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Welcome to The Bookies' Latest Update!
February 21 2017 Issue 2
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New Titles for Black History Month
Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina--Young Readers' Edition
Misty Copeland
Aladdin, $17.99
The power of dreams in action! This is a middle grade version of Misty Copeland's bestselling memoir about her chaotic and underprivileged childhood and how she overcame it to become the first African-American principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre.
Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History
Walter Dean Myers
HarperCollins, $17.99
Brand-new picture book biography for early elementary ages about Frederick Douglass. A great way to introduce Douglass and his achievements to younger children.
My Life, My Love, My Legacy
Coretta Scott King as told to the Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds
Henry Holt, $30
Politically active from an early age, Coretta Scott King grew into a powerful figure after the death of her husband, Martin Luther King Jr, working for world peace, and promoting rights for women, gay people and workers. A fascinating read about love, family and activism.
The March Against Fear: The Last Great Walk of the Civil Rights Movement and the Emergence of Black Power
Ann Bausum
National Geographic, $18.99
Told for young adults, this is the story of how one man's peaceful march for voter registration became one of the South's most important demonstrations of the civil rights movement, resulting in the creation of the Black Power Movement. After the attempted assassination of original lone walker, James Meredith, the march united current and future leaders on a 200-mile walk. For more about race in America, look out for the new documentary
I Am Not Your Negro and listen to James Baldwin's words
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Stretching our Brains by Reading New Genres
We like to start the year with something new: by reading a new genre. If that appeals to you, then the New York Public Library has some great suggestions in their feature,
Round Out Your Reading This Year. We particularly like the idea of their genre sampler pack. In the meantime, here is what our Bookies tried out.
I read two young adult novels. One was
The Sun is Also a Star, which has been named a Printz Honor book. It is a love story, but so much more. It was delightful. The other was
The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancy. This is the first book in a trilogy. A high school student becomes involved in stealing and protecting a sword. This sword turns out to be King Arthur's Excalibur. Lots of adventure and suspense.
I don't normally read mysteries, but picked up
Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker based on a fellow Bookies' recommendation. The story takes place in a small French village where not much happens, until a murder is committed. The fast-paced story focuses more on atmosphere, subplots and character development, rather than discovering multiple clues and figuring it all out. The good news is that this is the first in a series!
A few months ago, a Bookies customer raved about the book, The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister, in which an endearing group of students in a cooking class connect with the teacher and each other in surprising ways. I will recommend that book to readers confidently. Now I'm going to read Blood, Bones and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton on another Bookies customer's recommendation!
Shona
I don't read much adult literary fiction, but there was something about Idaho by Emily Ruskovich that appealed to me. It's the story of a murder and a tragedy and their impact on an isolated Idaho family and the people around them. I usually like more action and plot-driven books, but this is a mostly introspective piece, told in different voices. The beautiful storytelling and strong characterization really kept the book moving for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There's a longer review on our blog.
I read an inspiration/psychology book, Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living by Krista Tippett (coming out in paperback at the end of February). While not a new genre for me, what is new is that it's a synthesis of podcast wisdom, gleaned through the author's conversations with superstars of thought. I found it to be cutting edge thought for our difficult times and I flagged or highlighted on nearly every page. She organizes reflection and conversations she has had into five themes: Words, Body, Love, Faith, Hope. Words, because she says we have outlived our faith in facts to tell the whole story. Body, because she has come to realize that our capacity to reach beyond ourselves is dependent on how fully we are planted in our bodies. Love, as the only aspiration big enough for the immensity of the human community and challenges in the 21st century. Faith, because all the spiritual wisdom of the ages is openly accessible as never before and we are free to craft our spiritual lives. Hope, not as optimism or idealism, but as a choice that becomes spiritual muscle memory---a renewable resource for moving through life as it is, not as we wish it to be.
Tracy
I read The Soul of an Octopus
by Sy Montgomery. I rarely read nonfiction science books, but I loved this one! I happened to start thumbing through it, and after reading two pages, I was hooked! The author tells her experience in such a way that the reader just bonds with these creatures and their caretakers. This book really makes you want to go and pet an octopus--at least I do!
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Book Set on Diversity and Global Awareness
When we attended the
Colorado Council International Reading Association (CCIRA) conference on literacy, we took several book sets that focused on current topics. One of the most popular was our set on Diversity and Global Awareness. Click on the image or title to see more information about each book!
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New Favorites: The Latest Picture Books About Animals
Bee: A Peek-Through Picture Book
Britta Teckentrup
Clever peek-a-boo cutouts add to the charm of this book about the busy life of a bee. A colorful and lively read that shows readers the interaction between bee and plants in our environment.
Tony
Ed Galing
Roaring Brook Press, $16.00
A beautiful poem combined with dreamy pastel illustrations. A wonderful book for bedtime or to calm down a fractious child.
Rabbit Magic
Meg McLaren
Clarion, $16.99
Houdini the Rabbit is the adorable assistant to magician M. Lapin, and caretaker to all the other rabbits in the show. But when a spell goes wrong, Houdini and M. Lapin swap places! So who's going to look after the other rabbits now that Houdini is too busy being a magician? Super-cute chubby bunnies scatter every page of this fun book, getting up to different kinds of mischief.
The Blobfish Book
Jessica Olien
Balzer & Bray, $17.99
Is this a book about deep sea creatures, or about Blobfish? You'll learn a lot about both. But Blobfish would like to see more about himself, and you have to see his reaction when he reads that he's the ugliest fish in the sea... Science, fun and fiction in one book!
The Runaway Bunny
Margaret Wise Brown,
Clement Hurd
HarperCollins, $7.99
Celebrate 75 years of this beloved classic that has never been out of print!
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Malala: Activist for Girls' Education
This beautifully illustrated book, Malala: Activist for Girls' Education by Raphaelle Frier, is a wonderful way to introduce younger children to Malala Yousafzi. The world's youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala is an icon for educational activism, surviving an assassination attempt at the age of only 15 to become an inspirational figure around the world.
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Something a Little Different
Maureen Corrigan from NPR has chosen her Best Books of 2016---and it's a fascinating list with all the books, as she comments, covering serious and tough topics.
Voting is still going on for the Denver A-List! Please share The Bookies love by voting for us here.
Thank you for your patience while we closed over the weekend so we could take inventory. We're back with a fully updated record of what's in stock!
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