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February 2006 Book Picks
This month we are featuring short story collections. Read several good stories in one! In our library, short stories are located at the end of the fiction section.
FIREBIRDS: AN ANTHOLOGY OF ORIGINAL SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY
"The only theme in this gorgeous tapestry of a collection is that all the authors are part of the Firebird imprint. The 16 stories are richly romantic in the broadest sense, and they effortlessly transport readers. Delia Sherman's opening "Cotillion"evokes the spell of lute music and New York City in 1969; Garth Nix's creepy "Hope Chest"is a Western stand-alone with a very unusual sheriff; Michael Cadnum and Meredith Ann Pierce turn old stories inside out. There's a cat tale (Diana Wynne Jones), and an odd changeling tale (Nancy Farmer), and a graphic novel by Emma Bull and Charles Vess. Nancy Springer takes a bemused and ironic look at what might happen when a girl wants her soul back. So many beguiling tales in one package make this a real find."
-- Booklist, October 15, 2003 |
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TIME CAPSULE: SHORT STORIES ABOUT TEENAGERS THROUGHOUT THE TWENTITH CENTURY
Ten stories by such notable authors as Richard Peck, Chris Crutcher, and Chris Lynch, each of which presents the life of a teenager in a different decade of the twentieth century, accompanied by a brief description of the historical and cultural highlights of that decade. |
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APHRODITE'S BLESSING: LOVE STORIES FROM THE GREEK MYTHS
"McLaren, offers more classical myths retold with a feminist slant in the voices of women. Here she presents three love stories based on myths about Atalanta, Andromeda, and Psyche. In each story, the famous characters suffer heartbreak, find love, and, finally, marry, all at the whims of Aphrodite. As always, McLaren's tellings are engaging, lyrical, and filled with sensory descriptions that bring the ancient world alive, from what the air smells like to the foods at the banquets. Most interesting, though, are the details about women's lives: superficial descriptions of clothing and make-up, as well as deeper insights into the highly restrictive social codes that women dealt with--the arranged marriages; the incomplete educations. Even teens indifferent to the fascinating history will be drawn to the sweeping romances and fierce young women who determine their own destinies against the odds." --Booklist, March 1, 2002 |
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WHAT A SONG CAN DO: 12 RIFFS ON THE POWER OF MUSIC
"Armstrong offers a dozen perspectives on music's life-altering possibilities in this short-story collection. Ron Koertge's "Variations on a Theme" cleverly gives voice to what motivates various students to join a school band and how that decision affects their lives. A gay teen shares his inner struggle to accept his own sexuality in David Levithan's sensitive "What a Song Can Do." The pain of being forced into the role of child prodigy in one musical form until one's own true voice can be heard underlies Jude Mandell's verse selection. Music's connection to life is seen from myriad angles without overpowering the stories, which all have interesting plots and well-developed characters. "
-- School Library Journal, July 1, 2004 |
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CURSES, INC. AND OTHER STORIES
"Ranging from a modern-day story featuring an Internet spell service to more traditional tales set in the timeless world of folklore, the ten stories offer a diverse picture of the nature of witches and their craft. Lighthearted tales such as "Boy Witch," in which a young boy uses his mother's spell books to impress a beautiful girl, offset thought-provoking selections that deal with moral issues. A well-rounded, entertaining collection."
-- The Horn Book, September, 1997 |
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