Upcoming Events
Disclaimer(s)
Library Consent Statement for Photography and Video
Programs, events, and daily happenings sponsored by Handley Regional Library System may be photographed or recorded. Attendance at any sponsored program, event or general library use constitutes the consent of all attendees and the consent of the parents or legal guardians of any minor children in attendance, to the future broadcast, publication, and other use of photography or videos at the sole direction of Handley Regional Library System.
Photography Notification
While we do allow professional photography inside the property of Handley Regional Library System, we do ask that we are notified ahead of time of photoshoots at 540.662.9041 x 25. Photography activities may be limited to specific areas due to reserved use and cannot impede any patron activity using the library.
Disclaimer(s)
Library Consent Statement for Photography and Video
Programs, events, and daily happenings sponsored by Handley Regional Library System may be photographed or recorded. Attendance at any sponsored program, event or general library use constitutes the consent of all attendees and the consent of the parents or legal guardians of any minor children in attendance, to the future broadcast, publication, and other use of photography or videos at the sole direction of Handley Regional Library System.
Applying to Lineage Societies: Get Help with Your Application and Research
What's New
Handley Branch Enhancing Accessibility for Patrons with Sensory Needs
Handley Library branch has achieved KultureCity® Certification as a Sensory InclusiveTM space. This certification marks a significant step forward in the library's commitment to providing an inclusive environment for all patrons, including those with sensory processing needs.
Through a partnership with KultureCity®, the Handley Library branch has implemented a range of accommodations and resources to better support individuals with sensory sensitivities. This initiative reflects the library's dedication to raising awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by those with sensory processing needs.
Among the accommodations available are KultureCity® Sensory bags, which include noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools, feeling thermometers, and special KCVIP badges. These resources are provided for in-house use and are accessible to patrons at no cost by leaving an ID at designated service desks within the library.
Sensory sensitivities or challenges with sensory regulation are often experienced by individuals with autism, dementia, PTSD and other similar conditions. One of the major barriers for these individuals is sensitivity to over stimulation and noise, which can be a major part of the events or services.
"We are excited to reinforce our dedication to serving every patron at the Handley Library branch," said John Huddy, Director of Handley Regional Library System. "By partnering with KultureCity®, we can better serve patrons with sensory needs and ensure that everyone in our community feels welcome and supported."
Patrons can obtain KultureCity® Sensory bags and other accommodations at the Greeter Desk located at the entrance and the Youth Services Information Desk on the Second Floor. Additionally, an extra pair of noise-canceling headphones is available for in-house use at the Information Services Desk in the Adult Reading Room.
KultureCity® is a leading non-profit recognized nationwide for using its resources to revolutionize and effect change in the community for those with sensory needs, not just those with autism. Since the program’s inception, KultureCity® has created over 1,000 Sensory InclusiveTM public and private services, organizations, events, and venues in 6 countries: this includes special events such as the NFL Pro-Bowl, NFL Super Bowl, MLB World Series, and MLB All-Star Weekend.
Prior to their visit, families and individuals can download the free KultureCity® App where one can view what sensory features are available and where they can access them including, how to get a KultureCity® Sensory Bag. Also, on the App is the Social Story which will provide a customized visual preview of what to expect while participating. Access the social story here: https://venue.kulturecity.org/venues/handley-regional-library-system
For more information about the Handley Library branch's sensory-inclusive initiatives, please visit www.handleyregional.org/accessibility or contact 540-662-9041.
For more information, contact Public Relations and Outreach Manager Cheryl Nakagawa at cnakagawa@handleyregional.org or visit www.handleyregional.org.
Bilingual Read-Along Books
Have you checked out any of our Juvenile Read-Along books?
Find general information about our Juvenile Read-Along collection HERE on our website.
The library’s collection of bilingual (English/Spanish) picturebook Read-Alongs continues to grow. A quick search of “bilingual read-alongs” in the catalog reveals more than 50 titles. Some favorites are featured below.
Summaries provided by NoveList
Gathering the Sun = Recogiendo el Sol un Abecedar: An Alphabet in Spanish and English by Alma Flor Ada; Illustrated by Simon Silva
An alphabet book with exceptional illustrations and excellent poetry that gives voice to the experience of Hispanic agricultural workers. Each letter is matched with a Spanish word (for example, "Arboles" for "A") and accompanied by a poem in both Spanish and English that describes how the plant, fruit, vegetable, person, or feeling functions in the lives of these workers.
