National Eating Disorder Awareness Week

February 22, 2015January 16, 2015 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

February 22 through 28th is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. While many of us are still focused on New Years resolutions about health and weight, it is a good time to stop and think about the ramifications of the focus on being perfect that seems so prevalent in today’s world. Making changes is great, but it is important that we all do so in a smart and healthy manner.

There are far too many young adults and adults out there suffering from eating disorders and other self image problems. to make matters works these concerns are becoming more of an issue with younger and younger children each year. thankfully there are many resources out there, and many fantastic books, to help. Here is a selection of related books that I would recommend for anyone that suffers from one of these disorders, knows someone that does, worries that someone close to you (or you yourself) might be heading in that direction, or just wants to educate themselves in order to understand and help others.

I have broken the list down into fiction featuring characters dealing with eating disorders and nonfiction books that can help answer specific questions with research and medical information. this is far from a comprehensive list, so if you have found a resource or book that I have forgotten please mention it in a comment to share with others.

For more immediate help, information, and support please visit the National Eating Disorder Association‘s or the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders website.

Fiction:
1. Skin & Bones by Sherry Shahan
2. Butter by Erin Jade Lange
3. Purge by Sarah Darer Littman
4. Zero by Diane Tullson
5. Faded Denim: Color me Trapped by Melody Carlson
6. Healing Waters by Nancy Rue & Stephen Arterburn.

More quality adult and young adult fiction that deals with eating disorders include: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, Massive by Julia Bell, Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, Perfect by Natasha Friend, Skinny by Ibi Kaslik, Saving Ruth by Zoe Fishman, Skin by Adrienne Maria Vrettos, and Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler.

Non Fiction:
1. If Your Adolescent has an Eating Disorder: an Essential Resource for Parents by B. Timothy Walsh and V. L. Cameron
2. Take Charge of your Child’s Eating Disorder: a Physician’s Step-by-Step Guide to Defeating Anorexia and Bulimia by Pamela Carlton, and Deborah Ashin
3.Surviving an Eating Disorder: Strategies for Family and Friends by Michele Seigel, Judith Brisman, Margot Weinshel
4.Regaining your Self: Breaking Free from the Eating Disorder Identity: a Bold New Approach by Ira M. Saker and Sheila Buff
5.Gaining: the Truth about Life after Eating Disorders by Aimee Liu
6.Eating Disorders: the Facts by Suzanne Abraham and Derek Llewellyn-Jones
7.Going Hungry: Writers on Desire, Self-denial, and Overcoming Anorexia edited by Kate Taylor.

I would also suggest checking out The Eating Disorder Sourcebook by Carolyn Costin, Next to Nothing: a Firsthand Account of one Teenager’s Experience with an Eating Disorder by Carrie Arnold with B. Timothy Walsh, Life Beyond your Eating Disorder: Reclaim Yourself, Regain your Health, Recover for Good by Johanna S. Kandel, Treatment Plans and Interventions for Bulimia and Binge-eating Disorder by Rene D. Zweig, Robert L. Leahy, Goodbye Ed, Hello Me : Recover from your Eating Disorder and Fall in Love with Life by Jenni Schaefer, Anatomy of Anorexia by Steven Levenkron and When Dieting Becomes Dangerous: a Guide to Understanding and Treating Anorexia and Bulimia by Deborah Marcontell Michel, Susan G. Willard.

Louise Reads: The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

February 15, 2015January 29, 2015 / Louise / Leave a comment

The Rosie Effect is the sequel to 2013’s runaway hit The Rosie Project, author Graeme Simsion’s debut novel (reviewed here). That romantic comedy followed the efforts of Don Tillman, a genetics professor and extremely socially inept, to procure a life partner for himself. The Wife Project ends successfully with Don finding true love with the free-spirited and quirky-in-her-own-way Rosie.

The sequel opens with Don and Rosie starting their married life in New York City. Don is feeling very satisfied with his adjustment to marriage, until he notices orange juice on his breakfast table one morning. “Orange juice was not scheduled for Fridays.” , he muses in the book’s opening sentence, and it’s the beginning of even more changes for Don. Rosie, you see, is pregnant.

A comedy of errors ensues as Don tries to adjust to this unplanned event. His best friend from Australia moves in with Don and Rosie after his wife kicks him out, Don’s endeavors to observe fathers in action end up getting him arrested, and his attempts to take control over the pregnancy have, of course, the opposite effect. As troubles start mounting, Rosie begins to doubt that Don is meant for fatherhood.

