The Librarians' Bedside Table

OSCAR GRADY PUBLIC LIBRARY

THE LIBRARIANS’

BEDSIDE TABLE Kids' Dog Books for the Dog Days of Summer!

What your friendly librarians have been reading and MUCH MORE!

Our ZOO PASS is now available for check out!

While our policy guidelines for its usage have not changed due to the current situation, certain aspects in the Zoo's part have changed.

Please visit the following links for more information on what you should expect, in order to help you planning for a great experience:

Zoo REOPENING FAQ Changes regarding the usage of the ZOO PASS

Oscar Grady Public Library Mission Statement:

The mission of the Oscar Grady Public Library is to provide high interest, high demand materials and make them readily available from the Library’s collection or through interlibrary loan. The Library supports lifelong learning, information and recreational needs for people of all ages and abilities. Special emphasis is placed on stimulating children’s interests and appreciation for reading and learning. The integration of new technology with traditional library resources is used to expand service beyond the Library’s physical walls.

On this new issue of our “Librarians’ Bedside Table”, we compiled a list of really good titles recommended by your library friends. Each title can be accessed in electronic format for your convenience. Click or tap in the hyperlinks attached to each title that will take you right to them in the Monarch Catalog.

We hope you enjoy this selection of books from your librarians at the

Oscar Grady Public Library!

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Jen Gerber, our Library Director, would like to recommend the following titles:

"The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" (1935), (often translated as The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility) by Walter Benjamin, is an essay of cultural criticism which proposes that the mechanical reproduction of a work of art devalues the aura of the artefact's uniqueness as art.[1] During the Nazi régime (1933–1945), Benjamin wrote the essay to produce a theory of art that is "useful for the formulation of revolutionary demands in the politics of art" in a mass-culture society; that, in the age of mechanical reproduction, and the absence of traditional and ritualistic value, the production of art would be inherently based upon the praxis of politics.[2]

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart A beautiful and distinguished family. A private island. A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy. A group of four friends -- the Liars -- whose friendship turns destructive. A revolution. An accident.

A secret. Lies upon lies. True love. The truth. Spending the summers on her family's private island off the coast of Massachusetts with her cousins and a special boy named Gat, teenaged Cadence struggles to remember what happened during her fifteenth summer.

Debra Jo, Library Assistant and ILL Specialist would like to recommend the following titles:

Sin Nombre written and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga A migrant's journey is not an easy one. Especially when the mode of transportation is La Bestia, a freight train known for being a means, albeit a highly dangerous one, of getting across the border and into the United States. Some who ride it are seeking a better life for their family, like Sayra and her father. Others, like El Casper, are running from more than poverty and little hope for the future. Like the physical journey this movie is not uplifting and light but one that may open your eyes to what some are willing to sacrifice in exchange for the life some of us take for granted. We are not all born into the same set of circumstances. Would you take the risk of riding La Bestia if it was your sole means of hope and a new life?

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins Lydia lives a comfortable life in her hometown of Acapulco, Mexico.

Her picture perfect world is flipped on end when her husband, a journalist, publishes an expose on the boss of a local drug cartel. The boss also happens to be the man who recently charmed and befriended Lydia. Suddenly desperate to flee the city she is no longer safe in Lydia finds herself on a turbulent journey north to the United States. Taking the same route and risks of thousands of migrants before her illustrates the desperation and fear that prompts one to leave the only home they've known for the opportunity to be free and alive.

I enjoyed American Dirt in that it is an easy read and enticing page turner. Admittedly, if not for the controversy surrounding it I don't know that I would have picked it up. I intentionally avoided the reviews ahead of time, knowing I would investigate these post-read.

I am appreciative for the constructive criticism that was given as it not only encouraged me to seek out Latino authors but also raised my awareness of the lack of diverse voices in the publishing world. Ignorance is only bliss if you chose for it to be. I found this recording of a panel conversation incredibly helpful in understanding why frustration and outcry occurred: h t t p s : / / y o u t u . b e / O 3 U r t F J t A Y Q

More food for thought can be listened to here on the podcast Hidden Brain, the episode titled 'Culture Wars and the Untold Story of Lyndie B. Hawkins: 890610437 Discussion revolves around who should be allowed to write about something that is not their own lived experience. What is appropriation and when does it blur with art and freedom?

Hope, our Collection Developer would like to recommend these titles:

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett Sara Crewe, an exceptionally intelligent and imaginative student at Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies, is devastated when her adored, indulgent father dies. Now penniless and banished to a room in the attic, Sara is demeaned, abused, and forced to work as a servant.

How this resourceful girl's fortunes change again is at the center of A Little Princess, one of the best-loved stories in all of children's literature.

Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens A novel of serendipity, of fortunes won and lost, and of the spectre of imprisonment that hangs over all aspects of Victorian society, Charles Dickens's Little Dorrit is edited with an introduction by Stephen Wall in PenguinClassics.

When Arthur Clennam returns to England after many years abroad, he takes a kindly interest in Amy Dorrit, his mother's seamstress, and in the affairs of Amy's father, William Dorrit, a man of shabby grandeur, long imprisoned for debt in Marshalsea prison.

As Arthur soon discovers, the dark shadow of the prison stretches far beyond its walls to affect the lives of many, from the kindly Mr Panks, the reluctant rent-collector of Bleeding Heart Yard, and the tipsily garrulous Flora Finching, to Merdle, an unscrupulous financier, and the bureaucratic Barnacles in the Circumlocution Office. A masterly evocation of the state and psychology of imprisonment, Little Dorrit is one of the supreme works of Dickens's maturity.

Some of the titles listed in these pages are available in electronic format through the Libby & RBDigital apps.

Check it out!

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has b ee n po si ng a s an ou t - of- work a ctor .

Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox—the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally outto-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years.

Miss Julie, our Children Librarian would like to recommend this title:

I've been watching the series "The Good Place" over the last few months and, sadly, said good-bye to the characters as I finished it last week. I then told my husband (some may know him as "Mr. Mike") about it and he asked if we could watch it together... Now that I am in "Round 2", I am noticing things that come up in episodes seasons later and loving it!

Lynn, our Cataloging Specialist, would like to share with patrons the following title:

Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado Description by publisher: When it comes to anxiety, depression, and stress-related illnesses, America is the frontrunner. Thankfully, there's a practical prescription for dealing with them. Anxious for Nothing, the most recent book from New York Times bestselling author, Max Lucado, provides a roadmap for battling with and healing from anxiety. Does the uncertainty and chaos of life keep you up at night? Is irrational worry your constant companion? Could you use some calm? If the answer is yes, you are not alone. According to one research program, anxiety-related issues are the number one mental health problem among women and are second only to alcohol and drug abuse among men. Stress-related ailments cost the nation $300 billion every year in medical bills and lost productivity. And use of sedative drugs like Xanax and Valium have skyrocketed in the last 15 years. Even students are feeling...

Miracle at the Higher Grounds CafeĚ

By Max Lucado with Eric Newman and Candace Lee. Description by publisher:

"After a public split from her NFL superstar husband, Chelsea takes a bold step out of the limelight and behind the counter of the Higher Grounds CafeĚ , an old-fashioned coffee shop in dire need of reinvention. But when her courage, expert planning, and out-of-this-world cupcakes fail to pay the bills, this newly single mom finds herself desperate for help. Better yet, a miracle"--Dust jacket flap.

Martin, our Collection Developing and Adult Services Coordinator would like to recommend these titles:

The End of Loneliness by Benedict Wells Three siblings take completely different paths after their parents’ sudden death just to find themselves many years later finally understanding the real meaning of the word family and how we do remember our own lives.

Narrated from the perspective of the youngest sibling, it takes us on an emotional trip through love, memory and the passage of time.

The River by Peter Heller Two really good friends, a river and a trip meant to be one more adventure to make good memories. But nothing turns out to be as expected from the beginning. A threatening wild fire devastating a whole region of Canadian wilderness, a couple of strange characters and a husband hiding the secret behind his wife presumed disappearance puts these two friends to the ultimate test of survival and friendship.

Rita, with her always present smile would like to recommend these titles along with some tasty recipes she found in them:

What happens when all our assumptions about health, safety, and food security are upended? (Sound familiar?) Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre (2020) by Max Brooks serves as a metaphor for the post COVID-19 world, as it answers some of the above questions.

According to the July 2020 issue of Library Journal, “Horror and dark fiction are trending in a big way.� Are you looking for dark fiction? If so, Devolution may something you will want to read.

This disturbing, gory novel examines the strengths and weaknesses of various characters as they face threats from a volcanic blast and the local fauna.

An eruption of Mt. Rainier sets in motion the events of Devolution. Greenloop, a small, isolated community near the volcano, was settled by idealistic urbanites seeking an environmental utopian lifestyle. The residents rely on technology to meet most of their needs (i.e., internet connections, food deliveries, phone service). When this technology and other connections to the outside world fail due to the volcanic eruption, the community is left to its limited resources. The residents are vulnerable, especially when Mother Nature throws another threat their way in the form of a menacing community of Sasquatch. Are our true personalities revealed in crisis? Greenloop’s residents demonstrate idealism, cluelessness, selfishness, generosity, and heroism as they fight to survive.

Data is fundamental to the modern world. From economic development to healthcare, to education and public policy, we rely on numbers to allocate resources and make crucial decisions. But, because so much data fails to disaggregate for gender, and because it treats men as the default and women as atypical, bias and discrimination are baked into our systems.

