Some Wow Books

I just finished reading several books that I can’t wait to share!

One day, a fisherman found a baby dolphin caught in a net off the east coast of Florida.  After freeing her, he discovered that she was badly injured, especially in her tail.  Rescuers caught the feisty youngster and brought her to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, a premier treatment facility.  Veterinarians, dolphin handlers, and volunteers worked around the clock, and the baby responded to their care–except that she eventually lost her damaged tail. How could she swim without one?  Read the amazing and inspiring story of Winter (named for the season in which she was found) and find out how a spirited little dolphin and a caring and innovative group of people show that anything is possible.

Lidie’s mother passed away when she was very young.  Two years later, her horse-trainer father and older brother left their home in Brazil to work in the United States, and Lidie stayed with her uncle and aunt. Now twelve, Lidie is finally going to join them. But there are problems. How can Lidie make Pai and Rafael see that she is no longer the little girl they remember? And how can they be the loving family she longs for?

Ever since Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall was a toddler and brought some earthworms into her bed, she has been fascinated by animals. Join the primatologist on her quest to see wildlife in Africa one day, and feel Jane’s thrill and sense of accomplishment as she achieves her goals.

Reading Treasures

Warning: Travel through this area may result in unwillingness to leave to perform any other necessary tasks.

This warning is especially true if you begin any of these books!

Matt Cruse is a cabin boy on the luxury airship Aurora.  When he rescues a hot air balloonist who claims to have seen mysterious winged creatures, Matt believes the dying man to be delirious.  A year passes, and wealthy Kate De Vries, the old man’s granddaughter, arrives on board for the purpose of proving the animals exist.  Matt, skeptical at first, becomes drawn into her quest after reading the journal the balloonist kept.  Edge-of-your-seat action, complete with pirates, narrow escapes, and unforgettable characters will keep the pages turning until the very end.  (Take heart: there are two more novels in the series, Skybreaker and Starclimber.)  A treat for anyone ages 13 and up, adults included.

Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox wakes up from a lengthy coma after a car accident with no memory of her life, but with many questions:  Why did her family suddenly move from Boston to California; why can she remember events from her babyhood and quote passages from Thoreau when her own body is unfamiliar to her; why does the grandmother who adored her on family videos dislike her now?  When a seemingly minor incident compels Jenna to demand the truth, she learns that this truth raises even more questions.  Fans of medical thrillers and in-the-near-future science fiction will love this one.

Erin, whose mother passed away shortly after she was born, is approaching her sixteenth birthday.  To the delight of her brothers, Erin’s father announces he is remarrying–at a time when she longs to know more about her mother than her father seems willing to tell her.  When he presents his daughter with his wife’s diary, Erin discovers that, like herself, her mother aspired to be a writer.  Emboldened and armed with her mother’s well-worn copy of To Kill a Mockingbird, Erin embarks on a journey of discovery.

Ben, a young disabled boy, and his grandfather watch the birth of a seal pup.  As the young seal grows, she and Ben form a special bond that lasts through many seasons.  This sensitive, warm story is enhanced by brilliant illustrations.

This picture book is a visual delight.  Two young children are visiting The Western Wall in Jerusalem with their parents.  As they approach, they notice everything: the steps leading to the Wall, the plant life, the birds in the sky, the stones, and the people.  The text is sheer poetry.

Until next time, keep those pages turning!

 

 

Read Green! Check Out a Library Book.

National Library Week is a happy memory, but April has many more notable observances.   Take a look at the books about each!

Earth Month

Before white people came, the Nashua River in Massachusetts was a beautiful, clean waterway enjoyed by Native Americans and wildlife alike.  When cloth mills were built along its length, the river became more and more polluted, until fish, birds, and other animals completely disappeared.  This changed when a group of caring people, both white and Native American,  worked to restore the river to its former beauty.  This book tells the amazing story.

Borden’s father is a logger who lost his job because of the activities of spotted owl conservationists.  As he sets out one day to seek revenge on the birds, Borden finds an abandoned owlet, which he thinks is a barred owl, and takes it home.  Only after Borden and his family become attached to the baby do they discover it is actually a spotted owl.

The popular wildlife biologist (who failed biology in high school) tells the story of how he became interested in animals as a young child, and recounts his adventures around the world.  The fast-paced read will keep readers entertained while they absorb the conservation message.  The stunning photographs are an added highlight.

Each of the 41 poems in this collection is about an important event in American history.

These delightful animals poems are accompanied by the author’s ingenious illustrations.

School Library Month

What happens when a bookmobile ends up at the zoo?  Find out in this hilarious romp.  (Poetry lovers will also delight in this one!)

When kids start reading a popular new horror fiction series, strange things happen to them.  Fanny and her friend Beamer are convinced that the author is responsible, and set out to find her.  (Also check out the sequel, The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy.)

If you have any overdue library books, you are in good company!  Check out this article about our first President:

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/04/17/2010-04-17_read_it__weep_by_george_prez_racks_up_300g_late_fee_for_two_books.html

Spring!!!

Hello, fellow book lovers!

This is my favorite time of year for many reasons. The days are longer, the weather is warmer, trees are in bloom and are beginning to show their leaves, flowers are peeping out of the earth, and. . .new books are arriving in my libraries!!

I’m busy with the pleasant tasks of unpacking boxes of these recent arrivals (on top of my everyday duties) and checking them out. I’ve read two so far, and I’m so excited about them I can’t wait to share them with you.

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry
Lucinda Chapdelaine has been living with her aunt and uncle since her parents left for a royal ball ten years before and never returned.  Now fifteen, she is working in her uncle’s jewelry shop when a mysterious woman brings in an unusual stone for setting, and the prince of the land arrives seeking a gift for his betrothed.  These unrelated visits initiate a series of events that turn Lucinda’s world upside down and show that things–and people–may not be what they seem.  A magical tale from an amazing debut novelist!

Gateway by Sharon Shinn
St. Louis teen Daiyu (who was adopted from China as a baby) is offered a ring by a vendor at a fair near the Gateway Arch.  The girl buys the ring, puts it on, walks under the arch–and is catapulted into a world unlike, but with some uncanny resemblances to, her own.  Before she has a chance to recover from the shock, a young man informs her she has been brought here to fulfill a vital mission. But can she trust anyone?
St. Louis Gateway Arch

This week is National Library Week!  Visit your local public or school library and see what it has to offer.