EVENT GUIDE
Inside
TULSABOOKREVIEW.COM MAY 2017
Laurie Halse Anderson
Winner of the 2017 Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers’ Literature! Page 2 in the Event Guide
BOOKx
The Impossible Knife of Memory Page 4
60 Photo by Joyce Tenneson
INSIDE
future incidents that may arise, especially as crowding and mobility increase. The reader might reflect on the Zika and Ebola viruses and the unpredictable mutagenic strains of the influenza bug along with other potential threats.
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Nonfiction SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
ORGANIZED ENOUGH: THE ANTI-PERFECTIONIST’S GUIDE TO GETTING-AND STAYING-ORGANIZED By Amanda Sullivan Da Capo Lifelong Books, $16.99, 256 pages Reviewed by Randy-Lynne Wach Check this out! How much is organized enough? The idea of a “good enough” level of organizing and cleaning is enticing. I’ve come to the conclusion that my “enough” involves significantly less work than that of a professional organizer—even if she thinks she’s paring things down to just the minimum. My organizing needs as a homeschooling mom in a moderately sized Oklahoma house are not much like those of her Manhattan apartment-dweller clients, either. Though I may not agree with everything stated in the book, I will concede that some amount of organization is essential to any sort of efficiency in life. Having identified the need, this book does a good job of breaking the work down into its essential parts. The first section covers how to get organized, and the second section presents habits to help you stay that way. Every chapter begins with the basic principle, includes examples and ideas of how to implement the principle in different areas of the home, describes the benefits of following the principle, and finally ends with a bulleted list of points to review. If you want to get organized but you’re not sure where to start, this book gives an accessible starting point, and then you can decide what “organized enough” means to you. EAT PRETTY EVERY DAY: 365 DAILY INSPIRATIONS FOR NOURISHING BEAUTY, INSIDE AND OUT By Jolene Hart Chronicle Books, $16.95, 352 pages Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Check this out! We all need a little inspiration in our lives. And to find a book that is full of wonderful tips for making one’s life a little better is a treat. Everything in the book is set up with some kind of inspiration — how to create a sleep sanctuary, reduce stress and improve digestion, consider your most beautifying foods, create moments for beauty, discover the surprising beauty benefits of bitters, strength-train your relaxation muscles. Well, you get the idea. With one hint for every day of the year, this is a real treasure trove for your mind, body, and spirit. Some entries are recipes for healthy dishes that will put the pep back in your step or help you to shine up that inner glow. Cinnamon-Pear Crumble anyone? Some are simple tips that will simply make your daily living a little easier or better. You will be wowed by how wonderful turmeric can be. This little tome is arranged by seasons with specialized hints for each season. And each page is visually pleasing, with gentle colors and fun fonts and decoration. This is a lovely book any woman would enjoy. PANDEMICS: A VERY SHORT INTRODUCTION By Christian W. McMillen Oxford University Press, $11.95, 176 pages Reviewed by Aron Row Check this out! Nature has its own lethal armory in the form of plagues exploding into epidemics that spread over global areas as pandemics. In this very short introduction to diseases that have ravaged populations, University of Virginia History Professor Christian McMillen chronicles the background of seven feared infections, starting with the historic Plague and continuing on to the dreaded Smallpox, Cholera, Malaria, Tuberculosis, Influenza, and finally HIV/AIDS. Some of these outbreaks are periodic, such as the flu, while others, like malaria and HIV, persist over time. With the advance of medical science, some diseases have come under control with vaccines, medications, sanitation, and education. This short but comprehensive study of pandemics reviews the economic, social, and political factors that operate when the disease strikes and the precautions adopted to limit contagion and recurrence. Poverty, dense populations, cultural beliefs, and increased mobility of the population enable the human vector to transmit the infective organism. The history of past and present pandemics is impressively described, and the author cautions that this history should serve as a lesson for possible
UFO FAQ: ALL THAT’S LEFT TO KNOW ABOUT ROSWELL, ALIENS, WHIRLING DISCS, AND FLYING SAUCERS By David J. Hogan Backbeat Books, $19.99, 424 pages Reviewed by Glenn Dallas Check this out! UFO FAQ sounds straightforward enough. It offers a introduction to the unexplained, covering alien abductions, lights in the sky, missing time, and other phenomena associated with UFOs. But honestly, it’s much much more than that. This book chronicles the history of UFO reports over the last hundred years, focusing heavily on the Roswell event and the government-funded investigation known as Project Blue Book. Along the way, it cultivates an incredibly thorough timeline of unexplained reports as well as a who’s who of ufologists (both credible and otherwise) who all present different, curious pieces of the UFO puzzle. And while many books might take the opportunity to make light of the subject or poke fun at the more fantastic accounts, Hogan never indulges that negativity, reporting every account, every message, and every event with solemnity and respect. I don’t think you’ll find a more even-handed approach than Hogan’s when it comes to this subject. He’s a total professional. So, whether you’ve dipped your toe into the unknown or you’re a card-carrying member of MUFON, you’ll find something new, something fascinating, and something engaging in the pages of UFO FAQ. THE NORSE MYTHS: A GUIDE TO THE GODS AND HEROES By Carolyne Larrington Thames & Hudson, $24.95, 208 pages Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Check this out! Most Americans have grown up with a basic understanding of the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses and their stories, but many other cultures have their own pantheon of gods and goddesses and wonderful myths. The Norse myths contain the the stories of the Scandinavian and Icelandic peoples. Snorri Sturluson lived in the 1200s and left the most complete record of the stories that make up the Norse myths. However, some of Snorri’s works are flavored by the fact that, in addition to being a scholar, politician, and poet, he was a Christian. Author Carolyne Larrington, herself a scholar of medieval European literature, takes what Snorri and others have left for her and creates a fairly comprehensive document filled with fresh renditions of these strange, sometimes terrifying stories. While the writing is lively, this is not a story book. It is a true scholarly work with a good deal of informational annotation within the stories. The book is also peppered with illustrations from old publications and photographs of archaeological objects to support the text. A good list of further readings tops off this fine reference book, a welcome addition to the library of any person interested in mythology. MY LOST POETS: A LIFE IN POETRY By Philip Levine Knopf, $26.95, 224 pages Reviewed by Jane Manaster Check this out! Until recent times, Philip Levine’s birthplace, the city of Detroit, was the hub of the American auto industry, offering jobs that may have been less than stimulating but put dinner on the table. Philip Levine took such a job, but his avocation was poetry. And poetry, which he wrote, taught, and loved, seduced him from the repetitive daily routine. For thirty years, he was a university professor who published books of his poems and was included many in anthologies. My Lost Poets is a chance to enjoy his prose writings, some sections taken from his classes and lectures, others written expressly for his memoir. Since high school, when a favored teacher introduced him to poetry, he knew he had found the path he would pursue. Poetry was intrinsic, not exotic and alien as it was for anyone perceiving an unbreachable chasm between Shakespeare and the modernists. Levine’s poetry expresses vivid ideas and emotions, and, along with his own work, he blends fragments and verses of poets whose creativity he admired, whose memory he treasured. No less, he includes delightful recollections of socializing with them. Toward the end of his life he was honored as American poet laureate. HERE BE DRAGONS: A PARENT’S GUIDE TO REDISCOVERING PURPOSE, ADVENTURE, AND THE UNFATHOMABLE JOY OF THE JOURNEY By Annmarie Kelly-Harbaugh, Ken Harbaugh Familius, $16.95, 192 pages Reviewed by Randy-Lynne Wach Check this out! “Life is an adventure” has been my mantra for many years. So, naturally, I was intrigued at the prospect of a parenting book that offers a guide to parents who want both adventure and family. Built around an extended metaphor of sailing past accepted boundaries into the deep seas where See DRAGONS, cont’d on page 8
Tulsa Book Review • May 2017 • 2
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She experiences a compelling character arc as she slowly but steadily builds a relationship with her father and they bond over a love of art. In the end, however, the story may not be so much about familial relationships as it is about the characters turning the tables on each other and the readers with some surprising plot twists.
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AS RED AS BLOOD By Salla Simukka Owen Frederick Witesman (translator) Crown Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 256 pages Reviewed by Rebecca Williams Check this out!
Teens SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
THE IMPOSSIBLE KNIFE OF MEMORY By Laurie Halse Anderson Viking, 391 pages Reviewed by Leah Weyand, Teen Services Coordinator, Tulsa City-County Library Check this out! The difference between forgetting something and not remembering it is big enough to drive an eighteen-wheeler through. When Hayley’s father decides their family of two will stop being nomads so Hayley can have a real senior year in the town where her dad grew up, she’s not sure what to think. Life on the road has been safer, better for her dad’s PTSD, and free from the tyranny of high school. As her dad’s bad spells become more frequent, Hayley spends more time with an interesting new classmate, Finn. But her new friends start asking questions – questions that Hayley can’t answer without betraying her family’s painful past. Can she keep things under control at home and at school? Or will she succumb to the rising tide of buried memories and repressed history? This best-selling novel by 2017 Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers’ Literature winner Laurie Halse Anderson explores the reaches of family loyalty during crisis. The Impossible Knife of Memory asks readers to engage with complicated questions to which there are no easy answers. An exquisite and harrowing narrative of the harsh aftermath of war on soldiers and their families, this book resonates with readers who want a realistic depiction of PTSD in a family – but also a beautifully told story. Meet Laurie Halse Anderson on May 5 at Hardesty Regional Library. See Page 2 of the Event Guide insert for more details. THE BONE WITCH By Rin Chupeco Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, $17.99, 400 pages Reviewed by Rebecca Williams Check this out! Tea expected to follow in her sisters’ footsteps, becoming a healer or diviner, both respected in their kingdom. But after she raises her brother from the dead, she finds out she is a Dark asha, tolerated by most, feared by many. She is apprenticed to Mykaela, another Dark asha, for training and education. She learns dance, singing, history, and rune magic in preparation for when she will join Mykaela in keeping the kingdoms safe from creatures only her kind can stop. Stronger than anyone knows, she quickly becomes an asha in her own right faster than any predecessor, but what she learns trying to save the people from these terrible monsters may make her second-guess herself. Reminiscent of Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha world, this story comes complete with foreign words and lands. However, this is a dense story, packed with details and background. The chapters alternate between Tea’s life in training and an encounter between an asha and a Bard, visiting in a dream. The ending leaves readers with no doubt as to a sequel, which most will feel compelled to read, for good reason. Though a bit slow at first, the second half will have readers turning pages quickly. FIRE COLOR ONE By Jenny Valentine Philomel Books, $17.99, 240 pages Reviewed by Briana Wagner Check this out! Fire Color One by Jenny Valentine is a unique story about love, loss, art, and family. Sixteen-year-old Iris wants nothing to do with her estranged father, but he is dying, and her mother is determined that Iris visit, play nice, and earn herself a nice inheritance; supposedly his art collection is worth millions. So when Iris gets in trouble for arson, yet again, her mother uses her delinquency as an excuse to whisk her off to her father’s estate. Over the next several days, Iris is surprised to learn that everything she thought she knew about her father was a lie. While Iris’s mother and her mother’s boyfriend occasionally come across as caricatures--people so obsessed with their appearances and catching their “big break” in the entertainment industry that they literally pose any time they enter a room--Iris herself is realistically complex.
Lumikki was good at fading into the background at school. She had places to hide, to gather herself, and to start her day off right or all over again. She goes to her one of her favorite places, the darkroom in the high school, but is thrown off her quiet meditation when she finds money, a lot of money, in baths tinged red with blood. She leaves, questioning what to do with the knowledge, knowing she does not want to get involved. When she goes back to check, it is gone, but a boy in her class, Tuukka, is walking away with a stuffed backpack. When she follows him to investigate, she starts a chain of events that breaks her number one rule: Don’t get involved. As Red as Blood shares more in common with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo than just location. Both main characters have a hidden past, rife with danger and abuse. However, this one targets a younger audience, and, though Lumikki has no special powers, her sense of observation rivals that of Jennifer Barnes’s characters in The Naturals series. Though short, this story weaves a dangerous past with a chilling present for a must-read YA novel.
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Science Fiction SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
LAST YEAR By Robert Charles Wilson Tor Books, $27.99, 352 pages Reviewed by Alex Telander Check this out! “Two events made the first of September a memorable day for Jesse Cullum. First, he lost a pair of Oakley sunglasses. Second, he saved the life of President Ulysses S. Grant.” The opening lines to bestselling author Robert Charles Wilson’s latest book, Last Year, do what many of his past books have done: they make you stop and think and consider this what if: why are expensive modern day sunglasses in the same context as a president from the late nineteenth century? It is the not too distant future where humanity has sort of discovered time travel, except it’s limited time travel, using special giant mirrors that can take people and things back to a certain point in the past, but only the not-too-distant past. The mirror is only “open” for a limited time to reduce the risk of the past learning and gaining too much from the future. It’s a great draw for tourism, the “opportunity of a lifetime.” And for those living in the past, they get to see what the future looks like. Jesse Cullum is a man of the nineteenth century working in the specially constructed city for the people of the future. In a bold move that he does more out of reflex, he takes down a man looking to assassinate the President and finds his world changed. He is promoted and becomes a member of a special investigative team looking to protect the president and other important people, as well as get to the bottom of the smuggling ring that is bringing important items from the future back to the past and selling them on the black market, including guns like the one the man was using to assassinate the President. Much as Robert J. Sawyer’s Red Planet Blues was a noir detective novel set on Mars, Last Year is a gripping time travel novel with a noir detective story at its heart. Time travel stories have been done in many shapes and forms, which is why Wilson’s book offers a new angle on the whole time travel idea with something a little different, along with real and interesting people and a controversial central plot. EMPIRE GAMES By Charles Stross Tor Books, $25.99, 336 pages Reviewed by Michael Shulman Check this out! Charles Stross’s Empire Games is a sweeping science-fiction/ espionage novel spanning four timelines. It’s a direct sequel to his previous Merchant Princes series, which spanned six books. The main plot takes place in the year 2020 of Timeline Two, which is more or less our own history until 2003 when a nuclear weapon was detonated in the White House, killing the President of the United States. One of the main characters in the book, See EMPIRE GAMES, cont’d on page 5
Tulsa Book Review • May 2017 • 4
Book Reviews
Science Fiction | Fantasy
EMPIRE GAMES, cont’d from page 4 Miriam Burgeson, heads an espionage agency and is aware of the parallel timelines, one of which recruited her estranged daughter, Rita Douglas, to spy on the other timelines. Another character, Colonel Eric Flint, recruits people called world-walkers to travel between timelines, especially Timeline Three, where the United States, a nuclear superpower, is part of the New American Commonwealth, which is ruled by the French monarchy, which is also a nuclear superpower. The result is a Cold War-like standoff of epic proportions that will test each character’s loyalties. I really liked the premise of Empire Games. The plot is extremely well-executed and complex. There are multiple twists and turns, and there’s never a dull moment. Character development is top-notch, and the reader sees each character’s motivations. The book moves at a fluid pace and ends with sort of a cliffhanger where the next book will pick up. I also liked the fact that Empire Games is a mixture of genres, with noticeable elements of political and espionage thrillers mixed with science fiction and alternate history. The author definitely knows how to hook the reader from the very first page and keep them engaged, asking questions, and wondering how our world really works all throughout the book.
