Hugs and Smooches

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day brings to mind hearts and flowers but also reminds us of the importance of family and friendship.  Here's a short list of titles sure to inspire cuddle or conversation time with the kiddos.  The list includes new and classic titles, many with a useful lesson or two, followed by a short video reminder of why we all love February 14th.

Picture Books
All Kinds of Kisses by Nancy Tafuri
Big Hugs, Little Hugs by Felicia Bond
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
Hugs from Pearl by Paul Schmid
I Love the Purplest by Barbara M. Joosse
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
Mr. Prickles : A Quill-Fated Love Story by Kara Lareau
My Heart Is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall
Snowy Valentine by David Peterson
You : A Story of Love and Friendship by Stephen Michael King

For Older Readers
Babymouse no. 5 : Heartbreaker by Jennifer L. Holm
Geronimo’s Valentine by Gironimo Stilon
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Raymond and Graham, Dancing Dudes by Mike Knudson

Holiday Books
The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond
It's Valentine's Day by Jack Prelutsky
Mouse’s First Valentine by Lauren Thompson
Roses Are Pink and Your Feet Really Stink by Diane deGroat

Archaeology Matters

The Terra Cotta Army

Terra-cotta army. Photograph. Encyclopedia Britannica Online Library Edition.

Our community includes many local residents who travel widely for different reasons.  Late last year, one such resident traveled to China and visited the Qin Tomb, an ancient archaeological site well more than 2000 years old. The site contains an army of over 8,000 life-size terra-cotta soldiers; digging and restoration of the site continues to this day.

Next time you visit the library, scan the display shelves behind our circulation desk and play I Spy.  Between the fun figures, children's book character favorites, and pop-culture icons, find a well-done replica of a terra-cotta general, a gift to library by our world-travelling patron. Thank you, Pam!

To Learn More
The Qin Dynasty Terra-Cotta Army of Dreams by Lin Zhang
The Emperor's Silent Army : Terracotta Warriors of Ancient China by Jane O'Connor
The Terra Cotta Army : China's First Emperor and the Birth of a Nation by John Man
China's Terracotta Warriors, PBS Home Video

Also learn more about the Qin Tomb by using Encyclopædia Britannica Online Library Edition with your East Hampton Public Library card; find a variety of multi-media material in your search.

On Display : Beginning Next Week

Watch for the roll-out of our bulletin board display (left), all about the terra-cotta warriors with artwork by library staff member, Phil Carr. 

  

Earth Day 2012 Backyard Composting Campaign

Going Green
Kitchen scraps and yard trimmings make up 20 to 30 percent of all household wastes.  To help reduce what goes to a landfill, the library, in collaboration with East Hampton Public Works, will again be participating in the Northeast Resource Recovery Association's (NRRA) annual Backyard Composting Campaign.

In our third year of participation, any of four environmentally-friendly products will be available for purchase:

The Earth MachineTM Compost Bin : $52 ($100 retail value)
SysternTM Rain Barrel : $67 ($120 retail value)
Compost Turner : $20 ($31 retail value)
Kitchen Scrap Pails : $10

Click here for more detail about the products.

Get Ready to Go Green with Your Order
Click here to download an order form. Pre-paid orders will be accepted at the library until April 2, 2012.  Ordered items will be available for local distribution at East Hampton Public Works during the week of April 16, just in time for Earth Day, April 22.

About the Program
The library and East Hampton Public Works collaborate to participate in the NRRA program as a service to our community. There is a mark-up ($5 or $2) on the price we pay NRRA for the products you order.  The mark-up mainly covers Connecticut sales tax; the modest overage (about $100 in each of the last two years) we've used to buy books about eco-friendly topics.

Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge

A Cold Snowy Day Is a Good Day to Think About Saving Energy
If you have not yet participated in the Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge, today's a good day to think about the benefits of doing so.

Check out the N2N website for information on how to sign up for a free lighting retrofit, completing an inexpensive Home Energy Solutions Assessment, or attending workshops to learn about a variety of energy issues from basic to specific (preventing ice dams, for example).  If you have completed an Energy Solutions visit, also look for info on deeper energy savings that come from taking advantage of tax incentives, low-interest financing, and rebates on energy-saving upgrades to your home.

