The Last Command

Zahn, Timothy. The Last Command. Book 3 of the Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy. 1993. 467p. ISBN 9780553091861.

In Dark Force Rising, Grand Admiral Thrawn displayed masterly tactical skills, employing his dark Jedi to facilitate the destruction of the New Republic. Having gathered to him what was left of the Imperial forces. and having recovered the technology to once again clone soldiers, Thrawn is making a bid to restore the Empire. With Princess Leia pregnant with twins and barely holding the Alliance together, Hans and Luke are tasked to once again reverse a hopeless situation.

While Hans gathers smugglers and criminals, with the plan of making one last stand against Thrawn, Luke leads a small team inside the cloning facility with the aim of destroying it and cutting the flow of Imperial soldiers. But with the Emperor's assassin still on the loose, and a dark Jedi to contend with, Skywalker might finally have met his match!

A vivid conclusion to what should have been the trilogy that followed Return of the Jedi, The Last Command delivers fantastic action, plenty of space battles, and a satisfying conclusion. Fans of Star Wars will love this book!

Teach Like Finland: 33 Simple Strategies for Joyful Classrooms

Walker, Timothy D. Teach Like Finland: 33 Simple Strategies for Joyful Classrooms. 2017. 240p. ISBN 9781324001256. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive. 

Back in 2001, students from countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development participated in a brand new test, called the PISA, which was designed to determine skills in the fields of math, reading and science, and provide an ranking. To everyone's surprise, Finland came out on top, with Finnish students netting top scores in all three categories. How did Finland, with a small population, significantly less educational spending than the average American school, a significantly lower amount of hours spend in classes per year, and with teachers that rarely work longer hours than the students manage to outshine everyone else?

Timothy Walker started his teaching career in the United States, before moving to Finland with his wife and child so they could be closer to her family. There, he joined the Helsinki public school system, and got a job teaching 5th grade students. Walker thought he was well-prepared to take on this assignment, but it turns out that he had to forget many of the habits he had acquired in American schools in order to become a successful teacher.

In this book, Walker outlines 33 strategies he observed in Finnish schools that may explain why Finnish students are on average more proficient than American or even Asian students despite spending less time and money. From assigning less homework, to sticking with more traditional lecture formats but then providing more time for students to explore on their own, from a more relaxed educational environment where the pressure to perform and to pursue further professional learning opportunities are not present, and from a system where teachers are encouraged to leave school very soon after the students, Finland can teach a thing or two on how to offer a more peaceful, focused, and conducive to learning school environment.

Murder of Crows

Ancrum, K. Murder of Crows. Book 1 of the Lethal Lit series. 2022. 288p. ISBN 9781338742923.

High-schooler Tig Torres is the popular podcast host of Lethal Lit, where she documented her efforts at uncovering who was behind the serial killings of the person known as the Lit Killer. With the murder resolved and the killer behind bars, the town of Hollow Falls is breathing easy. Tig and her reporter friends from the school newspaper caught the attention of the Murder of Crows, a local group of amateur detectives who enjoy a mystery. Tig presents the Lit Killer case to them, and is received by a mysterious old man, who gives her the strange gift of a book.

As Tig enjoys refreshments, the man plummets to his death from the top of the house, smashing into the cake. He has clearly been pushed down! Once again, Tig and her friends find themselves in the middle of a mysterious chase, with another murderer. This time, the murderer is seeking the treasure that a group of town founders hid more than 160 years ago, leaving mysterious clues behind. Armed with gumption and a healthy dose of courage, Tig, Max and Wyn resolve to unmask this murderer, and find the treasure themselves!

Murder of Crows is fast-paced and features plenty of action and mystery, along with an underlying currents of romance. Fans of the whodunnit genre will enjoy watching Tig navigate dangers and murderers to solve the town's greatest mystery!

