Library Shelf Talk
Adult
The Doctors Blackwell by Janice P. Nimura - Nimura explores the lives of Elizabeth Blackwell who became the first woman in America to receive an M.D. in 1849 and her younger sister, Emily who soon joined her in earning the same iconic achievement. Together, these sisters founded the first hospital staffed entirely by women: The New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children. This biography is richly researched and “celebrates two complicated pioneers who exploded the limits of possibility for women in medicine.” You can read a review of this title, available in print and on Overdrive, at https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/janice-p-nimura/the-doctors-b...
The Eagles of Heart Mountain: A True Story of Football, Incarceration, and Resistance in World War II America by Bradford Pearson – In the spring of 1942, the US government, under the orders of President Roosevelt, forced 120,000 Japanese Americans from their homes in California, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona and sent them to incarceration camps across the West. Nearly 14,000 of them landed on the outskirts of Wyoming at the base of Heart Mountain. They faced cruelty, racism, and frozen winters and tried to recreate the comforts of home with little hope. This title is available in print and on Overdrive. You can read a review at https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/bradford-pearson/the-eagles-o...
The Invisible Woman by Erika Robuck – This book, set in France in March 1944, follows Virginia Hall who left Baltimore for an adventure in Europe only to be thrust into the dark days of war. She is recruited as an Allied spy and must learn who can be trusted. “While her future is anything but certain, this time more than ever, Virginia knows that failure is not an option. Especially when she discovers what and whom she is truly protecting.” This book is available on Overdrive. You can read a review at https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-593-10214-5
Young Adult
Wings of Ebony by J. Elle - In this riveting, keenly emotional debut fantasy, a Black teen from Houston has her world upended when she learns about her godly ancestry and must save both the human and god worlds. Perfect for fans of Angie Thomas, Tomi Adeyemi, and The Hunger Games! "Make a way out of no way" is just the way of life for Rue. But when her mother is shot dead on her doorstep, life for her and her younger sister changes forever. Rue's taken from her neighborhood by the father she never knew, forced to leave her little sister behind, and whisked away to Ghizon--a hidden island of magic wielders. Rue is the only half-god, half-human there, where leaders protect their magical powers at all costs and thrive on human suffering. Miserable and desperate to see her sister on the anniversary of their mother's death, Rue breaks Ghizon's sacred Do Not Leave Law and returns to Houston, only to discover that Black kids are being forced into crime and violence. And her sister, Tasha, is in danger of falling sway to the very forces that claimed their mother's life. Worse still, evidence mounts that the evil plaguing East Row is the same one that lurks in Ghizon--an evil that will stop at nothing until it has stolen everything from her and everyone she loves. Rue must embrace her true identity and wield the full magnitude of her ancestors' power to save her neighborhood before the gods burn it to the ground. https://www. publishersweekly.com/978- 1-5344-7067-5
The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa - Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Prankster, joker, raven, fool... King Oberon's right-hand jester from A Midsummer Night's Dream. The legends are many, but the truth will now be known, as Puck finally tells his own story and faces a threat from a time before Faery began. A threat that brings him face-to-face with a new enemy...himself. With the Iron Queen Meghan Chase and her prince consort, Puck's longtime rival Ash, and allies old and new by his side, Puck begins a fantastical and dangerous adventure not to be missed or forgotten. Evenfall is coming, and with it a reckoning that even their combined powers and wits may not vanquish, as a shadow falls over the lands of Faery and the world slips into chaos. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/julie-kagawa/iron-raven/
A Vow so Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer - The incredible conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer's Cursebreaker series. Face your fears, fight the battle. Emberfall is crumbling fast, torn between those who believe Rhen is the rightful prince and those who are eager to begin a new era under Grey, the true heir. Grey has agreed to wait two months before attacking Emberfall, and in that time, Rhen has turned away from everyone--even Harper, as she desperately tries to help him find a path to peace. Fight the battle, save the kingdom. Meanwhile, Lia Mara struggles to rule Syhl Shallow with a gentler hand than her mother. But after enjoying decades of peace once magic was driven out of their lands, some of her subjects are angry Lia Mara has an enchanted prince and a magical scraver by her side. As Grey's deadline draws nearer, Lia Mara questions if she can be the queen her country needs. As the two kingdoms come closer to conflict, loyalties are tested, love is threatened, and an old enemy resurfaces who could destroy them all, in this stunning conclusion to bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer's Cursebreaker series. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/brigid-kemmerer/a-vow-so-bold...
Children’s
Ada's ideas: the story of Ada Lovelace, the world's first computer programmer by Fiona Robinson
Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) was the daughter of Lord Byron, a poet and Anna Isabella Milbanke, a mathematician. Her parents separated when she was young and her mother insisted on a logic-focused education, rejecting Byron's "mad" love of poetry, but Ada remained fascinated with her father and considered mathematics "poetical science." Via her friendship with inventor Charles Babbage, she became involved in "programming" his Analytical Engine, a precursor to the computer, thus becoming the world's first computer programmer. This picture book biography of Ada Lovelace is a compelling portrait of a woman who saw the potential for numbers to make art. https://www.hbook.com/?detailStory=review-of-adas-ideas
Eek! A noisy journey from A to Z by Julie Larios and Julie Paschkis
Author Julie Larios teams up with awardwinning author and illustrator Julie Paschkis to lead young readers on a boisterous parade through the alphabet―letter by letter and sound by noisy sound! This story begins quietly as Mouse selects a flower for someone very dear to him. Then the fun kicks in! https://www.slj.com/?reviewDetail=eek-a-noisy-journey-from-a-to-z
How we got to the moon: the people, technology, and daring feats of science behind humanity's greatest adventure by John Rocco
Everyone knows of Neil Armstrong's famous first steps on the moon. But what did it really take to get us there? The Moon landing is one of the most ambitious, thrilling, and dangerous ventures in human history. This exquisitely researched and illustrated book tells the stories of the 400,000 unsung heroes--the engineers, mathematicians, seamstresses, welders, and factory workers--and their innovations and life-changing technological leaps forward that allowed NASA to achieve this unparalleled accomplishment.https://www.hbook.com/?detailStory=review-of-how-we-got-to-the-moon-the-...