One For Sorrow: A Ghost Story

Hahn, Mary Downing. One For Sorrow: A Ghost Story. 2017. 293p. ISBN 978-0-544-81809-5. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

In 1918, Annie is about to start 6th grade at a new school, and she is nervous. What will people think of her there? She will have to make new friends and learn how to survive in a brand new social structure. With the Great War in full swing, times are tenses and prejudices against German immigrants rampant. Annie is fortunate that both of her parents are employed. She has nice toys and wears new clothes. Others are not so lucky.

On her first day of school, Anne meets some of the other six graders, but before she’s able to introduce herself to a group of girls led by a redhead named Rosie, she is intercepted by Elsie, who immediately tries to make Anne her friend. Elsie is pushy and she makes sure that Annie does not play with the other kids during recess. She even invites herself over to Annie’s house, and wiggles an invitation for dinner out of Annie’s mother. Annie is frightened by Elsie, and she wishes she had never met her.

Unfortunately for Elsie, on top of being pushy, her father is German. Elsie is thus ridiculed at school for being slow and for being a Kaiser-lover. When Elsie becomes sick, Annie seizes the opportunity and begins hanging out with Rosie and her friends. Upon Elsie’s return, she attempts to get Annie to play with her, but Annie refuses, and she soons becomes another one of Elsie’s tormentors.

At about the same time, the Spanish Influenza begins to strike down residents indiscriminately. Soon families are quarantined and people die. Even the funeral parlors can’t keep up. When Annie and her friends come upon Elsie sitting alone on a swing in a park, they harass her and sing a mean song before ripping away her breathing mask. Elsie contracts the flu and dies. Annie is stricken with remorse. Following an sledding accident in the cemetery, Annie becomes haunted by Elsie, who swears to destroy Annie’s life. With a ghost only she can see affecting the real world, Annie soon finds herself in a psychiatric institute. Can Annie figure a way to make it up to Elsie before her own life is ruined?

Hahn serves another dose of spooky in this well-written tale partly inspired by stories her own mother told her of this time period. Fans of Closed for the Season and Deep, Dark and Dangerous will appreciate this new creepy tale.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Kamkwamba, William and Bryan Mealer. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. 2009. 273p. ISBN 0-06-173032-7. Available at B KAM on the library shelves.

Located in the southeastern part of Africa, Malawi is a relatively poor country. William Kamkwamba’s parents were poor farmers who struggled to make ends meet, but when a famine struck their country they could no longer afford to send William to school. Always eager to learn, William decided to go to the local library instead. There he read a book that changed his life. Titled Using Energy, this book gave William a great idea: Why not build a wind generator to create electricity for his house?

Working hard and scrounging parts throughout the area, William was able in 2002 to erect his own power-generating windmill, and suddenly his family was the only one in the village to have electric light at night. With this plentiful power William could recharge phones and radios, and started making money. Using the same principles, he build a water pump for his mother so she wouldn’t have to make the long round trip every day carrying cans of water.

Though his neighbors all thought he was crazy, William’s dedication and drive to succeed helped him earn international fame through a TED talk and scholarship opportunities to study, first in Malawi, then at Dartmouth College. It also improved the lives of his village’s residents, and proved that it is possible to find solutions to problems that appear intractable.

Understanding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Rodi, Robert and Laura Ross. Understanding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. Part of the Living Proud! Growing up LGBTQ series. 2017. 64p. ISBN 978-1-4222-3511-9. Available at 306.76 ROD on the library shelves.

Gender identity and sexual orientation are often confused and used interchangeably. Gender identity refers to how an individual perceives himself or herself, regardless of their genitals at birth. Sexual orientation represents an individual’s attraction, both physically and emotionally, to another individual.

Once considered a mental illness, hoosexuality is now recognized through scientific research as not a choice, but a biological element just as the color of one’s eyes. This recognition, though slow to develop, eventually led to the Supreme Court legalizing gay marriage in 2015. The authors examine traditional understandings of gender and sexual orientation. It discusses the debate of nature versus nurture in one’s sexual preference, as well as the struggles that occurred to secure the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals’ civil rights to a normal life like the rest of American society. Controversies concerning whether being homosexual is a choice are also explored.

