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Switchback

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Switchback, by Danika Stone
Publication Date: May 28, 2019
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens

For best friends Vale, the outdoorsy social outcast and Ash, the gamer geek, the mandatory P.E. mountain hiking trip is the last place they want to be. Ash is ill-prepared and Vale just wants to avoid the people bullying her. Suddenly, nothing matters except their survival when they become separated from the class. Alone and afraid, they must endure wild animals, terrible weather, and a wildfire. Maybe they will a find a new strength in themselves and each other… if they can make it out alive.

Pick this edge of your seat story for a quick and thrilling read before summer ends.

Find it in the catalog

The Book Hog

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The Book Hog by Greg Pizzoli
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids

Hog has quite the growing collection of books. He scoots around town on his moped and searches out great deals on them too. He’ll look anywhere–from garage sales to garbage cans! Any books that Hog gets his hands are sure to become part of his collection. There’s only one problem…Hog can’t read a single one of his beloved books. In fact, he doesn’t know how to read at all!

One day, out on his search for more books, Hog stumbles into his local library and joins in a storytime. With the help of a friendly librarian, Hog gains confidence in himself and strives to learn to read. And slowly but surely, he does! By the end of the story, Hog becomes a frequent library patron who no longer needs to buy books to enjoy a good story.

Pizzoli’s The Book Hog contains charming illustrations and is an absolute joy to read. It also highlights the fact that the value of libraries cannot be defined simply in terms of their material offerings, but rather in the additional services they offer such as their dedication to encouraging early literacy skills. This fun story with its book-lovin’ main character would be a great read to share with young children curious about reading on their own.

Find it in the catalog.

 

Dungeons and Dragons

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Image result for dungeons and dragonsDungeons and Dragons by Wizards of the Coast, (Created by Gary Gygax)
Format: Nonfiction
Who it’s for: Everyone

This is less of a review of a book as it is a review of a resource. The Player’s Handbook, along with the Dungeon Master’s Guide and the Monster Manual, make up the core books needed to play the popular tabletop game Dungeons and Dragons. D&D has recently been popularized by live series such as Critical Role and the Adventure Zone, featuring live games and intriguing personalities, and both of these have spawned graphic novels that we happen to carry. So what do you need to play outside of these core books? Some dice, a few friends (anywhere from 2 to 5 is recommended,) and a bit of creativity. You can also purchase maps, figurines, and other knick-knacks to spice the game up, in fact we have a 3D printer waiting to be used if you want to make some of your own!

Ever wanted to write your own story? You can! Featuring your friends as the main characters you can craft an adventure of any kind. You can be a warrior with a haunted past, a wizard seeking the lore of a long vanished civilization, a bard who has a penchant for finding trouble, or anything that you can possibly imagine. You can solve a murder, fight a dragon, or save the kingdom from the plots of an evil noble. Any story you can think of you can play! The library gives you a chance to try out something you may have only heard about before, a game that has spawned hundreds of novels, shows, and more. Celebrities from Vin Diesel and Joe Magnellio to Stephen Colbert and the Big Show are all avid fans of the game. I myself have run a number of games and continue to play it weekly. It’s been a passion of mine and has lead me to making a number of friends I’d have never met without it. We also have a number of authors with series influenced by their adventures or even officially affiliated, such as R.A Salvatore, Junot Diaz, and George R.R Martin (have you heard of Game of Thrones?) The game turned cultural phenomenon has been around for over 40 years now, and is now sitting on a shelf near you!

The Sleeper and the Spindle

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The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman, Illustrated by Chris Riddell
Format: Book
Who its for: Teens

A thrillingly reimagined fairy tale from the truly magical combination of author Neil Gaiman and illustrator Chris Riddell – weaving together a sort-of Snow White and an almost Sleeping Beauty with a thread of dark magic, which will hold readers spellbound from start to finish.

The Sleeper and the Spindle is a up-to-date outlook on female heroism smooshed into the plot of a classic princess double-feature, though you won’t find a white knight or Prince Charming in this fairy tale.  Gaiman tells the story of warrior queen who travels to a faraway land armed with a sword and three dwarfs, on a mission to rid the people of a curse and save the princess locked in a tower.   This retelling is just as dark, magical, and twisted as this reader wanted it to be.  Riddell’s stunning black, white, and gold illustrations alone are worth a gander.

My only complaint – it’s too short.  Find it in the catalog. 

 

What the Eyes Don’t See A Story of Crisis, Resistance and Hope in an American City

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What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance and Hope in an American City
By Mona Hanna-Attisha
Who it’s for:  Adults

In 2014, the water source for residents living in the city of Flint, Michigan was switched from Lake Huron and the Detroit River to the Flint River, which was considered less costly.  Residents were immediately concerned that the water smelled and tasted bad, and looked dirty, but public officials continued to say that the water was fine.  In August of 2015, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician and professor at Hurley Medical Center in Flint was informed by a friend that the residents’ concerns were well founded.  Not only was the water dirty, it also contained very high levels of lead.  Concerned about her young Flint patients, Dr.  Mona (as she likes to be called) immediately sought out test data which would reveal whether high levels of lead were actually present in the blood tests of these children.

In What the Eyes Don’t See, Dr. Mona gives her own account of the crisis.  Armed with data that confirmed high levels of lead were present in the blood of Flint children, Dr. Mona stopped at nothing to get local government to switch the water source and save Flint’s children from the devastating, life-long effects of lead poisoning.  She shares stories of her heritage, her belief in activism, her work at Hurley Medical Center, and the small team of supporters who helped her initiate this change.       Find it in our catalog.

What the Eyes Don’t See has been chosen as the 2019 One Maryland One Book.  Take some time to read this gripping story as it is shared through discussion and programming throughout the state of Maryland this fall.  Register to join us at the Leonardtown Library for the Director’s Book Club on Wednesday, October 16, 2019 at 12:15 p.m..  St. Mary’s County Library Director, Michael Blackwell, will host a book discussion of this book.

The Bitterroots

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The Bitterroots by C.J. Box
Read by Christina Delaine
Published: August 13, 2019
Audiobook
Adult

 

This is the 4th in the “Cassie Dewell” book series by C.J. Box.  The first three “The Highway”, “Badlands” and “Paradise Valley” proved to be exciting and suspenseful reads.

In this new book, expected out on August 13th, we find former sheriff’s investigator Cassie Dewell trying to start over with her own private investigation firm.  Even though she isn’t happy about the idea, she has agreed to help an old friend, who is a defense attorney, and who is calling in a favor.  She wants Cassie to help her exonerate a man from an influential family, who is accused of assaulting his 15 year old niece.  Out by the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana, twisted family loyalty runs as deep as the ties to the land, and there’s always something more to the story.

Even though it is 4th book in the series, it appears that it is not necessary to have read the previous titles.

I can’t wait to see how C. J. Box spins this one!  Sounds like there will be some suspenseful twists to try and figure out!

Find it in the catalog