Doeden, Matt. Weapons of Ancient Times. 2009. 32p. ISBN 978-1-4296-1967-7. Available at 623.4 DOE on the library shelves.
This short book describes the evolution of weapons from those derived from nature to those crafted by men. The development of weapons from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages is described, along with means of defence such as the castle. Amply illustrated, this book provides a quick look at the arms that settle conflicts on the battlefield.
Lyga, Barry. Game. Book 2 of the Jasper Dent series. 2013. 517p. ISBN 978-0-316-12587-1. Available at FIC LYG on the library shelves.
The arrest of the Impressionist (I Hunt Killers) has meant that the small town of Lobo Nod is once again quiet. But a series of murders in New York has the NYPD stumped, so Detective Hughes approaches Jasper Dent and asks for his help. As the son of the United States’ most notorious serial killer, Billy Dent, Jasper is well positioned to understand how a killer thinks. The problem? Hugues is not authorized to share this sensitive information outside the precinct. The Hat Dog killer has committed more than a dozen murders in the last few months, with an escalation in violence and gruesomeness.
Connie, Jazz’s girlfriend, goes to New York with Jasper, but when both of them get caught by Captain Montgomery with NYPD documents for an investigation they were not officially involved in, their trip ends.
When the killer strikes again, though, Jasper’s help is once again requested, but this time officially. And the hints discovered on the bodies indicate that these killings are more than a game. And Jazz’ Dear Old Dad’s seems to be pulling all of the loose threads. With lives at stake, Jasper discovers that hunting killers turns deadly ... The story concludes in Blood of My Blood.
Yakubi, Kentaro. Black Cat, Vol 5. 2000. 216p. ISBN 978-1-4215-0609-1. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.
Train and Rinslet confront Ludwig Won again (from Black Cat Vol. 4), and he informs Train that he will fight him once he has trained. Meanwhile, Creed and the Apostles of the Stars begin their revolution by slaughtering the leaders of the World Federation of Nations. With Chronos declaring war, Train finds himself hired by Chronos as a sweeper to catch Creed.
Eve continues to grow and train and in her rivalry with Train degenerates when they begin a contest to see who will catch the next criminal. When it turns out that he was caught by a fake Black Cat, Train can only humor him by pretending to be his apprentice. But when another assassin comes to slay the fake Black Cat, Train will need to step in. The story continues in Black Cat Vol. 6.
McGovern, Cammie. Say What You Will. 2014. 343p. ISBN 9780062271105. Available at FIC MCG on the library shelves.
Matthew has a new job this school year. He will be a student aide to Amy, a disabled student. Born with cerebral palsy, Amy can’t talk by herself and needs a walker to move from classroom to classroom. When she got her first talking computer in 3rd grade, it opened a new world of possibilities for her. But when Matthew reacted negatively to a paper Amy wrote in 11th grade, telling her that not everything was positive in the world, and that Amy was sheltered, she realized that she indeed was. For her senior year, she wants to make friends and live a life without a teacher aide. And she wants Matthew to help her.
Matthew himself has issues with obsessive compulsive disorder. He has to wash himself all the time, or the voice in his head will tell him he will cause harm to someone. He must count lockers and other objects in the classroom. He is completely hung up on sex. But he’s been keeping his eyes on Amy, wondering what makes her tick and how she lives her life on a daily basis. So when he is approached to be one of her aide, he agrees.
Now that the two school misfits have found each other, they must learn to know each other and stretch beyond their comfort zone to finally open up and interact with the world.
Fans of Eleanor and Park will absolutely adore this tale of sorrow and growth as Matthew and Amy decide whether they can trust each other.
Prazdny, Bronja. Looking at Bulgaria. 2008. 48p. ISBN 1-881508-85-4. Available at 949.9 PRA on the library shelves.
