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Small Press Bookwatch

Volume 5, Number 7 July 2006 Home | SPBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Cookbook Shelf Civil War Shelf
Parenting Shelf Genealogy Shelf Self-Help Shelf
Poetry Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf Photography Shelf
Jobs/Careers Shelf Astronomy Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Fiction Shelf Biography Shelf Art Shelf
Gardening Shelf Children's Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Love Is Life's Lesson
Reginald O. Johns
Xlibris
International Plaza II, Suite 340, Philadelphia, PA 19113
1413492193 $23.99 www.xlibris.com

Love Is Life's Lesson by Reginald O. Johns and featuring illustrations by "Mike" Ridgeway offers a thoughtful and thought-provoking word and pictorial images with respect to the magnificent power of love. Providing readers of all ages with a wisdom of the bible and creatively placed quotes from the scriptures, Love Is Life's Lesson deftly blends Ridgeway's remarkable illustrations with Johns' insightful commentaries. Love Is Life's Lesson is very highly recommended for as an encouraging "picturebook" descriptively surveying, religion, love, the human condition, and the everlasting love of God.


The Cookbook Shelf

Not Just For Vegetarians
Geraldine Hartman
Privately Published
PO Box 644, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, S4P 3A3
1897010052 $16.95 www.veggiesyarnsandtails.wordpress.com

For reasons of improved health, animal protection, and spiritual harmony with Mother Earth, more and more people are becoming vegetarian. Not Just For Vegetarians: Delicious Homestyle Cooking The Meatless Way is the ideal compendium of delightful, delicious, and easy-to-prepare dishes that will inspire vegetarians, whether novice or experienced, to have wonderful meals that they can share with vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. This 172 page cornucopia of recipes is nicely illustrated with color photography, a "Glossary of Terms", and the diverse dishes are organized into chapters dedicated to "Muffins, Scones, Breads & More"; "Family Snacks & Appetizers"; "Soups"; "Salads, Dressings, Sauces, Salsa & Spreads"; "Main Dishes with a Difference"; "There's Not Taste Like Home - Family-Favorite Redos"; and "The Wow Finish - Desserts". From Auntie Blanches' Cottage-Cheese Scones; Tahini Terrific No-Bake Energy Bars; and Meal-in-a-Bowl Cabbage Soup; to Deep-Dish Potato Pie; Mushroom Stroganoff with Herbed Pasta; and Easy Chocolate Hazelnut Clusters, Now Just For Vegetarians will appeal to any kitchen cook for any dining occasion whether or not everyone sitting at the table is vegetarian.

Breakfast Recipes
Janet Sue Terry
Just My Best, Inc.
1746 Dailey Road, Wilmington, OH 45177
1932586431 $24.95 www.jmbpub.com

Nicely embellished with occasional black-and-white drawings, Breakfast Recipes is compiled by Janet Sue Terry and showcases a cornucopia of delicious, appetizing collection of dishes that would make any breakfast truly live up to its reputation as "the most important meal of the day". Beginning with practical advice on the use of sugar vs. artificial sweeteners, apple cider vinegar, baking powder vs. baking soda, and how to significantly reduce your grocery bill when it comes to making breakfast, Breakfast Recipes goes on to whole sections devoted to various drinks from coffee, cocoa, and hot chocolate, to tea, fruit drinks, juices, soft drinks, smoothies and shakes. Baked goods from yeast bread to scones to biscuits, is followed by grits, breakfast meats, bread pudding, and more. There's even an extensive section focusing on the creation of "gift baskets", hot cereals, eggs, pancakes, waffles, french toast, doughnuts, buns, and sweet rolls. Breakfast Recipes also includes such "exotic" fare as crepes, omelets, enchiladas, frittatas, quesadillas, burritos, casseroles, souffles, quiche, and "breakfast pizza". Each thoroughly "kitchen cook friendly" recipe has a clearly laid out list of ingredients and step-by-step preparation and cooking instructions. From ordinary family dining to celebratory breakfast occasions, Breakfast Recipes has everything anyone could ever want within the pages of a single and specialized cookbook.


The Civil War Shelf

Red Clay To Richmond
John J. Fox, III
Angle Valley Press
PO Box 4098, Winchester, VA 22604
097119503X $21.95 www.anglevalleypress.com

Red Clay To Richmond: Trail Of The 35th Georgia Infantry Regiment, C.S.A. by John J. Fox won the 2005 James I. Robertson, Jr. Literary Prize for Confederate History -- and justifiably so! This is the definitive history of a confederate military unit that fought throughout the Civil War including action at Seven Pines, with Stonewall Jackson at Cedar Mountain, at the Second Battle of Manassa, at Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, and finally, at Fort Gregg at the final gasp of military action. Superbly illustrated with period photography, Red Clay To Richmond is enhanced with eight appendices: "From Hell To Home"; 35th Georgia Casualty Figures"; 35th Georgia Appomattox Parolees"; "Court Martial of Lieutenant Solomon G. Johnson"; "The Real Hec Ramsey"; "A Remnant of the Battle flag of the 35th Georgia"; 35th Georgia Veteran's Reunion"; and "35 Georgia Relics from Camp French". Civil War buffs will especially appreciate the inclusion of "Soldier's Roster A-Z"; a bibliography, a lists of published primary sources and secondary sources, articles, essays, newspapers, an author biography, and a comprehensive Index. A history that could well serve as a template for similar accounts of other military units whether Union or Confederate, this is a work of considerable and seminal scholarship, making Red Clay To Richmond is a core addition to any personal, academic, or community library Civil War Studies collection and/or reading list -- especially for its confederate orientation.


The Parenting Shelf

The Calm Baby Cookbook
Melanie Beingessner
Heartlights Publishing
6128 - 4th Street NE, Calgary, AB, Canada, T2K 1K3
0973945508 $17.99 heartlightspublishing@telus.net

The Calm Baby Cookbook was published to help new mothers who are having difficulty calming their babies when the infants continue to cry on a long-term basis. What many new mothers do not realize is that a fussy baby may simply be reacting to something that she or he are eating, and by simply changing their diet on a short-term basis, a fussy baby can be calmed dramatically. What a breast-nursing mother eats and drinks ends up in her breast milk. Because the lining of a newborn's intestines are quite porous for the first four months of life, a baby can have difficulties digesting certain foods. There are approximately ten different foods that consistently cause a baby discomfort and by eliminating them from her own diet, a breastfeeding mother can discover that her baby will usually stop fussing and crying within a week. Thoroughly "user friendly", The Calm Baby Cookbook will prove a simple godsend for parents driven to distraction by a cranky, screaming, crying, distressed newborn during those critically important first few months of life.


The Genealogy Shelf

Forensic Genealogy
Colleen Fitzpatrick, PhD
Rice Book Press
302 Cleveland Avenue, Huntington Beach, CA 92648-2410
0976716003 $26.50 www.forensicgenealogy.info

Forensic Genealogy is a unique contribution to genealogical studies that will enable the novice genealogist (and even the experience genealogical researcher) to utilize diverse resources and methods for developing their genealogical family histories that combines established and conventional genealogical research techniques with cutting edge advances in forensic investigation techniques to identify, understand, correlate, and detail their ancestry. Enhanced throughout will illustrations, this 182 page instructional reference shows how to create a "database" to construct a family story (including cultural profiling). An avid genealogist, Colleen Fitzpatrick offers a thoroughly "reader friendly" introduction to the subject of identification and analysis using everything from surname studies to non-paternity events, to cladograms and pairwise mismatches. Readers will learn how to become a kind of "digital detective" in analyzing documents, photographs, and records of all kinds. Concluding with a chapter on "There Will Always Be Mysteries Left", Forensic Genealogy is a welcome and seminal addition to personal and professional genealogical reference library collections. Also very highly recommended is Colleen Fitzpatrick's related instructional reference DNA & Genealogy (0976716011) with its focus on the genetic trail an ancestor leaves behind which can be traced through Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA testing, offering heretofore unavailable genetics-based expertise to genealogical inquiry for non-specialist general readers with an interest in developing their own genealogical inquiries.


