Noe Valley Voice December 2002 - January 2003
RETURN TO HOME PAGE
FEEDBACK

Books in our Branch

This month's new books list, selected by Noe Valley branch librarians Roberta Greifer and Carol Small, features new tales from Stephen King and Sue Grafton, Daniel Ellsberg's Vietnam memoir, and a story about a dog who pretends to be a cat. To find out what books are available, call 695-5095 or visit the Noe Valley ­ Sally Brunn Library at 451 Jersey Street near Castro. Besides books, the branch offers magazines, videos, DVDs, and the archives and index to the Noe Valley Voice. It also has periodicals such as USA Today and the New York Times, a collection of books in Spanish, and a section devoted to college and career resources. Branch hours are Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Wednesdays, 1 to 9 p.m.; Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Fridays, 1 to 6 p.m.; and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Adult Fiction

- In Sue Grafton's Q Is for Quarry, two aging detectives yearn for retirement, but first they must solve a gruesome murder that has been haunting them for years.

- An otherworldly secret, kept in a secure holding shed by the police in rural Pennsylvania, begins to stir and unravel in Stephen King's From a Buick 8.

- In the historical novel The Glorious Cause, Jeff Shaara describes the personalities involved when the 13 colonies were pitted against the might of the British Empire.

Adult Nonfiction

- In Just Lucky I Guess, the indomitable Carol Channing recounts her amazing career in show business.

- In New Public School Parent, veteran schoolteacher and National Education Association President Bob Chase guides parents through the complexities of today's public school system.

- In Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers, Daniel Ellsberg details how lies and deception were at the root of America's involvement in Vietnam.

- In Don't Call Me Old: I'm Just Awakening, Marsha Sinetar, author of Do What You Love: The Money Will Follow, highlights the path to successful aging.

Children's Fiction

- Tim visits his future school and gets a preview of all the interesting activities that await him in Welcome to Kindergarten, Anne Rockwell's latest picture story. Ages 4 to 5.

- In Widget by Lyn Rossiter McFarland, a little stray dog decides that the best way to get along with the six suspicious cats in his new home is to pretend to be a cat, until an emergency teaches Widget's new family that having a dog around can come in handy. Ages 4 to 6.

- You can go through the day of a blind person and her guide dog in Glenna Lang's Looking Out for Sarah, based on a real person and guide dog who once walked from Boston to New York together. Ages 4 to 7.

- Gus wants so much to play well in the game, but when this doesn't happen he receives a valuable tip in Gus and Grandpa at Basketball, by Claudia Mills, illustrated by Catherine Stock. Ages 5 to 8.

- Will Rose, Lily, and little Ned be able to escape from the orphanage, avoid Mack the Knife, and find their father? The answers are in Spring-Heeled Jack by award-winner Philip Pullman. Ages 6 to 9.

- In an exclusive boarding school for girls, the main character learns that befriending Fannie Macintosh has unexpected repercussions, in Sally Warner's historical novel Finding Hattie. Ages 10 and up.

Children's Nonfiction

- If you want to communicate with your baby using signs before he or she learns to talk, you can use two board books by Kim Votry, Baby's First Signs and More Baby's First Signs. Ages 9 months and up.

- David A. Adler summarizes the life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., including some painful experiences from his early life. Ages 6 to 8.

Noe Valley Library Highlights

An Evening of Mystery

- Six local mystery writers, Sheldon Siegel, Cara Black, John Lescroart, Michael Castleman, Lynne Murray, and Mark Coggins, read and discuss their work in a forum hosted by Diane Kudisch of the San Francisco Mystery Bookstore on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m.

Chinese New Year Celebration

- The Jing Mo Athletic Association performs a Lion Dance and martial arts demonstration for all ages at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11.

9/11 Poetry Reading

- Renowned Bay Area poets Allen Cohen, Diane di Prima, Gail Ford, Devorah Major, Clive Matson, and Gerry Nicosia will read their poetry from An Eye for an Eye Makes the Whole World Blind: Poets on 9/11 (edited by Allen Cohen and Clive Matson), on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 7:30 p.m.

Preschool Story Time

- Children ages 3 to 5 can come hear stories read aloud at preschool story time, at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, Dec. 10, 17, 24, and 31, and January 7, 14, and 28.

December and January Films

- Preschoolers 3 to 5 are invited to watch films at 10 and 11 a.m. on Tuesdays, Dec. 3 and Jan. 21.

Family Lapsits

- The library's family lapsit offers stories, songs, and finger plays for infants and toddlers at 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays, Dec. 14, 21, and 28.

Librarians Roberta Greifer and Wayne Donica contributed this month's adult book annotations. The children's book descriptions were written by librarians Carol Small and Donna Trifilo.