December Events Calendar

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Operation Santa Claus is coming to town!

The 2006 Operation Santa Claus and Senior Santa & Friends annual gift drive begins today, November 27th and will continue through December 21st. You, your family, and friends are invited to get involved this holiday season by reaching out to less fortunate members of our community. The County of Orange Operation Santa Claus program provides gifts and toys to children in foster care, group homes, or in transition who are abused, neglected, physically or mentally challenged, or homeless in Orange County. Disadvantaged families and impoverished seniors are also assisted through this program.

To participate through Orange County Public Library, simply visit one of our branches to select a gift suggestion tag off the Operation Santa Claus Angel Tree and return with an unwrapped present to help fulfill holiday wishes for needy children, the frail elderly, and disabled adults served by the County of Orange Social Services Agency, Health Care Agency, Probation Department, Child Support Services, and Housing and Community Services.

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This is the only official County holiday toy drive and represents a collaborative effort of County of Orange employees, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Orange County Fire Authority's Spark of Love, and the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots. Churches, businesses, and schools in the community also play an important role in the success of collecting toys.

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The Operation Santa Claus program is coordinated and maintained by the Social Services Agency, with support from community volunteers. Over 350 volunteers from County agencies and the community have been the backbone of Operation Santa Claus since its inception.

The Operation Santa Claus program began as a small attempt to meet the needs of a handful of children in 1962 and today has expanded into a major event for the community.

Last year in Orange County, more than 52,000 toys were distributed to underprivileged youth, and 1,337 gifts were provided to elderly and disabled adults.

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With your help, Operation Santa Claus can continue to help tens of thousands of needy individuals, making this holiday season brighter and more celebratory for us all!

--For more information call 714-825-3159 or 714-825-3111--

Check ‘em out: Recommendations for November

When Aaron Maciver's beautiful young wife, Madeline, suffers brain damage in a bike accident, she is left with the intellectual powers of a six-year-old. In the years that follow, Aaron and his second wife care for Madeline with deep tenderness and devotion as they raise two children of their own. Such is the unique and sometimes disturbing family life of Mac who, while growing up with his "sister" Madeline, grants readers a most original perspective of youth-- his own and the perpetual youth of Madeline in Jane Hamilton's latest novel When Madeline Was Young (2006). As stated in a Booklist review, "Hamilton has never written more finely nuanced or beguiling prose, imagined more fascinating characters, or posed more provocative moral dilemmas." The story of the Maciver family will doubtless impress readers as unforgettable and is destined to provoke intriguing discussions among book groups.

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Lee Morgan spent 31 years as a Federal Agent with the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, receiving many government honors for his law enforcement achievements. Now, in his non-fiction narrative of violence, drugs, human smuggling and dirty politicians along the Mexican-American border, Morgan asserts that the reforms that created the Department of Homeland Security and shifted antidrug enforcement to the Border Patrol are disastrous because the patrol is hopelessly corrupt. While presenting intense descriptions of the violence and corruption he has witnessed, Morgan argues that no barrier or law can keep Mexicans from crossing into the U.S. in search of a better life and thus an alternate approach to solving the problem is required. The Reaper's Line: Life and Death on the Mexican Border (2006) will most likely attract fans of law enforcement/ military adventure or those interested in a unique perspective on the current immigration debate.

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Celebrate Children's Book Week!

With literacy rates in the United States decreasing and increasingly larger numbers of students failing to pass reading proficiency exams, the need for Children's Book Week today is as essential as it was upon its beginning in 1919.

Children’s Book Week introduces young people to authors, illustrators, and books and encourages children and their caregivers to discover the complexity of the world beyond their own experience through books.

Children’s Book Week 2006 is observed this week, November 13th - 19th, with the theme for this 87th annual observance being "More Books, Please!"

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The Newberry Medal chapter-book-level titles and the Caldecott Medal primary/picture-book-level titles are excellent lists to start with, but when you next visit us at the library's Reference Desk with your children and encourage them to ask for "More Books, Please," we'll be delighted to recommend additional books to thrill their imagination.

Film for December

Reminder: Community Workshop tomorrow

--For more information, see 10-30-2006 entry below in e-newsletter--

So, was it any good?

Others want to read what you have to write about the books, movies, music recordings, and other items you've checked out through OCPL.

While searching our catalog, under the Item Information field of individual title entries, you'll notice a new "review this title" feature with which you can write your own review and/or read any existing reviews written by OCPL users.

Comment upon why you like or dislike the book, movie, music, etc. and how it compares to other titles you've enjoyed. Of course, remember to avoid revealing story endings and plot twists in the writing of a review that is still informative. Reviews consisting merely of brief, unsupported comments (e.g. "This book was terrible!" or "Great movie!") lack a certain quality of critique that others would find truly helpful.

This new interactive review feature is available for your benefit and enjoyment, representing a chance for everyone to share valuable opinions and to learn what others have to express about hundreds of thousands of individual books, movies, music and more. Because it is still a new feature, you may likely find yourself the first person to review even a popular title; if so, don't forget to later check back to see if others share your opinion.

It may take at least 48 hours for your review to appear on the website.

To participate, search the catalog to retrieve the Item Information record of the title you're interesting in reading or writing a review for, then continue as follows:

November Events Calendar

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