Charles Dickens

The friendly Dickens : being a good-natured guide to the art and adventures of the man who invented Scrooge, by Norrie Epstein

Critical companion to Charles Dickens : a literary reference to his life and work, by Paul Davis

The man who invented Christmas : how Charles Dickens’s A Christmas carol rescued his career and revived our holiday spirits, by Les Standiford

What Jane Austen ate and Charles Dickens knew : from fox hunting to whist : the facts of daily life in nineteenth-century England, by Daniel Pool

Oxford reader’s companion to Dickens, edited by Paul Schlicke

Did your family attend the Zobapago concert
at the Civic Theater?

Music is a wonderful way to support beginning literacy skills with your children. You can explore more activities to support brain development through music by browsing books in the Library’s collection.

30 Fun Ways to Learn about Music by Anice Paterson

Music 3-5 by Susan Young

Exploring the Connection between Children’s Literature and Music by Regina Carlow

Weaving Music into Young Minds by Mary Miche

Your Musical Child: inspiring kids to play and sing for keeps  by Jessica Baron Turner

 Additional information can be found in the flyer Exploring Music at Home  from the Library’s  Resouces for Early Childhood Educators (RECE) Lab.

Guiding lights : the people who lead us toward our purpose in life, by Eric Liu

Mentoring young men of color : meeting the needs of African American and Latino students, by Horace R. Hall

Big questions, worthy dreams : mentoring young adults in their search for meaning, purpose, and faith, by Sharon Daloz Parks

Mentor like Jesus, by Regi Campbell

The first year matters : being mentored– in action! : a month-by-month reflective guide for new teachers and their mentors, by Carol Pelletier Radford

Tao te ching : on the art of harmony : the new illustrated edition of the Chinese philosophical masterpiece, by Laozi

The new Chinese astrology, by Suzanne White

China : getting rich first : a modern social history, by Duncan Hewitt

Chinese brush painting : a beginner’s guide, by Pauline Cherret

Treasures of China : the glories of the kingdom of the dragon, by John Chinnery

Robert E. Lee: Icon for a Nation by Brian Holden Reid – Following the Civil War, Lee quickly became an icon to Southern partisans in the “Lost Cause” tradition.  His character and success against long military odds soon elevated Lee into a figure respected and revered by many Americans, North and South.

Robert E. Lee and the Fall of the Confederacy, 1863-1865 by Ethan Rafuse – Is it really possible there’s anything new to say about Robert E. Lee, who probably has had more written about him than any other Civil War military figure?  Ethan Rafuse clearly thinks so, and in this book argues his case and brings impeccable credentials to his quest.

Daisy Bates: Civil Rights Crusader from Arkansas by Grif Stockley – Daisy Bates (1914-1999) is renowned as the mentor of the Little Rock Nine, the first African Americans to attend Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.  For guiding the Nine through one of the most tumultuous civil rights crises of the 1950s, she was selected as Woman of the Year in Education by the Associated Press in 1957.

David Margolick’s Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock is the story of Elizabeth Eckford, the heroic poster child of the struggle to desegregate Little Rock’s Central High, which so many have forgotten, and her tormentor, Hazel Bryan, which so few ever knew.  This book should be required reading for every American who wants to understand why the wounds inflicted by the heritage of slavery and Jim Crow remain unhealed.

We have some interesting titles that may be of help:

The paradox of choice : why more is less, by Barry Schwartz

Less is more : a practical guide to maximizing the space in your home, by Elaine Lewis

Green metropolis : why living smaller, living closer, and driving less are the keys to sustainability, by David Owen

Less is more : meditations on simplicity, balance, and real abundance, by Mina Parker

10-10-10 : 10 minutes, 10 months, 10 years – a life-transforming idea, by Suzy Welch

How philosophy can save your life : 10 ideas that matter most, by Marietta McCarty

 Power of the 10 : how to embrace the Commandments, handle stress, and achieve success, by Arlene Churn

Write : 10 days to overcome writer’s block : period, by Karen E. Peterson

10 things employers want you to learn in college : the know-how you need to succeed, by Bill Coplin

Ten things I wish I’d known–before I went into the real world, by Maria Shriver

Brainfit : 10 minutes a day for a sharper mind and memory, by Corinne L. Gediman and Francis M. Crinella

We plan, God laughs : 10 steps to finding your divine path when life is not turning out like you wanted, by Sherre Hirsch

Strong fathers, strong daughters : 10 secrets every father should know, by Meg Meeker

10-minute Zen : easy tips to lead you down the path of enlightenment, by Colleen Sell & Rosemary Roberts

           A list of wedding planning books can be found
            on the library catalog here.

Make a resolution to stop by your Main Library each week.

Here are 52 ways to use your Library
in the History & Humanities Division.

1. Get to know your librarian, the ultimate search engine at your library.
2. Browse your favorite Web sites.
3. Take the first steps to planning your next vacation by reading up on the places you plan to visit.
4. Learn about different religions.
5. Is college in your future? Let us introduce you to the college planning resources. 
6. Reserve the latest true crime paperback.
7. Get started on your country studies assignment.
8. Are you planning your wedding? The Library has material to help.
9. Fine tune your skills as you prepare for the GED.
10. Prepare your college application essay.
11. Get new ideas for your landscape or garden.
12. Attend the grant’s workshop series beginning in February 2012.
13. Will you be taking the ACT or SAT soon?  One way to succeed is to work on your vocabulary.
14. The Library has baby name books if you are expecting a little one.
15. Research the spelling or history of a word.  
16. Take the first steps toward researching your term paper.
17. Explore the literary criticism resources.
18. You’re invited to participate in the Cross Word Puzzle Tournament on March 24th.
19. Find the answer to an etiquette question.
20. Use a concordance to locate a Bible verse.
21. Find books and databases to help you learn a foreign language.
22. Use the Library’s resources to home school your children.
23. Locate a magazine article in a database.
24. Visit the Nonprofit Resource Center.
25. Find an open enrollment form for school.
26. Make photocopies.
27. Enjoy a ghost story or book on haunting.
28. Find a favorite poem to read.
29. Take out a curriculum-planning book.
30. Attend the Akron Storytelling Festival on July 13th & 14th.
31. Browse the Martin Luther King collection.
32. Investigate an opposing viewpoint question or issue. 
33. Find out how to apply for a grant.
34. Anytime day or night you can download a study guide.
35. Find the latest self-help books.
36. Pick up a Bible to read.
37. Read a play.
38. Pick up a FAFSA form.
39. Find out how to cite a source for your term paper.
40. Schedule a time to have a test proctored.
41. Pick up the latest current events or political bestseller.
42. Check out a Bible commentary.
43. Pick up the latest book on the Civil War.
44. Come back for more books on how to paint with watercolor.
45. Learn about caring for the aging.
46. Select a book on grief and loss.
47. Locate the address for a hospital.
48. Explore books on the great masters of art.
49. Have you written a book? The Writer’s Market may help you locate a publisher.
50. Do you need help with a social issue? The Library has a list of community organizations that may be able to assist you.
51. Learn about the ancient Chinese practice of feng shui.
52. Locate books on Akron/Ohio history.