In the spirit of halloween...

Check out these spooky - yet fun, book trailers - and then read the book... if you dare...


Pride and Prejudice and Zombies [book at SPL]

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters [book at SPL]

Dawn of the Dreadfuls [book at SPL]

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How Will You Remember?

Take the Remembrance Challenge from Veterans Canada. Use videos and images from their website to create a mashup, a virtual scrapbook, a fan page, or decorate your space. Share with others and then link back to the Veterans site. 
For full challenge details, visit the How Will You Remember website.

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SPL Shelf Life [kids]

Haunted Houses, by Robert San Souci, 276 pages.

@ SPL:  J FIC SanSo

A large mansion … a tiny dollhouse … an isolated lodge in the wilderness … a long-deserted house on the edge of a town … a Japanese teahouse, and even a doghouse … the ten houses depicted in Robert San Souci’s stories are varied, but they all have one thing in common. Each is haunted by a horrifying something.

The first book in the Are You Scared Yet? series, Haunted Houses is a veritable “spookfest” featuring such creatures as a person-sized ghost-spider that craves human flesh, a fierce ghost pirate searching for his head, an enormous slavering ghost-dog, a family of spooky ghost-dolls, and invisible dust creatures with voracious appetites for people.

In a collection of short stories such as this, it’s important to have variety among the stories, and San Souci has accomplished this quite well. Some of the stories are eerie; some are creepy and some are quite startling. Most of the stories end “happily” but a couple of them do not. Some of the tales are rather more plausible than others, and the settings are diverse. However, each story is very well-written, with the necessary suspense and foreshadowing to intrigue any reader who enjoys being spooked.

Robert San Souci is the author of many books for children, including the Short and Shivery Tales books.

The Stratford Public Library has lots of Halloween reading for young and older, and in between!

** Recommended for ages 10 to 13 years.

Sinister Scenes, by P.J. Bracegirdle, 314 pages.

@ SPL:  J FIC Brace

When the town of Spooking is chosen as the location for a horror movie, eleven-year-old resident Joy Wells is delighted. A fan of author E.A. Peugeot, she hopes that the focus on her town will help to convince people that the famous writer really did set some of his horror stories in Spooking.

Later, Joy is successful in her audition to replace a young actress who has mysteriously disappeared. She’s thrilled – until a costar, who has been renting a creepy old house on the edge of town, starts to exhibit some very bizarre behaviour on the set. Movie horror becomes real-life horror as the actor, somehow transformed by a hidden evil in the house, terrifies the acting cast and production team with his increasingly dangerous actions.

Sinister Scenes is the concluding title of an intriguing trilogy, The Joy of Spooking. The series features plenty of mystery and intrigue, danger, wry humour, a sophisticated vocabulary, a clever plot with plenty of twists and turns, a likeable protagonist and some memorable characters. The trail of clues scattered throughout each book will help to captivate and keep readers’ interest. Although set in modern times, the author has infused each story with a spooky Gothic tone, somewhat similar to the stories of Edgar Allan Poe.

Readers who have enjoyed the popular “Series of Unfortunate Events” books by Lemony Snicket would likely enjoy the Joy of Spooking trilogy as well.

** Recommended for ages 10 to 13 years.

These reviews appeared in the Stratford Gazette on October 27, 2011 and were written by Sally Hengeveld, Librarian.

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SPL Shelf Life [adult]

This review appeared in The Stratford Gazette on October 27th. Written by Shauna Thomas, Librarian.

A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness

@SPL: FIC Harkn

It's nearly Hallowe'en – with any luck you've got your costume ready, your festivities planned, and even some candy left for the kids. But whither the adult treats? Hey, straighten up and fly right, I'm talking about books here. It's post-Thanksgiving, and scales and thermometers indicate the neighbours' kids aren't the only things getting ghastly. There's no time like the present to curl up with something seriously addictive, beautifully written and slightly creepy to distract from the draining dregs of summer's glory, and I might have just the book.