Never Quit: From Alaskan Wilderness Rescues to Afghanistan Firefights as an Elite Special Ops PJ

Settle, Jimmy. and Don Rearden. Never Quit: From Alaskan Wilderness Rescues to Afghanistan Firefights as an Elite Special Ops PJ. 2018. 320p. ISBN 9781250102997. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Jimmy Settle loved running. Born in Alaska, Jimmy would run or bike anywhere, as his single mother, a hairdresser, was always busy working to support her family. In high school, Jimmy excelled at track and cross-country, even winning the state championship. Following his mother's wishes, he joined the military and headed off to the War College, only to suffer a heart attack following a race. Honorably discharged, he worked hard to regain mobility and resume his activities. 

Lost and depressed, Jimmy reconnects with a high school friend who also joined the military, and who now serves as a para jumper, the elite unit tasked with saving lives in the Alaska wilderness and on its choppy waters. Once again motivated, Jimmy gets back in physical shape, joins the ranks of PJs wannabes, and starts working through the excruciating course of studies that will take him through survival school, diving school, parachuting school, interrogation and imprisonment school, and paramedic training, to finally achieve the status of PJ and be granted his maroon beret.

Once in the PJs, Jimmy is sent to Afghanistan, where he helps rescue wounded heroes from the battlefield. Shot in the head during an attack, Jimmy nevertheless perseveres and saves the lives of the men entrusted to him. Awarded a medal for his courage, Jimmy is once again honorably discharged.

A page turner filled with action scenes and Jimmy's struggles to achieve his goals, Never Quit demonstrates that determination and grit can accomplish amazing feats, but, more importantly, that one's team or family is essential to success! Fans of military history and of the military in general will love Jimmy's story of dedication.

The Crystal Prison

Jarvis, Robin. The Crystal Prison. Book 2 of the Deptford Mice series. 2002. 256p. ISBN 9781587171611.

With the death of Jupiter in The Dark Portal, the rats have been thrown into disarray and no longer represent a threat to the Deptford mice. The community is recuperating from the ravages committed by the rats. Oswald is still very sick, however, and every day his health declines a little more. For his part, Twit is contemplating returning home to his fields. Audrey and Twit are summoned by the Starwife, the leader of the squirrels, and they are accompanied by Twit's friend, the old sailor mouse. There, they learn that Madame Akkikuyu has survived the collapse of the rat empire, but that her mind has gone. She doesn't remember her role in Jupiter's reign, and the squirrel queen wants her out of her territory. Audrey is therefore tasked with accompanying Akkikuyu to the countryside, and in exchange she will be provided with an healing potion that will save Oswald. Audrey reluctantly agrees, only to learn that she will need to live with Akkikuyu until the old rat dies.

Accompanied by a merchant, Audrey, her brother Arthur, and Twit head out on boats, and eventually arrive in Fennywolde. Audrey and Arthur are introduced to the local mice. Twit's best friend Jenkins is being beaten by his religious father, Isaac, who considers every action to be heretical against the Green Mouse. They also meet Mr. Woodruffe, the the King of the Field, and Alison Sedge, a local beauty who instantly takes a dislike to Audrey. 

When young field mice are attacked by an owl, Akkikuyu intervenes and saves their lives, and even brews a potion that heals them, earning the admiration of the village. Audrey is bitter at having to stick with the rat, and they drift apart. She consoles herself by building a doll from corn stalks. Akkikuyu begins to hear a voice, that of a spirit called Nicodemus. Nico is attempting to escape his prison, and he promises the rat much magical powers if she helps him. As a trap is set for Audrey, who will serve as the sacrificial mouse that will release Nico from his current existence, the unsuspecting mouse is unaware that an old enemy lurks nearby ...

The story concludes in The Final Reckoning.

Blood Diamonds: Tracing the Deadly Path of the World's Most Precious Stones

Campbell, Greg. Blood Diamonds: Tracing the Deadly Path of the World's Most Precious Stones . 2002. 280p. ISBN 9780813342207. 

Though diamonds are beautiful, they, aside from a few industrial uses, have no particular economic value aside from what we ascribe to them. It is therefore amazing that an entire ecosystem rose on the discovery of diamonds in Africa in the 1800s, and that these discoveries would make some men extremely rich, while impoverishing the local inhabitants and causing strife and war.