I'm Hungry! !Tengo Hambre! by Angela Dominguez
A bilingual picture book that’s sweet enough to eat, about a chatty bluebird and an indecisive T. Rex who can’t decide what his next meal should be.
Delicious Hullabaloo = Pachanga Deliciosa by Pat Mora; illustrated by Francisco Mora
In this poem in English and Spanish, lizards, armadillos, and other creatures of the night make merry beneath the desert moon, enjoying the strains of a mariachi band and gobbling lots of delicious food.
La Noche de Terror: Un Cuento Sobre Robot y Rico = The Scary Night: A Robot and Rico Story by Anastasia Suen; illustrated by Michael Frederick Laughead
A crackling fire. Weird shadows. Strange noises. And a scary story. Are Robot and Rico ready for their first camp out?
Señorita Mariposa by Ben Gundersheimer; illustrated by Almada Rivero
A bilingual love poem of admiration and respect for the millions of monarch butterflies that journey south to Mexico every year. From a chrysalis on the title page, Señorita Mariposa invites readers to follow the monarch butterfly as it embarks on a journey spanning thousands of miles.
Sing With Me = Canta Conmigo by Jose-Luis Orozco; illustrated by Sara Palacios
A delightful book that explores six classic songs in Spanish and English. Included are "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," "The Alphabet Song," "Where Is Thumbkin," "The Wheels on the Bus," "The Eeensy Weensy Spider," and "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."
Perros! Perros! = Dogs! Dogs! by Ginger Foglesong Guy; illustrated by Sharon Glick
This simple, yet entertaining title makes use of a wide array of breeds to demonstrate the concept of opposites. The story begins with a girl waking up in her bedroom, which is decorated with canine posters, stuffed animals, floppy slippers, night-light, even a doggy alarm clock. As she looks out her window, an excited pack of dogs runs by. “Big dog. Little dog….Where are they going?”
Pelé, King of Soccer = Pelé, El Rey del Fútbol by Monica Brown; illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez
A biography of the soccer star known as "O Rei"--the king--describes his impoverished boyhood in Brazil, his relationship with his father, who taught him the sport, his role on the first Brazilian team to win the World Cup, and scoring his thousandth goal.
The Boy Who Touched the Stars = El Nino Que Alcanzo Las Estrellas
by Jose M. Hernandez; illustrated by Steven J. Petruccio
Astronaut Jose M. Hernandez recounts his childhood as the son of Mexican migrant workers and his life-long dream to travel to the stars.
Dias y Dias = Days and Days by Ginger Foglesong Guy; illustrated by Rene King Moreno
In this bilingual story that introduces descriptive adjectives, words for the weather, months, and a child's seasonal wardrobe, children enjoy what makes each season special.
Middle Grade Book Spotlight--2014 Titles!!!
Our middle grade book spotlight this week is on books that were published in 2014 and are celebrating their 10th birthday! I do not know what was in the water, air, or universe that year but there were so many amazing titles and authors to come out of that year of publishing that books we read today are still inspired by those groundbreaking works. Many have been adapted into movies and shows we were clamoring to see in the theaters since 2014 and some titles we are still talking about and recommending to others. There is a mixture of stand alone titles as well as firsts in a series to fantasy, realistic, mystery, and a bit of humor These books and more can be found by searching the catalog using the search tag #youth10years as well as on Libby and Hoopla. Check back next week for a new middle grade book spotlight and if you have any book suggestions, please let us know!!
The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm--Ellie's scientist grandfather has discovered a way to reverse aging, and consequently has turned into a teenager--which makes for complicated relationships when he moves in with Ellie and her mother, his daughter.
Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin--Twelve-year-old Rose Howard, who is diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, finds refuge from her difficult home life and the teasing she endures at school in homonyms and spending time with her dog Rain. But when Rain is lost during a thunderstorm and then later recovered, Rose learns that Rain has a microchip identifying her as someone else’s dog. Propelled by an unrelenting drive to comply with rules, Rose sets out to locate Rain’s owners and give Rain back to them, despite the anguish that relinquishing her beloved dog will cause Rose.
The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel--When Will's father saves the Canadian Pacific Railway's president from an avalanche and is made a railway executive, Will's quiet life changes forever. Invited to ride on the maiden voyage of The Boundless, a massive train of nearly 1,000 cars, Will meets Maren, a beautiful young circus performer in the employ of enigmatic Mr. Dorian, whose circus has cars of its own riding along with The Boundless. Also in the mammoth train is a vault-like mausoleum car, carrying precious treasures. Will ends up in possession of this car's key—and thus comes into the sights of bandits seeking to rob the train. Will, Maren and other new friends must work together if they want to save The Boundless.
Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord--After moving to a small cottage in New Hampshire, 12-year-old Lucy Emery is left to her own devices when her photographer father leaves on another assignment. Lucy, a photographer herself, signs up for a local youth photography contest her father will be judging. Over the course of the summer, Lucy searches for subjects to capture with her lens, and ends up forging a friendship with her new neighbor, Nate. Nate is dealing with his own familial issues, particularly an aging grandmother deep in the throes of dementia. When Lucy takes a moving picture of his grandmother that she knows would do well in the contest, she struggles over whether to submit it and how to help Nate through this difficult time.
Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff--It's kind of a bummer when you're not the best at anything—and 10-year-old half-Korean Albie definitely has that feeling when he switches schools and finds himself not only the target of a bully, but a student in need of a tutor due to his struggles with spelling and math. Luckily, Albie's tutor turns out to be Calista, an awesome college student and artist who thinks Albie is pretty cool just the way he is. With someone to believe in him and show him that following the crowd doesn't always take you where you want to go, Albie begins to come into his own.
Sky Raiders by Brandon Mull--It was just supposed to be a fun time at a haunted house on Halloween. Sixth-grader Cole Randolph thought he could get to know Jenna Hunt a little better, too. Instead, something terrible happens—Cole and his friends are whisked into a portal beneath the house to The Outskirts, a realm between dreams and reality, life and death, made up of five warring kingdoms of floating castles. Made to work for ruthless overlords, Cole feels terrible for getting his friends into this mess and vows to rescue them and find a way back home.
What to Watch
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The Creator
Amidst a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence, Joshua, a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife, is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war… and mankind itself. Joshua and his team of elite operatives journey across enemy lines, into the dark heart of AI-occupied territory… only to discover the world-ending weapon he's been instructed to destroy is an AI in the form of a young child.
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Night Court
- An unconventional judge presides over a wacky courtroom in the State of New York's Criminal Court, Part II.
- disc 1 (episodes 1-7). All you need is love (with optional audio commentary by creator Reinhold Weege) -- Santa goes downtown -- The former Harry Stone -- Welcome back, Momma -- The eye of the beholder -- Death threat -- Once in love with Harry -- disc 2 (episodes 8-13). Quadrangle of love -- Wonder drug -- Some like it hot -- Harry and the rock star -- Bull's baby -- Hi honey, I'm home.
- Originally produced as episodes of the television program Night court in 1984.
- Collective title from container, episode titles from disc menus.
- Special features (disc 2): "Night court : comedy's swing shift" documentary featurette.
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The Retirement Plan
Caught up in a criminal enterprise, Ashley and her young daughter turn to her estranged father, Matt, for help. Retired and living a beach bum's life in The Caymans, her dad's secret past is revealed as the Mob tracks them down on the island.
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The Road Dance
In a small, remote village in the Outer Scottish Hebrides, Kirsty yearns for adventure and another life across the ocean. Though she finds comfort in time spent with her mother and younger sister, she sees hope and a future with Murdo, an intelligent, curious poet. The two fall in love as World War I looms, and Murdo is soon conscripted to join the other men of the village to fight. As a gesture of farewell, the village hosts a road dance, a celebration attended by every resident, but this sense of community is soon shattered by an unspeakable incident that changes Kirsty's life forever. Sensitively adapted from John MacKay's 2002 novel, this sweeping tale of adversity and resilience captures the attitudes of the time while offering a moving melodrama for audiences of any period.
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The Twilight Zone Season 1
The complete first season (36 episodes) of Rod Selling's classic, groundbreaking series exploring the fantastic and the frightening. Special guest stars include Burgess Meredith, Claude Akins, Ida Lupino. Jack Klugman, Martin Landau, Roddy McDowall, Ted Knight, Ron Howard and more!
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The Winchesters
Before Sam and Dean Winchester, there were their parents, John and Mary. Told from the perspective of narrator Dean Winchester, THE WINCHESTERS is the epic, untold love story of how John Winchester met Mary Campbell and put it all on the line to save their love and the entire world. When John returns home from fighting in Vietnam, a mysterious encounter sparks a new mission to trace his father's past. In his journey, he crosses paths with 19-year-old demon hunter Mary, who is also searching for answers after the disappearance of her own father. Together, the two join forces with young hunter-in-training Latika and easygoing hunter Carlos to uncover the hidden truths about both their families. Their investigation leads them to a rare book emporium, whose owner Ada takes an interest to the occult and could provide the missing pieces to their puzzle. But secrets run deep for both the Winchesters and Campbells, and despite the best efforts of John's mother Millie to protect her son from pursuing a dangerous life of demon hunting, John and Mary are both determined to work together to uphold their families' legacies while beginning to form a family of their own.
