Holiday Booklist - 2009

Children's fiction

• Benedictus, David. Return to the Hundred Acre Wood. 2009.

  Benedictus presents an all-new collection of Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Recreating the tenderness of A.A. Milne's classic characters, the author triumphantly chronicles the adventures of Christopher Robin and all of his Hundred Acre Wood friends.

• Burg, Ann. All the Broken Pieces. 2009.

  Two years after being airlifted out of Vietnam in 1975, Matt Pin is haunted by the terrible secret he left behind and, now, in a loving adoptive home in the United States, a series of profound events forces him to confront his past.

• Catanese, P. W. Happenstance Found. 2009.

  A boy awakens, blindfolded, with no memory of even his name, but soon meets Lord Umber, an adventurer and inventor, who calls him Happenstance and tells him that he has a very important destiny— and a powerful enemy.

• Clements, Andrew. Extra Credit. 2009.

  As letters flow back and forth— between the prairies of Illinois and the mountains of Afghanistan, across cultural and religious divides— sixth-grader Abby, 10-year-old Amira and 11-year-old Sadeed begin to speak and listen to each other.

• DiCamillo, Kate. The Magician's Elephant. 2009.

  When 10-year-old orphan Peter Augustus Duchene encounters a fortune teller in the marketplace one day and she tells him that his sister, who is presumed dead, is in fact alive, he embarks on a remarkable series of adventures as he desperately tries to find her.

• Forrester, Sandra. Leo and the Lesser Lion. 2009.

  In Depression-era Alabama, 12-year-old Mary Bayliss Pettigrew struggles to understand why her beloved older brother, Leo, died and whether she, miraculously, survived for some special purpose.

• Hanley, Victoria. Violet Wings. 2009.

  After learning she is an extremely powerful fairy, 12-year-old Zaria Tourmaline uses her magic to try to learn about her parents' and brother's disappearance three years before, and to explore the human world— activities which put her and all of Feyland at risk.

• Hannigan, Katherine. Emmaline and the Bunny. 2009.

  Everyone and everything in the town of Neatasapin is tidy, except Emmaline who likes to dig dirt and jump in puddles, and wants to adopt an untidy bunny.

• Hemphill, Michael. Stonewall Hinkleman and the Battle of Bull Run. 2009.

  While participating in a reenactment of the Battle of Bull Run, 12-year-old Stonewall Hinkleman is transported back to the actual Civil War battle by means of a magic bugle.

• Hiaasen, Carl. Scat. 2009.

  Nick and his friend Marta decide to investigate when a mysterious fire starts near a Florida wildlife preserve and an unpopular teacher goes missing.

• Kelly, Katy. Melonhead. 2009.

  In the Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Capitol Hill, Lucy Rose's friend Adam "Melonhead" Melon, a budding inventor with a knack for getting into trouble, enters a science contest that challenges students to recycle an older invention into a new invention.

• Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days. 2009. (Diary of a Wimpy Kid series)

  In the latest diary of middle-schooler Greg Heffley, he records his attempts to spend his summer vacation sensibly indoors playing video games and watching television, despite his mother's other ideas.

• Krosoczka, Jarrett. Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute. 2009. (graphic novel)

  The school lunch lady is a secret crime fighter who uncovers an evil plot to replace all the popular teachers with robots.

• Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Faith, Hope and Ivy June. 2009.

  During a student exchange program, seventh-graders Ivy June and Catherine share their lives, homes and communities, and find that although their lifestyles are total opposites they have a lot in common.

• Paulsen, Gary. Mudshark. 2009.

  Principal Wagner confidently deals with a faculty washroom crisis, a psychic parrot and a terrorizing gerbil, but when 65 erasers go missing, he enlists the help of the school's best problem solver and locator of lost items, 12-year-old Lyle Williams, a.k.a. Mudshark.

• Riordan, Rick. The Last Olympian. 2009. (Percy Jackson series)

  While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it's up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time.

