Weekend Reads

A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass

Wendy Mass's A Mango-Shaped Space tells the story of Mia Winchell. We first meet Mia in a prologue that is set in Mia's 3rd grade year. Mia is at the board and is struggling through a math problem. She is procrastinating (math isn't her best subject and she's not sure how to solve the problem in front of her) so she starts to use the colored chalk to put the numbers in to the "right" colors since that may make it easier to do the problem. When her teacher reprimands her and her fellow students start calling her "freak", Mia realizes for the first time that she's alone in the way she sees the world. This novel is funny and heartbreaking, and you will enjoy seeing Mia as she struggles to understand herself and comes to appreciate the very quality that made her feel so alone for so long.

Find it in Fiction under F MAS

The Witch's Boy by Kelly Barnhill

This beautifully written story is spare and sometimes harsh, but captivating at the same time. Barnhill uses extended exposition, and reveals facts about the characters, their lives and their relationships slowly, which can initially be a little frustrating, but ultimately helps to create mystery and suspense that she weaves through the rest of her tale. The story begins with an adventure. Ned and Tam, twin brothers and sons of the Sister Witch and her woodcutter husband, build a raft to get to the sea. The raft capsizes, killing Tam and gravely injuring Ned. The witch performs her magic to save Ned's life, but in this book magic is mischievous and always takes a toll on Sister Witch when she uses it. Readers also meet Áine, a girl Eventually, the bucolic and peaceful village where Ned now lives alone with his parents hosts a visit from the queen, along with a bandit who wants more than the coins out of the villagers pockets. This book is beautiful, haunting and supernatural.

Find it in Fiction under F BAR

The King of Sports by Gregg Easterbrook

For many people, fall means football. It's a game that brings communities together on Friday nights, and entire cities slow down when their team is playing. Gregg Easterbook sets out to understand the best and worst parts of the sport and the leagues that control it. While his investigation features an examination of the football program at Virginia Tech (thanks to extensive insider access to this program), he looks closely at both the NFL and the youth leagues in order to discuss what is right and wrong with football at all of the levels it is played. He traces the history (and taxpayer funding) of the Superdome and the New Orleans Saints, he critiques the policies and procedures of the NCAA, and he explains the back story of David Sills V, who was famously "discovered" at the age of thirteen. This behind-the-scenes coverage is interesting to all football fans - from players of all ages on the field, to superfans who never miss seeing their favorite high school, college and professional teams play, to the casual fan who catches a game here or there. 

You can find it in Nonfiction under 796.33 EAS