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Wonka
Based on the extraordinary character at the center of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the jewel in the Roald Dahl crown and one of the bestselling children's books of all time, Wonka tells the wondrous story of how the world's greatest inventor, magician, and chocolate maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today. This irresistibly vivid and inventive big-screen spectacle will introduce audiences to a young Willy Wonka, chock full of ideas and determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time, proving that the best things in life begin with a dream. If you're lucky enough to meet Willy Wonka, anything is possible.
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Quantum Leap
- Dr. Sam Beckett steps into the Quantum Leap accelerator and finds himself back in the past, with the opportunity to change the course of history for the better.
- Disc 1. Genesis: Part 1 & 2 ; Star-crossed ; The right hand of God -- Disc 2. How the Tess was won ; Double identity ; The color of truth ; Camikazi kid ; Play it again, Seymour.
- Features: "A kiss with history: remembering Quantum Leap" highlights the making of the series, trivia on each show, episode introductions, hidden messages.
- Originally broadcast on NBC television in 1989.
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Talk to Me
When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and opens the door to the spirit world forcing them to choose who to trust: the dead or the living.
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The three Musketeers
- D'Artagnan arrives in Paris trying to find his attackers after being left for dead, which leads him to a real war where the future of France is at stake. He aligns himself with Athos, Porthos and Aramis, three musketeers of the King.
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Fatal Attraction
A deep-dive reimagining of the classic psychosexual thriller and 1980's cultural touchstone, the new series will explore fatal attraction and the timeless themes of marriage and infidelity through the lens of modern attitudes towards strong women, personality disorders, and coercive control.
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Halo
After years of human civil war and growing political unrest, mankind's very future is threatened when our outermost colonies intrude upon the sacred worlds of the Covenant a fanatical powerful alliance of alien species. As the Covenant destroys world after human world only one soldier slows their advance a cybernetically enhanced "Spartan" supersoldier, the Master Chief. But as the incredible mystery of the Covenant's true ambition, and the secrets of his enigmatic past converge, then he will have to decide if humanity is a cause worth saving. The five-Disc collection includes every exhilarating episode and over five hours of special features!
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Infinite
- Evan McCauley (Mark Wahlberg) is haunted by memories of places he has never been and manifests skills he's never learned. Self-medicated and on the brink of a mental breakdown, a secret group that call themselves "Infinites" come to his rescue, revealing to him that his memories are real - but they are from multiple past lives. Evan must work with the Infinites to unlock answers in his memories that are the key to stopping a madman from destroying humanity.
- Based on the book "The reincarnationist papers" by D. Eric Maikranz.
- Originally released as a motion picture in 2021.
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Kings of L.A.
- A young man reaches a critical point in his lifeas he struggles to navigate the changing gentrification of his neighborhood. Pressured by gangs, the temptations of easy money and the culture shifts around him in South Central as he tries to figure out how to survive when everyone wants a piece of him and his neighborhood.
Staff Picks
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Homelessness is a housing problem : how structural factors explain U.S. patterns
"In Homelessness is a Housing Problem, Gregg Colburn and Clayton Page Aldern seek to explain the substantial regional variation in rates of homelessness in cities across the United States. In a departure from many analytical approaches, Colburn and Aldern shift their focus from the individual experiencing homelessness to the metropolitan area. Using accessible statistical analysis, they test a range of conventional beliefs about what drives the prevalence of homelessness in a given city-including mental illness, drug use, poverty, weather, generosity of public assistance, and low-income mobility-and find that none explain the regional variation observed across the country. Instead, housing market conditions, such as the cost and availability of rental housing, offer a far more convincing account. With rigor and clarity, Homelessness is a Housing Problem explores U.S. cities' diverse experiences with housing precarity and offers policy solutions for unique regional contexts"
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Scattered minds : the origins and healing of attention deficit disorder
"From renowned mental health expert and speaker Dr. Gabor Maté, Scattered Minds explodes the myth of attention deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD) as genetically based--and offers real hope and advice for children and adults who live with the condition."
