Catch up on new Library events, books, and materials! Published here and in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle every Friday.

Friday, November 1, 2024

It’s Booksale Weekend! 

The Friends of the Bozeman Public Library invite you to a used book sale at the Library on Saturday, November 2 and Sunday, November 3. These kid’s books, adult books, DVDs, vinyl records, CDs, board games and puzzles are generously donated by patrons and sold at a very reasonable price of $1 to $5 per item. All proceeds benefit Bozeman Public Library. Saturday presale from 8-10 AM is for Friends members only. On Saturday, 10 AM to 5PM, the public is welcome to shop the sale. On Sunday, the Fill-A-Bag sale, will be held 1 to 5 PM. Sunday bags are $3, $5, or $10, priced by size. It’s for a good cause!

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM

Meet Me at the Starlight by Rachel Hauck. Fiction. The Starlight is a roller skating rink in Sea Blue Beach, Florida, not a dance studio on the Northeast side. But that all works out because a family tied to the Starlight needs saving. Set in the 1980s, when roller skating boomed, this is a surprisingly fun story of an interesting posse of people who need to get on the right track.

After 1177 B.C.: The Survival of Civilizations by Eric H. Cline. Nonfiction. Ah, the Iron Age. After a catastrophic breakdown of the world order during the Bronze Age, the Middle East entered the Iron Age, perhaps in an attempt to be much more solid. Meet the Phoenicians, Philistines, Israelites, Neo-Hittites, Neo-Assyrians, and Neo-Babylonians who emerged in that four-century period.  

Joyful: Recollections of Trauma by Paul Scheer. Biography.  If you’re a fan of Mr. Scheer’s podcast: How Did This Get Made? which is full of humor, this biography will surprise you because it is tough. However, it is also inspiring to read stories of working through a challenging childhood, staying true to oneself, and finding success, fulfillment, and happiness in difficult circumstances.

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS

Wayfinders by Bryan Chick. Juvenile Fiction. From the author of the bestselling Secret Zoo series, Wayfinders is a delightful tale of a father and daughter who set out on a quest to save a group of fairy tale creatures. To do so, they must find a way to reopen a secret portal to a magical world while preventing others from taking the magic for themselves. Bonus: daughter is a horsewoman!

The Wolf Effect: A Wilderness Revival Story by Rosanne Perry and Jennifer Thermes. Nonfiction. This book is for upper grade school and middle school students. The beautiful Yellowstone ecosystem we all live in is featured here. Watercolors and muted colors tell the story of the wolf and their near extinction in the West, and Yellowstone National Park. What a comeback they have made.

A Love Letter to My Library by Lisa Katzenberger; illustrated by Rob Sayegh, Jr. Picture Book. This picture book highlights different things that libraries offer, such as a great selection of books, a cozy place to sit alone or with a friend, taking part in a craft program, Storytime or something else. Rather than follow one character, an inclusive set of characters are featured. Love the love letter!

A Place for Rain by Michelle Staub; illustrated by Bianca Gomez. Early Reader. If you have been missing rain, this book will remind readers of all it does. Cute kids in raincoats help the environment by doing some simple projects that will have long lasting effects while hanging out in their friendly community. The pictures are colorful. If only we could bring some rain to Bozeman!

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS

Hamilton and Peggy! A Revolutionary Friendship by L.M. Elliott. Young Adult Fiction. Fans of the musical, Hamilton, will enjoy the return of all the main characters in this historical novel. Peggy Schuyler was a part of the family that Alexander Hamilton married into. Here are all the famous events of the Revolution and the more personal of the Schuyler and Hamilton families. 

The Battle of Blood and Ink: A Fable of the Flying City by Jared Axelrod and Steve Walker. Young Adult Graphic Novel. I believe this steampunk dystopian book may be the first of its kind. Presented in black and white, there is a conflict, and secrets. Best of all, a headstrong heroine who runs a newspaper that reveals the secrets of Amperstam, the famous flying city. 

You Do You: Figuring Out Your Body, Dating and Sexuality by Sarah Mirk. Young Adult Nonfiction. The changes that our bodies go through as teenagers are anticipated, but feel uncontrollable sometimes. The author presents many available options without opinion or judgement. Readers will have some introductory knowledge as they consider the choices that are best for them.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, October 25, 2024

Craig Hall and friends return to Bozeman Public Library

What are you doing on Saturdays this winter? C’mon down to the Bozeman Public Library live Jazz fest. Visit the scenic 2nd floor for the stirring sounds of live acoustic music. Local jazz guitarist Craig Hall will lead the music along with guest performer Kearen Samsel on Saturday, November 2nd. The fun begins at 2 PM and lasts till 4 PM. Craig and various friends will perform every Saturday in November, December and January. For the full concert schedule, please visit www.bozemanlibrary.org or call 406-582-2410. This program is funded in part by a grant provided by Sweet Pea, Festival of the Arts. Many thanks also to the Bozeman Public Library Foundation and their donors for their support of this music program over the past few years. Huzzah!

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM 

Birding to Change the World by Trish O’Kane. Biography.  Like several other birders, Trish O’Kane came to the community after terrible loss and pain. Her transition to conservative activist on a journey through birds, migration, city government, and PhD dissertations is an experience.

Eynhallow by Tim McGregor. Fiction. Set on a lonely, windswept island off Scotland in 1797. When a wealthy man washes up on the shores of Eynhallow, and he turns out to be Victor Frankenstein. This is a unique and thought provoking interpretation of Mary Shelley’s masterpiece. 

Building the Affordable House: Trade Secrets to High-Value Low-Cost Construction by Fernando Pages Ruiz.   Nonfiction.  Homebuilders want competitive, affordable housing that blends curb appeal, useful floor space and a low price tag to guarantee quick sales. The buyers want safe, solid, and sustainable. Turns out these two seemingly opposing ideas can exist in the same home together. 

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS

Secrets of the Sky: The Ghost Forest by Syantani Dasgupta. Juvenile Fiction. Best of this series, and the others were great, too. When twins Kiya and Kinjal are visiting the Kingdom Beyond, the bhoot (ghosts who live in trees) are definitely in a very bad, unreceptive mood. It’s a complex story with hard choices. The age-old question: How can everyone get what they need to live without destroying each other?

Sheepology: The Ultimate Encyclopedia by Maria Demonti and Camilla Pintonmato. Juvenile Nonfiction. All the 4H-ers and curious kids out there will enjoy this hand-illustrated fact-filled book of everything sheep. Sheep anatomy, begetting and birthing baby lambs, the ancient legends of sheep and wool, cheese making with sheep’s milk, sheep farms, knitting, felting and, of course, shearing are all here.  

10 Dogs by Emily Gravett. Picture Book. There are ten dogs, ten unguarded sausages and a counting lesson in this book. Have fun identifying all the breeds of dog, too. Puppy lovers will enjoy the pictures and the story progression. If your family is a cat family, see the author’s previous book, 10 Cats, where the kittens make great art from a few open cans of paint as their mother sleeps blissfully unaware.

The Apartment House on Poppy Hill. Early Reader. The famous Poppy Hill in San Francisco is featured in this cozy chapter book. Nine-year-old Ella lives on the middle floor of an old three story Victorian. When new  neighbors move in, she wants to know them. Alas, they keep to themselves. This story features same sex couples and people of color, neighborly interactions, and their breezy days together.  

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS

The Buried by Melissa Grey. Young Adult Fiction. Three families have lived underground for 10 years since the Cataclysm, when chemicals fell from the sky and wiped out all existence. As the teens in these families come of age, they have many questions for Dr. Morand, a Dr. Moreau type of person. As the teens tell the story, it builds from a dystopia to something very different.

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz. Young Adult Graphic Novel. If you want to have some fun and cry and laugh about a trans teen love story STOP WHATEVER YOU’RE DOING AND READ THIS BOOK! It’s that good. The author has a lot of subversive fun with courtship of royalty, and Cinderella, too, moved to a modern setting. Enjoy all the cheese puns.

How to be a Zombie: The Essential Guide for Anyone Who Craves Brains by Serena Valentino. Young Adult Nonfiction. Definitely the funniest book ever published on the subject of Zombies. The rumors about celebrity zombies: Are they true? What does a Zombie wear? What’s up with the craving of brains, when you never ate them before? How can you tell if you are dating a Zombie?

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, October 18, 2024

LIBRARY EVENT

Join Dr. Joseph Sofianek as we "Explore the Mediterranean" - the Mediterranean Diet that is! Dr. Joe will be conducting a cooking demo featuring a dish from the Mediterranean Diet in the Kitchen Table. He will also let us know how eating in a healthy way, full of plants and nuts and olive oil, allows our bodies to thrive and fight off inflammation and a host of other hindrances to living our best life here in beautiful SW Montana. Registration is not required. Please arrive early for best seating. An overflow room with the live video will be provided in the Community meeting room. ”Explore the Mediterranean”  happens on Wednesday, October 23, from 12:30-1:30 PM.

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM 

That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning by Amanda Jones. Biography.  Part memoir, part manifesto, this is the inspiring story of a Louisiana librarian advocating for inclusivity on the front lines of a vicious culture war. Amanda Jones was living the dream as a librarian in a small town in Louisiana. When a few people decided certain books needed to be banned, she went to work.

The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich. Fiction. The legendary Red River in neighboring North Dakota is the setting for this story. Like the big Red, it surges and meanders at times. Two family’s lives intertwine due to a hasty marriage. Everyone is determined to adapt and thrive while living off the land, in the form of sugar beets. The ag and climate stuff is fascinating, a sign of a truly gifted writer.

Throne of Grace: A Mountain Man, An Epic Adventure, and The Bloody Conquest of the American West by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin. Nonfiction. It is the early 19th century, and the land recently purchased by President Thomas Jefferson stretches west for thousands of miles. Jedediah Smith and the Mountain Men who helped explore the American frontier come to life in this book.

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS 

The International House of Dereliction by Jacqueline Davis. Juvenile Fiction. Young Alice is ten years old. She is moving for the eleventh time. when Alice arrives at her new home, she can’t take her eyes off the house next door, the stately dark house that hulked in the dimming light. The once-grand mansion, now dilapidated and condemned, beckons Alice; it's the perfect new repair job!

Plants to the Rescue! The Plants, Trees, and Fungi That are Solving Some of the World’s Biggest Problems by Vikram Baliga. Nonfiction. Let’s geek out together over plants. Did you know that there is a spinach plant that can detect land mines? It’s true. That’s nothing compared to the fig trees used to make living bridges. Some plants even glow in the dark. It’s all here.

Have You Seen my Invisible Dinosaur? by Helen Yoon. Picture Book. Okay, it’s already a funny premise. How can you find something that is invisible? This story asks the reader, or the youngster being read to, to help find the dinosaur. It’s all good fun and cute pictures.

Sour Apple by Linda Liu. Early Reader. This beautiful artwork is similar to Hall of Famer Eric Carle. The story is about one apple, left behind and alone after all the other apples are picked. What’s up with that? This makes an apple feel sour and recite those feelings in an easy rhyme.  Lots to contemplate here as the story progresses from pain to a satisfying resolution.

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS 

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland. Fiction. Three young teens, Zara Jones, Jude Wolf, and Emer Byrne, are drifting into the occult seeking solace. Zara’s needs her murdered sister back. Jude made a terrible deal with a demon and that demon means to collect. Emer wants to help them both. Can they reach a dead sister, and recover a soul? Set in London and scariiiieeee!

Creepy Cat story and art by Cotton Valent. Graphic Novel. In this entertaining, illustrated series, Creepy Cat is an interdimensional feline who has settled into domestic life with Goth girl Flora in their happily haunted mansion.  What happens next is unthinkable – Creepy Cat vanishes. Where does Flora begin the search for a missing cat who lives in multiple dimensions?

Canto Contigo by Jonny Garza Villa. Fiction. It’s a certain time of year with the Day of the Dead approaching. This story, set in Texas, at the Selena Quintanilla-Perez Academy is centered around a Mariachi singer, who shines in competition. After moving from his small school to a much bigger academy, he meets a rival / romantic interest and learns many life lessons.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, October 11, 2024

LIBRARY EVENT

“What are you reading?” It’s Fall, and that means more time to read. It’s an interesting thing about reading, we do it in solitude and then want to share the experience with others. These meetings are commonly known as Book Club meetings and Bozeman Public Library offers two for adults. The Library Book Club meets on the third Wednesday of the month, at 3 PM in Barnes & Noble in the Gallatin Valley Mall, and at 6:30 PM in the Cottonwood room at the Library. Readers requested a weekend book club, and the Classic Literature Book Club meets the third Saturday of the month. Classic Lit meets 10:15 AM- Noon in the picturesque Ponderosa room. These meetings are open to anyone interested and participation level is optional. For more information, please call 406-582-2400, or visit bozemanlibrary.org.  

LIBRARY BOOK CLUB SELECTIONS

Wednesday, October 16 Library Book Club. Burma Sahib by Paul Theroux. Paul Theroux writes an historical novel depicting George Orwell’s life in Burma approximately 100 years ago. Eric Arthur Blair, a quiet, standoffish, nineteen-year-old leaves his home and parents in England to navigate the cultural and political landscape of colonial, occupied Burma.

Saturday, October 19 Classic Literature Book Club. Turn of the Screw by Henry James. One of the scariest ghost stories ever written, Henry James creates a terrifyingly believable impression of innocent children so corrupted by evil that they remain deceptive pictures of innocent beauty. Their governess must exorcise the demons she believes possess their souls.

Wednesday, November 20 Library Book Club. The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff. This propulsive, darkly comedic feminist thriller is about a woman named Geeta whose abusive husband walked out on her five years ago.  Why does everyone in her village in India think she killed him? And why does everyone treat her so differently now? Not that it’s a bad thing …

Saturday, November 23 Classic Literature Book Club. A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen. Two married people, struggling to keep a simple life simple. When Nora borrows money from a questionable source to pay the bills her husband couldn’t when he was ill. She discovers how much she is stifled and controlled. Is it possible she  lives as a doll in ‘A Doll’s House’?

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS 

Rescue cat by Stephen Savage. Juvenile Fiction. Life hasn't always been easy for street cat, Butterscotch. But when she finds herself in a brand new home, full of warmth and love, she gathers the strength to be brave. One day, she sees a fellow cat facing a crocodile on the nature channel on TV, so she jumps through the screen to help. After all, she is...rescue cat!

Behind My Doors: the Story of the World's Oldest Library by Hena Khan; illustrated by Nabila Adani. Juvenile Nonfiction. Come learn about the oldest operating library in existence, which was originally founded in Morocco by a Muslim woman in the year 859, that’s 1, 165 years ago. It was recently restored and is currently open. This is a fun book to read aloud.

Bluey. Swim School. Picture Book. Bluey is an Australian Blue Heeler, thus the name Bluey. Bluey and her family are playing Swim School! But their swimming lessons are proving to be difficult and not the fun time Bluey was anticipating. Can Mum, Dad, and Bingo pass the tests? Or, will they keep arguing and telling on each other. Bluey is getting bluer by the minute.

Little Ghost Makes a Friend by Maggie Edkins Willis. Early Reader. Little Ghost lives in a friendly neighborhood, with his Ghost Mom. When a little girl moves in next door, he hopes to make a new friend. But, how? This books is filled with pretty pictures, an uplifting story and a great lesson for kids who are shy about reaching out to others. No boos here.

Family DVD: Coco – As one might guess from all the skeletons running around, this Pixar/Disney movie is a celebration of the Day of the Dead, also known as All Souls Day, which is coming up November 1.

FOR THE TWEENS AND TEEENS

The Library is planning a refocus of the Teen Corner to better serve all the teens and tweens who visit there.  Who else would we ask for input that the teens and tweens who use it?  There is an online survey to fill out at Bozemanlibrary.org. The questions from the designers include: What do you like about the current Teen Corner? How do you use it? What vibe would you like the Teen Corner to have? What do you think is missing from the Teen Corner? Any other recommendations? Get on there and tell us what you need!

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, September 27, 2024

Be an Informed Voter!

Bozeman Public Library and the League of Women Voters will present a series of non-partisan Candidate forums and Ballot Initiatives for everyone interested in the issues and elected offices on the November ballot. On Monday, September 30, a forum for CI-128, a constitutional initiative that would amend the Montana state Constitution to expressly provide a right to make and carry out decisions about one’s own pregnancy, including the right to abortion. Wednesday, October 2, meet the Gallatin County Commission candidates, incumbent David McFarlane, and challenger David Dickey. Following that forum, learn about CI-126, which amends the Montana Constitution to provide a top-four primary election.  All candidates, regardless of political party, appear on one ballot.  The four candidates receiving the most votes advance to the general election. For more information, please visit Bozemanlibrary.org.

Books for the Adults in the Room

Killing the Legends: The Lethal Danger of Celebrity by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard. Nonfiction.  Where were you when you heard the King of Rock & Roll is dead; the Walrus was shot or the Greatest of All Time lost his hardest fight? Relive the experience if you were there, or learn more about the days before the death This series, known as the killing series, brings alive the biographies of these icons.  

Real Americans by Rachel Khong. Fiction. This novel spans three generations of Chinese-Americans. It begins with the love story between an American and a Chinese intern, follows their son and a young woman in China during the Cultural Revolution. What makes an American a real American? This and other issues pop up in a complex novel that touches on many topics, such as family love in many forms.

Ghost Town Living: Mining for Purpose and Chasing Dreams at the Edge of Death Valley by Brent Underwood. Biography. Back in 2018, the author bought Cerro Gordo, an abandoned mining town pretty high up in the California desert. He started a YouTube channel to share his experience and that was so popular, this book also chronicles the ongoing, fascinating restoration and exploration. 

Books for the Tween and Teens

The Brightwood Code by Monica Hesse. Young Adult Fiction.  In this story of a teen in World War I, young Edda works as a ‘Hello, Girl’ in Washington D.C. Hello Girls were telephone operators who helped pass classified information to American spies fighting for freedom. When a mission she is involved in goes terribly wrong, Edda must deal with it on her own while keeping all the military secrets safe.

The Most Important Comic Book on Earth. Young Adult Nonfiction. This is a global collaboration for planetary change, bringing together a diverse team of 300 leading environmentalists, artists, authors, actors, filmmakers, musicians to present over 120 inspiring visual stories to save the world. Serious question: Could this be the most important comic book on the Moon, or Mars. too?  Think about it!

Lockjaw by Matteo L. Cerilli. Young Adult Fiction. A debut novel, gripping, suspenseful novel. Chuck Warren died tragically at the old, abandoned mill, but Paz Espino knows it was no accident. She believes there's a monster under the town, and she's determined to kill it before anyone else gets hurt. She'll need the help of her crew, an inseparable posse of friends, bound by a childhood pact, to hunt it down.

Books for the Kiddos

Bunny and Clyde by Megan McDonald; illustrated by Scott Nash. Easy Reader. The title characters are a rabbit and a chipmunk who decide to become outlaws and break every rule they know. They return their Library books only when they are overdue – on purpose! What? Lots of laughs as this completely inept pair fails at every caper they devise. Young readers will enjoy the silliness and learn something, too.

Code Name Kingfisher by Liz Kessler. Juvenile fiction. Liv, a teenager in modern UK, discovers a secret box that belonged to a young woman in Holland, her grandmother Mila, during World War II. Forced to hide their religion and their friends, much like Anne Frank’s family, Mila and her sister discover deceit, courage, betrayal and bravery in their once peaceful hometown as the Nazis bear down on them.

Monster Hands by Karen Kane and Jonaz McMillan & Dion MDB. Picture book.  Milo is absolutely convinced there is a monster under his bed who only comes out a night. Sound familiar? He and hist best friend Mel hatch a foolproof plan to catch the monster. If this is a scenario in your home, you will enjoy this book. If it is not something your children have ever expressed, better to let sleeping dogs or monsters lie. 

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, September 20, 2024

A CHILDREN’S STORYTELLING FESTIVAL

Dive into songwriting with local musician and educator Brian Kassay. The Children’s Storytelling Festival, now in its inaugural year, connects youth with storytelling professionals and invites the community to celebrate the stories our local youth create. Youth ages 5-18 can take part in songwriting workshops on September 25, 26, or 27 from 4:30-6 PM in the Community Room. Youth will explore the art of songwriting with local musicians. Reserve a spot for the workshop at bozemanlibrary.org/kids. Then, the entire community is invited to listen to youth perform their original compositions on Saturday, September 28 at 1 PM in the community. People of all ages can participate in a live songwriting collaboration as a song takes shape before your eyes. No reservations necessary for the performance event. For more information about this and all events in Youth Services, please call 406-582-2404, or visit bozemanlibrary.org.

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM 

Real Estate: A Living Autobiography by Deborah Levy. Biography.  There is a post-illusion stage of life and this book captures it. This is the third in a series of the author’s examined life, and it has the elegant, sprightly and witty turns of phrases one expects from a British writer. It also has profound insight that is rendered universal in the sharing of those insights.

The Enchanters by James Ellroy. Fiction. The "Demon Dog of American crime fiction" has set a new mystery in 1962 Hollywood. Gumshoee Fred Otash tries to solve many murders. The author is known for a "telegraphic" writing style, which omits words other writers would consider necessary, and often features sentence fragments. Gotta work for it.

The Everything Guide to Homeschooling: All You Need to Create the Best Curriculum and Learning Environment for Your Child by Sherri Linsenbach. Nonfiction. For everyone taking on the gargantuan task of homeschooling their kid(s), or considering it, here is the book that will help you all enjoy and survive it. Reads like a lesson plan for success. 

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS

Nowhere Special by Matt Wallace. Juvenile Fiction. Two young kids. Two divided families. A rural setting. A story of trying to navigate painful problems while going to school, making friends and being bullied. This is a middle school story with painful topics, and supportive adults. The bond these two develop over their love of and talent for writing is everything.

The Bone Wars: The True Story of an Epic Battle to Find Dinosaur Fossils, written by Jane Kurtz; illustrated by Alexander Vidal. Nonfiction. Kids love dinosaurs, and this book has full page illustrations and lots of information about how they were discovered. It also has the humorously, unavoidable conflict created when two scholars compete for bones.

I Want 100 Dogs written by Stacy McAnulty; illustrated by Claire Keane. Picture Book. When a young girl tells her parents, I want 100 dogs, they discuss how to housebreak, bath, groom, train, exercise, feed, walk, house, and provide appropriate play time for all those dogs. Quirky illustrations, cute dogs, and a lesson in pet ownership for anyone considering it.

When the Stars Come Home, written by Brittany Luby; pictures by Natasha Donovan. Early Reader. Ojiig moved to a big, busy city with his family when his father lands a new job. He misses his grandparents, the quiet and the stars shining at night. The city has streetlights. They’re too bright for Ojiig. When Mama offers to make a quilt, very special things happen.

