We the Animals has been a popular small morsel at just 144 pages but packs quite a wallop. Told in the form of linked short stories, Torres’ first novel is an impressionistic examination of a family of mixed race and ethnicity.
The stories focus on the family’s three boys and are often accounts of fighting over blankets or flying trash-bag kites, but because the parents’ marriage is contentious, some are tinged with violence.
Torres novel is a pleasure to read from a gifted writer with a special talent for tone and characterization.

Here are a few firsts that are under the radar.

Meredith Mileti’s Aftertaste finds Mira Rinaldi, the co-owner of a chic New York City trattoria, battling to save her restaurant and pick up the pieces of her life after she catches her husband with another woman. Sprinkled with mouthwatering food descriptions and recipes, Mileti’s first novel examines the daily activities and self-reflections of a busy career woman who suddenly becomes single and directionless as Mira searches for the ingredients she needs to complete her own recipe for happiness. This succulent story will please readers of such similarly satisfying fare as Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate.

In Nancy Jensen’s The Sisters, growing up motherless and under the thumb of a cruel stepfather in 1920s Kentucky, Bertie Fisher and her older sister, Mabel, are torn apart by a painful misunderstanding that reverberates through the lives of their daughters and granddaughters. First-time novelist Jensen redeems her soap opera plot with an observant eye, adept characterization, and a keen grasp of social issues. There is plenty of drama, much of it illuminating the changing roles of women in society over a span of 70 years. Jensen nicely integrates history and themes such as the enduring ravages of war on the men who fight them.

Looking for a haunting romance? The Taker, Alma Katsu’s imaginative, wholly original debut is the story of Lanore McIlvrae, a young woman who is found in the Maine woods claiming she has killed a man. Luke, a young doctor, hears the story of how she was abandoned by a lover 200 years earlier and abducted by a centuries-old Hungarian count who granted her eternal life. Readers will not be able to tear their eyes away from Katsu’s mesmerizing tale. Alchemy and love prove a volatile mix in Katsu’s vivid novel, which toggles between the present and the past. Paranormal and hard-core romance readers might enjoy this debut.

This next gripping novel is not an easy read. Bonnie Nadzam’s Lamb gives Lolita a 21st-century spin. Unlike Humbert Humbert, David Lamb is not obsessed with underage girls but stumbles across one. David’s wife has left him, his father has died, and his work life is in shambles when outside a strip mall he meets a seventh-grade girl whom he entices into a pretend kidnap game “to scare” her friends. What he does once he gets her in his car is drive her home, but he also continues to meet her and give her rides to school. Their friendship intensifies, leading to a road trip, “Just a little secret trip in your secret life,” from Chicago to an abandoned family house of David’s in rural Colorado. There they hole up and eat junk food while Tommie’s mother has no idea where she is. What David promises the 11-year-old is a fantasy, and he comes across as a father figure, a friend, but at times something far more creepy. With Colorado neighbors snooping, the questions become, how far will this go and what will happen if anyone finds out? Nadzam has a crisp, fluid writing style, and her dialogue is reminiscent of Sam Shepard’s. The book suffers from the inevitable Nabokov comparison, but it’s a fine first effort: storytelling as accomplished as it is unsettling. This book is a compelling variation on a disturbing but all-too-familiar theme that will find an audience among serious readers.

For historical fiction lovers, there is Stella Tillyard’s Tides of War. A tale set in Regency England and Spain during the Peninsular War follows the interwoven stories of love and betrayal that shape the marriage of Harriet and James, who are separated when James joins the Duke of Wellington’s troops. The fictional newlyweds’ story is entwined with the historical duke and duchess of Wellington, along with other real and imaginary characters, to give a broad perspective on English society of the early 19th century. Readers share Harriet’s discovery of the waltz, Jane Austen, and ice cream, and witness cutting-edge battlefield surgeries under real-life Surgeon Gen. James McGrigor This sophisticated, unusual portrait of Regency society will appeal to all readers of historical fiction, especially admirers of Bernard Cornwell.

If you are looking for some thematic reading as you start planning for the fast approaching holidays, take a peek at our Thanksgiving Fictionbook list and for other reading suggestions peruse the library’s Booklists page. The newest books for the past six months are listed, as well as thematic mystery titles, readalikes, nonfiction, and award-winning lists.

Also online are lists of suggested summer reading for Wakefield elementary school grades 1-4.

1. Receive your “passport” when you sign up at the Reference Desk.
2. On the pages of your passport, provide at least three “reviews” to qualify to win one of several Novel Destinations prizes.*
3. You may “review” any material, program or service available at or through Beebe Library. (See examples below.)
4. Drop your completed passport in the Novel Destinations box at the Reference Desk by August 20 to eligible for the raffle.

