Staff Picks
December 2020
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times
by Katherine May
Posted in: Adult Fiction
COBRA KAI: The Karate Kid Saga Continues
Revisit ‘Karate Kid’ characters as they navigate life 30 years after that infamous karate competition. Successful Daniel owns a car dealership. Johnny has been less successful and takes on new students upon re-opening the Cobra Kai dojo. It can’t be all about two guys and how they thought their high school days were the best. There is so much more! Daniel and Johnny’s children, who are in high school, have their own storylines which helps set a good story pace. Great karate scenes at Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do studios bring back great memories of the movie franchise. Familiar friends and evil characters also emerge in this saga, plus a season 2 cliffhanger leave us looking forward to Season 3 which is due out in early 2021. This is a binge worthy series for your holiday break.
Recommended by: Michelle Przekwas, Adult Services, Shelver
Posted in: Movies/TV
The Ghosts of Harvard
by Francesca Scottoline Serritella
New Harvard Freshman Cady Archer steps onto campus with an anchor on her heart. Not one year earlier, her older brother Eric took his life on this very campus. He was a brilliant mind that began to unravel in his final year at Harvard – but why? As Cady investigates, she begins to hear the voices of three ghosts who help her juggle her school work, her social interactions, and her investigation. The Ghosts of Harvard is a suspenseful read that will keep you turning the page to find out the truth.
Recommended by: Natalie Leoni, Adult Services Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Adult Fiction
Infinite Hope: A Black Artist’s Journey from World War II to Peace
by Ashley Bryan
Ashley Bryan, an artist, storyteller and writer, tells the story of his service in World War II. This autobiography includes many of his letters home and much of his art produced during those years.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Biographies
King and the Dragonflies
by Kacen Callender
This book opens with the recent death of King’s older brother, Khalid. As the family is learning to live with this loss, King’s former best friend goes missing. Add King’s emerging sexual identity and friend issues for a page turning real life drama.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Fiction
You Never Forget Your First: A biography of George Washington
by Alexis Coe
I love history and reading about people and events of the past, but I often find those books so intimidating with their length and innumerous citations. These hefty tomes have a lot of great information in them, I’m sure, but sometimes it’s nice to find a quick read that still provides the knowledge you crave but in a more compact book. That’s what you find in this book. Alexis Coe, the first woman to ever write a biography about George Washington, walks us through the life of George Washington from his time fighting for the British in the French and Indian War to his deathbed. Coe includes charts and call out boxes with more detailed information. If you’re like me and want your history in a more easily digestible book, this one’s for you.
Recommended by: Brandi Smits, Youth Services Manager
Posted in: Adult Biography
Curiosity: the Story of a Mars Rover
by Markus Motum
A beautifully illustrated and written story told from the point of view of Curiosity, the Mars rover launched in 2011 and arriving on Mars in 2012 after traveling 350,000,000 miles. Full of interesting facts and details about the process to get there, the ongoing mission, and the rover itself, this is a book not to miss reading.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Fiction
The Brokenwood Mysteries: Series 1
Meet Detective Mike Shepherd, new to small town ‘Brokenwood’, who is called in to help solve the murder of a local man in an episode titled ‘Blood and Water.’ The dead man’s history is tied to a hit and run victim from ten years earlier which further intrigues Detective Shepherd. Brokenwood police, along with Shepherd’s new assistant Detective Sims, believe the visiting detective is a bit quirky. He loves country-western music on cassette tape, talks to the deceased victim, and has a 1971 classic car which he defends from a distraught man with a rifle. The New Zealand wine country setting is beautifully highlighted in each episode. Series 1 contains four episodes and all are movie length. If you have completed most or all of Midsomer Murders or Death in Paradise TV series and enjoyed them, this series might just be your next binge. It has seven seasons for you to enjoy. Also available on Hoopla.
Posted in: Movies/TV
Forget Me Nat (Nat Enough #2), Volume 2
by Maria Scrivan
This graphic novel is #2 in the series Nat Enough. Nat has a crush on Derek! The world is wonderful until he tells her that he just wants to be friends, right before the Valentine’s Day dance Now she is crushed. With humor and insight into the junior high mind, Scrivan has Nat work her way through her problems to become true to her real friends and especially to herself.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Fiction
They Called Us Enemy
by George Takei
George Takei of Star Trek fame tells the story of how his Japanese/American family was forced into internment camps during World War II. The story begins when the author is a young boy and continues up to the present day. This title is also available on OverDrive and Hoopla.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction