Tulsa Book Review May 2015

Tulsa

event guide

INSIDE! May 2015

Book Review 4 11 13

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 7

F R E E

NEW AND OF INTEREST

C H E C K

Everyday Easy Simply sumptuous Page 2

Vegetables in Underwear

I T

I wear it, you wear it. Page 7

O U T

Watch the Sky Apocalypse now? Page 9

Massacre: The Life and Death of the Paris Commune

The Untold Migration By Isabel Wilkerson Vintage Books, $16.95, 622 pages

Pulitzer Prize-winning Author Isabel Wilkerson is coming to Tulsa May 27. See Page 15 for more details. In The Warmth of Other Suns, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson tackles a long and sweeping chapter in American history and puts a human face on it by telling the story in the voices of three African-Americans who were part of The Great Migration. From 1915 to 1970, nearly 6 million black people left the American South for cities in the North and West in pursuit of a better life. Wilkerson uses lyrical language to paint

a captivating picture of three individuals who made this arduous journey; all to different destinations during different decades. Ida Mae Brandon Gladney, a young wife and mother, left the cotton fields of Mississippi in the 1930s to make a new home in Chicago with her family. In the 1940s, George Swanson Starling fled to Harlem from Eustis, Florida, after inciting the ire of orchard owners who resented his attempts to organize pickers to demand fair wages. Robert Joseph Pershing Foster, a board certified surgeon, See Migration, contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 15

The fail gasp of revolution Page 10

Toasts!: The Perfect Words to Celebrate Every Occasion A quote book with a lot to offer Page 13

54 Reviews INSIDE!

Book Reviews Category

Cooking, Food & Wine

BESTSELLERS COMING SOON

TO TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY Search the library’s catalog at www.TulsaLibrary.org to reserve your copies now.

SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

Real Food for Everyone: Vegan-Friendly Meals for Meat-Lovers, Vegetarians, and Vegans By Ann Gentry Andrews McMeel Publishing, $19.99, 258 pages Check this out! Here is a nice, beautifully-produced trade paperback cookbook featuring a large array of vegan recipes. Lately, many vegan cookbooks have hit the market and the recipes offered in them are not that different. In Real Food for Everyone, Ann Gentry’s collection is drawn from international cuisine, but you will find many of the old standards, too (granola, french toast, niçoise salad). The recipes are not hard to follow, and range from very easy to complex. Ingredients would not be hard to find if you have a very well-stocked health food store available for such items as Hunza mulberries, goji berries, umeboshi, and of course, the usual vegan butter and cheeses. For some seemingly simple recipes, like breakfast power smoothie, you need to think ahead and soak almond and flaxseeds overnight—not for weekday breakfasts. The photo illustrations are professional, but we see way too many of the smiling author and her children. The instructional thumbnail series of photos are great, and so are the numerous sidebars (immersion blenders, silicon spatulas, non-dairy cheeses). It’s nice to see the list of recipes preceding each chapter. It’s too bad the recipe layout is not always convenient when flipping the pages. The index is excellent, even including the sidebars. Reviewed by George Erdosh Everyday Easy By Lorraine Pascale Ecco, $29.99, 304 pages Check this out! Lorraine Pascale may not be a household name in the United States, but in Great Britain she is a well-known model and cooking show host whose books have sold over one million copies. There is a good rea-

son for that. This cookbook is a real treasure. It is well laid out with sections that cover every course—canapés and cocktails; starters, snacks, and soups; salads; main dishes for chicken, duck, beef, lamb, pork, fish and shellfish, and vegetarian; cakes and desserts; bread and pastry; and treats. Every recipe includes a complete ingredients list, what kitchen tools are required, prep time, cooking time, number of servings, and step-by-step instr uctions. Most recipes have at least one gorgeous, mouth-watering photograph of the completed dish. Everyone likes to find easy recipes, and this book is chock-full of good ones. But they are not the run-of-the-mill American recipes we are used to seeing. There is a real international flair with such things as Thai Red Beef Curry with Jasmine Rice or Moroccan Pesto Fish with Caramelized Onions and Haricot Beans served with Minty Pine Nut Couscous. This book will be a great addition to any cook’s library. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Family Cookbook: 150 Healthy Recipes for Meals, Snacks, Sides, Desserts, and More By Susan O’Brien Da Capo Lifelong Books, $17.99, 248 pages Check this out! It’s so great that more and more cookbooks are getting published that address special d i e t a r y needs. Susan O’Brien’s newest addition to the market is The GlutenFree Vegetarian Family Cookbook, which features a wide array of See Gluten-Free, cont’d on page 5 Tulsa Book Review • May 2015 • 2

Tulsa

Book Review

IN THIS ISSUE Cooking, Food & Wine....................................2

Tulsa City-County Library 400 Civic Center Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103 Ph. (918) 549-7323 EDITOR IN CHIEF

Fiction........................................................ 4, 5

Ross Rojek ross@1776productions.com Editor/Coordinator Jackie Hill Tulsa City-County Library

Kids’ Books.....................................................6

GRAPHIC DESIGN/LAYOUT Steph Rodriguez COPY EDITORS Erin Dunbar Lauren Harrison

Picture Books..................................................7

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Christopher Hayden Faith Lewis WEBSITE TulsaBookReview.com

Teens..............................................................8

Tweens...........................................................9

FROM THE PUBLISHER May in Oklahoma is the month school lets out and graduations take place. Young people who are moving on to the next grade make fun summer plans or get their first summer job. Many will take an in-between step and volunteer as Teen Teamers at their local Tulsa City-County Library. They will learn how to show up for responsibility and what it is like to have people depend on them. They also will help orchestrate one of the largest summer reading programs in the nation – a program where children, often younger than them, will fall in love with reading all the while keeping their reading level up for when they return to school in the fall. At the library our No. 1 goal is that the children of Tulsa County grow up able to compete globally. Sometimes that’s through maintaining or improving upon their grade-level reading, sometimes it’s through participating in fun programs at the library, and sometimes it’s through their first on-the-job (volunteer) experience at the library. Any way they take advantage of their library system our community is the better for it. This month’s issue of the Tulsa Book Review is filled with great books for them and for you. Whether they are physical books, virtual books or even one of over 140 of our “hot-off-the-press” eMagazines available freely through our Zinio virtual newsstand, your Tulsa City-County Library and the Tulsa Book Review have something to stimulate your brain and change your life for the better. We hope to see you at the library really soon! Best regards,

History.................................................... 10, 11 Gary Shaffer Tulsa City-County Library CEO

Historical Fiction..........................................11 The Tulsa Book Review is published monthly by City Book Review. The opinions expressed in these pages are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Tulsa Book Review or City Book Review advertisers. All images are copyrighted by their respective copyright holders. All words ©2015, City Book Review

Nonfiction...................................12, 13, 14, 15

Coming Up! Celebrate and learn about the colorful cultures of Asia with entertaining, educational events for the entire family, including fun arts and crafts. Make plans to attend Tulsa City-County Library’s AsianAmerican Festival on Saturday, June 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Martin Regional Library, 2601 S. Garnett Road. The free festival is funded by the Tulsa Library Trust.

Book Reviews Category

Fiction SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

Housewitch: A Novel By Katie Schickel Forge Books, $24.99, 352 pages Check this out! More than anything, Allison Darling has wanted to fit in with the trendy, gorgeous housewives that seem to run her small town on Monrovia, to belong to their sisterhood and to bring her own family into the inner fold. Suddenly, after the sudden death of her estranged mother, Allison is given a chance. Invited to get involved in the Glamour Soap Company, Allison finally is offered what she has always wanted—but it comes at a price. For with her mother’s death, Allison also learned about her own family legacy: She comes from a long line of powerful witches. And it seems that the leader of the Glamour Girls wants Allison’s magic and is willing to destroy her marriage and her family to get it. Katie Schickel introduces a fun parallel reality with Housewitch, her debut novel. Allison is not necessarily the most likeable character, but she is one that many readers will be able to identify with. The simple magic present in this world is intriguing, and the author provides just enough information to make it seem plausible without bogging the book down with details. The book also provides the fascinating back story of Allison’s mother and her sisters, which adds a wonderful amount of extra depth. Housewitch is a fun novel for a late night. Reviewed by Holly Scudero First Frost By Sarah Addison Allen St. Martin’s Press, $25.99, 304 pages Check this out! Ten years after the events in her novel Garden Spells, author Sarah Addison Allen returns to the world of the Waverley families with First Frost. In the weeks leading up to

the year’s first cold snap, the women of the Waverley family behave unusually. Everyone is restless, wanting things, unable to focus, making mistakes. Everything will be better after the first frost of the year, but Claire, Sydney, and Bay aren’t sure they’re going to make it! Sydney is struggling with her thwarted dreams of more children, while Bay finds herself drawn to a boy her family disapproves of. Meanwhile, Claire is targeted by a con man who just might have found a way to get right to her heart. Readers will benefit from having read Garden Spells, but a prior knowledge of the Waverley sisters is not necessary to enjoy First Frost. Claire and Sydney are both happily married and closer than ever, while their own daughters are growing up. Their world is a curious blend of mundane and magic, and readers will quickly find themselves sucked into Allen’s writing. The story is fun and fanciful, and it is easy to find oneself getting carried away and spending half the night absorbed in these pages! Reviewed by Holly Scudero Almost Famous Women: Stories By Megan Mayhew Bergman Scribner, $25.00, 236 pages Check this out! Perfect for Mother’s Day, this unlikely collection of nearly famous women is very interesting, amusing and sometimes heartbreaking. Author, Bergman writes of the very rich Joe Carstairs, her private island and her affair with Marlene Dietrich. The other nearly famous are Beryl Markham, Dolly Wilde, Norma Millay, Lucia Joyce and the enigmatic four your old daughter of Lord Byron, Allegra. Many of these stories are about women who are closely related to the famous and thus have a measure of fame

themselves. The story that has always resonated with me is the tragic story of Lord Byron’s daughter, Allegra. Her mother, Claire Clairmont was a step sister of Mary Shelley and daughter of William Godwin. Claire had a thing for poets. Her affair with Byron led to Allegra’s birth. Seemingly unwanted by anyone, little Allegra was shuttled between families and nursemaids and ultimately was placed in an Italian convent when she was four years old. Allegra wrote a plea to her famous father, but soon died of typhus or malaria. The other women featured in this book are as interesting and it is very good reading indeed. Reviewed by Julia McMichael Wake Up Happy Every Day: A Novel By Stephen May Bloomsbury USA, $17.00, 368 pages Check this out! When Nicky’s best friend Russell dies during Russell’s private birthday celebration, Nicky doesn’t call for an ambulance immediately. The billionaire has just been explaining to Nicky how he’s cut ties with all of his business associates, family, and friends so that he can travel the world living life to the fullest. In other words, there’s no who knows Russell but Nicky. What if he were to become his life-long best friend? When he does call the paramedics, he reports the tragic death of Nicky Fisher, and his life as Russell Knox begins. The narrative switches among several different characters. Nicky tells the story of his transformation, but there’s more to the story. He doesn’t know about Lorna, the daughter Russell never met. Or C at he r i ne , who’s following his every movement with a job to do. There’s Polly, his father’s caretaker who’s trying to have a baby, and Jesus, his chauffeur who needs money to start his own business. Each requires something different in order to be happy. I expected Wake Up Happy Every Day to be a morality tale; I predicted disaster. While there are a number of mini-catastrophes, the

