Category Reviews

The picture depicts a boy sitting in a recliner with a fuzzy orange blanket over his lap, reading a book.

Stay Cozy with Elkridge – for kids

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The picture depicts a boy sitting in a recliner with a fuzzy orange blanket over his lap, reading a book.

By Elkridge Branch staff

Winter is a great time to curl up with a cozy read. Cold and sometimes dreary weather begs for a blanket, a hot drink, and a fire. This month, the Elkridge branch staff members have collected a list of titles to encourage you to Stay Cozy! Keep an eye on the HCLS Facebook page to see titles for all ages highlighted throughout January, and make sure to track titles for the Winter Reading Challenge. Here are just a few of those titles. 

FOR LITTLE ONES:

Stormy Night written and illustrated by Salina Yoon
Bear is frightened by a storm, but singing to his toy, Floppy the bunny, and being with his parents helps comfort him. When the storm is over, he falls asleep. Share this story to help your youngest friends and family members understand that it’s normal to be scared, but we can find comfort in the familiar and move past those feelings. 

A Day So Gray by Marie Lamba, illustrated by Alea Marley
Join two friends as they explore and uncover the colors that can be found all around them on a seemingly gray, dreary, snowy day. Wonderful illustrations bring Marie Lamba’s words to life as as you discover different pops of color on every page. 

Shhh! This Book is Sleeping by Cédric Ramadier and Vincent Bourgeau
Instead of getting cozy with a good book, this time help a good book get cozy. Shhh! This Book is Sleeping is a fun way to help children feel more involved in their bedtime routine. The book’s cute facial expressions make this story charming and delightful.

My Mommy Medicine by Edwidge Danticat
For anytime we’re feeling down or not-so-well, this sweet book is full of ways to comfort each other. With bright illustrations, a young girl tells us about the yummy, playful, loving things her mother does to help her feel better. Whether you see some favorites or discover creative new ideas, this soothing hug of a story is sure to give warm fuzzies.

FOR BIGGER KIDS: 

You’re Snug With Me by Chitra Soundar
Cuddle up for this tender story of reassurances from mother polar bear to her dear little cubs as they wonder about growing up and setting forth from their cozy winter den. With warmth and wisdom, Mama gently guides her curious cubs to know and care for the awe-inspiring natural world. The intricate illustrations are mesmerizing and sure to inspire just as much wonder.

Winterhouse by Ben Gunterson – also available as an eaudiobook on OverDrive
Elizabeth Somers is sent to live at the Winterhouse Hotel by her unpleasant aunt and uncle. In the hotel’s vast library, she discovers a magical book of puzzles that will unlock the secrets of the hotel and the sinister family that owns the property. The first book in a trilogy, Winterhouse is filled with mystery, adventure, and a sharp cast of characters. 

Cool Knitting for Kids: A Fun and Creative Introduction to Fiber Art by Alex Kuskowski
A great book for beginning knitters with an abundance of pictures and step-by-step instructions. This book teaches the basic skills needed to craft with yarn, and shows you how to create hand-dyed yarn to get any color you need. Children can learn to knit scarf and mittens – perfect for keeping cozy during the chilly winter months. 

The Lotterys Plus One by Emma Donoghue – also available as an audiobook on CD
Jump into the Lottery family’s cozy household in this fun story. Four parents, seven kids, and five pets are unexpectedly joined by a surly grandfather who isn’t used to the way their home operates. He has never been a part of the children’s lives, after being estranged from his son years ago, and the whole family has a lot of adjusting to do. Nine-year-old Sumac, in particular, has to give up her room to this new addition and is not happy about his arrival. Can she help him find a home where he belongs? 

The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs by America’s Test Kitchen – also available as an ebook on OverDrive 
Want to make your own soft pretzels or a showstopping pie? Or wow your friends with homemade empanadas? During winter, you can make some delicious snacks and bring a touch of warmth to family and friends. From breakfast to breads, from cookies to cakes (yes, even cupcakes!), learn to bake it all here. You can do this, and it’s fun! 

