Tulsa
event guide
INSIDE!
Book Review 2 6
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 9
F R E E
NEW AND OF INTEREST
C H E C K
Sicily (Silver Spoon Kitchen) An entertaining food travel book Page 4
I T
The Chickens Build A Wall
O U T
A Perfect Proposal: A Novel
The Great Wall of Chickendom Page 7
Sophie’s big adventure Page 10
Tempted Soul: An Amish Quilt Novel
10 House of Earth By Woody Guthrie Infinitum Nihil, $25.99, 234 pages
14
July 2013
Woody Guthrie’s cultural significance is difficult to overstate. The dynamism of his musical persona works on many different levels. As a folk musician his influence is extolled by devotees with names like Dylan and Springsteen and Mellencamp. He advocated for a collectivism that lives on with contemporary acts such as The Arcade Fire and folk revivalists. He sang children’s songs. He epitomized the traveling minstrel, evoking the spirit of wayward troubadours. He eschewed commercial success and championed a populist devotion, exalting and
worshipping at the altar of the workaday man. Now, with a posthumous novel, readers and fans alike can marvel at his distinctively humble yet intimate prose. Rhythmic, with a talent for vernacular, Guthrie proves his writing prowess extends beyond song craft. The story follows Tike and Ella May for a year on their rented farm. The first half finds the couple worrying about their future, the second focuses on the birth of their first child. Like characters out of a Guthrie See House of Earth, cont’d on page 5
A mother longing for a child pursues every possible course of action! Page 11
The Gate Thief (Mither Mages) Card steals the show. Page 13
46 Reviews INSIDE!
Book Reviews
Category
Meet Author
History & Jim Murphy Current Events WINNER OF THE TULSA LIBRARY TRUST’S 2013 ANNE V. ZARROW AWARD FOR YOUNG READERS’ LITERATURE
SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II By Denise Kiernan Touchstone, $27.00, 400 pages Check this out! You’ve likely heard of the Manhattan Project, America’s successful attempt to build a nuclear bomb during World War II. Perhaps you’ve heard of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where many of the atomic program’s processes were researched and perfected. But you probably don’t know the story of the thousands of women who worked in Oak Ridge during the war, serving in roles from secretary to nurse to engineer. These women, who came to Oak Ridge from all over the country, had to keep secrets from their families and neighbors; many didn’t even know what they were working on themselves until the war’s end. This book documents the important work that these “girls” did over seventy years ago. Although the progress of “The Project” and the war are ably related, Kiernan’s focus is on the intimate and often strange details of work and life at Oak Ridge. It’s told in a novelistic style and is an intimate look at the experiences of the young women who worked at Oak Ridge and the local residents whose lives were changed by the presence of the project. The result is a compelling retelling of the lives of the “girls of Atomic City.” Reviewed by Laura Tarwater Scharp The Last Battle: When U.S. and German Soldiers Joined Forces in the Waning Hours of World War II in Europe By Stephen Harding Da Capo Lifelong Books, $26.99, 256 pages Check this out! This book is a true account of a battle in the last days of WWII. Several VIP French prisoners being held in an Austrian prison are increasingly in danger of execution by
die-hard Nazis. A trusted prisoner manages to escape and alert the invading American forces about the situation. The Americans mount a rescue operation but soon find themselves outnumbered and outgunned. They join forces with Austrian partisans, disgruntled German army troops and even the French VIPs themselves to fight their last battle. The author writes a lot of background on all the individuals in the battle. Through their histories he details much of French politics and those who practiced it just before the German invasion; and also the political scene in Austria, with partisans and their divided loyalties. When the narrative of the battle itself started, I felt I already knew the soldiers and others fighting for their lives. Their bravery and courage is exemplary. Even men from different backgrounds, political persuasions and nationalities who are willing to work together, even die together, are heroic when fighting for what they believe in and the safety of others. Reviewed by Ralph Peterson The Village: 400 Years of Beats and Bohemians, Radicals and Rogues, a History of Greenwich Village By John Strausbaugh Ecco, $29.99, 640 pages In this book, journalist and former editor John Strausbaugh examines the cultural diversity and sociopolitical significance that emerged from New Y o r k ’ s infamous See The Village, cont’d on page 7
Tulsa Book Review • July 2013 • 2
Zarrow Award Presentation Friday, Aug. 23 • 7 p.m. Gilcrease Museum 1400 N. Gilcrease Museum Road
2013 Young People’s Creative Writing Contest Awards Presentation Saturday, Aug. 24 • 10 a.m. Hardesty Regional Library Connor’s Cove • 8316 E. 93rd St.
Jim Murphy masterfully makes history come alive in his more than 30 nonfiction books for children and young adults. During his prestigious career, he has received many awards and honors, including two Newbery Honor Book awards, a National Book Award finalist medal, three Jefferson Cup awards, two Golden Kite awards, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, as well as the 2010 Margaret A. Edwards Award, which is a lifetime achievement honor. Murphy will speak about his life and works, and sign books at both events. Copies of his books will be available for purchasing.
Jim Murphy’s “The Long Road to Gettysburg”
comes alive! Sunday Matinee Films
July 14 and Aug. 11 • 1:30 p.m. Gilcrease Museum, Auditorium • 1400 Gilcrease Museum Road July 14 • “Slavery by Another Name” Aug. 11 • “A Place Out of Time: The Bordentown School” These documentaries address the aftermath of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Film showings are free with paid museum admission.
The Civil War Sesquicentennial
Saturday, Aug. 3 • 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Central Library • Fourth Street and Denver Avenue Relive history at this family-focused event commemorating the 150th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg.
Tulsa
Book Review
IN THIS ISSUE History & Current Events...............................2
Tulsa City-County Library 400 Civic Center Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103 Ph. (918) 549-7323 EDITOR IN CHIEF Ross Rojek ross@1776productions.com
GRAPHIC DESIGN/LAYOUT Grayson Hjaltalin
Cookbooks................................................4 & 5 Picture Books...........................................6 & 7 Teen Scene......................................................8 Tween Reads...................................................9
grayson.hjaltalin@1776productions.com James Rasmussen COPY EDITORS Lori Freeze Cathy Lim Karen Stevens Robyn Oxborrow Holly Scudero Kim Winterheimer Audrey Curtis Annie Peters Amy Simko Jamais Jochim EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Adrian Girth Alee Shabouni Audrey Curts Christopher Hayden James Rasmussen Jonathon Howard Marie Clementi Megan Rynott Samantha Herman Toni B. Willis 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, LLC.
1776 Productions,
Kids’ Books.....................................................9 Fiction..................................................10 & 11 Mystery........................................................12 Mind & Body Fitness.....................................12 Science Fiction..............................................13 Fantasy.........................................................13
FROM THE PUBLISHER Summer is often a season for weddings, and I can’t help but think of the old English adage of what a bride should wear on her wedding day: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Well most of these things also apply to your Tulsa City-County Library this month. For starters, the library has chosen something old as its second annual One Book, One Tulsa selection – Woody Guthrie’s only novel, House of Earth. While published very recently, Woody finished writing this novel in 1947. Please join the library as it partners with Tulsa’s new Woody Guthrie Center in reading House of Earth – a perfect summer read for adults. Something new is a service we are launching in July – free downloadable magazines and newspapers. Download and read as many of the latest issues of your favorite publications on your iPad, tablet computer, phone or Internet-enabled computer. There’s no waiting, no returning, no paying of fines necessary, and all are available for free from your Tulsa City-County Library. Check the library’s website at TulsaLibrary.org for more details. Something borrowed covers all the latest bestsellers, contemporary and classic books, audiobooks, DVDs and CDs you still can get every day at your local library and eBooks that you can borrow right from home. And blue is what you’ll be if you don’t take advantage of all the wonderful items and services available all for free at your library! All it takes is a free library card to change your life today. We’ll see you at the library soon.
Romance....................................................... 14 Historical Fiction.......................................... 14
Gary Shaffer Tulsa City-County Library CEO
Biography & Memoir....................................15 Family History Month..................................16
Coming Up! Tulsa City-County Library celebrates Family History Month in July with a series of genealogy programs presented by the Genealogy Center. Highlights of this year’s series include a two-day workshop with certified genealogist Mark Lowe. Genealogy researchers in all stages of their research will benefit from the series. Check the back cover of this issue of the Tulsa Book Review for a schedule of events.
Book Reviews Category
Cookbooks SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Sicily (Silver Spoon Kitchen) By Editors of Phaidon Phaidon Press, $39.95, 272 pages Check this out! Sicily has its own unique cuisine, influenced by several waves of invaders and c o nq u e r or s . The various regions of Sicily each have their own food styles and ingredients that are also distinct from each other. Sicily is a fascinating book that showcases the local dishes of each of the nine regions of the island, with a typical menu and recipes for each. This book is not exactly a cookbook, although it has several detailed and easy-tofollow recipes. It is more of a food travel book. There are beautiful photographs of the island, as well as of the food. Key ingredients to each region are highlighted with informative articles that explain their origin, cultivation, and typical use in the region. The recipes are easy to follow, although several are made with many ingredients that, due to the admirable tradition of using only fresh, local foods, will be hard to find outside of Sicily, or maybe even outside that particular region. I could wish for more recipes for some of the signature dishes mentioned; a true Sicilian cookbook will be a better investment for anyone wishing to master the cuisine. Still, for those who are interested in the region, its history and food, this will be an entertaining and delicious sampling. Reviewed by Gretchen Wagner Fabio’s Italian Kitchen: A Traditional Food Affair with a Twist By Fabio Viviani Hyperion, $24.99, 304 pages Check this out! This is the most charming cookbook! Reading it feels like you’ve been invited to dinner with an Italian family – boisterous, obsessed with food, and full of heart.