Diana Bishop is a witch in denial. An orphan born to a prominent witch family, she's ignoring her magical heritage to pour her energy into academia. She's travelled to Oxford's Bodleian Library to research a lecture she's giving on alchemy - but when she orders up one ancient manuscript, she unwittingly unleashes a maelstrom of supernatural power. Soon, she can't walk to her study carrel without tripping over some witch, vampire or demon brimming with curiosity or malicious intent. One such creature is Matthew Clairmont, a handsome fellow academic with a sanguine disposition. As other supernatural creatures become more threatening, Diana finds herself warily grateful for the help he offers. Can she survive the powers she's unleashed to become the witch she's meant to be? Is the real Matthew the kind, chivalrous man she's come to know, or the bloodthirsty hunter of whom she finds hints? The answers to these questions will determine the fate of the uneasy worldwide peace between witches, demons, vampires and humans.

Like Harry Potter, A Discovery of Witches features an orphaned witch with latent legendary powers who encounters a great evil. It shares a great sense of mythology and place, too – you can practically smell the Bodleian when you're reading, and Oxford almost becomes extra character in the book. Diana's aunts' bewitched home in Wisconsinshares the same haunted architectural quirks readers loved in Hogwarts. And, like Twilight, an apparently-doomed romance with plenty of sexual tension and a sense of destiny takes centre stage in the action (but be forewarned: readers frustrated by the unresolved tension or the gender politics in Twilight will find themselves pretty annoyed with this book, too). This first book in the All Souls trilogy will also appeal to readers who enjoy the time travel elements and exhaustive research of authors like Diana Gabaldon (Outlander series) and Susanna Kearsley (The Winter Sea, Marianna). Other potential appeal factors include emphases on yoga, literature, and serious wine and book collecting. A great story to pick up for Hallowe'en, you'd best read the book now while the hold list is short, because the movie rights have already been purchased by Warner Bros. Oh, and good news for your future addiction issues: The second book, Shadow of Night, is anticipated for a summer 2012 release.

This review appeared in The Stratford Gazette on October 27th. Written by Shauna Thomas, Librarian.

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Smart 21!

Way to go Stratford! Well done yet again! Read more

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Our Library Tomorrow - on TV!

Almost 200 people experienced the invigorating panel discussion last Wednesday evening – with Nora Young from CBC, Sandra Singh from Vancouver Public Library, Wendy Newman from U of Toronto, Robert Kroeger from Google Canada and our own Mayor Dan Mathieson, moderated by the lively Kevin Sylvester.   A two hour discussion on the future and the role that public libraries might play in it proved to be quite engaging and thought provoking.

Thankfully, Rogers TV Cable 20 was there and captured it all on tape.  For those served by Cable 20, air times will be:

•  Saturday, October 29th, 2011 @ 6:00 p.m.
•  Sunday, October 30th, 2011 @ 6:30 p.m.

News reports of the event can be found at:

• StratfordBeacon Herald, and
• ionstratford (includes 2 min. video clip of Mayor Dan Mathieson)

Our thanks to Rogers TV for filming this event.  For those of you who do not have access to Rogers TV Cable 20, brief, edited excerpts will be available online in the near future.

The support of the Government of Ontario, through the Ministry of Tourism and Culture is acknowledged

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SPL Shelf Life [adult]

This review appeared in The Stratford Gazette on October 20th. Written by Robyn Godfrey, Librarian.

