Daniel Boone Regional Library

April is National Poetry Month, and the Academy of American Poets has provided a list of 30 ways to celebrate, one for each day of the month. (Who says poets can’t do math?) I especially like the suggestion to buy a book of poems for your library, but I may have a slight bias. Most of the ideas are free and many are simple – chalk a poem onto the sidewalk, pack a poem with your lunch. Here’s one I’ve already done: sign up to receive a poem a day in your email.  Don’t forget to wear something with pockets for Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 18.

Resources for poetry enthusiasts are as “plentiful as the grass that grows.”* Here are a few:

Wanting to find a favorite verse from your past? Try searching for it in the Litfinder database. In addition to literary works, Litfinder includes analyses of works and information about the authors.

Many folks would like to develop an appreciation for poetry but feel intimidated by it. Molly Peacock removes the fear factor in her book “How to Read a Poem…and Start a Poetry Circle.”

“Poetry on Record” provides an enriching listening experience and a good overview of English-language poetry from 1888 to the 21st century.

Perhaps you’ve enjoyed reading poetry so much you want to compose some of your own. “Writing Poems” by Michelle Boisseau will get you started, and keep you going.

Poets who are ready for a challenge should consider signing up for NaPoWriMo, National Poetry Writing Month.  The goal is to write a poem each day in April.

A nice cap to the month of celebration will be the Youth Poetry Awards Ceremony at 6 pm on April 25 at the Callaway County Public Library.

*from a traditional Irish verse

We recently added “Fast, Cheap & Out of Control” to the DBRL collection. The film by director Errol Morris was an award winner from 1997 and currently has a rating of 90% from critics at Rotten Tomatoes. Here’s a synopsis from our catalog:

Acclaimed filmmaker Errol Morris paints a fascinating portrait of four obsessed eccentrics. Morris weaves interviews with a wild animal trainer, a topiary gardener, a robot designer and an expert on the naked mole rat together with old movies, cartoons and stock footage for a compelling, kaleidoscopic look at the very thin line which separates madness from genius.

Check out the film trailer or the official film site for more info.

“What is Sorry Charlie Day?” you may be asking. A perfectly legitimate question considering most of us have never heard of this “holiday.” According to “Chase’s Calendar of Events,” April first is a day where we celebrate how we’ve all been rejected before, accept it as a natural part of life and then rejoice in the fact that something better usually comes along. With this being almost two months after Valentine’s Day, I think the holiday is aptly placed. Here are a few titles from the library’s collection you might check out to observe Sorry Charlie Day.

“He’s Just Not That Into You” by Greg Behrendt is a great collection of advice for women having trouble recognizing rejection from the opposite sex. It’s straightforward and a little crude at times, but this book doesn’t beat around the bush. Directness is the whole point as Behrendt explains, without any platitudes, why you’re getting the boot.

In fiction, we have Jane Austen’s “Persuasion,” the classic tale of a young woman rejecting the man she really loves when persuaded to do so by her family. If you prefer more contemporary fiction, then try “The Discreet Pleasures of Rejection” by Martin Page, a witty and quick read about being rejected without knowing why, quite literally! The main character is rejected by a woman he has never met or spoken with and wonders what this says about him as a sane person.

Of course, we all know that rejection isn’t totally about romantic relationships. There are some wonderful books on other kinds of rejections. “Other People’s Rejection Letters” by Bill Shapiro collects real life rejection letters that will make you feel much better about whatever situation you’re in. After all, it could be worse – you could be a writer like Laura Resnick, who describes in “Rejection, Romance, and Royalties” the hard times and disappointments of being (or attempting to be) a professional writer.

In short, celebrate Sorry Charlie Day this April with your library and feel good about the fact that in order for something better to come along, you’ve got to get let down a lot first.

Teen Game Night
Friday, April 19 › 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Southern Boone County Public Library

Challenge your friends to a game on our new Wii or to a board game tournament. We’ll have various games available as well as supplies for an art project. Refreshments provided. Please enter through the back door. Ages 12 and older. To register, please call (573) 657-7378. Sign-up begins Friday, April 5. 

If you’re into gaming, don’t forget that that Columbia Public Library will be hosting a Wii U Launch Party this Wednesday, April 3. Call (573) 443-3161 to sign-up. This event is also for teens ages 12 and older.

