- Table View
- List View
Music: A Very Short Introduction
by Nicholas CookWhat is music? How is it constructed? How is it consumed? Why do you enjoy it at all? Nicholas Cook invites us to really think about music and the role it plays in our lives and our ears. Drawing on a number of accessible examples, the author prompts us to call on our own musical experiences in order to think more critically about the roles of the performers and the listener, about music as a commodity and an experience, what it means to understand music, and the values we ascribe to it. This very short introduction, written with both humor and flair, begins with a sampling of music as human activity and then goes on to consider the slippery phenomenon of how music has become an object of thought. Covering not only Western and classical music, Cook touches on all types from rock to Indonesian music and beyond. Incorporating musical forms from every continent, Music will make enjoyable reading for beginner and expert alike.
The Oxford Guide to Word Games
by Tony Augarde A. J. AugardeRiddles such as this are just one of the forms of linguistic gymnastics explored in this invaluable source-book. Unique in its thematic and historical approach to the subject, it will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about word games and wordplay, and is entertaining as well as informative. The Oxford Guide to Word Games quickly established itself as the authoritative work on the subject when it was first published in 1984. It not only described all the major word games but also traced their origins and placed them in their social context. Now thoroughly revised, enlarged, and updated to make it even more valuable and comprehensive, this edition includes several new chapters, covering topics such as homonyms and slips of the tongue. New material has also been added on many topics including crossword clues, blends, and kangaroo words. Book jacket.
Marion's Angels (Pennington #4)
by K. M. PeytonMarion's Angels is an unusual novel about a lonely girl and her love for an impressive medieval church on the river marsh near her father's cottage. "That queer little Marion", the villagers would say, "Why would she want a church of her own?" But Marion, in an emotional tangle after her mother's death, didn't care what they thought of her strange fascination. She carefully tended the church and its twelve beautifully carved angels that seemed to her almost alive, praying intensely for the money to save it from ruin. A miracle seems to result from her passionate prayers for her angels. A world famous violinist takes up the cause and arranges a series of benefit performances. Marion is tumbled into a world of concerts and professional musicians--and a confusing web of relationships and connection with the supernatural. In the end crisis, one of Marion's angels seems to save her life--another miracle or just chance? This is a compelling novel for young people, sympathetically portraying a sensitive young girl and her mysterious glimpses of seemingly supernatural coincidences. Peyton, long acknowledged as an outstandingly original writer, tells this story with characteristic warmth and humor, and provides as well interesting insights into the world of professional musicians. It is a story that lingers with the reader long after it has been put down. K. M. Peyton was born in Birmingham, England, and educated at Wimbledon High School, Kingston School of Art and Manchester Art School. It was while an art student that she met her husband, who is a freelance commercial artist. Mrs. Peyton has been writing since she was nine--she had her first book published at fifteen--and when her first daughter was born, she gave up her job as an art teacher to follow a full-time career in writing. Since then she has won several awards, including the Carnegie Medal, and two of her books have been chosen as American Library Association Notable Books. Her celebrated trilogy Flambards has been televised in England.
Converging Media
by John V. Pavlik Shawn McIntoshIndustry. Culture. Technology. It's time they came together. From reading news on tablets to video calling on smartphones, digital media has changed the ways in which we communicate. Placing convergence at the center of the discussion, Converging Media: A New Introduction to Mass Communication, Sixth Edition, uses the technologies we employ every day to explain our current media environment--and to consider where we might be headed.
Classical Traditions In Science Fiction
by Brett M. Rogers Benjamin Eldon Stevensor all its concern with change in the present and future, science fiction is deeply rooted in the past and, surprisingly, engages especially deeply with the ancient world. Indeed, both as an area in which the meaning of "classics" is actively transformed and as an open-ended set of texts whose own 'classic' status is a matter of ongoing debate, science fiction reveals much about the roles played by ancient classics in modern times. Classical Traditions in Science Fiction is the first collection in English dedicated to the study of science fiction as a site of classical receptions, offering a much-needed mapping of that important cultural and intellectual terrain.
Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever
by Mem FoxWith passion and humor, Fox speaks of when, where, and why to read aloud and demonstrates how to read aloud to best effect and get the most out of a read-aloud session. She discusses the three secrets of reading, offers guidance on defining and choosing good books.
And Maggie Makes Three
by Joan Lowery NixonMaggie, living with her grandmother in Houston, joins the drama club at school, wins a part in a play, begins to make friends, and learns to deal with feelings of loneliness, being in love, and having an unusual family life and background.