Diamonds were discovered in the 1930s in Sierra Leone, a country founded by the British to act as a home for freed slaves, and at the time still a British colony. International concerns like De Beers, the company responsible for the slogan "Diamonds are forever," entered the market. Exploitation of diamond mines were hard, however, for there were no roads and no effective way to provide security. Warlords and rebel groups stepped into the void, and began exploiting their own mines using slave labors. The diamonds were sold through middlemen, and weapons were bought with the proceeds, furthering war and instability as various groups fought each other and outside forces for control of the diamond mines.

The conflict has lead to mass casualties, including rape, slavery, amputations, and people being shot. Diamonds traded this way were revealed to have financed Al Qaeda and the 9/11 terrorists attack on the United States, and soon became referred to as blood diamonds for the violence inflicted on those who mined them and lived in the area. Despite promises to clean up their act and to provide transparency on the provenance of their diamonds, large companies continue to exploit a resource that is portable and easily hidden, that can be smuggled and laundered to show a different provenance. Until diamonds lose their attraction in the United States and elsewhere as an expression of love, people will continue to be hurt and die during their exploitation.

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 6

Kato, Kazue. Blue Exorcist, Vol. 6. 2012. 192200p. ISBN 9781421541747. Available in the graphic novels section of the library. 

Following the theft of the left Eye of the Impure King in Blue Exorcist, Vol 5, the whole of True Cross Academy and its exorcists are on high alert for an attempt on the right Eye, but none of them suspect that this attempt will come from inside their own rank. Mamushi, an exorcist, seizes the right Eye and reunites it with the Left, causing some destruction as she escapes.

Tatsuma, Suguro's father, seems to be assisting Mamushi, and he refuses to defend himself, causing Suguro to renounce his father. Rin is not so sure that the holy man is in league with Mamushi, however, and a letter from him reveals information about his adoptive father and about Rin himself.

At the same time school continues, and Rin must spend his summer cramming information into his head so he can pass the Exorcist exam. Tasked to follow his brother to observe him stopping a demon train, Rin and Shemi decide they can't let innocent spirits die, and they join the fight despite express orders not to do so ...

The story continues in Blue Exorcist, Vol. 7.

Defending Taylor

Kenneally, Miranda. Defending Taylor. Book 7 of the Hundred Oaks series. 2016. 304p. ISBN 9781492630081. Available as an ebook from Overdrive.

As a senior in an elite private academy, Taylor had everything going for her. She was the captain of her soccer team, had excellent grades, and was looking forward to early admission at Yale, following in the footsteps of her sister and father, the senior Senator from Tennessee. Unfortunately, everything unravels for Taylor when she gets caught in the woods near the school with a backpack containing pills. The backpack belongs to Ben, her boyfriend, who is on scholarship and will most likely get expelled if he's caught, so she takes the blame, thinking she'll receive some punishment.

To her surprise, she is expelled from the school, and her father does not lift a finger to help her. Engaged in a heated reelection campaign, he can't afford to be seen as soft on illegal drugs, even if it is to help his own daughter. Even if he could help, he would not as he is a big proponent of taking responsibilities for your own actions. Taylor is thus forced to attend the local high school, Hundred Oaks. There, she attends mandatory daily meetings with the school counselor, and joins the soccer team where the captain, Nicole, attempts to make her life miserable.

Meanwhile, Ezra, who is the best friend of Taylor's older brother and who was Taylor's first crush, is back in town. He has taken a leave from Cornell, and currently works in construction. Even though his parents are wealthy, he lives in a rundown apartment building, and he has issues of his own. Taylor and Ezra reconnect, and she soon learns that he is dyslexic, and cannot read well enough to keep up with college work. Plus, he doesn't want to study business per his father's wishes, but would rather learn to be an architect. 

Motivated by Ezra, Taylor seeks to undo some of the damages that took place when she took the blame for Ben, but fixing a secret often leads to more troubles. As Taylor learns some hard life lessons, she eventually realizes that the way out is to come clean with her own actions and accept personal responsibility, just like her dad suggested...

