| |
|
|
|
|
Adult Fiction
|
|
Madame Tussaud - Michelle Moran
 
- She is famous for her wax figures, but who was Madame Tussaud anyway? This fictional novel of the woman and her life during the French Revolution takes a few liberties with history but for the most part is true to form. High school history would have been much more interesting had we read novels about the French Revolution instead of just the facts! The book contains a handy glossary and historical timeline to refresh you on the pertinent facts of the French Revolution.
I don't normally read historical fiction but was interested in how this woman became so famous in an era when men ruled. Madame Tussaud, or Marie Grosholtz as she was born, learned her trade through her mother's second husband and was hired as a sculpting tutor to the royal family. Her connections to the Royals made the family museum a lot of money as well as her connections to the who's who of the time. However, this royal connection came back to haunt her during the Reign of Terror when she was imprisoned simply because she was perceived as a royalist. While in prison she meets Francoise Tussaud and the rest is history.
I was surprised to learn that she had made a name for herself well before her husband came along. In fact her husband was a bit of a deadbeat who gambled away the money she earned! Needless to say the marriage did not last but the name lives on.
Recommended by Frances Newman, Regional Librarian
|
| Send To A Friend Add Your Comments Reader Comments |
| |
Adult Non-Fiction
|
|
Adventures with Chocolate - Paul A. Young
- Chocolate lovers will drool when they see the recipes in this book. I took it home for the pictures, but when I started reading the recipes, I knew I had to try a few. While on the surface the recipes seem daunting, and the supplies may seem a bit exotic, I was able to easily create "Muscovado chocolate cakes with cacao nibs and Mayan spiced syrup" (minus the cacao nibs, but these little cupcakes were mighty fine without those). I also ventured out on a limb and made "Paul's Venezuelan chocolate chile chicken", which was fairly easy and very delicious. The book has a few great chapters on chocolate and on finding ingredients, and you can find most of what you need without a trip to New York City. If you love chocolate, please do yourself a favor and check this book out!
Recommended by Angela J. Reynolds, Head of Youth Services
|
| Send To A Friend Add Your Comments Reader Comments |
| |
|
God Grew Tired of Us - John Bul Dau
- This is a book everyone should read, especially anyone who was forced to read Lord of the Flies as a child and speak about how inherently violent children are!
John Bul Dau's world fell apart in 1987 when his village in the north of Sudan was attacked by soldiers. In the middle of the night, at the age of 13, wearing nothing at all, he began a journey on foot for hundreds of miles, fleeing to Ethiopia for safety. The journey held the dangers of starvation and food poisoning, dehydration, wild animals, and attacks by soldiers or by neighbouring tribesmen. His story, and the story of the "lost boys" with him, is the story of people taking care of each other, maintaining sanity in the face of incredible inhumanity.
Years later, John Dau is one of a group of Sudanese who are sent to the US from the refugee camp, and the book goes on to chronicle his cultural adjustment to the US and the process of making it home. A fascinating, touching book.
Recommended by Brogan Anderson, Wolfville Branch
|
| Send To A Friend Add Your Comments Reader Comments |
| |
Kids' Books
|
|
Annie Jump Cannon, astronomer - Carole Gerber
- Annie Jump Cannon developed a system to classify stars' light, and this system is still used to this day. In today's technological world, this may seem insignificant, but she did this in 1911, when most women weren't earning college degrees or working outside the home. Her parents encouraged her as a child who loved to look at stars, and as a young woman who wanted an education. Easy to read and a good story, the book would be an inspiration to any young girl who has a particular passion for science.
Recommended by Angela Reynolds, Head of Youth Services
|
| Send To A Friend Add Your Comments Reader Comments |
| |
Teen Books
|
|
The Beckoners - Carrie Mac
- Zoe's mom made her move to a new town, just when she was feeling ok about the old one. Her new high school is ruled by a girl named Beck, and her gang, the Beckoners. They are cruel and heartless and Zoe hates them. Then how does she end up being one of them? When she decides she's had enough and wants out, the Beckoners have other ideas. This story of bullying is set in a stark landscape of a town ruled by mean girls who have tortured one girl to the point of breaking. How Zoe and her new friends break the cycle is a hard-won triumph that will keep you turning pages till the bitter end.
Recommended by Angela Reynolds, Head of Youth Services
|
| Send To A Friend Add Your Comments Reader Comments |
| |
|
The Returning - Christine Hinwood
- Cam Attling is home from the war between the Uplanders and the Downlanders, but he is restless. His father treats him like an invalid because he lost an arm in the war. His little sister Pin adores him and is glad to have him home in their small village. But Cam can't stay still, and he takes off. How his life entwines with others in his village and the city beyond is the meat of this story. The world that the author has created will pull you right in, though the language might take some getting used to, it works as part of this world. If you like a good story with plenty of detail, you'll enjoy this one. And there is more to come, the ending assure us of that.
Recommended by Angela Reynolds, Head of Youth Services
|
| Send To A Friend Add Your Comments Reader Comments |
| |
|
| |
|
