New Titles for Kids of All Ages!

Summer Learning Challenge 2015:       Every Hero Has a Story!

• Sign ups are happening online and at your local library.  
• You have until August 22, 2015 to register, complete your log, and enter to win a bicycle!
• Children, teens and adults are eligible.

New titles @ Your Library...Check One Out!

Books are full of heroes and our new titles include heroes who are there for us daily and some who are heroes to people they never meet.  

The Red Bicycle:  the Extraordinary Story of One Ordinary Bicycle by Jude Isabella.

Do you have a bike that is too small for you?  Have you ever wondered what happens to old bicycles that no one wants?  Follow the story of Leo and his bike and meet the people who benefit along the way.  Leo earns money to buy the big, red bike of his dreams.  When he outgrows the bike he donates it to a program that sends bicycles to countries where they are needed for daily transportation, deliveries, and even health.  A fascinating example of a small action with great impact.

Community helpers are there when we need them and are true, local heroes.  A new series on community helpers illustrates the many assignments facing these heroes each day.

Shane Evans is a talented author and illustrator who "attributes much of his influence to his travels to Africa, South America, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and much of the United States."  His latest book, We March, is a sparse yet powerful account of the civil rights march on Washington, DC on August 28, 1963.  Through simple words and lively illustrations he reminds us of the heroes of that movement, still relevant today.

Non-fiction lists facts about the world around us and great illustrators bring those facts to life on the pages of a book.  These two new titles are perfect examples:

Daylight Starlight Wildlife by Wendell Minor.  This talented artist has illustrated many beautiful books for children. Each page shows daytime animals and their nighttime counterparts with Fun Facts on each at the end.

A Rock is Lively by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Sylvia Long.

Rock lovers rejoice!  Lively, galactic, old, inventive...these are just some of the unusual ways to describe rocks.  Discover these and others in this beautiful, new title.

And just for fun...

What Pet Should I Get by Dr. Seuss.

Can it be?  A Dr. Seuss book that was never published?  Yes, it can!

"Pick a pet fast!

Pick a pet soon!

Mother and Dad said to be home by noon!"

"Make up your mind."

Characters you know and some you can only imagine.  Just what you would expect from Dr. Seuss.  And you have to choose just one.

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires.

For all the perfectionists out there:  a little girl, determined to create a magnificent thing that works.  With her trusty assistant she gathers supplies and makes her prototype, only to find it's not so magnificent.  Does she give up?  

Read and find out.

Who could resist Otto the Book Bear by Katie Cleminson. Otto lives in the pages of a book and has a secret:  he exits the book when no one is looking.  When a family move leaves Otto's book behind he begins a journey that will take him to a new and wonderful home.  Can you guess where?

One last title for brothers, sisters, dads, and anyone who ever had a plan that didn't turn out quite how you imagined.

Gone Fishing:  a novel in verse by Tamera Will Wissinger, illustrated by Matthew Cordell.

Sam can't wait for the day just he and his dad will go fishing, "just us two."  He dreams of the fish they will catch and fun of being alone with his dad.  The day arrives and his little sister Lucy gets to come along and Sam is disappointed and impatient.  Follow this great story, each page a different type of verse, with illustrations full of humor. Discover how even a ruined plan may end happily.

Wherever your journey takes you, don't forget a book!  (or two)

Get your passport stamped on another plane this summer (with science fiction!)

I just finished Changing planes by Ursula K. Le Guin and it got me thinking about all the traveling one can do with science fiction without ever leaving the couch or spending a dime (unless you bring your books back late, then it's a dime--still the best deal in town).  I'm also looking for something to get my mind off the creepy invasion of monster underground insects about to happen any day now.  You won't believe how many cicadas are about to envelop the East Coast.  What better distraction than say, reading about creepy invasions of monster insects from other worlds. Am I right?!  So where am I going and where have I just returned from?  Some new places, some old favorites:


Changing Planes: Using Cincinnatian Sita Dulip's method of utilizing the extreme discomfort of traveling through airports to slip off to other planes, one woman visits 15 other worlds and describes interplanary life and leisure.  This book is well worth a visit, in my humble opinion.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick
Originally published in 1968, this novel served as the inspiration for Blade Runner (1982), which is also an awesome movie.  How often does that happen?

Just go there with him: it's a fantastic journey. I just (finally) read this one and that's all I'm going to say about it.

