Patch Picks: Great Reads

There is nothing like a good book to wile away the hours. Librarians at the  offered some recommendations.

The following are five children’s book choices by Fran Powell, the children’s librarian. She briefly explains what she likes about each book.

• The Courage of the Blue Boy by Robert Neubecker 2006. This book is totally infused with color, rich vocabulary and a wonderful message of acceptance.
• The Curious Garden by Peter Brown 2009. The full spread of pages of a magical garden growing high above the city can inspire kids to engage in projects to improve their own neighborhoods.  This story is based on the once defunct elevated railway called the Highline in New York City. 
• A Mother For Choco by Kasza Keiko 1992 This is a simple but charming story of a bird that is searching for its parent.  Choco believes that physical similarity is a precondition for a relationship until Mrs. Bear takes an interest in him and gives him the kind of love and care he needed.  Ultimately a multicultural message comes to a very satisfying ending.
• How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills 2010. Who says a dog can’t learn new tricks? Rocket is a lovable dog who is taught to read by a little yellow bird.  He practices all winter long spelling out words in the snow and in the mud.  This story is simply irresistible to preschoolers and children just learning how to read themselves. 
• Walter’s Magic Wand by Eric Houghton 1989.  An otherwise peaceful day at the library turns into a battle when Walter unleashes his wand and his imagination onto three books about pirates, tigers and oceans.  This library will never be the same, and neither will be the Children’s librarian who comes to his rescue.   Children will find our heroine empowering and adventuresome and librarians just love telling this in story hour. 

The following are five adult book choices by Kate Monsour, the adult service librarian. She also briefly explains what she likes about each book.

• The Sherlockian by Graham Moore. Two intriguing mysteries, one in the present and one in the past, intertwine to create this literary tale.   In contemporary New York City, the newest member of the Baker Street Irregulars attempts to solve the murder of a fellow Sherlock Holmes enthusiast and find Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s missing diary.  Meanwhile, in 1890’s London, Doyle attempts to catch a serial killer with the help of his friend Bram Stoker. 
• Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner.  After her husband, a powerful Senator, is caught in an affair, a thoroughly embarrassed Sylvie retreats to her family’s summer home in Connecticut to put her life back together.  Joined by her daughters, Sylvie comes to terms with her marriage and her family, and learns to embrace her life’s imperfections.  This is women’s fiction at its best- funny, smart, and heartfelt.
• Fall of Giants by Ken Follett. Master storyteller Ken Follett sets his latest epic at the start of the Twentieth Century, as five families try to stay together through tumultuous events, such as the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the fight for women’s suffrage. A sweeping, epic tale that blends fact and fiction seamlessly.
• Room by Emma Donoghue. This stunning novel, told from the point of view of a five year old boy, is a testament to the power of a mother’s love even in the worst of circumstances.  Though being held captive in a tiny shed, Jack has had a full life, thanks to his beloved Ma’s creativity and determination.  Once Ma decides to escape, Jack must come to terms with the outside world, a frightening, exciting, and entirely foreign place.
• The Postmistress by Sarah Blake. World War II as seen through the eyes of three very different women.  A country doctor’s wife, a feisty foreign correspondent, and a shy postal worker are brought to life by Blake’s beautiful writing as they struggle to come to terms with the physical and emotional costs of war.