The Self-Help Shelf

My One-Hundred And One Favorite Marriage Myths
Pat MacDonald Boone
Privately Published
5082 List Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80919
0972461140 $14.95 www.maryglenn.com

My One-Hundred And One Favorite Marriage Myths by Pat MacDonald Boone is a highly recommended and beautifully illustrated approach to demystifying marriage. Dr. Boone uses humor, cartoons, questions, suggestions, and solutions through a thoroughly "reader friendly" narrative in addresses such commonly misleading ideas as marriage being a 50/50 proposition between husband and wife, being a married couple means losing individual identity, love is logical, only one of you needs to understand finances, having children will keep the marriage together, dysfunctional husbands and wives should stay together for the sake of their children, and so many more illusions, misunderstandings, naiveties, and fairytales about married life. My One-Hundred And One Favorite Marriage Myths should be considered mandatory reading for anyone contemplating matrimony -- or a divorce!

The Healing Consciousness
Beth Baughman DuPree, M.D.
WovenWord Press
811 Mapleton Avenue, Boulder, CO 80304
927 Mt. Eyre Road, Newtown, PA 18940 (author)
0976667843 $22.00 1-888-773-7738 www.thehealingconsciousness.com

As a board certified surgeon who specializes in diseases of the breast, Dr. Beth DuPree has found through her many years of professional practice and personal experience that blending holistic therapies with state-of-the-art, leading-edge, medical technologies leads to better outcomes than any sole reliance on one to the exclusion of the other. This open-minded attitude and impeccable professionalism shows throughout the pages of The Healing Consciousness: A Doctor's Journey To Healing, an inspired and inspiring collection of Dr. DuPree's illustrative examples and commentaries drawn from her own life as well as the lives of her patients and friends. A dedicated physician who embraces both the wisdom of Eastern and Western approaches to medicine, as well as "mind/body" reciprocal influences, Dr. DuPree shares "life lessons learned" from both her professional observations and personal experiences. Informed and informative, The Healing Consciousness is comprised of twenty-five "reader friendly" chapters (each one dedicated to the underlying message and universal theme of hope, change, and an aspiration to acquire a better balance in our lives regardless of our circumstances or condition) and features a summary of six basic principles, plus a listed bibliography. Dr. DuPree emphasizes a necessary connection between ourselves and what is required to precipitate, participate, and propagate a spiritual enlightenment that will not only enhance our own physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, but the well-being of those with whom we associate whether they be family, friends, associates, or strangers. An articulate presentation in a particularly engaging narrative style that is especially accessible to non-specialist general readers, The Healing Consciousness is enthusiastically recommended reading for those with an interest in alternative medicine, the healing arts, holistic health, personal spiritual development, emotional self-improvement, and adaptive strategies to dealing with stress, illness, and the inevitable hardships that all of us will encounter from time to time. No personal improvement reading list or community library self-help reference collections should fail to include Dr. Beth DuPree's The Healing Consciousness.


The Poetry Shelf

Mulberry
Dan Beachy-Quick
Tupelo Press
PO Box 539, Dorset, VT 05251
1932195246 $16.95 www.tupelopress.org

Mulberry is the third collection of poetry by writing teacher Dan Beachy-Quick. Metaphor, repetitive rhythm, and a common theme of searching for the Infinite by scrutinizing the world, whether with a magnifying glass or a telescope, characterize the original contemplations of Mulberry. A moody journey uncovering one timeless, albeit minute, secret after another. "Mulberry": earthliness is my book multi / leaved and electric the wires / spark weaker than no sun / sets as it rises the sun / sets as it rises on the lip of / a leaf what my mouth / builds dark I will build darker: // white new moon / of fingernail's edge or bright noon of tooth / where I stand where I came to stand / where I stood and had stood / longer than my life the tree leaned / over the broken

Gagarin Street
Piotr Gwiazda
Washington Writers' Publishing House
PO Box 15271, Washington, DC 20003
0931846803 $12.00 www.wwph.org

Gagarin Street is a debut collection of free-verse poems by Polish-born author Piotr Gwiazda (Asst. Prof. of English, Univ. of Maryland Baltimore County), about personal disorientation among the streets of history that may or may not have taken place. Bridging the hypothetical and the mythical into a word where secrets are revealed piece by piece, Gagarin Street provokes deep thought at the changing nuances of personality and environment with the passage of time. "Four Autobiographies": 1) I tried to write it down: // how I abandoned the sinking ship, / washed up on the indifferent shore / among people whose words I couldn't understand, / though I had mastered every language of the world. // (See it's already distorted.)

A Change of Maps
Carolyne Wright
Lost Horse Press
105 Lost Horse Lane, Sandpoint, Idaho 83864
Small Press Distribution
1341 Seventh Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94710-1403
0976211432 $18.00 www.losthorsepress.org www.spd.org

The latest poetry collection by award-winning author and poet Carolyne Wright, A Change of Maps examines the power of travel, destiny, love and independence, as well as what it means to live in separate worlds and experience the clash of cultures. The free-verse conveys a bright and fresh approach to the challenges of destiny, in this lively and boldly enlightening compilation. "The Ice-Climber": A single climber, making his way / handhold by handhold over the blue / labial folds of the glacier. // A man roped only to himself / under a sky closing down, breaking the first rule of avalanche weather. / Never climb on ice alone. // "He's either crazy," you whispered, / "or extremely good." / Your broken climber's trepidation. / Who else would train / for the North Face of the Eiger?

Becoming the Villainess
Jeannine Hall Gailey
Steel Toe Books
Western Kennedy University, 1 Big Red Way, Bowling Green, KY 42101-3576
0974326437 $12.00 www.steeltoebooks.com

Becoming the Villainess is the debut collection of free-verse poetry by journalist Jeannine Hall Gailey. Addressing the archtypes of myth, from modern pop culture to Ovid to Grimm's fairy tales, Gailey weaves words expressing the hearts of shunned, reviled, justly and unjustly treated villainesses and female victims of fable. A dramatic, moving collection; each poem has a gripping personal story to tell. "Daphne, Older": Peel back my skin: / reveal hard fibers, bite marks, // scars from wind and rain. / Life is pain - I won't tell you // any different. Just that sometimes, / avoiding what you fear // isn't the answer. See? All these years / my branches sang with birds // and my leaves drank sunlight- / I haven't missed much. // My heartwood hardens slowly / over time - first, to the music, then, to the light.

From Zaydandeh Rud To The Mississippi
Mahnaz Badihian (Oba)
Author House
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403
1420866044 $11.45 1-800-839-8640 www.authorhouse.com

The verse of poet, writer and dentist Mahnaz Badihian (Oba) reflects the mystic poets of her Iranian childhood and is hallmarked by romantic, simple and philosophical qualities that resonate in the mind and heart of the reader. From Zayandeh Rud to The Mississippi: A Voice From A Road Between East And West is her debut anthology and showcases her experience and expertise in English. Modern Woman: I am a restless woman./A woman with strong shoulders,/That carries life./With iron feet,/That walk through fire every second./I am a woman with a wounded voice,/That bleeds inside, every day./I am a modern woman,/A woman of an age of ex, money, perfumes./I keep the pain in me, I paint the face for you!/I am a restless woman,/A woman of the modern age.

