SPL Shelf Life [adult]

Was I the Wave by Miracle Fortress
@ SPL : CD 13 / Mirac


Fans of indie music are well aware Stratford offers more to the music world than the bright pop charm of Justin Bieber. For a relatively small fish in the vast cultural ocean, we are uncommonly fabulous in many ways, and people do pay attention.
Local-born musician Graham Van Pelt is one of the reasons why. As the driving force behind Miracle Fortress, his dense, wall-of-sound approach to creating jangly, ethereal electropop has earned him a Polaris Prize nomination for each of his two records.
His second album, *Was I the Wave?* incorporates the same dense, orchestral Wilson-esque harmonies as Miracle Fortress’ debut, *Five Roses.* But, rather than getting stuck in a rut trying to create the same kind of *Pet Sounds* spell a second time around, he moves into territory more influenced by Brian Eno and other producers of 1980s glammy new wave.
Van Pelt’s superior mixing and production keep the 80s influences from feeling stale, updating chiming harmonies and driving drum machines with more complex rhythms and melodies that will feel familiar to fans of Caribou from back when he was still Manitoba. If I just lost you there, try the album anyway – as could be expected of an album that evokes Eno, it’s a proper, complete album, complex enough for music geeks to get excited about. But fans of pop music shouldn’t shy away because of that; it’s also pretty and accessible enough to make great, happy background music on a patio or on a long car ride. *Was I the Wave?* is the perfect summer album for anyone looking for lush, happy harmonies, a good beat, and a little more substance.


This review appeared in The Stratford Gazette on May 31, 2012. Written by Shauna Thomas, Librarian. 

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SPL Shelf Life [kids]

Children’s Book of Mythical Beasts & Magical Monsters, by Deborah Lock (and other Dorling Kindersley publishers), 142 pages.

@ SPL:  J 201.3 Chi

Would children be interested in a book of myths and legends?

They’re almost certain to be intrigued by the mythical monsters, legendary beasts, quests, battles, adventures and magic featured in this colourful, appealing book of myths and legends - especially with the recent popularity of author Rick Riordan’s mythological series, Percy Jackson & the Olympians.

With hundreds of illustrations and well-written, readable text, readers are introduced here to some of the finest myths, legends, and traditional stories from around the world.

Stories are not organized by time or culture - instead, three main categories are used: “Nature and Nation”, “Magic and Mayhem”, and “Quests and Battles”. Within these categories, legends and myths from various cultures are brought together by themes such as shapeshifters, warrior heroes, warrior heroines, dragons, flood stories, etc.

Unusual creatures as well as the more familiar are included: the kappa (a Japanese water spirit), the selkie (Northern-European seal-like creatures) as well as the hydra, griffin, the one-eyed Cyclops and many more.

The book also makes interesting comparisons between various legendary creatures and today’s animals… for example, between the bunyip of Australian mythology and today’s marsupials and hippopotamuses.

Dorling Kindersley is noted for its publication of appealing and informative children’s books such as this.  Complete with a character index and glossary, the Children’s Book of Mythical Beasts & Magical Monsters will definitely hold kids’ interest and will likely lead to further research and reading on their part.

** Recommended for ages 8 to 11 years.

Fantasy: An Artist’s Realm, by Ben Boos, 83 pages.

@ SPL:  J 700.415 Boo

Of the many books which offer a visual escape to another world, author-illustrator Ben Boo’s Fantasy: An Artist’s Realm is one of the very best.

In descriptive, lyrical prose and lovely, intricate artwork, readers are transported to New Perigord – a mystical land whose “strange cities, green fields, giant mountains, deep dark forests”, caves and enormous fortresses are filled with fairies, elves, dwarves, minotaurs, mages, paladins, warriors, rogues, troglodytes, “undead horrors” and many other creatures and peoples.

From the airy to the eerie, and from the misty to the magical, the imaginary land of New Perigord - with its similarities to the worlds of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings series and C.S. Lewis’s Chroniclesof Narnia series - will absolutely captivate and delight children of all ages (and adults) who are interested in fantasy. 

There are many special aspects of this stunning book to note; among them are the meticulously detailed, elaborate illustrations and the equally detailed text – both of which cause the reader to believe that they are actually in the mystical land of New Perigord, with its unique creatures, peoples, customs, dwellings, implements, tools and weapons.

