Soul Eater, Vol. 6

Ohkubo, Atsushi. Soul Eater, Vol. 6. 2011. 192p. ISBN 9780316071093. Available in the graphic novel section of the library.

in Soul Eater, Vol. 5, Medusa and her crew headed down the catacombs under DWMA with a large vial of black blood to release the kishin that has been kept prisoner by Shinigami for all these years. Medusa and Dr. Frankenstein confront each other, while Maka is stalled in her fight with Crona. That leaves Black*Star and Death the Kid to stop Free and the witch Eruka.

Maka invades Crona's mind, and discovers that what he is looking for the most is a friend. She overcomes his defenses, and manage to finally defeat him, offering him her friendship. Frankenstein finds himself evenly matched with Medusa, but a special move finally ends the witch's life, but not before the Doctor confronts some truths about himself.

Meanwhile, Kid and Black*Star make it past Free, but are unable to prevent Eruka from injecting the kishin, Now free, it emerges from the catacombs only to fight Maka, whom he quickly defeats. Shinigami is waiting for him, however, and an epic battle ensues, until the kishin flees after realizing that Death is now forever tied to DMWA and cannot pursue. With their failure, the students of DMWA face an ugly truth. Madness will spread across the world, unless they can find a way to stop it ...

The story continues in Soul Eater, Vol. 7.

Black Cat, Vol. 16

 Yakubi, Kentaro. Black Cat, Vol 16. 2008. 200p. ISBN 9781421516073. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

With their forces divided in Black Cat, Vol 15, Train and Sven find themselves at opposite ends of the island of the Apostles of the Star. Sven and Silphy face Deak Slathky, who controls ice and freeze. Sven has an ace in his sleeve, however, and his vision eye now is the grasper eye, which allows him to see what will happen and dramatically slow time down. He can therefore avoid most attacks.

Train, meanwhile, has joined with River, and the two of them are learning to work together. They are confronted by Shiki, who harnesses the power of Tao to pours his strength and spirit into a bug-looking demon. Very powerful, the demon represents the most significant threat Train has confronted in recent times. River agrees to distract the demon long enough for Train to attack Shiki and hopes that he will be distracted enough to lose his control over the demon. Shiki, for his part, has a large chip on his shoulder and looks forward to the destruction of Chronos and all of the Sweeper, which will demonstrate the ultimate strength of Tao!

The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan

 Springer, Nancy. The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan. Book 4 of the Enola Holmes series. 2008. 183p. ISBN 9780399247804.

Following her resolution of the mystery of the bouquets and the disappearance of Dr. Watson in The Curious Case of the Mysterious Bouquets, Enola attempts to return to a semblance of normalcy. Secure in her knowledge that her enterprise of solving mysteries has not been detected by her brothers Mycroft and Sherlock, Enola nonetheless has put off finding her mother.

When she runs into Lady Cecily, from The Case of the Left-Handed Lady, she is very perplexed. Last time she had seen Lady Cecily she had revealed her true identity to the left-handed youth. Imagine her surprise, then, to see Lady Cecily flanked by two aristocratic matrons and being forced into an arranged marriage. Using a pink fan, Cecily manages to communicate her distress to Enola, who decides to investigate the manner.

Her inquiries reveal that Lady Cecily's mother has departed the family home with the children, and that Lady Cecily's father, concerned that his daughter is now damaged goods following her disappearance, has decided to marry her off to a less than desirable suitor. Enola runs into her brother Sherlock, who is on the same trail but possesses less information than she. Putting her grievances against her brother aside, the two of them team up to discover where Lady Cecily is being kept against her will. With the revelation that Lady Cecily is being held in an orphanage on the outskirts of London and that the wedding is this very day, Enola must infiltrate the place and device a plan to rescue Lady Cecily without being captured by her brothers!

Lost Nation

Lent, Jeffrey. Lost Nation. 2002. 370p. ISBN 9780871138439. 

In 1834, Blood has been living a hard life, moving from place to place as if pursued by the devil himself. In some ways, Blood indeed is being pursued, but it is his own mind he can't escape, the things that he did following a personal tragedy. For seventeen years, he's been on the run from his past, seeking the most remote places to hide. Clearly educated, Blood purchases Sally, a sixteen-year-old girl from a brothel in Portland, and he takes her and a wagon full of supplies on little traveled roads all the way north to Indian Stream, a parcel of territory wedged between Canada and the United States, neither wanted by the British nor by New Hampshire. The struggle to get to Indian Stream foreshadows the hard life the two of them will experience on the frontier.

