Features archive | BookPage

by Lois Dyer

There’s something downright delicious about otherworldly bad boys with magical powers. These three novels feature heroes and heroines who are anything but the boy or girl next door.

LIGHTNING STRIKES
Bestselling author Kerrelyn Sparks launches a new paranormal series with How To Tame A Beast In Seven Days. This charming tale is set in a mythical world where handsome but dangerous Leofric of Benwick is Lord Protector of the Realm, nephew to the king and leader of the realm’s armies. Hit by lightning as a child, Leo carries its power within him and is routinely struck anew during storms. No one can physically touch him, for to do so would bring instant death. Citizens have dubbed him “The Beast” and are terrified of him.

When Leo is commanded by the evil king to marry the daughter of a duke, he knows he has no choice. But he never expected to fall in love with the beautiful, kind heiress. More importantly, he never expected she would miraculously withstand his touch. What Leo doesn’t know is that the woman he knows as Tatiana has magical powers of her own. Attraction sparks instantly between the two, but danger surrounds them, for their king plots to kill them both and sweep their wealth into his own coffers. The attempts on their lives multiply even as the connection between them blazes ever higher.

This novel is a delightful fairy tale for adults, complete with a lovely lady in a tower, the “Beast” who saves her, an evil villain, much danger and derring-do and lots of humor. Toss in a plot with several intriguing twists and it all adds up to a novel readers will love.

SHAPESHIFTERS!
Television actress and author Sara Humphreys leads off a new series with Undiscovered. Private investigator Rena McHale grew up in foster homes and never knew her parents; she doesn’t know why she has the gift of finding lost people. Nor does she understand why she keeps having terrifying dreams of dragons and death. When a handsome stranger steps into her office and hires her to find his brother, however, Rena has a feeling he knows the answers to her questions.

Dragon shifter Zander Lorens needs Rena’s help to unlock the centuries-old curse that has trapped him in his human form and his twin brother in his dragon form. Zander never planned to fall in love with Rena, but the compelling attraction between them is irresistible. He knows he can’t claim her, however, for only she can become his brother’s mate and free them both. But there are dark forces at work, determined to keep Zander away from his brother, even if that means Rena’s death. When secrets are revealed and time runs out, will Zander save her, or will Rena’s dreams of death and dragons finally come true?

Imaginative and compelling, this interesting take on shapeshifters living among humans has lots of adventure, action and sexual tension.

THE DARK KINGS RETURN
New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant returns to the world of the Dark Kings with Firestorm, the tenth novel in the popular series. Absent-minded archeologist Dr. Faith Reynolds is fascinated by an ancient dragon skeleton she has discovered in a cave on a remote island off Scotland. Speculation in the press is rampant, for dragons are, of course, fictional creatures. Her discovery interests more than humans, however, for the Dark Fae and the hidden Dragon Kings each want the skeleton. White Dragon shifter Dimitri is sworn to protect the secrets of the Dragons, and arrives at Faith’s island to destroy the skeleton. One glance at Faith, however, and he feels an attraction so strong that he begins to wonder if she might be that rare human who is unafraid of his dragon form.

Faith is fascinated by Dimitri and soon, her curiosity about the man evolves into passion. But Dimitri has secrets—so many secrets. When the Dark Fae arrive on the island, determined to claim the rare dragon skeleton and endangering everyone on the windswept, wild island, will Dimitri be able to keep Faith alive, his secrets safe and defeat the Dark Fae?

This rousing tale of adventure, thousand-year-old secrets, lust and love is vivid and intense. This is another excellent installment in this fan-favorite series.

Lois Dyer writes from her home in Port Orchard, Washington

There’s something downright delicious about otherworldly bad boys with magical powers. These three novels feature heroes and heroines who anything but the boy and girl next door.

Nonfiction

Nonfiction

Celebrating the season of the Cub

Feature by John C. Williams

by John C. Williams

It’s a new world, baseball fans. The Cubs are World Series champs for the first time since 1908—and there’s plenty to read this spring about the team’s success. The lovable losers stopped losing by employing a manager untethered to traditionalism, a load of young talent and an analytics-savvy front office. This sort of data-driven thinking has become a favorite topic of baseball books, and we get another strong entry this year. The gem of the season, though, takes us back to an earlier era and a much rowdier and more dysfunctional bunch.

To start with the team of the moment: It’s hard to overstate the enormity of the Cubs’ triumph. Just three years ago, they were fresh off an abysmal 96-loss season; in this very space, a reviewer had the gall to call the Cubs “inherently funny.” Oh, how the tables have turned. The last laugh goes to Scott Simon, whose My Cubs: A Love Story is a brisk, sweet romp through Cubs history to the glorious present. Who can forget the numberless celebrity Cub fans who emerged at the 2016 Classic—your Bill Murrays, your John Cusacks, your Eddie Vedders? Simon, host of NPR’s “Weekend Edition Saturday,” was among them, if not so frequently the object of the Fox cameraman’s gaze. Hard to question his bona fides, though. “Uncle Charlie” was Charlie Grimm, who managed when the Cubs last appeared in the Series in 1945. “Uncle Jack” was longtime broadcaster Jack Brickhouse. Neither of these men was Simon’s uncle in the technical sense, but they were close enough to get him access to Wrigley as a boy and a lifelong Cubbie bug.

