Wednesday, June 30, 2021

New Adult Graphic Novels and Manga

 

Bestselling, award-winning Jeff Lemire and Phil Hester come together for Family Tree Volume 1--Sapling. When an eight-year-old girl literally begins to transform into a tree, her single Mom, troubled brother and possibly insane Grandfather embark on a bizarre, and heart-wrenching odyssey across the back roads of America desperately searching for a way to cure her horrifying transformation before it's too late. But the further they get from home, and the closer the girl gets to completely losing her humanity, the more external forces threaten to tear the family apart as fanatical cults, mercenaries and tabloid Paparazzi close in. determined to destroy the girl or use her for themselves. A new genre-defying ongoing series Family Tree will combine mystery, action and Cronenbergian body horror into an epic story about the lengths a mother will go to keep her children safe in the face of an increasingly unstable world and unspeakable horrors. Collects issues 1 through 4. (from Amazon.com)

The top manga launch in Japan in the first half of 2018, A Man and His Cat #1 by Umi Sakurai was also voted one of the top ten manga of 2018 by Japanese bookstore employees nationwide. Having won hearts and topped charts in Japan, this hotly anticipated series about an older gentleman and his unique, adorable cat is available in English for the first time! In the pet shop he calls home, a chubby, homely cat whiles away the hours listening to coos of delight from potential pet parents...but he knows it's not him they're fussing over. Even as his price drops with each passing day, no one spares the kitty a glance. Having all but given up on life, the feline dejectedly awaits his first birthday, when he'll officially be past his sell-by date. So when an older gentleman comes into the shop and wants to take him home, the kitten himself is most shocked of all! Will the man and the cat find what they're looking for...in each other?


A Man and His Cat #2
: His days as an unwanted, overlooked piece of merchandise a distant memory, Fukumaru is now well and truly Mr. Kanda's cat. He's gained a lot in the process, not least of which is his very own name! But Fukumaru isn't the only one getting something out of this relationship. First-time pet owner Mr. Kanda is finding his new life with Fukumaru to be full of surprises and delights. And Fukumaru's influence makes time, which had come to a standstill for Mr. Kanda, move again...


A Man and His Cat #3
: Fukumaru's in the hospital and in big trouble! This turn of events leaves Mr. Kanda in big trouble too, emotionally speaking. Both the man and the cat know what it's like to be lonely, and as the days pass in a whirl, the reason Mr. Kanda weeps from time to time gradually becomes clear...

The first-ever graphic novel adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five, an American classic, is one of the world’s great anti-war books. An American classic and one of the world’s seminal antiwar books, Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five is faithfully presented in graphic novel form for the first time from Eisner Award-winning writer Ryan North  and Eisner Award-nominated artist Albert Monteys.  

Listen: Billy Pilgrim has...

  • read Kilgore Trout
  • opened a successful optometry business
  • built a loving family
  • witnessed the firebombing of Dresden
  • traveled to the planet Tralfamadore
  • met Kurt Vonnegut
  • come unstuck in time. 

Billy Pilgrim’s journey is at once a farcical look at the horror and tragedy of war where children are placed on the frontlines and die (so it goes), and a moving examination of what it means to be fallibly human. (from Amazon.com)

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

New Suspense and Thrillers

 

Author Dale Brown begins a new series with his book Arctic Storm Rising. "After a CIA covert mission goes badly awry, U.S. Air Force intelligence officer Nicholas Flynn is exiled to guard a remote radar post along Alaska’s Arctic frontier. This dead-end assignment is designed to put his career permanently on ice, but Flynn’s not the type to fade quietly into obscurity. As winter storms pound Alaska and northern Canada, Russian aircraft begin penetrating deep into friendly airspace. Are these rehearsals for a possible first strike, using Russia’s new long-range stealth cruise missiles? Or is some other motive driving the Kremlin to take ever-increasing risks along the hostile Arctic frontier separating two of the world’s great powers? When an American F-22 collides with one of the Russian interlopers, things go south fast—in seconds, missiles are fired. There are no survivors. Despite horrific weather, Flynn and his security team are ordered to parachute into the area in a desperate bid to reach the crash sites ahead of the Russians. It’s now obvious that the Pentagon and CIA are withholding vital information, but Flynn and his men have no choice but to make the dangerous jump. Soon they’re caught in a deadly game of hide-and-seek with Spetsnaz commandos operating covertly on American soil. It seems that the F-22s and their Russian counterparts aren’t the first aircraft to have gone missing in these desolate mountains. The Kremlin is hunting for the first prototype of its new stealth bomber—which vanished on what was supposed to be a test flight…while loaded with nuclear-armed stealth cruise missiles. As Russia and the U.S. square off on the brink of all-out-war, it’s up to Nick to find the missing bomber…and prevent a potential nuclear holocaust." (from Goodreads.com)

