The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes

Gaiman, Neil. The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes. 1995. 234p. ISBN 9781563890116.

Morpheus, the Dream Lord, has just managed to escape his imprisonment at the hands of an occultist who had sought to capture Death instead. For seventy years, Morpheus has denied his captors his power, despite their promises of violence or reward. Meanwhile, the world stopped dreaming. People who were already in dreams remained caught, and were not able to escape what became known as the sleep sickness.

A mistake on the prison guards' part allowed Morpheus to escape, but he did not find his tools, the mask, the ruby, and the pouch of sand. These were stolen from the cult a long time ago. With so much work to do now that he is released, Morpheus returns to his castle, and plots the retrieval of his missing items. However, powerful forces stand in his way. First, Morpheus seeks his sand pouch, which has been abused by a former drug addict. He enrolls a private detective to help him retrieve it. He then visits Hell, to secure his mask. Finally, he confronts Doctor Destiny, who seeks to make everyone mad through the use of the ruby amulet.

With his items secured at last, Morpheus sets out to rebuild his kingdom, but not before having a conversation with Death ...

The story continues in Sandman, Vol. 2.

An Appetite for Miracles

Kemp, Laekan Zea. An Appetite for Miracles. 2023. 448p. ISBN 9780316461733.

Danna knows she's a little on the chunky side ... actually, a lot on the chunky side. She loves food. She loves to cook it, and she loves to eat it. Her mother is always after her to lose some weight, and she closely monitors what Danna eats. Danna wishes her mother would just accept her as she is, not as she could be. The family has bigger problems anyway. Danna's grandfather, who lives with them, suffers from Alzheimer, and he is gradually forgetting more and more as the disease progresses. It's becoming difficult to keep hum safe.

Raúl loves to play music, and his favorite thing is to play guitar for the elderly. It helps them remember their lives' happy events and memories. And it lets Raúl forget that his mother has been in prison for the last two years. Raúl and his uncle travel to old folks' homes, and also play in people's homes. This is how he ends up at Danna's house, and a spark is lit between the two of them.

When Danna comes across a journal he wrote in his youth about the places he visited with his wife and the wonderful foods they ate, Danna decides she will prepare those dishes, with the hope that it will spark a memory and help slow her grandfather's descent into a deeper state of Alzheimer. Raúl, meanwhile, is dealing with his mother being released early from prison. The two years she was gone were rough, but now she's a changed person, and not necessarily for the better. 

As Raúl and Danna navigates the waters of a budding relationship while dealing with dramatic family issues, can they rely on each other to get through these changes?

Fancy Bear Goes Phishing: The Dark History of the Information Age, in Five Extraordinary Hacks

Shapiro, Scott J. Fancy Bear Goes Phishing: The Dark History of the Information Age, in Five Extraordinary Hacks. 2023. 432p. ISBN 9780374601171.

The rise of the Internet facilitated communications and the exchange of information, but it also exposed vulnerabilities in a system not designed with security in mind. Hackers became infamous as they exploited weaknesses and accessed sensitive information. From the leak of Paris Hilton's sex tape to Edward Snowden's exfiltration of millions of NSA documents, and from the graduate student who built the first virus to Russian hackers attempting to influence the 2016 American election, cyber incidents and hackers routinely make the news.

But how is cybersecurity organized? What does it mean when your computer has a virus? How are denial of service attacks executed? Fancy Bear Goes Phishing provides clear explanations to these and more questions as Shapiro reviews five specific incidents that have taken place since the early 1980s, and what lessons we can draw from these to better protect ourselves. Ultimately, Shapiro argues, the current structure of the Internet remains oriented more towards the free flowing of information than the protection of this information, though humans remain the greatest vulnerability. 

Readers interested in computers, in programming, or in exploring what happened behind the scene of some of the world's most famous hacks will thoroughly enjoy Shapiro's incisive and crisp writing style.

Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story Graphic Novel

Peterson, Scottt, Meredith Laxton, and Russ Badgett. Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story Graphic Novel. 2022. 160p. ISBN 9780358536895. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Molly and Michael have not been very happy since their mother remarried. Dave, their new stepfather, came with a young daughter of his own. At seven, Heather has already been through a lot. A house fire when she was three killed her mother. Heather is very manipulative, and Molly's parents always take Heather's side. 

When the family moves out of Baltimore and into an old church next to a graveyard, Molly is ill at ease. She feels the presence of a ghost, and Heather has been acting even more mean than before. With their parents involved in their respective art projects, and with Michael not believing in ghosts, Molly is as lonely as she's ever been.

Heather seems to have fallen under Helen's spell, a young girl who died a century ago in a house fire. Helen wants Heather to join her in the palace of mermaids. As Helen's malevolent intentions create havoc on her family, it's up to Molly to stop Helen, before it's too late...

Fractured Tide

Lutz, Leslie. Fractured Tide. 2020. 336p. ISBN 9780310770107.

Like a fish in water, Sia loves to dive and explore shipwrecks. Running a charter boat with her mother and younger brother, Sia takes passengers out into the Florida Keys, where they can explore ships that sank years ago. Homeschooled on the boat, there's nowhere else Sia would rather be. And her life would be perfect, if only her dad wasn't in prison following a violent assault.

A dive at an old World War II wreck that starts just like the others, filled with the odd tourist, ends terribly when one of the divers Sia was charged with drowns. At first, Sia can't explain what happened to her mother, who is devastated. Sia can't or won't comprehend the huge grey shape with wiggling tentacles that seized the man and killed him. When their boat stops working, they are rescued by another charter boat, this one captained by a jerk named Phil and carrying students who are conducting a science expedition. Among these students are people Sia knows. Ben, a boy she kind of likes, and Stephanie, a girl she got in trouble and who happens to be Ben's ex-girlfriend.

When that ship is attacked by the monster and sunk, Sia washes ashore on a seemingly deserted island with her younger brother Felix, Ben, and Stephanie. Sia is confronted by another shipwrecked guy, who has a gun, but he disappears in the jungle. Without food or water, the teens must survive on the island, but they soon notice that everything seems to repeat over and over. And Sia has visions of things that have happened before, giving her hints as to actions she has taken in previous iterations of the loop they are caught in. 

With a monster still lurking in the water, with an island filled with secrets, and with a lunatic man who thinks he's a sailor from the sunken World War II wreck, Sia will need all of her survival and diving skills to keep her friends alive one more day ...

A great science fiction story reminiscent of the movie Ground Hog Day and the series Lost, the protagonists are caught in a perpetual loop that they must escape. Sia's feelings, experiences, and emotions are raw as she struggles with her current reality. Told in the form of diary entries, Fractured Tide captures the angst and agony of being caught with no way to escape.

Big Men Fear Me

Bourrie, Mark. Big Men Fear Me. 2022. 320p. ISBN 9781771964937.