As Sally and Blood settle in their lives, both of them learn about themselves. Sally is uneducated, but is already wise to the ways of men and of the world. Blood chooses not to involve himself in the lives around him, but as tavern owner it is hard not to participate in his new community, especially since he is both revered and reviled by the locals. As spring turns to summer, events on Indian Stream begin to spiral out of control as state authorities seek to assert their laws against a group of men who fled governed territories. Blood is anew confronted by his past just as the spark that lit the fuse on war reaches the keg and explodes. When the smoke settles on Indian Stream, much will have changed, and the lives of Sally and Blood will be forever changed.

Come On In

 Alsaid, Adi, editor. Come On In. 2020. 315p. ISBN 9781335146496. 

Immigration to the United States remain a powerful political topic, and spurs controversy and division. Behind the issue, however, are human beings who often attempt a dangerous move to escape circumstances from violence to poverty to economic distress. In Come On In, editor Adi Alsaid compiles 15 stories that shine a light on individual circumstances of immigration or children of immigrant parents. 

The stories showcase various aspects of identity and immigration, from being in the country illegally to having a best friend who has no papers; from harassing airport security to restrictions on movement; from weddings to camping trips gone bad; from extended family members moving in to others moving out; and from seeking a higher education to struggling to complete high school. 

Told by authors who are also immigrants or kids of people who immigrated to the United States, these stories powerfully illustrate the experiences of immigrants and demonstrate their humanity. Fans of realistic fiction will appreciate the variety of voices and stories that seek to identify "who am I" and "where am I from?" 

Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol. 15

 Asagiri, Kafka. Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol. 15. 2020. 192p. ISBN 9781975359218. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

In Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol 14, the Armed Detective Agency had been framed for the murder of several officials in the government, and their members had been drawn into a trap. Surrounded by sharpshooters, the five agents on location come up with a plan to escape the building, and soon run away in a stolen car. The military sends in its special team, the legendary Hunting Dogs. With each individual possessing a powerful ability, the Hunting Dogs split up and chase the escapees. Kunikida and the rest of the group are soon confronted by two of the Hunting Dogs. Relentless and deadly, Kunikida sacrifices himself by jumping out of a helicopter sent by the Port Mafia and taking down Tetchou Suehiro.

Meanwhile, Atsushi and Kyouka also manage to escape the manor by hiding in the ceiling, and track down Fitzgerald, the leader of the Guild, to see if they can use the Eye of God. He initially refuses, but an attempt on his life may convince him otherwise. Meanwhile, Dazai is reunited with Dostoyevsky in a secret prison in Europe, looking to reveal the truth about the Armed Detective Agency ...

Picture Us in the Light

Gilbert, Kelly Loy. Picture Us in the Light. 2018. 361p. ISBN 9781484726020.

Living in California, high school senior Danny Cheng looks forward to attending the Rhode Island School of Design on a full scholarship. Danny is an amazing artist, and his friends always comment on how cool his art is. Danny especially appreciates his best friend Harry Wong, who's dating his other best friend Regina Chan. Danny has always had feelings for Harry, and he often sees hints that maybe Harry is returning those feelings, but it's all so confusing as Harry and Regina form a beautiful couple that everyone say belongs together. Then there's the suicide of another friend, a year ago, that colors everything they do,

Danny's parents have always been secretive, and never talk about their lives before immigrating to the United States from China, so Danny doesn't know much about them. His life is turned inside out when Danny discovers a shoebox containing photos, news clipping, and checks. His parents seem to have had a double life. When his father come home one day and announces they need to move, because he has left his job at the University and they can no longer afford the rent on their home. The family quickly flees to a miserable apartment far in the suburbs. Danny doesn't know what his parents did, but research show that his father assaulted a rich businessman years ago, and fled their former home in Texas, changed their names, and settled in California. Danny, and his parents, are illegal immigrants. They overstayed their visa and when assault charges were filed, they ran away. This realization threatens Danny's whole future.