The food is delicious, featuring fundamentals (chicken stock, Italian flatbread), basics (risotto, pesto, and the best tomato sauce I have ever eaten), and more exciting fare (Braised Octopus, Italian Stuffed Beef). Everything looks exquisite, and the recipes I’ve tried have not disappointed. Everyone in my family raved over the Ricotta Chocolate Chip Fritters, and my fiancé made me the Pissed Off Eggs for breakfast on my birthday – perfect, spicy start to the day. However, this book has so much more to offer than amazing food. Viviani begins each chapter with a story from his life. Some are hilarious, others are beautiful, and all are delights to read. Most recipes also have their own story. Roasted Old Ladies (roasted vegetables) are referred to as such because the wrinkled vegetables reminded the young chef of his grandma. There’s even an entire chapter called “My Mom’s Bragging Rights.” Viviani writes that his mom has never been much of a cook, but these are her go-to, show-off recipes. The whole book is just bursting with personality and love (of family and of food). There are no cooking times or nutrition information, but that is right in line with Viviani’s approach to food. If you want to eat it, it doesn’t matter how long it takes or how many calories it has. It’s worth it. And he’s right. Reviewed by Audrey Curtis Bread & Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table With Recipes By Shauna Niequist Zondervan, $18.99, 288 pages Check this out! Shauna Niequist writes an honest, intimate memoir in Bread and Wine. In this collection of essays, she addresses her pain at miscarriages, and eventual hesitant joy at another pregnancy. She talks about training for running a marathon, and finally learning how to make bread. She writes about
overcoming fears, accepting herself and controlling her appetites, and learning to listen to what others need, not what she wants to give. Throughout it all, she relies on her sense of connection, her deep friendships cultivated by the food she serves. This book was very tenderly written, heartfelt and open. Niequist has a deep faith that sustains her and that is evident throughout these essays. She feels that feeding the body is part of nurturing the soul, and that every meal can be a sacrament, full of gratitude and joy. Each essay centers around a particular time of her life – running, pregnancy, motherhood, work, vacation, friendship, anniversary, diet, celebration. Each event centers around food in some way, and she provides some of her favorite (gluten-free) recipes. It was an enjoyable memoir with a good message to nurture those you love through time spent at the table. Reviewed by Gretchen Wagner
F E AT U R I N G
S P O N S O R E D BY
Tulsa Book Review • July 2013 • 4
The Big Book of Cakes By Betty Crocker Betty Crocker, $19.99, 336 pages Check this out! Everybody loves a good cake! Whether you have something specific to celebrate or are just looking for an exciting idea for dessert, give Betty Crocker’s The Big Book of Cakes a look. Within the pages of this lovely cookbook are hundreds of different recipes, many entirely from scratch and some featuring the convenience of boxed cake mix as a starting point. There are recipes for the classics—Starlight Yellow Cake or Angel Food Cake, for example—as well as a multitude of other categories. Try making a single-layer cake, such as Sweet Potato Cake with Maple Frosting, or a fancy layer cake, such as ChocolateHazelnut Truffle Torte. There are loaf cakes (White Chocolate-Raspberry Pecan Cake), rolled cakes (Lemon Cream Rolled Cake), and cakes for parties (Snowman Coconut Cake). There are also a number of different
Join Tulsa County residents in reading folk hero Woody Guthrie’s only fully realized novel – “House of Earth.” Set in Pampa, Texas, during the Dust Bowl, this earthy book uses lyrical language to paint a portrait of hardship and hope. Sharecroppers Tike and Ella May Hamlin don’t ask for much, just a house that can withstand the brutal cold and relentless dust storms that assault their crumbling wooden shack, and a little piece of land on which they can grow their own food. Longing to build with his own hands a sturdy house made of earthen bricks, Tike battles the elements and the oppression of Big Agriculture while living and loving passionately. “House of Earth” illuminates themes that are still relevant today, and is written with powerful, poetic prose that perfectly complements Guthrie’s musical legacy. Copies of “House of Earth” are available for checkout at the Tulsa City-County Library. For related programming and more information, visit TulsaLibrary.org/onebookonetulsa or call 918-549-7323.
Book Reviews
kinds of frosting recipes, as well as tips for successful baking and decorating. The recipes are generally simple, and the resulting cake is lovely to look upon and tasty to boot. There is sure to be a recipe for everyone in this cookbook! Reviewed by Holly Scudero The Prepper’s Cookbook: 300 Recipes to Turn Your Emergency Food Into Nutritious, Delicious, Life-Saving Meals By Tess Pennington Ulysses Press, $16.95, 192 pages Check this out! You don’t have to be a doomsday prepper to want a stash of food stored in your house - be it for a power outtage, a hurricane, or a newborn baby that precludes grocery trips! This book is the perfect guide for filling your first food-storage pantry with both dry goods and prepared, ready-to-eat foods made by you. Old hands at food storage may find some of the early chapters redundant, but they are likely to find a new meal or idea they haven’t tried before in the recipe chapters. From canned meat loaf to biscuit mix to pudding mix, there are plenty of creative recipes to draw from - some leaning towards bizarre (Chocolate Ramen Noodles), others familiar homemade variations of foods you’ve probably purchased before (Cheese Crackers, Homemade Vanilla Wafers). Some recipes utilize ingredients such as Jell-O mixes or bouillon cubes, but the majority don’t use prepared ingredients. Canning, dehydrating, and the proper usage of oxygen absorbers and other food-storage tools are all addressed, albeit some of these topics briefly. Rotating stores and cooking offgrid are briefly addressed, as well. A supplementary book such as Ball’s Canning Guide would provide additional useful information, but enough is included in this book to get a beginner started on the road to healthy food storage. Reviewed by Andrea Huehnerhoff Cooking With Herbs: 50 Simple Recipes for Fresh Flavor By Lynn Alley Andrews McMeel Publishing, $16.99, 128 pages Lynn Alley has spent a long time researching different herbs and how to get the best results when cooking with them. Now home cooks can get the best of her accumulated knowledge in her new book,
Cookbooks
Cooking With Herbs. After a brief discussion on herb gardens and growing your own, Alley offers up an abundance of recipes utilizing mint, dill, rosemary, thyme, parsley, tarragon, sage, basil, cilantro, and oregano. One of the coolest things about this book is how the recipes are put together: Alley starts with a basic recipe, such as Basic Whole Wheat Artisan Loaf, and then offers several variations, such as Hazelnut, Dried Cherry, and Sage Round, or Oregano, Cumin, and Cheese Loaf. The recipes are divided up into basic categories (Soups and Salads, Main Dishes, etc.), and each category offers up a handful of ideas to try. This is a fairly no-nonsense cookbook, with short headnotes and very few photos, although the dishes pictured look delectable. The recipes themselves seem very straightforward, easy enough for anyone to follow. If you’re looking for some new ideas, definitely pick this one up. Reviewed by Holly Scudero House of Earth, cont’d from Cover ballad, this is a hardscrabble couple, earning a meek living farming rented land. Tike is an ornery sort, prone to scatalogical missives, Ella May the headstrong wife. But love alone a home does not make. Their humble abode is rotting from the inside out; dust floats down from the ceiling when a door is shut; jambs and frames cannot hold nails for the rotting, spongy wood. Their meek belongings, used and filthy, are filled with holes or serve as homes to creepy crawlies. But Tike has a plan. With the help of a government brochure, Tike aims to build an adobe house, a house made of sod bricks that can withstand the High Plains’ ceaseless dry winds, keep out the swirling blowing earth, and provide the clean home his loving, doting wife deserves. Weatherproofing aside, the “earth house” symbolizes something much brighter for the couple. It represents hope – the hope of escaping the shame of sharecropping, beholden to a wealthy landowner; the hope of achieving independence through honest work, finding dignity in owning and working one’s piece of the pie. With a fairly anemic plot, Gurthrie chooses to concentrate on scenery, devoting long sections to describing the poverty of our main characters. Though they are poor, they are capable and determined to eke out a simple existence living in harmony with the land. House of Earth is heavy on ethos. Tike and Ella May are pure of heart,
fighting the good fight against greedy banks and an immoral landowner. That said, the protagonists adhere closer to a rural populism than the overtly incendiary labor class/ proletariat issues found in Guthrie’s ballads. It won’t be a surprise to Guthrie’s fans that his fiction parades the same restless playfulness as many of his songs, nor should it that the same playfulness is imbued with paranoia and dread, fearing for the plight of the common working man. Stylistically, readers are treated to the balladeer’s pleasantly rhythmic prose, many passages are almost musical in cadence. Guthrie’s narrative range is well honed. Heavy on local flavor, Guthrie’s High Plains couple speaks in a thick twang, apostrophes standing in for consonants. Unlike fellow dust bowl scribe Steinbeck, Guthrie adorns the narrative with unexpectedly flowery and vivid prose. And when Guthrie experiments with stream of conscious and catalogue poetry-type passages, readers observe a stylistic link between the folk figurehead and his Beat movement acolytes, aside from the more explicit philosophic kinship. Extended sections of frank sexuality will surely raise eyebrows. When the couple
makes love on the ground, literally rolling in the hay, Guthrie savors every minute, every visceral detail of man’s union with wife. Although the curtains are parted allowing the reader to see all, Guthrie is tender and scrupulous, neither mismanaging the lovemaking scene nor treating it brusquely. Even with a heavy handed fertility metaphor, it is interesting to see Guthrie infuse a lovemaking scene with a political subtext. Falling somewhere between the eroticism of D.H. Lawrence and a treatise on reclaiming and asserting one’s body, the scene is at once sexy and politically charged. Much of what we get from Woody Guthrie’s novel is what we’ve come to expect from the folk hero: the motif of simple working poor individuals living in close contact with the unforgiving land. What we also get is another reason to celebrate this American icon. Through deft prose, Guthrie has proved his talent boundless. Readers will rejoice in this remarkable love story, parable of determinism, and our explicable bond with the earth. Reviewed by Nick Abrahamson
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Book Reviews Category
Picture Books SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
A Funny Little Bird By Jennifer Yerkes Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, $15.99, 48 pages Check this out! There once was a funny little bird that was nearly invisible. The other birds hardly even noticed him, but when they did, they often made fun of him. It was no fun to go unnoticed, but it was even less fun to have others make fun of him. When he had had enough of that kind of treatment, he set out on a journey of his own. As he went along, he met a beautiful, exotic bird, but that bird completely ignored the funny little bird. He picked up a feather the exotic bird left behind, tucked it under his wing, and continued on his way. He thought of something that might just change things. There were many beautiful things in the world, and he began to collect them, adorning his nearly-invisible self with them. Others began to notice him then, and he began to show off. But maybe, just maybe, it isn’t the very best thing to be noticed by everyone after all! Jennifer Yerkes, author and illustrator, has created a very unusual picture book that is a feast for the eyes, but will call for some real sophistication on the part of young readers. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Bink and Gollie: Best Friends Forever By Kate DiCamillo, Alison McGhee, Tony Fucile (illustrator) Candlewick Press, $15.99, 96 pages Check this out! Gollie is quite tall and Bink is quite short, but this doesn’t keep them from being best friends. Bink loves pancakes and seems always in search of them. This second book in the Bink and Gollie series is three separate but related stories. In the first, Gollie, being tall, is quite regal and finds a photograph of an ancestor who seems to be royalty. Gollie
decides this makes her a queen. And queens do not do things for people, even people who have been their best friends. But being a queen isn’t as fun as Gollie thought it would be. In the second story, Bink is focused on her height, or lack thereof. She buys a gizmo through mail order that will make her taller. But like most gizmos, it doesn’t do anything at all. However, Bink and Gollie find good use for it. Collecting is the focus of the third story and a quest to get their photo in a book of records. It isn’t as easy as it seems. The characters and stories are cute as are the accompanying illustrations. The reading is easy, and reluctant readers should like this, but there’s little sophistication to keep good readers interested. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck This Little Piggy By Tim Harrington Balzer + Bray, $15.99, 32 pages Beginning with the verse we all grew up with played on our toes, the author has gone beyond this childhood tradition to add verses that brim with fun for the five piggies on the other foot. Whether it’s dancing, flying planes, selling hot dogs, loving paints, or so much more, children will enjoy the leap into fanciful new adventures played out that are so much more exciting than just going to market or staying home. From simple, but cute, illustrations of five toes with the traditional verse, the illustration of the toes on the other foot come
