The Library's New Acquisitions

 

Directed by Olivier Megaton

" ... a young woman ... has grown up to be an assassin after witnessing the murder of her parents as a child. Turning herself into a professional killer, she remains focused on her ultimate goal: to hunt down and get revenge on the mobster responsible for her parents' deaths"--Container.

 

Directed by George Miller

When Mumble's son Erik wants to be a singer instead of a dancer like his father, they have a falling out until a problem that threatens the entire penguin colony brings them together.                     

                                                        

Directed by Tim Hill

Blending state-of-the-art animation with live action, Hop tells the comic tale of Fred, an out-of-work slacker who accidentally injures the Easter Bunny and must take him in as he recovers. As Fred struggles with the world's worst houseguest, both will learn what it takes to finally grow up.

 

Directed by James Bobin

While on vacation in Los Angeles, Walter and his friends, Gary and Mary, try to raise ten million dollars to save the Muppet Theater from Tex Richman, a business man who wants to demolish the theater in order to drill for oil.

                                                                               

Directed by Bruce Joel Rubin

A high-powered executive, diagnosed with terminal cancer, begins filming a home movie he calls "My life," in which he teaches his unborn son all the things a man must know: how to shave, how to slam dunk, and most of all, how to love.

                                                                               

Directed by Shawn Levy

Charlie Kenton is a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max to build and train a championship contender.

 

Directed by J. J. Abrams

In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witnesses a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie. Soon they suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town. The local deputy tries to uncover the truth, something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.

 

Directed by Cameron Crowe

A memoir by Benjamin Mee, tells the true account of how the author and his family used their life savings to buy a dilapidated zoo, replete with 200 exotic animals facing destruction, in the English countryside. Mee, along with his children, had to balance caring for his wife, who was dying of brain cancer, with dealing with escaped tigers, raising endangered animals, working with an eclectic skeleton crew and readying the zoo for a reopening.

                                                                                

Directed by Jason Reitman

Mavis Gary is a writer of teen literature who returns to her small hometown to relive her glory days and attempt to reclaim her happily married high school sweetheart. When returning home proves more difficult than she thought, Mavis forms an unusual bond with a former classmate who hasn't quite gotten over high school, either.                                          

                                    

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Unquenchably curious young reporter Tintin and his fiercely loyal dog Snowy discover a model ship carrying an explosive secret. Drawn into a centuries-old mystery, Tintin find himself in the sightlines of Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine, a diabolical villain who believes Tintin has stolen a priceless treasure tied to a dastardly pirate. With the help of Snowy, Captain Haddock, and bumbling detectives Thompson & Thompson, Tintin will travel half the world to find the final resting place of the Unicorn.

 

Directed by Mel Gibson

As the Mayan kingdom faces its decline, the rulers insist the key to prosperity is to build more temples and offer human sacrifices. Jaguar Paw is a young man who is captured for sacrifice, but flees to avoid his fate. He is taken on a perilous journey to a world that is ruled by fear and oppression, where a harrowing end awaits him. Through a twist of fate and spurred by the power of his love for his woman and his family he will make a desperate break to return home and to ultimately save his way of life.                                

                                             

Directed by Bill Condon

"In the ... fourth installment of the Twilight Saga, a marriage, a honeymoon, and the birth of a child bring unforeseen and shocking developments for Bella ... and Edward ... and those they love, including new complications with young werewolf Jacob Black"—Container.          

                                                                

Directed by Alexander Payne

Matt King is an indifferent husband and father of two girls, who is forced to re-examine his past and embrace his future when his wife suffers a boating accident off of Waikiki. The event leads to a rapprochement with his young daughters while Matt wrestles with a decision to sell the family's land handed down from Hawaiian royalty and missionaries.

 

Directed by Brian Percival

The Great War rages across Europe, and not even the serene Yorkshire countryside is free from its effects. The men and women of Downton are doing their part: heir Matthew Crawley and footman Thomas Barrow are off fighting, while Lady Grantham and Isobel Crawley are squabbling over whether Downton should be used as a hospital. Lady Mary is seeing a wealthy newspaper magnate while Lady Edith becomes much warmer and Lady Sybil seeks to ingratiate herself with the staff. Below stairs, as his former wife bedevils John and Anna, Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes struggle to keep the house running smoothly.

                                                                              

Directed by Baz Luhmann

On Long Island in the early 1920s the mysterious Jay Gatsby tries to rekindle his romance with Daisy, a young woman who has married another man, the wealthy and cruel Tom Buchanan.

 

Directed by Tate Taylor

In 1960s Mississippi, Skeeter, a southern society girl, returns from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends' lives, and a small Mississippi town, upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families. Aibileen, Skeeter's best friend's housekeeper, is the first to open up, to the dismay of her friends in the tight-knit black community.

                                                                               

Directed by Mark Waters

When a young girl who has lived in Africa and been homeschooled moves to New York, she must enter a public high school. Survival of the fittest takes on a whole new meaning when she falls for the ex-boyfriend of the most popular girl in school.

