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• December Staff Picks Newsletter •
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Warm up with a good book! Our staff has some great suggestions for you - scroll down for book picks for all ages! Just click the book cover to place a hold on that title.
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Here Comes Santa Paws by Laurien BerensonIt's the most wonderful time of the year in Connecticut, but Melanie Travis finds surviving this December may take a real Christmas miracle when a yuletide murderer comes to town.
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Dachshund Through the Snow
by David Rosenfelt
Wanting to grant the selfless Christmas wishes of a child in need, lawyer Andy Carpenter and his wife track down the boy’s father, who has been arrested for a murder that his family swears he did not commit.
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In a Dark, Dark Wood : a Novel
by Ruth Ware
After accepting a friend's invitation to spend a weekend in the English countryside, reclusive Leonora awakens in a hospital badly injured, unable to recall what happened and confronting a growing certainty that someone has died.
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In the Hall With the Knife: a Clue Mystery - Young Adultby Diana PeterfreundA debut entry in a modern, game-inspired series by the author of the Killer Unicorn duology finds a motley band of students stranded at an elite prep school and navigating secrets and danger when they discover the murdered body of their headmaster.
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The House of Brides : a Novel
by Jane Cockram
A disgraced social-media influencer targeted for endorsing a controversial product flees to the safety of a British estate, where she uncovers dark truths about generations of women who married into her family. A first novel.
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Golfing with God
by Roland Merullo
A former golf pro who never made it on the circuit, Herman "Hank" Fins-Winston spends his afterlife living on one of heaven's golf courses and playing golf, but things take a drastic turn when he is summoned to coach God himself, or herself.
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Cutting Back : My Apprenticeship in the Gardens of Kyoto
by Leslie Buck
A garden designer and aesthetic pruner who specializes in natural design in the San Francisco Bay area presents a story of personal growth in which she recounts her apprenticeship with the most prestigious gardening firm in Kyoto, Japan, where she was taught many valuable lessons in both gardening and life.
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North : Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trail
by Scott Jurek
An expert ultrarunner and best-selling author of Eat and Run describes how he set out to break the speed record for the Appalachian Trail, a 2,189 mile journey that took an unforeseen physical and emotional toll, but also offered him unexpected rewards.
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Carnegie's Maid : a novel
by Marie Benedict
An impoverished Irish immigrant in the industrial 1860s takes a job as a lady's maid in the home of prominent businessman Andrew Carnegie, with whom she falls in love before going missing, triggering Carnegie's search for answers and the establishment of his enduring legacy. By the author of The Other Einstein.
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The Family Upstairs
by Lisa Jewell
Discovering the identity of her birth parents and her inheritance of a valuable mansion, 25-year-old Libby makes horrifying discoveries about the disappearances of her biological family. By the best-selling author of Then She Was Gone.
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The Nest
by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
Gathering to confront their older brother, who has recently been released from rehab after a drunk driving accident, the Plumb siblings watch as the trust fund left by their father rises and falls according to self-inflicted problems.
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Cheshire Crossing - Young Adult
by Andy Weir
Alice, Wendy, and Dorothy attend a private school where they learn to handle their magical powers, but they soon begin a series of adventures crossing universes, even bringing the Wicked Witch and Captain Hook together in an unlikely but deadly match.
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1973 : Rock at the Crossroads
by Andrew Grant Jackson
A fascinating account of the music and epic social change of 1973, the year rock hit its peak while splintering—just like the rest of the world. Illustrations.
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Daughter of Chaos - Young Adult
by Sarah Rees Brennan
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Novel #2 finds Sabrina leaving Baxter High behind to pursue her studies at the Academy of Unseen Arts.
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A Constellation of Roses - Young Adult
by Miranda Asebedo
Questioning her preference for a life on the move when she arrives at the home of long-lost relatives, an abandoned girl observes mysterious family talents behind the uncanny abilities she has used to survive.
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I Hope You Get This Message - Young Adult
by Farah Naz Rishi
When Earth receives messages from another world, claiming that the planet is their created colony and that they are planning to destroy it within a week, three teens are forced to confront the mistakes of their past before they run out of time.
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Christmas in Vermont by Anita Hughes"A sweet holiday love story about the magic of synchronicity and fate set at a quaint Vermont inn during the week after Christmas. Christmas in Vermont is a delightful and charming love story about the magic of second chances during the most festive time of year."
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The Ten Thousand Doors of January
by Alix E. Harrow
A woman navigating the out-of-place artifacts in her caretaker’s sprawling early 20th-century mansion discovers a mysterious book that reveals impossible truths about the world and her own past.
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Station Eleven - Young Adult
by Emily St. John Mandel
The sudden death of a Hollywood actor during a production of King Lear marks the beginning of the world's dissolution, in a story told at various past and future times from the perspectives of the actor and four of his associates. By the author of The Lola Quartet.
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Polar Bear's Underwear
by Tupera Tupera (Firm)
Polar Bear has lost his underwear and he asks his friend, Mouse, to help him find it.
