Remember Andy Weir’s book, The Martian, about Matt Damon – oops, that was in the movie – the astronaut who gets left behind on Mars and has to fend for himself until a rescue mission can reach him? Talk about suspense!
Well, Andy Weir is back with another science/suspense story, only in Project Hail Mary Dr. Ryland Grace is a little farther from home, marooned on a spaceship with a mission in another solar system to be exact. It appears that the very “thing” that’s acting as fuel, the mysterious astrophage, is also on course to consume our sun in Grace’s lifetime. Help!
Meanwhile, back on earth in present time, Nella Rogers is fed up with being the only Black editorial assistant at New York City’s Wagner Books, and then Hazel, The Other Black Girl, shows up and starts showing her up. Zakia Dalila Harris has written not only an exposé of the publishing world but a book full of suspense, dark humor, and just a touch of horror that will have you turning back pages and wondering what you missed. What was in that jar of hair cream anyway?!
Jen Petro-Roy’s young adult novel, Good Enough, is based on her own experience at a treatment facility for girls with eating disorders. She captures perfectly the gradual recovery of 12-year-old Riley as she learns to cope with her struggle to be good enough but only to herself. All others must step aside as Riley faces her own fears, and through frustration, self-discovery, and truth-telling, she manages to take control and rejoin her circle of caring family and friends.
Finally, two books for the little people: This way, Charlie by Caron Levis and Charles Santoso, and We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade. The second book won the 2020 Caldecott Medal, awarded for outstanding illustration that “tells” the story. Author and illustrator are native Indians, firm in their desires and actions to preserve the sanctity of the earth and all of its creatures. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe stood up against the Dakota Access Pipeline in a months-long protest against corruption and pollution. Since women are the traditional water protectors, these two documented their ongoing fight against the “black snake” of oil and gas pipelines.
In This way, Charlie, formerly abused Jack the goat has found a sanctuary at Open Bud Ranch, where he can be well-cared for but left alone, as he desires. Then partially blinded Charlie the horse arrives, and after stumbling into Jack, becomes his walking and grazing buddy.
Even when Jack won’t join Charlie inside the barn at night, Charlie provides a horse tent of shelter for Jack during storms. But when a falling tree traps Charlie, now reduced to total blindness, Jack rallies the barn and human creatures to free his friend.
And what do you know? Jack finally finds his cozy place with the others in the barn at night. Have a box of tissues handy – for yourself.