alive with color and excitement, too. The crazy piggies made the traditional piggies want to try out new things, leading to a costume party, chewing gum, racing gokarts, and playing drums. All of which lead to ten very tired piggies. They begin a bedtime routine that leads them to sleep, a perfect ending to an excellent bedtime story for children. Children will ask for this book every night, since this story gives children imaginative play, plenty to giggle at, but continues to end in a calming tone to settle them down for bed. Reviewed by Angie Mangino How Martha Saved Her Parents From Green Beans By David LaRochelle, Mark Fearing (illustrator) Dial, $16.99, 32 pages Check this out! Martha hates green beans. She simply cannot bring herself to eat even one. She sits at the table long after her parents are done eating, staring at cold green beans. Beans are bad, but Martha has no idea just how bad they are until a gang of mean green beans comes to town. They threaten everyone, but especially anyone who might ever have said someone had to eat his or her green beans. They come to Martha’s house, wrap her parents in vines, and take them away. Martha thinks this is pretty cool. She can eat whatever she wants, stay up as late as she wants, she doesn’t have to clean her room, and she NEVER has to eat green beans. But soon she misses her parents and wants them back. But is it too late? What have the mean green beans done with them? David LaRochelle has written a truly funny story that kids will completely understand and buy into. What really will make this book fly off the shelves and come home with kids are the laugh-out-loud illustrations that are the perfect complement to a great, silly story. This is a winner. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Giddy-up, Daddy! By Troy Cummings Random House Children’s Books, $16.99, 40 pages Check this out! Daddy is the very best at playing horsey with his little son and daughter. Really. The best there is. It doesn’t matter if he is on linoleum or wood floors or carpet. He is very sure-footed and very fast. It doesn’t matter who is riding him, he almost never bucks. Yes, he really is about the very best at playing horsey. One morning, Daddy is outside in
Tulsa Book Review • July 2013 • 6
the backyard practicing his jumping. He is concent rat ing so hard, he doesn’t notice a couple of dastardly horse rustlers. They recognize what a great horse they are seeing and lure him away with sugar cubes, which, as everyone knows, no horsey can resist. They lasso and take him. When the kids come outside and realize what has happened, they follow Daddy’s hoofprints west. They spy Daddy in a rodeo where the rustlers had entered him, trying to cheat a win. The kids shout to Daddy to buck, and he bucks those rustlers off. The kids climb on and Daddy takes off, but the rustlers are close on their trail. Can they beat a retreat from those rustlers? Troy Cummings has written and illustrated a laugh-out-loud book kids will ask for over and over again. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Ribbit! By Rodrigo Folgueira Knopf Books for Young Readers, $15.99, 32 pages Check this out! The pond is frog territory. It’s their happy home, and they are thrown for a loop when they find a little pink pig sitting on a rock in their pond. Not only is the little pink pig in their pond on their rock, the pig doesn’t oink like regular pigs. This pig says, “Ribbit!” The frogs are quite flummoxed. “Does he think he’s a frog?” “Is he making fun of us?” They don’t know what to do. But something must be done, right? The other animals are curious about the frogs’ new pink relative, laughing at the frogs which, of course, makes the frogs angry. After a big to-do with much shouting, the animals decide to take the matter to the wise old beetle, leaving the little pink pig sitting lonely on the rock. “Ribbit?” When the animals return with the wise old beetle, the pig is nowhere to be found. “Maybe, he just wanted to make new friends”, the wise old beetle harrumphs. The frogs hadn’t thought of that. Undeterred the little pink pig tries again; maybe the birds will be friendlier. Some of my favorite picture books were first published internationally, and now I will add Ribbit! to my list of favorite international picture books. Ribbit! uses humor and a cast of cute, colorful, and curious animals and an insightful beetle to comment on friendship and hospitality. I also can add
Book Reviews
Picture Books
TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY’S
2013 SUMMER READING PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN CONTINUES THROUGH AUG. 3
Argentine illustrator, Pony Bernatene, to my list of favorites. His style in this book is cartoony with pencil-thin outlines filled with vivid colors, and traces of collage for the pond flora. His animals are expressive with the frogs conveying surprise and confusion, anger, and remorse. This is a perfect read aloud that you’ll enjoy sharing with children ages three to seven. Reviewed by Africa Hands The Chickens Build a Wall By Jean-Francois Dumont Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, $16.00, 33 pages Check this out! A small and shy hedgehog wanders into the farmyard one day. When all the farm animals gather around to look at the strange animal, they begin to cackle and chatter and natter. The little hedgehog is frightened and rolls himself into a ball. The farm animals don’t know what to do. They watch and watch, but the prickly little ball doesn’t move. When the farm animals finally go to sleep, it’s still there, but when they wake up, it is gone. The chickens worry that it may not have left empty-handed, but when they check, they find no eggs or chicks missing. Then they think it must have eaten the worms because there are fewer. The rooster decides they must build a high wall to protect themselves. It takes them until mid-winter to complete, and when it’s done, the hedgehog crawls out of the straw where he has been sleeping all this time. There is no way out. Jean-François Dumont has both written and illustrated this delightful story. Youngsters will be enchanted by the silly characters, fun story, and charming illustrations. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Nora’s Chicks By Patricia MacLachlan, Kathryn Brown (illustrator) Candlewick, $15.99, 40 pages Check this out! Nora and her parents and little brother, Milo, have immigrated to the plains of America from Russia. Nora misses the trees and the hills of Russia and she is lonely. She has no friends in this new land, no one to talk to. She meets a girl, Susannah, who lives nearby, but they are both shy and don’t become friends. A small, hungry dog comes to their place. They feed him and decide he is theirs, but he follows Milo everywhere and becomes Milo’s dog. Father gets more farm animals, but they are his. One day, Father
brings home two geese and several chicks. Nora decides they are hers, and she takes care of them. They follow her everywhere – even to church one day. But can these chicks help Nora finally make a real friend, someone she can talk to and play with, perhaps? Patricia MacLachlan’s story is one to which many young people can relate. It’s hard to go someplace new and to make new friends. But beyond this lovely story are perfectly enchanting illustrations by Kathryn Brown that bring it all to life. This beautiful book will charm readers young and old. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck
The Village, cont’d from page 3 Greenwich Village neighborhood, which launched famous movements, momentous events, and illustrious careers. It is divided into four major parts: chronological periods that are further split into specific chapters by subject matter. Small sections of vintage photographs are spread throughout the text, which also includes an introduction, an epilogue, endnotes, a bibliography, and an index. While there can never be enough written about the influential personages and their consequential impact on incidents over the course of Village history—many of which warrant books of their own—it behooves any writer to limit the focus of his presentation in order to showcase them in a worthy way; generalizations and digressions only denigrate their importance. For whatever vagaries and tangents were included in this particular tome, it more than compensates with anecdotal associations and fascinating trivia. And though it should not be considered comprehensive, it’s commendable that the author took on such a challenging task and did such a thorough job in researching and writing a detailed chronicle. Lastly, the rare photographs are to be savored; it’s a shame there weren’t more. Reviewed by Richard Mandrachio
Tulsa Book Review • July 2013 • 7
Join at any area library through Aug. 3. Read eight books and visit the library four times, and earn a medal of achievement and coupons for free: to Tulsa Shock game • Admission Admission 66ers game • Admission toto Tulsa Oklahoma Aquarium • Admission to Tulsa Zoo and Museum • Admission to the Tulsa Air andLiving Space • Admission to Tulsa Drillers game Museum • Admission to the Tulsa State Fair • Cinnamon sticks from Mazzio’s Italian Eatery • Round-trip bus ride on Tulsa Transit • Chicken nuggets and milk or apple juice from McDonald’s • Chicken nuggets from Wendy’s • Glazed doughnut from Krispy Kreme • Iced and decorated cookie from Merritt’s Bakery • Medal winners who have completed kindergarten or are in first through fifth grade may enter a drawing for exciting prizes including: (8) Bicycles with helmets, provided by the Library Staff • Association, with special assistance from Lee’s Bicycles Set of 2014 season provided by the Tulsa Shock • All-Star Package fortickets, 20 for a Tulsa Drillers game • Four courtside seats for a Tulsa game • Season tickets for a family of four66ers to the Imagination Series, • provided by the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust (6) Fishing with News On 6 meteorologist Dick Faurot, plus • fishing gear, with special assistance from Five Oaks Lodge (2) Family four packs of tickets to the Oklahoma Aquarium • Family membership to the Tulsa Air and Space Museum • (100) Kid’s meal and drink provided by Monterey’s Little Mexico • VIB (Very Important Bowling) Strike Party for 10 provided by Andy B’s • Incredible Inflatable Party, provided by Bounce Pro Inflatables of Tulsa • (300) $5 game cards, provided by Incredible Pizza •
*( ) denotes how many will be awarded. Read 12 more books and earn a special bonus prize, a stuffed prairie dog.
Book Reviews
TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY’S
Category
Teen Scene
2013 SUMMER READING PROGRAM FOR TEENS AND TWEENS CONTINUES THROUGH AUG. 3
SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Fragments (Partials) By Dan Wells Balzer + Bray, $17.99, 576 pages Check this out! Kira Walker has found the cure for the disease that kills every human baby but it is only produced in the body of the human enemy, the Partials. The Partials are also facing their own deaths with their expiration date quickly approaching. Kira and Samm head out on a mission to find the cure for both but does a cure even exist? This second book in the Partials series is full of action, intrigue and adventure that makes it an even more enjoyable read than the first book. It forces everyone to take a look inside of themselves and ask what sacrifices would they make to save an entire species. It’s easy to condone the “villains” and yet when put in their place the decision is suddenly not so clear-cut. These are the choices Kira, Samm and many other characters find themselves in as both species struggle to survive. There are several plot twists that will keep readers on their toes and anxiously turning the pages to find out what happens next. Fragments is a book readers will find hard to put down until the very last page and then they will be clamoring for more. Reviewed by Debbie Suzuki Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood By Abby McDonald Candlewick Press, $17.99, 336 pages When Grace and Hallie’s father leaves their mother and marries a younger and wealthier woman – then has a baby with her – they are shocked and hurt. But when he dies suddenly two years later, their grief is compounded. While Hallie cries loudly and shows all her feelings, though, Grace is quieter and more reserved. But even Grace is angry and frustrated when her father’s lack of a will ends up leaving the girls and their mother penniless and homeless. They are forced to leave their home in San
Francisco and move to stay with a relative in Los Angeles. Grace is comforted by the kind and smart Theo, brother of the “wicked stepmother,” who comes into town for the funeral. But she doesn’t know where their friendship stands when they part. Hallie falls for a poetic, soul-searching rocker in L.A., at the same time spurning the interest of an older next-door neighbor. If the story sounds familiar, it’s because it’s based on Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. It’s hardly the first time the plot has been co-opted. This young adult adaptation is a light and fun read, great for a beach trip, but nothing that will stand the test of time as well as its predecessor. Reviewed by Cathy Carmode Lim The Girl With the Iron Touch (Steampunk Chronicles) By Kady Cross Harlequin Teen, $17.99, 384 pages Check this out! The past is catching up with the heroic quintet of combat-ready Finley, superpowered royal Griffin, halfmechanica l Sam, technowhiz Emily, and lightningfast cowboy Jasper. Their old foe The Machinist has returned, kidnapping Emily and demanding that she help resurrect him in a new body. As her friends scramble to find her, long-simmering affections arise and old allies and new threats alike emerge, leading to a showdown that could leave them forever changed. The third book in the Steampunk Chronicles series, The Girl with the Iron Touch See Girl with Iron Touch, cont’d on page 9
Tulsa Book Review • July 2013 • 8
You must have completed fifth grade to sign up for the Teen/Tween Summer Reading Program. Read six books to complete the program and earn a keepsake safe and coupons for free entertainment and food items, including:
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Admission to the Tulsa Zoo Admission to the Tulsa State Fair Cinnamon sticks from Mazzio’s Italian Eatery Snack wrap and bottled water from McDonald’s Chicken nuggets from Wendy’s Frozen custard from Freckles Frozen Custard Glazed doughnut from Krispy Kreme Iced and decorated cookie from Merritt’s Bakery $5 game card from Broken Arrow Lanes Round-trip bus ride on Tulsa Transit Admission to a Tulsa 66ers game Admission to a Tulsa Shock game Admission to a Tulsa Drillers game
Once you complete the program, you may enter a drawing for cool prizes, provided by the Tulsa Library Trust, including:
•• •• •• •
Xbox 360 console with Kinect bundle Kindle Fire Apple iPod touch $25 and $50 Barnes & Noble gift cards $25 and $50 AMC Movie gift cards $100 Old Navy gift card $100 Best Buy gift card
Entries for the drawing must be received by Aug. 3. For information on teen programming, visit our website at http://teens.tulsalibrary.org.
