Romano, Amy. Germ Warfare. 2004. 48p. ISBN 0-8239-4493-X. Available at 358 ROM on the library shelves.
The human race has used germ warfare for as long as people have been fighting. From catapulting the bodies of bubonic plague victims during the Black Death to the British infecting Native Americans with smallpox during the colonization of what became the United States, we have employed sickness as a weapon.
Though banned by international treaties, germ warfare continues to be researched by scientists in many countries, as well as by terrorist groups and other non-state actors. Fortunately for humanity, it is hard to control germs, and infecting a target population could quickly spread or backfire on the attacker.
This short book describes the history of germ warfare and how it was waged in the past. Present conditions are explored, and possible means of preventing and dealing with the aftermath of germ warfare are discussed. Readers interested in military tactics and recent history will appreciate the information delivered in this book.
Du Maurier, Daphne. Rebecca. 2006. First published in 1938. 393p. ISBN 0-380-73040-5. Available at FIC DU on the library shelves.
When she first meet Maxim de Winter, owner of the large English estate of Manderley, the narrator is suitably impressed. A lady companion to a wealthy American, they have been spending time in Monte Carlo entertaining high society and gossiping around. Paid ￡90 a year, this is a large sum for an orphan such as herself. Maxim and her begin courting, and soon he reveals his love for her. Nearly twice her elder, Maxim was previously married to Rebecca, who died tragically in a boat accident and was found drowned nearly a year ago.
Coming back to stay at the estate, the new Mrs. de Winter meets the staff of Manderley, who were all enamored and retain fond memories of Rebecca. Especially, Mrs. Danvers, the head housekeeper. A maid in the service of Rebecca’s family, Mrs. Danvers takes every opportunity to note to Mrs. de Winter every way in which she is lacking, pointing out that Rebecca was in every way better. Rebecca was more cultured, more sophisticated, more beautiful, more well-bred, and more entertaining. And Maxim is growing distant again, leaving his new wife to fend for herself Life for the new Mrs. de Winter becomes very hard, and everywhere she feels the presence of the ghost of Rebecca.
Then a shipwreck happens in the bay near Manderley, and in the investigation it is discovered that the first Mrs. de Winter’s boat has sunk in the same spot, and her body is aboard. So who was the woman who was identified by Max as his dead wife? Why did the book sink? What did happened to Rebecca?
A psychological thriller wrapped in a gothic novel, the mysteries contained in Rebecca will entertain the readers and leave them pondering how decisions taken a long time ago influence events later on.
Cobb, Allan B. Speed and Your Brain: The Incredibly Disgusting Story. Part of the Incredibly Disgusting Drugs series. 2000. 48p. ISBN 0-8239-3253-2. Available at 362.29 COB on the library shelves.
Though opioids remain an epidemic now afflicting New Hampshire and the rest of the nation, there are other drugs out there that are dangerous and that can have a serious physical and psychological impact on users. Stimulants such as amphetamine and methamphetamine, also known as Speed, are manufactured illegally in makeshift labs and then distributed and sold to users. But what are the effects on the brain?
Speed makes the user high by firing neurons and preventing the inhibitors from intercepting messages. The user experiences euphoria and mental alertness, but soon becomes exhausted and depressed. Tolerance builds and the user must consume more and more just to reach the same feelings. Other physical symptoms include hyperactivity, irritability, excitability, anxiety, paranioa, and possible violence. Heart attacks and high blood pressure are also possible. Long-term effects include schizophrenia, malnutrition, kidney and lung diseases, chronic hallucinations and depression, and even death.
Weaning is possible, but it is expensive and hard on the former user. The best route is to never start Speed in the first place. But if you are using, there is help available. Talk to your physician, or contact one of the many organizations dedicated to helping addicts.
Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid #5: The Ugly Truth. Book 5 of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. 2010. 218p. ISBN 978-0-8109-8491-2. Available at FIC KIN on the library shelves.
