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July 30, 2006

New Fiction

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, grifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her.

New Mystery/Suspense

The Messenger by Daniel Silva

Gabriel Allon, art restorer and spy, is about to face the greatest challenge of his life.

Allon is recovering from his grueling showdown with a Palestinian master terrorist, when terrorism comes to find him once again. An al-Qaeda suspect is killed in London, and photographs are found on his computer - photographs that lead Israeli intelligence to suspect that al-Qaeda is planning one of its most audacious attacks ever, straight at the heart of the Vatican.

The Power Broker by Stephen Frey

The Stabbing in the Stables by Simon Brett

New Nonfiction

Knitting with Ribbon Yarn: 20 beautiful projects using vibrant luxury yarns by Tracy Chapman

Make head-turning garments and accessories using gorgeous ribbon yarn. This stylish guide features 20 step-by-step projects, from sweaters and camisoles to bags and belts.

July 28, 2006

New DVDs

Little Fish

Rated R for language, drug content, and brief sexuality
Starring Cate Blanchett, Sam Neill, Hugo Weaving
Set in the Little Saigon district outside of Sydney, a woman (Blanchett) trying to escape her past becomes embroiled in a drug deal.

On the Outs

Rated R for pervasive language, strong drug use, some violence and sexual content.
On The Outs is a gritty drama about three young girls from the same neighborhood whose lives intersect briefly in prison, giving us a powerful look at a little-seen slice of America. The film is based on the lives of real girls from the streets and juvenile jail who lent their voices to the filmmakers and exposed shocking truths about the struggle of kids everywhere who live on the fringes - on the outs - with society.

July 25, 2006

New Dvds

All Creatures Great and Small: The complete series 6 collection

BBC series starring Christopher Timothy, Andrea Gibb, and John McGlynn

Pride and Prejudice

Rated PG. Some mild thematic elements.
Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Brenda Blethyn, Donald Sutherland, Tom Hollander, Rosamund Pike, Simon Woods, Rupert Friend, Jena Malone, Judy Dench, Kelly Reilly, Claudie Blakley, Peter Wight, Penelope Wilton.
Jane Austen's classic receives another cinematic treatment.

The Princess Bride

Rated PG.
Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, André the Giant, Fred Savage, Robin Wright, Peter Falk.
A kindly grandfather sits down with his grandson to read him a story. As the grandfather reads the story, the action comes alive in a classic tale of love and adventure. The beautiful Buttercup is kidnapped and held against her will in order to marry the nasty Prince Humperdinck, while Westley (her childhood beau, now returned as the Dread Pirate Roberts) attempts to save her. Along the way he meets an accomplished swordsman and a giant, both of whom become his companions in his quest.

Some Like it Hot

two-disc collectors edition
1959 classic starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon.
Two unemployed musicians accidentally witness the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and flee to Miami disguised as female musicians in an all-girl band.

Tsotsi

Winner of the 2006 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film

New YA Fiction

How to be Popular by Meg Cabot

Everyone wants to be popular -- or at least, Stephanie Landry does. Steph's been the least popular girl in her class since a certain cherry Super Big Gulp catastrophe five years earlier.
Does being popular matter?
It matters very much -- to Steph. That's why this year, she has a plan to get in with the It Crowd in no time flat. She's got a secret weapon: an old book called -- what else? -- How to Be Popular.
What does it take to be popular?
All Steph has to do is follow the instructions in The Book, and soon she'll be partying with the It Crowd (including school quarterback Mark Finley) instead of sitting on The Hill Saturday nights, stargazing with her nerdy best pal Becca, and even nerdier Jason (now kind of hot, but still), whose passion for astronomy Steph once shared.
Who needs red dwarves when you're invited to the hottest parties in town?
But don't forget the most important thing about popularity!
It's easy to become popular. What isn't so easy? Staying that way.

New Mysteries/Suspense

Dead Wrong by JA Jance

Juggling a family and a career is never easy -- and it's becoming a real challenge for Sheriff Joanna Brady. Coping with the impending delivery of her second child as well as a staff shortage, the last thing Joanna needs are two serious crimes...

End in Tears by Ruth Rendell

An Inspector Wexford novel.

A lump of concrete dropped deliberately from a little stone bridge over a relatively unfrequented road kills the wrong person. The driver behind is spared. But only for a while...

