Reading Well for Dementia

A new Reading Well for dementia scheme is launching to support people living with dementia, their carers and family members, including children. The scheme offers quality-assured, evidence-based reading recommendations, and will launch on 13 May 2024 at the start of Dementia Action Week in public libraries across England and Wales.
Reading Well for dementia promotes understanding and helps to break down stigma around dementia. Some of the recommended books provide information and advice; there are also personal stories and children’s fiction. Reading Well books are free to borrow from your local library, and many of the titles are also available to access digitally as e-books and audiobooks.
Reading Well has been developed by The Reading Agency in partnership with Libraries Connected and the Society of Chief Librarians Cymru, and is delivered with public libraries. It is funded by Arts Council England and Welsh Government.
Find out more: http://www.reading-well.org.uk

Blue Peter Book Club

The Blue Peter Book Club introduces young readers to new writing and encourage a love of reading.  In partnership with The Reading Agency an expert panel of librarians, booksellers and children in library sessions, chose a list of Blue Peter Book Club recommended reads from awesome authors and fantastic illustrators. Its next six titles are:

Greenwild: The World Behind The Door by Pari Thomson, Illustrated by Elisa Paganelli (book available)

Daisy Thistledown has recently escaped from boarding school and has a mystery to solve. Her search for her missing mother will lead her across London and through a hidden doorway to another world, bursting with magic: the Greenwild. But all is not well in this astonishing land. Before long Daisy finds herself confronting a dangerous presence that threatens green magic on both sides of the door. Daisy must band together with a botanical genius, a boy who can talk to animals and a cat with an attitude, to channel the power that can revive the Greenwild and find her missing mother – and save her own world too.

The Last Firefox by by Lee Newbery, Illustrated by Laura Catalán (book and ebook available)

Between bullies at school and changes at home, Charlie Challinor finds life a bit scary. And when he’s made guardian of a furry fox cub called Cadno, things get a whole lot scarier. Because Cadno isn’t just any fox: he’s a firefox – the only one of his kind – and a sinister hunter from another world is on his trail. Swept up into an unexpected adventure to protect his flammable friend, Charlie’s going to need to find the bravery he never thought he had, if he’s going to save the last firefox.

The Breakfast Club Adventures: The Beast Beyond the Fence by Marcus Rashford written with Alex Falase-Koya, Illustrated by Marta Kissi (book available)

When twelve-year-old Marcus kicks his favourite football over the school fence, he knows he’s never getting it back. Nothing that goes over that wall ever comes back. But the next morning, during Breakfast Club, Marcus gets a mysterious note inviting him to join the Breakfast Club Investigators, and he is soon pulled into an exciting adventure with his new mates to solve the mystery and get his football back!

You Are History: From the Alarm Clock to the Toilet, the Amazing History of the Things You Use Every Day by Greg Jenner Illustrated by Jenny Taylor (book and ebook available)

Thought history was only in museums? Think again! Join Greg Jenner as he takes you on a trip through the amazing history hidden in the things you use every day. Did you know that the first TV was made out of biscuit tins and knitting needles? Or that the humble paperclip helped lead an anti-war movement? Or that a few hundred years ago it was fashionable to style your hair with cat poo?! Find out the delightful, daft and downright deadly history of your everyday life that your teachers won’t tell you about.

Major and Mynah by Karen Owen, Illustrated by Louise Forshaw (book and ebook available)

Callie Major does not like wearing her new hearing aids at all. But when she meets abandoned Mynah bird Bo, she realises that her ‘slugs’ mean she can communicate with him! Together the unlikely duo set off to catch the thief who has been causing trouble all over town. This work includes high-speed chases, a very peckish bird and purple poo!

Bob vs The Selfie Zombies by Andy Jones, Illustrated by Robin Boyden (book and ebook available)

For Bob and his best friend Malcolm, winning the school talent competition with their band The Tentacles of Time is really important. And that’s before they realise the future of the world depends on it. Bob doesn’t know why he can time travel. He does know that it always happens at the worst possible moments. Like when he’s in the bath. Awkward! But when Bob comes face to face with his future self in the midst of a disastrous alternative reality, he’s got no choice but to try and do something! In this future, an evil genius has created a smile-operated selfie camera that turns people into zombies, and the world as Bob knows it has completely collapsed. There’s not even anywhere to get a takeaway pizza from! Now it’s up to Bob to change the course of the present to save future him, future Malcolm AND the whole world. Yikes!