Overnight, Danny finds himself forced to attend a new high school, instead of the art school where Harry and Regina go. Danny manage to con his parents and continues to attend his art school while looking for details on what really happened with his parents. As life crumbles around him, decisions Danny made in the past about Harry come back to haunt him. Will Danny have enough time to reconcile with his parents, discover what happened to the kidnapped sister he never knew he had, and come clean to Harry on his feelings for him?

Finding oneself is hard for most teens, and doubly so for LGBTQ+ teens. In Danny's case, the secret lives of his parents and the missing sister all add up to an impossibly complicated life. Fans of realistic fiction will appreciate how Danny eventually discovers who he is, and what his life is all about.

The Splendid and the Vile

 Larson, Erik. The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz. 2020. 585p. ISBN 978-0-385-34871-3. Available at 940.54 LAR on the library shelves.

On the 10th of May, 1940, Winston Churchill becomes the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following the British defeat to the German army in Norway. That same day, Hitler's forces invade Holland and Belgium, forcing France to the defensive as the Germans overrun the heavily fortified French border. Committed to fight to the end, Churchill is unable to prevent the French army's collapse and the subsequent surrender. The British manage to evacuate most of its expeditionary corp as well as large parts of the French army surrounded at Dunkirk. 

Vowing to destroy the British's will to fight on while planning an invasion, Hitler orders Goering and the German Air Force to obliterate British air defenses. Led by a relentless Churchill, the government takes control of aircraft production and manages to double, then triple, the numbers of monthly airplanes put in service. As the Germans expand their war efforts and increase the number and intensity of bombings, the British fight back and begin dropping bombs on German targets. As cities are inadvertently hit, the war takes a deadlier turn and soon London is under constant attack, while other British cities are also reduced to rubble.

With the country preparing for invasion, Churchill actively courts the Americans, knowing that Britain cannot win the war without American intervention. Britain must survive long enough for the Americans to be dragged in the war. The relentless pounding of London and continued military losses compound Churchill's headaches. Can the British resist a determined German air assault?

Told from primary sources including the diaries of Churchill's daughters and one of his personal secretary, The Splendid and the Vile reveals a much personal approach to war than most histories of the Blitz. Focused on the one year where the Luftwaffe relentlessly dropped tons of bombs, killing over 45,000 people and causing until economic and structural damage, this book explores the impacts on the lives of ordinary people who lived through the Blitz, as well as follow the reactions and decisions made by Churchill and his entourage during that fateful year. Fans of history will love reading how Churchill galvanized the British people in fighting what seemed to be a lost cause.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Vol. 10: Old School

Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Vol. 10: Old School. 2015. 217p. ISBN  978-1-48986459-8. Available at FIC KIN on the library shelves.

Just when Greg thought life couldn't get any more complicated, his mother is leading an initiative to turn the town into a voluntary unplugged zone to get people off their phones and computers and talking to one another again, just like in the olden days. To Greg that just sounds silly, especially since the good old days seem like anything but good. With his father on his case to become more responsible, Greg and Rowley start a lemonade stand business, but can't quite pull it off, so they turn to the water business, and get the great idea to head down to the park during unplugged weekend to sell their wares, only to be drafted in the effort to clean up the park.

Things go for bad to worse for Greg as he runs away with a juvenile delinquent, and ends up having to go to camp to escape his father's wrath that the family car ended up in the ditch. Of course, what could be a better place for a serial killer than camp? All the kids can talk about is Silas Scratch, the kid snatcher who haunts the woods around the camp. Speaking of camp, who's idea of fun is it to go to a farm all week long and do farm chores? Greg's pretty sure this is free labor for the farmer, and not a character builder exercise for the middle schoolers. And just when Greg thinks he's hit bottom, his father shows up to chaperone the remaining days at camp...

Fallout: The Hiroshima Cover-up and the Reporter Who Revealed it to the World

 Blume, Lesley M. M. Fallout: The Hiroshima Cover-up and the Reporter Who Revealed it to the World. 2020. 276p. ISBN 978-1-9821-2851-7. Available at 940.54 BLU on the library shelves.

