Reading

Feel the Heat! – Cool Northern Mythology

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Take-offs and mashups using mythology as a starting point for YA novels has been a recent trend that shows no signs of abating and the fantasy genre is quickly diversifying its mythology base.  More diverse myths are being brought to the attention of readers and movie goers everywhere and McLure has plenty of titles for you that will keep you in the know when it comes to these myths and legends.

Now that the Dog Days of Summer are over and we are all ready to cozy up with warm drinks and good books that are perfect for those long winter nights, why not cozy up with the imaginative series based on Egyptian, Norse, Chinese, and Middle Eastern myths that are in McLure library?

Middle Grade author, Rick Riordan made his name retelling the Perseus, Greek demi-god myths, in the Percy Jackson series.

That series has been followed by two other series;  The Kane Chronicles, based on Egyptian mythology, that consists of three titles,

Red Pyramid                                    Throne of Fire                            Serpent’s Shadow

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The novels were quickly followed by the graphic novel version of these titles.  Mclure has two of them with the third due to be published soon.

Red Pyramid:                                                               Throne of Fire:

The Graphic Novel                                                   The Graphic Novel

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Riordan has also done a series featuring those fiery gods of the North.  Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series, based on Norse mythology, that currently stands at two titles, with the third that was just published in October.

Sword of Summer                         Hammer of Thor

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The successful conversion of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods novel to the small screen world of TV is a modern retelling of Norse mythology for adults.  The UA libraries doesn’t have that particular novel, but McLure Library has Anansi Boy’s, the sequel to American Gods.  Anansi Boys is based in the myths of West Africa and the West Indies.  So if you like Orlando Jones as Mr. Nancy in American Gods, check him out in a starring role in his own book: Anansi Boys.  It was listed for the Alex Award (Adult books suitable for Young Adults) in 2006 and is at McLure in the School Library Collection.

Cover Image   PR6057.A319 A85 2005

McLure doesn’t have Neil Gaiman’s current best seller Norse Mythology, (that is at Gorgas library) but we have a beautifully illustrated version of both Egyptian and Norse Mythology done by well known YA and children’s author Donna Jo Napoli.  The amazing colored illustrations are accompanied by brief explanations of each of the major Egyptian and Norse Gods that make looking at these books a real pleasure for these long winter evenings.

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All of these books are in the McLure Library School Library collection located in the basement of McLure Library.  If you would like to read any of these books call 348 – 6346 or 348-1508 and we will put it on hold for you.  Or you can come to McLure and see what other fantastic reading we have on our shelves.

Think Like a President and Get Out of Your Head

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What could be better for summer reading than getting completely out of your head and reading something very different from your normal go-to recreational reading?  Take a chance and do what former president Obama did.  He read The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu and here is what he had to say about it in a New York Times article for the NY Times book review section.

” … there’s been the occasion where I just want to get out of my own head. [Laughter] Sometimes you read fiction just because you want to be someplace else.

What are some of those books?

It’s interesting, the stuff I read just to escape ends up being a mix of things — some science fiction. For a while, there was a three-volume science-fiction novel, the “Three-Body Problem” series —

Oh, Liu Cixin, who won the Hugo Award.

— which was just wildly imaginative, really interesting. It wasn’t so much sort of character studies as it was just this sweeping —

It’s really about the fate of the universe.

Exactly. The scope of it was immense. So that was fun to read, partly because my day-to-day problems with Congress seem fairly petty — not something to worry about. Aliens are about to invade. [Laughter]

Excerpt from the New York Times, January 16, 2017.

If a recommendation from the ex-President isn’t enough, what about the current head of Facebook – Mark Zukerburg who also recommended this book for his book club.

The novels are set in post-war Communist China, the first, The Three-Body Problem tells the story of an alien civilization that learns of the existence of Earth.  Facing destruction, the aliens invade.   The ensuing war is detailed in The Dark Forest, and the trilogy ends with, the appropriately named, Death’s End, that explores the two societies’ attempts to co-exist.

If you would like to share some head time with something completely different, McLure Library has all three books in that series in the Education School Library collection.

Book 1                                                     Book 2                                            Book 3

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The call number for the first book is   PL 2947 .C59 S3613 2014

If you would like to read this novel call 348 – 6346 or 348-1508 and we will put it on hold for you.  Or you can come to McLure and see what other fantastic summer reading we have on our shelves.

New eBooks!

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Check out recent additions to our e-book collection.

Have a book purchase suggestion? Submit it via https://www.lib.ua.edu/forms/suggest-a-purchase-form/.

Retired?

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Who knew you could retire a color?  Aren’t the colors a constant?  Unchanging?  The color spectrum a scientific fact?

On the morning of March 31, 2017 Crayola will retire a color from it’s classic 24 count box of crayons.  Exactly which color is going to be retired has been a well kept secret, and the world anxiously awaits this announcement.

This exciting event in the life of the coloring box can be a learning opportunity for the classroom.  Here is a list of crayon read-alouds that can be used in the classroom.

Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

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Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt              Cover Image

Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall

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Bad Day at Riverbend by Chris Van Allsburg      Cover Image

Not in the House Newton by Judith Heide Gilliland

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Book-Related Links

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By Leslie Grant, Graduate Assistant, McLure Education Library

We’ve read several articles recently about current book trends and reading behaviors. Here is a list of a few favorites you might find interesting.

 

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“Kids Don’t Read Books Because Parents Don’t Read Books”

According to a recent report, reading rates are in decline. So what’s the cause? Many people are quick to blame technology, but perhaps the problem stems more from larger cultural attitudes toward reading. “At the end of the day, how our children read and what our children read says a lot more about adult attitudes than it does about our kids’.”

 

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“The Reason Every Book about Africa Has the Same Cover – And It’s Not Pretty”

Ever noticed the acacia tree that seems to grace the cover of every book with an African author or setting? Regardless of style or subject, this tree has become ubiquitous with “African” books. The author examines why this is, blaming preferences by publishers to follow tradition and simplify the “other”.

 

 

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“How I Convinced My 8 Year Old to Choose Books Instead of Minecraft”

In this article, the writer shares a personal account about encouraging his son to read. While this includes incentivizing reading by making it a requirement before video games, he mostly focuses on how to make books appealing so that kids will choose to read. For instance, the comic book format of a graphic novel looks more like entertainment than reading, and eBooks offer both a technology aspect and the gratification of instant access.

 

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“Why You Should Avoid Best-Selling Books”

While everyone loves the glamour of the newest best seller, it might not be the best investment of your time. The knowledge it offers is ephemeral, serving as conversation fodder until the next best thing is published. On the other hand, books that withstand the test of time promise relevancy in the long term. They also offer a way to set yourself apart: “If you read what everyone else reads, soon you’ll start thinking like everyone else.”