The Shadow Of Death
Monroe Mitchel
Writers Club Press/iUniverse
5220 South 16th Street, Suite 200, Lincoln, Nebraska 68512
0595230806 $19.95, 272 pages, www.iuniverse.com
The Shadow Of Death's unique genre and timeliness is a well written, exciting book which quickly
engages the reader. This intricate and compelling murder mystery takes place in a Florida nursing
home. The book is written in "reader friendly" prose and utilizes a cast of believable and well
drawn
characters. The author succeeds in hiding the identity of a sophisticated and illusive murderer who
is
methodically killing helpless nursing home patients. The thread of the killer's motivation is woven
throughout the book to form a tapestry of frazzled nerves and mounting anxiety. Significant issues
facing our nation's elderly and their families are highlighted throughout the book, and the reader
has
the opportunity to try to figure out the mystery's surprising ending, while considering some of the
soul searching issues raised.
The opening paragraph arouses immediate interest. " Mrs Ferguson was already dead when her
head
hit the second floor landing with a final thud. The crunching sound of her frail body bouncing
down
the concrete steps was absorbed by the thick walls of the enclosed stairwell. At that time of night
the
large nursing home was quiet as a tomb. The ubiquitous deodorizers were working overtime to
cover the odor emanating from the nursing units, where half the patients were sleeping in their
own
body waste."
The author, a professional health care administrator and consultant for over 35 years, has used his
insights and experience to create a thoroughly enjoyable and informative mystery, which I highly
recommend.
The Essential Guide For New Writers: From Idea To Finished Manuscript
Valerie Storey
Dava Books
513 Bankhead Avenue, Suite 194, Carrollton, GA 30117
ISBN: 0-9643289-0-9, Price: $10.95, page count: 107
Jan McDaniel
Reviewer
"How to get started . . . and How to get published!" The cover blurb says it all. This guidebook is
my pick for anyone who wants to navigate today's publishing maze. Valerie Storey based each
chapter on meticulous research and personal experience. From why writers fail in the first place to
getting past rejections, this text is an inside look at what publishers really want.
Storey's book is also a way to get what you want--if you are a writer. Start right away with the
assignments at the end of each chapter. To understand how to move your work along, stick your
characters on the author's Seven-Point Plotting System. This hands-on approach can propel your
manuscript and provide the motivation you need to finish the job.
Just one example of how easy this book is to use is the advice in the chapter titled "Characters are
People, Too" which helps pin down sometimes tricky characterization techniques into
easy-to-understand concepts. One paragraph reads:
Or try this: look at your hand. Go slowly. What do you see? A perfect manicure? Or a scar you
got
from a scuffle with Tony Richards in the third grade? Our bodies carry stories, and the most
interesting stories are the result of our imperfections. Trying to describe the difference between
five
smooth hands all wearing the same shade of fresh red nail polish might start you yawning. But
find
the one with the crescent-shaped scar a the base of the thumb, and it's suddenly, "Ah, ha! I know
that thumb. It's like the time Tony Richards tried to squash my papier-mache Peter Rabbit in Mrs.
Biggleswade's class and I went to let him have it with my pencil but stabbed myself instead!"
Instead
of, "Oh, hands again," you've got the excitement of reader recognition and identification, and an,
"I'd
know that thumb anywhere."
Ms. Storey's winning style makes writing fun again. Whatever you do, don't resell this book or
give
it away once you buy a copy. Keep it handy, near your writing desk, as a reusable reference.
You'll
want to refer to this essential guide again and again.
The Story Of A Soldier
Ivan Paul Mehosky
Rutledge Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 315, Bethel, CT 06801
http://www.rutledgebooks.com/ 1-800-251-4000 www.amazon.com
ISBN: 1582441243, $15.95, 271 pages,
http://www.substancebooks.com/mehoskybooks.html
Michael LaRocca, Reviewer
http://freereads.topcities.com
The Story of a Soldier 1940-1971: The Airborne Spirit and Recollections of Colonel Edward S.
Mehosky (Ret.) U.S. Army, Infantry is a true story that begins right in the middle of the action. It
is
1944, World War II, and a parachute jump into German-held France has gone terribly wrong.
Edward is, by any definition, a hero. The son of Polish immigrants, he grew up in Reading,
Pennsylvania during the Great Depression. When a broken leg ended his baseball career, he joined
the Army. Two years later he joined the 506th Parachute Regiment and went overseas with the
101st Airborne Division.
A natural-born leader, his career spanned three decades and three wars. He was a platoon leader
during the night drop on Normandy on D-Day. He was a company commander at the Battle of the
Bulge during the defense against numerically superior enemy forces at Bastogne.
During the Korean War, he volunteered for the 40th Infantry Division and commanded a rifle
company on a steep, frozen ridge facing Chinese positions. With the 502nd Airborne in Germany,
his
men caused quite a stir by capturing a Green Beret unit. He also served in Vietnam, and retired in
1971.
The prewar portion of the book is probably more interesting to a fellow veteran than to this
reader,
but by letting us know how Edward Mehosky was raised and trained, it sets the stage for what
follows. The story definitely picks up when it moves to Europe. Once that happens, it never lets
up.
My best advice is, go visit the website and read the first three chapters free. If, like me, you get
hooked, you'll buy the book.
Outwitting Hitler
Marian Pretzel
Random House Australia
ISBN: 174051159X. Paperback 343 pages, A$24.95
David Skea, Reviewer
david@skea.com
This isn't a new book. It was previously published under the title "By My Own Authority" in 1985
and then again, revised and extended, as Portrait of a Young Forger in 1989, 1990 and 1993. And
now it's being published again under a third new title.
Pretzel says he wrote the book because he wanted his children to learn from him about the
happenings during the war (WW2), and about his background and his parents - the grandparents
they never had a chance to know.
Pretzel was raised in Lvov, then part of Poland and now part of the Ukraine. WW2 brought
hardship
to the Jewish communities of Poland and of the 149,000 persons who passed through the Lvov
ghetto and the Janowska camp only some 500 survived. Pretzel was one of them.
So this book is his story of how he survived. He was athletic, looked Polish was clever and
capable
of forging official looking documents. It was enough to deceive most officials. By taking chances
and seizing opportunities he managed to escape from the Janowska camp and made his way to
Kiev
in German-occupied Russia and then back to Lvov. Then followed a second trip to Kiev and then
onto Odessa, Bucharest, and Budapest and eventually Palestine. But although Pretzel tells his
story
in the first person I could not share his excitement or achievement. For me WW2 is too far in the
past and his story is now too old and there have been too many other ethnic calamities in the
world
since then.
Perhaps the story will inspire others and if so the publishers are right to publish it again. However
I
would have expected that it kept its original title.
Return Of The Anasazi
Wee Dilts
1stBooks Library
ISBN: 0-75964-069-6 (Paperback, 348 pgs)
Formats & Prices: Print, $12.95 ~ PDF EBook, $4.95
Kathy Burns, Reviewer
Review courtesy of EBookCritique.com
Have you ever wondered what happened to the Anasazi Indians? Have you speculated about how
the Egyptian pyramids came to be, or pondered the truth behind stories of aliens?
"Return of the Anasazi" by Wee Dilts is a fictional story centered around the lost civilization of
the
Anasazi Indians. For those of you who aren't familiar with this piece of American history, the
Anasazi Indians were an ancient Native American tribe who lived in the southwest area of the
United States. Famous for their pottery and cliff dwellings, the culture "disappeared" sometime
around the 1200 A.D. period in history. The term "disappeared" is used because the Anasazi
dwellings were left completely intact. It is as if the people simply walked away, taking no pottery,
tools, or personal possessions with them.
In "Return of the Anasazi", Dilts weaves an intricate tale that explains many of these historical
mysteries, while simultaneously addressing the valid and modern-day issue of the Earth's
environment.
The story begins with Owl Man, an Anasazi leader, having a vision about events that will be
taking
place soon in the future. Owl Man is on a planet called Anasazi Planet, but the vision explains why
he will soon need to go back to Mother Earth. The story continues on to explain how the Anasazi
came to be on this and other planets. It takes you back through time to when the Anasazi were on
Earth, and recounts the events that caused them to "disappear".
Owl Man's vision puts him in the position of having to unite all of the ancient leaders -- including
Aphrodite, the King of The Lost City of Atlantis and Space Aliens that have been helping humans
since the dawn of time -- in an attempt to save both Mother Earth, and the entire universe. The
universe is in jeopardy because Earth is off it's natural axis. Earth's axis has been altered by the
massive weight caused from excessive buildings, modern day structures, resource plundering and
people.
Dilts's book is a work of fiction, but it does a great job of offering entertaining speculation about
the
disappearance of the Anasazi Indians and rumors of alien visitations. The focus on the plight of
the
Earth's environment adds a nice twist, and makes you think about what could happen if our
society
doesn't change its ways.
This book does have a bit of a new age feel to it which is not quite my style. There is also a lot of
peace, love and "happily ever after", so it might be too syrupy for some people's taste. And even
though it fills almost 350 printed pages, it lacks a bit of depth in both the story line and character
development.
In general though, "Return of the Anasazi" is a nice story that is written well. The skillful
combination Science Fiction and Ancient Legends is creative, and it moves along at a nice,
comfortable pace which creates a light, enjoyable, and unique read.
Black River
G.M. Ford
Avon Books
ISBN: 0380978741 - 320 pages - $23.95
Terry Matthews
Reviewer
I read a lot of books. I wish there were more writers like G. M. Ford, who take real people and
put
them into ambiguous situations and let them struggle with the consequences of their decisions and
behavior.
Frank Corso is one of those flawed characters who finds himself in the middle of a huge jigsaw
puzzle involving corrupt contractors, inspectors, jurors and more than enough bad guys to fill out
the mix.
Corso's a Seattle-based writer with some mistakes in his past, a huge financial settlement in his
bank
account, and a reclusive lifestyle.
Corso is the only invited guest to the murder trial of Nicholas Balagula, a bad-to-the-bone
mobster
who is responsible for the deaths of 63 people when the hospital he built collapses. This is
Balagula's
third trial and the prosecution is looking pretty secure. Corso is taking notes and gathering
material
for his new book when his world is rocked by the savage attack on his former girlfriend, a
photojournalist who believes there's a link between the seemingly insignificant death of a school
district's maintenance man and the Balagula trial.
After the assault, Corso's thrown into a whirlwind of plot twists, bad guys, and paper trails.
There's
even some Cambodian culture thrown in for good measure (maybe the beginnings of a new
book?).
I like Frank Corso and found myself drawn into the plot lines, even though the tidy
Hollywood-like
ending was a bit too predictable.
Enjoy!
To Keep A Promise
Terry Burns
The Fiction Works
Lake Tahoe, NV
ISBN: 1-58124-714-1, Trade paper back, 252 pgs., $12.95, www.fictionworks.com
Meredith Campbell
Reviewer
Newly married, Janie Benedict is alone, surrounded by "No Man's Land," at the border of the
plains
that stretched from western Kansas through Texas. Her missionary husband butchered by two
Comanches, his body lies near the Conestoga. Terrified, she hides in the wagon; but the killers see
her. Coming for the pretty, young woman, they climb into the wagon. She fumbles with the
shotgun
and the thing goes off--right into their faces. Thus, Burns opens this post-Civil War Western. The
remainder of the uplifting story deals with how an Eastern-bred, Christian woman, thrown into
west
Texas, keeps her vow to continue the work her husband had started
Aided by Frank and Ruben, two drifters in search of their own destinies, Janie earns start-up
money
by becoming a cook for a round up. From there she goes on to become a baker, becoming
wealthy
by turning out pies and sweets for the trail cowboys who come to town. Frank and Ruben settle
down to a ranch of their own, just out of town. Their presence gives Burns the opportunity to
give
his views about God. Ruben, the angry cynic and agnostic, contrasts with Frank's strong beliefs
and
laid-back demeanor. And it is Frank who counsels Janie to "go slow" in her attempts to evangelize
Ruben. The interplay between the three makes for some insights often sorely lacking in Christian
fiction.
The widow's piety takes the form of love that offers succor and shelter to society's cast-offs: to
twelve-year-old Preston, so hungry he'd do a man's work for a crust of bread; to his drunken
grandfather, a former Shakespearean actor and rootless wanderer; to Sharon, a repentant former
prostitute. How these lives are changed as each finds his or her self-worth makes for satisfying
reading. Equally satisfying is the use of period instruction on how to bake in a fireplace to how to
tan hides. Also, Burn's style puts the reader, on a cattle drive, in a robbery, and at a murder. One
can
hear the cattle, smell the grass, taste Janie's peach pie, and feel the blow meant to kill Ruben.
The story is particularly excellent for young adults. The writing is simple, easy to follow prose,
the
plot moves at a brisk pace and all strings are neatly tied up in the end. Furthermore, it minimizes
the
several romances in the story, instead bringing out the exciting action--all the while keeping the
reader aware that somehow a loving God is present in events and lives. Burns is at his best when
he
uses his descriptive talents to kernel the Christian message within this tale of the old West.
Spies: A Novel
Michael Frayn
Metropolitan Books
c/o Henry Holt & Company
115 W. 18th St., New York, NY 10011
0805070583, $23.00 , 288 pages, 1-888-330-8477
Marjorie J. Scott
Reviewer
What happens to you when you're a boy on the threshold of adolescence in WWII England where
gossip holds secret dangers and your best and only friend leads you into a game of spy?
