I used to watch the Academy Awards show live every year, crossing my fingers and hoping my favorites would take home an Oscar.  I have to admit that, since moving to Pocahontas County, I’ve skipped the show.  As you all know, the thing about living in Pocahontas County is that you have to make an effort to go to a movie theater.  It’s either Lewisburg or Elkins to see those brand new releases.  It’s just not as much fun if you haven’t seen any of the nominated movies; at least it’s not as much fun for me.

Now I wait until the morning after and read a list of all the winners.  I’m still interested. 

The best part about the Oscars is getting a few tips on some really good films to watch, and what to look for—great acting, exquisite costumes and sets, wonderful writing or jaw-dropping special effects. 

This year I decided to once again try and buy as many of the winning films on DVD for the McClintic Library as I could. And, in fact, we will have almost all the nominated and winning films from 2013.  Look for the following DVDs in the weeks to come:

Anna Karenina (Winner for Best Costume Design; nominated for Best Cinematography.)

Argo (Winner for Best Picture and for Best Adapted Screenplay; nominated for Best Supporting Actor.)

Beasts of the Southern Wild (Nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay.)

Brave (Winner for Best Animated Film.)

ParaNorman (Nominated for Best Animated Film.)

Django Unchained (Winner for Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay; nominated for Best Picture, Best Cinematography.)

Flight (Nominated for Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay.)

The Impossible (Nominated for Best Actress.)

Les Miserables (Winner for Best Supporting Actress; nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Costume Design.)

Life of Pi (Winner for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects; nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay.)

Lincoln (Winner for Best Actor; nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Cinematography.)

The Master (Nominated for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress.)

Silver Linings Playbook (Winner for Best Actress; nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay.)

Snow White and the Huntsman (Nominated for Best Costume Design.)

Searching for Sugar Man (Winner for Best Documentary.)

Zero Dark Thirty (Nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay.)

Some of these movies are already in circulation, some are on their way, and some have been pre-ordered. 

Like McClintic Library on Facebook to keep track of when they all arrive. 

Oh, and pass the popcorn!

Durbin Public Library is proud to welcome Meghan Knapp, a VISTA member who has come to help us get prepared for the library transition to the new building in Fall 2013 or Spring 2014.  Meghan is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, and is originally from the central farmland of Illinois. Her love and care of horses and other farm animal led to her rise in the Future Farmers of America organization in high school and eventually to work for her regional board.   She likes outdoor sports and is looking forward to tackling the mountains.   Meghan spent a semester in Romania and visited Ireland recently.  She has agreed to spend a year with us developing a local volunteer structure for the Durbin Public Library and Community Center.

 Libraries need a body to advise the library staff consisting of members of the local public who have a concern for the mission and services of the library and the use of its benefits in space and equipment.  This body is usually in the form of a “Friends of the Library” group.

Meghan will be canvassing the area to seek the input of residents regarding the increased possibilities for the new building and looking for those who would be “Friends” to the library and community center and help set its course.  She will be looking further afield for grant funding for completion of the construction and helping to develop library partnerships with agencies and services within the county who wish to reach the communities of Durbin, Frank and Bartow or its visitors through the library.  If you have suggestions for her in her work as a VISTA - or just want to introduce yourself - contact Meghan at the Durbin Public Library.   Her hours will overlap with the library hours until 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday for March, but will be subject to change in the next few months as she moves into different phases of her work.  

The construction of the new building is at the stage where the signs of progress will be inside the roughed-in walls; and the systems of the building are about to take shape.  The plans, ever modifying, are taking final form under the local Building Committee and the eye of the Pocahontas County Free Libraries Board.  

Volunteer crew members have continued to make the incremental changes to the structure on weekends and after work and the decision on an application for a Supplemental Grant from the West Virginia Library Commission is expected in the beginning of March, and fingers are crossed.  The funds would help us reach the goals in Phase Two.
 
As we begin to thaw in spring there will be more news on a celebratory anniversary event of last year’s “Barn Raising in May” where the building will be open to the view to the public.  We would like the curious to see what has been accomplished as well as thank those who have supported the project along the way.

The libraries of Pocahontas County are a testament to the spirit of the people of this county.

