Staff Pick - Adventure Time: Pixel Princesses

In this edition of Adventure Time, Lumpy Space Princess is just trying to fit in with the other princesses of Ooo. She's always the outcast; the other princesses stick up their noses at LSP's lifestyle.

But when things go from bad to worse, Lumpy Space Princess, Breakfast Princess, Turtle Princess, Muscle Princess, and Embryo Princess find themselves having to work together in order to make it through an adventure none of them want to be on. Lumpy Space Princess finds herself questioning what it really means to be a princess.

Lumpy Space Princess is my absolute favorite animated character right now. From her mannerisms to her voice, everything she does I find hilarious. Adventure Time really is a show unlike any other. It airs for kids, but has many hidden gems that only an adult would understand. It's a show about creativity, using your imagination, accepting others as they are, and just being yourself. Honestly, what more could you ask for in a cartoon?

Lumpy Space Princess sort of embodies these ideals. At first she's super shallow and goes out of her way for acceptance. She continues to be this way, but in lesser degrees as the shows and books go on. Eventually, she just does her thing and doesn't care who likes it. We could all learn a lesson or two from her.

You can see what other Adventure Time DVD's and books we have in our collection by clicking here.

-Kilie

Mahaska Reads - Abraham Lincoln and Emancipation

On Tuesday, October 14, Dr. Ron Rietveld, Lincoln scholar and professor emeritus of History at University of California-Fullerton, visited the Book Vault and gave a fascinating presentation on Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation. Dr. Rietveld's presentation served as the closing event for this year's Mahaska Reads series of programs and discussions centered around Solomon Northup's Twelve Years a Slave.

The presentation began with a fact that many people do not realize today about Abraham Lincoln and his involvement in ending slavery in the United States: initially, Abraham Lincoln had no intention of interfering with the system because, under the current constitution, he could not do so legally. Dr. Rietveld then explained the series of events that led to the drafting and signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Dr. Rietveld also shared about his experiences as a Lincoln scholar, including when he discovered a long-lost picture of Abraham Lincoln, believed to be the last taken before his assassination. Knowledgeable and enlightening, Dr. Rietveld captured the attention of everyone in attendance and entertained several questions at the close of his presentation.

If you'd like to read more about Abraham Lincoln, here are a few titles in our collection:

Abrham Lincoln: The Prairie Years and The War Years
by Carl Sandburg

Growing up in an Illinois prairie town, Sandburg listened to stories of old-timers who had known Lincoln. His extraordinary portrait brings fully to life the country lawyer who would become one of the most influential and beloved presidents of the American republic.

Lincoln: A Foreigner's Quest
by Jan Morris

Renowned on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the finest writers on history and travel in this century, Morris is part of the long tradition of foreigner observers who are able to illuminate America for Americans. In Lincoln: A Foreigner's Quest, she looks at Lincoln with her singular perspective, and the result is a historical journey free of sentiment and nostalgia.

Killing Lincoln
by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

The anchor of The O'Reilly Factor recounts one of the most dramatic stories in American history - how one gunshot changed the country forever. Featuring some of history's most remarkable figures, vivid detail, and page-turning action, Killing Lincoln is history that reads like a thriller.

What Lincoln Believed
by Michael Lind

The most comprehensive study ever written of the thought of America's most revered president. Michael Lind provides a resource to the public philosophy that guided Lincoln as a statesman and shaped the United States.

Stealing Lincoln's Body
by Thomas Craughwell

On the night of the presidential election in 1876, a gang of counterfeiters out of Chicago attempted to steal the entombed embalmed body of Abraham Lincoln and hold it for ransom. Craughwell returns to this bizarre, and largely forgotten, event with the first book to place the grave robbery in historical context.

All book descriptions adapted from the book covers.

Staff Pick: If I Stay

Life is going good for Mia - a family who adores her in spite of the fact that she's a classical cello player in a rock loving family, a boyfriend in a rising rock group who loves her, and a possible chance to attend the famous Julliard after graduating high school. Mia couldn't be happier.

Until it's all taken away by one unexpected car wreck, leaving her in some kind of strange limbo as she's rushed to the hospital in critical condition. By some twist of fate, she's an observer of what happens to her body instead of a participant. As events unfold, Mia is left with one difficult choice: Should I stay or go?

Gayle Forman's If I Stay was a very thought provoking story of what if? If something like this were to happen, what choices would you end up making? Throughout it all, Mia wrestles with the choice that she has to make, and dealing with the unknowns attached to that choice.

I enjoyed the book, though I had some difficulty getting into it at first, mostly because the majority of Mia's story is told through flashbacks. Those flashbacks give us a stronger image of what Mia's life was like before the crash, and how hard it will be for her to continue on if she stays. And also how hard it will be on those who remain behind if she happens to choose to go.

If you'd like to check out If I Stay, you can find it in our catalog by clicking here.

-Amber

Staff Pick: Emma Kate

I love drawing, and almost always write, with pencil. My dad also always wrote with pencil, and often used the chunky carpenter pencils in his trade.

The heart of Emma Kate by Patricia Polacco for me is the illustrations done in pencil by the author, that takes the reader into a wonderful story about the warmth and comfort that dreams, memories and imagination can bring - with a surprising twist at the end.

A great book for back to school, Emma Kate is for memory-making! If you'd like to check it out, you can find it in our catalog by clicking here.

-Nancy H.

Blue Zones Power 9: Wine @ 5

This is the sixth post in a nine-part series in which we are sharing resources available at the library to help you get on track with the Blue Zones Project.

According to the Blue Zones website, "Moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers, especially if they share those drinks with friends." We're aware of the possible dangers associated with alcohol, but in limited amounts, some alcoholic beverages - especially wine - do have their benefits as well. Check out this article from Self.com that suggests that drinking one glass of wine with dinner may help you de-stress and decrease your risk of heart disease.

Here are a few titles in the library's collection that will help you Wine @ 5:

Oz Clarke's Introducing Wine
by Oz Clarke

Learn how to taste, buy and serve wine; how to open and how to store wine; how to choose wine in a restaurant; and how to match food with wine. In his always lively and clear descriptions, Clarke surveys the range of tastes available and directs you to the wines that will give you what you want.

Drink This: Wine Made Simple
by Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl

Grumdahl presents this handy guide that will show you how to stop being overwhelmed and intimidated, how to discover, respect, and enjoy your own personal taste, and how to be whatever kind of wine person you want to be, from budding connoisseur to someone who simply gets wine you like every time you buy a bottle.

Wine for Dummies
by Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan

This down-to-earth guide cuts through wine snobbery and tells you what's in, what's out, and what's new in wine. This update of the bestselling For Dummies classic covers everything from established and emerging wine regions to pairing wine with food to collecting wine.

Wine Uncorked
by Fiona Beckett

A practical introduction to the enjoyable art of tasting and drinking wine. With the aid of a unique, specially created flavor wheel, it helps you explore and identify the exciting and subtle flavors of wines and choose those you will like best, so  you can select wine with confidence to complement any mood or occasion.




If you'd like to check out any of these books, click on the title to be taken to our online catalog. You can place a hold on the item using your library card number and your PIN.

All book descriptions adapted from book jackets.