Wings Of An Angel
Angel Logan
Xlibris
7101 Hwy 71 W, 200, Austin, TX 78735
PO Box 540234, Waltham, MA 02454-0234 (author)
141342967X $23.99 www.wingsofanangel.us

Wings Of An Angel is a remarkable and recommend collection of original and intimate poetry by Angel Logan. Each featured poem is paired with a full page illustration. With a message reaching out to readers and guide them through the ideals of love and insights of life, Wings Of An Angel contributes rare and intricate stylings for a unique projection of an enveloping dialect. Ivory Rose: She aimlessly ponders/through the twisted/tangles of uncertainty,/trying to unravel the mystery/of her own trepidation.//The key remains/within the hands of time's unwilling patience/to see what stands/right before her eyes.//The garden of gifts/that capture her soul,/releases the magical blossoms/of life's winding chapters,/opening the ivory rose/of serenity.//Just as each petal/holds unique and wondrous beauty,/her heart nurtures/the essence of innocence and love,/and as long as she believes/in her very own special gifts,/she'll conquer her fear/with happiness.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Birds of Shenandoah National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Ernest Preston Edwards, author; Edward Murrell Butler, illustrator
The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company
431-B East College Street, Granville, OH 43023
0939923963 $19.95

Birds of Shenandoah National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a convenient, full-color field guide that lends itself to easy use by amateur birdwatchers and professional researchers alike. Birds of Shenandoah National Park features a brief entry for each of 336 avian species sighted in the area of Blue Ridge in North Carolina and Virginia, and the Great Smoky Mountains. Each entry consists of the species' common name, its scientific name, its approximate size, a verbal description of its appearance and characteristic habits, and a brief summary of where it can be found during what seasons of the year; yet by far the most valuable identifier are the illustrations, almost all of which are in full color. An index, a checklist, and a brief supplementary section of birds that are not common in the area round out this elegantly useful guide.


The Photography Shelf

Terra Atlas
Naphtali David Rishe
McDonald & Woodward Publishing Co.
431-B East College Street, Granville, OH 43023
0939923998 $19.99 www.mwpubco.com

Deftly compiled by Naphtali David Rishe, Terra Atlas: Central Washington, D.C. is an expansive aerial photographic mapping of the central Washington, D.C. and Arlington, Virginia areas. Comprising a concise, visually informative, superbly executive photographic atlas complete with map-style scale measurements indicators, a street index, points of interest index that serves as an easily accessible landmark locater, Terra Atlas offers readers a "user-friendly" visual guide from an overhead perspective. Terra Atlas: Central Washington D.C. is very highly recommended as the ideal atlas for the Washington, D.C. and Arlington, Virginia areas -- and would serve as an excellent template for overhead photographic mapping reference books for other major American cityscapes as well.

Turning Heads
Jackson Hunsicker, editor
Press On Regardless (Independent Publishers Group, dist.)
13636 Ventura Boulevard, #422, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
0977007405 $29.95 www.turning headsthebook.com

Turning Heads: Portraits Of Grace, Inspiration And Possibilities showcases a collection of original photographs by fifty-nine photographers whose subject is women of all ages and from all walks of life who have lost their hair because of the chemotherapy necessitated by their fight against cancer. The photographers include such Pulitzer Prize winners as David Hume Kennerly, Eddie Adams, and Annie Wells, as well as fashion and art photographers including Greg Gorman, Douglas Kirkland, Lois Greenfield, and Barbara Bordnick. Compiled and edited by Jackson Hunsicker -- who in 2000 at the age of 58 was undergoing treatment for breast cancer and met a woman who refused chemotherapy because she didn't want to look like a "bandanna lady -- who died of her breast cancer rather than endure the "social stigma" of baldness -- felt the urgent need to challenge our perception of what cancer looks like and to celebrate the courageous images and courage of the women comprising Turning Heads. This is both a tribute to the enduring beauty of women struggling with the effects of chemotherapy, and a clarion call to all of us in documenting the necessity for overcoming any personal vanity which would imperil our health and/or contribute to our premature deaths as a consequence of an untreated cancer -- or any other illness. Simply put, Turning Heads should be a part of every community library collection in every village, town, and city in the country.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

One-Hundred Ways To Get On The Wrong Side Of Your Boss
Peter R. Garber
Multi-Media Publications
RR #4B, Lakefield, Ontario, Canada, K0L 2H0
1895186986 $24.95 www.mmpubs.com

One-Hundred Ways To Get On The Wrong Side Of Your Boss: And Strategies To Prevent You From Getting There! by Human Resources professional Peter R. Garber is an informed and informative approach to tactics when dealing with a boss in general, and creating acceptable compromise between employee and employer in particular. An invaluable compendium of one-hundred specific and effective ways to assess particular issues encountered with a boss or workplace manager, One-Hundred Ways To Get On The Wrong Side Of Your Boss ably address such issues as hiding mistakes, being evasive and indifferent, making unrealistic requests, and so much more, with each issue deftly analyzed and providing insight into a more proper approach to dealing with the situation or mental attitude. One-Hundred Ways To Get On The Wrong Side Of Your Boss is very highly recommended and worthwhile reading (especially for workers who not self-employed) as a "how to" manual for getting along with and a boss.

Private Investigations
Norma Mott Tillman, PI
Privately Published
PO Box 158543, Nashville, TN 37215-8543
Maryglenn McCombs (publicity)
maryglenn@maryglenn.com www.maryglenn.com
0963442414 $29.95 www.amazon.com

Norma Mott Tillman draws upon more than twenty-five years of professional experience and expertise in writing Private Investigation 101. Her purpose is to provide a comprehensive guide for career searchers, legal professionals, law-enforcement officers, criminal justice students, and novice private investigators in the techniques of finding missing persons. In the course of doing so, she also provides invaluable insights into the realities of being a private investigator which is substantially different from what people see in the movies or on television -- or read about in detective novels. Tillman explains the essentials for becoming a licensed investigator, including how to start a private investigation agency, write contracts and reports, the various and different types of investigations (background, asset searches, criminal defense, insurance claims, missing persons, divorce and child custody, worker's compensation, medical malpractice); using and finding information sources ranging from professional databases and public records, to internet sources; interviewing techniques; understanding state laws and licensing requirements; and the value in joining professional organizations. Packed from cover to cover with resources, insider tips, illuminating insights, and answers to questions common to the process of becoming a licensed investigator, Private Investigations is the perfect introduction and instruction manual for anyone who aspires to a career in this diverse field. Also very highly recommended are Norma Tillman's previous books: How To Find Almost Anyone Anywhere (Rutledge Hill); The Man With The Turquoise Eyes And Other True Stories Of A Private Eye's Search For Missing Persons (Rutledge Hills; and The Adoption Searcher's Handbook (UFO, Inc.)


The Astronomy Shelf

The Andromeda Galaxy
Donald Craig, Jr.
Lulu Press
860 Aviation Parkway, Suite 300, Morrisville, NC 27560
7702 Teel Way, Indianapolis, IN 46256 (author)
1411653637 $25.99 www.lulu.com/andromeda

The Andromeda Galaxy: A Guide To The Universe by Donald Craig, Jr. (a seasoned amateur astronomer and member of the Indiana Astronomical Society, the Astronomical League, and the American Amateur Astronomers Association) is profuse illustrated, "reader friendly" astronomy guide focused specifically on the Andromeda Galaxy. Laying out the history, size, location, assistance in finding the Andromeda galaxy, and so much more, The Andromeda Galaxy is very highly recommended for all novice astronomers as a competent introduction to the Andromeda galaxy, including the up-to-date research professional astronomy has developed for with respect to our nearest neighboring galaxy. Also available in a hardcover edition ($36.41), The Andromeda Galaxy: A Guide To The Universe is very welcome addition to any personal, school, or community library Astronomy Studies reference collection.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Angelic Mistakes
Roger Lipsey
New Seeds Books
Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
159030313X $26.95 www.newseeds-books.com

Angelic Mistakes: The Art Of Thomas Merton by Roger Lipsey is a descriptive collection and history of works of art created by the mind and hand of Catholic theologian and hermit-monk Thomas Merton during the last decade of his life and which until now has remained largely unknown to the general public. Providing readers with a compendium of Merton's work with each piece being accompanied by an extensive caption, Angelic Mistakes is a "must" for anyone who has read and appreciated Merton's writings, as well as a choice selection as a church, seminary, and academic library "Memorial Fund" acquisition.

