Titcomb's Bookshop
April 2016
Newsletter 
                
432 Route 6A
E. Sandwich, MA 02537

Phone:
508-888-2331

Hours:
Mon-Sat 9-5
Sun 11-5


Visit us online at

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 Newsletter Editor: 
Kathy Colvin

Photographer: 
Karen Huppi Vail

Titcomb's Bookshop
 Best Sellers for March
 1. Tin Ticket by Deborah Swiss

 2. Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh by Kathryn Aalto

 3. Sparrow Sisters by Ellen Herrick

 4. Georgia by Dawn Tripp

 5. H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald

 6. Secret Wisdom of the Earth by Christopher Scotton

 7. Easter Egg by Jan Brett

 8. Oh She Glows! Cookbook by Angela Liddon

 9. Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson

10. Widow by Fiona Barton

New Toys!
Storytime Toys 
Storytime Toys is a a wonderful company which makes children's toys that encourage reading, building and creativity.

We can't wait for you to see their adorable play sets! Made of lightweight EVA foam and high quality card stock, the house and furniture pieces fit together like a 3-D puzzle and fold flat in a portable carrying case. Assembling the house and furniture is as easy as pressing tabs into place. (No tools or screws required!) Each set comes with a book and can be arranged in many ways. Your child will have hours of fun retelling favorite stories and making up their own versions!  For ages 3 and up - $29.99 each.

Hansel and Gretel cannot resist exploring this delicious toy house, which also has a candy garden to stroll in, a chocolate bar staircase that leads to a treasure loft, and it wouldn't be complete without the Witch's oven - she has a magical bakery after all! 
BUILD the Bears a forest tree house with a working swing, READ the included storybook and PLAY with the included bowls of porridge, chairs and beds for each bear...and Goldilocks, once she lets herself in! 


Help the Three Little Pigs build their houses - one straw, one stick and one brick! The straw and stick houses are designed to "blow down" easily while the brick house stands strong. The wolf actually fits down the brick house chimney, only to land in a pot of boiling soup!  

Sick Science!
Sick Science!  Have you heard of Sick Science? With over 130 million views on YouTube, it became an internet sensation! Steve Spangler and his creative team pioneered a new way for viewers to engage in science videos using easy to find materials  to create an amazing experience.

We're excited to offer some of the most popular SICK Science experiments as hands-on science kits! Each kit comes with the materials you'll need to conduct the experiments. 



In December 2015, editors at Good Housekeeping selected Solve This as one of their top toys of the year... "engaging, fun and amazing."






(click here to see a completely amazing video of the Energy Stick in action!)

Prices range from $9.99 to $22.99
April in Paris!
It's time once again for our ever popular "April in Paris" display! We are all unabashed Francophiles, and cannot resist a chance to celebrate Paris!  Here's a picture:



P.S. We are thrilled to tell you that Cara Black
will be coming to Titcomb's on July 7!!!! 

Cara is one of our favorite mystery writers! She is best known for her novels set in Paris, featuring Private Investigator Aim�e Leduc.  Her newest book, Murder on the Quai, is coming out in June.  

Murder on the Champs de Mars is now in paperback! 

Click on the book to see a preview that has the BEST music!  Enjoy!
Bargain Books!
Just arrived this week!  We have some wonderful new bargain books on our shelves.  Here are a few:

Reg. $35.00; our price $11.99


Reg. $65.00; our price $18.99



Reg. $49.95; our price $19.99



Reg. $12.95; our price $5.99



Reg. $35.00; our price $9.99



Reg. $16.95; our price $7.99



Reg. $19.99; our price $8.99

 
Reg. $14.99; our price $7.99


Reg. $24.95; our price $7.99

Harry Potter News!!
The Eighth Story. Nineteen Years Later.

A new Harry Potter book will be released this summer, and this time, it's a little bit different. Set nineteen years after book seven, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts I & II will be the rehearsal script for the play debuting this summer in London. The book will hit the shelves on July 31st -- the evening of the play's debut, and on Harry Potter's birthday. We'll of course (!) be celebrating with a midnight release party on the evening of July 30th.