TulsaLibrary.org
July 2013
918.549.READ
A free m o n thl y g u ide to y o u r c o m m u n it y librar y , its p ro g ra m s a n d ser v i c es
adult/teen events Bixby Library A-Book-A-Month Discussion Group Wednesday, July 24 • 2-3 p.m. Read "One Summer" by David Baldacci and then join us for this lively discussion. For adults.
Broken Arrow Library Read or Die Manga/Anime Club Saturday, July 20 • 12:30-2 p.m. For ages 12-18.
Patchworkers Tuesday, July 9 • 7-8 p.m. Join us if you want to learn to quilt or are an experienced quilter. For adults.
Hardesty Regional Library Beginning Genealogy Workshop Saturday, July 6 • 9:30 a.m.-noon Join Genealogy Center Managing Librarian Kathy Huber and learn how to begin your family history research. Start Your Research @ the Library Saturday, July 6 • 1:30-3 p.m. Join Lisa Hansen, Genealogy Center library associate, for an overview of the library's many helpful services to family history researchers.
Using the Federal Census to Locate Your Ancestors Saturday, July 6 • 3:15-4:30 p.m. Census records contain valuable information about our ancestors. Join Kathy Huber, Genealogy Center managing librarian, and discover why census records are a foundational part of genealogy research. For adults. The Talbot Library and Museum Saturday, July 13 • 10-11:30 a.m. The Talbot Library and Museum in Colcord, Okla., specializes in historical and genealogical research material of northeast Oklahoma, northwest Arkansas and Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory. Join library and museum representatives for an overview of the collection, services and activities. For adults.
The American Indian Archives Saturday, July 13 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Since 1934, the Oklahoma Historical Society has housed the state's largest collection of American Indian records. This important collection contains a variety of records relating to tribal history and culture. Join Bill Welge, archives director, for an overview of this historic collection. For adults. Gateway to Oklahoma History Saturday, July 13 • 2:45-3:30 p.m. The Oklahoma Historical Society maintains the largest collection of Oklahoma newspapers and is now making this digitized collection available online. Join Bill Welge, American Indian archives director, as he discusses the project and explains how to access this free online collection. For adults.
Broken Arrow Library/South Our Cosmic Neighborhood: The Sun-Helios Monday, July 29 • 6:30-8 p.m. The Broken Arrow Sidewalk Astronomers invite you to bask in the light of our favorite star, the sun. Afterward, we'll go outside for some sky gazing (weather permitting). For all ages.
Collinsville Library All Thumbs Knitting Group Wednesdays, July 3, 17 • 1-3 p.m. All levels of knitting expertise are welcome to join us for this fun and instructional afternoon. For adults. Comedy of Errors Book Group Tuesday, July 9 • noon-1 p.m. Join this fun group of readers for a lively discussion. Call the library for book title. For adults.
L I B R A RY C LO S I N G S
Central Library Closing for Renovation!
All Tulsa City-County Library locations will be closed on Thursday, July 4 for Independence Day.
Central Library will close Aug. 30 to undergo an exciting two-year renovation project. Visit www.tulsalibrary.org/ blog/central-library-renovation for updates. During renovation, we will provide select services for customers at Librarium, a temporary facility located at 11th and Denver. It will open Sept. 3. Celebrate Family History Month! Programs are marked with this symbol.
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Publishing Your Family History Made Simple Saturday, July 20 • 9:30-10:30 a.m. Publishing your family history may be easier than you think. Author Hugh Keen will break down the process and discuss how to easily and inexpensively create a credible publication. For adults. Free Genealogy Websites Saturday, July 20 • 10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Not all genealogy websites require a subscription. Join Liz Walker, Genealogy Center library associate, and discover many free websites that contain original records, useful data and information that can help you document your family history. Streaming Genealogy: Using Webinars, Podcasts and YouTube as Genealogy Resources Saturday, July 20 • 2-3 p.m. Join Genealogy Center staff Kathy Huber and Carissa Kellerby to learn where to find free genealogy webinars, podcasts and videos on YouTube. Adventures in D.C.: A Look at the National Archives and Other Research Facilities Saturday, July 20 • 3:15-4:30 p.m. Fresh from a trip to the National Institute of Genealogical Research in Washington, D.C., Genealogy Center staff member, Carissa Kellerby will share her experiences touring and researching in the National Archives, the DAR Library and the Library of Congress. Discover what records you can find there and how to access them. Genealogy Workshop With Mark Lowe: Out on a Limb, Trapped by Bad Research Saturday, July 27 • 9:30-10:45 a.m. Feeling trapped with nowhere to go? Bad, weak or missing evidence all contribute to misleading research. Join Mark Lowe, certified genealogist, and review your research findings, sharpen your techniques, evaluate your sources and map a new course. For adults. Genealogy Workshop With Mark Lowe: Documenting the "Right" Family While Staying on Track Saturday, July 27 • 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Join certified genealogist Mark Lowe and learn simple techniques for breaking down difficult research problems into manageable segments, including the basics of documentation and why it is an important family research tool. For adults.
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Genealogy Workshop With Mark Lowe: Using Genealogical Software as a Tool Saturday, July 27 • 1:30-2:45 p.m. Join certified genealogist Mark Lowe as he reviews software that may help you manage your genealogical projects. He will share basic features and the most useful tools. For adults. Genealogy Workshop With Mark Lowe: Help Me Please! Government Claims and Other Unusual Requests Saturday, July 27 • 3-4:15 p.m. A request for recognition or payment for services rendered typically related to damages created by war or government intervention are examples of requests that can help you with your genealogy research. Join certified genealogist Mark Lowe and learn to find government claims and other unusual requests by your ancestors. For adults. Genealogy Workshop With Mark Lowe: Research in the South and Everywhere Else: Review, Prepare and Plan Sunday, July 28 • 1:30-4:30 p.m. Major concepts to consider with your family research projects include migration, settlement patterns, religion, land and geography. Join certified genealogist Mark Lowe and learn how to find available resources and develop a strategy to find ancestors. For adults.
Herman and Kate Kaiser Library My Family Will Not Let Me Read Mom's Will Tuesday, July 9 • noon-1 p.m. Join attorney Rita Foster as she discusses wills, revocable trusts, powers of attorney, how to avoid probate and other estateplanning documents. For adults. Seating is limited. To reserve a seat, call 918-5497363. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust.
Jenks Library JTAG Tuesday, July 2 • 4-5 p.m. Join JTAG as we plan library services and programs for teens. Snacks are provided. Plus, it counts as community service. For ages 12-18. Jenks Library Book Discussion Group Thursday, July 18 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Participants should read the selected book prior to the program. Call 918-549-7570 for book title.
Martin Regional Library Charlas: Spanish Conversation Club Saturdays, July 6, 13, 20, 27 noon-1 p.m. • Practice your Spanish in a low-stress setting. For ages 16 and older.
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Literacy Tutor Training (Registration Deadline: Friday, July 12) Tuesdays, July 16, 23 • 5:45-8:45 p.m. Thursdays, July 18, 25 • 5:45-8:45 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 or older and have graduated from high school. Each trained volunteer is matched with an adult student to provide one-to-one tutoring once or twice a week. Volunteers are asked to make a one-year commitment to tutor. Tutors must complete all sessions of this workshop. Registration is required. The registration deadline is Friday, July 12. To register for the workshop, call 918-549-7400 or click on www.tulsalibrary.org/literacy.
clases de informática BIBLIOTECA REGIONAL MARTIN
Familiarízate con tu Computadora: Carpetas, Iconos, Grabar tus Documentos Miércoles, 3 de julio • 6:30-8:30 p.m. En esta clase te familiarizarás con los servicios y vocabulario que tiene tu computadora: aprende a grabar documentos en tus carpetas, subir fotos, y organizar "tu escritorio.” Para todas las edades. Conoce tu biblioteca en línea y sus servicios para tí Miércoles, 10 de julio • 6:30-8:30 p.m. En esta clase aprenderás a navegar la página oficial de la Biblioteca y de su Centro Hispano; a encontrar tus libros y música, recursos de estudio para tu GED, para mejorar tu inglés y preparar para tu examen de ciudadanía entre muchas cosas más. Para todas las edades. Computación para Principiantes Miércoles, 17 de julio • 6:30-8:30 p.m. Abrimos el salón de cómputo para los estudiantes que quieran aprovechar el tiempo para practicar con el teclado, el ratón, practicar navegar el Internet, llenar formularios y/o aplicaciones, etc. La maestra estará presente para apoyar. Para todas las edades. Comunicación en el Internet: Correo Electrónico Miércoles, 24 de julio • 6:30-8:30 p.m. Esta clase te enseña cómo crear una cuenta de correo electrónico y cómo usarla para comunicarte con tu familia, amigos y el mundo. Para todas las edades. Usos de Microsoft Word como Herramienta de Búsqueda de Trabajo en la Era digital Miércoles, 31 de julio • 6:30-8:30 p.m. Formatear texto, escribir cartas de presentación, el currículum, etc. Para todas las edades.
nathan hale LIBRARY Insulin: The 411 Thursday, July 25 • 3-4 p.m. The thought of having to inject insulin can be both confusing and scary. Today, there are many different types of insulins your doctor may prescribe. Which insulin should you be taking? Are there insulins that might decrease the number of shots you take on a daily basis? We'll answer these questions and more in this month's Sweet Spot class. For adults.
Rudisill Regional Library Sun Caste: A Staged Reading of Toni Morrison's Play "The Bluest Eye" Thursday, July 11 • 6:30-9 p.m. "The Bluest Eye" makes a statement about the damage caused by internalized racism. Adapted for the stage by playwright Lydia Diamond, the staged reading explores the emotional and social perspectives of beauty and "colorism" and its negative emotional and psychological impact. This is the story of a young girl who is raped by her father and wishes hopelessly for life-changing blue eyes. An in-depth discussion by Dr. Brenda Lloyd-Jones, University of Oklahoma; Dr. Valerie McGaha-Garnett, Oklahoma State University; and Dr. Orlenthea S. McGowan, Langston University, will round out the program. NOTE: Mature subject matter. For adults. Sponsored by Langston University, OSU-Tulsa, University of Oklahoma, AfricanAmerican Resource Center and Tulsa Library Trust. Job Lab Tuesday, July 23 • 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 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. Registration is required. Call 918-549-7645 to register. For adults.