Tulsa Book Review • May 2015 • 4

characters surprised me with creative problem solving leading the book to an unexpected conclusion. Reviewed by Tammy McCartney The Buried Giant: A Novel By Kazuo Ishiguro Knopf, $26.95, 336 pages Check this out! Not long after the time of King Arthur, an old couple sets out to see their son who is living in another village. Axl and Beatrice don’t remember much about their son, just as they don’t remember much about many details of their lives. A strange “mist” has somehow settled around them and everyone else in the land, obscuring memories. But they feel if they just start on the journey, they will somehow find their son. On the way, they run across the old knight Sir Gawain, a brave young Saxon warrior, and a youth whose village has turned against him after an attack by some ogres. The paths and plans of these people converge and merge in various ways, and Axl and Beatrice find they may be able to lift the mist and regain their memories. But is the mist necessary? Is it a key part of keeping peace in the land? The Buried Giant is a fable, an exploration of the power of memory and of collective forgetting after atrocity. It can at times seem simplistic, but its messages are understated. The couple is sweet and truly the heart of the story, and the conclusion is just right. Reviewed by Cathy Lim Station Eleven: A Novel By Emily St. John Mandel Knopf, $24.95, 333 pages Check this out! This is a wonderful and stunning book. Not only does the author succeed in bending genres (is it literary fiction, science fiction, dystopia, or a mighty metaphor for the dying of culture and arts in our world?), but her use of language is exquisite. Just as the world quakes in fear of the Ebola plague, Mandel writes of a Russian flu striking the world and

Book Reviews leaving but a few survivors. The world is literally out of gas and electricity and has descended into the dark ages where roaming bands can be either scavengers, prophets of doom, terrorists or the travelling symphony featuring a Shakespearean troupe. Airports are abandoned while intrepid travelers wait vainly for rescue. The author spins her story around a complicated set of characters bound together by the common acquaintance of Arthur Leander, a famous actor who dies on stage in the last act of King Lear just as the plague strikes. Leander has multiple ex-wives, most notably Miranda, the author of sequential art. Miranda’s books bring characters together and provide a link with the old world of the past. This reader is so happy to have found this book and looks forward to reading more of her work. Station Eleven is a 2014 National Book Award finalist. Reviewed by Julia McMichael Satin Island By Tom McCarthy Knopf, $24.00, 208 pages Check this out! Tom McCarthy made his name in the art world, writing manifestos for the avant-garde International Necronautical Society. It makes sense, then, that Satin Island features a corporate anthropologist, translating artistic theory into capita list culture. U., the novel’s protagonist, drifts through the c h a p t e r ’s short subsections, noticing the generalities of modern life and accumulating dossiers on whatever catches his attention, from oil spills to parachuting accidents. There are possibilities of plot mentioned, but quickly erased. U. works for a company with a charismatic boss and a team of experts in every area, which assists large brands and governments find meaning where they need it. They’re working on the large, mysterious Koob-Sassen Project, which U. refuses to explain in detail to the reader throughout the book. U.’s big-thinking boss asks him to write a Great Report, the Great Report, a study of our modern culture. At times this seems wildly impossibly, at other times perfectly clear. People who read Satin Island will likely fall into two camps: those who find it to be a masterful, experimental mockery of current communication; and those who find it full of hot air, so pretentious it’s unbearable. I think McCarthy would declare both camps correct. Reviewed by Kali Lux

Fiction My Sunshine Away By M.O. Walsh Putnam Adult, $26.95, 320 pages Check this out! M. O. Walsh’s novel My Sunshine Away doesn’t have a great deal of sunshine. But in that sense it feels real. The u n n a med narrator from the outset seems unreliable. That “not-quiter i g ht ” feeling he elicits is compounded by his confession. The events of the book pivot around the rape of 15-year-old Lindy Simpson. The narrator, a boy two years Lindy’s junior, admits that he was one of the prime suspects, and the case was never solved. This is not a spoiler, this is all in the first chapter. And already Walsh has the reader on edge. The defining event of Lindy’s rape is the vehicle through which Walsh opens a window into life and the horrible beauty of adolescence. At its heart My Sunshine Away is a dark journey into the mysterious molding of an adult, with all the paradoxes of youth and the unknown consequences of (in)actions. Because the narrator does not seem worthy of trust, this was a difficult read. But I don’t regret pushing through. Without ruining it, Walsh waits until the very last moment to reveal his purpose and the nature of his narrator, closing the journey in a most unexpected manner that makes this a highly recommended book. Reviewed by Kate Stephenson A Spool of Blue Thread: A Novel By Anne Tyler Knopf, $25.95, 357 pages Check this out! If you have a wonderful cozy place to read, sink in the comfort of that space and the comfortable and commanding writing in Anne Tyler’s newest novel.A Spool of Blue Thread. Tyler is a novelist in full command of the brilliant details which m a k e scenes vivid and real. This is her twenty-seventh novel. This is a story about three generations of the Whitshank family living in a special

house that the patriarch fell in love with when he was hired to build it for another family. Was it a trick that the owners soon moved out allowing Junior Whitshank to gain possession of his dream house? Junior’s son, Red inherited the house and his father’s construction business. He and his wife Abby have four grown children. The eldest boy, Denny is distant from the family while his adopted brother has a place in the family business. The Whitshanks are not a special family, but they view themselves as one because of their talent in keeping pets alive for much longer than expected. The reader will really get to know this family and feel a part of it. It is a wonderful book and such enjoyable reading! Reviewed by Julia McMichael

Gluten-Free, cont’d from page 2 recipes that are both gluten-free and meatfree (and in many cases, dairy- and egg-free as well). Some of the recipes (specifically the breakfast and dessert recipes) do involve more complicated ingredients, gluten-free flours and less common grains (all of which are available at your local health food store), but many of them involve much more commonplace ingredients that are not a challenge at all to locate. There’s never been a better time to see if a gluten-free diet can

do anything for your health! For breakfast, try Terr and Berry Scones or Oats and Apple Griddlecakes. For a light lunch, try English Pea Salad. There are heartier main dishes like Teriyaki Tofu Fajitas. There are side dishes, like Brussels Sprouts with Maple and Mustard Glaze; and desserts, like Chocolate Puffed Rice Treats. There’s even a whole section of snacks and sauces. The instructions are clearly-written, the ingredient lists (generally) aren’t too daunting, even for GF newbies, and the photos will make your mouth water. Reviewed by Holly Scudero

MY TULSA LIBRARY COMMUNITY CARD.

Each swipe benefits the campaign to renovate the Central Library. The Visa Debit Card is available with an Oklahoma Central Credit Union checking account. There are no annual fees and it can be used anywhere Visa is accepted. Visit any Oklahoma Central Credit Union location or go to me.occu.org for more information. This credit union is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration.

Tulsa Book Review • May 2015 • 5

Book Reviews Category

Kids’ Books SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

The Founding Fathers!: Those HorseRidin’, Fiddle-Playin’, Book-Readin’, GunTotin’ Gentlemen Who Started America By Jonah Winter, Barry Blitt (illustrator) Atheneum Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 40 pages Check this out! The Founding Fathers were a really diverse group of people. The ways they earned their liv ings w idely va r ied. Some w e r e pol iticians, but other jobs t h e y h a d w e r e law yer, farmer, doctor, merchant, teacher, printer, and one was even a privateer (a pirate hired by a government). Most claimed to be anti-slavery, but many also owned slaves. So what did these men have in common? They were all interesting people who were leaders in their time. They are all worthy of having our young people know about them because the work they did built the foundation for the nation we live in today. Getting kids to take in interest in history can be a difficult job, but not for author Jonah Winter and illustrator Barry Blitt. They have chronicled fourteen of the Founding Fathers in this delightful picture book for middle-grade readers. Each of the fourteen Founding Fathers chosen has a spread in the book with a fun full-page portrait on one page and a veritable plethora of fun facts such as hobbies, farm animals owned, wealth adjusted for inflation, etc. on the other. This is chock full of fascinating information and is liable to get kids excited about history. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Explore 360° Pompeii: Be Transported Back in Time With a Breathtaking 3D Tour By Peter Chrisp, Hannah Platts (contributor) Barron’s Educational Series, $18.99, 48 pages Check this out! In the year AD 79, Vesuvius erupted, and Pompeii and several nearby towns were hit by

a pyroclastic surge, covering them in superheated ash and small stones. There was little warning, and many died where they were, frozen in time. This gorgeous pic t u re b o o k tells the story with a w o n derful collection of photographs and illustrations strewn across every page, with well-written snippets of text and pertinent quotes sharing the space. There are two double-spread fold-outs—one of the Palaestra, or baths, and the other of a columned courtyard. A companion CD is also included that allows the reader to go inside illustrations of several sites as they would have appeared before the terrible eruption, then to turn around and look at every aspect from floor to ceiling, and even zoom in and out. The illustrations have good detail and will give youngsters a feeling of really being there. This is a great introduction to this moment in history. Not only will young children enjoy it, but older brothers and sisters will want to spend time with it as well. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery That Baffled All of France By Mara Rockliff, Iacopo Bruno (illustrator) Candlewick, $17.99, 48 pages Check this out! It is 1776, and all of Paris is talking about the amazing Dr. Mesmer, who is able to offer cures for people with debilitating illnesses, and make people believe things that can’t possibly be. And, he does it all with a wave of his magic wand. Doctors are furious, and King Louis XVI does not know what to do. Benjamin Franklin is in Paris to try and convince the king to sup-