One particular member of the local press is gunning for the Chief Inspector, distinctly unimpressed with what he regards as old-fashioned police methods. But Wexford, with his old friend and partner, Mike Burden, along with two new recruits to the Kingsmarkham team, pursue their inquiries with a diligence and humanity that make Ruth Rendell's detective stories enthralling, exciting and very touching.

In the Dark of the Night by John Saul

Eric and his friends discover a curious cache of discarded objects stowed in a hidden room of Pinecrest's carriage house. The bladeless hacksaws, shadeless lamps, tables with missing legs, headless axe handle, and other unremarkable items add up to a pile of junk. Yet someone took the trouble to inventory each worthless relic in a cryptic ledger. It has all the makings of a great mystery - whispering, coaxing, demanding to be solved.

Soon their days are consumed with tending the strange, secret collection - while their nights become plagued by ever more ghastly dreams, nightmares that soon seep into reality.

Lights Out Tonight by Mary Jane Clark

As KEY News film and theater critic, Caroline Enright knows her opinions have influenced the box office habits of millions of Americans. She has taken her fair share of irate phone calls, and even an occasional threat, from disgruntled movie producers and agents angered over her reviews. But she is unprepared when her trip to the Warrenstown Summer Playhouse is interrupted by murder. Traveling to the rolling Berkshire mountains to do a piece on the prestigious summer acting festival for the morning news show KEY to America, Caroline discovers that someone in this quaint college town has a secret worth killing over.

Pegasus Descending by James Lee Burke

A Dave Robicheaux novel.
In Pegasus Descending, James Lee Burke again explores psyches as much as evidence, and tries to make sense of human behavior as well as of his characters' crimes. Richly atmospheric, frightening in its sudden violence, and replete with the sort of puzzles only the best crime fiction creates, Burke's latest novel is an unforgettable roller coaster of passion, surprise, and regret.


The Sweet and the Dead by Milton T. Burton

Manfred Eugene "Hog" Webern, a retired Dallas County deputy sheriff, is talked into going undercover in Biloxi, Mississippi, in a multistate effort to nail a group of traveling Southern criminals who have been tagged by the press with the lurid name "Dixie Mafia." After making contact with the gang's nominal leader, the notorious Jasper Sparks, Webern begins to worm his way into the group's confidence. He also meets and becomes involved with an old friend of Sparks, the mysterious Nell Bigelow, a former assistant federal prosecutor whose daddy "owns half the Delta." And before the final curtain falls on The Sweet and the Dead, we learn that in the murky world of Southern professional crime, nothing is ever quite what it seems to be.

New Nonfiction

The Cake Book by Tish Boyle

From humble pound cakes to elegant wedding cakes, the art of cake-making is as popular as ever. Now award-winning author, editor, and former pastry chef Tish Boyle unlocks the secrets to great cakes in a comprehensive book that's filled with practical guidance on equipment and techniques as well as irresistible recipes and mouthwatering inspiration for today's cook. With 100 full-color photographs and tempting recipes such as Banana Walnut Chiffon Cake and Espresso Meringue Rounds, this book makes an invaluable working reference.

Desperate Networks by Bill Carter

"Starring Katie Couric, Les Moonves, Simon Cowell, Dan Rather, Jeff Zucker, Teri Hatcher, Conan O'Brien, Donald Trump, and a host of other movers and shakers who changed the face of prime-time TV."

Insight: Case files from the psychic world by Sylvia Browne

New York Times bestselling author Sylvia Browne shares intimate stories about her career giving psychic readings.

The NPR Listener's Encyclopedia of Classical Music by Ted Libbey

This is an encyclopedia with wit and verve, geared to the listener, not the scholar, and covering those terms, works, composers, and performers that NPR listeners and concert-goers are most likely to hear. Libbey, a spirited, selective guide, writes "lyrically and lucidly about music and music makers" (Chicago Tribune), and knows how to ground abstract ideas in the real.

The One Percent Doctrine: Deep inside America's pursuit of its enemies since 9/11 by Ron Suskind

The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist takes readers inside the defining conflict of our era: the war between the U.S. and a growing, shadowy army of terrorists, armed with weapons of alarming power. Suskind shows readers what he calls "the invisible battlefield" - a global matrix where U.S. spies race to catch soldiers of jihad before they strike. It is a real life spy thriller with the world's future at stake.

