Noe Valley Voice December-January 2011
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More Books to Read

Cozy Reads for Winter

By Susan Higgins, Adult Services Librarian,
and Catherine Starr, Children’s Librarian,
Noe Valley/Sally Brunn Branch Library

 

One of the great pleasures of a cold, rainy winter weekend is curling up with a nice hot beverage and a good book. For some, reading a good mystery or thriller is the perfect way to spend the day. Others view winter as the time to start planning for spring. Poring over gardening, landscaping, or decorating books will give you lots of ideas for improving or giving a fresh new look to your home. 

If winter inspires you to spend more time in the kitchen, cooking and baking books can add new recipes to your repertoire of cozy meals. Sharing books with your children is a lovely way to introduce them to the changing seasons. Will someone in your family be seeing their first snow this winter?

This month we’ve selected a small assortment of books to help make your winter a bit cozier. Stop by the library, call, or go online to see if they’re available. In addition to the ones listed below, we have thousands of books, magazines, movies, and music for you to discover. They just might make winter your favorite season.


Fiction and Poetry from the New Books Shelves

- Jack Reacher gets stranded in a snowbound South Dakota town in the fast-paced thriller 61 Hours by Lee Child.

- 20 Under 40: Stories from the New Yorker, edited by Deborah Treisman, is a diverse collection of stories from young North American writers who were featured in last year’sNew Yorker magazine.

- Caroline Kennedy shares some of her favorite poems in She Walks in Beauty: A Woman’s Journey Through Poems, an anthology exploring love, friendship, marriage, motherhood, and aging.

 

New Nonfiction

- A little book that’s just the right length for a Sunday afternoon read, Paris Portraits: Stories of Picasso, Matisse, Gertrude Stein, and Their Circle is a newly published collection of stories by San Francisco writer and art collector Harriet Lane Levy.

- It’s a Long Road to a Tomato: Tales of an Organic Farmer Who Quit the Big City for the (Not So) Simple Life, by Keith Stewart, is a collection of essays providing insight into the economic, social, and political issues related to producing food.

- Perfect Patterns: For Walls, Floors, Fabric, and Furniture, by Marie Proeller Hueston, offers plenty of photos and advice for those who are intimidated by mixing and matching stripes, checks, and other patterns.

- The New Comfort Food: Home Cooking from Around the World—Saveur magazine cookbook edited by Top Chef judge James Oseland—contains recipes for traditional dishes that are perfect for winter meals.

- One of the library’s latest additions to its collection of craft books is Mittens & Hats for Yarn Lovers: Detailed Techniques for Knitting in the Round, by Carri Hammett.

- Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe, by Joanne Chang with Christie Matheson, includes recipes for mouth-watering sticky buns, cookies, cupcakes, and more.

 

Picture Stories for Children

- In Under My Hood I Have a Hat, by Karla Kuskin and illustrator Fumi Kosaka, a child gives an amusing description of the countless layers of clothing she needs to brave the winter weather. Ages 3 to 6. 

- A bear, a snail, a skunk, a turtle, and even a ladybug all see the signs that winter is coming, in Time to Sleep, a bedtime story by Denise Fleming. Ages 2 to 5.

- Ant and Grasshopper by Luli Gray, with lush illustrations by Giuliano Ferri, is a variation on the classic fable about an ant who gathers food for the winter and a grasshopper who would rather play than prepare. Ages 4 to 7.

- Houndsley employs his creativity, a few books, and board games in order to help Catina slow down and enjoy a snowy day, in Houndsley and Catina and the Quiet Time, by James Howe, illustrations by Marie-Louise Gay. Ages 5 to 8.

 

For Older Children

- In Latkes, Latkes Good to Eat: A Chanukah Story by Naomi Howland, Sadie’s big-heartedness is rewarded when an elderly woman gives her a magic frying pan. Unfortunately, trouble is “on the front burner” when Sadie leaves the pan in the hands of her younger brothers. Ages 5 to 8.

