Tulsa
event guide
INSIDE!
Book Review 4 6
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 7
F R E E
May 2012
NEW AND OF INTEREST
C H E C K
The Inspector and Silence
I T
Any Day Now
Silence means I’m thinking. Page 2
Bisson’s best yet is the ultimate American alternate history. Page 5
O U T
The Bunny’s NightLight
Bedtime story to dispel the fear of the dark Page 8
10 14
Simple Asian Meals By Nina Simonds Rodale Books, $29.95, 235 pages
Simple Asian Meals is a beautifully illustrated cookbook with full-page professional photos showing the results of many recipes. Nina Simonds spent many years in Asia and having had a Chinese surrogate family, Simonds was immersed in every aspect of Asian cooking. The recipes are excellent, and she emphasizes healthy, preferably organic, ingredients with little or no additives. Under most recipes a sidebar outlines the health benefits of ingredients (mostly according to Chinese herbalists and yin and yang). A good seven-page introduction helps you stock your pantry with Asian ingredients and gives you hints for running an efficient kitchen. Each chapter is introduced by a one- or two-page text describing the foods of that chapter, interspersed with personal
stories. The recipes are mainly Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese, but food styles are also borrowed from Western cuisines. Helpful headnotes precede each recipe. Though the recipes are good, some ambiguity slipped in occasionally. The last chapter of sweets includes mainly simple, fruit-based preparations since Asians are not accustomed to rich Western-style pastries. Recipe layout could have been improved as many recipes are continued on overleaf pages for the inconvenience of the cook. However, the index is well cross-referenced and excellent. Reviewed by George Erdosh
The Centaur’s Daughter
Politics, humans and mythology Page 9
Ten Tea Parties
They don’t revolte like they used to. Page 12
Touchstone
Theater made of magic... the magic of war. Page 15
53 Reviews INSIDE!
Book Reviews
MYSTERIES/THRILLERS
Mystery
SNAP IT for additional book summaries. The Inspector and Silence: An Inspector Van Veeteren Mystery By Hakan Nesser, Laurie Thompson Pantheon, $24.95, 293 pages Check this out! The Inspector and Silence is a thoughtful police procedural in which Detective Chief Inspector Van Veeteren slowly shifts through the morass of detail and finally picks out the key facts that crack the somewhat controversial case. When he got in his car to drive to this small town, it did not occur to our aging hero that there was a crime to investigate. An anonymous telephone tip alleged a girl had been murdered. Apparently, she was a member of a religious cult holding a retreat in the forest, but their spiritual leader denies anyone is missing. Only later is the body of a girl found. She’s been raped and strangled. Except she has only been dead one day, suggesting there may be two deaths! Then it seems the leader of the cult has run away. Now none of the cult members will talk. The fascination in working through to the solution is watching the process of intuition in action. How does the mind decide what’s significant and link these facts together into a theory about whodunnit? The answer provided here is completely satisfying, and I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys quality detective fiction. Reviewed by David Marshall A Murder in Tuscany By Christobel Kent Minotaur, $25.99, 320 pages Check this out! A Murder in Tuscany is both beautifully written and carefully plotted. The mark of any good detective novel is the presence of credible characters engaged in the solution of a cunningly constructed puzzle. In this case, we have what looks to be a tragic car accident. It’s winter. The driver always drove too quickly. It seems she hit a patch of ice when leaving the Castle Orfeo, plunged off the road and died in the snow. What could be more clear-cut? Well, there’s an email that might be construed as a threat.
But even if evidence can be found to show someone had a motive to kill her, how can such an obvious accident be murder? Sandro has help from his wife and a woman who’s becoming more involved in his work as an investigator, but Caterina Giottone is the main source of information. She works in the castle and knows its guests. Together they follow the trail of breadcrumbs until we come to the right answer. Overall, this is a wonderful example of a Golden Age mystery with only a limited number of people who could have done it — it’s well worth reading! Reviewed by David Marshall No Mark Upon Her By Deborah Crombie William Morrow, $25.99, 369 pages Check this out! Opening a new Deborah Crombie mystery is often a step into terra incognita. It is Crombie’s practice to weave her characters around a situation or discipline that is often unfamiliar to the reader, which is a technique also satisfyingly employed by her contemporaries Martha Grimes and Elizabeth George.
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Winning at all costs is wrong, plain and simple. Certain basic, universal rules exist, and to be a true champion you must live by these rules.”
Here, the sport of sculling is put on display. Rebecca Meredith, a London police detective and former Olympic hopeful, has drowned while sculling on the Thames at dusk. Detective Inspector Gemma James and her husband, Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid, must first determine whether Rebecca was murdered. Their lives are further complicated by the recent addition to their family of an orphaned 3-year-old girl. A volunteer-staffed search and rescue team and their highly intelligent dogs assist with the investigation. A loathsome and vicious misogynist lurks at the heart of the mystery. These complications are standard Crombie, which surely will explain why we, her faithful reading public, stay up far too late turning pages. Best of all, by the novel’s last page, she has tied up almost every loose end. Reviewed by Elizabeth Benford
Tulsa Book Review • May 2012 • 2
COMING SOON
TO TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY Search the library’s catalog at http://tulsalibrary.org to reserve your copies now. Viral By James Lilliefors In remote pockets of the Third World, a deadly virus is quietly sweeping through impoverished farming villages and shanty towns with frightening speed and potency. Meanwhile in Washington, a three-word message left in a safe-deposit box may be the key to stopping the crisis — if, that is, Charles Mallory, a private intelligence contractor and former CIA operative, can decipher the puzzle before time runs out. Ready, Scrap, Shoot By Joanna Campbell Slan For Kiki Lowenstein, only one thing is (marginally) worse than her selfish, hypercritical mother coming for an extended visit — dodging bullets. In the merry midst of the time-honored May Day celebration at Kiki’s daughter’s private school, a sniper fires shots into the crowd, killing deep-pocketed alum Edwina Fitzgerald. Did someone want to punish the imperious, widely hated matriarch — or was Kiki the intended target all along? Darker Than Any Shadow By Tina Whittle Tai Randolph takes a break from running her uncle’s Atlanta gun shop to launch an investigation when her best friend, Rico, becomes the top suspect following the murder of one of his fellow National Poetry Slam competitors. Upgunned By David J. Schow Elias McCabe is having one hell of a night: he gets kidnapped at gunpoint by a professional hit man and is forced to shoot blackmail photos of a prominent politician. Things go wrong with the shoot … very wrong! When
the night is over, Elias is scared to death … and $10,000 richer, but only if he keeps his mouth shut. But he doesn’t and now the hit man has targeted him for payback. Clawback By Mike Cooper After a stint in the Middle East, black ops vet Silas Cade becomes an “accountant,” the goto for financiers who need things done quickly, quietly and by any means necessary. Silas is hired by a major player to pay a visit to a hedge fund manager to demand clawback, the mandatory return of compensation paid on a deal that goes bad. But before Cade can tell his client that he got his 10 million back, the guy turns up dead. And he’s not the first. Someone’s killing investment bankers whose funds have gone south. Silas’ scrubbed identity and his insider’s perspective make him the ideal shadow man to track down whoever’s murdering some of the most hated managers on Wall Street. Nine for the Devil By Mary Reed The year is 548 and Empress Theodora is dead of disease. Or so everyone in Constantinople, capital of the Roman Empire, believes. Everyone except Emperor Justinian, who orders John, his Lord Chamberlain, to find her murderer or suffer the consequences. Trigger Point By Matthew Glass It’s 2018. Tom Knowles, a moderate Nevada Republican, is the American president hoping to lead his country into a new era of stability and growth. He sees his chance to put his stamp on world affairs when 32 American aid workers are massacred in Uganda by a terrorist organization. Knowles opts for military intervention even though China considers Uganda its African sphere of influence and warns him to keep out.
Tulsa
Book Review Tulsa City-County Library 400 Civic Center Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103 Ph. (918) 549-7323 EDITOR IN CHIEF Ross Rojek ross@1776productions.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lisa Rodgers lisa.rodgers@1776productions.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Jackie Hill Tulsa City-County Library jhill@tulsalibrary.org
GRAPHIC DESIGN/LAYOUT Lisa Rodgers lisa.rodgers@1776productions.com
IN THIS ISSUE Mystery.......................................2 Fiction.........................................4 Picture Books..............................6 Kids’ Books..................................8 Teen Scene...................................9 Cookbooks.................................10
COPY EDITORS Diane Jinson Holly Scudero Robyn Oxborrow Kim Winterheimer Lori Miller Lori Freeze Cathy Lim
Business & Personal Finance.....11 History & Current Events.........12
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Elizabeth Tropp Erin McDonough Shanyn Day Christopher Hayden Missy McEwen Derek Erickson WEBSITE TulsaBookReview.com DISTRIBUTED BY Urban Tulsa Weekly The Tulsa Book Review is published monthly by 1776 Productions, LLC. The opinions expressed in these pages are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Tulsa Book Review or 1776 Productions advertisers. All images are copyrighted by their respective copyright holders. All words ©2012, 1776 Productions, LLC.
Mind & Body Fitness.................13
FROM THE PUBLISHER April showers have brought May flowers. I just finished browsing Patricia Folley’s new Guide to Oklahoma Wildflowers to better familiarize myself with our native habitat and help prepare me for the library’s One Book, One Tulsa initiative – a 2012 community-wide project that will encourage everyone to read a soon-tobe-announced book that is centered on food, gardening, health and sustainability. The library also will host more than 40 programs this year that touch on the aforementioned topics, as discussion of these topics is critical to the health of our community and state. Later this month, we will kick off our summer reading programs. In past years, one in four youths in Tulsa County has taken part in the summer programs. This year’s theme is “Dream Big – Read!” for the children’s program and “Own the Night” for the teen/tween program. Sign-up begins May 21. If you have a young person in your life, please encourage them to join the program as it is lots of fun, plus research shows children who participate in this type of summer program do better when they return to school. While you’re at the library, be sure to check out some books for you. We hope to see you at the library really soon! Best regards,
Nature & Science.......................14 Science Fiction..........................15 Fantasy.....................................15 Asian-American Festival...........16
Gary Shaffer Tulsa City-County Library CEO
Com ing Up! The sights, sounds and tastes of Asia will come alive at Tulsa City-County Library’s 10th annual Asian-American Festival on Saturday, June 2 from 10:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Martin Regional Library, 2601 S. Garnett Road. For a schedule of presentations, visit the library’s website at TulsaLibrary.org or call 918-549-7323.
Book Reviews
Fiction
SNAP IT for additional book summaries. Thirst By Andrei Gelasimov, Marian Schwartz (translator) AmazonCrossing, $14.95, 116 pages Check this out! Kostya Konstantin served in the Russian army. He returned from the Chechen war different. How? When a grenade exploded in his armored personnel carrier, his buddies thought he was dead. Kostya’s face was badly burned by the time they realized he was alive and pulled him to safety. Thirst begins after Kostya returned home. He develops a pattern of working a few months and then hiding in his apartment for weeks while binge drinking. The story hops between his mostly unhappy childhood, his current life and the events on the day he was burned. His disfigurement is so severe that most people recoil when they meet him. He endears himself to readers when we learn he is a gifted artist. Tension occurs when one of his fellow soldiers turns up missing in the city. Kostya knows his missing friend also has struggled adjusting to civilian life. Kostya and two other comrades from the war embark on a mission to find their lost friend. Kostya and his army buddies must confront their demons as they try to help their friend. The sentence structure is simple and the story short, but it packs a lot of feeling and turmoil into each page. Reviewed by Grady Jones The Artist of Disappearance By Anita Desai Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $23.00, 156 pages Check this out! The landscapes Anita Desai evokes in these brilliant, haunting novellas are richly populated by exotic flora and fauna: leopards, luminous deadly mushrooms in the grass, silver-haired monkeys, owls and nightjars, jackals and lantana bushes, blueflowering ageratum, and, most memorably in “The Museum of Final Journeys,” an ancient, weary elephant. One character visits a derelict estate, where priceless artifacts (kimonos, masks, scrolls, clocks, weapons) of mysterious origins
molder. Another inhabits the burned-out mansions of childhood, haunted by memories and harassed by filmmakers. The atmosphere Desai creates is one of oppression, defeat and suffocation by the tight class strictures and customs of Indian society and by an intricate and grand past civilization that, crumbling, spreads its ruin into both present and future. The two or three ordinary workaday characters we encounter have an odd cheerfulness; their modernity and adaptability strangely contrast with the ruins about them, which they find quaint or succeed in ignoring altogether. These stories recall at some moments the dark tales of Edgar Allen Poe or the eerie metaphysical narratives of Jorge Louis Borges, and, at others, the stories of Charles Dickens’ orphaned boys — but without the final note of redemption. Reviewed by Zara Raab The Gilder By Kathryn Kay Kensington Books, $15.00, 305 pages Check this out! Marina has a secret that she has kept for 15 years, but she knows that if she spills the beans, she will harm two people she dearly loves. Keeping her secret is at the heart of this lovely debut novel. Marina has been fascinated with Florence since she was a teenager. Eight years later, at the age of 22, she arrives in Italy with her saved waitressing money, determined to attend a gilding class and make a new life for herself. She quickly meets Thomas and Sarah, a somewhat older bohemian couple, both of whom are artists. They become a threesome, with Sarah and Marina developing a particularly close friendship. As the relationships become more complicated, Marina’s idyllic life in Florence becomes less certain. The story jumps between present day and the Florence years during the late ‘70s. Now an established gilder in New England, Marina is haunted by the secret she has kept and decides to return to Florence to set things straight. The Gilder provides an engaging plotline, convincing and complex characters, absorbing relationships and a charming Italian setting. What more could a reader want? Reviewed by Leslie Wolfson
The Snow Child By Eowyn Ivey Reagan Arthur Books, $24.99, 389 pages Check this out! Jack and Mabel have moved to the Alaskan wilderness planning to build a new life together after giving up hope for children. Mabel is consumed by grief, and Jack is harried by the fear that he’s too old to carve out a homestead in this unforgiving territory. When the first snows begin to fall, the two surprise themselves by playing like children, building a snow girl and fighting with snowballs. By morning the snow girl has toppled and small tracks lead into the woods. In the following days, both catch glimpses of a little girl, but none of the local homesteaders is missing a child. Gradually, tentatively, the child becomes a part of their lives. The situation reminds Mabel of a fairy tale, “The Snow Maiden,” in which a childless couple builds a snow child that comes to life. Is this child like the snow maiden? Neither Jack nor Mabel knows, but each comes to love her as a daughter. The child brings joy and hope to their lives, but how long will she stay? A consummate wordsmith, Eowyn Ivey has crafted a beautiful book. The vivid descriptions of Alaska’s stark majesty are breathtaking. With its deftly choreographed gestures and carefully orchestrated silences, the couple’s love is deep and lovely. The Snow Child engages all the senses and leaves the reader with a full heart. Reviewed by Tammy McCartney A Place of Secrets By Rachel Hore Henry Holt, $15.00, 400 pages Check this out! When auction house valuer Jude has the opportunity to investigate some books owned by an 18th century amateur astronomer, she is intrigued. But more interesting is the location of the collection: Starbrough Hall, an estate near her grandmother’s childhood home and her sister’s current home. After some initial investigation, Jude ends up spending a few weeks in the home to do a full evaluation of the collection. Early on though, she feels a niggling personal connection. She recalls the strange dreams she had as a child about being lost in the woods, and her sister’s young daughter begins having the same dreams. What she feels seems related to the house and especially the folly that was built for stargazing. As Jude learns about a previously unknown member of the family who lived at Starbrough Hall, she is challenged by a number of mysteries
Tulsa Book Review • May 2012 • 4
that she simply must solve. In the meantime, she must come to terms at last with the death of her husband, her sometimes strained relationship with her sister and the possibility of opening up to new love. A Place of Secrets is a captivating novel, particularly satisfying for those of us who like stories of long-buried secrets and old British homes. Reviewed by Cathy Carmode Lim A Walk Across the Sun By Corban Addison SilverOak, $24.95, 384 pages Check this out! Corban Addison makes an impressive debut with his first novel, which is based upon true events.
