Hush: An Irish Princess’ tale

by Donna Jo Napoli 

From the Icelandic sagas comes a compelling rewriting of the bittersweet tale of Melkorka an Irish princess, kidnapped by slave traders.  Sent away from home for safety, Melkorka and her sister, Bridget, are taken by the slave traders on the road.  Her homeland and family lost to her, and unable to understand her captures Melkorka takes a vow of silence.  When Bridget escapes overboard and with the encouragement of her fellow slaves, Melkorka uses her silence to bewilder and awe her captors as they sail halfway across the known world. And so she learns that even slaves can have influence and silence can breed power.

Part of my 100 + reading challenge.

So what are you doing this Summer?

There is a lot to do in Birmingham this Summer! Not only are there all the exciting programs at the library but also IMAX movies, music, theater, festivals and more.Make sure you get a copy of Black & White and don’t miss out!

Don’t miss Night at the Museum at the IMAX Theatre McWane Science Center- coming in June, Vulcan's 105th Birthday Bash on June 7 and McWane's 11th Birthday Splash.

There are lots of theatrical performances including Screwups at Birmingham Festival Theater and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat by the Red Mountain Theatre Company.

As for festivals we got White's Mountain Bluegrass Festival, Jazz Jam Fest, (and don't forget to check our website for a discount!) 5th Annual Sloss Furnaces Stokin' the Fire BBQ Festival, and of course 21st Annual City Stages!

Alabama Adventures are doing their concert series so watch for The Veronicas, Kate Voegele, Jimmy Wayne, Jonas Brothers in Concert , Three Dog Night, and Raven!

Not quite up your alley? Then why not Spend a Night at the Museum, go to the Alabama State Fairgrounds Flea Market, or the Alabama Adventure Cirque Magnifico. Check out Father's Day Limited at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum, and the Harry Potter Camp-In.

With all this on offer, who needs to leave Birmingham?!

Image taken from http://www.birminghamal.org

Ark Angel

by Anthony Horowitz

This fast paced next installment of the hit teenage spy series finds Alex Rider in hospital recovering from being shot.  Paul, a quiet boy about Alex’s age and son of multi-billionaire Nikolei Drevin is in the room next door.  So, when three men from an eco -terrorist group try to kidnap Paul, Alex is taken instead.

Managing to escape from the terrorists Alex is ask to stay with Paul at their mansion to finish recovering and then fly to Flamingo Bay in the Bahamas to see the launch for Ark Angel, the first hotel in space.  Alex agrees, but soon wishes he hadn’t as he beings to realize things about Drevin and the kidnapping don’t quite add up.


Part of my 100+ reading challenge

New Playaways in the Library!

We have been busy buying new audio books and playaways for the teen dept. Playaways have the whole book in mp3 format, so just add your AAA battery and headphones to be able to listen whenever and whereever!

With books like: 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson, The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney, Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale, The Land of Elyon by Patrick Carman and Fairest by Gail Carson Levine! Don't miss out on this great opportunity!

Don't see something you want? Let us know and we'll order it for you!

Raven by Allison Van Diepen

If you enjoyed Twilight than Raven is a book for you!

Part of a break dancing crew in New York City, Nicole and Zin, are like magnet and metal. So when Nicole lands a waitressing job at the club Evermore where Zin works and the crew dances and she fully expects her friendship with Zin to move to the next level.

Her home life is complicated, she is almost finished with high school and her grades could get her into any school she applies to, but her brother has bled their parents dry with his meth addiction. Zin is the one good thing in Nicole’s life, but there is some part of his life that Zin is reluctant to share. All that changes when Nicole is attacked on her way home from work. All of a sudden she is drawn into Zin’s dark and dangerous secret. A secret that will challenge their relationship, but if Nicole can overcome her fear she might just be able to save him.

Part of my 100+ reading challenge

The Lost Cities: A drift house voyage by Dale Peck

Susan, Charles and Murray Oakenfield have an unusual secret -their uncle’s house is really a ship that sails on the Sea of Time, taking its occupants wherever and whenever.

In this second adventure, a mysterious book is delivered to the children’s apartment in New York, a book that will lead Susan and Charles to the 16th century. While Charles adventures among the Huron Indians, Susan and her uncle find themselves in Greenland in pursuit of another mystery – an amulet that gives the wearer knowledge beyond their time. Susan and Charles, with the help of a past incarnation of their brother Murray, must stop the amulet and book being used or all of time will be disrupted.

A good next step for teens who loved “The Magic Tree House” Series!

Part of my 100+ reading challenge

Summer Movies

Summer is here and all the great movies are being released! Here are the hotest movies to look out for!
And don't forget, if you miss them in the theaters, or are just want to watch them again, we'll have them as soon as they are released on DVD!

Click here for online movie tickets!

May

Star Trek - Kirk and Spock are back in an this 11th new adventure film. A prequel to the original series. Directed by JJ Abrams (Lost, Alias)

Terminator Salvation - The 4th Terminator film 2018 and centers on the war between humans and Skynet.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - The Prequel to the previous X-men films, but not as written in the comic books!

June

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Sequel to the smash hit from 2008.

July

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - The 6th book of the series.