• Van Draanen, Wendelin. Gecko and Sticky: The Greatest Power. 2009.

  When the diabolical Damien Black robs a bank and steals a tiger-eye of great sentimental value, he is pursued by 13-year-old Dave Sanchez and his sidekick, a talking gecko named Sticky, who are armed with a magical Aztec armband.

Children's non-fiction

• Dinosaurs Roar, Butterflies Soar! by Bob Barner. 2009.

  Butterflies are as light as a feather and as old as the dinosaurs. Wherever dinosaurs roamed, butterflies were not far behind. Long after the dinosaurs disappeared, butterflies are still bringing joy and beauty to our world.

• LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary [J 688.72 BEE] by Simon Beecroft. 2009.

  Darth Vader, Yoda, Luke Skywalker and more are brought to life with dozens of little-known facts and hundreds of photos, as are accessories, vehicles, weapons and even the Death Star. Learn about the history, manufacture and construction of the minifigures of the "Star Wars" galaxy.

• Life-Size Zoo: From Tiny Rodents to Gigantic Elephants, an Actual-Size Animal Encyclopedia [J 590.744 KOM] by Teruyuki Komiya. 2009.

  See life-size photographs of various animals, with fold-out pages and charts of interesting facts.

• The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney. 2009.

  In this wordless retelling of an Aesop fable, an adventuresome mouse proves that even small creatures are capable of great deeds when he rescues the King of the Jungle.

• Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth. 2009.

  Greg Mortenson stumbled, lost and delirious, into a remote Himalayan village after a failed climb up K2. The villagers saved his life, and he vowed to return and build them a school. The remarkable story of his promise kept is a riveting example of how one person can change thousands of lives.

• Lousy Rotten Stinkin' Grapes [J 398.2452 PAL] by Margie Palatini. 2009.

  Retells the fable of a frustrated fox that, after many tries to reach a high bunch of grapes, decides they must be sour anyway.

• Mermaid Queen: The Spectacular True Story of Annette Kellerman, who Swam Her Way to Fame, Fortune and Swimsuit History [JB KELLERMAN] by Shana Corey. 2009.

  With courage and determination, Annette Kellerman confronted a crippling illness to become an internationally known record-setting athlete who revolutionized the sport of swimming for women, a movie star who invented water ballet and a fashion revolutionary who modernized the swimsuit.

• The Ohio State Buckeyes [J 796.332 STE] by Mark Stewart. 2009.

  Presents the history, accomplishments and key personalities of the Ohio State University football team. Includes timelines, quotes, maps, glossary and Web site.

• Panda Kindergarten [599.789 RYD] by Joanne Ryder. 2009.

  Sixteen young giant panda cubs at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda at the Wolong Nature Preserve are raised together from infancy in a protected setting, where they grow strong and learn skills that will help prepare them to be released into the wild.

• Paula Deen's Cookbook for the Lunch-box Set [J 641.5123 DEE] by Paula Deen. 2009.

  Whether it's a pool party, bake sale, sleepover or any every-day celebration, Food Network star Paula Deen has an affordable recipe for every school occasion. Intended for a slightly older, more independent child.

• Persephone [J 292.2114 CLA] by Sally Pomme Clayton. 2009.

  Based on the Greek myth of the beautiful young goddess who is snatched by Hades and taken to the underworld, this beautifully illustrated classic brings to life one of the world's most ancient legends— the origins of the seasons.

• Redwoods [J 585.5 CHI] by Jason Chin. 2009.

  A young city boy, riding the subway, finds an abandoned book about redwoods. He finds himself in the very forest described in the book. After finishing the book, he leaves it for someone else to read.

Children's poetry

• Agee, Jon. Orangutan Tongs: Poems to Tangle Your Tongue. 2009.

  Have you ever gotten tripped up trying to say a silly succession of similar syllables? Try out these hilarious tongue twisters for lots of fun!

• Andrews, Julie. Julie Andrews' Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies. 2009.

