Children
By Tamra Headrick, Library Assistant, Youth Services
Healthy Food for Dylan
By Sarah, Duchess of York
If Dylan had his way, he’d have French fries for every meal, every day – and that makes his mom unhappy. Then his cousin Abby visits and shows Dylan a clever new way to prepare food that's good for you … and fun to eat, too! (Ages 5 and up)
Otis and the Tornado
By Loren Long
Otis and his farm friends are enjoying a summer’s day playing their favorite game. Suddenly, the day turns frightening: The birds stop chirping, the wind picks up and the sky turns dark and stormy. It’s a tornado! Otis rouses a game of follow-the-leader to get all of the farm animals safe and sound in the dried-up riverbanks of Mud Creek. (Ages 3 and up)
The Incredible Pop-Up Body Book
By Richard Walker
Discover the body and its functions, from brains and blood vessels to skin and skeleton. The text explains everything from taste buds, chewing and speech to reflexes and human physical development, delivering information with excitement. When kids are done reading all about the human body and its functions, they can continue to study it with a four-foot, fold-out human body model. (Ages 10 and up)
Trapped: How the World Rescued 33 Miners from 2,000 Feet Below the Chilean Desert
By Marc Aronson
In early August 2010, the unthinkable happened when a mine collapsed in Chile and 33 miners were trapped 2,000 feet below the surface. For 69 days they lived on meager resources and increasingly poor air quality. When they were finally rescued, the world watched with rapt attention and rejoiced in the amazing spirit and determination of the miners. (Ages 10 and up)
Inside Out and Back Again
By Thanhha Lai
Written in prose, this 2011 National Book Award winner chronicles the story of Ha’ and her family as they flee South Vietnam during the fall of Saigon. As refugees, they struggle to learn a new language and adapt to life in Alabama. (Ages 8 and up)
Adult
By Mary Biscuso, Library Assistant, Adult Services
In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto
By Michael Pollan
In this fascinating treatise on food and eating, Pollan distills the whole what-should-I-eat dilemma into seven words of wisdom: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating
By Mark Bittman
If asked, most of us would agree that we want to shrink our carbon footprint, eat more healthfully and buy local. Celebrity chef Bittman tells us how to accomplish the above, and includes 77 tasty recipes that will appeal to a variety of taste buds.
Once Upon a River
By Bonnie Jo Campbell
In her debut novel, Campbell introduces us to plucky Margo Crane, a teenager who shows a steely determination when she finds herself fighting for survival in rural Michigan. After the untimely death of her father, Margo must fend for herself along the aptly-named Stark River, with only her grandfather’s boat, a rifle and a copy of her favorite childhood book, a biography of her heroine, Annie Oakley.
Missed Connections: Love, Lost & Found
By Sophie Blackall
Blackall has whimsically illustrated her favorite entries from the well-known Craigslist New York postings. Some favorites: “We shared a bear costume at an apartment party last Saturday” and “Hot Toll Collector.” Best known as the illustrator for the popular children’s series Ivy and Bean, Blackall’s lovely Chinese ink and watercolor drawings for Missed Connections showcases her talents for grown-ups.
I Thought You Would Be Funnier
By Shannon Wheeler
Eisner winner Wheeler, a frequent contributor to The New Yorker magazine, has compiled a short collection of comics that ended up on the cutting room floor. But don’t assume that these funnies are in any way inferior – they may be just too funny for the New Yorker crowd.