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Need Something to Do with Out of Town Guests?: Checkout Free Museum Passes at the Hoboken Public Library

11 Dec

It’s the time of year when you may have visitors from out of state or even from overseas visiting for the holidays.  For Hoboken residents there are lots of area attractions across the river in New York City to show off and our library card holders can borrow passes to get in free thanks to the Friends of the Hoboken Public Library.  Passes may be borrowed by Permanent Hoboken Public Library resident card holders in good standing for a 48 hour period.  Here are a few of my favorite choices and some books and DVDs available from BCCLS libraries to checkout before you go.

Intrepid Museum

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My son loves all types of vehicles, including ships, and I can’t wait to take him to explore the Intrepid.  For military buffs both big and small it is a site not to be missed.  In Intrepid: The Epic Story of America’s Most Legendary Warship by Bill White and Robert Gandt, learn all about the history of one of the country’s most famous warships from its military service during battles in Word War II, its return to service during the Cold War, and how it was used to retrieve astronauts in the 1960s.  You’ll even find out about the process of turning it into a tourist destination.  Beyond the aircraft carrier itself, the museum also features original artifacts and interactive exhibits. The Library’s Museum Pass allows up to 6 people entrance to the Intrepid as well as Growler, the only American guided missile submarine open to the public!

American Museum of Natural History

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My father was a biology and chemistry teacher and The American Museum of Natural History has always been his favorite museum.  I have many happy memories as both a child and an adult visiting it with him.  This is the perfect place to take visiting friends and family who are interested in science.  Windows on Nature: The Great Habitat Dioramas of the American Museum of Natural History by Stephen Christopher Quinn shows the awe inspiring images of the museum’s impressive dioramas and explains what went into their creation.  Or if you prefer shiny things check out Gems & Crystals from One of the World’s Great Collections by George E. Harlow, Curator of Gems and Minerals and Anna S. Sofianides.  Besides numerous nonfiction titles, you can also find plenty of fiction set at the museum with everything from mysteries to picture books including The Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Eloise and the Dinosaurs by Lisa McClatchy and illustrated by Tammie Lyon, and Murder at the Museum of Natural History by Michael Jahn.  Plus of course there is the charmingly funny Night at the Museum movie series starring Ben Stiller.  The museum is open daily from 10 am – 5:45 pm except on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

growing-suspicion
Living in Hoboken and North Jersey means many of us don’t have the space for the gardens that our hearts desire, but with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden so close by we can all enjoy nature’s beauty.  The museum pass includes admission for 2 adults and all children under the age of 16.  Check out this December bromeliads and other tropical plants cascading from the Conservatory skylight into a ground-level leafy mosaic in a display of kokedama (a type of indoor bonsai), part of the Garden’s annual holiday exhibit.  If your child has a green thumb he/she might be interested in the handbook Gardening with Children by Monika Hannemann or the fictional A Growing Suspicion: A Rebecca Mystery by Jacqueline Dembar Greene set at the gardens.

The Guggenheim Museum

speeding
I am a huge art fan so no matter what city I visit, I always need to check out some of the local art museums. But my favorite museum–not just for art, but the amazing building itself–The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, is right across the river.  Its unique snail shell design provides an unusual and fun art viewing experience as you slowly spiral past modern art masterpieces.  To learn more you can check out the 2010 documentary Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum, a film by Neil Levine and Timothy Sakamoto, which looks at the iconic building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. If you have a budding young art lover in your life they might enjoy the adventure of three curious mice in The Great Googlestein Museum Mystery by Jean Van Leeuwen or the picture book Speeding down the Spiral: An Artful Adventure by Deborah Goodman Davis and illustrated by Sophy Naess.  Right now until January 6, you can view one of the most comprehensive shows ever presented of the work by Alberto Burri. Plus see breathtaking works from the Guggenheim’s collection by Kandinsky, Picasso, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Seurat, van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Cézanne.

The Hoboken Public Library also offers free passes to several other great area museums including the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, Cooper-Hewitt Museum, The Frick Collection, Museum of the City of New York, and the New-York Historical Society!  For more information is available on our website.

-Written by Aimee Harris, Head of Reference

Learning about Dia de los Muertos

31 Oct

Dia de los Muertos, or day of the dead, is a celebration that started with the Aztecs of Mexico and is still observed in Mexico and throughout Latin America, as well as in the United States.

For Dia, which lasts from October 31 until November 2, families come together to remember the deceased. People visit and clean their relatives’ gravesites at cemeteries; build altars (or ofrendas) with pictures and mementos of their loved ones; and prepare foods that were favored by the deceased. The goal of these acts is to entice their relatives’ spirits to visit, as it is believed that spirits come back to the living world on those days. While the occasion sounds somber, it is actually one of love, celebration, and feasts.

Orale Mexican Kitchen in Jersey City has a great example of an altar in their front window, which has pictures of Kurt Cobain, Heath Ledger, Jim Morrison, and Marilyn Monroe. Note the marigolds, the candles, and the skulls, all of which are also included in these types of altars.

orale altar

I first learned about Dia de los Muertos at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. After that visit, I decided to find out more about Dia and its customs and history.

I think the following books are great for learning more about this lively and touching celebration. These books are aimed at children, but I feel that anyone can enjoy them.

Day of the Dead, by Carrie Gleason

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This book is a straightforward overview of the celebration. It is nonfiction, and includes a dictionary of terms and an index in the back. Readers will also learn about the history of the Aztecs in Mexico, and how Dia evolved after the Spanish came to the country.

The Day of the Dead/El Dia de los Muertos, by Bob Barner

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The text in this book is written in English and Spanish, which is excellent for those learning both languages. There is a rhythm to the story that makes it ideal for reading aloud. The colorful and visually appealing illustrations make the skeletons seem friendly and not scary.

A Gift for Abuelita: Celebrating the Day of the Dead, by Nancy Luenn

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Image via

This is the story of Rosita, a young girl who prepares for a Dia de los Muertos celebration with her family, during which she hopes to see her beloved Abuelita. This is another book where the story is told in English and Spanish. The textured artwork illustrating the story is gorgeous.

Are you planning to celebrate Dia de los Muertos? Have a happy and safe Halloween!

-Written by Kerry Weinstein, Reference Librarian

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