port the American Revolution, or surely the Americans will lose to England. But first, the king needs Franklin’s help to solve the problem of Dr. Mesmer. Franklin, a scientist in his own right, is sure Mesmer is a fake. But can he prove it? Author Mara Rockliff has found an interesting moment in history for a fun story, and for historically-minded youngsters. But, it isn’t just the history that is interesting. There is a wonderful sense of how important science can be in solving puzzles of all kinds. Rockliff’s writing and research are solid. The illustrations by Lacopo Bruno are beautiful and a great deal of fun, but the book’s design is often distractedly busy. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Love Will See You Through: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Six Guiding Beliefs (as Told by His Niece) By Angela Farris Watkins, Sally Wern Comport (illustrator) Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 32 pages Check this out! There are many children’s books on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but few that specifically focus on the six principles by which he lived. Love Will See You Through is Watkins’ one-of-a-kind story that combines King’s simple guidelines with examples of how he effectively applied them to create positive change not just for African Americans, but also for the world. Educator, lecturer, civil rights advocate, author, and niece of the late Dr. King, Angela Farris Watkins narrates stor ies that are c lose to her heart. Watkins w i t nessed firsthand the nonviolent resistance that her uncle powerfully demonstrated amid horrendous violence during the Civil Rights movement. To complete her narrative, Watkins collaborated with noted artist Sally Wern Comport. Using mixed media that includes traditional charcoal drawing, acrylic paint, and tissueand cut-paper collage, as well as digital drawing, painting and collage, Comport’s striking illustrations vividly capture the life of one man who chose to fight hatred with love. Together Watkins and Comport transport young readers back in time from the Montgomery Bus Boycott to the black voting rights demonstrations in Selma, Alabama. Love Will See You Through is clearly earmarked to become an epic addition to both African American and Peace and Justice literature. Reviewed by Anita Lock

Tulsa Book Review • May 2015 • 6

A Bird Is a Bird By Lizzy Rockwell Holiday House, $16.95, 32 pages Check this out! Birds come in all sizes. Some are small like the superb starling. Some are huge like an ostrich. Some birds are plain and some are fancy. But one thing is true of all birds – they have beaks to help them catch fish or peck or gather nectar. Another thing that is true of all birds is they have two wings and wings can help them fly and glide or swim and dive. Birds all start out in an egg. It might be in a nest in a tree or on the g rou nd . But other animals have those same attributes. A platypus has a beak, flies have wings, and snakes start out as eggs. So what is it that makes a bird a bird? Children are curious about everything, but they are especially curious about animals of all kinds. They ask a million questions and love to find the answers in beautiful books. Lizzy Rockwell, author/ illustrator, has done a wonderful job with this beautiful book that lays out the case for birds in straight-forward language simple enough for very young children without being condescending. The text is fun and the illustrations are detailed and lifelike in this thoroughly satisfying picture book. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck

Book Reviews Category

Picture Books SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

Vegetables in Underwear By Jared Chapman Abrams Appleseed, $14.95, 40 pages Check this out! Everybody wears underwear! Including … vegetables? Yes, even vegetables need undies in this cute children’s picture book written and illustrated by Jared Chapman. Vegetables in Underwear shows all manner of vegetables, from broccoli to potatoes, from corn to beets, e a c h o n e sporti n g their own individual pair of underpants. Big or small, old or new, even a different pair for every day of the week! Everybody wears underwear (except for babies, who only wear diapers… sorry babies!), and young readers, whether in undies themselves already or starting to work towards them, will adore this cute and clever book. The pictures are strangely adorable (because who knew a turnip in “funny” underwear could be so lovable?) and parents will no doubt take delight in the wide variety of produce featured in these pages. There may not be much of a story to be found here, but this picture book will no doubt be a huge success with the little ones in your life anyway. Reviewed by Holly Scudero Stick and Stone By Beth Ferry, Tom Lichtenheld (ilustrator) HMH Books for Young Readers, $16.99, 48 pages Check this out! Stick and Stone, once lonely and alone, become fast friends when Stick, well, sticks up for Stone. That’s just what friends do. Stick and Stone h a v e m a n y fun days together u nt i l a hurricane separates the pair.

Stick is nowhere to be found, causing Stone quite a bit of distress. He finally finds Stick but Stick needs help from his new friend to get out of a little situation. This debut book from Beth Ferry will cement her place in the hearts of children and adults alike. It’s a simply-told story of an unlikely pair that experiences a surprise separation right when they’re starting to enjoy each other’s company. The rhyming, amusing text makes Stick and Stone a read-aloud that’s enjoyable for both reader and listener. Tom Lichtenheld’s illustrations are a perfect complement to the story. He has a knack for giving life to nonhuman characters and creating images to aptly accompany minimal text. Fans of Lichtenheld’s other books will add Stick and Stone to the list of favorites and eagerly await the return of this author-illustrator duo, as well as more Stick and Stone adventures. Reviewed by Africa Hands Lizzie and the Last Day of School By Trinka Hakes Noble, Kris Aro McLeod (illustrator) Sleeping Bear Press, $15.99, 32 pages Check this out! In first grade Lizzie meets her teacher Miss G., and Miss G. says they will have “the best year of school ever!” We l l , Lizzie is excited school is a whole year! She l o v e s school. Throughout the y e a r , she reads books, studies nature, and learns about vegetables. But then Lizzie finds out there is only one school day left—and only a half day! Feeling so sad on her last day, she leaves her classroom without a hug. When she returns to say good bye, she discovers Miss G. is sad, too. Knowing that, Lizzie feels a bit better. And then something extraordinary happens—Lizzie learns about “summer school”!

This book is perfect for those who love school and hate to see it end! Woven into the story, Lizzie teaches her baby sister what she learns in school. Artist Kris Aro McLeod adds visual humor showing baby Lulu’s “understanding” of each lesson. For instance, Lulu’s understanding of a book is: eat it! The author and artist work well together to show Lizzie’s frustrations and joys. Reviewed by Susan Roberts Everybody Sleeps (but not Fred) By Josh Schneider Clarion Books, $16.99, 32 pages Check this out! All the creatures of the earth have to sleep, all birds and anteaters and snakes and monkeys and bats and pigs and sheep a n d whales and hens a n d … well, you get the idea. Everybody sleeps.

Everybody, that is, except Fred. Fred has other things to do, a whole, big, long list of other things to do. Fred needs to break the world record for shouting. Fred has a horn collection that he needs to test. He needs to practice his karate and hunt for Sasquatch. The list is long and awesome. Is there anything that can get Fred to go to sleep? It is really a difficult task to create a bedtime story that is fresh and new, but author and illustrator Josh Schneider has done it. All of the text about the creatures (except Fred) is written in perfectly metered rhyme. All the Fred lines are great surprises. This book is fun and funny. The art is silly and funny and absolutely charming. This may well be the best bedtime book to come out in the last several years and will be a fast favorite with little ones. This book is absolutely not to be missed. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck

, CHILDREN S FICTION COMING SOON

TO TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY Search the library’s catalog at www.TulsaLibrary.org to reserve your copies now.

Tulsa Book Review • May 2015 • 7

Bunnies By Kevan Atteberry When a friendly monster spots a group of bunnies in the woods, his delight is contagious! And when they’re gone, how he misses them so! 20 Big Trucks in the Middle of the Street By Mark Lee

In this book, you can have fun counting the trucks getting stuck in a traffic jam!

The New Small Person

By Lauren Child • Elmore Green likes being an only child, so when his parents bring a new small person, his baby brother, into the house he is not pleased and does his best to keep the new small person out of his life.

The Skunk

By Mac Barnett A man is followed by a skunk all day until the tables turn.

Book Reviews Category

Teens SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

The Walls Around Us By Nova Ren Suma Algonquin Young Readers, $17.95, 336 pages Check this out! In The Walls Around Us, Nova Ren Suma brings her readers another intense and haunting story, this time of guilt, regret, truth, and vengeance. Two girls tell their tales, one with a desperate grip on a life she has dreamed of, and one that is three years dead. Violet is a ballet dancer. T h r e e years ago, her bullies are murdered and her best friend, Orianna, is arrested for the crime. Amber is in the detention center for the murder of her cruel stepfather, and ends up as Orianna’s cellmate. Haunting events occur for both girls that will leave their stories forever intertwined. Amber and Violet are both bold, memorable voices that are full of emotion and hurt, guilt and questioning. Its undeniably fascinating being in the mind of each one, seeing how they think after the things they have been through. This story is told in line after line of beautifully crafted prose that sear themselves into the reader’s mind. Revelations seep out in an almost abstract way that sneaks up on you, then suddenly the truth is out and knocking you sideways. A stunning, unforgettable, and ghostly tale from start to finish. Reviewed by Becky Vosburg Stranger By Sherwood Smith, Rachel Manija Brown Viking Juvenile, $18.99, 432 pages Check this out! Welcome to the quaint little town of Las Anclas, a frontier town with high sur-

rounding walls and guards constantly watching from above. Interestingly, those guards are many ages, from teenagers to adults, and they all look like they know how to handle those weapons they’re carrying. In this harsh world, places like Las Anclas are necessary refuges. You’re either a normal human or a mutant who is “Changed,” giving you special powers and abilities. There are those who will respect you for being different, and others who will despise you. Ross Juarez has just escaped death from a bounty hunter, and the lethally dangerous crystalline trees and have made it to Las Anclas. There, he will make friends, but also enemies. He is also in possession of a special ancient book written in a language he can’t read. Stranger is one of the few post-apocalyptic y o u n g a d u l t books to earn its place next to Hunger Games. The diversit y of the cast makes this made-up world a completely believable one. The science fiction elements leave you shivering with fright, but also wanting to understand more. By the end of the book, you’ll be looking for the sequel; fortunately, there is one. Reviewed by Alex Telander Suspicion By Alexandra Monir Delacorte Press, $17.99, 304 pages Check this out! Imogen Rockford lost her parents, her uncle, and her aunt all in one devastating night in England when she was ten years old. Her cousin, Lucia, became the sole heir and Duchess to her newly deceased parents’ estate, Rockford Manor, while Imogen moved back to New York, hoping she would never have to step on English

soil again. Unfortunately, Lucia is found dead on her property, and Imogen is the only one left who can take her place as the new Duchess. Imogen decides to journey back to Rock ford M a n o r and embody her new role to the best of her ability. Once there, she meets the boy she always loved as a child whene ver she visited Rockford Manor, Sebastian Stanhope. Imogen becomes enveloped in a setting filled with romance, danger, deception, betrayal, and even magic. This novel was brilliant! I loved every moment reading this perfect blend of The Princess Diaries and Downton Abbey! The characters were portrayed beautifully, and I loved getting to know them intimately. Imogen and Sebastian were made for each other and their romance

was not only believable, but electrifying! The mystery surrounding Lucia’s death keeps you guessing until the very end! A Highly Satisfying Read! Reviewed by Neha Patel Embassy Row #1: All Fall Down By Ally Carter Scholastic Press, $17.99, 320 pages Check this out! Author of the best-selling Gallagher Girls series Ally Carter is back and better than ever in her latest series packed with international scandal, my ste r y, and twists full of espionage. All Fall Down is the first novel in the series, which centers around sixteen-year-old Grace, the disgruntled granddaughter of an American ambassador. See Embassy, cont’d on page 15

YOUTH NONFICTION

COMING SOON

Search the library’s catalog at www.TulsaLibrary.org to reserve your copies now.

