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April 25, 2006

New DVD



Shopgirl.

MPAA rating: R.

Mirabelle oversees the seldom-visited glove counter at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. She's also a struggling artist who can barely pay her student loans. In steps Ray Porter, a handsome, rich, 50-something bachelor who sweeps her off her feet.

New Teen Fiction



Here Lies the Librarian
by Richard Peck.

Fourteen-year-old Eleanor "Peewee" McGrath, a tomboy and automobile
enthusiast, discovers new possibilities for her future after the 1914
arrival in her small Indiana town of four young librarians.



Sharp North
by Patrick Cave.

New Nonfiction



A G-Man's Life: the FBI, Being "Deep Throat" and the Struggle for Honor in Washington by Mark Felt.



Guests of the Ayatollah: The First Battle in America's War with Militant Islam by Mark Bowden.



House of War: the Pentagon, and the Disastrous Rise of American Power by James Carroll.



Rowing Without Oars: A Memoir of Living and Dying by Ulla-Carin Lindquist.

New Suspense



The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson.



Vanished by Karen Robards.

New Romance



Immediate Family by Eileen Goudge.

New Fiction



Everyman by Philip Roth.


April 24, 2006

New Mystery and Suspense



Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger.



Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith.



Dark Harbor by Stuart Woods.



Dark Tort by Diane Mott Davidson.



The Virgin of Small Plains
by Nancy Pickard.

New Teen Fiction



Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz.

After recovering from a near fatal gunshot wound, teenage spy Alex Rider embarks on a new mission to stop a group of eco-terrorists from sabotaging the launch of the first outer space hotel.



Finding Grace by Alyssa Brugman.

Undecided about her future after graduating from high school, an Australian girl takes a job caring for a brain-damaged woman.



Monsoon Summer
by Mitali Perkins.

Secretly in love with her best friend and business partner Steve, fifteen-year-old Jazz must spend the summer away from him when her family goes to India during that country's rainy season to help set up a clinic.



Nailed by Patrick Jones.

An outcast in a school full of jocks, sixteen-year-old Bret struggles to keep his individuality through his interest in drama and music, while trying to reconnect with his father.



Son of the Mob: Hollywood Hustle by Gordon Korman.

Eighteen-year-old Vince Luca, son of mob boss Anthony Luca, goes away to college in southern California hoping to escape his past, but soon his brother and a series of "uncles" appear at his dorm, and before long he is caught up in criminal activity once again.



Warrior Heir
by Cinda Williams Chima.

Before he knew about the Roses, 16-year-old Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small Ohio town of Trinity. Only the medicine he has to take daily and the thick scar above his heart set him apart from the other high-schoolers. Then one day Jack skips his medicine. Suddenly, he is stronger, fiercer, and more confident than ever before. And it feels great—until he loses control of his own strength and nearly kills another player during soccer team tryouts. Soon, Jack learns the startling truth about himself: He is Weirlind; part of an underground society of magical people who live among us.

New Picture Books



Below by Nina Crews.

Jack has adventures and rescues with his action-figure, Guy.



I Love Our Earth by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson, with photographs by Dan Liplow.



I'm Not Cute! by Jonathen Allen.

Little Owl wants to be strong, smart, brave, fearsome…and NOT cute. But he is cute, and no one can resist telling him so. Luckily his wise mother comes through and lets her little one know that he is everything he wants to be, and just a little bit adorable too. With appealing art and a universal theme, this picture book is sure to delight young readers everywhere.



Meow Ruff: A Story in Concrete Poetry by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Michelle Berg.

A story in concrete poetry in which a dog slips out of his house and meets a white cat left alone on the street. Together their adventure begins.



No More Diapers for Ducky by Bernette Ford, illustrated by Sam Williams.

No more diapers for me! That’s what toddlers will proudly proclaim after they hear this appealing tale of a lovable duck who takes the big step. When Piggy can’t come out to play because he’s busy sitting on the potty, Ducky realizes it’s time to grow up, too. A sweet and subtle story, with two huggable animals that children will embrace.



Oink? by Margie Palatini.

Frustrated because the pigs just lie around in the mud all day, the other animals on the farm try to make them improve themselves.



Sally and the Some-Thing by George O'Connor.

One boring day, Sally goes down to the pond where she meets a new friend who is really something.



When You Are Happy
by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Geraldo Valerio.

A young child learns that love complements every mood.

New Children's Nonfiction



Turtle Crossing by Rick Chrustowski.

