Domestic Violence Awareness

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

From the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence:

• 1 in every 4 women will experience domestic violence.
• 73% of family violence victims are female.
• Boys who witness domestic violence are TWICE as likely to abuse their own spouses and children.

Resources:

• The Ohio Domestic Violence Resource Center
• Federal agencies that deal with domestic violence
• Why Does He Do That?
• Other books about domestic violence

Freakonomics on the Big Screen

The best-selling book that applies complex economic principles to unexpected subjects comes to theaters this month with the theatrical release of Freakonomics. A cooperative venture by several well-regarded documentary directors, the new film is expected to renew interest in a book that has already fascinated millions of readers. Co-authors Steven D. Levitt, an economist, and Stephen J. Dubner, a journalist, use economic theories to examine issues ranging from drug use to cheating on standardized tests, and the result is both informative and entertaining. Check out a copy of the book before (or after) you see Freakonomics: The Movie.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Fitzgerald

September 24th marks the birthday of American literary legend F. Scott Fitzgerald, who was born in 1896 in St. Paul, Minnesota. His enduring novels depict the Jazz Age in ways that mirrored his own glamorous but sometimes troubled life. If you missed The Great Gatsby in high-school English class, it’s never too late to experience this 20th century classic that has something for everyone: love triangles, glamorous parties, death, obsession.

Or check out This Side of Paradise, Fitzgerald’s first novel, reportedly written to win the heart of his future wife, Zelda.

Oprah’s Last Book Group Choice

Today, Oprah announced her final book group choice, Freedom by Jonathan Franzen.

Have you read all of Oprah’s choices? Check out this complete list.

Staff Picks: Movies

What movies do we enjoy watching again and again? These:

Shrek

Incredibles

Spy Next Door

Finding Nemo

Secondhand Lions

Toy Story

Up

Home Alone

Hero

Percy Jackson

Night at the Museum

Marley and Me

It’s Classic

Classics are those timeless books that capture your imagination and lead you on a voyage of discovery, offering a glimpse into the characters’ motives and relationships. A well-crafted story personalizes history and the challenges of that time, is thought provoking, and stays with the reader long after the book has been closed.

Only read romance? Try the works of the Brontë Sisters or Jane Eyre. Help solve crime with Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot. Explore the dark side with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or the tales of Edgar Allan Poe. Go for the gold with the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Reread To Kill a Mockingbird, travel along on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, go On The Road with Jack Kerouac, and engage in 1930’s style social networking with The Great Gatsby.

Introduce a young reader to the world of Stuart Little, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the fables of Aesop, and the stories of Beverly Cleary.

Need a suggestion? Discover classics for adults and youth.

Worried about an upcoming English paper? Check Cliffs Notes and Literature Resource Center.

Take the class out of the classics by trying some of these parodies.

Do you have a candidate that is destined to become a Classic? Will today’s film industry influence the future of classic literature? Share your thoughts here.

Never Let Me Go

Kazuo Ishiguro’s haunting sixth novel comes to the big screen on September 15 with the release of Never Let Me Go, a film whose cast includes Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield as three doomed students at an eerie British boarding school. Charlotte Rampling plays the school’s stern headmistress.

The Cat in the Hat is Back!

Dr. Seuss’s most memorable character is back and starring in his own television show on PBS.  The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! premieres Monday, September 6th.  This action-packed, fun-filled animated science adventure series is geared to children 3-5 years old.  Check out the PBS Kids website to find games, videos, show times, and other age-appropriate activities.  And be sure to check out the new titles in The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library book series.

Library Contest!

Tell us why your library card is important to you; give us just one reason and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a Boogie Board LCD Writing Tablet by Improv Electronics.

You’ve got until September 30 to share your story, here in the comments. The winner will be announced on October 4.

Photos of the lucky winner may be chosen to be used in upcoming promotional posters! So strike a pose and smile when claiming your prize!

It’s a Lovecraft Sort of Day

Happy birthday to a master of the macabre, HP Lovecraft!

Lovecraft’s influence is felt throughout modern horror; musical groups like Metallica and Black Sabbath performed Lovecraft influenced songs. Writers like Stephen King, Jorge Luis Borges, Neil Gaiman, and even graphic novelist Alan Moore have all mentioned his influence on their works.

Did you know that the Arkham Asylum in Batman is a reference to Lovecraft’s work?