Returning to this now rundown London neighborhood forty years later, how does the aging man
cope with the truth of what really happened in his tongue-tied, bogeyman childhood summer,
enduring the threats and possible consequences of a war just beyond his view?
The dust jacket calls British author Frayn a "master illusionist", and so he is for 261 unforgettable
pages of "Spies". The author of nine novels and thirteen plays, three of them recent Tony Award
winners, Frayn is recipient of The New York Times Editor's Choice for his previous bestseller
"Headlong". In this new offering, he's definitely up to the task of drawing a picture of young
Stephen's intense emotions and moral confusion, set up by his friend Keith's wartime summer spy
game.
In the beginning, I almost turned aside from the long descriptive passages revealing the boy's view
of
the middle class neighborhood in which he lived, and the families who dwelled there. Almost, but
not quite, stopped listening to the beliefs that changed his life that summer, the secret fears that
propelled his actions. But the pages kept turning, because author Frayn won't let the reader stop.
He
pulls you into Stephen's disturbing summer much like a spider might capture a fly in its skillfully
woven web.
If you are a writer or a reader who appreciates masterfully written prose by a skilled wordsmith,
you
will find yourself less and less able to put "Spies" down and go back to work or off to bed.
Certainly
you will be led down a garden and other, scarier paths by this story teller. The terror, the mystery,
the jaw-dropping revelations gather speed as the story reaches its climax.
By the last page, all of what has happened in the previous 260 pages makes sense. Because you
already knew or at least suspected, didn't you? As you read, you may even think to yourself, as I
did,
why can't Stephen see what's really going on? Certainly the clues are planted (if cleverly obscured
by
the typical English reticence of the adult characters) in the deceptions he notes.
To tell you more of the story would be to forfeit your surprise and your reading satisfaction at the
conclusions revealed by Stephen the aging man, revisiting a turbulent season in his growing up
years. Again the dust jacket says it well: "Michael Frayn powerfully demonstrates that what
appears
to be happening in front of our eyes often turns out to be something we can't see at all."
See Night Run
D.W. St.John
Poison Vine Books
1393 Old Homestead Road, Oakland OR 97462
ISBN: 1930859171, 227 p., 2002, $29.95 Library Hardcover
Valerie R. Dart
Reviewer
Few of us have escaped feeling the impact of The Drug War and its incipient erosion of the Bill of
Rights. In his controversial thriller, See Night Run, D.W.St.John shows us the human cost of the
drug war. Much as Upton Sinclair in his muckraking classics, The Jungle and King Cole, St.John's
chosen aim is exposing ethical dilemma, and forcing us, at the point of a pen, to examine what we
would rather not. In previous novels he has shone a light on bio-engeneering and public school
education (Sisters of Glass, A Terrible Beauty). Of his work to date, this is his most accessible,
bearing on an issue that has touched us all.
In See Night Run he has chosen as his target a war never meant to be won. Here he manages to
walk the tightrope between seamless narrative the temptation to preach. At 227 pages, See Night
Run is that rare animal in fiction today a story that is bigger than its characters. An insiders view
of
the drug war and how it is fought, the story is told from the perspectives of enforcement officers
and
the suspects they arrest with compassion for both. See Night Run puts a face on the drug war,
those who fight it, and the everyday people who are its victims.
The protagonist, Night Hume, an undercover INET (Interagency Narcotics Enforcement
Taskforce)
agent in Eugene, Oregon, has for three years lived the life of the street people in the drug culture.
His years undercover have cost him much a home, a marriage, a daughter yet, always the good
soldier, he does his job without thinking too much about it. Assigned to buy from a college
professor who sells to her students, he meets Ceredwen Lawrence a most unlikely dealer. When,
due to a misunderstanding and his own weakness, he rents a room in her home for himself and his
teenage daughter, Night crosses his Rubicon. From this moment. Night, the unquestioning drug
enforcement officer, is lost.
Having something now to hide himself (living with a suspected drug dealer) Night must lie to his
partner, to his boss, to himself. But his troubles have just begun. With an initiative legalizing
marijuana on the upcoming ballot, a routine busts turns deadly. Soon, Night's questions bring the
men responsible to him, and for the first time Night sees the other side of the equation. Simon, the
government agent in charge of the cover up explains the drug war to Night this way:
"Get it yet? With drugs illegal everybody's happy. Congressmen get to save us by passing more
laws
and raising taxes to pay for them. Cops get laws granting admissibility of improperly seized
evidence. Bureaucrats get more power. Lawyers get more business. Prison workers get job
security.
Cartels get higher prices. Juan in Cartagena gets a job. Police departments get millions in forfeited
property. And Mr. and Mrs. America get to feel safe in their beds. Does it get any sweeter?"
It doesn't. Simon's job is to make sure Night doesn't upset the apple cart. There is only one
problem with the screams of his dying companions echoing in his head, Night is not willing to play
along however much he might want to.
With Ceredwen about to lose her home to forfeiture, her daughter refusing to again endure the
rack
of chemotherapy, and a cover up protecting those who murdered his brother officers, Night is
forced
for the first time to question marijuana laws he has spent his life enforcing. More than this, he
must
now question the system which supports criminalizing a substance which can save the life of a
little
girl he has come to care for. The plot's climax is guaranteed to ruin a good night's rest.
While St.John's dialogue rings true, his prose will offer Joyce Carol Oates no competition for her
next Pushcart prize. "Densely written" and "ordinary" is how Publishers Weekly describes his
prose,
and I can do no better. While accurate enough, it is spartan. Imagery there is, and vivid, but don't
look for lyricism. St. John's strong suit is not waxing poetic. He writes as real people speak, with
one exception a dearth of four letter words. As Mailer substituted "fug" for its evil big brother in
The Naked And the Dead, mild profanity fills the place of habitual obscenity from the mouths of
dealers and police here. No matter, the mind, fecund wonder it is, colorizes without effort.
What the reader will find in every scene, every sequel, every word, is conflict the kind that keeps
pages turning. Prose cut to the bone, all that remains is character driven suspense. See Night Run
is
a story about people you will care about, laugh with, shed a tear for. But what may be the most
important reason to read (and recommend) See Night Run, is that, while it covers the same
ground
as did the film, Traffic, it shows us The Drug War as it is fought right here at home, against those
we love and at what cost.
Dead Man Falls: A Jolene Jackson Mystery
Paula Boyd
Diomo Books
PO Box 645 Pine, CO 80470
ISBN 0967478618, $13.95, 268 pages, www.amazon.com
Mary V. Welk
Reviewer
If you're looking for a laugh-a-minute mystery in the style of Joan Hess or Carl Hiaasen, run right
out and buy this book. Paula Boyd has to be the funniest lady to come out of Texas in many a
year,
seconded only by her fast-talking, love-struck heroine, Jolene Jackson. Dead Man Falls celebrates
Jolene's reappearance in print after Boyd's successful debut novel, Hot Enough To Kill, hit the
shelves in 1999. Both books have won rave reviews across the country, and it doesn't take a
genius
to understand why. Boyd is one talented writer who plays with words the way Springsteen plays
with sounds; every bit of dialogue and background fits perfectly into the story with no extraneous
fluff to destroy the pace. It's as near perfect a comedy-mystery as you can find on the market
today.
Jolene Jackson's greeting card business is headquartered in Colorado, but that doesn't prevent the
single mom of two college-aged kids from returning to Kickapoo, Texas, on her mother's "every
little whim or incarceration -- whichever comes first." This time she's back in town for Lucille's
72nd
birthday bash at the local Dairy Queen. Iced tea and fried chicken are on the menu, but so are
murder and mayhem. As part of the pre-birthday festivities, Lucille drags her daughter off to
Redwater Falls, the next town up the road from Kickapoo, for the grand unveiling of a brand new,
super-duper waterfall. Because the pumps aren't completely installed yet, water for the man-made
falls has to be supplied by the local fire department via their massive hoses. All seems to be in
order
when the crowd gathers to watch the first drops of water trickle over the falls. But when the
trickle
becomes a torrent, lo and behold, down from the rocky structure tumbles a body.
The dead man turns out to be an old high school classmate of Jolene's. That's shocking enough for
the ex-resident of Kickapoo, but when pages from her senior yearbook are found tied between
Calvin Holt's lifeless hands, the shock turns to fear. Holt's face has been X'd out of the group
photo,
and Jolene's picture has been circled in red. Also circled is the face of Sheriff Jerry Don Parker,
Kickapoo's top lawman and Jolene's from-a-distance heart throb. Redwater Falls Detective Rick
Rankin decides that Jolene and Jerry need protecting lest they become the killer's next victims.
Protection, in this case, amounts to locking the two of them up together in a hotel room while
Rankin hunts down the killer. While there are certain satisfying aspects to this forced
incarceration,
Jolene must admit to being a tad worried about Lucille. Her gun-toting momma is being guarded
--
and romanced -- by Fritz Harper, a 65-year-old retired farmer and deputy sheriff. Will the killer
try
to get to Jolene and Jerry through Lucille? If he does, will Fritz be fast enough on the draw to
save
his ladylove from harm?
For the answers to these and other equally intriguing questions, read Dead Man Falls by WILLA
Award winner Paula Boyd. The book sparkles with wry good humor, but it's not all fun and
games
for Jolene Jackson. Boyd treats readers to a well-crafted plot rippling with suspense and a logical
conclusion that ties up all the loose ends. It's a gem of a book, and one that should earn Boyd the
respect of the entire mystery community.
At The Crossroads
Frankie Schelly
FireSign Exclusives
1854A Hendersonville Road, PMB 125 Asheville, NC 28803
1931391327, $26.50, 369pp,
Pogo
Reviewer
"Today's kids knew more about Pap smears, herpes, AIDS, birth control, and do-it-yourself
pregnancy tests, than they knew about dental hygiene, In Vivian's high school family course,
Father
Cyprian had said, "In marriage any body part of one partner may touch anoher body part of the
other
without sin." Someone snitched because suddenly, Father Cyprian didn't teach their class
anymore.
Still that didn't keep her and her classmates from fantasizing how tht vital bit of information might
be
applied.
"Jennifer, what do they teach you in school about...you know." The girl looked away, mumbled,
"That at Planned Parenthood we can find out what teachers aren't allowed to tell us, that we're
welcome there." If you had heeded that advice, you wouldn't be pregnant. The girl poked at the
missing eyespot on the monkey, said, "I know what's a sin." "
(p165)
In the small farming community of Sleeder, Illinois, Jennifer faces adulthood alone in the tenth
grade. Like all small towns, gossip spreads faster than wildfire and growing problems can't be
easily
hidden, particularly when raised with strict Catholic teaching in a Catholic school. Jennifer faces a
crisis, but so do the teachers of the school led by four religious sisters, suddenly confronting past
traditions and exploitation of women in subordinate roles. What can she do, but turn to Vivian,
the
Sister Superior, at the school for consolation and advice to avoid the fears of scandal and a ruined
life?
With Vatican II long past and John Paul II at the helm of an ancient ship, the seas of faith are
never
smooth as four nuns cruise into turbulent strange waters, exploring dangerous areas of religious
life.
With vows of poverty, purity and chastity, human sexuality is a topic that is avoided only to be
confronted in the daily realities of life as society radically changes from the '60's to the 21st
century
and nuns remove their habits to dress in civilian clothes. Constrained by the sexual politics of the
Church as defined by St Paul's misogyny and enforced by the manipulation of Father Rupert of the
local parish church, the women question the dictatiorial authority of the Church over their
personal
lives as being obedient zombies without individual rights to follow their inner voice even when it
conflicts with the presiding authority. Individual conscience rebels against the conformity of
religious rules and orders as crisis peaks to crisis with inadequate financial support to run a
school.
They are forced to do extra work to pay off the basic necessities for daily living in a world where
the
priest lives in ease, making more demands of their austerity.
The time is gone when women retreated to the convent to avoid inconvenient marriages or to
escape
the world as a safe place away from the confrontation with sex. The double-talk of religious
dogma
no longer satifies the minds of the younger generations and leaves much to consider with double
entendres such as:
Whatever did Father mean when he said, "Purity of intention renders the conception of the child
holier."? (p13)
In a world of public scandal where priests escape legal prosecution and are furtively shifted from
one
appointment to another, this book questions the sexual ethics of the holy Catholic Church. In a
time
when school teachers go to prison for sexual misconduct with students, autocratic priests can still
use sexual politics to manipulate their wills upon others, demanding obedience of nuns and live
sacrosanct lives of polished hypocrisy. For although, St Paul lived and died centuries ago, his
influence still dominates the spiritual lives of women today, leaving women in secondary roles as
teachers, nurses and chalice holders, but definitely not priests or bishops, taking from them their
rights to act and think independently as each new situation arises.
