Look What's New for Kids

Rule of Three by Megan McDonald - In Acton, Oregon, sisters Alex, Stevie, and Joey take turns telling about their lives, including auditioning for the same part in the school musical, baking contest-worthy cupcakes, and becoming obsessed with "Little Women."

September Recommendations for Kids

Fiction

Yes Day! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal - What do you call a day when every answer is yes? Follow a boy’s dream day; you will want to have a Yes day of your own!

The Frogs and Toads All Sang by Arnold Lobel - A delightful collection of rhyming stories about frogs and toads discovered in Arnold Lobel’s papers by his daughter.

All in a Day by Cynthia Rylant - What can a day hold? Each day is beautiful and holds a new world of possibilities. Days are what we each have, and each one needs to count.

Fairy School Dropout by Meredith Badger - Elly is from a famous fairy family, but is convinced she has not inherited any of their talents; her talent seems to be creating disasters. She has been kicked out of two fairy academies and wants to attend human school!


Nonfiction

Swords: An Artist’s Devotion by Ben Boos - A gloriously handsome illustrated history of swords from the earliest days which includes the Iron and Bronze Ages, Vikings, War Maidens, Knights, Kings, Samurai, Ninja, Silla Knights of Korea, Eastern Masters of China, and War Chiefs of Africa among others. A stunning variety of styles, with each sword depicted in intricate detail, from the tip of its hilt to its blade. It is a mostly pictorial work, with sufficient text to help the reader understand the incredible variety of styles and owners. One of the years most outstanding books.

Barbarians! by Steven Kroll - Beginning with a definition of barbarian, the book continues with an overview of four distinct groups often referred to as barbarians: the Goths, the Huns, the Vikings, and the Mongols. Well illustrated, with a time line and bibliography. A fascinating history of each group, their religion, leaders, and their rise and fall.

Ralph Masiello’s Dinosaur Drawing Book by Ralph Masiello - A step by step guide on how to draw all things dinosaur: fossils, claws, habitat, triceratops, pterodactyls, and more! With these instructions, anyone can be an artist.

Mission Control, This Is Apollo: The Story of the First Voyages to the Moon by Andrew Chaikin - A well-illustrated tale of one of mankind’s greatest adventures, from the Mercury space voyages through Apollo 17.

How to Get Rich on the Oregon Trail: My Adventures Among Cows, Crooks and Heroes on the Road to Fame & Fortune by Tod Olson - A fictionalized account by 15 year old Will Reed of his journey along the Oregon Trail by covered wagon in 1852. Filled with clever drawings and amusing detail, the fictional Will faithfully reports their adventures, hardships, and family finances. This humorous history packs a large dose of fun!

Show Me the Money by Alvin Hall - Where does money come from and how does it work? This book explains the basics of the stock market, supply and demand, the cost of living, taxes, inflation, the global economy, and the relationship of happiness to money. An attractive overview, bursting with fascinating information.

September Recommendations for Teens

Fiction

Big Mouth by Deborah Halverson - Ever dreamed of being the richest, most famous competitive eater in the world? Fourteen-year-old Shermie Thuff is doggedly training for the Nathan’s Famous July Fourth International Hot Dog Eating Contest. The vivid details make this is not a tale for the faint of stomach! An added attraction is the mustard revolt, and smelly, gross science.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - Wintergirls are frozen and easily shattered, as Cassie has been. High school best friends Lia and Cassie made a pact to be thin, thin beyond caution. Their lives begin to revolve around food, and their avoidance and measuring of it, until their friendship fragments, and Lia learns of the suicide of Cassie, alone in a motel room. Cassie called Lia thirty-three times the night she died, but Lia received the messages too late. Lia battles with her anorexia, cutting, and her strained relationship with her parents on her agonizing journey of inexplicable pain and her attempt to make some sense of her life. Journey with her as she attempts to find purpose and make sense of her life.

