NEW ARRIVALS

ADULT FICTION

"44 Charles Street" by Danielle Steel - "When Francesca Thayer and her husband, Todd, divorce, he wants to sell their art gallery as well as their charming house at 44 Charles St., and split the proceeds. Francesca can't bear to part with either. She talks her artist father into becoming a partner in the gallery, but that still leaves the problem of how to keep her home. Against the advice of her mother, Francesca decides to share her house with three other people. .. This book is classic Steel--lots of emotion, friendship, romance, heartbreak, tragedy, and danger. Her countless fans are guaranteed to find it impossible to put down." --Shelley Mosley, Booklist

MYSTERY

"10th Anniversary" by James Patterson - "It opens with the wedding of Sergeant Lindsay Boxer to her longtime love, Joe Molinari. Soon after exchanging vows with Joe, Lindsay is on the trail of a missing baby whose 15-year-old mother was found wandering the streets in the rain, dazed and disoriented. ADA Yuki Castellano is trying an important case that could make or break her career; it involves a wealthy doctor accused of fatally shooting her unfaithful husband in cold blood. Yuki is none too pleased when Lindsay looks into the case at the behest of the woman's attorney, but Yuki has a secret of her own: she's started dating Lindsay's boss. Reporter Cindy Thomas is working on a story about several women who have been drugged and raped in the San Francisco area, but the big lead she uncovers threatens to make her a target. With the quick pace and short, sharp chapters readers have come to expect, Patterson and Paetro's latest will keep fans of the series turning pages long into the night."' Kristine Huntley. 416pg. AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, c2011. 

"Ape House" by Sara Gruen -"It begins with the bombing of the Great Ape Language Lab, a university research center dedicated to the study of the communicative behavior of bonobo apes. The blast, which terrorizes the apes and severely injures scientist Isabel Duncan, occurs one day after Philadelphia Inquirer reporter John Thigpen visits the lab and speaks to the bonobos, who answer his questions in sign language. After a series of personal setbacks, Thigpen pursues the story of the apes and the explosions for a Los Angeles tabloid, encountering green-haired vegan protesters and taking in a burned-out meth lab's guard dog. Meanwhile, as Isabel recovers from her injuries, the bonobos are sold and moved to New Mexico, where they become a media sensation as the stars of a reality TV show. Unfortunately, the best characters in this overwrought novel don't have the power of speech, and while Thigpen is mildly amusing, Isabel is mostly inert. --PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, c2010. 

"The Serialist" by David Gordon - "A seedy freelance writer provides the wry narrative voice for Gordon's winning debut, a darkly humorous thriller. New Yorker Harry Bloch, who once had lofty literary ambitions, has spent the past two decades as a hack, mostly as an advice columnist called the Slut Whisperer for Raunchy magazine. Bloch also earns cash by doing homework for affluent private school students, a side business managed by a precocious teenage girl who was the first pupil he was paid to tutor. His boring life takes an unexpected turn after he receives a letter from death-row inmate Darian Clay (aka the Photo Killer), who, as a fan of the Slut Whisperer, thinks Bloch is right for the job of assisting him on his memoirs. In exchange for Clay revealing where he concealed the heads of his female victims, Bloch must seek out women who have written to Clay and write stories about their having sex with the serial killer. A number of plausible plot twists help shift the story from farce to whodunit." -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, c2010. 

"The Lock Artist" by Steve Hamilton - "The book's main character, Mike, who suffered a trauma so great in childhood that it left him literally speechless, tries to confront his past by writing in prison. The novel's format embodies Mike's fragmented sense of self. His first-person narrative proceeds in fits and starts, jumping from the present day to his first professional job as a safecracker at the age of 18, to just after his trauma at age 8, to 2000, before his incarceration, and back and forth, focusing on several years, or months, or even a single day. The effect is that of a jigsaw, with both Mike and the reader trying to fit the pieces together. There's a double irony at work: although Mike skirts his trauma, he is always condemned, he tells us, to relive that day. And this master safecracker can't tumble the locks on his own mind. Intense and involving. Connie Fletcher."-- AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, c2009. 

ADULT NON-FICTION

"Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell and Know" by Alexandra Horowitz - 

Psychology professor and dog person Horowitz... was studying the ethology (the science of animal behavior) of white rhinos and bonobos at the San Diego Zoo when she realized that her research techniques could just as easily apply to dogs at the local dog park; there, she began to see 'snapshots of the minds of the dogs' in their play. ... she's found that, though humans bond with their dogs closely, they're clueless when it comes to understanding what dogs perceive-- leading her to the not-inconsequential notion that dogs know us better than we know them. Horowitz begins by inviting readers into a dog's umwelt--his worldview--by imagining themselves living 18 inches or so above the ground, with incredible olfactory senses comparable to the human capacity for detailed sight in three dimensions (though dogs' sight, in combination with their sense of smell, may result in a more complex perception of 'color' than humans can imagine). Social and communications skills are also explored, as well as the practicalities of dog owning (Horowitz disagrees with the 'pack' approach to dog training). Dog lovers will find this book largely fascinating, despite Horowitz's meandering style and somnolent tone." -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, c2009. 