Located next to the Black Sea on the Balkan Peninsula, Bulgaria has always been at the crossroads of people and commerce. An empire in its own right in the Middle Ages, Bulgaria was in turn conquered and became a part of the Ottoman Empire. Turkish rule lasted for five centuries until the Bulgars were able to free themselves with the help of Russia. On the German side during World War I and World War II, Bulgaria then fell in the Communist orbit of the Soviet Union and remained there until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Now a member of the European Union, Bulgaria still struggles to shake off decades of economic mismanagement under Communist rule.
This book discusses the history of Bulgaria, as well as its peoples and cultures, major towns and cities, its education system, its cuisine, transportation, economy, nature, tourism, and the challenges that face Bulgaria in the 21st century.
Lang, Stephan. Looking at Hungary. 2004. 48p. ISBN 1-881508-88-9. Available at 943.9 LAN on the library shelves.
A landlocked country in Central Europe, Hungary has a storied past from being a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire of Hapsburg monarchy to occupation and Communism under Soviet Rule in the second half of the 20th century.
A dynamic country, the Hungarian economy has recovered from years of mismanagement during its Communist past and has now integrated the European Union. This book discusses the history of Hungary, as well as its peoples and cultures, major towns and cities, its education system, its cuisine, transportation, economy, nature, and the challenges that face the Hungarian Republic in the 21st century.
Forman, Gayle. I Was Here. 2015. 270p. ISBN 978-0-4514-7147-5. Available at FIC FOR on the library shelves.
Cody and Meg have always been two peas in the same pod. Hanging out together, they’ve made plans to go to college together. But a full scholarship to Cascade University meant that Meg got to go west to Tacoma, while Cody, poor and not as scholarly inclined, stayed behind in their little Eastern Washington town to work. The distance between them grew until it felt to Cody like they had fallen apart.
Then Meg committed suicide by drinking a bottle of cleaner by herself in a sleazy motel room. Cody never saw it coming. Meg never reached out to her for help, but she did send everyone she loved a time-delayed email explaining her decision. Devastated, Cody begins to spiral downwards in her own depression. How could she not have known? Why did Meg not seek her help? Cody’s life feels shattered, like the better half of her has been ripped apart.
Meg’s parents, the Garcias, have always been like Cody’s family. Trish, her single mom, has never really taken care of Cody, and all of her life milestones have been spent with them. When they ask her if she could go to Tacoma to pick up all of Meg’s things, Cody can only agree.
Once in Tacoma, however, she discovers there was a lot of things Meg had never shared with her. She’d never told her about the kittens she had adopted. About her roommates. About Ben McAllister, the guitar player who rocked in an Indie band and who dumped her after sleeping with her. About the websites where she spent so much time. And as Cody begins to put together the threads of Meg’s last months of life, she realizes everything she knew about her best friend was only one side of the story.
With the help from Meg’s former roommates and from Ben, Cody embarks on a dangerous trip to explore Meg’s suicide and discover who, really, was responsible for it. She’s worried, for she feels that she in fact was responsible for her best friend’s death, and that by failing her she may have doomed herself. The reverse coin of If I Stay by the same author, this book explores suicide and the impact it has on those that are left behind. Another great read on the theme of suicide is Falling into Place.
Westerfeld, Scott. Leviathan. Book 1 of the Leviathan Series. 2009. 440p. ISBN 978-1-4169-7173-3. Available at FIC WES on the library shelves.
Archduke Ferdinand and his wife have just been assassinated this July of 1914, and the world is careening towards a war that will engulf the entire planet. With these deaths, Crown Prince Aleksander is now heir to the throne of Austria and Hungary, right behind his great uncle Franz Joseph. But Alek’s prospects are dim. Immediately following his parents’ assassination, he is forced by a crew of loyal men to escape in one of House Hapsburg’s imperial walkers, giant robotic war machines. Alek avoids capture by the Germans but must flee to Switzerland.
Meanwhile, Deryn Sharp’s dream has always been to fly. Her father used to take her in hot air balloons before his death, and now Deryn is bent on serving in the Royal Navy’s airship fleet. Joining as a midshipman, Deryn must hide her gender for women cannot serve in Great Britain’s armed forces.
