Olivia Twist

Langdon, Lorie. Olivia Twist. 2018. 331p. ISBN 978-0-310-76347-5. Available as an ebook on Overdrive. 

When her mother died in childbirth, newborn Olivia was left bereft. Looking at her pretty face, the attending physician asked the nurse to take care of the baby, but raise it as a boy for poor orphan girl children in Victorian England had very little prospects aside from peddling themselves for a few coins. Upon the nurse's own death, Ollie, as the child was known, was turned over to the workhouse, from where she promptly escaped, joining with a gang of boys and brought up under the protection of Jack, known under his criminal name as the Artful Dodger. For years, the streets of 1860s London were brutal and violent.

During a pickpocket incident gone wrong, Jack managed to steal a rich man's wallet, but Ollie was captured and abandoned. Luckily she was recognized by the victim as his long lost niece, and was adopted back into the Brownlow family. Now, years later, Olivia has joined high society, but keeps track of several street boys whom she feeds and clothes. With her engagement to Max Grimwig coming, Olivia will secure her financial future, but at the cost of marrying someone she doesn't really care for.

When Jack reappears, Olivia is struck by how handsome he is and how he has evidently joined high society as well. As the adopted nephew of a well-known socialite, Jack moves around hi those rarified circles, stealing valuable objects from the inside. When he recognizes Olivia as Ollie, Jack is also quick to fall in love. However, the reappearance of Monks, the well-known street lord, in the slums of London puts all of the street orphans in danger. When Jack realize that Monks is after Olivia, he vows to stop him, even if this means putting his own life in danger.

A retelling of Oliver Twist with a female protagonist, this tells the story of a strong character dedicated to saving as many children as possible, even if this means skirting what is proper in her society. Jack can be both endearing and enraging at the same time, and the way they bumble through their budding relationship is very realistic. Fans of historical fiction with a splash of mystery will love this book!

Our Iceberg is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions

Kotter, John and holger Rathgeber. Our Iceberg is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions. 2005. 147p. ISBN 978-0-312-36198-3. Available at 650.1 KOT on the library shelves.

 Managing people and problems is one of the most important functions of a business. These processes are not always smooth and efficient. In this fable, the author presents the story of a penguin named Fred. Fred lives on an iceberg who noticed that the iceberg may split as winter comes to Antarctica. The result would be the destruction of the iceberg and the decimation of the entire penguin community. Fred first brings this problem to one of the penguin leaders, who humors him by taking a look but soon becomes convinced that something must be done.

As the story weaves around solving the iceberg problem, several business management concepts are introduced and the penguins demonstrate how they apply them in a "real life" scenario to improve the life of their community and solve their rather dangerous issue. Readers interested in leadership advice and in future management need to read this book to see how the penguins adapted and ensured the survival of their group.

Disappeared

Stork, Francisco X. Disappeared. Book 1 of the Disappeared series. 2017. 329p. ISBN 9780545944472. Available at FIC STO on the library shelves.

Sara and her brother Emiliano live in Juàrez, Mexico, with their mother. It was always Emiliano's dream that he and his father would open a food truck together, but his father left to work in the United States, and found love up there, leaving the family behind. Whereas Sara has adapted to her father's absence, Emiliano continually resents his father for abandoning them.

Sara works for a local newspaper, conducting investigations in the criminal world that dominates the city. When her best friend is kidnapped by the cartel, Sara decides to risk her own life to find out what happened to her. As she pursues leads, her life becomes increasingly in danger, and she soon realizes she is surrounded by spies and enemies that wish her harm.

Emiliano is in love with Perla Rubi, who comes from a rich family. An enterprising young man, Emiliano has worked with some local children to create art that he then sells for export to the United States. He also collects bottles from a local night club and resells them, hoping to make enough money to buy a motorcycle, which would allow him to expand his business. Offered an opportunity to meet with a businessman, Emiliano quickly learns that he would be joining the cartel and his art would be used to smuggle drugs.

With their lives in the balance, each member of the family must make an impossible decision that could destroy everything they have worked for. Can Sara and Emiliano successfully bring justice to the cartel and keep their lives?

A vigorous drama that switches between Sara and Emiliano's point of view, this book is not for the faint of heart. Fans of criminal investigation will appreciate how easy it would be for Emiliano to join the cartel and live a life of crime, and what rewards he would get from that. They will also like Sara's dedication to truth and justice, even putting her life on the line to rescue her best friend from sexual slavery. 

