Titcomb's Bookshop
April 2014 Newsletter
               
Wonderful Easter Gifts!

There are so many ways to fill an Easter basket - beautiful books, cute stuffed animals, puppets, classic toys, sticker books, arts and crafts. 
($1.00 and up!)

Folkmanis Puppets Have Arrived!



The award winning Folkmanis Company makes the best and most beautiful animal puppets!  See the furry alpaca, grunting pig, camel, chameleon, snowy owl, frog and much, much more.  We have cute little finger puppets ($4.99-11.99), fun little puppets for small hands ($12.99) and regular puppets of all shapes and sizes.  ($16.99-$47.99).
 
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Princess Tutu Bags

and Fairy Wings  from Douglas Toys

Running and dancing are even more fun with our  fairy, bird, butterfly and bat wings for boys and girls. $17.99
 
For little girls there are some very cute new bags, including this Pink Ballerina Bag and Horse! $17.99
 
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Catch and Count Fishing Rod Game
 
 
Fishing is so much fun with this new set!  10 magnetic fish are numbered and patterned to enrich matching, sorting, and counting activities, and two wooden rods make fishing a blast! Kids can use the spinner to play as a game, or just have fun collecting the pieces over and over again. $24.99   

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Blue Q Socks for Spring!

We love these new socks for adult feet from Blue Q!  Their great  designs will give your feet a stylish and sassy look - with sayings such as "You're not obsessive, you're compulsively awesome!"




Sandwich 375 News for April


Daffodil Festival!
Join the fun on April 26 for the Daffodil Festival featuring music, great food, arts, crafts, flower arranging, gardening talks and advice, and so much more.  And don't forget to drive around our beautiful town to see the daffodils that have been hiding under the winter snow!  For more information, go to Daffodil festival.





Ronan Tynan Concert!
Experience the amazing voice of the internationally famed Irish tenor Ronan Tynan on
Then, on Sunday, April 27 from 3-5 pm at the Sandwich High School auditorium.  Tickets are $29-$69 and are sure to sell out, so reserve your seat soon!  For more information, go to Ronan Tynan.  To see his very inspiring interview on 60 Minutes, go to 60 Minutes.


Dear Friends,

April is here! Is it possible that spring is finally coming?  We've had a lot of snow here on Cape Cod this March.  There were even some flurries yesterday!   But the crocuses and other spring flowers at the bookshop have arrived with a colorful array of bright colors.  We know that warmer weather is coming soon.  

With a winter as tough as this one has been, is it any coincidence that a number of books we're recommending this month (The Martian, The Bear and Above) have survival as a theme?  Get ready for some gripping good reads!

 
Upcoming Events
 

knitting
Knitting Club
Monday, April 7 1-3 pm
Join the fun and conversation and work on your latest knitting project.   Knitters of all levels of experience are welcome to join.  No registration.  Light refreshments.
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Book Club
Whistling Past the Graveyard
by Susan Crandall
Tuesday, April 15  7:00 pm 
 
Author Susan Crandall will join the conversation by phone to discuss this wonderful coming of age story set in 1963 Mississippi - a real staff favorite!
 
9 year old Starla Claudelle lives with her strict grandmother. Her momma left when Starla was 3 to seek fame as a singer and her father works on an oil rig.  After being put on restriction yet again for her sassy mouth, Starla fears her grandmother will send her to reform school, so she runs away to find her mother in Nashville.  Walking a lonely country road, Starla accepts a ride from Eula, a black woman traveling alone with a white baby. The trio embarks on a road trip that will change Starla's life forever. Reg price: $16.00; our price $12.80
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Children's Book Event!
Every Turtle Counts
by
Sara Hoagland Hunter

Thursday, April 24 
10-11:30 am

James Auditorium, Riverview School, East Sandwich

Elementary school students and their families are invited to join Riverview students and families for a very exciting event during school vacation week to celebrate a new children's picture book about the rescue of rare sea turtles on Cape Cod.  
 
Sara Hunter will read from her beautiful and moving new book, Every Turtle Counts.  She will be joined by her niece, Mimi Clark, a Riverview graduate, who inspired Sara to write the book.   Nina Coleman, Sandy Neck Park Ranger and Turtle Rescuer, and Kathy Zagzebski, Director of National Marine Life Center in Buzzards Bay, will be at the event to share their experiences with sea turtle rescue, along with Riverview students who work in animal care.  The event is free and reservations are not necessary.
 
