Bishop McNamara Catholic High School

 Staging the World : Shakespeare

Objects and writings from the early 17th century recreate Shakespeare's London - the culture, streets, shops, and churches that inspired him.

The good girls revolt / Lynn Povich

In the 1960's, young women poured into the work place. Lynn Povich, Nora Ephron, Jane Bryant Quinn, Ellen Goodman, and Susan Brownmiller all landed jobs at Newsweek. It was a top-notch job––for a girl––at an exciting place. But it was a dead end. Aspiring female journalists were told, “If you want to be a writer, go somewhere else.” So, they went to court. In the first female class action lawsuit, forty-six women charged Newsweek with discrimination in hiring and promotion.

War / Sebastian Junger

Junger spent 14 months embedded with the 173rd Airborne brigade in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. He knew that war is brutal and bloody; he struggled to understand that soldiers also found it insanely exciting.  Combat scenes contrast quieter discussions;  “unforgettable portrait of men under fire”.  (www.amazon.com)

 

FICTION

Anna and the French kiss / Stephanie Perkins

“Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta. . . . So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris-until she meets Etienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Etienne has it all . . . including a serious girlfriend.

Perkins keeps the romantic tension crackling and the attraction high in a debut guaranteed to make toes tingle and hearts melt.” (www.amazon.com)

Bruiser / Neal Shusterman

“When Brontë, befriends shy and withdrawn classmate Brewster “Bruiser” Rawlins, her brother Tennyson is concerned that the relationship will prove somehow dangerous. Bronte and Tennyson learn that Bruiser can assume the physical pain and wounds of those he cares about, as well as their anger, hurt, and grief. The novel reveals its secrets slowly, encouraging readers to weigh the price of Bruiser's “gift” against the freedom from pain that Tennyson and Brontë enjoy.” (https://sites.google.com/site/parentalbookreviews ; 9/28/12)

Calico Joe / John Grisham

Nobody ever saw a rookie like Calico Joe. Joe Castle from Calico Rock, Arkansas came up to the Chicago Cubs in the summer of 1973. In 38 games, he batted .488 and hit 21 home runs. Calico Joe was Paul Tracey’s idol. Then Joe was struck by a pitch thrown by Paul’s father, Warren Tracey, of the New York Mets as the Mets and Cubs battled to win the National League East.

A novel about fathers and sons, forgiveness and redemption. (Interview with John Grisham. Scott Simon. http://www.npr.org; 9/28/12)

 

The chosen one / Carol L. Williams

Thirteen-year-old Kyra lives in a polygamous cult without questioning her circumstances. That is, "if you don’t count her visits to the Ironton County Mobile Library on Wheels to read forbidden books, or her secret meetings with Joshua, the boy she hopes to choose for herself instead of having a man chosen for her. But when the Prophet decrees that Kyra must become her sixty-year-old uncle’s seventh wife, she must make a desperate choice in the face of violence and the fear of losing her family forever." (www.amazon.com)

Leviathan / Scott Westerfeld

“It is the cusp of World War I. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ genetically fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet.

Aleksandar Ferdinand, a Clanker, and Deryn Sharp, a Darwinist, are on opposite sides of the war. But their paths cross in the most unexpected way, taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure….One that will change both their lives forever.” (www.amazon.com)

Lockdown : escape from furnace / Alexander Gordon Smith

Furnace Penitentiary: the world’s most secure prison for young offenders is a mile beneath the earth’s surface. Sentenced to life for a murder he didn’t commit, Alex Sawyer must find a way out or resign himself to a death behind bars. But death is the least of his worries. Inhuman creatures in gas masks stalk the corridors at night, where giants in black suits drag screaming inmates into the shadows. And behind everything is the mysterious, all-powerful warden. (www.amazon.com)

North of beautiful / Justina Headley

It's hard not to notice Terra Cooper. She's tall, blond, and lithe as a ballerina. A budding artist, she needs to escape her tiny hometown; her cruel, controlling father; the port wine stain on her face that has not responded to laser treatments.  “Written in lively, artful prose, . . . Headley has woven together a powerful novel about a fractured family, falling in love, travel, and the meaning of true beauty.” (www.amazon.com)

(This is a terrific book. Don’t miss it! The Librarian)

Rikers high / Paul Volponi

“Martin’s day becomes his worst nightmare when he is arrested for something he didn't even mean to do. Five months later, Martin is still in jail on Rikers Island when he gets caught in a fight between two prisoners, and his face is slashed. He is transferred to a part of Rikers where inmates must attend high school. When he meets his caring and understanding teacher, will Martin open up and learn from his situation? Or will he be consumed by prison and getting revenge on his attackers?” (www.amazon.com)