"The Hobbit" A Book Review

Here is a very timely article written by one of our avid library users.  I wish to extend a very special "Thank you" to Connor Farner for his contribution. 

                                                                       "The Hobbit"  Book Review

     "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien is a fantastic read.  "The Hobbit" is a fantasy-adventure

classic that captured my imagination as it has for many generations of readers.  I recommend

that you read this book and if you already have read it, do so again because it is a timeless

classic worth a second read.

     The story of "The Hobbit" begins in the peaceful town of Hobbiton where the equally

peaceful Bilbo Baggins lives.  But Bilbo's peaceful life is interrupted when Gandalf

the wizard asks Bilbo to join him, Thorin Oakenshield, and his band of dwarfs to

reclaim their families fortune from the evil dragon, Smaug.  Bilbo at first refuses, but his

adventurous side takes over and he agrees to join them.  Throughout Bilbo's journey he will

see middle earth's most eccentric places and people.  At one point of Bilbo's adventures he

even finds a magical ring.  So join Bilbo Baggins on his heart pounding adventures by picking

up a copy of "The Hobbit" at your local library.

     Also after you finish reading "The Hobbit" make sure you go the movie now showing at

I-Max theaters.  But if you miss it in theaters make sure you get the DVD or Blu-Ray at your

local library when it becomes available. ( DVD release date should be March 19, 2013)

     Connor Farner

 

 

Valentine's Day Party

Our annual celebration for Valentine's Day is a little early this year.The children in our community, will be treated to a party on Saturday, February 9 at 2:00. Activities will include a puppet show, a craft to make and take home, and delightful stories. And for those with a sweet tooth, delicious cookies will be served. Volunteers from our wonderful "Friends of the Library" group, will be assisting with the festivities. We LOVE our Friends . It is because of their over-whelming support, we are able to host amazing programs!  We would like to invite parents to not only bring their children to the event but to stay and enjoy the program with them. No one is ever too old to make a valentine for someone you love. And personally, I feel puppet shows thrill the kid in us all! I hope to see you  there.
 Happy Valentine's Day!


Allison Long
Librarian- Outreach Services

The Tandy – Posy McMillan Endowment Fund for Holocaust Education

January 2013

The Tandy – Posy McMillan Endowment Fund for Holocaust Education

 

Through the organizing efforts of Posy McMillan and Sandra Freed, many people in the Fort Worth area donated their time and money to fund an endowment to educate people about the Holocaust. The fund was formed in the late 1990s with the initial project of bringing an Anne Frank museum exhibit to the community of Fort Worth. Now the fund has offered communities in the Fort Worth area the ability to learn even more about the Holocaust through their own community libraries by granting a complete Holocaust compendium to these libraries to enhance their collections. These important resources will help local teachers deliver Holocaust curricula in middle and high schools and will enable all persons to learn more about this important event.

This comprehensive collection of nine titles tells the story of the Holocaust from its inception with the first title in the collection, The Holocaust Conspiracy: an International Policy of Genocide, by William R. Perl. The remaining titles cover all aspects of the Holocaust including the many important lessons we can learn from this tragic period in world history. These include:

Ø  The Beasts of Buchenwald           Flint Whitlock.

Ø  Survivor of Buchenwald: my Personal Odyssey through Hell         Louis Gros, Flint Whitlock.

Ø  The Four-front War: from the Holocaust through the Promised Land       William R. Perl.

Ø  Gated Grief: the Daughter of a GI Concentration Camp Liberator Discovers a Legacy of Trauma Leila Levinson.

Ø  History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier              Deborah E. Lipstadt.

Ø  Holocaust Survivor: Mike Jacobs’ Triumph over Tragedy: a Memoir          Mike Jacobs.

Ø  Tomorrow Will Be Better: Surviving Nazi Germany            Walter Meyer.

The compendium concludes with a commentary on Elie Wiesel’s most famous books, God’s Inner Circle: the Radical Devotion of Elie Wiesel to Faith written by Michael Ritzen, a fellow professor at Boston University.

The Haltom City Public Library is grateful to be one of the 30 Texas libraries chosen to receive this informative and inspirational collection.

Ann Gray Rethard, MLS
Assistant Library Director

Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

It’s that wonderful time of the year again. The Christmas season and all its trimmings are behind us. Valentine’s Day and delicious chocolates are just around the corner. Here in the great state of Texas, it is now time for the annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo! YeeHaw! This year’s event runs from Friday, January 18 through Saturday, February 9.