Wisdom For The Soul
Larry Chang
Gnosphia Publishers
PO Box 3183, Washington, DC 20010
0977339106 $49.95 www.wisdomforthesoul.org

Painstakingly compiled, accessible organized, and expertly edited by Larry Chang, Wisdom For The Soul: Five Millennia Of Prescriptions For Spiritual Healing is an extensive collection of quotes, sayings, commentaries, texts, insights and perspectives on issues and considerations relevant to spiritual growth and development. Providing seekers of wisdom, knowledge, metaphysical understanding and spiritual advancement with an impressive collection of more than 10,000 quotes about personal empowerment, advancement, and mastery through 220 areas of growth and challenge drawn from over 2200 authors and sources both ancient and contemporary, Wisdom For The Soul offers readers an accessible anthology of inspiring and encouraging contributions from the collective history of philosophy, theology, poetry, metaphysical intuition, perspective, spirituality, and religion. A welcome reference for personal, seminary, academic, and community library "Religion, Spirituality, and Metaphysical Studies" collections, Wisdom For The Soul is very strongly recommended for readers searching for encouraging and empathetic words of wisdom for the conduct and improvement of their lives.


The Fiction Shelf

Murder on a Philosophical Note: Blood on the Lake Path
Shelley Glodowski
Infinity Publishing.com
1094 New DeHaven Street, Suite 100, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2713
(877) BUY BOOK www.buybooksontheweb.com
0741431939 $14.95 224 pp.

Shelley Glodowski has launched her second mystery featuring sleuths Sam Peters and Ian Temple. Set on the idyllic campus of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, "Murder on a Philosophical Note" features a prominent professor of the philosophy and bioethics, who is brutally murdered while jogging on the lake path to Picnic Point along the shores of Lake Mendota. Sam and Ian become involved through her cousin Anni, department administrator for the Department of Philosophy. They had moved to Madison from Minneapolis in order to begin new careers and pursue further education. The tempo of this entertaining mystery is upbeat and fast paced, studded with little vignettes of authentic life in the Mad city. A jaunt to sister University of Minnesota in Minneapolis reunites the band, Heartthrob, and allows for expanded action in the areas of art and philosophy. Sleuth caps "on," Sam and Ian rack their brains to discover the perpetrator of the murder, learning just in time that they must also rescue Sam's cousin Anni who has been kidnapped by the murderer. "Murder on a Philosophical Note" is action packed, well planned and researched, and logically paced. It is a delicious read and another coup for mystery author Shelley Glodowski!

Pacifist Chicken and Other Largely Humorous Stories of Small Hopes
Andrea Kampic
Blue Agave Press
4001 Chevy Chase Drive, Los Angeles, California, 90039
0976790939 $13.95 190 pages www.kampictures.com

"Pacifist Chicken and Other Largely Humorous Stories of Small Hopes" is a delightful collection of twenty-three short stories. Andrea Kampic's quirky, unique sense of humor shines through each brief, pungent tale. A whiff of Twain, a smidgen of Nash, and more than a dash of post -Ferlinghetti make for an unexpectedly tasty mix. An example of her appeal is the segment titled "Personal Expert," which contains 150 sphinx-like queries that reveal the utter absurdity of most of any reader's basic life assumptions. Fortunately Kampic leaves the reader laughing. Contemplating the void can be heavy going, but laughing at the nonsense of life is in a way a profound choice that Kampic deftly encourages us to make. It is a courageous effort, and also highly entertaining. I look forward to reading more of her work.

Friendship - Fate - Fortune
Seth Jackson Horne
iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 6851
0595376290 $21.95 391 pages 1-877-823-9235 www.bamm.com

Seth Jackson Horne's "Friendship-Fate-Fortune" is an original novel about the role of serendipity in the successful lives of two friends and business partners, Bob Callaway and Doug Jennings. The history of their relationship and mutual business growth dovetails with their personal relationship choices and lifemates. All development is expressed through character dialogue, with a few italicized narrative summaries sprinkled throughout. Variety is the spice of life; perhaps that is a central theme of "Friendship-Fate-Fortune." One looks forward to more efforts by this painstaking and quite promising new author.

Marcus
Griffin Garnett
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD, 21705-0151
1424119324 $24.95 369 pages www.PublishAmerica.com

The third title in "The Arlington Trilogy", Marcus" is author Griffin Garnett's concluding work of action/adventure fiction. The surprising development of the many narrative threads begun in the earlier two volumes makes for gripping reading from first page to last. The diverse themes of affection, despair, trust, betrayal, gambling, death, and the ultimate gifts from an undying love, all play a part in an intrigue-laden denouement. The pace is fast and the tone is authentic; post WW II veterans will recognize the world described in such rich detail in the pages of "Marcus." A stubborn will fueled by despair and pain is slowly untangled through the full narrative spectrum of a complex tale. Miraculously, fresh love and forgiveness follow a bloody trail to the much anticipated but still surprising finish. Albeit the final volume of an outstanding trilogy, "Marcus" is a novel that can clearly stand on its own, and you won't want to put it down.


The Biography Shelf

Keep A-Goin'
Tom Benjey
Tuxedo Press
546 East Springville Road, Carlisle, PA 17013
www.lonestardietz.com
0977448614 $32.95 hardcover
0977448606 $19.95 softcover

Keep A-Goin': The Life Of Lone Star Dietz by Tom Benjey is the remarkable, inspiring and distinctive biography of Billy Dietz, who was a winning athlete in his own right, a successful football coach in the earliest days of the sport (and who was inducted into football's "Hall of Fame"), and popular idol with the general public of his era. As the child of an adoptive couple in Wisconsin, Dietz was unaware of his biological parents (his mother was Native American) until he heard his parents quarreling when he was 15. As readers of Keep A-Goin' will discover this is an encouraging tale of personal persistence in self-discovery and determined survival throughout his prolific career and seemingly endless personal and professional difficulties from his days attending the Carlisle Indian School, through his move to Washington State as head football coach from 1915-1917, then coaching for the Mare Island team of the U.S. Marine Corps during World War I, a trial by the government ending in the imposition of a 30-day jail term, and so much more. A superbly written biography by Tom Benjey, Keep A-Goin' is very strongly recommended for Billy Dietz fans and for sports enthusiasts with an interest in the history of the NFL.


The Art Shelf

The Authentic Eye
David Wheatcroft
Antiques, LLC
26 West Main Street, Westborough, MA 01581
No ISBN $50.00 www.davidwheatcroft.com

Compiled by David Wheatcroft, The Authentic Eye: Revising Folk Art Masterworks is an anthology of some of the most extraordinary pieces of art which have been placed with collectors in over the past twenty-five years. Captions identify each beautifully accomplished photograph's featured piece. The Authentic Eye showcases truly exceptional American folk art as represented through pottery, paintings, sculptures, furnishings, drawings, and more. An impressive photographic retrospective of truly extraordinary works of art that the author has placed with collectors over the past quarter century of his professional career as an art dealer, The Authentic Eye is very strongly recommended as a precisely presented display of memorable pieces of folk art exemplifying an American historical art heritage.