A special episode of Blue Peter Book Club Live will be shown on CBBC and iPlayer, 5pm, Friday 24^th May.

For information on how to reserve books and ebooks please visit our library services page online https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services 

Radio 2 Book Club – Winter Titles

The BBC Radio 2 Book Club is on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show. It features a wide range of titles and authors, recommending great reads from both new and much-loved writers.

The Winter season of the Radio 2 Book Club is out now, with brilliant brand-new fiction titles to discover.

The Book Club is also available as a podcast on BBC Sounds.

The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan (book available to reserve)

Japanese-occupied Malaya, 1945. Cecily Alcantara’s children are in terrible danger. Her eldest child Jujube, who works at a tea house frequented by drunk Japanese soldiers, becomes angrier by the day. Jasmin, the youngest, lives confined in a basement for her own safety. And her son, Abel, has disappeared without a trace. Cecily knows two things: that this is all her fault; and that her family must never learn the truth.

The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey (published on 15/2)

Sometimes the strongest connections are found in the most unlikely of places. ‘The List of Suspicious Things‘ is a tender and moving coming of age story about family, friendship and community.

The Painter’s Daughters by Emily Howes (published on 20/2)

1759, Ipswich. Sisters Peggy and Molly Gainsborough are the best of friends and do everything together. They spy on their father as he paints, they rankle their mother as she manages the books, they tear barefoot through the muddy fields that surround their home. But there is another reason they are inseparable: from a young age, Molly has had a tendency to forget who she is, to fall into mental confusion, and Peggy knows instinctively that no one must find out. When the family move to Bath, the sisters are thrown into the whirl of polite society, where the merits of marriage and codes of behaviour are crystal clear, and secrets much harder to keep. As Peggy goes to greater lengths to protect her sister from the threat of an asylum, she finds herself falling in love, and their precarious situation is soon thrown catastrophically off course.

Clear by Carys Davies (published on 7/3)

1843. On a remote Scottish island, Ivar, the sole occupant, leads a life of quiet isolation until the day he finds a man unconscious on the beach below the cliffs. The newcomer is John Ferguson, an impoverished church minister sent to evict Ivar and turn the island into grazing land for sheep. Unaware of the stranger’s intentions, Ivar takes him into his home, and in spite of the two men having no common language, a fragile bond begins to form between them. Meanwhile on the mainland, John’s wife Mary anxiously awaits news of his mission. Against the rugged backdrop of this faraway spot beyond Shetland, Carys Davies‘s intimate drama unfolds with tension and tenderness: a touching and crystalline study of ordinary people buffeted by history and a powerful exploration of the distances and connections between us.

Where the Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan (published on 14/3)

It is 1846 and Ireland is starving. The potatoes are black, people are dying and in the midst of it all Nell must do everything she can to keep her family together, and everyone she loves alive. Even if it means giving up her every want, dream and desire.

The Mars House by Natasha Pulley (published on 19/3)

A queer sci-fi novel about a refugee from Earth and a xenophobic Mars politician who agree to a fake marriage after a media encounter damages both their reputations.

For information on how to reserve books and ebooks please visit our library services page online https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services 

National Non-Fiction November

National Non-Fiction November is the Federation of Children’s Book Groups’ annual celebration of all things factual. It aims to celebrate all the readers who have a passion for information and facts. This year’s theme is “wonderful water” and a booklist has been created of some great watery titles to inspire you!

these 4 books all available to reserve

all books available to reserve except Oceanarium. Can you get rainbows in space also available as an ebook

all available to reserve as books apart from Seashells and Beachcombing for Kids which is available as an ebook

all available to reserve apart from Mind Mappers. Blue Planet II, Mission Arctic and Wild Child also available as ebooks

Caring Conservationists who are Changing our Planet, The Wonderful World of Water, and Water: Protect Freshwater to Save Life on Earth available to reserve

these 4 books all available to reserve, and Swim, Shark, Swim! also available as an ebook

