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NEWSLETTER
April 2007
Volume 4, Number 4
Film Discussion Series: The World War I Years / March 27 - April 24
Main Library Tour / April 7
After School Anime Feature: Trinity Blood / April 10
Film Feature: Fast Food Nation / April 12
Film Feature: Madeinusa / April 19
Catch the Beat for Your Library at Barnes & Noble / April 20 & 21
Concerts at the Crane: Kurdish Songs & Stories / April 22
Meet Elizabeth Bloomer / April 22
Drop-in Book Groups
Monthly Book Discussions
April Exhibit: Quincy Art Association
April Events for Children
What's New in the Library's Collection / New DVDs
Recommended Reading
Calendar of Events
Friends of the Library
Subscribe to the Newsletter
Back Issues
Contact Us
Film Discussion Series: The World War I Years
Revisit and understand the tumultuous events of a formative period in American history at The World War I Years: America Becomes a World Power, a free six-part film viewing and discussion series continuing at the Main Library at 7:00 p.m. every Tuesday evening through April 24. No registration is required and participants may attend one, some or all of the sessions.
Each session consists of informative and lively lectures by Newbury College History Professor Dan Breen, followed by a documentary film screening and discussion. If you missed the first session, you can still enjoy this timely and fascinating series!
Session Two (March 27): Over There
This session will focus on America's military involvement in France in the last two years of the war, including the deadly winter of 1917, the horrors of trench warfare, and the battle experiences of American soldiers.
Session Three (April 3): Modern War
This session will examine the massive material, psychological and spiritual damage inflicted on the peoples of the world by the carnage of the war. Issues covered will include the role of technology and industrialization in the war, new weapons and their impact on warfare, and the psychological toll of continuous artillery bombardments.
Session Four (April 10): The American People in Wartime
This session will examine the migration of black Americans from the agricultural south to the urban north during the war years, and will chronicle the history of the women's suffrage movement from the end of the 19th century through the final ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920.
Session Five (April 17): Peace Making
This session looks at President Woodrow Wilson's attempt to broker a peace settlement that will recast the political world order and make future wars impossible. Events covered include negotiation of the League of Nation provisions, the huge reparations exacted from Germany in the Treaty of Versailles, and Wilson's battle with the US Senate over ratification of the Treaty and the League.
Session Six (April 24): After the War: The Turbulent Years
This session focuses on the bitter fight between President Wilson and the US Senate over the role of the US in the post-war world. Events covered include the massive labor unrest and economic uncertainty that followed the end of the war, the rhetoric of the internationalists and the isolationists, the inauguration of Warren Harding, and the end of Wilsonian internationalism.
The World War I Years: America Becomes a World Power series is made possible by National Video Resources and sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
Main Library Tour
Take a guided walk through an architectural jewel in the heart of Quincy--and find out what's there for you--at a free orientation tour of the Main Library on Saturday, April 7 at 10:00 a.m. All ages are welcome to join the orientation tours. Interpretation in Cantonese and Mandarin will be provided.
After School Anime Feature: Trinity Blood
The anime series Trinity Blood will be screened on Tuesday, April 10 at 2:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
500 years after an apocalyptic war between all of Earth's nations destroyed civilization, the Roman Catholic Church arose from the ashes as a major military power. Now, vampires walk among men, waiting to feed on the blood of humanity. The Vatican's greatest weapon is a simple man, Abel Nightroad, who is more than human himself.
This program is intended for teens aged 13 and older and is not suitable for younger audiences.
Film Feature: Fast Food Nation
Come to a free screening of Fast Food Nation on Thursday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
Inspired by the incendiary bestseller that exposed the hidden facts behind America's fast food industry, Fast Food Nation combines an all-star ensemble cast with riveting, interlocked human stories to serve up "a firecracker of a movie that jumps off the screen" (Rolling Stone). When a marketing executive for the Mickey's burger chain is told there's a nasty secret ingredient in his latest culinary creation, he heads for the ranches and slaughterhouses of Colorado to investigate...but discovers the truth a bit difficult to swallow. Rated R.
"Devastating. Ferocious. An unusually funny and moving film"--The New York Times
Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
Film Feature: Madeinusa
Attend a free screening of the recently released film Madeinusa on Thursday, April 19 at 7:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
First-time director Claudia Llosa's debut film is a fable about the clash between old and new in a strange Andean village in Peru. Madeinusa is a girl aged 14 with a sweet Indian face who lives in an isolated village in the Cordillera Blanca Mountain range. This strange place is characterized by its religious fervor. Then everything changes with the arrival in the village of Salvador, a young geologist from Lima, who will unknowingly change the destiny of the girl.
