A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Stead, illustrated by Erin Stead
Recommended by Lin Salisbury for kids
Every day beloved zookeeper Amos McGee takes the bus to the zoo, where he spends time with each of the animals. He plays chess with the elephant, sits quietly with the shy penguin, and reads bedtime stories to the owl, who is afraid of the dark. But one day, Amos is sick at home and the animals miss him. So they go to Amos’s house, where they reciprocate his kindness and take care of him. Winner of the 2011 Caldcott Medal, this is a charming book for parents and children to read together about mutual kindness and respect.
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Recommended by Kathleen Brown for teens
Lena lives in a dystopian society where at the age of 18, people are given “the cure,” a type of love-lobotomy. The government believes that by eliminating love, society will be more civilized. Lena’s mother had the cure, but it was botched three times, and she eventually committed suicide. As Lena approaches the age of the cure, she meets Alex and falls in love, and suddenly the things she thought she believed in are tested. Lena must choose between the life prescribed by the government and a life of uncertainty in the Wild where other uncureds live and love.
The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball
Recommended by Kris Bergh for adults
Kristin Kimball was a freelance writer living in New York City when she traveled to Pennsylvania to interview a handsome young farmer. She fell in love with a man and a lifestyle. The Dirty Life is the chronicle of Mark and Kristin’s first year on Essex Farm, a CSA they develop from a neglected piece of land. Plowing the land with draft horses, making cheese, and raising pigs and cattle and chickens, the couple hoped to provide food for an entire community. And they did. With a united purpose at the center of the love story, this is an inspiring book about what a good dose of passion and hard work can accomplish for both a couple and a community.
