Staff Picks #6: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

For the sixth edition of Staff Picks, our recommendation comes from Charlene Baxter. Charlene is the technical and public services librarian at Lewis Library. Here's what Charlene has to recommend for holiday reading:

"Need some light reading for the holidays? My favorite mystery series, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency novels can provide that. The author, Alexander McCall Smith, was born and educated in what is now Zimbabwe; later taught law at the University of Botswana so he brings knowledge of south Africa to his books."

"The library has the latest one, The Double Comfort Safari Club, on the McNaughton browsing shelves. Also in the collection is a DVD version of the HBO series based on the first novels in the series. The stories revolve around the detective work of Mma Ramotswe, owner of the only detective agency in Gaborone, capital of Botswana. The personal lives of Mma Ramotswe, and her assistant, Mma Makutsi, slowly evolve along with cases concerning lost relatives, scams and cons, and unfaithful spouses."

Watch a video teaser for the DVD version below:

Photograph of book series courtesy of The Yellow Library blog.

Staff Picks #5: Rowling's Other Books...

For the fifth edition of Staff Picks, our recommendations come from Caitlin Vest. Caitlin is one of the evening and weekend library assistants at Lewis Library, as well as a former student and history major at LaGrange College. Caitlin brings us three great recommendations. Check it out:

Are you a Harry Potter fan looking for some light reading over Christmas Break? If so, you may be interested in one (or all!) of Rowling’s 3 other books.

•The Tales of Beedle the Bard

This collection of children’s stories is integral to the plot of the 7th and final book in the Harry Potter series. While Muggle (nonmagical) children grew up on tales of “Snow White” and “Cinderella”, Wizard children read “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot” and “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart”. This delightful book of wizard fairy tales was translated from the Ancient Runes by Hermione Granger and includes an introduction and commentary written by Albus Dumbledore.

•Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

A Hogwarts textbook, this book is referenced throughout the Harry Potter series. It includes descriptions of creatures that frequent the books, such as dragons, bowtruckles, and trolls. I found the most amusing part of the book to be the comments that Harry and Ron scribbled in the margins.

•Quidditch Through the Ages

This is another title frequently discussed in the Harry Potter series. It tells the amusing and fantastic history of Quidditch, the popular wizarding sport played on broomstick.

All three books can be found on the third floor of Lewis Library, shelved with the Juvenile fiction books. The call number is JUV Rowling.

Staff Picks #4: "1776"

For the fourth edition of Staff Picks, we bring you a wonderful recommendation from Patricia (Pat) Barrett. Pat works in the Suber Archives and Special Collections of Lewis Library. Her recommendation if for the book 1776, by David McCullough. You can find this item in the library on the bottom floor using the call number, E208 .M396 2005. McCullough, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, explores the events, people, and extraordinary moments of courage that led to the founding of our country. This is an eloquent story of that tumultuous year. Here's what Pat had to say about this book:

Pulitzer Prize winning David McCullough has brought George Washington and the citizen soldiers who served under him, farmers, teachers, doctors and other ordinary men, to life describing the immense challenges these patriots had to confront in the face of the British military juggernaut. The men who devoted their lives to the patriot cause had to endure extreme cold, sickness, and lack of arms but even these were not enough to deter them. Their courage and ingenuity was in stark contrast to others who responded in to these privations by running away or deserting to the British. After Americans declared their independence in 1776, it was nothing short of miraculous that this country survived and it was largely due to the efforts of George Washington who set aside regional and personal differences to allow the most able people to serve with him.

Are you interested in this title, but not the world's fastest reader? The library also has in the collection the audio book version of 1776, which spans 10 sound discs. "[He] narrates in a sonorous, grandfatherly voice, keeping his speech vibrant and engaging, as if he were simply telling a story."—Publishers Weekly. The audiobook version of 1776 was an Audie Award finalist and winner of a 2005 PublishersWeekly Listen Up award. Takes Pat's advice and check out this book or audio book over your Christmas break!

