Spotted around town: See you Saturday, 10am-3pm at the library!
Posted by: montclairlibrary | October 5, 2017
Book sale this Saturday
Posted in Events | Tags: Events, Fundraising, sales
Posted by: montclairlibrary | October 2, 2017
This week at Montclair Library: October 2-8, 2017
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
PAWS to Read with BARK Therapy Dogs – 1:30pm
New & practicing readers can read to Natasha, a certified therapy dog who loves listening to kids read. Reading to dogs can help increase kids’ reading confidence, skill and enjoyment.
Pop-Up TeenZone – 1:30-3:00pm
Teens, come hang out and share suggestions for serving you better! Stop on by to make something cool and to chat with your Teen Librarian about books, movies and more! October’s craft is washi tape notebooks.
Montclair Book Worms – 4:00-5:00pm
Do you like to read books and talk about them? Join the Montclair Library Book Worms and you’ll get to do just that! The Book Worms meet the first Wednesday of every month at 4pm. Snacks will be provided! Meetings last an hour. The books we read are aimed at fairly strong readers in 4th through 6th grades. For our October meeting, we will be discussing the 2017 Newbery Award winner, The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill. You can pick up a copy of it at the Montclair branch. Questions? Contact Sally: 510-482-7810 or sengelfried@oaklandlibrary.org
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Toddler Storytime – 10:15-10:50am
Songs, active rhymes and stories especially for ages 18 months to 3 years, followed by playtime! Make new friends and play with toys.
Baby Bounce – 11:30-11:50am
Play, sing and rhyme one on one with your baby from birth to 18 months, followed by playtime! Make new friends and play with toys.
Saturday, October 7, 2017
FOML Fall Book Sale – 10am-3pm
Find great deals on gently used books all day, plus our Teachers’ Special and the fill-a-bag deal at the end of the day.
Posted by: montclairlibrary | September 30, 2017
Hamlet 2.0
The Bay Area is having a bit of a “Hamlet” moment: San Francisco Shakespeare Festival’s Free Shakespeare in the Park is wrapping up its summer run of “Hamlet” this weekend with free shows in McClaren Park, and ACT is in the midst of a “Hamlet” run (through Oct. 15) – now is the perfect time to pick up a book inspired by Shakespeare’s classic tale of mortality and madness.
Authors have been borrowing Shakespeare’s (often themselves borrowed) plots for centuries, so it’s no surprise that, from “The Lion King” to “Sons of Anarchy,” “Hamlet’s” tale of a son seeking to avenge his father’s death is firmly entrenched in pop culture.
It’s especially fun to see authors spin off minor characters or change the story’s location or time period. Here are 9 books that play with “Hamlet’s” characters, plot and themes:
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard (822 ST735) – Stoppard’s “play expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the courtiers Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.” (Wikipedia)
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski (FIC WROBLEWSK) – Set in rural Wisconsin, this retelling features “a mute boy who, after his father is killed, runs away from but then returns to his usurped home, hoping to prove his suspicions that his uncle murdered his father.” (Wikipedia)
The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig (FIC HAIG) (not at Montclair) – Eleven-year-old Philip Noble learns from the ghost of his late father that his uncle, who has designs on Philip’s mother, murdered Philip’s father in order to get his hands on the family pub.
Gertrude and Claudius by John Updike (FIC UPDIKE) (not at Montclair) – Set before the action begins in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” this speculative novel follows the lives of Gertrude and Claudius, King and Queen of Denmark, as they wend their way towards adultery and treachery to ascend the throne.
Nutshell by Ian McEwan (FIC McEWAN) – The nine-month-old inhabitant of Trudy’s womb bears witness to a murder plot devised by Trudy and Claude, the brother of Trudy’s ex-husband.
Something Rotten (Thursday Next #4) by Jasper Fforde (SF FFORDE) (not at Montclair) – In the continued adventures of literary detective Thursday Next, Thursday returns from the BookWorld accompanied by Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.