The story continues in Illegal.

The Wright Brothers: First in Flight

 Croimpton, Samuel Willard. The Wright Brothers: First in Flight. Part of the Milestones in American History series. 110p. ISBN 978-0-7910-9590-4. Available at 629.13 CRO on the library shelves.

Wilbur and Orville Wright are known as the first people to fly an airplane. However, nothing in their lives predisposed them to become successful fliers. Born four years apart in 1867 and 1871 in a deeply religious family in Dayton, Ohio, Wilbur and Orville showed aptitudes for mechanical things, and soon founded a bicycle repair shop. In his spare time, however, Wilbur, who was fascinated by flight, studied the movement of birds and read voraciously on the subject of flying. Aside from balloons, no man had flown like a bird.

Eventually, Orville joined Wilbur's obsession, and they collaborated together on creating a glider that would fly. Carefully documenting each step, the brothers found a windy location in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on the outer banks by the beach. Kitty Hawk had dunes they could use to start the glider, miles of sand to crash in, and a very small population that would not spill their secret.

Over the course of four years, the brothers perfected their glider and made successful attempts at flying. Wilbur solved the mystery of the warped wing, which allowed more stability and maneuverability. Meanwhile, other competitors were also trying to build their own plane. Their mechanic, Charlie Taylor, created a small propeller engine for their glider, which achieved the first powered flight.

Despite their accomplishments, the Wright brothers's discovery was not at first accepted. They had to tour Europe and sell their plane there first before the United States government agreed to purchase a plane of their own. Wilbur and Orville conducted many aerial displays, with Wilbur flying around Manhattan Island and the Statue of Liberty in front of over 100,000 people. Embroiled in litigations, Wilbur died in 1912, while Orville continued to tinker with inventions until his death in 1948.

More than their discovery, it was their process that allowed them to achieve success. Their diligent application of science and dedication to keep on trying despite multiple failures set the Wright brothers apart, and demonstrate what effort can do!

Other books in the series include:

• The Stock Market Crash of 1929
• The Wright Brothers

Black Butler, Vol. 22

Toboso, Yana. Black Butler, Vol. 22. 2016. 176p. ISBN 978-0-316-27226-1 . Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Having escaped the clutches of the German army with Sullivan in Black Butler, Vol. 21, the Emerald Witch safely protected, Ciel Phantomhive commands Sebastian to retrieve Wolfram and save his life. Phantomhive and his party escape to Diedrich's estate, where they rest and Wolfram is healed. During a conversation, Deidrich, who was the best friend of Ciel's father, reveals that perhaps he is not dead after all. Grim Reapers visit the site of the battle against the Germans, and harvest souls. With the party soon returning to England, the files on Sullivan and Wolfram are transferred to the British branch of the Grim Reapers. The four reapers discuss recent news of the Undertaker, and wonder what triggered him to rebel against the Reapers.

Planning to return to England and anticipating that Queen Victoria will wish to meet the young creator of the deadly mustard gas, Ciel entrusts Sebastian to train Sullivan in the proper ways of Victoria's court. Back in England and pressed for time, Sebastian is harsh with Sullivan and Wolfram, and he's not experiencing much luck. The arrival of Lizzie, Ciel's fiancee, causes some waves but she soon understands the challenge, and shows Sebastian a better way to help Sullivan understand what is expected of her.

Cemetery Boys

Thomas, Aiden. Cemetery Boys. 2020. 352p. ISBN 9781250250469. Available at FIC THO on the library shelves.

Despite being born in a girl's body, Yadriel has always known he was a boy. He came out to his cousin and best friend, Maritza, when he turned fourteen, and she was anything but surprised. He came out to his mother, who accepted the change, but his father found it rather more difficult, because Yadriel revealed at the same time that he is gay. Yadriel's family is a family of brujos, witches who help the spirits of the newly deceased find the afterlife, and who protect the world from malevolent spirits. Brujos also connect with their deceased relatives during the Dias de los Muertos. 

At age 15, every member of the extended brujo family is welcomed into the fold with their powers, either as a brujo, armed with a dagger to sever the tie that holds spirits back to this world, or as a bruja, who specializes in healing. Yadriel's father refused to perform the initiating ceremony for brujos for Yadriel, instead offering him the bruja ceremony. Yadriel refused, and now he is like his uncle Patrice, powerless and not recognized as a full-fledged member of the brujo clans.