- During the Christmas season, good fortune comes to a homeless mother and son after they help an old woman who has even less than they do, in December, by Eve Bunting, illustrations by David Diaz. Ages 6 and up.

- Winter Poems, selected by Barbara Rogasky and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, captures the essence of the season with verse ranging from Shakespeare to Richard Wright. Ages 7 and up.

- Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan is an exciting tale about a group of Norwegian children who transported bullion to the sea on their sleds, thereby helping their country move its gold reserves to the U.S. during the 1940 German occupation. Ages 8 to 12.

- For Polly Peabody, life at a magical farm revolves around unusual rhubarb plants, umbrella rides, and regular Monday afternoon rain. When the rain suddenly stops, Polly must find a way to save her family’s farm, in Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve. Ages 8 to 12.

 

LIBRARY EVENTS

The Great Books Discussion Group meets on second Wednesdays to discuss essays and short stories. The next meetings are Wednesday, Dec. 14, and Wednesday, Jan. 11, from 6:15 to 8:15 p.m.

The Noe Valley Book Discussion Group reads contemporary fiction from a broad range of authors. Its next meeting will be on Wednesday, Jan. 18, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Disaster Preparedness: Make a Plan, Get a Kit, Be Informed, a class offered by the American Red Cross, will be held on Saturday, Jan. 28, 3 to 4 p.m. If you’ve been procrastinating about getting your family ready for the next earthquake, here’s your chance to take action.

                       

CHILDREN’S EVENTS

Want to make some Holiday Music? Join singer-guitarist Lee Weiss for a delightful, interactive music program with instrument play, on Tuesday, Dec. 27, from 10:15 to 11 a.m. This event is for ages 2 to 6 and accompanying adults.

School-aged children ages 6 to 11 are invited to join librarian Catherine in aCraft/Science Study on Friday, Jan. 20, 3:30 to 4 p.m. We will create spinning discs with a certain black-and-white pattern that causes people to see colors as the discs rotate. Why is this?

Why do people wear red new clothes and pop firecrackers to celebrate Chinese New Year? Asian Art Museum Storytellers share these and other Chinese New Year Traditions through art and tales on Friday, Jan. 27, 4 to 4:30 p.m. For ages 5 to 11.

Charles the Clown! On Saturday, Jan. 28, 10:15 to 11 a.m., join us for this hilarious show in which Charles becomes a clown, does interactive magic, and engages with super funny balloon antics. For ages 3 and up and accompanying adults.

Librarian Catherine holds her regular Toddler Tales—for toddlers 18 to 36 months, and their caregivers—on Tuesdays, Dec. 6 and 13, as well as Jan. 3, 10, 24, and 31, from 10:15 to 10: 45 a.m., and 11 to 11:30 a.m. This story time features books, fingerplays, rhymes, music, and movement.

On the third Tuesday of the next two months, Dec. 20 and Jan. 17, kids ages 3 to 5 are invited to come see Preschool Films based on their favorite picture books. Times are 10:15 to 10:45 a.m., and 11 to 11:30 a.m.

 

All events take place at the Noe Valley/Sally Brunn Library, 451 Jersey St. near Castro Street. For information, call 415-355-5707 or go to www.sfpl.org.

 

 

BRANCH HOURS


Noe Valley/Sally Brunn Branch Library

451 Jersey St., 355-5707

Sun
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thurs
Fri
Sat
1-5

10-9
1-9
10-6
1-6
10-6


Eureka Valley–Harvey Milk Branch Library

1 José Sarria Ct. (3555 16th St.), 355-5616

Sun
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thurs
Fri
Sat

12-6
10-9
12-9
10-6
1-6
1-6


Glen Park Branch Library

2825 Diamond St., 355-2858


Sun
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thurs
Fri
Sat

10-6
10-6
12-8
1-7
1-6
1-6

Mission Branch Library

300 Bartlett St., 355-2800

Sun
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thurs
Fri
Sat
1-5
1-9
10-9
10-9
10-6
1-6
10-6