The Steep And Thorny Way by Cat Winters (YA FIC WINTERS) (not at Montclair) – “A sixteen-year-old biracial girl in rural Oregon in the 1920s searches for the truth about her father’s death while avoiding trouble from the Ku Klux Klan in this YA historical novel inspired by Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’.” (Publisher)
A Wounded Name by Dot Hutchinson (YA FIC HUTCHISON) (not at Montclair) – A reimagining of the world and story of Hamlet–from Ophelia’s perspective and set in an American boarding school.
srsly Hamlet by William Shakespeare and Courtney Carbone – This one is only available through Link+, but the concept is too fun to pass up: “William Shakespeare’s tragedy told in the style of texts, tweets and status posts.” (Publisher)
And stay tuned: Gillian Flynn, author of the best-selling novel Gone Girl, is adapting “Hamlet” into “a novel about murder, betrayal, revenge and madness” for the Hogarth Shakespeare Project, according to the New York Times. The book is due out in 2021.
Posted in Just for Fun | Tags: booklist, Shakespeare
Posted by: montclairlibrary | September 29, 2017
The Princess Bride Turns 30
It’s almost inconceivable that “The Princess Bride” movie celebrated its 30th anniversary this month – the film was released in theaters on September 25, 1987.
The now-classic tale of swashbuckling romance pairs traditional fairy tale elements like a kidnapped princess, a gentle giant and “the second best sword-fighting sequence on film” with humor and memorable lines that have become part of pop culture.
If you love the movie and haven’t read the book yet, do yourself a favor and check out William Goldman’s 1973 novel right now: The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure, the “Good Parts” Version, Abridged by William Goldman (FIC GOLDMAN) (not at Montclair).
The new book The Dharma of “The Princess Bride”: What the Coolest Fairy Tale of Our Time Can Teach Us About Buddhism and Relationships by Ethan Nichtern (so new that OPL has ordered copies but they aren’t yet circulating – you can request it now) explores principles of Buddhist teachings through the lens of the iconic film, examining the concepts of friendship, romance and family, and how they are experienced by such characters as Buttercup, Fezzik and Westley.
And if you want the behind-the-scenes take on the making of the movie, and are willing to wade through some Hollywood back-patting to find the interesting bits, actor Cary Elwes’s first-person account of the making of the cult classic film is “filled with never-before-told stories, exclusive photographs and interviews with” cast and crew: As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales From the Making of “The Princess Bride” by Cary Elwes (791.4372 PRINCESS) (not at Montclair)
Lastly, here are a few more books that mix fairy tale elements with humor — stories about princesses, sword fights, mistaken identity and true love — fans of “The Princess Bride” might enjoy. These are mostly books for adults, with a few middle-grade books that fairy-tale-loving adults will enjoy thrown in:
Stardust by Neil Gaiman (YA SF GAIMAN) – Perhaps the most obvious parallel for The Princess Bride, Stardust also features magic, adventure and true loves separated by fate, as our young hero Tristran sets off to retrieve a fallen star.
The Robber Bridegroom by Eudora Welty (FIC WELTY) (not at Montclair) – Welty’s Southern folk tale about a gentleman bandit who kidnaps the fair Rosamund weaves together elements of Mississippi lore and a story from the Brothers Grimm.
The Silent Gondoliers: A Fable by S. Morgenstern by William Goldman (not in OPL – available through Link+) – Written in the form of a fable by the same mythical S. Morgenstern who wrote The Princess Bride, this story about the boatmen of Venice lets Goldman “satirize both the literary forms themselves and the modern values that are so humorously contrasted with the expected traditional values of fairy tales or fables.” (BookRags)
The Accidental Highwayman: Being the Tale of Kit Bristol, His Horse Midnight, a Mysterious Princess, and Sundry Magical Persons Besides by Ben Tripp (the book seems to be missing from OPL, but you can check out the ebook) – In this middle-grade novel set in 18th-century England, young Christopher “Kit” Bristol (in a Dread Pirate Roberts-like move) “takes on the persona of his dead master, the notorious highwayman Whistling Jack, who pledged a fairy he would rescue a feisty princess from an arranged marriage with King George III.”
The Color of Magic (Discworld 1) by Terry Pratchett (SF PRATCHETT) (not at Montclair) – “A slightly disorganized and somewhat naive interplanetary tourist joins up with a bumbling wizard and embarks on a chaotic voyage through a world filled with monsters and dragons, heroes and knaves, in the first novel in the Discworld series.”