Women pay tremendous costs for this bias, in time, money and often with their lives.

Celebrated British author and feminist advocate Caroline Criado Perez investigates the root cause of gender inequality and data bias in Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men (2019).

The author reports the effects of data bias in women’s lives at home, the workplace, the doctor’s office, and more. Based on hundreds of studies in the US, the UK, and around the world, this is a groundbreaking, unforgettable exposé that will change the way you look at the world. It will also make you consider the impact of pandemics and economic crises on women, even though Invisible Women was published in 2019, before the emergence of COVID-19.

Criado Perez writes: When things go wrong – war, natural disaster, pandemic – all the usual data gaps we have seen everywhere from urban planning to medical care are magnified and multiplied. But it’s more insidious than the usual problem of simply forgetting to include women [who represent more than 50% of the population]. Because if we are reticent to include women’s perspectives and address women’s needs when things are going well, there’s something about the context of disaster, of chaos, of social breakdown, that makes old prejudices seem more justified.

Regarding the impact of COVID-19 on women, Melinda Gates echoes Criado Perez in the July 2020 issue of Foreign Affairs, Early estimates suggest that around the world, women’s jobs are 1.8 times as likely to be cut in this recession than jobs held by men. What’s more, right as women’s paid work is evaporating, their unpaid work caring for children and family members is increasing dramatically. Before the pandemic began, unpaid work was already a major barrier to women’s economic equality. Now, with many schools closed and health systems overwhelmed, more women may be forced to leave the workforce altogether.

If the pandemic stalls progress toward gender equality, the cost will be in the trillions: even a four-year wait in taking new action to improve parity—for example, by introducing interventions to advance women’s digital and financial inclusion—would erase $5 trillion in opportunity from global GDP in 2030. As policymakers work to protect and rebuild economies, their response must account for the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on women—and the unique roles women will have to play in mitigating the pandemic’s harm.

Criado Perez posits the solution to the sex and gender gap is to close the female representation gap. “Because as more women move into positions of power or influence, there’s another pattern that is becoming even more apparent: women simply don’t forget that women exist as easily as men often seem to.” Further, the author argues, “When women are involved in decision-making, in research, in knowledge production, women do not get forgotten.”

Our state can be the perfect setting for a good mystery this summer.

Take a look at this three recommended titles by Wisconsin The consequences of the lack of representation in data is not an exclusively female problem. It is just more women represent over 50% of the population. The author writes, authors toobvious, keepbecause in mind for your next read.

Failing to collect data on women and their lives means that we continue to naturalise sex and gender discrimination – while at the same time somehow not seeing any of this discrimination. Or really, we don’t see it because we naturalise it—it is too obvious, too commonplace, too much just the way things are to bother commenting on. It’s the irony of being a woman: at once hypervisible when it comes to being treated as the subservient sex class, and invisible when it counts – when it comes to being counted.

Invisible Women is a book that will make you think about your assumptions about fairness in the world. It should also make you consider the effects of bias and underrepresentation in data and power, and ways to mitigate those effects.

Reading Apps for everyone!

Libby, the new app from OverDrive is your gateway to downloadable Audiobooks & E-books. Browse and search for thousands of great titles, and download them to your computer or transfer them to a portable device for your listening pleasure anywhere, anytime.

CLICK HERE to connect to Libby’s site or to learn more.

RBdigital Audiobooks & Magazines Built by Recorded Books, RBdigital is a state-of-the-art platform and app providing access to audiobooks & magazines simply using your library card.

Need help setting up the app?

Click/tap here to access the slide presentation we have on how to download, set up and use this great app.

Kids' Dog Books for the Dog Days of Summer Hot diggity dog! We’re officially in the dog days of summer!

If you and your family are looking for an escape from the heat, take an adventurous romp with these delightful hound novels.

Picture Books The Detective Dog , Written by Julia Donaldson / Illustrated by Sara Ogilvie A rollicking rhyming picture book from bestselling author Julia Donaldson about a dog who uses her amazing sense of smell to solve mysteries.

When Detective Dog Nell puts her nose to the task, there's no mystery she can't solve. Whether she's tracking the missing shoe of her human, Peter, or locating some lost honeycomb, all Nell has to do is sniff, sniff, sniff and she's hot on the trail.

Besides solving mysteries, there's something else Nell loves—listening to children read. Every Monday, Peter takes her to school where children tell her stories.

One day, Nell and Peter arrive to find that all the books are gone. Who could have taken them? And why? There's only one dog for the job, and Detective Dog Nell is ready to sniff out the thief!

Bark, George by Jules Feiffer "Bark, George," says George's mother, and George goes: "Meow," which definitely isn't right, because George is a dog. And so is his mother, who repeats, "Bark, George." And George goes, "Quack, quack." What's going on with George? Find out in this hilarious picture book from Jules Feiffer.