"The Joy of Cheesemaking" by Jody Farnham and Marc Druart -" This new title not only offers step-by-step instruction in the crafting of cheese but also goes beyond Rita Ash's book to encompass cheese appreciation through lively profiles of artisan American cheese makers. This guide is aimed at all levels of readers, from hobbyists to professionals, but it will appeal more broadly to readers of food books. Farnham and Druart strike a good balance between the science of cheese making and love of cheese itself as they guide readers through calculations, sources for materials, explanations of outcomes at various stages of the process, and even wine or beer pairings. VERDICT This well-written guide with full-color illustrations is approachable, enthusiastic, and helpful. Recommended for collections where food books are popular."--Peter Hepburn, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago,  LIBRARY JOURNAL, c2011.

BIOGRAPHY

"Under A Wing" by Reeve Lindbergh -"an evocative reminiscence of her youth in Darien, Conn., with her two famous parents. This gentle memoir shows a unique and uniquely poignant family life: 'In our family it has always been hard to know what is right and what is wrong, in terms of what we can do for one another. It has been hard for us, too, to separate individual identity from family identity.' The resulting publicity left their family with a fear of exposure. The author's father was always wary of what others could see a cautiousness that extended to clothes, architecture and even the color of the family car. Although her father was constantly trying to shape and mold his children... his widely perceived anti-Semitism ultimately hurt his family deeply. Anne Morrow Lindbergh emerges from this retrospective as a gentle, even ethereal, intellectual whose style was the polar opposite of her husband's. While the reader might like to know more about Reeve and her own family, instead, we are given an intimate look at other family members and at her parents' marriage. From an idyllic if somewhat isolated youth in Darien, to her father's death and her mother's mental deterioration, Reeve has watched and learned and shared with readers what she refers to as the living language of her parents' marriage." -- CAHNERS PUBLISHING, c1998

DVD's


"Around the World in 80 Days"


"Casablanca (2 Disc Special Edition)"


"Covert Affairs: Season One"


"The Fighter"


"The King and I (50th Anniversary Edition)"


"The King's Speech"


"Masterpiece Theatre: Mill on the Floss"

"Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest"

"Nutcracker"

"Show Boat"

"Singin in the Rain"

"Steig Larsson Trilogy: (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest)"

NEW ARRIVALS - NOVEMBER

https://www.facebook.com/greensborofreelibrary.org 

NEW ARRIVALS

ADULT FICTION
 
"The Best of Me" by Nicholas Sparks - "They were high school sweethearts from opposite sides of the track, and after graduation their paths diverged. They meet again, decades later, when both return home for the funeral of a beloved mentor. Now what? Sparks fans know the answer to that question and will read this book to find it. The author still strikes sparks;" -- LIBRARY JOURNAL, c2011.

"Call Me Irresistible" by Susan Elizabeth Phillips - "Phillips crafts a laugh-out-loud and romantic story ... Onetime PGA star and smalltown mayor Ted Beaudine (met in 2005's Fancy Pants) is about to marry Lucy Jorik, the daughter of a former president, when she's persuaded to break it off by her best friend, Meg Koranda (2008's Glitter Baby), the aimless daughter of Hollywood royalty. Everyone in Wynette, Tex., loves Ted, but Meg feels Lucy deserves a passionate partner, not a god of self-control. After the disaster of calling off the wedding at the last minute, Meg's parents cut her off, stranding her in the hostile town. As Meg finds her own path and helps Ted discover his heart, the townspeople stoutly (and hilariously) defend their golden boy." -- PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY

"Hotel Vendome" by Danielle Steel - "Danielle Steel’s dazzling new novel invites readers into the ultra-glamorous world of a five-star New York hotel, and brings to vivid life the man who builds it as his dream, the girl who grows up in its loving embrace, and the colorful guests and staff who make its magic complete." -- inside front cover
 
"Survivors" A Novel of the Coming Collapse" by James Wesley Rawles - "In an America that has succumbed to complete financial and governmental collapse, a handful of determined survivors must make their way to safety...The world of Survivors is a terrifyingly familiar one. Rawles has written a novel so close to the truth, readers will forget it's fiction." --inside front cover

"The Touch" by Randall Wallace - "Andrew Jones is a young doctor with an amazing gift; his abilities in surgery are astonishing. But when he cannot save a young woman at the scene of a fatal car accident, Jones abandons his gift and shuns the operating room. Lara Blair owns a Chicago-based biomedical engineering company developing a surgical tool that will duplicate precisely the movement of a surgeon’s hands, eliminating human error during surgical procedures. Lara has pursued the best surgeons in the world to test this tool and all of them have failed.

