Getting to Know...Tess

Introducing another valuable member of our YA Volunteer Team, Tess Miller! A 13-year-old seventh grader, Tess has accumulated 5.25 volunteer hours since June.


FAVORITE TV SHOWS: Stranger Things, The Office 

FAVORITE BOOK GENRES: Action, Comedy

SPIRIT ANIMAL: Red Fox

INTERESTING FACT: Decorating things, such as houses.

HAPPY PLACE: Bedroom

DESERTED ISLAND FRIENDS: My dad and my friend Nora.

FUTURE PLANS: College

FAVORITE QUOTE: "Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me." - Carol Burnett

Recommended Read

Supercat vs. The Party Pooper by Jeanne Willis

Supercat, Book 2

In the beginning Supercat gives his owner a matching costume, who tried to act as if he liked it. They then went downstairs and his family heard the news that they were on a mission. The villain, Count Backwards, was planning to rule the world and must be stopped!

I liked the book because it's funny. My favorite character is Supercat. I do not like James' sister because she is a tattletale.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

This book review brought to you courtesy of YA volunteer, Daniela.

Recommended Read

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Gallagher Girls Book One

Cammie Morgan is a freshman at Gallagher Academy at the beginning of Book One. Her friends are Bex (Rebecca Baxter) and Liz (Elizabeth Sutton). Most people think the Academy is just a private school for girls that can't go into town, but really it's a spy school. One day, the Senator comes by with his daughter Macey McHenry. Macey, who is very bossy and sassy, has been kicked out of at least three schools. Her parents now want her to go to Gallagher Academy, though are unaware that it's a spy school.

The book is very good. I liked the plot, which features lots of action. It is also funny at some points. I would recommend this title to people who like spy stories and are girls.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

This book review brought to you courtesy of YA volunteer, Maggie.

Tackle Twelve - Spotlight on Read a Mystery

As part of BPL’s Tackle Twelve promotion, 16 reading challenges have been issued. This week’s blog takes a closer look at ‘Read a Mystery’ and offers up recommendations.

A Study in Death by Anna Lee Huber

Seeking a respite from her pregnant sister’s wedding plans in 19^th-century Scotland, Lady Kiera Darby accepts a commission to paint the portrait of an abused baroness who is subsequently murdered.

The Gate Keeper: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery by Charles Todd

On a deserted road, Scotland Yard’s Ian Rutledge encounters a frightened woman standing over a body, launching an inquiry that leads him into the lair of a stealthy killer and the dangerous recesses of his own memories.

Cirque by Mary Ellen Dennis

Bernadette McCoy’s death is blamed on seven cats, but Police Chief Mad Dog Connolly believes an individual killed her.

The Temptation of Forgiveness: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery by Donna Leon

An accident involving the father of a boy suspected of doing drugs finds Commissario Guido Brunetti pursuing a series of false and contradictory leads before uncovering a long-standing scam and unleashing unintentional consequences.

The Punishment She Deserves: A Lynley Novel by Elizabeth George

Inspector Thomas Lynley of Scotland Yard and detective sergeant Barbara Hayers are approached by a member of Parliament with a request to investigate the supposed suicide of a constituent’s son.

Devil’s Breath: A Max Tudor Mystery by G.M. Malliet

Having realized there is no escape from his past as an agent, Max has offered his services to MI5 on an as-needed basis. Now it’s time for him to follow through. The body of glamorous film star Margot Browne has washed ashore from a luxury yacht and Max’s former colleague wants his help to find the murderer.

Las Vegas Girl by Leslie Wolfe

In a glamorous Las Vegas hotel, in front of hundreds of witnesses and under the lenses of countless video surveillance cameras, a young girl is brutally murdered. What promises to be a quick and easy investigation soon becomes a nightmare. The most recorded crime in Vegas is missing one key protagonist, the killer.

The Woman in the Water: A Prequel to the Charles Lenox Series by Charles Finch

A young Charles Lenox struggles to make a name for himself as a detective. Scotland Yard refuses to take him seriously and his friends deride him for attempting a profession at all. However, when an anonymous writer sends a letter to the paper claiming to have committed the perfect crime, Lenox is convinced that this is his chance to prove himself.

As Death Draws Near (A Lady Darby Mystery) by Anna Lee Huber

In the midst of their idyllic honeymoon in England’s Lake District, Kiera and Gage’s seclusion is soon interrupted by a missive from her new father-in-law. A deadly incident involving a distant relative of the Duke of Wellington has taken place at an abbey south of Dublin, and he insists that Kiera and Gage look into the matter.

Thursday’s Children: A Frieda Klein Mystery by Nicci French

Frieda Klein is uninterested in catching up on old times when her former classmate, Maddie Capel, shows up at her door – until she hears about Maddie’s troubled daughter, Becky. The teenager claims she was raped in her own bed one night while her mother was downstairs. Her assailant left her with a warning: “Don’t think of telling anyone, sweetheart. Nobody will believe you.” And no one does – except Frieda.

This readers advisory brought to you by YA Librarian, Chris.