Library Closings

The Library will be closed Wednesday, December 24th and Thursday, December 25th

to celebrate the coming holidays.

We will reopen Friday, December 26th.
Happy Holidays!

Santa Claus is coming to town!

On December 13th, Santa came to see us at the library.. He read a story and also shared the famous poem Twas the Night Before Christmas. Santa was even nice enough to hang around long enough to hear what all of the good little girls and boys want for Christmas. Everyone made reindeer antlers, decorated cookies and had a great time singing Christmas Carols!

Join us next year for this Ho-Ho-Holiday fun!

‘Artemis Fowl’ series hard to put down

If you like adventures, techno toys or fantasy … heck, if you like a good story, the “Artemis Fowl” series by Eoin (pronounced like “Owen”) Colfer is for you. Set in Ireland, this series is full of technology, adventure and characters that make all six books (so far) difficult to put down.

Artemis Fowl, our anti-hero, is a genius working pretty diligently to add “evil” to his genius status. His entire family tree is full of law-breakers, so being a criminal mastermind at the age of 12 is to be expected, right? With his fiercely loyal bodyguard, Butler (not his real name), a father who is presumed dead and a mother so wrapped up in her own grief that she can’t function, Artemis is free and capable of doing just about anything.

In the first book, Artemis has discovered that fairies and other creatures of myth exist and live in their highly advanced, subterranean civilization. He has devised a plan to replenish his family’s fortune by kidnapping a fairy and holding her for ransom. Unfortunately for LEPrecon (fairy police) officer Holly Short, she’s Artemis’ hostage. Artemis will go to great lengths to accomplish his goal, but with the likes of Foaly, a techno-guru centaur on their side, the fairies are pretty well-equipped to give Artemis and Butler a run for their money.

“The Arctic Incident” finds our fairy friend Holly Short and her LEPrecon Unit dealing with a plot that could expose the fairies’ existence to the entire human race. Meanwhile, Artemis has discovered that his father is, as he has always believed, alive and being held captive by the Russian mafia. The two forces — Fairy and Fowl — must band together to ensure that fairies stay secret and Artemis Sr. is rescued alive.

In “The Eternity Code,” Artemis is dead-set to complete one more criminal act before he goes legit. He has stolen fairy technology, made it into a supercomputer called the C Cube, and plans to sell it to American businessman Jon Spiro. Of course, things go wrong. First, the C Cube pings a fairy surveillance device (and threatens to expose fairies to the world at large), and then Spiro proves to be more maniacal than previously thought. Artemis has no choice but to call for the help of Holly Short to get the C Cube away from Spiro.

“The Opal Deception” centers on Opal Koboi, a pixie who — if not smarter — is definitely more evil than Artemis. Even though Artemis’ memories of his adventures with fairies (and all of the kindness he has learned because of them) have been wiped from his mind, Koboi still considers him Enemy No. 1. She has concocted a very elaborate plan to destroy Artemis and her other enemies — especially Holly Short and the fairy police. Part of her plan, of course, is to rule the world. The entire world. Obviously, she must be stopped, and who better to stop her than Artemis, Holly and the gang?

“The Lost Colony” gives Artemis his greatest challenge yet: puberty. On top of that, Artemis realizes that another-dimensional world full of demons who want to get revenge on humans is quickly unraveling and will soon collide with our own. Artemis calculates when the next inter-dimensional contact will be — and where — only to be out-smarted by the very attractive 12-year-old Minerva, who kidnaps the creature that appears. Now, Artemis must rescue the imp (a demon who hasn’t “warped”) which launches the usual suspects on a truly fantastic, inter-dimensional adventure.

Still can’t get enough Artemis? “The Time Paradox” takes Artemis back in time to battle his 10-year-old self so that he can find the cure for his mother’s mysterious and deadly disease.

