One of my childhood favorites. Justin doesn’t like to do “women’s work,” but a few days at his grandfather’s ranch teaches him more lessons than he can ask for! Great middle grade read! –Derrick, The Well-Read Moose, Coeur d’Alene, ID Revisit old book friends and introduce them to new readers at The Well-Read Moose and …
A graphic novel starring Ada Lovelace — often regarded as the first computer programmer — and Charles Babbage, the inventor of the computer. Padua supposes an alternate reality where Lovelace and Babbage build the world’s first computer together, and they use it to fight crime, among other mathematical tasks. The Thrilling Adventures is unlike any …
Every ten years a cold and fearsome wizard known only as the Dragon takes a young woman from Agnieszka’s village; it’s a sacrifice they must endure to keep their village safe from the corrupted, malevolent Wood. No one knows what the women must endure in the Dragon’s castle, but they always return changed. When Agnieszka …
Before I start celebrating all of the festive holiday-themed Romance novels you can curl up with as the weather tuns cold and the nights grow longer and you need a break from all of the forced cheer, I need to address a huge, huge mistake in last month’s column. I forgot to include My Fake …
From Mountaineers, this book is an intimate work of art elegantly inventorying the peaceful giants that give the Northwest its serene beauty. From mighty cedars to dainty scrub oaks this guide gives you everything you need to both celebrate and understand the tree species covered within. Steven Arno imparts his wealth of knowledge and Ramona …
I should perhaps be focusing on Coats’s newest book, the middle-grade fantasy The Green Children of Woolpit, but it’s just come out and well, I haven’t read it yet. But I really want to, based on how much my daughter and I enjoyed Coats’s earlier novel, The Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming. I can’t …
This British cozy mystery series focuses on a talented but deeply flawed detective. Agatha Raisin smokes, drinks, and is incredibly vain–on the other hand, she sure loves her cats! She doesn’t do much investigating in this one, focusing mostly on her always messy love life, but as a fan I enjoyed spending time in Agatha’s …
I laughed so hard I cried. Then I went into silent laughter mode. Then I couldn’t breathe. You’ve been warned. –Kelsea A hilarious, quick read that will make you laugh from page one. The blogger Allie Brosh puts her life in the form of a comic It will make you cry with laughter and have …
This heart-breaking novel is storytelling at its best! It follows Rachel, a young Hawaiian girl whose dreams are shattered the day she is taken from her family and sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined settlement for lepers on the island of Moloka’i. Rich in history and characters, this special story will stay with you forever. And now after …
In 1960, Steinbeck felt that he no longer intimately understood the country that he had been writing about for most of his life. Travels with Charley is his travelogue that came from his desire to see the country one last time before he died. It’s a rich perspective on America as only Steinbeck can tell it, as …