July 17, 2006

New DVD

Tristram Shandy: A cock and bull story

Rated R, for language and sexual content.
Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Keeley Hawes, Shirley Henderson, Dylan Moran, David Walliams, Jeremy Northam, Benedict Wong.

A rollicking, inventive adaptation of the notoriously unfilmable British comic novel The Life and Opinions of Tristam Shandy, Gentlemen, written by Laurence Sterne. Shandy's warped tales reveal far more than any conventional autobiography.

New Suspense

Sleeping with Fear by Kay Hooper

Riley Crane woke up fully dressed, a gun under her pillow, and covered in blood. Even more frightening, she didn't remember what happened the night before. In fact, she barely remembered the previous three weeks.

New Children's Nonfiction

The Magic School Bus and the Science Fair Expedition by Joanna Cole, illustrated by Bruce Degen

What do Galileo, Isaac Newton, Louis Pasteur, and Albert Einstein have in common? They've all ridden on the Magic School Bus, of course! Ms. Frizzle is back in action and she has a mission: her students need science fair projects - and fast. What better way to get ideas than to learn from some of the all-time greats?

July 14, 2006

New Fiction

The Hot Flash Club Chills Out by Nancy Thayer

New Mystery

Hit Parade by Lawrence Block

Assassin John Keller makes a return visit.

New Children's DVDs

Black Stallion

Rated G.
Kelly Reno, Teri Garr, Clarence Muse, Hoyt Axton, Michael Higgins, Mickey Rooney.
Boy and horse are shipwrecked on an island where they become fast friends. Upon their return home they work together for a try in one of the great races at Santa Anita. Based on the book by Walter Farley.
Videodisc release of the 1979 motion picture.

VeggieTales: Sheerluck Holmes and the Golden Ruler

Larry the Cucumber is detective dynamo Sheerluck Holmes and Bob the Tomato his venerable sidekick Dr. Watson. Together their superlative powers of observation and forensic fortitude can solve any crime. But because Sheerluck takes all the credit for the pair's sleuthing savvy, the missing Golden Ruler -- the most valuable and prized treasure in all of Buckingham Palace -- many never be recovered. Will Sheerluck remember the all-important golden rule in time to rescue the ruler and save his friendship? Plus see Archibald Asparagus as Don Quixote in "The Asparagus of LaMancha."

New DVDs

The Dirty Dozen

Two Disc Special Edition.
Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Richard Jaeckel, George Kennedy, Trini Lopez, Ralph Meeker, Robert Ryan, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland, Clint Walker, Robert Webber.
World War II drama in which an army major selects 12 men convicted for crimes of violence and offers them their freedom if they will complete a dangerous mission behind Nazi lines.
Videodisc release of the 1967 motion picture.

Syriana

Rated R; for violence and language.
Geoerge Clooney, Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wright, Chris Cooper, William Hurt, Mazhar Munir, Tim Blake Nelson, Amanda Peet, Christopher Plummer, Alexander Siddig.
A politically-charged thriller that unfolds against the intrigues and corruption of the global oil industry. From the players brokering back-room deals to the men toiling in the oil fields, the film illuminates the consequences of the pursuit of power.

Why We Fight

Rated PG-13; for disturbing war images and brief language.
Interviews with Senator John McCain, Gore Vidal, John S.D. Eisenhower, Dan Rather.
Explores a half-century of U.S. foreign policy from World War II to the Iraq War, revealing how, as Dwight Eisenhower had warned in his 1961 Farewell Address, political and corporate interests have become alarmingly entangled in the business of war. On a deeper level, what emerges is a portrait of a nation in transition--drifting dangerously far from her founding principles toward a more imperial and uncertain future.
Documentary.

July 10, 2006

New DVDs

The Matador

Rated: R; for strong sexual content and language.
Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Hope Davis, Adam Scott, Portia Dawson, Roberto Sosa, Philip Baker Hall.
Julian Noble is an unshaven, unnerved and unpredictable freelance assassin, who happens to encounter desperate businessman Danny Wright in the bar of a modern Mexico City hotel. Danny is intrigued when Julian reveals that he's a "facilitator of fatalities," and his wife becomes equally fascinated when Julian shows up unexpectedly, six months later, at Danny's home in Denver. Having lost his touch as a reliable hit-man, Julian needs Danny's help with "one last job," but the logistics of Julian's lethal profession brings them both in contact with other employees out to get Julian.

