Where the Fur Flies

Summer is here and family trips are being planned. Don't forget to plan for your furry friends as well. If you think of your pet as a family member, their comfort and safety is vital. Check out our travel books with pets. There is information on accommodations, airlines, dog parks, national parks, emergency clinics and more. Relax with a fiction or mystery about traveling with your animals or about petsitting. Remember to provide shade and fresh water for all outside animals. Enjoy the summer!

Here are a few for the the road...

Fodor's Road Guide USA. Where To Stay With Your Pet

Take Your Pet Too! : Fun Things To Do!

Traveling With Your Pet: The AAA PetBook.

Vacationing With Your Pet! : Eileen's Directory Of Pet-Friendly Lodging.

Check out the Vacation Station display for these and similar books.

And for your reading pleasure, take a look at these...

Travels With Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck. Travel with Mr. Steinbeck and his playful poodle, Charley, as they explore and experience American in the 1960s. The book

starts out from Sag Harbor.

A Cat On A Beach Blanket by Lydia Adamson. Housesitting in the Hamptons turns deadly when a poet is killed and Alice is the prime suspect.

Adult Summer Reading Club: Long Island Fiction

The Adult Summer Reading Program is here. Now is the time to sign up for Riverhead Reads: Long Island Fiction. You may read or listen to any book for a chance to win prizes. Double your chance to win by reading books on the preferred Long Island Fiction list. Drop by the Reference Desk to sign up and receive a kit containing the list and raffle tickets. Here's a sampling of a few of the books listed, which are available at the library.

L.I.E. is by David Hollander, who grew up in Suffolk County, Long Island. This debut novel takes place in Medford and follows teen Harlan Kessler through two years of love, sex, death, betrayal, salvation, and enlightenment, painting a vivid picture of a blue collar family in ten intimately interwoven stories.

For a national bestseller, try Amagansett by Mark Mills. Endorsed by another Long Island author, Nelson DeMille, as well as by the Los Angeles Times, this first novel was also a Long Island Reads selection. A first-generation Basque fisherman who casts his nets into the Atlantic and pulls in the body of a beautiful young woman. What initially looks like a routine drowning turns into a murder investigation set in an area that becomes a social battleground for the local fisherman. A gripping story, with powerfully drawn characters.

Veteram writer John Saul presents a creepy stalker story, Perfect Nightmare, which turns into a shrewd whodunit. Though this is not Saul's best work, the novel may satisfy those who like the sexual-psychopath thriller. This one's about the kidnapping of a teenage girl who is initially pegged as a runaway. It takes place on Long Island's north shore.

For more Long Island fiction, check out the display with the gift packages by the Circulation Desk.

Booked For Lunch

Want to broaden your reading repertoire? Mark Fridays on your calendar and join us for lunch and a "book talk" outside in the courtyard by the Yellow Barn. Just bring a brown bag lunch and find out about new authors and new books--some that you may not know about.

Save these Fridays: June 12, 19, 26; July 10, 17, 24,31; August 7, 14, 21, 28.
Time: 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

Listen Up!

Sometimes life as a parent can be very hectic and you would like to read but you just can't find the time. Well if you are like me and you find yourself in the car a lot, why not listen to a book on compact disc? Many parents would like to read books on improving their parenting skills, or family dynamics, or helping their children with issues they face. The Riverhead Free Library does have some child rearing audio books and we always welcome requests to order a title on compact disc.

Building Better Families by Matthew Kelly explores important issues such as: What makes a successful parent? and What are the five things children really need? Mr. Kelly gives great examples that can be applied to our daily experience of parenting and family, while at the same time educate us on the broader significance of family for society and our future.

Technology has given children today instant access to everything from information, merchandise and other people. Generation Text by psychologist, Dr. Michael Osit examines the ways in which our children's identities are shaped by the world around them and how with an absence of meaningful barriers between impulse and the ability to act on them, parents can help their children learn to make intelligent choices and manage the overload of technology. Dr. Osit's advice wil help you help your children develop key social skills, a healthy identity, and a sense of purpose and accountability.

Over the past few years Autsim has become the leading disorder affecting children in the United States. Defeat Autism Now (DAN) is a group of pediatricians who have been pioneering therapies and treatments for Autism. It can take over six months to get an appointment with a DAN doctor, so Dr. Jerry Kartizinel and Jenny McCarthy have put together a book titled Healing And Preventing Autism that gives parents all the necessary information about the DAN school of treating Autism. In this audio book Dr. Kartzinel teaches parents how to make simple changes to their child's environment and diet that are safe and easy to try at home. He also explains some of the more advanced therapies tha DAN doctors use, and how to decide whether or not such treatments would benefit your child.

Book Discussion: Riverhead: The Halcyon Years

Local History Event
Saturday, May 30, 2009
10 a.m. thru noon
Stage Room

This year for the popular annual local history program, area resident Judge Thomas M. Stark will help lead a discussion about his book, Riverhead: The Halcyon Years 1861 -1919. Participants will compare and contrast their own past and present experiences in Riverhead with those in the book. The event will be filmed for the library's archives.

Anyone interested may register at the library's Adult Reference Desk where they will also sign a release form giving permission for us to film those attending the event. Refreshments will be served, and everyone is welcome. Riverhead cardholders may pick up or order a copy of the book at the Reference Desk. Join us and bring a friend as we make history together!

Where the Fur Flies

Happy National Pet Week, May 3, 2009!

Pets play a remarkable role in our lives. Their love and endless hours of companionship help improve our health and well being. We as owners can return that favor by making sure their lives are healthy and wonderful. Our collection is so diverse that you are sure to have no problem finding something that will maintain or improve your furry friend's life.

One Nation Under Dog: Adventures In The New World Of Prozac-Popping Puppies, Dog Park Politics, and Organic Pet Food by Michael Schaffer. A researched, jaw-dropping, laugh-out-loud expose of our love affair with the pets in our lives.

Your Older Cat: A Complete Guide To Nutrition, Natural Health Remedies, and Veterinary Care by Susan Easterly. A good book that addresses the special health issues for the aging cat. It has convenient sidebars for quick reference.

The Cage and Aviary Bird Handbook by Tony Tilford. Well-written and useful. It covers purchasing, care, and health issues. A fun book to browse as well as to read.

Practical Horse Massage: Techniques for Loosening and Stretching Muscles by Renate Ettl. Learn the techniques and stretching exercises that will benefit your horse physically. Not only is it fun, but your horse will love you for it!

Mr. Hollywood Speaks

A great movie can transport you to another time and place, just like a great book. Here at the library we have a wide selection of period-piece films. These are just a few to whet your appetite.

Taking place in China during the 1920s, The Painted Veil follows the story of a loveless marriage between a British doctor and his adulterous wife. Out of an act of vengeance Ed Norton takes a job in disease ravaged part of rural China, where his wife, Naomi Watts, must follow.

The Oscar-winning actress Kate Blanchet plays the title role in Elizabeth. In 16th century England, the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth must endure the mounting pressures of a council of suspicious advisers, calls for an heir to the throne, and a bitter fight with the Catholic Church. Elizabeth: The Golden Age, continues the intriguing story of the Virgin Queen and her ongoing battles fought with enemies near and far.

Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York tells a bloody tale of vengeance in 1840s New York, where the slums are run by a brutal gang of thugs. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the son of a slain Irish gang leader who must take revenge on their rival's ruthless captain, Bill the Butcher.

Immersing viewers in late 18th century England, Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice depicts a group sisters whose lives are upended when a wealthy man and his best friend come to town. Elizabeth Bennet, played by Keira Knightly, must duel with her sisters for the attention of a new suitor.