Staff Picks #3: "In the Realms of the Unreal"

For the third edition of Staff Picks, Rachel Evans is our recommender. Rachel is a Graduate Library Assistant at Lewis Library, currently working towards a master in Library Science from Florida State University. Rachel is also a graduate of LaGrange College, with a double B.A. in Art and Music. For her first Staff Picks, Rachel has chosen two titles from the collection.

The first is Henry Darger: In the Realms of the Unreal, by John Monroe MacGregor. This book can be found on the third floor of the library, in the oversized book section using the call number, NX512 .D377 Z83 2002. Here's what Rachel had to say about this book:

For those who love art books and weird outsider artists, this is an excellent choice! This large art book is filled with countless drawings and other works by the late Henry Darger, an artist whose works are truly unique, at times expressing the whimsical fantasies of the artist who created characters which kept his mind company throughout the lonely years of his reclusive life.

The second item is a related DVD from the library collection titled In the realms of the unreal: the mystery of Henry Darger. Directed by oscar-winner Jessica Yu, this film masterfully employs animated sequences in this intriguing documentary to bring to life the enchanted world of a most eccentric artist. Check out this item, DVD ND237 .D37 I5 2005.

This is an excellent documentary that explores the strange world of Darger, an artist you certainly won't hear about in your art history class!

For those whose curiosity has been perked up by this post, here's a little more information about the artist: Henry Darger was an elderly recluse who spent his childhood in an asylum for feeble-minded children, and his adulthood working as a lonely janitor. When he died in 1973, Darger left “300 paintings and 30,000 pages of writing, including his magnum opus — The Realms of the Unreal, a 15-volume, 15,000-plus-page illustrated novel on which he had apparently been working since 1909... Central to the novel are the Vivian Girls, seven blond Kewpie doll-like heroines who are the sweet-souled, ferocious leaders of the Child Slave Revolt… That his little girls…display male genitalia makes Darger’s vision all the more unnerving” (John Anderson, Newsday).

Interested in learning even more about Darger? Check out these helpful links:
Official website
St. Etienne Galleries - the gallery that handles all of Henry Darger's work.
Henry Darger fanpage
Realm of the Unreal: A page about Henry Darger
Henry Darger images at the Hammer Gallery
An essay on Henry Darger's work
Wellspring Website
American Folk Art Museum. Home of the Henry Darger Study Center and Darger artwork in permanent collection.

Staff Picks #2: "Finishing the Hat"

For the second edition of Staff Picks, our recommendation comes from Arthur Robinson. Arthur is the Reference and ILL librarian at Lewis Library. For his staff pick, Arthur has chosen Finishing the hat : collected lyrics (1954-1981) with attendant comments, principles, heresies, grudges, whines and anecdotes, by Stephen Sondheim. This item is located on the top floor of Lewis Library and can be found using the call number, ML54.6 .S69 S66 2010. Here's what Arthur had to say about this item:

Composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim discusses Broadway musicals he’s worked on, including West Side Story and Sweeney Todd, and provides all the lyrics.

The library's collection contains many other items by and related to Sondheim and his work. To find more items like this one, search the library online catalog by author for "Sondheim, Stephen".

Staff Picks #1: "Bury my heart at Wounded Knee"

Starting today, the library blog will feature Staff Picks leading up to the close of the fall semester! Staff Picks will feature a recommended book or item from the library's collection chosen by one of the staff members at Lewis Library. Having trouble deciding what reading material to borrow over the holidays? Staff Picks can help!

For the first edition of Staff Picks, Stacey Davis is our inaugural recommender. Stacey is the Serials & Cataloging Assistant at Lewis Library, as well as an avid reader! For her first Staff Picks, Stacey has chosen Bury my heart at Wounded Knee : an Indian history of the American West by Dee A. Brown.

This book can be found on the bottom floor of the library using the call number E81 .B75 1991. Here's what Stacey had to say about this book:

You'll get more of the "buried" history of the Native Americans from this 1971 bestseller; it is a sad, but enlightening story that will stay with you long after you have read the last page of the book.

If you're interested in more items related to this topic, check out the following DVD, Bury my heart at Wounded Knee [DVD] : the epic fall of the American Indian, located on the third floor of Lewis Library, DVD PN1997 .B922 2007.