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Book Notes: New & Recent Titles @ The LibraryCheck for these and other titles by your favorite authors in the library catalog.
No Speed Limit: The Highs and Lows of Meth, by Frank
Owen “As Owen notes early and often, methamphetamine is merely the latest drug to threaten the very fabric of American society. He chronicles the rise of meth and concludes that its popularity has peaked, despite the news media continuing to flog it as today's foremost assassin of youth. Owen finds that meth use became widespread after an amateur pharmacist, Bob Paillet, perfected a greatly simplified way of cooking the drug and passed the technique on to friends and customers. Carefully detailing the disjunction between media scare stories and actual statistics … Owen still offers a sobering look at a very addictive drug and the paranoid hoopla it has generated.” (Booklist)
Before I Die, by Jenny Downham “Tessa has just months to live. Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, drugs with excruciating side-effects, Tessa compiles a list. It’s her To Do Before I Die list. And number one is Sex. Released from the constraints of ‘normal’ life, Tessa tastes new experiences to make her feel alive while her failing body struggles to keep up. Tessa’s feelings, her relationships with her father and brother, her estranged mother, her best friend, and her new boyfriend, all are painfully crystallized in the precious weeks before Tessa’s time finally runs out.” (Book Description)
Unwind, by Neal Shusterman “In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would ‘unwind’ them. Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can't be harmed--but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away.” (Book Description)
My Mother, the Cheerleader, by Robert Sharenow “When her mother pulls Louise, 13, out of class
to protest the forced court-ordered integration of her school in
The God Box, by Alex Sanchez “High school senior Paul has dated Angie since middle school, and they're good together. They have a lot of the same interests, like singing in their church choir and being active in Bible club. But when Manuel transfers to their school, Paul has to rethink his life. Manuel is the first openly gay teen anyone in their small town has ever met, and yet he says he's also a committed Christian. Talking to Manuel makes Paul reconsider thoughts he has kept hidden, and listening to Manuel's interpretation of Biblical passages on homosexuality causes Paul to reevaluate everything he believed. Manuel's outspokenness triggers dramatic consequences at school, culminating in a terrifying situation that leads Paul to take a stand.” (Book Description)
Story of a Girl, by Sara
Zarr “When Deanna's father catches her having sex in a car when she is 13, her life is drastically changed. Two years later, he still can't look her in the eye, and though Tommy is the only boy she's been with, she is branded the school slut. Her entire family watches her as though she is likely to sleep with anyone she sees, and Tommy still smirks at and torments her when she sees him … Deanna learns to protect herself by becoming outwardly tough, but feels her isolation acutely. Her only outlet is her journal in which she writes the story of an anonymous girl who has the same experiences and feelings that she does … This is a heartbreaking look at how a teenager can be defined by one mistake, and how it shapes her sense of self-worth.” (School Library Journal)
Gym Candy, by Carl Deuker “Having grown up in the shadow of his father's failed NFL career, high-school football player Mick Johnson is determined not to make the same mistakes. But when he's tackled just short of the goal in a pivotal game, he decides that vitamin supplements aren't enough and begins purchasing ‘gym candy,’ or steroids, from the trainer at his local gym. His performance starts breaking records and his father couldn't be more proud, but along with gains in muscle, he suffers ‘roid rage,’ depression, and unsightly acne. When his secret finally comes out, he attempts suicide. Even after therapy, Mick is left wondering if he'll continue to be tempted by steroids.” (Booklist)
Busted, by Phil Bildner “In high school, anyone can get busted.
It could be the senior class ski trip, or maybe it's the way you cope with the
school bully, or how you entertain yourself in the world's most boring class.