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS

Bunt! Striking Out on Financial Aid by Ngozi & Mad Rupert. Graphic Novel. You go to Art school. You start your classes. Everything seems good. Until all your financial aid is yanked away. The unlikely scenario follows that it can be restored if you win a softball game with your art geek friends against a good team. Terrible puns (see title) and 300 pages of artwork.   

No Going Back by Patrick Flores-Scott. Fiction. A young man in a detention center strives for release by making amends and staying sober. With so much pressure and complex rules to follow, it feels like the longest weekend of his life. The impact of addiction and incarceration on a teen boy and his family and community are well-written and honestly portrayed.

Like Ability: The Truth about Popularity by Lori Getz and Mitch Prinstein. Nonfiction. This work combines real life situations, self-reflective exercises, and practical wisdom about a subject many teens have on their minds: popularity. There is also a discussion off that land mine otherwise known as social media. The analysis and recommendations are very valuable.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, September 13, 2024

It’s September. It’s cooler. It’s darker. It’s Football season and it’s Book Club time! If your book club would like to eliminate the largest obstacle to participating in a book club: namely, supplying the books, please borrow a Book Club kit from Bozeman Public Library. It has everything you need: ten copies of the book, discussion questions, author biography, sign out sheets. Just add people. The two newest kits are ‘James’ by Percival Everett and ‘Funny Story’ by Emily Henry. Borrow one (or two) today!

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM

Here After: A Memoir by Amy Lin. Biography.  The title is indicative of so many things in the book. Young Amy Lin is left in the here following her husband’s untimely and sudden death.  This memoir is not meant exclusively for people in the grief state. It is meant for everyone who seeks or needs to understand that state. It’s a love story. It’s a medical story. It’s a global story.  

I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger. Fiction. The author of ‘Peace Like a River’ has returned 25 years later with a dystopian story set in the future. In it, “He felt confusion coming. The world was confused. It was running out of everything, especially future.” The one percenters own everything and Lake Superior, where the story takes place, is suddenly Lake FullofBodies. Beautiful prose.   

50 Pies, 50 States: An Immigrant’s Love Letter to the United States Through Pie by Stacey Mei Yan Fong. Nonfiction. Every pie is an opportunity to celebrate (or defend) your home state, as presented in a cookbook that’s actually fun to read. It’s perfect for this Fallish time of year. Bake your way through and you'll taste the full range of flavors that America has to offer.

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS

Something Like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango. Juvenile Fiction. There are lots of displaced kids out there and this novel tells the story of Laura Rodriguez Colon’s journey away from her family home to an Aunt’s safer house. Along the way she meets a puppy. Sounds like fate, no? Kids who have had to explain why they don’t live with their parents will find a lot to identify with.

Flamingos are Pretty Funky: A Not So Serious Guide by Abi Cushman. Nonfiction. Did you know that a flock of flamingos is actually called a flamboyance? If you read this book with the littles in your life, you will learn even more interesting factoids about flamingos. Silly side commentary that is age appropriate keeps it all light. A glossary, & further reading list complete the geek out.

Ten Little Rabbits by Maurice Sendak. Picture Book. Mino the Magician waves his wand and voila - a rabbit appears! And another. And another. This is a counting book - from 1 - 10 and back again written by the Hall of Fame Legend Maurice Sendak. Cute pictures, very few words make this book a fun way for early readers to ‘read’ a book on their own. It’s a great magic trick! 

Lila Greer, Teacher of the Year by Andrea Beaty; illustrated by David Roberts. Early Reader. This is part of a series called The Questioneers. Characters in the Questioneers stories ask What if type of queries. What if I fail? being the most common. This book is perfect for the kids in your life who worry, overthink or get anxious. It demonstrates to them a new way to what if!

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS

Dragon Hoops: from Small Steps to Great Leaps by Gene Luen Yang. Graphic Novel. Gene understands stories—comic book stories, in particular. But Gene doesn’t get sports. As a kid, his friends called him “Stick” and so he lost interest. At the high school where he now teaches, B-ball is all anyone can talk about. He knows what he’ll do: write a comic book about it!

Ellie Hancock is Perfectly Normal by Gretchen Schreiber. Fiction. Ellie has two lives: hospital treatment life and her normal life. She would like one to stay private and the other to be more public. What is a stubborn and determined teenage girl to do? A moving story of taking autonomy over one’s own body and future and life. Excellent coming into one’s own.  

How to be a Vampire: A Fangs-On Guide for the Newly Undead by Amy Gray. Nonfiction. In case you haven’t noticed there are vampires everywhere lately. In the spirit (pun!) of the upcoming Halloween season, here is a humorous guide to entering the realm of eternal life and juicy perks: strong and sharp white teeth, shape-shifting and flying, and telepathy. 

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, September 6, 2024

LIBRARY? THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT!

All Bozeman Public Library cardholders will be thrilled to learn that the Montana Shared Catalog app makes it easy to access your local library on the go. Now, as you sit in a waiting room, or at the hair salon, or a bus ride, (not a bike ride, that would be unsafe), you can search the vast Library catalog, place holds, renew items, and track all of your checkouts and due dates. The app is available for both iOS and Android and can be downloaded to multiple devices. Users can link their accounts together to easily view multiple accounts all from the same device.  Questions? Call 406-582-2400.

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM 

Bird Milk & Mosquito Bones by Priyanka Mattoo. Biography.  A happy child lives in a comfortable, loving home in Kashmir that is suddenly reduced to rubble. She moves thirty-two times over the next forty years to a sprawling home in Srinagar and to Saudi Arabia before settling in L.A. Great insight into the plight of leaving a war-torn homeland and rebuilding a life abroad.

True North by Andrew J. Graff. Fiction. Set in 1993, pre-internet, in the North Woods of Wisconsin on a river, at a rafting company. A married couple with young kids inherits a business that sound idyllic. But, even on a backwater there is competition and tumultuous currents, so to speak. Enjoy the ride, the drama and the characters. It’s a glimpse of summer on the water.

Arctic Travers: A Thousand-Mile Summer of Trekking the Brooks Range by Michael Engelhard. Nonfiction. A solo hike-through and float through of Alaska, with ancient and recent history, ethnology, biology, ecology and an environmental message included quite nicely. There is wildlife, natural pristine wilderness and not a lot of people: exactly one settlement in the entire trek.

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS 

The School for Invisible Boys by Shaun David Hutchinson. Juvenile Fiction. Sixth grade takes a turn for the weird when Hector Griggs discovers he has the ability to turn invisible. Hector always felt invisible but this is different. He can’t see his own reflection. Meanwhile, St. Lawrence’s Catholic School for Boys may just have a monster preying on fear, and it’s getting stronger.

See it Grow: Pumpkin by Jackie Lee. Nonfiction. Diagrams, bold vocabulary words, and a picture glossary will help grade schoolers understand all kinds of everything about the favorite fruit of Fall. Why are pumpkins orange? What’s with the seeds? How do you get spice from it? Can It really turn into a carriage? Okay, that last is a story for another book. Enjoy exploring the pumps.  

Whose Footprints Are These? by Greda Muller. Picture Book. This is a pure picture book. There are no words in it. Children will love following footprints and pawprints to discover snowy adventures. (See how we snuck that reminder? Winter is coming!) Reader and readee can name all the objects in the illustrations out loud and piece together the story. Perfect first reader selection.   

The Secret Society of Aunts & Uncles written by Jake Gyllenhaal and Greta Caruso. Early Reader. Leo thought his Uncle Mo would be a FUN uncle, not the kind who serves vegetables instead of fast food, and enforces bedtime rules. Then, a secret society of Aunties and Uncles takes them in for training. The glossy and detailed illustrations are full of greatness; great aunts & uncles, that is.  

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS 

Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden. Graphic Novel. Two strangers team up for a road trip to escape something or someone. As they do so, the landscape morphs into an unsettling world, a mysterious cat joins them, and they are haunted by a group of threatening men.  They converse, and discover that everything is listening. The artwork is the real story here and it is stunning.

Where Wolves Don’t Die by Aaron Treuer. Fiction. Ezra is an Ojibwa teenager, recently transplanted from Canada to Minnesota. Ezra is smart and considerate. His classmate at his new school is not. When a suspicious fire involving the classmate is blamed on Ezra, he is sent back to the wilds of Canada to live with his grandfather. A taut thriller set in the complicated teen years.

Don't Sit on the Baby! the Ultimate Guide to Sane, Skilled, and Safe Babysitting by Halley Bondy. Nonfiction.

If you’ve ever considered babysitting as a side hustle or part-time gig, this book will teach you about feeding and changing babies, questions to ask parents, basic first aid (certification recommended), dealing with picky eaters, and how to manage your small business successfully.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, August 30, 2024

LABOR DAY IS HERE

Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the American labor movement, including Butte Miners' Union Local number one, formed in 1878, which called for an eight-hour workday, cooperation amongst workers and employers, removal of company stores and employment of child and convict labor, and forbade the use of Pinkerton detectives to look into union affairs. Labor Day is also the ‘last day of summer’ as Grade 1-12 students in Bozeman return to school on Tuesday, September 2. The Bozeman Public Library building will be closed on Labor Day. The virtual Bozeman Public Library is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Enjoy browsing the catalog, making meeting room or study room reservations, placing holds or renewing materials, downloading audiobook or ebooks, streaming movies or TV shows on Kanopy, practicing second language instruction on Transparent Language and many other services available with your Bozeman Public Library card. For more information, please visit bozemanlibrary.org or call 406-582-2400.

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM

A Republic of Scoundrels: The Schemers, Intriguers & Adventurers Who Created a New American Nation edited by David Head & Timothy C. Hemmis. Nonfiction. If you’re fascinated by the leaders and scoundrels who helped established this country between 1770-1820 – you will like this book. Each essay is written by a different author and are very detailed historical analysis.

Goodbye Girl by James Grippando. Fiction. A pop star who signed a terrible contract in her teens that basically steals all her money. A greedy manager won’t renegotiate it. When the latter is murdered, the former is the prime suspect. The courtroom drama that follows, plus everything you ever wanted to know about musical copyright = page turner.

We Loved It All by Lydia Millet. Biography. The author has written twelve very popular, award-winning novels. This essay / memoir / scientific musing analyzes all that is happening in the modern world; war, climate change, the global economy, and links them to each individual person’s behavior and perception. A little introspection and self-awareness can go a long way toward insight.  

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS 

Bridge to Bat City: A Mostly True Tall Tale by Ernest Cline. Fiction. Opal has to relocate after her mother dies. A family farm run by her Uncle Roscoe is her new home. It’s fun. There’s lots of music, and fresh farm food, and bats. Flying bats who like the music playing as they hang out in their bat-cave. Unfortunately, a local mining company likes the farm, too, but hates the bats. Great author, good story.

On the Night Before Kindergarten by Rosemary Wells. Picture book. Young Milo is a kitten who wears red rubber boots and is starting Kindergarten. His bad dreams worry him all night and then the morning of departure is suddenly upon him. Milo’s parents help out, Miss B the teacher helps out, and a new friend helps out. The author is a legend in children’s books. Newbies to kindergarten will enjoy.

All from a Walnut – written by Ammi-Joan Paquette and illustrated by Feliciti Sala. Early Reader. The very beautiful, muted pictures introduce a close family planting and planning as the seasons change. The story of a tiny walnut growing slowly and getting bigger makes for a great metaphor, a nice way of introducing the themes of departure, separation, and death of a loved one to younger children. 

Extraordinary Magic: The Storytelling Life of Virginia Hamilton – Poems and pictures by Nina Crews. Biography. It’s a picture book in free verse about one of the most celebrated and beloved children’s authors in print today. Learn about her childhood in Ohio, her large, extended family and her love of stories told and shared. You can even borrow a few of her wonderful books @ your Library.

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS

This Book Won’t Burn by Samira Ahmed. Fiction. When Noor Khan's father abandons his family, her mother moves Noor and her younger sister from Chicago to a small town, miles away, where the high school library is under siege by activists demanding the removal of around 500 books they deem “unsuitable." This is fiction, but something similar just happened in neighboring state of Utah.  

Stars in Their Eyes- a Graphic Novel by Jessica Walton and Aska. Graphic novel. A young woman attends her first fan convention featuring her idol. This is a vivid, authentic depiction of daily life with disability and proudly celebrates queer love without compromise. The background art is alive with artist alleys, daily pillboxes, packed hallways, realistic mobility aids, and Sailor Moon cosplay.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, August 23, 2024

IT’S QUILTING TIME!

A certain time of year is fast approaching: quilting time. Maybe for a baby, or a wedding gift, or a holiday present. Join local quilters, novice and advanced, in the Community Room for quilting sessions on Sunday, August 25, 2-4 PM. Every other month we’ll put together a block for a quilting block pattern. Use scrap material from the Library or bring your own fabric. We’ll work on a specific quilting skill such as binding, free motion quilting, applique and more. A short lesson on freezer paper, and machine applique will be provided for those who are interested. If you prefer to use your own equipment. bring your own sewing machine, cutting mat and rotary cutter. These supplies as well as scrap fabric and white background will be available to borrow at the Library. If you wish to select your own fabric for your quilt you will need 2.5 yards of background fabric. This program is limited to ages 14 and up. For more information, please call 406-582-2400 or visit bozemanlibrary.org.

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whittaker. Fiction. Take a trip back in time to the mid-1970s. They were a time of huge change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Mohammed Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri, young girls are disappearing. This is a modern thriller and America-based love story that spans several decades.

The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself: The Power of Rhetoric in Polarized Times by Robin Reames. Nonfiction. Drawing on examples ranging from the destructive ancient Greek demagogue Alcibiades to modern-day conspiracy promoters such as Alex Jones, Reames examines how we come to believe what we believe and talk, vote, and act accordingly.

Chasing Hope: A Reporter’s Life by Nicholas D. Kristof. Biography.  Malaria, warlords, death threats, bombs, riots, plane crashes, scorpions, flak jackets, mobs, machetes, and deadlines—that’s the price of truth-seeking as a New York Times reporter and columnist. While witnessing these awful events, Mr. Kristof somehow shines a light on the possibility of a better future. 

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS 

The Jules Verne Prophecy by Larry Schwarz & Iva-Marie Palmer. Fiction. Three boys are studying Jules Verne - in Paris! (Maybe that’s an Olympic sport now?)  when they discover a rare edition with notes leading them on a complicated search. As the clues dwindle down and the intensity rises, other nefarious types join the quest.  A dream vacation with hot air balloon rides. This wins a Gold medal.

The Wrong Book – written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Alex Wilmore. Picture book. Everything in this book is just wrong. That’s a good thing! The bright bold pictures and silly illustrations such as a cow who says oink, oink and a lion mistaken for a bicycle will encourage boisterous participation from the little kids being read to. Expect lots of giggles and declaration of – that’s a chicken, not a fish!

Butterfly on the Wind – written by Adam Pottle and illustrated by Ziyue Chen.  Early Reader.  Aurora is a Deaf child who knows American Sign Language. She sends a butterfly she made with sign language on a journey around the world. The Deaf community shares and adds to the living collection and as they create and circulate their own butterflies. A joyful learning experience for grade school kids.

Gifts from Georgia’s Garden: How Georgia O’Keeffe Nourished Her Art by Lisa Robinson and Hadley Hooper. Biography. Did you know that for most of her life, Georgia O’Keeffe lived on her own land in New Mexico, grew her own food, bought locally, and even made her own clothing? It’s true! This book evokes the famous artist’s unique style in the pictures and introduces a creative artist to the reader.

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and Leuyen Pham. Graphic Novel.  This Chinese family story is about parental choices &decisions, grief, first love, friendship, all kinds of things. Many Chinese holiday traditions and beliefs are included along with a subtle lesson in carving out your own path without allowing fate or generational curses determine whether you can find success, happiness, and love.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. Fiction.  The author writes great YA books and this is no exception. A couple of boys hit the road after high school graduation. Gutshot, Tennessee is their destination. There’s a lot of banter, nerd talk about math and many other things, even footnotes. Rare in YA fiction are male teen boys developing friendships and growing together in present day.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, August 16, 2024

Welcome back, MSU students!  We’re happy to have you here. Bozeman Public Library will be joining the incoming Freshman class in reading “There There” by Tommy Orange. “There There” is set in Oakland, California, about which Gertrude Stein famously said, "There is no there there.” This debut novel won the American Book Award and features twelve urban Native Americans, seemingly disconnected characters, who meet up at the Big Oakland Powwow. What leads them there and what they discover there, shows there is definitely some there there. All interested readers are welcome to discuss “There There” at the Library Book Club meeting held on Wednesday, August 21. Join us at 3 PM in the Barnes and Noble Café at Gallatin Valley Mall, or at the Library at 6:30 PM. The public is also invited to the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse on Tuesday, August 20 to hear the author speak. No tickets or registration are required for this event. For more information, please call 406-582-2410 or visit bozemanlibrary.org.

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM

The Lost Book of Bonn by Brianne Labuskes. Fiction. Germany, 1946: Emmy Clarke is a librarian who works for the Library of Congress in Washington, D. C. They send her overseas to help the Monuments Men find, sort and catalogue precious books that were stolen by the Nazis. Turns out, they didn’t burn all the books. This is a well-researched historical novel based on true events.

One in a Millennial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting in by Kate Kennedy. Biography. The host of the popular podcast ”Be There in Five” tells her story and it’s a good one. What’s it like to be a middle-class white woman prepared and trained for a world that doesn’t seem to exist anymore? Let’s talk about American Girls, summer camp, boy bands, and bead lizards.

Putin and the Return of History: How the Kremlin Rekindled the Cold War by Martin and Daniel Sixsmith. Nonfiction. This book chronicles what happened when world powers proclaimed Democracy would be the governing system for all countries, including Russia. The resulting Cold War and Korean War and Vietnam War and now, the Ukraine War are the result. 

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS 

The House of the Lost on the Cape by Sachiko Kashiwaba. Juvenile Fiction. This story is set in Tohoku, Japan, where the Tusnami hit in 2011. It’s ultimately a story of found family that shares all the pain of surviving a natural disaster is human and mystical ways. The folklore that is folded into the story is an homage to Japan, and an interesting journey for the reader.

Vacation by Ame Dyckman and Mark Teague. Early Reader. In the second book in this series, Bat, Cat & Rat, who are – wait for it – a bat, a cat and a rat, try to compromise on vacation plans. Some well-meaning pranks ensue as preparation brings out the trio’s mischievous side in three-and-a-half sweet and silly stories. Littles will enjoy the pictures and the jokes.

The Welcome Home by Amy June Bates. Picture Book. Mr. and Mrs. Gargleson-Bittle feel their life has become too quiet, and little changes like eating waffles only help for a moment. They decide to get a pet—but what kind? A snail? The visiting elephant named Louise? The aardvark named Sam? Or, could this tail wagging, puppy make their family complete?

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS

The Worst Ronin written by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, art by Faith Schaffer. Graphic Novel Fiction. It’s the age-old story of jaded older mentor and young ambitious up and coming warrior, both of whom are female, with cell phones and social media, internet, TVs and historical Japanese societal structure such as daimyo, samurai, duels, and living by the sword thrown in.  There is also a very loyal horse.  

Just a Hat by S. Khubiar. Teen Fiction. This story set in small-town Texas shares the insights and struggles of a young boy coming of age in a time of discrimination and religious prejudice. It’s hard to be 13 years old, and new in town and an immigrant and Iranian just as a war between Iran and your host country breaks out. All the different hats he has to wear can ‘wear’ a young man out. 

Semi-Famous: a True Story of Near Celebrity by Josh Lundquist. Graphic Novel Biography. The author is a fairly famous social media creator: very entertaining, young, and curious. As he chases fame, and becomes obsessed with appearing on M-TV, he starts to wonder: is this really working for me? He goes on to ask other famous people the same question with interesting results and insights.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, August 9, 2024

IT’S THE FRIENDS USED BOOKSALE WEEKEND!

The Friends of the Bozeman Public Library invite you to a used book sale at Gallatin County Fairgrounds on Friday, August 9, Saturday, August 10 and Sunday, August 11. These kids books, adult books, DVDs, vinyl records, CDs, board games and puzzles are generously donated by patrons and sold at a very reasonable price of $1 to $5 per item. All proceeds benefit Bozeman Public Library and help fund the MOST WANTED book collection and MOST WANTED DVD collection, as well as the Book Club kits and several other programs. The Friends book sale will be held at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds, 901 N Black Ave, in Exhibit Building 3. Friday presale is for members only. Anyone can become a member "at the door" by paying for a membership at the event. Friends Membership levels vary from $20 for individuals to $30 per family per year. On Saturday, 9 AM to 4PM, the public is welcome to shop the sale. On Sunday, the Fill-A-Bag sale, will be held 12 Noon to 4 PM. Sunday bags are $3, $5, or $10, priced by size. Buy some books for a good cause!

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM

The Stellar Debut if Galactica MacFee by Alexander McCall Smith. Fiction. Book 17 in the hugely popular 44 Scotland Street mystery series. Glasgow for Bertie is the promised land. The city of pies and Irn Bru, far from his controlling mother, Irene - his place of escape. But how will he respond to the news of the proposed merging of Edinburgh and Glasgow?

Ultimate Guide to Instagram for Business by Kim Walsh Phillips. Nonfiction. Are you ready to tap into Instagram’s booming network of 600 million viable customers? Maybe you’re just a small local business that wants to increase business. This book has copy-and-paste resources, how to find your perfect fit customers, easy to use and understand content creation formula.

Motorhome Prophecies: A Journey of Healing and Forgiveness by Carrie Sheffield. Biography. Young Carrie and her seven siblings travelled the West with their severely mentally ill father in their trailer. He was convinced he was a Mormon prophet, a great musician and a capable father. Read this story of resilience and forgiveness for true insight into camper life.

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS

Lion of the Sky by Ritu Hemnani. Fiction. A historical novel in verse about a boy and his family who are forced to flee their home and become refugees after the British Partition of India. Did you catch that this book is in verse? Historical novels appeal to middle schoolers who are curious about the past and this one features a main character about their age.

Anne Dares. Early Reader. This is a book based on L.M. Mongomery’s “Anne of Green Gables” series designed and illustrated for younger readers, or EARLY readers as we refer to them at BPL. This is an episodic retelling of the iconic Anne Shirley events when she is ‘dared’ to do something and the results that follow. It’s a great introduction to the famous characters.

Mama in the Moon by Doreen Cronin & Brian Cronin. Picture Book. In this gentle and comforting bedtime book by two award-winning creators, a mama sloth helps her baby to self-soothe while she’s making her way back to him. The little baby sloth has fallen out of the tree, you see, and sloths don’t move very fast, so there is plenty of time for teaching before reuniting.

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS

Don’t Ask If I’m Okay by Jessica Kara. Fiction. Young Gage survives a car accident, but his best friend does not. Where does that grief go? How does one very inexperienced person manage it? Things look up as Gage finds a job in a great restaurant working for his cooking idol and asks out his crush. But, the awful anger that follows accidents is still threatening to consume him.