Tax Information Roundup

Tax Information at the EHPL
Tax forms are still arriving (everyone's favorite time of year) so we'll offer a quick roundup of where to find what you need.

Paper Forms and Booklets
The library receives an array of fairly standard federal and state tax forms. Forms and related booklet racks are located in the library's lobby.

On the Web : Forms and Other Resources
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) : Link to this official federal government site for forms, publications, and general guidance.

Department of Revenue Services, State of Connecticut : Link to DRS and find tax forms, publications, and information about online filing.

Assistance With Form Printing
Ask at the front desk if you need assistance finding and printing an online form or publication, federal or state.

Free Filing and Paid Preparers
Check out the freefile page on the IRS site to see if you are eligible to use the services listed.  If you prefer a very local and personalized approach, please do keep in mind the many local business folks who offer tax preparation and financial planning services.   

Planning Ahead : Grow Your Own Food

Sorting Through the Seeds

Though it may be a tad too early to start ordering seeds, it's never too early to plan for the greener days ahead.  Your library's gardening collection features a wide range of titles about organic gardening and as a subset, growing your own food.  Here's a quick list of available and incoming titles tied to the heirloom seed movement and related interests; these may come in handy during warmer days.

Heirloom Life Gardener : The Baker Creek Way of Food Easily and Naturally by Jere Gettle

Ultimate Guide to Growing Your Own Food : Save Money, Live Better, and Enjoy Life with Food From Your Garden by Monte Burch

Perennial Vegetables : From Artichokes to 'Zuiki' Taro, a Gardener's Guide to Over 100 Delicious Easy-to-Grow Edibles by Eric Toensmeier

Beginner's Guide to Growing Heirloom Vegetables : the 100 Easiest-to-Grow, Tastiest-to-Eat Vegetables for Your Garden by Marie Iannotti

Gardening with Heirloom Seeds by Lynn Coulter

The Heirloom Tomato by Amy Goldman or The Complete Guide to Growing Tomatoes by Cherie Everhart

What's Wrong with My Vegetable Garden? by David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth

Garden Up! by Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet or Vertical Gardening by Derek Fell

Surf's Up
A few cool web sites for your perusal :
UCONN Home & Garden Education Center
National Gardening Association
CT Northeast Organic Farming Association
Kitchen Gardeners International
Seed Savers Exchange

Winter Fun for Kids

Something Fun for Everyone

Though the winter weather outside has been calm so far, it seems like a good idea to have kiddo-friendly activity ideas up your sleeve if the trend changes.  Here's a quick list of recent books chock full of ideas suitable for every type of family budget or range of interests.

The Kids Winter Fun Book : Homespun Adventures for Family Fun

Authors Claire Gillman and Sam Martin detail a variety of boredom-busting activities, both indoor and outdoor.

Kids Guide to Paper Airplanes by Christopher Harbo

If you have a budding engineer in the family, this one provides instructions and diagrams for making a variety of traditional paper airplanes.

Sort-of-difficult Origami by Chris Alexander

Though not for novices, the step-by-step instructions are well-explained and illustrated.  Fold and fold and fold again to make a fox mask, a penguin, a seal, and more.

Valentine Crafts by Greta Speechley

The simpler crafts give this title its shine and offer a great way to help your child craft a special gift for that special someone in their life.

Scrapbooking Just for You! How to Make Fun, Personal, Save-Them-Forever Keepsakes by Candice F. Ransom

The author offers a solid introduction to a very popular pastime with examples geared mainly to girls, grades 4 and up.

Modeling Clay Animals by Bernadette Cuxart

Using non-drying clay, follow basic tips and instructions to create animal sculptures, including ladybugs, giraffes, crabs, dogs, rabbits, and turtles.

George Washington : 25 Great Projects You Can Build Yourself

Carla Mooney and Samuel Carbaugh outline the basics of Washington's life, accompanied by doable, historically-informed activities. An interesting choice for President's Day learning, grades 3-5.

Everyday's a Holiday : Year-round Crafting with Kids by Heidi Kenney

Craft ideas for classic and not-so-classic holidays. Many of the ideas can be adapted, and re-adapted, to "celebrate" holidays of your own making.

Modern Scholar Lectures on CD

"Imagine learning from some of the greatest living scholars... Well, now you can!"

