If you happen be a Cambridge resident, we've just put up a wonderful new display in the store that might interest you. Featuring titles recommended by the officials you've elected here in Cambridge, the display includes some real surprises. We've collaborated with the Cambridge Public Library so that you can borrow rather than buy these titles, if you'd prefer. The City has issued a proclamation about the display and it will be featured in an upcoming story in the Cambridge Chronicle. We've enjoyed putting the display together so much, and have gotten such positive feedback from the City Councillors and School Committee members who've participated that we will be making this display an annual event. Come by and see what books have influenced the officials you voted into office!

Michael Sullivan Mayor and School Committee Chair "Being the father of two young sons, I would have to say that at this point in my life, the children's book Big Frank's Fire Truck by Leslie McGuife is the most important book I have read in my life. The reason for this choice is that this is my sons' favorite book which I read to them numerous times daily and it is developing an early stage of literacy for them." Big Frank's Fire Truck by Leslie McGuife, illustrated by Joe Mathieu

Brian Murphy City Councillor "All the King's Men is a beautifully written story of power, politics, morality, and relationships. I reread this book every few years, and continue to be amazed by the power and elegance of Robert Penn Warren's words. It's a thought provoking work that I recommend most highly. All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren

Henrietta Davis City Councillor "This Buddhist monk has taken the power of eastern mindfulness and meditation and applied it to the hustle and bustle of western life. His essays demonstrate taht no matter how pressured and stressful a life you lead, it is important to stop, to breathe deeply, and to smell the roses when they are in bloom. (My favorite essay is about the Charles River). Peace is Every Step: the Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh

Anthony Galluccio City Councillor "I took this book out of the Peabody School Library. It is a constant reminder to me of the importance of allowing children to read a subject area of interest in order to encourage literacy and the importance of supporting library services in our public schools. I thought I was going to play for the Red Sox as a left handed hitting catcher, instead, I am a left leaning politician. My Turn at Bat: the Story of My Life by Ted Williams with John Underwood

David Maher City Councillor "This book helped highlight the disparities in publich schools throughout the country, which helped me better understand our own Cambridge school system. Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools by Jonathan Kozol

Alan Price School Committee Member "Robert was my professor and continues to be a mentor. This book started my journey into the world of negotiation strategy." Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher and William Ury

Nancy Walser School Committee Member "Working in a Chicago public school, Esme really shows the power of a great teacher whose biggest obstacles come from an unhelpful, unfeeling 'system.' It's a real lesson in how we have to help, not hinder, good teaching." Educating Esme by Esme Raji Codell

Alice Turkel School Committee Member "I discovered this book when I was in 8th grade and I wrote to Mr. Neill about it. I hadn't known that there was anything different than my own school out there. It began my interest in studying and learning about education." Summerhill School: a New View of Childhood by A. S. Neill

Fred Fantini School Committee Member "As a kid I watched his presidential run really closely and had great admiration for him." The Education of a Public Man by Hubert H. Humphrey

Joseph Grassi School Committee Member "This book focuses on the development of New York and the negative effects that government policies had on the working class, racial and ethnic minorities. It has helped me in my reslove to focus on children's issues of social justice as it relates to education inequalities and access to open space and recreation opportunities in Cambridge." The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert A. Caro