                                                                               

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their superhuman powers for the first time, working together in a desperate attempt to stop the Hellfire Club and a global nuclear war.

                                                                               

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Enemy agents mistake a New York City advertising executive for an American spy.

 

By James Patterson                               

Matthew Bannon, a poor art student living in New York City, finds a duffel bag filled with diamonds during a chaotic attack at Grand Central Station. Plans for a worry-free life with his gorgeous girlfriend Katherine fill his thoughts--until he realizes that he is being hunted, and that whoever is after him won't stop until they have reclaimed the diamonds and exacted their revenge. Trailing him is the Ghost, the world's greatest assassin, who has just pulled off his most high-profile hit: killing Walter Zelvas, a top member of the international Diamond Syndicate. There's only one small problem: the diamonds he was supposed to retrieve from Zelvas are missing. Now, the Ghost is on Bannon's trail--but so is a rival assassin who would like nothing more than to make the Ghost disappear forever. From "America's #1 storyteller" Forbes comes a high-speed, high-stakes, winner-take-all thrill ride of adrenaline-fueled suspense.

                                                                               

By Jodi Picoult 

Twenty-four-year-old Edward Warren, has been living in Thailand for five years, a prodigal son who left his family after an irreparable fight with his father, Luke. But he gets a frantic phone call: his dad lies comatose, gravely injured in the same accident that has also injured his younger sister Cara. With her father's chances for recovery dwindling, Cara wants to wait for a miracle. But Edward wants to terminate life support and donate his father's organs. Is he motivated by altruism or revenge?

 

By Jose Saramago 

In Blindness, a city is overcome by an epidemic of blindness that spares only one woman. She becomes a guide for a group of seven strangers and serves as the eyes and ears for the reader in this profound parable of loss and disorientation. We return to the city years later in Saramago's Seeing, a satirical commentary on government in general and democracy in particular. Together here for the first time, this beautiful edition will be a welcome addition to the library of any Saramago fan.

By Arturo Perez-Reverte                      

Captain Alatriste is the story of a fictional seventeenth-century Spanish soldier who, after being wounded in battle during the Thirty Years' War, is forced to retire from the army. Now he lives the comparatively tame-though hardly quiet-life of a swordsman-for-hire in Madrid. Approached with an offer of work, Alatriste is told to go with another hired blade to an unfamiliar part of the city at midnight and wait. They are received by men who explain that they want Alatriste and his companion to ambush two travelers the following evening, stage a robbery, and give the men a fright. "No blood,"they are told. But then a third figure enters the room. He says the job requires some clarification: he increases the pay, and tells them that, instead, they must murder the two travelers. Then he reveals his identity: Emilio Bocanegra. It is a name synonymous with the Spanish Inquisition, the bloodiest name in Europe. This is a man whose requests cannot be denied. But the following night, with the attack imminent, it becomes clear to Alatriste that these aren't ordinary travelers. And what happens next is only the first in a series of riveting twists and turns, with implications that will reverberate throughout the courts of Europe.

By Arturo Perez-Reverte

Those looking for seriously entertaining thrills will welcome Perez-Reverte's second 17th-century Spanish swashbuckler featuring the exploits of stoic, honorable Capt. Diego Alatriste (after 2005's Captain Alatriste). A father and two brothers accompany Alatriste on a mission to rescue their sister from the convent in which she has been imprisoned. Things go wrong when an old enemy of the captain ensures that Alatriste's ward, 13-year-old Inigo Balboa, falls into the hands of the Inquisition. With the aid of the great Spanish poet Francisco de Quevedo, all is made right. Rich in historical detail and sardonic observations, the narrative begins leisurely. The pace picks up, but the action is never so breathless as to sweep the reader along, as with Captain Alatriste. Still, this will matter little to fans, who are sure to look forward to further installments in the series.

 

By Arturo Perez-Reverte

Discover the new adventures of Diego Alatriste and his young partner, Inigo Balboa, in the long-awaited fifth installment of the famous adventures of Capitan Alatriste. Madrid, 1626, this new story is set in the middle of an aristocratic love affair between Alatriste and Maria de Castro, the most beautiful and famous actress of the Golden Era; a woman who is also being courted by Felipe IV. Action, history and adventure come together like a whirlpool in these unforgettable pages of dangerous and exciting adventures. This story takes us to the Madrid of Lope de Vega, of Calderon de la Barca and of Tirso de Molina, to the filthy alleys, royal conspiracies, and all the intrigues that brew in the theaters of the XVII century. Between Madrid and El Escorial we witness these new adventures, full of passion, vengeance and dangers, all through the eyes and narration of the always-faithful Inigo Balboa.