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To survive in such a world, she would have to sever her heart from her body. She had no other option.”
After a tsunami strikes the coast of their town, two teenaged Indian sisters find themselves orphaned and without a home. In an attempt to make their way to a convent school in England, they become victims of human traffickers and are exposed to the world of sex trade. On the other side of the globe, in Washington, D.C., attorney Thomas Clarke is struggling with his own demons. After the loss of his child, his Indian wife abandons him. He subsequently decides to take a sabbatical in Bombay, in hopes of reconciling. When he begins to investigate the sex trade and human trafficking operation, it becomes his quest to put an end to these horrific crimes. This story really works for Addison as he brings the issue to light with beautifully written narrative. His personal research during travels to India is evidenced by insights and character/prose style that make the book’s characters believable and reliable. The chapters alternate between the sisters and Clarke, and ultimately become intertwined. For those who enjoy multicultural fiction, this book is a must-read, and is certainly an extraordinary and emotionally moving work of literature. Reviewed by Jennifer Ochs An American Spy By Olen Steinhauer Minotaur, $25.99, 416 pages Check this out! Fond husband and father Milo Weaver, American spy, is out of a job. The elite Department of Tourism, his home for years, has closed its doors after 33 members are assassinated by a rogue member of China’s Ministry of Public Service, the fat Xin Zhu, deeply attached to his young wife Sung Hui
Book Reviews
Forgotten Country By Catherine Chung Riverhead Books, $26.95, 304 pages Check this out! Since the day her sister was born, Janie has been tasked with the responsibility of keeping her safe. Terrified by stories told to her by her grandmother about every generation losing a sister, Janie guards Hannah like a mother. But when their family leaves Korea for America and the sisters grow up in American society, Hannah becomes more and more distant from her family and their heritage until one day she disappears entirely. Pressed by more tragedy at home, Janie sets out on a search to find her sister and return her home. What follows is a beautiful, haunting and painfully honest tale of a family’s struggle through life and death that spans countries and generations. Catherine Chung’s Forgotten Country is a wonderful read infused with Korean folktales and beautiful imagery. Chung paints a complex and very real family fighting to keep a hold of each other to the point of almost destruction. Each character has her flaws and strengths that make each of them come alive on the page. It’s a beautiful story about a family falling apart and coming back together and learning to forgive one another. I would highly recommend this book, especially to people who love to learn about other cultures and their customs. Be prepared for a few heartbreaking and frustrating moments. Read with tissues close by. Reviewed by Hannah Walcher Lessons in Laughing Out Loud By Rowan Coleman Gallery Books, $15.00, 352 pages Check this out! Willow Briar doesn’t know it, but her life is in desperate need of a shake-up. Overweight, with long-held emotional baggage, Willow can’t help but sometimes compare herself to her beautiful and perfect sister. Her life revolves around her job, working for a demanding talent agency, and her social life is pretty much limited to her best friend Daniel, whom she’s had a crush on for years. But when she picks up a pair of beautiful shoes from a mysterious antique store —
shoes that seem to make her feel taller and slimmer — Willow begins to discover a new side of herself. Armed with new selfconfidence, Willow finally sets out to tackle the family secret that has haunted her for years and design a new future for herself in the process. Rowan Coleman’s new novel Lessons in Laughing Out Loud initially may sound a bit contrived. Magic shoes? A mysterious dark family secret? But readers who dive into this story will pleasantly be surprised at how quickly they become absorbed in Willow’s story. The characters are likeable, and while parts of the story are predictable, as a whole it is a great read to lose oneself in. Coleman’s writing style helps bring it all to life, and the wit woven throughout the book surely will win over any reader. Reviewed by Holly Scudero Lone Wolf: A Novel By Jodi Picoult Atria Books, $28.00, 421 pages Check this out! Jodi Picoult fans certainly will not be disappointed with her latest novel, Lone Wolf, a story of Lucas Warren, a divorced wolf biologist who has dedicated most of his life to studying wolves. Luke has lost sight of the needs of his family and given up everything to live among the wolf pack. When he and his daughter Cara are involved in a serious motor vehicle accident, he is left fighting for his life on a ventilator. Cara’s estranged brother, Edward, is summoned to return home after several years, and is Luke’s only legal next-of-kin. Things become complicated as Cara and Edward have differing opinions as to Luke’s final wishes, and a legal battle ensues. Secrets are revealed and the family is on the verge of being torn apart.
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and articulated beautifully throughout the story as we learn about them from Luke’s perspective. Her research on traumatic brain injuries and the legal issues involved regarding life support and organ donation are also vital to her story, making her characters true-tolife. An interesting look at animal behavior, this poignant novel is certain to be well worth the read. Reviewed by Jennifer Ochs Restoration: A Novel By Olaf Olafsson Ecco, $14.99, 326 pages Check this out! Wartime Italy. A forged Caravaggio. A remote villa. A search for the painting and a missing man grows more intense as the German and Allied front line moves ever closer, and the lives of two women mysteriously cross again ... This lyrical and captivatingly complex novel of World War II Italy moves gracefully through the lives of two women, Alice and Kristin, as the front line presses down upon them. Alice, mistress of the villa and surrounding tenant farms, awaits her absent husband’s return, caring for the orphaned children the war has left in her care as a way of paying for losing her own. Kristin arrives as a refugee, injured after her train has been blown up. An art restorer, hailed in school for her technical skill, she is haunted by the picture she could never paint as much as by the one she could. Elegant and captivating, Olaf Olafsson is a masterful storyteller, working with a finetip brush and moving his characters with the skill of a chess master. Hailed as a work in the tradition of Michael Ondaatje and Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Restoration does not disappoint. Reviewed by Axie Barclay
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Tulsa Book Review • May 2012 • 5
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Any Day Now By Terry Bisson Overlook, $24.95, 287 pages Check this out! As the beatnik movement nears its end, a young man named Clay embraces it, embarking on an unpredictable odyssey toward a utopian world of new experiences. As he transitions from aspired Beat poet to counterculture member of a commune, the country changes around him, galvanized by the impact of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. But when an alternate world emerges where racial and political tensions have birthed a decade far darker and more complicated than the ‘60s we’ve known, how will Clay and his comrades endure? What will happen to their dreams? Terry Bisson has crafted some of my favorite thought-provoking short stories, but I’ll admit that his novels have never resonated as strongly with me — until now, that is. Any Day Now is a fascinating examination of the struggle for self-definition and idealism against both the machinations of authority and the whimsical and cruel vagaries of fate. Clay’s journey introduces him to plenty of iconic figures of the time, and even as Bisson deftly shifts history, these now-mythical figures cast as long a shadow as ever.
That marvelous juxtaposition of how brutal the quest for peace can be is thoroughly enthralling, creating a truly unique reading experience. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas
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and deeply suspicious of the presence of a spy in the ministry. Meanwhile, Weaver’s former boss, Alan Drummond, sets out to even the score with Xin Zhu and risks the lives of both their families by drawing Weaver into the plot. Half a world away, Xin Zhu is hatching his own intricate intrigues and counter moves with the help of a colorful cast, from the seductive Liu Xiuxiu to the cynical therapist. Thus unfolds another well-wrought spy story by Olen Steinhauer, whose skill with details never fails to give pleasure, whether it’s Sung Hui’s pithy reflections on American romance; Xin Zhu’s recollections of the early years under Chairman Mao when people avoided walking near tall buildings so as not to be struck by the falling bodies of suicides; or the aura of Beijing, where above the underground torture chambers sand blows in from the deserts of Inner Mongolia. Reviewed by Zara Raab
Fiction
Book Reviews
Picture Books SNAP IT for additional book summaries. Secret Agent Splat! By Rob Scotton HarperCollins, $16.99, 40 pages Check this out! Splat has quite a collection of toy ducks his father made for him. They are all sizes and colors. Splat loves his ducks and has even named each one. One day when Splat goes into the garden shed to look at his ducks, he finds the red duck is missing. The next day, the blue duck is gone, but the red duck, missing its beak, is back. When a similar thing happens on the third day, Splat decides he must do something about it — he needs to investigate. He asks his mom. He asks his little sister. He asks his brother. But it seems that nobody has taken the ducks. Splat knows what he has to do. He has to become Secret Agent Splat, find that Mr. Nobody and solve the mystery of who has been messing with his ducks. He sets a trap, and when he sees his camera’s flash in the garden shed, he knows Mr. Nobody has been there. Is the mystery finally solved? Rob Scotton has quite a franchise going with his lovable Splat character. This is a fun addition to the Splat books with a super cute story and even cuter illustrations. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck The Pirates Next Door: Starring the Jolley-Rogers By Jonny Duddle Templar Books, $15.99, 44 pages Check this out! Matilda lives in a town by the sea, Dullon-Sea, and doesn’t have any children living on her street. Everything is nice and neat, clean and trimmed. The house next door has been for sale for a very long time, and Matilda hopes a family will buy it, especially a family with a girl her age. But when new neighbors come, there is no girl her age, but a boy — a pirate boy, Jim Lad! Everyone in the family is a pirate. They park their pirate ship in the front yard and are busy working on it at all hours of the day and night. They even have a peglegged dog. Matilda is thrilled. She makes friends with Jim Lad and thinks it is fantastic the pirate family has moved in next
door. But Jim Lad is not very popular at school, and the Jolley-Rogers family is not very popular in the neighborhood. Complaints are made and petitions filed. The resolution is unexpected. Charmingly illustrated and written in metric rhyme, this tale will become a favorite of young children even while it teaches them something about tolerance. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck The Unruly Queen By E.S. Redmond Candlewick Press, $15.99, 32 pages Check this out! Minerva von Vyle has been left to her own devices far too long. Her idea of a good time is making everyone around her bow to her ridiculous demands. She shrieks, she stomps, she commands, she exhorts. Her parents have left her in the care of maids, butlers, chefs, housekeepers and nannies galore, but they have not been there much to see what goes on. Nannies have come and gone weekly, it seems, and none has any luck getting Minerva’s behavior under control. There have been 52 nannies in 52 weeks, and it isn’t until nanny number 53 comes to the von Vyle estate that any hope of control is found. When she informs Minerva she is to be crowned the Queen of Petulant Peak, Minerva is beside herself with joy. She loves the idea of being a queen — until, that is, the nanny explains just what Petulant Peak is all about. E.S. Redmond, author and illustrator, has come up with one of the funniest and most charming books about the consequences of bad behavior ever. Her whimsical rhyming story is backdropped with downright delightful illustrations and will have youngsters laughing out loud. This book is terrific! Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Zachary’s Ball: Fenway Centennial Edition By Matt Tavares Candlewick Press, $15.99, 32 pages Check this out! Zachary’s father takes him to a baseball game at Fenway Park, home of his favorite team, the Boston Red Sox. Be-
ing in the park is a dream come true. Everything seems so close, and Buck Spoonwell is the first up. Everyone is cheering for a home run, but Spoonwell pops the ball up and everyone groans. A sure out! But then the wind kicks up and sends the ball over the seats, right where Zachary and his father are sitting. When his father catches the ball and gives it to Zachary, something magical happens: Zachary is in the game, not watching the game. He has great adventures before he finds himself back at the game with his father. He keeps the ball in his room, even taking it to bed, until one day long after, he cannot find the ball. Every summer, he goes to games, hoping to catch another ball.
