November is National Native American Heritage Month!  The 2009 theme is “Pride in Our Heritage, Honor to Our Ancestors.”

Browse the display of Native American books at your Chattanooga State Library.  Find more library resources at the library’s Native American research guide: http://bit.ly/1eatYc

The U.S. government’s web site about Native American Heritage Month has a collection of information about exhibits and web links: http://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov

The first paragraph of the 2009 Presidential Proclamation for this month states:

“The indigenous peoples of North America — the First Americans — have woven rich and diverse threads into the tapestry of our Nation’s heritage. Throughout their long history on this great land, they have faced moments of profound triumph and tragedy alike. During National Native American Heritage Month, we recognize their many accomplishments, contributions, and sacrifices, and we pay tribute to their participation in all aspects of American society.”

The history of Native Americans continues to be a subject dear to my heart.  Curiosity struck me early as I grew up in the Great Plains and visited memorial sites where Native Americans and the U.S. government collided in battle.  Now living in Tennessee, my curiosity about Native American history continues as I learn more about the Trail of Tears and Ross’s Landing.  My wife’s grandfather was Cherokee, which has added a personal interest in the pride and heritage of Native Americans for my family.

“Pride in Our Heritage, Honor to Our Ancestors” – Celebrate the 2009 National Native American Heritage Month.  Read a book or find out more information online.

And that’s exactly what you did.  Then, we took your suggestions, did a little research on the best-of-the-best and most popular titles and bought a core collection that’s ready for your reading pleasure. Aren’t you excited?!

Come by the library and you will see a display of the novels themselves, as well as  books about the history, creation, design, and quality of graphic novels as a genre.  In case some of them are checked-out by the time you get here, you can see the titles of the novels listed below. 

If you have suggestions for other titles we should purchase, just let us know in a comment and we’ll do our best to get those, too. 

Here’s what we bought baxed on your suggestions and our research:

Hundreds of children’s books have been made into feature films.  You probably read the Harry Potter books and saw those movies. And another terrific one that’s playing now is “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”

And who can forget “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,”The Cat in the Hat,” “Jumanji,” The Chronicles of Narnia,” “The Polar Express,” “Charlotte’s Web,” and “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”  I could go on but….

Tell us what movie made from a children’s book you enjoyed.  Oh, come on. you know you want to!

But, and that’s a BIG but, the library WILL BE OPEN regular hours on those days: 

7:30 am – 9:00 pm.

So, if you’re not doing anything, come by and do some “catch-up” or “get ahead” work instead of sitting around in your pajamas watching the Game Channel.  

And pick up a couple dozen Krispy Kremes for us while you’re at it. Pleeeeease!

See you bright and early!

Yummm!

Image credit to Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corp.

In celebration of Banned Books Week, Sept. 26-Oct. 3, you should examine the list of books that have caused consternation, nay outrage, in the distant and recent past and exert your First Amendment rights.

According to the American Library Association. “Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States….The books featured during Banned Books Week have been targets of attempted bannings. Fortunately, while some books were banned or restricted, in a majority of cases the books were not banned, all thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to retain the books in the library collections.”

READ, READ, READ and see what the fuss was/is all about.

Check out this website for information about specific titles.

Leave your comment about the book you read and why you agree or disagree with its being considered controversial enough to be on the list.

I think I’ll start by re-reading The Color Purple by Alice Walker.

Thanks!