A Symphony Of Whales
by Steve Schuch Peter SylvadaGlashka can understand whale song--but with that mysterious power comes great responsibility. When she discovers thousands of whales trapped in a rapidly freezing inlet, she knows it is up to her to gather the people of her town to help them. Based on an actual event, this inspiring story follows Glashka and her people as they come to understand the importance of all life. Full-color illustrations.
A Crooked Kind of Perfect
by Linda UrbanTen-year-old Zoe Elias has perfect piano dreams. She can practically feel the keys under her flying fingers; she can hear the audience's applause. All she needs is a baby grand so she can start her lessons, and then she'll be well on her way to Carnegie Hall. But when Dad ventures to the music store and ends up with a wheezy organ instead of a piano, Zoe's dreams hit a sour note. Learning the organ versions of old TV theme songs just isn't the same as mastering Beethoven on the piano. And the organ isn't the only part of Zoe's life that's off-kilter, what with Mom constantly at work, Dad afraid to leave the house, and that odd boy, Wheeler Diggs, following her home from school every day. Yet when Zoe enters the annual Perform-O-Rama organ competition, she finds that life is full of surprises--and that perfection may be even better when it's just a little off center.
Iris and Walter: Lost and Found
by Elissa Haden Guest Christine DavenierWalter loves his grandmother's harmonica. But when he lets Iris borrow it the night before his grandmother comes to visit, something awful happens--it disappears! How will Iris break the news to Walter?
Ithaka
by Adele GerasThe island of Ithaka is overrun with uncouth suitors demanding that Penelope choose a new husband, as she patiently awaits the return of Odysseus from the Trojan War.
In Mozart's Shadow: His Sister's Story
by Carolyn MeyerNannerl Mozart was a musical prodigy who seemed to have a brilliant future. But once her younger brother, Wolfgang, began composing symphonies at the age of five, her career and talents were utterly eclipsed. Here, at last, is Nannerl's heart-wrenching tale. It's the story of her undying passion for music; her relationship with her "miracle boy" brother; and her life as the "other Mozart," the one forgotten by history. The acclaimed Carolyn Meyer has written a powerful historical novel about a little-known but gifted musician who never stopped dreaming. Includes an author's note.
Hero's Song, The First Song of Eirren
by Edith PattouFrom the book jacket: In temperament, Collun is more of a gardner than a warrior, and with his blacksmith fatherand his secretive mother, he leads an uncomplicated rustic life until his sister, Nessa, disappears. Reluctantly, he leaves behind the only things he knows-his mother and father, their humble home, and his beloved garden-and sets off to look for Nessa in Temair, the largest city in the kingdom of Eirren. But his sister's disappearance is only one of many sinister happenings- Collun encounters several malevolent characters who are trying to bring his journey to an end. Against his gentle nature, he finds himself battling an evil greater than he'd ever imagined, an evil that threatens all of Eirren. All hope rests on Collun and his companions: an enigmatic wizard, an aspiring bard, a magical prince, and a feisty archer with a mission of her own. Their quest leads them from one insurmountable danger to another, and finally to the lair of a giant white Wurme-a creature that Collun must somehow kill if he is to rescue his sister and save his world. The First Song of Eirren An IRA Young Adults' Choice
Marie, Dancing
by Carolyn Meyerfrom the book jacket: the music soars. the curtain lifts. Marie van Goethem rises onto her toes and floats across the stage of the Paris Opera. And in that moment, fourteen-year-old Marie is happy. Unfortunately, that's almost the only joy in Marie's life. When she's not dancing, she is tormented by hunger, overwhelmed by her mother's uncontrolled drinking, and angered by her older sister's chronic selfishness. However, when Edgar Degas demands Marie's presence in his studio, it appears that her life will he transformed. Each week as she poses for the famous artist, Marie dreams-of a life without poverty, of being with her one true love, and of becoming a star of the ballet. But can being Monsieur Degas's model bring her all that she imagines? Here is the story of the girl immortalized in Degas's most famous sculpture, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen. It's a heartbreaking tale of passion for ballet, of loyalty to family, and of enduring love.
Iris and Walter: The School Play
by Elissa Haden Guest Christine DavenierIris and Walter can't wait for opening day of their first school play. Walter helps Iris make her costume. Iris helps Walter practice his lines. But when Iris wakes up sick on the morning of their debut, it looks like the curtain is going up on a big disappointment. . . .
Swan Lake
by Margot Fonteyn Trina HymanA prince's love for a swan queen overcomes an evil sorcerer's spell in this fairy tale adaptation of the classic ballet.
