Hi!  This is Rachel Malay, director of the Port Library.

Tony Danza is an actor best known for his role in the 1980s sitcom Who's the Boss?  More recently he hosted a short-lived talk show but after that was cancelled the 59 year-old actor turned to a passion he'd held before acting: teaching.  As a way to fulfill his long held dream of becoming a teacher and maintain a presence in entertainment Tony Danza proposed a reality show to A & E where for one year he would be Mr. Danza, tenth grade English teacher at Northeast High School in inner-city Philadelphia while the camera rolled.  

The year wasn't easy, as the title of Mr. Danza's book reflects: I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had.  In this large-print title Mr. Danza recounts his experiences the first day, first week, and throughout the school year with a classroom full of characters.  Each chapter brings the reader further though the year in the classroom, ending with a section called "Teacher's Lounge" describing Mr. Danza's reflections on his experiences and support from other teachers and administrators in the school.  Although Mr. Danza's experience was in an inner-city school, the story he came away with can be applied to any teacher at any school.

His short time in the teaching profession was challenging, rewarding, touching, and ultimately left him strengthened in the opinion he had to begin with: supporting the education system (including teachers) is one of the best investments a person can make. I'd Like to Apologize... is part laugh out loud funny and part hard won wisdom and will leave you with a greater respect and better view of teachers and profession than you had before. 

You can get the book reviewed here and more great titles to watch, read, listen to, or play with at the Port Library at 1718 N. Hersey in Beloit, on the North Campus.

I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as A Rookie Teacher at Northeast High by Tony Danza
ISBN: 9781611735970
358 pages, Large Print Non-Fiction

Hi!  This is Rachel Malay, director of the Port Library

When one is valuing a vehicle for sale or purchase, a common resource to consult is the Kelly Blue Book guide to used car values.  The library has several years' worth of volumes and the pricing service is now online for free.

But what if you need to price the value on your farm equipment?  That special type of vehicle is what the Hot Line Farm Equipment Guide was published for. Now in its thirty-second year of publication , the newest 2013 guide listt values for tractors, combines  ATVs grain heads, winnowers, cotton pickers  balers, and much more equipment manufactured by everyone from AGCO to John Deere, from Kawasaki to Zetor.  The guide lists values for new and used machines, serial number data and where to find it; [price guides for auction, dealer, or loam; and option and value for accessories added and hours used.  Each piece of equipment assessed has at least the last five years of value listed.  

Not available free online, this resource will be classified as reference and remain in the library for any patron to consult while the library is open.  The library also has the Hot Line Farm Equipment Guide for 2012.  

You can get the book reviewed her, and more great titles to watch, read, listen to, or play with at the Port Library at 1718 N. Hersey in Beloit, on the North Campus.

 Hi!  This is Rachel Malay, director of the Port Library.

Hallucinations are not reserved for just the insane; these perceptual aberrations have been experienced by a large number of the population for may hundreds of years.  In the middle ages, religious people with particularly strong vision were regarded as holier than the average person.  In the present day, people with migraines frequently experience hallucinations and even children suddenly waking from intense dreams see monsters in the corner of the room.

In his latest book Hallucinations, author and neurology professor Dr. Oliver Sacks describes the history, causes, and changing attitude towards hallucinations, plus recounts some of his own personal experience with the phenomena.  The very readable style and anecdotes sprinkled throughout the book make this read as far from a clinical description as one can get - so even if the reader has only a passing interest in the subject this will be an engaging read.  And if you like Dr. Oliver Sack's style, the library has a few other medical and health condition related books by him as well. 

You can get the book reviewed here and more great titles to watch, read, listen to, or play with at the port Library at 1718 N. Hersey in Beloit, on the North Campus. 

Hallucinations by Oliver Sacks
ISBN: 978-0307957245
352 pages, Adult Non-Fiction

Hi!  This is Rachel Malay, director of the Port Library.

Newt Gingrich, yes THAT Newt Gingrich - the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, is back with his eighth novel of American history.  In Victory at Yorktown, Gingrich narrates the compelling and dramatic story of General Washington's dangerous and audacious decision to move the Continental Army secretly from new Jersey and New York to Pennsylvania to surprise the Loyalist Army at Yorktown.  

We all know the story from history; Washington's army is victorious in the bitter victory for American independence.  However, Gingrich and co-author William R. Forstchen include not just the basics but also the intriguing details.  In order to move an army secretly General Washington relied on master spy Peter Wellsley and the French Army to neutralize suspicious Loyalists along the way.  Presented as a first person narrative, the actions in Victory at Yorktown, though historically accurate, are sure to keep you glued to the page.  

You can get the book reviewed here and more great titles to watch, read, listen to, or play with at the Port Library at 1718 N. Hersey in Beloit, on the North Campus.

Victory at Yorktown: a Novel by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen.
ISBN: 978-0312607074
368 pages, Adult Non-Fiction