New Books for February 5
5-minute pout-pout fish stories
Adams, Wes.
2020
Mr. Fish and his friends are back to turn little pouts into big smiles over and over again! Each of these 12 short stories can be read aloud in about five minutes, making this collection the perfect choice for before bedtime, on the go, or new readers.
All because you matter
Charles, Tami, author
2020
A lyrical, heart-lifting love letter to Black and Brown children everywhere, this powerful, rhythmic lullaby reassures readers that their matter and their worth is never diminished, no matter the circumstance: through the joy and wonder of their first steps and first laughs, through the hardship of adolescent struggles, and the pain and heartbreak of current events, they always have, and always will, matter. This book empowers readers with pride, joy, and comfort, reminding them of their roots and strengthening them for the days to come.
Attack of the underwear dragon
Rothman, Scott, author
2020
When a dragon wearing very large underwear threatens the kingdom the Knights of the Round Table run away, leaving Sir Percival's young assistant, Cole, to face the beast.
Attack surface
Doctorow, Cory, author
2020
"Most days, Masha Maximow was sure she'd chosen the winning side. In her day job as a counterterrorism wizard for an transnational cybersecurity firm, she made the hacks that allowed repressive regimes to spy on dissidents, and manipulate their every move. The perks were fantastic, and the pay was obscene. Just for fun, and to piss off her masters, Masha sometimes used her mad skills to help those same troublemakers evade detection, if their cause was just. It was a dangerous game and a hell of a rush. But seriously self-destructive. And unsustainable. When her targets were strangers in faraway police states, it was easy to compartmentalize, to ignore the collateral damage of murder, rape, and torture. But when it hits close to home, and the hacks and exploits she's devised are directed at her friends and family--including boy wonder Marcus Yallow, her old crush and archrival, and his entourage of naïve idealists--Masha realizes she has to choose. And whatever choice she makes, someone is going to get hurt.-- Publisher's description.
Becoming Muhammad Ali : a novel
Patterson, James, 1947- author
2020
A biographical novel tells the story of Cassius Clay, the determined boy who would one day become Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest boxers of all time.
Breathless
Niven, Jennifer, author
2020
Claudine Henry plans to attend college in the fall, pursue a career as an author, and experience sex for the first time, until her father announces that he and her mother are getting a divorce. After the divorce, she and her mother move to an island off the coast of Georgia to heal. There, Claudine meets Jeremiah Crew and tries to become sexually involved with him without falling in love and being hurt again.
The captive kingdom
Nielsen, Jennifer A., author
2020
Ascendant King Jaron believes that his kingdom, Carthya, is at peace, so he and his bethrothed, Imogen, are sailing home from a trade mission when their ship is attacked by Prozarians, and Jaron and several of his friends are taken prisoner; the Prozarian captain seems to believe he had something to do with his parents' deaths and they also know a great deal about Jaron's long-missing older brother, Darius, the rightful heir to Carthya--who may be alive after all.
Chaos
Johansen, Iris, author
2020
Iris Johansen introduces a new kickass female protagonist, Alisa Flynn, a CIA agent who may be willing to go rogue if it means catching the most heartless band of criminals she's ever encountered. Alisa is aided by mysterious billionaire-genius-inventor Gabe Korgan and recurring character Margaret Douglas, an animal whisperer who brings along her beloved dog Juno to fight alongside them. Alisa is determined to rescue schoolgirls kidnapped from their African boarding school, in a ripped-from-the-headlines story. But Alisa is hiding her personal stake in the rescue from Korgan, and when the truth gets out, the stakes grow even higher. Now Alisa and Gabe's budding relationship may be at a breaking point.
Circle! sphere!
Lin, Grace, author.
2020
"Manny, Olivia, and Mei are blowing bubbles. Manny's wand is a circle, Olivia's wand is a square, and Mei's wand is a heart. What shape will their bubbles be? Engages young children in exploring geometry and making predictions."-- Provided by publisher.
Cleo Porter and the body electric
Burt, Jake, author
2020
"Like everyone else, twelve-year-old Cleo and her parents are sealed in an apartment without windows or doors. They never leave. They never get visitors. Their food is dropped off by drones. So they're safe. Safe from the disease that nearly wiped humansfrom the earth. The trade-off? They're alone. Thus, when they receive a package clearly meant for someone else--a package containing a substance critical for a stranger's survival--Cleo is stuck"--Provided by publisher.
Click, clack, good night
Cronin, Doreen, author
2020
Farmer Brown puts the other animals to bed but gives up on Duck, who sets out to find just the right spot--and snack--to help him sleep.
The fallen hero
Zhao, Katie, author
2020
Determined to prevent the war her brother Alex is provoking, twelve-year-old Faryn Liu and her half-dragon friend, Ren, seek help from the New Order, warriors based in Manhattan's Chinatown, and from the Monkey King.
Fangirl : the manga. 1
Maggs, Sam, author
2020
Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, everybody is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life. Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath just can't let go. Now that they're in college, Cath must decide if she's ready to start living her own life. But does she even want to if it means leaving Simon Snow behind? Cath doesn't need friends IRL. She has her twin sister, Wren, and she's a popular fanfic writer in the Simon Snow community with thousands of fans online. But now that she's in college, Cath is completely outside of her comfort zone. There are suddenly all these new people in her life. She's got a surly roommate with a charming boyfriend, a writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome new writing partner...And she's barely heard from Wren all semester!