Sara is the author of 10 books for children, including The Lighthouse Santa. To learn more about Every Turtle Counts, click here.
 
Titcomb's will be at the event with the books and a book signing will follow the presentation.  $16.95
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cape cod memory makers Book Signing
Cape Cod Memory Makers Explore the Town of Sandwich by Joan Walsh
Saturday, April 19 1-2 pm
Joan Walsh will sign copies of her delightful children's book featuring numerous things to do in Sandwich - most of which are free!  This is a wonderful way to record memories of our town.  Do you see anything familiar on the cover of the book?  It's our bookshop!  $18.95

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Food and a Book Series
Featuring the Book, A Place at the Table by Susan Rebecca White.
Wednesday, April 23 6:30 pm
We conclude our popular "Food and a Book" series this month with a Southern flair.  The event will take place at Canterbury Cuisine, where we discuss A Place at the Table and enjoy 
samplings of Southern cooking inspired by the book.  The author will join the discussion of the book by phone! 
 
A Place at the Table is about three outcasts longing for home who come together at Cafe Andres, a chic Manhattan restaurant and gathering place. Alice Stone is famous for the homemade southern cuisine she serves at Cafe Andres, but her past is a mystery. Upon Alice's retirement, Bobby Banks, a young gay man ostracized by his family in Georgia, sets out to revive the aging cafe with his new brand of southern cooking while he struggles with heartbreak. Wealthy divorcee Amelia Brighton finds solace in the company and food at Cafe Andres, until a family secret comes to light in the pages of Alice's cookbook and threatens to upend her life. These three unforgettable characters learn that when you embrace the thing that makes you different, you become whole.

Reservations for the evening are required and include the book and delicious cuisine. Reservations can be made by calling or stopping by the bookshop (508-888-2331). $36.00

*The author will not be making an appearance at this event. 
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Poetry Reading and Signing 
A Shed for Wood  
by Dan Moran

Sunday, April 27
2-3 pm
 
April is Poetry Month and we are very pleased to welcome Dan Moran to share his poetry with us.  

In A Shed for Wood, Dan comes home again to Ireland with all his accounts of life in the new world.  His poems are a travelogue of varied subjects and points of view told with poignancy and wit and well earned American-Irish wisdom.

Dan is the author of seven collections of poetry, the most recent, just published by Salmon Poetry in Ireland, is A Shed for Wood.   A native New Yorker, he was appointed Poet Laureate of Suffolk County in 2005.  He lives in New Hampshire and is also recently retired as Clinical Assistant Professor at Boston University's School of Dental Medicine, where he was twice awarded the Outstanding Faculty Award. $15.00
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 Children's Book Event 
Swim That Rock
by John Rocco and
Jay Primiano
 
Sunday, May 4, 1-2pm
 
  
Swim That Rock is a rare catch: a brilliantly crafted, heartwarming story of friendship and family; also a page-turner full of storms, mystery, danger, mobsters and even the odd pirate. Like the New England 'quahoggers' in their novel, John Rocco and Jay Primiano know how to bring the nets in full. Humor, adventure, wonderful characters, stakes that matter, and a setting so lovingly described you can taste the salt in the air - Swim That Rock is a savory feast. 
                                                          -Rick Riordan 

  

When his dad goes missing in a fishing-boat accident, 14 year old Jake refuses to think he may be lost forever. As loan sharks threaten to repossess his family's diner, he works to earn money quahogging.  With the help of some local clammers, he is determined to save the diner and his family, in time. Told with true compassion for the characters, Swim That Rock is a fast-paced coming of age story that  captures coastal Rhode Island life, the struggles of blue-collar family life, and the dreams of one boy. $16.99 (Ages 12-16)





 
New and Recommended Books
 
New Fiction 

 
And the Dark Sacred Night by Julia Glass   
From Karen: Fans of Julia Glass' Three Junes will enjoy catching up with some of the characters in this beautifully written new novel.  Lucinda Burns is the mother of Malachy, who died of AIDS. Kit Noonan, recently unemployed, has never come to terms with not knowing his father's identity and is convinced that learning the answer to this question will allow him to move forward in his life. Traveling from rural Vermont to the tip of Cape Cod, Kit and the reader learn the power of forgiveness and the truth that one is inevitably responsible for one's own path in life. Reg. price: $26.95: our price $21.56  (Limited number of signed copies available!) 
     
