Preview Shelf by Janice Clauser

Library News and Notable New Books

Youth Department Offers Services for the Youngest Patrons - The new flyer at the Crawfordsville District Public Library, "Youth Services Department Welcomes You and Your Baby" lists special programs, the story time calendar for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, Wiggle and Giggle hours with music and movement for ages eighteen months and up, and annual events for young children. While some events require registration, other programs are drop-in with no registration required. Please feel free to call the Youth Services Department at 362-2242 ext. 115 for programming attendance details.

A. S. Byatt's "The Children's Book" begins when an author's son invites to his home a runaway boy who's sketching pictures in the basement of a museum; the setting is Europe prior to World War I. Anne Rice's "Of Love and Evil" is a haunting thriller of angels and assassins involved in dark worlds of times past. Entertainer Steve Martin's story "An Object of Beauty" is a narrator-told story about "the woman he's been unable to let go of for years"; 22 colored art reproductions are included in the book because the story studies the business of fine art collecting and the personalities that make it run.

Glenn Beck's "The Overton Window" is a thriller about an object that can shape our present and our future by manipulating public perception, so radical thoughts become acceptable; part of the plot is an unprecedented attack on U.S. soil. "Rescue" by Anita Shreve begins when a rookie paramedic pulls a young woman from her wrecked car. Two Patchwork Mysteries are Jo Ann Brown's "Time to Share" about a quilt that symbolizes the panoramic view from Mount Greylock, and Kristin Eckhardt's "Family Patterns" taking place in 1920.

"A Beginner's Guide to Acting English" is a set of observations by standup comedian Shappi Khorsandi, after she and her brother have been "shipped" to a new country and become Iranians in England. "Half the Sky" by journalist Nicholas Kristof describes what certain girls have done to help women's causes around the world; their final chapter, "Four Steps You Can Take in the Next Ten Minutes" proposes sensible ways to progress in this field step by step. Jay Bakker's "Fall to Grace" explains his own fall after his parents' devastation, his subsequent renewal, and his devotion to his ministry.

President George W. Bush has written "Decision Points" describing the critical thinking that shaped his presidency and personal life. Karl Rove's "Courage and Consequence" is ultimately about the joy of a life committed to the conservative cause, a life spent in political combat and service to country, no matter the costs. King Abdullah II of Jordan offers "Our Last Best Chance" about the pursuit of peace in a time of peril. He sees the window for peace between Israel and the Palestinians closing and pleads for tough decisions to end hostilities.

"Reality is Broken" is Jane McGonigal's research into why playing games makes us better and how the hobby can change the world. She sees game designers like herself hitting on core truths about what makes us happy and using these discoveries to astonishing effect in virtual environments. She says the future will belong to those who can understand, design, and play games. Ted Fishman's "Shock of Gray" identifies the aging of populations pitting young against old, child against parent, worker against boss, company against rival, and nation against nation; human relationships are altered when the few support the many, when some of the aged are very healthy and some are dependent. Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach for America offers "A Chance to Make History" about what works and what doesn't work in providing an excellent education for all.