Unlike the German clankers, the British are Darwinists, and have evolved animals that can serve military functions. The Leviathan, the largest British airship in service, is in fact a live animal, a mix of whale and other DNA, and together with other beasties forms an ecosystem onto itself. The two strongest empires are on a collision course, and Alek and Deryn hold the fate of the world in their hands.
Westerfeld goes a fantastic job elaborating this steampunk universe where animalistic Darwin ideas clash with inventive and powerful machines in a world domination scheme. Alek and Deryn come from different sides and are opposed to one another like it’s second nature. Will they be able to work out their differences before both their groups become victims to German aggression? If you enjoyed this book, you will like Worldshaker, the largest floating ship of all times, and the fight for the Filthies' freedom! You will also like Etiquette & Espionage, The Mark of the Dragonfly, and The Inventor's Secret.
Bragg, Georgia. How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous. 2011. 184p. ISBN 978-0-8027-9817-6. Available at 920 BRA on the library shelves.
You know that George Washington had wooden teeth. You also know that Napoleon was known for holding his stomach in paintings and on the battlefield. But did you know that both George Washington’s mouth and Napoleon’s stomach were the direct cause of their deaths?
Everybody dies at some point in their life. Most die at home or anonymously, but we don’t find these deaths as interested as those of the awfully famous. Before modern medicine, death was painful and disgusting, and the death of famous people is well documented and provides a gross outlook on not only the process of death but the last minutes of those about to die.
Witty and filled with interesting facts about deaths, Croaked explores the life and, more importantly, the death of 19 individuals: King Tut, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Christopher Columbus, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Pocahontas, Galileo Galilei, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Marie Antoinette, George Washington, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Dickens, James Garfield, Charles Darwin, Marie Curie, and Albert Einstein.
Allen, John. The Russian Federation: Then and Now. 2015. 80p. ISBN 978-160152-692-2. Available at 947.086 ALL on the library shelves.
Russia has played a primordial role in world affairs for the last three hundred years, first as a growing empire, then as the center of the Soviet Union, and now again in the news for its aggression in Ukraine. Governed by strongmen and dictators since Peter the Great, Russia expanded to cover parts of Europe and Asia, but in the process its development diverged from Europe.
From the rise of Communism, Russia became an integral part of the Soviet Union, and fought World War II on the side of the Allies before parting ways in the Cold War. Its central planning and command economy left it weak and unable to cope with the challenges posed by people demanding more rights. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 led to a reassertion of the traditional Russian Federation.
This book discusses the history and the politics of Russia, recent economic prospects and development, a society in flux, and the pitfalls and possibilities that lay ahead for Russia and the world. This is a great read to learn more about a region of the world most Americans are unfamiliar with. Other books in this series include Baltic States, Central Asian States, South Caucasus and Ukraine.
Stewart, Gail B. Ukraine: Then and Now. 2015. 80p. ISBN 978-1-6015-2708-0. Available at 947.7 STE on the library shelves.
The history of Ukraine is littered with tragedies and misery for the people who live there. Always divided among the powers that surround it, Ukraine has only recently achieved independence, but the country remains in the news due to its conflict with Russia, its poor management and its corruption.
Squeezed between Poland to the West and Russia to the East, Ukraine has had a hard history. Conquered by one, then the other, Ukraine finally broke away from the Soviet Union in 1991 and obtained independence. But two currents within the country threaten to tear it apart. Ethnic Ukrainians lean towards Europe, while ethnic Russians, who live in the eastern section of Ukraine, have more affinity with Russia than their compatriots to the west. This ethnic cleavage is at the root of the current conflict.
This book discusses the history and the politics of Ukraine, recent economic prospects and development, the social fabric, and the challenges that still lay ahead as it tethers on the brink of civil war. This is a great read to learn more about a region of the world most Americans are unfamiliar with. Other books in this series include Baltic States, Central Asian States, Russian Federation, and South Caucasus.
Woog, Adam. The Baltic States: Then and Now. 2014. 80p. ISBN 978-1-6015-2644-1. Available at 947.908 WOO on the library shelves.