As an introduction, the book begins with a large full-colour map of New Perigord and its various regions, from “airy elven forests to misty coastal fortresses and to the eerie Necropolis”. At the end of the book, an author’s note encourages readers to imagine and draw their own fantasy world. 

Ben Boos, the talented illustrator and author of Fantasy: An Artist’s Realm, notes that in creating this richly imagined book, he was inspired by “endless daydreams and the light of many minds”… yet the Perigords “are fuller of wonders than could be listed or described in the lifetime of a mere mortal.”

** Recommended for ages 9 years and up.


These reviews appeared in The Stratford Gazette on May 31, 2012. Written by Sally Hengeveld, Librarian

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A Penny... And Your Thoughts?

The Friends of the Stratford Public Library are reaching out to our community and to all the wonderful visitors who come to Stratford to vote for their favorite kinds of books by dropping their pennies in our Penny Pots here at the library and also at selected shops around town. 

 

“This is a new initiative by the Friends to collect all those loose pennies everyone has stashed away at home or weighing down their wallets.  Two of our members, Marthe Jocelyn and Dorothy Washbern came up with this fundraising idea weeks before the government announced they were no longer going to be printing pennies,” states Irene Miller, current Chair of the Friends.  “And another member, Ann Devereux generously sponsored all of the pots.”

 

At the library, simply drop your pennies into one of our pots labeled with your favourite kind of books.   The Friends will be keeping track of which kinds of books are collecting the most pennies...whether it’s Fiction or Non-Fiction, Reference, Magazines, Young Adult or Children’s. 

 

Irene added: “We already have several Library supporters who will match the first $25 donated in our Penny Pots.”

 

The funds collected in our Penny Pots will help to keep the library’s children’s reading programs free for every child in this community. 

 

So drop by the library or look for our Penny Pots around town.

 

Bring your pennies to us!

 

There are approximately 130 Friends of the Library, and several new corporate members who help out, check out, find out and speak out on behalf of Stratford’s library serves.

 

For more information on how you can display a Penny Pot in your shop, please contact Dorothy Washbern at 519 275-2475.

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Attention Kids! Come Read with Gisele!

Kids can learn and laugh with Gisele from the TVOKids' show, Gisele's Big Backyard, at the Stratford Public Library.  Gisele will be reading the book of the month from the Big Backyard Book Club and share her love of reading with all her fans. Children will receive a free book, bookbag, and bookmark. 

Come to the Library Auditorium on Saturday June 23 at 2pm. This event is free, but tickets are required. The free tickets will be available as of Friday June 1st at the lower floor circulation desk.

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SPL Shelf Life [kids]

Emily Included, by Kathleen McDonnell, 124 pages.

@ SPL:  J 362.40830971092 Eaton-M

Emily Eaton, a 12-year-old girl, wanted to continue attending her regular neighbourhood school instead of transferring to a school for disabled children.

Born with cerebral palsy, Emily used a wheelchair. She could not control her arm or leg movements, and it was a challenge for her to communicate with others. Nevertheless, Emily wanted to be a normal kid as much as possible - which included attending a regular school and being in a normal classroom.

For two years, Emily had been attending such a school and had enjoyed being there, making many friends and learning new skills. The other students had benefited too, learning to be comfortable and helpful around someone who had special challenges.

Now, school board officials had decided that Emily, despite her wishes and those of her family and the other students, would transfer to a “special” school.

Emily's parents decided to contest the decision.    

Emily Included is based on a true account of a young girl’s four-year battle not to be forced out of her school – a case that the family fought for the sake of every child with a disability. It was a case that went right to the Supreme Court of Canada, and it was watched closely by disability groups all over Canada. Many considered Emily’s situation to be discriminatory and in violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which defends the right of every individual to be treated equally “without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, or mental or physical disability.”

Emily’s inspiring story is one of determination, and readers will be happy to discover that she and her family were, in the end, successful in their pursuit for Emily’s rights to equality and inclusion.  Photos of Emily and her family are included with her story.

** Recommended for ages 8 to 12 years. 

Shannen and the Dream for a School, by Janet Wilson, 206 pages.

@ SPL:  J 971.00497323092 Koost-W

Shannen Koostachin was another young Canadian who fought for the right to attend a “normal” school.  

