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March Events
Fiction Picks
Nonfiction Picks
Raising Passionate Readers
Very Hungry Caterpillar Month
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March Events:
3/6 - Newt Night

3/7 - Knit Night (Crocheters, too)

3/15 - Howard Frank Mosher's Great American Book Tour (offsite)

3/25 - Poker Hill Arts Exhibit Reception, with music by Full Circle

Ongoing - EAL Spring Art Exhibit  (beginning March 2nd)

Ongoing - Group Art Exhibt (until mid-March)

Ongoing - Poker Hill Arts Exhibit (beginning March 23rd)

 

Hungry? Thirsty?

A Hot, Frothy Cappuccino
Stop by the Cafe at Phoenix for a meal, a snack, or a custom-crafted beverage of your choice!

HUNGER GAMES
will be in theaters
MARCH 23RD


 Read the book before you see the movie!  Already read it?  Study up with these guides:
 
The Girl Who Was on Fire: 
Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy
,
ed. by Leah Wilson


cover image
The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook, by Emily Ansara Baines 

The Hunger Games Companion,
by Lois H. Gresh    
    
The Hunger Games Tribute Guide, by Emily Seife 

If you liked The Hunger Games, you'll love these too:
cover imageDivergent,
by Veronica Roth
In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

Legend, by Marie Lu
In a dark future, when North America has split into two warring nations, 15-year-olds Day, a famous criminal, and June, the brilliant soldier hired to capture him, discover that they have a common enemy.  
We Can't Stop Talking About:cover image
Kristin Cashore's Graceling and Fire are packed with action; smart, strong, complex characters; fantastic settings; and down-to-earth challenges.  Bitterblue, the third book in this series, will be released in May, so now's the perfect time to dive into Graceling and Fire

    
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Thank you for choosing local and indie!
Books! 
Store Hours:
Mon-Fri: 9am-7pm
Saturday:  10am-7pm
Sunday:    11am-5pm

at the Essex
Shoppes & Cinema
21 Essex Way #407
Essex, VT 05452
802.872.7111
Join Our Mailing List!
 March 2012
Dear Friends,

We wanted you to be among the first to know: with great excitement, anticipation and a touch of fear, we are delighted to announce that Renee Reiner and Mike DeSanto are opening a second location in downtown Burlington, Vermont. This new store, intended to give back to Burlington, Vermont its own independent, locally-owned frontlist bookstore dedicated to selling new books, should be up and running by May 1st, in a fabulous retail location with approximately 5000 square feet of selling space. The lease was signed for 191 Bank Street about three weeks ago and work has already started renovating the space. The site is a high-visibility location, conveniently next to public parking, across the street from the popular City Market Co-op and easily seen from the Church Street Marketplace. We followed a community-centered financing plan to raise capital and have met 85% of the total goal, with the expectation of meeting or exceeding that financing goal in the next month. All the investment is private.

Between our two stores we will have 8000SF of bookstore space selling lots and lots of wonderful books printed on real paper!

We expect to hire 10-15 booksellers in the next month, with openings in both locations. If you are interested in joining our bookselling family, please download our application.
 
Sincerely,
Renee Reiner
Mike DeSanto
Owners, Phoenix Books

 

kidspicks  YOU'RE INVITED TO...
...
Events for All Ages

Newt Night
Tuesday, March 6th at 6:30pm
We invite budding scientists, concerned citizens, and naturalists-at-heart to learn about Vermont's Amphibian Monitoring Program. This is a perfect opportunity to get hands-on experience, become educated about Vermont's amphibian population, and learn how to assist in their protection/preservation. Space is limited; please contact Rachel at [email protected] or 872-7111 to reserve a spot. This demonstration involves delicate critters, so is best for ages 5 and older.

Howard Frank Mosher's Great American Book Tour (Offsite)Howard Frank Mosher
Thursday, March 15th at 7:00pm
At Memorial Hall in Essex 
Please join us in welcoming Vermont's own Howard Frank Mosher!  Howard will give a slideshow and talk, and will read from his new book The Great Northern Express: A Writer's Journey Home at Memorial Hall here in Essex Junction.  A cover charge of $5 will be credited toward a book purchase.  Bestselling, nationally celebrated author Howard Frank Mosher has written ten novels and two travel memoirs.  Three of his novels, Disappearances, A Stranger in the Kingdom and Where the Rivers Flow North, have been made into acclaimed feature movies by the Vermont independent filmmaker Jay Craven.

Poker Hill Arts Exhibit Reception, with Music by Full Circle
Sunday, March 25th, Time TBA

Visit Phoenix to admire the work of young artists from Poker Hill Arts!

Poker Hill Arts is an after school art program and summer day camp conceived and run by Chris Gluck in Underhill, Vermont.  Each school day, about 20 energetic, fun-loving kids, ages 5-12, come pouring off the bus at Chris's home studio for an afternoon of art or crafts.  After some outdoor time and a snack, they usually have a calming, centering activity, such as yoga.  Then comes the project of the day, which might include drawing, painting, sculpting, engineering, and/or crafting.  When finished with the day's project, the children have the opportunity to draw in their sketchbooks or choose from other creative activities with their friends.




kidspicks  FICTION PICKS
Stories to Live By


Birds of a Lesser Paradise,
by Megan Mayhew Bergman
cover image 
Release Date:  3/6/2012 

Exploring the way our choices and relationships are shaped by the menace and beauty of the natural world, Megan Mayhew Bergman's powerful and heartwarming collection captures the surprising moments when the pull of our biology becomes evident, when love or fear collide with good sense, or when our attachment to an animal or wild place can't be denied. As intelligent as they are moving, the stories in Birds of a Lesser Paradise are alive with emotion, wit, and insight into the impressive power that nature has over all of us. This extraordinary collection introduces a young writer of remarkable talent. (Hardcover.)

