Author Archives: GPL

Review: Educated

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Educated
by Tara Westover
4 stars

Tara Westover’s memoir focuses on her dysfunctional family life with a narcissistic bipolar father and a mother who was a classic enabler as she grew up in Idaho. The book is filled with many non-traditional and unconventional family stories that end up being dangerous because the parents are survivalists. Her stories are vivid, with excellent descriptions of her difficult upbringing. There was no homeschooling or unschooling –they just did not go. When the author tells of the accidents the family sustained while working in the junkyard from cuts and multiple car accidents, to burns from gasoline with no modern medicine, but rather treated only by her mother’s herbs and tinctures, I cringed inside. The abuse she suffered from her brother, Sean, was difficult. Mental illness seems to be all around. Her parents never seemed to notice Sean beating her up and would never intervene. Her ascent into higher education showed she had great resilience and her memoir takes you into her younger years that were less than wonderful, but she endured showing great loyalty and love for her family.  An incredible read; I loved it.

 

Read-alikes

North of Normal by Cea Sunrise Person

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance

Review: Superstar

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Superstar
 by Mandy Davis
5 stars

Moving back to Indiana where his late astronaut father attended Purdue University, Lester has a difficult time transitioning from home schooling to attending a 5th grade classroom.  As mom returns to work as a librarian it becomes apparent that Lester has sensory issues and is an undiagnosed autism spectrum student. The book gives Lester and his classmates authentic voices and is a heart-felt read.  I LOVED IT!

 

 

Read-alikes

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Review: The Good People

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The Good People
by Hannah Kent
4 stars

I loved Hannah Kent’s debut Burial Rites, so I was eager to read her second novel.  The Good People takes place in Ireland in the early 1800s.  Nora Leahy has lost her daughter and husband and is left alone with her ill grandson, Michael.  Michael was once a happy healthy young boy, but now has constant fits and is a burden to Nora.  Nora hires Mary to help care for the young boy and turns to elderly Nance for medical advice.  Nance suggests that Michael may be a changeling, which leads Nora to become obsessed with the idea.  Nora, Nance, and reluctant Mary begin to try a series of “cures” to bring back Nora’s beloved grandson.

Based on a true story, I found the tale fascinating and was eager to learn more about stories of people in Ireland who had believed they were effected by “the good people.”  Just as in Burial Rites, Kent’s writing is lovely and surrounds the readers with vivid descriptions of setting.  I’m excited to see what she writes next!

Read-alikes

To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey

The Wonder by Emma Donoghue

The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman

TeenHQ: We’re here to entertain

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Dear Parents,

 

Congratulations on surviving the school year with your teens!  We’re sending you an enthusiastic high-five for helping them through homework assignments, group projects, and extra-curriculars.  But if you find yourself in a panic asking, “What do I do with them now?”, don’t worry.  The library is here to help!  Let US entertain your teens and keep them engaged and off the couch this summer with everyday activities that defeat boredom.

 

This summer, teens in grades 6-12 can kick back and relax in TeenHQ in a variety of ways including:

  • earning prizes by reading
  • attending a program (FREE SNACKS!)
  • watching a movie with friends (FREE SNACKS!)
  • starting a video game tournament (FREE SNACKS!)
  • winning a game of GIANT checkers or chess (FREE SNACKS!)
  • playing a new board game (FREE SNACKS!)
  • entering a weekly STEM challenge (FREE SNACKS!)
  • exploring a maker kit (FREE SNACKS!)
  • completing a book tasting menu for candy!

And SO much more.  Did I mention there will be FREE SNACKS?  We know the way to a teen’s heart is through their stomach 🙂  Keep TeenHQ in mind when your teen says they’re bored.  We’re here to entertain!

 

Sincerely,

 

Your friendly neighborhood Teen Librarians

 

Review: Summer Hours at the Robbers Library

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Summer Hours at the Robbers Library
by Sue Halpern
5 stars

Sunny is a fifteen-year-old girl who was caught stealing a dictionary at a bookstore.  She is sentenced to 12-weeks community service at the Riverton Public Library.    You would think a teen-ager would be upset by this, but Sunny is actually quite excited.  She’ll get to spend time with people other than her hippie parents who don’t believe in formal education, and she’ll be around the books and knowledge she craves.

Kit is a librarian at the Riverton Public Library.  She likes working there because it’s peaceful—until Sunny comes along.  Kit is put in charge of Sunny and they begin a cautious relationship that grows and then encompasses some of the other patrons of the library.   But everyone has secrets.  Will Sunny discover these secrets before the end of summer?

I really loved this book.  Yes, I’m a librarian and I like anything that has to do with libraries and reading, but this book was so much more than that.  We can tell from the start that Kit was trapped in an unhappy marriage, and she’s no longer in the marriage.  The author expertly drops little tidbits all through the book that explains what happened in her marriage that makes the reader want to continue reading.  I was rooting for both Kit and Sunny right from the start because they’re both smart, strong women.  I think it’s the sign of a well-written book that, days later, I am still thinking about these characters.

Read-alikes:

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy

By the Book by Julia Sonneborn