Southwest Oklahoma City Public Library

J.R.R. Tolkien Birth Anniversary

Frequently Asked Questions - Reader Services

Last Updated on Wednesday, 02 January 2013 09:52

January 3rd is J.R.R. Tolkien's birth anniversary. Tolkien is known as a highly acomplished writer with publications like The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Whether you've already experienced the series or want to join in on the fun, you can always check out the books and movies from the Pioneer Library System.

The Hobbit

In this prelude to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, when Bilbo Baggins hears tales of unknown adventures in the outside world, he leaves the comfort of his snug hole to undergo a journey with a curious band of wizards.

book / ebook / audiobook

Read more: J.R.R. Tolkien Birth Anniversary

Home for the Holidays

Frequently Asked Questions - Reader Services

Last Updated on Wednesday, 19 December 2012 14:40

It's that time of the year when the children are out of school for winter break. Children have a lot of energy, and you might be wondering how to keep them entertained while you have a busy schedule. We have some great books and ideas on how to keep your children from being bored during their vacation.

The ultimate indoor games book : the best boredom busters ever! by Veronika Alice Gunter

More than 150 games, from quiet games to energy-burning activities that need minimal set-up time and simple supplies found around most houses.

Boredom busters! : the curious kids' activity book by Avery Hart & Paul Mantell

Suggests a variety of both indoor and outdoor activities which relate to nature, the environment, ecology, music, sky watching, backyard fun, the neighborhood, and the wider world.

Read more: Home for the Holidays

2013 Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Award List

Frequently Asked Questions - Reader Services

Last Updated on Friday, 14 December 2012 12:03

The Sequoyah Administrative Team and the Pioneer Library System are proud to announce the following books for the 2013 Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Award Masterlists. Voting for the winner begins in February, so check out these great books before voting begins.

Children’s (Grades 3-5)

• Tom Angleberger - The Strange Case of Origami Yoda.

• Andy Behrens - The Fast and the Furriest.

• Sharon M. Draper - Out of My Mind.

• Jean Craighead George - The Buffalo Are Back.

• Steve Jenkins - How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships.

• Gregory Mone - Fish.

• S. D. Nelson - Black Elk's Vision: A Lakota Story.

• Barbara O'Connor - The Fantasic Secret Of Owen Jester.

• Patricia Polacco - The Junkyard Wonders.

• Calvin A. Ramsey - Ruth and the Green Book.

• Laura Resau - Star in the Forest.

• Marilyn Singer - Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse.

• Eileen Spinelli - The Dancing Pancake.

• Clare Vanderpool - Moon over Manifest.

• Rosemary Wells - On the Blue Comet.

Intermediate (Grades 6-8)

• Blue Balliett - The Danger Box.

• Royce Buckingham - The Dead Boys.

• Leslie Connor - Crunch.

• Priscilla Cummings - Blindsided.

• Nancy Bo Flood - Warriors In The Crossfire.

• Enrique Flores-Galbis - 90 Miles To Havana.

• Mark Peter Hughes - A Crack In The Sky

• Margaret McMullan - Sources Of Light.

• Gary Paulsen - Woods Runner.

• Dan Poblocki - The Nightmarys.

• Mark Shulman - Scrawl: A Novel.

• Polly Shulman - The Grimm Legacy.

• Diane Stanley - Saving Sky.

• Jordan Sonnenblick - After Ever After.

• Rita Williams-Garcia - One Crazy Summer.

High School (Grades 9-12)

• Swati Avasthi - Split.

• Cassandra Clare - Clockwork Angel: The Infernal Devices.

• Ally Condie - Matched.

• Carl Dueker - Payback Time.

• Stephen Emond - Happyface.

• John Green and David Levithan. Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

• April Henry - Girl Stolen.

• Travis Hunter - Two the Hard Way.

• Catherine Ryan Hyde - Jumpstart the World.

• Jackie Morse Kessler - Hunger.

• Jonathan Maberry - Rot & Ruin.

• Lauren Oliver - Before I Fall.

• Neal Shusterman - Bruiser.

• Suzanne Supplee - Somebody Everybody Listens To.

• Daisy Whitney - The Mockingbirds.

National Book Award Finalists and Winners

Frequently Asked Questions - Reader Services

Last Updated on Friday, 14 December 2012 12:03

The winners of the National Book Award were announced this month. The National Book Awards are annual literary awards awarded every November presented by the National Book Foundation. Here are links to the winning and finalist books we currently have in our catalog:

Fiction

Winner:   Louise Erdrich, Round House

One Sunday in the spring of 1988, a woman living on a reservation in North Dakota is attacked. The details of the crime are slow to surface as Geraldine Coutts is traumatized and reluctant to relive or reveal what happened, either to the police or to her husband, Bazil, and thirteen-year-old son, Joe. In one day, Joe's life is irrevocably transformed. He tries to heal his mother, but she will not leave her bed and slips into an abyss of solitude. Increasingly alone, Joe finds himself thrust prematurely into an adult world for which he is ill prepared. While his father, who is a tribal judge, endeavors to wrest justice from a situation that defies his efforts, Joe becomes frustrated with the official investigation and sets out with his trusted friends, Cappy, Zack, and Angus, to get some answers of his own. Their quest takes them first to the Round House, a sacred space and place of worship for the Ojibwe. And this is only the beginning.

Finalists:  Junot Diaz, This is How You Lose Her

Read more: National Book Award Finalists and Winners