Every kid has some secret crime, something that they are afraid they'll get in
trouble for. In Busted, four different stories take place throughout
one year at
The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas
Flamel, by Michael Scott “Twin 15-year-old siblings Sophie and Josh
Newman take summer jobs in
Slam, by Nick Hornby “Sam is a disarmingly ordinary 15-year-old kid who loves to skate (that's skateboarding, to you and me). But then he is blindsided: his girlfriend gets pregnant, and he lands in the middle of his mum's nightmare (she had Sam when she was 16). This may sound like an old-fashioned realistic YA problem novel, but it's a whole lot more. Sam, you see, has a sort-of-imaginary friend: the world's greatest skater, Tony Hawk, whose poster Sam talks to when he has problems. And the poster talks back, maybe, or maybe Sam is just reciting quotes from Tony's autobiography. And is it really Tony who is ‘whizzing’ Sam into the future for glimpses of what is to come?“ (Booklist)
Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, by Rachel Cohn
& David Levithan “What happens when two witty, wise, but vulnerable teens meet by accident at a chaotic punk rock club? They fall in love, of course … Told in alternating chapters over the course of a single night, the narratives create a fully fleshed-out picture of both teens, informed by their love of music, their devotion to their friends, and their clear-eyed view of the world … Norah explains the Jewish concept of tikkun olam the responsibility to heal a fractured world and Nick comes up with an original spin on it. There are many heart-stopping, insightful moments in this supremely satisfying and sexy romance.” (School Library Journal)
Beaufort, by Ron Leshem “In this gritty war novel, Leshem chronicles
the tumultuous year leading up to Blaze, by Richard Bachman
(a.k.a. Stephen King) “Blaze—Clayton
Blaisdell Jr.—is a big dummy, very big: six-seven, 2700 … He was a smart
little boy until his drunken father threw him downstairs three times in a row.
He relearned to read a bit, mostly comic books, but was thereafter an
otherwise learning-challenged ward of the state with a horrendous dent in
his forehead. Now a mid-twenties adult, he has just lost his bosom
buddy and partner in petty cons, George, who still speaks to him somehow,
especially about the big score, the one to retire on … In honor of George, he
decides to do the big one, the kidnapping of a wealthy couple's baby. He
succeeds, albeit imperfectly enough that the state cops and FBI know
whodunit within a day ...” (From Booklist)
An Inconvenient Truth: The Crisis of Global Warming,
by Al Gore “In
this youth-focused adaptation of Gore's 2006 adult book and Oscar-winning
documentary, Gore and O'Connor distill the material, creating an eye-opening
story that targets kids' concerns … The sturdy pages are filled with color
photographs and charts, and the images are riveting. Like the pictures, the
personal stories bring the facts close, and in addition to the urgent science,
Gore's book shows how mentors can change lives … Gore's research continues to
raise controversy, but few, if any, books for youth offer such a dynamic look at
the climate issues threatening our planet.” (From Booklist)
A Field Guide to High School,
by Marissa Walsh “When Claire heads off to Yale (early admission), she leaves her eighth-grade sister a book entitled A Field Guide to High School. In it, she explains the key to running the social and academic gambit at their private school, and discusses the elements of each social group and the importance of knowing what not to wear. She stresses the need to choose the right people from the very start of school, and tells her how she was so successful … Claire's voice is witty and wry and easy to read … The numerous pop-culture references and even top 10 lists enable readers to connect with the novel but it reads just like a field guide with minimal character/reader interaction.” (From School Library Journal)
Notes
from the Teenage Underground,
by Simmone Howell “17-year-old Gem feels as if she's beginning to drift away from her best friends, Lo and Mira, with whom she's formed an alliance against the ‘sucker peers’ they call ‘barcodes.’ In the spirit of Andy Warhol and his Happenings, Gem comes up with the idea to make an edgy film to screen at an underground party she thinks this project will bring the three girls back together again. As scriptwriting and production begins, however, she starts to feel that the project is getting out of control. When Lo and Mira plan a series of final-exam pranks without her, Lo rewrites Gem's admittedly heavy-handed but heartfelt script, and Mira hooks up with her crush, Gem knows it's time to break ties with her so-called best friends …” (From School Library Journal)