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All of a sudden, I was no longer sitting with my father. I was standing on the pitcher’s mound, dressed in a Red Sox uniform.”
The real strength of this old-fashioned picture book is the wonderfully detailed black-and-white drawings. Filled with nostalgia, the book may appeal more to the parents and grandparents who will buy it than the children who will read it. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Because Your Mommy Loves You By Andrew Clements, R.W. Alley (illustrator) Clarion Books, $16.99, 32 pages Check this out! This heartwarming picture book follows a little boy and his mom into the wilderness for a camping trip. The story begins with the mom and boy at a camping store where the boy gets lost. But instead of racing to find him, his mom simply calls his name, and he finds her. That is the first of many situations in which the mom gives the boy an opportunity to do things for himself. From carrying his own heavy backpack into the woods, to roasting his own marshmallows, his mom gently helps him find his own way through mishaps and learn independence — no small feat for any parent. In a sweet and humorous way, Because Your Mommy Loves You will remind children that they are strong and capable, and it will remind parents that sometimes kids just need a little room to grow. This book will capture kids and parents alike. Reviewed by Genny Heikka Boy + Bot By Ame Dyckman, Dan Yaccarino (illustrator) Knopf Books for Young Readers, $16.99, 32 pages Check this out! Boy and Bot have a simple misunderstanding. When Bot’s switch is accidentally shut off, Boy thinks Bot is sick. When Bot
Tulsa Book Review • May 2012 • 6
finds Boy asleep, he thinks Boy has malfunctioned. In mirror scenes, each tries to help the other come back to life: Boy reads Bot a book, Bot reads Boy an instruction manual. The differences in lifestyle (Boy’s traditional house with two parents contrasted with Bot’s castle-like laboratory home shared with an inventor) will amuse young readers. Yaccarino keeps the color scheme simple using just a few colors — blue, green, orange, yellow, purple. The precise gouache on watercolor paper illustrations have a digital quality. Dyckman’s declarative sentences are short and simple enough for early readers: He took the robot home/The boy fed him applesauce. And Bot’s lines are fun to read aloud using your best robot voice. Boy + Bot is a cute and amusing departure from typical buddy stories where the friends get mad at each other, then predictably make up. Children will be eager to read more tales of Boy and Bot’s adventures in their same but different worlds. Reviewed by Africa Hands Crafty Chloe By Kelly DiPucchio, Heather Ross (illustrator) Atheneum Books for Young Readers, $16.99, 40 pages Check this out! Chloe is not much interested in sports, video games or dance. What she does like is making things like clothes and hats. One day, Chloe searches for the perfect gift for her best friend Emma’s birthday. When she finds a Flower Girl Doll named Violet, all in purple, she thinks it is a perfect gift. Perfect, that is, until snooty London shows up with a Violet doll and says she is buying it for Emma. Disappointed, Chloe pretends she doesn’t care and says she is planning on making something special. Snooty London makes it clear she thinks Chloe can’t make a gift that will compare with hers. Chloe suddenly isn’t so sure she can do it, but after worrying and wondering and thinking hard, she decides to give it a try. When she arrives at the party, London arrives at the same time, and something very surprising happens. This book is delightful on several levels. The character of Chloe is charming, bright and someone to whom most little girls can relate. She loses confidence sometimes, but works hard, is determined and has success. It’s a very uplifting story. The illustrations are simply enchanting and the perfect backdrop for this lovely story. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck
Book Reviews
Gem By Holly Hobbie Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $16.99, 32 pages Check this out! One spring day, a little toad named Gem wiggles up through the mud, looks out at the newly green world and begins a journey that will take her to a peaceful flower garden. Along the way, she nearly gets hit by a car, falls in love, flees from a hungry bird of prey and stares eye to eye with a curious young girl. She winds up in a beautiful new home with water to splash in and fireflies lighting up the night sky. Bookended with letters between a grandmother and granddaughter that pinpoint the inspiration for the book, Gem is otherwise wordless, and the feisty toad’s journey is spun solely through gorgeous watercolor and pen-and-ink drawings that make this farmhouse and garden look like the most idyllic place on Earth. Each page is full of lively details, and young readers will love both imagining the story for themselves and having it narrated for them by creative adults. Tiny Gem is a reminder of the small
Picture Books
wonders of spring and the charming, gentle creatures who just may be living in your own backyard. Reviewed by Margo Orlando Littell No More Kisses for Bernard! By Niki Daly Janetta Otter-Barry Books, $17.99, 24 pages Check this out! Bernard has four aunties who love him dearly. As his sixth birthday approaches, they show that affection with lots of kisses. Bernard is all boy as the charming illustrations by Niki Daly show, and he finally has had enough. All these kisses drove Bernard bonkers! “No more kisses,” he declares. On his birthday, Bernard is prepared. He is wearing his knight helmet and pulls down his visor before the kisses can strike. Everyone is shocked and sad. His father suggests that they try a hug instead. Bernard agrees, but his Aunt Tallulah can’t resist and sneaks in a kiss on the nose. This drives Bernard to a new position and he declares: “No more hugs.” With his faithful dachshund by his side, he stands them off.
How the aunts and his parents deal with these signs of Bernard growing up and learn to give Bernard his space makes a touching story. It may help those young boys who feel they are too big for kisses explore new avenues for showing affection. Even Bernard knows we never outgrow being loved. Reviewed by Beth Revers Otto the Book Bear By Katie Cleminson Disney Hyperion, $16.99, 32 pages Check this out! Otto the book bear lives in a book on a shelf in a house and finds his greatest joy in the children who read his story. When no one is looking, he leaves his book and explores the house. Then one day the family moves, leaving their books in boxes and Otto alone. Otto decides to leave the house but doesn’t like the city beyond its walls. He is downhearted until he discovers the public library and the other book people and animals who live there. The book ends happily ever after with Otto sleeping snugly next to a new friend.
“ Announcing the book industry’s
FIRST. . .
Kids Book Review iPhone App
it’s free! thousands of book titles, find author events, listen to author interviews searchable database
But Otto also had a special secret. When no one was looking, he came to life!”
Otto the Book Bear is a entertaining read with charmingly drawn illustrations and an endearing main character. I particularly enjoyed the illustrations of tiny Otto exploring the house — he is dwarfed by a family photo and sits precariously on the space bar of a typewriter to write his stories. I also loved the book people at the end. My son, who pilots all the children’s books that cross my path, begged to read this one again and again. Reviewed by Tammy McCartney Penny and Her Song By Kevin Henkes Greenwillow Books, $12.99, 32 pages Check this out! Penny made up a wonderful song. She could hardly wait to share it with her family. When she got home, she started to sing it to her mother. But Mama was afraid she would wake up the sleeping babies and asked Penny to wait until later. Penny found her father. She began to sing her wonderful song, but Papa
Tulsa Book Review • May 2012 • 7
said she would need to wait because the babies were sleeping and he was afraid Penny would wake them. Penny went to her room. She tried to sing to her glass animals, but she wanted to sing to someone, not something. She tried to find things to keep herself busy and not think about her song. Finally it was time for dinner. Penny began to sing her song only to find out that singing at the table was not allowed. Would she ever get to sing her song? Kevin Henkes writes a fun little story for beginning readers, one to which many children will relate. His sweet pastel illustrations give life to this whimsical book. Early readers will delight in having such a charming book they can read on their own, and they will read it again and again. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Rosie Sprout’s Time to Shine By Allison Wortche, Patrice Barton (illustrator) Knopf Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 40 pages Check this out! Violet seems to outshine Rosie and just about everyone else in class. Violet is the fastest runner, sings the highest notes, is the loudest storyteller and looks fanciest on picture day. Everyone agrees Violet is the best. Except Rosie. Maybe Rosie is the teensiest bit jealous or maybe she is just tired of hearing so much about Violet being the best. When Ms. Willis gives each of the students a pot and seeds to grow pea plants, Violet is sure hers will be the tallest, and she makes her pot the sparkliest. Rosie makes her pot pretty and thinks it would be a nice place to grow. The children wait and wait. Finally, one day Rosie sees her plant starting to grow. Violet’s plant pops through the same day. The next day, Rosie sees Violet’s plant is a tiny bit bigger and pushes a little soil over the top, but she feels guilty. When she finds out Violet has chicken pox, she knows what she has to do. Allison Wortche’s sweet story will charm little ones while quietly teaching a good lesson about doing the right thing. The enchanting illustrations by Patrice Barton complement the text perfectly. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck
TulsaLibrary.org
918.549.READ
MAy 2012
A FREE MOnThLy guiDE TO yOuR COMMuniTy LiBRARy, iTS PROgRAMS AnD SERviCES
The Beauty of Taiwan PHOTO CoUnCIL oAk Men'SEXHIBITION CHorALe PAGe 2
tHe BeAUty oF tAIwAn PAGe 3
FOR AGES 10-18For•Ages CASH PRIZES! 10-18 • Cash Prizes! Entries PAGE 5 Accepted May 1-June 4
LIBrAry GoInG Green PAGE 8
Entry forms are available at all Tulsa City-County Library locations and on the library’s website at:
http://teens.tulsalibrary.org
Central Book Discussion Group Grant-Seeking Basics Sponsored by: Library Trust p.m. Thursday, May 17 •Tulsa 5:30-7:30 Thursday, May 10 • 2-3 p.m. Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries KWGS Public Radio Room 89.5 Location: Plaza Room Location: Computer Training Tulsa Performing Arts Exhibit sponsored Join Tulsa City-County Library's Read "The Tower, the Zoo and the Center Trust by Taiwan Academy nonprofit Resource Center and Tortoise" by Julia Stuart and then join and Kaohsiung, learn the basics to seek out grant Taiwan-Tulsa April 25-May 31 us for a lively discussion. For adults. Sister City Participants will learn about funds. Central Library, Fourth Street and Denver Avenue Partnership, and the Foundation Center and Tulsa Job Lab hosted by the Tulsa City-County Library's cooperating June 2 City-County Library. May 14 • 2-4 p.m. BIxBy LIBrAry Martin Regional Library,Monday, 2601 S. Garnett Road collection, plus become familiar with Location: Computer Training Room Select photos will be on display at Tulsa the resources available for grant update your résumé, search for City-County Library’s Asian-American Festival. A-Book-A-Month Discussion seeking. For adults. Preregistration is jobs online or explore a new career Wednesday, May 16 • 2-3 p.m. required. Seating is limited. To register, in this special computer lab just for Read "An incomplete Revenge" by visit http://www.surveymonkey. job seekers. you will have access to Jacqueline Winspear and then join com/s/gsb, email mkash@tulsalibrary. Microsoft Office software and the us for a lively discussion. For adults. org or call 918-549-7425. internet. uSB flash drives and CDs
adult/teen events
Broken Arrow LIBrAry Read or Die Manga/Anime Club Saturday, May 19 • 12:30-2 p.m. For ages 13-18.
CentrAL LIBrAry Music Sandwiched In Presents Guitar Stylings wednesday, May 9 12:10-12:50 p.m. Location: Aaronson Auditorium Become mesmerized by awardwinning guitarist extraordinaire Edgar Cruz as he performs Latin and Spanish guitar favorites and originals. Enjoy the uniqueness of his complex sound reminiscent of an entire symphony rather than a single guitar. For all ages. Sponsored by Central Library's Media Center and the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries.
L I B r A r y CLoSInGS
are available for purchasing, or you can bring your own to save your work. Standard printing charges apply. Library staff and resources will be in the lab to provide assistance. For adults. Class size is limited.
Music Sandwiched In Presents Guitar Stylings wednesday, May 16 12:10-12:50 p.m. Location: Aaronson Auditorium Rediscover the delight of the classics as guitarist Michael Fresonke shares his interpretations of timeless guitar pieces as well as his own original compositions in his enchanting style. For all ages. Sponsored by Central Library's Media Center and the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries.
All Tulsa City-County Library locations will be closed on Monday, May 28 for Memorial Day.
Registration Deadline for June Literacy tutor training Monday, May 21 This two-part workshop is scheduled on: Saturdays, June 2, 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tulsa City-County Library's Ruth g. hardman Adult Literacy Service needs volunteer tutors to help adults improve their reading and writing skills. Tutors must be 18 years of age or older and have graduated from high school. Each trained volunteer is matched with an adult student to provide one-on-one tutoring once or twice a week. volunteers are asked to make a one-year commitment to tutor. Tutors must complete both sessions of this workshop. Preregistration is required. The registration deadline is Monday, May 21. To register, call 918-549-7400 or click on www.tulsalibrary.org/literacy.
