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Showing posts from May, 2023

The Library Weekly Book Recommendation - KS5/Adult - The Judge's List by John Grisham

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  In  The Whistler , Lacy Stoltz investigated a corrupt judge who was taking millions in bribes from a crime syndicate. She put the criminals away, but only after being attacked and nearly killed. Three years later, and approaching forty, she is tired of her work for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct and ready for a change. Then she meets a mysterious woman who is so frightened she uses a number of aliases. Jeri Crosby's father was murdered twenty years earlier in a case that remains unsolved and that has grown stone cold. But Jeri has a suspect whom she has become obsessed with and has stalked for two decades. Along the way, she has discovered other victims. Suspicions are easy enough, but proof seems impossible. The man is brilliant, patient, and always one step ahead of law enforcement. He is the most cunning of all serial killers. He knows forensics, police procedure, and most important: he knows the law. He is a judge, in Florida - under Lacy's jurisdiction. He has a l

The Library Weekly Book Recommendation - KS4 - The House of Sorrowing Stars by Beth Cartwright

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  How do you heal a broken house? First you unlock its secrets. Alone on an island, surrounded by flowers that shine as dusk begins to fall, sits an old, faded house. Rooms cannot be rented here and visits are only for those haunted by the memory of loss. When Liddy receives an invitation, she thinks there must be some mistake - she's never experienced loss. But with her curiosity stirred, and no other way to escape a life in which she feels trapped, she decides to accept. Once there, she meets Vivienne, a beautiful, austere woman whose glare leaves Liddy unsettled; Ben, the reserved gardener; and Raphael, the enigmatic Keymaker. If Liddy is to discover her true purpose in the house, she must find the root of their sorrow - but the house won't give up its secrets so easily... Publisher:  Cornerstone ISBN:  9781529100693 Number of pages:  400  

The Library Weekly Book Recommendation - KS3 - How to be Human by Karen McCombie

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  Who said friends have to match to matter? When the Star Boy's space-pod crashes in the grounds of Fairfield Academy he knows he must seek shelter. Taking refuge in the school's boiler room to await rescue he discovers that the room's small window is the perfect place to watch humans go by. The Star Boy knows about humans from his Earth lessons but no one from his planet has ever studied them up close. Now he has the perfect opportunity. There are two humans in particular that catch his attention - a boy called Wes and a girl named Kiki. But as his curiosity grows so does his courage and, making a momentous decision, the Star Boy follows Wes and Kiki into class ... and into their lives. A warm and otherworldly story about finding friendship in the most unlikely of places, for fans of Tamsin Winter, Cath Howe and Ross Welford. Publisher:  Little Tiger Press Group ISBN:  9781788951098 Number of pages:  256

The Library Weekly Book Recommendation - KS5-Adult - Voices From Gujarat: Empowering stories of 21 Gujarati women transforming Britain by Anita Goyal

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  Voices from Gujarat recognises the phenomenal stories of twenty-one British Gujarati women. From OBEs, to pioneering broadcast journalists, through to entrepreneurs, sports professionals, chefs and authors, this range of prominent women are brought together through their shared values of culture, language and upbringing. They are women who take charge of their happiness, recognise the power of resilience and hard-work, and who strive to overcome the expectations placed upon them by society to achieve their dreams.

The Library Weekly Book Recommendation - KS4 - Time Warped: Unlocking the Mysteries of Time Perception by Claudia Hammond

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  Time rules our lives, but how much do we really understand it? In  Time Warped , we meet the people willing to go to extreme lengths to find out. They travel to Costa Rica to find out if hummingbirds can sense the passage of time, they walk towards the edge of a stairwell blindfolded and one man spends two months in an ice cave in total darkness - all in an attempt to fathom the tricks time can play on our minds. Drawing on the latest research from psychology, neuroscience and biology, award-winning BBC Radio4 presenter Claudia Hammond delves into the mysteries of time perception. She shows us how to manage time more efficiently, why it speeds up as you get older and, ultimately, how to use the warping of time to our own advantage. Publisher:  Canongate Books ISBN:  9781847677914 Number of pages:  352

The Library Weekly Book Recommendation - KS3 - Not All Heroes Wear Capes by Ben Brooks

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  What do you think of when you hear the word 'hero'? Is it the wall-climbing, cape-wearing, villain-fighter you see in comics and films? Heroes can actually come in  all  forms, shapes and sizes. Some cook for the hungry. Some nurse the poorly back to health. Others raise money for important causes. From small acts of kindness to inventions that have saved the lives of hundreds of people, every person in this book has found their passion - or their superpower. No matter how big or small it might be, your power can be used to change the world for the better too. So put away the cape, climb down from that wall and discover how ordinary people can still do extraordinary things and become heroes. Written by Ben Brooks, the bestselling author of the Dare to Be Different books, and paired with vibrant comic-style illustrations throughout, this is the perfect guide for the budding superhero in your life! Publisher:  Hachette Children's Group ISBN:  9781526362896 Number of pages: 