  

The Dressmaker
, by Kate Alcottcover image 

Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she's had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be a personal maid on the "Titanic's" doomed voyage. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men, one a roughly-hewn but kind sailor and the other an enigmatic Chicago millionaire. On the fourth night, disaster strikes. Amidst the chaos and desperate urging of two very different suitors, Tess is one of the last people allowed on a lifeboat... (Hardcover.)

 

 
Carry the One, by Carol Anshawcover image 

Carry the One begins in the hours following Carmen's wedding reception, when a car filled with stoned, drunk, and sleepy guests accidentally hits and kills a girl on a dark country road. For the next twenty-five years, those involved, including Carmen and her brother and sister, craft their lives in response to this single tragic moment. As one character says, "When you add us up, you always have to carry the one." Through friendships and love affairs; marriage and divorce; parenthood, holidays, and the modest calamities and triumphs of ordinary days, Carry the One shows how one life affects another and how those who thrive and those who self-destruct are closer to each other than we'd expect. (Hardcover.)

  

Song of Achilles, by Madeline Millercover image

Release Date:  3/6/12

Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to be raised in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles. Strong, beautiful, and the child of a goddess--Achilles is everything the shamed Patroclus is not. Despite their differences, the boys become steadfast companions. When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece, bound by blood and oath, must lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.   

 

The Healing, by Jonathan Odellcover image

Mississippi plantation mistress Amanda Satterfield loses her daughter to cholera after her husband refuses to treat her for what he considers to be a "slave disease." Insane with grief, Amanda takes a newborn slave child as her own and names her Granada, much to the outrage of her husband and the amusement of their white neighbors. Troubled by his wife's disturbing mental state and concerned about a mysterious plague sweeping through his slave population, Master Satterfield purchases Polly Shine, a slave reputed to be a healer. But Polly's sharp tongue and troubling predictions cause unrest across the plantation.  

  

 

 

kidspicks  NONFICTION PICKS
London Memories and Learning about Memory


Londoners, by Craig Taylorcover image 

Acclaimed writer and editor Craig Taylor has spent years traversing every corner of the city, getting to know the most interesting Londoners, including the voice of the London Underground, a West End rickshaw driver, an East End nightclub doorperson, a mounted soldier of the Queen's Life Guard at Buckingham Palace, and a couple who fell in love at the Tower of London--and now live there. With candor and humor, this diverse cast--rich and poor, old and young, native and immigrant, men and women (and even a Sarah who used to be a George)--shares indelible tales that capture the city as never before. (Hardcover.)

 

Moonwalking With Einstein
, by Joshua Foercover image 

Beth's staff pick! 

An instant bestseller that is poised to become a classic, Moonwalking with Einstein recounts Joshua Foer's yearlong quest to improve his memory under the tutelage of top "mental athletes." He draws on cutting-edge research, a surprising cultural history of remembering, and venerable tricks of the mentalist's trade to transform our understanding of human memory. From the United States Memory Championship to deep within the author's own mind, this is an electrifying work of journalism that reminds us that, in every way that matters, we are the sum of our memories. (Paperback.)

 
  


kidspicks  RAISING PASSIONATE READERS
Story and Science


The Humming Room
, by Ellen Pottercover image 

Hiding is Roo Fanshaw's special skill. Living in a frighteningly unstable family, she often needs to disappear at a moment's notice. When her parents are murdered, it's her special hiding place under the trailer that saves her life. Roo, much to her surprise, has a wealthy if eccentric uncle, who has agreed to take her into his home. The strange house is teeming with ghost stories and secrets. Roo doesn't believe in ghosts or fairy stories, but what are those eerie noises she keeps hearing? People are lying to her, and Roo becomes determined to find the truth. Inspired by The Secret Garden, this tale full of unusual characters and mysterious secrets is a story that only Ellen Potter could write. (Hardcover, ages 9-12.)


Citizen Scientists,
by Loree Griffin Burnscover image 

Anyone can get involved in gathering data for ongoing, actual scientific studies such as the Audubon Bird Count and FrogWatch USA. Just get out into a field, urban park, or your own backyard. You can put your nose to a monarch pupa or listen for raucous frog calls. You can tally woodpeckers or sweep the grass for ladybugs. This book, full of engaging photos and useful tips, will show you how. (Paperback, ages 8-12.)




kidspicks  MARCH IS VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR MONTH!
Save 20% Off Select Eric Carle Titles!*
 Eric Carle's Very Hungry Caterpillar

Celebrate The Very Hungry Caterpillar Day on March 20th! 
You can grab a countdown widget, watch videos about Eric Carle and his books, and download lots of great screensavers, activity sheets, and such by clicking right here

You can also visit Eric Carle's official site here.


Did you know...?

Eric Carle was born in the United States in 1929 but spent his boyhood in Germany. At that time, the repressive Nazi regime forbade creating or displaying modern, expressionistic or abstract art, which they called "degenerate." One day, when Eric was twelve or thirteen years old, his art teacher, Herr Krauss, secretly showed him some of the forbidden art. "I like the freedom and the looseness in the way you draw and paint," he said, "but I am only permitted to teach realistic art." Pointing to the reproductions, he went on: "Just look at the looseness, the freedom and the beauty of these paintings. The Nazis have no idea what art is; they are charlatans!" At first young Eric was shocked by the art and feared the Herr Krauss had gone mad. Now Eric says, "My green lion, polka-dotted donkey and other animals painted in the 'wrong' colors were really born that day seventy years ago."