Cardcaptor Sakura: Collector’s Edition. Graphic Novel Fiction. The manga series from the 90s is now beautifully illustrated and I mean bee-A-you-tiff-lly. There was a TV show, but it didn’t come close to this rendering. To summarize: Sakura the 4th grade girl finds a book and some magical cards. When the cards go missing, she is plunged into a mystical, fantastical world.

Homebody by Theo Parish. Graphic Novel Biography. Some people don’t feel at home in their own body. Theo Parish was one such person and he shares his experience in a truly uplifting, hopeful, empowering memoir that celebrates self-discovery and self-love. His most important message is there is not just one perfect journey to find the place people feel at home.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, August 2, 2024

What are you doing on Winsday? AKA as Wednesday. At Bozeman Public Library, we are living large and loving community, wellness, and walking. At 10:30 AM in the Kitchen Table, our bright new cooking space in the Library features “Cookbooks and Coffee”. Sip some coffee. Browse some free cookbooks. Gab a little. Enjoy yourself. At 12:15 join instructor Sara Cleary as she leads a gentle 45-minute “Introductory Level Yoga Practice” in the Library community room. This is a chill class. Practice in your blue jeans. Bring the baby along. It’s all good. At 5:30 PM join the “Wednesday Walks”, led by Ken Sinay for a tour of the Sunset Hills Cemetery as a Wildlife Habitat (August 7) and the Indreland Audubon Wetland Preserve (August 14). These local trails are safely accessible. No cars or trains crossing. Occasionally, some wildlife cross. Wear a hat, bring some water and set aside an hour to enjoy learning about and touring the local area trails. For more information about Winsday/Wednesday weekly events at the Library, please call 406-582-2400 or visit the events calendar at bozemanlibrary.org.

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM 

The Housekeeper by Joy Fielding. Fiction. It’s every adult child’s nightmare: you hire a caretaker for your aging parents with every good intention. Then, you notice some things that worry you. Denials fly. Meetings are held. Tension rises and a very suspenseful novel written in the first person gives you a terrible scare.

On the Move: The Overheating Earth and the Uprooting of America by Abrahm Lustgarten. Nonfiction. There’s been a change in the weather and unfortunately, it’s not for the better. The author is an investigative reporter who interviews dozens of displaced Americans and reports from the front lines of climate migration.

Sleepless: Unleashing the Subversive Power of the Night Self by Annabel Abbs-Streets. Biography.  If you are one of the millions who lie awake at night, sleepless, this author suggests you welcome that place of sanctuary, filled with creativity, & reflection. An intriguing approach to reframing a difficult problem. 

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS

Camp Sylvania: Moon Madness by Julie Murphy and Crystal Maldonado. Fiction. Nora and Maggie are at vacation camp, together, and hoping for a ‘normal’ summer. Then the effects of homemade moon water seems to have magically transform skin, hair and teeth. Is that such a bad thing? The Supernatural says no.

Flap Your Hands: A Celebration of Stimming by Steve Asbell. Early. Have you ever seen an excited child flap their hands, or flutter their fingers? That’s known as a stim, which neurodivergent kids use in stressful times. Well, let’s all celebrate this coping skill and understand it, too. For autistic kids and their family and friends.

Too Many Rabbits by Davide Cali and Emanuele Benetti. Picture Book. This book was so popular in Italy it was translated into English for your enjoyment. It’s a cute story with cartoon type drawings of the rabbits who mate and populate and saturate a little town. They breed like well, you know, rascally rabbits. Very silly stuff.

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS

The Caden Chronicles: Dead Man’s Hand by Eddie Jones. Young Adult Fiction. Nick Caden's summer vacation at Deadwood Canyon Ghost Town takes a deadly turn toward trouble when the fourteen-year-old finds himself trapped in a livery stable with the infamous outlaw Jesse James who twirls, aims, and … vanishes.

Danger and Other Unknown Risks by Ryan North & Erica Anderson. Young Adult Graphic Novel. Ryan North and Erica Henderson, serve up a graphic novel that is equally laugh-out-loud adventure and emotional gut punch. See, at midnight on January 1st, 2000, the world ended and now it’s suddenly time to bring it back.

Tag. You’re Dead. Young Adult Fiction. If you open this book, set aside the number of hours it will take to read it because you can’t put it down! There is a disgraced teenage influencer, a Hunger Games type game with augmented virtual reality goggles played in London, England, a ghost, 100 contestants and a huge cash prize.

DVD 

Sasquatch Sunset written and directed by David Zellner. In the North American wilderness, a family of Sasquatches embark on an epic, hilarious & poignant journey over the course of a year. Think Mockumentary. Not for everyone: a fairly vulgar film about made-up monsters from children’s stories — but it is also a terribly melancholy adult story about the violence of progress. What a remarkable, unique, sad little cult oddity Sasquatch Sunset is. Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Riley Keough, Christophe Zajac-denek, and Nathan Zellner.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, July 26, 2024

Harry Potter birthday party! It’s a birthday celebration at Bozeman Public Library on Saturday, July 31, 6 – 7:30 PM in the fabulous Kitchen Table. Harry James Potter was born on 31 July 1980, at Godric's Hollow in the West Country, England, and we’re just wild about Harry. Around this time, a prophecy regarding a boy born at the end of July with the power to defeat Voldemort was shared with all wizards. It's hard to believe that the boy who lived and fought against the dark forces of Lord Voldemort is now in his forties. Time flies! Come enjoy an enchanting night of magic as we celebrate the boy who changed the reading habits of young people forever! While you’re hanging out, learn to make your own Butterbeer in the Kitchen Table, and craft your very own wand in the Work Bench, and more. Please note: This party is for adults only. For more information, please call Bozeman Public Library at 406-582-2410 or visit bozemanlibrary.org.

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM 

Crow Talk  by Eileen Garvin. Fiction. Ornithology grad student Frankie O’Neill retreats to her family’s remote lakeside cabin in Washington state, where her father served as caretaker for wealthy Seattle vacationers. A young couple and their five year old son are ‘hiding out’ there, too. When an injured crow needs rehabilitation, it seems nature may heal everyone in the story. Great Summer read.

I Survived Capitalism and All I Got was This Lousy T-shirt: Everything I Wish I Never Had to Learn about Money by Madeline Pendleton. Biography. The author was drowning in student loans and credit card debt, working long hours and sick of her bosses treating her as disposable. Sound familiar? Meet the now-famous and fabulously wealthy Tik-Tok star who turned it all around, and all on her own.

And Then? And Then? What Else? By Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket. Nonfiction. It may seem like Daniel Handler has always been successful and his books popular. In this book, he reflects on the deeply personal life experiences, revealed for the first time, along with the cultural influenc, s that shaped his writing, both under his own name and under his pseudonym Lemony Snicket. 

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS 

Dozens of Dachshunds: a Counting, Woofing, Wagging Book by Stephanie Calmenson ; Illustrated By Zoe Persico. Picture Book. A galore of Dachshunds dressed in clever costumes gather in the park to celebrate Dachshund Day. You ask, how can I get my child interested in reading? Open a beautiful book about dogs and read it aloud with them. Soon they’ll be ‘begging’ for more. Sure beats a screen!

How to Make a Memory by Elaine Vickers; illustrated by Ana Aranda. Easy. This story takes readers through the bittersweet celebration of the last day of school, the pause before blowing out birthday candles, the magical closeness of gathering around a campfire: those tiny moments that enrich life. This is a great book to start a conversation about events in a child’s life. What better teacher?

The Peterkin Papers by Lucretia P. Hale ; illustrated by Harold M. Brett. Juvenile Fiction. This book was written in 1880 and it is still laugh out loud funny. Enjoy the hilarious adventures of the Peterkin family, whose mentor is the lady from Philadelphia. This is a perfect chapter book to read aloud at bedtime.

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS 

Snowball Earth by Yuhiro Tsujitsugu. Young Adult Graphic Novel. Young mecha pilot Tetsuo survives the last great battle against an alien horde. His escape pod lands on Earth eight years later, but his homecoming is not what he expected! Tsujitsugu's illustrations of enemies that are horrifying, battle sequences full of mechanical details, and elaborate robotic movements that seem to defy the laws of physics.

The Wizard's Cookbook: Magical Recipes Inspired by Harry Potter, Merlin, the Wizard of Oz, and more by Aurélia Beaupommier. Young Adult Nonfiction. The Library is throwing a birthday party for Harry Potter on his birthday. If you want to throw your own party, this spellbinding (get it?) cookbook has what you need. Let’s pay tribute to all fictional sorcerers, fairies, elves, and magicians with food and drink!

With a Little Luck by Marissa Meyer. Young Adult Fiction. Jude is a fairly typical high school Junior who wants to draw his comics, host regular D&D night with his friends, work at his parents' vinyl record store, and escape high school unscathed. He finds some magical dice and he suddenly becomes very lucky. #Winning! Then, the dice suddenly go missing. Will his lucky streak end, or was it not really ‘lucky’ at all?

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, July 19, 2024

Where do the Creatives hang out? Bozeman Public Library on Saturday mornings, as it turns out! Everyone with a creative project, planned out or in process, is invited to attend the Creative Brain Trust meetings on Saturday mornings at 10:15 AM. This is a safe place to come together, share your work, receive feedback, and discuss creative principles with other Creatives in the community. Creative Lab leader Ben Nielson will moderate the session, which runs to Noon. Feedback training and group work will be most of the meeting, followed by a brief discussion of topics such as sketching, the most important part of the creative process, iteration as part of the creative process, the difference between creation and performance, imposter syndrome, why audience matters to creativity, user centered design, creative spaces, and dealing with the haters. Please arrive prepared and promptly for this meeting, held in The Creative Labs inside the Lobby’s North entrance. For more information, please call 406-582-2410 or visit bozemanlibrary.org.

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate. Fiction. Law Enforcement Ranger Valerie Boren O'dell arrives at Horsethief Trail National Park seeking a quiet place to balance a career and single parenthood. But no sooner has Valerie reported for duty than she's faced with local controversy over the park's opening, a teenage hiker gone missing from one of the trails, and the long-hidden burial site of three Choctaw children deep in a cave.

A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko. Nonfiction. This year-long effort to find a 750-mile path along the length of the Grand Canyon is about something else, too. The author attempts to travel East to West through a vertical wilderness suspended between the caprock along the rims of the abyss and the Colorado River. What he discovers and the reader learns are truly dazzling.

You Never Know: A Memoir by Tom Selleck. Biography. It’s a long way from e business school and basketball court at the University of Southern California to 50 million viewers for the final episode of a TV show called Magnum P.I. Tom Selleck has lived every one of those miles in his own iconoclastic and joyful way. All the Westerns he made are here, and insight into his side of the Hollywood factory and his successful family life.

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS

Animal Albums from A to Z by Cece Bell. Picture Book. If you want to have a little fun turning pages to reveal ‘album’ cover art - and explaining what an album is -this book will crack up you and your kids, grandkids,

anyone you read it with. There is a made-up band for every letter, and the art is beautifully detailed. Have fun learning letters and animals at the same time.

Through a Clouded Mirror by Miya T. Beck. Juvenile Fiction. The title suggests a trip thru a wardrobe, or looking glass, and that is what Yuki Snow, a middle-schooler settling into a new home and new school discovers, too. This portal takes the reader to Imperial Japan, on a fantastical trip culminating in a complex choice to be made. Great chapter book.

The Door That Had Never Been Open Before by Mrs. & Mr. MacLeod. The three Grunion kids are told by their Great Grandmother to please leave this one particular door as it is: closed. What follows is hilarious and true to life and imaginative. The three-dimensional energy of the illustrations and the occasionally rhyming story are truly entertaining and instructive.

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS

Meet Me in The Fourth Dimension by Rita Feinstein. Young Adult Graphic Novel. This novel in verse explores the danger and humanity of conspiracy in a post-truth world through empathy, friendship, and forgiveness. There’s this teen, named Crosby, who is sure she knows more than NASA and everyone else urging Earthers to rise up and out of their bodies. Is she right, or wrong?

Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell. Young Adult Fiction. When local girl Loren includes Mara in a traditional Blackfeet Giveaway to honor Loren's missing sister, Mara thinks she'll finally make some friends on the Blackfeet reservation. Instead, a girl from the Giveaway, is found murdered. Now, Mara and her friends must clear their names. But could one of them be the killer?

Unstoppable! My Journey from World Champion to Athlete A to 8-time NCAA National Gymnastics Champion and Beyond by Maggie Nichols; with Hope Innelli. With the Olympics fast approaching (Yay!) revisit this story of the USA Gymnastic team, the young woman who brought the monsters there to justice and the true meaning of winning.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, July 12, 2024

Music on the Green – You’ve heard of Tavern on the Green, well, get ready for Music on the Green! Come down and enjoy the musical sounds of STiLGONE, a psychedelic soul fusion band from Bozeman that has performed at Pine Creek, the Haufbrau, the Elm, you name it. This fun, family friendly event is a perfect way to spend a Sunday evening- listening to great live music on the Library’s front plaza, as the sun drops off to the west. Invite your family and friends, bring a blanket or chairs, and get ready to dance! This event is free and open to the public. On Sunday, July 14, the music will begin at 5 PM.

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM

Good Material by Dolly Alderton. Fiction. Andy loves Jen. Jen loves Andy. So why did she suddenly end things? Is nothing certain? When Andy bombs a routine comedy show even that vocation that comes into  question. If you want to take a laugh-filled journey set in England with young moderns, this is it.  

Everest, Inc. The Renegades and Rogues who Built an Industry at the Top of the World by Will Cockrell. Nonfiction. Maybe you have climbed Everest.  Perhaps you have read many books about it, wondering what goes on there? With interviews from many climbers, including local living legend Conrad Anker, clients, writers and filmmakers, witness the history of this complex conflict of climbing and commerce.

To Name the Bigger Lie: A Memoir in Two Stories by Sarah Viren. Biography. Story #1 is about a charismatic high school teacher who taught the author to question everything, even the Holocaust. Story #2: an assault charge against the author’s spouse brings truth and fact into question again. This book will bring the reader into the modern conflict of how damaging lies are and how valuable truth is.

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS

A Happy Place by Britta Teckentrup. Picture Book. A nighttime star from the sky invites a child to go to a ‘happy place’ which as it turns out, is right outside the door. They journey together through deep, shadowy hues along the river, over the hills, and into the enchanted woods. Or was it all just a beautiful dream?

You’re So Amazing by James & Lucy Catchpole; Illustrated by Karen George. Easy. Being singled out doesn’t always feel amazing. For example, Joe, who is missing a limb, hangs out on the playground with his friend Simone playing games and everyone tells him how amazing he is. Maybe it’s just a normal thing for him?

The Things We Miss by Leah Fletcher. Juvenile Fiction. As J.P. navigates middle school and all that comes with it, she happens upon a magic door that allows her to skip ahead in time and miss all the emotional upheaval that occurred. The question becomes is this a good thing, the easy thing, or maybe a bad thing?

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS

Breathing Underwater by Abbey Lee Nash. YA Fiction. Tess has her teen years planned out: swim competitively on scholarship. Things look good for her. Then, everything changes with an epileptic seizure. As Tess deals with the many changes that follow, the reader is swept along on this journey of emotional growth.

Hotelitor: Luxury Class Defense and Hospitality Unit by Josh Hicks. YA Graphic Novel. This brilliantly illustrated story builds a world of a luxury corporate colony where Earthers live and work. When aliens attack the colony, one new worker must perform new duties as assigned: saving the world.

Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed by Daska Slater. YA Nonfiction. This is a complicated, cautionary tale for all teens who venture out into the social media world. A newbie poster thought he was just being clever. Meet the teens and adults who were deeply affected by his posts and re-posts.

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Kanopy: Kanopy is an award-winning free video streaming service providing access to more than 30,000 independent and documentary films ─ titles such as The Criterion Collection, The Great Courses, and thousands of independent filmmakers. I happen to enjoy watching “Lonesome Dove” from time to time. With 20 hours of streaming allotted to each Library cardholder per month, I can just squeak it in. Kanopy works on Chromecast and Apple TV, Roku, iOS, and Android devices via the free Kanopy app, which is available from your device’s app store. All films come with ADA-compliant captions and transcripts and are compatible with screen reader programs, such as JAWS. For more information about Kanopy, please call 406-582-2410 or visit bozemanlibrary.org.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, July 5, 2024

Bozeman Public Library hosts “An Inconvenient Grizzly” a Montana Conversations program in partnership with Humanities Montana, featuring Ranger Naturalist and former Glacier National Park Backcountry Ranger Greg Smith. It’s a chance to learn about the Griz. Not the UMontana Griz, the original Montana Grizzlies! The ones with the massive heads and four-inch claws. At one time, an estimated 100,000 grizzly bears wandered the west. The settlement period of the West would see a dramatic decline in grizzly bear numbers and a corresponding decrease in available habitat. Now, as New West meets Old West, grizzly bear numbers are a focal point of concern and contention. Join Greg Smith in a biological, cultural, and philosophical look at the grizzly bear in contemporary Montana.  Monday, July 8, 6:30-7:30 PM in the Community Room. No registration required. Please arrive early for best seating.

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM 

Uncertain: the Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure by Maggie Jackson. Nonfiction. Are you an uncertain type or person? Not sure? This book can help you explore how to skillfully confront the unexpected and unknown, and how to seek not-knowing in the service of curiosity, wisdom, and discovery. 

The Sun Sets in Singapore: a novel by Kehinde Fadipe. Fiction. -Dara, a workaholic lawyer from the UK; Amaka, a sharp-tongued banker from Nigeria; and Lillian, a pianist turned "trailing spouse" from the United States--find their lives inexplicably intertwined upon the arrival of a mysterious man from Geneva. 

The Call to Serve: the Life of an American President, George Herbert Walker Bush by Jon Meacham. Biography. Bush pursued a life of service to America and to others, including through action in the Pacific during World War II, his political rise to Congressman in Texas, and part owner of the Texas Rangers.  Jon Meacham was hand-picked by the Bush family to be President Bush (aka 41) official biographer.  

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer by Jeff Kinney. Fiction. Can Greg and his classmates save their school before it's closed for good? Or is this the start of a whole new chapter for Greg without his best friend? The Diary format brings readers right into the story in this popular series. 

Just Because by Matthew McConaughey; Illustrated by Renee Kurilla. Easy. Well alright, alright, alright! From kids worrying when excited to learning to forgive a grievance while still hurting, children in this book read about common everyday paradoxes as they navigate daily life. 

I Do NOT Eat Children by Marcus Cutler. Picture Book. A smooth-talking monster claims he would never eat a child as the children playing around him suspiciously disappear one by one.  What??? The monster finally gets what is coming to him in this very funny and slyly subversive story.   

 FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS 

The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst. Fiction.  Come to the Lake, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. Three girls who explore an abandoned island must outwit and outlast the mysterious killer who awaits them there. 

My Brain is Different: Nine True Stories illustrated by Monzuso.  Nonfiction. Graphic Novel. 6Follow the true stories of nine people (including the illustrator) navigating life with developmental disorders and disabilities.  

Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin. A witch coven has appeased those who fear their power for years by releasing most of their magic into the ocean during the full moon. Oops, someone forgot to set their alarm. They missed it! What follows is hugely complicated and involves a love triangle, raging seas and alliances.

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Copiers, Scanners, and Printers. Oh my! People call the Library and ask staff members: does the Library have this certain piece of equipment for public use. Here is the definitive list: The copier will make black and white or color copies, single or double sided and the cost is .10 for B&W, and 50 cents per color page. There is a scanner available to use, free of charge, to scan black and white or color pages. These free scans can be sent to an email address, fax number, or stored on a thumb drive. For all patron’s privacy and confidentiality, none of the scanned documents are stored or downloaded anywhere. There are Dell laptops and IMac computers to borrow for two hour use in the Library building. There are Nintendo switches, sewing machines, a 3D printer, a laser cutter, an embroidery machine and a Cricut. If you still want more, try the recording studio for a podcast. These services are available during Library open hours. For more information, please call 406-582-2410 or visit the Library at bozemanlibrary.org.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, June 26, 2024

Sunday is the last day of June: It’s also ROCK & GEM DAY! The Library will truly ROCK on Sunday, 1 – 4:30 PM. There will be a search for Garnets, and a short dig for treasures. Everyone can learn about the Mohs Hardness Scale, which helps identify minerals, which comes in handy while one is looking for gold. Lapidary artists will demonstrate how to cut and polish rocks on various pieces of equipment and turn them into beautiful things. And to continue the theme, concoct edible, exploding pop rock candy in the Kitchen Table from 2-4 PM. For more information, please call 406-582-2410 or visit bozemanlibrary.org. Rock on!

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM

The Armor of Light by Ken Follett. Fiction – ”The Armor of Light” takes place in the years 1792–1824 in Kingsbridge, the same fictional English town in “The Pillars of the Earth.” “Pillars…” was published thirty years ago. This is the 5th book in the series, and it takes place in the time of Napolean and the invention of the Spinning Jenny. Both events change the world profoundly.

Pandora’s Box: How Guts, Guile, and Greed Upended TV by Peter Biskino. Nonfiction - Cultural critic Peter Biskind turns his eye toward the new golden age of television, based on interviews with executives, writers, showrunners, directors, and actors. Was a Pandora’s Box was sparked by the fall of play-it-safe network TV and the rise of boundary-busting cable, then streaming?

Spillane: King of Pulp Fiction: a Biography by Max Allan Collins & James L. Traylor. There has never been a full-length biography of Mickey Spillane --until now. Who was the author who pretty much invented private eye novels featuring Mike Hammer? The authors are long-time collaborator Max Collins, and well- known Pulp-fiction scholar and Spillane fan James L. Traylor.

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS

Zombie Train by David Macinnis Gill. The Zombie Apocalypse has begun. What do a few clever middle school students do? They cobble together a railroad train – and run it in a loop around many western states. The train is home, fortress, science lab and escape hatch. But those Zombies want in.

Cornbread & Poppy at the Museum by Caldecott Medalist Matthew Cordell. Cornbread is a nice little mouse who dresses in tweed and gets an invitation to a Gala at a Museum. This is very exciting to Cornbread, who invites his friend Poppy along and things just get better and better from there.

Baby Be by Alison McGhee and Sena Qualls. Father’s Day just passed, and this book keeps celebrating many different Dads who all teach and model and repeat the same thing over and over to their children: Be who you are. The poetry and the pictures are so joyful you can read it many times over.

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS

Last Canto of the Dead: An Outlaw Saints Novel by Daniel Jose Older. Fiction - There’s a mystery in the ancient times. The two teenagers are outlaw saints – is that a thing? It’s sort of like being a good person and a villain at the same time. Trying to solve this mystery creates quite an adventure in a fantasy world that is very interesting and detailed.

