Community Corner

Patch Picks: Best Books

Fridley Patch asked local librarians to recommend books for children and adults.

Every week, Fridley Patch assembles a new Patch Picks top-five list. This week: books. We asked local library leaders to recommend one children's book and one adult book.

1. Marlene Moulton Janssen, director, Anoka County Library: "Just two?? That's so impossible! OK, here goes… Lately I've been thinking a great deal about how frequently Alexander and the Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day ([by] Judith Viorst) fits our lives so I guess I'll recommend that for children. My absolute favorite escape from reality is [J.R.R.] Tolkien's The Hobbit so that will be my pick for adults."

2. Becky Loader, director, Columbia Heights Public Library: "A children's book that I would recommend is Dodie Smith's One Hundred and One Dalmatians. It is a great dog story with a timely plot. For adults, I would recommend T.C. Boyle's The Women, which is a fictionalized account of the relationships of Frank Lloyd Wright. T.C. Boyle is an amazing wordsmith."

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3. Norma Jean Falink, Fridley resident and member of the Anoka County Library board: "I am a fan of The Little Engine That Could for children. I am a fan of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. The first book is Outlander."

4. Theresa Schroeder, head librarian, Mississippi Branch, Anoka County Library: "One of my all time favorite children's books is Fall Is Not Easy by Marty Kelley. For adults—I read a lot of Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb/Janet Evanovich/Christine Feehan,  so take your pick and pick a title."

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5. Fridley Patch: "For children: The Night the Sirens Blew, by Allen W. Taylor. For grownups: Fridley, Minnesota: Its History and People."


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