Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: flag day

Proudly raise your American flag and check out our display located on the main floor of the library to celebrate Flag Day!

Betsy Ross and the Making of America by Marla R. Miller

Songs Sung Red, White, and Blue: the Stories Behind America's Best-Loved Patriotic Songs by Ace Collins

A Patriot's Handbook by Caroline Kennedy

Betsy Ross and the Making of America by Marla R. Miller

A portrait of the iconic Revolutionary War figure draws on new sources to describe the fabled creation of the first flag while reconstructing her true life behind her seamstress legend and offering insight into the roles of period artisan families. (Publisher Summary)

Songs Sung Red, White, and Blue: the Stories Behind America's Best-Loved Patriotic Songs by Ace Collins

Documents the history behind thirty-five of America's most popular and famous patriotic songs, describing the events and people that contributed to such pieces as "Taps," "The Star-Spangled Banner," and "Yankee Doodle." (Publisher Summary)

A Patriot's Handbook by Caroline Kennedy

Presents a selection of patriotic speeches, poems, song lyrics, and historical documents, including the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution, the Pledge of Allegiance, and other writings emblematic of American pride and spirit. (Publisher Summary)

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

Genre: Adult Non-Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

"Being Mortal is about the limitations of what modern medicine can provide for people as their lives draw to a close. Gawande argues that the objective of medicine should not merely be treatment and survival; medical care should also ensure dignity in death and having control over one's final moments. He argues that instead of aggressively fighting the inescapable realities of aging, we should ask the hard questions of ourselves and our loved ones -- What makes life worth living? When should we try to extend our lives, and when should we choose a better quality of our remaining days over extending their quantity?

This book is difficult to read. Not because of the way Gawande writes -- his style is highly engaging, and he never lapses into excessively scientific jargon or overly simplistic explanations -- but because of the tough subject matter. Gawande draws on his own experiences as a doctor and peppers his book with honest and humane stories of his patients, friends, and family; the stories he tells make the book more accessible, and also more heartbreaking. (And that's not a bad thing.)

No one likes to think about their loved ones', or their own, impending mortality. But it's important to have these hard conversations, because as Gawande says, "endings matter." - Amanda

Sunday, June 14th is Flag Day

Flag Day Book Display