April is here! Our gardens are beginning to fill with colorful spring blooms - and we have a veritable "bouquet" of author events, books and toys to share with you this month.  Our book, toy and gift buyers have been working hard to find some very special new items, which are now on our shelves or will be coming shortly - and an outstanding group of authors will be joining us to share their work with you at some very exciting events.
 
It's going to be a busy spring and summer at Titcomb's!  Make sure to check our website and watch our Facebook page for updates about who's coming, what's going on, what we're reading and more.    

We look forward to seeing you in the shop and hope you will be able to join us on Saturday, April 30 as we celebrate Independent Bookstore Day.

Happy Reading! 
April Events:
Author Dawn Tripp
Georgia
Book Talk and Signing
Saturday, April 2
2-3 pm

We are so excited to tell you that Dawn Tripp is coming to the bookshop to talk about her brilliant new novel, Georgia, which is based on the life of artist Georgia O'Keeffe and her relationship with photographer Alfred Stieglitz. Published just last month, the book is already a national bestseller!

Georgia is as stunningly beautiful as the artwork that inspired it. With amazing insight, Tripp captures the personal and artistic relationships between two difficult, brilliant, and complex people: the artist Georgia O'Keeffe and her husband, photographer Alfred Stieglitz. This is an incredible read from beginning to end.

Joining Dawn to talk about the book will be art historian Dr. Wanda Corn,  a scholar of late 19th and early 20th century American art and photography.  Dr. Corn has written extensively about O'Keeffe's skull paintings in her 1999 book The Great American Thing, Modern Art and National Identity, 1915-35.
Knitting Club
Always the first Monday of every month
April 4   1-3pm
Join us for some yarn therapy! And snacks!

All levels welcome!
Book Talk & Signing
CL Fornari
The Cocktail Hour Garden: Creating Evening Landscapes for Relaxation and Entertaining 
Thursday, April 14
5:30 - 6:30
Sandwich Public Library











Join author CL Fornari for an illustrated talk and "mocktail" party at the Sandwich Public Library to celebrate the publication of her newest book, The Cocktail Hour Garden: Creating Evening Landscapes for Relaxation and Entertaining.  

Plant and cocktail lover C. L. Fornari shows how easy it is to create a garden atmosphere that sets the mood for private relaxation or festive occasions with friends. With a wise and witty text, mood-setting plant lists, botanical drink recipes and luscious photographs, The Cocktail Hour Garden reveals the simple secrets to creating an evening pleasure garden. 

We'll be serving "mocktails" and light refreshments.

We are delighted that Scenic Roots Garden Center in Sandwich will be raffling off several gift baskets at the event, too!

 C. L. Fornari is a very popular and dedicated garden writer, consultant, speaker and radio host. She is the author of six gardening books, including Coffee for Roses and The Cape Cod Garden
Book Talk & Signing
Saturday, April 16
2-3 pm
Author Edie Clark
As Simple as That





We invite you to meet beloved author Edie Clark as she introduces her newest book, As Easy As That: Collected Essays. Edie is the author of several Titcomb's bestsellers including The View from Mary's Farm and Saturday Beans and Sunday Suppers.  

Renowned novelist Ernie Hebert has this to say about the book: "A beautiful book about love, grief, and the natural world. Reads like a how-to manual but feels like a lyric poem." The book runs the gamut of life in the country and what it is to live in small-town New England. 

Edie has written extensively about New England in feature stories for Yankee magazine, where she served as Senior Editor for ten years and then Senior Writer and Fiction Editor for another fourteen years. In her hundreds of articles published by Yankee, she has established her reputation as one who writes about ordinary lives changed by one extraordinary act or circumstance.  For almost twenty years, she has written a popular monthly essay for Yankee. Known as Mary's Farm, the column is rooted in the place where she lives, an old farm in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire.
 
