Happy Puppy Day!

March 24, 2019 | sobczakd

March 23 is National Puppy Day! Puppies are so incredibly cute and irresistible, how can we not celebrate them?! There are all sorts of ways to celebrate National Puppy Day but if you need some ideas, click here for a list from a local news website. Want to learn more? Check out some materials from our pet collection!

Pick of the litter [videodisc]

Meet Patriot, Potomac, Primrose, Poppet, and Phil, five spirited puppies who, from the moment they're born, begin an incredible journey to become guide dogs for the blind. It's a rigorous two-year process that will take the pups from the care of selfless foster volunteers to specialized trainers to, if they make the cut, a lifelong human companion.

The dogist puppies by Elias Weiss Friedman

The Dogist Puppies, the follow-up to the New York Times bestseller The Dogist, is a beautiful, funny, and endearing look at puppies. He fires up the Nikon. Fills his pockets with treats. Dresses in special gear--pants with built-in kneepads and shoes that are not only made for walking but also have a thick rubber toe for squatting. And last but not least, he packs a squeaky tennis ball. And then The Dogist is off, combing the streets in his quest to find dogs to photograph. Or, as has been the case for the past four years, puppies. Bringing his singular eye and sensibility to photographing puppies from birth to age one, Elias Weiss Friedman, aka The Dogist, captures hundreds of fuzzy faces to love and little furry bodies to covet. The Dogist Puppies is a celebration of oversize puppy paws and floppy puppy ears, puppies getting belly rubs and puppies unsure, exactly, of what that tail thing is for. Puppies at play, and puppies worn out from playing. Litters of puppies with their mom, and puppies with their human equivalents--children. Puppies in fancy outfits, and those poignant puppies having to wear the "cone of shame." Friedman has also taken a deep dive into breeds: Border Collies and Westies, Frenchies and Huskies, Boxers and the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, whose tender gaze looks just a little worried--perhaps concerned about living up to that name. The Dogist's new focus is on puppies. What more do you need to know?

World Down Syndrome Day

March 21, 2019 | sobczakd

Every year on March 21 since 2012, we celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. It's a global call to action to help raise awareness for those with Down Syndrome. For special needs parents, it becomes a life-long quest to advocate for acceptance and to make world a more inclusive and accessible place. To learn more, this article by a mom whose son has Down Syndrome is very illuminating. Here's some resources to peruse from our collection.

Far from the tree [videodisc]

Based on The New York Times bestseller by Andrew Solomon, an intimate, profoundly human look at families raising children society deems 'abnormal': a mother and son determined to show the world that his Down syndrome does not define him; a couple learning to communicate with their bright but nonverbal autistic son; a young woman dealing with what it means to be the only little person in her family; and parents whose love for their son persists even after he has committed an unspeakable crime.

The parent's guide to Down syndrome : advice, information, inspiration, and support for raising your child from diagnosis through adulthood by Jen Jacob

As a parent of a child diagnosed with Down syndrome, you may be feeling unsure of what to do next or where your child's journey will take you. In this book, authors Jen Jacob and Mardra Sikora share their experiences and guide you through life with Ds with expert advice from diagnosis to adulthood. Each page teaches you ways to support your child through major milestones; nurture their development; and ensure that they succeed behaviorally, socially, and cognitively. You'll also find valuable information on:

  • Sharing the news with loved ones
  • Transitioning into primary school
  • Developing your child's social skills
  • Discussing future opportunities, including employment and housing options

With The Parent's Guide to Down Syndrome, you will have the tools you need to raise a happy, healthy, and thriving child.

College Admission...Staying on Course

March 15, 2019 | sobczakd

The recent cheating scandal involving an elaborate scheme to bribe admission officers, coaches and standardized testing administrators to admit students into elite schools has shaken and shocked the nation. As parents, we trust the higher education system to operate ethically and equally by admitting students who are qualified, who have earned their place through hard work and merit, and who have followed the rules to get there. It's in the hands of courts to see what happens next. In the meantime, here are resources to stay on a successful admission course to "you're in." 