Discovering Andrew’s unique surgical skills, Lara is determined to work with him. But Jones wants no part of it until he discovers the urgency behind Lara’s work . . . and somewhere, somehow, he must find the courage to trust The Touch. Also included: Author interview and discussion questions for book groups or individual use." -- Inside Front Cover

"The Union Quilters" by Jennifer Chiaverini -"In her true-to-form latest, Chiaverini goes back to the Civil War era as the men go off to fight and the women of Elm Creek Valley support the Union troops. While the women struggle with their own problems, updates from the front amplify tensions as the war comes closer to home, leading some to tragedy and others to heartbreaking revelations. Among the many developments, Dorothea sends husband Thomas off to war with her favorite quilt; Constance's husband, Abel, seeks a way to serve a Union that won't enlist him because he's black; Gerda pines for Jonathan, who brings his medical skills to the front; and Gerda's brother, Hans, refuses to fight because he is a pacifist. Chiaverini does a good job balancing the experiences of the women at home and the men on the front, though, oddly, the quilting is all but absent. There's enough exposition to welcome new readers without bogging down the tale, resulting in a reliably heartwarming and accessible story. " (Feb.) -- PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY

MYSTERY
 
"Affair" by Lee Child - "March 1997. A woman has her throat cut behind a bar in Carter Crossing, Mississippi. Just down the road is a big army base. Is the murderer a local guy - or is he a soldier? Jack Reacher, still a major in the military police, is sent in undercover. The county sheriff is a former US Marine - and a stunningly beautiful woman." -- Amazon.com
 
"At Bertram's Hotel" by Agatha Christie - When Miss Marple comes up from the country for a holiday in London, she finds what she’s looking for at Bertram’s Hotel: traditional decor, impeccable service, and an unmistakable atmosphere of danger behind the highly polished veneer. Yet, not even Miss Marple can foresee the violent chain of events set in motion when an eccentric guest makes his way to the airport on the wrong day.…

"The Crossing Places" by Elly Griffiths - "Griffiths's serviceable first mystery introduces archeologist Ruth Galloway, ...When Det. Chief Insp. Harry Nelson asks for her expertise in identifying human remains found in the marsh, he's disappointed when Ruth determines they date to the Iron Age. Harry, who's been haunted for 10 years by the kidnapping of five-year-old Lucy Downey, hoped the bones could bring closure to the girl's family. Drawn into the investigation, Ruth delves deeper into Lucy's disappearance and studies the letters Harry has received over the years, presumably from the kidnapper. When another young girl goes missing, Ruth and Harry fear the cycle has begun again. With her brittle exterior and general distaste for human companionship, Ruth is a difficult heroine with whom to empathize, but the novel's archeological details and the unsettling denouement go far in making up for her prickly character." -- PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY

"Dark Fire" by C. J. Sansom - "Three years after Dissolution, Shardlake has returned to practicing law in London. When he's asked by a friend to help his niece, who's charged with killing her cousin, he doesn't realize it will force him back into Cromwell's dangerous schemes. The girl, Elizabeth, refuses to speak in her own defense, even when threatened with death. Shardlake fears he'll lose the case, but is given a reprieve to gather more evidence and persuade Elizabeth to talk. He discovers that Cromwell's behind the intervention, and there's a heavy price attached. -- Brodart

"The Great Leader" by Jim Harrison - “The Great Leader carbonates page after page after page. You might go so far as to compare it to Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak. Or…Ted Williams, much the better hitter…[Or] Willie Mays. Mays was a magic act, but the kind that left you with the feeling that the miraculous stuff surprised him too. And that’s where Harrison fits in, 30-odd books down the road—his own shelf in the library—and you can still feel the excitement every time he pulls something new out of his ear. Which pretty much happens on every page he writes.” —Pete Dexter, The New York Times Book Review

"Kill Alex Cross" by James Patterson - " Detective Alex Cross is one of the first on the scene of the biggest case he's ever been part of. The President's son and daughter have been abducted from their school - an impossible crime, but somehow the kidnapper has done it. Alex does everything he can but is shunted to the fringes of the investigation. Someone powerful doesn’t want him too close." --inside front cover