 

By Arturo Perez-Reverte

This 6th installment in the series following the escapades of Captain Diego Alatriste, is a story of skirmishes, boarded ships, killings and sackings in a time where Spain was revered, feared and hated in the easterly seas; where the devil had no color, no name and no flag, and where the only thing needed to summon hell on was a Spaniard and his sword; where men went about their tasks without meddling in government, philosophical or theological affairs-a time where men were soldiers.

By Arturo Perez-Reverte

This book can be praised from every possible angle. The Narrative technique is spotless; the definition of the characters, fantastic; at some point the reader is not sure whether this is the description of real historical events, because the care placed into every detail its so well tuned that the concept of "fiction" does not sound appropiate to the work. Additionaly is fascinating to read a Spanish author writing in "mexican". The great use of mexican slang through the novel shows how deeply the author went to make its characters realistic. While you read you can almost hear the accent of Teresa Mendoza. On the external part, this book also shows you how the war on drugs is more like a cruel and sad game if not a joke that is played by victims, criminals and governments without really knowing why.

By Roberto Bolano                                                              

Una imprescindible y escalofriante novela donde el talento del autor de 2666 y Los detectives salvajes brilla en todo su esplendor.   Sebasti n Urrutia Lacroix, sacerdote y cr tico literario, miembro del Opus Dei y poeta mediocre, convencido de que est a punto de morir, revisa en una sola noche de fiebre alta los momentos y personajes m s importantes de su vida.   Pero a medida que la noche avanza su fiebre va remitiendo y el delirio se aten a con la aparici n de los monstruos de su pasado. As van desfilando por el libro una serie de personajes pintados con el surrealismo t pico de Bola o: los ambiguos Oido y Odeim; un pintor guatemalteco que se deja morir de inanici n en el Par s de 1943; Farewell, el pope de la cr tica literaria chilena; Mar a Canales, una mujer misteriosa en cuya casona de las afueras se re ne lo m s granado de la literatura; y el general Pinochet, a quien Urrutia Lacroix dio clases de marxismo.

By Jorge Luis Borges                                                           

El autor ûconsiderado por muchos como el escritor hispanoamericano más importante del siglo veinteû cultivó la poesía, el ensayo y el cuento, alcanzando en este último género resultados absolutamente notables tanto por su originalidad como por la perfección de su prosa. En sus cuentos abordó temas metafísicos, alegorías, fantásticos ensueños y hasta historias de detectives, revelando la influencia de autores como Franz Kafka y Virginia Woolf. Este libro, publicado por primera vez en 1944, es considerado una de las obras más características y significativas del autor. Estos cuentos abordan sus temáticas predilectas y continuamente exploran la difusa frontera que separa la realidad de la fantasía, proponiendo escenarios apasionantes que comprometen toda la atención del lector por el rigor de su oficio y por la inteligencia deslumbrante que les da vida.

By Stephen R. Brown                                                               

"This is a starry love story, a tale of seething jealousies and subterfuge, a political imbroglio, and religious cruelties. It sounds like Shakespeare and it could have very well been the plot of one of his plays." - -Toronto Star In 1494, award-winning author Stephen R. Bown tells the untold story of the explosive feud between monarchs, clergy, and explorers that split the globe between Spain and Portugal and made the world's oceans a battleground. When Columbus triumphantly returned from America to Spain in 1493, his discoveries inflamed an already-smouldering conflict between Spain's renowned monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, and Portugal's João II. Which nation was to control the world's oceans? To quell the argument, Pope Alexander VI--the notorious Rodrigo Borgia--issued a proclamation laying the foundation for the Treaty of Tordesillas of 1494, an edict that created an imaginary line in the Atlantic Ocean dividing the entire known (and unknown) world between Spain and Portugal. Just as the world's oceans were about to be opened by Columbus's epochal voyage, the treaty sought to limit the seas to these two favored Catholic nations. The edict was to have a profound influence on world history: it propelled Spain and Portugal to superpower status, steered many other European nations on a collision course, and became the central grievance in two centuries of international espionage, piracy, and warfare. The treaty also began the fight for "the freedom of the seas"--the epic struggle to determine whether the world's oceans, and thus global commerce, would be controlled by the decree of an autocrat or be open to the ships of any nation--a distinctly modern notion, championed in the early seventeenth century by the Dutch legal theorist Hugo Grotius, whose arguments became the foundation of international law. At the heart of one of the greatest international diplomatic and political agreements of the last five centuries were the strained relationships and passions of a handful of powerful individuals. They were linked by a shared history, mutual animosity, and personal obligations--quarrels, rivalries, and hatreds that dated back decades. Yet the struggle ultimately stemmed from a young woman's determination to defy tradition and the king, and to choose her own husband.

