Book Discussion: Welcome to Shirley

Welcome to Shirley: A Memoir From an Atomic Town
by Kelly McMasters
Wednesday, August 19
7 - 8 p.m.
Riverhead Free Library Open Room

In this unforgettable story of working-class Long Island, author Kelly McMasters offers a rare glimpse into the town of Shirley where she grew up. Plagued by one disaster after another, the town's residents are forced to cope with the untimely deaths of loved ones trapped in the middle of a cancer cluster. Searching for answers, McMasters probes beneath the surface and links the tragedy to Brookhaven National Laboratory. Whether or not you agree with the conclusions, McMasters' methodical research and deliciously engaging voice are sure to promote a lively discussion. Please sign up at the Reference Desk for this event. Everyone is welcome.

Yellow Barn: Summer 2009 Hours

Riverhead Free Library's Yellow Barn has new extended hours for the summer 2009. The Barn will be open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., weather permitting.

Stop by the Yellow Barn to purchase gently used books. Members of the Friends of the Riverhead Free Library will direct you to whatever you might want, including children's books and books in foreign languages.

Book Discussion: Travels With Charley

The late Nobel prize-winning author John Steinbeck left the safety of his Sag Harbor home in 1960 and set out on a cross-country adventure that became the subject of the book Travels With Charley. This travel memoir records the author's emotions and experiences as he rediscovers his native land with his beloved poodle, Charley. Despite his fragile health, Steinbeck realizes that he still has the strength and resources to be on his own.

There's still time to sign up at the Reference Desk for this book discussion, held Wednesday, July 15, 2009, at 7 p.m. We look forward to your participation.

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.