 Book Club!
Author Ellen Herrick
Tuesday, April 19
7pm
The Sparrow Sisters
 
Author Ellen Herrick will be joining our book club discussion this month as we talk about her wonderful book, The Sparrow Sisters.

The Sparrow Sisters is the story of three sisters--Sorrel, Nettie and Patience--who live and work together as gardeners and healers in the small New England town of Granite Point.  A new doctor arrives and soon hears of the sisters and the remedies that Patience, the youngest of the siblings, makes for the townspeople. As Patience and the doctor become attracted to each other, tragedy befalls a young boy. Patience's cures are quickly implicated, and a kind of witch hunt hysteria sets in. Before long, the women of Granite Point must work together with the Sparrow sisters to set things right. 

Ellen Herrick was a publishing professional in New York City until she and her husband moved to London for a brief stint.  They returned nearly 20 years later with three children. She now divides her time between Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a small town on Cape Cod very much like Granite Point.
Make your reservations - only a few spots left!
Guided Tour of Mount Auburn Cemetery
580 Mt Auburn Street, Cambridge
Thursday, April 28
10:30am - Noon

Meet us at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge for a guided tour by author Stephen Kendrick! 
The cost is $20.00 and includes a copy of the book.  

Reservations must be made in advance, and are limited.  Call or stop in at the bookshop to make your reservation.

The Lively Place; Mount Auburn Cemetery, and its Revolutionary and Literary Residents by Stephen Kendrick 
The story of one of the Boston area's most famous attractions, the Mount Auburn Cemetery, and how its founders and "residents" have influenced American culture.

In The Lively Place, Stephen Kendrick celebrates this vital piece of our nation's history, as he tells the story of Mt. Auburn's founding, its legacy, and the many influential Americans interred there, from religious leaders to abolitionists, poets, and reformers. (Available April 5) $16.00

Stephen Kendrick is senior minister at the First and Second Unitarian Universalist Churches in Boston. He is the author of Holy Clues: The Gospel According to Sherlock Holmes Sarah's Long Walk: The Free Blacks of Boston and How Their Struggles for Equality Changed America, and Douglass and Lincoln: How a Revolutionary Black Leader and a Reluctant Liberator Struggled to End Slavery and Save the Union. 



Click on the beautiful photograph above for more information about the Mount Auburn Cemetery.
Book Talk & Signing
Friday, April 29
7pm
Sandwich Public Library
Eric Jay Dolin
Brilliant Beacons:  A History of the American Lighthouse

Come to the Sandwich Library to meet author Eric Jay Dolin and listen to his talk about his completely fascinating and readable new book, Brilliant Beacons.

Brilliant Beacons traces the evolution of America's lighthouse system from its earliest days, highlighting the political, military, and technological battles fought to illuminate the nation's hardscrabble coastlines. Beginning with Boston Light, America s first lighthouse, Dolin shows how the story of America, from colony to regional backwater, to fledgling nation, and eventually to global industrial power, can be illustrated through its lighthouses. Book price $29.95

"Brilliant Beacons is the best history of American lighthouses ever written." 
                        Jeremy D'Entremont, historian at the                         American Lighthouse Foundation.

Eric Jay Dolin is the best-selling author of the award-winning Fur, Fortune, and Empire; Leviathan, which was chosen by the Los Angeles Times and Boston Globe as a best book of the year; and When America First Met China. He and his family live in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE DAY!!!
It's time for the second annual Independent Bookstore Day! Join us on Saturday, April 30th from 11am-4pm for all kinds of fun, including a literary scavenger hunt, a coloring book station, picture taking with our iconic statue - and, in the afternoon, we'll have old-timey music by Owen Money, music by the terrific Irish band, Cat's Melodeon from 2-4pm, and delicious treats baked by our staff and our great friend PJ Hamel from the King Arthur Flour Company!  

