Someday, Maybe. Nwabineli, Onyi. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Graydon House, [2022].

Content Warning: Suicide, depression, grief

“Someday, maybe” is a quote that sums up hopes and fears of our main character. It’s a response that stagnates her into this unknown space between “yes” and “no.” Onyi Nwabineli’s Someday, Maybe follows Eve Ezenwa-Morrow, the novel’s protagonist as she tries to navigate life after the death of her husband, Quentin Morrow, to suicide.

After his death on New Year’s Eve, she is so weighed down by the grief that follows that a new personality emerges: the “Eve of now” which is vastly different from the “Eve of before.” Most of the plot takes place at her home in London, where Eve is plagued by reminders of the life she once shared with Quentin. Grief seems to be the other main character, as Eve is all but “content to wallow in [grief’s] cesspit for all eternity because it is like poking at a mouth ulcer with the tip of your tongue—inadvisable, painful, but addictive.”

Onyi Nwabineli is truly a master wordsmith with how she is able to convey grief with such raw poignancy. The story staggers forward, mended together with memories from Eve’s childhood and her relationship with Quentin, a photographer from one of London’s elite families. Nwabineli skillfully intertwines Eve’s Igbo heritage into the story by including phrases, food, and traditions. Nwabineli succeeds in making you see how grief can strain what was once very close family ties. It isolates Eve in a pool of melancholy at the smallest reminder of Quentin; and reduces the importance of everything else in her life, including her career. Her ice-cold mother-in-law Aspen, also remains ever present in the background of Eve’s grief, further spiraling her into a world of depression.

Readers should be warned that the novel does deal with suicide, and it does describe aspects of Quentin’s death, but it doesn’t go on to clarify the method until late in the book. Someday, Maybe could be considered as a study on grief that forces the reader to examine it without turning away. As each page goes on, the readers are experiencing that grief with her – along with the well-meaning attempts from her friends and family at “fixing” it.

Chantell Huell is a Circulation Assistant at North Park Library. She can be reached at Chuell@alamancelibraries.org.

Currie, Lindsay. The Mystery of Locked Rooms. Naperville, Illinois : Sourcebooks Young Readers, [2024].

The Mystery of Locked Rooms is a cute middle grade (3rd-8th) novel with a fantastical 1950s fun house that is a giant escape room.

Sarah and her friends West and Hannah love escape rooms. They are just one of six groups that have completed the second-hardest escape room in their town. They call themselves the Deltas, because they all love math and puzzles, there are three of them, and there are three sides to a triangle, which is how you write delta in math (and in Greek). Hannah is a dancer and is a thrill-seeking gum chewer. West has a photographic memory, which makes him an excellent student (but also a target for bullies). Sarah is great at calculating the odds and being the planner and leader of the group.

Sarah’s life is pretty hard right now. Her dad has been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and is bedridden. Her mom is working two jobs just to try to keep them in their house, and her older brother is reconsidering his college choices to save money. One day, there is a foreclosure notice on their home. Sarah should be focusing on seventh grade, but instead she’s worrying about her family having to move in with relatives in another state. When she tells her friends, they decide to pursue a secret treasure they have read about, The Triplets Treasure.

The triplets built a fun house in the 1950s that involved secret passages, cryptic puzzles, and far more fun (and danger) than a regular fun house. Unfortunately, one of the triplets died before they could open. The other brothers were too heartbroken to continue. They had advertised that there was a treasure to discover by the person or persons who completed their fun house first, and people have broken in before to try to find it. No one has succeeded. But Sarah, West, and Hannah are motivated. If they can find the treasure, it just might be enough so Sarah and her family can stay.

The dangers of a 1950s fun house are, well, terrifying! I know I wouldn’t be brave enough to swing through the air, or survive being trapped in a small space. But kids will love reading about their adventures and the puzzles they have to solve. Be prepared to take your kids to an escape room after reading this book, because they’re going to want to challenge themselves like Sarah, Hannah and West do! The Mystery of Locked Rooms has a (very) happy ending that might seem over-optimistic to adults, but is great for kids.

Mary Beth Adams is the Community Engagement Librarian for Alamance County Public Libraries. You can reach her at madams@alamancelibraries.org.

George, Jessica. Maame. New York : St. Martin’s Press, 2023.

For our protagonist, Maddie Wright, life is full of questions and Google searches. Just to name a few of those Google searches highlighted throughout the story are “Is Parkinson’s disease genetic?”; “Jobs with the happiest employees”; “How long do guys wait before asking a girl out on a date?” The answers are more than complex for 25-year-old Maddie, born of Ghanaian parents that immigrated to London. While other young adults are striving for financial security, their own apartments, and long-lasting romantic relationships she seems hopelessly stuck between the beginning stages of adulthood and family obligation. Becoming the primary caregiver to her ailing father while his diagnosis worsens, her mother becomes obsessed with taking care of the family business back in Ghana and her older brother busies himself to keep from having to help all while Maddie is trying to figure out her own life.