Determined to show everyone that he is a real brujo, Yadriel plans to perform his own initiation ceremony, and he and Maritza smuggle themselves into the cemetery church next to their house, where he performs the ceremony and is anointed by Lady Death herself. Unfortunately, at the same time all of the brujos feel the pang of pain as one of their own dies. Miguel, who was on guard in the cemetery, is missing and his body can't be found. Yadriel decides to help by attempting to recall Miguel's spirit to get more information about his death, but instead he summons Julian Diaz, a semi-homeless boy who evidently has also recently died. All Julian remembers is that he was trying to protect one of his friends in a park, then nothing.

As Yadriel, Maritza and Julian begin crusing Los Angeles trying to find out what happened to Julian and to Miguel, Yadriel begins to fall for Julian, but Julian's only got a few days left as a spirit before it's time to send him to the afterlife. Knowing there is a killer out there, can there be is an happily ever after between boy and ghost?

This is an excellent story featuring characters not usually present in young adult books. Yadriel is conflicted with his emotions and his transition to a boy. Julian is angry with life and his circumstances, and being dead doesn't help. Maritza refuses to accept the heritage of her family, and proudly stands up for what's right. All of them have deep motivations and issues with trust and acceptance, and as a group of misfits they belong together.

Choosing a Career in the Restaurant Industry

 Beal, Eileen. Choosing a Career in the Restaurant Industry. Part of the World of Work series. 1999. 64p. ISBN 0-8239-3002-5. Available at 647.96 BEA on the library shelves.

Working in a restaurant can be a very rewarding career, and it is one of the few where someone can begin working with no experience and make it to the top. It is possible to go to school to acquire managing or culinary experience. There are three categories of positions within a restaurant: the front of the house, the back of the house, and the top of the house. Front the house positions include servers, busboys, host, and other more exotic positions. Back of the house positions include chefs, cooks, and dishwashers. Top of the house include managers, accountants, and purchasers. 

One of the dreams of people going into the restaurant business is to own their own restaurant, but this is a very demanding job that requires work 7 days a week. Dedicated owners can make is a success, but they need to put in the work and control all aspects of their business. Ways to find out more about the business are also explained. Food lovers and people who think they may be interested in working in a restaurant will appreciate the thoroughness of the information presented here.

The Case of the Left-Handed Lady

Springer, Nancy. The Case of the Left-Handed Lady. Book 2 of the Enola Holmes series. 2007. 234p. ISBN 9780399245176. Available at FIC SPR on the Library Shelves.

Having escaped her brother Sherlock Holmes in The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, Enola has set up shop as an investigator of missing persons, hiding behind the persona of a recluse doctor and acting as his secretary. Her mother has gone with the gypsies, and Enola at 14 finds herself living alone in London, away from the strictures that were bounding her to be a "proper" lady. That's the way she wants to keep it, and she will do anything she can to escape the reach of her famous detective brother.

When Lady Cecily goes missing, Enola is intrigued. Acting as the young wife of her persona, she visits Cecily's mother to get more information about what happened. Cecily disappeared on a ladder from the fourth story of her house, and she took no clothes. No ransom note has been received, and no other details were noticed. Elona quickly realizes that Lady Cecily was left handed, which is rare in the British nobility. 

Following the clues, Elona visits a department store where the owner's son works. He was rumored to have a relationship with Cecily, but his lodgings were searched and no clue as to Cecily's whereabouts were found. From him, she discovers that Cecily was very interested in radical idea like Marxism, and that she thought workers should have a better deal than what they were getting. As she continues looking, however, Elona almost becomes the victim of a garroter. Looking for Lady Cecily has just turned deadly!

Fans of the style of mysteries popularized by Sherlock Holmes will appreciate this take on his younger sister, who is both more motivated and more interesting!

The story continues in The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets.

The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today

 Ricks, Thomas E. The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today. 2012. 576p. ISBN 978-1-5942-0404-3. Available at 355.009 RIC on the library shelves.

Wars are often won or loss based on the leaders at the top of the military chain of command. In the United States, generals are tasked with implemented the civilian leadership's will into action on the battlefield. During the First World War, General Pershing was in charge of all US troops in Europe, and he forced through leadership changes that enhanced what the army was doing.