An Ambush of Tigers: A Wild Gathering of Collective Nouns By Betsy Rosenthal • Rhyming

text and illustrations depict groups of animals and the collection nouns which are used to refer to them, including a labor of moles, a lounge of lizards and a tower of giraffes.

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt By Kate Messner • This lyrical follow-up to the award-winning

Over and Under the Snow explores the hidden world of a vegetable garden through the seasons of the year, revealing a thriving world of insects and animals below the surface.

I See a Pattern Here By Bruce Goldstone

With stunning photographs that show diverse examples from nature and artwork around the world, Bruce Goldstone reveals the secrets behind patterns and gives you some fun ideas for making your own.

Bedtime Math: The Truth Comes Out By Laura Overdeck • Math and fun facts combine for one wacky and wild adventure! Now kids can discover the truth behind all their favorite things: marshmallows, Coca-Cola, astronaut ice cream and more! These fun, mischief-making math problems aren’t just kid-friendly, but actually, kid-appealing. With over 100 math problems on a variety of topics, kids will find math isn’t just fun – it can be found everywhere!

Tulsa Book Review • May 2015 • 8

www.TulsaLibrary.org

MAY 2015

918.549.READ

A FREE MONTHLY GUIDE TO YOUR COMMUNITY LIBRARY, ITS PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

summer

reading

program HISTORIC ALL-BLACK TOWN TOUR • PAGE 2

adults & all ages BIXBY LIBRARY A-Book-A-Month Discussion Group Wednesday, May 20 • 2-3 p.m. Read "Hector and the Search for Happiness" by Francois Lelord and then join us for this lively discussion. For adults.

BROKEN ARROW LIBRARY Book-A-Librarian May 1-30 Need individualized instruction on a library service or product? Whether you want to learn how to download digital content or improve your job skills, we are here to help. Book-A-Librarian appointments are available on a first-come, firstserved basis and generally last 30-60 minutes. Call 918-549-7500 to reserve your time. For adults. Opening Reception: Rock Out Youth Art Show Friday, May 1 • 4-5:45 p.m. In celebration of the 84th Annual Rooster Days Festival, the Broken

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Arrow Library is hosting a youth art exhibit throughout the month of May. Join us for an opening reception and see artwork that captures the energy and excitement of the Broken Arrow community. For all ages. Open Book Discussion Group Tuesday, May 5 • 6:30-7:45 p.m. Join us as we discuss "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula LeGuin, which is the book for Northeastern State University's "The Big Read" program. Copies of the book are available at the desk at the Broken Arrow Library. For adults. Participants should read the book prior to the program.

BROKEN ARROW LIBRARY/SOUTH Great Decisions: "Human Trafficking in the 21st Century" Wednesday, May 6 • 12:30-2:30 p.m. Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs. Join other adults in a lively discussion analyzing current issues and their historical precedents. Novels @ Night Tuesday, May 12 • 6:30-7:30 p.m. Read "Dog On It" by Spencer Quinn and then join us for this lively

CLOSINGS

Nathan Hale Library will be closed for renovations May 18-23. All Tulsa City-County Library regional locations will be closed on Sunday, May 24 for the Memorial Day weekend. All Tulsa City-County Library locations will be closed on Monday, May 25 for Memorial Day.

STARTS MAY 26! DETAILS ON PAGE 8

discussion. A limited number of copies of the book are available at the library. For adults. Great Decisions: "Brazil's Metamorphosis" Wednesday, May 20 • 12:30-2:30 p.m. Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs. Join other adults in a lively discussion analyzing current issues and their historical precedents. For adults.

BROOKSIDE LIBRARY Brookside Book Discussion Monday, May 11 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Read "Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore" by Robin Sloan and then join us for this lively discussion. After a layoff during the Great Recession sidelines his tech career, Clay Jannon takes a job at the titular bookstore in San Francisco. Sloan gives us an establishment you have to enter and never want to leave. For adults. Volunteers – Everyday Heroes! Saturday, May 16 • 4-4:45 p.m. Scott Gaffen, CVA, certified in volunteer administration and director of volunteer resources, RSVP Tulsa, will show you how to plug into your passions, make an impact in your community and be a great volunteer! For ages 10 to adult.

To search for events, scan this code using your mobile device and QR scanner app.

COLLINSVILLE LIBRARY All Thumbs Knitters Wednesdays, May 6, 20 • 1-3 p.m. All levels of knitting expertise are welcome to join us for this fun and instructional afternoon. For adults. Job Lab Monday, May 11 • 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Make an appointment to get oneto-one assistance with your job search. Library staff will help you update your résumé, create an email address, search for jobs online, complete online applications, or explore a new career in this special lab just for job seekers. You will have access to Microsoft Office software and the Internet. USB flash drives are available for purchasing, or you can bring your own to save your work. Standard printing charges apply. Registration is required. Call 918-549-7528 to register. For adults. Collinsville Book Discussion Tuesday, May 12 • noon-1 p.m. Read "Gray Mountain" by John Grisham and then join this fun group of readers for a lively discussion. Copies of the book are available at the library's circulation desk. Sponsored by the Friends of the Collinsville Library. For adults.

Hearing loop available. Switch hearing aid to T-coil.

a d u l t s (Collinsville Library continued)

Patchworkers Tuesday, May 12 • 6:30-8 p.m. If you want to learn to quilt or are already an experienced quilter, join us for a fun and informative evening. For adults.

COMMUNITY VENUES One Book, One Tulsa: Meet Author Isabel Wilkerson Wednesday, May 27 • 6:30-8 p.m. LOCATION: Lorton Performance Center, University of Tulsa, 550 S. Gary Place Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson will kick off "One Book, One Tulsa," a communitywide reading initiative, by discussing her book "The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration." The book won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction and is a fascinating history told through the voices of three individuals who left the South to seek better opportunities in the North and West. Wilkerson’s visit is in partnership with the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation and also will open their annual Symposium. This presentation complements Tulsa City-County Library's Adult Summer Reading Program. Visit www. TulsaLibrary.org/summer, beginning May 26, to sign up. For adults. Sponsored by Tulsa Library Trust and Friends of the Helmerich Library.

HARDESTY REGIONAL LIBRARY Visiting Genealogy Databases: Fold3 Saturday, May 2 • 10-11 a.m. Location: Frossard Auditorium Fold3 partners with the National Archives, state repositories, historical and genealogical societies, and individuals to provide digital access to a variety of historical and genealogical documents including a premier collection of original U.S. military records. Join us to get an overview of the various collections found in Fold3. Presented by the Genealogy Center. For adults. Simple Steps for Starting Your Business: Start-Up Basics Thursday, May 7 • 6:30-8:30 p.m. Location: Pecan Room Want to start a business? Get the help you need with SCORE experts. Learn the essentials of business start-ups, get action steps for your business and receive one-to-one mentoring. SCORE is a nonprofit association of volunteer business experts. Registration is required. Go to www. tulsa.score.org to register. For adults.

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Container Gardening and Curb Appeal Yards Sunday, May 17 • 2-3:30 p.m. Location: Pecan Room Start the summer with a fresh look for your yard. Join Tulsa Master Gardeners Alan Hughes and Tricia Hanlon as they give tips on the best way to create container gardens and spruce up your yard to create awesome curb appeal. For adults. Start, Manage and Grow Your Business Wednesday, May 20 • 1:30-3:30 p.m. Location: Computer Lab Entrepreneurs will learn how to use ReferenceUSA, the leading provider of business and consumer research, to create marketing plans, conduct competitive analysis, find investors, source new employees and much more! Class is limited to 18 on a firstcome, first-served basis. Registration is required. Call 918-549-7422 to register. Sponsored by Infogroup. For adults. Résumé Tips for High School and College Students Thursday, May 28 • 6:30-7:30 p.m. Location: Computer Lab Teens, are you getting ready to find a summer job? Not sure how to create your first résumé? Join us as we discuss tips for creating a résumé. Bring your flash drive. Basic computer skills are needed. For ages 16 and older.

HERMAN AND KATE KAISER LIBRARY Family Fun Friday Friday, May 8 • 2-3 p.m. Enjoy stories, crafts, games, science

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activities and demonstrations, and fun for all ages.

KENDALL-WHITTIER LIBRARY

JENKS LIBRARY

Reel Fun for Grownups Thursday, May 7 • 1-3 p.m. Enjoy a movie and some popcorn, because grownups like to have fun, too! For adults. Sponsored by Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries.

Jenks Library Book Discussion Group Thursday, May 21 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Join this group for a lively discussion on our selected book. Call 918549-7570 for book title. Participants should read the selected book prior to the program. For adults.

