Plymouth Staff Choices

Every Day and All the Time by Sis Deans.
Youth Fiction - Lower Level - Deans

If you are in the mood for a touching story of love, faith, family, and healing, then Every Day and All the Time by Sis Deans is a good choice. This novel tells the story of Emily Racine, a 12 year old ballerina who grapples with the death of her brother Jon while trying to emotionally and physically heal. Her brother dies in the car accident in which her leg is badly injured. This leg injury threatens to thwart Emily’s dancing career.

In the year after the accident, Emily and her parents begin to heal in different ways. Emily’s parents want to sell their home because it is a reminder of their son Jon. However, Emily is against this move because she feels her brother's spirit so powerfully within the cellar of the home. However, after many therapy sessions, dancing practices, and conversations with Jon, Emily realizes that Jon will always be with her and the family no matter where they go.

A touching novel of inpiration and hope in spite of grief, Every Day and All the Time will leave an imprint upon your heart!

The Reserve by Russell Banks
Adult New Book Display BANKS

If your taste runs to classic American authors like Hemingway and Fitzgerald, you will enjoy reading Russell Banks’ latest novel - The Reserve. On the other hand, you can bypass the literary stuff and just enjoy this tale of madness, betrayal, and tragedy set in the Adirondacks in the late 1930’s.

The novel’s hero, Jordan Groves, bears a striking resemblance to a Hemingway character -- he’s an artist of some renown with a storied past as WWI flying ace. The story begins when Jordan “crashes” a party by landing his seaplane in the exclusive enclave known as “The Reserve.” There he finds himself intrigued by a beautiful, seductive, and somewhat unhinged heiress - Vanessa Cole. Vanessa embodies the fragility and carelessness typical of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s female characters (think of Nicole Diver (a character based on Fitzgerald’s own wife, Zelda) and Daisy Buchanan). Desperately unhappy in what she perceives as her gilded cage, Vanessa’s rebellion wreaks havoc beyond the well-heeled environs of The Reserve and into the lives of the barely-scraping-by locals. When Jordan realizes that Vanessa is too much for him to handle he retreats to the safety and serenity of his home and family, where his wife, weary of his philandering, takes matters into her own hands.

Russell Banks is well-known for giving voice to complex, multi-dimensional characters who convey the story to the reader in their unique voices. Banks employs the same character-driven style in The Reserve and he succeeds brilliantly in channeling Hemingway and Fitzgerald, although that faithfulness to "the masters" sometimes comes at the expense of Banks own voice and style. But that’s just a minor drawback in what is otherwise an entertaining and smart novel.

(Note: If you like complex, character-driven stories check out Affliction and >The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks. Both novels were made into movies too.)

Stardust
DVD Collection – Main Level – ADVENTURE STA

An adaptation of a book, particularly a book by a favorite author like Neil Gaiman, has the potential for either extreme greatness or extreme badness. In this case, both my husband and I were charmed. It might have helped that it had been a few years since we’d read the book. Here’s the basic plot: Tristan, our hero is a social outcast bent on winning the heart of the town beauty, Victoria. They live in the little village of Wall, so called because it is bordered by a wall. Faery is supposed to lie on the other side of the wall, although no one has been to check, except, unbeknownst to Tristan, Tristan’s father. When Tristan and Victoria see a falling star together, Tristan vows to bring it back to her by her birthday. Meanwhile, in Faery, the dying king has thrown his ruby necklace and knocked a star out of the sky. His six sons (named Secundus through Septimus, some reduced to ever-present ghosts) are willing to kill to be the first to find it. And three witch sisters send one to find the falling star, whose living heart will keep them young for centuries. For a star in Faery is a living woman. The story had the perfect blend of adventure, romance and humor to make it feel like a slightly wilder version of The Princess Bride. The actors – Claire Danes as the star, Michelle Pfeiffer as the witch, Robert DeNiro as the sky captain and newcomer Charlie Cox as Tristan (transforming beautifully from nerd to hero) were all phenomenal. This is one to come back to.