The Long Earth and The Long War (due out in June) by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
Another story of interplanary travel, this time from Discworld creator Terry Pratchett.  This was recommended to me by my go-to-sci-fi-librarian-friend so I have high hopes although so far the review from the other side of the sofa is kind of "meh" but we'll see how it turns out.  I have the ebook on my phone.


MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood (COMING SOON!)
I can't say enough for this series.  Oryx and Crake and Year of the Flood are two of my favorite books.  I'm so excited for the final book this fall, and I am aware that I have posted about these before thank you.  That's just how good they are.
The new film adaptation of Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game is hitting cinemas soon so I need to hurry up and finally read that (Oh shh! I was getting to it!)


The Cave by Jose Saramago.  Not exactly sci-fi though his books often take on supernatural themes and he does such a marvelous job of unsettling the reader by taking them someplace real, but not quite real.   The Double had such a satisfyingly disturbing ending that I can hardly wait to explore The Cave.  


Also making me pause to pick it up every time I walk past it, over and over until I finally break down and check it out, (and geez I already have a lot of books checked out) is Pure, the first book in a trilogy of the same name by Julianna Baggott.  I just spied Fuse, which is book two, on the new books shelf.  Here we go again...

Let me just say that I am a fan of the idea of downer vacations: traveling to places far worse than home to make going home feel like a vacation.  Why not travel to a dystopian alternate reality to make us appreciate how few actual zombies we have to deal with in Virginia in 2013?

New Children's Picture Books @ RPL

Summer is a great time to check out new titles at your library and the children's collection at the Richmond Public Library is growing every day.  Stop by soon and pick up some of these new picture books.

Zorro Gets an Outfit, written and illustrated by Carter Goodrich.  In this follow-up to Say Hello to Zorro, Mister Bud and Zorro are having a wonderful time together, following their daily routines.  Everything changes the day their owner brings home a costume for Zorro.  Even the cat, Slim, teases Zorro about his new look on their daily walk to the park. The author/illustrator has a great talent for small illustrations that convey emotions perfectly.  Zorro is completely subdued until a new friend arrives at the park named Dart.  Dart is fast, does tricks, and has his own outfit!  The following illustrations convey their exuberance with few words.  Let's hope the adventures of Zorro and Mr. Bud continue for many books to come.

Dolphin Baby!  written by Nicola Davies with illustrations by Brita Granstrom.  Part picture book and part non-fiction, the new title Dolphin Baby! tells the story of the birth of a new dolphin and the first days with its mother.  Each illustration is filled with the colors of the ocean, varying from pale blue-greens to deep, dark indigo.  "Tail first, head last, Dolphin pops out into the blue."  The text is accompanied by sidebars in small font that give the factual details to the story as it unfolds.  On the last pages the author gives a brief description of the variety of dolphins on Earth and gently suggests the dangers they face.  Included is an index. 

Zero the Hero, written and illustrated by Joan Holub and Tom Lichtenheld.  Meet Zero the Hero!  All the numbers feel Zero has no worth.  He's never included in counting games and his friends sometimes confuse him with other round objects.  They even run away when they realize that any number multiplied by 0 equals 0!  So Zero moves on feeling that he is just a big Zero.  It's not long before his friends realize that they don't "add up" to much without Zero.  This brightly illustrated, comic version of numbers is both a wonderful introduction to the concept of zero and an excellent review for older children. 

One Two That's My Shoe! by Alizon Murray. With simple, block print illustrations this book takes the old rhyme and gives it a new twist. A young girl chases her dog to try and catch her shoe. Large numbers and little text makes this a refreshing new number book for toddlers and preschool children.

I Know a Wee Piggy by Kim Norman, with pictures by Henry Cole.  This new color book will have children reading along.  A big piggy begins by wallowing in the brown mud.  He then continues through the fair and wallows in a rainbow of colors.  Each page repeats the color line from the page before making this a great read-aloud.  A wonderful title to introduce and reinforce colors as well as give an introduction to a country fair and some of the things you might see when you visit.

Find your new favorite cookbook!

