The Technology of Ancient Rome

McCullough, Naomi. The Technology of Ancient Rome. 2017. Part of the Ancient Innovations series. 64p. ISBN 978-1-5026-2233-4. Available at 937 MCC on the library shelves.

The Roman Empire stretched from the Atlantic to the Middle East and from Britain to Egypt, controlling millions of people and countless countries. The will of the people of Rome motivated these conquests and powered the Empire’s drive, yet the Romans may not have left behind a lasting legacy was it not for their technology, which endures in many forms even today.

Seldom innovators, the Romans instead adopted technologies from those who surrounded them and adapted them for their own purposes, streamlining and increasing efficiencies along the way until they had built an unstoppable imperial machine. Paved roads had been constructed elsewhere in the world, but the Romans are the first to deploy an extensive network of paved roads with distance markers between their cities. Services such as hotels and motels developed along the roads and became popular with travelers. Bridges were constructed of stone and cement and spanned distances previously unfathomable.

Cities benefited from an increase in agricultural harvests with the improvement of water mills. Greek water mills could grind 15 pounds of wheat into flour in a day, but new designs and adaptations by the Romans increased this amount exponentially, such that many mills ground 20 to 30 tons of flour a day. Tools were designed to make the harvest process more efficients. Buildings were also improved with concrete, indoor plumbing and heating, while cheaper apartment building poorly constructed stretched to the skies. Aqueducts delivered water from far distances to quench the thirst of city residents. Bath houses and toilets provided a certain level of sanitary infrastructure unequaled for the next fifteen hundred years. Finally, medical innovations allowed soldiers to survive battles, new calendars more precisely tracked time, and the mass production of weapons and armor ensured that for centuries Rome’s might stood unchallenged.

Noragami: Stray God, Vol. 5

Adachitoka. Noragami: Stray God, Vol. 5. 2015. 164p. ISBN 978-1-61262-995-7. Available in the Graphic Section of the library.

Hiyori is concerned that Yato has not yet released her tie to the spirit world. She promises she will not forget him, but she needs to stop falling asleep at a moment’s notice as very important exams are coming up soon. Yato meanwhile is still escaping the clutches of Bishamon and her shinkis. When Kazuma’s treachery is discovered, he is imprisoned along with a captured Hiyori in Bishamon’s realm.

Meanwhile, Kugaha’s plot to overthrow Bishamon continues apace. His plan is simple. He has already weakened the goddess of war, and now, with Hiyori’s capture he can use her as bait to attract Yato. An encounter between the two should lead to Bishamon’s death, or at least her complete weakening. Yato has already destroyed her household once upon a time, after Bishamon has fallen victim to an ablution that had not cured her infection. Kazuma’s prayer to Yato to rescue Bishamon from the Ayakashi resulted in her shinkis’ death, which save her life. Since then, however, Bishamon has vowed to destroy Yato for what he did.

As the two confront each other, Yato’s shinki Yukiné is ready, but Bishamon’s myriad of shinki provide her with multiple options. Can the Stray God survive her relentless assault and desire for revenge?

The story continues in Noragami Stray God, Vol. 6.

Thornhill

Smy, Pam. Thornhill. 2017. 533p. ISBN 978-1-62672-654-3. Available at FIC SMY on the library shelves.

It is 2016, and Ella and her father just moved to Midchester, in a house abutting the extensive grounds of an abandoned orphanage named Thornhill. Her father works a lot, and Ella often finds herself at home alone. She doesn’t know anyone in town, so she spends a lot of time looking out her window at the ruins that is Thornhill. When she spots a light in the top floor, Ella is curious. Who lives there?

In 1982, Mary is an orphan who lives in Thornhill. Suffering from selective mutism, Mary has no friends and spends most of her time in her top floor bedroom, creating masterful puppets out of fabric and clay. These are her true friends. Unfortunately for Mary, a bully she thought had been adopted for good has been returned to the orphanage for poor behavior. This unnamed bully has been harassing Mary and turning all of the other girls against her. When she was here Mary could not sleep at night and had to watch her every step. Now that she’s returning, Mary confides in her diary that she will never have a moment’s peace.

As Ella investigate the property next door, she finds old broken dolls. She begins fixing them, and eventually she meets Mary. Then Ella discovers that Mary died at Thornhill back in 1982. Mary, meanwhile, tries to deal with her bully but the conditions at the orphanage grow worse as kids are adopted out and the facility readies for closing. When Mary discovers that she and her bully will become roommates in a new institution, it is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. She needs to take matters into her own hands. Will present-day Ella assuages past Mary’s ghost and become her friend?

Mary’s perspective is told through a diary, while Ella’s view is presented through images only. The two stories combine in a beautifully written sad tale of bullying and its consequences.

Short

Sloan, Holly Goldberg. Short. 2017. 296p. ISBN 978-0-399-18621-9. Available at FIC SLO on the library shelves.

Julia mourns the death of her dog Ramon. He had grown up with her and been there for the last five years, and now a heart attack has ended his life. When a production of the Wizard of Oz arrives in town, her mother decides to sign up both her younger brother Randy and Julia to be Munchkins. Julia is not thrilled at all. First, she was looking forward to a summer of freedom, writing to her friends who have gone on vacation, and spending time putting together a memory book of Ramon. Plus, Julia really has a problem with the word short, which Munchkins are. See, Julia’s growth has just not caught up with the fact that she’s a teenager now, and not a child. Julia’s brother Randy, who is still a child, is taller than she is. And she’s heard her parents talk about the fact that she’s very short and they fervently hope she will grow up. So does Julia.

