Alzheimer's Disease : World Alzheimer's Month : September 2016 : Remember Me

Remember Me
According to Alzheimer's Disease International, there are more than 47 million people worldwide living with dementia. Alzheimer's Disease is the most common cause of dementia.

In the U.S., more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's. Whether you or a family member are Generation X (1965-1984), a Boomer (born 1945-1964), a Silent (born 1923-1944), or a Greatest (1910-1925), your family has likely been touched by this devastating disease which cannot yet be prevented or cured.

Links to Useful Resources
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Alzheimer's Association, Connecticut Chapter
MedLine Plus : Alzheimer's Disease, Financial Planning
National Institutes of Health : National Institute on Aging
My Place CT : Long-Term Care Services and Supports
National Council on Aging : Benefits Checkup
Alzheimer's Association : MedicAlert + Safe Return
CT State Department of Aging
researchIT CT : Free online resources as a service of the CT State Library
Town of East Hampton CT : Senior Center, Municipal Agent for the Elderly

Walk to End Alzheimer's
On date of this post, there are four walks scheduled in Connecticut. Plug in your zip code to find September/October walk dates/locations and consider a walk for a cure.

Books & Reading for Adults
A short list of guides and memoirs for individuals or families:

What If It's Not Alzheimer's? A Caregiver's Guide to Dementia edited by Gary & Lisa Radin

The Theft of Memory : Losing My Father One Day at a Time by Jonathan Kozol

The 36-Hour Day, 5th Edition : A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementias, and Memory Loss by Nancy L. Mace, Peter V. Rabins

The End of Memory :  A Natural History of Aging & Alzheimer's by Jay Ingram

Sum It Up by Pat Summitt (1952-2016)

A Dignified Life: The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer's Care: A Guide for Care Partners, Revised Edition by Virginia Bell, David Troxel

Connecting in the Land of Dementia: Creative Activities to Explore Together (September 2016) by Deborah Shouse

Slow Dancing with a Stranger : Lost & Found in the Age of Alzheimer's by Meryl Comer

For Younger Readers

A family member's condition can effect everyone in the family. A short list of titles for young readers:

Really and Truly by Emile Rivard

The Memory Wall (September 2016) by Lev A.C. Rosen (September 2016)

Forget Me Not by Nancy Van Laan

My New Granny by Elisabeth Steinkellner

Pop by Gordon Korman

September 11 : 15 Years Later

The events of September 11, 2001 changed the world forever. We here recommend a few regarded titles, fiction and non-fiction, for a generation of readers too young to remember that fateful date. As always, choose for yourself and how to inform and/or shield your children.

Fiction for Older Children & Tweens
Nine, Ten: a September 11 Story by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes

All We Have Left by Wendy Mills

Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai

For Early Elementary School Kids
Fireboat : the Heroic Adventures of John J. Harvey by Maira Kalman

14 Cows for America written by Carmen Agra Deedy ; in collaboration with Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah ; illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez

Seven and a Half Tons of Steel by Janet Nolan ; illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez

A Look Back : Family Discussion Titles
America is Under Attack : September 2001 : the Day the Towers Fell by Don Brown

What Were the Twin Towers? by Jim O'Connor ; illustrated by Ted Hammond

September 11, 2001 : Attack on New York City by Wilborn Hampton

These and many other titles about the subject with recommendations at the front and Children's Services desks.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Popular Gardening Books
By all appearances, spring finally seems to have sprung! Here's a a quick list of in-demand titles we hope will inspire your next garden adventure.

Garden made: a year of seasonal projects to beautify your garden and your life / Stephanie Rose •
Gardening with less water: low-tech, low-cost techniques for using up to 90% less water in your garden / David A. Bainbridge • Cultivating chaos: how to enrich landscapes with self-seeding plants / Jonas Reif, Christian Kress • Plants from pits: pots of plants for the whole family to enjoy / Holly Farrell

Year-round indoor salad gardening: how to grow nutrient-dense, soil-sprouted greens in less than ten days /  Peter Burke • Blue ribbon vegetable gardening: the secrets to growing the biggest and best prizewinning produce / Jodi Torpey • The gardener's year: grow, care for crops and flowers season by season / DK • The allergy-fighting garden: start asthma and allergies with smart landscaping / Thomas Leo Ogren

Terrariums: gardens under glass; designing, creating, and planting indoor gardens / Maria Colletti • Container theme gardens: 42 combinations, each using 5 perfectly matched plants / Nancy A. Ondra • Right-size flower garden / Kerry Ann Mendez • Growing vegetables, herbs & fruit: a step-by-step guide to kitchen and allotment gardening / Richard Bird and Jessica Houdret