The Elkridge Branch + DIY Education Center opened the doors of its new building in March 2018. All our staff wish that we could see you in person, but we are happy to help you discover new reads while we are apart.

Wintery Tales for Winter Reading Challenge

Kristen B. Leave a comment

By Kristen B.

Sometimes, as the days get dark and cold, I prefer to read books that reflect the world around me. I’m not as drawn to these sorts of books in the summer, those are the marvelous, warm days of beach-y reads. HCLS has kicked off its Winter Reading challenge, which asks you to track what you read online. All ages can participate. Here are a couple of recent favorites with a fairy tale flavor that make the best use of their snowy settings to get you started.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

A dark haired woman dressed in black pours coins from one hand to the other, and they change from silver to gold. Side images include a bag of coin, a man's face, and more coins falling. The title and author appear below the images.

Set in a Baltic look-alike world called Lithvas, this fantasy novel loosely retells Rumplestiltskin through the points of view of three strong but very different women: the daughter of a village money lender, her indentured servant, and a landowner’s daughter who becomes tsarina. Miryem has a much better head for business than her father and begins to require repayment of local loans so her own family doesn’t starve and freeze. This is how she ends up with an indentured servant, Wanda, who wants a better life for herself and her brothers. Irina, the reluctant princess, discovers that all is not as it seems at the highest levels of society, with the tsar secretly possessed by a fire demon. She discovers that she can escape into a strange winter world via old magic and jewelry made of Staryk silver. She also realizes that she’s much better at politics than her husband.

Miryem’s ability to make money seemingly from nothing brings her to the attention of the Staryk – the immortal fairy creatures who live and thrive in a world of winter. The Staryk’s highly rigid, structured culture comes as a shock and mystery to Miriam when she marries their ruler. Her growing enlightenment brings together all the many threads of this story, which weave an enchanting tale filled with mountains of snow and ice, demons and magical jewels, tsars and servants, and most of all the power of names and of family. I loved each woman separately, as they discover their own talents and try to carve a place to thrive in a world ruled by men who use them but only rarely see them.

Also available in ebook and eaudiobook.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

A cabin shines golden light into a snowy forest, as a figure makes its way toward the open door.

Continuing in the Slavic traditions: The first book in a trilogy, The Bear and the Nightingale repositions the traditional Russian Vasya the Brave tales for our heroine Vasilisa. The youngest daughter of a local boyar (landowner), she grows up idolizing and working alongside her older brothers after her mother dies. When her father goes to Moscow to find a young wife, Vasya’s world changes as her step-mother brings new rules to the house (mostly about wayward girl children) and a new faith, Christianity. Vasya lives very much attached to the old ways and the local spirits of the hearth and the woods. She befriends the spirit of death (or maybe winter), Morozko, and his magical horse as she battles an ancient evil bear/trickster spirit. As the two worldviews come into increasing conflict, neither the pagan traditions or the newer church are portrayed as completely good or evil. There’s a good bit of grey area for the characters to explore and reconcile as Vasya struggles to find a way to stay true to herself and save her family. The storytelling is masterful and the language beautiful, and you root for this wild, willful but somehow lost little girl to find her way home. The story continues in The Girl in the Tower and finishes spectacularly in The Winter of the Witch.

Also available in ebook and eaudiobook.

Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett

Snowflakes fall in front of a girl with long brown hair dressed in white. She is holding a small angry blue man with a red beard brandishing a sword.

Last but by no means least: The third book in a YA series about young witch Tiffany Aching, Wintersmith is among my favorite installments of the sprawling Discworld universe. Discworld (the creation of genius satirist and prolific storyteller Terry Pratchett) really deserves its own blog post in the future. Please explore as you have time and interest, but you don’t necessarily have to read the first two Tiffany Aching books (The Wee Free Men and A Hat Full of Sky) to enjoy this one.