The Teen Witches' Guide to Manifesting: Discover the Secret Forces of the Universe ... And Unlock Your Own Hidden Power! Nonfiction. Full disclosure – one need not be a witch to benefit from this book. This illustrated series is for teens who are curious about meditation, manifesting, visualization techniques, affirmations and mindset changes. Bewitching!

Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow. Fiction – This book is a debut novel that was a National Book Award Finalist. Generally, that indicates quality. Summary: A resourceful, isolated teenage boy in rural Vermont struggles to hold on to the family home while his mom recovers from addiction. Many, many parallels for rural kids in this moving and true-to-life story.

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

The Montana History Portal Bozeman Public Library is proud to offer this online source for digital collections relating to Montana’s cultural heritage. These collections attempt to document and preserve the Montana experience. Access is free and open through bozemanlibrary.org. Many of the items stored in the Portal are digitized copies of historic material. Some items are contemporary. All serve as a resource for education, business, pleasure, and lifelong learning. Contents may include maps, copies of photographs, rare books, historic documents, diaries, oral histories, audio and video clips, paintings, illustrations and art. Type in your last name, or your mother’s maiden name or your own maiden name and see what happens. There are buried Treasure state treasures to be found in the Portal.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, June 21, 2024

You know what we need more of in this world? Mindfulness – and Bozeman Public Library is here to offer anyone interested a free, midweek, mindfulness session. Midweek Mindfulness breaks up the typical work week perfectly. You can go in to the Library Labyrinth having completed half a work week, meditate, and emerge ready to take on the remaining half of the workweek. Midweek Mindfulness begins at 5 PM, in the Library Labyrinth, which is south of the building, near the Peet’s Hill parking lot on the corner of Church and Story Street. Turi Hetherington is a certified instructor who will guide everyone through a peaceful meditation. No experience required. In case of inclement weather, the class will be held in the Community Meeting room. For more information, please call 406-582-2410 or visit bozemanlibrary.org

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM

The Times That Try Men’s Souls by Joyce Lee Malcolm. Nonfiction All wars are tragic, but the "revolutionary generation" paid an exceptionally personal price. Foreign wars pull men from home to fight and die abroad leaving empty seats at the family table.

The Shadow of War by Jeff Shaara. Fiction Are you missing Jeff Shaara's vivid alchemy of fact-based fiction, here is the Cuban Missile Crisis as readers have never seen it. On the ships, in the planes, in the White House and Kremlin: the tension is palpable.

Amphibious Souls: Finding the Wild in a Tame World by Craig Foster. Biography What happens when we work so hard, and become so wrapped up in the daily tasks of living that we are completely disconnected from nature? We become very grouchy!

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS

The 169-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths; illustrated by Terry Denton. Juvenile fiction Andy and Terry live in a 169-story treehouse. These aren’t stories about the treehouse. These are levels within the treehouse. It now has a kangaroo-riding range, a whatever-weather-you-want dome and a hall of funhouse mirrors--the perfect place to hide from the truancy officer who is trying to catch them and make them go to school!

Old Wood Boat by Nikki McClure. Easy level This books is about an old wood boat and all the trips it takes and other boats and sea animals and birds it meets on all the adventures with her new family. There are diagrams of the boat and lots of nautical terms and illustrations of boat accessories. This is a book that grade schoolers can spend some time learning with while reading a touching story with a happy ending.

Maisy’s Big Book of Kindness by Lucy Cousins. Picture Book Maisy appears to be a mouse, and she has lots of animal friends who are the same size she is, including an elephant and a donkey and an alligator. They all spend time together as Maisy demonstrates many different gestures of kindness. This is the one of the many books in the Maisy series. All of the pictures of the animals are very big and bright.

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez. Fiction Set in 1884, glamorous nineteen-year-old Inez Olivera leaves Buenos Aires and travels to Egypt hoping the river knows something about the sudden death of her parents.  Inez practices old world magic as part of her daily life. In Egypt the magic is different and might take Inez somewhere she doesn’t want to go.

Make Your Own Board Game: Designing, Building, and Playing your Own Tabletop Game by Jesse Terrance Daniels. Nonfiction Game design expert Jesse Terrance Daniels teaches all the fundamentals of game design, from rule-setting to physical construction, navigating the monetizing of an original game and the energy of the young, contemporary gaming community.

The Space between Here & Now by Sarah Suk. Fiction Seventeen-year-old Aimee Roh has Sensory Time Warp Syndrome which causes her to time travel when she smells something linked to a memory. When Aimee disappears into a memory of her estranged mom, she realizes it doesn't match the story she’s always heard from her Dad of how her mom left.

Electronic Resources

Are you new in town? Let me tell you about Libby. Libby is the Library (Library/Libby) app that lends downloadable audiobooks, ebooks, and digital magazines specifically for teens, for kids and for adults. You'll find great titles from your Library in a modern, easy-to-use app where nothing can ever break, or be overdue, or have water damage. You can download and enjoy offline reading, Apple Carplay and Android Auto support, to enhance your experience. If you are someone who needs to have something to read at all times, consider Libby – it will serve you well.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, June 14, 2024

Bozeman Public Library will be closed on Wednesday, June 19 in honor of Juneteenth Day. Juneteenth is this country’s second Independence Day. It has long been celebrated in the African American community, and yet this monumental event remains largely unknown to most people. On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, with the news that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state were emancipated and free. Can you imagine? This day came to be known as Juneteenth, now a federal holiday, effective June, 2021. While the physical library building is closed on Juneteenth, the online services available at Bozeman Public Library are available 24/7, 365 days a year. For example, the Book Drop is always open. The catalog, too. Place a hold anytime of day, or night! Read an ebook, listen to an audiobook, stream a movie on Kanopy, take a class on Linked In Learning. And think about Juneteenth while you’re doing it. For more information about these topics, please call 406-582-2410 oir visit bozemanlibrary.org.

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM 

The Land of Hope And Fear: Israel's Battle for Its Inner Soul by Isabel Kershner. A reporter residing in Jerusalem since 1990 shares her viewpoint on the current challenges faced by Israel. As we near the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Israeli nation, the core principles upon which it was founded have undergone significant changes. Under Benjamin Netanyahu, who is moving towards a more extreme right-wing stance, Israel finds itself fighting to preserve its essence.

Kubrick: an Odyssey by Robert P. Kolker And Nathan Abrams. Stanley Kubrick and his incredible body of work have been extensively covered, but this book significantly enhances our understanding of both the remarkable filmmaker and his masterpieces. Kolker and Abrams analyze all 13 of Kubrick's completed features, along with numerous unfilmed projects, providing comprehensive insights into his life (1928-1999) based on interviews with family members and professional colleagues.

Wild Houses by Colin Barrett. Late one night, Irish brothers Gabe and Sketch arrive at their isolated cousin Dev's remote house, holding a teenage boy named Doll hostage. They are demanding payment from Doll's older brother, a former drug dealer, to settle a debt owed to their gangster boss, Mulrooney. The story then flashes back to earlier that same night, when Doll and his girlfriend Nicky attended a party, got drunk, argued, and Doll subsequently disappeared. Great suspense.

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS

Grounded: a Novel by Caisha Saeed, Huda Al-Marashi, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, S.K. Ali. Told in alternating points of view, four Muslim kids' lives are changed forever when their flight is grounded by weather following a Muslim convention. If you ever wondered what if? This book will interest you.

Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity by Elizabeth C. Bunce. Myrtle Hardcastle, a twelve-year-old girl, faces obstacles in uniting her father and governess. Could it be her exploration of a murder and cursed treasure on a Scottish island that are tripping things up? And who is that following her? Do they want the treasure, too?

The Color of Sound by Emily Barth Isler. Rosie is well-known to everyone as a musical genius. You’d think that would be a good thing! Just as Rosie is ready to pitch her treasured instrument into the river, she meets a young lady who claims she's from the 1990s and very possibly her mom, Shanna at age twelve.

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS

Marley Dias Gets It Done: and So Can You! by Marley Dias, with Siobhan Mcgowan; Introduction By Ava Duvernay. Based on her own journey, Marley demonstrates how young people can harness their abilities and dreams to improve and change their communities, with support from parents, educators, and peers.

Any Sign of Life by Crae Carson. Paige Miller wakes up with a pounding headache and a dry mouth, realizing she's been in a coma for six days. To her shock, a virus has wiped out humanity, including her family! Things could only get better in this apocalyptic novel set in the future.  Or do things get worse? Whop can say? 

Electronic Resources

Over here at Bozeman Public Library, there is an app called Libby, which we use to offer online access to  ebooks, audiobooks, and digital magazines through OverDrive, all of which is free with your library card. Read on phones, tablets, computers and eReaders including Kindle from our OverDrive website or on mobile devices using the Libby App. Download for long plane rides, or long walks in this beautiful place we call home.  The Libby app can be found on the Library web page, or the usual online stores. Please partake!

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, June 7, 2024

Bozeman Public Library welcomes authors Betsy Gaines Quammen and David Quammen to discuss their latest books together in their longtime hometown of Bozeman, Montana. Author and Journalist Scott McMillion will moderate this conversation about books, myths, the West, science and how all of them come together and keep us apart. Betsy Gaines Quammen is the author of “True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America.” “True West” is the most recent winner of the Bozeman Magazine award for Favorite Book released by a Local Author. David Quammen’s most recent book, “Breathless: The Scientific Race to Defeat a Deadly Virus” was a finalist for the 2022 National Book Award for Nonfiction. Scott McMillion, has won dozens of awards over his career as a journalist, and his book “Mark of the Grizzly” became an instant classic when it was published in 1999. Three authors in one room talking about our local and global situation. It’s a once in a lifetime event. This program will start promptly at 6:30 PM on Wednesday, June 12 in the Community room. Please arrive early for best seating. Questions? Please visit bozemanlibrary.org or call 406-582-2410.

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM

The Lion by Conn Iggulden -  This is the first book in Conn Iggulden’s Golden Age series set in the 5th century in ancient Greece during the Persian-Greco war.  The author is known for his historical fiction and this book brings the reader the story of Cimon and Pericles.

Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography by Staci Robinson - For those curious about a man who helped shape music and movies, this biography by a close friend of the family reveals a man who stood up to the thug life and become a phenomenal creative artist.

GarageBand for Dummies by Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus - GarageBand has become the default musical sketchpad for musicians who want a simple way to record, edit, and share their own tunes.  Navigate the interface and make the tweaks to create your own songs. 

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS

Out of the Valley of Horses by Wendy Orr - When Honey's family decides to get away from the world to avoid a spreading illness, they drive off and stumble upon the valley of horses. Seven years pass, and Honey's family has been perfectly self-sufficient, until her father falls ill. To save her father, Honey must find a way to escape the valley of horses.

The Other Side of Perfect by Melanie Florence and Richard Scrimger - Two kids from different worlds form an unexpected friendship. Cody's home life is a messy, terrifying story of neglect and abuse. Autumn is from a wealthy, loving Indigenous family, who is "in" with the popular crowd at school, even though it is hard for her to want to keep up.

Sing it Like Celia by Mónica Mancillas - After her mother's sudden departure, twelve-year-old Salva Sanchez adjusts to her new life in an RV campground with her father and finds her voice through new friendships and a love for Celia Cruz, the 'queen of salsa'. In a time when children are living in campers in Bozeman, this novel is quite insightful.

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS

Six Truths and a Lie by Ream Shukairy - As fireworks pop off at a rowdy Fourth of July bonfire party, an explosion off the California coast levels an oil rig—resulting in chaos and worse, murder. At the center are six Muslim teens - six patriots, six strangers, and six suspects. 

I Want to Eat Your Pancreas:  the Complete Manga Collection by Yoru Sumino - An introverted high school boy finds his classmate's diary--and learns her biggest secret. Yamauchi Sakura is dying from a pancreatic disease. What follows is moving, genuine and instructive.

A Suffragist's Guide to the Antarctic by Yi Shun Lai - In 1914 England, eighteen-year-old American Clara lands a spot on an Antarctic expedition.  When the crew is marooned on an ice floe, Clara's mission to advance the women's suffrage movement takes a back seat to survival.

Electronic Resources

Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit member organization that works side by side with consumers for truth, transparency, and fairness in the marketplace. Consumer Reports is also available in print and online @ Bozeman Public Library. CR conducts thorough, rigorous research, and applies policy expertise to inform purchase decisions, improve the products and services that businesses deliver, and drive regulatory and fair competitive practices. Before you buy that new lawnmower, check it out! A Library card is required for use. Please contact the Library for more information about the Consumer Reports subscriptions.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, May 31, 2024

Walking on Wednesdays – Everyone is invited to join renowned wildlife and naturalist Ken Sinay on a Wednesday Walk on the Gallagator Trail. The Gallagator Trail is a flat, shaded trail with only one car crossing and completes an out and back loop from the Library front plaza. We’ll be chugging along the old railroad track that passed through Bozeman. The Wednesday Walks series begins on June 5, promptly at 5:30 PM, and lasts about 50 minutes.  Wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses are suggested, bring something to sip on and dress in comfortable footwear. If it is pouring rain, or thunder and lightning are present, there will be no walk. The forecast looks good! For more information, please call 406-582-2410 or visit bozemanlibrary.org. 

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM

Dinosaurs:  A Novel by Lydia Millet.  When Gil’s love life falls apart, he takes a walk, a very long walk from New York to Arizona. He meets his new neighbors. How could he avoid them? They live in a glass house! As Gil emerges from the cocoon of obscene wealth, and takes an interest in people and the world, he grows on the reader.

The Art of Vanishing: A Memoir of Wanderlust by Laura Smith. Ms. Smith was engaged at age 25, and wonders why she feels trapped. (Shall you tell her, or shall I?) She becomes obsessed with a very cold case in 1939 concerning a young woman much like Laura Smith, who walked out of her apartment and vanished forever.  

52 Ways to Walk: the Surprising Science of Walking for Wellness and Joy, One Week at a Time by Annabel Streets. Walking is one of the first skills we learn to do on our own. If you’re stuck in a walking routine and want to create a new system of strolling, ambulating, hiking, or trekking while improving your brain health,  huzzah. 

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS

The Night Walk by Maria Dorleans.  Mama wakes up her two children and takes them out into the quiet, shadowy, beautiful summer night. Will there be a magnetic storm and a light show? There certainly will be a memorable family trip and a discovery of the natural world.

Walkin’ the Dog by Chris Lynch. A Young Louis enjoys life as a thirteen-year-old. He kicks back a LOT, all the time, and that’s probably why he’s so good at it. He starts a dog-walking business and discovers many things, for example, why dogs are commonly referred to as man’s best friend.

Henry Hikes to Fitchburg by Donald B. Johnson. Based on the true story of Henry David Thoreau who walked from Concord, Massachusetts 30 miles up the road to Fitchburg. It’s a great story, beautifully illustrated and all about the natural beauty around us. Perfect for little Bozeman walkers.

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS

Red by Annie Cardi. Tess and her Mom are forced to move to the town of Hawthorne when her mother loses her job. Her grandparents take them in on the condition they attend church. Tess finds great comfort there, and faith fills a void she didn’t realize she had. After word spreads that Tess had an abortion, there is shunning. Tess tells her fictional story in the first person and it is something to witness.

The Collectors: An Anthology. Does everyone collect something? Is that a true statement? It sure seems like it. In this ‘collection’ of short stories written by the best young adult authors working today, the reader meets a girl gathering types of fire while trying not to get burned, a few 1970's skaters seeking opportunities to go vertical and a nonbinary teen whose collection contains objects stolen from other collections.

The Girl, the Ring, and the Baseball Bat by Camille Gomera-Tavarez.  When two teenage sisters and the new boy in school come to possess three magical items, they take full advantage of these powers! As each character tells their story in alternating chapters, the talismans are causing a lot of trouble. Who’d have thought it? Result: a very entertaining and challenging series of events unfolds.

DVDs

The Way. Emilio Esteves directs this film starring his father, Martin Sheen. In the story, a Dad is grieving a son killed in the Pyrenees during a storm while walking the Camino de Santiagot, the Way of St. James. The father walks “The Way” a Christian pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. Shot on location.

Wednesday, Season 1. Young Wednesday Addams is a busy person. There’s her schoolwork at Nevermore Academy, that nascent psychic ability, and a monstrous killing spree in a local town. Everyone likes a good old fashioned coming of age supernatural mystery story!

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, May 24, 2024

The Bozeman Public Library will be closed on Monday, May 27 in honor of Memorial Day. While the physical building may be closed, all online services such as the Library catalog, downloadable audio and ebooks, the Kanopy and Hoopla streaming services, and Linked In Learning classes are available at bozemanlibrary.org  24/7, 365 days a year. Also available to reserve online are the Book Club Kits. Check out the new additions to the collection below. It may be Summer, but lots of Book Clubs are still meeting.  Included in every kit are ten copies of the book, discussion questions, information about the author, sign out sheets for the books, comment forms and helpful tips for conducting a book club meeting. Borrow a kit or two today.  For more information about Book Club Kits, holiday closures, and online services, please visit bozemanlibrary.org, or call, 406-582-2410.

The Library will reopen on Tuesday, May 27 with several programs, including Introduction to Genealogy, a genealogy program for people just getting started on their family history research. Please be aware that this introduction is just that, an introduction, and is designed for beginners. This program will introduce you to genealogy tools, databases and resources. The class will also offer organizing tips and terms to get you started on your family history research. Introduction to Genealogy will be held 6:30-7:30 PM in the Cottonwood Room on the 2^nd floor. Please arrive early for best seating. For more information about Bozeman Public Library, please visit bozemanlibrary.org, or call 406-582-2410.

New book kits for local book clubs to borrow

A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egan. Meet a Grand Dragon, and the woman who slayed him.  One hundred years ago, during the Roaring 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan was roaring, too; against Blacks, Catholics, and Jews. Timothy Egan tells the true story of where the Klan began; not the old Confederacy but in Indiana.

Burma Sahib by Paul Theroux. Paul Theroux writes an historical novel depicting George Orwell’s life in Burma approximately 100 years ago. Eric Arthur Blair, a quiet, standoffish, nineteen-year-old graduate of Eton who leaves his home and parents in England to navigate the cultural and political landscape of colonial, occupied Burma. This transformed him into George Orwell, author of “1984.”

Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education by Stephanie Land. The author of  “Maid” catalogs her experiences juggling housecleaning jobs, childcare, and University of Montana grad school while battling poverty in this frank and captivating memoir. In lucid prose, Land details what she "needed to do to survive as a single parent who valiantly struggled to make ends meet." 

North Woods by Daniel Mason.  If your Book Club is looking for a literary novel, this is it. The story begins in 1760 and centers around one home in western Massachusetts. Apples are a constant, and symbolic of different things. The author tells the stories of the many inhabitants, chronologically. The reader will see the connections and even take a glimpse into the future.

All the Glimmering Stars by Mark Sullivan. Inspired by a true story, two teens kidnapped by an African warlord find salvation through love in a powerful and healing historical novel from the LOCAL author of “Beneath a Scarlet Sky” and “The Last Green Valley.”

Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom. Crow Mary is a novel that is based on the true story of an indigenous woman named Goes First, also known as Crow Mary, from Montana's Crow tribe. In 1872, Goes First enters a marriage and moves to Canada.  Book Clubs will enjoy.

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff. This propulsive, darkly comedic feminist thriller is about a woman named Geeta whose abusive husband walked out on her five years ago.  Why does everyone in her remote village in India think she killed him?

The Book That Matters Most by Ann Hood. Ava rediscovers a mysterious book from her childhood—one that helped her through the traumas of the untimely deaths of her sister and mother. Alternating with Ava’s story is that of her troubled daughter Maggie.  

The Hunter by Tana French. Ireland. Current day. A retired policeman from Chicago tries to settle in and find peace. He’s fostered a relationship with a local woman. He’s helping a nearly-feral teenage boy with an absent Dad make better choices. Then, Bio-Dad reappears.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. An Andalusian shepherd boy travels from his homeland in Spain in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, who aid him in his quest.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, May 17, 2024

The Bozeman Public Library is proud to offer online access to the Billings Gazette, the Bozeman Dailly Chronicle, Butte’s Montana Standard, the Helena Independent, the Missoulian, The New York Times and USA Today to local readers. You probably can’t read those newspapers all at once, but, now you can read a different newspaper online every day of the week. A Bozeman Public Library card is required for access. What do you get with this access, you ask? A digital reproduction, unabridged, of the print edition on the day it is published. And, how does one obtain a free Library card? You must visit the Library in person, present identification that indicates you are a resident of the beautiful Gallatin County, or, pay $10 for an out of county card, good for one year. For more information about online access to daily newspapers, or Library cards, please visit bozemanlibrary.org or call 406-582-2410.

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM

Mountain King by Anders De La Motte. This atmospheric, sinister mystery novel, perfect for fans of the Nordic thrillers of Jo Nesbo and Stieg Larsson. Sharp-witted Leonora Asker, section chief in Malmö’s (Sweden) serious crimes unit, defies a career-ending demotion with a covert, no-holds-barred hunt for a serial killer. 

Straight Shooter: the Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes by Stephen A. Smith. This biography tells SS’s story firsthand, beyond the ESPN set, about his negligent father, his loving mother, being a father himself, his battle with life-threatening COVID-19, and what he really thinks about politics and social issues.

A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy by Nathan Thrall. After a school bus crashes Abed Salama sets off on an odyssey to find his son, a Palestinian. Abed is on the wrong side of the separation wall. Get a glimpse of the city of Jerusalem and the war in this Pulitzer Prize winning book. 

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS

Find Your A: a Hidden Pictures Alphabet Book by Seymour Chwast. Reading aloud to your kid, grandkid, godchild, friend’s kid – wherever the littles in your life are present – is so much more fun if they can participate in the story! The picture book has a puzzle on every page. Find the letter, learn the letter, teach the alphabet, admire the author’s illustrations. All this while surreptitiously teaching reading skills.

This Again? by Adam Borba; illustrations by Merce Lopez. Noah is in seventh grade and desperately wants to enjoy it. But, he must time travel to save himself from a humiliating disaster. This story featuring a male protagonist, has lots of laugh out-loud humor, and a pretty good story about children and mistakes or failures that devastate and haunt them, and how to best manage those inevitable events in life.

You Poop Here by Paul Meisel. Potty time fun, now in a board book! The idea is a parade of animals pooping in their natural habitats helps lead to human toddlers proudly sitting on the potty. Elephant poops on the grass. Fish poops in the water. Snake poops on the sand. Where do you poop? You poop here! In a potty, of course! Pictures of animals--an ant, an alligator, a bat, --make this a perfect potty training book.

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS

Blue Period by Tsubasa Yamaguchi. Yatora is the perfect high school student. It's a dull life. He wanders into the art room one day, and a lone painting captures his eye, awakening him to a kind of beauty he never knew. He dives in headfirst to become an artist and enter his Blue Period.