Stand Up Paddling: Flatwater to Surf and Rivers, by Rob Casey

@SPL: 797.1224 Cas

So a few weeks ago as I was strolling by the Avon, I had to do a double-take as I spotted some folks walking on the river's surface. That's what it looked like, and either I was witnessing a modern miracle or these people were doing something pretty nifty. Upon closer inspection, they were all standing on boards or low-slung kayaks with varying degrees of confidence, ready to participate in a new trend in water sport - stand-up paddling. Naturally I had to find out more, hence this week's review. It turns out that Peruvian fishermen have propelled themselves in this manner for 3000 years, and of course surfing has been a way of life in Hawaii for centuries, but it is still relatively new around these parts. Stand-up paddling requires core strength, good balance, patience (at first), and a spirit for adventure. It is a great workout for shoulders, legs and core, and can be a stepping stone toward surfing on bigger, wavier bodies of water. 
Author Rob Casey has compiled a wealth of information in this slim volume, describing the equipment, clothing and types of paddle strokes in good detail, with appendices for further information on technique and safety (although there's nothing on avoiding territorial swans). There's a full chapter on paddling flat surfaces like calm bays and sounds (or the Avon), and another on navigating choppier rivers with rapids. Casey goes into excellent detail on boating etiquette as well, which is absolute essential knowledge to avoid accidents on the water. 
It may be getting too cold to try it this year, but you can bet there will be more stand-up paddlers on the river next summer, getting ready to graduate to surfing and rolling over rapids. (Don't be offended if they don't wave, they're too busy keeping their balance and piloting around the ducks.)

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SPL Shelf Life [kids]

These reviews appeared in the Stratford Gazette on October 20, 2011 and was written by Sally Hengeveld, Librarian.

The Owl Keeper, by Christine Brodien-Jones, 306 pages.

@SPL:  J FIC Brodi

"Watching Dr. Tredegar slink toward him and Rose, Max reeled back, clutching Rose’s arm, feeling a deep repulsion. The InjectaPort looked lethal in the murky light.”

Twelve-year-old Max is discovering some disturbing things about his life. The regular injections that Max has received from Dr. Tredegar for years aren’t for his health – instead, they’re causing him to lose his memory. Mrs. Crumlin isn’t a kindly housekeeper, but a spy who’s been reporting Max’s every activity to the all-controlling High Echelon, which has ruled since the great Destruction. Max also discovers that the High Echelon is trying to destroy all silver owls. Why?

Why is the Echelon so interested in Max, and why isn’t he allowed to attend school with other children? And his parents – what has the High Echelon done to frighten them so much that they can’t answer Max’s questions - such as how his Gran, who knew so much about the world before the Great Destruction, died?

Max misses Gran intensely and takes great solace in a friendly little silver owl that appeared after she was gone. He also takes solace in his new friend, Rose, a runaway, whose father is being sought by the High Echelon. Now the two, having just discovered some terrifying plans of the Echelon, must flee. The Echelon is searching for both of them, determined to use them for a sinister purpose.

Pursued by Dr. Tredegar, Mrs. Crumlin and the loathsome creatures sent by the High Echelon, they undertake a dangerous trek to seek a mysterious owl keeper, who, according to an ancient prophecy, will help people and owls to battle the “dark powers”.

Full of mystery, intrigue and danger, and with a likeable, “underdog” hero and a satisfying ending, this fantasy novel is a winner, for both boys and girls.   

** Recommended for ages 9 to 12 years.

I Need My Monster, by Amanda Noll, 32 pages.

@SPL:  JP Noll

A scary monster lived under Ethan’s bed. Ethan knew this because he checked for him every night.

One night when Ethan peered under his bed, his monster wasn’t there! Instead, there was a note: “Gone fishing. Back in a week. Gabe”

Gone fishing? Ethan couldn’t believe it. How would he get to sleep every night without hearing Gabe’s dreadful groans, scratching and other creepy noises?

Ethan thought for a moment. Then he knocked on the floorboards and quickly scrambled into bed. Sure enough, in less than a minute, there was a new monster in his room.

However, the new monster’s teeth weren’t sharp and long enough. Ethan knocked on the floor again.

Now there was another new monster… but Ethan could see right away that his slobbering wasn’t messy enough. He knocked on the floorboards again.

The next monster didn’t have a scary tale. The next monster wasn’t big enough, and the next monster …   Well, there was something wrong with each new monster. None of them were scary enough for Ethan. What was he going to do?

It turned out that Ethan didn’t need to do anything at all. Gabe returned early from an unsuccessful fishing trip - having discovered that fish are simply too scared by under-the-bed monsters!

This clever picture book, with its wonderful illustrations, will quickly become a bedtime favourite.

