February 2002 RETURN TO HOME PAGE FEEDBACK

This month's new books list, provided by Roberta Greifer, Carol Small, and other Noe Valley Library staff, features an exposé of the San Francisco Zen Center, the adventures of a gay Mexican-American detective, and the lowdown on chimpanzees. To check out a book's availability, call 695-5095, or visit the Noe Valley­Sally Brunn Library at 451 Jersey Street, off Castro Street. Besides books, the branch offers magazines, CDs, videos, and the archives and index to the Noe Valley Voice. Hours are Tuesdays, 10 to 9; Wednesdays, 1 to 9; Thursdays, 10 to 6; Fridays, 1 to 6; and Saturdays, 10 to 6.

Adult Fiction

- Rag and Bone, the seventh in a series of mysteries by Michael Nava featuring gay Mexican-American lawyer Henry Rios, has Rios solving the murder of his estranged niece's abusive husband.

- The latest thriller by international diplomat and intelligence analyst Taylor Smith, titled Deadly Grace, begins in present-day Minnesota with the murder of a war bride, a former member of the Resistance, who might have held the keys to a hidden stash of Nazi gold.

- In Spirits White As Lightning, by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill, a Juilliard student and father of one must save earth again, this time from a vengeful sorcerer who possesses the power to enslave all of humankind as zombies.

Adult Nonfiction

- In Shoes Outside the Door: Desire, Devotion, and Excess at San Francisco Zen Center, Michael Downing tells the true story of the ascent and crash of a local institution.

- Every Tongue Got to Confess: Negro Folk-Tales from the Gulf States, collected by author Zora Neale Hurston, includes stories dating back to the Civil War.

- In Swing Low, Marion Toews writes in the voice of her father, who despite being a beloved family man and a pillar of the Mennonite community, commits suicide when he is unable to face another bout of depression.

Annotations by the library staff

Noe Valley Branch

Children's Fiction

- In Everywhere Babies, author Susan Meyers and illustrator Marla Frazee provide a joyful and varied tableau of the many activities in which babies are involved. Ages 2 to 4.

- A young child goes outside and has a wonderful time in the rain in Red Rubber Boot Day, by Mary Lyn Ray, with illustrations by Lauren Stringer. Ages 2 to 5.

- Although there are some difficulties at first, it looks like Emma and her adopted brother Max will form a good relationship in Emma's Yucky Brother, an "I Can Read" book by Jean Little. Ages 5 to 8.

- Poet Tony Johnston and artist Ted Rand have collaborated to produce It's About Dogs, a tribute to the lovable and interesting qualities of canine companions. Ages 6 to 9.

- In spite of the typhoon and the rumor that her parents are dead, Primrose has an interesting few months in which she gets to know some very helpful people, including her Uncle Jack and Ms. Bowzer, in Everything on a Waffle, by Polly Horvath. Ages 9 to 11.

Children's Nonfiction

- Using eloquent autobiographical poems, Juan Felipe Herrera describes moving to San Diego and being encouraged by his third-grade teacher in The Upside Down Boy: El Niño de Cabeza, written in English and Spanish with illustrations by Elizabeth Gómez. Ages 6 to 9.

- In Chimpanzees, Dan Greenberg provides information about these endangered primates, including several ways in which they are very similar to humans. Ages 6 and up.

- First-person memoirs and archival photographs from a century ago give readers a glimpse into growing-up and coming-of-age experiences in A Braid of Lives: Native American Childhood, edited by Neil Philip. Ages 7 to 10.

Annotations by Carol Small
Children's Librarian, Noe Valley Branch

Library Adventures

Poets on Peace

- Members of the Dhaia Tribe, an international poets' collective ("Dhaia" comes from the Punjabi word for compassion), will read and perform works exploring the theme of peace, on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m. Participating poets include Tommi Avicolli Mecca, Delia Tomino Nakayama, Colm O'Riain, Jamez L. Smith, Pireeni Sundaralingam, and John Tunui.

Library Renovation Meeting

- A meeting to discuss proposed renovations to the Noe Valley Branch Library is set for Thursday, March 14, at 7:30 p.m.

Preschool Story Time

- Children ages 3 to 5 can hear seasonal
stories at the library's preschool story time, at 10 a.m., Tuesdays, Feb. 5, 12, and 26.

Movie Tuesday

- Preschoolers 3 to 5 are invited to watch films at 10 and 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 19.

Wednesday Lapsits

- Come enjoy stories, songs, and fingerplay with your baby or toddler at the lapsits, on Wednesdays, Feb. 6, 13, 20, and 27, at 7 p.m.

Unless otherwise noted, events are at the Noe Valley ­ Sally Brunn Library, 451 Jersey St. * 695-5095