eBranch Blog

June 28, 2006

Take a Tumble...Kids Gymnastics Book List

This year's Summer Reading Program theme is Reading: The Sport of Champions. Our newest book list is for those of you who like to balance on the balance beam in Gymnastics. Cartwheel over for picture books, easy readers, fiction, and nonfiction books.

Kathryn Lasky. Tumble Bunnies
Feeling inept in the team sports scheduled for his school's Gymboree, Clyde the rabbit develops his own event, a freestyle tumbling routine with a dazzling move called the "twirly burly."

Lillian Hoban. Arthur's Birthday Party
Arthur the chimpanzee is determined to be the best all-around gymnast at his gymnastics birthday party.

Constance Foland. Flying High, Pogo!
Twelve-year-old Pogo has her hands full trying to earn money for gymnastics camp, making up with her best friend, caring for her baby stepsister, and helping her mother succeed in business.

Christine Morley. The Best Book of Gymnastics
An illustrated introduction to the sport of gymnastics, including artistic gymnastics, sports acrobatics, trampolining, tumbling, and rhythmic gymnastics.

June 27, 2006

New Business Databases

We are pleased to announce the availability of two new business databases: Business & Company Resource Center and Morningstar.

We are pleased to bring back Business & Company Resource Center after not having it for a year. It is a Gale database and offers comprehensive information on both public and private companies. Data includes: Company profiles, news, histories, investment reports, financials, rankings, suits, products, industry overview, and associations. The availability of each type of data varies by company.

Morningstar is a brand new database to us and is from the publisher of the popular investment newsletter. Morningstar includes information on 20,000 securities including stock and mutual funds.

Both of these databases can be accessed through our database page using your library card number. They are available remotely. Both are limited to five simultaneous users.

Both of these databases replace Standard & Poor's, which we have discontinued. In addition to Business & Company Resource Center and Morningstar we have:
- Business Source Premier which offers directory information and news about companies.
- ReferenceUSA is a business, residential and health care directory.
- Regional Business News has newswire articles from local and international sources.
- Thomas Register is a free manufacturing directory.
- Valueline Investment Service offers investment information. [Valueline is not available for remote use.]

It's a Slam Dunk...Kids Basketball Book List

This year's Summer Reading Program theme is Reading: The Sport of Champions. Our newest book list is for those of you who like to dribble a Basketball. Head to the court for picture books, easy readers, fiction, and nonfiction books.

Deloris Jordan. Salt in His Shoes
Young Michael Jordan, who is smaller than the other players, learns that determination and hard work are more important than size when playing the game of basketball.

Claudia Mills. Gus and Grandpa at Basketball
Gus enjoys basketball practice, but the noise and pace of real games bother him, until his grandpa gives him some good advice.

Michele Martin Bossley. Queen of the Court
Kallana has always been interested in fashion and then her father decides that she is going to play basketball.

Mark Dunning. Basketball
Flowmotion is a breakthrough technique, the newest, greatest way of teaching a sport, fitness routine, dance, or any kind of physical activity! Unless you've got a private teacher standing right with you, it just doesn't get any better than these revolutionary guides. Picture this: strobe-like, wide-format photographs -- created by a cutting-edge digital technology -- that fluidly capture entire movement sequences with key stages highlighted. It's as if you were watching a video. Underneath the pictures, captions provide even more directions. There's nothing else like it anywhere! Play like an NBA pro by practicing these essential basketball moves.

June 26, 2006

New Bestsellers 6/26/06

The following books are appearing on the best seller lists for the first time this week. For a complete listing see our collection of Best Seller Lists.

Bestsellers were not updated for the past two weeks as I was out of town and then had Jury duty. Books that appeared on the previous two weeks lists are noted with **.

Publisher's Weekly Audio Fiction & Nonfiction lists have been updated for June 5, 2006.

Library Journal's Fiction & Nonfiction lists have been updated for June 15, 2006.

The Criticas Fiction and Nonfiction lists have been updated for June 2006.

