Staff Picks

Created on February 17, 2022, 4:05 pm

Last Updated January 4, 2023, 3:34 pm

Notes
I loved this personal and political story of three generations of women in a Hawaiian family, told from the community's perspective. Loosely based on a real community that fought the construction of a Walmart on the Big Island. - Charlotte M
Description
Notes
If you have an devices with a reusable battery - a phone, tablet, ebike, eREADER - you owe it to the people who mined the minerals inside it to read this book. - Charlotte M
Description
Notes
Slow-burn sci-fi romance, with two lovable protagonists, set in a universe that got me thinking, Who's scarier: the person who can control your thoughts, or the person who can read them? - Charlotte M
Description
Notes
This crime drama movie paved the way for changing how Asian Americans were perceived in cinema as high school overachievers get bored with being the model minority as they find themselves turning to petty crime. There's also a fun tie in with the Fast and Furious series! - Deborah K
Description
Series
Notes
This selection of short stories provides fantastical doses of the intelligent, inventive, and often mystifying writing of one of Latin Americas greatest authors. "The Library of Babel" stands out as a philosophical and metaphysical puzzle weaving themes of time and reality. - Miguel R
Description
Notes
This engaging novel is both a werewolf tale and a moving exploration of emotional trauma, female rage and the despair we face when our bodies betray us. Warning: explicit body horror. - Alex Z
Description
Notes
Everyone certainly has heard about the underground railroad - but ever heard about enslaved people fleeing to swamps and the wilderness? This junior fiction book is told from the perspectives of young people caught up in slavery in the US. A terrific read for everyone. - Todd P
Description
Series
Notes
Mimi Matthews choose the Victorian England for her "romance novel" that addresses many other issues besides romance. She has written 3 (soon to be 4) books with young female heroines and their struggles with class, independence and of course marriage. - Todd P
Description
Notes
How to experience life more fully by using all of her senses is the quest author Gretchen Rubin sets for herself. Tag along as she attends a perfume class and eats dinner blindfolded. Lots of little ideas that you can use to increase your own sensory awareness. - Martha T
Description
Notes
This is an incredible story of a daughter's love to her family. Lieu discusses various family dynamics and defining what "success" means as a child of refugees in search of the 'American Dream' while living in grief, trauma, and body image. - Katherine C
Description
Notes
Just in time for the Lunar New Year! I can't wait to recommend this book to the middle graders in my life. There was a sweetness to high school romances while incorporating different Asian cultures celebrating the same holidays and the nuances within those families. - Katherine C
Description
Notes
Part true crime documentary, part reality TV this book is a fun mix of murder mystery, scandal, and drama. - Chrysalis C
Description
Notes
A fascinating read about a little known part of history. Chester Nez share his experience growing up Navajo and creating an unbreakable code during WWII. The contributions of Nez and other code talkers were kept secret for over 20 years. - Karen G
Series
Monk & robot volume 2
Notes
In the second Monk & Robot book, Sibling Dex and Mosscap arrive in civilization. While Mosscap asks his question to humans "what do you need?", Sibling Dex acts as tour guide and translator. They try to discover what it is they want. A charming, cozy fantasy. - Karen G
Description
Notes
Petra and her family are chosen to leave Earth and repopulate the human race on another planet. When she wakes hundreds of years later, she discovers that the new generation has purged Earth's memories. She is the only one who remembers. Can her stories save the human race? - Karen G
Description
Notes
Ahn teaches a class on thinking at Yale University. It has quickly become one of the most popular classes. In Thinking 101, learn some of the many "thinking' bias we fall into and strategies for reasoning better. Learn how to live better by becoming aware of your own biases. - Karen G
Description
Notes
Adia Kelbara is a twelve year old orphan struggling. Her aunt and uncle believe she is an ogbanje, a demon-possessed child. She's afraid they're right so she flees to the Academy of Shamans. There she learns a shocking secret. Will she be able to save her country? - Karen G.
Description
Notes
This collection of short stories sweeps you into nine unique experiences. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different animal, but all fitting together beautifully. A great book for those looking for a quick read that will make you feel. - Lisa N
Description
Series
Skeletown volume 1
Notes
With bold, bright illustrations and only two words in the text, this bilingual book features mischievous characters out to have fun and explore opposites. Best when read aloud to experience the ways in which vocal intonation and emphasis can change the meaning of a word. - Sarah D
Description
Series
Notes
Set in 1970, a young Ojibwe woman helps the town sheriff identify who murdered a Native American farmhand. Uses spare prose to create well-developed characters and to explore the coming of age of a young Native American woman. For readers who liked Bluebird, Bluebird. - Sarah D
Description