Belleville Public Library

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Submit Your Reviews!

2008-05-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

Want to have your review posted on the library's web site? Write a few sentences about a book or movie you've checked out of the library and submit it to leahkrotz@nckcn.com. We'd love to hear your opinions!

The Man Who Ate the 747

2008-04-19T08:21:00.000-07:00

This quirky book was set in Superior, Nebraska, and follows the story of a man who works for the World Book of Records and ends up in Superior to track the progress of a local farmer, who is grinding up and eating a 747 that crashed in his cornfield. Strangly enough, the book is a love story!

Ben Sherwood should have followed the advice commonly given to writers: write what you know. I grew up 15 miles from the real Superior, Nebraska, and although Sherwood got the geography right, he completely missed the mark with his characters. Guess what? Those of us who live in the Heartland are not caricatures. We don't have ridiculous-sounding names, don't wear new overalls as our "Sunday Best" and don't host parades every time a "New Yorker" comes to town.

The details about agriculture were way off...obviously just thrown in to make the story seem as if it were authentic. A five-minute check could have saved those simple mistakes, but nothing will change the stereotypes that abound. It's too bad, because the premise of the story is unique and the humor is well-done. Bottom line: either write what you know or take the time to get to know the kind of people you're writing about.

Review by Leah Krotz

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse: A Real Page Turner

2008-02-25T12:40:00.000-08:00

Once I started reading this book I finished it in one week. It is a Holy Grail suspense novel and it is a real page turner.

The book features a swashbuckling heroine named Alais whose story toggles between hers and her modern day counterpart Alice Tanner. The Medieval Alais is one of the guardians of the three books that contain the secret of the Holy Grail. The novel is set during the Albigensian Crusades that took place in the Languedoc region of France in the years 1208-1250. The Albigensians are also known as Cathars and were declared heretics by the Catholic Church in 1208. This is one of those works of historical fiction that has lots of tidbits of information and historical knowledge for the reader.

Not only is this a swashbuckler mystery with a medieval heroine; there is also a modern heroine named Alice whose story tags onto the story of Alais and the Cathar guardians of the books of the Grail. This is a "Da Vinci Code" with a better story line, more characterization, and defiantly a more plausible ending.

If you are looking for some adult escapism in a good novel try this book.

Review by Bernita Strnad, librarian and former Republic County resident

Kansas Residents Can Access Free Information and Homework Help!

2008-02-20T08:58:00.000-08:00

It's now easier than ever to access the free homework help and information available through the library. Users no longer have to log in or have a Kansas Library Card to use resources such as Homework Kansas, ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source, Heritage Quest, LegalTrac and the Kansas Library Catalog. The authentication will occur automatically as long as you are logging in from a Kansas computer.

Homework Kansas is a free online tutoring service for students in Middle School through Junior College. Students can log on and chat with a tutor, who will help them work out problems, proofread papers and give suggestions for further research. Just click on the Homework Kansas link under Web Links on the left side of the Belleville Public Library web site. The service is available from 4:00-11:00 p.m.

People of all ages will find information they can use by clicking on the Online Resources link under Web Links on the left side of the Belleville Public Library web site. Medical databases both for consumers and for nursing students and health professionals can be found here. Heritage Quest allows genealogists to search US federal censuses, family & local histories, tax lists, city directories, and probate records. There are general indexes with access to thousands of magazine and newspaper articles, all searchable by subject. Students can use databases tailored for their needs as well as World Book online.

Audio books, Music & More: You can browse and search hundreds of great titles and download them to your computer, transfer them to a portable device, or burn onto a CD for your reading and listening pleasure anywhere, anytime.

Can't find what you need in your local library? Try searching the Kansas Library Catalog, listed under Web Links on the left side of the Belleville Public Library web site. Clicking on "Kansas Library Catalog" will take you to State Library page; scroll down and look for the Kansas Library Catalog on the left side of the page.

You will be searching the collections of hundreds of Kansas libraries. Once you find the item you want, you can click to purchase it directly from an online bookstore, or print the information and bring it to your Belleville Public Library to borrow it through interlibrary loan. The service is free to our patrons!

Mixed Signals

2008-01-08T11:02:00.000-08:00

"Mixed Signals" by Liz Curtis Higgs is a fun, light Christian romance. It takes place in the world of radio, which adds a fun twist. The characters are believable and real, and there's lots of humor to keep the story moving along. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter are great. This book is available at the library in both regular and large print.

Great Costume Drama

2008-01-06T11:06:00.000-08:00

A staff member recommends the DVD, "Tess of the d'Urbervilles," based on the novel by Thomas Hardy. The acting is great and the story is timeless. Give it a try!

