‘She’s So Money’

By Cherry Cheva

Maya is a high-school senior living in Michigan and dreaming of getting as far from there as possible. She knows that college is her ticket out and she’s doing everything in her power to get into Stanford.

For this reason (and pressure from her very involved parents), she is the quintessential good girl. Her schedule is full of AP classes, tutoring struggling students and working as a waitress at her family’s Thai restaurant. Getting into Stanford shouldn’t be too hard … as long as things don’t go awry.

Maya’s trouble begins when she gets a new student to tutor — hunky and popular Camden King — who tries to talk Maya into just doing his homework instead of tutoring him. Her trouble continues when her parents leave Maya and her little brother, Nat, in charge of the restaurant while they’re out of town. After a few good days in charge, Sunday comes. On Sunday, Maya is plagued with mixed-up orders, a jammed dishwasher and two angry ladies. After Maya sasses the angry ladies, they threaten to send the health inspector to the restaurant to shut it down. Maya takes this as an empty threat and makes the managerial decision to put off cleanup from the night’s business to the next day.

Unfortunately, the angry ladies weren’t bluffing. The health inspector shows up before things get cleaned up and gives the restaurant a whopping $10,000 fine. Instead of confessing to her parents, Maya decides to take matters into her own hands. The tips she earns at the restaurant go into her college fund, so she has to be creative. Remembering Camden’s suggestion, Maya starts an elaborate cheating ring. For an impressive price, the smart kids do the popular (not-smart) kids’ homework while Maya and Camden skim money off the top. Maya is sure she can get enough money to pay the fine but all the lying and, well, cheating may cause her to lose everyone she loves.

Cheva, who writes for “Family Guy,” has a knack for witty dialogue. The interactions between Maya and Camden are fun to read and Maya’s first-person narration is good insight into the plight of a good girl gone bad. My one complaint about this book is a couple of jarring uses of a name-calling phrase (associated with a feminine hygiene product). Maya’s use of this phrase is out of character and feels more like Cheva trying a little too hard to capture “teen speak.”

All-in-all, though, this was a fun and satisfying read that got me thinking about what it’s like to be a server. I’ve never worked in food service, so I was curious about whether the descriptions of Maya’s job were accurate. When I asked my friend Christina (at Bella Pepper’s, an Italian restaurant on Range Line) about it, she invited me to spend a lunch shift observing.

I was seated in Leila’s (pronounced “Lee-eye-la”) section, smack dab in the middle of the action. The lunch shift flew by as I watched Leila, Christina, Raquelle and Christi stride from table to table, to the kitchen, back to tables, around corners and through their shifts with the kind of energy and efficiency I can only imagine (all for a base pay of just more than $3 per hour). The amount of multi-tasking that they have to master just to make sure all of their tables have full glasses, warm bread and lunch-hour friendly service is incredible. I certainly understand, now more than ever, that the tips servers receive for their hard work are well-earned and well-deserved. Maya’s hectic serving experiences in “She’s So Money” were well-described and believable, but didn’t quite capture all that I saw in my afternoon of observation.

So, readers, be sure to tip your servers (15 percent is still standard) and check out “She’s So Money” from the teen department at your library.

~Cari - Teen Librarian

Psychological thriller hits ‘Too Close to Home’

‘Too Close to Home’

By Linwood Barclay

(compact disc audiobook)

Teenager Derek Cutter had made plans for a romantic week with his girlfriend to use the Langley’s house for a week while they are on vacation. Derek hides in the basement waiting for the Langleys to leave. They leave only to return a short time later when Mrs. Langley becomes ill.

As Derek hides and waits for his chance to escape without being found out, someone enters the house and shoots Mr. and Mrs. Langley and their son, Adam. After the killer leaves, a terrified Derek escapes to his own home without telling anyone.

Despite the closeness of the homes, Derek’s parents didn’t hear the gunshots and they don’t find out about the triple murder until the police pay them a visit the next day. Derek’s father, Jim, used to be a driver for the city’s mayor, but now he runs a landscaping service with help from Derek. Ellen, Jim’s wife, works for the college president, the author of a best-selling book that he has used to his advantage and that plays a large part in the mystery.

Adam and Derek had always enjoyed tinkering with discarded computers, and when the police take him back to the Cutters’ house, Derek notices that one of the old computers is missing from Adam’s room. He also knows what was on the computer and had made a copy of it. Derek shows it to his parents, who cannot escape the secrets from their own pasts.

This psychological thriller is full of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end. Barclay’s complicated novel contains diverse characters with believable relationships. Christopher Lane’s narration is excellent as usual and certainly added to the suspense.

‘Lethal Legacy’

By Linda Fairstein

(compact disc audiobook)

Alex Cooper, an assistant district attorney in New York City, is called upon to investigate the attack of Tina Barr in her apartment. Homicide detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace accompany Cooper to Tina’s apartment. Tina was attacked by an unknown assailant and may be the victim of a sexual assault, but she refuses to discuss what happened or seek medical treatment.

The next day, a dead woman is discovered in Tina’s apartment along with a very valuable book. The woman turns out to be the housekeeper of wealthy Minerva Hunt and was wearing the clothes of her employer. Tina’s body is discovered a few days later. The investigative trio eventually learns that Tina is a former New York Public Library librarian and a restorer of rare books who has ties to some of the library’s richest contributors.

