New Fiction

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Across the Universe; Book Two

“It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. Everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to act on his vision – no more Phydus, no more lies. But when Elder learns shocking news, he and Amy must race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a mystery that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier. Their success – or failure – will determine the fate of the 2,298 passengers aboard Godspeed.” –Cover.

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

Across the Universe; Book Three

“Godspeed was once fueled by lies. Ruled by chaos. Now it’s time to come home. But life on Centauri-Earth is far from perfect. Threats from the planet and from within the colony are tearing them apart, although Elder and Amy do all they can to keep it together. Because, if the colony collapses,  everything they have sacrificed – friends, family, life on Earth – will have been meaningless.”

– http://www.bethrevis.com/books/

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Infernal Devices; Book Three

When seventeen-year-old orphaned shapeshifter Tessa Gray is kidnapped by the villainous Mortmain in his final bid for power, the London Institute rallies to save her, but is beset by danger and betrayal at every turn. –Summary.

Gates of Paradise by Melissa De La Cruz

Blue Bloods; Book Seven

Schuyler Van Alen is running out of time. The Dark Prince, with his greatest angels by his side, is intent on winning the heavenly throne. But where do Jack and Mimi really stand and how far will they go to conceal their real loyalties? Meanwhile, Bliss has joined forces with Lawson, in a struggle against impossible odds. When Schuyler is taken captive she must make an unthinkable choice, but will she find the strength to do so? –Summary.

Nefret’s Curse by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast

House of Night Novella; Book Three

Sixteen-year-old Emily Wheiler’s life changed when her mother died, leaving her to be the Lady of Wheiler House. Her father, a powerful and important man, needs Emily to be a good hostess and make sure the mansion runs smoothly. As Emily tries her best, she longs for more. Although noticed by a handsome young man, Emily’s father, who has become increasingly unpleasant, forbids her to see him. At last, afraid for her life and with nowhere to turn, Emily is brought to the Chicago House of Night where she gains strength, a new name, and begins a new life that should allow the healing of past wounds. –Summary.

Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Delirium; Book Three

“After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven. Pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels. As Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain of the Wilds, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena and Hana's points of view. They live side by side in a world that divides them until; at last, their stories converge.” –Amazon.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Lunar Chronicles; Book Two

“Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.” –Jacket.

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

“Arthur Kipps, a junior solicitor in London, is summoned to attend the funeral of Mrs. Alice Drablow, the sole inhabitant of Eel Marsh House, unaware of the tragic secrets which lie hidden behind the sheltered windows. The house stands at the end of a causeway, wreathed in fog and mystery, but it is not until he glimpses a wasted young woman, dressed all in black, at the funeral, that a creeping sense of unease begins to take hold, a feeling deepened by the reluctance of the locals to talk of the woman in black – and her terrible purpose.” –Cover.

Vortex by Julie Cross

Tempest; Book Two

“Jackson Meyer has thrown himself into his role as an agent for Tempest, the shadowy division of the CIA that handles all time-travel-related threats. Despite his heartbreak at losing the love of his life, Jackson has proved himself to be an excellent agent. However, after an accident run-in with Holly – the girl he altered history to save – Jackson is once again reminded of what he’s lost, and when Eyewall, an opposing division of the CIA, emerges, Jackson and his fellow agents not only find themselves under attack but Jackson begins to discover that the world around him has changed. Someone knows about his erased relationship with Holly, putting both their lives at risk all over again.” –Jacket.

New Fiction



Boundless by Cynthia Hand

Unearthly; Book Three

As the battle against the Black Wings and their minions looms on the horizon, part-angel Clara Gardner is finally ready to fulfill her destiny, even though she knows she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice. –Summary.

Collateral by Ellen Hopkins

The story of a woman torn between love for her boyfriend, a dedicated Marine deployed to Afghanistan, and the resentment she has for the war that is tearing their lives apart. –Summary.

Death Comes to Pemberley by P. D. James

“The year is 1803. Darcy and Elizabeth have been married for six years, there are now two sons in the Pemberley nursery, and Elizabeth's beloved sister Jane and her husband, Bingley, live within seventeen miles. The ordered, secure life of the great house seems unassailable, and Elizabeth's happiness is complete. But on the eve of the much-anticipated annual autumn ball their peace is threatened, and old sins and misunderstandings are rekindled when a chaise appears, rocking down the path in the darkness. As it pulls up, the youngest Bennet sister, Lydia, an uninvited guest, tumbles out, screaming that her husband, George Wickham, has been murdered.” –Cover.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

"Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try." –Jacket.

