The Odyssey

Homer. The Odyssey. 2016. 37 mins. Abridged. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.

Odysseus left to fight Troy, and he has now been missing for ten years. Nobles are swarming his wife Penelope, hoping to lay their hands on his lands and riches. His young son, Telemachus, grows up and becomes the leader of father’s kingdom in his absence, but his nobles still oppose him.

The goddess Athena advocates for Odysseus’ return to Ithaca, and Zeus finally consents. He returns home only to realize that his nobles are in open revolt and have been wasting his wealth. Disguised by Athena, he is recognized by his old nurse and by his valiant dog. Odysseus partakes of a meal in the palace before revealing himself in a feat of strength. Blood flows as the nobles are punished and Odysseus reclaims his throne, helped by Telemachus.

P.S.: I Like You

West, Kasie. P.S.: I Like You. 2016. 329p. 6 hours 56 minutes long. ISBN 978-0-545-85097-1. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.

Lily stands out at her high school, and not for the better. Now a junior, her nemesis Cade gave her the nickname “Magnet” back in middle school, and it has stuck ever since. Cade is conceited, thinks he’s the most beautiful boy in the school, and bestows nicknames and insults to everyone that crosses his path. Her inability to catch a basketball was so funny to her classmates that they all kept passing her the ball, hence the nickname Magnet. Lily has never forgiven Cade, and when he dated her best friend Isabelle she did everything she could to undermine the relationship.

Lily wants to become a songwriter. She’s always writing lyrics and accompanying her songs on her trusted guitar. She’s not ready to share any of them, however, not even with Isabelle. Her home life is frantic and loud, with two younger brothers. She also has to share a bedroom with Ashley, her older sister who attends community college but stays at home. Her parents do their best, but there’s never peace at home.

During a moment of inattention in Chemistry, her teacher catches her writing away, and he tells her that from now on she cannot have her trusted green book in front of her. In her despair later on that week, she writes a song lyric on her desk. To her surprise, when she sits back down at her desk she discovers that someone completed the lyric. Soon, she’s exchanging old fashioned letters with an unknown male correspondent. With Chemistry classes taking place all day, it could be anyone. That guy is sensitive, with a distant father and a demanding stepfather. They share the same musical tastes, and they expose each other to new bands.

But when she discovers that Cade is her secret penpal, everything changes. How can the boy she’s falling in love with be the jerk that makes her life hell? Can Lily reconcile Cade’s two dramatically opposed persona into a person she can truly love and who will love her back?

Diary of a Wimpy Kid #7: The Third Wheel

Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid #7: The Third Wheel. Book 7 of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. 2012. 217p. ISBN 978-1-4197-0584-7. Available at FIC KIN on the library shelves.

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, Greg Heffley is hoping to secure a date to the dance. Being in middle school, however, is tough, and it is hard to attract the ladies without a trick up your sleeve. Greg reviews his life as a child to discover insights on how he should approach this problem. His uncle Gary, who’s a dead beat, suggests that Greg should use a wingman to help him in his quest. That’s perfect. Greg can use his best friend, Rowley, to help him secure a date, and, if there is time afterwards, he can help Rowley get his own date.

When Abigail’s date, Michael, cancels on her, Greg finds the opening he’s been waiting for. He asks her out, and she agrees to go as a group with Greg and Rowley. With the big night coming, Greg has a lot of plans. They’ll go out to dinner at a fancy restaurant, and Abigail will clearly see that Greg is the man of her dreams.

Unfortunately, one night can be a long time in a middle schooler’s life, and Greg is about to discover that you can’t buy love, even if you buy an expensive meal at a restaurant.

Stonehenge

Mass, Wendy. Stonehenge. Part of the Building History Series. 1998. 96p. ISBN 1-56006-432-3. Available at 936 MAS on the library shelves.

One of the world’s most mysterious structure is the stone array of Stonehenge. Built over two millenia, from 3,000 to 1,100 BCE, the purpose of Stonehenge remains unclear to this day. Speculations abound that it served as a calendar, as a holy site, as a druid gathering places, or to track eclipses. But how it was erected is as fascinating as what it is used for.

The blue and sarsen stones that were used in the construction of Stonehenge are not from the Salisbury Plains. They were taken and shaped miles away, then brought to the site. The blue stones, between 4 and 8 tons, came from Mount Prescelly, in Southern Wales, about 135 miles away and were probably transported by ship most of the way. In the case of the larger sarsen stones, they originated about 24 miles away, but as each rock weighed up to 40 tons, moving them over land would have been an engineering feet.

