http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/ en Copyright 2010 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:30:46 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss I'm a woman Phenomenally Phenomenal woman, That's me. -- Maya Angelou Our theme for the 30th annual Women's History Month is: Phenomenal girls become phenomenal women! Come check out some books with strong female characters, test your knowledge of women's history, and enjoy photographs of the phenomenal young women of Athens Academy. Some of the books we recommend: Avi. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. Thirteen-year-old Charlotte sets sail from England for America in 1813. She's supposed to be in the company of friends of her parents, but when they are delayed, the Seahawk departs without them and Charlotte finds herself caught between a murderous captain and a mutinous crew. JUV FIC AVI Blume, Judy. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. When you are eleven going on twelve, the world is complicated enough without moving to a new town and making new friends like Margaret has to do. Margaret turns to God for some answers. JUV FIC BLUME Brink, Carol Ryrie. Caddie Woodlawn. The adventures of an eleven-year-old tomboy growing up on the Wisconsin frontier in the mid-nineteenth century. JUV FIC BRINK Diamant, Anita. The Red Tent. Like the conversations and mysteries held within this feminine tent, this sweeping piece of fiction offers an insider’s look at the daily life of a biblical sorority of mothers, wives, and daughters as told by Jacob's one and only daughter, Dinah, who is just briefly mentioned in the Book of Genesis. FIC DIAMANT Fenner, Carol. Yolonda's Genius. After moving from Chicago to Grand River, Michigan, fifth grader Yolonda, big and strong for her age, determines to prove that her younger brother is not a slow learner but a true musical genius. JUV FIC FENNER Fitzhugh, Louise. Harriet the Spy. Harriet is an independent young woman who is good at observing the details of other people's lives. She writes down everything in her diary. This is a humorous tale about what happens when the diary is discovered by someone else. JUV FIC FITZHUGH Larson, Kirby. Hattie Big Sky. After inheriting her uncle’s homesteading claim in Montana, sixteen-year-old orphan Hattie Brooks travels from Iowa in 1917 to make a home for herself and encounters some unexpected problems related to the war being fought in Europe. YA FIC LARSON Lauber, Patricia. Lost Star: The Story of Amelia Earhart. Amelia Earhart broke barriers for women while she broke men's flying records. This biography describes her fascinating life from childhood to her mysterious disappearance. B EARHART Murdock, Catherine Gilbert. Dairy Queen. After spending her summer running the family farm and training the quarterback for her school’s rival football team, sixteen-year-old D.J. decides to go out for the sport herself, not anticipating the reactions of those around her. YA FIC MURDOCK O'Dell, Scott. Island of the Blue Dolphins. Based on a true story, this is the story of Karana, 12, an Indian girl who in 1835 was left behind when her people moved from their Pacific Island. How Karana survived alone there for 18 years is a compelling tale of adventure and self-discovery. JUV FIC ODELL Wrede, Patricia C. Dealing with Dragons. Cimorene finds being a princess so boring that she takes a job working for a dragon! JUV FIC WREDE Zarr, Sara. Story of a Girl. In the three years since her father caught her in the back seat of a car with an older boy, sixteen-year-old Deanna’s life at home and school has been a nightmare, but while dreaming of escaping with her brother and his family, she discovers the power of forgiveness. YA FIC ZARR Click here for the entire booklist: Download file ]]> http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2010/03/celebrate_womens_history_month.html http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2010/03/celebrate_womens_history_month.html Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:30:46 -0500 These writing rules are paraphrased from the talk Mr. Ted Dunagan gave at Athens Academy on February 19. 1. Write three pages a day. I learned this from Jack London. That was his rule--three pages a day, no matter what. 2. Write what you know, although sometimes you have to sprinkle in a little imagination to get the reader fired up and to keep the pages turning. 3. The Chapter Rule: "Grab" the reader at the beginning of each chapter, and "leave them hanging" at the end of each chapter. 4. The Painted Floor Syndrome: write yourself into a corner--a situation where there seems to be absolutely no way out. You'll be surprised at the solutions your imagination will come up with! If you can't paint your way back out, you can always go back and start over. 5. The Beginning and The End Rule: when you start a story, you have to know how it will begin and how it will end. The middle will take care of itself if you know both of these things. 6. Remember that you are not bound by time. What I mean by this is that you have probably had some experience where you looked back and wished, "Wow, I wish I had done that or said something else." Well, in writing you can go back and say the right thing, fix what was wrong, etc., because you are not bound by time. None of what I have told you did I read in a book, they are just some of the things I learned and that worked for me. I hope some of them might work for you. ]]> http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2010/02/ted_dunagans_advice_for_writer.html http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2010/02/ted_dunagans_advice_for_writer.html Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:56:17 -0500 2009 Georgia Author of the Year Ted Dunagan will visit Athens Academy on Friday, Feb. 19. Faye Gibbons says this about Dunagan's novel A Yellow Watermelon: "In A Yellow Watermelon, Ted Dunagan convincingly captures the South of the late nineteen forties. In a moving story, he shows through the experience of a boy how friendship can triumph over prejudice. Good reading!" Mr. Dunagan was born in rural southwestern Alabama. He attended Georgia State University, and served for three years in the army as a member of the 101st Airborne Division and Special Forces Training Group. Dunagan is now retired after a career in the cosmetics and fragrance industry. He writes features and columns for The Monticello News in Monticello, Georgia, where he lives with his wife. Mr. Dunagan will meet with Middle School Language Arts classes in the morning, and will be available to speak with students and faculty and to sign books from noon to 2:00 p.m. in the lobby of the Bertelsmann Foundation Building. He will address the Middle School assembly from 2:25 - 3:20. Anyone who is free at that time is welcome to join us! ]]> http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2010/02/guest_author_ted_dunagan_to_vi.html http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2010/02/guest_author_ted_dunagan_to_vi.html Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:28:21 -0500 Love Stinks Booklist: Download file ]]> http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2010/01/happy_valentines_day_from_the.html http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2010/01/happy_valentines_day_from_the.html Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:50:13 -0500 Superfreakonomics 330 LEAVITT The "New York Times" best-selling "Freakonomics" was a worldwide sensation, selling over four million copies in thirty-five languages and changing the way we look at the world. Now, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner return with "SuperFreakonomics, " and fans and newcomers alike will find that the freakquel is even bolder, funnier, and more surprising than the first. By examining how people respond to incentives, they show the world for what it really is - good, bad, ugly, and, in the final analysis, super freaky. Anne Frank: Her Life in Words and Pictures from the Archives of the Anne Frank House B FRANK Produced in association with The Anne Frank House and filled with never-before-published snapshots, school pictures, and photos of Anne's diary and the Secret Annex, this elegantly designed album is both a stand-alone introduction to Anne's life and a photographic companion to a classic of Holocaust literature. Really, Really Big Questions: About Life, the Universe, and Everything 100 LAW Have you ever looked at your dog and wondered what it is really thinking? Or asked yourself if your entire life has been a dream? Prepare to exercise your mind as you investigate these big ideas and more on the roller-coaster ride of reason and ridiculous that is philosophy. Cool illustrations, brainteasers, and quirky quotations add to the simple and fun question-and-answer format, introducting readers to life's important questions. Stones Into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan 371.82 MORTENSO The author of the #1 bestseller "Three Cups of Tea" offers the continuing story of this determined humanitarian's efforts to promote peace through education. Filled with rich, personal stories and insights into the Middle East, this book is an inspiration--and a call to action. Mr. Lincoln’s High-Tech War: How the North Used the Telegraph, Railroads, Surveillance Balloons, Ironclads, High-Powered Weapons, and More To Win the Civil War 973.73 ALLEN Lincoln knew that winning the war would take more than the same old strategies and maneuvers. It would require using technology to create new ways of waging war. Lincoln worked to make sure his soldiers and sailors had the best and latest hardware. By combining new tools with time-tested tactics, he helped revolutionize warfare. The Cold War: From the Descent of the Iron Curtain to the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the Collapse of Communism in Europe 909.8 FRIEDMAN More than 30 facsimile items of Cold War memorabilia allow readers to hold and examine diaries, letters, telegrams, decoded intercepts, and newspapers that, up till now, were confined to filing cabinets and museum exhibitions. Follow the development of each important stage in the long, chilly conflict that divided the world into two spheres of influence. Googled: The End of the World As We Know It 338.76 AULETTA Auletta provides the fullest account ever told of Google's rise, shares the secret of Google's success, and shows why the worlds of new and old media often communicate as if residents of different planets. 