Library Notes Week of October 12

We are starting up our Teen Advisory Board after the summer break. Unfortunately the members all graduated and we need some new members. If you are or know a high school student who would be interested in planning activities in the library for our local teens have them get in touch with KJ at the library. This is a once a month meeting, you get school credit and get to plan cool activities.

KJ has provided us with some reviews this week. Pass them on to young people you know or check them out for yourself.

The Witch’s Guide to Cooking with Children by Keith McGowan.
If you’ve read and enjoyed Linda Buckley-Archer’s Fairy Tale Detectives series or Lemony Snicket’s works, you might enjoy this as well. Keith McGowan’s first novel for ages 9-14 is a modernized version of Hansel & Gretel. Fay Holaderry starts the book with a “cautionary tale” telling how she gets her victims/dinners. The story includes secrets, surprises and courageous deeds as we follow the Blink children unraveling their parents’ sinister plot.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. In this sequel to the much acclaimed Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peetta Mellark are still alive, and how they managed to stay that way has ticked off The Capitol big-time. This is fueled by the fact that Katniss has become the face of the growing rebellion among the subjects of this dystopian society.

Click by David Almond, Eoin Colfer, Roddy Doyle, Deborah Ellis, Nick Hornby, Margo Lanagan, Gregory Maguire, Ruth Ozeki, Linda Sue Park & Tim Wynne-Jones. This book is labeled, “One Novel Ten Authors.” Each author contributed a chapter of the story revolving around the death of “Gee” Keane, (a world-famous photographer) and the items he left to grandchildren, Maggie and Jason. Maggie’s legacy was a wooden box with sea seven shells that Gee had collected from around the world. Inside, was a note that told her to “throw them all back.” Jason inherited a camera and a box of photographs. From there, the novel branches off into a number of different directions. Each chapter is a spin-off of the first. Each author used his/her own style. Even so, they fit together nicely. Taken as a whole, they demonstrate how we are all interrelated in this world.

Library Notes Week of September 28

From September 26 through October 3 libraries and bookstores celebrate Banned Books Week. This is the only national celebration of the freedom to read. It was launched in 1982 after a sudden surge in the number of challenged books in schools, bookstores and libraries. We will have a display in the library and you may be surprised by the books you find on the challenged list.

We have some new books you might enjoy. Stop in an check one out. Here are a few to tempt you.

That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo. Griffin has been driving around for nearly a year with his father’s ashes in the trunk, but his mother is very much alive. He and his wife, Joy, are driving to the Cape for the marriage of their daughter Laura’s best friend. The Cape is where he and Joy honeymooned, in the course of which they drafted the Great Truro Accord, a plan for their lives together that’s now thirty years old and has largely come true. But be careful what you pray for. A year later, a far more important wedding takes place, their beloved Laura’s. This time Griffin’s chauffeuring two urns of ashes as he contends once more with Joy and her large, unruly family, and both he and she have brought dates along. How in the world could this have happened?

A Plague of Secrets by John T. Lescroart. The first victim is Dylan Vogler, a charming ex-convict who manages the Bay Beans West coffee shop in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district. When his body is found, inspectors discover that his knapsack is filled with high-grade marijuana. It soon becomes clear that San Francisco’s A-list flocked to Bay Beans West not only for their caffeine fix.But how much did Maya Townshend—the beautiful socialite niece of the city’s mayor, and the absentee owner of the shop—know about what was going on inside her business? And how intimate had she really been with Dylan, her old college friend?

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe. After moving into her grandmother's crumbling house to get it in shape for sale, Connie comes across a small key and piece of paper reading only Deliverance Dane. The Salem witch trials, contemporary Wicca and women's roles in early American history figure prominently as Connie does her academic detective work. What follows is a breezy read in which Connie must uncover the mystery of a shadowy book written by the enigmatic Deliverance Dane.

Library Notes Week of September 21

Summer Reading is officially over and was great fun. If you had a student who participated and completed the required number of hours to finish, they need to stop by and pick up a free paperback. If you are not sure if they “finished” the names are listed by the paperbacks. We also want to congratulate Heather Henriksen who won the drawing for a bike and helmet. Another winner was Amanda Grant who participated in the teen program. She won a basket full of gift certificates, a movie, candy and other fun stuff.


Our Children’s Specialist, KJ Cooper has provided the reviews this week. These are some of the latest young adult and juvenile books the library has on its shelves.

