Reading in the Garden

A Monster Book in the Style of  Hotel Transylvania  The day before Halloween is a perfect time to introduce you to a monster book that is not so much creepy, but oh so funny! Bolt is an orphaned boy adopted unseen by a baron in Vogelplatz (bird place), Brugaria.  But something isn’t quite right in this German-like town with cobblestone streets and timber-framed homes, where people sing folk songs like “One, Two, Buckle My Lederhosen,” or “She’ll Be Coming Around the Fjord When She Comes.”  Before Bolt even arrives by train, he is told to beware of the penguins—vicious, marauding, beastly birds. And that’s not all.  It seems the townsfolks are terrified of his soon-to-be new father, the Baron Chordata.  Every time his name is mentioned, someone screams and faints, an ongoing gag. The playful quips and knee-slappers continue through the book and had me laughing on each page.  I  loved  this book!  Although it’s marketed toward kids ages 8-12, ANYONE with a silly sense of humor

Immortalized Mummies, Daddies, and Children.    Marketed as a juvenile non-fiction book intended for ages 10-14, this book provides a fascinating look at mummies for  any  age ! The macabre tour offers interesting information about preserved bodies discovered hundreds to thousands of years after their deaths.  Whether intentionally mummified or by the hand of Nature, frozen in ice or peat bogs, etc., the mummies are amazing time capsules from the past telling us about the people’s diets, possible lifestyles, and deaths. Packed with full-color photos, we can see a skull sporting a man bun, a tattooed princess, and what’s lurking in what one man thought was a bronze statue.   Creepily captivating! Happy Reading! Annette

Putting a Face to War.    Told in a series of flashbacks, the narrator describes an arduous journey he and his wife must undertake to escape the ravages of war in their hometown of Aleppo. This is a real war that is still raging today and the author transforms images of distant refugees that we may see only as quick flashes on the news into flesh and blood people. Instead of statistics from a foreign land, they become, Nuri and Afra, both affected differently by heart-breaking tragedy. A deeply moving book I won’t soon forget! It would make a good book club selection because there is a lot to discuss from the emotional as well as physical effects of the war and the hope that propels the couple forward.   Annette 

Impressive Impressionists Get ready for total immersion into the lives and times of the impressionists!  This book brings all the paintings and facts you may have collected about the artists and puts them in a clear perspective. Following them year by year, Sue Roe explains how they found and influenced each other and how their surroundings, events, and family members played into their artwork.  It’s a fascinating, in-depth look into the obstacles and struggles that confronted the shocking new painters who put ordinary people and landscapes on light-filled canvases.   This book will give you a whole new appreciation of French impressionist art and have you planning out your dream trip to museums so you can see these masterpieces with your own eyes (sigh).  WARNING : While there are several full-color pages of the impressionists’ art in the book, you may have to upgrade your phone data plan before diving in, because you’ll no doubt be burning up the minutes searching for