The remote northern Ontario community of Attawapiskat, home to about 2000 people, is situated at the mouth of the Attawapiskat River on the west shore of James Bay.

For years, Shannen and the other children of Attawapiskat had been hoping for a new school to replace their cold, overcrowded portable classrooms. In Shannen’s classroom, the day’s lessons didn’t begin until an old scarf was stuffed into the gap below the door against the frigid outside air that crept in everywhere. Students wore their coats and boots throughout the day.

Shannen loved learning – but not in the discomfort of the portables. Why couldn’t her community have a regular school – with a gymnasium, safe water, heated classrooms and hallways - as government officials had long ago promised? Didn’t they care that education is a key to surmounting the many problems faced by communities such as hers (such as high student dropout rates, unemployment, loss of hope for the future, depression, suicide and substance abuse)?

Shannon, her family, friends and community decided to act. They made a YouTube video. They traveled to Ottawa to speak to politicians, and their cause – that all children, including First Nations children, deserve an education - garnered national attention. When Shannen and her fellow student ambassadors went to the United Nations, the Attawapiskat School Campaign became the largest child-led children’s rights movement in Canadian history – and it finally met with success.

The new school in Attawapiskat, with a playground and athletic fields, is scheduled to open in 2013.

Tragically, Shannen will never see the new school. Returning from a trip to Ottawa in May 2010, she was killed when the minivan in which she was a passenger collided with a transport truck.

The touching story of Shannen and her dream is a true story, and author Janet Wilson has included a glossary of Cree words, a timeline and other helpful background information.

** Recommended for ages 9 to 13 years.


These reviews appeared in The Stratford Gazette on May 24, 2012. Written by Sally Hengeveld, Librarian.

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SPL Shelf Life [adult]

Why Men Lie by Linden MacIntyre

@SPL: FIC MacIn, or search “Why MenLie” in downloadLibrary

Fans of CanLit likely remember Linden MacIntyre’s 2009 Giller Prize win for The Bishop’s Man, the second novel in his Cape Breton triology. Having made readers wait 10 years between the trilogy’s opener, The Long Stretch, and his prize-winning follow-up, MacIntyre evidently felt a rush to move on with the final novel in the trilogy, Why Men Lie. Was the rush worthwhile?

It’s a provocative title, to be sure, and it’s a reasonably bold book, examining its titular question through the eyes and life of a female character. This final novel follows the life of Effie MacAskill, sister to Father Duncan MacAskill, central character in The Bishop’s Man. It doesn’t directly stare down such heavy material as the child sexual abuse that forms the plot backbone of The Bishop’s Man. It has its own agenda, interested in the more general effects such atrocities have on communities and individuals’ private lives.

Effie is well into a contented-enough solitary middle age when she runs into an old Cape Breton friend on the St George subway platform in Toronto. JC has been off-the-radar with her crew for years, having been part of a crop of Canadian journalists recruited to American networks in the 1970s. His work has taken him all over the world and through countless human rights atrocities. Suffering the psychological trauma not uncommon in his line of work, he decides to come back to a tamer beat in Canada. The two embark on a tentative relationship, but it’s immediately apparent their respective baggage and Cape Breton ties threaten their bond and their health.

If this sounds like an overwhelmingly heavy read - well, it is and it isn’t, but the end result is entirely worthwhile. MacIntyre is the master of the light touch, using one well-timed phrase in dialogue or a raised eyebrow to convey what other writers would need pages to illustrate. This approach allows readers to - in a sense - choose their level of exposure to the darker themes that run through the novel. Tightly written, and with a photographic capture of Cape Breton culture and dialogue, this novel is highly recommended to any fans of dark, character-driven Canadian literature.

This review appeared in The Stratford Gazette on May 17, 2012. Written by Shauna Thomas, Librarian. 

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SPL Shelf Life [kids]

Animal Snoops: The Wondrous World of Animal Spies, by Peter Christie, 64 pages.

@ SPL:  J 591.513 Chr

Animal spies, snoops, sneaks, tricksters and masters of deception can be found everywhere in nature. Many creatures, big and small, spy, deceive and hide.  Why? For many, their “secret-agent skills” and habits are a matter of survival - a way to escape their predators, catch (or hide) food, or attract a mate.

