War Games, by Audrey Couloumbis. Based on the real boyhood experiences of the author’s husband, this is a story about growing up in Greece during the German occupation in the 40’s. At first Petros sees the occupation as an exciting game; trying to see what he can get away with under the soldiers’ noses. However, when a German commander moves into their house, the stakes are raised and Petros must be clever enough to help save the lives of his loved ones. This is the simple story of a family coping with difficult circumstances as told from the perspective of the youngest member, a 12-year-old boy . Recommended for grades 6 and up. Sue

Incontinent on the Continent: My Mother, Her walker and Our Grand Tour of Italy, by Jane Christmas. A geriatric coming of age story. The daughter, Jane is determined to take her mother, Valerie to Italy, walker and all. By embarking on this trip Jane hopes to make peace with her mother and resolve a few mother -daughter issues. In Italy, Jane realized that her mother’s health issues were more serious then she led on and that Valerie wasn’t in the great shape she claimed to be. So, it’s interesting to read what Mother and daughter learned while traveling together. Laurie

The Mapping of Love and Death, by Jacqueline Winspear. This is the seventh novel of the author's Maisie Dobbs mystery series, all of which are set in London in the late 1920's and early 1930's. The roots of each story are in the time of the Great War, 1914 to 1918. This latest book introduces Michael Clifton, a young military cartographer whose remains turn up in a French field in 1932. Michael's parents ask Maisie Dobbs to investigate the circumstances of his death, an inquiry which soon endangers them as well as Maisie herself. I've enjoyed each of Jacqueline Winspear's books because of the endearing characters and the unique, sensitive insights of the young investigator, Miss Maisie Dobbs. Nancy

Strength in What Remains,by Tracy Kidder, is the inspiring true story of Deo, a young Tutsi man from Burundi, caught up in the civil war between the Hutu and the Tutsi, and the genocide that follows. He manages to flee the country and ends up in New York, where he knows no one. The book describes how he survives, delivering groceries and sleeping in Central Park. Then, he starts meeting the people who will change his life and become his benefactors. Eventually, after many challenges, he graduates from Columbia University and attends medical school. He does return to Burundi, and through a nonprofit group called Partners in Health, is able to build a clinic, which serves many Hutu people. This is a well told, remarkable story of endurance, hope and forgiveness. Susan

2000 Miles to Maine: Adventures on the Appalachian Trail (DVD), chronicles several hikers journeying on the Appalachian Trail in the eastern United States. Of all those hiking, only a portion are “thru-hikers” (hiking the entire trail, rather than just a section of it). Most of them make the trip from the south, beginning in Georgia, to the north, ending at Mount Katahdin in Maine. The filmmakers record the struggles, frustrations, and the emotional highs and lows involved in this feat of endurance. Sarah

The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery. The story of a lowly Parisian concierge who is not all that she seems to her apartment building’s posh residents, and a young girl in the same building who is not all that she seems to her family. A difficult book to read at first due to the main characters’ prickly and very French personalities, this story is worth the struggle for some moments of real lyricism, insight, and beauty. Robert

Council of Dads: My Daughters, My Illness, and the Men Who Could Be Me, by Bruce Feiler. Bestselling author Bruce Feiler was a young father when he was diagnosed with a 7 inch cancerous tumor in his femur. The first thoughts he had after receiving his diagnosis were about his two young daughters and what both he and his daughters might miss if he died an early death. A few days following his diagnosis he came up with an idea of how to act on this very real fear, and that was to create a council for his daughters: A council of dads. Bruce selected 6 men from various stages of his life to be his “voice” should he not survive cancer. These men accepted the responsibility of teaching his girls one important life lesson each. While the council initially was not intended to convene unless it became necessary, the men immediately started playing a role in the lives of Bruce’s girls. The story will speak to anyone touched by cancer, especially those diagnosed as young parents who have children yet to pass through life’s major milestones. Through this book Bruce demonstrates the resiliency of the human spirit in the face of adversity, and how to deepen and value friendships in our lives. (Note: the book has inspired others faced with similar situations to form their own councils, more can be found at www.councilofdads.com) Lori