Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 1/10/2006
ISBN: 9780743262804
ISBN-10: 0743262808

It's often hard to find gripping accounts of ancient history because of the scarcity of first-hand sources. We're fortunate to have the eyewitness account of Posidonius, an early first century BCE Greek philosopher who ventured into the dangerous and mysterious land of the Celts. Travel along with him to the fascinating and little known world of these ancient people.

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Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 2/1/2005
ISBN: 9780060006921
ISBN-10: 0060006927

History that reads like the best of Edgar Allan Poe or Stephen King? Definitely! Horrible but absolutely true, this gripping page-turner full of vivid description and first-hand accounts immerses the reader in the Middle Ages during a time that was one of the major turning points in Western history.

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Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 9/1/1999
ISBN: 9780312205157
ISBN-10: 0312205155

When I visited Muenster in the early 1980's, I asked a friend what the cages hanging from the spire of the cathedral were for. He replied that during the Reformation, the Catholics and Protestants used to take turns torturing and hanging each other from the cathedral. Well, not quite, but those cages do date from the 16th century religious revolt detailed in this book. A gripping and disturbing account of a particular time and place in the Reformation, and a cautionary tale of the eternal dangers of religious fanaticism.

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Publisher: Doubleday
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 4/1/2004
ISBN: 9780385503495
ISBN-10: 0385503490

While Mayflower and Jamestown tales are a dime a dozen, the history of the North American colony that pre-dated both has been nearly forgotten. This book attempts to amend that by relating the story of the founding of New Amsterdam -- cosmopolitan, mutli-ethnic, with citizens who valued free trade, individual rights and religious freedom. The colony that became New York was founded on concepts much more in line with our current ideals of ourselves than either Plymouth or Jamestown.

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Publisher: Doubleday
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 5/1/2001
ISBN: 9780385495646
ISBN-10: 0385495641

Ripping along like a first-rate thriller, this vivid account of a daring rescue is positively riveting. 531 Allied POW's languish in a horrific Japanese prison camp in the Philippines as 121 US troops slip behind enemy lines to rescue them. The stakes are high in this story of courage, self-sacrifice, and the will to survive.

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Publisher: Bantam Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 3/1/2002
ISBN: 9780553584707
ISBN-10: 0553584707

Catering a wake for her son's teacher leads Goldy Bear into the detective business when rat poison turns up in her food and the police, except for investigator Tom Schulz, begin to treat her like a suspect.

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Publisher: Bantam Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 12/29/2004
ISBN: 9780553575385
ISBN-10: 0553575384

Ned Henry is an historian and time traveler in the future. Suffering from time-lag, a disorienting condition caused by too many trips back in time in a short period, Ned is sent on one more trip, this time to Victorian England. He has an extremely important task to complete. The problem is that Ned is suffering from time-lag. His symptoms include "difficulty distinguishing sounds" as well as slowness in answering and a tendency to get off track. Ned is so befuddled that he doesn't remember what he is supposed to do in Victorian England, he has missed his meeting with his contact and he has seen the most beautiful woman in the world. Whether he is in the past or the future, Ned’s adventures are intriguing and hilarious.

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Publisher: Firebird
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 8/3/2006
ISBN: 9780142406526
ISBN-10: 014240652X

The Scottish ballad of Tam Lin is retold at a Midwestern college in the 1970s. In this version Janet Carter is a new student who along with her roommates, becomes acquainted with a group of boys who are Classics majors. The boys are well versed in Shakespeare as well as classical authors. Thomas Lane is also a student and is trying not to be a Classics major. Can Professor Medous, the head of the Classics Department, force him to change his major? Why would she want to? All the traditional aspects of the ballad reappear yet are given a modern twist. Through the drama of college courses, romance and a Shakespearean mystery the story is leading to the question will Janet be able to save her lover from the Faery Queen?