SCHUSTERMAN-BENSON Library Mystery Readers Roundtable Thursday, July 11 • 2-3 p.m. Come for coffee and tell us what you've been reading. For adults. eBook and Audiobook Clinic Wednesday, July 24 • 1-3 p.m. Drop by with your Kindle Fire, Nook
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Color/Tablet or iPod/iPad and we'll help you learn how to search for, check out and download eBooks and audiobooks. If you don't have an e-reader yet, stop in and get a handson demonstration of how they work! For adults and teens.
skiatook Library Do You Believe in Magic? Tuesday, July 9 • 1-3 p.m. Join us as we help you make your dreams come true with your very own magic wand. For ages 10-18. Are You Smarter Than a Librarian? Tuesday, July 16 • 1-2 p.m. The Skiatook librarians are challenging our teens to a game of fun trivia using the Wii. Come and have fun with us! For ages 10-18. Seating is limited. Lego Creations Tuesday, July 23 • 1-2 p.m. Create a Lego Head pencil holder out of a baby food jar while getting to know some of the amazing books about Legos that can be found at the library! For ages 10-18. Registration is required. Call 918-549-7676 to register.
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MS Word 2 Tuesday, July 16 • 6-8 p.m. Learn how to create and format tables, use bulleted and numbered lists, and apply and format columns in a document. MS Excel 1 Saturday, July 20 • 9:30-11:30 a.m. Learn how to create formulas, use automatic fill and change basic formatting. MS Word 3 Tuesday, July 23 • 6-8 p.m. Learn how to create and use borders and shading, headers and footers, page numbering and drawing tools. Internet Basics Thursday, July 25 • 10-11 a.m. This class is designed for PC users with little or experience using the Internet. Learn more about using Internet Explorer to navigate the World Wide Web. We'll also show you how to preview, save and print documents. MS Word 4 Tuesday, July 30 • 6-8 p.m. Explore mail merge, use tables to perform calculations and create onscreen forms.
Martin Regional Library
computer classes Hardesty Regional Library
CLASSES ARE limited to 18 on a first-come, first-served basis.
For adults. Class size is limited. Please arrive at least 20 minutes before class starts. MS Excel 1 Saturday, July 6 • 10 a.m.-noon Tuesday, July 23 • 1:30-3:30 p.m. Learn how to create formulas, use automatic fill and change basic formatting.
MS Word 1 Tuesdays, July 2, 9 • 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.
Really Basic Computer Class Tuesday, July 9 • 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.
Buying and Selling on Craigslist Saturday, July 6 • 9:30-11:30 a.m. This class will explain what Craigslist is; how to search, post, sell and purchase items on Craigslist; and how to communicate with sellers.
MS Excel 2 Saturday, July 13 • 10 a.m.-noon Learn how to create and edit formulas, and apply functions and advanced formatting to your spreadsheets and workbooks.
Really Basic PC Class Thursday, July 11 • 9:30-11 a.m. This class is designed for new PC users who have little or no experience using Windows, a mouse or the Internet, and little knowledge of basic computer terms.
MS Word 1 Tuesday, July 16 • 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.
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MS Excel 3 Saturday, July 20 • 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. Introduction to MS PowerPoint Saturday, July 27 • 10 a.m.-noon This class shows how to use this resource to create group presentations and slide shows. Setting Up Email Tuesday, July 30 • 1:30-3:30 p.m. Come in and get the help you need with setting up an email account. This is a come-and-go class, so please allow at least 20 minutes to set up email account.
Rudisill Regional Library
For adults and teens. registration is Required. Class SIZES ARE limited. Call 918-549-7645 to register. Really Basic Computer Class Friday, July 12 • 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. Introduction to MS Word 2007 Friday, July 19 • 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, July 26 • 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 Computers for Seniors Wednesdays • 1:30-3:30 p.m. July 10, 17, 24, 31; Aug. 7 Have you always wanted to learn to use a computer but were afraid to try? This series of classes is designed especially for older folks who need a slower-paced, encouraging atmosphere in which to learn new skills. Classes are: July 10, "Hardware Boot Camp"; July 17, "Beginning Internet"; July 24, "Fun With Files"; July 31, "Email 101"; and Aug. 7, "Making Friends With Facebook." For ages 55+. Registration is required. Call 918-5497683 to register.
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children’s events Broken Arrow Library PAWS for Reading Wednesday, July 10 • 4-5 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. Seating is limited. Sign-ups will begin at 3:45 p.m. on the day of the event.
Brookside Library Bouncin' Beethovens Thursday, July 18 • 10:15-10:45 a.m. Join the Midtown School of Performing Arts for this music class featuring percussion instruments, sticks, bells, egg shakers, colorful scarves and more! Mommies and daddies (grannies or nannies) can attend with their children for lots of singing, dancing and fun. For infants to 5-year-olds and their caregivers.
Collinsville Library Stories From the Rocking Chair Tuesdays, July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 10:30-11 a.m. • Join us for stories, songs, crafts and more. For newborns to 4-year-olds and their caregivers. PAWS for Reading Wednesday, July 17 • 3-4 p.m. It's just too doggone hot! Come into the library for a PAWSitively cool time reading to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. For ages 5-12.
Jenks Library PAWS for Reading Tuesday, July 16 • 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. Registration is required. Class size is limited. Call 918549-7570 to register.
Pick up a Summer Reading Program Event Guide for more children's events scheduled in July.
T u l sa c i t y - c o u n t y l i brar y e v e n t g u i d e
july 2013
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kendall-whittier Library Bilingual Storytime Tuesdays, July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 10-10:45 a.m. • Enjoy favorite stories in English and Spanish. For ages 3-5.
Owasso Library Homeschool Storytime Tuesdays, July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 1:30-2:30 p.m. • Enjoy stories and make a craft. For ages 5-12.
pratt Library Minicritters Petting Zoo Saturday, July 20 • 11 a.m.-noon Becky Benge and her adorable
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minicritters will be here to play with the children. Be ready to paint Native American symbols on a miniature horse and pet lots of funny, furry critters. Watch for a special little dressed up "Digger" who will give you a free book! For ages 5-11.
SchustermanBenson Library Mad Science! Thursday, July 25 • 1-2 p.m. Join us for an exciting, interactive and educational demonstration of science and the world around us. WARNING: This could get messy and perhaps at times a bit disgusting ... but that's what makes it fun! For ages 5-12. Seating is limited.
skiatook Library Preschool Storytime Thursdays • 11-11:40 a.m. Join us for stories, songs and rhymes. For newborns to 6-year-olds and their caregivers. July 11 • Wet and Wild! July 18 • Just Dig It July 25 • Author Day: Rob Scotton Have You Heard? Thursday, July 18 • 1-2 p.m. Explore an incredible book through reading, discussion and a fun activity. For first- through fifth-graders. Registration is required. Call 918-5497676 to register.
To search for events, scan this code using your mobile device and QR scanner app.
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.
tulsa city-county library locations 1 Bixby Library 20 E. Breckenridge, 74008 • 918-549-7514 M, 10-8; T-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-T, 12-7; W, 10-5; 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, 10-8; 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
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 Category
Tween Reads
Category
Kids’ Books
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Hold Fast By Blue Balliett Scholastic, $17.99, 288 pages Check this out! Early and her parents and little brother, Jubie, live in a tiny apartment in Chicago. They don’t have much, but they have dreams and lots of love and learning. When Early’s father, who works in the public library, unwittingly gets involved in a mysterious scheme involving used books and then disappears, the little family ends up homeless and unsure of the future. How can they find Dash and make things right again? And even if they are able to find a home together again, Early’s experience being homeless and powerless makes her determined to make life better for others she’s met. This book stands alone and isn’t connected to Balliett’s other books for young readers, about a boy living in Chicago who uses his creativity and clues from the world around him to figure out mysteries. But it’s still a beautiful example of Balliett’s mindopening style. She has so much fun with words, their very sound and feel, and shares that enthusiasm with her readers. Hold Fast lives up to what one would expect from Balliett, and it also includes a strong message about the plight of the homeless, particularly children and families. Sometimes the message seems a little hammered home, but it’s acceptable because it’s a good one, wrapped up in a delightful package. Reviewed by Cathy Carmode Lim A Song for Bijou By Josh Farrar Walker Childrens, $16.99, 304 pages Check this out! From the moment he sees Bijou, Alex is in love. They live in different parts of Brooklyn, but St. Christopher’s School for Boys and St. Catherine’s School for Girls are close, and the 7th and 8th grade students can mingle at St. Catherine’s dances. Alex reads up on
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Haiti, where Bijou is from, and takes French flash cards to the next dance, hoping to make an impression. M e a n while, Bijou’s school friends are trying to fix her up with Alex. They don’t realize she can’t be seen even talking with this shy white boy. Bijou lives with her aunt and super strict uncle in Flatbush because of the earthquake in Haiti three years earlier. There’s a mystery about why she has come to Flatbush now, but even being with girlfriends breaks tradition: Uncle Pierre is determined to keep a promise he made to Bijou’s mother. Alex and Bijou successfully navigate cultural differences, bullies, and cyber mischief. Alex’s throes of puppy love are pitch perfect. The older/wiser voice of Bijou is in keeping with her memories of the Haitian earthquake. Haitian music plays a special role in this story—a story that will resonate on many levels with today’s tweens. Reviewed by Elizabeth Varadan
Odd Duck By Cecil Castellucci, Sara Varon First Second, $15.99, 96 pages Check this out! Theodora is a perfect duck with a perfect life. She does ever ything just right. She does everything a good duck would do. Every night she wishes on the stars that everything would stay the same. But one day, Theodora finds a new duck, Chad, has moved
Girl with Iron Touch, cont’d from page 8 kicks off with the same breakneck pacing the series is known for, launching into both the romantic and heroic entanglements with gusto. Unlike the previous book, the callbacks and references to earlier events in the series are well calculated, adding to the narrative instead of interrupting it. There is wonderful forward movement for the characters as well, pressing beyond angst and uncertainty to become more capable and more engaging parts of the story. It’s wonderful stuff. The ending, however, is incredibly abrupt, the climax coming and going so fast that I flipped back a few pages in case I’d somehow missed it. While not enough to ruin the book by any means, it is seriously jarring. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas
Tulsa Book Review • July 2013 • 9
in next door. He has strange sculptures around his yard and even stranger music playing. When all the other ducks fly south for winter, Theodora stays behind, only to discover Chad also stayed behind. Theodora is not happy, but one night when she goes out to wish on the stars, she finds Chad star gazing as well. They begin to talk and find they have much in common. It’s nice to have a best friend, for that is what Chad has become for Theodora. One day when they are walking through town, they overhear some ducks talking about them, and one says something about the odd duck. Chad and Theodora end up arguing about which of them is the odd duck, and their friendship is See Odd Duck, cont’d on page 11
Book Reviews Category
Fiction SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
The Humanity Project By Jean Thompson Blue Rider Press, $26.95, 352 pages Check this out! In The Humanity Project, Jean T homp s on holds up a mirror to life as we know it. Her c h a r a c te r s face many of the same problems that everyday Americans are facing: un- or under employment, foreclosure, and personal tragedies. After surviving a shooting at her school, 15-year-old Linnea moves across the country to California to live with her father, Art, who has been absent from her life until this point. She meets Connor, the teenage son of Sean—an unemployed carpenter who was injured in a car accident and is now addicted to painkillers. Connor works for Mrs. Foster, a wealthy, newly widowed elderly woman, who also employs Christie, a nurse who is also Art’s neighbor. Thompson weaves together the stories of these characters and a few more to create a tapestry of emotional suspense and real-tolife drama. These characters could easily be people readers might know in their day-today lives. Highly relatable and yet still interesting to read about, the way these characters face tough times and come out the other side better for it is an inspiration to many facing these same obstacles. The epilogue packs an emotional punch that is sure to linger with you. This book is a masterpiece of human theater. Reviewed by Megan Rynott The Six-Gun Tarot By R.S. Belcher Tor, $25.99, 368 pages Check this out! Jim Negrey, fifteen, half dead, wanted for murder, stumbles out of the desert into the town of Golgotha. He hopes for a refuge