George McCullagh was born in 1905 in Canada to a working class family. As a youth, he began delivering the daily newspaper, and he eventually sought to become a reporter, but was instead offered the job of booking subscriptions for the newspaper. Dropping out of school at 16, McCullagh was so successful at selling subscriptions that he was promoted to work at the Toronto headquarters of the newspaper, where he became assistant editor. He also specialized in mining that was taking place in Northern Ontario, which eventually led him to work at the Toronto Stock Exchange as a mining and oil specialist. There he invested wisely and built a fortune on purchasing and trading mineral rights.

In his early thirties, he returned to his first love when he purchased two Toronto newspapers, the Globe and the Mail and Empire in 1936, before merging them in a new entity called The Globe and Mail. A major donor to the Liberal Party of Ontario, McCullagh got involved in provincial and federal politics, with some expecting him to eventually become Canada's prime minister. Unfortunately, McCullagh suffered from mental illness and physical ailments, and his demons were never far behind. At age 46, following a third heart attack in a few years, McCullagh committed suicide, ending a tumultuous life.

Attack on Titan, Vol. 4

Isayama, Hajime. Attack on Titan, Vol. 4. 2012. 192p. ISBN 9781612622538. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

In Attack on Titan, Vol. 3, Eren was given the mission to transform into a Titan and move a giant rock to block the entrance to the city so that Titans could no longer come in and feast on humans. Embedded inside the Titan, however, Eren lost contact with his humanity. With Titans converging on Eren's prone form, Armin jumped on his back and tried to reconnect with Eren's humanity, reminding him of his desire to explore the world and rid it of Titans.

His desperate gambit works, and Eren regains control of his faculty. Hauling the large boulder towards the gate, his friends form a shield to protect him from attacks by other Titans. His mission accomplished, Eren, Misaka and Armin are rescued and evacuated, and soon the remaining Titans within the city walls are killed. This is the first human victory against Titans!

But Eren is arrested and interrogated, his allegiance still in question. As he sits in prison, he remembers how he joined the military and his days as a Survey Corp trainee. The bonds and the friendships he formed during this period loom large in his mind as he awaits a decision by the Captain of the Survey Corp on whether he will be accepted ...

The story continues in Attack on Titan, Vol. 5.

Hamlet is Not Okay

Spratt, R. A. Hamlet is Not Okay. 2023. 224p. ISBN 9780143779278.

To say that Selby is not a fan of reading would be an understatement. In fact, Selby positively hates reading. It is difficult, and she often doesn't comprehend the text. Which is ironic, considering her parents own a bookstore and Selby works there part time. A couple years ago, Selby realized that she didn't have to read the assigned texts in class to still pass. Until she got to Shakespeare. Seeing her failing grade in English, her parents ground Selby. No more television, no more hanging out with friends. Now it's all about staying home, working, and reading Hamlet so Selby can pass her English class.

But when Selby begins reading Hamlet, with the help of Dan, another teen who works in the bookstore, they find themselves transported into the play itself, where everything comes to life. Armed with modern sensibilities and the overconfidence teens possess, Selby and Dan set off to avoid, or at least prevent, many of the tragedies that occur in the play. Her interventions reveal that Hamlet's fateful decisions were guided not by madness, but by the fact that he was slowly being poisoned by his uncle.

Transported back to their time, Hamlet makes quite an impression on Selby's parents, and his promise of marrying her is borne more from grief than from true love. Selby decides she must return Hamlet to his own story, before he takes over her own. And in the process, Selby develops a deep appreciation and understanding of the story and of the characters, allowing her to finally pass her English class and prove to her parents that she "read" Shakespeare.

A very cool take on a classic of English literature, Selby's adventures with Dan and Hamlet provides a hilarious take on what could be if one had the ability to rewrite a story. Fans of Shakespeare will appreciate this wonderfully crafted take on a book that can be hard to understand!

The Woman Who Split the Atom: The Life of Lise Meitner

 Moss, Marissa. The Woman Who Split the Atom: The Life of Lise Meitner. 2022. 264p. ISBN 9781419758539.

From a young age, Austrian Lise Meitner was fascinated by science, and she was especially attracted to physics. Encourage by her father to study science despite the fact that girls did not attend high school, much less university, Lise persevered and fought against prejudices to eventually gain admission at the University, where she earned a doctorate in physics in the early 20th century. 

Her talent and grasp of physics allowed her to remain in an otherwise all male field, and she secured a teaching position in Germany, albeit at a much lower salary than her colleagues. Regardless, Lise was never happier than working in her own lab, conducting experiments. She had several discoveries and published numerous papers in the 1910s and 1920s, but by the 1930s, restrictions on Jews in Germany severely constrained her work. In 1938 she escaped Germany and arrived in Sweden, where she settled for the rest of her life.

Still working with German colleagues, Lise discovered nuclear fission in mid 1938, following her escape. This proved Einstein's theory, and revolutionized the field of nuclear physics. This discovery was ascribed to a male colleague of hers, however, who eventually won the Nobel prize for something Lise had done. The possibility of splitting atoms to create energy was a step forward in the development of humanity, but it came with the very real fear that it could also be used as a weapon. Lise supported nuclear energy for power, but was aghast at the idea that Germany would build a nuclear weapon. 

The destruction of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in August 1945 horrified Lise , who was even named the mother of the bomb in the press. Over the years, Lise was nominated 19 times for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and 30 times for the Nobel Prize in Physics, but never received it. Her gender and her religion continued to affect her for the rest of her life. An assumed pacifist, Lise continued to study and teach physics for the rest of her life.

Deadly Class, Vol 2: Kids of the Black Hole

Remender, Rick. Deadly Class, Vol 2: Kids of the Black Hole. 2015. 128p. ISBN 978-1-6321-5222-0.

Being a student at Kings Dominion for the Deadly Art school means having to live among the future elite assassins and murderers. The one subject everyone learns? The most effective ways to kill someone. It is a craft that every student is expected to hone while at the school. For Marcus Lopez, studying at school is simply an extension of his previous life dealing drugs. Having been recruited by the school principal himself because of his unique skills, Marcus has secrets that even other assassins would blanch at. When these secrets threaten to destroy Marcus and his friends, they decide it is time to fight back!

Told in black and white, with a hint of purple in most frames, this dark and violent tale will entertain and puzzle the reader in equal measures.

Surprisingly Sarah

Libenson, Terri. Surprisingly Sarah. 2023. 352p. ISBN 9780063139213. 

We often are presented with "what if" scenarios. What if we had asked our crush out in middle school? How would have life been different than if we didn't? Sarah and Leo have been best friends forever. Neighbors who have grown up together, they enjoy spending time on Sarah's porch talking about life. At the end of last year Leo's parents told him he would be attending a private school, where he would hopefully learn some self-management and become more serious about education. This separation has not impacted the two best friends.

