The Silver Bowl

The Silver Bowl by Diane Stanley.
Youth New Book Shelves – Lower Level – STANLEY

Molly was only seven when her rough father decided she was too much trouble to take care of anymore. He got her a job as a scullery maid at the castle. During their brief farewell, Molly’s room-bound mother gave her the lovely silver necklace her father had given her and told her to wear it, but keep it hidden. It’s a small link to the family heritage of seeing visions that Molly has just found out that she and her mother share. It takes some quick learning to fit in at the castle, but knowing she has nowhere else to go, Molly is motivated. She makes friends with another lowly castle employee, Tobias, the donkey boy. After a few years as a scullery maid, she is taken by Thomas, the silver master, to help with the silver polishing. There she is given the job of polishing the great silver bowl, used by the royal family for washing hands before meals. It’s filled with intricate designs, and every time Molly polishes it, it grows warm in her hands and draws her into visions. Through these she learns that the bowl is filled with curses aimed at the royal family, which the visions want her to break. As she pieces together what a person of her lowly position might be able to do about this, the plot heats up until the life of the prince and the fate of the entire kingdom are resting in her hands. This is a lovely below-the-stairs medieval fantasy, with class playing an important part. Even when Molly and Prince Alaric are put in a position where they have to talk to each other, there’s great consciousness that this is not the normal order of things. Earlier on, her efforts to stop things going wrong in the first place are seriously hampered by her position as a young serving girl, as well as her unorthodox methods of knowing things. Though this is definitely a fantasy, Molly’s visions aren’t something that anybody else in her world could be expected to believe. There’s some second-hand gore here, so while most of this is suitable for middle grade students, those highly sensitive or on the lower end of the age range might want to avoid it. The writing holds up beautifully for readers of the intended age and up.

Diane Stanley is a prolific and diverse author whose work includes picture books, fairy tale retellings, biographies, and novels for youth. Some other books of hers that I have enjoyed include:


The Giant and the Beanstalk
Petrosinella: a Neapolitan Rapunzel

Cinnamon Baby

Cinnamon Baby by Nicola Winstanley. Illustrated by Janice Nadeau
Youth New Book Shelves – Lower Level - WIN

Miriam is a baker. She sings and bakes every morning in her bakery, all different kinds of delicious bread, always finishing with her favorite cinnamon bread. One day, Sebastian rides by on his bicycle. Lured in by the smell and Miriam’s sweet voice, he buys bread from her every day for a year. Then, they marry and have a baby. Though it’s not noted in the text, Sebastian is dark-skinned and Miriam pale; their baby comes out the color of cinnamon. After a few blissful days, the baby starts crying. Nothing either Miriam or Sebastian can do soothes it. Finally, Miriam wakes the exhausted Sebastian early in the morning to bring the baby with her to the bakery. When the sweet smell of cinnamon and the sound of its mother’s voice fill the air, the baby is finally soothed. The thin and swirly watercolor lines of the art add a vintage Paris kind of feel, as well as expanding on the story told in the text. The sweet story and beautiful art combine to make this a book to be savored.

Turning the Tide: How a small band of allied sailors defeated the u-boats and won the Battle of the Atlantic

Turning the Tide: How a small band of allied sailors defeated the u-boats and won the Battle of the Atlantic
by Ed Offley Adult Nonfiction – Upper Level 940.545 O

The Battle of the Atlantic often receives short shrift in histories of WWII. There are a couple of reasons for this. First of all, it lasted the entire duration of the European war, from 1939 to 1945. Secondly and more importantly, few people who weren't fighting actually saw it. There were no Edward R. Murrows or William L. Shirers broadcasting live from the scene of u-boat attacks. There was no Bill Mauldins drawing cartoons of weary sailors fighting both seasickness and the enemy. Only the sailors along with a few aviators killing or being killed in the middle of a vast ocean.

In Turning the Tide Ed Offley makes a convincing case that this oft-ignored front was in fact the most important in the European Theater. Losing this battle would have forced Britain into starvation and surrender, and without a threat keeping Nazi troops in the west, Russia may have lost or made a deal with Hitler. In any case the results of the war would have been very different.

Rather than cover the entire Battle of the Atlantic, Offley focuses on a few convoys in the spring of 1943 where the allies finally managed to take the iniative and put the u-boats on the defensive for the duration of the war. Offley writes clearly and well; while the names of boats and sailors can get confusing, the main narrative is a real page-turner.

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.

Empire State: A Love Story (Or Not)

Empire State: A Love Story (Or Not) by Jason Shiga
Adult Graphic Novels - Main Level - EMP

Jimmy and Sara are best friends. When she decides to move to New York to take an internship in the publishing industry, Jimmy is distraught. He has a crush on her, and can't imagine life in California without her. He is very sheltered and naive, and doesn't understand why she needs to spread her wings and move on.

