Frogs and ducks—and the
forever fretful Woody Allen—have top billing in this month’s
list of books and
films offered by Adult Services Librarian Susan Higgins and
Children’s
Librarian Catherine Starr of the Noe Valley/Sally Brunn
Library on Jersey
Street. Have fun in the menagerie.
Adult Fiction
• Driver’s Educationby
Grant Ginder is a family history told during a cross-country
road trip.
• A medical student and video
store clerk
attempt to end their relationship in The Listby
Karin
Tanabe.
• In A Thousand
Pardonsby
Jonathan Dee, a middle-aged woman starts a new career in
public relations after
the breakup of her marriage.
• The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World
Domination:
Original Short Fiction for the Modern Evil Geniusis an
anthology of works by best-selling authors, edited by John
Joseph Adams.
Adult Nonfiction
• A Slap in the Face: Why Insults
Hurt—And Why They
Shouldn’t, by William B. Irvine, explores
the history of
insults and their role in relationships and society.
• Popular science writer Mary
Roach offers a
humorous investigation of the human digestive system in Gulp:
Adventures
on the Alimentary Canal.
• Sandra E. Lambmakes
the case for
returning to hand-written notes and provides advice and
inspiration for making
them memorable, in Personal Notes: How to Write
From the Heart for
Any Occasion.
• Simon Garfieldpresents
a fun look
at the history of cartography, from prehistoric cave maps to
today’s GPS, in On
the Map: A Mind-Expanding Exploration of the Way the World
Looks.
Films on DVD
• Woody Allen directs and stars
in
To Rome With Love, stories set in
the Eternal City. Also starring Penelope Cruz, Jesse
Eisenberg, Alec Baldwin,
and Judy Davis.
• In Sundance Film Festival award
nominee Little
Birds, directed by Elgin James, two
girls from Salton Sea
end up living in a world of crime and scams in Los Angeles.
• Chasing Mavericks is
based on the true story of Jay Moriarty, a Santa Cruz teen who
trains to surf
the legendary Mavericks. Directed by Michael Apted and Curtis
Hanson, and
starring Gerard Butler and Jonny Weston.
• Gamin au vélo = The Kid With a
Bike, written
and directed by award-winning Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre
Dardenne and Luc
Dardenne, tells the story of a hairdresser who fosters a
12-year-old boy.
Children’s Books
• In Froggy’s Worst
Play-Date, the
latest in a series by author Jonathan London and illustrator
Frank Remkiewicz,
Froggy reluctantly goes on a Saturday outing with—ooh, ick—a
girl frog named
Frogilina. Ages 3 to 5.
• A worried duck looks in a box,
then asks a fox
in Have You Seen My New Blue Socks? by
Eve Bunting,
illustrations by Sergio Ruzzier. Ages 4 to 8.
• Kids can imagine they are tiny
atoms, the
shoots of plants, and birds learning to sing in You
Are Stardust, by
Elin Kelsey, with “diorama art” by Soyeon Kim. Ages 4 and up.
• The Lucky Ducklings in
Eva
Moore’s latest book, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter, need
human help after
they waddle from their pond into a street with a storm drain.
Ages 5 to 7.
• Humphrey the classroom hamster
is hot on the
case of a missing teacher inMysteries According to
Humphrey by
Betty G. Birney. Ages 7 to 9 years.
• Minnie Bonner shares her diary
of the Great
Earthquake in Dear America: A City Tossed and
Broken, San Francisco,
California, 1906, historical fiction by Judy
Blundell. Ages 8 to 13.
• An aspiring baseball announcer
thinks
something is out of whack about the sudden death of a major
league pitcher in Strike
Three, You’re Dead, by Josh Berk. Ages 8 and
up.
• Set on the planet
OtherWorld, Tara
Duncan and the Forbidden Book is part of a
fantasy adventure
series by Armenian Princess Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian.
Translation from the
French by William Rodarmor. Ages
9 to 12.
LIBRARY EVENTS
Sourdough Starter Workshop
Cat Shimizu, the “breaducator” from Mission
District bakery Sour
Flour, will talk about the art and science of making bread
using a sourdough
starter. Enjoy bread samples while you hear baking and reading
tips. Saturday,
June 15, 2 p.m.
Great Books Discussion Group
The Great Books Council of San Francisco
sponsors this group,
which explores famous short stories, essays, and speeches.
This month’s
selection is “On Happiness” by Aristotle. Wednesday, June 12,
6:15 p.m.
Noe
Valley Book Club
The Noe Valley Book Discussion Group reads a
variety of
contemporary fiction and nonfiction. The Marriage
Plot by
Jeffrey Eugenides is the June selection. Wednesday, June 19, 7
p.m.
CHILDREN’S EVENTS
Puppy Dog Tales (and Tails)
Kids can read a book to a calm canine companion
in this SPCA
program, which enhances literacy, self-confidence, and
social skills by
pairing children with trained dog-and-owner therapy teams. For
ages 4 to 7, but
older children are welcome. Call 415-355-5707 to reserve a
spot. Space is limited.
Saturdays, June 1 and 8, 4 to 5:30 p.m.
Storytelling with Doris Feyling
Local storyteller Doris Feyling presents an
enchanting story
time for little ones, with finger plays, rhymes, and
puppets. Ages 2 to 5 years. Thursday, June 20, 11
to
11:30 a.m.
Cold-Blooded Critters Coming
“The Lizard Lady” brings an assortment of
reptiles—some local,
some from far away, and many endangered. The program will be
held on the
library patio, weather permitting; all ages welcome. Saturday,
June 29, 2:30 to
3:15 p.m.
Preschool Films
Children ages 3 to 5 years and parents and
caregivers are
invited to watch Preschool Films on Thursday, June 6. There
are two showings:
10:15 to 10:45 a.m., and 11 to 11:30 a.m.
Toddler Tales
Join our children’s librarian for stories,
rhymes, songs, and
movement. For ages 18 to 36 months, with parent or caregiver.
Thursdays, June
13 and 27; 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 at
451 Jersey St. near Castro Street. For information, call
415-355-5707 or visit www.sfpl.org.