The personal bits are the best parts here. Simon also finds some deep cuts, such as a remembrance of second baseman Ken Hubbs, whose star shone bright in the early ’60s before a plane crash snuffed it out. Most of the rest is familiar to the initiated—the goat, the Bartman, the victory just lived—though sprinkled liberally with Simon’s Cubs-related doggerel. The Chicago faithful should eat it up, baseball fans with an ear for whimsy will be amused, and no one can begrudge it (Cleveland devotees excepted).

BUILDING A DYNASTY
More straightforward, though deeper, is Tom Verducci’s The Cubs Way: The Zen of Building the Best Team in Baseball and Breaking the Curse. The stars of this show are Theo Epstein, the curse-dispelling general manager who earned his first star with the Red Sox, and Joe Maddon, the unorthodox coach and, as is reported here, big Pat Conroy fan. Verducci, who got plenty of access to his subjects, handles Epstein’s transition to the Cubs from the Sox and Maddon’s coaching philosophy. He structures the story of the team’s construction around a game-by-game description of the 2016 Series. It’s an effective and entertaining breakdown of what looks to be the next MLB dynasty.

THE FUTURE OF STATS
You can be sure the Cubs front office is hip to the stats that are the subject of ESPN analyst Keith Law’s Smart Baseball: The Story Behind the Old Stats That Are Ruining the Game, the New Ones That Are Running It, and the Right Way to Think about Baseball. The subtitle, in all its verbosity and italicization, nicely encapsulates the author’s impatience with atavistic analysis. And it provides the three-part structure for the book.

In the first section, Law brings the hammer down on stats like batting average, RBI and fielding percentage—pillars of baseball cards but irrelevant to a player’s true quality. In the second, he discusses more revealing measures like on-base percentage and fielding independent pitching. In the third, he applies modern stats to questions like the Hall of Fame and discusses where the future of baseball analytics is going—particularly with the advent of MLB’s Statcast product, which promises to give us new information and to make hard-to-quantify abilities like defense easier to grade.

Many readers will already know the undeniable truths here (like the idiocy of saves and pitcher wins); on some of the less familiar concepts (like weighted on-base average, or wOBA), the book is, unfortunately, a bit murky. In most of its sections, though, it qualifies as a useful introduction to (or refresher on) statistical fundamentals—assuming the reader doesn’t mind a little snark, a flat attempt at humor here and there or a condescending tone. Pete Palmer and John Thorn’s The Hidden Game of Baseball (to which this book owes a great debt) is better stats through dense mathematical analysis. Michael Lewis’ Moneyball is better stats through narrative. Smart Baseball is better stats through polemic.

DYSFUNCTIONAL FUN
One team that most certainly did not believe in “smart baseball” was the 1970s Oakland A’s, which took three straight Series from 1972–74. Jason Turbow tells their tale in Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic: Reggie, Rollie, Catfish, and Charlie Finley’s Swingin’ A’s. This team is a perfect fit for Turbow, a wonderful storyteller who gave us a rollicking look at major league players’ daily lives in The Baseball Codes. These A’s were a dysfunctional bunch, known almost as much for their fighting in the locker room as for their play on the field. (Manager Dick Williams could shrug off his own role in one of these scrums by telling the press, “And don’t forget, I had five or six scotches at the time.”)

What arguably fueled the winning was the one person the A’s hated worse than each other: owner Charlie Finley. He was a dictator, a micromanager and a showman. He favored loading up the bench with pinch runners; one of his prized signings was a sprinter who couldn’t read a pitcher’s pickoff move. And he was a skinflint, a quality that earned him the enmity of his players and that famously drove off star pitcher Catfish Hunter. The beauty of Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic is that it works on two levels: as a great yarn but also a sharp illustration of the game as it existed just before free agency changed it forever. Turbow tells the story with a facility that makes it the read of the season.

This article was originally published in the April 2017 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality

Nonfiction Religion & Spirituality

Easter journeys of life and love

Feature by Howard Shirley

by Howard Shirley

The Easter season is a time for pondering life’s promise and seeking new direction for the path ahead. It is also a time of love, for the love of Christ is at the heart of the Christian experience. This Easter, five new books offer inspiring journeys of change, hope, amazement, empowerment and love.

“You are one decision away from changing your life forever,” writes Craig Groeschel, bestselling author (Soul Detox) and founding pastor of Life.Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. Unfortunately, we don’t always recognize that decision when it comes along or make the best choice. But like the proverbial domino, each decision knocks into the next, and soon we find ourselves in circumstances, for good or ill, that we never imagined and never intended.