- The nature of attention deficit disorder -- How the brain develops and how the circuits and chemistry of ADD arise -- The roots of ADD in family and society -- The meaning of ADD traits -- The ADD child and healing -- The ADD adult -- Conclusion.
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Seed to plate, soil to sky : modern plant-based recipes using Native American ingredients
"Some food historians say that 1491 to 1493 are the years the world began in terms of food, that is. Prior to 1492, eight plants-corn, beans, squash, chile, tomato, potato, vanilla, and cacao-existed only in the Americans. Italy didn't have the tomato; Ireland didn't have the potato, nor Russia the vodka distilled from it; and there were no chiles in South Asia. When these ingredients crossed the ocean, they drastically transformed the way the Old World would eat and cook forever. Yet the average American, even those who cook with these foods regularly, doesn't know this history. Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky introduces the splendor and importance of Native culinary history and pairs it with delicious Native American-inspired dishes. Grounded in a primer on Native American cuisine and with a necessary discussion of food sovereignty and sustainability, Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky shares more than 100 nutritious, plant based recipes organized by each of the foundational ingredients. Grounded in Southwestern flavors, recipes like Blue Corn Hotcakes with Prickly Pear Syrup, Three Sisters Stew, and Green Chile Enchilada Lasagna, share the page-and plate-with essential basics like Corn Masa, Red and Green Chile Sauces, and Cacao Spice Rub for a thoughtful, delicious celebration of Native foods"
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The Absinthe Underground
In the Belle Époque city of Severon, Sybil Clarion and Esme Rimbaud, best friends with a secret crush on each other, find themselves drawn into a risky heist proposition from a mysterious Green Faerie named Maeve, which could offer financial security but may endanger their carefully constructed lives.
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Artifice
Isa de Smit grew up in her parents' art gallery in Amsterdam, but in the middle of the war she survives by selling fake paintings to the Nazis while trying to help her friend, Truus, smuggle Jewish babies to safety--but in 1943 it is hard to know who to trust.
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Republic of Scoundrels
- This new look at Founding Fathers such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton goes beyond their common depictions as American saints to expose the sometimes selfish motives behind their actions
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The Unit : my life fighting terrorists as one of America's most secret military operatives
"The first and only book to ever be written by a member of America's most secret military unit--an explosive and unlikely story of immigration, service, and sacrifice. Inside our military is a team of operators whose work is so secretive that the name of the unit itself is classified. Highly-trained in warfare, self-defense, infiltration, and deep surveillance, "the Unit," as the Department of Defense has asked us to refer to it, has been responsible for preventing dozens of terrorist attacks in the Western world. Never before has a member of this unit shared their story - until now. From Adam Gamal, one of the only Muslim Arab Americans to serve inside "the Unit," comes a gripping firsthand account of our nation's most secretive military group. When Adam arrived in the United States at the age of nineteen, he spoke no English, and at 5'1" and 112 pounds, he was far from what you might expect of a soldier. But compelled into service by a debt he felt he owed to his new country, he rose through the ranks of the military to become one of its most elite and skilled operators. With humor and humility, Adam shares stories of life-threatening injuries, of the camaraderie and capabilities of his team, of the incredible missions--but also of the growth he experienced as he learned to adhere to more moderate Islamic beliefs. Enthralling and eye-opening, The Unit is at once a gripping account of the fight against terror and an urgent examination of the need for diversity"
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From Farm to Factory and Beyond : Economic History of Northern Shenandoah Valley, 1720 - 2020
The Economic History of the Northern Shenandoah Valley, 1720-2020, chronicles the transformation of a 1700s backcountry frontier into one of the fastest growing regions in twenty-first century America. The author's research builds on previous studies of wheat cultivation, iron furnaces and woolen mills and sheds new light on other economic activity in the eight Shenandoah Valley counties directly south of the Potomac River.
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Interviewology : the new science of interviewing
"A guide to mastering the job interview, offering proven advice and techniques to discover your unique interview style that is key to interviewing better-for those on either side of the table"
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Unruly : the ridiculous history of England's kings and queens
- In this hilarious book that takes history seriously, a British actor and comedian introduces England's earliest kings and queens, who were mostly as silly and weird in real life as they appear today in their portraits, revealing a story of narcissists, inadequate self-control, excessive beheadings, uncivil wars and more.