As Alex, Chapman and Mercer trek through the New York Public Library’s underground tunnels, forgotten apartments and hidden rooms in their quest to unlock the secrets of centuries-old rare maps and books, they attempt to find the person or people willing to kill for these treasures. It’s interesting to observe the interaction among the three investigators as they discover secrets that could destroy the legacies of the some of the largest benefactors of the old library.

This is not the typical Alex Cooper mystery, but I found it absorbing since it contains all the elements that interest me —- a library, reading and books, and an enjoyable mystery. Linda Fairstein presents an incredible depth of research about the history of the New York Public Library and its inner workings in this intriguing mystery. It was fascinating to learn about New York’s historic landmark and the incredible treasures contained within. The characters come alive as Barbara Rosenblat lends her brilliant narrative abilities to this mystery.

Both novels are also available in regular print editions at the Joplin Public Library.

~Phyllis- Technical Services Librarian

‘Wednesday Wars’ a flawless story

‘The Wednesday Wars’

By Gary D. Schmidt

(Teen fiction)

Holling Hoodhood is convinced that his seventh-grade teacher, Mrs. Baker, is out to get him. Especially since he is the only student in her class who does not attend religion classes on Wednesday afternoons; meaning he spends afternoons alone with her in the classroom.

It is during these afternoons that Holling discovers Shakespeare. Despite being hesitant at first, he soon warms to the plays and ends up performing in a local rendition of one of them. It is also during these afternoon sessions that he discovers that Mrs. Baker is not simply a teacher. She is wife to an MIA soldier, a lover of Shakespeare, owner of two enormous rats and a former Olympian. While Mrs. Baker’s character may seem a bit over-the-top, her actions complement the story and Schmidt makes them appear believable.

The book starts a little slow, but it quickly gives way to a flawlessly written story. The main focus may be Holling’s seventh-grade year, but Schmidt effortlessly incorporates the Vietnam War, the ’60s, and the trials and tribulations of being a teenager into this hopeful account.

‘The Dead and the Gone’

By Susan Beth Pfeffer

(Teen fiction)

After the moon is hit by an asteroid and knocked out of orbit, 17-year-old Alex Morales becomes the head of his household and assumes responsibility for his two younger sisters.

While holding out hope that their mother will return from her hospital job in Queens and their father will return from Puerto Rico, Alex, Julie and Brianna must struggle to survive. Each day brings new challenges and soon dead bodies are piling up on the streets, food is dwindling and medical attention is non-existent.

Ethical decisions abound in Susan Beth Pfeffer’s companion novel to “Life as We Knew It.” While not as compelling as her previous novel, this one will still cause readers to consider what they would do should similar circumstances arise.

‘The Appeal’

By John Grisham

(Adult fiction)

The stage is set when a Mississippi jury returns a $41 million verdict against a chemical company for illegally dumping toxic waste into a small town’s water supply. The reward has been hard fought by two practically bankrupt lawyers and a plaintiff who has buried her husband and son.

Carl Trudeau, the company’s billionaire CEO, is unsure of how the appeal will play out, so when the opportunity arises for him to buy a seat on the Mississippi Supreme Court, where the appeal will be heard, he does not hesitate to shell out several million dollars for an unknown candidate.

Grisham’s 20th work of fiction introduces a colorful cast of characters, and provides an interesting look at big business and the corruption of the electoral system. It is a bit hard to keep the larger-than-life characters straight and believe that people actually act in this manner; however, this book will fly off shelves simply because of the broad appeal of the author.

Much of the novel is over the top, but readers will keep turning pages until their final gasp at the unexpected conclusion.

~Jeana Gockley- Children's Librarian

Princess grown up in final book

'Forever Princess'

By Meg Cabot

Reading the final book in a much-loved series is a lot like saying good-bye to a dear friend. It’s sad, but tinged with the hope that perhaps you’ll see each other again.

Sometimes I try to postpone the inevitable. I’ve picked up and put down “Breaking Dawn,” the last book in Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series, so many times that it’s getting embarrassing.

When I learned that Meg Cabot was winding down her popular “Princess Diaries” series with the tenth book, my first response was worthy of the sometimes overly dramatic Princess Mia: An anguished “NOOOO!!!!!”

But I soon got over myself. There was no way I was not reading “Forever Princess.”

I read all 383 pages in two sittings. If there is one thing I love about Cabot, besides her loopy sense of humor and non-conformist heroines, it’s that her books are very easy and enjoyable reads. Brain candy, if you will.

In “Forever Princess,” Mia is no longer an awkward 14-year-old struggling with math, impossible crushes on unavailable boys, and the newly-discovered knowledge that she’s the heir to the throne of Genovia. Her once-dreaded princess lessons with her sidecar-swilling, control freak of a grandmother have paid off, and she’s considerably more poised and polished these days.

Her life isn’t any less complicated, though. She’s about to graduate from high school, but can’t decide where to attend college. Her father is trying to get elected prime minister of Genovia, but losing in the polls to his cousin.

