Author: Mary Metcalf

ADULT FICTION

“Inland” by Tea Obrecht — “With Inland, Obreht makes a renewed case for the sustained, international appeal of the American West, based on a set of myths that have been continually shaped and refracted through outside lenses. . . . Discovering the particular genre conventions that Obreht has chosen to transfigure or to uphold soon becomes central to the novel’s propulsive appeal.”—The New Yorker

“The Book of Lost Names” by Kristen Harmel — “Inspired by an astonishing true story from World War II, a young woman with a talent for forgery helps hundreds of Jewish children flee the Nazis in this unforgettable historical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the “epic and heart-wrenching World War II tale” (Alyson Noel, #1 New York Times bestselling author) The Winemaker’s Wife.

“The Four Winds” by Kristen Hannah — “Hannah brings Dust Bowl migration to life in this riveting story of love, courage, and sacrifice…combines gritty realism with emotionally rich characters and lyrical prose that rings brightly and true from the first line”― Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The Mountains Sing” by Nguyen Phan Que Mai — “A luminous, complex family narrative . . . The Mountains Sing affirms the individual’s right to think, read, and act according to a code of intuitive civility, borne out of Vietnam’s fertile and compassionate cultural heritage.” —NPR

“The Russian” by James Patterson & James Born (Large Print) — “Weeks before NYPD Detective Michael Bennett is to marry his longtime love, Mary Catherine, an assassin announces his presence in the city with a string of grisly murders. Each victim is a young woman. And each has been killed in a manner as precise as it was gruesome….Bennett promises Mary Catherine that the case won’t affect their upcoming wedding. But as Bennett prepares to make a lifetime commitment, the killer has a lethal vow of his own to fulfill.” — Amazon.com

“The Once and Future Witches” by Alex E. Harrow — “This novel cleverly connects the dots between the suffragist movement of the past to the Me Too movement of today. Compelling, exhilarating, and magical, The Once and Future Witches is a must-read.” — Booklist (starred review)

“Warm Montana Home” by Cynthia Bruner (Large Print) — “All Poppy Marsh wants is to find a safe place to heal from the pain of a broken relationship and to finish the degree she’s worked so hard to earn. After Colton Gunnerson’s search for rodeo fame crashes to the ground, saving his family ranch is the only future he has left. Colton has an old Montana homestead for rent, and Poppy needs a place to stay. As they become entangled in a web of family ties and the dark secrets from the past, they need faith to change the course of their lives and to show them the love and hope neither thought they would find. The Moose Hollow series tells the story of broken people and second chances, and love stories filled with love, humor, romance and redemption.” — Amazon.com

ADULT BIOGRAPHY

“His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life” by Jonathan Alter — “In unfolding his carefully researched narrative, Alter portrays Carter as far more successful in his labors as chief executive than is generally acknowledged. A balanced and complete portrait.” — Booklist

“The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit” by Michael Finkel — “Thought-provoking and enduring . . . Will leave readers thinking deeply about modern society, the search for meaning, and the impact of solitude. Finkel is a skilled storyteller.” —Portland Press Herald (Maine)

ADULT NON-FICTION

“A Pilgrimage to Eternity: From Canterbury to Rome in Search of a Faith” by Timothy Egan — “A glorious, laugh-out-loud, wipe-away-tears, blister-riddled, often rain-soaked, sometimes bone-chilled, desolate and desperate, quietly triumphant walk through church history—every last footfall in search of an elusive modern-day spiritual certitude…Egan aimed high, and he reached it.”—The Chicago Tribune

“All the Wild that Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, and the American West” by David Gessner — “A spirited, ecologically minded travelogue…. [Gessner] writers with a vividness that brings the serious ecological issues and the beauty of the land…to sharp relief…urgent and engrossing.”― Publishers Weekly, Starred review

“Land: How the Hunger for Ownership Shaped the Modern World” by Simon Winchester — “The latest sweeping, satisfying popular history from the British American author and journalist, this time covering a topic that many of us take for granted…Engaging revelations about land and property, often discouraging but never dull. — Kirkus Reviews

“Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives” by Lori Gottlieb — “Provocative and entertaining . . . Gottlieb gives us more than a voyeuristic look at other people’s problems (including her own). She shows us the value of therapy.” —Washington Post

