Readers > Booklists > Staff Picks > 2006 July–December

2006 July–December

Mapp and Lucia: a Novel by E.F. Benson: I rarely laugh out loud when I read but reading this was one of those times.
The Blizzard's Robe written and illustrated by Robert Sabuda: A young girl living in a village in the cold, dark Arctic north makes a robe for the feared Blizzard, and as a reward he creates the Northern Lights.
Alias. Volume 1 by Brian Michael Bendis: Ever wonder what superheroes do after they get tired of the whole thing with the tights and cape? Jessica Jones was once the costumed hero Jewel but now she's older, wiser, wears regular clothes and works as a solo private investigator. She drinks too much, she has something of a self–confidence problem, she is ridiculously strong, and she can fly. She is friends with Daredevil. You'll love her.
Art by Patrick McDonnell: A rhyming tribute to a budding young artist.
Proof Positive by Phillip Margolin: Oregon defense attorney Amanda Jaffe is back defending a homeless man accused of murder and calls into question the validity of seemingly irrefutable forensic evidence.
Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud: Dangerous adventures continue for the djinni Bartimaeus and his master, 17–year–old Nathaniel, a powerful magician who is serving as England's minister of information.
A Highland Christmas by M. c. Beaton: Follow Hamish Macbeth on his adventures in the Scottish Highlands. He's a Police Constable with an uncanny knack for solving crimes and irritating those around him as he bumbles through his personal life.
Up Before Daybreak: Cotton and People in America by Deborah Hopkinson: Read about the importance of cotton in America's history and learn about the lives of people who picked it and worked with it.
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin: Not just the story of Abraham Lincoln, but also a multiple biography of the entire team of personal and political competitors that he put together to lead the country through its greatest crisis. Visit the Forever Free exhibit.
Kids Can Knit : Fun and Easy Projects for Your Small by Carolyn Clewer: Learn how to knit your own presents!
A Fine and Private Place by Peter S. Beagle: Fantasy fable of the eternal power of love in a New York cemetery..
Sky Boys: How they built the Empire State Building by Deborah Hopkinson and James E. Ransome: In 1931, a boy and his father watch as the world's tallest building, the Empire State Building, is constructed, step-by-step, near their Manhattan home.
Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Laila Lalami: Moroccan culture comes to life through the stories of four people making an illegal and dangerous journey across the Strait of Gibraltar to freedom. Meet the author.
Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding by Lenore Look: A Chinese American girl describes the festivities of her uncle's Chinese wedding and the customs behind them.
Cold Train Coming: a Novel by Larry Barkdull: Coming of age story set in Fort Benton, Montana in 1942 about a boy who befriends the dog who has been meeting every train looking for his deceased master since 1936..
Monkey Town: The Summer of the Scopes Trial by Ronald Kidd: The 1925 Scopes trial prompts fifteen-year-old Frances to rethink many of her beliefs about religion and truth, as well as her relationship with her father.
Steps to small business start-up : everything you need to know to turn your idea into a successful business by Linda Pinson and Jerry Jinnett: This is the one-stop resource covering all the basics needed to launch a successful new venture.
John, Paul, George & Ben by Lane Smith: A humorous look at five of our country's founding fathers.
Not the End of the World: Stories by Kate Atkinson: Twelve dry, funny, original stories set in contemporary London mesh to form a magic—realist whole.
I'm Still Scared written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola: Tomie faces the fears of a country at war.
Up All Night by Martha Gies: Ever wonder what goes on in the city when most of us are tucked away in bed? The lives of night shift workers including exotic dancers, poolroom operators, street sweepers and newspaper distributors are revealed. Meet the author.
I Lost My Tooth in Africa by Penda Diakité and Baba Wagué Diakité, illustrator.: While visiting her father's family in Mali, a young girl loses a tooth, places it under a calabash, and receives a hen and a rooster from the African Tooth Fairy.
Fire-Us, The Kindling by Jennifer Armstong: A bleak and fascinating view of the end of the world - all the children are left alone after a virus wipes out the adult population. trilogy.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel — a young German girl whose book–stealing and story–telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding.
The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch: Thirteen-year-old Miles O'Malley makes a startling discovery on Puget Sound and deals with the challenges of growing up. Meet the author.
Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson: In a series of poems, eleven-year-old Lonnie writes about his life, after the death of his parents, separated from his younger sister, living in a foster home, and finding his poetic voice at school. Jacqueline Woodson will deliver the Teen Author Lecture.
I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti: You are nine years old, and discover a boy chained in a hole in an abandoned house and your parents won't listen. What would you do? Gripping debut by an Italian novelist.
For You are a Kenyan Child by Kelly Cunnane: From rooster crow to bedtime, a Kenyan boy plays and visits neighbors all through his village, even though he is supposed to be watching his grandfather's cows.