For information on how to reserve books and ebooks please visit our library service webpage https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services

Richard and Judy Autumn Book Club

The new Richard and Judy Autumn Book Club choices are here! Read on for 6 fantastic titles…

The Traitor by Ava Glass (book available)

London. Early morning. A body is found in a padlocked suitcase. Investigator Emma Makepeace knows it’s murder. And it’s personal. She quickly establishes that the dead man had been shadowing two oligarchs suspected of procuring illegal weapons in the UK. And it seems likely that an insider working deep within the British government is helping them. To find out who the traitor is, Emma goes deep undercover on a superyacht owned by one of the oligarchs. But the glamorous veneer of the rich hides dark secrets. Out at sea, Emma is both hunter and prey, and no one can protect her. Never has the turquoise sea and golden sands of the Rivera seemed so dangerous. As the hunt intensifies, Emma knows that she is in mortal danger. And that she needs to find the traitor before they find her.

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett (book and ebook available)

True-crime author Amanda Bailey knows all about the notorious Alperton Angels cult. There have been dozens of books and films about the Angels, ever since the night nearly two decades ago, when they attempted to sacrifice a baby they believed to be the Antichrist. With all the cultists now dead – apart from their charismatic leader – it seems like there’s nothing new to say about the Angels – until now. The Alperton baby has turned eighteen and can finally be interviewed, and if Amanda can track them down, it will be the scoop of the year. But rival author Oliver Menzies is just as smart, better connected, and is also on the baby’s trail. As Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate, they realise that what everyone thinks they know about the Angels is wrong. The truth is something much darker and stranger.

The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz (book and ebook available)

A heavily-armed counter-assault team, a convoy of tactical vehicles plus decoys, air support, a sedative more commonly used to knock out large animals, arm and leg restraints, a hood, mouthguard and a Secret Service Agent asking for a selfie. This was not your average invitation to meet with the President. But then Orphan X is not your average guest. The last survivor of the off-the-books programme that raised and trained him, Evan Smoak was sent around the world to do his government’s dirty work. Until he escaped. Now once again in need of his particular skill-set, the President tracks him down and offers him a deal: kill a man she deems too dangerous or be executed himself. Evan must decide whether to accept. He’s spent years trying to atone for his former life. But if by taking on the mission he must betray the very principles he now lives by, what is left?

Night Train to Marrakech by Dinah Jefferies (book and ebook available)

In 1960s Marrakech a young girl travels to meet her estranged grandmother. Vicky Baudin steps on to the train through Morocco looking for the truth about the woman who gave her father up for adoption decades before. Clemence Petier lives in a kasbah on the edge of the Atlas Mountains, her background shrouded in mystery. But the past holds secrets that threaten them both.

If I Let You Go by Charlotte Levin (book available)

In 1960s Marrakech a young girl travels to meet her estranged grandmother. Vicky Baudin steps on to the train through Morocco looking for the truth about the woman who gave her father up for adoption decades before. Clemence Petier lives in a kasbah on the edge of the Atlas Mountains, her background shrouded in mystery. But the past holds secrets that threaten them both.

We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman (book and ebook available)

Who knows you better than your best friend? Who knows your secrets, your fears, your desires, your strange imperfect self? Edi and Ash have been best friends for over 40 years. Since childhood they have seen each other through life’s milestones: stealing vodka from their parents, the Madonna phase, REM concerts, unexpected wakes, marriages, infertility, children. As Ash notes, ‘Edi’s memory is like the back-up hard drive for mine’. So when Edi is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Ash’s world reshapes around the rhythms of Edi’s care, from chipped ice and watermelon cubes to music therapy; from snack smuggling to impromptu excursions into the frozen winter night. Because life is about squeezing the joy out of every moment, about building a powerhouse of memories, about learning when to hold on, and when to let go.

For information on reserving titles, please visit the libraries website https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services

Richard and Judy late Summer book club

Six fantastic novels have been chosen as Richard and Judy Late Summer Book Club titles.

