Check Out These Podcasts for Kids!

It’s a gray, drizzly day, and I think most of us would love nothing more than to curl up with a good story. If you have little ones, then you definitely understand this feeling! To celebrate the (unofficial) end of summer, we’re sharing our favorite kid-friendly podcasts that will keep the family entertained (and save you from having to read Green Eggs and Ham for the thousandth time!). Enjoy, and happy listening!

Stories:

Bedtime FM Podcast: Do your children like listening to bedtime stories? Story Time has lots of great stories for everyone to listen to. Each story is usually less than 20 minutes long, hopefully just long enough to keep your toddler, preschoolers, and little ones engaged. Story Time is a free fortnightly audiobook podcast for children ages 2-12.

Barefoot Books Podcast: Discover a weekly selection of award-winning children's stories and songs from Barefoot Books. We are an independent publisher specializing in carefully crafted books, gifts and digital content for children that combine the best of the present with the best of the past to educate our children as the caretakers of tomorrow. These classic children’s stories, fairy tales, poems and songs tap into the wisdom of many cultures, while never forgetting that childhood is a time for fun.

International Tales:  A great collection of multi-lingual audio stories in German, English, Spanish, French and Farsi (Persian). We strive to entertain children, stimulate the imagination, improve language skills and promote virtues through the art of storytelling. 

Stories Podcast: The Stories Podcast was created to provide family-friendly content to families on the go, Always free, the podcast is a great way to entertain kids on the go and limit screen time while encouraging imaginations.

Learn something new:

But Why – A Podcast for Curious Kids: But Why is a show led by you, kids! You ask the questions and we find the answers. It's a big interesting world out there. On But Why, we tackle topics large and small, about nature, words, even the end of the world.

Tumble Science Podcast For Kids:
Tumble is a science podcast for kids, to be enjoyed by the entire family. We tell stories about science discoveries, with the help of scientists!  Join Lindsay and Marshall as they ask questions, share mysteries, and share what science is all about.

Brains On!:

Brains On! is a podcast featuring science and kids produced by MPR News and Southern California Public Radio. We ask questions and go wherever the answers take us. Sometimes that means talking to a food scientist or a snake handler, other times that means putting on a play about sound waves or writing songs about sleep. A different kid co-hosts each episode. We talk to them about the interesting stuff they’re doing and the things they think about. It’s a science lesson for your ears!

More Good Movies You Might Have Missed...

Attention Downton Abbey and Sherlock Fans!

For those of you anxiously awaiting the next installment, Downton Abbey, Season 6 will be released on DVD on January 26.  And for those of you who can't get enough of Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock, a special treat awaits you in January! While Season 4 of Sherlock has not yet finished production, the special Victorian episode, Sherlock:The Abominable Bride, will be released on DVD on January 12.  If you're going through withdrawal waiting for these highly anticipated shows, feast your eyes and ears on these excellent British period pieces in our collection:

        Indian Summers

Season 1

Set against the sweeping grandeur of the Himalayas and tea plantations of Northern India, this epic drama tells the rich and explosive story of the decline of the British Empire and the birth of modern India, from both sides of the experience.

Starring: Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Jemima West, Julie Walters, Nikesh Patel

      Arthur and George

World-famous author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in this three-part adaptation of Julian Barnes' acclaimed novel follows the separate but intersecting lives of two very different men: a half-Indian son of a vicar who is framed for a crime he may or may not have committed, and Doyle, who investigates the case.

Starring:: Martin Clunes, Arsher Ali, Charles Edwards, Hattie Morahan, Art Malik

           Home Fires

Season1

Bitter rivals fight for control of the Women's Institute in a rural English town as it struggles with the onset of World War II. Separated from husbands, fathers, sons and brothers for years at a time, some permanently, they find themselves under extraordinary pressures in a rapidly fragmenting world.

Starring: Samantha Bond, Francesca Annis, Claire Calbraith, Ed Stoppard, Claire Rushbrook

More Good Movies You Might Have Missed...

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Sorry for the long delay since my last movie post! There’s a lot going on as we wrap up the year at the Library. Rest assured that even when I can’t find the time to post, I’m ALWAYS adding new titles to the collection. If you have any time to relax and watch a movie during the holiday, here are some  interesting new titles you might enjoy:

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

  

A uniquely funny and moving story about Greg, a high school senior who avoids deep human relationships as a way to safely navigate the social mine field that is teenage life. In fact, he describes his best friend Earl, with whom he makes short-film parodies of classic movies, as being 'more like a co-worker.' But when Greg's mom insists he spend time with Rachel, a girl in his class who has just been diagnosed with cancer, Greg discovers just how powerful and important true friendship can be.