Five years after a female painted turtle hatches from her shell, she is ready to lay eggs of her own. This is a dangerous task because there is a road between her and the perfect nesting site. She starts to cross, but a huge car is hurtling her way. It stops just in time, and the kind people help her to safety.
 
So the next time you see a Turtle Crossing sign, keep your eyes open—if you’re lucky you just might see a painted turtle on her way to make a nest.

New Nonfiction



America Back on Track
by Edward Kennedy.



Death in Belmont by Sebastian Junger.

A fatal collision of three lives in the most intriguing and original crime story since In Cold Blood.



Does My Child Have Autism: A Parents Guide to Early Detection and Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorders by Wendy L. Stone.


Knitting on the Edge: Ribs, Ruffles, Lace, Fringes, Floral, Points & Picots: The Essential Collection of 350 Decorative Borders by Nicky Epstein.


Knitting Over the Edge: Unique Ribs, Cords, Appliques, Color, Eclectic: The Second Essential Collection of Decorative Borders by Nicky Epstein.



The Lady and Sons Just Desserts: More Than 120 Sweet Temptations from Savannah's Favorite Restaurant by Paula Deen.

New Fiction



Cage of Stars by Jacquelyn Mitchard.



The Girls by Lori Lansens.



Grace in Thine Eyes by Liz Curtis Higgs.



The Last Cato by Matilde Asensi.



Miss Julia Stands Her Ground
by Ann B. Ross.



The Priest's Madonna by Amy Hassinger.



The Sand Cafe
by Neil MacFarguhar.



Saving the World by Julia Alvarez.



Which Brings Me to You by Steve Almond and Julianna Baggott.

New Children's Nonfiction



Bella at Midnight
by Diane Stanley.

Raised by peasants, Bella discovers that she is actually the daughter of a knight and finds herself caught up in a terrible plot that will change her life and the kingdom forever.



Gossamer by Lois Lowry.

While learning to bestow dreams, a young dream giver tries to save an eight-year-old boy from the effects of both his abusive past and the nightmares inflicted on him by the frightening Sinisteeds.



Half-Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer.

Twleve-year-old private investigator Fletcher Moon, nicknamed "Half Moon" because of his shortness, must track down a conspiracy or be framed for a crime he did not commit.



Not the End of the World
by Geraldine McCaughrean.

Noah's daughter, daughters-in-law, sons, wife, and the animals describe what it was like to be aboard the ark while they watched everyone around them drown.



Stink and the Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker
by Megan McDonald.

Seven-year-old Stink Moody discovers that he can get free samples by writing letters to candy companies and plans a surprise for his best friend's birthday.



Strange Happenings: Five Tales of Transformation
by Avi.

Five original stories where strange changes occur, from a boy and a cat changing places and a young man learning the price of selfishness to an invisible princess finding herself.



Travis & Freddy's Adventures in Vegas
by Paul Hoppe.

Travis has the million-dollar smile. Freddy has the million-dollar brain. Together the two buddies—one the coolest kid and the other the biggest brain at Walla Walla Junior High—set out to save Travis’s dad from disaster by winning big in Las Vegas, armed only with Travis’s charm and Freddy’s latest invention: a pair of glasses wirelessly connected to a laptop programmed with his homemade guaranteed-to-win-at-blackjack software.

April 20, 2006

New Children's Fiction



Rules by Cynthia Lord.

Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is near
impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that
revolves around his disability. She's spent years trying to teach David
the rules-from "a peach is not a funny-looking apple" to "keep your
pants on in public"-in order to stop his embarrassing behaviors. But
the summer Catherine meets Jason, a paraplegic boy, and Kristi, the
next-door friend she's always wished for, it's her own shocking
behavior that turns everything upside down and forces her to ask: What
is normal?

New Book onCD



Holmes on the Range by Steve Hockensmith.

New Picture Books



Hiccupotamus by Aaron Zenz.

A hippopotamus' hiccups disrupt the lives of the animals around him so they turn to a wide variety of antidotes to solve his dilemma.



I'm a Pill Bug by Yukihisa Tokuda, illustrated by Kiyoshi Takahasi.



My Shining Star: Raising a Child Who Is Ready to Learn by Rosemary Wells.

Rosemary Wells has touched a nerve with parents with her smart, direct, pull-no-punches book of virtues designed to help parents prepare their children for success in school.



Wash Your Hands by Tony Ross.

When the little princess hears about the germs and nasties living all around her, she understands the importance of washing her hands a lot.

New Children's Nonfiction



Honey: A Gift from Nature by Yumiko Fujiwara, illustrated by Hideko Ise.