"Gorgeously mounted....well-crafted script....a classically made yet personally accented fable about the clash between old and new."--Robert Koehler, Variety
Although this film is not subject to rating by the Motion Picture Association of America, it is not recommended for ages under 17 without parental permission. Films for the series are obtained through the library's membership in Film Movement, the exclusive distributor of curator-selected films from the world's top film festivals, including Cannes and Sundance.
Catch the Beat for Your Library at Barnes & Noble
Celebrate reading together and support your library by participating in a special fundraiser sponsored by the Massachusetts Regional Library Systems, the Thomas Crane Public Library, and Barnes & Noble. Catch the Beat for Your Library at Barnes & Noble will raise funds for this year's summer reading program in Massachusetts libraries. Barnes & Noble will donate a percentage of every sale from every customer who presents a bookfair voucher at any Massachusetts Barnes & Noble store on those two days.
To participate, shop with a bookfair voucher at any Barnes & Noble retail store on April 20 and 21. Barnes & Noble will donate 15% of your purchase to fund materials and services for the Catch the Beat @your Library summer reading program. Vouchers may be used for books, CDs, DVDs, toys, and even snacks or coffee in the café! (Gift cards are excluded.) Pick up a voucher at any Quincy library, download a voucher, or request one at any Barnes & Noble cash register on April 20 and 21.
You can also help replenish the Library's well-used paperback
collection of favorite series books for elementary readers
by purchasing and donating an item from our Barnes & Noble
"wish list". Just ask to see the Thomas Crane Library's
wish list at the Braintree store on April 20 and 21.
Please note that the bookfair vouchers cannot be used to shop Barnes & Noble online and cannot be combined with the Barnes & Noble Educators Discount.
For more information on this special event call 617-376-1301.
Meet Elizabeth Bloomer
Find out how Quincy student activist Elizabeth Bloomer has
made a difference in the world--and how other kids can, too--at
a public reception on Sunday, April 22 at 2:00 p.m. in the
Richardson room at the Main Library.
In 1994 Iqbal Masih came to visit Ron Adams' class at Broad Meadows Middle School. Iqbal was 12 years old, a former slave, who had received the 1994 Reebok Youth in Action Human Rights Award for his work to end child labor. He came to speak with kids his age about his hopes for freedom and education for children everywhere. Five months after his visit to Quincy he was shot and killed in Pakistan, probably for speaking out against child slavery. Mr. Adams' students were moved to take action to continue Iqbal's campaign. Elizabeth Bloomer and her classmates developed a campaign to raise money to build a school in Pakistan in Iqbal's memory, and the students raised over $147,000. "A bullet can't kill a dream" became their motto. "We're his voice," Elizabeth said.
Elizabeth Bloomer has continued to work relentlessly on behalf of human rights. She has spoken before the United Nations and the United States Congress. She and her peers successfully lobbied President Clinton to sign an international treaty against child labor. Now a senior at Holy Cross College in Worcester, Elizabeth is featured in a new series of biographies called Young Heroes. Elizabeth Bloomer: Child Labor Activist by Jennifer Reed describes Elizabeth's work, and encourages all kids to speak out and work for social change.
Meet this wonderful young woman and hear her talk about her work and how kids can make a difference. Copies of Elizabeth's biography will be available for sale, provided by Barnes & Noble of Braintree.
Concert at the Crane: Kurdish Songs & Stories
Travel to the Middle East at this month's Concert at the Crane on Sunday, April 22 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
Storyteller and singer Diane Edgecomb, with singer and saz player Andrew Aytac, presents a story and music performance that pairs exotic and compelling Kurdish folktales with haunting Kurdish melodies and folksongs. This combination of performance and song provides a rare glimpse into the world of the Kurds of Iraq and of Turkey. Seated in the Zagros Mountains, at the headwaters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the Kurds have been an integral part of the Middle Eastern landscape since ancient days.
A master storyteller and theater artist, Diane Edgecomb's lifelong interest in image-based performance, mythology, and nature has led her to create a variety of unusual performance projects. Ms. Edgecomb has been called a "virtuoso of the spoken word" and won a Year's Best Performance Award from the Boston Herald.