Starring: Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, Molly Shannon, Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Rj Cyler. 

Rated PG-13, 2015.  Drama.

True Story

After journalist Michael Finkel is fired from The New York Times for embellishing a story, he learns that accused murderer Christian Longo has been claiming to be him. Hoping this story will save his career, Finkel begins interviewing Longo in prison. But soon, the men find themselves in an eerie game of cat and mouse in this psychological drama.

Starring: James Franco, Jonah Hill, Felicity Jones, Maria Dizzia, Ethan Suplee, Robert John Burke, Gretchen Mol, Byron Jennings

Rated R, 2015.  Drama.

Mr. Holmes

In 1947, an aging Sherlock Holmes returns from a journey to Japan, where, in search of a rare plant with powerful restorative qualities, he has witnessed the devastation of nuclear warfare. Now, in his remote seaside farmhouse, Holmes faces the end of his days, with only the company of his housekeeper and her young son, Roger. Grappling with the diminishing powers of his mind, Holmes comes to rely upon the boy as he revisits the circumstances of the unsolved case that forced him into retirement.

Starring: Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Milo Parker, Hiroyuki Sanada, Hattie Morahan, Patrick Kennedy, Roger Allam, Philip Davis, Michael Culkin

Rated PG, 2015.  Drama.

Let me know what you think! 

Jill

Falling Leaves, Biomes, and Ecosystems!

It's November! Time to put on sweaters, throw around footballs, give thanks... and prepare for the elementary schools' annual project on biomes and ecosystems.

Never fear! Your library has a great collection of books on biomes and ecosystems available in-house for you to read and check out! However, these books may become scarce as the season goes on and they begin to get checked out. To help, you can find several reference copies of books at the Children's Desk starting today. These books can be used in the library, scanned, or photocopied, but not checked out.

In addition, the instructors at Children's Services have compiled a list of helpful, free resources for South Brunswick students to use in the library and at home. Library Databases may require you to sign in with your library card number and your PIN (which can be accessed by visiting or calling Borrower Services).

Library Databases: 
Salem Press: Click on "Biomes and Ecosystems" in the lower left corner of the screen. Includes articles and diagrams on a number of specific biomes and ecosystems along with references and citations

Facts on File: A number of excellent, helpful articles and support materials including diagrams, videos, and glossaries.

The World Almanac: Scroll to the bottom of the page for "Biomes". Includes in-depth but easy-to-read articles on each biome and it's geography, geology, wildlife, and future.

TrueFlix: Includes the entire TrueBook for each ecosystem free to read, online. Related videos are linked along with the book for further comprehension.

Other Helpful Resources:
University of California Museum of Palentology: Long-form articles full of information about each biome and ecosystem.

MGB.net: The Missouri Botanical Garden website offers clear, concise information on each ecosystem including reference links to further online resources.

More Good Movies You Might Have Missed...

Hi Everyone,

It's too hot and sticky to be outside so  grab an iced tea and plop down on the couch with one of these new films recently added to the library's ever-growing collection:

Dear White People

Starring Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Teyonah Parris, Brandon P. Bell, Kyle Gallner, Dennis Haysbert

A sharp and funny comedy about a group of African-American students as they navigate campus life and racial boundaries at a predominately white college. A sly, provocative satire about being a black face in a white place.

2014, rated R. Comedy.

Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem

Directed by Ronit Elkabetz, Shlomi Elkabetz
Starring Ronit Elkabetz, Simon Abkarian, Roberto Pollack, Evelin Hagoel

An Israeli woman seeking to finalize a divorce (gett) from her estranged husband finds herself effectively put on trial by her country's religious marriage laws, in this powerhouse courtroom drama.

2014, not rated. In Hebrew, French and Arabic with English subtitles.

A Most Violent Year

Starring Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo, Alessandro Nivola, Albert Brooks

The tale of an immigrant and his family trying to live the American Dream and expand their business amidst rampant violence, urban decay, and corrupt city officials during one of the most dangerous years in the city's history.

2014, Rated R. Drama.

Enjoy!

Jill

More Good Movies You Might Have Missed...

Hi Everyone,

Did you know that the library gets in new movie titles almost every week? We get all  the latest blockbusters as well as indies, foreign movies and art house favorites.Check out these new noteworthy additions to the collection: 

Big Eyes

Directed by Tim Burton, starring Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Krysten Ritter, Jason Schwartzman.

