Another uplifting week of Name that Bookcover is complete, and another lucky Missoulian is a winner! Congrats to Jordan K., who submitted her correct guess via Facebook -- you've won this week's MPL booklight!

Synopsis:
The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Taliban's backyard Anyone who despairs of the individual's power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan's treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools-especially for girls-that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles Mortenson's quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, "Three Cups of Tea" combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit. --Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.


Find it at: BKCD 371.822 MORTENS, OVERDRIVE, LT 371.8234 MORTENS, BKCHAT MORTENS

There's only one more opportunity to Name That Bookcover and be entered into a raffle for a fabulous MPL booklight! Check back this Monday for our next and final installment of Name That Bookcover and be sure to make a guess! You can submit online via the MPL blog, Twitter, or Facebook pages, or see a friendly staff person at the Missoula Public Library Accounts Desk to make a submission in person.

Word Woman

Welcome to another wild and wonderful installment of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! This week's Word of the Week is actually a pair of words, and a very confusing pair they are indeed. Usually when you see a pair of words where one starts with "in", for example the words "significant" and "insignificant", they are opposites. In this case, however, the words "flammable" and "inflammable" actually have the same meaning despite their difference in structure, as you will see:


Flammable:

Pronunciation: \ˈfla-mə-bəl\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Latin flammare to flame, set on fire, from flamma

Date: 1813

: capable of being easily ignited and of burning quickly

-- "flammable." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2010.

Merriam-Webster Online. 18 August 2010

Inflammable:

Pronunciation: \in-ˈfla-mə-bəl\

Function: adjective

Etymology: French, from Medieval Latin inflammabilis, from Latin inflammare

Date: 1605

1 : flammable
2 : easily inflamed, excited, or angered : irascible

-- "inflammable." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2010.

Merriam-Webster Online. 18 August 2010

Example: The fireman explained to Pam that the curtains labeled "inflammable" which she had purchased were actually quite flammable as he extinguished the blaze in her living room.

Books on My Desk

In this edition of Books on My Desk:
Boys, Bears, Brain Camp,
and "Gross Stuff" -
Oh My!

Take a sneak peek at the books making their way from my desk to the Young Adult room and hopefully into your hands.


Blindsided by Priscilla Cummings
Call #: Y CUMMING
"After years of failing eyesight, fourteen-year-old Natalie reluctantly enters a school for the blind, where in spite of her initial resistance she learns the skills that will help her survive in the sighted world."
note: The dust jacket for this book has the title raised in braille. a copy of the braille alphabet is also included.

Party by Tom Leveen
Call #: Y LEVEEN
"As eleven different high school students recount, in their own voices, events before, during, and after the same end-of-year party, the stories intersect and combine in unexpected ways."


The Big Book of Gross Stuff by Bart King
Call #: Y 818.607 KING
Well, this is just what it sounds like - a big book of gross stuff. The author's dedication reads "...to your digestive mucus. (after all, no one ever gives it a proper 'Thank-You'!)" Includes chapters on 'What is gross?", sewers, gross anatomy, breaking the wind, and a gross-quiz among other things! Check this baby out if you think you can stomach it.


As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth
by Lynne Rae Perkins
Call #: Y PERKINS
"A teenaged boy encounters one comedic calamity after another when his train strands him in the middle of nowhere, and everything comes down to luck."
note: This title made the Junior Library Guild selection list


The Not-So-Great Depression: in which the economy crashes, my mom goes broke, my sister's plans are ruined, my dad grows vegatables, and I do not get a hamster
by Amy Goldman Koss
Call #: Y KOSS
"Jackie, a ninth-grader, does not understand when her teacher talks about unemployment and recession, until her mother loses her job and Jackie cannot buy the things she wants."


Brain Camp by Susan Kim, artwork by Faith Erin Hicks
Call #: YC KIM
A summer at Camp Fielding will really change you.
"Lucas and Jenna are chosen to attend a camp that promises to turn delinquents into high achieving students, but when they arrive, they realize that the camp is not what it seems." note: Look for this graphic novel in the YA comics section.


Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots
by Abby McDonald
Call #: Y MCDONAL
"Seventeen-year-old Jenna, an ardent vegetarian and environmentalist, is thrilled to be spending the summer communing with nature in rural Canada, until she discovers that not all of the rugged residents there share her beliefs."


If you decide to try-out any of these titles, be sure to post a comment and tell us what you thought of the book(s). -Happy Reading!

Name that Bookcover, Round 10

Look familiar, Missoula? Enter your guess and win!

Each correct guess submitted by Friday, August 13th will be entered into a raffle

for a fabulous MPL booklight!

Submit answers in person at the library Accounts Desk or on Missoula Public Library's

Blog, Facebook or Twitter pages.

Happy guessing!

Cupcake Challege for Something To Do

Creativity reigned supreme at the first ever Cupcake Challenge at Missoula Public Library. On Saturday, August 21st Missoula Tweens came to the library for Something To Do, our monthly program just for Tweens. This month we held a Cupcake Challenge.

What is a cupcake challenge you ask? It's just one of the best and tastiest ways to let your creative side run wild. Check out some of the creations made at this years challenge.



After checking out some pictures of fabulous cupcakes for inspiration the challenge was on.


We asked Kara to be our judge and she was able to pick three winners of the first round.

The second round was a whole different story. Kara said, "You have all stepped up your game. I can't pick winners of this round." Everyone was thrilled.

Next came the very best part, eating our creations! Luckily for the library staff and one lucky patron most of the contestants could not eat both of their cupcakes.

Something To Do happens on the third Saturday of every month from 4-5pm. On September 18th we will have fun with Kilobyte Creations. You will try your hand at making things out of computer bits and pieces. Please join us!

You Named that Bookcover!

Another legendary round of Name that Bookcover is complete, and another lucky Missoulian proves victorious! Congratulations to .....who submitted his/her correct guess via... Enjoy your fabulous MPL booklight!

Synopsis:
The escapades of the Greek gods and heroes get a fresh spin in the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, about a contemporary 12-year-old New Yorker who learns he's a demigod. Perseus, aka Percy Jackson, thinks he has big problems. His father left before he was born, he's been kicked out of six schools in six years, he's dyslexic, and he has ADHD. What a surprise when he finds out that that's only the tip of the iceberg: he vaporizes his pre-algebra teacher, learns his best friend is a satyr, and is almost killed by a minotaur before his mother manages to get him to the safety of Camp Half-Blood--where he discovers that Poseidon is his father. But that's a problem, too. Poseidon has been accused of stealing Zeus' lightning bolt, and unless Percy can return the bolt, humankind is doomed. Riordan's fast-paced adventure is fresh, dangerous, and funny. Percy is an appealing, but reluctant hero, the modernized gods are hilarious, and the parallels to Harry Potter are frequent and obvious. Because Riordan is faithful to the original myths, librarians should be prepared for a rush of readers wanting the classic stories. -- Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Find it at: JCD RIORDAN, OVERDRIVE, JF RIORDAN, and DVD 791.43 PERCYJA.

There are only two more chances to Name That Bookcover and be entered into a raffle for a fabulous MPL booklight! Check back this Monday for our next installment of Name That Bookcover and be sure to make a guess! You can submit online via the MPL blog, Twitter, or Facebook pages, or see a friendly staff person at the Missoula Public Library Accounts Desk to make a submission in person.

Word Woman

Welcome to another exciting episode of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! Are you ready to go back to school yet? The time is almost upon us! Let's warm up those neurons with the Word of the Week:

Unctuous:

Pronunciation: \ˈəŋ(k)-chə-wəs, -chəs, -shwəs\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French unctueus, from Medieval Latin unctuosus, from Latin unctus act of anointing, from unguere to anoint

Date: 14th century

1 a : fatty, oily b : smooth and greasy in texture or appearance
2 : plastic
3 : full of unction; especially : revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, and false earnestness or spirituality

— unc·tu·ous·ly adverb

-- "unctuous." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2010.

Merriam-Webster Online. 14 August 2010

— unc·tu·ous·ness noun

Example: Steve's unctuous manner did little to ingratiate him with his co-workers. In fact, all it did was earn him the nickname "Steve the Snake".

