Join nationally known adventure-travel journalist Peter Mandel for a thrilling virtual exploration of the world’s most remote and extreme locations. Mandel has chased stories from the deserts of Africa to the fjords of Norway, the mountain paths of Japan to the icy wilderness of Antarctica—often returning with unforgettable tales and striking photos.
In this dynamic storytelling event, Mandel shares gripping experiences from the field —surviving a coup in Ecuador, fishing for piranhas in Brazil, floating in the Goodyear Blimp, kayaking to the Statue of Liberty, visiting a ‘city’ of penguins at the South Pole, and more. Along the way, he’ll reveal how these real-life adventures are transformed into powerful prose for today’s newspapers, magazines, and books.
Peter Mandel’s work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, National Geographic Kids, The Los Angeles Times, and more. He has published eleven children’s books, with titles exhibited at the Smithsonian, the American Museum of Natural History, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame. His books have been translated into several languages, including Japanese, German, Dutch, Swedish, and Danish. Based in Rhode Island, he shares his home with his wife, Kathy, and their rescue cats, Emily and Cecil.
This all-ages virtual program is perfect for curious minds, aspiring writers, world travelers, and armchair adventurers alike. Don’t miss this unforgettable journey around the globe—from the comfort of home.
Sometimes mere escapism isn’t enough. Sometimes you need to really dig deep and find a distraction from endless online scrolling, so you can sit down and get back to a book. Sometimes you need to revisit an old – and I mean nostalgic old – favorite.
I’ve been rereading The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis for much of February, after not touching them in any way for maybe 15 years. Let me tell you – some of it really does not hold up. I chose to listen to the books this time, chasing, perhaps, some long-lost childhood feeling of being read to and trying to visualize the world as each chapter progressed. It made all the blatant anti-Arab sentiment a lot worse, and it made obvious the problematic writing of an Oxford don existing safely within the walls of the British Empire at her zenith.
Still, I found myself caught up in the magic, in the sheer scope of the ever-expanding world Lewis built. Even when the metaphors hit you over the head, even when the pacing is uneven, there’s something about these books — some mix of whimsy, sincerity, heart, and adventure — that draws readers back, generation after generation.
I’ve read the books in publication order before. This time I went for in-world chronology, and it’s apparent that The Magician’s Nephew is not a strong start to the series, as fun as the story is. As a starting point for the world, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is the quintessential Narnia book for a reason – the highs and lows are epic, the enemy looms, and the heroes are authentic and full of heart. The backdrop of the second World War is apparent throughout, and the in-world nostalgia lends a sparkle over the whole story. The wonder of Lucy’s first steps into Narnia and the cozy charm of Mr. Tumnus’ home are hard to beat.
Prince Caspianand The Voyage of the Dawn Treader are fun for being some of our first repeats with characters and through-lines within Narnia itself. Despite being one of the worst offenders in terms of blatant Orientalism, The Horse and His Boy will always have a special place in my heart as a pure adventure story, moving from Calormen to Archenland. It’s fun to experience Narnia during the reign of the Pevensies. Much like Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair expands the world around Narnia, giving us Marshwiggles and Bism. It has a heavy atmosphere that leads well into the final, most apocalyptic book, The Last Battle, where finally Narnia ends. Listening to each book (about five hours long each, and available on Libby) does make it obvious that C.S. Lewis had an agenda, but all fairy tales can give us morals if we’re looking.
Do these books still work? Yes and no. There’s plenty to critique, but the sense of wonder remains. If nothing else, rereading them made me realize how much childhood nostalgia smooths over the flaws of beloved books. But maybe that’s what revisiting old favorites is for — seeing them clearly, appreciating what they gave us, and questioning what they left out.
Sahana is the Communications Strategist at HCLS. They enjoy adding books to their “want to read” list despite having a mountain of books waiting for them already.
