Book Trailer - Salt to the Sea

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets.

Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies…and war.
As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom.
Yet not all promises can be kept.
Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, bestselling and award-winning author Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray) lifts the veil on a shockingly little-known casualty of World War II. An illuminating and life-affirming tale of heart and hope. [blurb from Goodreads.com].

New in the ILC - ANZAC Day reading

Dreaming the Enemy by David Metzenthen

I am still moving despite the fact that this dreamed-up bastard Khan walks with me - no, he doesn't walk with me, he rises up to fire, has my life in his hands, my head in his sights, and that is the image of all images that I have somehow to lose...

Johnny Shoebridge has just returned from fighting in the jungles of Vietnam. He no longer carries a weapon - only photos of the dead and a dread of the living...Pursued by a Viet Cong ghost-fighter called Khan, Johnny makes one last stand - knowing that if he cannot lay this spectre to rest, he will remain a prisoner of war for ever.
Drawing on courage, loyalty and love, Johnny tries to find a way back from the nightmare of war to a sense of hope for the future. A deeply moving exploration of trauma and recovery.

There are a lot of books that are set in the First World War, and also a lot sent in the Second World War. The Vietnam war is still much ignored by Australia. The same is true of the kinds of wounds people brought back from the wars: a lot is said about those that died, and those that returned home physically injured. Not a lot is said about the mental scars that nearly all veterans come home with.

This is not a comfortable read, but it scores high praise by those that have read it.

Strong Women in Fiction

Women come in all shapes and sizes, and can be strong in a wide range of ways. In honour of International Women's Day the library would like to celebrate some amazing, strong characters:

Liesel from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Liesel has a strong sense of social justice. She develops her own set of moral values, rather than following blindly what society says. She combines compassion with a quick mind and strong critical thinking skills. She learns the value of language and the written word - both to empower, but also to suppress when used in propaganda.

Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Katniss is a survivor. She is extremely resourceful, which allows her to survive situations that would defeat others - from facing starvation through to participating in the Hunger Games. Although she keeps her emotions close, and doesn't like expressing them, she is fiercely loyal to family, friends, and to her district. 

Willowdean Dickson from Dumplin'

Willow is a plus-sized girl who is comfortable with her own body. She is willing to stand up for herself, and get people to question their own assumptions. When self-doubt strikes, Willow takes courage with both hands and challenges herself to confront her fears - by entering a beauty pageant.

Through My Eyes series

The Through My Eyes series are all stand alone stories set across the world in conflict zones. How do children and teenagers survive in these hostile conditions.

Malini

Malini lives with her parents and young sister, Banni, in northern Sri Lanka. As the civil war heads towards its catastrophic end, Malini and her family are herded by Tamil Tiger troops towards the coast where they will act as human shields, along with thousands of other Tamil civilians. When Malini's father pushes a mobile phone into her hands and tells her to run off into the forest with Banni, Malini does as she is told. But then the shelling begins, and Malini has no way of finding her mother and father.

With the role of parent thrust upon her, Malini has no choice but to travel to her grandfather's village a long way inland. She and Banni will need to keep off the highways and stay alert for soldiers from all sides. But where will the next meal come from? Who can they trust? Where will they shelter? And will they ever be reunited with their parents again?

The uplifting story of one girl's odyssey through war-torn Sri Lanka.