Johann Sebastian Bach: Life and Work
by Martin Geck John HargravesGeck (musicology, Dortmund U., Germany) provides a study of Johann Sebastian Bach's life and music. He traces the career path the composer followed, from his early education to role as Kapellmeister of the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig and director of the collegium musicum. He then reserves half of the volume for an examination of Bach's music by genre, analyzing individual pieces and groups of vocal and instrumental works, and ends with brief discussions of specific topics such as Bach as a Christian, rhetoric and symbolism, proportion and numerical relations in his music, and theological research. The book has been translated from the German version by Hargraves (German language and literature, Yale U. and Connecticut College). Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Elvis in the Morning
by William F. Buckley Jr.Orson is a young boy whose mother works at a U.S. Army base in Germany in the 1950s. There, he becomes a fan of a G.I. stationed at the base, one Elvis Presley, whose music is played over and over on the radio. When Orson is caught stealing recordings of Elvis's tunes from the PX, the attendant publicity catches the star's attention, and he comes to visit his young fan. Thus begins a lifelong friendship. As Elvis's career rockets ever higher and his behavior becomes ever more erratic, the two share many adventures. The sixties explode, and Elvis becomes the icon of the nation, while Orson, a college demonstrator, drifts away from regular life while looking for something of substance to believe in. Each man is an emblem of his time, as social conventions crumble, barriers fall, and the cultural landscape changes forever.
Dirt: Adventures in Lyon as a Chef in Training, Father, and Sleuth Looking for the Secret of French Cooking
by Bill BufordThe hugely anticipated follow up to Heat--Bill Buford's hilariously self-deprecating, highly obsessive adventures in the world of French haute cuisine. <P><P>In Dirt, Bill Buford--author of the best-selling, now-classic, Heat--moves his attention from Italian cuisine to the food of France. Baffled by the language, determined that he can master the art of French cooking--or at least get to the bottom of why it is so revered--Buford begins what will become a five-year odyssey by shadowing the revered French chef Michel Richard in Washington, D.C. <P><P>He soon realizes, however, that a stage in France is necessary, and so he goes--this time with his wife and three-year-old twin sons in tow--to Lyon, the gastronomic capital of France. Studying at l'Institut Bocuse, cooking at the storied, Michelin-starred Mère Brazier, Buford becomes a man obsessed--to prove that French cooking actually derives from the Italian, to prove himself on the line, to prove that he is worthy of these gastronomic secrets. <P><P>With his signature humor, sense of adventure, and masterful ability to immerse himself in his surroundings, Bill Buford has written what is sure to be the food-lover's book of the year.
Pieces of Why
by K. L. GoingFrom the award winning author of Fat Kid Rules the World and The Liberation of Gabriel King comes a lyrical, middle grade gem that asks all the hard questions and hits all the right notes--perfect for fans of Cynthia Rylant and Mockingbird by Kathryn ErskineTia lives with her mom in a high-risk neighborhood in New Orleans and loves singing gospel in the Rainbow Choir with Keisha, her boisterous and assertive best friend. Tia's dream is to change the world with her voice; and by all accounts, she might be talented enough. But when a shooting happens in her neighborhood and she learns the truth about the crime that sent her father to prison years ago, Tia finds she can't sing anymore. The loss prompts her to start asking the people in her community hard questions--questions everyone has always been too afraid to ask.Full of humanity, Pieces of Why is a timely story that addresses grief, healing, and forgiveness, told through the eyes of a gifted girl who hears rhythm and song everywhere in her life.
Pieces of Why
by K. L. GoingFrom the award winning author of Fat Kid Rules the World and The Liberation of Gabriel King comes a lyrical, middle grade gem that asks all the hard questions and hits all the right notes--perfect for fans of Cynthia Rylant and Mockingbird by Kathryn ErskineTia lives with her mom in a high-risk neighborhood in New Orleans and loves singing gospel in the Rainbow Choir with Keisha, her boisterous and assertive best friend. Tia's dream is to change the world with her voice; and by all accounts, she might be talented enough. But when a shooting happens in her neighborhood and she learns the truth about the crime that sent her father to prison years ago, Tia finds she can't sing anymore. The loss prompts her to start asking the people in her community hard questions--questions everyone has always been too afraid to ask.Full of humanity, Pieces of Why is a timely story that addresses grief, healing, and forgiveness, told through the eyes of a gifted girl who hears rhythm and song everywhere in her life.dcover edition.