  A wonderful mix of cherished poems, songs and lullabies featuring nearly 150 treasured works, including beloved classics and modern favorites from Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Jack Prelutsky, Shel Silverstein, Rodgers & Hammerstein and more.

• Florian, Douglas. Dinothesaurus: Prehistoric Poem and Paintings. 2009.

  An illustrated collection of poems and collages about dinosaurs.

• Katz, Alan. Going Going Gone and Other Silly Dilly Sports Songs. 2009.

  Provides new, sports-themed lyrics to well-known songs, including "On Top of the Bleachers" and "When Jimmy Gets in the Batter's Box."

• Scieszka, Jon. Truckery Rhymes. 2009.

  This big, noisy, high-octane collection of favorite truckery rhymes includes "Peter Peter Payload Eater," "Little Dan Dumper" and "Pop Blows the Diesel."

Children's pop up

• Willems, Mo. Big Frog Can't Fit In: A Pop Out Book. 2009.

  Big Frog is quite big; so big this book can't hold her. But with a lot of help from some good friends, Big Frog will fit in just fine! Filled with exciting and unique pops constructed sturdily, and perfectly suited for little hands.

• DePaola, Tomie. Brava, Strega Nona! A Heartwarming Pop-Up Book. 2009.

  Strega Nona shares the six ingredients for a magical life, illustrated with elaborate pop-ups. Also includes a few basic Italian words and phrases.

Picture books

• Alborough, Jez. Super Duck. 2009.

  When, in rhyming text, Duck and his long-suffering friends, Frog, Sheep and Goat, attempt to fly a kite, chaos results. Frog is pulled into the sky as the kite files away and Duck jumps to rescue him.

• Anderson, Laurie Halse. The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School. 2009.

  A young girl's talented but untamed tresses do not impress her strict first-grade teacher, who has rules for everything, including hair.

• Arnold, Tedd. I Spy Fly Guy. 2009.

  While playing hide-and-seek with Buzz, Fly Guy is taken away by a garbage man.

• Barnett, Mac. Billy Twitters and his Blue Whale Problem. 2009.

  When Billy Twitters' mother follows through on her threat to buy him a blue whale if he refuses to obey, he finds himself the owner of an enormous pet that he must take with him everywhere, which does not make him popular at school.

• Brett, Jan. Jan Brett's Snowy Treasury. 2009.

  This beautiful collection contains four of Brett's bestselling titles: Gingerbread Baby, The Mitten, The Hat and The Three Snow Bears. Each book is accompanied by Brett's breathtakingly lush illustrations and is perfect for sharing and reading aloud.

• Butler, John. Bedtime in the Jungle. 2009.

  As dusk falls in the jungle, animal babies and their parents prepare for bedtime.

• Cabrera, Jane. One, Two Buckle My Shoe. 2009.

  Four chicks have fun hiding while Rabbit and Mommy Hen prepare a party for the little pigs' birthday.

• Gall, Chris. Dinotrux. 2009.

  Millions of years ago, the prehistoric ancestors of today's trucks, such as garbageadon, dozeratops and craneosaurus, roamed the Earth until they rusted out and became extinct.

• Hills, Tad. Duck and Goose, How Are You Feeling? 2009. (board book)

  Friends Duck and Goose experience many emotions, from sadness and anger to pride and frustration.

• Kladstrup, Kristin. The Gingerbread Pirates. 2009.

  When Jim's gingerbread pirate, Captain Cookie, comes alive, the tasty treat prepares to battle Santa Claus, who likes to eat cookies on Christmas Eve.

• Na, Il Sung. A Book of Sleep. 2009.

  While other animals sleep at night, some quietly and others noisily, some alone and others huddled together, a wide-eyed owl watches.

• Rosenthal, Amy Krouse. Duck! Rabbit! 2009.

  Two unseen characters argue about whether the creature they are looking at is a rabbit or a duck.

• Seder, Rufus Butler. Waddle. 2009.

