In 1913 Barcelona, the theories of Sigmund Freud are all the rage. On the eve of a visit by the great man himself, the city's premiere psychotherapist has mysteriously vanished, forcing his pregnant wife and uptight brother to go looking for him. The Spanish comedy Unconscious stars Leonor Watling and has a 59 percent rating at Metacritic.

The Children's Room of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library is having a special visitor on Saturday, December 3 from 12:00-2:00PM. Yes it's Santa! Santa will be here, and boys and girls of all ages can have their pictures taken with him. Santa will be bringing a few elves along and children will receive a candy cane and a free book while supplies last.

We'll be having our regular Family Storytime at 11:00AM which will feature Santa stories. Also remember that you can find books to borrow from the San José Public Library about Christmas and the other special holidays which happen in December: Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

Author Caitlin Kittredge created a very interesting world in her novel, The Iron Thorn. 15-year-old Aoife (pronounced "Ee-fah") Grayson is a mathematically gifted student at the prestigious School of Engines of Lovecraft Academy, in the steampunkish city of Lovecraft. One day, Aoife receives a mysterious letter from her brother Conrad. Worried about her brother's safety, Aoife enlists the help of her friend Cal, to try to find Conrad.

Part fantasy, part science fiction, part steampunk, part alternate history, this novel has many twists, turns and surprises. High school students, middle school students and even adults who like science fiction and fantasy are likely to enjoy The Iron Thorn. This book is available in print format and audio cd format.

To find out more about Caitlin Kittredge, please visit her website.

At the end of November, most people think of Turkeys and Black Friday and the upcoming Christmas season. For me, and nearly 1 million people around the world, I have one idea in my mind: 50,000. No, that’s not the number of turkeys sold in America or the gallons of beer being drunk after dinner, or the number of yards over the football games this weekend. No, I’m talking words. 50,000 of them, written in a horrendous, mad-dash, “how did I get myself into this mess” kind of frenzy.

Thirteen years ago, Oakland native Chris Baty (“No Plot, No Problem”), decided with a handful of friends that there is a reason why most people don’t write novels. It isn’t for lack of a plot, a motivation to write the Great American Novel, or even a desire to express oneself. No, the thing that is needed is a DEADLINE. So he and about ten friends challenged themselves to write 50,000 words in one month, 1667 every day, to write a novel. Funny thing—a few of them actually managed to do so. The following year the number of participants tripled. And the following year it quadrupled. There are now about a million people worldwide that follow National Novel Writing Month—“Nanowrimo” for short. It’s a lot of fun, with write-ins where we take over coffee shops (and drink a lot of coffee—we need it!) have parties, such as the “Halfway There” party and of course, the legendary “TGIO” party in December for those who are brave (or foolish?) enough to claim victory at the end. This stands for “Thank God It’s Over”. November was apparently chosen because of the lousy weather, the excuse not to visit in-laws for Thanksgiving, and the fact that, well, why NOT November?

I’ve participated in Nanowrimo for four years now, and have won every single year. It’s a lot of fun, although I’ve produced absolutely nothing that I would ever want to read to my family, my daughter, or even my cat (poor kitty…) But at least I have a lot of fun doing it. About 60% of us make it and submit our words on their website for their monkeys to count, and come out of it still standing (or at least, gasping for air).

So next year, if you have nothing else to do during the month of November, I would highly encourage you to consider writing a novel. 1667 words a day is all we ask. And who knows? You might just come up with something you might want to send off to a publisher. Or at least feel is good enough to read to your cat. For more information, go to www.nanowrimo.org.

Dublin, Ireland is a sister city to San Jose and this Summer the children of Dublin and San Jose exchanged postcards! It was a great way for the children to tell each other about their cities with words and pictures. Reading these postcards is like going on a sight seeing trip of Dublin! Find out about the Luas, a transport system similar to our Light Rail, the Aviva Stadium where soccer is played plus many other interesting sights. We have enjoyed these postcards and we hope that the children of Dublin enjoyed the ones we sent. If you would like to see all the postcards from Dublin, they are on display in the Children's Room of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library.

Imagine waking up one morning to discover that the dream you had is being reported in the news and then your sister tells you that the dream you had is replicated in your mirror. That's strange. Moreover, when you visit the dentist, the dentist tells you that you will have to have your wisdom teeth taken out and that you will be his youngest patient ever from whom he has to remove wisdom teeth. As it turns out, John and his twin sister Phillipa, are the descendants of a long line of djinns, and they discover that they have super powers to do things that no one else can do, such as grant wishes, make people disappear, and to travel to exotic locales. The Akhenaten Adventure is the first in the series: Children of the Lamp by P. B Kerr, which includes six titles at this time. This title and some other titles of the series are available in audio. Recommended for children in grades 4 and up, this title and other titles in the series would make a great read for children who like action and a fast-paced story.

