Titcomb's Bookshop
April 2013
In This Issue
Sandwich Reads Together
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The Given Daydennis lehane
Dennis Lehane
The Given Day
Saturday, May 4th 7:00pm
 
Sandwich Town Hall
Tickets:  $10.00
(Available Beginning April 16th)

Bestselling author Dennis Lehane will speak at Sandwich Town Hall about his book, The Given Day.  Tickets $10 each, available at Sandwich Public Library and Titcomb's Book Shop in East Sandwich.  Tickets will be available beginning on April 16th. 

The Given Day
Boston, 1919. Powerful forces are devastating the city -- police strikes, anarchist and Bolshevik terrorism, the Molasses Flood, Spanish influenza, and racism bloody the streets, while Babe Ruth makes baseball America's national pastime. The award-winning Lehane has written ten novels, a collection of short stories, and a play. His most recent novel, Live by Night, continues the saga begun in The Given Day.  $16.99; our price $13.59

About Dennis
Dennis Lehane grew up in Boston. Since his first novel, A Drink Before the War, won the Shamus Award, he has published eight more novels that have been translated into more than 30 languages and become international bestsellers: Darkness, Take My Hand; Sacred; Gone, Baby, Gone; Prayers for Rain; Mystic River; Shutter Island; and Moonlight Mile. Three of his novels -- Mystic River, Gone, Baby, Gone, and Shutter Island -- have been adapted into award-winning films.  Mr. Lehane and his wife, Angie, divide their time between the west coast of Florida and Boston.

This program is funded by Sandwich Kiwanis Leverault Trust Grant.

Quick Links
Bargain Books
archipelagoArchipelago: Portraits of Life in the World's Most Remote Island Sanctuary by David Liittschwager and Susan Middleton   With its more than 300 stunning images, the book illustrates the spectacular diversity of these ocean and island creatures, as well as profiles many of the people dedicated to the preservation of this habitat. List Price:  $65.00  Our Price:  $19.99
the evolution of calpernia tate The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
This is the warm and touching story of a young girl growing up in 1899 Texas with her 5 brothers, parents and a grandfather who introduces her to the work of Darwin.  A staff favorite, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is a 2010 Newbery Honor Book and the winner of the 2010 Bank Street - Josette Frank Award.  List Price:  $16.99  Our Price:  $6.99

genius of place Genius of Place: The Life of Frederick Law Olmsted by Justin Martin
This definitive, first full-scale biography of Olmsted reveals the famed designer of New York's Central Park also as a brilliant political and social reformer.  List Price:  $30.00  Our Price:  $9.99
Our Newest Stuffed Animals Arrived!
douglas
Sometimes when shopping for that special gift, an item may catch your eye with a certain look or quality.   What remains hidden, but may add to the appeal,  can be the very human story behind the production of that toy.
 
rocky
Rocky! $22.99
Take, for example, our new plush dog, Rocky.  While Titcomb's
happens
has always loved Douglas Company's  fine plush animals, this  year we love their new item, named "Brian's Rocky Labradoodle".   Well, Rocky happens 
 
owl
Willow, $15.99
sales
to be patterned after a real "Rocky", the dog that belongs to Brian, our Douglas sales
representative!  When we learned of that connection we simply had
dolphin
Jayla Aqua Flower Dolphin $15.99
you'll want to a
to add him to our collection
of beloved plush animals.  Take of look and a feel of him, and
add him to your beloved's collection as well. 
The Toes Knows!!!
rich frog
Can't resist kissing and tickling a baby's toes?  Just wait till you see them sporting our new booties!  Styles include Green Frog's Feet, Orange Duck Feet and Purple Monster Toes.  Such fun from our friends at Rich Frog in Vermont.   For little toes and their feet, aged 0-6 months.  $8.99
daffodils and booksSpring Has Sprung???

