River Readers

*Starred Review* In 1967, an escaped prisoner, drifter, and racist, while voluntarily working on the presidential campaign for George Wallace in California, got the idea of stalking and killing Martin Luther King Jr. Using the alias Eric Galt, he traveled to his native South and kept track of King as the civil rights leader marched in Memphis for the striking garbage collectors. Galt, whose real name was James Earl Ray, methodically planned and executed the assassination then fled to Canada and Europe, hoping eventually to immigrate to South Africa.

Reese is living out on a lake across from his brother-in-law, Charlie, and trying to forget the past. Seven year old Annie is selling lemonade in front of the hardware store where her aunt works. Reese notices a scar on Annie's chest and the girl's enthusiasm in selling her lemonade. Through a series of events, these two lives become entwined as a search for a new heart for Annie begins.

Daughters of Hecate unites for the first time research on the problem of gender and magic in three ancient Mediterranean societies: early Judaism, Christianity, and Graeco-Roman culture. The book illuminates the gendering of ancient magic by approaching the topic from three distinct disciplinary perspectives: literary stereotyping, the social application of magic discourse, and material culture.

Statistics show us, plastic production during World War II was zero. By 1972 plastic production rose to 40 million tons, and it is estimated by 2050 the production will reach 1 billion tons. The United States recycles only 9.2 percent of the countries plastic. The non-recyclable plastics are exported to countries who do not have strict environmental regulations or health regulations for the workers who process the plastic. China and India take these plastics and return them back to United States in some form of a product.

Nisha is given the diary as a gift from Kazi their cook. She lives in India in 1947 with her father, grandmother and twin brother. Her mother died in childbirth and Nisha writes letters to her in the diary. India is being given self-rule from England and is breaking apart into India and Pakistan. The Muslims will be going to Pakistan and the Hindus to India. Unfortunately, Nisha and her family live in what is to be Pakistan and are Hindus. Or more specifically half-Hindu, half-Muslim. Her mother was Muslim and her father Hindu.

Beck is on her way to start the University of Chicago when things go horribly wrong. She gets separated from her dad at a Naperville gas station during a hold up. After meeting a woman (Sandra) along the road who agrees to take her to Chicago, she connects with some friends and receives a message from her dad. Except her friend's girlfriend doesn't take her to meet the dad, but instead drops her off at the police station. Turns out her dad is not her dad and the man responsible for the gas station shooting is after her as well. 

You probably think you know the story of Lady Jane Gray. She was made queen when Edward changed the line of succession to cut out Mary and Elizabeth. She lasted nine days before Mary took over and had her charged with treason and had Jane beheaded. That is not this story. This is how history should have happened, at least according to our lovely authors. The basics are still there but it turns out it is not a war between Catholics and Protestants that set off the whole chain of events. It is a war between Verities and Eðians (ethians). Eðians can shape shift into animals.

This is a story about a wolf called Swift who is separated from his pack when a new pack moves into their territory. Swift's journey covers 1000 miles through the Oregon wilderness. He encounters men and learns the dangers of men and their guns and to stay away from their vehicles and the deadly black river. He is accompanied on most of his journey by a raven who helps him find food and shelter, but the raven finds its own pack and Swift is on his own. A forest fire forces him to flee high into the mountains where he eventually finds his own territory and a mate. 

Jingwen, his brother Yanghao and mother have just moved to Australia. The plan has always been to move but things were put on hold when dad died in a car accident. Now mom has decided to move them anyway. They leave behind grandma and grandpa and the family bakery. Mom starts working in a local bakery and the boys start school. Yanghao picks up English fairly quickly and starts to make friends. Jingwen is very different. He doesn't understand what anyone is saying and feels like he is on a different planet. He makes very little effort to learn English or to get along in school.

Vietnam has fallen to the Vietcong. The American forces have fled and many in Vietnam are afraid of what is to follow. That is why Lam and Dee Dee are put on a boat and sent out to see. Their family hopes they will find refuge and make their way to their father in America. The voyage is filled with danger as their boat experiences problems and they are not granted refuge. They are shuttled from one refugee camp to another and on one occasion sent back out to see on a sinking boat. They are helped along the way by a kind family who adopts them as their own.

In this second book of the Rose Legacy trilogy death and war have come to the nation. It has been a year since horses were reintroduced to the world and those with the Way have moved into the public light. Thea, Jilly and Finn have been acting as messengers for the King and Queen to prove their worth. Then "the Dag", a sickness, overwhelms the country and seems to start in places where the horses are stationed. They are recalled to the Farm to regroup and to find a cure. Many of the riders become ill and some die. The Queen sends a group of women doctors to the Farm to investigate the Dag.

Cat is all set to spend three weeks in Atlanta with her best friend Rishi. Unfortunately, plans change and she finds herself in North Carolina visiting grandparents she has never met. Cat and her brother Chicken have a special bond. It seems like only Cat can calm Chicken down or understand him. Mom is teaching a class and is always busy writing the Caterpillar and Chicken books. While on Gingerbread Island with Lily and Macon (the grandparents), Cat learns that she can rely on other people to help out with Chicken and that she doesn't always have to be the responsible one.

Viji and her sister Rukku flee an abusive father and find themselves in the city on their own. The city is a scary place and they encounter people who could hurt them. However, they also find friends. There is a friendly teashop lady who gives them food and supplies. They also meet Arul and Muthu, two boys living under a bridge, who help show them the ropes. They learn to pick recyclables out of the trash heaps around the city and sell them. They also learn how to survive on the streets on their own. But then the rainy season comes and Rukku and Muthu get sick.

It is the last day of seventh grade and Jaime and her best friend Maya are on the outs. Ever since Celia joined their group things have been getting awkward for Jaime. She doesn't like the same "mature" things the others like. So on the last day of school, Celia makes Maya break up with her. Jaime is heartbroken but finds there are other kids who have similar interests to her and who she has been ignoring while in her group.

The Island of Sanlagita is not a happy place. There is a drought and not enough water to feed the people or the plants. People get sick and don't get better. They keep sending their strongest boys on sailing trips across the sea to find the mystical Isa, but none have ever returned. Lalani is a curious girl who wants to help her people. One day she finds herself on the mysterious mountain Kahna where she meets a man who grants her a wish. Of course the wish turns out badly and things get even worse for the Sanlagitas.