Noe Valley Voice July-August 2004
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Books in our Branch

This month's book list, chosen by Noe Valley librarians Carol Small and Wayne Donica, features a robotic update of the Pygmalion story, an IRS agent's tell-all memoir, and poetic job descriptions from ancient Egypt. To find out which selections are available, call 695-5095, log onto www.sfpl.org, or visit the Noe Valley­Sally Brunn Library at 451 Jersey Street near Castro Street. Besides books, the Noe Valley Library offers magazines, newspapers, DVDs, music CDs, Internet access, and the archives and index to the Noe Valley Voice. 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

- I Sailed with Magellan is Stuart Dybek's collection of 11 interwoven stories narrated by a young Polish-American growing up on Chicago's South Side in the 1950s and '60s.

- Drawn from his real life, Andrew Huebner's We Pierce describes two brothers, one an army sergeant fighting in the Iraqi war, the other a substance-abusing Manhattan writer.

- Twice-divorced animatronics technician Ellery Pierce can't find a woman devoid of opinion and sarcasm, so he builds one himself, in Adventures of the Artificial Woman, a novel by Thomas Berger.

- A thoughtful, dreamy child in a small southern town escapes her stepfather's coldness and her mother's distance through the warmth and understanding of the family cook, in Augusta Trobaugh's River Jordan.

Adult Nonfiction

- Former arch-conservative journalist David Brock analyzes the powerful forces that control the national media, in The Republican Noise Machine: Right-Wing Media and How It Corrupts Democracy.

- Simon Head takes a serious look at how advances in information technology have led to the dehumanization of the American workforce, in The New Ruthless Economy: Work and Power in the Digital Age.

- Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs: The Unknown Story of the Men and Women of World War II's OSS, by Patrick O'Donnell, spells out the critical role of American espionage in World War II.

- In a memoir, Confessions of a Tax Collector: One Man's Tour of Duty Inside the IRS, Richard Yancey recalls a 12-year career as a revenue officer hunting down tax evaders.

Children's Fiction

- If you have a young child and want lovely nursery rhymes to share with him or her, Pio Peep! Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes is a bilingual collection that will provide many choices. English adaptations by Alice Schertle; illustrations by Vivi Escriva. Ages 1 to 3.

- In Ella Sarah Gets Dressed, by Margaret Chodos-Irvine, a toddler gets opposition on what to wear from every member of her family, but looks fine to her friends at the end of the story. Ages 2 to 4.

- Using brief text and gorgeous painted tissue-paper collages, Eric Carle provides information on paternal nursing and camouflage in the fish world, in his latest book, Mister Seahorse. Ages 2 to 5.

- Penguins, bees, bats, and prairie dogs are some of the animals who tell how they experience the world in Diane Ackerman's book of poems Animal Sense. Ages 7 to 11.

- In Janet Anderson's The Last Treasure, 13-year-old Ellsworth Smith journeys to Smith Mills and succeeds in unlocking monetary treasure and some important family relationships. Ages 10 and up.

Children's Nonfiction

- In My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., author Christine King Farris recalls key moments in the childhood of a person who would become a world-famous leader. Illustrated by Chris Soentpiet. Ages 6 to 9.

- The Arabian, Tennessee Walking Horse, Shetland Pony, and many lesser-known equines are described in Horse and Pony Breeds, by Sandy Ransford, with photographs by Bob Langrish. Ages 6 to 10.

- In Voices of Ancient Egypt, author Kay Winters gives short, poetic descriptions of several of the occupations engaged in by Egyptians--and shows that they took pride in their work. Ages 7 to 10.

LIBRARY EVENTS

Puppets and Stories

- Jennifer Levine performs a puppet show, "Dragons Never Laugh," on Thursday, July 8, and Doris Feyling tells children's stories on Tuesday, July 13. Both programs are for ages 2 to 5, and are scheduled for 10 and 11 a.m. Space is limited, so please call 695-5095 for reservations.

Stories and Films for Children

- Kids 2 to 5 are invited to attend preschool story time at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, July 6 and 27, and on Aug. 3, 10, 17, and 31. Children 3 to 5 can come watch short films at 10 and 11 a.m. on Tuesdays, July 20 and Aug. 24.

Saturday Lapsits

- Share stories, songs, and fingerplays with your baby or toddler at the library's lapsits at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 3, 10, and 17, and Aug. 21 and 28.