Three Princesses Stories

Most girls are coming to the library searching for books on princesses. All they see in those stories are grace and beauty. The princess of folk tale are often challenged in many surprising and unexpected ways as they grow up. This is also true about the real princess. The adult reader can find them in biography section!

Pilgrim Princess : A Life of Princess Zinaida Volkonsky

Describes the life of the beautiful and talented princess, born to one of Russia’s oldest families, who gave up her life of power and privilege to take vows of poverty as a Franciscan tertiary and help the poor.

2001 Booklist Reviews

This richly textured biography details the life of a truly remarkable woman. Born in 1789 into the most prestigious ranks of the highly stratified Russian aristocracy, Princess Zinaida was a widely admired member of Czar Alexander’s inner circle. Traveling across the continent with the Russian imperial contingent during the long years of the Napoleonic Wars, she observed, at close range, the various military campaigns and came into intimate contact with some of the most politically powerful men in Europe. After the conclusion of the hostilities she returned to Russia, establishing the most famous and influential literary and musical salon of the era. Most intriguing, however, was Zinaida’s eventual conversion to Roman Catholicism and her increasing concern with the plight of the poor. Spending the final decades of her life in Rome, she eschewed the life of luxury and privilege into which she had been born, choosing instead to become a Franciscan lay missionary dedicated to easing the burdens of the sick and destitute. A well-researched historical biography that reads like a work of fiction.

 

The double life of PocahontasA biography of the famous American Indian princess, emphasizing her life-long relationship to John Smith and the roles she played in two very different cultures. 

Gulbadan: portrait of Rose Princess at the Mughal Court

Goulbadan Begam, Princess Rosebody was the youngest daughter of Babur, the first Mughal Emperor of India. Her memoirs provide a unique document of history, the story of a xixteenth century Mughal royal family as seen through the loyal but keen eyes of a lady .She decribes battles, escapes, nomadic wanderings, life in the haram, her pilgrimage to Mecca and many other scenes in a way which conveys the atmosphere of period and place. Beautiful Indian and Persian miniature painting add a vivid commentary to this book.

What Can You Do This Summer?

Even though the first day of summer is still 10 days away, the New Heaven School District has its last day of school today!  That means all the children and teens go to the public schools in the Union City will have their summer vacation start tomorrow.  Are you ready for the fun, yet??

Summer time can be very relaxing, or busy too.   For those of you who work, you might need to plan some activities for your children.  Make good use of the summer time to learn a new life skill, develop a new hobby, read some good books, or go to a camp could be some of  the choices.  If you haven’t planned the summer for your kids or yourself; here are some links you might want to check them out:

• Union City’s Leisure Services offers many different camps for people aged 3 to 16 throughout the city
• Union City’s Adult School offers some interesting adult classes
• Union City Library offers the Summer Reading Game for EVERYONE, yes, it is for everyone.  You can read some good books and earn yourself some surprising prizes at the same time.  Come to the library to sign up for the game today, and you can start to read and play the  game starting next Monday (6/15) through 8/15.  There are also various summer programs to educate and entertain the whole family too. 

Other than the summer games and programs we specially design for you, library is a “cool” place to hang out, no matter the temperature is shooting high in the 90’s or not.  Just come to visit us and you will find a treasure here in the library waiting for you.

                                                  

 

 

Meet the Friends of Union City Library

These are the officers of Union City Library’s Friends group pictured here with library manager, Mira Geroy. Left to right we have Ethel Alt, Secretary -Treasurer, Diane Cisneros, Vice President, and Myrla Raymundo, President.

The Friends are selling special items that commemorate Union City’s 50th birthday this year including histories of Union City, cookbooks, pins, T Shirts, and calendars.

 

Purchasing these special memorabilia ( priced very reasonably) will help support all the family events throughout the year in celebration of Union City’s incorporation 50 years ago.

They also have book bags with the Friends logo in green and purple.

Inquire at the circulation desk in the Library for more information or to find out how you can be a Union City Library Friend.

Monday Children’s Book Reviews for June 8

One Giant Leap by by Robert Burleigh

“Commemorating the 40th anniversary of man’s first walk on the moon, this book is a tribute that transports readers to the stars, where they will experience the moon landing just as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin did.”                         [JPB BURLEIGH]

The Pied Piper’s Magic by Steven Kellogg

“In a story loosely based on The Pied Piper of Hamelin, an elf acquires from a miserable witch a magic pipe that allows him to transform things, including the mean-spirited Grand Duke who rules over a rat-infested town” [JPB KELLOGG]

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry

“When Lucinda Chapdelaine was a small child, her parents left for the royal ball and never returned. Ever since, Lucinda has been stuck in perpetual servitude at her evil aunt’s jewelry store. Then, on the very same day, a mysterious visitor and an even more bizarre piece of jewelry both enter the shop, setting in motion a string of twists and turns that will forever alter Lucinda’s path. In this magical story filled with delightful surprises, Lucinda will dance at the royal ball, fall under the Amaranth Witch’s spell, avenge her parents’ death, and maybe — just maybe — capture the heart of a prince.” [J BERRY]

