Eight Reasons I’m Excited About Hoopla (And You Should Be Too)!

1 Apr

hoopla

Hoopla means to get excited about something and now for Hoboken Public Library resident card holders, along with other members of BCCLS libraries, Hoopla now means having online access to 15,808 videos (including movies and TV shows), 14,313 audiobooks, and 212,595 music albums!  Each month you have an access to up to 8 different choices.  Here are 8 things I’m excited about that Hoopla is currently offering.  So go online and see what all the Hoopla is about!

1. Serenity

As a huge Joss Whedon fan I was sad when Firefly got cancelled, but Serenity was a wonderful consolation prize.  With its blend of Scifi and Western it became an almost instant cult classic.  If you’ve enjoyed Whedon’s more recent work on the Avengers franchise and haven’t seen this yet, definitely check this out.  For more classic scifi goodness check out David Lynch’s Dune or for a documentary about the archetypical fans checkout the documentary Trekkies about devotees of Star Trek.

2. The Sword in the Stone

If you’ve had enough of Frozen, have your kids checkout one of my favorite Disney films instead.  The Sword in the Stone is a charming interpretation of the classic Arthur legend.  I especially love the Wizard battle between Merlin and Madam Mim.  Also available is The Black Cauldron based on the first in The Chronicles of Prydain high fantasy series by Lloyd Alexander, one of my favorites as a child (please be aware that this one unlike most Disney animation is rated PG).  But if you your kids still want more Frozen you can listen to the Frozen Soundtrack or even sing along to the Karaoke version which are available from Hoopla.

3. The Rise and Fall of Ruby Woo by The Puppini Sisters

I’ve been meaning for a while to write in the blog about the retro-wonderfulness that is the Puppini Sisters.  Inspired by groups like the Andrews Sisters they take on classic tunes, while also giving fun treatments to covers of “Walk Like an Egyptian” and “Crazy in Love”.  Their original pieces are quite lovely.  Also checkout Max Raabe and Palast Orchester’s Golden Age, whose cover of “Oops! … I Did It Again” isn’t to be missed.

4. A Cook’s Tour

I loved Bourdain’s classic memoir, Kitchen Confidential, and his latest foodie travel series on the Travel Channel and CNN.  If like me you can’t get enough of New Jersey born Bourdain’s dry wit and adventurous spirit check out his first travel series, A Cook’s Tour, where he travels to Tokyo, Paris, Morocco, Russia, and more.  If you want more foodie delights check out the terrific films Mostly Martha and The Wedding Banquet or the documentary on the world renowned Spanish molecular gastronomic chef Ferran Adria, El Bulli: Cooking in Progress.

5. Carrie Vaughn’s Low Midnight

Carrie Vaughn’s newest novel Low Midnight is available as an audiobook from Hoopla.  You may remember I wrote an earlier blog post about Vaughn’s Kitty series about a radio host DJ who is a werewolf.  In Low Midnight, she writes the about of one of my favorite characters, the mysterious Cormac Bennett.   You can also listen to other books about Kitty including Vaughn’s first Kitty and the Midnight Hour.  If you are a fan of urban fantasy Hoopla has more treats in store including the audiobook short story collection Night Shift featuring paranormal romance stories by Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, Milla Vane, and Lisa Shearin.  Plus consider checking out two great urban fantasy TV shows: Sanctuary about a group running a preserve for supernatural creatures and Being Human about a ghost, vampire, and werewolf who are roommates.

6. The Addams Family

The Addams Family has more recently spun off into movies and a Broadway musical all of which are enjoyable, but my favorite adaptation of the classic cartoon from The New Yorker, is the original TV series that you can watch now on Hoopla.  If you like dark humor check out the quirky Dead Like Me about a reluctant grim reaper.  Plus with Hoopla, you can view some episodes of the classic vampire soap Dark Shadows.

7. Return to Oz

Recently as part of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Discussion at the library we had a special Oz event where we discussed the first three books in the series and had a special screening of Return to Oz. If you missed the event you can still check out this cult classic film that many fans of Baum’s work feel is a more accurate interpretation of the books than the 1939 Garland musical. If you can’t get enough Oz you can also view The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz.  Plus you can listen to the audiobook of Wizard of Oz or the Wicked, the Musical, Soundtrack.

8. Movies, Music, TV, Audiobooks available 24/7! 

One of the best things about Hoopla is it allows us to provide our Hoboken Library Card patrons access to materials even when the library is closed. You can borrow music for 7 days, videos for 3 days, and audiobooks for 21 days. Any time you feel like watching a comedy such as Mr. Wrong you can or maybe you’d prefer a documentary like Bowling for Columbine or check out an episode of kid’s shows (my toddler recommends Dinosaur Train and Chuggington).  Hoopla has a lot of great musical selections whether you enjoy mainstream powerhouses like Madonna, Lady Gaga, and Imagine Dragons or are a fan of more obscure music such as Industrial bands like KMFDM, :Wumpscut:, and Skinny Puppy.  I’m looking forward to checking out Austrian darkwave act L’ Ame Immortelle’s latest Drahtseilakt tonight.  I also can’t wait to download the audiobook for Lydia Millet’s Mermaids in Paradise that I’ve been looking forward to reading.  There are no waiting lists, no late fees, and you have up to 8 great entertainment choices per month.