Four for the Road by K.J. Reilly. When 17-year-old Asher embarks on a road trip from New Jersey to Graceland to get revenge on the drunk driver who killed his mom, he brings along three new friends from his various bereavement groups to accompany him. Decidedly not a depressing story. 

Dear Wonderful You, Letters to Adopted & Fostered Youth. This book of letters from adults who have ‘been there’ are addressed to young people presently in foster care or adoptive families. There is advice, hope, laughter, coping skills, and most importantly, a sense of belonging and community.  

DVDs

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Films 1-5 The brothers Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael were sheltered from the human world. Watch the movie series as they fight for and gain acceptance through their heroic acts.  

George and Tammy – This six-part series stars Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon, as Tammy Wynette and George Jones, country music icons who married, had a child and made beautiful music together. For awhile anyway.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, May 10, 2024

The Bozeman Public Library Book Club now meets twice a month! Come celebrate friends, fun, and reading with us! How, you ask? Borrow one of the ten copies of the May selection set aside at the Circulation desk. Join us at 3 PM at the Gallatin Valley Mall East side court, or at 6:30 PM in the Cottonwood meeting room on the 2nd floor of Bozeman Public Library. All readers are welcome. The May selection is True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America by Betsy Quammen. - Historian and writer Betsy Gaines Quammen examines the intersections of extremism, public lands, wildlife, and the unique features of western communities. BGQ is the author of American Zion: Cliven Bundy, God & Public Lands in the West. Nonfiction can be a great catalyst for discussion and these local issues shape our lives. C’mon down and discuss. The Book Club is sponsored by the Friends of Bozeman Public Library.  For more information, please call 406-582-2410 or visit bozemanlibrary.org

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM

What Happens in Montana by Kim McCollom. A girlfriends' reunion at a haunted, holistic hot springs retreat in Montana leads to spilled secrets and betrayal, but does it also lead to murder? Join Maude and her friends as they confront the challenges of life, love, and the occasional poltergeist in this suspenseful, funny novel.

The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster by John O’Connor.  This book explores the zany and secretive world of 'cryptozoology,' tracking Bigfoot from the Wild Men of Native American to Harry and the Hendersons, while examining the forces behind our belief in the supernatural.

Other People’s Pets: Critters, Careers, and Capitalism in Yellowstone Country: a Memoir by Cherie Newman. When her freelance income disappears during the recent world-wide shut down, Cherie Newman falls back on an old skill: pet sitting. Get an insider’s view on the new people, pets and planes in post-pandemic Bozeman.

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS

Pages & Co.: The Bookwanderers by Anna James. 11 year-old Tilly lives above her grandparents bookshop. It’s a good life. One day that life gets all kinds of better when she suddenly discovers she can wander into the books and experience the characters, setting and story herself.  The six book series features all the classic kid faves: Merlin, Alice in Wonderland, Sherlock Holmes and Anne of Green Gables. For middle schoolers.  

Who is Dolly Parton? If your curious kid likes to read about people, let us recommend the series titled, Who is… The biographies of current public figures children hear about is made age-appropriate. The Dolly biography   covers her incredibly generous commitment to early literacy along with her Hall of Fame musical career. This series is complimented by the Who Was… series of historical figures. For grades 3,4,5. 

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS

Nothing Special: Through the Elder Woods by Katie Cook. In the grand scheme of the worlds at large, Callie thinks she's nothing special. Sure, she's friends with the ghost of a radish and her dad owns a magical antique shop--but she's spent her life in the human world.  This captivating graphic novel, featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes material from the creator of the popular Webtoon of the same name.

The Baker and the Bard by Fern Haught. Juniper and Hadley have a good thing going in Larkspur, spending their respective days apprenticing at a little bakery and performing at the local inn. But when a stranger makes an unusual order at the bakery, the two friends (and Hadley's pet snake, Fern) set out on a journey to forage the magical mushrooms needed to make the requested galette pastries.

DVDs

The Criterion Collection – The Library owns over 300 films selected for the prestigious Criterion Collection. The newest release is All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, an award-winning documentary about artist Nan Goldin, and her pursuit of the pharma company who gave us the Opioid crisis. BPL cardholders are welcome to borrow the DVD. Library users can also stream the entire Criterion Collection on Kanopy, a free Library streaming service.   

The Madagascar Collection –Marty, the bored zebra of the famous Central Park zoo, ND Alex, the content lion; Melman, the skittish giraffe, and Gloria, the resolute hippo--find themselves crated up and shipped off to a remote wildlife preserve, only to end up on the sandy shores of exotic Madagascar. The movies are all funny and filled with talking animals and penguins and a lot of action to keep the kids, and some adults, laughing and entertained. Borrow the DVDs for two weeks, and enjoy the ride.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, May 3, 2024

Bozeman Public Library is pleased to feature local creative organizations in a new program: Meet the Makers. These ‘makers’ are involved locally in the Arts, or music, or theater, or some form of expression for adults. Kicking off the premiere program on Saturday May 4 are special guests, The Bozeman Actors’ Theatre, and the Gamelan Sekar Gunung.  The Bozeman Actors’ Theatre has produced several challenging and rewarding plays and ranging from intimate theaters to historic large houses. Venues included the Black Box Theater on the Montana State University campus, The Dulcie in Livingston, and The Verge (Equinox) Theater and, recently, Holy Rosary Church on Main Street. Past productions include Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot, The Sunset Limited by Cormac McCarthy, and An Enemy of the People by Hernik Ibsen. Also appearing will be Gamelan Sekar Gunung  aka Mountain Flower Gamelan, a percussion orchestra made up of community members playing many unique instruments, including metalophones (xylophone-like), gongs, suling flutes, drums, cymbals, and angklung (bamboo shakers). These instruments are native to Bali, Indonesia, and in fact, this orchestra was built especially for Montana State by the master gamelan builder on the island, Pandé Madé Gableran. Please join us in the Community room on Saturday, May 4 at 1 PM to Meet the Makers!  For more information, please call 406-582-2410 or visit bozemanlibrary.org

BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM

How to Know a Person: the Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Seen by David Brooks. Speaking of creatives, author, conservative, recent visitor and speaker at MSU; Brooks has written a guide book for those of us who want to connect. These days, there are land-mines in many conversations that must be avoided in order to stay civil. Brooks’ book teaches us how to develop the habits and practices that will keep us all connected and not conflicted.

Larry McMurtry: A Life by Tracy Daughterty. He was one of the few modern American writers who had direct contact to the pioneer traditions that characterize the Western myth. Learn the story of the tall Texan who wrote 40+ books, owned and operated legendary bookstores, immortalized Archer City and won an Academy Award, too, all while maintaining a 50 year long friendship with Cybil Shepherd, who he based the character of Lorena in Lonesome Dove on.

Funny Story by Emily Henry. The charming children’s librarian in Michigan always enjoyed the funny stories of how married couples met. Until her own story goes a wee bit stray. At the wedding, there was a fiancée, then a parting, then an abandoned ex of her former partner’s new partner. Is it the real thing or just a funny story about that time she fell in love with her ex-fiancé's new fiancée's ex-boyfriend?

FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS

Yours from the Tower by Sally Nichols. In 1896, three best friends leading very different lives after boarding school share their dreams, hopes, frustrations and romances through a series of letters. They are searching for happiness and love near the dawn of the Edwardian era, 1901-1919.  What does the future hold for this trio of very different young women: one industrious, one artful, and one in exile?

Hidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets We Use Every Day by Dan Nott. Have you ever walked through the city and wondered what lay beneath your feet? Of course you have! But most of us quickly put it out of mind and move on. Full of art, maps, and diagrams, Hidden Systems is a thoughtful, humorous exploration of the history of science, and what needs to be done now to secure the future.

BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS

Under the Moon by Dyan Sheldon. Digging in her back yard, Jenny finds an arrowhead and dreams of what life was like long ago, before there were cars and cities and roads. Stunning and expansive, the oil-on-canvas paintings interplay light and shadow to effectively evoke both the present and a time when the 'land was as large and as open as the sky.' 

Who Was Her Own Work of Art? Frida Kahlo by Terry Blas; illustrated by Ashanti Fortson. A story of independence, determination, and finding beauty within one's scars, this graphic novel invites readers to immerse themselves into the power of one of the greatest artists of all time brought to life by a gripping narrative and full-color illustrations.

DVD

Ivan Doig: Landscapes of a Western Mind produced by Montana PBS. This Emmy-nominated documentary is an intimate look at the life and work of Ivan Doig, the iconic Montana author whose novels and memoirs depict a rugged and authentic American West. Check it out! Pun intended.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, April 26, 2024

Bozeman Public Library is pleased to feature local creative organizations in a new program: Meet the Makers. These ‘makers’ are involved locally in the Arts, or music, or theater, or some form of expression for adults. Kicking off the premiere program on Saturday May 4 is The Bozeman Actors’ Theatre, and the Gamelan Sekar Gunung. The Bozeman Actors’ Theatre - Founded in 2008 as Actors Theatre of Montana, or BAT, produced several challenging and rewarding plays and readings in its early years in locations ranging from intimate theaters to historic large houses. BAT is actively producing plays for 2024 such as Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot and Born with Teeth by Liz Duffy Adams. 

Gamelan Sekar Gunung (Mountain Flower Gamelan) is a percussion orchestra made up of many unique instruments, including metalophones (xylophone-like), gongs, suling flutes, drums, cymbals, and angklung (bamboo shakers). These instruments are native to Bali, Indonesia, and in fact, this orchestra was built especially for Montana State by the master gamelan builder on the island, Pandé Madé Gableran. The orchestra is of the type called Gamelan Angklung, used originally in temple music. Join us in the Community room on Saturday, May 4 at 1 PM to experience a brief performance, and Meet the Makers. For more information, please call (406)582-2410 or visit bozemanlibrary.org.

Books for the Adults in the Room

A Year in Practice: Seasonal Rituals and Prompts to Awaken Cycles of Creative Expression by Jacqueline Suskin. Speaking of creatives such as those featured in Meet the Makers, this book is written in sync with the progression of the seasons. A program of techniques and journaling prompts guide the creative seeker all year long. Truly insightful for anyone perplexed by the constant change and length of Bozeman seasons.

The Darkest White: a Mountain Legend and the Avalanche that Took Him by Eric Blehm. The bestselling author of The Last Season and Fearless, comes the story of the legendary snowboarder Craig Kelly and his death in the 2003 Durrand Glacier Avalanche--a devastating and controversial tragedy that claimed the lives of seven people. Craig Kelley’s short life was a fascinating launch to championship snowboarding.

The Shootist by Glendon Swarthout. People say this is one of the best novels ever written in the Western genre. It was also the basis for one of John Wayne’s last roles in the movie of the same name. I like it because the main character’s name is John Bernard Books. Mr. Books is a famous former sheriff turned gun for higher battling cancer. What follows is a powerful, emotional story about life and death at the turn of the 20^th century.

For the Teens and Tweens

Infinity Kings by Adam Silvera. Growing up in New York, brothers Emil and Brighton always idolized the Spell Walkers--a vigilante group sworn to rid the world of specters. While the Spell Walkers and other celestials are born with powers, specters take them, violently stealing the essence of endangered magical creatures. In this conclusion of the trilogy, see who is not just a king, but a king for infinity.

The Manga Cookbook: presented by the Manga University Culinary Institute with recipes by Yoko Ishihara and illustrations by Chihiro Hattori. Reading manga books sure can make a person hungry! Everyone is always eating and cooking and the Japanese food looks so healthy. There are three books in in the series. Chapters include how to create a Bento box and how to properly use chopsticks.

The Getaway List by Emma Lord. Once upon a time two friends, Riley and Tom wrote a wish list of getaway adventures. Riley has graduated from high school, and she means to take those adventures. She feels adrift after school, not sure what she wants or how to figure that out. So, she decides that task #1 is to find her old friend Tom in New York City and get him to honor the promise of their getaway list.

DVDs

Dream Scenario. Nicholas Cage stars in this not based on a true story about hapless family man Paul Matthews whose life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. When his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn, Paul is forced to navigate his newfound stardom. Strong satire of viral fame and the difference between a life wasted or enjoyed.

Lightyear. An origin story for Buzz Lightyear of the legendary Space Rangers! Take an intergalactic adventure as Bozz gets stranded with only recruits Izzy, Mo, Darby and his robot companion, Sox. Borrow any and all of the Toy Story series on DVD @ your Library.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, April 19, 2024

Bozeman Public Library presents a forum for candidates seeking election to the four open seats on the Bozeman School Board on Wednesday, April 24 at 6:30 PM in the Community Room. The Bozeman Public Schools Board of Trustees consists of eight members, seven of whom are elected by the voters of Bozeman. One trustee-at-large is elected by the voters of the rural elementary districts to serve with the other seven members. Each member serves a three-year term without compensation.

On Tuesday, May 7, an election for four open seats will be held to determine who will serve. Meet your candidates at this open forum. Bring questions, arrive early for optimal seating, and become an informed voter. This non-partisan forum will be moderated by Sally Maison and recorded by KGVM, 95.9 FM. The League of Women Voters of the Bozeman Area, the American Association of University Women and the Bozeman Public Library sponsor this event. Join other informed voters in the Community room. Please arrive early for optimum seating. Questions? Contact Librarian Beth Boyson at 406-582-2410.

Books for the Adults in the Room

The Showman: Inside the Invasion that Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky by Simon Shuster. The Time Magazine veteran reporter writes his first book – and what better subject than Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, his family, and inner circle of advisors. Who would have thought a TV star and comedian, who played the president on a sitcom, would become the president in real life?

Moon of the Turning Leaves: a Novel by Waubgeshig Rice. A small group of Anishinaabe people have built a small community in the aftermath and strive to survive. This novel is set twelve long years past an unexplainable, unpredicted, devastating power blackout that led to the complete collapse of society.

The Cancer Factory: Industrial Chemicals, Corporate Deception, and the Hidden Deaths of American Workers by Jim Morris. The true story of a group of Goodyear Tire and Rubber workers fatally exposed to toxic chemicals, and the lawyer who sought justice on their behalf, is compelling. Workers want to work and be safe. If the damage is intentional what is the cost to the business and the workers who are harmed by it?

For the Teens and Tweens

ASAP by Oxie Oh. Two Korean teens take a second chance on their relationship: featuring a KPOP idol, a teen model, and two Korean families pushing and pulling every which way. This story is about family and recognizing what a teen wants and needs and maybe can’t have. After all, family knows best. Or do they?

49 Days by Agnes Lee. In Buddhist tradition, a person must travel for forty-nine days after they die, before they can fully cross over. In this book, readers travel with one Korean American girl, Kit, on her journey, while also spending time with her family and friends left behind. Brilliant graphic novel and illustrations.

Pop Manga Drawing: 30 Step-by-Step Lessons for Pencil Drawing in the Pop Surrealism Style by Camilla d'Errico. An easy-to-follow, step-by-step manga drawing instruction book from fan favorite manga artist and painter Camilla d'Errico, featuring 32 lessons on illustrating characters in the Pop Surrealist style.

Book for the Kiddos

A Place for Rain by Michelle Schaub; illustrated by Blanca Gómez. I wish Bozeman would become a place for rain! Maybe we could read this book and build a rain garden? Or collect rainwater in barrels? Learn all about what people can do to make the most of that precious manna from the sky and help Nature do their thing.

I Can Drive an Excavator! by Marilyn Easton; illustrated by Adam Devaney. Blippi loves excavators and one day, his dream of driving one comes true. He dons his safety gear, climbs into the excavator's cab, and joins a busy work crew at a construction site. Was Blippi at Digger Days with Eagle Mount? Read the book to find out!

Where I Live: Poems about My Home, My Street, and My Town selected by Paul B. Janeczko; illustrated by Hyewon Yum. Wherever we ‘hang our hats’ – maybe a home, or apartment, or hotel room, in the city, in the country, people like to celebrate it. These poems, selected by an eminent poet and anthropologist do just that, with illustrations bringing the warm details of daily life alive.

DVDs

The Stones and Brian Jones. As the Rolling Stones song says, ‘You can’t always get what you want’, and young Brian Jones could not get what he wanted – a place in the band. This documentary features several band members, including Bill Wyman, who quit in 1992 and speaks his truth.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, April 5, 2024

 You know what this week is? April 6-12 is Every Child a Book week. The Friends of the Library are giving vouchers for their book store to every child who attends story hour from April 6^th to April 12^th.  Family Storytime for Littles aged birth- 5 years is held on Saturday, April 6. Baby Storytime is held Tuesday, April 9 and Thursday, April 11 at 10:15 AM for babies, aged birth-35 months. Sing, rhyme, read, and dance! Toddler & Preschool Storytime is held Wednesday, April 10, and Friday, April 12 for our little library patrons aged 3-5 years. The Friends of the Library will also hold a book sale on Friday April 12, 13 and 14. For more information, please call 406-582-2404 or visit bozemanlibrary.org

Books for the Adults in the room

North Woods: A Novel by Daniel Mason. If you’re looking for a literary novel, this is it. The story begins in 1760 in Massachusetts and centers around one home in western Massachusetts. Apples are a constant, and symbolic of different things. The author tells the stories of the many inhabitants, chronologically. The reader will see the connections and even take a glimpse into the future.

Whiskey Tender: A Memoir by Deborah Jackson Toffa. Many people are taught that if they blend in and become part of the group think that can be education, and sand down their own rough edges, they will be accepted into the circles where privilege is promised. Deborah Jackson Toffa’s family believed it and taught her that. Read what happens when she searches for another way to express and exist.

A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to take over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egan.  Meet a Grand Dragon, and the woman who slayed him.  One hundred years ago, during the Roaring 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan was roaring, too; against Blacks, Catholics, and Jews. Timothy Egan tells the true story of where the Klan began; not the old Confederacy but in Indiana.

For the Tweens and Teens

Sky’s End: Above the Black by Marc J. Gregson. This world is a violent one. There’s a family of four. The teenagers compete in a kill or be killed kind of thing that determines how you ‘rise’ in the society. There are airship battles, and serpents and of course, a rebellion. The story has lots of twists and turns due to political maneuvers in the quasi-leadership, manipulations among friends and allies, and just plain old bad luck.

Project 1065 by Alan Gratz. The award-winning, critically acclaimed author returns with another gripping World War II story, this time about a spy in the Hitler Youth. Infiltrate. Befriend. Sabotage. Michael O’Shaughnessy joins in the Hitler Youth's horrific games and book burnings, playing the part so he can gain insider knowledge.  He must prove his loyalty to the Hitler Youth at all costs - even if it means risking everything he cares about.

The Case of Beasts: Explore the Film Wizardry of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them written by Mark Salisbury; designed by MinaLima. Take a front-row seat and witness the filmmaking magic that brought J.K. Rowling’s script for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to the screen. Explore the realm of fantastical creatures that roam the wizarding world and discover the magical cast of characters in pursuit of them.

Books for the Kiddos

Can You Find It, America? By Linda Falken. Can you find the hidden details in these American paintings, prints, and textiles from The Metropolitan Museum of Art?  Includes "The Last Moments of John Brown," by Thomas Hovenden; "Thanksgiving Turkey," by Grandma Moses; "The Photographer," by Jacob Lawrence; and "Street Story Quilt," by Faith Ringgold. Beautiful book to look at.

You Make Me Sneeze! By Sharon G. Flake; illustrated by Anna Raff. Best friends Duck and Cat have a problem: Cat makes Duck sneeze! 'I think - achoo! - I'm allergic to you,' Duck declares. Hilarity ensues as Cat keeps trying to solve the problem but Duck keeps sneezing! Is Duck really allergic to Cat or is something else going on? I dunno, maybe Duck is allergic to the winter that won’t go away?  

A Natural History of Fairies: From the Notebook of Professor Elsie Arbour:  compiled by Emily Hawkins; illustrated by Jessica Roux. Elsie Arbour has taken great care to document what fairies are, the anatomy of a fairy, the life cycle of a fairy, and their habitat. This book was discovered in the archives of the British Museum of Natural History.  Makes sense, right?

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, March 29, 2024

At Bozeman Public Library, the picture book collection is hugely popular. It’s an introduction to reading that most people remember very fondly: The Berenstain Bears, Goodnight Moon, Pat the Bunny, Eric Carle, Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak; these are the enduring giants of the picture book genre.  There are times however, that a picture book is challenged, or a request is made to remove it from the Library’s circulating collection. That request may result in the book being banned. Maybe you read about the record number of challenges made against school and public library books in 2023?

In an effort to inform people about this process and some of the titles constantly challenged across the United States, Bozeman Public Library presents a Banned Picture Books discussion. We’ll get together to read a few picture books aloud and talk about the themes and responses to these specific books as well as the arguments made for or against their inclusion in library collections. This is an opportunity for community members to engage with books that have been challenged and banned elsewhere and express your opinions on the content. Please note:  this program is for adults. You do not need to read the books beforehand. You may not agree with either the challenges or the themes presented in the books, but we hope every participant is open to a civil discussion regarding the books chosen for that evening. The Banned Picture Books discussion will take place Monday, April 1, 6:30-7:30 in the Cottonwood room on the 2^nd floor. For more information, please call (406)582-2410 or visit bozemanlibrary.org.

Books for the Kiddos

Good Night Montana by Adam Kamble. In the style of Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, Good Night Montana celebrates Yellowstone National Park, Museum of the Rockies, Glacier National Park and Red Jammers, Livingston Roundup Rodeo, the Strawberry Festival, the Badlands, cattle drives, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, and more.

Lasagna Means I Love You by Kate O’Shaughnessy. There’s Mo, short for Maureen, and her Nan and all is well. Nan’s death and foster care follow, and a book changes Mo’s life. The book is a family cookbook, but not Mo’s family. This touching story, told in journal entries and letters by Mo to her Nan, brings all the feelings home for kids, told in a child’s voice.

Books for the Adults in the room

Three Inch Teeth: a Joe Pickett novel by C.J. Box. Things are getting crazy in Wyoming! Game warden Joe Pickett is tracking a bear who is on a murderous rampage. Also on a murderous rampage is a man Joe put in prison who wants to kill Joe and all of Joe’s colleagues. With the bear killing for reasons unknown and the murderous ex-con killing for revenge, Joe is at a complete loss. How will he stop this madness?

Grief is for People: a Memoir by Sloan Crosley. True story by Sloan Crosley, a gifted writer and observer: a burglar breaks in and steals a prized possession. One month later a close friend dies by suicide. Someone who has never grieved much must suddenly process the loss of security in her own home, and in the field of friendship. Search with Sloan for a verve for life in the face of incredibly painful, permanent loss.

The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the C.I.A, and the Origins of America’s Invasion of Iraq by Steve Coll. You might think this book is about the Iraq War, but ... not exactly. It’s about how and why Saddam Hussein came to power, with a lot of help from the USA. It’s also about how and why the events of 20 years ago have led to the American foreign policy in the Middle East today and where that might lead in the future.