The latest Detective Isaac Bell novel from Clive Cussler (and Jack Du Brul) is called The Saboteurs. "Detective Isaac Bell's wife has said that he is always in the wrong place at the right time. This is certainly the case when Bell thwarts the assassination of a U.S. Senator shortly after meeting the man. This heroic rescue is just the start of the mystery for Bell, who suspects that the would-be assassins have a much larger and more dangerous agenda--one involving the nearly-constructed Panama Canal. While the senator supports the building of the canal, there are many, including a local Panamanian insurgency known as the Red Vipers, who never want to see its completion. With millions of dollars and the fates of two nations at stake, Bell heads to Panama to find answers. After a deadly bombing at the canal's construction site, he is determined to stop the insurgents--or whoever is funding them--before they can attack again." (from Amazon.com)

David Poyer has two new books with Deep War: the War with China--the Nuclear Precipice and Overthrow: the War with China and North Korea--Fall of an Empire. In the first book, "the war against China turns dire, as the United States struggles to survive in this gripping thriller featuring Navy commander Dan Lenson. After the United States suffers a devastating nuclear attack, and facing food shortages, power outages, cyber and AI assaults, and a wrecked economy, Admiral Dan Lenson leads an allied force assigned to turn the tide of war in the Pacific, using precisely targeted missiles and high-tech weapons systems. But as the campaign begins, the entire Allied military and defense network is compromised—even controlled—by Jade Emperor, a powerful Chinese artificial intelligence system that seems to anticipate and counter every move. While Dan strives to salvage the battle plan, his wife Blair helps coordinate strategy in Washington, DC, Marine sergeant Hector Ramos fights in an invasion of Taiwan, and Navy SEAL master chief Teddy Oberg begins a desperate journey into central China on a mission that may be the only way to save the United States from destruction and defeat."

In the second book, "the United States and their Allied forces struggle to survive world war with China in this compelling, realistic thriller, the next in the Dan Lenson series. World War III continues in Overthrow, the next novel in the acclaimed series featuring Admiral Dan Lenson as the Allies converge against China, North Korea, and Iran in an explosive series of events. Admiral Lenson leads Operation Rupture, the invasion of South China, in a bid to finally end the war and restore peace. Meanwhile, Captain Cheryl Staurulakis fights to take a radical new “super ship” to sea, though its power and capability may introduce more risk than reward. In Washington, Dan’s wife Blair conducts secret negotiations with a rebellious faction in Beijing, hoping to bring an end to the war, but her plans may be foiled by those who want outright revenge on China, not peace with them. In western China, Teddy Oberg’s guerrilla band grows into a major insurgency, and the former SEAL master chief embraces his new role as an Islamic resistance leader. Sergeant Hector Ramos raises the flag of freedom in Taiwan while fighting his own personal demons, and in Seattle Dan’s daughter, Nan Lenson, fights to save the world from a dangerous new epidemic. But as the Allies plot an endgame to the war, the complicated dance of global warfare, on land and at sea, will finally trigger the nuclear Armageddon the entire world has feared for nearly a century." (from Amazon.com)

Author Morgan Cry begins a new series with Thirty-One Bones. "When Effie Coulston drops dead on the floor of her bar in a small Spanish town mid-business meeting, her daughter Daniella feels it’s her duty to return for the funeral. But Daniella has been estranged from her mother for over twenty years, and Effie’s life in Spain harbours many secrets . Daniella is soon confronted by a hostile group of ex-pat misfits who frequent the bar and who, along with Effie, are involved in a multi-million-pound property scam. But the money has vanished, and the ex-pats are threatening to implicate Daniella to save themselves. Meanwhile, a Spanish detective is investigating Effie’s death. He’s convinced Daniella knows more than she is telling. And now a terrifying enforcer has heard about the missing cash. With no idea where the money is and threats coming from all sides, Daniella is up against a seemingly impossible deadline to find the cash. She’s a stranger in a strange town – and she’s seriously out of her depth." (from Goodreads.com)