“The Anglo Files: A Field Guide to the English” by Sarah Lyall — “Why do the English keep aplologizing? Why are they so unenthusiastic about enthusiasm? Why does rain surprise them? When are they being ironic, and how can you tell? Even after eighteen years in London, New York Times reporter Sarah Lyall remained perplexed and intrigued by its curious inhabitants and their curious customs. She’s since returned to the United States, but this distillation of incisive-and irreverent-insights, now updated with a new preface, is just as illuminating today. And perhaps even more so, in the wake of Brexit and the attendant national identity crisis. While there may be no easy answer to the question of how, exactly, to understand the English, The Anglo Files-part anthropological field study, part memoir-helps point the way.” — Publisher’s Annotation

“The Complete One Pot Cookbook” by America’s Test Kitchen — “The only one-pot cookbook you’ll ever need!” — Amazon.com

“The Complete Plant-Based Cookbook” by America’s Test Kitchen — “A one-stop collection for anyone seeking to put plants front and center in their diet, with hundreds of foolproof, uncomplicated recipes appealing to vegans, the veg-curious, and everyone in between.” — Publisher’s Annotation

“Tiny Love Stories” by Daniel Jones & Miya Lee — “Jones and Lee, editor and submission reader, respectively, for the New York Times Modern Love column, assemble a charming assortment of brief tales of love from the popular column. Each of the 175 selections distill a story of love into fewer than 100 words. While romantic love predominates, there are stories of love between parents and children, siblings, and even for pets and places. . . . This is a moving testament to the diversity and depths of love.” —Publishers Weekly

“Toaster Oven Perfection” by America’s Test Kitchen — “Take your toaster oven from sidekick to superhero with 100+ streamlined recipes that save time and energy and make your cooking life easier.” — Amazon.com

“Unworthy Republic: The Dispossession of Native Americans and the Road to Indian Territory” by Claudio Saunt — “Unworthy Republic offers a much-needed corrective to the American canon, showing how a heavy-handed president, a deadlocked Congress, and a lust for profit combined to construct a shameful national legacy.… A riveting story that invites us all to reflect on how we got where we are today.” ― Elizabeth Fenn, Distinguished Professor, University of Colorado Boulder, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Encounters at the Heart of the World

KIT

Calculator Kit
Chess Kit
Magnatiles Kit
Small Snowshoes
Large Snowshoes
Woodland Story Box

PICTURE BOOK

“All Families are Special” by Norma Simon
“And the People Stayed Home” by Kitty O’Meara
“One Little Bag: An Amazing Journey” by Henry Cole
“The Curious Fish” by Elsa Beskow
“The Story of the Snow Children” by Sibylle von Olfers
“Winter is Here” by Kevin Henkes

JUVENILE AUDIO BOOK

” A Young People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn — “Beginning with a look at Christopher Columbus’s arrival through the eyes of the Arawak Indians, then leading the reader through the struggles for workers’ rights, women’s rights, and civil rights during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and ending with the current protests against continued American imperialism, Zinn in the volumes of A Young People’s History of the United States presents a radical new way of understanding America’s history. In so doing, he reminds readers that America’s true greatness is shaped by our dissident voices, not our military generals.” — Amazon.com

JUVENILE FICTION

“My Life as Youtuber” by Janet Tashjian — “Jake–with friends Carly, Matt, and Umberto–is thrilled to be taking an after-school video class taught by a YouTube sensation (and “that doesn’t require ANY reading”). Jake secretly features a monkey his family is fostering in his video and learns a hard lesson when Frank is removed from their home. As usual, cartoon marginalia illustrate Jake’s vocabulary-learning in this fast-moving, timely seventh story.” — THE HORN BOOK, c2019.

“Ways to Make Sunshine” by Renee Watson — “Adroitly captures the uncertainty of growing up amid change through the eyes of an irrepressible black girl.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review

JUVENILE GRAPHIC NOVELS

“Maker Comics: Fix a Car!” by Chris Schweizer — “Offering challenging but realistically doable projects and specific explanations of background chemical and physical principles, these engaging guides will leave no wrench or spatula safe from middle and high school students (not to mention more intrepid grade schoolers).” ―School Library Journal

JUVENILE NON-FICTION

“Builders” by Reina Olliver & Karen Claes — “Beautifully illustrated and informative, an interesting collection of animals. Children interested in learning about different types will enjoy the detailed illustrations and descriptive texts about these unique creatures.” — Bibliotheek Kortrijk

YOUNG ADULT FICTION

“The Positivity Workbook for Teens; Skills to Help You Increase Optimism, Reslilience, & Growth Mindset” by Gaoli Saed Bocci & Ryan M. Niemiec

“(Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation about Mental Health” edited by Kelly Jensen — “Lively, compelling . . . the raw, informal approach to the subject matter will highly appeal to young people who crave understanding and validation . . . This highly readable and vital collection demonstrates the multiplicity of ways that mental health impacts individuals.” —Kirkus Reviews