In our grown-up department we have added these great titles:

Shakespeare in Charge: The Bard’s Guide to Leading and Succeeding on the Business Stage by Norman Augustine and Kenneth Adelman. 
Organizing for the Creative Person by Dorothy Lehmkuhl and Dorothy Cotter Lamping. 
More Plums in One by Janet Evanovich (Three Stephanie Plum novels together in one volume.
Misfortune by Wesley Stace

For our Young Adults try one of these titles:

Zap: a play by Paul Fleischman
Roots of Wisdom by Hong Yingming
The Landing: a novel by John Ibbitson
The  Door of No Return by Sarah Muss.

We also have some great titles for our junior readers:

Remember the Bridge: Poems of a people by Carole Boston Weatherford
Pop Bottle Science by Lynn Brunell
Deep Down Popular by Phoebe Stone
Angel Girl by Laurie Friedman

For our youngest readers or listeners:

Kings and Queens of the Bible by Mary Hoffman and Christina Balit
Before John was a Jazz Giant: a Song of John Coltrane by Carole Boston Weatherford
The Library Ghost by Carole Boston Weatherford
That Book Woman by Heather Henson.

I just finished a work of non-fiction  which gave me better insight on how refugees from a war could live during such atrocities.  The title is German Boy by Wolfgang Samuel.  As the title suggests, he lived in Germany during World War II, detailing how his mother, sister, grandparents, and neighbors survived during the last years of the war and the years that followed.  Sparing no details, it is a gruesome look at refugee life, told through the voice of a child who had to grow up quickly.  Sometimes, you want to put the book down because of the inhumanity to man that is depicted.  The Russian conquest of the eastern part of Germany is the worst. 

The outcomes of all the trials and tribulations turn out for the better.  Wolfgang is saved many times by the people around him, yet endures things a child should never have to even dream about.  They all make him a stronger individual who, in later life, served his adopted country, the United States of America.

Congratulations to Barack Obama our 44th President

If you would like to read more about our new president stop by and pick up one of our selections

Obama: From Promise to Power by David Mendell ; Barack Obama: the Politics of Hope by Will Davis ; Dreams From My Father: a Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama; The Faith of Barack Obama by Stephen Mansfield or Barack Obama: an American Story by Roberta Edwards.

We also have a DVD video: Barack Obama

These are just a few of the many books in our collection on Barack Obama.  These will probably be checked out quickly so visit us soon.

I always like movie trailers, the suspense of the clips that entice you to go watch the movie when it comes out.  I like to read the story the movie was based on before I go see it.  Such is the case of “The Tale of Despareaux” by Kate DiCamillo, YA SF DiC.

The unlikely hero, a mouse with big ears, wants to be more than his small stature will allow him to be.  He falls in love with a princess, which is not what mice should do, obviously.  The mouse council, which his father is on, punish Desperaux, sentencing him to face the rats.  I don’t want to go into the story anymore, but I will say the trailers for the movie have nothing to do with the book.  Always, always, always read the book first.  There was no chapter that had a cat in it, like the movie clips suggested.  Desperaux was never in school in the book. 

I still plan to go see the movie, but I am sure the book is better. 

If you’ve been by the Library yesterday or today, you may have noticed that our flag is at half-staff. Governor Kaine ordered all flags in Virginia be lowered in memory of Charles W. ”Bunny” Glenn, Jr. He represented Lexington, Buena Vista, Bedford, Rocky Mount, Rockbridge, and Franklin in  the House of Delegates from 1963 to 1978. He died on Tuesday and will be buried on Thursday in Richmond. His obituary is online now.

If you would like to watch President-Elect Obama’s Inauguration today but are planning to be in the Village, please come to the Library. We will be streaming it via a webcast in the meeting room.

While you are here, please feel free to borrow one of the many books that we have on our new president. We have a selection from many different viewpoints as well as a DVD biography of him.