The Miracle of Freedom by Chris Stewart and Ted Stewart

The Miracle of Freedom; 7 Tipping Points that Saved the World by Chris and Ted Stewart desribes 7 historical events that contributed to the rise of freedom in the world. The reader may find a useful framework to examine the concept of freedom as we know it today. This title is available in the Arrowhead Library system in book format at the Hibbing Public Library.

Best Books and Authors Worth Reading.

Lists of Best Books for 2011 abound.
What was your favorite book of 2011?

Check out our past blog entries to see some of the staff favorites.

What authors are you waiting for in 2012?

Check out these three books coming in January.

The Chalk Girl by Carol O'Connell

Gideon's Corpse by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

The Rope by Nevada Barr

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected.

Steve Jobs

Tracking Santa

Starting at 4am Eastern Time on December 24, you can:

• Track Santa Online: Logon to www.NoradSanta.org.
• Call the Santa Hotline: From the United States or Canada, call
  1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723).
• Google Maps: Follow Santa with Google Maps for mobile.
• Mobile Apps: Download a free mobile app either from iTunes App Store or for Android devices.

For more information on NORAD and their history of tracking Santa go to

Tracking “Big Red”: NORAD’s Secret Santa Mission

The Beauty and the Sorrow: An Intimate History of the First World War by Peter Englund

Peter Englund writes about the personal experiences of twenty people who lived through World War I. Englund writes: "My cast of characters has been chosen with a view to provide an all-round picture of the First World War, both as an event and as an experience."
"Three of the twenty will perish, two will become prisoners of war, two will become celebrated heroes and two will end up as physical wrecks. Many of them welcome the war when it breaks out but learn to detest it; a few of them detest it right from the first day; one of them loves it from beginning to end. One of them will lose his mind, another will never hear a shot fired."
Read about an American wife of a Polish aristocrat, a German schoolgirl, a Russian army engineer, and English nurse, a Danish soldier, American army field surgeon, A British Army infantryman and many others in this personal look at World War I.
Found in the new book section under 940.30922 ENGLU

Books That Make Great Gifts

The following are some of Nancy Pearl's suggestions for gifts:

Adult Fiction Titles

On Canaan's Side by Sebastian Barry
The story of an Irish-American widow looking back over her life and her husband's involvement in the Troubles.  It's just a fabulous novel.  If you're somebody who loves wonderful writing, than this is the book for you.

In Zanesville by Jo Ann Beard
One of my favorite novels this year, narrated by an unnamed fourteen-year-old girl growing up in a small town in the Midwest.  I don't think I'll ever forget the main character.

The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan
One of the scariest and best written books I've ever read.  It's one of those books you don't want to start too late at night, mainly because you don't want to put it down.  A fabulous, boffo ending.

Blind Sight by Meg Howrey
One of those books whose strength is the dialogue.  All the main characters are wonderfully developed, three dimensional, and the kinds of people who will stay in your mind.

The Long Goodbye by Meghan O'Rourke
The writing is so magnificent, which makes perfect sense because O'Rourke is a poet.  It seems like she's a good friend telling you the story of her mother and those very intimate details of family relationships.

Ghost Hero by S. J. Rozan
S. J. Rozan writes a terrific series of mysteries, and I never think they get enough accolades from the the general public.

Adult Nonfiction Titles

A World On Fire: Britain's Crucial Role in the American Civil War by Amanda Foreman
A wonderful gift for anyone who loves Civil War history or biographies.  The story of two societies - American and British - in the five years leading up to the Civil War and what forces made Britain decide to aid the South rather than the North.

A History of thw World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor
Sometimes a book will come along where I think you can give it to every adult on your reading list.  This is one of those.

Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean
I think Susan Orlean is one of the best nonfiction writers we have these days.

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

Just in time for Christmas, Explosive Eighteen is available for some light reading during the holidays. Plenty of laughs, Stephanie with her friends and relatives delivers another rolicking read of zany mishaps while attending funerals with Grandma Mazer; arresting bail jumpers with Lula; and keeping two boyfriends on the string.