Cat's Melodeon

Our
 iconic
statue











Owen Money
















Here is a sampling of the special merchandise created exclusively for Independent Bookstore Day:  
Numbered
 signed edition of Kate DiCamillo's
 new book.  $16.99
100% cotton flour sack tea towels. Set of
two.  $20.00
Limited, signed print.  $12.99













Drawing book for ages 6-12
$16.99
Neil Gaiman coloring book
$14.99
100% cotton canvas zippered pouch.  
$14.00



















These items will be available for purchase at the bookshop on Independent Bookstore Day.  Sorry!  We cannot take pre-orders on any items. Quantities are limited.

For us, Independent Bookstore Day really represents a way to celebrate YOU, our wonderful customers!  We are so lucky to know so many people that understand how important shopping locally is for all of us.  Here's what happens when you shop locally:


1. You kept dollars in our economy. For every $100 you spend at one of our local businesses, $52 will stay in the community.
2. You embraced what makes us unique. You wouldn't want your house to look like everyone else's in the U.S. So why would you want your community to look that way?
3. You created local jobs. Local businesses are better at creating higher paying jobs for our neighbors.
4. You helped the environment. Buying from local business conserves energy and resources in the form of less fuel for transportation, less packaging, and
products that you know are safe and well made, because we stand behind them.
5. You nurtured community. We know you, and you know us. Studies have shown that local businesses donate to community causes at more than twice
the rate of chains and online retailers.
6. You conserved your tax dollars. Shopping in a local business district means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money available to
beautify our community. Also, spending locally instead of online ensures that your sales taxes are reinvested where they belong-right here in your community!
7. You created more choice. We pick the items we sell based on what we know you like and want. Local businesses carry a wider array of unique
products because we buy for our own individual market.
8. You took advantage of our expertise. You are our friends and neighbors, and we have a vested interest in knowing how to serve you. We're passionate about what we do. Why not take advantage of it?
9 You invested in entrepreneurship. Creativity and entrepreneurship are what the American economy is founded upon. Nurturing local business ensures a strong community.
10. You made us a destination. The more interesting and unique we are as a community, the more we will attract new neighbors, visitors and guests.
This benefits everyone!  Thank you!

 

New Fiction: (Don't forget that our new hardcover fiction is always 20% off!)

The One-in-a-Million Boy
by Monica Wood
From Elizabeth M: This is a beautifully written story of the friendship of an 11 year old boy and Ona, a 104 year old woman.  It takes a poignant turn when, after the boy's sudden death, his often absent father agrees to fulfill his son's Boy Scout commitment to help Ona once a week.  The boy's fascination with the Guinness Book of Records led him to encourage Ona to go for the world record for the Oldest License Driver!  Full of warmth and an array of family relationships, this will be a perfect selection for book clubs. (available April 5) Reg. price $25.00, our price $20.00


Glory Over Everything by Kathleen Grissom
From Elizabeth M: The reader will not be disappointed in this beautifully written novel which continues the story we first read in THE KITCHEN HOUSE. Jamie Pyke, the son of a white master and a slave is living as a white man in Philadelphia in the 1830's. When his circumstances change he must make the difficult decision to travel to the South in order to rescue a young black man who was kidnapped as a slave. You will delight in meeting characters from Grissom's earlier book and find equal pleasure in getting to know strong new characters. (available April 5) Reg. price $25.99, our price $20.79


The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson
From Elizabeth S: Fans of Helen Simonson's first book, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand will not be disappointed.  Simonson's delightful lively writing takes us to the English countryside days before the Great War.  Make a cup of tea and sink into the tale of family and a town in the last lingering summer of innocence.  Be prepared to be swept into Simonson's mastery of storytelling!  Reg. price $28.00, our price $22.40




