The demonstration of the learning language program LiveMocha, scheduled for this Friday, March 5 at 3:30, has been CANCELED!   The Teen Advisory Board members who were going to demonstrate this are participating in a state music festival that has been scheduled for the same time!

If you have questions or would like any further information, contact Mary at mhennes@cityofeastlansing.com

"An Eye for Style and Detail"

Showcased by well-known photographer: W. Spencer Parshall
 
Splendid architecture, sweeping landscapes, quiet places from Vatican City, Rome, the Isle of Capri and medieval villages are explored through the eye of the camera.
 
Exhibit:    March 1 -  March 31, 2010
North Foyer Gallery at the East Lansing Public Library
 
Reception:    March 7, 2010, 1:30 -  4:00 p.m.
 

I must admit I first chose this book because of its lovely cover: a hummingbird noses a pretty pink flower on a background of lavender and green.   And the inside is just as sweet.  This book has been described as “Steel Magnolias” meets “The Help”, but I think it reminds me more of “The Secret Life of Bees”.

 CeeCee Honeycutt is twelve years old and has spent her life dealing with her mentally ill mother and absent father.  After her mother dies tragically, her great aunt Tootie sweeps in and takes CeeCee to live with her in Savannah .  Tootie is a rich widow, and CeeCee lives in the luxury of a gorgeous southern mansion, complete with a beautiful garden, a loving housekeeper who is a great cook, and an assortment of eccentric women friends of her aunt.

 This lacks the depth of “Bees”, though. Aunt Tootie is almost too good to be true, as is Oletta, her housekeeper.  Conflicts that arise are easily and perhaps unrealistically solved.  Even the annoying neighbor is not quite bad enough to deserve everyone’s hatred and the accident that befalls her – she’s stupid and silly, but not really evil.

And yet I found myself looking forward to picking up the book.  It was like grabbing a rocking chair on Aunt Tootie’s porch and observing her garden and lady friends -full of color and warmth and contentedness.

Prolific author Dick Francis passed away on Sunday at the age of 89. A champion jockey turned writer, Francis was best known for his horseracing thrillers. For a list of his books at the East Lansing Public Library click here.

New York Times Article.

Two boys, Edward and Alphonse Elric, are searching for the philosophers stone, a powerful object that would allow them to correct the mistakes of the past and return their bodies back to normal. Volume one sets the scene for the fantastical world of the Elric brothers, which plays off of the idea that, Alchemy, an advanced science, can transmute raw materials into real world objects. After their mother died, the Elric brothers become obsessed with alchemy, specifically human transmutation, which results in a horrible accident that causes Edward to lose his left leg and also his right arm in the process of saving his brother's life. Due to the laws of equivalent exchange, something of equal value must be lost to aquire a gain, which is why Edward needed to sever his own arm to affix his brothers soul to a suit of armor, effectively preventing his brother's death. So, giving up the idea of reviving their mother, the Elric brothers set out to search for the philosophers stone in hopes of restoring their bodies back to normal. All twenty two volumes of Full Metal Alchemist are available in our collection at the library, so stay adventurous and keep on readin' steampunk fans :)

The Ring of Steel Action Theatre, a theatrical combat and stunt troupe from Ann Arbor, will dazzle you with live-action stunts, special effects and tournament play. Afterwards, you may talk with members of the troupe and see their equipment up close. Stay to enjoy refreshments and make crafts to take home.
All ages are welcome. No registration is required. This event is generously sponsored by the Friends of the East Lansing Public Library.

On Valentine's Day -- Sunday, February 14, 2010, 4:00-9:00 p.m. -- Dublin Square Irish Pub will donate 10% of their profits to the East Lansing Library.

Join us -- treat your own sweetheart to a bite and a brew and help the library at the same time.  We're looking forward to seeing you there!

Dublin Square Irish Pub is located at 327 Abbot Road in East Lansing. 

Read and discuss My Stroke of Insight, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor's account of her stroke and remarkable recovery.  She will be speaking at the Wharton Center on March 1.

As the New York Times Review stated:  "Jill Bolte Taylor was a neuroscientist working at Harvard's brain research center when she experienced nirvana.  But she did it by having a stroke. On Dec. 10, 1996, Dr. Taylor, then 37, woke up in her apartment near Boston with a piercing pain behind her eye. A blood vessel in her brain had popped. Within minutes, her left lobe — the source of ego, analysis, judgment and context — began to fail her. Oddly, it felt great."

Find out why that was the case and discuss your thoughts with the Nonfiction Book Group.

Confirmed! There will be a drawing for book group attendees for a pair of free tickets to Dr. Bolte Taylor's presentation courtesy of the Wharton Center.

 "Shapes and Shadows"

Presented by paper sculpture artist:  Jane Clouthier

Pictures with depth and texture, as well as color, depicting deep shadowed forests, bright gardens and streams that shine are all made possible through the art of paper sculpture.

Mark your calendar for another popular and fun LEGO Creation Day on Sunday, February 7 from 1:30-3 pm at the East Lansing Public Library.  Children ages 4+ can build a masterpiece using our LEGOs and we will put it on display in the children's room. Past LEGO programs have been a hit with children and the adults that bring them! 
While you're at the library, check out a LEGO book:
                           

J. D. Salinger, best know for his novel The Catcher in the Rye, died Wednesday at his home in New Hampshire.
Other works by Salinger at ELPL include Nine Stories and Franny and Zooey.

Also check out Dream Catcher by Salinger's daughter, Margaret Ann Salinger.

To read the New York Times article about Salinger click here.

This year's Edgar nominees for best novel are:

• The Missing by Tim Gautreaux 
• The Odds by Kathleen George 
• The Last Child by John Hart 
• Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston 
• Nemesis by Jo Nesbø, translated by Don Bartlett 
• A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn 

The Edgar Award honors the best in the mystery genre. For a full list of the nominees click here.

Author Helen Frost must be a genius.  In her new book Crossing Stones, not only has she written a beautifully sensitive portrayal of two Michigan farm families during World War I, but she has done it in a "cupped-hand sonnet" form.  This is a 14-line poem in which the first line rhymes with the last line, the second line rhymes with the second-to-last, and so on, so that the 7th and 8th lines rhyme with each other at the poem's center.  In addition, the poems themselves are arranged as "stepping stones", or as the flowing creek that separates the Norman and Jorgenson family farms.  However, this structure does not detract from the lovely language that envelops the reader and that draws the reader into this story of love, heartache, acceptance and friendship.  The book also imparts a lot of American history that is not seen in too much teen fiction - World War I and its aftermath, and the woman's suffrage movement.  Highly recommended.

Teen Ink Workshop by  Lara Zielin, author of Donut Days.
Saturday,  January 30, 2010 3:00 – 5:30

 Do you have a poem, story, or even a novel that you want to share with the world? But do you wonder how you, as a teen, go about getting something published? Never fear! Author Lara Zielin has tips and tricks for teens who want to take the first steps toward getting their work into the public eye. From figuring out the right market to contacting editors to avoiding publishing scams, Lara has the right road map for young writers, using examples from her own writing journey. In conjunction with the workshop, Lara will also be doing a reading from her debut novel, DONUT DAYS.