We've all heard of Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving shop-fest, the day when retailers get their books back in the black but have you heard of Small Business Saturday? Don't spend all your money on Black Friday, save some for Small Business Saturday. Small Business Saturday is a nationwide initiative in it's 2nd year to support small business. The idea is simple and has far reaching benefits. Spending money in your community, adds to city coffers, encourages job growth, and supports local public services like the library. All this just from doing something you love to do anyway...shop!

Shop local, support small business, and in turn support the local economy. You don't have to drive out of San José to get your shopping needs met, the city has lots of great independently owned businesses and you can save money on gas too.

Do you enjoy reading and discussing what you read? If the answer is yes, the Edenvale Book Club is the club for you! Come to the fireplace area of the Edenvale Branch Library on Wednesday December 7, 2011 at 6:00 pm. This month, the Edenvale Book Club will discuss The Hunt Club by John Lescroart. Everyone is welcome.

This book is available in three formats:

Hardback Fiction

Large Print Fiction

Downloadable Digital Audio Book (via Overdrive Digital Library)

One of the great things about West Valley's book club is the opportunity for members to take turns nominating new books for the group to read and discuss. The group ends up with a diverse range of fiction and non-fiction that they might not have taken the time individually to read.

For December, one of our members selected a book that's been sitting on her "to-read" shelf for some time. It's William Stegner's Pulitzer Prize-winning modern classic, Angle of Repose. This novel spans four generations of family in the American West, which includes our very own local hotbed of history, the New Almaden quicksilver mine in south San Jose. Request your copy today and join us in the West Valley Branch Community Room on Wednesday, December 14 at 6:30pm for lively literary discussion.

Partners in Reading (PAR) is the adult and family literacy program of the San José Public Library. PAR's family literacy program, Together We Read, serves the children of PAR learners. PAR has a new book drive going on from today until Friday, January 20, 2012. We need you to donate new books to break the cycle of low literacy. When families read together they can grow and learn together. Bring new books for kids ages birth to 13 to your local branch library or to the PAR office. We especially need books for older kids. Thanks so much for your help!

Don't be deceived by the innocuous looking cover on I'll Be There. The scene depicted is actually a traumatic turning point for the main characters, Sam and Riddle.

Sam is a teen unlike any other teen, especially to Emily Bell. Emily is also unlike many other teens because she is naturally happy and draws others to herself. Sam is drawn to Emily when he hears her terrible rendition of "I'll Be There." They immediately make a connection. However, Sam has very serious problems at home and is the primary caregiver for his younger brother, Riddle. Riddle is suffering from severe asthma and is probably on the autistic spectrum.

Back to that cover. Events come to a head in the wilderness with their mentally dysfunctional father. Both boys go through a period where they must survive in the wild. They meet a bear and try to survive on cattails. Do they make it? Does Sam see Emily again? Read the book and find out!

Holly Goldberg Sloan comes from a movie-making background, so this book is quite a page turner! She has written for the following movies: The Big Green, Angels in the Outfield, and Made in America.

A widowed college professor discovers that the Manhattan apartment he owns but rarely uses has been illegally sublet to an undocumented immigrant and his wife. He is forced to make a series of decisions which have far-reaching consequences. The Visitor features an Oscar-nominated performance by Richard Jenkins and has a 79 percent rating at Metacritic.

The question before us isn't whether graffiti is artistically valid, because, well, sure it is. One look at the contents of the book Bay Area Graffiti by photographer Steve Rotman should make that abundantly clear and, anyway, as Andy Warhol once quipped "It's art because I say it's art." That Andy was one hell of a quipster, but I digress. Where once Mr. Rotman favored nature and landscape photography, he eventually found himself drawn to the sheer visual appeal of urban graffiti and began documenting his finds in San Francisco and all over the Bay Area at a voracious pace. The result is a book which came out in 2009, but feels as fresh as tomorrow’s coffee. San Francisco, like other notable graffiti cities (NYC, London, Berlin, Sao Paulo) has no shortage of artists working in the shadows of the urban landscape and creating some prodigiously impressive displays of street art. This book showcases a portion of that talent and provides mini “statements” from some of the featured graffiti “bombers” that ultimately serve as confessionals for why they do what they do. A concise summary from one of the artists speaking to the essence of (his) graffiti: “It’s not always ego. It’s that you don’t care about that wall and I do.” Let the debate continue, but you know where I stand and I thank Steve Rotman for cataloging some of the ephemeral beauty of Bay Area graffiti.