Tiffany Aching decides to become a witch because she is definitely not a princess and can’t be a woodcutter. Besides, witches get things done. In Wintersmith, as she becomes the firmly established apprentice to Granny Weatherwax, Tiffany accidentally draws the attention of the Wintersmith. The godling mistakes her for the never met but greatly desired spirit of summer, and he proceeds to court Tiffany with romantic notions like personalized snowflakes wearing her face. Pratchett’s turn of phrase often makes me snort with humor, then sit back and admire his way with words. Whether describing no-nonsense older witches or the joys of making good cheese, all of his master craftsmanship shines in this book. It takes Tiffany and her friends some doing, and some dancing, to make everything come right in the end of this lovely wintery caper about finding balance and maintaining boundaries (or maybe it’s maintaining balance and finding boundaries).

One last note: Tiffany’s accomplices on her adventures are the Nac Mac Feegle (see book cover above), who are bright blue, fierce, miniature, larcenous creatures with broad Scots accents (think combative Smurfs with major attitudes) that are simply the best thing ever. Given the Feegles’ dialect, the Tiffany Aching books are also terrific to read aloud or listen to.

Also available in ebook and eaudiobook.

I hope you enjoy one or all of these, or maybe have some of your own seasonal stories to enjoy. Feel free to share your favorites in the comments.

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to spend winter reading, baking, and waiting for baseball to return.

Snowy background with a white felt snowman wearing light blue scarf, mittens,. and hat.

Happy Holidays!

Kristen B. Leave a comment
Snowy background with a white felt snowman wearing light blue scarf, mittens,. and hat.

Howard County Library System wishes you all the best during the holiday season. Thank you for reading our new blog, which we began in May. We hope you’ve enjoyed the reviews and maybe discovered a new electronic resource or two.

We published nearly 95 posts this year; here were some of the most-read posts of 2020:


Bypass the News Paywall
Jessica listed the many newspapers that HCLS subscribes to … so you don’t have to!

Review of Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Kim reviewed a quirky movie that defies easy classification, but delights nonetheless.

Bundle Bags
Cherise explained the new service that HCLS began recently. Fill out the form and receive a bag of books, movies, and more!

Happy New Year! Hope you continue to enjoy Chapter Chats!

Jacqueline Woodson: Brown Girl Dreaming and Another Brooklyn

Kristen B. 3 Comments

Reviews by Kristen B.

Brown Girl Dreaming may be one of the most beautifully poignant books I’ve ever had the privilege to read. This autobiographical text told in verse relates Woodson’s childhood memories of both Brooklyn, NY and her grandparents’ home in rural South Carolina. I loved the glow of fireflies appearing in the summer dusk, and my heart ached with the understanding that her brother had been lead poisoned by paint in an old tenement. This lovely volume brings us the complete open-hearted bewilderment of a child learning about her world. Dirt driveways and city asphalt combine into a mesmerizing memoir that, while it might be labelled for teens and children, brings truth to all its readers (also available as an eBook and eAudiobook). Woodson received a 2020 MacArthur Fellows Grant.

Woodson continues the coming-of-age theme in her novel, Another Brooklyn. In some ways, I read this as the grown-up version of Brown Girl Dreaming even though its more novel and less memoir. August is returning to Brooklyn for a funeral, and as she travels she can’t help but remember her childhood – the lives of the four fast friends growing up in the 1970s in Brooklyn. The storytelling is still lyrical, if not exactly in verse. The vignettes of the girls’ lives gave me both the feeling of being a young teen again, with all those emotions and upsets, as well as a glimpse of the bigger, national picture that was unfolding around them. Like in the previous book, you get the family nostalgia for an unkind South as well as the hard edges of the northern city. The author does not pull any punches as the girls get older, the problems get thornier, and the solutions ever more doubtful. (also available as an eAudiobook).

These are dreaming books, a little beautiful and a little disturbing, with a haze of remembering to them. But they carry truth, and truth can be hard to hear. Both of these books live on my keeper shelves, and I revisit them periodically. I hope you love them, too.

Kristen B. has worked for HCLS for more than 15 years, and currently hosts the Books on Tap discussion group at Hysteria Brewing Company. She loves reading, Orioles baseball, and baking.