As a child, who grew up here in Haltom City, my family visited the Stock Show every year. I remember the schools closing on the opening day of the event, so that students might attend the parade marching through the streets in Downtown; Beautiful horses, crazy clowns and of course cowboys everywhere.

It almost seemed as though jeans, western shirts, hats and boots were like a uniform we all donned for the event. I suppose most of us would have been dubbed “drug store cowboys”.  Most often, than not, the boots and hats remained in the closet waiting for that particular occasion to take them out, brush them off and hope they still fit. As a little girl, none of that really mattered. It was exciting just the same.

When was the last time you attended a rodeo? My family and I try go at least once each year. Not always was I rooting for the bronco riders and steer wrestlers. There were those moments I found myself cheering for the animals. I felt that the animals were being treated cruelly and did not really want to be in the stands. My opinion changed somewhat when I learned that the rodeo commission kept a veterinarian right on site to check the bulls and horses after each encounter. Like I said, I felt a little better, but secretly still root for the animals.

Visitors have so much to see and do. After walking through each of the livestock barns and admiring all the care and dedication each of the farmers and ranchers have bestowed on their prize animals, you simply must go to each of the exhibit halls. Clothing, food vendors, ranch equipment, new automobiles, candy stores, jewelry, kitchen utensils…you name it, you will see it there.

The Fort Worth Stock Show actually began in 1896. In 1906 was called the Fort Worth Fat Stock Show. If you would like to read more about the history of the Stock Show you can visit the official website at www.fssr.com.

 Books featuring the subject are as follows:

Fort Worth Stockyards by J’Nell L. Pate

Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District: an Illustrated History and Guide by Horace Craig


Submitted by Allison Long

Butterflies

Dear Readers,

I’ve been reading and savoring the best seller, “Flight Behavior” by Barbara Kingsolver, a story of the flight of Monarch butterflies gone astray and how one small community and family have been changed by them and their plight.  I’ve always loved butterflies, they being one of the very few bugs I don’t scream at and run from, and I have felt blessed whenever one has lit on my shoulder, my hair or my cheeks.  After all, who doesn’t love butterfly kisses?

Now we have a unique opportunity to see a book come alive, so to speak, thanks to the Fort Worth Science Museum. Starting this week and ending 2-10-2013, the Omni Theater is showing a film, Flight of the Butterflies.  According to the Museum’s website, “...Flight of the Butterflies is actually two stories, intertwined. It’s about the astounding Monarch butterfly migration, the longest known insect migration on earth, and the determined scientist who spent 40 years trying to discover exactly where the butterflies mysteriously went when they flew south for winter.”

Barbara Kingsolver’s novel is about what happens when the butterflies don’t go to central Mexico for the winter as they have in the past and instead end up in Feathertown, a small town in the Appalachians, when the winter snows and cold temperatures can threaten their future existence. 

 “Flight Behavior” is a must-read for those who have concerns about our changing environment and love butterfly kisses.  I’m sure the film will be the same.

Happy reading from your Library Blog Mistress!

 

                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                 

 

Hello, Faithful Blog-Followers  ;0)  This is your Library Blog Maven.  You are about to be treated to a special posting by our very own Haltom City Mayor Pro Tem, Darlene Hooks!  We would like to thank Ms. Hooks for taking the time out of her certainly busy schedule to create this personal and inspiring post for our blog.  Thank you so much!! 

 

First Books I remember reading:

 “Nancy Drew Mysteries” I was in Elementary School. I related to Nancy Drew because I am an only child and imagined her to be an only child also. These books are why I still enjoy a good Mystery.

 

Favorite Book:

 “Listen to the Warm” by Rod McKuen  (I have an autographed hard copy) It was a gift from a very special friend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best Book:

“Our Bodies Ourselves” A book by and for Women. This book is full of valuable information about Women’s Health and sexuality.  I have given this book as a gift to my daughter, her friends and my friends.  I am so glad that I found this book, not only for myself, but also for the women who I was able to shared it with . I would still recommend it for all women.

 

 

 

 

Favorite Author:

I don’t have a Favorite; I like books that relate to what I am experiencing at that time.