In the Second World War, General Marshall crafted a policy that ensured generals would perform at appropriate levels, and those who could not would be relieved. As a result, the army was innovative and took well-evaluated risks to move their campaigns forward. Generals like Eisenhower, Patton, and Bradley were very successful in prosecuting war with Germany. 

Following the end of the war, however, the army found itself without a mission. The Korean conflict saw a swift rearmament, but suddenly military leadership became skittish. The Marshall policy of removing low-performing generals was ignored, which led to a leadership vacuum at the front. Leadership errors from the Korean war were compounded in Vietnam, where no general was held accountable for military and strategic failures.

The army was reformed after the 1970s, but though it became a more lean and efficient fighting machine, the leadership at the top was itself not transformed. As a result, the United States army continues to win impressive battles but suffer strategic setbacks that prevent it from successfully completing wars, from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria. 

Fans of history will appreciate reading about the generals that influence the last 120 years of American military life. Lessons learned are exposed, and the flaws that led to today's environment are dissected, with suggestions on what can be done to improve both morale and strategic leadership.

Black Cat, Vol 14

Yakubi, Kentaro. Black Cat, Vol 14. 2008. 192p. ISBN 978-1-42151605-9 . Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Train and Eve encountered River in Black Cat, Vol. 13. The sweeper seeks to defeat Train with only his fists. The two battle each other, with Train telling River multiple times that this is not a fight the upstart can win. Eve encourages Train to deploy his new rail gun ability, and that shocks River enough to stop the fight.

With the search for Creed and the Apostles of the Stars going nowhere, Train and River are both invited to join the Alliance, a group of sweepers looking to take down Creed. Glin, who's an information broker, has created a challenging video game that Train must defeat in order to find out where the Alliance's first meeting will be. Meanwhile, Sven is working with Rinslet, trying to control the power of his vision eye. Only with this ability is he willing to rejoin Train and Eve. 

The trio is reunited at Glin's secret base, and they begin discussing their assault on the Apostles of the Stars. Will a group of ten formerly independent sweepers be able to work together?

Such a Fun Age

 Reid, Kiley. Such a Fun Age. 2019. 310p. ISBN 9781526612144. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

At 25, African-American Emira lives in Philadelphia and is rudderless. After graduating from Temple University, Emira worked a series of odd jobs, but her favorite so far is being a babysitter for Briar, a precocious 2 years-old who is always asking questions. She works with Briar three days a week, while Briar's mother, Mrs. Chamberlain, cares for Briar's younger sister and writes a book.

Blonde and White, Alix Chamberlain loved her old life in New York City. She used her spirit of positivity and her blog to parley a book deal and get a ton of free stuff. She and her husband moved to Philadelphia for his work as a network anchor, and Alix has felt lost, with her friends and all of her favorite haunts left behind.

When a rock is thrown through Alix' window following a controversial comment made by her husband on the newscast, she calls Emira in a panic to see if she could come and take Briar away while the police are over. Emira, who was at a party for her best friend Zara, agrees to come over even though she has been drinking. Accompanied by Zara, she picks up Briar and heads to the local market, where Briar loves to look at tea and different staples. They walk through the market and dance, but eventually Zara has to depart, leaving Emira and Briar alone. That's when a White customer accuses Emira of having kidnapped Briar, because what kind of sitter would be out in a party dress, smelling of alcohol, this late at night? The whole confrontation with a security guard is filmed by Kelly Copland. Emira is shaken up, but not as much as Alix who feels guilty she placed her sitter in that situation.

Emira begins dating Kelly, who has a complicated history with Alix when they were both in High School. Alix wants to make the whole mess right, but for the wrong reasons. Briar wants Emira to stay with her forever, because Alix doesn't pay much attention to her daughter. And Emira continues to search for herself, hoping to discover who she really is.

The dual themes of self-discovery and race relations percolates through the book. Each character has major flaws. Alix can't let go of the past and doesn't want to be perceived as racist. Kelly is still bitter about the circumstances surrounding his breakup with Alix. Emira's friends are all adults with their own apartments and benefits, but Emira still lives in a dingy apartment with no real prospects. Fans of realistic fiction with dysfunctional families will appreciate this look into a complicated situation.

Choosing a Career in Hotels, Motels, and Resorts

 Rue, Nancy N. Choosing a Career in Hotels, Motels, and Resorts. Part of The World of Work series. 1999. 64p. ISBN 0-8239-2999-X. Available at 647.94 RUE on the library shelves.