Legal Considerations for Aging Adults Tuesday, May 22 • 2-4 p.m. Location: Aaronson Auditorium From estate planning to legal authorities, the legal issues affecting the elderly and their loved ones are numerous. Join us to gain a layman's understanding of the legal issues of growing older. Attorneys Philip Feist and Katherine Saunders will discuss powers of attorney, wills, estates and advance directives. Preregistration is required. To register, visit https://www.surveymonkey. com/s/OlderAmericansMonth, email mkash@tulsalibrary.org or call 918549-7425. For adults. Sponsored by the Tulsa County Bar Association. Music Sandwiched In Presents Guitar Stylings Wednesday, May 23 12:10-12:50 p.m. Location: Aaronson Auditorium The charismatic acoustic guitar duo Mark Bruner and Shelby Eicher reflect the diversity of American music with their repertoire of cowboy, western swing and bluegrass tunes. For all ages. Sponsored by Central Library's Media Center and the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries.
May is Older Americans Month.
Programs are designated with this symbol.
TO SEARCh FOR EvEnTS, SCAn ThiS CODE uSing yOuR MOBiLE DEviCE AnD QR SCAnnER APP.
Hearing loop available. Switch hearing aid to T-coil.
a d u l t / t e e n
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c o n t i n u e d achieve or strive for balance in all dimensions. She will tell us what we can do to become more fulfilled in each of the six dimensions and discuss available resources. For adults. Preregistration is required. To register, visit https://www.surveymonkey. com/s/OlderAmericansMonth, email mkash@tulsalibrary.org or call 918-5497425. Presented by Tulsa City-County Library's Consumer health information Committee and LiFE's Senior Services.
CoLLInSVILLe LIBrAry Comedy of Errors Book Discussion Tuesday, May 8 • noon in celebration of Tulsa City-County Library's "A year of Food" and in preparation for the Smithsonian exhibit "Key ingredients: America by Food," to be on display this summer at the Collinsville Library, the Comedy of Errors book club will discuss Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, vegetable, Miracle: A year of Food Life." Kingsolver and her family vowed to live only on food purchased in their area or grown by them. They make a case for putting the kitchen back at the center of family life. For adults. Participants should read the book prior to the program. Sponsored by the Friends of the Collinsville Library.
HARDESTy REGIOnAL LIBrAry
(Central Library continued)
Disaster Preparedness for Older Adults Thursday, May 24 • 2-4 p.m. Location: Aaronson Auditorium Disasters come in all sorts of forms: tornados, floods, fire and now even earthquakes. Join Mickey hinds of LiFE Senior Services and learn how to prepare for a disaster, including planning, important documents, medication and more. For adults.Preregistration is required. To register, visit https:// www.surveymonkey.com/s/ OlderAmericansMonth, email mkash@ tulsalibrary.org or call 918-549-7425. Presented by Tulsa City-County Library's Consumer health information Committee and LiFE's Senior Services. Aging: A Family Affair Tuesday, May 29 • 2-4 p.m. Location: Aaronson Auditorium Being part of a family that is caring for aging parents can seem like a blessing and a curse. in the
best possible scenario, it can be an opportunity for healing and resolving past struggles. it also may be a time for sharing hopes and preparing for the future. in this seminar, Claudia Arthrell, director of professional services at Family and Children's Services, will address emotional aspects of self-care, identifying community resources and preparing family members for their various roles during this stage of life. For adults. Preregistration is required. To register, visit https://www.surveymonkey. com/s/OlderAmericansMonth, email mkash@tulsalibrary.org or call 918-5497425. Presented by Tulsa City-County Library's Consumer health information Committee and LiFE's Senior Services. Council Oak Men's Chorale Sing Songs of LoVe Tuesday, May 29 • 7 p.m. Location: Aaronson Auditorium your favorite men's chorus will serenade you with classic love songs and other up-tempo favorites as a preview for their summer season. Prepare to swoon! For adults.
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Music Sandwiched In Presents Guitar Stylings wednesday, May 30 12:10-12:50 p.m. Location: Aaronson Auditorium name that tune with solo guitarist Randy Wimer's selection of popular hits, jazz toe tappers and a few classical masterpieces played in his engaging performance style. For all ages. Sponsored by Central Library's Media Center and the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries. whole Person wellness: The Six Dimensions of Life Thursday, May 31 • 2-4 p.m. Location: Aaronson Auditorium A word used a great deal today is wellness, but what does that mean and how is it different from health? Wellness is a dimension of health beyond the absence of disease or infirmity; it includes social, emotional, spiritual and other aspects of health. Jana headrick, wellness director at inverness village, will explain the six dimensions of wellness and how our lives are most harmonious when we
Business Plan Basics with SCore Thursday, May 3 • 6:30-8:30 p.m. Location: Computer Lab Whether you are starting a new business or expanding an existing company, a thorough business plan is important. volunteers from SCORE: Counselors to America's Small Business will take you through the steps to develop your own business plan. Learn why a business plan is important and what research is required. you also will review an actual business plan and learn about helpful library resources. For adults. Preregistration is required. Call 918-549-7550 to register. Grant-Writing Tips From Start to Finish Tuesday, May 15 • 9:30 a.m.-noon Location: Frossard Auditorium Melissa Kash-holley of the Tulsa City-County Library nonprofit Resource Center will start this session with a review of the nonprofit Resource Center and how you can access important information about foundations that will be a good match with your mission and programs. Afterward, a panel of local funders will share ways that you can avoid common errors and get your request to the top
a d u l t / t e e n of the stack. Co-sponsored by RSvP's voices of Experience. Light refreshments will be provided by the Library Staff Association. For adults. Preregistration is required. Seating is limited. To register, email mkash@ tulsalibrary.org or call 918-549-7425.
HeLMerICH LIBrAry Books People Are Talking About Wednesday, May 16 • 12:15-1:15 p.m. The lonely challenges of dementia and aging are the themes of our discussion titles this month. Read "Still Alice" by Lisa genova and "The Last Days of Ptolemy gray" by Walter Mosely and then join us for a discussion. For adults. Light refreshments are provided by the Friends of the helmerich Library.
HERMAn AnD KATE kAISer LIBrAry Estate Planning: How Did That Wicked Stepmother Inherit My Dad's Estate When He Was Trying to Divorce Her? Tuesday, May 8 • noon-1 p.m. Join attorney Rita Foster as she discusses wills, revocable trusts, powers of attorney and other estate planning documents. Learn how to avoid probate. For adults. Seating is limited. For more information or to reserve a seat at the seminar, call 918-549-7363. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust.
JenkS LIBrAry Jenks Book Discussion Group Thursday, May 17 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Participants should read the selected book prior to the program. Call 918549-7570 for book title. For adults.
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Job Lab at night Thursday, May 17 • 6-8 p.m. update your résumé, search for jobs online or explore a new career in this special computer lab just for job seekers. you will have access to Microsoft Office software and the internet. Bring your uSB flash drive or purchase one at the library for $5 so that you can save your work. Standard printing charges apply. Library staff and resources will be in the lab to provide assistance. For adults. Manga Ai! Saturday, May 19 • 2-3 p.m. Munch on Pocky and meet up with other manga fans to discuss your favorite books and movies, characters and plot twists. For sixth-graders and up. Teen Advisory Board Meeting Saturday, May 19 • 3:15-4:15 p.m. Join us as we make catapults for Angry Birds. Plus, help us plan library services for teens. For ages 12-18.
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nAtHAn HALe LIBrAry Get your Game On @ the Library Monday, May 7 • 4:30-6 p.m. Join us for Rock Band, Xbox Kinect and nintedo Wii gaming. For ages 12-18.
owASSo LIBrAry Books With Barbara wednesday, May 9 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. • Read "The improper Life of Bezellia grove" by Susan gilmore and then join us for a fun discussion. For adults. Mad About Mysteries Monday, May 14 • 6:30-7:30 p.m. Read "The Brutal Telling" by Louise Penny and then join us for a lively discussion. For adults.
RuDISILL REGIOnAL LIBrAry the Art and Life of Artist Jacob Lawrence Thursday, May 10 • noon-1 p.m. Join Dr. Leslie King-hammond, graduate dean emeritus and founding director of the Center for Race and Culture, Maryland institute College of Art, as she discusses Lawrence's powerful artwork on the African-American experience, voting rights and the worker in the united States. you may bring your lunch. Afterward, attend an evening lecture, "Jacob Lawrence: American Freedoms and Modernist Realities," from 6-7 p.m. at Philbrook Museum of Art, 2727 S. Rockford Road. After the lecture, view a newly acquired print by Lawrence entitled "The 1920s ... The Migrants Cast Their Ballots." The evening lecture is free with museum admission. For adults and teens. Sponsored by the AfricanAmerican Resource Center, Tulsa Library Trust and Philbrook Museum of Art.
The Beauty of Taiwan PHOTO EXHIBITION
MArtIn reGIonAL LIBrAry Teen Time Wednesdays, May 2, 9, 16 • 4-5 p.m. Join us for Wii and board games, plus other fun activities and snacks. For tweens and teens. "Charlas" Spanish Conversation Club Saturdays, May 5, 12, 19, 26 noon-1 p.m. • Practice your Spanish in a low-stress setting! This class is for people who have completed AT LEAST one course, preferably more, and are not yet comfortable with spontaneous Spanish conversation. For ages 16 and older. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust and hispanic Resource Center.
April 25-May 31
Central Library, Fourth Street and Denver Avenue
June 2
Martin Regional Library, 2601 S. Garnett Road Select photos will be on display at Tulsa City-County Library’s Asian-American Festival.
Exhibit sponsored by Taiwan Academy and Kaohsiung, Taiwan-Tulsa Sister City Partnership, and hosted by the Tulsa City-County Library.
TuLSA CITy-COunTy LIBRARy EvEnT GuIDE
MAy 2012
a d u l t / t e e n
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(Rudisill Regional Library continued)
SkIAtook LIBrAry
Kuruoshii Manga Club Thursday, May 10 • 6-7:30 p.m. if you are a fan of anime or manga, then join us. For ages 12-18.
Teen Time Tuesday, May 22 • 3:30-5 p.m. Play Wii and board games, and make crafts. For tweens and teens.
Community Help Series: Home Owner Buying Assistance/Counseling Saturday, May 12 • 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Do you want to become a home owner or do you need downpayment assistance? We can help. Metropolitan Tulsa urban League (MTuL) is a huD-certified housing counseling agency that provides home buyer education and counseling for those interested in purchasing a home. Preregistration is required. Class size is limited. Call MTuL, 918-584-0001, to register. For adults. Sponsored by the Friends of the Rudisill Regional Library.
ZARROW REGIOnAL LIBrAry
Business Plan Basics Saturday, May 19 • 10 a.m.-noon Whether you are starting a new business or expanding an existing company, a thorough business plan is important. volunteers from SCORE: Counselors to America's Small Business, Tulsa Chapter 194, will take you through the steps to develop your own business plan. Learn why a business plan is important and what research is required. you also will review an actual business plan and learn about helpful library resources. Preregistration is required. Call 918549-7645 to register. For adults. Job Lab Tuesday, May 22 • 1-3 p.m. update your résumé, search for jobs online or explore a new career in this special computer lab just for job seekers. you will have access to Microsoft Office software and the internet. uSB flash drives and CDs are available for purchasing, or you can bring your own to save your work. Standard printing charges apply. Library staff and resources will be in the lab to provide assistance. For adults. Preregistration is required. Call 918-549-7645 to register.
SCHuSTERMAnBenSon LIBrAry Mystery Readers' Roundtable Thursday, May 3 • 2-3 p.m. Come and tell us about the mysteries you've been reading. We'll have snacks too. For adults.
teen thursday Thursday, May 3 • 6-7:30 p.m. Join us for Wii games and other fun activities. For teens and tweens. Minicomic Workshop Saturday, May 5 • 2-3:30 p.m. Celebrate Free Comic Book Day by making your own comic. For teens and tweens. urban Homesteaders Discussion Group Monday, May 7 • 7-8 p.m. interested in a more sustainable, selfsufficient lifestyle? if so, this ongoing group is for you! Topics may include gardening, poultry, beekeeping, food storage and more. Meet other likeminded people to share inspiration and ideas. This program is part of Tulsa City-County Library's "A year of Food" celebration. For adults. westside Stitchers Monday, May 14 • 6:30-8 p.m. Like to knit or crochet or want to learn how? if so, join us for yarn-y fun and fellowship. For adults. Minecraft night Thursday, May 17 • 6-7:30 p.m. Put your imagination to the test by building your own world in the popular computer game Minecraft. The participant with the best creation will win a prize. For teens and tweens.
computer classes CentrAL LIBrAry In the Know 55+: Online Health Information Tuesday, May 8 • 2 p.m. Location: Computer Training Room According to the Pew internet Project, 80 percent of internet users gather
T u l s a L i b r a r y . o r g
c o n t i n u e d
health information online. With so many health-related websites and applications available, how do you know that you are receiving accurate information? in this session, you will learn how to evaluate health websites in order to determine how reliable they are. Participants should be able to perform basic navigational tasks on the internet. For ages 55+. Preregistration is required. Class size is limited. To register, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ OlderAmericansMonth, email mkash@ tulsalibrary.org or call 918-549-7425. Sponsored by Tulsa City-County Library and LiFE Senior Services. E-books: Drop In, Check Out Tuesday, May 15 • 4:30-6:30 p.m. Location: research Center, fourth floor Bring your e-reader and laptop, and we'll show you how to search for, check out and download e-books. if you don't have an e-reader yet, but are curious about the process, we will have nooks and Kindles on hand for you to try. For all ages.
