Bedbugs, Paranoia, Catatonia . . . Oh My!

Brain on Fire
by Susannah Cahalan

Imagine you see tiny bug bites on your left forearm.  There has been a bedbug scare in your community and you begin to fear that the little critters have invaded your home.  No worries . . . you call an exterminator and take care of the nuisance.  (Even though perhaps there never really were any bugs or bites in the first place.)  But then stranger things begin to happen to you.  Things that are not easily fixed.  Happenings that eventually land you in a hospital, or perhaps a mental institution.  Hallucinations and paranoia grip your otherwise rational mind.  Your body begins to betray you.  Words drift, lost in a sea of confusion.  Headaches plague you.  You may even be housing a  teratoma – a tumor, usually benign, potentially sporting teeth, hair, eyes, even limbs!  Further degeneration results in seizures, zombie-link posturing, violence, even catatonia – you're near the brink of death! 

The aforementioned symptoms are not taken from the script of a sci-fi movie, but are descriptions of some of the things that actually happened to journalist Susannah Cahalan in 2009, one of the first patients to be diagnosed with Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis.  A fascinating and informative read that is not for the faint of heart, Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness vividly chronicles the course of this disease that almost took her life, verbally painting an intense portrait of the events that finally led to her diagnosis and treatment.  Brain on Fire is well-written (Cahalan is a journalist by trade), interesting, and worth the time it may take a reader to work through the medical jargon that Cahalan presents and breaks down for us.  Her book also asks intriguing questions about the origins of this autoimmune disease, leading many to wonder just how long it’s been plaguing humans.  Have we been misdiagnosing it under the guise of false labels such as schizophrenia? Autism?  Even demonic possession?  Are there people rotting away in mental institutions with wrong diagnoses that perhaps could be cured with steroids and other therapies to treat brain inflammation?

For further information on Anti-NMDA Receptor Autoimmune Encephalitis, check out these links to scholarly articles by some of the doctors instrumental in researching and bringing to light this particularly tragic form of brain disease.  

Post your own thoughts and reviews of Cahalan's book and Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis  here, on our blog, for other readers to peruse and comment upon.  And, ahem, don't let those bedbugs bite . . . .

Read with Kids this Summer!

Do you like to read with kids?  Check out our 8-week Reading Buddies program for the summer!

We pair teens or adults with young readers, they meet weekly, and enjoy books together!  What could be better??  It’s great fun for all involved and it keeps the kids practicing their reading skills through the summer.

There are always loads of children who sign up for this but we would like to tap into more “big” buddies.    We have even added an evening session for those of you that work days.  We don’t like turning youngsters away! 

There is one required orientation session to show you some techniques to use as a reading partner.  Teens can pick up an application for this program in the Teen Department at the Main Library or at the North Side Branch. Teen applications are due by May 24.  Adults can sign up on our website here beginning May 13.

If you are interested in similar opportunities throughout the year you may want to consider becoming a Literacy Hero.  We begin our next training sessions on May 14.  Sign up here.

Lost in the Stacks

Wish You Well by David Baldacci

Most of David Baldacci’s books are legal thrillers and in my opinion are very good ones, but one of his books, Wish You Well, is quite different.  Based in Virginia, where the author grew up, the story begins when 12 year old Lou Cardinal and her 8 year old brother Oscar are in a car accident which takes their father’s life and leaves their mother in a catatonic state.  They are relocated from New York City to the mountains where they live with their great-grandmother, Louisa Mae Cardinal.  In their new home they have no electricity or running water – a much different life than they had before.   Their great-great-grandmother helps take care of their invalid mother, and the family adjusts to life in the mountains.  Towards the end of the novel a greedy corporation gets involved in the story and the book becomes more like his others with a courtroom battle. 

I think I like this book so much because it reminds me of some of my other favorites – To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, A Painted House by John Grisham, and even the Laura Ingalls Wilder books I read when I was a child.  It is a beautiful coming-of-age novel by a great author.   

All Things Gatsby

Into the Valley of Celebrity Bookclubs rides Stephen Colbert--but with his own twist, of course....

The Colbert Report
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After the obligatory furniture-leveling jokes, this sounds pretty cool: the discussion led by Jennifer Egan (author of A Visit from the Goon Squad) and an interview with director of the new movie, Baz Luhrmann, makes me think there might be a little more traction to the C-Oh-lbert Bookclub than fodder to aim at Oprah. (But, you know, that would be okay, too.)

Anywho, there are precious few days left before the Leonardo DiCaprio film releases on May 10 (yay!), but in the meantime, consider also the new Brilliance Audiobook release: The Great Gatsby, as read by Jake Gyllenhaal. (We don't have it at the library yet, so for now, you'll have to suffice with the preview below.)



Who knew alienation was so timeless?

Happy reading, listening, and watching!

Where's the Carousel??

The carousel's new location.

If you visit the Children's Area and wonder what happened to the carousel, fear not!  It has just been relocated, as has everything else in the department!

We have moved everything around and it looks great!  We now have an area, away from the stairs, for toddlers to look at board books and play with puzzles.  And the parenting collection is conveniently located in the same area.

The carousel is now surrounded by picture books.  This has been a popular place, for several generations, for young ones to sit and enjoy books.

We have a study area with tables and chairs for the older kids.  Our comics are located there too - just in case they need a break from the serious stuff!

If you are having troubles finding anything be sure to ask.  We will be happy to show you around!

The room looks so open and cheery!  Stop by and take a look!

Our new look!  So bright and open!

Tulip Time at the Library!

With Tulip Time comes our Herrick District Library Precision Cart Team!  They have been practicing so keep an eye out for them in Wednesday’s parade next week.  Librarians do like to have fun!

The library is also partnering with the Holland Museum this year to bring you two story and craft programs!  “Tulip Time Tales” will be performed at the Library and at the Holland Armory.  See our website here for dates and times.

Herrick Children's department will be at Kinderplaats again this year!  To fit with our Summer Reading theme, Dig Into Books!, children will have the opportunity to dig for golden nuggets and other small treasures.  

Hope to see your familiar faces as we are out and about the community the next couple of weeks.  Give us a shout and a wave!

You Can Be a Hero!

One of the best parts of my job is working with our Literacy Heroes, volunteers who go out into the community and read with children at schools, after-school programs, here at the library as Reading Buddies, and in other community organizations.  They’re a great group, dedicated to spending time reading with children each week and making a huge impact on young minds.  As coordinator of this group, I hear not only about children who have increased their reading skills and gained self-confidence, but also from the Literacy Heroes and the fun they are having in this rewarding work!

The longer I work as the Literacy Heroes facilitator, the more need I see for volunteers.  Some children, struggling with reading, simply need someone to take an interest.  Others may have gotten aboard the learning boat a little late and need help catching up.  Whatever the reason, they could use an encouraging adult in their lives.

If you’d like an ongoing volunteer experience please consider becoming a Literacy Hero!  We will train you on everything you need to know over the course of two orientation meetings.  Sign-up is available on our website here, or feel free to contact me if you have questions at 616-355-3729 or ejenkins@herrickdl.org.