This poignant, relatable coming of age story about discovering your true self is strikingly honest, vulnerable, and most of all unforgettable. This is a story of a late bloomer finding her stride in life in her own time, reminds us that life is not a race, it’s a journey. An enjoyable read for a wide range of audiences from young adults navigating life, seasoned travelers reminiscing through historical moments, to African foreigners who will grasp the novel’s cultural nuisances. George candidly creates a world that so perfectly describes the false starts, heartbreak and awkwardness of coming into adulthood. She does so with such empathy and a necessary sense of humor that it’s hard to place the book down once you get started reading it.

Chantell Huell is a Circulation Assistant at North Park Library. She can be reached at Chuell@alamancelibraries.org.

Tatsu, Yukinobu. Dandadan Vol. 1. San Francisco, CA : VIZ Media, LLC, [2021].

Content Warning: Mature themes. Not intended for younger readers.

Two words: Turbo Granny.

Supernatural phenomena or aliens? Why not both? Yukinobu Tatsu combines both of the occult tropes in to a fun teen story of two opposing worlds. Momo Ayase, a stylish girl who just broke up with her loser boyfriend and is just looking for her Ken Takakura (the actor) and only believes in spirits. And Okarun (Occult-kun) who knows that aliens are real and wants to make contact so they’ll be his friends because no human will. Momo doesn’t believe in aliens and Okarun doesn’t believe in spirits. After Momo stops Okarun from being bullied the two challenge each other to witness a sighting each don’t believe in. And that night their lives to a take turn for the weird.

Yukinobu-san’s artwork and storytelling are super bright and dynamic as they are dark and familiar to long time manga readers. Extreme angles and terrifying frames keep you guessing with each page turn. This is Yukinobu-san’s 4^th work as well as working under Fujimoto Tatsuki for Fire Ball and Chainsawman and the experience shows. His attention to detail from explosive fight scenes to comedic pacing and framing to emotional story beats that really fill out the characters is awe-inspiring and makes you wanting more by the end.

Also, Turbo Granny. Need I say more?

Ian Alcantar is a Circulation Assistant at North Park Library. He can be reached at ialcantar@alamancelibraries.org.

It’s almost summer, and maybe you’re planning some week-long or long weekend trips. You don’t have to go far to find some great vacation spots! This week, we’re recommending some books that can help you with your planning, along with a fantastic resource you can access through our website.

Martin, D. G. North Carolina’s roadside eateries : a traveler’s guide to local restaurants, diners, and barbecue joints. Chapel Hill : The University of North Carolina Press, 2024.

Let’s start with the most important part of traveling – finding a good place to eat! This updated guide has information about and reviews of more than 120 restaurants across the state. Martin shares the places where locals eat that you might not find otherwise, and shares the stories behind these restaurants. This personal touch makes this book more valuable than standard online reviews.

Johnson, Jessie. North Carolina adventure weekends. Birmingham, Alabama : Menasha Ridge Press, An Imprint of AdventureKEEN, [2018].

If you’re feeling adventurous, use this guide to plan a weekend of hiking, cycling, climbing, canoeing or camping (or all of the above!). Johnson gives you an entire itinerary for your trip, including places to stay, restaurants, coffee houses and other attractions in each location. Because this guide is several years old, we would recommend checking to make sure the information is still accurate. While restaurants and hours of operation for parks might change, the beauty of North Carolina’s wildlife and natural resources doesn’t change!

Hardy, Michael C. A history lover’s guide to North Carolina. Mount Pleasant : The History Press, 2022.

A History Lover’s Guide to North Carolina gives you ample information to plan a trip visiting historical landmarks, sites and museums in the state. Find the most beautiful gardens, the graveyards that drip with history, the places where pirates tread, and the cities where history was made. Use this guide, plus a traditional travel guide, to plan a history-rich vacation!

Frye, Jason. North Carolina. Berkeley, CA : Avalon Travel, Hachette Book Group, 2023.

North Carolina is your traditional travel guide, with several itineraries, and specialized guides for foodies, outdoor enthusiasts, beach combers, mountain lovers, and those traveling with small children. This is a Moon Travel Guide, a company that prioritizes local businesses and sustainable travel, and hires writers who live in the area to compile their guides. You might find something you didn’t know existed right in your backyard by reading this guide!

Hoffman, Jim. Daytrips the Carolinas : getaway ideas for the local traveler. Essex, Connecticut : Globe Pequot, [2022].