I'm applying to college, now what? : a step-by-step guide to writing applications & essays by Angela Erikson

Applying to college can be one of the most stressful times in a student's life. With acceptance rates at colleges such as Stanford and Harvard being under 10 percent, students need to know how to craft a winning application. This book breaks the process down into easy-to-manage sections.

You will learn how to choose a topic, how to narrow your focus, how to edit and revise, how to choose your tone and structure, how to avoid the common pitfalls, and how to overcome writer's block. In addition, you will learn strategies for getting started, requirements for application, and critical writing tips. This book has sample essays and essay questions, and even examples of the essays specific colleges use. Admissions officers have chimed in with their expertise to provide insider information on how to compose impressive applications and essays for admissions and scholarships. Whether you are a high school freshman seeking a head start or a senior hoping to glean some last minute tips, this book is your go-to guide to getting accepted.

College admission 101 : simple answers to tough questions about college admissions and financial aid by Robert Franek

As The Princeton Review's chief expert on education, Robert Franek frequently appears on ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX to share his insider expertise on the college admissions process. Each year, he travels to high schools across the country, advising thousands of anxious students and parents on how to turn their college hopes into reality.

Now, with College Admission 101, the best of Rob's wisdom has finally been collected in one place! From standardized tests to financial aid, Rob provides straightforward answers to 60+ of the questions he hears most often, including:

· Should I take the ACT or SAT?
· When should I start my college research?
· How many schools should I apply to?
· Will applying Early Decision or Early Action give me a leg up?
· Which extracurricular activities do colleges want to see?
· How does the financial aid process work?
· What's more important: GPA or test scores?

March is National Nutrition Month!

March 7, 2019 | sobczakd

March is National Nutrition Month! Good nutrition is essential is maintaining a healthy mind and body. Eating a well-balance diet can help boost our energy level and elevates our mood, which in turn reduces the risk for all sorts of health problems. To celebrate National Nutrition Month, stop by our library display! Discover our Gale Courses to learn how to make low fat and fast meals or how to achieve weight-loss goals successfully. Want to know more? Check out some of our new nutrition books!

Finally full, finally slim : 30 days to permanent weight loss one portion at a time by Lisa R Young

Finally Full, Finally Slim hows you how to permanently lose weight by right-sizing your portions without eliminating entire food groups or staring at an empty plate. Within these pages, Dr. Young outlines thirty days' worth of simple changes to help you shed pounds and provides a portion plan that assures you will feel satisfied. She expertly describes the relevance of diet to health and steers you toward whole foods and away from clever marketing claims that may be secretly sabotaging your weight-loss efforts. You'll learn useful strategies for how to eat out, enjoy special occasions, and indulge in a favorite treat without tipping the scale. And because weight loss is about more than food, Dr. Young addresses the whole person-your mind-set, environment, habits, and life-through research-based advice. You'll learn how relationships, gratitude, self-compassion, and sleep patterns, for instance, can make a difference. Portion control outlives all fad diets because it isn't a diet. It's a lifestyle. 

Dressing on the side (and other diet myth debunked) : 11 science-based ways to eat more, stress less, and feel great about your body by Jaclyn London

In her years of experience treating patients and studying health and nutrition, London has developed a set of tools for creating new patterns and healthful habits that get sustainable results. From having dessert every day to getting the best results from the least amount of working out, DRESSING ON THE SIDE gives readers tools they actually want that will still lead to weight loss, improved health, and (most importantly) a sustainable lifestyle of healthful habits.

Traditional diet programs are nearly all too hard to sustain or end abruptly without giving readers what they need to maintain results: either you quit your diet, or your diet quits you. What London shows in this book is that weight loss and healthy living are about good habits, and this book gives readers the 11 tools they need to create sustainable healthy habits that will let them lose weight, eat chocolate, and achieve optimal health. 