Mystery, Adventure, and Friendship in Ira Marcks’ Graphic Novels: Shark Summer and Spirit Week
by Ahmad Ndir
Ira Marcks’ graphic novels Shark Summer and Spirit Week combine mystery, adventure, and friendship in different settings. Both books feature young protagonists who are drawn into solving a local legend or curse with the help of unlikely allies. The stories are fast-paced, engaging, and full of twists and turns that keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Shark Summer is set on Martha’s Vineyard, where a Hollywood film crew arrives with a mechanical shark and a youth film contest. Gayle, a disgraced pitcher, sees a chance to turn her bad season into the best summer ever by making a movie about the island’s phantom shark. Along the way, she teams up with Elijah, an aspiring cinematographer, and Maddie, a moody director. Together, they uncover the truth behind the shark and the history of the island. The book has a vivid sense of place and a nostalgic vibe that pays homage to classic movies like Jaws and The Goonies.
Spirit Week takes place in the Underlook Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, a famous landmark that belongs to the reclusive horror writer Jack Axworth. Suzy, an aspiring engineer, is invited to tutor Jack’s son, Danny, but instead she finds herself investigating a local curse that threatens the hotel. With the help of Elijah, an amateur filmmaker, and Rena, the hotel’s caretaker, Suzy tries to save the hotel and the town from the shadows of the past. The book has a creepy and dark tone that draws inspiration from horror stories like The Shining and The Haunting of Hill House.
Both books are well-written and illustrated, with expressive characters and colorful scenes. The themes of acceptance, belonging, and finding your family intertwine throughout the stories, as the characters overcome their personal challenges and grow closer to each other. The books are suitable for middle grade and young adult readers who enjoy graphic novels, mystery, and horror. I would recommend them to anyone who likes a good scare along with a good laugh.
Award-winning graphic novelist Ira Marcks visits HCLS on April 3 at 5 pm at Central Branch. He discusses how he plans, writes, and draws a long form comic story by engaging hands-on using the three essential elements of storytelling – characters, setting, and theme. Followed by book sales and signing.
Ahmad Ndir is a Teens’ Instructor & Research Specialist at the Central Branch at HCLS. Along with helping young learners discover new books, he is an avid reader of teen fiction and nonfiction titles on different aspects of psychology. He strives for positivity for himself and those around him, in both his personal and work life.
He’s not just a demon, he’s THE demon. And honestly, Kaiisteron is one of my favorite characters from the past year. Maybe not quite in possession of “a heart of gold,” he nonetheless loves his friends and tries to do right in the world.
Witch King by Martha Wells opens with Kai returning to consciousness, confused and worried about being disembodied – basically a ghost. It’s a disorienting start to a mystery full of politics and betrayal, as we have to figure out what’s going on along with the demon. He immediately resolves the need for a body (and revenge) and goes looking for his best friend, Ziede. She is a Witch who can no longer sense her wife, Tahren – a nearly immortal being who switched sides in the last war. Kai and Ziede, along with an abandoned orphan and other people picked up along the way, immediately set out to find Tahren and figure out what has happened in the year they were imprisoned.
From that point on, the novel intersperses the current timeline with the story of how all these powerful people met each other and changed the world. They were part of a rebellion, upending the power-hungry Hierarchs who were conquering the world. As usual, Martha Wells provides world building that’s miles deep and centuries long. This world feels real and lived in, so the stakes matter. Except that the full, entire stakes are not crystal clear until past and present come together in a surprising, satisfying ending with plenty of twists and turns.
This book definitely rewards a second read. The first time through I was more concerned with figuring out who was who and what was happening. Wells throws you into the deep end and slowly parcels out clues and details. The stakes are so much higher than a missing spouse or a betrayed friendship. The second time, I could appreciate the sheer genius of how the two timelines fit together and inform each other. Once again, Kaiisteron’s actions and his loyalty to the man who saved him changes the fate of his world. I hope Wells writes more in this world, but this is a fantastic standalone as is.
Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball in season (but not all at the same time).
The library is the home of adventure, with new unknowns to explore with every turn of a page. Visiting the library can leave you with a wealth of knowledge about a new place from every book you borrow.
But sometimes, reading about another far-off place or watching a movie set in a distant land isn’t enough. Sometimes, you’re looking for a more immersive experience, and your imagination just isn’t cutting it – it’s time for the real deal. Planning trips can be exhausting, though, and finding where and how to start can be the hardest part. Let us help plan your trip! Between travel guides, our passport centers, and ways to brush up on your language skills, the library can get you ready for your next big adventure. You’ve dreamed about it, book in hand, so let us help you get there.
