I am doing a "Discover Your World at the Gilroy Library" set of programs. Each month, a country based on the date of their National Day is explored through stories, music, crafts, and/or games. Australia was January's country. While pulling books for this country I discovered some great finds I want to share.

Two months before he died of cancer, renowned literary critic Anatole Broyard called his son and daughter, to reveal a secret he had kept all of their lives; he was black. This is the beginning of Anatole's daughter, Bliss Broyard's, journey to discover who she really was and what price her father paid to provide the life she had led up to that point. As she researches her heritage, she ponders the truths about racial identity in America. A well paced look into a controversial and fascinating subject.

In a highly accessible style, Peter J. Gomes, a theologian at Harvard University's Divinity School, comments on the interrelations between the church and state throughout history and particularly recent U.S. history. Gomes takes a knowledgeable look back at a history fraught with conflict but looks forward to a more hopeful future in this upbeat but challenging interpretation of scripture.

This DVD set features a collection of nine gorgeous short films by two time Academy Award winner Frederic Back. The films all are animated in Back's unique impressionistic style where edges are soft and shapes shift fluidly into new forms. The shorts all contain themes of environmental stewardship awash in movement and beauty. The set also includes interviews with Back as well as artists who collaborated with him.