Prodigy by Marie Lu

Legend; Book Two

June and Day make their way to Las Vegas where they join the rebel Patriot group and become involved in an assassination plot against the Elector in hopes of saving the Republic. –Summary.

Splintered by A. G. Howard

A descendant of the inspiration for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, sixteen-year-old Alyssa Gardner fears she is mentally ill like her mother until she finds that Wonderland is real and, if she passes a series of tests to fix Alice's mistakes, she may save her family from their curse. –Summary.

The Age of Hope by David Bergen

"Born in 1930 in a small town outside Winnipeg, beautiful Hope Koop appears destined to have a conventional life. Church, marriage to a steady young man, children – her fortunes are already laid out for her, as are the shiny modern appliances in her new home. All she has to do is stay with Roy, who loves her deeply. But as the decades unfold, what seems to be a safe, predictable existence overwhelms Hope. An indelible portrait of a seemingly ordinary woman who struggles to accept herself as she is, and in so doing becomes unique." –Publisher.

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

“Sage Singer is a baker. She works through the night, preparing the day's breads and pastries, trying to escape a reality of loneliness, bad memories, and the shadow of her mother's death. When Josef Weber, an elderly man in Sage's grief support group, begins stopping by the bakery, they strike up an unlikely friendship. Despite their differences, they see in each other the hidden scars that others can't, and they become companions. Everything changes on the day that Josef confesses a long-buried and shameful secret--one that nobody else in town would ever suspect--and asks Sage for an extraordinary favor. If she says yes, she faces not only moral repercussions, but potentially legal ones as well.” –Jacket.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

“Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals from its war wounds, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets –an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.” –Cover.

Why Men Lie by Linden MacIntyre

“Why do men lie? Effie MacAskill Gillis, a self-sufficient woman of her time, is confident she knows the answer. She learned the hard way – from a war-damaged father and a troubled brother who became a priest, from failed marriages and doomed relationships with weak and needy men. Men lie to satisfy the needs they never can articulate: for sex, for love, for reassurance. Now at middle age, Effie is confident that she’s been immunized against the damage men can do. She has the poise and means to face the world alone. Then suddenly, a chance encounter with an old friend on a subway platform changes everything, and love once again rears its thorny head.” –Cover.

Online Video Library – NS Department of Education

Teachers, education support staff, students and parents all have access to educational videos online through the Online Video Library, which includes more than 9,000 P-12 videos from Learn360, documentaries from the CBC, and other educational titles from Canadian and local producers.

Teachers and education support staff have access to the Online Video Library from the EduPortal https://edapps.ednet.ns.ca/eduportal/Login.aspx where they can conduct searches, create playlists, and stream and download videos.

Students and parents can access to the Online Video Library by going directly to the Learn360 website www.learn360.ca. From here they can conduct searches and watch videos online.

The Online Video Library is a valuable educational tool for both staff and students. For further information and passwords, please speak with the librarian. Staff may also check out the library folder on the shared drive where I placed details and passwords).

New Fiction

 

Deadline by Chris Crutcher

Given the medical diagnosis of one year to live, high school senior Ben Wolf decides to fulfill his greatest fantasies, ponders his life's purpose and legacy, and converses through dreams with a spiritual guide known as "Hey-Soos." –Summary

Every Day by David Levithan

“Every morning, A wakes in a different person’s body. There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere. It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply, Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with – day in, day out, day after day.” –Jacket.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

“Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones. Stay true to her first love – music – even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind? Then, one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it’s the only one that matters.” –Jacket.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Sequel to If I Stay

"It's been three years since Adam’s love saved Mia after the accident that annihilated life as she knew it. And three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever. Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future – and each other." –Jacket.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan.

“The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a San Francisco web-design drone, and serendipity, sheer curiosity and the ability to climb a ladder like a monkey have landed him a new gig working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days on the job, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything. Instead they 'check out' impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with the gnomic Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he embarks on a complex analysis of the customers' behaviour and ropes his friends into helping him figure out just what's going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, they discover that the secrets extend far beyond the walls of the bookstore.”–Cover.

Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge

“When Paige’s parents move her family from Virginia to New York City, Paige doesn’t know where she fits in anymore. At first, the only thing keeping her company is her notebook, where she pours her worries and observations and experiments with her secret identity: ARTIST. With the confidence the book brings her, she starts to make friends and shake up her family’s expectations. But is she ready to become the person she draws in her notebook?” –Jacket.