Wander down the travel aisle at any of our six branches, and starting with the 914s, you’ll find inspiration for all sorts of far-off places to begin your journey, whether that be on the other side of the world, or just on the other side of the country. Once you’ve discovered your destination and decided it’s time to go, our Passport Centers in HCLS East Columbia and Glenwood Branches will accept your passport application and help you through the whole process.
In the meantime, while your passport is processed, use our language resources, Mango and Rosetta Stone Online for the adults in the family, as well as Little Pim and Muzzy Online for our younger friends! Practice your newfound language skills in the community at East Columbia and Miller Branches at our monthly World Language Cafés, working with native language speakers and other language learners.
To avoid missing us while you’re gone, make sure to pick up a Flat Booker from your closest branch too, and take pictures to show us once you return, so we can share in the adventure too.
Practice Before You Go with World Languages Café For adults. Meet to practice a world language with fellow community members, facilitated by a native or fluent speaker of that language. Please indicate in the registration comments field the language you would like to practice. In partnership with Columbia Association. At East Columbia: register here. Tuesday, Nov 28 7 – 8:45 pm
At Miller: register here. Thursday, Dec 14 7 – 8:45 pm
Sahana is an Instructor and Research Specialist at the Savage Branch. They enjoy adding books to their “want to read” list despite having a mountain of books waiting for them already.
One of the hottest titles at the moment is Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. It has Hunger Games energy, plus dragons! Violet, a young woman who expects to follow her deceased father into a scholarly life, is instead enrolled into the military academy by her mother, the general. From there, the story takes off into a school story, but with death of cadets an inevitable, acceptable outcome. On top of not wanting to be in the dragon academy, Violet has physical issues (which seem similar to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) that make it even more difficult for her to succeed. However, she does have a fair amount of stubbornness and unwillingness to die – gotta love her! The story only gets more complicated with conscripted children of a failed rebellion and ever-increasing military action at the country’s borders. I suspect there’s more going on here, but I will have to wait for answers until the next book in the series, which comes out in November.
Speaking of waiting – go ahead and get yourself on the list for Fourth Wing (print, e-book, or e-audiobook). In the meantime, here are more great books with dragons:
Heartstone by Elle Katharine White Pride and Prejudice, with dragons! This one leans more toward Austen and Regency romance than modern dystopian fantasy. It has everything: country houses, fights with monsters, terrible misunderstandings, class issues, and one true love. But, you know, with dragons. Aliza Bentaine, second of five sisters, resides at the family’s country estate of Merybourne Manor. A flock of wild gryphons has infested their land and, tragically, killed the youngest sister. Riders come to the rescue, and the rest follows from there. Reader, I devoured it – plus, there are sequels.
Native Americans and colonization, with dragons! In this alternate timeline, the Viking explorations became permanent settlements of this continent, with a Spanish-equivalent nation to the south. In what maps to current-day New England, Anequs, a young Native woman, lives a traditional island lifestyle with her family, until a rare indigenous dragon lays an egg and the ensuing hatchling bonds with her. She is compelled to attend a dragon academy, which brings her in close contact with “regular society,” and not particularly subtle culture clashes ensue. Anequs, though, is determined to do what is best for herself and her dragon, as well as her family and friends, while actively avoiding assimilation. Also available as an e-book.
The Napoleonic wars, with dragons! Will Laurence is an officer and a gentleman serving in the Royal Navy when his ship captures a French frigate carrying important, secret cargo – a dragon egg! The dragon Temeraire chooses Will, causing him to leave the Navy and, for the most part, good society to become a member of the Aerial Corps along with his new charge. Class structures provide much of the drama, outside of the war raging across the continent. The subsequent political and military maneuvers are wonderfully entertaining, especially with Temeraire as the outsider who often needs to have things explained. The mystery of the dragon’s origins continue through this book and the next. Over the course of the series, Laurence and Temeraire travel the world, always looking to advance the cause and care of the intelligent, capable species of dragonkind. Also available as an e-book and e-audiobook.