If you are looking for some quality but also entertaining listening material... say, something more weighty than latest audio fiction book... why not listen to lectures from a college caliber course at your own pace, in your own time, and whenever you're in the mood to think big?

Modern Scholar Lectures

The library is incrementally rolling out a collection of audio titles from the Modern Scholar Series; the series features high-interest, college-level course lectures recorded by great professors who teach at top colleges and universities.  Listeners seeking a refresher course, an enriched understanding of career-related subjects, or a way to casually learn about culturally significant topics may enjoy this emerging collection.

Example Titles in the Series

Elemental Matters : An Introduction to Chemistry

Rules of the Game : How Government Works and Why It Sometimes Doesn't

The People's Dynasty : Culture and Society in Modern China

Understanding Movies : The Art and History of Films

Click here for other titles in the series with expectation of fifteen additional titles added by June 2012.  The Modern Scholar Series is in large part funded with memorial donations made in memory of Maria B. Durkin.

Oogy and Tuesday and Roselle and Otto and Me

Books for Dog Lovers

If you are loving the pooches in your life, here's a quick list of books, recent and continuously popular, that you may have missed along the way.  There is no shortage of inspiration to be found between the covers.  Woof!

Last Dog on the Hill by Steve Duno

Oogy : The Dog Only a Family Could Love by Larry Levin
The Puppy Diaries by Jill Abramson
Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson with Susy Flory
Until Tuesday by Luis Carlos Montalvan with Bret Witter
You Had Me at Woof by Julie Klam
Rin Tin Tin : The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean
A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron (Fiction)
101 Fun Things to Do With Your Dog by Alison Smith (For Families)
Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (Fiction)
The Puppy That Came for Christmas by Megan Rix
Dog Sense by John Bradshaw
Be the Pack Leader by Cesar Millan
The Art of Raising a Puppy by Monks of New Skete
Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant (Kiddo Classic)
 
Books About Specific Breeds
The library has a substantial collection of books about specific breeds, different approaches to choosing and training a puppy, and otherwise having fun with your pooch.  Our Children's Services book collection also features a wide range of picture books devoted to all things dog, for the little person and best animal pal in your family's life.

Think Snow!

Snow Books for Kids
To the last, we all shoveled and plowed mountains of snow last winter yet here we are in early January 2012 with nary a snowflake in sight.  Whether this is good or bad news to you, we suspect your kiddos are probably thinking snow no matter what.

Here's a short list of contemporary snowy season theme books for little people, accompanied by a quick list of classics:

It's Snowing! by Gail Gibbons
Snowbots by Aaron Reynolds
Snowmen All Year by Caralyn Buehner
Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit by Il Sung Na
Little Mist by Angela McAllister
The Snow Day by Komako Sakai
The Smallest Snowflake by Bernadette Watts
Snow by Cynthia Rylant
Snowy, Blowy Winter by Bob Raczka
Bedtime for Bear by Brett Helquist

Cool Classics
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Stranger in the Woods by Carl R. Sams
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton
The Snow Bear by Miriam Moss
Snowballs by Lois Ehlert
Snow by Uri Shulevitz

Song of the Airline Trail

Photo courtesy of the CT DEP

An Adventure... On the Airline Trail...
Last December, seven creative kiddos teamed up with our State Troubadour, Chuck Costa, to write a song about a favorite East Hampton place.  The group chose to write about the Airline Trail.  See our previous post about the progam.

Our Songwriters
First Row, Left to Right : Alexander Link, Elijah De Siqueria Campos McLaughlin, Vanessa Naughton, Elizabeth Link, London Brazel, Lucia Petruzziello, Dante Petruzziello Standing : Chuck E. Costa (CT State Troubadour), Mira Stanley

Song of the Airline Trail : Sing Along East Hampton!
Click here to listen to the song.
The song is slated to be included on a CT sings CD, the outcome of Costa's statewide songwriting project featuring Connecticut-inspired songs by Connecticut children. 

Chorus
It used to be a train track
now it's the Airline Trail
bikes, beasts and feet
go down the worn out rail
someday you might go there
an adventure
on the Airline Trail

One day in the springtime
I went biking there
from East Hampton to Willimantic
23 miles of fresh air

Biking in the summer
grasshoppers jumping 'round
over the viaduct
a buzzing and fluttering sound

Chorus

Miles away from everything
in a sea of golden leaves
letter boxes off the trail
look like they're full of mail

Now it's getting colder
the cranberry bog is frozen
skating and some hockey
under clouds that want to be snowing

Chorus

Who Votes In January? You Do!