A close-at-hand example can be found in our own backyards, where gray squirrels sometimes dig fake holes for their food caches when they suspect that would-be thieves (usually blue jays or other birds) are nearby.

There are many more examples of animal trickery. White storks sometimes stand silently to hear the mating call of a frog, thereby locating it and quickly seizing the frog with its long bill for a tasty snack. Similarly, dolphins, which love to eat toadfish, eavesdrop and locate these fish when the males serenade the females during mating season. Hungry gopher snakes listen to foot-drumming signals between kangaroo rats to find an appetizing meal, and one species of firefly locates smaller fireflies to eat by watching for their luminescent mating messages.

Animal trickery occurs in the forest, desert, tundra and even in the ocean, where whales sometimes use other whales’ echolocation to “zero in” on a tasty meal, and knife fish use electricity to give hungry predators unpleasant surprises.

One of the best examples of a wildlife snoop or spy is that of Marshmallow, a parrot living in a Memphis, Tennessee household. When burglars broke into the house, the hidden bird eavesdropped on their conversation and was able to hear (and later repeat) the name of one of the intruders. With this valuable clue, police were later able to apprehend the men.

As the author notes, “Wild snoops are impressive secret agents on a constant mission of survival.”   

Young readers will be amazed, impressed and intrigued with the ingenuity and the craftiness of wildlife spies and tricksters, and with the colourful photographs and illustrations in this appealing book about animal underworld behaviour and the surprisingly complex network of animal communication. Further reading suggestions and an index are included.

The author, Peter Christie, has long had an interest in unusual animal habits and has written other books on the topic.

** Recommended for ages 7 to 10 years.

Lizards, by Nic Bishop, 48 pages.

@ SPL:  J 598.95 Bis

Children are inherently interested in animals, and some of the most fascinating for children are the many types of lizards found around the world.

Nic Bishop’s book, full of eye-catching, close-up photography and captivating detail, reveals that lizards can be some of the trickiest, sneakiest animals in the world.

The chameleon, for example, has the ability to change colour in order to blend in with its surroundings and hide. This extraordinary little creature also has eyes that can magnify and a sticky tongue that stretches almost 30 centimetres to grab its prey.  Some types of geckos also use camouflage. Coloured exactly like the leaves, twigs or bark on which they climb and sleep, they are invisible to would-be predators. The frilled lizard uses trickery in a different way: it sports a lar.ge ruffle of skin around its head that pops open like an umbrella to startle nearby predators.

Lizards come in many shapes and sizes. The diminutive dwarf gecko is so light that it can be caught in a spider’s web. On the other hand, the Komodo dragon – the world’s biggest lizard and largest venomous animal – is sizeable enough to eat deer, goats and pigs.

Surprisingly, some lizards are able to fly. The tiny Flying dragon of Southeast Asia travels between trees by gliding, using flaps of skin which act like wings. To avoid predators, flying dragons never land on the ground except to lay their eggs.

Many lizards can swim - another way in which they can evade predators.  In fact, some lizards can stay underwater for an hour.

Author Nic Bishop writes/ that some lizards are ultimate survivors. The gila lizard, for instance, can stay alive underground for several years in a hibernating state when the desert becomes too dry, emerging only when an adequate amount of rain has fallen.

The fascinating photographs and detail in this book about the amazing world of lizards will definitely entice, draw in and keep the interest of young readers.  An added plus is the author-photographer’s explanation at the end of the book of the methods in which various types of lizards were photographed, with a link to further details.

 ** Recommended for ages 5 to 10 years.

These reviews appeared in The Stratford Gazette on May 17, 2012. Written by Sally Hengeveld, Librarian

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Happy Victoria Day

Image Source

SPL will be closed on Monday May 21 to commemorate Victoria Day. We are also now closed Sundays until October 14. We reopen on Tuesday May 22 at 10am. 