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (J FIC HALE) – “On her way to marry a prince she’s never met, Princess Anidori is betrayed by her guards and her lady-in-waiting and must become a goose girl to survive until she can reveal her true identity and reclaim the crown that is rightfully hers.”
Posted in Just for Fun | Tags: booklist, fairy tales, movies
Posted by: montclairlibrary | September 25, 2017
This week at Montclair Library: September 25-October 2, 2017
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
PAWS to Read with BARK Therapy Dogs – 1:30pm
New & practicing readers can read to Natasha, a certified therapy dog who loves listening to kids read. Reading to dogs can help increase kids’ reading confidence, skill and enjoyment.
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Toddler Storytime – 10:15-10:50am
Songs, active rhymes and stories especially for ages 18 months to 3 years, followed by playtime! Make new friends and play with toys.
Baby Bounce – 11:30-11:50am
Play, sing and rhyme one on one with your baby from birth to 18 months, followed by playtime! Make new friends and play with toys.
Posted by: montclairlibrary | September 18, 2017
This week at Montclair Library: September 18-24, 2017
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
PAWS to Read with BARK Therapy Dogs – 1:30pm
New & practicing readers can read to Natasha, a certified therapy dog who loves listening to kids read. Reading to dogs can help increase kids’ reading confidence, skill and enjoyment.
Build, Craft, Create – 2:30-3:30pm
We’ll use art supplies and building materials and whatever else we can find to create something fun! Repeats every 2nd and 3rd Wednesday.
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Toddler Storytime – 10:15-10:50am
Songs, active rhymes and stories especially for ages 18 months to 3 years, followed by playtime! Make new friends and play with toys.
Baby Bounce – 11:30-11:50am
Play, sing and rhyme one on one with your baby from birth to 18 months, followed by playtime! Make new friends and play with toys.
Posted by: montclairlibrary | September 11, 2017
This week at Montclair Library: September 11-17, 2017
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Lawyers in the Library – 6:00-8:00pm
Free legal advice and referrals, second Tuesday of each month. Register by phone starting one week in advance at 510-482-7810. Volunteer lawyer leaves before 7pm if no more people are present.
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
PAWS to Read with BARK Therapy Dogs – 1:30pm
New & practicing readers can read to Natasha, a certified therapy dog who loves listening to kids read. Reading to dogs can help increase kids’ reading confidence, skill and enjoyment.
Build, Craft, Create – 2:30-3:30pm
We’ll use art supplies and building materials and whatever else we can find to create something fun! Repeats every 2nd and 3rd Wednesday.
Thursday, September 14, 2017
Toddler Storytime – 10:15-10:50am
Songs, active rhymes and stories especially for ages 18 months to 3 years, followed by playtime! Make new friends and play with toys.
Baby Bounce – 11:30-11:50am
Play, sing and rhyme one on one with your baby from birth to 18 months, followed by playtime! Make new friends and play with toys.
Saturday, September 16, 2017
Workshop on using e-Books & Other Library Apps – 3:00-5:00pm
Oakland Public Library offers a variety of e-books, audiobooks, e-magazines, music and streaming films for various devices, including iPads, iPods, smartphones, Kindles and more. Learn how to download a variety of digital content any time, to a computer or mobile device. Please bring your fully charged device if you can, your current library card, and all necessary passwords (library PIN number, Apple ID, Amazon password, etc.). This will be one-on-one help. 4 attendees maximum per hour, plus 2 on a wait list. (This workshop will be offered monthly.) Advance sign-up is required; please RSVP at 482-7810.
Posted by: montclairlibrary | September 4, 2017
This week at Montclair Library: September 4-10, 2017
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
LIBRARY CLOSED
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Pop Up Teen Zone – 1:30-3:00pm
Come hang out and share suggestions for serving you better! In September, we’ll be making origami fidget spinners! Come by to make your own and to chat with your Teen Librarian about books, movies and more!