By Eleanor Brown                                                               

This is the "delightful" (People) New York Times bestseller that's earned raves from Sarah Blake, Helen Simonson, and reviewers everywhere-the story of three sisters who love each other, but just don't happen to like each other very much... Three sisters have returned to their childhood home, reuniting the eccentric Andreas family. Here, books are a passion (there is no problem a library card can't solve) and TV is something other people watch. Their father, a professor of Shakespeare who speaks almost exclusively in verse, named them after the Bard's heroines. It's a lot to live up to. The sisters have a hard time communicating with their parents and their lovers, but especially with one another. What can the shy homebody eldest sister, the fast-living middle child, and the bohemian youngest sibling have in common? Only that none has found life to be what was expected; and now, faced with their parents' frailty and their own personal disappointments, not even a book can solve what ails them...

BySue Grafton

A tough-talking former cop, private investigator Kinsey Millhone has set up a modest detective agency in a quiet corner of Santa Teresa, California. A twice-divorced loner with few personal possessions and fewer personal attachments, she's got a soft spot for underdogs and lost causes. Eight years ago, Nikki Fife was convicted of killing her philandering husband. Now she's out on parole and needs Kinsey's help to find the real killer. If there's one thing that makes Kinsey feel alive, it's playing on the edge. When her investigation turns up a second corpse, more suspects, and a new reason to kill, Kinsey discovers that the edge is closer--and sharper--than she imagined.

BySue Grafton

Although business has been slow lately for P.I. Kinsey Millhone, she's reluctant to take on the case of locating Beverly Danziger's sister Elaine Boldt. It's a small matter that Beverly should be able to handle herself. So why is she enlisting Kinsey's services? Beverly claims she needs Elaine's signature on some documents so that she can collect a small inheritance. But the whole affair doesn't sit well with Kinsey. And if there's something she's learned in her line of work, it's to alwaysfollow your instincts... Kinsey's hunch proves true when she begins her inquiries into Elaine's whereabouts and discovers that the attractive widow was last seen in a flashy lynx coat boarding a plane for Boca Raton. But the more Kinsey searches for Elaine the more questions she encounters. Is Elaine's disappearance tied in to the brutal murder several months ago of one of her bridge partners? And what happened to Elaine's Persian cat who seems to have also vanished? Things take a turn for the worse when a stranger vandalizes the home of one of Elaine's neighbors and another neighbor turns up murdered. With her reputation and career on the line, Kinsey risks all to find a missing woman and a killer who's waiting in the shadows to strike again...

BySue Grafton

How do you go about solving an attempted murder when the victim has lost a good part of his memory? It's one of Kinsey's toughest cases yet, but she never backs down from a challenge. Twenty-three-year-old Bobby Callahan is lucky to be alive after a car forced his Porsche over a bridge and into a canyon. The crash left Bobby with a clouded memory. But he can't shake the feeling it was no random accident and that he's still in danger... The only clues Kinsey has to go on are a little red address book and the name "Blackman." Bobby can't remember who he gave the address book to for safekeeping. And any chances of Bobby regaining his memory are dashed when he's killed in another automobile accident just three days after he hires Kinsey. As Kinsey digs deeper into her investigation, she discovers Bobby had a secret worth killing for - and unearthing that secret could send Kinsey to her own early death...

BySue Grafton

When Alvin Limardo walks into P.I. Kinsey Millhone's office, she smells bad news. He wants Kinsey to deliver $25,000. The recipient: A fifteen-year-old boy. It's a simple matter. So simple that Kinsey wonders why he doesn't deliver the money himself. She's almost certain something is off. But with rent due, Kinsey accepts Limardo's retainer against her better judgment... When Limardo's check bounces, Kinsey discovers she's been had big time. Alvin Limardo is really John Daggett - an ex-con with a drinking problem, two wives to boot, and a slew of people who would like to see him dead. Now Kinsey is out four hundred dollars and in hot pursuit of Daggett. When Daggett's corpse shows up floating in the Santa Teresa surf, the cops rule the death an accident. Kinsey thinks it's murder. But seeking justice for a man who everyone seemed to despise is going to be a lot tougher than she bargained for - and what awaits her at the end of the road is much more disturbing than she could've ever imagined...

BySue Grafton

Being a twice-divorced, happily independent loner has worked like a charm for P.I. Kinsey Millhone - until holiday weekends like this one roll around. What she needs is a little diversion to ward off the blues. She gets her much-needed distraction with a case that places her career on the line. And if that isn't enough to keep her busy, her ex-husband, who walked out on her eight years ago, pops back on the radar... It all begins with a $5,000 deposit made into Kinsey's bank account. Problem is she's not the one who deposited the money. But when she's accused of being on the take in an industrial arson case, Kinsey realizes someone is framing her... Now Kinsey's working for herself. But with new evidence - and corpses - surfacing around her, she's going to have to act quickly to clear her name before she loses her career, her reputation - and quite possibly her life...

 

By Pauline Baynes                                                               

Pauline Baynes, whose original line illustrations for J. R. R. Tolkein's "The Lord of the Rings" and C. S. Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" are known to millions, has revived twenty medical and mischievous beasts, basing her tongue-in-cheek descriptions on various English bestiaries. Her delightful recreations of these fabulous beasts hop, swoop, and gallop through the pages in antique splendor, and will charm today's readers as readily as they astounded audiences centuries ago.