2012 Nutmeg Book Awards

If you have not yet had the pleasure -- and we know so many who have -- there is still time to read another Nutmeg Book Award nominee or otherwise weigh in on which title you've read and liked best.

Think big! Which title made you laugh? Which made you ponder a new idea? Which characters did you feel like you knew or would like to know better? Which book did you talk about most or recommend to a friend?

Vote for Your Favorite @ your library or school

Voting for the Nutmeg Award runs from January 2 to January 31.  Click here for a list of Nutmeg-nominated titles for intermediate grades 4-6 (jacket art above). Click here for a list of teen titles, grades 7-8.  All of the Nutmeg titles are available at the library. 

About the Nutmeg Book Award

Established in 1991, the annual Nutmeg Book Award encourages all Connecticut children in grades 4-8 to read great books and vote for their favorite from a list of nominated titles. Jointly sponsored by the Connecticut Library Association and the Connecticut Association of School Librarians, the Nutmeg Committee is comprised of children’s librarians, school library media specialists and student representatives. They read hundreds of books to come up with the two lists which are fairly balanced by gender, reading level, and genre.

Books must also meet certain criteria to be considered for the award. These include: being fiction, with appeal for readers in grades 4-6 (intermediate) or 7-8 (teen); copyrighted in the United States and first published no more than five years from date of selection; currently in print, and available in paperback; and, obviously, well-written.

Create... Invent... LEGO!

Contraptions, Machines, and Wonders on Wheels

If you have a LEGOTM fan in the house (who doesn't?), try any of the titles in the LEGO Technic Idea series by technical writer and Lego guru, Yoshihito Isogawa.  Even if you don't have all the parts ;-(  you can still use the books to set your imagination free, improvise, invent, and build very cool functional models.

Now Showing in Our Library Display Case

Next time you stop by the library, check out our display case, the contents of which chronicles the extraordinary success of East Hampton's 2011 FIRST LEGO League teams : Belltown Bots, Brick Bros, and Nanotech Ninjas. All first year teams, team members competed in Connecticut regional competitions; the Belltown Bots went on to compete in the State Championship.  All three teams and all team members made our community bust its buttons with pride and admiration!

Funding our 2011 teams came with major support by the East Hampton Rotary Club and support from the East Hampton Public Library, Anchor Lodge, and East Hampton Parks & Recreation.

East Hampton FLL 2012

Watch for information on how your kiddo can participate in East Hampton's FIRST LEGO League, 2012 season. The league is open to girls and boys, ages 9-14, with an interest in cutting-edge science, technology, and exploring and recommending engineered solutions to real-world problems.  FLL pamphlets are available at the library and include a label with local contact information.

Further Reading

Click here for other books and games with Lego-friendly themes.   

Museum Pass Deals

Take Two!
Planning a day trip?  You may now borrow the following museum passes together, subject to availability:

The Mark Twain House & Harriet Beecher Stowe House are located next door to each other.  Borrow the passes together and explore the private lives of these two highly influential American authors.

Make a day of it in Hartford by borrowing the Wadsworth Atheneum pass and the Old State House pass at the same time.  Subject to availability, you may also request a discount coupon for the CT Science Center.  Add to your trip list a visit to the Museum of Connecticut History (also in Hartford) where admission is always free.

Take a trip to Mystic and enjoy the Mystic Aquarium & Institute of Exploration and the Mystic Seaport.

Reserves and Loan Periods
Each pass may be reserved by phone 24 hours in advance of the day you plan to check out the pass or use it.  Passes circulate for 2 days and are funded by the Friends of the East Hampton Library.

Combination offers are suspended during school vacations and July/August.

Footprint Fridays! Early 2012 Programs Announced

After School Programs for 2nd and 3rd Graders
Parents of our community's 2nd and 3rd graders are invited to register their kiddos for the first two in an ongoing series of Footprint Friday programs.  Each program in the series invites kids to create, craft, and explore ideas based on popular book characters or age-appropriate book themes.

Bus transportation is provided from Memorial School to the library. Programs last about an hour, ending at approximately 4:30 p.m.  More programs in May and June, with March and April programs to be announced.