Back at school, Greg has had a falling out with Rowley, and now he finds himself alone navigating the hallways of middle school. The theme this year seems to be all about responsibilities. His father wants him to do more chores and to follow through. His mother is going back to school, so now the family must now pitch in with cleaning chores, making dinner, and making lunches. And, to top it all up, Greg is now entering the time where ackward changes happen to his body, and everyone is full of advice for him.
The lovable yet clueless Greg once again must suffer those around him as he navigates this new school year filled with boy-girl parties, an uncle’s wedding, and the dreaded “big talk” about becoming a man. Can Greg come out of this experience unscathed?
De Medeiros, James. The Migration North. Part of the African American History series. 2009. 48p. ISBN 978-1-59036-880-0. Available at 304.8 DE on the library shelves.
The end of the Civil War did not bring an end to the suffering and the intolerance that gripped the Southern States. Instead, it was replaced by Jim Crow and segregation. African-Americans who wanted a better life began leaving the South and migrated northward, to states like Illinois and Michigan where jobs were plentiful and discrimination was not as entrenched.
This migration occurred in two distinct phases, with African-Americans moving north before the Great Depression, then again following the end of the Second World War. The NAACP and African American publications out of Chicago were responsible for publicizing the opportunities available in the North. Integration of the troops during the Second World War set the stage for the eventual growth of the Civil Rights movement.
This short books provides an excellent overview of this lesser-known topic to readers who enjoy history and civil rights.
Dessen, Sarah. Lock and Key. 2008. 432p. ISBN 9780670010882. Available at FIC DES on the library shelves.
When Ruby returns home after school one day, she realizes that her mother has left her behind. First abandoned by her sister ten years ago when she left for college, Ruby tries to make a go of living alone in the rental house and working her mom’s job for her. But she is eventually discovered, and social services get involved.
Ruby is reunited with Cora, now married to Jamie, founder of the U-Me social network. Ruby finds the transition very difficult, and attempts to run away on the first night. She meets Nate, the boy next door, and she misses her chance. But has life becomes more complicated in her new living arrangement, Ruby can’t help feeling that her sister really doesn’t want her there. After all, Cora is the one that left first, right? But what if things were not exactly as their mother portrayed them?
Meanwhile, underneath the perfect veneer, Nate is also dealing with issues of his own. Can Ruby and Nate manage to accept each other’s help?
Fans of Sarah Dessen will love this story from the heart where appearances can be deceiving. Fans of Sarah Dessen will enjoy her other books, including Saint Anything and The Moon and More. For a Christmastime love story, read Jay Asher's What Light.
Fleischman, Paul. Whirligig. 1998. 133p. ISBN 0-8050-5582-7. Available at FIC FLE on the library shelves.
Brent Bishop has always tried to impress the people at his school, and he’s had his eye on beautiful Brianna. But when she rejects him at a party in front of everyone, Brent loses face. Drunk and unhappy, he gets back in his car and drives away. Hoping to die, he takes his hands off the wheel, and lets the car drift….
The ensuing arrest, trial, and sentencing for the manslaughter of a girl he killed while driving drunk leaves him numb. He can’t believe he murdered someone. Then during a restitution meeting, the victim’s mother gives him one task: To travel to the four corners of the United States, build and place a whirligig that looks like her daughter there. Brent agrees to do it, and begins his trip of redemption.
Told from five different perspective, Brent’s trip through the United States is interspersed with the voice of a person whose life is changed by the whirligig Brent has placed in their little corner of the world. A tale of redemption in the face of an unspeakable tragedy, readers will appreciate the growth Brent undergoes during his travels, and will be reflecting on how our actions affect people we do not know long after we’ve done them.
Burgan, Michael. The Pullman Strike of 1894. 2008. 48p. ISBN 978-0-7565-3348-9. Available at 331.892 BUR on the library shelves.
The industrial revolution forever changed the way people in the United States lived and worked. The expansion of the railroad suddenly allowed travel and shipping across vast distances over a short period of time, making the country suddenly accessible to most. Many train travelers of the time enjoyed the luxurious Pullman car, with its fancy woodwork and comfortable seating and sleeping arrangements.