Books on My Desk

New Arrivals Coming Soon to a Bookshelf Near You!

The Technical Services Department (which handles book orders for the library) has been busy! I can barely see the surface of my desk. There are piles 'o books everywhere ready to be added to the library catalog. I have been processing oodles of kids and YA books. Here are some teen titles headed to the 'NEW' shelf in the Young Adult room.


Honey Bees: Letters from the hive, a history of bees and honey
by Stephen Buchmann
Y 368.1 BUCHMAN
"Since prehistoric times, we humans have felt a mysterious and enduring connection to these fascinating insects and the food they produce. We have endowed bees with magical properties, attributed to them surprising healing and cleansing powers, and seen in them meaningful symbols representing some of our most profoundly held beliefs." -publisher


The Cardturner: A novel about a King, A Queen, and a Joker
by Louis Sachar
Y SACHAR
"When his wealthy uncle, a champion bridge player who has lost his vision, asks seventeen-year-old Alton to be a cardturner for him, Alton has no idea how much he will ultimately learn from his eccentric relative. Includes appendix by Syd Fox with information about bridge." -publisher


Fire Will Fall
by Carol Plum-Ucci
Y PLUMUCC
"Bioterrorists watch and wait--ready to fuel another nightmare.
Moved to a mansion in the South Jersey Pine Barrens, four teenagers trying to recover from being poisoned by terrorists, struggle with health issues, personal demons, and supernatural events, as operatives try to track down the terror cell." -publisher

Fire Will Fall picks up where Stream of Babel [Y PLUMUCC] ended


The Enemy
by Charlie Higson
Y HIGSON
"After a disease turns everyone over sixteen into brainless, decomposing, flesh-eating creatures, a group of teenagers leave their shelter and set out of a harrowing journey across London to the safe haven of Buckingham Palace." -publisher


Super Human
by Michael Carroll
Y CARROLL
"A ragtag group of young superheroes takes on a powerful warrior who is transported from 4,000 years in the past to enslave the modern world." -publisher

Name that Bookcover, Round 9

Look familiar, Missoula? Enter your guess and win!

Each correct guess submitted by Friday, August 20th will be entered into a raffle

for a fabulous MPL booklight!

Submit answers in person at the library Accounts Desk or on Missoula Public Library's

Blog, Facebook or Twitter pages.

Happy guessing!

Graphic Novels for Grownups!

Comics are not just for kids anymore; in fact we have a growing collection of graphic novels, both fiction and non-fiction. Last month the Eisner Awards were awarded at Comic Con.(http://www.comic-con.org/cci/) The Eisners recognize outstanding achievement in American comic books. The 2010 winners are listed here : http://bit.ly/c24w1h and we carry most of the winning titles, including Best Humor Publication, Scott Pilgrim vol. 5 : Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe by Brian Lee O’Malley (GL OMALLEY); Best Lettering, Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli (GL MAZZUCC); and several award winners by Detective Comics.
In addition to The Best of the Spirit listed above, you can also check-out several books by one of the most influential contributors of cartooning and the graphic novel medium; the namesake of the Eisner Awards -- Mr. Will Eisner. (GL EISNER)

Check out our featured titles on our special Graphic Novels display (near the reference department). Need help getting started? Here are some of our favorites:

Non-Fiction

American Widow by Alissa Torres (GL 974.7104 TORRES)

The United States Constitution : a graphic adaptation by Jonathan Hennessey (GL 320.973 HENNESS)

When the Wind Blows by Raymond Briggs (GL 358.39 BRIGGS)

Fiction

The Best of the Spirit by Will Eisner (with an introduction by Neil Gaiman) (GL EISNER)

Las Mujeres Perdidas by Jaime Hernandez (GL HERNAND V.3)

Berlin : a work of fiction, both V. 1 and V. 2 by Jason Lutes (GL LUTES)

You can also find many titles by the popular author, Neil Gaiman. ( (GL GAIMAN).

As diverse as our collection is, we are always adding new graphic novels in order to provide you with current titles. If there are any books that you would like for us to add to our collection, please let us know here in the comment section below or in the request box at our Accounts Desk.