E = Essence Magazine
NYT = New York Times
PW = Publisher%2's Weekly
USA = USA Today
* = Titles that have previously appeared on the bestseller lists but are new to our catalog.

Fiction

Aaron Allston. Betrayal: Star Wars, Legacy of the Force I
Launching a new era in "Star Wars" literature and a new multi-book story starring Luke, Han, Leia, and the other New Jedi Order heroes, "Betrayal" is the first of nine novels that bring the "Star Wars" cycle full circle.

Jeffery Deaver. The Cold Moon**
Rhyme, a quadriplegic long confined to his wheelchair, immediately taps his trusted partner and longtime love, Amelia Sachs, to walk the grid and be his eyes and ears on the street. But Sachs has other commitments now - namely, her first assignment as lead detective on a homicide of her own. As she struggles to balance her pursuit of the infuriatingly elusive Watchmaker with her own case, Sachs unearths shocking revelations about the police force that threaten to undermine her career, her sense of self and her relationship with Rhyme. As the Rhyme-Sachs team shows evidence of fissures, the Watchmaker is methodically stalking his victims and planning a diabolical criminal masterwork. (NYT #7, PW #6)

THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT, by Alan Furst. (Random House, $24.95.) In wartime Paris, Italian emigres plot against Mussolini. (NYT #15)

Emily Giffin. Baby Proof
Ever since their first date, when Claudia and Ben both admitted they had no desire for children, their courtship and marriage seemed destined--and then Ben changes his mind: He does want children, after all. This story is about what happens to the perfect couple when they have to face the unexpected twists of a relationship. (NYT #12, PW #9)

W.E.B. Griffin & William E. Butterworth IV. The Saboteurs**
Aided and abetted by his son, Griffin brings back his iconoclasic heroes in a brand-new adventure of the OSS in World War II. (NYT %#10, PW #7)

Iris Johansen. Killer Dreams
If you close your eyes, he'll get you. Sophie Dunston knows all too well how dreams can kill. As one of the nation's top sleep therapists, she specializes in the life-threatening night terrors that her ten-year-old son, Michael, suffers from. But she is also an expert in another kind of terror--the kind that can turn a dream life into a living nightmare in the blink of an eye.

Sherrilyn Kenyon. %Dark Side of the Moon **
Susan Michaels was once the hottest reporter on the Beltway Beat until a major scandal ruined her life and left her writing stories about alien babies and Elvis sightings. Life as she once knew it is over, or so she thinks, but then she gets a lead on a story that could salvage her extinct career. She heads to the local animal shelter, expecting a hot news tip, which she gets in the form of a major police cover-up ... for a ring of soul-sucking vampires out to take over Seattle. So much for saving her credibility.

Dean Koontz. The Husband**
"We have your wife. You can get her back for two million cash." Landscaper Mitchell Rafferty thinks it must be some kind of joke. He was in the middle of planting impatiens in the yard of one of his clients when his cell phone rang. Now he's standing in a normal suburban neighborhood on a bright summer day, having a phone conversation out of his darkest nightmare. Whoever is on the other end of the line is dead serious. He has Mitch's wife and he's named the price for her safe return. The caller doesn't care that Mitch runs a small two-man landscaping operation and has no way of raising such a vast sum. He's confident that Mitch will find a way. If he loves his wife enough. Mitch does love her enough. He loves her more than life itself. He's got sixty hours to prove it. He has to find the two million by then. But he'll pay a lot more. He'll pay anything. (NYT #1, PW #2, USA #10)

Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins. The Rapture: In the Twinkling of an Eye
"The Rapture" is the result of one of the most intensive research projects in the author's life. As he shares his discoveries with readers, LaHaye compares the pre-Tribulation, mid-Tribulation%, and post-Tribulation Rapture views and gives reasons why the Rapture comes before the Tribulation. (NYT #8, PW #14)

Elizabeth Lowell. The Wrong Hostage
When a federal judge's son is kidnapped by a violent killer, she turns to a ruthless ex-kidnapping specialist from her past to help save her son. (NYT #11, PW #13)

