Give Our Reading Bugs A Good Home

photo source - Bernardsville Public Library

photo source - Bernardsville Public Library

photo source - Bernardsville Public Library

The children's summer reading program at Bernardsville Public Library is a resounding success due in part to the presence of our charming "reading bugs," some of which are seen above. Located throughout the library, these bug sculptures set a great example for our young patrons to follow all summer long. Created by Keiko Matsuura, a library volunteer, Bernardsville Library's reading bugs have attracted the attention of adults as well as kids. In fact, numerous people have expressed an interest in taking these bugs home. In response to this interest, a silent auction for the reading bugs is now being conducted in the children's wing of the library and will continue until September 13th. If you would like a chance to take home one or more of these loveable, unique reading bugs, enter your bid on the clipboards located in the children's wing. You may continue to "up" your bid as necessary until the closing of the silent auction at noon on September 13th. What a great way to continue the reading fever at your house!

Read It Before You See It

Hollywood has been relying heavily on popular novels and nonfiction as subject matter for its new releases this year. According to the August 25th edition of Publishers Weekly, a number of upcoming movies will be based on such notable books as The Road, a Pulitzer Prize winner by Cormac McCarthy, and The Soloist, a memoir by Steve Lopez. Why wait until everyone else is looking for these titles once the movies are released? Visit Bernardsville Library's display, "Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You, " to find these books before they become hot again.

Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees will be released on October 17th.

Marley & Me, a heartwarming nonfiction story by John Grogan, will open on Christmas Day.


Robert B. Parker's western novel, Appaloosa, will be appearing in film on October 3rd.

You'll find an interesting selection of books-to-film on our display shelf located in the video section of the library. Look for the large red movie ticket sign marking the location of the display, "Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You."

Because Oprah Says So

Well, we have lots of books that Oprah hasn't anointed yet, but if you would like to browse her recommendations, please visit our display in the Fiction Wing. It features some of the titles that Oprah has put on her book club reading list over the years. Here you'll find Cormac McCarthy's 2007 Pulitzer prize winner, The Road, as well as the classic, Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy. Come to think of it, I wonder how many people have ventured to read Tolstoy because of Oprah?

You Need This!

photo source - Bernardsville Public Library

Save the planet, support your library, and look stylish doing it! Come over to the circulation desk and purchase one or more of our new library bags imprinted with the sharp library logo seen above. The bags are capacious, measuring over 15x12x6 inches, and come with the bonus feature of three side pockets. Constructed of light-weight yet sturdy fabric, they will hold all your checked-out library items and still have room to spare! At a cost of $4.00, they will show that you are a well-read, civic-minded, environmentally classy person. What more could you want?

Be Careful Which Path You Take

After a summer break, the Saturday Samplers book group will meet next on Saturday, September 6th, at 3:30 p.m. to discuss two exciting selections:

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King (fiction)

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (nonfiction)

Coincidentally, both these stories take place during the summertime, and to a degree involve an activity any one of us might consider; that is, taking a walk in the woods. We, of course, wouldn't make the same bad choices that the main characters made...or would we? It doesn't matter because these young characters quickly inspire our empathy as we realize their desperate situations even before they do.
Into the Wild is a true accounting of a young man's excursion into the wilds of Alaska, and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is a fictional story by one of the all-time great horror authors, Stephen King. Nature plays a prominent role in both books, and Stephen King's story has the added bonus of a baseball game sub-theme. These are truly engaging books which should make for a great discussion. Copies of the books are available at the circulation desk. Join us in the Community Room on September 6th. Here is the link to the Saturday Samplers blog so that you can keep up with the latest postings: http://saturdaysamplers.blogspot.com/.

Spare the Burn

The EPA's Web site offers a daily UV Index chart for the United States compiled from National Weather Service data. Here are today's pretty colors!

Take this link http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html to learn about the index and to get the UV forecast for the following three days as well. As you head to the beach, pool or lake, enjoy the sun's rays, but take appropriate precautions. Also, don't forget to take your summer reading with you, so read on to the next posting below.