Mercer County Library Blog

As a parent, I am constantly using the library in one way or another. Through our catalog , you can locate books, DVDs, and other materials that cover topics from birth through adolescence. A sampling includes: The DVD, Happiest Baby on the Block (based on Harvey Karp’s book ), which demonstrates the “5 S’s” for helping newborns transition from the womb to the world; Annabel Karmel’s Superfoods for Babies and Children , which I found especially helpful when I decided to make my own baby food; 1-2-3 Magic , a DVD based on Thomas Phelan’s book , outlines positive discipline techniques and tips; Michael Gurian’s book, The Purpose of Boys: Helping Our Sons Find Meaning, Significance, and Direction in Their Lives ; and Materials for parents of children with special needs, such as Empowered Autism Parenting by William Stillman. The library’s offerings for parents don’t end with our collection. Programs targeted for parents (e.g., Car Seat Safety Checks) are offered on a regular basis. Chec...

Feeling creative? Then add text or images to A utoShapes in Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Publisher 2007 and liven up your ho-hum document. You can enclose your text or pictures in AutoShapes instead of using the dreary text box. First find the AutoShape that is suitable for the text or the picture you want to include in the AutoShape. You insert an AutoShape just as you would insert a Text Box. From the Insert tab, click on Shapes and then click on the desired shape. Hold the left Mouse button down, then drag and draw the shape on your document. Add text in your AutoShape: Make sure you are clicked on your AutoShape. From the Drawing Tools tab that will appear, click on Format . From the Insert Shapes group, click the icon for Edit Text . You will see the insertion point appear in your AutoShape and you can begin typing and the text in your AutoShape. You can also right-click inside your AutoShape and select “Add Text” from the menu. You can format the text in your AutoShape by sele...

After taking a look at interactive websites for readers and music lovers , this month we will focus on websites for movie and TV lovers. Filmnet Independent film makers and studios are the featured content on this site, but you can also find news and information about mainstream titles as well. The site is very interactive, featuring forums, blogs and reviews. There is a database for members, where you can post a profile or look for other filmmakers and film-related companies. Of the movie sites, it has the most comprehensive film festival coverage. It's worth noting that the site also features sections for TV and music. Flixster This site is packed with all kinds of information, interactive features and fun games for movie and TV fans. You can get the basic information, like show times and trailers, or opt to delve more deeply into your favorites with reviews, plot summaries and actor biographies. The site also includes lists of upcoming theater and DVD releases, videos, and plen...

Many New Jersey parents are struggling with basic costs like housing, medical care, transportation, food, clothing, and childcare. It’s important to give your kids enough information so that they understand what’s going on in general terms, without getting specific with them. You want to help your children understand that a lot of families are going through job loss or reduction in income and that they are not alone, so there is no shame or embarrassment. A good site to look at is Sesame Workshop . The Mercer County Library System has a wealth of books for children on this topic. Check out these titles! Picture Books Finding a Job for Daddy by Evelyn Maslac A young girl helps her father look for a new job and lets him know that he will always have the important job of being her daddy. Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne A visit to the park is told from four points of view: a haughty mother, an unemployed father, the woman’s son, and the man’s daughter (all shown as gorillas). The su...

With Memorial Day right around the corner, now is a good time to clean off your outdoor grill and start getting ready for those long-awaited barbecues! Here are some cookbooks to help you plan some summer favorites: Serious Barbecue: Smoke, Char, Baste, and Brush Your Way to Great Outdoor Cooking By Adam Perry Lang The author trained with the world’s best chefs before giving up four-star kitchens for the thrill of cooking with just meat and fire. He begins by breaking down the fundamentals of barbecue---what tools you’ll need to begin, how to master cooking with charcoal and wood, how to choose the perfect grill, and more. Then he takes readers on a trip through the butcher’s case, describing exactly what makes each kind of meat special, explaining how to select with the skill of a master, and providing his favorite recipes for almost every available cut of pork, beef, veal, lamb, chicken, and turkey. Weber’s Way to Grill By Jamie Purviance Everything a griller wants to know in the mos...

Listen to picture books at home by the computer, in the car, or at the park from an mp3 player at this link: http://www.listenalongstorybook.com/ At the site the publisher, Sterling Press, offers these books free of charge. If you want to look at the pictures while listening, you can check out the titles from the library: Jack and the Beanstalk by John Cech The Twelve Dancing Princesses by John Cech Perfectly Arugula by Sarah Dillard We Go Together! By Todd Dunn I saw an Ant on the Railroad Track by Joshua Prince Cesar Takes a Break by Susan Collins Thoms You can also download audio files of jokes and poetry for children. For a greater selection of picture books read aloud check out ListenNJ From that site you use your library card number to download files for a computer or mp3 player. - Miss Emily

The Pulitzer Prize, awarded each year for outstanding journalism and literary works in different categories has long become a benchmark of excellence. On April 12 the Pulitzer Prize Committee that operates under the auspices of Columbia University announced the 2010 winners in different categories. At MCL we are pleased to offer our readers with the full range of the Pulitzer winning titles in Fiction, Biography, History and General Nonfiction. First-Time novelist Paul Harding’s Tinkers took the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Set against the backdrop of a picturesque New England winter, the novel is a poignantly beautiful journey into the mind of George Washington Crosby, the central character of the book who fixed clocks all his life for a living and now lies on his deathbed surrounded by his family and the familiar objects in his living room. As he drifts in and out of the present, hallucinations that are vivid, real and tormenting intersperse his thoughts and carry him back to a kale...