Mudbound and When She Woke by Hillary Jordan
By ktesdell, on February 20, 2012
Hillary Jordan is a master at the art of stirring social conscience and exposing social responsibility. Her prize-winning debut novel, Mudbound, is a gripping chronicle of tragedy, guilt, prejudice, and moral indignation set in 1946. The very essence of the Mississippi delta, poverty, hunger, and despair, is palpable and the inequities of a society riveted by racial prejudice and sexism are laid bare. Told in the alternating voices of several compelling characters, the novel is heart-rending yet surprisingly readable and quite unforgettable.
In 2011, Jordan presented a riveting futuristic work, When She Woke, that parallels The Scarlet Letter in its’ social, moral, religious and political themes. Hannah Payne is a young woman who finds herself a victim of the very establishments that she was raised to cherish-church and family. She chooses a path that ultimately leads to a conviction of murder. The horrifying sentence it carries in this chilling dystopian society will leave you breathless. Genetically altered, imprisoned and put on exhibition for millions to view via public broadcasts, the “Chromes” are ultimately exiled to survive in a hostile world as best they can. Through Hannah’s trials and self-discovery the raw consequences of extremism and intolerance are made apparent. A true page-turner.
Reviewed by Neica Dey
Best Jobs for the 21st Century, 6th ed. by Laurence Shatkin, Ph.D.
By ktesdell, on February 8, 2012
In this bestselling book, the author identifies 400 jobs with the best pay, most openings and fastest growth for the 21st century.
He divides these jobs in to 69 lists arranged by best overall jobs, best jobs by demographic, best jobs based on education levels and best jobs based on personality types and then includes complete descriptions of all 400 jobs.
This book is packed with useful information and is very user friendly. So whether you are looking for a job, changing careers or just starting out in the work world, this book is a great resource.
Reviewed by Lori Sugden
The Magic Room by Jeffrey Zaslow
By ktesdell, on February 8, 2012
In his latest, the author of The Girls from Ames brings to life a family-owned bridal salon in Fowler, Mich. This is a story of Shelley Baker, the third-generation owner of Becker’s Bridal, her daughter, Alyssa, and even Grandma Eva, who started the business and whose spirit some say still inhabits the shop. More importantly, it’s about several brides who visit Becker’s “magic” mirrored room, and how their unique stories reflect our culture’s changing ideas about marriage.
Zaslow is a journalist, but he’s also the father of three daughters. He handles all of their stories in a gracious, empathetic way.
Reviewed by Lynn Heitkamp
Waking Hours by Lis Wiehl and Pete Nelson
By ktesdell, on February 8, 2012
In this first installment of the “East Salem Trilogy”, some residents of the small town in Westchester County, New York are experiencing mysterious things. When a local high-school girl is killed and a mysterious symbol painted in blood on her body, Dani Harris, forensic psychiatrist, searches for the killer, and becomes entangled in events that seem to foreshadow the Apocalypse. Interesting in its own right, this paranormal mystery clearly leads the reader on to the upcoming second part of the trilogy.
Reviewed by Kate Tesdell
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
By ktesdell, on January 31, 2012
Pick this book up and you realize it’s not your standard read. Colorful pictures fit well with its off-beat nature. The book is not so much about why we broke up , but more about young love. Min, a high school junior, considers herself intellectual. A lover of old films and cynical romantic, Min falls fast and hard for Ed, star basketball player. The courtship isn’t one-sided. After a few weeks of love and lust, Min dumps Ed by dumping a box of mementos and one really long letter on his doorstep – and so we have “Why We Broke Up.”
Recommended for grades 7-9
Reviewed by Jennifer Harden, Zauel Library
On My Way to a Happy Life by Deepak Chopra
By ktesdell, on January 31, 2012
Little children there’s something incredible inside of you! Did you know you have all the power to make your dreams come true? In Deepak Chopra new book, On My Way to a Happy Life, he describes 7 different principles that will teach children the values of joy, love and happiness. By illustrating the special laws of nature Chopra helps children understand different ways to handle stressful situations and ultimately live a peaceful life. As we enter the New Year, parents what a great time of year to get children motivated and enthused to think about different ideas of happiness and success. With beautiful illustrations and realistic watercolors Chopra passionately pictures children joyful, inspired, active and on they’re way to a happy life!
Recommended for ages 4 and up
Reviewed by Natasha S. Williams
Every-Day Dress-Up by Selina Alko
By ktesdell, on January 23, 2012
Many young girls enjoy the pleasure of dressing up and pretending to be young princesses. However, when one little girl’s mother introduces her to stories of real, great women, dress-up because an opportunity pay tribute to some of history’s famous, talented ladies. The girl is a “daring new dame” each day of the week, from Amelia Earhart and Ella Fitzgerald to Frida Kahlo and Julia Child, and explores the varied occupations these women pursued. Short biographies of the ladies mentioned are provided at the end. This book is the perfect reminder that imaginative play can include more than princess dress-up.