Recognizing those moments of decision and following God’s guidance is the focus of Groeschel’s latest book, Divine Direction: 7 Decisions That Will Change Your Life. The seven decisions are characterized by the actions that define each circumstance: Start. Stop. Stay. Go. Serve. Connect. Trust. Using life moments, humor and biblical examples, Groeschel explores how these decisions arise in our lives and how God’s word offers wisdom and encouragement in every circumstance. Divine Direction is an engaging read, with both challenges and insight, pointing the reader toward making conscious, deliberate, life-changing decisions with confidence in God’s plan. If you are struggling with challenges, whether overcoming past pain or seeking a better future, Divine Direction will be a welcome guide.

JOURNEY TO THE CROSS
North Carolina pastor Steven Furtick explores God’s love through Christ’s words on the cross in Seven-Mile Miracle: Journey into the Presence of God Through the Last Words of Jesus. Furtick weaves the story of the seven-mile walk to Emmaus, where the resurrected Jesus revealed His place in Scripture to two of his followers, with the seven sentences Christ uttered on the cross. Imagining these statements as mileposts along the way to Emmaus, Seven-Mile Miracle examines not only how each of Christ’s words fulfilled prophecies about Him, but also how each sentence matches our own experiences and struggles in life—and offers us hope, through Christ, in this world and the next. Furtick’s writing is approachable and accessible, but also offers deep insight into Scriptural truths. Whether you’re looking for a compelling Easter read or want to grow richer in your faith at any time, the Seven-Mile Miracle is a journey worth taking.

THE POWER OF GOD
Another journey winds its way through James Robison’s Living Amazed: How Divine Encounters Can Change Your Life. Through autobiography and personal testimony, the renowned evangelist and minister traces the moments of amazement he has found—and continues to find—in his walk with Christ. From miraculous answers to prayer, to unexpected direction and even unwanted (yet needed) spiritual correction, Robison reveals how the Holy Spirit has worked in his life and in the lives of others he has encountered. Filled with interesting anecdotes and firm conviction, but also an uplifting openness towards others, Living Amazed encourages the reader to seek a deeper relationship with Christ and to trust Him in all things. Amid these insights and Scriptural teachings runs Robison’s call for unity in the Christian faith, and a challenge to overcome denominational disagreements and embrace every believer as part of the body of Christ, working together to serve Christ’s purpose. Robison’s life story is remarkable, and his challenge to personally embrace the limitless power of God is compelling. Robison has lived a life of amazement, and Living Amazed calls everyone to do the same.

WOMEN AND THE BIBLE
The rise of feminist thought has brought a swell of challenges against the Bible and its treatment of women. From the admonition that wives should “submit” to their husbands to Paul’s instruction that women should “remain silent” in church, the Bible faces questions and outright rejection by many activists. Wendy Alsup counters those arguments through in-depth analysis in Is the Bible Good for Women? Using the Christian principle that the Bible’s purpose is to point to Christ, Alsup argues that even the most troubling passages of Scripture reveal God’s love for women and their status as equal heirs of Christ. Throughout the book, she reveals the historical and cultural realities behind laws, stories and restrictions that are troubling today, placing these strictures in context both in their time and in our biblical understanding. In the end, Alsup argues, the Bible is not only good for women today, but also at the heart of a truly empowering identity for all God’s daughters.

LOVE IN ORDINARY DAYS
I can think of no more empowering book for either God’s daughters or sons than Maria Goff’s inspirational Love Lives Here: Finding What You Need in a World Telling You What You Want. In beautiful, touching and often amusing stories, Goff, wife of bestselling author Bob Goff (Love Does), offers wisdom gleaned from her life as a mother, neighbor and wife. And a life of love it is. From imaginary lava flows down staircase steps to actual dangers in war-torn Iraq, she shares a life both ordinary and extraordinary, and through that life the love God has for us all. This is not a book you gobble up in a reading rush. Rather, Love Lives Here is like a home-cooked meal with cherished friends, full of moments to be savored, each chapter a delightful morsel for the soul. It is a night around the table—laughing, talking, sharing, full of smiles and sometimes tears. Love lives in Love Lives Here, and Goff’s words will linger in your heart.

This article was originally published in the April 2017 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Women poets who challenge boundaries

Feature by Julie Hale

by Julie Hale

Offering invaluable perspectives on gender, politics and life on the domestic front, these four diverse poets work in a range of styles to create work that’s moving and deeply personal.

Channeling the quick-change nature of contemporary experience, Morgan Parker’s intoxicating There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé is both an of-the-moment book and a collection for the ages. In aggressive poems packed with pop-culture references, Parker explores her identity as a black woman, often writing without the constraints imposed by punctuation. The freedom gives her work a sense of breathless, unchecked urgency.

From Beyoncé to Michelle Obama, Parker invokes a gallery of cultural icons as she probes the nature of African-American womanhood. “Will I accidentally live forever / And be sentenced to smile at men / I wish were dead,” she writes in “The President’s Wife.”

Filled with mid-stanza mood shifts, the poems track the movement of Parker’s mind, flying high on a cloud of grown-up sophistication one moment (“records curated to our allure, incense, unconcern”), then telling the world to go to hell (“I don’t give any / shits at all . . .”). “I live somewhere imaginary,” Parker writes. That place, the reader suspects, is poetry.

