by Brian Greene

This is an unusual book. It’s a retelling of the Greek Icarus myth, about a young man who uses wings made of wax to fly. Unfortunately, he flies too high, his wings melt, and he falls to his death. Fortunately, this version isn’t so depressing. Icarus at the Edge of Time is set on a spaceship in the future, and this Icarus is a teenage genius who flies too close to a black hole. He survives, but things don’t work out quite the way he expected.

Icarus at the Edge of Time looks like a book for kids – it’s a board book with only 44 pages, and there are only a few sentences per page. Mostly, it’s illustrated with photos from the Hubble Space Telescope. The story isn’t particularly complex, either. However, it’s a neat little story, and it does involve actual physics. It might be a good book to read with your children, if you want to get them talking about science, but I think it’s neat enough that you can enjoy it as an adult, too. I did.

The author, Brian Greene, has written a couple of big books about physics. If you are expecting more of the same, except for kids, you’ll be disappointed. If you are looking for a serious sci-fi version of the Icarus story, you’ll be disappointed. It’s somewhere in between the two. It uses the Icarus story to introduce a little science and have some fun along the way.

I linked to Brian Greene’s official college website at the top of this review, but the book itself has another site at icarusattheedgeoftime.com.

Where to Find It

You can get it from the public library.

Library	Location	Call Number	Status
Brentwood	.	FIC GREENE, B.	In library
Clayton	.	FIC GREENE, B.	In library
Concord	.	FIC GREENE, B.	In library
Danville	.	FIC GREENE, B.	In library
Martinez	.	FIC GREENE, B.	Checked out, due 2/8/12
Moraga	.	FIC GREENE, B.	In library
Orinda	.	FIC GREENE, B.	In library
Pinole	.	FIC GREENE, B.	In library
Ygnacio Valley (Walnut Creek)	.	FIC GREENE, B.	In library

This list was last updated February 6, 2012 at 10:05 pm UTC.

by Lewis Trondheim

Kaput and Zösky are two aliens who are out to conquer the universe. Zösky is the schemer, willing to try just about any crazy idea to take over a planet. Kaput is the psycho who would rather just charge in, guns blazing. Really, though, they both enjoy killing people.

Their problem is that they aren’t very good at being evil alien overlords. Usually, when they try to invade a planet, they lose. On the odd chance they win, the natives drive them out pretty quickly. Even when they find a planet that lets them take over, they find that they just don’t have what it takes to rule a world.

Where to Find It

You can get it from the public library.

Library	Location	Call Number	Status
Richmond	West Side McNaughton	YA 741.594 Trondheim	CHECK SHELF

Since Contra Costa libraries only have a few copies of Kaput & Zösky, you might want to request it through Link+. You get the book through your local library, so you will need to have a library card.

1. Read all the directions.
2. Click here to go to the Link+ search.
3. Click "Request this item."
4. Pick your local library. This will probably be "Contra Costa Public."
5. Give them your library card number and whatever else they need.
6. When the book comes in, your library will call you.

You might want to read the rules for borrowing books before you request anything.

If you want to check on the book or cancel your order, go here.
This list was last updated February 4, 2012 at 5:44 am UTC. Click here to see newer information.

by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

The people of Green-sky, the Kindar, have a peaceful society that seems pretty much perfect. Even though they don’t have a lot of technology, the people there have everything they need. They live in the tops of giant trees and, because the gravity of Green-sky is weak, they can glide from tree to tree with the help of special clothing. Some of the people of Green-sky have psychic gifts – they can read other people’s emotions, teleport, move objects with their minds, or cause plants to grow.

There is only one problem in all of Green-sky: the Pash-shan are dangerous creatures that live underground. They are kept there, away from the rest of Green-sky, by a series of magical roots. As a precaution, though, none of the Kindar are allowed to go near the ground.

Raamo, a thirteen-year-old boy, is invited to join the Ol-zhaan, the priesthood that runs Green-sky and protects everyone from the Pash-shan. Raamo doesn’t understand why he has been chosen, but he eventually learns that he was picked because of his strong psychic powers. The root network that keeps the Pash-shan trapped underground has been weakening, and the priests hope Raamo will be able to fix it.