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Kids and Camping

 

Cooking in a Can by Katherine L. White is the perfect activity book for kids who love to camp and cook! The newest book in our successful children's activities series introduces dozens of techniques for cooking outside. Author Kate White shows kids the beauty of cooking over a campfire, with dozens of delicious and easy recipes like Hot Rock Chicken and Wilderness Wonder Chocolate Cake. From cooking in a can to cooking in a paper bag to cooking on a rock, this activity book produces scrumptious results that kids of all ages will enjoy. Also included are dozens of related activities to keep kids busy, such as making a family banner to identify your camp, planning menus, and organizing cooking supplies and groceries. There are also tips on natural refrigeration, food storage and camp clean up. Chapters include topics such as:

  • Cooking Over a Campfire
  • The Outdoor Kitchen
  • No Pot Cooking
  • Hot Rock Cooking
  • Pit Cooking
  • Make-Your-Own Oven Cooking
  • Spit Cooking
  • Dutch Oven Cooking

The Girls' Guide to Campfire Activities
 by Elizabeth Encarnacion is an encyclopedic, nostalgic, and with just a tiny shiver of risk, this collection of enjoyable activities gives girls all the information they need to have the perfect campfire experience. They’ll learn the basics of building a fire; the difference between an A-frame and a teepee fire; how to put the flames out properly; a range of safety procedures; and first aid for minor burns. Girls will also find plenty of fun things to do as the embers glow: recipes for tasty treats, instructions on making a comfy campfire seat, camp songs to sing, and ghost stories guaranteed to frighten the pants off everyone. For those who can’t make it to the great outdoors, there are even suggestions for bringing the campfire experience inside, from starting a fire in a fireplace to making fondue-style S’mores. No fireplace? No problem! The kit includes a DVD of a super campfire with a singalong soundtrack and scary music for story hour. (from Amazon.com)



And here are a few more Kid's Camping Titles:





Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Camping and the Great Outdoors

Engage your child in outdoor play, nature outings, and environmental explorations. Chase and be chased in a game of capture the flag. Use the power of the sun to craft your own shadow prints. Explore the stars on a late night walk. Create a field guide to your neighborhood. Through 52 ideas—some classic and some new—Let's Go Outside! by Jennifer Ward offers a range of activities perfect for children ages 8 to 12. Whether you're in the country, the city, or anywhere in between, this book is sure to help you get outside—and run, dance, hike, or camp—with your preteen. Sections of the book include: 

  • Back to Basics: Reconnecting with twists on traditional games and activities such as Capture the Flag
  • Making the Ordinary Extraordinary: Picnics, doing homework outdoors, and socializing opportunities outdoors
  • Outdoor Adventures: Canoeing, biking, and camping
  • Environmental Experiments: Ways to explore how nature works (from Amazon.com)

Plan your family camping adventure with The Down and Dirty Guide to Camping With Kids by Helen Olsson! Whether you’re a first-time camper or a veteran backpacker befuddled by the challenges of carting a brood—and all the requisite gear—into the great outdoors, here you’ll find all the tips and tools you need to plan the perfect nature adventure with your family. Humorous and irreverent, yet always authoritative, this guide to camping with kids, from babies through pre-teens, is filled with checklists, smart tips, recipes, games, activities, and art projects.
Helen Olsson, a seasoned camper and mother of three, shares lessons learned over the years of nature outings with her own family. Learn the basics of family camping, from choosing a destination and packing gear to setting up a campsite and keeping little ones safe. Create the perfect camp menu with simple and tasty recipe ideas. Discover foolproof tips and tactics for keeping kids happy and entertained while hiking. Explore nature through clever and creative camp arts and craft projects. This guide is your game plan to unplugging from the digital world and connecting your kids to nature. Whether it’s roasting marshmallows around a crackling campfire or stretching out on a camp mat to gaze at the stars, the memories you’ll be making will last a lifetime. (from Amazon.com)

