Children’s Nonfiction Books about Pets

January 11, 2015December 30, 2014 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Do you have a children begging for a new pet, or one that needs to learn a little bit more about the responsibility that comes with the joys of having a pet? Perhaps your youngster just loves all things cute and pet-like and would like to learn a little bit more about them, including some history and wacky facts. Well, which ever inspires you and your child to search for non fiction books about pets, here are some books that you can enjoy together.

1.Presidential Pets: the Weird, Wacky, Little, Big, Scary, Strange Animals that have Lived in the White House by Julia Moberg

2. Pets in America: a History by Katherine C. Grier

3. Oh the Pets You Can Get!: All About our Animal Friends by Tish Rabe

4. Adopting Pets: How to Choose Your New Best Friend by Bill Gutman

5. Pocket Pets by Alvin Silverstein, Virginia Silverstein, and Laura Silverstein Nunn

6. The Royal Treatment: a Natural Approach to Wildly Healthy Pets by Barbara Royal, with Anastasia Royal

7. Underwater Dogs: Kids Edition by Seth Casteel

8. Sneed B. Collard III’s Most Fun Book Ever About Lizards by Sneed B. Collard III

9. 125 True Stories of Amazing Pets: Inspiring Tales of Animal Friendship & Four-legged Heroes, Plus Crazy Animal Antics

10. Why Rabbits Eat Poop and other Gross Facts about Pets by Jody Sullivan Rake

Looking for even more pet fun? Here are a few more books that might fit the bill; My First Guinea Pig and Other Small Pets by Linda Bozzo, Love Your Hamster by Judith Heneghan, Orangutans are Ticklish: fun facts from an Animal Photographer by Steve Grubman with Jill Davis, Do Fishes Get Thirsty? questions answered by Dr. Les Kaufman and staff of the New England Aquarium, How Dogs Really Work! by Alan Snow, Silkies and other Guinea Pigs, My First Pets Board Book, Safety: with Pets illustrated by Sue Wilkinson, When a Pet Dies by Fred Rogers, or May I Pet Your Dog?: the How-to Guide for Kids Meeting Dogs (and Dogs Meeting Kids) by Stephanie Calmenson.

Author Spotlight: Grace Burrowes

January 8, 2015January 9, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes is known for her Historical Romance books set in the Scottish Highlands, but she recently ventured into the Contemporary Romance area – with great success! Her new trilogy, The Sweetest Kisses, begins with the first title, A Single Kiss, out this January. It’s been named a Top Ten Romance by Publisher’s Weekly. Hannah Stark has set her sights on corporate law to assure her a career of paperwork, predictability, and conservative suits. Contracts, finance, and the art of the deal sing to her, while the mess and misery of the courtroom do not. But her daughter needs to eat, so when Hannah is offered a temporary position in a small town firm’s domestic relations department, she reluctantly accepts.

Trent Knightley is mightily drawn to his newest associate, though Hannah is as protective of her privacy as she is competent. When their friendship and attraction heat up, Hannah’s secrets put her heart and Trent’s hopes in double jeopardy.

I really enjoyed this book. Although I read a lot of contemporary romances, this book was fresh, innovative, and a joy to read. Ms. Burrowes brings this story alive through a touch of humor, smoldering tension and relatable, real life issues. Her details and witty narrative pull you into the story and you don’t want to leave until you’ve finish the whole book! The secondary characters are well-developed, leaving you eager to read the next installment of this trilogy.

Book Two, The First Kiss, is due out in February and book three, Kiss Me Hello, is due out in March.

About The Author:

Grace Burrowes started writing as an antidote to empty nest and soon found it an antidote to life in general. She is the sixth out of seven children, raised in the rural surrounds of central Pennsylvania. Early in life she spent a lot of time reading romance novels and practicing the piano. Her

first career was as a technical writer and editor in the Washington, DC, area, a busy job that nonetheless left enough time to read a lot of romance novels.It also left enough time to grab a law degree through an evening program, produce Beloved Offspring (only one, but she is a lion), and eventually move to the lovely Maryland countryside. Her bestsellers include The Heir, The Soldier, Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal, Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish and Lady Eve’s Indiscretion. The Heir was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010, The Soldier was a PW Best Spring Romance of 2011, Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish won Best Historical Romance of the Year in 2011 from RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, Lady Louisa’s Christmas Knight was a Library Journal Best Book of 2012, and The Bridegroom Wore Plaid was a PW Best Book of 2012. Her Regency romances have received extensive praise, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Grace is branching out into short stories and Scotland-set Victorian romance with Sourcebooks. She is a practicing family law attorney and lives in rural Maryland.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by Sourcebooks Casablanca.

