Kids’ Picks

July 3, 2012 at 2:21 pm | Posted in Reviews, Staff Picks | Leave a comment
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Here are some recommendations for kids and teens from Anne, our Co-ordinator of Children and Youth Services!

Hunger Games Series.  Not as good as Harry Potter or the Twilight Series.   Good but too violent, gory and the storyline isn’t as riveting as the other two series.  I wouldn’t want to read the Hunger Games series again.  It was a good read, but not good enough to be added to my personal “keep forever” collection.

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo. Interesting: the book was written from the view of the horse.  I would not be able to watch the movie.  It would be too sad, too many horses harmed.  No tears reading the book though.  5 stars.

Theodore Boone:  Kid Lawyer, and Theodore Boone:  The Abduction, by John Grisham. Two thumbs up, he is now a bestselling author for kids.

The Books of Elsewhere:  The Shadows, Vol 1 by Jacqueline West. For ages 8 – 12.  Olive, an 11 year old girl and her parents move into an old mansion.  Olive discovers that one can travel inside the paintings hanging on the walls to a world called Elsewhere.  Each painting is a different part of the street she lives on with the occupants in the houses from a different time.  Olive meets a boy in one painting who wants to get out but she doesn’t understand all the sinister things going on, so she doesn’t trust him.  She is aided by 3 talking cats who have lived in her house for centuries.  You might not want to read this book when you are alone in the house.

Out of Season by Kari Jones. High interest quick read for kids who aren’t great readers.  Story involves kayaking, fishing, sea otters and poaching culminating in a mystery solved by a 14 yr old female protecting a family of sea otters.

Hold the Pickles by Vicki Grant. Another high interest quick read for kids who aren’t great readers. A humorous mystery involving a “nerdy” 15 yr old boy working as a hotdog mascot for his Uncle at a food fair and a beautiful girl.  You’ll chuckle right down to your tighty whities.

And finally:

Prisoner of Dieppe:  World War II. Alistair Morrison, Occupied France, 1942.  Part of the I Am Canada series.  Written by Hugh Brewster.

We will be reading this book beginning in October for our Story Hour with snack on Wednesdays after school.   Hugh Brewster is also scheduled to come in October for a Library  presentation to local schools.  He will be discussing this book as well as his other war books.

It has been 70 years since the battle of Dieppe, and just like the Titanic book that we read in the Spring commemorating its 100 years, we remember all the Canadians who perished in the botched Dieppe raid on the shores of Normandy in 1942.  The story is based on actual men who fought in World War II, and landed in Dieppe  and their struggles to survive a POW camp.

**** SPOILER ALERT*****

Tissues are required for the Epilogue which consists of a letter from Alistair Morrison addressed to his grandson written before Alistair’s death in 2009.  It illustrates the turmoil and horrors many survivors faced even after the war ended.

Book Club Faves

June 28, 2012 at 10:12 am | Posted in At the library, Reviews | Leave a comment
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Our adult book clubs are finished for the season, but before they did, they chose their favourite book to share with the blog. But it was a tie!

Lawrence Hill’s Book of Negroes uses historical fact (Loyalist African-Americans were transplanted at the close of the Revolutionary war to Nova Scotia and other locations throughout the Commonwealth, and their names were recorded in ledgers – these documents can be seen in public archives in Britain, the United States, Nova Scotia, and online through Library and Archives Canada) to shape the story of Aminata Diallo. She is a strong, engaging female narrator. It truly is an exceptional human story.

Jenna Blum’s Those Who Save Us is part contemporary, part historical fiction. Haunted by an old family photo of her mother and a high-ranking Nazi officer, historian Trudy Swenson begins to dig deep into the past to uncover the wartime experiences her mother refuses to talk about.

Try one of these book club favourites, today!

Staff Picks September 2011

September 14, 2011 at 11:21 am | Posted in Reviews, Staff Picks | Leave a comment
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Staff recommendations for the best of what to read, listen to and view in our collection.

The long goodbye / Meghan O’Rourke Highly recommended for those trying to come to a better understanding of their grief, it shares the author’s personal reactions to the death of her mother and the wisdom of others who have dealt with loss. Very powerful!  (Faith)

Never knowing / Chevy Stevens An adopted woman searches for her birth parents.  Some questions are better left unanswered…  The only thing worse than finding out your father is a serial killer, is him finding you.  A psychological thriller that I couldn’t put down.  (Anne)

Tiger Hill / Sarita Mandanna An epic story set in a region of Southern India. A great mix of historical fact and fiction. (Shelly)

State of Wonder / Ann Patchett A research scientist travels to Brazil and into the Amazonian jungle to discover the whereabouts of her colleague and mentor who travelled to the Amazon many months before.  The book has many interesting characters as well as many exciting adventures.  It is an excellent read. (Kim)  

Easy money / Gail Vaz-Oxlade Great tips and advice are offered in this concise book on managing your money. Recommended for those who are looking for a starting point in creating a family budget. (Marcia)

 The mountain between us / Charles Martin The story begins with a plane crashinto the High Uintas Wilderness. The story follows the 2 survivors and their fight to make it out of the wilderness – a life changing experience for both of them. (Janet)

 

Staff Picks June 2011

July 4, 2011 at 9:30 am | Posted in Reviews, Staff Picks | Leave a comment
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Staff Picks

Staff recommendations for the best of what to read, listen to and view in our collection.

I love you Phillip Morris / DVD It’s based on the true story of Steven Russell, a Texas con-man who fell in love with fellow convict Phillip Morris on one of his stays in prison. He’s spent the rest of his life getting out of, and going back to, jail. Starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor. (Faith)

The story of beautiful girl / by Rachel Simon A charming love story about two people who face many obstacles with their diverse disabilities, yet they find a way to conquer them and change their lives & others.  (Marcia)

Press here / Hervé Tullet This is a great interactive book. Kids will feel like they’re really making things happen on each page. (Tia)

Started early, took my dog / Kate Atkinson A great British mystery (sort-of) but also really funny. (Kim)

Twelve by twelve: a one-room cabin off the grid and beyond the American Dream / William Powers   A fantastic summer read, just right for leisurely days at the cottage. This book is a mix of back to the land, off the grid, be part of a community, be alone, political action, do nothing, philosophical and spiritual questing and even a dash of romance. (Catherine)

Date night / DVD If you’re in the mood for something light and funny this is something for you to see. Starring Tina Fey and Adam Sandler. (Barb)

Friendship Bread: A Novel / Darien Gee As Friendship Bread has made it way around our work environment a few times, I giggled throughout the story at recognizable situations.  Also, it had a feel good vibe to it that make all of us who have made friendship bread understand the power of a bag of starter.  I want to make more. Five stars, mother material. (Anne)

The Wife’s Tale: a novel / Lori Lansens This is a story of a overweight, depressed woman jolted out of her stagnant life by the sudden disappearance of her husband.  Leaving behind her small southwestern Ontario town, ‘Mary Gooch’ sets out on a quest to find her missing husband, while discovering new truths about herself. (Shelley)

Secret daughter / Shilpi Somaya Gowda A story about an American couple who adopts a girl from an orphanage in India.. A well written account of how the two worlds are interwoven. A great read! (Kathy)

 

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