Poets of the Pocahontas Hills and New Voices

Two programs will take place on Saturday, March 2, at the Hillsboro Library that will provide expressive outlets for those interested in creating prose, poetry and song.
New Voices is a series of creative writing classes sponsored by High Rocks and supported by a grant from the West Virginia Humanities Council.  The first of the four free workshops is planned for the Hillsboro Library on Saturday, March 2, from 1 to 4 p.m.
According to Megan Moriarty, High Rocks AmeriCorps VISTA and organizer of New Voices, “Participants of all ages and stages will have the opportunity to learn new things and gain inspiration from readings, group discussions, and an afternoon of working on their own creative writing with the help of guest writer Mark Derks.”
Originally from Michigan, Derks holds an MFA in Fiction from Virginia Tech, where he taught introductory and creative writing. He currently lives in Washington, DC and serves as the fiction editor for Vinyl Poetry and YesYes Books.
Subsequent New Voices classes will be held April 20 at the Greenbrier County Public Library, May 18 at the Richwood Public Library, and May 25 at the McClintic Library in Marlinton.  
Those interested in attending the classes can register by contacting Moriarty at 304-653-4891 or megan@highrocks.org
Participants in the writing classes will be encouraged to stay for the evening program when the Hillsboro Library will once again host the Poets of the Pocahontas Hills featuring readings and performances of poetry, prose and song written by local writers and musicians.  
The event will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by readings and singing at 7 p.m.
“Poets of the Pocahontas Hills” had its beginning in 2010 with the successful Louise McNeill retrospective sponsored by the Hillsboro Library Friends.  McNeill, a native of Buckeye, Pocahontas County, was West Virginia’s Poet Laureate from 1979 to 1993.  The enthusiastic response to that poetry event inspired the Hillsboro Library Friends to develop on-going programs to sustain McNeill’s legacy of Appalachian historical writing and provide support and recognition to current area writers.
As for previous “Poets” happenings, the Library will be transformed into a cozy coffee house-like venue. Warm beverages and delicious homemade food will add to the ambiance.  
Writers of any family-oriented genre are welcome to participate. The atmosphere at these events is relaxed and supportive – first time readers and singers are especially encouraged to come out and share their writings and songs with the community.  
The event is free. For more information, contact the Hillsboro Library at 304-653-4936.

When I was in graduate school, I wrote my final thesis on teaching literature to teens. I designed an experiment to determine if, by reading certain novels, one could teach or strengthen certain values in the students, such as tolerance. I didn’t have to carry out the experiment, just create the idea, so I don’t know if it would have worked. I often wonder if it would.

I do know that a story can open one’s mind, or the doors of communication. A story can make you feel less alone in the world, or give you a plan of action when everything seems dark and impossible. This works especially well with very young children dealing with sad or scary situations.

The McClintic Library received a large order of new picture books, many of which are not only great stories, but send a message of some kind.

“The Goodbye Cancer Garden‚“ by Janna Matthies tells the story of two children who learn that their mother has breast cancer. Her doctor tells them that she should be feeling better by pumpkin time. This inspires the little girl to decide to plant a garden, keeping everyone involved and busy‚ and by the time the pumpkins are ready, her mother will be feeling better, too.

Pet deaths are never easy to deal with.

“The Day Tiger Rose said Goodbye‚“ by Jane Yolen tells the story of Tiger Rose, an elderly cat who is getting more and more tired. When she realizes that today is her last day, she spends it saying goodbye to her people and surroundings, and then peacefully lies down under the rose bush to quietly pass away.
What about a new baby in the house? This isn’t always exciting for everyone.

“Bear with Me,” by Max Kornell tells how a young boy feels when, out of the blue, his parents bring home a bear to live with the family. More importantly, this new bear shares the boy’s room! The boy is supposed to let him play with his toys!

“They didn’t even ask me,” complains the boy. “I thought our family was fine just like it was.” Gentle humor works well in showing how a new bear‚ can be a good thing.

Can a picture book help you convey certain values to young children? I believe so.

“The Scrawny Cat‚“ by Phyllis Root shows how rewarding it can be to treat animals with compassion and kindness. “Can We Save the Tiger?” is a gorgeously illustrated book highlighting both extinct and endangered animals, and what we can do to help save them.”

“When Jackie and Hank Met,” by Cathy Fishman tells the true story of two baseball greats: Jackie Robinson, the first African American major league player, and Hank Greenberg, the first Jewish player. Both men experienced the injustice of prejudice and discrimination, and this story highlights how we should be tolerant of others.

 When it’s difficult to know where to start, think of a good story. Sharing such books with children will open their minds to other, better possibilities, and also create a way for you to talk to them about the big topics, like cancer or discrimination.

Let a book help you begin that hard conversation, or introduce the values we all want our children to understand and exhibit.