JUDY Z. KISHNER LIBRARY Shrinky Dink Hero Maker Saturday Saturday, May 9 • 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Drop by and design your own exclusive hero and then turn your big idea into a memorable keepsake. For all ages. Cartooning Maker Saturday Saturday, May 16 • 11 a.m.-5 p.m. What can you do with a few shapes and lines? Drop by and discover your hidden talents! Various art mediums will be available. Try them out. For all ages. Comic-Book Crafts Maker Saturday Saturday, May 23 • 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Turn the page, a comic-book page that is! Drop by and immerse yourself in new and exciting adventures at your library. For all ages. Free Choice Maker Saturday Saturday, May 30 • 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The way is wide open for your clever creations. Drop by and create something of your own choice. For all ages.

LIBRARIUM 3-D Printer Orientation Monday, May 4 • 5:30-6 p.m. Saturday, May 16 ● 2-2:30 p.m. Join us for a MakerBot and Ultimaker 3-D printer demonstration and orientation to 3-D printing. For all ages. KnitWits Knitting Club Wednesday, May 13 • 3:30-4:30 p.m. Do you like to crochet or knit, or would you like to learn how? Join the KnitWits! All skill levels are welcome. We will have kits available for checkout. For all ages. Book Discussion: "And the Mountains Echoed" Wednesday, May 27 • 2-3 p.m. This novel begins in Afghanistan in 1952, but travels to many locations by story's end. Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices around the globe — from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos — the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page. Join us as we discuss this

The African-American Resource Center and Tulsa Library Trust Present

The 2015 Historic All-Black Town Tour Commemorating Juneteenth

FEATURED TOWNS:

Summitt, Rentiesville, (The Battle of Honey Springs), Tullahassee and the all-black community of Warrior, Okla. Historians Shirley Nero and Jimmie White are joined by historian Harold Aldridge Jr. who will serenade us with his blues guitar!

SATURDAY, JUNE 13

(Bus departs promptly at 7:30 a.m. and returns at 5:30 p.m.; sign in at 7 a.m.)

DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATION: Rudisill Regional Library, 1520 N. Hartford, Tulsa TICKETS: $45 each (includes breakfast and lunch). Tickets are nonrefundable. Youths ages 17 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Seating is limited on a first-come, first-served basis. Purchase tickets in advance in person at the Rudisill Regional Library via cash or check (credit cards not accepted), beginning May 1. Please advise if ADA accommodations are required for travel. For more information, call Alicia Latimer at 918-549-7645 or visit our website at www.TulsaLibrary.org/aarc.

www.TulsaLibrary.org

a d u l t s moving novel by Khaled Hosseini, the author of "The Kite Runner." For adults. Participants should read the book prior to the program.

RUDISILL REGIONAL LIBRARY Performance: Imani Winds Thursday, May 7 • 7-8:30 p.m. Location: Ancestral Hall More than North America’s premier wind quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon), Imani Winds has established itself as one of the most successful chamber music ensembles in the United States. Since 1997, the Grammy-nominated quintet has taken a unique path, carving out a distinct presence in the classical music world with its dynamic playing, culturally poignant programming, adventurous collaborations and inspirational outreach programs. With two member composers and a deep commitment to commissioning new work, the group is enriching the traditional wind quintet repertoire while meaningfully bridging European, American, African and Latin American traditions. Sponsored by Chamber Music Tulsa and Friends of the Rudisill Regional Library. For all ages. Simple Steps for Starting Your Business: Start-up Basics Saturday, May 16 • 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Location: Greenwood Room Want to start a business? Get the help you need with SCORE experts. Learn the essentials of business start-ups, get action steps for your business and receive one-to-one mentoring. SCORE is a nonprofit association of volunteer business experts. Registration is required. Go to www. tulsa.score.org to register. For adults. Tulsa Zine Fest Saturday, May 30 • 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Location: Ancestral Hall Attention all zinesters and aspiring zine makers. Now is your chance to join us for Tulsa's first Zine Fest. Come and show, swap and sell your zines! For all ages.

SCHUSTERMAN-BENSON LIBRARY Mystery Readers Roundtable Thursday, May 7 • 2-3 p.m. Stuck in a mystery rut? Come for coffee and see what other mystery lovers are reading. For adults.

SUBURBAN ACRES LIBRARY DIY Bucket Gardens Saturday, May 16 • noon-3 p.m. Spring has arrived so it's time to

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get your gardens growing! Start your own bucket garden and begin on a path toward healthy eating and living. Limited supplies are provided. For all ages.

teens & tweens BROKEN ARROW LIBRARY Read or Die Anime Club Saturday, May 16 • noon-2 p.m. Join us as we explore anime, draw manga, cosplay, hang out and eat snacks. Come dressed as your favorite character, or just come as you are! For ages 12-18.

BROKEN ARROW LIBRARY/SOUTH In the Middle Book Group Monday, May 18 • 6:30-7:30 p.m. Help us kick off summer reading with an "In the Middle Book Group" party and book swap! Meet other readers ages 9-12, enjoy refreshments, win door prizes, and bring a new or gently used book you love to swap for a book another kid loves.

BROOKSIDE LIBRARY Make a Bracelet! Wednesday, May 6 • 3:30-4:30 p.m. Learn to make a two-strand beaded bracelet with Amy and friends. For ages 10-18. Seating is limited. Volunteers – Everyday Heroes! Saturday, May 16 • 4-4:45 p.m. Scott Gaffen, CVA, certified in volunteer administration and director of volunteer resources, RSVP Tulsa, will show you how to plug into your passions, make an impact in your community and be a great volunteer! For ages 10 to adult.

COLLINSVILLE LIBRARY Sukikyo! Anime Club Wednesday, May 13 • 3-4:30 p.m. Meet up with other manga/anime fans to discuss your favorite books, movies, characters and plot twists. For ages 12-18. Sponsored by the Friends of the Collinsville Library.

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HARDESTY REGIONAL LIBRARY

HERMAN AND KATE KAISER LIBRARY

Kites, Flights and an Oklahoma Hero! Monday, May 4 • 6-7 p.m. Location: Frossard Auditorium In celebration of the City Wide Kite Festival on May 4-9, enjoy a multimedia presentation about J. Herman Banning, the first AfricanAmerican to receive a pilot’s license and to successfully fly across the U.S. Find out how he became an aviation pioneer and Oklahoma hero even though no flight school would accept him. You’ll be inspired and will receive a kite to try your own flight tests. Sponsored by the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance and Flight Night, this program is one of many citywide opportunities to learn about aerospace at the end of a string. For ages 8 and older.

Family Fun Friday Friday, May 8 • 2-3 p.m. Enjoy stories, crafts, games, science activities and demonstrations, and fun for all ages.

Minecraft Gaming Thursday, May 7 • 6-8 p.m. Location: Computer Lab Put your imagination to the test building your own world in the popular game Minecraft. For ages 12-18. Hardesty Teen Manga/Anime Club Saturday, May 9 • 1-2:30 p.m. Location: Digital Lounge Discuss your favorite manga characters and books, make a manga craft and enjoy snacks. For ages 12-18. Good Enough to Eat: Kids and Chefs Cook for Success Thursday, May 14 • 4:30-5:30 p.m. The weather may have stopped us once, but now that we've eaten our spinach we are unstoppable! Join us as for fun information and activities on making healthy food choices. Chef Michelle Donaldson from Tulsa's Tall Grass Prairie Table and Remmi, a teen chef and mentor from the cooking show "Cook Time With Remmi," will talk about the benefits of eating healthy and share tips for making healthy snacks. Ranger, the 2014 Oklahoma winner of Michelle Obama's "Healthy Lunchtime Challenge," will share his winning recipe for Smoky Southwestern Vegetable Dip and his experience at the White House with the first lady. For ages 8-12. Résumé Tips for High School and College Students Thursday, May 28 • 6:30-7:30 p.m. Location: Computer Lab Teens, are you getting ready to find a summer job? Not sure how to create your first résumé? Join us as we discuss tips for creating a résumé. Bring your flash drive. Basic computer skills are needed. For ages 16 and older.

JENKS LIBRARY J-TAG Book Club Tuesday, May 5 • 4-5 p.m. Join us as we discuss a great read. Snacks will be provided. Call 918-5497570 for book title. For ages 10-18.

KENDALL-WHITTIER LIBRARY Teen Watch the Book Thursday, May 7 • 3:45-5:30 p.m. You know the story, now see it happen. Grab a bag of popcorn, take a seat and watch one of your favorite YA books on film. Sponsored by Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries. Teen Game Night Wednesday, May 20 • 4-5:30 p.m. Join us for some friendly gaming on the Xbox and Wii (maybe even a round of cards or an old-school board game). For ages 11-17.

MARTIN REGIONAL LIBRARY Teen Time Wednesdays, May 6, 20 • 4-5 p.m. Location: Auditorium Sharpen your skills on our Wii console and help Mario take over the world! For ages 10-18. Minecraft Wednesday, May 13 • 6-8 p.m. Location: Computer Lab Learn how to create your own world in Minecraft. For ages 1018. Class is limited to 12 on a first-come, first-served basis. Saturday Lego Club Saturday, May 16 • 2-3 p.m. Location: Storytime Castle Learn new building ideas, partner with other children during team building and explore free building. Leave your Legos at home and come play with ours. Registration is required. Class size is limited. Call 918-549-7590 to register. Sponsored by the Friends of the Helmerich Library. For ages 6-12.

TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY EVENT GUIDE

MAY 2015

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(Martin Regional Library continued)

Manga-Ai Manga/Anime Club Saturday, May 23 • 2-3:30 p.m. Attention all otakus! Come to our club for films, food and fun. We'll discuss your favorite characters and series. Meet others of your kind and discuss your favorite subject, Japanese animation! For ages 12-18.

RUDISILL REGIONAL LIBRARY Kites, Flights and an Oklahoma Hero! Wednesday, May 6 • 6-7 p.m. Location: Ancestral Hall In celebration of the City Wide Kite Festival on May 4-9, enjoy a multimedia presentation about J. Herman Banning, the first AfricanAmerican to receive a pilot’s license and to successfully fly across the U.S. Find out how he became an aviation pioneer and Oklahoma hero even though no flight school would accept him. You’ll be inspired and will receive a kite to try your own flight tests. Sponsored by the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance and Flight Night, this program is one of many citywide opportunities to learn about aerospace at the end of a string. For ages 8 and older.

Poems Essays Short Stories Short Plays Comix

Tulsa Zine Fest Saturday, May 30 • 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Location: Ancestral Hall Attention all zinesters and aspiring zine makers. Now is your chance to join us for Tulsa's first Zine Fest. Come and show, swap and sell your zines! For all ages.

