Son, Lois Lowry
As the book jacket says, “The thrilling conclusion to The Giver,” it’s the fourth in the series and wraps up the plot lines from the previous books. Sort of. You know what happened to all the major characters, another village is introduced, and ROCK CLIMBING and TRAINING FOR ROCK CLIMBING are described in aggravating detail. But like the unsatisfying conclusion to a mysterious television show, not all questions are answered and one begins to wonder if there was any planning or forethought given to the series as a whole. Minor inconsistencies abound and I was left annoyed. Bah!

The lost cyclist : the epic tale of an American adventurer and his mysterious disappearance / David V. Herlihy.
When cycling was a booming trend and cycling clubs popped up everywhere, speed and endurance races were popular and frequent, there were also people making and breaking records for bicycling around the world. One guy made it halfway and then vanished. A cool story of almost insane adventuring and then a mystery with foreign-policy implications. Pretty fun.

Superman versus the Ku Klux Klan: the true story of how the iconic superhero battled the men of hate / by Rick Bowers.
The story of the radio show is almost overshadowed by the wonderful job Bowers does in giving background on Superman and the KKK– I don’t think I’ve read better. Really interesting and well-done.

Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City, Guy Delisle
Another great book of observation and art by Deslisle, well worth your time. He gets better and better, and as always his books should be required companions to current events.

Rebel in a Dress: Cowgirls, Sylvia Branzei, Melissa Sweet
Brief biographical sketches of cowgirls new and old emphasizing their bravery in challenging society’s limits on women. There were only a few of the women I had heard of before. There are some odd spots where non-military gunplay gets more of a heroic treatment than it usually gets in books for youth. Cool collage illustrations.

TeenBoat! The Angst of Being a Teen, The Thrill of Being a Boat!, Dave Roman and John Green
Light and fun, totally worth it. Good gags for grownups, too, like all the best comics and cartoons for kids.