he fall author series has already begun much to
the delight of many patrons who so enjoyed our
visiting writers this spring. On September 15,
Michael Tougias gave a riveting account of the
tragic rescue attempt of a distressed oil tanker
made by the Pilot Boat Can Do during the Blizzard of ’78
featured in his novel Ten Hours Until Dawn. Tougias and
Frank Quirk III, the son of the Can Do’s Captain Frank Quirk,
captivated the Stoneham audience with a slide show
depicting that ferocious night off the Massachusetts
coast. Their glowing testimonials of the five brave men
who perished that fateful night illustrate what is best in
humanity. Next in our series was Jean Trounstine who
discussed Shakespeare Behind Bars. This book focuses on
six inmates who, each in her own way, discovers the power of
Shakespeare, thus drawing upon it to help her through her
incarceration. In October, Stephen McCauley, author of The
Object of My Affection and Memeve Medwed, author of The
End of an Error, will discuss the concept of a Comic Novel.
October will also include Linda Barnes, the author of a
mystery series, featuring Carlotta Carlyle, a 6’1” red-headed
ex-cop turned private investigator. In November, Leslie
Wheeler, author of the Miranda Lewis living mystery series,
Murder at Plimoth Plantation and Murder at Gettyburg,
will discuss her latest novel. The series will close with Linda
Markel as she presents her book, Little One Laugh, Little
One Run, the touching story of a parent dealing with a dying
child. These events are free with the exception of Ms. Barnes.
Ms. Barnes’ presentation has a $2.00 fee and you can purchase
tickets at the circulation desk. For more information, visit
www.stonehamlibrary.org or call 781-438-1324.
Nearly 500 children
signed up for the six week
long Summer Reading
program at the Stoneham
Public Library which ran
from June 21 through July
29. Together they read a
total of 2,090 hours. Our
top readers were Angela
and Louisa Melchionno,
Sarah Markiewicz, Ben
Fawcett, Cassi and Lexi
Kacoyannakis, and
Sucharita and Susmita
Muhkerjee. This program
was funded and supported
by these local businesses:
Dr. Eugene A. Mickey,
Dr. Heike Rolle Daya,
Burger King, The Daily
Scoop, Dairy Dome,
Evergreen Florist, Hago
Harrington’s Miniature
Golf, Charles Houghton,
Learning Tree Store,
Stoneham Animal
Hospital,
Stoneham Ford,
and Winfrey’s
Fudge &
Chocolates.
The Stoneham Public
Library displays local art
work on a monthly basis.
October Display:
●During the month of
October, the Stoneham
Public Library is pleased to
host "One People, One
Heart", a color photo
exhibit by Kathleen
Herr-Zaya and Elaine
Garnache. This show
features photographs from
the Native Nations
Procession that marked the
opening of the National
Museum of the American
Indian. The exhibit is held
in honor of Mena Topjian
and is funded in part
through a grant from the
Stoneham Cultural Council
and the Massachusetts
Cultural Council. A
closing reception will take
place at the Library on
Saturday, October 29
between the hours of 11am
and 1pm.
November Display:
● Watercolors drawings
and paintings by Jeannette
Corbett with scenes from
Tuscany, France and the
New England coast.
December Display:
● Acrylics by Scott
Mullowney whose articles
and cartoons are
featured in the Stoneham
Independent.
If you’ve always enjoyed Jimmy Buffet’s music, will you
quickly warm up to his novels? Having watched Marlon
Brando portray Don Corleone in The Godfather, will you
search out his recently published writing? Are you about to
read the latest novel of William F. Buckley, Jr., the former
host of Firing Line? Is it that each is multi-talented
or is it that each is already famous in his own
right thus making Buffet, Brando, and Buckley
worthy of publication? That will be left to your
own judgment. Jimmy Buffet takes you away
from New England to A Salty Piece of Land.