Reviewed by Jennie Tuttle, Wickes Library
Recommended for ages 4-8
The Reservoir by John Milliken Thompson
By ktesdell, on January 23, 2012
Thompson presents a doggedly researched historical novel that details the actual murder of a young woman and the subsequent trial of the accused in 1880s Richmond, Virginia. While the body of pregnant Lillie Madison is fished from the city reservoir one cold March morning, Tommie Cluverius, an ambitious lawyer, plots his getaway and the cover-up of his deed. Through flashbacks Thompson reveals the story of Lillie’s dark past and her flirtatious pitting of brother against brother. The Reservoir is a tale of lust, betrayal, and ultimately justice in a fully realized setting with characters that are as pitiable as they are despicable.
Reviewed by Neica Dey, Hoyt Library
The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
By ktesdell, on January 17, 2012
In ancient Judea, Jewish rebels fled to the mountain fortress of Masada. There they held off the Roman army for years before finally committing mass suicide rather than submitting to defeat. Two women and five children survived the siege. The Dovekeepers follows the story of four brave Jewish women and their lives on Masada. Their lives connect in many significant ways not only in the present, but also the past and ultimately the future. The Dovekeepers is easily Hoffman’s best work.
Reviewed by Amy Churchill, Zauel Memorial Library
Here Lies Linc by Delia Ray
By ktesdell, on January 17, 2012
After starting in a new middle school, Lincoln Crenshaw, while researching the myths of the Black Angel” in the cemetery for a school project, runs into some startling people and startling truths about his own family. If he finds the facts in this multifaceted mystery, will doom come to one of Linc’s loved ones or will sanity return to those involved. Like riding a roller coaster, there are twists and turns. Take your turn!
Reviewed by Maureen Beckrow, Butman-Fish Library
Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos
By ktesdell, on January 9, 2012
Sometimes in life you meet people with whom you bond instantly and find that you can barely remember life before them. Will, Pen, and Cat met during their first week of college and spent the next years as an inseparable threesome until their friendship broke apart over a relationship that not all three approved of. Years later, Cat pleads for the three of them to reunite at their college reunion. The reunion, and the search that follows, forces them to confront the reality of why their friendship fell apart and whether it can fall back together. The author is an award winning poet as well as a novelist and her prose is lovely – you may read the book and simply enjoy the words as much as the story.
Reviewed by Trish Burns, Director
Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake by Michael B. Kaplan
By ktesdell, on January 9, 2012
Betty Bunny is a handful. She knew this because her mother always said, “Betty Bunny, you are a handful.” Her father agreed with her mother, and since Betty knew they loved her, being a handful must be very, very good. Dessert, after a healthy dinner of peas, carrots and potatoes was chocolate cake. Betty discovered she loved chocolate cake. It was the yummiest thing she had ever put in her mouth. “When I grow up, I am going to marry chocolate cake!” she declares. Waiting through the school day and healthy dinner for another piece of chocolate cake is very difficult, but Mommy says Betty must have patience. Betty does not want patience, she wants chocolate cake!
Reviewed by Kathy Thornhill, Zauel Library.
Recommended for preschool – 4th grade.
Please Read (if at all possible): The Girl Project by Kate Engelbrecht
By ktesdell, on January 4, 2012
The Girl Project was started in 2007 by Kate Engelbrecht. She encouraged teenage girls to send her videos, photos, pieces of writing, and answers to questionnaires on what it is like to be a teenager in today’s world. Engelbrecht put together this compilation of some of the thousands of entries she has received in the last four years. Please Read delves into the fears and emotions of young females. It focuses on issues like self-esteem, self-awareness, personal relationships, and the media. Any young woman will be able to connect with at least some part of this book.
Reviewed by Jessica Fleischman, Butman-Fish Library.
Recommended for ages 13 and up.
Train Dreams by Denis Johnson
By ktesdell, on January 4, 2012
National Book Award-winning author, Denis Johnson offers an “epic in miniature” about a man, Robert Grainier, who experienced firsthand the hardship and the wonder of changing face of the American West in the first half of the Twentieth Century as the railroads were built and the forests were cleared by ordinary men like him. In this dream-like novella, Grainier, orphaned as a child and widowed just a few short years into marriage, makes his lonely way through this era of change remaining constant in his solitude in an era of extraordinary change.