Montclair Book Worms – 4:00-5:00pm
Do you like to read books and talk about them? Montclair Library Book Worms meet the first Wednesday of every month at 4pm to do just that! Snacks will be provided. For our September meeting, come ready to suggest possible books to read this year. You can pick up a copy of October’s book at the meeting. Books will be aimed at fairly strong readers in grades 4th through 6th. Questions? Contact Sally: 510-482-7810 or sengelfried@oaklandlibrary.org
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Toddler Storytime – 10:15-10:50am
Songs, active rhymes and stories especially for ages 18 months to 3 years, followed by playtime! Make new friends and play with toys.
Baby Bounce – 11:30-11:50am
Play, sing and rhyme one on one with your baby from birth to 18 months, followed by playtime! Make new friends and play with toys.
Saturday, September 9, 2017
LIBRARY CLOSED
Posted by: montclairlibrary | August 30, 2017
The Secret Life of Plants
If your garden at the end of summer has you wondering about the profusion of plant life you see around you, pick up one of these books about plants and botany. Geared towards non-scientists curious about the natural world, they cover the range from what’s going on inside a plant to how plants have shaped human civilization and history, with a dose of introspection and personal experience thrown in.
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren (570.92 JAHREN) – Geobiologist Jahren writes about her life and what she’s learned from and about trees, flowers, seeds and soil, “in prose that takes your breath away.”
The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan (306.45 POLLAN) (not at Montclair) – How the histories of apples, tulips, potatoes and pot are entwined with the history of humans, from the always insightful Pollan.
Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities by Amy Stewart (581.65 STEWART) (not at Montclair) – Alphabetically arranged entries on dangerous and illegal plants, including a tree that sheds poison daggers, a glistening red seed that stops the heart, a shrub that causes paralysis and a leaf that triggered a war.
Cultivating Delight: A Natural History of My Garden by Diane Ackerman (508 ACKERMAN) – Ackerman takes readers deep into her own garden, mixing science with lyrical, inspired writing to offer a sensory celebration of her encounter with the natural world.
The Cabaret of Plants: Forty Thousand Years of Plant Life and the Human Imagination by Richard Mabey (580 MABEY) – Going back to the beginnings of human history, Mabey shows how flowers, trees and plants have been central to human experience not just as sources of food and medicine but as objects of worship, actors in creation myths and symbols of war and peace, life and death.
A Garden of Marvels: How We Discovered that Flowers Have Sex, Leaves Eat Air, and Other Secrets of Plants by Ruth Kassinger (580.92 KASSINGER) (not at Montclair) – “A witty and engaging history of the first botanists interwoven with stories of today’s extraordinary plants found in the garden and the lab.” (Publisher)
The Triumph of Seeds: How Grains, Nuts, Kernels, Pulses, and Pips Conquered the Plant Kingdom and Shaped Human History by Thor Hanson (581.467 HANSON) (not at Montclair) – A guide to seeds that explains their importance to nature and humanity, describing their role in such events as the Age of Discovery, the American Civil War and the Industrial Revolution.
What a Plant Knows: A Field Guide to the Senses by Daniel Chamovitz (571.2 CHAMOVITZ) (not at Montclair) – Explores how a plant experiences the world.
The Brother Gardeners by Andrea Wulf (e-book) – The story of how six 18th century men like Carl Linnaeus and Joseph Banks created the modern garden and changed the horticultural world in the process.
(Wulf also wrote Founding Gardeners, which looks at the founding fathers from the perspective of their lives as gardeners and farmers.)
The Private Life of Plants by David Attenborough (OVERSIZE 581.5 ATTENBORO) – An intimate view of the multitude of miniature dramas that unfold as plants avoid predators, find food, increase their territory, reproduce and obtain sunlight.
Posted in Just for Fun | Tags: gardening, reading lists, science
Posted by: montclairlibrary | August 28, 2017
This week at Montclair Library: August 28-September 3, 2017
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
PAWS to Read with BARK Therapy Dogs – 1:30pm
New & practicing readers can read to Natasha, a certified therapy dog who loves listening to kids read. Reading to dogs can help increase kids’ reading confidence, skill and enjoyment.
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Toddler Storytime – 10:15-10:50am
Songs, active rhymes and stories especially for ages 18 months to 3 years, followed by playtime! Make new friends and play with toys.
Baby Bounce – 11:30-11:50am
Play, sing and rhyme one on one with your baby from birth to 18 months, followed by playtime! Make new friends and play with toys.
Friends of Montclair Library 