HARDESTy REGIOnAL LIBrAry
CLASSES ARE LIMITED TO 18 On A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERvED BASIS. MS word 1 Tuesday, May 1 • 6-8 p.m. Learn how to create various kinds of documents; use the toolbar; set margins; apply spell check; and preview, save and print documents. MS word 2 Tuesday, May 8 • 6-8 p.m. Learn how to create and format tables, use bulleted and numbered lists, and apply and format columns in a document. Internet Basics Thursday, May 10 • 10-11 a.m. This class is designed for those with little or no experience in using the internet. you will navigate the World Wide Web and explore various search engines. you also will learn to preview, print and save information. you should have some experience using a computer keyboard and mouse prior to taking this class. MS excel 1 Tuesday, May 15 • 6-8 p.m. Learn how to create formulas, use automatic fill and change basic formatting.
Introduction to Facebook Saturday, May 19 • 9:30-11:30 a.m. Learn how to set up a Facebook account, share status, find friends, post photos and navigate privacy settings. you should have a familiarity with the basic functions of navigating the internet prior to taking this class. MS excel 2 Tuesday, May 22 • 6-8 p.m. Learn how to create and edit formulas, and apply functions and advanced formatting to your spreadsheets and workbooks. Really Basic Computer Class Saturday, May 26 • 10-11 a.m. This class is designed for new computer users who have little or no previous experience using computers, Windows, a mouse or the internet, and little or no knowledge of basic computer terms.
MArtIn reGIonAL LIBrAry
CLASSES ARE LIMITED TO 12 On A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERvED BASIS. PLEASE ARRIvE 15-30 MInuTES BEFORE CLASS STARTS. MS excel 1 Saturday, May 5 • 10 a.m.-noon Learn how to create formulas, use automatic fill and change basic formatting. MS word 1 Tuesday, May 8 • 1:30-3:30 p.m. Learn how to create various kinds of documents; use the toolbar; set margins; apply spell check; and preview, save and print documents. MS excel 2 Saturday, May 12 • 10 a.m.-noon Learn how to create and edit formulas, and apply functions and advanced formatting to your spreadsheets and workbooks. MS word 2 Tuesday, May 15 • 1:30-3:30 p.m. Learn how to create and format tables, use bulleted and numbered lists, and apply and format columns in a document. MS excel 3 Saturday, May 19 • 10 a.m.-noon Learn how to create visual representations of spreadsheet and workbook data. Learn how to create charts, apply conditional formatting and control the appearance of printed spreadsheets.
Really Basic Computer Class Tuesday, May 22 • 1:30-3:30 p.m. This class is designed for new computer users who have little or no previous experience using computers, Windows, a mouse or the internet, and little or no knowledge of basic computer terms. MS PowerPoint 1 Saturday, May 26 • 10 a.m.-noon Learn how to create group presentations and slide shows. Email 101 Tuesday, May 29 • 1:30-3:30 p.m. Learn how to set up a free account and how to use it to send and receive email.
RuDISILL REGIOnAL LIBrAry
FOR ALL AGES. PREREGISTRATIOn IS REquIRED. CLASS SIZES ARE LIMITED. CALL 918-549-7645 TO REGISTER. Really Basic Computer Class Friday, May 4 • 9:30-11 a.m. This class is designed for new computer users who have little or no previous experience using computers, Windows, a mouse or the internet, and little or no knowledge of basic computer terms.
children’s events Broken Arrow LIBRARy/SOuTH Toddler Time wednesdays, May 2, 9 10:30-10:50 a.m. • Touch, explore, learn something new. Exploring the world is what we do. Join us for stories, songs and action rhymes. For 1-year-olds to 36-montholds and their caregivers. My First Storytime Mondays, May 7, 14 10:30-10:50 a.m. • For newborns to 15-month-olds and their caregivers. Happy Mother's Day Mug for Mom Wednesday, May 9 • 4:30-5:30 p.m. Stumped for a great gift for your mom? Join us and paint a ceramic mug, which she will treasure forever. Bring a favorite mug or a white
one will be provided. Participating children must be accompanied by an adult. For ages 7-12. Preregistration is required. Call 918-549-7662 to register.
BROOKSIDE LIBRARy Preschool Storytime wednesdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 10:15-10:45 a.m. • For ages 2-5. An adult must accompany 2-year-olds. My First Storytime wednesdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 11-11:20 a.m. • For newborns to 24-month-olds and their caregivers. Book Buddies Thursday, May 17 • 3:30-4:30 p.m. Join Miss Dana for a cool craft and an amusing read. For ages 5-12. PAwS for reading Wednesday, May 23 • 3:30-4:30 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 7-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust.
CentrAL LIBrAry Kids Dig Books: Let's Grow! Thursday, May 3 • 10-11 a.m. Location: Gilcrease Museum, 1400 Gilcrease Museum Road Join us as we listen to stories about how plants, animals and people grow and change through different seasons and in different environments. Afterward, participants will create a work of art that relates to the stories they just heard. Space is limited. Reservations are required. For reservations, email sarahwright@utulsa.edu or call 918596-2774. For ages 3-6 and their caregivers. Presented by Central Library's Children's Department. Sensory Storytime Saturday, May 5 • 10:30 a.m. This storytime is especially geared to children with sensory integration issues. if your child has difficulty sitting through one of the library's other storytimes, this inclusive and interactive program of stories, songs and activities may be just what you are looking for! Sensory Storytimes focus on learning with all five senses and
Introduction to MS word 2007 Friday, May 11 • 9:30-11 a.m. Learn how to create various kinds of documents; use the toolbar; set margins; apply spell check; and preview, save and print documents. Internet @ the Library Friday, May 18 • 9:30-11 a.m. Learn how to navigate the World Wide Web and use the library’s online catalog and resources.
ZARROW REGIOnAL LIBrAry
FOR ADuLTS. CLASS SIZES ARE LIMITED. Really Basic Computer Class Wednesday, May 9 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. This class is designed for new computer users who have little or no previous experience using computers, Windows, a mouse or the internet, and little or no knowledge of basic computer terms. Internet @ the Library Wednesday, May 16 • 1:30-3:30 p.m. Learn how to navigate the World Wide Web and use the library’s online catalog and resources.
For Ages 10-18 • Cash Prizes! Entries Accepted May 1-June 4 Entry forms are available at all Tulsa City-County Library locations and on the library’s website at:
http://teens.tulsalibrary.org
Sponsored by: Tulsa Library Trust Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries KWGS Public Radio 89.5 Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust
TuLSA CITy-COunTy LIBRARy EvEnT GuIDE
MAy 2012
c h i l d r e n ’ s (Central Library continued)
are especially designed for children with a variety of learning styles. Preregistration is required. Register online at http://www.surveymonkey. com/s/CESensory or call 918-5497438. For ages 1-7 accompanied by an adult. Class size is limited. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust.
CHArLeS PAGeS LIBrAry PAwS for reading Monday, May 7 • 6:30-7:30 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 6-12 are invited to read their favorite
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books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust.
CoLLInSVILLe LIBrAry Stories From the Rocking Chair Tuesdays, May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 10:30-11 a.m. • For newborns to 4-year-olds and their caregivers.
GLenPooL LIBrAry My First Storytime wednesdays, May 2, 9, 16 10:30-10:45 a.m. • For newborns to 3-year-olds and their caregivers.
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Preschool Storytime Wednesdays • 11-11:30 a.m. For ages 3-5. May 9 • Mother's Day May 16 • get Ready for Summer
HARDESTy REGIOnAL LIBrAry My First Storytime Tuesday, May 1 • 10-10:20 a.m. Wednesday, May 2 • 10-10:20 a.m. For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers. Toddler Time Tuesday, May 1 • 11-11:20 a.m. Join Ms. Josie for stories, songs
tulsa city-county library locations 1 Bixby Library 20 E. Breckenridge, 74008 • 918-549-7514 M-Th, 12-8; Fri., 12-6; Sat., 10-5 2 Broken Arrow Library 300 W. Broadway, 74012 • 918-549-7500 M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 3 Broken Arrow Library/South 3600 S. Chestnut, 74011 • 918-549-7662 M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 4 Brookside Library 1207 E. 45th Place, 74105 • 918-549-7507 M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 5 Central Library and American Indian Resource Center 400 Civic Center, 74103 • 918-549-7323 M-Th, 9-9; Fri.-Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5, Sept.-May 6 Charles Page Library 551 E. Fourth St., Sand Springs, 74063 918-549-7521 • M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 7 Collinsville Library 1223 Main, 74021 • 918-549-7528 M-Th, 12-8; Fri., 12-5; Sat., 10-5 8 Genealogy Center 2901 S. Harvard, 74114 • 918-549-7691 M-W, 10-5; Th, 1-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 9 Glenpool Library 730 E. 141st St., 74033 • 918-549-7535 M-Th, 12-8; Fri., 12-5; Sat., 10-5 10 Hardesty Regional Library and Connor’s Cove 8316 E. 93rd St., 74133 • 918-549-7550 M-Th, 9-9; Fri., 9-6; Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5 11 Helmerich Library 5131 E. 91st St., 74137 • 918-549-7631 M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 12 Herman and Kate Kaiser Library 5202 S. hudson Ave., Suite B, 74135 918-549-7542 • M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 13 Jenks Library 523 W. B St., 74037 • 918-549-7570 M-T, 12-8; W-Th, 10-6; Fri., 12-5; Sat., 10-5
14 Judy Z. Kishner Library 10150 n. Cincinnati Ave. E., Sperry 74073 • 918-549-7577 M-Th, 12-7; Fri., 12-5; Sat., 10-5 15 Kendall-Whittier Library 21 S. Lewis, 74104 • 918-549-7584 M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 16 Martin Regional Library and Hispanic Resource Center 2601 S. Garnett Road, 74129 • 918-549-7590 M-Th, 9-9; Fri., 9-6; Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5 17 Maxwell Park Library 1313 N. Canton, 74115 • 918-549-7610 M-F, 10-6; Sat., 10-5 18 nathan Hale Library 6038 E. 23rd St., 74114 • 918-549-7617 M, 12-8; T-Th, 10-6; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 19 Owasso Library 103 W. Broadway, 74055 • 918-549-7624 M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 20 Pratt Library 3219 S. 113th W. Ave., Sand Springs, 74063 • 918-549-7638 M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 21 Rudisill Regional Library and African-American Resource Center 1520 N. Hartford, 74106 • 918-549-7645 M-Th, 9-9; Fri.-Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5 22 Schusterman-Benson Library 3333 E. 32nd Place, 74135 • 918-549-7670 M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 23 Skiatook Library 316 E. Rogers, 74070 • 918-549-7676 M, 12-8; T-Th, 10-6; Fri.-Sat., 11-5 24 Suburban Acres Library 4606 N. Garrison, 74126 • 918-549-7655 M-Th, 10-6; Fri.-Sat., 11-5 25 Zarrow Regional Library 2224 W. 51st St., 74107 918-549-7683 M-Th, 9-9; Fri.-Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5
T u l s a L i b r a r y . o r g
and finger plays. For ages 2-3 and their caregivers. Preschool Storytime With Ms. Kristie Wednesday, May 2 • 11-11:30 a.m. Join us for stories, music and activities. For ages 3-5.
HERMAn AnD KATE kAISer LIBrAry Registration Deadline for Story Stroll Tuesday, May 1 • Join the herman and Kate Kaiser Library for a Story Stroll on Saturday, May 19 from 1 to 4 p.m. Enjoy a story with your friends and family while exploring the great outdoors. As you walk around the
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gardens at LaFortune Park, you will be able to read "Bats at the Library" and "Bats at the Beach" by Brian Lies, who is the artist for the 2012 children's summer reading program "Dream Big – READ!" Pages from these books will be placed along the walking path for you to read together page by page. Afterward, cool off at the library with some fun bat crafts. This program is in conjunction with Tulsa City-County Library's "A year of Food" celebration exploring food, gardening and health. To register for the Story Stroll, call 918-549-7542. For all ages. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust. Preschool Storytime wednesdays, May 2, 9, 16 10:30-10:55 a.m. • For ages 3-5. My First Storytime thursdays, May 3, 10, 17 10:30-10:55 a.m. • For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers. PAwS for reading Tuesday, May 8 • 3:30-5 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Class size is limited. Pajama Storytime Tuesday, May 8 • 7-7:30 p.m. it's a pajama jammy jam with Ms. Kristen and Mr. Dave. Wear your PJs and join us for stories, rhymes and good times! For ages 3-8.
JenkS LIBrAry PAwS for reading Tuesday, May 15 • 4-5 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Call 918-5497570 to preregister. Walk-ins may participate if space is available.
KEnDALL-WHITTIER LIBrAry Bilingual Storytime Tuesdays, May 1, 8, 15 • 10-10:45 a.m. Enjoy stories in English and Spanish. For ages 3-5. Bilingual Storytime Thursday, May 3 • 9-9:45 a.m. Location: Health Department, 315 S. utica • Enjoy stories in English and Spanish. For ages 12 and younger.
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PAwS for reading Saturday, May 12 • 11 a.m.-noon Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust.