Larry McMurtry. Telegraph Days **
Told in the voice of Nellie Courtright, a spunky, courageous, attractive young woman whose story this is in part, Telegraph Days is the big novel of the Western gunfighters that people have been hoping for years Larry McMurtry would write. (NYT #13, PW #11)

Robert Parker. Blue Screen
The Boston P.I. with a personal life as tangled as that of her clients is hired as a bodyguard to an up-and-coming starlet, and discovers some ugly truths behind her glossy facade. (NYT #6, PW #8)

Douglas Preston. The Book of the Dead**
An FBI agent, rotting away in a high-security prison for a murder he did not commit ... his brilliant psychotic brother, about to perpetrate a horrific crime ... a young woman with an extraordinary past, on the edge of a violent breakdown ... an ancient Egyptian tomb with an enigmatic curse, about to be unveiled at a celebrity-studded New York gala. (NYT #4, PW #3)

John Updike. Terrorist **
Ahmad, threatened by the hedonistic society around him, gets involved in a plot, with reverberations that rouse the Department of Homeland Security. (NYT #5, PW #5)

Nonfiction

HEAT, by Bill Buford. (Knopf, $25.95.) An editor changes his life by apprenticing in a restaurant kitchen. (NYT #13)

Ann Coulter. Godless
Coulter's most important book to date will also be her most controversial. Coulter is at her best in exposing the unreported stories that reveal liberal hypocrisy and show how the Left's efforts are undermining America. (NYT #2, PW #2, USA #3)

Allison DuBois. We Are Their Heaven **
%"New York Times" bestselling author DuBois moves the thin veil between life and death as she answers the question most commonly asked of mediums: "What happens to our loved ones when they die." DuBois's unique story is the inspiration for the hit NBC-TV show, "Medium."

Leigh Montville. The Big Bam
Babe Ruth was more than baseball's original superstar. For eighty-five years, he has remained the sport's reigning titan. Based on newly discovered documents and interviews - including pages from Ruth's personal scrapbooks - The Big Bam traces Ruth's life from his bleak childhood in Baltimore to his brash entrance into professional baseball, from Boston to New York and into the record books as the world's most explosive slugger and cultural luminary. Montville explores every aspect of the man, paying particular attention to the myths that have always surrounded him. (NYT #12, PW #12)

Ron White. I Had the Right to Remain Silent...but I Didn't Have the Ability **
Following Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy from the Blue Collar Comedy Tour to the page, Ron White (affectionately known as ?Tater Salad?) delivers the laughs in his distinctive and beloved down-home style. (NYT #16)

Major Dick Winters with Colonel Cole Kingseed. Beyond Band of Brothers **
They were called Easy Company - but their mission was never easy. Immortalized as the Band of Brothers, they suffered 150 percent casualties while liberating Europe - an unparalleled record of bravery under fire. Dick Winters was their commander - "the best combat leader in World War II" to his men. This is his story - told in his own words for the first time.

June 22, 2006

Lemonade for Libraries @ West U.

Two West University Library moms have organized Lemonade for Libraries, which will be held July 14-16. The event will raise money for the children's section of the West U. library through $10 entry fees for lemonade stands & lemonade sales around the community. The most successful and creative stands will will an ice cream party.

Event sponsors currently include Michele Scheffer of Greenwood King Properties, JMH Market, Kristi Graham of Reliable One Mortgage and Copy Doctor.

For more information and an entry form contact the West University Library at 6108 Auden, Houston, TX 77005, 713-668-8273 or lemonade@houston.rr.com. The registration deadline is July 10.

See Also: Examiner News article

Update: The Fundraiser was a success! See: No Sour Notes for Library's Lemonade Fundraiser

Dive In...Kids Swimming Book List

This year's Summer Reading Program theme is Reading: The Sport of Champions. Our newest book list is for those of you who take a dip in the pool and Swiml. Dive in for picture books, easy readers, fiction, and nonfiction books.