Cari Boatright Rérat ~ Teen Librarian

Audiobooks offer riveting thrillers

‘The Darker Side’

By Cody McFadyen (Compact disc audiobook)

The transsexual son of a prominent Congressman is found murdered on a commercial airplane. No one witnessed the murder or saw the murderer, despite the fact that the murder occurred during the flight.
An autopsy reveals that the killer left a signature — a small silver cross inserted into the wound. At the request of the Congressman’s grieving wife, the FBI director himself summons FBl Special Agent Smoky Barrett and her team from L.A. to Washington, D.C. to work this extremely sensitive case.

Smoky and her team determine that the attacker has killed before. Another body is discovered with the murderer’s trademark cross in the wound.

As they probe further into the case, they realize that all the victims had something in common: deep secret sins that the killer made them confess before he killed them.

“The Preacher,” as Smoky and her team dub him, has taped all of his victim’s confessions and murders, and he begins putting them on a You-Tube-like Internet site. Clues also indicate that he has been killing for years and wants to be stopped. Smoky and her team race to find out how the Preacher discovered his victims’ secrets before he kills again and before the media discover the Internet videos.

“The Darker Side” is an intense, suspenseful thriller with well-developed characters and vivid descriptions. Joyce Bean lends her usual excellent narrative abilities to this thriller.

This is the third in the Smoky Barrett series, and I highly recommend reading the other books in the series, “Shadow Man” and “The Face of Death” first. Those thrillers give insight into Smoky’s deep emotional and physical scars.

The Joplin Public Library also owns the print version of “The Darker Side.”

‘Exposed’
by Alex Kava

A note is discovered at the bottom of a box of donuts delivered to the FBI offices at Quantico. The note appears to suggest a bomb threat to a Virginia home.

FBI profiler Maggie O’Dell and her boss, Assistant Director Cunningham, with a SWAT team and bomb squad, rush to the home where they believe there is about to be an explosion. But, instead of a bomb, Maggie and Cunningham find an extremely ill mother and her five-year-old daughter. Medical tests reveal that the little girl’s mother has the deadly Ebola virus.

Since Maggie and Cunningham have been exposed to the deadly virus, they are placed in quarantine at the United States Army Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID).

Maggie is given a computer and spends her time in isolation as she waits to see if the deadly virus will manifest itself in her own body. She tracks clues to a killer who seems to be randomly sending out the virus in packages to people across the United States, and discovers that the killer employs clues from cases such as the 1980s Tylenol murders, the Beltway Sniper and the Unabomber.

Agent Tully, Maggie’s partner, investigates on the outside with information provided by Maggie. Tully’s daughter unknowingly provides a valuable clue at the same time that Tully’s ex-wife receives one of the deadly packages.

As the pieces of the puzzle start coming together, they discover that killer’s targeted victims may not be random at all.

Alex Kava’s psychological thriller is the sixth in the Maggie O’Dell series, but was the first for me. It works as a stand-alone novel, although I’m anxious to read the others now that I’ve been “exposed” to this author.

“Exposed” has several plot twists and turns, engaging characters and offers some insight into biomedical research. Tanya Eby Sirois does a fine narration with the audiobook.

Phyllis Seesengood ~ Technical Services Librarian

Esme Raji Codell Really is Fabulous!

This post may seem dated since the event took place in October at the annual Missouri Library Association Conference, however, I feel that anyone as fabulous as Esme deserves to be recognized no matter the tardiness of my post.

Every year at the MLA Conference the Children's Services Roundtable special interest group (of which I am the vice-chair) hosts a meal event, at which an author is invited to speak. This year we had the great fortune to secure award-winning author Esme Raji Codell. She was famous first for Education Esme, her bestselling diary of her first year of teaching and has authored several awarding winning books for children and adults, including Sahara Special, Vive la Paris, Sing a Song of Tuna Fish, and the invaluable guide How to Get Your Child to Love Reading.