Cool Books For Kids

Super simple fairy gardens: a kid's guide to gardening / Alex Kuskowski • The little gardener / Emily Hughes • The budding gardener / Mary B. Rein • If you plant a seed / Kadir Nelson • Up in the garden and down in the dirt / Kate Messner

October 2015: National Bullying Prevention Month

Image Courtesy of Learners Edge

Be Aware: Learn About It, Read About It, Think About It, Talk About It
October is National Bullying Prevention Month and we've been rounding up titles of great books that speak to the subject and which may help open a kid-to-kid -- or a much larger family or community conversation. A quick list of suggested titles about this tough subject follows, with direct and more nuanced titles recommended for later elementary and early middle school grade readers and their families.

Books for Later Elementary and Early Middle School Grades

Cyber Bullying by Nick Hunter • Wonder by R.J. Palacio • Jake & Lily by Jerry Spinelli • Pack of Dorks by Beth Vrabel • Blubber by Judy Blume • The Truth About Truman School by Dori Hillstad Butler

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai • Where I Belong by Mary Downing Hahn • Set the Record Straight by Rachel Wise • Hoot by Carl Hiaasen • The Survival Guide to Bullying by Aija Mayrock • Hokey Pokey by Jerry Spinelli

The Bully Book by Eric Kahn Gale • Bully on Campus & Online by Kim Etingoff • Chrissa by Mary Casanova • Hot Hand by Mike Lupica • I'm Even Funnier: a Middle School Story by James Patterson • Max Quigley: Technically Not a Bully by James Roy

Later This Week During National Bullying Prevention Month, 2015: 
Books for Young Adults

Stand Up! National Bullying Prevention Month, 2015

October 2015: National Bullying Prevention Month

October is National Bullying Prevention Month and a great time to share and discuss books about what can be a sensitive, complex and painful subject. We here offer a quick list of books for young children which may help forward conversation with kids who have been bullied -- or kids who may be bullies themselves -- and the overriding power of friendship.


Books for the Very Young Through Early Elementary Grades

You're Mean, Lily Jean! by Frieda Wishinsky
The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill
The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade by Justin Roberts •  My Secret Bully by Trudy Ludwig • Pinduli by Janell Cannon • Marlene, Marlene, Queen of Mean by Jane Lynch

The Bully Goat Grim: a Maynard Moose Tale as told to Willy Clafin
Red by Jan De Kinder
Lion vs. Rabbit by Alex Latimer • Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester • Better Than You by Trudy Ludwig • The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig

My Heart is Laughing by Rose Lagercrantz • Stick & Stone by Beth Perry • Bully by Patricia Polacco • Llama • Bullying by Lucia Raatma • How Can I Deal With Bullying?: a Book about Respect by Sandy Donovan

Later This Week During National Bullying Prevention Month, 2015: 
Books for Later Elementary and Early Middle School Grades

Summer Reading 2015: Every Hero Has a Story, Unmask! or Escape the Ordinary!

Every Hero Has a Story! What Will Your Story Be?
Summer reading season at the East Hampton Public Library CT, 2015 edition, officially opens on Saturday, June 20, 10 a.m. sharp. Join us and welcome a summer filled with great books, a BIG board game and incentive program for kids; a school supply incentive program for middle-grade readers, and yes, an incentive program for high school and adult readers.

Our Board Game
Make your way through a cityscape using a chance roll of the die plus strategy. Move to 'make it' spaces and show what you can do! Small prizes and tickets to a Barnes & Noble gift card giveaway will be awarded along the way with drawing for four $50 Barnes & Noble gift cards scheduled on Saturday, August 15.

Summer Reading Lists
This year, East Hampton Public School students at all levels are invited to consult one consolidated list of recommended summer reading titles compiled for the Connecticut State Department of Education by Linda Williams, Connecticut State Library.

Grades K-2 -- Grades 3-4 -- Grades 5-6 -- Grades 7-8 -- Grades 9-12

Each grade-level list gives plot summaries for featured books, including favorites and classics, plus a list of series titles you might like to read your way through over the summer. You can find copies of the list(s) plus additional information about the Governor's Summer Reading Challenge at the library or by clicking here.

2016 Nutmeg Book Nominees
Do you know about Nutmeg Books? If you've inadvertently missed this cruise to great summer reads, here's an all aboard pass to a selection of titles nominated by school and public librarians and yes, student readers! And the nominees are:

Elementary 2016 Nominees -- Intermediate 2016 Nominees -- Teen 2016 Nominees -- High School 2016 Nominees

You can find copies of the Nutmeg lists, which include plot summaries, at the library or you can click here.