 
 
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin 
From Elizabeth M:  A.J. Fikry owns Island Books on Alice Island off the coast of New England.  The cast of characters for this warm and enchanting story include the bookseller himself, Lambiase the local police officer who become a voracious reader; Amelia, the publisher's sales rep who is full of spunk; and Maya, a young charmer.  There is mystery, a love story and humor.  The frequent references to favorite books will bring smiles of recognition to the face of the reader. I promise that if you love books, bookshops and reading a good story, you will love this book! 
$24.95; our price $19.96
 

 
Dog Gone, Back Soon by Nick Trout 
From Fran:  I have a "twofer" for you! Massachusetts author/ veterinarian, Dr. Nick Trout has his second novel coming out this month and he has me hook, line and sinker (no pun intended). Several of us from Titcomb's had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Trout at a recent open house at Hachette Book Group in Boston, which prompted me to devour both of his novels.  The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs, from last year, and his latest, Dog Gone, Back Soontell the story of a vet who moves to rural Vermont to take over his late father's struggling veterinarian practice. Wonderfully entertaining tales and "tails" ensue in this charming small New England town. Think Doc Martin meets James Herriot! I do recommend reading these in order, but it is not absolutely necessary. And I sincerely hope Dr. Trout is not being kept too busy at Angell Animal Medical Center and is finding time to complete number three in this series. $15.00 (Available April 8)  
 
 
The Martian by Andy Weir 
From Kathy: I'm so excited to recommend this book! Mark Watney is a member of a crew on a mission to Mars. While there, a freak accident requires the crew to leave suddenly, leaving Watney behind, presumed dead. But it turns out that Watney is alive - and alone - on Mars. He is a botanist and a mechanical engineer, so he is able to "MacGyver" equipment together and plan his survival. We get to follow his often funny log entries as he tries to figure out how long he can survive until the next planned mission to Mars. We also get to know the NASA engineers on earth who are able to track him. The author, Andy Weir, is a software engineer and lifelong space nerd, who brings solid science to his novel. If you loved the movie Gravity, if you enjoy survival stories, if you are a science geek, or if you just love an exciting edge-of-your-seat yarn, you will love The Martian.
 $24.00; our price $19.20
 
 
 
The Bear by Claire Cameron 
From Kathy: This is such a compelling story and so well told that you will want to read it in one sitting! The Bear is the story of a young couple who are camping in a remote wilderness area with their 5 year old daughter and 3 year old son. One night, they are attacked by a bear. The children are frantically tossed into a cooler by their father for protection from the bear and survive, but find themselves suddenly alone. Five year old Anna is the narrator of this amazing tale of survival, and her voice rings so true as she and her little brother embark on their horrific, touching, and ultimately hopeful journey out of the wilderness and away from tragedy. I highly recommend this terrific book. Reg. price $25.00; our price $20.00
 
   
Above by Isla Morley
From Vicky: 
I could not put this book down!  Blythe Hallowell is 16 when she's abducted by Dobbs Hardin, a school librarian and a survivalist who believes the world will end soon.  For about 17 years, she is kept completely hidden and isolated in a missile silo deep underground, often left alone for weeks at a time.  Escape proves impossible and Blythe eventually gives birth to a son, Adam, whom she tries to protect, love and educate. As Adam becomes a teenager, he begins to challenge their captivity and yearn for life in a world he's never even seen.  I won't spoil the ending - it unfolded in a way that really grabbed me, it was so suspenseful and disturbing.  Reg. price $24.99; our price $19.99  
    


New Fiction in Paperback
   
 
Grey Lady: An Aristotle "Soc" Socarides Mystery by Paul Kemprecos
Cape Cod fisherman, diver and private investigator Aristotle "Soc" Socarides is back for the 7th time in this very entertaining mystery by one of the Cape's best and most acclaimed mystery writers.  Soc has a shiny new charter fishing boat financed with family money, but when he accidentally brings the ire of a Russian KGB mogul down on his head, Soc finds himself drowning in a sea of troubles. He heads to Nantucket and discovers more than he ever bargained for: a deranged homicide suspect who thinks he's Captain Ahab and Soc is his first mate Starbuck; a high-seas case of murder and cannibalism; a Cold War secret; a missing whaling artifact with a bloody history; and cutting-edge underwater technology with deadly potential.  $13.95

 
 
Last Summer of the Camperdowns by Elizabeth Kelly 
From Karen: I really enjoyed this novel, set in Wellfleet on Cape Cod in the 1970's. Twelve year old Riddle is the product of acid tongued beautiful actress mother and her beloved father, a former composer, now running for political office. Tragedy strikes and only Riddle is aware of a crucial clue as she eavesdrops on adults conversations trying to sort truth from fiction. Love, lust, murder and well conceived characters make this a satisfying read. (Available April 7) $14.95   
 