Money Madness by David A. Adler

This beginning guide to economics will have readers thinking about the purpose, and not just the value, of money. From bartering, early forms of currency, credit cards, and digital payment, here is a clear and thorough introduction to money. [J332.4 ADLER]

Photography: Capturing light

Every family has a camera that they will be using to capture a great picture. However the most important factor is the photographer. We have to know the basic principle of photography. The photographer must be able to control the light; for example in bight sun must get the less exposure either by changing the speed of shutter or its opening. Art of photography will help us to be able to see. These are some suggestions here with the partial review of the Library journal. There are more titles in the library…

Capturing light : masterpieces of California photography, 1850 to the present

This book accompanies an exhibit that opened in March 2001 at the Oakland Museum, where Johnson is curator of fine art photography. Arranged chronologically along with the photographs are essays by five well-known photohistorians and critics: Therese Thau Heyman (who built the photography collection at the Oakland Museum from the 1960s), Peter Palmquist, Naomi Rosenblum, Sally Stein, and Andy Grundberg.

Black and white photography : manifest visions : an international collection

This book presents an absolutely stunning collection of work hauntingly beautiful landscapes, intriguing still lifes, and tender portraits by 104 contemporary artists. Individually, the photographs are fresh, exquisite, and often startling. As a whole, the book stands as an impressive, often breathtaking portfolio of the finest of contemporary photography. A photographer and instructor at the International Center for Photography, Luciana wisely does not weigh down this book with unneeded commentary. He offers a short introduction in which he explains his quiet method of arranging the images, then allows the photographs to speak for themselves. The selection of images and grouping of artists is outstanding; as a result, turning the pages of the book is like strolling through an exhibition at one’s favorite art museum. It is difficult to imagine how one could produce a better, more original book about contemporary photographic art.

And of Course the most important figure in artistic photography is Ansel Adams.

 

Are You DTV Ready?

Digital TV Transition is just around the corner!  Television as we know it is about to change for good and for sure this time.  TV stations across the country will switch from analog to digital television (DTV) on Friday, June 12, 2009 next week. 

Before this federally mandated transition occurs, it is important to know how to convert your televisions to the new format.  This only applies if you do not already subscribe to a cable, satellite, or telephone company service provider or have a build-in digital tuner on your analog television.  If you subscribe to any of the above, then you are covered for the switch from analog to DTV.

Are your TVs ready yet?  If not, you only have a little more than a week to act before you loss your favorite TV channels.  For more information about the change from analog to DTV, visit DTVAnswers or  www.dtv.gov or www.dtv2009.gov or call 1-888-dtv-2009 (1-888-388-2009).

What’s So Special About June?

Oscar the Grouch’s Birthday – Monday, June 1

Donald Duck’s Birthday  – Tuesday, June 9

Bloom’s Day – celebrating James Joyce’s Ulysses – Tuesday, June 16

Juneteenth –  Friday, June 19

Flag Day –  Sunday, June 14

Father’s Day – and the first day of  Summer!  – Sunday, June 21

Eric Carle’s Birthday  –  Thursday, June 25

Superman’s Birthday – Tuesday, June 30

June is also

 Dairy Month

 National Rose Month

 Great Outdoors Month

 National Adopt-a-Cat Month

 National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month

 National Iced Tea Month

Monday Children’s Book Reviews for June 1

Summer! Who can believe it’s here so soon! The Union City Library has a lot of great summer reading for you — and don’t forget the Summer Reading Game, Be Creative @ Your Library, and all the special programs we have planned for you. Here are some book suggestions for you to enjoy!

Princess Bess Gets Dressed by Margery Cuyler

Think you would like to be a princess and get to wear beautiful, fancy clothes all day? After reading about Princess Bess’s busy day, perhaps you’ll better appreciate being able to wear what you want!                [JPB CUYLER]

Before You Were Here, Mi Amor by Samantha R. Vamos

“Before you were here, tu papi carved a mecedora from the wood of an old walnut tree so you and I could rock and cuddle together.

The members of a familia lovingly prepare for a new bebé. A tenderly written story, with Spanish words woven throughout, tells readers how Mami is eating healthy food, Papi is building a rocking chair, Abuela is painting elefantes and tigres in the nursery, and brother and sister are helping with baby names.” [JPB VAMOS]

Red, White and True Blue Mallory by Laurie Friedman

“Mallory is excited to be traveling to Washington, D.C., with her fourth-grade class, but nothing about the trip goes as she expected. Written in a travel-journal format with sketches, doodles, and pasted-in photos, this 10th Mallory title includes facts and trivia about the nation’s capital.” [J FRIEDMAN]

Children of War: Voices of Iraqi Refugees by Deborah Ellis

“In this book, Deborah Ellis turns her attention to the most tragic victims of the Iraq war — Iraqi children. She interviews young people, mostly refugees living in Jordan, but also a few who are trying to build new lives in North America. Some families have left Iraq with money; others are penniless and ill or disabled. Most of the children have parents who are working illegally or not at all, and the fear of deportation is a constant threat.

… Ellis provides an historical overview and brief explanations of context, but other than that allows the children to speak for themselves.” [J305.23086 ELLIS]