The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti. This cautionary tale about a family of women with the worst collective luck with relationships rings true. The action surrounds Quinn, a seventeen year old girl who is just dumped by her boyfriend who she doesn’t even like that much. Quinn discovers that her father (who has just begun taking an interest in her and her little sister) stole more than the hearts of the women in his life. Quinn contacts her older half-sister and together with her younger sister and an gorgeous guy, set out to restore treasures to their rightful owners

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow. Using the name Lillith Saintcrow, the author has written two adult fantasy series. In her first book for Young Adults, she introduces sixteen-year-old Dru Anderson. Dru and her dad travel the land hunting dangerous supernatural beings (wulfen, blood suckers and zombies to name a few). She is more of a Harry Potter than a Bella Swan (even though she is dealing with vampires and werewolves and is in the center of a potential love-triangle), Dru is tough and can take care of herself or so she thinks until her father comes back from a hunt a changed “man”.

Stolen by Vivian Vande Velde. The main character is running in the woods, but she has no idea why. For that matter, she doesn’t remember any part of her life before that point. Then she hears the dogs. The girl is taken in by an older couple who have six year old Ravyn living with them. As they nurse her back to health after being attacked by the dogs, she learns of the disappearance of another child, Isabel, six years before, a baby who just disappeared (both from the same family) and the witch who lived in the woods who is blamed for both disappearances. Word gets around the village and Isabel’s parents come to claim her and take her home where she meets her suspicious eighteen year old sister, Honey.

Library Notes Week of August 31st

School is right around the corner. If you have a student in the La Conner School District be aware that we have some fantastic homework help links on our web page. The World Book Reference Center and American Indian History Online are great resources for students (and adults). You will need a password, but just give us a call and we can give it to you. The Rotary Club of La Conner pays for these two resources annually and we appreciate their support.

If you need a new read, stop by and check out one of these books.

The Moon Looked Down by Dorothy Garlock. When WWII breaks out, many Americans find their lives turned upside down, few more so than the Heller family. Seeking refuge from Hitler-controlled Germany, the Hellers had moved to smalltown Victory, Ill., only to find themselves, 10 years later, suspected by their neighbors of being Nazis. Feeling the threat to her family grow, headstrong 20-year-old Sophie Heller also feels powerless to stop it; soon, however, she meets a handsome, similarly frustrated schoolteacher named Cole Ambrose, whose bad leg prevents him from enlisting. Their instant attraction is, naturally defied by racist townsfolk bent on keeping them apart by whatever means necessary.

Guardian of Lies by Steve Martini. Katia, who's living with creepy Emerson Pike, a man old enough to be her grandfather, in a dilapidated estate surrounded by an expensive security fence, decides to return home to Costa Rica. In her flight, she just misses running into the legendary assassin known as the Mexecutioner, who sneaks into Pike's house.

Gone to the Dogs by Mary Guterson. Twenty something Rena, part-time Jew and full-time waitress, is depressed and moping after being dumped for another woman. In a mad moment, she steals her ex’s dog, and in the process of caring for Big Guy, she starts to recover from her depression and realizes it’s time to move on from her college apartment, job, and lifestyle.

Library Notes week of August 10

We have had a great time this summer with the various summer reading activities. One that is great fun is Reading with Lukas. Lukas is a trained reading buddy dog who is coming to the library every Tuesday morning from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Children in grade school can sign up for 10 minutes of reading aloud to Lucas. Studies show that this simple act can improve kids reading skills since he is a noncritical listener. Call us to sign up your child.

This week KJ, our Children’s Specialist, has provided us with some book reviews of recent young adult titles.

Michele Obama; An American Story by David Colbert. In 151 pages, this biography gives you a quick overview of our newest First Lady’s life and helps you understand the woman behind the President. Descended from an illiterate slave, the Robinsons emphasized the importance of an education, so both Michelle and her brother excelled in school. Instead of parlaying her Ivy League degree into a lucrative career as a lawyer, Michelle chose to work to better her community and now, the country.

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry. This is Ms. Berry’s first novel and it shows great promise. Lucinda Chapdelaine lost her parents and their wealthy lifestyle at a young age. She was sent to live with her uncle (by marriage) and his second wife to live a Cinderella-like existence in their jewelry shop. Enter a mysterious lady with an even more mysterious gem stone, a prince and a thief. What ensues is a life-threatening adventure with underlying enchantment and romance that keeps you turning pages and wanting more.

