The Book of Speculation - Erika Swyler

Summary:"Simon Watson, a young librarian on the verge of losing his job, lives alone on the Long Island Sound in his family home--a house, perched on the edge of a bluff, that is slowly crumbling toward the sea. His parents are long dead, his mother having drowned in the water his house overlooks. His younger sister, Enola, works for a traveling carnival reading tarot cards, and seldom calls. On a day in late June, Simon receives a mysterious package from an antiquarian bookseller. The book tells the story of Amos and Evangeline, doomed lovers who lived and worked in a traveling circus more than two hundred years ago. The paper crackles with age as Simon turns the yellowed pages filled with notes, sketches, and whimsical flourishes; and his best friend and fellow librarian, Alice, looks on in increasing alarm. Why does his grandmother's name, Verona Bonn, appear in this book? Why do so many women in his family drown on July 24? Could there possibly be some kind of curse on his family--and could Enola, who has suddenly turned up at home for the first time in six years, risk the same fate in just a few weeks? In order to save her--and perhaps himself--Simon must try urgently to decode his family history while moving on from the past. The Book of Speculation is Erika Swyler's gorgeous and moving debut, a wondrous novel about the power of books and family and magic"-- Provided by publisher.

Booklist Reviews

Long Island librarian Simon Watson knows loss. His mother purposely drowned herself and his father died a few years later. The little sister he had to raise ran off and now contacts him only infrequently. One day Simon receives an unsolicited book in the mail, posted from a book dealer who invites Simon to contact him for more information. The mysterious volume documents some previous suicides by drowning dating back to the early nineteenth century. Amazingly, they all took place on July 24. More sleuthing turns up the startling information that these doomed women were, in fact, ancestors of his mother, and, like his mother, they were all employed as circus performers. Simon then has to figure out if this family curse will claim his sister's life as well, and the next July 24 is but weeks away. Illustrations by the author add even more atmosphere to her prose. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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The Emerald Mile: the epic story of the fastest ride in history through the heart of the Grand Canyon - Kevin Fedarko

Summary: The epic story of the fastest boat ride in history, on a hand-built dory named the "Emerald Mile," through the heart of the Grand Canyon on the Colorado river.

Kirkus Reviews

Man's indomitable need for adventure is the only thing more impressive than the awesome power of nature and the brilliance of technology described in this lovingly rendered retelling of one of the most remarkable events ever to occur inside the Grand Canyon. In 1983, at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, a confluence of unlikely events provided three unique characters with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become the fastest to ever race through that singular marvel in a rowboat. How these quirky "dory men" were able to surmount every obstacle thrown in their way and actually attempt this remarkable undertaking is breathtaking enough. But theirs is not the only tale being told. This is the story of the Grand Canyon itself, harkening all the way back to the days when a band of befuddled Conquistadors first stumbled upon its rim and failed to grasp its magnitude. It is also the story of the Glen Canyon Dam, that Herculean feat of human ingenuity that was constructed with the staggering imperative to harness the power of the Colorado River. Former Time staff writer Fedarko's extensive knowledge of both, coupled with his powers of description, are almost as impressive. Powerful and poetic passages put readers inside the adventurers' boats, even if they have only ever imagined the Grand Canyon or seen it in pictures. "Every mile or so, the walls opened and gave way to yet another side canyon filled with secret springs and waterfalls," he writes. "The air was alive with pink-and-lavender dragonflies that paused, twitchingly, on the shafts of their suspended oars." Each piece of the extensive back story is assembled as lyrically as the epoch-spanning walls of the canyon itself and as assuredly as the soaring concrete face of its dams. An epic-sized true-life adventure tale that appeals to both the heart and the head. Copyright Kirkus 2013 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved.

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Far from the madding crowd (DVD)

Summary: In the Victorian English countryside, a headstrong young woman toys with the affections of three very different men with tragic consequences.

"Carey Mulligan stars as a headstrong Victorian beauty in this sweeping romantic drama, based on the literary classic by Thomas Hardy. Mulligan plays Bathsheba Everdene, an independent woman who attracts three different suitors: a sheep farmer (Matthias Schoenaerts); a dashing soldier (Tom Sturridge); and a prosperous, older bachelor (Michael Sheen). This timeless story of Bathsheba’s passions explores the nature of relationships, love and resilience." - (Alert)

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Gritos y susurros II : experiencias intempestivas de 39 mujeres

Summary: Compiled by one of the most controversial and critical analysts of our day, Gritos y susurros II is a fête in which we are invited to hear the most interesting passages of the lives of a diverse group of famous women: writers, actresses, artists, politicians, government employees, business women, chefs, and singers. The texts are educational and liberating. They help us recognize that we need each other to elaborate new forms of understanding and to light up the world as these women have done.
- (Perseus Publishing)

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After Alice - Gregory Maguire

Summary: "When Alice toppled down the rabbit-hole 150 years ago, she found a Wonderland as rife with inconsistent rules and abrasive egos as the world she left behind. But what of that world? How did 1860s Oxford react to Alice's disappearance? In this brilliant work of fiction, Gregory Maguire turns his dazzling imagination to the question of underworlds, undergrounds, underpinningsand understandings old and new, offering an inventive spin on Carroll's enduring tale. Ada, a friend of Alice's mentioned briefly in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, is off to visit her friend, but arrives a moment too lateand tumbles down the rabbit-hole herself. Ada brings to Wonderland her own imperfect apprehension of cause and effect as she embarks on an odyssey to find Alice and see her safely home from this surreal world below the world. If Eurydice can ever be returned to the arms of Orpheus, or Lazarus can be raised from the tomb, perhaps Alice can be returned to life."


Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* When Alice first visited Wonderland over a century ago, Lewis Carroll introduced young readers to a world of imaginative characters and places such as had never been seen before. Now Maguire takes us on the journey again, this time in the company of Ada, who has fallen down the legendary rabbit hole after her friend. While Ada goes in search of Alice, always a few steps behind in the same vibrantly colorful land, Alice's sister, Lydia, remains in the ordinary world of Victorian England, searching the streets of Oxford for the missing girls, while her father visits with Charles Darwin to discuss the future of faith. Ada's adventure underground gives readers a new perspective on the oddities to be found there, but it's the search through Oxford that really turns this story on its head. Through Lydia and other new characters, Maguire firmly sets Wonderland in time and place and weaves an intricate web of symbolism and allegory, asking readers to consider issues of humanity that are as timeless as the original tale itself. The novel is full of the magic, wonder, and fresh twists that his fans have come to expect, and Maguire- and Wonderland-lovers alike will enjoy this fantastic return. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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Stella by starlight - Sharon M Draper

Summary: Growing up in the segregated South where they accept the disparities in how they are treated, Stella and her little brother witness a terrible event that compels them to fight back and trigger fundamental changes. By the Coretta Scott King Award-winning author of Out of My Mind. - (Baker & Taylor)

Horn Book Magazine Reviews
Eleven-year-old Stella Mills may have trouble getting words on paper for school, but she's a deep thinker, "a gemstone hiding inside a rock," her mother tells her. Even on the coldest of nights, she sneaks out of the house and writes under the starlight. Writing helps her makes sense of her world; the novel's third-person point of view provides readers with a perspective wider than young Stella's, as much of life in segregated 1932 Bumblebee, North Carolina, is beyond her understanding. There's plenty of action -- cross burnings, house burnings, a snakebite, a near-drowning, and a beating. But at its core this story is one of a supportive African American community facing tough times, a community acting as an "unseen river of communication that forever flows -- dark and powerful," keeping an eye on its children as they walk to school, knowing who is sneaking out at night, bringing cakes and pies when folks are ill, and attending the (unexpectedly hilarious) Christmas pageant at school. If times are bad, the community makes them better, and Stella grows in its warmth and love. Even her writing gets better as she writes about things that matter -- Mama, snakes, truth, hate, even the Klan. Readers will close the book knowing that Stella will turn out just fine: "Roosters never look beyond the fence. I doubt if they ever think about flying. But I do." dean schneide Copyright 2014 Horn Book Magazine.

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Canal bridge: a novel Ireland, love, and the First World War - Tom Phelan

Summary: After suffering the horrors of World War I, two friends return to a changed Ireland, as the effects of the war make them violent participants in the Irish struggle for freedom from Britain. - (Baker & Taylor)

Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* From Phelan's effectively constructed and emotionally honest novel about Irish participation in WWI, the reader gains a new perspective on how the Great War decimated lives throughout Europe. Told in a chorus of alternating but harmonious voices, the narrative relates the story of two boyhood chums in rural Ireland who, in a monumental gesture to broaden their horizons, together join the British army (this is 1913, when Ireland was still part of the UK) and are eventually deployed to India. But before their troop ship can arrive there, the vessel is required to turn back. War has been declared in Europe, and the two boys are plunged full-tilt into the carnage as stretcher bearers. Battle scenes are graphically drawn but appropriately so. Phelan's intention is to accurately show the staggering waste of human life that the two friends observe, the memories of which keep the one friend who returns to Ireland at war's end from being mentally quite at home for some time. As is observed, "There are more ways of getting killed in a war than by bullets." Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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Fire logic - Laurie J Marks

Summary: An epic tale follows three unforgettable characters--Emil, a Shaftali Paladin; Zanja, a diplomat; and Karis, a metalsmith--as they join forces to save the country of Shaftal and change the world forever. - (Baker & Taylor)

Booklist Reviews

/*Starred Review*/ Zanja is an emissary for her people, a peaceful mountain tribe of artisans in the land of Shaftal. While traveling with her mentor, the two witness the destruction of the ruling House of Lilterwess by the warring Sainnites, who have plagued all Shaftal for 15 years. Worse yet, the G'deon, the Earth witch who governed Shaftal, has died without an heir for the first time in history, leaving the Shaftali vulnerable to attack. A small army of resistance is being swiftly run down as the Sainnites make steady progress in their attempts to gain control of Shaftal. The country's fate now lies in the hands of just three persons: Emil the Paladin, Zanja the homeless diplomat, and Karis, a half-blood giant with a dark past and a paralyzing addiction. Marks is an absolute master of fantasy in this book. Her characters are beautifully drawn, showing tremendous emotional depth and strength as they endure the unendurable and strive always to do the right thing, and her unusual use of the elemental forces central to her characters' lives gives the book a big boost. This is read-it-straight-through adventure! ((Reviewed June 1 & 15, 2002)) Copyright 2002 Booklist Reviews

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Did you ever have a family - Bill Clegg

Summary: "On the eve of her daughter's wedding, June Reid's life is completely devastated when a shocking disaster takes the lives of her daughter, her daughter's fiancé, her ex-husband, and her boyfriend, Luke--her entire family, all gone in a moment. And June is the only survivor. Alone and directionless, June drives across the country, away from her small Connecticut town. In her wake, a community emerges, weaving a beautiful and surprising web of connections through shared heartbreak. From the couple running a motel on the Pacific Ocean where June eventually settles into a quiet half-life, to the wedding's caterer whose bill has been forgotten, to Luke's mother, the shattered outcast of the town--everyone touched by the tragedy is changed as truths about their near and far histories finally come to light" -- provided by publisher.

Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* Literary agent Clegg, who has penned two acclaimed memoirs, here turns to fiction with a deeply haunting story. June Reid loses her entire family in a house fire: her daughter, who was about to be married; her daughter's fiancé; her ex-husband; and her much-younger boyfriend, Luke. Utterly bereft, June leaves her Connecticut hometown and drives to the Moonstone motel in the Pacific Northwest, where she stays for months, barely leaving her room. The narrative also incorporates viewpoints from others affected by the tragedy, however tangentially, including the wedding caterer and the florist; Luke's mother, Lydia, who bears the brunt of the small-town gossip in the wake of the fire, especially from small-minded people intent on blaming her son for the disaster; Silas, a teenage pothead who knows more about the fire than he is willing to admit; and the proprietor of the Moonstone, who senses that June "is the most alone person I've ever met, half in the world and half out of it." Clegg is both delicately lyrical and emotionally direct in this masterful novel, which strives to show how people make bearable what is unbearable, offering consolation in small but meaningful gestures. Both ineffably sad and deeply inspiring, this mesmerizing novel makes for a powerful debut. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.