The book cover photograph shows a black, blue-eyed, short-haired dog seated with his nose in the air, on a field of lush, bright green grass.

Colter: The True Story of the Best Dog I Ever Had by Rick Bass

juliefitzreader 2 Comments
The book cover photograph shows a black, blue-eyed, short-haired dog seated with his nose in the air, on a field of lush, bright green grass.

By Julie F.

I fall very easily for stories about humans and their pets, especially when it’s a coming-of-age story. (Think Sterling North’s Rascal or Fred Gipson’s Old Yeller, both of which author Rick Bass loved as a child, and both of which I still own in my childhood copies). Colter: The True Story of the Best Dog I Ever Had isn’t a coming-of-age story, as it was written when the author was in his forties, but it’s still a perceptive and moving look at how a beloved animal can open one’s eyes, create a change in perspective, and forever alter a life. Bass loved and loves every dog he has ever had – that’s clear from his touching narrative about the stray hounds he rescued, Homer and Ann, as well as his amusing recounting of how he couldn’t choose between two pointers in a subsequent litter of Colter’s full siblings (spoiler: he ends up taking both of them home).

Why is Colter “the best” of these? It’s ambiguous – Bass clearly believes that they have a mysterious but immutable bond – but it’s largely based on Colter’s growth from runt of the litter to magnificent, mature sporting dog, and the incomparable feeling Bass has when they are working in tandem to achieve their mutual goal and desire to hunt, the destiny for which he has trained Colter. I’m not a hunter, but his descriptions of what both he and Colter (presumably) felt during training and hunting are breathtaking:

“I think that in those moments, those perfect moments, when we are crossing great fields like that, an observer looking down from a mile or two above – a bird’s-eye view – would not believe that we were earthbound. I feel certain that that observer would see the two animals, man and dog, moving steadily across that prairie – one casting and weaving, the other continuing straight ahead – and would believe that they were two birds traveling in some graceful drift to some point, some location, known surely to their hearts” (95).

A beautiful ode to rural life in Montana, to the changing seasons of a dog’s life, to companionship and love and loss. If you’re a fan of Bass’s work, or just of nature writing in general, I highly recommend this book – it’s a keeper – as well as his look at the first wolf pack to attempt to settle outside of the boundaries of the national parks in Montana after reintroduction, The Ninemile Wolves. Although both are excellent, I rate this one just a little more highly because of the intense personal journey it shares with the reader. For fiction readers, Bass is also the author of several collections of short stories available at HCLS, including In the Loyal Mountains and For a Little While: New and Selected Stories, as well as an essay collection that celebrates some of his mentors, The Traveling Feast: On the Road and At the Table with My Heroes.

Julie is an instructor and research specialist at HCLS Miller Branch. She loves gardening, reading, and all kinds of music.

Black and white photo of author next to the black and white color of her book of essays, which features white strips on grey scale geometric objects

Intimations by Zadie Smith

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The book cover shows a gray hallway with slotted windows and light coming through them to land on the floor and the opposite wall, which curves away from the viewer toward a dark entryway.

By Eric L.

I recall the first time I read something in the New Yorker by Zadie Smith nearly a decade ago. It was a nonfiction story about Joni Mitchell entitled “Some Notes on Attunement: A Voyage Around Joni Mitchell.” It was a nonfiction personal reflection about how she, a woman of color, had no interest in the music of a white folk singer, who on the surface would have nothing at all in common with her despite her friends’ incredulous responses concerning her cluelessness.

Smith describes how she realized her youthful stubbornness and closed-minded self as the culprit. The essay was about her own change and growth and the change of Joni Mitchell as an artist (she is pretty great by the way). Probably much like all people that love books, artists, writers, and the like, I felt a connection to Zadie Smith. I liked her style, her attitude, and her contemplative nature. And I can certainly relate to the glib rejection of things I didn’t think were for me. I subsequently realized we’re the same age, although other than that, we are very different on the surface I may not have guessed her writing was the sort of thing I’d love, but I do.