The Drop by Michael Connelly

The open unsolved unit of the Los Angeles Police Department looks into unsolved murders going back 50 years. Of the 10,000 cases still open, using DNA can put new life into a cold case. Harry Bosch and David Chu handle such cases. Bosch finds that confronting killers years later who think they have gotten away with murder very addictive.
Bosch and Chu are given a cold case from 1989 involving rape and murder as well as a current case where the son of his arch enemy Irvin Irving was pushed or fell to his death.
Michael Connelly has a website: www.michaelconnelly.com

Inferno: the world at war, 1939-1949 by Max Hastings

Max Hastings: "This is a book chiefly about human experience. Men and women from scores of nations struggled to find words to describe what happened to them in the Second World War, which transcended anything they had every known."
"Some survivors found that the manner in which they had conducted themselves during the struggle defined their standing in their societies for the rest of their lives, for good or ill."
Read about the battles in the Pacific, Bataan, Midway, Guadalcanal; battles in the Atlantic, Arctic convoys; the Fall of France and Norway; the Russian front, the African front, the European front and finally the Fall of the Third Reich.
Both familiar battles and lesser known conflicts are represented in a fine military book for a broad overview of the Second World War. Find in our new book section under, 940.54 HASTI.

Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan

Illustrator Jon J. Muth has painted beautiful images and has brought to life a beautiful children's book, with words by one of our most admired song writers, Bob Dylan!
His song "Blowin' in the Wind" is captured in beautiful watercolor landscapes. 

This book includes a CD of Bob Dylan's original 1963 recording of the song Blowin' in the Wind from his album "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan".  In 1999, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2004, it was ranked #14 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

This book is available at the Hibbing Public Library or through interlibrary loan.

Blowin' in the Wind
Lyrics by Bob Dylan

How many roads most a man walk down
Before you call him a man ?
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand ?
Yes, how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned ?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, how many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea ?
Yes, how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free ?
Yes, how many times can a man turn his head
Pretending he just doesn't see ?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, how many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky ?
Yes, how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry ?
Yes, how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died ?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

This would be a great Christmas gift 

for any Bob Dylan fan! 



Gadget Zoo

Have you been thinking of stuffing a stocking with an e-reader or tablet this holiday season.  Try one for yourself before you purchase.  Come to the library's gadget zoo on Wednesday, December 14th.  Drop in any time between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m.

We will have the following devices for you to try:

Ipod Touch
Nook Color
Kindle Fire
Ipad 2
Ipod Nano

There will be comparison charts and reviews along with instructions on how to use the library's free "Downloadable Books Library" (Overdrive).

You can also check out the following sites for more information:

TopTenReviews

CNet Reviews

Kindle vs. Nook vs. iPad: Which e-book reader should you buy?

Best Five tablets

Lost December by Richard Paul Evans

Lost December is a nice Christmas story and a fast read for the busy holiday season.  The author is Richard Paul Evans, author of The Christmas Box.  Lost December is a story of second chances and patterned after the age-old story of the prodigal son.  Its message is inspirational and heartwarming.

Devil' Gate by Clive Cussler

Clive Cussler, adventurer and author, leads an exciting life of exploration: "Clive Cussler began writing in 1965 and published his first novel featuring Dirk Pitt® in 1973. His first non-fiction work, The Sea Hunters, was released in 1996.
Clive is the founder of the National Underwater & Marine Agency, (NUMA) a non-profit organisation that dedicates itself to American maritime and naval history. Cussler and his crew of marine experts and NUMA volunteers have discovered over 60 historically significant underwater wreck sites. After verifying their finds, NUMA turns the rights to the artifacts over to non-profits, universities, or government entities all over the world. Some of these finds include the C.S.S. Hunley, best known as the first submarine to sink a ship in battle and the U-20, the U-boat that sank the Lusitania. (from the Clive Cussler website.)
Clive Cussler's latest book, Devil's Gate is ninth in the Numa Files series featuring Kurt Austin.

Minnesota Education Department Has New Website

Hibbing Public Library has received the following notice from the Dept. of Education.

New Minnesota Department of Education Website - Scheduled for Launch December 1, 2011!


The Minnesota Department of Education is pleased to announce that our newly designed agency website is on the way.
Designed with you–our customers–in mind, the new site will provide the same useful information you’ve come to expect from us, presented in a more intuitive and accessible way.

Click here to check out the new site.