Monday Children’s Book Reviews for November 9

Amelia Bedelia’s First Day of School by Herman Parish

“Amelia Bedelia is sure she will love everything about the first day of school.

New friends

A new teacher

Her own desk

Music, books, gym, art

Recess and lunch

Amelia Bedelia can’t wait.

What could be better? School! School! Hooray for school!

Amelia Bedelia has been making readers laugh since 1963, when the first Amelia Bedelia book was published. Now, for the first time, you can meet the young Amelia Bedelia.”     [JPB PARISH]

Pigs Make Me Sneeze, an Elephant & Piggie Book by Mo Willems

“In the latest Elephant & Piggie adventure, Gerald believes he is allergic to his best friend! Will he have to stay away from Piggie forever?”     [JE WILLEMS]

 

Goblins! An UnderEarth Adventure by Royce Buckingham

“Twelve-year-old Sam Hill and seventeen-year-old PJ discover a scary world of goblins under the earth after one of the creatures escapes through a tunnel in the ground, and when Sam follows it back down, PJ must go underground to rescue him.” By the author of DemonKeeper           [J BUCKINGHAM]

Alibi Junior High by Greg Logsted

Cody Saron has spent all his twelve years deep undercover with his CIA agent father. He’s travelled the world, speaks five languages, is a proficient martial artist, studies high school and college level subjects. But when his life is in great danger, he is sent to live with his aunt, to discover that nothing has prepared him for a public Middle school.     [J LOGSTED]

The Random House Book of Bible Stories retold by Mary Pope Osborne

“A beautifully illustrated collection of more than 50 Bible stories.

In the Random House Book of Bible Stories, more than 50 stories from the Old and New Testaments come to vivid life, ready to captivate readers and listeners of all ages. Each story is crafted for reading aloud, so the whole family can share the experience.”                       [J220.9505 OSBORNE]

Silk Road ….

Before Gutenberg Bible, first book published in cast-metal movable type, lunches a Cultural Revolution; travelers were the main source for ideas to be transferred from one place to another.

The Silk Routes were important paths for cultural, commercial and technological exchange between traders, merchants, pilgrims, missionaries, soldiers, nomads and urban dwellers from China, India, Persia and Mediterranean countries for almost 3,000 years.

Today with the invention of internet, it seems the whole world is like a village. {That I should be sitting in a coffee shop in London drinking Italian espresso served by and Algerian waiter too strains of the Beach Boys singing “I wish they all could be California girls…”} –from he National Geographic  Vol. 196, N0.2 August 1999.This issue of the magazine deal with many aspects of global change whether ancient cultures will be free to change on their own terms. It also discusses whether the Indigenous people have become the human equivalent of endangered species, or whether or not our cultural difference survives?

Please come to the Library this November and experience the cultural diversity around us :

Saturday November 7^th Teen-Senior Gaming  

Saturday November 14  Ethnic Origins of Union City: History Talk by Tim Swenson 

Saturday November 15  Silk Road Dance @ the Union City Library

Teen Senior Gaming Day At the Library

Teens and Seniors, grandparents and teenage grand kids come to Union City Library this Saturday November 7th for Wii gaming day! The fun starts at 1 p.m. and continues until 3:30 p.m.  Seniors find out what all the excitement is about. Why do all the young people like the video games so much? Playing video games is fun and easy.  The teens will show you how to play. It’s even fun to watch also. We will have sports like tennis and bowling, or fitness like yoga that you can try out. We also have old fashioned carnival games like ring toss that you can try.  So come on down to the Library this Saturday, satisfy your curiosity and have some fun!

For more information call the Information Desk at the Library at 5100-745-1464 X 7.

Notebook, Netbook, PC or Laptop?

Are you thinking to buy a computer for your home or office, and don’t know where to start?   Are the computers on the Christmas  shopping list for your family members this year?  Are you confused by so many different accessories, mobile phone and internet plans, and the everyday changing consumer electronics?  If you answer “YES” to any of these questions, here is a perfect program for you to find the  answers.  What do you need to compare and how to make the best choices for you budge will also be included in this free program. 

It is scheduled on the Sunday, November 8, from 2 to 4 pm in the Union City Library’s meeting room.  Please mark your calendar, bring your questions and come join us for an educational and informative  meeting.