** Recommended for ages 3 to 7 years.

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Feeling Inspired?

If you were at the Imagine the Future: Your Library Tomorrow Town Hall meeting last night, you are probably feeling quite inspired about the future of libraries - not only in Stratford, but in Ontario, in Canada and beyond.  If you were unable to attend last night's event, it was recorded and will be rebroadcasted on Rogers TV Cable 20 on Thursday, October 27 at 7pm, Saturday October 29 at 6pm, and on Sunday October 30 6:30pm. 
But in the mean time, we hope you think about what the library means to you  - not only today - but also what you hope the library will be in the future. We invite you to share these thoughts on the library website.  We will be aggregating the "one word" answers and sharing them with you as responses come in.

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eBooks that are Always Available

Want an eBook right now, but all the best sellers are checked out?  Or maybe you're looking for a classic book that we don't have in our eBook collection?  downloadLibrary provides a collection of public domain eBooks (from Project Gutenberg) that are always available for download.  You don't have to check them out and they never expire.  Look for the "Additional eBooks" box on the right of any page on our downloadLibrary website.  You can read these eBooks in Adobe Digital Editions on your computer, transfer them to many different ereadres, or download them directly to your smartphone or iPad using the OverDrive Media Console Mobile app. They work great as an emergency book that you can keep on your phone to read in short bursts when you're standing in line or waiting in the dentist's office.

For a printable help sheet, click here. 

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Get More Out of Life

Money. Wouldn't it be nice if we had more? Come to a seminar tomorrow on how to get more out of life and ensure money is there when you retire. 


Financial Planning 101 with Carien Jutting CFP, Betsy Prospero CFP
Thursday October 20, 1:30-3 and 7-8:30, choose at time that's best for you
Library Auditorium, 19 St. Andrew Street Stratford


While registration is preferred [email fiscalwellness@pcin.on.ca] you can also just how up for this FREE seminar.


This is the first of three financial planning seminars happening at the Library. 


Financial Planning 101 is the Winner of the Financial Planning Week Challenge!

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Google does all that?

Google: Beyond Searching

Unless you have been living in a cave for the last ten years, you most likely have heard about Google. Google is the most popular search engine on the web, with 84% of searches done each day on Google. Google processes more than 34,000 searches per second - crazy! 
But Google is much more than just a popular search tool. Google offers various other services such as email, photo editing, calendar, an office suite, a browser, a blog aggregate, and the ever popular, Google Earth. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Come to the library auditorium on Wednesday October 26, 6:30-8:30pm to learn more about various Google services and products.  Cost is $5.00, and pre-registration is preferred.  To register call 519-271-0220 x31 or email webmaster@pcin.on.ca. 

For more information about computer classes at the Stratford Public Library, visit the library website. 

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“Imagine the Future” Panel Moderator Scores Kid-Lit Hat Trick

Kevin Sylvester, children's author/illustrator and radio broadcaster, has just been nominated for not one, not two, but THREE books in the Ontario Library Association’s Forest of Reading® Program. 

His fiction book Neil Flambé and the Aztec Abduction, his sports book GameDay: Meet the People Who Make It Happen and Don’t Touch That Toad &Other Strange Things Adults Tell You, a book he illustrated, are all nominees for The Silver Birch® Award (Grades 3 - 6).

Sylvester says "It is honestly an amazing honour to be included with all these amazing writers. Canadians are so lucky to have such a great kid-oriented literary culture and we authors are so lucky to have such amazing librarians and educators... and readers too!"

The Ontario Library Association’s Forest of Reading® initiative offers seven reading programs to encourage a love of reading for people of all ages.  It is intended for a wide range of reading levels and interests.  The Forest program celebrates Canadian books, publishers, authors and illustrators and is the largest recreational reading program in the country.

Mr. Sylvester is the moderator for Stratford Public Library’s “Imagine the Future” panel on Wednesday October 19 at Stratford City Hall Auditorium at 7:00 pm.   