  Created by the optical genius behind the phenomenal New York Times bestselling children's books Gallop and Swing, Waddle teaches color and movement through the unique Scanimation process— a technique that brings the animals to vivid life.

• Sherry, Kevin. Acorns Everywhere! 2009.

  An energetic squirrel hoards acorns but forgets where he hid them after being distracted by a berry-gathering bear.

• Willems, Mo. Pigs Make Me Sneeze!: An Elephant & Piggie Book. 2009.

  Gerald believes he is allergic to his best friend! Will he have to stay away from Piggie forever?

• Willems, Mo. Watch Me Throw the Ball. 2009.

  Gerald the elephant tries to tell Piggie that ball-throwing is serious business, but Piggie just wants to have fun.

• Yolen, Jane. How do Dinosaurs Say I Love You? 2009.

  Illustrations and rhyming text present some of the different ways dinosaurs can express their love, from cleaning up after making a mess to smiling sweetly instead of roaring.

Teen fiction

• Brande, Robin. Fat Cat. 2009.

  Overweight teenager Catherine embarks on a high school science project in which she must emulate the ways of hominims, the earliest ancestors of human beings, by eating an all-natural diet and foregoing technology.

• Cashore, Kristin. Fire. 2009.

  In a kingdom called the Dells, Fire is the last human-shaped monster, with unimaginable beauty and the ability to control the minds of those around her. But even with these gifts, she cannot escape the strife that overcomes her world.

• Chima, Cinda Williams. The Demon King. 2009.

  Relates the intertwining fates of former street gang leader Han Alister and headstrong Princess Raisa, as Han takes possession of an amulet that once belonged to an evil wizard and Raisa uncovers a conspiracy in the Grey Wolf Court.

• Collins, Suzanne. Catching Fire. 2009.

  By winning the annual Hunger Games, District 12 tributes Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have secured a life of safety and plenty for themselves and their families, but because they won by defying the rules, they unwittingly become the faces of an impending rebellion.

• Dessen, Sarah. Along For the Ride. 2009.

  When Auden impulsively goes to stay with her father, stepmother and new baby sister the summer before she starts college, all the trauma of her parents' divorce is revived, even as she is making new friends and having new experiences such as learning to ride a bike and dating.

• Fantaskey, Beth. Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. 2009.

  Seventeen-year-old Jessica, adopted and raised in Pennsylvania, learns she is descended from a royal line of Romanian vampires and that she is betrothed to a vampire prince, who poses as a foreign exchange student while courting her.

• Fitzpatrick, Becca. Hush, Hush. 2009.

  High school sophomore Nora has always been very cautious in her relationships, but when Patch, who has a dark side she can sense, enrolls at her school, she is mysteriously and strongly drawn to him, despite warnings from her best friend, the school counselor and her own instincts.

• Friedman, Aimee. Sea Change. 2009.

  When her estranged grandmother dies and leaves her mother the family home on Selkie Island, 17-year-old Miranda meets her mother on the Georgia island, where she discovers mysterious family secrets and another side to her logical, science-loving self.

• George, Jessica Day. Princess of the Midnight Ball. 2009.

  A retelling of the tale of 12 princesses who wear out their shoes dancing every night, and of Galen, a former soldier now working in the king's gardens, who follows them in hopes of breaking the curse.

• Headley, Justina Chen. North of Beautiful.

  Terra, a sensitive, artistic high school senior born with a facial port-wine stain, struggles with issues of inner and outer beauty with the help of her Goth classmate Jacob.

• Klein, Lisa M. Lady MacBeth's Daughter. 2009.

  In alternating chapters, ambitious Lady Macbeth tries to bear a son and win the throne of Scotland for her husband, and Albia, their daughter who was banished at birth and raised by three weird sisters, falls in love, learns of her parentage and seeks to free Scotland from tyranny in this tale.