He finally decides to visit her in New York to proclaim his love for her. The book is funny - Jimmy mails Sara a letter telling her to meet him on the observation deck of the Empire State building (ala Sleepless in Seattle). She never gets the letter, so she doesn't expect him when he finally gives up and shows up on her doorstep. Jimmy meets Sara's new boyfriend, Mark. He's sophisticated and worldly, and knows much more about technology than Jimmy does. Jimmy is embarrassed because he thought he could get a job in the dot-com industry in New York, making web sites. It is clear that he barely knows what he's doing once Mark steps in.

So, readers have to get all the way to the end before they find out if Sara and Jimmy can ever be together as more than friends. Maybe they are becoming just too different, growing apart. Or maybe their reunion makes them realize how much they mean to each other. This is a cute, fast read with quirky, funny characters and comedic timing.

Put 'Em Up!

Put 'Em Up!: A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook, from Drying and Freezing to Canning and Pickling by Sherri Brooks Vinton
New Book Shelves Upper Level - Cook 641.4 V

I've never canned anything, but my garden is looking pretty good and I want to give it a try. I've been looking through lots of books on the subject, but so far this is my favorite. It's organized nicely by ingredient (want bean recipes? Look under beans!), and has an excellent chapter on technique where there are step-by-step procedures on things like cold-pack canning and hot-pack canning. It also has color pictures throughout. The author goes through equipment needs, and is very practical about what pieces are absolutely necessary vs. what is "nice to have." I'll be making pickles, pickled peppers, salsa, and tomato sauce. I think, with the help of this book, that I can do this!

The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War

The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War
by Andrew Roberts Adult Nonfiction – Upper Level 940.54 R

Single-volume histories of major events often get bogged down in the "what" "when" and "who" without devoting much attention to the "why". Andrew Roberts in "Storm of War" devotes much of his attention to the "why" in his history and analysis of World War II. He relates events clearly and concisely, but the most interesting parts of the book are his explanations of the reasons behind the decisions made. (Hint: Nazi ideology was a double-edged sword.)

One Caveat: Pacific theater buffs may prefer to pass on this book. Roberts is an Englishman who pays only cursory attention to the fight against Japan. He tells readers what happened but does not interpret it, to the extent that Japan is mentioned only twice in his conclusive analysis.

Leviathan

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Teen Zone Fiction – Main Level - Westerfeld

Australian YA author Westerfeld of Uglies fame takes a turn toward a steampunk alternate history with this first in a trilogy. The year is 1914. Prince Alek, son of the Archduke Ferdinand, is woken in the middle of the night by his tutor, who takes him for what he thinks is a midnight training ride in one of the two-legged walkers that Austria-Hungary is becoming famous for. Except that it turns out not to be training. His parents have just been assassinated, his people have turned against him, and Alek must run for his life. Meanwhile, Deryn Sharp is posing as a boy so that she can join the British Air Service, where genetically engineered ecosystems of animals create large dirigible-like ships that float through the air. Unlike Jacky Faber, Deryn finds the constant jockeying for position among the midshipmen wearing, but she is already experienced in the air, brilliant and courageous. She ends up serving on the Leviathan, a very large airship that is carrying Dr. Nora Darwin Barlow and some precious cargo on an urgent diplomatic mission to the Ottoman Empire. The world is on the brink of war between the Darwinists and the Clankers – can two young people from opposite sides prevent it? The action is non-stop, the characters a delight, and the technology intriguing. We have it in teen, but so far I haven’t seen anything in to make it inappropriate for middle graders (no sexual situations and minimal, considered violence), while it’s deep enough to work for adults as well. I’ve already devoured the second book, Behemoth, as well, and am now waiting for book three to come out in September.

The Plymouth Library owns Leviathan in print, audio cd, e-audio and ebook.

Exclusive

Exclusive by Sandra Brown
Adult Fiction- Main Level– BROWN

Barrie Travis is a TV journalist with a shaky tract record of news stories. Barrie was surprised when she received a phone call from the First Lady of the United States Vanessa Merritt inviting her to lunch. Barrie is perplexed by this; the lunch is awkward especially when the death of Mrs. Merritt’s baby is brought up. Robert Rushton Merritt was only 3 months old when he died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Vanessa was very distraught during the lunch and Barrie was unsure what made Vanessa reach out to her. After the lunch Barrie had the idea to do a news series on SIDS and Vanessa agreed to be interviewed. During the interview Vanessa seemed very controlled, not at all the like distraught upset mother she was a few weeks ago during the initial lunch. Barrie took Vanessa’s change in demeanor to mean that Vanessa did not believe that her son died of SIDS but was actually murdered. Barrie decided to look further in baby Merritt’s death. She called her source at the local hospital and discovered that there was never an autopsy done on little Robert. What was even more concerning, her source seemed to disappear: she left her job and her apartment with no forwarding address. Barrie immediately realized she was on a hot story. She tried to set up another interview with the First Lady but Vanessa went into seclusion and Barrie was denied access. Barrie decided to follow another course of action; she tracked down Gray Bondurant in Wyoming. It was rumored that Gray and Vanessa has a secret affair and he was really the father of her child. Gray follows Barrie back to Washington DC only to discover that the story is bigger than they thought. Barrie’s townhouse is fire-bombed and they are being followed. Barrie and Gray are taking on the White House. Will they ever prove the baby Robert was murdered and by whom? They are in a race against time to get the truth out and save Vanessa and themselves from the same fate that poor Robert experienced.