The Joy of Summer? Read as a Family and Register Today!
Register for the program here then use the site to track your personal success at making reading for pleasure -- and just because you want to -- a part of your summer.

Throughout the summer, we'll be posting here and on our library Facebook page about how to connect to your next great read -- suggested, required, or maybe -- just your choice.

We'll also keep you informed about regarded titles in a different format (e-book and e-audio), all sure to strike your fancy.

Celebrate the 'Tweets' During February 2015

Bird Month at the Library
Birds bring a welcome splash of color, flash of motion, gentle sounds, and dreams of spring into our lives, especially during the winter months. This February, join us for a celebration of our feathered friends. Throughout the month, we'll connect you to bird-lover resources, events, regional and national efforts, and local programs.

Birders: The Central Park Effect
Documentary Film Screening
Wednesday, February 11, 6:30 p.m.
Enjoy this magical documentary about the extraordinary variety of wild birds that can be observed both seasonally and year-round in Central Park, the only 'wild' piece of territory in the New York City area along the migratory route.

Featuring spectacular wildlife footage capturing the changing seasons, the film reveals that Central Park acts as a magnet for the millions and millions of birds migrating along the Eastern Seaboard twice every year.  Desperate for a rest-stop, the tiny birds funnel in to this oasis of nature amid a sea of steel and concrete – a phenomenon known as the “Central Park Effect.”

Watch the trailer then enjoy the full film in the company of fellow bird lovers.

The Secret Lives of Owls
Presented by Horizon Wings
Tuesday, February 17, 1:00 p.m.
Owls have always been surrounded by an air of mystery, probably because most are nocturnal and not easily spotted in the wild. This is your chance to be only a few feet away from two eastern screech owls, a barn owl, a barred owl, and a great-horned owl! Discover the extraordinary features of owls, including exceptional eyesight, hearing, and ability to fly silently.

Take Your Child to the Library Day, 2015 Edition

Saturday, February 7, 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Among many other activities, give an early tip of the hat to owls by crafting an owl corner-page bookmark. The owl is exceptional, sturdy, and ready to read the field, just like you! Do drop in for our 'Owl Love You Forever' bookmark craft, 11:30 - 12:30 p.m., and for other Take Your Child to the Library Day events scheduled throughout the day. Registration where noted.

Nature Connections

Since 1989, the National Bird Feeding Society has recognized February as the month to feed wild birds. Visit All About Birds, a service of the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, for information about feeding basics, including the vitals of keeping your feeders clean, healthy, and safe.

The Audubon Society also offers information about backyard feeders with recommendations about which type of feeder you might use to create a refuge for different birds.

Watch for upcoming book and web site recommendations -- new, regarded, and essential -- about how to enjoy the tweets in your life through the remaining winter months if not all year round.

Great Backyard Bird Count

February 13-16, 2015

Participating in the 'count' is a great family activity and also a great way to get to know other bird-loving families in your community. Learn about how to participate by counting birds in your backyards and neighborhoods. The purpose is to learn more about birds and how to protect them and the environment we share. We'll be offering info and bird-friendly stories to support the effort and we'll be counting at the library, too! Be there for the 18th Annual Backyard Bird Count!

   

Summer Reading 2014: A Whole Lot of Fizz BOOM, Sparked Reactions, and Literary Elements

Looking for a List... or Two? Or Three?
Summer reading season at the East Hampton Public Library CT, 2014 edition, officially opens on Saturday, June 21, 10 a.m. sharp. We are so prepared to welcome your participation in what promises to be a fun summer filled with great books, a LEGO-themed BIG board game and incentive program for kids; a school-supply incentive program for middle-graders, and yes, an incentive program for high-school and adult readers.

Our LEGO BIG board game, ready to play. Roll the die.
Plot your strategy to get to a construction site!  

Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead!
This summer's programs have more than a little to say about science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. Check out 2014's suggested summer reading titles compiled for the Connecticut Department of Education by Linda Williams, Connecticut State Library:

Grades K-2 -- Grades 3-4 -- Grades 5-6 -- Grades 7-8 -- Grades 9-12.

You can find downloadable copies of the lists, which include plot summaries and series book recommendations, plus additional information about the Governor's Reading Challenge here.

2015 Nutmeg Award Nominees
Who doesn't know about Nutmeg Books? If by chance you don't, check out the lists of stellar titles nominated by school and public librarians and yes, student representatives.

