Staff Picks

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia [Book]

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One Crazy Summer tells the story of an eleven-year-old girl and her younger sisters who travel from Brooklyn to Oakland, California to live with their mother for the summer. Their mother is unapproachable and the girls have a hard time adjusting to the new atmosphere. The three sisters are eager to build a relationship with their mother and are intrigued by her involvement with the Black Panther Party. What little they know of the Black Panthers they learned from television, but now they have come face-to-face with party leaders as their tough-love mother sends them to the program for breakfast and lessons.

Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic [DVD]

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Marina Zenovich’s film is an excellent portrait of comedian and actor Richard Pryor. We see all the brilliance, unflinching confidence, missteps, self-destruction, triumphs and pain. Omit the Logic hits the ground running with Pryor’s earliest televised stand-up appearances with a routine resembling what Bill Cobsy was up to in the early 1960’s. However, after a disastrous set in Las Vegas, Pryor disappears and later resurfaces in San Francisco as a completely unique, uncensored entertainer.

The film highlights much of Pryor’s autobiographical material. After a fair share of belly laughing at these classic, personal routines about his childhood, relationships with women and drug use, the documentary leads us to Pryor’s difficult past. Contemporaries, colleagues and followers such as Bob Newhart, Paul Mooney, Dave Chappelle, Mel Brooks, Robin Williams and Whoopie Goldberg contribute anecdotes to Pryor’s perplexing story. It’s both noble and heartbreaking how Richard Pryor persisted to find humor in the darkest of places.

When the Moon is Full: A Lunar Year by Penny Pollock; illustrations by Mary Azarian [Book]

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Full moons come,

full moons go,

softening nights

with their silver glow.

This book has amazing illustrations by Vermont woodcut artist, Mary Azarian. Pollock tells the story of the lunar calendar. Each month has a verse describing the twelve moons according to Native American tradition and a hand-colored woodcut illustration.

Smelling Sunshine by Constance Anderson [Book]

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This beautifully illustrated picture book is a reminder to slow down and enjoy the simple pleasures in life! Mother and child have fun washing the clothes and hanging them out for the warm sun to dry.

In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming [Book]

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In the small, small pond a frog encounters tadpoles, geese, dragonflies, turtles, herons, minnow, and many other animals. All of a sudden there is a chill in the air and winter is here.

Un regalo de gracias: La leyenda de la Altagracia by Julia Alvarez; illustrations by Beatriz Vidal [Book]

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Maria is afraid that her family will have to abandon their farm after their olive crop fails. Then one night she dreams of a beautiful and mysterious lady. Maria and her family plant seeds to grow oranges. Soon they have an amazing orange grove. Maria wonders who the beautiful lady that came to her in her dream is.

Ash [Book]

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Ash did a great job of portraying a queer relationship without putting it on a pedestal and had great girl power/amazing female leads!!

Into the Lime by The New Mendicants [Music CD]

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The New Mendicants are Joe Pernice, Norman Blake and Mike Belitksy. Pernice and Belitsky, Pernice Brothers alumn and current Toronto residents, met Blake (Teenage Fanclub) at a London gig back in 2000. About a decade later, Norman sent Joe a message: “Back in Canada at the end of next week. Want to be friends?”

Into the Lime‘s initial collaborative spark came care of submitting music for a film adaptation of Nick Hornby’s book A Long Way Down. Despite the novel’s dark subject matter, the album is a sweet sounding, almost like a modern day Everly Brothers record. Clever songwriting and close, two-part harmony are present throughout. Pernice takes many of the leads. He’s an American (once residing in Northampton, MA!) who tries to sound like a Brit. Blake’s pure, high harmonies are coming from a Scotsman maybe hoping one day to be a Byrd. The album is the perfect blending of voices and styles. The friendship and enthusiasm for this side project is clearly audible on the recording.

Moonlight [Book]

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Rabbit discovers the magic of the moon in this beautifully illustrated story.

“Moonlight slides like butter

skims through outer space

skims past stars and comets”

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison [Book]

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There are six things very wrong with my life:

1. I have one of those under-the-skin spots that will never come to a head but lurk in a red way for the next two years.
2. It is on my nose
3. I have a three-year-old sister who may have peed somewhere in my room.
4. In fourteen days the summer hols will be over and then it will be back to Stalag 14 and Oberfuhrer Frau Simpson and her bunch of sadistic teachers.
5. I am very ugly and need to go into an ugly home.
6. I went to a party dressed as a stuffed olive.

Step into the hilarious life of Georgia Nicolson. She is a British teen who includes lots of fun slang in her very detailed journal. This light and silly read will have you laughing out loud at Georgia’s funny antics.

Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block [Book]

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“Lanky lizards!” Block paints a off-beat world of magical realism through her lyrical prose. Weetzie Bat is a glittery, non-conformist teen living in L.A. She meets the coolest guy at school, Dirk, and her quest for “happily ever after” begins. After you fall in love with this fun and quirky book, there are six others in Block’s Dangerous Angel series.

Coffee Will Make You Black [Book]

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April Sinclair’s young adult novel tells the story of Stevie, a young black girl, living in Chicago in the late 60s/early 70s. Stevie has to deal with other people’s ignorance about race and sexuality as she comes into her own identity. Her mother wants her to use bleaching cremes to lighten her skin, but she’s becoming involved in the Afro-American Club at school and she begins to wear her hair natural. Stevie’s Grandma and her mama are strong influences on Stevie and she finds comfort with her Grandma and is often frustrated by her mama. This is a great book for adults, young adults, and teens.