"Learning to Swim" by Sara J. Henry - "Troy Chance didn't give it a second thought when she saw the boy being thrown into the middle of Lake Champlain from the rear deck of a ferry boat. She dove into the water and pulled him to shore. That's when she discovered that he had been kidnapped and was part of a bizarre, bloody plot." -- BRODART

"Lethal" by Sandra Brown - "When her four-year-old daughter informs her that there's a sick man in their yard, Honor Gillette rushes out to help him, only to come face-to- face with Lee Coburn, the man accused of murdering seven people the night before. Armed, he forces her to take him into her house. Thus began a nightmare involving her late husband and something of value he supposedly possessed." -- BRODART

"The Keeper of Lost Causes" by Jussi Adler-Olsen - "Carl Moerk used to be one of Copenhagen's best homicide detectives until a bullet nearly took his life. Unfortunately, one of his colleagues was killed and the other left in a nursing home for life. Carl blames himself since he didn't draw his weapon. Now assigned to the cold case files, he focuses on the case of a vanished politician thought to be dead." --BRODART

"Killing the Blues" by Michael Brandman - "Jesse, a taciturn police officer beset with alcohol and women trouble, is the most compelling character Parker has created since he introduced us to a private eye named Spenser more than thirty years ago."--ASSOCIATED PRESS

"New York to Dallas" by J.D. Robb - "Serial rapist/murderer Isaac McQueen (aka 'the Collector'), the first major bust of Dallas's when she was a rookie, escapes from New York City's Rikers Island prison complex 12 years into his life sentence and immediately resumes his depredations on young girls. McQueen uses a hostage to force Dallas to travel to Dallas, Tex., the site of her own horrific childhood, where he has prepared surprises for her. Working with the FBI, the Dallas PSD, and husband Roarke, Dallas leads the effort to recapture the wily McQueen. The deadly chess game between Dallas and McQueen plays out against multiple backgrounds, including shocking revelations from Dallas's past and the complex, passionate relationship of Roarke and Dallas. (Sept.). 416pg. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, c2011.

"Shock Wave" by John Sandford - "Filled with the brilliant plotting and compulsively readable prose that are Sandford's hallmarks, Shock Wave is another masterpiece by one of our best mystery writers."--inside front cover

"Son of Stone" by Stuart Woods - "In Bel-Air Dead (2011), readers learned that perennial bachelor and man- about-town Stone Barrington fathered a child years before with on-again, off-again lover Arrington Calder. Now we meet Peter, a preternaturally smart and savvy 16-year-old who takes to Stone immediately and adapts to his father's life in New York City with aplomb. Stone couldn't be happier. Peter takes his last name and decides he wants to become a director, and Arrington and Stone decide to finally tie the knot. Most of the book focuses on Stone setting Peter up in an elite private school and Peter's application to Yale, which doesn't make for the most scintillating reading. The pace picks up toward the end, though, when Arrington's menacing former suitor decides to exact revenge on the happy couple. Readers who have followed the series for a while will be eager to meet Stone's son, even if he is absurdly perfect. Would anyone expect otherwise of Stone Barrington's progeny?" -- BOOKLIST 

"A Trick of Light"  by Louise Penny - "Penny's first five crime novels in her Armand Gamache series have all been outstanding, but her latest is the best yet, a true tour de force of storytelling...Penny hits every note perfectly in what is one of the most elaborately constructed and remarkably moving mysteries in years...One of the top ten crime novels of the year." -- BOOKLIST

ADULT NON-FICTION

"Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government For a Strong Economy" by Bill Clinton -“Clinton details how we can get out of the current economic crisis and lay a foundation for long-term prosperity. He offers specific recommendations on how we can put people back to work and create new businesses, increase bank lending and corporate investment, double our exports, and restore our manufacturing base." -- Back Cover

"Casino Women: Courage in Unexpected Places" by Susan Chandler and Jill B. Jones - "Casino Women is an absorbing journey into the heart of Nevada's gaming empire and a triumphant tale of how women on the front lines of service work took on some of the world's largest corporations and won. Anyone who cares about the indignities and injustices faced by working people today and wants to know how we can change the casino capitalist world in which we all live should read this inspiring book." -- Dorothy Sue Cobble, author of The Sex in Class and The Other Women's Movement

"Confidence Men" by Ron Suskind - "Based on hundreds of interviews and filled with piercing insights and startling disclosures, Confidence Men brings into focus the collusion and conflict between the nation's two capitals - New York and Washington, on of private gain, the other of public purpose - in defining confidence and, thereby, charting America's future."--inside front cover