Vacations are always fun. You get to stay somewhere else, and experience a new place. Most often than not, people end up sleeping at hotels or motels. What goes into making a hotel run? There are many career opportunities available in the hospitality industry, from front line workers like the valets who park your vehicle, the bellhop who helps you with your luggage, the concierge who provides you with advice and services, the front desk employees who welcome you and process your stay, the maids who clean the room, the food service employees who prepare and deliver the meals, and the maintenance workers who keep the whole structure humming along nicely.

Hotels are dynamic places to work, with the possibility of quick advancement and many roles to fill. Those who enjoy working with the public will find a home in the front office. Those who enjoy number or working behind the scene can staff the back office, where accountants, human resources, security, conventions, and marketing make the business run efficiently.

Finally there are those folks who are more interested in opening their own lodgings, or purchasing an existing business. Challenges exist here too, from the daily contact with the customers to having to work every day, but the work always being different. Ultimately, the hotel business is fast paced, and is continually adapting to trends. It's a good career for individuals who enjoy the public and who are looking for a fast-paced setting.

Game Changer

 Greenwald, Tommy. Game Changer. 2018. 304p. ISBN 9781419731433. Available at FIC GRE on the library shelves.

As an incoming freshman, Edward Youngblood is the best football player his age. Teddy plays the tailback position, and is big and quick. He looks forward to joining the Wildcats, the town's football team. On the last day of the summer training camp, freshmen do a full scrimmage coached by the seniors, and during that event, they participate in the hit parade. The goal is simple. Each freshman must lay waste to another player, and the longer it takes for them to get up the field, the higher they will rank. The best hit will earn the hit parade champion Wildcat helmet.

During the hit parade, Teddy is blasted by a direct helmet to helmet hit, and he collapses on the ground. After managing to get back up, Teddy passes out on his way to the exit, and is taken to the hospital. He finds himself in a coma, while his whole team and the town cheers for him to get better. However, what really happened on that Friday remains shady. 

Told through text messages, social media posts, conversations transcript records, and medical files, Teddy's tragedy is explored and examined. The violence that plagues football, hazing, and a male code of silence pervades this story. Though there is actually no sports game detailed in Game Changer, fans of sports will enjoy this dark side of football and will appreciate Teddy's road to recovery.

A Framework for Understanding Poverty: A Cognitive Approach

 Payne, Ruby K. A Framework for Understanding Poverty: A Cognitive Approach. 2013. 239p. ISBN 978-1-938248-01-6. Available at 362.5 PAY on the library shelves.

Poverty is a powerful force that shapes many of our students. This is even more so for people who are in the second or more generation living in poverty. The skills and methods of operation are very different than those of the middle class and of the wealthy few. Worries about money, unstable housing and food situations, shifting relationships, and low-skilled or no work make it hard to focus on a goal and future opportunities. Instead, people in poverty are concerned about survival on a daily basis. Entertainment becomes important. Keeping time, not so much. Students who come from poverty lack skills that are considered important in schools: attention to detail and follow-through; inability to plan complex multi-steps processes; and relationships that work through entertainment.

Through a cognitive approach, the author presents a series of case studies, questionnaires, and charts, and explains how the world of those who live in poverty operate differently from people in the upper economic classes. She proposes many solutions that schools can implement to assist these students in gaining the skills they need to successfully operate in a middle class environment like a public school. She demonstrates how learning patterns can be changed for the better through simply devising strategies that address the core skills that these students lack, and not blame their poverty for their lack of success. All educators should read this book!  

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 3

Kato, Kazue. Blue Exorcist, Vol. 3. 2011. 195p. ISBN 978-1-42154034-4. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

in Blue Exorcist, Vol. 2, Rin and his classmates passed the Exwire test, and they have all been promoted to the rank of Exorcist Exwire. Yukio is summoned to deal with Father Shiro's demon cat, which is grieving at the death of its master and is now threatening those it used to guard. Rin accompanies his twin brother, and, using his head for once, manages to settle the cat back into its normal form. 

Back on campus, the class is tasked with finding the ghost that is plaguing Mepphyland, the True Cross Academy's amusement park. Shiemi is assigned to work with Rin, and though they both feel something for the other, they try to ignore it. Rin locates the ghost, but his sword is stolen by another demon, Amaimon, who taunts Rin for being a weak version of demonic powers. Rin battles Amaimon but is badly beaten, and it's only the intervention of Shura, a senior exorcist first class, that he is saved. Shura has been sent from the Vatican to investigate Rin and the reasons Mephisto agreed to have the child of Satan join the exorcist school. Shura tells Rin that she will keep an eye on him, and she confiscates his sword.