Want to save cash, your child's imagination and possibly even the planet? Then Born To Be Wild: Hundreds of Free Nature Activities for Families by Hattie Garlick is the book you need.
Packed with great photos of real families in the outdoors, Born to Be Wild contains easy-to-follow instructions for activities that require nothing more sophisticated than a small person's imagination and access to a little outdoor space.
Nature lays on magical materials for free each season, from fallen leaves and twigs, molted feathers, sand and shells, to mud, puddles and rain. Everything else you'll need for these activities is already hiding in your cupboards at home. No expensive art supplies of outward-bound kit required. All you need are the toolkit items at the front of the book - ordinary household essentials like scraps of paper, string, glue, recycled food containers and an empty jar or two.
Along the way Hattie talks to families, organizations and communities who have rebuilt their relationships with nature with extreme or inspiring results, and she introduces scientists, psychologists and other experts who explain why, as modern families, we should revive our waning relationships with nature, whatever age or stage we're at. (from Amazon.com)

If you think camping means big mosquitoes, big headaches, and big effort, this book is for you. Camping Made Easy by Michael Rutter presents a practical, informative approach to carefree camping. After putting to rest the myths concerning the hardships and frustrations of camping, Michael Rutter presents nuts-and-bolts information on every aspect of camping, relating advice garnered from his twenty-plus years of experience. You will learn how to select the right equipment, including tents, stoves, sleeping bags, lanterns, backpacks, and more; plan for a painless camping trip; pack efficiently; select a good campground; set up camp; take fun day hikes and more.
With more than 300 photographs and illustrations to help you get started, you will be setting up camp, stoking the campfire, and relaxing before you know it. Whether you are setting up a tent in a local campground or planning a cross-country camping odyssey, this comprehensive guide will answer all your camping questions. (from Amazon.com)

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

June is...

(From NationalDayCalendar.com)

NATIONAL CAMPING MONTH

National Camping Month in June is an excellent time to pack up your gear and experience nature. Whether you like roughing it or prefer to have a few modern conveniences when heading out to the trail, it’s important to keep a few things in mind.

1. Make sure you have plenty of freshwater or a freshwater source.

2. Take a first aid kit and that it is stocked.

3. Pack waterproof matches.

4. Take non-perishable food such as granola bars, jerky, peanut butter, chocolate bars, and dried fruits,         especially if you are not taking a cooler.

5. Pack fruits, vegetables, and meats separately and keep chilled in a cooler.

6. Include sunblock, even for cloudy days.

7. Rain gear, jackets, and blankets are necessary for cooler weather.

Around the country, there are a variety of campsites available. The more modern campsite includes showers and recreational facilities. These often include water hookups and parking pads for RVs and campers and cabins to rent as well as more primitive sites with no electrical hookups designed for tent usage.  Other parks only allow primitive camping and require everything you pack into the park to be packed out. So, seriously consider your needs if you are hiking into the park for your stay. These are not for the glampers.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalCampingMonth

Gather family and friends, don’t forget the s’mores supply and go camping! Nature is calling and there are so many ways to enjoy a weekend or even more camping.  Use #NationalCampingMonth to show us how you camp. Educators and families, check out National Day Calendar’s Classroom for lots of fun ideas and projects to help you #CelebrateEveryDay!


(From NationalDayCalendar.com)

NATIONAL GREAT OUTDOORS MONTH

National Great Outdoors Month in June reminds us to explore our nation’s abundant wildlife refuges, parks, and natural beauty. Whether we hike or bike the trails, kayak or canoe the many rivers and canyons or pitch a tent in the forest or on a hillside. No matter our preferred mode of enjoying the great outdoors – hiking, biking, kayaking to name a few – nature is calling. Pursue the beauty and majesty of the big skies and open spaces the outdoors offers.

This month also raises awareness of the accessibility of the great outdoors. Depending on where we live, sometimes reaching nature is more difficult. Many cities create relaxing and vibrant green spaces with trails and paths designed for easy access by the community. However, in some inner-city neighborhoods, access to parks or the ability to get outside the city to visit State or National Parks is difficult. National Great Outdoors Month is an excellent time to consider making access possible.