 

By Subcomandante Marcos                                                        

In this landmark book, Seven Stories Press presents a powerful collection of literary, philosophical, and political writings of the masked Zapatista spokesperson, Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos. Introduced by Nobel Prize winner José Saramago, and illustrated with beautiful black and white photographs, Our Word Is Our Weapon crystallizes "the passion of a rebel, the poetry of a movement, and the literary genius of indigenous Mexico." Marcos first captured world attention on January 1, 1994, when he and an indigenous guerrilla group calling themselves "Zapatistas" revolted against the Mexican government and seized key towns in Mexico's southernmost state of Chiapas. In the six years that have passed since their uprising, Marcos has altered the course of Mexican politics and emerged an international symbol of grassroots movement-building, rebellion, and democracy. The prolific stream of poetic political writings, tales, and traditional myths that Marcos has penned since January 1, 1994 fill more than four volumes. Our Word Is Our Weapon presents the best of these writings, many of which have never been published before in English. Throughout this remarkable book we hear the uncompromising voice of indigenous communities living in resistance, expressing through manifestos and myths the universal human urge for dignity, democracy, and liberation. It is the voice of a people refusing to be forgotten the voice of Mexico in transition, the voice of a people struggling for democracy by using their word as their only weapon.

                                                                               

By Larry Niven                                                                

The children of Earthmen who colonized part of Avalon decide they can do better and set out to conquer the rest of the planet. But the children of the monsters their parents defeated also think they can do better. A sequel to The Legacy of Heorot.

 

 

By William Dudley

A half century after the Korean War, North and South Korea are still divided and comprise one of the world's foremost trouble spots. American and Korean experts present differing opinions and analyses on the economies, human rights records, and military and foreign policies of these two nations that have evolved in strikingly different directions.

                                                                            

By Lindy Roscoe Hartigan, Richard Vine, Robert Lehrman, Walter Hopps and Joseph Cornell

Originally published to celebrate the centennial of Joseph Cornell's birth,this book provides a multidimensional perspective on the pioneeringmodern artist. Lavishly illustrated with more than seventy-five boxes andcollages, as well as images of the fascinating source material that the artistcollected to create his exquisitely crafted worlds, it communicates to thereader the sense of surprise and delight that one experiences on viewingthe actual boxes with their toys, stuffed birds, maps, clay pipes, marbles,shells, and other paraphernalia of daily life.The book's essays bring together the expertise of Lynda Roscoe Hartigan,former director of the Joseph Cornell Study Center; the compelling commentaryof Walter Hopps, art dealer, museum curator and director, and theartist's personal friend; the wide-ranging scholarship of Richard Vi≠ andthe sensitivity of Robert Lehrman, a leading Cornell collector whose firsthandexperience lends this publication its distinctive intimacy. Among thetopics explored are the role of dualities in the artistic process, the dominantthemes of Cornell's oeuvre, and the importance of his Christian Science faith.

                                                                                

By Jean Donaldson                                                             

Jean Donaldson Offers an Exciting New Perspective on the age-old relationship between mankind and dogs. Her work with her own dogs and those of her clients, combined with her research and her study with other canine behaviorists has led her to the realisation that, in all likelihood, dogs learn exclusively through operant and classical conditioning. Donaldson demonstrates that the all-too-common anthropomorphic misconceptions about dogs and dog behavior are not limited to exaggerations concerning canine intelligence. Many people feel a deep disappointment when they discover the need for heavy artillery -- i.e., food and other primary reinforcers -- to train their dogs. Donaldson counters this with her eloquent conviction that it's time for us to rid ourselves of the belief that dogs are capable of experiencing a desire to please. Generations of completely and utterly normal dogs have been branded as canine misfits simply because they require actual motivation.

 

By L. F. Haber

The introduction of chemical warfare during the First World War was a major event in the history of military technology. It not only posed an unusual challenge to military thinking of the day, which was largely conventional and wholly unfamiliar with science; it also created a heated moral controversy surrounding the new weapon that did not discriminate between soldiers and civilians. This study, based on a previously unavailable range of archival material and statistical data, explores the military role of chemical warfare as well as its effects on people, industries and administration on both sides. The book also fully examines the complex issues raised by this new technology, which were debated endlessly between the wars and have led to recent agreements among the powers to curb their use of chemical or biological warfare. This study was planned in close cooperation with Sir Harold Hartley, who became head of British chemical warfare in 1918.

                                                                               

By Gregory Harms

[This book] provides the student and general reader with a comprehensive yet clear and easy rendering of not only the conflict, but the entire history of the region (Canaan and Palestine). By including the ancient background, the common assumption that the Israelis and Palestinians have been "fighting for thousands of years" is put to rest. Broken up into three sections -- Background History, Pre-Conflict, and Conflict -- the reader is walked through Ancient Israel, Muhammad and Islam, and on through two world wars and up to the current situation covered on the evening news. In addition to the brief history, the reader is also provided with further direction, such as detailed citing of sources, and suggested reading lists and resources ... -Publisher description.