You can get more information about using Hoopla here.  See our eResources page for even more electronic goodies available 24/7 to Hoboken Public Library Card Holders like magazines, eBooks, downloadable music, reference resources, and more!  And let us know your audiobook, movie, music, and TV show recommendations for Hoopla in our comments section.

-Written by Aimee Harris, Head of Reference

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Manners, Please

25 Mar

Do you remember the first magic words you were taught?  Were they “please” and “thank you”?  Have you taught the same words to your children?  Do they know when to actually use them?

Mannerly children stand out in a crowd, perhaps not among their peers, but certainly to the adults who still rule their worlds.  Learning to wait your turn, not to interrupt, and to be kind to other people so that they will reciprocate are hard lessons to learn.  However, there are many characters in children’s books that are learning those lessons and can offer your child a usually humorous example of how to be on best behavior.

So, please read the following book descriptions and request them, politely, from the library.  Thank you very much!

Fancy Nancy, by Jane O’Connor.

fancy-nancy

Nancy has joined the rarefied group of literary superstars occupied by Thompson’s Eloise and Bemelman’s Madeline.  However, Nancy represents with her own personal style.  In the very first book that gave birth to a very successful series, Nancy tries to train her family in the art of being fancy, using large words, and dressing up to the occasion.  However, it all goes terribly wrong when an embarrassing incident in the restaurant where the family is dining causes Nancy to lose her dignity and, perhaps, learning an important lesson about her own expectations.

My Mouth Is a Volcano, by Julia Cook.

my-mouth-is-a-volcano

Louis has a volcano mouth.  His words wriggle and jiggle and tumble out, even when it isn’t his turn to speak.  So, Louis (and the children reading Louis’ story) learn an important lesson in managing their thoughts and sharing words without interrupting.

D.W.’s Guide to Perfect Manners, by Marc Brown.

dws-guide-to-perfect-manners

D.W. has a goal, to be perfect for a day.  She demonstrates perfection by being clean, orderly, and showing good manners.  Children reading the book can take a test to see if their manners are as good as D.W.’s.

Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf, by Judy Sierra.

mind-your-manners-bb-wolf

The Big Bad Wolf is now retired and living in the Villains Villas.  He has befriended a crocodile who is schooling him on behaving appropriately with other story book characters.  When B.B. is invited to a library tea, the other characters attending (many of whom were victimized by B.B. in his younger days) are shocked.  B.B. tries his best to behave, but a giant burp nearly blows the library down.  A friendly librarian (!!!!!) forgives him and suggests that he isn’t bad, just misunderstood.

Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners, by Laurie Keller.

do-unto-otters

The Rabbit family has new neighbors but they are unlike their usual acquaintances: they’re otters.  How does a rabbit get along with a otter?  It’s a puzzle to the rabbits until they remember the Golden Rule and try to treat others as they themselves would like to be treated.

Suppose You Meet a Dinosaur: A First Book of Manners, by Judy Sierra.

suppose-you-meet-a-dinosaur

If you happen to frequent places where you might meet a dinosaur, a grocery store as an example, this book provides guidelines on how to behave and not upset the giant lizard.

Please Say Please: A Penguin’s Guide to Manners, by Margery Cuyler.

please-say-please

Penguin teaches his animal friends how to behave when they are invited for dinner.  Rules involve good behavior like a giraffe not burping at the table and an elephant not spraying milk out of his trunk.

Hippo Says “Excuse Me”, by Michael Dahl.

hippos-says-excuse-me

It’s never too soon to start teaching children manners.  This little board book starts your child’s lessons by showing animals saying, “please,” “thank you,” and “excuse me.”

Thanks a Lot, Emily Post!, by Jennifer LaRue Huget.

thanks-a-lot-emily-post

Many years ago, a woman named Emily Post wrote a book about manners for every situation.  The children in the story are told by their mother that she expects them to use Emily Post as their guide to good manners.  However, the children turn the tables and insist that their mother follows the rules as well.

If you’d like to politely request these books, you can by going the BCCLS website and entering the title in the “search” field.  You can then patiently wait for the e-mail that tells you that the book is waiting for you at the library.  And please return the book on time so that another patron can learn good manners, too.  Thank you and you’re welcome.

-Written by Lois Rubin Gross, Senior Children’s Librarian

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