New DVD



Mrs. Henderson Presents

MPAA rating: R; for nudity and brief language.

Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Will Young, Kelly Reilly, Thelma Barlow, Christopher Guest.

Recently widowed and well-to-do Laura Henderson needs a diversion to see her through war torn London. On a whim she buys the derelict Windmill theatre in the West End and persuades impresario Vivian Van Damm to run it. The two don't seem to get along at all. Although their idea of a non-stop revue is at first a success, other theatres begin to copy the idea and disaster looms. Laura suggests they put nudes in the show, but Van Damm points out that the Lord Chamberlain, who licenses live shows in Britain, is likely to have something to say about this. Luckily for Laura, she is friends with him.

April 12, 2006

New Children's Book on CD



The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall.

New DVDs



The Greatest Game Ever Played.


Rated PG for some brief mild language.


Shia LaBeouf, Stephen Dillane, Peter Firth, Elias Koteas, Stephen Marces, Josh Flitter, Len Cariou, Peyton List.


Based on the 1913 U.S. Open golf championship-at which two equally
sympathetic young men, both of whom grew up economically and socially
disadvantaged, go club to club in one of the most exciting and dramatic
athletic events of the 20th century. Young amaateur golfer Francis
Ouimet has nothing but talent and a seemingly impossible dream to
challenge the world's greatest player, his idol Harry Vardon. Soon,
with the help of his spunky 10-year-old caddy Eddie, Francis boldly
breaks down all barriers with a thrilling display of unrivaled drive,
skill and heart ... and challenges the golf pro for the U.S. Open
Championship.



An Unfinished Life.


Rated PG-13 for some violence including domestic abuse, and language.


Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez, Morgan Freeman, Josh Lucas, Camryn Manheim, Damian Lewis, Becca Gardner.


Stoic and heartbroken, Einar Gilkyson quietly lives in the rugged
Wyoming ranchlands alongside his only trusted friend, Mitch Bradley.
Then, suddenly, the woman he blames for the death of his only son
arrives at his door broke, desperate and with a granddaughter he's
never known. But even as buried anger and accusations resurfae, the way
is opened for unexpected conneciton, adventure and forgiveness.

New Children's DVD



The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

April 10, 2006

New Picture Books



Learning to fly by Sebastian Meschenmoser.



The Wildest Brother by Cornelia Funke.

Brave as a lion, strong as an elephant, Ben is a fearless young boy.
When it comes to protecting his big sister, Anna, nothing can stand in
his way! Gallantly he spends his day battling moldy green ghosts,
slime-belching monsters, and all sorts of ferocious beasts. But when
the day is over and darkness falls, Ben suddenly doesn't feel quite so
brave. Sometimes, he realizes, it's the big sister who does the
protecting. Featuring Meyer's witty, whimsical artwork and Funke's deft
balance of humor, emotion, and truth, this is the perfect bedtime read
for rambunctious brothers and sisters.

New DVDs



Brokeback Mountain.

Rated R. Sexuality, nudity, language and some violence.

Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Linda Cardellini, Anna
Faris, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, Randy Quaid.

It's 1963, a time in the United States when life was
simple, straightforward and the lines between the sexes and sex roles were
crisply drawn and severely delineated. Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist find
themselves thrown together when they are hired to tend sheep in the remote area
of Brokeback Mountain, Wyoming. Because of the job, the two are forced to spend
many hours together alone in the wild. Ennis and Jack are inexorably drawn to
each other through their proximity, loneliness and through a shared lack of
tenderness and emotion in their lives and are emotionally, physically and
psychically bonded to each other almost from the start.




The Great Raid.


Rated R for strong war violence and brief language.


Benjamin Bratt, James Franco, Connie Nielsen, Marton Csokas, Joseph
Fiennes, Mark Consuelos, Max Martini, Logan Marshall-Green, Robert
Mammone, Cesar Montano, James Carpinello, Clayne Crawford.


The courageous and daring rescue mission in 1945 to liberate over 500
American POWs imprisoned by the Japanese in a POW camp in Cabantauan in
the Philippines.

April 5, 2006

New Nonfiction



Giada's Family Dinners by Giada De Laurentiis.

New Children's Nonfiction



Animal Faces by Darlyne A. Murawski.

