News of the World

Recently the finalists for the National Book Award were announced.  I look forward to this list every year.  It contains a nice mix of fiction, nonfiction, and young adult works that appeal to wide range of readers.  I was pleased to see that News of the World is a finalist this year.  I had just finished reading this Paulette Jiles novel last week.  This book does not fall into a category of literature that I normally enjoy - historical fiction set in the American wild west post-Civil War.  However, I found the characters in the book to be oddly compelling and sympathetic.  The "good guys" and "bad guys" are abundantly clear as they always are in a Western, but that did not diminish the story for me.  If you are looking for an interesting read, or enjoy this genre of fiction take the time to read this!

Summary - From the Back Cover

It is 1870 and Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live readings to paying audiences hungry for news of the world. An elderly widower who has lived through three wars and fought in two of them, the captain enjoys his rootless, solitary existence.

In Wichita Falls, he is offered a $50 gold piece to deliver a young orphan to her relatives in San Antonio. Four years earlier, a band of Kiowa raiders killed Johanna’s parents and sister; sparing the little girl, they raised her as one of their own. Recently rescued by the U.S. army, the ten-year-old has once again been torn away from the only home she knows.

Their 400-mile journey south through unsettled territory and unforgiving terrain proves difficult and at times dangerous. Johanna has forgotten the English language, tries to escape at every opportunity, throws away her shoes, and refuses to act “civilized.” Yet as the miles pass, the two lonely survivors tentatively begin to trust each other, forging a bond that marks the difference between life and death in this treacherous land.

Arriving in San Antonio, the reunion is neither happy nor welcome. The captain must hand Johanna over to an aunt and uncle she does not remember—strangers who regard her as an unwanted burden. A respectable man, Captain Kidd is faced with a terrible choice: abandon the girl to her fate or become—in the eyes of the law—a kidnapper himself. Exquisitely rendered and morally complex, News of the World is a brilliant work of historical fiction that explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust.

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to school!  It is going to be a great year in the library, and I am excited to work with your children. I have lots of books to share over the next couple of months, and some great resources for encouraging your children to read more, so make sure to check back periodically.

For this month, rather than a book review, I want to encourage everyone to visit the Morristown Festival of Books next weekend, September 30 - October 1.  They have a GREAT line up of visiting authors, but I am particularly excited about the addition of "Kidfest," a great event highlighting children's books authors.  Some of our students favorite authors will be there, including Nick Bruel, R.L. Stine, Dan Gutman and many more.  The day will include book readings, author signings, activities, arts and crafts, and live music.  This portion of the program is being offered October 1 from 10:00am-4:00pm at the Presbyterian Church Parish House, located at 65 South Street.  I am planning on attending with my family and I hope to see many of you there.

For more information visit  http://morristownbooks.org/#/ms-1/1

Memories

It is amazing how our memories of the past can creep in when you least expect them, and how memory loss can rob us of our sense of self.  Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper, is a study in memory, love, and loss.  I found this book to be beautifully written.  The characters is fully developed, with rich detail and relatable voices.  Each chapter is written from a different characters point of view, and weaves between the present and the past.  This is not a story that comes to a neat and happy ending, but that would not of fit with the rest of the book.  Below you will find a complete summary. I hope that everyone has a restful break, and filled with lots of great books to read!

From the Publisher

This "poetic, poignant" (US Weekly) debut features last great adventures, unlikely heroes, and a "sweet, disarming story of lasting love" (The New York Times Book Review).

Eighty-three-year-old Etta has never seen the ocean. So early one morning she takes a rifle, some chocolate, and her best boots and begins walking the 3,232 kilometers from rural Saskatchewan, Canada eastward to the sea. As Etta walks further toward the crashing waves, the lines among memory, illusion, and reality blur.

Otto wakes to a note left on the kitchen table. "I will try to remember to come back," Etta writes to her husband. Otto has seen the ocean, having crossed the Atlantic years ago to fight in a far-away war. He understands. But with Etta gone, the memories come crowding in and Otto struggles to keep them at bay. Meanwhile, their neighbor Russell has spent his whole life trying to keep up with Otto and loving Etta from afar. Russell insists on finding Etta, wherever she's gone. Leaving his own farm will be the first act of defiance in his life.

