(Combined fiction and nonfiction list from various sources, in no particular order, compiled by E-Connect staff. Blurbs are from the publishers' advance PR materials.)
All the following titles are due to be issued in April 2005. In some cases, the library hasn't yet ordered the title. If you would like to ask that any of the not-yet-ordered titles be ordered, please use this link: http://marinet.lib.ca.us/acquire. Thanks!
War by Candelight by Daniel Alarcón
If you liked "City of Clowns," featured in the 2003 New Yorker Fiction Debut issue, then you'll love these nine stories from Peruvian-born Alarcón. With a seven-city tour.
No Place Like Home by Mary Higgins Clark
Pity poor Celia. As a gift, her husband has presented her with the very house where, as little Liza Barclay, she killed her mother while trying to protect her from a mean stepfather. With an eight-city tour.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
The title must suggest the sound of the Twin Towers falling, which killed the father of nine-year-old prodigy Oskar Schell. Oskar hunts for the lock that fits the key his father left him. With an 11-city tour.
True Believer by Nicholas Sparks
Science journalist Jeremy Marsh may have fallen for the daughter of a psychic, but will he become a "true believer"? With a 15-city tour.
The Illuminator by Brenda Rickman Vantrease
In the dark and dangerous 14th century, an illuminator working for both the Church and radical John Wycliffe has a secret connecting him to the beleaguered widow Lady Kathryn. International rights have been sold everywhere.
Ya-Yas in Bloom by Rebecca Wells
How the Ya-Yas' friendship began, all the way back in the Thirties. A one-day laydown.
One Soldier's Story by Bob Dole
Dole recalls the devastating World War II injuries that nearly cost him his life.
Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
Vowell visits assassination sites throughout the country to consider how political violence gets manipulated. With a 13-city tour… including some of the stops along her way?
Have a suggestion for a title that you think the library should purchase? You can offer your suggestion via the new form on the MARINet website at http://marinet.lib.ca.us/acquire.
At the branches
Computer Tutorials
Explore the Internet.
Use electronic information resources available through the library for finding magazine and newspaper articles, books to match individual reading interests, business resources, and more.
Get help with Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.
Access library information from the Web-based catalog.
Ask a reference librarian or call 507-4049 for more information.
E-Mail Basics
Join a hands-on class in setting up a free e-mail account, sending and receiving messages, and accessing e-mail. Space is limited to two people per class. Ask a reference librarian or call 507-4049 for more information.
The Brown Bag Book Club
On Wednesday, March 23, 12 noon to 1 p.m., the Book Club will discuss Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell. New members are always welcome! For more information, call Becky or Livia at 499.6058 or e-mail to ldimare@co.marin.ca.us.
Sing and Sign Storytime
March 21, 2004 10:30 a.m.
For children ages 0-4. Join us for 40 minutes of singing, dancing, books, instrument play, and sign language with Melissa Ayotte & Beebo the Bear from Sing and Sign. This event will repeat the third Monday of every month. Space is limited to 20 participants. Register with Miss Kitty 507-4048. Sponsored by Civic Center Friends of the Library.
AARP Tax Assistance
The AARP will be offering free tax assistance at the Fairfax Library on Mondays and Thursdays from 10-2 from Feb. 3 to April 14, on a first come, first served basis. Remember to bring all your important financial documents.
Book Club
The Fairfax Library Book Club meets the first Thursday of each month, 7-9 p.m. The next book is:
March 3: Bee Season, by Myla Goldberg, a novel, ostensibly about a spelling bee, that offers glimpses into the Kabbala, cults and secret lives.
All books are available through the Fairfax Library. Click on the title for each book to access the library catalog for reviews of the book or to place a hold using your Marin County Free Library card. If you'd like to purchase your book, BookBeat in Fairfax offers our members a 15% discount.
Internet Tutoring
Free training with experienced computer professionals who will individualize the training to meet your skill level. Call 457-5629 to set up an appointment for a one-hour session.
Friends of the Fairfax Library
Next meeting Thursday, March 24, 7-9 p.m.
Meeting Room Gallery
Oil and watercolor paintings by Krystal Allen.
Library Book Club
Marin City Library's book discussion group meets the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm. It's free, of course, and drop-ins who have read the book are encouraged to attend. This month, the theme is "In Honor of Women’s History Month: New Life in the New World" and the group is reading The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures, by Anne Fadiman.
Tax Assistance
Volunteers from AARP will be at the library every Monday and Thursday, 10am to 2pm, through April 14, to assist seniors and low-income workers with basic tax questions. No appointment is necessary. For more information, stop by the reference desk or call 897-1142.
Internet Class
A beginners Internet class will be offered Tuesday, March 15, from 1pm-3:15pm. The volunteer instructor will teach novices about Internet basics and give out information on useful Web sites and online tutorials students can use to learn more after the class. Please sign up in advance at the reference desk or by calling 897-1142.
Storytimes
The children's librarians present lapsit storytimes for ages 18 to 36 months (with an adult) every Tuesday and Weds. at 10am. Preschool storytimes for ages 3 to 6 are offered Weds. and Saturday at 11am. For more information, call the children's desk at 897-1143.
Teen Advisory Council
Help the library improve services to teens! Any Novato resident age 12 to 18 is welcome to participate in our teen advisory council. The next meeting is Monday, March 21, 3:30-4:30pm.