"Following Atticus: Forty-eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship" by Tom Ryan - "Animals come into our lives prepared to teach, if only those of us on the human side of the bond would be humble enough to learn. Tom Ryan has obviously been paying close attention as he generously shares the wisdom and humanity of a remarkable dog, taking us on a noble quest. Atticus M. Finch is the four-legged mentor all dog lovers will crave." -- Dr. Nick Trout, author of Tell Me Where It Hurts

"Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard - "Killing Lincoln is a must-read historical thriller. Bill O'Reilly recounts the dramatic events of the spring of 1865 with such exhilarating immediacy that you will feel like you are walking the streets of Washington, D.C., on the night that John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln. This is a huge entertaining, heart-stopping read."--Vince Flynn, author of American Assassin


"Lonely Planet: China" by Damian Harper -- "Antique yet up-to-the-minute, familiar yet unrcognizable, outwardly urban but quintessentially rural, conservative yet pathbreaking...China is a land of mesmerising and eye-opening contradictions."--Damian Harper

"Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War" by Tony Horwitz - "Beautifully written and sparkling with fresh insights, Midnight Rising resurrects the multiple faces of John Brown: avenging angel or murderous terrorist; slavery's nemesis or deluded fanatic; abolitionist hero or subversive insurrectionist. In this thrilling, magnificent and essential book, Tony Horwitz shows how one man and a single set of events set the nation on a doomed course where the crimes of a guilty land could only be purged by blood." -- James L. Swanson, author of Manhunt and Bloody Crimes

"No Higher Honor" by Condoleeza Rice -“In her memoir, NO HIGHER HONOR, Rice looks back, offering unexpected candor about her tenure as national security adviser in Bush’s first term and as secretary of state…the [book’s] moments of self-doubt and regrets are a revelation…Rice offers sharp and penetrating portraits of foreign leaders…Her memoir is a reminder that foreign-policy choices facing the United States are complex and difficult, with no easy solutions…Rice has acquitted herself well in telling her side of the story; now she awaits the judgment of history.” ----The Washington Post

"The Shakespeare Thefts: In Search of the First Folios" by Eric Rasmussen - "A brisk and amusing account. Eric Rasmussen tells us how Shakespeare's First Folio has been the cause of wit, passion, crime and folly."--Peter Saccio, author of Shakespeare's English Kings

BIOGRAPHY

"Blue Nights" by Joan Didion - "From one of our most powerful writers, a work of stunning frankness about losing a daughter. Richly textured with bits of her own childhood and married life with her husband, John Gregory Dunne, and daughter, Quintana Roo, this new book by Joan Didion examines her thoughts, fears, and doubts regarding having children, illness, and growing old."--Amazon.com

"Steve Jobs" by Walter Isaacson - "Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing and digital publishing."--inside front cover

"The Time of Our Lives" by Tom Brokaw -"Brokaw talks about American life and the American dream, past, present, and future, as experienced by four generations of his family and other American families. He begins with the recollections of his 93-year-old grandmother and concludes with his grandchildren's generation. He writes about where we have been, where we are now, where we ought to go, and how we can get there."  BRODART CO., c2011.

DVD's

"Atlas Shrugged"
"Castle: The Complete Second Season"
"Christmas with a Capital C"
"Crazy, Stupid Love"
"Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader"
"Disneynature: Oceans"
"Fast Five"
"The Help"
"How to Train Your Dragon"
"Inside Job"
"Lemonade Mouth"
"Luther"
"Midnight in Paris"
"Pirates of the Carribean: On Strange Tides"
"Secretariat"
"Social Network"
"The Sorcerer's Apprentice"
"The Town"
"Waiting for Superman"
"Walking Dead: Season One"
"Winnie the Pooh"

MUSIC

"Kind of Blue" by Miles Davis
"Singable Songs for the Very Young" by Raffi


JUVENILE BIOGRAPHY

"Driven: A Photobiography of Henry Ford" by Don Mitchell - "Don Mitchell combines a lively narrative with insightful Ford quotes and a wealth of images culled from the archives of the Benson Ford Research Center to tell the story of this complex man who was driven to reshape the 20th century by putting the world on wheels."--inside front cover


JUVENILE FICTION

"Dream of Night" by Heather Henson - "Twelve-year-old Shiloh has been abused and moved in and out of foster homes most of her life. When racehorse Dream of Night started losing, he was sold to one owner after another until he was whipped and abandoned. Horse rescuer and foster mother Jess thinks she's too old to take on any more responsibility, but she agrees to give both angry, scared creatures one more chance by offering them a home over the summer. Alternating viewpoints from Shiloh, Jess, and even the Thoroughbred reveal how the guarded girl and equally wary horse begin to sense each other's pain and slowly learn to trust each other and those around them. While saving each other, they may also rejuvenate Jess and give her a new sense of purpose. Although the comparisons between Shiloh and Night remain overt, the connectedness between humans and horses will entice young animal lovers (“Over the years Jess has come to find that humans aren't wired so differently”). An author's note details the alarming number of ex-racehorses abused each year." Grades 3-6. --Angela Leeper, BOOKLIST