At any rate, her new essay collection, Intimations, is a book of very short essays written just prior to and during the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic. The essays include the commonplace and ordinary events of everyday life, set into a broader, more abstract context. Obviously, I have a bias in this matter, but her essays and style are perfect for this moment. Smith’s ability to relate everyday individual experiences into a much more abstract concept is nonpareil. I found the essays particularly poignant now that I miss, and have ample time to ruminate about, the quotidian things of my pre-socially distant life.

There is an essay about our desire, or our need, to fill up time with things to do. One entitled “Suffering Like Mel Gibson,” (I’m a sucker for a strange title) that is hardly at all about the actor. Instead, it’s a piece about suffering and privilege, and how we ought to consider these separately, and not discount the feelings of others. Smith even describes the moment when she recognized her own class privilege. She has a series of very short character sketches about the people in her neighborhood and their respective reactions to the looming pandemic in America. “Peonies” is a very entertaining piece about flowers, control, aging, being a woman, and the coronavirus. The penultimate essay, “Postscript: Contempt as a Virus,” is arguably the best: it begins with a description of the global pandemic, her experience in England (where she has gone after leaving New York), and “herd immunity,” then gets into the murder of George Floyd and racism as a virus we all spread and suffer. It’s a masterfully done and moving piece. All the essays are excellent, but this one alone is worth picking up the book.

Since that first essay, I’ve read almost all of her essays. However, I must admit that I liked, but did not love, her most famous fictional work, White Teeth. No matter; for me, she excels in the essay genre. I’d highly recommend Grand Union and Feel Free (which includes a great story about a library), as well.

Smith’s ability to display so much humility and not only admit, but describe in detail, her foibles and ignorance is something I really respect. Perhaps this is the very opposite of the cultural atmosphere in the United States.

Intimations is available at HCLS in print, in large print, and in eBook and eAudiobook format through OverDrive/Libby.

All royalties Smith earns from this book are donated to The Equal Justice Initiative and The COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund for New York.

Eric is a DIY Instructor and Research Specialist at HCLS Elkridge Branch. He enjoys reading, films, music, doing nearly anything outside, and people.

The photograph depicts a tabletop menorah with nine lit candles in primary colors.

Happy Chanukah!

elianahcls 2 Comments
The photograph depicts a tabletop menorah with nine lit candles in primary colors.
“Eighth day of Chanukah menorah” by scazon is licensed under CC BY 2.0

By Eliana H.

Most people in the United States have heard of Chanukah. Though there are about six different accepted spellings for the holiday, “Chanukah” has always been my preference and that’s what I’m going with here. You may know it is the festival of lights. Many even know the tale of the oil that was only enough for one day miraculously lasting for eight days. Growing up, I always learned that while the oil was a fun story, the true triumph of Chanukah was that a small band of resistance fighters defeated a larger, more well-equipped military force. My family celebrates by playing dreidel, cooking and eating latkes, and, of course, lighting the candles. Although we exchange gifts, I’ve never felt like that is the most important part.

While Chanukah is not among the most sacred Jewish holidays, it is a time of joyous celebration, and we certainly want to take advantage of every opportunity for that during this challenging year. If you’re looking to introduce your child to some Chanukah-themed stories, take a look at these titles from the HCLS collection. Clicking on any of the titles below will open a tab with that title listing in our catalog.

Chanukah with Your Favorite Characters: Many familiar children’s book characters have a book in which they celebrate Chanukah. Here are a few of those titles.

Biscuit’s Hanukkah, by Alyssa Satin Capucilli – BOARD BOOK C

Happy Hanukkah, Biscuit!, by Alyssa Satin Capucilli – E CAP

Clifford Celebrates Hanukkah, by Norman Bridwell – E BRI

Happy Hanukkah, Corduroy, by Lisa McCue – BOARD BOOK M

The Count’s Hanukkah Countdown, by Tilda Balsley and Ellen Fischer – MEDIA TIE-IN

Happy Hanukkah, Curious George, by Emily Flaschner Meyer – BOARD BOOK M

Happy Hanukkah, Dear Dragon, by Margaret Hillert – ER HIL

You might know Dear Dragon from the expansive series by Margaret Hillert. In this volume, a boy and his pet dragon learn about Chanukah from a Jewish friend.