But now in 7th grade, the social climate has changed, and a big dance is coming. Sarah has been crushing on Leo's friend Ben for months, and she really wants to ask him out to the dance. What if he rejects her? What if he agrees? What if she can't muster her courage? Told through alternating views by Sarah and Leo, Surprising Sarah examines two scenarios, one where Sarah asks Ben, and one where she doesn't, and the impacts her decision has on the rest of her school year and on her friends. Both decisions come with positives and negatives, and in the end of either path, Sarah and Leo discover important truths about themselves and about their friendship.

Lawyer, Jailer, Ally, Foe: Complicity and Conscience in America's World War II Concentration Camps

Muller, Eric L. Lawyer, Jailer, Ally, Foe: Complicity and Conscience in America's World War II Concentration Camps. 2023. 304p. ISBN 9781469673974.

Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Americans living on the West Coast became suspicious of their Japanese neighbors. Many of the Japanese Americans were first generation immigrants who had come over for a better life, but others were second or even third generation Americans. Regardless of their citizenship, the U.S. government elected to intern and displace all Japanese to avoid sabotage and the presence of a fifth column as it prosecuted the war in the Pacific.

Tens of thousands of Japanese Americans found themselves in camps, away from their property and the comfort of a life now behind them. Each camp was run by the War Relocation Authority, and a civilian lawyer was attached to each with contradictory orders. First, they were to provide legal advice to any of the internees who needed it. They could provide divorces, sell assets, attempt to resolve banking issues caused by the forced relocation, and deal with any civilian law enforcement. Second, they were mandated to ensure that the camps kept operating, and were not disturbed by strikes or protests. The fact that order in the camps often violated civil rights, and the wholesale imprisonment was a clear violation of the U.S. Constitution, added to the burden of these lawyers.

Lawyer, Jailer, Ally, Foe explores the lives of three of these lawyers, who served the U.S. government but attempted to negotiate the best of a bad situation for the detainees. Navigating a racist system that implemented a structure to deal with a perceived lack of loyalty, these lawyers fought the Japanese Americans' exclusion from their own rights, and shone a light on a dark page of American history. 

Tommy: The Gun that Changed America

Blumenthal, Karen. Tommy: The Gun that Changed America. 2015. 240p. ISBN 9781626720848.

The rise of the machine gun made warfare even more deadly, and the value of these weapons were proven on the battlefields of the First World War, when tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides were literally mowed down by powerful guns that could fire hundreds of bullets under a minute. Machine guns, however, were heavy and required a crew to staff. John Taliaferro Thompson, an American army commander, determined to build a portable weapon that could quickly fire a hail of bullets but that could also be carried and operated by one man.

Over several years, Thompson and the company he founded engineered and tested several designs, until they created what became known as the Thompson submachine gun. Also called the Tommy gun, the Thompson featured a revolutionary round cartridge cylinder design that allowed it to fire one hundred bullets under a minute. But by the time the Thompson came on the market, the need for weapons of war had greatly diminished. Saddled with a large inventory of unsold weapons, the company starting cutting corners and was less discriminating in who it sold weapons to. Soon, American gangsters, spurred by Prohibition and the bootlegging business, armed themselves with the Thompson. This led to several mass shootings, which then triggered even more gangster and police purchases.

As the age of the gangster ended, sales for the Thompson guns once again fell, but the Second World War revived the company's fortunes, and the Thompson saw action in Europe and in the Pacific. By that time, however, better weapons had been developed, and the Thompson fell out of favor even before the end of the war. Regardless, the Thompson submachine gun had a profound impact on American criminal history, and became the symbol of a gun-loving society. To this day, a Thompson carried in a violin case remains one of the classical images of the 1930s.

Fans of history and of military weapons will be fascinated by this biography of a deadly weapon misused for a decade.

Naruto, Vol. 12

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 12. 2002. 196p. ISBN 9781421502427. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

In Naruto, Vol. 11, Naruto discovered that he would be fighting Neji in the third and final phase of the Chunin exam. The two of them step into the arena, in front of a large crowd, including many of the leaders of the other clans. As a member of the cadet class, Neji has a large chip on his shoulder, and he assumes that no one could understand what it is like to be the village's pariah, something that Naruto can relate to very well.

Naruto attacks quickly, but then realize that any attack within range of Neji risks him using his jitsu to block Naruto's chakra points, depriving of his own life force. Naruto comes up with several clever ways, but it's to no avail as Neji lands a blow that would have crippled anyone else. Neji reveals his background story, but to his surprise, Naruto calls upon the chakra from the Nine Tail Fox, and he successfully defeats Neji.

Meanwhile, Sasuke is still missing, and there is a discussion on whether his combat will Gaara will take place. Hinata, for her part, collapses, and Kabuto, who killed and replaced a disguised Black Ops ninja, intervenes to heal her. But what are his sinister plans? 

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 13.

Silver in the Bone

 Bracken, Alexandra. Silver in the Bone. Book 1 of the Silver in the Bone series. 2023. 480p. ISBN 9780593481653.

Unlike all of the people she knows, Tamsin has no magical abilities to speak of. This unfortunate circumstance makes her chosen profession especially difficult, as breaking into ancient burial sites looking for magical treasures also sought by sorceresses and faeries puts her at a clear disadvantage. Thankfully her younger brother Cabell is able to see the magical threads that link objects and people, which facilitates their job.

Abandoned by their foster father, who disappeared one night after stealing a powerful Arthurian ring rumored to be able to break the curse of lycanthrope that affects Cabell, the two of them had to fend for themselves. Now ten years later, Tamsin hears rumors that the ring is back in play, and that a powerful sorceress seeks it. Tamsin receives a comtract to find the fabled ring, only to discover that her erstwhile enemy, Emrys, is also looking for the ring.

Forced to unite their abilities for the time being due to the swarm of other seekers also looking for the ring, Tamsin, Cabell and Emrys track the last whereabouts of her foster father, only to stumble upon the Arthurian lands themselves through a gate. But the sickness that has taken over these lands threatens not only that kingdom, but also their present. With danger and treachery swirling around her, Tamsin's lack of magical abilities may in fact be her greatest strength ...

How Currency Devaluation Works. Part of the Real World Economics

Gottfried Hollander, Barbara. How Currency Devaluation Works. Part of the Real World Economics series. 2011. 80p. ISBN 9781448812707.

As sovereign actors, countries control the value of their currency. However, what they do not control is how other currencies interact with their own. A multitude of factors influence the value of a country's currency. The desirability of their goods and services, the credibility of its financial system, the health of its economy, government spending in relation to its revenue collection, and the faith in the economy overall all impact the value of a currency.