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GOOGLE ENGINEER TO JOIN “IMAGINE THE FUTURE” PANEL

Robert Kroeger, a Software Engineer with Google Canada will join Wednesday night’s panel at City Hall Auditorium to consider how the next 5 to 7 years will evolve for Stratford and how Stratford Public Library might assist individuals and the community in building the future they desire most. [Imagine the Future details]

Kroeger will be joining a panel consisting of Nora Young, host of CBC Radio’s “Spark” and Mayor Dan Mathieson who will both speak to what the future might hold.  Librarians Wendy Newman from the University of Toronto and Sandra Singh, Chief Librarian of Vancouver Public Library will share ideas of how libraries might help.

The panel will be moderated by Kevin Sylvester, a radio broadcaster and award-winning children's author/illustrator.

All are invited to attend and are encouraged to join the conversation.  The evening will be recorded and broadcast at a later date by Rogers TV Cable 20.  Partially funded by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, and in co-operation with the Ontario Library Association, a video produced from this event will be used in communities across Ontario as they also discuss the changing nature of their libraries.

Here at home, the meeting is designed to begin a broader conversation in Stratford and area about the library and how we can adapt to provide the citizens of Stratford with what they need in a rapidly changing information age. The library staff and board will use this input to help us target library services, some traditional and others new and innovative, to our customers.

Following the panel discussion, there will be an opportunity for all participants to exchange ideas, pose questions, and engage in a conversation about our libraries in the future. We hope that you will take part.

Wednesday, October 19th at Stratford City Hall auditorium

·         Doors open at  6 pm

·         Panel & Town Hall from 7 - 9 pm

·         Seating is first come, first seated

The support of the Government of Ontario, through the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, is acknowledged as well as that of the Ontario Library Association and Perth Community Futures Development Corporation.

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BookMyne App for your Library Account

Library users with an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch can now have access to their library account through an app called BookMyne. The BookMyne app is great for reviewing/renewing the items you have taken out, placing holds, and locating items in our library system (West Perth, Perth East, St. Marys and Stratford Public Libraries). There are also some bonus features like access to the New York Times bestseller lists and lists of award-winning books.

We are just testing the app right now and would love to hear what you think of it. I have been using the app for a couple of weeks and find it very user friendly - especially for my small iPhone screen. 

The app has been created by SirsiDynix, the creator of our catalogue software.  Here is a video that highlights some of the app's features. We would also love to hear your thoughts about BookMyne in the comment section below. 

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Which eReader should I buy?

I often get asked which eReader is best for downloadLibrary. I've been lucky enough to have experience using a number of different readers here at the library.  Most of them have certain features that I like - and some have features that I'm not so keen on. It is really quite a personal choice - just like choosing which book you are going to read.


Some features you may want to consider include:

• weight
• back-lighting
• ability to adjust text size
• battery life
• memory size
• what files are playable. Does the reader also allow for audio?
• does it support DRM files - this is a must for downloadLibrary ebooks
• web browsing capabilities
• price

But probably the important thing to consider when looking into purchasing an eReader to use with  downloadLibrary is to ensure that it is on the compatible reader list for Overdrive. It's also important to check the incompatible device list. Now not all ebook readers have been tested - new devices are being put on the market daily - but Overdrive is doing the best they can.   
You can also call the library and ask - we are more than happy to help!
~Krista, Information Technology Development Librarian

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SPL Shelf Life [adult]

This review appeared in The Stratford Gazette on October 13th. Written by Shauna Thomas, Librarian.

Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman

@SPL: FIC Norma

Since the market freefall in 2008, it seems to me there's been a bit of a shift in prose, creating a new subgenre of literary fiction. It's lighter than Atwood or Enright, but still deals with weighty issues in ways that feel true. It plays with postmodernism and postcolonialism rather than bathing in them. 1^st person protagonists flirt with disaster with the kind of ironic glee only generated by the grim knowledge one is likely hooped either which way.