The Gardening Shelf

Growing Orchids On Your Windowsills
Tonya McKinley
Biotech Publishing
PO Box 1032, Angleton, TX 77516-1032
1880319241 $14.95 www.biotechpub.com

Capitalizing on its CD-Rom format, Growing Orchids On Your Windowsills: A Very Basic Guide by Tonya McKinley (Associate Professor of Biology at Concord University in West Virginia) is an informed and informative introduction to the tactics and strategies for growing healthy and resplendent orchids within the home. Offering a profusely illustrated and thoroughly "user friendly" compendium of helpful, practical, step-by-step, methodically organized information that is completely accessible to even the most novice home gardener, Growing Orchids On Your Windowsills guides aspiring orchid growers through a collection of beautiful pictures and informative descriptions. An ideal addition to personal and community library home gardening reference collections, Growing Orchids On Your Windowsills is very strongly recommended as a complete and easy-to-follow guide on the intricate art of growing and maintaining orchids within the home.


The Children's Shelf

My Brother And I
Bradley K. Harris
All About Kids Publishing
9333 Benbow Drive, Gilory, CA 95020
0971027862 $15.95 www.aakp.com

My Brother And I by Bradley K. Harris and with illustrations by Phyllis Harris is an entertaining tale of two young brothers, each of whom have completely opposing interests, one loving to stay inside to paint, and the other enjoying the outdoors. Following the two as their interest in one-another grows, My Brother And I carries its young readers through a tale of their mutual discovery and compromise as the two young brothers take a closer look into each others life. A popular addition to any school and/or community library picturebook collection, My Brother And I is very highly recommended for all young readers, particularly boys or those with a brother as an evocative and creative tale of brotherly love and a purely engaging intimacy.

The Alphabet Rocks
Pauline Guy
Golden Eagle Publishing House
9201 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 205, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
0976936402 $12.99 1-310-273-0958 www.goldeneaglepublishing.com

The Alphabet Rocks by Pauline Guy with illustrations by Jerry Pierre-Louis is a wonderful picturebook compendium offering an original and entertaining introduction to the alphabet for preschool children ages 1 to 5. Attention catching and lyrical, The Alphabet Rocks follows the alphabet from A to Z as each letter takes on a fun new rhyme. An ideal addition to family, daycare, kindergarten, and community library collections, The Alphabet Rocks is very highly recommended for youngsters and their parents who searching for an actively rhythmic and entertaining introduction to the alphabet.

Geo The Geode
William G. Hosford
WGH Arts
PO Box 215, Libson, IA 52253
0977656209 $19.95 www.wgharts.com

Imaginatively written and uniquely illustrated by William G. Hosford, Geo The Geode is the informative picturebook formatted documentation providing young readers with a descriptive introduction to rocks. Specifically designed to be of interest and easily accessible for young readers, Geo The Geode follows "Geo" as he tours America and the world describing the most interesting and useful basics features, aspects, and qualities of rocks in a fun and active way. A novel approach to geology, Geo The Geode is very highly recommended for all young readers, as well to teachers, librarians, and parents searching for a complete and thoroughly "kid friendly" introduction to study of rocks, stones and minerals.

It's Springtime In My Backyard
Kathy Mazur
Spring Ducks Books
PO Box 540, Madison, WI 53705-0040
0976107600 $16.95 www.springducks.com

It's Springtime In My Backyard featuring photographs by author and illustrator Kathy Mazur is the delightfully informative and educational tale of Molly and "Moe the Mallard". Following Moe and Molly's backyard adventures through their fun and active everyday lives, It's Springtime In My Backyard will captivate and entertain young readers while providing them with encouraging insights into backyard experiences as commonly encountered by children. Enhanced with the inclusion of an accompanying CD of the book (nicely read by seven-year-old Lauren Mazur), It's Springtime In My Backyard is very highly recommended for family, school and community library picturebook collections for its originality, and thoroughly "kid friendly" text.

Nate The Skate In Search Of His Mate
Judy Jewel
Dunamis Development
3972 Barranca Parkway, Suite 115, Irvine, CA 92606
0976706601 $19.95 www.soleshoes.com

Imaginatively authored and colorfully illustrated by Judy Jewel in a cartoon style, Sole Shoes: Nate The Skate In Search Of His Mate is the fun tale of Nate's search for his matching mate. Following the brave little roller skate through his adventurous pursuit of his companion skate, Nate The Skate In Search Of His Mate is also the story of the wonderful friendships he makes including Barry the trash can, Hydro the fire hydrant, and an intriguing cast of many other interesting characters. Young readers will become completely involved in this original picturebook story from first page to last, making Nate The Skate In Search Of His Mate a very highly recommended addition to school and community library collections for its creative story of friendship, value, and hope.

Let's Go Fishing!
Michael DiLorenzo
Running Moose Publications
42400 Garfield Road, Clinton Twp, MI 48038
The Jenkins Group (publicity)
1129 Woodmere Avenue, Suite B, Traverse City, MI 49686
www.adventureswithjonny.com
0977721000 $17.95 1-231-933-0445

Far more than just a simple picturebook, Adventures With Jonny: Let's Go Fishing!, A Parent And Child Fishing Adventure And Guide by Michael DeLorenzo features illustrations by Jenniffer Julich and is the story Jonny and his father as they awake at the crack of dawn and gather their gear for a full-day of fishing. Carrying young readers through a story hallmarked with a lyrical narrative style combined with creative pictures, Let's Go Fishing! tells of Jonny's exciting day-trip excursion, so well spent with his father as they catch and release quite a grand fish. A wealth of "how to" information is provided on every aspect of fishing from different kinds of hooks and baits, to the use of a fishing pole, and so much more. A welcome addition to any family, school, or community library collection, Let's Go Fishing! is enthusiastically recommended especially for all young readers and parents who share (or would like to share!) a particular and mutual interest in the timeless sport of fishing.

Child Of Mine, Know This
Rebecca Gittrich Whitecotton
Bright Treasures
PO Box 2445, Palatine, IL 60078
0972545018 $15.95 www.brighttreasures.net

Child Of Mine, Know This by Rebecca Gittrich Whitecotton is an inspiring collection of insights into the physical and spiritual aspects of a child with perspective and appreciation for their lives and their families. Providing children with concepts regarding the eternal nature of their soul and the ageless beauty by which they are naturally granted as reflections of God, Child Of Mine, Know This the message is enhanced and illustrated with a multitude of striking, captioned photographs. Child Of Mine, Know This offers parents and children through an invaluable and inspiring lesson of intimacy, unconditioned love, and the true meaning of parenthood. An ideal picturebook for bedtime child/parent bonding, Child Of Mine, Know This is very highly recommended for all parents and their young children for its timeless perspective promoting a spiritual and healthy appreciation for life.

Shelby
Stacy A. Nyikos
Stone Horse Publishing
10632 South Memorial Avenue, #245, Tulsa, OK 74133
0976419912 $15.95 1-888-867-1927 www.stonehorsepublishing.com

With colorful illustrations from Shawn N. Sisneros, Shelby by Stacy A. Nyikos is the entertaining story of Shelby, a shy young lemon shark who desperately wants a friendship but is frightened of whaoos, ballyoos, and little tunnies with the razor-sharp teeth. The lyrical text perfectly augmented with colored drawings provides young readers with an engaging picturebook story of Shelby's encounter in a mangrove swamp provides her the chance to save some fish and begin surprising new friendships. An ideal and fun picturebook story about overcoming shyness and loneliness that many young readers will readily identify with, Shelby is very highly recommended for family, school, and library collections.

