News & Articles

Pythagoras: Mathematician and Mystic by Dimitra Karamanides and Louis C. Coakley tells the life story of Pythagoras, an Ancient Greek philosopher most known for his Pythagorean Theorem. He was born on the wealthy island of Samos but traveled far and wide in order to acquire the knowledge of numerous ancient civilizations. When he returned to Greece, he wanted to set up a school there, but many people resisted his ideas. As a result, he traveled to Croton to set up a school. The school was shrouded in mystery and obtained more influence over time on the local government.

Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery by Abby Sher is divided into three sections. Each of these sections tells the tale of an individual who escaped modern slavery, also known as human trafficking. Each person’s story is different, but there are some startling similarities. For one, the victims were those who had low self-confidence and were willing to accept strangers’ words as true, no matter how sketchy they may have sounded. Or they may have been undocumented immigrants running the fear of deportation.

Flush by Carl Hiaasen tells the story of Noah Underwood (the main character) and his attempt to catch an environmental offender red-handed. Noah first becomes suspicious of the environmental offender when he notices that the beaches near his house are often closed due to contaminated water. Upon closer inspection, he realizes that a mysterious individual is illegally dumping hundreds of gallons of sewage into the ocean. Noah quickly hatches a plan, nicknamed “Operation Royal Flush”, which attempts to track the repeat environmental offender through a brightly colored dye.

Andrew is gay but the love of his life Carter is straight. So what does Andrew do? Should their love for Harry Potter bind them closer together as friends and stay just friends or should Andrew put moves on Carter and make him change his mind like he reads in books. And is Carter's love interest a threat to Carter and Andrew love story or is Andrew going to have to let him go and accept that he is straight and never love Andrew the way Andrew wants him to? 

Meryl Lee has gone through tremendous life changes. Her friend dies and she suffers a personal loss. Then, she has a school chance and goes to a private school. Starting was hard. Making friends and meeting teachers was a nervous moment. She has new activities like afternoon tea and biscuits. After that, she has new friends and she meets Matt, the nicest person. Will her story ever be claustrophobic again?

To find out if this book is available at your library, click here.

Review by Eric D.

Forensic Science: In Pursuit of Justice by L. E. Carmichael details the history of forensic science, describes recent advancements in the industry, and presents an eye-opening view as to where the field may be going in the future. Numerous sidebars within the book provide brief biographies of the people who made forensic science possible, while beautifully written captions beneath each illustration accurately explain what is going on. This book is intended to introduce individuals to the concept; thus, it may not be as comprehensive.

John Lewis: Civil Rights Champion and Congressman by Alison Morretta tells the story of John Lewis’s life and struggle to effect meaningful change against the injustices faced by minorities throughout the world. The book is a powerful testimony to the actions of one individual, who began his activism during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. After witnessing the murder of Emmett Till and the murder of three of his most loyal friends from gun violence, Lewis became a vocal protestor; he was anti-war, pro-LGBTQ, pro-immigrant, etc.

D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy, 1944 [The Young Readers Adaptation] by Rick Atkinson tells the story of Operation Overlord. This was the largest military attempt to push back Nazi Germany during World War II. As readers might have guessed, months of planning formed the core of the plan, and soldiers who survived mainly on pre-rationed foods carried out the plan. Women played a significant role, too, as they were often pushed to enter jobs that had previously been held by men. At the last minute, the offensive was postponed due to bad weather.

The March Against Fear: The Last Great Walk of the Civil Rights Movement and the Emergence of Black Power by Ann Bausum tells the story of James Meredith’s 1966 200+ mile march from Memphis, Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi. The purpose of the march was to represent the determination of African Americans in a discriminatory society, yet Meredith was shot by a gunman about a week into the march. As a result, other African American leaders (such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Stokely Carmichael) decided to hold the march on his behalf.

Hybrid & Electric Vehicles by L.E. Carmichael tells the history of cars that do not use the traditional source of power (gasoline). Today, these types of cars are advertised as more environmentally friendly and fuel efficient, but Carmichael goes beyond these claims to present a relatively unbiased view of the topic. He explains how ideas for hybrid vehicles have been around for decades and describes the progression of each of the major types of electric vehicles.

Holiday ON Ice..... what a great event to match Christmas! Sometimes Brianna takes over the story and has fun! She eating props... what a good laugh! the ice rink makes the scene wintery. I'm soo happy that fuzzy friends are still open and Brandon doesn't have to move away!

Review by Eric D.

Click here to see if this Dork Diaries is at your library.

Elon Musk: A Mission to Save the World by Anna Crowley Redding tells the story of Elon Musk, one of the world’s greatest thinkers and entrepreneurs. While it may surprise many to know that he started out in South Africa as a young boy who was constantly bullied, Musk found refuge in the books that he read. Many of his favorite books were superhero comics that encouraged his interest in the Land of Opportunity. Not only did Musk find a way to get to America, he went on to found companies like Tesla and SpaceX, with a mission to save the planet from certain doom.

Brooklyn Bridge: A Novel by Karen S. Hesse tells the story of Morris Michtom, A Russian born Jewish immigrant to the United States. Michtom invented the Teddy Bear and came up with the idea after seeing a newspaper cartoon depicting Teddy Roosevelt’s refusal to shoot a wounded bear. Joseph, the son of Morris Michtom, would rather not get involved in the Teddy Bear making business for he fears that the things he had previously cherished were ending.

Smart teens like Izzy use their scientific brains to solve problems. They start working on a club and investigate around the school for odd stuff. When they find the school colder than ever, they use the scientific method as directed. They even make a lounge. They know something else will hit...... but will it ever?

Find Izzy Newton at Your Library

Review by Eric

Hatchet by, Gary Paulsen.   What would you be expecting of a 13 year old boy? Maybe to be playing sports, hanging out with his friends, or maybe even to be studying for high school. But would you ever expect him to be trapped alone in the woods? Probably not. In the book Hatchet, By Gary Paulsen, the main character Brian is a 13 year old city boy. He has a very hard life, and he doesn’t think it could get any worse….  But it does.