• 

  City wants to buy weather radios for those without

  Phil Jones had been working on a construction project outside his house all day on May 22 and was unaware that a tornado watch had been issued. Once he was inside, though, his weather radio went off, and he learned that a warning had been issued.

Globe Life

Search Results

Close Previous Now showing: of Next

Previous Next Close

Related Photos

• 

Discussion

October 26, 2007

Book review: Diary entries recount changes to 'Life as We Knew It'

Anonymous The Joplin Globe Fri Oct 26, 2007, 01:22 PM CDT

‘Life as We Knew It’

By Susan Beth Pfeffer (Young adult fiction)

Sixteen-year-old Miranda’s diary entries reflect the concerns of a typical teenager — fights with her mom, anxiety about her friends, and a yearning to get her driver’s license.

When a news bulletin announces that a meteor is going to hit the moon, she barely gives it a second thought, thinking it is merely another opportunity for her teachers to assign extra homework. But as her family, friends and neighbors watch the impact from their lawn chairs, she realizes that something has gone awry. The moon is knocked closer to Earth, and soon things go from frightening to life-changing.

The collision sets off a chain of horrific events — tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and millions of deaths. Thanks to her mother’s quick thinking, Miranda’s family is better off than most, but as supermarkets run out of food, gas prices skyrocket, utilities are lost and school is closed indefinitely, she realizes that scientists made a huge miscalculation and her family is in grave danger.

Pfeffer uses Miranda’s diary entries to tell the story, and this keeps the focus on her family. The characters are memorable and the feelings of despair, hopelessness and fear are genuine. Readers will not be able to stop thinking about this story of struggle, and ultimately, survival.



‘Animal, Vegetable, Miracle’

By Barbara Kingsolver with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver (Adult nonfiction)

Barbara Kingsolver, her husband Steven Hopp, and their two daughters, Camille and Lily, made a commitment to eat only locally grown food for one year, and this is their personal account of that year.

To kick-off their venture, they pack their belongings, make a pit stop at the gas station to load up on “things that go crunch,” and are on their way from Tucson, Ariz., to a farm in Virginia that Steven has owned for 20 years. Upon arriving in Southern Appalachia, they get busy planting a garden, raising turkeys, and 9-year-old Lily starts her own heritage poultry business. The Kingsolver family is well versed in gardening and raising poultry, but this is a new venture, and one that Barbara refers to as a process, meaning they are still outlining the boundaries.

Throughout the book, Hopp writes scientific sidebars that enhance Kingsolver’s account. His first piece — entitled “Oily Food” — provides startling statistics about how Americans are “consuming about 400 gallons of oil per year per citizen” and how “if every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country’s oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week.” His pieces are short, to the point and provide startling background information. Nineteen-year-old Camille provides recipes and weekly meal plans based on what is in season.

This book will make you think about the foods you are consuming and question why we support a system that is intrinsically flawed. Kingsolver and her family understand that the average person cannot pack their belongings, move to a farm and grow all their own food; but they also know that most people have access to locally grown foods like those found at farmers’ markets and they encourage you to seek out locally grown food options.

Kingsolver’s narrative is beautiful, entertaining and not at all snobby. You will not want to miss the chapters on the lost art of turkey sex and how to hide zucchini in chocolate-chip cookies. It’s an incredible celebration of food!



Jeana Gockley is the children’s librarian at Joplin Public Library.

Text Only

Globe Life

• Students add vision to collaborative exhibit

  In a “secret room” upstairs at Spiva Center for the Arts, an art project began last week that won’t be finished for 18 more days. That’s because it is being created by more than 1,100 artists.

  February 6, 2012 1 Photo

• Cari Rerat: Pair of graphic novels tell tales of heroism

  Witty banter, blood-soaked violence, and old-school sound effects make this one of the most fun graphic novels I’ve read in a long time.

  February 6, 2012

• Frankie Meyer: Celebrity genealogy hunt makes return to TV

  At last, my favorite series is returning for its third season. “Who Do You Think You Are?” is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Fridays.

  February 6, 2012

• Frankie Meyer: Church minutes can provide details about ancestors

  As you compile your family history, you will often learn the name of the church that an ancestor attended. Novice researchers sometimes ignore that type of detail, not realizing that church records can provide details that blast through the brick walls of research.

  January 31, 2012

• Phyllis Seesengood: Prequel takes Jack Reacher book series back in time

  “The Affair,” by Lee Child, is the 16th book in the series of Jack Reacher thrillers and is a prequel to the other books. It takes us back in time to March 1997, where we learn valuable information about Reacher’s background and his reasons for leaving the military. 

  January 31, 2012

• B-easy does it

  Chris Watson, a Pittsburg State University graduate and Kansas native, was visiting a local video store when he stumbled across three horror movies he’d either produced, directed, directly written or co-written over the last eight years.

  January 31, 2012 3 Photos

• Book highlights opposites in animal kingdom

  Even in science opposite attract. It’s the opposite ends of a magnet that attract. Don’t try to connect the south poles on two magnets, because it’s not going to work. Opposites attract.

  January 23, 2012

• Cemetery research can yield details about family

  Through cemetery research, family history researchers can learn details such as names of spouses and children, military service, hobbies and religious preference, as well as the date and location of birth, marriages and death.

  January 23, 2012

• Art class helps kids deal with feelings from tornado

  And while this innovative program received national attention -- thanks to the Joplin-based episode of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” on Jan. 13 -- Bourne’s mobile arts center, dedicated to the growth and healing of children through art, had been up and running long before the EF-5 tornado suddenly spiraled out of the clouds.

  January 23, 2012 1 Photo

• Danya Walker: Non-fiction work examines history’s infamous mistresses

  Many times, the cover and title of a book promises a much more risque read than is actually delivered. “Mistresses: A History of the Other Woman” by Elizabeth Abbott is one such book.

  January 16, 2012

• More Globe Life Headlines

© 2012 Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. · CNHI Classified Advertising Network · CNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2012. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope. Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
Privacy Policy | AP News Registry privacy policy
Terms and Conditions
Advertiser Index

Events by eviesays.com

The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO 117 E. Fourth Street Joplin, Missouri 64801