Tuesday Nights in 1980 by Molly Prentiss
From Karen: As someone who hung out in New York City in 1980 and to whom art is an essential part of life, I absolutely appreciated the authenticity of this debut writer's novel. It follows the paths of several characters: Raul, who fled Argentina during unrest, leaving his sister behind,to pursue the life of an artist in NYC; Lucy, a young woman from rural Idaho, who flies off to the excitement and promise of Manhattan; and James, a man tormented by his unusual ability to experience a flood of colors when looking at a person, an object or a scent and discovers that this enables him to be a unique voice as an art critic. Their lives converge and bash against each other, until each seems to lose everything that they'd built their lives around. This writer writes beautifully, descriptively, yet perfectly clearly. Her characters are so well-formed that once I turned the final page I couldn't help wondering how they were all doing now.  (available April 5) Reg. price $26.00, our price $20.80


Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
Guest Review by Jeanne Edwards: This poignant World War II novel portrays the plight of three women from different walks of life.  Each carries a unique burden based upon their culture and position in troubling times.  
A socialite determined to help meet the needs of people suffering, a German doctor caught up in having to perform cruel medical experiments for the Nazis, and a young Polish woman fighting to survive in a prison camp - their lives intersect in the course of the war.  This book leaves you with an appreciation for the people who find the inner strength to fight injustice. (available April 5) Reg. price $26.00, our price $20.80
New Nonfiction:
Most Blessed of the Patriarchs; Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of the Imagination by Annette Gordon-Reed and Peter S. Onuf
This insightful new book reintroduces us to our most influential founding father and fundamentally challenges much of what we've come to accept about Jefferson, neither hypocrite nor saint, atheist nor fundamentalist. Gordon-Reed and Onuf, through a close reading of Jefferson's own words, reintroduce us all to our most influential founding father: a man more gifted than most, but complicated in just the ways we all are. Divided into three sections, this new book reveals a striking personal dimension to his life. Part I, "Patriarch," explores Jeffersons's origins in Virgina; Part II, " Traveller, " covers his five-year sojourn to Paris; and Part III, "Enthusiast," delves into his views on Christianity, slavery, and race. We see not just his ideas and vision of America but come to know him in an almost familial way, such as through the importance of music in his life.    $27.95


Dimestore: A Writer's Life by Lee Smith

From Elizabeth M: Long known as one of the masters of southern stories, Lee Smith shares her own story in her usual voice of accomplished storytelling.  The story begins in Grundy, Virginia where we are introduced to the title of the book as we hear about Smith's love of helping out in the local dime store which was owned by her father.  Each essay is a gem of fine writing as the author relates the peaks and valleys of her life. As always her writing is insightful and full of humor.  Those of us who count Fair and Tender Ladies among our top ten welcome the story behind the stories. $24.95


Lust and Wonder: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs
From Kathy: If you are a fan of Augusten Burroughs*, I guarantee that you will LOVE his new memoir!  Covering his life after rehab, Burroughs traces his frustrating track record with men and his eternal search for true love in the big city.  He is such a good story teller, always so open about himself - such a delight to follow him as he finally finds love and happiness. $26.99  Click here to listen to his interview on NPR. 

*Author of "Running with Scissors", "Dry", "Magical Thinking: True Stories", "Possible Side Effects", "A Wolf at the Table" and "You Better Not Cry".  


Becoming Grandma by Leslie Stahl
Award-winning broadcast journalist Leslie Stahl began her career reporting on Watergate and has been a top correspondent for 60 Minutes for the past 25 years. Fortunately, her husband, author and screenwriter Aaron Latham, was able to assume a significant share of the responsibility for their only child, Taylor, leaving Stahl free to pursue her demanding career. In 2011, with the birth of her first grandchild, Jordan, she "was jolted, blindsided by a wall of loving more intense than anything I could remember or had ever imagined." she decided to investigate the importance of the role grandparents can play in the lives of their children and grandchildren. Through her own experiences, Stahl delivers a welcome guide for new grandparents and their children looking to savor the joys and navigate the pitfalls of grandparenting.
(available April 5)$27.00