The construction of the site followed four distinct stages, with the third stage being further separated in three separate phases. Each time, the arrangement of the stones were shifted around to accommodate different uses. The erection of the lintels, the piece of stone that sat on top of two parallel sarsens, required extensive engineering and manpower to accomplish.

By the time the Romans conquered England, Stonehenge was already over a thousand years old, and its purpose had disappeared along with the inhabitants who created it. Since then, there have been much speculation about what it was used for. As these continue, however, the site is deteriorating due to weather, pollution, and human activities. Efforts are taking place to preserve the site for future generations, so they too can enjoy the mystery and the quiet majesty that is Stonehenge.

Arena 3

Rice, Morgan. Arena 3. Book 3 of the Survival Trilogy. 2016. 240p. ISBN 0984975373. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

When Brooke and her friends managed to escape Arena 2, they fled northward towards Canada, propelled by rumors that there was a sanctuary city that had been spared by the war. The trek almost killed them, but at the beginning of Arena 3 they reach Fort Noix, in Quebec. Fort Noix runs like a military operation, and residents must obey military orders. After many discussions, the Fort’s commander allows Brooke, Ben, Bree and Charlie to join in exchange for work and obedience.

Thrilled to be finally safe after years in the wilderness running away from slavers, Brooke meet other teenagers her age and immediately joins the patrols. The two kids adapt quickly to life in the Fort, but Ben, however, continues to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and remains distant. For months, they get stronger and better. But then the Fort receives a cryptic message from Texas. Another base has survived and is trying to contact other pockets of survivors. There are doubts, however. How old is the message? Who is sending it? Could it be a trap?

The message gives Brooke hope, because the voice sounds like that of her father, who left at the beginning of the war in Arena 1. She is so convinced that she decides to do the unthinkable. She will leave the safety of Fort Noix and travel all the way down to Texas to locate this other base. Three of the local teenagers agree to accompany her, and they are soon joined by Ben and the children. Back in the wilderness, Brooke and her friends are once again facing the unforgiving environment of an America ruined by war as they head down to Texas. Will they be able to avoid the crazies and the slaverunners who are looking for them?

Careers in the US Army

Rice, Earle Jr. Careers in the US Army. Part of the Careers in the US Armed Forces series. 2016. 128p. ISBN 978-0-7660-6943-5. Available at 355 RIC on the library shelves.

Soldiers are the oldest armed profession. In the British colonies, the minutemen ambushed the British soldiers heading to Lexington to collect weapons, firing the shots heard around the world and igniting the American Revolution. From that crucible of violence first rose the Continental Army, which was then replaced by the United States Army. The U.S. Army has fought in more conflicts than any of the other armed services. From wars against Native tribes to conflicts against Mexico, Spain, and participation in the First and Second World Wars, the Army evolved to become a highly trained and efficient fighting machine able to take on any threat to the United States and its allies. The Army possesses some of the best trained and equipped soldiers in the world.

This book provides a detailed introduction to the history of the U.S. Army. It also discusses the various roles it serves in the era of global terrorism, from conducting ground operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to protecting the homeland. The various career paths for soldiers are examined, and the differences between Active and Reserve Forces are explored. Short biographies of famous soldiers are peppered throughout. Finally, possibility for the Army of the future are presented. Anyone interested in joining the Army will appreciate the range of material available in this book.

Titles in this series include:

• Careers in the US Air Force
• Careers in the US Navy
• Careers in the US Marine Corps
• Careers in the US Coast Guard

Manipulating Light: Reflection, Refraction and Absorption

Stille, Darlene R. Manipulating Light: Reflection, Refraction and Absorption. 2006. 48p. ISBN 0-7565-1258-1. Available at 535 STI on the library shelves.

Light is one of the more mysterious scientific concept. It provides us with the ability to see shapes and colors. It can sharpen a view, from the extremely large telescopes gazing at the stars to the microscope observing the smallest building blocks of matter. It can distort a view, from mirrors in your car to carnival rides. It can transmit information instantly around the globe through fiber optics, and it can scan numbers through barcodes and lasers. It represents a standard that in theory cannot be broken, the speed of light. But what is light?

Light behaves according to a set of principles known as the law of reflection. How light bounces, bends, and gets absorbed dictates what will be seen. This short book describes the process by which light provides colors and enable scientific accomplishments such as the photographic camera and the most advanced telescopes. Without light, we could not read these words.