The Summer Reading Program has started but youngsters 4 and up can still get their passport and “book their vacation” by stopping by the circulation desk at the Webb and registering. Throughout  the summer, read and learn about other countries while completing  fun and creative activities.  As usual, prizes will be awarded after every “trip” and include fun “foreign” foods. 

Reads Like Jeffery Deaver: Thomas Harris, Dennis LeHane, Chris Mooney, Ridley Pearson, Rex Stout, Robert Goldsborough, David Baldacci, Jonathan Kellerman, James Patterson, Kathy Reichs, Lee Child, William Diehl, Greg Isles.

NEW MATERIALS

Adult

The Sixth Man  by David Baldacci

Edgar Roy-an alleged serial killer held in a secure, fortress-like Federal Supermax facility-is awaiting trial. He faces almost certain conviction. Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are called in by Roy's attorney, Sean's old friend and mentor Ted Bergin, to help work the case. But their investigation is derailed before it begins-en route to their first meeting with Bergin, Sean and Michelle find him murdered.
It is now up to them to ask the questions no one seems to want answered: Is Roy a killer? Who murdered Bergin? With help from some surprising allies, they continue to pursue the case. But the more they dig into Roy's past, the more they encounter obstacles, half-truths, dead-ends, false friends, and escalating threats from every direction. Their persistence puts them on a collision course with the highest levels of the government and the darkest corners of power. In a terrifying confrontation that will push Sean and Michelle to their limits, the duo may be permanently parted.

The Jefferson Key  by Steve Berry

Cotton Malone is known for his overseas exploits. A former-Justice Department operative, who can't stay out of trouble, he's found adventures in all parts of Europe, Central Asia, Antarctica, the Middle East, and China. But he's never had an American adventure.
Until now.
The research for this novel spanned 18 months, which is normal for my books. Along the way, we uncovered a secret cipher originally possessed by Thomas Jefferson; concocted a mystery for Andrew Jackson; and created a centuries-old document envisioned by the Founding Fathers themselves. It was fun exploring American history, especially the Constitution, which forms a huge part of this plot. With every book there's a challenge to describe the story in as few words as possible. For this one, we came up with this: Four United States presidents have been assassinated--in 1865, 1881, 1901, and 1963--each murder seemingly unrelated. But what if those presidents were all killed for the same reason--a clause in the United States Constitution, contained within Article 1, Section 8--that would shock Americans.

The Delta Solution  by Patrick Robinson 
Product Description 

The Delta Solution is an action-packed novel dealing with the Somali pirates operating off the southerly reaches of the lawless East African republic on the Indian Ocean.

For the past three years, these heavily armed tribal brigands have been capturing and holding for ransom massive cargo ships, especially oil tankers, and violently demanding millions of dollars for their return. Pirating out of the tiny Somalian village of Haradheere has become a very lucrative, dangerous business, so much so that the village has its own Stock Exchange with a reputed $78 million cash, all in crisp $100 bills, in the town vault. And each time an owner pays big for the return of their ship, the pirates immediately do it again, enraging the Pentagon more and more by the day.
That is, until the "Somali Marines" make a big mistake, seizing at gun point two United States ships and demanding a $15 million ransom for their return.
Hero Mack Bedford, previously encountered in Diamondhead and Intercept, is deployed to SEAL Team 10 to form The Delta Platoon. His objective: obliterate the Somali Marines in the middle of the Indian Ocean, at all costs, once and for all.

  

Juvenile

A Possum's Patriotic Fourth of July  by Jamey M. Long 
Product Description

Do you know the history of America and the Fourth of July? A Possums Patriotic Fourth of July will help you to discover the importance behind the Revolutionary War and the Fourth of July celebration. Follow a curious little possum named Opie as he visits the boy and learns about the founding of America and its rich history. You will experience all of the patriotism and celebration that the Fourth of July can bring by the end of Opies journey in A Possums Patriotic Fourth of July. Author Jamey Long is author of A Possums Christmas Tale, A Possums Happy Easter, A Possums Happy Thanksgiving, A Possums Pot of Gold, A Possums Happy Halloween, A Possums Happy Valentines Day, A Possums Night on the Titanic, and A Possums Happy Birthday. He is a dedicated, industrious individual who is currently employed at the University of Mary Washington, George Mason University, and Northern Virginia Community College as an Operations Manager and Adjunct Instructor. He has earned a B.S. degree from George Mason University and earned a MBA from the University of Mary Washington. He remains busy as a volunteer for Junior Achievement and other activities in the Northern Virginia area. He has also worked as a teacher at Holy Cross Academy teaching technology to children in grades K-8. He has a passion to help, volunteer, and to help children learn so their dreams can be made possible. Jamey currently resides in Woodbridge, Virginia, where he enjoys time with his family and friends.

Picture Books

Blackout  by John Rocco 
Product Description

One hot summer night in the city, all the power goes out. The TV shuts off and a boy wails, "Mommm!" His sister can no longer use the phone, Mom can't work on her computer, and Dad can't finish cooking dinner. What's a family to do? When they go up to the roof to escape the heat, they find the lights--in stars that can be seen for a change--and so many neighbors it's like a block party in the sky! On the street below, people are having just as much fun--talking, rollerblading, and eating ice cream before it melts. The boy and his family enjoy being not so busy for once. They even have time to play a board game together. When the electricity is restored, everything can go back to normal . . . but not everyone likes normal. The boy switches off the lights, and out comes the board game again.

Using a combination of panels and full bleed illustrations that move from color to black-and-white and back to color, John Rocco shows that if we are willing to put our cares aside for a while, there is party potential in a summer blackout.