The Loving Push by Temple Grandin and Debra Moore

Parents, teachers, therapists, and anyone who cares about a child or teen on the autism spectrum needs this essential roadmap to prepare our youth for being successful adults in today's world. Best-selling author, autism advocate, and animal science professor Dr. Temple Grandin joins psychologist and autism specialist Dr. Debra Moore in spelling out the steps you can take to restore your child's hope and motivation, and what you must avoid. Eight life stories told by people on the autism spectrum, including chapters on subjects such as how to get kids off their computers, how to build on their strengths and get back to caring about their lives, and how to find a path to a successful, meaningful life make this a "MUST-READ BOOK."   $19.95 (paperback)

New in Paperback:
Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
The main character, Monsieur Perdu, buys a floating barge and turns it into a floating book apothecary. He believes that books can heal you, and has the ability to read a person's soul and figure out what book to prescribe them. However, after losing his love twenty years previously, he has turned himself off to any emotions. When he un-moors his little bookshop from the shore and goes on his adventures, he brings a writer with writer's block and encounters a host of other characters on this voyage. His travels awaken the passions he has forgotten, and through food, dancing, thinking and looking, he finds what he has been missing for so long. A little treasure of a book! $16.00

We Never Asked for Wings by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
From the author of staff favorite The Language of Flowers, this novel deals with immigration, motherhood, family, duty, and heartbreak.
Lisa Genova writes, "I was hooked from the first breathtaking pages..., caring about this exquisitely vulnerable family, hoping right along with them on every page that each heart-rending, impossible choice would lead them somewhere better together."
(available April 5) $16.00



Lesser Evils by Joe Flanagan
From Kathy: If you're tired of the same old police procedural, you will want to pick up this book! Set in 1957 Hyannis, it involves Lt. Bill Warren, an honorable yet complicated man. A failed marriage and a mentally disabled young son have alienated him from his staff and many in the community. When a boy goes missing, Warren and his team begin the search. But the district attorney hands the case over the the State Police, and Warren refuses to let go. Flanagan does a great job bringing the feel of the Cape, specifically Hyannis, without going overboard. This is a violent tale, definitely not for you if you want a cozy mystery. Great Cape Cod Noir! $18.00

My Sunshine Away by M.O.Walsh
My Sunshine Away is set in a Baton Rouge neighborhood known for cookouts on sweltering summer afternoons, cauldrons of spicy crawfish, and passionate football fans.  But in the summer of 1989, fifteen year old Lindy Simpson (free spirit, track star, belle of the block) experiences a horrible crime late one evening near her home and it becomes apparent that this idyllic stretch of Southern suburbia has a dark side, too.  Gripping! (available April 5) $16.00


Sound of Glass by Karen White
Two years after the death of her husband, Merritt Heyward gets the news that her husband's family home in Beaufort, South Carolina now belongs to her. Merritt travels from her home in Maine to Beaufort, where the secrets of her husband's past create many complications for her.  Will she find what she needs in the salt air of the Low Country?  Great book to read on a rainy day or on your deck on a sunny day.  (available April 5) $15.00


 Children's Picture Books:
A Hungry Lion or a Dwindling Assortment of Animals by Lucy Ruth Cummins 

Once upon a time there was a hungry lion and a bunch of adorable animals...what do you think happened next?

The very hungry lion is all set to enjoy an exciting day with his other animal pals. But all of a sudden his friends start disappearing at an alarming rate! Is someone stealing the hungry lion's friends, or is the culprit a little...closer to home?   With sharp wit, adorable illustrations, and hysterical twists galore, this picture book asks - what do you think happened to the hungry lion's friends?  This is a really funny and clever book that is absolutely perfect to read aloud!