Katie Loves the Kittens by John Himmelman When Sara Ann brings home three little kittens, Katie the pooch is so excited that she can't stop chasing after them, but when they become frightened and start to run away, Katie has to find a way to reassure them that she only wants to play!

Mr. Scruff by Simon James Everyone knows that owners and their dogs belong together in a unique way. Polly belongs to Molly, Eric belongs to Derek, Berry belongs to Terry. But poor Mr. Scruff, alone in the rescue shelter, doesn't belong to anyone. Then a boy named Jim walks in, and they seem to get along. Jim and Mr. Scruff don't look anything alike, and their names certainly don't rhyme, but they may end up belonging to each other just the same. From author-illustrator Simon James comes a warm, winning story about friendship and finding a home. A sweetly silly story of a little boy and a dog who make an unlikely (but perhaps perfect) pair.

Sheep Dog and Sheep Sheep by Eric Barclay An accidental-friendship story packed with humor from author-illustrator Eric Barclay For fans of Goodnight Already! by Jory John, You Will Be My Friend! by Peter Brown, and Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle, this hilarious and tender friendship story proves that even the best watchers must look out for one another.

Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings A heart-tugging dog adoption story told through letters--deeply sincere and almost desperate pleas for a forever home--from the dog, himself!

This picture book shares the tale of Arfy, a homeless mutt who lives in a box in an alley. Arfy writes to every person on Butternut Street about what a great pet he'd make. His letters to prospective owners share that he's house broken! He has his own squeaky bone! He can learn to live with cats! But, no one wants him. Won't anyone open their heart--and home--to a lonesome dog? Readers will be happily surprised to learn just who steps up to adopt Arfy.

Troy Cummings's hilarious and touching story is a perfect gift for a child wanting a dog, and for pet adoption advocates. It also showcases many different styles of letter writing, making it appealing to parents and teachers looking to teach the lost art of written communication. Other title in series: I found a kitty!

Awesome Dog 5000 by Justin Dean Marty, Ralph, and Skyler might make the ultimate secret combo when battling alien-slime ninjas in their favorite video game, but in real life they're just regular kids. That is, until the three best friends discover Awesome Dog 5000, a robotic dog with very real power-ups. Awesome Dog can "bark" a sonic boom, "walk" at speeds over three hundred miles per hour, and "fetch" with an atomic cannon. Life for Marty, Ralph, and Skyler just got a major turbo-boost!

Attention, readers! AWESOME DOG 5000 is a wild action-comedy told through a mix of text and black-and-white illustrations, with a mystery to solve at the end. Can you handle the awesomeness?

Other title in the series: Awesome Dog 5000 vs. Mayor Bossypants

Attack on Pearl Harbor Written by Kate Messner / Illustrated by Kelley McMorris This time Ranger, the time-travelling Golden retriever finds himself transported to the deck of the USS Arizona on December 7, 1941, where he rescues the young sailor Ben Hansen who is badly burned when the ship explodes--and there is a Japanese-American boy and girl in a rowboat who also need his help to find their father amid the chaos of the attack.

This is the latest title in the series “Ranger in Time�

How to Speak Dog: A Guide to Decoding Dog Language

by Aline Alexander Newman and Dr. Gary Weitzman A guide about how to understand a dog's body language and behavior illustrates such key concepts as barking, howling, panting, bared teeth, and wagging tail.

Guinness World Records: Daring dogs by Cari Meister Sit, speak, roll over. Surf, recycle, scooter? No, we&;re not wagging your tail! Dogs of all breeds and sizes are impressive. From heroic rescues to zany tricks, the awe-inspiring pooches in Daring Dogs have gone above and beyond to earn their Guinness World Records.

Simple text and full-color photos will make learning about exciting topics fun for beginning readers.

Girls and Their Dogs by the editors of American Girl Presents an introduction to dogs, with questions and answers about breeds and personality traits, advice on teaching simple commands, instructions for making craft items, recipes for food snacks, and inspirational stories about dogs and their young owners.

Dog Science Unleashed : Fun Activities to Do with Your Canine Companion by Jodi Wheeler-Toppen Learn about science with the most faithful lab partner you'll ever have -- your dog! Discover how your canine companion thinks, moves, drinks, stays warm, gets clean, cools off, and more. Have fun with 22 safe and pup-friendly activities that let you work alongside your dog to discover what makes him tick. Learn to take your dog's pulse and find out how much blood is pumping through his body. Find out if your dog hears things you can't by making a dog whistle. What colors can your dog see? Is he color-blind? Each activity is paired with step-by-step instructions, clear and interesting scientific explanations, and cool photographs shot specifically for this book. Hands-on activities and fun information for budding scientists prompt further learning and offer a behind-the-scenes look at current canine research.

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