MArtIn reGIonAL LIBrAry My First Storytime Tuesdays, May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 10:30-10:50 a.m. • For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers. Preschool Storytime Tuesdays, May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 11-11:30 a.m. • For ages 3-5. Stay and Play Tuesdays, May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 11:30 a.m.-noon • For babies and toddlers, playing is learning! After our regularly scheduled storytime, join us for games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For ages 1-5 and their caregivers. Bilingual Family Storytime wednesdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 6:30-7 p.m. Thursdays, May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 11-11:30 a.m. Enjoy stories, songs and activities in English and Spanish. For ages 1-5 and their families. Book Buddies thursdays, May 3, 10, 17 4-4:50 p.m. • Play games, read stories and make a craft. For first- through third-graders. Konnichiwa Presents: Fun Fun Music! Monday, May 21 • 11 a.m.-noon hop, jump and sing Japanese and English songs with members of the Konnichiwa. For ages 3-6.
nAtHAn HALe LIBrAry My First Storytime Thursdays, May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 10:15-10:35 a.m. • For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers. Preschool Storytime Thursdays, May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 11-11:30 a.m. • For ages 2-5. An adult must accompany 2-year-olds. PAwS for reading Saturday, May 26 • 1-2 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will
en español programas infantiles BIBLIoteCA reGIonAL MArtIn Cuentos Bilingües Miércoles, 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 de mayo 6:30-7 p.m. Jueves, 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 de mayo 11-11:30 a.m. Disfruta cuentos, canciones, y actividades en inglés y español. Para niños 1 a 5 años.
clases de informática BIBLIoteCA reGIonAL MArtIn Computación e internet para principiantes Miércoles, de 2 mayo • 6:15-8:30 p.m. Esta clase es para personas con poca o ninguna experiencia usando las computadoras y el internet. Las familiarizará con el uso y la terminología de la computación, uso del teclado, del ratón y del internet para su uso diario en el trabajo, la
Patrocinado por el Centro hispano y el Fideicomiso de las Bibliotecas de Tulsa. informes al 918-549-7597.
TulsaLibrary.org/hrc casa, para entretenimiento, y/o escuela. Para todas las edades. La computadora, el correo electrónico y sus usos Miércoles, de 9 mayo • 6:15-8:30 p.m. Cómo crear una cuenta de correo electrónico y cómo usarla para enviar y recibir correo electrónico gratis. Para todas las edades. Herramientas gratis para la búsqueda de trabajo, el currículum, y otros documentos Miércoles, de 16 mayo • 6:15-8:30 p.m. Presentaremos recursos que la biblioteca y el internet ofrecen para mejorar tu búsqueda de trabajo, tu currículum, al igual que otros documentos necesarios (cartas y tarjetas de presentación). Para todas las edades. Microsoft word y sus Usos (volantes, Tarjetas, Cartas) Miércoles, de 30 mayo • 6:15-8:30 p.m. usos del Microsoft Word para crear tus propios documentos. En esta clase aprenderemos el uso de Microsoft Word y su aplicación para redactar cartas, currículos vitae, tarjetas de cumpleaños y volantes para promocionar eventos tanto familiares como profesionales. Para todas las edades.
TuLSA CITy-COunTy LIBRARy EvEnT GuIDE
MAy 2012
Starting May 14, we will no longer mail library notifications. Please add an email address and/or telephone number to your account so that we can continue to provide you notifications regarding your holds and other pertinent information. We also can provide you notifications by text. To add an email address or phone number to your account, log in to your account at http://opac.tulsalibrary.org/patroninfo, select “Modify Info” and fill in the requested fields. If you have difficulty logging in to your account, please ask a library staff member to assist you or call 918-549-7444.
c h i l d r e n ’ s (Nathan Hale Library continued)
receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Preregistration is required. Call 918-549-7617 to register.
owASSo LIBrAry My First Storytime Tuesdays, May 1, 8, 15 wednesdays, May 2, 9, 16 9:30-9:45 a.m. • For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers. Preschool Storytime Tuesdays, May 1, 8, 15 wednesdays, May 2, 9, 16 10-10:30 a.m. • For ages 3-5. Stay and Play Tuesdays, May 1, 8, 15 wednesdays, May 2, 9, 16 10:30-11 a.m. • For babies and toddlers, playing is learning! After our regularly scheduled storytime, join us for games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For ages 1-5 and their caregivers. Homeschool Storytime wednesdays, May 2, 9, 16 1:30-2:30 p.m. • homeschooled students are invited to join us for a story and craft. For ages 5-12. PAwS for reading Thursday, May 3 • 4:30-5:30 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry,
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four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Preregistration is required. Class size is limited. Call 918-549-7624 to register. Owasso Mother-Daughter Book Club Thursday, May 17 • 6-7 p.m. girls ages 9-12 and their mothers are invited to join us to discuss a great read. Copies of the featured book are available at the library. Participants should read the selected book prior to the program. Preregistration is required. Call 918-549-7624 to register.
RuDISILL REGIOnAL LIBrAry Preschool Storytime Tuesdays, May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 wednesdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 10-10:30 a.m. • For ages 2-5. An adult must accompany 2-year-olds.
SCHuSTERMAnBenSon LIBrAry Preschool Storytime Tuesdays, May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 10:30-11 a.m. • For ages 3-5. My First Storytime wednesdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 10-10:20 a.m. • 10:30-10:50 a.m. For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers.
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Music and Me Monday, May 7 10-10:30 a.m. • 10:45-11:15 a.m. This fun, high-energy music program features instruments, scarves, movement and more. For newborns to 5-year-olds and their caregivers. PAwS for reading Monday, May 14 • 3:30-4:30 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust.
SkIAtook LIBrAry Preschool Storytime Thursdays • 11 a.m.-noon Join us for books, rhymes, songs and a craft. For newborns to 6-year-olds and their caregivers. Seating is limited. May 3 • Monkey Business May 10 • We Like Kites May 17 • Puppy Time
Family Fun night Tuesday, May 8 • 6:30-7:30 p.m. Join us for fun stories, crafts and games. For ages 10 and younger and their families. Library Lego League Saturday, May 12 • 2-3 p.m. Join us for Lego building fun. Legos will be provided, or you may bring your own. For ages 6-12. PAwS for reading Saturday, May 26 • 2-3 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. DIy @ the Library: Paper Lanterns Tuesday, May 29 • 5:30-6:30 p.m. Make paper lanterns to celebrate our summer reading theme! For ages 8-13.
ZARROW REGIOnAL LIBrAry Stay and Play Storytime wednesdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 10:30-11:30 a.m. • For babies and toddlers, playing is learning! Enjoy storytime and then stay after for games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For ages 5 and younger.
Free and Open to the Public if you are hearing-impaired and need a qualified interpreter, please call the library 48 hours in advance of the program. The Tulsa Book Review and Tulsa City-County Library Event guide are printed on partially recycled paper.
The Tulsa City-County Library Event guide is produced by the Public Relations Office of the Tulsa City-County Library. For questions or concerns, call 918-549-7389.
Book Reviews
Kids’ Books SNAP IT for additional book summaries. The Beetle Book By Steve Jenkins Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, $16.99, 34 pages Check this out! This vividly illustrated, fact-filled reference book is a treasure trove of information about beetles. Each page features at least one visually arresting illustration of a beetle surrounded by facts broken into easily digestible one- to two-sentence segments. The pages are organized by theme: beetle senses, battling beetles, hunters and scavengers, etc., and include beetles that best illustrate the theme. When beetles are blown up to larger-than-life scales, the page also features a silhouette that shows the actual size. While the average reader will not read this book in a single sitting, he or she will find the reading to be a rewarding experience. The Beetle Book will entertain with interesting facts — the African goliath beetle, for example, is as big as a person’s hand — and the illustrations are absolutely stunning. This would be a great reference book for any children’s library and a handy way to get kids interested in insects. Reviewed by Tammy McCartney The Bunny’s Night-Light: A Glow-in-theDark Search By Geoffrey Hayes Random House Books for Young Readers, $11.99, 23 pages Check this out! In the search for a night-light for Bunny, Geoffrey Hayes’ glow-in-the-dark story helps ease children into readiness for sleep by working to dispel much of the scariness of night. All children see the world differently in the dark, with varying degrees of concern. This book brings fun to the dark with its glow-in-thedark features while addressing Bunny’s fears. It is a well-written story that will involve children from the very beginning, holding their interest throughout all of the many attempts with Papa to find a suitable night-light. Bunny finds something missing from each of the suggestions, but Papa
never gives up trying to find a solution for Bunny. Ultimately, Papa suggests they ask Mama for her help. Children will cheer when Mama’s idea solves the problem. Best read in the dark by the glow of a flashlight or night-light, The Bunny’s Night-Light: A Glow-in-the-Dark Search will easily become a child’s favorite book to be read and reread each night. Children will identify with Bunny, which opens up the chance to discuss their own trepidations. What a wonderful bedtime story! Reviewed by Angie Mangino What Happens to Our Trash? By D.J. Ward, Paul Meisel (illustrator) HarperCollins, $5.99, 40 pages Check this out! In this children’s book geared toward ages 5 to 9, D.J. Ward has written a book that will not only interest and educate children, but also teach the adults many facts they probably do not know. It is a wonderful book for parents and children to share, easily understood and crammed with information. The beautiful illustrations by Paul Meisel enhance the appealing story of trash by giving a visual that easily holds a child’s interest. Landfills, alternative energy, recycling and composting are explored, while giving greater understanding and encouraging making where we live a cleaner, greener place. Additionally included at the end of this book is a “Find Out More About Trash” section that shares information on creating a home compost pile, as well as other interesting trash facts, complete with online sites to continue learning. What Happens to Our Trash? is a wonderful book to have in a child’s personal library, and this reviewer believes it would be a great addition in schools to make science more personal and relative to children’s everyday life. Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Tulsa Book Review • May 2012 • 16
Join Tulsa City-County Library’s
2012 Children’s Summer Reading Program May 21-July 28 Earn great prizes and coupons! Attend awesome free events! Read for the fun of it! Newborns through fifth-graders may participate. Visit any library location to get a summer reading log and event guide. Learn more at http://kids.tulsalibrary.org.
Dream Big at the Tulsa
Zoo!
Saturday, June 30 • 9 a.m.-noon Summer readers, join us at the Tulsa Zoo for a special midsummer celebration! Learn all about nocturnal animals, visit the new Helmerich Sea Lion Cove and enjoy other fun activities. Children and teens who show their summer reading logs or sign up for the Summer Reading Program will receive free admission to the zoo that day. Mohawk Park requires a $2 parking fee.
Book Reviews
Teen Scene SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
The Centaur’s Daughter By Ellen Jensen Abbott Marshall Cavendish, $17.99, 320 pages This novel brings high fantasy to the young adult market. Political intrigue, magical quests and more creatures than a Charlaine Harris novel grace the page of this sequel to Watersmeet. Absinia found a home at Watersmeet, but when her father is killed by the White Worm she decides not to become the community leader. She hands this duty to a friend but is constantly in disagreement with the decisions the new tribe leader makes. Absinia decides that she does want the duty, but her friend has the mindset that there are no takebacks. The book was a top 10 nominee for the Young Adult Library Services Association and won the IRA award. The politics and prejudice that move the plot along are eyeopening for today’s society. Instead of rich kids versus poor kids, here there are humans versus mythological creatures with a girl at the center of it all wanting to band the community together while becoming the leader who will keep them together. The plot is slow like high fantasy and the book is on the longer side for what I would consider upper middle grade, but the world building is solid and the characters lovable. Reviewed by Pamela van Hylckama Vlieg
Goddess Interrupted By Aimee Carter HarlequinTeen, $9.99, 304 pages Check this out! Goddess Interrupted picks up exactly where the first book in the series, The Goddess Test, leaves off. Kate is busy spending her six months outside of the Underworld traveling through Greece with James and having a grand time. When she steps back into the Underworld and Henry isn’t even there to greet her she begins to wonder if her husband still loves her. Calliope finds a way out of her imprisonment and awakens an ancient titan. Kate realizes she is about to lose her husband before she can figure out their new relationship and her newfound immortality as well. She sets off deep into the Underworld to find her sister and Henry’s first wife, Persephone. Bringing Persephone back to the castle changes the game in fighting the titan but it also adds more haze to Kate’s already complicated relationship with Henry. When her power manifests as visions and she sees Henry kissing Persephone she decides to leave the Underworld forever. Forever she finds is a long time. I adored this second book in what stands to be a strong trilogy. I can’t wait to read the next installment and see how Carter will further update Greek myth. This book is a love letter to romance and mythology fans. Reviewed by Pamela van Hylckama Vlieg
Join Tulsa City-County Library’s
2012 TEEN AND TWEEN SUMMER READING PROGRAM MAY 21-JULY 28 Earn great prizes and coupons! Attend awesome free events! Read for the fun of it! You must have completed fifth grade to sign up for the teen and tween summer reading program. Visit any library location to get a summer reading log and event guide. Learn more at http://teens.tulsalibrary.org.
MEET AUTHOR
J a cq uel i ne Wo o d s o n Winner of the 2012 Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers’ Literature
Friday, Aug. 24 • 7 p.m.