500 Things To Know about the Ancient World 930 HOWITT 500 amazing facts about the people, places, and things of the ancient world. You will never again be short of a fascinating fact to stun your friends and impress your family and teachers! One Well: The Story of Water on Earth 553.7 STRAUSS Seen from space, our planet looks blue. This is because almost 70 percent of Earth's surface is covered with water, and all water is connected; every raindrop, lake, underground river and glacier is part of a single global well. Water has the power to change everything--a single splash can sprout a seed, quench a thirst, provide a habitat, generate energy and sustain life. How we treat the water in the well will affect every species on the planet, now and for years to come. "One Well" shows how every one of us has the power to conserve and protect our global well. Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali B ALI From the moment a fired-up teenager from Kentucky won 1960 Olympic gold to the day in 1996 when a retired legend, hands shaking from Parkinson's, returned to raise the Olympic torch, the boxer known as "The Greatest" waged many a fight. Some were in the ring, against opponents like Sonny Liston and Joe Frazier; others were against societal prejudice and against a war he refused to support because of his Islamic faith. Charles R. Smith Jr.'s rap-inspired verse weaves and bobs and jabs with relentless energy, while Bryan Collier's bold collage artwork matches every move. The Greatest Moments in Sports 796 BERMAN The best thing about sports is that you never know when a great moment is going to happen. And everyone has a different opinion about what the greatest moments are. Sportscaster Len Berman reveals his favorite moments in sports and offers this challenge: what are yours? The CD that comes with this book includes the actual broadcasts of David Tyree’s Super Bowl helmet catch, Wayne Gretzky breaking the NHL scoring record, Michael Jordan’s championship buzzer-beater and more. Einstein: The Life of a Genius B EINSTEIN Based on newly released personal letters of Einstein, this book explores how an imaginative, impertinent patent clerk -- a struggling father in a difficult marriage who couldn't get a teaching job or a doctorate -- became the mind reader of the creator of the cosmos, the locksmith of the mysteries of the atom and the universe. His success came from questioning conventional wisdom and marveling at mysteries that struck others as mundane. This led him to embrace a morality and politics based on respect for free minds, free spirits, and free individuals. 10 Explorers Who Changed the World 910.92 GIFFORD Everyone knows who Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus were. But do they know that Christopher Columbus owned a copy of Polo's book The Travels of Marco Polo, full of Columbus's own handwritten notes that served as inspiration and research for his famous journey? This amazing link and nine more are the basis for this highly original look at great explorers. By drawing a line from Polo and Magellan to Lewis and Clark and right down to Jacques Yves-Cousteau, readers will never think about history the same way again. Atlas of Ancient Worlds 930 CHRISP Packed with new and incredible facts about ancient worlds, this unique atlas takes readers on a journey around the globe through time to explore Egyptian pharaohs, Japanese dynasties, Peruvian people, and other ancient civilizations. Remarkable Creatures: Epic Adventures in the Search for the Origins of Species 576.8 CARROLL An award-wining biologist explores the dramatic expeditions that unearthed the history of life on Earth--from the epic journeys of pioneering naturalists to the breakthroughs making headlines today. The War That Killed Achilles: The True Story of Homer’s Iliad 883.01 ALEXANDE Few warriors, in life or literature, have challenged their commanding officer and the rationale of the war they fought as fiercely as did Homer's hero Achilles. Today, the "Iliad" is celebrated as one of the greatest works in literature, the epic of all epics; many have forgotten that the subject of this ancient poem was war--not merely the poetical romance of the war at Troy, but war in all its enduring devastation. From the author of the bestselling work "The Bounty" comes a groundbreaking reading of "The Iliad" that restores Homer's vision of the tragedy of war. The Mighty Twelve: Superheroes of Greek Myth 398.2 SMITH Meet the most impressive of the gods and goddesses of Olympus-and even a few monsters-and see them revealed for what they really were: ancient superheroes with the power to shift shape, move mountains, and change fate. In this innovative introduction to Greek mythology, energetic poems and dynamic comic book style illustrations create a seamless blend of the ancient and contemporary that depicts the gods in all their super-human glory. Today I Will: A Year of Quotes, Notes, and Promises to Myself 082 SPINELLI From an esteemed husband-and-wife team comes a book of daily advice and insight. In dated entries meant to be read one per day, the Spinellis open with a brief quote from children's literature, write a paragraph of lively advice inspired by that quote, and end with a "Today I will" promise. The entries range from the broad (self-esteem, the environment, gratitude, and open-mindedness) to the simple and specific (Today I will call a grandparent, smile at a new kid, take a walk, send a snail-mail letter). The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War 359.42 BRADLEY In 1905, President Teddy Roosevelt dispatched Secretary of War William Howard Taft on the largest U.S. diplomatic mission in history to Hawaii, Japan, China, and Korea. A century later, Bradley travels in the wake of Roosevelt's mission to discover what transpired in these meetings. River of Doubt : Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey 918.11 MILLARD At once an incredible adventure narrative and a penetrating biographical portrait, "The River of Doubt" is the true story of Theodore Roosevelt's harrowing exploration of one of the most dangerous rivers on Earth. Lit: A Memoir B KARR Karr pens the long-awaited sequel to the beloved and bestselling "The Liars' Club" in her memoir about a self-professed blackbelt sinner's descent into the inferno of alcoholism and madness, and her astonishing resurrection. Eat This, Not That! Restaurant Survival Guide 613.25 ZINCZENK Restaurant chains and food producers invest $30 billion a year on advertising, much of it aimed at confusing eaters. This newest title in the bestselling Eat This Not That! series arms readers with tricks and information they need to eat well no matter where they are. ]]> http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2009/12/new_nonfiction.html http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2009/12/new_nonfiction.html Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:57:33 -0500 Her Fearful Symmetry FIC NIFFENEG When Elspeth Noblin dies, she leaves everything to the 20-year-old American twin daughters of her own long-estranged twin, Edie. Valentina and Julia, as enmeshed as Elspeth and Edie once were, move into Elspeth’s London flat and through a series of developing relationships a crisis develops that could pull the twins apart. Push FIC SAPPHIRE An electrifying first novel that shocks by its language, its circumstances, and its brutal honesty, Push recounts a young black street-girl's horrendous and redemptive journey through a Harlem inferno. For Precious Jones, 16 and pregnant with her father's child, miraculous hope appears and the world begins to open up for her when a courageous, determined teacher bullies, cajoles, and inspires her to learn to read, to define her own feelings and set them down in a diary. The Afghan Campaign FIC PRESSFIE In a story that might have been ripped from today's combat dispatches, Steven Pressfield brings to life the confrontation between an invading Western army and fierce Eastern warriors determined at all costs to defend their homeland. Narrated by an infantryman in Alexander's army, The Afghan Campaign explores the challenges, both military and moral, that Alexander and his soldiers face as they embark on a new type of war and are forced to adapt to the methods of a ruthless foe that employs terror and insurgent tactics. Seven Loves FIC TRUEBLOO Who most deeply affects our lives? Sometimes it is those who touch us briefly, even unexpectedly. For May Nilsson, these include the lover she takes in her forties; the handsome, troubled young rebel she is determined to rescue; the police officer who inadvertently plays a major role in her greatest catastrophe. Moving back and forth in time, from May's childhood to her eighth decade, Seven Loves weaves together the strands of an ordinary life made extraordinary by the complex passions that drive it. All He Ever Wanted FIC SHREVE A man reflects