BOOKS LIBRARIANS GIVE, 2006
7th Annual Holiday Book List, with suggestions from Newton Free Library Staff
BIOGRAPHICAL
CHILD, Julia. MY LIFE IN FRANCE. (317 p.) E C436 .CH 2006
Knopf, 2006 ISBN 1400043468 $25.95
Julia's distinctive personality rings through as we learn how her love for her husband, Paul, post World War II Paris, and French cooking blossomed for her in 1950's France. Written with freelance writer Alex Prud'homme, Paul Child's grandnephew. --KH
CROKE, Vicki C. LADY AND THE PANDA; THE TRUE ADVENTURES OF THE FIRST AMERICAN EXPLORER TO BRING BACK CHINA'S MOST EXOTIC ANIMAL. (372 p.) 599.789 CROKE 2005
Random House, 2005 ISBN 0375507833 $25.95 hc
Random House, 2006 ISBN 0375759700 $14.95 pb
Do you love pandas? Ever wonder how the first pandas were brought here from China? Read about Ruth Harkness and her adventures through China to bring back the first pandas. This book makes you feel as though you were there! --BG
DePAOLA, Tomie. CHRISTMAS REMEMBERED. (86 p.) on order
G.P. Putnam Sons, 2006 ISBN 0299246223 $19.99
The perfect gift book for all ages! DePaola fans of all ages will delight in the tales of six decades of Christmas memories spent with family and friends. Beautiful illustrations. --Nancy Johnson
DUNCAN, David Douglas. PICASSO & LUMP: A DACHSUND'S ODYSSEY. (98 p.) 750.9 P58 .DU 2006
Bulfinch, 2006 ISBN 0821258109 $24.95
Weary of the itinerant life, photographer David Duncan's dachshund, Lump, charms his way into Picasso's life on the Riviera, and later into his art work, even replacing the large hound in the foreground of Picasso's 45 painting cycle which reinterprets Velasquez's famous Las Meninas. Lump also encounters Esmeralda, Picasso's goat, doves and other animals who lived with and inspired Picasso at his Villa La Californie near Cannes. The perfect gift for families interested in animals, art and photography. --CB
PERRIN, Noel. BEST PERSON RURAL: ESSAYS OF A SOMETIME FARMER. (175 p.) 917.43 P42B 2006
This is the perfect gift book for adults needing to relax after the busy holidays. Written about rural New England life by Dartmouth College professor and author, Noel Perrin, these essays were taken from the best of his work that first appeared in the New Yorker, Vermont Life, Yankee, First Person Rural and other publications. --Nancy Johnson
NON FICTION
BARRON, James. PIANO: THE MAKING OF A STEINWAY CONCERT GRAND. (280 p.) 786.219 B27P 2006
Times Books, 2006 ISBN 0805078789 $24.00
The perfect gift for family or friends. A very informative book that goes into the history of the early founders of the original Steinway company from Germany. It also gives details of how a concert grand is actually manufactured, starting with the choice of wood and other materials. --NLLT
BELETSKY, Les. BIRD SONGS: 250 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS IN SONG. (368 p.) on order
Chronicle Books, 2006 ISBN 1932855416 $45.00
A unique coffee table birding book with a built-in digital audio player to hear songs and calls for each bird, with information drawn from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Brief descriptions and full-color illustrations are included for the 250 birds, organized by habitat. --Susan C.
THE BOSTON GLOBE ILLUSTRATED NEW ENGLAND GARDENING ALMANAC. (185 p.) 635.9 S86B 2006
Triumph Books, 2006 ISBN 1572438711 $20.95
A handy guide for year-round gardening in New England with great ideas, tips and excellent photography, written by the Boston Globe gardening columnist.
--EH
BRADLEY, Fern Marshall and Jane Courtier. VEGETABLE GARDENING: FROM PLANTING TO PICKING: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CREATING A BOUNTIFUL GARDEN. (288 p.) 635 C83V 2006
Reader’s Digest, 2006 ISBN 0762106298 $32.95
Enjoy homegrown produce. This comprehensive guide tells you everything you need to know to select and cultivate the best crops for your space and climate. Easy to read and lots of photos. --NWP
FABRICANT, Florence. THE NEW YORK TIMES DESSERT COOKBOOK. (567 p.) 641.86 N42F 2006
St. Martin's Press, 2006 ISBN 0312340605 $29.95
Throw away those newspaper clippings! This comprehensive collection includes over 400 dessert recipes in all categories from the New York Times, including many from noted chefs and New York restaurants. Also included are brief essays from culinary experts on various food-related topics. --Susan C.
FAIRCHILD, Barbara. BON APPETIT COOKBOOK. (792 p.) 641.5 F16B 2006
Wiley, 2006 ISBN 0764596861 $34.95
An accessible collection of over 1200 recipes, suitable for all occasions, and comfortable for all types of cooks to use. --EH
GILBERT, Daniel. STUMBLING ON HAPPINESS. (277 p.) 158 G37S 2006
Knopf, 2006 ISBN 1400042666 $24.95
The science of happiness, translated by a Harvard professor into lively, understandable, and humorous prose. We all want to be happy, so why is it so hard for us to accurately predict what will lead to that result? A fascinating discussion of why our pursuit of happiness is often illogical. --Susan C.