We know what you are thinking... Spring?  What Spring?  But it's here!  Flowers are blooming - crocuses and daffodils and more.  We have confidence that the tide has turned and spring has truly sprung!  April is a  beautiful month to get outdoors, but it's also the perfect month to celebrate a love of reading.  World Book Night U.S. is April 23rd and we are proud to be part of this nation-wide program in which 25,000 passionate volunteers across America give away half a million books donated by publishers. To learn more about World Book Night and the books that are being given away, check out their website here.  And think about becoming a "giver" next year too!

April is also National Poetry Month. Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is a time to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture.  Cape Cod is the home of so many wonderful poets and inspiration to many more.  In her newest book, Poems to Learn by Heart, Caroline Kennedy has hand-selected more than 100 of her favorite poems that lend themselves to memorization. What a beautiful way to share poetry!  We invite you to share a favorite poem with family and friends.  We'd also love to have you share a favorite poem on our Facebook page, too! 

The Given Day dennis lehane And finally to celebrate a community-wide love of reading, Sandwich Reads Together has some very exciting news!!  They invite you to read and talk about Dennis Lehane's fascinating historical novel, The Given Day.  Mr. Lehane will join us at Town Hall on Saturday, May 4th at 7:00pm to talk about his book.  There will also be an opportunity to dine with Mr. Lehane earlier that day at the Dan'l Webster for a fundraising event for Sandwich Reads Together.
Upcoming Events
downton abbey tea Downton Abbey Tea
Saturday, April 6th
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Mourning the end of this season of your favorite PBS television show?  Titcomb's Bookshop has the cure for you!  Join us for a celebration of Downton Abbey!  We will serve Courtship Tea, a special brend made locally by Donna and Ron Lasco. Light refreshments will also be served.  Don't be surprised if you end up playing some wonderful parlour games with a Downton theme!!!  Please join us as we relive our favorite moments from this season's Downton Abbey.

as sweet as honey indira ganesan Book Talk and Signing with Indira Ganesan
As Sweet as Honey
Sunday, April 14th 2-4pm
As Sweet as Honey is an enchanting and poignant story of family life on a gorgeous island in the Indian Ocean.  Meterling, a very tall South Asian heroine with an unusual name, finds love at last in the unlikely shape of a short, round, elegant Englishman, who suffers a fatal coronary during the new couple's first wedding dance.   

Meterling's young niece, Mina, who narrates the novel, puzzles out what is going on with her favorite aunt, particularly when it is revealed that Meterling is pregnant and when the groom's cousin arrives from England and begins to woo her.  Meterling is torn between Eastern and Western ideas of love and family, duty and loyalty as she struggles to make a new life.

Indira Ganesan was born in Srirangam, India, and moved to the United States as a child. She graduated from Vassar College and received an M.F.A. from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Her previous novels were The Journey and Inheritance. She currently lives in Provincetown, MA.

art2d2 Art2-D2's Guide to Folding and Doodling
Origami Project
Thursday, April 18th 10:00am
Kids ages 7 and up
May the Folds Be With You! We will teach you how to fold origami in five steps to create an awesome Yoda!  Each child will receive a free Art2-D2's Guide to Folding and Doodling 16 page sampler and a really cool Art2-D2 pencil.  This event is free but does require a reservation.  Please call or stop by the bookshop to make your reservation today.  Space is limited.

defiant brides Nancy Stewart Book Talk and Signing with Nancy Rubin Stuart
Author of Defiant Brides:  Untold Story of Two Revolutionary Era Women and the Radical Men They Married
Sandwich Public Library (Room 2)
Thursday, April 25th 7:00pm - 8:15pm
Two wealthy Revolutionary-era teenagers defy their parents and marry political radicals. The first, the voluptuous Boston brunette, Lucy Flucker of Boston, wed poor bookbinder, Henry Knox. The second, the beautiful blonde Philadelphia belle, Peggy Shippen, weds military hero Benedict Arnold. Their lives are changed forever. One bride becomes a patriot - and the other, a spy.