Afro by Morgan Parker

I’m hiding secrets and weapons in there: buttermilk
pancake cardboard, boxes of purple juice, a magic word
our Auntie Angela spoke into her fist & released into
hot black evening like gunpowder or a Kool, 40 yards of
cheap wax prints, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, a Zulu
folktale warning against hunters drunk on Polo shirts and
Jägermeister, blueprints for building ergonomically perfect
dancers & athletes, the chords to what would have been
Michael’s next song, a mule stuffed with diamonds & gold,
Miss Holiday’s vocal chords, the jokes Dave Chapelle’s
been crafting off-the-grid, sex & brown liquor intended
for distribution at Sunday Schools in white suburbs, or in
other words exactly what a white glove might expect to
find taped to my leg & swallowed down my gullet & locked
in my trunk & fogging my dirty mind & glowing like
treasure in my autopsy

A POISED DEBUT
Layli Long Soldier creates a work of dignity and power from the seed of a single word in the haunting collection WHEREAS. A member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, Long Soldier draws upon the bureaucratic language of the U.S. government—specifically that of the 2009 congressional apology to Native Americans—using the term “whereas” as the foundation for an extended cycle of poems that includes brief, concrete pieces and lengthy prose narratives. Tension simmers beneath the surface as she reflects on her culture, sense of identity and family: “Whereas her birth signaled the responsibility as mother to teach what it is to be Lakota, / therein the question: what did I know about being Lakota?”

In ways that feel fresh and innovative, she plays with word patterns and typography to produce poems that appeal to the eye as well as the intellect. She can stop the reader cold with a stunning image, as in “Steady Summer,” when “two horseflies love-buzz / a simple humid meeting / motorized sex in place.” Long Soldier is such an assured, versatile poet that it’s difficult to believe this is her debut.

ECO-CONSCIOUS
Pastoral poems typically celebrate the beauty of the great outdoors—Wordsworth’s “Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey” is a classic example—but for Rebecca Dunham, the pastoral tradition’s benign portrayal of humans at one with nature is no longer valid. She upends the tradition in Cold Pastoral, an urgent collection inspired in part by her research into the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Dunham interviewed oil rig workers, oystermen and others affected by the spill, and she incorporates their stories into poems such as “To Walk on Air,” in which crew members jump from the burning rig: “. . . feet cycling air. / Their boots / pierce cloud as they crash / into a sea stirred to wildfire.” For the men in “Pump Room,” the earth is “a blue balloon,” the bit of the oil drill “a pin pushed / as far as it can go, until—everything / that could go wrong was going / wrong.”

Filled with images of desolate beauty, Cold Pastoral does the important work of bearing witness. In “Black Horizon,” Dunham writes of “dark / pools oiling sands of blinding / white”—a vision that “never fails to shock.” Dunham’s work preserves and reminds us of that shock at a time when we can’t afford to forget.

POETIC CONTRADICTIONS
Hard Child, the second collection from award-winning poet Natalie Shapero, is a book of abrasive beauty. Detached and Plath-like, Shapero’s approach can be clinical at times, and many of her poems seem cold and removed. Yet she creates connections with the reader through the use of black humor and unexpected rhyme and wordplay.

In first-person poems that often portray the narrator as an outsider, Shapero explores motherhood, gender and history. In “Secret Animal,” she writes, “I would rather / eat straight from the cup of my palm, as / though I’m my own secret animal: fed / from the far side of a link fence, trusted / in spite of warnings.” For the poet, everyday experience is often spiked with menacing signifiers. In “Monster,” a new baby outfit reminds the speaker of the jacket a child wore in Schindler’s List, inspiring a bleak consideration of the past.

Shapero’s poetic voice is at once irascible and appealing, cynical and comical. It’s a tone she employs without isolating her audience—one of the many pleasures to be found in this engaging collection.

This article was originally published in the April 2017 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Offering invaluable perspectives on gender, politics and life on the domestic front, these four diverse poets work in a range of styles to create work that’s moving and deeply personal.

Children's & YA, Picture Book

Children's & YA Picture Book

Words at play

Feature by Julie Hale

by Julie Hale

April is a time for celebrating the power of poetry—its expressive potential, anything-goes embrace of subject matter and (yes!) capacity for play. It’s never too early to spark an appreciation of language and verse in young readers. The books below are a great place to start.

ADVENTURE AT THE MARKET
Part of poetry’s appeal is its ability to elevate and celebrate everyday experiences. Michelle Schaub’s Fresh-Picked Poetry: A Day at the Farmer’s Market (ages 4 to 8) is a prime example of this principle. The 18 works in this spirited book chronicle the adventures of a young boy and girl during a trip to the farmer’s market. Schaub communicates the carnival feel of the occasion in “Market Day Today”: “Farmers chat. / Musicians play. / A neighbor- / stroller- / dog parade.” From “Sally’s Sweet Corn” (“Eat it fast. / Eat it slow. / Crunch in circles. / Nibble rows.”) to “Market Melody” (“Twing, twang, twiddle, / thrum-a-rum— / fiddle pluck / and banjos strum.”), Schaub captures the sounds, sights and smells of the market. Dynamic watercolor pictures by Amy Huntington reflect the pleasure and wonder of the youngsters as they peruse produce, sip lemonade and try to keep their frisky dog in check. This irresistible collection is sure to inspire many market expeditions.