back on three decades of his obsession with an unknown and ultimately unknowable woman--his courtship of her, his marriage to her, and the unforgivable act that ripped their family apart. Fortune's Rocks FIC SHREVE We are transported to the turn of the last century, to the social realm of a prominent Boston family summering on the New Hampshire coast, and to the world of a spirited young woman who falls into a passionate, illicit affair with an older man--with cataclysmic results. The Last Time They Met FIC SHREVE A man and a woman sustain a lifelong passionate relationship even though they have been together only three times. Sea Glass FIC SHREVE Set in 1929 at a decaying beach house on the Atlantic Coast, Sea Glass unfolds a richly engaging tale of marriage, money, and troubled times. A Wedding in December FIC SHREVE Seven former schoolmates gather at an inn in the Berkshires to celebrate a wedding and to recall a long-ago night that marked each of their lives. The King of Torts FIC GRISHAM The office of the public defender is not known as a training ground for bright young litigators. Clay Carter has been there too long and, like most of his colleagues, dreams of a better job in a real firm. When he reluctantly takes the case of a young man charged with a random street killing, he assumes it is just another of the many senseless murders that hit D.C. every week. As he digs into the background of his client, Clay stumbles on a conspiracy too horrible to believe. He suddenly finds himself in the middle of a complex case against one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, looking at the kind of enormous settlement that would totally change his life­that would make him, almost overnight, the legal profession’s newest king of torts. The Brethren FIC GRISHAM They call themselves the Brethren: three disgraced former judges doing time in a Florida federal prison. One was sent up for tax evasion. Another, for skimming bingo profits. And the third, for a career-ending drunken joyride. Meeting daily in the prison law library, taking exercise walks in their boxer shorts, these judges-turned-felons can reminisce about old court cases, dispense a little jailhouse justice, and contemplate where their lives went wrong. Or they can use their time in prison to get very rich -- very fast. And so they sit, sprawled in the prison library, furiously writing letters, fine-tuning a wickedly brilliant extortion scam ... while events outside their prison walls begin to erupt. A bizarre presidential election is holding the nation in its grips -- and a powerful government figure is pulling some very hidden strings. For the Brethren, the timing couldn't be better. Because they've just found the perfect victim. The Summons FIC GRISHAM Ray Atlee is a professor of law at the University of Virginia. He's forty-three, newly single, and still enduring the aftershocks of a surprise divorce. He has a younger brother, Forrest, who redefines the notion of a family's black sheep. And he has a father, a very sick old man who lives alone in the ancestral home in Clanton, Mississippi. He is known to all as Judge Atlee, a beloved and powerful official who has towered over local law and politics for forty years. No longer on the bench, the Judge has withdrawn to the Atlee mansion and become a recluse. With the end in sight, Judge Atlee issues a summons for both sons to return home to Clanton, to discuss the details of his estate. Ray reluctantly heads south, to his hometown, to the place where he grew up, which he prefers now to avoid. But the family meeting does not take place. The Judge dies too soon, and in doing so leaves behind a shocking secret known only to Ray. And perhaps someone else. Garden Spells FIC ALLEN In this luminous debut novel, Allen tells the story of an enchanted apple tree that bears prophetic fruit and edible flowers that are imbued with special powers--and the extraordinary people who tend it. The Queen of the South FIC PEREZ- REVERTE Set to the irresistible beat of outlaw ballads, this sweeping story encompasses sensuality and cruelty, love and betrayal as its heroine's story unfolds. It spans continents from the dusty streets of Mexico to the sparkling waters off the coast of Morocco, to the Strait of Gibraltar and Spain. Bed and Breakfast FIC BATTLE The upstairs/downstairs comedies of a Southern inn make a perfect backdrop for this portrait of a family in all its tender, touching, and flawed glory. The Shadow of the Wind FIC RUIZ ZAFON Barcelona, 1945-just after the war, a great world city lies in shadow, nursing its wounds, and a boy named Daniel awakes on his eleventh birthday to find that he can no longer remember his mother's face. To console his only child, Daniel's widowed father, an antiquarian book dealer, initiates him into the secret of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a library tended by Barcelona's guild of rare-book dealers as a repository for books forgotten by the world, waiting for someone who will care about them again. Daniel's father coaxes him to choose a volume from the spiraling labyrinth of shelves, one that, it is said, will have a special meaning for him. And Daniel so loves the novel he selects, "The Shadow of the Wind" by one Julian Carax, that he sets out to find the rest of Carax's work. To his shock, he discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book this author has written. In fact, he may have the last one in existence. Before Daniel knows it, his seemingly innocent quest has opened a door into one of Barcelona's darkest secrets, an epic story of murder, magic, madness and doomed love. And before long he realizes that if he doesn't find out the truth about Julian Carax, he and those closest to him will suffer horribly. The Night Watch FIC WATERS Moving back through the 1940s, through air raids, blacked-out streets, illicit partying, and sexual adventure, to end with its beginning in 1941, "The Night Watch" tells the story of four Londoners-three women and a young man with a past-whose lives, and those of their friends and lovers, connect in tragedy, stunning surprise and exquisite turns, only to change irreversibly in the shadow of a grand historical event. The Rule of Four FIC CALDWELL It's Easter at Princeton and two students, Tom Sullivan and Paul Harris, are a hair's breadth from solving the mysteries of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili -- a renowned text attributed to an Italian nobleman, a work that has baffled scholars since its publication in 1499. But as their deadline looms, research has stalled -- until a long-lost diary surfaces with a vital clue. And when a fellow researcher is murdered just hours later, Tom and Paul realize that they are not the first to glimpse the Hypnerotomachia's secrets. Portrait in Sepia FIC ALLENDE Completing the trilogy that includes the bestselling novels "Daughter of Fortune" and "The House of the Spirits, Portrait in Sepia" is a stunning novel about memory and family secrets. Set at the end of the 19th century, this book is a richly imagined historical novel featuring the colorful and intrepid del Valle family. Mr. Darcy's Daughters FIC ASTON Picking up twenty years after Pride and Prejudice left off, "Mr. Darcy's Daughters" begins in the year 1818. Elizabeth and Darcy have gone to Constantinople, giving us an opportunity to get to know their five daughters, who have left the sheltered surroundings of Pemberley for a few months in London. While the eldest, Letitia, frets and the youngest, Alethea, practices her music, twins Georgina and Belle flirt and frolic their way through parties and balls and Camilla -- levelheaded and independent -- discovers what joys and sorrows the city has to offer an intelligent young woman. Readers will delight in the return of such beloved Austen creations as Elizabeth's old nemesis Caroline Bingley (now Lady Warren), the ever-reliable Gardiners and wayward Aunt Lydia. Middlesex FIC EUGENIDE In the spring of 1974, Calliope Stephanides, a student at a girls' school in Grosse Pointe, finds herself drawn to a chain-smoking, strawberry blond classmate with a gift for acting. The passion that furtively develops between them--along with Callie's failure to develop--leads Callie to suspect that she is not like other girls. In fact, she is not really a girl at all. Love in the Ruins FIC PERCY Dr. Tom More has created a miraculous instrument--the Ontological Lapsometer, a kind of stethoscope of the human spirit. With it, he plans to cure mankind of its spiritual flu. Though scorned by the experts, Tom embarks on an outrageous odyssey to prove himself. But in attempting to save the world from destruction, our hero ultimately begins to understand what he can never really know--the value of life and its corresponding susceptibility to time, chance, and ruin. Thirteen Steps Down FIC RENDELL Mix Cellini is obsessed. And not just with the supermodel he’s been stalking. He’s also endlessly fascinated by the life of Reggie Christie, the infamous serial killer hanged fifty years ago. So when things get difficult­his snoopy landlady and her friends watch him with growing suspicion and the object of his desire ignores him­Mix turns to his hero, Reggie Christie, for inspiration. And Reggie was a man for whom murder began as a practical solution and became a matter of appetite. The Night Villa FIC GOODMAN Bestselling author Goodman's novel sweeps across the dramatic skies of present day Texas to ancient Capri, evocatively telling a tale of intrigue, romance, and treachery that changes two women's lives centuries apart. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian FIC LEWYCKA A wise, tender, deeply funny novel about an eccentric elderly Ukrainian widower in England and the struggles of his two feuding daughters to thwart the voluptuous young gold-digger from the old country who sweeps him off his feet. Hanna's Daughters FIC FREDRIKS Spanning more than 100 years in the lives of three remarkable women--a mother, daughter, and grandmother--this luminous, heartfelt novel is shaped by the epic sweep of history and linked through a century of great love and great loss. Portuguese Irregular Verbs FIC MCCALL SMITH Von Igelfeld is the world’s leading scholar on Portuguese irregular verbs, having written a majestic book on the subject. But in other matters, von Igelfeld is not nearly so skilled. Whether haplessly playing tennis against an equally dreadful opponent, or committing his friends to swordfighting duels without their knowledge, von Igelfeld is somewhat naive in the ways of the world. Yet that does not stop him from having a go at life, and the results are always humorous. The Accusers FIC DAVIS Fresh from his trip to Britain, Marcus Didius Falco needs to re-establish his presence in Rome. A minor role in the trial of a senator entangles him in the machinations of Silius Italicus and Paccius Africanus ­ two real-life lawyers at the top of their trade. These notorious ex-consuls play a dangerous game, where success brings rich pickings but a mistrial or a wrong verdict entails huge financial penalties. The senator is convicted but then dies, apparently by suicide. It may be a legal move to protect his heirs, but Silius hires Falco and his young associates to prove it was murder. As Falco shows off his own talents in the role of advocate, he exposes himself to powerful elements in Roman law: offending the wrong people may lead to charges he has not bargained for, in a contest that threatens financial ruin for himself and his family. Sarum: The Novel of England FIC RUTHERFU A masterpiece that is breathtaking in its scope, SARUM is an epic novel that traces the entire turbulent course of English history. This rich tapesty weaves a compelling saga of five families who preserve their own particular characteristics over the centuries, and offer a fascinating glimpse into the future. The Cold Moon FIC DEAVER On a freezing December night, with a full moon hovering in the black sky over New York City, two people are brutally murdered -- the death scenes marked by eerie, matching calling cards: moon-faced clocks inves-tigators fear ticked away the victims' last moments on earth. Renowned criminologist Lincoln Rhyme immediately identifies the clock distributor and has the chilling realization that the killer -- who has dubbed himself the Watchmaker -- has more murders planned in the hours to come. Cradle and All FIC PATTERSO Two pregnant teenagers--both virgins--find themselves at the center of a terrifying battle on which the fate of humanity hangs. They haven't been told of the secret prophecy of the Virgin of Fatima, known only to the Pope: one of these girls will give birth to the Messiah while the other will bear the child of Satan. Interview with the Vampire FIC RICE In a remote room in a large city, a young reporter sits face-to-face with his most astonishing subject: a onetime New Orleans gentleman plantation owner who, in vividly terrifying and haunting detail, recalls his centuries of extraordinary life--beginning with his initiation into the ranks of the living dead at the hands of the sinister, sensual vampire Lestat. Sarah's Key FIC ROSNAY Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours. Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life. The Crimson Petal and the White FIC FABER At the heart of this panoramic, multidimensional narrative is the compelling struggle of a young woman to lift her body and soul out of the gutter. Faber leads readers back to 1870s London, where Sugar, a 19-year-old whore in the brothel of the terrifying Mrs. Castaway, yearns for escape to a better life. The Eyre Affair FIC FFORDE In Jasper Fforde's Great Britain, circa 1985, time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously. England is a virtual police state where an aunt can get lost (literally) in a Wordsworth poem and forging Byronic verse is a punishable offense. All this is business as usual for Thursday Next, renowned Special Operative in literary detection. But when someone begins kidnapping characters from works of literature and plucks Jane Eyre from the pages of Bronte's novel, Thursday is faced with the challenge of her career. Fforde's ingenious fantasy-enhanced by a Web site that re-creates the world of the novel--unites intrigue with English literature in a delightfully witty mix. Lost in a Good Book FIC FFORDE When Landen, the love of her life, is eradicated by the corrupt multinational Goliath Corporation, Thursday Next must moonlight as a Prose Resource Operative of Jurisfiction, the police force inside books. She is apprenticed to the man-hating Miss Havisham from Dickens's "Great Expectations," who grudgingly shows Thursday the ropes. Along with jumping into the works of Kafka and Austen, and even Beatrix Potter's "The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies," Thursday finds herself the target of a series of potentially lethal coincidences, the authenticator of a newly discovered play by the Bard himself, and the only one who can prevent an unidentifiable pink sludge from engulfing all life on Earth. The Well of Lost Plots FIC FFORDE Literary detective, Thursday Next, definitely needs some downtime. And what better place for a respite than in the hidden depths of the Well of Lost Plots, where all unpublished books reside? But peace and quiet remain elusive for Thursday, who soon discovers that the Well is a veritable linguistic free-for-all, where grammasites run rampant, plot devices are hawked on the black market, and lousy books, like the one she has taken up residence in, are scrapped for salvage. To make matters worse, a murderer is stalking the personnel of Jurisfiction and it's up to Thursday to save the day. Cleopatra's Daughter FIC MORAN After the death of their parents, Marc Antony and Cleopatra, twins Alexander and Selene and younger brother Ptolemy are in a dangerous position, left to the mercy of their father's greatest rival, Octavian Caesar. However, Caesar does not kill them as expected, but takes the trio to Rome to be paraded as part of his triumphant return and to demonstrate his solidified power. As the twins adapt to life in Rome in the inner circle of Caesar's family, they grow into adulthood ensconced in a web of secrecy, intrigue and constant danger. Told from Selene's perspective, the tale draws readers into the fascinating world of ancient Rome and into the court of Rome's first and most famous emperor. The Queen's Mistake FIC HAEGER When the young and beautiful Catherine Howard becomes the fifth wife of King Henry VIII, she seems to be on top of the world. Yet her reign is destined to be brief and heartbreaking, as she is forced to do battle with enemies far more powerful than she could have ever imagined. The Other Boleyn Girl FIC GREGORY When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of fourteen, she catches the eye of Henry VIII. Dazzled by the king, Mary falls in love with both her golden prince and her growing role as unofficial queen. However, she soon realizes just how much she is a pawn in her family's ambitious plots as the king's interest begins to wane and she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her sister, Anne. *Please note that most adult fiction titles are acquired through donations--thank you to those who are generous with their gently read books! ]]> http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2009/12/new_booksoctober_and_november.html http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2009/12/new_booksoctober_and_november.html Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:30:35 -0500 The Emperor's Children FIC MESSUD Set mostly in New York City at the turn of the 21st century, “The Emperor’s Children” is a masterly comedy of manners — an astute and poignant evocation of hobnobbing glitterati in the months before and immediately following Sept. 11. Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover YA FIC CARTER Cammie Morgan arrives in Boston, where Macey's father is about to receive the vice presidential nomination. The girls soon find themselves trapped in a kidnapping plot, in the third installment of the Gallagher Girls series. Rumors (Luxe, book 2) YA FIC GODBERS As rumors continue about the untimely demise of Elizabeth Holland, an outwardly stricken Penelope Hayes determines to use any means necessary to claim her friend’s pre-eminent place in 1899 Manhattan society and to get and keep the attentions of Elizabeth’s former fiance?, the wealthy Henry Schoonmaker. Envy (Luxe, Book 3) YA FIC GODBERS Two months after Elizabeth Holland's dramatic homecoming, Manhattan eagerly awaits her return to the pinnacle of society. When Elizabeth refuses to rejoin her sister Diana's side, however, those watching New York's favorite family begin to suspect that all is not as it seems behind the stately doors of No. 17 Gramercy Park South. Sideshow: Ten Original Tales of Freaks, Illusionists, and Other Matters Odd and Magical YA FIC NOYES Freaks, magicians, psychics, and the passing strange take center stage in 10 original tales by top YA authors and graphic novelists, including David Almond, Amiee Bender, and Matt Phelen. Boys R Us (Clique, Book 11) YA FIC HARRISO Massie, hurt that friends have caught the eyes of boys she was interested in, hires actresses to pretend to be her new friends while Claire, who feels somehow responsible, makes a dramatic move to set things right. NuGrl90 / Sadie (Bloggrls, Book 1) YA FIC DELLASE