Alice Bliss

Alice Bliss By Laura Harrington

Adult New Fiction Harrington


In this beautiful coming-of-age novel, we learn that Matt Bliss is “somebody who knows how to be happy.” He has a loving wife and two young daughters, left his engineering career to become a carpenter, and grows the best vegetables in town. He is worshiped by his eldest, Alice, who accompanies him on roofing jobs and working in the garden.

Matt is also in the National Guard and his unit has been called up for deployment to Iraq. Angie, his wife, has a desperately hard time without him there and her already-uncomfortable relationship with Alice just grows more distant. Angie pretty much abdicates care of the family to Alice. Alice is having a hard time focusing on anything besides her father’s absence. She wears an unwashed shirt of his for weeks.

This family does not exist in a vacuum, though. They have the loving support of just about everyone around them. Angie’s brother Eddie takes over Matt’s role in the family as best he can, teaching Alice to drive and taking Angie out for dinner and dancing. Henry, Alice’s best friend since birth, tries to be there in any way he can for Alice. Ellie, Alice’s precocious young sister, offers Alice the opportunity to be needed and focus on something outside herself and her misery. And Gram holds the whole clan together.

The best of small-town America is reflected in this novel. In uncertain times, these people struggle and support one another. Hearts break and everything changes, but ultimately life does go on.

This is a magnificent debut novel. I can’t wait to see more from Laura Harrington.

Korgi

Korgi. Book One. by Christian Slade
Youth Graphic Novels – Lower Level - KOR

Korgi is a sparkling graphic novel, wordless except for the introduction, nicely all ages. Hidden in the forest live the small magical people called the Mollies, with their helpful fox-like Korgis. One day, a little girl named Ivy gets lost, and she and her Korgi must outwit the monsters who are trying to trap them in order to get back home. The pen and ink illustrations are beautiful and expressive. The cover made me wonder about it being too girly of a book for my gender-conscious boy, but not to worry – there was quite enough straight-up adventure to hold his attention, as well as the occasional touch of humor. This has been added to our personal library and we’re now giving it as kid birthday presents. There are two more books in the series now available.

I'd Know You Anywhere

I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
Adult New Book Display - Main Level - Mystery Lippman

I picked up a Laura Lippman book because it was on the “new” shelf at the library (and because it’s on my summer reading list). I liked the cover and I liked the title, and I remembered reading some reviews of it in the review journals. I had never read a book by her before, but I most definitely will read more of them now!

I’d Know You Anywhere is about the 1985 kidnapping of Elizabeth Lerner. It’s also about Eliza Bennett, the only person kidnapped by Walter Bowman to live to tell. Elizabeth and Eliza are the same person – she changed her name to Eliza so that she could start over and not live under the drama and the “story” of Elizabeth Lerner the rest of her life. All these years later, Eliza is married with children. She is perfectly content with her life and her anonymity. Her husband knows what happened and her parents and sister know what happened to her, but her children and her neighbors and friends have no idea.

That’s why her world is turned upside down when Walter contacts her out of the blue. He is scheduled to be executed in two weeks, and wants to talk to her before that.

There is so much going on in this book – I don’t want to write a four page review or summary of the whole plot, so I’ll just say this: pick up this book and do not stop reading until you have finished! Find out what Walter really wants. Find out if Eliza will agree to see him. Find out if he is executed.

Read this book!

Safe Haven

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Adult New Fiction Sparks


There is a new waitress at Ivan’s Restaurant and she has a secret. A big one.

When Katie arrives in Southport, North Carolina, she knows no one and no one knows her. She is there to start over, period. Despite her ever-present anxiety over the life she left behind, she finds herself falling in love with Alex, a local store owner and widowed father of two small children. Her next door neighbor, Jo, in whom she reluctantly confides her past, encourages the relationship. Katie’s past, however, holds her back as it rears its ugly head in her mind and eventually, her new life.

This story is darker than most of Sparks’ novels and gives us frightening insight into the mind of the antagonist that Katie so desperately fears. It is also a study in true courage. The way Sparks plays out the story is fascinating. It’s a great summer read.