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Regina Persisted : An Untold Story
by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
This true story of the first woman ever ordained as a rabbi -- in Germany in 1935 -- will inspire children to pursue their dreams and to persist in the face of challenges. Written by Rabbi Sandy Sasso, the first Reconstructionist woman rabbi in the United States, the book also features an afterword with historical context about the Nazi Germany setting and about the female ordinations in the various Jewish movements.
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The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond
by Brenda Woods
Feeling out of place as a biracial student in an all-white school and tiring of people thinking she is adopted, Violet investigates her late African-American father's heritage by forging a tenuous bond with an unwelcoming paternal grandmother. By the Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author of The Red Rose Box.
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Broken Strings
by Eric Walters
In 2002, Shirli Berman loses her beloved grandmother and lands a part in her junior high production of "Fiddler on the Roof," but when she is doing research in her attic and finds a violin, her Zayde gets incredibly angry.
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Allies
by Alan Gratz
Racing toward the French coast along with his brothers-in-arms, a terrified World War II soldier from America participates in the top-secret D-Day operation, while a young French spy works to sabotage German occupiers and a paratrooper orchestrates a daring midnight raid.
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A Hat for Mrs. Goldman : a Story About Knitting and Love
by Michelle Edwards
Making pom-poms to help Mrs. Goldman, who knits hats for everyone in the community, little Sophia is challenged to overcome her own limited crafting abilities when she discovers that Mrs. Goldman does not have a hat of her own. By the author of Room for the Baby.
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Nutcracker Night
by Mireille Messier
An onomatopoeic representation of a little girl’s experience at the ballet describes the swish of the young audience member’s dress and the tick-tick-tick of the conductor’s baton through the 12 bongs of the clock and the pitter-patter of the dancers’ feet.
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Santa's Puppy
by Cathy Hapka
Discovering a remarkable talking dog named Peppermint Bark wedged in their chimney on Christmas morning, Chris and Holly discover that their guest is Santa’s beloved pet and needs their help returning to the North Pole before midnight.
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One Snowy Morning
by Kevin Tseng
Two woodland friends, a squirrel and a chipmunk, encounter a snowman without recognizing it and use its top hat, carrot nose and mittens as helpful objects that they turn into a rowboat, yummy soup and funny fish puppets.
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Taming of the Shoe
by Sarah Littman
Thirteen-year-old Araminta Robicheaux, Cinderella's daughter, embarrassed by her family, seeks to make her own fairy tale come true by showing her shoe designs to boy-band mega-star Theo Downey.
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Ra the Mighty : The Great Tomb Robbery
by Amy Butler Greenfield
A smug royal cat turned detective and his dung beetle sidekick are on the case when a precious tomb gets ransacked in the Valley of the Kings. Includes more than 30 wacky illustrations with fun historical details along with a glossary, pronunciation guide and detailed author’s note about ancient Egypt.
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Bruce's Big Storm
by Ryan T Higgins
Bruce finds the limits of his overcrowded home tested when a big storm brings all his woodland neighbors to his door for shelter. By the award-winning creator of We Don’t Eat Our Classmates.
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Good Night, Little Blue Truck
by Alice Schertle
A bedtime-story entry in the best-selling series that includes Little Blue Truck Leads the Way finds Little Blue Truck and his friends supporting each other while trying to go to sleep during a scary thunderstorm.
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Orchestra
by Avalon Nuovo
A beautifully illustrated guide that provides an introduction to the orchestra.
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Bear is awake! : An Alphabet Story
by Hannah E Harrison
An alphabet tale by the award-winning creator of Extraordinary Jane incorporates unusual word associations into the whimsical story of a bear who wakes up in the middle of the winter and forges an unlikely friendship with a little girl.
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Fly!
by Mark Teague
When Mama bird decides it is time for Baby bird to leave the nest and learn how to fly south, an apprehensive Baby considers whimsical alternatives, in a wordless picture book by the best-selling creator of the Dear Mrs. LaRue series.
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The One & Only Wolfgang : From Pet Rescue to One Big Happy Family
by Steve Greig
The Instagram personality and best-selling author of Solo is inspired by Grieg’s real-life rescue animals and follows a loveable but homeless menagerie of critter misfits who share adventures while reaffirming that in a family, everyone belongs.
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What is a Refugee?
by Elise Gravel
Designed to help introduce children to a sensitive world issue, an accessible picture book combines bold, graphic artwork with comprehensive text explaining who refugees are, why they had to leave their homes and why they are not always welcomed elsewhere.
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The Polar Express
by Chris Van Allsburg
A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa Claus.
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I Need My Monster
by Amanda Noll
Checking under the bed for his monster, Ethan discovers that he is gone fishing for a week, and realizing he can't sleep without him tries to find a substitute monster.
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Snowmen at night
by Caralyn Buehner
Snowmen play games at night when no one is watching!
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Katy and the Big Snow
by Virginia Lee Burton
Katy the tractor helps the entire town of Geopolis after a big snowstorm.
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