When one or more of these factors become negative, the value of a currency can fall when compared to the value of another currency. Countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America have all undergone currency devaluation in recent decades, leading to immediate economic difficulties but longer term growth due to the cheaper goods now being produced and purchased by other countries. Even the United States has devalued its currency in years past, to remain competitive against economic powerhouses China and Japan.

This short book demystifies the process of devaluating a currency, and explains the consequences that occur when this happens. 

Never Trust a Gemini

Woolf, Freja Nicole. Never Trust a Gemini. 2023. 320p. ISBN 9781536230543.

Cat Phillips will die alone. At least, that is her biggest fear. Astrology tells her so, and her friends reinforce this belief. A 9th grader who is also a member of the popular crowd at school, Cat holds a secret only her best friend knows. Oh, and maybe her younger sister. Cat is attracted to girls, especially Alison Bridgewater, a really good friend. Cat has known for a long time that she is a lesbian, but her friends always mock and demean girls who are attracted to other girls. To them, if you don't like boys, you're nothing. 

Caught in a lie about a relationship, Cat ends up dating Jamie, a guy who thinks he can write wonderful lyrics and sing them, but really can't. By dating him and having her first kiss, a nonplus experience, Cat throws off her friends' suspicions, but when Jamie throws her favorite sketchbook into the river, ruining all of the drawings of princesses kissing other princesses, it is Morgan, a girl so obviously queer, that saves the book and rescues Cat from a boring relationship.

Still pinning for Alison, and concerned that Morgan is a Gemini, and Cat's horoscope once told her she should never go for a Gemini, Cat nonetheless discovers that she has much in common with Morgan. But with her desire for Alison hanging over her, will the stars find themselves in alignment after all, allowing Cat to discover the love that stands right in front of her?

Spearhead

Makos, Adam. Spearhead. 2022. 352p. ISBN 9780593303450.

Following the Allied landing during D-Day on June 6, 1944, a massive amount of equipment rolled off floating harbors. Among these were the American-made Sherman tanks, large vehicles feared by the German forces. But by September, the Germans were fielding their own large tank, the Panther, with an even bigger tank, the Tiger, slowly appearing on the battlefield. 

Clarence Smoyer is part of E company in the 3rd Armored Division, and is riding in a Sherman tank as the Americans are pushing towards Germany. On the opposite side, Gustav Schaefer rides in a German tank, with the mission of destroying as many American tanks as possible to prevent them from reaching Germany. Through bloody and violent actions causing the deaths of many, armies fight each other as the Germans slowly retreat, pushed on both sides by the Allies and the Soviets. Clarence and Gustav's lives intersect in an urban battle. In the 2000s, both tank crew members are reunited, seeking answers as to what happened on that fateful day in 1944, an event that kept haunting them.

Fans of the Second World War will appreciate this inside look in the lives of crewmen aboard some of the deadliest machines of the war, and will feel every bullet and explosion as the war reaches its climax in Germany.

Malcom Kid and the Perfect Song

Paramore, Austin; Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (letterer), and Sarah Bollinger (illustrator). Malcom Kid and the Perfect Song. 2023. 208p. ISBN 9781637152232. Available as a graphic novel on the library shelves.

Malcolm loves music, and he is pretty good at it. His father, however, sees Malcom's choice of a career to be wrong, and he would prefer his son do something else, anything else. Plus with the death of his older brother, Malcolm has to be the oldest brother to his younger sibling. Malcom is poor, and even the subway robber takes pity on him, earning him the unflattering title of "2 Poor to Rob." When his friend accidentally destroys his portable keyboard, Malcolm is crushed. What will he do without a musical instrument? 

January was Malcolm's best friend before she moved away. Now that she's back, she's dating the friend that destroyed his keyboard, and she feels partly responsible for that because he was chasing her. So she reconnects with Malcolm, and she offers to replace his keyboard. She's located a pawnshop a few blocks away, so Malcolm and her visit the place. The man offers to sell him a wonderful LK-2000, but at a price that does not include money. January immediately accepts, though Malcolm has misgivings.

That night, Malcolm falls into a dream that feels very real. An older musician sits at a piano, looking for the perfect song. Malcolm awakes to find this was not a dream. The keyboard is actually haunted. Malcolm unloads his keyboard to January, who has the same dream the following night. Unlike Malcolm, however, she talks with the musician, and learns that his name is Midnight, and he was a famous jazz artist in their town. He is stuck here, until he completes the perfect song. January promises that Malcolm will return, and will help him complete his song. The old man is thrilled.

Angry, Malcolm reluctantly agree to help Midnight. As he and January begin to look for clues as to where the perfect song would be, they learn details about themselves and about Malcolm's family that shines a light on secrets that were long buried, and reveals the power that music has on his life.

Attack on Titan, Vol. 3

Isayama, Hajime. Attack on Titan, Vol. 3. 2012. 189p. ISBN 9781612620251. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Having emerged from the body of a Titan at the end of Attack on Titan, Vol. 2, Eren doesn't remember how he got here or how he healed. Misaka and Armin, his adopted sister and their childhood friend, stand guard over him as angry soldiers vow to exact revenge on Eren. He looks human, but they reason that he might be in league with the Titans. Thinking fast, Armin convinces Commander Pixis, the eccentric general in charge of defending Wall Maria, that Eren represents their best hope at blocking the broken gate that Titans are using to breach the wall and enter the city. If Eren can transform into a Titan and move a large boulder that lays in a nearby park, this should effectively close access to the town.

But Eren is not sure he can control the monster inside him. Plagued by doubts from his father, Eren believes that information about his condition and his newfound powers can be located in his childhood home, now under Titan control. His only hope at discovering who, or what, he is lays on finding out what happened to him when he was a child. But first, he needs to block the path.

As soldiers deploy on the wall, hoping to drag the Titans away from the opening, Eren, Misaka and Armin drop on the ground, hoping that this desperate gambit will work...

The story continues in Attack on Titan, Vol. 4.

First Family

Baldacci, David. First Family. Book 4 of the Sean King & Michelle Maxwell series. 2009. 449p. ISBN 9780446539753.

Solicited by the sister of the President's wife for a possible assignment, private detectives and former Secret Service Agents Sean King and Michelle Maxwell arrive at the house late at night only to be shot at by two guys wearing body armor. Inside the house, their potential client is dead, and Willa, her eldest daughter, niece to the President, has been kidnapped. Her husband was attacked as well, but not seriously hurt. The other two children were drugged but not otherwise harmed.

With time ticking and the first 72 hours of a kidnapping the most important, Sean and Michelle are hired by the First Lady to track down her sister's killers and find Willa before it is too late. In the midst of a re-election campaign, the First Couple does not trust the FBI to quickly solve this dastardly attack.