Grades 2-4 -- Grades 4-6 -- Grades 7-8 -- Grades 9-12

East Hampton High School Summer Reading List
The lone change this year is many of the reading list titles are also available in e-book or e-audio format via OneClickdigital. Students must read one title from the list and another of their own choosing.

Grades 9-10 -- Grades 11-12

For Teens and Adults
Check this blog, the library's Facebook page, our monthly newsletters, in-library book displays, and at the library's front desk for next read suggestions all... summer... long.

Celebrate Spring!

Books For Kids
Spring begins this Thursday, March 20 and after the seemingly endless winter, boy, oh boy, is this good news! Enjoy our quick lists of new and regarded books to share with your favorite little one, all about spring and the upcoming holidays.

Chester's Colorful Easter Eggs by Theresa Smythe
Five Bouncing Bunnies by Jacqueline Rogers
Pete the Cat : Big Easter Adventure by Kimberly and James Dean
Ollie's Easter Eggs by Olivier Dunrea
Easter Traditions Around the World by M.J. Cosson
Here Comes the Easter Cat! by Deborah Underwood
The Easter Egg by Jan Brett
Who Hid the Easter Eggs? by Pirkko Vainio

The Littlest Levine by Sandy Lanton
Max Makes a Cake by Michelle Edwards
The Sweet Passover by Leslea Newman
The Longest Night by Laurel Snyder
The Passover Lamb by Linda Elovitz Marshall
Hoppy Passover by Linda Glaser

999 Frogs Wake Up by Ken Kimura
And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano
Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World by Laurie Lawlor
Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms by Julia Rawlinson
How Robin Saved Spring by Debbie Ouellet
Have Your Heard the Nesting Bird? by Rita Gray

Books for Young People: 2013 Roundup

List Making...
At every year's end, just about everyone weighs in with a best, most popular, or favorites list. In this spirit we have compiled a few quick lists of notable books named "best" by a range of reputable sources. All were published in 2013. If you have not yet had the pleasure, have fun catching up!

Horn Book's Best Picture Books
Building Our House by Jonathan Bean -- Journey by Aaron Becker -- Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown -- Have You Seen My New Blue Socks? by Eve Bunting -- Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle -- The Tiny King by Taro Miura -- Nino Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales -- The Dark by Lemony Snicket -- Mr. Wuffles by David Wiesner -- Gobble You Up! by Gita Wolf.

Publisher's Weekly's Best
Year of the Jungle by Suzanne Collins -- If You Want to see a Whale by Julie Fogliano -- Rosie's Magic Horse by Russell Hoban -- The Tortoise & the Hare by Jerry Pinkney -- Battle Bunny by Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett -- Bluebird by Bob Staake -- Fog Island by Tomi Ungerer -- This Is the Rope: the Story of the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson.

PW and Horn Book shared a love for Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, The Dark, and Mr. Wuffles.

The Wall Street Journal's Best
Brush of the Gods by Lenore Look -- Locomotive by Brian Floca -- Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoff -- Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang -- The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky -- Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner -- Golden Boy by Tara Sullivan.

The WSJ also shared a love for Journey, Mr. Wuffles, and Rosie's Magic Horse, all mentioned above.

New York Times Best Illustrated Books
In addition to Fog Island, The Dark, Journey, and Locomotive, all mentioned above, the following six books also made the NYT's top 10 list of 2013's best illustrated books:
Ballad by Blexbolex -- My Brother's Book by Maurice Sendak -- Jemmy Button written and illustrated by Jennifer Uman & Valerio Vidali -- Holland by Charlotte Dematons -- Jane, the Fox and Me by Fanny Britt; illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault -- Mandela by Kadir Nelson.

School Library Journal's Best Picture Books
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt -- Highway Rat by Julia Donaldson -- Henry's Map by David Elliot -- Papa's Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming -- Penny and Her Marble by Kevin Henkes -- Little Red Writing by Joan Holub -- The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig -- Sophie's Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller -- The Mighty Lalouche by Matthew Olshan -- Xander's Panda Party by Linda Sue Park -- Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal -- That Is Not a Good Idea! by Mo Willems.

SLJ titles shared with other "best" list-makers include If You Want to See a Whale, Journey, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, Flora and the Flamingo, The Tortoise & the Hare, The Dark, Mr. Wuffles.

Winter Fun: January 2014's Special Events

Our Happy New Year Lineup
Scheduling programs in January can be a little tricky. The specter of snow -- from a dusting to mounds and mounds -- is always a concern. The good news is the Winter Solstice has passed; spring seeds are already on sale in our local garden shops, and positive thinking seems to go hand-in-hand with the turn of the calendar page. Here's hoping the weather cooperates so all may enjoy our lineup of January 2014's special events.