Sadie, a.k.a. nugrl90, finds out one day that her semi-happy teen life is taking a serious turn toward disaster. Not only are her parents really, truly getting divorced (as they've threatened a hundred times), but now her family is moving! She has to share a room with WS (Wicked Sister) and start the school year as "the new girl." So Sadie creates a blog to sort out every W3TP (What's Wrong With This Picture?) that has suddenly entered her life. Wake YA FIC MCCANN Ever since she was eight years old, high school student Janie Hannagan has been uncontrollably drawn into other people’s dreams, but it is not until she befriends an elderly nursing home patient and becomes involved with an enigmatic fellow-student that she discovers her true power. Angry Management YA FIC CRUTCHER Mr. Nak's Angry Management group is a place for misfits. A place for stories. And, man, does this crew have stories. There's Angus Bethune and Sarah Byrnes, who can hide from everyone but each other. And Montana West, who doesn't step down from a challenge, not even when the challenge comes from her adoptive dad, who's leading the school board to censor the article she wrote for the school paper. And straightlaced Matt Miller, who had never been friends with outspoken genius Marcus James, until one tragic week--a week they'd do anything to change--brings them closer than Matt could have ever imagined. ]]> http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2009/10/new_books_and_dvdsseptember_20.html http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2009/10/new_books_and_dvdsseptember_20.html Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:04:06 -0500 Gone From These Woods JUV FIC SEAGRAVE Feeling like a monstrous villain in one of his comic books, eleven-year-old Daniel tries to cope with the guilt after accidentally killing his beloved uncle while hunting in the woods of North Georgia. My Rotten Life (Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie, Book 1) JUV FIC LUBAR When fifth-grader Nathan Abercrombie accidentally gets doused with an experimental serum, he becomes a half-dead zombie­ and discovers that being half-dead isn’t all bad. Since he doesn't need any sleep, he can stay up all night and play video games. He doesn’t feel any pain, so there’s no need to worry about Rodney the bully anymore. Still, Nathan would rather be human. Will he find a cure? Or will Nathan be half-dead forever? 101 Dalmatians JUV FIC SMITH When the Dearly's dalmatians have their first litter of puppies--fifteen in all--everyone is delighted. But their joy is shattered when the pups are kidnapped. The humans don't have a clue as to who the culprit is, but the smartest dogs in London are on the case, and on the trail of the fur-loving Cruella de Vil, who will stop at nothing to have a Dalmatian fur coat! Here's How I See It, Here's How It Is JUV FIC HENSON At almost-thirteen, Junebug has never felt right except as stagehand at her father’s summer theater, but after her parents separate and an irritating intern takes over her responsibilities, she discovers how hard life can be without a script to follow. The Magykal Papers (A Companion Volume to the Septimus Heap Series) JUV FIC SAGE A compilation of pamphlets, journals, restaurant reviews, maps, historical information, and other never-before-published papers from the world of the apprentice alchemist, Septimus Heap. Rise of the Evening Star (Fablehaven, Book 2) JUV FIC MULL At the end of the school year, Kendra and her brother Seth find themselves racing back to Fablehaven, a refuge for mythical and magical creatures. Grandpa Sorenson, the caretaker, invites three specialists--a potion master, a magical relics collector, and a mystical creature trapper--to help protect the property from the Society of the Evening Star, an ancient organization determined to infiltrate the preserve and steal a hidden artifact of great power. Time is running out. The Evening Star is storming the gates. If the artifact falls into the wrong hands, it could mean the downfall of other preserves and possibly the world. Will Kendra learn to use her fairy gifts in time? Will Seth stay out of trouble? Daniel X: Watch the Skies (Daniel X, Book 2) JUV FIC PATTERS All's quiet in the small town of Holliswood, but not all is as perfect as it seems. A terrifying outlaw has just arrived in town, with the goal of throwing it into chaos. Only Daniel X and his all-star team can stop the outlaw and his thugs from destroying the city and everyone living there. Notes from the Dog JUV FIC PAULSEN Fifteen-year-old Finn is a loner, living with his dad and his amazing dog, Dylan. This summer he's hoping for a job where he doesn't have to talk to anyone except his pal Matthew. Then Johanna moves in next door. She's 10 years older, cool, funny, and she treats Finn as an equal. Dylan loves her, too. Johanna's dealing with breast cancer, and Matthew and Finn learn to care for her, emotionally and physically. When she hires Finn to create a garden, his gardening ideas backfire comically. But Johanna and the garden help Finn discover his talents for connecting with people. Football Champ JUV FIC GREEN Twelve-year-old Troy’s uncanny gift for predicting football plays proves a powerful secret weapon for the Atlanta Falcons, but a seedy reporter with a vendetta suspects something is going on and sets out to shred the reputations of Troy and star linebacker Seth Halloway. Football Hero JUV FIC GREEN When twelve-year-old Ty’s brother Thane is recruited out of college to play for the New York Jets, their Uncle Gus uses Ty to get insider information for his gambling ring, landing Ty and Thane in trouble with the Mafia. Change-up: Mystery at the World Series JUV FIC FEINSTEI While covering baseball’s World Series between the Washington Nationals and the Boston Red Sox, teenage sports reporters Stevie and Susan Carol investigate a rookie pitcher whose evasive answers during an interview reveal more than a few contradictions in his life story. Mud Puddle Poodle (Pet Trouble, Book 3) JUV FIC SUTHERL Rosie loves everything to be pretty and organized, so when she's finally allowed to get her own dog, she chooses an adorable, precious little poodle. But when it turns out her princess would rather get messy than sit on a fancy pillow, will Rosie be able to handle the mischievous pup? Click Here (To Find Out How I Survived Seventh Grade) JUV FIC VEGA Seventh-grader Erin Swift writes about her friends and classmates in her private blog, but when it accidentally gets posted on the school Intranet site, she learns some important lessons about friendship. Access Denied (and Other Eighth Grade Error Messages) JUV FIC VEGA Computer whiz Erin Swift is ready to start eighth grade. The Year of Humiliating Events is behind her and she's ready to rule the school. But eighth grade comes with its own set of problems for Erin to navigate, in this hilarious and touching follow-up to "Click Here (To Find Out How I Survived Seventh Grade)." The Wind in the Willows JUV FIC GRAHAME Since its first publication in 1908, generations of adults and children have cherished Kenneth Grahame's classic, The Wind in the Willows. For in this entrancing, lyrical world of gurgling rivers and whispering reeds live four of the wisest, wittiest, noblest, and most lovable creatures in all of literature--Rat, Mole, Badger, and Toad of Toad Hall. Like true adventurers, they glory in life's simplest pleasures and natural wonders. But it is Toad, cocky and irrepressible in his goggles and overcoat, whose passion for motorcars represents the free and fearless spirit in all of us; just as it's Toad's downfall that inspires the others to test Grahame's most precious theme--the miracle of loyalty and friendship. ]]> http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2009/10/new_juvenile_fiction.html http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2009/10/new_juvenile_fiction.html Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:03:59 -0500 Ripley's Believe It or Not--Special Edition 2010 031.02 RIPLEY The fascinating files of Robert Ripley prove there's nothing stranger than the truth. This annual edition collects the most unbelievable facts, acts, and oddities ever recorded. Guinness World Records 2010 032 GUINNESS This brand-new edition for 2010 continues to build on the intriguing, informative, inspiring, and instructional records and superlatives that have made this series one of the most famous and bestselling annual publications. If America Were a Village: A Book about the People of the United States 304.6 SMITH America, with all its diversity, is not easily defined. David J. Smith's If America Were a Village takes a snapshot - past, present and future - to help define America for children. Using the same successful metaphor of the international bestseller If the World Were a Village, the book shrinks down America to a village of 100. The metaphor helps children easily understand American ethnic origins, religions, family profiles, occupations, wealth, belongings and more. Strength in What Remains: A Journey of Remembrance and Forgiveness 305.89 KIDDER An inspiring account of one man's remarkable American journey and of the ordinary people who helped him-a brilliant testament to the power of will and of second chances. Deo arrives in America from Burundi in search of a new life. Having survived a civil war and genocide, plagued by horrific dreams, he lands at JFK airport with two hundred dollars, no English, and no contacts. He ekes out a precarious existence delivering groceries, living in Central Park, and learning English by reading dictionaries in bookstores. Then Deo begins to meet the strangers who will change his life, pointing him eventually in the