Sam Quarry has been planning the demise of the President and his wife for many years. Extremely meticulous and careful, he has assembled enough information to convict both of them of crimes, let alone that they do not deserve another term. But Sam wants revenge for all of the evil things they have done, including the harm that happened to his daughter Tippy, now in a coma.

As Sean and Michelle use all means, legal or otherwise, to find the President's niece, they must contend with a powerful adversary who has noting to lose. With the Presidency and the life of a young girl in the balance, time is already running out!

Uncertain Harvest: The Future of Food on a Warming Planet

Mosby, Ian, Sarah Rotz, and Evan Fraser. Uncertain Harvest: The Future of Food on a Warming Planet. 2020. 280p. ISBN 9780889777200.

What impact will climate change have on our agriculture? Everyday, the world needs to produce enough food to feed billions of people, and as the global population continues to grow, more food needs to be grown. Changes in temperature and precipitations are affecting the quality and the quantity of food being produced. The depletion of soils has to be counteracted with fertilizers, which requires fossil fuels to make. This fertilizer in turn polluted waterways and contributes to climate change. We already exploit too many animals for their meat consumption, and a sustainable world would require drastically altering the diet of the average American.

Eight foods that play a significant role in the world's diet are examined, and the impact of climate changes on these are explored. From rice to crickets, these food staples can provide enough caloric input, but will require a change in the mentality and the perception of what is food. Politicians, scientists, and chefs will all be confronted with this dilemma. How do you grow more food while reducing the impact on our planet? nothing short of a global discussion and international measures will help prepare for the future. 

Play Like a Girl

Wilson, Misty and David Wilson. Play Like a Girl. 2022. 272p. ISBN 9780063064683. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Always very athletic, Misty decided to join her school's football team in 7th grade, to the boys' disdain. Surprised that her mother and stepfather would allow her to play, Misty brought her best friend Bree along. Craig, her stepfather, told her this was probably the best time to play, as boys were about her own size, and he looked forward to watch her compete.

Though she thought she was in good shape, Misty quickly realized she needed to work harder to compete with the boys. Bree soon gave up, and Misty found herself along on a boys' team. Her dedication and hard work paid off, however, as she gained a starting role on the team. Her friendship with Bree drifted, however, as Bree and Ava, a long-time frenemy, started spending more time together doing "girly" things, activities that Misty didn't really care for.

As Misty navigates the complicated social and emotional life of middle school, she keeps an eye on the football field, and, from victory to victory, the march towards the state championship. In the end, can Misty find happiness during 7th grade?

Fans of graphic novels and of sports will love watching Misty discover herself, which relationships are important, and which are not. Beautifully illustrated, Misty's true story will stay with the reader long after they've finished reading the book.

Time to Roll

Sumner, Jamie. Time to Roll. 2023. 208p. ISBN 9781665918596.

Ellie suffers from celebral palsy, which means she has plenty of issues with balance. She spends most of her time in a wheelchair, and that's just fine with her. Her mother has been dating Ellie's gym teacher, and now that they are getting married they will be heading off on their honeymoon, leaving Ellie to spend the summer with her estranged father.

Then her best friend Coralee decides to enter in a beauty pageant. Coralee's got it all. She's tall and pretty, she has an amazing voice, and she oozes confidence, all things that do not describe Ellie. She'd rather be home cooking or baking. But when the beauty pageant organizer notices Ellie and asks her to enter the pageant as well, Ellie is taken aback. Coralee supports her, and despite the fact that her mother would not approve, Ellie borrows the money from her grandmother and enters the pageant. Ellie's other best friend Bert agrees to serve as her manager and help her prepare.

The pageant's organizer clearly support Ellie's candidacy, and she never hesitates to put her front and center. But Ellie is not ready to march to the tune of someone else's drum. If she's going to do this pageant right, Ellie wants to figure out for herself what it means to be talented and beautiful.

A light read that takes the dive into the world of beauty pageants, but from the perspective of a differently abled individual, Time to Roll provides the valuable lesson that beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

The New Girl

Sutanto, Jessi Q. The New Girl. 2022. 350p. ISBN 9781728215198. Available as an ebook from Overdrive.

Born to a Chinese father and an Indonesian mother, Lia Setiawan has never felt like she fitted anywhere. Her extended family in Indonesia makes fun of her for her accent, and her Chinese is not that much better. Living in California with her mother, Lia is a star track athlete, and she receives a full scholarship to Draycott Academy, a private school attended by the children of West Coast elite. 

On her first day, Lia is immediately lost in this new environment. Everyone is rich and has money to blow, and Lia stands out like a sore thumb. She hasn't even moved in her dorm yet that she witnesses a girl being hauled away by security. Beth, her guide, tells her that this is Sophie, a former student who was expelled for doing drugs. 

Lia is fast on the track, fast enough to take away someone else's spot. That girl, Mandy, and her cronies begin to make Lia's life miserable online. An app called Draycott Dirt is used to post anonymous messages, and many of them harass and make fun of Lia. Luckily for her, however, she's made a few friends, including with Danny, the school's pretty boy, who also turns out to be part Chinese and part Indonesian. 

When Lia's scholarship becomes threatened by a corrupt teacher who is selling As for $20,000 a pop, Lia doesn't know what to do. Thinking of finding incriminating evidence that will let her rejoin the squad following her academic probation, she instead discovers a dead Sophie in that teacher's office. Then things get worse, much worse. but when things turn deadly, and as Lia sinks further into trouble, she realizes this is not a problem she can run away from....

Filled with snark and bad decisions, Lia is a fallible character and narrator. She keeps on making the wrong choices, making a bad situation even worse, but, much like a train wreck in slow motion, it is impossible not to read on to see whether she manages to extricate herself from the situations. Fans of murder mystery will appreciate this convoluted guilty pleasure.

The Summer of 1876: Outlaws, Lawmen, and Legends in the Season That Defined the American West

Wimmer, Chris. The Summer of 1876: Outlaws, Lawmen, and Legends in the Season That Defined the American West. 2023. 320p. ISBN 9781250280893,

The year 1876 was significant in American history for many reasons. It was the centennial of the founding of the United States, and the country was stretching itself to the Pacific Coast. Baseball's National League was holding its inaugural season. Gunslingers and bandits were ruling the west, with Jesse James and his gang terrorizing people, robbing banks, and murdering those in their way. The U.S. Army was also on the war path, looking to suppress Native-American resistance following the discovery of gold in territories assigned as reservations.

