LIBRARY NEWS

New books for kids and teens, in English and Spanish

By Carole Howard and the Library Staff

With summer being a great time for youngsters and teens to enjoy books just for fun, we offer you a sample of new books for kids of all ages – from fairy tales to fantasy -- that have just arrived at your library:

• For little ones in Spanish, “Blanca Nieves” and “El Lobo y Los Siete Cabritos,” versions del cuento de los Hermanos Grimnm, plus “La Laman America,” “Pollita Pequenita,” “El Patito Feo,” “El Cascabek dek Gato,” “John Henry” and “La Pistolera Annie Oakley.
• Bilingual books including a Cinderella story called “Little Gold Star/Estrellita de Oro.”
• For young children in English, “I’m All Dressed,” “I Love Messes!” and “I’m So Mad!”
• For third through seventh grade readers, “Stop Spitting At Your Brother,” a story about a Rocky Mountain llama, and “One Beastly Beast” about two aliens and three inventors by fantasy author Garth Nix.
• For seventh graders and older, “A Day No Pigs Would Die” by Robert Newton Peck, “Maximum Ride #3: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports” by James Patterson, plus the non-fiction books “How It Works: The Human Body” and “Flight.”
• For aspiring young artists, “Drawing and Learning About Fish,” “Drawing and Learning About Horses,” “Drawing and Learning About Monster Trucks” and “Drawing Made Fun Anytime You Like.”
• For teens interested in advice from hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, “Do You! 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success.”
• For those who enjoy fantasy, “The Children of Hurin” by J.R.R. Tolkien, tales of Middle-earth from times long before “The Lord of the Rings,” and “Star Wars: Legacy of the Force” by Karen Traviss.
• On a more serious subject, “Suicide Information for Teens: Health Tips about Suicide Causes and Prevention” from the Teen Health Series.

Update on Harry Potter

We now have four copies of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the seventh and last book in the hugely popular Harry Potter series. We also have this book available unabridged on CD, thanks to an anonymous donor. As of this writing, there is no waiting list to borrow them. We also have all of the initial six stories on either CD or audio tape, with two available in Spanish.

The Harry Potter books have sold more than 325 million copies since the first volume was published in 1997 – more than 121 million in the U.S. alone. They are credited with inspiring untold millions of youngsters – especially young boys – to give up their TV shows and computer games to read. While initially considered a children’s book, the series rapidly became a phenomenal success with teens and adults as well.

Large print books

“Up Close and Personal” is a romance by Fern Michaels. “Susannah’s Garden” is a romance by Debbie Macomber. “A Thousand Splendid Suns” is the latest novel set in Afghanistan by Khaled Hosseini, who became a literary hero with his first novel “The Kite Runner” when it spent two years on the New York Times bestseller list. We also have “A Thousand Splendid Suns” in regular size type.

Other new novels

“The Eagle” by Jack Whyte is the concluding volume of the Camulod Chronicles, about the Arthurian legends. “The Judas Strain” by James Rollins is a thriller about the plague, an ancient menace reborn to terrify the modern world. “The Emperor’s Children” is a story of three friends in their 30s in New York City by Claire Messud, a writer whose work has been widely praised.

How-to and self-help books

“The 5 Factor Diet” bills itself as a book about Hollywood’s hottest eating plan by Harley Pasternak. “The Last Normal Child: Essays on the Intersection of Kids, Culture and Psychiatric Drugs” is the latest book by behavioral-developmental pediatrician by Lawrence H. Diller, M.D.

“Awaken to Superconsciousness” by J. Donald Walters is a guide to using meditation for inner peace, intuitive guidance and greater awareness.

Political books

“A Necessary Evil: A History of American Distrust of Government” is written by Pulitzer Prize winner Garry Wills. “The Assault on Reason” is the latest analysis of America by former vice president Al Gore. “Imperial Life in the Emerald City” by Washington Post reporter Rajiv Chandrasekaran is a shocking account of life and policy initiatives in Baghdad’s Green Zone, headquarters for the American occupation of Iraq.

Thanks to our donors

Our gratitude to Sheila Rogers for her generous monetary donation. For books and materials this week we thank Elaine Baloun, Ginny Bartlett, Jack and Lynn DeLange, W.C. and Clareue Enmon, Nadine Forton, Judy Giberson, Trevor Ledger-Thomas, Desiray Martin, Pat Payne, Gerard Simpson, Bonnie Stamford, John Thompson and Jeff Versaw.

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