 

 

Books That I have read recently:

 

“Clueless to Commissioned”    by Kelly A Martin.     

                                                                                         

 I enjoyed reading this book for several reasons.  Kelly Martin is from Haltom City. She Graduated from Haltom High School and her Mother is still a Haltom City resident.  She tells the story of her journey as a female  Police Officer during her 15 years with the Fort Worth Police Department. Her  honest approach to telling her story made for a very interesting and emotional book. Her descriptions of events included places we are all familiar with, some in our own neighborhoods. I enjoyed her book very much and would recommend it to all readers. (my copy is autographed)

 

“Privacy means Profit” by John D. Sileo.

                                                                                        

I heard John Sileo speak at the TML Conference. I was so impressed with his presentation of how to prevent Identity Theft and secure you and your bottom line, that I bought his book for myself and several members of my family.  (my copy is autographed) He encourages everyone to “Think Like a Spy”  

His website is:  www.thinklikeaspy.com

 

“The Gift of Community”  by Gary D. McCaleb. Reflections on the way we live and work together. 

 

                                                                                       

                                                   

 

 

 I love the title of this book.  Here is a quote from Gary McCaleb  “ The reason this book is titled the Gift of Community is because I am convinced that any sense of community we enjoy comes as a result of the charitable spirit and generous nature of others”  For me, it was also good to read that “we cannot ignore the problems of our community but we need to be sure that in our community we are going to be spending some time in Celebration”. What great advice!

I hope you all enjoyed this post as much as I did  ;0)

Until Next Time,

Your Library Blog Maven,

 

 

Diabetes Resources

Many of us know someone who has been diagnosed by diabetes.  Type I diabetes is generally diagnosed in children. Therefore, more common name for this disease is “Juvenile Diabetes.” Type II Diabetes is, on average, diagnosed in adults and as a rule can be controlled by diet and exercise, if detected early enough. The following bibliography is comprised of a combination of resources ranging from helpful websites to books and videos available through the library. Please beware that these resources are not intended to replace the medical advice from your primary care physician. 

“Knowledge is power”

Diabetes

Visual Resources:

Understanding diabetes and living a healthy life    (Video Cassette)                          Upjohn Co.

Diabetes: An Introduction                                              (Video Cassette)                            InforMed

Lifestyle #9 Volume 7, A General Overview and Recommendations for Managing  Diabetes.

                                                                                                ( Video Disc)          Kerr, Graham and Treena

Diabetes---Facts, nutrition and cooking                                 ( Video Disc)      Millennium  Interactive

Mayo Clinic wellness solution for diabetes           ( Video Disc)                       Mayo Clinic

If You Have---Diabetes                                                 ( Video Disc)                       Alpyn  Health Education

Books:

Diabetes A To Z: What you Need To Know About Diabetes, Simply Put.        American Diabetes Assoc.

American Medical Association Guide to Living With Diabetes                       John Wiley& Sons, Inc.

Take Charge of Your Diabetes                                                                                    Zaidi, Sarfraz

A First Book for Understanding Diabetes (Diabetes in Children)                  Chase, Peter     

The Everything Diabetes Book: From diagnosis and diet to Insulin and exercise: All you need to live and active, healthy life.                                                                                                Ford-Martin, Paula

American Diabetes Association Complete Guide To Diabetes               American Diabetes Association

Growing Up With Diabetes: What Children want Their Parents to Know                 McAullife, Alicia

                       

 

Cookbooks:

The Joslin Diabetes Gourmet Cookbook: Heart-healthy everyday Recipes For Family and Friends

                                                                                                                                         Polin, Bonnie Sanders

The art of Cooking For The Diabetic                                                                         Hess, Mary Abbott

Diabetic Sweet Tooth Cookbook                                                                                     Finsand, Mary Jane

New Family Cookbook for People With Diabetes                                                        Simon & Schuster

Cooking Withe the Diabetic Chef                                                                                     Smith, Chris 

 

                                                             

Webites:

www.diabetes.org

www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics/prev/national/figpersons.htm

www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes/DS01121/

www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-diet/DA00027diabetes.about.com/od/symptomsdiagnosis/p/Symptoms.htm

diabetes.webmd.com/diabetes-diet-healthy-diet-basics

This post was contributed by our very own Allison.  Thank you so much Allison!!

Until Next Time,

Your Library Blog Maven,