Michael Hall wrote and illustrated this book which features a square that embraces new possibilities for itself each day.
This is one of the ten titles nominated for the 2012 Ladybug Picture Book Award.
9/27/12
Ladybug Nominee Profile
Michael Hall wrote and illustrated this book which features a square that embraces new possibilities for itself each day.
This is one of the ten titles nominated for the 2012 Ladybug Picture Book Award.
9/26/12
Need books?
Check out the list on the Center for the Book's Library Book Sale page.
9/25/12
Andre Dubus III speaking in Manchester
On Thursday, September 27, 2012 beginning at 6:30pm author Andre Dubus III will be speaking at the NH Institute of Art as part of their Distinguished American Artists Discussing Art series.
"In this presentation, Andre will discuss his own experience with the creative process, which he feels is largely an act of humbling yourself to the craft, surrendering yourself completely to your work, and abandoning the fear of failure. He will share personal stories and anecdotes that will both entertain and inspire. This is a ticketed event. $20/ticket, $60 for the series. NHIA alumni receive a discounted rate. Free to NHIA students and faculty."
9/21/12
Ladybug Nominee Profile
Swirl by Swirl was written by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Beth Krommes, who lives in Peterborough, New Hampshire.
"This is one of those rare children's books that make you look at the physical world differently. "A spiral is a clever shape. It is graceful and strong," writes Newbery Honor artist Sidman (Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night), as she and Caldecott Medalist Krommes (The House in the Night) explore spirals found in nature. A spiral, Sidman decides, is nature's elegant solution in many respects: "It fits neatly in small places" (hence the sleeping position of burrow-dwelling animals), it offers protection and strength (the defensive curl of the porcupine), and it provides firm grasps (monkey's tail, elephant's trunk). But beyond these utilitarian advantages, spirals are beautiful-whether we see in them hints of infinity, the promise of unfolding potential, or the embodiment of mathematical perfection. This feast for thought is a visual banquet, as well: working in her signature scratchboard style and employing a gorgeous burnished palette, Krommes creates spiral-packed nature scenes that have a timeless, classic beauty. Whether she's portraying a tiny curled eastern chipmunk or a classic funnel tornado, it's clear that nature isn't the only master at work." (Publisher's Weekly)
The Joyce Sidman Poetry Kit has a lot of resources for educators using her poetry in the classroom and the Classroom Bookshelf has activities to go with this book.
This is one of the ten titles nominated for the 2012 Ladybug Picture Book Award.
9/19/12
Book of the Week #38
Charles Wheelan is an economist, probably best known for his book Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science, and graduated from Dartmouth in 1988. In 2011 he was invited to speak at Class Day at Dartmouth and this book is the speech he gave there. It is funny, it is true, it is full of much more useful advice than my commencement speakers offered.
- "At crucial points in life you may want to remind yourself, if I can resist ringing the bell now, I will get more marshmallows later." (p. 50)
- On marriage: "I am telling you that you are getting a professional teammate for life. So pick wisely." (p. 42)
- "Your parents don't want what is best for you. They want what is good for you, which is not always the same thing." (p. 90)
- "I try to ask myself, is the journey still worthwhile if the mountain turns out to be enshrouded in fog at the top?" (p. 106)
- "Don't try to be great. Just be solid." (p. 116)
9/13/12
Ladybug Nominee Profile
"A star is how you know it's almost night. As soon as you see one, there's another, and another. And the dark that comes doesn't feel so dark. What if you could have a star? From acclaimed author Mary Lyn Ray and two-time Caldecott Honor winner Marla Frazee comes this tender, evocative - and profound - exploration of stars both near and far." (publisher's summary)
The Preschool Express website has a lot of star-related crafts and activities for little kids. The McDonald Observatory has created classroom activities related to astronomy and other sciences, and the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center is a place you can visit here in N.H. to learn about the stars.
This is one of the ten titles nominated for the 2012 Ladybug Picture Book Award. Ms. Frazee's book, All the World, was nominated for the 2010 Ladybug Picture Book Award.
9/11/12
Book of the Week #37
Since today is primary day in New Hampshire I thought that as we go to the polls to make our choice for a gubernatorial candidate a look back at one of our state's past governors was in order. In reviewing the options, Thomson stands out as one of the most colorful (and conservative!).
Meldrim Thomson served three terms as New Hampshire's governor in the 1970s and upon leaving office published this volume (Equity Publishing was his family's business).