Her grandmother has planned an 18th birthday party for her, complete with celebrities. She and her former BFF Lilly still haven’t made up. And she’s also the only one among her friends who hasn’t “done it.”

To add to the fun, her first love, Michael Moscovitz, now a wealthy inventor, is back in New York.

His reappearance has made Mia realize she isn’t quite over him after all, which is a problem because she already has a boyfriend. It doesn’t help matters that said boyfriend is wrapped up in himself, or that Michael flirts like crazy with her and offers unwavering support for her dream of publishing a romance novel.

The usual antics ensue, and anyone who has read a Meg Cabot novel knows how “Forever Princess” will end. But getting there is the fun part, thanks to Mia and crew.

Her friends are as loony as ever: Tina Hakim Baba still has romance on the brain, and Lana Weinberger, a former enemy turned into a good friend, has been “tamed.” Lana gets in some of the book’s best lines. Among them is her suggested title for Mia’s novel — a title that is hilarious but not fit for print here.

(”Forever Princess” also features excerpts from Mia’s awesomely bad novel, titled “Ransom My Heart,” which she describes as “a humorous and moving romance about a young girl’s sexual awakening in the year 1291.” Needless to say, her grandmother is not amused.)

Although Mia occasionally slips into old patterns, she has grown up. Thanks to therapy and her grandmother’s tutelage, she’s more inclined to put on her princess face and confront situations that once would have made her cower. And her reaction to her boyfriend’s shady behavior is classic: “He really ought to have remembered that several of my ancestresses are known for strangling and/or chopping off the heads of their enemies.”

As in the previous “Princess” books, Mia continues to write obsessively in her journal, usually in the oddest of places, such as a French-fry strewn Applebee’s bathroom. (“Who eats French fries on the toilet? WHO??? Who eats ANYTHING on the toilet???? Excuse me, but gross, also, ew.”) This device has allowed the reader access to Mia’s mind and heart. To fans of the series, she has become a trusted friend.

I will miss reading new “Princess Diaries” books. But I remain secure in the knowledge that although it is time to say farewell to Mia, I can visit her again by rereading ten very funny, very charming books.

~Lisa E. Brown- Administrative Assistant

Youth titles are informative, or just fun

For the most part I write about adult books available at the Joplin Public Library, but my heart still remains in youth services.

Below are children’s books that have been on my nightstand of late. Regardless of your age, these contain good information or are just plain fun to read.

“The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West”
By Sid Fleischman (non-fiction)

This well-researched, accessible biography tells of Mark Twain’s life on the Missouri River, heading West to California, how he started writing, and how and why Samuel Clemens came to use the name Mark Twain. Some information about his family and life as a child is also included.

Although this book is written for children, it is a terrific book for those wanting an overview of Twain’s life and is suitable for all ages.

Newbery Award-winning author Sid Fleischman includes many photographs and illustrations, a timeline of Twain’s life, references, a bibliography of titles about Twain as well as a bibliography of his work and an index in this well-written book of one of Missouri’s most favorite and well-known sons.

“Seer of Shadows”
By Avi (fiction)

Horace is a young apprentice to a photographer, Mr. Middleditch.

Mr. Middleditch is not a very well-known photographer and therefore jumps at the chance to take pictures of Mrs. Von Machts, who wishes to have a picture placed at her daughter’s tomb.

Mr. Middleditch devises a scheme to place an image of the deceased daughter, Eleanora, to appear as if her ghost is hovering within the photograph. Horace, not thrilled with this idea, is given the task of using a spy camera to take pictures of pictures of Eleanora in the house while Mr. Middleditch takes Mrs. Von Machts’ portrait.

When Horace develops the plates, he discovers four pictures of Eleanora, not the three he took. He is startled by this discovery but doesn’t halt the scheme. When Mr. Middleditch shows the Von Machts’ the portraits they are terrified of what they see — the “ghost” of Eleanora hovering over Mrs. Von Machts’ shoulder.

Soon Horace sees Eleanora appearing in other pictures. When the Von Machts’ servant girl, actually Eleanora’s cousin, Pegg, realizes what’s going on, she tells Horace the truth about Eleanora’s death and her belief that Eleanora has come back for revenge. Horace now believes it is up to him as a “seer” to put Eleanora’s soul to rest before more damage is done.

Newbery Award-winning author Avi writes a fabulous story of two young people in the 1870s trying to do the best they can under unusual circumstances. The time period, descriptions and dialog are well written and make this an excellent historical-fiction novel for upper-elementary and middle-school students.

“The Postcard”
By Tony Abbott (fiction)

When Jason’s grandmother passes away, his mother sends him to Florida to help his father sort through her things and sell the house. Jason doesn’t really want to go as he’s never met his grandmother.

After the funeral, Jason and his father are working around her house trying to get it ready to put on the market. Jason finds a box marked “Very Important Papers” and decides to find out what his grandmother considered important. In the box is an old magazine entitled Bizarre Mysteries. The cover has a lady flying and in her last days Jason’s grandmother referred to flying. Jason thinks he’s onto something when he finds a fold labeled with the initials E.B., the initials of an author his grandmother once knew and dated. In the magazine there is a story by Emerson Beale that is written as fiction, but is it really fiction?