Publisher: Warner Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 1/1/2003
ISBN: 9780446611930
ISBN-10: 044661193X

Jack Taggart was once an investigative reporter but he has been relegated to the obituary desk. The name of lead singer Jimmy Stoma catches his eye. Jack starts investigating the death of the lead singer of Slut Puppies and begins to suspect that there was foul play. Jack wants to get to the bottom of the mystery but when another member of the Slut Puppies turns up dead it becomes clear that someone doesn't want Jack to figure out the truth. His interactions with people are often colored by the running commentary in his head of famous people who died at the same age as the person he is interacting with. This creates a great mix of suspense and humor.

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Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 5/1/2003
ISBN: 9780786819881
ISBN-10: 078681988X

The bus driver leaves the bus and asks the reader to watch it for him. The reader is left with one important task. Don't let the pigeon drive the bus. You wouldn't think that this would be a problem, but in fact the pigeon, which shows up as soon as the bus driver leaves, really wants to drive the bus. The bulk of the book consists of the pigeon trying to convince the reader to let him drive the bus. This makes for a rollicking good time.

Publisher: Laurel-Leaf
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 12/9/2008
ISBN: 9780385734462
ISBN-10: 0385734468

Jenny is the black sheep of her family. While her entire family revels on the sports page, she’s happy with some paint and canvas. It’s to be expected though, since her father is Donor #142 at the local sperm bank. Jenny yearns to fit in, so begins the journey to find #142. With a hot boy named Tate in tow, she searches for her missing piece, which now includes her half-sister Alexa. This is a really cute and lighthearted funny teen book that has all the ingredients for a top-notch read, drama, love and jealousy!

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Publisher: Harcourt
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 11/1/2007
ISBN: 9780152059767
ISBN-10: 0152059768

Raquel is invisible to her classmates and family, until the night she is hit by a car and dies. This book is told in alternating chapters from Raquel’s friends, family, enemies and even strangers. Each chapter discusses how Raquel’s death affects each person…both good and bad. A quick read that touches on how even someone who thinks she is invisible is also important in everyone’s lives.

Publisher: David Fickling Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 9/25/2007
ISBN: 9780385751551
ISBN-10: 0385751559

Tessa is going to die and there is nothing anyone can do about it. She only has 6 months to live and she intends to live it like a normal teenager. Tessa makes a list of what she wants to do, and right on the top is to have sex. Not on the list is to fall in love, and Adam changes all that…but isn’t it too late for her? This is in my top 5 for 2007. It’s an incredibly sad and powerful book, without being morbid or disturbing and highly recommended as an audiobook.

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Publisher: Razorbill
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/18/2007
ISBN: 9781595141712
ISBN-10: 1595141715

Hannah Baker killed herself and all she left behind were 13 tapes detailing her last few weeks alive. Clay gets a box in the mail with those 13 tapes from Hannah, whom he had an intense crush on. For the next 2 days Clay can’t stop listening, waiting for his name to be heard on the tape, waiting to hear what he did to make Hannah kill herself, waiting to let go of the guilt. This is a great, emotional book that touches on bullying, and how things that seem so minuscule can add up. Also highly recommended as an audiobook.

Publisher: Viz
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 9/26/2006
ISBN: 9781421507644
ISBN-10: 1421507641

Usagi is such a klutz, how is she going to become a ninja when she can’t even pass the kiddie classes? Her grandpa thinks the only way for her to be successful is to marry her off to a handsome lord, who won’t have her because she isn’t a true ninja. This is a great, funny series with lots of action that combines ninja and romance.

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/3/2006
ISBN: 9780374309626
ISBN-10: 0374309620

This is a story about two sisters in the 1850s, one of whom stays on the island off Scotland where they were born, the other of whom immigrates to Cape Breton, Canada with their parents. Each carries a braid comprised of hair from both, and the braid is a metaphor for their connection throughout the years, as they grow up, fall in love, and face challenges. What’s really amazing about this book is its format. It is possible to read it as a straight story, but in fact, it is composed of narrative poems in two alternating voices, linked by praise poems that extol something named in the narrative poems. Frost is amazing in the way she can tell a touching story within a very strict poetic framework.