Books for the Teens and Tweens

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal. The author is a well-known world builder who creates something very original here. An orphaned young woman works in a tea house named Spindrift, which is a favorite hangout of the local vampire population. She and her adopted brother Jin make a bold plan to steal a ledger containing all the dark secrets of the country’s masked monarch. Danger!

The Other F-Word: A Celebration of the Fat and Fierce by Angie Manfredi. If you are determined to celebrate people of all sizes exactly as they are, this book will teach you how to do it. A narrow definition of beauty, or of any human trait, deprives the culture, and that’s a fat fact. A collection of art, poetry and essays from Young Adult and middle-grade authors who demand to be heard.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, March 22, 2024

Teen Writers Workshop - Join your fellow writers upstairs in the Cottonwood Room for writing tips and tricks, feedback on your own projects and special guests! For teens ages 12-18. March 27: Editing & Freelancing- Get the inside scoop about the world of freelance editing and the local magazine publication process with Jessica Byerly, founder of Evil Red Pen Writing & Editing and the Big Sky Journal associate editor. April 24: Learn "How to Build a Scene"- Tune into your observational skills, draw on details, and tap into your senses, in this hands-on workshop, "How to Build a Scene" with local author Kelsi Turner Tjernagel. May 29: Free-write Night- Stretch your writing muscles with some fun writing challenges and bring projects to share for feedback. Questions? Contact Teen Librarian Kate at (406)582-2414 or visit bozemanlibrary.org.

For the Tweens and Teens

I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by Ann Liang.  Channeling her frustrations into email drafts--ones that she'd never send--seemingly perfect Sadie Wen finds her carefully crafted, conflict-free life turned upside down when the emails are sent out accidentally, and the only person growing to appreciate the 'real' Sadie is the only boy she's sworn to hate. Danged technology!

Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender. Only an elite few are legally permitted to study the science of magic--so when Ash is rejected by Lancaster College of Alchemic Science, he takes a job as the school's grounds-keeper, forced to learn alchemy in secret. When he is discovered, Ash must help find the legendary Book of Source, a sacred text that gives its reader extraordinary power.

Books for the Adults in the Room

The Wharton Plot: a novel by Mariah Fredericks. Mystery writer Fredericks' fictional version of the great writer Edith Wharton—donned with luxurious furs, often accompanied by her yapping Pekingese, and an unapologetic member of society’s tiresome upper crust—is an endearingly cantankerous narrator, acting less like an amateur sleuth and more like a writer committed to sniffing out a story.

The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center by Rhaina Cohen. Cohen invites us into the lives of people who have defied convention by choosing a friend as a life partner--these are friends who are home co-owners, co-parents, or each other's caregivers. Author Rhaina Cohen is an award-winning producer and editor for NPR's documentary podcast, Embedded.

The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman. A pool boy enters a secluded Bel Air property and discovers two bodies floating in the bright blue water. Solving this double homicide leads Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis on an exploration of L.A.'s darkest side as they contend with one of the most shocking cases of their careers. It may be the case that some secrets are best left buried in the past.

Books for the Kiddos

Light Comes to Shadow Mountain by Toni Buzzeo. It’s 1937 and the government wants to bring electricity to the mountains of southeastern Kentucky. And, brother, do they need it! Young Cora Mae wants to have light to read by, radios to hear the news, and machines that keep food cold or heat it up. Why are so many of her friends and family dead set against it? Great chapter book to read aloud at bedtime.

How the Sea Came to be and All the Creatures In It written by Jennifer Berne and illustrated by Amanda Hall. Curious kids age 6-10 will enjoy the colorful depictions of the undersea world.  The accompanying rhyming stanzas tells the story of the evolution of the ocean in three parts, from millions of years in the past to the present day. Fun fact: Montana was once under the Great Inland ocean too.

DVDs

Claydream - Known as the "Father of Claymation," Will Vinton revolutionized the animation business, creating such iconic characters as the California Raisins and Domino's The Noid. Claydream charts the rise and fall of the award-winning Will Vinton Studios. Documentarian Marq Evans captures the eternal battle between true art and commerce.

Wonka - Based on the extraordinary character at the center of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the jewel in the Roald Dahl crown, and available @ your Library, Wonka tells the wondrous story of how the world's greatest magician and chocolate maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today. The film is a visual feast for the family.

The Mayor of Kingstown – The fabulous Jeremy Renner stars in a crime drama about an important contemporary issue, America’s prison system. As Mayor Mike McLusky tries to manage his beloved, but downtrodden, hometown of Kingstown, Michigan, he discovers the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, March 15, 2024

It’s March Madness and tax filing time. Taxes can make people feel March madness! Thanks to AARP and some dedicated volunteers, Bozeman Public Library can offer free basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals who earn $64,000 or less annually, and persons with disabilities. This service is provided free of charge. Appointments are required to best plan for everyone involved. Please call (406)582-2413 for more information and a mandatory pre-appointment packet to pick up, read and fill out. 

Books for the Adults in the Room

Wandering Stars:  a novel by Tommy Orange.  Colorado, 1864. Star, a young survivor of the Sand Creek Massacre, is brought to the Fort Marion Prison Castle, where he is forced to learn English and practice Christianity by Richard Henry Pratt, an evangelical prison guard who will go on to found the Carlisle Industrial School for Indians. How this traumatic event influences modern day is the heart of this story.

The Holy Grail of Investing: the World's Greatest Investors Reveal Their Ultimate Strategies for Financial Freedom by Tony Robbins with Christopher Zook. If you want to learn how to get rich, you should probably ask rich people how they did it. Well, Tony Robbins thinks that’s a good strategy, too, and turns out he’s a very good interviewer. Meet twelve of the world's most successful investors in private equity, private credit, private real estate, and venture capital as they share the Holy Grail with the reader.

Misunderstood Vegetables: How to Fall in Love with Sunchokes, Rutabaga, Eggplant, and More by Becky Selengut; photography by Clare Barboza. Maybe you just discovered celery root (a lumpy, softball-sized bulb), at the grocery store. Or perhaps you received watermelon radishes in a CSA package. Did a parsnip catch your eye at the farmers' market? Even vegetables you think you know, like cabbage or Brussels sprouts, will reveal next-level flavor with the right recipe. And the photographs? Inspiring!

Books for the Kiddos

One Giant Leap by Thao Lam. It’s a picture book without any words. Talk about one giant leap! The paper-cut collage illustrations play with color and pattern. Is that a pigeon or an extraterrestrial being? Is that snow, or moon dust? (It’s snow, right?) The reader can narrate their own story and that is the perfect exercise for a child to enjoy and create. 

I Lived Inside a Whale by Xin Li. Young Emma is at a very loud and chaotic party where everyone is having a blast, except her. She slips back to her bedroom, and inside of a whale who lives there. The whale is a secluded space in her room, but, the point is, it’s quiet. It’s peaceful. This book is a beautiful piece of art to experience. It’s a whale of a tale.

Ferris by Kate DiCamillo. The summer before fifth grade should be a restful, fun time. But Ferris Wilkey has her hands full with her little sister Pinky terrorizing the town, her Aunt Shirley moving into their basement and her grandmother seeing a ghost--one who has wild, impractical plans. How can Ferris satisfy a specter when she’s so busy saving her family?

For the Tweens and Teens

Please Send Help … by Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin. In the hilarious new novel from the New York Times bestselling authors of I Hate Everyone But You, Allison Raskin and Gaby Dunn perfectly capture the voice of young adults looking to find their place in the world, proving no matter how desperate things seem, your best friend is always there to reboot your life and send help.

The Rock Gods of Jackson, Tennessee by Rafer Roberts. Four not-so-popular high school friends decide to form a rock band and they would be adored as gods, except for that whole thing where they argue all the time with each other, their friends, their parents, the bullies at school, bad bosses, preachers, politicians, and the mutated monsters eating everything in their path. Dang! 

DVDs 

Shortcomings. This very funny, not a romantic comedy is about underdogs. Which is appropriate because it is made by underdogs, and that is who they made it for: underdogs!  The story is about making movies and changing friendships and creative dreams and it’s all set in sunny Berkley, California.

Valiant. This documentary is about the Las Vegas Golden Knights, who are currently the defending Stanley Cup winners. They also won the Stanley Cup in 2018, their first year in the league and also the year of the worst mass shooting in history, in Las Vegas. It’s about hockey and a city and it is fascinating.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, March 8, 2024

Gyrokinesis – Bozeman Public Library sincerely enjoys providing movement classes for the community free of charge taught by local people. Gyrokenisis with Erin Groth is a 45 minute gentle movement class held every Thursday in the Community Room, full of rhythmic, flowing moves that release tightness in the joints and stimulate the nervous system. The Gyrokinesis Method addresses the entire body, opening energy pathways, increasing range of motion and creating functional strength. It is an original and unique method that coordinates movement, breath and mental focus. The Gyrokinesis Method is practiced on a mat and chair without equipment. Bringing a mat to class is recommended. There is no registration required. For more information, please visit bozemanlibrary.org or contact the Information Desk at 406-582-2410.

Books for the Adults in the Room

Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg. The best communicators understand that whenever we speak, we're actually participating in one of three conversations: practical (What's this really about?), emotional (How do we feel?), and social (Who are we?). If you don't know what kind of conversation you're having, fuggedaboutit!  Charles Duhigg, author of ‘The Power of Habit’ teaches us the tips and skills we need to connect.

Burma Sahib by Paul Theroux. More movement: Paul Theroux writes an historical novel depicting George Orwell’s life in Burma approximately 100 years ago. The story follows the primary character, Eric Arthur Blair, a quiet, standoffish, nineteen-year-old graduate of Eton who leaves his home and parents in England and navigates the cultural and political landscape of colonial, occupied Burma. Follow the experience that transformed him into George Orwell, the writer.

Go Back to Where You Came from: and Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American by Wajahat Ali. "Go back to where you came from, you terrorist!" This is just one of the many warm, lovely, and helpful tips that Wajahat Ali and other children of immigrants receive on a daily basis. Go back where exactly? His hometown in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he can't afford rent? Awkward, left-handed, suffering from OCD, and wearing Husky pants, Ali uses his pen with turmeric-stained fingernails to fill in missing narratives, and booby trap racist stereotypes.

Books for the Kiddos

Grandma’s Roof Garden written and illustrated by Wei Tang. As if Grandma isn’t cool enough, now she’s built a rooftop garden, and collects compost for the garden and local critters. After feeding them, and everyone else, she talks to the vegetables so they’ll be encouraged to grow. The vibrant pictures bring the story alive in the author’s first book.

Winter's Child by Angela McAllister, illustrated by Grahame Baker-Smith. When Tom innocently wishes Winter would never end, he gets a little chuckle out of the idea. Winter keeps on going, not unlike this late winter in Bozeman. A mysterious boy shares Tom’s love of Winter. Could he be Winter’s Child? A Frosty the Snowman’ type story with a life lesson vibe.

The Very, Very, Very Long Dog written and illustrated by Julia Patton. Bartelby is a lovable and long Dachshund who lives in a bookstore. He takes lovely (and long but in a different way) walks with his friends through the city. He discovered his back end is destroying things as he passes by and vows never to venture outside again. What will happen to Bartleby?

For the Tweens and Teens

The Cursed Princess Club by LambCat. The author is a small, omnivorous, and easily frightened creature who has burrowed deep into the Pacific Northwest to draw comics and make music. They can be lured out by Bill Evans records and frosted animal crackers. LambCat has created a fabulously drawn graphic novel about a trio of sisters who are not typical princesses.

Tetris: The Games People Play by Box Brown. Alexey Pajitnov created Tetris in his spare time while developing software for the Soviet government. It was the perfect game! Once Tetris emerged from behind the Iron Curtain, it was an instant hit, followed by clandestine trips to Moscow, backroom deals, and outright theft.  Read all about it! 

DVDs

Triangle of Sadness. A model-influencer couple get a ticket to the luxe life when they are invited aboard an all-expenses-paid cruise. What could possibly go wrong?  Hanging out alongside a coterie of the rich and ghoulish,  an act of fate turns their Insta-perfect world upside down.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Daniel Radcliffe is "Weird" Al Yankovic is the unexaggerated true story about Weird Al making his dream of changing the words to world-renowned songs come true. Live the dream with  Al as he pursues an infamous romance that nearly destroys him.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, March 1, 2024

For those who have experienced grief or loss in any form; sudden, long-term, as a child, as an adult, as a partner, as a sibling, it can be a baffling, exhausting place to find oneself. Bozeman Public Library and Eden Health are proud to welcome Kim Barrett as facilitator of a Bereavement Group, open to all, meeting bi-monthly beginning Tuesday, March 5 at 4:30 – 5:15 PM in the 1st floor Open Door room (next to the Community Room). Kim Barrett is the Spiritual Care and Bereavement Counselor and Volunteer Coordinator for Eden Health and Hospice in Bozeman, Montana. This program is open to any adult in any stage of grief. There is no registration required. For more information, please visit bozemanlibrary.org or contact the Information Desk at 406-582-2410.

Books for the Adults in the Room

Montana Grit:  Ten Unsung Heroes Who Dared to Make a Difference by Marga Lincoln.  Fay Hum, Charles L. Crum, George M. Bourquin, John M. Fraaz, Hazel Hunkins, Robert Yellowtail, Octavia Bridgewater. Elouise Cobell, Minnie Two Shoes, Susie Walking Bear Yellowtail. Who are these people? Names you’ve heard, but, don’t quite know or remember the entire story. This book, by the longtime reporter for the Helena Independent Record, will acquaint you with ten people who changed Montana for the better.

The Russo-Ukrainian War: the Return of History by Serhii Plokhy. Despite repeated warnings from every intelligence agency on Earth, Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 shocked the world. On this two-year anniversary of the illegal invasion, Ukrainians have resisted a superior military; the West has united, and Russia grows increasingly isolated. Serhii Plokhy, a leading historian of Ukraine and the Cold War, offers his account of this conflict, its origins, course, and the already apparent and future consequences.

Books for the Kiddos

Threads: Zlata’s Ukranian Shirt by Lina Maslo. These kids today! They have questions and curiosity about the world and picture books like these are an age-appropriate way to instruct them. It’s 1932 and Ukraine has been invaded. When one family informs on another – the father is taken away.  What follows and how the story is told in a first-person narrative and illustrated in a controlled color palate creates for the young reader an engaging, poignant, accessible entry for children to understand the current Russia - Ukranian situation.

Home is... written by Hannah Barnaby; illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon. What makes a home- home? The gentle rhymes and the detailed paintings illustrates how and where many animals and birds and fish and snakes and bears and everyone else create and maintain their home base. The story is told over the course of one day.  Some homes are forever homes while some homes are ‘loaners’ and change with the seasons, but all are just right for whatever type of creature lives in them.

For the Tweens and Teens

Find Him Where You Left Him Dead by Kristen Simmons. Sounds like a teen party went sideways! Four years ago this circle of friends started a game, a card game. What could possibly go wrong? Well, one of the team players who lost has returned as a ghost and wants to be saved, or ELSE! Off they go to the Japanese underworld, which is a horror place, as they try to navigate a game with no rules and get back to their own boring home they miss so much now that it’s gone.

Artifice by Sharon Cameron.  Isa de Smit can paint like a master, and loves her work in her parent’s Art Gallery in Amsterdam. What creative teen wouldn’t? She also helps support her starving family and support the resistance by selling fake paintings to the Nazis. It seems smuggling Jewish babies to safety in 1943 is expensive and dangerous, two words she hates. She finds a collaborator in a Nazi soldier, but can she trust him with her life? This story is based on true events.

DVDs

Four Daughters. The riveting exploration of rebellion, memory, and sisterhood reconstructs the story of Olfa Hamrouni and her four daughters, unpacking a complex family history through intimate interviews and artful reenactments to examine how the Tunisian woman's two eldest were radicalized by Islamic extremists.  Winner of four prizes at the Cannes Film Festival.

Trolls Band Together. Hey, it turns out Trolls can be fun to be around! Singing, dancing, all kinds of fun things. When their village is invaded by the grumpy Bergens, two mismatched friends must work together in perfect harmony to save the day. Q. Will Poppy and Branch get married? Featuring big hit songs performed by Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, and more.

 Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, February 23, 2024

The Friends of Bozeman Public Library offers a very popular service to Library cardholders: Book Club kits. These kits remove the biggest obstacle to a successful book club meeting which is providing the book selected to everyone in a timely way. Here’s how it works: reserve a book club kit with your Library card, borrow it for six weeks, hold a book club meeting, distribute the books, meet the following month, talk about the book, collect them, and distribute the book selected for the next month, repeat. This service includes ten copies of the book, discussion questions, and brief biography of the author, comment forms as well as a list of all the kits available to borrow in a handy Friends canvas bag. Just add people! For more information about Book Club kits, please visit bozemanlibrary.org or call 406-582-2410.

Book Club kits available to borrow

The Bartender’s Tale by Ivan Doig. Tom Harry and his son Rusty live alone and run a bar in a small Montana town in the early 1960s. Their lives are upended when a woman from Tom's past and her beatnik daughter breeze into town. Visit the Montana that shaped so many people in this community. An outstanding tale.

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray. The Barnes family is in trouble. A patch of ice on the tarmac, a casual favor to a charming stranger, a bee caught beneath a bridal veil--can a single moment of bad luck change the direction of a life? And if the story has already been written--is there still time to find a happy ending?

Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country by Pam Houston.  On her 120-acre homestead high in the Colorado Rockies, beloved writer Pam Houston learns what it means to care for a piece of land and the creatures on it and herself. Houston examines what it means in the 21^st century in America.

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride.  In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there are a deep mystery to solve.

The Little Liar by Mitch Albom. The Little Liar follows the life of Nico Krispis, who, until his 11th birthday, has never told a lie. When the Nazis invade his home in Salonika, Greece, the trustworthy boy is discovered by a German officer, who offers him a chance to save his family. All Nico has to do is convince his fellow Jewish residents to board trains.

Montana Blues by Ray Ring. A young Black man lands in the least-Black state to play college football. Twin sisters -- White cheerleaders as tough as mountain blizzards -- think he's sweet. It leads to horse riding in bad weather and racist violence on a spectacular landscape. Written by the long time reporter for the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. 

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. Written in 1990, 20 years after the author came home from serving in Vietnam, the linked short stories reflect the main character’s attempt through memory, imagination, and language to recover self. Some books make for a great discussion at a book club meeting. This is one of them.

True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America by Betsy Gaines Quammen. Misperceptions about land, politics, liberty, and self-determination threaten the well-being of people and communities across the country. Gaines Quammen seeks to reconcile these with the West's enduring myths and complex history.

The Women by Kristin Hannah. When Frankie’s brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed and politically divided America.

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange. This novel traces the legacies of the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and the Carlisle Industrial School for Indians through to the shattering aftermath of Orvil Redfeather's shooting in the National Book Award winning novel “There There” , the author’s debut novel.  

Wintering: the Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May. Here we are in the midst of Winter – this book teaches us that wintering is a transformative season full of rest and retreat and recharging. An active acceptance of sadness and quiet and loss and understanding life is cyclical, not linear.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, February 16, 2024

If writing Nonfiction is your creative outlet, join a group of like-minded writers of various levels and skill on Tuesday nights at 5:30 PM in the Ponderosa meeting room. Enjoy a creative bonanza there, pun intended. Hobby writers are welcome to share their work with other writers, critique content, and develop their writing ability. This Writer’s Group is devoted strictly to nonfiction. Attendance is required to participate. Publication or professional level writing is not required.  For more information, please call 406-582-2410.

Books for the Kiddos 

The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers. Johannes, a free dog with a remarkable voice, is the ever-watching Eyes of the park. With sudden changes on the horizon, Johannes and his friends, an eclectic community of animals, work to maintain the Equilibrium. Winner of the Newberry Medal for 2024, the most prestigious award in children’s literature. At 250 pages, you’ll need to be all in to read this aloud to the kids.

Big by Vashti Harrison. A youngster is congratulated and praised for being BIG. This continues, then suddenly stops, then turns to something sad, this emotional exploration of being big in a world that prizes small is a portrayal of how you can stand out and feel invisible at the same time. Big has won so many awards this past year, including the Caldecott Medal for illustration, that it will go down in history as one of the Greats.

Angela’s Glacier by Jordan Scott; illustrated by Diana Sudyka. Angela lives in Iceland and her father takes her to the nearby glacier before she can even walk. They listen together to the sounds the glacier makes and thus, a long relationship begins. The story is about Angela and how she can sometimes be overwhelmed with – life- and yet, the glacier is always there. A rare picture book that spans many years. Beautiful illustrations.

Books for the Adults in the Room  

The Women by Kristin Hannah. Two siblings, raised in sunny California and sheltered by their conservative parents, join the Armed Forces during the turbulent 1960s. It’s a saga. It’s a coming-of-age story for the main character and the United States. It’s a war story. It’s a friendship story. It’s Kristin Hannah. It’s everything.

The Age of Deer by Erika Howsare. If you’ve ever wondered about deer - from mythology to biology, from forests to cities, from coexistence to control and extermination - have we got a book for you. They are omnipresent in our beautiful corner of SW Montana, and yet, we seem to know very little about them.

Dear Mom and Dad: A Letter About Family, Memory, and the America We Once Knew by Patti Davis. Ms. Davis is the only daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan. Her memoir about her childhood, and her parents is an examination of legacy and the writer is incredibly honest and authentic. A poignant, unforgettable bio.

For the Tweens and Teens  

Shut Up, This is Serious by Carolina Ixta. This book should get an award for best title. How can an East Oakland teenager’s angst navigating the minefields of tweenhood be so sad and so funny and so painful and so inspiring all at the same time? You’re just going to have to read this debut (!!!) novel book to find out.  

A Place for Vanishing by Ann Fraistat. Libby has a lot going on: a tragedy, a Bipolar II diagnosis, and her mother’s decision to move them to a new house for a fresh start. If only it were a new house. Alas, the house is 100 years old and holds many chilling secrets. What’s with the masks hidden all over the property?

Five Nights at Freddy's: the Ultimate Guide: the Official, Ultimate Guide to the Bestselling Video Game Series created by Scott Cawthon. This all-encompassing guidebook explores Help Wanted, Curse of Dreadbear, the novel trilogy, and the twisted mysteries  behind the smiling face of Fazbear Entertainment.

 DVDs

Eileen – Classic noir starring Anne Hathaway. Set in 1960s Boston at a prison for juveniles. Eileen leads a drab life. Enter Anne Hathaway, Child Psychologist. There is a subtle competition between the two as supreme femme fatale, one taking the upper hand by involving the other in a crime. Which one will survive the other?