First-time author Matthew Norman's Domestic Violets hails from this trend. Keenly aware of its time, it captures a family caught in 2008's rolling fecal storm of bad credit and malignantly inept corporate decision-making. Protagonist Tom Violet is the son of a literary genius, Curtis, who's just won a Pulitzer. A chronic, Porche-driving womanizer and happy alcoholic, Curtis can be read as an aged version of Californication's Hank Moody.

Tom, on the other hand, writes ad copy for a management consulting company by day, and furtively broods over his own novel by night. Superficially, he's living the dream: He's married to a beautiful woman, has a charming daughter and a dog, and lives in a stately home in one of Washington DC's tonier suburbs. The charm of the top layer wears off fast, though – the novel's first scene is a twisted and hilarious psychological battle between a married, middle-aged man and his unwilling virility. The spark is gone in Tom's marriage to Anna, his dog has anxiety issues, and his job requires he artfully rearrange corporate buzzwords in pamphlets. One apt description of office ennui: “Greg is a tie guy, and I am a non-tie guy. This represents the rift among males in our office – Business Casual versus Business Formal – and I'm almost certain it will eventually lead to a choreographed dance fight in the employee lounge.” In the sea of beige Tom refers to as the Death Star, he occupies the lowest rung on the management ladder, overseeing a clever, beautiful and enticingly young junior copywriter named Katie.

Things come to a head when Anna leaves for a conference in Boston. At the same point, Curtis moves in to avoid the fallout from his most recently imploded marriage, and the Death Star begins layoffs in earnest. Tom's big mouth gets the better of him, and in the midst of several crises he goes down swinging, cursing and burning all possible bridges. For an over-networked generation encouraged to see each unique snowflake of a person as a rung to be dynamically trod in the stepladder to the top, it's pure, hilarious catharsis. Will Tom survive his own sass attacks and rise from the ashes? Well, if you're a fan of authors like Gary Shteyngart (Super Sad True Love Story), or you enjoy the feel and dialogue of Californication,and don't mind a little grit in your fiction, I recommend you find out.

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SPL Shelf Life [kids]

These reviews appeared in the Stratford Gazette on October 13, 2011 and was written by Sally Hengeveld, Librarian.

The McGillicuddy Book of Personal Records, by Colleen Sydor, 219 pages.

@SPL:  YA PB Sydor

Thirteen-year-old Lee McGillicuddy is all too aware of his many weaknesses and shortcomings. He isn’t good at basketball despite his height; he’s not a runner or a soccer player due to his asthma; he has no musical or artistic ability, and his marks at school are nothing to brag about. Lately, he’s becoming aware that he doesn’t know how to talk to girls either – instead, he gets completely tongue-tied. 

However, Lee suspects that there’s something that sets everyone apart in some way – he just needs to discover what his special quality is! This is why Lee drives himself to set challenging records – his own personal records. Sometimes these challenges are a little goofy. Can he dribble a basketball for twelve straight hours? How many jumping jacks can he do at one time? How many famous sayings can he remember? Achieving these challenges is important to Lee.

On a bicycle ride with his best friend one afternoon, Lee’s friend has a sudden accident, and until help can arrive many hours later, Lee must meet a new personal challenge in endurance, determination and resourcefulness. Unfortunately, there’s nothing “goofy” about this challenge – it’s a life and death situation. It’s the most difficult effort that he has ever had to make. When it’s finally over, many hours later, and his friend is safe, Lee McGillicuddy knows that he has excelled at something in a most unlikely way.

Colleen Sydor’s sensitively-written novel is inspiring and at times, humorous, featuring a very likeable young man who is anything but ordinary. Set in Winnipeg, where the author lives, the story is told as a film, interspersed with set directions such as “Roll camera”, “Fade out” and “Zoom in”. It’s an effective technique, appealing to teens and allowing various points of view and scenes to occur simultaneously.

** Recommended for ages 11 to 14 years.

How to Survive Anything, by Rachel Buchholz, 176 pages.

