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New and popular titles at Juniata County Library

BOOK REPORT

With so many good books being released all the time, it can be hard to determine what to check out next. Every week, I offer a run-down of significant releases available here at the library.

Visit our online card catalog at juniata.sparkpa.org to search today or call (717) 436-6378 to have a helpful library staff member assist you.

“The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas

One quick way for me to read a book is if it is made into a movie or TV show. “The Lincoln Lawyer,” “Ordinary People,” “Serpico,” “Game of Thrones,” and “Unbroken” are just a few of my favorite books that turned into films of shows. The common line of thinking is that the book is always better than the movie or show. I found the movie adaption of “Ordinary People” to be just as good if not better than the book by Judith Guest. “The Hate U Give” may join that list short list for me.

“The Hate U Give” shows 16-year-old Starr Carter as a black girl and an expert at navigating the two worlds she exists in: one at Garden Heights, her black neighborhood, and the other at Williamson Prep, her suburban, mostly white high school. Walking the line between the two becomes immensely harder when Starr is present at the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, by a white police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Khalil’s death becomes national news, where he’s called a thug and possible drug dealer and gangbanger. His death becomes justified in the eyes of many, including one of Starr’s best friends at school. The police’s lackadaisical attitude sparks anger and then protests in the community, turning it into a war zone. Questions remain about what happened in the moments leading to Khalil’s death, and the only witness is Starr, who must now decide what to say or do, if anything. Thomas cuts to the heart of the matter for Starr and for so many like her, laying bare the systemic racism that undergirds her world, and she does so honestly and inescapably, balancing heartbreak and humor. With smooth but powerful prose delivered in Starr’s natural, emphatic voice, finely nuanced characters, and intricate and realistic relationship dynamics, this novel will have readers rooting for Starr and opening their hearts to her friends and family. You can find this book in the Young Adult Fiction section.

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Come play, learn

and read

Fall Story Time: Now through Nov. 23

Preschool Story Time: For children ages 3 and older. Mondays at 10:30 a.m., Thursdays at 6 p.m. Stories, songs, rhymes, flannel board activities, crafts, and fun. (There will be no Preschool Story Time on Nov. 12. Feel free to join us on Thursday evening that week, Nov. 15.)

Tales for Twos: Toddler Story Time and Playgroup. Fridays at 10:30 a.m. For children ages 18 months through 2 years. 20-30 minutes of stories, songs, rhymes, flannelboard activities and movement, followed by 30 minutes of playtime.

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Bookshots … Here are some quick book recommendations, the star ratings I give them, or whether you should skip it, borrow it or buy it.

“Tear Me Apart” by J.T. Ellison (5 stars)

“The Man who Came Uptown” by George Pelecanos (4 stars)

“A Spark of Light” by Jodi Picoult (5 stars)

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Vince Giordano has been the director of the Juniata County Library since 2015.

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