The Woman Who Lied by Claire Douglas (book available to reserve)

Emilia Ward is just an ordinary mum living happily in suburban London with her husband and two children – a teenager from her first marriage, a little boy from her second. She also happens to be the bestselling author of the Miranda Moody detective novels. But when Emilia embarks on her tenth novel, life takes a disturbing turn: an incident straight out of the plot of one of her novels occurs in real life. Just an unsettling coincidence, she thinks. Until it happens again – and again. Then someone she knows dies in the same way as a victim in the book she’s currently writing. Why is someone doing this? How do they know what she is writing? And what if Emilia and her family are next?

The House of Fortune by Jessie Burton (book available to reserve)

In the golden city of Amsterdam, in 1705, Thea Brandt is turning eighteen, and she is ready to welcome adulthood with open arms. At the city’s theatre, Walter, the love of her life, awaits her, but at home in the house on the Herengracht, all is not well – her father Otto and Aunt Nella argue endlessly, and the Brandt family are selling their furniture in order to eat. On Thea’s birthday, also the day that her mother Marin died, the secrets from the past begin to overwhelm the present. Nella is desperate to save the family and maintain appearances, to find Thea a husband who will guarantee her future, and when they receive an invitation to Amsterdam’s most exclusive ball, she is overjoyed – perhaps this will set their fortunes straight. And indeed, the ball does set things spinning: new figures enter their life, promising new futures. But their fates are still unclear.

Love Untold by Ruth Jones (book and ebook available to reserve)

Grace is about to turn ninety. She doesn’t want parties or presents or fuss. She just wants to heal the family rift that’s been breaking her heart for decades. But to do that she must find her daughter Alys – the only person who can help to put things right. And when she finds her – if she does – she risks betraying granddaughter Elin. Who is far less forgiving of the past, with its hurts and secrets and lies. Meanwhile Grace’s great-grand-daughter Beca is oblivious to all these worries, too busy navigating the highs and lows of teenage life and keeping secrets of her own. All families have their problems. And most of them get resolved. But Grace’s problem is thirty years old. And she doesn’t have time on her side. So is it too late for her to make peace? Or is reconciliation still within reach?

The Prisoner by B.A. Paris (book available to reserve)

THEN. Amelie has always been a survivor, from losing her parents as a child in Paris to making it on her own in London. As she builds a career for herself in the magazine industry, she meets, and agrees to marry, Ned Hawthorne. NOW. Amelie wakes up in a pitch-black room, not knowing where she is. Why has she been taken? Who are her mysterious captors? And why does she soon feel safer here, imprisoned, than she had begun to feel with her husband Ned?

Cat Lady by Dawn O’Porter (book and ebook available to reserve)

It’s safer for Mia to play the part that people expect. She’s a good wife to her husband Tristan, a doting stepmother, she slips on her suit for work each morning like a new skin.But beneath the surface, there’s another woman just clawing to get out. When a shocking event shatters the conventional life she’s been so careful to build, Mia is faced with a choice. Does she live for a society that’s all too quick to judge, or does she live for herself? And if that’s as an independent woman with a cat, then the world better get ready.

Essex Dogs by Dan Jones (book and ebook available to reserve)

July 1346. The Hundred Years’ War has begun, and King Edward and his lords are on the march through France. But this war belongs to the men on the ground. Swept up in the bloody chaos, a tight-knit company from Essex must stay alive long enough to see their home again. With sword, mace and longbow, the Essex Dogs will fight, from the landing beaches of Normandy to the bloodsoaked field of Crecy. There’s Pismire, small enough to infiltrate enemy camps. Scotsman, strong enough to tear down a wall. Millstone, a stonemason who’ll do anything to protect his men. Father, a priest turned devilish by the horrors of war. Romford, a talented young archer on the run from his past. And Loveday Fitztalbot, their battle-scarred captain, who just wants to get his boys home safe. Some men fight for glory. Others fight for coin. The Essex Dogs? They fight for each other.

For information on how to reserve books and ebooks please visit our libraries website https://wokingham.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/MSGTRN/WPAC/HOME

Summer Reading Challenge 2023

This summer, children can visit Wokingham Borough libraries from Monday 3 July to join a superstar team and their marvelous mascots and get involved in a Summer Reading Challenge themed around the power of play, sport, games and physical activity.