Central Library • Fourth Street and Denver Avenue Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust Free and Open to the Public
Tulsa Book Review • May 2012 • 17
Book Reviews
Cookbooks SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Bean by Bean: A Cookbook By Crescent Dragonwagon Workman Publishing, $15.95, 370 pages Check this out! The 175 recipes in this bean cookbook cover the foods of every continent, ranging from very simple to sophisticated. The author gives a 22-page introduction about beans and other legumes, everything you need to know from growing to cooking. The book is a medium-format trade paperback, inexpensively produced using green only for color to offset the black-and-white text. Simple, cutsie sketches break up the text. The writing is good, though the frivolous humor is not to everyone’s taste. The recipes are very good, covering the spectrum from appetizers through hearty casseroles, even some sweets using beans. The many sidebars — some more than a page long — give useful information, facts, quotations, personal stories and even folk songs. Each recipe comes with recipe tags denoting vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and those containing meat. Many give a variation on the recipe. Ingredients are mostly readily available. Though the author promotes using dry beans, many recipes start with canned beans and, unfortunately, she doesn’t give conversions. Because of uninterrupted text, recipe layout is not user-friendly, forcing the cook to flip pages back and forth during cooking. The well cross-referenced index is excellent though. Reviewed by George Erdosh I Love Meatballs! By Rick Rodgers Andrews McMeel Publishing, $19.99, 156 pages Check this out! Rick Rodgers, a cooking teacher and media guest chef, has successfully written dozens of books about cooking. This one successfully makes your mouth water and inspires hunger pangs through its photography and descriptive text. In I love meatballs!, Rodgers rolls through six different delectable ways to savor the round, meaty balls of deliciousness. You will learn how to create meatballs for soups,
sauces, pasta, between pieces of bread, for the grill or simply by themselves. Recipes call for various types of meat, as well as seafood, which gives the “meat” in meatball a whole new meaning. Rodgers describes how to fry them, boil them and grill them, as well as add enough ingredients for each meatball recipe to serve as a tasty meal in itself. The recipes are simple to follow for even the most primitive cook. You will be pleasantly surprised at how this simple little mound of meat can be so versatile and flavorful! There is even a handy metric conversion and equivalents guide for those who are mathematically challenged. Go ahead, call the kids into the kitchen to play with their food! Reviewed by Linda Welz Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes By Joy Wilson Hyperion, $19.99, 242 pages Check this out! “I encourage you to use this book to celebrate life and love. They’re both made better with sugar, butter and cream,” Joy Wilson writes in her fabulously colorful new cookbook Joy the Baker Cookbook. “There’s an undeniable connection between sweet treats and smiles; I hope this cookbook inspires both.” Whether you’re a seasoned kitchen master or just finding your culinary self, this cookbook has something to offer. I’ve been cooking for my family for years, yet I discovered so many new tricks in this book! Do you know how to make your own brown sugar out of granulated sugar and molasses? Do you know how to make your own vanilla extract when your supply runs out or how to season a cast-iron skillet? Joy the Baker will teach you how! I loved the chapter headings. They simply demand that you skim through the pages. Chapter two is irresistible: “Pancakes Pancakes Pancakes and Other Lesser Breakfast Items.” The vibrant pictures make me want to abandon my diet and get busy in the kitchen. I can’t wait to try the “Single Lady Pancakes” and the “Carrot Cake Pancakes.” The “Man Bait Apple Crisp” is delightfully, deliciously dangerous. See JOY, cont’d on page 13
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Join Tulsa City-County Library as it explores food, gardening and health with more than 40 free programs scheduled throughout the year. Visit the library’s website at http://TulsaLibrary.org/AYearofFood for more information.
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RELATED MAY EVENTS Story Stroll SATURDAY, MAY 19 • 1-4 P.M. REGISTRATION DEADLINE: MAY 1 HERMAN AND KATE KAISER LIBRARY GARDENS AT LAFORTUNE PARK Enjoy a story with your friends and family while exploring the great outdoors. For more information or to register for Story Stroll, call 918-549-7542. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust.
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Urban Homesteaders Discussion Group MONDAY, MAY 7 • 7-8 P.M. • ZARROW REGIONAL LIBRARY Interested in a more sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle? If so, this ongoing group is for you! Topics may include gardening, poultry, beekeeping, food storage and more.
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Comedy of Errors Book Discussion TUESDAY, MAY 8 • NOON • COLLINSVILLE LIBRARY This book club will discuss Barbara Kingsolver’s “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life.” Sponsored by the Friends of the Collinsville Library.
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Whole Person Wellness: The Six Dimensions of Life THURSDAY, MAY 31 • 2-4 P.M. • CENTRAL LIBRARY Learn about the six dimensions of wellness and how to make your life more harmonious by achieving or striving for balance in all dimensions. For more information or to register, call 918-549-7425. Sponsored by LIFE’s Senior Services.
Book Reviews
Business & Personal Finance SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Tap, Move, Shake: Turning Your Game Ideas Into iPhone & iPad Apps By Todd Moore O’Reilly Media, $29.99, 254 pages Check this out! Apps are where it’s at these days. They let you play Scrabble with friends, find out the best time to hit the bathroom while watching a movie, and vintage up your photography. But if you’ve got an idea for an iPhone or iPad game, where do you start? Try Tap, Move, Shake. Todd Moore takes you step-by-step through the creation process, from programming and mapping out features to getting the app authorized and launching it on the market. Moore’s invaluable firsthand knowledge of the creative and coding processes gives him both the experience and the confidence necessary to help shepherd fledgling code monkeys toward success with their app ideas. As someone with a vested interest in designing game apps (if I can do it, that should convince my employer it’s possible, right?), this was an absorbing read. Any aspiring designer with a solid grasp of coding should easily be able to make the most of Moore’s advice, culling useful tidbits for his or her own projects while bringing Moore’s airhockey game to life from scratch. Tap, Move, Shake takes you from idea to launch in as comprehensive a fashion as I’ve ever seen. Good luck, game makers. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas
Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles and Shady Deals By Christopher Elliott Wiley, $24.95, 209 pages Check this out! Part of one’s basic education should include learning to recognize and avoid scams. Con artists parallel the emergence of new products and rely on the gullibility of the consumer. Chris Elliott is both a journalist and consumer advocate who writes from his own personal experience, as well as the reports from an assortment of victims, and provides timely information for the naive buyer. Beginning with modern technology, computer scams and misleading ads on the Internet are revealed. Marketeers from corporations to peddlers are out to get your money and apply all sorts of devious schemes to lure prospective buyers into their snares. Frequently, the consumer himself is responsible for falling for a bargain that is no more than a scam in disguise. Elliott serves as a consumer mentor, elucidating the deceitful strategies practiced by individuals and businesses. While many are familiar with these con tactics, regrettably such devious ripoffs take new twists and can trip up even the more experienced player. Fortunately, the book includes advice not only on how to avoid the traps, but also on how to redress some of the wrongs. For those interested in preserving their cash, this book serves as an eye-opener on how the public is manipulated to spend on phony deals. Reviewed by Aron Row
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Celebrate Older Americans Month! Join Tulsa City-County Library and LIFE Senior Services in May for a series of programs focusing on living well at any age. All programs will be held at:
Central Library
Fourth Street and Denver Avenue
In the Know 55+ Online Health Information: Finding Reliable Resources TUESDAY, MAY 8 • 2-4 P.M. • COMPUTER TRAINING ROOM According to the Pew Internet Project, 80 percent of Internet users gather health information online. With so many health-related websites available, how do you know that you are receiving accurate information? Learn how to evaluate health websites.
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Layman’s Legal: Legal Considerations for Aging Adults TUESDAY, MAY 22 • 2-4 P.M. • AARONSON AUDITORIUM Join attorneys Phillip Feist and Katherine Saunders to gain a layman’s understanding of the legal issues of growing older. Topics include powers of attorney, wills, estates and advance directives. Co-sponsored by the Tulsa County Bar Association.
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Disaster Preparedness for Older Adults THURSDAY, MAY 24 • 2-4 P.M. • AARONSON AUDITORIUM Disasters come in all forms: tornados, floods, fire and now even earthquakes. Join Mickey Hinds of LIFE Senior Services and learn how to prepare for a disaster, including important documents, medication and more.
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Aging: A Family Affair TUESDAY, MAY 29 • 2-4 P.M. • AARONSON AUDITORIUM Caring for aging parents can be an opportunity for healing, resolving past struggles, sharing hopes and preparing for the future. Join Claudia Arthrell, director of professional services at Family and Children’s Services, as she discusses emotional aspects of self-care, community resources and how to prepare family members for their various roles during this stage of life.
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Whole Person Wellness: The Six Dimensions of Life THURSDAY, MAY 31 • 2-4 P.M. • AARONSON AUDITORIUM Wellness is a dimension of health beyond the absence of disease or infirmity; it includes social, emotional, spiritual and other aspects of health. Join Jana Headrick, wellness director at Inverness Village, as she explains the six dimensions of wellness and how our lives are most harmonious when we achieve or strive for balance in all dimensions.
Preregistration is required for each program. To register, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/ s/OlderAmericansMonth, email mkash@tulsalibrary.org or call 918-549-7425.
Book Reviews
History & Current Events SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Ten Tea Parties: Patriotic Protests That History Forgot By Joseph Cummins Quirk Books, $18.95, 224 pages Check this out! It’s one of the most iconic acts of rebellion in history, one that seizes the imagination and brushes away the dusty film of dates and places, bringing to life the passion and fervor of patriotic self-interest and a burgeoning sense of national pride. The Boston Tea Party is an event everyone remembers, even if the specifics on the whys and wherefores are a bit fuzzy. But while Boston’s is the most famous, it’s hardly the only tea-centric act of rebellion in American history. Ten Tea Parties chronicles the nitty-gritty details behind the copycats and predecessors alike, delving into the local politics and individual motivations behind 10 different instances where colonists tossed tea to make themselves heard. Cummins does an impressive job of removing the whitewashing of centuries and examining the people behind the events, which always are more complicated, more human and more fascinating than the stories in a textbook. His unanswered questions at the end of each chapter are the best part, acknowledging that some pieces of history, especially the actions of individual players, are lost forever. Ten Tea Parties not only explores a curious trend in American history, but it offers valuable insight into politics today. It’s a great read. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas The Last Romanov By Dora Levy Mossanen Sourcebooks Landmark, $14.99, 329 pages Check this out! Imperial Russia is about to burst into life before your eyes: lively and multifaceted royal characters, enchanting ballets, avant-
garde art, and unbelievable plots of treason, danger and death. Darya spends many years with the royal family, nannying young Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich Romanov. Through her eyes, the ill-fated Romanovs come to life like never before. The novel alternates between the past and present, where old, wise Darya is asked to identify a man who claims to be the long-lost heir to the Romanov throne. I really liked this technique and think it added more meaning and depth to the task at hand. We watch as Darya tries to save the bleeding young Alexei’s life so many times and how she shields him when the family is massacred. We slowly learn to understand the strange, mystical woman with the opal eye, the girl who witnessed so much and has never given up hope. She desperately believes that if she can find her long-lost Alexei then she might be able to piece together the pieces of her own shattered life. Dora Levy Mossanen’s The Last Romanov is a fascinating marriage of myth of history, complicated characters and even more complicated political times. I was immediately absorbed into a land of beauty and darkness, glowing royal figures and shadowy prophesies. I simply could not get enough and couldn’t stop reading until the last page was turned. The Last Romanov is an unforgettable tale about a woman’s quest to unravel the mysteries of her past and save the heir to the throne from a fate she believes she could have prevented. Prepare to be utterly and completely captivated. Reviewed by Jennifer Melville The Lost History of 1914: Reconsidering the Year the Great War Began By Jack Beatty Walker, $30.00, 400 pages Check this out! There are countless books that focus on
World War I — what happened when, what country did what, who won and what was left when the whole thing was over. Never have I read a book that looked at what was going on in each country in the years before Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated. Society and armchair historians like to simplify things to the point where we lose sight of the real catalysts and causation of war. Jack Beatty tells the whole story and breaks it down, one country at a time, in a way that no other book does. The Russians wanted peace at any cost to ward off a revolution. The Brits had their hands full with Home Rule and Ireland. The United States was juggling an on-and-off relationship with Pancho Villa that had President Wilson loved by the press one day and vilified the next. The entire world had their hands full, and it almost seems that Germany was above it all, watching and waiting for the perfect time to strike. The Lost History of 1914 makes you look at the lead-up to war in so many new lights that at times it can be blinding. It is a challenging read and one like no other. Reviewed by Gwen Stackler The Sister Queens By Sophie Perinot NAL, $15.00, 498 pages Check this out! “How typical of men to think that by their brotherly embrace they are the authors of history and fortune,” writes Sophie Perinot in her spectacular debut novel The Sister Queens. “Marguerite and I know better. ‘Tis sisters who shape the world plain and simple.” Marguerite and Eleanor were as close as sisters come, and even after they both make spectacular matches and move far apart, their love for each other cannot be tamed. Marguerite married King Louis IX and became queen of France. Although married to Europe’s handsomest monarch, Marguerite is ignored by her husband and patronized by his overbearing mother. Eleanor marries a much older King Henry III of England and became his much-adored wife. Her life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows either, and a series of events nearly tear her apart forever from her sister. The novel follows the women from childhood through their 30s and all the ups and downs along the way. This is a true coming-of-age story, a tale of sisterhood, relationships and of timeless womanhood. You will laugh and cry with them, want to scream at times and cheer at others. How could these two
Tulsa Book Review • May 2012 • 20