The class is then sent into the woods, where they will camp for three days and be tested. Their first task after setting camp up is to find lanterns left in the woods. There are only three, however, so it is a competition, with low level demons plaguing the area. Who will succeed this test?

The story continues in Blue Exorcist, Vol. 4.

Burn Baby Burn

Medina, Meg. Burn Baby Burn. 2016. 310p. ISBN 9780763674670. Available at FIC MED on the library shelves.

In 1977, a serial killer is plying the streets of New York, looking for victims. Nora Lopez is seventeen, and she doesn't think she's going to survive another year in the city. The winter was colder than average. The summer was sweltering. Power failed and blackout roiled the city. But at home Nora must contend with a single mother whose hours are being cut, a brother who hooked up with a criminal gang, and a distant father who remarried and consistently forgets to send a child support check. Nora's mother doesn't recognize that her son has issues, and refuses to seek help as she hopes he will grow out of it. With all of the bad things happening in her life, Nora sure can't tell Kathleen, her best friend, about how bad her life really is right now.

Lucky for her, there's a bright spot in her life. She works at Sanerlo's Deli, where the owners treat her well, and the new employee is both cute and in college. Soon, Nora connects with Pablo, but just like Kathleen, she can't afford to let him know the real her and burden him with what's happening at home. 

As the serial killer, dubbed Son of Sam by the media, is still out there, searching for victims, Hector continues his life of petty vandalism and escalates to pyromania, which endangers all of the residents of the building, and threatens her relationship with Pablo. Faced with an impossible choice between her brother and her life, Nora will need to decide whether it's time to fan the flames or extinguish the fire.

With the Fire on High

Acevedo, Elizabeth. With the Fire on High. 2019. 392p. ISBN 9780062662835. Available at FIC ACE on the library shelves.

Emoni is the proud mother of baby girl Emma, but as she starts her senior year in high school, having a two-year old and living with one's grandmother is not necessarily where she saw herself. When she became pregnant after her first time having sex with her much older boyfriend, Emoni determined to stay in regular school in Philadelphia and earn her diploma, instead of attending the more forgiving school for pregnant and teen moms. 

Ever since she delivered Emma, Emoni has been faced with one challenge after another. Her boyfriend broke up with her soon after learning she was pregnant. Her African-American mother died during Emoni's birth. Her Puerto Rican father is a deadbeat, more interested in taking care of his community than taking care of his daughter. Her grandmother's disability checks are not enough to support them both, so Emoni works at a local burger joint part time, supplementing the household's income. And Emma continues to grow and demand more time from her mother.

Aside from Emma and her grandmother, what Emoni loves to do most is cook. She is a fantastic cook, and never makes the same dish twice, always modifying and improving what she's made before. Her dream is to run her own restaurant, and she would love to attend culinary school, but realistically has no chance as her grades are not very good, and she's got to care for Emma. Returning to school at the beginning of her Senior year, Emoni discovers that the culinary arts program has returned. She eagerly enrolls in the class, even though one of the requirements is a week-long apprenticeship in Spain that she will need to pay for. She doesn't know how she will make that work, but she will find a way.

Then there's new guy Malachi, straight from New Jersey, who endeavors to get to know Emoni better, even though she pushes him away several times. Emoni is neither interested in a relationship, nor does she have the time. But Malachi is in the culinary course, so it's hard to avoid him. Despite her culinary skills, she runs afoul of the chef, who instructs her to follow the recipe. This is important because people may have allergies, and it achieves consistency. Emoni considers dropping the class, but she perseveres, and eventually discover that her culinary talents can in fact take her farther than she thought possible.

Emoni's story contains a dash of romance, a whole lot of family love, and the desire to exceed expectations and circumstances. Fans of food will enjoy the rich dishes Emoni describes, and will appreciate how hard Emoni works to be the best mother and person she can be.

The Great Train Robbery

 Crichton, Michael. The Great Train Robbery. 1975. 266p. ISBN 978-0-307-81644-3. Available both at FIC CRI on the library shelves and as an ebook on Overdrive.