South Novato Library Reading Club will meet on March 31st at 6:30pm. March's book choice is Any Human Heart: A Novel by William Boyd. Click on the title to access the library catalog for reviews of the book or to place a hold using your Marin County Free Library card. New members are always welcome. April’s choice is The Forest Lover by by Susan Vreeland. For more information, call Helen at 506-3168 or email hromero@co.marin.ca.us.
There will be a bilingual storytime at the Point Reyes Station Library on Thu Mar 10 6:30-8:30. Ana Maria Ramirez and guest will read The Gullywasher. There will be crafts and refreshments, and each family attending will receive a copy of the book. All ages are welcome.
Daniel Will-Harris will be providing Internet classes at the Point Reyes Station Library. Call 663-8375 during open hours to reserve a space for Friday March 18, April 15, or May 20, 12:30-1:45.
You can tell the catalog to keep a list of all the items you have ever checked out in My Reading History, so you can keep a running list of what you’ve read.
Tell us what you think about the new catalog by filling out a feedback form!
The Wolf Who Cried Boy by Bob Hartman c2002 [E]
Little Wolf is tired of eating lamburgers and sloppy does, but when he tricks his parents into thinking there is a boy in the woods, they could all miss a chance for a real feast.
Cinderella's Rat by Susan Meddaugh c1997 [E]
One of the rats that was turned into a coachman by Cinderella's fairy godmother tells his story.
Dogzilla by Dav Pilkey c1993 [E]
A monstrous mutt terrorizes the residents of Mousopolis.
Dog Tales by Jennifer Rae c1998 [E]
Well-known fairy tales told from a dog's perspective and commented upon by wisecracking cats. Includes "Cindersmelly," "Jack Russell and the Beanstalk," and "The Doberman's New Clothes."
Washday on Noah's Ark by Glen Rounds c1985 [E]
When the forty-first day on the ark dawns bright and clear, Mrs. Noah decides to do the wash, and having no rope long enough, devises an ingenious clothesline.
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka c1992 [E]
Madcap revisions of familiar fairy tales including “The Really Ugly Duckling,” “Little Red Running Shorts,” “Jack's Bean Problem,” “Cinderumpelstiltskin,” and “ The Boy Who Cried "Cow Patty."
The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza by Philemon Sturges c1999 [E]
In this version of the traditional tale, the duck, the dog, and the cat refuse to help the Little Red Hen make a pizza but do get to participate when the time comes to eat it.
Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood by Mike Artell c2001 [ J 398]
In this Cajun version of "Little Red Riding Hood," the big bad gator is no match for a sharp young duck and her quick-thinking cat.
Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl c1982 [ J 821]
Humorous retellings in verse of six well-known fairy tales, featuring surprise endings in place of the traditional happily-ever-after.
The Fairy's Mistake by Gail Carson Levine c1999 [ J Fiction]
In this humorous retelling of a Perrault tale, the fairy Ethelinda rewards one twin sister for good behavior and punishes the other for bad, only to discover that her punishment is more pleasing than her reward.
Leaping Beauty by Gregory Maguire c2004 [ J Fiction]
Goldiefox and the three Chickens -- Hamster and Gerbil -- So What and the seven Giraffes -- The three little Penguins and the big bad Walrus -- Cinderelephant -- Rumplesnakeskin.
Bargain Sunday is March 6!
Our specials this month are:
Religion/philosophy, travel, biography, fiction, mystery: 50% off.
Romance and mystery paperbacks: 4/$1.
5th Annual Book Super Sale!
The Super Sale will be held on March 12-13, at the National Guard Armory in San Rafael. The members’ preview is on Saturday from 8-10 am. Anyone may join the Friends of the Marin County Free Library or renew their membership at the door. The doors open to everyone at 10 am, and close at 5 pm each day.
More than 30,000 books sorted into 36 categories will be available. Prices start at $3 for hardbacks ($1 for children’s) down to $.75 for pocket books ($.50 for children’s). Those prices will be lowered on Sunday morning and then again for our traditional Bag Sale Sunday afternoon, when you can fill a bag for just $8 or a box for $10.
The Better Books Section has a room to itself--don’t miss it! There you’ll find newer best-sellers, art, coffee table books,
special-interest books, and older collectibles, all at great prices. Two silent auctions will be held Saturday morning, at 10:30 and 11:30.
For directions and a map, and to see a list of the silent auction books, go to our website (http://marinlibraryfriends.marin.org). Questions? Contact one of the co-chairs: Betty Breeze (883-6182) or Ruth Arnold (892-0238).
Note: The Book Place will be closed on Saturday, March 12 and Sunday, March 13 so that we can have more hands helping at the Super Sale.
Come and explore the history of the private schools of San Rafael, the newest addition to the California Room Digital Archive. A comprehensive essay by Jocelyn Moss, originally published in the Marin County Historical Society Bulletin, is accompanied by images from the California Room's collection of photographs and ephemera. Find out about Dominican College, the Mount Tamalpais Military Academy, the Selbourne School, the Hitchcock Military Academy and other educational institutions, important in the history of our County.
In addition, the AARP Tax-Aide Program provides free assistance preparing tax returns and answering tax questions to middle and low-income individuals of all ages with special attention to those 60 and older. No reservations are taken for this service. Individuals are seen on a first come, first served basis only. Please bring relevant tax documents with you including
current year tax forms and booklet
copy of last year income tax return
W-2 and 1099 forms
For a list of AARP tax help locations at Marin County Free Library branches and other Marin locations, click here.
