Green Lantern Green Arrow Volume 2 by Dennis O’Neil Art by Neil Adams YP FIC ONEIL

In 1970 and 1971 Dennis O’Neil and Neil Adams turned traditional super hero comics on their head. They used superheroes to examine major social issues in America. They wanted comics to be ‘relevant’. So instead of just fighting super villains, Green Arrow (a guy who used a bow and arrow really well) and Green Lantern (yes, the guy from the new movie) traveled America fighting super social ills. They fight racism, drug addiction, religious intolerance, pollution, and other evils that plague modern society.

Okay, admittedly the idea of superheroes addressing complex social problems seems like it may be a bad idea. And it probably is, but it is also really super fun. While the plot is occasionally cheesy and the comics tend to simplify the problems they address it makes for very fun and out there comics. I mean, Green Arrow finds out that his former sidekick Speedy is a heroin junky! You just can’t beat comics like that. More importantly, Neal Adams is like a god of comic art and the book has excellent art throughout. If you like superheroes and want great art, out there stories, and something very different then give this one a read.

The Body at the Tower by Y.S. Lee YP FIC LEE

Mary Quinn is back and now she’s a full member of The Agency: a group of undercover lady detectives posing as a boarding school. This time Mary is undercover and switching genders as she poses as an apprentice builder and a boy to uncover a mystery at a clock tower, but her focus is pulled towards helping the impoverished workers she meets and by a reunion with an old friend.

This second outing is even better than the first. Mary is a strong female hero that gals and guys alike can root for. Li does a great job of bringing the grit and grime of turn of the century London to thrilling, sooty life. The mystery is compelling and will keep readers hooked and the romantic subplot is as sharp as in the first book. This really is a satisfying series for fans of mysteries or historical fiction. You won’t HAVE to read the first book A Spy in the House to keep up with this one, but it is a really good read too so you might as well.

Blue Bloods: Keys to the Repository by Melissa De La Cruz YPFIC DELACRUZ

This companion piece to the Blue Bloods novels gives a deeper look into the world of our favorite high society bloodsuckers. With a complete back story of the previous novels, in depth character profiles, maps, character journal entries and letters, and brand new short stories this companion is both a perfect introduction for new readers wanting to jump into the series and a juicy morsel for fans to suck dry before the next novel.

I always look at companion books with skepticism. They sometimes seem like they are just a way to pull together cast off writings to make some extra dough between novels. But Keys has enough new material to be worth a look to hardcore fans. However, I think it will be most enjoyed by newcomers or those that may be hazy on some of the details of the books between readings. It is a fun and easy way to find out about the Blue Bloods’ world and the characters that inhabit it. So if you think you may want to read a new vampire series with plenty of mystery and romance then you really should grab the first novel Blue Bloods or just jump into this much shorter companion.

Riot by Walter Dean Myers

Riot is a historical fiction novel by Walter Dean Myers, who is a prolific young adult writer. Historical fiction are stories set during real life past events, but the characters have been made up my the author. In this case, Myers' story takes place in New York City in July 1863. The Civil War still wages on and the Battle of Gettysburg has recently taken place. The real life event Myers focuses on is a riot that took place in New York City on July 11, 1863. This event would later be known at the New York City Draft Riots of 1863.

During the war there was an escalation of tension, especially after a draft was federally instituted. All male citizens between ages 20-35, as well as unmarried men ages 35-45 could be enlisted into the army by way of a lottery draw. Men who could afford to pay $300 could buy there way out of the draft, which alienated lower class immigrants, including the Irish. Black men were also not required to serve in the military because they did not have citizen status. Riots broke out in New York City after the July lottery. Frustrated by their forced participation in the Civil War, many of the rioters were Irish Americans. Stores and buildings were looted and set afire. Many black Americans, whom the Irish blamed, were attacked and in some cases murdered.

Myers' story focused on Clair, a 15-yr-old daughter of an Irish mother and black father. Claire is torn between the conflict because of her mix background and is forced to address race issues and her own identity.

Riot addresses race, bigotry, and social class. Myers delivers this story as a screenplay, as he did with Monster, which may appear and read oddly to the traditional book reader. However, this style does move the story along quickly and gives the reader an idea of just how tense people were due to their frustration, exhaustion, and emotional turmoil evoked during the Civil War. Myers allows young adults to better understand the reasons that brought on the riots through his unique way of storytelling.

The Young Adult collection at Moore Memorial Public Library contains several books written by Walter Dean Myers, including Sunrise over Fallujah, Monster, and Street Love.