Authors at Tamarack

BECKLEY, W.Va. -- Tamarack features appearances by half a dozen authors Dec. 2-22.

On Dec. 2, retired television reporter Bob Brunner will sign copies of his book, "Bob Brunner's Reporter's Reflections," in which he chronicles his encounters with West Virginia politicians, and reviews some of his road trips through the Mountain State.

On Dec. 8, Patsy Pittman will sign her copies of her inspirational short story collections titled "Blood Kin & Other Strangers."

Coal historian Wes Harris, who has edited two historical collections, will be at Tamarack on Dec. 9 and will sign his books "Dead Ringers" and "When Miners March." Both books are compilations of editorials, news stories, essays, photos and more. Proceeds from sales benefit the continue restoration of the Whipple Company Store in Fayette County.

Barbara Whittington will sign her novel "Vada Faith" on Dec. 14 and 15.

On Dec. 21, West Virginia native Ida Stewart will have a book signing for "Gloss," her first book of poetry.

Finally, on Dec. 22, Colleen Driscoll will sign "Piper the Elf Trains Santa," an illustrated children's book.

For more details about West Virginia books at Tamarack, call 888-262-7225 or visit www.tamarackwv.com. Titles at Tamarack are also available at the Museum Shop in the Culture Center.

Located off Interstate 64/77 at exit 45, Tamarack is open daily from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. but closes at 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve and is closed Christmas Day.

'Goodnight Moon' narrated

In the 65 years since it was published, the classic children's book "Goodnight Moon" has lulled countless youngsters to sleep -- not to mention doing almost the same to their parents, who often find themselves struggling to stave off boredom as they read Margaret Wise Brown's repetitive bedtime tale over and over again, night after night.

Technology has come to the weary parents' rescue via a narrated version of the story -- in which a bunny says "goodnight" to everything in its room, one item at a time -- that can be downloaded onto a smartphone or tablet computer. That's right; it's narrated. All you have to do is click on the autoplay button, step back and, according to the app's creators, let your child enjoy the "calm and captivating narration" to their heart's content.

The app, available for $4.99 from iTunes, has other features, too. Young readers can use the "magnifying glass" function to zoom in on illustrator Clement Hurd's elaborate drawings (watch how he changed the time on the clock from one page to the next). There's also an interactive function that enables the user to manipulate the animation; when the bunny bids goodnight to its mittens, you can make the mittens wave back.