As you venture to the remote parts of the
Yucatan peninsula you will enter into adventures
of fishing, sailing, and fun that are tainted by greed and
pollution. You will gain insight into the lives of the
indigenous people as you follow the path of Tully and his new
friends. Perhaps best described as “escapist fiction,” you can
save this to read on a cold winter’s night, as you vicariously
soak up the warmth of the South Seas. Another sea-faring
tale was written by acclaimed actor Marlon Brando. Fan-Tan
is a collaborative work between Brando and his screenwriter
friend, Donald Cammell. Knowing that Brando had spent
years living in Tahiti, it is not surprising that the setting for
this novel is the South Seas. Gambling, women, sailing are
part of the mix that add up to this high seas adventure which
was published after Brando’s death. If you were a fan of
Brando the actor, you may just want to check out Brando the
writer. The longest-running political talk show in television
history with the same host was Firing Line. Its host, William
F. Buckley, Jr. is also a prolific writer. Buckley is closing out
the character of Blackford Oakes in Last Call for Blackford
Oakes. Buckley’s own experiences allow him to develop
“real” characters set in tense tales of heroism. Buckley was
recently quoted as saying, “I’ve never found a day in which I
write a column in which I thought there was nothing to say,
because there’s always something-something there to
stimulate you.” Try reading Buckley’s spy novel to see if his
writing will be as lasting as the program he hosted.
The above mentioned books can be found in adult fiction in
the Stoneham Public Library. As you browse through the
collection, you may find many other authors whose works
will bring you many hours of enjoyment. However, it may be
difficult to find many authors who are equally popular in
other venues as Buffett, Brando, and Buckley.
Who would know that Eleanor Estes book, The Hundred
Dresses, written in 1944 would be so timely? Although the
book contains only seven short chapters, its message is
profound and emotional. The shameful act of bullying is
unmistakingly conveyed, leaving a lasting impression on the
reader. The taunting and teasing that Wanda receives from a
classmate and the lack of response to this behavior by her
close friend results in a dramatic change in each of the girls’
lives. While bullying may not present itself in any one form, it
does have the same devastating effect on whoever is
involved. As adults, we ask that our children be able
to move about in a safe environment, free from
violence. This includes that no one be the victim
of a bully. Today, many schools have adopted a
“No Bullying” policy and the Stoneham Public
Library Children’s Room promotes children’s
personal safety and literature that is sensitive to
this issue, whether it is to identify aberrant behavior or to
assist in helping children deal with harmful situations. The
following booklist includes books that relate to these topics:
Shattering Glass by Gail Giles ~ for ages 12 and up
A disturbing tale of high school cliques, peer pressure,
bullying, and physical violence unfolds in this riveting tale of
the horrors of bad behavior.
Scorpions by Walter Dean Myers ~ for ages 12 and up
Jamal brings to light the issues involved with joining a gang.
Outside he must appear tough, while inside he feels scared.
Peer pressure forces events in his life to escalate out of
control.
Wringer by Jery Spinelli ~ for ages 9-12
Peer pressure, breaking traditions, cruelty to animals ….each
play a part in Palmer La Rue’s life. He hated the ritual of
becoming a wringer and he had the inner strength to follow
through with his beliefs and be different.
.Bad Girls by Cynthia Voigt ~ for ages 9-12
Mikey and Margalo become friends on the first day of fifth
grade. Quickly their behavior gets them into rather serious
trouble. The reader tries to decide if their friendship can
include a sense of trust in one another.
Jake Drake Bully Buster by Andrew Clements ~ for ages 7-9
Jake felt like a “bully magnet.” Now he finds that he has been
assigned to work with the most difficult bully in his class, the
“super bully.” What will Jake do?
Mercy Watson to the
Rescue by Kate DiCamillo
When Mercy, a goodnatured pig who dreams of
endless stacks of hot
buttered toast, slips into
bed with Mr. and Mrs.
Watson the extra weight
causes the floor underneath
to give way. Can Mercy
get help before the Watson
fall through the hole? For
ages 4-8.
The Penderwicks by
Jeanne Birdsall
Intensely likeable
characters and a timeless
story of friendship, family,
adventure, and triumph are
the hallmarks of this book.
For grades 4-6.
The Scarecrow and His
Servant by Philip Pullman
This wild Don Quixotelike tale begins with a
scarecrow, magically
brought to life with a
lightning strike. He and his
human servant Jack wind
their way through battles,
shipwrecks and broken
hearts to Spring Valley to
save the land from the evil
Buffalonis. Grades 3-5
The Diary Of Pelly D. by
L.D. Adlington
A futuristic look at
prejudice seen through the
eyes of a privileged teen
whose life dramatically
changes when the
population begins to
splinter based on genetic
makeup. For Grades 8-10.