Kitchen boy to … well, more … epic fantasy, with big, bad, scenery slaying dragons! This sprawling series takes on many standard tropes and has a lot of fun with them. Prophecy, immortal elves, scheming merchant families, named swords, battles for the throne, absent and all-too-present deities, and dragons combine in Jenn Lyons’ huge (finished!) series. Khirin is the main character, but not necessarily the hero, of a story that is the most recent chapter in a epic that spans millennia. A seeming orphan thief who lives in a brothel, Khirin’s life is turned upside down when he’s condemned to slavery and again when it seems he’s a lost scion of a noble house. The plot moves fast, and things are never quite as they appear. The stories are written as a sort of historical account, complete with dry, snarky footnotes. Discovering the “author” and the role he plays is part of the fun. Despite the doorstop size of the five volumes in this series, they move fast and require you to read carefully. Also available as an e-audiobook.
Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball in season (but not all at the same time).
It’s August, it’s hot, you need to complete a few more adventures for Summer Reading 2023. Cue the music and jump into Mission: Impossible. Not only can you see the world, but you can watch Tom Cruise do all his own stunts over 25 years of true movie star magic.
At this point in film history, Tom Cruise embodies Ethan Hunt, heroic Impossible Missions Force (IMF) agent. The seventh installment, Dead Reckoning, is in theaters currently (with part 2 arriving in 2024), and its trailer with Ethan/Tom jumping off a cliff while riding a motorbike is simply heartstopping. Saving the world is assured as long as tech genius Luther, played by Ving Rhames, is by Ethan’s side. Beginning in the third installment, the team is perfected with the addition of field agent Benji, played by Simon Pegg (see also Shaun of the Dead for London electronics salesman battling a zombie apocalypse while maintaining his sense of humor). These three, bolstered by a rotating cast of glamorous spies, defeat the savviest of international criminals.
Brian De Palma, the great suspense director, kicked off the Mission: Impossibleseries in 1996. Not-to-be-missed scenes include the exploding fish tank and Ethan suspended upside down by a cable while attempting to infiltrate an impenetrable CIA vault. Cruise later explained he put coins in his shoes to help him balance.
Mission: Impossible IIfinds Ethan saving us all from the release of a deadly virus. The rock climbing sequence is incredible. Ethan is pulled out of retirement for Mission: Impossible III which transports viewers to Rome, Shanghai, and Berlin. Directed by J.J. Abrams (Cruise is an Aliasfan), the movie includes an explosive scene on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
Ghost Protocol, the fourth in the series, finds Ethan accused of bombing the Kremlin and fighting for his life. Brad Bird bravely ventures beyond his acclaimed animation repertoire, includingThe Incredibles and Ratatouille, to direct this one. The travelogue encompasses Bangalore, Mumbai, Budapest, Dubai, and Moscow, and Cruise again engages in some impressive climbing, scaling a 1700-foot building. For those prone to hypertension, beware the action sequence in the parking structure.
The Syndicate is a group of spies gone rogue, and they have nerve gas. Hence, Rogue Nation, get it? Ethan goes to the opera, visits Oxford, hangs suspended from an Airbus, and dives underwater in a long take that has been reported as lasting anywhere from three to six minutes. Cruise trained with a diving instructor to assure he could act as well under the sea as he does on land and in the sky.
2018 brought the release of Fallout, the sixth installment. The Syndicate has morphed into the Apostles, and Ethan must race to Paris, London, and the Himalayas to retrieve some plutonium. Ethan jumps from a plane, requiring Cruise to do multiple takes skydiving from an aircraft traveling 165 miles per hour at an altitude of 25,000 feet. At one point, production was suspended to allow Cruise to recover from a broken ankle that he suffered performing one of his “easy” stunts jumping between buildings.
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to watch all six. There’s no boredom allowed when you have an HCLS library card.
Cherise Tasker is an Adult Instructor and Research Specialist at the Central Branch. When not immersed in literary fiction, Cherise can be found singing along to musical theater soundtracks.
Thu, Jul 13 7 – 8 pm Miller Branch Learn more and register here.
Trail Dogs and Firefighters: A Memoir from the Burning West is an enthralling story about Robert J. (Bob) Roller’s unexpected plunge into the intense world of trail “dogging” and wildland firefighting. The story brings to life the beauty of the American West, the community of interesting people who seek the danger of this lifestyle, and the bonds forged in this environment, in a way that only someone who lived through these experiences can describe.
Trail Dogs and Firefighters captures the dangerous early season efforts to clear isolated routes high in the Wyoming mountains, and it climaxes with a series of intense wildfires fought across the intermountain west.
