Look What's New for Teens!

The Carbon Diaries 2017 by Saci Lloyd - In 2017, two years after England introduces carbon dioxide rationing to combat climatic change, eighteen-year-old Laura chronicles her first year at a London university as natural disasters and political upheaval disrupt her studies.

Look What's New for Kids!

Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors by Joyce Sidman - Poems and factual information about some of the creatures that live on Planet Earth.

May Recommendations for Kids

Fiction

Is It Night or Day? by Fern Chapman - Inspired by the experiences of her mother, Chapman chronicles the life of twelve-year-old Edith who is sent to America as a participant in the "One Thousand Children" program which placed child refugees in foster families in America to escape the Holocaust.

My Unwilling Witch Gets a Makeover by Hiawyn Oram - What is a Rumblewick, Haggy Aggy’s right hand cat to do when Haggy Aggy, her witch, decides she does not want to attend the long awaited Fright Night? Why does her witch now adore all things pink, and refuse to wear her black hats?

The Fast and the Furriest by Andy Behrens - Kevin, a twelve-year boy, lives in the shadow of his father’s former football stardom. Cromwell, Kevin’s inert pet dog, becomes obsessed with competing in dog-agility competitions after accidentally viewing a televised competition. Can Cromwell overcome his lifetime of potato chip addiction to become a serious contender in the competitive arena?

Powerless by Matthew Cody - When Daniel moves to Noble’s Green, he learns his six new friends have superpowers and protect the town. They each have a superpower: invisibility, the ability to fly, strength, among others. The moment the young superheroes turn thirteen, their powers and memory fade, and it’s up to ordinary Daniel to discover why, and who is to blame.

Bedtime for Mommy by Amy Rosenthal - A little girl’s humorous struggles to put her mom to bed. A fun bedtime story to share.

Jacob O’Reilly Wants a Pet by Lynne Rickards - Jacob desperately wants a pet, so at his parent’s suggestion he opens a pet-sitting business which is far too successful.


Nonfiction

If I Had a Hammer by David Rubel - Inspiring Habitat for Humanity stories and experiences, with a foreword by Jimmy Carter. Habitat for Humanity has committed itself to serving people who cannot otherwise find affordable housing. The homes, now in over 90 countries, are built with volunteer labor, including the labor of the partner families. The partner families pay the full cost of their new homes over time through no-profit loans from Habititat. Abundant illustrations complete this record of how working together builds bridges between people.

Out of Line: Growing Up Soviet by Tina Grimberg - The difficulties of growing up Soviet in the 60’s and 70’s in Kiev. With families wedged in small two rooms, the babushkas guarded every courtyard. Religion was forbidden, lines were long, and poverty prevalent. Soviet life was all about who you knew, and what connections you had.

Memoirs with Recipes

If I Can Cook, You Know God Can by Ntozake Shange - Rich in personal memoir and history reflection, with a dash of philosophy, acclaimed artist Ntozake Shange brings together a collection of recipes shared by all members of the African Diaspora.

The Language of Baklava: A Memoir by Diana Abu-Jaber - Cooking is the language of love, these recipes illuminate the two cultures of Diana's childhood–American and Jordanian. We are invited to sit down at the table with Diana’s family, sharing unforgettable meals that turn out to be as much about "grace, difference, faith, love" as they are about food.

Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard - Confounded but never defeated by French culture the author adapts, reluctantly or triumphantly, to the culture of her French husband. The recipes and romance are almost secondary to the other story, the true meaning of success, happiness, and home.

Out of the Frying Pan: A Chef’s Memoir of Hot Kitchens, Single Motherhood, and the Family Meal by Gillian Clark - Gillian Clark rose from a minimum wage carrot chopper to top chef and her own restaurant. But managing a kitchen also taught her about parenting. With a wealth of experience and wisdom, and a healthy dash of humor, Gillian now shares her life’s recipes, from the solutions she cooked up for parenting challenges to her favorite culinary creations.