Do You Love a Great Tear-Jerker?

January 4, 2015December 22, 2014 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Do you love a book that just tears down all your walls and makes you cry? Some weekends or holidays set people in the mood for a book that they need to read alone because books that sad do not make for good company. These are books that just might leave you curled up in a ball, eating too much ice cream, and all out of tissues. Books that make your eyes well up just thinking about them. these are books that make you really cry, not just the token two or three tears or sniffles, I am talking full blown ugly crying. Sounds like torture, I know, but sometimes you just need a good cry. If you find yourself needing that kind of read, these books are sure to deliver.

1. The Fault in our Stars by John Green

2. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

3. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

4. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

6. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

7. If I Stay by Gayle Forman

8. Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

9. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

10. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

For more sob worthy reads that stick with you check out: Night by Elie Wiesel, Where the red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, Room by Emma Donoghue, The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay, The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles, Islands in the Stream by Ernest Hemingway, My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, A Widow’s Story: a Memoir by Joyce Carol Oates, Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, The Giver by Lois Lowry, or Where She Went by Gayle Forman. This is far from a comprehensive list, so if you have a book that you love that also happened to make you cry ugly tears please share it in the comments!

What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in January

January 1, 2015January 1, 2015 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

Happy New Year! We hope one of your resolutions this year is to take advantage of the wonderful things your library has to offer. We’ve got lots of BRAND NEW programs for kids and teens starting in January, and great programming for adults as well. Take a look at what’s coming up:

NEW Sunday hours for 2015!

Sundays 1:00 – 5:00 PM

The library begins its winter hours – adding from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoons, January 4 through March 29, 2015! Come see us!

Cheshire Cats Classics Club

Monday Jan 5, 2015, 7:00 – 8:00 PM

The Cheshire Cats Classics Club meets once per month on a Monday evening. Far From the Maddening Crowd will be discussed at the January 5th meeting.
There is limited seating for this event. For more information regarding this program, contact Jennifer Bartlett at jbartlett@cheshirelibrary.org.

College Financial Aid Seminar

Tuesday Jan 6, 2015, 7:00 – 8:00 PM

This seminar will provide parents and students of all ages with tips on securing the best possible financial aid package. Throughout the presentation, presenter Jennifer Philips will explain the various student loans, grants and scholarships available, the critical financial aid forms and deadlines, the various components of a financial aid offer and how to best compare and appeal offers in extenuating circumstances. This is a very popular program and has the potential to fill up quickly. Register on our website.

Kids Coding Corner

Thursday Jan 8, 2015, 4:00 – 5:00 PM

Learn the foundations of coding using Scratch Jr., a free application available on iPads. Participants will learn how to use Scratch Jr. and what coding is in this first class.
For children in grades Kindergarten to 2nd. Register on our website.

Tune Time for Tots

Wednesdays 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM

NEW at Cheshire Library! Enjoy music and movement in this high energy program. Children will dance and use musical instruments. Children must be accompanied by a care giver. Ages birth to 2 years old. NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

Pajama Storytime

Thursday Jan 15, 2015, 6:30 – 7:30 PM

Join us for stories, songs, videos and a craft, PJs optional!
This is a multisensory celebration of literacy with a seasonal theme.
For children ages 3 – 8. Register our website starting on January 1st.

Teen Time

Friday Jan 16, 2015, 3:00 – 4:30 PM

This program will feature a variety of activities: games, teen tech projects, domino racing, arts & crafts… you name it- you’ll just have to show up to find out what we’ll be doing! For grades 6 through 12– no registration required, come whenever you feel like it. The more the merrier- bring your friends and have a ball at the library!

Tween Tuesdays

Tuesdays 4:00 – 5:00 PM

Every Tuesday is a TWEEN Tuesday! 🙂
Starting on January 20, 2015, librarian Nicole Dolat will be doing a regular after school program every Tuesday for kids ages 7-12. No registration required – just come when you can! We’ll do any of a variety of activities: board games, Zentangles, duct tape wallets, playing with squishy circuits…you’ll just have to come to find out what we’ll be doing on any given Tuesday. NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED. FOR AGES 7-12.
Come, brings some friends (or make some new ones), and have some fun at the library!