                                                                              

By Michael Hopkinson                                                           

The Irish War of Independence was a sporadic guerrilla campaign taht lasted from January 1919 until July 1921. Michael Hopkinson makes full use of the recently opened files of the Bureau of Military Archives in Dublin, which contain valuable first-hand contemporary accounts of the war, meticulously piecing together the many disparate local actions to create a coherent narrative. He stresses the importance of local and contingent issues over the idea of a master plan developed by the Dublin-based republican leadership. The war was prosecuted ruthlessly by the Irish Republican Army which, paralleling the political efforts of Sinn Fein, hoped to break Britain's will to rule Ireland and create an independent Irish republic. The British retaliated by introducing two new irregular forces into Ireland, the Black and Tans and the Auxiliaries, Fighting took place principally in counties Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Monaghan, Armagh, Clare, Kerry, and Longford. It was sporadic but vicious, with fewer than 2,000 IRA volunteers facing over 50,000 crown forces. The IRA depended upon energetic local leaders - where there were none, there was little fighting.

                                                                               

By Todd Kashdan                                                               

Renowned psychology professor Kashdan reveals how cultivating curiosity is the road to happy, healthy, and meaningful living and the true key to falling in love with life.

                                                                               

By Kayla Morgan                                                            

This title gives readers a balanced look at the arguments surrounding marijuana legalization. Readers will learn the history of marijuana, the medical use of the drug, and its health risks. Also covered are the key players in the legalization debate and the progress of legalizing marijuana in California. Color photos and informative sidebars accompany easy-to-follow text. Features include a table of contents, timeline, facts, additional resources, web sites, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index. Essential Viewpoints is a series in Essential Library, an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.

                                                                                                                                                               

By Paul R. Niven                                                                

This book provides an easy-to-follow roadmap for successfully implementing the Balanced Scorecard methodology in small- and medium-sized companies. Building on the success of the first edition, the Second Edition includes new cases based on the author's experience implementing the balanced scorecard at government and nonprofit agencies. It is a must-read for any organization interested in achieving breakthrough results.

                                                                               

By Susan Browning Pogany

Written by a medical science journalist and parent, this book provides straightforward answers to hundreds of questions teens have about sex and relationships.

                                                     

By Jonathan Rauch                                                           

A leading Washington journalist argues that gay marriage is the best way to preserve and protect society's most essential institution Two people meet and fall in love. They get married, they become upstanding members of their community, they care for each other when one falls ill, they grow old together. What's wrong with this picture? Nothing, says Jonathan Rauch, and that's the point. If the two people are of the same sex, why should this chain of events be any less desirable? Marriage is more than a bond between individuals; it also links them to the community at large. Excluding some people from the prospect of marriage not only is harmful to them, but is also corrosive of the institution itself. The controversy over gay marriage has reached a critical point in American political life as liberals and conservatives have begun to mobilize around this issue, pro and con. But no one has come forward with a compelling, comprehensive, and readable case for gay marriage-until now. Jonathan Rauch, one of our most original and incisive social commentators, has written a clear and honest manifesto explaining why gay marriage is important-even crucial-to the health of marriage in America today. Rauch grounds his argument in commonsense, mainstream values and confronting the social conservatives on their own turf. Gay marriage, he shows, is a "win-win-win" for strengthening the bonds that tie us together and for remaining true to our national heritage of fairness and humaneness toward all.               

                                                              

By Terry Ryan                                                                 

Training dogs has traditionally been done by using negative reinforcement and brute force (take the choke collar as an example). But the tide is turning, and Terry Ryan, well-known dog trainer, is at the forefront of a revolution. OUTWITTING DOGS draws on her twentyfive years of hands-on experience helping people understand and train dogs, and solve dog behavior problems using kinder, gentler methods. OUTWITTING DOGS uses more brain than brawn to motivate dog behavior with positive training techniques, and helps readers truly understand the minds of their canine friends (and even enemies). Chapters cover: . outwitting puppies . housebreaking . curing the chronic chewer . how to cure the leash puller, the dog that jumps on people, the dog that hates to be left alone, the dog that won't come, the dog that barks too much, the biter, the aggressor . how to outwit the neighbor's dog . how to teach your dog tricks . how to outwit dog trainers . and even a chapter on outwitting dogs and kids at the same time, and much more. No sensible dog owner will want to be without a copy.

