This Month ...

  Veterans' Day has its origins in "Armistice Day," observed in 1918 to commemorate the end of World War I. "This day is not to honor war," said FDR, "but the sacrifice made by others for our freedom." Learn more about the holiday from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Infoplease. What's life like for troops today? Check out our new books on the war in Iraq.

  Now that all the Harry Potter books have been written and published, what on earth will we do?? Never fear! You'll find endless entertainment at After Harry Potter and Harry Potter Fan Fiction. The first website provides all kinds of links--trivia games, the movie website, as well as lists of similar books, and the second one offers you nearly 45,000 stories (as well as reviews) based on elements from Harry Potter. 

   Growing up in Ireland, we didn't have this wonderful American holiday--now, it's one of my favorites. Check out Better Homes & Gardens Thanksgiving Survival Guide and learn how to stay cool during a food crisis.  Vegetarians, click Here for recipes you'll enjoy (from the Vegetarian Kitchen). But don't make the holiday all about food! Get in touch with the history of the day at  Plimoth Plantation and The First Thanksgiving, and kick back with a Thanksgiving themed-book (ideas at MyShelf.com).

Our Featured Author ... 

Pete Hautman was born and raised in Berkeley, California, in the 1950s. He was an avid reader from the time he discovered the Hardy Boys series in the 4th grade. From the Hardy Boys, he moved on from that to adventure novels and, he says, "anything at all with a spaceship or a gun on the cover." As a teenager, he read a lot of fiction--short stories, sci-fi, and spy novels, as well as The Lord of the Rings.

   Hautman went to the University of Minnesota, and worked at a lot of different jobs (like working in a cabinet factory, painting signs, printing t-shirts, slicing pineapple, and selling hats!) before he became a serious writer. He writes for adults and children as well as young adults, and is very popular. His first novel for young adults was Mr. Was in 1996. His other novels include Hole in the Sky (2001)--my favorite--, Godless (2004), Invisible (2005), and All-In (2007).

   We have most of Hautman's book in the fiction section, and All-In is on the New Books shelf. Read about the author, his books, his blog, and much more at Pete Hautman.com. 

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