Nancy Rubin Stuart lives in Sandwich.  She is an award-winning author and journalist who specializes in women, biography and social history. She serves as Executive Director of the Cape Cod Writers Center, writes a column for the Barnstable Patriot, and is a board member of the Women Writing Women's Lives Seminar of the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. 

Books will be available for purchase.  Light refreshments provided by the Friends of the Sandwich Public Library.

Animal casey sherman Book Talk and Signing with Casey Sherman
Animal:  The Bloody Rise and Fall of the Mob's Most Feared Assassin

Saturday, April 27th 1-2pm


Journalist and true-crime author Casey Sherman profiles Mafia hit man turned FBI informant Joe "the Animal" Barboza in this fascinating biography.  Fans of mafia history will relish this portrait of a forgotten figure from the heyday of organized crime.

Casey Sherman is a Boston-based journalist and the author of A Rose for Mary: The Hunt for the Real Boston Strangler and Bad Blood: Freedom and Death in the White Mountains, among others. He is the coauthor of The Finest Hours: The True Story of the Coast Guard's Most Daring Rescue.
savethedate
save the date Save the Date
We have so many wonderful event planned for Spring and Summer 2013.  For more information and to keep up to date on future events please go to our website. 
Sally Gunning (Writing as Sally Cabot)
Benjamin Franklin's Bastard
Sandwich Public Library
Wednesday, May 8th  7:00pm

Katherine Hall Page
The Body in the Piazza: A Faith Fairchild Mystery
Saturday, May 11th 1-2pm


Dan Brown Live Stream Event
Inferno
Sandwich Public Library
Wednesday, May 15th 7:30pm

Howie Carr
Rifleman:  The Untold Story of Stevie Flemmi, Whitey Bulger's Partner
Saturday, June 1st 2-4pm

Claire Cook
Time Flies
Friday, June 14th 1-2pm

B.A. Shapiro
The Art Forger
Saturday, June 29th 1-2pm

Staff Reviews and New Releases
Adult Fiction

calling me home From Elisa:  Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler

Eighty year old Isabelle McAllister befriends her hairdresser Dorrie Curtis over the course of a ten year "courtship".  Isabelle suddenly needs a favor of Dorrie...a really big favor.  Dorrie, a black single mom in her thirties, agrees to drop everything (and there are a lot of 'things'!) in order to accompany Isabelle from Texas to Cincinnati for a funeral. But whose funeral is it?  Along the way, Isabelle begins reveal the secrets of her painful past and a love so beautiful and yet so very forbidden in her time.  I laughed, I blushed, I swooned and I cried.  I was completely swept up in Isabelle's narration.  Be prepared to clear your schedule when you begin reading, since the book is very hard to put down.  Calling Me Home is Julie Kibler's first novel (which is amazing!) and is loosely based on her family's history in Texas.  Even though I miss Dorrie and Isabelle right now as I write this, I am grateful I got to read their story...and I believe you as well. List Price:  $24.99  Our Price:  $19.99

the edge of the earth From Elizabeth M.:  The Edge of the Earth by Christina Schwarz
Set in the late 1890s, the sense of place is extraordinarily strong in this story of Trudy, a young woman from a comfortable family in Milwaukee who upsets the expected marriage plans by marrying Oskar Swann, a young man with his head in the clouds.  They move across the country to a remote and isolated island off the northern coast of California where he becomes one of the resident lighthouse operators.  In time, Trudy uncovers secrets and mysteries of the Crawleys, the other family on the island.  List:  $25.00  Our Price:  $20.00

fever From Fran:  Fever: A Novel by Mary Beth Keane
This gripping novel fictionalizes the life and times of Irish immigrant Mary Mallon in early twentieth century New York City. Mary Mallon was unknowingly a healthy carrier of typhoid fever and was renamed by the press as Typhoid Mary. This novel is a bold and intriguing retelling of this headstrong immigrant's life, trials and injustices set in turn of the century New York.  Available April 4th.  List:  $26.00  Our Price:  $20.80