 
The Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
In a small rural village in Chechnya, eight-year-old Havaa watches from the woods as Russian soldiers abduct her father in the middle of the night and then set fire to her home. When their lifelong neighbor Akhmed finds Havaa hiding in the forest with a strange blue suitcase, he makes a decision that will forever change their lives. He will seek refuge at the abandoned hospital where the sole remaining doctor, Sonja Rabina, treats the wounded.  
For Sonja, the arrival of Akhmed and Havaa is an unwelcome surprise. Weary and overburdened, she has no desire to take on additional risk and responsibility. But over the course of five extraordinary days, Sonja's world will shift on its axis and reveal the intricate pattern of connections that weaves together the pasts of these three unlikely companions and unexpectedly decides their fate. This novel won numerous awards, including a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and Washington Post Top Ten Book of the Year for 2013.  $15.00 
 
 
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer  
In 1974, six teenagers meet at a summer camp for the arts. Decades later, the bond remains powerful, but so much else has changed. In The Interestings, Wolitzer follows these characters from the height of youth through middle age, as their talents, fortunes, and degrees of satisfaction diverge. The friendships endure and even prosper, but also underscore the differences in their fates, in what their talents have become and the shapes their lives have taken. The Interestings explores the meaning of talent; the nature of envy; the roles of class, art, money, and power; and how all of it can shift and tilt precipitously over the course of a friendship and a life. $17.00
 
 
A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams  
As the 1938 hurricane bears down on Rhode Island, a storm of another kind is brewing! Lily Dane returns to Seaview, Rhode Island, where her family has summered for generations. It's an escape not only from New York's social scene but from a heartbreak that still haunts her. Here she finds comfort in the familiar rituals of summer. But this summer Budgie and Nick Greenwald--Lily's former best friend and former fiance--have arrived, too. As the cataclysmic hurricane churns north through the Atlantic, and uneasy secrets slowly reveal themselves, Lily and Nick must confront an emotional storm that will change their worlds forever... $16.00 
 
 
The Marrying of Chani Kaufman by Eve Harris  
From Vicky: I really enjoyed this novel set in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in England. It follows the story of a young man and woman about to be married, having only met a few times.  We flash back to their first meeting and brief courtship, and learn of their hopes and fears for the wedding night and married life. Along the way, we meet family, friends and neighbors, including the matchmaker and most particularly the rabbi and his wife, whose courtship, love and family tragedy unfold throughout the book. What is it like in today's world to chose a path that will be so entirely restricted by religious tenets where conformity to the rules of the community take complete precedence over individual desires? I greatly enjoyed the characters in the book and at times it made me laugh out loud! Longlisted for the Man Booker Award. $16.00  
 
 
Blood and Beauty: The Borgias by Sarah Dunant 
Guest Review by John Carafoli: Blood & Beauty: The Borgias, is an epic novel about the Borgia family of Rome. It is very well researched, with specific details about Rome in 1492 when the Spaniard Rodrigo Borgia was elected Pope Alexander VI. It brings in character after character in the religious-political arena from Rome to Naples. Like Ms. Dunant's other books, I was carried away with her brilliant writing and illuminating descriptions of the ruthless, manipulative and corrupt characters, including the powerful Alexander with his two illegitimate children, the beautiful daughter Lucrezia, and Cesare, the cold, brutality, calculating son, who would do anything to attain power even at the expense of the lovely Lucrezia. $16.00  

New Nonfiction

   
Flash Boys by Michael Lewis is about a small group of Wall Street guys who figure out that the U.S. stock market has been rigged for the benefit of insiders and that, post financial crisis, the markets have become not more free but less, and more controlled by the big Wall Street banks. Working at different firms, they come to this realization separately; but after they discover one another, the flash boys band together and set out to reform the financial markets. This they do by creating an exchange in which high-frequency trading source of the most intractable problems will have no advantage whatsoever.  
 