amazing characters have been lost to history? Thank you, Ms. Perinot, for breathing life into these amazing women and sharing their beautifully crafted tale with the world. The Sister Queens is historic fiction at its absolute finest. I simply cannot wait to see what this author does next. She’s already won herself a spot on my list of favorite authors. In all of its colorful prose, deep and eccentric characters, and historical brilliance, this book can be summed up with one word: phenomenal. Brava! Reviewed by Jennifer Melville Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization By Paul Kriwaczek Thomas Dunne, $27.99, 282 pages Check this out! Paul Kriwaczek begins with a quote from Professor Quentin Skinner of Cambridge University: “History which does not inform present-day concerns amounts to little more than self-indulgent antiquarianism.” You could hardly accuse Kriwaczek of self-indulgent antiquarianism. This is a lively and sometimes humorous account of Mesopotamian civilization, from its beginnings more than 6,000 years ago to the fall of Babylon in 539 B.C. A central theme is that a civilization is comparable to a living organism — it is born, it grows to maturity, then declines and dies, all in agreement with natural laws. A people’s history is not as influenced by arbitrary decisions and actions as we might think. By following the track of Mesopotamian civilization, we might discover laws that could enlighten perceptions of our own times. Kriwaczek notes that cultures tend to focus on the future when things are going well, and become obsessed with the past when things don’t look so bright. Babylonians of the midfirst millennium B.C. were so passionate about their past that they essentially invented the science of archeology. Compare that with modern interest in history, genealogy and preservation and it’s not hard to see how a study of Mesopotamian civilization can “inform present-day concerns.” Reviewed by Paul Mullinger
Book Reviews
Mind & Body Fitness SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
The 7 Minute Back Pain Solution: 7 Simple Exercises to Heal Your Back Without Drugs or Surgery in Just Minutes a Day By Gerard Girasole, Cara Hartman Harlequin, $16.95, 272 pages Check this out! Throw away all those stickfigure poses you’ve garnered from the physical therapy sessions for your chronic and often debilitating back pain. Instead, carry this handy paperback with its illustrations and explanations for exercises to relieve the spasms of complain-
ing muscles. In a very readable text, with sympathetic language and explanatory diagrams, this orthopedic surgeon author provides the exercise regime that will help strengthen those rebellious sinews and alleviate the pain. Commencing with a comprehensive look at causes of back pain, the text continues into the importance of stretching shortened muscles and describes seven stretches for the back that can be performed in seven minutes, several times during the day. These are simple exer-
cises that can readily be done at home. In addition to listing movements to heal the back, a chapter is devoted to additional motions to improve body core strength, such as the pelvic tilt, child’s pose, the cat stretch and more. There are also chapters with advice for helpful activities at home, exercises in bed, how to cope at work, managing in the car and tackling back pain in sports. This is a very practical guide for dealing with back pain for oneself or for understanding the discomfort in others. Reviewed by Aron Row The Complete Book of Bone Health By Diane L. Schneider Prometheus Books, $21.00, 491 pages Check this out! Your skeleton is more than a bunch of bones. Dr. Diane Schneider, a gerontologist specializing in the effects of aging on our bones, has crafted a wonderfully helpful and easy-to-use reference book — a comprehensive summary of the best research regarding osteoporosis, bone fractures and the medications that can assist in rebuilding bone mass. All six parts can stand alone, or the reader can proceed from beginning to end. Regardless, the general layout of the narrative, along with the generous use of bullet points, summary statements and anecdotal case histories, makes it a go-to reference for the
Thursday, May 10 • 7 p.m. Charles Schusterman Jewish Community Center Sylvan Auditorium 2021 E. 71st St. 918.495.1100
entire family. There are illustrations that provide clarification of medical terms. Dr. Schneider is able to convey critical information using a caring but firm voice. Her colleagues and other researchers are well-represented and acknowledged. The many charts included in the treatment section list all the medications currently prescribed, calciumrich foods, and study results related to bone-density improvement and osteoporosis prevention. Exercises are noted with ample warnings to avoid fractures and breaks. Let’s hope there will be future updates. Reviewed by Ruta Arellano JOY, cont’d from page 10 This is not a health-food cookbook. If you’re on a diet, be warned. However, I totally agree with Joy when she says, “Almost everyone loves dessert. People are just looking for an excuse to eat cake for breakfast.” There isn’t a single recipe in this book that fails to impress. Joy the Baker Cookbook will be on my shelf for years to come. I’ll take it out every time I want to impress guests with something amazing. I think I’m craving some “S’mores Brownies” right now! Reviewed by Jennifer Melville
Join Israeli musicologist and pianist Assaf Shelleg as he presents the history of pre- and post-statehood Israel through popular music from the 1920s to early 2000s. Examine the ways Jewish and Israeli histories have been recorded in music, while listening to songs from the “yishuv” (the Jewish community of Palestine), urban music from Tel Aviv, music commemorating the War of Independence, Israeli rock from the 1970s, and political commentary in early 21st century Israeli hip-hop. Shelleg is the Charles and Lynn Schusterman visiting assistant professor of musicology and Jewish studies at the University of Virginia. He specializes in 20th century Jewish and Israeli art music. A dessert reception will follow the presentation. To complement the program, Tulsa City-County Library will host a display of related art, on loan from The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, at the Central Library, Fourth Street and Denver Avenue, through May 10. Sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Tulsa, The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art and Tulsa City-County Library. Free and Open to the Public
Tulsa Book Review • May 2012 • 21
Book Reviews
Nature & Science SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
The Bluebird Effect: Uncommon Bonds With Common Birds By Julie Zickefoose Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $28.00, 355 pages Check this out! In The Bluebird Effect, Julie Zickefoose walks a fine line. She writes about the various birds she has encountered throughout her many years as an artist, writer and rehabilitator. She writes with great honesty and warmth about these birds and their activities and how they have affected her. However, she avoids attributing human emotions or attachments to the birds which they do not possess. This ability to appreciate the birds as they are makes them unforgettable not only for Zickefoose, but for her readers. Zickefoose records her experience with a wide variety of birds from the bluebird of the title to a scarlet tanager, from a turkey vulture to a macaw. In each chapter, she educates the reader by interspersing her story with abundant background information about the species at issue. Furthermore, her illustrations of each species seem to bring the birds to life on the page. I personally enjoyed reading this book aloud with my 9-year-old son, who discovered a greater appreciation and understanding of the birds that already interest him. I believe this book will prove an excellent choice for naturalists and bird lovers. Reviewed by Annie Peters The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business By Charles Duhigg Random House, $28.00, 373 pages Check this out! Charles Duhigg depicts a clever diagram to uncover why we do what we do. He does so by identifying a craving, which gives us a cue, which leads to a routine, reinforced by
a reward. Using this ingenious paradigm, the truth about our habits unfolds. The author suggests that by understanding the nature of habits, we can, as individuals as well as corporate entities, change a person’s will or create a societal movement. As advertisers, we can anticipate what people want before they know. Duhigg sees habit as a powerful tool to appreciate individual and group direction, giving the analyst a unique perspective. The author is currently an investigative reporter for The New York Times. He is a winner of several prestigious awards, and regularly contributes to NPR’s “This American Life,” as well as PBS’s “NewsHour” and “Frontline.” He is a young man with a great future, driven to unravel some of the mysteries that surround us. The Power of Habit will open your eyes and clear the air — summer reading at its best. Reviewed by D. Wayne Dworsky Gossip: The Untrivial Pursuit By Joseph Epstein Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $25.00, 256 pages Check this out! Like forbidden fruit, why is gossip so appealingly seductive? Even when it’s known that this form of hearsay has not been corroborated, why does the listener attend to the story? It is said that gossip is vice enjoyed vicariously, and many of us succumb to its provocative allure.
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Gossip can be mean, vicious even, yet also hugely entertaining, helpful, and important - and on occasion all of these things at once.”
memoirs from the reign of Louis XIV and the shenanigans in the court at Versailles; Walter Winchell, a notorious unscrupulous public gossip from the last generation; Barbara Walters from the current media; and Tina Brown, the former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker. Gossip pervades both the private and public sector; its inherent danger is the damage that may be provoked by unsubstantiated assertions. Yet on the other hand, gossip may lead to whistleblowing and cleansing of corrupt behavior or actions. Gossip is like a virus infecting all forms of communication, and currently it will fly rampant as the political scene fires up. For tidbits about personalities, political figures, literary personages and more, this is the book for you. Reviewed by Aron Row
sizes from small to large. It addresses what motivates people, including morals, reputation, the law and a desire for security. This book offers insights into a plethora of ways people are shaped by those around them and how human nature affects their actions. The reader will see various common interactions, from buying from a merchant to reading an email scam letter, in a new light. From a security perspective, society can motivate people to behave correctly, not just through laws and police, but also by appealing to people’s sense of doing right, patriotism or by giving awards to people who act correctly. I found this holistic view of people’s thought processes useful. Reviewed by Annie Peters
Liars and Outliers: Enabling the Trust That Society Needs to Thrive By Bruce Schneier Wiley, $24.95, 384 pages Check this out! Bruce Schneier wrote Liars and Outliers to explain the way trust works in a society, why most people follow the rules, and how those who don’t are needed but must be kept within reasonable limits. Although the author is known for his computer security discussions, this book is not about computer security. Instead, it is a sociology study on how society trusts its members in group
Traveling the Mother Road this spring?
Download the Guide to Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives for diners on this route and many others.
In this entertaining exposure of the role of gossip in society, the author talks about the morality of this form of communication and delves into the activities of gossips currently and in the past. As examples, he labels four great gossips of the Western world: the Duc de Saint-Simon in his Tulsa Book Review • May 2012 • 22
Book Reviews
Science Fiction
Fantasy
SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Secrets of the Fire Sea By Stephen Hunt Tor, $27.99, 464 pages Check this out! The fourth novel in the Jackelian series is here and it is one of the best in the series — and I use the word “series” loosely. Each book in the Jackelian series is a stand-alone adventure. In this installment, we are transported to the island of Jago, which is not a normal island, but an island continent surrounded by flowing magma. The plot follows the adventures of young Hannah Conquest and also the exploits of dark, grimy detective Jehtro Daunt and his steam-man assistant Boxiron. Like a modern day Jules Verne, Hunt’s world is that of steam-powered fantastic machines while still having an antiquity feel to them. This book does not fail to deliver great settings, odd machines and amazing characters. It is the characters that really shine in this book. Everyone is well-defined and has his own motives and flaws. Hunt’s biggest flaw is his pacing. While it can be be sluggish from time to time, the wild twists and turns help in adding intrigue. In a way, they both cancel each other out to make for a pleasant read. As a fan of Stephen Hunt, I would have to say that Secrets of the Fire Sea is the best out of the series and a great book to read. Reviewed by Kevin Brown Voyage Across the Stars By David Drake Baen, $12.00, 665 pages Check this out! Classic stories are classic for a reason. This omnibus by David Drake is based on the Greek epics. It worked well in 1984 and 1994 when the two books were originally published and are still vibrant military sci-fi stories today. The novels set in the Hammer’s Slammers universe are about voyages: one going home, and one growing up and going away. The main character in the second story is introduced to us in the first, so they tie to-
gether very well. The settings are varied and fascinating, the concepts thought-provoking, and the action fast and furious. If you are a devoted Drake reader from way back, these are well worth a second look. If this is a first time for you, dive in. The books are full of action, drama and diverse characters, but not for the squeamish — they can get very bloody. The mayhem is not for shock value alone, it is always driven by situation and character. This is wonderful military science fiction and not at all dated. These books are as fresh as anything being newly published today and as timeless as the classics the stories are based on. Reviewed by Beth Revers Pax Britannia: Anno Frankenstein By Jonathan Green Solaris, $9.99, 325 pages Check this out! Anno Frankenstein is the seventh book in Jonathan Green’s Pax Britannia alternatereality series featuring Ulysses Quicksilver, agent of the Crown. This book has us traveling back in time to 1943 when Magna Britannia has entered the war against Hitler’s Germany. Our hero is to infiltrate Germany with the assistance of Dr. Jekyll, and not to return until maximum destruction has been caused. On the way, we meet a Russian vampire, a German werewolf, regiments of dead soldiers reanimated in Castle Frankenstein, and troves of other supernatural and horror characters. This is all terrific fun, and truth be told, even more amusing if you know a little history and have a geeky interest in horror and supernatural literature. There are many references to characters and creatures, both real and fictional, and it’s blended together with some equally fascinating steampunk. Anno Frankenstein starts off at high speed and accelerates as we approach dead man’s bend. If you enjoy a white-knuckle ride and laugh in the face of danger, this is the book for you. Reviewed by David Marshall
SNAP IT for additional book summaries. Touchstone: Book One of the Glass Thorns By Melanie Rawn Tor, $25.99, 363 pages Check this out! In a world where the paranormal races are inextricably mixed, you find magic talents appearing in surprising ways. Theater is performed by just four people, who are always men. Prized inclusion on the courtsponsored circuits is sought by theater troupes, and the completion is intense. Magic is an integral part of the performance, with only one masquer who, through magic, plays all the parts. The central character, Cade, is the tregetour, a wizard who is both playwright and magic wielder
who provides the power for all the magic used on stage. He and his two partners have been seeking a glisker, who must be an elf with the talent to release the magic and create the illusions for the play. When they find Meika, their search is over, but trouble is just beginning. This is an intriguing look at a fantasy world that deals with art, passion, politics and magic. The stage in this first book in the planned series The Glass Thorns brings the reader into a world they will want to revisit. Rawn draws fascinating characters and keeps her stage small, but she hints of far-reaching consequences to come. Reviewed by Beth Revers
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For a schedule of presentations, visit the library’s website at TulsaLibrary.org or pick up an AsianAmerican Festival flier at any Tulsa City-County Library location. Free and Open to the Public