Public Housing Lottery for One-Bedroom Elderly and Disabled Rental Units in Union City

The Alameda County Housing Authority (HACA) is accepting applications for a lottery for people who qualify for low income one-bedroom rental units located in Union City.  The pre-application forms which need to be postmarked from November 1-November 6th, 2009 are available at the Union City Library information desk. The forms can also be downloaded from the website www.haca.net. The address to send the forms is located on the form itself. No applications will be accepted at the housing authority office. This is not a Section 8 program. It is only for One-Bedroom Elderly and Disabled Units in Union City.

Monday Children’s Book Reviews for November 2

Adios, Oscar! A Butterfly Fable by Peter Elwell

“When Oscar the caterpillar discovers that he will one day become a butterfly, he’s overjoyed. And his friend Edna the bookworm encourages his hopes of flying to Mexico with the other Monarch butterflies. To prepare, Oscar learns Spanish and dreams of flying through the purple Sierra Madre Mountains. But when Oscar emerges from his cocoon with stubby little wings, a craving for the taste of designer sweaters — and the urge to take a spin around the bathroom lightbulb– his dreams are dashed. There will be no trip to Mexico for Oscar — or will there? Yes there will! Oscar ignores the limitations of being a moth and learns how to dream like a butterfly!”     [JPB ELWELL]

Morris the Moose by B. Wiseman

“In this story Morris encounters what he considers to be a funny-looking moose. Cow insists that she is a cow but since she has “four legs and a tail and things on her head,” Morris concludes that she is a moose like him. Both Morris and the cow encounter similar difficulty when they attempt to have a deer arbitrate their dispute.”       [JE WISEMAN]

The Princess Plot by Kirsten Boie

“Royalty and castles? Check. Intrigue and mystery? Check. Secrets and undercover agents? Check!

The Princess Plot might sound like just another book about a princess and her castle, but watch out: reading this book was more like uncovering a deep, dark mystery. There were twists and turns I never saw coming! Written by Kirsten Boie and translated from German, The Princess Plot is suitable for readers age 8-12 and, at almost 400 pages, is a hearty read.”                                               [from Ink Splot 26]   [J BOIE]

Confetti Girl by Diana Lopez

“Apolonia “Lina” Flores is a sock enthusiast, a volleyball player, a science lover, and a girl who’s just looking for answers. Even though her house is crammed full of books (her dad’s a bibliophile), she’s having trouble figuring out some very big questions, like why her dad seems to care about books more than her, why her best friend’s divorced mom is obsessed with making cascarones (hollowed eggshells filled with colorful confetti), and, most of all, why her mom died last year. Like colors in cascarones, Lina’s life is a rainbow of people, interests, and unexpected changes.

In her first novel for young readers, Diana López creates a clever and honest story about a young Latina girl navigating growing pains in her South Texan city.”     [from LB-Kids]         [J LOPEZ]

Sam Stern’s Get Cooking

“Sam Stern is a teenage chef from the United Kingdom. Get Cooking is his third cookbook. He writes as a teen as opposed to an uptight classically trained chef, but the cookbook contains some interesting recipes like homemade crackers, homemade cream cheese alongside traditionals such as tomato soup and mac n’ cheese.”  [from 5 Minutes For Books]     [J641.5 STERN]

Meet the Author @ Union City Library

Lamberto Roque Hernandez will be here tomorrow  Sunday November first @ 3.p.m to discuss his first book in English Here I am. This is the link for more information on the program…

Following is the comment on his book by Linda Sandsmark published in San Leandro Times on October 14.

Author Follows His Dreams

As a boy, Lamberto Roque Hernandez lived in a village so small there were no books except those in the elementary school.

Now Hernandez is a Sheffi eld Village resident, college graduate, teacher, parent, bilingual author, and founder of a library in his hometown.

His new book, “Here I Am,” is a close-up look at why people from around the world still seek the American dream.

“I challenged myself to write this new book in English because I wanted this voice to be heard by others, not only the Spanish- speaking community. I also use my books as an inspiration, especially to immigrants. I want them to see that it is possible to write books and make money from your words. It’s a tangible tool,” Hernandez says.

Growing up in tiny San Martin Tilcajete in Oaxaca, Mexico, young Lamberto was not always in a position to inspire others. His parents had not attended school. When he was fi ve, an aunt taught him the basics of reading from an old fi rst-grade textbook.

After that, he salvaged the newsprint used to wrap items sold in local stores. Reading those newspapers showed him that there was a world beyond his village. Hernandez became determined to pursue higher education in America.