@SPL:  J 613.69 Buc

Rachel Buchholz’s tips and advice to teens and preteens will prepare them to “survive” many situations, such as: mean teachers, embarrassing parents, bullies and cyberbullies, being the new kid at school, surprise quizzes, exams, embarrassing mistakes and gaffes, braces and breakups.... as well as grizzly attacks, snakebites, blizzards, avalanches, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, lightning, falling through the ice, being lost in the woods, and even more!

Buchholz’s advice is practical but at the same time, it’s humorous and “tongue-in-cheek”, so the book in no way gives the impression of being “preachy”. Simple “right” and “wrong” illustrations accompany each situation. Serious situations such as natural disasters or predators such as bears are juxtaposed with less-serious tricky situations (eg. exams, mean teachers and embarrassing parents), conveying the message to students that although they may have problems at home and at school, they could be in far worse trouble if facing a tornado or a hungry shark.

How to Survive Anything “addresses the angst of teen and preteen life with wit, humour, wisdom and easy-to-read text”, and would appeal to reluctant readers as well as enthusiastic readers, and to both boys and girls.

** Recommended for ages 10 to 14 years

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DVD Search

Quite often we get asked "How do I do a search of just DVDs?"  Well, here's how:

1. Visit the library catalogue at http://spl.bibliocommons.com/
2. Click on Advanced Search
3. Limit the format to DVD in the lower right corner.
4. Enter any general keywords you may want to apply to the search - or leave that blank for a listing of all DVDs in the system..
5. Click on Search. 

You will then find approximately 7,000 DVDs to browse!  You can then narrow your search by selecting various limiters on the left of the screen (ie. squired within the last 30 days). 

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Sunday Hours are Back!

Starting Sunday October 16, the library will be open for Sunday service. Our hours will be 2-5pm, just enough time to get a few new books, grab a dvd, check your email or study for a few hours.  Sunday hours run until May 2012. 
To make October 16th extra special, Poetry Stratford will be holding a lecture in the auditorium. Visit the auditorium at 2:30 for the James Reaney Memorial Lecture: Working with Reaney. Composer Peter Denny and colleagues will tell us what it was like to work with Stratford poet James Reaney.  There will also be a presentation of an unproduced opera by Reaney called Terrible Swift Sword.

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Got Fines?

Do you have fines on your library card that you need to get rid of? Not much cash? Don't fret! Next week is "Food 4 Fines"! 


With Food 4 Fines you can reduce your fines up to $20 by donating non perishable food items  at the Library. Each food item will take off up to $2.00 of late charges from your record. The food items will be donated to the Stratford Salvation Army Food Bank.


Food 4 Fines runs Monday October 17 to Friday October 21


Food may not be used to pay fees (ie. lost items, lost cards etc). Food items must also not be expired.

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SPL Shelf Life [adult]

This review appeared in The Stratford Gazette on October 6, 2011. Written by Robyn Godfrey, Librarian

Naughty in Nice: A Royal Spyness Mystery by Rhys Bowen

@SPL: FIC Bowen

In the fifth installment of the adventures of Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie daughter of the second Duke of Glen Garry and Rannoch and thirty-fourth in line to the throne of England  - Georgie for short - we find the intrepid near-royal feeling very sorry for herself as all her not-nearly-as-poor friends are off to spend the winter in the south of France. Being impoverished during a depression is tough. Being an impoverished near-royal during a depression is even harder, believe it or not, when one has never been trained in anything useful (knowing which is the shrimp fork doesn't count) and one can hardly ask one's cousin the Queen for a loan. But if it's one thing Georgie does have, it's gumption, which has led Queen Mary to call upon her from time to time to help avoid some royal scandals. This time the Queen comes to Georgie's rescue - instead of being banished to the cold ancestral home in the north of Scotland (because her nasty and selfish sister-in-law Fig refuses to invite her to France), Georgie's way will be paid for by the Queen - if she will undertake a small commission or two for her. First, retrieve a stolen snuffbox from a suspected thief and second, keep an eye on her cousin Edward and that upstart woman of his, Wallis Simpson. That is not all that happens to Georgie in Nice, however. She reconnects with her lovely actress mother, comes to the attention of Coco Chanel who insists Georgie be a model for her latest collection, and catches the eye of a certain roguish Marquis - much to the consternation of a certain Irish peer who has long been Georgie's fascination. Of course, this is Georgie we're talking about. The snuff-box thief turns up dead with Georgie as prime suspect. While walking the catwalk she promptly trips, falls into the lap of a Russian princess and in the ensuing confusion Queen Mary's borrowed ruby necklace is stolen. What else could happen? Well, that Irish peer could turn up with what looks like a secret wife and son, and there seems to be a Georgie doppelganger skulking around the south of France, wreaking havoc for her. If this is starting to sound like a tissue-drenching melodrama, take heart - Georgie is a clever, winsome heroine, the dialogue is quick with banter and the 1930's setting is dripping with atmosphere. One could almost call it a cozy mystery, except it has far too much spirit. For fans of the Phrynne Fisher and Maisie Dobbs series.