Over the summer of 1876, these events combined to provide the average American with the view that the west was not yet settled, that law and order was lacking. Heroes and villains were forged that summer. Jesse James was hunted down for a bank robbery gone wrong in Minnesota. Colonel Custer chased Plains Native-Americans for miles, before being ambushed and killed with his men in what became known as Custer's Last Stand. The last Native-American victory against the U.S. Army made names like Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull known throughout the United States. A legendary gambler and shooter, James Butler Hickok, also known as Wild Bill, was killed during a poker game. Lawman Wyatt Earp had recently moved to Kansas and served as a marshal's deputy, despite his own run-ins with the law. Calamity Jane was already known as a sharpshooter as she cruised the prairies.

These histories became the founding part of the myth of the west and its lawless cowboys, a myth that continues to this day in western movies and in literature. But in 1876, these events were very much shaping the young nation. Fans of history will appreciate how all of these themes work together into a seamless story.

Naruto, Vol. 11

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 11. 2002. 192p. ISBN 9781421502410. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Having met Pervy Sage in Naruto, Vol. 10, Naruto finds himself in Jiraiya's capable hands for further training. Jiraiya, who was once part of the same training group as Orochimaru, strives to unlock Naruto's access to the inner chakra of the Nine-Tailed Fox, which is imprisonned inside the youth, but Naruto is simply unable to reach this deep. Jiraiya realizes that Naruto must be in immediate danger before he can actually manifest this power, so he engineers a situation where Naruto will have no choice but to summon this reserve of chakra.

Meanwhile, the village of sound has allied itself with the village of sand in preparation for war against the village of Konohagakure, where Naruto is from. The reasons are not yer clear, but Orochimaru and Kabuto are behind this effort. 

When Sakura discovers that Sasuke is missing she is crushed. Where would he have gone? She decides to leave her flowers with Roc Lee, who is recuperating from his efforts in his combat against Gaara. With he first round of battle between the eight remaining ninjas about to begin, Sasuke is still missing and will be disqualified if he doesn't show up. But first, it is Naruto versus Neji!

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 12. 

The Family Fortuna

Eagar, Lindsay. The Family Fortuna. 2023. 400p. ISBN 9780763692353.

Born into a circus family at the turn of the 20th century, Avita has always wanted to be more than what she looks like. Her nose and mouth are shaped like a crow's beak, and she has feathers sprouting from her shoulders and neck.  Known as bird girl by the patrons that support the circus, Avita attracts those who seek the freakish. Her tent is always full, and her performances are frighteningly inspiring. But what was fine when she was young is no longer okay as she becomes a teenager. Her father sees her as his prized possession, the most famous attraction from Texas to Tacoma, but ultimately she represents dollars and cents, not the love of a parent. Her mother is feeling detached, her deformed brother is the best accountant this side of Mississippi, and her older sister is a beauty who bares it all every night. The Fortuna family is crippled by their father's oversized ambitions. Avita wants to escape this reality, and shape her own performance, where people won't see her as an object of terror, but as someone who could be loved just like everyone else.

When the Fortuna's circus arrives in Peculiar, Texas, they find that another circus has already set up shop on the prime land reserved for such events. Trying to outdo the competition, Avita's father will stop at nothing to put on the greatest show on earth, but the cost, both in money and to his family, may be more than anyone else is prepared to pay. Avita will have to make a choice, stay with her father and the comfortable, or take a risk and strike on her own, with perhaps having nowhere to return.

Fans of the weird and the bizarre will appreciate this tale of a dysfunctional family like no other. Avita's ambitions drive her forward while her family is holding her back. With happiness always elusive, Avita will play the cards she's been given and hope that she can exceed expectations.

The Hollow Tree: Fighting Addiction with Traditional Native Healing

Nagibon, Herb. The Hollow Tree: Fighting Addiction with Traditional Native Healing.  2006. 118p. ISBN 9780773531321.

A member of Canada's First Nations, Herb Nagibon was forcefully removed from his family in the 1950s and sent to school where his heritage and language could be stamped out of him. The goal of the Canadian government by offering residential schools was to remove the "savage" from Native Americans and "civilize" them into Canadian society. Unfortunately, all this policy did was cause harm and destroy the social fabric of communities that were already marginalized.

Herb grew up dependent on alcohol. Always drinking, Herb moved from job to job, and from relationship to relationship. He lost an arm during a train accident for which he has no recollection. He had a couple of kids, but often found himself homeless. Despite his struggle with alcohol, Herb secured employment with the Canadian government. Eventually, his boss gave him one more chance: sober up, or lose your job. 

Introduced to ancient healing techniques by the Cree elder Eddie Bellerose, Herb began to learn how to unravel years of damage to himself and to his mental health. He struggled through his addiction with the power of spiritual teachings of the First Nations, and the love that his people still had for him. Drawn from the four sacred directions, Herb reconnected with his own people's cultural and social practices, and in the process found the sobriety he had been missing. 

Looking back, Herb realizes that his feelings of inferiority for being a member of the First Nations and his resentment at Canadians for taking his people's lands and rights away from them only served to undermine his own life and that of his community. Rediscovering cultural practices such as the sweat lodge and the smoking of the pipe reconnected him to his cultural heritage, and allowed him to escape the bonds of addiction. Herb now shares his experience so that others can see healing is possible, if one is true to oneself.

Belle of the Ball

Casta, Mari. Belle of the Ball. 2023. 320p. ISBN 9781250784131. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Regina is driven and dedicated. As a senior who's already mapped her future, Regina is both an overachiever who needs high grades to become a surgeon, the head cheerleader for the school varsity cheer team, and, of course, the school's most popular girl. Regina's girlfriend, Chloe, is by far the school's best soccer player and all around athlete, but academics are not her strengths. She'd rather play sports, videogames, or go to renaissance fairs. She most likely will get recruited to play in college, but she's got to finish her senior year first. Hawkins is the school's mascot. She tried out for the cheer squad in 9th grade, but found hiding in the mascot costume easier emotionally. Also a senior, Hawkins doesn't have a roadmap in front of her. She's not sure what she wants to do with her life in the future, but for now she wishes she and Regina could be a couple.

Hawkins gets her chance when she hears the rumor that Regina and Chloe have broken up. Unfortunately, they're already back together, but Regina, always the schemer, sees this crush as a great opportunity. Hawkins offers tutoring services, and Chloe desperately needs to pass her English class. Plus, Regina is pretty sure her charms will convince Hawkins to do it for free. Unfortunately for Regina, her plan works too well. Hawkins and Chloe start spending a lot of time together, and, unbeknown to Regina, both of them knew each other as children in elementary school, way back when Hawkins used to dress up as a princess every day, and Chloe was strangely attracted to her. 

As Chloe and Hawkins' relationship is rekindled and grows into something more, Regina struggles with identifying what she really wants from life. With the end of senior year getting closer with every passing day, with prom and other events quickly filling up their calendar, will Hawkins, Chloe, and Regina figure themselves out?