This is the perfect book for anyone interested in the real lives of wildland firefighters or anyone who simply enjoys reading about people who rise to meet impossibly challenging situations by relying on their training, luck, and faith in each other.
Roller has deployed to wildfires, mass migrations, hurricanes, and pandemics. He is a Certified Emergency Manager, a Nationally Registered Paramedic, and a civilian graduate of the US Army’s Command and General Staff College. Roller was the vice president of Cabin John Park Volunteer Fire Department, where he has served as a firefighter, paramedic, and special operations swiftwater rescue technician, and he has also served on three mid-Atlantic mountain-rescue teams.
Princess Marra is kind of a princess in waiting, or maybe it’s more like cold storage. Her sisters, one after the other, have married the Prince of the Northern Kingdom, bringing as their dowry the control of the best deep water harbor and removing the threat of war. If the middle sister also dies in childbed, Marra appears next in line to be married. In the meantime, she’s content living at the convent of Our Lady of the Grackles, where she apprentices to Sister Apothecary and helps with midwifery.
It turns out that the prince, now king, is not so charming. Marra learns how he likes to hurt his wives when attending her sister’s premature labor. Upon digesting some hard realities, this third sister decides to save her older sibling and herself. Although, all she really has is a vague plan to remove some rotten royalty from the face of the earth. Quite honestly, I’d want to kill him, too.
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher is the best kind of fairy tale. It has all the right characters and doesn’t feel the need to over-explain the deep and weird places inside the story. The novel begins with Marra performing her second impossible task – building a dog from bone and silver wire. Her first involved spinning yarn filled with nettles to make a cloak of owl-cloth, but the story opens as she is desperately trying to complete a canine skeleton in the mandated time. Our sheltered nun proves to be a wonderfully obstinate, straightforward young woman. She accomplishes two impossible tasks before the dust-wife (a witch who tends the dead) takes pity on her and gives her a jar filled with moonlight that Marra can immediately re-gift. The two women, young and old but both fiercely independent, set off on their journey.
What follows is a story that I will surely reread and put on my “keeper” shelf. The adventure begins in earnest at a creepily fantastical Goblin Market and continues, despite all odds or even common sense, to its exciting conclusion at the royal palace. At the hidden market and on the road, Marra makes trades that lead to the completion of her merry band: her now real-seeming Bonedog, a handsome and honorable woodcutter, a (mostly) good fairy godmother, and the dust-wife with her demon-possessed hen. Clearly, the author keeps chickens, because it’s a character in its own right!
Each has a role to play as the quest becomes ever more complicated. Not only does Kingfisher excel at the magical aspects, she also manages to insert enough mundane practicalities to keep the book grounded. The absurdity of every day matters, like eating and sleeping, informs the subversive humor that laces through the story. The slightly snarky observations serve to illustrate the misogyny present in so many classic stories. Here, at least, the youngest princess works to save her royal sister from dying young of the curse of having an abusive husband who holds all the advantages. I laughed, I cheered, and I wanted more.
This short novel manages to fit a lot of story into a surprisingly few pages. You can read it as a book or e-book.
Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball in season (but not all at the same time).
Turtle in Paradise, originally a children’s book, was published as a lovely graphic novel last year. This story by Jennifer L. Holm works wonderfully for children and teens who may be having trouble reading fiction but find graphic novels and pictures easier to comprehend and follow.
The story follows an 11-year-old girl named Turtle who suddenly has to move to Key West, Florida to live with her aunt. All is going smoothly until she reaches the residence and realizes she is not welcomed with open arms. Although she adjusts to the next few weeks there with her cousins, their weird friends, and jobs, and becomes accustomed to the strange nicknames for everything in the area, Turtle still cannot wait to go home.
If you like a quick read that grabs your heart strings and keeps you immersed, this delightful story has the words and visuals to do just that. Find out how Turtle learns to grow and get along with her aunt and cousins. Take a look at her mother’s love interest and how that affects Turtle and the family. Discover the story behind a pirate and his lost treasure… and what does that have to do with Turtle?
Answer all these questions and more with this riveting tale. For those who would prefer the fiction copy, it might be fun to contrast the differences between the formats. Graphic novels are a good way to incorporate reading and learning with your children, families, or even on your own.
CHAPTER CHATS 