Jamie Harper. Me Too!
The only time Grace can get away from her little sister, who copies her every move, is when she goes to swimming class.

Karen Wallace. I Can Swim!
George becomes increasingly confident as his father teachers him to swim in a pool.

Dick King-Smith. Pigs Might Fly
Having been coached in swimming by a duck and an otter, a runt piglet with deformed front feet becomes a hero when their farm is flooded.

Jeff Rouse. Swimming
The author, an Olympic gold medalist, introduces the sport of swimming, from basic skills and water safety to perfecting swimming strokes and taking part in competitions.

June 12, 2006

Press Release: Lyondell Chemical Gives Donation to HCPL

Lyondell Chemical Company will present Harris County Public Library with 250,000 custom designed plastic bags at a reception at the Clear Lake City County Freeman Branch Library.

?We appreciate Lyondell?s generous donation of these custom bags,? said Sarah Booth, Marketing and Programming Coordinator for Harris County Public Library. ?Our customers love to check out materials and these bags will be perfect to hold books, DVDs, and more!?

?This partnership with Lyondell will help our 691,000 registered library users across Harris County,? said HCPL Library Director Catherine Park. ?Everyone benefits from this partnership. These bags will help all of our library users as well as promote Lyondell?s service to the community.?

The bags are provided by Lyondell Chemical Company and are made from polymer resin produced by the company. Lyondell Chemical Company is the third-largest publicly traded chemical company in North America. With operations on five continents and approximately 10,000 employees worldwide, Lyondell is a global leader in the manufacture of chemicals and polymers, building blocks for countless goods and products that help enhance quality of life for people around the world every day.

View Photo Gallery of David Harpole, Manager of Public Affairs & Friends.

June 08, 2006

2006 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers Book List

The Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers list is created by the Young Adult Services Association, a division of the American Library Association. Books are chosen that teens, ages 12-18, will pick up on their own and read for pleasure. There are fiction and nonfiction selections.

Jim Benton. It's Happy Bunny: Life. Get One
Everyone's favorite bunny with attitude presents words of wisdom for all life's endeavors: When life gives you lemons, use them to squirt lemon juice into the eyes of your enemies. Love makes the world go 'round. But face it, cash is better. Always remember, your enemies are just friends that really really bite!

Jared and Jerusha Hess. Napoleon Dynamite: The Complete Quote Book
Quotes from the movie.

Kate Cary. Bloodline
In this story told primarily through journal entries, a British soldier in World War I makes the horrifying discovery that his regiment commander is descended from Count Dracula.

E. Lockhart. The Boyfriend List: 15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs, and Me, Ruby Oliver
A Seattle fifteen-year-old explains some of the reasons for her recent panic attacks, including breaking up with her boyfriend, losing all her girlfriends, tensions between her performance-artist mother and her father, and more.

June 06, 2006

Pass the Ball...Kids Soccer Book List

This year's Summer Reading Program theme is Reading: The Sport of Champions. Our newest book list is for those of you who love to dribble a Soccer ball. Pass the ball for picture books, easy readers, fiction, and nonfiction books.

Stuart Murphy. Game Time
Calendars and clocks keep track of passing time as the Huskies prepare for and compete in the championship soccer game against the Falcons.

Jean Marzollo. Soccer Sam
Sam's cousin from Mexico comes for an extended visit and teaches Sam and all the second graders to play soccer.

Bill Swan. Corner Kick
Michael Strike is the star of his school soccer team, and he's got his eye on fellow soccer player and overachiever Miriah. When Miriah befriends a new student, Michael sees him as a rival.

Mark Stewart. The World Cup
Looks at the history of the world championship of soccer, played every four years since 1930 by athletes from countries on every continent except Antarctica.

Updated: Audiobooks on the Go Book List

Planning a family vacation this year? Is it going to be a long ride in the car or van? If so, the Audiobooks on the Go book list offers some great suggestions for family listening. Titles include Classics, Other Times & Places, Fantastic Worlds, and Family & Community. Grab a audiobook and go!

