Controversy heating up
A couple of weeks ago I reviewed several books that focused in one way or another about caring for the Earth. One of those books was Al Gore's "An inconvenient truth: the crisis of global warming." Several readers wrote and were not happy about the inclusion of that book. Here are a few of the comments (abbreviated):
• "There has been a great deal of controversy on this movie and film and many lies are being discovered every day. This warming hoax is all about money — mine and yours — in the form of taxes which will do nothing for the environment and just continue to escalate as soon as the politicians get their hands on it. I will leave you with two thoughts: science is not subject to a vote and FOLLOW THE MONEY!!"
• "I happened to notice you shamelessly shilling Gore's book to children. Claiming it has "indisputable facts" is incredibly gullible, untrue and somewhat silly - next time you recommend a book, for instance the one that claimed the Earth is flat "because everyone knows it is," think a little bit first.
• "A number of critics have labeled (Gore's) stuff pseudo-scientific anti-growth propaganda. You may want to consider checking out a book on elementary statistics and go through the section on deviations from and regressions to the mean, which can provide a better understanding of weather patterns."
• "All are from the land of make believe: Tooth fairies, Easter bunnies, Santa Claus, global warming, "an inconvenient truth, Al Gore."
I appreciate the input from these readers, and for all I know, they may very well be right. A scientist I'm not, and maybe global warming IS a hoax. I hope so. One thing I can say for sure — it certainly is a controversial issue.
On a lighter note, the books reviewed today and those listed by your local librarians are engaging, excellent reads, and none of them will cause any controversy whatsoever!
The following book is available at many public libraries.<B>"Russell the Sheep"</B> written and illustrated by Rob Scotton; HarperCollins; 32 pages; read aloud: age 4 and older; read yourself: age 7.Poor Russell the sheep. At the end of a long day when the rest of his flock is getting ready for bed, Russell isn't sleepy at all. Tucked under their blankets and fast asleep, Russell tries everything he can think of to fall asleep, too. Maybe he's too hot! Maybe he needs a better pillow. Maybe he needs to find a better place to fall asleep. Maybe he should ¿ count sheep?Hilarious illustrations make this funny book even funnier, and kids will clamor to read this one many times over.
<B>Library:</B> Evans City Public Library, 204 S. Jackson St., Evans City<B>Library Director:</B> Judith Pfeifer<B>Children's Librarian: </B>Patricia Pflug<B>Choices this week:</B> <B>"The Case of the Cat's Meow"</B> by Crosby Bonsall; <B>"Grub E. Dog" </B>by Al Newman; <B>"The Any Bully" </B>by John Nickle
The following books are available at favorite bookstores.<B>"Rover"</B> by Jacqueline French; HarperCollins, 2007; 283 pages; $16.99 hardcover; read aloud: age 10 and older; read yourself: age 10 and older.Hekja lived in a peaceful seaside village, but that peace was torn from her the day the Vikings attacked and took Hekja and her dog prisoner. Hekja's Viking mistress is firm and sometimes terrifying, but when they journey to lands far beyond Greenland, Hekja learns how very intelligent and brave her Viking leader is. Ultimately, Hekja comes to understand the ways of the Vikings and finds a life for herself — a good life.French's extensive research on the history of these real life characters is combined with her extraordinary writing, yielding a vivid, masterful book that is first rate.<B>"Hurry! Hurry!"</B> by Eve Bunting; illustrated by Jeff Mack; Harcourt, 2007; 32 pages; $16 hardcover; read aloud: age 1 to 3; read yourself: age 6 to 7.The hen shouts the announcement to all of her friends on the farm, "Hurry! Hurry!" Each farm animal goes as fast as he can, and when they are all finally assembled in the barn, a most wonderful thing occurs!Absolutely delightful, this simple story for little children celebrates the joy of life.Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children's literature. She can be reached via e-mail kendal@sunlink.net.
