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This Is The Dream by Diane Z. Shore & Jessica Alexander
by Tahira
This Is The Dream is written in verse about the struggle for equality through nonviolence. The illustrations enhance the poetic verse leading to the accomplishment of being able to choose a seat on the bus, sit at a lunch counter with anyone from any race and drinking from the same water fountain in a park. This is a wonderful introduction to the discussion of civil rights with young children.
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2006 Thumbs Up! Nominee
by K.C.
Peeps -- Vote For Me!
Cal has discovered he is a carrier – infected with a parasite but immune to it. His ex-girlfriends were not. Unfortunately for them, the parasite gives its host an insatiable appetite for human blood. Cal must find them before it is too late. . .for everyone!
Talk about science and fiction, the author blends both to make a fascinating read about vampires. This book was one of my most enjoyable reads from start to finish. If this book is your choice for the best of 2005, vote for it by using the green ballot available at the library and put it in the box posted in the teen area, or give it to the librarian, or e-mail your choice to davise@aadl.org.
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2006 Thumbs Up! Nominee
by K.C.
Eyes of the Emperor -- Vote For Me!
Based on a true story, Eddie Okubo, a Japanese American from Hawaii, joins the Army during World War II. Eddie soon discovers that his service to his country is to act solely as bait to train attack dogs to track Japanese soldiers.
Great historical fiction read about a little known event in American history. The author does a great job of blending the facts with the fiction that makes for good storytelling. If this book is your choice for the best of 2005, vote for it by using the green ballot available at the library and put it in the box posted in the teen area, or give it to the librarian, or e-mail your choice to davise@aadl.org.
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Rev. William Sloane Coffin, Jr., author and peace activist, 1924 - 2006
by sernabad
Rev. William Sloane Coffin, Jr. one of the most prominent anti-war voices of the last four decades, died April 12 of congestive heart failure.
Coffin, former chaplain at Yale University, gained prominence during the Vietnam War era with his tireless efforts to use the power of civil disobedience to end the war and to advocate for civil rights. He stood trial with Dr. Benjamin Spock and three others on conspiracy charges for their work with draft resisters; their conviction was later overturned on appeal.
Garry Trudeau immortalized Coffin as Rev. Sloan in the Doonesbury cartoon strip, and in 2004, Warren Goldstein captured Coffin's impact on both U.S. religion and politics in his significant biography, William Sloane Coffin, Jr.: A Holy Impatience.
An author in his own right (Once to Every Man: An Autobiography (1977); The Heart is a Little to the Left: Essays on Public Morality (1999); and Credo (2003), Coffin was 81.
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2006 Thumbs Up! Nominee
by K.C.
Just Like That -- Vote For Me!
High school senior Hanna has just broken up with her boyfriend. Confused and sleepless, Hanna decides to go for a late night walk. A chance encounter on that cold, frozen night changes Hanna’s life forever.
A fascinating book. Hanna discovers how one choice entirely changes the primary focus in her life leading her to people but for that single choice she would never have met. If she had not taken the late night walk, she might still be living her normal, boring life. If this book is your choice for the best of 2005, vote for it by using the green ballot available at the library and put it in the box posted in the teen area, or give it to the librarian, or e-mail your choice to davise@aadl.org.
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2006 Thumbs Up! Nominee
by K.C.
Criss Cross -- Vote For Me!
Debbie and her friends over the course of a summer experience new thoughts and feelings, question their identities, connect and disconnect. As their paths crisscross, they find themselves one step closer to who they’re really meant to be.
This is a book for readers who enjoy reflecting while reading a story. This book encourages you to think about how the people criss crossing in and out of your life help shape the real you. If this book is your choice for the best of 2005, vote for it by using the green ballot available at the library and put it in the box posted in the teen area, or give it to the librarian, or e-mail your choice to davise@aadl.org.
Blog Post
Judas revisited
by sernabad
Debate is raging over Judas' true role in Christianity. A 1,700 year old manuscript, vetted by scholars as genuine, has recently surfaced and seems to suggest that Jesus asked Judas to betray him, and warned Judas that he would be the ultimate scapegoat.
Tomorrow two ABC programs, Good Morning America and Nightline, will delve into controversy (some scholars feel this document is irrelevant; others claim it could rewrite religious history) by interviewing author James M. Robinson whose new book The Secrets of Judas: The Story of the Misunderstood Disciple and His Lost Gospel is sure to be in demand. The Ann Arbor District Library will order this title this month. Once it appears in the Library's catalog, you may place a hold on it.
Blog Post
Muhammad Ali Sells Rights to Name and Likeness
by Rich
Muhammad Ali recently agreed to give up majority control of the rights to his name and image to an entertainment and licensing firm in exchange for $50 million. CKX, Inc. also owns the rights to Elvis Presley's marketing.
The library has many materials for those interested in learning more about Ali. Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times and the more recent The Lost Legacy of Muhammad Ali, both by Thomas Hauser, are highly recommended. Other books include The Muhammad Ali Reader and King of the World: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero.
DVDs include When We Were Kings, an excellent documentary about the 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" versus a younger and meaner George Foreman. Also on order is Michael Mann's director's cut of the 2001 film Ali. For those who don't want to wait, the original DVD release is also available.
Blog Post
2006 Thumbs Up! Nominee
by K.C.
A Room on Lorelei Street -- Vote For Me!
Zoe’s life is more than she can bear – until she rents a room of her own on Lorelei St. But between struggling to pay rent and feeling guilty for leaving her alcoholic mother, how far will Zoe go to keep her independence?
Zoe is real. She struggles with conflicting feelings of love and responsibility for her family and desire to live a “normal” teenage life free from heavy burden. I found myself drawn easily into riding her emotional roller coaster. If this book is your choice for the best of 2005, vote for it by using the green ballot available at the library and put it in the box posted in the teen area, or give it to the librarian, or e-mail your choice to davise@aadl.org.
Blog Post
2006 Thumbs Up! Nominee
by K.C.
Teach Me -- Vote For Me!
High school senior Nine (short for Carolina) has always felt different from her classmates. When she crosses the line with her high school English teacher, her new feelings are so overwhelming she wonders if she even understands herself.
I struggle with this book. My negative feelings are fueled by an intense dislike of the main character, Nine. A member of the Thumbs Up committee believes the portrayal of Nine is accurate based upon someone who went through the same thing. Convince me I should vote for the book in spite of detesting the main character. If this book is your choice for the best of 2005, vote for it by using the green ballot available at the library and put it in the box posted in the teen area, or give it to the librarian, or e-mail your choice to davise@aadl.org.