Later Jason answers the phone and a raspy voice sends him on a quest to find out who Emerson Beale really was, who his grandmother was and why the mysterious caller told him to find a postcard. All his life, Jason’s father has not talked about his family. Will these puzzle pieces, when assembled, give Jason a more complete family history? With the help of a girl, Dia, from down the street, the two of them set out to solve the mystery.

This is a fun, fast-paced mystery within a mystery.

~Susan Wray - Library Director

Movie Review: Young @ Heart

Who says great-grandma can't rock? This inspiring documentary follows a senior-citizen choir (average age: 80) called Young @ Heart as they rehearse new material for an upcoming show and the following tour. The only catch is the choice of material their director has made for them. These folks don't sing no golden oldies - they cut their false teeth on music as diverse as Coldplay and Sonic Youth. As booty-shaking as James Brown, and as incendiary as The Clash.

That's the "angle" this choir uses to differentiate itself from others like it that exist all over the country. It could easily be silly and almost exploitative of the elderly crooners to have them on stage dancing and singing the Bee Gees disco classic "Stayin' Alive." Ha ha, we get the joke. But it's no joke to the passionate members of the choir. Their dedication and willingness to reach past the "noise" and try to reach the heart of these modern rock and funk songs is what turns the idea from something silly into something sublime.

It's not easy to try and teach a group of hard-of-hearing seniors the ins and outs of James Brown, and much of the humor of the film comes naturally from looking at the perplexed expressions of the choir members as they silently question the sanity of their director. But slowly and surely the words get lodged in the memory, the emotions in the songs become real, and what started with groans and moans turns into something celebratory.

A good portion of the undeniable drama and power of the film lies in the very real issues that come with a traveling rock and roll senior choir. Health is always an issue, and being real life things don't always go as planned for the elderly members of the choir. As events progress in the preparation for the big show at which the choir will debut seven new pieces, the gravity lent to the music by the choir members becomes palpable.

In an emotional highpoint, a once prominent and popular member of the choir who was forced to retire due to health reasons returns to sing with the choir, and during the concert footage, as the man sits illuminated in spotlight, the sound of his oxygen machine interrupting the flow of the music, and he sings the Coldplay song, "Fix You," there isn't a dry eye in the house, or at home as we watch along.

Ultimately a celebratory experience, Young @ Heart is a film that reaffirms the power of music to inspire and bring people together. A wonderful experience, it receives my warm and most hearty recommendation.

Young @ Heart is available in the library's Documentary DVD section.

This weekend only at JPL...

Join us for the American Girl Club, where we'll be celebrating Samantha! Children grades K-5 are welcome to come and enjoy snacks, make your own silhouette and seashell picture frame, play some games and maybe, just MAYBE win a great prize!
Saturday, February 28th from 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

Music Review: Slayer "Reign In Blood"

Heavy metal has a way of tackling tender subjects in a way that is both impossibly brash and offensive and yet somehow appropriate. What better genre to embody the horror of, say, the Holocaust than metal? Through the lightning fast riffs, thundering drum fills and wailing lyrical delivery, good metal is the audio equivalent of primal scream therapy. It's a place you can go for a little while to confront your demons and then come out of the experience stronger and more at peace.

At least that's how it works for me, and there's no album that better epitomizes this dichotomy of the sacred and the profane than Slayer's Reign In Blood. The album was the band's major breakthrough, and amazingly (considering the nature of its contents) the album broke the Billboard Top 100 albums, reaching number 94. The album went on to seal the band's legacy in the realm of metal and has gone on to reach legendary status amongst metal and music aficionados in general. Kerrang! magazine called the album "the heaviest album of all time."

Existing as a sort of bridge between punk and metal, the songs on Reign In Blood are densely packed explosions of metal. Furiously fast throughout, the album was pared down to the raw bedrock, leaving it clocking in at a mean and lean 29 minutes. But length has always been the enemy of music this punishing (after all, how much can an audience be expected to endure?) so in this case shorter is better. From the first strains of the Auschwitz inspired "Angel of Death" (a harrowing and horrific cataloging of Nazi atrocities) through to the final raging blasts of "Raining Blood," the album rushes by and when it's over, one finds themselves dazed and stunned, wondering what just happened and (if you're like me) looking forward to taking the journey again.

I realize that all of the adjectives used to describe the album up to this point haven't exactly sounded inviting. If someone asked you, "Hey, want to do something both brutal AND punishing?" you would likely laugh in their face and say no thanks. But such is the lexicon of metal - I can't very well call this album "toe-tappingly tuneful" because it isn't. It's metal, and it's designed to allow the listener to shake their sillies out. And that's what it does, masterfully, for 29 minutes. It's a breathtaking musical ride, and one I wholeheartedly invite you to take. It could just change your life.

Reign In Blood is available in JPL's CD collection.

Movie Review: Tarnation

It's hard to describe the power of Jonathan Caouette's powerful documentary Tarnation. I was going to finish that sentence with "other than to say that..." but I couldn't come up with anything, so I'll let that first sentence stand all on its own. It's hard to describe the power of this movie.

Tarnation was the end result of a lifetime spent obsessively documenting, archiving, and manipulating the life of its director. Culled from over 20 years worth (hundreds of hours) of old video footage, and made for the sum total budget of $218.32 at home by the director on his computer, the movie works in spite of its obvious limitations (good portions of the movie literally consist of text scrolling across the screen in front of still photographs).