With many civil rights now secure, the LGBT community continues to push for normalization and to ensure that everyone has the right to be happy and be in fulfilling relationships with whom they love.

Black Butler, Vol 9

Toboso, Yana. Black Butler, Vol 9. 2012. 176p. ISBN 978-0-316-18967-5. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

With the destruction of Noah’s Ark Circus behind them in Black Butler Vol. 8, Sebastian and his master, Ciel the Earl of Phantomhive, are hoping that Prince Soma’s vacation at the Phantomhive Estate is coming to a close so that peace and quiet can finally be restored. However, Queen Victoria has other ideas. Unsatisfied with Phantomhive’s report of the happenings at the Circus, her butlers deliver a request to Ciel to host and throw a banquet to a German industrialist.

Sebastian quickly organizes the event, and Phantomhive invites members of the artistic and industrial communities, including a young mystery writer. The guests are lavishly entertained, until the German industrialist is found murdered in his room. With a storm raging outside, the murderer is still in the Manor. The guests suspect Ciel, but Sebastian believes otherwise. However, when even this most capable of butlers is found dead, is Phantomhive the next victim?

The story continues in Black Butler, Vol. 10.

Turtles All the Way Down

Green, John. Turtles All the Way Down. 2017. 286p. ISBN 978-0-525-55536-0. Available on the library shelves at FIC GRE.

Aza has problems. She’s worried she doesn’t really exist, and instead is a collection of bacteria that control her body. Deadly afraid of catching Clostridium Difficile (c. diff) or any other bacteria-caused disease, Aza obsesses on her stomach bacteria and has difficulty connecting to the world around her. Daisy, her best friend and Star Wars fanfiction writer, does enough talking for the both of them to keep many a conversation going.

When Daisy brings up the strange disappearance of billionaire entrepreneur Russell Pickett, Aza is not too interested. Russell Pickett vanished from his mansion, located across the river from Aza, during the night. Investigated for fraud and other white collar crimes, Pickett was rumored to be close to being indicted and taken to court. His disappearance has left shareholders, the public, and his own family confused. Did he run away? If so, why hasn’t he contacted his own sons? Daisy pushes the issue, however, for Aza and Davis Pickett spent time together when they were younger, and there is a $100,000 reward for any information leading to Russell Pickett. With that kind of money, both girls would be a long way towards affording college.

Aza can’t focus on this case, however. Davis, like her, suffers on the inside. He misses his father, and he has to act as his brother’s dad. He always feels under surveillance by the mansion’s staff. He’d rather spend time gazing at the stars than worrying about what is happening here on Earth. Aza’s problems also plague her daily existence. Trips to her psy do not ease her worries, and her medication is not working properly, perhaps because Aza is not consistently taking it. Either way, both of them are lost, and they have found each other again.

With the entire Pickett estate scheduled to go Robert’s favorite pet, a tuatara, resolving the disappearance of the man would lead to economic hardships for his sons, but freedom from the worries. For Aza, there is no such freedom from her own thoughts, which spiral inwards ever so tightly. As Davis and Aza attempt to deal with their issues, the world continues to move. Will they manage to escape their dreadful spirals?

Beautiful Creatures

Garcia, Kami & Margaret Stohl. Beautiful Creatures. Book 1 of the Caster Chronicles series. 2009. 563p. ISBN 978-0-316-15195-5. Available as an eBook from Overdrive

The small town of Gatlin is what most people think of when they imagine the old South: southern hospitality, its own historic Civil War battlefield, large plantation houses and debutante balls. For Ethan Wate, Gatlin is none of those things. It’s a place he’s anxious to leave behind, but as a sophomore he’s still got three years left before he can depart and never come back. According to him, there are two kinds of people in Gatlin: Those who can’t wait to escape, and those who are not able to. With nothing ever happening, Gatlin might as well be the end of the world. That all changes, however, when, at the beginning of the school year, a new girl joins the sophomore class.