• Korman, Gordon. Pop. 2009. (6)

  Lonely after a midsummer move to a new town, 16-year-old high-school quarterback Marcus Jordan becomes friends with a retired professional linebacker who is great at training him, but whose childish behavior keeps Marcus in hot water.

• Logsted, Greg. Alibi Junior High. 2009.

  After 13-year-old Cody and his father, an undercover agent, are nearly killed, Cody moves in with his aunt in Connecticut, where he is helped with his adjustment to the trials of attending public school for the first time and investigating a threat in nearby woods by a wounded Iraq War veteran.

• Magoon, Kekla. The Rock and the River. 2009.

  In 1968 Chicago, 14-year-old Sam Childs is caught in a conflict between his father's nonviolent approach to seeking civil rights for African Americans and his older brother, who has joined the Black Panther Party.

• McLaughlin, Emma and Nicola Kraus. The Real Real. 2009.

  When Hampton High senior Jesse is cast in a reality television show along with five other, more popular students, drama on and off screen reveals that what the audience and producers want is not the same as what Jesse wants.

• Peterfreund, Diana. Rampant. 2009. (2)

  After surviving a vicious unicorn attack, Astrid Llewelyn learns she is a descendant of the most famous unicorn hunter of all time. The 16-year-old must travel to Rome to train in the ancient arts to carry on her family legacy and save the world from the threat posed by the reemergence of lethal unicorns.

• Ryan, Carrie. The Forest of Hands and Teeth. 2009.

  Through twists and turns of fate, orphaned Mary seeks knowledge of life, love and especially what lies beyond her walled village and the surrounding forest, where dwell the unconsecrated, aggressive flesh-eating people who were once dead.

• Stewart, Trenton Lee. Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma. 2009.

  When an unexplained blackout engulfs Stonetown, Benedict Society members Reynie, Kate, Sticky and Constance follow clues on an adventure that threatens to separate them from their families, friends and even one another.

• Westerfeld, Scott. Leviathan. 2009.

  In an alternate 1914 Europe, 15-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts.

Teen non-fiction

• Eat Fresh Food: Awesome Recipes for Teen Chefs by Rozanne Gold. 2009.

  An award-winning chef and her all-star team have created a stunning cookbook for teens with a focus on fresh, natural and unprocessed vegetables and fruits.

• I Can't Keep my Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous and Obscure by Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser. 2009.

  True tales of love, loss, good friends and bad hair days filled Not Quite What I Was Planning, the bestselling first book in the Six-Word Memoir series. Some of the best were written by teens, so the editors decided to create a collection of memoirs written entirely by those bold, brash truth-tellers.

• The Teen Vogue Handbook: An Insider's Guide to Careers in Fashion by Teen Vogue. 2009.

  From aspiring designers, stylists, editors and photographers to fashion obsessives who want behind-the-scenes secrets about industry stars and tips on how to live a creative life, this book is a must-read.

Adult fiction

• Atwood, Margaret. The Year of the Flood. 2009.

  The long-awaited new novel from the author of The Handmaid's Tale and The Blind Assassin, The Year of the Flood is a dystopic masterpiece and a testament to Atwood's visionary power.

• Bradley, Alan. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. 2009.

  Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, must exonerate her father of murder. Armed with more than enough knowledge to tie two distant deaths together and examine new suspects, she begins a search that will lead her all the way to the King of England himself.

• Clarke, Austin. More. 2009.

  From the 2002 Giller Prize-winning author of The Polished Hoe comes this mesmerizing look at the interior life of a Caribbean domestic, which has already won the 2009 Toronto Book Award.

• Coloane, Francisco. Tierra del Fuego. 2009.

  These spellbinding stories of adventure and discovery are populated with explorers, fortune hunters, revolutionaries and smugglers. But the undeniable protagonist in all nine stories is nature itself— epitomized by the severe beauty of southern Chile.

• Connelly, Michael. 9 Dragons. 2009.