Fast
Company: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Motorcycles in “In
the economic boom of the mid-1990s, Gross was a corporate lawyer working nonstop
for a Wall Street law firm. Miserable, his life ‘a prison of routine,’ he
instantly accepts his friend's proposal to revive the legendary motorcycle
company Ducati Motor Holding in
Someone
like Summer,
by M. E. Kerr “Tall,
blonde, blue-eyed Annabel, 17, is in love with Esteban, a Latino immigrant, who
turns out to be part of an undocumented group of workers in her town in the
The Flip: Turn Your World Around, ”Imagine
two worlds. One is an upside down world where people feel frenzied and fearful,
their thoughts fragmented, their lives in disarray. The other is a world that is
right side up. People know that in this ever-more connected global landscape
their individual choices affect the lives of everyone. Neither of these worlds
is difficult to imagine because both of them exist today. Humanity stands on a
bridge in between these worlds and we must make a choice to go in one or the
other direction. Which side do you choose?” (Book Description)
When the Heart Cries,
by Cindy Woodsmall "In this debut inspirational novel, Woodsmall takes readers inside a contemporary Amish family where the eldest daughter, Hannah, has fallen in love with her neighbor Paul. The trouble is that he's a Mennonite, and if those two faiths look similar to outsiders, they don't to Hannah's father, who would never permit his daughter to marry outside the Amish community. Yes, this is a familiar setup, with shades of the movie Witness. But the star-crossed romance is only the backdrop to the central events of the novel: in the very first chapter, Hannah experiences a trauma, setting in motion a chain of events …” (From Publishers Weekly)
Falling Man, by Don Delillo “DeLillo's
new novel begins with Keith Neudecker standing in a
The
Night my Sister went Missing, by Carol
Plum-Ucci “A shot rings out at a beach party. A girl falls backward--or dives forward--into the water and disappears. Her older brother, Kurt, remains in the police station all night anxious for word and spying on those who come to give their statements. The thread running through the speculations and accusations is Stacy Kearny, a poor little rich girl, whose explosive family secrets make her a prime suspect in the shooting. Plum-Ucci returns to a familiar topic--a missing young person and the questions raised by the disappearance--to explore class prejudice, teen cruelty, and loyalty between friends. There's no doubt [she] can tell a heck of a story …” (From Booklist)
Little Polar Bears, by Thorsten Milse “There are few animals quite as appealing as a polar bear cub--black shoe-button eyes and nose in a fluffy white face, outsize paws--and noted wildlife photographer Milse is one of the best at capturing the first weeks of these little bears' lives … Milse has photographed the cubs as they venture from the den for the first time, hesitantly peering out into the snow of February in the Arctic. Almost as white as the drifts, the cubs are seen negotiating snowbanks, nursing from their immense mothers, clambering on her sleeping form, and play fighting … Milse's text describes the bears' journey, but it is the exquisite images that sell this book.” (From Booklist)
Ultimate Special Forces, by
Hugh McManners “A
riveting exploration of the world's most highly trained military units, from the
ancient Spartans to modern-day US Navy SEALs, Ultimate Special Forces offers
over 700 illustrations of equipment and techniques used by today's special
forces- from intelligence-gathering methods to special vehicles and survival
gear. In-depth accounts of the background, organization, and landmark operations
of famous military units such as the
Pendragon Book 8: The
Pilgrims of Rayne, “When Bobby Pendragon first arrives on the tropical world
of Ibara, he finds paradise. As he works to uncover clues about the turning
point this seemingly idyllic
territory will soon face, all he can determine is that the people of Ibara are
blissfully happy. It's not long before Bobby discovers, however, that they are
also blissfully...oblivious. The leaders of Ibara are keeping a devastating
secret from their people, one that gives Saint Dane all the opportunity he needs
to launch his final assault on Halla. While Bobby struggles to learn the truth
in time to thwart Saint Dane, Courtney Chetwynde desperately searches for Mark
Diamond … It's up to Courtney to find Mark and stop him from making a grave
mistake that could change the future of all existence.”
