September 2003 RETURN TO HOME PAGE FEEDBACK

This month's new book list, chosen by Noe Valley branch librarians Roberta Greifer and Carol Small, features a novel about a computer bug, the story of a 1911 Greenwich Village factory fire, and an anthology about children in wartime. 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, a women's literature section, and a section devoted to 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

- The first novel ever to be serialized by the Wall Street Journal, Amanda Bright@Home by Danielle Crittenden is an amusing look at the trials and tribulations of a stay-at-home mom.

- The Bug by Ellen Ullman, author of Close to the Machine, tells the tale of a computer bug, "The Jester," that jeopardizes a Silicon Valley start-up company.

- Set at the dawn of the 19th century in Portugal, Hunting Midnight by Richard Zimler is a historical novel portraying the bond that develops between John Zarco, a young man who discovers his Jewish heritage, and Midnight, a freed African slave.

- In Reunion by Alan Lightman, a middle-aged professor takes a painful walk down memory lane after attending his 30-year college reunion.

Adult Nonfiction

- In The Healing Art, poet and physician Rafael Campo draws from his life and medical practice to explore the vital connection between poetry and healing.

- Triangle: The Fire That Changed America, by David Von Drehle, dramatically chronicles the devastating Greenwich Village Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911, which killed 146 workers, most of them women.

Children's Fiction

- In Sometimes I'm Bombaloo, written by Rachel Vail and illustrated by Yumi Heo, we get inside the mind of a young child who feels very angry and expresses it, which makes it possible for her to enjoy playing with her brother once again. Ages 3 to 5.

- Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond, creators of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, have shown that a day at school can be quite an adventure for a boy and his pet, in If You Take a Mouse to School. Ages 3 to 5.

- In Get Well, Good Night by Shelley Moore Thomas (illustrated by Jennifer Plecas), the scaly snaily soup doesn't do the trick, and neither does the slimy grimy soup, but the knight's mother provides the remedy that finally works. Ages 5 to 7.

- A new student at Watertower Elementary School is the center of attention in her second-grade class because she is such a wonderful storyteller, in Lois Lowry's Gooney Bird Greene. Ages 6 to 8.

- After coming across the border in Tijuana, "I counted everyone and I still had five brothers. Whew!" So begins a tale of life in the United States for a Mexican immigrant family, as told by Amanda Irma Perez and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez in My Diary from Here to There/Mi Diario de Aqui Hasta Alla. Ages 6 to 9.

- Having run away from home, a boy has the good fortune to form a relationship with a free-thinking traveling juggler who helps him discover the world and its origins in Avi's Crispin: The Cross of Lead, a great adventure and the latest winner of the Newbery Award. Ages 10 and up.

- In a powerful collection of stories edited by Jennifer Armstrong, contributing authors show the complex and sometimes horrible effects of war in Shattered: Stories of Children and War. Ages 10 and up.

Children's Nonfiction

- What Was It Like, Grandma? is a new series showcasing extended families from various ethnic groups in San Francisco. Grandma Lai Goon Remembers: A Chinese-American Family Story and Grandma Francisca Remembers: A Hispanic-American Family Story are in the collection at the Noe Valley Library. The other three titles in the series are available at other local branches. Ages 6 to 9.

LIBRARY EVENTS

Preschool Story Time

- Children ages 2 to 5 can hear stories read aloud at preschool story time, 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, Sept. 2 and 30.

Films for Kids

- The library invites preschoolers 3 to 5 to watch short films, at 10 and 11 a.m., on Tuesday, Sept. 9.

Friends Elect Officers

- New officers will be elected at the Sept. 11 meeting of the neighborhood group Friends of Noe Valley, starting at 7 p.m.

Help Remodel the Library

- Neighbors are invited to discuss their ideas for renovations to the Noe Valley Library at Community Design Workshops on Saturday, Oct. 4, 9:30 to 4 p.m., and Thursday, Oct. 9, 7 to 9 p.m.