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Tabby McTat the musical cat - Julia Donaldson

Summary: Fred the street musician and his cat are "purr-fectly" happy, singing together all day long, until Fred gives chase to a thief and the two become separated.

Booklist Reviews

While American readers might struggle with the British term busker, they should quickly catch on to its meaning as it relates to a street musician, Fred, and his talented companion, Tabby McTat. Kids should also have no trouble tapping into the emotions of the pair when they become separated by circumstances. Tabby ends up with the better end of the stick in his solo career, having met a female cat that he starts a family with. Still he wonders about his former partner before the rollicking text reunites them—with a twist. This pleasant rhyming venture is illustrated by Scheffler with bright, detailed vignettes that carry the story from scene (Tabby "hiding the car keys under the mat") to scene ("keeping the newspapers nice and flat"). A fun frolic about musical duos who aren't quite the same without each other. Like their trademark tune, it all ends "PURRRR-fectly." Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews.

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Tap the magic tree - Christie Matheson

Summary: Invites the reader to tap, rub, touch, and wiggle illustrations to make an apple tree bloom, produce fruit, and lose its leaves.

Booklist Reviews

"There's magic in this bare brown tree. Tap it once. Turn the page to see." Tapping the page, and rubbing and touching starts the fun of watching a bare tree sprout one leaf, then many, then buds, flowers, and finally apples. After jiggling, wiggling, and swishing the pages, the flower petals fall and apples appear; shaking the book causes the apples to drop with a "Plop! Plop! Plop!" Whooshing makes the leaves cascade, and clapping causes snowflakes to flutter down. The tree is bare and brown again, but "Be patient . . . Close your eyes and count to ten," and the mystery begins again with two bluebirds building their nest in the spring. When each season changes, a full page of color introduces it—green flows to pink to red to orange to wintery blue and white. Although simple in presentation with ample white space, the artwork provides a glorious rendition of the four seasons of a tree. No iPad is needed to make this interactive book totally satisfying. Pair with Lizi Boyd's Inside Outside (2013), another seasonal interactive title. Copyright 2013 Booklist Reviews.

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Holes - Louis Sachar

Summary: As further evidence of his family's bad fortune which they attribute to a curse on a distant relative, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a hellish correctional camp in the Texas desert where he finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

PW's starred review of the 1999 Newbery Medal winner described it as a "dazzling blend of social commentary, tall tale and magic realism." Ages 10-up. (May) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

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A house of my own - Sandra Cisneros

Summary: "From the beloved author of The House on Mango Street: a richly illustrated compilation of true stories and nonfiction pieces that, taken together, form a jigsaw autobiography: an intimate album of a literary legend's life and career. From the Chicago neighborhoods where she grew up and set her groundbreaking The House on Mango Street to her abode in Mexico, in a region where "my ancestors lived for centuries," the places Sandra Cisneros has lived have provided inspiration for her now-classic works of fiction and poetry. But a house of her own, where she could truly take root, has eluded her. With this collection--spanning nearly three decades, and including never-before-published work--Cisneros has come home at last. Ranging from the private (her parents' loving and tempestuous marriage) to the political (a rallying cry for one woman's liberty in Sarajevo) to the literary (a tribute to Marguerite Duras), and written with her trademark sensitivity and honesty, these poignant, unforgettable pieces give us not only her most transformative memories but also a revelation of her artistic and intellectual influences. Here is an exuberant, deeply moving celebration of a life in writing lived to the fullest--an important milestone in a storied career"-- Provided by publisher.
"A book of essays spanning the author's career a[nd] reflecting upon the various homes she's lived in around the world"-- Provided by publisher.

Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* By gathering together more than 40 essays and musings written for various occasions and undertakings between 1984 and 2014, Cisneros, beloved author of the novels The House on Mango Street (1984) and Caramelo (2002), has created her first work of nonfiction, a patchwork-quilt memoir resplendent with one hundred color photographs. Her reflections on houses she's lived in and the meaning of home form a unifying motif, along with accounts of her early struggle to envision a way forward as a self-described "American Mexican" and "working-class writer." Cisneros chronicles with profound insights and striking detail family abodes in Chicago and Mexico City, sojourns on a Greek island and in Sarajevo, Venice, and Chiapas, Mexico, and the uproar over her purple house in San Antonio. Cisneros pays passionate homage to her parents and such writers and artists as Gwendolyn Brooks, Elena Poniatowska, Eduardo Galeano, and Astor Piazzolla. She also examines with abrading candor and impish wit gender expectations, sexuality, and her long campaign to become "a woman comfortable in her skin," the corollary to her love of home as sanctuary: "A house for me is the freedom to be." At once righteously irreverent and deeply compassionate, Cisneros writes frankly and tenderly of independence and connection, injustice and transcendence, resilience and creativity, the meaning of home and the writer's calling. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Cisneros will tour the country with this mosaic of autobiographical stories guaranteed to enthrall her many fans. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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Antes de ser libres - Julia Alvarez

Summary: Anita de la Torre es una niña de 12 años que vive en la República Dominicana en los años sesenta. La policía secreta ha comenzado a atemorizar a su familia porque se sospecha que están en contra del dictador, General Trujillo.
In the early 1960s in the Dominican Republic, twelve-year-old Anita learns that her family is involved in the underground movement to end the bloody rule of the dictator, General Trujillo.