On the first day of auditions, Julia discover Shawn Barr, an acclaimed and award winning director, and suddenly her outlook on the play changes. Maybe this will be a good summer after all. Julia meets Olive, a short person who is guaranteed a role as a Munchkin, along with two other short people. She meets her neighbor, Mrs. Chang, who turns out to be a costumer and who creates a fantastic costume for Julia’s Munchkin role. She’s so good that she’s asked to designed the winged monkeys as well.

As rehearsal days pass and as the show gets closer, Julia finds herself growing both in confidence and in maturity, if not physically. Offered another role as a winged monkey, Julia is scared at first of the flying contraption but she conquers her fear. And through it all, Julia realizes that height is not necessary for success and for happiness, and that endings do not stop but are really the beginning of something better!

Blooming at the Texas Sunrise Motel

Holt, Kimberly Willis. Blooming at the Texas Sunrise Motel. 2017. 325p. ISBN 978-1-62779-324-7. Available at FIC HOL on the library shelves.

Stevie and her parents live on a farm in New Mexico, and they sell plants and flowers for a living. She is very knowledgeable about gardens, and enjoys watching the plants grow. Unfortunately, when a car hits their farm stand both of her parents are killed. Stevie finds out while at school. The closest relative available to take her in is her mother’s father, someone she has had no contact with, and who lives in Texas.

Her grandfather is too busy to get her at the bus station, so she is welcomed by Arlo and Roy, her grandfather’s handyman and his middle-school aged son. Arriving at the Sunrise Motel, which her grandfather owns, she discovers that the place is rather dilapidated and run-down. He welcomes her stiffly, and takes her to her new bedroom, her mother’s old room. Roy is excited to meet her, and so is every other staffer and permanent residents at the motel. Winston, her grandfather, does not appear to be happy she’s here, however. Life at the motel is very quiet

Stevie’s parents never told her anything about their past, so Stevie is discovering for the first time bits and pieces of information about her mother and father’s journey through life. Sent to be homeschooled with Mrs. Crump, a very old teacher who also taught her mother, Stevie beings to reconstruct her parents’ lives. She uses her money to plant a garden next to the motel sign, and she looks forward to it blooming.

But when a sister of her father gets in touch with her and offers her to spend time in Louisiana, Stevie agrees to go visit. Now with two possible places to live, where will Stevie choose to go?

Tanks of World War II Up Close

Dougherty, Martin J. Tanks of World War II Up Close. Part of the Military Technology: Top Secret Clearance series. 2016. 224p. ISBN 978-1-5081-7086-0. Available at 623.74 DOU on the library shelves.

Tanks were born in the crucible of World War I where crossing No Man’s Land and breaching through rows of barbed wires and trenches. The vehicles were slow and lightly armed, as their primary function was to escort infantry. This mentality prevailed all the way to the beginning of World War II, when the Germans employed armored vehicles in the hundreds to break through lines and pierce several miles behind enemy lines. Suddenly, armored vehicles were no longer support vehicles but full combatants in their own rights.

American, British, and Russian development took note of the German success on the Western front and began developing better armored and armed vehicles. Whereas at the beginning of the war a 37 mm gun was considered enough, it soon proved to be ineffective against newer tank designs, and both the size of the gun and the size of the vehicle increased to accommodate additional armor, crew, and ammunition.

This book presents the major tanks and armored vehicles used by both sides during the war. Each vehicle features specification, a short history, a three dimensional rendering of the vehicle, and actual war photos showing it in action. A table of content and an index allows to quickly access specific vehicle. Fans of military history and of the Second World War will appreciate the meticulous research that went into creating this book.

Musnet: The House of Monet. Book 1

Kickliy. Musnet: The House of Monet. Book 1 of the Musnet series. 2016. 56p. ISBN 978-1-941250-09-9. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

On his own since birth, Mouse travels from place to place looking for work and for his next piece of cheese. Arriving at Giverny, Mouse meets a sassy mouse girl named Mya who directs him towards a hole in the tree where he might find employment. Mouse discovers the hole is inhabited by Rémi, a squirrel painter who is keen on the old ways of the masters. Rémi is cantakerous, but he grudgingly agrees to take Mouse on as an apprentice. Mouse bargains with the old squirrel and in exchange for his work he expects to receive painting lessons.

Worried about him, Mya finds Mouse camping in the back yard. She warns him about the cat that lives here, and invites him to dinner with her parents. After a hearty meal, Mya’s parents invite Mouse to stay with them in this large manor house. Mya guides Mouse to his own room, filled with books and paintings. She also shows him where the human of the house works. His name is Monet, and he is creating huge canvases with unique color schemes filled with light. Right then and there, Mouse decides that’s how he will paint.

Rémi, however, has other ideas as to what constitutes a classic painting. Over the next few days, Mouse learns more about painting, and he even gets some paints of his own. When he creates his first painting, Mya tells him that his signature is missing. But Mouse has never had a name. So Mya says it’s time to pick one, so he selects Musnet, in honor of Monet and his amazing collection of colors.

Drawn in a style made famous by French artists, Musnet is illustrated with the beautiful colors that made impressionism famous. The story is attractive and its illustrated nature provides a visually appealing complement to Musnet and Mya’s tale.

Musnet's adventures continue in Musnet: Impressions of the Master.