(Book Description). NOTE: All the Pendragon books
are now available in Fiction
I Believe in Water: 12
Brushes with Religion, Marilyn Singer, ed. “In these ‘twelve brushes with religion’ written by leading young-adult authors, teens from a wide range of beliefs search for answers to the hard questions of faith at crucial points in their lives … I Believe in Water approaches God from surprising angles. Virginia Euwer Wolff shows us three different girls confronting unwanted pregnancies, praying in the contexts of Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam. Jacqueline Woodson shares a glimpse of her own childhood as a Jehovah's Witness, while Joyce Carol Thomas takes us into the shivery practice of religious snake handling … Other very different stories by M.E. Kerr, Naomi Shihab Nye, Nancy Springer, and Margaret Peterson Haddix make this an audacious, unforgettable collection that will reach out to teens pondering spiritual realities in their own lives.” (From Amazon.com)
Parrotfish,
by Ellen Wittlinger “As in Hard Love, Wittlinger tackles
GLBT issues, introducing readers to Grady McNair, formerly known as Angela. This
fast read follows Grady through the days between Thanksgiving and Christmas as
he comes out as transgendered, faces issues of acceptance and rejection at
school and at home, and falls in love with the hottest girl in school … Flaws
aside, the book is an excellent resource for building awareness about, and
serving the increasing number of, transgendered teens.” (School
Library Journal) *NOTE: Another
terrific read on this theme is Luna,
by Julia Ann Peters
What
are you afraid of: Stories about Phobias, ed. by Donald R. Gallo “These 10 short stories present glimpses of
what it’s like to be considered irrational and to face an invisible fear that
disrupts ordinary life. The selections are by notable authors, some of whom
explain how their stories came about. Neal Schusterman’s eerie
‘Fear-for-Al’ is about a boy who has no compassion for those who are so
afflicted. Gavin receives his just deserts when he becomes the community’s
phobia magnet, absorbing the collective fears like a sin-eater and experiencing
the terror that has plagued members of his therapeutic school. In Nancy
Springer’s ‘Rutabaga,’
Keturah
and Lord Death, by Martine Leavitt “The romance is intense, the writing is
startling, and the story is spellbinding--and it is as difficult to turn away
from as the tales beautiful Keturah tells to the people of her village,
Tide-by-Rood. But one day Keturah must use her storytelling skills with quite a
different audience. Lost and hungry after following a stately hart through the
forest, Keturah encounters Lord Death, who is ready to take her. Like
Scheherazade, Keturah spins a story that she leaves unfinished and extracts from
Lord Death a promise that if she finds her true love in a day, she can go free.
But Lord Death is falling in love with her …” (Booklist)
Led
Zeppelin IV, by Barney Hoskyns “Hoskyns cleaves to how the Zep did what it did, especially on the focal album, relegating remarks on its members' notorious drugging, drinking, and carousing to the end of the book ... The many casual admirers of the band's big numbers may be surprised to learn how scrupulously guitarist Jimmy Page, in particular, crafted each recording, and by the variety of musical styles and treatments the group essayed on each album. Often credited with launching the oafish heavy-metal style, Led Zeppelin was, Hoskyns argues, a serious, conscientious musical group.” (Booklist)
Faith
& Doubt: An Anthology of Poems, ed. by Patrice Vecchione “As she did with Revenge & Forgiveness (2004) and Truth & Lies (2001), Vecchione explores weighty topics in a wide-ranging anthology. Here she touches on faith and doubt of all kinds. Will teens believe as their parents do and as their friends do? Will they believe what their teachers or ministers or president tells them? Will their beliefs change during their lifetime? Is doubt something that can hurt them or make them more thoughtful? … Many of these poems will prompt thought and conversation. While some do deal with religion, others touch on everything from self-esteem to parents to nature. It's a diverse and well-rounded collection.” (School Library Journal)
Grief
