Happy Pi Day! Celebrate with Math Books

It's March 14th, and you know what that is, right?  Nope.  Not the Ides of March. (That's tomorrow!)

March 14th (also written as 3.14*) is Pi Day!

To celebrate, we put up a little display of math books in the library.  The display includes fiction and nonfiction books.  Some are books of math and logic puzzles.  Some are stories where the characters use their love of math to solve mysteries and have fun.  All are math-tastic.

It might be a little hard to see in this photo, but here are the books in the display (from l-r):

The Grapes of Math: Mind-Stretching Math Riddles by Greg Tang
Go Figure!: A Totally Cool Book About Numbers by Johnny Ball
Math Talk: Mathematical Ideas in Poems for Two Voices by Theoni Pappas
Number 8 by Anna Feinberg
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure by David Enzensberger
The Joy of Pi by David Blatner
Basher Basics: Math: A Book You Can Count On by Dan Green
Saraswati's Way by Monica Schroder
Do the Math: Secrets, Lies, and Algebra by Wendy Lichtman
Do the Math #2: The Writing on the Wall by Wendy Lichtman
A Gebra Named Al: A Novel by Wendy Isdel
Math Curse by Jon Scieszka
Mathemagic!: Number Tricks by Lynda Colgan

And there are a whole bunch more fun math books out there that aren't on the display, but are no less fantastically math-y.  Try some of these on for size:

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
The Cardturner by Louis Sachar
Island of the Unknowns: A Mystery by Benedict Carey
A Higher Geometry by Sharelle Byars Moranville
The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics by Norton Juster
The Phantom Tollbooth 50th Anniversary Edition by Norton Juster
Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail by Danica McKellar
Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who's Boss by Danica McKellar
Hot X: Algebra Exposed! by Danica McKellar
The Lady or the Tiger?: and Other Logic Puzzles by Raymond M. Smullyan

* Get it? 3.14...March 14th...Pi!

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

YALSA List-O-Mania! Quick Picks, Popular Paperbacks and Fabulous Films

More lists! Yesterday I gave the quick and dirty on Best Fiction and Great Graphic Novels.  Today, it's Quick Picks, Popular Paperbacks and Fabulous Films.  If you didn't already have a massive TBR/W* pile, you just might after today's lists.

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers
I love that this list exists. The nonfiction titles are my go-to for filling the display on the circulation desk.  A lot of the fiction QPs tend to be lower reading level + high action, but that's definitely not true for all selections.  Sometimes the subject matter (Jeffrey Dahmer!) is so enthralling it'll grab the most reluctant of readers.  Here's the Top Ten... 

• Backderf, Derf.  My Friend Dahmer.  Illus., Abrams/Abrams ComicArts, 2012, 978-1419702167, $24.95.
• Henry, April.  The Night She Disappeared. Henry Holt Books for Young Readers /Christy Ottaviano Books, 2012, 978-0805092622, $16.99.
• Lyga, Barry. I Hunt Killers. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2012, 978-0316125840, $17.99.
• Lynch, Chris.  Vietnam. Series
• Vietnam #1: I Pledge Allegiance Scholastic Press, 2011, 978-0545270298, $16.99.
• Vietnam #2: Sharpshooter Scholastic Press, 2012, 978-0545270267, $16.99.
• Vietnam #3: Free-Fire Zone Scholastic Press, 2012, 978-0545270250, $16.99.
• McNeil, Gretchen.  Ten. Balzer + Bray,  2012, 978-0062118783, $17.99.
• Rodriguez, Gaby; Glatzer, Jenna. The Pregnancy Project: A Memoir. Simon & Schuster Inc./Simon & Schuster BFYR,  2012, 978-1442446229, $17.99.
• Ross, Richard.  Juvenile in Justice. Illus., Richard Ross, 2012, 978-0985510602, $29.95.
• Summers, Courtney. This is Not a Test. Macmillan/St. Martin’s Griffin, 2012, 978-0312656744, $9.99.
• Tillit, L.B.  Unchained. Saddleback Publishing/Gravel Road, 2012, 978-1616517922, $9.95..
• Woodson, Jacqueline. Beneath a Meth Moon: An Elegy. Penguin Group (USA) Inc./Nancy Paulsen Books, 2012, 978-0399252501, $16.99.

Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
This one I love for when I'm looking to create themed displays and/or appeal to readers with very specific wants.  They've also helped me create lists of books for retold fairytales, novels in verse and a bunch of other quirky topics. Invaluable.  This year's themes were: Boarding Schools to Summer Camps: leaving home to find yourself; Gowns, Greasepaint and Guitars: not the same old song and dance; I'm New Here Myself: a generation caught between nations; and More Books That Won't Make You Blush: all the excitement, none of the naughty.  And here's the Top Ten!\

• Eulberg, Elizabeth.  Prom and Prejudice.  Point.  2012.
• Johnson, Maureen.  Name of the Star.  Speak.  2012.
• Lockhart, E. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks.  Hyperion.  2009.
• Skovron, Jon.  Struts and Frets.  Amulet.  2011. 
• Telgemeier, Raina.  Drama.  Illus. Raina Telgemeier. Scholastic/ GRAPHIX.  2012.
• Gallo, Donald (ed).  First Crossing:  Stories about teen immigrants.  Candlewick.  2007.
• Hauser, Brooke.  The New Kids: big dreams and brave journeys at a high school for immigrant teens.  Free Press.  2012.
• Carter, Ally. Heist Society.  Hyperion Books CH.  2011. 
• Van Draanen, Wendelin.  The Running Dream.  Ember.
• Wright, Bil. Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy.  Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. 2012.