Irene Hunt. Across Five Aprils
Young Jethro Creighton grows from a boy to a man when he is left to take care of the family farm in Illinois during the difficult years of the Civil War. Read by Terry Bregy.

Nathaniel Philbrick. Revenge of the Whale
Recounts the 1820 sinking of the whaleship "Essex" by an enraged sperm whale and how the crew of young men survived against impossible odds. Based on the author's adult book "In the Heart of the Sea." Read by Taylor Mali.

D. J. MacHale. Pendragon: The Merchant of Death
Bobby Pendragon is a seemingly normal and somewhat reluctant 14- year-old boy who is swept into an amazing five-year quest. He has a family, a home, and even Marley, his beloved dog. But there is something very special about Bobby. He is going to save the world. And not just Earth as we know it. Bobby is slowly starting to realize that life in the cosmos isn't quite what he thought it was. Read by William Dufris.

Deborah Ellis. The Breadwinner
In Afghanistan, a country controlled by the Taliban, a courageous young woman pretends to be a boy in war-torn Kabul in order to support her family. Read by Rita Wolf.

New Bestsellers 6/5/06

The following books are appearing on the best seller lists for the first time this week. For a complete listing see our collection of Best Seller Lists.

E = Essence Magazine
NYT = New York Times
PW = Publisher's Weekly
USA = USA Today
* = Titles that have previously appeared on the bestseller lists but are new to our catalog

Fiction

Patricia Cornwell. At Risk
A Massachusettes State Investigator is called home from forensic training by his DA boss. She wants to showcase the At Risk, a new crime initiative using a 20 year old murder in Tennessee. The investigator isn't so sure about the initiative, but before he can object a shocking piece of violence intervenes and shakes everything up. (PW #1, USA #4)

James Patterson. School's Out -- Forever
After a short stay with an FBI agent who gives them a chance to attend school and live a normal life, the six genetically-altered, winged youths head toward Florida and Max's ultimate destiny--to save the world, whether she wants to or not. (USA #12)

Matthew Pearl. The Poe Shadow
Baltimore, 1849. The body of Edgar Allan Poe has been buried in an unmarked grave. The public, the press, and even Poe?s own family and friends accept the conclusion that Poe was a second-rate writer who met a disgraceful end as a drunkard. Everyone, in fact, seems to believe this except a young Baltimore lawyer named Quentin Clark, an ardent admirer who puts his own career and reputation at risk in a passionate crusade to salvage Poe?s. (PW #13)

Curtis Sittenfeld. The Man of My Dreams
In her acclaimed debut novel, Prep, Curtis Sittenfeld created a touchstone with her pitch-perfect portrayal of adolescence. Her prose is as intensely realistic and compelling as ever in The Man of My Dreams, a disarmingly candid and sympathetic novel about the collision of a young woman?s fantasies of family and love with the challenges and realities of adult life. (PW #14)

Nonfiction

William J. Bennett. America: The Last Best Hope
We all need to know more about this land we love. In this gripping tale of a nation, our country's past comes alive. Here is the story of those we chose to lead us and what they did with the awesome power we gave them. Join Bill Bennett for the great adventure. America's teacher will lead you on a voyage of discovery. (PW #15)

Anderson Cooper. Dispatches from the Edge
Striking, heartfelt, and utterly engrossing, Dispatches from the Edge is an unforgettable memoir that takes us behind the scenes of the cataclysmic events of our age and allows us to see them through the eyes of one of America's most trusted, fearless, and pioneering reporters. (PW #1, USA #5)

Tim Russert. Wisdom of Our Fathers
From the acclaimed host of "Meet the Press" and bestselling author of "Big Russ and Me" comes a celebration of fathers, fatherhood, and the bond between child and parent. Photos & drawings throughout. (PW #2, USA #6)

NYT Business

Bill Carter. Desperate Networks
In a time of sweeping media change, increasingly demanding actors, and pressured executives, the four major networks struggle to become number one. In the process, they provide Carter with a fascinating picture of what really happens on the set and behind closed boardroom doors. (#10)