HOW TO OBSERVE:

Visit a State or National Park. Volunteer as a summer camp counselor.  Take an outdoor photography class. Sign up for Northern lights tour. Get blisters where you’ve never had them before.  Go deep sea diving. Learn how to identify birds and go birding. Share your enthusiasm for nature with a group of students and take them on a nature hike.  Become a Big Brother or Big Sister and go on a group nature bike trail. Share your ideas on social media using #GreatOutdoorsMonth.

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Get Caught Reading!

The newest from bestselling author Harlan Coban is called Win. More than twenty years ago, heiress Patricia Lockwood was abducted during a robbery of her family’s estate. After being locked in an isolated cabin for months, Patricia escapes, but so do her captors, presumably with the items stolen from her family. Fast forward to today, a reclusive man is found murdered in his penthouse apartment on the Upper West Side of New York. Two ojects found next to him—a stolen Vermeer painting and a leather monogrammed suitcase—provide a lead for the FBI’s cold case of Patricia’s kidnapping. Windsor Horne Lockwood III—or Win to his few friends—doesn't know how his suitcase and his family’s stolen painting ended up with a dead man. When the FBI tell Win that the man who kidnapped his cousin was also involved in an act of domestic terrorism, and this piques his interest. Only, Win has three things the FBI doesn’t: a personal connection to the case, an immense fortune, and his own unique view of justice. 

Fast Ice is the latest NUMA Files novel from Clive Cussler. Kurt Austin and his team race to Antarctica to stop a chilling plot that imperils the entire planet. During the early days of World War II, the infamous German Luftwaffe set out on an expedition to Antarctica hoping to set up a military base to accomplish the Nazi goal of world domination. Though their base never came to fruition, the Nazis found something on the icy continent proved very dangerous. In the present, Kurt and his NUMA team embark on a mission in Antarctica after a former team member goes missing. They must confront both frigid temperatures and perilous waters, but also a man-made weapon—a fast-growing ice that could usher in a new Ice Age. Kurt and his team are pitted against a madman determined to use the Nazi-era weapon to freeze the world. 

Danger in Numbers is the latest by suspense author Heather Graham. A ritualistic murder on the side of a remote road on the edge of the Everglades brings in the Florida state police. Special Agent Amy Larson has never seen such horrible killing. The crime also draws the attention of the FBI in the form of Special Agent Hunter Forrest, whose specialty is how violent cults operate. The rural community is devastated by the death, but they know much more than they are letting on. Amy and Hunter join forces, but every lead takes them further into the twisted beliefs of a dangerous group that will stop at nothing to impose their will. As doomsday preppers and small-town secrets collide, Amy and Hunter will have to use all of their skills to keep this rural community from turning into a powder keg. 

The latest Detective Alan Banks novel by Peter Robinson is called Not Dark Yet. Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks and his Yorkshire team jump feet first into the investigation of the death of property developer Connor Clive Blaydon. It turns out that someone had installed a host of spy-cameras around Blaydon’s luxurious home. The team hope that they’ll find answers—and possibly the culprit—among the videos. Far from showing the murderer, however, the grainy footage does reveal a crime: a brutal rape. The team must discover the woman’s identity because it would not only bring her justice, but it could change everything the police think about Blaydon and why someone would want him dead. Unfortunately for Banks his friendship with super recognizer Zelda is strained and causing a distraction to his investigation. 

Double Jeopardy is the latest Stone Barrington novel from Stuart Woods. While trying to settle in for a while in New York, Stone Barrington receives news that demands his immediate action. Stone heads to the craggy shores of Maine to address some old family matter that has unexpectedly resurfaced. He finds that there is a double threat hiding in plain sight among the stately houses and exclusive coastal clubs that is not easily rooted out. These enemies have friends in high places, wealth to spare, and a score to settle with Stone. It will take all of his cunning to draw them out into the open, but he has to be careful how he handles this explosive situation.  

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

New Large Print Amish Fiction

Healing Their Amish Hearts is an inspirational romance from Leigh Bale. Could she guide them from sorrow to joy? When tragedy tears an Amish family apart…Can her love bring them back together? Becca Graber has made it her mission to get the silent boy in her new classroom to speak again. But when she meets the boy’s grieving father, widowed firefighter Jesse King, Becca realizes that two hearts need mending. As Becca and Jesse try to break through to Sam, will they also find a way to reach each other? (from Amazon.com)

In An Amish Singing: Four Stories by Amy Clipston, romance is bound strike a chord when the young people of Bird-in-Hand join together to bring their community the gift of song. 

