A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

'A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier' by Ishmael Beah is a poignant tale of a child solider in Sierra Leone. At the age of twelve, Ishmael Beah lost his family and his childhood to a raging, violent civil war. Drafted into the army, Beah was fed drugs, wielded guns, and was witness to the horrific fighting that was the result of a country in turmoil. Beah would spend years in this seemingly parallel world, where boys were men, men were monsters, and life was worthless.


Luckily for Beah, he was removed from the fighting by UNICEF and sent on the long hard road to rehabilitation. Beah learned again to live, laugh and love. To return to the happy, kind-spirited boy he used to be. However, many children do not have this chance.


Ishmael Beah is now 26 years old and lives in New York City. In 2004 he graduated from Oberlin College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He has spoken before the United Nations and many other NGO's in an attempt to bring awareness to the plight of more than 300,000 child soldiers still left fighting in more than 50 conflicts around the globe.
He is also the President and Founder of The Ishmael Beah Foundation, which aims to help the rehabilitation of former child soldiers and ease their return to normal lives.

Author Talk - Elisabeth Storrs

Sydney-based author Elisabeth Storrs will be joining us at our Penshurst branch to discuss her book 'The Wedding Shroud: A Tale of Early Rome'.

The Know-It-All

The universe just loves dealing us a number of irritating conundrums. The aunt that insists on pinching your cheeks. The colleague that always calls you 'Bill' even though you've told them a thousand times that your name is 'William'. Perhaps one of the most annoying, the most painful, the most obnoxious would be the know-it-all. Ah yes that dreadful enigma that insists on correcting every grammatical error and delights in explaining to you the differences between African and Indian elephants.
It was a shock to discover that one man, A. J. Jacobs, actually WANTED to become one of these bothersome troves of information. A. J. Jacobs spent one year of his life reading, cover to cover, the 2002 Encyclopædia Britannica - all 32 volumes, all 33,000 pages, all 44 million words - and along the way recorded his journey.
'The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World'.
Another one to add to the LMG collection? Tell us what you think!

A Tiny Bit Marvellous.

Dawn French is a name synonymous with two things. Laughter, and Curly Wurlys. From her deliciously sinful portrayal of Geraldine in 'The Vicar of Dibley' to her outrageous skits and shenanigans with longtime partner-in-crime Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French remains one of the worlds most beloved comediennes.
Her first book 'Dear Fatty' was a poignant, insightful and often hilarious description of Dawn French's harrowing journey through life.



Now, Ms. French has progressed past her memoirs and has put her years of experience to good use in her latest literary mission - 'A Tiny Bit Marvellous'.
This novel explores the lives of a family. There's mum, Mo. Then there's dad and the two kids Dora and Oscar. Oh, and there's a dog called Poo.
The book details through a series of diary entries how each family member lives in their own little worlds, putting the stability of the family in jeopardy.
Heartbreaking, and yet laugh-out-loud funny, should we consider adding this gem to our library shelves?

On this day in history..

On October 1st 1946 Roland Berill and Dr. Lancelot Ware formed MENSA - the high IQ society were the only qualification for membership involves having an IQ in the top 98th percentile. There is estimated to be around 100,000 members worldwide. The original aims were, as they are today, to create a society that is non-political and free from all racial or religious distinctions.
You know what else happened this day in history? The first annual 'Follow a Library day' on Twitter! Do you follow the LMG? If not then follow us toot-suite @hurstvillelmg
http://twitter.com/hurstvillelmg

Author Talks - John Birmingham

John Birmingham, author of 'Leviathan' and 'He Died With a Felafel in His Hand' popped into Hurstville City Library earlier in September to discuss the inspiration behind his books and the grungey history of the 'Leviathan' itself - Sydney.
Check out this excerpt from his talk.