Gr 2-4-In school, when your surname begins with “Z,” it means being last at everything. Last to be called on. Last to go to lunch. Last to leave at the end of the day. But Lola Zuckerman’s desire to go to the head of her class is the focus of this winning, environmentally themed book. Competing to win the coveted “green” vest by coming up with the best recycling project, the second grader anxiously watches as her classmates nab all the best ideas. The vest was previously won by her older brother, so Lola really feels the pressure. She is also competing against her former best friend, Amanda. The characters are fully developed, each with their own delightful quirks. For example, her teacher, Mrs. Denedebetti, loving refers to her students in candy terms such as “Jujubes” and “Gummy Bears.” However, when they cause a food fight in the cafeteria, they’re just “class.” Children will root for Lola as she tries to mend fences, save the planet, and come out on top. The lessons of recycling are creatively explored, showing readers big and small ways to help our planet. Those who have enjoyed “Clementine” will welcome this contemporary tale as it tackles family, competition, friendship, and the environment. The pencil drawings are energetic, and the list of Lola’s classmates gives a real sense of what the child is up against. A great choice for early chapter-book readers.-Sada Mozer, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Julia DeVillers

Kim Harrington

Ron Roy

Gillian Shields

Christine Pakkala

Join us for an author’s talk and book signing with Dee Morris, social historian and author of the new book Boston in the Golden Age of Spiritualism: Séances, Mediums and Immortality. Spiritualism flourished in Boston from the first rumblings of the Civil War until the early twentieth century. Numerous clairvoyants claimed to bring messages from beyond the grave at séances and public meetings. Motives for belief were varied. While many earnestly believed in the movement, there were those who took advantage of naïve Bostonians. Determined to expose charlatans, world-renowned magician Harry Houdini declared the famous medium and Bostonian Mina “Margery” Crandon a fake. Join author Dee Morris as she navigates the complex history of Boston’s spiritualist movement. Dee Morris is an independent scholar and educational consultant specializing in the nineteenth-century history of Greater Boston. She presents walking tours at Forest Hills Cemetery (Jamaica Plain) and programs at libraries, schools and historical societies. Her goal is to connect people with their civic ancestors.

The Malden Writers’ Collaborative, the creative writing group for adults, meets every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month at 7PM beginning October 2nd. The first meeting will be an introductory meeting to the group, and there is no registration. You must attend the first meeting. Join the group if you would like to discuss writing with peers, develop your writing, and have the opportunity to read your work to the public. To learn more about the group, visit its website, or contact Evangeline at tmwc@evangelinevickery.com.

History buffs will savor the moment the inventor, the scribe, and the merchant make a decision that leads them out of the Middle Ages into the Renaissance. This detailed historical novel takes readers into Gutenberg’s 15th-century Mainz workshop to experience the frustration and exhilaration of designing, typesetting, and rolling the first printed Bible off the press.