Through taking part in the Challenge, with free materials from Wokingham Borough libraries children will be encouraged to keep their minds and bodies active over the summer break. The characters – brought to life by children’s author and illustrator Loretta Schauer – navigate a fictional summer obstacle course and track their reading as they go, rewarded by free incentives including stickers.

Through activity challenge cards from the Youth Sport Trust, and an exciting themed book collection, the Summer Reading Challenge aims to keep imaginations moving over the school holiday.  By participating in the challenge at Wokingham Borough libraries, young people will have the opportunity to explore new reading material, develop skills, and discover new interests.

Completing the Challenge

Children have until Saturday 16 September to complete the challenge. Please remember to visit the library and collect your certificate and medal.

Everyone who has completed the challenge will be invited to a special Summer Reading Challenge swim at one of he Places and Leisure. Details will be emailed shortly.

Summer Reading Challenge – Activities

Wokingham Borough libraries will once again be hosting a summer events programme. More details will be published on our website and social media pages nearer the time.

Explore the Ready, Set, Read! Book Collection

Get ready for a whole load of team spirit, your fave sporty (or not!) heroes, and plenty of fun with our latest collection for the 2023 sports and games themed Summer Reading Challenge: Ready, Set, Read! 

Each book has been specially chosen by an expert group of readers for everybody taking part to enjoy. Visit Wokingham Borough libraries catalogue to reserve your books. 

The Big Eurovision Read

This year, the UK is hosting this year’s Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of last year’s winner, Ukraine. The contest will be held in Liverpool on Saturday, 13 May. Partnering with BBC Arts, The Reading Agency is joining the party and celebrating the proven power of reading and the power of music, in a reading for pleasure campaign called the Big Eurovision Read.
As part of EuroFestival, a Eurovision celebration in Liverpool, The Reading Agency and BBC Arts are sharing an inspiring booklist full of brilliant suggestions of great reads on the theme of the Power of Music. From fiction to autobiographies, the list of twelve – or ‘douze’ – titles has been crowdsourced from the library sector and curated by librarians from across the UK and with audiobooks and playlists available, features something for everyone.

Greetings from Bury Park by Sarfraz Manzoor   (available as audio)

A charming and poignant memoir of growing up during the eighties as both a Pakistani Muslim and Bruce Springsteen fan, this book is Sarfraz Manzoor’s journey from the frustrations of his childhood to his reactions concerning the tragedies of 9/11 and 7/7. It is an inspiring tribute to the power of music to transcend race and religion.

Ellie Pillai is Brown by Christine Pillainayagam (available as a book and audio)

My name is Ellie. Ellie Pillai. And I suppose I am a little bit weird, but then, aren’t we all, just a little bit? Most days, Ellie Pillai is somewhere between invisible, and not very cool – and usually she’s okay with that. But suddenly, Ellie feels different. Maybe it’s the new boy at school who makes her brain explode into rainbows every time she sees him (and also happens to be going out with her best friend), or maybe it’s her new drama teacher, the one who seems to have noticed she exists. Suddenly, her misfit style, her skin colour, her songwriting and all that getting lost in the music in her head seem to be okay too. Because maybe standing out isn’t a bad thing after all.

Musical Truth by Jeffrey Boakye (available as a book and ebook)

A history book with a twist, structured around a playlist of twenty eight songs, listed chronologically. Each song is a jumping off point for deeper social, political and historical analysis, tracking key moments in Black history, and the emotional impact of both the songs and the artists who performed them. The book redefines British history, the Empire, and post colonialism, and invites readers to immerse themselves in music and think again about the narratives and key moments in history that they have been taught up to now.

Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell (available as a book)

Utopia Avenue might be the most curious British band you’ve never heard of. Emerging from London’s psychedelic scene in 1967, folksinger Elf Holloway, blues bassist Dean Moss, guitar virtuoso Jasper de Zoet and jazz drummer Griff Griffin together created a unique sound, with lyrics that captured their turbulent times. The band produced only two albums in two years, yet their musical legacy lives on. This is the story of Utopia Avenue’s brief, blazing journey from Soho clubs and draughty ballrooms to the promised land of America, just when the Summer of Love was receding into something much darker – a multi-faceted tale of dreams, drugs, love, sexuality, madness and grief; of stardom’s wobbly ladder and fame’s Faustian pact; and of the collision between youthful idealism and jaded reality as the Sixties drew to a close.