PS: check out Mr. Rotman’s photo stream at www.flickr.com/photos/phunk

April invites her estranged family over for Thanksgiving dinner at her grotty Manhattan apartment in an attempt at reconciliation. She discovers on the morning in question that her oven is dead, forcing her to interact with her neighbors for the first time. Pieces of April features an Oscar-nominated performance by Patricia Clarkson and has an 84 percent rating at Rotten Tomatoes.

Tom Perrotta is an American author. He writes contemporary fiction, usually set in the suburbs of the northeastern U.S. In 1998, he gained prominence after the publication of Election, a satirical look at high school politics. The Abstinence Teacher is a thought provoking commentary on the cultural conflict of teaching teenagers about sexuality and, in this book's case, spirituality. Ruth Ramsey is a divorced mother of two soccer playing young teenage girls and also teaches sexuality classes at the local high school. An Evangelical Christian church member gains power in the community and soon Ruth is forced to change her lesson plans, and then her life plans. The book is available in audio format, too.

You can start making Interlibrary loan requests starting today at 9 AM - the service was temporarily halted while a server was upgraded. Thanks for your patience!

I stumbled across two very interesting sites on the web, Glass Door and Jobitorial. Both sites are company and job review sites; these sites provide insider information on what's it's like to work at certain companies. Glass Door is a little more comprehensive in that reviewers post salaries and interview questions/ experiences whereas Jobitorial is strictly reviews of what it's like to work at a particular company. These sites are a great place to check out before your next job interview or if you are researching a company and want an insider view of employee morale and workplace culture.

So some Safari Books Online titles are currently ‘broken’ – they only display the first page, no matter what sections of the book are selected. I’m in touch with the vendors to resolve the issue, but in the meantime, please try to use the “HTML View” option on the top right of the screen; that may work for some titles. Also, please make sure that you have the latest Flash installed, and that it is enabled. I'll post another message when this is resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience.

The BFG by Roald Dahl -- The BFG is one of those books that seems to harken back to the days where fairy tales had an edge. While the BFG (Big Friendly Giant) is a nice guy who only eats snozzcumbers and gives people dreams and his fellow giants are large man-eaters whose favorite dish is children. The book stars a little orphan girl named Sophie who has the good fortune to run into the BFG. Together they plan to stop the BFG's marauding fellow giants.

Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster -- Milo is a bored ten-year old boy who swears there is nothing to do. This changes when a tollbooth appears in his room. Curious, Milo dusts off his toy car, pays the toll, and drives through. Milo finds his way into a strange world where he meets several interesting characters and is tasked with returning two princesses to the kingdom of Wisdom. Fans of Alice in Wonderland will love this book!

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konisburg -- Claudia runs away from home, inviting her brother to come along with her. They end up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Once the place closes up for the night, the two siblings come out of hiding to explore. It is then that Claudia encounters an angelic statue that entrances her. She must find out for certain who made it! To this end, she and her brother track down the statue's former owner, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli -- Maniac is a homeless kid living in the deer pen at the city zoo. He can untie any knot, outrun anyone on two legs or four, he helps out little kids with their problems, and tries to see the good in everyone. In a racially-divided town he doesn't see what the difference between people are.

Written by volunteer Robert D.

In 1937, a high school student finds himself cast in a bit role in a groundbreaking production of Julius Caesar staged by Orson Welles. He discovers that working with a genius has its ups and downs. Directed by Richard Linklater, Me and Orson Welles stars Claire Danes and has a 73 percent rating at Metacritic.

With the year-end holidays rapidly approaching and all the stress that brings, here are some fun, different or downright kooky things that have little to do, if anything, with the holidays. These come from Chase’s Calendar of Events.

• National Bundt Day (November 15). Pull that Bundt pan from your cupboard and bake a delicious masterpiece in either the traditional design or choose from one of 40! The Bundt pan has stood the test of time for over 60 years and its manufacturer is on the hunt for Bundts throughout its history. To help you out, Julia Child has a baking DVD with Bundt how-to’s. Find it through your library. And, here are some articles in case you’re interested in exploring more on what this Bundt pan is and how it came about.
   
• Homemade Bread Day (November 17). This day is for the family to remember and enjoy the making, baking and eating of nutritious homemade bread. To help you get started, here is a list of bread-making books available though your local library.
   
• Great American Smokeout (November 17). A day observed annually to celebrate smoke-free environments on the third Thursday in November. Your local library can help you find materials to help you quit smoking.
   
• Name Your PC Day (November 20). Why not? For more information, as well as some other different put-a-smile-on-your-face events throughout the year, take a look at Wellcat Holidays.
   
• Tie One On Day (November 23). Tie One On and celebrate the humble apron and the spirit of women of earlier generation who donned this universal symbol.
   
• Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (November 24). What more need be said? Check out a book on the history of the parade.
   
• Computer Security Day (November 30). Begun in 1988, this annual observance reminds people to protect their computers, programs and data at home and at work. Too bad it comes two days after Cyber Monday (November 28), the traditional beginning of the online holiday shopping season.

Everyone is invited to this FREE live musical program on Saturday, November 19, at 3:00 PM in the Almaden Library and Community Center's Community Room.

Relive the Big Band Era with music by The Tenor Band. Reminisce to the sounds of "Begin the Beguine" and "Tenderly."

Don’t miss this entertaining blast from the past!

This program is made possible through the generous contributions of the Friends of the Almaden Library.

For more about The Tenor Band, watch and listen to their performance of "Tenderly" here:

Watch more performances by The Tenor Band.

Meet the Kindle, Sony Reader, iPad, and other devices for e-Reading at an eReader Petting Zoo at the Almaden Branch Library on Saturday, November 19 from 12:00 - 2:00 pm! We’ll talk about all the different e-collections at the library, and show you how easy it is to get free library eBooks on your device! You’re welcome to bring your own smartphone or your eReader device to follow along. This drop-in demonstration will last for 2 hours.

Do you think you could sum up your life in six words? How about Not Quite What I Was Planning? That’s the title of a collection of six word memoirs by “writers famous and obscure.” The idea was originally put forward in Smith, the online magazine. Readers were invited to contribute on the Smith website and many of their contributions are included in the book. The book itself was so successful that it spawned several others including a sequel, "It All Changed In An Instant", and a volume by “teens famous and obscure” called I Can’t Keep My Own Secrets.

Smith (whose motto is “Everyone has a story. What’s yours?”) is also well worth checking out.& It continues to accept and publish six word memoirs but also solicits longer pieces on various topics. It has a comics section with ongoing comic stories, including one by Harvey Pekar, and there is a separate section for contributions by teens. If you enjoy writing you may want to contribute. If not, it can be fun just browsing other’s work. Or, if you're not quite ready to broadcast to the world how about a smaller audience? SJPL would welcome your six word memoirs; please enter yours below.

“Telling the truth don’t come easy to me, but I will try, even if old Truth ain’t nearly as useful as a fib sometimes.”

Early in their lives after the death of both parents, Homer and Harold, his older brother, are left alone, except for an uncle.  This uncle, Squinton Leach, who is the husband of their mother’s late sister, hated everything and everyone.

When Uncle Squinton illegally sells Harold to the Union Army, conscription as it is known at that time, Homer is left to fend for himself.  He knows he can’t stay with his uncle, so relying on his wits, telling many lies and some truth, Homer leaves the farm to try to locate his brother.

As he searches for Harold, Homer meets quite an assortment of people, both good and bad.  There are the men trying to locate runaways slaves, the good rich Quaker helping the runaway slaves, a naïve minister, and two con artists.   And that’s just the beginning of the story behind The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick.  

Author and award-winning journalist, Fariba Nawa, will speak at the Cambrian Branch Library on Tuesday, November 15th at 6:30pm-7:30 pm. Her book Opium Nation: Child Brides, Drug Lords, and One Woman’s Journey Through Afghanistan will be released in November, 2011 and will be available for sale by the Friends of the Cambrian Library at the event.

Ms. Nawa lived and reported from Afghanistan from 2002 to 2007, and witnessed the U.S.-led war against the Taliban and al Qaeda. She has also reported from Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, and Germany. She has a master’s in Middle Eastern studies and journalism. This event is free and open to the public.

Don't miss the opportunity to get more information about Scholarship, Grant, and Financial Aidid at Tully Community Branch Library. Learn from Kaplan how to not only get into the college of your dreams, but how to pay for it. Understand how to make yourself the most competitive college applicant possible, learn what admissions officers are looking for, and the basics of applying for financial aid, important dates, terminology, and how financial need is determined.

