2019 WBPL & Paperback Junction’s  Holiday Gift Book Guide

Click on any title to be brought to our online catalog where you can place your selection on hold using your library card.

FEEL-GOOD STORIES:

Finding Chika                     Mitch Albom

Chika Jeune was born three days before the devastating earthquake that decimated Haiti in 2010. She spent her infancy in a landscape of extreme poverty, and when her mother died giving birth to a baby brother, Chika was brought to The Have Faith Haiti Orphanage that Albom operates in Port Au Prince.

Running with Sherman: The Donkey with the Heart of a Hero                      Christopher McDougall

When Chris McDougall agreed to take in a donkey from an animal hoarder, he thought it would be no harder than the rest of the adjustments he and his family had made after moving from Philadelphia to the heart of Amish country. But when he arrived, Sherman was in such bad shape he could barely move. Chris decided on a radical rehabilitation program to heal Sherman’s body but to heal his mind as well.

HISTORICAL FICTION:

The Giver of Stars               Jojo Moyes

Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So, when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically.

The Only Plane in the Sky   Garrett M. Graff

The first comprehensive oral history of September 11, 2001 – a panoramic narrative woven from hundreds of interviews with government officials, first responders, survivors, friends, and family members.

Finding Dorothy                  Elizaberth Letts

Hollywood, 1938: As soon as she learns that M-G-M is adapting her late husband’s masterpiece for the screen, 77-year-old Maud Gage Baum sets about trying to finagle her way onto the set. Nineteen years after Frank’s passing, Maud is the only person who can help the producers stay true to the spirit of the book – because she’s the only one left who knows its secrets.

NON-FICTION GEMS:

Mobituaries: Great lives worth reliving   Mo Rocca

Mo Rocca has always loved obituaries—reading about the remarkable lives of global leaders, Hollywood heavyweights, and innovators who changed the world. But not every notable life has gotten the send-off it deserves.

Braving the Wilderness      Brene Brown

Brown argues that we’re experiencing a spiritual crisis of disconnection, and introduces four practices of true belonging that challenge everything we believe about ourselves and each other.

ADULT SUSPENSE:

The Silent Patient                Alex Michaelides

Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening, her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face and then never speaks another word.

The Breakdown                   B.A. Paris

Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods, on the winding rural road, in the middle of a downpour, with the woman sitting inside – the woman who was killed. She’s been trying to put the crime out of her mind; what could she have done, really? It’s a dangerous road to be on in the middle of a storm.

CHILDREN:

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street                                  Karina Yan Glaser

The Vanderbeekers have always lived in the brownstone on 141st Street. So when their curmudgeonly landlord decides not to renew their lease, they have eleven days to do whatever it takes to stay in their beloved home and convince the dreaded Beiderman just how wonderful they are.

Pie in the Sky                       Remi Lai

A poignant, laugh-out-loud illustrated middle-grade novel about an eleven-year-old boy’s immigration experience, his annoying little brother, and their cake-baking hijinks! Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Gene Luen Yang!

Caterpillar Summer                                                          Gillian McDunn

Cat and her brother Chicken have always had a very special bond–Cat is one of the few people who can keep Chicken happy. When he has a “meltdown” she’s the one who scratches his back and reads his favorite story. She’s the one who knows what Chicken needs. Since their mom has had to work double-hard to keep their family afloat after their father passed away, Cat has been the glue holding her family together.

PICTURE BOOKS:

Saturday                                                                           Oge Mora

In this warm and tender story by the Caldecott Honor-winning creator of Thank You, Omu!, join a mother and daughter on an up-and-down journey that reminds them of what’s best about Saturdays: precious time together.

If I Could Give You Christmas                                         Lynn Plourde

Skating on a frozen pond, decorating the fanciest gingerbread house ever, re-reading a favorite story . . . these activities and more are brought to life through a variety of animal pairs. The tastes, smells, sights, and sounds of the holiday are evoked in universal scenes showing special moments being shared by parent and child.

When Pencil Met Eraser                                                   Karen Kilpatrick

Ever wonder why there’s a little pink eraser on every pencil? Find out in this funny, clever picture book that tells the true story of how Pencil and Eraser became the best of friends.

Lenny the Lobster Can’t Stay for Dinner                         Michael Buckley

When invited to a fancy dinner party, Lenny brings thoughtful gifts for the hosts and enthusiasm for whatever’s in store. But when he’s greeted with a pot of boiling water and lobster bibs, Lenny [and readers] must quickly decide: should he stay or go?

Sulwe                    Lupita Nyong’o

Sulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Then a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything.

TEENS:

The Iliad: graphic novel                     Gareth Hinds

More than three thousand years ago, two armies faced each other in an epic battle that rewrote history and came to be known as the Trojan War. The Iliad, Homer’s legendary account of this nine-year ordeal, is considered the greatest war story of all time and one of the most important works of Western literature. In this stunning graphic novel adaptation.

Rangers Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan   John Flanagan

They have always scared him in the past—the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. Now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger’s apprentice. What he doesn’t yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied

The Rest of the Story                         Sarah Dessen

Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when Emma was twelve. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges.

Now it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable…until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family that she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.

COOKBOOKS:

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking         Samin Nosrat

Pioneer Woman Cooks: the New Frontier                                                Ree Drummond