by Randall Munroe Sometimes we find things in the world that are hard to understand, especially things that are very hard to build or that are made of lots of little parts. This book by Randall Munroe called Thing Explainerhelps make these hard things easier to get. What makes this book (and this group of […]
Bad Hair DayBy Sarah Mlynowski Imagine having a magical mirror that allows you to cross over to all of your favourite fairy tales. You can walk through the mirror at midnight and play around in the fairy tale, you even have the power to change the story. This is number 5 in the Whatever After […]
by Patrick deWitt Patrick deWitt’s Undermajordomo Minor is a strange book. But wait, don’t put it away- it’s the good kind of strange, the type that makes you marvel at deWitt’s imagination while attempting to make sense of the world into which he’s dropped you. The titular undermajordomo (the assistant to the assistant) is Lucy […]
A Man Called Ove by Fredril Backman I’ve been reading way too many sad and woeful books lately, and I wanted to read something funny and light for a change. So I picked up A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, mainly because the back cover promised a “funny, moving, heartwarming tale of love and […]
Stanley’s PartyBy Linda Bailey, illustrated by Bill Slavin Have you ever wondered what dogs do when they’re left alone? Stanley gets bored when his people are out, so he decides to try something new. He’s not allowed on the couch, but what harm could it do, right? The couch is more comfortable than he […]
1001 Recipes You’ve Always Wanted to Cook Collins & Brown; Edited by Heather Brown When I have the time, I love to cook and although I already have hundreds of cookbooks on my shelf at home (no, seriously!) I continue to be attracted to new cookbooks and new recipes to try. Most recently, I had […]
Don’t Let’s Go To The Dogs Tonight By Alexandra Fuller Written by a British expatriate, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight is a memoir of growing up in Africa. Set in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Mozambique and Malawi, this book follows Alexandra Fuller from the age of three as her family builds a life in […]
Leonard By William Shatner As a child I used to watch old re-runs of Star Trek and wish for the time when there was such a crew of great men and women that would keep peace all over the universe. My two favourite characters have to be the stoic and calm Mr. Spock and the […]
365 simple science experimentsBy E. Richard ChurchillHere is a book filled with some fun and educational activities for the whole family to enjoy. I thought these might be interesting to try out over Spring Break. E. Richard Churchill, Louis V. Loeschnig and Muriel Mandell have collected and created experiments that children of all ages can […]
Sleepover SleuthsBy Carolyn KeeneHere is one from a classic series that many will remember from their youth; Nancy Drew is still at it after 85 years. She is still solving crimes and poking her nose in places that get her into trouble. The Nancy Drew writers continue to revamp and reinvent the classic stories about this […]