Plymouth Staff Choices

When You Reach Me

2010-03-01T19:11:30Z

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead Youth Fiction - Lower Level- STEAD When You Reach Me is Rebecca’s Stead second novel and the winner of the 2010 Newbery Medal. It’s 1978 in New York City and Miranda lives with her single mom in small apartment building. Miranda’s best friend Sal lives just one floor below her. Miranda’s favorite novel is A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle and she carries a very tattered copy of the book with her wherever she goes. Miranda enjoys science fiction and time travel but she is not sure that it is possible until she starts receiving unusual letters. Miranda is plagued by strange events that start taking place during her sixth grade year. First off Sal gets punched on the way home from school and will not talk to Miranda anymore. Then Miranda starts receiving strange letters from an unknown person. These letters confuse Miranda because they are cryptic and some of the events referred to have not happened yet. While all this is taking place Miranda (along with Richard her mother’s boyfriend) is trying to help her mom prepare for being a contestant on The $20,000 pyramid. You learn about the different people that live on Miranda’s block, once Miranda learns the truth of the mysterious letters everything seems to come full circle. This is a wonderful novel by Rebecca Stead and very deserving of the Newbery Award, there is an intriguing storyline plus just the right combination of reality and science fiction to keep the readers enthralled. Once you have read and enjoyed When You Reach Me check out Rebecca's Stead debut novel First Light.

Except the Queen

2010-02-24T16:18:45Z

Except the Queen by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder Adult New Book Display – Upper Level - Yolen The first thing I noticed about this book when I opened it up was Jane Yolen’s dedication, which I will reproduce here in it entirety. This, dear readers, is a recommendation list from one of the grande dames of fantasy. I find that I have read many of them, but there’s a good handful that I plan on hunting down: For Terri Windling, Ellen Datlow, Isak Dinesen, Angela Carter, Alice Hoffman, Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman, Pamela Dean, Patricia Wrede, Holly Black, Emma Bull, Patricia McKillip, Ellen Klages, Kelly Link, Diana Wynne Jones, Robin McKinley, Shannon Hale, and all the other sisters of fantasy. But the actual book. Two fairy sister, Meteora and Serana, witness the Queen engaged in a certain act with a human man. The Queen! With a human! They try to stifle their giggles quickly, as they know that revenge will be swift and terrible if word ever gets out. Of course, inevitably, it does and it is. The Queen finds them both and turns them into ugly, fat and magic-less old ladies (how ugly or fat? It’s hard to say coming from people accustomed to eternal youth) and sends them to far cities in the human world. Serana is taken to the hospital as a homeless woman, and eventually set up with an apartment and a small allowance by a social worker. Meteora is found by the Great Witch herself, Baba Yaga, and assigned to watching over her house, the lower stories of which she rents out to college students. The story follows these two as they try to establish communication with each other and to survive among the bewildering ways and proliferating cold iron of the human world. We also meet two young people, both with magic but living in the human world. The Dog Boy, Robin, tries to escape from his cruel father, while Sparrow, who does not know her own name or history herself, finds herself being sucked into a black spell: A friend of a friend guides her to the tattoo parlor of one Hawk, who promises her the most beautiful tattoo she has ever seen, just for her. But the tattoo bleeds at night for weeks, though Sparrow heals even from knife wounds overnight, and Sparrow’s dreams grow increasingly dark. (Meteora’s musings on tattoos are interesting, as she sees bad spells in almost every tattoo she sees – butterflies for a short and meaningless life, or barbed wire for pain and suffering.) The old sisters, too, sense darkness attempting to rise and use what frail powers they have left to help the young people, trying to find a purpose in the human world. The characters are compelling and the plot nicely not obvious. This fey are authentic, the Unseelie Court terrifying, the Seelie Court maybe good but still not necessarily trustworthy or friendly to humans, both sides deeply respectful and fearful of Baba Yaga, who aligns herself with neither court. This is fantasy done well, and, I’ll note, a good stand-alone for those who want a solid fantasy fix without committing to a trilogy or more.

2010-02-20T16:52:32Z

Evermore by Alyson Noel Teen Zone Fiction-Main Level NOEL This is the first book in The Immortals series. These aren't vampires, they're immortals. Sixteen-year-old Ever lost her family in a car accident. Since then, she can see people's auras and hear their thoughts. Ever is moved to California to live with her aunt. At her new school, she meets Damen (another new kid), and there is an instant attraction. As it turns out, he is also an Immortal. He and Ever have an interesting connection, which you'll have to read the book to understand! Good vs. evil, friendship, magic, and grief are all themes in this book. Adult and teen fans of supernatural fiction will enjoy this series! The second installment in the series is Blue Moon and the third and fourth books are due out later in 2010.