direction of Columbia University, medical school, and a life devoted to healing. NurtureShock: New Thinking about Children 305.23 BRONSON NurtureShock is a groundbreaking collaboration between award-winning science journalists Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. They argue that when it comes to children, we've mistaken good intentions for good ideas. With impeccable storytelling and razor-sharp analysis, they demonstrate that many of modern society's strategies for nurturing children are in fact backfiring--because key twists in the science have been overlooked. The National Parks: America's Best Idea 333.78 DUNCAN America's national parks spring from an idea as radical as the Declaration of Independence: that the nation's most magnificent and sacred places should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone. In this evocative and lavishly illustrated narrative, Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan delve into the history of the park idea, from the first sighting by white men in 1851 of the valley that would become Yosemite and the creation of the world's first national park at Yellowstone in 1872, through the most recent additions to a system that now encompasses nearly four hundred sites and 84 million acres. My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey 362.19 TAYLOR On the morning of December 10, 1996, Taylor, a brain scientist, experienced a massive stroke. She observed her own mind completely deteriorate. Now she shares her unique perspective on the brain and its capacity for recovery. Death In a Prairie House: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Murders 364.15 DRENNAN In response to the scandal generated by his open affair with the proto-feminist and free love advocate Mamah Borthwick Cheney, Wright had begun to build Taliesin as a refuge and "love cottage" for himself and his mistress (both married at the time to others). Conceived as the apotheosis of Wright's prairie house style, the original Taliesin would stand in all its isolated glory for only a few months before the bloody slayings that rocked the nation and reduced the structure itself to a smoking hull. Supplying both a gripping mystery story and an authoritative portrait of the artist as a young man, Drennan wades through the myths surrounding Wright and the massacre, casting fresh light on the formulation of Wright's architectural ideology and the cataclysmic effects that the Taliesin murders exerted on the fabled architect and on his subsequent designs. Teacher Man: A Memoir 371.1 MCCOURT Frank McCourt became an unlikely star when, at the age of sixty-six, he burst onto the literary scene with "Angela's Ashes, " the Pulitzer Prize- winning memoir of his childhood in Limerick, Ireland. Then came "'Tis, " his glorious account of his early years in New York. Now, here at last, is McCourt's long-awaited book about how his thirty-year teaching career shaped his second act as a writer. "Teacher Man" is also an urgent tribute to teachers everywhere. In bold and spirited prose featuring his irreverent wit and heartbreaking honesty, McCourt records the trials, triumphs and surprises he faces in public high schools around New York City. Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-algebra Who's Boss 512 MCKELLA From the author of the runaway bestseller "Math Doesn't Suck," the next step in the math curriculum--pre-Algebra. Last year, actress and math genius Danica McKellar made waves nationwide, challenging the "math nerd" stereotype and giving girls the tools to ace tests and homework in her unique just-us-girls style. Now, in "Kiss My Math," McKellar empowers a new crop of girls--7th to 9th graders--taking on the next level of mathematics. The Making of the Fittest: DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution 572.86 CARROLL DNA evidence not only solves crimes--in Sean Carroll's hands it will now end the Evolution Wars. DNA is the genetic material that defines us as individuals. Over the last two decades, it has emerged as a powerful tool for solving crimes and determining guilt & innocence. But, very recently, an important new aspect of DNA has been revealed--it contains a detailed record of evolution. Hope For Animals and Their World: How Endangered Species Are Being Rescued From The Brink 591.68 GOODALL At a time when animal species are becoming extinct on every continent and we are confronted with bad news about the environment nearly every day, Jane Goodall, one of the world's most renowned scientists, brings us inspiring news about the future of the animal kingdom. Interweaving her own first-hand experiences in the field with the compelling research of premier scientists, Goodall illuminates the heroic efforts of dedicated environmentalists and the truly critical need to protect the habitats of these beloved species. The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life As an Experiment 814.54 JACOBS For his first book, "The Know-It-All," A. J. Jacobs read the entire "Encyclopaedia Britannica" from cover to cover in a quest to learn everything in the world. In "The Year of Living Biblically," he followed every single rule of the Bible -- from the Ten Commandments right on down to stoning adulterers. Now comes a collection of his most hilarious and thought-provoking experiments yet. In his role as human guinea pig, Jacobs fearlessly takes on a series of life-altering challenges that provides readers with equal parts insight and humor. How To Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips On Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion 818.6 WILSON From treating laser wounds to fooling face and speech recognition, besting robot logic to engaging in hand-to-pincer combat, How to Survive a Robot Uprising covers every possible doomsday scenario facing the newest endangered species: humans. And with its thorough overview of current robot prototypes, ­including giant walkers, insect, gecko, and snake robots, How to Survive a Robot Uprising is also a witty yet legitimate introduction to contemporary robotics. How To Read and Why 801.92 BLOOM Bloom, the best-known literary critic of our time, shares his extensive knowledge of and profound joy in the works of a constellation of major writers, including Shakespeare, Cervantes, Austen, Dickinson, Melville, Wilde, and O'Connor in this eloquent invitation to readers to read and read well. Now, at a time when faster and easier electronic media threaten to eclipse the practice of reading, Bloom draws on his experience as critic, teacher, and prolific reader to plumb the great books for their sustaining wisdom. Washington, D.C.: A Visual Portrait 975.3 PHILIPS Home of the Capitol Building and the White House, as well as monuments and memorials that illustrate the dramatic history of the nation, Washington, D.C. is the hub of political power in the United States. But the city and surrounding area also boast distinct neighborhoods, upscale shopping districts, historic homes, and picturesque parks and gardens. Some of the featured monuments and national treasures showcased here include: the Washington Monument, the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial and the World War II Memorial. Episodes: My Life As I See It B GINSBERG In this memoir, Blaze Ginsberg offers a unique perspective on his life as a highly-functioning autistic 21-year-old. Inspired by the format of the Internet Movie Database, Blaze organizes his life events as a collection of episodes. Some episodes are still running, some are in syndication, and some have sadly come to an end. With an innovative style and approach that is all its own, Episodes reinvents the traditional memoir; and it will inspire young readers to see the world as they've never seen it before.]]> http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2009/10/new_in_september_2009nonfictio.html http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2009/10/new_in_september_2009nonfictio.html Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:31:48 -0500 Here are some recent acquisitions of some old favorites, suitable for family viewing! We will continue to add to this collection, and you can always find a list of Family Friendly DVDs by going to the Middle/Upper School Library Catalog on the left-hand side of the page at http://www.athensacademy.org/academics/mediacenters/msus/index.php (sorry, the catalog is accessible only from on-campus). Once there, enter "Family Friendly Collection" as a keyword search to bring up the list. Babe: Pig in the City This sequel takes Babe, Ferdy and Mrs. Hoggett on a crusade into the midst of a large city where despite incredible obstacles, they're able to turn enemies into friends, raise enough money to save the farm and combine the two worlds into one. Once again, it's Babe's kind and steady heart that achieves the miracles. Back to the Future When teenager Marty McFly is blasted to 1955 in the DeLorean time machine created by the eccentric Doc Brown, he finds himself mixed up in a time-shattering chain reaction that could vaporize his future, and leave him trapped in the past. Benji Joe Camp's colorful canine made his first appearance in this shaggy dog story of a stray who helps police and parents track two kidnapped children-winning himself a real home. Big A young boy makes a wish at a fairground machine to be big. He wakes up the following morning to find that his wish has been granted and his body has grown older over night, but he is still the same 12-year-old kid on the inside. Now he must learn how to cope with the unfamiliar world of grownups, including getting a job, and having his first romantic encounter with a woman. Close Encounters of the Third Kind Roy Neary is a cable worker