Before picking Esme up at the airport, Tracy (my friend and CSRT chair) and I discussed what we thought Esme's personality would be like. We assumed that since she writes fabulous books, that she herself must also be quite fabulous, but one often hears stories about demanding authors, so we were not sure what to expect. From the moment Esme entered the terminal, we knew we were in for a treat. Not only was she gracious, kind and super fun to talk with, she was self-sufficient and the farthest thing from demanding.

The following day was the luncheon and despite Esme having a severe case of nerves before addressing the luncheon attendees, her La Vie en Reading presentation was a smashing success. She had the audience laughing, crying, and singing along with Charlie Parker Played Be Bop by Chris Raschka. After signing numerous books and chit chatting with anyone who stopped by the autograph booth, it was time for Esme to depart for home. Tracy and I were sad to see her off, but felt great joy in knowing that we had gotten to meet such a special individual.

If you would like to read something by Esme stop by the Library and we can recommend something, or if you would like to read more about her visit http://planetesme.com.

Great New Children's Books

I love a good children's book- thank goodness I have two sons that love great books as well! Here are some of my favorite new books- I hope you enjoy them as well!

Dinosaur vs. Bedtime by Bob Shea.


At the beginning of the book, a little dinosaur boldly declares that nothing can stop him. Readers then follow him on some of his big matches: dinosaur vs. leaves, dinosaur vs. a big slide, dinosaur vs. a bowl of spaghetti. Little dinosaur conquers them all, that is, until dinosaur vs. bedtime.

The illustrations are simple, interesting, and enough to keep your little one's attention. My 2 year old thought it was just hilarious to "ROAR" along with the book.

Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett



I first picked up this book because of the simple, yet beautiful illustrations. I was not disappointed when I looked inside. The story is about a little girl who has just been to the zoo. She and her sock monkey act out the type of animals that they have seen that day, including penguins, elephants, and, of course, monkeys. The text is simple, but fun, and the pictures are fantastic. This interactive book is a great read aloud for a young child.

And just in case you haven't had enough of Emily Gravett, who is quickly becoming a Children's Department favorite, check out some of her other books: Wolves, Orange Pear Apple Bear and her newest book, Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears.




Another departmental favorite is Zen Ties by Jon Muth.



This book is a great companion to the original, Zen Ties. Jon Muth introduces us to Stillwater, a giant panda who teaches parables to three young children. The storyline and lessons are beautiful and the artwork is stunning, which leaves us with a wonderful book to read to your children. I will admit that I didn't think my three year old would be interested in this book, but he listened, captivated the whole time. I'm sure your family will enjoy it as much as ours.

Santa is visiting the library!

All ages are invited to visit with Santa, sing Christmas carols, decorate a holiday cookie, and make wearable reindeer antlers.

Please provide your own camera to take a photograph with Santa.

The program is FREE and open to the public. For more information, call (417) 623-2184 or visit the Library website at www.joplinpubliclibrary.org.

‘Dirty Secrets’ abound in Gardiner novel

I love a good mystery. Each of these authors is new for me and now I’ll be looking for more of their works.


Happy reading!

‘The Dirty Secrets Club’

By Meg Gardiner



Everyone has secrets. Who has secrets so big and so shameful, even criminal, that they would prefer death over exposure? That’s the question forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett must find an answer to before others die.

Jo is called to a crime scene that looks as if someone intentionally drove off a bridge hitting a vehicle below. On the leg of the driver, Callie, is the word “dirty,” written in lipstick. On her arm is the word “pray.” The passenger is barely alive and whispers to Jo, “Stop it.” As Jo delves into Callie’s life, she soon learns about the Dirty Secrets Club, a group of people who confess their deepest secret in order to be part of this exclusive group. But the stakes are getting higher to belong. She learns that the San Francisco Police Department has been dealing with suicides or murder-suicides about every 48 hours. Jo is given 48 hours to find out who the next “suicide” will be.

Meg Gardiner expertly weaves the secrets and lives of people who seem to have nothing in common except money and a strong desire to keep their worst secret a secret. This is a page-turner and a book you won’t want to put down. Highly recommended.