Scrawl by Mark Shulman

"Tod Munn is a bully. He's tough, but times are even tougher. The wimps have stopped coughing up their lunch money. The administration is cracking down. Then to make things worse, Tod and his friends get busted doing something bad. Something really bad. Lucky Tod must spend his daily detention in a hot, empty room with Mrs. Woodrow, a no-nonsense guidance counselor. He doesn't know why he's there, but she does. Tod's punishment: to scrawl his story in a beat-up notebook. He can be painfully funny and he can be brutally honest. But can Mrs. Woodrow help Tod stop playing the bad guy before he actually turns into one . . . for real? Read Tod's notebook for yourself." –Jacket.

The Eye of the Forest by P. B. Kerr

Children of the Lamp; Book Five

"John and Philippa are off on another fantastical and gripping adventure. Their friend Dybbuk has been drained of his powers, but he is back and determined to recover them. In a fury, he's headed to an ancient Incan empire in South America where he believes he can regain his strength. Dybbuk will stop at nothing- even if it means destroying the rain forest, and disturbing the mystical and ancient empire of the Incas that has slept for hundreds of years. Can the twins stop him before he destroys everything?" –Publisher.

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

"After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day's journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby's cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby. Tom, whose records as a lighthouse keeper are meticulous and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel has taken the tiny baby to her breast. Against Tom's judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them."–Jacket.

The Oracle of Stamboul by Kichael David Lukas

"It is 1877, when a heartbreaking tragedy leaves Eleanora Cohen marooned in Istanbul during the last days of the Ottoman Empire. But young Eleonora, clever and engaging beyond her years, soon catches the attention of the Sultan's court.–Summary.

The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain

“In 1977, pregnant Genevieve Russell disappeared. Twenty years later, her remains are discovered and Timothy Gleason is charged with her murder. But there is no sign of the unborn child. CeeCee Wilkes knows how Genevieve Russell died, because she was there. And she also knows what happened to the missing infant, because two decades ago she made the devastating choice to raise the baby as her own. Now Timothy Gleason is facing the death penalty, and she has another choice to make. Tell the truth, and destroy her family. Or let an innocent man die in order to protect a lifetime of lies.” –Cover.

The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima

Seven Realms; Book Four

“A thousand years ago, two young lovers were betrayed – Alger Waterlow to his death, and Hanalea, Queen of the Fells, to a life without love. Now, once again, the Queendom of the Fells seems likely to shatter apart. For young queen Raisa ana’Marianna, maintaining peace even within her own castle walls is nearly impossible; tension between wizards and Clan has reached a fevered pitch. With surrounding kingdoms seeking to prey on the Fells’ inner turmoil, Raisa’s best hope is to unite her people against a common enemy. But that enemy might be the person with whom she's falling in love.”–Jacket.

The Taliban Cricket Club by Timeri Murari

When Rukhsana, a young Kabul Daily journalist, is summoned to appear before the infamous Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, her family is devastated. She is summoned as The Minister, zorak Wahidi, wishes to threaten the anti-Taliban news reporters, announce the Taliban’s intention to hold a cricket tournament, and eventually marry Rukhsana. The tournament, according to Wahidi, would give the brutal regime a cloak of respectability in the world. Rukhsana knows this is a ludicrous idea as the Taliban could never embrace cricket and hardly anyone in Afghanistan, besides herself, plays the game. This could be, however, a way to get her male cousins, her brother, and herself out of Afghanistan. Can freedom be won with a bat and a ball? –Summary.

Touch by Alexi Zentner

“In Sawgamet, a north-woods boomtown gone bust, the cold of winter breaks the glass of the schoolhouse thermometer and logging season is overshadowed by the mysteries and magic lurking in the woods. Stephen, an Anglican priest, is at home on the eve of his mother's funeral, thirty years after the mythic summer his grandfather returned to the town in search of his beloved but long-dead wife. And like his grandfather, Stephen is forced to confront the losses of his past.”–Cover.

New Nonfiction

Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

“Annawadi is a makeshift settlement in the shadow of luxury hotels near the Mumbai airport, and as India starts to prosper, Annawadians are electric with hope. Abdul, a reflective and enterprising Muslim teenager, sees 'fortune beyond counting' in the recyclable garbage that richer people throw away. Asha, a woman of formidable wit and deep scars from a childhood in rural poverty, has identified an alternate route to the middle class: political corruption. With a little luck, her sensitive, beautiful daughter will soon become its first female college graduate. But then Abdul the garbage sorter is falsely accused in a shocking tragedy; terror and a global recession rock the city; and suppressed tensions over religion, caste, sex, power and economic envy turn brutal. As the tenderest individual hopes intersect with the greatest global truths, the true contours of a competitive age are revealed. And so, too, are the imaginations and courage of the people of Annawadi.”–Jacket.