The Fashions of Downton Abbey with Kandie Carle
Rescheduled to March 22, 2:00 p.m.
American audiences will be returning to Downton Abbey, Season 4, on Sunday, January 5. A few days after the fever subsides, join us for an evening program featuring Kandie Carle, who will take us on a journey through Downton's Edwardian Era using vintage and reproduction clothing and accessories. Expect a visual delight full of wit, grace, and surprising audience participation. Learn more by enjoying an interview with Ms. Carle courtesy of author Evangeline Holland. Seasons 1-3 on DVD are available for reserve or checkout with Season 4 due for release in late January.

Let Your Light Shine! Winter Craft for Kids
Saturday, January 11, 11:00 a.m.
In January's Saturday morning craft session, you'll be using a variation of 'melt your own crayon shavings' to create a simple but awesome luminary sure to make any day feel special. LED tea light is included. For kids 4-8 (parent participation required) and a great craft to keep in your family's things-to-do quiver when you need to add a little light to an otherwise gloomy day.

Saturday Afternoon Concert with Too Human
Saturday, January 18, 2:00 p.m.
Welcome back Too Human (Ellen Schwartz and Roger Bruno) for music on a winter afternoon. This acoustic music act plays familiar jazz standards as well as originals that will rock your gentle soul. Ellen and Roger hail from New York and became professional songwriters in Los Angeles, on staff with music publishing giant Warner/Chappell Music, where they had their songs covered by many recording artists including Pat Benatar, Cher, Teddy Pendergrass, Martha Davis, Angela Bofill, Anne Murray and Nancy Wilson. Moving back east, they became Too Human...

Book Discussion Group : The Tiger's Wife
Wednesday, January 22, 6:30 p.m.
Join us to discuss The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht, named one of the New Yorker's twenty best American fiction writers under forty and included in the National Book Foundation’s Five Under Thirty Five. The book tells the story of a young doctor arriving to an orphanage by the sea while on a mission of mercy in a Balkan country recovering from years of conflict. Library staff member Phil Carr moderates the always lively discussion.

Take a Break! (And Give Yourself a Break, Too)

Demystifying Technology with Abby Stokes

Thursday, January 23, 1:00 p.m.

Abby Stokes, author of Is This Thing On?" A Computer Handbook for Late Bloomers, Technophobes and the Kicking & Screaming, will be on site to present a reassuring, jargon-free, and totally straightforward talk to help late bloomers and technophobes better use and enjoy the wonders of the digital world. Practical how-to advice and a round of encouragement will be served!

Ladies and Gentleman, the Beatles!

February 7, 1964
February 7, 2014 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' arrival in America. If you are up for a walk down memory lane -- and a long one at that -- enjoy a quick list of recent and classic books about this influential British band who forever changed musical history and American culture.

The Beatles: All These Years by Mark Lewisohn
Presents the first volume in a planned trilogy on the iconic band, documenting their early years in Liverpool and Hamburg and the role of American music in shaping their ambitions.
Beatles vs. Stones by John McMillian
The author, an assistant professor of history at Georgia State University, compares and contrasts the careers of the two greatest rock 'n' roll bands of the 20th century. Who's your favorite?
Beatles : the BBC Archives: 1962-1970 by Kevin Howlett
A carefully curated collection of the surviving transcripts of the Beatles' appearances on BBC Radio and Television from 1962 to 1970, featuring commentary from the author. Listen to the Live at the BBC music CDs while you read.

The Beatles Anthology by the Beatles
An oral history style book of the band though 1970. In a word? Epic. Pair it with the eight volume video series of the same name.
The Beatles by Hunter Davies
Described as the only authorized biography of the Fab Four, Davies spent 18 months with the band between 1967 and 1968.
You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup by Peter Doggett
Chronicles the band's break-up and subsequent legal feuds.

For Younger Fans
The Beatles Were Fab (and They Were Funny) by Katherine Krull and Pal Brewer
Q: How do you find all this business of having screaming girls following you all over the place? George: Well, we feel flattered . . . John: . . . and flattened. Enjoy a lighthearted look at the Fab Four's sense of humor.

Who Were the Beatles? by Geoff Edgers
An easy to read narrative about the their Liverpudlian childhoods, first leaps into rock music, what Beatlemania was like, and why the band broke up.
Yellow Submarine, story adapted by Charlie Gardner
Pair the picture book with the animated film.
Beatles: Leading the British Invasion by Diane Dakers
An unvarnished look on the Beatles as a band and as individual performers.

Loving the Beatles in a LEGO Kind of Way...