Dogs of Courage by Lisa Rogak

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Judi

If you are a dog lover or are amazed by the abilities of our canine friends, you will enjoy the stories and descriptions of working dogs in this fascinating book, Dogs of Courage. Not just wonderful companions and pets, dogs are taking on jobs that make our lives easier, safer and are even saving lives. From police dogs that make it safer for officers to track suspects and provide a positive link to the community to search and rescue and FEMA dogs, who search for lost or injured people and climb through earthquake and other disaster debris to locate survivors, dogs are willing to work hard for their human handlers. Arson dogs can discern the scent a flammable liquid to one part per trillion and can locate the source of an arson based fire faster than any human. Search and rescue dogs can often follow a scent up to 10 days after a person has passed through an area. Avalanche rescue dogs can locate a survivor buried in snow up to 35 feet deep, and can locate them in a fraction of the time required by rescuers, even with avalanche beacons. Dogs are being taught to identify tissue samples that contain cancer cells, can warn owners of impending seizures, help children improve their reading and can provide stability and reassurance for a veteran with PTSD. They help biologists locate endangered animals and plants and can locate seals and other animals under arctic ice. The uses for and abilities of dogs are amazing and our canine friends are most worthy of our admiration.

An Uncommon History of Common Things

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Rhonna

by Janet Ulrey, Adult Services Librarian

Living in the information age has made most of us want to know more.    “An Uncommon History of Common Things” by Bethanne Patrick and John Thompson is packed with tons of little known facts concerning all areas of life. With the World Wide Web, we have information available to us with just a click. But, I still enjoy sitting down with a book to find tidbits of information to stir up my curiosity, and this book does just that. For instance, you may be interested in knowing that one of the first uses for Velcro was by NASA, as a nose-scratcher inside helmets.   Discovering that our everyday Saran wrap came about when a scientist was trying to develop a hard plastic car cover is another interesting story. As the title suggests, some of the most common things in our lives have the most unusual stories.
What is more common in our lives than food? We consume it every single day.   Corn Flakes, for instance, did not start out to be the first dried cereal; it was discovered by mistake when William Kellogg was trying to make bread dough.   Then there is the story of how Swanson and Sons came up with the TV dinner in 1953, all because they overestimated the amount of turkey they would sell for Thanksgiving that year. And what was that “runcible spoon” in Edward Lear’s famous poem “The Owl and the Pussycat”? Just maybe it was a spork, a utensil that was half spoon, half fork.   We may have the foot soldiers of Persia’s Darius the Great to thank for giving us pizza. It is recorded that the foot soldiers baked dough on their shields and added available toppings while in the field. It seems that man’s mistakes and measures of necessity have led to many great dietary treasures.
Customs and symbols have been and always will be a part of our lives. Putting your hand in front of your mouth when you yawn is a polite gesture. But the custom may have begun because it was once believed that one’s soul could slip out, or evil spirits could slip in, while you were yawning. You can discover why storks were chosen as the bearers of babies or how bones can bring about one’s wish.   As a child, I remember competing with my cousins to find out who was the lucky one to wish upon the bone from the Thanksgiving turkey. Yet, it was prior to 400 B.C. when the first wish was whispered over a bird’s clavicle. Now that tattoos are such a popular form of body art, it is interesting to learn that they were discovered on the body of a man who had been frozen for more than 5,000 years. It has been amazing to discover the history behind our reasons and ways of doing things.
With computer games and downloadable games so readily available, we are never in want of leisure fun. Many of us remember spending hours playing board games with friends and family. The first-known board games, found in the Babylonian tombs of Ur, dated from 3000 B.C. These gaming boards are thought to be the forerunners of today’s backgammon. It seems our game of checkers was first played in ancient Egypt around 1400 B.C. A Hindustan game called chaturanga, played during the sixth century A.D. or earlier, is our counterpart to chess. While these games may become obsolete with technological changes, the history behind them is fascinating.
I have found that the invention and production of common everyday objects really do have uncommon stories. If you like history or enjoy trivia, you will find this book informational and entertaining. It may even change the way you look at the world and the people who live here!

