January is California Dried Plum Digestive Health Month!

Browse our special display at the Green Valley Library of materials on digestive health! Dried Plums have a unique combination of nutrients - fiber, potassium, magnesium and iron - as well as antioxidants that prevent cancer and decrease inflammation.

Discover more about the benefits of dried plums and creative ways to include them in your diet with recipes at http://www.californiadriedplums.org/.

Helping you become healthier!

Perhaps the Henderson Libraries can help you with your New Year's resolutions? CNN thinks public libraries can help you become healthier (for free!) in 2010. Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/12/25/free.healthy.christmas/index.html

Celebrate Rudyard Kipling

Today (December 30) is Rudyard Kipling's birthday! Take time to read one of his many books for children or adults or find out more about his life in our biography database, Biography Resource Center! Several of the articles in the database have a full bibliography of his works.

Next Blood Drive @ Green Valley Library January 9, 2010

Please plan to donate blood on January 9, 2010 at the Green Valley Library. The drive will be held from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM in our Programming Room. You can register in advance by calling 562-2166 or log on to www.bloodhero.com (sponsor code is greenvalleylibrary).

Slate Magazine's Best of '09

In yet another list of the "Best Books of 2009," I give you Slate magazine's picks for 2009 here. Happy Reading!

Grinch-Fest 2009!

Thank you to all who came to our Dec. 26 "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" puppet show! In addition to the Dr. Seuss puppet performance and story reading by Miss Andrea, children created grinch face masks, played a grinchy bingo for prizes, and ended the event with some deliciously green "Who Pudding." Over 40 attendees took part in this fun children's program at the Green Valley Library! We hope to see you again next year!

Winter Staycation Reading List

Don't let the cold weather get you down! Check out this list of "ten tomes that offer tropical settings and enough sun-drenched drama to make Jay-Z's yacht look boring." Included is Love in the Time of Cholera, which we recently discussed in our Fantastic Classic Book Club.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/books/12/24/tf.staycation.reading/index.html

Happy Holidays from the Children's Library!

The Green Valley Children's Library hosted a magical Winter Wonderland of holidays around the world on December 21 to celebrate the first day of winter! Kids of all ages learned about different holidays observed across the country and across the globe!

Did you know that in Italy, La Befana is a witch said to bring presents to children on the night of January 5? Or that in Israel children eat jelly donuts for Hanukkah? At the Winter Wonderland program children learned facts like these while creating fun crafts such as African-style masks in honor of Kwanzaa, dreidels for Hanukkah, stocking ornaments for Christmas and 2010 tiaras for New Year’s Day!

Be sure to sign up for our special after-Christmas event too! The Children’s Library will be having a special “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” puppet show on Dec. 26 at 2:00 p.m. along with Grinch bingo and crafts. Register online at www.mypubliclibrary.com or stop by the Children’s reference desk for assistance.

No matter what you’re celebrating, we hope you enjoy a safe and happy holiday season!

Ginger Bread House Fun at Green Valley

Last Tuesday, fifteen teens joined us to make gingerbread houses with graham crackers, icing, and candy. We had a great time constructing our cheerful little holiday houses! Some went all out and built gingerbread mansions while others crafted adorable little forts covered in snow. Though the structural integrity of our buildings was questionable, the deliciousness was a sure thing. Check out some photos of the teens' awesome creations!

Take a look at the library events calendar on our website to find more fun teen events coming up at Green Valley Library. We'd love to see you at Teen Tuesday!

Green Valley Library Street Sign

For the first time in years, the Green Valley Library street sign lights up the night on Green Valley Parkway. What a beautiful sight! We expected it to be green, but it is actually a sort of blue.

Peace!

Stop by our new book display on "peace" and find out ways to bring inner harmony to yourself and goodwill to those around you. Includes yoga DVDS, audiobooks, CDs and lots of great books.

Stephen King's Top 10 Books of 2009

The latest issue of Entertainment Weekly features Stephen King's list of his top 10 books of 2009. Here's a link to the online version: http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20317203_20331246,00.html

Bake with Me!

On Wednesday, January 6 at 10:30 a.m. you can spend the morning baking with your little one! Based on the success of September’s “Bake with Me” program, the Green Valley Library is pleased to present “Bake with Me: Chocolate!” for ages 2-4.

Chocolate is a delicious part of the holiday season, so come in to create an easy and delicious chocolate treat together and listen to stories about chocolate while it bakes in the oven.

Registration begins December 21st! Sign up online at www.mypubliclibrary.com, call 207-4262, or visit the Children’s Library for assistance.

We hope to see you there!

Presented by Miss Stephanie.

New Year, New You

Join the Library for our "New Year, New You" program series! Starting in January, we'll be offering some wonderful programs to help you make your New Year's resolutions come true.

Classics Book Club Announces 2010 Selections

The Green Valley Library "Fantastic" Classics Book Club announces it's 2010 reading picks! A random drawing held in the December meeting at the Green Valley Library determines what we read during the upcoming year. Book Club members are able to make suggestions by dropping titles into our "Treasure Chest" throughout the year. We read a variety of "classics". Wasn't it Mark Twain who said, "A classic is something that everyone agrees is good, but that no-one reads," or something like that?