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
Jane Yolen explores the earth’s hidden mysteries in Thunder Underground (ages 5 to 10). The soil, the sea, the city streets—all conceal bustling, secret worlds, and Yolen shows what goes on there in this engaging group of 21 poems. “Spelunk” is a spellbinding descent into the mouth of a cave, where stalactites form “fairy-tale castles,” while “Subway” tracks the endless activity of a train, “growling as it goes from street to street.” Yolen’s skills as an innovative verse-maker are on full display as she plumbs nature’s depths in poems about hidden rivers, percolating volcanoes and busy insect colonies. Josée Masse’s mixed-media illustrations feature an adventuresome pair of children, along with half-hidden surprises that await excavation, like pottery shards and fossils. Yolen uses language and imagery in ways that are never less than arresting. This is a superb collection that will expand the reader’s understanding of both poetry and science.

POETRY IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS
The idea of spending the night outside makes Lucy, the heroine of Tamera Will Wissinger’s Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse (ages 6 to 9), quake in her hiking boots. But with her grandpa and her brother, Sam, she braves a stay at the Sugar Pines Campground. Wissinger tells the story of their excursion through a series of cleverly crafted poems, mixing sophisticated forms, including rondel, kyrielle and blank verse, with a kid-friendly idiom and plenty of humor. Lucy is worried while setting up camp: “During the day the tent is bright. / How dark will it get tonight?” But by bedtime, after s’mores and a blessing from grandpa, she has conquered her fear: “My shield is this pillow, my sword—this flashlight. / Spookiness, Shadows, Strange Noises: GOODNIGHT.” Matthew Cordell’s buoyant illustrations are just right for this trip into the woods. With an accessible glossary of literary terms, Wissinger’s tale is the perfect campfire read.

AN AWESOME ANTHOLOGY
Spanning centuries and cultures, Kwame Alexander’s new collection, Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets (ages 8 to 12), is a delightful survey of verse forms and narrative voices. Alexander shares original poems inspired by 20 of his favorite writers, a diverse group that includes Maya Angelou, Billy Collins, Rumi and Emily Dickinson. With help from poets Chris Coderley and Marjory Wentworth, he delivers a broad range of works. The spare, refined “Contemporary Haiku” is a salute to 17th-century Japanese poet Bashō: “Pens scratching paper / Syllables counted with care / Poets blossoming.” The syncopated “Jazz Jive Jam” pays tribute to Langston Hughes: “ ’Round midnight came a band of neighbors / swinging soul to soul. / The landlord even cut a rug / and let the good times roll.” Ekua Holmes’ stunning mixed-media illustrations have a poetry all their own, making this homage to an international group of literary legends a book to be treasured.

Fiction

Fiction

Untold stories

Feature by Savanna Walker

by Savanna Walker

We all love books about queens and iconic artists, but historical fiction can also uncover the untold stories of history—from lady detectives to aspiring bohemians to scandalous beauty queens. Here are three novels about the stories you didn’t learn in school.

MADAME DETECTIVE
Kate Warne, the first female Pinkerton detective, is a legend of American law enforcement. Greer Macallister’s vastly entertaining novel Girl in Disguise brings this feminist pioneer to life in all her skill and complexity. Kate is a perceptive and determined character, and being inside her head while she makes deductions and analyzes her targets is an enormous amount of fun. Even more enjoyable is the way Kate wrangles her new detective colleagues, most of whom are varying degrees of sexist and some of whom have surprising hidden depths.

Macallister wrings a great deal of tension out of the various setups and traps the Pinkerton detectives use to ferret out crime and sedition, at times simply by adhering to the restrictions of the detective work of the period. The story is episodic at first, allowing the reader and Kate to bounce from case to case while Macallister fleshes out the world of pre-Civil War America and expertly darkens the mood of the book.

Once war breaks out, Kate and her colleagues are devoted to the Union war effort and Macallister’s carefully laid groundwork pays off. The shift from hunting down criminals to facing off against Confederate spies (one of whom is a clever mirror image of Kate herself) raises the stakes of the book and forces Kate into closer quarters with her colleagues and boss, setting up the characters for a satisfying series of confrontations. Long-simmering quarrels come to a head and an unexpected romance blooms that is both touching and maturely sexy.

Steeped in the details of the period, Girl in Disguise is an entertaining ride as well as an homage to a brilliant woman who found and seized her chance at a life full of adventure and purpose.

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY
The inspiration for Edvard Munch’s The Scream is often said to be the artist’s own existential angst and possible mental illness. In The Girl Between, Lisa Strømme gives the painting a more personal origin story—a passionate love affair between the painter and Tullik, a vacationing admiral’s daughter, seen through the eyes of Johanne, Tullik’s young maid.

