Books into Movies: 2012 Oscar Best Pictures

The Oscars are here!
Did you know that six out of the nine films nominated for this year's Oscar for Best Picture are adapted from books?

If you liked, the movie, chances are you will enjoy the book... or if you haven't seen these nominated films yet, be sure to pick up the book first at the Westfield Washington Public Library.

Click on each title to visit the library's Evergreen catalog and make a request!

• The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings
• Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
• The Help by Katherine Stockett
• Hugo - The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
• Moneyball by Michael Lewis
• War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

Visit the Oscars online hub for more film info including past and present nominees!

100 Greatest Children's Books

Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine released a list of the "100 Greatest Books for Kids." Charlotte's Web by E.B. White is given the honor of being #1. There are many other wonderful books on the list and some that did not make the list at all.

Part of the purpose of the list is to promote discussion and controversy. No doubt anyone with some knowledge of children's literature will have an opinion as to why some book should be included on the list and some should be ranked higher (or even lower).

What do you think of the list? What would you have included on the list? What would be your number 1 choice?

For more info about the list check out this article in USA Today.

Vintage Valentines on Display

Throughout the month of February, we have lovely "Vintage Valentines" on display near the library Circulation desk.

Please stop by and check out our display, and don't forget to check out some of our Valentine's Day related books while you're here!

Our library collection includes books on famous couples, romantic fiction, poetry, and cookbooks with delicious recipes fit for your sweetheart:

Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and The Marriage of the Century
For nearly a quarter of a century, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were Hollywood royalty, and their fiery romance - often called "the marriage of the century" - was the most notorious, publicized, and celebrated love affair of its day.


Sugar Rush by Donna Kauffman
When baker extraordinaire Leilani Trusdale leaves New York City for Georgia's sleepy Sugarberry Island, her past follows in the form of her former boss, Baxter Dunne, who wants to film his hit cooking show in her tiny cupcakery.

Love Poems by Pablo Neruda
Charged with passion, Pablo Neruda's love poems are the most celebrated of the Nobel Prize winner's works, captivating readers with earthbound images and reveling in a fiery re-imagining of the world.


Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookbook
From the files of America's oldest chocolate company comes a beautifully illustrated treasure of a book for chocolate lovers everywhere. Eighty recipes for cakes, cookies, sauces, desserts, breads, drinks, and other special delights are illustrated with artwork and memorabilia from the archives of the 130-year-old company.

Click on the title of each book to make a request in the library's Evergreen catalog!

Featured in February: African American History

As you may know, February is African American History Month, and we've gathered some information and links to websites that you might want to explore as we celebrate the legacy of African Americans this month...

The Library of Congress states:

The celebration was expanded to a month in 1976, the nation's bicentennial. President Gerald R. Ford urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

That year, fifty years after the first celebration, the association held the first African American History Month. By this time, the entire nation had come to recognize the importance of Black history in the drama of the American story. Since then each American president has issued African American History Month proclamations.

Here are just a few of the online resources out there about this celebration:

• 128 Little Known Facts about Black History Month at Biography.com

• Take an interactive journey through the Underground Railroad at Scholastic.com

• Discover the National Park Service Legends of Tuskegee online exhibit

Don't forget to check out some of our nonfiction DVDs celebrating notable African Americans and their achievements:

Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Movement
Documents the definitive and emotional story of the civil rights era, the 1954-1965 movement that changed the fabric of American life. Features exclusive interviews plus historical footage of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, the Little Rock school riots, the Montgomery Transit Boycott and much more. This award-winning six-hour, three-DVD documentary brilliantly illuminates the struggle for racial equality.


Martin Scorsese Presents: The Blues
The PBS documentary series Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues comprises seven films, each directed with a personal touch by prominent filmmakers such as legendary Clint Eastwood.


Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
Among the tasks undertaken by the Federal Writers' Project in the 1930s was to transcribe the memories of those former African-American slaves who were still living. The result was a massive collection of notes, documents, and recordings, all of which found their way into the Library of Congress.

Click on each film title to visit our library's Evergreen catalog and request that item.

Super Resources for the Super Bowl!

With all of the coverage of the first Super Bowl hosted in Indianapolis, we've had many questions about all of the events and how to get around the State Capitol of Indianapolis.

Whether you're just watching the game on TV or going downtown for the festivities, try out these online resources for more information (click on each to visit a helpful website):

• Downtown Super Bowl Transportation and Parking Tips

• Indy Star Super Bowl Week Coverage

• VisitIndy.com's Guide to Visiting Downtown Indianapolis this week

• The Super Bowl Legacy Project

• Official NFL Guide to the Super Bowl and Its History

• Sunday's Super Bowl Airs on Channel 13 WTHR

Ebook Classes! NEW.

So, you've got a Nook, Kindle or app and are wondering just how you download books to your reader.  Never fear, WWPL is here!  Our first E-book class will be held February 20, 2012 at 6:30 PM.  Well also have classes on March 15 (at 3 PM) and April 23 (at 6:30 PM). 

Registration is required.  To register, please call the library at 896-9391 or stop by the reference desk.

Downton Abbey "Read-alikes"

The PBS series Downton Abbey is a drama that begins in the years leading up to World War I, centering on the Crawley family and their servants.

This award-winning Masterpiece Classic series has garnered rave reviews, and we even have the First Season available to request on DVD at the Westfield Washington Public Library.

If you're a fan of Downton Abbey, try out one of these books while you wait for the next episode:

Ravenscar Dynasty by Barbara Taylor Bradford
Edward Deravenel is suspicious about the true cause of the mysterious fire that killed his father, brother, uncle, and cousin and vows to seek out the truth while taking control of his family's business empire with the help of his friend, and cousin, Neville Watkins.

The Wild Rose by Jennifer Donnelly
This is the latest part of a sweeping, multi-generational saga. In London, 1914, with World War I approaching, polar explorer Seamus Finnegan tries to forget Willa, a passionate mountain climber, as he marries a beautiful young woman back home in England.

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

Traveling abroad with her mother at the turn of the 20th century to seek a titled husband, beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, whose family mansion in Newport dwarfs the Vanderbilts', suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England. Nothing is quite as it seems, however.

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
The novel's narrator, Stevens, is a perfect English butler who tries to give his narrow existence form and meaning through the self-effacing, almost mystical practice of his profession. In a career that spans the second World War, Stevens is oblivious of the real life that goes on around him -- oblivious, for instance, of the fact that his aristocrat employer is a Nazi sympathizer. Still, there are even larger matters at stake in this heartbreaking, pitch-perfect novel -- namely, Stevens' own ability to allow some bit of life-affirming love into his tightly repressed existence.

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
At 14, Grace Reeves leaves home to work for her mother's former employers at Riverton House. She is the same age as Hannah, the headstrong middle child who visits her uncle, Lord Ashbury, at the house with her siblings. Fascinated, Grace observes their comings and goings and, as an invisible maid, is privy to the secrets she will spend "a lifetime pretending to forget."

Click on the title of each book to go directly to the library's Evergreen catalog and make a request!

New on INSPIRE: Microsoft Training Tutorials!

Computers are utilized in many jobs and having basic knowledge of popular computer software is very valuable in the job market.

From creating documents and spreadsheets to making presentations and databases, these new tutorials from INSPIRE's Testing & Education Reference Center (TERC) will help you get started.

Individual interactive modules that include video will teach you the following programs:

· Microsoft Windows 7

· Microsoft Word 2010

· Microsoft Excel 2010

· Microsoft Access 2010

· Microsoft PowerPoint 2010

These interactive tutorials will guide you through key features of each program. Any Hoosier may access this and other TERC resources via INSPIRE from the public library or a home, work or school computer.