Build in Chicago by the Pullman Palace Car Company, the Pullman car at first took the country by storm and provided for better traveling conditions. Workers at the Pullman Palace Car Company were comparatively well paid and had access to company housing in Pullman’s own town. George Pullman, owner and founder of the company, wanted to provide the best possible working environment for his workers.
But as the economic conditions deteriorated during the 1893 recession, the number of travellers declined, train companies stopped purchasing cars for their trains, and Pullman suddenly found himself having to cut costs. He laid off 1,500 workers and significantly cut the remaining workers’ pay. At the same time, however, he refused to lower the rents he was charging for living in company housing. This led to a volatile situation where workers were no longer making enough to pay for their rent. Some workers received paychecks worth pennies after their rent and utilities were deducted.
The workers decided to fight back, and organized a union which called for a strike in 1894. Eventually, the strikers were repressed by federal soldiers, and many were killed or imprisoned. The labor movement continued, however, and eventually led to better working conditions across the United States.
This short book effectively tells this story of workers rising against the capitalists who controlled the means of production, and the changes that occurred during and after the strike. Fans of history will enjoy the description of this conflict. Click on this link for more information about the Pullman Strike of 1894.
Rice, Morgan. A Feast of Dragons. Book 3 of the Sorcerer’s Ring series. 2013. 280p. ISBN 9781939416094. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.
At the end of A March of Kings, The Legion’s new recruits departed the Ring and headed out to the Isle of Dragons to spend one hundred days of the hardest training ever devised. Thor and his friends must survive the challenges they encounter if they are to become members of the Silver, the MacGill’s elite soldiers. But as clues to his power and destiny are encountered, Thor faces yet more questions to whom he really is and what the wizard Argon wants with him.
Meanwhile back in the Ring, the ruthless king of the McClouds has invaded MacGil’s lands, destroying and pillaging their way towards the capital. King Gareth of the MacGil is plagued with doubts, as to his suitability as leader of his side. Having imprisoned Kendrick, his father’s bastard child and first born under suspicion of murdering the previous king, Gareth attempts to tie loose ends and eliminate those who present a threat to him and those who know he is the one behind his father’s assassination.
Godfrey and Gwendolyn, Gareth’s younger brother and sister, continue their investigation of their father’s murder, and discover a crucial proof leading straight to their brother Gareth. Unfortunately, Gareth is too quick and eliminates the threat before it’s too late.
Having survived his training, Thor returns to King’s Court and Gwendolyn’s love only to once again be wrenched away as the Silver heads to fight the McClouds. Unfortunately for everyone, Gareth has planned his plot well, and now the young wizard is heading to certain death ...
Pullman, Philip. The Amber Spyglass. Book 3 of the His Dark Materials series. 2000. 548p. ISBN 0-679-87926-9. Available at FIC PUL on the library shelves.
As the Authority’s armies mass around Lord Asriel’s mighty rebel fortress, the children are in extreme danger. Lyra was captured by Mrs. Coulter at the end of The Subtle Knife, and Will is now tracking her. As they reunite, the two companions know they need to travel down to the world of the dead to obtain more information from Roger and from Will’s father.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mary Malone has travelled between worlds and now finds herself in a strange land where the sentient inhabitants developed wheels. But the world is dying, and started to decline about three hundred years ago. Driven to discover an explanation of the vanishing of Dust, Mary creates a spyglass made of amber that can see the dust, something she herself is not able to do with her vision. For his part, Iorek Byrnison and his bears travel away from the melting Arctic to the Himalayas, where he hopes to find better hunting ground. Unfortunately, this proves to not be the case, so the bears continue on their travels to fight for Lord Asriel.
The Authority and its agents remain active, and set in motions several plots to eliminate Lyra and Mary Malone before they are able to join in with Lord Asriel. The venture to the world of the dead, a land from which no one has ever come back, will cost Will and Lyra everything.
Hopkinson, Deborah. Courage & Defiance: Stories of Spies, Saboteurs, and Survivors in World War II Denmark. 2015. 324p. ISBN 978-0-545-59220-8. Available at 940.53 HOP on the library shelves.
