The Old Brown Suitcase

Boraks-Nemetz, Lillian. The Old Brown Suitcase. 2008. 202p. ISBN 9781553800576. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

Slava leads a charmed life. She is loved at her house in Warsaw, Poland. She dances in music recitals. She has a younger sister. Her father is a prominent lawyer. But the Nazis have seized power in Germany, and war is threatening. When it finally breaks out, Slava and her parents soon find themselves in the Jewish ghetto, despite not being practicing Jews. As conditions worsen, her sister is smuggled out of the ghetto to a Christian family for safekeeping. Following Hitler’s decision to liquidate the ghetto, Slava herself is smuggled out of the ghetto and sent to the country to live with her grandmother, who married a Christian and is relatively safe. But Slava must pretend to be a niece, instead of a granddaughter.

Reunited after the war with her parents, Slava discovers that her sister did not survive. The family emigrates to Canada, and discovers that adapting to a new country is as hard, if not harder, than surviving the Nazi war machine. Not speaking the language, Slava becomes Elizabeth and enrolls in 9th grade, despite being the oldest student. She struggles with English, Math, and Science, but excels at Latin and French. Bullied for being different, and encountering anti semitism even in Canada, Slava eventually manages to catch up in her schooling. She meets a nice boy, and she discovers what her new life has to offer.

Slava’s story is told in alternating eras, her life in Canada as a teenager and her life in Poland as a child. Through it all she carries a brown suitcase, given to her by her father as a present. From her escape away from the ghetto to her arrival in Canada, Slava relies on the suitcase to carry her meager possessions until one day, she realizes she has outgrown it and no longer needs the security it provided.

Readers who like Holocaust stories will appreciate Slava’s drive to survive as a child and thrive as a teenager.

Cicero

Lowery, Zoe and Fiona Forsyth. Cicero. Part of the Leaders of the Ancient World series. 2017. 112p. ISBN 978-1-50817258-1. Available at B CIC on the library shelves.

The most prolific writer of the ancient Roman world, Marcus Tullius Cicero played a major part in the transformation of Rome from a Republic to an Empire, and lost his life in the process for choosing the losing side. A contemporary of Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony, Cicero lived from 106 BCE to 43 BCE, when he was assassinated under the direct order of Octavian. Known for extensive letters and books which covered daily Roman life, Cicero was also a Senator, a scholar, a poet and a lawyer. Recognized as the best orator of his era, Cicero’s ability to motivate crowds is one of the reason he lost his life. Cicero’s personal life thus follows the ups and downs of the collapse of the Republic and the bid of several strong men to take control of Rome, until Octavian successfully crowned himself Augustus.

Fans of Rome and of its dysfunctional political system will appreciate how Cicero was able to exploit, and ultimately fell victim to, a system designed to administer a city, and not an empire.

Black Butler, Vol 10

Toboso, Yana. Black Butler, Vol 10. 2012. 176p. ISBN 978-0-316-18967-5. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Ciel Phantomhive and his guests are confined to the Phantomhive manor due to the storm, and three murder victims lay in the wine cellar, covered with white sheets. The death of two of Ciel’s guests was dreadful, but the loss of Sebastian was worse. Without the elite butler, the household staff is left to its own devices and must pick up the slack.

Phantomhive and his guests continue their investigation of the murders, knowing full well that the murderer or murderers are among them. When the staff catch vicar Jeremy Rathbone in the kitchen, they are convinced they have their thirteenth man and the prime murder suspect. Unfortunately, it is soon revealed that the vicar received a note from Sebastian the night of his murder, and came as quickly as he could from London to assist. Taking control of the investigation, Jeremy soon makes startling discoveries which could endanger Phantomhive and his guests ...

Prisoner of Ice and Snow

Lauren, Ruth. Prisoner of Ice and Snow. 2017. 280p. ISBN 9781681191317. Available at FIC LAU on the library shelves.

Valor is ready to do anything to help her twin sister Sasha. Even if that means making an assassination attempt on Prince Anatol so she can be condemned and sentenced to the ruthless Tyur’ma prison. For that’s where her sister has been sent after she stole a delicate musical box that was intended to cement an alliance between their country of Demidova and the neighboring nation of Magadanskya. And Valor knows that her sister will not be able to survive without her help.

As daughters of royal advisors, Valor and Sasha’s arrests bring disgrace on their family. Valor has a plan, however. She has seen her father’s old maps and knows there is a tunnel beneath Tyur’ma that leads straight to the Royal Palace. All she’s got to do is find her sister, steal a key, and escape with her from the inside of the prison, a feat no one has successfully accomplished in the 300 years’ existence of Tyur’ma. Unfortunately, Valor was not counting on the harsh and treacherous environment imposed by Warden Kirov, head of the notoriously cruel Peacemakers, guardians of the prison.

