8/15: New at the library this week

Movies:

The reader
The secret of Roan Inish
Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow your dreams
Hello Kitty goes to the movies
Princess stories : A gift from the heart
Princess stories : Beauty shines from within
Barbie as Rapunzel

(all movies are on dvd unless otherwise noted)

Books:

The girl who played with fire / Stieg Larsson
Mikael Blomkvist, crusading journalist and publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden, implicating well-known and highly placed members of Swedish society, business, and government.

But he has no idea just how explosive the story will be until, on the eve of publication, the two investigating reporters are murdered. And even more shocking for Blomkvist: the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to Lisbeth Salander—the troubled, wise-beyond-her-years genius hacker who came to his aid in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and who now becomes the focus and fierce heart of The Girl Who Played with Fire.

As Blomkvist, alone in his belief in Salander’s innocence, plunges into an investigation of the slayings, Salander herself is drawn into a murderous hunt in which she is the prey, and which compels her to revisit her dark past in an effort to settle with it once and for all.
(Millennium Trilogy #2; read an exerpt)

The 8th confession / James Patterson; Maxine Paetro
As San Francisco’s most glamorous millionaires mingle at the party of the year, someone is watching—waiting for a chance to take vengeance on Isa and Ethan Bailey, the city’s most celebrated couple. Finally, the killer pinpoints the ideal moment, and it’s the perfect murder. Not a trace of evidence is left behind in their glamorous home.

As Detective Lindsay Boxer investigates the high-profile murder, someone else is found brutally executed—a preacher with a message of hope for the homeless. His death nearly falls through the cracks, but when reporter Cindy Thomas hears about it, she knows the story could be huge. Probing deeper into the victim’s history, she discovers he may not have been quite as saintly as everyone thought.

As the hunt for two criminals tests the limits of the Women’s Murder Club, Lindsay sees sparks fly between Cindy and her partner, Detective Rich Conklin. The Women’s Murder Club now faces its toughest challenge: will love destroy all that four friends have built? (Women’s Murder Club Series, #8)

Black Hills / Nora Roberts
Asummer at his grandparents’ South Dakota ranch is not eleven-year-old Cooper Sullivan’s idea of a good time. But things are a bit more bearable now that he’s discovered the neighbor girl, Lil Chance, and her homemade batting cage. Even horseback riding isn’t as awful as Coop thought it would be. Each year, with Coop’s annual summer visit, their friendship deepens from innocent games to stolen kisses, but there is one shared experience that will forever haunt them: the terrifying discovery of a hiker’s body.

As the seasons change and the years roll, Lil stays steadfast to her dreams of becoming a wildlife biologist and protecting her family land, while Coop struggles with his father’s demand that he attend law school and join the family firm. Twelve years after they last walked together hand in hand, fate has brought them back to the Black Hills when the people and things they hold most dear need them most.

An investigator in New York, Coop recently left his fastpaced life to care for his aging grandparents and the ranch he has come to call home. Though the memory of his touch still haunts her, Lil has let nothing stop her dream of opening the Chance Wildlife Refuge, but something . . . or someone . . . has been keeping a close watch. When small pranks and acts of destruction escalate into the heartless killing of Lil’s beloved cougar, recollections of an unsolved murder in these very hills have Coop springing to actionto keep Lil safe.

Lil and Coop both know the natural dangers that lurk in the wild landscape of the Black Hills. But now they must work together to unearth a killer of twisted and unnatural instincts who has singled them out as prey.

Our undiscovered universe : introducing null physics : the science of uniform and unconditional reality / Terence Witt
is for anyone who has ever questioned the universe and its origins. For years, the public only had two places to turn for answers about the universe: the Big Bang and “alternative theories.” In Our Undiscovered Universe , Witt addresses the foundation of reality through a new theory—Null Physics. This theory tells readers the why, how, and what of the universe. Recently, the subject matter was published in the January 2009 issue of Physics Essays. (read an exerpt)

The traffickers / W. E. B. Griffin; William E. Butterworth
Philadelphia Homicide Sergeant Matthew Payne is used to murder, but lately there’s been an awful lot of it in the City of Brotherly Love. Over mere hours a gangland shooting in the popular Reading Terminal Market leaves tourists and locals dead and wounded, a motel room explosion kills two others, and a female teenager’s body is fished from the Schuylkill River. Everybody assumes the deaths aren’t related, but Payne can’t shake the hunch that there’s something more to it.

Then arrives a Texas Ranger tracking a particularly nasty murderer—one with Mexican cartel connections, whose gang is trafficking in guns and drugs and human lives. With every minute mattering, the deputy police commissioner pairs the Ranger with Payne.

Can the odd couple of the Philly cop and the Texas lawman run down the killer and his gang before the body count rises again? (Badge of Honor Series, #9; (read an exerpt))

Handmade Christmas : the best of Martha Stewart living / Martha Stewart
This book, which brings together the best holiday ideas from the last four years of Martha Stewart Living, has many of Martha Stewart’s favorite ideas for making Christmas a very special time of year. These projects, selected by Martha Stewart and her editors, are both unique and doable. Wherever possible, they have included the sources from which you can obtain the same materials they used. Ms. Stewart believes you and your family will enjoy these projects and will use this book for years to come.