Criticas Online Reviews

Gr 6-YA- Twelve-year-old Anita de la Torre had never felt constrained in her native Dominican Republic. Living in a busy family compound, attending an American school, and striving to please El Jefe, the country's ruler, all seemed part of normal existence. But by November 1960, repression became palpable. Her grandparents and other family members immigrate to the Unites States, her young uncle disappears, and there is talk of an international embargo against her country. As her family becomes more involved in a plan to overthrow El Jefe, Anita must mature at undue speed. In an excellently crafted work of historical fiction, 2004 Pura Belpré Award winner Alvarez reworks her family's experiences during the time of Trujillo's assassination into a tale that is as true in its voice as it is compellingly realistic in its portrayal of brutal repression, loss, and courage. Valenzuela's translation is true to the English original, maintaining or enhancing some of its most important elements. Fluid and descriptive, Alvarez's novel speaks eloquently to the resilience of the human spirit and the true cost of freedom. Highly recommended for all libraries and bookstores alike.-Ann Welton, Grant Center for the Expressive Arts, Tacoma, WA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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Secondhand souls - Christopher Moore

Summary: Something really strange is happening in the City by the Bay. People are dying, but their souls are not being collected. Someone -- or something -- is stealing them and no one knows where they are going, or why, but it has something to do with that big orange bridge. Death Merchant Charlie Asher is just as flummoxed as everyone else. He's trapped in the body of a fourteen-inch-tall "meat" waiting for his Buddhist nun girlfriend, Audrey, to find him a suitable new body to play host. To get to the bottom of this abomination, a motley crew of heroes will band together: the seven-foot-tall death merchant Minty Fresh; retired policeman turned bookseller Alphonse Rivera; the Emperor of San Francisco and his dogs, Bummer and Lazarus; and Lily, the former Goth girl. Now if only they can get little Sophie to stop babbling about the coming battle for the very soul of humankind...


LJ Express Reviews

Charlie Asher, widowed father, death merchant, beta male, is back. One year following his heroic death fighting harpies and saving San Francisco from the forces of darkness (A Dirty Job), Charlie finds his soul trapped in a 14-inch-tall body that looks like something out of a nightmare. Meanwhile, his sister Cassie and her wife are raising his young daughter, Sophie, who may be the living embodiment of Death. However, Sophie's protective hellhounds have disappeared, the deadly Morrigan are back, the souls of the dead go uncollected, and a man dressed in yellow seems to be everywhere, causing mayhem. Charlie needs a new body before he can reveal his not-dead state to his friends and family, figure out if Sophie can still kill with one little word, and save the day. Verdict Moore has written a solid and darkly funny sequel that will delight fans as they catch up with familiar characters and follow Charlie and his friends through another adventure. Expect demand from Moore devotees, and have the previous book ready for new readers, too. What's more, the cover glows in the dark, and who could resist that? [See Prepub Alert, 2/9/15.]—Jennifer Beach, Cumberland Cty. P.L., VA (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Pretty baby - Mary Kubica

Summary: She sees the teenage girl on the train platform, standing in the pouring rain, clutching an infant in her arms. She boards a train and is whisked away. But she can't get the girl out of her head... Heidi Wood has always been a charitable woman: she works for a nonprofit, takes in stray cats. Still, her husband and daughter are horrified when Heidi returns home one day with a young woman named Willow and her four-month-old baby in tow. Disheveled and apparently homeless, this girl could be a criminal--or worse. But despite her family's objections, Heidi invites Willow and the baby to take refuge in their home. Heidi spends the next few days helping Willow get back on her feet, but as clues into Willow's past begin to surface, Heidi is forced to decide how far she's willing to go to help a stranger. What starts as an act of kindness quickly spirals into a story far more twisted than anyone could have anticipated.

Kirkus Reviews

Things go dangerously wrong when a middle-class wife and mother impulsively opens her home to a homeless teen and her tiny baby in Kubica's sophomore novel. When Heidi Wood, a woman who can't help herself from helping others, spots a teenage girl with a small baby on the platform of Chicago's train system, her heart goes out to them. Not only is it cold and raining, but the pair is obviously in need of help. Soon, Heidi has spotted the homeless teenager again, and, being the nurturing type, she feels compelled to reach out to her. That annoys her husband, Chris, and selfish 12-year-old daughter, Zoe. But Heidi ignores her husband's misgivings—after all, he's distracted by the new girl at work, Cassidy Knudsen, a lissome blonde who always seems to be nearby when Heidi calls. So when she brings the girl, Willow, and Ruby, her baby, into their condo, it only widens the gap between Heidi and Chris. And, through some clever foreshadowing, the reader knows, almost from the ou tset, that this isn't going to turn out so well for the Wood family. Kubica skillfully weaves the story together, with Chris, Heidi, and Willow all narrating portions of the tale. As bits and pieces of Willow's story are revealed, the other characters keep the story moving forward toward what the reader knows will be disastrous results. Kubica's debut novel, The Good Girl (2014), also employed multiple points of view and timelines, but Kubica serves up a much more cohesive tale this time around—the story is almost hypnotic and anything but predictable. The writing is compelling, but Kubica's strong point is being able to juggle a complicated plot and holding the reader's interest without dropping any of the balls she has in the air. This book will give insomniacs a compelling reason to sit up all night. Copyright Kirkus 2015 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved.

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Crenshaw - Katherine Applegate

Summary: "A story about a homeless boy and his imaginary friend that proves in unexpected ways that friends matter, whether real or imaginary"-- Provided by publishe

Booklist Reviews

Soon-to-be fifth-grader Jackson goes for facts and science—things that are real and true—and having a giant, talking cat around doesn't fit the bill. It has been years since his imaginary feline friend Crenshaw was on the scene, and Jackson can't figure out why he is back or how to make him go away. It soon becomes apparent that all is not well in Jackson's home. Though he has a loving family, money is tight. Jackson can't help remembering back to when they had to live in a minivan—that was when he first met Crenshaw—and he fears that might happen once again. Newbery winner Applegate (The One and Only Ivan, 2012) uses gentle humor, embodied by Crenshaw, to explore the topic of homelessness. Jackson's anxiety is central to the narrative, and his concerns will resonate with readers who have been in stressful situations. Though the story is weighty, it is a quick read that encourages people of all ages to be honest with one another and value family and friends (real and imaginary!). Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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Matilda and Hans - Yokococo

Summary: Reading, watering flowers, and engaging in other good girl behaviors, little Matilda alerts the police to the whereabouts of masked ne'er-do-well Hans, whose capture is sought when he releases animals from the zoo and whose true identity proves to be a big surprise.

