Friday, November 30, 2012

Happy Birthday Lucy Maud Montgomery, Author of "Anne of Green Gables"

We would like to celebrate Lucy Maud Montgomery's birthday today. Lucy Montgomery is also known as the author of the ever popular children's series, "Anne of Green Gables"
Lucy Montgomery was born on November 30, 1874 at Prince Edward Island. She was known as "Maud" to her family and friends. She spent her childhood writing hymns and poems. Gradually, in her adulthood, she put pen to paper and wrote newspaper articles and eventually full-length novels. 


L.M. Montgomery biography details her fist publishing experience. "in the spring of 1904 Anne was born. “....she soon seemed very real to me and took possession of me to an unusual extent.” ibid. After several rejections by publishers, Maud was much discouraged and Anne was stored in “an old hat-box” for four years. As she wrote in her journal “I wrote it for love, not money, but very often such books are the most successful, just as everything in the world that is born of true love has life in it.”  Finally, on 20 June 1908, she held the first published copy of Anne of Green Gables, her first of many novels to come"
Maud passed away on April 24, 1942 in Canada. Her books were published in many languages throughout the world and millions of copies have been printed to date. Her books have been made into plays, television shows, musicals, and even full length movies. Her characters have appeared in short stories and have even been made into dolls for her readers to cherish in the years to come.

For more information on area that L.M. wrote about, check out this website: http://www.gov.pe.ca/greengables/index.php3

Reading order of the "Anne of Green Gables" series:
 Anne of Green Gables (1908) 
Anne of Avonlea (1909)
Anne of the Island (1915) 
Anne of Windy Poplars (1936) 
Anne's House of Dreams (1917)
Anne of Ingleside (1939) 
 Rainbow Valley (1919) 
 Rilla of Ingleside (1921)

To read these books and more, stop by the library 
or check out our website at www.little-dixie.lib.mo.us

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Happy Birthday C.S. Lewis


We would like to extend a very happy birthday greeting to famous author, C.S. Lewis!

Clive Staples Lewis (C.S. Lewis) was born on November 29, 1898 in Ireland. He is best known for writing  The Screwtape LettersThe Chronicles of Narnia and The Space Trilogy.

According to C.S. Lewis' website, "His major contributions in literary criticism, children's literature, fantasy literature, and popular theology brought him international renown and acclaim. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year"

On November 22, 1963, C.S. Lewis passed away in England at the age of 64. Lewis' books have become plays and even feature length million dollar movies created by Disney.

 

Reading Order of the Series "Chronicles of Narnia:"
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Horse and His Boy
The Magician's Nephew
The Last Battle

For more information, please check out: http://www.cslewis.com
To read C.S. Lewis' many fictional titles, stop by the library or check out our website: www.little-dixie.lib.mo.us

Monday, November 26, 2012

Happy Birthday Charles Schulz!

We'd like to send a special Happy Birthday message to "Peanuts" creator, Charles Schulz today. 

Charles was born on November 26, 1922, the son of Carl and Dena Halverson Schulz in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

He created the iconic comic strip "Peanuts" that we all know and love around 1950. According to a Schulz biography, "In 1950 the United Feature Syndicate of New York decided to publish Schulz's new comic strip, which he had wanted to call Li'l Folks but which was named Peanuts by the company. In 1950 the cartoon began appearing in seven newspapers with the characters Charlie Brown, Shermy, Patty, and Snoopy. Within a year the strip appeared in thirty-five papers, and by 1956 it was in over a hundred. The Peanuts cartoons were centered on the simple and touching figures of a boy, Charlie Brown, and his dog, Snoopy and their family and school friends. Adults were never seen, only hinted at, and the action involved ordinary, everyday happenings" 

Appearing in thousands of newspapers worldwide, Peanuts became a global phenomenon. Beyond the comic strip, characters from the strip have appeared on television, commercials, and merchandise. How many times have you watched "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" or  "A Charlie Brown Christmas?"

Sadly, Mr. Schulz passed away on February 12, 2000. 
There are a ton of websites and print material out there with great information on Charles Schulz and his comic strip, Peanuts. 
A few of them include:
Official "Peanuts" Website: http://peanuts.com
To see today's comic strip: http://comics.com/peanuts/
Official Charles Schulz website: http://www.schulzmuseum.org/

"Sparky: the Life and Art of Charles Schulz" by Beverly Gherman (2010) and "Good grief! : the story of Charles M. Schultz" by Rheta Johnson (1989)

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Getting to know...Robert Louis Stevenson

Today is November 13th...and it's Robert Louis Stevenson's birthday!

Robert Stevenson is best known for writing some of the best known classic books from the 19th century including,  "Treasure Island," "Kidnapped," and the "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde."

"Treasure IslandOriginally published in 1883
Summary: When a boy and his mother search the belongings of a deceased sailor who owed them money, they find a treasure map. An Interested family friend outfits a ship to sail to the location on the map but discovers too late that half his crew is comprised of pirates. 

"KidnappedOriginally published in 1886
Summary: The adventures of 16 year old David Balfour, an orphan, who after being kidnapped by his villainous uncle manages to escape and becomes involved in the struggle of the Scottish Highlanders against English rule

"Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" Originally published in 1886.
Summary: It is about a London lawyer named Gabriel John Utterson who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr Henry Jekyll, and the misanthropic Edward Hyde.
These books and all of Mr. Stevenson's other works 
can all be found at Little Dixie Regional Libraries

National Young Reader's Day

 National Young Reader's Day 
November 13, 2012

Happening every year on the second Tuesday of November, National Young Reader's Day highlights the importance of reading to young people. Began in 1989, in conjunction with the Library of Congress and Pizza Hut's "Book-It Program," this special holiday has created an awareness for reader's of all ages about the importance of literacy in our communities. 
What can you do to celebrate this holiday? 
Read to a child, any child, today. Beyond creating lasting memories, reading aloud to a child has many real world applications. Children learn new words, new auditory sounds, discover new concepts and new ideas, relate pictures to real items in their lives and foster lifelong creative thinking. 



Reading a book can take you to a world you never could have imagined.
 For more information or to find a fun book to share today, come by to see us at the library or check out our website, www.little-dixie.lib.mo.us