The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

Kim Edwards

Adult Fiction

A surprise spring snow storm swept through Lexington, Kentucky March 1964. It was that cold night that Norah Henry went into labor. Do to the weather her husband, Dr. David Henry, had to deliver her baby with only the help of his nurse. First came a healthy baby boy, Paul. Then unexpectedly Norah delivered another baby. Instantly David knew something was wrong with this baby. Their baby girl was born with Down’s syndrome. David had to make a decision quickly. He decided to send their daughter, Phoebe, away to an institution, and tell his wife that the baby died. David’s nurse, Caroline, was told to take the baby to an institute. When Caroline walked through the institute she knew it was not a place for a baby. She left immediately taking Phoebe with her and raising her on her own.

In Lexington Norah was never able to get over the loss of her baby, while David was ripped apart inside by his lie. In Pittsburgh Caroline fought to provide a good education for Phoebe. Two families living separate lives but forever connected by one morning in March.

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter is a story that will catch your attention right away. Written by award winning author Kim Edwards. She is also a graduate of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop. You can find a copy of The Memory Keeper’s Daughter in the Large Print section of Kewanee Public Library.

Sarah R. Barth, Youth Services, Kewanee Public Library

The Christians Culture Survival Guide: The Misadventures of an Outsider on the Inside

The Christians Culture Survival Guide: The Misadventures of an Outsider on the Inside

Matthew Paul Turner

Young Adult and Adult

Matthew Paul Turner grew up in a conservative Baptist church. He discuses every thing form his churches view on baptism to sex and boycotts. As he got older he began church hopping. Turner shares the lessons he has learned from attending countless different churches. He talks about all the uncomfortable to down right bizarre thing he has encountered over the years. Though out the book he throws in fun list of thing he thinks you should know, like “Six Signs Your Pastor Might Have an Ego Problem” and “Five Creative Ideas for Your Old WWJD Bracelets”.

Turner dares to write things that many Christians wouldn’t dare say out loud but think. Much of what he writes is very funny. You will be quoting lines from this book for days. However, Turner tends to drop bible verses into his writing that don’t always make sense. In the end Turner tries to be spiritually profound but come up lacking. Anyone who has ever raised your eyebrow or stifled a laugh at something you have seen at a church will enjoy this book.

Kewanee Public Library has one copy of The Christian Culture Survival Guide by Matthew Paul Turner. This copy can be found in the Young Adult Non Fiction in the lower level.

Sarah R. Barth, Youth Services, Kewanee Public Library

No More Dead Dogs

No More Dead Dogs

Gordon Korman

5^th-9^th grades

Janet was a precocious little girl. She has survived family hardships and rocky friendships. Lucky for Janet she has a trustworthy old friend, her dog Rex. The story moves along beautifully until I realize that the dog was going to die. It has happened to me again. I have been duped. There should be warning labels on books like these.

Warning: A dog will die a terrible death in this book. If you

are a dog lover we suggest you do not read this book. However,

if you do, please do so in the privacy of your own home. So that

you will not bawl uncontrollable in public.

How many times have you read a book when all of the sudden, “Son get the shotgun. It’s time to kill your beloved dog”? It was after one of these experiences that I knew it was time to read No More Dead Dogs.

Wallace Wallace was having a similar experience when his English teacher made him read Old Shep, My Pal. He hated it. When it came time to write a review of the book Wallace had no problem writing about how much he disliked it. However, this was not good enough for his English teacher. Soon a war breaks out between Wallace’s football friends and his English teacher’s Drama Club. Find out all about Wallace’s high jinks in No More Dead Dogs.

Kewanee Public Library has two copies of No More Dead Dogs. They can both be found in the juvenile fiction section on the second floor.

Sarah R. Barth, Kewanee Public Library, Youth Services

Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think

Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think

By Brian Wansink, Ph.D

Intended audience: young adults and up

If you gave a bunch of moviegoers some really, really stale popcorn, do you think they would eat it? What do you think would happen if you served that same old popcorn in larger containers? If you gave restaurant diners a free glass of fine North Dakota wine to enjoy with their food, do you think it would change how much they eat and how long they linger over their meal?

“People eat however much they want depending on how hungry they are and how good it tastes. At least that’s what they say. My graduate students and I think different.” explains author Brian Wansink. Wansink has spent years studying people’s food choices, and he’s had a lot of fun while he’s learned some surprising things about how and why we eat. In Mindless Eating, he describes some of his entertaining experiments and their instructive results.

Wansink states that Mindless Eating is not a diet book, but he does give tips for “mindless” weight loss, which those of us who struggle with dieting may find very helpful. He also provides lots of ideas to help you make healthier decisions about the food you eat. Even if you don’t care about losing weight, you’ll find Mindless Eating well worth your time.

You can find a copy of Mindless Eating in the New Books section of the Young Adult Room in the basement.

Gail Hintze

Kewanee Public Library

Young Adult Coordinator

Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama

Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama

Intended Audience: Adults or teenagers interested in racial issues

I first heard of Barack Obama back in 2004 when he became a candidate for the US Senate for Illinois. Although at the time, his selection and ultimate victory seemed a lucky fluke, he quickly became rather famous, giving the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. Currently he is the only seated US Senator of African American descent. On Saturday, February 10, 2007, Obama is expected to announce that he is running for President of the United States.

Obama’s biography, Dreams from My Father was selected for Kewanee Public Library’s Adult Book Club read for February in honor of Black History month. It is a fitting book for February as it deals with both racial discrimination and identity in a fair and balanced manner. The book will also give readers an inside glimpse into the history and character of this rising star in our political sky. Obama birth was the result of a racially mixed marriage. His father was a foreign student from Kenya who ultimately returned to his native country to fulfill his own destiny. Barack Obama was raised by his white mother and grandparents, mostly in Hawaii. Barack remained relatively innocent about racial tensions in the world until junior high school. Once he became aware of the undercurrents and power disparities in the world Obama spent the rest of his adolescence questioning his role as a black man in America and ultimately reached the realistic but hopeful tone he implores today.

One copy of Dreams from My Father is available at the Kewanee Public Library in Adult Biography

Reviewed by Jill Gray

Information Services, Kewanee Public Library