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A Dragon’s Guide to Making Perfect Wishes by Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder Winnie and her pet dragon Miss Drake are back to their lessons as they head to the 1915 San Francisco World’s Fair, and wishgranting souvenirs follow them home.
Matylda, Bright & Tender by Holly
Fantasy
M. McGhee • Struggling to hold on to Guy and love their pet gecko enough for the both of them after a devastating accident, Sussy begins stealing from the pet store.
Nobody Is Perfick by Bernard Waber
Cartoon characters reveal the humorous side of everyday situations involving school friends.
SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face and the Badness of Badgers by John
GILDED CAGE By Vic James Del Rey, $20.00, 368 pages Reviewed by J. Aislynn d’Merricksson Check this out! Vic James has woven a vision of a dystopic alter-earth where certain people, known as Equals or the Skilled, have magical abilities. In some countries, the Equals rule to the exclusion of others. Great Britain is one such country. Luke Hadley and his family are preparing to enter their Slavedays--a ten year period of enforced servitude all commoners must endure. His elder sister, Abi, has worked hard to get all of her family assigned to serve at Kyneston, the home of the Jardines, the Equal Founding Family. Unfortunately, things don’t work out as planned, and Luke alone is sent to the slavetown of Millmoor. Shrouded in a miasma of pollution and thunderous with the noises of industry, Millmoor is a harsh place that ages people before their time. At first desperate to rejoin his family, Luke ends up finding friends and a purpose at Millmoor. Meanwhile, Abi and the rest of the family get settled at Kyneston and become attached to various Jardines. Abi finds herself falling for Jenner, the sole Skilless Jardine. Daisy, her young sister, has been given the task of caring for Gavar Jardine’s illegitimate daughter, Libby. Over time, Daisy becomes fiercely attached to both Gavar and Libby. And brewing under both Millmoor and Kyneston are plots to shatter the nation and topple regimes. It’s more than just the commoners who are held fast by chains of custom and fate. The bonds may be fancier, but the Equals as a whole are captives just as much. I devoured this book. James did a marvelous job of making you both despise and love the Jardines, especially Gavar, and many of the other Skilled as well. They really aren’t what they seem at first, at least the brothers. It becomes easy to see how they have been shaped by their father and by their own relative Skill, or lack thereof. It’s equally easy to fall in love with Reni, “rhymes with genie,” the young girl who befriends Luke and introduces him to the Doc and the rest of the “games” group. I can’t wait til the next in the series comes out! Highly recommended, especially if you enjoy dystopic fantasy. DEATH’S MISTRESS: SISTER OF DARKNESS: THE NICCI CHRONICLES, VOLUME I By Terry Goodkind Tor Books, $29.99, 512 pages Reviewed by Tamara Benson Check this out! The New and Old World are now under the rule of Lord Rahl of D’Harra. Prophecy has ended and peace has been brought to the lands. Yet few lands know they are now under a new leader. Richard has chosen Nicci and Nathan to spread the word of the victory to the remote lands. But will a spinoff of the Wizard’s First Rule series focused on Nicci give Richard and Kahlan fans their fix for love and adventure? Just as Frasier was a successful spinoff from Cheers, so, I believe, the Nicci Chronicles will be to the seventeen epic novels of the Sword of Truth series. Death’s Mistress: Sister of Darkness immediately captures the attention of the reader and returns them to the New and Old World. Although prophecy has come to an end, it still manages to complicate a simple journey as soon as the quest to spread the
Dougherty • Stinkbomb and his sister, KetchupFace, with help from King Toothbrush Weasel, go on an adventure to recover the stolen contents of their piggybank from a gang of rascally badgers.
Chester and Gus by Cammie McGovern
Chester has always wanted to become a service dog. When he fails his certification test, though, it seems like that dream will never come true – until a family adopts him. They want him to be a companion for their 10-year-old son Gus, who has autism. But Gus acts so differently than anyone Chester has ever met. He never wants to pet Chester, and sometimes he doesn’t even want Chester in the room. Chester’s not sure how to help Gus since this isn’t exactly the job he trained for – but he’s determined to figure it out. Because after all, Gus is now his person.
Hermes and the Horse With Wings
by Joan Holub • When Zeus meets a
boy named Hermes who claims to know the Olympians’ next quest, Zeus repays the information with winged shoes, setting off an adventure to fulfill Pythia’s next quest and find a winged horse.
Heroes and Villains by Jon Scieszka (editor), Christopher Healy, Sharon Creech, Cathy Camper and Laurie Halse Anderson • Heroes and Villains,
the seventh volume in Jon Scieszka’s Guys Read Library of Great Reading, is chockfull of adventure featuring an array of characters – with and without capes.
Scavenger Hunt Heist by Franklin
W. Dixon and Matt David (illustrator)
Detective brothers Frank and Joe must solve another intriguing mystery in the fifth book in the interactive Hardy Boys Clue Book series.
See DEATH’S MISTRESS, cont’d on page 7 Tulsa Book Review • May 2017 • 5
take more than just a smart cat to keep her alive--although Toby is definitely up to the challenge!
Category
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
ONE PERFECT LIE By Lisa Scottoline St. Martin’s Press, $27.99, 368 pages Reviewed by Karen Collins Check this out! Readers will find themselves racing to keep up with the action in One Perfect Lie. Just when you think it’s clear where it’s going, the plot will twist again. Lisa Scottoline has created another highly entertaining story that compels reading to the finish. The new coach at Central Valley High School isn’t at all who he appears to be. But then, as it turns out, neither are some of the long-time residents of Central Valley. As each family is introduced, it becomes obvious that someone is up to no good--maybe more than one someone. When one of the students unwittingly becomes part of a criminal conspiracy, the story picks up speed, and the suspense doesn’t let up until the conclusion. Scottoline is a pro who can tell an action-packed story without grizzly violence, obscenity, or overuse of vulgar language. In fact, One Perfect Lie could be enjoyed by a wide variety of readers. While the priority of the book is to entertain, it manages to highlight issues related to the adolescent years and the importance of adult family members being present for their kids.
THE TWELVE LIVES OF SAMUEL HAWLEY By Hannah Tinti Dial Press, $27.00, 400 pages Reviewed by Lyn Squire Check this out!
NEST By Terry Goodkind Skyhorse Publishing, $29.99, 432 pages Reviewed by Philip Zozzaro Check this out!
The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley is the history of a daughterfather relationship told via alternating episodes, one for her, then one for him. Both daughter (Loo) and father (Sam) have a vicious side: she breaks the finger of a schoolyard tormentor and bashes two other bullies over the head with a sock full of rocks; he beats up several people along the way and kills several others. The story revolves around Loo’s dead mother, Lily, and, on one side, the girl’s desperate search to learn more about her, and, on the other, the father’s morbid efforts to keep her memory alive. All the episodes are entertaining, even if they sometimes stretch credulity. The father, for instance, surely the unluckiest professional crook in the world, is accosted by a whale in one adventure and almost buried in an ice avalanche in another but survives both. While the reader learns a great deal about the pair, most of it fascinating, the conclusion does not really round off the story, leaving a lot to the reader’s imagination. The writing, however, which is sure, flowing, and evocative, definitely makes this a worthwhile read.
John Bishop is a mentally challenged young man who believes he has the devil locked up in his basement. He talks to his sister Kate and is struggling to inform her of this when he is brutally murdered by the now escaped madman. Kate Bishop is an auditor at a company who delivers contracts for the military when she is blindsided with the one-two punch of the death of an uncle and her brother. Her questioning by a Detective Janek unearths John’s abilities to look into a person’s eyes and see the evil within. John had been working for the police, and Kate soon discovers her own abilities. Kate is beside herself with questions, which is when Janek leads her to look into an author named Jack Raines who has penned a book regarding evil and an ability to see it. Raines walks in the shadows, but his knowledge may be useful.The thrill ride begins from there, and no one is safe until the end....Maybe. Nest is a non-stop entertaining corker of a tale. The action is well paced, the characters interesting, the villains depraved, and the brutality shocking in some cases, but that doesn’t detract from a fast thrill ride. A+
RAGDOLL: A NOVEL By Daniel Cole Ecco, $27.99, 384 pages Reviewed by Christina Boswell Check this out!
INTO THE WATER By Paula Hawkins Riverhead Books, $28.00, 400 pages Reviewed by Philip Zozzaro Check this out!
Detective William Fawkes gets called to a horrific crime scene where a body has been found consisting of six parts from six different people. Since each part is sewn together, the media dubs the murderer the Ragdoll Killer. The Wolf, as Fawkes is known, works to identify each of the victims. Then his ex-wife receives a list of names of new victims with a date that each will be killed on. Discovering Wolf’s name at the end of the list and uncovering who the rest of the victims are leads the police to realize that this case is very personal and sometimes that monsters are closer than we think. Ragdoll is a fast-paced thriller that keeps you up at night. Daniel Cole has done an amazing job with his debut novel. This book is a great mystery story that is also witty and leaves you wanting more. His style reminds me of James Patterson but better. I loved it, and I think you will, too. PURR M FOR MURDER: A CAT RESCUE MYSTERY By T. C. LoTempio Crooked Lane Books, $25.99, 304 pages Reviewed by Tamara Benson Check this out! T.C. LoTempio, author of the Nick and Nora mysteries, has published the first in her new series A Cat Rescue Mystery, Purr M for Murder. Not surprisingly, her new series has at the heart of it a helpful feline sleuth. Sydney McCall, fresh out of a disappointing relationship, flees New York and a lucrative advertising job to take a position as publicity director at her sister’s animal shelter in her hometown in North Carolina. After Sydney and her sister, Kat, plan a fundraising event at a local café, the landlord, Trowbridge Littleton, storms in and begins making threats. Eager to smooth things over, Sydney makes an early morning surprise visit to Littleton’s gallery only to find her sister already there along with a very much dead Littleton. Desperate to clear her sister and herself of murder, Sydney embarks on an investigation of her own, aided, strangely enough, by the unadoptable and frequently disappearing shelter cat, Toby. There is no shortage of suspects, as everyone in town, including Littleton’s widow, seems to be happy he is gone. When Sydney gets a little too close to discovering who the murderer is, it will
History is a pandora’s box. There are times when it is not meant to be opened. Nel Abbott is working on a history of an area in Beckford known as the Drowning Pool. It is known to be a suicide spot, but Nel feels differently. There are townspeople who wish her book would go away, and they get their wish when Nel meets her end in the aforementioned Drowning Pool. Her estranged sister, Jules, is less than thrilled to receive the call about her sister’s demise, especially now that she will have to take care of Nel’s troubled daughter, Lena. Nel and Jules’ relationship was tumultuous, marred by cruel words and lack of contact. As the police look into Nel’s death, questions are raised regarding the previous death of a local girl, which some blame on Nel. Jules and Lena are sucked into a world of mystery and misery, and it will take time and some of their sanity to get answers. Can anyone really be trusted? Only time will tell. Into the Water is a brilliant follow up to The Girl on the Train. The mysteries consume the reader from the initial pages, and the cast of characters summon many feelings, from sympathy to pity to loathing. The story’s acts move at the rate of an accelerated heartbeat with each twist and turn. A surefire best-seller! FORGOTTEN CITY: A CLAIRE CODELLA MYSTERY By Carrie Smith Crooked Lane Books, $25.99, 304 pages Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Check this out! The best skilled nursing facility in New York City is bound to have some famous clients. When former Broadway star and wife of a wealthy banker Lucy Merchant, a sufferer of early-onset Alzheimer’s, is found dead, it seems sad but not shocking. But Merchant’s daughter is not accepting of this death and visits Detective Claire Codella at the police station, providing her with some evidence, including a surreptitiously-obtained video and stained carpet fibers. Codella has been looking for a case to get her back in her game after a bout of cancer and a boss who is not a fan. This could be it. As she pushes the investigation forward, there are plenty of suspects to be checked out. With red herrings aplenty, the mystery is not easy to solve. See FORGOTTEN cont’d on page 7
Tulsa Book Review • May 2017 • 6
Category
FORGOTTEN cont’d from page 6
History
Author Carrie Smith is building a franchise with Claire Codella as the centerpiece, and she is a terrific character with a rich, complex backstory. For readers who like police procedurals, this is a good one. The politics of the police department create extra tension beyond the main mystery of the murder to make this a real page-turner. The writing is crisp and the story is solid. ELEMENTARY, SHE READ: A SHERLOCK HOLMES BOOKSHOP MYSTERY By Vicki Delany Crooked Lane Books, $25.99, 320 pages Reviewed by Tamara Benson Check this out!
SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
In Vicki Delany’s Elementary, She Read, the first in her Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries, we meet Gemma Doyle, the owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, who has the same deductive mind and knack for finding trouble as the beloved classic character. She is helped by her friend and co-owner of the adjoining Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room, Jane Wilson (I see what you did there Delany!), and her own Lestrade-esque detective, Ryan Ashburton. Upon discovering a potentially rare and valuable edition of a Sherlock Holmes story hidden among the books on her store shelves, Gemma can’t stop herself from investigating, despite being number one on the suspect list after the discovery of the book owner’s body. She must put her powers of deduction to work to discover which of the suspects on her own list is the murderer before she ends up locked up--or worse! Being a reader of A.C. Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes novels helps, but even the person who knows the character and his deductive detection methods only through the new television series will be able to follow along quite easily thanks to Delany’s vivid descriptions and non-obtrusive explanations. Who can resist a fast-paced, quick-witted, ripping good yarn? Certainly not a bibliophile like me! CLOWNFISH BLUES: A NOVEL By Tim Dorsey William Morrow, $26.99, 352 pages Reviewed by Glenn Dallas Check this out! Florida’s least scrupulous types are fixated on the ever-increasing jackpots in the State Lottery, but they’ve drawn the attention of good-hearted lawyer Brook Campanella and journalist Reevis Tome. Meanwhile, self-appointed Florida historian (and occasional murderer) Serge A. Storms is out doing good deeds in the style of the TV show Route 66. And when Brook, Reevis, and the criminal element all converge, Serge will be there, dispensing his own peculiar brand of violent justice... Clownfish Blues is the latest in Dorsey’s ongoing tribute to the weirdness and wonder of the state, but even for a Serge book, this is pretty chaotic. The plot only comes together in the last twenty pages or so, and honestly, it wraps up far too conveniently for my tastes. (Serge feels like a non-factor, rather than the Puckish agent of chaos he’s meant to be.) That being said, it’s nice to see two of the most likable side characters in the series get some more screen time, and it looks like elements of this book will continue in the next installment. But with few entertaining deaths and a lot of handwaving distractions, this one didn’t live up to the lofty expectations set by previous novels. HER EVERY FEAR By Peter Swanson William Morrow, 333 pages Reviewed by Kena Hardin, Customer Care Specialist, Tulsa City-County Library Check this out! Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson is a gripping novel about a young woman caught in the tangle of obsession, manipulation and murder. Kate Priddy and her cousin, Corbin Dell, swap homes for six months. For Kate, this is a chance to get away from past trauma and start over. For Corbin, this is a chance to get away from his past as well, but his past seems to find him wherever he goes. The first day Kate arrives in Boston, she discovers that a woman had been murdered in the apartment next door. As time goes on, Kate is torn between the fear of not knowing who to trust and the strong desire to find out who killed Audrey Marshall. Was it her cousin? Was it someone else that she has met since coming to America? Set between London, England and Boston, Massachusetts, this novel will take you on a journey through past mistakes that follow Kate and Corbin, and a new tragedy that leaves everyone on the edge of their seat.
DEATH’S MISTRESS, cont’d from page 5 good news begins. Nathan and Nicci make their way to the Old World and, as Lord’s Rahl’s ambassadors, find it in desperate need of his leadership. What should have been an enjoyable journey of celebration finds Nathan, the oldest wizard alive and a prophet now without prophecy, confused as his gift disappears altogether. And Nicci, the most powerful sorceress in the world, is unknowingly designated as the world’s only hope. Let Volume One of the Chronicles of Nicci begin.
THE RISE OF ATHENS: THE STORY OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST CIVILIZATION By Anthony Everitt Random House, $35.00, 576 pages Reviewed by Gretchen Wagner Check this out! This book explores the history of the ancient city of Athens and its rise to greatness. It is mainly the story of the Peloponnesian War, that protracted, bloody conflict between Sparta and Athens, although it begins with the Greeks’ fight against Persia. After Persia’s defeat, Sparta and Athens (and their many shifting and unreliable allies) fought for supremacy over land and sea, while Persia lurked in the background, interfering whenever it seemed advantageous. Eventually all three powers were diminished, but Athens remained a golden city, winning the ideological war even after losing militarily. This is a fascinating story, although the shifting alliances and fickle politics are confusing and difficult to keep up with. Author Anthony Everitt tells the story well; he includes the plots of plays and myths that influenced and were shaped by the Greek worldview, and introduces the major politicians and leaders, from Pericles to Alcibiades to Socrates and many others, who had an oversized effect on Athens’ fate. There are many important lessons that still resonate, about hubris and bellicosity, about democracy and power; but even independently, it is a story full of intrigue and interest that will engage anyone interested in this wonder of the Ancient World. THE MAN WITH THE POISON GUN: A COLD WAR SPY STORY By Serhii Plokhy Basic Books, $28.99, 384 pages Reviewed by Michael Shulman Check this out! Serhii Plokhy’s book The Man With the Poison Gun tells the story of a KGB officer-turned-defector, Bogdan Stashinsky, who assassinated the central figure of the Ukrainian nationalists, Stepan Bandera, with a specially made weapon that shoots a dart of poison into a person’s heart, causing them to have a heart attack while leaving no trace of the substance. To many Ukrainians, Stepan Bandera is considered a hero who fought for their national identity. To the Soviets and later the Russians, he is a villain who cooperated with the Nazis and killed many Russians, Poles, and Jews. The whole beauty of the book is that the author paints the picture objectively without taking either side. His account of Bogdan Stashinsky’s assassination of Bandera, his defection to the West, and his later trial is very fascinating and reads like a spy novel. Overall, I enjoyed The Man with the Poison Gun. I would recommend it to anybody who’s interested in Cold War espionage. THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD: SIBERIAN EXILE UNDER THE TSARS By Daniel Beer Knopf, $35.00, 496 pages Reviewed by C.D. Quyn Check this out! The names of Russian literary giants like Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Pushkin, and Solzhenitsyn conjure images of the frozen wasteland of Siberia. In Beer’s descriptions you feel the frostbite. The book should be sold in the frozen-food section of your local grocer. The fact is that most of the heroes within these pages were starving as well as freezing. Beer begins with an early history of Siberian exile as a form of settlement and colonization in the prelude to the Decembrist Revolt of 1825. From there the pace thickens as noble families find themselves torn asunder by exile and wives are forced to choose between their husbands and their children. Beer pays particular attention to these women who paid an incalculable price: “The Decembrists’ wives did not merely share their husband’s fate; they transformed it.” Meticulously, Beer highlights the fact that without these women, the Decembrists themselves would probably have faded into obscurity. But because of their voice and influence, the exiles became heroines of the people in their own generation and in those that followed. Against a tyrannical government, “the exile system was only incubating sedition in Siberia.” Beer tracks the successions of revolts, revolutions, and assassinations through the sequence of decades that follow the Decembrists to their ultimate bloodletting in 1917. See ISABELLA cont’d on page 8
Tulsa Book Review • May 2017 • 7
The African-American Resource Center and Tulsa Library Trust Present
The 17th Annual Historic All-Black Town Tour CO M M E M O R AT I N G J U N E T E E N T H
Renowned black-town historians Shirley Nero and Jimmie White will lead us as we take a walking tour of Muskogee and view a new documentary at the Roxy Theater about the all-black towns. Our visit to historic Fort Gibson will feature a presentation by historian Omar Reed, dressed in period clothing as a black soldier. A brief visit to a local all-black cemetery is included as well.
Saturday, June 10 (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 light breakfast, lunch and museum fare).
Tickets go on sale May 1; seating is limited on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are nonrefundable. No shared seating. Youths ages 17 and younger must be accompanied by an adult guardian. Purchase tickets in advance in person at the Rudisill Regional Library via cash or check (credit cards not accepted).
For more information, call Rudisill Regional Library at 918-549-7645 or visit our website at www.TulsaLibrary.org/aarc. Cont’d from page 7
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ISABELLA OF CASTILE: EUROPE’S FIRST GREAT QUEEN By Giles Tremlett Bloomsbury USA, $35.00, 624 pages Reviewed by Kevin Winter Check this out! People in America really only know her from when we were in elementary school learning about Christopher Columbus sailing the ocean blue. Beyond that, most Americans would be hard pressed to know anything about Queen Isabella of Castile. This new biography by Giles Tremlett hopefully will start to change that. We get an inside look at the chaotic world of Castilian politics in the fifteenth century and at how Isabella had to fight to marry Ferdinand and to save what she felt were her privileges. She overcame men who wanted to dominate her and united Spain into the modern country we know today. Mr. Tremlett makes a convincing argument that she might be the first great European Queen. This is an excellent biography of a figure who is hardly known, even for history majors. Mr. Tremlett brings Isabella to life and delves into the forces she was working against and how she used one side against the other to get her way. Hopefully, people will read this to further understand how a queen in Europe help set off the scramble for the New World. DRAGONS, cont’d from page 2 dragons be found, this book reads more as a memoir than parenting guide. Definitely don’t skip the introduction, or you’ll miss out on the parenting advice part entirely: a list of nine “nuns and cans,” or basic ideas that can help bring perspective and comfort. Despite not technically being what it claims to be, this book is an engaging read. The authors convey their sense of humor and zest for life in their words. I have a few reservations regarding the message of the book, however, since repeated themes make it more a manual on how to let one parent have a meaningful, adventurous life, occasionally deigning to invite the rest of the family along, while the other supports, seeks for her own purpose, and then gives in when that becomes unfeasible. Despite my cynical interpretation, the intended message is sound and the narrative offers a glimpse into one family’s life adventures.
Historical Fiction SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
DR. POTTER’S MEDICINE SHOW By Eric Scott Fischl Angry Robot, $7.99, 352 pages Reviewed by John Murray Check this out! A travelling circus rife with freaks and geeks galore travels the nation in 1800s America but with a sinister purpose in Dr. Potter’s Medicine Show by Eric Scott Fischl. The titular Dr. Potter is a disgraced Civil War surgeon roped into leading a carnival caravan from town to town, hawking a mysterious snake-oil called Chock-a-saw Sagwa Tonic. While most of the tonic is a harmless liquid mixed with low dose of opium, select bottles contain an experimental serum. Meanwhile, two hapless bandits hired by a drunk hunt down the scientist behind the serum. Everything will collide in a supernatural explosion of horror, steampunk, and violence. As a piece of speculative historical fiction, this novel is fantastic. Fischl sets a story of alchemy and horror against the Civil War, with interesting observations. He populates his strange cast with outlandish characters and pits them against a ruthless and nearly immortal baddie. While it does tend to suffer from some classic “show, don’t tell” hiccups, it is overall a well-crafted story. It combines horror and historical fiction incredibly well and describes the scenes, actions, and characters disturbingly well. Dr. Potter’s Medicine Show is violent, gory, and uncomfortable but ultimately a hell of a read. See THE CONFESSIONS cont’d on page 15
Tulsa Book Review • May 2017 • 8
www.TulsaLibrary.org
MAY 2017
918.549.READ
A FREE MONTHLY GUIDE TO YOUR COMMUNITY LIBRARY, ITS PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
adults & all ages BIXBY LIBRARY Bixby Adult Book Discussion Wednesday, May 31 • 2-3 p.m. Read the novel "The Wright Brothers" by David McCullough and then join us for a lively discussion. Light refreshments will be served. Copies of the book are available for checkout at the Bixby Library or as eBooks. Light refreshments will be served.
BROKEN ARROW LIBRARY/SOUTH Tai Chi: A Six-Week Series Mondays, Thursdays, May 1, 4, 8, 11, 15, 18 10:30-11:30 a.m. • Learn ways to improve balance and flexibility through Tai Chi, a series of slow, continuous movements and controlled breathing. This series is designed for adults of all levels of health and activity. Sponsored by the Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative. Great Decisions: Current Events Discussion Group Wednesday, May 3 • noon-3 p.m. Join us for a lively conversation as we discuss "Prospects for Afghanistan and Pakistan." For adults. Mom's Spa Night Monday, May 8 • 6:30-7:30 p.m. Treat yourself to a little pampering. Experience a brief spa retreat at the library; relax and get to know other hard-working moms in the community. Registration is required. Call 918-549-7323 to register. Great Decisions: Current Events Discussion Group Wednesday, May 17 • noon-3 p.m. Join us for a lively conversation as we discuss "Nuclear Security." For adults.
L I B R A R Y CLOSINGS
BROOKSIDE LIBRARY Brookside Book Discussion: "Before the Fall" Monday, May 8 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. In this thriller, award-winning author Noah Hawley weaves chapters between the aftermath of a crash off Martha's Vineyard, and the backstories of passengers and crew members. For adults.
CENTRAL LIBRARY Brown-Bag Lunch and Learn With Tulsa Master Gardeners Tuesdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 12:10-12:50 p.m. • Location: Pocahontas Greadington Learning and Creativity Center • Bring your lunch and join Tulsa Master Gardeners for a series of workshops and lectures. Scheduled presentations are: May 2, “Oklahoma Proven Perennials and Annuals” (this program to be held in Tandy Children’s Garden); May 9, “Seed Starting and Seed Saving”; May 16, “Butterfly Gardening”; May 23, “Gardening for Bees and Other Pollinators”; and May 30, “Earth Kind Gardening: Control Pests the IPM Way.” For adults. Registration is encouraged. Register online or call 918-549-7323. Show Me How Business Series: Profiling Your B2B Target Market Tuesday, May 2 • 4-5 p.m. Learn how to build a profile of your ideal B2B (business-to-business) customers using library databases including Dun & Bradstreet, Hoovers, Reference USA and more. Registration is required. To register, call the Research Center at 918-549-7323, email askus@tulsalibrary.org or register online. Bucket Gardening Saturday, May 13 • 11 a.m.-noon Location: Tandy Children’s Garden Get started gardening with a nocost, upcycled container garden. The Seed Library will show you how to grow tomatoes, green beans, sweet
All Tulsa City-County Library locations will be closed Monday, May 29 for Memorial Day.
potatoes and more in upcycled containers. Supplies and space are limited. Registration is required. Register online or call 918-549-7323. For all ages. Movie in the Garden: "Westworld" Wednesday, May 31 • 7-8:30 p.m. Location: Tandy Children’s Garden Join us for the first in a trio of movies exploring the theme of this year's Adult Summer Reading Program – Build a Better World! See the 1973 sci-fi classic of robots gone wrong in "Westworld." Rated PG. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; movie starts at 7 p.m. Bring your chairs and blankets. For adults and teens.
COLLINSVILLE LIBRARY All Thumbs Knitters Wednesdays, May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 12:30-2:30 p.m. • All levels of knitting expertise are welcome to join us for this fun and instructional afternoon. For adults. Family Game Night Thursday, May 4 • 6-7:30 p.m. Enjoy a good old-fashioned game night with family and friends. We'll provide the games. For all ages.