Get up close and personal with creatures from the wild in this
stunningly designed photographic book, shot by a National Geographic
photographer. Each image offers an intimate view of an animal's face
that will engage and fascinate children of all ages. As they look
again, they'll learn about all sorts of wildlife and their fantastic
features: a furry cat's whiskers help it find its way in the dark; a
chicken's feathers protect its thin, sensitive skin; a chameleon's eyes
actually swivel; and an elephant uses its long trunk to pick up food
and give itself a shower. The varied menagerie ranges from squirrels to
starfish. It's a truly appealing package.

New Fiction



Don't Look Down by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer.



Hey, Good Looking by Fern Michaels.

With lively prose, unforgettable characters, and a touch of
mischievous wit, Fern Michaels creates vivid reading experiences in all
of her acclaimed USA Today and New York Times
bestselling novels. Now, she inspires and entertains with a touching
tale of the transforming power of love -- and a woman whose broken
heart finds more room for the simple pleasures of family and home, and
for discovering true love in the last place she expected.



New Children's Fiction



Dude, Where's My Spaceship? by Dan Greenburg.

When their spaceship crash lands on Earth, Ploo is captured by the Army and taken to the mysterious Area 51 and while her brothers, Lek and Klatu, try to rescue her, Ploo uses her ESP to make a new friend.



The Valley of the Wolves by Laura Gallego Garcia.

Ever since Dana was a little girl, Kai has been her best friend and constant companion--even though she's the only one who can see him. Then the mysterious Maestro comes to her farm and offers her the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to study sorcery in the Valley of the Wolves. And Dana knows she must go, for the Maestro can see Kai too.... At age 27, Laura Gallego Garcia is already Spain's answer to J. K. Rowling, creating fantasies rich with magic and meaning. This is her most popular novel, a book for every kid who's ever felt set apart and everyone who finds a place all their own.

New Picture Books



Five Little Ducks illustrated by Ivan Bates.

One by one, five little ducks wander away from their mother until her lonely quack brings them all waddling back.



Fly, Little Bird by Tina Burke.

A wordless journey with a girl, her dog, and lost little bird.

New Easy Reader



Yuck! Stuck in the Muck by Corinne Demas, illustrated by Laura Rader.

Dog chases Duck into the swamp, setting off a very muddy chain of events. Chuck tries to pull Dog out of the muck and also gets stuck. One by one, each character gets stuck while trying to help another. At last, a helicopter rescues them, and Duck flies back to build a nest on the still-stuck truck!

New Fiction



My Latest Grievance by Elinor Lipman.

From the author of The Inn at Lake Devine, a pitch-perfect novel about a young woman, too smart for her own good, and the chaos that ensues when her path crosses that of her glamorous new next-door neighbor.



Quite Honestly by John Mortimer.

Thousands of readers have discovered the inimitable voice of John Mortimer through his Rumpole series of stories. But with Quite Honestly, Mortimer creates a cast of characters that rivals his usual Rumpole repertoire, delivering a wonderfully comic novel, packed with entertaining reflections on a life in crime.



We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg.

Elizabeth Berg, bestselling author of The Art of Mending and The Year of Pleasures, has a rare talent for revealing her characters’ hearts and minds in a manner that makes us empathize completely. Her new novel, We Are All Welcome Here, features three women, each struggling against overwhelming odds for her own kind of freedom.

April 4, 2006

New Nonfiction



The Great Transformation: the Beginning of Our Religious Traditions
by Karen Armstrong.



Laura Bush: An Intimate Portrait of the First Lady by Ronald Kessler.

New Picture Books



Bear's New Friend
by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman.



I Will Kiss You (Lots & Lots & Lots)
by Stoo Hample.

In rhyming text, a mother rabbit describes to her child all the places
where and times and situations when she will bestow kisses.



The Last Laugh by Jose Aruego & Ariane Dewey.






A wordless tale in which a clever duck outwits a bullying snake.



Lily's Big Day by Kevin Henkes.

Mr. Slinger has big news.
He's getting married.
Married!

Lilly has big plans.
She's going to be the flower girl.
(Lilly has always wanted to be a flower girl.
Even more than a surgeon or a diva or a hairdresser.)




Peter Rabbit's Happy Easter
by Grace Maccarone, illustrated by David McPhail.

Thinking it will please Mother, Peter Rabbit gathers excess eggs from
his neighbors to give to her. But Mother Rabbit is not pleased and she
instructs Peter to return the eggs. When Peter accidentally knocks over
several jars of paint, the eggs are splashed with all the colors of the
rainbow. And when Peter returns the eggs, the children of the
neighborhood are delighted. Inventing a new tradition, Peter Rabbit
becomes the Easter Bunny.



The Princess and the Pea
by Lauren Child, illustrated by Polly Borland.