I get it already.  I do.  Seriously, I do not need to read one more book about painfully detailed wardrobes and how the main character just can’t decide between those two boys, and thinking is hard, and oh gee whiz, she chipped a nail. I mean, I like painting my nails, but give me a break.

No, on second thought, give me some strong ladies.  I want to read books about women making hard choices and doing it well.  I want to see a girl save the day.  I want to see a woman find her happiness without the aid of some significant other.

I want characters I can respect like “Sabriel“ who travels into Death to rescue her father, a necromancer.  Is she prepared?  Not really.  Is it scary and dangerous?  Oh, yeah.  But, she does what she has to and she does it without much help.

Beatrice in “Divergent” leaves her family, her home, her friends and everything she has ever known because she needs to be true to herself.  She needs to find what will make her happy, not what everyone expects from her.

D.J. in “Five Flavors of Dumb” is a deaf teen struggling to fit in at her hearing school, manage a rock band, AND get into college even though her parents stole her college fund.

In my search, I have collected a pretty good list.  Hopefully everyone can find something that appeals to the hero in all of us.

I get it already.  I do.  Seriously, I do not need to read one more book about painfully detailed wardrobes and how the main character just can’t decide between those two boys, and thinking is hard, and oh gee whiz, she chipped a nail. I mean, I like painting my nails, but give me a break.

No, on second thought, give me some strong ladies.  I want to read books about women making hard choices and doing it well.  I want to see a girl save the day.  I want to see a woman find her happiness without the aid of some significant other.

I want characters I can respect like “Sabriel“ who travels into Death to rescue her father, a necromancer.  Is she prepared?  Not really.  Is it scary and dangerous?  Oh, yeah.  But, she does what she has to and she does it without much help.

Beatrice in “Divergent” leaves her family, her home, her friends and everything she has ever known because she needs to be true to herself.  She needs to find what will make her happy, not what everyone expects from her.

D.J. in “Five Flavors of Dumb” is a deaf teen struggling to fit in at her hearing school, manage a rock band, AND get into college even though her parents stole her college fund.

In my search, I have collected a pretty good list.  Hopefully everyone can find something that appeals to the hero in all of us.

“Let’s go fly a kite
Up to the highest height!
Let’s go fly a kite
And send it soaring.
Up through the atmosphere
Up where the air is clear
Oh, let’s go fly a kite!”

Do you remember this song from the movie “Mary Poppins”? It occurs right at the end of the film when the newly harmonized Banks family skips off to fly kites together with the throngs of other kite-flyers at a local park. As a kid it was a magical moment for me to see a whole flock of diamond-shaped paper kites bobbing about in the blue sky over London.

I mention this scene because I was reminded of it when I discovered that April is National Kite Month. I have to admit that when trolling the Internet for kite photos I found some pretty fantastical modern kites that make those Mary Poppins kites look rather dull, but since the movie depicts kites circa 1910, it’s okay.  They didn’t have brightly colored rip-stop nylon fabrics and aluminum and fiberglass rods to produce kites back then.

Early kites were fashioned from lightweight silk or paper fixed to flexible bamboo frames.  Although it isn’t known for certain, it is commonly believed that kites originated in China about 2,000 years ago and then spread west across Asia and into Europe. Kites were first used for military purposes, which included signaling and enemy observation. Later they aided in scientific research by raising meteorological instruments and cameras into the sky for data collection. Being our earliest form of aircraft (even if tethered to the earth by a line), they were instrumental in helping the Wright brothers design airplanes. Once airplanes assumed the military and scientific tool role that kites had held, kite-flying became largely a recreational activity.

How lucky for us that we can enjoy this whimsical pastime, which doubles as a visual art experience, since many contemporary kite designs are modern art sculptures. Yes, art that flies! Of course, you can purchase a kite or you can make your own if you’re feeling crafty and adventuresome. Here at DBRL we have books that instruct in kite-making, from the simple to the more complex. If you want to join others in this activity and live in the Columbia area, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department is sponsoring a Kite Flying Day on April 6.  Shake off any last vestiges of heavy winter from your psyche – head out into the warmer weather and let the April winds lift your spirits with along with your kite.

April 3: “Bully” 8:00 p.m. at  Wrench Auditorium, free. (via)
April 4: “El Vador”5:30 p.m. at Ragtag, free. (via)

Be sure to register online by Friday, April 5 if you plan to take the May 4 SAT exam. If you would like to know more about testing costs, locations, and resources to help you prepare, check out our SAT Test Prep guide. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our blog updates for regular email reminders of upcoming SAT and ACT registration deadlines!