On a sunny morning in April 1940, citizens of Denmark woke up to a German invasion. Knowing full well that the small kingdom stood no chance against the mighty Nazi machine, the King and his government quickly surrendered to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Overnight, Denmark was occupied, and life changed for the worse for most people.
Some, however, refused to accept their government’s position. They decided to fight on through acts of sabotage. At first they worked by themselves, burning German cars and buildings used by the German army. But slowly, the resistance organized itself. Great Britain sent agents, money, and equipment, while on the ground locals found targets and destroyed trains, bridges, and factories.
For each act of rebellion, the Germans increased the pressure on the Danes. When the decision was reached to arrest and deport all Jewish Danes to concentration camps, the population actively participated in hiding and helping the Jews escape. Of a population of more than 7,000 Jews, only a few ended up in concentration camps. More saboteurs and resisters were arrested, however, and exiled in Germany to work in the concentration camps industries. But even here, the Danes were looked after and, thanks to effective organization and cooperation with Sweded, were better treated.
This book details the courage and defiance of those who opposed the Germans from the first hour, and recounts their struggles as they fought against the odds to eventually participate in Germany’s defeat. Fans of the Second World War will enjoy this look on a topic that is not well known.
Peck, Robert Newton. A Day No Pig Would Die. 1972. 160p. ISBN 0394482352. Available both on the library shelves at FIC PEC and on Overdrive as an ebookand audiobook.
Involved in a fight at school, Rob flees and returns home to the farm. Crossing his neighbor’s field, he comes across one of their cows, who is having trouble giving birth. Ignoring his own safety, Rob assists the cow and delivers two calfs. In the process he loses both his pants and gets seriously injured.
Recovering from his wounds, Rob is offered a newborn pig from the neighbor for saving his cow and her two babies. Rob’s father, a true Shaker, first refuses to accept the gift, saying that Rob did what any neighbor would do, but eventually he relents and Rob becomes an animal owner. This animal changes Rob’s life.
His parents have lived on this farm for a long time, slowly paying it off until they own it outright. Rob’s father works as a butcher of hogs, and every day he comes home smelling of pig. With his father’s help, Rob raises the piglet. Still working hard on the farm, and not so hard at school, Rob is invited by Mr. and Mrs. Tanner, who offered him the pig, to go with them to Rutland for the agricultural fair where his pig is to be entered. And, to Rob’s surprise, he wins a ribbon, but passes out from the excitement and exertion.
Back home, his father tells him a terrible secret. The old man is sick, and knows he does not have much time left to live. Rob, as the only male in the family, will need to take over and becomes the man of the household. So, it is with trepidation mixed with fear that Rob gets ready for the biggest change in his life, when comes the day that no pigs would die.
This tale of growing up and transitioning to adulthood goes well with The Chocolate Wars.
Stoker, Bram. Dracula. 1897. 392p. ISBN 0-307-74330-6. Available at FIC STO on the library shelves.
From its first publication back in 1897, Dracula has inspired a whole sub-genre of gothic horror fiction, giving the shivers to those who would see vampires flying around in the dark nights looking to feast on the blood of their victims. To this day Dracula remains synonymous with the malevolence of vampires and their ilks.
In the story that inspired it all, Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to meet with Count Dracula, who has made arrangements to move his estate to England. Harker is to finalize all paperwork and prepare the shipment of the Count’s personal possessions, but on his way there he encounters many people who have misgiving about the Count. Through interactions with the old man, Harker eventually realizes that the Count is a vampire, a creature of legend so horrific and violent he knows he will die here.
When a strange Russian ship grounds ashore near the town of Whitby, people are amazed to discover that all of their crew has disappeared, save the captain who tied himself to the wheel and died at his post. A large animal is seen escaping the ship and disappearing in the farmlands around Whitby. Boxes of earth are then discovered in the ship’s hold, and the fate of the crew is detailed in the captain’s log.