"The Grimm Legacy" by Polly Shulman - "Is there a better antidote to a lonely teen existence than a dose of fairy-tale magic? Elizabeth has yet to make friends at her tony Manhattan private school, and she feels equally alone at home with her remote father and taskmaster stepmother. Then Elizabeth's teacher recommends her for a job at the New York Circulating Material Repository, and as Elizabeth befriends the other pages, she begins to learn that fairy tales aren't just fantasy and that many of the special collections' artifacts belong to her favorite childhood stories, including the magic mirror from Snow White. Just as Elizabeth learns about the repository's impossible wonders, some of the most powerful objects, and then some of the pages, disappear, and she finds herself leading the dangerous rescue. Captivating magic fills the pages of this exciting new novel from the author of Enthusiasm (2006). The story occasionally loses momentum, but action fans will find plenty of heart-pounding, fantastical escapades as the novel builds to its satisfying, romantic conclusion. A richly imagined adventure with easy appeal for Harry Potter fans." Grades 6-9. --Gillian Engber, BOOKLIST 


"Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze" by Alan Silberberg - "Gr 5-8–By page 14, readers will know that this is more than just another funny story about a middle school misfit who is the new kid in the neighborhood. While Milo does struggle with all the normal tween anxieties and self-consciousness about his family, there is more. Silberberg details the daily events with Wimpy Kid-like drawings and quick-witted humor that will keep the pages turning. Milo's new friendships with classmates Marshall and Hillary and elderly neighbor Sylvia Poole allow readers to glimpse at the deeper truth–Milo's mother's death–as it emerges between laugh lines. Silberberg takes on a tough topic and always stays true to the age of the character through dialogue and artwork while maintaining that wisecracking, 12-year-old humor. Added to this, he manages to convey Milo's pain and fears without ever becoming maudlin or depressing."Tina Hudak, St. Albans School, Washington, DC© Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.

"The Monstrumologist" by Rick Yancey - "The journal of Will Henry, who lived to be well over a hundred years old, is discovered after he dies. In it, he relates his boyhood as the orphaned assistant to a monstrumologist--his adventures and studies, the horrors he witnessed, etc. The highly gothic stories, written in a formal old-fashioned style, are absorbingly gruesome." -- THE HORN BOOK, c2010.

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" by J. K. Rowling - In his fifth year at Hogwart's, Harry faces challenges at every turn, from the dark threat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the unreliability of the government of the magical world to the rise of Ron Weasley as the keeper of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Along the way he learns about the strength of his friends, the fierceness of his enemies, and the meaning of sacrifice." -- Amazon.com

"Ninth Ward" by Jewell Parker Rhodes - "Jewell Parker Rhodes has written a powerful novel about family and survived in the face of tragedy (Hurricane Katrina) in the face of tragedy and has created in her twelve-year-old narrator, Lanesha, a true heroine. (She) shows a kind of bravery and big heartedness that is a gift she passes along to her friend, her community, and the readers of this luminous book." -- Walter Mosley

"Slog's Dad" by David Almond -"An inspired marriage of David Almond's ability to come up with bizarre, deeply resonant stories..and David McKean's ability to come up with disturbing, deeply resonant pictures...A great story about the power of writing to work out emotions and the power of writing to move the world." -- Newsday


"Small as an Elephant" by Jennifer Richard Jacobson - "Ever since Jack can remember, his mom has been unpredictable, sometimes loving and fun, other times caught in a whirlwind of energy and "spinning" wildly until it's over. But Jack never thought his mom would take off during the night and leave him at a campground in Acadia National Park, with no way to reach her and barely enough money for food. Any other kid would report his mom gone, but Jack knows by now that he needs to figure things out for himself - starting with how to get from the backwoods of Maine to his home in Boston before Social Services catches on. With nothing but a small toy elephant to keep him company, Jack begins the long journey south, a journey that will test his wits and his loyalties - and his trust that he may be part of a larger herd after all." -- Amazon.com

