Arts & Entertainment
Patch Picks: Great Reads From Local Librarians
Local librarians talk about the great books they've discovered most recently.
Who doesn’t love a party? Celebrate a belated Read Across America Day (which coincides with Dr. Suess’ birthday, March 2) with these picks from local librarians.
FOR KIDS
Magic Thief Trilogy
Becky Weiner, an assistant in the Youth Services department of the Northbrook Public Library, has been recommending Sarah Prineas’ series, which follows a boy who's just learned he’s a wizard, and takes place about 100 years ago. Weiner said it’s a great read for third- to fifth-graders.
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The Last Dragon
Barbara Littlefield, head of Youth Services at the Glenview Public Library, is a fan of fantasy fiction, so Silvana de Mari’s novel caught her eye. Recommended for grades 4 through 7, Littlefield said the story of a childlike elf with magical talents was an engaging, well-told fantasy that will appeal to both boys and girls. The elf encounters dragons and an orphan girl; only by learning to care for others can they ultimately triumph.
The Marbury Lens
Ann Finstad, teen librarian, is currently enjoying the blend of realism and fantasy in Andrew Smith’s story of a kidnapping. She spotted it on several “Best of” lists and recommends it for both teen and adult fans of fantasy fiction.
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The Best Birthday Ever! By Me (Lana Kittie)
At work, Finstad has been recommending Charise Harper’s picture book, which offers young readers tips on preparing for their own birthday parties, like how to act excited when you open your gifts.
The Mockingbirds
Megan Fry, a Youth Services librarian at the Winnetka-Northfield Library District, recently finished reading this novel by Daisy Whitney. Fry really enjoyed the author’s story of date rape at a private high school and its aftereffects.
A Sick Day for Amos McGee
For young readers, Fry suggests this picture book by Philip C. Stead. The zookeeper in the story calls in sick one day, and the animals at his zoo come to take care of him for a change.
FOR ADULTS
One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd
Northbrook librarian Becky Weiner is reading this novel by Jim Fergus. She picked the damaged Book Club favorite off the discard rack, and now she can’t put down this fictional account of the American government’s Brides for Indians program.
Treat Me, Not My Age
Nancy Ashbrook, a reference librarian at the , has been recommending this book by Mark Lach, MD. Dr. Lach, a geriatrician, advises a team approach and good record keeping to save older family members from mistakes too easily made in a hospital or nursing home situation. Ashbrook said it’s an “absolute must read for anyone caring for an elderly person.”
The Dirty Life
Mary Munday, a reference manager at the, recommends this memoir by Kristin Kimball, a Manhattan journalist who fell in love and married a farmer she was only supposed to be writing about. She tells of their life as farmers and the local food movement.
How to Live Safely in a Science Fiction Universe
Of her personal reading, Munday raved about Charles Yu’s science fiction novel. This account of a time machine repairman’s search through time to find his father (while his mother was stuck in a time loop, constantly making Sunday dinner) had Munday laughing out loud.