Fabulous Films for Young Adults
I don't tend to buy movies for my collection, unless they are related to the curriculum and are rated G or PG.  That knocks out most everything that would appear on this list. Sad face.  Every once in a while though, something school-friendly pops up on this list  There are a few on this list that I'll have to check out.  And one I must warn readers about...

Animal lovers should NOT! I repeat, NOT! as in, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCE! watch the film Eight Below.  My sister and I watched it one day years ago when I was back at my parents' house between Christmas and New Years. It was billed as the rescue story of eight huskies stranded in Antarctica.  We bawled throughout the entire movie and in-between sobs yelled profanities at all of the incompetent people (I'm looking at you, Paul Walker's character!) who were supposed to care for and save the dogs, and instead forced them to starve and fight for their lives.  Idiots.  I hated this film.  I will never watch it again.  Except for the end.  That's the best.

And there you have it!  YALSA's lists! I hope you enjoyed hearing about them and found one or two things to put on your TBR pile.

What's that you say?  I haven't mentioned Amazing Audiobooks?  My apologies.  I'm not an audiobook person (my commute is 5 minutes and I heart NPR), so I don't really have anything to say about it. Sorry.

*The "W" is for watch, as in, "These films are on my to be watched list." 

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

YALSA List-O-Mania! Best Fiction and Great Graphic Novels

Two weeks ago I blogged about the Youth Media Awards winners and honorees.  And I also spotlighted the Amelia Bloomer and Rainbow List books.  But I haven't gotten around to other awesome YALSA lists.  You know, the awesome ones that are exactly what you need in order to do collection development! While the awards are fun, it's these lists that really help librarians figure out what to buy.  So let's look at them now, shall we?  We'll start with Best Fiction and Great Graphic Novels...

Best Fiction for Young Adults
There's no set number of books that makes the cut on this list.  Rather, committee members read 200+ nominated books (and yes, as I am on the 2014 committee, I can confirm that every committee member must read every nomination!), and then select however many of those books they agree are the "best" and put them on a list.  And then, they create a Top Ten.  These are books to put on the top of your TBR pile.

• Andrews, Jesse. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. Abrams/Amulet Books, 2012.
• Bray, Libba. The Diviners. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2012.
• Hartman, Rachel. Seraphina. Random House/Random House Books for Young Readers, 2012.
• Kontis, Alethea. Enchanted. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Harcourt Children’s Books, 2012.
• Levithan, David. Every Day. Random House/Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2012.
• McCormick, Patricia. Never Fall Down. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, 2012.
• Quick, Matthew. Boy 21. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2012.
• Saenz, Benjamin. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. Simon & Schuster/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2012.
• Stiefvater, Maggie. The Raven Boys. Scholastic, 2012.
• Wein, Elizabeth. Code Name Verity. Disney/Hyperion, 2012.

Great Graphic Novels
Similar to BFYA, there's no set number of books that make this list, and all have been vetted by the full committee.  I spend so much time reading fiction and nonfiction that I personally do a bad job keeping up with graphic novels.  This list was made for people like me, who desperately need assistance growing a fine graphic novel collection for their eager teens.

Non-Fiction

• Backderf, Derf. My Friend Dahmer. 2012, illus., Abrams, paper, $17.95, 978-1419702174.
• Fetter-Vorm, Jonathan. Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb. 2012, illus., Farrar, Straus and Giroux/Hill and Wang, $22.00, 978-0809094684.
• Lambert, Joseph. Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller. 2012, illus., Disney Hyperion/Disney Book Group, $17.99, 978-1423113362.

Fiction

• Bendis, Brian Michael and Sara Pichelli. Ultimate Comics Spider-man, V.1. 2012, illus., Marvel, $24.99, 978-0785157120.
• Hicks, Faith Erin. Friends with Boys. 2012, illus., Roaring Brook/First Second, paper, $15.99, 978-1596435568.
• Kwitney, Alisa, Rebecca Guay and others. A Flight of Angels. 2011, illus., DC/Vertigo, $24.99. 978-1401232009.
• Long, Mark, Nate Powell and others. The Silence of Our Friends. 2012, illus., Roaring Brook/First Second, paper, $16.99, 978-1596436183.
• Murakami, Takashi. Stargazing Dog. 2011, illus., NBM Publishing, paper, $11.99, 978-1561636129.
• Telgemeier, Raina. Drama. 2012, illus., Scholastic/GRAPHIX, $23.99, 978-0545326988.
• Waid, Mark, Paolo Manuel Rivera and Marcos Martin. Daredevil V. 1. 2012, illus., Marvel, $19.99, 978-0785152378.

Stay tuned for Quick Picks, Popular Paperbacks and Fabulous Films, coming later this week.

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.