Once again, it is award time in the world of young adult and children’s literature.  This is always fun - seeing which books were chosen from the previous year’s pool of published works.  There are three categories: Printz, Newbery and Caldecott.

The Printz award is given annually to the best young adult novel published in the previous year.  It’s named after the late Michael L. Printz, a youth services librarian who made a significant impact on his young patrons over the years.  The award was established in 2000, and stands with the Newbery Award (best juvenile literature) and the Caldecott (best picture book illustrations) as a standard of excellence in children’s literature. 

Every year, the libraries try to add both the award winners and the honor books to our collections.  These titles are always popular once they’ve been labeled as award books, and we get quite a few requests for them.  This is also a nice opportunity to donate a quality set of books to the library of your choice.  For a donation of only $44, you can provide one complete set of the Newbery winner and honor books.  A donation of $63 will purchase one complete set of Caldecott winner and honor books.  And finally, a donation of $48 will donate one complete set of Printz young adult literature winner and honor books. 
This year’s Newbery winner is “The One and Only Ivan,” by Katherine Applegate.

 It’s the story of Ivan, a gorilla who lives in a shopping mall, in a small glass enclosure.  He tells his own story and hooks you immediately.  A wonderful tale that should make children think about the compassion all creatures deserve.

The Caldecott winner is “This is Not My Hat,” by Jon Klassen. 

Caldecott awards are for illustrations, but the story here is fun, as well.  A small fish begins the story by confessing that ”This is not my hat.  I just stole it.”  He swims on, wearing a small blue bowler hat, unaware that the owner of the hat is in quiet pursuit.

Young adult fiction so often lately is about the paranormal, or has a post-apocalyptic setting.  This year’s winner, “In Darkness,” by Nick Lake, is set during the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti.  The narrator, Shorty, a 15-year-old hospital patient survives the earthquake itself—but it’s the aftermath that might be his undoing.  A hard, unflinching, yet inspiring look at a country fighting for survival. 

Please consider giving the children and teens in Pocahontas County some new, quality books to read. Who knows­ - some of us adults may enjoy them, too!
 It’s a small amount, and it will make a huge impact. 

If you are interested, just call me at 304-799-6000.  You can specify which library you would like to help, and I will be happy to tell you more about the titles that won the awards, or that were given honorable mentions.

 Thanks in advance!

I love reading all kinds of books – both fiction and non-fiction. I think that’s one of my problems: I like too many fiction genres, and I’m interested in too many topics! It makes for an overwhelming amount of titles that catch my interest.

But anyway, lately I’ve been on a mystery kick. Most mysteries seem to be set in the U.S. or the U.K. so when I came across the book White Heat by M.J. McGrath, and saw that it was set in the far north – as in Canadian Arctic far north – I was intrigued.

McGrath introduces us to Edie Kiglatuk, a half-Inuit, half-white woman who teaches school, but supplements her income by guiding hunters from “down south” on hunting expeditions. She compares these white hunters to “taking a couple of toddlers out on the land.” But it’s good money, and she loves the old ways of her people.

The book opens with a particular hunting trip with two men, Felix Wagner and Andy Taylor; men who profess to be interested in hunting, but don’t seem to act that way. Things get even stranger when Felix is mysteriously shot and killed while on Edie’s watch.

The Council of Elders declares that Felix was killed by his own bullet ricocheting off a rock. Case closed. Edie knows this isn’t true, but keeps quiet, and hopes to instead convince local policeman Derek Palliser that something fishy is going on. When the second tourist Andy Taylor comes back with another buddy, and then disappears, she knows something is seriously wrong.

The mystery in this novel unfolds at a fairly slow pace, and I found myself thinking that some concise editing might have been in order. But I loved the glimpse into Inuit culture and language – although the glimpse into Inuit cuisine left me slightly queasy.

The land is almost a character in and of itself. McGrath shows us the beauty and the danger of the Arctic in its various seasons.

I liked the characters, too. Edie, a former alcoholic and an all-around tough cookie; her stepson Joe, a likeable young man who has ambitions to become a nurse; Aunt Martie, a hard-drinking bush pilot; Derek Palliser, a good cop who has dreams of getting his studies of lemmings published in a scientific journal; and Sammy, Edie’s ex-husband who remains a friend but not the best influence on Edie and her struggles to maintain her sobriety.

