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!