"So smart and so cute and so dark all at the same time. Sheesh." --- Caldecott medal and honor winner, Jon Klassen. $16.99


Captain Jack and the Pirates by Peter Bently
From Kathy:  I love this book!  Filled with charming, old fashioned illustrations, this sweet story of imagination, innocence, and childhood will delight both you and the lucky young person you read it to! Jack, Zack, and Caspar are building a ship on the beach, out of sand. When they set sail on their imaginary adventure, Jack spies an enemy pirate ship nearby. They chase after the pirates, but a storm wrecks their ship and sweeps them up on a desert island. The island isn't totally deserted, though their pirate enemies are there too. Just as the boys discover the pirates' treasure (an array of delicious desserts), the pirates (their parents) capture them. But these pirates are friendly and willing to share the treasure, and they throw in some ice cream just for good measure! Destined to become a classic! $17.99

Hop, Frog! by Molly Coxe
We adore Molly Coxe's beginning reader books!  They are invariably funny, clever and beautiful!  Hop, Frog! is the latest in her Short Vowel Collection. The repetitive words and phrasing are perfect for very early readers, and the humor adds spark. The felted animal characters and imaginative scenes are so cute! What a fun way for your child to learn short vowel sounds! $3.99 each




Several others in the series:
                   











Make Way for Ducklings 75th Anniversary Edition
Seventy-five years ago, a family of ducks waddled off the page and into the hearts of readers everywhere. The brilliantly illustrated tale of mallards on the move received the Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished picture book of the year, and has been a favorite of generations of readers.

Celebrate the anniversary of "Make Way for Ducklings" with this special slipcased edition, which includes an audio CD as well as a gorgeous landmark poster of Boston by Caldecott Award-winner Paul Zelinsky. $24.99


Waiting for High Tide by Mikki McClure

A child waits for the tide to rise, working alongside Mama and Papa to build a log raft and observing coastal creatures the whole long, hot while. Readers turn over shells, clams, gulls, logs, mud, herons, crabs, rocks, salt, and seaweed as the child meets the ever changing tidal world. The child's narration allows readers to experience the long day of waiting and happy discovery. With beautiful cut-paper illustrations, this is such a wonderful book - so perfect for our Cape Cod beach days! (available April 5) $19.95


Chapter Books:

Demigods and Magicians; Percy and Annabeth Meet the Kanes by Rick Riordan
In these three crossover stories, magic, monsters, and mayhem abound! Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase meet Carter and Sadie Kane for the first time and weird creatures start appearing in unexpected places. The demigods and magicians have to team up to take them down. As they battle with Celestial Bronze and glowing hieroglyphs, the four heroes find that they have a lot in common--and more power than they ever thought possible. But will their combined forces be enough to foil an ancient enemy who is mixing Greek and Egyptian incantations for an evil purpose? Rick Riordan wields his usual storytelling magic in this adrenaline-fueled adventure. It also includes a sneak peek at The Hidden Oracle, coming in May! (available April 5) ages 10-13 $14.99


The Girl in the Well is Me by Korin Rivers
Not much is going right for eleven-year-old Kammie. Before she moved to what she refers to as Nowheresville, Texas, her father was convicted of embezzlement, and she was ostracized at school. Now poor and disheartened, she decides to remake herself and tries to join the popular girls at her new school. Unfortunately she wound up with her hair chopped off and stuck in a well. With no guarantee the mean girls will go for help, Kammie reflects on the ways things went wrong and dreams about what she would like life to ideally be. As night falls and depleting oxygen leads her to loop through her feelings, she is finally discovered. Readers will be eager to find out if she is rescued at last, and if she manages her life better. ages 10 - 13 $16.95


The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
From Vicky:
  I am absolutely, positively WILD about this new book by Peter Brown!  It's an amazing wilderness survival story about a robot stranded on a deserted island during a storm!  The book is full of adventure, exceptionally clever and laugh out loud funny.  It has so much heart it might just bring tears to your eyes at times.  