What is a review?
A “review” is simply a paragraph describing your opinion, experience, insight and/or recommendation of any material or service provided by Beebe Library. If you allow us to share your reviews, your opinions may be included in library information sources like our web site, Facebook page or booklists.
What will you review? It’s not just about books! Explore any of the many things offered at the library and record your experiences in your passport. Consider reviewing any of the following Beebe Library offerings:

• Books, movies, audio, video and magazines are available for you to borrow with your library card.
• Travel guides, “how-to” books on any subject, the Mango online foreign language learning program and Ancestry.com are just a few of the many resources available at the library.
• Museum Passes, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, provide discounts to local and area cultural institutions for those interested in art, nature, architecture and science.
• Beebe Library is where Wakefield connects via Facebook, Twitter, the library’s e-newsletter and Friends-sponsored summer programs.

*GRAND PRIZE is a Historic New England Family Membership.

Other prizes include:

• Books – Novel Destinations, by Shannon McKenna; Traveling Literary America, by B.J. Wellborn; Literary Places in the U.S., by Michelle Burke; and Storybook Travels, by Colleen Dunn Bates.
• National Parks DVD
• National Parks UNO Game
• Travel Journal
• Novel Destination Memo Cube
• 2011 Summer Tote Bag
• Beebe Logo Thumb Drive

And don’t forget our Summer Travel Lecture Series!

• It’s Not About the Hike, with Pat Piper and Nancy Sporborg
• Last of the Donkey Pilgrims, with Kevin O’Hara
• Ice Cream Social with the Traveling Librarian – A Photographic Trip to Norway on Tuesday, August 23 at 6 p.m.

(One World, Many Stories and Novel Destinations are sponsored by Beebe Library, the Friends of Beebe Library, the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.)

“Whereas The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a tradition of commitment to universal literacy and family literacy,

“Now, Therefore, I, Deval L. Patrick, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do hereby proclaim November 2010 to be Family Literacy Month.”

Literacy, the ability to read and write, is a basic requirement for success in our personal and professional lives. It contributes to our ability to be productive and engaged citizens. The public library is the community resource that aids in life-long learning and the achievement of literacy goals for all, at any stage of life, and in many different ways.

What is “family literacy”?

Studies have shown that family, home, and community are integral components of literacy education. Proficient readers have a learning advantage. Beebe Library offers services to families that promote early literacy skills, thereby setting the stage for later learning success. The key is “family.”

Librarians know that there are six early literacy skills that promote reading success: building vocabulary, enjoying the printed word, recognizing text, narrative (telling stories), recognizing distinct sounds, and recognizing letters. Library programs and services are designed to aid in the development of these skills, as well as to help parents and caregivers discover ways to do the same. The everyday activities of listening, talking, singing, and reading – reading signs, labels, mail, anything – develop early literacy skills.

On-site Beebe Library resources include story times, sing-alongs, the coloring table, the train table, computers, themed literature kits, and a music collection. Librarians are trained to help select the right book for any reader, and can help educators (which includes parents!) select resources on almost any topic.

For those who like to connect by computer, Beebe Library’s website hosts an Early Literacy Blog to share suggestions and pose questions.

Becoming an active member of the Beebe Library family allows Beebe Library to be an active partner in your family’s literacy. Put the children in your life on the road to literacy with these three suggestions for raising a reader:
1. Get a library card. It’s free.
2. Ask a librarian. Librarians help find answers, and can direct you to materials you will enjoy.
3. Visit often. You will get to know the staff, and staff will get to know your family’s interests and needs.

Mother Goose on the Loose Story Times will begin at Beebe Library in September. Registration begins Tuesday, Sept. 7. Parents can apply for story time online (beginning Sept. 7). You can also register in person or by phone at 781-246-6334, extension 3. Applicants are asked to indicate their preferred session and a second choice.

The Library intends for every Wakefield child to be able to attend at least one of the four six-week story time sessions offered during the school year: Fall, Winter 1, Winter 2, or Spring. The library strives to accommodate each registrant’s first scheduling choice. In any given session, the library gives priority to any Wakefield child who is not registered for another session.

Regretfully, we do not provide library services, including story times, to residents of communities without certified libraries. Nonresidents from communities with certified libraries are wait-listed until five days before the start of a session.

>(Note: During Winter 1, Thursday story times begin a week early on November 4 due to two holidays that take place on Thursdays this year. Thursday sessions last seven weeks instead of eight during Winter 1.)

Lapsit: for pre-walkers, 3 months up to a year old and a caretaker. You and your baby will listen to stories, learn songs, finger plays, nursery rhymes and play with other babies. Please make other arrangements for older children so you and your baby can enjoy this special time together. Lapsit will be offered at the following times:

Fall Session, September 23 – October 28: Thursdays at 9:30 a.m.
Winter 1, November 10 – December 15: Wednesdays at 11 a.m.
Winter 2, January 12-February 16: Wednesdays at 11 a.m.
Spring, March 10 – April 14: Thursdays at 11 a.m.