Winnie-the-Pooh

2010-02-16T22:16:33Z

Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne. Read by Stephen Fry, Judi Dench, and a whole host of others. Youth Audio Books – Lower Level - Milne This is a recording of Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner. It is delightfully narrated by a nearly full cast of talented British actors with varying accents. The only voice actor I was unsure of was the one playing Christopher Robin, clearly an actual child, whose inflections seemed a bit wooden at times. Aside from that, once again, hearing an old favorite aloud like this reminds one of just how delightful the words really are. This version has the added pleasure of having had music composed for Pooh’s many hums. The words are read with the music played on piano underneath, so that while it’s not sung, you can hear how it’s meant to sound. This is a wonderful version to share with a favorite child, or to reacquaint yourself with the wonders of Pooh.

Sharp Objects and Dark Places

2010-02-16T01:43:41Z

Sharp Objects Gillian Flynn Adult Fiction Shelves Main Level – FLYNN Sharp Objects is Gillian Flynn’s debut thriller. Camille Preaker is a reporter for Chicago’s Daily Post. She is sent on assignment by her editor to go back to her hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri. Camille is sent to do a human interest piece on two missing local girls that show up dead in a grueling manner. The girls vanished less than a year apart. The town is scared for their little girls because the police have no leads. Once Camille is back in her old town you start learning the truth about why she left and had no desire to ever return. Her mother is the most influential person in town. In public she shows that she is the loving doting mother. In private she lets her disappointment and hate show for her oldest daughter. Being around her mother, Camille is drawn back to the times that made her so unhappy and she has the desire to harm herself again, something she has not done since she has been hospitalized. The deeper that Camille is involved in the investigation the more she is convinced that the killer is local. Flynn takes dysfunctional family to a whole new level in this twisting and turning suspense thriller. Dark Places Gillian Flynn Adult New Book Display Main Level – FLYNN True to her first novel Gillian Flynn pens another suspense thriller more twisted than her first. Libby Day was seven when her mother and 2 older sisters were brutally murdered in the middle of the night on a cold day in January of 1985. Her testimony of what happened that day landed her older brother Ben, just 15 at the time a life term in prison. Not only does Libby have the emotional scars from that day she also has physical scars from the spending the night in the woods. It is now 24 years later and Libby needs money. She has never had to work and now her money is running out. A man named Lyle contacts her offering money if she will come to the next meeting of the Kill Club. The Kill Club is a group of people that meet and discuss old murder cases. Since Libby is so desperate for money she agrees. She was unprepared for what happens as she meets this club. Certain members of the group believe that she lied about what happened that day. They think that Ben is innocent and they want Libby to prove it. The story is told in alternating chapters between Libby in the present day, her mom Patty on the day she died and Ben on the day he allegedly committed the murders. There are so many things that happened on that fateful day in January and so many secrets were kept. The big question is if Ben did not commit the murders then who else was in the house that night?

The Last Song

2010-02-02T00:01:43Z

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks Adult New Book Display-Main Level – SPARKS Veronica “Ronnie” Miller’s life was never the same after her parents divorce. She lives in New York with her mom and her younger brother Jonah. Ever since the divorce Ronnie has fallen into the wrong crowd. She does not apply herself at school, stopped playing the piano all together, gotten caught and arrested for shoplifting and to top it off she has not spoken to her dad in three years. Her dad lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is furious when her mom forces her and Jonah to visit their dad for the summer. Ronnie’s dad, Steve, is a former concert pianist and teacher that lives in a quiet beach town. Steve is currently engrossed in a project for the local church. He is recreating a stained glass window for the church because the old one was destroyed in an arson fire a few months earlier. He is very excited for his children to come and visit. Once the family is together their summer begins. Ronnie is starting off on the wrong foot in town by making friends with the local delinquent kids. The one bright spot in her summer has been meeting Will. He is the all American boy next door. Ronnie is completely herself around him and drops the attitude that she has developed. Ronnie has been slowly making amends with her father. Jonah is having the summer of his life and never wants to go back to New York. He gets to help his dad with the stained glass window and have father son bonding time whenever he wants. It is near the end of summer that Ronnie and Jonah find out the real reason they had to spend their summer with their dad. This reason will change their lives forever. Also at the end of summer is when the truth is learned of how the church burned down all those months ago. This has been a hard summer for the Miller family and many lessons have been learned through their journey. Nicholas Sparks once again writes another great novel about love, lost, and trust. You will read about broken hearts and how love and time can heal them.

Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology

2010-02-01T22:42:04Z

Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology by Eric Brende
Adult Nonfiction 303.483B

This is the story of a hands-on experiment to determine “What is the least we need to achieve the most.” The author was studying technology’s influence on humans as a graduate student at MIT when he began to come to conclusions that made his mentors uncomfortable. Abandoning his formal studies, Brende and his new bride decided to move to a community that he dubbed “the Minimites” and see what life was like when modern technology was removed from life’s equation. They agreed to spend 18 months farming and trying to sustain themselves by depending on fellow humans instead of machines. In following with the rigid standards of their new community (more strict than the Amish), they forewent conveniences such as electricity and indoor plumbing and discovered that for every thing they lost, they gained something else. This fascinating book is as entertaining as the best works of fiction. It will make you reassess the role that technology plays in your life.

Theater Shoes

2010-01-31T19:45:49Z

Theater Shoes by Noel Streatfeild Youth Cd Books - Lower Level - STREATFEILD Theater Shoes tells the story of Sorrel, Mark, and Holly Forbes. They are growing up in World War II England without their mother and father. Their mother is deceased, and their father is missing in the war. Thus, when their grandfather Forbes passes away, they are sent to live with their mother's mother—their grandmother. Grandmother is unlike anyone else they have ever met. She is a very eccentric actress and tells the children that they will soon be attending the Children’s Academy of Dancing and Stage Training. The children have never danced, sung, or acted in their lives, and such a prospect is quite overwhelming. Before long, the children meet their cousins Miranda and Miriam, both of whom are enrolled in the Academy and part of their mother’s side of the family, the Warrens. The Warrens are known as a family of famous actors and actresses, and their lifestyle is very different from what the children always knew. Will the children grow to enjoy dancing, singing, and acting? Can they bond with their aloof grandmother? How will Sorrel cope with Miranda, a bratty girl who seems to be in competition with her? More importantly, will their father ever return? Set in the 1940s, Theater Shoes touches upon war time issues such as rationing, bomb raids, and poor economic conditions. However, in spite of these heavy issues, the novel is never depressing. In fact, it is a feel good book. It is also quite educational because it discusses theater life in great detail. On a sidenote, Elizabeth Sastre, the narrator of the audio book version, is an absolute delight and truly brings every character to life. Thus, if you are looking for an old-fashioned and sweet read, try Theater Shoes which is just one of the “Shoes” books written by Noel Streatfeild. Others include Ballet Shoes and Dancing Shoes.

Fiber Gathering

2010-01-29T15:42:50Z

Fiber Gathering by Joanne Seiff New Book Shelves – Upper Level – CRAFTS 746 S For those who feel passionate about their fiber crafts, there are fiber festivals, all over the country, where the people who use fiber – especially animal fiber – meet with the people who produce it and the tools to work with it. Some are enormous, with people travelling from all over the world to attend them. And some are mostly regional festivals, limiting vendor attendance to locals to provide a show of truly local color. Author Seiff provides descriptions and drool-worthy photographs of eleven fiber festivals from around the country, with sheep and llamas, hand-dyed roving and yarn, and booths of lamb-based food. Each festival is followed by a couple of projects related to the specialty of the gathering just discussed. They are not just knitting projects either – they are projects to knit, crochet, dye, hook, or spin, including very basic spinning, how to clean a raw fleece, and how to help at a sheep-shearing. I’ve never been to the Michigan festival, although it is profiled in this book. I was terribly amused to see the author describe Michigan as a state where August is cool enough that we’re already thinking about wooly sweaters. Not in this part, for sure, but perhaps in Allegan County, where the festival takes place, it’s not quite so sticky. This is a beautiful book, sure to inspire fiber-lovers to seek out their own nearest festival, or perhaps even travel farther abroad.

Phineas L. MacGuire…Erupts!