Dolores Thesaurus – At thirty minutes long, this movie is perfect for a young child or children. Told in rhyme and animated in an age-appropriate way, they will enjoy the story of a lost bag full of words Dolores made notes about. Now, she needs to find it! The word instruction is subtle and features fun words to say.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, February 9, 2024

At Bozeman Public Library we like to throw a little party in the morning we call STORYTIME. This open event has two purposes: 1. introduce babies and toddlers to the Library and reading, and, 2. bring their caregivers together, be they Mom, Dad, Grandies, Nannies, Aunties, Unks, or whomever volunteered for the task. Tuesday and Thursday kids age birth to 35 months meet up. They spend about 15 minutes enjoying songs, movement and a Board book. The remaining 45 minutes are spent in sensory play, processing art, and gross motor exploration. That may sound a bit advanced for a wee baby, but they love it! On Wednesday and Friday, the kids aged 3-5 meet up. Their Storytime features 20 minutes of songs and movement, one or two full-length picture books, and 40 minutes of sensory play, processing art, and fine motor exploration. Kids may be invited to use tools like scissors, glue, or tweezers during this Wed/Fri program and may handle materials that are choking hazards for babies. Pay close attention! Questions? Storytime is held at 10:15 AM. For more information, please visit bozemanlibrary.org or contact the Children's Desk at (406)582-2404.

Books for the Kiddos

The Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman by Mari Lowe. Helping her popular next-door neighbor Gayil set up what she thinks are harmless pranks, 12-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl Shaindy must figure out how to stop them before she becomes the next target when the pranks escalate and turn malicious.

Ten Dragon Eggs: a Book about Counting Down written by Lynda Graham-Barber; illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler. Mama Dragon is tending to ten colorful eggs, and she needs our help to hatch them Shim-shim-shimmy shout! Baby draglings, please come out! Dragon breath is a good thing here!

For the Tweens and Teens

The Voice Upstairs by Laura E. Weymouth. Ever since her mother's untimely death, Wilhelmina Price has been able to see a person's spirit leaving their body days or hours before they die. EEK! When a maid at the Summerfield's estate dies in the same mysterious way as Wil's own mother, Wil takes on a housemaid's position to investigate whether these women might have been murdered.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.- Set in a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss's skills are put to the test when she takes her younger sister's place. The beginning of the scary book series now celebrating a 15th anniversary.

Young Reader's Edition of Killers of the Flower Moon: the Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann. In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma, thanks to the oil that was discovered beneath their land. Then, one by one, the Osage began to die under mysterious circumstances, and anyone who tried to investigate met the same end. Basis for the hit movie starring Montana Native Lily Gladstone.

Books for the Adults in the Room

The Sign of Four Spirits by Vicki Delany. It’s the ninth of a mystery series set in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium in West London. Win win! Whenever the bookshop owner gets invited to a social event,  someone ends up murdered. This invite is to a séance featuring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. There’s a scream, and a dead body in the Library. The games afoot.   

Our Moon by Rebecca Boyle. Silent, dry, and barren, Earth's 4.34-billion-year-old companion is essential to life on earth. Its gravity stabilized the Earth's orbit, and, as it once guided evolution, its tide stirring up the nutrients that fostered complex life, it now influences everything from animal migrations and reproduction to the movements of plants' leaves.  

DVDs

80 for Brady. Well, we can’t watch Tom Brady in the Super Bowl, but he’s in this movie with a quartet of legends. Based on a true story, and featuring the come from behind win against Atlanta, it’s good times all over again with the G.O.A.T.  

Joseph Campbell: The Hero’s Portrait: A Biographical Journey. Joseph Campbell’s work has lasted through the decades. This documentary tells how Campbell discovered his own bliss and followed it, becoming one of the most influential thinkers of our time.

Yellowstone: Seasons 1-5. Those kooky Dutton siblings and their widowed Dad just keep on keeping on in this family drama set in Paradise Valley. Extended content and bonus features, making-of featurettes, behind the scenes clips, make it a great binge show. 

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, February 2, 2024

The Bozeman Public Library is hosting a Banned Picture Books discussion on Monday, February 5. We’ll get together to read a few picture books (aloud) and talk about the themes, challenges and responses to these specific books and the arguments made for or against their inclusion in library collections. This is a great opportunity to engage with books that have been challenged and banned and express your opinions on the content. Please note: this program is for adults. You do not need to read the books beforehand. You may not agree with either the challenges or the themes presented in the books and we hope every participant is open to a civil discussion regarding the content. The event will take place in the Library's Cottonwood room. For more information, please call 406-582-2410.

Books for the Adults in the Room

Correction: Last week I accidentally listed this title in the recommendations for Teens and Tweens. A sharp-eyed patron caught the sorting error and called this book one ‘the best books I read in 2023’. Thank you, dear reader.

The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green. Anthropocene is the current geologic age, in which humans have profoundly reshaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this collection of essays adapted and expanded from his popular podcast, author John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet--from the QWERTY keyboard and sunsets to Canada geese and Penguins of Madagascar.

Mercury by Amy Jo Rogers. A 19-year-old woman named Marley sweeps into Mercury, Pennsylvania and meets the Joseph brothers. It’s a sweeping family saga about a family formed around Marley, three brothers and their incredibly strong mother. To read this story is to experience complementary and contrasting depths of masculine and feminine energy, emotion and ambition. Mercury: is it toxic or healing? A complicated question.

Books for the Kiddos

15 Secrets to Survival by Natalie D. Richards. This book for middle schoolers features a pack of frenemies who get in trouble at school and are subsequently sent to a camp to do an extra credit project together. The project involves going into a wilderness in the mountains of Montana and navigating safely home. Of course, they will need to stop fighting with each other to do that properly. The suspense and humor are balanced perfectly.

So You Want to be a Frog? by Jane Porter. What if you could leap twenty times your own body length? Or drink through your skin? How about if you could catch all your food with your tongue? Or stare without ever blinking? With this bright, breezy guide, kids can practice their wiggling and jumping, peeping and croaking, while learning all about frogs, from their life cycle, habits, and food preferences to their origins and relatives around the world. 

DVDs

The Eight Mountains = Le otto Montagne Adapted from an award-winning novel by Paolo Cognetti, Felix van Groeningen, and Charlotte Vandermeersch portray the profound relationship between Pietro and Bruno, who first meet as children in an Alpine village. Years later, the estranged friends reunite, after the passing of Pietro's father, to realize his dream of rebuilding a ruined cabin on a mountain slope.

Raya and the Last Dragon Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when sinister monsters threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, those same monsters have returned and it's up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the last dragon in order to finally stop the Druun for good. Animated. And…dragons!

For the Tweens and Teens

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi. To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight. The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes would one day soon uproot his kingdom. First in an excellent series.

Artifice by Sharon Cameron. Isa de Smit grew up in her parents' art gallery in Amsterdam, but in the middle of World War II, she survives by selling fake paintings to the Nazis while trying to help her friend Truus smuggle Jewish babies to safety--but in 1943 it's hard to know who to trust. This story features a complex teenager in a terrible situation she did nothing to create. These are life lessons.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, January 26, 2024

What are you doing on Groundhog Day? Bozeman Public Library invites the community to a party on Friday, February 2 from 4-6 PM. Please visit the Library for the Renovation reveal. See the Kitchen Table, Workbench Creative Lab, new meeting rooms, new study rooms, and the Bruce McLeod Reading room. No RSVP required. There will be a ribbon cutting and a speech or two thanking the community for their support. For more information, please call 406-582-2410 or visit bozemanlibrary.org.

Books for the Adults in the Room

The Last Mona Lisa: A Novel by Jonathan Santlofer. In 1911, a man stole the Mona Lisa painting from the Louvre. What happened during the two years the painting was missing? This imaginative novel attempts to answer that question, while raising several others. Is the Mona Lisa painting hanging in the Louvre today a very good fake copy? What exactly   did the man who stole the painting intend to do with it? Art theft makes great fiction.

Fieldwork: a Forager’s Memoir by Iliana Regan. This Michelin starred chef quits Chicago for the Upper Peninsula in Michigan during the pandemic. She then begins a’foraging: for food, for meaning, for family, and finds that modern life and the natural world are all very strongly connected in her past and present. This metaphysical thicket is brought to life and the reader will enjoy exploring it and asking what am I foraging for?

Books for the Kiddos

I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967 the Graphic Novel:  adapted by Georgia Ball; with art by Berat Pekmezci. This popular series, featuring events such as the sinking of the Titanic, the Tsunami in Japan, the American Revolution, and now, the Grizzly attacks in Glacier National Park, is a great entry-point for kids who like to read about history. This tragic true story is handled sensitively and segues into today’s grizzly bear policies.

Ten Ways to Hear Snow: Illustrated by Kenard Pak, words by Cathy Camper. Lina wakes up to newly fallen, undisturbed snow. Isn’t that a wonderful beginning? She walks over to her Gramma’s home and takes note of all the different ways to experience snow. It’s a very cozy portrayal of an Arab-American family and their universal connection. The pictures are so pretty, even a certified snow hater will greatly enjoy this new perspective.

DVDs

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It’s a whale of a tale and that’s all true. I swear by my tattoo. Based on the Jules Verne novel, Captain Nemo shanghais a few nearly lost souls and they wander the oceans of the world searching for a sea monster. This is one of dozens of Disney movies the Library lends out and 70 - that’s seventy, seven zero - years after its’ release 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea  is still popular. To the Sea!

The Apu Trilogy. Satyajit Ray's milestone of world cinema released in a meticulously reconstructed new restoration. Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road), Aparajito (The Unvanquished), and Apur Sansar (The World of Apu)—based on two books by Bibhutibhusan Banerjee--brought India into the golden age of international art-house film. This is one of hundreds of DVDs in the highly acclaimed Criterion Collection the Library lends out.

For the Tweens and Teens

Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson. For most of her life, sixteen-year-old Hattie Brooks has been shuttled from one distant relative to another. Tired of being Hattie Here-and-There, she summons the courage to move all by herself to Vida, Montana, to prove up on her late uncle's homestead claim. This young pioneer's story is stitched together from Kirby Larson's own family history and the sights, sounds, and scents of homesteading life.

The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet. Anthropocene is the current geologic age, in which humans have profoundly reshaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this collection of essays adapted and expanded from his popular podcast, author John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet--from the QWERTY keyboard and sunsets to Canada geese and Penguins of Madagascar.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, January 19, 2024

Once a month the Library will host a movie night featuring a documentary. Bring your own beanbag chair and join us for a quiet evening. Regular chairs will also be provided, but they aren’t as comfy. Movie night starts promptly at 6:00 PM in the Cottonwood Room on the 2nd floor. The January 22nd Movie is Who Saw the Men in Black? (2021). Not the hilarious Tommy Lee Jones / Will Smith movie. This is a documentary about the many people who have reported their own ‘Men in Black’ experiences and eyewitness accounts since the beginning of the UFO cover-up history in the last century. Walk through the true history of Men in Black events from the 1940s until now. For more information, please call 406-582-2410 or visit www.bozemanlibrary.org

DVDs

The American Buffalo: A Documentary by Ken Burns. The dramatic story of America's national mammal, which sustained the lives of Native people for untold generations, is told in eight parts. Everything changed for the buffalo when people decided to hunt and kill them for sport and drive them to the brink of extinction. See some beautiful pictures of the old West and meet an unlikely posse who rescue the buff from disappearing forever.

Gigantosaurus TV series – Are you familiar with the Gigantosaurus dinosaur? Me neither! Then I watched this great animated series about four friends, all are different species of dinos who hang out together roaming the ancient world. Lots of fun to be had over the three seasons of shows for kids who love dinosaurs, which is seemingly a large majority of them. If only the Ken Burns people would make a documentary about this species.

Book for the Kiddos

Gay-Neck: The Story of a Pigeon by Dhan Gopal Mukerji; illustrated by Boris Artzybasheff. Based on a true story of a pigeon who played a pivotal role in WWI. Bozeman kids have a long history and association with training pigeons. Well, now they can meet one who lived 100 years ago and helped save the entire world from fascism. The illustrations won the coveted Newberry award. This is a great chapter book to read aloud this winter.

Life of Fred. Ice Cream. OK, this book wasn’t about what I thought it was going to be about. It’s about Math. Fred’s life is so interesting, there is a series about it, as he encounters all kinds of interesting things in the modern world. This book covers beginning mathematics including multiplying two-digit numbers, a pound of hamburger weighs more than a pound of gold, the last ten multiplication facts, how to remember 7x8=56. Good stuff!

Books for the Adults in the Room

Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz. A musician with ADHD. A pub owner with OCD. A fateful meeting when one needs a job and the other wants his pub to feature live entertainment. Set in Ireland. Sound perfect? The first-person narrative and the authentic neurodiversity really take the reader into this story. Take the cheapest trip to Ireland of your life for one of the funnier love stories you’ll ever read. Tis a fine thing.

Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma by Mariel Buque. Weaving together scientific research with practical exercises and stories from the therapy room, Dr. Buqué teaches readers how trauma is transmitted from one generation to the next and how to can break the cycle through tangible therapeutic practices, learning to pass down strength instead of pain to future generations. Wouldn’t that make for a good outcome?

Books for Teens and Young Adults

Every Day: The Graphic Novel by David Levithan. A tries to maintain their own identity in this graphic adaptation of Levithan’s bestselling novel of the same name. Every morning, A wakes up in a new body. They’ve had this uncontrollable ability since birth and have grown used to it —that is, until A wakes up in Justin’s body and spends a romantic day at the beach with Rhiannon, Justin’s girlfriend. Talk about obstacles to true love.

An Impossible Thing to Say by Arya Shahi. This book is complex. It’s an impossible thing to say how good it is. There’s a teen, in Iran, and his family moves to New York City just after 9/11. He doesn’t quite fit in- either he’s not Muslim enough, or people are suspect of his religion. He’s cast as Bottom in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and sees a parallel in his own life. Much of the book is written in verse, and it works very well.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, January 12, 2024

The Library Book Club will be meeting on Wednesday, January 17 to deconstruct Remarkably Bright Things by Shelby Van Pelt. The plot revolves around a widow, a giant Pacific octopus ‘imprisoned’ at the local aquarium, and the assorted friends and family who know them. This is the author’s first book, ever, and has caught the reading eye of many people. As Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet says, “Shelby Van Pelt has done the impossible. She’s created a perfect story with imperfect characters that is so heartwarming, so mysterious, and so completely absorbing, you won’t be able to put it down because when you’re not reading this book you’ll be hugging it.” Join the Book Clubbers at 3-4PM at the Gallatin Valley Mall, near Bath & Body Works or at 6:30-8 PM in the Cottonwood room on the 2nd floor of Bozeman Public Library. For more information, please call 406-582-2410 or visit www.bozemanlibrary.org

Book for the Kiddos

Billy the Kid Makes it Big by Dolly Parton. Dolly Patron, library supporter and early literacy advocate extraordinaire, has written a Picture book. It has two things children like: a dog cleverly named Billy the Kid, and music, and one thing they universally loathe: bullies. Illustrated by MacKenzie Haley, who adds the most interesting details to her work. Try to sing along to Jowlene and I Willl Pawlways Love you as you turn the pages.

If I Was a Horse by Sophie Blackall. The author has won the highest honor for illustrated children’s books twice. It’s a good bet she may win it again for this book, too. The illustrations tell the very funny story of what one child imagines life as a horse would be like. Would you give your little sister a ride? Would your older brother even notice? Would Lyle Lovett ride the pony on his boat, if he had one? Find out for yourself.

Books for the Adults in the Room

Freedom’s Ghost by Eliot Pattison. This series is set in the powder keg of 1770 era of colonial Massachusetts. Scotsman Duncan McCallum, known as Deathspeaker for his ability to glean clues from post-mortem examinations, must solve the murder of a British soldier. Soliciting the assistance of such notable historical figures as John Hancock, Crispus Attucks, and John and Samuel Adams, McCallum must rely on his skills to stave off a war.

An American Martyr in Persia. The Epic Life and Tragic Death of Howard Baskerville by Reza Aslan. As a student of Woodrow Wilson at Princeton, Howard Baskerville was aflame not only with the gospel of Jesus, but with the Wilsonian gospel that constitutional democracy is the birthright of all nations. He volunteered for missionary service in Persia in 1907 and lectured on freedom; soon he was serving on the battlefield.

DVDs

Murder in Big Horn Documentary. When three bodies are discovered in Big Horn County, Montana, an area known as "the most dangerous place in the country" for Native American women, local authorities first ignore each death before ruling them accidental. As sorrow turns to outrage, however, a vibrant and fearless movement is formed to bring attention to the missing or murdered cases among Native peoples in the US.

Sound of Freedom. Is based on an incredible true story, and shines a light on the darkest of places. After rescuing a young boy from ruthless child traffickers, a federal agent learns the boy's sister is still captive and decides to embark on a dangerous mission to save her. With time running out, he quits his job and journeys deep into the Colombian jungle, putting his life on the line to free a child from a fate worse than death.

Books for Teens and Young Adults

What Color is Your Parachute for Teens Today's adolescents face unprecedented challenges. The proven exercises in this book help uncover what matters most to a teen, what you love to do, the kinds of people you work best with, and how to use the skills and interests you already have--on social media and elsewhere--to choose a major or career path that is uniquely suited to your passions, strengths, and goals.

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman. Heartstopper is an ongoing LGBTQ+ young adult graphic novel and webcomic series written and illustrated by British author Alice Oseman. It follows the lives of two British schoolboys as they meet and become friends and, to their complete surprise, suddenly fall in love. The story is illustrated in two color artwork. Heartstopper is the basis of the Netflix series of the same name.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, January 5, 2024

Would you like to move more in 2024? Please come to Yoga classes every Tuesday or Gyrokinesis every Thursday @BPL. Yoga is something we’re all familiar with. Try it on Tuesday, 12:15 – 1 PM. Gyrokinesis led by Erin Groth is a movement method that addresses the entire body, opening energy pathways, stimulating the nervous system, increasing range of motion and creating functional strength through rhythmic, flowing movement sequences. It is an original and unique method that coordinates movement, breath and mental focus. Gyrokinesis is practiced on a mat and chair without equipment. No sign up, no fee, just show up (early) to the Community meeting room in the first floor lobby and enjoy the class. It will move you!

Books for the adults in the room

UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government’s Search for Alien Life Here and Out There by Garrett M. Graff. The full story of our national obsession with UFOs and the covert, decades-long search by scientists, the United States military, and the CIA for proof of alien life is told by bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Garrett M. Graff in a deftly reported history.

Sun House by David James Duncan After a thirty year drought, Lolo’s favorite resident author sets a new book in Montana that has everything including 776 pages of ideas. Duncan is the author of the classic novels The River Why and The Brothers K, and the nonfiction collection and National Book Award finalist, My Story as Told by Water. Take a tour of Sun House for a completely original reading experience.

New books for the kiddos:  Noodle Conquers Comfy Mountain by Jonathan Graziano. Noodle the pug dog loves to wander about his human’s domicile. In this story the search is on for Comfy Mountain because everyone needs a soft place to fall. The illustrations are beautiful and young kids love them. The author based this story on his real pug pet, Noodle. 

National Monuments of the USA written by Cameron Walker; illustrated by Chris Turnham. Geek out on the National Monuments. Packed with maps and fascinating facts about the history, architecture, flora and fauna in some of the most visited National Monuments in the United States, this gorgeously illustrated title gives kids a great afternoon or weekend read.

Books for Teen readers

The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake. Inspired loosely by Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, teenaged Violet is shipped off to Maine after her brother's hospitalization, where she searches for the lost shipwreck that her great-great grandmother survived and for answers about her family's long struggle with mental illness, all while falling in love.

No Summit Out of Sight: the True Story of the Youngest Person to Climb the Seven Summits by Jordan Romero with Linda LeBlanc. The story of Jordan Romero, who at the age of 13 became the youngest person ever to reach the summit of Mount Everest. At age 15, he reached the summits of the world's seven highest mountains. Could he hike to the M? I’m thinking … yes.

DVDs

The Sandman Season 1 There is another world that waits for all of us when we close our eyes and sleep, a place called the Dreaming, where the Sandman gives shape to our fears and fantasies. But when Dream is unexpectedly captured and held prisoner, his absence sets off a series of events that will change both the dreaming and waking worlds forever. Based on Neil Gaiman’s outstanding book series.

The Super Mario Brothers Movie The film features an origin story for the Brooklyn  brothers Mario and Luigi, Italian-American plumbers who are transported to an alternate world and become entangled in a battle between the Mushroom Kingdom, led by Princess Peach, and the Koopas, led by Bowser. Watching the Mario Brothers try to save the world is great entertainment. Based on the Nintendo game.

Databases

Ancestry Library is back! After a long absence, the Ancestry Library service has been restored for in-Library use by any visitor. Ancestry Library delivers billions upon billions of information in census data, vital records, directories, photos, and more. Patrons are welcome to search Ancestry Library on their own laptop, tablet or phone using the Library’s Wi-Fi, as well as the public computers, or a laptop borrowed with a current Library card. For a short while longer, printing is free.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, December 29, 2023 

It’s nearly New Year and that means new Computer classes @ your Library. Learn how to use a computer or refresh your skills. All classes will take place in the Cottonwood Room at 3pm on Tuesday afternoons. Please bring your own laptop if you have one or borrow a laptop for the class from the Library vending machine located on the second floor.  Tuesday, January 2: Introduction to Computers. This class will introduce you to basic functions of personal computers, what the components are, and how to use the mouse. If you are already familiar with computers then this class is not for you. Tuesday, January 9: Internet Browsing and Email. In this class we’ll log on to the computer, talk about the ‘cloud’ and set up an email account. Tuesday, January 23: Microsoft Word. Word is a common tool for creating written documents. We’ll navigate printing, formatting, and editing a document as well as saving it, sharing and uploading. Tuesday, January 30: Navigating the Library and Further Online Resources. Learn to use the Library website, search for books, place holds, and access online resources including online courses for computer programs. Every class is provided free for charge. Please arrive early. Call (406)582-2410 for more information.

Books for the adults in the room

Oath and Honor by Liz Cheney. A gripping first-hand account from inside the halls of Congress as Donald Trump betrayed the American people and the Constitution--leading to the violent attack on our Capitol on January 6th, 2021. Written by the House Republican leader representing the great state of Wyoming who dared to stand up to it.

We Must Not Think of Ourselves: A Novel by Lauren Grodstein. WWII Prisoners in the Warsaw Ghetto form a secret group of archivists to preserve the truth of what is happening to students, friends, and neighbors. When one discovers a possible escape from the Ghetto, who can he save, and at what cost? This novel was inspired by the testimony-gathering project code named Oneg Shabba.

New books for the kiddos

The Old Man and the Penguin: a True Story of True Friendship by Julie Abery. This heartwarming picture book tells the true story of a Magellanic penguin found covered in oil and starving on an island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.  His rescuer spent many days cleaning the creature's tarred feathers and feeding him a daily diet of fish before taking him back to the sea to let him go. I won’t spoil the ending because you wouldn’t believe it anyway. 