Mighty Machines: Loaders  by Amanda Askew 
Product Description 

More fabulous huge machines for the kids who love them.
Loaders easily move material around job sites -- no matter how big or difficult it seems. This book reminds children how often they actually see loaders. In the city loaders are used as snowplows or to move building materials and tools. In the country a farmer might drive a loader down a road with bales of straw in its bucket. A highway road crew uses a loader to move gravel, and loaders with a fork attachment are used in factories, warehouses and lumberyards.
The Mighty Machines series features vivid color photographs of enormous machines as they dig, dump, load, pull and lift. Children will thrill at the size of these behemoths and enjoy seeing these vehicles strain under the weight of such tremendous work.
Vivid color photographs of these mechanical marvels at work jump off the page. In large type for young (and old) eyes, the machines, their parts and their uses are concisely described. Glossaries explain essential terms, and suggested activities add to the fun. The big format and vibrant design make these books perfect for kids to read alone or share with a friend.

Mighty Machines: Tractors  by Jean Coppendale 
Product Description 

The Mighty Machines series. Mighty machines in full color for the kids who love them.
In the Mighty Machines series, vivid color photographs of machines at work jump off the page. Large type describes the machines, their parts and their uses. Glossaries explain essential terms, and suggested activities add to the fun. The big format and vibrant designs make the books perfect for kids to read alone or share with a friend.
With their lively designs and topics that are always a favorite with kids, these books offer popular subject matter and excellent value.
Traveling down the highway, kids often see spiderlike harvesters and dust-raising tractors working in a field and wonder what these extraordinary vehicles are doing. This book shows all kinds of wheeled farm equipment at work, including: Tractors and their enormous wheels, Plows, Seed drills, Field weeders and crop sprayers, Vegetable harvesters, Combine harvesters, Straw balers, and the sport and fun of a tractor race!

Summer Reading Program

Wow Canada  by Vivien BowersFrom School Library Journal

Grade 3-6-This engaging travel book is written as the journal of 13-year-old Guy as he tours Canada with his parents and younger sister, Rachel. Bowers presents chapters on each province and territory with information about major cities along the way. Each section also includes a list of "Things We'll Do and Places We'll Go Next Time," which may lead to further reading. The boy's easy-to-read, conversational narrative is supplemented with Rachel's postcards and his e-mail correspondence with their friends back home. Sidebars labeled "According to Mom/Dad" feature historical and cultural information. Others called "Exceedingly Weird" and "Food I Was Introduced to for My Own Good" offer humorous bits of trivia and descriptions of regional dishes. Readers will appreciate the interplay among the family members as well as their reactions to various historic and tourist venues. The full-color graphics include illustrations, cartoons, photographs, slides, and maps. The thoughtful and humorous presentation distinguishes this book from others on the subject. Quick facts about each province including size, population, cities, and industries are appended. In addition, children are sure to appreciate "Guy's Family Car Trip Survival Tips," which appear throughout. A lively, valuable addition.

The Littlest Matryoshka  by Corinne Denise Bliss 
From Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-Created by a doll maker in Old Russia, a set of six nesting dolls travels to America and finds its way into a toy shop. When Nina, the littlest "sister," is accidentally brushed off a table, she begins a journey that rivals the Perils of Pauline. She is lost in a pile of snow, survives a waterfall, is threatened by a blue heron, gathered up by a squirrel, jostled down a drainpipe, and played with by a cat before she is discovered by Jessie, the young girl who had purchased the incomplete set. Bliss's story and text are most successful when they incorporate elements of traditional folklore: Although the narrative tends to be long-winded, it nevertheless makes for an effective read-aloud. Brown adopts a representational style and a palette consisting mostly of soft shades of blue, brown, and green. Against this pastel background, the nesting dolls-with their traditional bold red and yellow coloring-become the focus of each picture. The art does a credible job of capturing the action of the text but is less successful in establishing a consistent sense of time and place. Still, the adventure has definite appeal. A note on the history of these dolls is included.

The Paper Dragon  by Marguerite W. Davol 
From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4. A teller of felicitous tall tales from America's heartland sets this fantasy in China. When a fire-breathing dragon threatens to destroy their rice fields, the villagers turn to their humble but famous artist, Mi Fei. They reckon that his years of painting great heroes might inspire him to defeat the villain. Terrified but determined, he confronts the beast and saves the village. The story has such a sweet conclusion?love conquers all?that it seems churlish to point out that Chinese dragons are creatures of mist and rain, and that humble peasants would never wear silk. The artist-hero's pigtail places him in the recent Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), a historical era when a dragon's presence would be as unexpected in China as in the countryside of Georgian England. Such quibbles may be beside the point, for the story is overshadowed by the book's lavish design. The text is printed on a flap that opens into a triple-page spread, a long rectangular shape reminiscent of Chinese scrolls. This makes the book awkward for reading aloud in groups, and vulnerable to tearing by energetic youngsters. The art, cut from painted tissue paper and laid over textured, ivory-colored handmade Japanese paper, is arresting but hard to read. In spite of the vibrant colors and elegant composition, the overall effect is more ostentatious than emotionally resonant. While the pictures evoke Chinese paper cuts, the protaganist is shown painting one of the lines?mixing two important but quite different techniques. The book's striking appearance will command attention, but for all its generalized celebration of love, it remains chilly and disappointing.

Isaac's Dream Catcher  by Bonnie Farmer 
Product Description

(ages 4 - 6)  The heart-warming story of four-year-old Isaac, who dreads naptime because of his bad dreams. Miss Louise, his gentle kindergarten teacher, helps Isaac overcome his fears by making him a dreamcatcher. Easy-to-follow instructions for making a dreamcatcher are included at the end of the book.