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If you like Sarah J. Maas...

May 18, 2017 | rasberrye

Are you obsessed with Sarah J. Maas and the worlds of Prythian and Erilea? Wondering what to do after you've finished reading A Court of Wings and Ruin? Don't despair, check out some of these adventure fantasy novels that contain just the right amount of romance, intrigue, action and strong female heroines.

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Seventeen-year-old Ismae avoids an arranged marriage by making a place for herself at the convent of St. Martin, where she learns of her unique gifts and must determine whether she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death.

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Betrothed to the demon who rules her country, Nyx must now fulfill her destiny and move to the castle to be his wife. She hopes to use her skills to thwart Ingnifex's power and save her homeland from his control. Yet when the time comes, she cannot shake the desire she develops for him.

Loose Lips Sink Ships

May 16, 2017 | SuzyQ
Three minutes to doomsday : an agent, a traitor, and the worst espionage breach in US history by Joe Navarro
Stalin's Englishman : Guy Burgess, the Cold War, and the Cambridge spy ring by Andrew Lownie

Guy Burgess was the most important, complex, and fascinating of The Cambridge Spies--Maclean, Philby, Blunt--brilliant young men recruited in the 1930s to betray their country to the Soviet Union. An engaging and charming companion to many, an unappealing, utterly ruthless manipulator to others, Burgess rose through academia, the BBC, the Foreign Office, MI5 and MI6, gaining access to thousands of highly sensitive secret documents which he passed to his Russian handlers.

The main enemy : the inside story of the CIA's final showdown with the KGB by Milt Bearden
The puzzle palace : a report on America's most secret agency by James Bamford

Share a Story: Duck Storytime

May 15, 2017 | strande

 

In case you missed our Duck storytime this week, don't worry. Here are some of the fun stories and songs we shared, plus some extras to do your own quacking storytime at home.

From Storytime

Duck, duck, dinosaur by K. George

When Mama Duck's eggs hatch, revealing Feather, Flap, and Spike she feels like the luckiest duck in the pond.

 

IF YOU'RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT

          If you're happy and you know it, flap your wings.

          If you're happy and you know it, flap your wings.

          If you're happy and you know it, and you really want to show it

          If you're happy and you know it, flap your wings.

          (repeat with: quack quack, waddle waddle, and other ducky actions)

 

All the Kremlin's Men

May 15, 2017 | SuzyQ
All the Kremlin's men : inside the court of Vladimir Putin by Mikhail Zygarʹ

This is the story of the political battles that have taken place in the court of Vladimir Putin since his rise to power, and a chronicle of friendship and hatred between the Russian leader and his foreign partners and opponents.

The man without a face : the unlikely rise of Vladimir Putin by Masha Gessen
Putin's kleptocracy : who owns Russia? by Karen Dawisha

The raging question in the world today is who is the real Vladimir Putin and what are his intentions. Karen Dawisha's brilliant work provides an answer, describing how Putin got to power, the cabal he brought with him, the billions they have looted, and his plan to restore the Greater Russia.

Nothing is true and everything is possible : the surreal heart of the new Russia by Peter Pomerantsev

So You're Looking for Raina Telgemeier...

May 14, 2017 | strande

Maybe you want to read Sisters. Or maybe you love her work on The Baby-Sitters Club. Maybe you have no idea who Raina Telgemeier is, but you want a bright and fun graphic novel, and the ones your friends talk about are always checked out. Here is a list of Telgemeier's books (including alternative formats to check out), the popular titles that are just like Telgemeier, and some other suggestions for when those aren't available. Good luck, and happy reading.

Smile by Raina Telgemeier
Also available in: e-book

From sixth grade through tenth, Raina copes with a variety of dental problems that affect her appearance and how she feels about herself.

Drama by Raina Telgemeier
Also available in: e-book

Callie rides an emotional roller coaster while serving on the stage crew for a middle school production of Moon over Mississippi as various relationships start and end, and others never quite get going.

Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
Also available in: e-book

In a semi-autobiographical graphic novel, Raina's disappointing bond with a cranky, independent younger sister is further challenged by the arrival of a baby brother and an estrangement in their parents' marriage.

