Newmarket Public Library
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Staff Picks
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford as reviewed by Fiona Rodriguez
The book opens with Henry Lee our main character coming across a crowd of interested onlookers outside the Panama Hotel in what used to be Seattle’s Japantown. The Panama Hotel has been boarded up for decades and the new owner has made an unexpected discovery: the personal belongings of several local Japanese families, belongings that were left behind when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II.
Seeing some of these items takes Henry back to the 1940’s and to a childhood of confusion and excitement. Henry’s father is a Chinese immigrant with a fierce dislike for the Japanese and a great desire to see his son grow up American. While being educated at the exclusive Ranier Elementary, where he is one of two non-white students, he meets Keiko Okabe a young Japanese American student. Henry and Keiko build a bond of friendship and innocent love that makes Henry’s father, in particular, very nervous.
Forty years later, Henry Lee, now a widower, is trying to make peace with the behaviour of his nationalistic father, the gap between him and his modern, Chinese American son and the choices he made many years ago.
Set during one of the most uncertain times in American history, Henry and Keiko show that friendship and love can overcome almost anything.
Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier, an Audiobook review by Diane Austin
Ever wonder how to pass the time on those long drives to the cottage, while painting or staining the front porch or just catching up with the ironing? Some of us turn on the radio or the television as a distraction but there is a more interesting alternative especially if you haven’t found time to catch up on all those books you’ve been meaning to read. If you are a multi-tasker like me, an audio book can be a pleasant way to pass the time when faced with tedious or time-consuming tasks.
Available in disc, Playaway or downloadable formats, the Newmarket Public Library offers a large selection of titles from which to choose. While some of the books are read by a single person, many of them have multiple readers which provide a more vivid impression of the personality of each character.
The sound recording of Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier, is read by two women whom I felt did an excellent job of portraying female palaeontologists Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot. The story is based on early fossil discoveries in Lyme Regis, England in the 1800’s. However, more fascinating than the description of these discoveries on the English coastline, is the unique relationship that is shared by the two main characters, Anning and Philpot. The book explores the themes of social class consciousness, the role of women in science and on a broader scale, the conflicting ideologies of creationism and evolution. The title aptly refers not only to the amazing discoveries of fossilized dinosaurs in an era when little is known about this branch of science, but also to the remarkable women at the centre of the story. The English accent of the storytellers lends authenticity to an English tale written by an American author.
The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption and Pee by Sarah Silverman as reviewed by the Community Services Librarian
This is a book not for the easily offended. Fans of Sarah Silverman’s comedy and her Comedy Central show “The Sarah Silverman Program” will have an idea of what they have in store when picking this up.
The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption and Pee is not just a title aimed at being humourous but details a period in Sarah’s life stretching into her teens where she was a chronic bedwetter. One gets a glimpse of where Sarah’s comedic interests come from in learning about her father and her relationship with him. The best parts of the book actually take place before Sarah starts to break onto the comedy circuit. Silverman also tackles her years battling depression with what appears to be real honesty. Snippets of early diary entries, phone messages from her dad and dealings with her agent are a definite bonus.
This is an honest, well-written read that is easy to pour over in one day. There are some actual laugh out loud passages which says a lot to those of you who may know me. One finishes the book feeling that this is less a comic whose sole intention is to offend, but an intelligent, open-minded woman whose life truly is an open book.
The Prince of Neither Here Nor There By Sean Cullen (Young Adult Fiction) as reviewed by Todd Kyle
Brendan is in his first year of high school when he learns that he is not human but a lost Faerie, one of a race of magical Fair Folk who have co-existed on Earth with humans, who are no longer aware of their existence. Escaping with the help of his new-found friends from a powerful sorceress who wants to enlist him in her battle with humans, Brendan finds that he must set off on his own to find the magical pendant left with him as a baby, and without which he cannot master his new powers.
Unlike the world of Harry Potter, this new series is based on a real sense that magic takes mental concentration, not just memorization. But like J. K. Rowling, the best moments are those that expose the friendships and rivalries among key characters: Brendan’s links to his Human family and friends is strong, and will continue to colour his future adventures. Set in a Toronto with its own magical underworld, the book is often humorous, especially the narrator’s witty interjections, but it is the palpable adventure and fast pace that will win over its audience.
PowerMath series as reviewed by Carol Bonair, B.A., MISt, CAPM, ECMs, ERMp
I just found this series of books called PowerMath which I was so impressed with. I am currently going through several of the books in the series with my 7 year old. She and I are really enjoying them. When you look them up in the library you can search under "Series" and use the search term "powermath". We currently carry 31 different books in the series. The book topics cover a variety of interesting historical facts, places and things but the real objective of each book is to teach a different math concept.
