The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman The audio is read by actress Judith Light (Who’s the Boss? - remember her) (384 pgs)

G: This could be considered a history lesson of a period in New York City when times were tough and immigrants were all trying to make their way in a new land. There were two major fires at the time. One was at Dreamland, a Coney Island amusement park and the other theTriangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in Manhattan in which 146 people were killed. This is a dark and captivating story.

Coney Island, 1911: Coralie Sardie is the daughter of a self-proclaimed scientist and professor who acts as the impresario of The Museum of Extraordinary Things, a boardwalk freak show offering amazement and entertainment to the masses. An extraordinary swimmer, Coralie appears as the Mermaid alongside performers like the Wolfman, the Butterfly Girl,and a 100 year old turtle, in her father's "museum". She swims regularly in New York's Hudson River, and one night stumbles upon a striking young man alone in the woods photographing moon-lit trees. From that moment, Coralie knows her life will never be the same.

The dashing photographer Coralie spies is Eddie Cohen, a Russian immigrant who has run away from his father's Lower East Side Orthodox community. As Eddie photographs the devastation on the streets of New York following the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, he becomes embroiled in the mystery behind a young woman's disappearance and the dispute between factory owners and labourers. In the tumultuous times that characterized life in New York between the world wars, Coralie and Eddie's lives come crashing together in Alice Hoffman's mesmerizing, imaginative, and romantic new novel.

Book Trailer Museum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed1ro2HWTyQ

Dreamland Fire information

http://www.westland.net/coneyisland/articles/dreamlandfire.htm

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory

http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/primary/photosIllustrations/slideshow.html?image_id=746&sec_id=3#screen

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-hour Book Store by Robin Sloan (300 pgs.)

G: - I try to purchase all the “appropriate” Amazon books of the month. This one was a winner with all audiences. The main characters are probably in their mid to late twenties, but adults and teens could relate to the story. If you like quirky small bookstores, a mystery about secret codes and an eclectic range of characters, this book is for you. It’s short and a fast read. Enjoy.

Amazon: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore is an old school mystery set firmly in tech-loving, modern day San Francisco. Clay Jannon (former web designer) lands a job at a bookstore with very few patrons and even fewer purchases. His curiosity leads him to the discovery of a larger conspiracy at play, one exciting enough to rope in his best friend (CEO at a startup) and love interest (works at Google). As Clay and company unravel the puzzles of Mr. Penumbra's book shop, the story turns into a sort of nerdy heist, with real-life gadgets, secret societies, and a lot of things to say about the past, present, and future of reading.

Book Trailer Mr. Penumbra

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r5D3yadOQg

Manhunt - The 12 Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson 496 pgs

G: I moved through the audio of this book very fast. It was a "page turner" (or drive around the block to listen longer to the story) and inspired an impromptu trip to Twin. I am not a Lincoln buff, so most of the details were all new to me. I loved how the story was told from the perspective of both sides. I highly recommend this read even if you are not a regular reader of history.  Don’t be intimidated by the length, but if you get into the story some other tasks may be pushed to the back burner until you finish.

Amazon: The murder of Abraham Lincoln set off the greatest manhunt in American history. From April 14 to April 26, 1865, the assassin, John Wilkes Booth, led Union cavalry and detectives on a wild twelve-day chase through the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia, while the nation, still reeling from the just-ended Civil War, watched in horror and sadness.

James L. Swanson's Manhunt is a fascinating tale of murder, intrigue, and betrayal. A gripping hour-by-hour account told through the eyes of the hunted and the hunters, this is history as you've never read it before.

The Fox Inheritance by Mary Pearson and The Adoration of Jenna Fox

Book 1  The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

G: Apparently this is Book 1. I rarely make this kind of mistake, but I did this time. I read book 2 only.

Amazon: Mary Pearson provides a thought-provoking and intriguing examination of what really makes us human and where to draw the line with fast developing technological and medical advances. Jenna Fox wakes from a coma more than a year after having an "accident." With no memory, she slowly learns to function physically, but she can't seem to connect emotionally.

Book 2 The Fox Inheritance by Mary Pearson

G: Started with Book 2. It works fine as a stand alone book, from start to finish. Bio-medical ethics weigh heavily on this story of science, evil, power, and love. I recommend this for science fiction fans. This is a fast read that you could recommend to students. The three human characters are around 17 and there is plenty of adventure and an interesting robot called “Dot”.

Amazon: Once there were three. Three friends who loved each other—Jenna, Locke, and Kara. And after a terrible accident destroyed their bodies, their three minds were kept alive, spinning in a digital netherworld. Even in that disembodied nightmare, they were still together. At least at first. When Jenna disappeared, Locke and Kara had to go on without her. Decades passed, and then centuries.

Two-hundred-and-sixty years later, they have been released at last. Given new, perfect bodies, Locke and Kara awaken to a world they know nothing about, where everyone they once knew and loved is long dead.

Everyone except Jenna Fox.

There may be a Book 3, but you are not left hanging after book 2 anyway.

Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende

Amazon: Maya’s Notebook is a startling novel of suspense from New York Times bestselling author Isabel Allende.

This contemporary coming-of-age story centers upon Maya Vidal, a remarkable teenager abandoned by her parents. Maya grew up in a rambling old house in Berkeley with her grandmother Nini, whose formidable strength helped her build a new life after emigrating from Chile in 1973 with a young son, and her grandfather Popo, a gentle African-American astronomer.

G: I loved this story. It had some very tender moments across generations and a descriptive narration of the dark and seedy side of drug abuse and addiction. There are some adult situations that this teen encounters so I would recommend it for mature teens. I do recommend it for teens who think they can control their drug use and label it as “no big deal, I can quite any time I want”. Isabel Allende is one of my favorite writers.

Isabel Allende - Bio

I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

Amazon: When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.
On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive. 
Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel Peace Prize.
I AM MALALA is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.
I AM MALALA will make you believe in the power of one person's voice to inspire change in the world.

G: How can I add to this? She spends time in the book sharing the history of her country.

Jon Stewart - Serious interview

Waiting to Be Heard: A Memoir by Amanda Knox (only CD)

Amazon: Amanda Knox spent four years in a foreign prison for a crime she did not commit.

In the fall of 2007, the 20-year-old college coed left Seattle to study abroad in Italy, but her life was shattered when her roommate was murdered in their apartment.

After a controversial trial, Amanda was convicted and imprisoned. But in 2011, an appeals court overturned the decision and vacated the murder charge. Free at last, she returned home to the U.S., where she has remained silent, until now.

G: This is a story about a girl and the Italian judicial system. I was prepared to hear a very biased telling of her story, yet it was still very interesting. My belief was reinforced that one must be very careful in another country because there is no guarantee of protection from your home country. With one daughter who is almost never stateside, I think of this often. I am not sure what I believe as to her innocence, but one must not be naive to what is going on around you. Time will tell for Amanda Knox's future with the recent turn of events in her case.

Recent update from CNN

Younger Next Year: The New Science of Aging 60 minutes DVD

G: I saw him speak when he came to Sun Valley a few years ago. This is more or less the presentation he gave. It scientifically explains how we age based on the choices we make. His inspiration for most of us is that it is never too late to change your patterns to create a new chart on your aging.

Amazon: You can actually become more fit both physically and mentally as you grow older. Join Dr. Henry Lodge as he dispels the myths of American aging and explains the new science of aging. Learn how to take charge of your biology to become functionally younger-more vibrant purposeful and dynamic-for years to come.

The Buddha: The Story of Siddhartha 120 minutes DVD

Amazon: Two and a half millennia ago, a new religion was born in northern India, generated from the ideas of a single man, the Buddha, a mysterious Indian sage who famously gained enlightenment while he sat under a large, shapely fig tree. The Buddha never claimed to be God or his emissary on earth. He said only that he was a human being who, in a world of unavoidable pain and suffering, had found a kind of serenity that others could find, too. This documentary by award-winning filmmaker David Grubin tells the story of his life, a journey especially relevant in our own bewildering times of violent change and spiritual confusion. Richard Gere narrates.

The Graduates/Los Graduatos 120 minutes DVD

Amazon: The Graduates/Los Graduados explores pressing issues in education today through the eyes of six young Latino and Latina students from across the United States. More than a survey of contemporary policy debates, The Graduates offers first-hand perspectives on key challenges facing Latino high school students and their families, educators and community leaders. The Graduates/Los Graduados is not only a story about how Latino students are faring in our nation's public education system, it is also a story about the graduates who will make up America's future.

Tell the Wolves I’m Coming Home: A Novel by Carol Rifka Brunt 384 pages, CD

Amazon: 1987. There’s only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that’s her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life—someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart.

G: A very emotional reminder of how AIDS was looked upon in the 80's. This book may bring awareness of how important tolerance and acceptance are to the well-being of loving families. I recommend it.

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown 416 pages, CD

Amazon: This is the story of the University of Washington’s 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal, a team that transformed the sport and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans. The sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the boys defeated elite rivals first from eastern and British universities and finally the German crew rowing for Adolf Hitler in the Olympic Games in Berlin, 1936.

G: I had no idea crew races could be so exciting. The author does an extraordinary job of making each race more exciting. He brings us into the lives of all the members of the team as well as the infamous boat builders and coaches. Ask around, I am not the only one who loved this book. It would make a fantastic movie.

The Wind is Not A River by Brian Payton 320 pages, CD

Amazon: Following the death of his younger brother in Europe, journalist John Easley is determined to find meaning in his loss. Leaving behind his beloved wife, Helen, he heads north to investigate the Japanese invasion of Alaska's Aleutian Islands, a story censored by the U.S. government.

G: Shortly after the first few pages, I was immersed in this story. It is a tale of adventure, human instincts, love and relationships, and survival. Yes, another World War II story, but in a different setting in which I had little knowledge. I could not put it down.