Milestones Matter: 35 or 350!
September/October 2014
This year BCCLS libraries are celebrating two big birthdays! BCCLS is celebrating 35 years of connecting libraries, communities, and so much more. But did you know that the State of New Jersey is also celebrating a milestone? New Jersey is 350 years old. That is a lot of candles!
Members of the BCCLS Public Relations Committee have compiled a list of favorite books to celebrate our great state – everything from Jersey’s iconic diners to our history starting with our early beginning as a colony. While reading about New Jersey, don’t forget to peruse your library’s local history collection and learn about the history of your town.
What is a birthday celebration without cake? Check out all of the great birthday books, too.
New Jersey History
350 years of New Jersey History: from Stuyvesant to Sandy by Joseph G. Bilby
A must read for any history buff! 350 Years of our favorite state all in one place.
The Architecture of Bergen County, New Jersey: the colonial period to the twentieth century by T. Robins Brown & Schuyler Warmflash
You can learn a lot about an area and the people who have lived there by looking at the houses they lived in, buildings they worked in, and the places where they prayed. This beautiful volume on the architecture of Bergen County might give you a new view of the history around you every day.
Atlas of Bergen County, N.J. (1876) by A.H. Walker
Flip through this historic atlas with care and gaze into the past. Find out what your address was 140 years ago. Is your town on the map?
Encyclopedia of New Jersey (2004) edited by Maxine Lurie and Marc Madden
Everything you've ever wanted to know about the Garden State can now be found in one place. This encyclopedia contains a wealth of information covering New Jersey's prehistory to architecture, arts, biographies, commerce, arts, municipalities and much more.
Genealogical History of Hudson and Bergen Counties, New Jersey (1900) by Cornelius Burnham Harvey
The history of a place and the people who lived and died there are forever entwined. Many of us look to our families to help define who we are and we take comfort knowing where (and who) we came from. This volume is a popular source for those searching to find more information on older branches of the family tree.
The History of Diners in New Jersey by Michael Gabriele
This history of diners in New Jersey includes how diners came to be so important to Jersey culture as well as the role of the Garden State in diner manufacturing.
A History of Inventing in New Jersey: from Thomas Edison to the ice cream cone by Linda J. Barth
This history of some famous and not-so-famous inventions from New Jersey proves that we are not just a pretty boardwalk and some cow pastures. From Thomas Edison electric lights to the ice cream cone, New Jersey’s inventors have always been full of new ideas.
Hudson River: lighthouses & history by Kevin Woyce
The lighthouses along the shore and up the Hudson River have always been landmarks that kept our sailors safe. Now they are landmarks which mark our history and Woyce shares that history through his photographs and text.
Jersey Diners by Peter Genovese
Diners in NJ are iconic and their importance to the history and culture of the state cannot be overstated in a world of chains and conformity.
The Jersey Sting: a true story of crooked pols, money-laundering rabbis, black market kidneys, and the informant who brought it all down by Ted Sherman and Josh Margolin
We all know all our history isn’t about heroes. Wouldn’t it be boring if it was? Ted Sherman and Josh Margolin shine a light on some of New Jersey’s more notorious villains and how one informant brought them down.
New Jersey Then and Now by David Veasey
A photographic history of the Garden State.
Off the Beaten Path-New Jersey
This slightly off-beat travel guide provides sites and pithy historical information about places and buildings in NJ. If you’ve never been one to follow the crowd, this is a great source for ideas on weekend or day trips. You might find some hidden gems in your own backyard that you never knew were there.
The Revolutionary War in Bergen County: the times that tried men's souls edited by Carol Karels
This collection of essays takes a look at the war that shaped the early history of our state and our county.
Weird N.J.: your travel guide to New Jersey's local legends and best kept secrets by Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman - Volumes 1 & 2
Even if you’ve lived in New Jersey your whole life, this set of travel guides will help you find something new and different to do or see around the state. From ghost stories to odd places, Weird N.J. will provide tons of ideas for day or weekend trips to visit old favorites or find new secrets.
Books to Celebrate Birthdays
Everyone loves birthday parties and the star of the birthday party is the cake! Check out these books for tips and tricks on making cakes which will bring your parties to the next level.
The Best Birthday Party Ever by Jennifer LaRue Huget
A child plans an elaborate birthday party and eagerly counts the months, days, hours, and minutes before the celebration.
The Birthday Cake Book: 75 recipes for candle-worthy creations by Dede Wilson
Advanced decorating techniques that make these cakes look as good as they taste!
Cake Couture: modern sugar-craft for the stylish baker by Annie Dam
If you like the latest trends in fashion and cakes as well, Annie Dam does her best to share basic recipes and modern techniques for working in fondant and sugar. The photographs alone are worth checking out this volume on cake fashion trends.
Chocolate cakes: 50 great cakes for every occasion by Elinor Klivans
If chocolate is the only way to go for your birthday celebration, this is the cookbook for you. Page after page of gorgeous photos and instructions on making the most chocolaty, delicious, and beautiful birthday cakes make this a must read for all chocolate lovers.
The Complete Photo Guide to Cake Decorating by Autumn Carpenter
Got some ideas of your own, but don’t know how to make them work? This is a great reference for cake decorating methods, including basic cake preparation and materials, piping techniques, fondant and gum paste accents, and miscellaneous techniques.
FamilyFun Birthday Cakes: 50 cute & easy party treats edited by Deanna F. Cook and the experts at FamilyFun magazine
Fifty cakes which are fun and easy to make at home.
Finally by Wendy Mass
After her twelfth birthday, Rory checks off a list of things she is finally allowed to do, but unexpected consequences interfere with her involvement in the movie being shot at her school, while a weird prediction starts to make sense.
Switched at Birthday by Natalie Standiford
Lavender sees herself as the miserable but tough outsider at school, while Scarlet knows she is talented and popular, but insecure on the inside--then, on their mutual thirteenth birthday, they wake up in each other's bodies and are forced to learn what it means to walk in someone else's shoes.
List created by:
2014 BCCLS Public Relations Committee