Match Point

Rated R. Some sexuality.
Brian Cox, Matthew Goode, Scarlett Johansson, Emily Mortimer, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Penelope Wilton.
Former tennis pro Chris Wilton stumbles into good fortune when Chloe Hewett, the daughter of a wealthy businessman and the sister of one of his tennis students, falls in love with him. But when Chris meets Nola, a much deeper passion is stirred. His desire isn't deterred even after he discovers that Nola is already dating Chloe's brother. But when their affair threatens Chris's increasingly cozy lifestyle, Chris begins to consider a drastic solution.

New Fiction

Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg

Combining southern warmth with unabashed emotion and sidesplitting hilarity, Fannie Flagg takes readers back to Elmwood Springs, Missouri, where the most unlikely and surprising experiences of a high-spirited octogenarian inspire a town to ponder the age-old question: Why are we here?

New Mystery/Suspense

Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs

The inspiration for the hit Fox series Bones, Kathy Reichs explores another high-stakes crime from today's headlines-in a case that lands forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan in the middle of a gruesome international scheme.

The Traitor by Stephen Coonts

The death of a French intelligence agent on an Air France flight to Amman, Jordan, is the trigger that launches Tommy Carmellini's latest adventure. Within the European Union, the national espionage agencies are fiercely competing for supremacy against each other—and against the CIA. When the Americans discover that the director of the French spy agency has secret investments in the Bank of Palestine, alarm bells go off. To investigate, the Americans send Jake Grafton, who has been brought back from retirement to unravel a tangle of espionage, terrorism and murder. And of course, the man Grafton wants on the point is Tommy Carmellini.

What is Mine by Anne Holt

In Norway, children are disappearing. First there was nine-year-old Emilie, whose backpack was discovered in a deserted alley. One week later, it was a five-year-old boy. And then another. As public panic escalates, police commissioner Stubo urgently tries to enlist the help of former FBI profiler Johanna Vik, who is already immersed in the investigation of a man who fled to the United States 40 years ago after wrongly being accused of murder. Vik is herself the mother of a troubled six-year-old daughter, and resistant to getting involved until a gruesome turn in Stubo's case compells her to reconsider.

New Nonfiction

Conservatives Without Conscience by John W. Dean

John Dean takes a sobering look at how radical elements are destroying the Republican Party along with the very foundations of American democracy.

Kitchen Sense: More than 600 recipes to make you a great home cook by Mitchell Davis

In Kitchen Sense, renowned food authority Mitchell Davis provides more than 600 of his inviting, foolproof recipes along with the guidance you need to become a terrific home cook. If you already are one, you'll find plenty of dishes to add to your repertoire. Because so much great American home cooking is inspired by this country's unprecedented infusion of international ingredients, techniques, and preparations, Davis's enticing collection takes its cues from far and wide, combining recipes from across the globe to create a true melting pot of flavors.

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A natural history of four meals by Michael Pollan

The bestselling author of The Botany of Desire explores the ecology of eating to unveil why we consume what we consume in the twenty-first century.

July 9, 2006

Children's DVDs

Aquamarine

Rated PG for mild language and sensuality.
Starring Emma Roberts, Joanna 'JoJo' Levesque, Sara Paxton, Jake McDorman, Arielle Kebbel, and Claudia Karvan.
It's the end of summer and Claire and Hailey have a major problem. In just five days, Hailey's family is moving halfway around the world. These girls need a major miracle, and they get one in the form of Aquamarine, a beautiful mermaid who washes ashore in a late summer storm. Sweet but clueless to the ways of romance, she offers to grant the girls one wish if they help her find the boy of her dreams. But when they attempt to reel in the cute local lifeguard, the result is something none of them expect... and they discover that sometimes what you wish for isn't what you really want after all.

Dora the Explorer: Animal adventures

Not rated.
In "Save Diego," Diego is an animal rescuer, but in this adventure, the animals need to rescue him. In "Baby Jaguar's roar," when Baby Bear gets stuck atop Big Mountain, Dora, Boots, Diego, and you need to follow Baby Jaguar to the rescue. Dora needs to take pictures of a tree sloth, mountain goat and fox for a photo contest in "Click!" Dora asks Map for help in finding where the sound "Hic-boom-ohh" is coming from.
Videodisc release of epiosdes from the Nickelodeon television program.