SCHUSTERMAN-BENSON LIBRARY The Craft Connection Monday, May 4 • 6-7 p.m. Get crafty at the library! There will be a craft project with supplies included, or you can bring your own workin-progress to show off. We’ll work together, talk about techniques, browse craft books and inspire each other to try new crafts while we listen to music and sip tea. For ages 10-16. Creative Writing Class Tuesday, May 5 • 4-5 p.m. Gather writing tips from a professional teacher with years of experience. Use your new skills to enter the Young People’s Creative Writing Contest. We'll have discussion, exercises, hot tea and books for checkout. For ages 10-18.

new category

For Ages 10-18

Cash Prizes!

Entries Accepted May 1-June 5 Enter online at

http://teens.tulsalibrary.org/ypcwc

or pick up an entry brochure at any library location. Sponsored by Tulsa Library Trust, KWGS Public Radio 89.5 and Tulsa’s Channel 8, with additional support provided by The Mary K. Chapman Foundation and George Kaiser Family Foundation.

SKIATOOK LIBRARY Teen Time Tuesday, May 19 • 3:30-4:45 p.m. Enjoy gaming, crafts and other activities. For ages 10-18.

www.TulsaLibrary.org

c o m p u t e r s ,

computers, devices &

digital services COLLINSVILLE LIBRARY eBook Office Hours Monday, May 18 • 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Get one-to-one assistance from trained library staff on accessing eBooks, audiobooks, digital magazines, music downloads, streaming movies and more. Bring your device and we will walk you through setup and answer all your burning questions about library eContent. Registration is required. Call 918-549-7528 to register. For adults.

HARDESTY REGIONAL LIBRARY MS Word 1 Tuesday, May 5 • 6-8 p.m. Location: Computer Lab This class shows how to use toolbars and menus, set margins, apply spell check, and preview, save and print documents. You should have some experience using a computer keyboard and mouse prior to taking this class. For adults. Class is limited to 18 on a first-come, first-served basis. Computers for Seniors Thursdays, May 7, 14, 21, 28 9:30-11:30 a.m. Location: Computer Lab Do your computer skills need an upgrade? Designed for people ages 55 and older who want to learn computer skills in a relaxed, encouraging atmosphere, each session builds on the one before. Make plans to attend all four! May 7, "Hardware Boot Camp"; May 14, "Internet Basics"; May 21, "Fun With Files; and May 28, "Email 101." Registration is required. Call 918-549-7550 to register. MS Excel 1 Saturday, May 9 • 9:30-11:30 a.m. Location: Computer Lab This class shows how to create formulas, use automatic fill and change basic formatting. You should take MS Word 2 and have some experience using a mouse prior to taking this class. For adults. Class is limited to 18 on a first-come, first-served basis. MS Word 2 Tuesday, May 12 • 6-8 p.m. Location: Computer Lab This class shows how to create and format tables, use bulleted and numbered lists, and apply and format columns in a document. You should take MS Word 1 prior to attending. For adults. Class is limited to 18 on a first-come, first-served basis.

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ZARROW REGIONAL LIBRARY Really Basic Computer Class Wednesday, May 6 • 1:30-3 p.m. Location: Computer Lab This class is designed for new computer users who have little or no previous experience using computers, Windows, a mouse or the Internet, and little or no knowledge of basic computer terms. For adults. Class is limited to 12 on a first-come, first-served basis. eBook Office Hours Wednesday, May 13 • 1:30-3:30 p.m. Get one-to-one assistance on accessing all the wonderful free digital content available from your library including eBooks, audiobooks, music, movies and more. Bring your device and we will walk you through setup and answer all your questions. General questions about using your mobile device? Bring those too! Registration is required. Call 918549-7683 to register. For adults.

children BROKEN ARROW LIBRARY PAWS for Reading Wednesday, May 13 • 4-5 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Registration starts at 3:45 p.m. on the day of the program.

BROOKSIDE LIBRARY Preschool Storytime Wednesdays, May 6, 13, 20 10:15-10:45 a.m. The best in children's literature, songs, games, finger plays, rhymes and other reading-related activities are shared with your preschooler. For ages 2-5. My First Storytime Wednesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 11-11:20 a.m. Learn and enjoy songs, stories and activities that are just right for your little one at this lapsit storytime. For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers.

CHARLES PAGE LIBRARY Preschool Storytime Tuesdays, May 5, 12, 19, 26 10:30-11:30 a.m. For ages 5 and younger with

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their caregivers. Themes are: May 5, “Cinco de Mayo”; May 12, “Rhyme Time”; May 19, “Neighbors”; and May 26, “May Flowers.” PAWS for Reading Tuesday, May 5 • 6-7 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 7-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Class size is limited.

COLLINSVILLE LIBRARY Stories From the Rocking Chair Tuesdays, May 5, 12, 19, 26 10:30-11 a.m. The best in children's literature, songs, finger plays, rhymes and other reading-related activities are shared with your preschooler. For ages 5 and younger. PAWS for Reading Wednesday, May 13 • 3-4 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-13 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust.

GLENPOOL LIBRARY Ms.Tatiana's Family Storytime Wednesdays, May 6, 13 10:30-11:15 a.m. For babies and toddlers, playing is learning! Enjoy storytime and then stay after for games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For ages 4 and younger with their caregivers.

HARDESTY REGIONAL LIBRARY Kites, Flights and an Oklahoma Hero! Monday, May 4 • 6-7 p.m. Location: Frossard Auditorium In celebration of the City Wide Kite Festival on May 4-9, enjoy a multimedia presentation about J. Herman Banning, the first AfricanAmerican to receive a pilot’s license and to successfully fly across the U.S. Find out how he became an aviation pioneer and Oklahoma hero even though no flight school would accept him. You’ll be inspired and will receive a kite to try your own flight tests. Sponsored by the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance and Flight Night, this program is one of many citywide opportunities to learn about aerospace at the end of a string. For ages 8 and older. Good Enough to Eat: Kids and Chefs Cook for Success Thursday, May 14 • 4:30-5:30 p.m. The weather may have stopped us

c h i l d r e n once, but now that we've eaten our spinach we are unstoppable! Join us as for fun information and activities on making healthy food choices. Chef Michelle Donaldson from Tulsa's Tall Grass Prairie Table and Remmi, a teen chef and mentor from the cooking show "Cook Time With Remmi," will talk about the benefits of eating healthy and share tips for making healthy snacks. Ranger, the 2014 Oklahoma winner of Michelle Obama's "Healthy Lunchtime Challenge," will share his winning recipe for Smoky Southwestern Vegetable Dip and his experience at the White House with the first lady. For ages 8-12.

HERMAN AND KATE KAISER LIBRARY My First Storytime Thursdays, May 7, 14, 21 10-10:30 a.m. For babies and toddlers, playing is learning! Enjoy storytime and then stay after for games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers. Preschool Storytime Thursdays, May 7, 14, 21 10:30-11:30 a.m. For toddlers and preschoolers, playing is learning! Enjoy storytime and then stay after for games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For ages 2-5 and their caregivers. Family Fun Friday Friday, May 8 • 2-3 p.m. Enjoy stories, crafts, games, science activities and demonstrations, and fun for all ages. PAWS for Reading Wednesday, May 13 • 3:30-5 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 3-10 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Registration is required. Call 918-549-7542 to register. Sensory Storytime Saturday, May 23 • 10:30 a.m.-noon Does your child have difficulty sitting through storytime? If so, this inclusive, interactive program of stories, songs and activities may be just what you are looking for! Sensory Storytime focuses on learning with all five senses and is especially designed for children with a variety of learning styles or sensory integration challenges. Registration is required. Register online at http:// kids.tulsalibrary.org/sensorystorytime or by calling 918-549-7542. For ages 1-7 and their caregivers.

TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY EVENT GUIDE

MAY 2015

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JENKS LIBRARY My First Storytime Wednesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 10-10:15 a.m. For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers. Preschool Storytime Wednesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 10:30-11 a.m. For ages 3-5. Themes are: May 6, "All About Mommy"; May 13, "Birds"; May 20, "Clouds"; and May 27, "Stars." For ages 3-5. PAWS for Reading Tuesday, May 19 • 4-5 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to

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read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Registration is required. Call 918-549-7570 to register.

JUDY Z. KISHNER LIBRARY Build-a-Reader Storytime Thursdays, May 7, 14, 21, 28 10:30-11 a.m. Explore the world of reading in a fun and engaging atmosphere. For ages 2-4 and their caregivers. Shrinky Dink Hero Maker Saturday Saturday, May 9 • 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Drop by and design your own

exclusive hero and then turn your big idea into a memorable keepsake. For ages 5 and older. Cartooning Maker Saturday Saturday, May 16 • 11 a.m.-5 p.m. What can you do with a few shapes and lines? Drop by and discover your hidden talents! Various art mediums will be available. Try them out. For ages 5 and older. Comic-Book Crafts Maker Saturday Saturday, May 23 • 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Turn the page, a comic-book page that is! Drop by and immerse yourself in new and exciting adventures at your library. For ages 5 and older.

tulsa city-county library locations 25 Bixby Library 20 E. Breckenridge, 74008 • 918-549-7514 M-W, 10-6; Th, 12-8; Fri., 12-6; Sat., 11-5 19 Broken Arrow Library 300 W. Broadway, 74012 • 918-549-7500 M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 23 Broken Arrow Library/South 3600 S. Chestnut, 74011 • 918-549-7662 M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 17 Brookside Library 1207 E. 45th Place, 74105 • 918-549-7507 M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 9 Central Library Closed for renovation 400 Civic Center, 74103 • 918-549-7323 8 Charles Page Library 551 E. Fourth St., Sand Springs, 74063 918-549-7521 • M, 10-6; T, 10-8; W-Fri., 10-6; Sat., 11-5 2 Collinsville Library 1223 Main, 74021 • 918-549-7528 M, 10-6; T, 12-8; W-Th, 10-6; Fri., 11-6; Sat., 10-5 24 Glenpool Library 730 E. 141st St., 74033 • 918-549-7535 M, 10-6; T, 12-8; W-Th, 10-6; Fri., 12-6; Sat., 11-5 22 Hardesty Regional Library and Genealogy Center 8316 E. 93rd St., 74133 • 918-549-7550 M-Th, 9-9; Fri., 9-6; Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5 21 Helmerich Library 5131 E. 91st St., 74137 • 918-549-7631 M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 18 Herman and Kate Kaiser Library 5202 S. Hudson Ave., Suite B, 74135 918-549-7542 • M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 20 Jenks Library 523 W. B St., 74037 • 918-549-7570 M-W, 10-6; Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 11-5 3 Judy Z. Kishner Library 10150 N. Cincinnati Ave. E., Sperry 74073 • 918-549-7577 M, 10-6; T, 12-8; W-Th, 10-6; Fri., 12-6; Sat., 11-5