  When John Li, a south L.A. liquor store owner, is murdered, LAPD Detective Harry Bosch promises Li's family he'll find the killer. As he uncovers a link to a Hong Kong crime ring that follows many immigrants to their new lives in the U.S., someone he loves is taken from him.

• Conroy. Pat. South of Broad. 2009.

  The one and only Pat Conroy returns with a big, sprawling novel that is at once a love letter to Charleston, South Carolina, and to lifelong friendship— a long-awaited work from a great American writer whose passion for life and language knows no bounds.

• Cornwell, Bernard. Agincourt: A Novel. 2009.

  A fugitive English forester and mercenary defender saves young novitiate Melisande and, defending himself from a vengeance-seeking rapist priest and Melisande's father, finds himself slogging his way to Agincourt as an archer in King Henry V's army.

• Eggers, Dave. The Wild Things. 2009.

  Based loosely on the storybook by Maurice Sendak and the screenplay co-written with Spike Jonze. During a fight at home, young Max runs away and ends up on the island of the Wild Things, and soon he becomes their king. But things get complicated when Max realizes that the Wild Things want as much from him as he wants from them.

• Gregory, Philippa. White Queen. 2009.

  In this account of the wars of the Plantagenets, Elizabeth Woodville marries the newly crowned Edward IV in secret and ascends to royalty. After Edward dies, his brother usurps the throne and imprisons Elizabeth's sons— the rightful heirs— whose fate has confounded historians for centuries.

• Irving, John. Last Night in Twisted River. 2009.

  In 1954 in northern New Hampshire, an anxious 12-year-old boy mistakes the local constable's girlfriend for a bear. Pursued by the implacable constable, both the boy and his father become fugitives. Their lone protector is a fiercely libertarian logger, once a river driver, who befriends them.

• Macomber, Debbie. The Perfect Christmas. 2009.

  Thirty-three-year-old Cassie wants a husband and kids, and she turns to Simon Dodson, a professional matchmaker, for help. Dodson assigns her three tasks to complete, and despite a number of comical mishaps, Cassie completes them all. Her Christmas match turns out to be a wonderful surprise.

• Mantel, Hilary. Wolf Hall: A Novel. 2009.

  In the ruthless arena of King Henry VIII's court, only one man, Thomas Cromwell, dares to gamble his life to win the king's favor and ascend to the heights of political power.

• Mieville, China. The City & the City. 2009.

  New York Times-bestselling author Mieville delivers an existential thriller set in an enthralling city unlike any other— real or imagined. This is a murder mystery taken to dazzling metaphysical and artistic heights.

• Niffenegger, Audrey. Her Fearful Symmetry. 2009.

  When Elspeth Noblin dies, she leaves everything to the 20-year-old American twin daughters of her own long-estranged twin, Edie. Valentina and Julia move into Elspeth's London flat and, through a series of developing relationships, a crisis develops that could pull the twins apart.

• Pratchett. Terry. Unseen Academicals: A Novel of Discworld. 2009.

  The wizards of Unseen University in the ancient city of Ankh-Morpork must win a football match, without using magic, so they're in the mood for trying everything else. As the match approaches, four lives are entangled and changed forever.

• Reichs, Kathy. 206 Bones. 2009.

  Chicago forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan is accused of mishandling the autopsy and case of a missing Montreal heiress— an investigation that becomes more complicated when two more bodies are found. Tempe must face the very real possibility that a colleague has sabotaged work in the lab.

• Stockett, Kathryn. The Help. 2009.

  In Jackson, Mississippi, in 1962, there are lines that are not crossed. With the civil rights movement exploding all around them, three women start a movement of their own, forever changing a town and the way women— black and white, mothers and daughters— view one another.

• Walls, Jeannette. Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel. 2009.

  A true-life novel about the author's grandmother who, at age six, helped her father break horses and at age 15 left home to teach in a frontier town. Despite a life of hardscrabble drudgery, Lily Casey Smith remains a woman of indomitable spirit.