As the invasion of Japan loomed large in the war planning efforts of the United States military in the summer of 1945, an atomic test was conducted in July, proving that atomic weapons would be devastating. An atomic bomb was first dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, then a second one on Nagasaki on August 9. Japan surrendered soon after, and was soon occupied by American soldiers. The United States military blocked all journalists from going to either city, and hoped to keep secret the devastation and the radiation sickness that was affecting survivors. Sanitized photos showing the destruction of the cities were published, but didn't look much different than those of German cities reduced to rubble. This secret remained hidden from the American public for over a year.

John Hersey, a Pulitzer winner journalist, decided he would investigate what had really happened to Hiroshima. Working for the New Yorker, Hersey obtained permission to visit Japan, then secured a travel permit to Hiroshima where he spent two weeks meeting survivors of the atomic blast. Hersey reported on six people: two doctors, one Jesuit priest, one Japanese priest, a widow and her young children, and a young woman who had just entered the workforce. Hershey wrote about where they were when the bomb went off, how they survived the blast, and how their path crossed each other during the day. Hersey then returned to the United States and began writing his article.

Hersey's account, simply titled Hiroshima, humanized a former enemy while at the same time revealing the horrors of radiation and of the attack. He demonstrated to Americans what could happen if a U.S. city was struck, and brought home the reality that nuclear war would usher a devastation so total no civilization could survive it. Cleared for publication by the general behind the Manhattan project, Hiroshima changed American perceptions of the atomic attack, and led to questioning on whether the bomb should have been used at all. 

Fallout details how Hershey wrote his article, how it was published, and the reception the article had after it hit the newstands. Fans of history will appreciate the details behind this well-known but little appreciated time in history.

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 4

Kato, Kazue. Blue Exorcist, Vol. 4. 2011. 186p. ISBN 978-1-42154047-4. Available in the graphic novels section of the library. 

The story ended in Blue Exorcist, Vol. 3 at camp, where the exwires were tasked to capture a lantern in the woods and bring it back to camp. when When Konekumaru discovers that the lantern is in fact the size of a horse-drawn cart, he enlists Rin and the rest of his friends. Suguro realizes that the rules were not that they all had to capture a lantern by themselves, but rather that they were to collaborate together. Sugaru comes up with a clever plan to move the lantern and get it across a rope bridge, but at the same time he remains suspicious of the blue light he saw in the woods next to Rin earlier that evening.

Mephisto Pheles releases Amaimon, forcing Rin to join the fight after Amaimon kidnaps Shiemi. Shura gives Rin his sword back, and he reveals his true nature to his friends. They are shocked that the son of Satan has been with them this whole time, and Shiemi takes it especially hard.

Meanwhile, the Vatican sends the Angel to discover why Shura has not completed her own investigation. Rin is brought to the Vatican's court for possible execution, but Mephisto convinces the court that for the time being Rin should continue to train so he can become the church's strongest weapon against the devil. Yukio and Shura will personally oversee his training, which will cause sparks among the former classmates ...

That Inevitable Victorian Thing

Johnson, E.K. That Inevitable Victorian Thing. 2017. ISBN 978-0-525-49352-5. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

At 18, Victoria-Margaret is poised to make her entrance in the world of adults. As the Crown Princess of the British Empire, and a descendant of Queen Victoria I, Victoria-Margaret has a heavy heritage to uphold, The Empire has long since adopted arranged marriages based on genetics for its royal family, so Victoria-Margaret will soon be matched with someone who will bring political advantages to the Empire.

Before her debut, she is allowed to go spend time with Elizabeth Highcastle, the daugther of a Canadian Admiral who is friends with her father, the Queen's Consort. Her father and royal mother hope that this last summer in semi anonymity will provide her with great friendships and good experiences. Arriving in Toronto with only Elizabeth and her family knowing her true identity, Victoria-Margaret transforms into Margaret Savage and joins Toronto's circuit of social events. Margaret has received her genetic profile from the Archbishop of Canterbury, and this profile is all of her information, except for her name so she can explore the Empire's genetic computer network for fun if she wants. Margaret sets up a profile for a girl called Lizzy.  At Elizabeth's debut, Margaret meets Helena Marcus, a shy and quiet girl.