Reviewed by Kim White, Head of Hoyt Library
The Summer Before Boys by Nora Raleigh Baskin
By ktesdell, on December 28, 2011
Julia and Eliza are family, but they’re also best friends. When Julia’s mom is sent to serve in Iraq, it makes perfect sense for her to spend the summer with Eliza and her parents. Any other time Julia would love to be there, but on top of worrying about her mom, Julia develops her first real crush on a boy named Michael. For the first time in their friendship, Julia and her thoughts are traveling to a place that Eliza can’t follow. Eliza discovers that it’s not any easier to be the one left behind and the gap between the two girls keeps widening-until Eliza does something drastic to win back her best friend. Perfectly captures the way a girl’s life can be suspended between the last days of childhood and also explores the challenges faced by children whose parents have gone off to war.
Reviewed by Amy Knickerbocker. Recommended for ages 9-12.
Playground: the Mostly True Story of a Former Bully by 50 Cent
By ktesdell, on December 28, 2011
Butterball is a very large seventh grade bully. He hates having to visit a psychologist twice a week, just because he smashed the face of a classmate with a sock full of D batteries. Through his semiweekly visits we learn what makes a bully tick. The story is loosely based on 50 Cent’s own childhood and is written with his fourteen-year-old son in mind. With bullying being such epidemic, this would make a great book for a teen book discussion.
Reviewed by Deborah Trombley. Recommended for grades 6 and up.
The Accident by Linwood Barclay
By ktesdell, on December 19, 2011
Ever bought a knock-off purse or watch? Seems fairly victimless, doesn’t it?
In this complex thriller, the author examines just how far the ripples can flow when tough times cause some everyday housewives in Connecticut to look for ways to bring in a little extra cash.
Contractor Glen Garber is thrown into the mess when he’s hit with two blows – a house he is constructing burns down before completion, and his wife is killed in a car accident which appears to have been her own fault.
Barclay has created a world in which ordinary people conceal extraordinary deeds. This is true page-turning pleasure.
Reviewed by Kate Tesdell
Escape by Barbara Delinsky
By ktesdell, on December 19, 2011
Ever felt like you’ve had enough and just need to escape? Emily Aulenbach did . . . and she did just that. Leaving behind a demanding legal career and her husband whom she loves but never sees, thirty-year-old Emily leaves her New York City life behind and heads for the comfort of a small town that harbored her years ago. She sheds all of the stress she left behind in New York and reconnects with her past; only to realize what’s most important and to rediscover who she really is and what she really needs to make her happy.
Reviewed by Jennifer Harden, Adult Reference, Zauel Library
101 Weird Ways to Make Money by Steve Gillman
By ktesdell, on December 14, 2011
Looking for a new job — something interesting and unconventional? Author Steve Gillman, who has worked as a repo man, dealt blackjack and now writes online, suggests 101 unusual and sometimes dangerous jobs.
He divides the book into 12 sections, ranging from fun jobs (being a specialty beer brewer) to dirty and ugly jobs (worm farming). Many of the businesses in this book cost little or nothing to develop (painting temporary tattoos or being a pet-sitter) and some can even be quite profitable (doing surveillance work or working as a chauffeur). A fun and interesting read.
Reviewed by Lori Sugden
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
By ktesdell, on December 14, 2011
The Herdmans are terrible, horrible children. They lie, cheat and steal. The Herdmans have never gone to church, much less heard the story of Christmas. So when they invade the church one Sunday and decide to take over the annual Christmas pageant, everyone is sure it’s going to be a disaster.
This new picture book adaptation of the author’s novel of the same title will delight readers young and old. It’s a fresh new perspective on the true meaning of Christmas.
Reviewed by Cheryl Kay. Recommended for ages 4-8.
Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to NOT Reading by Tommy Greenwald
By ktesdell, on December 6, 2011
Charlie Joe Jackson has a “deep-seated love of NOT reading” and has become a master at getting others to do his reading for him. In his defense, he does read the book cover, jacket flaps, and first and last chapters. His friend Timmy, bribed with snacks, reads the rest and fills him in.
With research for his Position Paper looming, Charlie resorts to desperate measures to maintain his perfect NON-reading record. Along the way, Charlie offers his tried and true tips to help non-readers remain non-readers.
Reviewed by Kathy Thornhill. Recommended for grades 5 and above.
The Sixes by Kate White
By ktesdell, on December 6, 2011
Writer Phoebe Hall has come to quiet Lyle College to teach and to recover from turmoil in both her personal and professional life. When the death of a coed brings to light a series of mysterious events, her longtime friend and Lyle College president asks her to investigate.