GREENBERG, Allan. ARCHITECTURE OF DEMOCRACY. (204 p.) 720.973 G82A 2006
Rizzoli, 2006 ISBN 0847827933 $50.00
Written by an architect and beautifully illustrated, this book looks at our democratic ideals as reflected in the architecture of the "post revolutionary war" era. The author covers all geographical parts of our country and looks at all types of buildings from the simplest single family home to the majestic public buildings in our state capitals and Washington, D.C. --KLM
HOWELL, Vickie. NOT ANOTHER TEEN KNITTING BOOK. (128 p.) 746.432 H83N 2006
Sterling, 2006 ISBN 1402720661 $14.95
A vibrant, fun volume that will appeal to teens who are beginning knitters as well as the more advanced. The book is designed to look like a high school yearbook. Each hip project represents a different high school interest or group (jocks, punks, spring break, prom). Taken together, they capture the diversity of the high school experience. --Susan K.
JACOBSON, Sid and Ernie Colon. THE 9/11 REPORT : A GRAPHIC ADAPTATION. (133 p.) 973.931 J15N 2006
Hill and Wang, 2006 ISBN 0809057387 $30.00
A wonderful example of how the graphic novel can transform the reading experience, even bring a whole new audience to the world of non-fiction books. --Linda Gradone
MILLAN, Cesar. CESAR'S WAY: THE NATURAL, EVERYDAY GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING AND CORRECTING COMMON DOG PROBLEMS.
(298 p.) 636.7 M61C 2006
Harmony, 2006 ISBN 0307337332 $24.95
This is the perfect gift for dog lovers. Any fan of Cesar's "Dog Whisperer" cable TV show will enjoy this book. His training methods are sensible and treat dogs as dogs, not little furry people.
--KH, Reference Department
Newton Free Library. A Legacy for Literacy. OUR BEST RECIPES.
(110 p.) on order
Lenexa, KS : Cookbook Publishers, Inc., 2006 $10.00
The perfect gift book for cooks in the family. Our Best Recipes includes 150 tasty international recipes provided by ESL tutors and learners in the program. Look for it at the Friends' Gift Cart in the lobby of the Main Library. Your support of the Legacy for Literacy Cookbook Project will help update and expand our literacy collection. --Susan Becam
NOVAK, William and Moshe WALDOKS, eds. THE BIG BOOK OF JEWISH HUMOR, 25th Anniversary Edition. (368 p.) on order
Collins, 2006 ISBN 0061138134 $24.95
Novak and Waldoks are at it again, with an updated version of the Jewish humor classic. There are dozens of new jokes from Seinfeld to The Daily Show and plenty of other hilarious pieces by the Marx Brothers, Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce and many more. A perfect gift for anyone who likes to laugh!
--BP
RICHMOND, Peter. FEVER: THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF MISS PEGGY LEE. (449 p.) 780.9 L514 .RI 2006
H. HOLT, 2006 ISBN 0805073833 $30.00
The perfect gift book for a pop music lover who remembers the Big Band Era. Miss Lee sang and wrote jazz, swing, ballads and the blues, and sang with all the great pop stars. --RKC
RICKS, Thomas E. FIASCO: THE AMERICAN MILITARY ADVENTURE IN IRAQ. (482 p.) 956.704 R42F 2006
Penguin, 2006 ISBN 159420103X $27.95
A history of the war in Iraq by the senior Pentagon correspondent for the Washington Post. This riveting book tells how the lack of a strategic plan for a post-Saddam Iraq , along with a civilian and military occupation whose leaders failed to see the developing situation for what it was, allowed the development of a strong insurgency that we are fighting to this day. Surely one of the definitive books on the Iraq war. --Kathy Glick-Weil
TOTALLY TEEN: SCRAPBOOKING THE ALMOST GROWN-UP YEARS. (112 p.) 745.593 T64M 2006
Commemorate important events with a scrapbook to be treasured for years! For a parent…or a teen. Inspiring and easy instructions and ideas on how to create a scrapbook for a teen. --Susan K.
WILKINS, Jamie. 300 ASTRONOMICAL OBJECTS: A VISUAL REFERENCE TO THE UNIVERSE. (528 p.) 522 W65T 2006
Firefly, 2006 ISBN 1554071755 $29.95
This handy reference book provides a tour of the galaxy for the layman. It has beautiful full-page photographs with clear, brief explanations of each object or phenomena. A useful gift for the amateur astronomer. --Susan K.
FICTION
CZERNEDA, Julie. REGENERATION (2006) (543 p.) FIC
DAW, 2006 ISBN 0756403456 $24.95
The perfect gift book for the science fiction fan. Biologist Julie Czerneda completes her Species Imperative series begun with Survival (2004), Migration (2005). Basic earth based biological theories are applied to alien worlds. At stake is Earth's survival. --CMC
JONES, Edward P. ALL AUNT HAGAR'S CHILDREN: STORIES (2006) (399 p.)
