Staff Picks
November 2020
Orange for the Sunsets
by Tina Athaide
Asha, an Indian, and Yesofu, an African, are best friends in Uganda. When Idi Amin seizes control of the government, he requires all Indians to leave Uganda regardless of their citizenship. Asha’s father wants to leave but her mother does not. What ensues is a harrowing story of looking for sense amidst chaos.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Fiction
City of Ghosts
by Victoria Schwab
Cassidy has the ability to ‘lift’ the veil between the living and the dead. When her parents take her to Edinbugh to research ghosts, she and her best friend, Jacob, find out how dangerous it is to slip back and forth between the veil. This title is also available on OverDrive.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction
Free Lunch
by Rex Ogle
In this intense autobiography of the first semester of Rex’s sixth grade, Rex is embarrassed that he’s on the free lunch program at school and tries to hide it from his classmates. His home life is fairly unhappy as he never knows where his next meal is coming from, when he’ll have to watch his little brother and if he’ll get hit by either his mother or stepfather. This title is also available on OverDrive.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Biographies
I, Robot
by Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov lays down the Three Laws of Robotics in this series of interconnected short stories. Witness the rise of robots, from their beginnings as household curiosities to the super intelligent computers that manage the entire planet. The stories include a family drama where parents worry that their daughter is too attached to the house’s robot, a mystery where investigators must find a particular robot hiding in a shipment of dozens of robots, and an election drama where one candidate is accused of being a life-like robot and must prove his humanity. This title is also available on OverDrive.
Recommended by: Peter Tew, Adult Services Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Adult Fiction
Song for a Whale
by Lynne Kelly
Iris, along with her grandmother, is deaf. When Iris finds out about a whale who has difficulty communicating with other whales, she immediately feels a connection. When her parents deny her wish to try to visit the whale in person, she hatches another plan. This title is also available on OverDrive.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Fiction
I Had That Same Dream Again: The Complete Manga Collection
by Yoru Sumino
Posted in: Adult Fiction
Truly Devious
by Maureen Johnson
Stevie Bell is obsessed with solving crimes and the 80-year-old unsolved Ellingham murders/kidnapping are on the top of her list. Millionaire Albert Ellingham left behind a school for gifted students high up in the mountains of Vermont and Stevie was accepted. Knowing that this could be her only chance to solve the Ellingham murders, Stevie gets right to work collecting any information she can. When danger comes back to the Ellingham estate, Stevie now has two mysteries to solve. Johnson reveals details from Ellingham’s story with flashbacks to his life and police interviews after the Ellingham kidnapping. Truly Devious is the first book in this teen mystery series and is available in hardcover and on OverDrive as an ebook and e audiobook.
Recommended by: Brandi Smits, Youth Services Manager
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction
Trust: America’s Best Chance
by Pete Buttigieg
I read this book on a recommendation from a friend and I was not disappointed. Buttigieg discusses the 2020 presidential candidacy from his perspective including the end of his campaign and how he still believes the country needs to move forward. It’s a short and very timely read and includes the current state of our nation focusing on the pandemic and protests as well as the events leading up to the election. I’m not one to usually read books written by politicians, but it was the right book for the right time. I also highly recommend listening to the audiobook as Buttigieg does a fantastic job with the narration. This title is available as a physical copy as well as on OverDrive as an ebook and e audiobook.
Recommended by: Brandi Smits, Youth Services Manager
Posted in: Adult Nonfiction
Supernatural
Posted in: Movies/TV
The Prodigal Son
Posted in: Movies/TV