 

By Jeremy Schaap                                                                              

At the 1936 Olympics, against a backdrop of swastikas and goose-stepping storm troopers, an African-American son of sharecroppers won a staggering four gold medals and single-handedly demonstrated that Hitler's myth of Aryan supremacy was a lie. The story of Jesse Owens at the Berlin games is that of an athletic performance that transcends sports. It is also the intimate and complex tale of one remarkable man's courage. Drawing on unprecedented access to the Owens family, previously unpublished interviews, and exhaustive archival research, Jeremy Schaap transports us to Germany and tells the dramatic tale of Owens and his fellow athletes at the contest dubbed the Nazi Olympics. With his incisive reporting and rich storytelling, Schaap reveals what really happened over those tense, exhilarating weeks in a nuanced and riveting work of sports history.

 

By Roger C. Schank

From grade school to graduate school, from the poorest public institutions to the most affluent private ones, our educational system is failing students. In his provocative new book, cognitive scientist and bestselling author Roger Schank argues that class size, lack of parental involvement, and other commonly-cited factors have nothing to do with why students are not learning. The culprit is a system of subject-based instruction and the solution is cognitive-based learning. Teaching Minds provides a model for revolutionizing the very foundations of education. Using the cognitive science discoveries of recent years, Schank demonstates how teaching should be aligned with the way people think rather than with the subjects that have always been taught. He identifies 12 cognitive processes that must be mastered by all students no matter what careers they choose. He explains how teachers can act as mentors and facilitators, guiding students as they acquire experiences related to these processes. This "new" kind of learning will naturally lead to a "new" kind of teaching that will better prepare students to succeed in school and in the highly competitive global arena. This groundbreaking book defines what it would mean to teach thinking. The time is now for schools to start teaching minds!

 

 

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy
By Ally Carter
After staking out, obtaining, and then being forced to give up her first boyfriend, Josh, all Cammie Morgan wants is a peaceful semester. But that's easier said than done when you're a CIA legacy and go to the premier school in the world . . . for spies. Cammie may have a genius I.Q., but there are still a lot of things she doesn't know. Like, will her ex-boyfriend even remember she exists? And how much trouble is she really in after what happened last semester? And most of all, why is her mother acting so strangely? Despite Cammie's best intentions to be a normal student, danger seems to follow her. She and her friends learn that their school is going to play host to some mysterious guests--code name: Blackthorne. Then she's blamed for a security breach that leaves the school's top secret status at risk. Soon, Cammie and her friends are crawling through walls and surveilling the school to learn the truth about Blackthorne and clear Cammie's name. Even though they have confidence in their spy skills, this time the targets are tougher (and hotter), and the stakes for Cammie's heart--and her beloved school--are higher than ever.

I'd Tell You I love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You
By Ally Carter
Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school—that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it’s really a school for spies. Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she’s an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real “pavement artist”—but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her? Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she’s on her most dangerous mission—falling in love.

Only the Good Spy Young
By Ally Carter
When Cammie Morgan enrolled at the Gallagher Academy, she knew she was preparing for the dangerous life of a spy. What she didn’t know was that the serious, real-life danger would start during her junior year of high school. But that’s exactly what happened two months ago when Cammie faced off against an ancient terrorist organization dead set on kidnapping her. Now the danger follows her everywhere, and even Cammie “The Chameleon” can’t hide. When a terrifying encounter in London reveals that one of her most-trusted allies is actually a rogue double-agent, Cammie no longer knows if she can trust her classmates, her teachers—or even her own heart. In this fourth installment of the New York Times best-selling series, the Gallagher Girls must hack, spy, steal, and lie their way to the truth.as they go searching for answers, recognizing that the key to Cammie’s future may lie deep in the past.

The Hunger Games
By Suzanne Collins
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the other districts in line by forcing them to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight-to-the-death on live TV. One boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and sixteen are selected by lottery to play. The winner brings riches and favor tohis or her district. But that is nothing compared to what the Capitol wins: one more year of fearful compliance with its rule. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her impoverished district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before - and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. Acclaimed writer Suzanne Collins, author of the New York Times bestselling Underland Chronicles, delivers equal parts suspense and philosophy, adventure and romance, in this stunning novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
By Stieg Larsson
In the concluding volume of Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy, Lisbeth Salander lies in critical condition in a Swedish hospital, a bullet in her head. But she's fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she'll stand trial for three murders. With the help of Mikael Blomkvist, she'll need to identify those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she'll seek revenge--against the man who tried to killer her and against the corrupt government institutions that nearly destroyed her life.

The Girl Who Played with Fire
By Stieg Larsson
Part blistering espionage thriller, part riveting police procedural, and part piercing exposé on social injustice, The Girl Who Played with Fire is a masterful, endlessly satisfying novel. Mikael Blomkvist, crusading publisher of the magazine Millennium , has decided to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation. On the eve of its publication, the two reporters responsible for the article are murdered, and the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to his friend, the troubled genius hacker Lisbeth Salander. Blomkvist, convinced of Salander's innocence, plunges into an investigation. Meanwhile, Salander herself is drawn into a murderous game of cat and mouse, which forces her to face her dark past.