The Great Vaccine Debate

February 21, 2019 | sobczakd

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate, that seems to be a controversial topic among parents. The state of Michigan requires schoolchildren to be immunized from 14 contagious diseases, but it also allows exemptions. Measles is an especially potent virus. According to the CDC, there's been 101 cases reported of a measles outbreak in 10 states. The CDC has a link to a fact sheet for parents called Diseases and the Vaccines that Prevent them. Want to know more? Here's some books to help separate fact from fiction. 

Immunization : how vaccines became controversial by 1942- Stuart S. Blume

One of the most important tools in the public health arsenal, vaccines are to thank for the global eradication of smallpox, and for allowing us to defeat the dire threat of infectious disease for more than one hundred years. Vaccine development is where scientists turn when faced with the frightening spread of new diseases like Zika, SARS, and Ebola. So if vaccines have proven to be such an effective tool, why are growing numbers of people questioning the wisdom of vaccinating children? Why have public-sector vaccine producers almost vanished? And can we trust the multinational corporations that increasingly dominate vaccine development and production? In this highly original and controversial new book, Stuart Blume argues that processes of globalization and unmet healthcare needs are eroding faith in the institutions producing and providing vaccines. He brings together short, readable histories of immunization practices over the past century, from the work of early pioneers such as Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch to the establishment of the World Health Organization and the introduction of genetic engineered vaccines. Focusing on today's "vaccine hesitancy," the book exposes the inadequacies of public health persuasion, and discusses what will be needed to restore parents' confidence. This is a timely history, one that not only sheds new light on the origins of our global vaccine crisis, but also points a way forward.

Vaccines did not cause Rachel's autism : my journey as a vaccine scientist, pediatrician, and autism dad by Peter J Hotez

In 1994, Peter J. Hotez's nineteen-month-old daughter, Rachel, was diagnosed with autism. Dr. Hotez, a pediatrician-scientist who develops vaccines for neglected tropical diseases affecting the world's poorest people, became troubled by the decades-long rise of the influential anti-vaccine community and their inescapable narrative around childhood vaccines and autism. The alleged link between the two was first espoused in a fraudulent scientific paper, long since retracted, but the story shows no signs of letting up. As a result, we've seen deadly and disabling outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases around the country, and Texas, where Hotez lives, is at particular risk.

In Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism, Hotez draws on his experiences as a pediatrician, vaccine scientist, and father of an autistic child. Outlining the arguments on both sides of the debate, he examines the science that refutes the concerns of the anti-vaccine movement, debunks current conspiracy theories alleging a cover-up by the CDC, and critiques the scientific community's failure to effectively communicate the facts about vaccines and autism to the general public, all while sharing his very personal story of raising a now-adult daughter with autism.

King Reigns Supreme

February 13, 2019 | sobczakd

At this year's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the field of finalists was crowded with favorites. But a fancy Wire Fox Terrier named King reigned supreme. The 7-year old took the top Best in Show prize at the 143rd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show held in New York City's Madison Square Garden. King's handler had nothing but praise for the pooch saying, "he's the whole package." King is the 15th Wire Fox Terrier to win Best in Show, more than any other breed. Want to know more? Check out some of our Best in Show inspired selections! 

Show dog : the charmed life and trying times of a near-perfect purebred by Josh Dean

Journalist Josh Dean tells the story of a loveable Australian Shepherd, Jack, on his novice tour through the exciting world of professional dog showing, following Jack from his first competitions in local school gymnasiums all the way to the great granddaddy of them all, the Westminster Dog Show. A veteran journalist, Dean shines a warm, steady light on the trials that Jack and his plucky, dedicated owners come to face, and uses their story to explore the larger histories of dog shows themselves; the fascinating and sometimes bizarre history of purebred dogs; and our complex, heartfelt relationships to the pets we grow to love. For dog lovers, readers of Marley & Me, Merle's Door, and Oogy, and fans of Best in Show, Dean's Show Dog is an irresistible instant classic.