Z From Karen:  Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler
A fascinating work of fiction that brings Zelda Fitzgerald to life and fleshes out an existence that was previously portrayed as 'crazy', 'shrewish' and 'untalented'. Zelda had talents and dreams of her own but was unable to make a name for herself as hers were always subjugated by those of her husband F. Scott Fitzgerald, and his fragile ego feared anyone's success over his. Fascinating and tragic.  List Price:  $25.99  Our Price:  $20.79

Life after life From Vicky:  Life After Life by Jill McCorkle
Life After Life is a warm, insightful story that takes the reader into the lives of the people who live in, work in and live near a retirement center in a small town North Carolina.  Central to the story are Sadie, a retired schoolteacher who has taught every child in town, 12 year old Abby, who finds refuge from her parents' bad marriage in Sadie's company, and Stanley, once a prominent lawyer and now living in the center.  There is also Joanna, a hospice volunteer,  who helps the residents find a good death and keeps a journal of their last moments.  Each of her journal records is followed by a story from that person's life.   The book has humor and drama and many poignant moments.  It is a great read, and it made me think about the times I've visited a retirement home and seen residents at the ends of their lives.  I know each has a story.  This book opened a window into the lives behind the faces we see.  List Price:  $24.95  Our Price:  $19.96

the burgess boys The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
Haunted by the freak accident that killed their father when they were children, Jim and Bob Burgess escaped from their Maine hometown of Shirley Falls for New York City as soon as they possibly could. Jim, a sleek, successful corporate lawyer, has belittled his big-hearted brother their whole lives, and Bob, a legal aid attorney who idolizes Jim, has always taken it in stride. But their long-standing dynamic is upended when their sister, Susan--the Burgess sibling who stayed behind--urgently calls them home. Her lonely teenage son, Zach, has gotten himself into a world of trouble, and Susan desperately needs their help. And so the Burgess brothers return to the landscape of their childhood, where the long-buried tensions that have shaped and shadowed their relationship begin to surface in unexpected ways that will change them forever.  List Price:  $26.00  Our Price:  $20.80

the unlikely harold fry From Elizabeth:  The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce   
Harold Fry is recently retired and spends his days annoying his wife, Maureen, with almost everything that he does.  One day, he receives a letter from a former co-worker, Queenie Hennessy, who is in a hospice program and writes to say good-bye.  Harold writes her a note, goes out to the postbox to mail it and makes a spur of the moment decision to just keep walking and deliver the letter in person.  That journey of 600 miles is from one of the most southernmost points in England to Berwick-upon-Tweed in the north of England.  Harold is convinced that as long as he keeps walking, Queenie will live.  As readers accompany Harold along his journey, they will come to love him and the characters that he meets.  This is a must read for all Anglophiles and lovers of a good story. $15.00

spring fever Spring Fever by Mary Kay Andrews  
Annajane Hudgens truly believes she is over her ex-husband, Mason Bayless. They've been divorced for four years, she's engaged to a new, terrific guy, and she's ready to leave the small town where she and Mason had so much history. She is so over Mason that she has absolutely no problem attending his wedding to the beautiful, intelligent, delightful Celia, the woman everyone in town adores. Everyone, that is, except for Annajane and her lifelong best friend, Pauline "Pokey" Bayless.  But when fate intervenes and the wedding is called to a halt as the bride is literally walking down the aisle, Annajane begins to realize that maybe she's been given a second chance. Maybe everything happens for a reason. And maybe, just maybe, she wants Mason back. $14.99

light between pb From Karen:  The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman
In this beautifully written novel the characters are so realistically drawn that you feel you are looking out of their eyes. It is the story of a young couple in 1920s Australia who take a post as lighthouse keepers on a remote island. Tragedy strikes and the choices that are made cause consequences that are inescapable. I loved this novel!  $16.00

defending jacob Defending Jacob by William Landay
Andy Barber has been an Assistant District Attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than 20 years. He is respected in his community and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But after a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: His 14-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student.  $7.99