"This book is one man's expression of an abiding faith in freedom as the happiest condition of man. It consists of a melding of articles and speeches given by the author before, during, and immediately after his six years of service as the 91st Governor of New Hampshire.
While it is a testament to one man's strong conservative principles and his belief in the need to preserve the ancient landmarks of America's heritage, it portrays many of the confrontations he had and stands he took in defending and advancing the cause of freedom. ...
The subject matter touches such diverse items as family life in New Hampshire; the loss of state sovereignty; our tragic energy debacle; human rights; gun control; God and the Constitution; the outstanding economy of New Hampshire based on its low taxes; and the vanishing greatness of a once strong and powerful nation." --Preface
9/8/12
Ladybug Nominee Profile
Lester L. Laminack wrote this story which was illustrated by Henry Cole. The Brimful Curiosities blog has a cool peacock craft on their post about this book as well as links to some resources on peacocks. You can also learn about peacocks at the San Diego Zoo and find peacock videos and activities at Activity Village.
This is one of the ten titles nominated for the 2012 Ladybug Picture Book Award. Mr. Cole's work has been nominated before: Bad Boys Get Henpecked (2010) and Big Chickens Fly the Coop (2009) were past Ladybug Picture Book Award nominees.
9/7/12
Book of the Week #36
Luminous landscapes. Stunning scenery. Courageous colors. All this and more describes the amazing body of work by one of America's most popular artists, Maxfield Parrish. Now in its third edition with updated pricing, ownership, and trends, The Masterworks stands as the authoritative collection of Parrish's best works. Compiled by longtime Parrish expert and curator Alma Gilbert, The Masterworks brings together the most popular, most important, and most fanciful of Parrish's paintings. Here you'll find the glorious Dinkey Bird , the extensive Florentine Fête murals, the amazing Interlude , and the sublime Daybreak . Also included are some of Parrish's lesser-known works, through which we see the development of the artist's style and technique. Through historical analysis, contemporary news clippings, and letters from the artist himself, we get to know Parrish the man, discovering the genius behind the artwork. Updated with all the current Parrish information, this new edition of The Masterworks continues the grand tradition of celebrating Parrish's work, and bringing his oeuvre to the public. (publisher's blurb)This book-of the-week post is part of a series related to the Cornish Art Colony. The Center for the Book compiled a bibliography on the Cornish Colony in support of the exhibit currently at the NH State Library.
9/4/12
Poet Sharon Olds Wraps Up 2012 Hyla Brook Reading Series
News from the Frost Farm
Award-Winning Poet Sharon Olds Wraps Up
Frost Farm’s 2012 Hyla Brook Reading SeriesAugust 29, 2012, DERRY, NH – The Hyla Brook Reading Series concludes its 2012 season with a reading by Poet Sharon Olds, winner of National Book Critics Circle Award and Finalist, National Book Award. Ms. Olds, reading from her soon to be released book, Stag’s Leap, will appear on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012, 6:30-8:30pm, at the Robert Frost Farm, 122 Rockingham Rd (Rt 28). Also reading is Robert W. Crawford, co-founder of the Hyla Brook Reading Series. The Reading Series is free and open to the public. An Open Mic will follow the readings and all audience members are invited to share their work.Sharon Olds is the author of nine books of poetry. The Dead and the Living received the National Book Critics Circle Award; The Unswept Room was a finalist for the National Book Award and The National Book Critics Circle Award, and One Secret Thing was a finalist for the Forward Prize. She teaches at New York University. Stag's Leap will be out in early September 2012. This will be one of her first readings since its publication.Robert W. Crawford lives in Chester, New Hampshire. His second book of poetry, The Empty Chair, won the 2011 Richard Wilbur Award. His first book, Too Much Explanation Can Ruin a Man, was published in 2005. His poems have appeared in many national journals including The Formalist, First Things, Dark Horse, The Raintown Review, The Lyric, Measure, Light and Forbes. He is a two-time winner of the Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award, winner of the Shakespeare Festival Sonnet Award, a trustee of the Robert Frost farm in Derry, New Hampshire, the co-founder of the Hyla Brook Poets, and a long-time member of the Powow River Poets of Newburyport, MA.The group’s monthly writing workshop meets on the third Saturday of the month at 10am. The next workshop takes place on Saturday, September 15, at the Frost Farm.For more information, please visit http://www.facebook.com/HylaBrookPoets
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