KC, the Big Easy, Tornadoes, History of the Future
More book reviews from January:
14) Torn Away by Jennifer Brown:
Jersey Cameron, like a lot of folks in the Midwest, has become relatively immune to tornado sirens. But then a major twister rips through her town, and much of the life Jersey knows is torn away. In moments, Jersey has lost her house, and more devastatingly, her mother and younger sister. Author Jennifer Brown, who grew up in Lee's Summit (a suburb of Kansas City) and still lives in the area, brings an authentic voice to what it means to live through one of nature's most powerful disasters. Not only do readers experience the confusion and uncertainty in the days following the tornado, but we see Jersey struggling to start over as she is moved among family she has never met. This is a story about appreciating the life you have and rising from the ashes, but also about dark family secrets. Brown is already a popular YA author, and I'll already book talking this title to high school readers.
15) Heart of America, Jane Mobely:
I found this one while helping a student in our non-fiction stacks. Heart of America is a look at Kansas City in the early 1990s, about the time I initially left the area. The city has since experienced a great deal of growth and renewal, but even in Mobely's view from the early '90s KC was a great spot to be. The book highlights many of the area's bright spots, but also shied away from the blight that residents of the time know was there. In the back of the book there are highlights for quite a few corporations, and I questioned whether these were paid placements. Many of the corporations are now defunct, including TWA. While I can't recommend this as a new purchase, it was an interesting look back on my hometown nearly 25 years later.
14) Torn Away by Jennifer Brown:
Jersey Cameron, like a lot of folks in the Midwest, has become relatively immune to tornado sirens. But then a major twister rips through her town, and much of the life Jersey knows is torn away. In moments, Jersey has lost her house, and more devastatingly, her mother and younger sister. Author Jennifer Brown, who grew up in Lee's Summit (a suburb of Kansas City) and still lives in the area, brings an authentic voice to what it means to live through one of nature's most powerful disasters. Not only do readers experience the confusion and uncertainty in the days following the tornado, but we see Jersey struggling to start over as she is moved among family she has never met. This is a story about appreciating the life you have and rising from the ashes, but also about dark family secrets. Brown is already a popular YA author, and I'll already book talking this title to high school readers.
15) Heart of America, Jane Mobely:
I found this one while helping a student in our non-fiction stacks. Heart of America is a look at Kansas City in the early 1990s, about the time I initially left the area. The city has since experienced a great deal of growth and renewal, but even in Mobely's view from the early '90s KC was a great spot to be. The book highlights many of the area's bright spots, but also shied away from the blight that residents of the time know was there. In the back of the book there are highlights for quite a few corporations, and I questioned whether these were paid placements. Many of the corporations are now defunct, including TWA. While I can't recommend this as a new purchase, it was an interesting look back on my hometown nearly 25 years later.
Comments
Post a Comment