Vivian, trained to be obedient to vows, to ask permission for every act and forego simple
pleasures
such as bubble bath, becomes transformed through the self-realization that she can act
independently
and that individual choice may be more important than enforced dogma as personal conscience
comes in conflict with stated Catholic theology. Is it right that a young girl's life is made harder by
an unwanted baby at a inappropriate time. Aren't there really two issues in balance? Shouldn't
Jennifer also be given a chance to live? What about love? Should she be punished her whole life
for a
foolish mistake ? What kind of life would the child have in a hostile environement or without its
natural mother? Mirrored in the heart of Vivian, the plight of Jennifer becomes clear. The girl has
no
one else to whom she can turn or trust. The crisis brings fresh revelations about her own personal
conflicts. She must act and change to face a different world that's not longer encrusted in
medieval
thinking.
Kimberly, the novice, in smart clothes, disturbs her with her brash rebelliousness. Experienced in
the
bitter struggle of life through illicit activites for illegal immigration, Kimberly is not able to humbly
mingle with the sheep of the herd. She must have her voice heard and sees each individually with
the
potential of being someone different with the spiritual imperative of being me. Life can be lived
only
once, and then it should be lived fully with the awareness of fulfillment. Life is a gift to be given
through involvement in others' lives. Through the death and suffering of others, and her own
personal griefs she questions also the Church's stand regarding sexual ethics, pregnancy and
family
planning. Unable to accept the dictates of canon law and dogma, she rebels in secret, involving
herself in another form of imposed hypocrisy.
Mary Ruth is Christ's bride, given by her father into the order. Her personal conflict with authority
is
much harder as she doesn't know how to challenge it since she has been dependent on others all
her
life. To earn the extra necessary money to help pay for the household need, she gives piano
lessons
after school hours. Financial pressures cause her to accept Mr Clyde Johnson as a pupil, but his
interest becomes personal.
Sister Dominic is the oldest and lives in the shadows of old age. The school was her refuge and
hme
for many years, to uproot and change to the infirmary would be too difficult without familiar
companions, and so she hides her physical pain in order to remain.
Through the eyes of these four women many of the controversial issues of today's Church are
discussed. Schelly perceives accurately the crisis of an institution built stoutly on medieval
theology
inadequate for today's social problems. Women are accepted as equals in nearly all other western
institutions: as government and business executives, scientists, astronauts, political leaders and
even
rabbis, but according to staid Catholic dogma they are still subordinate. The hypocrisy and
double-standards are questioned with acute understanding of the sexual politics that exist. With
the
growing scandal of sexual misconduct and pedophilia among priests, this book accurately reflects
the growing social crisis in the church. In a world where kids surf the internet, play the
stockmarket
and create theorems to calculate the size of black holes, catechism and dogma can no longer be
accepted submissively through memorization. Strangely, the Catholic Church is faced now with
the
similar problems that Jews confronted with Emancipation and secular education in trying to
assimilate traditional teaching and beliefs with contemporary society to bend with the winds of
change. Today there are women rabbis and cantors, but there are no female catholic priests.
Definitely a read about the sexual politics of the Catholic Church.
available at: www.booklocker.com/crossroads www.firesignexclusives.com
www.amazon.com
Lori's Bookshelf
The Salvation Mongers
Ronald L. Donaghe
Writers Club Press - iUniverse.com
5220 South 16th Street, #200Lincoln, NE 68512-1274
June 2000, $13.95, 257 pp, ISBN: 0595098355, http://web.nmsu.edu/~rodonagh/
Kelly O'Kelly receives a late night call from his lover, William, just before the man ends his life. A
victim of the teachings of the Light of Christ Ex-Gay Ministries, William had joined the ministry
program to be transformed into a functional heterosexual. Instead, he's dead. Kelly can't get over
William's senseless suicide nor can he exorcise the anger he feels at the holy rollers who promised
his
lover a "cure" for his gayness while filling the young man with shame and impossible expectations.
Nine months later, still bitter and lonely, he decides to go undercover to expose the chicanery of
the
church's ex-gay recruiting program.
In the heat of summer, Kelly and ten other men arrive at the Lion's Mouth Christian Ranch in
New
Mexico's Guadalupe Mountains for the 18-week program. And so begins a compelling and
gripping
story as Kelly attempts to maintain his individuality and common sense in the face of religious
fundamentalism, inadequate nutrition, brainwashing, and predatory behavior by some of those in
charge.
The epistolary narrator gradually draws the reader into the the bizarre rules of the camp, a world
where mostly miserable, self-hating men try to squelch their natural inclinations. They're watched
closely as they eat poorly prepared meals in a mess hall, sleep in a tent together, and work in small
teams like prisoners or soldiers. At 35, Kelly is one of the oldest recruits. Earlier in life, he had
been
in the military, but the contrast between Army life and this experience is remarkable, and he
writes,
"Free time in the army was not gloomy. Guys played cards, cursed and laughed, wrestled, slapped
each other on the shoulders, or fought loudly. Here, except for the scratching of pens on paper,
the
turning of a page, or the sniffling of a runny nose, I can almost hear the thoughts of the recruits
like
a continuous whispering, or a sibilant stream of rushing water, washing over rocks. No one is
happy."
Even in the mind-numbing and restrictive environment, and despite rules against getting close to
the
other men, Kelly makes friends. This includes Michael, who is only a minor character, but is very
endearing and further raises Kelly's feelings of protectiveness toward his fellow recruits. As time
goes on, Kelly suspects that some of the men are being maltreated after hours and while on
certain
isolated work details. Sure enough, a series of events occur that verify his suspicions, and along
the
way, the author ramps up the tension. Will Kelly be a victim, too? Will the camp officials
(particularly "Paul, the chipmunk Nazi") discover that Kelly is a spy? Are they all in danger? Who
will get out alive?
Donaghe is a talented author with a deft touch. He does a frighteningly convincing job showing
the
sincere and pious surface the camp preacher and the main henchmen project while Kelly subtly
describes the angry, hateful, homophobic underpinnings of their tactics. The minister is a
caricature
of a preacher, not really a bad man, just misguided and too stupid to see the evil two feet beyond
the
edge of his vision. Nor does the preacher see that the real evil does not come from the recruits,
but
from his own trusted camp leader.
At times violent, gritty and rough, the novel is increasingly intense, but it is not entirely without
humor. Kelly has a wry way of looking at the world. Early on, I laughed aloud at: "None of us
just
walks around this.ranch, anymore. We walk 'in the Spirit.' We bathe in the Spirit, breathe in the
Spirit, piss and do number two in the Spirit, until I want to puke." Still, the further into the book,
the
heavier the mood gets.
The Salvation Mongers is not a book for the faint-hearted. The violence, brainwashing, and
shaming
that occurs hurts one's heart while, at the same time, it mirrors the internal struggles that the men
are
faced with. It is Kelly's optimism, his belief in his own goodness, and his strength of heart that
carry
this book through to the end, at which point the reader will have completed a journey with him.
That
journey ultimately affirms that the acceptance of one's sexual orientation-and that of others-should
not be shame-filled and full of pain.
Bleeding Hearts
Josh Aterovis
Renaissance Alliance Publishing, Inc.
PMB 238, 8691 9th Ave., Port Arthur, TX 77642
2001, $16.99, 232 pp, ISBN 1930928688, www.rapbooks.biz
Killian Kendall is 16, he's oblivious to matters of his heart, and when he meets a new transfer
student
named Seth, he gets whacked upside the head with a terrible dose of reality. Seth is a brave soul.
He
tells Killian right away that he is gay, and this sets off a chain reaction of events in Killian's
formerly
routine life. His friends Zack, Jesse, and Asher make fun of Seth, but Killian cannot join in. For
the
first time in his young life, he separates himself from his crew of buddies. He attempts to disregard
his burgeoning feelings of sexual curiosity and attraction to Seth, but he is not able to stuff down
the
maelstrom of emotions that suddenly roar to the forefront of his consciousness. He comes to the
stunning conclusion that he is gay, and he can't quite get his mind around it.
Attempting to reconcile this new understanding of himself, Killian takes a walk in the woods by a
nearby pond. "It was just at the edge of dusk, the time when it's hardest to see because everything
is
like an old black-and-white movie with bad contrast." Thinking he sees Seth on the far side of the
little pond, he heads that way, and next thing Killian knows, someone slams into him and he's
knifed.
It's not until later that he learns that his new friend Seth was stabbed to death. Was Seth murdered
because he was gay? Do people think Killian is gay? Why, he wonders, were he and Seth
assaulted?
And by whom?
The novel is a mystery, a drama, and a coming out story. Josh Aterovis has written a gripping and
topical story about one boy's struggle to find love, acceptance, and chosen family in the face of
intolerance. Killian is a real winner-I haven't met a character as kind-hearted and fully presented
since Billy Sive. This young man's story, told from his point-of-view, is well-executed and is so
compelling that I read it all in one sitting. Bleeding Hearts is an excellent tale, ably told, and
certain
to be just the first of many novels from a talented and capable new author.
Lori L. Lake
Reviewer
Barclay's Bookshelf
Bone Flour
Susan K. Funk
Beaver's Pond Press
5125 Danen's Drive, Edina, MN 55439-1465
1931646317 $14.95 www.beaverspondpress.com
A mix of old money, big business, family rivalry and murder. Emma Randolph is an architect who
is
also concerned about historic preservation. Currently working with the Riverfront Historic
Coalition, she is trying to save the buildings in the old milling district in Minneapolis from
destruction. After a suspicious fire breaks out at the preservation site, a skeleton is unearthed in
an
abandoned, century-old elevator. Emma is present when the bones are found, and identifying
those
remains becomes an obsession for her, bringing her into direct conflict with her grandfather and
Randolph Foods. Her efforts to discover who the bones belong to exposes other skeletons (the
figurative or metaphorical type) and eventually puts her life in danger.
The story opens slowly (personally I like to get to the body right away) but it is well-crafted, and
though there are lots of characters, the author keeps them well-defined. I had no problem keeping
these people in order. There's lots of local history, and again the author tells us just enough to
keep
it interesting without making it seem like a lecture.
Our heroine is an amateur detective, but she's smart and clever and her efforts seem completely
plausible. We have several villains, including a vicious and greedy young woman who is bent on
gaining power and revenge, and is perfectly capable of doing anything to get it, even murder.
Ms. Funk's work is clear and compelling, and she does an excellent job of keeping the reader just
a
bit off-balance. This is not great literature, but it is certainly good entertainment and the end
provides just the right twist, which makes the reader feel that his time has been well spent.
A great debut novel. I'm willing to give it four out of five stars. And I hope the author will give us
more of her work.
Seven Days
Judd Spicer
Beaver's Pond Press, Inc.
5125 Danen's Drive, Edina MN 55439-1465
1931646414 $14.00 www.beaverspondpress.com
This eclectic collection of short stories is Judd Spicer's first effort. His debut. He is a young
author,
still new to this world and only starting his writing career, but it is already obvious that he has
great
talent. He hasn't sanded off all the rough edges yet and he has made a common mistake of new
writers, his endings tend to be a little disappointing, but he has a vibrant style and a clear voice.
He
is a delight to read.
Let me give you an example: "Sunday April 22". A story of a typical day, with a typical family -
husband and wife and their faithful dog. "So Tony's chewing [Tony is the dog] on that new
rawhide
we had just bought him and this (I know you might laugh) this isn't something the dog has time to
do during the week. During the week this dog, this animal, he's with the wife! Can you... Hearts
like
gold, these two. Angie fixes up an I. V. for Delores So-and-So, while Tony makes nice-nice with
the
rest of the patients in the room. This is the truth! This is a true thing. People love it too, everyone
wants to pet the dog the paper even ran a story about The Broken Bones Team, a few months
back.
By the time the two of them come home the dog's too tired to sit and chew the rawhide.
Unbelievable."
Each story addresses a different day of the week and a different date. Hence the Seven Days title.
Each covers a slightly different genre. One even reads like a Hitchcock mystery. The sort of story
where the character acts on the instruction of another without really knowing why he is doing
these
things, and whenever he asks, he is told to be patient and it will all make sense later on. The
character ends up at a strange party full of artists and celebrities and late in the evening finds his
host
sitting in a back room in the dark. The story winds up in an art gallery and leaves the reader with
more than one possible conclusion.
Another story comes from a man writing a letter to his wife. The man is a professional actor who
specializes in chewing gum ads. In his letter he laments the changes that have come in the industry
and how he is expected to do the most unprofessional sorts of things to satisfy the director and
the
sponsor. It is full of tongue in cheek humor - or perhaps gum in cheek humor.
This is breezy reading and the reader will move quickly from story to story, constantly having his
sensibilities tweaked and his emotions will run the gamut from laughter to tears - from quiet
reflection to awful fear.
Read and enjoy. Then keep your eye out for more from Mr. Spicer. If he continues to work hard
and
doesn't lose faith he will be a great success. Seven Days definitely goes on my good reading list,
and
I hope to see more of Mr. Spicer's work in the future.
Robert O. Barclay
Reviewer
Shannon's Bookshelf
Falling Awake: Creating The Life Of Your Dreams
Dave Ellis
Breakthrough Enterprises, Inc.
P.O. Box 8396, Rapid City, SD 57709
ISBN: 0-942456-18-1, 294 pgs., over-size soft cover, $24.95, 2002, www.fallingawake.com
What struck me first about Falling Awake was the high quality beauty of the book. With glossy
pages, nearly every one accented with wonderful photos, Falling Awake is an enjoyable book just
to
look at. But it doesn't stop there.