The film details the troubled childhood of Caouette, from coping with an absent father to dealing with his mentally-disturbed mother who goes through a series of bizarre and disturbing electro-shock treatments, rendering her a shell of her former self. Throughout, vintage video footage reveals Caouette to be a highly intelligent, artistic youth left to drift and come to terms with his life in the best way he knows how - in front of a camera.

At times funny, at times deeply disturbing, and at times downright horrifying, Tarnation is a film unique unto itself. A highly moving portrait of a tortured soul and his attempts to come to terms with his birthright and the world around him, the film rises above the sum of its limited parts to create a whole both affecting and powerfully memorable.

Tarnation is available in the Documentary DVD section of the library's collection.

Joplin Public Library has HEART(s)!

To celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Week, Joplin Public Library Staff Members decked out the circulation desk with hearts of appreciation. Every time a someone saw another staff member going out of their way to help a patron or providing someone with much needed support, they were awarded a heart for their outstanding behavior. And you can see by the amount of hearts that were hung that we have some extraordinary employees here at JPL!

‘Don’t Mind if I Do’

By George Hamilton and William Stadiem

Here’s to the unsung hero of autobiographies/memoirs of famous people — the ghostwriter. At least Hamilton had the grace to credit his co-writer, unlike many.

The term “ghost-writer” refers more narrowly to those writers whose work remains uncredited, but also those who, as in this case, do receive recognition. Having read a few autobiographies and memoirs that really, really could have done with a ghostwriter (or a better one), I appreciate Hamilton’s good sense (or his publisher’s) to employ a good one. The book reads as though written by Hamilton himself. You can imagine him narrating the stories aloud, for the most part. Now that’s successful ghostwriting.

Now, having dealt with authorship, how about the book? Well, it’s a mixed bag.

It’s very readable, but I found it oddly distancing. The first third is the most engaging, and it deals with his life until he went to Hollywood. Hamilton’s family was, to say the least, dysfunctional. His parents divorced when he was 5, and George and his mother and two brothers moved to her parents’ home in Blytheville, Ark. Five idyllic childhood years followed, only to be crushed when both of his beloved (and stable, unlike his mother) grandparents died.

After that, his mother pursued her next husbands (not to mention numerous other conquests) and the family moved about more than a little. Now, returning to the ghostwriter theme, the acknowledgment at the end of the book helped clarify why this was the most engaging section. Turns out that most of this part was really written by his brother, David, one year his junior. On the face of it, it’s a bit hard to understand why his younger brother should be the one who would have more complete memories of their childhood. Then again, given the tenor of most of the rest of the book, perhaps not. As I said, I found the book distancing. I think that, perhaps, that’s because George Hamilton has divorced himself pretty thoroughly from any depth of feeling. His brother evidently has not. Given their upbringing, it may be more remarkable that David did not cut himself off from his emotions than that George did.

So, what’s left? The last two-thirds of the book cover Hamilton’s career in a rather off-hand way, with a lot of anecdotes thrown in. His personal life is covered a bit more fully than his career, but again in a very casual way. Hamilton appears to be an emotional armadillo — all armor and very little left vulnerable. The light, amusing raconteur he often portrays on screen is evidently his own persona. Any depth of feeling he displays is for his mother, his older brother and his two sons.

That said, there are some very amusing anecdotes and a glimpse of Hollywood, particularly as it was in the 1960s.

One of my favorites is Hamilton’s account of his contract with Universal Studios. He had been contracted to do a television series and two movies. The series tanked, and the studio had no interest in making the two movies. Hamilton, though, had a “pay or play” contract, so they were legally obligated to pay him for the movies even if they didn’t make them. Being a Hollywood studio, however, they tried various shenanigans to get out of either paying or playing. It all came to a head finally with a phone call from the much-feared Lew Wasserman, head of Universal.

“George, how are you doing?” he opened the conversation.

”Mr. Wasserman …” I began, but he cut me off.

“Call me Lew.”

Wow. Nobody calls him Lew, except maybe Jules Stein, who founded the place.

(There follows a bit of social conversation about dining together, how much Mrs. Wasserman and he enjoy George, blah blah blah and discussion about money in which Hamilton is intimidated into accepting half what he’s owed, then ...)

“My man will be there in a half hour with the check,” Lew said, closing the deal.

“Well, Lew, it’s been great. I would love to see you and Edie soon ...” I tried to make the most of being steamrollered.

“You can call me Mr. Wasserman now,” he said, and hung up.

Ah, Hollywood.

~Linda Cannon- Circulation Supervisor/ Collection Development Librarian

Retelling Proves to be a 'Wicked' Read

‘Something Wicked: A Horatio Wilkes Mystery’

By Alan Gratz

“Something Wicked” is a very clever retelling of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.”