Born in Northern Kurdistan, Andrew Aytac was introduced to the saz at an early age by his grandfather and uncle who were themselves traditional players and singers. He first began playing saz at age 12 and since then, has continued to keep alive this family tradition.
This free performance is sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
Drop-in Book Groups
 COOKING WITH BOOKS @Adams Shore Branch
Love to cook? Love to read cookbooks? Join other food lovers on the second Monday of each month to review new cookbooks, share favorite recipes, and perhaps take a turn at cooking something for others to sample. This group meets from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Adams Shore Branch Library, 519 Sea St., Quincy. On April 9, we'll talk about BAKING BREAD. You are invited to bring a favorite recipe to share.
For more information, call 617-376-1325.
 LET'S TALK @North Quincy Branch
Drop in and find out about great new and tried-and-true books the library has on a variety of popular topics such as gardening, cooking and travel. Library staff will highlight a different subject each month on the first Tuesday evening of the month from 7:00-8:00 p.m. You are also invited to share YOUR favorite books and other resources on this month's topic, or any other good books you've come across lately. On April 3, Let's Talk MONEY & INVESTING. For more information, call 617-376-1320.
BOOK CHAT @Wollaston Branch
If you like to read and enjoy talking about books, drop by and join other readers for an informal chat about books on the third Wednesday of each month. The next meeting is Wednesday, April 18 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. For more information, call 617-376-1330.
BOOKED FOR LUNCH @Main Library
Read any good books lately? Looking for something new to read? Bring a brown bag lunch--or grab a sandwich or salad at the library café--and join other readers for an informal conversation about books on the first Friday of each month. The next meeting is Friday, April 6 from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. in the Main Library atrium. The group meets near the café--just look for the brown Booked for Lunch sign on the table. Drop in anytime and check out this friendly group!
Monthly Book Discussions
 FRIDAY MORNING BOOK DISCUSSION
This book discussion group usually meets on the second Friday of each month at 9:30 a.m. As a convenience to parents with small children, the group will meet in the Main Library Children's storytime room and little ones are welcome. Age appropriate activities will be available to entertain the children while we talk. Adult readers of all ages are welcome to participate, with or without children!
On Friday, April 13, the group will discuss The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. Copies of the book are available at the Main Library Children's Room desk. For more information, call Julie at 617-376-2411.
 WEDNESDAY EVENING BOOK DISCUSSION
This group meets the third Wednesday of each month from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the
Main Library. On Wednesday, April 25, the group will discuss Lost in Translation: a Life in a New Language by Eva Hoffman. Copies of the book are available at the Main Library checkout desk. New members are welcome to join anytime. For more information, call Megan at 617-376-1331.
 THURSDAY EVENING BOOK DISCUSSION
This group meets the first Thursday of each month from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the
Main Library. The focus of this group is non-fiction books of local and regional interest. On Thursday, April 5, the group will discuss Shut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston by Howard Bryant. Copies of the book are available at the Main Library checkout desk. For more information, call Will at 617-689-8320.
April Exhibit
Members of the Quincy Art Association will exhibit their work from April 1 to 29 in the Coletti Reading Room on the first floor of the Thomas Crane Public Library, 40 Washington St., Quincy. Works on display will include oil, acrylic, watercolor and mixed media painting, photography, and sculpture. A public reception will be held on Sunday, April 15 from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. in the Library's Richardson building.
April Events for Children
STORYTIME WITH MICHELLE
Join storyteller Michelle Andrews for stories, songs, rhymes, and more for children aged 2-5 accompanied by an adult on Saturday, April 7 and 28 at 10:00 a.m. at the Main Library. No registration required. Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
SATURDAY FUN FOR LITTLE ONES: Baby Sign Language
Join instructor Sheryl White for an introductory workshop on using sign language with babies and toddlers on Saturday, April 14 at 10:00 a.m. at the Main Library. Learn about the benefits of teaching your hearing baby how to communicate before they can speak.
This program is for families with very young children ages 0-4. No registration required. Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
COOK A BOOK & CATCH THE BEAT: MEET AUTHOR MARY-KYLE DOUGLAS
Come meet local children's author Mary-Kyle Douglas as she shows kids in grades 1-5 how to "Cook a Book!" on Tuesday, April 17 at 10:00 a.m. at the Main Library. No registration is required.
