News from the Amherst Town Library

In This Issue
Spotlight on Blu-ray Movies
Summer Fun
A Rose by Any Other Name
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Spotlight on Blu-ray Movies
While Blu-ray discs have not overtaken the DVD market, they continue to gain market share. This also seems to be the trend here at the library. Our Blu-ray collection is slowly growing, and Amherst patrons are definitely enjoying them!

 

Here are some new releases:  The Host, Oz the Great and Powerful,  42: the Jackie Robinson Story, and Jack the Giant Slayer 

 

Here are some Academy Award Winners: Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Lincoln, and Life of Pi.

 

And if you want to get ahead, place a hold on these on-order items: The Great Gatsby, G.I. Joe Retaliation, The Sapphires, and Oblivion.

 

Click here to browse the entire collection.

Greetings!

Thanks to all of the kids and parents in Amherst for making this such a wonderful summer!!
IT'S BEEN A GREEEEEAT SUMMER!!
Things started off with a flourish-- with Norman Ng giving a magical performance to nearly 200 kids and parents.  By the end of our first week, over 400 children had registered to "Dig Into Reading" here in Amherst, with the total rising to nearly 600 by summer's end.

   
We had lots of fun---cave-painting, decorating rocks, a teddy-bear sleepover, Tuesday afternoon movies, and Thursday morning events!

We celebrated the end of our program with a delicious Ice Cream Social-complete with "dirt" and "worms" (crushed Oreos and gummy worms).  Miss Sarah and Miss Sue were obligated to make good on their promise to eat chocolate-covered ANTS and CRICKETS if the reading total topped 5,500 hours.

Through it all, the kids never stopped READING. On the last day of the program, the total of "hours spent reading" rose to 8,000---a new record!!  We hope these kids managed to get outside and play every now and then this summer!  
"A Rose by Any Other Name..."
 

There have been many authors that have chosen to publish by a pen name. Lewis Carroll was born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, Mark Twain grew up as Samuel Langhorne Clemens, and Theodor Seuss Geisel is the real identity of Dr. Seuss. The most recent author attempting to slip past the spotlight and write something secretly under a pseudonym is by Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling. Before Robert Galbraith's true identity was revealed, The Cuckoo's Calling had already sold 1,500 copies in print and 7,000 copies of the ebook, audiobook, and library editions. Of course, once Robert Galbraith's true identity was revealed, the book flew to the top of the bestseller lists.  

cuckoos calling  

Other famous authors using pseudonyms:    

Agatha Christie: The English crime writer also wrote six romance novels under the name Mary Westmacott.

Jayne Ann Krentz: This author of romantic suspense, also used the nom de plume Amanda Quick for historical fiction and Jayne Castle for futuristic science fiction.

Nora Roberts: The queen of romance began publishing futuristic science fiction books under the name J.D. Robb beginning in 1995 with the "In Death" series.

Stephen King: The king of horror has published seven novels under the named Richard Bachman.

Barbara Mertz: Talk about identity crisis! The acclaimed mystery writer is also known as Elizabeth Peters, author of the Amelia Peabody series, and Barbara Michaels, writer of gothic and supernatural thrillers.
Remember, the library is a happening place and your library card is your ticket to free books, magazines, music, movies, Internet access, enriching programs and much more!

 

Sincerely,

 

Amherst Town Library