RILEY LIBRARY TEEN

Book of the Month

Seraphina, by Rachel Hartman

A new vision of knights, dragons, and the fair maiden caught in between . . .

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans
and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape,
dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds
to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws
near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she
joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered. While a
sinister plot to destroy the peace is uncovered, Seraphina struggles
to protect the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery
could mean her very life. Seraphina's tortuous journey to self-acceptance
will make a magical, indelible impression on its readers.

RILEY LIBRARY ADULT

Book of the Month

Doc, by Mary Doria Russell

Russell's novel about Doc Holiday and Wyatt Earp is a bold act of historical reclamation
that scrapes off the bull and allows those legends to walk and love and grieve in the
dynamic 19th-century world that existed before Hollywood shellacked it with clichés.

Today Jarome Iginla left the Calgary Flames. I was thinking about Jarome when I suddenly remembered meeting him once when he came into a bookstore I worked in. I remember two things distinctly about that day: 1) Jarome looked like he could bench press a smart car, and 2) he bought a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas — a rip-roaring adventure story written 169 years ago. Sometime later I remember reading an interview in which Jarome said that The Count of Monte Cristo was his favourite book. I don't know if he had just read the copy I sold him for the first time or if he bought it to reread his favourite book, but I did feel it was exceptionally cool that our biggest sports hero named a 19th Century french novel as his favourite book. 

I wish Iggy the best of luck in Pittsburgh and I'll pay tribute the best way a book snob like me can — by reading the book he loves! So why not check it out yourself?

Besides Louise Riley herself, for whom our library is named, several other notables have graced the hill of Hounsfield Heights since the early days at the turn of the last century.

Charlie Richardson- first principal of Hillhurst School. His daughter Barbara kept her horse Princess tethered where Sears is now.

Harry Pollard- world famous photographer of First Nations people. He was also Chief photographer of Canadian Pacific Railway and his collection is in the Provincial Archives of Alberta in Edmonton. You can view his photographs here https://hermis.alberta.ca/paa/Search.aspx?CollectionID=2&st=harry+pollard. His wife Ella (Eleanor Pollard) was was a beauty queen and rode in the Domion Fair Parade in 1908 as "Miss Canada."

Sam Adams- lawyer, alderman for five years, then mayor for 2 years. Long Lance (Sylvester Clark Long, reporter) threw a fake bomb through his window, which resulted in his being fired as a reporter for the Herald.

Alexander Calhoun- first director of Calgary Public Library lived in a nearby house on the hill and walked to Memorial Park Library every day. Louise Riley worked there also. The branch named after him (built into a hill) is located on 14th Street SW.

Dr. Huxley Johnson- a local doctor who died in the polio epidemic while assisting the communtiy. He was Huxley Jr. Huxley Sr, an early resident , was doctor at the Sunnyside Military Hospital.

Bill W. Saunders- vice principal of SAIT. In 1957, he started the first courses related to the oil industry.

W.R. Castell- also a Calgary Public Library Director

Ralph McCready- instructor at Mount Royal College

Charles Richardson-first principal of Hillhurst Public School for the first 23 years

Gerald Tailfeathers(1925-1975). "One of the first Native Canadians to become a professional artist, he came to prominence in the 1950s. His art had several influences: study in the Summer Art School in Glacier National Park (Montana) with New York portrait painters Winold Reiss and Carl Linck; the cowboy school of painting led by Charles Russell; the Oklahoma school of Indian painting; the Banff Centre School of Fine Arts and the Provincial School of Technology and Art in Calgary. In the main, his work exhibits a romantic and nostalgic vision of his Blood people's life in the late 19th century. Thus, it features warriors in their traditional activities of warfare, hunting and ceremonial life. Tailfeathers later began experimenting with cast-bronze sculpture that depicted themes inspired by cowboy art" -source:The Canadian Encyclopedia, which you can access in our E-library online.

Thank you to Marg McCready for her reseach, and to the Calgary Association of Lifelong Learner's for adding Gerald Tailfeathers.
See our earlier post about the Riley family and their influence on the neighbourhood.

Do you know of another famous Housfield Heights dweller? Please comment if you do!

Hounsfield Heights Briar Hill Community Association invite you to a Neighbourhood Walkabout with Rollin Stanley (General Manager of Planning, Development, and Assessment) on Saturday, April 6, 2013. Meet at 10:30 am at the parking lot behind the Louise Riley Library, to the west. The walkabouts are part of a PDA’s effort to learn more about the diverse communities that make up The City of Calgary. The walkabouts, which will tie into current and future planning efforts, provide an opportunity to explore issues related to connections, design, diversity and the environment in an informal, resident-led tour. Recently residents of Hillhurst-Sunnyside participated in a walkabout with Mr. Stanley. “We were delighted and encouraged with the openness with which Mr. Stanley shared his knowledge and perspectives, and received our vision for and concerns about the future of H-S. We urge Calgary City Council to heed the wisdom and progressive thinking Mr. Stanley brings, and understand that this is a significant opportunity for Calgary to become a model for the support of villages within a city.” This is an opportunity for our community to introduce Hounsfield Heights-Briar Hill to Rollin. We can discuss what’s important to us, what went well, what went wrong and in which direction we would like the community to develop.

I thought you'd like to meet some of our awesome Story PALS volunteers: Left to Right, Hannah, Mia, and Harry...We're at Louise Riley Thursdays 7-8 p.m. until March 21st.