Lola And Fred
Christoph Heuer
4N Publishing
44-73 21st Street, D6, Long Island City, NY 11101
0974131989 $15.95 www.4npublishing.com

Charmingly illustrated by Swiss artist Christoph Heuer in a cartoon-like manner, Lola And Fred is an enrapturing, wordless picturebook story of Lola the Tortoise and Fred the Frog. Following the creatively art driven story children will enjoy the relentless efforts of these two friends who share their desire to fly. Lola And Fred persistence in their efforts results in a comedy of ideas and attempts, and eventually discover just what needs to be done. Unique, funny, entertaining, Lola And Fred is very highly recommended as an encouraging tale for preschool children (and even parents) for its clever pictures and stylistic presentation.

Charlie's Treasures
Richard Neumann
Stone in The Surf Press
PO Box 1063, Kenwood, CA 95452
0977460541 $19.95 www.richneumann.com

Charlie's Treasures by Richard Neumann and with illustrations from Dian de Wolf is an intriguing picturebook story of Charlie and his most treasured possessions -- his marbles. Entertaining young readers and holding their rapt attention Charlie enters the toy shop of an old man, Charlie's Treasures follows the him as each of his marbles individual stories are revealed and the brilliance of each marble gleams out of each page. A welcome addition to school and community picturebook collections, Charlie's Treasures is very highly recommended for all young readers as a magnificent tale, easy to relate to, showcasing a very special aspect of one young boy's life.

I Saw It In The Garden
Martin Brennan
Mitten Press
2500 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
1587262967 $17.95 www.mittenpress.com

Martin Brennan' charming picturebook, I Saw It In The Garden, is enhanced with equally charming illustrations by Michael Glenn Monroe. A creative and entertaining tale of a girl and her grandfather's garden, I Saw It In The Garden informatively carrying its young readers through "changing of the seasons" driven changes in the garden. I Saw It In The Garden offers a lyrical context for the emergence and growth of life with so very many plants and critters to be found in the garden. A helpful and encouraging guide with a fun and interesting story throughout, I Saw It In The Garden is very highly recommended reading, especially for those young readers hoping to care for a garden of their own someday with the packet of seeds that is included with this wonderful picturebook.

Little Lilly's Polka Dot World
Wendy Reed
Little Lilly Press
0975549006 $15.95

Creatively written and illustrated by Wendy Reed, Little Lilly's Polka Dot World is the engaging tale of a little polka-dot loving puppy Lilly and her marvelous world of polka-dotted kitties, clothes, houses, and even a polka-dotted tongue! Young readers will following cute Little Lilly as one day she discovers upon her tongue a collection of purple polka-dots, Little Lilly's Polka Dot World will captivate children from first page to last with Reed's lyrical authorship and fun pictures. Little Lilly's Polka Dot World is very highly recommended for both school and community library picturebook collections.

The Munched-Up Flower Garden
Nancy Kelly Allen
Red Rock Press
495 Columbus Avenue, Suite 114, New York, NY 10024
1933176067 $10.95 www.redrockpress.com

A Troublesome Creek Kids Story: The Munched-Up Flower Garden by Nancy Kelly Allen and featuring illustrations by K. Michael Crawford is the lively story of Liz Reilly and her seemingly endless attempts to build up an award winning garden for the Troublesome Creek Picnic. Carrying young readers through the tale of Lizzie and her young friends and rivals, The Munched-Up Flower Garden follows the young girl with her many efforts to maintain her garden despite relentless annoyances from goats, chickens, neighbors, and the evil Sallie Young. Original and entertaining, and available for school and community libraries in a hardcover edition (1933176-040, $16.95), The Munched-Up Flower Garden is very highly recommended as an inspiring example of persistence, bravery, and spirit for all young readers.

Little Library Mouse
Stephanie Lisa Tara
Brown Books Publishing Group
16200 North Dallas Parkway, Suite 170, Dallas, TX 75248
1933285397 $16.95 www.stephanielisatara.com

With illustrations from Alex Walton, Little Library Mouse by Stephanie Lisa Tara is a creative and encouraging tale of an illustrious mouse who lives in a library and when the library is closed and locked at the end of the day carries his little furry mouse friends through fun and imagination driven adventures to be found in the library's many books. Enrapturing the minds of its young readers, Little Library Mouse combines a poetic text with full page works of art in presenting his adventurous endeavors throughout the night of the darkened library through pages and pictures of some very interesting books. A perfect choice for all school and community library picturebook collections, Little Library Mouse is very highly recommended for young readers and their parents seeking to instill in their children a love of reading and an appreciation of libraries.

Wynken Blynken And Nod
Geoffrey Thronton
Edmergentech, Inc.
202 Forest Drive, La Porte, IN 46350
1425910440 $21.95 www.edmergentech.com

Written and illustrated by Geoffrey Thornton, The Illustrated Wynken Blynken And Nod presents the timeless nursery tale and folklore story of three fishermen with a new interpretation through the use of vivid graphic art. Engaging young readers with this classic story, Showcasing an original collection of abstract graphic art from first page to last, The Illustrated Wynken Blynken And Nod is enthusiastically recommended for its novel approach to presenting a much loved poetic lullaby of the three famous fishermen by Eugene Field (1850-1895) which will continue to charm and entertain young children for many generations to come.

Clara's Gift From The Heart
Mary-Kyle Douglas
Blue Marlin Publications
823 Aberdeen Road, West Bay Shore, NY 11706
0967460298 $17.95 www.bluemarlinpubs.com

A charming tale of the young woman Clara and her decision to persist in the endless and tiresome task of brushing her hair, Clara's Gift From The Heart by Mary Douglas is illustrated by Lisa Victoria. Deftly carrying young readers through the creatively original picturebook story, Clara's Gift From The Heart tells of the creatures which soon inhabit Clara's hair as she must build up her courage to finally brush her disgusting hair. With the inclusion of a fun collection of intriguing characters, Clara's Gift From The Heart is very highly recommended reading for children ages 5 to 8 searching for an entertaining, exciting, and encouraging tale of courage, friendship, and faithfulness.

Gitchi Gumee
Anne Margaret Lewis
Mackinac Island Press
216 East Front Street, Suite 205, Traverse City, MI 49684
0974914592 $18.95 1-231-946-7737 www.mackinacislandpress.com

Gitchi Gumee by Anne Margaret Lewis is an original picturebook story enhanced with the museum quality paintings of Kathleen Chaney Fritz. The result is a beautiful presented tale of a young man's remarkable journey through the deepest, greatest bodies of water in a small sail boat. Inspired by the Native American tales of the "big water" and as exemplified in the famous "Hiawatha" saga poem of Longfellow, Gitchi Gumee showcases the adventurous young man's nautical sally into the all-knowing majesty of the open sea. Perfect for both school and community library picturebook collections, Lewis and Fristz's Gitchi Gumee is enthusiastically recommended for young readers and their parents for its superb illustrations in service to a truly inspirational and entertaining story.

Dumplings Are Delicious
Deb Capone
As Simple as That
PO Box 641, Montauk, NY 11954
0972866647 $14.95 www.simpleasthat.com

Dumplings Are Delicious by Deb Capone with illustrations from Stan Jaskiel is a creative approach to educating young readers of the wonderful cultural diversity of this world using the humble dumpling to illustrate this point. Carrying children ages 3 to 8 through differing forms of dumplings to be found in various countries and their ethnic traditions, Dumplings Are Delicious follows six-year-old Rain and her cute little hippo, Bo, through a descriptive survey of all the kinds of dumplings there are. Original and entertaining, Dumplings Are Delicious is very highly recommended as a fun and informative picturebook with an underlying theme of appreciating diversity.

