Overlooked in history
Vanessa Riley's historical novel is a sweeping, powerful story based on the lives of two remarkable women, nearly forgotten in history.
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Book reviews by library staff and guest contributors
Vanessa Riley's historical novel is a sweeping, powerful story based on the lives of two remarkable women, nearly forgotten in history.
Thirteen-year-old Mina's dreams of Olympic glory are dashed when she crashes to the ice during a figure skating competition and breaks her arm. Overcome with emotion and pain, Mina waits in the emergency room to learn her fate while her self-involved mother freaks out about her daughter's lost chances at Olympic gold. Two representatives from PRD, the Paranormal Roller Derby, are hiding in the wings and witness this scenario. They kidnap Mina and whisk her away to a secret lair for vampire roller derby.
Joy comes in many forms in The Yellow Bus by Loren Long. We see the new yellow school bus carrying children from home to school. “And they filled her with joy.” Then, the bus has a new life driving older riders to the library and to country parks. They, too, “filled her with joy.” The illustrations show the sunshine yellow of the bus and everything in and around the bus drenched in color. Beyond these bright colors, the rest of the page is muted and in greyscale. This makes the yellow bus always pop off the page.
Makiia Lucier wowed me a few years ago with a book I've re-read many times. Her Year of the Reaper was set in a fully realized fantasy world and featured a flawed, but honorable, protagonist facing impossible choices with much grace and compassion. Since reading it, I've been eagerly waiting for Lucier's next. And here it is.
I was pleasantly surprised when gathering material for this month’s Sweet Anticipation. February tends to have the reputation as a tedious month, something to be borne between the highs of the holidays and the anticipation of springtime. But the memo apparently didn’t make it to publishers, who are releasing an impressive array of titles across all genres, making who would make the cut to this month’s list a tougher call than usual. On to the selections:
Erin Entrada Kelly’s second Newbery win has her and her fans (old and new) jumping for joy!
Long before the days of cellphones and food delivery apps, demae (cycling deliverymen) used bicycles and amazing acrobatic balancing skills to deliver trays of steaming soba (buckwheat) noodles to hungry residents of Tokyo. The neighborhood kids all wonder, how do they manage those tottering towers of tasty food and stacks of breakable dishes while steering through the crowded streets with one hand on the handlebars? What would happen if the kids tried that too?
This gorgeously illustrated nonfiction picture book shows the unique ecosystem of a whale fall. A massive blue whale dies, and her decomposing body nourishes various marine life, from scavengers to microorganisms, on the ocean floor over more than a century. Jason Chin’s watercolors beautifully depict the process in all its phases.
There's a new baby at Zachary's house and he is thrilled to be a big brother. Best of all, it's his sister's very first Shabbat, and today she will be welcomed into her Jewish faith community when her name is announced publicly for the first time. On the walk to the synagogue, Zachary, Mama and Mommy encounter many neighbors eager to meet the newest member of the family. "Want to come with us to her naming ceremony?" Zachary invites. Of course they all do, and of course we readers want to come, too!
Chooch is the baby. Well, he's not really a baby anymore, but anytime Chooch makes a mess, everyone says, "He's just usdi. Let him help." To Sissy, it feels like Chooch can get away with anything. He helps Elisi paint a mural, Etsi sew moccasins, and Edutsi make grape dumplings. Anyone who has ever let a toddler "help" with something can imagine how this goes, and when he helps Sissy make a clay pot she finally loses patience.