Here are some examples of book titles in the PowerMath series:
Amazing animals : multiplying multidigit numbers by one-digit numbers with regrouping
Biosphere 2 : solving word problems
Calendars of Native Americans : timekeeping methods of ancient North America
Checkmate! the game of chess : applying strategies from simple to complex problems
Climates of the world : identifying and comparing mean, median, and mode
Exploring Australia : using charts, graphs, and tables
Exploring Pyramids around the world: making models of geometric solids
Heads or tails? : exploring probability through games
How the Arabs invented algebra : the history of the concept of variables
Let's have a bake sale : calculating profit and unit cost
Let's visit Canada : the metric system
Map math : learning about latitude and longitude using coordinate systems
Modern Buildings: Identifying Bilateral and rotational Symmetry and Transformations.
Music math : exploring different interpretations of fractions
Space Circles: learning about radius and diameter
etc.
Enjoy them with your children, or just read up on these interesting math concepts for your own enjoyment.
Staff on Goodreads
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry reviewed by Caroline Anderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I've read this book in French and in English and I love it both ways! The Little Prince has always been a favourite of mine since childhood and, after reading it again, I remember why all over again!
The imagination this evokes, and the questions it makes us pose about our own perceptions.
As I child I saw the elephant in the boa constrictor. I want to see it again...
Available at Newmarket Public Library
iZombie, Vol. 1: Dead to the World by Chris Roberson reviewed by Caroline Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The concept hooked me. Very interesting and fun. The characters are likeable and there are a few to choose from. The conflict is predictable (Romeo & Juliette-style), but I like how Gwen sees it coming, too, so I may be wrong with that whole "predictable"-thing. Def. getting the next books.
Available at Newmarket Public Library
Caroline Anderson is a Library Technician in Childrens Services @ NPL
George Grant: A Biography by William Christian reviewed by Michael Russell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
George Grant (1918-1988) was a controversial figure for most of his life. Although best known for his many publications on philosophy, technology, nationalism and religious thought, Professor William Christian’s biography illustrates how Grant’s private life was marked by a lonely courage. Born into Canada’s elite, Grant’s father was Principal of Upper Canada College and his grandfather was Dean of Queen’s University, Grant struck out on his own after experiencing a religious awakening during World War II in bombed out London. A pacifist, after the War, he withdrew from his studies in Law to follow his lifelong devotion to philosophy, forsaking financial and personal security to do so. Something his mother supported, but did not really understand. He taught philosophy at Dalhousie first, but began to deviate from approved academic channels. His definition of philosophy was contentious; his scholarship had an unconventional bent. He had to struggle to find a university that let him teach and research his unique blend of philosophy. He gained popularity and lasting significance upon publication of Lament for a Nation in 1965, a relatively thin book, dense with deep philosophical arguments explaining Canadian conservatism and how it differed from the United States’ liberal drive for individual rights, economic growth and technological domination. This biography is well researched and detailed, Christian knew Grant personally and there is a tic turn of “gossipiness” about it which I rather enjoyed; the book can be an introduction to many of Grant’s writings, or read for deeper insight on them. A great introduction to the history of Canadian political thought that brings a stark comparison to Canada’s current political debates, which seem so shallow in contrast.
Available at Newmarket Public Library.
Michael Russell is Digital Services Librarian @ NPL
A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee reviewed by Jaclyn Derlatka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A Spy in the House follows reformed thief, Mary Quinn, when she starts her first assignment for the mysterious women's detective agency run by her school headmistresses. Mary is placed in the Thorold household as a paid companion for the family's daughter, Angelica. Mary's mission is to use her position to investigate the suspicious shipping company that Mr. Thorold runs. Mary ends up becoming more embroiled than she was intended, eventually unraveling the mystery. However, she also learns about some mystery surrounding her own Chinese heritage, which she has been keeping under wraps due to prejudice. While several threads of the story were not wrapped up, it is evident that Mary's Chinese heritage will be explored in the next novels in the series.
What I liked about the novel:
I loved the atmosphere of the novel, which was set in Victorian England. I partly enjoyed this setting because I had finished another Victorian-based mystery, The Yard by Alex Grecian that will be published in June 2012. Overall, I felt that the setting was well described and the research and expertise of the author was well conveyed.
I also liked the characterization of the main character in the novel. Lee unflinchingly portrayed Mary's unfortunate history as a thief and as a daughter of a mother who was forced into prostitution. Mary's characterization was great and she was a strong female character.
The depiction of Victorian life was also great because it was something that I found educational about the book. Lee included a lot of the terrible things that were occurring to those of a lower social class - the lack of occupations to women, class-ism, racism etc.
Overall, I really enjoyed this young adult novel and would recommend it for teens who like mysteries. Looking forward to the next books in the series.
Available at Newmarket Public Library
Jaclyn Derlatka worked @ NPL as a summer student, she is completing her Masters of Information at the University of Toronto in 2012 and works part-time at Whitby Public Library.