Love Your Heart

February 2, 2019 | sobczakd

February is American Heart Month. According to the American Heart Association, almost half of all adults have some sort of cardiovascular disease. It's an alarming statistic. Cardiovascular disease can be prevented by controlling high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, according to the American Heart Association. Here's some books to help motivate you to help keep your heart healthy! 

Heart solution for women : a proven program to prevent and reverse heart disease by Mark Menolascino

Heart disease remains the number one killer of women, outpacing breast cancer, diabetes, and stroke, with one in four women receiving a diagnosis in her lifetime. And the problem is only getting worse. Dr. Mark Menolascino has been on the front lines of cardiac research for most of his life, running a highly successful clinic where he takes a holistic, personalized approach to reversing disease and jump-starting health. Most of his patients are women struggling with symptoms and illnesses that stem from the most important, life-giving organ in the body: the heart. In Heart Solution for Women, Dr. Menolascino explores the many ways our hearts are the pathway to overall health. While the classic risk factors for heart disease--obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stress, and poor diet--are critical components, symptoms of the disease manifest differently in women's bodies and can go misdiagnosed for years. They include depression, anxiety and panic attacks, poor sleep, and widespread pain, and can be masked during pregnancy, post-pregnancy, and menopause only to appear with great force later in life. Featuring the latest research on gut, brain, and hormone health and including answers to the most common heart-health misunderstandings, Heart Solution for Women finally gives women the tools to succeed, feel great in their bodies, and add years to their lives.

Turbo metabolism : 8 weeks to a new you : preventing and reversing diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and other metabolic diseases by treating the causes by 1968- Pankaj K. Vij

Metabolic Syndrome: As the modern Western lifestyle spreads around the globe, so too does metabolic syndrome -- a cluster of symptoms that increases the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other conditions. The good news: metabolic syndrome can be tamed by a sensible program of exercise, natural foods, stress management, and quality sleep. In this concise and lively book, Dr. Pankaj Vij distills a mass of medical research into a simple, effective program for high energy and vibrant health. Avoiding fads and gimmicks, he provides practical advice, case studies of ordinary people, and brief sections that debunk common medical myths.

A Healthier You This Year

January 19, 2019 | sobczakd

As the new year begins, one of the many promises we make to ourselves is to choose healthier food options and stay in better shape. For busy families, that can be a challenge. Not sure which diet plan is fits your lifestyle? The U.S. News and World Report rated the best diets overall and the Mediterranean Diet was ranked first. It emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, plant-based oils, and lean proteins. Interested? Here's some books to help bring your family to the dinner table!

The DASH diet Mediterranean solution : the best eating plan to control your weight and improve your health for life by Marla Heller

The DASH diet has been a staple of the dieting world, recommended by doctors, nutritionists, and crowned the US News and World Report's #1 best diet for 8 years in a row. But popular tastes and medical guidelines have evolved, and THE Dash Diet Mediterranean Solution presents a new approach to the time tested diet program that highlights the benefits of whole foods. Marla Heller, MS RD has overhauled the DASH plan to reflect the latest, cutting-edge research on hypertension, diabetes, depression, and other health issues that impact millions of Americans. Meal planning gets a new focus on unprocessed foods (less sugar free Jello, more fresh fruits!), seafood options, and even a whole section examining vegan and vegetarian choices. Filled with four weeks of menus and tons of strategies and research, THE Dash Diet Mediterranean Solution offers readers a new approach to their best health the DASH diet way.

The complete Mediterranean cookbook : 500 vibrant, kitchen-tested recipes for living and eating well every day

This book brings the Mediterranean into the home kitchen, with 600 recipes for everyday cooking. The Mediterranean diet is known for being one of the healthiest in the world, with benefits ranging from cancer prevention to improved brain function. The diet also boasts food appeal, with its fresh, high-quality ingredients and extraordinary flavors. Although the diet has been around for decades, it has recently experienced a burst of renewed popularity.