Adult Non-Fiction

how to be interesting How to Be Interesting:  (In 10 Simple Steps)
by Jessica Hagy

You want to leave a mark, not a blemish. Be a hero, not a spectator. You want to be interesting. (Who doesn't?) But sometimes it takes a nudge, a wake-up call, an intervention and a little help. This is where Jessica Hagy comes in. A writer and illustrator of great economy, charm, and insight, she's created How to Be Interesting, a uniquely inspirational how-to that combines fresh and pithy lessons with deceptively simple diagrams and charts.  How to Be Interesting is simple, insightful, direct, edgy and makes a perfect graduation gift!  $10.95

Thinking Fast and slow Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
In the international bestseller, Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman, the renowned psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. The impact of overconfidence on corporate strategies, the difficulties of predicting what will make us happy in the future, the profound effect of cognitive biases on everything from playing the stock market to planning our next vacation--each of these can be understood only by knowing how the two systems shape our judgments and decisions. $16.00

wild From Molly:  Wild:  From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
Cheryl Strayed, as she appropriately renamed herself, shares her three month solo trek along the Pacific Crest Trail in this autobiographical novel illustrating her self-recovery in the aftermath of her mother's death. Cheryl could have easily told her story focusing on the challenges of living practically broke as she divorces her husband and becomes involved with a drug addict. Instead, Wild is a story of a young women's growth as she struggles to regain normalcy in her turbulent life. An amateur hiker at best, Cheryl's pursuits are humorous, yet poignant, as she navigates the trail feeling immensely alone and unprepared, but oddly comfortable in her isolation. Cheryl's hike is a testimony to what we can accomplish when we have the strength of mind and that not all aspects of our life need to be (or should be) planned. $15.75

Cookbooks
Virgin Vegan From Nancy Titcomb:  Virgin Vegan - The Meatless Guide to Pleasing Your Palate by Linda Long
This is the best little book that I have seen in the five years that we have been following a Plant Based Diet. The author explains clearly and concisely just what a Vegan diet means.  She addresses the nutritional needs, helpful cooking products, eating out, and a well indexed collection of colorful healthy recipes. The format is friendly and reads like an easy road map to healthy living. Time to try and enjoy!
Linda Long trained as a home economist, has had a lifelong relationship with the food and hospitality industry and has been a committed vegan for over 3 decades. Experience is the best teacher!  $19.99

wicked good burgers From Elisa:  Wicked Good Burgers by Andy Husbands, Chris Hart and Andrea Pyenson
And when you aren't living meat free, a Wicked Good Burger is a great excuse to indulge!!!  With "fearless recipes and uncompromising techniques", this cookbook delivers some unusual and yet mouth watering versions of the USA's favorite sandwich!  Three recipes (and the beautiful photography) that caught my eye are the Bacon Cheeseburger Soup (no processed cheese here!), the Tortilla-Wrapped New Mexican Chile Burger (I'm a green chili relish addict!) and homemade Creole Fries served with Rosemary Aioli.  Wicked Good Burgers is filled with knowledge of how to make the perfect burger, meat variety (from tuna to lamb!), fresh whole ingredients and wonderful glazes and toppings which can be used in other meals besides a burger.  This is a fun and saliva inducing cookbook sure to make you seem like a rock star at your next backyard cookout!  $22.99

Eat St. From Elisa:  Eat St.:  Recipes from the Tastiest, Messiest, and Most Irresistible Food Trucks by James Cunningham
The food truck craze is only getting bigger!  The Cooking Channel has devoted an entire half-hour show to this phenomenon, called Eat St.  This is a beautifully produced show where you become convinced that it would be worth driving miles to a food truck in Baltimore, MD to eat "mac and cheese cones with bacon bling"...yes this does exist!  But now you don't have to drive to try all of these delicious and creative meals because you can recreate them at home with the Eat St. companion cookbook.  This cookbook (like the television show) is packed with eye popping food photography and great snapshots of the trucks and personalities behind the mobile truck food revolution.  My only complaint...they missed my favorite food truck!  Sandwich has its very own amazing food truck, Fiddlestix (Gourmet Grub on a Stick!), owned and operated by chef Heidi Pleso.  Heidi was also recently featured on NECN's T.V. Diner...and she received a GOLD PLATE.   $20.00