50 Christmas crafts / Penny Boylan

Ansel Adams, an autobiography / Ansel Adams
Here is Adams’ testament of a life of dedication, adventure, achievement, remarkable friendships, plainspoken wisdom, and a concern for man and nature. Almost completed before his death in 1984 and posthumously edited, this extrodinary man steps forward to share with us his love of music, the beauty of the wilderness, loyaties and dreams, and that clear-eyed vision that saw beyond the mountains the heart of America.

The library : an illustrated history / Stuart A. P. Murray
Through the ages, humanity has created, destroyed, rescued, neglected, discovered, stolen, and cherished libraries — and no other institution so perfectly mirrors the human condition in any period of history. The Library tells the story of libraries and of the changing form and function of the book from era to era, whether clay tablets, parchment sheets, papyrus scrolls, glossy paper, recording tape or silicone chips. At the heart of the story of libraries and books is the story of the reader, who also has changed from era to era.

Moose hunting in Alaska : the secrets to success / Richard Hackenberg
Experience the excitement of Moose Hunting in Alaska! You will discover immediately that Rich Hackenberg can make you feel you were along on the adventures as they happened. Rich’s stories-full of nonstop hunting action-let you experience the excitement of calling moose up close, feel the exciting, heart-stopping action of being charged by a monster bull moose, and give you the detailed information you need to experience these same successes in your hunts.

Moose Hunting in Alaska – front coverThis expert has taught many moose hunters the secrets to success since 1988-when he wrote Becoming a Great Moose Hunter. Much has changed and there is now even more competition for these monster bulls. Discover the newest secrets for locating the hot spots by distinguishing bull from cow tracks, learning moose behavior and vocalizations during the rut, learning how easy moose calling is-plus how you can cash in on these skills. Rich is an excellent tutor, providing explicit instructions-with he secret tips you won’t find anywhere else! (read on Google books)

Dragonsdale / Salamanda Drake
Imagine a stable full of dragons! A place where a group of young girls is busy grooming their beautiful beasts and getting them ready for competition–with all the ups and downs, all the drama, that inevitably result! Dragonsdale is such a place. The stable is run by Cara’s father, but, after a tragic dragon accident in which her mother lost her life, Cara herself is strictly forbidden to ride. Yet she cannot resist the lure of the magical fire-breathing creatures. In secret she trains Skydancer, her rare, wild Goldenbrow dragon, and dreams of the day when she, too, can take flight. (Age Range: 9 to 12; Series: Dragonsdale Series, #1)

Dragon adventures / Don Roff
Venture into the world of dragons! The dragon claw locks away the thrilling tales of dragons that broil villages with fiery breath, lurk in lonely mountain lakes, and even people who become dragons. Use the legendary tales of lore to spin your own fantastic fiction in the blank pages provided. Thrill your friends and family with stories that only your monstrous imagination can spawn.

Fallen angels / Walter Dean Myers
A coming-of-age tale for young adults set in the trenches of the Vietnam War in the late 1960s, this is the story of Perry, a Harlem teenager who volunteers for the service when his dream of attending college falls through. Sent to the front lines, Perry and his platoon come face-to-face with the Vietcong and the real horror of warfare. But violence and death aren’t the only hardships. As Perry struggles to find virtue in himself and his comrades, he questions why black troops are given the most dangerous assignments, and why the U.S. is there at all. (Age Range: 12 and up)

The Divide / Elizabeth Kay
When Felix’s parents take him to “The Divide”–a spot in Costa Rica where the waters that run down to the Pacific and Atlantic oceans separate–Felix finds himself in a bizarre parallel world where mythical creatures and magic are a reality. There, he meets Betony, a tangle child and herbalist who becomes his friend in this strange land. As Felix explores this new world he soon discovers that its mythical beasts and fairy folk think Felix is a legendary creature who uses practical science instead of magic! Will Felix ever find his way back home…and will he want to?

Revenge of the whale : the true story of the whaleship Essex / Nathaniel Philbrick
On November 20, 1820, the whaleship Essex was rammed and sunk by an angry whale. Within minutes, the twenty-one-man crew, including the fourteen-year-old cabin boy Thomas Nickerson, found themselves stranded in three leaky boats in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with barely any supplies and little hope. Three months later, two of the boats were rescued 4,500 miles away, off the coast of South America. Of the twenty-one castaways, only eight survived, including young Thomas. Based on his New York Times best-seller In the Heart of the Sea, Nathaniel Philbrick recreates the amazing events of the ill-fated Essex through the sailors’ own first-hand accounts, photos, maps, and artwork, and tells the tale of one of the great true-life adventure stories. (Age Range: Young Adult)