• Winters, Ben H. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters.

  The Dashwood sisters are evicted from their childhood home and sent to live on a mysterious island full of savage creatures and dark secrets. Can they triumph over meddlesome matriarchs and unscrupulous rogues to find true love, or will they fall prey to the tentacles forever snapping at their heels?

Adult non-fiction

• About Dogs [741.5973 BOO] by George Booth. 2009.

  Known for cartoons of twitching dogs situated alongside a long-suffering couple, this collection will highlight Booth's best and funniest dog cartoons.

• Bicycle Diaries [796.64 BYR] by David Byrne. 2009.

  This behind-the-handlebars celebration of seeing the world from the seat of a bike comes from a renowned musician and visual artist. Part travelogue, part journal, part photo album, "Bicycle Diaries" features 100 black and white photographs throughout.

• Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West (illustrated edition) [970.004 BRO] by Dee Alexander Brown. 2009.

  The classic bestselling history The New York Times has called "original, remarkable, and finally heartbreaking" is available in a special 30th anniversary edition.

• Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen [641.568 BRE] by Georgeanne Brennan. 2009.

  Highlighted with gorgeous photography, this collection of enticing recipes includes time-tested and decadent favorites like Chewy Ginger-Molasses Cookies and Chocolate-Marshmallow Fudge as well as lighter offerings like Key Lime Bars and Lemon-Spiced Olives.

• Cold: Adventures in the World's Frozen Places [910.911 STR] by Bill Streever. 2009.

  From avalanches to glaciers, from seals to snowflakes, and from Shackleton's expedition to "The Year Without Summer," Streever journeys through history, myth, geography and ecology in a year-long search for cold— real, icy, 40-below cold.

• Gather: Memorable Menus for Entertaining throughout the Seasons [642.4 BRE] by Georgeanne Brennan. 2009.

  In this beautifully photographed cookbook, Brennan brings a refreshing feeling of seasonal simplicity to the art of entertaining year-round. She invites readers to consider any occasion to gather people to the table: honoring parents in the springtime, Chinese New Year in the winter or a Summer Solstice party.

• Good Eats: The Early Years [641.5 BRO] by Alton Brown. 2009.

  Foodie phenomenon Brown is a great cook, a very funny guy and a science geek who's as interested in the chemistry of cooking as he is in eating. This edition, the first in a two-volume series, provides an unexpurgated record of his long-running, award-winning Food Network TV series, "Good Eats."

• Have a Little Faith: A True Story [296.7 ALB] by Mitch Albom. 2009.

  Albom is thrown back into a world of faith when asked to deliver the eulogy of a rabbi in his hometown. Trying to understand not only the rabbi better, but also a convict-turned-pastor he'd recently met, Albom realizes the similarity of what both men taught: the comfort of believing in something bigger than yourself.

• High Voltage Tattoo [391.65 VON] by Kat Von D. 2009.

  From the charismatic star of The Learning Channel's number-one program, "L.A. Ink," comes a rich view of contemporary tattoo culture, as only a true insider can offer.

• Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned about Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat [636.8 COO] by Gwen Cooper. 2009.

  Homer the cat's unswerving loyalty, infinite capacity for love and joy in the face of all obstacles inspired the author daily and transformed her life by teaching her that love isn't something you see with your eyes.

• How to Be a Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood [B TAYLOR ELIZABETH] by William J. Mann. 2009.

  Was Elizabeth Taylor the greatest product of the Hollywood star machine or its greatest victim? Mann's smart, engaging, clear-eyed case study locates the real person somewhere between her private life and her public image.

• Loch Ness Monsters and Raining Frogs: The World's Most Puzzling Mysteries Solved [031.02 JAC] by Albert Jack. 2009.

  This intriguing work presents a collection of short, amusing and informative examinations of history's most confounding mysteries. Jack answers such mysteries as: are the stories about the Bermuda Triangle true and where do crop circles come from.