Coping with Teen Pressures

May 10, 2017 | visnawj

Whether becoming or simply being a teenager, there are a number of challenges and issues that tweens and teens face as they make their way through the junior high and high school years.  The titles below tackle these pressures and challenges in fictional accounts and nonfiction guides.

Fiction

The titles below address teen pressures through fictional narratives, as characters confront peer pressure, bullying, mental health issues, and other life challenges.  Suggested grade levels are provided based on professional reviews.

Army brats by Daphne Benedis-Grab

When the Bailey family moves into an army base in Virginia there are a lot of adjustments to make; twelve-year-old Tom runs afoul of the base school bully, ten-year-old Charlotte finds herself trying too hard to make friends with the "cool" girls, and six-year-old Rosie is just being difficult as usual--but they come together to investigate a mysterious building full of weird cages, and uncover Fort Patrick's secrets. (Grades 3-6)

Great Teen Sci-Fi

May 8, 2017 | Brad B.

Enjoyed the 5th Wave, or Divergent? Try one of these:

All our yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

"Em must travel back in time to prevent a catastrophic time machine from ever being invented, while Marina battles to prevent the murder of the boy she loves"--.

In the After by Demitria Lunetta

In a post-apocalyptic world where nothing is as it seems, seventeen-year-old Amy and Baby, a child she found while scavenging, struggle to survive while vicious, predatory creatures from another planet roam the Earth.

Under the never sky by Veronica Rossi

When Aria, a sheltered and fragile Dweller, is exiled from her home in Reverie, she must face The Death Shop, a land filled with cannibals and dangerous energy storms, and her only hope for staying alive depends on Outsider Perry, a savage hunter.

Teen Graphic Novels To Celebrate Diversity

May 8, 2017 | Brad B.
Dare to disappoint : growing up in Turkey by Özge Samancı

"As a child in Izmir, Turkey in the 1980 and 90s, Ozge Samanci watched as her country struggled between its traditional religious heritage and the new secular westernized world of brand-name products and television stars. In Ozge's own family, she struggled to figure out the place where she belonged, too. Her older sister was a perfect student, and her dad hoped Ozge would study hard, go to good schools, and become an engineer to find stability in their country's uncertain economic climate. But Ozge was a dreamer and wanted adventure. Could she be a scuba diver like Jacques Costeau? Or should she become a world-famous actress? This touching memoir shows how Ozge dared to overcome both her family and her country's expectations to find happiness by being an artist"--.

Midnighter. Volume 1, Out by Steve Orlando

"Spinning out of GRAYSON comes a solo series starring the man who can predict your every move ... but no one will be able to predict what he'll do next! A theft at the God Garden has unleashed a wave of dangerous biotech weapons on the world, and Midnighter intends to put that genie back in the bottle by any means necessary. But something else was stolen from the Garden as well ... the secret history of Lucas Trent, the man Midnighter once was! Collects MIDNIGHTER #1-6"--.

Diary of a Tokyo teen : a Japanese-American girl travels to the land of trendy fashion, high-tech toilets and maid cafes by Christine Mari Inzer

"Born in Tokyo to a Japanese mother and an American father in 1997, Christine Mari Inzer spent her early years in Japan and relocated to the United States in 2003. The summer before she turned sixteen, she returned to Tokyo, making a solo journey to get reacquainted with her birthplace. Through illustrations, photos, and musings, Inzer documented her journey. In Diary of a Tokyo Teen, Inzer explores the cutting-edge fashions of Tokyo's trendy Harajuku district, eats the best sushi of her life at the renowned Tsukiji fish market, and hunts down geisha in the ancient city of Kyoto. As she shares the trials and pleasures of travel from one end of a trip to the other, Inzer introduces the host of interesting characters she meets and offers a unique -- and often hilarious -- look at a fascinating country and an engaging tale of one girl rediscovering her roots."--provided by Amazon.com.

Ms. Marvel. Vol. 1, No normal by G. Willow Wilson

"Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City - until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, New York!"--.