Booklist Reviews

Naughty or nice? Well, truth is, most kids are a little of both. This picture book wrestles with the whole angel/demon-on-the-shoulder bit in an interesting way. There's Matilda, an oh-so-innocent-looking white cat in hair bows and polka dots. Then there's Hans, a "naughty little cat" dressed like a bandit in black. While Matilda reads a book, Hans causes a ruckus with garbage can lids; while Matilda sweeps the floor, Hans paints red dots all over a house. Then one night, in the ultimate act of defiance, Hans steals the zookeeper's keys and lets all the animals loose ("Oh, dear!"), and before long, there's a one thousand dollar bounty on his head. Turns out Matilda knows exactly where to find Hans . . . because, when she puts on a hat, mask, and whiskers, she is Hans. (Can she have the reward now, please?) Yokococo's graphic, textured images are full of charm, and the contrasting light and dark illustrations reinforce the good versus bad theme nicely. Kids will enjoy the surprise ending and may recognize the yin and the yang inside themselves. Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews.

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Iris (DVD)

Summary: An in-depth look into the life of fashion icon Iris Apfel, and her husband of over 60 years: the quick-witted, flamboyantly dressed 93-year-old style maven with an outsized presence on the New York & Palm Beach fashion scenes. Despite the abundance of glamour in her current life, Iris continues to embrace the values and work ethic established during a middle-class Queens upbringing during the Great Depression.

Video Librarian Reviews

This splashy, stylish cinematic portrait of indomitable 93-year-old Manhattan fashionista Iris Apfel—the penultimate film from late documentarian Albert Maysles (his final film will be In Transit)—is somewhat reminiscent of his 1975 classic Grey Gardens, which profiled reclusive eccentrics related to Jacqueline Kennedy. Born Iris Barrel in 1921 in Astoria, Queens, Iris is the only child of Samuel Barrel, whose family owned a glass-and-mirror business, and his wife Sadye, who ran a fashion boutique. After studying art history, Iris worked for Women's Wear Daily, interior designer Elinor Johnston, and illustrator Robert Goodman. She married Carl Apfel in 1948 and the pair launched the textile firm Old World Weavers. Having no children, the couple globe-trotted, acquiring an eclectic collection of exotic souvenirs. Several years ago, Architectural Digest slyly described their luxurious Park Avenue apartment as looking "a little as if the Collyer brothers had moved in with Madame de Pompadour." Iris was involved in the White House interior design restoration projects of nine presidents, from Truman to Clinton. Iris—who is famous for her lament, "There is so much sameness. I hate it!"— wears enormous owl glasses, costume jewelry necklaces, and a multitude of glittering bracelets and clothing adorned with feathers, prints, and bright colors (she says that "it's better to be happy than well-dressed"). Dispensing wit, charm, and wisdom, elderly Iris advocates old-fashioned values and a healthy work ethic: "If you're lucky enough to do something you love, everything else follows." Recommended. (S. Granger) Copyright Video Librarian Reviews 2015.

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A court of thorns and roses -Sarah J. Maas

Summary: "Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from stories, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin, a High Lord of the faeries. As her feelings toward him transform from hostility to a fiery passion, the threats against the faerie lands grow. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse or she will lose Tamlin forever"-- Provided by publisher.

Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* Faeries and humans live apart, separated by a wall and generations-old hostility, and resourceful Feyre struggles to keep her poor family alive. She kills a wolf one winter day, and a monstrous creature arrives at her home, demanding her life as punishment. What follows is a Beauty and the Beast–style retelling as Feyre is spirited away to the grand lands of this creature, who turns out to be Tamlin, High Fae, under a mysterious curse. Feyre's feelings for him and his world morph slowly from an angry combativeness into a strange affection, but a mysterious disease is ravaging his home, and at risk of losing everything she has begun to hold dear, Feyre begins a journey that takes her Under the Mountain, the dangerous home of the faerie queen. The ensemble is exquisitely developed, as is the sultry romance between Feyre and Tamlin. The end result is a story that, despite its hefty page count and ambitious scope, simply dazzles. Refreshingly, there are no cliff-hangers here, but enough open-endings ensure that the clamor for a sequel will be deafening. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Maas' Throne of Glass series has been a smash hit, and with a six-figure marketing campaign, this new series is primed to follow. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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A is for Activist - Innosanto Nagara

Summary: "A is for Activist is an ABC board book written and illustrated for the next generation of progressives: families who want their kids to grow up in a space that is unapologetic about activism, environmental justice, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, and everything else that activists believe in and fight for. The alliteration, rhyming, and vibrant illustrations make the book exciting for children, while the issues it brings up resonate with their parents' values of community, equality, and justice. This engaging little book carries huge messages as it inspires hope for the future, and calls children to action while teaching them a love for books"-- Provided by publisher.

