NEW BOOKS! From History, to Fiction, to Graphic Novels

It's like Christmas all over again!

I'm super excited to announce that the PG library is now subscribed to the Junior Library Guild! That probably means nothing to you, I know. I shall briefly explain.

You know those awesome subscription services you can sign up for that send you stuff each month? There's a billion of them out there now, so if you have no idea what I'm talking about...then...well...use more interwebs I guess. Anyway, Junior Library Guild is essentially like that, but with booooooooks.

Because library.

We tend to be all about books here.

(Bonus: Stuff! In the mail! Admit it, you get excited too when packages arrive in the mail, regardless if they're actually yours and even if you know what's in them.)

Anyway, the first 6 have arrived because I ordered at the end of April and they sent 2 months in one shot. Here's what's new in the library:

Very, Very, Very Dreadful: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918

by Albert Marrin

In Spring of 1918, World War 1 is in full swing. What's the last thing a country needs? A pandemic; but, that's what we got.

That's what the WORLD got.

In a series of 3 waves over 18 months, 500 million people world-wide contracted the flu. Of that number, 50-100 million wouldn't recover. It was a pandemic of massive proportions that resulted in overcrowded hospitals, fines for coughing or sneezing in public, and the shut down of thousands of public places and events.

In this book, the author has included many black and white photos to go along with the events that transpired through this time. He also takes a look at the history, the science, and the impact this had on the world, and discusses the very real possibility if it happening again.

Chasing King's Killer

by James L. Swanson

The 1960's were known for many things, not least of which was a string of high profile assassinations of well loved individuals. Among these targets, the insightful Martin Luther King Jr.

James L. Swanson take's an in depth look at not only the turbulent times of the 60's, but also the life and work of MLK Jr, as well as the assassin himself. Who was James Earl Ray? Where did he come from? Why did he target King? What was King's message and why did it seem to cause so much controversy?

Swanson has collected all the stories and connects all the dots that history has revealed, and combines them into a fascinating and action packed book. A fantastic overview of an event that shocked and saddened so many, and outraged many more.

Just Friends

by Dyan Sheldon

(Excuse me while I blatantly copy/paste the synopsis of this book because I haven't read it. )

"Although he knows she is completely out of his league, Josh falls for Jena the first time he sees her. He thinks he'd be happy if she would just speak to him. And then, against all odds, she does speak to him, and against even more odds, they become friends. But the closer they get, the more infatuated Josh becomes. The more infatuated Josh becomes, the more he wonders if, maybe, she might like him in the same way he likes her. If he doesn't tell her how he feels, he'll never know.

Will Josh's heart be broken, or will chasing the wrong girl lead him down the right path?"

Not If I Save You First

by Ally Carter

(Look! Another copy/paste!)

Maddie thought she and Logan would be friends forever. But when your dad is a Secret Service agent and your friend is the president's son, sometimes life has other plans.

Before she knows it, MAddie's dad is dragging her to a cabin in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness and into a totally different life.

No phone.

No Internet.

And not a single word from Logan.

Maddie tells herself it's okay. After all, she's the most popular girl for twenty miles in any direction. (She's also the only girl for twenty miles in any direction.) She has wood to cut and weapons to bedazzle. Her life is full.

Until Logan shows up six years later...

And Maddie wants to kill him.

But before that can happen, an assailant appears out of nowhere, knocking Maddie down a cliff and dragging Logan to some unknown fate. Maddie knows she could turn back and get help. But the weather is turning and the terrain will only get more treacherous, the animals more deadly.

Maddie still really wants to kill Logan.

But she has to save him first.

The Gnawer of Rocks

by Louise Flaherty

A very quick and easy read, based on an old Inuit legend, in hardback, graphic novel format.

Two girls wander away from their camp, following a trail of strange, beautiful stones. When they follow the path into a cave, they are instantly trapped, and faced with an unimaginable horror.

Cucumber Quest Vol 2: The Ripple Kingdom

(We're going a little backwards here with this. Had I seen before that this is Vol. 2, I would have swapped this out for the 1st volume instead. As it stands, Vol. 1 will be coming to us next month...which might not really be that great seeing as school is over in like 12 days. So...you an read it next year I guess.

Sorry about that....)

I was a bit apprehensive about this one. I mean, that cover art is pretty childish looking, and it's called CUCUMBER Quest. How serious or grown up can a graphic novel be to have a main character named Cucumber?

I'm only 1/3 of the way into this and am finding it ridiculous in the funniest of ways.

I'd love to tell you what's it about, but all I can manage at this point is that there's rabbits, and a bad guy who orders around a giant squid named 'Splashmaster', who's remarkably dumb. One rabbit is a princess who can only summon her familiar with her 'Royal Instrument of Summoning' which is...a....cell phone....

Seriously, just read it. It's fast and easy to read, definitely doesn't take itself seriously at all, and in general is a fun for any age.