Books in Our Branch

You can learn about the dangers of opium, the North Pole, and King Midas' touch by checking out books on our April list provided by librarians Roberta Greifer and Carol Small. To ask about a book's availability, call 695-5095, or visit the Noe Valley Sally Brunn Branch at 451 Jersey Street. In addition to words on paper, the library offers magazines, CDs, Internet access, a deck and garden, 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, 10 to 6.
Adult Fiction
- Above the Law, a thriller by J.F. Freedman, features a Santa Barbara prosecutor turned defense attorney, who attempts to solve a drug-related murder.
- In Moment of Truth by Lisa Scottoline, a man frames himself for murder, in order to find the true killer of his wife.
- In Some Things That Stay by Sarah Willis, a 15-year-old learns to cope with her mother's incapacitating illness and her father's escape into art.
Adult Nonfiction
- Full of funny anecdotes and reassuring advice, Cool Communication, by Andrea Henkart and her daughter Journey Henkart, tackles the major issues that can cause tension between parents and their children.
- Reading like a novel, Ghosts of Cape Sabine, by Leonard Guttridge, describes the mutiny, cannibalism, and suicides that occurred after an 1881 expedition to the Arctic went off-course.
- Barbara Hodgson's Opium: A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon is a lavishly illustrated history of opium use throughout the world.
- Think, by Simon Blackburn, is a lively and approachable introduction to philosophy arranged by theme.
- Toxic Deception, by Dan Fagin and
=0DMarianne Lavelle, shows how the chemical industry can manipulate science and endanger our health.
Annotations by Roberta Greifer
Head Librarian, Noe Valley Branch
Children's Fiction
- In Mud Flat Spring by James Stevenson, Lois the duck, Morgan the bear, and the other residents of Mud Flat each have different ways of welcoming (or not wanting to welcome) the arrival of warmer weather. Ages 4 to 7.
- In spite of a costume that falls apart, a resourceful girl provides great entertainment at a birthday party in Annabel the Actress: Starring in Gorilla My Dreams, by Ellen Conford. Ages 6 to 8.
- King Midas and the Golden Touch, retold by Charlotte Craft and beautifully illustrated by K.Y. Craft, is the story of a loving father who learns an important lesson when he almost loses his daughter. Ages 7 to 10.
- Even though they face a number of embarrassments and conflicts, two girls see the mutually supportive aspect of their relationship in Jojo and Winnie: Sister Stories, by Marilyn Sachs. Ages 7 to 10.
- In A Fairy Called Hilary by Linda Leopold Strauss, Caroline and her family enjoy fairy magic during a birthday party, at a garden show, and on the day she brings her pet cat to school.Ages 7 to 10.
- A 10-year-old boy, motivated by the need to find his father, runs away from a foster home and journeys across the state of Michigan in Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy, the recent recipient of the Newbery Medal. Ages 10 and up.
Annotations by Carol Small
Children's Librarian, Noe Valley Branch
Preschool Story Time
Preschool story time, a read-aloud program for children 3 to 5, starts at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, April 4 and 18.
Infant and Toddler Lapsits
You and your little ones can sing lullabies and master fingerplay at the library's 7 p.m. lapsits on Wednesdays, April 5, 12, and 19.
Films for Kids
The library shows films for kids ages 3 to 5 on Tuesday, April 11, at 10 and 11 a.m.
For other events, call 557-4400 or visit the San Francisco Library's web site at http://sfpl.lib.ca.us.