Leroy and Stitch

Rated G.
As a reward for rounding up all 625 experiments, Lilo, Stitch, Jumba and Pleakley have been placed around the galaxy in a spot where each of them thinks they truly belong. Their lives are all shook up when the dastardly Dr. Hamsterviel breaks out of prison and forces Jumba to create a new experiment -- Leroy, the evil twin of Stitch. To make matters worse, Hamsterviel soon clones the nasty little creature to form his own mischievous army. Now it's up to Lilo to gather Stitch and the rest of the gang from the far corners of outer space to battle the legion of Leroys. When the going gets rough, our friends discover that one place they all truly belong is together.
Videodisc release of the 2006 television production.

New in Paperback

Mad About Max by Lisa Plumley

A Zebra Contemporary Romance

New Easy-Reader

Mrs. Wow Never Wanted a Cow by Martha Freeman, illustrated by Steven Salerno

When Mrs. Wow takes in a stray cow, her lazy dog and cat hope to train the new household member to catch mice and intimidate the mailman.

New YA

The Burning Bridge: Ranger's apprentice, book two by John Flanagan

Will is forced to overcome his fear of Wargals, the foot soldiers of rebel warlord Morgarath, as Araluen's army prepares to battle Morgarath's forces.

New Nonfiction

Dance of Death by Dale Hudson

true crime

Simple Courage: A true story of peril on the sea by Frank Delaney

In late December 1951, laden with passengers and nearly forty metric tons of cargo, the freighter S.S. Flying Enterprise steamed westward from Europe toward America. A few days into the voyage, she hit the eye of a ferocious storm. Force 12 winds tossed men about like playthings and turned drops of freezing Atlantic foam into icy missiles. When, in the space of twenty-eight hours, the ship was slammed by two rogue waves- solid walls of water more than sixty feet high- the impacts cracked the decks and hull almost down to the waterline, threw the vessel over on her side, and thrust all on board into terror.

New Children's Fiction

The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy: The hero revealed by William Boniface

In the town of Superopolis, Ordinary Boy is definitely the odd lad out. Everybody else in this crowded hero hamlet has some kind of superpower. The only problem is that they are not very bright. When Professor Brain-Drain looses his evil scheme on Superopolis, there is only one person to save the hometown from dastardly destruction...

Peter and the Shadow Thieves By Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Realizing that Molly and the other Starcatchers are in danger when the sinister being Lord Ombra visits the island and seems to control people through their shadows, Peter and Tinker Bell travel to England to help save the stardust.

Room One: A mystery or two by Andrew Clements

Ted Hammond, the only sixth grader in his small Nebraska town's one-room schoolhouse, searches for clues to the disappearance of a homeless family.

Victory by Susan Cooper

This extraordinary time-shifting adventure tells the interwoven stories of Sam and Molly, linked by a mystery. Sam is a farm boy, kidnapped at eleven years old by the "press gang" to serve in the Royal Navy. At first terrified and seasick, Sam is transformed gradually into a sailor. In the rowdy, dangerous world of a hundred-gun warship enduring the Napoleonic Wars, he meets both cruelty and kindness, and survives a fearsome battle whose echoes reach through the years to involve Molly as well. Like Sam, Molly has lost her childhood but will find her future, with help from a very unexpected source.

Books on CD

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

On November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were savagely murdered by blasts from a shotgun held a few inches from their faces. There was no apparent motive for the crime, and there were almost no clues.
Five years, four months and twenty-nine days later, on April 14, 1965, Richard Eugene Hickock, aged thirty-three, and Perry Edward Smith, aged thirty-six, were hanged for the crime in the Kansas State Penitentiary.
In Cold Blood is the story of the lives and deaths of these six people.

Pronounce it Perfectly in Spanish by Jean Yates

Second edition; contains book and CDs

Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum mystery series, #12

New Mystery/Suspense

The Highly Effective Detective by Richard Yancey

Meet Teddy Ruzak, the oversized, over-his-head P.I. whose first case begins with the hit-and-run killing of a gaggle of goslings. After his ailing mother dies, Teddy quits his job as a night watchman to fulfill his childhood dream of being a detective. With little planning and even less foresight, he hangs up his shingle and hires his favorite waitress from the local diner to be his Girl Friday. And his first case? Bringing to justice the thoughtless driver who mows down six baby geese. Not the most exciting assignment--until Teddy's "wild-goose chase" quickly evolves into an investigation of a vicious murder.