Michigan Notable Books 2019

January 15, 2019 | sobczakd

Every year, the Michigan Department of Education and the Library of Michigan selects 20 books either set in Michigan or the Great Lakes region or are written by a Michigan author. The Michigan Notable Books program started in 1991 as part of Michigan Week celebrations designed to raise awareness of local Michigan authors who write about what makes Michigan life so unique. Selections include non-fiction, fiction, adult and children's titles that have a wide appeal to audiences of all ages and covers a variety of topics of interest to Michigan readers. My favorite is Notes from a Public Typewriter. 

Abbott by Saladin Ahmed

While investigating police brutality and corruption in 1970s Detroit, journalist Elena Abbott uncovers supernatural forces being controlled by a secret society of the city's elite. In the uncertain social and political climate of 1972 Detroit, hard-nosed, chain-smoking tabloid reporter Elena Abbott investigates a series of grisly crimes that the police have ignored. Crimes she knows to be the work of dark occult forces. Forces that took her husband from her. Forces she has sworn to destroy. Hugo Award-nominated novelist Saladin Ahmed (Star Wars: Canto Bight, Black Bolt) and artist Sami Kivelä (Beautiful Canvas) present one woman's search for the truth that destroyed her family amidst an exploration of the systemic societal constructs that haunt our country to this day.

Across the great lake by Lee Zacharias

As his wife lies dying in the brutally cold winter of 1936, Henrik Halvorsen takes his daughter Fern away with him. He captains a great coal-fired vessel, the Manitou, transporting railroad cars across the icy lake. The five-year-old girl revels in the freedom of the ferry, making friends with a stowaway cat and a gentle young deckhand. The sighting of a ghost ship, though, presages danger for all aboard.

New Year, Start Here!

January 6, 2019 | sobczakd

It's the New Year and the right time to press the reset button. But New Year's resolutions have a way of losing their staying power over time. Try focusing instead on making achievable goals like choosing healthier food options or adding more physical fitness to your weekly routines. The library can help spark your goals with these new additions to the health collection or check out one of our Experience to Go kits like Small Steps--Get Healthy! 

Body positive power : because life is already happening and you don't need flat abs to live it by Megan Jayne Crabbe

For generations, women have been convinced that true happiness only comes when we hit that goal weight, shrink ourselves down, and change ourselves to fit a rigid and unrealistic beauty ideal. We've been taught to see our bodies as collections of problems that need to be fixed. Instagram star Megan Jayne Crabbe is determined to spread the word that loving the body you have is the real path to happiness. An international body positive guru with fans in all corners of the world, Megan spent years battling eating disorders and weight fluctuations before she found her way to body positivity. She quit dieting, discovered a new kind of confidence, and replaced all those old feelings of body shame and self-recrimination with everyday joy. Free of the pressure to fit in a size 2, her life became more satisfying than ever before. In her debut book, Megan shares her own struggles with self-acceptance and her path to body positivity. With whip-smart wit and a bold attitude that lights up her Instagram feed, Megan champions a new worldview for all of us: It's time to stop dieting and get on with your life.

Reboot your health : simple DIY tests and solutions to assess and improve your health by Sara Davenport

Reboot Your Health starts with a comprehensive and bespoke health assessment. From inexpensive and simple tests you can do yourself (sleep, saliva/urine pH, bowel habits, blood pressure, candida etc.) and tests you can ask your doctor or pharmacist for (thyroid, cholesterol, vitamin deficiency, hormone imbalance, inflammatory markers etc.) readers will start to benchmark their own body against a range of "normal" - including heart rate, BMI and metabolic rate. Solutions can then be pick-and-mixed from a range of conventional medical solutions, scientifically backed Western complementary and alternative approaches, Eastern medical techniques, and psychological therapies and healing modalities. If you're still not well, further chapters offer advice on other options to pursue, including specialist tests. This book gives you the tools to listen to your body, collect information, take practical steps to get you feeling better and more in touch with your own body, and avoid future illness.

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