Non-fiction This and That
Remember as a child you drove the adults crazy when you repeatedly asked, “Why”. “Why is the sky blue?” “Why is snow cold?” “Why, Why, Why? As an adult have you ever wondered “why” different music provokes different emotions? When we grew up Pluto was a planet and “why” is it now something less? “Why” do women worry so much about fashion and how they look? Listed below are a few books that may answer the “why” for some of our adult questions.
Do you like to play Sudoku? This book explains the history of math in various cultures.
DB73150 by Alex Bellos Here’s Looking at Euclid: A Surprising Excursion through the Astonishing World of Math
Do your “why” questions center around Science. Explore the origins of science in ancient Greece, Egypt and other countries.
DB73166 by Stephen Bertman The Genesis of Science: The Story of Greek Imagination
Does Astronomy have a lot of “why” questions for you. Then the next book is for you.
DB73228 by Mike Brown How I killed Pluto and Why It Had it Coming
Ever wonder “why” there is so much sand in some parts of the world or why does sand influence nature and history?
DB69132 by Michael Welland Sand: The Never-Ending Story
Why does music make us sad or happy or agitated:
DB65202 by Oliver W. Sacks Musicophilia: Tales of Music and The Brain
Why are pianos shaped the way they are?
DB72585 by Madeline Goold Mr. Langshaw’s Square Piano: The Story of the First Pianos and How They Caused a Cultural Revolution
Ever wonder “why” the U.S Marine Corps was developed?
DB72202 by Alan Axelrod Miracle at Belleau Wood: The Birth of the Modern U.S. Marine Corps.
Why do women want to look fashionable?
DB69293 by Hadley Freeman The Meaning of Sunglasses: And a Guide to Almost All Things Fashionable.
Hopefully, these books will answer some “why” questions and provide some entertainment as well. Happy reading!
CLASSICS
When I was remembering back to the old classic movies, I looked up some of the books that we had available that these movies were made from. Here is just a few suggested from the numerous ones available:
DB 57020 Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Jules Verne)
DB 64277 The Three Musketeers
DB 67136 War and Peace
DB 49497 Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)
DB 60250 National Velvet
DB 59303 The Prince and The Pauper, DB 57349 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, DB 53084 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Mark Twain’s)
DB 55192 Three Complete Novels of Horror (Stephen King) Carrie, Salem’s Lot, The Shining
DB 33082 Gone With the Wind
DB 67981 Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)
DB 55472 Complete Novels of 5 classic mysteries published between 1929-1934 The Thin Man, Red Harvest, The Dain Curse, The Maltese Falcon, The Glass Key
These are just a few suggestions, we have many more classics available. Give us a call to find out if there is a favorite of yours you would like to request.
Ph: 800-426-0709 Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30-5:00
Read Between the Lines
If you are interested in the background of some favorite books and authors, check out this list.
DB 71725 ”The Lineup: The World’s Greatest Crime Writers Tell the Inside Story of Their Greatest Detectives” (23 authors including Alexander McCall Smith, Robert B. Parker, and Lee Child)
DB 71478 “How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines. ” by Thomas C. Foster
DB 67556 ”Looking for Anne of Green Gables: The Story of L. M. Montgomery and her Literary Classic” by Irene Gammel
DB 65806 “Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature” by Linda J. Lear
DB 67371 “Books: A Memoir” by Larry McMurtry
DB 67443 “Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography” by David Michaelis
DB 73233 “Pearl Buck in China: Journey to the Good Earth” by Hilary Spurling
Do you have yours yet?
Although many of you have already signed up for and are using the digital talking book player, about 600 of our patrons still have not started using the machines. If you are one of those unlucky people, here is your chance! These machines are smaller, lighter, and easier to use than the cassette machines, all good reasons to switch now! Other reasons to switch:
- The talking book itself is just one cartridge. You plug it into the front of the machine and listen to the end. You do not have to turn cassettes over or change cassettes; one cartridge has it all.
- No new cassette books are being produced. New books are available only in digital format or download.
- This smaller machine can be charged and then carried anywhere. It is much lighter.
- The machine talks to you. You push a button and it tells you what the button is for and how to use it. Some people love this because it is much more sophisticated and allows you to do so much more than the cassette machine. BUT…if you don’t want all the fancy bells and whistles, you can turn on the power and push play and then push stop and not worry about everything else. It does only as much as you want it to do.
- The cassette machines are no longer being made. This means the machines that you have are aging and when you send them in for needed repairs, we may not be able to fix them. The machine we send out to replace the one you sent us will also be older. The machine quality is decreasing.
A photograph of the digital talking book machine and book that can be played on the machine.
This new talking book machine is a wonderful new tool that will make enjoying talking books easier. To get yours today, call 1.800.426.0709 and ask a reader adviser to sign you up.
Conferences for Illinois Parents of Children with Vision Loss
Parents of children ages birth through twenty-one are encouraged to attend for in-depth
discussions of useful topics. Learn from experts in the field as well as from fellow parents.
We have just been informed that the southern conference has been cancelled due to lack of registration. You are still welcome to sign up for the conference in the northern part of the state. See below.
The Conference Program overview:
- Kids Under Construction: Learn strategies to build up your child’s independence by encouraging age appropriate responsibilities and continuing school learning at home.
- Got Friends? Learn how to support your child’s friendships and social growth by understanding the social challenges of vision impairment.
- Camp: More than S’Mores! There’s more to camp than s’mores and campfire songs. Parents of children with vision loss share their children’s camp experiences.
- iPads for Eye Students: Learn how iPads can be used to benefit students with vision loss and test drive a few apps in this hands-on session.
- Resource Swap Shop: Who’s the expert on resources available for families and children with vision loss? You are! In this small group discussion, we’ll share experiences and information about helpful national, state and local resources. What resources have been most helpful to your family?
There are two conferences, one in the north and the other in the southern part of the state.
Southern Illinois Vision Conference (Cancelled for lack of registration)
March 17, 2012
Mt. Vernon Primary Center
401 N 30th
Mt. Vernon, IL 62864
Northern Illinois Vision Conference (This conference is still accepting registration!)
April 21, 2012
Center for Sight and Hearing
8038 MacIntosh Lane
Rockford, IL 61107
Time: 8:45 Check-in, 9:15 – 3:45 Conference Program
Hosts: Center for Sight & Hearing; Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments; Hearing and
Vision Early Intervention Outreach; Franklin-Jefferson Special Education; Illinois School for the Visually Impaired;
Northwestern Illinois Association; Rockford Public Schools; Illinois Machine Sublending Agency (Illinois
Heartland Library
To register, fill in the registration form Vision Conference Flyer 2012 .