When a bedraggled young lady shows up at the castle, only the queen
will be able to determine if she’s really the princess she claims to
be. Impeccable manners, irresistible charm, and stunning good looks do
all point to princess. But only a tiny green pea hidden under a dozen
down mattresses can prove whether the girl is royal—or regular.


New Mysteries and Suspense



Brandenburg Gate
by Henry Porter.

In this brilliant, multilayered, espionage thriller, the 2005 Ian
Fleming Steel Dagger Award winner Henry Porter captures the tense final
moments before the fall of the Berlin Wall. September 1989.



Gone by Jonathan Kellerman.

No one conducts a more chilling, suspenseful, thoroughly engrossing
tour through the winding corridors of criminal behavior and the secret
chambers of psychopathology than Jonathan Kellerman, the bestselling
“master of the psychological thriller” (People). Now the incomparable
team of psychologist Alex Delaware and homicide cop Milo Sturgis embark
on their most dangerous excursion yet, into the dark places where risk
runs high and blood runs cold.



Hitched by Carol Higgins Clark.

The date is Saturday, April 2. Five April brides discover their
wedding dresses have been stolen. One of the brides is private
investigator Regan Reilly. Her wedding is in seven days.



Shiver by Lisa Jackson.

Detective Reuben “Diego” Montoya is back in New Orleans. Thanks to
years of working with the dark side of society, his youthful swagger is
gone, replaced by straightforward determination. He'll need it, because
a serial killer is turning The Big Easy into his personal playground.
The victims are killed in pairs – no connection, no apparent motive, no
real clues. Somebody's playing a sick game, and Montoya intends to beat
him at it.



Tomb of the Golden Bird
by Elizabeth Peters.

In New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Peters's most
eagerly anticipated Amelia Peabody adventure to date, the incomparable
Emerson clan is a hairbreadth away from unearthing the legendary site
they've been searching for. But a sinister plot and a dark family
secret stand in the way of their ultimate ambition -- and threaten to
change things forever. . . .


Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark.

In a riveting new thriller, worldwide bestselling suspense writer
Mary Higgins Clark weaves the mystery of twin telepathy into a mother's
search for a kidnapped child, presumed dead.


New Books on CD



Don't Look Down
by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer.

Full of suspense and humor, nonstop action and fast-paced dialogue, Don’t Look Down is the perfect blend of male and female, adventure and romance, Mayer and Crusie.



Gone by Jonathan Kellerman.

The abduction of two art students turns out to have been faked, but the murder that follows is very real.



April 3, 2006

New Mysteries



The Alpine Recluse by Mary Daheim.



Dark Assassin by Anne Perry.



The Minotaur by Barbara Vine.



Nicotine Kiss by Loren E. Estleman.



Prior Bad Acts by Tami Hoag.



Riders Down by John McEvoy.



Tooth of Time by Sue Henry.

New Children's Nonfiction



The Journey: Stories of Migration
by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Lambert Davis.

Newbery Medalist Cynthia Rylant joins naturalist painter Lambert Davis to create a vibrant picture book that follow the migratory journeys of some magnificent creatures: locusts, gray whales, American silver eels, monarch butterflies, caribou, and terns. Rylant's lively, poetic prose and Davis' exquisite, dramatic paintings offer an awe-inspiring look at the animal world and the outstanding tests of endurance and strength that the animals have undergone for centuries, and which continue to cycle on and inspire us today.




The Remarkable Benjamin Franklin
by Cheryl Harness.

No one could have thought up a more amazing character than the living, breathing Benjamin Franklin. He was everything from a "soapmaker, candle dipper, and printer" to a "postmaster, political activist, community reformer, revolutionary, statesman, international diplomat, and first great citizen of a nation which he, as much or more than anyone, helped to create."




The True Story of Stellina
by Matteo Pericoli.

Stellina was a bird: “CHEEP.”
A very little bird: “Cheep! cheep!”
So begins critically acclaimed author Matteo Pericoli’s all-true story of how he and his wife, Holly, came to rescue and raise a little finch, Stellina, in the middle of New York City. When no zoo would take the abandoned bird, fallen from her nest onto a busy street, Holly took her home and gave her the best life she could. And there, in a Manhattan apartment, Stellina leaned how to eat, fly, and sing.



The World's Greatest Elephant by Ralph D. Helfer, illustrated by Ted Lewin.

Born on the same day in the same German town, Bram and his elephant, Modoc, grew up side by side. Their circus act brought them wide fame, but their incredible bond would also lead to a series of adventures with danger at every turn.