A Broadway musical for now
The idea of attending a Broadway show in person still seems so distant right now. Luckily, the library collects plays, musical scores and original cast recordings to help you get in the spirit.
MADreads
Posts by Molly W
Hard on the head and the heart
Jacqueline Woodson's latest novel-in-verse for middle grades just won the Coretta Scott King Author Award for outstanding writing by an African American author. Twelve-year-old ZJ's life turns upside down when his dad, a professional football player, starts suffering headaches, memory loss and personality changes. According to lore, Zachariah 44 (for his jersey number), suffered more NFL concussions than any other player, even with a helmet on.
ALA Youth Media Awards Announced
The American Library Association (ALA) announced the top books, audio books, and media for children and young adults, including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards at its virtual Midwinter Conference today.
A list of 2021 award winners follows:
Ski off piste and die
Too dramatic? I've never skied off piste in my life, so if you're like me, you can cross that off your worry list. If you don't even know what it means, don't do it! Just kidding! But not really. Skiing off piste means straying from designated slopes and routes. It can be extremely dangerous. Especially in this novel.
Achievable New Year's resolution: read more poetry
Resolution lists often include starting a new exercise regime, eating more veggies, and home decluttering. Why not read more poetry? I believe this goal is achievable for all ages.
Find inspiration in 2021 by reading the seven-time NAACP Image Award-winning poet's latest collection of poems that span topics from the presidency to racism to making Frontier soup. Nikki Giovanni is honest, candid and utterly fascinating.
Avoid the peat bog during your next outdoor party
I loved the snowy Scottish Highlands setting of Lucy Foley's last murder mystery, The Hunting Party. If you haven't read it, save it for New Year's. It's about a group of college chums reuniting for a holiday of drunken mayhem and murder - a delightfully frightening way to bring in the new year.
Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize awarded to 'Luster'
Raven Leilani's Luster wins The Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize for best debut novel.
Sleepwalking into danger
Arden Maynor was six years old when she wandered away from home in the middle of the night. A terrible storm with flooding rain swept her away without a trace resulting in a massive community search. Days later she was found hanging onto a storm drain grate from inside an old mining tunnel and after a harrowing ordeal, finally rescued. She was horribly injured, dehydrated and unable to recall how she got there.
The cost of solitude
What a discussion this book makes. One mention of the Maine Hermit and people are either outraged or enthralled. I'm relatively enthralled, not with the Maine Hermit per se, but with the details shared in this book. There is great investigative writing here, and interesting historical research. The story and details of a man who hid out in the Maine woods for more than 27 years without getting caught or sick or eaten by a bear is a compelling one, to say the least.
Yacht rock rules
It's not easy being Chloe Sanderson, especially when she's so hard on herself. It's understandable. She's been taking care of everyone since her mom left when she was in fourth grade. She's working, putting herself through business school, providing for her dad's care in an Alzheimer's facility and trying to keep it together. So much so that she's bound to snap.