Share a Story: Star Storytime

May 8, 2017 | strande

In case you missed our Star storytime this week, don't worry. Here are some of the fun stories and songs we shared, plus some extras to do your own twinkly storytime at home.

From Storytime

Stars by Mary Lyn Ray

Explores the wonder of stars, whether they are in the night sky, on a plant as a promise of fruit to come, or in one's pocket for those days when one does not feel shiny.

 

FIVE STARS COUNTING UP

          No little stars, next to the sun. One shoots by, and then there is one.

          One little star, with nothing to do. Another shoots by, and now there are two.

          Two little stars, winking at me. Another shoots by, and now there are three.

          Three little stars, blinking once more. Another shoots by, and now there are four.

          Four little stars, wait for another to arrive. Another shoots by, and now there are five.

What We're Reading: May 2017

May 6, 2017 | madame librarian
Stalking ground : a Timber Creek K-9 mystery by Margaret Mizushima

When Deputy Ken Brody's sweetheart goes missing in the mountains outside Timber Creek, Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo are called to search. But it's mid-October and a dark snow storm is brewing over the high country. And they're already too late. By the time they find her body, the storm has broken and the snow is coming down hard. While Brody hikes down to bring back the forensics team and veterinarian Cole Walker gathers supplies to protect them from the storm, Mattie and Robo find themselves alone, guarding the gravesite overnight in the dead of the early winter. And that's only the first long, dark night in a series of them, because as their investigation develops, Mattie, Robo, Brody, and Cole find themselves in the middle of the killer's stalking ground--where the hunters have just become the hunted.

Cork dork : a wine-fueled adventure among the obsessive sommeliers, big bottle hunters, and rogue scientists who taught me to live for taste by Bianca Bosker

Professional journalist and amateur drinker Bianca Bosker didn't know much about wine--until she discovered an alternate universe where taste reigns supreme, a world of elite sommeliers who dedicate their lives to the pursuit of flavor. Astounded by their fervor and seemingly superhuman sensory powers, she set out to uncover what drove their obsession, and whether she, too, could become a "cork dork." With boundless curiousity, humor, and a healthy dose of skepticism, Bosker takes the reader inside underground tasting groups, exclusive New York City restaurants, California mass-market wine factories, and even a neuroscientist's fMRI machine as she attempts to answer the most nagging question of all: what's the big deal about wine? What she learns will change the way you drink wine--and, perhaps, the way you live--forever. Named one of The 4 Books You Should Read This Spring by Fortune Named one of 12 Nonfiction Books You Need to Read in March by Harper's Bazaar Named one of the 20 Best Nonfiction Books Coming in March 2017 by Bustle Named one of The Best Drink Books of Spring and Summer 2017 by Punch Named one of the Best Books of Early 2017 by Brightly

And every morning the way home gets longer and longer : a novella by Fredrik Backman

Grandpa and Noah are sitting on a bench in a square that keeps getting smaller every day. The square is strange but also familiar, full of the odds and ends that have made up their lives : Grandpa's work desk, the stuffed dragon that Grandpa once gave to Noah, the sweet-smelling hyacinths that Grandma loved to grow in her garden.

Dust bowl girls : the inspiring story of the team that barnstormed its way to basketball glory by Lydia Reeder
Also available in: e-book

"At the height of the Great Depression, Sam Babb, the charismatic basketball coach of tiny Oklahoma Presbyterian College, began dreaming. Like so many others, he wanted a reason to have hope. Traveling from farm to farm, he recruited talented, hardworking young women and offered them a chance at a better life: a free college education if they would come play for his basketball team, the Cardinals. Despite their fears of leaving home and the sacrifices faced by their families, the women followed Babb and his dream. He shaped the Cardinals into a formidable team, and something extraordinary began to happen: with passion for the game and heartfelt loyalty to one another and their coach, they won every game. Combining exhilarating sports writing and exceptional storytelling, Dust Bowl Girls conveys the intensity of an improbable journey to an epic showdown with the prevailing national champions, helmed by the legendary Babe Didrikson. And it captures a moment in American sports history when a visionary coach helped his young athletes achieve more than a winning season"--.

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