Facts about Queen Victoria and Victoria Day:

• Victoria Day celebrates Queen Victoria's birthday which was on May 24 (born in 1819)
• Queen Victoria was the only daughter of Edward, Duke of Kent, Forth.
• Queen Victoria became the sovereign ruler of Britain at the age of 18.
• Queen Victoria married Prince Albert and together they had 9 children and 42 grandchildren.
• Queen Victoria is the longest serving British monarch ever - she reigned for 63 years and 7 months. 
• After Queen Victoria died in 1901, May 24 was made Empire Day through the British Empire and became known as Victoria Day in Canada. 
• Originally Victoria Day was always celebrated on the 24th of May, but in 1952, an amendment was passed by Canadian Parliament to observe Victoria Day on the last Monday before or on May 24th.

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PLOW is Taking a Break

Perth County Information Network announces that its popular and successful PLOW (Public Library On Wheels) will take a well deserved break over the summer months. Storyteller Trish MacGregor will be finishing up the community-based story times in Poole, Brodhagen, St. Marys, St. Paul’s and Stratford before the hiatus formally begins June 26th. Details on these programs can be found on the PLOW webpage. 


Last year, the brightly coloured van visited 78 locations, and delivered preschool book-based programs to nearly 2000 children; PLOW is also the winner of the national Stan Heath Achievement in Literacy Award. Watch for the blue van after Labour Day when PLOW programs resume.

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And he sailed back...

[Image source]

Maurice Sendak, 1928-2012

Read more about this much loved author and artist

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SPL Shelf Life [kids]

Kid Confidential: An Insider’s Guide to Grown-Ups, by Monte Montgomery, 149 pages.

@ SPL:  J 818.602 Montg    

It’s important for kids to understand adults – and that’s the purpose of this tongue-in-cheek insider’s “guide” to grown-ups, written for kids.

Let’s face it – adults have several advantages over kids. They’re bigger. They’re more experienced. They don’t have classes, teachers, homework and studying (usually). They get to make decisions … and they can embarrass their children without even trying!

How can kids get the “upper hand”?

Enter Kids Confidential. Young people can learn all there is to know about the characteristics, strange habits and mysterious behaviour of adults at home and elsewhere. They’ll learn to identify the various types and subtypes of adults, learn how they got that way, and discover “diabolical tactics and tricky strategies that will help to level the playing field between kids and adults”.

Kids will also learn the answers to puzzling questions such as “Why do adults drink coffee?”, “Why do grown-ups laugh even at jokes that don’t make any sense?”, “Why do parents always ask you “How was school today?” and “What do teachers really talk about in the teachers’ lounge?” They’ll discover the secrets and meanings of “adultspeak” - surely one of the most mysterious languages in the world.

What are some of the things that are almost certain to make adults roll their eyes, leave the room or “blow their stack”? Kid Confidential doesn’t fail to include this essential information.

Young readers will thoroughly enjoy Monte Montgomery’s hilarious, kid-empowering guide to the complex and mysterious world of adulthood. (If you’re lucky, they might even share it with the adults in their life!)

** Recommended for ages 8 to 12 years.

    

Dude, That’s Rude! (Get some Manners), by Pamela Espeland and Elizabeth Verdick, 117 pages.

@ SPL:  J 395.122 Esp

Are good manners relevant, or are they simply a bunch of bothersome, outdated rules invented to make life miserable and complicated? Will you ever need to use them? Does anyone care about them, and why are they often so hard to remember?

Why do manners seem so important to adults … and so insignificant to kids?

The truth is that manners are still relevant. They are skills that you’ll use for the rest of your life, and good manners (or their absence) say a lot about you. Manners weren’t invented to make life miserable – instead, they exist to make life more pleasant.

Manners are important anywhere, anytime. When you have good manners, you know how to act in all kinds of situations. People will enjoy being with you. You’ll have more self-confidence.

Good manners are important to use at home, on the playground, and at school.

Believe it or not, manners should even be used in the school cafeteria. That’s right – despite appearances, it really isn’t the place for rude food. (Good manners in the cafeteria definitely do NOT include: food-throwing, noodle-slurping, putting straws in your nose, wiping your fingers on your friends, or worse.) 

And here’s a secret: the more you use good manners, the easier they are to remember!

In a humorous but informative fashion, Dude, That’s Rude! will provide kids with the necessary do’s and don’ts of good manners, the reasons why they are important, and lots of effective “smooth moves” for sticky situations.

** Recommended for ages 8 to 13 years.

These reviews appeared in The Stratford Gazette on May 10, 2012. Written by Sally Hengeveld, Librarian.