Walkers and Talkers: for walking children up to 35 months and caretakers. Build your child’s early literacy skills. Children will learn songs, play games, learn nursery rhymes and finger plays, and listen to simple stories. Children must be accompanied by a caretaker. The schedule for Walkers and Talkers is:

Fall Session, September 21 – October 29: Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m., Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m., Thursdays at 11 a.m. and Fridays at 11 a.m.
Winter 1, November 4 – December 17: Tuesdays at 11 a.m., Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m., Thursdays at 11 a.m. and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. (No program on November 5.)
Winter 2, January 11 – February 18: Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m., Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m., Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. and Fridays at 11 a.m.
Spring, March 8 – April 15: Tuesdays at 11 a.m., Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m., Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. and Fridays at 9:30 a.m.
Three and Four Year-Olds. Help your child build literacy skills. Children will listen to stories, learn songs, finger plays and games, and do a simple craft. Parents must remain in the building while child attends program. The schedule for this age group follows.
Fall Session, September 21 – October 29: Tuesdays at 11 a.m. and Fridays at 9:30 a.m.
Winter 1, November 4 – December 17: Thursdays at 9:30 a.m., Fridays at 11 a.m. (No program on November 5.)
Winter 2, January 11 – February 18: Tuesdays at 11 a.m. and Fridays at 9:30 a.m.
Spring, March 8 – April 15: Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. and Fridays at 11 a.m.

Four and Five Year-Olds. Children will build their listening comprehension and storytelling abilities, learn songs and do a craft. Caretakers must remain in the building, but allow the children to participate in the program alone. The schedule for this age group follows.

Fall Session, September 22 – October 27: Wednesdays at 11 a.m.
Winter 1, November 9 – December 14: Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m.
Winter 2, January 13 – February 17: Thursdays at 11 a.m.
Spring, March 9 – April 13: Wednesdays at 11 a.m.

Another mystery set in South Africa is Deon Meyer’s Blood Safari. Emma Le Roux hires a personal security expert when her believed-dead brother is named as a suspect in the murders of five people. Full of page-turning tension, this will strongly appeal to mystery and suspense fans seeking intelligent, hard-boiled action.
Jassy Mackenzie’s Random Violence is the first in a series. Returning to South Africa after living in England for ten years following her policeman father’s murder, PI Jade de Jong agrees to help her father’s former partner investigate a series of carjacking cases and discovers a pattern that may have a link to her father’s death. Grim, gritty, and violent, the novel offers a revealing view of modern South Africa.

Do you enjoying reading something terrifying and entertaining? Try F.G. Cottam’s The House of Lost Souls. Ten years ago, rumors of human sacrifice, ghosts, and magic were just that—until journalist Paul Seaton confronted unspeakable evil at the abandoned Fischer House and barely escaped with his life. Still haunted by his loss, he is asked to return to prevent the house from claiming more unsuspecting souls.

Here is a great zombie story combining the undead with high school football. Its publisher describes the books as Friday Night Lights meets Dawn of the Dead. In Ryan Brown’s Play Dead, after a rival team causes his football squad’s bus to crash, killing all the players. This is a fast-paced, thrilling, and terribly funny debut by former actor Brown.

If being frightened is appealing, then Brian Evanson’s Last Days will give you your fix. Through spare language, a noir sensibility, and macabre humor, the author crafts a compulsively readable nightmare that asks, “How do you know the moment when you cease to be human?” If you enjoyed Stephen King’s Misery, this one may be for you.

Want something a bit less serious? Imagine five very different women stuck together in a Florida hotel room after a terrible storm shuts down the entire area. Kris Radish does just that in Hearts on a String. The author deftly juggles the different personalities and throws in some wacky side story lines. Radish also wrote The Shortest Distance Between Two Women (2009) and always writes a compelling and pleasing story.

Jennifer Ross’s Icing on the Cupcake is a first novel that highlights realistic characters and funny situations. Texas Southern belle Ansley is on the brink of getting engaged but her cattiness and downright meanness have gotten the best of her, and she finds herself fiancé-less as well as friendless. When she runs off to NYC to live with her estranged grandmother, she realizes that it is time to find a purpose for her life and turn things around.

Looking for a Love Story by Louise Shaffer is terrific at weaving contemporary and historical family stories. In this novel, the author mixes the stories of Francesca who is a blocked writer whose marriage unexpectedly crumbles and the story of a Depression-era husband-and-wife vaudeville team in need of a ghost writer. Other great titles by this author are Family Acts (2007) and Serendipity (2009).

The Empress of Mars by the late Kage Baker is a Science Fiction novel of fun and high adventure. The British Arena Company abandoned its colonies on Mars when it couldn’t make a profit. Now they want them back, and it is up to Mary Griffith, her three daughters, and the other misfit denizens of Mary’s bar, the only one on Mars, to stop the company as peacefully as they can.

Paolo Bacigalpi’s The Windup Girl gives the Science Fiction reader a sobering and nuanced vision of a future Bangkok teetering on the edge of disaster. In this inhospitable environment, a disparate group of characters calculates how to survive. Fans of Charles Stross’s Accelerando will want to check this novel out.