Over the Shop by JonArno Lawson

 

Over the Shop by JonArno Lawson. Ilustrated by Qin Leng. Candlewick Press, 2021. Children's picture book. 

  This wordless (except for signs) picture book is full of visual details in ink and watercolor that paint pictures and tell a complicated story. A small girl and her grandparent run a neighborhood store in a city. They post a sign "Apartment for Rent" for the over-the-store space, but it has broken tile and cabinets, a bare, hanging light bulb, and is very shabby looking. Two pages of people walk by and look at the sign, but some even haughtily turn up their noses. When an enterprising young couple move in, they scrub and work and wave at the neighbor! Soon they have involved the little girl, helped spruce up the store itself, and the apartment even has flower boxes. The little girl, her grandparent, and the neighborhood cat have soon become a family that inspires the whole area.  

The Great Halifax Explosion by John U. Bacon

 

The Great Halifax Explosion: A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy, and Extraordinary Heroism by John U. Bacon. William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2017. Adult nonfiction.

  This is my very favorite nonfiction book of 2020. It is filled with adventure, history, true bravery, and stories of real people. On Thursday, December 6, 1917, two ships collided in Halifax harbor. One was filled with explosives destined for WWI efforts. The result was the most destructive man-made disaster until Hiroshima. Windows for fifty miles were blown out. Over 2,000 people were killed and thousands more were wounded. A huge portion of the population instantly became homeless. The lessons learned included how to better deal with the blind, how to rebuild quickly, and are told through the stories of several families. Ironically, the HMS Titanic's rescue and recovery missions had taught locals how to label, store, and bury large numbers of dead bodies. While that disaster is well known, the "Blizzard of Glass" in Halifax is less well remembered. Bacon's book will ensure that readers will long remember it. 

Before She Was Helen: A Novel by Caroline B. Cooney

 

Before She Was Helen: A Novel by Caroline B. Cooney. Sourcebooks, Poisoned Pen Press, 2020. Adult fiction, mystery.

      If you think that life in a South Carolina retirement village is all golf, cocktails, and relaxing, check out this fictional Sun City tale! Clemmie is living as Helen and has become quite adept at hiding secrets even from her family. But, some of her neighbors are hiding things, too. When she goes next door to Dom's place, she goes through the connecting door to the Coglands'. Clemmie sees a stunning piece of art and snaps a photo with her cell phone. She never suspects that forwarding it will reveal it's stolen and bring the owner, a drug ring, and adventure to her own life. Cooney is a master at YA fiction, but this adult book will bring her new fans. At times, it is funny and the characters are true to life. If you read Nancy Drew as a teen, Carpool by Mary Cahill as a parent, and long for senior fun, this is the perfect novel!   Cooney does not disappoint with the intricate plotting here.