Wedged between Europe and Russia, the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were occupied for decades by the Soviet Union. The most western-oriented republics within the Soviet Union, these states made the best transition to functional societies when the Soviet Union collapsed.
Each with a storied past, the Baltic states were briefly independent following the First World War before being absorbed by the Soviet Union. Oppressed for decades by the Russian, these communities managed to maintain their language and customs with much effort.
This book discusses the history and the politics of the Baltic states, recent economic prospects and development, daily life for the inhabitants of these three republics, and the challenges that still lay ahead as they continue to integrate Europe. This is a great read to learn more about a region of the world most Americans are unfamiliar with. Other books in this series include Central Asian States, Russian Federation, South Caucasus and Ukraine.
Richards, Natalie. Six Months Later. 2013. 323p. ISBN 978-1-4022-8551-6. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.
Chloe has always lived for the moment. Her motto might as well be “why do today what could be done tomorrow?” On a regular school day in May of her junior year, she puts her head down in her study hall instead of completing her assignment. When she wakes up, the room is dark, night has fallen, and there’s now coming down from the sky outside. In a panic, Chloe discovers she’s missed the last six months. Add to her terror the fact that Adam, the school criminal, shows up and tells her she just called him. What has Chloe been up to these last six months?
Her life changed dramatically once she joined the SAT study group. She’s now dating dreamy Blake. Her grades went from mediocre to outstanding, and she’s likely to be the valedictorian. She’s applying to Notre Dame and Brown, and knows she’ll get in with her perfect SAT scores. And she had a terrible fight with her best friend Maggie. Unfortunately, she doesn’t remember any of it.
Now that she knows something is missing, Chloe begins to reconstruct what happened to her, and all hints point towards Jillian, who moved away suddenly with her family from this sleepy Ohio town to California. But as she digs, she begins to discover that Blake scares her, she has feelings for Adam, Maggie is still mad at her but may come around, and her therapist may be involved in her memory loss.
As the pressure mounts, and as Chloe discovers her past, memories return. Poking around becomes deadly, however, and Chloe may not survive the truths she’s about to reveal.
Suspenseful and well-crafted, this book will be appreciated by fans of mysteries and realistic teen fiction with a twist.
Grant, Michael and Katherine Applegate. Eve and Adam. 291 p. ISBN 978-0-312-58351-4.
This book starts with a bang, literally, as teenager Eve spots a different colored apple in the fruit stand and, being distracted, gets run over by one of San Francisco’s streetcar, getting her leg cut off and her arm badly broken. And that’s all in the first sentence!
Eve, her full name Evening, daughter of Terra Spiker, CEO and founder of Spiker Biopharmaceuticals, immediately becomes involved in a dark plot. Transferred over to her mother’s top medical facility, she meets Solo, who lives at Spiker, who nurses grievances against Terra, and has a plan to bring down her empire. Eve, who is recuperating rather quickly, is tasked by her mother to develop the perfect male teenager, code-named Adam, by using intuitive software, and she quickly becomes engrossed in the task.
With Solo’s assistance and the help of her best friend Aislyn, Eve suddenly realizes that her leg, which had been amputated during the accident and put back in surgery, has healed so completely in four days that she can now walk and run on it and cannot even see any physical evidence of her accident. What has been done to her to enhance her healing abilities? More worrying, what else is her mother and her scientists up to? Building Adam, that’s just a software program … or is it?
Read Eve and Adam and find out what happens when technology and unethical behavior combine with greed to create a powerful motivator to do evil, and see how Eve handles this major change in her life. If you liked this book, you will enjoy Every Other Day.
Barnes, Jennifer Lynn. Every Other Day. 2012. 329 p. ISBN 978-1-60684-169-3. Available at FIC BAR on the library shelves.
Kali D’Angelo has a secret. On the one hand, she is a regular teenager, attending school but not really fitting in. On the other, she is a hardened monster killer. Every dawn, she switches from one role to the other. For 24 hours, she attends school, does homework, or she hunts hellhounds, dragons, and basilisks. When in hunter’s mode she does not feel pain, heals quickly, and can feel how close she is to monsters, or, conversely, how close they are to her.
