Loup City Public Library

84 Charing Cross Road and Q’s Legacy by Helene Hanff. The holidays are stressful.  Sit down and pick up one of these two little gems.  84 Charing Cross Road is a compilation of very short letters written between an American writer and her very English rare bookseller in the late 1940’s/early 1950s. Companionship and humor abound. It is perfect for a quick read. Q’s Legacy should be read after “84” as it details Hanff’s literary career and the making of “84”. The perfect present to yourself this holiday season…a little rest and relaxation with friends.

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt.  This is an emotional roller coaster ride of a novel.  Joseph is a troubled 13 year old who wants nothing more than to be able to find his baby daughter. An incredibly intense novel about the power and cost of love. This is an AR book with a reading level of 4.4; however, the content is definitely geared towards teen readers.

House Arrest by K.A. Holt. A twelve-year-old boy is placed on house arrest after stealing someone’s credit card to pay for his brother’s medication. Timothy takes care of his medically unstable baby brother while his mother works two jobs. Written in verse, this novel looks at the responsibilities and frustrations unique to his situation while he also deals with the “normal” twelve-year-old problems. Timothy is required to keep a diary during his probationary period and it is through this diary format that we follow his story.

I am Not a Chair by Ross Burach.  Nominated for the 2018-2019 Golden Sower Award. A giraffe is new to the area and would love to meet some new friends but everyone keeps mistaking him for a chair!  As giraffe struggles to find his voice, the reader laughs at all of the silly situations in which Giraffe finds himself. Great illustrations really help bring the story home.

All of the print books listed above are available at Loup City Library.

We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices by Cheryl Willis and Wade Hudson. Available on Libby/Overdrive digital system. A compilation of essays, poetry, and music by multiple diverse contributors. An audio book aimed at children feeling scared and frustrated in this time of political extremes.  Only two hours long, this is a wonderful way to encourage tolerance and support those who feel anxious about their own safety. Beautifully done. If you listen to nothing else (although that would be a shame), listen to Prayers of the Grandmothers by Sharon M. Draper, read by Adenrele Ojo. This book is available in print but the best format, in my opinion, is to listen to the wide range of voices saturated with experience as they say it is going to be ok.