Moving from the hot and dry present of a quiet Canadian farm to a dusty, burnt past of hunger, war, and passion, from trying to remember to trying to forget, Etta and Otto and Russell and James is an astounding literary debut "of deep longing, for reinvention and self-discovery, as well as for the past and for love and for the boundless unknown" (San Francisco Chronicle). "In this haunting debut, set in a starkly beautiful landscape, Hooper delineates the stories of Etta and the men she loved (Otto and Russell) as they intertwine through youth and wartime and into old age. It's a lovely book you'll want to linger over" (People).

Book Sale and "Creepy" Reading

Did everyone have a chance to attend the Morristown Festival of Books?  What a truly inspirational celebration of reading.  Just a reminder that the PA Fall Book Sale is coming up!  Make sure to visit the sale, hosted in the Higgins Library, October 26-30.  Lisa Safron, author and mother of Peck alum Renee, will be on hand to sign copies of her new book Cut, Paste, Gone.  A summary of the book is available on my blog of Upper School students Peck Reads!

With October comes Halloween, and for some reason I feel compelled to read books with a creepy edge, for instance the books from this October/November blog entry three years ago.  While I can't read "hard core" horror, like Steven King (I don't think I slept for two weeks after I read The Shining), I do enjoy a darker fantasy novel and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs fits the bill.  This book falls in the YA category, but is totally entertaining for an adult audience.  Using a combination of clever storytelling and photographs, Riggs will suck you into this spine-tingling thriller.  I am looking forward to reading the next two books (Hollow City and Library of Souls) later this month.  Happy Halloween and Creepy Reading!

From School Library Journal (June 1, 2011)

Sixteen-year-old Jacob, traumatized by his grandfather's sudden, violent death, travels with his father to a remote island off the coast of Wales to find the orphanage where his grandfather was sent to live to escape Nazi persecution in Poland. When he arrives, he finds much more than he bargained for: the children from his grandfather's stories are still at the orphanage, living in a time loop in 1940. The monsters that killed Jacob's grandfather are hunting for "peculiar" children, those with special talents, and the group at the orphanage is in danger. Jacob must face the possibility that he, too, has certain traits that the monsters are after and that he is being stalked by adults he trusted. This complex and suspenseful story incorporates eerie photographs of children with seemingly impossible attributes and abilities, many of whom appear as characters in the story. The mysterious photographs add to the bizarre and slightly creepy tone of the book. 

Welcome back!

Hello!  I hope that all of you had a wonderful, restful, and fun summer with your children.  My family and I went on a long road trip this summer, and I had an opportunity to read a lot of great books for adults and children that I will be sharing in the next couple of months.  I do want to draw your attention to a great event for book lovers, happening right here in Morristown in two weeks!  The Morristown Festival of Books will be taking place this year October 2-3.  If you had a chance to attend any of the events last year, you know what a spectacular event this is.  If you did not attend last year, or you are new to the area make sure to take advantage of this wonderful event.  They have a great lineup of authors attending, and it is a wonderful celebration of the written word.  I hope to see you all there.  For more information visit http://morristownfestivalofbooks.org/

Finally, feel free to visit the blog that I write for our Upper School students to check out what I am recommending for your kids each month!  http://peckreads.blogspot.com/

Library Summer Programs

Looking for ways to keep you kids engaged reading this summer?  Check out your local public library for some inspiring programs.  Here are a few more suggestions from some great librarians!

Encourage a Love of Reading Throughout the Summer

Summer Reading has arrived!

It is so hard to believe that the school year is nearly over.  Thank you so much for another great year in the library.  It has been a pleasure to work with your children and to see their growth over the last 9 months.  Enjoy the time with your family this summer, and the extra time for reading!  On the right of this page you will find my reading lists for the summer.  Keep in mind that the age suggestions are general and your child can read books from any of the lists that you feel are appropriate for them.  I have also provided a list for young adults, which contain subject matter that might not be suitable for kids under 14.  You might be looking for something to read as well, so I have assembled a list of the top 10 adult books to read this summer.  If you need more then 10, I came across this great list from NPR this morning with some less known books that should be on everyone's lists too.  I have only read The Revolutions from that list, and it was an interesting steampunk/sci-fi work.

http://www.npr.org/2015/05/22/408523960/beyond-the-bestsellers-nancy-pearl-recommends-under-the-radar-reads?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20150522

Have a great summer and happy reading!
-MKM