Fantastic Fiction

2007-12-06T13:46:00.000-08:00

The newest link in the "Books and Reading" section of our website is "Fantastic Fiction." This site, organized by author, lists series in order, highlights each author's upcoming publications, and even showcases the cover art of the books. Check it out at http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/.

Fiction Labels Now in Place

2007-10-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

The library has recently finished a big project: labeling the entire adult fiction collection with stickers to make it easier for library users to find what they want. Now, when patrons browse the stacks, they will notice spine labels marking Mystery, Science Fiction, Romance, Western, Fantasy and Christian Fiction.

The labels make it easy to find these genres at a glance. Suspense, thrillers, women's fiction, horror and general fiction were not labeled since many of these books fit into multiple categories.

Don't forget: the library staff is always ready to help if you are looking for a certain type of book or author, or even if you just need some suggestions for a "good read." Check out the link to "What We're Reading" to find book reviews by library staff too!

We Are Marshall

2007-10-11T14:04:00.001-07:00

We Are Marshall is the perfect movie for football season. Based on the true story of Marshall University's "Thundering Herd," the movie depicts the tragic loss of almost the entire football team and coaching staff in a plane crash. As the remaining players, coaches, family members and administrators come to terms with the tragedy, the decision is made to try to rebuild the football program from scratch.

This movie offers humor, courage and some hard-hitting football action all in one package. There's something here for everyone in the family to enjoy.

Check it out today!

Wind at My Back

2007-10-08T09:24:00.000-07:00

For several months, staff and library patrons have been telling me that the Wind at My Back series was their favorite DVD series from the library. My family finally found the time to watch it, and we have to agree...it's really good!

The film takes place in Canada during the Great Depression of the 1930's. Through the story of the Bailey family, the struggles and hardships of that era come vividly to life. The stories are sometimes heartwarming, sometimes humorous, and always told with great authenticity. You find yourself feeling that you know these people!

Wind at My Back was produced by Kevin Sullivan, who also produced the Anne of Green Gables and Road to Avonlea series. Fans of The Waltons or Little House on the Prairie would also enjoy it.

Just as Good

2007-09-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

Even if you're a devoted fan of the now-classic BBC version of Pride and Prejudice, starring Colin Firth, don't be afraid to give the new, movie-length version a try. This Pride and Prejudice has great chemistry between its gorgeous young stars, Keira Knightley and Matthew McFadden. The setting is more earthy and the pace is much faster than the BBC version. The casting, in my opinion, is perfect, down to even the most minor characters. If you've never tried to watch Jane Austen's work before, I recommend this movie as the perfect starting place. (And if you like it, try Emma, starring Gwenyth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam. It's great too!)

A Hard Book to Read

2007-09-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Sold by Patricia McCormick is one of those books that stays with you long after you finish it. It's the story, based on fact, of a 13 year old girl who lives with her family in a hut in Nepal. The family lives in grinding poverty, and Lakshmi's family sends her to a what they think is a job as a maid in the city. In reality, Lakshmi has been sold into slavery and is drugged, beaten, and eventually forced into prostitution. Although it seems impossible, there are actually millions of people in the world today who are enslaved. This book brings home the truth, told in the spare, poetic voice of one young girl. A must read.

Stories to Inspire

2007-09-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

Living the 7 Habits: Stories of Courage and Inspiration by Stephen R. Covey is full of real stories from real people who have triumphed over difficult circumstances, both large and small. Even if you haven't read Covey's classic, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, you will still find lots of inspiration in this book. There are stories about marriage, raising children, work, community and more. Also available at the library is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Look for it in our Teen section.

Belleville Public Library Offers Pre-Loaded Digital Audio Books to Patrons

2007-09-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

The Belleville Public Library has begun offering Playaway – the first self-playing digital audio book—adding this innovative format to their existing collection of audio books on cassette, CD, and online.

Not an MP3 or CD player, Playaway is the self-contained audio equivalent of a book, but is only half the size of a deck of cards. Using six simple buttons, Playaway gives listeners the option of placing bookmarks and controlling the speed of a narrator’s voice, all while easily moving both forward and back through the audio book.

Playaway has a universal headphone jack that works with almost any type of headphone or car adapter. For those who don’t own headphones, the library sells them for $1.00.

“We are a pilot project for this format in Kansas,” says Leah Krotz, library director. “We received a $4,000 grant to pay for a large collection of Playaways, and have just received an additional $3,500 grant because the Playaways have proven to be so popular. There are lots of advantages…no disks or tapes to change, no moving parts, and a small, very sturdy device that’s not much bigger than a credit card.”