Natural Selection by Dave Freedman

A shocking biological discovery. A previously unknown predatory species. Evolving just like the dinosaurs. Now. Today. Being forced out of its world and into man's for a violent first encounter. Weaving science and thriller in a way not seen since Jurassic Park, Natural Selection introduces a phenomenally dangerous new species that is rapidly adapting in a way never before seen.

Two Time by Chris Knopf

At the start of Knopf's super second mystery starring ex-boxer and retired engineer Sam Acquillo, Sam is enjoying a drink with a lady friend at an East Hampton restaurant when a nearby car and its driver are firebombed out of existence. In the aftermath, Sam, assisted by his old buddy, retired cop Joe Sullivan, looks into who might have had it in for the victim, wealthy consultant Jonathan Eldridge. A sly depiction of the east end of Long Island and the Hamptons as they really are, combined with strong plotting, solid characters and hard-boiled dialogue worthy of Elmore Leonard or John D. MacDonald will make this a beach read that you won't be able to put down even under threat of sunburn.

New Fantasy/Science Fiction

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

In this stunning debut, author Scott Lynch delivers the wonderfully thrilling tale of an audacious criminal and his band of confidence tricksters. Set in a fantastic city pulsing with the lives of decadent nobles and daring thieves, here is a story of adventure, loyalty, and survival that is one part "Robin Hood," one part Ocean's Eleven, and entirely enthralling....

The Lightstone by David Zindell

On the island continent of Ea it is a dark time of chaos and war. Morjin, immortal fallen angel and Lord of Lies, seeks to enslave the entire world. The one thing that may destroy him is the legendary Lightstone, an object lost in the mist of time. A call is sent out by those still free to seek this grail and give Men hope after ages of despair. It is a quest that none have seen the likes of in ten generations. And most believe is doomed to fail.

What man is hero enough, brave enough or foolish enough to embark on such a mad quest?

Solstice Wood by Patricia A. McKillip

When her beloved grandfather dies, bookstore owner Sylvia Lynn knows she must finally return to her childhood home in upstate New York and face the grandmother who raised her and the woods which so beguiled- and frightened-her. But it's not until she meets the Fiber Guild-a group of local women who meet to knit, embroider, and sew-that Sylvia learns why her grandmother watches her so. A primitive power exists in the forest, a force the Fiber Guild seeks to bind in its stitches and weavings. And Sylvia is no stranger to the woods.

Children's Nonfiction

Exploring the Solar System: A history with 22 activities by Mary Kay Carson

Tracking astronomers' recent progress—including the discovery of 2003 UB313, what some are calling the tenth planet in the solar system—kids explore the planets and other celestial bodies for themselves through activities such as "walking" from the sun to Pluto or creating their own reentry vehicle to safely return an egg to Earth's surface. With biographies of more than 20 space pioneers, specific mission details, a 20-page field guide to the solar system, and plenty of suggestions for further research, this is the ultimate guidebook to exploring the solar system.

Hurricane Hunters! Riders on the storm by Chris L. Demarest

It's a sunny, beautiful day on America's southeastern coast. But out in the Atlantic Ocean, chaos is brewing. Waves are crashing. Winds are blowing. And the National Hurricane Center is calling the Hurricane Hunters!

Mammoths on the Move by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Kurt Cyrus

Join a pack of woolly mammoths as they trek south for the winter, braving fierce storms, deadly predators, and raging rivers while making their slow journey across the gorgeous unspoiled lands of this continent until finally they reach their goal.

A Mother's Journey by Sandra Markle, illustrated by Alan Marks

Squirt! The most interesting book you'll ever read about blood by Trudee Romanek

What Stinks? by Marilyn Singer


July 8, 2006

New Fiction

Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson

Nonny Frett understands the meaning of the phrase "in between a rock and a hard place" better than any woman alive. She's got two mothers, "one deaf-blind and the other four baby steps from flat crazy." She's got two men: a husband who's easing out the back door; and a best friend, who's laying siege to her heart in her front yard. And she has two families: the Fretts, who stole her and raised her right; and the Crabtrees, who lost her and won't forget how they were done wrong. Now, in Between, Georgia, population 90, a feud that began the night Nonny was born is escalating, and a random act of violence is about to ignite a stash of family secrets. Ironically, it might be just what the town needs...if only Nonny weren't stuck in between.

