TitleTales

Fictional Road Trips: by Heather Ji

Young Adult post—04/24/09
Summer is almost here, and the open road is looking irresistible. But whether you can get away or not, books about road trips are almost as interesting as the trips themselves. Some highlights of 2009 include books by acclaimed authors, such as Mary E. Pearson’s The Miles Between, featuring a girl who takes a crazy road trip with her friends in order to deal with her family issues, and Libba Bray’s Going Bovine, about a dying teen who embarks on a road trip with a video–gaming dwarf and a yard gnome who might be a Viking god. There are also notable titles from debut authors. Crash Into Me by Albert Borris follows a group of teens in a suicide pact, and Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten details a girl’s search for her missing sister.

Favorites from Egmont USA: by Kathryn Lynip

Fiction post—04/24/09
Spring is finally coming and in the spirit of the season I wish to introduce a brand new publisher to the scene. Egmont USA will be publishing its very first list this fall. Egmont USA is the newest division of the Egmont family, who are well–known in Europe for producing such favorites as Jenny Nimmo’s Charlie Bone series and William Nicholson’s Noble Warriors Trilogy. This fabulous first list includes two Walter Dean Myer’s books and the start to a new YA trilogy by Todd Strasser.

Looking Like Me is a rhythmic picture book collaboration between Walter Dean Myers and his son Christopher (watch for their interview on TitleTales in the coming months). Imported from the UK is a humorous picture book called Sir Stinky Socks and the Really Big Adventure, in which Sir Charlie and his cat, Envelope, have adventures with dragons, beasts and wily witches. Todd Strasser introduces a cyber-thriller trilogy for teens that delves into the world of blogging and social networking with Wish You Were Dead. Two debut authors also grace the list; Julia Keller with Back Home, a heartbreaking story of a family coming to terms with their father’s traumatic brain injury suffered in Iraq, and Pam Bachorz with Candor, a YA title about living in a town where everything is too perfect and one teen tries to find the courage to break free of that conformity. Egmont USA will be available as a publisher on our SNAP plan.

Essential New Music Releases: by Trisha Rigsby

Music post—04/24/09
Spring is here, which (along with daffodils and American Idol winners) means lots of new music! Traditionally, the beginning of the year is a slow time for new music. When a librarian asked me to provide the ten essential releases for this period, I was inspired. At first I thought this was an easy proposition, but as with almost all “best of” lists, it’s rarely that simple. The more genres you consider, the more contenders you find, and a list quickly grows. Established acts like U2, Diana Krall, and Keith Urban continue to produce quality work. Anne-Sophie Mutter’s Mendelssohn is stunning, and I think Welcome to Mali by Amadou & Mariam is one of the best world music albums to have in your collection. Then there’s Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack, which is a must–have for your young adult patrons.Happy listening!

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