Library Love Fest

Banned Books Week!

What reminds you of Autumn? Pumpkins, apple-picking, that first brisk chill in the air? How about Banned Books Week? BBW takes place every year during the last week of September and recognizes the efforts of booksellers, teachers, and librarians who ensure that we, as citizens, have open access to information.  It's a time to reflect on the vital importance of our First Amendment rights. Take a peek at what Ken Davis has to say about BBW, get more info from the American Library Association, and check out this list of frequently challenged titles, including To Kill A Mockingbird, Native Son, Rebecca, and Brave New World.  What's your favorite challenged book? 

-Kayleigh    

Free Library of Philadelphia closings

We wrote about this the other day. It bears repeating.  Click here to read what author Ken Davis has to say about the closing of libraries, and check out our original post.

-Virginia 

Ken Davis on Libraries

Since Ken Davis was a  little boy, he has been going to the library to read, research and explore the world of ideas. Recently, Ken went to the New York Public Library to see a copy of The Declaration of Independence in Thomas Jefferson's own hand.  It's now on display.

How pumped up do you think he was when he got home?

-Virginia

Don't Know Much About...The 4th of July

Here in the Library Marketing department, we're gearing up for ALA 2009.  But there's another important event that takes place first: Independence Day.  Check out some fun facts about the 4th from Ken Davis' blog-- I guarantee you'll learn something new!

-Kayleigh

Ken Davis on 'This Day in History'

"In light of events in Iran and elsewhere, it seems fitting to remember that on June 18, 1948, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights �chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt� adopted its International Declaration of Human Rights setting up a 'common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.'" 

For Ken's full post, and more about This Day in History, check out his blog.

Anne Frank

As we've mentioned, Ken Davis has a feature on his blog called "This Day in History." Here's a quote from today's post, as well as some exciting information on the forthcoming Anne Frank by Francine Prose.

"Anne Frank would have been eighty years old today. This anniversary of her birthday seems especially poignant in light of the deadly shooting of a security guard at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. on June 10, 2009."

Here you'll read in Anne Frank's words her feeling about her writing ability:

“I know I can write. A few of my stories are good, my descriptions of the Secret Annex are humorous, much of my diary is vivid and alive, but… it remains to be seen whether I really have talent.” (April 5, 1945)

This September HarperCollins will publish Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife by Francine Prose. The diary of Anne Frank, argues Francine Prose, is as much a work of art as an historical record. Through close reading, she marvels at the teenaged Frank’s skillfully natural narrative voice, at her finely tuned dialogue and ability to turn living people into characters. And Prose addresses what few of the diary’s millions of readers may know: this book is a deliberate work of art. During her last months in hiding, Anne Frank furiously revised and edited her work, crafting a piece of literature that she hoped would be read by the public after the war. The book unravels the complex, fascinating story of the diary, its composition and revisions, and effectively makes the case for it being a work of art-and the teenaged Anne Frank, a precociously gifted writer.

The book includes the historical background and context necessary to understand the importance of the diary, and is the only volume that offers such a rich and well-researched account of this enormously influential memoir.

Francine Prose has secured the approval and support of the Anne Frank House Foundation in Amsterdam for Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife.

-Virginia

Ken Davis' Reading List

In his blog today, Ken Davis, author of the informative and fun Don't Know Much About series presents  a list of some of his favorite history books with a common theme--they all take you down to the water. Dip into any one of these and bathe yourself in information! And for more of our posts on Ken, click here.

-Virginia

Ken Davis Meets Twitter, Continued...

By now you all know how much we <3 Ken Davis, so it's no surprise that we're giving you some info on Ken's latest Twitter adventure.  Ken will now start each day will a "This Day in History" tweet that links to a blog on either his website, The Huffington Post or both.

"This Day in History" will alternate with other tweet-a-gories such as "Fun Facts," "Homework Helper," and "History Behind the Headlines."  The topics will span history, science, pop culture, literature, current events, etc.

So in conclusion, when you don't know much, follow Ken Davis on Twitter: http://twitter.com/kennethcdavis

And wasn't it Descartes who said. "I tweet, therefore I am"?

LJ Loves Ken Davis

Library Journal has written a glowing review of Don't Know Much About Literature, the latest book in the Don't Know Much About series.  As you might remember from this post, the affection is mutual--Ken is a vocal advocate for libraries.  Check out an excerpt from the review below:

In this latest addition to Kenneth Davis’s popular “Don’t Know Much About” series, he and daughter Jenny quiz readers about writers, books, Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, famous first and last lines, and other literary trivia. The book’s scope is broad, with selections ranging from “Children’s Classics” to “Beowulf” and “Fictional First Ladies.” The Davises provide questions, answers, and a summary paragraph for each category but don’t order the material in any predictable way, sandwiching Agatha Christie between Kafka and Melville, a technique that forces each entry to stand in isolation. Some of the questions are true or false; others ask readers to identify a character, book, play, poem, or movie. Meant to make learning about literature entertaining, this guide should refresh memories and may entice readers into exploring some of the books they always meant to check out...—Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo

Don't Know Much About...the Importance of Libraries

Ken Davis, author of the hugely popular series, Don't Know Much About...has written a wonderful piece about the importance of libraries and the necessity to keep their doors open – now more than ever.  Ken Davis is our hero! 
-Virginia