Space Opera by Catherynne M Valente 

A century ago, the Sentience Wars tore the galaxy apart and nearly ended the entire concept of intelligent space-faring life. In the aftermath, a curious tradition was invented – something to cheer up everyone who was left and bring the shattered worlds together in the spirit of peace, unity, and understanding. Once every cycle, the civilisations gather for Galactivision – part gladiatorial contest, part beauty pageant, part concert extravaganza, and part continuation of the wars of the past. Instead of competing in orbital combat, the powerful species that survived face off in a competition of song, dance, or whatever can be physically performed in an intergalactic talent show. The stakes are high for this new game, and everyone is forced to compete.

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby (available as a book and audio)

Do you know your desert-island, all-time, top five most memorable split-ups? Rob does. He keeps a list, in fact. But Laura isn’t on it – even though she’s just become his latest ex. He’s got his life back, you see.

The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce (available as a book and ebook)

This title tells the a story about the triumph of a quiet hero and how music can bring us back to life. It is the exquisite and perfectly-pitched novel from the author of ‘The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry’, ‘Perfect’ and ‘The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy’.

Rise Up: The #Merky Story So Far by Stormzy, edited and co-written by Jude Yawson  (available as audio)

In three years Stormzy has risen from one of the most promising musicians of his generation to a spokesperson for a generation. ‘Rise Up’ is the story of how he got there. It’s a story about faith and the ideas worth fighting for. It’s about knowing where you’re from, and where you’re going. It’s about following your dreams without compromising who you are.

Soul Music by Terry Pratchett (available as a book and ebook)

It’s hard to grow up normally when Grandfather rides a white horse and wields a scythe – especially when you have to take over the family business, and everyone mistakes you for the Tooth Fairy. And especially when you have to face the new and addictive music that has entered Discworld.

Broken Greek: A Story of Chip Shops and Pop Songs by Pete Paphides (available as a book)

An extraordinary, moving and funny coming-of-age memoir about identity, chip shops and pop songs.

The Songs You’ve Never Heard by Becky Jerams & Ellie Wyatt (available as a book)

Dual-written by a BAFTA-winning children’s composer and a K-pop hit writer, ‘The Songs You’ve Never Heard’ is a debut YA novel that champions sisterhood, musical talent and body positivity.

The Madonna of Bolton by Matt Cain (available as a book and ebook)

Charlie Matthews’ love story begins in a pebble-dashed house in suburban Bolton, at a time when most little boys want to grow up to be Michael Jackson, and girls want to be Princess Di. Remembering the Green Cross Code and getting out of football are the most important things in his life – until Auntie Jan – who everyone says looks like the blonde one out of Bananarama – gives him a gift that will last a lifetime: a seven-inch single called ‘Lucky Star.’ On his 9th birthday, Charlie discovers Madonna, and falls in love. And his obsession sees him through some tough times in life: being persecuted at school; fitting in at a posh university; a glamorous career in London; finding boyfriends; getting rid of boyfriends; growing up; and family heartbreak.

Reserve your copy via our website https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services/search-renew-and-reserve-items/

National Non-Fiction November

National Non-Fiction November is the Federation of Children’s Book Groups’ annual celebration of all things factual. The whole month celebrates all those readers that have a passion for information and facts and attempts to bring non-fiction celebration in line with those of fiction.

The theme for this year is Communication. There is an amazingly comprehensive booklist for the myriad of ways we communicate, from hieroglyphics to emojis, sign language to language learning and secret codes to mass media. All titles here are available to reserve from Wokingham Libraries, with asterisked books available as ebooks.