Gardening

four seasons garden cookbook The Four Season Farm Gardener's Cookbook
by Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman

The Four Season Farm Gardener's Cookbook is two books in one. It is a complete four-season cookbook with 120 recipes from Barbara, a master cook as well as master gardener, who shows how to maximize the fruits and vegetables of your labors, from Stuffed Squash Blossom Fritters to Red Thai Curry with Fall Vegetables to Hazelnut Torte with Summer Berries.  And it is a step-by-step garden guide that works no matter how big or small your plot, with easy-to-follow instructions and plans for different gardens. It covers size of the garden, nourishing the soil, planning ahead, and the importance of rotating crops even in your backyard. And, at the core, individual instructions on the crops, from the hardy and healthful cabbage family to fourteen essential culinary herbs.  $22.95

drunken botanist From Vicky:  The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks by Amy Stewart
Amy Stewart is a great gardener - and a wicked good storyteller!  The author of the bestselling books Wicked Bugs and Wicked Plants now brings to life the hidden stories and quirky histories of the plants that go into making the cocktails, wines and beers we enjoy.  For example, did you know that the Chilean strawberry can be male, female or bisexual?  The first one brought to Europe in 1712 happened to be female and could only multiply by dividing.  It took about 150 year to discover that the Chilean strawberry mated well with the smaller European strawberries to produce the fruit we enjoy so much today. A great book for gardener and connoisseur of drinks alike.  Best of all, Amy will be coming to Scenic Roots in East Sandwich on July 25th.  You will get a free ticket to the event with your purchase of the book from our store!

garden record book A Gardener's Five Year Record Book
by Royal Horticultural Society

A Gardener's Five Year Record Book provides a single place for horticultural notes, dispensing with those scraps of paper that all gardeners seem to accumulate.  This beautifully designed book enables you to chart your garden's progress month by month and to record when plants bloom, which tasks to complete, the weather conditions and other comments.  The book also provides pages to list possible plant purchases and suppliers, gardens to visit and reflections on gardens visited.  $24.95

dead snails leave no trails Dead Snails Leave No Trails, Revised:  Natural Pest Control for Home and Garden by Loren Nancarrow and Janet Hogan Taylor
This comprehensive guide to controlling pests in the home and garden is packed with simple and effective tips on how to avoid chemical pesticides that can kill off beneficial insects. Nancarrow and Taylor provide useful information on how to let nature's balance work in one's favor by allowing helpful creatures such as bats, hummingbirds, and lizards into the yardand garden.  $12.99


Children's Fiction

miss maple's seeds Miss Maple's Seeds by Eliza Wheeler
Miss Maple gathers lost seeds that haven't yet found a place to sprout. She takes them on field trips to explore places to grow. In her cozy maple tree house, she nurtures them; keeping them safe and warm until it's time for them to find roots of their own, and grow into the magnificent plants they're destined to become.  Eliza Wheeler's luminous paintings feature gorgeous landscapes, lush foliage and charming details. Her tender story celebrates the potential found in each seed-since even the grandest tree and most brilliant flower had to grow from the smallest of seeds.  Celebrate every season with Miss Maple, from Earth Day to graduations to harvest festivals.  Ages:  3 - 5  $16.99

the dark The Dark by Lemony Snicket Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Laszlo is afraid of the dark.  The dark lives in the same house as Laszlo. Mostly, though, the dark stays in the basement and doesn't come into Lazslo's room. But one night, it does.  This is the story of how Laszlo stops being afraid of the dark.  With emotional insight and poetic economy, two award-winning talents team up to conquer a universal childhood fear. Ages:  2 - 5 $16.99

