Just some book selections
| Book Selection: December 2005 |
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Encyclopedia Prehistorica
Dinosaurs: The Definitive Pop-Up (Hardcover)
| Kindergarten-Grade 4–Informational tidbits appear alongside
exquisitely designed pop-up constructions in this visually stunning
overview of all things dinosaur. |
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Wicked: The Life and Times
of the Wicked Witch of the West (Paperback)
| YA?Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, has gotten a bum
rap. Her mother is embarrassed and repulsed by her bright-green baby
with shark's teeth and an aversion to water. At college, the coed
experiences disapproval and rejection by her roommate, Glinda, a silly
girl interested only in clothes, money, and popularity. Elphaba is
a serious and inquisitive student. When she learns that the Wizard
of Oz is politically corrupt and causing economic ruin, Elphaba finds
a sense of purpose to her life?to stop him and to restore harmony
and prosperity to the land. A Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, and
an unknown species called a "Dorothy" appear in very small
roles... The story presents Elphaba in a sympathetic and empathetic
manner-readers will want her to triumph! The conclusion, however,
is the same as L. Frank Baum's. The book has both idealism and cynicism
in its discussion of social, religious, educational, and political
issues present in Oz, and, more pointedly, present in our day and
time. The idealism is whimsical and engaging; the cynicism is biting.
Sometimes the earthy language seems appropriate and adds to the sense
of place; sometimes the four-letter words and sexual explicitness
distract from the charm of the tale. The multiple threads to the plot
proceed unevenly, so that the pace of the story jumps rather than
moves steadily forward. Wicked is not an easy rereading of The Wizard
of Oz. It is for good readers who like satire, and love exceedingly
imaginative and clever fantasy.? |
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Son of a Witch : A Novel
The death of Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch
of the West, brings about spectacular changes in this masterfully
imaginative sequel to Maguire's 1995 blockbuster Wicked—most
notably, the startling possibility that Elphaba had a son. Scattered
among the ruins of great portions of Emerald City, many residents
have been skinned and bloodied, supposedly by the barbaric Yunamatas.
Travel caravan leader Oatsie Manglehand stumbles upon the body of
an unknown young man, badly beaten but still alive. She presents him
to the wise Superior Maunt, who recognizes the hurt boy as Liir, rumored
to be the dead Witch's secreted son. A mute waif named Candle revives
him with her haunting, ethereal music and hidden affections. Meanwhile,
Maguire supplies alternating chapters of extensive, mesmerizing backstory
of Liir's boyhood, from the witch's watery demise, to the trek to
the Wizard's Castle with Dorothy and company, his search for the imprisoned
princess Nor, and a long stint in the Munchkinland Army, all while
donning his mother's black cape and clutching her magic broom handle.
Along the way, a headspinning cast of vividly described, eccentric
characters emerges, but nothing prepares Liir for Candle's shocking
surprise announcement. Tucked into Maguire's enchanting fable are
carefully calibrated object lessons in forgiveness, retribution, love,
loss and the art of moving on despite tragic circumstances. Ten years
after Wicked (which is still on Broadway), fans will once again be
clicking their heels with wonderment.
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Cell : A Novel [release
date 2006]
Civilization doesn't end with a bang or
a whimper. It ends with a call on your cell phone. What happens
on the afternoon of October 1 came to be known as the Pulse,
a signal sent though every operating cell phone that turns its
user into something...well, something less than human. Savage,
murderous, unthinking-and on a wanton rampage. Terrorist act?
Cyber prank gone haywire? It really doesn't matter, not to the
people who avoided the technological attack. What matters to
them is surviving the aftermath. Before long a band of them-"normies"
is how they think of themselves-have gathered on the grounds
of Gaiten Academy, where the headmaster and one remaining student
have something awesome and terrifying to show them on the school's
moonlit soccer field. Clearly there can be no escape. The only
option is to take them on. CELL is classic Stephen King, a story
of gory horror and white-knuckling suspense that makes the unimaginable
entirely plausible and totally fascinating.
