Novels told through the eyes of a child

What is so appealing about adult novels told through a young person's point of view?  Maybe it's because I'm past the half century mark myself that I'm drawn to the energy and innocence of these young protagonists.  (Funny thing is, the authors are all adults! I guess we can all tap into our inner child.)  At any rate, here are some of my favorites from the last several years:

7-year-old Elsa

Seven-year-old Elsa is given the task to convey apologies from her recently deceased grandmother, an irascible troublemaker whose escapades included throwing monkey poo at police officers and pelting neighbors with paint balls. When her grandmother was alive, Elsa shared with her a secret code language and an imaginary fantasy land; Elsa comes to realize that these shared secrets are key in decoding some of the mysteries surrounding her grandmother and the very unusual inhabitants of their apartment building.

8 year old Max

Eight-year-old Max is on the autism spectrum. His imaginary friend, "Budo", helps him cope with a bully, but Max's parents are troubled by the existence of this imaginary friend.  Even as they are working with a therapist to try to put an end to Budo's existence, it will turn out that Max will need Budo to save his life...

11 year old Flavia

Eleven-year-old Flavia De Luce is only 11 years old, but she is a whiz at chemistry, with a special interest in poisons.  This charming English mystery series takes place in England in the 1950s.

11 year old Julia

Eleven-year-old Julia's story is set in the near future, when the earth's rotation mysteriously begins to slow.  As nights and days lengthen, the rhythms of nature are thrown off, with ensuing famine, flooding, and catastrophe.  Julia's life as an emerging adolescent seems almost equally devastating, as she experiences first love, dealing with ostracizing cliques, and other coming-of-age struggles.

12 year old Henry

Twelve-year-old Henry Shackleford is mistaken for a girl because of his small frame and curly hair in this National Book Award winner set during the last 1850s,  In this disguise, he accidentally joins the fanatical abolitionist John Brown on his crusade to end slavery, culminating in the failed raid on Harper's Ferry.  McBride injects the narrative with hilarity and lots of colorful dialogue, making a tragic chapter in American history more palatable.

12 year old Peyton

Twelve-year-old Peyton lives in a small town in 1960s Alabama.  The highlight of her days are the meetings of The Losers Club, where she and fellow members Boot and Ernie trade stories of their humiliation.  Peyton's life is thrown for a loop with the appearance of her
wild-child cousin, Nora, whose more radical and progressive racial politics shakes up the small town.  A loving tribute to Harper Lee's classic.

13 year old Frank

Thirteen-year-old Frank and his little brother Jake experience a life-changing summer in 1961 in Minnesota, in another novel that bears semblance to To Kill a Mockingbird.  A series of unsolved murders shake the small town and expose racial tensions with the region's Indian population, and as Frank and Jake eavesdrop on adult conversations, they look to their minister father for answers that are hard to come by.






For more books like these, please see the list, Stories for Adults Told from a Child's POV

What are your favorite novels featuring a child protagonist?

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July 2015 LibraryReads List

by Marina

If you're familiar with Sno-Isle's Best Bets collection you know they have gone through a few modifications over the past 6 years (including a name change from the Explore collection). This past month another adjustment was implemented. Starting in June the titles you see on the Best Bets shelves will be suggestions from LibraryReads, powered by staff in public libraries across the country; think of it as a national staff picks effort. 

Each month the list you see below will be updated with the current picks. All of the titles will be included but many of the release dates will be later in the month so be aware of the potential wait time.

Without further ado, here is the LibraryReads list for July 2015:

You might be a Mariners fan if...

You might be a Seattle Mariners fan if:

• Your baby's fist word is "Boomstick" (after another Nelson Cruz home run)
• You've ever traveled to an Everett Aquasox or Tacoma Rainiers game
• You dream of garlic fries and shiskaberries
• You've willingly gone to a weeknight game in April to see them play a team that wasn't Boston/Oakland/New York and paid $5 for instant hot chocolate
• You aren't discouraged by a 39-45 start to the season. It's totally our year!
• You are discouraged by a 39-45 start to the season. Wasn't this supposed to be our year?
• You still wear an Ichiro Suzuki or Ken Griffey Jr. shirt even though they haven't played for the M's in years
• You took a a vacation day in order to catch a midweek afternoon game in 2012 that also happened to turn into Felix Hernandez's perfect game on August 15th, 2012*
• You've read any of these books:

 *Yes, did miss work in 2012 and catch Felix's perfect game!


What's your favorite baseball book? Do you have a favorite Mariner memory? 

World War One Nurses by Becky

A few years ago my book club said no more World War Two books.  We have not given up on war books.  We have become interested in World War One, especially the medical area.  We recently read In falling snow by Mary-Rose MacColl which is a fictional story of Royaumont Abbey Hospital in France run entirely by women.

Women of all classes came near the front lines as nurses, ambulance drivers and a few doctors.  Many novels talk about British VAD (Volunteer Aid Detachment). However, women came from all over the British empire including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.  Many American women also served including those from the American Red Cross. Australian and New Zealand nurses were at the disastrous Battle of Gallipoli. 

Many of the nurses and ambulance drivers came home but did not quite fit in to regular society.  Two of our most interesting mystery series feature two such women - Maisie Dobbs created by Jacqueline Winspear and Bess Crawford written by Charles Todd.

IF YOU ARE A BABY BOOMER: BOOKS AND MEDIA TO REVISIT

When was the last time you were asked for ID?
My last time was at the Kingdome-double proof I am a baby boomer.

Do you remember card catalogs and no talking in the library?

How about rotary phones?

Getting up to change the channel? Fortunately, I only remember there being 5 or 6.

Books to revisit:

Movies to revisit:

Books for Beachcombers

It's finally summer, though, this year, it has felt like summer for quite a while…  Time to hit the beach!   Give yourself a mini holiday: walk a shoreline, build sandcastles with your kids and splash your feet in tide pools while observing the crabs, starfish and gulls. Take advantage of our rare run of warm weather to enjoy the luxury of endless nearby beach options.  You could set a goal to visit a different beach each week.  Here are a few books that may inspire you to explore the wonders Puget Sound has to offer and get creative with the treasures you find on the sand.  Don’t forget your sun screen!