There’s a little bit of something for everyone as our QBD Spotlight visits our MacArthur Square team.
Imaginary Fred by Eoin Colfer and Oliver Jeffers:
When successful children’s author Eoin Colfer teams up with the talented Oliver Jeffers one can only expect brilliance and Imaginary Fred delivers nothing less. We are drawn into the relationship of a young boy and his best friend, his only friend, his imaginary friend. The beautiful illustrations complement the heartwarming text to create a wonderfully simple yet multilayered text. What happens to Fred when the boy finally finds a real friend? Will their bond be unbreakable or will their friendship fade away just as easily as Fred can?
A must read of lovers of picture books young and old! A classic to add to the bookshelf. – Tarni
In The Unlikely Event by Judy Blume:
In The Unlikely Event follows fifteen year old Miri Ammerman, whose life is changed forever after three plane crashes in her home town of Elizabeth, New York.
This is a moving story of three generations of family,friends and strangers whose lives are changed by unexpected events. It is a fascinating look into the minds of ordinary people who experience terrifying and harrowing events and try to then get on with their lives.
The reader is left wondering if they would be able to return to life without being forever changed. – Jen
Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith:
Career of Evil is the third book in the series featuring Private Detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin. They team up to solve the latest crime and while the police are focused on one suspect Cormoran and Robin and chasing after more suspects and come close to being victims themselves.
This is a real page turner that you won’t want to put down. – Nadine
Dexter by Jeff Lindsay:
The Dexter series By Jeff Lindsay is a must-read. The first novel, Darkly Dreaming, Dexter introduces us to the double-life of Dexter Morgan: blood splatter analyst by day and serial killer by night. Dexter Morgan is an intriguing yet psychotic character who channels his anger and need for brutality by killing the bad guys. The entire series is a compelling and mindboggling read that only leaves you wanting more. – Kristen
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L.F.Baum:
Everybody knows the classic film The Wizard of Oz. Judy Garland singing Somewhere over the Rainbow is a familiar and comforting scene which most of us would have first experienced from a young age. Dorothy, the young Kansas native and her comrades Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman and the Cowardly Lion are less characters in a film and more like old friends who we happily visit time and again.
The Wizard of Oz has become such a culturally valuable film that in many ways it has ecplised its own source material, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1901) by L.F.Baum. The film takes much of its inspiration from the book, however there are large portions which have been ommitted which is a shame, as these chapters are often the best in the novel. The novel is much darker than expected, and Baum explores many themes which are as relevant today as they were over 100 years ago such as slavery, death, love and sacrifice.
Baum’s Oz is a real land brimming with witches (good and wicked), strange creatures, and of course, the Wizard of Oz himself- humbug that he may be. Filled with danger and excitement, we are taken on a journey with Dorothy as she struggles to find her way home and also learns much about herself in the process, thanks to the differing perspectives of her new friends and the challenges she is faced with.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a wonderful read, and one that I highly recommend as a new experience to a familiar story. Baum would continue to visit Oz for another 13 volumes, each of which continue to explore the magical land and the vast array of people and creatures who live there. – Andrew
