Staff Picks



Jenny suggests:

OKAY FOR NOW by Gary Schmidt


Eighth-grader Doug Swietick is miserable and misunderstood when his family moves to a new town.  He finds unexpected inspiration, and solace, in a book of original Audubon prints at the local public library.  This is a wonderful story about growing up, and the role of remembering that life is not just about bread, but roses too.  For Doug Swietick roses take the form of not only beautiful bird pictures, but baseball, Jane Eyre, and the occasional very cold coca cola.  I highly recommend this to anyone who is in middle school, knows someone in middle school, or ever went to middle school.  You can't go wrong.

Anne suggests:

A HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN 100 OBJECTS

by Neil MacGregor


From the renowned director of the British Museum, a kaleidoscopic history of humanity told through things we have made.

When did people first start to wear jewelry or play music? When were cows domesticated and why do we feed their milk to our children? Where were the first cities and what made them succeed? Who invented math-or came up with money?

The history of humanity is a history of invention and innovation, as we have continually created new items to use, to admire, or to leave our mark on the world. In this original and thought-provoking book, Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum, has selected one hundred man-made artifacts, each of which gives us an intimate glimpse of an unexpected turning point in human civilization. A History of the World in 100 Objects stretches back two million years and covers the globe. From the very first hand axe to the ubiquitous credit card, each item has a story to tell; together they relate the larger history of mankind-revealing who we are by looking at what we have made.

Handsomely designed, with more than 150 color photographs throughout the text, A History of the World in 100 Objects is a gorgeous reading book and makes a great gift for anyone interested in history.


Rachel suggests:   

THE SUBMISSION by Amy Waldman



(We have this in regular and large print.)  When the winner of the design for the World Trade Center memorial is revealed, the jury discovers that he is a Muslim.  One is thrust into the middle of the turmoil that follows viewing one side and then the other.  The novel leaves you thinking about freedom, religion and the ways that man treats his fellow man. This is a very thought-provoking book.


  Jen suggests:

HOW TO SAVE A LIFE  by Sara Zarr


 Jill MacSweeny just wishes everything could go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends--everyone who wants to support her. And when her mom decides to adopt a baby, it feels like she's somehow trying to replace a lost family member with a new one.

 Mandy Kalinowski understands what it's like to grow up unwanted--to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, one thing she's sure of is that she wants a better life for her baby. It's harder to be sure of herself. Will she ever find someone to care for her, too?

 As their worlds change around them, Jill and Mandy must learn to both let go and hold on, and that nothing is as easy--or as difficult--as it seems.

 Critically acclaimed author and National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr delivers a heart-wrenching story, told from dual perspectives, about the many roads that can lead us home.