The secret school / Avi
More than anything, Ida Bidson wants to become a teacher. To do that, she needs to finish eighth grade so she can go on to high school. But when the one-room school in Ida’s remote Colorado town closes unexpectedly, that dream seems unattainable. Her only hope is to keep the school open without anyone finding out. Yet even a secret school needs a teacher. Ida can’t be it. . . . Or can she? (Age Range: 8 to 12; read an exerpt)

The frog princess / E. D. Baker
After reluctantly kissing a frog, an awkward, fourteen-year-old princess suddenly finds herself a frog, too, and sets off with the prince to seek the means–and the self-confidence–to become human again. (Age Range: 9 to 12; Tales of the Frog Princess Series, #1)

Dragon’s breath / E.D. Baker
Emma and Eadric have no sooner turned back into humans (from being frogs) than Emma’s mother is in a panic, Aunt Grassina is distracted because she’s found her true love turned into an otter, and Emma’s magic is so out of control she sends herself to the dungeon by mistake. The neighboring kingdom has chosen this moment to attack, and if Emma can’t get Grassina’s mind back on protecting the kingdom, life as they know it in Greater Greensward will be in peril. From underwater sea monsters to fire-breathing dragons, this witty pair of young friends manages to sweet-talk, cajole, and race their way to victory. But when it looks as if everything will finally work out, disaster strikes, and Emma finds that magic is not enough-it takes real bravery and a strong, new friendship to succeed. (Age Range: Young Adult; Tales of the Frog Princess Series, #2)

Jessica Jacobs did what? / Nancy Ellen Hird
Jessica Jacobs is so forgetful that one day she actually forgets her head, just as her mother had warned she would. (Age Range: 4 to 8)

Best knock-knock book ever / Charles Keller
Knock-knock. Who’s there? Demure. Demure who? Demure you get, Demure you want. And here’s where to come to get as many knock-knocks as you want! It’s the best collection ever of these child-pleasing howlers. Giggle right from A to Z at punny and clever knock-knocks. Along with the funny drawings, this will keep you laughing for hours. (Age Range: 6 to 9)

The night before Easter / Natasha Wing
The Easter bunny takes center stage in this delightful spin on Clement C. Moore’s beloved poem that will send families hopping to the bookstore for an Easter treat sweeter than any sugar plum. (Age Range: 4 to 8)

Liz looks for a home / Tracey West
Liz is the class pet of Ms. Frizzle’s class, and like all little children, she’s full of curiosity about the world. (Interest Level: K – 2)

Labrador on the lawn / Ben M. Baglio
At Animal Ark, Mandy Hope helps her parents treat animals of all shapes and sizes. Even outside the clinic, Mandy can’t resist helping any animal in need.Mandy and James are staying with her parents at a vacation house in the Lake District when they spot a mischievous Labrador on the lawn. James’s dog, Blackie, is thrilled to have found a friend, but with no identification or collar, how will the Hopes find her owner? And why does she seem so at home in the cottage? (Age Range: 7 to 10: Animal Ark Series, #38)

Flying blind : Mayday at two thousand five hundred / Frank E. Peretti
Fourteen-year-old Jay Cooper is enjoying the view from his Uncle Rex’s Cessna when a low-flying 757 speeds past them. Caught in its wind turbulence, their small plane is shaken violently, knocking Rex unconscious and leaving Jay blind from a head injury.

With fuel running out fast, Jay drifting in and out of consciousness, and the plane heading straight for a mountain range, this high-flying adventure shows the importance of faith as Jay faces numerous unseen dangers. (Age Range: 12 and up; Cooper Kids Adventure Series, #8)

Princess Charming / Jane B. Mason
The Charm School for Boys is holding their annual jousting tournament and Rapunzel’s friend Prince Val is a favorite to win the title…thanks to Rapunzel’s coaching. Val can out-joust any prince–but can he compete against a prince-ess? Rapunzel knows she has the skills to win, but can she keep her identity a secret throughout the tournament? Can Ella, Snow, and Rose cover for her absence at Princess School? Will her friendship with Val survive the competition? And how will she ever fit her jousting helmet over all of that hair? (Age Range: 9 to 12; Princess School Series, #5)

Runaway Rascal / Ben M. Baglio
Natalie’s friend Melissa has come to stay, bringing her adorable dwarf rabbit, Rascal. But one day Rascal vanishes. Can the Pet Finders track down the runaway? (Pet Finders Club series)

The clearing / Dorothy Reynolds Miller
Amanda is excited about spending the summer with her cousin Elinore’s family, who live in a remote clearing in rural Pennsylvania. There Amanda learns that a mysterious man called Spook Wade lives nearby. Everyone believes that Spook killed little Bucky Mead 10 years ago. Amanda wants to find out the truth about Spook. When Elinore becomes too bossy, Amanda turns to her cousin Nelson and a new friend, Cynthia. Together, the trio sets out to discover the long-hidden secrets in the clearing.

The Usborne book of dinosaurs / Susan Mayes

The really horrible horned toad and other cold, clammy creatures / Theresa Greenaway
(Age Range: 4 to 8)

[Note: All synopses are provided by the publisher unless otherwise noted and do not constitute reviews by the Seldovia Public Library.]