Girl: My True Story, by Erin Vincent “At age 14, Vincent lost both parents in a traffic accident. This is a gripping memoir of the aftermath of their deaths. Although her loss took place more than 20 years ago in Australia, her use of the present tense and a wholly authentic adolescent voice lend her retelling palpable immediacy … The author captivatingly portrays her journey through the stages of grief, which she aptly points out take place in no discernible order … Teens will sympathize with her 18-year-old sister's anger at the crushing responsibility of parenting her younger siblings. At the same time, the author's own feelings of rejection, abandonment, and self-blame will resonate with many readers.” (School Library Journal)
Genesis
Alpha, by Rune Michaels “Josh is bewildered when his older brother, Max, is arrested for the murder of a beautiful young woman. This is the Max who fixed his bike and plays online games like Genesis Alpha with him. … it's gradually revealed that the murderer developed a relationship with Karen through Genesis Alpha, carefully aggregating snippets of information about the pretty teen until he knew exactly who and where she was. Yet the deeper, more philosophical questions of free will, good and evil, and the ethics of reproductive science are at the core of this fascinating, troubling thriller.” (Booklist)
The
Sixth Extinction: Journeys among the lost and left behind, by Terry Glavin “Five major epochs of mass extinction have
marked the past 440 million years, but in this striking and original work,
Glavin argues that the most devastating is today's ‘sixth’ extinction—in
which the world is losing many of its cultures, languages and local traditions
along with its wildlife. In a fresh and eloquent synthesis of diverse phenomena,
Glavin describes some of the consequences … Glavin finds a few bright spots,
such as in
All-in,
by Pete Hautman “Denn Doyle is not a gambler. Gamblers come to Vegas to throw their money at people like Denn, a prodigious investor in his own ability to read ‘tells’ and calculate odds. Armed with a fake ID, the 17-year-old is up nearly a quarter million and almost unbeatable at the table. That is, until he falls for Cattie Hart, a troublesome redhead whose nimble bottom-dealing soon lands Denn in dangerous financial and emotional straits. Can Denn stick it to his old enemy, Artie Kingston, in a million-dollar Texas Hold 'Em tournament, or will he have to skulk back home penniless? … A quick, slick read for wannabe sharks.” (Booklist)
Peak,
by Roland Smith “After 14-year-old Peak Marcello is caught
climbing the
Sofi
Mendoza’s Guide to Getting Lost in Mexico, by Malin Alegria "What's the harm in a little white
lie?" wonders Mexican-born,
Rat
Life: a mystery, by Tedd Arnol “14-year-old Todd entertains his classmates
with gross-out tales [but] goofy boyhood preoccupations fade early in this
ambitious first novel, in which Todd's friendship with Rat, a soldier recently
returned from
The
Restless Dead: Ten Original Stories of the Supernatural, by Deborah Noyes A “collection of terrifying stories from some
of the most well-known authors writing for teens, including M. T. Anderson,
Holly Black, Libby Bray, and Annette Curtis Klause. From vampires to vindictive
ghosts, this diverse anthology has it all, and then some ... Many readers
who may typically avoid short story collections will grab this one,
provided that they are horror fans. The creepy cover, depicting a
black-and-white photo of hands crawling out of the earth, and the evocative
title aptly describe the contents and will deter the faint of heart, who
probably aren't the best audience for many of these seriously scary tales.” (Booklist)
The
Book Thief, by Markus Zusak “Death is the narrator of this lengthy,
powerful story of a town in Nazi Germany. He is a kindly, caring Death,
overwhelmed by the souls he has to collect from people in the gas chambers, from
soldiers on the battlefields, and from civilians killed in bombings. Death
focuses on a young orphan, Liesl; her loving foster parents; the Jewish fugitive
they are hiding; and a wild but gentle teen neighbor, Rudy, who defies the
Hitler Youth and convinces Liesl to steal for fun. After Liesl learns to read,
she steals books from everywhere … Then the book thief writes her own
story.” (From Booklist)
Marley
& Me, by John Grogan “Labrador retrievers are generally considered even-tempered, calm and reliable; and then there's Marley, the subject of this delightful tribute to one Lab who doesn't fit the mold … Marley was a sweet, affectionate puppy who grew into a lovably naughty, hyperactive dog. With a light touch, the author details how Marley was kicked out of obedience school after humiliating his instructor (whom Grogan calls Miss Dominatrix) and swallowed an 18-karat solid gold necklace (Grogan describes his gross but hilarious "recovery operation") … Dog lovers will love this account of Grogan's much loved canine.” (From Publishers Weekly) Lisey’s
