South Branch Staff Picks

Deadline by Chris Crutcher

Imagine going to the doctor and finding out you only have 1-year to live and keeping it a secret. Deciding not to undergo any type of treatment for his rare disease, Ben Wolf decides instead to make a mark in his small town of Trout, Idaho. Ben’s plan is to petition for the name change of Main Street to Malcolm X all while frustrating his biased history teacher. Follow Ben, star cross-country runner turned football player in his humorous yet realistic world as he manages to keep his life as “normal” as possible in Deadline.

Books you may also like: Speak by Laurie Anderson, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, The Pact by Jodi Picoult, The Fault in our Stars by John Green

By jperez on October 20, 2012 Categories: Books, Fiction, Young Adult

ME LLAMO… Juan Pablo II por Jan W. Góra

Una de las más tiernas historias del Papa Juan Pablo Segundo contada como autobiografía. Esta historia nos lleva desde su infancia, su lugar de origen, su nombramiento como Papa, su momentos más importante y los difíciles hasta su muerte.

Este libro cuenta con hermosas ilustraciones al igual que una tabla cronológica que permite identificar acontecimientos de la historia relacionados con la vida y época del Papa Juan Pablo Segundo.

ME LLAMO… Juan Pablo II es un libro de la serie ME LLAMO… una colección juvenil de biografías de personajes universales.

By hmarroquin on October 11, 2012 Categories: Books, Nonfiction, Youth

Milk

The film is based on Harvey Milk the first openly gay man elected to major public office. Harvey Milk changed history and his courage changed lives. This film follows Milk’s powerful journey to inspire hope and fight for equal rights during a least tolerant times in our nation’s history. Academy Award winner Sean Penn portrays Harvey Milk and delivers a stellar performance. With a stunning all-star cast including Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna and James Franco.

By atovar

By MPPL on September 30, 2012 Categories: Adult, Film, Nonfiction

The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney

The world according to Humphrey

Humphrey has a pretty good life as a class pet in Room 26. He gets to learn right along with the students and he gets to go home with each of them on weekends. All is good until classroom teacher, Mrs. Brisbane, returns from a long absence and declares her dislike of small, furry creatures. Uh oh! Humphrey’s situation is in jeopardy unless he can show Mrs. Brisbane what a likeable, helpful creature he is.

By bcorrigan

By MPPL on September 19, 2012 Categories: Books, Fiction, Youth

Sudden Fiction Latino

Suddent Fiction Latino, an anthology is a veritable smorgasbord of short fiction and even shorter micros. The authors are a wide mix of U.S. Latinos and Latin Americans, from the iconic: Gabriel García Márquez, Isabel Allende, Jorge Luis Borges, to the acclaimed: Junot Díaz, Sandra Cisneros, Roberto Bolaño, and the talents of the future: Andrea Saenz, Daniel Alarcón, Alicita Rodriguez. All of the pieces are in English, whether originally written so, or translated from Spanish. The collection flows intuitively, as opposed to being linked by any central themes, jumping from pieces that are hilarious to heart-breaking, fantastical to earthy. It is an enjoyable read not only for Latin Americans and Latinos, but for anyone who appreciates an honest look at our shared humanity, and a transcendent glimpse at literature emerging in the 21^st century.

By asmith

By MPPL on September 3, 2012 Categories: Adult, Books, Fiction

Tunel

Tunel jest nie tylko okresleniem podkopu miedzy Berlinem Zachodnim a stolica NRD, ale tez metafora opisujaca przejscie z systemu komunistycznego do demokracji. Ksiazka jest “tunelem” do rodzinnych i politycznych tajemnic. Magda, jedna z bohaterek wyjezdza na stypendium do NRD i zakochuje sie we Franzu. Akcja ksiazki dzieieje sie w czasach wspolczesnych lecz czesto wraca do lat osiemdziesiatych. Zachecam do lektury.

By mariag on August 23, 2012 Categories: Adult, Fiction

Cam Jansen and The Mystery Writer Mystery

Cam Jansen is on another case! While visiting her favorite mystery writer, Jim E. Winter, at the school book fair, a parent’s car mysteriously vanishes from the school parking l0t. Will kid detective Cam Jansen find the car thief or will the skilled mystery writer unravel the mystery first? To find out, read Cam Jansen and The Mystery Writer Mystery by David A. Adler.

By jperez on August 20, 2012 Categories: Books, Fiction, Youth

Saving Private Ryan Saving Private Perez

If drama and action are films you enjoy, then these ’picks’ are for you. The year is 1944 and the U.S. is at war. Follow Private James Ryan and his fellow troops in Saving Private Ryan as they try to survive the invasion of Normandy.

With a similar title, Saving Private Perez is a Mexican comedy parody of Saving Private Ryan but with contemporary issues like drug trafficking in Mexico as well as the U.S. war in Afghanistan. Join Julian Perez as he treks his way to Iraq to save both his life and his brothers with some unlikely heros.

By hmarroquin on August 6, 2012 Categories: Adult, Fiction, Film

Adele: Live at the Royal Albert Hall

If you love great love songs and want to watch a stunning performance, watch Adele performed live in Adele: Live at the Royal Albert Hall. Watch her sing those memorable songs like “Rolling in the Deep” or “Hometown Glory”. This DVD let’s you vividly explore Adele in concert and it gives you the opportunity to experience her classical singing voice.

By MPPL on July 23, 2012 Categories: Adult, Film, Nonfiction

Arráncame la vida por Ángeles Mastretta

Arráncame La Vida

Arráncame la vida es la historia de Catalina Guzmán de Ascencio, una mujer de Puebla viviendo en México durante los años 1930 y 1940. Catalina relata sobre su matrimonio a los dieciséis años a un hombre político veinte años mayor que ella. A través de los años, revela la vida compleja de ser esposa de un hombre ambicioso y la miramos transformarse desde una joven ingenua hasta una mujer madura y sabia.

El estilo narrativo de Mastretta toma un ritmo sutil. No es un libro de acción, sino de observación e intriga lenta. En un mundo y época dominado por los anhelos de los hombres, vemos como Catalina y sus amigas van realizando sus deseos. Sobre todo los de Catalina, que a través de la tragedia se convierte, sin desearlo en una política aun mas sabia que su marido.

La película (del mismo nombre) sigue a los eventos principales del libro con gran fidelidad. ¡Además, conviene verla por el escenario y vestuario magnifico!

By MPPL on July 11, 2012 Categories: Adult, Books, Fiction, Film