Loup City Public Library

A beautiful sunny day is the perfect type of day to start on your Spring and Summer reading lists.

In “The Great Believers”, we alternate between a 1980s America at the peak of the AIDS epidemic when fear and misinformation were rife and the 2010s. The 1980s setting was much more interesting and the characters leap off the pages.  This book is well worth the read.

You may need that sunshine and kleenex to get you through these books.  “Girl in the Blue Coat” by Monica Hesse is a sad tale of love, friendship, betrayal, and redemption in Nazi Germany as a young woman searches for a missing Jewish girl.

I really enjoyed this book. It was well written. I appreciated how the author showed the complexities of trying to protect someone without inhibiting their independence and how this constant struggle to maintain an equilibrium can be exhausting. The subtlety the author used in explaining how we lash out or thoughtlessly hurt others and how we might forgive and be forgiven was lovely. I liked the overall message of accepting people as they are….the metaphor with the leaves was superb.

It is entirely rude to take someone’s picture first thing in the morning and use it on a book cover without their explicit permission; however, since the story and illustrations of this grumpy monkey and his friends are adorable, I suppose I will forgive them.  “Grumpy Monkey” by Suzanne Lang.

The good news:  There are two adorable Elementary and Middle-Grade books this week. The bad news: My adult book was horrid, so it won’t be making an appearance.

“Archivist Wasp” is set in an interesting, post-apocalyptic world. The story was good and at times intense but a lot of things just happened without being explained. I would read the second one as I appreciated the strong protagonist and decent ending.

 www.overdrive.com

If you have ever spent too much money on a gift for a child only to have the child fascinated with the box it came in, these are the books for you!  Fun and simple these stories showcase the power of a child’s imagination. “What to do with a box” by Jane Yolen & Chris Sheban and “Not a Box” by Antoinette Portis.

Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield

 Sadie by Courtney Summers

This book is showing up everywhere!  It is formatted like a podcast and reads like a play which caused some connection problems for me. It is dark and unrelenting with a good mystery and no firm resolution or feel-good ending.

The Last Kids on Earth and the Zombie Parade by Max Brallier

Elmore by Holly Hobbie

Elmore is a prickly porcupine who just wants to make some friends but it is hard to make friends when they have to dodge quills!  Life is tough sometimes. However, Elmore uses his sweet heart and great ingenuity to come up with a plan.  This is adorable!

Another weekend….another bout of nasty weather.  There is nothing special on tv but you can choose the world you wish to visit by selecting the book of your dreams!

Harry and Amanda haven’t been the same since the deaths of their spouses.  Now they are on a collision course with Amanda’s fairy-tale loving daughter, Oriana, in the driver’s seat.  The first part of the novel is quite a slow examination of grief and loss; however, the last half is worthy of a fairy-tale. “Harry’s Trees” by Jon Cohen.

Rose’s mother and stepfather went out for supper one night five years ago and never came home. The police think they were killed by a professional and the case has gone stagnant.  Joshua, Rose’s stepbrother, has devoted his time to publicizing the case on social media in the hopes of learning something new. Rose doesn’t have the time for that because kids in her school, kids around her, have started to be murdered. The story is action-packed and the murder of the kids is tied up in the end. “Dead Time” by Anne Cassidy.

Brock is Phillip’s best friend. Brock’s parents call Phillip imaginary, but they just don’t know any better. They have a grand time together until Brock gets left behind at the fair.  Now, they just need to find their way back to each other. An imaginative story of friendship.  “We Forgot Brock” by Carter Goodrich.

 by Marjorie Blain Parker. Illustrated by Sydney Hanson

I am flipping the order of books this week because, truly, what could be more adorable than this cover? The story inside of course! A great message and great illustrations to keep your youngest reader interested.

by Angela Dominquez

by Kasie West

by Leo Tolstoy.5

If you are ever going to attempt Tolstoy’s “War and Peace”, now is the time. After all, we are in never-ending winter, so it shouldn’t be hard to imagine we are freezing along with the French and Russian soldiers.There are many things that Tolstoy does exceptionally well: write war scenes where you can feel yourself sinking into the mud while your inept commander dithers away, describe social gatherings of the glittering stars of the Russian elite, and yet describe a scene of sweet family intimacy so well you feel you are right there.
There are a couple of things he doesn’t do as well: write female characters who aren’t saints or devils and put exasperating philosophy treatises at the end of a 1200 page book. Cruel and unusual.
I would love to get Tolstoy’s take on the current political climates of the U.S. and Russia.

by Stacy McAnulty

Check out this audiobook at: www.overdrive.com

A heartfelt story which addresses many issues any middle-grader might be facing: being different, having different family structures, bullying, making and maintaining friendships, and how to be confident in one’s own skin. At times the main character bordered on being a little too precious; however, I think the author pulled off the story with great characters and solid writing. This is one of my favorites. I can see kids coming for the interesting lightning story and staying because the rest of the story is relatable.