October 2003 RETURN TO HOME PAGE FEEDBACK

This month's book list, chosen by Noe Valley branch librarians Roberta Greifer, Lea Anderson, and Carol Small, features a new Simon Brett mystery, a study of shadows, and a history of kites. To find out which books are available, call 695-5095, log onto www.sfpl.org, or visit the Noe Valley­Sally Brunn Library at 451 Jersey Street near Castro. Besides books, the branch has magazines, videos, CDs, and the archives and index to the Noe Valley Voice. It also offers the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, a collection of books in Spanish, and sections on women's studies 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

- Author Monica Ali explores the complex balance between fate and free choice in Brick Lane, the story of Nanzeen, an 18-year-old Bangladeshi girl sent to London to enter into an arranged marriage.

- Deafening is the debut novel of Frances Itani, an award-winning writer for CBC Radio. Set during World War I, it reveals the terrible cost of war, through the eyes of a young deaf Canadian woman.

- The latest addition to the Fethering mystery series by Simon Brett, Murder in the Museum is a witty whodunit deftly solved by Home Office retiree Carole Seddon and her bohemian neighbor Jude.

- Larry Watson's novel Orchard traces the lives of four very different people: internationally acclaimed painter Ned, his patient wife Harriet, Norwegian immigrant Sonja, and Sonja's jealous husband Henry.

Adult Nonfiction

- In The Shadow Club, Roberto Casati explores the mystery and allure of shadowy darkness, and its frequent appearance in astronomy and science, philosophy, art, religion, and myth.

Children's Fiction

- With much hard work and many tries, Mouse creates a masterpiece in Alphabet Under Construction by Denise Fleming. Ages 3 to 5.

- Although the whole stack of animals falls down and the plane gets stuck in the tree again, two friends stay loyal to each other in Eric Rohmann's My Friend Rabbit, the latest winner of the Caldecott Award. Ages 3 to 5.

- Kite Flying, written and illustrated by Grace Lin, shows a family creating and using a kite, and tells the history of kites in Asian and Western countries. Ages 3 to 6.

- In Sing a Song of Piglets: A Calendar in Verse, author Eve Bunting and illustrator Emily Arnold McCully show many activities friends can enjoy as they go through a year together. Ages 4 to 6.

- Once Morgie and Moffie meet their Spanish-speaking adopted brother Marcos, they find ways to communicate and include him in the family in A New Barker in the House, written and illustrated by Tomie de Paola. Ages 4 to 7.

- In Flamingo Dream by Donna Jo Napoli, a young girl whose father recently died of cancer receives some solace when she creates a book about him. Ages 6 to 9.

- A trip to Italy changes the outlook of a girl who felt somewhat out of place in her family after she found out she was adopted, in Saffy's Angel by Donna Jo Napoli. Ages 8 to 11.

- When "Citizens to Protect Our Children" breaks into a virtual reality game in order to further its own aims, Giannine must use her ingenuity to survive in Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Valde. Ages 6 to 9.

LIBRARY EVENTS

Library Renovation Workshop

- The day has arrived for neighbors and library patrons to come share their vision for the 2004 renovation of the Noe Valley­Sally Brunn Library on Jersey Street. The San Francisco Public Library invites you to an all-day Community Design Workshop on Saturday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Staff from the architectural firm Carey & Co. will be on hand to take down your ideas, and at noon participants will share a potluck lunch on the library deck. From 9:30 to 12, children of parents attending the workshop can hear stories and do crafts in the children's room. The library will also hold a follow-up meeting on Thursday, Oct. 9, from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information, call 557-4354 or the Noe Valley Library at 695-5095.

Music for Preschoolers

- On Thursday, Oct. 16, in honor of Latino-Hispanic Heritage Month, Susan Peña and Miguel Govea will play and sing music from Latin America and Texas at 10 a.m.

Lapsits Are Back

- Your baby or toddler will be glad to know the library resumes its popular lapsits, featuring stories, songs, and finger plays, on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 10:30 a.m.

Stories and Films for Kids

- Children 2 and up are welcome to attend preschool story time, 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, Oct. 7, 21, and 28. Meanwhile, kids a year older (3 and up) can come watch short films, including Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Happy Birthday Moon, and Joey Runs Away, at 10 and 11 a.m., on Tuesday, Oct. 14.