Coming Out by Danielle Steel

In a novel that is by turns profound, poignant, moving, and warmly funny, Danielle Steel tells the story of an extraordinary family-finding new ways of letting go, stepping up, and coming out...in the ways that matter most.

Falling in Love with Natassia by Anna Monardo

Lilah: A forbidden love, a peoples destiny by Marek Halter

Set in the magnificent culture of the Middle East more than four thousand years ago, Lilah is a rich and emotionally resonant story of faith, love, and courage.

Lost Hearts in Italy by Andrea Lee

The Italian phrase Mai due senza tre- "never two without three"- forms the basis of Andrea Lee's spellbinding novel of betrayal. Sophisticated and richly told, Lost Hearts in Italy reveals a trio caught in the grip of desire, deception, and remorse.

One Mississippi by Mark Childress

When Daniel Musgrove's troubled family moves to Mississippi just before his junior year, he is appalled. On top of the usual teenage humiliations, he now has to learn to say "y'all" and "Co-Cola" or risk being ostracized as a Yankee. But Daniel's loneliness fades when he meets fellow outsider Tim Cousins. You only need one best friend, Daniel figures, to make it through high school alive. Daniel and Tim immediately become inseparable, sharing a fascination with ridicule, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, and Arnita Beecham, the most bewitching girl at Minor High. But then things start to go terribly wrong.

The Owl and Moon Cafe by Jo-Ann Mapson

After losing her teaching position at the local university, Mariah Moon will do anything to keep her gifted twelve-year-old daughter, Lindsay, in a prestigious private school -- which means moving in with her mother and grandmother in an apartment above The Owl & Moon Café.

Uncharted by Angela Elwell Hunt

Picture Books

Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies

On a night when the moon can grow no fatter, bats pack their moon-tan lotion and baskets of treats and fly off for some fun on the beach.

Chuck's Truck by Peggy Perry Anderson

When too many barnyard friends climb in to go to town, Chuck's truck breaks down, but Handyman Hugh knows just what to do.

Dimity Duck by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Sebastien Braun

Dimity Duck waddles, she toddles and she sings. Giggle-gaggle goes her tail and whoosh! go her wings. So begins the day for Dimity Duck, a day full of brushing feathers and lots of seek-and-hide playtime with her friend, Frumity Frog. Waddling, dawdling, paddling and splashing, the two wriggle and giggle until Dimity tires and droop goes her tail.Then Dimity Duck waddles and toddles off to bed.

Down the back of the Chair by Margaret Mahy, illustrated by Polly Dunbar

A poor family is searching down the back of a chair for Dad's lost car keys and, miraculously in the mess of things back there, their financial problems are solved.

The Fantastic Mr. Wani by Kanako Usui

Just Like Sisters by Angela McAllister, illustrated by Sophie Fatus

Nancy knows that she and her pen pal, Ally, are going to be as close as sisters. And from the moment Ally steps off the plane to visit, the two girls are inseparable. With Ally's endless energy and Nancy's boundless joy, even everyday activities like dancing become a celebration of friendship.

This irresistibly funny, heartwarming story -- which features an unlikely duo -- proves what all best pals know to be true: Friends are the family you choose.

Little Grunt and the Big Egg: A prehistoric fairy tale by Tomie dePaola

When a dinosaur hatches from the egg that Little Grunt brought home for dinner, Mama and Papa Grunt let him keep it as a pet until it grows too big for their cave.

The Most Perfect Spot by Diane Goode

Jack tries to have a perfect picnic with his mother, but things do not turn out as they expected.

Peggony-Po: A whale of a tale by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney

Sally Jean, the Bicycle Queen by Cari Best, illustrated by Christine Davenier

When Sally Jean outgrows her beloved bicycle, Flash, she experiments with various ideas for acquiring a new, bigger one.

Shiver Me Letters: A pirate ABC by June Sobol, illustrated by Henry Cole

Having decided that R is not enough for them, a bumbling band of pirates sets sail on a quest to capture the rest of the alphabet.