HARDESTY REGIONAL LIBRARY Simple Steps for Starting Your Business: Start-Up Basics Thursday, May 4 • 6:30-8:30 p.m. Location: Oak 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. DIY: Cord-Cutting Q&A Monday, May 8 • 7-8 p.m. Location: Oak Room Rising TV costs getting you down? Mike Ransom, blogger on the topic of cord cutting, will help you learn about alternatives. Ransom will discuss the pros and cons of over-the-air antenna TV and Internet streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and Sling TV, and other ways you can "cut the cord" to cable or satellite and still enjoy your favorite programs. Bring your questions. Register online or call 918-549-7323. For adults.
Collinsville Book Discussion Tuesday, May 9 • noon-1 p.m. Read "Every Fifteen Minutes " by Lisa Scottoline and then join this fun group of readers for a lively discussion. Copies of the book are available at the library's circulation desk. For adults. Patchworkers: Quilting Tuesday, May 9 • 6:30-8 p.m. Join us for an evening of quilting and friendly conversation. For adults.
GLENPOOL LIBRARY Chicks Knit and Lit: Adult Knitting Fridays, May 5, 12, 19, 26 • 1-3 p.m. Knit, crochet, weave or do whatever fiber craft makes your fingers happy! We'll also talk about whatever good book or movie we've seen. Hearing loop available. Switch hearing aid to T-coil.
Tulsa City-County Library provides meeting rooms for customer use. Area organizations may reserve meeting rooms at any of our 24 locations. For meeting room policies and procedures or to reserve a room, visit www.tulsalibrary.org/ about/meeting-rooms.
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What's New on Ancestry Library Edition Wednesday, May 10 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Location: Maple Room Having trouble keeping up with all of the new material added to Ancestry Library Edition? Discover useful resources in this overview of lesserknown databases and new additions added to the website. For adults.
Winner of the Tulsa Library Trust’s 2017 Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers’ Literature
Friday, May 5 7 p.m.
Hardesty Regional Library Connor’s Cove 8316 E. 93rd St. 918.549.7323 Laurie Halse Anderson is the author of more than 18 books of fiction and nonfiction for “children of all ages." Her works address life’s challenges with honesty, humor and sensitivity. Speak, Anderson’s first young adult novel, was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. Chains, the first book in her Seeds of America trilogy about the American Revolution, also was chosen as a National Book Award finalist. Forge and Ashes complete the trilogy. Other young adult works by Anderson are Wintergirls, The Impossible Knife of Memory and Catalyst. Her works for young readers include The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School and Vet Volunteers series. Anderson will receive the 2017 Zarrow award and then speak about her life and works, answer questions from the audience and sign books. Copies of her books will be available for purchasing. After the presentation, Anderson will present awards to winners of Tulsa City-County Library’s 2017 Young People’s Creative Writing Contest.
www.TulsaLibrary.org
DIY Maker: Using a Sewing Machine Saturday, May 20 • 1:30-4 p.m. Location: Pecan Room Is your sewing machine starting to collect dust? Let us show you the basics of sewing. Learn to wind a bobbin, thread your machine, plus some basic stitches, and general machine care and maintenance. We will provide you with resources to pursue your own DIY sewing projects, answer questions and help you get started on your first project. Bring your sewing machine. For adults and teens. Summertime Movie: "Rogue One" Thursday, May 25 • 6-8:30 p.m. Location: Connor’s Cove Enjoy this "Star Wars" movie on the big screen! The Rebel Alliance makes a risky move to steal the plans for the Death Star, setting up the epic saga to follow. Rated PG-13. For teens and adults.
HELMERICH LIBRARY Monday Night Movie Monday, May 1 • 6-7:30 p.m. Join us for a showing of "Moana" (2016, rated G). Bring your Disney fans, children and adults. We will provide popcorn and soda. Books People Are Talking About Wednesday, May 17 • 12:15-1:15 p.m. Join us for our monthly book discussion as we read and discuss modern updates to some great classical works. In "Vinegar Girl," Anne Tyler reimagines Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew," while Margaret Atwood updates "The Tempest" in her novel "Hagseed." Light refreshments will be served. Sponsored by the Friends of the Helmerich Library. For adults. Mainly Mysteries: Summer Reading Smorgasbord Tuesday, May 30 • 6-7:30 p.m. In May, we will discuss "Missing Presumed" by Susie Steiner and share favorite mysteries in June. Sponsored by Friends of the Helmerich Library. For adults.
JENKS LIBRARY Jenks Library Book Discussion Group Thursday, May 18 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Join us for a lively discussion of a great book. Call 918-549-7323 for book title or more details. For adults.
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MARTIN REGIONAL LIBRARY Confident Parenting: Family Exercise and Activity Thursday, May 11 • 6:30-7:15 p.m. Calling all families! Are you ready to incorporate activity and fitness in your family's summer routine? This program is for you! Want to learn easy ways to get your family active with little or no time? Tired of your kids sitting around just staring at screens? Lacking motivation for your own fitness? Join Brooklyn Perez from Play Hard/Learning + Fitness as she presents quick fit tips. This program is for the whole family. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust.
NATHAN HALE LIBRARY Reading Across Genres Book Club Tuesday, May 30 • 11 a.m.-noon Read "The Wangs vs. the World" by Jade Change and then join us for this lively discussion. This humorous novel offers a different sort of immigrant experience to discuss. For adults.
OWASSO LIBRARY
Join Tulsa City-County Library’s 2017 Adult Summer Reading Program May 30-Aug. 5 For ages 16 and older Read or listen to four books by Aug. 5 and earn a wooden tower game (while supplies last) and coupons for free treats from our sponsors. Register online at www.TulsaLibrary.org/summer or pick up a registration form at any Tulsa City-County Library location. Summer reading is even better with great events like Music Sandwiched In, Film on the Lawn at Philbrook Museum, Getting Personal With Author Rilla Askew … to name just a few! Check the library’s upcoming June and July event guides for free events to complement the Adult Summer Reading Program.
Eat Better, Move More Mondays, May 1, 8, 15, 22 11 a.m.-noon • This nine-week class for older adults and/or caregivers focuses on improving nutrition and introducing movement and exercise. Instructors will share ways to improve your nutrition, and simple, fun ways to introduce movement and exercise into everyday routines. This class also will help you develop a plan that will enhance the quality of your life. Presented by the Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative. Registration is required. Call 918-549-7323 to register.
SCHUSTERMAN-BENSON LIBRARY Mystery Reader Roundtable Thursday, May 4 • 2-4 p.m. Come for coffee and find out what other mystery lovers are reading. For adults.
teens & tweens BIXBY LIBRARY May the 4th Be With You Thursday, May 4 • 1-7 p.m. Join us as we play games and make crafts that celebrate all things "Star Wars." For elementary school-aged children and teens.
t w e e n s Bixby Teen Manga/Anime Club Tuesday, May 16 • 6-7 p.m. Join us to discuss your favorite manga characters and books. For sixth- through 12th-graders. Movie Showing Saturday, May 20 • 1-4 p.m. Enjoy the beginning of summer with an afternoon showing of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." Glow sticks and popcorn included. Rated PG-13. For teens and tweens.
BROKEN ARROW LIBRARY Adventures in STEAM: American History Through American Art Friday, May 5 • 2-3 p.m. This presentation chronicles American history from the prehistoric period to the modern era using artifacts and representations of portraits, history paintings, landscapes and genre paintings. Presented by the Gilcrease Museum. For ages 9-12. Registration is required. Register online or call 918-549-7323. Read or Die Anime Club Saturday, May 20 • noon-2 p.m. Hang out with us as we watch anime, talk manga (and other stuff) and eat snacks. Come in cosplay or as you are! For ages 12-18.
BROKEN ARROW LIBRARY/SOUTH LEGO Build Monday, May 15 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Get hands-on experience with engineering principles as you design and build with LEGOS. For ages 5-18. In the Middle Monday, May 22 • 6:30-7:30 p.m. Join us as we discuss "Fuzzy Mud" by Louis Sachar. Light refreshments will be provided. For ages 9-12.
CENTRAL LIBRARY Movie in the Garden: "Westworld" Wednesday, May 31 • 7-8:30 p.m. Location: Tandy Children’s Garden Join us for the first in a trio of movies exploring the theme of this year's Adult Summer Reading Program – Build a Better World! See the 1973 sci-fi classic of robots gone wrong in "Westworld." Rated PG. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; movie starts at 7 p.m. Bring your chairs and blankets. For adults and teens.
TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY EVENT GUIDE
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COLLINSVILLE LIBRARY Teen Time Wednesday, May 3 • 3:30-4:30 p.m. Join us for online gaming. For ages 10-18. Sukikyo! Anime Club Wednesday, May 10 • 3:30-4:30 p.m. Discuss your favorite manga characters and books while making a craft. For ages 12-18.
GLENPOOL LIBRARY Tuesday Teen Lab Tuesday, May 9 • 3:30-4:30 p.m. Join us as we talk about books and make rubber-band race cars. How fast can yours go? Will your wheels stay on? Materials are provided. Create a Beaded Bracelet Saturday, May 13 • 10:30-11:30 a.m. Create a lovely beaded bracelet using glass beads. Materials are provided. Please register in advance so that we will have plenty of supplies. For ages 9-12.
HARDESTY REGIONAL LIBRARY Minecraft Gaming Thursday, May 4 • 6-8 p.m. Location: Computer Lab Put your imagination to the test building your own world in the popular game Minecraft. For ages 10-18. Meet Author Laurie Halse Anderson: Winner of the Tulsa Library Trust’s 2017 Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers’ Literature Friday, May 5 • 7 p.m. Location: Connor’s Cove Laurie Halse Anderson is the author of more than 18 books of fiction and nonfiction for “children of all ages.” Her works address life’s challenges with honesty, humor and sensitivity. Anderson will receive the 2017 Zarrow award and then speak about her life and works, answer questions from the audience and sign books. Copies of her books will be available for purchasing. After the presentation, Anderson will present awards to winners of Tulsa City-County Library’s 2017 Young People’s Creative Writing Contest. Hardesty Anime/Manga Club Saturday, May 13 • 1-2:30 p.m. Discuss your favorite manga characters and books while making a craft. For ages 12-18.
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Teen Summer Studio Arts Workshop: Screen Printing Saturday, May 20 • noon-3 p.m. Location: Frossard Auditorium Release your artistic side! Come and make a design to place on a T-shirt or tote bag. Register online to save your spot or at the ASK desk on the library's second floor. The Teen Summer Studio Arts Workshop series continues throughout the summer. Attend only a few of the classes or take them all! Each class introduces you to a new artistic medium. DIY Maker: Using a Sewing Machine Saturday, May 20 • 1:30-4 p.m. Location: Pecan Room Is your sewing machine starting to collect dust? Let us show you the basics of sewing. Learn to wind a bobbin, thread your machine, plus some basic stitches, and general machine care and maintenance. We will provide you with resources to pursue your own DIY sewing projects, answer questions and help you get started on your first project. Bring your sewing machine. For teens and adults. Summertime Movie: "Rogue One" Thursday, May 25 • 6-8:30 p.m. Location: Connor’s Cove Enjoy this "Star Wars" movie on the big screen! The Rebel Alliance makes a risky move to steal the plans for the Death Star, setting up the epic saga to follow. Rated PG-13. For teens and adults.
HELMERICH LIBRARY Cartooning/Illustration Workshop With Morgan Taylor Wednesday, May 31 • 1-2 p.m. Morgan Taylor guides students through a step-by-step characterbuilding project focused around his work on the award-winning Gustafer Yellowgold DVD/CD series. Topics include anatomy, character study and development. Class size is limited. Registration is required. Register online or call 918-549-7323. For teens.
JENKS LIBRARY Cartooning/Illustration Workshop With Morgan Taylor Wednesday, May 31 • 3-4 p.m. Morgan Taylor guides students through a step-by-step characterbuilding project focused around his work on the award-winning Gustafer Yellowgold DVD/CD series. Topics include anatomy, character study and development. For ages 10-12.
www.TulsaLibrary.org
Join Tulsa City-County Library’s 2017 Teen and Tween Summer Reading Program May 30-Aug. 5 Earn great prizes and coupons for food and local recreation! Attend awesome free events! Read for the fun of it! You must have completed fifth grade to participate.
SIGN UP
Visit any library to sign up and get a summer reading log and event guide. Or sign up online at www.TulsaLibrary.org/summer.
I N F O R M AT I O N
Visit www.TulsaLibrary.org/summer for a complete list of prizes, coupons and more details.
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MARTIN REGIONAL LIBRARY Summer Reading Program Kickoff Party Wednesday, May 31 • 1-2:30 p.m. Join library staff and local community groups to celebrate the start of the Summer Reading Program with fun games and activities! For all ages. Summer Reading Program Kickoff Party Movie Night Wednesday, May 31 • 6:30-8:30 p.m. Bring the entire family and celebrate the start of the Summer Reading Program with "The LEGO Movie."
PRATT LIBRARY Pop Bottle Lid Mosaics Wednesday, May 31 • 2-4 p.m. Groups will work together to make large pop bottle lid mosaics featuring the Summer Reading Program theme "Build a Better World." For ages 10-18.
SUBURBAN ACRES LIBRARY Black Music Month Essay/Art Contest Entries Accepted May 1-June 10 In recognition of Black Music Month, Suburban Acres Library is offering an essay/art contest for ages 1215. Entries will be judged based on creativity and clarity of expressing your love for music, in particular, music created and performed by AfricanAmerican artists/entertainers. ESSAY CRITERIA: Essays must be at least one paragraph and no more than three paragraphs in length. Essays must be typed and submitted with an entry form. ARTWORK CRITERIA: Artwork cannot be violent or vulgar, and must be on unlined paper and submitted with an entry form. One entry can be submitted for each category. Deadline for submissions is June 10. Call the Suburban Acres Library at 918-549-7323 for more information. For ages 10-18. Mother's Day Mason Jar Craft Saturday, May 6 • 1-3 p.m. Create a mason jar craft to present to the special woman in your life ... MOM! Limited supplies are available for participants. For ages 10 and older.
ZARROW REGIONAL LIBRARY Minecraft Night Thursday, May 25 • 6-7 p.m. Location: Computer Lab Put your imagination to the test building your own world in the popular game Minecraft! For ages 10-18. Seating is limited.