Now inside the ice walls, Valor finds herself struggling with her captivity. The lack of food, the lack of sleep, the cold, and the overwork is rapidly wearing her down. She knows that Sasha is more delicate, so these conditions must be even harder for her. As she plans her escape, Valor will have to turn to others to help. But with so many spies and criminals surrounding her, whom can she trust?

A well crafted fantasy novel about a place of ice and cold, readers will enjoy discovering how Valor surmounts the struggle to free her sister and prove her innocence.

Lucky Broken Girl

Behar, Ruth. Lucky Broken Girl. 2017. 242p. ISBN 978-0-399-54644-0. Available at FIC BEH on the library shelves.

Recently immigrants from Communist Cuba, the Mizrahi family has escaped the regime with a bare minimum of possessions. Finding themselves living in New York City, the extended family is enjoying freedom but life can be difficult at time. Ruthie’s father works six days a week to put food on the table, while her mother works around the house to ensure that everyone eats well and is clothed properly.

Ten-year-old Ruthie and her brother enjoy their lives in Queens, but she also misses many aspects of Cuba including the food and some of the customs. Living in a cosmopolitan building filled with recent immigrants, Ruthie shares her time with her brother and with friends, including Danielle, from Belgium, and Ravi, from India. First placed in the dumb class at school, she is soon promoted to the smart class once her English gets better.

Unfortunately for her, the Sunday before her move to her new class, the family visits an aunt and uncle on Staten Island in her father’s new car, but a tragic car accident that costs the lives of several teenagers sends her to the hospital with a broken leg. The doctor soon informs her that she will need to spend at least six months in a body cast stretching from her ankles to her chest. She will not be able to seat, move, or even go to the bathroom without help. Her mother now becomes her full-time care giver.

Stuck in bed with nothing to do, Ruthie suddenly has nothing but time on her hands. With a teacher coming to visit every other day, Ruthie soon catches up to her studies and improves her reading skills. But with no chance to experience life outside the four walls of her bedroom, Ruthie’s shrinking world forces her to develop a resilience she did not expect, and she realizes that friends and family are always there for her, even in the worst of times of one’s life.

For another story of Cuban children fleeing their island and integrating into life in the United States, take a look at The Red Umbrella, a story of adaptation in the face of adversity.

Taxation: Interpreting the Constitution

Mapua, Jeff. Taxation: Interpreting the Constitution. Part of the Understanding the United States Constitution series. 2015. 112p. ISBN 978-1-47777-504-2. Available at 343. 73 MAP on the library shelves.

Benjamin Franklin famously once claimed that there were only two things that were for certain in life: Death and taxes. The history of taxes in the United States is a long one, and led to the creation of the country. During colonization, all funding to operate military personnel was provided by the British Parliament and the King, but as wars drained the treasury, the King sought to replenish his coffers by imposing taxes on the colonists so they finance their own defence. Colonists opposed these demands under the claim that since they were not represented in Parliament they should not be taxed, and eventually called for independence.

Having secured peace, the new fledgling government sought to fund itself through various import tariffs and taxes on various products. Several tax rebellions took place and eventually led to the abandonment of the Articles of Confederation and instead a new Constitution was created which allowed for the direct taxation of individuals and corporations.

Various World Wars, recessions, and other events forced the adoption of wider tax schemes. Today, taxes remain as contentious as they were over two hundred years ago, with heated conversations about the role of government and how much, or how little, taxes should be raised to pay for services voters want.

This book does an excellent job of summarizing two centuries of debates central to the country’s operation. The information is presented in everyday language. Many of the Supreme Court’s decisions on taxes are reviewed and analyzed for their impact on the government’s ability to raise funds through taxes. Finally, the future of taxes on the Internet is speculated. Those interested in this discussion will appreciate the overview and coverage taxes are provided in thsi book.

Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol. 2

Asagiri, Kafka. Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol. 2. 2017. 197 p. ISBN 978-0-316-55470-1. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Rendered unconscious during his battle with Akutagawa, Atsushi Nakajima comes to back in the offices of the Armed Detective Agency. His actions led to the death of two agents, and Atsushi feels even more cursed than before. He remembers the words of the adults at the orphanage that he should not continue to live. As the realization that the mafia will continue to come for him hits him, he decides he can no longer place the other members of the Agency in danger. He departs, and contacts the mafia to let them know he’s no longer with the Agency, but the mafia still orders a hit on their office.

Fortunately, the Black Lizard group, the mafia’s enforcement arm, is swiftly defeated by the detectives of the Agency. Atsushi accompanies Ranpo to solve the murder of a police detective. Returning to the Agency, Atsushi is reunited with those two agents whom he thought were dead. Thanks to the Agency’s doctor, they have been saved. Atsushi becomes tasked with accompanying her to the shops. Along the way they board a train, but the mafia has set up a trap for them. With bombs on board and many innocent civilians will Atsushi and Yosano be able to save their own lives?

The story continues in Bungo Stray Dogs, vol. 3.