WORDS

Words 365 First Words (Little Word Whizz) Dr Meredith L Rowe & Monika Forsberg

Pre-school Britannica’s Word of the Day

The Dictionary of Difficult Words Jane Solomon & Louise Lockhart *

Every Word Tells a Story Tom Read Wilson & Ian Morris

Literally: Amazing Words and Where They Come From Patrick Skipworth & Nicholas Stevenson

Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words Ella Francis Saunders *

Encyclopedia of Words Jenny Jacoby & Vicky Barker

What a Wonderful Word: A Collection of Untranslatables from Around the World Nicola Edwards & Luisa Uribe

Wise Words: 100 Art Words Explained Jon Richards

HOW WE (HUMANS) COMMUNICATE

Helen Keller (DK Life Stories) Libby Romero & Charlotte Ager

How to Say Hello Sophie Beer

Speaking in Tongues: Curious Expressions from Around the World Ella Frances Sanders *

Talking History: 150 Years of Speakers and Speeches Joan Haig, Joan Lennon & André Ducci

What a Wonderful Phrase: A Collection of Amazing Idioms from Around the World Nicola Edwards & Manu Montoya

HEARING IMPAIRMENT

Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion Shannon Stocker & Devon Holzwarth *

My First Signs: BSL (Baby Signing) Annie Kubler

Proud to be Deaf: Discover My Community and My Language Ava, Lilli & Nick Beese and Romina Marti

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

On the Move (DK Braille) *

Stevie Wonder (Little People, Big Dreams) Maria Sanchez Vegara & Melissa Lee Johnson *

SIGNS AND SIGNALS

Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs (Fact Finders: Ancient Egyptian Civilization) Kathy Allen & Jen Wegner *

Children’s Encyclopedia of Flags (Arcturus Children’s Reference Library) Claudia Martin

The Flag Book Lonely Planet Kids *

How Does a Lighthouse Work? Roman Belyaev (author/illustrator), Masha Kulikova (translator)

CODES AND CYPHERS

Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars Laurie Wallmark & Brooke Smart *

Code Breakers: Riveting Reads for Curious Kids (Mega Bites) *

The Extraordinary Life of Alan Turing (Extraordinary Lives) Michael Lee Richardson & Freda Chiu *

TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES

Social Media and You (Your Mind Matters) Honor Head & Roberta Terrachio

Social Media Survival Guide (Usborne Life Skills) Hollie Bathie

STORIES

Chicken Clicking (Online Safety Picture Books) Jean Willis & Tony Ross

Goldilocks: A Hashtag Cautionary Tale (Online Safety Picture Books) Jean Willis & Tony Ross

Old Macdonald Had a Phone (Online Safety Picture Books) Jean Willis & Tony Ross

Troll Stinks (Online Safety Picture Books) Jean Willis & Tony Ross

THE NEWS

Breaking News: How to Tell What’s Real from What’s Rubbish Nick Sheridan *

Fake News (What’s the Issue?) Tom Jackson & Cristina Guitian *

Question Everything: An Investigator’s Toolkit Susan Martineau & Vicky Barker *

What is Fake News? Izzi Howell

ART FORMS

Art of Protest: What a Revolution Looks Like De Nichols

How to Make Awesome Comics (The Phoenix Presents) Neill Cameron

How to Write Poems Joseph Coelho & Matt Robertson

Unleash Your Creative Monster Andy Jones & Olaf Falafel

TRANSPORT NETWORKS

Big Book of Boats Luogo Comune (author/illustrator) & Catherine Bruzzone (translator)

Epic Adventures: Explore the World in 12 Amazing Train Journeys Sam Sedgman & Sam Brewster

How Do Bridges Work? Roman Belyaev (autor/illustrator) & Ruth Ahnedzai Kemp (translator)

The Story of the London Underground David Long & Sarah McMenemy

THE NATURAL WORLD

Polly Bee Makes Honey (Follow My Food) Deborah Chancellor & Julia Groves

Cat Chat: How Cats Tell Us How They Feel Jess French & Penelope Dullaghan

Puppy Talk: How Dogs Tell Us How They Feel Jess French & Penelope Dullaghan

How to Talk to a Tiger… and Other Animals: How Critters Communicate in the Wild Jason Bittel & Kelsey Buzzell

Interview With a Kangaroo: and Other Marsupials Too Andy Seed & Nick East

Invented by Animals: Meet the Creatures Who Inspired Our Everyday Technology Christian Dorion & Gosia Herba

The Secret Signs of Nature: How to Uncover Hidden Clues in the Sky, Water, Plants, Animals and Weather Craig Caudill & Carrie Shryock

Sing Like a Whale: Learn How to Make a Noise Like the Animals Do! Moira Butterfield & Gwen Millward

Information on how to reserve a book can be found here https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services/search-renew-and-reserve-items/

For information about downloading ebooks visit https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services/e-books/

Richard and Judy Autumn Book Club

Read on for the new selection of 6 books this Autumn!