The writing is good, detailed and yet clear. If you allow the story to unfold at its own pace, you will find yourself immersed in a foreign culture within an equally foreign landscape. The clues may seem confusing, but they all come together at the end in a satisfying resolution. I’m looking forward to the second book featuring Edie and Derek, The Boy in the Snow.

I love reading all kinds of books – both fiction and non-fiction. I think that’s one of my problems: I like too many fiction genres, and I’m interested in too many topics! It makes for an overwhelming amount of titles that catch my interest.

But anyway, lately I’ve been on a mystery kick. Most mysteries seem to be set in the U.S. or the U.K. so when I came across the book White Heat by M.J. McGrath, and saw that it was set in the far north – as in Canadian Arctic far north – I was intrigued.

McGrath introduces us to Edie Kiglatuk, a half-Inuit, half-white woman who teaches school, but supplements her income by guiding hunters from “down south” on hunting expeditions. She compares these white hunters to “taking a couple of toddlers out on the land.” But it’s good money, and she loves the old ways of her people.

The book opens with a particular hunting trip with two men, Felix Wagner and Andy Taylor; men who profess to be interested in hunting, but don’t seem to act that way. Things get even stranger when Felix is mysteriously shot and killed while on Edie’s watch.

The Council of Elders declares that Felix was killed by his own bullet ricocheting off a rock. Case closed. Edie knows this isn’t true, but keeps quiet, and hopes to instead convince local policeman Derek Palliser that something fishy is going on. When the second tourist Andy Taylor comes back with another buddy, and then disappears, she knows something is seriously wrong.

The mystery in this novel unfolds at a fairly slow pace, and I found myself thinking that some concise editing might have been in order. But I loved the glimpse into Inuit culture and language – although the glimpse into Inuit cuisine left me slightly queasy.

The land is almost a character in and of itself. McGrath shows us the beauty and the danger of the Arctic in its various seasons.

I liked the characters, too. Edie, a former alcoholic and an all-around tough cookie; her stepson Joe, a likeable young man who has ambitions to become a nurse; Aunt Martie, a hard-drinking bush pilot; Derek Palliser, a good cop who has dreams of getting his studies of lemmings published in a scientific journal; and Sammy, Edie’s ex-husband who remains a friend but not the best influence on Edie and her struggles to maintain her sobriety.

The writing is good, detailed and yet clear. If you allow the story to unfold at its own pace, you will find yourself immersed in a foreign culture within an equally foreign landscape. The clues may seem confusing, but they all come together at the end in a satisfying resolution. I’m looking forward to the second book featuring Edie and Derek, The Boy in the Snow.

A Tribute to Norma Mikesell

This past week the Hillsboro Library lost a beloved, steadfast library friend when Norma Mikesell passed away at the age of 93.

Norma regularly attended Hillsboro Library Friends meetings and was never shy about expressing her ideas and opinions. Her direct and no-nonsense approach to decision making was refreshing, and her dry wit enlivened more than a few dull moments.

Norma is best known for the beautiful quilts she provided to hang on the walls in the children’s area and Community Room of the library. She was justifiably proud of the last quilt she made for this purpose, a brightly rendered creation featuring images of the animated Disney portrayal of the Indian maiden Pocahontas.

As an active member of the Cranberry Piecemakers Quilt Guild, Norma participated in sewing the guild’s annual raffle quilts, the proceeds of which benefit the Hillsboro and McClintic Libraries where the guild meets.

Norma jokingly referred to herself as “the bag lady” for the literally hundreds of cloth tote bags she made for various organizations. The library was fortunate to be the beneficiary of large book-sized totes with pockets on which “Hillsboro Library” was embroidered. These were sold to support the various programs of the Library Friends. Norma annually made Halloween-themed totes for students at Hillsboro Elementary School. These totes were subsequently used as book bags by the children when their classes came to the library.

The collection display case at the library was another of Norma’s ongoing projects, supported by the Hillsboro CEOS Club of which she was a longtime member. Every few months Norma would personally change the contents of the case, primarily utilizing items from her own collections. From ceramic birds to unique teapots, dinosaurs to native American artifacts, it was always Norma’s intention to educate and delight the youngsters who visited the library. It was fitting that her last display was of angels.

One of Norma’s lesser known talents was her expertise in the word game “Scrabble.”

Last year she took home the trophy from the annual Hefner Family Mill Point Scrabble Tournament, the first non-family member to win the prize. To honor her, the Hillsboro Library Friends will host the first Norma Mikesell Scrabble Tournament at the Hillsboro Library on Sunday, February 10, beginning at 2 p.m. Participants are asked to bring a Scrabble game if they have one.