  • Hymn of Praise: Sharon Lambert and Jay Smoker have been friends for a long time, but lately Jay has seen Sharon in a new light. They begin spending time together, and Sharon invites Jay to her family’s home to serve dinner and sing traditional hymns for their English guests. When Jay decides that this tramples upon his doctrinal beliefs, can these two dear friends compromise and find love? Or will Jay’s strict views keep them apart? 
  • Amazing Grace: Dave Esh is broken with guilt after a recent tragedy. When Alice Blank, an acquaintance from school and youth group, invites him to join an informal singing group that performs for community members in need, Dave doubts he will enjoy himself—let alone find peace. Will Alice’s friendship help Dave learn how to forgive himself the way God already has? 
  • Great Is Thy Faithfulness: Darlene Bender’s mother has been battling cancer, and Darlene can’t understand why God would allow someone so wonderful to go through such a terrible time. She finds strength in her singing group and friends, and when Andrew Detweiler senses that Darlene needs a confidant, he approaches and befriends her. As love blossoms between them, Darlene might soon realize that God was with her all along. 
  • O Holy Night: Elaine Lantz and her parents have just moved to town from New Wilmington. After leaving behind some painful events and a group of deceitful friends, Elaine worries she’ll never be able to trust again. But the young people of Bird-in-Hand don’t give up, and Calvin King takes it upon himself to make Elaine feel welcome. Perhaps friendship and love await Elaine in her new hometown. (from Amazon.com)

Jan Drexler delivers another Amish of Weaver's Creek novel with Softly Blows the Bugle. When Elizabeth Kaufman received the news of her husband's death at the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863, she felt only relief. She determined that she would never be at the mercy of any man again, even if it meant she would never have a family of her own. Then Aaron Zook comes home with her brother when the war ends two years later. Despite the severity of his injuries, Aaron resolves to move West and leave the pain of the past behind him. He never imagined that the Amish way of life his grandfather had rejected long ago would be so enticing. That, and a certain widow he can't get out of his mind. Yet, even in a simple community, life has a way of getting complicated. Aaron soon finds that while he may have left the battlefield behind, there is another fight he must win--the one for the heart of the woman he loves. Welcome back to the Amish community at Weaver's Creek, where the bonds of family and faith bind up the brokenhearted. (from Amazon.com)

Molly Jebber revisits her Amish Charm Bakery series with Hannah's Courage. A loaf of fragrant cinnamon bread for breakfast . . . a sweet and creamy custard pie for dessert. In 1912 Ohio, the Amish Charm Bakery has something to delight locals and visiting Englischer alike. And within this warm, welcoming community, there’s always room for love to grow. Hannah Lapp’s life, like a long-cherished recipe, is satisfying just the way it is. She enjoys whipping up desserts at the bakery, tutoring local children, and socializing with dear friends. One of those friends, Timothy Barkman, has made his interest in Hannah clear, but she’s been in no hurry to change her circumstances. No sooner does she feel ready to grow closer to hard-working, handsome Timothy than Hannah finds she may have waited too long. Charlene Shetler intends to become Timothy’s fraa. It’s little wonder he’s attracted to such a pretty, forthright young woman, but is the newcomer all that she seems? Only when Hannah is willing to confront some difficult truths can she move bravely toward a life of abiding faith and love. (from Amazon.com)

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

New Juvenile Media Players for Your Enjoyment

 


Dough Boys by Paula Chase "is a memorably vivid story about the complex friendship between two African American boys whose lives are heading down very different paths. Deontae “Simp” Wright has big plans for his future. Plans that involve basketball, his best friend, Rollie, and making enough money to get his mom and four younger brothers out of the Cove, their low-income housing project. Long term, this means the NBA. Short term, it means being a dough boy—getting paid to play lookout and eventually moving up the rungs of the neighborhood drug operation with Rollie as his partner. Roland “Rollie” Matthews used to love playing basketball. He loved the rhythm of the game, how he came up with his best drumbeats after running up and down the court. But playing with the elite team comes with extra, illegal responsibilities, and Rollie isn't sure he's down for that life. The new talented-and-gifted program, where Rollie has a chance to audition for a real-life go-go band, seems like the perfect excuse to stop being a dough boy. But how can he abandon his best friend? Paula Chase explores universal themes of friendship and budding romance, while also exploring complex issues that affect many young teens." (from Amazon.com)