Grover’s Eight Nights of Light, by Jodie Shepherd – MEDIA TIE-IN

Fables and Folk Tales Related to Chanukah: While not telling the historical tale that is celebrated on Chanukah, these stories show characters overcoming obstacles to celebrate Chanukah.

Latkes, Latkes, Good to Eat, by Naomi Howland – E HOW

Latkes, Latkes, Good to Eat provides a twist on the traditional magic pot story. A young girl is rewarded for a good deed with a magic pan that cooks up latkes (potato pancakes) on command, but when her younger brothers can’t remember the words to make it stop, they end up with more than they expected.

The Golem’s Latkes, by Eric A. Kimmel – E KIM

Hanukkah Bear, by Eric A. Kimmel – E KIM

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, by Eric A. Kimmel – E KIM

Simon and the Bear, by Eric A. Kimmel – E KIM

A Confused Hanukkah: An Original Story of Chelm, by Jon Koons – E KOO

Moishe’s Miracle, by Laura Krauss Melmed – E MEL – also available as an ebook through OverDrive

Celebrating Together: These stories focus on families of all kinds celebrating Chanukah together.

Hanukkah Moon, by Deborah da Costa – E DaC – also available as an ebook through OverDrive

Queen of the Hanukkah Dosas, by Pamela Ehrenberg – E EHR

This volume shows readers a way that families of different backgrounds can combine their traditions into meaningful celebrations for everyone. While dealing with what may be a familiar sibling interaction to many, the main characters honor both their father’s Jewish and their mother’s East Indian heritage.

Kugel for Hanukkah?, by Gretchen M. Everin – E EVE

Jeremy’s Dreidel, by Ellie Gellman – E GEL

Hoppy Hanukkah!, by Linda Glaser – E GLA

The Hanukkah Mice, by Steven Kroll – E KRO

Nathan Blows Out the Hanukkah Candles, by Tami Lehman-Wilzig – E LEH

This Is the Dreidel, by Abby Levine – E LEV

The Night Before Hanukkah, by Natasha Wing – E WIN

The Eighth Menorah, by Lauren Wohl – E WOH

Chanukah in History: Each of these books shows how Chanukah was celebrated by someone at a particular point in the past.

One Candle, by Eve Bunting – E BUN

All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah, by Emily Jenkins – E JEN

I remember reading books about the All-of-a-Kind Family growing up, so I was excited to see this picture book arrive on our shelves. A Jewish immigrant family living in the tenements of New York City in 1912 celebrates Chanukah together, with interactions that feel familiar even today.

Hanukkah at Valley Forge, by Stephen Krensky – E KRE

Oskar and the Eight Blessings, by Richard and Tanya Simon – E SIM

Chanukah Nonfiction: Check out these books for more facts about Chanukah, its history, and how it’s celebrated.

The Story of Hanukkah, by David A. Adler – Childrens 296.435A

Celebrate Hanukkah, by Deborah Heiligman – Childrens 296.435H

Hanukkah, by Lisa M. Herrington – Childrens 296.435H

Light the Menorah!: A Hanukkah Handbook, by Jacqueline Jules – Childrens 296.435J

Hanukkah Around the World, by Tami Lehman-Wilzig – Childrens 296.435L

Maccabee Meals: Food and Fun for Hanukkah, by Judyth Saypol Groner – Childrens 641.567G

Hanukkah, by Trudi Strain Trueit – ER TRU

Harvest of Light, by Allison Ofanansky – E OFA

Even though this title is in our picture book collection, it walks readers through the step of preparing olive oil to light in an old-fashioned Chanukah menorah, from beginning to end. Follow a young Israeli girl as she watches the olives grow and helps her family harvest them before finally lighting some of the oil on the first night of Chanukah.