Canuck Rock by Ryan Edwardson

“An invaluable resource and an absorbing read, Canuck Rock spans from the emergence of rock and roll in the 1950s through to today's international recording industry. Ryan Edwardson combines archival material, published accounts, and new interviews to explore how music in Canada became Canadian music.” –Cover.

Kurt Vonnegut: Letters edited by Dan Wakefield

A compilation of personal correspondence written over a sixty-year period offers insight into the iconic American author's literary personality, his experiences as a German POW, his struggles with fame, and the inspirations for his famous books. –Summary.

Propaganda and Censorship During Canada's Great War by Jeffrey A. Keshen

Canadians entered World War One viewing armed conflict as a majestic affair. What they discovered was that life in the trenches was grim and the slaughter unimaginable. With victory hanging in the balance, officials at home began propping up notions of the conflict-and of the enemy-that sometimes had little to do with facts. –Summary.

Rastafari: Roots and Ideology by Barry Chevannes

Rastafari: Roots and Ideology is the first comprehensive work on the origins of the Jamaica-based Rastafaris and includes interviews with some of the earliest members of the movement. The book is a rich historical and ethnographic work which will be of interest to religion scholars, historians, scholars of black studies and a general audience interested in the movement of how Rastafarians settled in other countries. –Summary.

The Balfour Declaration by Jonathan Schneer

“Issued in London in 1917, the Balfour Declaration was one of the key documents of the twentieth century. It committed Britain to supporting the establishment in Palestine of ‘a National Home for the Jewish people,’ and its reverberations continue to be felt to this day. Now the entire fascinating story of the document is revealed in this impressive work of modern history.” –Cover.

The Black Death by Philip Ziegler

“A series of natural disasters in the Orient during the fourteenth century brought about the most devastating period of death and destruction in European history. The epidemic killed one-third of Europe's people over a period of three years, and the resulting social and economic upheaval was on a scale unparalleled in all of recorded history. Synthesizing the records of contemporary chroniclers and the work of later historians, Philip Ziegler offers a critically acclaimed overview of this crucial epoch in a single masterly volume. The Black Death vividly and comprehensively brings to light the full horror of this uniquely catastrophic event that hastened the disintegration of an age.”–Cover.

The First Rasta by Helene Lee

In the 1920s Leonard Percival Howell and the First Rastas had a revelation concerning the divinity of Haile Selassie, king of Ethiopia, that established the vision for the most popular mystical movement of the 20th century, Rastafarianism. Although jailed, ridiculed, and treated as insane, Howell established a Rasta community of 4,500 members. In the late 1950s the community was dispersed, disseminating Rasta teachings throughout the ghettos of the island. A young singer named Bob Marley adopted Howell's message, and through Marley's visions, reggae made its explosion in the music world. –Summary.

The Gentle People: An Inside View of Amish Life by Joe Wittmer

This book, designed for non-Amish readers, examines the genuine virtues and values that best depict the Old Order Amish. Moving beyond their uniqueness, this book explores their religious beliefs, ceremonies, child rearing practices, and other aspects of their unique culture. –Summary.

The Great Mortality by John Kelly

“La moria grandissima began its terrible journey across the European and Asian continents in 1347, leaving unimaginable devastation in its wake. Five years later, twenty-five million people were dead, felled by the scourge that would come to be called the Black Death. The Great Mortality is the extraordinary epic account of the worst natural disaster in European history – a drama of courage, cowardice, misery, madness, and sacrifice that brilliantly illuminates humankind's darkest days when an old world ended and a new world was born.” –Cover.

The Kebra Nagast: The Lost Bible of Rastafarian Wisdom and Faith from Ethiopia and Jamaica edited by Gerald Hausman

A sacred text to Ethiopian Christians and Jamaican Rastafarians, The Kebra Nagast tells of the relationship between King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba and their son Menyelik, who hid the Ark of the Covenant in Ethiopia.

Utopian Communities: Survival of Old Order Hutterite, Amish and Mennonite Groups by Elsie Hamel.

This book reviews religious and secular utopian sects to determine why three old order anabaptist groups have survived for four centuries and have thrived into the twenty-first century when hundreds of sects have failed.  –Summary.

New Biographies



Blacklisted by History: The Untold Story of Senator Joe McCarthy by M. Stanton Evans

Drawing on primary sources – including never-before-published government records and FBI files, as well as recent research gleaned from Soviet archives – Evans attempts to overturn our understanding of McCarthy, McCarthyism, and the Cold War. –Summary.