Well, we read everything from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas to Portrait of a Lady, so there's a little something for everyone. Not only do we discuss the book, but we also usually watch a video about the subject matter in the book, or an author interview (presuming there was one), or maybe just view some slides with pictures relating to the life of the author.

So without further delay here is our title list for 2010! Esteban hopes to see you at the next Classic's Book Club meeting at the Green Valley Library!

February 17
Metamorphosis –Franz Kafka

March 17
Anthem – Ayn Rand

APRIL 21
The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

MAY 19
Story of My Life – Helen Keller

JUNE 16
The Sun Also Rises – Ernest Hemingway

JULY 21
To the Lighthouse – Virginia Woolf

AUGUST 18
Light in August – William Faulkner

SEPTEMBER 15
Glass Menagerie – Tennessee Williams

OCTOBER 20
Island of Dr. Moreau – H.G. Wells

NOVEMBER 17
Hound of the Baskervilles – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

DECEMBER 15
Country of the Pointed Firs – Sarah Orne Jewett

AND January 2011
Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court – Mark Twain

What are authors giving as gifts this year?

"O, The Oprah Magazine," asked some of her favorite authors which books they plan to give this season, and which they'd most love to get. Click here to see the list.

Kirkus Review to Cease Publication

Kirkus Reviews, one leading sources of book reviews for librarians, has announced it will cease publication at the end of the year. The NY Times published an obituary of sorts a few days ago. You can read that article here.

Best Cookbooks of 2009

The Christian Science Monitor's website recently posted a blog post on the "Best Cookbooks of 2009." Check out that post here and a related Publishers Weekly article.

Books of the Decade

My last couple of posts have highlighted the best books of 2009 and the decade. Our latest display has made many of these titles readily available for checkout. Come in and pick up a critically acclaimed book!

Have You Tried Text-A-Librarian Yet?

I came across an article in a Florida paper about a Florida school that allows texing in class . This made me think of our new Text-A-Librarian service. To access the services, text us at 66746 then start your first message with the keyword askmylib, insert a space, then type your question and press "send."Example: askmylib What r your hours?

Hours for Texting:Monday through Thursday: 9am-9pmFriday & Saturday: 9am-5pmSunday: ClosedQuestions sent outside of library open hours will receive an automatic response and be answered the next day.

What is Text a Librarian?Text a Librarian is a service which enables you to use the text message feature of your mobile phone to send questions to and receive answers from Henderson Libraries.

What do I need to use the service?To use the service, you need a mobile phone which is enabled to send and receive text messages

What does the service cost?The library does not charge for this service, but charges from your cell phone provider may apply. These charges vary among plans and among telephone providers.The library does not take any responsibility for any charges your mobile phone provider may assess you for sending or receiving messages while using this service.

Do I always need to include askmylib at the beginning of my questions, and when I reply to a message you've sent to me, do I need to include askmylib?No. You only need to include askmylib for the first question you send to us.

Text a Librarian is private and secure:Our text-to-chat service (Mosio) assigns a random User ID number to each patron.Your phone number is never visible to us at any time.Your phone number is not accessible by us. stion and we'll text you back!

Getting Ready for the Holidays!

The Green Valley Children's Library has decked their halls and walls as they prepare for upcoming children's programs in the winter season. To find out what we've got in store, check out our calendar flyers or come see our bulletin board all aglow!

New York Times' 100 Notable Books of 2009

In an effort to catch up on my reading and avoid missing a good book this year, I came across the New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2009. The list was featured in last Sunday's Book Review. Check out the complete fiction and non-fiction lists here.

Entertainment Weekly Top 100 of the Decade

The latest issue of "Entertainment Weekly" highlights the top books, movies, TV shows, and music of the decade. The top ten books are:

1. The Road by Caormac McCarthy
2. Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan
3. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
4. On Beauty by Zadie Smith
5. Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
6. The Corrections by Jonathan Frazen
7. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
8. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
9. Case Histories: A Novel by Kate Atkinson
10. Snow

How many have you read? Check out Entertainment Weekly's book blog at: http://www.ew.com/ew/books/headlines/0,,,00.html

Public Libraries in the News

I just saw a report on the Fox News cable channel about public libraries and how they're helping job seekers. If you're looking for a new job we have many resources to give you an edge including:

• Databases like ReferenceUSA that helps you discover and learn background information on potential employers,
• Our ongoing job training workshops
• Computer classes that can help you design a great resume.

Come on in and see how we can help you get an edge on the competition!

New Book Display -- The Middle East

The Middle East is a region we hear so much about, but how can we separate fact from fiction? Come check out our new book display and learn more about the history, culture, food, language, landscapes and social customs of the countries that make up the Middle East.

December is National Spiritual Reading Month

Just in time for the holidays, December marks "National Spiritual Reading Month." In recognition of this, I've created a new book display featuring books from our religion section. Don't worry, none are heavy on theology but are sure to lift your spirit!