The Best Man by Kristan Higgins

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Judi

Faith Holland is heading home to upstate New York and her family, after having been jilted at the altar 3 years earlier by her fiancée Jeremy, who chose their wedding day to inform her that his sexual preferences were geared to men rather than women. His Best Man at the wedding, Levi Cooper, is the one who convinced Jeremy to cancel the wedding and Faith has resented him since. Levi is now the Chief of Police in Manningsport and still Jeremy’s best friend. Faith returns to her family and it’s winery and her friends in this small town where everyone knows everything that happens. Both Levi and Faith have issues in their past that keep them from building relationships, and both must deal with them before they can move on with their lives. The Best Man is a typical Kristan Higgins novel, filled with quirky characters, laugh out loud scenes, funny dialog and characters you grow to care about. The path to finding love is a bumpy one for Levi and Faith and their vulnerability and likeability make this a perfect romance!

Frontier Manhattan: Yankee Settlement to Kansas Town, 1854-1894 by Kevin G. Olson

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Linda

“Kevin Olson fell in love with Manhattan history at a young age. But he didn’t know that his encounter with Chief Tatarrax would lead him to write his first book. ‘My spark of history happened …as a small child at an Arts in the Park event, and I wandered off to find a monument of Chief Tatarrax,’ said Olson, now a lawyer in New York City. ‘That’s when I became interested in the history of the area.’ The project started six years ago when Olson was back in Manhattan to visit family during the sesquicentannial.” Hutchnews.com

In Frontier Manhattan, Olson covers the first four decades of Manhattan as it grew from tent to town. When Isaac Goodnow and five fellow New Englanders arrived, they pitched a tent and launched a town. Despite illness, harassment and homesickness, they established an anti-slavery and educational stronghold. His account of Kansa Indian Settlement Blue Earth Village shines a light on pre-history that has been little covered. Spared much of the Bleeding Kansas violence, Manhattan saw its share of shootout and lynchings in its Wild West days. He relates the story of the emigration of New England settlers, the antebellum era and the 1860s in great detail.

Come Home by Lisa Scottoline

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Linda

Pediatrician Jill Farrow’s idyllic life with her daughter, Megan and her fiance, Sam, is turned upside down when one of her ex-stepdaughters, Abby, arrives on the doorstep at midnight, drunk, soaked to the skin, and crying that her dad, William, Jill’s ex, has been murdered. Despite distaste for her ex and a three-year estrangement from her ex-stepdaughters, Jill is overcome with love and concern for Abby. Jill is propelled into a dangerous cat-and-mouse chase that risks her relationships with Megan and Sam and eventually threatens her life. Come Home is a satisfying thriller with a family story at its core.

A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Mary

The wonderful books of Maeve Binchy have come to an end with her death last July in Ireland. This last delightful book, A Week in Winter was finished just a few weeks prior to her becoming ill. Those of us who are her fans will miss her common sense and creative approach to life’s obstacles and trauma. Maeve has written about every kind of personality imaginable in her Irish tales. Her stories unite characters bringing support to each other and finding answers to difficulties. Whether it be divorce, unwanted pregnancy, lover’s who run off, death, senility, Maeve’s characters learn to journey on.

In her last novel we are experiencing the windswept coast of western Ireland where Chicky is turning an old estate into a bed and breakfast. She has returned to her home town after many years in New York hiding the fact that her love deserted her after convincing her to leave home. The following chapters each tell the story of a person who finds themselves at Stone House that first week.
Maeve was a journalist for the Irish Times for many years. When interviewed about her books she shared this bit of philosophy that was evident in her wonderful books, “I don’t think you’re happier if you’re thin or beautiful or rich or married. You have to make your own happiness,” Binchy told Australia’s Illawarra Mercury newspaper in 2000. “My heroines do not become beautiful elegant swans, they become confident ducks and get on with life.”

