Catchin' Babies, a Coretta Scott King award, and Black History Month

In 2005, Barbara Hathaway won the Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe Award for New Talent for her novel Missy Violet & Me. As the library highlights Black History Month with an exhibit of titles about the African-American experience, this is an excellent time to draw people's attention to Ms. Hathaway's book. Read on to learn more about the book and how you can access a copy of it.

Missy Violet and Me by Barbara Hathaway

Don’t let the size of this book fool you. It is compact, but full of energy. In her award-winning novel, Barbara Hathaway tells about a young girl named Viney who apprentices with a midwife over the summer in order to pay off a family debt. The author sets the story in a rural community in the early part of the 20th century, and, through her descriptive language, readers get a feel for Viney’s world and the role of a midwife. Despite the short length of the novel, Ms. Hathaway ably conveys the African-American culture, the role of midwifes and medicine in a rural community, and the fears and joys of a little girl. I enjoyed Viney’s spunkiness and reading about ‘catchin’ babies,’ and those who are interested in medicine, midwifery, and/or African-American culture will likely enjoy the book too. Reviewed by Hilary Writt

The book can be found in the juvenile fiction section of the library, with the call number JF F, and if you need assistance in finding it, please don't hesitate to ask one of the librarians. We will be glad to assist you.

Paperback Donation Day 2012

A big thank you to everyone who participated in Donation Day for the Paperback Exchange.  165 books were donated by Sullivan faculty, staff and students.  


These books will be added to the Paperback Exchange, which  offers light reading to the Sullivan community.  Books in the exchange cover a variety of reading interests, including biography, self-help, diet, pop culture and travel as well as all types of fiction for both adult and young adult readers.  
                                     Stop by the library anytime and check it out!

And the winners are. . .

                                     

On Monday morning at the American Library Association conference in Dallas, TX, the winners of the Newbery and the Caldecott children's awards were announced. These prestigious awards are given each year to United States authors and illustrators who create books for children.


The Caldecott award is given for exceptional illustrations in a children's book. You may click on this link to see a list of all the Caldecott winners and the honor books.


The 2012 winner and honor books are:


A Ball for Daisy written and illus. by Chris Raschka-winner
Blackout written and illus. by John Rocco-honor
Grandpa Green written and illus. by Lane Smith-honor
Me. . . Jane written and illus. by Patrick McDonnell-honor


Here are the results for the Newbery medal, an award given for distinguished writing for children. Click here to see a list of all the winners and honor books.

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos-winner
Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin-honor
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai-honor *This title also won the National Book Award in 2011!

If you have any questions about the Caldecott or Newbery awards or need help finding previous award winners, please don't hesitate to ask one of the librarians. We will be happy to assist you.

National Mentoring Month

January is National Mentoring Month, and to celebrate this month the library has created a display featuring books and information about mentoring.

According to author, Curtis Crawford, mentors can be:

• A learning partner
• A confidential sounding board
• A non-judgmental counselor
• A navigator, one who knows the ropes
• Someone to provide a reality check
• A champion for your cause
• A coach to shore up your weaknesses
• A facilitator to broaden your networks and perspectives
• Someone who holds you accountable
• A guide to help you see beyond the horizon
  
  

Stop by the Sullivan University Library and Learning Resource Center during the month of January to learn more about mentoring in the corporate world and the mentor program at Sullivan University.


Source: Crawford, C.J. (2010). Manager’s Guide to Mentoring. Chicago, IL: McGraw-Hill Companies.

December Break Hours

Sugar and Spice and. . . Mashed Potatoes?

Hello Cupcake! By Karen Tack & Alan Richardson


As its welcoming title suggests, this book features examples of scrumptious cupcakes. In eight chapters with such headings as, “April Fool’s,” “Party Animals,” “Nightmare Before Thanksgiving,” and “Holiday on Icing,” cupcakes of all shapes and designs, with their accompanying recipes, are displayed. Step-by-step instructions on how to create specific culinary concoctions, a photographic display of the decorating materials and tools, cupcake and frosting recipes, and a list of food supply stores enable readers to tackle even the most advanced creations. The innovative cupcake designs can be used by those interested in catering, baking, and working with children. The only negative comment that can be made about the book is that it doesn’t come with free samples. Reviewed by Wendell Barnett

If you've been bitten by the baking bug, Hello Cupcake is a fun title to satisfy the craving. For even more cupcake goodness check out the companion title, What's New, Cupcake?.  Click on either of the titles to find reviews and more about the books.

Hello Cupcake; 641.8653 T118h
What's New, Cupcake?; 641.8653 T118w

You can borrow either one of these titles and others from the library, and if you need helping finding don't forget to ask one of the librarians. We will be glad to assist you.

Happy Baking!

Thanksgiving Break - Library Hours

The library will be OPEN :

Monday - Wednesday                                           8am-5pm

November 21-23                                                (closed 12-1 for lunch)

The library will be CLOSED :

Thursday - Sunday

November 24-27

Regular hours will resume 7:30am on Monday, November 28th.  

Have a wonderful

Holiday!

Remembering Our Veterans

In rememberance of Veterans Day the library staff wants to say thank you to all of the faculty, staff, and students who have served our country. Thank you.

Click on the links below to learn more information about Veterans Day, and be sure to check out the link for our previous Veterans Day blog post too.

Arlington National Cemetary

Ft. Campbell

Ft. Knox

Kentucky veterans

Sullivan University's veterans page

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Check out our Twitter account, @WhatstheBook, where we tweeted something in honor of veterans too.

