American Gothic: The Life of Grant Woods

 American Gothic: The Life of Grant Wood by Susan Wood. Illustrations by Ross MacDonald. Abrams, 2017. Children's picture book.


Many Americans recognize the iconic images of Grant Wood's painting that typifies Midwestern farm life. In this delightful biographical tale about the artist's life, readers learn about how and where he grew up, the dedication he had to his art, the time he spent studying the world around him, and about the painting itself. Posing his sister and his dentist, Grant Wood spent months painting. Now in the Art Institute of Chicago, the painting is thought to portray the American spirit of survival during the Great Depression. Thousands of people enjoy seeing themselves or people they might know in its images. Although he became well known, Grant Wood never stopping wearing overalls and painting the people and places in his heart.


Ross MacDonald does a masterful job of creating the world of Grant Wood. The story allows him to paint maps, cities, farmland, and people. MacDonald recreates Impressionist, Gothic, and Cubist paintings. Readers will enjoy "identifying" works of famous artists.


An author's note shows the actual painting itself as well as photographs of the artist and his subjects. A time line shows major events in Grant Woods' life. Three sources are given for further exploration.

Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes

Rescue and Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes. Illustrated by Scott Magoon. Candlewick, 2018. Children's picture book.

This heart warming picture book tells the story of a young girl who is injured and gets a service dog. While the girl heals, the dog is learning skills that will help her. The text is child friendly and honest, even when the girl loses most of both her legs. It alternates from the dog's point of view and the girl's point of view. By the end, the duo are happy with each other and their lives.

At the end, a note explains that this adapted tale is really the author's own story. Injured in the 2013 Boston bombing, she really does get a dog named Rescue. The illustrations are lovely and enhance the text. Check illustrator Scott Magoon's website for a video of the authors and Rescue and one with him: http://scottmagoon.com/rescue-jessica 

The Book of Polly: A Novel by Kathy Hepinstall

The Book of Polly: A Novel by Kathy Hepinstall. Pamela Dorman Books/Viking, 2017. Adult fiction.


Polly is the mother of ten-year-old Willow Havens. The duo live in a small Texas town. Polly was in her 50's when she had Willow and the girl is obsessed with the idea that her mother will die. Willow knows nothing about why Polly left her Louisiana home and she resolves to find out the answers that she longs to know. The book is funny, sad, and right on target with its wry humor. Both Willow and Polly are characters you will remember for a long time.

Lockdown: A Novel of Suspense by Laurie R. King

Lockdown: A Novel of Suspense by Laurie R. King. Bantam Books, 2017. Adult fiction.


Guadalupe Middle School is the setting for Career Day speakers. With a fairly new principal, her rather mysterious husband, a caring custodian with ties to an uncertain past, an astute female cop, and the various students, life is never dull. But, someone is planning to disrupt Career Day with violence. King, ever the keen observer and careful plotter, introduces readers to each character and gives clues to heighten anticipation and dread. Can disaster be averted?

Below Stairs by Margaret Powell

Below Stairs by Margaret Powell. The Classic Kitchen Maid's Memoir That Inspired Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey. St. Martin's Press, 1968.


The title really tells everything that readers need to know about this witty memoir. Written with humor, the tale of young Margaret who goes to work in an English "big house" tells the real story of life in the servants' world. Although it is not a new book, the details and conversational tone will enchant those who miss Downton Abbey.

A Talent for Murder by Andrew Wilson

A Talent for Murder by Andrew Wilson. Atria, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, 2017. Adult mystery.


     In 1926, British novelist Agatha Christie disappeared for two weeks. She surfaced in Harrogate at a luxury hotel where she was registered under the name of her husband's lover. She and her husband later divorced.
     Using these real details as a starting point, Andrew Wilson has added a fictional detective and a young journalist with a talent for putting clues together. When a doctor tries to get Mrs. Christie to murder his wife, the tables are turned and Agatha is sucked into a daring and complicated scenario. Wilson does a good job of connecting the dots and alternates the different points of view so that the first person makes the person talking seem quite real. The plot is plausible. After all these years, no one really knows what happened to Agatha Christie during those mysterious two weeks.

Amina's Voice by Hena Khan

  Amina's Voice by Hena Khan. 2017, Salaam Reads (an imprint of Simon & Schuster4 Children's Publishing Division). Children's fiction.


  Amina and Soojin have been friends a long time. Now they are in middle school and Emily seems to want to be right between them. Amina's uncle has come to visit with her family and her  parents worry that he may think Amina's family has become too Americanized. Amina and her older brother, Mustafa, want to honor their Pakistani heritage, but also like growing up in America.  When tragedy strikes their community, it seems like the two different cultures cannot be reconciled. Will Amina find a way to keep old friends, make new friends, speak up for what she believes in, and even to use her singing talents?  


   Khan has featured a Muslim heroine in Amina and worked in details such as attempts to learn Arabic, follow the teachings of the Imam, and controversy over the Quran competition with the usual traumas and fun of being a student in Greendale Middle School. Her diverse background and strong family make Amina stronger than she ever thinks she can be.