Staff Picks
August 2019
The Woman in the Window
by A.J. Flinn
Dr. Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day consulting online with patients, drinking way too much wine, watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors. Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother, their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble. What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.
Recommended by: Emily Meszaros, Reference Librarian
Posted in: Adult Fiction
Greta
In a nutshell, it’s a thriller about a good deed gone wrong due to the crossings of a naive young adult and unstable elderly woman. “Greta” features a lot of standout sequences full of suspense and empathetic elements, as well as vibrant performances from Chloe Grace Moretz and Isabelle Huppert. If you were hooked on the Lifetime to Netflix series “You,” this film is very reminiscent of that.
Recommended by: Lisa Stemmons, Patron Services Clerk
Posted in: Movies/TV
The Pet Project: Cute and Cuddly Vicious Verses
by Lisa Wheeler
What is the perfect pet for me: pony, tiger, bear, monkey? A girl takes a serious, research-based approach to finding the ideal pet for her and her family. Each poems shows the struggles of owning each type of different pet in amusing ways as our young scientist learns about each type of animal. Told in poetic verse, each report and its rhyme scheme has a great flow to present the girl’s humorous findings on each potential pet. Wheeler’s verses will often teach some small lessons about animals to get kids enthused about certain pets to do more research. Illustrator Zachariah OHora’s adorable illustrations on each animal will make this a favorite for before-bed storytime. Perhaps along the way, the girl in this book will inspire budding scientists to conduct their own animal research!
Recommended by: Alex Pappas, Reference Librarian
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Rabbit and Robot: The Sleepover
by Cece Bell
Rabbit has a sleepover planned for his best friend Robot in this adorable easy reader. Rabbit wants this to be the best sleepover ever for Robot and him so he plans in advance how every minute of the day is spent and how to maximize their time together. Sadly, despite Rabbit’s good intentions, life is quick to change and Rabbit has to learn to adapt his plan to save the sleepover! Cece Bell is renowned for her hit graphic novel El Deafo and Rabbit and Robot shares similar adorable illustrations that can simultaneously show the warmth of Rabbit and Robot’s friendship and Rabbit’s stress as he tries to be the best sleepover host he can be for his best friend. Rabbit and Robot share a sweet story and provide a valuable lesson in responsibility and adapting to changes for young learners.
Recommended by: Alex Pappas, Reference Librarian
Posted in: Youth Fiction
My Pet Human
by Yasmine Surovec
A perfect transitional book for those hopping between easy readers into beginning chapter book, My Pet Human is told from the other side of the tail as a grumpy needy cat leaves the life of a stray to join a human household. Unfortunately, humans are tough to train: they have short attention spans, require lots of care, can be stuck in their emotions, and just don’t understand what “MEOW!” means. Yasmine Surovec’s charming pencil drawing illustrations accompany the amusing story of our unnamed stray cat adjusting to living with a human family. As our cat and humans get closer together, we also watch as the freshly moved in family adjust to their new community and grow to make new friends: animal and human alike which gives the book a sweet, fulfilling vibe.
Recommended by: Alex Pappas, Reference Librarian
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Be Prepared
by Vera Brosgol
A memoir about the author herself, Be Prepared is a great selection for graphic novel fans, specifically fans of Raina Telgemeier. Vera seems split into two different worlds: those of her traditional Russian family and her American school. Sadly, Vera’s inability to fit into either have her feeling lonely and unwelcome so Vera’s mother tries something new for Vera and her brother: Russian summer camp! Vera isn’t exactly cut out for summer camp as she is also in the awkward age where she has slightly aged out of the program for younger kids and as a middle schooler is a bit too young for the high school crowd. Vera’s struggles to find her place amongst strangers is a relatable experience for every middle schooler who has the same doubts. Her humorous take on the camp around her and character growth throughout our story are inspiring even amidst the not so great outdoors.
Recommended by: Alex Pappas, Reference Librarian
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Gods and Heroes: Mythology around the World
by Korwin Briggs
Disney’s Hercules and Rick Riordan’s works have shown us that gods are not as different as humans and that is one of the best parts of reading Korwin Briggs’s book on mythology. Briggs take us all over the world as we get a quick briefing on some well-known gods such as Zeus and Isis but also get some information on lesser-known gods such as Celtic god Cú Chulainn and Mesoamerican twin gods Hunahpu and Xbalanque. Every profile on the gods is around 5 pages with a quick snippet of relatable stories either displaying some of their characteristic, origins, or major achievements. Additional illustrations supplement stories and provide a consistent tone to the characters even though going from one profile might mean shifting from the wide-open fields of North America to learn about the White Buffalo Calf Woman of the Lakota people and then traveling to the sparkling waters of the Polynesian islands as we learn of Māui’s amusing exploits. Pages are supplemented with additional passages to describe the surrounding culture of the gods to give additional context. These fast-paced high interest profiles are perfect for quick reading and reluctant readers on some fascinating subjects.
Recommended by: Alex Pappas, Reference Librarian
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Dream Big
by Joyce Wan
A wondrous introduction to some of the finest ladies to grace the planet in an introductory board book format perfect for little learners. Using repeated short sentences, Wan invites readers to “Dream Big” or “Dream Fast.” The text is accompanied by Wan’s drawings of known revolutionary women such as Rosa Parks and artist Frida Kahlo among other less known brilliant women such as mountaineer Junko Tabei and architect Zaha Hadid. Wan’s illustrations are beyond cute enough to appeal to the picture book crowd but the message added to it will empower youngsters to dream big themselves. Profiles on each of the women portrayed in the book will inspire further reading.
Recommended by: Alex Pappas, Reference Librarian
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Cucumber Quest
by Gigi D.G.
Got a video game fan in your family? Introduce them to the wonderful world of Cucumber Quest! Drawing inspiration from traditional video game quests: Gigi D.G. takes a lot of traditional video game logic and turns it on its head in what is one of the funniest graphic novel series for any reader. Cucumber just wants to go to school but Cucumber’s greedy Dad forces him to become the hero of legend and save his kingdom from the Nightmare Knight (because money and fame). Cucumber’s sister Almond is jealous because she wants to join him and put her sword skills to work so she tags along. Along their attempts to fulfill their mission, they encounter villains who are either: humorously incompetent, not really that bad, or both. The Nightmare Knight towers above the entire scene watching Cucumber and his ever-expanding crew traverse the world to finish his quest and while the Nightmare Knight seems to be a typical big bad, his heart just doesn’t seem into it? Gigi D.G.’s artwork is energetic and packed with color and life and perfectly supplements the equally colorful cast of characters during hilarious and heartfelt moments. Cucumber Quest is an adventure worth taking over and over again.
Recommended by: Alex Pappas, Reference Librarian
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee/Pikachu!
Gamers have been swept up in the “Gotta Catch ‘Em All!” craze for over 20 years now. The “Let’s Go” games strike a wonderful balance of what started the Pokémon revolution back in the mid-1990s and the evolutions it has taken specifically with the global phenomenon of Pokémon Go for mobile devices. Let’s Go takes us back to the roots of waking up in Pallet Town to get your first Pokémon and traveling the world getting all original 151 Pokémon. With a simplified battle and level up system alongside Pokémon Go-inspired catching mechanics, Pokémon Let’s Go is a fun way to get newcomers into the world of Pokémon or bring back fans who miss the rush of becoming the Pokémon League Champion. There is connectivity between both of the Eevee and Pikachu versions as well as Pokémon Go for mobile devices.
Recommended by: Alex Pappas, Reference Librarian
Posted in: Video Games