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digital services CENTRAL LIBRARY Digital Literacy Lab Orientation Tuesday, May 9 • noon-1 p.m. Thursday, May 25 • 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, May 31 • 1-2 p.m. Location: Digital Literacy Lab Want to learn more about the American Electric Power Foundation Digital Literacy Lab? Come and see what we’re about! Orientation is required before independent use of the lab. Class size is limited. Call 918-549-7323 to register or register online. For ages 12 and older. Intro to 3-D Printing Wednesday, May 10 • 6-7 p.m. Location: Maker Space This orientation covers the equipment, software used and potential projects for you to develop. Attending this demonstration qualifies you to use the equipment along with general Maker Space access. No registration required but seating is limited. For all ages. Intro to Laser Engraving Wednesday, May 17 • 6-7 p.m. Location: Maker Space Orientation covers the equipment, software and potential projects for you to develop. Attending this event qualifies you to use the equipment along with general Maker Space access. Seating is limited. For all ages.
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Intro to CNC Milling Wednesday, May 24 • 6-7 p.m. Location: Maker Space Orientation covers the equipment, software and potential projects for you to develop. Attending this event qualifies you to use the equipment along with general Maker Space access. Seating is limited. For all ages. Digital Literacy: Tracking and Data Retention Friday, May 26 • noon-1 p.m. Location: Digital Literacy Lab Join Luke Crouch, software engineer at Mozilla, and learn how to safeguard your privacy online and develop an awareness of how companies and governments track and collect your data online. Class size is limited. Register online. For adults.
HARDESTY REGIONAL LIBRARY MS PowerPoint 101 Tuesday, May 2 • 6-8 p.m. Location: Computer Lab This class shows how to create group presentations and slide shows. You should take MS Word 2 prior to taking this class. For adults. MS Word 1 Tuesday, May 9 • 6-8 p.m. Location: Computer Lab Learn how to use toolbars and menus, set margins, apply spell check, and preview, save and print documents. You should have some experience using a keyboard and mouse prior to taking this class. For adults.
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3-D Printer Demo Wednesday, May 10 • 7-8 p.m. Friday, May 26 • 3:30-4:30 p.m. See what 3-D printing is all about with a demonstration of the Ultimaker2 3-D printer. For all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult. MS Word 2 Tuesday, May 16 • 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. MS Word 3 Tuesday, May 23 • 6-8 p.m. Location: Computer Lab This class shows how to create and use borders and shading, headers and footers, page numbering and drawing tools. You should take MS Word 2 prior to taking this class. For adults. Job-Hunting Resources @ the Library Wednesday, May 24 • 10-11:30 a.m. Location: Computer Lab Discover Tulsa City-County Library’s many free resources for job hunters. Learn about the Job Help Research Guide, plus the interactive service JobNow and the U.S. Jobs/Internships section of ReferenceUSA. We'll also show you where and how to look for company and industry research to help prepare you to shine at that big interview! Register online or call 918-549-7323. For adults. MS Word 4 Tuesday, May 30 • 6-8 p.m. Location: Computer Lab This class explores mail merge, and shows how to use tables to perform calculations and create onscreen forms. You should take MS Word 3 prior to taking this class. For adults.
ZARROW REGIONAL LIBRARY Need individualized instruction on a library product or service? Whether you need to learn how to download eBooks or improve your job skills, we are here to help. Book-A-Librarian appointments are available on a first-come, first-served basis and generally last 30-60 minutes. Registration is required. Contact your neighborhood library to reserve your time or call 918-549-7323 for more details.
Intro to 3-D Printing Thursday, May 11 • 2-3 p.m. Monday, May 22 • 6-7 p.m. Get an introduction to our 3-D printing equipment and software, along with a general safety overview. For all ages. Really Basic Computer Class Wednesday, May 17 • 1:30-2:30 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 all ages.
TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY EVENT GUIDE
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Introduction to MS Word Thursday, May 25 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Location: Computer Lab Learn how to use toolbars and menus, set margins, apply spell check, and preview, save and print documents. You should have some experience using a keyboard and mouse prior to taking this class. For all ages. Email 101 Wednesday, May 31 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Location: Computer Lab This class teaches you how to set up a free account and use it to send and receive email. You should have a familiarity with the basic functions of navigating the Internet prior to taking this class. For all ages.
children BIXBY LIBRARY May the 4th Be With You Thursday, May 4 • 1-7 p.m. Join us as we play games and make crafts that celebrate all things "Star Wars." For elementary school-aged children and teens. PAWS for Reading for Kids Thursday, May 11 • 6-7:30 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are
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excellent listeners. Kids 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. For independent readers in kindergarten through fifth grade. Registration is required. Call 918-549-7323 to register.
BROKEN ARROW LIBRARY PAWS for Reading Wednesday, May 10 • 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 is required. Call 918-549-7323 to register.
tulsa city-county library locations 24 Bixby Library
20 E. Breckenridge, 74008 • 918-549-7323 M, W, F, 10-6; T, Th, 12-8; Sat., 10-5 18 Broken Arrow Library 300 W. Broadway, 74012 • 918-549-7323 M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 22 Broken Arrow Library/South 3600 S. Chestnut, 74011 • 918-549-7323 M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 16 Brookside Library 1207 E. 45th Place, 74105 • 918-549-7323 M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 9 Central Library 400 Civic Center, 74103 • 918-549-7323 M-Th, 9-9; Fri., 9-6; Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5 8 Charles Page Library 551 E. Fourth St., Sand Springs, 74063 918-549-7521 • M, W, F, 10-6; T, Th, 10-8; Sat., 10-5 2 Collinsville Library 1223 Main, 74021 • 918-549-7528 M, W, F, 10-6; T, Th, 12-8; Sat., 10-5 23 Glenpool Library 730 E. 141st St., 74033 • 918-549-7323 M, W, F, 10-6; T, Th, 12-8; Sat., 10-5 21 Hardesty Regional Library and Genealogy Center 8316 E. 93rd St., 74133 • 918-549-7323 M-Th, 9-9; Fri., 9-6; Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5 20 Helmerich Library 5131 E. 91st St., 74137 • 918-549-7323 M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 17 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 19 Jenks Library 523 W. B St., 74037 • 918-549-7323 M, W, F, 10-6; T, Th, 10-8; Sat., 10-5 3 Judy Z. Kishner Library 10150 N. Cincinnati Ave. E., Sperry 74073 • 918-549-7577 M, W, F, 10-6; T, Th, 12-8; Sat., 10-5
10 Kendall-Whittier Library
21 S. Lewis, 74104 • 918-549-7584 Mon.-Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 14 Martin Regional Library and Hispanic Resource Center 2601 S. Garnett Road, 74129 • 918-549-7323 M-Th, 9-9; Fri., 9-6; Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5 7 Maxwell Park Library 1313 N. Canton, 74115 • 918-549-7323 M, T, W, Th, F, 10-6; Sat., 10-5 13 Nathan Hale Library 6038 E. 23rd St., 74114 • 918-549-7323 M, T, W, Th, F, 10-6; Sat., 10-5 4 Owasso Library 103 W. Broadway, 74055 • 918-549-7323 M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 11 Pratt Library 3219 S. 113th W. Ave., Sand Springs, 74063 • 918-549-7638 M, W, F, 10-6; T, Th, 10-8; Sat., 10-5 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 12 Schusterman-Benson Library 3333 E. 32nd Place, 74135 918-549-7323 • M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 1 Skiatook Library 316 E. Rogers, 74070 • 918-549-7676 M, W, F, 10-6; T, Th, 12-8; Sat., 10-5 5 Suburban Acres Library 4606 N. Garrison, 74126 • 918-549-7323 M, T, W, Th, F, 10-6; Sat., 10-5 15 Zarrow Regional Library and American Indian Resource Center 2224 W. 51st St., 74107 • 918-549-7323 M-Th, 9-9; Fri.-Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5
www.TulsaLibrary.org
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Tommy Terrific’s Build a Magical World Wednesday, May 24 • 2-3 p.m. Tommy’s show features magic tricks representing great architectural structures from around the world, like the Great Pyramids, Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China. With the help of the Magician's Handbook, children guide Tommy Terrific through a worldwide, magical adventure where these great structures are explored. For grades K-5. Vaudeville Folk Duo: Jack and Kitty Norton Tuesday, May 30 • 1-1:55 p.m. Tuesday, May 30 • 2-2:55 p.m. This Emmy Award-winning duo are co-creators and co-stars of a hit TV series for preschoolers, which airs on
c h i l d r e n over 150 PBS stations nationwide and in 175 countries worldwide via the AFN Family Network. Nominated for six Emmy awards, Jack and Kitty's show is seen by an average of 5 million families every day! For kids of all ages. Mr. Stinky Feet Returns Wednesday, May 31 • 2-2:55 p.m. Wednesday, May 31 • 3-3:55 p.m. Mr. Stinky Feet will get the whole family rocking! With a healthy dose of clever fun and a whole lot of heart, Jim Cosgrove’s music inspires the childlike nature of kids and adults. The songs in his set list give a nod to his folk-rock roots with hints of blues and country and an occasional kick of Cajun and Jamaican spice. His hit tunes “Stinky Feet” and “Ooey Gooey” tickle the whimsical spirits of kids of all ages.
BROKEN ARROW LIBRARY/SOUTH PAWS for Reading Wednesday, May 3 • 4:30-5:30 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 is required. Call 918-549-7323 to register. BA Sidewalk Astronomers: Hear Our Sun Thursday, May 4 • 6:30-7:30 p.m. Listen to our star’s electromagnetic emissions and use an itty-bitty radio telescope (weather permitting). A Plan B solar activity will be in place if the weather is inclement. For elementary school-aged children. LEGO Build Monday, May 15 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Get hands-on experience with engineering principles as you design and build with LEGOS. For ages 5-18. Tommy Terrific’s Build a Magical World Wednesday, May 24 • 4-5 p.m. Tommy’s show features magic tricks representing great architectural structures from around the world, like the Great Pyramids, Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China. With the help of the Magician's Handbook, children guide Tommy Terrific through a worldwide, magical adventure where these great structures are explored. For grades K-5.
BROOKSIDE LIBRARY Tommy Terrific’s Build a Magical World Monday, May 22 • 3:30-4:15 p.m. Tommy's show features magic tricks representing great architectural structures from around the world, like the Great Pyramids, Eiffel Tower and the
Great Wall of China. With the help of a Magician's Handbook, children guide Tommy Terrific through a worldwide, magical adventure where these great structures are explored. For grades K-5.
CENTRAL LIBRARY First Friday With Gilcrease Friday, May 5 • 4:30-5:30 p.m. Location: Tandy Children’s Garden Begin your First Friday Art Crawl at Central Library. Gilcrease staff will help us explore artists featured at the museum while your young artist creates a masterpiece of his/her own. For ages 5-10. Build-a-Better-Future Storytime Tuesday, May 30 • 10:30-11 a.m. Location: Mary K. Chapman Children’s Storytime Room What do you want to be when you grow up? Come to this special storytime and meet someone from a different profession each week. For children ages 3-7. Babies, Bubbles & Books Wednesday, May 31 • 10:30-11 a.m. Location: Tandy Children’s Garden Enjoy stories, rhymes and songs with your little one in this garden storytime. For newborns to 2-yearolds and their caregivers.
COLLINSVILLE LIBRARY PAWS for Reading Monday, May 15 • 3:30-4:30 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 is required. Call 918-549-7528 to register.
GLENPOOL LIBRARY PAWS for Reading Thursday, May 18 • 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 is required. Call 918-549-7323 to register. LEGO Club Thursday, May 25 • 4-5 p.m. Bring your creativity; we'll supply the LEGOS. For ages 5-11.
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HERMAN AND KATE KAISER LIBRARY
Meet Author Laurie Halse Anderson: Winner of the Tulsa Library Trust’s 2017 Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers’ Literature Friday, May 5 • 7 p.m. Location: Connor’s Cove Laurie Halse Anderson is the author of more than 18 books of fiction and nonfiction for “children of all ages.” Her works address life’s challenges with honesty, humor and sensitivity. Anderson will receive the 2017 Zarrow award and then speak about her life and works, answer questions from the audience and sign books. Copies of her books will be available for purchasing. After the presentation, Anderson will present awards to winners of Tulsa City-County Library’s 2017 Young People’s Creative Writing Contest.
Bounce'n Beethovens Friday, May 5 • 10:30-11:30 a.m. Join Katherine Battenberg from the Midtown School of Performing Arts for this high-energy parent/child music class that introduces children to a variety of musical instruments and styles. For ages 5 and younger with their caregivers. Class size is limited; registration is required. Call 918-549-7542 to register.
Tommy Terrific’s Build a Magical World Tuesday, May 23 • 11 a.m.-noon Tuesday, May 23 • 2-3 p.m. Location: Connor’s Cove Tommy’s show features magic tricks representing great architectural structures from around the world, like the Great Pyramids, Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China. With the help of the Magician's Handbook, children guide Tommy Terrific through a worldwide, magical adventure where these great structures are explored. For grades K-5. My First Storytime With Ms. Julia Tuesday, May 30 • 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-year-olds and their caregivers. Mr. Stinky Feet Returns Tuesday, May 30 • 11 a.m.-noon Tuesday, May 30 • 2-3 p.m. Location: Connor’s Cove Mr. Stinky Feet will get the whole family rocking! With a healthy dose of clever fun and a whole lot of heart, Jim Cosgrove’s music inspires the childlike nature of kids and adults. The songs in his set list give a nod to his folk-rock roots with hints of blues and country and an occasional kick of Cajun and Jamaican spice. His hit tunes “Stinky Feet” and “Ooey Gooey” tickle the whimsical spirits of kids of all ages. Toddler Time Wednesday, May 31 • 10-10:20 a.m. Enjoy stories, action rhymes, fun flannels, music, bubbles and meeting other toddlers in the neighborhood. For ages 2-3 and their caregivers. Mr. Paul's Preschool Storytime Wednesday, May 31 • 11-11:30 a.m. Sing songs and hear stories with your neighborhood friends. For ages 3-5.
Dustin Reudelhuber – The Balloon Guy! Wednesday, May 31 • 1-2 p.m. Voted children's entertainer of the year by TulsaKids magazine, Dustin entertains audiences with magic, juggling and amazing balloon sculptures. You never know what to expect! For ages 12 and younger.
JENKS LIBRARY PAWS for Reading Tuesday, May 2 • 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. Space is limited. Registration is required. Call 918-549-7323 to register.
KENDALL-WHITTIER LIBRARY Kite Day Saturday, May 6 • 2:30-4:30 p.m. Come and make a kite, and then have fun flying your kite high in the sky! Materials are provided. For all ages. Vaudeville Folk Duo: Jack and Kitty Norton Wednesday, May 31 • 1-1:45 p.m. This Emmy Award-winning duo are co-creators and co-stars of a hit TV series for preschoolers, which airs on over 150 PBS stations nationwide and in 175 countries worldwide via the AFN Family Network. Nominated for six Emmy awards, Jack and Kitty's show is seen by an average of 5 million families every day! For kids of all ages.
MARTIN REGIONAL LIBRARY Bilingual Flamenco Storytime Saturday, May 6 • 2-2:30 p.m. Enjoy flamenco dance and creative movement at this fun storytime. English and Spanish speakers are welcome! For ages 1-5 and their caregivers.
TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY EVENT GUIDE
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Summer Reading Program Kickoff Party Wednesday, May 31 • 1-2:30 p.m. Join library staff and local community groups to celebrate the start of the Summer Reading Program with fun games and activities! For all ages. Summer Reading Program Kickoff Party Movie Night Wednesday, May 31 • 6:30-8:30 p.m. Bring the entire family and celebrate the start of the Summer Reading Program with "The LEGO Movie."
MAXWELL PARK LIBRARY Family Storytime Tuesdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 3-3:30 p.m. • Enjoy great stories, silly songs and fun finger plays with friends and family. For all ages. Preschool Storytime Wednesdays, May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 10:30-11 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 5 and younger.
Join Tulsa City-County Library’s 2017 Children’s Summer Reading Program May 30-Aug. 5 Earn great prizes and coupons for food and local recreation! Attend awesome free events! Read for the fun of it! Babies through fifth-graders may participate.
SIGN UP
Visit any library to sign up and get a summer reading log and event guide. Read eight books and visit the library four times to complete the program.
I N F O R M AT I O N
Visit www.TulsaLibrary.org/summer for a complete list of prizes, coupons and more details.
PRESENTED BY
Tommy Terrific's Build a Magical World Monday, May 22 • 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tommy's show features magic tricks representing great architectural structures from around the world, like the Great Pyramids, Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China. With the help of a Magician's Handbook, children guide Tommy Terrific through a worldwide, magical adventure where these great structures are explored. For grades K-5.
NATHAN HALE LIBRARY Dustin Reudelhuber – The Balloon Guy! Tuesday, May 30 • 1-2 p.m. Voted children's entertainer of the year by TulsaKids magazine, Dustin entertains audiences with magic, juggling and amazing balloon sculptures. You never know what to expect! For ages 12 and younger.
RUDISILL REGIONAL LIBRARY Preschool Storytime Wednesday, May 3 • 10-10:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 30 • 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. Mr. Stinky Feet Returns Wednesday, May 31 • 10-11 a.m. Mr. Stinky Feet will get the whole family rocking! With a healthy dose of clever fun and a whole lot of heart, Jim Cosgrove’s music inspires the childlike nature of kids and adults.
The songs in his set list give a nod to his folk-rock roots with hints of blues and country and an occasional kick of Cajun and Jamaican spice.
SCHUSTERMANBENSON LIBRARY PAWS for Reading Monday, May 8 • 3:30-4:30 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. Vaudeville Folk Duo: Jack and Kitty Norton Wednesday, May 31 • 10-11 a.m. This Emmy Award-winning duo are co-creators and co-stars of a hit TV series for preschoolers, which airs on over 150 PBS stations nationwide and in 175 countries worldwide via the AFN Family Network. Nominated for six Emmy awards, Jack and Kitty's show is seen by an average of 5 million families every day! For children of all ages.
SKIATOOK LIBRARY PAWS for Reading With Miss Fred Saturday, May 27 ● 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. TO SEARCH FOR EVENTS, SCAN THIS CODE USING YOUR MOBILE DEVICE AND QR SCANNER APP.
NOW OPEN at Central Library Mon.-Thur., 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri. & Sat., 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun., 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
Free and Open to the Public If you are hearing-impaired 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.
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.
thing from climate change to a story for the ages to today’s heroes to finding solutions to some of our most pressing concerns. The introduction bears sections tailored from both authors’ perspectives. The book tends to put their perspectives in order so that readers enjoy a better sense about where protecting the planet is going. From science to politics, the book promises a deep understanding of what we as a people are doing to the Earth and how to mend our ways. Both writers are well known in their respective fields, offering substantial insight into appreciating Earth’s frailties. Although each writer explores a different avenue of concern, together they make a formidable team. Their engaging and optimistic view also give us hope of knowing a better world.
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Science & Nature
LANGUAGE AT THE SPEED OF SIGHT: HOW WE READ, WHY SO MANY CAN’T, AND WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT By Mark Seidenberg Basic Books, $28.99, 374 pages Reviewed by George Erdosh Check this out!
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UNIVERSAL: A GUIDE TO THE COSMOS By Brian Cox, Jeff Forshaw Da Capo Press, $35.00, 320 pages Reviewed by D. Wayne Dworsky Check this out! Panning half a century, our quest to understand how the universe works has remained at the forefront of our most engaging inquiries. It’s only been in recent times that the tools to study the marvels of nature have come into existence. Scientists, too, have evolved to partake in this amazing journey to understand our place in the cosmos. With great enthusiasm, Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw have compiled an incredible volume, Universal, that helps explain it all. Brian Cox is well known for his dynamic narratives in hosting science documentaries on television. The two authors are colleagues at the University of Manchester, England, where they are professors in particle physics and theoretical physics, respectively. One of the more intriguing discoveries of the authors’ work is Brian Cox’s discussion of how vast distances such as the distance between stars are calculated using the concept of parallax. He managed to describe the distance of stars with easy-to-understand concepts without distorting scientific theory. Similarly, the chapter on weighing the universe tells us what’s in it. Such concerns as What Happened Before the Big Bang raise further questions that drive scientific inquiry. The book holds a strategic place in the scientific repertoire. TRUE GENIUS: THE LIFE AND WORK OF RICHARD GARWIN, THE MOST INFLUENTIAL SCIENTIST YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF By Joel Shurkin Prometheus Books, $25.00, 340 pages Reviewed by George Erdosh Check this out! True Genius is a fascinating, very detailed biography of a physicist and inventor, Richard Garwin. His name is not well known, yet his influence and work during the Cold War years were substantial, starting in Los Alamos, New Mexico with his work on the thermonuclear device and later as one of the scientific advisors to the Presidents. Author Joel Shurkin has undertaken an exhaustive research to write this biography, in places almost painstakingly detailed. This is far more than a biography—it is the interesting history throughout the Cold War years, including the politics but particularly the role of the scientists (mostly physicists and mathematicians) who developed the hydrogen bomb. Though ethically opposed, they knew if they didn’t do it, the Russians would. The text includes numerous quotes by Garwin and his colleagues. As an inventor, Garwin worked part time for IBM, and his work there is also good reading. The book includes twenty-two black-and-white photos. Though the book is not a page-turner, readers who like reading biographies or who like science and politics during the Cold War will enjoy this volume. The text is full of superscript numbers referring to notes at the end with references.
Although Language at the Speed of Sight is purely an academic, scholarly volume, author Mark Seidenberg’s writing skill is so good that many non-scientific readers will also enjoy the book, even though reading it from cover to cover is a formidable task and well beyond the interest of most readers. The book is obviously the result of considerable research and writing—a tremendous amount of information related to reading and its closely related brain activities, speaking and writing, is presented here in three sections, each with several chapters. The author was careful to break up chapters into shorter, easily readable subchapters for readers’ convenience. Though all of us read all the time (food labels, Facebook posts, novels, street signs, e-mails), we are not aware that reading is an extraordinarily complex act, the brain activities of which have been studied for a long time. This book deals with every aspect of reading: how children learn it, dyslexia and its several forms, why the US population is so far behind among the world’s many nations’ reading abilities, and so on. The book includes occasional sketches, tables, and graphs to illustrate concepts and ends with extensive notes and references, perfect for teachers and academic libraries.
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PROTECTING THE PLANET: ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPIONS FROM CONSERVATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE By Budd Titlow, Mariah Tinger Prometheus Books, $26.00, 587 pages Reviewed by D. Wayne Dworsky Check this out! God knows—the planet is in desperate need of protection. What humans have been doing to Earth during the last hundred years is reprehensible. But help is on the way. Budd Titlow and Mariah Tinger have compiled a marvelous volume, Protecting the Planet, in which they outline a strategy to save our crumbling world. The book covers many areas that need our attention as stewards of our biosphere. The authors have examined everyTulsa Book Review • May 2017 • 9
THE NEARNESS OF YOU: A NOVEL By Amanda Eyre Ward Ballantine Books, $27.00, 240 pages Reviewed by Margo Orlando Littell Check this out!
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Fiction
Suzette Kendall is a brilliant, respected heart surgeon who has never wanted children. Her aversion to motherhood is rooted partly in her career ambitions–and, more seriously, in her desire to stop her family’s history of mental illness in its tracks. But when her husband, Hyland, insists on having a family, Suzette agrees to choose a surrogate. Hyland and the surrogate will be the baby’s biological parents. When they meet Dorrie, they ignore their doubts and move forward with the process. However, instead of joining Suzette and Hyland at the first ultrasound appointment, Dorrie disappears. As the narrative winds through the viewpoints of Suzette, Dorrie, and other characters, Ward reveals what happens after Dorrie flees–including the spiral of unfortunate consequences that brings this patchwork family together in circumstances none of them could have foreseen. All is not exactly as it seems, however, and Ward holds back her last surprise until the book’s final chapters. Questioning the very idea of what makes a woman a mother, Nearness suggests that no mistake is too terrible to forgive to ensure a child’s happiness.
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DOCTOR WHO: THE FOURTH DOCTOR VOLUME 1 - GAZE OF THE MEDUSA By Gordon Rennie, Emma Beeby, Brian Williamson (illustrator) Titan Comics, $19.99, 128 pages Reviewed by Glenn Dallas Check this out! When the Doctor and Sarah Jane explore Victorian London on a lark, they don’t expect to find monstrous cyclopses or people being turned to stone. And when Sarah Jane is kidnapped by a mysterious woman hellbent on unlocking the secrets of time travel, only the Doctor and his new allies can save her. But will anyone survive when the Gaze of the Medusa is unleashed? Arguably the most popular of the original Doctors, the Fourth Doctor finally makes the jump to comics in Gaze of the Medusa, and its monster-heavy, campy style seems to fit the Tom Baker era perfectly. With a touch of the timey-wimey shenanigans you’d expect from new-era Who, there’s something here for fans of all Doctors. That being said, once you have the elements in place, the story feels a bit lackluster, since the reader has no problem seeing how all the pieces fit and how the Doctor will stop the threat. Doctor Who stories thrive on intimate moments and unpredictability, and I don’t feel like we got enough of either in this one. Although this is a solid starter, hopefully the later volumes will ratchet things up. DOCTOR WHO COMICS EVENT: THE SUPREMACY OF THE CYBERMEN By George Mann, Cavan Scott, Alessandro Vitti (illustrator) Titan Comics, $19.99, 128 pages Reviewed by Glenn Dallas Check this out! As the Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Doctors explore the universe, they uncover a monstrous threat that shouldn’t be possible. The Cybermen are everywhere, not only in space, but in time! From prehistoric Earth to Gallifrey itself, the Cybermen are taking over. But even with four Doctors spread out across time battling the invasion, will that be enough to save the universe from cyberconversion? To be honest, I’ve been underwhelmed with the big event crossovers in Doctor Who comics thus far. They seem so hellbent on being enormous timey-wimey things that they miss out on giving us solid moments with each Doctor. But The Supremacy of the Cybermen makes the most of every character who appears, allowing the nuances of each to inform his attempts to save the galaxy. It’s deft plotting and storytelling that shows just how well the writers know these characters. The tension ratchets up with every passing page, leaving you practically breathless by the time the story is done. No twist seems too ludicrous, no development too lucky or out of place. It all works seamlessly, which for a Doctor Who story is something of a minor miracle. The Supremacy of the Cybermen is fantastic stuff. HARD JUSTICE: A BODY ARMOR NOVEL By Lori Foster HQN Books, $7.99, 384 pages Reviewed by Debbie Suzuki Check this out! Justice Wallington is a former heavyweight MMA fighter who is now a bodyguard with Body Armor and responsible for keeping heiress Fallon Wade safe. The two are polar opposites, but the chemistry between them is undeniable, and the two find themselves irresistibly drawn to each other. When danger threatens Fallon, Justice needs to find a way to keep her safe and decide just how far he’s willing to take their relationship. Hard Justice has all the hallmarks of an amazing Lori Foster book. It’s filled with heart, action, and a style of writing that will suck you in and make you fall in love with all the characters. Justice is a bit rough around the edges but has a mix of sexiness, protectiveness, and charm that will win your heart. Fallon will have you rooting for her to find her happily-ever-after, and there are several cameos from favorite characters from Foster’s Ultimate series that die-hard fans will love. The story line is fast-paced and never has a dull moment. If you are looking for a great romance with unforgettable characters and a story line that will suck you in, this is the book for you!