From Page
to Stage
Knitting Club to
Begin in October
Book Groups
For All Ages
In December, the Adult
Book Group will be
reading, "A Prayer for
Owen Meaney" by John
Irving. This is being done
in conjunction with the
Stoneham Theatre which is
staging a production of
the work in
January. The
Adult Book
Group meets
on the last
Wednesday of
every month at 7pm in the
Stoneham Room. All are
welcome. Please contact
the Reference Librarian for
more details.
The Library will hold its
first Knitting Club meeting
on Monday, October
17th in the Stoneham
Room from 6 –
7:30pm. Participants
can learn to knit or
just bring along their
latest project. It is open to
Grades 6 and up, including
adults. Beginners should
bring a ball/skein of
medium weight yarn and
size 10 or 11 needles for
your first project. There
will also be a small supply
of needles and yarn for
beginners to use.
Donations of excess yarn
or large needles (size 10
and up) would be greatly
appreciated. For more
details, contact Theresa
Maturevich at 781-4381325 or theresa@
stonehamlibrary.org.
From adults to third
graders, if you like to
read the Library has a
group for you. All
adults are welcome
to
join the Adult Book
Group which meets on
the last Wednesday of
each month at 7pm. Teens
in Grades 9-12 can stop by
out Teen Book Group
which meets monthly at
7:30pm on Mondays in the
Junior Room. Our newest
group, the Middle School
Book Group, will meet
monthly on Thursdays at
4pm. All children in
Grades 3-5 can attend the
Elementary School Book
Group which meet one
Wednesday a month at
4pm.
Getting “Reel”
@ Your Library
In honor of Teen Read
Week this October, the
Library is offering a "Reel
Books" trivia contest to all
youth in grades 6-12. Stop
by and pick up a list of
movies made from popular
books. Name them all and
be entered into a raffle for
great prizes. And for those
teen who love the art of
filmmaking, stay alert for
future news on out First
Annual Video Contest just
for teens.
“A library is not a luxury
but one of the necessities
of life.”
~ Henry Ward Beecher
Library Receives
Donation
On Wednesday, August
17, the Library received a
generous $6,000 donation
from the Stoneham
Savings Charitable
Foundation. Presented by
Richard Donovan,
President of the Stoneham
Savings Bank, the funds
will be used to improve the
physical building as well
as Library services.
Did You Know?
For movie buffs and those
of you who can’t quite
recall a film title, there’s
the Internet Movie
Database found at
www.imdb.com. Search by
actor, title, plot, quote
character, and more to
answer those pesky trivia
questions. Access
biographies of your
favorite film stars
and directors, chat
about the last
movie you saw on
bulletin boards, or
check out the box office
numbers.
October
17- Knitting Club will hold its first meeting
from 6-7:30pm in the Stoneham Room.
Beginning and experienced knitters from Grade
6- adult are welcome.
20- Linda Barnes, author of the Carlotta
Carlyle mystery series, will be speaking at 7pm
tonight. Tickets are $2 apiece and may be
purchased at the Main Circulation desk.
28-29- Annual Book & Bake Sale will take
place from 10am-3pm on both Friday and
Saturday.
November
15- Creative Kids: “Thanksgiving Parade”
Children in Grades 3-5 will learn about
Thanksgiving parades and make their own
parade floats to take home from 3-4pm.
Registration is required.
17- Linda Markell will discuss her book, "Little
One Laugh, Little One Run", the touching story
of a parent dealing with a dying child. This
event is free and open to the public.
December
1-31- Donate mittens, hats, and scarves to our
Mitten Tree all this month in the Junior Room.
All winter clothes will be donated to the needy.
28- The Adult Book Discussion Group will
meet at 7pm today to discuss “A Prayer for
Owen Meaney” by John Irving. Contact
Maureen Saltzman at 781-438-1324 to learn
more information.
Stoneham Public Library
431 Main Street
Stoneham, MA 02180
www.stonehamlibrary.org
Dear Friends and Supporters of the Library,
If you’ve missed our Fall Author Series so far, there is still time to enjoy
visits from the remaining authors. May Forkin has lined up a talented and
eclectic group of writers to share their talents with us, including Stephen
McCauley and Mameve Medwed, Linda Markell, Leslie Wheeler, and, of
course, Linda Barnes. Join us for any and all. Tickets for Linda Barnes are
$2.00 and are available at the front desk. All other programs are free. For
further details go to our website at www.stonehamlibrary.org.
Thanks as always for your support and Happy Holidays.
Mary Todd
Director
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