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Category: –Staff Picks

--Staff Picks

“A Peculiar Combination” by Ashley Weaver

Heist meets history in this fast paced and enjoyable World War II mystery. Ellie McDonnell is doing the best she can to survive in 1940 London. Blackout curtains, air raids, rationing, and the constant fear for her cousins who are fighting on the Continent are at the forefront of her mind, not to mention helping […]

--Staff Picks General

“The Good Lord Bird” DVD

Based on the award-winning novel by James McBride, “The Good Lord Bird” mini-series stars Ethan Hawke as abolitionist John Brown.  The story is told from the point of view of “Little Onion”, a fictional enslaved young boy, who concealed his identity as a girl.  Onion becomes Brown’s good luck charm and follows his family and […]

--Staff Picks

“I Used to Have a Plan (but life had other ideas)” by Alessandra Olanow

Lying face down on the floor. Hiding behind a potted plant. Floating, detached, in space. If you have ever found yourself in one of these situations — literally or figuratively — you are not alone. Artist Alessandra Olanow depicts these feelings in minimal pen and ink illustrations interspersed with spare text. I Used to Have […]

--Staff Picks General

The Promised Neverland; vol. 1

Not everything is as it seems at the Grace Fields Orphanage. While the children live carefree lives of simple comfort and play under the care of their “Mom” Isabella, they know almost nothing of the outside world and are forbidden from leaving the orphanage’s grounds. The children are subjected to rigorous academic tests as soon […]

--Staff Picks General

Emma.

Based on one of Jane Austen’s more light-hearted novels, “Emma” focuses on a well-to-do socialite who considers herself an expert in match making. If only she could stop meddling in other people’s affairs long enough to sort out her own personal life.  This movie is absolutely stunning. All of the scenery is lush and captivating […]

--Staff Picks Kids

“The Strangers” by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Joan read The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix and this is what she thought… The story follows Chess, Emma, and Finn Greystone–ages 12, 10, and eight—as they investigate why their mother went missing, and uncover their ties to an alternate world. It was a great adventure with elements of science fiction and mystery thrown in […]

--Staff Picks Teens

Lost in the Never Woods

A dark retelling of Peter Pan, Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas follows 18 year old Wendy Darling who is suddenly reliving a trauma that happened five years ago. When she was 12, Wendy and her brothers John and Michael went missing. Wendy was found alone in the woods 6 months later, but […]

--Staff Picks Kids

“There Must be More Than That!” by Shinsuke Yoshitake

A young girl becomes upset when her older brother tells her the future is doomed. Where did he get this idea? From a pessimistic grown-up, of course. Depressed about the inevitable plagues and wars that will doom our future, the young girl consults her grandma, who imparts an important truth: “Grown-ups act like they can […]

--Staff Picks General

“Miss Sherlock” TV Series

This modern adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes detective stories features a female-led cast that’s packed with as much adventure as the original stories. Set in Tokyo, Japan, the story follows Sara “Sherlock” Futaba and Dr. Wato Tachibana’s chance meeting after the murder of Wato’s close friend and teacher. As their friendship and […]

--Staff Picks General Kids

“The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher” by Dana Alison Levy

Colleen read The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher and this is what she thought… With two dads, four brothers, a cat, a dog, and an imaginary cheetah named Flare – this book is truly overflowing with misadventures! The story follows the Fletchers through one school year. Sam (twelve-years-old) lives and breathes soccer, but his teacher […]