Helena has always known that she would marry August Callaghan, heir to a lumber and shipping empire on the Great Lakes. From a tender age, they have spent all of their summers together, and now that Helena is preparing her own debut, she looks forward to August proposing. But then she discovers that her genetic heritage marks her as male. She is intersex, which means she has male characteristics including testes, and she will never bear children. Crushed, she doesn't know how to reveal this information to August, but she uses her male profile, which she named Henri, on the Empire's genetic computer network and soon attracts the attention of Lizzy, who is a perfect genetic match to Helena's Henry. Lizzy is funny and soon her and Helena's fake persona start to feel more than just a passing interest.

Meanwhile, August has been busy illegally bribing American pirates from attacking the Callaghan ships in the Great Lake, and now finds himself caught in a wheel of deceit that he wants to escape. Unwilling to drag Helena with him, he postpones his desire to propose, and instead casts about for solutions to his problem.

Soon the three of them find themselves spending the summer at Helena's cottage. Together, they have a chance to change the Empire for the better, if only they can get past their secrets.

Fans of Victorian England will enjoy this story of love and romance set in a near future where the British Empire survived and thrived. The characters are authentic, and their struggles to find their own identity is real.

The Gamification of Learning and Instruction: Game-Based Methods and Strategies for Traning and Education

Kapp, Karl M. The Gamification of Learning and Instruction: Game-Based Methods and Strategies for Traning and Education. 2012. 302p. ISBN 9781118096345.

In the last 30 years, the arrival of computers in schools changed education from a process driven by a teacher standing in front of the classroom distributing information while students took notes, to one where students are increasingly more responsible for guiding their own learning. One of the major change that has occurred has been the addition of games in educational settings, particularly video games. Used as engaging tools to develop skills and deliver content, digital games have evolved from off-the-shelf commercial games adapted for narrow purposes in specific school programs, to a bevy of educational games developed specifically for the educational market and its 1:1 program of providing a device for every student.

Digital engagement is important to motivate students and foster curiosity, but games can do so much more, from developing life-long interests to exploring topics in a safe and secure manner. Ultimately, gamification gives the student more control over their own educational outcomes. The Gamification of Learning and Instruction explores what gamification is, and how games can be developed to achieve specific learning goals and objectives. Learning theories are explored and applied to gamification, and the results of decades of research is presented to explain how games can be effective in education. The various types of game players are examined, before delving into the role of novice and expert players. Finally, gamification design processes are outlined. 

Those interested in how games can be implemented in a classroom will appreciate the details presented in this book that remains factual almost a decade after being first published.

A Court of Mist and Fury

Maas, Sarah J. A Court of Mist and Fury. Book 2 of the Court of Thorns and Roses series. 2016. 641p. ISBN 9781619634466. Available at FIC MAA on the library shelves.

After her death as a human and her rebirth as a fae following Amarantha's downfall in A Court of Thorns and Roses, Feyre is slowy adapting to life in a body that has immensely more power than her previous human form. Resurrected through the power of the seven High Fae Lords, she was embued with a slice of each of their power. Feyre finds herself able to muster some of their magic. Tamrin, however, refuses to train her so she can exploit these newfound abilities. Instead, he wants to keep her safe by keeping her locked in the Spring Court's manor house. 

Despite her upcoming wedding to Tamlin, Feyre is unable to find peace. The horrors she experienced during her imprisonment in Amarantha's court Under the Mountain, and the role she played in freeing the High Lords from the general's dictatorship show up nightly in her nightmares, and Feyre is slowly wasting away. Her marriage to Tamlin feels wrong, especially since he leaves her locked up in the Manor. Just as she's about to be wed, Rhysand appears and claims this is Feyre's week to spend with him, and he wisks her away.

Feyre soon realizes that the Rhysand that is feared by all is a facade. The most powerful High Lord ever, he can be volatile and violent, but he also harbors a safe city that his magic has protected from war and destruction. He loves his blood brothers Caspian and Azrael, who serve him. And he has feelings for Feyre. 

As the Night Court prepares to wage war against the Fae King across the sea, they must seek allies to destroy the power of the cauldron, a mystical artifact in the King's hand that could be used to resurrect people and grant immortality. But treachery abounds, and Feyre soon discovers that most people would prefer the safety pf enslavement rather than fighting for what's right. Accompanied with her new friends, Feyre will fight through a fog of deceit and treason to save what is still beautiful in Prythain.