December 2011

Once again, it is time for my 3rd Annual Ten Great Books I Read This Year list. I am a Children’s Librarian at heart, and most of my list this year reflects that. Two of my favorites are picture books and four of them are Children’s Fiction books. But lurking somewhere deep, deep, down inside of me, there is an adult who occasionally needs to read books about cells that never die, historical figures that aren’t as mythical as we thought they were, and a nice, warm dram of whiskey.

Be sure to check us out on Facebook and at www.beloitlibrary.info. And without further ado, The List:

1) The Boys by Jeff Newman. A young boy moves into town and isn’t sure how to make new friends. Luckily, there are some boys at the local baseball diamond who are willing to help out. (Picture Book)

2) Press Here by Herve Tullet. With the press of a finger and some clapping and shaking, this book will keep your 3-year old entertained for hours on end. And it’s fun to watch adults try to figure out where all of those dots came from! (Picture Book)

3) Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel by Avi. Philip thinks his teacher is being unfair. All he wanted to do was hum the National Anthem. What’s so wrong about that? Although this book was written it 1991, the story reads like it could have been written yesterday. (Children’s Fiction)

4) Saint Training. Set in Wisconsin and written by Wisconsin author, Elizabeth Fixmer, this book about a Catholic family living in the turbulent 1960’s is a great reminder that being yourself isn’t always easy. (Children’s Fiction)

5) The Reinvention of Edison Thomas by Jacqueline Houtman. Eddy Thomas is not your typical middle schooler. While reciting the Periodic Table of Elements in his head as a way to calm himself down is easy, not paying attention to the water spot on the ceiling tile and wondering how it got there, is not so easy. (Children’s Fiction)

6) One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. Sisters Delphine, Vonetta and Fern are sent to Oakland California to spend the summer with the mother who abandoned them seven years ago. The girls are looking forward to reconnecting, but their mother seems distracted by the Black Panther activities surrounding them. (Children’s Fiction)

7) Room by Emma Donoghue. Jack has always lived in Room with Ma. Bed, TV and Wardrobe have been there as long as Jack can remember. Door doesn’t open, but that’s okay, because Dora lives in TV and she and Jack go on adventures. (Adult Fiction)

8) Gandhi: The True Man Behind Modern India by Jad Adams. A fascinating look at Gandhi through the years including some very humanizing idiosyncrasies. (Adult Nonfiction)

9) Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Discover how a small tissue sample taken from a poor African American woman over 60 years ago has turned into a multi-billion dollar business and caused endless heartache for her family. (Adult Nonfiction)

10) 99 Drams of Whiskey: The Accidental Hedonist’s Quest for the Perfect Shot and the History of the Drink by Kate Hopkins. The title speaks for itself. I wonder if the author would be interested in writing a sequel. I’d be interested in helping out…