Book Review: Growing Up Laughing

The back cover is almost more entertaining than the front of Marlo Thomas’ autobiography, Growing Up Laughing (also available as a downloadable ebook). Thomas interviews other contemporary comics and weaves their stories and philosophy into her own life story. We get to look inside the minds of Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, Jon Stewart, and others. Thomas allows the reader to understand what makes these famous funnymen (and women) hit the road and do “stand up” for 160 shows a year, whether constantly yearning for parental approval and laughter, or just needing the admiration of an audience night after night.

Growing up as the daughter of 1940s/50s entertainment icon Danny Thomas, Marlo is driven to continue the family business on her own terms. She delves into her personal involvement with the feminist movement in the 70s, and shares with readers her continued work with her father’s charity, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Readers will enjoy a litany of jokes and personal memories from Marlo and many other great comics we currently enjoy. - Kathy (Downtown)

New Arrivals

Spring can be a time for getting out, starting new projects, and focusing on sports and fitness, and new books that arrived this week at the Chandler Library will encourage you in these activities.

Crafts and Gardening
The Complete Photo Guide to Jewelry Making
175 Fresh Card Ideas
Tomorrow's Garden

Fitness and Sports
You Are Your Own Gym
Essential Golf Skills
Shoot Like the Pros [Basketball]
The Anatomy of Martial Arts

Book Review: A Secret Gift

A Secret Gift by Ted Gup is a unique blend of narrative history coupled with various personal stories relating to the Great Depression of the 1930s. This time period shaped a generation and has a strong correlation to the current “Great Recession.” The reader is taken back more than seventy years to Ohio, when successful retailer Sam Stone places an ad in the local Canton newspaper soliciting families in need. Sam uses the pseudonym B. Virdot and asks individuals to write him with their stories of hardship. Over 150 families receive a small amount from “Mr. Virdot” to help make Christmas bright during this difficult time. Not until Sam’s grandson, writer Ted Gup, uncovers this hidden mystery and reveals the many hardships these families endured do we understand Sam’s motive and purpose. A Secret Gift truly makes you appreciate what we have today and how desperate people were during this life-changing era. [Also in audiobook.] -Kathy (Downtown)

Ostrich Festival

Where else can you hear live music, enjoy carnival rides and games, and see ostrich races? Only at Chandler's Ostrich Festival, March 11-13, 2011 at Tumbleweed Park. This year will also feature a sea lion show and medieval jousting, in addition to entertainment from various dance groups and music acts including Eddie Money. The Ostrich Festival Parade will officially kick off the event on Saturday morning at 10am, starting at Ray Rd and proceeding south on Arizona Ave.

Celebrating Chandler's heritage and the city's history of ostrich farming, the Ostrich Festival was established in 1989. For ticket and location information, entertainment schedules, and more, visit http://www.ostrichfestival.com/