Howard County hosts a community Chanukah candlelighting every year. This year, due to safety concerns, the event will be virtual. It will take place on December 14 at 7 pm. If you’d like to join from the comfort of your own home, register at https://www.jewishhowardcounty.org/calendar/chanukah-menorah-lighting. Happy Chanukah!

Eliana is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at HCLS Elkridge Branch. She loves reading, even if she’s slow at it, and especially enjoys helping people find books that make them light up. She also loves being outside and spending time with friends and family (when it’s safe).

The cover is a photograph of Van Gogh's painting, "The Bedroom, 1888." The scripted text, "the Yellow House" appears atop Van Gogh's painting of his room in Arles, with a single wooden bed, a small chair, a side table, and six pained windows. The colors are natural wood browns and a red blanket. The brush work is restrained.

The Yellow House: Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Nine Turbulent Weeks In Arles

Nina L. Leave a comment

By Nina L.

We know them today as giants of art history, but in 1888 French artist Paul Gauguin had an estranged family, a background in financial trading, and limited artistic success. Vincent Van Gogh, a 35-year-old Dutchman, had failed miserably at several vocations before turning to art with the encouragement and financial support of his brother Theo.

The Yellow House, Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Nine Turbulent Weeks in Arles, by Martin Gayford, is an intimate and revelatory look at a time when Van Gogh and Gauguin lived together in a self-styled artist’s colony of two. They were an odd pair, full of contrasts – Gauguin cerebral, Van Gogh emotional, but both drawn to the idea of inventing a new art of the future. The book follows the events as they unfold day-to-day with granular detail.  Drawing on the copious letters of both artists, Gayford makes it easy to imagine being in the house looking on as the two men worked in the small, cramped, ten-foot wide studio filled with the heavy atmosphere of tobacco and turpentine.  

While living in Paris, Van Gogh dreamed of starting an artist’s colony in the south of France. He settled on Arles, a provincial town on the way to the Mediterranean coast. Both he and Theo admired Gauguin, enticing him to Arles with the offer of free room and board in exchange for his paintings.  Van Gogh, who later became the greater artist of the two, regarded Gauguin as a mentor and had high expectations of living and working together. In anxious anticipation of Gauguin’s arrival, he set about transforming the little yellow house, carefully choosing furnishings, brightening the exterior and interior with paint, and hanging his art work throughout the house, including his newly created Sunflowers. The first few weeks went well, with exchanges of ideas and daily painting trips to the surrounding countryside, but when the weather turned cold and rainy, spending all day in the small, cramped space didn’t bode well for the two large personalities.

By late December of 1888 the relationship was fraying and Gauguin considered returning to Paris. On December 23rd, while feverishly working on a painting, Van Gogh suffered a mental attack and cut off part of his ear with a razor. He then wrapped the ear in newspaper and took it to a local brothel with instructions to give it to one of the women. Gauguin, alarmed at Van Gogh’s deteriorating state, had spent the night in a hotel. Returning to the house the next day he discovered a trail of blood and Van Gogh deep asleep in bed with no memory of the previous night. The traumatic events ended the dream of living and working together. Gauguin left for Paris, later moving to Tahiti, never to see Van Gogh again. For the rest of his short life Van Gogh struggled with mental illness, which Gayford attributes to bipolar disorder, gaining fame only after his death.

After reading the book, I found myself looking at the world differently, imagining how Van Gogh or Gauguin would see it. One of Van Gogh’s breakthroughs was in placing contrasting colors side by side. Placing colors together which are opposites on the color wheel creates a visual frisson, or what Van Gogh called electricity. He even had a box of yarn to test out color combinations before using his paints.

Interested in creating art work in the style of Van Gogh? Here is a project suitable for any age. Take some time to look at one of Van Gogh’s paintings, such as A Starry Night. Use a blue or gray colored pastel or construction paper along with chalk pastels in white, yellows, oranges, blues, and purples. Black can be added as an accent. Lightly sketch in your own version of A Starry Night. Look at how Van Gogh painted the wind, winding around the canvas, or the stars radiating out as if glowing. Working from dark to light, use thick, short broken strokes and follow the contour of shapes, repeating the pattern over and over until filling the composition. You may find yourself seeing the world just a little bit differently.