If you’re looking for short trips a few hours away from Alamance County, this guide is for you! It lists hundreds of trip ideas that are a couple hours away from major cities/areas in North and South Carolina. Whether you choose to focus on trips close to home, or search out hidden gems several hours away, you’ll find some great ideas in this guide. This also can help you plan a road trip, giving you ideas of places to stop as your travel across the state.

Barker, Jerry W. Discovering North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail : a companion for hikers and armchair explorers. Chapel Hill : The University of North Carolina Press, 2024.

The new Mountains-to-Sea Trail invites hikers to explore their area or another area of the state on foot! This book is by one of the champions of the MTS Trail, Jerry Barker. He gives you an armchair voyage to all of the sites along the trail, including cultural sites, the history of the area and the natural wonders you’ll see on that segment of the trail. Whether you decide to hike the trail, or just visit some of the places along it, this book will be a valuable resource for travelers.

Our State Magazine Our State magazine is a wealth of information about North Carolina destinations, and includes brief itineraries of places it features. We have access to all of their back issues through 2020 online. We also carry the printed magazine at our branches, for more recent years’ issues! The Our State staff do a great job of highlighting what makes North Carolina unique and a great place for a vacation.

Mary Beth Adams is the Community Engagement Librarian for Alamance County Public Libraries. She can be reached at madams@alamancelibraries.org.

It may be the end of April, but we can’t let the month end without sharing some great books to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month!

Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Cathy Camper

This lovely picture book features Lina, who is walking to her grandmother’s house to make warak enab on a snowy day. She notices all of the sounds she hears as she walks through the snow. This book teaches mindfulness and appreciation of nature, as well as making readers curious about making warak enab (Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves) or other favorite recipes with an older family member.

The Arabic Quilt by Aya Khalil

Kanzi’s family just moved to the United States. When her mother brings her “accidentally” forgotten lunch to school in her hijab, she is teased and comes home in tears. She wraps herself in a quilt her grandmother made and writes a poem in Arabic about the quilt, which her teacher uses to teach the class about Arabic names and traditions. The kids get excited about making their own (paper) quilt with their names in Arabic, and learn that differences are something to be celebrated, not made fun of. The book includes a glossary of Arabic words and the alphabet, with phonetic English equivalents, so readers also can write their name in Arabic.

Salma Makes a Home by Ahmad Danny Ramadan

This early chapter book features Salma, who moved to the United States from Syria. After almost a year of being apart, her father is finally with them, and she is eager to show him around and for him to like the United States. She is worried he’ll be homesick and want to go back to Damascus. But when he talks about their life in Damascus, she realizes she, too, misses her homeland. Readers will learn about the pull of home along with Salma, and also the joys of learning and experiencing new places and things.

Nayra and the djinn by Iasmin Omar Ata

Nayra is desperate – nothing is going to plan at school or at home, and the pressure makes her feel like she’s going to burst. When a djinn (a mythical Islamic being, translates to genie) named Marjan promises to help, Nayra accepts their offer. But if Marjan doesn’t face their own mistakes, Nayra will suffer the consequences. This graphic novel will appeal to kids who wish for a magical being to improve their lives, and those who know how tough friendship can be (so, in other words, all kids).

The magical reality of Nadia by Bassem Youssef

Nadia is ready to redesign the world, or at least win the contest to design a new exhibit at the local museum. When someone teases her about her Egyptian heritage (she moved here when she was 6), she isn’t sure how to react. But then her ancient amulet, a hippo, starts to glow, and she finds out it has magical powers. Can she use the amulet to teach the new kid to respect her Egyptian heritage and to win the contest? This book is an illustrated chapter book with a lot of action to hook readers from the first page.

Huda F Are You by Huda Fahmy

This is the first in a series of young adult graphic novels that are autobiographical in nature, featuring Huda Fahmy’s real-life struggles as she tries to find her place in high school. When Huda’s family moves to Dearborn, Michigan, she goes from “the girl in the hijab” to one of many girls in hijabs. When being the Muslim girl is no longer your sole identity, which group do you fit in? Teens will identify with this eternal struggle to find your identity while still getting your schoolwork done.

Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson

A young Arab-Indian hacker hides behind the identity of Alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, as he protects his clients in an unnamed Middle Eastern security state. When he finds out his lover’s fiancé is the head of State security, he finds himself in hot water and is forced underground. He finds a secret book (The Thousand and One Days) that unlocks the power of jinn, and might lead to a new level of information technology that disrupts the world as we know it. Arab mythology, believable science fiction and thrilling action combine to create an extraordinary novel.

The final strife by Saara El-Arifi

Three young women band together in this first book of a fantasy trilogy to fight against their kingdom, where people are separated by the color of their blood. Red bloods like Anoor are magical, the ruling class, but she’s always been told by her mother, the ruler, that she’s useless. Blue bloods like Sylah are the worker bees, but she has been told from childhood that she is the one who will bring down the ruling class, one way or another. And clear bloods like Hassa are the slaves, but Hassa knows that being invisible means she sees much more than she is supposed to see. This series brings together Arab and African mythology to create a dystopian fantasy that readers will devour.

No Land to Light On by Yara Zgheib

Sama and Hadi are in love, and waiting on the birth of their first child. Sama came to the United States from Syria on a scholarship from Harvard, and Hadi was a sponsored refugee. When Hadi’s father dies, he returns to Syria for just a few days to attend the funeral. But when he flies back home to the United States, he is detained and deported. His wife Sama becomes increasingly alarmed when he doesn’t appear at the Arrivals terminal, and must figure out what has happened to him, and what she can do to fix the situation. This heartbreaking story of love will touch your heart as you worry for Sama, Hadi and their soon-to-come baby.

Mary Beth Adams is the Community Engagement Librarian for Alamance County Public Libraries. She can be reached at madams@alamancelibraries.org.

It’s National Poetry Month, and my (unofficial) research shows that children love reading poetry, and hearing poetry read to them. Below you’ll find a mix of new poetry books and old favorites to enjoy!

Climbing the Volcano by Curtis Manley

What’s the best poetic form to tell the story of hiking up a volcano? Haiku, of course, which has been used for centuries to describe the beauty and majesty of nature. This picture book uses haiku and illustrations to show a young boy’s wonder as he climbs Oregon’s South Sister volcano. Manley’s poetry invites children to look around and write haikus about their own adventures in nature, whether that is in their own backyard, or across the world.

Body Music: Poems About the Noises Your Body Makes by Jane Yolen

Kids love music, and they love when bodies make funny noises! Jane Yolen is a masterful poet for children of all ages, and this book she explores why knuckles crack and noses sniffle with both poetry and facts. While the poetry might make your children giggle, they also will remember what they learned the next time they yawn or sneeze. The book also discusses different cultures that use their bodies to make music, from snapping and clapping to body percussion and vibrations.

Emily Morrison presents Lila Duray : a collection of delightfully delectable poems by Emily Morrison

Reviewers compare Emily Morrison to Shel Silverstein, who is, at least in my mind, the master of children’s poetry. These poems are engaging and fun, but also thought-provoking and touching. If your child has read every Shel Silverstein book more than once, give Emily Morrison’s book a try!

Take me out of the bathtub and other silly dilly songs by Alan Katz

I couldn’t create this list and not include one of Alan Katz’s silly song books. These are technically not in the “poetry” section, but they’re on a shelf that isn’t too far away. Katz has written poems that are meant to be sung to different tunes everyone knows, like Row Row Row Your Boat (Go Go Go to Bed) and Take Me Out to the Ballgame (Take Me Out of the Bathtub). To add to the fun, the illustrations by David Catrow will make you howl with laughter.

Poetry Comics by Grant Snider

If you have a kid who loves graphic novels (and let’s face it, most kids love them!), Poetry Comics will delight them. Snider takes ordinary things and objects, and shines a light on them through poetry to show how special they actually are. The author believes this book might make poets out of every child, and who are we to disagree?

Neon aliens ate my homework and other poems by Nick Cannon

Song lyrics are often poetry, and poetry can be sung, as Cannon proves in this collection! Nick Cannon is a well-known actor, musician and all-around entertainer, and when he turned his eye toward creating a children’s poetry book, he partnered with street artists to illustrate his writings (and illustrated several himself). Kids will love this visually interesting book, and will love to laugh at the zany poems written by Cannon.

Black Girl You are Atlas by Renee Watson

This book is semi-autobiographical, about Watson’s childhood in Portland, Oregon. Watson uses all types of poetic forms to tell her story, which might help a developing poet learn how to best use form as well as language to tell their story. Watson wants young women, especially black women, to realize their power, embrace sisterhood and celebrate their futures.

Ink knows no borders : poems of the immigrant and refugee experience

This anthology contains poems from more than 65 writers, including Elizabeth Acevedo, Ocean Vuong, Samira Ahmed and Ada Limón, speaking of the first- and second-generation immigrant experience. These poems deal with a variety of subjects, from homesickness and language difficulties to stereotyping and questions of identity. Teens will see themselves in these immigrant stories and empathize with the feelings of isolation, the desire to fit in and the struggle to define oneself in a fractured world.

Did you know? The Alamance County Poetry Stroll 2024 is happening in area downtowns for this entire month! See poetry written by local poets in storefront windows in Elon, Burlington, Graham, Haw River, Green Level, Saxapahaw and Mebane. You can find a list of locations and poems on our website. We also welcome you to vote for your favorite poems, either by scanning the QR code on a Poetry Stroll poster, or by visiting our website.

Mary Beth Adams is the Community Engagement Librarian for Alamance County Public Libraries. She can be reached at madams@alamancelibraries.org.