September Recommendations for Adults

Fiction

The Arms Maker of Berlin by Dan Fesperman - History professor Nat Turnbull searches for missing World War II archives on the White Rose, an anti-Hitler movement active in Switzerland and Germany in the 1940s. He soon crosses paths with a ruthless German arms merchant who may be the key to recovering these documents. Rumor has it that the archives contain a spymaster’s horde of wartime secrets. Someone has taken desperate measures to ensure that the deceptions, betrayals, blackmail, and hidden identities stay in the shadows. A masterful blend of historical detail and spy thriller.

John the Revelator by Peter Murphy - John and Jamey are inseparable, their friendship anchored by a mutual inclination for mischief. But when their teenage high jinks crash into the adult world, complications ensue and choices must be made. A tender and refreshingly unsentimental coming of age story set in gentle rolling hills of southeast Ireland.

Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan - In the magic realism of fable, two rival families contend with spirits and spells, prophets and demons, a wicked mother-in-law, feuding siblings, graves in the garden, and dark secrets through three generations. A masterful first novel, the true to life characters will appeal to lovers of literary fiction and fantasy.

Perfect Little Ladies by Abby Drake - Elinor Young’s perfect life with her perfect husband and gorgeously perfect children is about to end. Someone has found out about her afternoon trysts with the perfect politician and is attempting to blackmaili her. But what are friends for if not helping you track down extortionists? Fans of the Desperate Housewives genre will enjoy the cheeky and delightfully campy unraveling of more than one lady’s secret.

Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan - Raymond Chandler and James Cain fans will enjoy this updated noir mystery. The editor of the “literary crime” magazine, Gray Streets, is murdered and one of the magazine’s editors, and a newcomer in town, becomes the prime suspect. But circumstances are not what they seem, the plot takes many surprising twists and turns as the relationships between the stable of writers associated with the magazine are brought to light. Dolan poses the question: would you kill to write a best-seller?


Nonfiction

Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview? by Ellen Gordon Reeves - But seriously, any job-seeker will find this book indispensible. Reeves covers all the important points of giving good interview, including the seldom discussed dilemma of what to wear to a phone interview. Short and to the point.

The First Family: Terror, Extortion, Revenge, Murder and the Birth of the American Mafia by Mike Dash - Before the Five Families consolidated their power in New York there was Guiseppe Morello, a.k.a :The Clutch Hand”. Born in Corleone, Sicily, where he established himself as an expert counterfeiter, he came to the U.S. in the early 20th century eventually settling in New York’s Little Italy where he continued his career in crime soon branching out into real estate schemes. By 1928 he was well established as the “boss of all bosses” until his assassination by a rival in 1930. Dash goes where no researcher has gone before, the formation of the American branch of the Mafia between 1892 and 1930. A great story well told.

The First 60 Seconds: Win the Job Interview Before It Begins by Dan Burns - Burns has provided employment placement services to Fortune 500 companies for over a decade, his advice is simply that first impressions win jobs. He’ll take you through the steps to prepare for the interview, how to handle the first crucial 60 seconds, what to do in the following 60 minutes of the interview, how to close, and the appropriate follow-up. Burns’ advice will help you fine tune your appearance and performance.

In the President’s Secret Service: Behind the Scenes with Agents in the Line of Fire and the President They Protect by Ronald Kessler - Already best-seller and with good reason, award-winning journalist Kessler conducted exclusive interviews with more that 100 current and former Secret Service agents about their jobs, revealing untold stories and acts of heroism. With fly-on-the-wall perspective, he captures the never before revealed drama and tension that characterizes the elite corps of agents who put their lives in the line of fire.

Rustic Fruit Desserts: Crumbles, Buckles, Cobblers, Pandowdies, and More by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson - The heat of summer is waning and it’s time to return to baking. Schreiber heads Oregon’s Dept. of Agriculture Farm-to-School program and is an advocate for family farms. Richardson founded the small batch bakery, Baker & Spice. This cookbook reflects their commitment to using local seasonally appropriate produce in heritage cooking. Organized by season, these traditional American favorites incorporate simple updates like the pear bread pudding made with brioche. Uncomplicated and perfect these recipes will appeal to the home baker who enjoys experimenting with new ideas.