Director Morgan Neville’s film “Twenty Feet From Stardom” was a hit at the True False Film Fest last month. Check out other documentaries he’s directed that are available at DBRL:

“Troubadours: The Rise of the Singer-songwriter” (2011)

This PBS American masters documentary recounts the beginning of the singer-songwriter movement in the 1960s and 1970s focusing on the collaboration between Carole King and James Taylor and their performances at the Troubadour club in West Hollywood, Calif.

“Search and Destroy: Iggy and the Stooges’ Raw Power” (2010)

Six fans were selected to film Iggy & the Stooges’ legendary September 3, 2010 reunion at the All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival. Experience the fans’ journey and joy as they witness a classic performance and meet their heroes face to face.

“Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story” (2007)

With rare performances, previously unreleased home movies and new recordings, this is the first comprehensive look at Stax Records, the greatest soul label of all time. Provides first-hand accounts from Isaac Hayes, Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Mavis Staples, and many more.

“Shakespeare Was A Big George Jones Fan” (2005)

“Cowboy” Jack Clement has written songs and produced albums for some of the biggest names in music: Johnny Cash, U2, Jerry Lee Lewis and Louis Armstrong. He’s also filmed endless home movies, collected in this documentary for the first time.

“Muddy Waters: Can’t be Satisfied” (2003)

Examines the life of bluesman Muddy Waters, who was born the son of a sharecropper in the Mississippi Delta, but later moved to Chicago and became a legendary performer who established the electric blues sound. Includes interviews as well as archival interviews and concert footage.

Editor’s note: This review was submitted by a library patron during the 2012 Adult Summer Reading program. We will continue to periodically share the best of these reviews throughout the year. Many thanks to all of those who participated!

Writers on child development are fond of pointing out that children are born scientists – experimenting with the empirical world from the moment of birth on. But what if children are also born theologians? Justin Barrett, PhD, presents the results of recent research in his well-organized, well-referenced book, “Born Believers: The Science of Children’s Religious Belief.” He makes a convincing case that young children are cognitively predisposed to see agency and purpose in the world and that these two beliefs naturally unfold into a belief in supernatural beings (e.g., God or gods). This provides the skeleton that subsequently gets fleshed out with formal religious belief (some of which runs counter to the natural theology to which children’s minds are predisposed – the idea that God is outside time and space, for example, seems to be a hard one for children to grasp.  Adults, too, for that matter).  

He argues that a sense of the numinous is a natural capacity in human children, just as language is a natural ability, but one that requires rich exposure during a window in development in order to develop naturally. Accordingly, he gives advice about how to nurture the religious development of children in early childhood. Just to balance things out, he gives advice on how to nurture the development of an atheist tot as well, should that be the parents’ desire. These sections of the book are not as well-grounded in the empirical data, and occasionally I disagreed with his recommendations.  Still, this book made me think throughout, and I gained new insights at several points along the way.

Three words or phrases that describe this book: Thought-provoking, persuasive, research-based

You might want to pick this book up if: you have an interest in theology and/or child development.

-Elizabeth K.

Three months of reading and preparation have led to this moment: the announcement of our teen book tournament finalists! Thank you to all the students who have shared their favorites with us. So far, we’ve collected over 180 ballots from dozens of area teens. With each round teens have voted, their name has been entered into a drawing for a free Barnes & Noble gift card, or an autographed copy of “Legend” by Marie Lu! Prize winners will be announced on  next Wednesday, April 3 when we announce our tournament champion. 

March Madness Teen Book Tournament Finalists

1. “Mockingjay” by Suzanne Collins
2. “Divergent” by Veronica Roth

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite title by Monday, April 1 at 5 p.m. You may vote online at teens.dbrl.org or pick up a paper ballot at one of our three branch locations. 

We recently added “Girl Model” to the DBRL collection. The film is playing this week on the PBS series POV and currently has a rating of 93% from critics at Rotten Tomatoes. Directors David Redmon and Ashley Sabin, who also directed “Mardi Gras: Made in China“ and “Kamp Katrina,” showed the film on the MU campus in February of 2012. Here’s a synopsis from our catalog:

Follows an American modeling scout as she seeks new talent in Siberia and attempts to find work for 13-year-old Nadya Vall in Tokyo’s modeling industry, which favors young girls.