The robot, Roz, was not designed to live in the wild, but she is able to watch the animals around her and eventually learn and adapt to her environment.  The animals think she is some kind of a monster, but as she cares for a goose egg and becomes the adoptive mother of a gosling, robot and animals form a community.  All is well... until a ship arrives with people searching for the missing robot.  Peter Brown's amazing illustrations are a perfect for the brilliant writing in this book.  A
ges 8 - 12 (available April 5) $16.99



Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo
Raymie Clarke's father left. He ran away with a dental hygienist, leaving Raymie and her mother behind. Raymie is convinced that if she wins the Little Miss Central Florida Tire 1975 pageant, her dad will see her picture in the paper and will come back home. It is a lot of weight for one small pair of shoulders. It is a good thing two little girls that Raymie just met will become friends to help her carry this burden and make her feel lighter.
Although this story is fictional, DiCamillo describes it as the true story of her heart. The chapters are short, which makes it a great choice for readers who do not have a lot of stamina. DiCamillo does a wonderful job of allowing readers into the depths of Raymie's feelings. By the end of the book, readers feel like Raymie, Beverly, and Louisiana are true and lasting friends of their own. It is truly a heart-filled and heartfelt book. (available April 12) ages 12 and up
$16.99


The Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar
Twelve-year-old Carol lives in suburban Albuquerque and is looking forward to a summer of hanging out with her friends before they all start middle school. But that's not what happens -- instead, her whole family heads for the middle of nowhere to a ranch owned by the grandfather she's never met. His health is failing, he's suffering from dementia, and her dad has hired a lawyer to have the old man declared incompetent so he can be put in assisted living and the ranch sold off.   Charged with keeping her grandfather out of trouble, Carol is startled when he tells her not to spit on her roots, and she quickly becomes fascinated with his stories about two century-old kids named Sergio and Rosa, a magic tree that used to live in the land, the lake that used to be there, and the bees who stole it away drop by drop. Everybody thinks it's just crazy talk when the old man calls Carol by her long-dead grandmother Rosa's name and raves about bees coming back and ending the hundred-year drought. But then, everywhere Carol goes, there are bees where none have been seen for decades.  This is a moving intergenerational story about finding and honoring your roots. Ages 10 - 14 $16.99


Teens:  (each book in this list will also appeal to adults!)
The Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse
From Elizabeth S: This unforgettable story will appeal to a large scope of readers.  In this historical fiction set during WWII we meet teenage Hanneke who is doing her part in the war effort working with black market, until her client asks her to help find a young missing Jewish girl. The story takes us on emotional roller coaster as we watch Hanneke face the horror of realizing the true evils of Hitler. This book will become a true classic.  I loved it and think it should be on everyone's April reading list! (available April 5)$17.99


The Haters by Jesse Andrews
From the author of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and screenwriter of the Sundance award winning motion picture of the same name, comes this wonderful young adult novel. Inspired by the years he spent playing bass in a band himself, The Haters is Jesse Andrews's road trip adventure about a trio of jazz-camp escapees who, against every realistic expectation, become a band. 

For Wes and his best friend, Corey, jazz camp turns out to be lame. It's pretty much all dudes talking in "Jazz Voice". But then they jam with Ash, a charismatic girl with an unusual sound, and the three just click. It's three and a half hours of pure musical magic, and Ash makes a decision: They need to hit the road. Because the road, not summer camp, is where bands get good. Before Wes and Corey know it, they're in Ash's SUV heading south, and The Haters Summer of Hate Tour has begun.
  
Andrews brings such an authentic voice to this YA novel!  This is a book that will appeal to reluctant readers, but also to anyone with an interest in music.  If you liked The Commitments, or High Fidelity, you will enjoy The Haters.
(available April 5) $18.95
In Store Pick-Up!

Don't forget! If you want to be extra sure that a copy of a book mentioned in the newsletter is available when you come to the store, please call us or simply click on the book photo. Use that link to order a copy of the book for "In Store Pick Up". No credit card needed! We will then hold a copy of the book for you. If it's not in the store we can usually have it here in 2-4 days.


Titcomb's Bookshop | 432 Route 6A | PO Box 1045 | East Sandwich | MA | 02537