Bestselling author Jerry Craft returns with Class Act, a companion book to New Kid, winner of the 2020 Newbery Medal, the Coretta Scott King Author Award, and the Kirkus Prize. "This time, it’s Jordan’s friend Drew who takes center stage in another laugh-out-loud funny, powerful, and important story about being one of the few kids of color in a prestigious private school. Eighth grader Drew Ellis is no stranger to the saying “You have to work twice as hard to be just as good.” His grandmother has reminded him his entire life. But what if he works ten times as hard and still isn’t afforded the same opportunities that his privileged classmates at the Riverdale Academy Day School take for granted? To make matters worse, Drew begins to feel as if his good friend Liam might be one of those privileged kids. He wants to pretend like everything is fine, but it's hard not to withdraw, and even their mutual friend Jordan doesn't know how to keep the group together. As the pressures mount, will Drew find a way to bridge the divide so he and his friends can truly accept each other? And most important, will he finally be able to accept himself?" (from Amazon.com)

Karen Cushman--the Newbery Award-winning author of Catherine, Called Birdy and The Midwife's Apprentice--tells a heartfelt and humorous story of WWII on the home front in War and Millie McGonigle. "Millie McGonigle lives in sunny California, where her days are filled with beach and surf. It should be perfect--but times are tough. Hitler is attacking Europe and it looks like the United States may be going to war. Food is rationed and money is tight. And Millie's sickly little sister gets all the attention and couldn't be more of a pain if she tried. It's all Millie can do to stay calm and feel in control. Still--there's sand beneath her feet. A new neighbor from the city, who has a lot to teach Millie. And surfer boy Rocky to admire--even if she doesn't have the guts to talk to him. It's a time of sunshine, siblings, and stress. Will Millie be able to find her way in her family, and keep her balance as the the world around her loses its own?" (from Amazon.com)

"In this evocative and heartwarming novel for readers who loved The Thing About Jellyfish, Christine R. Day, the author of I Can Make This Promise tells the story of a Native American girl struggling to find her joy again. It’s been a hard year for Maisie Cannon, ever since she hurt her leg and could not keep up with her ballet training and auditions. Her blended family is loving and supportive, but Maisie knows that they just can’t understand how hopeless she feels. With everything she’s dealing with, Maisie is not excited for their family midwinter road trip along the coast, near the Makah community where her mother grew up. But soon, Maisie’s anxieties and dark moods start to hurt as much as the pain in her knee. How can she keep pretending to be strong when on the inside she feels as roiling and cold as the ocean?" (from Amazon.com)





Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Get Caught Reading!

 

(Courtesy of NationalDayCalendar.com)

GET CAUGHT READING MONTH

There is no better challenge than Get Caught Reading Month in May.  All month long, wherever you go, the campaign challenges every one of all ages to get caught reading!

Here are some great tips to be prepared to read all month long.

  • Tuck magazines into your bag. Anytime you have some free time you will have something to read.
  • Place books for all ages in the car. Everyone will have something to read. Older children can read to those who haven’t mastered the skill.
  • Unplug for the month. Then stop by the library and pick out the latest bestseller or classic on your reading list.
  • Charge up the digital reader’s battery and load it up. Many classics have been made available for a small fee or no cost.
  • Get caught reading to children. Find a snug spot and create a routine that carries on throughout the year.
  • Include a book in every room in the house.
  • Encourage reading during stressful times as a way to distract the mind away from worries and to refocus.
  • Read outdoors in a park after a walk.
HOW TO OBSERVE

It’s simple – get caught reading. However, the campaign doesn’t stop there. It encourages a life-long enjoyment of reading. Kick back with an article, book, magazine you enjoy and read.  Use #GetCaughtReadingMonth to share on social media.

HISTORY

The Association of American Publishers founded the Get Caught Reading campaign in 1999. It’s now managed by Every Child a reader and receives support from Lois Lenski Covey Foundation. The campaign runs all year long with May designated as Get Caught Reading Month.




