New Titles Coming to the Free Library in November!

By Rachel F. RSS Tue, November 1, 2022

We are grateful for these new titles arriving on our shelves this fall!

Young Children (up to 2nd Grade)

Symphony for a Broken Orchestra: How Philadelphia Collected Sounds to Save Music by Amy Ignatow; illustrated by Gwen Millward

The schools of Philadelphia were filling up with broken violins, drums, pianos, and more, making it difficult for students to learn to play. This sparked an idea for a symphony, played entirely with the broken instruments, that would raise funds to repair the instruments themselves. Musicians young and old volunteered, and their captivating performance showed that even something broken can sing—and that great music is always possible with a bit of inventiveness and improvisation. Based on real events, this inspiring story introduces young readers to a range of instruments as it celebrates a community coming together to make a joyful, meaningful noise.

Older Children (3rd Grade to 6th Grade)

Jojo Makoons: Fancy Pants by Dawn Quigley

Filled with lots of glitter, raised pinkies, and humorous misunderstandings, this second book in the Jo Jo Makoons series is filled with the joy of a young Ojibwe girl discovering her very own special shine from the inside out. First grader Jo Jo Makoons knows how to do a lot of things, except for one thing: be fancy. She has a lot to learn before her Aunt Annie's wedding! Favorite purple unicorn notebook in hand, Jo Jo starts exploring her Ojibwe community to find ways to be fancy.

Teen Fiction

Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer, adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith

Drawing from her experiences as an Indigenous scientist, botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer demonstrated how all living things—from strawberries and witch hazel to water lilies and lichen—provide us with gifts and lessons every day in her best-selling book Braiding Sweetgrass. Adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith, this new edition reinforces how wider ecological understanding stems from listening to the earth's oldest teachers: the plants around us. With informative sidebars, reflection questions, and art from illustrator Nicole Neidhardt, Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults brings Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the lessons of plant life to a new generation.

Adult Fiction

Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction

Contributor(s): Sheree Renée Thomas, Sheree, Oghenechovwe Donald Edpeki, Zelda Knight

From award-winning editorial team Sheree Renée Thomas, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, and Zelda Knight comes an anthology of thirty-two original stories showcasing the breadth of fantasy and science fiction from Africa and the African Diaspora.

A group of cabinet ministers query a supercomputer containing the minds of the country's ancestors. A child robot on a dying planet uncovers signs of fragile new life. A descendent of a rain goddess inherits her grandmother's ability to change her appearance—and perhaps the world.

Created in the legacy of the seminal, award-winning anthology series Dark Matter, Africa Risen celebrates the vibrancy, diversity, and reach of African and Afro-Diasporic SFF and reaffirms that Africa is not rising—it's already here.

Adult Nonfiction 

Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America by Pekka Hämäläinen

In Indigenous Continent, Pekka Hämäläinen overturns the traditional, Eurocentric narrative, demonstrating that, far from being weak and helpless "victims" of European colonialism, Indigenous peoples controlled North America well into the 19th century.

DVDs and Blu-rays

Top Gun: Maverick

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Lewis Pullman, Val Kilmer, Ed Harris, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Jean Louisa Kelly, Manny Jacinto, Jay Ellis, Bashir Salahuddin, Danny Ramirez, Raymond Lee, Jake Picking, Lyliana Wray

After more than 30 years of service as one of the navy's top aviators, Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. Training a detachment of graduates for a special assignment, Maverick must confront the ghosts of his past and his deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who choose to fly it.


You can find these new titles and many more great books, ebooks, audiobooks, movies, and music in our catalog and at a neighborhood library near you!


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Can u help me to. Sign in to Libby audio books app using my Philadelphia bar code card #?
joan Keys - Philadelphia
Friday, November 18, 2022