While he is training, Raamo meets two other new priest named Neric and Genaa. Neric suspects that the Ol-zhann are not entirely honest with the people of Green-sky. One day Raamo and Neric visit the surface, where they find a girl named Teera. Eventually, Raamo, Neric, and Genaa learn the Pash-shan are not what everyone believes, and their discovery changes the world of Green-sky forever.

Below the Root is the first book in a trilogy.There is also an old computer game that is a sequel to the trilogy. Zilpha Keatley Snyder actually helped write it, so if you are into vintage computer games, you might want to check out the Below the Root game from 1984.

Where to Find It

1. Read all the directions.
2. Click here to go to the Link+ search.
3. Pick the volume you want. The first volumes are near the bottom. The most recent volumes are near the top.
4. Click "Request this item."
5. Pick your local library. This will probably be "Contra Costa Public."
6. Give them your library card number and whatever else they need.
7. When the book comes in, your library will call you.

You might want to read the rules for borrowing books before you request anything.

If you want to check on the book or cancel your order, go here.
This list was last updated February 1, 2012 at 3:10 am UTC. Click here to see newer information.

by Matt Ruff

Jane Charlotte is arrested for murder, but when she tells the police that she is actually a member of a secret organization dedicated to fighting crime, they put her in the psychological ward. Jane claims to be part of a division nicknamed the Bad Monkeys, who are supposed to track down and kill really evil people who have managed to escape justice. Apparently, this secret organization has access to all kinds of nifty stuff, like the NC gun, which kills its victim through natural causes. If you believe Jane (and the police don’t), this secret group hides tiny security cameras in pictures of eyes on posters, dollar bills, etc., and their operatives communicate through the Daily Jumble (that puzzle in the newspaper where you have to unscramble words).

Bad Monkeys is the story Jane tells a psychologist who is trying to find out if she is crazy or just lying. It is part thriller, part science fiction, and part satire. You don’t know if Jane is crazy, if she’s telling the truth, or if she’s crazy and telling the truth until the very end.

If you want, you can read the first chapter online at the author’s website.

Where to Find It

You can get it from the school library.

School	Location	Call Number	Status
Diablo Valley College	Adult Basic Education	PS3568.U3615 B33 2008b	AVAILABLE

You can get it from the public library.

Library	Location	Call Number	Status
Concord	.	FIC RUFF, M.	In library
Danville	.	FIC RUFF, M.	In library
El Cerrito	.	FIC RUFF, M.	In library
Pinole	.	FIC RUFF, M.	In library
Pinole	.	FIC RUFF, M.	In library
Pittsburg	.	FIC RUFF, M.	In library
San Ramon	.	FIC RUFF, M.	In library
Walnut Creek Park Place	.	FIC RUFF, M.	In library

This list was last updated February 6, 2012 at 5:04 am UTC.

by Makoto Yukimura

A lot of people think this might be the best science fiction manga (and anime) ever–and even if you don’t like manga, but you’re interested in space exploration, or you liked Apollo 13, The Right Stuff, etc., you should find this somewhere. Planetes is an extremely well-drawn and well-told story about several different people who work in space; although the focus of the story changes in different volumes and chapters, the multicultural core characters are debris collectors who clean up the garbage that (even in our time) is cluttering up outer space. One of the characters has a tragic past. Another dreams of owning his own spaceship (almost to the extent of losing his own humanity). Another is trying to remind him that compassion and love can co-exist with ambition and survival in space. Another wants … actually, who knows what Fee wants, except to keep everyone else from screwing up or getting themselves killed or slacking off too much. The characters have to deal with the normal daily-life stuff of their personal demons, their relationships, and their jobs; their bigger goals; and the background problems of terrorism and corporate/governmental questionability as humanity expands toward Jupiter. This excellent series avoids the over-the-top silliness that can make you roll your eyes at some manga; the adventure is just grand enough and the touching moments are just pointed enough. You can finish the series in only 5 books (the last two are both labeled volume 4–part 1 and part 2), which is also nice.

(Warning: volume 3 contains some nudity.)

Where to Find It

1. Read all the directions.
2. Click here to go to the Link+ search.
3. Pick the volume you want. The first volumes are near the bottom. The most recent volumes are near the top.
4. Click "Request this item."
5. Pick your local library. This will probably be "Contra Costa Public."
6. Give them your library card number and whatever else they need.
7. When the book comes in, your library will call you.

You might want to read the rules for borrowing books before you request anything.