Check out the film trailer or the official film site for more info.

80 years ago this March, the original 1933 film “King Kong” debuted at Radio City in New York. I’ve recently had the pleasure of checking out and listening to the audiobook “Merian C. Cooper’s King Kong” by Joe Devito and Brad Strickland, an expansion of Cooper’s original story. This audiobook is different from many others in that each character is voiced by a different actor. Instead of hearing a single reader throughout the adventure, you have a soft, gentle voice of a woman speaking Ann Darrow’s lines (and screaming them) and a rough, no-nonsense sailor as Jack Driscoll. There’s even music and sound added for effect! Listening to this audiobook is like experiencing an old-fashioned radio drama.

And man! Talk about a story! There have been not one, not two, but three movies based on this fantastic adventure tale, retold through the lens of the times. From the original by Merian C. Cooper himself in 1933 to Peter Jackson’s period piece in 2005, each retelling has everything from love and terror to, finally, destruction.

Here are a few things you might not know about King Kong. Kong is often depicted as a huge gorilla, but in the original story (as adapted by authors Joe Devito and Brad Strickland in this audiobook), Kong is really a primal giant! He is described as something beyond beast but before man and just as vulnerable to beauty as any creature. The descriptions in the book lend themselves to paint Kong as something of a missing link between man and ape, which is probably why the movie producers took the particular liberties that they did. Also, Kong can be read as a metaphor for slavery. White men come to a remote island, capture Kong and bring him to America chained at the bottom of the boat.

Celebrate Kong’s anniversary yourself by listening to the audiobook or learning more about Kong’s creator Merian C. Cooper in the biography “Living Dangerously,” by Mark Cotta Vaz.

80 years ago this March, the original 1933 film “King Kong” debuted at Radio City in New York. I’ve recently had the pleasure of checking out and listening to the audiobook “Merian C. Cooper’s King Kong” by Joe Devito and Brad Strickland, an expansion of Cooper’s original story. This audiobook is different from many others in that each character is voiced by a different actor. Instead of hearing a single reader throughout the adventure, you have a soft, gentle voice of a woman speaking Ann Darrow’s lines (and screaming them) and a rough, no-nonsense sailor as Jack Driscoll. There’s even music and sound added for effect! Listening to this audiobook is like experiencing an old-fashioned radio drama.

And man! Talk about a story! There have been not one, not two, but three movies based on this fantastic adventure tale, retold through the lens of the times. From the original by Merian C. Cooper himself in 1933 to Peter Jackson’s period piece in 2005, each retelling has everything from love and terror to, finally, destruction.

Here are a few things you might not know about King Kong. Kong is often depicted as a huge gorilla, but in the original story (as adapted by authors Joe Devito and Brad Strickland in this audiobook), Kong is really a primal giant! He is described as something beyond beast but before man and just as vulnerable to beauty as any creature. The descriptions in the book lend themselves to paint Kong as something of a missing link between man and ape, which is probably why the movie producers took the particular liberties that they did. Also, Kong can be read as a metaphor for slavery. White men come to a remote island, capture Kong and bring him to America chained at the bottom of the boat.

Celebrate Kong’s anniversary yourself by listening to the audiobook or learning more about Kong’s creator Merian C. Cooper in the biography “Living Dangerously,” by Mark Cotta Vaz.

The Gateway Readers Award honors a young adult book as selected by high school students, while the Truman Readers Award is chosen by junior high students. Even though these awards are administered by the Missouri Association of School Librarians (MASL), it is the responsibility of Missouri teens to choose the actual winner.  Based on circulation figures throughout our library system, DBRLTeen predicts that the following books will be recognized as this year’s top titles:

Predicted Gateway Readers Award winners:

• First Place: “Ship Breaker” by Paolo Bacigalupi
• Second Place: “Rot and Ruin” by Jonathan Maberry
• Third Place: “Before I Fall” by Lauren Oliver

Predicted Truman Readers Award winners:

• First Place: “The Grimm Legacy” by Polly Shulman
• Second Place: “Virals” by Kathy Reichs
• Third Place: “Girl, Stolen” by April Henry

The actual award winners will be announced at the MASL Spring Conference in mid-April.  Subscribe to our email updates to have the results delivered directly to your inbox!