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SPL Shelf Life [kids]

These reviews appeared in the Stratford Gazette on October 6, 2011 and was written by Sally Hengeveld, Librarian.

Lessons from a Street Kid, by Craig Kielburger, 36 pages.

@ SPL:  JP Kielb

When Craig Kielburger was twelve years old, he was horrified to read a newspaper account about a boy of the same age, Iqbal Masih, who had been killed for speaking out about the deplorable child labour and exploitation conditions in his country, Pakistan. As a child slave, the boy had worked in a carpet factory from the ages of 4 to 9 years, chained to a loom in the factory.

Craig started a group of concerned students, “Free the Children”, to carry on Iqbal’s work. The students held fundraisers to raise money to send to needy children in countries such as India, Kenya, Brazil and Haiti. In time, Craig began to travel to some of these countries. One of his first visits was to Brazil, to meet with some of the thousands of children who live there on the streets without their families.

In Salvador, Brazil, Craig met Jose and his “family” of fellow street kids. They talked, enjoyed playing soccer together, and became friends. When it was time for Craig to leave, he learned an unforgettable lesson in friendship and generosity when Jose, who had so little, presented Craig with his treasured soccer jersey and insisted that Craig accept it.

Today, the red and black soccer jersey still hangs in Craig’s office at the Free the Children as Craig continues his work of helping children in developing countries across the world. 

Free the Children is now the world’s largest network of youth helping other children to escape exploitation, slavery and poverty, so that they can attend school. Free the Children works in 45 countries.

The colourfully-illustrated story of Craig and Jose is easy to read, thought-provoking, and immensely inspiring. 

** Recommended for ages 4 to 8 years.

 

No Ordinary Day, by Deborah Ellis, 155 pages.

@ SPL:  J FIC Ellis

Like Jose and his street friends, 12-year-old Valli, who lives in India, does not attend school. Though she longs to go to school and learn, her family has no money to spare for school fees. Instead, Valli works. All day – and every day – she picks up pieces of coal, left behind by workers at the coal mine.

When Valli discovers that the people with whom she lives aren’t her real family after all, she decides to leave the coal town. After hitching a ride to Kolkata, she lives on the streets. Valli soon learns to be quite self-sufficient, cadging and “borrowing” the things that she needs, and passing them on to others when she is finished. She is quite proud of her self-sufficiency and independence.

For some time, Valli, who doesn’t own shoes, has noticed that her feet never feel pain or the cold. One day she happens to meet a doctor who tells her why. The nerves in her feet have been destroyed by leprosy, which will worsen unless she is treated for a long time in a hospital. The doctor knows of a special hospital where the treatment will be free.

However, Valli must first learn to trust the doctor. She must admit that she isn’t as self-sufficient as she would like to be, that it is okay to accept help when you truly need it… and that there is no shame in having a disease such as leprosy.

Author Deborah Ellis, from Simcoe, Ontario, has won numerous Canadian awards for her stories of children around the world and the dangers and conditions under which they live. She is best known for her Breadwinner trilogy of stories about children living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan.

** Recommended for ages 9 to 13 years.

    

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