School Library Journal Reviews

Gr 4 Up—Not your typical alphabet board book, this one packs a powerful message both visually as well as verbally. Each spread presents a letter and a bit of social commentary urging children to take a stand against war and violence, develop an awareness of our environment, and promote acceptance and equality for all cultures, races, religions, genders, and walks of life. For example, "A is for Activist./Advocate. Abolitionist. Ally./Actively Answering A call to Action." "Y is for You. And Youth./Your planet. Your rights/Your future. Your truth./Y is for Yes. Yes! Yes! Yes!" Despite the format, this introduction to social justice is best suited to older children, who will need plenty of explanation and discussion to help them understand issues such as feminism or workers' rights. Nagara relies upon colorful illustrations—many representing the energy behind activism with arms and fists raised—lots of alliteration, and rhyming for each letter and idea. An ever-present black cat hiding or prowling on each letter's page seeks to hold listeners' interest as well. An unusual offering that may plant the seeds for and spark discussions about activism.—Susan Shaver, Hemingford Public Schools, NE

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The new Jim Crow : mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness - Michelle Alexander

Summary: As the United States celebrates the nation's "triumph over race" with the election of Barack Obama, the majority of young black men in major American cities are locked behind bars or have been labeled felons for life. Although Jim Crow laws have been wiped off the books, an astounding percentage of the African American community remains trapped in a subordinate status, much like their grandparents before them. Argues that the War on Drugs and policies that deny convicted felons equal access to employment, housing, education, and public benefits create a permanent under caste based largely on race.

Kirkus Reviews

A civil-rights lawyer's disturbing view of why young black men make up the majority of the more than two million people now in America's prisons.In this explosive debut, Alexander (Law/Moritz College of Law and the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity) argues that the imprisonment of unusually large numbers of young blacks and Latinos—most harshly sentenced for possession or sale of illegal drugs, mainly marijuana—constitutes "a stunningly comprehensive and well-designed system of racialized social control." The "warehousing" of inner-city youths, she writes, is a new form of Jim Crow under which drug offenders—in jail or prison, on probation or parole—are denied employment, housing, education and public benefits; face a lifetime of shame; and rarely successfully integrate into mainstream society. The author blames the situation mainly on the War on Drugs, begun by Ronald Reagan in 1982, which grew out of demands for "law and order" that were actually a racially coded backlash to the civil-rights movement. The situation continues because of racial indifference, not racial bias, she writes. Many will dismiss the author's assertions; others will find her observations persuasive enough to give pause. Most people who use or sell illegal drugs are white, but in many states 90 percent of those admitted to prison for drug offenses are black or Latino. Police departments, given financial incentives—cash grants and the right to keep confiscated cash and assets from drug raids—to focus on drug enforcement, find it easier to send SWAT teams into poor neighborhoods, where they will face less political backlash, than into gated communities and college frat houses. Also, most people do not care what happens to drug criminals, feeling that "they get what they deserve." So what's to be done? Alexander writes that civil-rights leaders, reluctant to advocate for criminals, remain quiet on the issue; President Obama, an admitted former user of illegal drugs, is not in a position to offer leadership; and policymakers offer only piecemeal reforms. She hopes a new grassroots movement will foster frank discussion about race, cultivate an ethic of compassion for all and end the drug war and mass incarceration.Alarming, provocative and convincing. Copyright Kirkus 2009 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved.

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Hamilton : original Broadway cast recording (CD)

"Hamilton" - which transferred to Broadway following a sold-out run at The Public Theater in NYC - is the acclaimed new musical about the scrappy young immigrant Alexander Hamilton, the $10 Founding Father who forever changed America with his revolutionary ideas and actions. During his life cut too short, he served as George Washington's chief aide, was the first Treasury Secretary of the United States, a loving husband and father, despised by his fellow Founding Fathers, and shot to death by Aaron Burr in a legendary duel.

The "HAMILTON (ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST RECORDING)" is executive produced by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, founding members of the Grammy Award winning hip-hop band, The Roots. "HAMILTON" has book, music and lyrics by Tony and Grammy Award-winning composer Lin Manuel Miranda, who also plays the title role. The musical is directed by Thomas Kail, with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and music direction and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire. "HAMILTON" is inspired by Ron Chernow's biography "Alexander Hamilton."

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A little life - Hanya Yanagihara

A little life - Yanagihara, Hanya

Summary: Moving to New York to pursue creative ambitions, four former classmates share decades marked by love, loss, addiction and haunting elements from a brutal childhood. By the author of The People in the Trees. - (Baker & Taylor)

Booklist Reviews
This long, claustrophobically written novel by the author of The People in the Trees (2013) follows the lives of four college men (and their many friends, nearly all male) from their early postgraduation days in New York through much of their accomplished adult lives, and backward to their childhoods. It opens with them helping Willem and the fragile Jude St. Francis move into an apartment on Lispenard Street and then delineates the course of their lives. They include Malcolm, a light-skinned African American architect from a wealthy background; JB, an occasional drug-using artist of Haitian ancestry (the author does a great job of describing his art—no easy task); Willem, the handsome actor who, as we first meet him, is, of course, waiting tables downtown; and, at center stage, Jude. Although Jude is a successful litigator, his full background is murky, though what we do learn about it is horrific. Jude is frail, vulnerable, private, and given to cutting himself. In his neediness, he is the focus of the others' existence. This profoundly disturbing book is about pain and compulsion, secrets and betrayals, sexuality and loss—but, finally, about friendship. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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The story of Alice : Lewis Carroll and the secret history of Wonderland - Robert Douglas-Fairhurst

Summary: Drawing on numerous unpublished sources, the author examines the peculiar friendship between Oxford mathematician Lewis Carroll and Alice Liddell, the child for whom he invented the Alice stories, and analyzes how this relationship stirred Carroll's imagination and influenced the creation of Wonderland. - (Baker & Taylor)

Booklist Reviews

As its title suggests, this is more than a biography of Lewis Carroll, the famous but enigmatic author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. It is also the story of the books themselves, their inspiration, their writing, and their impact on the worlds of literature and popular culture. That culture worked both ways, though, for in its meticulous research this is also the story of how the Victorian culture of Carroll's day itself influenced the books, their creator, and their creation. Context, thus, is king in this work of sometimes overwhelming erudition and endless—and sometimes superfluous?—detail. As for Carroll himself, the quotidian details of his life are so well known that there is little new here, and the usual questions—Why did he break off his relationship with the Liddell family? Why his fascination with little girls? Why his photographing of them in the nude?—are acknowledged but not explicated. He remains, as the author puts it, "a frustratingly elusive figure." Though not for the casual reader, Douglas-Fairhurst's "story" will be catnip for serious Carroll enthusiasts and academics. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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Works well with others : an outsider's guide to shaking hands, shutting up, handling jerks, and other crucial skills in business that no one ever teaches you Ross McCammon

