The Librarian Recommends - April 2021
By Rebecca Strauss, Library Director
April 9, 2021
Our Library Director curates great reads for our students every day. Now, she's sharing some recommendations for the rest of our community to enjoy. Stay tuned every month for new suggestions!
Fiction
An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo
In her first book of poems published after being named U.S. Poet Laureate (the first Native American with this honor) Joy Harjo returns to the homelands of her people, the Muscogee Creek Nation. Harjo's exceptional storytelling creates an atmospheric collection full of beauty and spirituality, taking a look at hard truths, injustices, resiliency, and new beginnings.
World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
As winter melts into spring, prepare to be delighted and inspired by this collection of essays and illustrations, odes to the wonders of our natural world. Nezhukumatathil intertwines stories from her own unconventional childhood, describing with warmth and joy how nature has the ability to heal, teach, and inspire.
Nonfiction
Together in a Sudden Strangeness: America's Poets Respond to a Pandemic edited by Alice Quinn
As we mark the one-year anniversary of the pandemic upending our world, here is a poetry collection to give voice to our experiences. Quinn has compiled dozens of works, most of which were created during April and May of 2020, that are in turns despairing and hopeful, grief-stricken and humorous. In these pages, you may find just the right poem to give words to a year that has often been indescribable.
The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate by Peter Wohlleben
Did you know that trees form families much like humans, supporting each other and sharing nutrients? Wohlleben brings new discoveries and existing science together to paint a picture of the captivating world of the trees around us. Equal parts love letter to forests and call to action to care for mother earth, this book is certain to be classic for decades to come.