Crab Cab

Crab Cab by Yukiko Kido
Youth New Book Shelves – Lower Level - FLI

Discerning parents and children might notice that the better you can read, the more books there are at your level. It’s not that librarians don’t look, but there are just not as many books published for very beginning readers. Those that out there, alas, are often boring, at least to my beginning reader. This book, part of the Flip-a-Word series, tries and I think succeeds in filling in that gap. Each book focuses on about three “sound families”, or words that use similar sounds. In this book, it was groups of short rhyming words, ending with “ot” and “ab”. Each section begins with a few words, one to a page – “hot”, “snot”, “pot”, “tot”. The pages are die-cut to make it more obvious that most of the word stays the same from page to page, and Kido makes us of die cuts in the illustrations, too, for a bit of extra fun. Then the words are combined to make silly, mostly two-word phrases – “snot pot” and “crab cab”. The illustrations are appealing bright, rounded cartoon-style illustrations. Easy words for new readers, no plot to keep up with, still fun.

Other books in this series include:
Pig Wig
Wet Pet
Quack Shack
Snow Bow

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale
Adult Nonfiction - Upper Level - 364.1523 S



People who like history and true crime books will definitely enjoy The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher. This non-fiction book by Kate Summerscale is about the murder of a young boy at an English estate in 1860 and the detective, Mr. Whicher, sent from Scotland Yard to investigate. Mr. Whicher immediately believes it was someone in the family who killed the boy. However, people cannot fathom this and therefore refuse to believe it. Everyone, from regular townspeople to newspaper editors all over the country, have their own opinions about why Mr. Whicher is wrong and who the actual killer is. Summerscale does an excellent job of re-creating the case, including presenting details about all the family members of the victim. She also provides a lot of interesting information about the emergence of the new field of detective work during this time period. For example, she writes about how authors such as Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins incorporated detectives into their books. Overall, this is an entertaining, well-written, and thoroughly researched book about a historical crime and a country’s fascination with all aspects of it.

Smile

Smile by Raina Telgemeier
Teen Graphic Novels – Main Level - SMI

Smile is a true story of a girl navigating middle and high school with the dreaded braces. Already somewhat insecure, Raina is horrified when two of her front teeth get knocked out. The solution is oral surgery, braces, and even headgear at night. How can she even have a chance at looking cool? Along the way, she deals with band, an earthquake, starts to get interested in boys, and navigates the decidedly treacherous waters of friendship. Though it’s solidly set in San Francisco in the early 1990s, anyone who’s experienced middle or high school will find common ground with Raina. Here, the graphic novel format really helped the setting stay in the background while the characters stood out. This is a disarmingly honest story of a journey from insecurity to self-discovery, with braces. It is well deserving of its recent Eisner award.

Just After Sunset: Stories

Just After Sunset: Stories
by Stephen King
Adult Fiction Shelves--Main Level--King

I have been reading a lot of Stephen King this summer. This may be because his work has provided good escape from the reading required during the final semester of my Master’s degree. I also find that King's short stories are often easier to read than his lengthy novels.

Just After Sunset is an exceptional collection of stories that explore the various aspects of death and near death experiences. The stories are exciting, often shocking, and most of all—creepy. While I enjoyed nearly every story, a few stuck out among the rest. “N” explores the potentially dangerous power obsessive compulsive disorders can have over some, while adding a supernatural twist. “Willa” and “The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates” explore the possibilities of life after death. Finally, “The Ginger Bread Girl,” “The Rest Stop,” and “A Very Tight Place” play on the basic fear that completely commonplace settings and events can turn horrible.

Many of these stories scared me, in a good way, and kept me thinking long after I was done with the book. In my opinion, this collection is proof that King is a modern master of the short story.

I also highly recommend King’s most recent collection of short stories: Full Dark, No Stars

The Gingerbread Boy

The Gingerbread Boy by Paul Galdone
Picture Book Shelves - Lower Level - GAL

“Catch him, catch him if you can!” In this delightful folktale, a mischievous gingerbread boy runs away from just about everyone!

Once upon a time a very lonely old woman and man decide to make a gingerbread boy to keep them company. Unfortunately, as soon as he is baked, he jumps up and runs as far from them as possible. Along the way, he comes across a cow, a horse, and other people who would be very delighted to eat him. As the gingerbread boy taunts them that they can’t catch him, he grows surer of himself until he meets his match—the wily fox.