Beautiful Boy by David Sheff.
Adult New Non-Fiction - 362.29 S

Beautiful Boy takes the reader into the heart and soul of a father as he struggles with his son’s meth addiction. In this raw account, we follow young Nic from his seemingly normal childhood into his teenage years where he starts experimenting with illegal substances. Family dynamics rapidly change as he spirals deeper into addiction. Nic repeatedly gets in trouble with the law, and finds himself in and out of both treatment facilities and work. He has hurt everyone that loves him, but his addiction has a firm grip on him that does not seem to want to let go.

This is an educational book that reads more like a fictional story that will appeal to many audiences. From parents experiencing similar struggles, to teachers and social workers, to anyone who has contact with today’s youth, Beautiful Boy is a must read. Not only does Sheff’s careful introspection of what happened with his family take the reader on an emotional rollercoaster, but he also has written a book that can provide hope and guidance to those in similar situations.

Off the Mangrove Coast by Louis L’Amour.
Main Level – Adult Westerns– L’Amour

Louis L’Amour is famous for the westerns that he has written, but his writing has crossed many genres and styles in his shorter stories. Off the Mangrove Coast is a collection of stories that he has written over the years– only one of which is actually a western. From sunken treasure to the center of the boxing ring and being taken prisoner in the rainforest, each story has the ability to captivate the reader.

For those who are trying to broaden the authors or genres that they read, or who are participating in the summer reading program, Off the Mangrove Coast offers a fast-paced collection of short stories. Each story can easily be read from start to finish in one sitting. L’amour’s vivid use of imagery brings his stories to life.

The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones by George Lucas
DVD Collection - Main Level - TV ADV

If the release of the most recent Jones adventure has left you clamoring for more or conversely unfulfilled, this series produced in the early 90’s might suit your needs. Produced by creator George Lucas, the series chronicles Indiana’s exploits at the age of 10 and as a teenager. Written and directed by a slew of prominent names such as Frank Darabont, Nicolas Roeg, Mike Newell, Deepa Mehta, Joe Johnston, Jonathan Hensleigh, Terry Jones, Simon Wincer, Carrie Fisher and Vic Armstrong, the series went on to win multiple Emmys. The show itself was also shot on location elevating it to near feature film production quality.

Besides the high production values and quality writing, the show also has remarkable educational value. Each episode focuses on a distinct historical time-period and many feature prominent figures such as Leo Tolstoy, Pablo Picasso, Al Capone, and Louis Armstrong. The extra features for each episode delve deep into the historical content and could very well stand alone as an interesting documentary in their own right. Very rarely are there shows that are educational, suited for the entire family, and entertaining. However, “The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones” succeeds on all three fronts.

Buster Goes to Cowboy Camp by Denise Fleming
Youth New Book Shelves Lower Level - FLE

Filled with fun “Cowpoke Words” (and a glossary in the back), this story will appeal to kids going off to summer camp and dog lovers alike. Buster the dog is sent to Cowboy Camp when his owner Brown Shoes takes off for a weekend trip. While he is scared at the thought of leaving everything behind, there is no time for worries at Sagebrush Kennels with Red Boots to show him around. The pups laugh and play buckaroo ball, make messy paw print paintings, build a campfire, and sing along while Red Boots plays the guitar.

Author/illustrator Denise Fleming is a Toledo, Ohio native. Her unique sandpaper-like paintings are created using cotton fiber ground into colored pulp and pressed through screens, bringing Buster and friends to life in vivd colors. Round this book up around the campfire with some S'mores!

Magic Street by Orson Scott Card
Adult Science Fiction – Main Level – CARD

The story behind the story is that a Black friend of Card’s challenged him to write a fantasy novel with an African-American hero. Not just a sidekick – a real hero. Not a comfortable task for a very white author, but Card (Ender’s Game) does an admirable job. Only two people in the comfortable Black middle-class neighborhood of Baldwin Hills know where Mack Street came from – and the woman who got pregnant and gave birth to him all in the same day isn’t one of them. He grows up going in and out of all the houses in Baldwin Hills, firmly part of the community. He’s mostly happy, except that he can see people’s deepest dreams – and when they come true, it always hurts them. A girl who dreams of being a fish wakes up inside her parents’ waterbed, and is permanently brain-damaged by the time she’s found. Eventually Mack Street finds out that he is the center of a centuries-old conflict between immortals, and must decide whose side he’s on before everyone’s dreams start coming true. This story of modernity meeting ancient magic will hook you from the beginning.