2011.6.7 NEW ARRIVALS

The Book of Awesome

AUTHOR : Neil Pasricha
GENRE : Self-Help

In this adaptation of his blog, Pasricha celebrates the simple pleasures of everyday living. Focusing on both tangible pleasures and simple experiences, Pasricha provides a contemporary take on everyday inspiration that skips the typical Chicken Soup for the Soul fare: “When you push the button for the elevator and it’s already there,” (“Ding!”); “When the boss goes out of town” (“Who’s up for a three-hour lunch?”); “Peeling that thin plastic film off new electronics” (“Welcome to the world, remote control”). Readers looking for simple, unsentimental pick-me-ups should find this happy browsing.
www.1000awesomethings.com (From Publishers Weekly)

It’s a Book

AUTHOR : Lane Smith
GENRE : Children’s Books

Smith (Madam President) addresses e-literacy in his irreverent style, casting a donkey in the role of a digital junkie and a gorilla as a literary type. The donkey fiddles with a laptop while the gorilla holds a novel. “What do you have there?” asks the techie. “It’s a book,” the ape answers. The donkey tests the gorilla’s patience: “Can it text? Tweet? Wi-Fi?” After the gorilla hands over Treasure Island, the donkey gripes, “Too many letters,” and converts the scene to emoticons before getting hooked on the story. “I’ll charge it up when I’m done!” he promises, at which the mouse squeaks, “It’s a book, jackass.” This smart-aleck retort urges readers to side with the scholarly gorilla. Smith has the best of both worlds: his stylish drawings, sleek typography and kid-friendly humor combine old media and new. Ages 6-up. (From Publishers Weekly)

Cloaked

AUTHOR : Alex Flinn
GENRE : Fiction

Alex Flinn mixes traditional fairy tales with a modern setting in a romance that is clever but not always compelling. When the beautiful princess of Aloria visits the fancy South Beach hotel where kind, 17-year-old Johnny toils in his family’s shoe-repair shop, she transforms his monotonous life. Flinn sets Johnny on an adventure involving talking animals, greedy giants and a cloak that can transport Johnny and his best friend Meg anywhere they wish. But readers may tire of the endless cloak hopping; they will have long guessed the book’s conclusion, including who Johnny really loves and what really happened to his long-lost father. Ages 12 up. (From Publishers Weekly)

100 Great Poems for Boys

AUTHOR : Leslie Pockell (Editor)
GENRE : Poem

This compilation of poems aimed at male readers provides an accessible footpath into the canon, with works from Emerson, Poe, Kipling, Dickinson, and Lear. Pockell provides insightful introductions to each topically organized section, which include “Battlefields and Heroes,” the more open-ended “Things to Think About” (featuring Frost’s perennial “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”), and several humor-focused categories, such as limericks and tongue-twisters. All ages. (From Publishers Weekly)

Sisters Red

AUTHOR : Jackson Pearce
GENRE : Fiction

Jackson Pearce tackles the psychosexual implications of “Little Red Riding Hood” with enthusiasm in this grisly contemporary reimagining. Scarlett March, 18, scarred and missing an eye after killing the “Fenris” who slaughtered her grandmother, now lives to hunt the werewolf-like creatures that relentlessly stalk and murder girls. Her 16-year-old sister, Rosie, has also been trained to hunt the Fenris out of loyalty to her sister. The neighboring woodman’s son, Silas, has been a reliable ally. All three move from their rural town to Atlanta when the opportunity comes to strike a major blow against the Fenris, the urban landscape becoming the vehicle of discovery for them all. Ages 15-up. (From Publishers Weekly)