The niece of Gatlin’s recluse and owner of the oldest residence in the county, Macon Ravenwood, Lena Duchannes has moved from place to place throughout her life, never staying very long in any location. Ethan is immediately smitten with Lena. He’s met her before, in his dreams. Over the last few months, Ethan’s dreams have been plagued with a vision of a beautiful girl and him in a graveyard. And now that girl is here, in the flesh, at school. It can’t be a coincidence.

Ethan soon discovers that Lena is cursed. She is a Caster, and her ancestor made a bargain that has cost her descendants their free will. Now instead of having the possibility of choosing good or evil during their claiming ceremony when they turn 16, each caster is now assigned a side. Lena is deeply terrified she will be chosen as a Dark Caster, unlike her uncle and the rest of her family. Helped by a locket discovered next door to Ravenwood, Ethan and Lena realize that two people much like them have lived this life before, during the Civil War, and that it ended badly for both.

Now in a race against time, Ethan and Lena must fight the town bullies and discover a way for Lena to make her own choice. Can they change their fate?

Armstrong & Charlie

Frank, Steven B. Armstrong & Charlie. 2017. 304p. ISBN 978-0-544-82608-3. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

The year is 1974, and Charlie is about to enter sixth grade at Wonderland Elementary, his neighborhood school. It’s a big deal, because by the end of sixth grade Charlie will be older than his older brother Andy, who died last year after an asthma attack that sent him to the hospital. This death has broken his family, and his mother rarely comes out of her shell anymore. On top of that, none of Charlie’s friends will be attending school with him. All have switched to other schools since Wonderland became a school participating in Los Angeles’ opportunity busing program. Students from a black neighborhood in central L.A. will be coming on the bus to attend Wonderland.

Armstrong is one of these kids, and he’s also not looking forward to sixth grade. Not only will he not attend his own school with his friends, but he will have to get up at 5:30 every day just so he can catch the big bus all the way up Laurel Canyon. The school won’t have any African-Americans aside from those being bused to Wonderland, so his opportunity to make friends will be small. Armstrong has five strong sisters and a stay-at-home father who lost a leg fighting for the U.S. military in Korea. His mother works hard as a nurse, and Armstrong has to be the man of the house, fixing things his father can’t.

The two of them meet on the first day of school at Wonderland when they are assigned seats next to each other, even though they are nowhere close in the alphabetical order. Armstrong is determined to exercise control and authority over the other kids through his prowess at sports and academics, but so is Charlie. What begins as an intense rivalry between the two boys slowly evolve as they realize that they share more in common than they thought …

A great friendship novel, Armstrong & Charlie allows the reader to see how two very unique individuals can look past their differences and resolve their conflicts in a humorous yet poignant tale. For a look at the issue of racism from a girl's perspective, take a look at It All Comes Down to This, which also takes place in Los Angeles, a decade earlier.

Patricians in the Roman Empire

Jacobs, Denise. Patricians in the Roman Empire. Part of the Life in the Roman Empire series. 2017. 80p. ISBN 978-1-5026-2257-0. Available at 305.52 JAC on the library shelves.

Though Rome’s Imperial system placed a man at the head of the Empire, this individual could not effectively govern without significant contributions and support from the wealthiest members of Roman society, the Patricians. When the last of Rome’s seven kings was overthrown, he was replaced by a Republic, governed by a Senate. Members of the Senate came from wealthy families and were appointed for life. Following the death of Julius Caesar and the civil war that ensued, Augustus assumed control of the state but continued to rely on the Senate to pass laws and administer the state. Successive emperors whittled down the political power of the Senate until it became nothing more than a debating body.

Patrician men were born into their positions. They had private tutors as children and were taught how to read and write, basic mathematics, and the art of rhetoric and public speaking. They generally served in the military for a number of years before seeking more powerful offices such as Tribune or Consul. Patrician women were married young and were educated enough to run a large household made up of family members and slaves.

Life as a Patrician had its rewards. They were not worried about where their next meal came, and they threw lavish entertainment to keep themselves and the people pacified. Theirs was a life of luxury unequalled until the Renaissance. At the same time the political power plays that took place could quickly led to their downfall and even death. As the ruling class of Rome, the Patricians kept the state functioning, but as long as it benefited them.