Did you know? You can even borrow a framed print of a Van Gogh painting or one from Gauguin via the HCLS Art Collection.

Nina L. is a Customer Service Specialist at the Miller Branch of HCLS. She loves art, yoga, dogs, cats, and reading horizontally.

Holiday Mitten Trees

Kristen B. Leave a comment
Lots of hats, mittens, and gloves form the shape of a heart.

by Kristen B.

I am constantly amazed by our community. If an opportunity to give is presented, the response is often overwhelming. We take good care of each other, and it makes me proud to live and work in Howard County. Every year, generous people donate almost 1,000 pieces of cold weather gear via the Library. I know you will receive many requests for donations … it’s that time of year … but maybe in 2020 we need to do just a little bit extra.

Once again, we are asking for donations of new child-sized mittens, gloves, hats, and scarves. You can purchase them, or we accept handmade items. Even though we are still constrained to contactless pickup, our lobbies are open and boxes are in place to accept donations at any of our six branches throughout December. Donations will be given to the Community Action Council of Howard County for Head Start children and families.

If you are interested in a book that celebrates giving: One of my favorite books that I read to my kids when they were small, and that I still regularly gift to young relatives, is The Quiltmaker’s Gift by Jeff Brumbeau. This colorful, lively tale explains the joy of giving, even more than receiving. The richly detailed illustrations provide examples of different quilting patterns. There’s so much to enjoy!

A parade proceeds along the bottom of the cover, with a soldier, a bear, dancing cats, among other figures. A rainbow of a quilt spills across the top, and the title sits in a blue box, bordered in red in the center of it all.

Thank you for all you do for our community!

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to spend winter reading, baking, and waiting for baseball to return.

Big capital S and O combine in front of words Storyline Online, over the silhouettes of rooftops.

Your Favorite Actors Read Your Favorite Stories

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Big capital S and O combine in front of words Storyline Online, over the silhouettes of rooftops.

By Jessica L.

What do Viola Davis, Sean Astin, Allison Janney, and Rami Malek have in common? They like to read books to children! Storyline Online, an award-winning children’s online literacy program, recruits a wide selection of actors to read children’s books for Grades K-4. While similar to the after school television program Reading Rainbow, positive differences come from the stories being available 24/7 and how you can see the reader enjoying the story, too.

You may sort stories by author, title, reader, and (my favorite) run time. Stories range 5-21 minutes, which is helpful when that request of, “Five more minutes, please?!” arises. After you choose your story, you’ll be asked which video player you prefer (SchoolTube, YouTube, or Vimeo) which is saved as your preference. What’s more, you can share what you’re learning via Facebook, Twitter, or email. Storyline Online has an app, a blog, and an array of social media platforms they use to inform folks when new books are available. 

You can certainly use this entertaining, supplementary educational resource while learning from home. Each story includes curriculum-driven learning activities created by accredited elementary educators. Parents and teachers alike will find the site easy to navigate and user friendly. It may even provide an opportunity for you to allow your children independent screen time. This is distance learning gold!  

More than 60 books are active on the site, with more on the way. Storyline Online is currently featuring books which celebrate Black stories and Black voices. I recently chose “Rent Party Jazz” by William Miller, read by Viola Davis, geared to Grades 2-3 and 11 minutes long. I evaluated the activities for parents and teachers and found them to be well-written, excellent tools for their respective target audiences. 

Storyline Online is a fantastic way to experience your favorite actors’ storytelling on-demand while learning from home. I’m personally hoping Keanu Reeves will read my favorite children’s book, The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco. I’m just not sure how many more times I can @storylineonline. Believe me: you’re never too old to enjoy a good read-aloud! You can find it along with HCLS’ other eContent for Kids.

JP has worked for HCLS since 2006. She enjoys bonfires and spins a mean dreidel.