Library Staff Directory
Posted Jul 1, 2016
Kick of the Fourth of July with some of our star-spangled books!
In the post-apocalyptic landscape that was once Colorado, a pilot named Hig travels the territory in his 1956 Cessna airplane with his dog, Jasper. As the survivor of a fatal flu that wiped out 99% of the human population, Hig is left with beloved dog and his neighbor, Bangley, a gun-toting, former military fanatic who helps keep them safe from marauding attackers. One day while in flight, Hig picks up a mysterious radio transmission that haunts him. Are there more survivors? Despite dwindling fuel supplies, Hig eventually decides to make the journey past the point of no return to find a world that is both better and worse than the one he knows. Masterfully written, Heller provides social insight on love, friendship, and the natural world while illustrating the alarming beauty that can be found in devastation.
The Stars Can Wait by Jay Basu
It’s 1940, and Gracian Sofka is a fifteen year old boy growing up in German occupied Poland. Times are tough, and to make ends meet, Gracian works in a coal mine to support his widowed mother, his older brother Pawel, and his sisters. His only joy in life is astronomy and stargazing, a dangerous hobby that involves sneaking out at night past curfew in an area teaming with German soldiers. To make matters worse, Pawel gives Gracian a telescope, but instead of looking at the night sky, Gracian uses the tool to keep tabs on Pawel’s underground activities as well as his brother’s secret courtship with his fiancé, Anna. Danger surmounts when an unforeseen chain of events gains momentum in Basu’s first novel which illustrates the lingering effects of war far from the battle field.
The Sun and Other Stars by Brigid Pasulka
Twenty-two year old Etto feels like a lost soul – in a short period of time, he lost both his mother and his twin brother, and his relationship with his father is estranged at best. Living in the resort town of San Benedetto in in the Italian Riviera, Etto takes to the seaside village’s hills and mountains while his father finds solace in soccer. Then, in an attempt to avoid scandal, international Ukrainian soccer superstar Yuri Fil and his sister Zhuki come to town. They take Etto under their wings, teaching him about loyalty, humor, tough-love, and the game of soccer. With these newly formed friendships, Etto is slowly able to reconnect with his father via the sport. Celebrating the importance of compromise, community, and hope, Pasulka shares a heartwarming story of how sports can bridge people together.
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