As a young adult he paid thousands of dollars to come here illegally, but was caught and deported. He returned again, at one point looking for work alongside day laborers on International Boulevard in Oakland. Those lonely experiences are reflected throughout his books.

Hernandez says that each worker has a life, a history, and hopes for the future, all of which are largely invisible to passersby.

“I try to bring their stories to life,” says Hernandez.

While working at a car wash in Santa Cruz, Hernandez met his wife-to-be Alice Wagner. He was diligently taking English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and he was studying to be a teacher.

After they married in 1994, Hernandez became a legal immigrant and college student. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Cal State East Bay and a teaching credential from Mills College.

The couple traveled back to Oaxaca to start the first library in San Martin Tilcajete. Their story was remarkable enough to be featured in the San Francisco Chronicle’s popular “On the Couch” column two years ago. “There were no books for kids to read where I grew up.

I didn’t want that to happen to the children still living there. I wanted them to be exposed to books, because I have this obsession with reading. My philosophy is that the more you read, the more you are capable of seeing the world in the widest possible perspective,” he says.

Hernandez taught at both Edendale and Washington Manor Middle Schools, but was laid off during last year’s budget cuts. This year he has a long-term substitute job in Hayward.

Still, he, his wife and their two young children make an annual trip back to his hometown with more books for the library. “It’s easier just to stay where you are,” he says, “but I want to provide others with knowledge.”

Anyone interested in his books may contact Lamberto Roque Hernandez at lambertoroque@yahoo.com, or by calling 632-9039.

Daylight Saving Ends This Sunday…

Don’t forget to set the time on all your clocks and watches one hour back this Sunday, November 1.   And enjoy the extra one hour you have on a good book, family talk, or beauty sleep…..

 

p.s.  While you change your clocks, don’t forget to change your batteries too!

Halloween Community Carnival, Oct. 31.

 Join UCLS and a city full of ghosts ‘n goblins for a safe, spooky and fun-filled evening. The annual Halloween Community Carnival takes place on Saturday, October 31 from 2:00 to 4:30 pm at the Holly Community Center, 31600 Alvarado Blvd. Open to children ages 3 to 12 (plus parents). Advance tickets on sale for $5. Tickets available the day of the event at the door for $7. For more information, please call (510) 675-5488.

Monday Children’s Book Reviews for October 26

Maisy Goes to Preschool by Lucy Cousins  

“Preschool for Maisy means a day filled with friends and things to do, from the time she hangs her coat on a special peg to the time she says good-bye. There’s painting and snack time, stories and nap time (and a bathroom break in between). Soon everyone’s ready to haul out the instruments and make some noise, then head outside for a turn at the sandbox or slide.”     [JPB COUSINS]

Amelia Bedelia Talks Turkey by Herman Parish

“When Amelia Bedelia is put in charge of the school Thanksgiving pageant, things are bound to get a little mixed up. After all, she thinks roles are a type of bread, the dressing room is where the turkey’s stuffing goes, and that a cast party happens after you’ve followed a well-wisher’s command to “break a leg!” Will Amelia Bedelia bring the house down . . . literally?”    [JE PARISH]

Wicked Will: A Mystery of Young William Shakespeare by Bailey MacDonald

“To the outside world, Tom Pryne is an orphan traveling Elizabethan England with his uncle’s theater troupe. In actuality, “Tom” is Viola, in disguise because her parents – Catholic sympathies have put them at odds with the law and forced them into hiding. When the troupe arrives in the sleepy little town of Stratford-on-Avon, Viola’s uncle is arrested for murder, and she joins forces with young Will Shakespeare, a local boy with a penchant for trouble and a smart turn of phrase, to uncover the real culprit.”                      [J MACDONALD]

Leaving Glorytown: One Boy’s Struggle Under Castro by Eduardo F. Calcines

“Eduardo F. Calcines was a child of Fidel Castro’s Cuba; he was just three years old when Castro came to power in January 1959. After that, everything changed for his family and his country. When he was ten, his family applied for an exit visa to emigrate to America and he was ridiculed by his schoolmates and even his teachers for being a traitor to his country. But even worse, his father was sent to an agricultural reform camp to do hard labor as punishment for daring to want to leave Cuba. During the years to come, as he grew up in Glorytown, a neighborhood in the city of Cienfuegos, Eduardo hoped with all his might that their exit visa would be granted before he turned fifteen, the age at which he would be drafted into the army.”    [JB CALCINES]