Take your breath away by Linwood Barclay (available as a book and ebook)

It’s always the husband, isn’t it? One weekend, while Andrew Mason was on a fishing trip, his wife, Brie, vanished without a trace. Most people assumed Andy had got away with murder, but the police couldn’t build a strong case against him. Now, six years later, Andy has put his life back together. He’s sold the house he shared with Brie and moved away for a fresh start. When he hears his old house has been bulldozed and a new house built in its place, he’s not bothered. He’s settled with a new partner, Jayne, and life is good. But Andy’s peaceful world is about to shatter.

ne step too far by Lisa Gardner (available as a book and ebook)

Hours stretch into days which stretch into weeks. Volunteers go home, police are assigned new missions and the missing hiker Timothy O’Day becomes one more missing person, vanished without a trace. Until Frankie Elkin – missing persons specialist – comes to town. Fresh off her case in Boston, Frankie heads to Wyoming, determined to find Timothy and bring him home – whatever the cost. Frankie joins a seven-day woodland search team, lead by Tim’s father Martin, as they venture deep into the dark forest to uncover the truth. Broken tree limbs and traces of blood suggest a wild animal may be lurking nearby. Frankie knows better. But with secrets swirling and tensions raised in the group, it becomes clear that Frankie Elkin’s newest case could be her last.

Little wing by Freya North (available as a book)

1969. Florence Lawson, a 16-year-old girl who dreams of being an artist, finds herself pregnant and banished to one of the most remote parts of the UK. 1986. Dougie Munro, searching for adventure, leaves the Isle of Harris – the island of his birth – for art college and a career in London as a photographer. 2004. Nell Hartley, content with her life in Colchester managing a care-in-the-community cafe, discovers a shocking truth about her family. Between the sprawl of London, suburban Essex, and the wild, unpredictable Outer Hebrides, three lives collide and interweave as questions are asked and secrets surface. What happened to Florence? Why is Dougie now so reluctant to return home? How can Nell make peace with the lies she’s been told? A novel about resilience, forgiveness and the true meaning of family, about finding one’s place in the world and discovering how we all belong somewhere and to someone.

The herd by Emily Edwards (available as a book and ebook)

Elizabeth and Bryony are polar opposites but their unexpected friendship has always worked. They’re the best of friends, and godmothers to each other’s daughters – because they trust that the safety of their children is both of their top priority. Little do they know that they differ radically over one very important issue. And when Bryony, afraid of being judged, tells what is supposed to be a harmless white lie before a child’s birthday party, the consequences are more catastrophic than either of them could ever have imagined.

The girls who disappeared by Claire Douglas (available as a book)

In a rural Wiltshire town lies The Devil’s Corridor. A road which has witnessed eerie happenings from unexplained deaths to the sounds of a child crying at night. But nothing more puzzling than the Olivia Rutherford case. Four girls drove home but after their car crashed only Olivia was found. Twenty years later, journalist Jenna Halliday is covering the case. But the locals aren’t happy with this stranger’s arrival. Least of all Olivia. Jenna soon starts receiving threatening notes and it is clear someone wants her out of this town before she suffers a dark fate.

Payday by Celia Walden (available as a book)

Late at the office party, you’re chatting to two female colleagues. You’ve never spoken before, but suddenly you’re talking in hushed voices about Jamie, co-partner and ‘golden boy’ of the firm. About what he does to women. You all agree something must be done. The next day though, you’re not so sure. After all, these situations are complicated, easily misinterpreted. Could there be another side to the stories your colleagues told? Was your own story quite as black and white as you claimed? But things have already escalated. And now the police are involved. They’re calling Jamie ‘the victim’, but that’s all wrong. Jamie is the guilty one. Isn’t he?

Information on how to reserve a book can be found here https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services/search-renew-and-reserve-items/

For information about downloading ebooks visit https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services/e-books/