Introducing Linda Hay

Linda Hay was the librarian at Academy School here in Brattleboro before she retired. She is now a volunteer reference librarian at Brooks. You can meet her on Tuesday afternoon.

She also knows alot about young adult literature. Here is a book tip from her:

For older fans of fantasy, a new book by Robin McKinley is always good news. Her latest, Dragonhaven is good news for younger fans of fantasy and science fiction as well. In it we meet Jake, son of the head of a wildlife refuge in the American West for endangered and little understood dragons. The innocent bystander deep in the wilderness when a poacher kills a mother dragon at the moment of giving birth, Jake finds the infant has imprinted on him ... thinks that he is it’s mother.

Not only must he figure out how to keep it alive, he must do it in secrecy, for his act of rescuing it is highly illegal. While he stuggles to parent a dragon, his father and others on the refuge staff must protect the refuge and its mission from the political fallout of the poacher’s death. Unlike so many stories about dragons, this is set in today’s world with yellow school buses, computers, and McDonalds, Native American’s trying to maintain their ancient culture, and media feeding frenzies.

McKinley’s books did what Harry Potter has done long before Harry was even “born”. They have spoken to both young adults and adults, anyone who enjoys a combination of adventure, subtle humor, suspense and masterful writing skills. You can read the first chapter on www.robinmckinley.com if you want a “taste” before you get it at the library (or bookstore).

Linda will be writing book reviews for the Teen Brooks blog.