Other titles in this series include The Countryside in the Roman Empire, The City in the Roman Empire, and Religion in the Roman Empire.

The Case Study of Vanitas, Vol. 1.

Mochizuki, Jun. The Case Study of Vanitas, Vol. 1. 2016. 240p. ISBN 978-0-316-55281-3. Available in the Graphic Novels section of the library.

Noe has departed from the forests of Averoigne for the first time, traveling aboard a majestic airship named La Baleine on his way to a steampunk Paris. A young vampire, he seeks to find the Book of Vanitas, supposedly written by Vanitas, a vampire not born during a crimson full moon, but rather during a blue full moon. He wishes to learn more about the book and its power. That vampire wrote the Book of Vanitas as a way to punish and slay the other vampires. Now Noe’s teacher reports that the book has been found in Paris.

While on board La Baleine, Noe meets Amelia, a vampire who has been warped by the maladies that affect those whose vampires whose true name has been discovered. Their meeting is interrupted by Vanitas himself, or, at least, the heir to Vanitas, who has in fact inherited the Book of Vanitas and is now using it to heal rather than the kill vampires.

Unfortunately, others are not convinced that this is what Vanitas is doing. Vampires who seek to capture the book begin to lurk, while others continue to suffer from the maladies. Can Noe and Vanitas form an alliance and learn to work together to avoid falling prey to their mutual enemies?

Everland

Spinale, Wendy. Everland. Book 1 of the Everland series. 2016. 312p. 535 mins. ISBN 9780545836944. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

In a bid for world domination, Katherine, Queen of Germany, ordered the destruction of London and the conquest of England. Unfortunately, the raid that destroyed the city also unleashed a deadly virus that is killing everyone in its path. The first victims of the Horologia virus were the adults, who quickly succumbed. This wiped out England’s defenders, but then the virus began affecting German troops as well, and now, a year later, only children are left living in the ruins of London, as well as a relatively small group of German soldiers. And all of them are affected. The Horologia virus affects girls faster than boys, but in the end all of them die a horrible death.

For the last year, sixteen-year-old Gwen Darling has survived with her two younger siblings, sister Joanna and and six-year-old brother Michael on the outskirts of London, now known as Everland. They have scavenged and sheltered from the Marauders, as the German soldiers are known, as their steam-powered machines have patrolled the remnants of the city looking for kids. Led by the vicious Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer, otherwise known as Hook, and his second in command Smee, the Marauders seek children as they believe they hold the cure to the Horologia virus.

Hook has not received any news from Germany since the day he led the assault against London. And England’s allies never counterattacked. Hook, who happens to be the son of the German Queen, believes that the Horologia virus has spread beyond England and has infected the world. A cure for the disease would be priceless and would provide him the power of life or death over everyone. Working with a captured English scientist, Hook is feverishly looking for the one child rumored to be immune to the disease.

Having encountered no other survivors for the last year, Gwen is surprised one night during a scavenge run to discover that there are other children out there. Peter and his friend Bella tell her of a city of Lost Boys, where children have taken refuge. Meanwhile, Joanna is captured by the Marauders. Gwen decides to mount a rescue mission, but Peter convinces her to come with them to the city first, as Gwen shows no sign of having contracted the Horologia virus, unlike Joanne, Michael, Peter, or Bella.

As Gwen tries to rescue Bella while Hook attempts to get his hands on a cure for the Horologia virus, both of them may not have enough time to fulfill their goal. A retelling of Peter Pan, fans of Steampunk and dystopia will appreciate the gritty aspects of Everland and the ever climbing price Gwen will have to pay to save her sister, and all of the Lost Boys.

Outrun the Moon

Lee, Stacey. Outrun the Moon. 2016. 391p. 607 mins. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Mercy Wong is dedicated to achieving her goal of owning her own enterprise and pulling her family out of poverty. Living with her little brother, her mother, and her father in a small apartment in San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1906, Mercy experiences daily discrimination. Her father runs a laundromat and works sixteen hours a day, seven days a week. Her younger brother is sick and frequently needs medicines. Her mother is a fortune teller who has predicted her own death. Americans dislike the Chinese and have closed off their borders to more Chinese immigration, so even though Mercy is born in the United States and therefore a citizen, she’s considered an alien by the local population.

