Archive | July, 2016

Gotta Catch’em All: Check Out these items at the Hoboken Public Library for Pokémon Trainers

13 Jul

If you are out catching Pokémon at the Poké Stop in Church Square Park and need to get a break from the heat we hope you stop in to cool off at our library across the street. There is a water fountain on the second floor for those needing a quick drink, a charging station for your phone or tablet, and we have a variety of fun Pokémon related videos, books, and more for you to check out if you can’t get enough Pokémon.  If you aren’t familiar with 90’s franchise that spawned the Pokémon Go phenomena, this will give you the opportunity to learn the difference between a Charmander and a Clefairy.

Pokémon Cartoon Series

johto-journeys
When I was in graduate school my roommate (a fan of a Jigglypuff) and I always giggled about the fact that instead of going out to the clubs Friday evenings we sometimes enjoyed nothing more than getting a pint of fresh made ice cream from the store up the block and watching the adventures of Ash, Misty, and Brock and other Pokémon trainers.  I’m having fun introducing my son to the cartoon series.  We have a variety of DVDs to choose from including The Johto Journeys, Adventures in Orange Islands, and many more.  Plus for those who have a favorite type check out the Pokémon Elements series with volumes concentrating on episodes highlighting everything from Grass types, Electric types, and my personal favorites the Ghost types.  Plus you can check out movies like Hoopa and the Clash of Ages and Genesect and the Legend Awakened.

Pokémon Games

pokepark2
My son and husband have been having a lot of fun playing Pokémon Go in the parks near our home (Go Team Instinct!), but if it is a rainy day and you don’t feel like leaving the house we have some fun Pokémon games for those with Wiis or Wii Us, you can borrow here at the library including PokéPark 2, Wonders Beyond for the Wii, Pokken Tournament for the Wii U, and Pokémon Battle Revolution for Wii.

Pokémon Books

pokedex
The Hoboken Public Library has Pokémon XY by Hidenori Kusaka; the graphic novels tells the story of a shy but talented young prodigy and Legendary Pokémon Xerneas and Yveltal.  We also have his Pokémon Adventures. Black & White and Pokémon Adventures. Emerald for you to check out.  Plus you can borrow from various other BCCLS libraries various editions of Pokedexes (a listing of Pokémons and their abilities) from Pokémon Omega Ruby, Pokémon Alpha Sapphire: The official national Pokédex to Pokédex all 482+8 Pokémon & Post-Story Guide.  If you are a Hoboken resident, you can request the books be sent to you through interlibrary loan to the Hoboken Public Library, though many libraries are Poke Stops and Gyms so it may be the perfect opportunity to take a trip around North Jersey and see what all the terrific BCCLS libraries have to offer in person.

Pokémon Music

pokemon 2ba
If you are looking for some fun music to listen to while searching for Pokémon than check out the choices you have from Hoopla including the soundtrack to the first film Pokémon The Movie, Pokémon – 2.B.A. Master – Music From The Hit Tv Series, and Pokémon – Totally Pokémon – Music From The Hit Tv Series.  Plus for when Christmas time comes around, who can resist Pokémon Christmas Bash featuring the song “I’m Giving Santa a Pickachu This Christmas”? There is even a Karaoke version on the album!

Let us know your favorite Pokémon in the comments section and happy hunting!

-Written by Aimee Harris, Head of Reference

Tags: , , , ,

For Those Who Hate Shakespeare: A Variety of Works to Change the Mind of the Reluctant Reader about the Bard

6 Jul

Through the years as a librarian and an avid reader, I’ve often encountered others who despite also being fond of the written word confess that they hate Shakespeare (often in hushed tones as if their library card may be revoked due to this fact–it won’t be, I promise). Often their encounter with the Bard began and ended with a high school English class where they struggled to get through Shakespeare’s rich, but antiquated writing.  Some of what keeps people from Shakespeare is the language or the sense of not being able to connect with the time period; these works take away some of those barriers.  Hopefully they will inspire you to take a look at Shakespeare’s work again with new eyes.

The Hogarth Shakespeare Project: The Gap of Time and Vinegar Girl

gap-of-time.jpg
The Hogarth Shakespeare Project which debuted in October of 2015 includes works by bestselling authors retelling the works of Shakespeare in novel form.  You can check out one of my favorite authors, Jeanette Winterson’s The Gap of Time, her take on The Winter’s Tale.  I’m looking forward to checking out the newly available Vinegar Girl, Anne Tyler’s spin on my favorite of Shakespeare’s comedies, The Taming of the Shrew in which Kate, a preschool teacher who hates kids, agrees to marry her zany scientist father’s lab assistant so he can get a green card.  Fans of Margaret Atwood have her retelling of The Tempest to look forward to in October.

The Year of Lear: Shakespeare in 1606 by James Shapiro

year-of-lear
If you are fascinated by history, read this recent work by esteemed Shakespeare historian, James Shapiro, where he explores how the events of 1606 influenced Shakespeare to write three of his great tragedies King Lear, Macbeth, and Antony and Cleopatra.  Although there is a timelessness to Shakespeare’s work understanding the political climate and beliefs of the time adds another layer to the material.

Tales from Shakespeare

tales-from-shakespeare
Written for teens and kids Tales from Shakespeare includes ten of Shakespeare’s popular works including Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet retold in prose format by Tina Packer.  Each story is stunningly brought to life by a different well known artist including P.J. Lynch and Barbara McClintock.

YOLO Juliet by Brett Wright (and William Shakespeare)

yolo-juliet
If your attitude toward Shakespeare is TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) then you may change your mind with this quirky retelling of Romeo and Juliet using text speak and emojis, part of the OMG Shakespeare! series.  The work is recommended for grades 8 and up.

Much Ado About Nothing

much-ado-about-nothing
If you are a Joss Whedon fan like me, how can you resist his contemporary retelling of the classic romance starring Angel’s Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof, and Firefly’s Nathan Fillion?

Throne of Blood

throne-of-blood
Think Shakespeare is boring?  This retelling of Macbeth set in feudal Japan featuring a samurai lord may change your mind.

Why Shakespeare?
If you still aren’t convinced about Shakespeare check out this documentary that answers the question of Why Shakespeare? Why Shakespeare? includes interviews with actors and celebrities like Christina Applegate along with inner city kids whose lives were transformed by Shakespeare and the world of live theater.

A Theatergoer’s Guide to Shakespeare by Robert Thomas Fallon

guide-to-shakespeare
As with all plays the best way to enjoy Shakespeare is as live theater so check out Shakespeare in the Park or if it too hot out borrow a DVD of Macbeth or The Tempest to watch inside with the air conditioner turned up.  Fallon’s A Theatergoer’s Guide to Shakespeare gives you critical, historical, and plot details that will have you prepped to enjoy some of Shakespeare’s most frequently staged works without confusion due to the language or allusions that you are unfamiliar with.

-Written by Aimee Harris, Head of Reference

Tags: ,

Newer Entries →