Summary: "Esquire editor and Entrepreneur etiquette columnist Ross McCammon delivers a funny and authoritative guide that provides the advice you really need to be confident and authentic at work, even when you have no idea what's going on. Ten years ago, before he got a job at Esquire magazine and way before he became the etiquette columnist at Entrepreneur magazine, Ross McCammon, editor at an in-flight magazine, was staring out a second-floor window at a parking lot in suburban Dallas wondering if it was five o'clock yet. Everything changed with one phone call from Esquire. Three weeks later, he was working in New York and wondering what the hell had just happened. This is McCammon's honest, funny, and entertaining journey from impostor to authority, a story that begins with periods of debilitating workplace anxiety but leads to rich insights and practical advice from a guy who "made it" but who still remembers what it's like to feel entirely ill-equipped for professional success. And for life in general, if we're being completely honest. McCammon points out the workplace for what it is: an often absurd landscape of ego and fear guided by social rules that no one ever talks about. He offers a mix of enlightening and often self-deprecating personal stories about his experience and clear, practical advice on getting the small things right--crucial skills that often go unacknowledged--from shaking a hand to conducting a business meeting in a bar to navigating a work party. Here is an inspirational new way of looking at your job, your career, and success itself; an accessible guide for those of us who are smart, talented, and ambitious but who aren't well-"leveraged" and don't quite feel prepared for success. or know what to do once we've made it. "-- Provided by publisher.

Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* How to achieve success in the workplace is the gist of this humorously effective handbook, and the specific person to whom it is addressed is the person who often feels inadequate to the job they are doing (all of us?) or inadequate to even successfully getting through an interview to get that job. The author, an editor at Esquire and business etiquette columnist for Entrepreneur, calls this mind-set "impostorism" because an impostor is what people feel like when their insecurities are being allowed a too-strong voice in how they conduct themselves—how we do our job—when, in his estimation, successful people work from their insecurities to perform well. In other words, "harness your fear to work for you." The most resonant and valuable statement McCammon makes may perhaps be "Embrace your mistakes." His guidance that follows this dictum—the meat and heart of the book—is built on understanding using the "small things," the customs and practices that make up the workplace culture. From interviewing ("Never pretend you're something you're not") to how to enter a room ("Eye contact, do not look down") to screwing up early on in the job ("If you don't screw up when you start out, then you are overqualified for the position") to how to smile and when to shut up, McCammon's lessons have the ring of universal applicability and honest truth. Read this delightful book, and relish its never-highfalutin approach. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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Rescue road : one man, thirty thousand dogs, and a million miles on the last hope highway - Peter Zheutlin

Summary: "Join journalist Peter Zheutlin as he travels with Greg [Mahle] from Ohio to the Gulf Coast on his Rescue Road Trips to bring hard-luck dogs from the deep South to loving 'forever families' up north, with the help of many selfless volunteers along the way"--Page 4 of cover.

Booklist Reviews

Zheutlin finally gave in and got a dog—Albie, a rescue Lab—and in so doing, he and his wife uncovered a world of people, online and in real life, who dedicate their time and money to matching unwanted dogs with their "Forever Families." To learn more about these potentially unloved and sometimes abused dogs and their tireless rescuers, Zheutlin spent a year on the road—some 7,000 miles—ferrying dogs to new homes with Greg Mahle, who runs the Rescue Road Trips organization. Filled with interviews with vets, volunteers, and Mahle as the men ferry the dogs cross-country, this heartwarming book also details the many organizations that assist in dog rescues (with contact information appended), the difficulties and joys of matching dogs and new owners, and much more. Mostly, though, it's a road trip like no other as Mahle and Zheutlin pilot a 12-wheel rig filled with dogs. Pet lovers and potential dog owners will find much to enjoy in this educational, touching tale. A portion of all proceeds from sales of the book go to Greg Mahle's Rescue Road Trips. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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King of the zoo - Erica Perl

Summary: Each of the animals at the zoo thinks of himself as King of the Zoo but Carlos the Chameleon is sure that the crown is his, and he has at least one ally.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

Chameleon Carlos believes he's king of the zoo, until he sees signage at other zoo animals' enclosures claiming each is ruler; ultimately an admiring little girl boosts downtrodden Carlos's ego right back up. The slight story is dominated by Carlos's repetitive ranting ("The King of the Zoo is ME, that's who!"), but Urbanovic humorously pictures the creature's emotion-induced color-changing.

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Eggday - Joyce Dunbar

Summary: Dora the duck involves the other barnyard animals in a contest to find out who can lay the best egg.

Booklist Reviews

Ages 3-5. Dora the duck declares tomorrow is Eggday. She wants her friends Gideon the goat, Pogson the pig, and Humphrey the horse to bring a goat egg, pig egg, and horse egg, respectively. In a laugh-inducing double-page spread, the animals try to lay eggs, obviously to no avail. Hetty the hen sets them straight and gives them eggs to decorate. When the eggs are finished, each looking like its decorator, the animals run over to Dora's, but it's not Eggday any more. It's Duckling Day! The story is on the silly side when you examine it too closely, so the key is not to look closely but just enjoy the wonderful, childlike art. With backgrounds that look as though they have been finger painted, and animals that seem to have been painted by very talented seven-year-olds, the bright pictures exude playfulness and good cheer. This will work especially well for story hour. ((Reviewed April 1, 1999)) Copyright 2000 Booklist Reviews

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El Deafo - Cece Bell

El Deafo - Bell, Cece

Summary: A poignant graphic tale based on the creator's own experiences with hearing loss follows the adventures of young Cece, who develops "superpowers" to manage the challenges of making friends while wearing a bulky hearing aid that sometimes lets her hear things she shouldn't.