Story, by Stephen King “The bestselling author proves he's still the master of supernatural suspense in this minimally bloody but disturbing and sorrowful love story set in rural Maine. Lisey's husband, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Scott Landon, has been dead for two years at the book's start, but his presence is felt on every page. Lisey hears him so often in her head that when her catatonic sister, Amanda, begins speaking to her with Scott's voice, she finds it not so much unbelievable as inevitable. Soon she's following a trail of clues that lead her to Scott's horrifying childhood and the eerie world called Boo'ya Moon, all while trying to help Amanda and avoid a murderous stalker …” (From Publishers Weekly) The
Pursuit of Happyness, by Chri
s Gard “Gardner chronicles his long, painful, ultimately rewarding journey from inner-city Milwaukee to the pinnacle of Wall Street. Born in 1954, he grew up like too many young blacks: poor and fatherless, with a mother strong on children and church, yet soft on men … By his own account, Gardner was a good kid who got into trouble occasionally, but stayed on a steady, upward track. [His] own weakness was women, and when one of them left him with a son, it led to a period of homelessness on the San Francisco streets. Determination and resourcefulness brought father and son not merely to safety but to the top.” (From Publishers Weekly) The
Road of the Dead, by Kevin Brooks “14-year-old Ruben Ford is sitting in his father's junkyard when he knows--knows--that his older sister, Rachel, has been raped and murdered. Perhaps it is his Gypsy blood that gives him second sight; Ruben can see and feel things others can't. He knows, for instance, that his ice-cold brother, Cole, is going to get into--and cause--trouble when he decides to go to desolate Dartmoor, where Rachel met her end. Brooks … makes readers see, feel, and smell all that Ruben does--most of it coarse, disgusting, and ugly.” (From Booklist)
In
Katrina’s Wake: Portraits of Loss from an Unnatural Disaster, by Susan Zakin,
Bill McKibben, and Chris Jordan “With a keen eye for contrast and color,
[photographer] Jordan can't help but discern and capture a catastrophic beauty
in scenes of devastation, bizarre juxtapositions (a refrigerator in a tree), and
the unexpectedly compelling patterns etched, smeared, and bashed into myriad
surfaces natural and -human-made by violently churning waters and blasting winds
… Jordan's poetic images are accompanied by clarion essays by environmental
writers Bill McKibben and Susan Zakin, making this an exceptionally artistic and
thought-provoking response to a never-to-be-forgotten calamity. Book proceeds go
to hurricane relief.” (From Booklist) Thieves
Like Us, by Stephen Cole “After being plucked from a juvenile prison facility in the middle of the night, Jonah Wish is initiated into a group of teenage thieves, headed by Nathaniel Coldhardt, who coordinates a lavish lifestyle for misfits and sends them on assignments around the globe. Each team member has a special talent; Jonah, initially held against his will, quickly perceives that he has been tapped for his computer savvy … Somewhat reminiscent of Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl books, this novel relies on fast action, cool gadgets, and clever problem solving rather than dialogue or character development.” (From Booklist) Psyche
in a Dress, by Francesca Lia Block “If the Greek gods lived today, would Psyche be a film star, compelled by her father to act however he directed her? Would Hades have been abused by his parents? Would Aphrodite own a dress shop selling clothing made of petals and butterfly wings? Would Orpheus be a rock musician who hides his talent by working as a bartender until after hours, when he plays for strippers? It is Block's genius to cast the gods with all their beauty and horror, manipulativeness and self-destructiveness, cruelty and tenderness into a modern society that feels a lot like California. This novel in verse, which begins with Psyche's (sometimes graphically described) affair with Eros, spirals down through Hades, and flows up again to Joy, will hook readers with its vivid imagery and the immediacy of its emotions … Riveting and brilliant, this is a must for most YA collections.” (From School Library Journal) All
the Wild Horses: Preserving the Spirit and Beauty of the World’s Wild Horses,