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How Infrastructure Works
"A new way of seeing the essential systems hidden inside our walls, under our streets, and all around us Infrastructure is a marvel, meeting our basic needs and enabling lives of astounding ease and productivity that would have been unimaginable just a century ago. It is the physical manifestation of our social contract-of our ability to work collectively for the public good-and it consists of the most complex and vast technological systems ever created by humans. A soaring bridge is an obvious infrastructural feat, but so are the mostly hidden reservoirs, transformers, sewers, cables, and pipes that deliver water, energy, and information to wherever we need it. When these systems work well, they hide in plain sight. Engineer and materials scientist Deb Chachra takes readers on a fascinating tour of these essential utilities, revealing how they work, what it takes to keep them running, just how much we rely on them-but also whom they work well for, and who pays the costs. Across the U.S. and elsewhere, these systems are suffering from systemic neglect and the effects of climate change, becoming unavoidably visible when they break down. Communities that are already marginalized often bear the brunt of these failures. But Chachra maps out a path for transforming and rebuilding our shared infrastructure to be not just functional but also equitable, resilient, and sustainable. The cost of not being able to rely on these systems is unthinkably high. We need to learn how to see them-and fix them, together-before it's too late."
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The American queen
There is only one known queen who truly ruled a kingdom on American soil.
Transformative and breathtakingly honest, The American Queen is based on actual events that occurred between 1865 - 1889 and shares the unsung history of a Black woman who built a kingdom as a refuge for the courageous people who dared to dream of a different way of life.
Over the twenty-four years she was enslaved on the Montgomery Plantation, Louella learned to feel one thing: hate. Hate for the man who sold her mother. Hate for the overseer who left her daddy to hang from a noose. Hate so powerful there's no room in her heart for love, not even for the honorable Reverend William, whom she likes and respects enough to marry.
But when William finally listens to Louella's pleas and leads the formerly enslaved people off the plantation, Louella begins to replace her hate with hope. Hope that they will find a place where they can live free from fear. Hope that despite her many unanswered prayers, she can learn to trust for new miracles.
Soon, William and Louella become the appointed king and queen of their self-proclaimed Kingdom of the Happy Land. And though they are still surrounded by opposition, they continue to share a message of joy and goodness--and fight for the freedom and dignity of all.
The American Queen weaves together themes of love, hate, hope, trust, and resilience in the face of great turmoil. With every turn of the page, you will be transported to a pivotal period in American history, where oppressed people become extraordinary heroes.
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Broken code : inside Facebook and the fight to expose its harmful secrets
"A behind-the-scenes look at the manipulative tactics Facebook used to grow its business, how it distorted the way we connect online, and the company insiders who found the courage to speak out"
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Sailing the graveyard sea
"On December 16, 1842, the US brig-of-war Somers dropped anchor in Brooklyn Harbor at the end of a cruise intended to teach a group of adolescents the rudiments of naval life. But this seemingly harmless exercise ended in catastrophe. Commander Alexander Slidell Mackenzie came ashore saying he had narrowly prevented a mutiny that would have left him and his officers dead. Some of the thwarted mutineers were being held under guard, but three had been hanged: Boatswain's Mate Samuel Cromwell, Seaman Elisha Small, and Acting Midshipman Philip Spencer, whose father was the secretary of war, John Spencer. Eighteen-year-old Philip Spencer, according to Mackenzie, had been the ringleader who encouraged the crew to seize the ship and become pirates, raping and pillaging their way across the old Spanish Main. And while the young man might have been a rebel fascinated by pirates, it soon became clear the order that condemned the three men had no legal basis. And worse, that perhaps a mutiny had never really occurred, and that the ship might instead have been seized by a creeping hysteria that ended in the sacrifice of three innocents. Months of accusations and counteraccusations were followed by a highly public court martial which put Mackenzie on trial for his life, and a storm of anti-Navy sentiment drew the attention of the leading writers of the day (Washington Irving thought Mackenzie a hero; James Fenimore Cooper damned him with a ferocity that still stings). But some good did come out of it: public disgust with Mackenzie's training cruise gave birth to Annapolis, the place that within a century, would produce the greatest navy the world had ever known. Vividly told and filled with tense action based on court martial transcripts, Snow's masterly account of this all-but-forgotten episode is naval history at its finest."
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Curses and other buried things
When Susana's eighteenth birthday triggers a generational curse, prompting her to sleepwalk into the Okefenokee Swamp behind her grandparent's house, she realizes the roots of her family tree run deeper than she believed.
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Chlorine : a novel
- A high school swimmer, intent on being scouted and awarded a scholarship, tries to deal with the pressure of it all while feeling a strange, dark suspicion that she is actually a mermaid.