Essential Apps for Smartphones and Tablets

Wednesday Jan 21, 2015, 7:00 – 8:30 PM

There are literally hundreds of thousands of apps available for smartphones and tablets, but where do you start? Library staff will show you a few of the most popular apps for work, play, and everything in between. Bring your device so you can download the apps for yourself. Register on our website.

ZenDoodle

Friday Jan 23, 2015, 3:00 – 4:30 PM

When you draw a ZenDoodle, you’re creating a work of art, but you’re also deliberately creating a mood, a focus and a state of mind. You don’t have to be a Michaelangelo to create a great ZenDoodle… because they’re based around following a series of steps focused on a set of patterns, it’s easy for beginners to get started. With ZenDoodle art, you absolutely can’t fail, so join us and let your creativity soar! Grades 6-12, NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

Fab Film Saturday: THE MAZE RUNNER (2014)

Saturday Jan 24, 2015, 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Thomas wakes up in an elevator, remembering nothing but his own name. He emerges into a world of about 60 teen boys who have learned to survive in a completely enclosed environment, subsisting on their own agriculture and supplies from below. A new boy arrives every 30 days. The original group has been in “the glade” for two years, trying to find a way to escape through a maze that surrounds their living space. They have begun to give up hope. Then a comatose girl arrives with a strange note, and their world begins to change. Based on the popular young adult series of books by James Dashner. Running Time 1 hour, 53 minutes. Rated PG-13.
NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Feel free to bring your own snacks!

Weekend Concert Series: Yale’s Society of Orpheus and Bacchus

Sunday Jan 25, 2015, 2:00 PM

Yale University’s Society of Orpheus and Bacchus is the second longest-running a cappella group in the nation. Accompanied by an eclectic songbook that features jazz, folk, gospel and contemporary arrangements, this all-male ensemble of talented and dedicated singers has performed for countless audiences the world over, delighting thousands while sharing their love of music and laughter across generations. This program is free and opened to the public, NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

Family History: How to Research Your Genealogy

Tuesday Jan 27, 2015, 7:00 – 8:00 PM

This program will demonstrate how to begin the search for your ancestors. Become a detective by uncovering the details of your family’s arrival in the U.S., where they lived, the occupations they engaged in, their triumphs, and their tragedies. Register on our website.

Tea Party and Storytime

Saturday Jan 31, 2015, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Enjoy a Fancy Nancy and Pinkalicious storytime with craft followed by a tea party (juice and cookies will be served). Children are encouraged to dress up. For children ages 3-7 years old. Register on our website starting January 15.

Entertainment Weekly Picks Top Nonfiction Books of 2014

December 30, 2014December 11, 2014 / Linda / Leave a comment

The following nonfiction titles were among Entertainment Weekly‘s top picks for 2014.

Blood Will Out by Walter Kirn – The true story of a young novelist who meets and befriends an eccentric, privileged New Yorker when he delivers a crippled hunting dog to him from an animal shelter, and later discovers that his friend was a serial imposter and brutal double-murderer.

The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore -A cultural history of Wonder Woman traces the character’s creation and enduring popularity, drawing on interviews and archival research to reveal the pivotal role of feminism in shaping her seven-decade story.

Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast – A graphic memoir by a long-time New Yorker cartoonist celebrates the final years of her aging parents’ lives through four-color cartoons, family photos and documents that reflect the artist’s struggles with caregiver challenges.

What If? by Randall Monroe – The creator of the popular webcomic “xkcd” presents his heavily researched answers to his fans’ oddest questions, including “What if I took a swim in a spent-nuclear-fuel pool?” and “Could you build a jetpack using downward-firing machine guns?

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty – The blogger behind the popular Web series “Ask a Mortician” describes her experiences working at a crematory, including how she sometimes got ashes on her clothes and how she cared for bodies of all shapes and sizes.

The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs – Presents the life of Robert Peace, an African American who became a brillant biochemistry student at Yale University, but after graduation lived as drug dealer and was brutally murdered at the age of thirty.