May Recommendations for Teens

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink - Twins Alice and Lia have lived a hard life. Their mother having committed suicide when they were young, and now their father’s strange and untimely death has left the two girls and their younger brother orphaned. Fate, however, isn’t done with them.

Lia discovers an ancient prophecy, and the translation of it is chilling. It tells of a legion of lost souls and their leader, a fallen angel named Samael, who are seeking entrance into the living world, the outcome of which would be catastrophic. The cryptic writing also foretells of two sisters, one known as the Guardian and the other the Gate, who have the power to either help Samael or keep him from this world. But which role will Lia play? She has the heart of the Guardian, but has been marked as the Gate. Can she fight evil when she has been marked as evil herself?

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater - Grace was nine when it happened. She was pulled from her backyard by a pack of starving wolves, and had already given up when a yellow-eyed wolf saved her from that gruesome fate. Since then she has had a thing for wolves, especially the yellow-eyed wolf who visits the woods near her home every winter. It isn’t until she finds a strange boy with familiar yellow eyes bleeding on her porch that she realizes the truth.

Sam was in his wolf form when he was shot by hunters, and in his desperation he has turned to Grace for help. The two obviously have feelings for one another, but they may not have time to see where it goes. Winter is coming soon and the temperature is the link to Sam’s humanity. Once it is cold, the werewolves must return to their wolf bodies; however, eventually they lose the ability to shift altogether. Sam fears that this is his last chance to have a human body and that adds both suspense and urgency to their story. Grace suspects that there might be a cure, but it is untested and possibly deadly. Is their love for one another worth the risk to Sam’s life? How much would you give up for the chance to be with the one you love?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - After years of drought, famine and war the United States has collapsed and Panem has risen. Panem controls every aspect of life for the citizens in its twelve districts, from food to entertainment. As part of their "entertainment" and as a reminder that the government is in absolute control, each year they hold a competition known as the Hunger Games. Each district must provide a boy and a girl to compete in a televised game where the winner is the last one standing.

When 16-year-old Katniss volunteers to take her little sister’s place in the games she is thrust into an arena and forced to fight for her life. She and Peeta, the boy from District Twelve, must face brutal terrain, deadly weather conditions, and other contestants who have trained their whole lives for the chance to win the Hunger Games. Complicating matters, Peeta confesses his love for Katniss, knowing that only one of them can make it out alive.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman - Troublemaker teens are salvaged for their body parts, and Connor, Risa, and Lev are all slated to be unwound. If they can survive till their eighteenth birthday, they cannot be harmed nor have every piece of themselves given away to others. An engrossing, harrowing glimpse into a stark future, filled with betrayal and a fight to survive and find love.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner - If you liked the Hunger Games, you will be intrigued by this fast paced story of Thomas who wakes up in the freight elevator only remembering his name. He finds himself surrounded by youth living in the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by a stone maze. Every morning the stone doors to the maze open, and specialized runners spend the day running through a changing maze attempting to solve the puzzle and escape. Each night the runners return exhausted, yet are unable to spend the night in the maze due to the murderous Grievers. Each month a new boy arrives, but after Thomas, a girl is sent, and although her memory has also been wiped clean, the note in her hands indicate she is the last arrival, and the final suspenseful days of the maze are upon the Gladers.

The Magician of Hoad by Margaret Mahy - Heriot was born with a special gift. He hears the thoughts of others in his head and receives visions of strange things that wake him in the middle of the night. Still trying of figure out these strange things happening to him, Heriot is taken away from his life and family by the King. Suddenly Heriot must find his place in the complex world of the royal court. The King calls on him to read the minds of friends and foes, and he has to be careful of not to get caught in the middle of a power struggle between 3 princes. Among all this he must learn to use his ability and take his part in this delicate game. Heriot finds it hard to trust people, but finds a strange friendship with Clayey, a street urchin, and who might be his only friend. His life and the kingdoms survival will depend on his ability…now if only if he can figure out how to do that! This great fantasy is sure to capture the minds of fans of Eragon, Lord of the Rings, or Harry Potter.

