EVOLUTION OF CALPERNIA TATE (jCD-AB)

Calpurnia Tate is eleven-yrs-old and resides in Texas in 1899.  Surrounded by brothers, she is expected to learn to cook, embroider, and become a proper young lady.  Unfortunately, Calpurnia is more interested in plants and bugs and all the other things in the natural world – just like her grandfather.  What’s a girl to do?  Charmingly performed by Natalie Ross, this turn-of-the-century story convincingly depicts a world where wind machines(fans), the telephone, and the automobile are all cutting-edge technology.  Great listening for the entire family!

NORTH BY NORTHWEST (DVD)

Cary Grant stars as a Manhattan adman who is thrust into a world of spies and intrigue in this oldie, but goodie.  During the many chase scenes, he hooks up with the lovely Eva Marie Saint who, it turns out, is the real spy.  Danger lurks everywhere for them –even at  Mount Rushmore!   This 50^th Anniversary Edition includes over three hours of special features on the actors, director, and making of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller.

I SPY FLY GUY by Tedd Arnold

Fly Guy is back in another funny story for beginning readers! During a game of hide-and-seek, Fly Guy is hiding in the garbage can when the garbage collector comes, dumps the trash in his truck, and heads for the town dump.  Buzz goes searching for his friend, but it is terribly difficult to tell one fly from another at the dump.  How the two friends are reunited makes for a very clever story using a minimum of words.

DISTRICT 9 (DVD)

Science fiction fans will want to check out this new thriller.  Set in an alien slum in Johannesburg, South Africa, it tells the story of a government worker who accidentally discovers the secret to extraterrestrial weapons technology.  Unfortunately for him, this discovery leads to his unwilling and gradual transformation from human to alien. Despite being very gritty – and very violent (Rated R)– it is an exciting and thought-provoking film.

FRONT AND CENTER by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

D.J. Schwenk, star of DAIRY QUEEN and THE OFF SEASON, returns – and we are very glad to see her.  This book is just as funny as the first two, but with serious undertones about choices.  D.J. must decide where to go to college, which boy to date, and how to stay true to herself on the basketball court and off.  Fans of this refreshingly real athlete will not be disappointed.

THE STORM IN THE BARN by Matt Phelan

Set during the Dust Bowl, this unique graphic novel portrays eleven-year-old Jack’s experiences in Kansas in 1937.  He is bullied in town, feels insignificant at home, and has a confrontation with a stormy stranger that ultimately changes everything.  Full of historical detail, Matt Phelan tells his fascinating tale with sparse words and intriguing illustrations. If you enjoyed THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, this title might appeal to you as well.

WE’RE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT by Zachary Shapiro

The animals on Noah’s ark are getting cranky from being cooped up in the ark.  “The ants are antsy…the bees were bored”….and a funny alliterative A to Z pattern is formed.  The animals blame Noah for their predicament until finally he hollers, “We’re all in the same boat!”  Common sense and peace are restored with a little positive thinking. “The ants apologize…the bees behaved”…  With hysterical pictures by Jack E. Davis, this new picture book will hold up to multiple readings.

Christmas Cheers by Straight No Chaser (CD Music)

I’m picky about Christmas cds — usually the more traditional, the better.  But I’ve had a change of heart after listening to this new cd by a group of 10 male a capella singers from Bloomington, Indiana.  This is an unusual and contemporary take on traditional Christmas classics, with a few new creations added by the group.  I personally love Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and their version has the additional lyrics (“like a light bulb”, etc) that we all grew up singing as kids.  We Three Kings starts off with a soft Mission Impossible theme, and subtly changes midstream to a terrific reggae beat that is wonderfully matched with the voices of the group.  Christmas Can-Can is a funny commentary on the commercialization of Christmas, and I’ll Be Home for Christmas is performed simply and beautifully.  This is a very talented group on the rise — check out their website at http://www.sncmusic.com/, and check out their new cd from the library on your next visit!

The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming: A Christmas Story

This unusual short story by Lemony Snicket (author of the series A Series of Unfortunate Events) is a great introduction to how Christmas and Hanukah are often combined together in our secular society.  My 6th grade son has just starting to ask questions about other religions, and this book was a great humorous starting point for our discussion about Judaism and how Christmas and Hanukah are very different celebrations despite the politically correct ”holiday” terminology we all use.  The illustrations in the story are wonderful, and yes the latke is eaten in the end.  I wouldn’t expect anything else from a Lemony Snicket book!

ODD AND THE FROST GIANTS (jCD-AB)

Neil Gaiman’s newest children’s novel is perfect for a cold winter day. A young Norwegian boy named Odd sets off on a quest with three talking animals – a bear, a fox, and an eagle – to Asgard, the city of the gods.  There he must confront the Frost Giants who are keeping Spring from coming to his home.   Read by the author in his wonderful British accent, this short, witty plot would make great family listening while traveling to relatives this holiday season.