	Weeknights with Giada : quick and simple recipes to revamp dinner Giada De Laurentiis
	Deliciously g-free : food so flavorful they'll never believe it's gluten-free Elisabeth Hasselbeck.
	How to cook everything. The basics : all you need to make great food Mark Bittman.
	The pioneer woman cooks : food from my frontier Ree Drummond.
	At home on the range Margaret Yardley Potter.
	Martha's American food : a celebration of our nation's most treasured dishes, from coast to coast Martha Stewart.
	Whatever happened to Sunday dinner? : a year of Italian menus with 250 recipes that celebrate family Lisa Caponigri.
	Vegan cooking for carnivores : over 125 recipes so tasty you won't miss the meat Roberto Martin.
	In my kitchen : 100 recipes for food lovers, passionate cooks, and enthusiastic eaters Ted Allen.
	The joy fit club : cookbook, diet plan & inspiration Joy Bauer.
	The Sriracha cookbook : 50 "rooster sauce" recipes that pack a punch Randy Clemens.
	America I am : pass it down cookbook Jeff Henderson.

To see a listing of new materials at the library, click New Materials, top right, of the library catalog.

Urban Gardening Resources

One of the hot topics in Richmond is urban gardening. The benefits of growing your own food are huge. It's healthier for you, the environment, and your wallet. Whether you have a big yard, a few feet of open space, or only a balcony or window, you can grow some of your own food. Now is the time to start planning your spring garden, and RPL is making it easier than ever for you to find the resources you need.

We're holding a very exciting container gardening workshop at three different library locations. The first workshop will be held at the Main Library next Saturday, February 26th, at 1 pm. Look for the class at Ginter Park Library on May 21st and at the West End Library on April 16th. They're being taught by local gardening expert, Marlene Sehen. You'll learn how container gardening can enhance your environment and your table, without breaking your budget. You do need to sign up for the workshop in advance, so call your branch to register.

We're also taking a look at our collection of gardening books to ensure local gardeners can get all the information they need. We've ordered a whole bunch of new titles that we think you're going to love. Here are a few of them:

Garden Anywhere
How to Grow Gorgeous Container Gardens, Herb Gardens, Kitchen Gardens, and More, Without Spending a Fortune
By Alys Fowler

Grow Great Grub
Organic Food From Small Places
By Gayla Trail

The Bountiful Container
A Container Garden of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Edible Flowers
By Rose Marie Nichols McGee and Maggie Stuckey

Fresh Food From Small Spaces
The Square-Inch Gardener's Guide to Year-Round Growing, Fermenting, and Sprouting
By R.J. Ruppenthal

The Virginia Gardener's Companion
An Insider's Guide to Low-Maintenance Gardening in Virginia
By Donna Williamson

The Urban Homestead

Your Guide to Self-Sufficient Living in the Heart of the City

By Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen

So check out a book or attend one of our workshops to get inspired to start your own urban garden or maybe to improve the one you already have. If you don't find what you're looking for, ask a librarian (they'll be thrilled to fuel your spring fever). And if gardening's not your thing, there are lots of ideas in your library to get you started on any of your spring projects.

Horror for the Holidays

Looking for a little horror over the holidays? Well look no further. Richmond Public Library offers a number of the latest in teen paranormal fiction. Check out our newest selections!

Kim Harrison’s "Madison Avery" series, beginning with

Once Dead, Twice Shy.

Morganville Vampire series latest installment Ghost Town,

which is book 9 in the ongoing series by Rachel Caine.

Lovesick, book 3 in the Ghost Girl series by Tonya Hurley.

Manifest, a spooky Kimani Tru installment by Artist Arthur.

Other new, top-circulated books of note:
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Reckless by Cornilia Funke
Incarceron by Catherin Fisher
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

- Tonya Tyler, Broad Rock Branch

New August RPL Materials!

 Let's forget that it's nearing the end of August and pretend that we have weeks and weeks of beach vacations and lazy days ahead of us. With this mindset, you should have plenty of time to check out our newest, fantastic  book selections! My personal pick is David Mitchell's newest novel, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. It will ensnare you within the first few pages and does not let you go, which is pretty much the best feeling you can get as a reader.

However, if you're a bit tired of picking your next new read, don't worry. We have over 50 new DVD selections for your viewing pleasure with this update! From classics like The Wizard of Oz to sitcoms like 30 Rock you can't go wrong with checking out the selections at your local library.


Simply click in the link below the view all new materials. Specific instructions regarding searching for particular titles can be found here. Otherwise, simply click the categories within the Table of Contents to go directly to your chosen genre. Here's to never-ending summer!

Click here to view all new RPL materials!

New RPL Materials!

If you've been contemplating what book should be next on your summer reading list, our new materials list below should help you narrow down your choices. From new adult fiction to juvenile picture books, from DVDs to reference materials, the RPL has got you covered. Simply click on the link below to peruse our newest catalog additions (for a refresher on how to use the new materials page, just click here - it's easy!)

Click here to view all new RPL materials