"Sources of Light" by Margaret McMullan - In 1962, 14-year-old Sam and her mother move from Pennsylvania to Jackson, Mississippi, a city on the edge of social upheaval as racial tensions come to a head. All Sam wants is to “live her life staying out the way,” but she finds that hard to do after her mother, an art professor, teaches a class at the local all-black college and becomes a target of white supremacist groups. Perry, her mother's photographer boyfriend, gives Sam a camera and the courage to record the sit-ins, voter registrations, and the violent rage provoked by peaceful protests. No one is demonized in this novel. McMullan, a Mississippi native, makes her characters complex, confused, and sympathetic. Most notably, Sam's love interest, Stone, seems decided in his racism and dangerous in his convictions; but his search for right is just as important as Sam's. In the end, readers will see the humanity of those on the wrong side of history, and may even feel compassion for them, too. Grades 5-8. --Courtney Jone, BOOKLIST

"Star in the Forest" by Laura Resau - "Resau’s novel tells a child’s migration story with simple immediacy. After her father is imprisoned in Colorado and then deported to Mexico as an illegal immigrant, lonely 11-year-old Zitlally befriends her neighbor and classmate, Crystal. Together, the girls care for Star, an abandoned dog they find chained up in their trailer-park “forest,” made up of heaps of rusted car parts. Zitlally’s stressed, angry mama works many jobs and sells the family’s truck so that they can send Papá money to pay border smugglers, who will help him try to return. Then Papá is kidnapped and held for ransom, and Zitlally’s illegal family cannot go to the police. Crystal’s family is also in trouble: her father is in prison in the U.S., although she makes up wild stories about him working in Antarctica and Madagascar. Always true to Zitlally’s viewpoint, the unaffected writing makes clear the anguish of illegals. The thematic parallels with the dog, also an illegal of sorts, are redundant; it’s the family story, more than the pet plot, that will grab readers. A pronunciation guide, a glossary, and a note about immigration from Mexico to the U.S. close this unforgettable narrative of a girl’s daily struggle to find a home. Grades 4-8. --Hazel Rochman 

"Stuck on Earth" by David Klass - "Wickedly wry and hysterically skewed, David Klass's take on teen life on our fabulously flawed Planet Earth is an engrossing look at true friends, truer enemies and awkward alien kisses." -- inside front cover

"The Strange Case of Origami Yoda" by Tom Angleberger - "In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. If that weren’t strange enough, the puppet is uncannily wise and prescient. Origami Yoda predicts the date of a pop quiz, guesses who stole the classroom Shakespeare bust, and saves a classmate from popularity-crushing embarrassment with some well-timed advice. Dwight’s classmate Tommy wonders how Yoda can be so smart when Dwight himself is so clueless. With contributions from his puzzled classmates, he assembles the case file that forms this novel." - Amazon.com

"Touch Blue" by Cynthia Lord - "Eleven-year-old Tess doesn’t want to leave her island home, but her family will have to move to the mainland if the state of Maine closes their small schoolhouse for lack of students. To increase their numbers, several families take in foster children, and so 13-year-old musician Aaron, who has bounced around since his grandmother’s death because his mother is an alcoholic, comes to stay with Tess’ family. Tess pins all her hopes on Aaron, but he is not at all what she expected: he doesn’t like reading, he throws up on her dad’s lobster boat, and he’d rather stay in his room than play Monopoly. Each chapter title is a folk saying that superstitious Tess follows as she wishes and schemes a way for Aaron to love island life. Aaron’s relationship with his foster family, particularly with impulsive Tess, develops believably. The tight-knit community and lobster-catching details make for a warm, colorful environment. This is a feel-good story about letting go of your expectations and accepting the good things already in front of you. Grades 4-7. --Krista Hutle, BOOKLIST

"Waiting for the Magic" by Patricia MacLachlan - "Newbery Medalist MacLachlan tackles the familiar yet always heart-wrenching subject of parental separation in her venerable spare and moving style.... The characters are individualistic, believable, and likable, and the impulsive acquisition and heartwarming presence of the animals suggest an affecting work of realistic fiction."--Publishers Weekly

JUVENILE NON-FICTION

"Ancient Egypt: Tales of Gods and Pharaohs" by Marcia Williams - "Marcia Williams's lighthearted comic-style illustrations bring new life to the epic dramas of Egyptian mythology. This collection of stories is an accessible introduction to an ancient civilization, with a wealth of information, dramatic, fold-out spreads, and engaging art that is sure to fascinate and inspire young Egyptologists."--inside front cover

"Benjamin Bear in Fuzzy Thinking" by Philippe Coudray - "The whole enterprise lies somewhere between fuzzy-wuzzy was a bear and an introduction to fuzzy logic. It is original, deep-down funny, and, most important, the adventures are steeped in the rare quality of imaginative kindness."
—The Horn Book