Legend
By Marie Lu
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths--until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets. Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

The Lucky One
By Nicholas Sparks
In his 14th book, bestselling author Nicholas Sparks tells the unforgettable story of a man whose brushes with death lead him to the love of his life. After U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman buried in the dirt during his tour of duty in Iraq, he experiences a sudden streak of luck -- winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune: the photograph -- his lucky charm. Back home in Colorado, Thibault can't seem to get the woman in the photograph out of his mind and he sets out on a journey across the country to find her. But Thibault is caught off guard by the strong attraction he feels for the woman he encounters in North Carolina - Elizabeth, a divorced mother -- and he keeps the story of the photo, and his luck, a secret. As he and Elizabeth embark upon a passionate love affair, his secret soon threatens to tear them apart -- destroying not only their love, but also their lives. Filled with tender romance and terrific suspense, THE LUCKY ONE is an unforgettable story about the surprising paths our lives often take and the power of fate to guide us to true and everlasting love.

Love & Lies: Marisol's Story
By Ellen Wittlinger
Marisol Guzman from Hard Love is older and wiser. She has graduated from high school and deferred Stanford for a year so she can pursue her newest dream, writing a novel. She has taken an apartment in Somerville with her best friend Birdie, a waitressing job at the legendary Mug in Cambridge, and signed up for "How To Write Your First Novel" at the adult learning annex. But on the first day, she isn't sure what is a bigger suprise, that Gio is in her class or that it is being taught by Olivia Frost, the most beautiful, intelligent woman she has ever laid eyes on. Between that; Birdie bringing home his new boyfriend (who is equally afraid of Marisol and the cat) to live with them; and Lee, a high school senior who has fallen head over heels for Marisol, she can hardly keep things straight. Especially once she herself falls into her first real relationship with the twenty-eight year old Olivia. As Marisol becomes more and more involved with Olivia, she begins to wonder if she is too blinded by love to see the truth.

Sandry's Book
By Tamora Pierce
Part of the 8-book Tamora Pierce reissue for Fall 2006, this title in the Circle of Magic quartet features spellbinding new cover art. Coincides with the release of WILL OF THE EMPRESS in trade pb. Four elements of power, four mages-in-training learning to control them. In Book 1 of the Circle of Magic Quartet, gifted young weaver Sandry is brought to the Winding Circle community. There she meets Briar, a former thief with a way with plants; Daja, an outcase gifted at metalcraft; and Tris, whose connection with the weather unsettles everyone, including herself. The four misfits are taught how to use their magic, but when disaster strikes, it's up to Sandry to weave together four different kinds of power to save herself, her friends, and Winding Circle.

Airel
By Patterson Aaron
"Airel knew change would be an inevitable part of life. But can she hold on when murder and darkness begin to close in and take away everything she loves? Will she have what it takes when the truth is finally revealed?"--P. 4 of cover

 

 

 

By Carmen Agra Deedy                                                            

Ninny and Bessie promise each other that if one of them dies the other will dance on the departed one's grave, and the promise helps their love endure even after death.

 

By Linda Bailey                                                                 

Stanley's people go out a lot. Stanley is a good dog, but one night, while they're away, the temptation becomes too great and he sneaks up onto the couch. What a wonderful experience! Soon he's also blasting the music, dancing around the living room and raiding the fridge. Stanley's never had so much fun! But after a couple of weeks something is missing, and Stanley realizes that partying alone has lost its thrill.                                                    

                                                                                

By Michael Smith

A book designed to inspire children to start thinking comparatively and analytically. (Text in English and in Spanish)                         

                                                                                

By Chris Van Allsburg                                                     

Left on their own for an afternoon, two bored and restless children find more excitement than they bargained for in a mysterious and mystical jungle adventure board game.

                                                                               

By Anna Witte                                                                  

Lola is a young Spanish girl in awe of her glamorous older sister. However, she discovers her own talent and duende, or spirit, through secret fandango lessons from her father. The text is infused with the rhythms, movements and sounds of the dance and after learning how to dance a style of flamenco known as the fandango, Lola plans a surprise for her mother's birthday.

                                                                               

By Chris Van Allsburg                                                           

Sometimes that very thin line between illusion and reality is not as clearly defined as we would like it to be. It certainly wasn't the day that Alan Mitz stumbled into the garden of Abdul Gasazi. For in this bizarre and eerie place -- where strange topiary trees loomed -- the evil visage of Gasazi casts its shadow. And even after Alan escaped, the spell of Gasazi still seemed to penetrate into his everyday world. In this extraordinary, unusual, and unique picture book, Chris Van Allsburg explores both the real and surreal worlds with incredible deftness. In doing so, he has created exquisite and beautiful images that will continue to haunt readers long after they have left the enchanted garden of Abdul Gasazi.                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

By Ernest Lawrence Thayer                                                   

Art techniques used: Sepia scratchboard images in the style of engravings, combined with fictional memorabilia give the appearance of an old scrapbook.