 and 11 a.m. Little ones 3 to 5 won't want to miss this show.

- On Saturday, Aug. 7, the theater group Word for Word will perform "The Devil and the Three Golden Hairs," a Grimm Brothers fairy tale about a clever young woman who saves a prince from the clutches of a giant. The show starts at 1 p.m. and will be enchanting to kids 6 and up.

Films for Kids

- The library will show "Corduroy," "Danny and the Dinosaur," and "Here Comes the Cat" on Tuesday, July 20, at 10 and 11 a.m. The August date (no lineup yet) is Aug. 24. These films are geared for children 3 to 5.

Preschool Story Time

- Kids 3 to 5 are invited to the library's preschool story time, at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays July 6 and 13, and Aug. 3, 10, and 17.

Infant and Toddler Lapsits

- Moms and dads should bring their babies for finger play and lullabies to the Wednesday evening lapsits, on July 7, 14, and 21, and Aug. 4 and 11. The music starts at 7 p.m.

For other library events, call 557-4400 or visit the San Francisco Public Library's web site at http://sfpl.lib.ca.us.