]]> Sharyn Heili, Youth Services Sat, 14 Jul 2012 10:55:39 GMT http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=1769&BlogID=112&BlogPostID=11124 Purchase Suggestion form whenever you discover we don’t own a specific item or items of a particular topic or genre.

Purchase suggestions may be made in person or online at www.mcpl.us/account/suggest

Your input is always appreciated, and if we buy the item you’ve suggested, we will set it aside and contact you when it’s ready to pick up at the MCPL location of your choice!

(from the MCPL Newsletter, May-July 2012)

]]> Ben Krombholz / MCPL Customer Services Tue, 22 May 2012 17:36:39 GMT http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=1769&BlogID=112&BlogPostID=11044 Sadly,  well-known children’s author and illustrator, Maurice Sendak, recently died at age 83.  Fortunately for all children, and everyone who loves children’s literature,  he left us so many wonderful, unforgettable  books to enjoy over and over again.

Sendak’s more than 50 works have evoked praise and criticism, sometimes both for the same books.  His best-loved work, Where the Wild Things Are, was also criticized for being too scary for children, and his Caldecott Honor book, In the Night Kitchen, was frequently challenged or banned for the depiction of a nude child. 

His recently published book Bumble Ardy is about an orphaned pig and his birthday party.  My Brother’s Book, a new poetry book inspired by his brother Jack, is scheduled for publication in February 2013.

Check-out his books @ your local MCPL and share them again and again with your children and grandchildren.

{{2012-05-20}}

]]> Sharyn Heili, Youth Services Tue, 08 May 2012 15:00:44 GMT http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=1769&BlogID=112&BlogPostID=10875 From picture books to easy readers to older children's fiction, the staff at MCPL-Wausau list their favorite children's books!

]]> Marissa in Children's Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:17:15 GMT http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=1769&BlogID=112&BlogPostID=10725

These books are on my e-reader and in my book bag. I heartily recommend all of them. If you can suspend reality for a while you will enjoy these fun, absorbing adventures. Happy reading!

Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey -- In 1192 A.D. on Wilde Island, Tess, the daughter of a cruel blacksmith, is accused of witchcraft and must flee, but when she meets a handsome and enigmatic warden of Dragonswood who offers her shelter, she does not realize that he too harbors a secret that may finally bring about peace among the races of dragon, human, and fairy. Janet Lee Carey definitely knows how to tell a story; you won’t be disappointed.

Dragon's Keep by Janet Lee Carey -- In 1145 A.D., as foretold by Merlin, fourteen-year-old Rosalind, who will be the twenty-first Pendragon Queen of Wilde Island, has much to accomplish to fulfill her destiny, while hiding from her people the dragon's claw she was born with that reflects only one of her mother's dark secrets. This companion novel to Dragonswood, was named the best book of the year by the American Library Association and School Library Journal. This enthralling story of a girl searching for her identity will keep you turning pages and perhaps rooting for the dragons. This is a wonderful story for teens and adults.

Earwig and the Witch by Diana Wynne Jones -- Although an orphan, Earwig has always enjoyed living at St. Morwald's, where she manages to make everyone do her bidding, but when she is taken in by foster parents who are actually a witch and a demon, she has a hard time trying to turn the situation to her advantage. This plucky heroine’s story is a fun read.

Fateful by Claudia Gray -- When seventeen-year-old Tess Davies, a ladies' maid, meets handsome Alec Marlow aboard the RMS Titanic, she quickly becomes entangled in the dark secrets of his past, but her growing love puts her in mortal peril even before fate steps in. This timely read will appeal to fans of the Downton Abbey series and those interested in stories about the RMS Titanic.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate -- When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life. This tender story will capture your heart and perhaps leave you thinking more about our relationship to other living creatures; a story for all ages.

