Riverhead Reads

Sign up now at the Reference Desk for the Adult Winter Reading Club 2010. Read or listen to any book for a chance to win prizes in weekly raffle drawings. Get extra chances to win by reading a book from our preferred reading list. This winter's theme is Riverhead Reads: Making a Difference Globally & in Your Community. Check out the newest display with the presents on the top shelf for a sampling of these books. Here are a few....

The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World by Jacqueline Novogratz is the inspiring story of a woman who left a career in international banking to embark on a quest to understand and tackle global poverty. It all started on a trip to Africa where the author saw a boy wearing a cherished blue wool sweater she had donated to Goodwill eleven years earlier.

For those who want to know how to get involved,Volunteerism edited by Frank McGuckin is an excellent resource. A series of essays and articles lays bare the issues surrounding the topic and introduces private and the national service agencies, including AmeriCorps. While providing thought- provoking critiques about the failure of some efforts, the book also sheds light on the rewards of volunteering.
Animal Investigators: How the World's First Wildlife Forensics Lab is Solving Crimes and Saving Endangered Species by Laurel A. Neme, Ph.D. shares behind-the-scenes cases and describes the scientific methods through which the lab safeguards endangered species that are being poached for their body parts. Filled with suspense, this book unfolds like a crime novel.

For readers in the mood for more serious biographies of remarkable people who made a difference, try Failure is Impossible: Susan B. Anthony in her Own Words by Lynn Sherr. Raised as a Quaker with a strong sense of social responsibility, Anthony was a key figure in the women's suffrage movement--but her legacy goes far beyond the vote.