This week, we feature a fascinating look at the science of rotating motion—from atoms to galaxies—and a well-illustrated biography that will take children along on Christopher Columbus’s journey.
Science
‘The Science of Spin: How Rotational Forces Affect Everything from Your Body to Jet Engines to the Weather’
By Roland Ennos
Spin: It is not just for politicians. It dominates all aspects of our lives. Rotation affects everything, from the way you move to the existence of the universe. This book shows how spin affects our world and the universe, how technology uses it, and how it affects the human body. The best part? Mr. Ennos explains everything without using mathematics; this book has no equations. Equally entertaining and enlightening, readers come away with a better understanding of our world and how it works.
Scribner, 2023, 288 pages
Fiction
‘By the Rivers of Babylon’
By Michael D. O’Brien
This story of Ezekiel, called Yezekiel, follows the Old Testament prophet from his boyhood days as a shepherd to his training as a priest in the Temple in Jerusalem, and then to Babylon, where he and others are exiled. Like the best historical novelists, Mr. O’Brien recreates Yezekiel’s world by his talent for description, his ability to develop characters who live and breathe on the page, and the connections he makes with our own time. An insightful, inspiring journey into the long past.
Ignatius Press, 2022, 391 pages
Fiction
‘The Archer’s Tale: The Grail Quest (Book 1)’
By Bernard Cornwell
Mr. Cornwell is master of the historical fiction from the time of Vikings to the Napoleonic Era. “The Archer’s Tale” begins a four-book series set in the 14th century and follows the journey of the archer Thomas. The young man is the sole survivor of his family and village, and he is bent on catching a knight in black and avenging the death of those he loved. His pursuit, however, results in so much more. Told with Mr. Cornwell’s typical relish for beautiful imagery, bloody violence, and great dialogue.
HarperCollins, 2005, 374 pages
Wildlife
‘Exploring the Neighborhood Pronghorn Community: Pronghorn Antelope Observation and Zooarchaeology in Colorado’
By James J. Szczur
Antelope or deer? The pronghorn is often confused as one of these, but it is neither; it occupies its own unique classification in the animal world. This fascinating narrative will take readers to the open grasslands of Colorado where many of these fleet-footed beauties call home. On safari in the American West, the author skillfully blends scientific fact with adventure, inspiration, a reverence for nature, and a passion for preserving these urban-sprawl survivors. Packed with wildlife photography.
Jim Publishing, 2023, 148 pages
Classics
‘King Solomon’s Mines’
By H. Rider Haggard
Following an old map, Allan Quatermain and a small party of men head north from South Africa in search of a missing man and a lost treasure. This early modern thriller, first published in 1885, takes readers across deserts and mountains, and leads to encounters with people ruled by the evil King Twala. After the Englishmen help bring the rightful king to power, they locate the treasure inside a mountain, but then become trapped by a stone door. Here is an adventure tale that can be enjoyed by young and old alike.
Penguin Classics, 2008, 320 pages
For Kids
‘A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus’
By David A. Adler and John and Alexandra Wallner
Beginning from the famous explorer’s birth, this simple and well-illustrated biography of Christopher Columbus is the perfect book to enjoy in advance of Columbus Day. To enhance the experience, have a map or globe at the ready to point out the different geographical locations mentioned and trace Columbus’s voyage. Educational and engaging.
Holiday House, 1991, 32 pages
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