A light romantic story peppered with soccer games and underlined by twin stories of drug abuse consequences and doing things for others and not for yourself, Taylor and Ezra's relationship blossoms and grow, not without encountering some turbulence, but in the end they manage to work out their differences. Fans of romance will appreciate this book.

Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control

Benjamin, Medea. Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control. 2012. 262p. ISBN 9781935928.

Drones enhance the nation's military arsenal, limiting threats to pilots and providing the ability to operate for a long time above targets. They also represent a growing menace to people everywhere, as the ability to deliver deadly missiles at a long range is democratizing the number and models of drones available on the market. Drone Warfare explores the history of drones and how they are currently used.

The United States pioneered the use of drones, and employs them to conduct surveillance on the border and in cities, to conduct attacks against military targets and those deemed to be terrorists, and to monitor environmental conditions during forest fires and flooding. Their legal use is ill-defined. Can a drone be used to target and kill an American citizen without due process? President Obama certainly thought so, when he ordered the death of a Yemeni American accused of terrorism. Would Americans approve of China using a drone to attack a person it considered a terrorist in New York City? Legal and moral discussions need to take place to guide further deployment and utilization of these deadly tools.

Dark Force Rising

Zahn, Timothy. Dark Force Rising. Book 2 of the Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy. 1992. 439p. ISBN 9780553085747.

With the destruction of the Empire and the rise of the New Republic, imperial forces have regrouped following the events of Heir to the Empire. Under the leadership of Grand Admiral Thrawn, imperial forces have concocted a plan to restore the Empire. Employing a former Jedi to coordinate attacks, Thrawn has taken no chances and has surrounded himself with loyal bodyguards who are immune to mind control, as well as plants that prevent the former Jedi from manipulating him. Using information fed from the New Republic senate, his forces are on the move, looking to strike at the New Republic and probe its defenses.

Han Solo and Lando Calrissian have been tasked by Princess Leia to find out where the vital information that is being fed to Thrawn is coming from. Someone, or a small group of people, have infiltrated the New Republic and are leaking its most important secrets. Looking for evidence, Han and Lando cross the galaxy, only to discover that a large fleet warships has been assembled, ready to deliver doom to the nascent New Republic.

Meanwhile, Thrawn's former Jedi serves the Grand Admiral for his own reasons, hoping to corrupt Luke Skywalker the way Darth Vader was unable to do. And at the same time, the Emperor's assassin, who survived the collapse of the Empire, seeks Skywalker herself, so that she can avenge the death of her Emperor and fulfill her last mission. 

As Thrawn moves his forces throughout the galaxy, the leaders of the New Republic are in a race for their own survival!

The story concludes in The Last Command.

She Drives Me Crazy

Quindlen, Kelly. She Drives Me Crazy. 2021. 288p. ISBN 9781250209160. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Scottie's senior year is shaping up to be miserable. Her girlfriend, Tally, broke up with her so she could attend a prestigious suburban school and have the chance to win a basketball championship. Scottie's basketball team does not stand a chance. It barely attracts any crowd, the coach is the robotics teacher that was recruited because no one else would do it, and the Danielle, the team captain and Scottie's best friend, has to be the de facto coach. To top it all off, Scottie's car is accidentally hit by Irene, the captain  of the cheerleader team, one of the most popular girls at school, and probably the most uptight. Irene and Scottie have been enemies for a long time, and Irene even got Scottie's car towed last year.

Forced by their parents to drive together while Irene's car is being fixed, Scottie and Irene get on each other's nerves. Irene and her cheerleading squad do come and watch the girls' basketball team practice, which creates a buzz around the school, and more people begin to attend the games and the practices. When Scottie overhears Irene complain to her best friend Honey-Belle that her parents are making her pay the deductible on the car insurance for the repairs, but that she had already spent the money on cheer camp, and now she would have to quit cheer so she could work to repay them, Scottie comes up with a plan. She will pay Irene to pretend to be her girlfriend until the classic Christmas game against their cross-town arch-rivals, which happens to be the team that Tally is on. Tally is sure to hear of Scottie's new relationship, and this will make her jealous!