Our hero and sleuth, Horatio Wilkes, is headed up Birnam Mountain with his childhood friend, Mac, Mac’s detestable girlfriend, Beth, and Mac’s dorky kilt-wearing cousin, Banks, to take part in the Scottish Fair held there every year. Before ascending, the four teens stop at a psychic’s shop in the seedy town at the base of the mountain for a palm reading. The psychic tells Mac that even though he didn’t make his clan’s team for the Highland Games, he will compete in them and win — Mac will be crowned King of the Mountain. Of course, our logically thinking Horatio does not believe in the psychic’s predictions, but the weekend’s events may change his mind.

The festival full of kilts, bagpipes and strong men throwing telephone poles for fun cannot begin until Duncan MacRae, Mac’s grandfather, owner of Birnam Mountain and founder of the Scottish Fair, lights the bonfire at the opening ceremony. Of course, when the time comes, no one can find Duncan. Horatio is sent looking for him in the campground and finds Duncan murdered in one of Mac’s family tents. All signs and the literal writing on the wall points to Malcolm, Duncan’s son, as the murderer, but Horatio isn’t convinced of Malcolm’s guilt.

Horatio is especially suspicious since, having been appointed to his clan’s Highland Games team and now the sole heir to Birnam Mountain, Mac has been increasingly interested in all developments regarding his grandfather’s murder, but seems unaffected by his actual death. Beth also begins acting strange after Duncan is murdered. When once she was antagonistic towards Horatio, she seems too distracted and nervous to hate Horatio with the same passion she had before. Could Mac and Beth known more than they should about Duncan’s murder?

With some minor sexual content, this book is appropriate for teens and adults. Horatio is a likable character that most boys will identify with, making this book an especially good “guy” book.

For a retelling of “Hamlet,” check out Gratz’s “Something Rotten.”

‘The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine’

By April Lurie

“The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine” is one of those middle-of-the-story books.

It starts in the midst of crisis — Dylan’s mom left his dad (and her two sons) for her art teacher; Randy, Dylan’s brother and the one person Dylan looks up to, seems to be throwing his life away by spending too much time with his band, The Dead Musicians Society, and smoking massive amounts of pot; Angie, Dylan’s best friend and the love of his life, is dating a loser named Jonathan; and Dylan’s doctor dad prefers to avoid all things “real life” by staying insanely busy with his OB/GYN patients at the hospital.

It’s not until Angie comes back around —the loser turned out to be a jerk, too — and decides to cast Dylan as the main character in a film she’s doing for a summer project at NYU that his life begins to change. Through Angie’s film, Dylan begins to find his own voice in the chaos. He learns to take risks and step out of the shadow of his older brother while learning that he doesn’t have to take care of everyone around him. It’s a drama-filled ride for Dylan, though. His house sees several visits from the police (noise complaints, marijuana suspicion and a stolen golf cart), Angie’s loser/jerk of an ex-boyfriend comes back into the picture, and Dylan is forced to deal with his anger toward his parents.

Funny and true-to-life, “The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine” is appropriate for teens and adults looking for a light story about discovering who you are.

Cari Boatright Rérat - Teen Librarian

'Verdict' Offers Surprise Twist

‘The Brass Verdict’

By Michael Connelly (compact disc audiobook)

Criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller has been on a two-year hiatus from work since he was shot. He became addicted to painkillers during his recovery and eventually served a stint in rehab. Just as he is considering returning to work, a whole list of clients and an office lands in his lap.

Haller has never had a real office. His previous office and staff consisted of a driver for one his three Lincoln Towncars, with Haller working in the back seat and his ex-wife acting as his secretary from her home. His extended vacation unexpectedly ends when colleague Jerry Vincent is murdered. Vincent and Haller had mutual agreements drawn up that if anything happened to one of them the other would take over his law practice. With Vincent’s death, Haller suddenly inherits Vincent’s practice, including the high-profile murder trial of Walter Elliot, a Hollywood mogul accused of murdering his wife and her lover.

Harry Bosch, LAPD detective and main character in his own series, is assigned to be the lead detective on the Vincent murder case. Haller tries to work with Bosch within the ethical boundaries of the legal world, including protecting the identity of his clients. After all, a whole caseload of clients plus an office just landed in Haller’s lap, and he endeavors to clear his own name from the list of suspects with a motive for murder. Haller also discovers that he might just be the next victim if the murderer isn’t caught.

“The Brass Verdict” is a gripping legal thriller with complex and colorful characters and intricate plotting with a surprise twist at the end. I always thoroughly enjoy Connelly’s choice of words and his style of writing, and this novel is no different. Peter Giles lends his smooth narrative abilities to this excellent novel.

‘Crosscut’

By Meg Gardiner (compact disc audiobook)

Twenty years ago, Evan Delaney and her high-school classmates took a field trip to the naval base in China Lake. Evan and three other girls left the group only to witness a project being blown up in the desert. It wasn’t an accident, but a cleanup of an operation that was going wrong. The girls were interrogated by federal officials but returned to school and forgot about it.

Now, Evan with her lover, Jesse, returns to China Lake in California to attend her 15th high-school reunion. The gruesome murder of a classmate before the reunion and a second one that evening leads Evan to the realization that since graduation the mortality rate of her classmates is extremely high. In addition, most of her dead classmates were on the field trip that day.

Evan’s investigation takes several twists and turns as she races to discover the identity of the serial killer and his motivation for killing her classmates, armed with the knowledge that she will also be his victim if he is not stopped.