In 1855 Victorian England, the country was bitterly divided between those who had wealth and stood at the top of society, and those who didn't and lived in severe poverty with no social safety net to speak of. At the time, criminals were thought to be poorly educated people, though plenty of rich folks committed crimes as well. Edward Pierce dressed as a gentleman. He lived in a nice house. He dressed in fine clothes, and always had money with him. But Pierce was not a noble. In fact, his origins remain unknown. What is known, however, is that Pierce and several confederates planned and carried out the biggest train robbery in history, stealing the gold destined to pay British soldiers during the Crimean war.

The plan was simple yet devilishly complex. In a time before explosives, breaking into the safe that carried the gold from London to the coast of England where it could be shipped on a boat required keys. A professional could crack a one-key safe with ease. A two-key safe was more difficult, but not impossible. A three-key safe would require more time than the train ride lasted. This large safe had four keys. Pierce and his accomplices needed to make copies of each of the keys, which were in possession of various people of influence at the bank and at the train company, to make this work.

Over the course of months, Pierce and his associates procured the keys, planned their actions, and infiltrated the train before stealing the gold. The result was a black eye for Scotland Yard, a victory for criminals, and the lost of three large boxes of gold from the British treasury.

Based on historical events and reconstituted from court and newspaper accounts, the Great Train Robbery provides an unvarnished look at Victorian society, their morals, and the importance of industrialization in transforming Britain from an agrarian country to one filled with factories.

My Hero Academia, Vol. 6

Horikoshi, Kohei. My Hero Academia, Vol. 6. 2016. 192p. ISBN 978-1-4215-8866-7. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Now that the Sports Festival ended in My Hero Academia, Vol. 5, students from Class 1-A are about to begin their internship with hero agencies. First, they must come up with a catchy name for their superhero personality. Midoriya selects Deku, because though it was used as an insult when he was younger, he chooses to reappropriate it and make it whole. 

For his internship, Ida requests transfer back to Hosu, where his brother was heavily injured by villain Stain. He looks forward to confronting Stain and avenging himself and his brother. Midoriya, for his part, is assigned to work with Gran Torino, the same hero who trained All Might. Midoriya still cannot master the One for All, but under Gran Torino's tutelage he soon realizes that he can in fact control this quirk.

Meanwhile, Stain confronts the League of Villains, who is hoping to recruit him to their efforts. Snubbed and hurt by Stain, Tomura decides to throw a wrench in Stain's plans to "reform" Hosu. Ida soon finds himself confronted by Stain and the monsters the League of Villains unleashed...

We Set the Dark on Fire

 Mejia, Tehlor Kay. We Set the Dark on Fire. Book 1 of the We Set the Dark on Fire series. 2019. 384p. ISBN 9780062691330. Available at FIC MEJ on the library shelves.

Life on the island of Medio is divided between those who live on the inside part of the wall, closer to the mountains that rise up to the sky, and those that live on the other side, closer to the salt and the brine of the sea. Crossing the wall to the inside leads to death on sight, and those that succeed at entering the wall remain hidden, trying to survive in one of the villages in the right shadow of the wall. Daniela's parents smuggled inside, and for her whole life Daniela has feared being discovered. 

The top student at the Medio School for Girls, Daniela has been trained for the last five years in being the perfect Primera, the wife of a highly ranked notable in charge of administering the household. Her rival, Carmen, has been trained to be the Secunda, the wife who will bear the family's children. Both of them find themselves selected by the heir of the Garcia family, a rich family with connections to Medio's President. Daniela has to hope her flimsy identification papers will hold to scrutiny, but she is rescued by an underground resistance group that provides her with the right paper to complete her marriage in exchange for information.

Thrust into an unfamiliar situation that doesn't match her training, Daniela soon finds herself above her head. Her husband is clearly planning something big, and with presidential aspiration of his own, refuses to share any information with his Primera. Caught between her new family and the resistance, Daniel has nowhere to turn to avoid Carmen's scorn, but soon she realizes that Carmen may be more than she appears, and a forbidden love begins to grow between the two wives of Senior Garcia.

With the resistance becoming more active, and with bloodier repressions, Daniela soon faces a deadly choice. Should she continue hiding who she really is to safeguard everything her parents sacrificed for when she sent her to the school, or is it time to stand up and fight for the rights of those who are oppressed, even if this means death?

An interesting dystopian take on a love triangle embedded in a revolution, We Set the Dark on Fire does not remain focused but covers several themes. Fans of LGBTQ+ literature will appreciate watching Daniela acknowledge her nascent feelings for Carmen, while those that enjoy politics will cheer her on as she undermines the system from the inside.

Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case

 Crowe, Chris. Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case. 2003. 128p. ISBN 9780803728042. Available at 364.15 CRO on the library shelves.

In 1955, Emmett Till, 1 4 year-old Black teen, was brutally murdered in Mississippi for wolf whistling at a White woman. His death sparked outrage and ignited the Civil Righs Movement. Born in 1941 in Chicago, Emmett Till had the opportunity in the summer of 1955 to go down to Mississippi and spend time with relatives. African Americans had difficult lives in the northern parts of the United States, facing discrimination, but this was nothing compared to how African Americans were treated in the South. The legacy of Jim Crow and of slavery ensured that African Americans were considered expendable second-class citizens at best.

Emmett was warned by his mother to never talk back at White folks, and keep his eyes down. This advice he either forgot or chose to ignore it on one steamy August day, when he was hanging out with his friends and relatives near the only grocery store in Money, Mississippi. Goaded by the kids around him, he went inside the store, and allegedly asked the woman running the store out on a date, and then whistling at her when she came out of the store. Three days later, the woman's husband enlisted confederates to teach Emmett a lesson which resulted in his death.

The two brothers responsible for Emmett's death were brought to justice and charged with his murder, but were quickly acquitted by an all-white jury angry with the national attention and the threat to the Southern way of life that the questioning caused. The two men escaped punishment but were ostracized from their community. Emmett's body had returned to Chicago, where the casket was opened and pictures taken of his brutally disfigured body, before being published in the press. African American leaders throughout the United States organized demonstrations and inspired a movement to fight for justice for all African Americans. 

Emmett's murder eventually led to massive cultural changes in the United States, a process that continues to this day.

The House in the Cerulean Sea

 Klune, TJ. The House in the Cerulean Sea. 2020. 398p. ISBN 9781250217288. Available as an ebook on Overdrive.

For the last seventeen years, Linus Baker has worked as a case worker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, the organization that governs how young people imbued with magical powers and abilities are supervised and "protected." his job consists of visiting orphanages where magical youths are placed, observing the conditions, and reporting back through an exhaustive report to the Department. Linus is good at what he does, but at 40 he has no friends aside from his cat, and lives a very lonely life.

When Linus gets called away from his desk to meet with Extremely Upper Management, he is distraught. What could he have done that would warrant such attention? His supervisor, Mrs. Jenkins, all but threatens him to keep quiet about his working conditions, but she shouldn't have worried. Extremely Upper Management tasks Linus to undertake a secret mission. He is to travel to Marsyas Island and spend a month there observing the operations of the local orphanage. The whole task is classified level 4, and when Linus is finally given seven files for the six children and the headmaster, he literally faints. Arthur Parnassus, the headmaster, runs the school in an isolated location, across from a small village only reached by ferry. Six children presently live at the orphanage, and all of them are deemed extremely dangerous.

There is the gnome Talia, who at 263 years old is about to enter her gnomish teenage years. A great gardener, Talia threatens Lucas with burying him in her garden where no one will ever find him. There is Theodore, one of the last wyverns left alive, and who is accumulating a hoard of buttons under the couch since he is small enough to fit there. There is Chauncey, a green blob akin to a jelly fish, but no one quite know what he is, and whose dream in life is to become a bellhop. There is Sid, who turns into a Pomeranian when scared and who doesn't talk much but has the heart of a poet. There is Fi, a sprite who controls plants and who can talk to tree. And there is Lucy, a sweet six year old who also happens to be the son of the Anti-Christ. 

Extremely Upper Management expects Linus to observe and use his well-developed sense of fairness to gauge whether the orphanage should remain open or whether it should be closed. Greeted by Zoe, the sprite of Marsyas island, Linus discovers that things will be more complicated than he thought. As he learns more about the children, he also grows close to the enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, and realizes that things are not as they have been portrayed by Extremely Upper Management. Linus is soon faced with a terrible choice: Risk his comfortable life and take a chance on Arthur and the children, or risk watching the whole world be destroyed at the hands of the devil's child.

A delightful tale that reminds the reader of Far Far Away, The House in the Cerulean Sea explores issues of fairness and nature versus nurture. It is possible for individuals to escape their circumstances and become greater and better than their heritage, something Linus learns during his stay at the orphanage. Fans of light fantasy will love this book!