If you want to check on the book or cancel your order, go here.
This list was last updated December 31, 2009.

by Steven Gould

Jumper tells the story of a young man who discovers that he can teleport. He steals a million dollars and then travels the world, eating at nice restaurants, attending plays, and foiling terrorists. There is a movie based on this book, but it tells a very different story.

Warning: Domestic abuse is a major theme in Jumper. The story has a good ending, but if you would rather not read a graphic description of the main character’s father attacking him on page 2, you might not want to read this.

You can look it up on Wikipedia.

You can read some of the book online through Google Books. Also, the author is telling the story through Twitter, if you like Twitter.

Where to Find It

You can get it from the school library.

School	Location	Call Number	Status
Contra Costa College	Stacks	PS3557.O8947 J8 1993	AVAILABLE

You can get it from the public library.

Library	Location	Call Number	Status
Bay Point	Young Adult	S GOULD	In library
Bay Point	Paperbacks	S GOULD	In library
Clayton	Science Fiction	S GOULD	In library
Danville	Paperbacks	S GOULD	In library
El Cerrito	Science Fiction	S GOULD	Checked out, due 2/18/12
El Sobrante	Young Adult	S GOULD	In library
Hercules	Science Fiction	S GOULD, S.	Checked out, due 3/1/12
Kensington	Science Fiction	S GOULD	In library
Moraga	Young Adult	S GOULD	Checked out, due 3/26/12
Moraga	Science Fiction	S GOULD	In library
Oakley	Science Fiction	S GOULD	In library
Pinole	Young Adult	S GOULD	In library
Pinole	Young Adult	S GOULD	In library
San Pablo	Young Adult	S GOULD	In library
San Pablo	Science Fiction	S GOULD	In library

This list was last updated February 6, 2012 at 5:32 am UTC.

by Hiromu Arakawa

Fullmetal Alchemist is set in a fantasy version of Europe during the Industrial Revolution. Edward and Alphonse are studying alchemy, a sort of magical chemistry, and decide to use it to resurrect their dead mother. This ends badly: Edward ends up with a prosthetic leg and arm, while Alphonse needs to have his entire body replaced with a body of metal. Edward goes to work for the military, hoping to get access to enough resources to regrow his limbs and his brother’s body. However, the brothers eventually stumble upon a conspiracy and, with the help of some of Edward’s military buddies, have to save their country.

You can look it up on Wikipedia. You can also read a little bit online at the publisher’s website.

Where to Find It

You can get it from the public library.

Library	Location	Call Number	Status
Antioch	Young Adult	FIC ARAKAWA, H.	Checked out, due 2/25/12
Brentwood	Young Adult	YA FIC ARAKAWA, H.	In library
Martinez	Young Adult	FIC ARAKAWA, H.	In library
Orinda	Young Adult	FIC ARAKAWA, H.	Checked out, due 2/16/12

This list was last updated February 6, 2012 at 6:33 pm UTC.

by Neal Shusterman

Unwound is set in the future, when parents who get tired of their children can have them “unwound,” or dismantled for their organs. Connor, Risa, and Lev are teenagers on the run from the law. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthdays, they will be free. Otherwise, they will be unwound.

Where to Find It

You can get it from the public library.

Library	Location	Call Number	Status
Antioch	Young Adult	YA FIC SHUSTERMAN, N.	Checked out, due 2/8/12
Brentwood	Young Adult	YA FIC SHUSTERMAN, N.	In library
Concord	Young Adult	YA FIC SHUSTERMAN, N.	Checked out, due 2/14/12
Dougherty Station (San Ramon)	Young Adult	YA FIC SHUSTERMAN, N.	Checked out, due 2/25/12
El Sobrante	Young Adult	YA FIC SHUSTERMAN, N.	In library
Kensington	Young Adult	YA FIC SHUSTERMAN, N.	In library
Lafayette	Young Adult	YA FIC SHUSTERMAN, N.	Checked out, due 2/14/12
Moraga	Young Adult	YA FIC SHUSTERMAN, N.	Checked out, due 2/25/12
Oakley	Young Adult	YA FIC SHUSTERMAN, N.	Checked out, due 2/25/12
Orinda	Young Adult	YA FIC SHUSTERMAN, N.	In library
Pleasant Hill	Young Adult	YA FIC SHUSTERMAN, N.	In library
Richmond	Bookmobile Teens Book	S Shusterman, N.	CHECK SHELF
Richmond	Main Teens Book	S Shusterman, N.	CHECK SHELF
San Ramon	Young Adult	YA FIC SHUSTERMAN, N.	Checked out, due 2/19/12
San Ramon	Young Adult	YA FIC SHUSTERMAN, N.	Checked out, due 2/19/12
Walnut Creek Park Place	Young Adult	YA FIC SHUSTERMAN, N.	In library
Ygnacio Valley (Walnut Creek)	Young Adult	YA FIC SHUSTERMAN, N.	In library

