Plymouth Staff Choices

Miss Nelson is Missing! by Harry Allard.
Picture Book Shelves - Lower Level - ALL

The students in room 207 are constantly misbehaving and treat their sweet teacher, Miss Nelson, terribly. One day a substitute teacher who looks like a witch, Miss Viola Swamp, appears. She’s mean and cruel. The kids are so afraid of her that they start to listen and do their lessons. However, they soon grow tired of her nasty ways and mountains of homework. They begin to long for Miss Nelson, but where is she?

A classic children’s picture book that is sure to tickle your funny bone, Miss Nelson is Missing! is the perfect book to check out in the weeks before school starts!

The Homework Machine by Dan Gutman.
Youth Fiction - Gutman

Every kid's dream becomes a reality in this story of a 5th grader who invents the homework machine. All he has to do is scan his papers into the computer, and the computer searches the Internet for the best answer. Out comes a completed homework assignment. But that’s not all; the computer knows his handwriting and can reproduce it perfectly. Not only his, but also the handwriting of several of his classmates. As people become suspicious of their perfect papers, Brenton begins to sabotage his own efforts.

Although the students love the freedom of not having to complete their homework, they begin to question their choices and soon realize that they are entrapped in their lies, spiraling deeper and deeper into the consequences for their actions. Maybe the homework machine wasn’t the best thing after all.

The Homework Machine uses short monologues of each and every character involved to tell the story. Gutman fills in the blanks without becoming overly repetitive through the different narratives. Students will be able to relate to the characters, as well as their opinions and worries. Great for group discussions or to read on your own!

The Obliterati by Mission of Burma
Cd Bins - Rock M

Far too often it seems that the older a band gets the more complacent and dull their sound becomes. We all have our opinions on which bands those are. (Cough, cough) The Who (cough, cough) or how about that MC5 reunion? That was just sad. Thankfully, the same can’t be said for Mission of Burma. While most people think of the Ramones, The Clash, or the Sex Pistols when the word punk is mentioned there is an excess of bands that have had just as much influence on the genre and Mission of Burma is one of them. Honestly, the Sex Pistols only had about twelve songs and their influence was more of a fashion statement then a musical one.

Best known for the songs “Academy Fight Song” and “(That’s When I Reach for my) Revolver,” Burma distinguishes themselves from the typical punk trappings by using unconventional time signatures and chord progressions, along with the use of tape loops. The band used to play so loud in fact that guitarist Roger Miller developed tinnitus and now plays with firing range headphones to guard his ears.

The Obliterati itself is a mixed bag full of light anthemic rock songs and slower paced darker entries. The first two songs, 2wice and Spider’s Web, are definitely the stand out tracks. For those willing to stop themselves from playing those on repeat, the rest of the album is evidence that Mission of Burma still have more vigor than bands half their age.

Clue
Adult Movies – COMEDY - CLU

The movie Clue brings the infamous board game with the same name to life. Join all of the characters as they are asked to meet at a mysterious mansion to meet with Mr. Body. As each person arrives, the guests begin to realize that they have more in common than they know. As the number of murders mount, it is up to each guest to discover the who, with what weapon, and in what room the various incidents occur before it’s their turn.

This is not your old fashioned murder mystery. Although several murders do occur, the film is funny and at times ironic, such as when Ms. White appears dressed head to toe in black with jet-black hair. Although light, it is almost dizzying following Mr. Body around as he attempts to tie all of the loose ends together. One of the most unusual aspects of the film is that three alternate endings are provided. Clue is one of those movies that can be enjoyed over and over, picking up new subtleties each time. Clue is a great movie that will cause you to reminisce about and break out the popular board game.

Goose Chase: A Novel by Patrice Kindl
Youth Fiction - Lower Level
Teen Zone Fiction - Main Level – KINDL

Alexandria Aurora Fortunato is a Goose Girl in a small village in the country of Dorloo. She lives by herself with her twelve Geese until one day she meets a hungry old lady. Once she feeds this old lady, Alexandria is given special powers. For instance, when she brushes her hair, gold dust falls to the ground. Furthermore, when she cries, her tears turn into diamonds.