Armistad, 2006 ISBN 0060557567 $25.95
Stories about African Americans in Washington, D.C. in the 20th Century. Especially enjoy the title story, a marvelously told detective story and the final story "Tapestry" of the road not taken. --Anonymous
KHADRA, Yashima. SWALLOWS OF KABUL. (Reprint, 2005; c. 2004) (195 p.)
Anchor/Random House, 2005 ISBN 1400033764 $12.00
This relatively short novel follows the lives of four people living with the after-effects of the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and, more recently, the Taliban regime. While this book is less well-known than The Bookseller of Kabul or Kiterunner, it is no less compelling in the picture it presents of life in Kabul.
--Beverly Spencer
McBAIN, Ed. LEARNING TO KILL (2006) (478 p.) FIC
Harcourt, 2006 ISBN 0151012229 $25.00
Ed McBain has been earning praise and drawing readers ever since his first novels were published back in the 1950s. The much-praised author passed away in 2005. The 25 stories collected in Learning to Kill were written for crime magazines prior to the author's first published novel. Long-time fans of Ed McBain as well as new crime fiction readers will enjoy this book as a "good read" or as a gift. While you are at it, look on the library shelves for Ed McBain's polished prose in his 87th Precinct novels. They are still good reading after all of these years. --EJW
McCARTHY, Cormac. THE ROAD. (2006) (241 p.) FIC
Alfred A. Knopf, 2006 ISBN 0307265432 $24.00
A man and his young son travel through the grim aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, searching for food, shelter and safety. Shocking and horrifying but beautifully written, the father's intense love for his son shines through the grimness on every page. --Kathy Glick-Weil
GIFT LIST FOR PARENTS OF MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN
Supplement to: The Daytime (December 2006)
Created by Newton Free Librarians: Jean Holmblad and Pam McCuen
Adventure/ Mystery
Brooks, Kevin. The Road of the Dead.
Cole, Stephen. Thieves Like Us.
Colfer, Eoin. Half Moon Investigations.
Miller, Kirsten. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City.
Price, Charlie. Dead Connection.
Skelton, Matthew. Endymion Spring.
Realistic Fiction
Budhos, Marina. Ask Me No Questions.
Jaramillo, Ann. La Linea.
Jones, Kimberly K. Sand Dollar Summer.
Lupica, Mike. Heat.
Resau, Laura. What the Moon Saw.
Humorous
Cooney, Caroline B. Hit the Road.
Ferris, Jean. Much Ado About Grubstake.
Gauthier, Gail. Happy Kid!
Korman, Gordon. Born to Rock.
Murdock, Catherine Gilbert. Dairy Queen.
Peck, Richard. Here Lies the Librarian.
Historical Fiction
Cushman, Karen. Loud Silence of Francine Green.
Hale, Marian. Dark Water Rising.
Kadohata, Cynthia. Weedflower.
Lisle, Janet Taylor. Black Duck.
Nolan, Han. A Summer of Kings.
Paterson, Katherine. Bread and Roses, Too.
Short Stories
Gallo, Donald R. What Are You Afraid Of?: Stories About Phobias.
Vande Velde, Vivian. All Hallow’s Eve: 13 Stories.
Weiss, M. Jerry. Dreams and Visions: Fourteen Flights of Fantasy.
Fantasy
Chima, Cinda W. The Warrior Heir.
Levine, Gail Carson. Fairest.
Lowry, Lois. Gossamer.
Ruby, Laura. The Wall and the Ring.
Stanley, Diane. Bella at Midnight.
Warner, Sally. Twilight Child.
Horror/ Supernatural
Almond, David. Clay.
Gantos, Jack. The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs.
Richards, Justin. The Death Collector.
Richardson, E. E. The Intruders.
Sleator, William. Hell Phone.
Science Fiction
Buckley-Archer, Linda. Gideon the Cutpurse.
Hautman, Pete. Rash.
Klass, David. Firestorm.
Pfeffer, Susan Beth. Life As We Knew It.
Reeve, Philip. Larklight.
Wooding, Chris. Storm Thief.
Biographies & Non-Fiction
Fleischman, Sid. Escape!: The Story of the Great Houdini.
Fradin, Dennis B. With a Little Luck: Surprising Stories of Amazing Discoveries.
Freedman, Russell. The Adventures of Marco Polo.
Horowitz, Anthony. Alex Rider: The Gadgets.
Macy, Sue. Freeze Frame: A Photographic History of the Winter Olympics.
Marcus, Leonard S. The Wand in the Word: Conversations With Writers of Fantasy.
Poetry
Bryant, Jennifer. Pieces of Georgia.
Frost, Helen. The Braid.
Myers, Walter Dean. Street Love.
Turner, Ann Warren. Hard Hit.
12/06 CB
Newton Free Library
Newton, Massachusetts
http://www.newtonfreelibrary.net/reference/bibliographies/books_librarians_give_2006.htm