Beba And The Curious Creature Catchers
Lydia Griffin
Laffin Minor Press
PO Box 1537, Breckenridge, CO 80424
0977051609 $16.95 www.bebastories.com

A popular addition to any school or community library picturebook collection, Beba And The Curious Creature Catchers by Lydia Griffin is enhanced with storybook quality illustrations from Stephanie Lostimolo. This is the story of an extraordinary young woman, Beba, and her adventurous pursuit to save a Zeebroose. With help from her trusty straws and quick thinking, Beba And The Curious Creature Catchers carries young readers ages 5 to 8 through the entertaining tale of Beba and her creative approach to saving the forest from the creepy Curious Creature Catchers. With its lively cartoon-quality artwork embellishing an original and energetic story, Beba And The Curious Creature Catchers is very highly recommended reading for children, and an excellent choice for parents searching for the just the right bedtime story.

Zubie The Lightning Bug
Candace Coleman
The Parent Brigade Company
530 New Los Angeles Avenue, #115-332, Moorpark, CA 93021
0977499804 $15.99 www.zubiebug.com

Zubie The Lightning Bug: I Want To Remember Your Thoughts by Candace Coleman and with colorful illustrations from Ginger Nielson, is the colorful tale of Zubie the little lightning bug and his loving mother. Following the little bug through his adventurous life, Zubie The Lightning Bug offers parents and children a wealth of fun and interactive questions about their own life as a way of preserving those memories to look back upon in the years ahead. Original, entertaining, "kid friendly", and a lot of fun, Zubie The Lightning Bug is very highly recommended for parents and their children ages 5 to 9 for its approach to remembering the adventures of childhood and the accomplishments associated with growing up.

The Boy Who Became A Bear
Jean McLaughlin
Xlibris
2 International Plaza, Suite 340, Philadelphia, PO 19113-1598
1599267128 $18.95 www.xlibris.com

The Boy Who Became A Bear by Jean McLaughlin is an original fantasy story enhanced with superbly crafted illustrations from Natalie de Stefano. This is the fascinating tale of Stefan, a curious explorer whose poor treatment of nature brought down upon him an unwelcome surprise from the Dark Wizard of the Dark Mountains and forest. For his disregard of nature and nature's creatures, Stefan is magically transformed into a bear. Following Stefan as he braves the terrifying forest as a newly converted bear, The Boy Who Became A Bear will fully engage the attention of young readers all ages, as Stefan travels far and wide, re-discovering the world through the eyes of a bear. An impressively written and beautifully illustrated fantasy, The Boy Who Became A Bear is very highly recommended reading and would be a popular paperback addition to any school or community library collection.

The Tangle Tower
Jessica Elin Hirscham
Cookie Bear Press
PO Box 5074, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
0970115563 $14.95 www.cookiebearpress.com

The Tangle Tower by Jessica Elin Hirschman features impressive illustrations from Bonnie Bright and is an unique and entertaining story of what happens to a young woman who perpetually postpones brushing her tangled hair. Following the young woman through a week of ongoing and increasingly problematic tattering and knotting of her abundant head of hair, The Tangle Tower will simply captivate young readers ages 5 to 7 with "what happens next!". With its underlying theme of hygiene with respect to hair care, The Tangle Tower is an appropriate addition to school and community library picturebook collections, and very highly recommended reading -- particularly young girls!.

Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns To Listen
Howard Binkow
Thunderbolt Publishing
4314 Marina City Drive, #320, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
0971539014 $15.00 www.wedolisten.com

Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns To Listen by Howard Binkow combines an original and entertaining story with engaging and colorful illustrations from Susan F. Cornelison to provide children 5 through 8 with the tale of Howard Wigglebottom, a young bunny who has poor listening skills. Following Howard through his day at school and the consequences of his continuing failure to listen to his teachers and other authorities, Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns To Listen not only entertains but educates children on what might happen if they decide not to listen, what might happen if they do, and how to best approach good listening. Funny and effective, Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns To Listen is a welcome addition to school and community library picturebook collections, and is especially recommended for all young readers with listening troubles, as well as their parents hoping to find an encouraging and supportive story their children might relate to and learn from.

Lullaby Berceuse
Connie Kaldor & Carmen Campagne
The Secret Mountain
2923163222 $16.95 www.thesecretmountain.com www.amazon.com

Lullaby Berceuse: A Warm Prairie Night, features stories and songs by Connie Kaldor and Carmen Campagne with illustrations from Brian Deines and is a remarkable storybook, enhanced with the addition of a thirteen track CD compiling songs and story for bed-time. Offering a tracklist of All Through The Night (3:36), Prairie Lullaby (2:50), Lullaby, Lullaby (3:12), I Have You (2:31), Dream Baby L'elefant des Reves (4:35), I've Been Told (1:17), Hushaby (3:12), Bonne nuit (2:36), La poulette grise (2:44), Petit bebe (2:25), Maman fait dodo (3:38), Berceuse pour Emanuel Reuben James (2:06), and Isabeau (2:18), Lullaby Berceuse carries its young listeners and readers swiftly through a soothing collection to a quick and silent sleep. Lullaby Berceuse is very highly recommended for all parents searching for a creative sleep-aide for their child for its effective ability to put children into a restful peace. Also very highly recommended from The Secret Mountain is The Fabulous Song (2923163176, $16.95) by Don Gillmor with illustrations from Marie-Louise Gay and music by Michelle Campagne and Davy Gallant.

Lost And Found… Safe And Sound
Emily Numbers
Hickory Nut Publishing
PO Box 140, Macedonia, OH 44056
0971835063 $15.95 1-330-467-6773 www.hickorynutpublishing.com

Lost And Found… Safe And Sound combines an original story by Emily Numbers with expert illustrations from Nicki Omori and is the picturebook story of a young boy who has become separated from his mother while she was shopping with him in a very large grocery store. Following the boy through his various efforts to find his loving but missing mommy, Lost And Found… Safe And Sound engages the interest and attention of children ages 4 to 7 with vivid illustrations and a simply narrative. Lost And Found… Safe And Sound is very highly recommended as an engaging and entertaining story that parents can read along with their children to help assure them and prepare them should they ever experience a similar situation.

Vampire's Bride
Alex Great
Ellefun Publishers
611-421 Queen Street, Aukland, 1001 New Zealand
0476014999 $24.95 www.ellefun.com

Retold for the enjoyment of children by Alex Great, and featuring lively illustrations by Yulie Great, Vampire's Bride: A Bulgarian Folktale is the entertaining story of a young princess who receives an offer of marriage from a young man who is half black, half white, and from a far away land. Following the princess and her groom-to-be through a great adventure, Vampire's Bride captivates its young readers from beginning to end with creative illustrations and a simply wonderful story. Vampire's Bride is very highly recommended for all young readers and parents as an entertaining retelling of a timeless Bulgarian folktale.

Collinsfort Village
Joe Ekaitis
Wind River Publishing
PO Box 446, Silverton, ID 83867-0446
1886249210 $9.95 1-208-752-1836 www.windriverpublishing.com

Collinsfort Village by Joe Ekaitis is the colorful and clever tale of Dennis Pearson, a boy who's childhood was filled with the fantastic literature of Karolyne von Frankenburgh, a writer who has never been seen in public. Young readers will willing follow the novel adventures of Dennis and his two friends -- Bear the suburban-driving grizzly bear who works for the local phone company and Griff the dragon-slaying griffin who reads stories to children at the local library. Collinsfort Village will captivates the total attention of its young readers with this hilarious investigation in an attempt to find the missing author and in the process, discover a completely different world. Documenting Joe Ekaitis as a skilled author and an imaginative storyteller, Collinsfort Village is very strongly recommended to the attention of young fantasy adventure fans.