Lucy and Mina, friends and women in their prime, are witness to the strange happenings, and soon Lucy’s nights become filled with nightmares. Her fiancé cannot keep her safe, and she begins wasting away. Dr Steward, who along with the American Quincey Morris and Lord Arthur Holmwood had proposed to her, contacts an old friend and mentor, Abraham Van Helsing. Soon, with the good doctor Van Helsing on the scene, it is clear that what they are dealing with is not a sickness any of them can solve, but that of a vile vampire.
Lucy’s death precipitates the matter, and soon the men, accompanied by Harker, who managed to escape Transylvania, and Mina, his wife and Lucy’s friend, agree to bring the fight to the Count, who seeks to implant himself in London and find new victims to feed on. Can this small group manage to thwart an ancient evil before it is too late?
Summer, L. S. Sherpas. 2000. 32p. ISBN 1-887068-95-3. Available at 305.89 SUM on the library shelves.
Synonymous with mountain climbers, Sherpas are actually an ethnic group that settled in the Himalayas in the 1500s. Culturally different from their Nepalese neighbors, Sherpas survived in the high mountains, coming down in the winter to the lowlands and heading back as soon as the weather permitted. Hired as mountaineers due to their knowledge of the mountains, Sherpas led the first people to the top of Everest and have since participated in all expeditions to the various summits.
Though many Sherpas become wealthy due to their mountaineering employment, many are still subsistence farmers and remain poor. A lack of education and the challenge of high paying climbing jobs mean that the social fabric that once united Sherpas is now threatened. The community finds itself at a crossroad and is slowly organizing to defend its interest and protect its language and culture.
This short book is full of information about a group most of us are not familiar with.
O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. 1990. 190p. ISBN 9780395515983. Available both at FIC OBR on the library shelves and as an eBookfrom Overdrive.
An infantry soldier in Vietnam, O’Brien fictionalizes several stories centered around the same platoon members which overlap and reference each other. Everyone there had a story to tell, and everyone carried special items not part of the standard equipment. From photos of girlfriends to Bibles, drugs, and extra ammunition, the men of 3rd platoon, Alpha company became brothers under fire. They lived (and sometimes died) in one of the most intense and senseless conflict, not sure why they even were here.
Exploring what it means to be a soldier and a man in Vietnam, O’Brien brings forth unforgivable and flawed characters who represent humanity at its best - and worst. Readers who enjoys the bonds of men together in the field, or those interested in war and in Vietnam will find themselves unable to put this book down.
Athans, Sandra K. and Robin W. Parente. Tips & Tricks for Evaluating Multimedia Content. 2015. 64p. ISBN 978-1-4777-7563-9. Available at 372.47 ATH on the library shelves.
The Common Core State Standards not only changed how reading and literacy is taught, but also added digital literacy skills students should possess as they ready themselves for career and college. With computers now ubiquitous, knowing and mastering the skills necessary to evaluate multimedia content is therefore essential.
This book reviews digital literacy skills and presents the same information twice. First, the written text is discussed by the expert reader. Then, a multimedia clip of the same text is explored and reviewed by the expert reader. The reader is thus provided with several opportunities to compare and contrast two pieces of reading in different format: written, and multimedia. Images, videos, and maps are explored. The material is well presented and the skills taught are easily implementable.
Sirimarco, Elizabeth. Gypsies. 2000. 32p. ISBN 978-1-8870-6891-8. Available at 305.89 SIR on the library shelves.
One of the most persecuted ethnic group in the world, the Romani people have for centuries endured despite the best efforts of European nations to eliminate them. Originally from the northern part of India, Romanis moved from country to country, eventually traveling into Europe and migrating to North and South America.
Their distinctive culture and language has set them apart from the societies in which they live, causing fear and resentment. The Nazis escalated the harassment of Romanis by imprisoning them in concentration camps. They were the second largest group eliminated in the death camps. Known as Porraimos, their own Holocaust has not been recognized by others.
Despite low levels of education and literacy, Romanis have begun banding together to exercise their rights and protect their communities. Officially recognized by the United Nations as a distinct group, Romanis continue to thrive, even as they remain mysterious to outsiders.