Technology Workshops at MPL!

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Judi

Susan Withee
Adult Services Department Manager

Spring Technology Workshops at the Library

Are you an e-reader novice in need of basic help in using your device and downloading free e-books from Manhattan Public Library’s Sunflower e-library? Did you miss out on our earlier e-reader workshop series, or are you a previous attendee who’s now ready for a review and some reassurance? You’re in luck! Manhattan Pubic Library is happy to announce another set of free e-reader workshops featuring live demos and hands-on assistance from Library staff.

Working one-on-one with Library Technology Center staff and Adult Services librarians, you’ll be guided through the process of accessing e-books online and downloading them to your particular e-reader or device. These stand-alone workshops will be offered on three Tuesdays, March 12, March 26, and April 2, at 2:00 p.m. in the Library’s Groesbeck Room. You may register to attend a workshop by stopping by or calling the Information Desk at 776-4741 Ext 173 or by clicking on the E-reader Workshop announcement on the library’s website at http://www.manhattan.lib.ks.us Workshop attendance will be limited, so register soon.

“But wait!” as they say on television, “That’s not all!” Through the rest of April and May the library will continue to host twice-monthly technology training sessions that will focus on how to use the online services, information resources, and searching tools offered through the MPL website and online catalog. We’re calling the series “Technology Tuesdays” and again, the programs will be designed to offer live presentations followed by hands-on assistance and guidance from library staff. The dates for these spring programs are April 16, May 7, and May 21, at 2:00 p.m., and they will be informal, walk-in opportunities that will welcome all comers and all technology issues.

At Technology Tuesdays, you will explore the value-added features of the library’s catalog, such as creating a wish list or setting up your reading history. You’ll learn advanced searching methods to help you navigate the library’s catalog to and find the best in books, videos, music, and more. You’ll place your own holds on library books and videos, fill out a request for an interlibrary loan, reserve a meeting room, or send a suggestion about materials you’d like the library to consider purchasing. All these and more can be done through the library’s website and catalog from wherever you access the Internet. In addition to the highlighted topic of the day, Technology Center staff and librarians will be available to talk with you individually about whatever electronic or online issues you may bring to us. We hope to make Tech Tuesdays a continuing series as we move into next fall, with topic possibilities such as genealogy searching, learning a foreign language, locating car repair information, and planning for your education and career, all possible through the library’s power-packed website.

If you prefer to learn individually, don’t forget that we continue to offer basic computer training by appointment, one-on-one with a librarian in the Adult Services Department. Most training sessions are scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings, but we’ll be happy to make appointments to suit your schedule whenever possible. Training options include basic keyboarding, introduction to computers, searching the Internet, and setting up and using e-mail accounts, but we can also tailor the sessions to fit your needs and interests. As with all of our programs and services, these sessions are free. Call the Adult Services Department at 776-4741 Ext 173 to make an appointment.

And finally, training in basic computer use, help with specific computer projects to enrich your life, or assessment of your own need for adaptive computer technology are also available on a one-time or a standing appointment basis in the library’s Assistive Technology Center. If you would like to make an appointment to discuss the options available to you in the ATC, call or email the center’s instructor, Wandean Rivers, at 776-4741 Ext 202 or wandean@manhattan.lib.ks.us

Geek Mom: Projects, Tips, and Adventures for Moms and Their 21st-Century Families

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Emilyn

I am a rather geeky mom and always looking for new ways to share my geekiness with my kid. So I picked up Geek Mom, a book based on the wired.com GeekMom blog, for safe, fun projects to do at home. I really enjoyed looking through this book. The projects are varied and for kids of all different ages from 3 on up to late teens. There are also a few projects just for mom (like the Renaissance style corset). There are a few ideas I particularly liked (like the “One Thousand Blank White Cards” game, the homemade lava lamp, and all the ideas related to food) but there were great ideas for a variety of interests.