VIRGIN AND OTHER STORIES By April Ayers Lawson Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $23.00, 192 pages Reviewed by Holly Scudero Check this out! If love is complicated, sex is even more so, not to mention confusing. This collection of short stories by award-winning author April Ayers Lawson explores various sexually-charged themes, from a woman who struggles with sexual intimacy after getting married (“Virgin,” the title story) to a boy who struggles both with his budding teenage sexuality and the fact that his mother’s best friend is transgender (“The Negative Effects of Homeschooling”). Each protagonist is unique, with their own nuanced voice, and each story explores a wide variety of topics, including infidelity, the role of religion in sexuality, abuse, and more. Each of these stories is a satisfying length, long enough for readers to become immersed and invested in each character but not so long that the stories become dull or tedious. Lawson writes with a sense of clarity that cuts through the clutter of her characters’ minds and gets to the heart of their emotions while still reveling in their internal struggles. This collection is one that is meant to be savored, one readers can linger over and turn over in their minds as they contemplate the ideas that are raised. SIGNALS: NEW AND SELECTED STORIES By Tim Gautreaux Knopf, $26.95, 363 pages Reviewed by Julia McMichael Check this out! If you are someone who dislikes short stories, this book was written especially for you. Generally, people make up their minds that short stories tend to run together, making each one indistinct. Since they come from the pen of the same writer, sometimes the stories are jumbled. Not so in this book. Each story is distinct, clearly told, and highly original. Generally, in reviewing books, I can read right through any collection. Not so with this book; after each story, I needed to close the book and reflect on the story, the characters, and the beautiful writing. And I am not just writing a glowing review based on the implicit threats in the short story “The Review.” In that remarkable story, a writer becomes obsessed with the negative online review of his book. It is an intriguing story and one that is sure to give any reviewer great pause. Also, only a Catholic could tell the story of the Catholic priest who has a few too many and is called out to perform the last rites. Like the priest and the writer, these stories are about unusual characters who generally are overlooked as heroes in stories. If you love great writing, run to get this book and buy copies for all your friends. I’LL TAKE YOU THERE: A NOVEL By Wally Lamb Harper, $25.99, 272 pages Reviewed by Tamara Benson Check this out! “William Faulkner wrote that ‘the past is never dead.’ F. Scott Fitzgerald concluded The Great Gatsby with these words: ‘So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.’” Wally Lamb, in his latest novel I’ll Take You There, reintroduces the character of Felix Funicello, last seen as a child in Wishin’ and Hopin’. Felix, now sixty, is a professor of film who runs a Monday night film group at a local theatre and former vaudeville venue. One night he is joined by the ghost of Lois Weber, one of the first female directors from the silent film era, and Billie Dove, a silent film star. Lois is there to guide him through films of his life so that he can learn something about the struggles the women in his life, past and present, have had to face. These meetings help him to reexamine the relationships he has See I’LL TAKE YOU cont’d on page 11
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Book Reviews
Fiction
I’LL TAKE YOU cont’d from page 10 with his daughter, ex-wife, and sisters, among others, and to face a long buried dark family secret. Lamb once more gives us wonderfully nuanced characters who pull you into the story. Although this may not count among one of his best novels, it is a lovely, quiet read and a true pleasure.
BESTSELLERS COMING SOON
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IDAHO: A NOVEL By Emily Ruskovich Random House, $27.00, 320 pages Reviewed by Margo Orlando Littell Check this out!
Search the library’s catalog at www.TulsaLibrary.org to reserve your copies now.
Wade Mitchell’s past is split brutally into a before and after: one lovely summer day, an ordinary errand--chopping wood in the mountains--left one of his daughters missing and one dead. Years later, Wade’s new wife, Ann, tries in her own quiet way to unravel the mystery of what happened, which is no easy task since Wade has never been willing to discuss it--and, more problematic, his memory is rapidly disappearing. Ann and Wade live more or less contentedly in the knowledge that their daily life is fundamentally different from other people’s and that unlucky genes have fated their happiness to be fleeting. Meanwhile, in a women’s prison, two women flounder into an unexpected friendship that results in the one thing no one in this fractured family web has ever sought: redemption. With a narrative that skips back and forth in time and across multiple points of view, Idaho plunges into the lifelong fissures left by unfathomable loss and shows how pain can change and recede without necessarily fading. Ruskovich’s prose is poetic and searing, but her spot-on descriptions of nature--both human and environmental--stop short of easy explanations. The horrific act at the center of this novel defies comprehension, but Ruskovich’s beautiful story ultimately shows that accepting even the most terrible mysteries is the only way to carry on.
Traveling the Mother Road this Spring?
Download the Guide to Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives for diners on this route and many others.
Tulsa Book Review • May 2017 • 11
LOCKWOOD & CO.: THE CREEPING SHADOW By Jonathan Stroud Disney-Hyperion, $16.99, 464 pages Reviewed by J. Aislynn d’Merricksson Check this out!
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Tweens SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL: SQUIRREL MEETS WORLD By Shannon Hale, Dean Hale Marvel, $, 324 pages Reviewed by Kelly Bayles, Brookside Library Manager Check this out! Doreen Green is a normal 14-year-old girl. After she and her parents move to New Jersey, Doreen has to go to a new school and try to make new friends. Oh, and keep her tail, her superstrength and the fact that she can talk to squirrels a secret. When crime strikes her neighborhood, Doreen realizes that instead of hiding her powers she can use them to make a difference. Soon, Doreen is the talk of the town and embracing her new superhero identity: Squirrel Girl! The stakes are raised when a mysterious, evil villain challenges Squirrel Girl. With her newfound human and squirrel friends by her side, will Squirrel Girl be able to save the day? Squirrel Meets World serves as a prequel to Marvel Comics’ ongoing Squirrel Girl series. Shannon and Dean Hale do a wonderful job translating elements of the comics, like the running footnote commentary and text message conversations between Squirrel Girl and the Avengers, into book form. Doreen is an upbeat, enthusiastic superhero that readers will love. Whether you’re already a fan of Doreen or meeting her for the first time, Squirrel Meets World is a laugh-out-loud adventure full of humor, heart and lots of squirrel puns. THE PANTS PROJECT By Cat Clarke Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, $16.99, 272 pages Reviewed by Rebecca Williams Check this out! Liv is dreading school at Bankridge Middle. Not the new school, not being young a 6th grader, but having to wear a skirt every day. See, Liv may look like a girl, but he feels like a boy. He is transgender, a secret he has kept for some time from his moms, his younger brother, and his best friend. He’s not quite ready to share that, and he is definitely not ready for a dress code that requires skirts. With a best friend who sees Liv as an obstacle to being popular and a mean girl who can’t stand anyone different, Liv doesn’t think that this year could ever get better, but with some new friends and some scheming, he might be able to change things around. Clarke artfully twists together LGBTQ concerns and disability issues with self-esteem, respect, and compassion. This book is a current day Beverly Cleary or Judy Blume, delving into issues faced by kids, like bullying and tolerance, but with an issue experienced by many kids today. It is a read suited for those as young as third grade, with numerous quotable sentiments that apply to all. It’s about standing up for yourself, in pants or a skirt. RONIT & JAMIL By Pamela L. Laskin Katherine Tegen Books, $17.99, 192 pages Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Check this out! Ronit, an Israeli teen, lives with her parents and sisters near the wall that separates her village from the Palestinian territory. Ronit goes with her father, a pharmacist, to a clinic in East Jerusalem run by an Arab doctor. The doctor’s son, Jamil, is there. Both fathers warn their children to not look at the other. Of course, they do look at each other and find each is fascinated with the other. Soon they are finding ways to meet and spend time together, and, inevitably, they fall in love. Over time, their love deepens, and they become more and more desperate to be together. But the danger is always that their families will discover their relationship and put an end to it. The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is one many young Americans know little about. This modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet is an excellent story to use to introduce the issue. It is a short book, beautifully written in spare, lyrical verse that incorporates lines from Shakespeare’s play as well as from Middle-Eastern poetry. Author Pamela L. Laskin also uses some Middle-Eastern poetic forms. This book will likely become a classroom favorite.
I am sad to admit that Lockwood and Co: The Creeping Shadow was my first foray into Stroud’s Lockwood books. I absolutely adore his Bartimaeus series. Stroud has a true gift for weaving tales of gritty magic and stringent societies, complete with strong females and witty (if enslaved) sidekicks. Lucy Carlyle is a freelancer agent in a world where only children have the psychic sight to see spirits. Lucy, and child agents like her, respond to calls of hauntings armed with the tools to fight against them. They must find and dispose of the hauntings’ Sources, and a whole industry has sprung up to support agents in dealing with the ever-growing threat of ghostly invasion. There are the agencies, run by adult supervisors, a vast furnace complex to burn the Sources, and entities such as the Orpheus Society that are working on new weapons and tools to stay the tide. When Lucy teams up with Lockwood and Co, her old agency and the only one fully run by youths, to tackle the haunting of the Ealing Cannibal, she gets far more than she bargained for. In the aftermath of the case, Lucy’s prize ghost-jar, containing a Type Three spirit that only she can speak with, is stolen. Attempts to retrieve her erstwhile companion lead to the discovery of a black market for powerful Sources and, beyond that, a plot so sinister Lockwood and Co can scarce countenance it. By the time they are done, one agency will be in shambles, and they will have earned some fearsome enemies. After reading this book, I went out and snagged the others in the series. I love British writers in general, and Stroud in particular. This book can certainly be read as a stand-alone, though. Enough backstory is given via dialogue and mental processing. So delicately is it woven in that you won’t even realize you’ve missed other books before it, if you didn’t know ahead of time. The tone of this book was a little different from Stroud’s Bartimaeus series. It was a little less formal. I must admit, I do believe I like this series more than Bartimaeus, though I still love that one, too. The pacing seems quicker. There’s always some action going on. My only puzzlement is in regards to the occasional swapping of American words with British ones. If you don’t know “chips” and “fries” or “biscuits” and “cookies” refer to the same thing, this could be confusing. It does not happen often, and I only noticed it with foods. Perfect for fans of Stroud’s Bartimaeus trilogy, Grossman’s The Magicians trilogy, Rowling’s Harry Potter series, and books such as Susanne Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell.
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A GREYHOUND, A GROUNDHOG By Emily Jenkins, Chris Appelhans (illustrator) Schwartz & Wade, $17.99, 32 pages Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Check this out! What do a greyhound and a groundhog have in common? Absolutely nothing except their names are both fun words to play with, and play with them mightily does author Emily Jenkins. She rhymes and twirls and twists the words around each other and adds more rhyming words and playful words to make a rollicking text. Then illustrator Chris Appelhans not only adds illustrations to this fun text but whirls and swirls the words around the illustrations to suggest movement and makes the text part of the illustrations. The greyhound and the groundhog, the unlikeliest of friends, spend time together romping through a meadow, finding fun in simple things such as a hollow log and a flock of butterflies. This is a book that absolutely begs to be read aloud and will become a favorite of the younger set because of the spectacular wordplay and message of the unmitigated joy to be found in friendship and play. The book ends with the two friends happily asleep after their time of playful fun. This book will be a welcome read-aloud for parents and teachers and will elicit cries of “Read it again!” from little ones. TRUDY’S BIG SWIM: HOW GERTRUDE EDERLE SWAM THE ENGLISH CHANNEL AND TOOK THE WORLD BY STORM By Sue Macy, Matt Collins (illustrator) Holiday House, $16.95, 40 pages Reviewed by Sarah Perry Check this out! Trudy’s Big Swim is the true story of Gertrude (Trudy) Ederle, who was the first female to swim the English Channel. This book, presented as a picture book suitable for elementary school children, opens with a compelling spread of Trudy in the water as she attempts the difficult swim. As it unfolds, readers learn that two hundred people had attempted the feat before Trudy, but only five men had actually succeeded and none of them on See TRUDY’S cont’d on page 13
Tulsa Book Review • May 2017 • 12
TRUDY’S cont’d from page 12 their first try. Trudy had tried it before the previous summer but hadn’t made it. She was determined to be the first woman to conquer the channel. This is a riveting story about a strong and brave woman who may not be familiar to children (or adults!). Beautifully rendered drawings enhance the story of the swim. Interesting details include what and how Trudy ate while swimming, perils in the water, and quotes from Trudy herself. The story itself is exciting, but the author also weaves in historical context that really helps the reader to see the significance of the subject matter. Back matter includes a fascinating afterword and author’s note as well as a list of further resources and a timeline. Very highly recommended.
YOUTH NONFICTION NEW AND COMING SOON
TO TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY Search the library’s catalog at www.TulsaLibrary.org to reserve your copies now.
PEEPER AND ZEEP By Adam Gudeon Holiday House, $14.95, 24 pages Reviewed by Briana Wagner Check this out!
Accessory Projects for a Lazy Crafternoon by Stella Fields
When Peeper and Zeep both crash and get lost in the woods at the same time, they must work together to reunite with their families. This fun story draws similarities between Peeper, a bird, and Zeep, an alien, to subtly imply that we all have things in common, in spite of outward differences. An imaginative inventor frog rounds out the cast of characters, and the three must overcome setbacks to find a solution that works. There is no moralizing, but the story clearly sets forth the value of teamwork, effort, and perseverance. The book is clearly designed with beginning readers in mind, as it takes advantage of some repetition and parallelism and uses short words and sentences. The illustrations are big and bold but somewhat simple, mimicking the type of artwork a child might draw. Young fans will love that a published book has illustrations that look like theirs and will find it easy to draw their own Peeper and Zeep fan art if they wish. A good choice for new readers and their families. GLITTER By Stella J Jones, Judi Abbot (illustrator) Tiger Tales, $16.99, 32 pages Reviewed by Amy Shane Check this out!
Step-by-step instructions help readers create fashion accessories (alone or with friends) using basic craft supplies.
Birds Make Nests by Michael Garland
Birds make many kinds of nests in many kinds of places to keep their eggs and chicks safe. In this exquisitely illustrated picture book, created with both traditional woodcut and digital tools, acclaimed artist Michael Garland celebrates animals that are both beautiful and resourceful. This text is accessible to new readers, and the birds are labeled with their American English common names.
Mickey Mantle: The Commerce Comet
Gloria the rhino’s favorite color is glitter--even though it really isn’t a color. She wears spangle pants and glitter shoes and even rides a glitterama scooter. Gloria also loves to share glitter with everyone she meets, from the banker, the baker, and the cabinetmaker to the plumbers and runners, but not everyone loves glitter. So when the townspeople discover the town is now covered, they all begin to yell. So what happens next? Do the townspeople shout and stomp, or do they laugh and giggle? Read along and find out if Gloria’s glitter can really spread happiness. Readers can’t help but be delighted with Gloria and the glittery happiness she spreads everywhere she goes in Glitter. Stella J. Jones takes readers on an adorable adventure, while illustrator Judi Abbot brings the story to life with lively colors and lovable characters. With trails of glitter on every page, young readers will be overjoyed with the sparkly mess that Gloria spreads throughout the town. With a positive message and an independent little rhino, this story is a great balance between fun and educational and is a perfect pairing for parents and classrooms. CRICKET IN THE THICKET: POEMS ABOUT BUGS By Carol Murray Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), $17.99, 40 pages Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Check this out!
by Jonah Winter • From award-winning author Jonah Winter and No. 1 New York Times bestselling artist C.F. Payne comes this extraordinary picture-book biography that traces Mickey Mantle’s unparalleled baseball career. How did a poor country boy from Commerce, Okla., become one of the greatest and most beloved baseball players of all time? This is the story.