The Other Felix by Keir Graff -- Worrying about his father losing his job and the bully at school, fourth-grader Felix has terrifying dreams of the same monster-filled place every night until he meets someone there who looks and sounds strangely familiar. This story may help children facing similar challenges.

]]> Sharyn Heili, Librarian Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:18:04 GMT http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=1769&BlogID=112&BlogPostID=10494

Castles, wizards, witches, dragons, ogres, knights, princesses, adventure, mystery--all of my favorite ingredients blended into wonderful stories that hook me every time. Here are a few flights into fantasy that have kept me up late at night turning pages.

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens -- Kate, Michael, and Emma have passed from one orphanage to another in the ten years since their parents disappeared to protect them, but now they learn that they have special powers, a prophesied quest to find a magical book, and a fearsome enemy.

Ogre of Oglefort by Diane Stanley -- When the Hag of Dribble, an orphan boy, and a troll called Ulf are sent to rescue a princess from an ogre, it turns out to be far from the routine magical mission they expect.

The Silver Bowl by Eva Ibbotson -- From the age of seven when she became scullery maid in a castle, Molly has seen visions of the future which, years later, lead her and friend Tobias on an adventure to keep Alaric, the heir to the throne, safe from a curse.

A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine -- Twelve-year-old Elodie journeys to Two Castles in hopes of studying acting but instead becomes apprentice to a dragon, who teaches her to be observant and use reasoning, thus helping her to uncover who is poisoning the king.

Thomas and the Dragon Queen by Shutta Crum -- When the princess is kidnapped by a dragon queen, thirteen-year-old Thomas, a new--and very small--squire-in-training boldly sets out on a quest to rescue her.

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George -- Eleven-year-old Princess Celie lives with her parents, the king and queen, and her brothers and sister at Castle Glower, which adds rooms or stairways or secret passageways most every Tuesday, and when the king and queen are ambushed while travelling, it is up to Celie--the castle's favorite--with her secret knowledge of its never-ending twists and turns, to protect their home and save their kingdom.

]]> Sharyn Heili, Youth Services Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:21:45 GMT http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=1769&BlogID=112&BlogPostID=10426 The nominations are in for the 2012 Academy Awards, and it's worth noting that several of the nominated films were based on books! We've listed these books below for your consideration. While you wait for the Oscar winners to be chosen and announced on February 26, you may want to check out and read your favorite film's literary counterpart!

Moneyball by Michael Lewis -- Billy Beane, the Oakland A's general manager, is leading a revolution. Reinventing his team on a budget, he needs to outsmart the richer teams. He signs undervalued players whom the scouts consider flawed but who have a knack for getting on base, scoring runs, and winning games. Moneyball is a quest for the secret of success in baseball and a tale of the search for new baseball knowledge-insights that will give the little guy who is willing to discard old wisdom the edge over big money.

The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings -- Matthew King was once considered one of the most fortunate men in Hawaii. His missionary ancestors were financially and culturally progressive-one even married a Hawaiian princess, making Matt a royal descendant and one of the state's largest landowners. Now his luck has changed. His two daughters are out of control, and his charismatic, thrill-seeking, high-maintenance wife, Joanie, lies in a coma after a boat-racing accident and will soon be taken off life support. The Kings can hardly picture life without her, but as they come to terms with this tragedy, their sadness is mixed with a sense of freedom that shames them-and spurs them into surprising actions. A memorable journey that leads to both painful revelations and unforeseen humor and growth.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carre -- A modern masterpiece in which le Carre expertly creates a total vision of a secret world,Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy begins George Smiley's chess match of wills and wits with Karla, his Soviet counterpart.It is now beyond doubt that a mole, implanted decades ago by Moscow Centre, has burrowed his way into the highest echelons of British Intelligence. His treachery has already blown some of its most vital operations and its best networks. It is clear that the double agent is one of its own kind. But which one? George Smiley is assigned to identify him. And once identified, the traitor must be destroyed.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer -- Jonathan Safran Foer emerged as one of the most original writers of his generation with his best-selling debut novel, Everything Is Illuminated. Now, with humor, tenderness, and awe, he confronts the traumas of our recent history. Nine-year-old Oskar Schell has embarked on an urgent, secret mission that will take him through the five boroughs of New York. His goal is to find the lock that matches a mysterious key that belonged to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11. This seemingly impossible task will bring Oskar into contact with survivors of all sorts on an exhilarating, affecting, often hilarious, and ultimately healing journey.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett -- Aibileen is a black maid in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, who's always taken orders quietly, but lately she's unable to hold her bitterness back. Her friend Minny has never held her tongue but now must somehow keep secrets about her employer that leave her speechless. White socialite Skeeter just graduated college. She's full of ambition, but without a husband, she's considered a failure. Together, these seemingly different women join together to write a tell-all book about work as a black maid in the South, that could forever alter their destinies and the life of a small town...

