Staff Picks Youth
February 2020
Honeybee : the busy life of Apis Mellifera
by Candace Fleming
Follow Apis, a honeybee, from her birth to death, a life cycle around 35 days. Detailed illustrations and fascinating facts abound in this book and keep the reader entertained while learning. End pages detail the anatomy of the worker honeybee as well as further information about life in a hive, and how to help honeybees.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services
Posted in: Youth Nonfiction
Ibn-al-Haytham, The Man who Discovered How We See
by Libby Romero
I recommend “Ibn -al-Haytham, The Man who Discovered How We See.” He is an Arabian scholar from Basra (Iraq) who lived in the 10th & 11th centuries during the gold Muslim time. While he was under arrest for more than 10 years, Ibn al-Haytham made many important discoveries about light and vision. He took advantage of that time to read and learn and come up with new ideas that would change how people saw the world. Thanks to him that we know now how vision works and even cameras.
Recommended by: Ghada Rafati, Patron Services
Posted in: Youth Nonfiction
Cells: an owner’s handbook
by Carolyn Fisher
Told from a cell’s point of view, this is a complete, but easily understood informational book. From interesting facts, to understanding mitosis, or different types of cells, the book is not only readable but the illustrations are extremely useful. A great combination for learning.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services
Posted in: Youth Nonfiction
Saving the countryside: the story of Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit
by Linda Elovitz Marshall
Beautifully illustrated, this biography about Beatrix Potter not only covers her early life and inspirations for Benjamin Bouncer and Peter Rabbit, but also her love of the English countryside. Using her success as an author and illustrator, she used her money and fame to be an advocate for women’s rights and a conservationist.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services
Posted in: Youth Nonfiction
The only woman in the photo: Frances Perkins and her New Deal for America
by Kathleen Krull
Krull has once again written a factual, yet highly readable biography about a woman breaking barriers. Using facts and quotes by Frances Perkins, the reader learns about the first woman in FDR’s cabinet, her strategies to be successful in a man’s world, and the programs she was instrumental in designing that still impact today’s world.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services
Posted in: Youth Nonfiction
January 2020
More to the Story
by Hena Khan
This story of the Mirza family; four sisters mom and dad; might sound familiar to anyone who has read Little Women. But this updated take on a loving family going through some tough times is like a breath of fresh air. The Mizras are living in contemporary Atlanta, and Jameela (the narrator) wants to be an award-winning journalist, like her grandfather in Pakistan. When she gets chosen to be the features editor for her school newspaper, it looks like she’s on the right path. The only trouble is that the editor-in-chief doesn’t want any of the articles she suggests for the paper. By the time you finish this book, you will love each of the Mizra sisters and their world.
Recommended by: Kara DeCarlo, School Liaison
Posted in: Youth Fiction
The runaways
by Ulf Stark
Grandpa hates being in the hospital and is so obnoxious that his own son will no longer come visit him, but his grandson, Gottfried, visits as often as he can. Grandpa wants to go back to the place he was happiest—a house on an island where he lived with Grandma. He wants to go back one last time, so Grandpa and Gottfried decide to run away, no matter the risks or challenges. A touching story of the power of love.
Recommended by Joan Stoiber, Youth Services
Posted in: Youth Fiction
The little chapel that stood
by A.B. Curtiss
The story of the September 11 attacks focuses on St. Paul’s Chapel, which is located less than 100 yards from the Twin Towers. The chapel survived to become a place for rescue workers to gather and regroup. (The title is a nod to the children’s book The Little Engine that Could ). Written in rhyme and with watercolor illustrations.
Recommended by Joan Stoiber, Youth Services
Posted in: Youth Nonfiction
The eternal soldier: the true story of how a dog became a Civil War hero
by Allison Crotzer Kimmel
The true story of Sallie, a puppy who joined the 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. She became such a part of the soldiers’ lives through her actions on the battlefield that there is a statue of her at the Gettysburg Battlefield. A beautiful story of service and devotion.
Recommended by Joan Stoiber, Youth Services
Posted in: Youth Nonfiction
December 2019
Becoming Kareem: Growing Up on and Off the Court
by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
An authentic autobiography of basketball star, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and his journey to Islam. He talks about growing up in Harlem, dealing with racism and finding many life coaches along the way.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Nonfiction