Having read and thoroughly internalized a treatise on business, Mercy embarks on a mission to join the most prestigious high school for girls in San Francisco, the St. Clare’s School for Girls, where the scions of San Francisco’s rich families go to perfect their education and social graces before meeting a husband. Mercy, however, plans on developing her business acumen and make contacts. Her friend Tom, whom she is romantically interested in, wants to build air machines and refuses to join his father in his herbalist business, planning instead to move to Seattle to work with a certain individual named Boeing.

Mercy convinces Mister Du Lac, a board member of the school and the owner of the most prestigious chocolate maker in the country to help her join the school. She has to pretend to be a Chinese heiress even though she’s never been to China and doesn’t know many of her culture’s more refined customs. None of that deters Mercy, however, who will persevere through mean girls at the boarding school, a strict and disciplinarian headmistress, and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fires that destroy most of the city to achieve her goals of not only succeeding in American society but changing it as well. Filled with humor, this book provides a great look at a relatively unknown period of American history.

Geekerella

Poston, Ashley. Geekerella. 2017. 320p. ISBN 978-1-59474-947-6. Available at FIC POS on the library shelves.

In this modern-day retelling of Cinderella,Elle, whom only her stepmother call Danielle, lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her two wicked twin step-sisters, wicked Chloe and quiet Calliope. Her mother died when she was four, and she has only the vaguest memories. Robin Wittimer, her father, on the other hand, died a few years ago after remarrying with Catherine and her own two daughters, and now Elle is stuck in a house she technically own but with a guardian who doesn’t really care or love her.

Her parents were huge Starfield fans, and her father even founded ExcelsiCon in Atlanta. Following his death, however, Catherine has banished mentions of this hobby beneath the dignity of her ambitions. Elle is left with a blog where she discusses all things Starfield, and the hope of one day turning 18 and escaping her stepmother’s clutches. The twins, who are the same age, are just as bad at emotionally torturing Elle, always picking on her. Having set her up with one of the boys at the country club last year, Elle has sworn off any relationship. Working in a food truck painting like a pumpkin selling vegan fare, Elle is shocked that the remake of the new Starfield movie will feature Darien Freeman in the title role of Prince Carmindor. A teen heartthrob and star of the soap Seaside Cove, Darien is gorgeous but is nothing but a vapid star and Elle writes a devastating review of the announcement of the film cast on her blog.

Darien, meanwhile, is under the tight control of his manager father and is afraid he will not measure to the previous actor who occupied the role of the Prince. He has read Elle’s devastating review and knows it will be hard to convince the die-hard fans he is one of them. Informed by his handler that he will be participating on a panel at ExcelsiCon, Darien attempts to contact the organizers to cancel his appearance. He really hates conventions, especially after the major fight he had with Brian, whom he thought was his best friend but whom was in it only for the money. Looking on the con’s website, all he can find is a phone number for the founder.

When he texts it requesting to be removed from the panel, Elle is the one who receives the message. She inherited the phone when her father died. At first she doesn’t want to talk to the stranger, but soon she realizes they have a connection. They are both Starfield fans, and they both wish they were somewhere else. Since they are both virtual strangers, they open up in ways they never would have had they met. With the filming of the movie moving along and with the con getting closer every day, will Darien and Elle be able to connect and ignite their relationship before they discover they loathe each other’s public persona?

Modern-Day Serial Killers

Raul, Don. Modern-Day Serial Killers. Part of the Psychology of Serial Killers series. 2016. 144p. ISBN 978-0-7660-7298-5. Available at 364.15 RAU on the library shelves.

The FBI define serial killers as individuals who kill three or more victims at three or more locations with a span of time in between. Serial killers have always haunted the cultural consciousness of the nation since the days of Jack the Ripper, but in the last fifty years there have been many serial killers who have been arrested and prosecuted by law enforcement. These modern-day serial killers commit their crimes for many reasons. Some enjoy the power they have over their victims. Other kill to gain sexual gratification. There are those who kill for the thrill of taking away a human life. Others hope to gain money, fame, or recognition, while some kill with a distorted sense of ending suffering or cleaning the streets. All are people who have killed multiple times in multiple locations.

