We’re pleased to announce the following are our November selections for the Featured Book of the Month program!
Adult Title
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
“Science journalist Skloot makes a remarkable debut with this multilayered story about “faith, science, journalism, and grace.” It is also a tale of medical wonders and medical arrogance, racism, poverty and the bond that grows, sometimes painfully, between two very different women—Skloot and Deborah Lacks—sharing an obsession to learn about Deborah’s mother, Henrietta, and her magical, immortal cells. Henrietta Lacks was a 31-year-old black mother of five in Baltimore when she died of cervical cancer in 1951. Without her knowledge, doctors treating her at Johns Hopkins took tissue samples from her cervix for research. They spawned the first viable, indeed miraculously productive, cell line—known as HeLa. These cells have aided in medical discoveries from the polio vaccine to AIDS treatments. What Skloot so poignantly portrays is the devastating impact Henrietta’s death and the eventual importance of her cells had on her husband and children. Skloot’s portraits of Deborah, her father and brothers are so vibrant and immediate they recall Adrian Nicole LeBlanc’s Random Family. Writing in plain, clear prose, Skloot avoids melodrama and makes no judgments. Letting people and events speak for themselves, Skloot tells a rich, resonant tale of modern science, the wonders it can perform and how easily it can exploit society’s most vulnerable people”
— Publishers Weekly
Teen Title
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Dazed and confused, Thomas wakes up to find himself sprawled in black box in front of a crowd of unfamiliar boys in James Dashner's novel (Delacorte, 2009). As they welcome him to the Glade, Thomas realizes that he remembers nothing about himself. He discovers that the Gladers don't know how they got there or why they are now living in an expanse surrounded by massive stone walls. Everyone there has an assigned task, such as runner. Outside the wall is a maze and the runners cover its enormous expanse each day hoping to find a way out of their artificial world. Thomas senses that he was sent to the Glade for a reason, and after a girl arrives there, he begins to believe that he holds the answers to every Glader's question. Thomas's bewilderment is deftly portrayed by Mark Deakins. Some of the boys have slight British and Scottish accents which add to the magic of this unique and highly realized fantasy. Deakins's pacing and intonation build suspense. Fans of dystopian tales, such as Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games series (Scholastic), will be drawn into the Glade with Thomas.
— School Library Journal
Children's Title
Faith, Hope, and Ivy June by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
“Ivy June Mosley and Catherine Combs are participating in the first-ever exchange program between their schools. Both are seventh-graders in Kentucky, but their worlds couldn't be more different: Ivy June lives with her grandparents in their mountain home without indoor plumbing or a telephone, while Catherine lives in a big house in Lexington and has her own cell phone. While spending two weeks in each other's homes, the girls record their observations in journals, and the well-chosen details and scenarios lend authenticity to the girls voices. Catherine is horrified to learn that she can only wash her hair once a week, for example. Jealous friends and a tactless grandmother add challenges, but two large events cement the girls' relationship. Ivy June and Catherine are mature beyond their years, and a mine accident is too heavily foreshadowed, but both the settings and characters are described with affectionate nuance. Readers will connect to these engaging girls and celebrate as they learn they are more alike than different.”
— Booklist
Look for displays of all our Featured Book of the Month titles at your local branch and the Main Library!