Date: November 11, 6 p.m.
Location: South Hall of Von Braun Center

Date: Thursday, November 11 at 6:30 p.m.
The holiday spirit not quite what it should be?  The Friends of the Madison Public Library and Madison Public Library might be able to help your family tap into the Ghost of Christmas Future.  The great-great grandson of Charles Dickens will perform A Christmas Carol with a twist.  From Tiny Tim to Ebenezer Scrooge, Gerald Dickens will bring all 26 characters to life in his one man presentation of A Christmas Carol on November 11.  Get your tickets now at the Madison Public Library. For more information, call the Madison Public Library at (256) 461-0046. (See book information at bottom of newsletter.)

Date: Friday, November 12, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Location: Auditorium, Main branch, 915 Monroe St.
A fascinating presentation of “Visions of the Native” will explore the image of Native Americans in literature from the time of Columbus to the mid-nineteenth century. Featured speaker will be Anissa Graham, English instructor at the University of North Alabama. Special entertainment will be a talented group of dulcimer players reciting music of the period. Seating is limited, with advance tickets only. Tickets are $20 per person and may be purchased by calling the Liles' at 256-883-2607. Visit http://hmcpl.org/learningquest to learn more about LearningQUEST.

Dates: November 12 -20 during normal business hours
Location: Bessie K. Russell Public Library
Strike it rich with this book bargain bonanza with great prices on gently used books!  Whatever you like to read you'll find it here! Need directions? Visit http://hmcpl.org/russell for directions and map.

Date: November 16, at 7 to 8 pm
Location: Events Room, Main Branch (915 Monroe Street, downtown Huntsville)

Date: November 17, 4 p.m.
Location: Madison Public Library, 130 Plaza Blvd., Madison  
In this lively presentation exploring the events of 1621, author Diane Z. Shore, dressed in period costume and in Olde English language, tells about 17th century America in her book This is the Feast.  Through the eyes of Ellinor Billington, a colorful and rather opinionated colonist, who along with her troublesome husband and two mischievous sons traveled to the New World aboard the Mayflower, Diane shares stories of the Mayflower voyage, that first year of hardship in the New World, and everyday life in Plymouth.  Includes a hands-on interactive demonstration of the 17th century European and Native American children's toys and games. (See book information at bottom of newsletter.)

Date: November 18, 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Events Room, Main Branch, 915 Monroe Street
The Help Yourself to Health Initiative is sponsoring a Diabetes forum with a speaker on Diabetes. The forum will cover:  What is Diabetes and how you control it along with interactive sessions on exercise and cooking healthy for the holidays.  Also included will be a review of resources available online and in the library.

Date: Friday November 19, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: Madison Public Library, 130 Plaza Blvd., Madison
Supply Fee: $7 per person.
In this workshop, you'll make a round basket. Crystal Kitchens will show you how to handle basket reed, how to start a round basket, and how to shape a basket.  The finished baskets will be about 6 inches tall with a 5-inch diameter base.  You can use colored reed and beads to decorate your baskets.  No basket making experience is required.  Contact Mary Kate Quillivan at 256-461-0046 or mquillivan@hmcpl.org for more info.

Date: Sunday, November 21, 2 p.m.
Location: Events Room, Main Library, 915 Monroe Street
Is there a secret to being happy? This unique two part series will focus on two perspectives about the nature and science of Happiness and how we can pursue it in our own lives. Dr. Gitendra Uswatte, from University of Alabama Birmingham will talk about what we can learn from current psychological research on happiness.

Want to brush up on A Christmas Carol? Interested in reading some of Bill Bryson's books before he speaks at Vive le Livre? Here are some suggestions from our catalog:

Publisher: Candlewick Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/12/2006
ISBN-13: 9780763631208
ISBN-10: 0763631205

In this unabridged edition, featuring magnificent illustrations, a miser learns the true meaning of Christmas when three ghostly visitors force him to confront his past and foretell his future, which is quite dismal if he doesn't change his selfish ways.

Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/01/2008
ISBN-13: 9780066237954
ISBN-10: 0066237955

A heartwarming first Thanksgiving story depicts the celebration of friendship between the Pilgrims and their neighbors, the Indians. 30,000 first printing.

Publisher: Doubleday
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/05/2010
ISBN-13: 9780767919388
ISBN-10: 0767919386

The award-winning author of A Short History of Nearly Everything explores the ways in which homes reflect history, from a bathroom's revelations about medicine and hygiene to a kitchen's exposure of the stories of trade and nutrition. 600,000 first printing.

Table of Contents  

Publisher: Anchor Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 12/26/2006
ISBN-13: 9780307279460
ISBN-10: 0307279464

A wry account by the author of The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid traces an adventurous and arduous trek past the Appalachian Trail's natural pleasures, human eccentrics, and offbeat comforts. Reprint.

First Chapter  

Publisher: Broadway Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 11/01/2005
ISBN-13: 9780767923224
ISBN-10: 0767923227

The author of A Walk in the Woods traces the Big Bang through the rise of civilization, documenting his work with a host of the world's most advanced scientists and mathematicians to explain why things are the way they are. 125,000 first printing.

First Chapter  Table of Contents