Kirkus Reviews
A humorous and touching graphic memoir about finding friendship and growing up deaf. When Cece is 4 years old, she becomes "severely to profoundly" deaf after contracting meningitis. Though she is fitted with a hearing aid and learns to read lips, it's a challenging adjustment for her. After her family moves to a new town, Cece begins first grade at a school that doesn't have separate classes for the deaf. Her nifty new hearing aid, the Phonic Ear, allows her to hear her teacher clearly, even when her teacher is in another part of the school. Cece's new ability makes her feel like a superhero—just call her "El Deafo"—but the Phonic Ear is still hard to hide and uncomfortable to wear. Cece thinks, "Superheroes might be awesome, but they are also different. And being different feels a lot like being alone." Bell (Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover, 2012) shares her childhood experiences of being hearing impaired with warmth and sensitivity, exploiting the graphic format to amplify such details as misheard speech. Her whimsical color illustrations (all the human characters have rabbit ears and faces), clear explanations and Cece's often funny adventures help make the memoir accessible and entertaining. Readers will empathize with Cece as she tries to find friends who aren't bossy or inconsiderate, and they'll rejoice with her when she finally does. Worthy of a superhero.

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Five little pumpkins

Five little pumpkins

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate. The first one said, "Oh my, it's getting late." Get ready for some wicked fun as these five pumpkins run and roll! Toddlers will want to chant along with this popular rhyme again and again. Dan Yaccarino's vibrant and bold illustrations bring these pumpkins to life with personality and style. Toddlers are sure to laugh out loud as these pumpkins roll out of sight!

- (HARPERCOLL)

Booklist Reviews
Ages 1-4. The old song, "Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate" appears in board book form here, accompanied by large, vibrant illustrations featuring midnight blue and glowing orange. Simplified forms of jack-o'-lanterns and ghosts cavort through the lively double-page spreads, offering little ones plenty to look at while the rhyme is read or sung. A good storyhour choice for little ones. ((Reviewed December 15, 1998)) Copyright 2000 Booklist Reviews

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Rivers of London Series - Ben Aaronovitch

Rivers of London Series -Aaronovitch, Ben

Summary: My name is Peter Grant and until January I was just probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (and as the Filth to everybody else). My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit - we do paperwork so real coppers don't have to - and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder inquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly voluble, and that brought me to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England. Now I'm a Detective Constable and a trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years, and my world has become somewhat more complicated: nests of vampires in Purley, negotiating a truce between the warring god and goddess of the Thames, and digging up graves in Covent Garden ...and there's something festering at the heart of the city I love, a malicious vengeful spirit that takes ordinary Londoners and twists them into grotesque mannequins to act out its drama of violence and despair. The spirit of riot and rebellion has awakened in the city, and it's falling to me to bring order out of chaos - or die trying.

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The thing (DVD)

The thing (DVD)

Summary: A research team at a remote research station in Antarctica finds an alien being that has fallen from the sky and has remained buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Unfrozen and unleashed, it creates havoc and terror as it changes forms and becomes one of them.

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What we do in the shadows (DVD)

What we do in the shadows (DVD)

Summary: Vulvus, Viago, and Deacon are vampires who live here, among us. They are real vampires; undead, immortal creatures who stalk the night and search for human blood, preferably virgins. Witness the many horrid, abominable aspects of vampire life, such as hunting and feeding, vampire rivalry and fighting with werewolves, as well as normal night to night aspects that make them not so different from us like keeping the flat clean, jobs, shopping, meeting people and trying to fit in.

Video Librarian Reviews
Created by and co-starring Flight of the Conchords creator-star Jemaine Clement, this New Zealand indie production transcends its unpromising premise—imagine MTV's The Real World, but with vampires—to emerge as not just the funniest vampire mockumentary ever made, but also one of the best horror comedies in memory. A (mostly) unseen New Zealand government documentary film crew—protected by crucifixes, naturally—follows the nocturnal antics of a contentious, all-male household of old-fashioned Eastern European bloodsuckers. These vampires are but four of several hundred creatures of the night (which also include werewolves, zombies, etc.) who are dwelling incognito around Wellington. Their longstanding routine—hunting humans, arguing over who has to clean up the gore in the kitchen—changes when one Nosferatu lookalike vampirizes a modern-day bloke. Although hopeless at vampire etiquette and secrecy, the newcomer ends up dragging his undead flatmates into the realities of the 21st century (or the 20th...or the 19th...). Featuring robust characterizations (full-blooded, one might say) and performances delivered with palpable glee, this seems certain to be an instant cult hit. Highly recommended. (C. Cassady) Copyright Video Librarian Reviews 2015.

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Sharp objects - Gillian Flynn

Sharp objects - Flynn, Gillian

Summary: Returning to her hometown after an eight-year absence to investigate the murders of two girls, reporter Camille Preaker is reunited with her neurotic mother and enigmatic, thirteen-year-old half-sister as she works to uncover the truth about the killings.

Booklist Reviews
This impressive debut novel is fueled by stylish writing and compelling portraits of desperate housewives, southern style. Troubled newspaper reporter Camille Preaker is sent back to her Missouri hometown in a bid to get the inside scoop on the murders of two preteen girls--both were strangled and had their teeth removed. Almost as nasty as the brutal crimes are Camille's twisted family dynamics. She intends to stay with her zombielike mother, whom she has hardly spoken to in 8 years; her cipher of a stepfather; and her twisted, overly precocious 13-year-old half sister. Wading back into the insular social dynamics of the town proves to be a stressful experience for Camille, a reformed cutter whose body is riddled with the scars of words such as wicked and cupcake. In a particularly seductive narrative style, Flynn adopts the cynical, knowing patter of a weary reporter, but it is her portraits of the town's backstabbing, social-climbing, bored, and bitchy females that provoke her sharpest and most entertaining writing. A stylish turn on dark crimes and even darker psyches. ((Reviewed August 2006)) Copyright 2006 Booklist Reviews.

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