Is there a serial killer on the loose, or is a secret society of women known as The Sixes responsible? As Phoebe searches for the truth, she becomes a target herself, bringing back terror from her past that she had hoped to forget.
Reviewed by Kate Tesdell.
“I Had a Favorite Dress” by Boni Ashburn
By ktesdell, on December 6, 2011
What do you do when you’re too big for your favorite dress?
With a talented sewing mama, a little girl reinvents her beloved dress: First as a shirt, then a tank top and even as a pair of socks. The fabric slowly disappears as the seasons change until not even enough remains for a hair bow. But the little girl is still not ready to give up her dress.
Sometimes a little creative thinking is all it takes to make an end a new beginning and many more happy memories.
Reviewed by Jennie Tuttle. Recommended for ages 4-8.
Bright’s Passage by Josh Ritter
By ktesdell, on December 6, 2011
Josh Ritter, best known as a songwriter, presents a charming and imaginative debut novel.
Henry Bright returns to West Virginia from the trenches of France after World War I and, encouraged by an angel who inhabits his horse, steals away the neighbor girl and marries her. When she dies in childbirth, Henry’s angel promises to protect him and his newborn son, even as he is pursued by his father-in-law (the Colonel) and a raging forest fire.
Haunting descriptions of war interspersed with an uncommon tale make this ballad of a novel well worth your time.
Reviewed by Kimberly White.
Echoes of Distant Thunder by Frank P. Slaughter
By ktesdell, on December 6, 2011
Will Castor is a physically and emotionally scarred veteran of the Civil War. In his attempt to accept his experiences, he journeys from East Saginaw to the rough lumber camps of the north woods. Along the way he fights not only his demons, but lumbermen and the bottle.
Frank Slaughter has recreated in words the sights, sounds and sometimes even the smells of a lost time. In doing so he has penned a truly exceptional, vivid and memorable Civil War novel.
Reviewed by Leo LeFevre.
“Can We Save the Tiger?” by Martin Jenkins
By ktesdell, on December 6, 2011
What if tigers disappeared forever? This book and its stunning illustrations introduce and educate children about extinct and endangered animals.
The author thoughtfully explains why and how some animals are disappearing from the world. It begins with stories of extinct animals we will never see again, such as the dodo. Next are the animals that are endangered, such as the tiger and the Asian elephant. The book ends positively with stories of the animals that have been brought back from the brink of extinction like the America bison and the whooping crane.
This is an extraordinary introduction to animal conservation.
Reviewed by Michelle Zimostrad. Recommended for ages 4-8.
The Great Hamster Massacre by Katie Davies Simon
By ktesdell, on December 2, 2011
Anna and her brother, Tony, get two adorable female hamsters? After mysteriously finding eight baby hamsters in the aquarium, they encounter a bigger mystery when all the babies are “massacred” overnight! Was it the cat, the neighbor or their dear old Mom? They start an in-depth investigation to find out who perpetrated The Great Hamster Massacre! This hilarious tale brings adults back to their younger days and illustrates, perfectly, a child’s perceptions of certain things and their great curiosity to get answers to the great mysteries of their lives! Recommended for ages 8-12. Reviewed by Maureen Beckrow.
Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
By ktesdell, on November 23, 2011
Rave reviews for Gary Schmidt’s, Okay for Now. It’s the summer of 1968 and life is sometimes good and sometimes bad for fourteen year old Doug Swieteck, who has two older bully brothers and an abusive unemployed father, who has just moved the family from Long Island to a “dump” in upstate New York. If you liked Schmidt’s Wednesday Wars, where we first meet Doug Swieteck, you won’t want to miss this companion book.Find this title available in both e-book and audio downloadable formats and well as a good old hardcover. Reviewed by Deborah Trombley.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
By ktesdell, on November 23, 2011
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is truly a magical book. Celia and Marco are two illusionists, chosen at a young age to be bound to one another in a contest that will span their lives until one wins. There are no rules, other than that they must perform in some way. The travelling Night Circus is the arena created for the contest. Celia and Marco go to great lengths to end the contest with their lives, their love and the circus intact. Reviewed by Amy Churchill.
When Times Are Tough by Yanitzia Canetti; Illustrated by Romont Willy
By ktesdell, on November 23, 2011
When times are tough, is a uniquely, creative fictional book that helps little children understand economic challenges that families face. In tough economic times children may notice the dynamics of their family have changed. “Dad is not working as many hours, mom is cooking dinner at home more, they have less clothes for school and less money for leisure,” but in this thoughtful picture book Canetti offers children and families many ways to improvise during these harsh economic times. Children ultimately learn that after the storm is over the sun shines bright again! Reviewed by Natasha Williams.