"Brother Sun, Sister Moon" by Katherine Paterson - "Gr. 2-5. T Paterson, ...writes from her own abiding faith as she adds her careful embroidery to Saint Francis' words, which are reprinted at the book's conclusion. To bring the canticle closer to young audiences, she expands upon some themes: where Francis praises Sister Moon and the stars, Paterson adds that they 'watch over us while we sleep.' She also links each member of creation's family to the larger source, God, as when she writes of Brother Fire that in his 'resplendent dancing light we glimpse your playfulness.' Paterson says in an author's note that she would never have taken on this book had she not seen Dalton's art, and it's no wonder. Taking her paper-cutting technique to extraordinary levels, Dalton used one continuous piece of paper to create each exquisite illustration. Set against velvet-black pages, the intricate scenes of flora, fauna, and villagers who find meaning in everyday tasks ask readers to look again. An inspiring modern classic." -- Ilene Cooper,  BOOKLIST

"Detective Blue" by Steve Metzger - "Little Boy Blue is all grown up, and he's a detective working to find Miss Muffet. Join in the fun as Detective Blue tries to crack the case with the help of his nursery rhyme friends. The fun is never-ending as Detective Blue interrogates grown-up nursery rhyme characters in order to solve the Missing Muffet Mystery. Kids, parents, and teachers can find a list of referenced nursery rhymes and go back into the story to find the characters." --Amazon.com

"Meet the Dogs of Bedlam Farm" by Jon Katz -“In Katz's first book for children, illustrated with lively photos, the author explains how the four dogs (which have been the subject of several bestselling titles for adults) that live on his farm in upstate New York have distinct roles and responsibilities. . . .  dog-loving readers will value the attention paid to their individual contributions.” —Publishers Weekly

"Mystery Math: A First Book of Algebra" by David A. Adler -  "Algebra can be a mystery to many readers. But in this accessible introduction set in a creepy haunted house, readers will learn to find the unknown number of skeletons, ravens, and bats by using simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to solve equations. A hands-on activity further illustrates the topic by showing students how to make and use a balance scale. Vetted for accuracy by an expert in the new Common Core State Standards." -- Amazon.com


PICTURE BOOK

"The Abandoned Lighthouse" by Albert Lamb
"Along a Long Road" by Frank Viva

"Art & Max" by David Wiesner
"A Ball for Daisy" by Chris Raschka
"Bears in the Night" by
"Grandpa Green" by Lane Smith
"Happy Pig Day" by Mo Willems
"Homer: The Library Cat" by Reeve Lindbergh
"I Want My Hat Back" by Jon Klassen
"If You Give A Dog A Donut" by Laura Numeroff
"Loon Baby" by Molly Beth Griffin
"Neville" by Norton Juster
"A Pig Parade is a Terrible Idea" by Michael Ian Black
"Reading to Peanut" by Leda Schubert
"Strega Nona's Gift" by Tomie dePaola
"Tootle"

"Over and Under the Snow" by Kate Messner
"Wonder Horse" by Emily Arnold McCully


YOUNG ADULTS

"The Prince of Mist" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - "...this atmospheric tale is set in 1943 in an unspecified seacoast village.  On Max Carver’s thirteenth birthday, his father announces that the family is moving to a village for safety. Their new home has a tragic past and a garden filled with sinister statues that begin to haunt the children’s dreams. Then Max and his older sister Alicia strike up a friendship with a local boy, Roland, who takes them diving around a wrecked ship in the harbor. Roland’s grandfather, the town lighthouse keeper and sole survivor of the wreck, reveals the sinister connections between the wreck, the garden, and a relentlessly evil figure, Cain, called the Prince of Mist. Permeated with a delicious sense of looming menace, the story lines converge inexorably in a terrifying climax. Intelligent and eerie, Zafón’s story will create nightmares and admirers. Grades 7-12. --Lynn Ruta, Booklist

"Hero" by Mike Lupica - "...best known for his popular sports novels for youth, (he) explores new territory in this title, which begins with a highly skilled American agent’s first-person account of a dangerous solo mission in the Balkans. By the second chapter, though, readers learn that the agent died during his mission, and the story is picked up by a new narrator, who shifts the telling to third person and the focus to the agent’s son, Billy. After learning that he is being pursued by shadowy bad guys, Billy is ambushed in New York’s Central Park. Luckily, though, he has recently discovered that he possesses supernatural powers, and he overcomes his attackers. Lupica effectively unfolds this high-adventure story, which sends Billy on a classic hero’s journey with two possible guides, one of whom turns out to be treacherous. At the end, Lupica implies that it’s going to take more than one book to tell Billy’s story, which should please the inevitable new fans this effort will attract. Pair this with William Boniface’s The Hero Revealed (2006). Grades 6-9. --Todd Morning, Booklist