from the desert, but finds instead a town boiling over with secrets, where a remnant of primal darkness, chaos, and evil is about to burst into the world, and it seems there is nothing that can be done to prevent it. The Six-Gun Tarot is a fun, rollicking, dark, and disturbing romp through a magical western world. As the author’s debut novel, it is quite promising. The pacing of the book suffers at times through exploration of the back stories of assorted characters, and the book is so densely populated that it is sometimes hard to keep track of who is who. Otherwise, it is a whirlwind of shootouts, assassins, cults, zombies, magic, attractive ladies, dubious morals, and demonic possession, sure to keep you on your toes. Reviewed by James Rasmussen Eight Million Gods By Wen Spencer Baen, $25.00, 432 pages Check this out! N i k k i Delany suffers from hy pergraphia, a manic compu l s ion to write. She also suffers under the thumb of her t y rannica l, overbearing politician mother, who wants her locked away in a mental ward. So when Nikki flees to Japan after signing a lucrative book deal, she thinks her troubles are over. But they’re only just beginning. A
man turns up dead and his murder exactly matches a scene Nikki wrote and posted on her blog hours before. And when the police bring her in, she discovers strange supernatural forces are at work, and they’ve got their eyes on her. Eight Million Gods is a bumpy ride, but a surprisingly engaging one. It careens from girl-in-peril to fish-out-of-water and back again, melding the two with a heavy dose of urban supernatural flavor. Its mythology is incredibly dense, but never overwhelming, and Spencer impressively manages to dump a TON of backstory into the narrative without bogging it down. While some of the plot elements come out of nowhere, an immensely clever trick for switching between perspectives carries you through, offering numerous opportunities to enrich the narrative without unnecessary backtracking. Eight Million Gods is capably-plotted chaos and unexpectedly engrossing, but more than that, it’s a pretty good time. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas The Secret of the Nightingale Palace: A Novel By Dana Sachs William Morrow Paperbacks, $14.99, 368 pages Check this out! It’s been two years, but Anna is still recovering from the death of her husband (and the slow decline – of both his health and their relationship – that preceded it). Goldie, Anna’s estranged grandmother, thinks that two years of mourning is too much, so she calls Anna out of the blue to insist on a cross-country road trip to deliver priceless paintings to their original owner. Anna agrees, and, over the course of their trip, their relationship is slowly, painfully, mended as Anna gradually sheds her grief and rejoins the world of the living. That, however, is only half the story. The rest follows Goldie as a young woman as she moves to San Francisco and learns about the world. San Francisco of the 1940s comes to startling, shocking life under Goldie’s naïve exploration. It is simply lovely. These chapters are absolutely fascinating as they explain why Goldie is the way she is while also telling a compelling story of their own. Focusing on crucial times of emotional upheaval in the lives of these women, The Secret of the Nightingale Palace weaves a
Tulsa Book Review • July 2013 • 10
tender, beautiful story about family, love, grief, trauma, moving on, and so much more. This book is stunningly gorgeous as it explores deep wells of pain and hope. The ending is a perfect surprise, just like the entire tale. Reviewed by Audrey Curtis A Perfect Proposal: A Novel By Katie Fforde St. Martin’s Press, $25.99, 400 pages Check this out! Sophie Apperly is goodnatured; she is so goodnatured, in fact, that her family does not take her seriously and takes advantage of her. Fr ustrated and needing to get away, Sophie takes a trip to New York to see a friend and get a short-term job as a nanny. The job falls through, but Sophie, determined to enjoy herself, instead finds herself befriending Matilda, a spirited older lady in the higher echelons of society. Sophie is less impressed with Luke, Matilda’s arrogant grandson. So when Luke arrives in England a few weeks after Sophie has returned home, she is surprised that he seeks her out. Together they go on a quest for Matilda, and in the process find themselves drawn closer together. Katie Fforde’s new novel is quirky and sweet. A Perfect Proposal is a nice blend of femininity, empowerment, humor, and romance (without raunchy sex), a story that readers just might find themselves staying up past their bedtime to finish. If you’re looking for a lovely little novel to read on a rainy spring afternoon, this one is for you. Reviewed by Holly Scudero The Fun Parts: Stories By Sam Lipsyte Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $24.00, 240 pages Check this out! This mind-blowingly clever, prosaically sharp series of stories from Sam Lipsyte is one of the most engaging collections I’ve read. I can’t help but ogle the technical expertise, the control Lipsyte exerts over the structure of every sentence. This mastery makes the currents of humor (which are present in even the book’s darkest narratives) powerfully resonate. Lipyste’s sentences, within the larger structure of prose, frequently read like free verse: “I’d booked a tiny room in the Hudson Lux in New York City, high up and hushed, a loneliness box of polished walnut and chrome.” On anoth-
Fiction
Book Reviews
er skill level entirely, there exist the hyper-rea listic characters that waft between the stories. I was most drawn to Tovah: a poetesst u r ned- d aycare-provider, nav igating an unseemly business pa r t nersh ip with an eccentric father. Later in the book, Tovah reappears, this time playing a supporting role. The reader is offered perspective on the woman from outside eyes, and these tiny epiphanies combine to create a fantastically three-dimensional human being. The Fun Parts is aptly named; to label the moments described within this book (pathetic, embarrassing, or near-disastrous) as such draws a clear line to the author’s aesthetic and intent: satire of a middle class malaise, peppered with predicament. Reviewed by Karen Biscopink Traps By MacKenzie Bezos Knopf, $24.95, 224 pages Check this out! “’Life is full of things that feel like traps,’” and it’s these difficulties that make Traps such a fascinating read. Bezos gradually introduces the reader to four seemingly unrelated women and slowly reveals each woman’s struggle with her own trap. There’s Dana, the rigid and unemotional security guard who discovers she’s pregnant by her boyfriend who’s fighting cancer. Next we meet Jessica, a dedicated mother and former actress who only reluctantly leaves her home. The youngest woman, Vivian, is a teen-aged mother of twins, homeless until Marco found her and brought her home; of course, she’ll do any “favor” he asks. Finally there’s Lynn, proprietor of a rescue center for dogs who’s handicapped by the loss of her left hand and possibly a lot more. Bezos’s excellent character development made me feel as if I knew these women intimately. The events of the novel occur over a four day period, and, for much of the book, the women struggle independently without
crossing paths. I didn’t mind. I was so engrossed in their lives, so interested in their decisions, that I didn’t spend much time speculating about their relationship to one another. I cheered for each one to extricate herself from her trap and finished the book with a satisfied sigh. Reviewed by Tammy McCartney Tempted Soul: An Amish Quilt Novel By Adina Senft FaithWords, $14.99, 320 pages Check this out! O n c e again, Senft has brought readers an engaging, gentle read that will provide an evening or two of enjoyable respite from a fast-paced, self-centered world. A young woman has been married and childless for a decade in a culture where children are truly regarded as a mother’s crown of glory; she longs for children so deeply, facing not only her own inner pain but also the snide comments of family and neighbors as they wonder why she has no children. She is resigned to a life without children when she overhears a conversation that sets her heart springing towards hope--the possibility of pregnancy exists, and she determines to find a way to convince her husband they must pursue it. With colorful and memorable characters-from hasty, rash Lydia Zook to heartfelt and compassionate Emma--this story examines what happens when we choose to sacrifice our own desires and lay down our hopes and dreams in deference to the needs of others. Like Senft’s other novels, just when you think you know where the story is going it takes unexpected turns. Lead characters exhibit vulnerable frailties alongside upstanding courage as they grapple with the morality and humanity that make up the patched, seamed quilt of our lives. Reviewed by Andrea Huehnerhoff Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald By Therese Anne Fowler St. Martin’s Press, $25.99, 384 pages Check this out! Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald were the quintessential Jazz Age couple, famous for their non-stop partying. Their glamorous lifestyle was envied. And yet, as anyone who knows the story of Scott and Zelda, behind the scenes lay alcoholism and mental illness. The story begins when they first meet
Tulsa Book Review • July 2013 • 11
and continues as Scott begins to publish – first short stories and then novels – and their great love becomes sorely tested. According to the fictionalized Zelda, Ernest Hemingway, for whom she took an immediate dislike, is the cause of the breakdown of their marriage. Scott develops an unhealthy hero worship of Hemingway; however, it is obvious that his escalating drinking is also a large contributor to the couple’s problems. Signs of Zelda’s mental illness don’t seem very obvious until late in the novel when she has a breakdown at a party. Although her disease has been attributed to schizophrenia, it was more likely bipolar disorder. Scott’s fame and fortune dwindle, while Zelda alternates between her childhood home and various institutions. They never divorce. Scott comes across as the sadder
character, his life out of control because he is so infrequently sober. Most of all, “Z” is a relationship story, with historical events and characters being secondary. The novel is fast moving and entertaining. Put it on your summer reading list. Reviewed by Leslie Wolfson
Odd Duck, cont’d from page 9 shattered. Can they ever forgive each other? Will they ever be friends again? Cecil Castellucci has written a superb story of friendship. Sara Varon’s enchanting illustrations are the perfect complement. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck
Book Reviews
Category
Mystery SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Night Terrors: A Daniel Rinaldi Mystery By Dennis Palumbo Poisoned Pen Press, $24.95, 250 pages Check this out! Night Terrors by Dennis Palumbo is the third in the series featuring the forensic psychologist Daniel Rinaldi. The best way to understand this man’s approach to life is that if he sees anyone approaching him with a weapon, obviously intending to inflict some degree of injury on him, he does not run away. He readies himself for a fight. So this makes him a danger to himself —
although fit, he’s a middle-aged man with a hero complex. The first four chapters are a terrific introduction to what he does. A local sheriff calls him out. A man has just confessed to a kidnapping and murder. He’s asking for Rinaldi to accompany them to the place he says he left the body. To maintain the pace of the book, the FBI then involves our psychologist in one of their cases. A retired profiler is in protective custody. He’s on a killer’s hit list. Unfortunately, the profiler suffers badly from night terrors and needs help. The resolution of these two narrative strands is brilliantly managed with a most satisfying conclusion explaining whether the man who confessed is actually innocent and who’s going around killing a judge, prosecutor and other important people. This is Palumbo’s best book s far! Reviewed by David Marshall
Category
Mind & Body Fitness SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Beautiful Babies: Nutrition for Fertility, Pregnancy, Breast-feeding, and Baby’s First Foods By Kristen Michaelis, Joel Salatin, Foreword Victory Belt Publishing, $24.95, 256 pages Kristen Michaelis is well known in the blogging world for her site Food Renegade, which focuses on a traditional foods diet. Now she has applied her knowledge of nutrition to baby-making; Beautiful Babies is all about how to eat right to promote fertility, being healthy while pregnant, how a woman’s
diet can improve the quality of her breast milk, and venturing into the world of solid foods once the baby is ready. Like many in the traditional foods movement, Michaelis promotes the dietary principles advocated by the Weston A. Price Foundation; unlike some names from that community who have been in the blogging spotlight of late, Michaelis is refreshingly nonjudgmental towards women who do not maintain a “perfect” diet. Good nutrition is indeed important, and it is the author’s goal to help women work toward it, but she keeps a very positive attitude about it all, offers suggestions to help those who are having a hard time eating certain recommended foods, and even has a section devoted to recipes that even the newest newbie to traditional foods will not find daunting. She also presents tons and tons of research to support what she claims, sourced from See Beautiful Babies, cont’d on page 13
Tulsa Book Review • July 2013 • 12
MYSTERIES/THRILLERS
COMING SOON
Search the library’s catalog at http://tulsalibrary.org to reserve your copies now.
