Dear Great Book Guru,  What an exciting time of year  - every day seems filled with holiday cheer! I’m so looking forward to the Children’s Library annual presentation of The Nutcracker next Saturday, December 23 and then - of course - the Holiday Duck Hunt the following Saturday December 30. As always, I’m looking for a good book to have on hand - something short and fast-moving but meaningful… Happy Holiday Reader

Dear Happy Holiday Reader, I have the book for you: PET by Catherine Chidgey - it’s been on many “must read” lists for 2023. Set in New Zealand, the novel shifts back and forth between two time periods: 1984 and 2014. Justine Crieve is twelve years in 1984. Her mother has recently died, and her father and she are grieving in self-destructive ways. She begins to find solace in school with friends and especially her  teacher Mrs. Price, a beautifully exotic and charismatic figure. Justine wishes desperately to be Mrs. Price’s “pet,” as do all the other girls. When things begin to go missing, and fueled by Mrs. Price’s subtle accusations, suspicion turns to Justine’s friend Amy and soon the entire class sees Amy as the thief.  The story takes a very dark turn as rabid racism and misogyny bring tragic results. We are never sure if Justine is a completely reliable narrator, and until the very end, we wonder how the events of 1984 impact her present 2014 existence.  A deeply engrossing and disturbing novel with a myriad of moral implications - highly recommended!