Except, both Scottie and Irene begin falling for each other through their pretend dating, and kisses and a memorable sleepover causes both happiness and angst. With the basketball team heading for a state championship, and with their relationship evolving towards mutual respect and possibly love, Scottie and Irene will need to navigate the choppy waters of a high school scene replete with drama and rebounds!

I Wish My Teacher Knew: How One Question Can Change Everything for Our Kids

Schwartz, Kyle. I Wish My Teacher Knew: How One Question Can Change Everything for Our Kids. 2016. 272p. ISBN 9780738219141. 

A simple question can be a powerful motivator for change. When Kyle Schwartz asked her primary school students at the beginning what she as their teacher should know, she got many messages about loving pets, favorite activities, and best friends. But she also got heart wrenching stories about families being broken, parents being in prison, medical issues that plagued the student or a loved one, and many others. She realized that she had opened a dialogue with students by asking them a question and giving them license to answer in any way they saw fit.

Schwartz's message is that educators must ask important questions to understand the hidden realities that students experience in their lives inside, but more importantly, outside of school, as these realities impact how they learn. This powerful question allows the teacher to lay down the foundations of a safe and supportive environment for all students, allowing everyone to successfully participate as full-fledged members of the classroom and of the school.

The Dark Portal

Jarvis, Robin. The Dark Portal. Book 1 of the Deptford Mice series. 1989. 240p. ISBN 9781587171123.

In London dwells a section of town the local mice affectionally refer to as Deptford. There they live their lives in a tight-knit community that enjoy each other's company (mostly), and that is layered in culture and mythology. All of the mice fear the Grille, the entrance from their building down to the sewers, where the rats live. Jupiter, the lord of the rats, has whipped his supporters in a frenzy in the last few years, for a purpose unknown to all. 

Lured there by the magical power of the Grille, Albert Brown, an otherwise respectable mouse, met a city mouse named Piccadilly, but they soon were captured by the rats. Piccadilly managed to escape, but Albert was given to Jupiter. With her father missing in the sewers, his daughter Audrey decides she will go look for him, even though she was always told never to go there. Accompanied by Oswald the albino mouse and Twit, a field mouse visiting Deptford, the three of them enter the rats' domain, looking for Albert but discovering dark magic at work and an even darker plan set in motion by Jupiter and his lackeys. 

With the rats looking for Piccadilly and for Audrey, with a witch rat called Madame Akkikuyu, an evil rat lieutenant called Morgan and an even meaner rat named One-Eye Jack, the mice, along with some friends, bravely face the hardest challenge of them all, surviving the deadliest plot of all!

Fantasy told from the perspective of animals, The Dark Portal begins a trilogy with wonderful world building, an unforgettable cast of character, and actions galore. Fans of the genre will revel in the mice's grit and dedication.

The story continues in The Crystal Prison.

Killing the SS: The Hunt for the Worst War Criminals in History

O'Reilly, Bill and Martin Dugard. Killing the SS: The Hunt for the Worst War Criminals in History. Book 8 of the Killing series. 2018. 307p. ISBN 9781250165541.

When Germany capitulated in May 1945, Adolf Hitler's Third Reich came to a crashing end, leaving ruins and death in its wake. Hitler, who committed suicide at the end of April, avoided punishment for his deeds, but most of the other high ranking Nazis attempted to escape. Himmler and Goering were caught by allied forces, and the first one soon swallowed a cyanide pill, while the second was condemned to death but also avoided punishment by killing himself.

However, many of the worst Nazis escaped Germany and took refuge in South America. Dreaded SS doctors, guards, and administrators all fled justice and thought they had found sanctuary. But dedicated teams of investigators pursued them across the glove, and eventually brought most of them to justice. Individuals like Klaus Barbie, the Gestapo chief in Southern France who led thousands to their death, and Adolf Eichmann, the architect of the Final Solution, eventually stood as accused and were judged.

Fans of history will appreciate this story of spycraft and justice being delivered to those who deserve it most.

This series also include Killing England and Killing the Rising Sun.

