All the Bright Places

Niven, Jennifer. All the Bright Places. 2015. 388p. ISBN 9780385755887. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

The school freak, Theodore Finch has been a target of his classmates for years, and a punching bag for his former NHL star dad. Morbidly fascinated by death, he knows all of the statistics dealing with suicide and has considered killing himself multiple times. He often loses track of months at a time, but now that he’s back and conscious he plans on remaining “awake” until he graduates.

So when he climbs the bell tower at school and considers what it would be like jumping, he notices that Violet Markey, another student at the school, is on the opposite ledge. With many witnesses on the ground below urging him to jump, he instead helps Violet step off the ledge and creates the story that she saved him by talking him off the ledge.

But why was Violet here? Theodore is intrigued, and wants to know more. Violet herself has suffered a tragedy when she and her sister got in a car accident last year and Eleanor died. Violet feels guilty. She’s the one who wanted to come back by crossing the bridge. It’s her fault that her sister is dead. She grieves for Eleanor, she grieves for herself and she grieve for the writing pair they used to be.

When a group project presents itself in the only class they share, Theodore volunteers to work with Violet, much to her chagrin. They must work together to discover the wonders of Indiana. They begin to discover that they have more in common than they thought, and that it this relationship which saved them both from the bell tower.

But as Violet begins to reconnect to life, Theodore barrels towards a complete disconnect. Will their love be stronger than the maelstrom of emotions and pain that surrounds them?

Told from both Theodore and Violet’s perspectives, this book is another tragic tale of death, suicide and its effects on those left behind. All the Bright Places manage to show that there is always an after. Ultimately, it’s a voyage of discovery that allows Violet to come to terms with her grief. Books with similar topics include Thirteen Reasons Why, Please Ignore Vera Dietz, We Were Liars, If I Stay, Zoe Letting Go, The Vanishing Season, Black Box or Kiss of Broken Glass.

Antarctica

Goldsworthy, Steve. The Natural World: Antarctica. 2015. 320p. ISBN 978-1-4896-0938-0. Available at 5678.09 GOL on the library shelves.

Antarctica is the most forbidden place on the planet. With average temperatures below freezing, only the hardiest plants and animals can live in this hostile environment. Yet, many have found ways to evolve and survive where most couldn’t.

This book describes the unique life that inhabits the coldest continent on Earth. Information about the various land and aquatic biomes that are in Antarctica is presented, along with gorgeous pictures. The various insects, birds, fish and mammals that call Antarctica home are shown, and the impact of human activity on the continent is also explored.

This short book that provides an excellent overview on a land that most of us know next to little about.

Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon

Sheinkin, Steve. Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon. 2012. 266p. ISBN 9781596434875. Available both on the library shelves at 623.4 SHE and as an eBook on Overdrive.

The race to build an atomic bomb began innocently enough when a German chemist accidentally discovered that uranium could be split in two, releasing some energy in a process called fission. This discovery ignited the imagination of physicists around the world, but then the possibilities offered by fission suddenly became frightful. In theory, fission could be used to power a bomb, and it would unleash the most destructive force ever witnessed by man.

The race was on between the Americans and the Germans as to whom would build the first atomic bomb. In the United States, scientists led by Robert Oppenheimer gathered in Los Alamos and raced, worried that German scientists were ahead of them, and that Hitler would use such a weapon to turn the tide of war.

But a group of spies lurked in the background. The Soviet Union also coveted the bomb, and it took extreme steps to acquire American secrets.

This is the story of spies, scientists, and commandoes dedicated to the ultimate goal of being the first to win the atomic race and change the world forever.

If you like this book, you will enjoy Blizzard of Broken Glass, about the largest man-made explosion before the atomic bomb, which happened in 1917 in Halifax, Canada, when a ship carrying millions of pounds of explosives blew up, levelling up entire city blocks and killing thousands.

A graphic novel of Bomb is also available.

Northeast and Metropolitan Regions

Allen, Nancy. United States Regions: Northeast and Metropolitan Regions. 2015. 32p. ISBN 978-1-6271-7673-6. Available at 973 ALE on the library shelves.

The oldest regions of the United States, the Northeast and Metropolitan regions contain most of the original thirteen colonies. Stretching from Maine in the north to Delaware in the south, these states are differ from each other in striking ways.

Each region is detailed with information on their history, geography, animals, and habitats. The book is well illustrated and the maps are clear. It also describes how people live, what they eat, and what they do for work. Finally, fun facts are also presented. This a short book that provides a good overview of these states.

Warsaw, Lodz, Vilna: The Holocaust Ghettos

Altman, Linda Jacobs. Warsaw, Lodz, Vilna: The Holocaust Ghettos. 2015. 96p. ISBN 978-0-7660-6207-8. Available at 940.53 ALT on the library shelves.

The goal of eliminating the Jews was never far from Hitler’s mind, and even as the tanks rolled through Eastern Europe the Nazis created ghettos to confine Jews in the country they conquered. At first, most Jews believed this was an era similar to pogroms of the past, and that they would be mistreated but in the end would remain. No one could envision the evil and diabolical plans the Nazis were implementing. But as conditions got worse, Jews decided to fight back.

This book describes the history of the eastern ghettos, from their beginnings in late 1939 to their ultimate destruction in 1943-44. Daily life was harsh and cruel, with the Nazi lie that life would get better for the Jews so big that most wanted to believe it. Ghetto governance and collaboration is explored, but so is armed resistance and legacies of courage.

The actuality of the Holocaust remains, and the information contained in this book makes a great companion to Hunting Eichmann: How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased Down the World’s Most Notorious Nazi and An Illustrated History of the Gestapo.

Other books in this series include Anti-Semitism and the "Final Solution." and Warsaw, Lodz, Vilna: The Holocaust Ghettos.

New England Patriots

Wyner, Zach. New England Patriots. 2015. 32p. ISBN 978-1-4896-0854-3. Available at 796.33 WYN on the library shelves.

So you think you know everything about the New England Patriots? Did you know that they have the record for most wins during a 10 year period? That they changed their uniforms? That Belichick and Brady have the most wins of any player / coach duo?

This short book presents an overview of one of the NFL’s powerhouse teams, describing its history and providing background information on everything from Gillette stadium, their uniforms, the mascot, and their records. The stars of today and the legends of the past are also explored, as is the coaching staff.

This book is a must read for fans of this great football team!

Shadow Scale

Hartman, Rachel. Shadow Scale. Book 2 of the Seraphina series. 2015. 608p. ISBN 9780375866579. Available both as a book at FIC HAR and as an audiobook on Overdrive.

In Seraphina the peace between the dragons and the kingdom of Goredd was shattered when assassins in the service of rebel dragons attempted to end the life Ardmagar Comonot, general of the dragons who was currently visiting the kingdom. With the dragons now broken into two camp, civil war engulfs both sides. On one side, those who support Comonot and his peace initiative with the humans. On the other, those who claim dragon superiority and who wish to purge their ranks of all aberrations as well as humanity.

Part dragon and part human, Seraphina finds herself on the front line of this clash of civilizations. She has built a garden where she keep grotesque representations of other half dragons, but now she must find them all in person so they can create the ultimate weapon to end this terrible conflict.

Unfortunately, others are also pursuing this end, and now Seraphina finds herself in a race against time, where she must muster enough support from the other of her kind to tip the balance and save Goredd. And her enemy is another half dragon just like her. Seraphina will need to make a terrible choice. Retain the relative safety that her life currently provides, or release her mind and, while putting herself in danger, reach her destiny?