The strength of Strømme’s novel is her awareness that having Johanne serve as only narrator would be a missed opportunity. The Girl Between is nominally the story of a love affair between two people, but truly the story of an emotional affair between three people. Johanne, who has grown up in the seaside town where Edvard lives and Tullik visits, is an aspiring artist herself as well as a girl just starting to question the boundaries and mores of her conservative upbringing. Johanne’s own artistic talent and burgeoning sense of her own desires color the entire novel, bursting forth in impressionistic passages that connect her emotions and sensations to the art she creates. Her vivid senses of the world around her, brought to startling life by Strømme’s prose throughout the novel, make the passages of impressionistic fancy even more surreal. In The Girl Between, the boundary between the everyday world and the world of art and iconography is porous, with emotion, inspiration and passion constantly flowing from one character to another.

Tullik is an especially fascinating figure as she is painfully aware of the limitations imposed on her because of her wealth and gender. She regresses into a childlike state as often as she attempts to be a bohemian firebrand. Because she is only ever viewed through Johanne’s eyes, it is unclear whether the fascination she provokes in others is entirely unconscious or carefully cultivated, whether her seduction of Edvard is a genuine meeting of souls or a frantic grasp for freedom. Strømme does not hesitate to show how Tullik and Edvard use their privilege to purse their own ends—Tullik with her wealth and control over Johanne, and Edvard with his ability as a man to walk away unscathed by the repercussions of his affairs. Johanne may pity and often idealize the lovers, but Strømme allows the reader to decide for themselves whether The Girl Between is a tragedy of two lovers, or the origin story of a woman who found herself in the wreckage they left behind.

THE HEAD THAT WEARS THE CROWN
In the history of the Miss America pageant, there has in fact been one winner who rejected the position. Her name was Betty Cooper, and she disappeared for 24 hours after winning the title in 1937. Michael Callahan uses her story as a template for The Night She Won Miss America, set in 1950 and centered on reluctant Miss Delaware Betty Welch, who only enters the competition to please her mother. Once in Atlantic City for the final days of competition, Betty find herself more interested in her dashing escort Griff than vying for the crown. But Griff isn’t exactly the picture-perfect suitor Betty thinks he is.

Callahan masterfully creates the sparkling world of Atlantic City in the 50s, draped in the post-war glamour of the Miss America pageant. From the lingo to the elaborate wardrobes of the contestants to the nightclubs and cocktails they frequent, his infectious enthusiasm for the period enlivens every page. Thankfully, he doesn’t rely solely on the delicious window dressing and provides the reader with two well-drawn main narrators—the innocent but self-possessed and intelligent Betty, and her more world-wise roommate Ciji.

Betty is a keen, dubious observer of the pageant, whose increasing success in the competition mainly comes from her refusal to play the part of ambitious beauty queen. But when she meets and falls madly in love with Griffin McAllister, her good sense wars with her powerful attraction to her escort. Callahan does a superb job at evoking the sweep and rush of first love, while at the same time undercutting the fantasy as Betty’s skeptical nature refuses to allow her to fully relax into Griff’s affections.

Ciji, who only entered the pageant because she sees it as a stepping-stone to Hollywood, takes over sections of the narrative once the pageant is over and the strain of the real world sets in. A beauty queen with the cynicism of Humphrey Bogart, Ciji moves through the world with the ever-present knowledge that her good looks are a useful tool (up to a point). As Betty and Griff’s relationship darkens, Ciji finds herself torn between helping her friend and acting in her own best interests.

The drama that unfolds is like one of the movies Ciji hopes to star in. Callahan nimbly guides the reader from the rounds of the Miss America competition to Times Square to a climax on a seaside cliff during a masquerade ball. The Night She Won Miss America is a delightfully dramatic and fast-paced summer read, with just the right amount of darkness to balance out the fluff.

Romance

Romance

Romance with a twist

Feature by Lois Dyer

by Lois Dyer

Romance novels often employ clever and creative plot twists to surprise and delight readers. We’ve chosen three tales with hooks sure to pique your interest.

A BRILLIANT DISGUISE
Award-winning author Tracy Anne Warren delivers Bedchamber Games, the third installment in The Rakes of Cavendish Square series. When brilliant Rosamund Carrow’s father dies suddenly, she agrees to masquerade as a barrister to complete his court cases. Her brother is also an attorney, but due to a stress-induced stutter cannot perform courtroom speaking duties. Dressed as a young male, Rosamund begins to move in legal circles and it is here that she meets the handsome, wickedly intelligent rake Lord Lawrence Byron. A rising star in London legal circles, Lawrence is also the younger brother of a duke and a member of the ton, a level of society far above Rosamund. When Lawrence loses a case to Rosamund, he’s intrigued by who he believes to be a much younger attorney and sets out to become better acquainted. He’s stunned when he discovers the young man he knows as “Ross” is actually Rosamund. The attraction between them is compelling and before long, they are engaged in a blazing affair. However, each know that Rosamund’s time as an attorney must end, and with it, their connection. Rosamund cannot countenance becoming his mistress and Lawrence has always believed he must marry to further his career. When it appears all is lost and they must end their alliance, these two adventurous souls will have to choose. Can they forge a unique path together or will they follow society’s dictates to a future certain to leave them bereft and alone?