Attack on Titan., Vol. 2

Isayama, Hajime. Attack on Titan, Vol. 2. 2012. 189p. ISBN 9781612620251. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

With the Second Wall now breached in Attack on Titan, Vol, 1, the 104th Training Corps is thrown into the battle, despite having just graduated. Unaware that Eren has fallen and has been swallowed by a Titan, Mikasa, the best fighter to ever come out of training, leads a platoon of troops, looking for her brother and protecting civilians. Mikasa's traumatic childhood is explored, including Eren rescuing her from slavers who murdered her family and who were bent on selling the last Asian to the underground flesh market. 

At the second gate, a merchant and his cargo are blocking the evacuation route for remaining civilians, and Mikasa intervenes, letting the merchant know in no uncertain terms that if his death is the cost of letting people through, she will gladly pay it. The merchant agrees to let the civilians flee.

Meanwhile, Titans are attacking the Second Wall's headquarters, where the gas necessary for the 104th Training Corps to scale the wall to relative safety of the Third Wall is stored. With no gas, Mikasa leads her troops to battle to rescue those under siege with a daring plan. But then a strange thing happens. A Titan ignores the humans, and instead begins to attack other Titans, causing enough of a distraction to allow the humans to rescue their friends and refill their gas canisters. It is almost as if the aggressive Titan wanted to protect Mikasa ...

The story continues in Attack on Titan, Vol. 3.

Guinevere's Gift

McKenzie, Nancy. Guinevere's Gift. Book 1 of the Chrysalis Queen Quartet. 2002. 327p. ISBN 978-0-375-84345-7. 

Young Guinevere is living at the court of Gwynedd, where her aunt Alyse is Queen. Her mother, a Queen in her own right, died in childbirth, leaving Guinevere alone. When she was born, a local witch prophecized that she one day would wed a great King and become the highest lady in Britain. Guinevere has never particularly liked that prophecy, and does not put much stock in it. At seven, when her father the King died, she was sent to her aunt to learn court etiquette and complete her education. Now thirteen, Guinevere has not yet blossomed into a young woman, unlike her cousin Elaine, who cannot wait to get married. Unlike her cousin, Guinevere would rather wear boys' clothes and ride her horse out in the forest, though she does like her studies. 

During one of the rides, she meets Llyr, a member of the tribe that lives in the hills, outside of the kingdom. Llyr reveals that the prophecy is real, and that the hill people have been guarding her since her birth. As a result of these revelations, Llyr is exiled from his community, since he shared a secret that was not his. 

King Pellinore, Alyse's husband, has brought his men and they joined young King Arthur's army in his campaign against the Saxons. During his absence, Queen Alyse runs the kingdom. Since the beginning of spring, cattle and lambs have been stolen out of the King's fields, and no one seems to know who is responsible. Queen Alyse tasks the house guard's second in command, Marcus, to investigate in secret.

Sir Darric, the youngest son of one of King Pellinore's earls, comes to visit Gwynedd, and brings several men with him. Offering his services to Queen Alyse, he promises to catch the thieves who have been cattle rustling. Elaine is instantly attracted to Sir Darric, but Guinevere finds him dark and slimy. 

As Marcus investigates, he realizes that Sir Darric is behind the cattle stealing, and he plans on overthrowing Queen Alyse and taking control of the kingdom of Gwynedd before Pellinore comes back. With Sir Darric putting the final pieces of his plan in place, Guinevere, Marcus, and Llyr can stop this coup, but they will need to risk their lives!

North African and the Mediterranean

Jeffrey, Gary, illustrated by Allesandro Poluzzi. North African and the Mediterranean. Part of the Graphic Modern History: World War II series. 2012. 48p. ISBN 9780778741930. Available at 940.54 JEf on the library shelves.

In the summer of 1942, the Germans had triumphed on all fronts, and were deep in the Soviet Union. Allies had been pushed out of Europe, and in North Africa Rommel and the Afrika Korp were driving towards Egypt. Three key moments of the Mediterranean campaign have been illustrated in this short volume. The 1941 German conquest of Crete, an island off the coast of Greece, was the first aerial paratrooper assault in history. Thousands of Germans jumped out of gliders and secured airports that could be used to land more troops. But in 1942, the Allies stopped the German advance towards Egypt, and began to push back, eventually defeating the Germans and securing the south shore of the Mediterranean. In 1943, the invasion of Sicily saw the Allies expand in Italy and begin the slow process of moving up the peninsula towards the south of Germany.

Fans of the Second World War will appreciate the details provided by this brilliantly illustrated book. 

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 9

Kato, Kazue. Blue Exorcist, Vol. 9. 2013. 192p. ISBN 9781421554778. Available in the graphic novels section of the library. 

Following the deployment of all exorcists in Kyoto in Blue Exorcist, Vol. 8, the battle against the Impure King concludes as Rin finally realizes that in order to win he must acknowledge that he is in fact the son of Satan, and call on the powers that come with that filial link. Using the Koma sword he was finally able to pull out of its scabbard, Rin defeats the Impure King, and saves his friends from ruin. Injured individuals are taken back to the temple and the inn, where they are nursed back to health. Yukio's confrontation with Saburota Todo triggered something inside him, and he no longer trust his older brother Rin to do the right thing. 

Rin and his friends get to enjoy a day of sightseeing in Kyoto, before being dispatched to a nearby beach. A Kraken has been spotted, and the exorcists prepare countermeasures to defeat it. Meanwhile, Shura remains suspicious of Mephisto Pheles and his motives behind pushing Rin to exploit his powers. What plan is the president of the Exorcism Cram School working towards?

The story continues in Blue Exorcist, Vol. 10.

Global Warning

Frank, Steen B. Global Warning. 2023. 272p. ISBN 9780358566175.

Young people are generally optimistic, but as the climate changes, they are the ones who will suffer the most from the planet warming. And unfortunately for them, they cannot vote and influence the policy of their countries. But what if they could make meaningful changes to improve the climate? Sam Warren is a special 6th grader. His friends and him were previously involved in a law case on homework that made it all the way to the Supreme Court. This time, they decide to tackle climate change. Their strategy is simple, yet extremely difficult: They will seek an amendment to the United States's Constitution that will save the planet from pollution.

The students set out on the trip of a lifetime across the United States and the world, bringing attention to their demands and raising awareness of their proposed constitutional amendment. Working with the children of government officials, with lawyers, with environmental activists, and with other children in the United States and beyond, they set out to change the world for the better.

A fast-paced fun story about what could be if children could organize, Global Warning offers a simplistic solution to a convoluted problem, but nevertheless illustrates a path that could be taken if only there was the political will.

The Dean of Shandong: Confessions of a Minor Bureaucrat at a Chinese University

Bell, Daniel. The Dean of Shandong: Confessions of a Minor Bureaucrat at a Chinese University. 2023. 208p. ISBN 9780691247120.