Each project included in this book only has a few pages of explanation, so if you’re looking for more, you’ll have to use your internet searching skills for more complete instructions. You might try the website http://www.instructables.com/, recommended in the book.

We also have a few books specifically for geeky dads. Geek Dad : Awesomely Geeky Projects and Activities for Dads and Kids to Share by Ken Denmead and Handy Dad : 25 Awesome Projects for Dads and Kids by Todd Davis. And wired.com also has a GeekDad blog.

Great Travel Books from Lonely Planet

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Judi

If you are a world traveler or merely an armchair tourist, two new books published by Lonely Planet offer dazzling photos and vivid descriptions of fascinating trips and adventures. Great Adventures: Experience the World at its Breathtaking Best and Great Journeys:Travel the World’s Most Spectacular Routes both offer insights into planning travels to some of the most exotic places on earth. Great Journeys offers descriptions of 74 trips set in locations around the globe, from well-known travels down the Silk Road to less known trails such as the Hippy Trail across Asia. Besides spectacular photographs, each book contains maps and an “Essential Experiences” section that recommends activities that should not be missed. Great Adventures describes adventures of all kinds from around the world–from caving and exploring canyons to mountain climbing and rafting on the Amazon. Travel information, practical advice and spectacular photographs make these books ones to savor and delight in–check one out and dream about your next travel adventure.

A Time to Dance

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Janet

by Karen Kingsbury

Every one believes that John and Abby Reynolds are and have always been madly in love. After 22 years of marriage, no one but John and Abby know the truth. The day they had decided to tell their children that they were filing for divorce, was the day their daughter announced her engagement. They couldn’t tell them now, not until after the wedding six months down the road. How could they keep up the farce for that long.

They have left there faith by the wayside and now their love for one another doesn’t exist. Abby believes John is having an affair, despite John’s insistence that he is not. John believes Abby is envolved with her editor, but Abby insists it isn’t true. Although, A Time to Dance is mainly about John and Abby, there are many other interesting characters involved with this story of life. I read this book from the Sunflower eLibrary, but it is available in hard copy too.

How the States Got Their Shapes

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Rhonna

Why do the eastern states have more squiggly borders and the western have more straight borders? What does the Civil War have to do with the border of Nevada? If you’re a curious person at all, How the States Got Their Shapes is a fascinating look at our nation’s geography. Brian Unger travels throughout the U.S. talking to the locals and experts about borders, how they came to be and how they affect our lives now. Originally aired on the History Channel, this series will crack you up while you expand your knowledge.

Carnage

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Amy

This is probably one of those movies that you will either love or hate. Based on a French play, Carnage features Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly, and takes place almost entirely in the living room of a New York City apartment. It details two couples’ attempts to reconcile an incident that occurred between their sons. As the four parents spend more time together, they regress to childlike behavior and grow increasingly frustrated with each other. Great for people watchers, this film allows you to see interpersonal conflict up close. You’ll see the bigger picture and laugh at the ridiculousness into which some situations digress.

One Book, Two Book, Red Book, Blue Book

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Rhonna

By Jennifer Adams, Children’s Services Manager

Dr. Seuss advised everyone to “fill your house with stacks of books, in every cranny and every nook.” And lucky us, we can celebrate Dr. Seuss’s 109^thbirthday by filling bags with cheap books at the library’s annual book sale next weekend.

The book sale opens to members of the Manhattan Library Association (MLA), the library’s friends organization, on Friday, March 1, 5:30-7:30. An MLA membership is as little as $10 and can be purchased at the door if you want to be among the first to shop. Saturday, March 2, the book sale is open to the public from 10 to 4. Sunday is a catchall day with remaining books sold by the bag or box from 1-3:30.

“Oh, the things you can find if you don’t stay behind!”

