Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Recommended by librarian Nina Shimmin for children
Ben lives in 1977 Minnesota. Rose lives in 1927 New Jersey. Both are unable to hear the world around them, but a common desire to find the one person who can make everything better draws them to New York City and the American Museum of Natural History. Like in Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Ben and Rose’s stories are told in alternating words and pictures, and the captivating mystery of what connects these two comes together to open up a world that had, until now, been silent.
Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
Recommended by librarian Nina Shimmin for teens
Oh, to be young and in love—and aboard a spaceship sent to colonize New Earth. But despite her feelings for Kieran, Waverly can’t help but think that she’s too young to settle down. Plus, she can’t ignore the fact that Seth also cares for her. But this is no Twilight-in-space. Waverly and the other girls become pawns in a twisted experiment under the veil of love and religious fervor, while Kieran and Seth torture each other in their battle for power. Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games, Glow will disturb and delight and definitely leave readers clamoring for the sequel.
The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield
Recommended by senior librarian Kathryn Zimmerman for adults
At the annual Moses family reunion, tragedy strikes when John Moses dies. Samuel Lake, married to John’s daughter Willadee and attending the reunion with his family, soon loses his job as a preacher. With no other options, Samuel, Willadee, and their three children stay on at the Moses farm with John’s widow. When daughter Swan befriends a neighbor boy with an abusive father, both the Lake and Moses families will have to face their pasts as they confront a new danger.