The Gateway Readers Award honors a young adult book as selected by high school students, while the Truman Readers Award is chosen by junior high students. Even though these awards are administered by the Missouri Association of School Librarians (MASL), it is the responsibility of Missouri teens to choose the actual winner.  Based on circulation figures throughout our library system, DBRLTeen predicts that the following books will be recognized as this year’s top titles:

Predicted Gateway Readers Award winners:

• First Place: “Ship Breaker” by Paolo Bacigalupi
• Second Place: “Rot and Ruin” by Jonathan Maberry
• Third Place: “Before I Fall” by Lauren Oliver

Predicted Truman Readers Award winners:

• First Place: “The Grimm Legacy” by Polly Shulman
• Second Place: “Virals” by Kathy Reichs
• Third Place: “Girl, Stolen” by April Henry

The actual award winners will be announced at the MASL Spring Conference in mid-April.  Subscribe to our email updates to have the results delivered directly to your inbox!

The first time I learned about Earth Hour, I was in Portland, Oregon. My husband and I had had a nice evening stroll along the Willamette River and were returning to our hotel, tired but relaxed. Yet when the hotel appeared in our view, we immediately recognized that something was wrong. Seriously wrong. The multi-floor building was dark, and only the hotel lobby was illuminated.

“What’s going on?” I said. “Is this a power outage or a disaster-preparedness drill?”

“Probably the first,” my husband said. “All nearby hotels are dark, too!”

Concerned, we hurried to our hotel, but as we went through its revolving door and looked around, we immediately calmed down. The brightly lit lobby was decorated with colorful balloons. Several trays with sandwiches, soft drinks and cookies were placed here and there, and quite a few people sat around the tables, eating, talking and smiling, while a dozen kids gathered around the cookie tray.

“We’re observing Earth Hour,” a receptionist told us. “Would you like to join us?”

We did. We got some punch and my favorite chocolate chip cookies, and we joined a group sitting in the middle of the lobby. Everybody seemed friendly and talkative, the way people often are when they don’t have to hurry. They were from all over the country – some came for conferences or meetings, some for a visit, and some to tour the city and surrounding area. Nobody made them stay in the lobby, but instead of going to their rooms and turning on their TVs, these people chose to stay. And even though they didn’t talk about climate changes or negative effects we humans have on our planet, they showed their solidarity to the cause all the same.

That was several years ago. These days, I don’t have to travel to Portland to learn about environmental initiatives. In 2010, The City of Columbia opened its own Office of Sustainability responsible for spearheading efforts in making our community environmentally friendly. There you can learn about the city’s initiatives and also about many things we all can do to make mid-Missouri greener. And if you’d like to educate yourself even further, come to your local library. We offer information on a wide variety of environmental issues: greenhouse effect, climatic changes, sustainable living, renewable energy and more.

Still, as much as we’d like you to read our books, on Sunday, March 23, please turn off your lights between 8:30 and 9:30 and go for a walk. Better yet, invite your friends to join you, too! And if you’d like to extend your efforts beyond one hour, you have many opportunities to do so, including recycling, participating in an Earth Day celebration on April 22, planting a tree (that you receive from one of the library’s Arbor Day programs) or talking to your kids about why that is important. In the end, whatever you decide to do, keep in mind a Native American Proverb:

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”

March 25:  “Chasing Ice” 5:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. Forum 8. (via)
March 25 & 28: “Time Zero: The Last Year of Polaroid” 7:00 p.m. on the 25th and 5:00 p.m. on the 28th at Forum 8. (via)

Spring Break is only days away and DBRLTeen has some suggestions for a fun-filled vacation. Whether you are flying to a sunny beach somewhere, road tripping with the family, or just chillin’ at home, there is plenty of time to reconnect with your favorite books and authors. Personally, I’m looking forward to spending my Spring Break lounging on the couch and reading “The Clockwork Princess” by Cassandra Clare. While away from school, you might consider…

• checking out some of the contending titles in our March Madness Teen Book Tournament. Submit your vote for a chance to win a Barnes & Noble gift card, or a free autographed copy of “Legend” by Marie Lu!
• gathering your art supplies and designing an entry for the library’s Summer Reading Bookmark Contest.
• submitting a book review for publishing at teens.dbrl.org.
•  perusing some of our most popular booklists like “Books for Dudes” and “Teens’ Top Ten Winners.”
• downloading some of our most most popular teen titles as an eBook or audiobook for your iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad, Android, Nook, Kindle, or other mobile device.