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SPL Shelf Life [adult]

mental_floss: feel smart again

@SPL: PER(Periodical / Magazine)

New to SPL recently is mental_floss magazine. You have to love a magazine that has an index, even if the index is in the front instead of the back in lieu of the normally-hard-to-locate table of contents. In fact, one can think of mental_floss as the un-magazine, so unlike a periodical it is. It does have ads, but not too many, and most of them are as interesting as the articles – the ad for Chris Schweizer’s new graphic novel caught my eye as quickly as the article on “corpse cupboards”(May/June issue). Based on the website of the same name but different subtitle (“Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix”), the magazine has amusing articles loaded with facts that are divided into chapter-like sections, “Feed Your Right Brain”, “Nurture Your Left Brain” and “Scatterbrained”, just to name a few. The facts cover the whole Trivial Pursuit game-board – sports, arts, history, health, science… and often in fascinating combinations (partying like it’s 1812, for instance). This month’s issue is called “The 10 Issue” and is devoted to lists like “10 Photos Politicians Regret” and “10 Badass Moms Who Deserve Their Own Holidays”. Past issues have been dedicated to money, exposing hoaxes, the power of songs, gutsy world leaders, and the “Most Important Questions of the Year” (ie: How can I rig an election for under $30?) A little subversive and highly addictive, it is a crying shame the magazine only comes out 8 times per year. At least we have the website to tide us over; the current article on “15 Spectacular Libraries in Europe” is excellent. (I may be a little biased.)  The current issue cannot be borrowed until the next one comes in, but it and the back issues can be found and placed on hold at http://spl.bibliocommons.on.ca


This review appeared in The Stratford Gazette on May 10, 2012. Written by Robyn Godfrey, Librarian.

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Returning Audiobooks from Overdrive

Finally you can now return the digital audiobooks from downloadLibrary early from you Windows computer! Well... at least the MP3 audiobooks can be returned early (still waiting on WMA audiobooks).   In the past, you had to wait for audiobook's loan period to expire before it could be removed from your library account. However as of today when you update Overdrive Media Console on your Windows computer, you have the option to return your MP3 audiobooks early.  

Here's what you need to do:

Open Overdrive Media Console on your computer.  You will receive a message prompting you to update to the latest version of the software.  Click on "Yes".

You will be taken to the Overdrive website. Click on "Download Now".

Follow the prompts through the Overdrive Media Console Setup Wizard.  Once the software is reinstalled you will have the ability to return the MP3 audiobooks.  It's quite simple to do, select the book title you want to return before it's due date, and then click the "Delete" button in the OMC toolbar.  You will have a new option of "Return/Delete" - click on that button.  The book is then removed from your Overdrive account.

For information on returning ebooks off your computer or ebooks and MP3 audiobooks off your mobile device, click here. 

If you have any other questions or would like to set up an appointment with our tech staff to get started with downloadLibrary, email webmaster@pcin.on.ca

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Thank You!

A very big thank you to the Stratford & District Chamber of Commerce for bestowing on us the Community Service awarded at the Annual Business Excellence Awards last night. We are truly honoured and look forward to continue providing the best service we can to the members and guests of the Stratford Public Library as well as the City of Stratford.

Other agencies who won last night include:


Hospitality: Revel Caffé

Commercial: Creativeink Design Group

Young Entrepreneur: Catherine Wright Designs by Laura Barker

Manufacturing: Florida Production Engineering

Personals Excellence: David Blackburn

Service/Professional Award: Ontario Home Health

Retail Award: The Compudoc


Congratulations to all the nominees and winners!

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Beautiful Joe

Joe was a dog from Meaford Ontario whose sad story inspired the bestselling 1893 novel, “Beautiful Joe”.  This story, loved by millions, contributed to worldwide awareness of animal cruelty.  Stratford Public Library hopes to expand that awareness by helping promote the live stage adaptation of this tale which will be presented at Factory 163 in Stratford on May 16^th  and May 19^th as part of Spring Works Festival  http://springworksfestival.ca/

There is a ”BEAUTIFUL JOE COLOURING CONTEST”, open to ages 8 and up.  The prize is 2 tickets to the performance.  Copies of the colouring page can be picked up at the Stratford Public Library.  Entries will be received at Stratford Library until May 13, 2012.  The winner will be announced on May 14. (you can also download the colouring page here)

For more information about Beautiful Joe and what you can do to help promote the humane treatment of pets, visit http://www.beautifuljoe.org.  The novel, written by Margaret Marshall Saunders (writing as “Marshall Saunders” to disguise her gender), is available from Stratford Public Library.