Bargains abound with thousands of books to browse. Some books are gently read donations from personal collections, and others are books withdrawn from the library’s shelves. Many donations are recently published books in excellent condition. Adult books fill the auditorium and the Groesbeck Meeting Room, arranged by genre, from historical romance to paranormal to self-help. Paperbacks are 75 cents or 2 for $1. Hardcover books are $1.50. Many popular young adult books are available this year, as well as children’s titles including picture books, nonfiction, chapter books and novels. Children’s books can be found on the 2nd floor across from the auditorium, and they are only 75 cents each. Look for DVDs, CDs, audiobooks and even some VHS and cassette tapes on sale in the Groesbeck room.

“You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.”

On Saturday, you can also bring a child to our 11:00 storytime or get something good to eat at the bake sale to support teen programs at the library. In the “Move & Groove” storytime for all ages, Ms. Jessica will be reading stories to celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday and leading some silly rhymes and songs. Children will get a Seuss craft to take home. Young adult librarian Keri Mills and several of our teen volunteers will have delicious goodies for sale from 10:00-2:00, including Seuss-themed cupcakes. Exchange your change for some home-baked goods to raise money for teen summer reading prizes.

Donations for the library’s book sales are always welcome, although the sorting has already begun for this year’s event. Amazing volunteers keep the donations organized year-round and stock our Rosie’s Corner Bookstore where we sell used books in the library all the time. In the coming week, volunteers leading our friends group will be working tirelessly to get items set up for the sale, along with some help from library staff and other volunteers from around town.

All proceeds from the Book Sale go to the friends group, which in turn funds many of the library’s guest speakers, special children’s programs, summer reading prizes, new books and media for our collection, and library furnishings and supplies.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

An Inch of Time by Peter Helton

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Mary

Chris Honeysett, artist and private investigator from Bath, is tired of the cold, snowy weather of England. When offered the opportunity to investigate a missing woman in the sunny, Greek island of Corfu he borrows an old motorhome and starts driving south. Chris stays with an old friend from the past who lives on a remote part of Corfu where she struggles to make a living boarding tourists and giving painting lessons. Her warm welcome doesn’t compensate for the barren, austere, backward living arrangements. Soon Chris is feeling the hostility of the locals as he snoops around for the missing business woman. Strange things begin happening such as snakes appearing in bedrooms and turtles turned into walking incindiaries with lit candles on their backs. As Peter continues to investigate the danger increases and he wonders if he has taken on something he will regret. An Inch of Time is Peter Helton’s fourth Chris Honeycutt novel.

The Survivor by Greg Hurwitz

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Judi

If you are looking for non-stop action and a riveting story line, try The Survivor by Greg Hurwitz. In this fast-paced novel, we meet Nate Overbay–an Iraq war veteran, distanced from his wife and daughter, suffering from PTSD and newly diagnosed with ALS. Seeing no reason to continue living, Nate goes to the ledge of a building to step off to his death (thoughtfully arranging to land in a dumpster so that no one is forced to clean up his remains) when, through a window behind him, he hears gunshots being fired. He sees masked robbers shooting customers and bank employees and when the criminals have their backs to him, he sneaks through the window and becomes a hero, killing 5 of the gunmen as a 6th man escapes. The media hails his heroic actions but Nate is concerned about a comment that the 6th man said to him as he ran out–that Nate would be made to “suffer in ways he never imagined” for his interference. Nate and his family are then hunted by a Ukrainian mobster, whose henchmen have no qualms about committing horrific crimes and killing in cold blood to get to Nate. The plot twists and the action keep the reader glued to the pages–this is a wonderfully written thriller. The character development make this more than just an action-packed story–characters are well-developed and the relationships between Nate, his wife and daughter are believable and touching. Nate has everything to lose and is faced with difficult choices in order to save the lives of his family. Poignant, funny at times, suspenseful and terrifying, this is a thriller you won’t want to put down.