Also, check out SAT and ACT books that our librarian, Peter Nguyen, recommended.

To practice for SAT and ACT exams, don't forget to take advantage of our LearningExpress Library Tutorials, Test, eBooks database. Teachers from the local schools where I presented LearningExpress gave positive feedback and indicated that they will instruct their students to use the database to improve their skills. I showed my teensReach volunteers the LearningExpress database before their SAT or ACT and they loved it. This online exams database is a wonderful supplemental tool for the many job seekers who come to the library every week and it's available 24/7. LearningExpress not only gives the user an opportunity to practice the materials before the test, it simulates the pacing of the real examination.

How do you get to the database and navigate it? Please view this video clip.

The good news is that now Kindle owners can check out and download many of their favorite titles from Overdrive Digital Library on the SJPL Home Page.  However--and here's the bad news--not all titles available for the Kindle have been made available for the library to purchase!  And, this holds true for all ePub eBooks--

Also, some publishers do not allow their books to become eBooks.  Other publishers put restrictions on how many times an eBook can be checked out before the book has to be "purchased" again.  However, titles often become available at a later time.  So we do try to get the authors and titles you ask for, and we will continue to do so!

Georges and Anne, a happily married couple, begin to receive anonymous video recordings of the front of their house. To satisfy his curiosity and reassure his wife, Georges starts making inquiries which reveal that his family history is more complicated than he previously thought. A film by Austrian director Michael Haneke, Hidden stars Juliette Binoche and Daniel Auteuil and has an 83 percent rating at Metacritic.

Two Maximum Access subscriptions for eBooks are now part of the Overdrive digital library, found on the SJPL Home Page under eMedia. "Maximum Access" means that the titles are not subject to "holds" but can be used by multiple users at the same time!  The first subscription is for some of the most current Lonely Planet Travel Books.  The second Max Access subscription is for the Disney Collection for Children and Teens.  This library includes children's and some teen titles that are only available via this subscription.  All Lonely Planet Maximum Access titles are available to read on Kindles, free Kindle apps or on eBook compatible comptuers and devices.  The Disney Collection is available as "interactive" books to be read on Windows and Mac computers.

 The two current Maximum Access Collections, Disney Collection for Children and Teens and Lonely Planet Travel Books, are now "showcased" on Overdrive as the first and second featured collections on Overdrive's Home Page, http://overdrive.sjlibrary.org/3B904027-4CBB-47BD-80AB-1652490A7B82/10/294/en/default.htm, so they will be easier to find.  They can also be searched on Overdrive by individual title or under a category, such as "Travel" or "Children's Fiction."  The Lonely Planet titles can also be accessed by searching in the catalog.

Popular bilingual children's performer Chiquy Boom is back in San Jose with her silly magic show for kids of all ages. Clown around with Chiquy to magic, and music and movement games presented in both English and Spanish. There will be two chances to catch the show on Saturday November 12 - at 2pm at the Pearl Avenue Branch OR at 4pm at the King Library. While you're at the library, be sure to check out some books on Magic Tricks and Clowns to round out your visit.

*These events were made possible through the generosity of the Friends of the Pearl Avenue Branch Library and the Friends of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library.

Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading (AR 5.0, Level 5.4) by Tommy Greenwald is a tribute to the author's three sons, who are all NOT fond of reading. This title is in the format of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid: black and white cartoons, snarky main character, and offbeat secondary characters. While I read the book, I found it difficult to believe that Charlie Joe was able to get away with not reading for so long. However, after seeing his inventive genius, one can easily believe that he talked his way out of doing many things.

Charlie Joe's characterization is quite different from Greg Heffley, Nate Wright, etc., however. Charlie Joe is one of the popular kids who has a nice family and friends. The amusement in Charlie Joe's life derives from his list of ways that one can avoid reading.

The book is sure to reach reluctant readers in addition to avid readers who will find Charlie's tips hysterical. This book will reach readers who did not care for the uglier aspects of Greg Heffley's or Nate Wright's personalities.  Charlie Joe is a good kid; he is just misunderstood. 

The City’s Housing Department is pleased to offer a special home repair assistance program for eligible San José homeowners who live in the City’s Strong Neighborhood Initiative (SNI) areas. The repairs can include roofing, electrical, heating, plumbing and accessibility modifications. Income-qualifying households may receive up to $150,000 in assistance to fix up their homes depending on the amount of eligible repairs. Visit the City's Housing Department Home Repair Assistance webpage for more information or contact the City’s Housing Department by phone at (408) 975-4440 or by email.