The light that Lewis shines into the darkest corners of the financial world may not be good for your blood pressure, because if you have any contact with the market, even a retirement account, this story is happening to you. But in the end, Flash Boys is an uplifting read. Here are people who have somehow preserved a moral sense in an environment where you don't get paid for that; they have perceived an institutionalized injustice and are willing to go to war to fix it.  $27.95 
   
 
 
Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe by David I. Kertzer 
With the recent opening of the Vatican archives covering Pius XI's papacy, the full story of the Pope's complex relationship with his Fascist partner, Mussolini, can finally be told. This groundbreaking work, based on seven years of research in the Vatican and Fascist archives, will forever change our understanding of the Vatican's role in the rise of Fascism in Europe. Pius XI and "Il Duce" shared a distrust of democracy and a visceral hatred of Communism. Kertzer shows how Pius XI played a crucial role in making Mussolini's dictatorship possible and keeping him in power. Yet in the last years of his life, the pontiff's faith in this treacherous bargain started to waver. With his health failing, he began to lash out at the Duce and threatened to denounce Mussolini's anti-Semitic racial laws before it was too late. Horrified by the threat to the Church-Fascist alliance, the Vatican's inner circle, including the future Pope Pius XII, struggled to restrain the headstrong pope from destroying a partnership that had served both the Church and the dictator for many years. $35.00

  

 
Victura: the Kennedys, a Sailboat, and the Sea 
by James W. Graham 
The author writes that to truly understand the dynamics and magic of the Kennedy family, one must understand their passion for sailing and the sea. They owned many sailboats, but their favorite by far was the Victura, a Wianno Senior built in Osterville and purchased by the family in 1932. Sailing taught family members about life, family, leadership and winning. This is a perfect book for anyone interested in sailing or the Kennedys.  $29.95 
 
 
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Celebrating the Joys of Letter Writing by Nina Sankovitch  
From Elizabeth M.:  This is really a love letter to the art of writing letters. Since April is National Card and Letter Writing Month, it is most appropriate to welcome this charming and edifying ode to one of my favorite causes! Who does not have a smile on their face when you find a "real" letter in the mail box? The author includes the history of letter writing through the ages and shares her personal experience of exchanging letters with friends and family. The book is chock-a-block full of stories behind correspondence between the well and not so well known. The epistolary novel has always been a favorite of mine and here you will learn the art of telling a tale through letters. This book, along with a box of note cards or stationery, would make the perfect gift for graduation or that friend with whom you enjoy sharing letters. $24.95   (Available April 15)    

 
Life, Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism by Ron Suskind 
This is the real-life story of Owen Suskind, the son of the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind and his wife, Cornelia. An autistic boy who couldn't speak for years, Owen memorized dozens of Disney movies, turned them into a language to express love and loss, kinship, brotherhood. The family discovered that they could communicate through Disney dialogue and song. Ron and Owen were featured in a fascinating recent New York Times video$26.99 
 
   
Truth about Retirement Plans and IRAs by Ric Edelman 
From the #1 independent financial advisor in America, ranked three times by Barron's.  Everyone knows that saving for your retirement is important. Yet only half of all eligible Americans contribute to a retirement plan. That's because all plans are complicated, confusing, and costly.  Edelman has created a step-by-step guide to everything you need to know as a plan participant: how to contribute even when you think you can't afford to, how to make wise choices among your investment options, and how to convert your 401(k) into income so you can provide yourself with the lifestyle you want in retirement. Along the way, he debunks the myths and clears up the confusion.  $15.00 (Available April 8)
 
Children's Picture Books
 
 
Can't Wait to Show You, a Celebration for Mothers-to-Be by Jacqueline Boyle and Susan Lupone Stonis
From Vicky: We're so excited to introduce the first in a wonderful series of books meant to be read just before baby is due and then after baby arrives. It's never too early to read to your baby! The authors are teachers and experts on literacy.  The cute rhymes and beautiful illustrations are sure to engage both mother and child. The book is very cleverly shaped to fit around mommy's belly and around baby, too!  A wonderful gift for any family with a baby on the way!  $15.00
 

 
Baby's Got the Blues by Carol Diggory Shields  
From Vicky:  Life is hard for a baby, and baby's singing the blues!  This new book is a real staff favorite.  With clever and funny verse and beautiful illustrations, this book is a winner!  Excellent gift for today's baby or for an older sibling, who will love the humor! $16.99

 
Brother Hugo and the Bear by Katy Beebe  
From Vicky: This is such an unusual and beautiful book, we couldn't wait to share it with you! It's about a monk who must replace a manuscript eaten by a bear. The writing is superb and simply must be read out loud! The illustrations perfectly suit a book about a medieval illuminated manuscript. The story is loosely based on a true incident and includes lots of information about how these ancient books were created. Ages 5-9. $17.00 