Wednesday, April 28, 2021

New Large Print Westerns

Winter Counts is a groundbreaking thriller from David Heska Wanbli Weiden about "a vigilante on a Native American reservation who embarks on a dangerous mission to track down the source of a heroin influx. Virgil Wounded Horse is the local enforcer on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota.  When justice is denied by the American legal system or the tribal council, Virgil is hired to deliver his own punishment, the kind that’s hard to forget. But when heroin makes its way into the reservation and finds Virgil’s nephew, his vigilantism suddenly becomes personal. He enlists the help of his ex-girlfriend and sets out to learn where the drugs are coming from, and how to make them stop. They follow a lead to Denver and find that drug cartels are rapidly expanding and forming new and terrifying alliances. And back on the reservation, a new tribal council initiative raises uncomfortable questions about money and power. As Virgil starts to link the pieces together, he must face his own demons and reclaim his Native identity. He realizes that being a Native American in the twenty-first century comes at an incredible cost." (from Amazon.com)

The new novel in the beloved New York Times bestselling Longmire series by Craig Johnson is called Next to Last Stand. One of the most viewed paintings in American history, Custer's Last Fight, copied and distributed by Anheuser-Busch at a rate of over two million copies a year, was destroyed in a fire at the 7th Cavalry Headquarters in Fort Bliss, Texas, in 1946. Or was it? When Charley Lee Stillwater dies of an apparent heart attack at the Wyoming Home for Soldiers & Sailors, Walt Longmire is called in to try and make sense of a piece of a painting and a Florsheim shoebox containing a million dollars, sending the good sheriff on the trail of a dangerous art heist." (from Amazon.com)

The latest Aaron Mackey western by Terrence McCauley is called The Dark Sunrise. U.S. Marshal Aaron Mackey and his steadfast deputy Billy Sunday are more than ready to see crime boss James Grant and his murderous cronies stand trial for the mayhem and suffering they have wrought upon the citizens of Dover Station, Montana. With Montana’s statehood fast approaching, cruel and murderous men like Grant can no longer be tolerated in positions of power. Unfortunately, the bigwigs in Helena follow their own set of laws and allow Grant to go free. They also give peacekeeping authority to Colonel Nathan Rigg, Mackey’s former commanding officer during the war. Rigg is just as sadistic and bloodthirsty as Grant, but it seems that Helena’s leaders prefer to keep killers like these under their thumbs, but Mackey and Billy know there is no controlling these monsters and they may just have to appoint themselves judge, jury, and executioners. 

The latest Slash and Pecos Western by William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone is A Good Day for a Massacre. For Jimmy “Slash” Braddock and Melvin “the Pecos River Kid” Baker, life on the straight and narrow is not always easy, but they are determined to make an honest go of it. Their sometime employer, U.S. Marshal Bledsoe, asks them to pick up a shipment of gold from a mining town in the Sawatch Range. A ruthless gang has other ideas for that gold, however, and they ambush Slash and Pecos. Not ones to back down from a fight, the two reprobates go after the bandits and they have a little extra help. A lady Pinkerton named Hatty Friendly—though she’s anything but—is also determined to recover the gold, even if that means teaming up with these two ornery old coots. 

In Luck and a Horse: A Western Duo by Max Brand, both stories center on cowardice. The titular character in “Traynor” is thought by everyone to be weak because he let Dr. Parker Channing steal his love, Rose Laymon, away from him. When the stage he is driving is robbed and his best friend and stage guard, Sam Whitney, is killed, Traynor chases the thief and recovers the man’s dropped Stetson, which was sold to Dr. Channing less than a month earlier. Traynor confronts Channing and the man takes off, but Traynor gives chase even with his physical weakness threatening to overwhelm him. In “Luck and a Horse,” Tommy Grant works on the farm of tyrant and master manipulator Sylvester Train—who hasn’t paid Tommy in nineteen months. Tommy balks when Train orders him to use his horse, Brownie, to plow. Instead, Tommy is sent to Fruit Dale with two wagons of grain and a shopping list. Tommy finds himself in a back room of the saloon playing cards with jailbird Bert Ellis who is in the sites of gunslinger Lefty Lew Hilton. When Ellis is shot in the middle of the poker game, Tommy finds himself on the run from a hundred posse men who have mistaken him as the killer.