Dave Ellis, the author, is also an educator and philanthropist, having devoted his life to living his
dream of giving away money and helping people create the lives they dream of. Falling Awake is a
showcase of twelve ideas Ellis calls "success strategies." If the author's life is any indication, these
strategies are indeed successful. The book is packed with exercises, journal pages and lots of
white
space in the margins, which Ellis invites readers to use to "write notes, argue with [him], doodle
or
draw." There are invitations to write, "let your imagination soar," and "dream big dreams." Ellis
paints an incredible picture of what life can be if we really could create the life of our dreams.
And,
Ellis assures, we can do just that.
This book will be part of my life for a long time to come. I loved the short, article-length essays,
making them easy to fit into a busy schedule. The essays are incredibly thought-provoking, giving
the reader something to meditate on even after they put the book down.
Falling Awake is unique, not only in its title, but in the presentation. It holds your hand through
the
steps for discovering what you want from life, through celebrating your success in achieving those
desires. It doesn't leave you there, however, offering, as a last step, to help you continue to create
the life of your dreams. Falling Awake is truly a blessing in my life. It inspires me to continue
pursuing my dreams.
The Western Guide To Feng Shui For Prosperity
Terah Kathryn Collins
Hay House, Inc.
P.O. Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
ISBN: 1-56170-813-5, 223 pgs., hardcover, $18.95, 2002, 1-800-654-5126,
www.hayhouse.com
The Western Guide To Feng Shui For Prosperity is, by its own definition, "True accounts of
people
who have applied essential Feng Shui to their lives and prospered." The eighteen "rags-to-riches"
stories are about people with varying life experiences, are colorful and fun to read, and include
accounts of Feng Shui applications in the lives of businessmen, store owners, a self-employed
couple, a retiree, and a blended family, among others.
The author, Terah Kathryn Collins, the founder of the Western School of Feng Shui in Solana
Beach, California, describes Feng Shui as "the study of how to arrange your environment to
enhance
your life." The emphasis of this book, one of several Collins has written on the art of Feng Shui, is
on Wealth and Prosperity, though we are assured that "these words also represent the invaluable
treasures that money can't buy, such as good health, loving relationships with friends and family,
auspicious opportunities, creative self-expression, and a meaningful spiritual life."
Complementing the eighteen real-life examples of Feng Shui in action are two appendices,
covering
more of the basics of Feng Shui, including the Bagua Map (the core of Feng Shui design that
correlates to the structures of a house or building and "shows you how to summon positive
change
into your life."), directions on how to use the map for many different structural scenarios,
examples
of the five earth elements (fire, wood, earth, metal and water) and how to include them in Feng
Shui
d‚cor, and a recommended reading list.
This book was my first experience with Feng Shui and, unexpectedly, I couldn't put the book
down,
reading nearly the whole thing the night I got it. It had many great suggestions, which I applied
instantly, running around my house, book in hand, moving this, de-cluttering that, and applying
Feng
Shui in as many areas of my house as I could. The excitement carried over through the week,
during
which I made many pleasing-to-the-eye changes to my home. Whether or not my Wealth and
Prosperity improves still remains to be seen, but I have surely enjoyed studying The Western
Guide
To Feng Shui For Prosperity , and know I will be referring to this book again and again for
inspiration.
Miracles
Stuart Wilde
Hay House, Inc.
PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
ISBN: 1-56170-540-3, 52 pp., $5.00, paperback, 1983, (800)654-5126 www.hayhouse.com
Are miracles a thing of the past? Not according to the author of Miracles, Stuart Wilde, who
notes,
on the back of this tiny, but powerful book, "...because the Universal Law is indestructible and
therefore infinite, we can presume that whatever power was used by miracle-makers in the past
must
still be available today."
Fifty-two pages doesn't seem like enough to describe how to create a miracle in your life, but
Wilde
breaks it down into seven, easy to follow steps:
1) Understanding the Universal Law
2) Understanding Life's Mission
3) Understanding the Nature of Beliefs
4) The Miracle "Action Plan"
5) Understanding Energy
6) Understanding Time
7) Understanding Your Personal Power
Wilde asserts that we spend much of our lives contradicting any miracles we might create with the
negativity that we harbor in our minds. It takes an inner journey to combat those negative
thoughts
and slay them. Wilde says, "These journeys have an inner reality and an outer manifestation in the
physical, so anything you can conceive is actually a part of you right now. The fact that you do
not
have it on hand matters not. Whatever it is that you conceive is in a state of gradually
becoming."
At the very least, Miracles will open your eyes to why so many of the things you want in your life
do
not come about.
While much of the book will seem foreign to the majority of us, it lends itself to deep thought and
contemplation. Can we really create miracles in our lives? It is definitely worth a try, in my
opinion,
and Miracles will help you take the steps toward doing just that.
The Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting Playbook: With The 12 Tenets Of Awakening
Lynn Grabhorn
Hampton Roads Publishing Company, Inc.
1123 Stoney Ridge Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902
ISBN: 1-57174-270-0, 271 pp., $22.95, 2001 1-434-296-2772 www.hrpub.com
Okay, first off, let me confess that I am not done with The Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting
Playbook. Nope, not done. And, I may not be done with it for a year...or ever. This book is a
gem!
The companion to Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting; The Astonishing Power Of Feelings, this is a
playbook, not a workbook. But, it is work. This book will take you deeper into your life than you
have ever been, if you let it. According to the author, Lynn Grabhorn, this Playbook is about
"cleaning out the old residue to make ready for what's coming down the pike for us, just around
the
corner."
The Playbook, for use by individuals or groups, is divided into Twelve Tenets, based on the
author's
first book Beyond the Twelve Steps; Roadmap to a New Life. The purpose is to make us
"deliberate
creators" of our lives, not just going along for the ride and taking what we get. There are
exercises
to be completed on nearly every page, each one building upon the last, weeding out all the things
in
our lives that keep us from having what we desire. The Twelve Tenets are explained, as well as
principles for living better lives, journaling suggestions, and "homework", which is really just a
way
to carry what we learn in the book into our "real" lives.
Grabhorn's style is slightly spiritual, often in-your-face, and frequently humorous. The book's
graphics are big and bold, black and white drawings, that are a treat to the eyes, and fun to
boot!
I can't say enough about this Playbook. It has opened up my eyes to many things, and I found
myself
being unable to just read it and write this review. I found that I have to experience every last little
morsel it contains, and that may take me a very long time. So, add this winner to your pile of
books
and PLAY with your life, until it is exactly what you always dreamed it would be!
Shannon Cave
Reviewer
Kinni's Bookshelf
Business: The Ultimate Resource
Perseus
c/o Perseus Books Group
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
2172 pp, $59.95, ISBN 0738202428, 1-800-242-7737
The book of the month is Business: The Ultimate Resource, an ambitiously conceived and fully
realized one-volume encyclopedia of business. It includes over 150 best practice essays written by
topic experts, several hundred management and action checklists, summaries of seventy seminal
business, bios of business greats, a business dictionary, a world business almanac, and an
extensive
topic-based listing of additional information sources (books, magazines, Internet, and
associations).
Watches Tell More Than Time: Product Design, Information, And The Quest For Elegance
Del Coates
McGraw-Hill Book Company
Two Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121
281 pp, $29.95, ISBN 0071362436, 1-800-722-4726
Design is all about communication, says San Jose State's Coates. In Watches Tell More Than
Time:
Product Design, Information, And The Quest For Elegance, he describes design theory and
principles, as well as the four ingredients - contrast, novelty, objective and subjective concinnity
(the
harmony of the parts) - that must be blended and balanced to create winning designs.
Blindsided: A Manager's Guide To Catastrophic Incidents In The Workplace
Bruce Blythe
Portfolio
231 pp, $24.95, ISBN 1591840007 www.amazon.com
In Blindsided: A Manager's Guide To Catastrophic Incidents In The Workplace, consultant Blythe
addresses workplace crises - physical attacks, natural disasters, and accidents -- in two parts:
preparedness and response. Paying particular attention to the human factor, he walks readers
through the common reactions, issues, and phases that occur during crises and then, describes a
six-step process to prepare for them.
Standing At The Crossroads: Next Steps For High-Achieving Women
Marian Ruderman and Patricia Ohlott
Jossey-Bass, Inc.
350 Sansome Street, 5th floor, San Francisco, CA 94104-1342
245 pp, $26.95, ISBN 0787955701, 1-800-225-5945
This study of participants in the Center for Creative Leadership's Women's Leadership Program
finds
that there are five key themes impacting the careers of women - the desire to act authentically,
make
connections, control one's destiny, achieve wholeness, and gain self-clarity. Standing At The
Crossroads: Next Steps For High-Achieving Women explores the themes and how they can be
attained through individual and organizational action.
How To Make Collaboration Work
David Straus
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
247 pp, $14.95, ISBN 1576751287, 1-800-929-2929
The core content of How To Make Collaboration Work: Powerful Ways To Build Consensus,
Solve
Problems, And Make Decisions by consultant Straus is five principles that enable successful
collaborations. They are: Involve relevant stakeholders; Build consensus phase-by-phase; Design a
process map; Designate a process facilitator; and, Harness the power of group memory.
Walking The Talk: The Business Case For Sustainability
Charles Holliday, Jr., Stephan Schmidheiny & Philip Watts
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
288 pp, $29.95, ISBN 1576752348, 1-800-929-2929
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development produced Walking The Talk: The
Business Case For Sustainability by Charles Holliday, Jr. features a somewhat dense overview of
the
state of business sustainability. It examines the major elements (10 Building Blocks) of
eco-efficient,
socially equitable commerce and supports them with 65 short case studies drawn from the
Council's
membership of international corporations.
Value Sweep: Mapping Corporate Growth Opportunities
Martha Amram
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way , Boston, MA 02163
285 pp, $35.00, ISBN 1578514584, 1-800-668-6780
Properly analyzing a business investment requires a valuation tool that can measure the unique
characteristics of the opportunity and evaluate the resulting information in terms of the current
financial markets, says Silicon Valley's Amram in Value Sweep: Mapping Corporate Growth
Opportunities. To achieve that goal she offers three tools for measuring value - Discounted Cash
Flow, Real Options, and Decision Analysis - and "valuation templates" that allow the tools to be
customized to the features of specific investments.
Geeks & Geezers: How Era, Values, And Defining Moments Shape Leaders
Warren Bennis and Robert Thomas
Harvard Business School Press
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
208 pp, $26.95, ISBN 1578515823, 1-800-242-7737
Difficult events and the meaning that individuals glean from them are the "crucibles" in which
leaders
are formed, conclude the authors of Geeks & Geezers: How Era, Values, And Defining Moments
Shape Leaders, a study of geezers (leaders age seventy and over) and geeks (leaders age 35 and
under). They find a common set of characteristics in their subjects, the so-called "Big Four" -
adaptive capacity, engaging others by creating shared meaning, voice, and integrity.
Wireless, Inc.
Craig Settles
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
382 pp, $29.95, ISBN 0814407250, 1-800-250-5308
Wireless, Inc.: Using Mobile Devices And Wireless Applications To Connect With Customers,
Reduce Costs, And Maximize Profits is an executive-level overview of the wireless revolution
explores four business objectives that wireless technology can enhance -- communication with
existing customers, service and support, communication with prospective customers, and the
creation of internal efficiencies - and the tactics that can be used to achieve them. Finally,
consultant
Settles describes how to wrap it all up into a neat written plan and implement it.
The Chasm Companion: Implementing Effective Marketing Strategies For High-technology
Companies
Paul Wiefels
Harper Business
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
323 pp, $24.95, ISBN 0066620554, 1-800-242-7737
The Chasm Companion: Implementing Effective Marketing Strategies For High-technology
Companies is a fieldbook which is billed as the final installment in the Chasm Trilogy, a series that
includes high-tech marketer Geoffrey Moore's Crossing the Chasm and Inside the Tornado.
Authored by Moore's partner, its three sections are designed to teach readers how to identify the
life
cycle of high-tech markets, specify appropriate market-development strategies, and create
comprehensive go-to-market plans.
The Fall Of Advertising & The Rise Of PR
Al Ries and Laura Ries
Harper Business
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
298 pp, $24.95, ISBN 0060081988, 1-800-242-7737
Use PR for brand building; use advertising for brand maintenance, advise this well-known father
and
daughter consulting team in The Fall Of Advertising & The Rise Of PR . In their usual readable
style, they target credibility as the primary ingredient of brand-building, show why advertising isn't
credible and why PR should replace advertising as the key strategy in launching new
offerings.
10 Natural Forces For Business Success: Harnessing The Energy For Positive Impact
Peter Garber
Davies-Black Publishing
3803 East Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303
160 pp, $26.95, ISBN 089106169X, 1-800-624-1765
In 10 Natural Forces For Business Success: Harnessing The Energy For Positive Impact, Peter
Garber identifies ten forces - survival, change, diversity, discovery, etc. -- that naturally occur
within
organizations. Each chapter describes one of the forces, how it impacts the business and the
workforce, and how to harness and manage it to achieve organizational goals.
Switched-On Quality: How To Tap Into The Energy Needed For Fuller And Deeper Buy-In
John Guaspari
Paton Press
PO Box 44, Chico, CA 95927-0044
190 pp, $24.95, ISBN 0971323127, http://www.patonpress.com/
Consultant Guaspari's newest book, Switched-On Quality: How To Tap Into The Energy Needed
For Fuller And Deeper Buy-In , is a readable reassessment of quality. In a good-natured
presentation
that mixes stories with advice and practical lessons, he connects quality to the business objectives
of
value creation and moneymaking, and explains how to build the organization-wide support needed
to raise quality levels.
