This Librarian's Quick Picks: Shackles from the Deep

Shackles From the Deep 
by Michael Cottman
National Geographic, 2017
Nonfiction

Summary:

A pile of lime-encrusted shackles discovered on the seafloor in the remains of a ship called the Henrietta Marie, lands Michael Cottman, a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and avid scuba diver, in the middle of an amazing journey that stretches across three continents, from foundries and tombs in England, to slave ports on the shores of West Africa, to present-day Caribbean plantations. This is more than just the story of one ship – it's the untold story of millions of people taken as captives to the New World. Told from the author's perspective, this book introduces young readers to the wonders of diving, detective work, and discovery, while shedding light on the history of slavery.

Why You'll Love It:

• Every bit of this concise, detailed book feels personal, and Cottman’s exploration and investigation of the wreck is rich with intrigue and poignant, thought-provoking questions.
• Cottman weaves his personal story of discovery with history of the slave trade, helping readers understand why a sunken slave ship from the 1700s still matters.
• Color photographs show artifacts from the Henrietta Marie, and end material includes references and additional reading. It's part mystery, part history, and part self-discovery.

Who Should Read It:

Great for 6th-9th graders.



What Else You Should Read:

• Forgotten Bones by Lois Miner Huey
• In the Shadow of Liberty by Kenneth Davis
• At Home in her Tomb by Christine Liu-Perkins

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Bleed, Blister, Puke, and Purge

Bleed, Blister, Puke, and Purge: the Dirty Secrets Behind Early American Medicine
by J. Marin Younker
Zest Books, 2016
Middle Grade Narrative Nonfiction

Summary:

Riots over the medical use of cadavers. Public access to institutions for the insane. And full-blown surgeries without the aid of anesthetics or painkillers. Welcome to the middle ages of American medicine. Bleed, Blister, Puke, and Purge exposes the extraordinary practices and major players of American medical history, from the Colonial era to the late 1800s. It's hard to believe that today's cutting-edge medicine originated from such crude beginnings, but this book reminds us to be grateful for today's medical care, while also raising the question: what current medical practices will be the horrors of tomorrow?

Why You'll Love It:

• Readers learn about a variety of early American oddities as well as incremental medical advancements, such as the proliferation of freak shows, the practice of grave robbing for dissection of cadavers, medical quacks, and the emergence of the first hospital and medical school.
• Numerous sidebars chock-full of fascinating anecdotes coupled with Younker's sarcastic commentary peppered throughout add interest.
• It's gruesome -- need I say more??

Who Should Read It:

Great for 6th grade and up.

What Else You Should Read:

• An American Plague by Jim Murphy
• Bubonic Panic by Gail Jarrow
• Fatal Fever by Gail Jarrow

I'm Baaack!

Sooo..

I apologize for the long absence. 

I'm just going to jump right back in and let you know my favorite books of the year so far! I've leaned more towards non-fiction than in past years, with a ratio of 45% nonfiction, 55% fiction. Here are my perfect, 5 star reads so far.

Faith 
by Jennifer Haigh
Fiction

A non-sensationalized novel about an inherently sensational event—the abuse of an 8-year-old boy by a priest.

Destiny of the Republic
by Candice Millard
Nonfiction

A brilliantly written account of the tragic time when James Garfield, Civil War hero, pioneering congressman and 20th president, was mowed down by a madman as his administration began.

Garlic and Sapphires
by Ruth Reichl
Nonfiction

Tasty revelations of Gourmet magazine editor Reichl's undercover antics as the former food critic at the New York Times.

Circus Mirandus
by Cassie Beasley
Juvenile Fiction

A poignant debut novel in which young Micah discovers magic is real at the same time his grandfather begins to fail.

We Were Liars
by E. Lockhart
Young Adult Fiction

Candace Sinclair Eastman attempts to piece together the cause of an accident that has left her with no memory of it.

Die Again
by Tess Gerritsen
Fiction

A not-for-the-squeamish murder mystery set in both Boston and Botswana.

A Thousand Naked Strangers
by Kevin Hazzard
Nonfiction

A former EMT details his action-packed tenure in the field.

Secrets of Midwives
by Sally Hepworth
Fiction

A warmhearted and engaging novel that follows three generations of midwives as they deal with family secrets.

Jane Steele 
by Lyndsay Faye
Fiction

Jane Steele seeks retribution and redemption in Faye's latest novel, an homage to Jane Eyre.






 

What I'm Reading: A Fifty-Year Silence

A Fifty-Year Silence: Love, War, and a Ruined Year in France
by Miranda Richmond Mouillot
Broadway Books (Jan. 19, 2016)
Memoir

What it's about:

A memoir by a young woman who travels to France to uncover the truth about her grandparents' mysterious and irrevocable estrangement and pieces together the extraordinary story of their wartime experiences.


Why You'll Love It:

• Richmond Mouillot conjures the charms of the French countryside and the intimacy of small-town life precisely and elegantly.
• Amid the abundance of books from Holocaust survivors and the children of those affected by the war, few nonfiction accounts of the Holocaust and World War II have been written from the perspective of the grandchildren. A Fifty-Year Silence explores the afterlife of the past for young Jewish people today and provokes an important dialogue about the inheritance of historical memory.
• As a debut author and a young woman navigating the conflicting imperatives to remember the past and embrace her future, Richmond Mouillot writes with a warmth, directness, and honesty that will endear her to many readers.  

What Else You Should Read:

• The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah
• The Journal of Hélène Berr by Hélène Berr
• Behind Enemy Lines by Marthe Cohn

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Lives of the Explorers

Lives of the Explorers: Discoveries, Disasters (and what the neighbors thought)
by Kathleen Krull
Houghton Mifflin (Aug. 26, 2014)
Biography

Summary:

Presents a series of biographies of well-known adventurers traveling through the centuries and across the globe, whose curiosity and courage have led them to make discoveries in the world.

Why you'll love it:

• Krull does not sugarcoat the history; the negative impacts of discovery upon native peoples are discussed, such as the violence resulting from Columbus’s expeditions.
• Readers learn about these historical figures’ adventures while also getting a taste of each explorer’s personality and character.
• Special attention is given to less fabled discoverers, including Mary Kingsley and Isabella Bird.

Who should read it:

Great for grades 4-6...and here's the discussion guide.

What else you should read:

• Obviously the other books in Krull's "Lives Of" series (like my fave, Lives of the Scientists)
•  Who Was First? Discovering the Americas by the always fabulous Russell Freedman