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Oh, Yuck: The Encyclopedia
of Everything Nasty
| Gr 4-8-Beginning with a warning that "this
book is downright disgusting," Masoff presents a delightful compendium
of facts about things that are gross, putrid, and stomach turning.
Covering more than 50 topics from A to Z, she reveals the truth about
some unsavory mysteries of the human body, such as acne, body lint,
eye gunk, farts, halitosis, snot, and vomit. Odious creatures such
as cockroaches, lice, maggots, rats, and slugs are also discussed.
Other subjects include "Cannibals," "Gross Grub,"
"Mucky Medicine," and "Toilets." Ranging from
a couple of paragraphs to several pages, the entries offer a great
deal of information in a hilarious tongue-in-cheek manner. The author
also provides pronunciations and definitions, historical perspectives,
and advice on how to deal with each of her revolting topics. Amusing
cartoons and well-chosen, black-and-white photographs with humorous
captions support the text. A section of "X-Periments" (e.g.,
build an exploding pimple, mix a batch of make-believe mucus) makes
an appropriate conclusion to the book. Guaranteed to improve the quality
of the lunchtime chatter of all but the most squeamish, this delightful
volume will be enjoyed by fans of grossness everywhere.-Cynde Marcengill,
Horry County |
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ESPN College Football Encyclopedia : The Complete History of the Game
(Hardcover)
| From South Bend, Indiana, to Lincoln, Nebraska,
Palo Alto, California, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Ann Arbor, Michigan,
to Tallahassee, Florida, college football attracts the most dedicated
fans in all of sports. This book is their Bible -- a rich and exhaustive
reference guide to the game’s history, tradition, and lore. Based
on three years of research by the nation’s foremost college football
experts, the book features:
-Capsule histories for each of the Division 1-A programs, the Ivy
League schools, and the historically black colleges -Year-by-year
schedules and scores for each school -Statistical leaders from each
school -Fight-song lyrics -Box scores for every bowl game ever played
-Weekly AP and UPI polls dating back to 1936 -A four-color insert
illustrating the evolution of each school’s helmet design -Essays
by the game’s top wordsmiths, including Dan Jenkins, Beano
Cook, Chris Fowler, and more. -And a lively round-table discussion
on the state of the game with ESPN’s popular GameDay team (Fowler,
Lee Corso, and Kirk Herbstreit).
Packed with tables and charts and designed in an easy-to-read style,
the ESPN College Football Encyclopedia is sure to dazzle even the
most knowledgeable fan.
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Sudoku Easy Presented
by Will Shortz Volume 1 : 100 Wordless Crossword Puzzles
From puzzlemaster and New York Times crossword
editor Will Shortz comes sudoku, the new “wordless crossword”
puzzle that’s taking the world by storm! Once you start, you
won’t want to stop. These addictive puzzles are easy to explain--just
fill the grid with numbers according to the few simple rules--but
incredibly fun and engaging to complete. You don’t need any mathematics
knowledge: Just supply a pencil and an inquisitive mind.
This brand-new collection features original, easy-to-solve sudoku
from Will Shortz, along with an introduction that explains these fascinating
puzzles and how to solve them. Once you’ve mastered the easier
sudoku, try the last ten puzzles designed to challenge those who want
to give their brains more of a workout. If you’re a crossword
fan, a fan of logic puzzles, or just a puzzle lover in general, you
will be engrossed and delighted with sudoku!
“A puzzling global phenomenon.”
--The Economist
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Back to
this Book List
Previous
Book List including Huggermugger, Cold Service, London Bridges, the Broker,
776 Stupidest Things Ever Said, The National Lampoon Encyclopedia of Humor,
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book): A Citizen's
Guide to Democracy Inaction, Being Dead is No Excuse, Bad Cat: 244 Not-So-Pretty
Kitties And Cats Gone Bad
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