2010-01-18T19:17:55Z

Phineas L. MacGuire…Erupts! by Frances O'Roark Dowell Youth Fiction-Lower Level – DOWELL Phineas L. MacGuire goes by the nickname Mac and his absolute favorite subject is science. He loves everything about science; trying out new experiments, reading scientific journals and he is only in fourth grade! Mac is disappointed because his best friend who is also a science expert moved away 3 weeks into the school year. So not only does Mac not have a best friend anymore he does not have a partner for the science fair that is coming up. Mac gets paired with the new kid who is also named Mac (R.). Mac is not happy about this because no one likes the new kid plus Mac R. loves dinosaurs which Mac thinks is so third grade. As the Mac’s work together for the science fair Mac discovers that Mac R. is not a bad kid and his name really is not Mac. Mac R.’s name is actually Ben. Mac feels bad that no one else really likes Ben so he has this great idea that Ben should have a do-over in terms of meeting his classmates. As the science fair fast approaches Ben and Mac work hard to ensure that they have a great project that will hopefully win first place. Even though the boys are working hard for the science fair Ben is working equally hard to win over his classmates. Frances O’Roark Dowell delivers a fun story that will keep kids laughing. This book is also the first in the series. If you like Mac then check out his other books: Phineas L. MacGuire…Gets Slimed! by Frances O'Roark Dowell Youth Fiction-Lower Level – DOWELL

Phineas L. MacGuire…Blasts Off! by Frances O'Roark Dowell Youth Fiction-Lower Level – DOWELL

Hikaru No Go

2010-01-17T18:56:06Z

Hikaru No Go by Yumi Hotta. Art by Takeshi Obata And now, for a change of pace, some manga. Hikaru is a fun-loving, not too serious middle school student. One day, he finds an old go board in his grandfather’s attic. It turns out to be haunted by the ghost of an old and really good go player, Sai, who then takes up residence in Hikaru’s consciousness. This is somehow not creepy, and we are also assured that Sai is male even though has long purple hair, earrings, and a delicate face. Anyway, prompted by Sai, Hikaru starts playing Go. He joins his school’s go team and goes to go salons. At first, he lets Sai tell him where to put the stones. Doing this, he attracts the attention of Akira Toya, the best player from the best middle school go team in town. But before Akira can track him down for another game, Hikaru decides that he wants to play for himself. Over the course of the series (17 books out in America so far), Akira and Hikaru, coached by Sai, climb higher and higher into the go world. Even though this has an improbable premise and is centered on a complicated game I don’t even try to understand, the characters are so well done that the story doesn’t feel silly. Hikaru and his friends are genuinely likeable characters, and the honorable rivalry between Hikaru and Akira Toya is compelling. It’s good story-telling, with large numbers of impossibly innocent-looking wide eyes and a few adorable girls in mini-skirted uniforms thrown in for good measure.

The Weight of Silence

2010-01-04T23:45:03Z

The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf Adult New Book Display- Main Level – GUDENKAUF Early one August morning Martin Gregory wakes up and realizes his 7 year old daughter, Petra, is missing from her bed. He wakes up his wife and they search high and low for Petra. They figure she must be next door at her best friend’s house. The Gregory’s go over to the Clark’s house. This is when Antonia Clark realizes that her daughter Callie is missing as well. Callie and Petra are best friends which is quite unusual because they have nothing in common. Callie suffers from selective mutism. Petra understands Callie in a way that no one else does. As a result Petra is Callie’s voice, whether they are at school, on the playground or just playing like normal seven year old girls. The sheriff is notified and soon the FBI is called in to look for the missing girls. The parents know the girls are in the woods that back up to their houses. The woods are a safe haven for the girls and Callie knows her way around the woods thanks to her brother Ben and her mother. Despite their daughters being best friends the Clark’s and the Gregory’s are not very close. As tensions rise to find their daughters terrible family secrets are revealed including the one that caused Callie not to speak for three years. Heather Gudenkauf writes a great tale of suspense. Each chapter being narrated by a different character really keeps the reader engaged in all that is going on while trying to find the missing girls, as well as exposing the reader to all the family dynamics and secrets of the Gregory’s and the Clark’s. This book will keep you enthralled until the very last page.

Zombie Movies: The Ultimate Guide

2009-12-30T00:09:34Z

Zombie Movies: The Ultimate Guide by Glenn Kay Adult Non-Fiction - Upper Level - 791.436K Odds are if you’ve walked outside or turned on the television lately you’ve seen a festering plague spreading onto the streets. No, I’m not talking about skinny jeans, although those are pretty frightening. Really, I’m serious! Have you seen fourteen year old boys wearing them? It’s just not right! No, this is far worse than some terrible fashion trend that people blindly follow shuffling around like some sort of…um…what’s the word?