Children of the Sea by Daisuke Igarashi - When Rukia was young she saw a ghost in the aquarium that her father worked at…but no one believed her. Years latter Rukia has a strange longing for the sea, and meets two strange boys Sora, and Umi, who are also drawn to the sea. Soon an epic story unfolds, starting with the disappearance of fish from the world aquariums. What does the missing fish and this longing for the sea mean? For a graphic novel this has a compelling story combined with elegant art that really makes the book come alive! A must read for those that read graphic novels, and for those that never have.

May Recommendations for Adults

Fiction

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake - Blake’s debut novel of three very different women: a reporter, a postmistress and a young bride, as the war is beginning to break over America in 1940. The story goes back and forth between small-town America and Blitz-ravaged London, weaving the tale of the impact each of these women makes, knowingly or unknowingly, on each other’s lives. Library Journal says: "Even readers who don’t think they like historical novels will love this one and talk it up to their friends."

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantes - "A grand, distinctive accomplishment" is how Publisher’s Weekly describes this debut novel. Set during the Vietnam War, the story follows Marine Lieutenant Mellas and his platoon as they man the firebase called Matterhorn, fighting what seems like the entire army of North Vietnam as well as rain, leeches, racial tensions, malnutrition, Agent Orange and the frailties of the human soul.

The Stolen Crown: The Secret Marriage that Forever Changed the Fate of England by Susan Higginbotham - Higginbotham "hits another historical high note" (Booklist) in this fictional study of the British monarchy. The Wars of the Roses provides the backdrop to this story dealing with the traditional royal backstabbing, plotting, intrigue and romance. The catch to this story is the secret marriage between King Edward IV and Katherine’s older sister. When the king dies, drama ensues! Who will get the throne and to what lengths will they go?

The Surrendered by Chang-Rae Lee - June Han is a starving 11-year old refugee from the Korean War when she is separated from her 7-year old twin siblings and put in an orphanage. She heals slowly under the watchful care of Sylvie Tanner, another scarred soul who witnessed the murder of her parents as a child. These painful past experiences influence and effect the interactions each person has on everyone else, building a "powerful, deeply felt, compulsively readable and imbued with moral gravity" (Publishers Weekly) novel that will leave you feeling haunted.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: A Novel by Helen Simonson - 68-year old Major Pettigrew is a gentleman, proper refined who is quietly growing more and more interested in the local shop’s owner: the lovely Pakistani Mrs. Ali. His efforts to court this equally genteel lady meet obstacles at every turn, most notably his callow son Roger, and the socialite ladies at his club. Not-so-subtle racial attitudes rear their ugly heads in this "utterly charming and surprising novel" that reads like a pro – not the debut it is!

Alice I Have Been: A Novel by Melanie Benjamin - All things Alice are interesting right now. This novel, based on the "real" Alice takes readers on a retrospective journey on her life: her Victorian childhood including her special friendship with math tutor Charles Dodgson (later known as Lewis Carroll), her young adult romance with Prince Leopold and her eventual marriage to Reginald Hargreaves. Her fictional identity as the Alice who went down the rabbit hole follows her throughout her life, burdening her with whispers and suspicions about her relationship with the author who found in her his literary muse.

The Man from Beijing by Henning Mankell - A massacre occurs in a small hamlet in Sweden – 19 elderly villagers and their pets are hacked to death. A complex, sprawling novel follows Birgitta Roslin, a district- court judge, who tries to make sense of the slaughter and begins an investigation that leads her to Beijing and then Mozambique and then London. Confused? "The various strains of this massive plot are skillfully interconnected…a must-read for anyone interested in the international crime novel." (Booklist)


Nonfiction

Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life by Frances Mayes - Take a tour through the seasons in Tuscany and enjoy this new memoir from Mayes as she reflects on the sensuous, gastronomical, emotional and introspective moments of winter to summer. Taste the local wine, seek out the paintings of Luca Signorelli, meditate on village legends and drink in the morning sunrise through the vivid words celebrating the "lush abundance and charm of daily life in the Italian countryside." (Publishers Weekly)