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SPL Shelf Life [kids]

Ellray Jakes is Not a Chicken, by Sally Warner, 108 pages.

@ SPL:  J FIC Warne 

Meet eight-year-old Ellray Jakes.

Ellray is the shortest student in his grade 3 class, but he has a “big personality” and lots of determination and spirit.

Lately, though, he hasn’t been having an easy time. The biggest kid in the class,  Jared, and his best friend Stanley, have been bullying him on the playground and in the classroom when the teacher’s back is turned. They are determined to get Ellray into trouble – the more, the better – and often, they are successful.

But now Ellray is resolved to stay out of trouble, no matter what. Why? His dad has promised that the family will visit Disneyland if Ellray behaves himself at school.

It isn’t easy. Ellray hasn’t told his parents or his teacher about the bullying, knowing that if he did, the situation would likely worsen. And just when it’s so important for Ellray to behave himself, it seems that Jared is more set than ever to instigate trouble for which Ellray will be blamed.

When things are resolved – in a satisfactory but surprising way, Ellray learns that there has been a reason for Jared’s behaviour, for which Ellray has been partially responsible.

Ellray Jakes is Not a Chicken provides an interesting “take” on the issue of bullying. It’s one book in a new series (about Ellray) that would appeal to children – especially boys – who are just beginning to read chapter books.

** Recommended for ages 7 to 10 years.

Martin Bridge Onwards and Upwards, by Jessica Scott Kerrin, 111 pages.

@ SPL:  J FIC Kerri

The Martin Bridge series by Jessica Scott Kerrin is another excellent choice for beginning chapter book readers.

The series has been described as “wholesome” and “refreshing”. Featuring an appealing protagonist, Martin Bridge, the stories are “slice-of-life” adventures in the life of a young boy at home and at school.

In Martin Bridge Onwards and Upwards, Martin’s summer vacation has a rather lonely start when his two best friends are grounded for accidentally damaging an ice cream truck. His mother has a new electronic keyboard, and it seems (to Martin) that she’s always practising on it, with no time for anything or anyone else. Then Laila Moffat – a keener and a know-it-all – joins the Junior Badgers and competes with Martin for badges.

Eventually, Martin learns how to deal with each of these situations, and with his feelings and reactions.

The Martin Bridge stories are entirely realistic and often humorous. In a light-hearted, appealing fashion, they deal with normal, everyday emotions, helping young readers “to recognize and accept our less-than-perfect selves”, while at the same time showing how we can help and improve ourselves too.

** Recommended for ages 7 to 10 years.

NOTE: Meet the author of the Martin Bridge stories, Jessica Scott Kerrin, who will visit the Stratford Public Library on Tuesday May 8 at 9:30 am (library auditorium) during Canadian Children’s Book Week (May 5-12). Her presentation will be free of charge and everyone is welcome.


These reviews appeared in The Stratford Gazette on May 3, 2012. Written by Sally Hengeveld, Librarian.

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Looking for a Summer Job?

Are you a student looking for a job for this summer? SPL is looking for a Summer Program Coordinator.


Here are the details:

The successful candidate will be responsible for the design, marketing and implementation of imaginative and stimulating summer programs for all ages and stages.

The successful candidate will have completed at least one year of an Early Childhood Education / Bachelor of Education degree or diploma and / or have comparable skills or experience. The candidate must also intend to return to full time schooling.

Candidates should demonstrate organizational skills and be able to work with minimal supervision. Knowledge of children's literature and previous programming experience would be assets.

This is a 13 week, full time position (35 hours per week) running May 28– August 24, 2012. The salary is $14.20/hour. This position is dependent on funding from the federal government.

Please apply in writing or by e-mail by Wednesday May 2, 2012 to:

Anne Marie Heckman, Community Services Coordinator
Stratford Public Library
19 St. Andrew Street
Stratford, ON
N5A 1A2
Fax: 519-271-3843
aheckman@pcin.on.ca

We thank all applicants for your interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please.

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