The author makes good use of the girl-masquerading-as-boy plot device, seamlessly melding the romance with the heroine’s delight to be employing her wit and knowledge in the legal setting. The sex scenes are hot, the affection between the hero and heroine just as well-developed and the barriers between the two equally believable.

COVERT OPERATIONS
Chicago author Julie Ann Walker uses her home town as the setting for Wild Ride, the ninth book in the Black Knights Inc. series. Fearless reporter Samantha Tate planned to use charming Ethan “Ozzie” Sykes as a source of information about his group, the Black Knights. When their time together turns them into friends, Samantha discovers bad boy Ozzie is really a good guy at heart and she finds herself falling in love with him. Ozzie also loses his heart but he’s keeping secrets—the kind that could get people killed if Samantha exposes them. When Samantha’s investigative work sets a killer on her trail, Ozzie will have to decide if he can keep her safe without revealing the truth about his world. Which will Samantha choose: a shot at winning the Pulitzer Prize for reporting or concealing a covert ops organization that reaches all the way to the President himself?

While the first quarter of the novel moves a bit slowly, the story takes off from there and becomes a non-stop roller coaster ride. Pop culture references and well-drawn secondary characters add texture to this tale of romantic suspense, motorcycle clubs and government intrigue.

A WRINKLE IN TIME
In a stellar adventure tale, author Lynn Kurland shuttles an American heroine and Scottish hero from one era to another in Ever My Love. When jewelry designer Emma Baxter left Seattle for Scotland to escape an annoying ex-fiance, she didn’t expect to flit back and forth between centuries. Handsome and rich Scotsman Nathaniel MacLeod, however, is reluctantly accustomed to jumping between centuries and when he meets Emma, she’s inexplicably drawn through time with him. Nathaniel and Emma have romantic chemistry but that doesn’t explain why she keeps appearing in the mist when he’s wearing chain mail in the fourteenth century and using his sword to defend his kin. At first, he’s busy saving her, but soon the two are exploring the many ways they fascinate and complement each other. Together they foil the interference of Emma’s obnoxious ex-fiance and Nathaniel’s overbearing grandfather. But all their combined brains and brawn may not be enough to conquer the unasked-for time jumping and the mysterious evil determined to destroy them.

This delightful novel boasts a fascinating plot, colorful settings and intriguing characters. The romantic connection between Emma and Nathaniel is charming and warm, and a colorful supporting cast provides depth. Readers will thoroughly enjoy this tale of magic and intrigue.

Lois Dyer writes from her home in Port Orchard, Washington.

Romance novels often employ clever and creative plot twists to surprise and delight readers. We’ve chosen three tales with diverse story-hooks to pique your interest.

Memoir, Nonfiction

Nonfiction Memoir

Sustained by faith

Feature by Julie Hale

by Julie Hale

Three new memoirs offer messages of hope, focusing on God’s goodness in trying times and the blessings that await those who move forward with faith.

A SURVIVOR'S STORY
April 15, 2013 was a day that changed Rebekah Gregory’s life forever. She was standing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon with her young son when—a mere three feet away—two terrorist-planted bombs exploded. Her son was spared, thanks in part to the cover provided by Gregory, who suffered severe injuries due to the blasts. In Taking My Life Back: My Story of Faith, Determination, and Surviving the Boston Marathon Bombing, she recounts the horror of that day and the long process of recovery that followed 18 surgeries and the amputation of her left leg.

As Gregory proves in this heartening memoir, her personal journey is a testament to the power of faith. She grew up in an abusive household, the daughter of a violent-tempered preacher, and her early experiences with religion were unsatisfying. But her belief in Christ blossomed over the years, giving her the ability to face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. “Repairing my body wouldn’t have had much point if my spirit couldn’t have thrived,” she says. “The power of Christ alone sustained my strength.” Gregory’s is a story of trials turned into triumphs, and she shares it in a refreshingly frank and unaffected manner. Readers in need of a spiritual boost will find it in this inspiring book.

TRIUMPH OVER TRAGEDY
Grammy Award-winning musician Steven Curtis Chapman has been writing and recording heartfelt country songs rooted in faith for 30 years. A native of Paducah, Kentucky, he’s a Nashville favorite who has performed on stages around the world. As a small-town boy who made it big, Chapman has had his share of personal and professional struggles. In his new memoir, Between Heaven and the Real World, he traces his path to success and offers an up-close look at the spirit-filled life he leads with his wife and fellow adoption activist, Mary Beth, and their six children.

Despite the career highs—winning 58 Dove Awards, selling more than 11 million records—Chapman has wrestled with questions of faith, never more so than after the death of his adopted daughter Maria in 2008, a tragedy that nearly ended his career. But, as Chapman recounts in the book, through his belief in God’s design, he found a way to move forward. In his songs, Chapman says, he hopes to provide “the voice of a friend encouraging and challenging others from my own experience.” That’s the voice readers will find in this open, honest memoir. Seasoned with Bible verses and anecdotes from the Opry, Chapman’s story will resonate with his many fans and with folks for whom he’s a new discovery.