The Library Weekly Book Recommendation - KS5/Adult - Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama

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  A revealing portrait of a young Black man asking questions about self-discovery and belonging - long before he became one of the most important voices in America. The son of a white American mother and a Black Kenyan father, Obama was born in Hawaii, where he lived until he was six years old, when he moved with his mother and stepfather to Indonesia. At twelve, he returned to Hawaii to live with his grandparents. Obama brings readers along while facing the challenges of high school and college, living in New York, becoming a community organiser in Chicago, and travelling to Kenya. Through these experiences, he forms an enduring commitment to leadership and justice. Via the lens of his relationships with his family - the mother and grandparents who raised him, the father he knows more as a myth than as a man, and the extended family in Kenya he meets for the first time - Obama examines the complicated truth of his father's life and legacy and comes to embrace his own divided herit

The Library Weekly Book Recommendation - KS4 - The House of Sorrowing Stars by Beth Cartwright

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  How do you heal a broken house? First you unlock its secrets. Alone on an island, surrounded by flowers that shine as dusk begins to fall, sits an old, faded house. Rooms cannot be rented here and visits are only for those haunted by the memory of loss. When Liddy receives an invitation, she thinks there must be some mistake - she's never experienced loss. But with her curiosity stirred, and no other way to escape a life in which she feels trapped, she decides to accept. Once there, she meets Vivienne, a beautiful, austere woman whose glare leaves Liddy unsettled; Ben, the reserved gardener; and Raphael, the enigmatic Keymaker. If Liddy is to discover her true purpose in the house, she must find the root of their sorrow - but the house won't give up its secrets so easily... Publisher:  Cornerstone ISBN:  9781529100693 Number of pages:  400

The Library Weekly Book Recommendation - KS3 - Patina by Jason Reynolds

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  It's not the taking part, it's the winning that counts for Patina! Patty, as she's known to her friends and family, has lost a lot in her life - her dad died when she was young, her mum has lost her legs and now she has to live with her uncle and his wife. On top of that Patty has to go to the poshest school that ever existed. Now her running team has become a relay team and independent "I can do everything by myself" Patty has to work with her team mates to win. Publisher:  Knights Of Media ISBN:  9781999642556 Number of pages:  256

The Library Weekly Book Recommendation - KS5/Adult - Finding Me by Viola Davis

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  Finding Me  is Viola Davis' story, in her own words, and spans her incredible, inspiring life, from her coming-of-age in Rhode Island to her present day. Hers is a story of overcoming, a true hero's journey. Deeply personal, brutally honest, and riveting,  Finding Me  is a timeless and spellbinding memoir that will capture hearts and minds around the globe. Publisher:  Hodder & Stoughton ISBN:  9781399703994 Number of pages:  304

The Library Weekly Book Recommendation - KS4 - Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi

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  Influenced by the mysterious place gingerbread holds in classic children's stories - equal parts wholesome and uncanny - beloved novelist Helen Oyeyemi invites readers into a delightful tale of a surprising family legacy, in which the inheritance is a recipe. Perdita Lee and her mother Harriet may appear your average schoolgirl and working mother but they are anything but. For one thing, their home is a gold-painted seventh-floor flat with some surprisingly verbal vegetation. And then there's the gingerbread. As we follow the Lees through encounters with jealousy, ambition, family grudges, work and wealth, gingerbread seems to be the one thing that holds a constant value . . . Endlessly surprising and satisfying, written with Helen Oyeyemi's inimitable style and imagination,  Gingerbread  is a true feast for the reader. Publisher:  Pan Macmillan ISBN:  9781447299424 Number of pages:  304

The Library Weekly Book Recommendation - KS3 - Dust & Grim by Chuck Wendig

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  Thirteen-year-old Molly doesn't know how she got the short end of the stick-being raised by her neglectful father-while Dustin, the older brother she's never met, got their mother and the keys to the family estate. But now the siblings are both orphaned, she's come home for her inheritance, and if Dustin won't welcome her into the family business, then she'll happily take her half in cash. There's just one problem: the family business is a mortuary for monsters, and Molly's not sure she's ready to deal with mysterious doors, talking wolves, a rogue devourer of magic, and a secret cemetery. It's going to take all of Dustin's stuffy supernatural knowledge and Molly's most heroic cosplay (plus a little help from non-human friends) for the siblings to figure it out and save the day...if only they can get along for five minutes. Bestselling author Chuck Wendig's middle grade debut is equal parts spooky, funny, and heartfelt-perfect for Hallo