Using visual aids and props, dialogue and demonstrations, Douglas will show the magical transformation of a book from an initial idea to a finished product. After reading her own book, Clara's Gift from the Heart, she will discuss the evolution of a story, describe the writing process and publishing environment, and share her thoughts on the importance of old-fashioned hard work in creating a successful writing project. Elementary school-aged children with visions of becoming authors will enjoy this highly visual and engaging presentation as they test their creative thinking skills in crafting a group story.
This free special event, co-sponsored by Barnes & Noble, is a preview of the library's 2007 summer reading program, Catch the Beat @your Library.
SCIENCE MAGIC
On Wednesday, April 18 at 2:00 p.m. at the Main Library, Mad Science of Greater Boston presents a special program for all ages featuring Science Magic, with foggy dry ice and demonstrations
of how science is used to float beach balls in the air. And,
with suggestions from the audience, the Mad Scientist will
unlock the mystery of how to get "Egg-bert" back
into his house. Ever see scissors sizzle and shiver? Ever
taken a bubble shower? Here's your chance! Weather permitting,
this program will end with a rocket launch on the library
lawn. This program is for all ages and no registration is
required. Sponsored by the Friends
of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
MAGIC WITH MARVELOUS MARCUS
Marvelous Marcus the Magician will perform a very visual,
high energy, comedy magic show for children ages 3-12 on Thursday,
April 19 at 10:00 a.m. at the Main Library. Doves, rabbits,
and help from the audience make this a memorable show.
No registration is required, but parents must stay with young
children. Sponsored by the Friends
of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
ENGLISH/CHINESE STORYTIME WITH MICHELLE
Bring your child to a free English/Chinese drop-in storytime
on Saturday, April 21 at 10:00 a.m. at the Main Library. Join
storyteller Michelle Andrews for stories, songs, rhymes and
crafts for children ages 2-5 accompanied by an adult. This
special storytime will be interpreted in Cantonese and Mandarin.
No registration required. Sponsored by the Friends
of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
MEET ELIZABETH BLOOMER
Find out how Quincy student activist Elizabeth Bloomer has
made a difference in the world--and how other kids can, too--at
a public reception on Sunday, April 22 at 2:00 p.m. in the
Richardson room at the Main Library.
CONCERTS AT THE CRANE: KURDISH SONGS & STORIES
Enjoy a free story and music performance for all ages on Sunday,
April 22 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. at the Main Library. Award-winning
storyteller and singer Diane Edgecomb, with singer and saz
player Andrew Aytac, presents exotic and compelling Kurdish
folktales accompanied by haunting Kurdish melodies and folksongs.Sponsored
by the Friends
of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
MAD SCIENCE: ENERGY BURST
In this Mad Science of Greater Boston workshop, children will
explore the fundamentals of energy through hands-on activities
and demonstrations that demonstrate both potential and kinetic
energy. They'll also investigate how energy can be conserved,
discover the simple principles behind the energy of motion,
and build their own rubber band powered rattlesnake egg to
help learn all about energy
Two sessions of this program will be held on Saturday, April
28 at the Main Library. There will be a 10:00 a.m. session
for children ages 7 and older and an 11:15 a.m. session for
ages 4-6.
Registration is required, beginning Monday, April 2. Stop
by the Main Library Children's Room or call 617-376-2411 to
register. Due to space limitations, this program is limited
to Quincy residents. Sponsored by the Friends
of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
PHOENIX BOOK CLUB
This book discussion program for children in grades 5-8 meets
on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Main
Library, beginning in October. Please register early so you
will have plenty of time to read the book. Stop by the Main
Library Children's Room or call 617-376-2411 for more information
or to register.
NIGHT OWLS BOOK CLUBS
These book discussion and activity groups for children in
3rd and 4th grades meet monthly at 7:00 p.m. at the Main Library,
beginning in October. Night Owls 3 (for 3rd graders) meets
on the second Monday of each month. Night Owls 4 (for 4th
graders) meets on the third Monday. Stop by the Main Library
Children's Room or call 617-376-2411 for more information
or to register. Space is limited.
Friends of the Library
Become a Friend of the library! Your Friends membership fee ($10 for individuals, $15 for families) helps support museum passes and events for all ages. For more information about
the Friends, go to the Friends
of the Thomas Crane Public Library page or pick up a brochure at the library.
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