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Publisher: Clarion Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 5/21/2007
ISBN: 9780618724833
ISBN-10: 0618724834

Another good historical novel this year is The Wednesday Wars, by Gary D. Schmidt, which takes place during Holling Hoodhood’s seventh-grade year, 1967-68 (yes, the sixties are now "historical"). Holling is the only one in his home room who doesn't leave early on Wednesdays to attend religious training (he's the sole Presbyterian in a school full of Catholics and Jews), so he ends up spending the time with his English teacher, reading the plays of Shakespeare. The Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement play their roles, of course, but mostly it's a funny coming-of-age story.

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Publisher: Front Street
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 11/1/2006
ISBN: 9781932425291
ISBN-10: 1932425292

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt reads like a folk tale. When sixteen-year-old Keturah meets Lord Death in the forest, she decides she's not ready to die, so she uses her storytelling skills to bargain with the lord. Caught up in her story, he grants her a day's respite so he can hear the rest and promises that if she finds her true love, he will let her live. It's a beautifully told story with a truly surprising ending.

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/3/2006
ISBN: 9780374146351
ISBN-10: 0374146357

Mark is a 20-something factory worker in Nebraska who rolls his truck late one February night and suffers a brain injury. When he wakes up, his sister Karen is waiting to look after him, but Mark is convinced that Karen is an imposter. Powers weaves together the stories of Mark, Karen, and the famous neurologist who takes an interest in Mark's case, to present an intriguing story of people searching to learn who they really are.

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Publisher: Vintage International
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 3/28/2007
ISBN: 9780307387899
ISBN-10: 0307387895

I read this book six months ago, but it still haunts me. Unlike most of McCarthy's books, it is not set in the West, but rather in an alternative future, in which the world is covered in clouds and ash, and most people are dead. In this harsh landscape, a father and son make their way toward the sea, hoping to find something better there. It sounds grim, and it is at times, but more than that, it is about a father's love for his son, and his desire and willingness to do anything he must to make a better life for him.

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Publisher: Virgin Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 11/13/2007
ISBN: 9781905264124
ISBN-10: 1905264127

As a public institution, people visit the library for lots of different reasons. The author works at a branch library in the Los Angeles area. Sometimes, the peace and tranquility of the library is interrupted with scenes one might expect from a TV police and crime drama. At other times, the after-school students migrate from classes directly to the library. If you have ever wondered what it's like to work at a library, read this book.

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Publisher: Ecco
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/1/2007
ISBN: 9780061349607
ISBN-10: 0061349607

Robert Hass served as Poet Laureate 1995-1997, and this is his latest book of poetry. A Bay Area native, he currently teaches at U.C. Berkeley. This book of poems is written in a succinct manner, yet convey a depth of meaning and imagery that give the reader new insights into topics as varied as relationships, politics, travel, and nature.

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Publisher: Boyds Mills Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 9/1/2003
ISBN: 9781563979996
ISBN-10: 1563979993

This craft book presents a variety of projects using felt. It shows you how to sew, and what to buy before starting a project. Examples of some projects are making a stuffed animal or a purse. Some of the crafts are easier to make, and some are harder. Try one of the crafts, and make your own felt object!

Publisher: Orchard Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 5/1/1988
ISBN: 9780531057520
ISBN-10: 0531057526

John Applefeller has entered the dessert contest for several years, and he has never won. This is because his desserts keep misbehaving. Instead of looking wonderful and tasting delicious, his desserts do things like becoming so sticky that it's the strongest glue in the world, or becoming the bounciest trampoline ever made. This year, John travels in search of someone who can help him finally win the contest.

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 3/1/1987
ISBN: 9780395418512
ISBN-10: 0395418518

Joe the frog refuses to go to bed, no matter what the babysitter says. Read this book, and find out if Joe will go to sleep. If you like this book, also try reading: To the Tub, Out to Lunch, Let's Clean Up!, and Joe on the Go. They are all in the easy reader section, under the author's last name.