Told in rhyming, lyrical, and repetitious language, The Gingerbread Boy is the perfect book to read to little ones. Furthermore, it has a great universal lesson. Mr. Galdone’s version is well known. However, there are many other variations of this tale including The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett and The Gingerbread Cowboy by Janet Squires. If you are looking to expose your young child to a delightful folktale, The Gingerbread Boy is a great option!

Touch by Alexi Zentner

Touch

Adult New Fiction Zentner

“Touch” by Alexi Zentner is a novel about Stephen, a clergyman who has returned to his hometown of Sawgamet, a secluded town in Northern Canada, for the death of his mother. In the days before his mother’s death, Stephen recalls the stories of his Grandfather, Jeannot, and his father, Pierre. Stephen recalls the mysticism and magic his father and Grandfather believed in but he, as a Christian, has a hard time understanding. Through the discovery of Stephen's tragic loss of his sister, Marie, and father, Pierre in his childhood, we see the harsh conditions the townspeople faced during the harsh Canadian winters. This loss, combined with the stories of the gold rush, flourishes in Jeannot's embellishments of how he and a dog who loses his bark, come to Sawgamet and build a thriving logging town.

Zentner does a lovely job of fusing magical realism with the everyday life of the loggers. Life in the town is hard and it is easy to understand how in the dark by candlelight one believes there are voices in the wind calling. With sparkling details about encounters with magical creatures as well as a vivid description of one particularly smelly ghost,“Touch” keeps you wondering what the conclusion to its many stories will be. Why is Jeannot so convinced he can bring his dead wife back from the dead? Why is Jeannot haunted by a dead man’s bones? And, what is the real secret of the Sawgamet woods? These questions, and more, are elegantly told by Stephen who recounts how his Grandfather, father, and stepfather all have imparted their history to him as both a child and a man.

“Touch” is a lovely debut novel that will haunt you days after you read it. It is the perfect short novel to get you through a rainy day. The stories of Stephen’s father and Grandfather are told in an eerie and intimate way that makes the reader feel a little sad they are not true but very glad they were written by Zentner’s skilled hand.

Handle With Care

Handle With Care by Jodi Pilcoult
Cd Book Shelves-Main Level - PICOULT

Regular print edition
Adult Fiction Shelves--Main Level - PICOULT

Large Print edition
Adult Large Print--Main Level

This is an emotional read. I love Jodi Picoult. There are always layers in her stories, and sometimes metaphors that you don't "get" until you finish the book. This is about a girl born with osteogenesis imperfecta - brittle bones. Her mother decides to sue her best friend (who was unfortunately her obstetrician) for wrongful birth. The story is told from the perspectives of each character: the mother, her husband, the sister, and the best friend. The girl's sister has a particularly interesting story. She feels unloved, craves attention from her parents, and develops an eating disorder. The other interesting piece of the story is that the husband and wife disagree on the lawsuit, and testify on opposite sides. I listened to this on audio, which was done by a full cast of performers for each character.

Rush and Philosophy

Rush and Philosophy: Heart and Mind United
edited by Jim Berti and Durrell Bowman
New Book Shelves-Upper Level - 100 P

I’m a big Rush fan. Huge, actually. One of the best things about Rush, besides the mind-blowing musicianship of it all, is the lyrics and the messages within the songs. Whether you agree with their ideals or not, Rush songs are interesting. There are political and religious messages in their lyrics, and commentary on humanity. Their songs are smart.

I haven’t read it cover to cover, but that’s one of the best things about this book (and this kind of book in general): it is a compilation of essays written by philosophers, philosophy professors, and other “big thinkers.” You can open at random and read any essay independently.

One of my favorites so far is called “A Heart and Mind United.” It’s about the album Hemipsheres from 1978, and specifically the song “Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres”. The song is about the two sides of man: the practical and the passionate, and how human nature strives to balance the two. The essay compares the story told in the song to a philosophical idea called “the hard problem.” The hard problem talks about two sides of man too: we’re made of physical “stuff,” but unlike robots, we can experience and feel – and explain those feelings.

Of course, there’s a lot more to the essay and the principle than I have time or space for here…so read the book! It’s not dense or overly academic. The essays definitely require attention and thought, but some of them are kind of funny and the authors have injected personality – and their love of Rush – into them.