Staff Recommendations
Nate’s Pick:
Heartstopper by Alice Osman
Heartstopper has been a series I’ve followed since 2016 when it was still only just a webcomic, and I love to see it grow with printed books and even its own tv show. I’ll forever recommend the series for its art and the story it tells.
MK’s Pick:
The Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is an origin story for President Snow and the Hunger Games. It gives context to Snow’s life and his role in the evolution of the Hunger Games. Ballad shows the shift from the Games being brutal and dull to becoming the entertainment spectacle we read about in the original trilogy. While the original trilogy was interested in political allegory, Ballad focuses more on political philosophy.
As a big fan of the original three books, I was so excited to dive back into the world of The Hunger Games. I recently re-read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in anticipation of the movie release. Suzanne Collins is still one of my very favorite storytellers. I think that is partially due to the nostalgia I feel around The Hunger Games books, but she is excellent at pulling you into the world she’s written. With the release of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie, I am fully back to fangirling like it’s 2013. Have you read the book or seen the movie? Tell us all of your thoughts !!!
Beth’s Pick:
The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Adam Rex
Long ago, in an ancient and distant realm called the Kingdom of Backyard, there lived a warrior named ROCK. Meanwhile in the Empire of Mom's Home Office, a second great warrior sought the glory of battle. And his name was PAPER. At the same time, in the Kitchen Realm, in the tiny village of Junk Drawer, lived a third warrior. Kids and adults alike will laugh out loud. I gave this one to my nephews and they can't put it down!