Arrghh... It's a Pirate's Life
Friday, January 13, 3:30 p.m. in the Community Room
Join us at the library as we make our own personal treasure chests, play pirate games, and learn some nifty words and phrases used by the 'buccaneers' of olden days. Also craft a fun pirate hat, suitable for picture posing!  Click here to register.

Aloha, Calvin Coconut!
Friday, February 10, 3:30 p.m. in the Community Room
Celebrate the great state of Hawaii at our luau.  Learn a little hula hoop dance, play a fishing game, and have plenty of aloha fun!  Click here to register.

New Year Resolutions

Health & Wellness
With a new year just around the corner, we've heard tell that our neighbors, family, and friends have improving their overall approach to healthy living at the top of their 2012 agendas.  We're there with you.

Here's a short list of recent or popular consumer health titles and some tips on how to use our state's iCONN service to find information about health and wellness topics, both traditional and complementary.  As always, couple information you find in print or online with professional advice from your physician.

Muscle Medicine by Rob DeStefano and Bryan Kelly

Fitness conscious folks may appreciate bone-joint-muscle health explanations offered by a sports chiropractor and an orthopedic surgeon.

Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health by Rosemary Gladstar
Herbal recommendations from a pioneer in the herbal movement.

Doctor, Your Patient Will See You Now by Steven A. Kussin
Advice from a doctor turned author on how to handle office visits and successful interaction with your doctor.  Pair this one with Your Medical Mind : How to Decide What Is Right for You by [M.D.s] Jerome Groopman and Pamela Hartzband.

Feed Your Face by Jessica Wu
A board-certified dermatologist offers a lighthearted skin-care guide and a plan for eliminating blemishes, losing weight, and minimizing wrinkles.

The Sweet Life : Diabetes Without Boundaries by Sam Talbot
An acclaimed chef and Type 1 diabetic offers advice on living the diabetic life, from controlling stress to finding a system to reorder supplies.  The book provides recipes for fresh, all-natural dishes, and foodie wisdom. Pair this one with advice from the Mayo Clinic.

Super Immunity : the Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Our Body's Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger, and Disease Free by Dr. Joel Fuhrman
The latest from the author of Eat to Live and advocate for nutrient-heavy meals.

The South Beach Wake-up Call by Arthur Agatston
Another in the series by a Florida-based cardiologist. Compare and contrast to the Atkins and Sugar Busters plans.

Pick Your Diet Plan
A is for Atkins, B is for Biggest Loser, C is for Carb-Lovers or Crazy Sexy, D is for Dukan or Diet Rehab, E is for Eat This, Not That!, F is for Flex... and on and on it goes to the end of the alphabet.  Pick and choose with advice from your medical doctor.

 iCONN : Connecticut's research engine
When searching for credible health and wellness information, don't forget to use your trusty East Hampton Public Library card to freely access and use any of a number of iCONN databases including MedlinePlus, CT Consumer Health Information, Health & Wellness Resource Center, CT Physician Profiles, and more!  Click here to explore. 

Jingle Bells Rock!

Bevin Bell in the News

Matt Bevin
(Photograph by Caryn B. Davis)

If you were hustling and bustling on December 23 or are not a public radio listener, you may have missed Morning Edition's news story about East Hampton's own Bevin Bells.

Listen to a podcast of the story, courtesy of New England Public Radio.  Also read related news about Bevin Bells and Matt Bevin, courtesy of Matt's alma mater, Washington and Lee.


Surf's Up
Bevin Bros. Manufacturing
Bevin Bells on Facebook
The Last Bell Factory in America : photographs by R.J. Phil, East Hampton CT
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Online Catalog : Bevin Brothers Bell Shops ! Link added 12/31/11

Sweet Touches That Make the Cake

Cake Decorating
Cake decorating is not only a great way to use your artistic talents, the outcome's tasty, too!  Here's a few of our favorites, both conventional and specialized.

Fondant Modeling by Helen Penman
This one offers 600 ideas for using fondant models to create a luscious cake for any special occasion.

Workshop Alert! To learn more about fondant, Wilton-trained instructor Jennifer Norman will lead a workshop on the topic, Thursday, January 19th at 1 p.m. in the library Community Room.  Click here to register.