As She Left It by Catriona
McPherson When she was 12 years old, Opal Jones escaped her mother’s endless drinking. Now, returning to their small Leeds cottage after her mum’s death, Opal feels like she’s gone back in time. Nosey Mrs. Pickess is still polishing her windows to a sparkle. Fishbo, Opal’s ancient music teacher, still plays trumpet with his band. And much to Opal’s delight, her favorite neighbor, Margaret Reid, still keeps an eye on things from the walk in front of her house. But a tragedy has struck Mote Street. Margaret’s grandson, Craig, disappeared some 10 years ago, and every day he’s not found, shame and sorrow settle deeper into the neighborhood’s forgotten corners. As the door she closed on her own dark past begins to open, Opal uncovers more secrets than she can bear about the people who were once her friends.
Carved in Darkness by
Maegan Beaumont Fifteen years ago, a psychotic killer abducted 17-yearold Melissa Walker. For 83 days she was raped, tortured and then left for dead in a deserted churchyard … but she was still alive. Melissa begins a new life as homicide inspector Sabrina Vaughn. With a new face and a new name, it’s her job to hunt down murderers — a job she does very well. But when Michael O’Shea, a childhood acquaintance with a suspicious past, suddenly finds her, he brings to life the nightmare Sabrina has long since buried. Believing his sister was recently murdered by the same monster who attacked Sabrina, Michael is dead set on getting his revenge — using Sabrina as bait.
Close My Eyes by Sophie
McKenzie Grieving for eight years after the stillborn birth of her daughter and exhausted by her efforts to get pregnant again,
writer Geniver Loxley is astonished when a stranger claims that the baby was stolen and is still alive, a revelation that strains Geniver’s grasp on sanity and her relationship with her husband.
Skinner by Charlie Huston
Skinner founded his career in “asset protection” on fear. To touch anyone under his protection was to invite destruction – a savagely effective methodology, until Skinner’s CIA handlers began to fear him as much as his enemies did and banished him to the hinterlands of the intelligence community. Now, an ornate and evolving cyber-terrorist attack is about to end that long exile. His asset is Jae, a roboticist with a gift for seeing the underlying systems violently shaping a new era of global guerrilla warfare. At the root of it all is a young boy, the innocent seed of a plot grown in the slums of Mumbai. Brought to flower, that plot will tip the balance of world power in a perilous new direction.
A Decent Interval by
Simon Brett After a long period of “resting,” life is looking up for Charles Paris, who has been cast as the ghost of Hamlet’s father and first gravedigger in a new production of Hamlet. But rehearsals are fraught. Ophelia is played by Katrina Selsey, who won the role through a television talent show. Hamlet himself is also played by a reality TV contestant, Jared Root. The two young stars have rather different views of celebrity and the theater than the more experienced members of the cast. But when the company reaches the first staging post of its tour, the Grand Theatre Marlborough, matters get more serious, with one member of the company seriously injured in what appears to be an accident, and another dead. Once again, Charles Paris is forced to don the mantle of amateur detective to get to the bottom of the mystery.
Book Reviews Category
Category
Fantasy
Science Fiction SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
You By Austin Grossman Mulholland Books, $25.99, 400 pages Check this out! It’s 1997 when Russell arrives at Black Arts, accepting an offer to help relaunch the franchise he and former friends started years ago. But with Simon dead, Darren jumping ship to start his own company, and Russell woefully unprepared for the job, that’s easier said than done. As Russell replays the entire Realms of Gold series and reminisces about the long journey here, he investigates a programming bug that could have devastating consequences for everyone involved. You at its core is a book about misfits. Yes, there’s an epic quest for the heroes to conquer (an epic quest ABOUT an epic quest, in fact), as well as the charming time capsule aspect of the narrative (which cagily evokes the warm fuzzies of early gaming), but the centerpiece of the novel is how these people came together and then splintered apart. Occupying that nebulous disheartening space between creativity and economics, Black Arts proves to be a fertile setting for Russell’s slow-burn understanding of the industry, what became of his old friends, and how he’s changed. The book’s plot staggers a bit under the weight of Simon’s back door biography, but like the multilayered Realms of Gold games themselves, You makes the most of a lot of intriguing pieces. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas Red Planet Blues By Robert J. Sawyer Ace Hardcover, $25.95, 368 pages Check this out! One of the purposes of science fiction is to take a good story and insert it into a futuristic world of science fiction, making it a great story; something you haven’t read be-
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fore. Bestselling author Robert J. Sawyer does just this with Red Planet Blues as he presents the classic noir detective novel that just about everyone is familiar with, and inserts it into a future world of a colonized Mars, which makes for some very riveting reading. Enter Alex Lomax, a private eye who left Earth for reasons we’re not sure of, but he’s not welcome there. So he makes his home now in New Klondike on Mars, underneath the great dome. But New Klondike is very much the edge of the world locality that it’s named after; the Martian frontier. The city is dirty, run down; there’s prostitution and drug use and crime. It’s a dead-end world, just where Lomax expected to end up. The hope many of the citizens of New Klondike hold out for is making it rich on Martian fossils. Alien life was found to exist on Mars, but it has long died out. All that remain are some fossils that are worth a fortune back on Earth. Some of the lucky few have made discoveries and are now doing well for themselves; others continue to spend their time in their suits out on the plain in search of riches. There is also the nugget of knowledge that everyone knows: somewhere out there on the Martian plain is the alpha deposit, first discovered forty years ago by Simon Weingarten and Denny O’Reilly that began this Great Martian Fossil Rush, the mother lode that would make its discoverer rich beyond their wildest dreams. Another reason people want to strike it rich is so they can become immortal. In this world there are those known as transfers: essentially practically indestructible robots that have had people’s minds and consciousnesses downloaded into them. Becoming a transfer is expensive, but then you’re practically unstoppable; you don’t need to eat or breathe or even feel. You can go out on the See Red Planet Blues, cont’d on page 15
Limits of Power (Paladin’s Legacy) By Elizabeth Moon Del Rey, $26.00, 512 pages Check this out! Limits of Power by Elizabeth Moon is a gentle outing in the continuing saga of the magical folk whose trials and tribulations are described under the banner of Paksenarrion’s life as a Palladin and the campaigns of Duke Phelan’s Mercenary Company. There are some thirteen books so far with one more to go to complete this contribution to the Palladin’s Legacy sequence. While this lacks some of the more exciting elements of the earlier books, it deftly explores the politics of magic. The different species who inhabit this world have different types of magical ability and, within each species, there’s a range of skills from top exponent to the magicless. This creates opportunities for jealousy and fear both within and between species. At the heart of this ongoing tension are the humans and elves. Because there’s been some interbreeding, there’s resentment when the resulting children do or do not acquire magical abilities. There are also problems as more humans are independently developing magical abilities. On balance, I thought all this rather elegantly handled with some interesting commentaries on how people should respond to those who are different. If you want more fighting, that’s obviously due in the next book. This is top class fantasy. Reviewed by David Marshall The Gate Thief (Mither Mages) By Orson Scott Card Tor Books, $24.99, 384 pages Check this out! Danny North has just come to terms with his status as a powerful gatemage, able to make gates that will transport anyone through any distance. His Family, who shunned him before they knew his power,
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now want to capitalize on it so they can use it to become more powerful mages t hemselves, and all the other Families would like the same opportunity. He needs to keep the peace among all the Families on Earth, but what he really wants is just to be a regular teen, attending high school. But even as he thinks he’s creating a good set of rules for the Families, he finds that he is facing a much, much more dangerous enemy, who has the power to take over his body and control his ability to make Great Gates--and then take control of everyone pretty much everywhere. Meanwhile, the man who was previously known as the Gate Thief is still involved in Danny’s life, even if it’s from afar, and he may hold the key to helping Danny save both Earth and Westil. Orson Scott Card’s latest fantasy series is fascinating in its set of rules for magic on Earth as we know it, while incorporating ancient gods and religious traditions. It’s hard to go wrong with this master writer. Reviewed by Cathy Carmode Lim
Beautiful Babies, cont’d from page 12 a wide variety of places (and with an extensive source chapter to back it up). Michaelis freely admits that she has no educational qualifications for this book, but she is a mom who has researched these topics thoroughly, and the book she has written provides a lot of good information in a very accessible format. Reviewed by Holly Scudero
Book Reviews Category
Category
Romance
Historical Fiction
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Wind Chime Point By Sherryl Woods Harlequin MIRA, $7.99, 400 pages Check this out! P reg n a nt. Dumped. Fired. What a week! Gabriella Castle hadn’t planned on any of the three, much less all at once. She’d worked hard at the PR/ Marketing job she really loved, and had thought she was on the fast track to becoming a VP in the firm. But-an unwed mother didn’t exactly match the firm’s self-image, so . . . Not knowing what else to do, she went back home to her grandmother, Cora Jane Castle, who’d raised the three Castle girls-Gabriella being the middle one--after their mother died. Once the shock wore off, she’d go back to Raleigh and find another job. It might be best to let the baby be adopted; that way, the child would have two loving parents. Gabi didn’t reckon on Wade Johnson, however, who’d fallen in love with her the previous summer. She’d barely paid any attention to him. But she quickly learned that she couldn’t fight everyone--least of all the baby she carried, who slowly attached itself to her, in more ways than one. Between Cora Jane and sisters Samantha and Emily, new friends Meg and Sally, not to mention her hard-headed dad and the everpresent Wade, Gabi finds new depths in herself and those around her, bringing new life and business to Wind Chime Point. Even if she can’t make a wind chime that works! Reviewed by Kelly Ferjutz
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Wild Invitation: A Psy/Changeling Anthology By Nalini Singh Berkley, $7.99, 352 pages Check this out! Wild Invitation is an antholog y made up of four novellas: two that were previously published and two new stories. Fans of the PsyC h a n ge l i n g series get the chance to see how healer Tamsyn and Nate first meet, see how submissive wolf Grace and dominant lieutenant Coop fall in love, know more of the lesser known wolf Zach who falls for a human, and catch a glimpse of Psy defector Walker and healer Lara’s relationship after they mated. Tamsyn and Nate’s characters are a huge part of the foundation in the Dark River pack and are seen in practically every book in the series, so it is a joy to see how they meet and become a mated pair. It is such a touching story that it is hard to top, but Zach and Annie’s story is just as enjoyable. Neither are core characters in previous books, so there is the thrill of meeting someone new in the Psy-Changeling world and seeing how changelings integrate among humans. The last two novellas, while enjoyable, just do not have the same zing as the first two stories, but still, this anthology is a must read for all Psy-Changeling fans. Reviewed by Debbie Suzuki
The Chalice: A Novel By Nancy Bilyeau Touchstone, $26.99, 496 pages Check this out!