who, along with several others, become stunned bystanders who have experienced a close encounter of the first kind--witnessing UFOs soar across the sky. After this life-changing event, the inexplicable vision of a strange, mountain-like formation haunts him. He becomes obsessed with discovering what it represents. Meanwhile, bizarre occurrences are happening around the world. Government agents have close encounters of a second kind--discovering physical evidence of extraterrestrial visitors. Roy continues to chase his vision to a remote area where he and the agents follow the clues that have drawn them to reach a site where they will have a close encounter of the third kind--contact. Escape to Witch Mountain Two mysterious orphan children have extraordinary powers and are chased by a scheming millionaire. But where do these kids really call home? E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial A ten-year-old boy befriends a creature from another planet that has been stranded on earth. Fly Away Home A 13-year old girl and her estranged father learn what family is all about when they adopt an orphaned flock of geese and teach them how to fly. Loosely based on the real-life experiences of Bill Lishman, a Canadian inventor, artist, and ultralight aircraft hobbyist. Freaky Friday (2003 version with Jamie Lee Curtis) When a bickering mother and daughter end up in each other's bodies for a 'Freaky Friday,' they gain a little respect for each other's point of view. But they need to be changed back by Saturday, because the mother is getting married! Freaky Friday (1977 version with Jodi Foster) A conservative, refined mother magically changes place with her thirteen-year old daughter for one day. The Goonies Two kids find a treasure map just as they're about to lose their house. They and their friends go on a search for the treasure, but not without trouble from a few ne'er-do-wells. Labyrinth A teenage girl's baby brother is kidnapped by the King of the Goblins; in order to rescue him she must navigate a devilish labyrinth. Legend A forest dweller is chosen to save a beautiful princess and defeat the Lord of Darkness. The Miracle Worker The contemporary version of the classic true story of Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan. The Muppet Movie Kermit and Fozzie travel to Hollywood to hit it big as stars. They're joined on the way by Miss Piggy and numerous other familiar faces. Nanny McPhee A mysterious woman with special powers enters the household of the recently widowed Mr. Brown and attempts to tame his seven very naughty children. Soon, the children's misbehavior has magical and startling consequences. The Neverending Story A young boy named Bastian borrows a mysterious ornately-bound book that takes him into the fantastic world of Fantasia. October Sky The true story of Homer Hickam Jr., a high school student in rural West Virginia, who seemed destined to repeat his father's harsh life in the coal mines, until he turned his attention to the skies. One Hundred and One Dalmatians Pongo the Dalmatian and his wife Perdita undertake a daring expedition to rescue their fifteen puppies from the clutches of the vicious Cruella de Vil. Pippi Longstocking The famous children's book comes to life in this magical adventure for the whole family. Inger Nilsson stars as Pippi, the irrepressible pig-tailed girl whose sailor father leaves her on her own, giving Pippi and her pals the chance to go on one adventure after another. Race to Witch Mountain When Las Vegas cab driver Jack Bruno encounters two teens with supernatural powers, he finds himself in an adventure in the middle of the Nevada desert known for unexplained phenomena and strange sightings - Witch Mountain. The Secret of NIMH Faced with the need to move her family from a farmer's field while her son Timothy is seriously ill, a widowed mouse seeks help from a group of rats whose unwilling participation in experiments at a place called NIMH has made them wise and long lived. Spy Kids The children of secret agent parents must spring into action when their parents are taken prisoner. A high-wire family adventure that lets the kids save the day. Time Bandits A young boy escapes his gadget-obsessed parents to join a band of time-traveling dwarves. Armed with a map stolen from the Supreme Being, they plunder treasure from Napoleon and Agamemnon, but the Evil Genius is watching their every move! Tron A hacker is transported into a computer where he must fight for his life against the Master Control system. The hacker teams up with a bookkeeping program and his girlfriend to try to replace Master Control with Tron. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? The hapless Roger Rabbit is framed for the murder of Marvin Acme, who was photographed "playing patticake" with Roger's wife Jessica. The mixed live and animated action takes place in Hollywood and next-door "Toontown," where humans and "Toons" co-exist. Willow Willow discovers a baby girl floating down the river who is destined to overthrow the evil queen Bavmorda. ]]> http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2009/09/family_friendly_dvd_collection.html http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2009/09/family_friendly_dvd_collection.html Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:09:55 -0500 FICTION: I Love You, Beth Cooper FIC DOYLE Denis Cooverman wanted to say something really important in his high school graduation speech. So, in front of his 512 classmates and their 3,000 relatives, he announced: "I love you, Beth Cooper." It would have been such a sweet, romantic moment. Except that Beth, the head cheerleader, has only the vaguest idea who Denis is. And Denis, the captain of the debate team, is so far out of her league he is barely even the same species. And then there's Kevin, Beth's remarkably large boyfriend, who's in town on furlough from the United States Army. Complications ensue. Hard Love YA FIC WITTLIN Since his parents' divorce, John's mother hasn't touched him, her new fiance wants them to move away, and his father would rather be anywhere than at Friday night dinner with his son. It's no wonder John writes articles like "Interview with the Stepfather" and "Memoirs from Hell." The only release he finds is in homemade zines like the amazing "Escape Velocity" by Marisol, a self-proclaimed "Puerto Rican Cuban Yankee Lesbian." Hanging around the Boston Tower Records for the new issue of "Escape Velocity," John meets Marisol and a hard love is born. Sweethearts YA FIC ZARR As children, Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick were both social outcasts. They were also one another's only friend. So when Cameron disappears without warning, Jennifer thinks she's lost the only person who will ever understand her. Now in high school, Jennifer has been transformed. Known as Jenna, she's popular, happy, and dating, everything "Jennifer" couldn't be---but she still can't shake the memory of her long-lost friend. When Cameron suddenly reappears, they are both confronted with memories of their shared past and the drastically different paths their lives have taken. The Last Thing I Remember (Homelanders, Book 1) YA FIC KLAVAN High school student Charlie West awakens bloody and bruised in a concrete bunker, only to discover that he has lost a year of his life and remembers nothing about escaping from prison after being convicted of murdering his former best friend, or why he is being pursued by both the law and a group of terrorists trying to bring down the government of the United States. If I Stay YA FIC FORMAN While in a coma following an automobile accident that killed her parents and younger brother, seventeen-year-old Mia, a gifted cellist, weights whether to live with her grief or join her family in death. Gentlemen YA FIC NORTHROP Micheal, Tommy, Mixer, and Bones aren't just from the wrong side of the tracks--they're from the wrong side of everything. Except for Mr. Haberman, their remedial English teacher, no one at their high school takes them seriously. Haberman calls them "gentlemen," but everyone else ignores them--or, in Bones's case, is dead afraid of them. When one of their close-knit group goes missing, the clues all seem to point in one direction: to Mr. Haberman. The "gentlement" must navigate a maze of assorted clues, fraying friendships, violence, and Dostoevsky’s "Crime and Punishment" before learning the truth. Love You Hate You Miss You YA FIC SCOTT After coming out of alcohol rehabilitation, sixteen-year-old Amy sorts out conflicting emotions about her best friend Julia’s death in a car accident for which she feels responsible. Peace, Love and Baby Ducks YA FIC MYRACLE Fifteen-year-old Carly’s summer volunteer experience makes her feel more real than her life of privilege in Atlanta ever did, but her younger sister starts high school pretending to be what she is not, and both find their relationships suffering. Fragile Eternity YA FIC MARR In Melissa Marr's third mesmerizing tale of Faerie (including the companion novel Ink Exchange), Seth and Aislinn struggle to stay true to themselves and each other in a milieu of shadowy rules and shifting allegiances, where old friends become new enemies and one wrong move could plunge the Earth into chaos. Once Dead, Twice Shy YA FIC HARRISO Madison's prom was killer--literally. For some reason she's been targeted by a dark reaper--yeah, "that" kind of reaper--intent on getting rid of her, body and soul. But before the reaper could finish the job, Madison was able to snag his strange, glowing amulet and get away. Now she's stuck on Earth, dead but not gone. Geek Charming YA FIC PALMER Rich, spoiled, and popular high school senior Dylan is coerced into doing a