The Five Love Languages
Gary Chapman
Northfield Publishing
215 West Locust Street, Chicago, IL 61610
ISBN: 1881273156, Price: $12.99, www.moodypress.org
The Five Love Languages far exceeds John Gray's Mars and Venus series on many levels. Each
part
of a relationship really is brought into five language choices. Regardless if your "love language" is
"spoken" by Acts of Service, Words of Affirmation, Physical Touch, Gifts, or Quality Time, this
book will explain how to express them and how to "speak" to your mate via their love language.
The
information within the book can be used on many relationship levels: spouse, friends, and even
co-workers.
Even if you think "a love language for my co-workers?" this book will show you how to speak to
them. Some of your co-workers need you to speak their language in order to be understood. This
book puts you one step ahead of the game for work as well as your personal life.
Half the fun for couples is finding out what language your spouse speaks. After determining the
language, an entirely new realm opens for you to explore the possibilities.
Couples should read The Five Love Languages to really understand how to speak to their mate.
Leaders should read this book to understand how to speak to their subordinates. Single people
should read this book to understand the other person in their relationships. "The Five Love
Languages" is worth its weight in gold and has improved many relationships of people that I see
on
a regular basis.
The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws Of Business Success
Brian Tracy
Berrett-Koehler
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104
ISBN: 1576751260, Price: $14.95, 1-800-929-2929
From a person who has created success, this book provides fabulous insight into what is required
for
anyone who wants to be successful. The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws Of Business Success
is
broken into easy to read chapters and headings for each of the laws, followed by easy to
understand
descriptions. Even if you implement just one of the laws, you will see a change in your
business.
With helpful anecdotes, you will understand why these laws should not be broken. You will see
how
these laws provide a successful career pattern for any person. You don't need a formal education
to
be able to apply the laws from the book. The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws Of Business
Success should be read as soon as you buy it because if you hesitate to read it you will delay your
success.
I asked several of my successful friends to read the book and tell me what they thought of the
"laws". They all agreed that if there are laws to success then these are the most important ones. I
recommended it to several other people working their way up the corporate ladder. As a result of
reading the book they were able to climb more than one rung at a time. If your competitors are
reading it, you may soon find yourself looking for a new job. This book should be required
reading
for all business students prior to graduation and for all people trying to get ahead in today's world.
You will soon see why there is more to business than the school of "hard knocks".
Body For Life
Bill Phillips
Harper Collins
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
ISBN: 0060193395, Price: $26.00, 1-800-242-7737
As the name implies, this book provides examples of how to build that "Body for Life". Body For
Life explains in simple terms how to lose weight, tone muscle and become overall physically fit
amazed me. The success stories show real life people overcoming obstacles and being able to do
the
things they always wanted to do.
This book is written for those people who do not feel comfortable going to the gym and for those
who just cannot get motivated to work out past the first couple of weeks. This 12-week program
is
designed for all people and it is written in a language that anyone can understand. The book
shows
you not only how to set up a "workout" routine, but also an eating and maintenance routine.
I have seen results, not only in myself, but in other people who have tried the program. Even for
those who feel they cannot accomplish the 12-week challenge, this book will motivate you to
complete what you have started and honor self-promises. For those who hesitate, rest assured the
book will more than pay for itself within a short period of time by showing you how to improve
your
health and overall well-being.
Are We Living In End Times?
Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
Tyndale House Publishers
PO Box 80, Wheaton, IL 60189
ISBN: 0842300988, Price: $19.99, www.tyndale.com
What a fabulous book! The title of the book is a question that resounds through the minds of
many.
Are we living in end times? The text points out current events that were predicted in prophetic
passages. Are We Living In End Times? was written for two reasons. The first is as a guide for
the
millions of readers of the Left Behind Series, showing where and how the facts were put together
for the storyline in the book. The second is for those people wondering, are we living in end
times?
The examples in the book help the reader to understand what has happened throughout history
and
what is to come. The text compares different books of the Bible as well as passages within the
same
books. Most of the scriptural references are pulled from Isaiah, Daniel and the controversial book
of
Revelation. Regardless of your current opinion, the authors present many facts to back up their
opinion in the book. It promotes free-thinking and discusses the differences between
Pre-tribulation,
Post-tribulation, and Mid-tribulation theologies.
Are We Living In End Times? is written for any person wanting to dive into the world of
prophetic
scripture. While written with Christians in mind, the book will appeal to non-Christians wanting to
know more about things to come and what God has in store for the world. Even though no one
knows the date and time in which the tribulation will happen, except the Lord God, this book will
help ease the minds of many and get others to understand more about the "thief in the night". I
feel
that this is one of the best books on prophecy in many years. It is a must for any Christian library
and
should be everyone's library.
Come To The Table
Doris Christopher
Warner Books
1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN: 044652428X, Price: $12.95, 1-800-759-0190
In missing the way things use to be, we often miss the value of the role the kitchen or dining room
table has played within a family. Nothing can replace the memories of time spent at the table.
Come
To The Table, reminds us of a time when things were simpler and family moments were more
frequent. It shows the value of quality time and the little things we can do as family members to
catch a glimpse of yesteryear.
Come To The Table gives real life examples of things that other families have done to bring life
back
into the family. Whether it is having a special plate and awarding it to the person of the day or a
special display on the table, the book will change the way the reader looks at mealtime,
homework,
or game time around the table.
Come To The Table is written for families, and those persons within the family, that want to
increase
the constructive time spent with family members. Even by implementing just one of the ideas
within
the book, the reader can capture time so it becomes a special moment. It also helps build
self-confidence in some members of the family and allows all of them to look forward to the time
spent around the table. Come To The Tablek should be required reading for all members of the
household, but especially those responsible for each family member's welfare.
ABSolution
Shawn Phillips
High Point Media, LLC
PO Box 16009, Golden, CO 80401
ISBN: 0972018409, Price: $28.50, www.highpointmedia.com
Inspiring! That is the first word that comes to mind when I think about this book. ABSolution is a
great book for showing us how we can get in shape. By the time you reach the end of the book
you
will understand that building abs is not just about exercising those "trouble" spots, it is a way of
life.
ABSolution gives complete instructions on how to build perfect abdominal muscles. It doesn't
give
you just abdominal exercises, it also shows you other exercises, discusses supplements, and has a
great section on nutrition. The text does not go into detail about what every meal should consist
of,
but instead it describes how your eating patterns should be developed. This helps you focus on a
lifestyle change and not a "diet". It also highlights reasons why we should not just do sit-ups for
our
abdominal muscles. Instead, it shows you exercises that have been proven to build those perfect
abdominal muscles.
Whether you are a person with perfect "six-pack" abs or a person that could use a little workout,
this book was created with you in mind. Don't hesitate to buy and read ABSolution be required
reading for all future leaders of the world? I believe that it should. It offers inspiration to those
people who are not yet world leaders and it offers a reality check for those who are in the top
echelon of leadership.
I believe it holds the key to building the perfect body, as well as a great set of "abs".
They Shall Expel Demons
Derek Prince
Baker Book House
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
ISBN: 0800792602, Price: $12.99, www.bakerbooks.com
They Shall Expel Demons is a jewel among all other books on deliverance. The author's
tremendous
level of knowledge shows through in this highly readable book. Among the pages you will find
not
just what type of demons or spirits operate in the life of a person but the reasons that one might
become possessed. It will open the eyes of most people who feel pressured and often use "the
devil
made me do it" as the excuse for their actions.
They Shall Expel Demons forces the reader to ponder the differences between the need for
healing
and the need for deliverance. While there are many sicknesses that are of a common biological
nature, the text shows that evil spirits may cause some sicknesses. There are battles fought in the
heavens and battles fought here on earth and through the Biblical foundation you are shown the
realism of the fight between "good and evil".
They Shall Expel Demons is for those interested in understanding the ministry of Christ and those
who want to understand the different battlefields on which Christian battles are fought. It will
prove
to be a valuable asset to all Christian libraries and is a definite must for an Evangelical. I feel there
should be more books as direct as this one. It gets to the point, shows examples, and provides a
great solid base, which is the Word of God.
The Transparent Leader
Dwight L. Johnson
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North, Eugene, OR - Oregon 97402
ISBN: 0736904581, Price: $10.99, http://www.harvesthousepubl.com/
Being a leader in today's world is not what it used to be. There was a time, when a leader was
tough,
rugged and quiet. That time is no more. It is time for leaders to let their guard down, to show
their
true selves, to lead by following and to lead by example.
The Transparent Leader shows many of today's national leaders in this light. It shows them being
transparent, vulnerable and initially with no protection. Along the same lines of Jesus, they step
into
the worlds of other people and lead them, ultimately showing the way to the one true God. It
shows
who these leaders were, the situations they were in and how they succeeded in becoming great
leaders. All of them have one thing in common; they all know Jesus Christ as their Lord and
Saviour.
The text shows leaders who have failed, where they failed, and how they came to succeed. The
leaders within the compilation tell their story, either via testimony or anecdote. Some open their
entire lives to the reader so they can see the heart of the storyteller. Although the booklover might
not be able to identify with all of the passages throughout the book, there is no doubt that more
than
one will hit the heart and soul of the reader.
Should The Transparent Leader be required reading for all future leaders of the world? I believe
that
it should. It offers inspiration to those people who are not yet world leaders and it offers a reality
check for those who are in the top echelon of leadership.
Bill Reese
Reviewer
Vicki's Bookshelf
The Angel Factory
Terence Blacker
Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0689851715, $16.95 216 pages, www.SimonSaysKids.com
More and more young adult books are being touched by an angel these days, regularly raising
such
questions as: Do angels exist? Do they walk among us here on earth? In the contemporary fantasy
The Angel Factory, children 's author Terence Blacker tackles this now-common theme from
behind,
launching a sneak attack on the very concept of angels and goodness. Are angels what people
have
always believed? What is their true mission? Are they inherently good, or is there something more
sinister about their motives? Could a celestial conspiracy be at work?
The very concept of good and evil is at the heart of this somber novel, told through the eyes of
English 12-year-old Thomas Wisdom. He seems to have it all: a loving family, true friends, and a
bright future. But then he makes dark discoveries about secrets his parents have been keeping.
When
it becomes clear that they are not who they claim to be, Thomas and his outcast friend Gip
wonder if
they're spies of some kind? Alien beings? Angels? Through plot twists and turns, Thomas not only
finds out that they are in fact all three, but also discovers that he is adopted and is part of a
worldwide plan to alter the fate of mankind. Is he up to the task? Should he be? He wrestles with
multiple moral dilemmas, and must weigh the value of friendship vs. family, birth family vs.
adopted
family, good vs. evil, and the basic tenets of right and wrong. He discovers that nothing is black
and
white, however, and the angels "goodness" is in fact laced with a sinister threat. Alone he is faced
with choosing the correct path while burdened with the weight of all humanity on his
shoulders.
Blacker's novel is wonderfully subversive in concept. It. powerfully addresses the very concept of
"good" without clich‚s, preaching or heavy-handed tactics. Its pre-teen protagonist speaks in a
compelling internal voice so real that young adult readers will drink in every word -- words that
could help them harness the power to make crucial decisions in their own lives.
Angelic Layer
Clamp
Tokyopop
5900 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 2000, L.A. , CA 90036
ISBN 193151447X, $9.99 174 pages, www.tokyopop.com
Clamp is an all-female team creating some of the most popular "manga" Japanese comic books
compiled into paperback-bound graphic novels in the business. They're best known for their
funny
"Cardcaptors" series of books and toys for young girls -- a modest "yin" to the "yang" of the
boy-targeted Pokemon phenomenon. That phenomenon is at the center of Clamp's newest series,
a
tongue-in-cheek satire that was quickly translated for the English-speaking market. Angelic Layer
is
an action-packed fantasy story for girls age six and up, about a human-like "Angel" toy that kids
collect and program to fight other Angels in tournament battles.
In volume one of three slated for release before year's end, Clamp introduces 12-year-old
protagonist Misaki, who goes to the big city to enter middle-school and discovers Angelic Layer,
a
new action toy that is sweeping the nation. She becomes hilariously obsessed with buying her first
Angel, and covets the many pricey accessories. A mysterious stranger in a lab coat helps her get
started, and periodically shows up to lend a hand as she gains tournament experience, but is he
friend or foe? After a surprise win in her first local battle, how can Misaki hope to survive the
next
round against a vastly more experienced 5-year old and her astonishingly fast angel,
"Lightspeed"?
This is not an easy book to follow for manga newcomers. Names and characters are difficult to
keep
straight, and the action is so central to the story that little plot actually exists. Still, part of the fun
reading manga books is simply the tactile experience. "Authentic" manga is read from the back
page
to front, with the comic cels read right to left, Japanese style. This enables the reader to read the
book as the creator intended, while allowing the publisher to cut production corners in the
translation process. Why bother going through the production hassles of reversing and correcting
the layout of every image, when new readers can so willingly be taught to reverse their habits?