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson -- The disappearance forty years ago of Harriet Vanger, a young scion of one of the wealthiest families in Sweden, gnaws at her octogenarian uncle, Henrik Vanger. He is determined to know the truth about what he believes was her murder. He hires crusading journalist Mikael Blomkvist, recently at the wrong end of a libel case, to get to the bottom of Harriet's disappearance. Lisbeth Salander, a twenty-four-year-old, pierced, tattooed genius hacker, possessed of the hard-earned wisdom of someone twice her age--and a terrifying capacity for ruthlessness--assists Blomkvist with the investigation. This unlikely team discovers a vein of nearly unfathomable iniquity running through the Vanger family, an astonishing corruption at the highest echelon of Swedish industrialism--and a surprising connection between themselves.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick -- Caldecott Honor artist Brian Selznick's lavishly illustrated debut novel is a cinematic tour de force not to be missed! Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo -- In 1914, Joey, a beautiful bay-red foal with a distinctive cross on his nose, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western Front. With his officer, he charges toward the enemy, witnessing the horror of the battles in France. But even in the desolation of the trenches, Joey's courage touches the soldiers around him and he is able to find warmth and hope. But his heart aches for Albert, the farmer's son he left behind. Will he ever see his true master again?

Albert Nobbs by George Moore -- Set in a posh hotel in nineteenth-century Dublin, Albert Nobbs is the story of an unassuming waiter hiding a shocking secret. Forced one night to share his bed with an out-of-town laborer, Albert Nobbs' carefully constructed facade nearly implodes when the stranger disovers his true identity-that he's actually a woman. Forced by this revelation to look himself in the mirror, Albert sets off in a desperate pursuit of companionship and love, a search he's unwilling to abandon so long as he's able to preserve his fragile persona at the same time. A tale of longing and romance, Albert Nobbs is a moving and startlingly frank gender-bending tale about the risks of being true to oneself.

{{2012-02-26}}

]]> Ben Krombholz / MCPL Customer Services Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:03:04 GMT http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=1769&BlogID=112&BlogPostID=10370 On Saturday, January 21 @MCPL Wausau we are celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the publication of the children’s picture book, The Snowy Day, authored and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats (1916-1983).  In 1963 Keats received the Caldecott award for his illustrations in The Snowy Day, published in 1962.  This award is given annually to an artist of the most distinguished American Picture Book for Children published in the previous year. 

The Snowy Day was one of the first children’s picture books to feature an African American child as the main character.  It is the story of a boy named Peter experiencing the simple enjoyment of the first snowfall.

The Snowy Day Anniversary Party starts at 10:30 with a special family storytime featuring The Snowy Day and other books by Ezra Jack Keats.  Following the stories will be snowy crafts, treats, and a movie highlighting 6 of Keats’ books and information about the author/illustrator.

Please join us on Saturday, January 21 at 10:30 for this fun family event @MCPL Wausau.

{{2012-22-01}}

]]> Sharyn Heili, Librarian Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:51:48 GMT