May We Suggest?

May We Suggest?This blog provides customized book recommendations to our patrons. To get your own, just fill out the May We Suggest form and you can expect results within 10 days. You can also like May We Suggest on facebook.

 

Looking for a book that will keep you turning pages? This list features unique fiction titles, many with strong female protagonists, for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Jonathan Safran Foer, and Tara Westover.

Also available in: e-book | audiobook | e-audiobook | large print

For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Her interactions with other people, however, leave her open to suspicion.

The vanishing half by Brit Bennett
Also available in: e-book | large print

Weaving together multiple generations, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is both a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the history of passing. The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores the multiple reasons and realms in which people feel pulled to live as something other than their origins.

Thorndyke the Bear in a Mask on the Childrens Reference Desk

 

Hey Kids,

I've been at the library for a long time, which means I have a lot of memories about the library. These memories include the outfits I've worn, the programs I've attended, the librarians I've worked with, and all the improvements that have taken place at the library. Do you have library memories? I would love to get a letter or drawing about your memories in the mail

I've had a lot of time to think about my library memories lately. Recently I wrote a little bit about how difficult change can be, but one of the good parts of change is that it gives you a reason to revisit old memories. Sometimes these are memories of another person, or a place, or of yourself when you were younger. Sometimes they are sad, but they can be funny or happy, too. Sometimes you might feel differently about the memory than you did during the actual experience. Sometimes two people have different memories about the same experience.

It can be very fun to ask your parents, grandparents, or other family members about their memories and stories from their childhood. But memories are not just about the past: you are making new memories RIGHT NOW. You can help your future self remember by writing down what happens to you, or by making a memory book.

Below, I included some memories of the different Reference Desks: do you remember these? There are also some books about memories you can put on hold and check out. Enjoy your stroll down memory lane!

Bear Hugs,

Thorndyke

Thorndyke Sitting at the Reference Desk

Have you read all of the stories about a certain curious little monkey? Looking for some more fun reads? Check out this list of books that are like Curious George and even has some that are maybe a little different.

Secret pizza party by 1983- Adam Rubin
Boston's massacre by Eric Hinderaker

On the night of March 5, 1770, British soldiers fired into a crowd gathered in front of Boston's Custom House, killing five people. Denounced as an act of unprovoked violence and villainy, the event that came to be known as the Boston Massacre is one of the most familiar incidents in American history, yet one of the least understood. Eric Hinderaker revisits this dramatic episode, examining in forensic detail the facts of that fateful night, the competing narratives that molded public perceptions at the time, and the long campaign afterward to transform the tragedy into a touchstone of American identity.

Realistic fiction is just like it sounds, fiction that could actually happen or seems plausible. Wonder by R. J. Palacio is a prime example of this genre. Realistic fiction can take place in the current time, or from times past. This type of realistic fiction is referred to as historical. An example of a popular historical fiction novel is The War that Saved my Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. These days books written for Middle-Grade readers are better than ever now, with many authors touching on topics that are timely and could have been borrowed from headlines past and present. Below are some new novels in this genre, as well as some backlist bumps toward the bottom.  

Planet Earth is blue by Nicole Panteleakos

Autistic and nearly nonverbal, twelve-year-old Nova is happy in her new foster home and school, but eagerly anticipates the 1986 Challenger launch, for which her sister, Bridget, promised to return

Nowhere boy by Katherine Marsh

 

Fourteen-year-old Ahmed, a Syrian refugee living on his own in Brussels, Belgium, meets Max, a thirteen-year-old American boy, and the two form an important friendship

Young Adult dystopian books remain popular. Dystopian novels are set in an alternate setting that can have similarities to the world we know. Many of the books and seem to focus on female protagonists and give attention to intersections involving race, gender, power and empowerment, sexuality, class, and social justice issues. Though these novels are set in a fictional future, some of them seem eerily familiar and not too far fetched. We are going to start with newer titles below, and then there are some backlist bumps near the bottom. Enjoy! 

Newer Dystopian:

Leyla McQueen, who lives beneath the ruins of a submerged London in 2099, joins a prestigious submersible race in the hope of clearing her father's name before encountering government corruption and a hidden world. 

Looking for a new series to read? Check out these newer series for readers who love to read with a continuing cast of characters! See read-alike suggestions next to each book to pick a great new series today.

The haunted house next door by Andres Miedoso

This series is about a ghost hunting investigator and is recommended for lovers of Eerie Elementary and The Haunted Library. 

Upbeat STEAM-based fiction with a lovable cast of characters perfect for fans of Pete the Cat and Mercy Watson. 

Each year, the Eisner Awards are given to the best Graphic Novels for kids, teens, and adults. Here are your 2020 nominees in the Kids Graphic Novels:

Best Publication for Early Readers

The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards are the "Oscars" of the comics world. Check below to access eBook or borrow print copies of many award nominees. Visit the San Diego Comic-Con site for the complete list of nominees

Best Continuing Series

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