Like
90% of the manga genre, however, this series (like "Chobits," an new series for older boys, also
by
Clamp) isn't likely to have much staying power.
Chobits
Clamp
Tokyopop
5900 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 2000, L.A. , CA 90036
ISBN 1591820057, $9.99 -- 178 pages, www.tokyopop.com
Japan had no age of consent laws until recently, so it should be no surprise that Japanese comic
books called "manga" are often sexual in nature. This new series by the prolific Clamp team of
women artists and writers is their first created for a teen male readership. It's a sci-fi fantasy in
which
a lonely 19-year-old virgin finds a humanoid computer "Persocom Chobit" in the form of a
beautiful,
scantily-clad, young blonde. She's subservient and na‹ve, so is easily led into a career as a
peep-show
stripper to earn extra money for her busboy owner. He's too busy falling in love with a fellow
student while also lusting after his overly-familiar teacher to realize what his Personcom has
been
up to. So when he finds out the race is on to save her cybernetic soul, it triggers a fantastic event
among all other Persocom's walking the earth.
For many reasons sexuality, brief nudity, language, adult situations, complexity the "Chobits"
series is suitable only for young adults. The problem is that though it's rated for "older teen age
18+"
by the publisher, the pretty, colorful comic book package is designed as eye candy that attracts
readers as young as seven. This is the primary complaint about manga in general: nearly all books
in
this genre look so similar that kids (and parents and librarians) aren't able to differentiate between
them. As a result, fans of "safe" children's series like "Dragonball Z," "Sailor Moon" and
"Cardcaptors" are frequently reading graphically violent and sexual adult material such as
"Chobits."
Guardians: beware. Adult fans: enjoy.
Goddess Of Yesterday
Caroline Cooney
Delacorte Press
c/o Random House
1540 Broadway, NY, NY 10036
ISBN 0385729456, $15.95 264 pages, www.randomhouse.com/teens
The Iliad is one of the greatest stories ever told, but it can't speak to the hearts of contemporary
readers in nearly as vivid a fashion as this intimate, imaginative retelling. In Caroline B. Cooney's
(The Face On The Milk Carton) first historic novel, the myths and history of ancient Greece come
alive through the eyes of a 12-year-old Anaxander, the bright, strong-willed, righteous yet naive
daughter of a minor island king. The harshness of her dramatic life, and the clarity of the
story-telling, makes this a powerful fable impossible to put down.
Abducted at age six from her tiny island kingdom of Menalaus, Anaxandra becomes companion to
another king's crippled daughter. When, years later, her new home is attacked by maurauding
pirates, Anaxander impersonates her idol "goddess of yesterday," the snake-haired goddess
Medusa,
and singlehandedly frightens away the plunderers by emerging from the sea with an octopus on
her
head. To avoid slavery, she takes on the identity of the island's Princess Callisto, and so is rescued
by the kindly king of Sparta who adopts her as his own but not so vain and cruel Queen Helen,
the
legendary half-god, half-mortal beauty. Further danger arises when treacherous Trojan warrior
Paris
plots to steal Helen's heart and the kingdom's riches. Anaxandra again reinvents herself as a
Spartan
princess to protect the king's princely heir on a violent sea voyage, but can she manage to elude
tragedy once again when Sparta and Troy plunge into war? How can she appease the gods yet
remain loyal to those she loves, especially when warriors from Menalaus join the battle?
This is an exceptionally fine read, filled with fully-realized personalities, seeped in high adventure,
and complete credibility despite the story's fantastic circumstances and mythic legend. At the
conclusion, young adult readers will crave more about this princess that fills your heart,
particularly
when she struggles with moral dilemmas, rejoices in even the smallest of new discoveries, and
blossoms into her first romance. It's Cooney's finest hour.
Crazy Eights And Other Card Games
Joanna Cole and Stephanie Calmenson, Illustrated by Alan Tiegreen
SeaStar Books
11 East 26th Street, New York, NY 10010
ISBN 1587179504, $14.95 -- 76 pages
It's not easy for us old folks to recall the rules of our favorite childhood games, and it seems that
the
generation-to-generation tradition of teaching card games is waning. That's where "Crazy Eights"
comes in handily. Written clearly and concisely for the grade-school level, it hits its market well. It
teaches 20 classic and unusual card games for kids, from old favorites like Snap, Spit and War, to
new-to-me games Make A Wish and Steal the Pack. It begins with a basic lesson in shuffling and
cutting the deck, then proceeds to simple numerated directions accompanied by step-by-step
illustrations. In no-nonsense fashion, it spells out the number of players, object of game, value of
the
cards or alternate deck composition (if needed), then gets right to the rules of the game. Sidebar
suggestions give tips for improving your playing technique or suggests fun ways to create your
own
versions, and more complicated games are followed by helpful hints. The ace up the authors'
sleeve
is their choice of games, which even non-condescendingly includes Rummy and, of all things,
Poker
and other casino games. Deal me in.
How To Draw Butt-Ugly Martians
Maria B. Alfano
Scholastic
557 Broadway, 9th Floor, NY, NY 10012-3999
ISPN 0439407923, $3.99 32 pages, www.scholastic.com
The grin-worthy title alone makes this worth a look, particularly for grade-school boys. Never
mind
that this thin coloring-book formatted paperback is a licensed tie-in to the cartoon series -- this
step-by-step drawing guide is entertaining from start to finish. Kids can draw simple outline
sketches
or detailed aliens, depending on skill; absolute beginners can simply trace the characters and feel
they've achieved something. Amusing and helpful directions accompany each step with clear
details.
There are fewer than a dozen characters here in all including Do-Wah Diddy, 2-T-Fru-T and
B.Bop-A-Luna -- with each requiring an average of six sketching steps. If your results are
butt-ugly,
you've done a great job.
I Asked A Tiger To Tea
Ivy O. Eastwick, Illustrated by Melanie Hall
Boyds Mills Press
815 Church Street, Honesdale, Pennsylvania 18431
ISBN 1563975157, $15.95 32 pages, www.boydsmillspress.com
This post-humus collection features 20 traditional poems for children by Englishwoman Ivy O.
Eastwick. By all accounts, she was a delightful woman who drew influences for her work from
her
enjoyment of nature and an optimistic outlook on life. The book's selections each share that
unrelenting optimism, no matter the subject. Her long-time editor-in-chief at "Highlights for
Children" magazine, Walter B. Barbe, lovingly compiled this edition, grouping his selections into
four sections: Nonsense and Humor; Nature's World; Seasons and Weather; and Wishes, Dreams
and Fancy. My particular taste favors the lighthearted first chapter, which includes the work from
which the book's title is borrowed. That poem's lilting sweetness is as good an example as any of
Eastwick's work. With gentle grace it concludes, "I asked a lion to tea / But he said / That he just
/
Couldn't bother / So I think I will share / My afternoon tea / With my cat / And my dog / And my
father."
Ballerina Bear
Shana Corey, Illustrated by Pamela Paparone
Random House
1540 Broadway, NY, NY 10036
ISBN 0375814167, $14.95 26 pages, www.randomhouse.com/kids
This short and sweet picture book tale about Bernice, a novice ballerina who has two left paws.
Her
leaps end in lumps, and her twirls end in tumbles, but she loves ballet and keeps practicing,
practicing, practicing. One day a new dancer, Bertram, joins her class. He is perfect, the best
ballet
dancer in the whole school and Bernice is riveted by his performances. But Bertram is so perfect,
he
bores everyone else. Bernice begs him to be her partner, and he agrees. They buy matching
costumes
and practice every day for the big dance recital. When Bertam did his solo piece, the audience
yawned. But then Bernice came out: "Bertram leaped, Bernice lumped. Bertram twirled. Bernice
tumbled. The audience went wild." Young dancers will love every move, and hang on to every
word. Ballerina Bear imparts a darling study in contrasts, and a vivid lesson about never giving
up,
finding your own true talent, and enjoying the process.
Winkle's World
Lara Joe Regan with Michael Regan
Random House
1540 Broadway, NY, NY 10036
ISBN 0375815430, $14.95 34 pages, www.randomhouse.com/kids
If you haven't met Mr. Winkle yet, you won't believe your eyes. What exactly is it? A teddy bear?
An Ewok? No, it's a real dog the size of a kitten and cute as a button. His little head is a ball of
fluff
with two round tuffs for ears. His black marble eyes are toooo adorable, and his tongue what a
tongue! is permanently extended. He draws oooohs and ahhhhs wherever he goes with his
photographer mom Lara Joe Regan, who documents his every move. The little heart-stealer now
has
so many fans around the world that Regan has compiled this photo scrapbook giving a peek into
Winkle's world. There he is jet-setting in a turtleneck sweater and air-conditioned travel bag.
There
he is with his pal Wheely Willy, a Chihuahua that uses a wheeled harness to walk. There he is
visiting retirement homes and a school for deaf children. There he is getting his monthly fur cut
and
looking impossibly cute. It's Mr. Winkle unleashed! Recommended strictly for his panting
fans.
Ugh! A Bug
Mary Bono
Walker & Company
435 Hudson Street, NY, NY 10014
ISBN 0802787991, $15.95 -- 30 pages, www.walkerbooks.com
Kids will go bug-eyed over Mary Bono's bold multi-media insect sculptures photographed against
vivid watercolor and pencil backdrops. In this, her first picture book, Bono's creepy crawly
rhymes
tickle the senses, and make us wonder about our conflicting feelings about the amazing yet icky
world of bugs. Rather than end on a frivolous note, its conclusion is apt: "Next time you see a bug
don't make a fuss. After all, there's a lot more of them than of us." Bono infuses just the right note
of
humor to make young readers pleasantly squirm.
Becoming Butterflies
Anne Rockwell, Illustrated by Megan Halsey
Walker & Company
435 Hudson Street, NY, NY 10014
ISBN 0802787975, $15.95 32 pages, www.walkerbooks.com
Step by step, this concept picture book for young elementary students takes readers through a
popular class project: raising butterflies. It begins when the class teacher brings a surprise to
school:
three caterpillars, and insect house and a milkweed plant. Together they prepare the tiny
caterpillar's
new home, feed it, and watch it grow. They witness its process of turning into a chrysalis,
gradually
evolving, and at last turning into butterflies. Prior to their release into the wild, the teacher
provides
lessons about how butterflies feed and travel far south for the warm winter months, giving the
class
(and readers) an excellent sense of even the tiniest creatures' place in the world at large. Each
double-page spread is a virtual how-to guide enabling readers to duplicate the activity at home --
next to each story illustration is a drawing of the elements needed to accomplish what's pictured,
or
study the results up-close.
Champion: The Story of Muhammad Ali
Jim Haskins, Illustrations by Eric Velasquez
Walker & Company
435 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014
ISBN 0802787843, $17.95 36 pages, www.walkerbooks.com
This oversized hardback is a knockout. The superior production values of the cover art alone
gives
clear testament to the strength and legacy of the bigger-than-life man it profiles. Eric Velasquez's
illustrations are gloriously rendered; from still-life and contemplative portraits, to cityscapes and
freeze-frame action shots, his versatility breathes life into every page, particularly when his art is
permitted to fill spreads without a single word. Biographer Jim Haskins tells Muhammad Ali's
facinating story concisely, using minimal words for maximum effect. He also knows when to let
Ali
do the talking, so often quotes the fighter's famous rhyming patter and displays on the page in
headline-sized type. Kudos too, to the book's uncredited art director, for the book's sublime
layout
and production; the choice to alternately print white type on black pages (and vice versa), for
instance, was inspired. Champion: The Story Of Muhammad Ali is among the best evidence yet
that
picture book biographies have come a long way.
Just Ducky
Kathy Mallat
Walker & Company
435 Hudson Street, NY, NY 10014
ISBN 0802788246, $15.95 22 pages, www.walkerbooks.com
The simple pleasures of being yourself is at the heart of this ducky picture book for toddlers. A
little
yellow duckling searches around his pond for a friend to play with, but the bee, mouse, and frog
are
too busy doing their own thing. Finally, Ducky finds a playmate who looks just like him or is it
just
his reflection? Together they float and blow bubbles, quack and splash in perfect harmony,
delighting
in a simple day just being a duck. It's a sweet, short story-lesson that will ring truest to only-child
readers.
I.Q. Goes To School
Mary Ann Fraser
Walker & Company
435 Hudson Street, NY, NY 10014
ISBN 0802788149, $16.85 32 pages, www.walkerbooks.com
I.Q. is one smart rodent. Not content to simply be the class pet, he listens and learns every school
lesson and yearns to someday be chosen Student of the Week. Month by month, he grows smarter
along with his human classmates. He learns the alphabet, colors, numbers, and holidays, and runs
on
his wheel when the children go to recess. He even joins them in the Thanksgiving play! Still, week
after week his name is not chosen from the teacher's bowl, so I.Q. puts his lessons to work and
writes his own name on a paper to add to the drawing. Just before school vacation, at last, I.Q.'s
name is picked! What a terrific surprise for the class when I.Q. finally gets to share his art and
stories and truly be considered part of the class.
This charming picture book is a teacher and student dream come true. It's both academic and fun;
organized like a lesson plan, yet imaginative; complex enough to warrant multiple readings, yet
simple enough to engage even young pre-schoolers. It's heads and whiskers above similar
bestseller
"If You Take A Mouse To School" and warrants a sequel. As hinted on the final page, hopefully
"I.Q. Goes To Camp" will follow.