Return To Aten
Lynn Sinclair
Brown Barn Books
119 Kettle Creek Rd, Weston, CT 06883
0976812606 $8.95 www.brownbarnbooks.com

Return To Aten by Lynn Sinclair is the tale of Jodi and her return with her cat Chowder to her hometown of Aten. Following Jodi through the mysterious story of her disappeared love Caden, and the perpetually peculiar occurrences around Aten and Nera, Return To Aten deftly captivates young readers with its superbly crafted authorship, memorable characters, and thrilling storyline. Return To Aten is very highly recommended for all general fiction and mystery readers ages 12 and older, particularly those following the "Chronicles of Aten" series for its gripping storytelling style.

Jake The Gardener
E.S. Aardvark
Macaronic Press
PO Box 1542, Sebastopol, CA 95473
0976685906 $14.95 1-888-DOG-TALE www.macaronicpress.com

The picturebook story Jake The Gardener by E. S. Aardvark is cleverly illustrated by Dirk Zimmer and is the fun and entertaining tale of Jake the Guide Dog who (after his owner's death) must take of his master's grand-daughter. Following Jake and Maggie through their adventurous move to the big city where they delightfully create a wonderful garden, Jake The Gardener will captivate young readers with an encouraging tale of a family's adjustment to big city life resulting in a party and community contributions. Also available in Spanish (Juan El Jardinero, 0976685949); French (Jacques Le Jardinier 0976685914); and German (Jake Der Gartner 0976685922), Jake The Gardener is recommended for all young readers and their parents as an original and splendidly presented story of family, friendship, and cooperation.

Velicity Goes To The City On A School Day
Roy O Phillips
R&D Children's Books
2808 Twin City Drive, Council Bluffs, IA 51501
1412079497 $8.50 (plus $1.50 s/h) www.rdchildrensbooks.com

Velicity Goes To The City On A School Day by Roy O. Phillips features illustrations from Dawn M. Phillips and is the tale of a young critter named Velicity's decision to skip school and go to the big city. Following an interesting cast of odd critters, Velicity Goes To The City On A School Day carries young readers through a fun story as the Velicity finds herself caught playing hooky by her school principal Lo Man. Velicity Goes To The City On A School Day is recommended as the imaginative tale of a little critter's poor judgement and the repercussions of her actions for all young readers and teachers aiming to educate children in a colorful way of what might happen as a result of forging notes and skipping school.

Paige's Book Of Fishes And Whales
Bryce L. Meyer
Trafford
2333 Gevernment Street, Suite 6E, Victoria, BC, Canada V8T 4P4
1412037557 $9.95 www.trafford.com

Entertainingly written and deftly illustrated in full color by Bruce L. Meyer, Paige's Book Of Fishes And Whales: A Combat-Fishing Book is an original and informative collection of fun facts about the wonderful world of saltwater and freshwater fishes and whales. Showcasing fish commonly found in rivers and streams, as well as fish and whales in the oceans and seas, Paige's Book Of Fishes And Whales captivates its young readers ages 2 through 9 with amazing information about these sensational creatures, their lives, habitats, and appearances. A handy booklet that can easily serve as a child's visual identification guide, Paige's Book Of Fishes And Whales is very highly recommended as a showcase for children with an interest in ecology and habitat of fish.

Follow Your Dreams/De Asas aos Seus Sonhos
Elisabeth P. Waugaman
Editora Prometheus
Papiz 581 Jd. Das Nacoes, Diadema-SP CEP 09931-610
8109 Horshoe Lane, Potomac, MD 20854 (author)
zachary@igapost.com (Brazilian distributor)
8599240021 $11.99 www.amazon.com
Written and illustrated by Elisabeth P. Waugaman for young bilingual (English/Portuguese) readers, Follow Your Dreams/De Asas aos Seus Sonhos: The Story Of Alberto Santos-Dumont is a biography of the intriguing life and incredible accomplishments of Alberto Santos-Dumont who grew up in Brazil. Following Alberto's child-hood dream to fly in a time pre-dating the Wright brother's famed accomplishments, Follow Your Dreams/De Asas aos Seus Sonhos will captivate the rapt attention of young readers from first page to last with the encouraging story of Alberto Santos-Dumont's inventive mind, ambitious aspirations, and fulfilling passion to design, fabricate and fly the smallest passenger balloon, and create a plane with wheels he called "The Dragonfly". Highly recommended for school and community library Bi-Lingual collections for ages 6 to 10, Follow Your Dreams/De Asas aos Seus Sonhos is very highly recommended for all young readers as an inspiring tale of pursuing a dream and the amazing accomplishments of what may come from such persistence.

The Enchanted Lizard/La Lagartijita Magica
Aubrey Smith Carter
Maverick Publishing Company
PO Box 6355, San Antonio, TX 78209
1893271382 $18.95 www.maverickpub.com

The Enchanted Lizard/La Lagartijita Magica by Aubrey Smith Carter with illustrations by Molly Branton is an engaging bilingual tale of villagers living and working in the noted pottery-making community of Mata Ortiz and follows three of the young villagers in their decision to make a grand pot in a coming competition. Following Lila, Marina, and Enrique as the competition heats up between them and a boy named Beto, The Enchanted Lizard/La Lagartijita Magica offers young readers a remarkable story in both Spanish and English. Enhanced with the inclusion of an English/Spanish vocabulary list, The Enchanted Lizard/La Lagartijita Magica is very highly recommended for all young bilingual readers and students as a lyrical and entertaining story with which to practice their bilingual reading skills.

Danny's Dragon: A Story Of Wartime Loss
Janet Muirhead Hill
Raven Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 2866, Norris, MT 59745
0977252507 $10.00 1-866-685-3545 www.ravenpublishing.net

Danny is a ten year old boy whose father was sent off to war in Iraq as part of his Air National Guard unit and who was killed in action. Danny struggles with the various stages of grief as he remembers good times with his father, uses his vivid imagination, and the horse named Dragon that his father had given him. In addition to the pain of losing his father, Danny's family is also plunged into financial problems because of his father's death, and along with his mother and sister, Danny is forced to leave their Montana ranch. Danny must learn about himself, his family, the world, the "fellowship of suffering, and the emotions he feels when attending a Denver public school he discovers has as a classmate the "enemy" -- a boy from Iraq. A skillfully written novel for young readers ages 8 to 14, enhanced with twenty black/white illustrations by Pat Lehmkul, Danny's Dragon is a critically important book that needs to be a part of every school and community library collection in the country as thousands of children find themselves in a similar position to Danny with their fathers (and sometimes their mothers) going off to war, being wounded, and even killed, their lives and families savaged by war and the death of a parent.

Red Knot
Nancy Carol Willis
Birdsong Books
1322 Bayview Road, Middletown, DE 19709
0966276140 $15.95 (hc) & 0966276159 $6.95 (pb) www.birdsongbooks.com

Knowledgeably written and expertly illustrated by Nancy Carol Willis, Red Knot: A Shorebird's Incredible Journey is the remarkable story of one bird's migration between South America's most southern tip, and the twenty-thousand miles she must travel north to prepare a nest and raise her young. Deftly illustrated to provide young readers with an invaluable guide through a beautiful bird's long and perilous journey, Red Knot maps the Red Knot's annual migration, and includes a collection of intriguing information and facts about Red Knots including its shorebird relatives, western hemisphere geography, bird banding information, and more. Enhanced with the inclusion of a glossary, annual timeline, as well as a range and route map, Red Knot is enthusiastically recommended for all young readers ages 6 to 9 as an informative non-fiction picturebook story of a birds annual migration. Also highly recommended for school and community collections are two other books by Nancy Carol Willis: Raccoon Moon (0966276124, $15.95, hc & 0966276132, $6.95, pb) and The Robins In Your Backyard (0966276108, $15.95, hc & 0966276116, $6.99, pb).


James A. Cox
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Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
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