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger: Celebrate the freedom to read! Banned Books Week is Sept. 23–30. Visit Multnomah County Library's Café Banned to hear readings and commentary by prominent community members.
Who's That Baby?: New-baby songs by Sharon Creech; illustrations by David Diaz: Meet Caldecott Award-winning illustrator David Diaz.
Always There: Poems and Stories by David Elsey: David Elsey's chapbook Always There explores in poetry and fiction human suffering in various forms. Although it focuses on the dark side it's ultimate goal is to heal.
Counting on Grace by Elizabeth Winthrop: Grace and her best friend must leave school and go to work in the mill, changing their lives forever.
Happy All the Time by Laurie Colwin: A wonderful novel from 1978 about graduate student cousins who find the women of their dreams. Well maybe not, but it's lots of fun along the way.
The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner: Eugenides, still known as a Thief of Eddis, faces palace intrigue and assassins as he strives to prove himself both to the people of Attolia and to his new bride, their queen.
Murder in the Marais by Cara Black: A private detective specializing in computer crime takes a job that draws her into a mystery of larger proportions than she anticipated, involving international trade agreements, old Nazis, life in Paris during the occupation, the ultimate fate of collaborators, and modern–day racist activism.
A Pair of Polar Bears: Twin cubs find a home at the San Diego Zoo by Joanne Ryder: Follow the lives of two baby polar bears.
The Right to Privacy by Alderman, Ellen and Caroline Kennedy: The book examines one of our basic – and most contested – legal and constitutional rights: the right to privacy. Bringing together landmark cases, lesser—known trial decisions, and dozens of anecdotal narratives, the authors make an urgent, complicated issue absorbing and accessible.
Best Best Friends by Margaret Chodos-Irvine: What is better than a best friend? A best best friend!
Let It Be Morning by Sayed Qashu: An Arab–Israeli journalist recounts the rezoning of the boarders in Israel and how the government lockdown that preceeded it affected the health and sanity of his village.
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan: Demi–god Percy Jackson and his friends must journey into the Sea of Monsters to save their camp.
Benezit Dictionary of Artists: Benezit Dictionary of Artists of biographical information on artists — revised, adapted, updated.and now in English! Humanities is pleased to announce the arrival of a wonderful art reference source that was previously published only in French. Benezit's "Dictionary of Artists", usually known as "Benizee", is a 14-volume set that is one of the best places to look for biographical information on artists all over the world. "Benezit" was first published in 1911 in 3 volumes, and went through three more editions by 1999. As the introduction to the 2006 edition states "..the Benezit soon acquired an international reputation, ..with the most important factual information about almost any painter, sculptor, engraver or draughtsman, of all countries and schools, from Antiquity to the present day." In case you don't know about Benezit, it includes brief biographical information, bibliography, museums and galleries where exhibited, and auction records. Sometimes it has signatures as well. This first English language edition of the Benezit Dictionary of Artists has been revised, adapted and updated. See it at Humanities SOUTH room reference, call number, R-709.22 D554b 2006.
The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett: In the midst of a series of unexplained accidents and mysterious coincidences, three sixth-grader friends lead their classmates in an attempt to keep Frank Lloyd Wright's famous Robie House from being demolished.
La Perdida by Jessica Abel: A young woman of Mexican heritage moves to Mexico to immerse herself in the culture she feels she's missed out on her whole life. She becomes involved in some very sketchy underworld intrigue. Part woman–finds–herself story, part thriller, and part travelogue — it's gripping.
Spirit Walker by Michelle Paver: When a deadly illness begins to afflict the clans, 12–year–old Torak, with help from Renn and Wolf, embarks on a journey to find a cure.
The Hiding Place by Trezza Azzopardi: This beautifully written, memoir-like story of a Maltese immigrant family in Wales is a heartbreaking read, but the poetic narrative is compelling and riveting to the end.
Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Isabella Hatkoff: A hippo and tortoise become unlikely soul mates.
Four Seasons in Five Senses: Things Worth Savoring by David Masumoto: A third-generation Japanese peach farmer describes life on his farm in such sensual writing that you can almost taste the peaches.
Keeper of Soles by Teresa Bateman: A shoemaker repeatedly outwits a black-robed figure who knocks on the shoemaker's door demanding his soul.
The Ha–Ha: a Novel by Dave King: Howard has suffered a head wound in Vietnam and now thirty years later is still unable to speak, read or write. He is asked to care for his ex-girlfriend's son while she is in rehab.
Gossamer by Lois Lowry: While learning to bestow dreams, a young dream giver tries to save an eight-year-old boy from the effects of both his abusive past and the nightmares inflicted on him by the frightening Sinisteeds.
The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra: The story of a man learning to love in Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban when public stoning and executions are common.
Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos: Fourteen-year-old Nadira, her sister, and their parents leave Bangladesh for New York City, but the expiration of their visas and the events of September 11, 2001, bring frustration, sorrow, and terror for the whole family.