Slim and Jim
Richard Egielski
Laura Geringer Books / Harper Collins
1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10019-4703
ISBN 0060283521, $15.95 -- 40 pages, http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com
Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator Richard Egielski retells Charles Dickens ' "Oliver Twist" in
this
picture book for ages three and up. In his animal-cast version, a homeless rat, Slim, falls into a life
of
crime until he is befriended by a kindly mouse, Jim, and his family. When the mice trust the
stranger
with money to buy birthday candles, they are disappointed when he appears to run away with it.
Alas, he fails to return because Slim is kidnapped by the evil criminal cat who dragged Slim into
trouble in the first place. But Jim has faith in his friend and searches for him. Jim saves that day
when
he discovers Slim's predicament, and the two buddies team up to make sure his captor ends up
behind bars.
Egielski throws two fun twists into his "Twist." Firstly, the rat and mouse share a love for yo-yos,
and discover that their skill with the toy comes in handy in the end. And secondly, the story
continues briefly in a joyful epilogue that imagines best friends Slim and Jim teaming up forever to
perform their yo-yo tricks on the stage.
Oh My Gosh, Mrs. McNosh!
Sarah Weeks, Illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott
Laura Geringer Books / Harper Collins
1350 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10019
ISBN 0694012041, $15.95 28 pages, www.harperchildrens.com
One good giggly tale deserves another and another. In Sarah Weeks' second picture book sequel
to the rollicking "Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash," her frazzled protagonist chases her pooch
all
over the park after he escapes from his leash, and darts off on the heels of a squirrel. The canine
caper takes the trio from one mishap to another: splashing in a pond, smashing into a wedding
cake,
through a ball game, and so on. "I'll catch you!" she cries, but "Oh, my gosh," all she catches is a
cold. Defeated, poor Mrs. McNosh admits she's licked and shuffles back home alone. Sweetly,
one
final "Oh, my gosh" plot twist puts a smile on everyone's face.
If You Take A Mouse To School
Laura Numeroff, Illustrated by Felicia Bond
Laura Geringer Books / Harper Collins
1350 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10019-4703
ISBN 0060283289, $15.99 30 pages
The enormously popular "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie" picture book has proved to have
tremendous staying power, and so, naturally enough, it spawned the sequels "If You Give A
Moose
A Muffin," "If You Give A Pig A Pancake," and "If You Take A Mouse To The Movies." Each
features the same chain-reaction story structure, with varying degrees of success. Can lightning
strike a fourth time with the new "If You Take A Mouse To School"? Sticking with the silent
little
mouse protagonist is a sure-footed first step, as is the story-rich school setting what better
location
to help young ones identify with the mouse's enthusiastic antics? The first-day-at-school premise,
however, doesn't lend itself well to the cause-and-effect concept, so incidents tend to meander
without providing much "what happens next?" dramatic tension. A satisfying conclusion wraps
things up nicely and, yes, still manages to lead readers to wonder what the little guy will get up to
next.
I Stink!
Kate & Jim McMullan
Joanna Cotler Books / HarperCollins
1350 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10019-4703
ISBN 0060298480, $15.95 -- 32 pages
Don't believe there's a gender gap between modern boys and girls? I dare you to try reading the
rough-and-tumble "I Stink!" autobiography of a garbage truck to Pre-K-2nd grade girls in the
throes
of the princess phase. Read it to boys or the same age, however, and hear them roar along with
the
truck as it crushes, mashes and smashes trash with abandon, then proudly boasts that "no skunk
ever
stunk this bad!" Garbage trucks and young boys are a perfect match it's amazing how many boys
dream of becoming trash collectors when they grow up. The appeal of this picture book about a
day
in the life of an aggressive, loud garbage truck told in his own attitude-ladden words has
enormous appeal for fans who can't get enough of things with wheels and engines and noise. They
won' t be able to resist the brawny energy and brazen attitude of the stinky protagonist,
particularly
when he enthusiastically lists all his mechanical equipment in action: "Hopper's full. Hit the
THROTTLE. Gimme some gas. Rev me to the MAX. Engine? ROAR!" When he's "way
compacted" and gives out a mighty burp, you can almost smell his stinky breath. "Get a load of
my
recipe," he taunts, then lists his grimy ingredients A-Z, from apple cores and banana peels, to
year-old yams and "zipped-up ziti with zucchini."
The truck finishes his job by dumping his load on a barge, but fails to finish the story: where
exactly
does his trash go from there? No morals are imparted among the sound effects and job checklist
here, though many come to mind: Waste not, want not? Reduce, reuse, recycle? Pick up your
trash?
The basic rules are ignored here, unless you count the scary taunt "Without me? You're on Mount
Trash-O-Rama, baby," accompanied by an illustration of New York City buried under garbage.
As a
lesson in cleaning up our mess, "I Stink!" really reeks. But as a dirty book providing vicarious
thrills? Move over Jackie Collins! "I Stink!" may be the best trashy book yet.
Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas
Louise Rennison
Harper Tempest
1350 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10019
ISBN 0066236568, $15.99 183 pages, www.harperteen.com
Georgia Nicholson is back, the irrepressible British teen who puts every waking thought onto
paper
in this month-long diary-form novel, the third in a hilarious, slang-laden series. As with "Angus,
Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging" and "On The Bright Sides, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex
God," she continues to rant and rave about her nutty (and adored) family, her sex-crazed cat
Angus,
her school, her girlfriends, boys, boys, boys, and her teen anxieties (aka "nervy spazzes") over
snogging (kissing), lurkers (zits) and her growing nunga-nungas (breasts). Like us, she still can't
be
bothered knowing the names of secondary characters such as her boring neighbors (Mr. Next
Door),
but it's clear she's fond even of them. It's just that her love life is so, like, you know, totally
all-consuming.
In "Nunga-Nungas" Georgia begins right where we left her: head over heels in lurve with her new
"sex god" boyfriend Robbie, whose rock band is gearing up for a concert where Georgia giddily
plans to make her public debut as an OG (official girlfriend). So naturally, her world is turned
upside-down when she has to leave him unguarded while she takes a dreaded family vacation in
Scotland with her mom, dad ("Loonleader of the Universe") and pre-school sis Libby (whose
antics
provide numerous humorous asides). Meanwhile, she meets up again with nice boy-next-door
type
Dave The Laugh, who Georgia dumped to snag the SG. And yet on two occasions, why does she
find her lips suddenly attached to Dave's? When the big OG event finally occurs, it's not what
she'd
hoped. And why is it that Robbie never seems to show up, but Dave does, and hmmmm, does
DTL
have to be so fun to hang out with?
Two boys and a pair of nunga-nungas spell double trouble for Georgia, who describes her daily
events with sit-com snap. Three cheers for author Louis Rennison for a third series sequel that's as
fabbity-fab-fab as the first.
The Little School Bus
Carol Roth, Illustrated by Pamela Paparone
North-South Books
11 East 26th Street, New York, NY 10010
ISBN 0735816468, $14.95 -- 32 pages, www.northsouth.com
"Here comes the school bus, beep, beep, beep! Step right up and take a seat, and ride the bus to
school, to school, and ride the bus to school." Back-to-school excitement builds in this sing-song
picture book written in a style reminiscent of "Old McDonald." The yellow school bus makes its
stops, picking up friendly animals along the way: a little goat in his coat, a pig in a wig, a squirmy
worm, a sleepy sheep, and so on. The checklist grows as other students board, and is chanted
again
when the school day ends and they find themselves "riding home from school, from school, riding
home from school." "The Little School Bus" is a delightful ride that human back-to-school
students
will want to take again and again.
LeapPad Phonics Program: Book & Cartridge Lessons 1-10
LeapFrog Enterprises
6401 Hollis Street, Suite 150, Emeryville, CA 94608-1070
ISBN 1-58605-738-3 (Lesson 1)
ISBN 1-58605-739-1 (Lesson 2)
ISBN 1-58605-740-5 (Lesson 3)
ISBN 1-58605-741-3 (Lesson 4)
ISBN 1-58605-742-1 (Lesson 5)
ISBN 1-58605-743-X (Lesson 6)
ISBN 1-58605-744-8 (Lesson 7)
ISBN 1-58605-745-6 (Lesson 8)
ISBN 1-58605-746-4 (Lesson 9)
ISBN 1-58605-747-2 (Lesson 10)
$14.99 -- 34 pages (average), www.leapfrog.com
LeapFrog's best-selling LeapPad Learning System an interactive hardware/software program for
preschoolers through second graders (age 4 through 7) -- is the pinnacle of fun and productive
technological phonics teaching. Parents and teachers are amazed how quickly pre-readers take to
the
reading system, and everyone rejoices in the quick results and accomplishments especially proud
students who enjoy their accomplishments so much that they don't even realized these colorful
little
"talking books" are a learning tool. The LeapPad program's success makes the company claim
that
"Learning to read has never been this fun" easy to believe. If the interactivity elements weren't so
finicky and susceptible to frustrating electronic glitches, the system would be close to
perfect.
The system requires the purchase of a $49.99 LeapPad hardware playing system that gives the
appearance of a laptop computer operated by an electronic pencil, rather than a keypad. Simply
open
it, place inside one of several spiral-bound book titles (purchased separately) and the coordinating
cartridge, press "start" and you're off. Kids must remember to touch the "pencil" to the "go"
symbol
on each spread whenever they turn a page a frustrating task for beginners -- then they have the
option of hearing the text read to them ("Say it"), hearing the pronunciation of each word
("Sound
it"), or reading along letter by letter ("Spell it") by touching the pencil to any word, phrase or
image
they wish. Nearly every spread also offers one or more game options and other surprises, which
proved to be the biggest hit with our product testers.
These ten interactive books are the newest additions to the company's Phonics Program series, the
second stage of the four part program: "Leap Start" is for preschoolers, and teaches pre-reading,
pre-math and essential subjects; Phonics is for preschool through second grade, teaching reading
step-by-step; "Leap 1" is for preschool through first grade, teaching reading, math and essential
subjects through story and activity books primarily based on licensed characters ("Arthur's Lost
Puppy," "Winnie The Pooh," Richard Scarry characters); and "Leap 2" is for grades 1-3, teaching
reading comprehension and reading to learn ("Hit It, Maestro!," "I Know Where My Food
Goes").
Each comes paired with a plug-in cartridge necessary for operation.
The ten new books are: Lesson 1 -- "Alphabet Adventures," teaching letters and letter sounds
with
over 30 phonics games. Lesson 2 -- "Tad's Good Night," teaching short vowels A and I, and
includes 14 phonics games. Lesson 3 -- "A Day At Moss Lake," teaching short vowels O and E
with
12 games. Lesson 4 -- "The Day Leap Ate Olives," teaching short vowel U and vowel review,
with
14 games. Lesson 5 -- "Lost and Found," teaching consonant blends with 12 games. Lesson 6 --
"Cake and Mice Cream," teaching vowels A and I, silent E, with 12 games.
Lesson 7 -- "Mole's Huge Nose," teaches long vowels E, O and U, silent E, with 12 games.
Lesson
8 -- "Rainy Day Play" teaches vowel combinations and rhyming words (though kids are usually
proficient at rhyming by this stage) with 14 games. Lesson 9 -- "A Bark in the Dark" teaches R-
and
L-controlled vowels with12 phonics games. Lesson 10 -- "A Fisherman's Tale" teaches compound
words (example, "star + fish = starfish"), with 10 games.
Each book gradually introduces new vocabulary words, rhyming words, decoding words, sight
words, spelling lessons, and word identification skills. Occasionally they suggest companion
activity
books, such as "I Know My Long Vowels," for further practice. As a personal learning tool, the
LeapPad and its phonics Program is remarkable. It's a shame that hardware fragility and
prohibitive
cost of the unit and books makes it an unlikely addition to school and public libraries where it
would
quickly become in-demand item at check out.
A Perfect Snow
Nora Martin
Bloomsbury
175 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10010
ISBN 1582347883, $16.95 144 pages, www.bloomsbury.com
The title to Nora Martin's second novel works deftly to provide a pivot point for this quietly
powerful story of hate and redemption. Is "a perfect snow" symbolic of the goal of hate groups
for a
"pure" all-white nation? Or is it a clean slate, providing a chance to start over again?
Sensitive teenager Ben Campbell must decide for himself when he and his brother find themselves
drawn into an Aryan Nation hate group that grows increasingly violent and reckless. Told deftly
from Ben's perspective, "A Perfect Snow" gives a remarkably revealing and disturbing view of
just
how easily vulnerable kids are lured and indoctrinated into insidious cults of hate.
The downward spiral begins when Ben, his older bully brother, and their beleaguered parents
move
to rural Montana, down on their luck. The boys live in a decrepit mobile home, stumble socially at
their new school, while their out-of-work father struggles to find a niche. They were used to be
starting players, but now they're stuck on the bench so the brothers' anger and frustration festers.
Ben tries to stop David's bullying behavior toward the "privileged" kids, but it lands himself in
trouble too.
Their father finds needed comfort in men's support group of sorts, so he brings Ben along to meet
the charismatic leader. The group turns out to be a new clan sect secretly recruiting members.
