Library Picks: 'Hey, America, Your Roots are Showing'

Each week, librarians from Montgomery County Public Libraries will pick a few books they think should be added to your summer reading list. Take a look and let us know what you think of the read!

Adult Nonfiction | Hey, America, Your Roots are Showing: Adventures in discovering news-making connections, unexpected ancestors, long-hidden secrets, and solving historical puzzles, by Megan Smolenyak

A noted genealogist reveals what it is like to be a history detective using 21st-century techniques and technology, and discusses some of the cases she has solved, including the families of celebrities and work for the Army and the FBI.

Juvenile Fiction | The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate

When Ivan, a bored gorilla who has lived for 27 years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant newly added to the menagerie, he decides that he must find her a better life away from the abuse he has endured at the hands of humans.  An uplifting animal fantasy that explores the power of friendship, art, and hope with humor and touching poignancy.

Adult Fiction | Chronic City, by Jonathan Lethem

Exchanging love letters with a fiancee who is trapped on the International Space Station, Chase Insteadman apathetically attends social engagements before pop critic Perkus Tooth introduces him to a side of Manhattan that causes Chase to question everything he believes. [Annotation from Baker & Taylor]

Young Adult Fiction | The Things a Brother Knows, by Dana Reinhardt

When his popular older brother Boaz returns from a three-year tour of duty in an incomprehensible war, Levi, who wearies of being compared to his superstar brother, instantly realizes that Boaz has been dramatically changed by his experiences. [Annotation from Baker & Taylor]