ZOMBIE! That’s right, Zombies! Sure, vampires are certainly the undead rock stars at the moment, but their brain eating counterparts are having somewhat of a renaissance themselves. There are a plethora of zombie graphic novels like “The Walking Dead,” and “Marvel Zombies.” (Peter Parker feasting on Mary-Jane’s brains anyone?) There are a ton of zombie videogames such as “Resident Evil” (Yeah, yeah, so the last two games didn’t technically have zombies but close enough) “Call of Duty: World at War,” (who doesn’t love shooting Nazi zombies?), and the “Left 4 Dead” series. Then there are zombie books like “World War Z,” and the timeless “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.” I’m sure Jane Austen would be thrashing and moaning in her grave if she knew about it. Of course one would be remiss to forget the zombie’s greatest benefactor, the ubiquitous zombie movie. From the 1932 Bela Lugosi film “White Zombie” to George Romero’s classic “Night of the Living Dead,” all the way up to 2004’s comedy “Shaun of the Dead” the amount of zombie related cinema can be daunting. If only someone would create some sort of zombie movie guide there might just be a way to sift through all these films and find the real gems. (It might also give this long rambling entry a point as well.) Well look no further because “Zombie Movies: The Ultimate Guide” is here! This guide contains loads of photos, detailed summaries of nearly every zombie film you can think of, and interviews with horror greats like make-up mastermind Tom Savini. So whether you’re looking for “Kung Fu Zombies,” a little zombie romance with “My Boyfriend’s Back,” or just a good old fashioned existential zombie crisis such as “The Cemetery Man” AKA “Dellamorte Dellamore,” “Zombie Movies” is sure to make any fan groan with delight. The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman Adult Graphic Novels - Main Level - WAL Cemetery Man by Michele Soavi DVD Collection - Main Level - SCI/FI HORROR CEM Shaun of the Dead by Edgar Wright DVD Collection - Main Level - SCI/FI HORROR SHA Night of the Living Dead by George Romero DVD Collection - Main Level - SCI/FI HORROR NIG Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith Adult Science Fiction - Main Level - Austen World War Z by Max Brooks Adult Science Fiction - Main Level - Brooks

The New Girl

2009-12-27T18:22:05Z

The New Girl by Meg Cabot. Youth New Book Shelves - Lower Level - CABOT This is an adorable addition to the Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls series! In this installment, Allie is now starting school at Pine Heights Elementary as the new girl. She is excited yet nervous. On her first day, she wears a skirt over her jeans because her leggings are still missing after the family's big move to the old and somewhat creepy house. (This move is described in the equally wonderful first book of the series, Moving Day). Unfortunately, Allie regrets her fashion decision later especially when she meets the school bully Rosemary. For some reason, Rosemary wants to beat Allie up, and threatens her continuously. What is Allie to do? She doesn't want to tell on Rosemary because that will make circumstances worse. Thus, Allie asks for advice from her friends, her dad, and her cool uncle Jay. None of their advice seems to be right though, and Allie struggles with her fear and anger over this situation. In the meantime, Allie's promised kitten from Lady Serena Archibald's litter is born early, her grandma comes to visit and causes some irritation for her mother and herself, and the school spelling bee starts. How will Allie cope with all of this stress and still be the amazing "queen" that she is? The New Girl, the second book in the Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls series, is such a delightful and entertaining book! It's very relatable to every reader, from the youngest to those who only long ago remember being 9 years old. I highly recommend this book and the overall Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls series!

The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children

2009-12-17T21:12:46Z

The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children by Keith McGowan Youth New Book Shelves- Lower Level – McGOWAN “I love children. Eating them, that is. I’ve eaten quite a few children over the centuries. You may wonder where I get them all. The answer is: I get them the traditional way.” (McGowan) This is the opening paragraph in The Witch’s Guide to Cooking with Children by Keith McGowan. Sol and Connie Blink are new to Grand Creek. The first person they meet is an odd older woman named Fay Holaderry and her dog Swift. Sol is smarter that your average eleven year old and he notices something strange about Swift. Swift was chewing on a bone but not just any bone, a human bone. Sol and Connie realize in their new neighborhood there are not many children around. Add into the mix that their new neighbor Fay is an odd woman whose dog chews on human bones and they have a step mother who does like them at all. It is up to Sol and Connie to find out what is going on in Grand Creek and to keep themselves from being eaten by a witch! Check out The Witch’s Guide to Cooking with Children to see what the traditional way for getting children is (beware the answer is shocking) and where Swift’s gets his human bones to chew on. This is a funny modern retelling of the classic Hansel and Gretel.