Girl Code: Gaming, Going Viral and Getting It Done by Andrea Gonzales
The two teens behind the viral video game “Tampon Run” share the story of their experience at Girls Who Code and their rise to fame, sharing insider perspectives into today’s start-ups, the influence of women in technology and the power of coding.
Fancy Party Gowns: The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe
There are many things young children really love. Two of them are bugs and poems. This enchanting book has twentynine poems about different bugs. All kinds of bugs are represented — from honeybees to cockroaches, from grasshoppers to fireflies, from termites to monarch butterflies. With internal rhyme and perfect end rhymes and meter, author Carol Murray will charm young readers with lines like these: “Grasshopper Green is a munching machine./He is built with precision and flair./ His hind legs are long and exceedingly strong,/like two springs as he zings through the air.” In addition to the wonderful poems, each is accompanied by a text box with some interesting factual information about the subject. There are also three pages of back matter with additional paragraphs of information about these interesting creatures. Illustrator Melissa Sweet has created delightful pictures of these bugs at work with lots of fun details. The colors she uses are somewhat muted, bringing an extra dose of gentleness to this sweet book. This will be a favorite of youngsters as well as parents and teachers and will engender cries of, “Read it again, please!”
by Deborah Blumenthal • As soon as Ann Cole Lowe could walk, her momma and grandma taught her to sew. When her mom died, Ann continued sewing dresses. It wasn’t easy, especially when she went to design school and had to learn alone, segregated from the rest of the class. But the work she did set her spirit soaring, as evidenced in the clothes she made. Rarely credited, Lowe became “society’s best-kept secret.” This beautiful picture book shines the spotlight on a figure who proved that with hard work and passion, any obstacles can be overcome.
Whose Poop Is That? by Darrin P. Lunde Provides seven examples of animal poop and asks young readers to identify the animal it came from using visual clues.
Mission to Pluto: The First Visit to an Ice Dwarf and the Kuiper Belt by Mary Kay Carson • Follow a spacecraft the size of a piano, named New Horizons, on the first ever spacecraft mission to Pluto, the space entity formerly known as a planet, in the latest addition to the epic and authoritative Scientists in the Field series.
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Cooking, Food & Wine SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
THE HOLY CRAP COOKBOOK: SIXTY WONDERFULLY HEALTHY, MARVELLOUSLY DELICIOUS AND FANTASTICALLY EASY GLUTEN-FREE RECIPES By Corin Mullins, Claudia Howard (contributor) Douglas & McIntyre, $22.95, 148 pages Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Check this out!
KULINARYA, A GUIDEBOOK TO PHILIPPINE CUISINE By Glenda R. Barretto, Neal Oshima Tuttle Publishing, $24.95, 240 pages Reviewed by Michelle Tan Check this out! https://tccl.bibliocommons.com/item/ show/3662171063 The Philippines is a melting culinary pot, as their cuisine is a blend of influences of many different countries and cultures, and as such it makes the Filipino cuisine very different and unique. Kulinarya, A Guidebook to Philippine Cuisine is one of few Filipino cookbooks that I love because not only does this cookbook give a brief history of the dishes but the directions are very simple and easy to follow. I love discovering new dishes to make that are authentic, simple, and oh so deliciously yummy!! A great culinary guide book with a plethora of recipes. So are you ready to get your grub on and discover what Filipino dish might be your new fav? FARM TO TABLE ASIAN SECRETS: VEGAN & VEGETARIAN FULL-FLAVORED RECIPES FOR EVERY SEASON By Patricia Tanumihardja Tuttle Publishing, $15.95, 144 pages Reviewed by Jane Manaster Check this out!
It has long been said that necessity is the mother of invention. This is certainly true in the story of Corin and Brian Mullins, founders of HapiFoods. Corin, in an effort to find something good for her husband to eat, her husband who suffered terribly from food allergies, concocted a cereal that was not only good for her husband, but tasty and good to eat. This simple mixture caught on when sold at a neighborhood market and quickly grew into a global company. Now Corin Mullins has collaborated with Claudia Howard to bring sixty recipes that will show people how to find lots of tasty ways to incorporate this superfood into their diets. With recipes for Breakfast Basics, Salads & Starters, Savouries & Sides, and more, there is something for everyone in here. The Rice and Spinach Pilaf is easy to make and a great accompaniment to any entree. The Blueberry Swirl Smoothie can replace either breakfast or lunch in a delicious way. The Two-Ingredient Skinny B Crackers are crunchy, tasty, and really easy to make. Directions are straight-forward and simple. Complete nutritional information accompanies each recipe. Any foodie will love this book. THE ENDURANCE TRAINING DIET & COOKBOOK: THE HOW, WHEN, AND WHAT FOR FUELING RUNNERS AND TRIATHLETES TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE By Jesse Kropelnicki Harmony, $24.95, 224 pages Reviewed by George Erdosh Check this out! Jesse Kropelnicki has been a coach for athletes for a long time, but, in addition to coaching their physical aspects, he extended his training into feeding the athletes the correct foods to increase their performances. And thus we have The Endurance Training Diet and Cookbook. The book is in two parts with equal lengths: in the first part, he discusses athletes’ diets and nutrition in detail. This is a very good and useful section for any athlete, yet it may apply to anyone physically active. Kropelnicki developed a specific diet for athletes he calls a Core Diet, a nutritionally balanced diet relying mostly on core foods of fish, lean meats, lean dairy, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes. He includes many useful and informative sidebars and nice photo illustrations of performing athletes. Excellent tables (Fueling Windows, Carb-Loading Examples) are scattered throughout. The second half consists of recipes for athletes in the traditional order of meals, but Kropelnicki includes an extra, shorter section, “Natural Workout Fuel.” The recipe writing and layout are perfect, and the recipes are very good, nearly all poultry, seafood, legumes, seeds, and nuts, some with good tips. These recipes are equally good for non-athletes, whether physically active or not. The cross-referenced index is good. MAKING POTTERY YOU CAN USE: PLATES THAT STACK, LIDS THAT FIT, SPOUTS THAT POUR, HANDLES THAT STAY ON By Jacqui Atkin Barron’s Educational Series, $24.99, 224 pages Reviewed by George Erdosh Check this out!
point. In many clear step-by-step photos, the instructions are as good as if she was teaching you in person. Then she has large close-ups with pointers leading to various parts of the vessel each briefly explaining something useful to know about technique or practicality (e.g., reason for minimal rim, extended rim to form handles). She instructs illustrated details, such as handles (coiled, slabbed, or pulled), with many photographed examples. She also gives weights of required clay and size of the final piece in chart forms—very useful, practical information. The book is designed for a small studio environment. At the end of the book, Atkins provides several templates and profile formers. This is an excellent and practical pottery book.
Vegans and vegetarians are becoming mainstream. While Asian restaurants have always been more accommodating than, say, barbecue or hamburger joints, good cookbooks with manageable Asian recipes are just now putting in an appearance. Patricia Tanumihardj’s Farm to Table Asian Secrets blends flavors, pays deference to our healthy lifestyle aspirations, and comes with valuable sidebar tips. Before reaching the seasonally organized recipes, Tanumihardja gives a practical list of basic pantry items, listing exotic herbs and spices and differentiating between the various noodles, often a tricky choice for the novice to figure out. By providing traditional and innovative guidelines for the sauces, soups, and side dishes, Tanumihardja begins to dissolve the mystique of Asian cooking. She suggests cooking always with fresh produce, if available in nearby oriental or specialty stores, or else frozen or even canned. “But,” she adds, “please don’t fret if you can’t find it at all.” Tanumihardja exceeds her three goals, which are to show meatless meals can be tasty and satisfying, to de-mystify exotic ingredients, and to teach a few Asian techniques and tricks. Her “secrets” are closer to revelations. The ubiquitous Thai fish sauce can be imitated with kelp flakes, and General Tso, famous for his restaurant menu chicken, suggests eggplant as an alternative. It’s best not to open the book if hungry because the temptation to experiment would be hard to resist. EAT BETTER NOT LESS: 100 HEALTHY AND SATISFYING RECIPES By Nadia Damaso Hardie Grant, $24.99, 253 pages Reviewed by George Erdosh Check this out! Cookbook author Nadia Damaso combined her talent as a cookbook writer and food photographer in Eat Better Not Less. She excelled in both. Her cookbook is excellent, with a huge number of original, fresh recipes to choose from, from breakfasts through dessert (e.g. Mango and Salmon Tacos, Almond Milk Chia Pudding). Each one is illustrated by a gorgeous photo (though she leaves terrible messes to clean up). Her emphasis is on the healthy and nutritious and on avoiding processed ingredients. A well-stocked health food store (e.g. to find maca, spirulina, and acai powders), a high-powered blender, and a food processor are all essential to succeed. This cookbook is not for the novice cook. Recipes are easy to follow but rarely quick and easy, with many requiring two or three preparations. Modest kitchen skill and interest in cooking are also essential. The design of the cookbook as well as its index are perfect, and recipe headnotes are very good, informative, and interesting to read. Each recipe has a symbol for gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, or refined sugar-free. This is a British cookbook using metric units with American measurements in parentheses, a slight inconvenience for American cooks when given in fractions.
Whether you are aspiring to be a potter, a beginner, or an experienced craftsman, Making Pottery You Can Use is an excellent choice for your reference. Jacqui Atkin’s book is a superb example of assembling useful, usable information, profusely illustrated by large, beautiful photographs. She starts with the basics then she organizes her consequent chapters according to vessels; cups, plates, teapots, and so on. She uses very little text; whatever is given is succinct, precise, instructive, and to the Tulsa Book Review • May 2017 • 14
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TOKYO PRECINCTS: A CURATED GUIDE TO THE CITY’S BEST SHOPS, EATERIES, BARS AND OTHER HANGOUTS By Michelle Mackintosh, Steve Wide Hardie Grant, $29.99, 256 pages Reviewed by Michelle Tan Check this out!
Learn about the customs and
Tokyo Precincts: A Curated Guide to the City’s Best Shops, Eateries, Bars and Other Hangouts might be my new favorite travel guide book ever!!!! I seriously LOVE this travel guidebook. This book was fun, colorful, insightful, and very informative. I practically had sticky tabs on every page as I highlighted and marked what I must see, do, and eat in Tokyo. From hole-in-the-wall restaurants to mom-and-pop shops to populated tourist destinations, everything was detailed and accounted for. This book lists how to get there and the needed information for the traveler. So are you ready discover every nook and cranny of Tokyo? Because I know I will be itching to go to Japan and most definitely will bring this book with me.
traditions of many Asian cultures with entertaining, educational events for the entire family, plus arts and crafts. Visit www.TulsaLibrary.org/ AsianFestival for a complete schedule of presentations
PARIS PRECINCTS: A CURATED GUIDE TO THE CITY’S BEST SHOPS, EATERIES, BARS AND OTHER HANGOUTS By Donna Wheeler Hardie Grant, $29.99, 256 pages Reviewed by Michelle Tan Check this out!
and more details.
Paris Precincts: A Curated Guide to the City’s Best Shops, Eateries, Bars and Other Hangouts might be my new favorite travel guide book ever!!!! I seriously LOVE this travel guidebook. This book was fun, colorful, insightful, and very informative. I practically had sticky tabs on every page as I highlighted and marked what I must see, do, and eat in Paris. I love the City of Lights, and this guidebook is a must-have, especially if you want to wander the arrondissements of Paris. From navigating to the subway, this guidebook will help you get around and discover the taste and sounds of Paris. If you want to learn about history, then this book will inform you on how and where to get tickets and the best time to visit. If you want to eat where the locals eat, then OMG get this book. Seriously, I have sticky tabbed practically every eatery and bakery to go to and try. So are you ready discover every nook and cranny of Paris, then be sure to bring this colorful and detailed travel book.
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THE CONFESSIONS OF YOUNG NERO By Margaret George Berkley, $28.00, 528 pages Reviewed by J. Aislynn d’Merricksson Check this out! George’s Confessions of Young Nero humanises an oft demonised ghost from distant ages past, he who ‘fiddled’ whilst Rome burned. We follow Nero’s musings about his childhood, and see how known and suspected events likely shaped the real Nero’s life. This is the first of a pair of books, unusual for George, who specialises in rich historic fiction memoirs, biographies, and autobiographies. It concludes with the burning of Rome. George paints a picture of a Nero who is quite unlike the emperors before him. Where they enjoyed war, he enjoyed music. Where they enjoyed bloodshed in the gladiator arenas, he enjoyed the performing arts and feats of athletic prowess. These preferences made Nero a most atypical Roman ruler. Effectively orphaned as a toddler, Nero grew up during Caligula’s reign. That alone would be enough to adversely affect the growth of a child. Following Caligula’s death, the new emperor, Claudius, recalled Nero’s mother from exile. In retrospect, perhaps it would have been better for the young Nero if his mother had remained in her enforced seclusion. As ruthless as the rest of her family, Agrippina’s machinations put her son at the head of the Roman empire. However, her plans of being de facto empress backfire when Nero asserts his rightful authority and eventually makes one of the hardest decisions of his young life. The Nero presented here is far from the ‘insane’ man his name might at first conjure. He seems more introspective than his predecessors, a philosopher more than a warrior. Even with his love and appreciation of the performing arts and Greek athletics, Nero strikes me as an introvert. Without certain influences of early life and the viciousness of his family, I think he would have been a gentle-tempered musician. Progressive for the times, Nero was generous to a fault, with a bent toward protecting and aiding the common folk. A romantic at heart, he frequently overturned traditions, to the dismay and confusion of the nobility. George has done an astounding job of bringing the enigmatic, wrongly vilified Nero to bright, vibrant life. I cannot wait til the second of this duology comes out! Highly recommended if you love historical fiction and tales of ancient Rome.
Saturday, June 3 • 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Martin Regional Library • 2601 S. Garnett Road Funded and sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust, with special assistance from The Mary K. Chapman Foundation, George Kaiser Family Foundation, Tulsa Global Alliance
Tulsa Book Review • May 2017 • 15
and Tulsa City-County Library Staff Association.
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