A Veteran and His Daughter

With Veterans Day approaching it is a fitting time to highlight Crow Call; JF L, a picture book by the Newbery award-winner, Lois Lowry.

Lois Lowry’s skills as a writer are evident in this picture book, her first ever according to her website, about a girl named Liz reconnecting with her father after his return from WWII. While Liz practices remembering to call the man who is her father, “Daddy,” her father learns that Liz’s favorite food is cherry pie. The two get reacquainted as they set out to hunt the crows which destroy the family’s crop, and by the end of their trip they are holding hands. Ibatoulline’s sepia-toned illustrations match well with the story’s setting and its nostalgic nature. Some of his illustrations are so well-rendered that I felt like I was looking at a photograph. At the very end of the book, in the note to readers, I found out that this story was autobiographical, and I was quite pleased to get to see a photograph of Lowry in the shirt Liz wears in the book.

The book can be found in the library's juvenile book section. If you need any help locating it or you want to check it out, please ask one of the librarians. We will be glad to assist you.

Check the blog next week for another post related to Veterans Day.

Happy Birthday, Chef Escoffier

Before Thomas Keller and Alice Waters worked their culinary magic, the French chef Auguste Escoffier, made his mark on the gastronomic world. Chef Escoffier lived from 1846-1935, and during his lifetime he served both socialites and royalty.

To learn more about Chef Escoffier, come by the library and check out his biography, Escoffier: The King of Chefs, 641.5092 J27e, or some of his cookbooks.

Even though today is Escoffier’s birthday, you may be interested to know about other famous chefs from around the world. The library has books and DVDs featuring a variety of different chefs and their cookbooks. Click on this link to see some of the materials available at your Sullivan University Library and Learning Resource Center. One of the librarians will be glad to help you find any of the books or DVDs.

Remembering a Nobel Prize Winner

Though it has been almost a month since her passing, it is still appropriate to remember the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Wangari Maathai.

Dr. Maathai was a professor of veterinary anatomy, an environmental activist, and a human rights activist. In 2004, she was awarded the Nobel Peace prize for her efforts to improve the lives of women and the land by planting trees in her native Kenya.

The Sullivan University Library has three books which hightlight Dr. Maathai's life and her work, and any student is welcome to borrow these titles from the library.

Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya; JF N (Lexington campus)

Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai; JF N (Lexington campus)

Unbowed: A Memoir; 333.72 M111u (Louisville campus)

To learn even more about Dr. Maathai, visit the Nobel Prize website, which has a biography of Dr. Maathai.

Here are two obituaries for Dr. Maathai that contain photographs and further information about her extraordinary life.

New York Times obituary

The Guardian obituary

Please let us know if you have any questions about how Dr. Maathai or how to locate the featured library books. One of the librarians will be glad to help you.

Source: N.A. (2011, October 20). Wangari Maathai-Biography. Retrieved from http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2004/maathai-bio.html

Banned Books Week-Show Me the Titles

Now that we've talked a little about what Banned Books Week is and how titles get banned or challenged, here is a selected list of some of the banned and challenged titles available at the Sullivan University Library and Learning Resource Center. Click on the title to learn more about it.

1984 by George Orwell; 824.912 O79n

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain; DVD 813.4 T969a

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell; JF R

Beloved by Toni Morrison; DVD 791.43 B452

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger; 813.54 S165c

The Color Purple by Alice Walker; 813.54 W759c and DVD 791.43 C719

The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler; JF M

Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going; JF G

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck; 813.52 S819g

Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling; JF R

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair; 813.52 S616j

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov; 813.54 N117l

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien; 823.912 T649l

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil; DVD 791.43 M6296

Olive’s Ocean by Kevin Henkes; JF H

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor; JF T

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison; 813.54 M882s

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway; 813.52 H488s

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; 813 L478 and DVD 813.54 T627

This is just a representative list, so if you want to find more titles that have been banned or challenged search in the library's catalog for banned books. If you need any assistance finding these titles or if you want more information about any of the titles, please don't hesitate to ask one of the librarians for help.

Banned Books Week-Are Books Still Being Banned and Challenged?

In short, yes, books are still being banned and challenged, and the American Library Association, along with others in the book industry, sets aside a week each year to promote the freedom to read books. The week is known as Banned Books Week, and this year it occurs from September 24-October 1, 2011.

Are librarians really banning books? No. The books that have been banned or challenged were banned by people and organizations who thought the books were inappropriate for one reason or another.

According to the American Library association, a banned book is a book that has been removed from a library because of complaints by an individual or group. A challenged book is one that a person or a group has attempted to remove from a library or to restrict its use. Due to the dedication of librarians and other individuals, most challenges are unsuccessful and books are still available to be read.

Come to the library during the next few weeks to see our display of titles that have been banned or challenged. You can also check out and read any of the books that are on display. Stay tuned to the library's Facebook page and our Twitter account for more information about banned and challenged books.

The Library staff would like to welcome all new and returning students to Sullivan University.  To help you get oriented  (or just remember where things are) we will be offering drop-in tours of the library during Week 2.  Stop by at any of these times for a walkthrough of the library. 

If you would like a tour and can’t make these times, we will be happy to schedule a time that works for you – talk to a librarian at the desk anytime!

September Break Hours

Hours for the Fall Break are below.  The library will also be closed in observance of Labor Day on September 5th.