Memorial Day is more than a day off from work, or the “start of summer”.  It is a day to remember the brave men and women who gave their lives protecting our country. Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day, a day to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers and flags from the Civil War.

In the late 1860’s they began having parades and tributes for fallen soldiers.  General John A. Logan on May 5, 1868 called for a nationwide day of remembrance stating, “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land.”  – (Library of Congress – https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/may-30/)

After World War II, Decoration Day became Memorial Day – a day to commemorate all American military personnel who died in any war.  In 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to establish Memorial Day as the last Monday in May. Beginning in 1971 it was declared a federal holiday.

Do you know the difference between Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day? Both days are observances to honor those who have served in the military. Veteran’s Day, which is November 11th, honors everyone who has served – in both wartime and peacetime. Memorial Day, coming up next Monday, particularly honors those who were killed during their service. Memorial Day remains a holiday of special importance to those who have served in the American military, and family members who grieve for those they have lost.

On Memorial Day, please take a moment to remember and honor the sacrifice of more than 1.1 million men and women who have died in service.  (pbs.org/newshour – https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/many-americans-died-u-s-wars)

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez – story about a family who emigrate to the United States from Mexico. (eBook via OverDrive)

Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia – novel about Cuban culture through the experience of three generations of women. (Print)

Finding Latinx by Paola Ramos – non-fiction book about the complexities and diversity of the Latino community. (eBook via OverDrive)

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros – story of a 12-year-old girl growing up in her Latino neighborhood. (Print – both English and Spanish versions)

How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents by Julia Alvarez – story of the immigrant experience and finding a place to belong. (Print)

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez – story about finding yourself amid the pressures, expectations, and stereotypes of growing up in a Mexican-American home. (eAudiobook & eBook via OverDrive)

Inventing Latinos: a New Story of American Racism by Laura Gomez – non-fiction book that explores the changes of Latino identity over time. (eBook via Ebsco)

Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende – novel about two young people as they flee the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War in search of a place to call home. (eBook via OverDrive)

Almost everyone has heard of DC and Marvel and the fantastic superheroes within their universes., but the world of graphic novels and comics go so much deeper!

First, what is a comic book versus a graphic novel? This can be hard to answer. Forms of graphic story telling have been around since the first cave paintings according to the Encyclopedia of Literature. Humans having been drawing pictures to tell stories for as long as we have been around, but comic books and graphic novels are something more specific. Britannica Academic says graphic novels are a “long comic narrative for a mature audience, published in hardback or paperback and sold in bookstores, with serious literary themes and sophisticated artwork.” Comics tend to be shorter and are published periodically. Will Eisner’s A Contract with God, and Other Tenement Stories is often considered the first graphic novel. Maus: a survivor’s tale by Art Spiegelman and Watchmen by Alan Moore are some of the earliest popular graphic novels.

Graphic Novels are not just for kids. They often contain adult themes and comment on controversial political and social issues. X-men isn’t just about mutants and superheroes. It’s about the Civil Rights Movement. Interested yet? Come check out Tarleton Libraries comic and graphic novel collection on the upper level of the library. Most graphic novels start at call number PN 6700. Graphic novels for kids will be mixed into the Curriculum Collection. on the lower level. Our collection is small but it’s growing!

Currently, Tarleton’s top 10 most popular graphic novels are:

10. Roderick Rules: Diary of a Wimpy Kid By Jeff Kinney, PZ7 .K6232 DK 2013 EB

9. Crown by Shinju Wada, art by You Higuri, PN6790 .J34 C76 2008 V.1

8. Mixed Vegetables by Ayumi Komura, PN6790 .J34 M5913 V.1

7. The Sandman V. 1&2 by Neil Gaiman, PN6728 .S26 G37 2003

6. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, PZ7 .K6232 DK 2008

5. The Celebrated Cases of Dick Tracey edited by Herb Galewitz, NC1429 .G58 A43

4. Japan Inc. : an introduction to Japanese economics by Shōtarō Ishinomori, HC462.9 .I7413 1988

3. The Complete Persepolis by Marhan Satrpi, PN6747 .S245 P4713 2007

2. Ichi-F: a worker’s graphic memoir of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, TK1365 .J3 T3813 2017

1. Maus: a survivor’s tale v.1 &2 by Art Spiegelman, D810 .J4 S643 1992 V.1

References

Graphic novel. (2021). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/graphic-novel/438033

Greenberger, R. (2020). Comic Book Ages. Salem Press Encyclopedia of Literature.

CBS Essentials posted a list of 12 perfect summer beach reads for 2021. It was a good list! So I decided to post a list of 9 Beach Reads from the Tarleton Libraries collection. All of these titles are available from our OverDrive Collection.

Do you know the history of Juneteenth? It is the holiday celebrating the emancipation of slaves in Galveston, Texas when they learned in 1865 they had been freed by President Lincoln. It is now celebrated annually on June 19 throughout the United States and is also known as Emancipation Day.

The Library will be hosting Emancipation Day (Juneteenth Activities) on Friday, June 18th. Come listen to

• Emancipation in African American Texan Art by Professor Chris Ireland
• The Importance of Juneteenth for our Community by Dr. Jason LaTouche

Friday, June 18, 2021,  11:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.

In the Dick Smith Library Multi-Purpose Room (Room 104) or via Zoom: https://tarleton.zoom.us/j/95827827711

The Joe R. and Dr. Teresa Lozano Long ODIIP will be distributing shirts recognizing the holiday while quantities last.

Tarleton Libraries has moved their blog to WordPress! We will continue to post about events, library resources, and other scholarly topics. Follow us on social media for updates and alerts!

The library has several poetry databases…you should take a look and find a favorite poem!

• Poetry Criticism (part of Gale Literature Criticism)
• 20th Century American Poetry
• 20th Century English Poetry