“Crosscut” has an action-packed plot, great characters and is an exciting thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Although Gardiner describes the murders in grisly detail (so if you can’t stand gore you might want to pass on this), she delivers comic relief in the form of Evan’s cousin Tator and Evan’s one-liners.

Tanya Eby Sirois narrates “Crosscut,” the fourth in the Evan Delaney series. The Joplin Public Library owns most of the series in the audiobook format. Meg Gardiner is an American whose thrillers are published in and are bestsellers in Great Britain.

Phyllis Seesengood - Technical Services Librarian

DVD Review - "Spaced"

One of the most common questions we at the library get asked in regards to our DVD collection is, "Hey, how come no TV series?" Well, a season of a TV series can often be expensive (a whole series is a HUGE investment) and there's so many TV series out on DVD now - where do you start?

Luckily, there are some series the library HAS been able to acquire, both through donations and other means. There's some Dr. Quinn, some Outer Limits, and then there's "Spaced."

A quirky BBC series from around the turn of the century (the 21st century, thank you), "Spaced" was the launching pad for many of the talents who later went on to make the fabulous zombie-spoof "Shaun of the Dead." The show is a witty, odd-ball look at a group of witty, odd-ball characters who live together in an apartment building in London.

For those looking for a taste of something out of the ordinary, "Spaced" is a pleasure and a treat. The entire series is just over a dozen episodes, so it won't take you forever to watch them all, and each episode is so dense with visual and verbal comedy, you may find yourself, like me, wanting to watch them all again. Like with many BBC shows, "Spaced" is not rated but would probably be the equivalent of "TV-M" due to language, drug-use, and sexual references.

Did you miss the American Girl Club??

No worries- there is always next month! Join us February 28th to celebrate Samantha by making a silhouette, decorating a sea shell frame and enjoying some Victorian snacks! The party will last from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm and be for kids grades K-5.

And just in case you were wondering what went on this month, here are some photo highlights of our Josefina party!

Movie Review - "Unfaithfully Yours" (1948)

Whenever I'm asked to recommend a movie to a library patron (and it happens fairly often) I always tell them, "Oh, you should get 'Unfaithfully Yours.'" It's the perfect movie to recommend to a stranger for three reasons:

1. It's really good

2. It's tasteful (but not boringly so)

3. Most people have never heard of it, let alone seen it

The film tells the tale of one Sir Alfred De Carter, a famous orchestra conductor who, despite his prestige and high-standing, is a man at heart and as such is given over to petty jealousy and fantasies of revenge when he suspects his wife of having a wandering eye.

As he conducts his symphony through several disparate pieces of classical music, his mind wanders as he envisions impossibly complex ways to both prove his wife's unfaithfulness and to exact his own ultra-suave brand of revenge. But things go hilariously awry when De Carter actually gets a chance to set his plots into motion.

Starring a young(er) Rex Harrison, sixteen years before his famous turn as Professor Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady," "Unfaithfully Yours" benefits tremendously from the highly skilled actor's wonderful performance. Capturing a pompousness and coldness about De Winter while still remaining sympathetic is no small feat, and Harrison handles it admirably. Once things start to go seriously downhill for the man, it's hard not to feel sorry for him even as you laugh at him and chastise him for ever fantasizing revenge in the first place.

Perhaps not the most obvious draw for the movie, but the most important and the most lasting, is that it was directed and scripted by that manic genius of 1940's cinema, Preston Sturges. A rather late-period entry into the director's filmography (his earlier, more well-known efforts such as "Lady Eve" and "Sullivan's Travels having come at the very beginning of the '40's), the film still bristles with Sturges' trademark energy and the unusually-structured script is distinctly his own.

A small masterpiece from one of the giants of "golden age" comedy, as well as a powerful treatise on male hubris and machismo, "Unfaithfully Yours" is a hilarious movie that comes highly recommended - from me to you!

Watch tomorrow morning on KSN for more library info!

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, the KSN morning show will be broadcast from Joplin Public Library! We'll be talking about upcoming programs, great library resources and much, much more!

Library offers award-winning titles

Each January, the American Library Association (ALA) holds its annual Mid-Winter conference. This weekend, the conference is in Denver and on Monday, all the annual book awards will be announced.

This event is usually early in the morning and is full of anticipation. It has been referred to as the “Academy Awards for Books” by people I know as well as some that I don’t. People come to acknowledge the work the various committees have done during the past year and to cheer on their favorite titles.

There are a number of awards given each year, often times with several titles taking “Honor” slots after the winner. There are too many awards to name here (see the ALA Web site for a complete listing of awards along with current and past winners: www.ala.org) but a few of the most popular or well-known are:

• Randolph Caldecott Medal, an award going to “the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.”

• John Newbery Medal, an award going to “an author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for Children.”

• Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, an award that “honors the best book written for young adults.”

Here are some of the winners and honor titles from past years that I have enjoyed. And it was hard to just pick a few. For these and other winning and honor titles check the library’s catalog either in the library or at www.joplinpubliclibrary.org (click on “JPL Picks, Bestsellers, Award Winners” in the right-hand column.)