This volume explore the lives of several types of killers in the last half of the 20th century and at the beginning of the 21st. These are divided into eight categories, from psychotic killers to sexual predators, charmers, and angels of death. The biograpies of several infamous individuals like the Green River killer, Ted Bundy, the Son of Sam, the Killer Clown, and former nurse Kristen Gilbert are all discussed, and their common traits examined. Fans of the morbid will appreciate the probing of the serial killer’s mind in this book.

Other books in the series include Medical Serial Killers, Cannibal Serial Killers, Female Serial Killers, and Historical Serial Killers.

The Enemy

Holbrook, Sara. The Enemy. 2017. 256p. ISBN 978-1-62979-498-3. Available at FIC HOL on the library shelves.

In 1954 Detroit, the enemy is not as far as you think. With only nine years since the end of the Second World War, many survivors of the Nazi concentration camps have relocated to the United States, along with hundred of thousands of displaced persons and refugees. Nazis are still the favored villains for children, but Communists are also gaining ground. In the midst of the Red Scare, being different often means being the subject of intense scrutiny. Twelve-year-old Marjorie Campbell’s father, like most fathers, fought in the War, and brought back a dislike of the Germans. Her mother went to college during the war, but thing more than a glorified housewife and is not expected to contribute to society aside from raising her children, Margie and six years old Carol Anne.

At school, Margie is asked to share her desk in an overcrowded classroom with a new student from Canada, Inga. At first glance, it is clear that Inga is different. Her clothes are worn and shoddy, with a European flair. She wears two braids, when no one else does. She doesn’t speak English, and it soon becomes clear that she and her parents are Germans. Torn between loyalty to her friends and family, and her curiosity for the wider world, Margie has to thread a careful line, for adults and children alike are paranoids and are seeking to stamp the Red Menace wherever it can be found, and being friends with a Nazi is definitively not a reputation enhancer.

Can Margie, who discovers a subversive book titled  1984 at the local library, embrace her inner courage and become friends with Inga despite the obvious danger to her family and her reputation, or will she decide not to rock the boat by remaining safely involved with her group of friends?

An excellent book to understand the fear that grasped the United States in the 1950s, Margie’s story provides a powerful look at how being safe often means allowing evil to take place. Fans of Margie’s story should take a look at A Night Divided, another historical book where an oppressive society, in this case East Germany, attempts to control the thoughts of its citizens and how a teenage girl fights back.

The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone

Griffin, Adele. The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone. 2014. 256p. ISBN 978-1-61695-361-4. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

Addison Stone was one of the most brilliant artist of her generation. Blazing a light through the art world, she exploded on the scene after her junior year of high school and moved to New York City, where she ultimately died in an accident unfurling artwork high above a bridge. Told by the people who knew Addison, as well as from her own words collected through interviews, the reader explores the tormented life of someone who clearly suffered from schizophrenia. We read about her rebel life and her unwillingness to bend to the rules. Her parents struggle through their marriage, and her brother, who loved her very much, tries to help. The only time Addison feels like herself is when she is working on her art.

Discovered by her art teacher in high school, she enters and wins prestigious state and national awards, and signs up with an unscrupulous art dealer. With more money than she knows what to do with, she moves to New York City where she encounters rich Zach, the son of one of her art dealer’s wealthier client, and they madly fall in love. The relationship strains, however, and Addison jettisons Zach for Lincoln, a fellow artist. Zach can’t let go, however, and he begins plaguing Addison’s life. She returns the favor by burning down his cottage in the Hamptons.

As her life struggles escalate, Addison sinks even further into mental illness, and Lincoln finds himself unable to help her. Addison is just too much, even for the people who love her. A rebel to the end, we will never know what she could have accomplished. Was her death a preventable accident, or was it murder? Neither Zach nor Lincoln are speaking, but after reading through countless interviews and careful documentation, the reader can only reach one conclusion ...