The library currently has 110 Playaways in its collection, but plans to double that amount in the next few months. For more information about Playaway at the Belleville Public Library, please contact us at 527-5305.

Homework Kansas is Back!

2007-09-07T15:15:00.000-07:00

Got Homework?
This School Year Get Free Online Tutoring Seven Days a Week

It’s late summer and students are back to school. That means reading, writing, arithmetic, papers, tests and, yes, homework. What to do?

Children and teens can get a head start with the HomeworkKansas program. Students from 4th to 12th grade, and college introduction level, can visit HomeworkKansas at www.homeworkkansas.org for free homework help from qualified tutors.

The State Library of Kansas, and Kansas public libraries, offer HomeworkKansas, an online tutoring service that connects students to expert tutors in math, science, social studies and English via the Internet. Spanish-speaking tutors are available for assistance in math and science. HomeworkKansas is available from 4:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m., seven days a week, in English and from 4:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.,Sunday-Thursday in Spanish.

This free service allows students to connect to an expert tutor either from the local public library or from their home computer with a Kansas Library Card, and receive one-to-one homework help from a live tutor via the Internet. All tutors are certified teachers, college professors, professional tutors or graduate school students from across the country. Every tutor has completed a third party background check and a comprehensive training program

HomeworkKansas is easy to use. Simply go to the library’s Web site (www.bellevillelibrary.org), click on the HomeworkKansas link listed under "Kids' Sites" and then enter their grade level and the subject they need help in. Students are then connected to a tutor in an Online Classroom for help in math (elementary, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus), science (elementary, earth science, biology, chemistry, physics), social studies (American history, world history, political science and more), and English (spelling, grammar, essay writing, book reports).

2007-09-07T14:25:00.000-07:00

Teen Services

The Teen section of the library has a café atmosphere and teens are welcome to bring food and drinks (with lids) into the area. There are magazines, graphic novels and comics available.

The Teen collection is organized into categories for easy browsing: Fantasy, Humor, Graphic, Suspense, Adventure, Sports, Stories and Real Life.

We have a Teen Volunteer Program for Jr. High & High School students...applications are available at the library.

2007-09-07T14:19:00.000-07:00

Children's Services

Our large collection of youth books is divided into age-appropriate categories: Begin Board books are sturdy books designed for babies and toddlers. Begin books are picture books for toddlers and preschoolers. Begin Readers are for children learning to read on their own. Juv books are chapter books for elementary students up to about 6th grade.

We also have children’s DVDs, videos, computer software, magazines and music available for check-out. A computer with children’s educational software is located in our children’s room.

Children’s programs include:

Preschool Story Time for children aged three through five.

Toddler Lap-Sit Story Time for children aged two or almost two.

Summer Reading Program for preschool through adults.

Have YOU Read It Yet?

2007-09-06T09:29:00.000-07:00

Review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows from Amazon.com

Readers beware. The brilliant, breathtaking conclusion to J.K. Rowling's spellbinding series is not for the faint of heart--such revelations, battles, and betrayals await in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that no fan will make it to the end unscathed. Luckily, Rowling has prepped loyal readers for the end of her series by doling out increasingly dark and dangerous tales of magic and mystery, shot through with lessons about honor and contempt, love and loss, and right and wrong. Fear not, you will find no spoilers in our review--to tell the plot would ruin the journey, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is an odyssey the likes of which Rowling's fans have not yet seen, and are not likely to forget. But we would be remiss if we did not offer one small suggestion before you embark on your final adventure with Harry--bring plenty of tissues.

The heart of Book 7 is a hero's mission--not just in Harry's quest for the Horcruxes, but in his journey from boy to man--and Harry faces more danger than that found in all six books combined, from the direct threat of the Death Eaters and you-know-who, to the subtle perils of losing faith in himself. Attentive readers would do well to remember Dumbledore's warning about making the choice between "what is right and what is easy," and know that Rowling applies the same difficult principle to the conclusion of her series. While fans will find the answers to hotly speculated questions about Dumbledore, Snape, and you-know-who, it is a testament to Rowling's skill as a storyteller that even the most astute and careful reader will be taken by surprise.

A spectacular finish to a phenomenal series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a bittersweet read for fans. The journey is hard, filled with events both tragic and triumphant, the battlefield littered with the bodies of the dearest and despised, but the final chapter is as brilliant and blinding as a phoenix's flame, and fans and skeptics alike will emerge from the confines of the story with full but heavy hearts, giddy and grateful for the experience.

--Daphne Durham

2007-09-06T08:51:00.000-07:00