documentary film with Josh, one of the school’s geeks, who leads her to realize that the world does not revolve around her. Jake, Reinvented YA FIC KORMAN Korman reinvents "The Great Gatsby" for teens in this story about the mysterious new student at Fitzgerald High. Rick becomes friends with the popular new boy, Jake Garrett, football player and host of superlative parties, and in the process discovers the true nature of his schoolmates and uncovers the mystery of Jake’s past. Rucker Park Setup YA FIC VOLPONI While playing in a crucial basketball game on the very court where his best friend was murdered, Mackey tries to come to terms with his own part in that murder and decide whether to maintain his silence or tell J.R.’s father and the police what really happened. Rooftop YA FIC VOLPONI Still reeling from seeing police shoot his unarmed cousin to death on the roof of a New York City housing project, seventeen-year-old Clay is dragged into the whirlwind of political manipulation that follows. Tyrell YA FIC BOOTH Fifteen-year-old Tyrell, who is living in a Bronx homeless shelter with his spaced-out mother and his younger brother, tries to avoid temptation so he does not end up in jail like his father. Look Both Ways (Midnight Twins, Book 2) YA FIC MITCHAR When psychic twin Mallory Brynn starts seeing imges of a white wildcat in her dreams, she tries to figure out the connection of her images to an injured cheerleader and her Native American friend Eden. Thirteen Reasons Why YA FIC ASHER When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah’s voice recounting the events leading up to her death. Graceling YA FIC CASHORE Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight--she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. Breathless YA FIC MCDANIEL Travis Morrison is a champion diver and one of the most popular kids at school. On the first day of summer vacation, while boating on the lake with his friends, Travis attempts a silly stunt dive that goes wrong. He fears he has broken his leg. Instead, his trip to the hospital reveals he has a rare form of cancer, and to save him, the doctors tell his parents they must amputate. In an instant, Travis's life and the lives of everyone around him are forever changed. Travis is determined that he and only he should decide the course of his life. He has a plan, but he can't carry it out alone. Will he convince one of his friends to fulfill his most important request? Carpe Corpus (The Morganville Vampires, Book 6) YA FIC CAINE In the small college town of Morganville, an underground resistance to evil vampire Bishop is brewing, and in order to contain it, Bishop must go to even greater lengths. He vows to obliterate the town and all its inhabitants--the living and the undead. Along for the Ride YA FIC DESSEN When Auden impulsively goes to stay with her father, stepmother, and new baby sister the summer before she starts college, all the trauma of her parents’ divorce is revived, even as she is making new friends and having new experiences such as learning to ride a bike and dating. Then she meets Eli, and together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree life she's been denied, and for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend. Burned YA FIC HOPKINS Raised in a religious yet abusive family, Pattyn Von Stratten starts asking questions--about God, a woman's role, sex, love. She experiences the first stirrings of passion, but when her father catches her in a compromising position, events spiral out of control. Pattyn is sent to live with an aunt in the wilds of Nevada to find salvation and redemption. What she finds instead is love and acceptance, until she realizes that her old demons will not let her go. Crank YA FIC HOPKINS Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, Kristina disappears and Bree takes her place. Bree is the exact opposite of Kristina--she's fearless. Through a boy, Bree meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul, her life. Lunatic (Lost Books, Book 5) YA FIC DEKKER Five years after leaving home, Johnis, Silvie, and Darsal return to find that the Horde has taken over Middle, Thomas and the rest of the Forest Guard have gone into hiding, and a strange new force has begun challenging everything they thought they knew. Elyon (Lost Books, Book 6) YA FIC DEKKER The Chosen Ones need Elyon’s grace to face their greatest threat yet, but Darsal is torn between her new mission, trying to love the Horde as Elyon asked her to, and her original one, especially now that Johnis and Silvie no longer seem to be on her side. Marcelo in the Real World YA FIC STORK Marcelo Sandoval hears music no one else can hear--part of the autism-like impairment no doctor has been able to identify--and he's always attended a special school where his differences have been protected. But the summer after his junior year, his father demands that Marcelo work in his law firm's mailroom in order to experience "the real world." There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm. He also learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it's a picture he finds in a file--a picture of a girl with half a face--that truly connects him with the real world, its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight both. The Sorceress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, Book 3) JUV FIC SCOTT Sophie and Josh Newman show every sign of being the twins of prophecy, and Flamel vows to protect them from the Dark Elders. But he must find an Elder who can teach the siblings the third elemental magic: Water Magic. The only Elder who can do that is Gilgamesh--and he is quite, quite insane. Runaway Retriever (Pet Trouble, Book 1) JUV FIC SUTHERL Parker hadn't considered getting a dog, but when playful Merlin, the golden retriever, comes into his life, Parker is thrilled. The two are inseparable from day one--because whenever Parker tries to leave, Merlin escapes his fence or cage and follows him! Can anything make this loveable dog sit and STAY? Loudest Beagle on the Block (Pet Trouble, Book 2) JUV FIC SUTHERL Ten-year-old Ella lives for music, and with the school talent show coming up, she doesn't have time for anything else. So when her aunt's beagle comes to live at her house, Ella doesn't think she has time for a dog--especially when it turns out that every time the beagle hears music, she wants to sing along! And her voice is definitely NOT angelic. How is Ella supposed to win the talent show when all she can hear every time she rehearses is AAOOOWWAAAOOOOOO? Click Here (To Find Out How I Survived Seventh Grade) JUV FIC VEGA Seventh-grader Erin Swift writes about her friends and classmates in her private blog, but when it accidentally gets posted on the school Intranet site, she learns some important lessons about friendship. NON-FICTION: No Girls Allowed : Tales of Daring Women Dressed As Men for Love, Freedom and Adventure 306.77 HUGHES A female pharaoh? A woman general in the Kahn's army? A female Viking raider? No way, you say? Look again; appearances can be deceiving. Based on legends, poems, letters and first-hand accounts, these seven biographical tales tell of women who disguised themselves as men for the sake of freedom, ambition, love or adventure. Three Cups of Tea : One Man’s Mission To Fight Terrorism and Build Nations--One School at a Time (Young reader's edition) 371.82 MORTENS This young reader's edition of the worldwide bestseller "Three Cups of Tea" has been specially adapted for younger readers and updated by Greg Mortenson to bring his remarkable story of humanitarianism up to date for the present. Includes new photos and illustrations, as well as a special interview by Mortenson's twelve-year-old daughter, Amira, who has traveled with her father as an advocate for the Pennies for Peace program for children. DVD: Stranger Than Fiction DVD F STRANGER A man starts to hear a voice narrating the events of his life and finds that the voice is that of a woman writing a novel in which he is the main character. He must meet the author and try to save his own life when he learns her plans to kill him off. Inkheart DVD INKHEART When Mo Folchart reads a story, the characters leap off the page. Literally. And that's a problem. Mo must somehow use his special powers to send the interlopers back to their world...and save ours. Mo and his daughter Meggie plunge into a thrilling quest that pits them against diabolical villains, fantastic beasts, and dangers at every turn. Coraline DVD CORALINE A young girl walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life. This parallel reality is eerily similar to her own life, only much better. When the adventure turns dangerous, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home and save her family. See it with the included 3-D glasses! The Diary of Anne Frank DVD DIARY Based on Anne Frank's diary, and the stage play that was adapted from it: In Nazi-occupied Holland, Otto Frank and his family have decided to go into hiding, because of the increasing persecutions against Jews. The businessman Kraler and his assistant Miep prepare a hiding place in the rooms above their place of business, and arrange for the Franks and another family, the Van Daans, to stay there. Later on, they are joined by the dentist Dussel. Together, they try to avoid detection while hoping for Holland to be liberated by the Allies, but even meeting basic needs can become a challenge, and even minor incidents could present a grave risk.]]> http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2009/07/new_fiction.html http://www.athensacademy.net/announcements/msusmediacenter/2009/07/new_fiction.html Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:23:11 -0500