Lore Olympus, Vol. 1

Smythe, Rachel. Lore Olympus, Vol. 1. 2021. 384p. ISBN 9780593160299. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Hades is the king of the underworld, and his life is pretty lonely. The other gods make fun of him, and the guy usually is an afterthought in his brother Zeus' mind. Invited to yet another of Zeus' parties, Hades calls the nymph Minthe to see if she will join him. She declines, and Hades finds himself alone once again at a social gathering. 

Persephone is invited to the same party by her roommate Artemis, and the two girls have a good time.  Hades notices Persephone and he is instantly smitten. Wanting to get back at him for indiscrete comments he made, Hera, wife of Zeus, arranges for Eros, god of love, to get Persephone drunk and leave her in Hades' car, causing an embarrassing situation for the both of them. 

Hades doesn't notice Persephone until he arrive back to his mansion. He takes her inside and places her in a bedroom. When she awakes, she strolls through the mansion before encountering Cerberus, whom she quickly tames. Finally, Hades and Persephone spend some time together talking about live and love. But soon enough it is time to return to the world above, and Persephone leaves Hades behind. Hades is still smitten, but since Persephone doesn't have a cellphone, he has no way of contacting her.

Meanwhile, Apollo, brother to Artemis, attempts to seduce Persephone, since he's certain she deserves better than the god of death. As Persephone experiences her own tragedy, Hades finally connects some dots and realizes that Persephone has been trying to reach him ...

A modern remake of an ancient tale, that of Hades and Persephone, Lore Olympus is rendered in sharp colorful contrasts and witty dialogs. The characters inhabit our current world, and have the same tools and gadgets we use. Plus, their issues are very human ones as well. Fans of Greek mythology will appreciate this story, and graphic novel lovers will enjoy the gorgeous illustrations.

Give Me Some Truth

Gansworth, Eric. Give Me Some Truth. 2018. 432p. ISBN 9781338143546. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Maggi, 15, and her family are Native-Americans who left the reservation near Niagara Falls years ago. Maggi has worked with her mother, her older sister Marie and her twin brother Marvin, to create traditional artwork they sell at the Niagara Falls park to tourists. Marie has met a secretive man, and she wishes to move back to the Reservation, so at the beginning of the story Maggi finds herself once again living in a shack without much creature comforts. 

Carson, 17, is a great musician, and he yearns to get off the Reservation. His ticket to New York City starts with winning the upcoming Battle of the Bands. Problem is, he doesn't have a band. So he needs to convince his friend Lewis to join the band. Carson is focused on his own problems, but his abusive father keeps distracting him with his brother's foibles. Derek, Carson's brother, held up a local restaurant, General Custer, and was shot in the behind. Everyone on the Reservation knows everyone else's business, and they now calls him the Hamburglar. 

When Maggi moves back to the Reservation, Carson remembers when she was a younger kid, but now finds her attractive. Maggi, for her part, is infatuated with an older man, who works for the school district maintenance team. And that man is the uncle of the boy who has been harassing Lewis, with whom Maggi also works. 

As the three of them navigate life, form a band, and learn how to play together, they will learn some hard truths, make some mistakes, and figure out what life really has to offer.

Infectious Disease Prevention: Protecting Public Health

Mooney, Carla. Infectious Disease Prevention: Protecting Public Health. Part of the Understanding Infectious Diseases series. 2022. 64p. ISBN 978-1-6782-0158-6.

The Covid-19 pandemic brought infectious diseases back to the fore of public health policy. Infectious diseases easily spread to a population, are hard to control and prevent, and do significant damage to the organisms they infect. In order to ensure public health is protected from infectious diseases, scientists and governments take many steps, some of which are controversial, while others are not. 

Though probably currently the best known infectious disease, Covid-19 competes with diseases that continue to make people sick in the United States, but which can be deadly in less developed countries. Diseases such as polio, e. coli, and sexually transmitted infections afflict many, and can cause death. Other more exotic diseases, such as Zika or Ebola, continue to present challenges in infection avoidance. Infectious diseases can be waterborne, transmitted through food, through the air, by person-to-person contact, or through animal vectors.

In an era where international travel means any disease is potentially less than a day away from any point on the globe, it is essential to understand how infectious diseases are spread, and what we can do to stop them.