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.