1356: A Novel By Bernard Cornwell Harper, $28.99, 432 pages Check this out!
This book encompasses some of the best historical characters, the Tudors of course, and their wicked dirty secrets. As King Henry has rid England of the filthy Catholic Church, Joanna is in turmoil as she tries to assimilate into the world, as the priories are now closed and her world is changing before she knows it. Of noble blood, she decides to settle in the small village of Dartford, where her two close friends, Brother Edmund, whom she is about to marry, and Constable Geoffrey reside. It isn’t long before her family shows their face and demands she return to her rightful position in court with false promises and brimming with deceit, betrayal, and ulterior motives. Being so naïve to this world she left behind, Joanna is swept into a world of spies, espionage, and treason, of people with their sights on restoring their faith in defiance of the hated King Henry. Joanna must successfully complete the three psychic seeings to help her save Christendom, thus filling her days with life endangering tasks. Does Joanna have the strength, knowledge, and courage to play out her role successfully and stay alive through all the grisly and darkened days before her? Be prepared to set enough time to read this book all the way through because once you pick it up, you won’t be able to put it back down. One of the best books on the Tudors I have read in a while for sure! Reviewed by Kim Heimbuch
The Black Prince is one of those enigmatic figures shrouded in mystery, superstition and rumor from the medieval period of the fourteenth century. In 1356, bestselling historical fiction author Bernard Cornwell provides his take on it by bringing back a popular and main character from his Grail Quest series, in Thomas of Hookton. Thomas has created quite a name for himself and his small band of men, known as Le Bâtard, traveling through France and fighting for the English. But he is now charged with a new quest by his lord, to recover the ancient and lost sword of Saint Peter, known as Le Malice, a relic from the past that will provide a great symbol and power to whichever nation possesses and wields it. The French want it to get rid of the English; and the English want it to subdue the French. 1356 is another great example of Cornwell writing at his best, and it’s not necessary to have read the earlier series, as he fills you in where necessary. His action scenes are written with skill, putting the reader right there, and culminated with the great battle of Poitiers. Reviewed by Alex Telander
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Book Reviews Category
Biography & Memoir SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Unsinkable: A Memoir By Debbie Reynolds, Dorian Hannaway William Morrow, $28.99, 306 pages Check this out! Long before Jennifer Aniston’s heart was broken by Brad Pitt, Debbie Reynolds was the jilted movie star who made headlines when her marriage to heartthrob singer Eddie Fisher imploded by the force of the newly widowed Elizabeth Taylor. Debbie Reynolds was America’s sweetheart as she starred in light comedies being forever the ingénue. Reynolds began her career at MGM, singing and dancing with Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Fred Astaire. She did more than keep up; her talent and range were amazing. She also has a knack with spot on comedic impressions. She has starred in countless movies, television and theatre, made records and performed in revues. She has been nominated for almost every award from Oscar to Tony. She truly is one of the most hardworking performers. She also was responsible for preserving Hollywood memorabilia at her Las Vegas casino. However, both the casino and her collection were sold at auction to pay her husband’s gambling debts. Unfortunately, she picked three wrong husbands. The last two both went through her earnings and drove her into bankruptcy. This book is a sequel memoir and is quite a sad story. Her daughter, actress and writer Carrie Fisher writes the forward to this book and has also written a thinly disguised portrait of her mother in “Postcards from the Edge”. In that movie, Reynolds was played by Shirley MacLaine even though Reynolds thought she was perfect for the role. She was born in 1932, but seems timeless. If you are unfamiliar with her work watch the “Good Morning” sequence from “Singing in the Rain”. Reviewed by Julia McMichael
Where the Peacocks Sing: A Palace, a Prince and the Search for Home By Alison Singh Gee St. Martin’s Press, $25.99, 288 pages Check this out! Every little girl dreams of being a princess. Or at least she dreams of finding her prince someday. Journalist Alison Singh Gee lead a glamorous life in Hong Kong, with affluent friends, high priced shopping sprees, rubbing elbows with fellow expats and a high bred British boyfriend. Life looked pretty charmed. Nothing could have prepared her for Ajay, a nonsensical, easygoing fellow journalist from India. Somehow a spark ignited when they met, and over time and lots of letters and corresponding, a relationship budded. Ajay came to Hong Kong to begin a life with Alison. Her fivestar lifestyle changed dramatically and they learned to pare down and live much more simply. But Alison still dreamed about that palace that most princes come with. She had hopes to live up to or beyond the hopes her parents had for her. What a surprise to learn, long after they began living together, that Ajay was a prince, or at least a man of means, from a respected family in India, complete with a palace. Was it the answer to her dreams after all? Or perhaps what she’s truly been searching for was a real sense of belonging, and a feeling of home. I enjoyed this fairytale come true. Reviewed by Laura Friedkin
graphers, and more from a wide variety of times and places, this volume’s central theme is creation, and it is astounding how many ways there are to facilitate that. Some of the fascinating people mentioned in this book drank (and took other drugs) constantly; others remained fastidiously sober. Some wrote only in the morning, others only in the middle of the night. Some preferred to stand, others to lie in bed. That is the wonderful thing about this collection: it shows that the best way to create is whatever way works best for you. Even for those not seeking inspiration, this book is a delight. It is endlessly interesting to read about how these famous people created (or create – there are a fair number of artists who are still alive) their well-known works. Currey includes first-hand accounts as often as possible, and there is a solid notes section detailing his sources. Overall, this well-rounded, well-written volume is
Daily Rituals: How Artists Work By Edited by Mason Currey Knopf, $24.95, 304 pages How is art made? The answer to that question, of course, depends upon the artist, so it is a good thing Currey discusses 161 different creators’ habits. Featuring writers, painters, composers, choreo-
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perfect for anyone interested in creating or in those who do. I do recommend you read only a bit at a time, however. Otherwise, the tidbits become overwhelming, and it becomes impossible to keep the different people and habits straight. Reviewed by Audrey Curtis Red Planet Blues, cont’d from page 13 harsh Martian plain and continue looking for those pricey fossils. Lomax isn’t that likeable a character. He’s a drinker, a womanizer, and doesn’t think very highly of himself. But he has integrity. So when he gets a couple of new clients looking to find out the true history behind Weingarten and O’Reilly’s discovery, as well as the alpha location, he agrees to do it for good money, but also because he knows what’s at stake. Sawyer has done a great job in creating a concrete, believable world and some strong characters, especially in Lomax, whom you don’t really like, but still kind of care for. At times events seem a little over the top and ham-handed, but that’s just Sawyer remaining true to the genre, even if it is on another planet. Science fiction readers will not be disappointed; noir crime readers will not be disappointed; and where the twain shall meet shall be one very satisfied reader. Reviewed by Alex Telander
Genealogy Programming for Fa mily Hi s tory Month Hardesty Regional Library • 8316 E. 93rd St.
Family History Month programs are presented by Tulsa City-County Library’s Genealogy Center. For more information about programs, call the Genealogy Center at 918-549-7691.
Beginning Genealogy Workshop
Saturday, July 6 • 9:30 a.m.-noon Join Kathy Huber, Genealogy Center librarian, and learn how to begin your family history research.
Start Your Research @ the Library
Saturday, July 6 • 1:30-3 p.m. Tulsa City-County Library offers many helpful services to family history researchers. Join Lisa Hansen, Genealogy Center library associate, for an overview of these useful resources.
Using the Federal Census to Locate Your Ancestors
Saturday, July 6 • 3:15-4:30 p.m. Census records contain valuable information about our ancestors. Join Kathy Huber, Genealogy Center librarian, and discover why census records are a foundational part of genealogy research.
The Talbot Library and Museum
Saturday, July 13 • 10-11:30 a.m. The Talbot Library and Museum in Colcord, Okla., specializes in historical and genealogical research material of northeast Oklahoma, northwest Arkansas and Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory. Join library and museum representatives for an overview of the collection, services and activities.
The American Indian Archives
Saturday, July 13 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Since 1934, the Oklahoma Historical Society has housed the state’s largest collection of American Indian records. This important collection contains a variety of records relating to tribal history and culture. Join Bill Welge, archives director, for an overview of this historic collection.
Gateway to Oklahoma History
Saturday, July 13 • 2:45-3:30 p.m. The Oklahoma Historical Society maintains the largest collection of Oklahoma newspapers and is now making this digitized collection available online. Join Bill Welge, American Indian archives director, as he discusses the project and explains how to access this free online collection.
Publishing Your Family History Made Simple
Saturday, July 20 • 9:30-10:30 a.m. Publishing your family history may be easier than you think. Author Hugh Keen will break down the process and discuss how to easily and inexpensively create a credible publication.
Free Genealogy Websites
Saturday, July 20 • 10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Not all genealogy websites require a subscription. Join Liz Walker, Genealogy Center library associate, and discover many free websites that contain original records, useful data and information that can help you document your family history.
Streaming Genealogy: Using Webinars, Podcasts and YouTube as Genealogy Resources
Saturday, July 20 • 2-3 p.m. Join Genealogy Center staff Kathy Huber and Carissa Kellerby to learn where to find free genealogy webinars, podcasts and helpful genealogy videos on YouTube.
Adventures in D.C.: A Look at the National Archives and Other Research Facilities
Saturday, July 20 • 3:15-4:30 p.m. Fresh from a trip to the National Institute of Genealogical Research in Washington, D.C., Carissa Kellerby, Genealogy Center library associate, will share her experiences touring and researching in the National Archives, the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) Library and the Library of Congress. She will share her insights on what records you can find there and how you can access them.
Genealogy Workshop With Mark Lowe: Out on a Limb, Trapped by Bad Research
Saturday, July 27 • 9:30-10:45 a.m. Feeling trapped with nowhere to go? Bad, weak or missing evidence all contribute to misleading research. Join certified genealogist Mark Lowe and review your research findings, sharpen your techniques, evaluate your sources and map a new course.
Genealogy Workshop With Mark Lowe: Documenting the “Right” Family While Staying on Track
Saturday, July 27 • 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Join certified genealogist Mark Lowe and learn simple techniques for breaking down difficult research problems into manageable segments, including the basics of documentation and why it is an important family research tool.
Genealogy Workshop With Mark Lowe: Using Genealogical Software as a Tool
Saturday, July 27 • 1:30-2:45 p.m. Join certified genealogist Mark Lowe as he reviews software that may help you manage your genealogical projects. He will share basic features and the most useful tools.
Genealogy Workshop With Mark Lowe: Help Me Please! Government Claims and Other Unusual Requests
Saturday, July 27 •3-4:15 p.m. A request for recognition or payment for services rendered typically related to damages created by war or government intervention are examples of requests that can help you with your genealogy research. Join certified genealogist Mark Lowe and learn to find government claims and other unusual requests by your ancestors.
Genealogy Workshop With Mark Lowe: Research in the South and Everywhere Else: Review, Prepare and Plan
Sunday, July 28 • 1:30-4:30 p.m. Major concepts to consider with your family research projects include migration, settlement patterns, religion, land and geography. Join certified genealogist Mark Lowe and learn how to find available resources and develop a strategy to find ancestors.
Free and Open to the Public • TulsaLibrary.org • 2013 • If you are hearing-impaired and need a qualified interpreter, please call the library 48 hours in advance of the program. • Imagery from the Beryl Ford Collection.