Lovey: A Very Special Child

I found an unexpected reading treasure this week in Lovey: A Very Special Child. This is a true story written in 1976 about Mary MacCracken, a special education teacher, and her students.  Lovey tells the story of Hannah, a child who is fat, dirty and behavior-ridden.  No school wants to keep her. No child wants to play with her, and Hannah seems unable to speak. She yells, cries and acts out, but she does not speak.

Mary is not excited about having Hannah in her class. She has three other students who are on their way to being well adjusted. Hannah is another matter altogether. Mary isn't sure where to begin to help Hannah. Mary is a teacher who has no official certification, but she has worked as a teacher for six years. Her experience allows her to find Lovey, the child who is hidden under Hannah’s anger, loneliness and fear. Once Mary finds Lovey, she works to help her reach her full potential.

I firmly believe every teacher needs to read this beautiful story.  Hannah's new life begins when she tells her teacher: "Call me Lovey... nobody say that before." Mary MacCracken reaches Lovey with her unconditional love, her determination to make a difference and her inability to take "no" for an answer.

Mary, although an unofficial teacher, finds a way to reach Lovey and gives his child the possibility to reach her full potential and offers her something she never had before, hope. 


I wish that all teachers had Mary's wonderful ability and compassion.  For those of you who possess this talent, my hat is off to you.  Thanks for helping our children become the people they are meant to be.

If you are a teacher or know a teacher, please make time to read this book. 

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickson

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickson

Any summary I try to write cannot do justice the layered intricacy that is Baru Cormorant. It is a story of individuals struggling against the might of nations, done in a refreshing way. It is a fantasy novel without dragons, magic, or even anything more odd that a foreign currency. There is but one large battle and eventually, you realize even that was just secondary to other movements that were going on.

The story follows the titular Bar Cormorant as a young girl on the island of Taranoke who loves to tally the birds and the stars. But with the trade winds comes the Empire of Masks from Falcrest. The Masquerade conquers using economy and rules, progress and lies. They rename things and outlaw local customs and turn the people into good servants of the empire. Baru watches as her islands way of life is destroyed, as one of her fathers is murdered and he people devastated by plague. She realizes that she hates the Empire of Masks and that it cannot be destroyed from the outside. Once she is identified as a prodigy and a savant with numbers and is groomed to be integrated into the highest rungs of the Masquerade’s power, she sees her chance to end the Masquerade from within. In order to help her people, she must cover her hate and tackle the Empire’s test, bringing order to the rebellious Aurdwynn nation. It is a land full of shifting loyalties, sedition, rebels, and treachery. Baru must find a way to rule this unrulable country in the name of an empire she hates.

Baru Cormorant is an amazing, layered story, well-crafted and well plotted out. Despite the fantasy setting, her struggles generate empathy and she develops from a simple, very smart girl into a richly complex character that, despite her flaws, you find tourself rooting for, to the very end.

On a side note, I am perfectly willing to trust anything that is blurbed by Kameron Hurley as being “Smart. Brutal”, and I have to say, I was not disappointed. 

November's In the Queue

November's In the Queue is filled with thrillers, magic, and a touch of the dramatic! Sit back and relax with these great novels.  

Fiction
The Japanese Lover: A Novel by Isabelle Allende
This is the impossible romance which bloomed between a Polish World War II survivor and a Japanese gardener's son. Theirs is a forbidden love after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Decades later, Alma's caregiver discovers love letters which span seventy years. Then she investigates this forbidden love. 

Bohemian Gospel by Dana Chamblee Carpenter
Thirteenth century Bohemia is a dangerous place for a young woman. Especially if you are as odd as Mouse.  This gripping and remarkable debut novel is the story of Mouse's quest to uncover her past and find her destiny with the help of King Ottakar.


New Books by Best-Selling Authors

The Guest Room: A Novel by Chris Bohjalian
House of the Rising Son: a Novel by James Lee Burke
The Promise: An Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Novel by Craig Crais
The Pharaoh's Secret: A Novel by Clive Cussler
The Mistletoe Inn: A Novel by Richard Paul Evans
Commander-in-Chief by Mark Greaney
Avenue of Mysteries: A Novel by John Irving
Born of Betrayal by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Secret Sisters by Jayne Anne Krentz
After She's Gone by Lisa Jackson
Private Paris by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan
A Christmas Escape by Anne Perry
See Me by Nicholas Sparks
Scandalous Behavior by Stuart Woods

Non-Fiction

Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship by Daniel de Vise
Features extensive unpublished interviews with those closest to these two men and a powerful biography that celebrates the real-life friendship between Andy Griffiths and Don Knotts.

Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates by Brian Kilmeade
This pop-history narrative tells of a lesser known confrontation between the third president of the United States and Pasha, the Tripoli pirate who challenged his authority by attacking American ships.

But Enough About Me by Burt Reynolds
A no-holds-barred memoir that traces one of America's favorite actors from adolescence and the accident that led to his acting career.

Spy Thrillers Part Two

Last month we celebrated spy novelist John le Carre's 84th birthday by highlighting some classic novels and intriguing female spies.  This week we will be focusing on some historical novels and some more modern and tech-savvy spies.

Adam Brookes--Night Heron introduces us to journalist Philip Mangan who becomes entangled in a British Secret Intelligence Service operation--the latest is Spy Games.

Richard A. Clarke--the author is a notable counter-terrorism expert and brings this experience to his novels.  His newest is Pinnacle Event. Also, try The Sting of the Drone.

Jeremy Duns--Free Agent is the first in the historical Paul Dark series.  Paul Dark is a MI-6 double agent.

Alan Furst--Midnight in Europe is the latest in the Night Soldiers series--he writes some of the best historical novels out there with just a touch a romance.

Terry Hayes--a former journalist and a longtime screenwriter, the author thrills us with I Am Pilgrim--in which a retired CIA spy connects a murder mystery with a possible biological nightmare in the U. S.

Mischa Hiller--Shake Off--romance, action, where Middle East meets West--his latest is Disengaged--a small software company is caught between Israeli and Iranian intelligence.

Joseph Kanon--from war-torn Europe to McCarthy-era America, his historical novels will keep you on the edge of your seat.  Leaving Berlin is his latest.

Charles McCarry--considered by many to be the best modern spy author--try his two latest Shanghai Factor and The Mulberry Bush--or start with The Miernik Dossier, the first in his Paul Christopher series.

James McGee--The Blooding is the latest in the Matthew Hawkwood series--start with Ratcatcher--Hawkwood is a British spy in 1812 Albany, NY trying to get to Canada.

Do you have a favorite spy?

Try SearchOhio for any titles not available at the library.