11 Kendall-Whittier Library 21 S. Lewis, 74104 • 918-549-7584 M-Th, 10-6; Fri., 11-6; Sat., 10-5 10 Librarium 1110 S. Denver Ave., 74119 • 918-549-7349 M-Th, 9-7; Fri.-Sat., 9-5 15 Martin Regional Library and Hispanic Resource Center 2601 S. Garnett Road, 74129 • 918-549-7590 M-Th, 9-9; Fri., 9-6; Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5 7 Maxwell Park Library 1313 N. Canton, 74115 • 918-549-7610 M-Th, 10-6; Fri., 11-6; Sat., 10-5 14 Nathan Hale Library 6038 E. 23rd St., 74114 • 918-549-7617 M-Th, 10-6; Fri., 11-6; Sat., 10-5 4 Owasso Library 103 W. Broadway, 74055 • 918-549-7624 M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 12 Pratt Library 3219 S. 113th W. Ave., Sand Springs, 74063 • 918-549-7638 M-W, 10-6; Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 11-5 6 Rudisill Regional Library and African-American Resource Center 1520 N. Hartford, 74106 • 918-549-7645 M-Th, 9-9; Fri.-Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5 13 Schusterman-Benson Library 3333 E. 32nd Place, 74135 918-549-7670 • M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 1 Skiatook Library 316 E. Rogers, 74070 • 918-549-7676 M-W, 10-6; Th, 12-8; Fri., 11-6; Sat., 10-5 5 Suburban Acres Library 4606 N. Garrison, 74126 • 918-549-7655 M-Th, 10-6; Fri., 12-6; Sat., 11-5 16 Zarrow Regional Library and American Indian Resource Center 2224 W. 51st St., 74107 • 918-549-7683 M-Th, 9-9; Fri.-Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5

www.TulsaLibrary.org

Free Choice Maker Saturday Saturday, May 30 • 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The way is wide open for your clever creations. Drop by and create something of your own choice. For ages 5 and older.

KENDALL-WHITTIER LIBRARY Bilingual Storytime Wednesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 10-10:45 a.m. Enjoy stories, songs and activities in English and Spanish. For ages 5 and younger.

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LIBRARIUM Family Storytime Tuesdays, May 5, 12, 19 11-11:30 a.m. Enjoy stories, finger plays and songs. For ages 5 and younger and their families. PAWS for Reading Saturday, May 9 • 1-2 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust.

MARTIN REGIONAL LIBRARY Cinco de Mayo Crafts Tuesday, May 5 • 2-3 p.m. This is a come-and-go event for ages 3-12. An adult must accompany children under age 6. Sponsored by Tulsa Library Trust. Saturday Lego Club Saturday, May 16 • 2-3 p.m. Location: Storytime Castle Learn new building ideas, partner with other children during team building and explore free building. Leave your Legos at home and come play with ours. Registration is required. Class size is limited. Call 918-549-7590 to register. Sponsored by the Friends of the Helmerich Library. For ages 6-12.

NATHAN HALE LIBRARY PAWS for Reading Saturday, May 2 • 2-3 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Storytime With Mrs. Cindy Thursdays, May 7, 14, 28 10:30-11 a.m. Come and share in reading adventures, fun and songs. For ages 7 and younger.

OWASSO LIBRARY Sensory Storytime Friday, May 1 • 4-5 p.m. Join us for an inclusive, interactive program of stories, songs and activities! Sensory Storytime focuses on learning with all five senses and is especially designed for children with a variety of learning styles. Registration is required for this small

group storytime. Call 918-549-7624 to register. For 1-7 and their caregivers. My First Storytime Tuesdays, May 5, 12, 19, 26 Wednesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 9:30-9:50 a.m. Learn and enjoy songs, stories and activities that are just right for your little one at this lapsit storytime. For newborns to 2-yearolds and their caregivers. Preschool Storytime Tuesdays, May 5, 12, 19, 26 Wednesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 10-10:30 a.m. The best in children's literature, songs, games, finger plays, rhymes and other reading-related activities are shared with your preschooler. For ages 3-5. Stay and Play Tuesdays, May 5, 12, 19, 26 Wednesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 10:30-11 a.m. For babies and toddlers, playing is learning! After our regularly scheduled storytime, join us for games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For ages 5 and younger with their caregivers. Homeschool Storytime Tuesday, May 5 • 2-3 p.m. Join us as we read stories and make a craft. For ages 6-10. Mother-Daughter Book Club Wednesday, May 6 • 5-6 p.m. Read a book together and then join us for this fun discussion. For mothers and daughters ages 8-12. Registration is required. Call 918-5497624 to register and for book title. PAWS for Reading Thursday, May 7 • 3:30-4:30 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-10 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust.

PRATT LIBRARY Preschool Storytime: Mother's Day Party Thursday, May 7 • 10:30-11:15 a.m. You may bring treats to share. For ages 5 and younger with an adult. Preschool Storytime: Dinosaur Stomp Thursday, May 14 • 10:30-11:15 a.m. For ages 5 and younger with an adult. Preschool Storytime: Memorial Day Crafts Thursday, May 21 • 10:30-11:15 a.m. For ages 5 and younger with an adult.

c o n t i n u e d Preschool Storytime: Superhero Party Thursday, May 28 • 10:30-11:15 a.m. Wear your favorite superhero outfit for the party and outdoor parade around the Storytime Tree. We will have super games, clever crafts and delicious refreshments. For ages 5 and younger with an adult.

early literacy skills. For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers. PAWS for Reading Monday, May 11 • 3:30-4:30 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-10 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust.

SCHUSTERMANBENSON LIBRARY

Mad Science Monday! Monday, May 18 • 4-4:30 p.m. Learn new science experiments. Will they work or explode? Or were they supposed to explode in the first place? Join us for messy excitement! For ages 5-12.

SKIATOOK LIBRARY PAWS for Reading With Miss Fred Saturdays, May 2, 16, 23, 30 noon-1 p.m. Read to Miss Fred and take home a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. For ages 3-12. PAWS for Reading With Miss Marley Wednesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 10-10:45 a.m. Read to Miss Marley and take home a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. For ages 3-12.

Musical Storytime Mondays, May 4, 11, 18 11:30 a.m.-noon Sing, dance, and play with bells, shakers and scarves! Caregivers and children will get moving in this active storytime with a musical flair. For ages 4 and younger.

Storytime With Miss Brittany Wednesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 11-11:30 a.m. Listen to stories and sing songs. For ages 6 and younger.

Preschool Stay and Play Storytime Tuesdays, May 5, 12, 19, 26 10:30-11:30 a.m. Enjoy storytime and then join us for games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For ages 6 and younger with their caregivers.

Stay and Play Storytime Wednesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 • 10:30-11:30 a.m. Enjoy stories, rhymes and songs, and then stay after for toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For ages 5 and younger with their caregivers.

My First Storytime Wednesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 10-10:20 a.m. Learn and enjoy songs, stories and activities that are just right for your little one at this lapsit storytime. For newborns to 2-yearolds and their caregivers. Stay and Play Storytime Wednesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 10:30-10:50 a.m. For babies and toddlers, playing is learning! Enjoy storytime and then stay after for games, toys and activities that foster critical

ZARROW REGIONAL LIBRARY

PAWS for Reading Saturday, May 9 • 2-3 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-10 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Family Game Night Tuesday, May 26 • 6:30-7:30 p.m. Bring your favorite board game or choose from one of ours. For ages 12 and younger and their families.

Free and Open to the Public • If you are hearingimpaired and need a qualified interpreter, please call the library 48 hours in advance of the program. The Tulsa Book Review and Tulsa City-County Library Event Guide are printed on partially recycled paper.

Join Tulsa City-County Library’s 2015

Children’s Summer

Reading Program

MAY 26-AUG. 1 Earn great prizes and coupons for food and local recreation! Attend awesome free events! Read for the fun of it! Newborns through fifth-graders may participate.

ONLINE

or visit any library location to get a summer reading log and event guide. Learn more at

www.TulsaLibrary.org/summer

www.TulsaLibrary.org

Join Tulsa City-County Library’s 2015

Teen/Tween Summer

Reading Program

MAY 26-AUG. 1 Register for the Teen/Tween Summer Reading Program online at www.TulsaLibrary.org/summer. Read or listen to six books between May 26 and Aug. 1 to complete the program and earn a flashlight and coupons for free entertainment and food items. Beginning June 15, claim your prizes at any library location and enter the grand-prize drawing.

The Tulsa City-County Library Event Guide is produced by the Public Relations Office of the Tulsa City-County Library. For questions or concerns, call 918-549-7389.