This blurb from Simon & Schuster sums it up nicely: “As Don tries to schedule time for pregnancy research, getting Gene and Claudia to reconcile, servicing the industrial refrigeration unit that occupies half his apartment, helping Dave the Baseball Fan save his business, and staying on the right side of Lydia the social worker, he almost misses the biggest problem of all: he might lose Rosie when she needs him the most. ”

I enjoyed The Rosie Effect, though I must admit, not as much as The Rosie Project. Half of the fun in the first story was getting to know Don and his myriad of quirks. The sequel also seemed a bit rushed to me, with almost too many crazy misunderstandings thrown into the plot to keep it lively. I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Dan O’Grady, who was fantastic. A very enjoyable read, even if I didn’t love it as much as the original. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Children’s Books with Non Traditional Families

February 12, 2015January 29, 2015 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Children love to see something of themselves and their families as they read. Sometimes spotting something of themselves in the main character’s personality or home life is what helps them connect to a book or foster a love in reading. When growing up in a family that is everything you need, but not the expected mom and dad with 2.5 kids and a dog, it is sometimes hard to make that connection. Thankfully, since the ‘expected’ family is becoming less of a norm for a variety of reasons I thought it would be helpful to share some children’s books with alternative families to help every child find a book that they can relate to. Here are some picture books and easy readers to share with some young readers about a variety of families.

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell; illustrated by Henry Cole
At New York City’s Central Park Zoo, two male penguins fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches.

I Love You Like Crazy Cakes by Rose Lewis; illustrated by Jane Dyer
A woman describes how she went to China to adopt a special baby girl. Based on the author’s own experiences.

The Family Book by Todd Parr
Represents a variety of families, some big and some small, some with only one parent and some with two moms or dads, some quiet and some noisy, but all alike in some ways and special no matter what.

In Our Mothers’ House BY Patricia Polacco
Three young children experience the joys and challenges of being raised by two mothers.

Two Homes by Claire Masurel; illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
A young boy named Alex enjoys the homes of both of his parents who live apart but love Alex very much.

Black is Brown is Tan by Arnold Adoff; pictures by Emily Arnold McCully
When it was first published in 1973, Black is Brown is Tan featured the first interracial family in children’s books.

There are many more kinds of families, and many more books about how wonderful each is. Here are a select group of more books on the subject:Uncle Bobby’s Wedding by Sarah S. Brannen, Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers; illustrated by Marla Frazee, The White Swan Express: a Story about Adoption by Jean Davies Okimoto and Elaine M. Aoki; illustrated by Meilo So, Who’s in a Family? by Robert Skutch; illustrations by Laura Nienhaus, I Have Two Homes by Marian De Smet; illustrated by Nynke Talsma, Who’s Whose? by Jan Ormerod, Raising you Alone by Warren Hanson, All Families are Special by Norma Simon; illustrated by Teresa Flavin.

My list is not comprehensive, there is no way to include every good book on the subject. If I missed a great one you have run across please share it in the comments so we can all check it out!

10 Books We’re Looking Forward to in February

February 8, 2015January 16, 2015 / Louise / Leave a comment

February. This quote from the Old Farmer’s Almanac pretty much sums it up:

“Groundhog found fog. New snows and blue toes. Fine and dandy for Valentine candy. Snow spittin’; if you’re not mitten-smitten, you’ll be frostbitten!”

We recommend curling up with a good book. Getting swept up in a good story can make the days fly by!

Every month, librarians from around the country pick the top ten new books they’d most like to share with readers. The results are published on LibraryReads.org. One of the goals of LibraryReads is to highlight the important role public libraries play in building buzz for new books and new authors. Click through to read more about what new and upcoming books librarians consider buzzworthy this month. The top ten titles for February are:

A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott
My Sunshine Away by M.O. Walsh
The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn
Half the World by Joe Abercrombie
Finding Jake by Bryan Reardon
A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab
A Murder of Magpies by Judith Flanders
The Siege Winter by Ariana Franklin and Samantha Norman
Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King

Our Patrons Pick Their Favorite Books of 2014

February 3, 2015January 16, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

For the last several years, The Department of Human Services of Cheshire has had a mitten tree in the library’s lobby, requesting the public to donate holiday gifts for needy girls and boys. Our patrons have always been very generous and we thank you very much!