A renowned Canadian scholar of Confucian studies, Dr. Daniel Bell was nominated in 2016 to serve as the Dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration at Shandong University in China, effective January 1, 2017. As a fluent speaker of Mandarin and lover of the Chinese culture, Bell found it an honor to be the first foreigner appointed to serve in a politically sensitive position in a Chinese university. 

In his position as Dean, Bell had to navigate the bureaucracy of a university, coupled with the restrictions imposed by the Communist Party. Publications in Chinese journals had to be run through the censors before being approved. Publications in foreign journals did not. Despite decades of learning the language and the culture, Bell still found himself committing faux pas that led to misunderstandings.

His appointment catalyzed views from the West that he might be too pro-Beijing, and his interviews and opportunities to speak to Western reporters decreased as the years went by. Though he himself had not changed, his perceived connection to the Communist Party line was enough to reduce his engagement with the political and journalistic world of the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Despite all these restrictions, however, Bell provides a unique view on current Chinese academics. He describes a society changing rapidly, but that still clings to traditional modes such as hair dying for leaders, to avoid the optic of getting old. He explains how leadership is more collective, and compares and contrasts the relative strengths of the Chinese system versus Western democracies.

Fans of China will appreciate Bell's deep dive behind the headlines to explore what life in Communist China is really like and how Chinese citizens perceive the Western powers.

Naruto, Vol. 10

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 10. 2001. 184p. ISBN 9781421502397. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

When Naruto, Vol. 9 concluded, Roc Lee and Gaara were to finally meet in the 3rd test of the Chunin exam. Now on the floor of the arena, both of the contestants ready themselves for the most intense fight of their lives. Gaara has several tricks up his sleeve, but Roc Lee's physical training and dedication almost allow him to triumph over the sand ninja. In the end, Gaara had to reach deep inside himself to muster enough strength to defeat Roc, who is sent to the infirmery injured after tapping into forbidden life energy. Master Guy his proud of his pupil, however.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru is still interfering with Sasuke. He sends his agent Kabuto to try and assassinate the young ninja, but Kakashi intervenes and saves Sasuke's life. With he 3rd test done, the ninjas have a month to prepare for the most grueling trial yet, where they will fight against each other until one has won it all. Naruto is assigned a different trainer than Kakashi, but on his way to learn how to walk on water, he meets a strange new ninja ...

The story continues in Naturo, Vol. 11.

The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto

Cuevas, Adrianna. The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto. 2023. 304p. ISBN 9780374390433.

Rafa's mother was recently diagnosed with cancer, and she hasn't been the same since treatments started. She's always tired, and Rafa has been told more than once by his father that he needs to give her space. But Rafa is worried she might die soon, and he wishes that he could cast a spell on her to remove the sickness, just like his characters in his favorite roleplaying game, The Forgotten Age. Unfortunately, real life is not like a book. 

On their way out of school for summer vacation, Rafa and his friends are convinced by their Game Master to perform a live Forgotten Age adventure by freeing the slushy machine from their school cafeteria. Caught by the principal, Rafa finds himself in trouble with his father. As punishment, his father sends Rafa away to work on a ranch in New Mexico, where he will hopefully learn personal responsibility. 

Missing his mother and worried she's getting sicker, Rafa doesn't really want to be in New Mexico. He meets Jennie Kim, the daughter of the ranch's librarian, and soon the two of them become friends. Rafa notices a man in a green sweater hovering in the background, and a series of incidents seem to point to Rafa as the culprit, as if he was trying to get himself kicked out of the ranch. The incidents lead to an accident where Rafa and Jennie are stuck in a cave that was intentionally collapsed. Other strange events are also taking place. The horses are changing color. A picture with Jennie's father has changed.  Books in Portuguese appear in the library. Are these strange events caused by one or more ghosts?

As Rafa and Jennie attempt to solve the mystery, the man in the green sweater is getting bolder, and a confrontation is all but certain. Can Rafa and Jennie resolve the threat before it is too late? A fast read that incorporates elements of roleplaying games, fans of mystery will appreciate Rafa's struggles to defend himself and his attachment to his mother.

Guyana

Jermyn, Leslie. Guyana. Part of the Cultures of the World series. 2000. 128p. ISBN 9780761409946. Available at 988.1 JER on the library shelves.

Nestled between Venezuela, Brasil and Surinane, and peculiar in many ways, Guyana is a small country in South America that is populated by a mix of different populations, from descendants of African slaves, British and Dutch plantation owners, Portuguese and Indian laborers. Brought together by colonial forces keen on exploiting sugar plantations, these different ethnic groups have mixed together to create a unique culture that remains separate from each other as they live and work in the same country.

Religious diversity and tolerance really sets Guyana apart. Poor in resources but rich in people, the country continues to struggle from the lasting effects of several dictatorships that have hampered economic development and affected social cohesion. Majestic tourist attractions have attracted a growing tourist trade, which carries environmental consequences. 

Took: A Ghost Story

Peterson, Scott, Jen Vaughn, and Hank Jones. Took: A Ghost Story. 2022. 160p. ISBN 9780358536871. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

The impacts of an economic recession force Daniel's family to move from Connecticut to West Virginia, where Daniel's parents have purchased a run-down home on the outskirts of town. Daniel's younger sister, Erica, was given a doll that resembles her, with matching clothes, and the whole trip down all she does is talk with her doll. 

The home is even more dilapidated than Daniel thought, and reeks of despair. Daniel's parents slowly sink into depression, with his father not able to accept his new job working at a hardware store, while his mother has started smoking again. The family is slowly drifting away. Even at school, Daniel and Erica are bullied and mocked for their differences. And kids whispers that they live in the house where a kid disappeared 50 years ago. Taken by Auntie, and her vile servant Bloody Bones, young Selene was never found, and her family died of sadness.

Daniel doesn't believe in ghosts, but the strange presence he feels watching him from the border of the woods worries him. Erica travels inside the woods with her dolls, and when Daniel spies her, she seems to be talking to someone he can't see. Scared, he takes Erica away, but abandons the doll behind. Erica is so despondent that Daniel and his dat search for the doll all night, but do not find it. The next day, Erica vanishes, but another child bearing resemblance to young Selene appears in her stead, telling Daniel that Auntie sent her away now that she has a new servant.

With the adults around him not believing the series of strange circumstances and happenings that are occurring, it is up to Daniel to save his sister and defeat Auntie and Bloody Bones once and for all!

This graphic novel adaptation of Mary Downing Hahn's novel Took embodies all of the creepiness of the original and adds visual elements that heightens the anxiety the reader experiences while wondering if Daniel will be able to save his sister from Auntie's evil clutches. Fans of light horror will appreciate this tale and will enjoy the illustrations, though the lettering is not as smooth as some of the other graphic stories adapted by Scott Peterson.