• Love, Mom: Poignant, Goofy, Brilliant Messages from Home [306.8743 LOV] by Doree Shafrir and Jessica Grose. 2009.

  Shafrir and Grose have gathered more than 200 hilarious and heartfelt— and just a bit grammatically challenged— e-mails from moms to their adult children.

• Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts [745.5 MAR] by the editors of Martha Stewart Living. 2009.

  Organized by topic, this comprehensive resource contains projects, templates and detailed instructions for more than 30 craft techniques such as beading, jewelry making, paper cutting and silkscreening. Instructions for each technique are followed with how-to projects.

• Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King [932.014 PAT] by James Patterson and Martin Dugard. 2009.

  Novelist James Patterson teams up with non-fiction writer Martin Dugard to uncover the mystery shrouding the death of Tutankhamun, commonly known as King Tut. The authors utilize modern technology, including x-rays and other forensic data, in an attempt to solve a 3,000-year-old mystery.

• The National Parks: America's Best Idea: An Illustrated History [917.3 DUN] by Dayton Duncan. 2009.

  This lavishly illustrated narrative delves into the history of the park idea, from the first sighting by white men in 1851 of the valley that would become Yosemite, through the most recent additions to a system that now encompasses nearly 400 sites and 84 million acres.

• The New Portuguese Table [641.5946 LEI] by David Leite. 2009.

  The New Portuguese Table takes readers on a culinary journey into the soul of this fascinating nation and looks at its 13 surprisingly different historical regions. Leite shares beloved classics and the modern dishes that define the country today.

• Shadows in the Jungle: The Alamo Scouts Behind Japanese Lines [940.5425 ALE] by Larry Alexander. 2009.

  Drawing on personal interviews with and recollections by veterans, the author chronicles the exploits of the Alamo Scouts, members of an elite Army reconnaissance unit during World War II, a group that spent weeks behind enemy lines to gather much needed intelligence for Allied forces in the Pacific.

• So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week [641.5 KRI] by Ellie Krieger. 2009.

  The weekly host of the Food Network's "Healthy Appetite" provides dishes that tackle every possible mealtime situation. Illustrated with 50 full-color photos, her bestselling cookbook features 150 delicious, easy-to-prepare, fortifying recipes for on-the-go and at home.

• Speech Less: Tales of a White House Survivor [973.931 LAT] by Matt Latimer. 2009.

  Latimer, a young conservative speechwriter, pens this hilarious yet poignant account of life inside the White House, as he laments a certain kind of principled conservatism that disappeared in the last years of the Bush presidency.

• Stitches: A Memoir [741.5973 SMA] by David Small. 2009.

  Telling his story in a graphic-novel style, the prize-winning children's author depicts a childhood from hell in this searing yet redemptive memoir.

• Throw Out 50 Things: Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life [648.5 BLA] by Gail Blanke. 2009.

  Real Simple columnist Blanke wants everyone to liberate themselves— physically and mentally— from the stuff that clutters their lives by throwing out 50 things. She takes the reader through each room in the house to help them figure out what should stay and what should go.

• True Compass: A Memoir [B KENNEDY EDWARD] by Edward M. Kennedy. 2009.

  In this landmark autobiography, five years in the making, Senator Edward M. Kennedy tells his extraordinary personal story— of his legendary family, politics and 50 years at the center of national events.

• Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities [581.69 STE] by Amy Stewart. 2009.

  Stewart takes on over 200 of Mother Nature's most appalling creations. It's an A to Z of plants that kill, maim, intoxicate and otherwise offend. Menacing botanical illustrations and splendidly ghastly drawings create a fascinating portrait of the evildoers that may be lurking in your own backyard.

• You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas [814.6 BUR] by Augusten Burroughs. 2009.

  In this caustically funny, nostalgic, poignant and moving collection, Burroughs recounts Christmases past and present— as only he could. With gimlet-eyed wit and illuminated prose, he shows how the holidays bring out the worst in us and sometimes the very, very best.