the chicken builds a wall The Chickens Build a Wall by Jean-Francois Dumont
A totally silly book with great illustrations! (What can be funnier than a befuddled chicken?) The chickens at the farm are building a wall, and no one is quite sure why. But they know one thing: the hedgehog that wandered in must be trouble. So all winter they build and build, until they have a wall that towers over the barn. When spring comes, though, they find that everything hasn't gone quite according to plan . . . Maybe we don't always need to create barriers between ourselves and something new! Ages 4-8  $16.00

the cats of tanglewood forest The Cats of Tanglewood Forest by Charles de Lint
Lillian Kindred spends her days exploring the Tanglewood Forest, a magical, rolling wilderness that she imagines to be full of fairies. The trouble is, Lillian has never seen a wisp of magic in her hills--until the day the cats of the forest save her life by transforming her into a kitten. Now Lillian must set out on a perilous adventure that will lead her through untamed lands of fabled creatures--from Old Mother Possum to the fearsome Bear People--to find a way to make things right.  In this whimsical, original folktale written and illustrated throughout in vibrant full color by two celebrated masters of modern fantasy, a young girl's journey becomes an enchanting coming-of-age story about magic, friendship, and the courage to shape one's own destiny.  Ages 8 - 12  $17.99

five 4ths of july Five 4ths of July by Pat Hughes
On July 4th, 1777, Jake Mallory and his friends are celebrating their new nation's independence in a small coastal town in Connecticut. Fourteen-yearold Jake wants nothing more than to get out from under the strict thumb of his father and see some adventure. But he learns too late that he must be careful what he wishes for. Over the course of four more 4ths, he finds himself in increasingly adventurous circumstances-from battling the British army to barely surviving on a prison ship to finally returning home, war-torn and weary, but hopeful for his and America's future.  Ages 12 and up.  Available April 5th $8.99

Children's Poetry Collections

poems to learn by heart Poems to Learn by Heart by Caroline Kennedy and Jon Muth
From Vicky:  This is a gorgeous, inspired and inspiring book of poetry!  From Langston Hughes to Robert Frost, Gary Soto to Billy Collins, all exquisitely illustrated by the brilliant Jon Muth.  Even the chapter headings are intriguing.  For poems on family, look under "I Dreamed I had to Pick a Mother Out."  I love that Kennedy included The Gettysburg Address in this collection.  (Is this not poetry?!)  There's Kipling's "If-" and the Navaho "In Beauty May I Walk."  There's something for everyone - and won't you be proud when you are inspired to memorize some of these true gems?  Available April 4th  $19.99

sea star wishes Sea Star Wishes:  Poems from the Coast by Eric Ode
This lovely collection of poems is accompanied by beautiful illustrations of the sealife and surrounding being described in the poems. The combination of the two makes you feel like you're standing on the beach yourself, admiring all there is to see. This book is a fun way to introduce kids to both poetry and some of the creatures of the coast! $16.99

Children's Non-Fiction

hoop genius
From Vicky:  Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball by John Coy
This is a great book to share with a sports-loving child!  Here is the story of James Naismith, who in 1891 was asked to take over a very rowdy gym class in Springfield, Massachusetts.  Two other teachers had quit rather than work with this group.  Desperate to inspire the class, one night he invented a new game - basketball!  The next day, he grabbed a soccer ball and found two peach baskets and the rest is history.  The book even includes a photocopy of Naismith's typed rules for the game. Ages 7 - 11  $19.99


little book of sloth From Vicky:  A Little Book of Sloth by Lucy Cooke
What can be cuter than a sloth?  A barrel of sloths!!  The sloths, who live at a sanctuary in Costa Rica, are featured with fabulous photos and fascinating text, which is packed with information about one of nature's slowest, most photogenic creatures.  The book is beautifully written ("Baby sloths are Jedi masters of the hug,") so even adults will enjoy it as they are asked to read the book again and again.  Want to know more?  Check out slothville.com!  Ages 6 - 12  $16.99

