River Readers

This was a fun and quick read. I have gotten quite attached to our pirate theme this year and this was a great way to finish. The idea of Hook having a daughter makes me laugh since that would mean some female had to find him attractive! Can't wait to read the second book.

Captain Hook's feisty daughter hits the high seas to avenge her father's death at the jaws of the Neverland crocodile in Heidi Schulz's spirited middle-grade debut.

Arthur is a young runaway escaping an abusive stepfather. He steals a bit of supper and is on the run from a couple of thugs when he discovers the captive bear. Of course he is afraid of the bear, but he also feels a connection with it. The bear is a gift from King Haakon IV of Norway to King Henry III of England. Because of his affinity to the bear, Arthur joins the expedition. Of course the thugs from earlier are part of the crew and continue to torment Arthur. He takes solace in caring for the bear.

In a post-apocalyptic world devoid of humans, three animal friends struggle to survive. They scavenge food where they can but their town is quickly emptying of supplies. Then a new character comes to town and promises a town not abandoned. But is he really the best character? 

I probably should have read the first one of these. Maybe it explains what happened to the humans? I thought it was a bit strange that this is set in the real world but the animals where clothes. Really it is a story about bullying and choosing your friends wisely.

A year in the life of Sunny. Sunny starts middle school with her best friend. They might not have exactly the same interests anymore but they still get along pretty well. Sunny misses her Gramps who lives in Florida, but gets to talk to him on the phone and he comes to visit once a year. Sunny really misses her brother Dale who has been sent to boarding school. Dale is a troubled kid who hangs out with the wrong crowd. He is mad and the world and Sunny isn't sure how to deal with him. She does make a new friend in her new neighbor who teaches her to twirl flags. 

Up-and-coming floral designer Cara Kryzik is about to score the wedding of a lifetime—one that will solidify her career as the go-to-girl for Savannah society nuptials. The only problem is, life seems to be conspiring against her. Cara's implacable father, "The Colonel", doesn't believe in Cara's business savvy and is about to call in his twenty-thousand-dollar loan. Then, on the morning that someone steals her dog, Cara's refrigerator goes on the blink, turning twelve thousand dollars' worth of gorgeous blooms into road kill.

Abbie Fox hasn’t seen her father or two younger sisters in almost two years. But now Lily, the baby of the family, is sending Abbie urgent emails begging her to return home. Their middle sister, Emma, has taken to her bed, devastated after losing her high-powered job and breaking up with her fiancé. Also, Lily is worried that the beautiful, enigmatic woman renting their guesthouse has set her sights on their widowed father.

From the acclaimed author of Listen, Liberal and What's the Matter with Kansas, a scathing collection of his incisive commentary on our cruel times--perfect for this political moment.

Mobius Catalog

The germ of the story begins in West Berlin in 1979. Helen Abell oversees the CIA's network of safe houses, rare havens for field agents and case officers amidst the dangerous milieu of a city in the grips of the Cold War. But during her routine inspection of an agency property, she overhears a meeting between two people speaking a coded language that hints at shadowy realities and then, before much longer, she witnesses a second unauthorized encounter, one that will place her in the sightlines of the most ruthless and powerful man in the CIA.

Austria, 1938. Kristoff is a young apprentice to a master Jewish stamp engraver. When his teacher disappears during Kristallnacht, Kristoff is forced to engrave stamps for the Germans, and simultaneously works alongside Elena, his beloved teacher's fiery daughter, and with the Austrian resistance to send underground messages and forge papers. As he falls for Elena amidst the brutal chaos of war, Kristoff must find a way to save her, and himself. Los Angeles, 1989.

Gabriel Allon, the art restorer, spy, and assassin is poised to become the chief of Israel's secret intelligence service. But on the eve of his promotion, events conspire to lure him into the field for one final operation. ISIS has detonated a massive bomb in the Marais district of Paris, and a desperate French government wants Gabriel to eliminate the man responsible before he can strike again.

MRRL Catalog

In the aftermath of the Civil War, an aging itinerant news reader agrees to transport a young captive of the Kiowa back to her people in this exquisitely rendered, morally complex, multilayered novel of historical fiction from the author of Enemy Women that explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust. In the wake of the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live readings from newspapers to paying audiences hungry for news of the world.

Daniel has long been an honorary part of the McKinley family in Chapel Springs. When Jade McKinley returns after a year gone in Chicago chasing her musical dreams, Daniel's love for her only intensifies as he becomes her confidante. She's pregnant, looking for a father to raise her new family with, and Daniel knows just the guy for the job. Too bad she sees him as a big brother. This book reminds us that we need to trust God to take care of us and send us the right people to share in our lives. We may think we have it all figured out, but God knows best. I enjoyed it.

Malika is a African warrior queen who has united her kingdom. Yet she still has battles to fight. The Ming Dynasty from China has come to Africa to take over. Malika has aligned herself with her neighboring country of Atala and its king Bass, who just happens to be her secret husband. She faces opposition from her counselors, but prevails in battle. 

Simon knows all about aliens. He has been studying them for years and knows they are out there really abducting people. On a camping trip with his parents, Simon actually has an abduction experience. Of course no one believes him, but it keeps happening. He relies on his friends Tony and Miranda to help figure things out. His parents think he is crazy and send him to a psychiatrist to be medicated. But Simon knows something is coming.

Zelie Adebola's mother was brutally murdered. Her father was savagely beaten, all by the reigning monarchy in an attempt to squelch the magic running through the land. Hundreds were executed in the kings attempt to kill the magic. Then, one day at the market, trying to sell a fish so they could pay the taxes, a girl approached Zelie and begged for her help. Little did Zelie know at the time that it was the princess and she had, in her possession, one of the three magic artifacts that could restore the magic in the land.