12/16: New at the library this week

Books:

• 1001 books you must read before you die / Peter Boxall — For discerning bibliophiles and readers who enjoy unforgettable classic literature, 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die is a trove of reviews covering a century of memorable writing. Each work of literature featured here is a seminal work key to understanding and appreciating the written word. The featured works have been handpicked by a team of international critics and literary luminaries.
• On Christmas Eve / Ann M. Martin — Eight-year-old Tess is convinced this is the year she will finally meet Santa, and experience "the Christmas magic." She also wishes with all her heart that her best friend's ill father will recover. Tess' faith in the season results in a Christmas Eve so wondrous, so sparkling, readers won't be able to help but feel transformed.
• Toys go out : being the adventures of a knowledgeable Stingray, a toughy little Buffalo, and someone called Plastic / Emily Jenkins — Together is best for these three best friends. Together they look things up in the dictionary, explore the basement, and argue about the meaning of life. And together they face dogs, school, television commercials, the vastness of the sea and the terrifying bigness of the washing machine. (Age Range: 6 to 9)
• Crispin : at the edge of the world / Avi — He was a nameless orphan, marked for death by his masters for an unknown crime. Discovering his name -- Crispin -- only intensified the mystery. Then Crispin met Bear, who helped him learn the secret of his full identity. And in Bear -- the enormous, red-bearded juggler, sometime spy, and everyday philosopher -- Crispin also found a new father and a new world. Now Crispin and Bear have set off to live their lives as free men. But they don’t get far before their past catches up with them. (Age Range: 9 to 12)
• The book without words : a fable of medieval magic / Avi — The Book Without Words appears to be a volume of blank parchment pages. But for a green-eyed reader filled with great desire, it may reveal the forgotten magical arts of making gold and achieving immortality. For generations, its magic has been protected from those who would exploit it. But on a terrible day of death and destruction, the Book Without Words falls into the hands of a desperate boy. (Age Range: 12 and up)
• I will hold you 'til you sleep / Linda Zuckerman — Here is the rare book that not only expresses a parent's love for their child, but offers a hope for what that love will become. It begins with a wish at bedtime, as parents hold their children tight and hope their love will cradle them, safe and sound. It continues through the day their children have grown up, proud and strong, and can pass that love on to someone else. This is a book that goes beyond a parent's "I love you" to the generous wish that our children will make the world a better place. (Age Range: 4 to 8)
• Gardening essentials / Barbara Pleasant — Gardening Essentials gives you essential ideas, knowledge, lists, instructions and projects you need to make better gardening decisions and meet your own personal gardening goals, be they big or small or somewhere in between.
• The gardener's bird book : a guide to identifying, understanding, and attracting garden birds / Tom Carpenter
• Solving garden problems : flowers / A. Cort Sinnes
• Perennials / Maggie Oster
• The gardener's butterfly book : a guide to identifying, understanding, and attracting garden butterflies / Alan Branhagen
• Plant propagation / Alan Toogood
• The big book of flowers / A. Cort Sinnes
• Better gardens, less work / Barbara Pleasant
• Shade gardens / Mimi Luebbermann