An avid reader, Norma was generous with sharing her books. The last one she loaned this writer was subtitled “Memories of a Life Well Lived.”

Surely her life will be so remembered.

Finding a new author is such a treat for me. If I took a minute and thought about it, I would realize that I “know” too many authors and have far too many books on the mountain of books I want to read (Mt. To Be Read). But still—it’s an addiction.
I love new authors.

David Mark is both new-to-me and just plain new. His first novel “The Dark Winter” was just published. Based on some early rave reviews, I bought a copy for McClintic Library and decided to read it first.

It’s a mystery set in England. If you categorize your mysteries, it’s a police procedural. Our hero, Detective Sergeant Aector McAvoy is a Scotsman, a big man who can use his size to intimidate when he thinks about it, who loves his wife and young son beyond all reason, and who is a believer in “right.” Justice is supposed to prevail, and he’s not comfortable with any other solution.

A series of seemingly unconnected murders has the department jumping. A young girl is knifed down by someone with a machete during a church service; a man is severely burned in a house fire and taken to the burn unit, where he is set alight again and dies in his hospital bed. McAvoy (and the reader) begins to see a pattern where no one else does, especially when he adds in an alleged suicide of a retired trawlerman. Can he tie these various threads together in time to prevent further deaths? For this is surely the work of a serial killer, someone who is targeting survivors; and as we know, serial killers always strike again. The true mystery here is not the pattern to the killings, but the motivation and the identity of the killer.

The author doesn’t always tell us things; he shows us. He creates a complete character in Aector, someone with a bit of a mysterious background, but with a strong moral compass and the need to see justice served. The secondary characters are also well drawn, and the cold, brutal town of Hull is made real by excellent writing. The reader is enticed into this story, led along various paths, until the tension is humming and it becomes almost impossible to put the book down.

This is supposed to be the first novel in a series, and I hope that’s true. I would love to get to know Aector McAvoy better!

I hope Santa was good to everyone this year.

I will have to say, we received a nice shipment of new books that you may not have seen yet, due to the hectic pace of the holidays. 

Jack Ryan is back in Tom Clancy’s new novel, “Threat Vector.”  After a political coup, China has decided to invade Taiwan, and President Ryan intends to stop this aggression in spite of the new Chinese anti-ship missiles, and the cyber-attack on America’s infrastructure.

Nora Roberts winds up her newest trilogy with “The Perfect Hope.”  It is a satisfying conclusion to the series, as we see innkeeper Hope fall in love with the last Montgomery brother, Ryder, and solve the mystery of Eliza, the ghost that haunts the Inn at Boonsboro.

James Patterson has written a new installment in his popular Alex Cross series.  “Merry Christmas, Alex Cross” sees our hero pulled away from family holiday celebrations to deal with a hostage situation that turns deadly.

“Flight Behavior” is the anxiously awaited new novel by Barbara Kingsolver.  The author takes on climate change, and gives us Dellarobia Turnbow, a woman who has come to embrace the disappointments in her life as “normal” but still has hope for something better.  When Dellarobia sees a silent, forested valley filled with what looks like fire, her understanding of the world is changed forever.

Robin Cook, the man who made us all afraid to see a doctor, is back with Nano, featuring Pia Grazdani from his novel “Death Benefit.”  Pia decides to take a year off from medical school and heads to New York City and a job with Nano, LLC, a company on the front lines of nanotechnology.  But this is a Cook thriller, and you know things are going to go downhill fast!

David Baldacci’s new novel, “The Forgotten,” is a story of Army Special Agent John Puller, a man used to solving crimes on a national level.  But this time, the crime hits far too close to home: his aunt has been found dead in her home in Paradise, Florida.  The local police have ruled her death an accident, which Puller might have believed if it wasn’t for the letter his aunt mailed right before she died - a letter stating that Paradise wasn’t what it seemed.
Whether you are Team Morelli or Team Ranger, you know you want to read “Notorious Nineteen,” the new Stephanie Plum adventure by Janet Evanovich.  Much is the same: Stephanie is after a skip, she mooches dinner off her folks, and Lulu is willing to beat up anyone who calls her fat.  But this time, when Stephanie needs to investigate a nursing home, she gets Grandma Mazur to go undercover.  That’s worth the price of admission right there!

You can always friend us on Facebook - search McClintic Public Library, Linwood Community Library at Snowshoe, Durbin Public Library and Community Building - to see all of our news, including new books that have arrived. 

Here’s to good reads in 2013!