Walter Keane became a worldwide celebrity and talk show fixture in the 1950s after he pioneered the mass production of prints of big-eyed kids, and used his marketing savvy to sell them cheaply. Unfortunately, he claimed to be the artist. That role was played by Margaret, his shy wife. The ruse broke up their marriage and led to a divorce and a dramatic courtroom battle to prove authorship of the paintings. 2014, rated PG-13. Drama.

Love is Strange

 

Directed by Ira Sachs, starring John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, Tatyana Zbirovskaya, Olya Zueva, Jason Stuart, Marisa Tomei, Charlie Tahan, Cheyenne Jackson.

Ben and George finally tie the knot in an idyllic wedding ceremony in lower Manhattan. But when George loses his job, the couple must sell their apartment and temporarily live apart until they can find an affordable new home. George moves in with two cops who live down stairs, Ben lands in Brooklyn with his nephew, his wife, and their teenage son. While struggling with the pain of separation, they are challenged by the tensions and capricious family dynamics of their new living arrangements. 2014, rated R. Drama.

 Rosewater

Directed by Jon Stewart (The Daily Show), starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Kim Bodnia, Dimitri Leonidas.

Journalist Maziar Bahari is detained by Iranian forces who relentlessly interrogate him under suspicion that he is a spy.  Maziar Bahari was imprisoned, interrogated, and beaten in Iran for 118 days in 2009 on charges that he was attempting to stage the overthrow of the Iranian government.  Adapted from Bahari's 2011 book "Then They Came for Me: A Family's Story of Love, Captivity and Survival" (co-written with Aimee Molloy, written into a screenplay by Jon Stewart.

Enjoy!

Jill Eisner 
Information Services

What To Watch Now That Downton Abbey Is Over...

by Jill Eisner 

Information Services

For all of you who currently going through Downton Abbey Withdrawal Syndrome, the library owns a lot of other interesting British period pieces that might catch your fancy. Here are some recent additions to the collection:

    Mr. Selfridge

Starring: Jeremy Piven, Frances O'Connor, Zoe Tapper, Tom Goodman-Hill, Amanda Abbington, Katherine Kelly, Poppy Lee Friar

Emmy Award-winning actor Jeremy Piven stars as American entrepreneur and colorful retail magnate Harry Gordon Selfridge. Pioneering and reckless, with an almost manic energy, Harry Selfridge created a theater of retail for early 1900s Londoners where any topic or trend that was new, exciting, entertaining-or sometimes just eccentric-was showcased. Based on the book Shopping, Seduction and Mr. Selfridge by author Lindy Woodhead. (Series)

 Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries

  

Starring: Essie Davis, Nathan Page, Hugo Johnstone-Burt

Miss Phryne Fisher, private detective, sashays through the back lanes and jazz clubs of late 1920s Melbourne, fighting injustice with her pearl-handled pistol and her dagger sharp wit. Phryne has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, and she's usually armed with the right weapon. Aided by her maid, Dorothy 'Dot' Williams, Phryne ventures from the city's mansions to its brothels, gaining admirers and enemies along the way. (Series)

   Parade’s End

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Rebecca Hall, Rupert Everett, Adelaide Clemens, Miranda Richardson, Roger Allam

An epic story of love and betrayal, set during a formative period in British history, from the twilight years of the Edwardian era to the end of World War I. Based on the quartet of novels by Ford Madox Ford, this five-part miniseries was adapted for the screen by Tom Stoppard. (Series )

      The Paradise

   

Starring: Joanna Vanderham, Emun Elliott, Matthew McNulty

Set amidst the Victorian splendor of Britain's first department store, The Paradise is a rags-to-riches story of a young girl who falls in love with the intoxicating charms of the modern world. As Denise finds her feet as a lowly shop girl, she must navigate her way through power struggles, intrigues, and affairs. When the shop's dashing and reckless owner, John Moray, spots her talents, she knows she can use this opportunity to rise to great things. (Series)

If you like the selections listed above, check out some of these older titles:

Television Series

Bleak House

Daniel Deronda

Emma

The Forsyte Saga

Little Dorrit

Pride and Prejudice

To Serve Them All My Days

Upstairs Downstairs

Feature Films

Albert Nobbs

Atonement

Brideshead Revisited

Bright Star

Creation

Gosford Park

Impromptu

Jane Eyre

King’s Speech, The

Mansfield Park

The Mill on the Floss

Sense and Sensibility

The Young Victoria

Enjoy!

Jill