Lightfoot
by Nicholas JenningsThe definitive, full-access story of the life and songs of Canada's legendary troubadourGordon Lightfoot’s name is synonymous with timeless songs about trains and shipwrecks, rivers and highways, lovers and loneliness. His music defined the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and ‘70s, topped charts and sold millions. He is unquestionably Canada’s greatest songwriter, and an international star who has performed on the world’s biggest stages. While Lightfoot’s songs are well known, the man behind them is elusive. He’s never allowed his life to be chronicled in a book—until now.Biographer Nick Jennings has had unprecedented access to the notoriously reticent musician. Lightfoot takes us deep inside the artist’s world, from his idyllic childhood in Orillia, the wild sixties, and his canoe trips into Canada’s North to his heady times atop the music world. Jennings explores the toll that success took on his personal life—including his troubled relationships, his battle with alcohol and his near-death experiences—and the extraordinary drive and tenacity that pulled him through it all.Rich in voices from fellow musicians, close friends, Lightfoot’s family and the singer’s own reminiscences, the biography tells the stories behind some of his best-known love songs, including “Beautiful” and “Song for a Winter’s Night,” as well as the infidelity and divorce that resulted in classics like “Sundown” and “If You Could Read My Mind.” Kris Kristofferson has called Lightfoot’s songs “some of the most beautiful and lasting music of our time.” Lightfoot is an unforgettable portrait of a treasured singer-songwriter, an artist whose work has been covered by everyone from Joni Mitchell, Barbra Streisand and Nico to Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley and Gord Downie. Revealing and insightful, Lightfoot is both an inspiring story of redemption and an exhilarating read.
The Bonaventure Adventures
by Rachelle DelaneyA middle-grade novel for fans of boarding school stories--with a dash of The Mysterious Benedict Society and a splash of Circus Mirandus! Sebastian Konstantinov comes from a long line of talented circus performers. Somehow, however, he has not inherited any of their acrobatic skill: he has no balance, he's afraid of heights, he can't even turn a somersault. But there's one thing he does know: his father's circus, which travels through Eastern Europe, is out of date and is fast running out of money. Seb has a solution, though: if he can somehow get into the Bonaventure Circus School in Montreal, Canada, he might be able to learn something valuable to help his father. Seb secretly writes to the Directrice (an old friend of his father's) and is accepted into the school. All he has to do is convince his father to send him away -- oh, and keep his lack of talent a secret from all his teachers and classmates. Fortunately for him, he befriends two other students, who also don't seem to quite fit in. Seb is not the only one with secrets, it turns out. The school is literally crumbling beneath the feet of its students, and the directrice may be counting on Seb's "talent" to save the day. Can he and his new friends figure out what's really going on in the school that bills itself as the World's Best Circus School?
The Guy on the Left
by James DuthieIf you're a sports fan, you know James Duthie. The biggest games, the biggest trades, the juiciest rumours--chances are Duthie is the guy you tuned in to hear talk about them. There are other experts and insiders, stats guys and analysts, but no one else who can talk about sports with the humour, the knowledge, and the charisma Duthie brings to every event he covers. He also makes the best spoof videos. The Guy on the Left tells the story of Duthie's career in broadcasting, from a nerdy appearance on a game show to chatting with Tiger Woods in the men's room at The Masters. It's a behind-the-scenes look at celebrated moments like Sidney Crosby's famous game-winning goal at the Vancouver Olympics, but also less celebrated insights, like the disclosure that sports broadcasters often aren't wearing pants on air. There are stories about goofing around with NHL superstars like Roberto Luongo and Anze Kopitar. There are also stories about wandering into the wrong house after walking his dog and surprising his neighbour in her underwear. His stories can also be serious. Tragedy strikes more than once in the sports world. Most notably, he had to go to air on the evening of September 11, 2001. His reflections on the way sport is part of all of our lives, from the athletes and sports figures on the planes to the kids who lost coaches and parents, are a powerful reminder of both the importance of sport and how lucky we all are to be part of it. Funny, thoughtful, self-deprecating, and wry, The Guy on the Left is everything fans love about James Duthie.
Jay Versus the Saxophone of Doom
by Bobby Orr Kara Kootstra Kim SmithWho knew grade six music could be so scary? For kids who love The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Dork Diaries comes a hilarious new entry into funny middle-grade novels.Jay Roberts loves hockey. He's good at it. He also loves his hockey hero, Bobby Orr, considered a legend by Jay's grandfather. In fact, even though they may bicker, when it comes to the Bruins, the whole family agrees that they are the team to root for. When it comes to hockey, Jay's a team player, but there's one person who seems determined to make life hard for Jay: his classmate and fellow team member, Mick Bartlet. It's a good thing Jay can usually stickhandle his way out of his bullying. But something else is determined to make Jay's life difficult, something far harder for Jay to play: the saxophone.Sixth grade just became a whole lot more challenging ...From the Hardcover edition.