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Reading Rescue, May 2010:
Memorial Books for Memorial Day
 By
Anne Allen
Back in 1868 General John Logan designated a day in May
for families to decorate the graves of the Civil War dead. Over the
years, that day has become Memorial Day--the day we traditionally
remember members of the armed services killed in wartime. It has also
become a day to remember family and friends who are gone. At the
library, we like to take some time to review memorial books we have
purchased, to remember the people being honored, and to thank those who
have made donations in their memories. This month, the Reading Rescuers
(no boring books here!) will take a look at some interesting,
informative, and just plain fun memorial books now on the library
shelves.
Are you interested in some home improvement projects?
Recent memorial donations have meant the purchase of a variety of "do it
yourself" books. Remodeling a Basement by Roger German (shelved
in the non-fiction area at 643.5 GER) is from the Taunton's Build like a
Pro series, and walks the amateur remodeler through the process of
dealing with moisture in the basement, framing walls, and even the final
touches of putting hardware on the new doors. With tips about building
codes, advice on tools and equipment needed, and lots of photos and
ideas, this book is an indispensable aid for a big project. (Reading
Rescue Husband was appalled to see it and feared lots of work ahead!)
Another Taunton's book you'll find is Shelves, Cabinets & Bookcases
(681.1 SHE) for more fun projects at home.
If home repair is more what you have planned for the
summer, a couple of new Black & Decker books may be what you are looking
for. Need to maintain a water softener, install a food disposer, or tune
up the garage door? The Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair
(643.7 COM) has an encyclopedic listing of common tasks, with
step-by-step directions and excellent photos to make the job easy. And
if you don't want to do the job yourself, a quick look at this book will
make you that much more informed when you hire someone to actually do
the repair. The Complete Guide to Carpentry for Homeowners (694.6
MAR), another book published by Black & Decker, walks the reader through
carpentry projects, from planning and choosing the proper tools, to
soundproofing walls and installing cabinets. Need to know how to remove
a broken screw or how to use different saws? The instructions and
photographs make it look easy!
One long-time library user comes in every year with a
simple request: to buy books his wife would have enjoyed reading. If
you've already read The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by C.
Alan Bradley, you'll understand why we purchased the second book about
11 year-old Flavia de Luce. (And if you haven't read it, why not?) In
The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag, Flavia's interest is
stirred when a ramshackle van arrives in Bishop's Lacey, with renowned
puppeteer Rupert Porson and his young assistant. Mechanical problems
keep Rupert in the area, and when murder strikes during his "Jack and
the Beanstalk" show it brings back memories of the hanging death of a
young boy five years earlier. Set in 1950's England, Flavia copes with
her eccentric family, and has the help of war-traumatized Dogger, the
butler-gardener-valet who has the uncanny ability to foresee Flavia's
actions. A new character we hope to see in future books is Aunt
Felicity, who provides some information about Flavia's long-gone mother.
There are lots of laughs, some fun in Flavia's chemistry lab, and
intriguing characters. Don't miss this one!
Another book we can whole-heartedly recommend, bought in
memory of the same individual, is Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by
Helen Simonson. When his younger brother Bertie dies, Major Ernest
Pettigrew (68 years old and retired) thinks first how happy he will be
to reunite his father's pair of antique Churchill shotguns. It has
always nagged the major that his brother inherited one, and it has long
been understood that they both to go to the surviving son. Or has it
been? Bertie's wife has some idea of the value of the guns, and she
wants to sell the one she has. The major's spoiled son Roger agrees; he
could use some money, and since it will come to him sooner or later, why
not sell both guns and give it to him now? Toss in some planned
development in the village of Edgecombe St. Mary, a feisty letter
opposing it by the major, and a literature loving Pakistani widow
running the local mini-mart, and you've got the ingredients for a
British comic novel. Simonson touches on serious issues, too, as Mrs.
Ali copes with a family that believes it is time for her to step aside
from her store and retire, Roger tries to keep up with a dynamic
American girlfriend, and the local ladies put on a misguided
extravaganza based on the partitioning of India and Pakistan.
History lovers will be enthralled by Simon Winchester's
The Man Who Loved China (shelved in the non-fiction area at 509.2
WIN). This is the story of Joseph Needham, a Cambridge biochemist whose
love for a Chinese woman became a passion to demonstrate the many
discoveries made by the Chinese people. Assigned by the British
diplomatic corps (perhaps by Winston Churchill himself) to foster
scientific and intellectual growth during the Japanese occupation prior
to and during World War Two, Needham spent six years and traveled 30,000
miles around China. As he visited factories and schools to determine
their pressing needs, Needham investigated everything he saw, from the
way plum trees were pruned to how bridges and dams were constructed.
Compelling and very readable, Winchester’s book is not only the story of
Needham and his project to write an immense history of Chinese science,
but one that helps to explain the way the Chinese think.
Registration for the Summer Reading Program begins June
1. Miss Pat and her helpers have a fun and busy summer planned. The
Friends of the Library have their next used book sale scheduled for July
24 and 26. Donations are always welcome!
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