This week's student review is done by Zach Weekes

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott

Ivanhoe is a well-known classic for being one of the first and greatest of the historical romance genre. It’s a tale of idealized chivalry and valor told with exciting fantasy and romance. However, it is not a domestic romance, but a story of adventure that’s broad in its scope of topics, themes, and events. One of my favorite aspects of this novel is that it draws on some of the most time-honored characters and events in English story telling. The narrative of the mysterious Knight of Ivanhoe intersects with the conflict of Robin Hood and his gallant outlaws, along with King Richard, against the treacherous Prince John. Despite its fantasy, the historical elements of the story are deep and richly detailed, which revolve centrally around the tensions between the Norman conquerors and the Saxon natives of England. In the end, the Knight of Ivanhoe’s affections blossom in adversity, in the epic backdrop of the medieval crusades and against corruption in the Templar Order. True to chivalry, the Knight’s tale is woven with moments of tenderness for his heart’s desire, conflicted between two tenacious women, which culminate both in a profound example of devotion and redemption. I would recommend Ivanhoe to fans of history and classical literature.

Movies, TV Series, & Documentaries

 Since the onset of the pandemic, more people have found themselves at home, watching movies and series, even though Hollywood has struggled to bring new pictures to the big screen. Here at the library, we have a varied collection of DVDs, both old and new, that range from documentaries to family-friendly flicks, TV shows to foreign films. Our main collection even has genre stickers, such as drama, romance, comedy, horror, children’s, and so on to easily help you find something that may pique your interest. 

New DVDs can be found right by the Circulation Desk and are purchased on a weekly to monthly basis. If there’s something you want that the library doesn’t own, you can fill out a Suggestion for Purchase form. The library will review the form and consider purchasing the item. Another alternative is to request the item via Interlibrary Loan. This is especially helpful for older movies that the library does not own, since we can simply ask to borrow them from another lending library.

With Oscar season running late this year, you may find yourself wondering where and how to view these new films. Some are available in theatre, while others can only be viewed On Demand or through other exclusive streaming services. If there’s something you’re dying to watch, keep any eye out on our New Films section, which offers trailers for all the new DVDs we purchase. Or simply ask us at the Circulation Desk if we can request it for you. We love to see new movies just as much as you do.

Post Written by Melissa                            

Wisconsin Library Association Member Spot Light

Congratulations to our very own Nic Ashman who was featured as the February Member Spotlight by WLA.  Nic is our Tech Services and Reference Librarian here at CVTC.  

Also featured this month is Jen Thiele, who is the director of the Marinette County Library System, and an adjunct instructor for our Library and Information Services Program.  

Click here to read Nic's Article

Click here to read Jen's Article

Congrats to both of you!  We are #CVTC proud!

Tumble Books

 New Resource for Students & Employees: TumbleBooks!

The CVTC Library is excited to offer a new children’s literature resource - the TumbleBook Library. This is an exciting database to explore. Here are 10 fast and fun facts:

1. There are over 1100 eBooks including story books, read-along chapter books, independent chapter books, graphic novels, and nonfiction books!

2. Story books are animated! (see an example: Bloom by Doreen Cronin & David Small)

3. There are also videos from National Geographic, games, and even book reports and quizzes!

4. Some of the books are available in English, Spanish, and French!

5. You can access TumbleBooks on any device that has an internet connection!

6. CVTC Students & Employees can share any of these digital materials with the children in their lives!

7. Students in Early Childhood Education, Foundations of Teacher Education, and Library & Information Services programs can use this resource in their classes!

8. The digital materials in TumbleBooks are always available, so you’ll never have to wait to read!

9. You can browse by category which makes it easy to find something to read! And… 

10. Kids LOVE TumbleBooks!

If you’d like more information about this resource, please contact nbreed@cvtc.edu. 

Book Review: Small Great Things

 This weeks student review is by Alexis P. 

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult.  

This book is about how people see color, or how they do not. This book makes you think and reflect on your own life and how you approach situations. Ruth Jefferson is a nurse that works on the labor and delivery floor of a hospital when a white supremacists family comes in to deliver their baby. The labor and delivery go as planned, but Ruth is not allowed to have contact with the baby due to the color of her skin. When things go wrong with the baby, Ruth, who is told she is not allowed to participate in the care of the baby, steps in to try life saving measures on the baby, and everything goes wrong. Ruth is then taken to court by the mother and father of the baby that passed away in Ruth’s care. The trail is one that is eye opening to everyone involved in the novel, the reader included. This book keeps your interest the whole time and has many twists and turns throughout the novel. I have read many of Jodi Picoult's books and this is by far one of my favorites.