Changing My Mind by Margaret Trudeau

Captivated by her youth and beauty, Canadians fell in love with Margaret, just as they had with her husband, Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. In front of the cameras, the PM and his wife, along with their two boys Justin and Sacha, appeared to be living the charmed life. But away from the cameras, Margaret struggled with a growing mental illness. Her actions baffled many – including to herself – and two years following the birth of Michel, the marriage broke down. Gradually, Margaret found happiness in her photography and in her marriage to Fried Kemper. However, the tragic death of Michel and Pierre’s subsequent passing caused her to spiral into suicidal depression. Finally accepting the diagnosis of bipolar, she sought medical treatment. –Summary.

Charles and Emma by Deborah Heiligman

“This biography of Charles Darwin takes a personal look at the man behind evolutionary theory. His children doubled as scientific specimens, and his wife’s religious convictions made him rethink how the world would receive his ideas. What emerges is a portrait of a brilliant man, a radical scientist, and a great love.” –Jacket.

Growing Up Amish by Ira Wagler

"One fateful, starless night, seventeen-year-old Ira Wagler got up at 2:00 a.m., packed all his earthly belongings in a little black duffel bag, left a scribbled note under his pillow, and walked away from his home in the Old Order Amish settlement of Bloomfield, Iowa, into a world much wider and more foreign than he could ever have imagined. Now, in this heartwarming memoir, Ira paints a vivid portrait of Amish life--from his childhood days on the family farm, his Rumspringa rite of passage at age sixteen to his ultimate decision to leave the Amish Church for good at age twenty-six. Growing Up Amish is the true story of one man's quest to discover who he is and where he belongs. Readers will laugh, cry, and be inspired by this charming-yet-poignant coming of age story set amidst the backdrop of one of the most enigmatic cultures in America today – the Old Order Amish." –Cover.

I Am Hutterite by Mary-Ann Kirkby

"In 1969, Ann-Marie’s parents did the unthinkable. They left a Hutterite colony in Canada with seven children, and little else, to start a new life. Overnight, the family was thrust into a society they did not understand and which knew little of their unique culture. The transition was overwhelming. Desperate to be accepted, ten-year-old Ann-Marie was forced to deny her heritage in order to fit in with her peers. I Am Hutterite chronicles her quest to reinvent herself as she comes to terms with the painful circumstances that has led her family to leave community life." –Cover.

Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero by Chris Matthews

“Chris Matthews’s extraordinary biography is based on personal interviews with those closest to JFK, oral histories by top political aide Kenneth O’Donnell and others, documents from his years as a student at Choate, and notes from Jacqueline Kennedy’s first interview after Dallas. You’ll learn the origins of his inaugural call to 'Ask what you can do for your country.' You’ll discover his role in the genesis of the Peace Corps, his stand on civil rights, his push to put a man on the moon, his ban on nuclear arms testing. You’ll get, more than ever before, to the root of the man, including the unsettling aspects of his personal life.” –Jacket.

Laura Secord: Heroine of the War of 1812 by Peggy Dymond Leavey

“After dragging her injured husband off the battlefield during the War of 1812, Laura Secord (1775-1868) was forced to house American soldiers for financial support while she nursed him back to health. It was during this time that she overheard the American plan to ambush British troops at Beaver Dams. Through an outstanding act of perseverance and courage in 1813, Laura walked an astonishing 30 kilometres from her home to a British outpost to warn Lieutenant James FitzGibbon.” –Cover.

Mick: The Wild Life and Mad Genius of Jagger by Christopher Anderson

“By any definition, Mick Jagger is a force of nature, a complete original – and undeniably one of the dominant cultural figures of our time. Swaggering, strutting, sometimes elusive, always spellbinding, he grabbed us by our collective throat a half-century ago and – unlike so many of his gifted peers – never let go. For decades, Mick has jealously guarded his many shocking secrets – until now. As the Rolling Stones mark their 50th anniversary, journalist and #1 New York Times bestselling author Christopher Andersen tears the mask from rock’s most complex and enigmatic icon in a no-holds-barred biography as impossible to ignore as Jagger himself.” –Jacket.

Winning Balance by Shawn Johnson

“In Winning Balance, for the first time Shawn reveals her journey so far: her against-the-odds quest to become a gymnastics world champion, her flirtation with Hollywood glamour, her growing faith, and her struggle to find herself. It’s the full, behind-the-scenes story of how a young woman who won Olympic gold on the balance beam learned new lessons about balance – as well as love, faith, and what winning really means.” –Jacket.