Fart quest
Reynolds, Aaron, 1970- author
2020
After their masters are vaporized in a goblin battle gone badly, Fart, Pan, and Moxie, three lowly apprentices, decide to impersonate their mentors and pick up the mantle as heroes of the realm. But they need more than a fancy robe, magic staff, and book of magical beasts to be real heroes. They need a quest! So when The Great and Powerful Kevin puts out a call for help, seeking the coveted Golden Llama and its magical golden fart, young Fart and his friends jump at the chance and embark on a journey they were destined for.
A golden fury
Cohoe, Samantha, author
2020
In 1792, after leaving her violently mad mother behind in revolutionary France, seventeen-year-old Thea Hope travels to England, where she risks losing her own sanity when she creates the legendary Philosopher's Stone.
How Jack lost time
Lapointe, Stéphanie, 1984- author
2020
"Jack is not like other sea captains. Fishermen say he's weird, but Jack only cares about one thing: the grey whale with the scarred dorsal fin, the one who swallowed up his son, Julos, years before. Jack promises he will not come home without Julos, even if it means losing himself in the process. Then, on a night like any other, Jack sees something lurking around his boat. He throws himself into the whale's dark mouth. But is he too late? Will his son recognize him after years of being alone?"--Provided by publisher.
How to remember everything / Tips & Tricks to Become a Memory Master!
Sager Weinstein, Jacob, author
2020
"Ace history tests by memorizing dates, feel confident about remembering people's names, kick butt at card games by memorizing entire decks, and hang on to happy memories for a lifetime. This ultimate memory guide for kids is full of memory building techniques, fun challenges, and hilarious art"-- Provided by publisher.
Invisible girl : a novel
Jewell, Lisa, author
2020
Owen Pick's life is falling apart. In his thirties, a virgin, and living in his aunt's spare bedroom, he has just been suspended from his job as a geography teacher after accusations of sexual misconduct, which he strongly denies. Across the street from Owen lives the Fours family, headed by Cate, a physiotherapist, and Roan, a child psychologist. But the Fours have a bad feeling about Owen, their teenaged daughter swears he followed her home from the train station one night. Meanwhile, young Saffyre Maddox a former patient of Roan Fours searches for other ways to maintain her connection with him. Then, on Valentine's night, Saffyre Maddox disappears--and the last person to see her alive is Owen Pick.
Jacob's fantastic flight
Waechter, Philip, author
2020
When his parents plan a trip to the sea, Jacob says he will fly there himself. Along the way, he meets new friends and has wonderful adventures. And when his bird friends need help, Jacob and the flock work together to rescue their friend and outsmart the nefarious birdcatcher. With gorgeous illustrations and a humorous, resonant story about independence, kindness, and embracing the unknown, Jacob's Fantastic Flight shows what happens when a child uses their strengths and differences to help others in need.
The perfect star
Buyea, Rob, author
2020
Told from different viewpoints, five eighth-graders who have challenges at home and at school also experience a sad loss as a group and welcome a new addition to their extended family.
Return to Virgin River
Carr, Robyn, author
2020
Kaylee Sloan's home in Southern California is full of wonderful memories of the woman who raised her. But the memories are prolonging her grief over her mother's recent death. A successful author, Kaylee hoped she could pour herself into her work. Instead she has terrible writer's block and a looming deadline. Determined to escape distractions and avoid the holiday season, Kaylee borrows a cabin in Virgin River. She knows the isolation will help her writing, and as she drives north through the mountains and the majestic redwoods, she immediately feels inspired. Until she arrives at a building that has just gone up in flames. Devastated, she heads to Jack's Bar to plan her next steps. The local watering hole is the heart of the town, and once she crosses the threshold, she's surprised to be embraced by people who are more than willing to help a friend--or a stranger--in need. Kaylee's world is expanding in ways she never dreamed possible. As the holidays approach, Kaylee's dread turns to wonder. Because there's no better place to spend Christmas than Virgin River.
A single swallow
Zhang, Ling, 1957- author
2020
The eagerly awaited English translation of Zhang Ling's epic and intimate novel about the devastation of war, forgiveness, redemption, and the enduring power of love. On the day of the historic 1945 Jewel Voice Broadcast--in which Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's surrender to the Allied forces, bringing an end to World War II--three men, flush with jubilation, made a pact. After their deaths, each year on the anniversary of the broadcast, their souls would return to the Chinese village of their younger days. It's where they had fought--and survived--a war that shook the world and changed their own lives in unimaginable ways. Now, seventy years later, the pledge is being fulfilled by American missionary Pastor Billy, brash gunner's mate Ian Ferguson, and local soldier Liu Zhaohu. All that's missing is Ah Yan--also known as Swallow--the girl each man loved, each in his own profound way. As they unravel their personal stories of the war, and of the woman who touched them so deeply during that unforgiving time, the story of Ah Yan's life begins to take shape, woven into view by their memories. A woman who had suffered unspeakable atrocities, and yet found the grace and dignity to survive, she'd been the one to bring them together. And it is her spark of humanity, still burning brightly, that gives these ghosts of the past the courage to look back on everything they endured and remember the woman they lost.
A song for the dark times
Rankin, Ian, author
2020
When his daughter Samantha calls in the dead of night, John Rebus knows it's not good news. Her husband has been missing for two days. Rebus fears the worst - and knows from his lifetime in the police that his daughter will be the prime suspect. As he leaves at dawn to drive to the windswept coast - and a small town with big secrets - he wonders whether this might be the first time in his life where the truth is the one thing he doesn't want to find...
White fragility : why it's so hard for white people to talk about about racism
DiAngelo, Robin J., author
2018
In this groundbreaking and timely book, antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility. Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and by behaviors including argumentation and silence. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue.