A Sunday Times Bestseller and recognized as one of the most beautiful books of 2017 in Britain, The Lost Words (House of Anansi, $35.00) is finally here! When words of nature were struck from the Oxford Junior Dictionary for virtual vernacular, award-winning author, Robert MacFarlane and acclaimed artist, Jackie Morris responded with a Spell Book celebrating many of the lost words through poetry and sumptuous art. Sparking grass roots movements to place the book in schools abroad, this pivotal volume encourages all of us to “seek, find and speak” for the importance of the natural world. All Ages.
President Kennedy’s challenge to land a man on the moon and return him safely to earth brought the determination of four hundred thousand men and women to Project Apollo. The President’s Countdown: 2979 Days to the Moon (Peachtree, $22.95) finally reached lift-off in July 1969. As the 50th anniversary approaches, author and engineer Suzanne Slade off ers a riveting free-verse narrative that makes the story of this colossal effort accessible to a broad audience of readers. Slade’s thorough research, Thomas Gonzalez’s powerful and reflective illustrations, and a myriad of NASA photographs ensure this is narrative non-fiction at its very best. All ages.
A Strange Fire (Simon & Schuster, $17.99) burns between two brothers, Clive and Clover, who have grown up spreading the gospel in their father’s traveling ministry. They are members of the Descendancy, who decry past attempts to promote science and technology. When the brothers’ beliefs are challenged after the ministry encounters a community seeking to advance human knowledge, a holy war ensues that threatens all life on Earth. Clive and Clover’s rivalries and internal struggles symbolize deeper philosophical arguments in this first volume of Tommy Wallach’s new dystopian trilogy. With a fast-paced plot, breathtaking prose, and complex characters, this uniquely structured novel is required reading. Ages 14-17.