 
Mama Built a Little Nest by Jennifer Ward. Illustrated by Steve Jenkins 
From Vicky: This stunning new picture book features clever rhymes about the many different kinds of nests birds make for their young - nests made from spiderwebs or pebbles or spit or mud - or even the father's feet! Steve Jenkin's illustrations are perfect and there's lots of great information about the birds and their nests for older children. Ages 3-8. $17.99  

Children's Chapter Books

 
 
Fish Finelli: Operation Fireball by E. S. Farber 
From Vicky: I loved this second Fish Finelli book! Fish and his friends are determined to fix up Fish's old 1970s Boston whaler to compete with his arch-rival's fancy new boat. There's tons of action, adventure and information about boat motors and propellers.  It's sure to interest any boat-loving or adventure-loving child - but especially boys ages 8-10. $15.99 (See also Fish Finelli #1 now in paperback $6.99) 

 
Space Taxi: Archie Takes Flight by Wendy Mass and Michael Brawer  
From Vicky: I'm a huge fan of Wendy Mass (author of Every Soul a Star and The Candymakers)! This latest book is for younger readers and is just for fun! Archie Morningstar is 8 years old and about to ride in his father's taxi on night for Take Your Kid to Work Day. Instead of driving around town as Archie expected, he discovers that his Dad runs a secret intergalactic Space Taxi and they head out to pick up a passenger in the Cygnus Galaxy with Archie as the copilot! But there's something wrong about their first passenger. This is a fun, quick read with lots of action, humor and some interesting facts about wormholes and gravity thrown in. Great choice for emerging readers. Ages 7-9   $5.99

   Magic Trap by Jacqueline Davies  Evan and Jessie are back in their 5th novel, this time featuring magic and the reappearance of their father, who left his family a year earlier to pursue a high powered international career. When their mother leaves for a conference, their father promises to stay for the week to be in charge.  But dad is used to coming and going as he pleases and when work calls, the children find themselves alone as a hurricane approaches.  The brother-sister duo find they are stronger than they imagined as they face the storm alone.  Lots of great magic tricks are featured in the book.  Ages 8-10 $15.99 

Young Adult Books

   
The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson  
An outstanding new book for teens!  Thirteen-year-old Piper is a machinist in dismal Scrap Town Number Sixteen. The recent loss of her father has left her orphaned, and she needs money. While scavenging debris left by a violent meteor storm, Piper finds an unconscious girl, Anna, who has amnesia and a dragonfly tattoo.  A frightening man comes looking for Anna, and the girls jump aboard the 401 (an antique locomotive run by a motley crew). This is a rugged adventure story, with a splash of romance. Ages 12-17. $16.99 

 
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch 
A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The one bright spot in her life is her younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes - until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys. Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won't let her go . . . a dark past that hides many secrets, including the reason Jenessa hasn't spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.  Beautifully written with characters you will long remember.  (Available April 8 in paperback)  $9.99.  

 
Noggin by John Whaley 
Don't let the cover or the premise of this amazing new book for teens turn you off! It's a wonderful, quirky character-driven novel about a 16 year old boy named Travis who has died, but whose head is surgically removed and cryogenically frozen. Five years later, Travis' head is attached to a donor body. He's alive again, but while his family and friends are all 5 years older, he hasn't aged at all. In the past, the two people he could have talked to about this were his best friend, Kyle, and his girlfriend, Cate. But Kyle, who came out to Travis on his deathbed, has gone back into the closet, and Cate is engaged to be married. Travis vows to reverse these developments by coaxing Kyle out of the closet and persuading Cate to fall in love with him again. Ages 14 and up. $17.99



 
Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus  
From Vicky: This is a fascinating, fast-paced and dramatic story of what it was like to live in Nazi occupied Norway during WWII. We see life through the eyes Espen, who was 14 years old when the Nazis invade his country.  Little by little, things go from bad to horrific.  Espen eventually joins the Norwegian resistance and works his way from delivering illegal newspapers to spying on the Germans. A simple mistake leads to a dramatic escape attempt on skis to Sweden. There are excellent resources at the end, including photos of the man whose real life experiences inspired this story. $7.95 (Ages 12-16) 


 
Fault in Our Stars by John Green  
This is a hugely popular and very moving bestseller for adults and teens! 16 year old Hazel is a stage IV thyroid cancer patient who meets and falls in love with a boy from a cancer support group. (Finally available in paperback on April 8.) $12.99