Douglas, You’re a Genius by Ged Adamson. Nancy and Douglas, determined to learn what is on the other side of a fence, try Nancy's plans to launch, vault, and fly Douglas over, then succeed with Douglas's simple idea. Kids find this goofy picture book absolutely hilarious.

Books for Teen Readers

Cramm This Book: So You Know WTF is Going on in the World Today by Olivia Seltzer. Read this book for the context needed to understand everything from the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East to the origins of Black Lives Matter and Me Too to the full deal with all of the wildfires and hurricanes we see each year.

The Upper World by Femi Fadugba.  During the worst week of Esso's life, an accident knocks him into an incredible world--a place beyond space or time, where he can see glimpses of the past and future. But if what he sees there is true, he might not have much longer to live, unless he can use his new gift to change the course of history. Great fiction!

DVDs

What Happens Later: Based on the play Shooting Star by Steven Dietz. An engrossing story of two Baby Boomers forced to reunite in an airport socked in by a blizzard on Leap Day. They revisit their hippie youth together back in Madison, Wisconsin, over the course of the movie.  Directed by Meg Ryan, former part-time resident of Livingston, Montana, who also stars with David Duchovny.

The Haunted Mansion:  Inspired by the classic Disney park attraction, this film is about a woman and her son who enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their new home of supernatural squatters. Rosario Dawson stars, along with Owen Wilson, Jamie Lee Curtis and Tiffany Haddish.

The Up Series Starting in 1964 with Seven up, 14 children from diverse backgrounds from all over England, talk about their lives and their dreams for the future. Every seven years, renowned director Michael Apted, has been back to talk to them, examining the progression of their lives from age 7- 63.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, December 22, 2023 

Bozeman Public Library will be closed on Monday, December 25 in celebration of Christmas, which is a Federal holiday. The Library will reopen on Tuesday, December 26 and resume a regular schedule. All online services will be available 24 hours a day, every day, including the Book Drop. For more information about the Library schedule, programs, or online services, please call 406-582-2410 or visit bozemanlibrary.org. On behalf of the entire Library family, including the staff, Board of Trustees, Foundation, Friends of the Library, and volunteers, Happy Holidays.

Books for the kiddos

Rick Riordan writes several children's series including Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Kane Chronicles, and The Heroes of Olympus, Magnus Chase and The Gods of Asgard, and The Trials of Apollo. These books are very popular with kids in grades 5-8. There are siblings, magicians, gods, conflicts, and world-changing contests. Rick Riordan’s books are available to read, or listen to on CD or Playaway, brilliantly performed by talented narrators or enjoy in an illustrated edition. Look for the graphic novels by this author for an immersive visual experience.

The Legend of Sleeping Bear by Kathy-jo Wargin. In this retelling of an Ojibwe Indian tale, it starts with a mother's love. Fleeing from a forest fire, a mother bear urges her two cubs into the watery shelter of a vast body of water. Though it will be difficult, she knows if they can swim across to the opposite shore, they will be safe. With calls of encouragement and steadfast love, Mother Bear guides her cubs across the great lake, Lake Michigan. The story of what happens once Mother Bear reaches the far shore becomes the legend behind the natural wonder known as Sleeping Bear Dune.

Books for Teen readers

Murtagh by Christopher Paolini. The world is no longer safe for the Dragon Rider Murtagh and his dragon, Thorn. An evil king has been toppled, and they are left to face the consequences of the reluctant role they played in his reign of terror. In this gripping novel starring one of the most popular characters from Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle, a Dragon Rider must discover what he stands for in a world that has abandoned him. 

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus. Five students at Bayview High walk into detention. There’s the criminal, the athlete, the beauty, the brain and the outcast. Before the end of detention a detainee named Simon is dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. Simon had plans to post juicy reveals about his high-profile classmates, which makes all of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who's still on the loose?

Books for the adults in the room

What the Taliban Told Me by Ian Fritz. A young man with few prospects joins the Air Force, who send him to the elite Defense Language Institute to learn Dari and Pashto, the main languages of Afghanistan. Fritz monitors communications on the ground and determines in real time which Afghans are Taliban and which are innocent civilians. What he hears teaches him about the people of Afghanistan--Taliban and otherwise—and leads to a reckoning with 20+ years of war. Biography.

A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space? Should We Settle Space? And Have We Really Thought This Through?  by Kelly & Zach Weinersmith. After all the science fiction stories and movies, after all the reallyreallyreally rich people sending very expensive, privately owned rockets into space, and after dozens of exploratory missions on the International Space Station, the question still remains: will there ever be a colony in space? Come on a scientific romp with the Weinersmiths and find out. Nonfiction.

DVDs

Passengers Before Hunger Games, before Guardians of the Galaxy, Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt made a movie together that audiences were genuinely intrigued by: Passengers. In the story, two passengers board a spaceship transporting them to a new life on another planet. What could possibly go wrong?

Oppenheimer: This movie has a cast as large as any Marvel superhero movie, and the viewer may wish it were a fictional story. Alas, it’s a tragic tale of scientific brilliance, global cooperation, a war against evil and how all of that can nearly be destroyed by a petty person with a personal agenda. Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer is based on the book: American Prometheus: the Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, which the Library also has available to loan out.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, December 15, 2023 

The Homeless Persons’ Memorial Service is an annual event that occurs on the longest night of the year, which falls during the Winter solstice. The gathering is dedicated to remembering our neighbors who have died while homeless in the past year and is presented in partnership with HRDC, Dahl Funeral & Cremation Service, and many faith organizations. Bozeman Public Library is honored to host this event. Join your fellow community members for a candlelight vigil, messages of hope, and a moment of silence on the front plaza of the Library at 6:00 PM. Please dress warmly as this is an outdoor event. Light refreshments will be provided by the Bozeman Public Library Foundation. For more information about this or any Library event, please visit bozemanlibrary.org or call 406-582-2410. 

Books for the kiddos

What You Need to be Warm by Neil Gaiman. During the coldest season, when the world feels scary -- what do you remember about being warm? Baked potatoes? A kettle on the stove? Blankets? The reassurance that you belong? In his powerful and moving poem, featuring illustrations from thirteen extraordinary artists, bestselling author and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Neil Gaiman draws together many different memories to answer the question, 'What do you need to be warm?'

Home by Tonya Lippert; illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier.  This lyrical story is timely and thoughtful, depicting the life of two children thrust into homelessness and uncertain housing situations as they move out of their house, to a motel, to a shelter, and finally another more permanent home. Throughout, the duo is challenged by uncomfortable new places and inquiries from strangers, but ultimately, never lose their optimism or determination. They have each other, no matter at home, nowhere, anywhere, or somewhere--always.

Books for Teen readers

Words We Don’t Say by K.J. Reilly. Joel Higgins hasn't been able to talk to people in person ever since death darkened his family’s door. He shows up at school, does his mandatory volunteer hours at the soup kitchen. But that doesn't mean he's keeping it together, or that he has any friends. As Joel spends more time with Eli and Benj, he forms bonds with the people they serve at the soup kitchen... and begins to understand that the world is bigger than his own pain.

Demon in the Wood: a Shadow and Bone Graphic Novel by Leigh Bardrdugo & Dani Pendergast. Eryk has an interesting life: he thought he was just a boy who enjoyed his solitude, then he commanded Ravka’s Second Army, formed the Fold, and was transformed into the Darkling.  He and his mother are constantly on the run, homeless and hunted because they are Grisha. Will Eryk be victorious? Will he and his mother find a home? This graphic novel features outstanding illustration of this alternate world.

Books for the adults in the room

Class:  A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education by Stephanie Land. The author of Maid, published in 2019, has written another book about her first-hand experience as a single mother in a low-paying job trying to establish a life. When Land ‘landed’ at UMontana, she encountered obstacles such as complex loan systems, food insecurity, professors biased against her situation, and peers who judged her. Go to Class! This book will teach you many things. 

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond. There was a time evictions were rare even in desolate, deserted cities. In the present day, the majority of low-income families rent a home, and spend half of their income on housing. Eviction has become common, especially for single mothers. Evicted people are forced into shelters, dilapidated apartments, and perilous neighborhoods. Matthew Desmond has met these people, and he tells their story.

DVDs

Lost in America: This documentary explores the perplexing question of how 4 million+ teenagers end up homeless in the richest nation on Earth. Director Rotimi Rainwater, himself a former homeless teen who found success in the United States Navy, journeys across America to shed light on the alarming crisis of youth homelessness. The testimony and experiences shared by many well-known people who were once homeless will shift the viewer’s perspective.

Annie: Little orphan Annie was homeless: trapped in an orphanage, searching for her parents, breaking into song about it all over New York City.  She and her dog Sandy transition from the cold, mean streets of Hooverville, a hamlet for the homeless, to the warm, comforting home of a bighearted billionaire, Daddy Warbucks. The Library has three different films of the musical. Borrow it today and remember: Tomorrow is only a day away.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, December 8, 2023 

You know what Bozeman Public Library needs? A test kitchen! Calling all cooks, bakers, and food lovers. Bozeman Public Library is hosting a recipe test club on Tuesday, December 12. December’s theme is bread. Bring in your favorite homemade loaves! Four easy steps to participate:

1. Find a recipe for the chosen item. Check out library materials if you need inspiration. Remember: New York Times Cooking is free online at bozemanlibrary.org.
2. Take your best shot cooking the recipe at home. No judgement!
3. Bring in the results, the recipe, and any notes or comments you have on the recipe to the meeting.  
4. We'll taste test, discuss, and share about our experiences cooking. 

Recipe Test Kitchen takes place at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, December 12th at The Kitchen Table on the first floor. For more information, please call 406-582-2410 or visit bozemanlibrary.org.

New adult fiction

Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton, author of The Luminaries. That tiny hamlet known as Birnam Wood in New Zealand seems so bucolic. And, yet, there is a gardening collective planting crops where no one will notice. In a man vs. nature type conflict, a billionaire American wants to buy the same farm as Birnam Wood, to prepare for Doomsday.

Blackouts by Justin Torres. This novel just won the National Book Award, which makes sense because it is about storytelling. The story is about a queer woman who wrote a book in the 1930s about gay people. All of her research was co-opted by someone else, not female and not queer. The story of what it means to be blacked out, or erased, is the topical subject.

America Fantastica by Tim O’Brien. Speaking of National Book Award winners, Tim O’Brien has published his first novel in 20 years, after winning the NBA for Going After Cacciato. The plot is about a bank robber who takes a hostage on a romp through modern America. As you might know from the author’s masterpiece, The Things They Carried, there is so much to be learned.

Absolution by Alice McDermott. This novel is about two American women from very different backgrounds who were ‘helpmeets’ in Vietnam in the early 1960s. Now, all these years later, a daughter reaches out to her mother’s colleague. Together they work out what it means to serve a spouse’s ambitions, and the true meaning of altruism and absolution.

Same Bed, Different Dreams by Ed Park. Mr. Park has taken Korean history and American entanglements in other nation’s governments and mixed in hilarity, science fiction, and the components of a thriller to contemplate what might happen if the two Korean nations were united. There are Korean pop bands and some profound insights into unfinished wars.

The Exchange by John Grisham. The sequel to The Firm features Mitch McDeere and his wife, Abby. Now, a highfaluting partner at a ginormous New York City law firm, Mitch can’t say no to the mentor in Rome who asks for a special favor. The mentor is not the Holy Father, which is unfortunate because it will take a miracle to negotiate the release of an American held hostage.

New young adult fiction

A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber. A very special Heartstopper story set over a challenging holiday season. This story features Evangeline Fox, who ventures to the Magnificent North. 

There is a handsome prince, a legendary castle, and true love, which lasts a lifetime. If they can just get the Prince of Hearts out of the way, things will be perfect. 

The Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore. Radcliffe Prep: A haunted library, secret passageways, hidden tunnels, ghosts, and students vanishing. It all sounds perfect to Este Logano, who is searching for stories about her late father, who was once a student at Radcliffe, too. When a rare book is stolen, and Este is framed for it, all clues lead to her father. Wait, what?

Have You Seen Luis Velez? by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Raymond Jaffe feels like he doesn't belong. Not at home, or at school. After his best friend moves away, Raymond has only two real connections: to the feral cat he's tamed and to a blind ninety-two-year-old woman in his building who's introduced herself with a curious question: Have you seen Luis Velez?

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, December 1, 2023

Would you like to be a superhero and save the world? Join Heather White to discuss her new book, One Green Thing: Discover Your Power to Help Save the Planet. In the midst of a season when excess can become ingrained in our daily routine, learn a new way with a local author who is nationally known for sustainable practices. Capes are optional for this event, Wednesday, December 6, at 6:30 PM, in the Cottonwood meeting room on the 2nd floor. Heather White is the founder & CEO of OneGreenThing.org, a nonprofit that tackles eco-anxiety through joyful daily action, inspiring culture change for policy solutions. For more information, please visit bozemanlibrary.org, or call 406-582-2410. Heather White’s appearance is sponsored by Bozeman Public Library in collaboration with the Gallatin Valley Day Earth Committee.

One Green Thing: Discover Your Power to Help Save the Planet by Heather White. A non-overwhelming guide for daily climate action, personalized to each reader’s unique strengths. The urgency of a warming world creates anxiety and can sometimes cause us to throw our hands in the air and wonder, How can I possibly make a difference? Heather White will show you how to contribute to the green lifestyle movement through self-discovery and joy. Once you identify your Service Superpower Profile, it's time to dive into the action and track your progress.

Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living by Rachel Kaplan. You may ask, what is urban homesteading? It’s when people with full access to everything via commerce make a decision to provide for their basic needs themselves. This book teaches how to make solar cookers, grow tomatoes in a barrel, raise chickens, build things, fix things, and give back to the earth as much as we take. There are very well-written step-by-step instructions with full-color photographs and illustrations to help the reader along. Learn all the skills your grandparents knew!

Country Living Magazine Simply Sustainable Style by Randy Florke. The very popular magazine, Country Living, has a great book on their three most important points in everything we do: comfort, economy, and color, and presents real-life examples of rooms that radiate charm. Comfort resides in line-dried quilts. Economy means items chosen from flea markets, thrift stores, or grandmother's attic. Country color is the faded blue of crockery and the pale shades of damask tablecloths. Bonus: A "Quick Fix" section with cheap, fast solutions to common problems.

Pretty Good House: a Guide to Creating Better Homes by Dan Kolbert. Pretty Good House provides a framework and set of guidelines for building or renovating a high-performance home that focus on the inhabitants and the environment--but keeps in mind that few people have pockets deep enough to achieve a "perfect" solution. The essential idea is for homeowners to work within their financial and practical constraints both to meet their own needs and do as much for the planet as possible. With all the building that’s happening in the BoZone, this book is very timely.

For the kiddos:

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. “I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees.” Dr. Seuss's beloved story teaches kids to treat the planet with kindness and stand up and speak up for others. Experience the beauty of the Truffula Trees and the danger of taking our earth for granted in a story that is timely, playful, and hopeful. The book's final pages teach us that just one small seed, or one small child, can make a difference. Dr. Seuss wrote the entire book in rhyme. Sound like a good time?

The Wump World written and illustrated by Bill Peet. When a race of blue humanoids named the Pollutians invade planet Wump, build great cities and colonize, dirtying the air, water, and plowing down greenery, the Wumps flee to underground caves. Soon enough, the Pollutians abandon the Wumps in search of another planet. (Sounds awfully bleak, doesn’t it?) The Wumps emerge, and find a changed world, a concrete jungle. The book instructs us on how nature can recover, a hopeful message.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, November 17, 2023

Bozeman Public Library recently renovated the lobby to make space for The Work Bench. The Work Bench is a hands-on Creative Lab with spaces and resources to encourage and to cultivate a creative community. The entire cost of the Work Bench and renovation was generously donated by community members.

To use the equipment in this space, you must have an active Bozeman, Belgrade, Manhattan, Three Forks, or West Yellowstone library card, be at least 14 years of age, and have learned to use items safely. Then, book your time during our open hours, bring your approved materials, and start creating!

The Library offers in-person opportunities to learn how to safely use the 3D Printer, Laser Cutter, Embroidery Machine, every Wednesday at 6:30 PM.

Class size is limited, in order to teach everyone effectively. Register online or call (406)582-2410. Users can also learn at your own pace by using The Work Bench instructional binder. Online learning videos are coming soon.

Every Sunday take part in a Crafternoon program designed to introduce you to new skills, inspire new hobbies, or create something fun. November 19th: 3D printed wall art in The Work Bench. November 26th: Needle Felted Landscapes in the Cottonwood Room at 2:00 PM.

And if you need even more ways to create, check out the Creativebug online database. Enjoy unlimited access to thousands of online art and craft classes.

Watch Creativebug classes anytime, anywhere. Since the classes never expire, you can start and stop projects at your own pace.

No pressure, just possibilities!

Adult Fiction

The Librarianist: a Novel by Patrick deWitt. Meet Bob Comet: Retired Librarian. He lives a good life, isolated, but not lonely. And then, like the comet that he is, he crashes into the lives of a few other people his age, and his ‘shushed’ life begins to sparkle. A beautifully written story about a seemingly simple introvert will keep the reader intrigued and wondering two things: 1. What will happen to Bob Comet? 2. Is Librarianist a thing? Check it out.

The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey. This comically horrific novel about a spellcaster and her super- herculean efforts to keep Manhattan (the one in New York) free of monsters, comes from a new Queen of the horror tale, and the author of the Sandman Slim series. The story of a friend/former flame appearing on the doorstep in grave danger is an old one, but, it is all made new again in this clever book. Get on board.

Young Adult Fiction:

Those Pink Mountain Nights by Jenny Ferguson. Three teenagers in a small Alberta town work at the Pink Mountain Nights Pizza, and find refuge together in the workplace. This is a story set in current times, and there is every element of a good story: mystery, angst, friendships struggling to stay intact. These fully developed, complex characters who are leaning into adulthood and making mistakes, will touch your pink mountain heart.

Fangirl: the Graphic Novel

Rainbow Rowell’s original series was a huge hit in print. Now, the manga adaptation features new scenes by the author, and art/illustrations by Gabi Nam. This is Gabi Nam’s first translated work in English. Fangirl is the series that tells the nerd power ballad story of Cath, a fanfiction writing star, and adapting to freshman year at college with her Twin sister, Wren. You’ll be a fangirl, or fanboy.

Children's Picture Books:

100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Lian Cho. It’s a dragon party, and everyone is invited. Mr. LaRochelle slips a subtle counting lesson in, and 100 dragons become fifty, become 37, etcetera, as the dragons named Broccoli take flight on wonderful adventures. The colorful illustrations are very cute and what could be better than that? Get ready to read 100 Mighty Dragons 100 times.

DVDs in Korean:

 Train to Busan 1 & 2, Parasite (Best Picture, 2019) Tangsin ŏlgul ap esŏ = In front of your face, Heŏjil kyŏlsim = Decision to leave, Ms. Purple, Pisang sŏnŏn = Emergency declaration, Honja sanŭn saramdŭl = Aloners, The swordsman = Geomgaek. Enjoy the films with your Library card!

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.

Friday, November 10, 2023

Veterans Day is celebrated annually on November 11^th to commemorate the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, which marked the end of World War I, also known as Armistice Day. Bozeman Public Library pays tribute to all Veterans and their families on this day, and every day. The Library proudly hosts the Travis Atkins Memorial Park, located on the East side of the building to honor the Staff Sergeant who was killed in action. Travis Atkins, who grew up in Bozeman, bravely served in Kuwait and Iraq after the tragic events of September 11^th.  In 2007, he sacrificed his life to save his fellow soldiers from a suicide bomber, and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his service.

Bozeman Public Library will be closed on Saturday, November 11, in honor of Veterans Day. All online services, excepting Printing from Anywhere, will be available on our website.

For the Adults:

Lost Fort Ellis: a Frontier History of Bozeman by Thomas C. Rust. Once upon a time in a valley not so far away, there was a military fort, where every kind of bizarre behavior occurred, from post commanders attacking the town to restoring order when riotous mobs got out of control, for ten long years. Read all about it in this book by an MSU-Billings history professor.

An Antietam Veteran's Montana Journey: the Lost Memoir of James Howard Lowell – In the past ten years, a soldier’s great-great-granddaughter discovered this memoir written in the 1860s, edited it, and got it published. This firsthand account of his brutal journey west on a wagon train, staggering snow blind through a Laramie Plains blizzard to reach Salt Lake City, and finally reaching Fort Benton, Montana, will truly impress every reader.

Bomber by Len Deighton, with an introduction by Malcolm Gladwell. Len Deighton—one of the masters of twentieth-century espionage fiction—combines his expertise as both historian and novelist in Bomber, the classic World War II novel that relates, in devastating detail, the twenty-four-hour story of an allied bombing raid. Malcolm Gladwell’s introduction explains the significance of this in his introduction. 

Maya Lin - A Strong Clear Vision (DVD) War memorials go back to ancient times. The modern ones were changed forever by 17-year-old Maya Lin, when she won a contest to design the Vietnam War Memorial. This Oscar Winning documentary tells many stories, including the fledgling architect of ‘The Wall’, the soldiers, the legacy, and the healing that followed.

For the kids:

Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter written and illustrated by Kenard Pak. Children are sometimes baffled by the change in the air, and the sky, and the ground, and the trees, that descends so suddenly. This beautiful book captures all the signs of the coming season, from the setting sun to curious deer, as two young siblings witness it. This series by Kenard Pak includes a book focused on each season transition.

My Dog Laughs by Rachel Isadora. Man’s best friend! Dogs are a huge part of life in the Gallatin Valley. The Library hosts ‘Read to a Dog’ with specially trained pups who listen very patiently. Each chapter teaches the young reader about walking a dog, training, going on outings, playing together, and special kinds of loving behaviors including snuggles and gas.

Mobspotter's Encyclopedia: The Ultimate Guide to the Mobs of Minecraft by Tom Stone. Let’s go on a tour to explore every corner of the Overworld. You'll even navigate to the Nether and experience the End dimension, on a thrilling journey to witness all seventy-nine mobs in existence. Discover how to survive a shoot-out with skeletons, dive for treasure with dolphins or risk a run-in with the Ender Dragon- It’s all Greek to me, but the kids love it!

DVDs

Born Free – In the 1960s a very popular movie based on a true story captured the lives of George and Joy Adamson, and Elsa, the lion cub they adopt in Africa. Living Free continues the story. The television series, Born Free, is set on a nature reserve in Kenya, and brings in many animal species. Born Free: a New Adventure filmed in 1996, features a researcher in Chicago who takes her two children into the wild to help Elsa, the orphaned lion cub. Families, anyone interested in Africa, and animal lovers, will enjoy this series.

Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached by email.