‘Antiques to Die For’

By Jane K. Cleland


Josie Prescott is an antiques appraiser with her own antiques shop. Her life hasn’t really gone as she had planned but she’s doing fine in her New Hampshire coastal town.

Things seems to be going well until her good friend, Rosalie, turns up murdered, leaving a 12-year old younger sister, Paige, with nowhere to go. Paige reminds Josie of herself when her mother died, so until arrangements can be made for Paige to go live with her cousin and his family, Paige is staying with Josie.

As Josie delves into Rosalie’s murder, she discovers Rosalie has kept a number of secrets. Josie soon finds herself with a secret admirer who is not happy with her sleuthing in between activities at the antique shop.

This is the third installment of the “Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery” series. A good cozy read with lots of dialogue and action that stands well on its own.

‘When Darkness Falls’

By James Grippando



Jack Swyteck is a criminal attorney in Miami who’s very good at his job. Periodically he takes on pro-bono cases, which is what he believes his latest case to be. But when Falcon, a homeless man who has been arrested for threatening to jump off a bridge, comes up with $10,000 cash to cover his bail, Jack’s not sure things are as they seem.

Before Jack knows it, Falcon is once again in trouble. This time he has killed a police officer, injured another and taken hostages in a local motel and is under investigation for the murder of another woman found in the trunk of the burned-out car (a Falcon) in which he lives. One of the hostages is Jack’s best friend and former death row inmate, Theo Knight.

In all of Falcon’s troubles, he continues to demand to speak to the mayor’s daughter. The mayor is not having any of this and wants Falcon dead. It’s up to Jack to figure out why and how to get Theo and the other hostages out safely.

This suspense novel is well written with lots of description and dialogue that puts the reader in the midst of the action. The characters are well-drawn and Grippando does a fantastic job intertwining their lives, past and present. Highly recommended.

Susan Wray is the director of Joplin Public Library.

The City of Ember

Ember is a completely self contained town. All of the food comes from giant storerooms and greenhouses. All of the books in the library, aside from the history of Ember, have been written by citizens over the years. All the light comes from lamps and floodlights around town, and when they are turned off, the town is completely dark. The book begins with two of the builders forming a plan for what will happen when the city’s supplies run low. They decide to leave instructions for escape in a special box which will open after 200 years. The box is entrusted to the Mayor of Ember, who does not know what it contains, and is passed to each subsequent Mayor. The box eventually becomes lost after the seventh Mayor tries to prematurely open it and dies before he can pass it on.

It’s the year 241 in Ember and Assignment Day at the school. All of the twelve-year-olds draw a slip of paper which has the job that they will perform indefinitely to keep Ember running. Lina Mayfleet receives a job in the Pipeworks, which is the underground workings of Ember, including the generator. A fellow classmate, Doon, draws the job of Messenger and promptly switches with Lina. Once Doon begins his job, he finds that he likes working in the Pipeworks and he wishes to become an electrician to assist with the generator, which is failing and leaving the town in occasional darkness. Lina enjoys delivering messages, but notices that Ember is falling apart, piece by piece, and the Mayor doesn’t seem concerned about the crumbling of the town.

Lina finds a document in her family’s apartment that has been torn to pieces by her little sister, Poppy. Lina examines the document and believes it to be something valuable, but she’s just not sure what it is or how it would be of use. She shows her friends, who don’t see the value, and finally seeks out Doon, who shows an interest in piecing this mystery together. The two soon realize that the document contains instructions for leaving Ember and exploring the Unknown Regions. The pair know nothing about the Unknown Regions, yet embark on a journey that could not only save themselves, but the entire City of Ember.