‘Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale’

By Mo Willems (Caldecott Honor Title, 2005)

A wonderfully done book about a little girl who goes to the laundromat with her father only to have her favorite stuffed animal left in one of the machines. Once the bunny is discovered missing, it’s a fast run back to the laundromat to reclaim the precious toy. The sequel, “Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity,” was an honor book this year and the DVD version of “Knuffle Bunny” won the Andrew Carnegie Medal in 2007 as the “most outstanding video production for children.” (Note: The library does not own the DVD.)

‘The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural’

By Patricia McKissack (Newbery Honor, 1993, and Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner, 1993)

This is a collection of African-American-themed ghost stories meant to be told or read just before sunset. Patricia McKissack is from St. Louis.

‘The First Part Last’

By Angela Johnson (Printz Winner, 2004, and Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner, 2004)

This well-done story is told by a 16-year-old new father in chapters alternating between the “then” and “now.” He talks about finding out his girlfriend is pregnant, his feelings and the responsibility of parenthood. This is a fairly short book that is a quick read. It is one of my favorite Printz Award winners.

‘Looking for Alaska’

By John Green (Printz Winner, 2006)

Miles Halter has convinced his parents to send him to a boarding school, Culver Creek, his father’s alma mater, for his junior year of high school in hopes of finding what pet Francois Rabelais calls the “Great Perhaps.” This year, Miles finds new friends including Alaska Young, a young, funny, screwed-up and very attractive girl. She turns Miles’ world upside down as he learns about life, himself, and how to go on when someone you deeply care about is suddenly gone.

In John Green’s debut novel, he writes a wonderful coming-of-age story about a teen looking for something other than a normal, unexciting (at least to him) life.

Green’s second young-adult novel, “The Abundance of Katherines,” is a Printz Honor title from 2007.

~ Susan Wray - Library Director

Meet American Girl.... Josefina!

Saturday, January 24th at JPL we'll be celebrating and learning about American Girl, Josefina. Children grades Kindergarten through Fifth are invited to join us as we travel back in time with food, fun and festivities all focusing on Josefina! The fun will begin at 11:00 and end at 12:30. Bring your dolls, dress in costume, or just come and enjoy!

Author finds ‘Comfort’ after daughter’s death

In a sea of bloated, semi-truthful memoirs that seem written especially for Oprah’s Book Club, some shine in their brevity, honesty and utter simplicity. Ann Hood’s “Comfort” is just such a book.

I must admit that I checked it out because, after reading the front flap, I thought it would detail how knitting helped the author through her grief. I was flooded with memories of knitting, knitting, knitting while my grandmother lay dying in the hospital, and I was curious about Hood’s experience.

Realization quickly dawned that “Comfort” was about much more than knitting. It follows a mother’s journey through grief after losing her young daughter.

One April afternoon, Grace, the light of her family’s life, falls in ballet class and breaks her arm; 48 hours later, she is in a hospital ICU, dying from a vicious strain of strep that had entered her bloodstream and proceeded to destroy her organs. Intubation, antibiotics, surgery — nothing would save her. “A day and a half after I carried her into the ER, Grace died,” Hood states with a directness that made my chest hurt.

She really needs to say nothing more than that. But she does, and the result is “Comfort,” a slim volume brimming with pain and beauty.

After the horror of telling Grace’s brother, after the nightmare of the funeral, friends and family return to their everyday lives and Hood is left with her sorrow. People try to console her with platitudes, urging her to write down her feelings. But the writer cannot put her grief into words. She can’t read, she can’t cook, she can’t do anything. Until one day someone suggests she do something with her hands. Perhaps learn to knit? She does so, sitting in the corner of a yarn shop, and the meditation of knitting soon calms her: “It quieted the images of Grace’s last hours in the hospital. It settled my pounding, fearful heart.”

Life becomes a series of firsts. The prologue to “Comfort” is the first thing she writes once words return to her. After three months of not cooking for her family, the first meal she makes is Grace’s favorite: pasta shells tossed with butter and parmesan cheese. She cries as she eats it, but “it was, I think, the first thing I had tasted in a long time.” On what would have been Grace’s sixth birthday, Hood gets her first tattoo, a tiny bell, in honor of her beloved Grace Annabelle.

Time passes, and life goes on but does not get any easier. Hood realizes her hold on normalcy is a tenuous one. “I do not live here,” she writes. “I only visit. Even as I stand here, charming, confident, smiling, I glimpse that other place. I stand always perched at the edge. I live in fear of the times when, without warning, I lift one foot, step from here, and go there, again.”

Three years after Grace’s death, Hood finally packs up her room. “Everything, everything is Grace,” she writes. “I am surrounded by Grace’s things, but Grace is gone.” There is clean laundry, folded neatly on the bed. A coat with the tags still on it hangs in the closet, waiting for a 5-year-old who will never grow into it. Half-eaten bags of forbidden candy are hidden at the back of drawers. It’s as if time stood still in that room, kept closed and unchanged since a little girl’s untimely death.

Eventually, Ann Hood and her family make a decision, one that, while it doesn’t erase the profound sorrow they feel at Grace’s loss, brings great joy into their lives. I’ll leave it to the reader to learn how this story continues. Hood’s journey through grief is not an easy one, but you will feel privileged to join her.

~Lisa E. Brown - Administrative Assistant