Spectacular Cakes by Mich Turner
Caterer to the stars provides step-by-step instructions for making special occasion cakes with a serious wow-factor.

Cake Decorating for Dummies by Joe LoCicero
Tad insulting though these series titles may be, this bake back-to-basics gem gives easy to follow instructions on a variety of recipes and techniques, with encouragement on how to start your own cake decorating business.

The Artful Cupcake by Marcianne Miller
Enjoy 36 recipes for the upscale cupcake maker.  Pair this one with two by food sylist Karen Tack : Hello Cupcake! and What's New, Cupcake?

The library staff is at the ready to take one for the team and taste-test the samples... 

Books to Film

From Our Young Adult Shelves to a Theater Near You?
The sure thing is the first book in Suzanne Collins' epic Hunger Games trilogy is due for release on the big screen March 23, 2012.  Jennifer Lawrence (thrilling in the book-based adult film Winter's Bone) snagged the lead as Katniss Everdeen.  Click here for sneak peak info on the film.

Cassandra Clare's first book in the Mortal Instruments series, City of Bones, has been "optioned", which the author says is "Hollywoodese" for no film yet.  Read ahead and try this series and books in the prequel series, Infernal Devices.

Another book-to-film possibility is Shiver, first in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater.  Click on over to an author website and view some fabulously artful book trailers for each of three books in the series.

Other up-in-the-air film adaptions include these underlying books : Wicked Lovely (Melissa Marr), Valiant (Holly Black); Looking Glass Wars (Frank Beddor).  Read in the mean time and we'll keep you posted on these and other Hollywood YA book-to-film choices.

Deck the Halls!

Yuletide Greetings

Fribrary Time! 2012 Series Announced

After School Programs for 4th and 5th Graders
Parents of our community's 4th and 5th graders are invited to register their kiddos for one or more programs in our 2012 after school FriBrary Time series.  The series invites kids to meet with local experts on a particular topic, invent, craft, move and groove, act and improvise, play, and have plenty of fun, too.

Registration Begins January 7th
Link to our library events calendar to peruse a listing of all upcoming programs.  A quick way to find the FriBrary Time programs (dates and program descriptions) is to look for the image, shown left.  You may register your child for one or more events, calendar an event, and choose to send yourself an email reminder a few days before the program.

See you after school for FriBrary Time 2012!

The NYT's Ten Best Books of 2011

Making a List

Leading up to the turn of a new year's calendar page, "best book" lists abound.  The New York Times recently published their 100 Notable Books of the Year List; here's their ten best.

Fiction Books

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

A baseball star at a small college near Lake Michigan launches a routine throw that goes disastrously off course and inadvertently changes the lives of five people, including the college president, a gay teammate, and the president's daughter.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Jake Epping is an English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching GED classes. Jake's enlisted by a friend to travel back in time to prevent the Kennedy assassination.

Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

A short story writer's first novel tells the story of the Bigtree family's failed alligator-wrestling theme park and the siblings who try to preserve their family and way of life.  This one's a very inventive novel with teen crossover appeal.

Ten Thousand Saints by Eleanor Henderson

When his best friend Teddy dies of an overdose on the last day of 1987, Jude Keffy-Horn finds his relationship with drugs and his parents devolving into the extreme when he gets caught up in an underground youth culture known as straight edge.

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

Remembering childhood stories her grandfather once told her, young physician Natalia becomes convinced that he spent his last days searching for "the deathless man," a vagabond who claimed to be immortal.

Non-Fiction Books

Arguably by Christopher Hitchens

This collection of essays, most of which appeared in the Atlantic, the Guardian, Newsweek, Slate, and Vanity Fair, speak to everything from politics to religion, literature to popular culture. Not always admired for his criticisms and views, but always for his writing and wit, the author died yesterday in Huston.  Farewell, Mr. Hitchens.

The Boy In the Moon by Ian Brown

Canadian writer Ian Brown's son, Walker, was born with an extremely rare genetic mutation called CFC (cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome). Brown retraces his steps as he traveled the world, connecting with medical specialists and families similarly affected by CFC.

Malcolm X : A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable

This authoritative biography, also a National Book Award Finalist, draws on new research to offer a more complete interpretation of a complicated man. Pair this one with the best-known autobiography, written with Alex Haley.

Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

The Nobel Prize winning author explores how we make decisions.  What drives us to decide to do or choose X instead of Y or Z?  Bias? Willpower? Logic? Optimism? Deliberation?  The book features very accessible prose for any decision maker.  A fun brain book, too!

A World On Fire by Amanda Foreman

An award-winning author explores the interdependence between Britain and both North and South. Letters, diaries, drawings, and journals help relate the history of British influence on the Civil War.

Soup Makes the Meal

Nourishing, Comforting, and Tasty, Too!
Yesterday, an audience of health-conscious foodies enjoyed a Soups On workshop led by Robin Glowa, a.k.a. the Conscious Cook. Here we'll share one of the thoroughly taste-tested and absolutely yummy recipes featured in the workshop.  If you're interested, you can pick up a copy of workshop handout at the front desk; the handout also includes a recipe for maple butternut bisque.

Tuscan Beans and Greens Soup
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium diced onion
2 finely diced garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups chick stock
2 cups torn broccoli rabe
3 cups torn kale
2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 large can whole tomatoes
2 springs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat olive oil until just starting to smoke. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add garlic, along with the broccoli rabe and kale and stir frequently until wilted. Add beans and stir to combine.  Add chicken stock.  Squeeze the whole tomatoes into pot, one by one, stir to combine. Add thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer until very hot and serve.

More Soup
January is National Soup Month; click here to find titles featured in a previous post.  Also consider related titles which include full or chapter treatment about soups.  Two on the list are on their way to our shelves.

Veggiyana : The Dharma of Cooking by Sandra Garson
Love Soup : 160 All-new Vegetarian Recipes by Anna Thomas
Make It Fast, Cook It Slow by Stephanie O'Dea
Salad as a Meal by Patricia Wells
Soup ; forward by Eric Schlosser

CT Sings! Song of the Airline Trail

First Row, Left to Right : Alexander Link, Elijah De Siqueria Campos McLaughlin, Vanessa Naughton, Elizabeth Link, London Brazel, Lucia Petruzziello, Dante Petruzziello
Standing : Chuck E. Costa (CT State Troubadour), Mira Stanley

Last Saturday, our CT State Troubadour, Chuck E. Costa, led a workshop for our community's budding singer-songwriters.  Thinking it was "impossible" to write a song, this inventive group of kiddos proved themselves wrong and penned a song about the Airline Trail.  A rough audio of their creation will be available shortly.  In the mean time, enjoy the poetry of their original song's chorus :

It used to be a train track.
Now it's the Airline Trail.
Bikes, beasts, and feet
Go down the worn out rail.
Someday you might go there...
An adventure on the Airline Trail.  

Down Through the Village...

Frosty Meets Wreath!

The East Hampton CT Belltown Garden Club annually adorns the Community Center with holiday finery. Check out our holiday roof-dweller, Frosty the synthetic snowman, and his festive companion, a Garden Club wreath made with bundles of variegated greens.

Also visit the Club's blog to learn more about their many projects and contributions to making our community a more greenified and beautiful place to live.  Who knows?  You might be inspired to join the club...

Photo courtesy of the East Hampton CT Belltown Garden Club

Today's Kiddo, Tomorrow's Scholar

 Destination College Savings

Charlotte Minnick Saves for College

Last summer, for the third year in a row, the Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET) partnered with the Connecticut State Library to offer children the chance to receive one of four $1,000 contributions to a CHET direct-sold 529 college savings plan.  Official Destination College Savings entry forms were distributed to our state's public libraries, ours included, as part of the statewide, collaborative summer reading program : One World, Many Stories.

Way to Go, Charlotte Minnick!
Local kindergartner, Charlotte Minnick, received one of the four $1,000 CHET contributions, which also won the East Hampton Public Library $500 for use in funding library programs for local children. We couldn't be more pleased for Charlotte and her family : parents Scott and Lynn and 3rd grade brother, Julien, pictured here at a ceremony hosted by our State Library on September 10th.


As the days unfold, we'll keep you posted on children's programs made possible by Charlotte.  Thank you!



About CHET

CHET is administered by the Connecticut State Treasurer's Office. The CHET Direct-Sold Plan is managed by TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc. (TFI).

Check out the CHET website for information about how the plan works, how our state's plan compares to other college savings plans, and how to participate.

Photos used with permission