jokelopedia From Elisa (and Jacob):  Jokelopedia:  Third Edition:  The Biggest, Best, Silliest, Dumbest Joke Book Ever!  by Eva Blank, Alison Benjamin, Rosanne Green, Ilana Weitzman, Mike Wright and Lisa Spark
s
It doesn't get much better than settling in with a gut busting collection of 1,700 KID FRIENDLY jokes with an 8 year old child!  Jacob and I spent well over an hour taking turns reading the jokes aloud and giggling uncontrollably.  Jacob's favorites were the grosser ones and I loved that there were plenty of jokes we could both "get."  We both recommend this one to keep on your family book shelf for the times when you just need a great laugh.  The book is also a handy guide to help us "old" parents relate with the younger generation with pointers and tips, funny facts and pop culture references, and two dozen spotlights on favorite TV shows, books, comics, and comic actors, including iCarly, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Steve Carell, and Tina Fey. $11.95

art2d2 Art2-D2's Guide to Folding and Doodling: An Origami Yoda Activity Book by Tom Angleberger
Stick figures to the dark side only lead! To doodle like a Jedi you must learn! With this companion to the blockbuster bestselling Origami Yoda series, beloved author Tom Angleberger-with the help of the kids from McQuarrie Middle School-presents young Padawans with dozens of activities from the Star Wars universe. Padawans can learn how to fold R2-D2 and C-3PO, draw Jabba, and even build a fully functioning ChapStick rocket! Other Force-mastering activities include: "Kellen's Guide to Cool Letters," "Mike's Complete Rules and Tips for Pencil Pod-Racing," "Rhondella's Tips for Photographing Origami," and much more!  With Tom Angleberger's goofy sense of humor and accessible art style, Art2-D2's Guide to Folding and Doodling is sure to satisfy and inspire the millions of Origami Yoda and Star Wars fans. May the doodles be with you!  Ages 8 - 12  $12.95

Young Adult

dear triumph Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin Trilogy #2) by Robin Lafevers
If you love historic fiction or fantasy, this is a series you should definitely read!  This series is filled with love and romance, vengeance and salvation - and murder.    In Dark Triumph, we learn about Sybella, who, like Isme in Grave Mercy, serves as Death's assassin in 15th century France.  Those who serve Death are only too happy to offer Sybella refuge in their convent--but at a price. The convent views Sybella, naturally skilled in the arts of both death and seduction, as one of their most dangerous weapons. But those assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad with grief and despair.  When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?  As great as Grave Mercy was, this sequel might just be even better! Ages 14 and up.  $17.99

dear life you suck Dear Life, You Suck by Scott Blagden
"The shrinkadinks think I have a screw loose. Ain't playing with a full deck. Whacked-out wiring. Missing marbles." Irreverent, foulmouthed seventeen-year-old Cricket is the oldest ward in a Catholic boys' home in Maine--and his life sucks. With prospects for the future that range from professional fighter to professional drug dealer, he seems doomed to a life of "criminal rapscallinity." In fact, things look so bleak that Cricket can't help but wonder if his best option is one final cliff dive into the great unknown. But then Wynona Bidaban steps into his world, and Cricket slowly realizes that maybe, just maybe, life doesn't "totally" suck.  Ages 14 and up.  $16.99

a monster calls From Vicky: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A Monster Calls is the story of a 13 year old boy whose mother is struggling with cancer. It is incredibly powerful, brilliantly written, insightful and sad, but it is also affirming and, at times, even funny. It is about speaking the truth and knowing that as impossibly hard as it can be in times of tragedy, speaking a terrible truth is a way to begin the process of healing. A Monster Calls speaks of the monsters that live inside us as we do our imperfect best to cope - often striking out in anger, thinking horrible thoughts, making mistakes, feeling utterly alone. Though written as a young adult novel, this book would be an excellent choice for adults, too. $8.99