Though this book is written for children, it contains adult ideas and concepts that are very interesting. The book has the perfect amount of suspense, drama and character development to keep your attention, along with a plot line that makes you wonder how different our lives would be without many of the luxuries we now enjoy. Jeanne DuPrau wrote three additional books in this series: The People of Sparks, the Prophet of Yonwood and the Diamond of Darkhold. I enjoyed The City of Ember enough to read the entire series and it is my recommendation that you omit the third book from your reading log. It didn’t hold any valuable information and completely veered off the story set forth in the first two books. This book won the Mark Twain Award in 2006 and has recently been made into a feature film starring Bill Murray and Tim Robbins. If you’re looking for a great series for your child or yourself, The City of Ember might be just the ticket.

~Breana- Children's Assistant

Memoir an unmerciful mirror

The Night of the Gun
By David Carr

Although I love a good autobiography, the one genre I tend to avoid is the addiction memoir. I usually find them mawkish and somewhat lacking in truthfulness, as evidenced by the debacle with James Frey’s “A Million Little Pieces.”

When I picked up “The Night of the Gun” by David Carr, it was with some trepidation. But I had heard him interviewed on National Public Radio and was intrigued by the book’s subtitle: “A reporter investigates the darkest story of his life. His own.”

His story did not disappoint. There are few books about which I say this, but I hated to put it down when sleep or work beckoned. Carr details his descent from hard-partying college student to full-blown crack addict, as well as repeated trips to rehab. Along the way, he raises twin daughters, squanders opportunities both professional and personal, battles cancer, and becomes a successful journalist.

What struck me most about “The Night of the Gun” was Carr’s lack of self-pity. He takes a microscopic, unsympathetic look at himself. He had a family that loved him, some education, a lot of talent, and a series of jobs that would have allowed him to advance far in his chosen career had he managed to stay clean.

Basically, he was a major screw-up, and it was no one’s fault but his own. As he puts it, “Truly ennobling personal narratives describe a person overcoming the bad hand that fate has dealt him, not someone like me, who takes good cards and sets them on fire.”

As expected, he admits to abusing ridiculous amounts of illegal substances, but he also doesn’t spare the reader the grittier aspects of his dark period. He confesses to dealing drugs, beating up his girlfriend, pulling a gun on a good friend, even leaving his infant daughters alone in a car on a cold Minnesota night while he went to score drugs.

The latter two incidents become central to the book. “The Night of the Gun” touches on an event that was a mystery to Carr until he started researching his hazy past. (He put his reporting skills to work, spending years interviewing people who had known him at various points in his life, and examining old medical and arrest records.)

He recollects a night when he ended up on a good friend’s doorstep, very high and very confrontational; his friend met him at the door with a gun. Or so Carr thought, until he interviewed his friend years later. He closes this first chapter with a sentence replete with meaning: “This is a story about who had the gun.”

The winter night he abandoned his daughters in a car for hours was his rock-bottom. The walk back to his car — “with drugs in my pocket and a cold dread in all corners of my being” — must have been the longest of his life. He knew they were alive only when he saw their breath.

“God had looked after the twins, and by proxy me, but I realized at that moment that I had made a mistake. He could not easily forgive. I made a decision at that instant never to be that man again.”

From that point on, his story takes a more hopeful turn, though not a completely charmed one. His daughters go into temporary foster care while he again checks in to rehab. (The passage in which he describes rehab staff disinfecting the oozing track marks in his arms left me a bit queasy.)

After completing treatment, he takes back his daughters and gradually rebuilds his life, only temporarily sidetracked by a battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He begins to eke out a living in journalism, building on his successes and repairing his tarnished image. He marries and has another child.

Yet he continues to fight his demons. It makes for painful reading when he describes how he started drinking again, nearly losing everything he had worked so hard to rebuild.

As the book closes, Carr admits that his sobriety — like any addict’s, I suppose — is not an entirely rock-solid thing: “I could be drunk tomorrow or shooting dope even as you read this but the chances of that are low as long as I make a daily decision to embrace who I really am and then be satisfied with that at the end of the day.”

In keeping with the candor that imbues “Night of the Gun,” Carr remains realistic but hopeful to the end. And despite his determination not to be heroic, there is something ennobling about that.

~Lisa E. Brown - Administrative Assistant