This list was last updated February 4, 2012 at 11:11 pm UTC. Click here to see newer information.

by Keiko Nishi

An anthology of four short stories by amazing artist/writer Nishi: a story about abusive love, an Edgar Alan Poe-like horror piece, a portrait of a far-future Chinese dumpling maker who dreams of Earth, and a bullied boy who develops astonishing healing powers, becomes a celebrity, and must deal with the consequences. Touching, shocking, and memorable.

Where to Find It

You can get it from the public library.

Library	Location	Call Number	Status
Hercules	Young Adult	YA FIC NISHI, K.	In library
San Pablo	Young Adult	YA FIC NISHI, K.	In library

Since Contra Costa libraries only have a few copies of Love Song, you might want to request it through Link+. You get the book through your local library, so you will need to have a library card.

1. Read all the directions.
2. Click here to go to the Link+ search.
3. Click "Request this item."
4. Pick your local library. This will probably be "Contra Costa Public."
5. Give them your library card number and whatever else they need.
6. When the book comes in, your library will call you.

You might want to read the rules for borrowing books before you request anything.

If you want to check on the book or cancel your order, go here.
This list was last updated February 2, 2012 at 2:38 pm UTC. Click here to see newer information.

by Frank Herbert

Dune is a science fiction classic. It is set in the far future on a desert planet, the only one in all the galaxy to the spice melange, which allows interstellar travel and grants people psychic powers. The Duke of this planet is overthrown, and his son eventually unites the world’s population and takes back the planet. Actually, the story is far more complex than this, but you’re better off reading it than my summary of it.

Dune is actually the first book of a much longer series, but many people think the others aren’t as good.

You can look it up on Wikipedia.

Where to Find It

You can get it from the school library.

School	Location	Call Number	Status
Los Medanos College	Stacks	PS3558.E63 D8 1990	AVAILABLE
Contra Costa College	Stacks	PS3558.E63 D8 1990	AVAILABLE

You can get it from the public library.

Library	Location	Call Number	Status
Brentwood	Paperbacks	S HERBERT, F.	In library
Brentwood	Science Fiction	S HERBERT, F.	Checked out, due 2/24/12
Clayton	Paperbacks	S HERBERT	In library
Clayton	Science Fiction	S HERBERT, F.	In library
Concord	Science Fiction	S HERBERT, F.	Checked out, due 2/22/12
Dougherty Station (San Ramon)	Science Fiction	S HERBERT, F.	In library
El Sobrante	Science Fiction	S HERBERT	In library
Kensington	Science Fiction	S HERBERT	In transit to shelf
Kensington	Paperbacks	S HERBERT	In library
Kensington	Paperbacks	S HERBERT, F.	In library
Lafayette	Science Fiction	S HERBERT, F.	In library
Lafayette	Science Fiction	S HERBERT, F.	In library
Martinez	Science Fiction	S HERBERT, F.	In transit to shelf
Oakley	Science Fiction	S HERBERT	In library
Pinole	Science Fiction	S HERBERT	In library
Richmond	Main Teens Book	S Herbert, F.	CHECK SHELF
Richmond	Main Adult Books	S Herbert, F.	CHECK SHELF
Richmond	West Side Adult Books	S Herbert, F.	ON HOLDSHELF
Richmond	Main Teens Book	S Herbert, F.	CHECK SHELF
Rodeo	Science Fiction	S HERBERT	Checked out, due 2/15/12
San Pablo	Science Fiction	S HERBERT	Checked out, due 2/25/12
San Pablo	Science Fiction	S HERBERT	In library
San Ramon	Science Fiction	S HERBERT, F.	In library
Ygnacio Valley (Walnut Creek)	Paperbacks	S HERBERT	In library

This list was last updated February 6, 2012 at 9:03 pm UTC.