In Search of Sasquatch by Kelly Milner Halls

For believers and skeptics, this densely-packed quick read is all about questions that just can't seem to be answered. What is Sasquatch? Learn the history and the theories, uncover sightings, and follow around those who spend their free time trying to catch an ounce of proof of this great being's existence. Science can't quite prove that Big Foot exists; but neither can they disprove it.

Space, Stars, and the Beginning of Time : What the Hubble Telescope Saw by Elaine Scott

For all middle school science fans, this title is a great overview of how we view the world beyond our planet.From the first telescope to the incredible Hubble Space Telescope, though the Big Bang, and all of the black holes, stars, planets, and astronauts in between, there is much to learn about space!

Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way) by Sue Macy

Who would have thought that an intertwining history of bicycling and women's rights would be simply fascinating? Sue Macy presents a comprehensive early history of how the bicycle was created, from the original concept of a two-wheeled "running machine" in 1817, through to the late 19th and early 20th Centuries when bike riding became a more widely accepted method of transportation, exercise, and recreation. While that information, in Macy's text and accompanying pictures and anecdotes, is simply interesting enough to carry the reader on a swiftly-paced journey, the author also ties the evolution of bicycles into the social and political history of the American woman.

At a period in history during which many women were tied to their duties as wives, mothers, and, well, women, bicycles presented a very direct avenue toward freedom and independence. Apparently many girls, who were otherwise always chaperoned, were allowed to go on bike rides alone with groups of friends, including boys. Bicycles were difficult to ride in hoop skirts or long dresses, and so an entire industry began to adjust to split skirts, pants, and shorter wardrobes. Bicycles caught the attention of everyone from Abigail Adams to Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, as well as male and female lawmakers, advertisers, manufacturers, and entertainers.

The freedom that many women take for granted in America today often doesn't exist in

other countries. In many ways, this book exists as a nod to the bicycle for changing the way women were treated and the way women behaved in American history, but it also begs for the inclusion of bicycles in everyday life in places like Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya in Africa as encouragement to young girls to keep moving forward . . ..

Reviewed (and highly recommended!) by kate the librarian.

Requiem : Poems of the Terezin Ghetto by Paul B. Janeczko

Paul Janeczko is an award-winning author for youth and is best known for his lyricism and poetry, as well as his ability to tackle harsh topics with a simple hand.

Requiem takes on the lives of those who fought and suffered during the Nazi war era in Czechoslovakia. Verses based upon real incidents of cruelty, love, oppression, and innocence are told in a straightforward voice, and the various perspectives of war are gracefully acknowledged. Though this title may not have appeal to all readers, it's another important look at how the horrors of war affect all ages, abilities, religions, and sides.

Reviewed by kate the librarian.

The Cowgirl Way : Hats Off to America's Women of the West by Holly George-Warren

I'm starting to go through the huge lists that we need to whittle down in order to come up with nominations for the Garden State Teen Book Award.  Starting in January, librarians throughout NJ will begin deliberations for the 2013 ballot!  Wow.  I can't wait to see what's going to be on it -- and what the winners will be -- but 2013 seems so far away!  In the meantime, voting is up for the 2012 Award, so check out some of those great titles; VOTE HERE!

The Cowgirl Way is a pretty exciting history of famous, inspiring, and incredibly brave women who traveled and settled the Old West, who were Wild West show girls, rodeo stars, movie stars, and even dangerous outlaws and rebels.  Starting with the notoriety of Calamity Jane, through the Annie Oakley movies of the 1950's, and bringing readers right up to present-day Cowgirl Halls of Fame and the Women's Professional Rodeo Association, this is an account of true stories, sensationalized tales, and honest struggles of women who have solidified the image of strength, fashion, and fearlessness of the historical and modern cowgirl.

Far from dry, the content and images found on these pages are nothing short of fascinating.  A great read for all ages and interests; this book might even inspire readers to seek out more reading, classic movies, and updated biographies to learn more!

Reviewed by kate the librarian.

Newes from the Dead by Mary Hooper

Anne Green is dead.  All of Oxford was there to see her hanged for the crime of infanticide.  Even Anne Green knows that she's dead.

Told in alternating perspectives – that of Anne Green as well as that of the doctors examining her body following her public hanging – this is the story of the events leading to Anne’s eventual conviction.  However, in an unbelievable turn of events, a roomful of witnesses notice a twitch in Anne Green’s body, and none are able to deny when she takes a breath of air.  A mixture of history, science, and mystery, this story captures the attention of even the most skeptical of readers.  Recommended especially to early high school readers looking for something different – maybe for an unexpectedly pleasant read to satisfy a historical fiction reading requirement?

Reviewed by kate the librarian.

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

Cordelia Grey wants much more out of life than to be married young and stuck in her hometown of Union, Ohio with a whole bunch of babies and unfulfilled dreams.  She wants to go to New York City and be somebody.  So that plan is that she and her best friend, Letty Haubstadt, will hop on a train immediately following Cordelia's wedding, a ceremony that the two parties were being forced into, though one of them was a much more willing participant than the other.  And, no doubt about it, the very next day, Letty and Cordelia step off that train onto the streets New York City.

It is 1929.  Neither girl knows a soul in the big city, but both are looking for something very special.  Letty wants to be a star . . . has always wanted to be a star.  In her family of four other siblings, Letty was always the invisible one, despite her obvious talents for singing and performing.  She's convinced that NYC can offer her all the opportunity she'll need in order to shine.  Cordelia -- under the cover of simply wanting a bigger and better life for herself -- is desperately looking for her father, with whom she has never had any contact.  Astrid Donal is from a wealthy Long Island family, NYC-born, raised, and cultured.  She's currently dating Charlie Grey, the son of a big city mobster, and she takes an immediate and lasting liking to Cordelia when the daring young woman sneaks into Mr. Grey's birthday party at the guarded White Cove estate.

There is a different fate in store for each of these three young women, each finding her own way in a tricky big city world, and the author certainly has a knack for keeping the reader wanting to know what happens next to each of them.  With a plethora of romance, adventure, and history, this series opener is recommended most to high school girls.

Reviewed by kate the librarian.

Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

Almost every who learns through the American school systems knows all about Abraham Lincoln, elected the sixteenth President of the United States of America. President Lincoln led the states though the Civil War and supported the Union's mission to abolish slavery. Everyone (who paid attention in history class) also knows that President Lincoln was fatally shot in 1861 at Ford's Theatre by John Wilkes Booth. But how much do we know about John Wilkes Booth . . . and his almost-successful attempt at escape?

Booth, a well-known theater actor and active Confederate sympathizer, shot Abraham Lincoln while the President sat in the President's Box at Ford's Theatre alongside his wife and friends. He intricately planned the assassination attempt down to the minute, at a time when he knew the lone actor on stage would deliver a line that would set the audience into a fit of loud laughter. Almost no one heard the shot. And while many saw Booth trying to escape the theater, no one caught him. Most were preoccupied with the shock of the lifeless President, who wasn't quite willing to let the bullet lodged in his brain take his body so soon.

Experience the melodrama of one of the most important moments in American history with the images portrayed in this fascinating account of the life and death of two well-known men. Read and read-aloud, this tale is sure to capture your the attention!
Call number: YA 973.7092 SWANSON; Playaway 973.7 SWANSON (with Adult Media on the first floor); also available on CD by request through the BCCLS catalog!

Reviewed by kate the librarian