Coraline Creators visit JPL

With all of the buzz following author, Neil Gaiman’s receipt on the 2009 Newberry Award for The Graveyard Book (check out this video tour) and the release of the motion picture adaptation of Coraline, it’s a good time to be a Neil Gaiman fan as new editions of his wildly popular, imaginative books  will surely follow.    Check out a few random things Caroline;  Wired Magazine blurb about Coraline in 3D which features a clip from the film,  Craft magazine article “Coraline brings Craft to the Big Screen” .  Don’t miss the local events listed below.

Though I certainly hold a close place in my heart for Coraline, my favorite Gaiman book is The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish.    For fans of Coraline, however, in case seeing the screen adaptation wasn’t thrilling enough, this month we have an incredible opportunity for you to meet two people who helped bring Gaiman’s nightmarish vision to life.

There will be two events:

Conversation with the Coraline Creators-  Saturday, April 25th  7pm @ Downtown Library

Coraline puppet creators Georgina Hayns and Mark Gaiero will discuss the making of the movie Coraline and their role as puppet creators for the animation.  

Caroline Workshop- Sunday, April 26th 1-5 pm @ Douglas Library

A 4-hour hands-on workshop making simple puppets, working with professional armatures and learning the basics of stop motion.  Film experience is suggested.  Registration is required as space is limited.  There will be a $10 materials fee.  To register contact JUMP at 586-3440 or email pat_at_jumpsociety_dot_org

In The Stacks: Bruce Coville coming to JPL

Author Alert! Popular kids author and audiobook producer Bruce Coville will be visiting Juneau April 4th–  last time he was here, he played to a packed house! Reacquaint yourself with his spooky, funny, and classic stories, or remind yourself that you’re never too old to be read a story with Coville’s audiobook company, Full Cast Audio and its wide range of tales.

Here are a few new titles to whet your appetites.

If you like scary stories, take a look at, Oddest of All,  a collection of short but eerie stories for chapter book readers. Coville starts by introducing the Lyrans, an alien race which visits a future Earth much worse off than we are so far, giving everyone over the age of nine a vote for the course of humanity’s future. Not scary, you say? How about the story of a boy whose Halloween mask molds itself to his face – in fact, becomes his face? But there’s more… just keep reading!

Or do you prefer adventure stories? Try the latest in the Unicorn Chronicles series, Dark Whispers,  in which Cara Hunter’s life gets more complicated. Having left Earth for the land of the unicorns, called Luster, in Into the Land of the Unicorns, and then found her way back home in Song of the Wanderer,  Cara is a seasoned traveler. In this third book, she’s hoping to unravel the mystery of an ancient war between the unicorns and another race. Entertwined with her story is that of her father, who’s on a quest of his own in Luster.

Try a classic or two, rewritten with Coville’s inimitable skill at highlighting the best parts of a story while keeping the rhythm and flavor of the original. Pick up the picture book, Hans Brinker and meet a boy with a caring heart, quick mind, and loving family, and, incidentally, fast feet.

Or try one of Coville’s Shakespeare adaptations – the tragedy of Hamlet, perhaps, with its many moody, shadowed illustrations and lovely language; or, the wacky comedy of Twelfth Night with its mistaken identities, romance, swordplay, and a great practical joke. Reading these is almost as good as seeing Shakespeare performed.

Those who like listening to audiobooks will find Full Cast Audio productions enchanting, from their outstanding cast of readers to their choices of family-friendly choices (to paraphrase Coville: intelligent adults and intelligent children can enjoy listening together without embarrassment). Try Skybreaker, by Kenneth Oppel, a 2009 Audie Award finalist, which follows the adventures of Matt Cruse (from Airborn). Now a student pilot at a prestigious flight academy, Matt is part of the crew that spots a legendary lost airship far above them during a storm. When the rest of the crew is struck with altitude sickness Matt is the only one left who knows the coordinates of the ghost ship, and is offered a spot on a treasure-hunting airship. After fighting off pirates and testing the limits of their experimental ship, the treasure-hunters are rewarded with the sight of the ghost-ship – bearing a different treasure than they’d ever imagined.

For a twisted fairy-tale, listen to Gail Carson Levine’s, Fairest, another Audie finalist, about an ugly girl with a beautiful singing voice whose talents for throwing her voice and imitating others get her noticed by the queen. First thrilled to be part of the court, then horrified to find that the queen plans to use her to manipulate others in unscrupulous ways, Aza is trapped in the deal she made by her love for her family. How she finds her way out of her snare and This is truly a remarkable book to listen to – not only is the story wonderful, but Coville has set the book’s lyrics to music composed just for this audiobook, enhancing the feeling of really being in Aza’s world.

Join us this Saturday at 7 pm at the Downtown Library for dramatic historical presentations in honor of Seward’s Day by Haines storyteller John Venables. (And also in honor of Seward’s Day, the Downtown and Douglas libraries will be closed on Monday, March 30th. The Mendenhall Valley Library will be open regular hours.) There’s lots more information about all these programs on our website, www.juneau.org/library! Check us out!

20th Anniversary Gala Celebration

Saturday March 21, 2009

7pm Downtown Library

In recognition of the  Downtown Public Library’s Twenty Years on the Waterfront we’re celebrating our past, looking to the future withl live music by Tom Locher and Aurora Strings, guest speakers (including building architects, former Library Directors, and CBJ Assembly members), stories of authors by students as statues, historic photographs of the Juneau Public Library in it’s various locations and  chocolates and pastries by Paradise Cafe.  Join us for a party at the library!  Call the library for more information, 586-5249.

Poetry Omnibus Awards Ceremony

Saturday March 14, 7pm Downtown Library

Open to the Public, join for a poetry reading, featuring youth and adult poets from the Juneau community reading their prize-winning entries. This is a great  opportunity to hear the poems live before they head off for their one year tour inside Capital Transit buses. Sponsored by JPL, JAHC, Capital Transit and Printing Trade Company. More info: 586-0436.  This event will be recorded for JPL Podcasts.

And if you believe in the power of poetry like I do, be sure to check out Poetry Out Loud: State Finals, Monday March 16 at 4:30 at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center.  Tickets are free, but seating is limited, so get tickets.  Check out this video of the 2008 California State Finals, or a smorgasborg of audio, featuring stellar youth poets.