Rosalba is so undervalued by her family and relatives that she's accidentally forgotten and left behind during a bus tour. Making her way to Venice, she eventually finds a place to stay, gets a job more or less by accident and makes some unusual new friends. By the time her husband and children appreciate her absence and try to get her back, she's not so sure she wants to return. The Italian comedy Bread and Tulips stars Bruno Ganz and has a 68 percent rating at Metacritic.

Take Me With You by Carolyn Marsden

Susanna and Pina, both eleven years old, live in an orphanage in Italy. The story takes place years after the end of the Second World War, while the country is still recovering from the devastation caused by the battles. Some of the girls living at the Istituto di Gesu Bambino (Institute of the Baby Jesus) are actually orphans, others have parents or relatives who could not care for them.

The nuns at the Instituto care for the children as best they can under difficult circumstances. There is little money. The nuns seek donations from the Allies who now occupy the city. The girls sing at funeral services and they crochet berets and baby blankets for the nuns to sell.

Things slowly begin to change at the Instituto when visitors come to watch the girls, some of whom are then adopted. Pina finds out she has a mother, here in Italy. Susanna learns that her own Italian mother died, but her father is an American! Will one of them be leaving soon? As Susanna and Pina learn more about their birth parents, each of them must find a way to accept that reality and realize that they may soon go their separate ways.

A glossary at the end of the book provides translations for the Italian words used throughout the book.

My Name Is Not Angelica by Scott O’Dell

Raisha and five other members of her African tribe are kidnapped by a rival King and taken to a ship called “God’s Adventures.” Misnamed for sure, the ship is taking them from their home in Africa to the West Indies island of St. John. During the six month long trip, Raisha learns to speak Danish from the ship’s captain. Many of the captives die along the way, some from illnesses, others due to the poor food, still more washed away by the violent storms. But Raisha survives.

Upon arrival in St. John, Raisha and two fellow captives, Konje and Dondo, are sold to a Danish land owner. All three are given new names, Raisha is now known as Angelica, Konje is named Apollo and Dondo is called Abraham.  And so begins Raisha's new life.

Mr. O’Dell based this novel on events surrounding the 1733-1734 slave revolt on the islands of St. John and St. Thomas.

The Bay Area Science Festival (October 29-November 6) is in full swing. Events and activities are scheduled throughout the Bay Area.

One of my favorite radio programs, Radiolab, will be at Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall November 3 and 4. The innovative and imaginative team at Radiolab (from their website), “…believes your ears are a portal to another world. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience. Big questions are investigated, tinkered with, and encouraged to grow.“

Joining the fantastic Radiolab duo of Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich are comedian Demetri Martin and musician Thao Nguyen. The San José Public Library has Martin’s book, This Is a Book, and the movie, Taking Woodstock in which he plays Elliot Tiber, who played a somewhat controversial role in introducing the Woodstock producers to the Yasgur farm. Nguyen has toured with various musicians, recorded several albums released on the Kill Rock Stars record label and recently scored the documentary, American Teacher.

Join the San José Public Library in this celebration of science as it teams up with the Tech Museum to present the program: Got Bots? Robots with the Tech Museum at:

• Santa Teresa Library on Thursday, November 3 at 3:30pm
• West Valley Library on Friday, November 4 at 3:00pm

Growing up in a monastery in Ireland during the Dark Ages, Brendan has no idea what to do with his life. One day, when he meets a traveling monk who shows him how to illuminate manuscripts, Brendan realizes he has found his calling. Unfortunately, his uncle and the local Vikings have other plans for him. Nominated for an Academy Award, the animated feature The Secret of Kells has a 91 percent rating at Rotten Tomatoes.

Does your child enjoy playing with Legos? The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library is offering Lego Fun on Mondays at 5:00PM. We have legos of all sizes plus the large duplo blocks for those little ones. Children know that legos are fun to play with, but parents did you know that playing with legos also encourages creativity, sharing, development of fine motor shills and helps with concentration? Playing with Legos also builds self esteem and confidence because when the "creation" is completed the child is given a sense of pride and accomplishment. So as you can see Legos are not just for fun!

There are a number of sites that offer eAudioBooks for free.

Books Should Be Free and LibriVox provides free audiobooks from the public domain.  

eJunto was created to bring historical and philosphical audiobooks to the public domain.

FreeClassicAudioBooks.com has a number of classics titles, and the site also takes requests.

What are your favorite resources for free eAudioBooks? Please share them in the comments!