Without realizing their sinister intent, Ben gets David to join them too and they unleash their
pent-up
anger by vandalizing a Jewish law office, a gay student's home, and a church with a black minister.
Ben soon becomes shocked by his own actions, however, and his awareness inspires compassion
toward others and compels him to do the right thing. But by the time he realizes the true nature of
the horrible crimes, Ben discovers that his brother is in too deep with no desire to change. The
wedge between them grows deeper and deeper when Ben discovers the horrible error of blaming
others for your problems, instead of solving them yourself. Encouraged by the redemptive
comfort
of his new girlfriend, Ben strives to right his wrongs. But will she still care for him when she
learns
what he has done? Bravo to Martin for her revealing, sensitive, and lecture-free approach to an
all-to-common problem troubling teens across the nation.
Scholastic Student Thesaurus
John K. Bollard
Scholastic
557 Broadway, NY, NY 10012-3999
ISBN 0439248825, $16.95 204 pages, www.scholastic.com
Complete, concise, and easy-to-use are three ways to describe Scholastic's latest reference too,
the
"Scholastic Student Thesaurus." Or rather, by putting the book to work, students might prefer to
call it "thorough, short and simple."
Complex and obsolete words are eliminated to suit the vocabulary of students age 10 and up in
this
comprehensive, yet fairly slim, tome. Each entry contains synonyms with cross-references to point
students toward additional word options. A seven-page introduction gives a detailed usage
overview
for beginners, but the clear and concise format requires little explanation. This thesaurus' most
innovative device is the creation of a unique on-the-page index that lets students search for a
word
that is not a main entry. It should be noted that not all on-the-page index words are actually on
the
same page sometimes two or three pages must be turned to find what you need but in most
cases
it is a welcome antidote for frustration with back page indexes. As such, the "Scholastic Student
Thesaurus" is a worthy addition to any elementary and middle-school student reference shelf, and
an
excellent companion to the "Scholastic Children's Dictionary."
Scholastic Student Dictionary
Scholastic
557 Broadway, NY, NY 10012-3999
ISBN 0439365635, $17.95 648 pages, www.scholastic.com
The updated edition of this popular reference dictionary for ages eight and up, now includes
nearly
200 new and updated entries among the original 30,000 entries. Interestingly, the new entries are
not
advanced vocabulary choices, but rather technology-based words and acronyms that have become
commonly used in contemporary life, such as browser, Internet, DVD and SUV. Likewise, many
pre-existing words such as click, chat, extreme, and net -- have been updated to include their
newest definitions. This modernist approach extends to visuals as well; some pictures have been
refreshed by replacing a dozen or so entry illustrations with color photos. The dictionary is as
eye-catching as ever, featuring color guide words and locators; color boxes that feature
interesting
"side-bar" information; and more than 1,000 photos, illustrations and diagrammed pictures that
encourage casual browsing as well as precise research. Bold-faced cross-references keep things
interesting by sending readers to related subjects and illustrations elsewhere in the dictionary.
Never
forgetting the readership, multicultural entries provide enrichment and balance, and most entries
provide kid-friendly sample sentences to demonstrate real-life usage. The "Scholastic Student
Dictionary" continues to be a valuable asset to every elementary school student and library.
Will Rogers
Frank Keating, Illustrated by Mike Wimmer
Silver Whistle/Harcourt Brace Children's Books
525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101
ISBN 015216524X, $21.95 14 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com
Given the surging interest in patriotism and Americana, Will Rogers is excellent subject for a
picture
book biography, particularly one with nostalgic illustrations reminiscent of Norman Rockwell. As
a
child in Oklahoma, Rogers was a skilled horseman with a Cherokee bloodline and an insatiable
taste
for adventure. He loved rural life but his restless nature loved modern travel even more, setting
the
stage for daring round-the-world air travel when flight was new. Later, he was a devoted family
man
who lived the country life in California by paradoxically building a ranch on the lot of a movie
studio. He reached star status via films, radio and his newspapers, and became beloved as
America's
everyman, speaking plain and simple wisdom. He influenced politics and left a legacy of
memorable
quotes, most notably, "I never met a man I didn't like."
It's a loose assortment of Rogers' quotes, however -- not his life story -- that has formed the
structure of this book. Written by Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, its text mainly serves to
flesh
out a single quote chosen for each spread. After several pages about Rogers boyhood, the story
loses its way, and never manages to define the man. Was he a cowboy, an actor or a reporter? A
celebrity or a politician? An aimless wanderer or an explorer? More questions are raised than
answered; his career, accomplishments and basic identity are never made clear. Though
ill-defined,
Keating's gentle "hat's off" salute to the colorful personality is honest and direct, allowing Rogers'
essence to shine through. The book's beautiful design including typewritten words on yellowed
paper, and a close-up excerpt of Rogers' front-age obituary are effective time-travel devices, but
young readers will need much more to gain a true understanding of the man and his legacy.
My Little Blue Robot
Stephen T. Johnson
Silver Whistle/Harcourt Brace Children's Books
525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101
ISBN 015216524X, $21.95 14 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com
This is the perfect non-book for all those young reluctant readers out there who are constantly
disappointed with literary gifts. The pages of this heavy-duty board book cleverly house the flat
cardboard components of a blue robot toy. That's it. No story, no morals, no lessons, just a
satisfying adventure in construction. Like the popular "My Little Red Toolbox" that preceded
"My
Little Blue Robot," this hands-on concept book is an engineering feat and a 4-to-7-year-old's
treat.
It's an excellent parent and child activity.
First, young builders punch out three puzzle-styled headpieces and a cardboard screwdriver for
the
youngest participants to lend a hand, pretending (or thoroughly believing) that they are screwing
in
the moving orange "bolts." Older kids or parents simply follow the five lines of directions for
proper
assembly. The next spread completes the head with three more pieces and five movable silver
square
"screws." The next spread has two leg and wheel pieces, followed by a big back piece with power
packs then two jointed arms.
The final spread contains the piece de resistance: the secret to making this robot tick. "My robot
needs one more thing. He needs a heart. Just like me," states the text, directing the builders to
open
the chest door with a key, and insert a red heart. The magic reward for a job well done? Press on
the
closed door and the robot talks just one phrase, mind you, but it's enough to make kids feel like
rocket scientists.
Page by page, the text contains nothing more than friendly, no-nonsense directions. Theoretically,
the sturdy robot's pieces are to be taken apart and slipped back into their book-page
compartments.
In my household, however, the robot seems to have found a permanent home as a special
playmate,
never to be disassembled again.
Auntie Claus And The Key To Christmas
Elise Primavera
Silver Whistle/Harcourt Brace Children's Books
525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101-4495
0152024417; $16.00 40 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com, 1-800-543-1918
Children will love unlocking the magic of the holiday season with "Auntie Claus and The Key To
Chrismas." Elise Primavera's sequel to her best-selling "Auntie Claus" picture book is another
merry
treat about Sophie Kringle and her mysterious great-aunt, Auntie Claus, who is again preparing to
leave on a "business trip" as Christmas approaches. This time, Sophie's precocious little brother,
Christopher, becomes involved when he expresses doubt that Santa really has a Bad Boys & Girls
List. "I get presents every year," he reasons. "And to be honest, I'm not all that good." To prove
his
theory, he tries to get on the list by doing everything in his bad-boy power to misbehave. Sophie
intervenes, but soon her brother's investigation leads to the North Pole where the siblings are
shocked to find the gates to Christmas locked! What can the secret key to Christmas possibly be?
The satisfying story is richly and humorously told, and the illustrations are an exuberant feast.
Readers will owe Primavera thank-you notes for such an enjoyable gift.
Little Yau: A Fuzzhead Story
Janell Cannon
Harcourt
525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101
ISBN 0152017917, $16 50 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com
Author-illustrator Janelle Cannon has worked her magic time and time again with such splendid
picture books as "Stellaluna," "Verdi" and "Crickwing," the unique fictional portraits of a bat, a
snake and a cockroach, respectively. It was considerably more difficult to get a handle on her
"Trupp" fantasy, however, a meandering tale about an intelligent cat-like creature with human
speech and characteristics who leaves his native desert to explore the big city with a homeless
woman.
The new picture book sequel, "Little Yau" is equally perplexing. Again a fuzzy protagonist lives
as a
southwest Native American, but this time wishes to learn how to utilize herbal remedies taught by
"the Wise Ones." When she discovers the nearly lifeless body of Trupp, Little Yau struggles to
use
natural medicine to save him. The elders instruct her to find a "thumbfoot leaf" as a cure, so Little
Yau rushes to the field where they grow only to find it was destroyed to build a parking lot.
Further search leads into dangerous human territory, so she dons clothes to supposedly escape
detection. When she finally finds a now-endangered "thumbfoot" plant, Yau rushes it home,
Trupp is
cured, and the plant is nurtured for future generations.
Although the snow-white fuzzheads themselves are as cuddly as Ewoks, the story's mix of fantasy
and reality is unsettling for children. The author's zealously touts natural medicine and ecological
preservation, but the messages scream too loudly for the quiet story, burying it under its own
weight. Perhaps the fuzzheads can find a cure for their story's lingering ailment in their next
adventure.
Epossumondas
Coleen Salley, Illustrated by Janet Stevens
Harcourt
525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101
ISBN 015216748X, $16.00 32 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com
Louisiana-native Coleen Salley has been keeping the Southern oral storytelling tradition alive and
well for thirty years, and here, for the first time, is her signature tale in picture book format.
"Epossumondas" is her newest variation of the old "noodlehead story," originally about a human
Epaminondas and his muddled-up mishaps. This time the protagonist takes the form of a foolish
young possum, the "sweet little patootie" of his human mama and auntie who claim he "hasn't got
the sense he was born with."
In one case of misunderstanding after another, Epossumondas transports a gift from his auntie to
his
mama, and manages to ruin each item before it reaches home. When he listens carefully to his
mama's absurd directions for, say, carrying a cake home on his head beneath a hat, he follows her
directions to the letter, resulting in a head dripping with melted butter, a soggy puppy covered in
leaves, and a raggedy loaf of bread dragged on the end of a rope. His final "oops" occurs after his
mama decides to skip the middleman by going to see auntie herself. She leaves him along at home
with six fresh baked pies on the porch and the warning, "You be careful about stepping on those
pies." So of course he was careful: "he stepped right in the middle of every one."
It's a laugh out loud tale for young and old. All that's missing is Salley' s actual voice -- a
thick-as-molasses southern drawl -- but her presence is felt in a different way: Janet Stevens ("To
Market, To Market," "And The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon") had fun basing the books'
illustrations of both exasperated women, on Salley herself.
The Little Red Lighthouse And The Great Gray Bridge
Hildegarde H. Swift and Lynd Ward
Harcourt, Inc.
525 B. Street, San Diego, CA 92101,
ISBN 0152045716, $16 -- 64 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com
In celebration of this classic picture book's 60th anniversary, Harcourt has produced a special
hardback "facsimile edition" that tremendously improves the vividness of its illustrations by
printing
from the original watercolors. Compared with Harcourt's own Voyager Books paperback edition,
the pale pinks and blues have been beautifully reconditioned into the original rich palette of rich
reds,
blues and purples.
There's no more fitting way to celebrate this classic little-lighthouse-who-could story than with a
fresh coat of paint to match the restoration of the real Hudson River landmark. The melancholy
story is now experiencing a true-life storybook ending. First, the book inspired the rescue of the
real
1880 lighthouse when it was decommissioned in 1932 and left to rust until a 10-year-old boy's
fondness for the book and its subject alerted the public. Nearly 30 years later it was added to the
National Register of Historic Places and was restored in the 1980s. Best of all, this year the
lighthouse was fitted with a new lens so it can shine once again when its beacon is lit for the first
time since 1947. Now that's a happy ending worth sharing with generation after generation.
Moonbeans, Dumplings & Dragon Boats
Nina Simonds, Leslie Swartz, and The Children's Museum, Boston
Gulliver Books/Harcourt Brace Children's Books
525 B. Street, San Diego, CA 92101
ISBN 0152019839, $20 80 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com
Subtitled "A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities & Recipes," this outstanding collection
explains the hallmarks of traditional Chinese celebrations, and pairs each with folk tales and
appropriate do-it-yourself projects from holiday foods and decorations to hand-made toys and
other
art-and-crafts ideas. The outline is broken down into four seasonal festivals, each with four to 13
subsections, making out-of-sequence reading a particular pleasure. Interested in the Chinese
Zodiac?
Jump to page 19. Want to make dragon boats or shadow puppets? See pages 54 and 70. Do
Five-Treasure Moon Cakes whet your appetite? Turn to page 66 for the recipe.
Written with special care by best-selling cookbook author Nina Simonds along with a vice
president
of The Children's Museum, Boston, the elegant book sparkles with authenticity and grace. The
myths offer intrigue, festival explanations provide riveting detail, and the how-to projects
encourage
hands-on participation to make the core material come alive.
Love To Langston
Tony Medina, Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
Lee & Low Books
95 Madison Ave., NY, NY 10016
ISBN: 1584300418, $16.95 26 pages, www.leeandlow.com
This picture book tribute to poet Langston Hughes is exemplary in every way. Created as a 100th
birthday gift to the late, great poet, this unique biography is written in verse by talented poet Tony
Medina ("DeShawn Days"), a native of Hughes' old