by Dayton O. Hyde, Rita Summers, and Charles G. Summers “As founder of the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary and a lifelong rancher, Hyde offers heartfelt, passionate essays that perfectly complement the work of photographers Rita and Charles Summers. Internationally renowned for their images of wild horses, they present work here that is nothing short of astonishing … Hyde peppers the text and photo captions with fascinating information about wild horses and explains the history behind federal laws governing wild-horse herds and his own efforts to maintain a place for them to safely roam. There is no better book for horse lovers or anyone interested in the horse as an icon of the American West.” (From Booklist) Go
Long! My Journey Beyond the Game and the Fame, by Jerry Rice, with Brian Curtis “Jerry Rice has been called the best pro football player ever. In spite of Rice’s legendary gridiron skills, or even his ability to transform himself into an instant ballroom-dance prodigy on ABC’s hit TV series Dancing with the Stars, the surprising fact is, a guy like Jerry Rice is made and not just born. In Go Long! Rice shares the inspirational lessons and empowering practices that have helped him attain success, both on the football field and off. Through the ups and downs of Rice’s life and incomparable career, we discover how self-motivation, determination, and humility are the keys to achievement and true fulfillment.” (Book Description) A
Fire in My Hands, by Gary Soto “These simple, free-verse selections skillfully capture that which is commonplace and transforms it into something mesmerizing and lovely. A first date, the embarrassment of belching root beer out of one's nose, the joy and the intricacies of the proper way to eat Mexican food, and a lost dog are just a few of the topics that Soto addresses … these selections depict Latino characters but will resonate with readers of all ethnicities. This revised and expanded edition will delight creative-writing teachers who are looking for a book that demonstrates the genesis of a poem as well as the compelling universality of the human experience.” (From School Library Journal) Army
101: Inside the ROTC in a Time of War, by David Axe “Recounting the experiences of University of South Carolina cadets, particularly those of two men and two women, Axe presents ROTC functions, such as Ranger Challenge, a competition involving skills and actions required of special forces soldiers, and Airborne School, which teaches jumping out of planes at low altitudes. He also discusses ROTC culture, which is disproportionately African American (three of the four focal students are black) and, like the professional military, biased toward men; one woman is sidelined because she can't do a pull-up suited up, and the other, an ace soldier who matches the men even at drinking, must realize she probably can't have an infantry career. Axe's concrete prose, his lack of prejudice and partisanship, and his respect for every cadet and army educator he limns, as well as for the ROTC itself, make this massively informative little book great reading.” (From Booklist) What
Everyone Needs to Know about Islam, by John L. Esposito "An excellent primer on all aspects of
Islam. The question-and-answer-format allows readers to skip ahead to areas that
interest them, including hot-button issues such as 'Why are Muslims so violent?'
or 'Why do Muslim women wear veils and long garments?' In his answers, which are
anywhere from a paragraph to several pages long, Esposito elegantly educates the
reader through what the Quran said, how Muslims are influenced by their local
cultures, and how the unique politics of Islamic countries affect Muslims'
views.” (Publishers Weekly)
The
Oracle: The Lost Secrets and Hidden Message of Ancient Delphi, by William J.
Broad “The
oracle at Delphi influenced politicians and slaves with her prophecies, yet her
life and practices are shrouded in mystery. In a fascinating story that is part
detective tale and part science report, Pulitzer Prize–winning New York
Times writer Broad unveils the oracle. In order to prepare for her encounter
with Apollo, the oracle descended into a chasm near the temple, where she would
breathe the holy pneuma. She would then deliver her prophecies in a trance,
sometimes foaming at the mouth and sometimes in a frenzy. When the temple was
unearthed in the 19th century, archeologists and geologists searched for the
mysterious chasm. Broad traces the history of these efforts and the conflicts
they produced … Broad's lively prose and fast-paced storytelling conduct us on
a breathless adventure of religious mystery and scientific discovery …” (From
Publishers Weekly)
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Last modified on 03.14.2008