Tile Competition Results!

Well, the Competition of Awesomeness volume II is over, and we've got the tiles in! They are gorgeous, too! We just wanted to give you a glimpse of what they look like, so here are the 13 entries we got:

And announcing the winners:

1st Place: Ozma of Oz (2nd row down, right column)
2nd Place: Christmas Elephants (bottom row, middle column)
3rd Place: Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events  (top row, left column)

Goldstein Must Reads

Reason #3 to Visit The Goldstein Library This Fall:

by Rob Stephens

Oh yeah - we've got some great collections in The Goldstein, and we want you to check them out! Here are some highlights and new additions that are particularly awesome:

#1: Graphic Novels

Did you know that Goldstein has an entire collection of graphic novels? These awesomely illustrated books and novels are a great way to spend your free time! Here is a favorite graphic novel that's being checked out a ton by all ages and sizes: Level Up by Gene Luen Yang, a Printz Award winner. This book follows Dennis Ouyang as he struggles "with bad grades, a video game addiction, and his father's death." The book is stellar, and as of now... available for checkout too!

On the other side of the graphic novel spectrum, we have a series of books by Saddleback Educational Publishing that retell American History in graphic novel form. One example is The Fight For Freedom, 1750-1783 which traces the turmoil and triumph of the American Revolution. Very educational, and a great way to take a fresh look at US History!

 

#2: Expanded Information Technology Collection

Over the past year, The Goldstein has especially focused on expanding and updating its Professional Collection, in particular with regard to the information technology section. Needless to say, it is important to stay on top of all the latest technological developments if you are in a computer, information, or communication field, and The Goldstein Library is the place for you!

 Pictured right is one of our most recent examples, Programming Android, a resource that teaches "Java programming for the new generation of mobile devices.." If you're considering creating a new app for Android phones, this is a great resource. 


Another example of a recent acquisition is David Powers' Adobe Dreamweaver CS5.5 : designing and developing for mobile with jQuery, HTML5, and CSS3: Studio Techniques, pictured left. Acquired just in 2011, this book provides information on creating websites and applications that work on mobile platforms using Dreamweaver CS5.5.


And there are tons more where those came from!




#3: Novels for ALL Ages
We've got an EXCELLENT collection here at The Goldstein Library of novels that I'm sure you'd be interested in, including (but not limited to): 

- The entire Harry Potter Series
- The entire Twilight Series
- The entire Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants series
- The entire Hunger Games series
- Novels from the Redwall series, including a graphic novel version of Redwall
- Why We Broke Up
- Novels from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit
- Novels from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series
- AND SO MUCH MORE!

If you're looking for something to read while taking a break from studying, come by, and we'd be more than happy to help you find a fun novel!

#4: Award Winners

The Goldstein Library has a few extra special shelves that you should check out: the award winners. Right in the front of Goldstein, there are shelves specifically for Newbery Medal Winners, Caldecott Medal Winners and Honor Books, and Other Award Winners. If you're looking for a book that you know is going to be an absolute hit, then grab one of these! One example of such a book is Chris Raschka's A Ball for Daisy (pictured right), which won the Caldecott Medal in 2010.  

Boating Squirrels

I want to tell you about The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin. 

This was a book written by Beatrix Potter and some would consider the book a classic.  A lot of people think that classic books are boring, but the illustrations are so cute and there isn't much text at all!

Check this out, this is what a whole page of text looks like:

"They made little rafts out of twigs, and they paddled away over the water to Owl Island to gather nuts.  Each squirrel had a little sack and a large oar, and spread out his tail for as sail."

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Because Mary has been orphaned off, she is forced to live at Misselthwaite Manor. She feels as if he is alone in life, and she spends her time exploring her new enormous territory. She learns that this mansion has many secrets, and at night her eagerness haunts her. Mary meets new people, as they help her on her journey of discovery. This book “captures the real emotions of the children and the beauty of nature, making this unabridged edition the perfect invitation the enter The Secret Garden.”

Hungry for more?

The Favorite Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris

My mom used to read me Uncle Remus folk tales as a kid. I don’t remember much about them, except that I liked that she read them to me.  Luckily, the Goldstein Library has classic Uncle Remus written in its original language.  We’re not big on censoring books to change your opinions here.  Come check out this collection of classic American Folktales and let us know if you love them, hate them, or prefer another recommendation. 

1980's and 90's throwback

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is like one of the best books ever.  It was originally published in 1989 so you may have read before, or had it read to you, but it’s totally worth another look.  I mean, just read it out loud - it is pretty fun.
(Hey now, that guy over there may look at you but it will definitely be in admiration and jealousy.  He wishes that he had a sweet quote to read aloud.)  Seriously, try it now.

“Skit skat skoodle doot.
Flip flop flee.
Everybody running to the coconut tree.
Mamas and papas
and uncles and aunts
hug their little dears,
then dust their pants.”

Pretty awesome, right? Yeah, I knew it.