Noe Valley Voice July-August 2009
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More Books to Read

More Movies to See

In addition to the books available in its citywide catalog, the Noe Valley­Sally Brunn Library offers a wide selection of DVDs, for your free home entertainment. Check out books or films by dropping by the branch at 451 Jersey Street any afternoon from Tuesday through Sunday. (For morning hours, see chart below.) You can also call 415-355-5707 or log on to www.sfpl.org. Meanwhile, here are some books and events suggested by Children's Librarian Carol Small, Adult Services Librarian Susan Higgins, and Voice bookworm Karol Barske.

Children's Fiction

- A mouse and her friends visit dinosaurs, a rocket ship, and a wooly mammoth, in Maisy Goes to the Museum, the latest storybook in Lucy Cousins' "First Experiences" series. Ages 3 to 5.

- Cameron figures out why his new baby sister is crying, and gets her to smile, in What a Good Big Brother! by Diane Wright Landolf. Ages 3 to 5.

- Janet Lord tells the story of Albert the Fix-It Man, who can repair anything--a fence, a truck, a clothesline--but when he gets sick, his neighbors help him get better. Ages 3 to 5.

- When Caroline inherits a Star of David necklace from her grandmother, she becomes curious about the Jewish faith, in The Truth About My Bat Mitzvah by Nora Raleigh Baskin. Ages 10 and up.

- An orphaned boy is adopted by ghosts in Neil Gaiman's gothic fantasy The Graveyard Book. Ages 10 and up.

Children's Nonfiction

- James M. Deem describes the ancient history that is slowly being revealed in Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Rediscovery of the Past. Ages 9 and up.

Selected by Children's Librarian Carol Small

Adult Fiction

- Daniel Hallford's Upper Noe, about a young boy growing up in 1950s Noe Valley, has been described as "a lovely study of characters at their most innocent." (To read an excerpt, go to www.noevalleyvoice.com, November 2006 issue.)

- On a weekend trip to the home of a friend, an introverted young woman becomes so anxious she imagines she is a bird, in the 1963 novel Towards Another Summer, published posthumously by New Zealand writer Janet Frame.

- Former childhood friends reconnect as adults but try to resist their mutual attraction in Tess Callahan's "gritty tale of love," April and Oliver.

- A bestselling author and his family are terrorized by a psychopathic literary critic in Relentless, a tongue-in-cheek thriller by Dean Koontz, author of Your Heart Belongs to Me.

Adult Nonfiction

- In Loch Ness Monsters and Raining Frogs, author Albert Jack tries to explain the "world's most puzzling mysteries," including the Bermuda Triangle, crop circles, and the disappearances of D.B. Cooper and band leader Glenn Miller.

- Mark Helprin, author of A Winter's Tale, advocates extending the length of copyright (currently 70 years after an author's death) in his rant Digital Barbarism: A Writer's Manifesto.

- Jose P. Ramirez describes life in a Carville, Louisiana, hospital in Squint: My Journey with Leprosy.

- Stewart Kellerman and Patricia T. O'Conner take on modern language usage, in Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language.

- With a history of "San Francisco's backyard wilderness," Tamalpais Walking features color block prints, an essay by Tom Killion, and poems by Gary Snyder.

Annotations by Karol Barske, of the Voice staff

LIBRARY EVENTS

Nutrition and Brain Fitness

- The director of the nutrition program at Merritt College discusses the latest research on food, vitamins, and exercises for the brain, on Saturday, July 11, 2 to 3 p.m.

Heather the Juggling Magician

- Heather Rogers performs magic, comedy, and juggling for ages 4 and up, from 3 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 18.

Eye-Popping Bubble Lady

- Rebecca Niles will wow you with Momma Bubble, Poppa Bubble, and other creations, 3 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21. Also, at the Mission Branch on Friday, July 17, 3 p.m.

Book Club on Third Wednesday

- The Noe Valley Book Group meets this month on Wednesday, July 15, 7 to 8:45 p.m.

Toddlers Come for Tales

- Treat your tot to songs, stories, and rhymes, at Toddler Tales, on Tuesdays, July 7, 14 & 21, and Aug. 4 & 18, 10:15 to 11 a.m.

Tuesday Is Story Time

- The library invites you to Family Story Time, a read-aloud program for kids, parents, and pals, on Tuesdays, July 7, 14 & 21, and Aug. 4 & 18, from 11 to 11:30 a.m.

Preschool Films

- Children ages 3 to 5 can watch a half-hour show of Short Films, on Tuesdays, July 28 and Aug. 25, starting at 10:15 a.m. The program repeats at 11 a.m.

Above events take place at the Noe Valley­Sally Brunn Branch Library at 451 Jersey Street, between Castro and Diamond streets. For information, call 355-5707.

King Tut in Glen Park

- Hear a docent talk on the treasures displayed in the de Young Museum exhibition "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs," on Saturday, July 25, at 3 p.m., at the Glen Park Library, 2825 Diamond St.