During an assembly at her new school, she is approached by Skylar Hayden, a girl with a reputation. Despite their obvious differences, they quickly become friends. That same morning, she notices that Bethany Davis, a cheerleader and the daughter of her father’s boss, has been infected by a chupacabra. This means a quick and painful death. Kali could easily handle this problem as a hunter, but unfortunately, today she’s a normal girl.
Kali, Bethany, and Skylar soon become entangled in a race against time, trying to save themselves from the deadly attentions of monsters and of a dangerous biotechnology company. Kali must also discover who, or rather what, she really is. Kali’s two very different lives are very similar to what teenagers experience with their friends and their families. The main characters are easy to relate to and act like normal teenagers would when faced with paranormal creatures. This book features intense action and a fairly generic mad-scientist, but the supernatural plot is interlaced with genetic engineering and a villainous corporation keep the reader guessing from cover to cover. Fans of this book will enjoy Eve's tale in Eve & Adam.
Cremer, Andrea. The Inventor’s Secret. Book 1 of the Inventor’s Secret series. 2014. 336p. ISBN 978-0-3991-5962-6. Available at FIC CRE on the library shelves.
The American Revolution was crushed by the might of the British navy and army when both France and Spain refused to support the revolutionaries. The revolutionaries were imprisoned in Boston or executed. Now, years later, the steam-powered British Empire remains firmly in control of the colonies. Colonists now must serve the Empire for 20 years of hard labor, but in practice most do not survive this punishing sentence in the colonial foundries and workshops.
Despite of, or maybe because of this oppression, groups of rebels are still seeking to overthrow the Empire and fight it at every turn. Charlotte has long lived in the catacombs on the edge of New York, the heart of the colonies alongside her brothers. Children of rebels are sent here for their safety and to be educated. When they come of age, they can join the rebellion. Her brother Ashley has led their small group, along with Jack and Charlotte.
When Charlotte comes upon Grave, a boy who doesn’t remember anything, she decides to save him from the Imperial Labor Gatherers, large steam-powered robots that hunt escapees through the colony’s forests. Without knowing it, however, she sets events in motions that will make her question everything she knows. Is her relationship with Jack simply that of sparring partners, or is there more to the chemistry that takes place between the two? What does her brother know that he’s not sharing with her? Who, or rather, what is Grave? Is he the answer to the rebellion’s prayers or the best way to quash it? If you enjoyed this book, you will like Worldshaker, the largest floating ship of all times, and the fight for the Filthies' freedom! You will also likeThe Mark of the Dragonfly,Etiquette & Espionageand Leviathan.
Stiefvater, Maggie. Blue Lily, Lily Blue. 2015. 391p. ISBN 978-0-5454-2496-7. Available at FIC STI on the library shelves.
With the summer coming to an end, Aglionby's Raven Boys are getting ready to go back to school, and so is Blue. Having spent most days looking searching for the Welsh king Glendower, they are not very keen on returning for their senior year.
Malory, Gansey’s professor friend from England comes over to assist him in the search. Adam must deal with the repercussions of pressing charges against his father as well as his new role as caretaker of Cabeswater. Ronan is still mad at the world but returns to his father’s estate to search for a way to bring back all of the Dream Thieves' creations that currently sleep away.
Mr. Gray remains at 300 Fox Way with Persephone and Calla, but Maura is gone, having disappeared in Cabeswater’s underground tunnels in her own quest. And there is yet another new Latin teacher in town: Greenmantle, Mr. Gray’s employer, has taken the position to find and punish Mr. Gray and those he loves.
Pursued by Greenmantle and led by a foretold tale that there are three sleepers below, Blue and her friends decide that their only option is to dig deep in Cabeswater and explore the caves underneath the ley line. One of the sleepers must be awakened, and one must not. But what about the others?
As the Raven Boys and Blue get closer to discovering Glendower, the cost keeps on mounting. As they are forced to face their worst fears and wake up one of the sleepers, their loss may be too large to comprehend.