Book Reviews Category

Tweens SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

Watch the Sky By Kirsten Hubbard Disney-Hyperion, $16.99, 272 pages Check this out! Jory is in sixth grade and, after being homeschooled until fifth grade, feels like he’s finally fitting in. His sister, Kit, who never speaks, is still homeschooled. Kit wandered into their lives three years before, but Jory loves her like a real sister. Their mom, who has debilitating headaches, keeps busy with Kit and baby Ansel. Jory’s stepfather, Caleb, keeps them safe and watches for signs. Something is coming, but Caleb won’t tell them what. And sometimes Caleb gets mean and acts a little crazy. When the time comes, they must be ready. They mustn’t talk to anyone about Caleb’s plans. But Jory starts making friends, and somehow he lets some secrets spill. Suddenly, Caleb announces it’s time, and the family begins digging a bunker in the canyon. Jory begins to question Caleb’s motives, but is it too late? Kirsten Hubbard has written an absolutely riveting middle-grade thriller. The characters are well-founded and absolutely believable and engaging. The close third-person point of view pulls readers completely into Jory’s world, and readers will feel his every hope and fear. This is an exceptional coming-of-age story that will stay with readers long after the cover is closed. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck My Secret Guide to Paris By Lisa Schroeder Scholastic Press, $16.99, 224 pages Check this out! Twelve-year-old Nora has dreamed of going to Paris for as long as she can remember. For a long time the plan has been in place that her Grandma Sylvia would take her, since Sylvia goes to Paris a couple times each year on business. When Sylvia dies suddenly, Nora is devastated. Nora goes with her mother to

clean out Sylvia’s apartment and finds a stack of letters and a treasure map for her, along with three plane tickets to Paris for Sylvia, Nora, and Nora’s mother—odd because Nora’s mother and grandmother had been estranged for years. Her mother’s idea is to sell the plane tickets, but Nora talks her into taking Nora and her older brother and going on the trip. She keeps the letters a secret until she discovers her grandmother has left gifts for her she cannot claim without her mother. Lisa Schroeder has written an engaging story middle-grade girls will find fascinating. The family dynamics are completely believable, the characters are realistic and well-rounded, and the writing is lovely. This could well garner readership beyond the middlegrade audience for which it is intended, and readers may feel a trip to Paris is mandatory after reading it. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck

meets Paul. Paul has a big secret. When Paul’s injured father dies, Paul joins a fighting unit, ending up in Andersonville Prison where he meets Given, and they help each other survive. Kathy Cannon Wiechman has written a compelling story of loyalty, survival, friendship, and love for young people caught up in the most terrible of times and places during the Civil War. It is clear Wiechman did a great deal of good research to bring such a level of realism to this excellent story. The characters are rich and well-rounded, the settings nearly palpable, and the writing is beautiful and powerful. This should have a much wider readership than the middle-grade and teen audience for which it is intended. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Finding the Worm (Twerp Sequel) By Mark Goldblatt Random House Books for Young Readers, $16.99, 352 pages Check this out! Julian Twerski, a.k.a. the Twerp, is back and he’s in trouble again. He’s in a new school (he’s in 7th grade now), but trouble seems to find him. He is unjustly accused of damaging a painting, a painting he really loves, and the principal assigns him a 200-word essay on citizenship. This is the beginning of a yearlong duel between the two. But that isn’t all that is going on. Quentin, one of Julian’s

gang (not a bad gang) is really sick. Devlin, a 9thgrader, seems to have it in for Julian. Beverly is acting funny and challenges Julian to races all the time. Julian is getting ready for his Bar Mitzvah, and the Rabbi is giving him trouble. There is never a dull moment in this wonderful book. Mark Goldblatt has created a cast of characters in this sequel to Twerp that take the reader directly to the Queens, New York of the 1960s and make this touching, funny story to life. Readers will walk with Julian through his 7th-grade year as he suffers great loss and becomes a man, as he discovers many kinds of love and as he meets a life-long idol. Don’t miss this amazing book. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck

sier a E g n i d n i F Making

Like a River: A Civil War Novel By Kathy Canon Wiechman Calkins Creek, $17.95, 336 pages Check this out! Leander is fifteen and lives in his older brother’s shadow. Nate, eighteen, is everything Leander wants to be. When Nate announces he is joining the Union Army with his friend, Given, Leander sees the decision drive a wedge between his parents. Days later, Nate is badly injured and will never walk again. Leander signs up in Nate’s place. He and Given are in a fierce battle and Leander loses his arm. While recuperating in a field hospital, Leander Tulsa Book Review • May 2015 • 9

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Book Reviews Category

History SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

The Nuns of Sant’Ambrogio: The True Story of a Convent in Scandal By Hubert Wolf, Ruth Martin (translator) Knopf, $30.00, 476 pages Check this out! Author Hubert Wolf is a professor of ecclesiastical history at the University of Muenster, Germany. As a scholar, he has unprecedented access to the vaults of historical documents housed in the Vatican. The Nuns of Sant’Ambrgio is an incredible true story about the strange goings-on in their convent. A mystic nun with a direct connection to God is an anathema to the Catholic Church, which has a doctrine that there must be an intermediary to such access, namely the Pope. The nuns of Sant’Ambrogio were founded by a mystic nun who was condemned by the church and sent away from the convent to be imprisoned without further contact. Nuns vow strict obedience to their order and the dictates of the Church. These nuns were indeed wayward, as the rich German Princess Katharina von Hohenzollern was to discover when she entered their convent. The Princess’s cousin was a confidant of the Pope and relayed Katharina’s tales to him of fornicating, lesbian nuns who poisoned and murdered to maintain their control. As titillating as this subject is, a more fascinating story of the Church’s political intrigues and jockeying for power emerges. The scholarly work is well footnoted and indexed. Reviewed by Julia McMichael Massacre: The Life and Death of the Paris Commune By John Merriman Basic Books, $29.99, 360 pages Check this out! The Paris Commune is considered by many historians to be the last gasp of revolutionary ferment in Europe, brutally repressed by the reactionary forces that did not want it to succeed. In the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War

of 1870–1871, the Paris Commune was a reaction to the failure of the g o v e r n m e nt to achieve any sort of victory against the Prussians. With social unrest coming to a boil, Paris exploded and for a brief mo-ment the Commune reigned in the City of Light. But the more conservative forces were not going to let it slide, and they invaded Paris and inflicted a brutal repression on anyone thought to be involved. It was the ultimate class warfare between the working class and the more upper-middle class. It became a struggle for survival, and ultimately for French identity. John Merriman does a good job bringing to life the Commune and explaining why it did not work and ultimately ended up in an ocean of blood. The writing is quick, clear, and to the point. Even though the forces of freedom failed, this is a well-written book. Reviewed by Kevin Winter Hell From the Heavens: The Epic Story of the USS Laffey and World War II’s Greatest Kamikaze Attack By John Wukovits Da Capo Press, $25.99, 320 pages Check this out! The secret to Wukovits’ method of keeping the tension so high during the battle scene that you find yourself reading breathlessly, lies in the way this author foreshadows the action with vivid detail long before the fever-pitch begins. Wukovits lays bare the desperation of the Japanese high command, who formulated the suicidal “kikusui” in a last ditch effort to stem the American advance. We follow the USS Laffey from its tour of duty off the coast of Normandy, into the Pacific theater where the crew sees action in the waters of the Phillippines, Iwo Jima, Honshu, and finally Okinawa. Here in the East China Sea we find Laffey maintaining the most forward position, alone, and without air cover. llWukovits unfolds the kamikaza attack on the ship and crew, minute by

grueling minute as t went y-t wo deter m i ned Japanese pilots aim their planes at the dest royer. They come one after another, sometimes in opposing pairs from opposite sides of the ship, and sometimes straight down from the clouds above. Through it all, you will find yourself turning pages faster and faster through the eighty minutes of Hell From The Heavens that defines the spirit of American bravery . Reviewed by C.D. Quyn Fighting Over the Founders: How We Remember the American Revolution By Andrew M. Schocket NYU Press, $30.00, 256 pages Check this out! Turn the television to a news channel, go into your local bookstore, watch a movie— there’s a good chance in those places you’ll see someone mention America’s Founding Fathers. Whether it is advertising in car commercials or a politician making a campaign speech, the Founding Fathers have been used, and abused, throughout modern-day America. This book looks in-depth at how they have been used by a variety of forces and takes a wide lens to see the views, goals, and how people use history to their advantage. Each chapter looks at a different way these men of the eighteent h century have become tools for various pur poses. It starts off with politicians and political speeches, focusing on presidential elections since 2000. After that the author examines books written by both historians and nonhistorians, then looks at historical tourist sites like Colonial Williamsburg and concludes with a discussion of movies, television, and historical reenactments. This is an interesting book because it looks at the present day while talking about people and events over two hundred years old. The author provides a clear picture, and he makes his biases plain from the start, but that should not detract from people of varying political views reading this work and getting something from it. Reviewed by Kevin Winter

Tulsa Book Review • May 2015 • 10

Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence By Karen Armstrong Knopf, $30.00, 528 pages Check this out! Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence by Karen Armstrong takes up the all-too-common mantra that “religions cause violence,” and examines the idea through the lens of history. Beginning with the proto-religious rituals among Eurasian tribesmen, the author examines the world’s most prominent religious traditions, including Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Confucianism (based on its very religious beginnings), Islam, Jainism, and others. In these histories, the author examines the role of religion in society, and uses political philosophy to ask the question: have religions historically encouraged violence among their followers, or opposed it, in their contemporar y political and economic contexts? In this excellent work, the author makes only two significant mistakes. The first is that, at times, the histories presented are not tied explicitly back to the primary thesis of the book. The second is that, for believers of any faith, the author’s policy of discounting religions in order to treat them exclusively as political philosophies obfuscates the entire meaning-generating purpose of religion – which the author herself points out is the primary reason religions and communal/political behavior interact at all. That said, the book provides a strong case for religion as a source of meaning in every society, and demonstrates how, primarily, religions have at least called for an alternative to the structural violence and oppression necessary to sustain civilization (i.e. by dividing people into classes, relative to their distance from agricultural activity), and the physical violence of conquering armies, violent police forces, and repressed rebellions. Fields of Blood is an excellent work, and is both timely and thought-provoking in a world where, too often, religion is ridiculed and dismissed out-ofhand. Anyone with an open mind and an interest in the societal impacts of religion, for good and ill, will find it an engaging read. Reviewed by Brett Peterson

Book Reviews

History

A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain By Marc Morris Pegasus, $29.95, 480 pages Check this out! Author Marc Morris titles Edward I of England “A Great and Terrible King”, and proves his point in this masterful history. Edward’s life was exciting and dangerous from the start; even as a young prince, he was instrumental to subduing his father’s enemy, Simon de Montfort, then led a lauded campaign to the Holy Land. As king, his life was no more peaceful, consumed with wars with France, Wales, and Scotland. He was a powerful leader, charismatic and determined, and widely adored as a great king, although not without controversy – perhaps most notoriously

for his expulsion of the Jews. Morris meticulously details Edward’s actions and their consequences by explaining both his successes and failures in their own historical context. His writing is eminently readable, and his superb analysis makes the book an engrossing read, while the attention to detail clarifies confusing relationships and political complications. There is a lot of information to cover, and this book covers it comprehensively with its brisk pace that keeps you from feeling overwhelmed or ever bored. A Great and Terrible King will enthrall anyone interested in medieval or English history. Reviewed by Gretchen Wagner