Killer—a Pretty Little Liars Book by Sara Shepard. Hanna, Aria, Spencer and Emily are the liars for whom this series is named. Their lives of privilege are disrupted once again by murder…or is it? The body didn’t stay put long enough for law enforcement to record it. Their nemesis, an unknown texter named “A” threatens that Spencer could be next if she doesn’t figure things out. Reader reviews call this installment the best one yet. Warning: these books are not “stand-alones.” To really understand what is going on, you need to read the series.

Library Notes Week of July 13

We have some great programs coming up. Don’t miss Kimmy the Clown, July 14, 10 a.m. at the library. Kimmy enjoys encouraging children and adults to explore their imaginations and creativity, thus bringing a multitude of smiles and laughter! Making people comfortable in social settings and filling the room with laughter has always been one of Kimmy's attributes. Her high energy and bubbly personality is one that can charm any crowd; babies, young children, teens and adults!

Then we have Jennifer Bradbury, July 22, 11 a.m. at the High School Library. Jennifer Bradbury is an English teacher living in Burlington. She has written a popular teen book called Shift. Jennifer will be doing a writing workshop for our teens.

KJ has supplied the reviews this week. If you have someone interested in Young Adult books, recommend one of these.

Miles to Go by Miley Cyrus. At a grand old age of 16, Miley Cyrus has written her memoirs (at least she recognizes she’s got a lot of life yet to live). This collection of her thoughts and memories is written in a chatty style reminiscent of notes passed in history class. Fans of Hannah Montana aka Miley Stewart aka Miley Cyrus will enjoy this glimpse into her real world.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. When Nobody Owens’ family is murdered, Bod was toddling out of the house into the nearby graveyard. He is raised and educated by ghosts and a guardian who moves between the worlds of the living and the dead. Gaiman was inspired by Kipling’s classic, The Jungle Book and the chapters are a series of episodes as Bod grows from a baby to a teen. The Graveyard Book combines ghost story with a coming of age novel to the delight of readers who like quirky and creepy fare.

Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty. The fifth and final installment of the McCafferty’s Jessica Darling series starts with her running into ex-boyfriend Marcus Flutie. This finale takes place at the Newark Airport and centers around Jessica and Marcus. It is the only book of the series that is told in the third person, giving the reader the opportunity to understand Marcus without Jessica’s filters. Most of the book is conversation and that may put off some readers, but most agree this is a satisfactory conclusion to the series.

Sign up now to get a part in the Teen Murder Mystery Party – Death of a Vampire. The party is Friday, August 7th, 6:30 p.m. at the La Conner Regional Library. Pizza, pop and frights will be part of the evening.

Library Notes Week of June 29th

We are looking forward to the 4th of July parade this Saturday. I think the Friends of the Library will have an entry pushing some book carts and with any luck we will have a couple of people holding the library’s summer reading banner to remind everyone that children need to be reading this summer. Hope to see you there!

Stop in and check out a book from our new book shelf. Here are a few you
might be interested in.

Knockout by Catherine Coulter. FBI agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock have their hands full when Savich is caught in a bank holdup near his Washington, D.C., home. The vicious attack leaves the criminal leader dead and his injured teen daughter swearing revenge. She manages to escape, leading the FBI on a bloody chase.

A Trace of Smoke by Rebecca Cantrell. It’s 1931 in Berlin, and though the Weimar Republic has begun to crumble, the celebrated decadence of the era remains in full flower. Hannah Vogel is a crime reporter, on intimate terms with Berlin’s underbelly, but that doesn’t protect her from the shock of seeing her brother’s picture posted in the police department’s Hall of the Unnamed Dead. She’s reluctant to make a formal identification until she knows what happened to him; scandal may lurk behind his death, as Ernst was a cross-dressing cabaret star whose list of male lovers included at least one Nazi leader.

Fugitive by Phillip Margolin. Oregon attorney Amanda Jaffe takes on the case of a lifetime when she is tapped to defend Charlie Marsh, aka Guru Gabriel Sun. Marsh was a prisoner whose freedom came when he saved the life of a guard during a riot. He then changed his name and published a book in which he spoke of how you, too, could achieve personal transformation. The public ate it up, especially the wife of a U.S. congressman. After the congressman’s murder, both his wife and Marsh stood trial for the crime. Before the verdict was read, though, Marsh escaped, landing in Batanga, Africa. When Marsh finds he might be caught for bedding one of the tyrant’s wives he realizes that a trial in the U.S. bodes better for him than punishment at the hands of Batanga’s cruel ruler.