Upon learning about her powers, she comes to the attention of two suitors: the Prince of Dorloo and the King of Gilboa. Both decide that they want to marry her. However, Alexandria is 14 years old and is not interested in marriage especially with these two men.

Soon however Alexandria finds herself unwittingly thrown together with the Prince. Together they battle evil ogresses and the greedy King and his girlfriend who are determined to keep power over Gilboa. What will Alexandria do? Well if she follows her deceased mother's decree that she take care of her twelve Geese, she may just be able to triumph over anything!

Goose Girl by Patrice Kindl is an extremely engaging and light fantasy. It's the perfect book to cozy up with after a long day of work.

Nancy Drew – Danger on Deception Island
Lower Level – CD-ROMs - Nan

In each of the CD-ROMs in the series, the player gets to star as Nancy Drew, the crime solving detective. It is her job, by playing little puzzles, finding clues, and talking to people, to solve a crime that is committed. This all too often happens while she is trying to enjoy a leisurely vacation. . .

People to talk to and places to go are kept to a minimum as to not become overwhelming. Nancy’s friends, including the Hardy Boys, can sometimes be called for additional help. It is also nice that if you get hurt, instead of the game ending, it allows you to pick up the plot again from moments before the mistake.

Each Nancy Drew CD-ROM can be a great compromise for parents who want their children to check out books with a kid who wants to check out video games. Each adventure requires the player to read throughout the game play (and if more reading is desired, then volume can always be turned off, as all parts of dialogue are also included at the bottom of the screen). Most of the games include both fiction and non-fiction reading. In this particular escapade, Danger on Deception Island the player has to learn about different types of whales and dolphins. In another excursion, Nancy gains insight into the Mayan culture, and in another, precautions to take while camping.

Nancy Drew offers games for those not ready for the challenge of similar but much deeper games like Myst . It is a great game to work your way up to more complicated games, or for younger players. Even though most of the Nancy Drew games have received a rating of “E” for everyone by the gaming commission, this is not a game for young players. Even older children would benefit from the assistance of parents in this game, as some of the challenges are a little difficult for those not accustomed to role-playing mystery games.

With over 15 different mysteries to choose from – the fun will surely continue!

How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman
Adult Nonfiction – Upper Level – 610.69 G

Doctors think fast. Sometimes they are right, sometimes they are scarily wrong. And the methods that doctors who make correct diagnoses even in tricky cases are not the methods that medical students are taught to use. Groopman writes as both doctor and patient, pulling apart cases of the best and worst medical thinking both to help doctors improve their own thinking and to help patients give better information to their doctors and know when to ask for something else. The examples were fascinating, and fortunately nearly all with happy endings. My biggest quibble was that I wanted it to do a better job of pulling out specific steps and questions for both doctors and patients. The chapters were organized around medical specialties rather than specific errors or strengths in thinking, leaving the pulling together for the individual reader. Still, it was good information for anyone who deals with doctors, and those interested in puzzling medical cases for their own sake will find this fascinating.

Strangers in Paradise by Terry Moore
Adult Graphic Novels – Main Level – STR

Love, friendship and the mob mix in surprising and fascinating ways in this classic graphic novel. Katchoo and Francine are roommates. Francine is broken-hearted when her boyfriend leaves her after she refuses to sleep with him. Katchoo exacts a fearsome revenge on him, but refuses to tell Francine she’s in love with her. Meanwhile, Katchoo meets a persistent young man, David, at an art gallery. Even though she refuses the romantic relationship he wants, they develop a strong friendship. One might even go so far as to call it a love triangle. And then it turns out that Katchoo has old connections with the mob, and the mob is no longer willing to let them stay in the past. With realistic yet expressive illustrations and a new twist with every turn of the page, this is one to get lost in.