A LOVE THAT ENDURES
Married in 2002, Joey and Rory Feek had plenty of blessings to count: three wonderful daughters, a farm in Tennessee and a joint career as the celebrated country-music duo Joey+Rory. On his popular blog, thislifeilive.com, Feek posted updates from the farm and shared the message of Christ. But everything changed when Joey was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Her death in 2016 at the age of 41 left Feek devastated. In This Life I Live: One Man's Extraordinary, Ordinary Life and the Woman Who Changed It Forever he tells his unforgettable story.

Born in Atchison, Kansas, Feek was raised mostly by his mother, who struggled to make ends meet. After serving in the Marine Corps, he entered the music business, penning tracks for Kenny Chesney and Randy Travis. He found success as a performer with the radiant Joey, and their popularity was growing when her illness struck. In his book, he recounts the painful process of letting her go and the challenges of moving on. Throughout, he emphasizes the comfort he finds in Christ. “I have peace,” he says. “Because of my faith. And finally opening my hands and turning my life over to God.” Feek is a gifted writer with a plainspoken, down-to-earth style that’s appealing. His faith is palpable on the page. So is his love for Joey.

Three new memoirs about the trials and triumphs of life—perfect for the Easter season!

Children's & YA

Children's & YA

Halloween reading for scaredy-cats

Feature by Robin Smith

by Robin Smith

While reading about scary things under the bed might not make the fears go away, Joe Fenton's newest, What's Under the Bed?, will give little scaredy-cats something to laugh at. When bespectacled Fred climbs into his bed with Ted, his stuffed bear, it's time to begin his nightly wonderings. "What's that noise? What's that sound? Is there something on the ground?" The black-and-white illustrations, at times punctuated with the imagined monster's colors, are oversized to the point of hilarity – especially the very big head, complete with little hairs. When Fred discovers the object of his fears, he can finally go to sleep . . . or maybe not.

Emily Gravett's new picture book, Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears, is a new twist on the genre. This humorous book is actually about the author's fears, and the pencil-carrying mouse "writing" the story is simply a foil. Starting with arachnophobia and moving to aichmophobia (knives, the kind the farmer's wife used), our little friend faces many fears, common and esoteric. Using found objects, chewed paper edges (thanks to Gravett's pet rat), a muted gray, red and beige palette, and an array of fabulous foldouts, Gravett's portrait of what would frighten a mouse (and a person) is just what the psychiatrist ordered. On each page, she encourages readers to record their own fears. The big reveal at the end will provide a welcome relief and spontaneous laughter.

Silhouettes, coupled with adorable pink-cheeked ghosties, tell Belgian Emmanuelle Eeckhout's amusing tale of misplaced fears with a cheeky touch in There's No Such Thing as Ghosts!. Armed with a butterfly net, a little child (nicely androgynous), ignores Mother's request to stay out of the house down the street because it's rumored to be haunted. "Haunted? There's no such thing as ghosts! But if there is . . . I'm going to catch one!" Our brave Everychild enters the house and finds nothing, but the young reader will see what the ghost chaser is missing on every page. Not scary at all, this little book (the smaller size is very appealing) allows the reader to look carefully at the illustrations, rich in white space and droll details, and discover all manner of hidden things. My favorite was seeing a lineup of ghosts waiting for the bathroom. Yellow, black and pink give the artwork a retro feel, but the story line is timeless.

Patrick Loehr's book about disgusting food, Mucumber McGee and Lunch Lady's Liver, is an amusing ode to unrecognizable cafeteria food. When Mucumber arrives late to lunch, he is treated to a "very special recipe" of Liver Cake. Told in rhymes, the story follows Mucumber, decked out in a suit with a bow tie, as he takes a bite of the cake that he fears might end his life. But, never fear, we learn that, "it won't taste as bad as it looks / Because lunch ladies are usually . . . very good cooks." A dark purple and black creepy tone adds to the fun. Serve it up the next time you are reading aloud to a group of children. They will get the joke, and might even try some new food the next time they go through the lunch line.

Finally, Emily Jenkins looks at a different kind of fear in The Little Bit Scary People. Part bibliotherapy and part kid's-eye-view, this offering will be welcomed by teachers and parents of children who are afraid of the people they meet every day: the skateboarder with an unusual haircut, the principal, the impatient music teacher, a classmate who talks to herself, and even the policeman. Using comforting first person, a redhead with a shy, observant temperament is able to conquer her fears by imagining all these "scary" people at home, with their children and loved ones, living their regular non – scary lives. Jenkins' book provides a nice introduction to the idea of empathy and imagination.

Children's & YA

Children's & YA

Rhymes for young readers

Feature by Robin Smith

by Robin Smith

New readers and listeners love the cadence and predictability of rhymed poems and J. Patrick Lewis is a master of the form. In the hyperbolically titled The World's Greatest Poems, illustrated by Keith Graves he offers an amusing and inventive ride into the world of superlatives. From the kookiest hat to the tallest roller coaster to the highest air on a skateboard and every other nutty record in between, Lewis delights readers with his verbal acrobatics and clever poetic forms. The bouncy rhymes are illustrated with droll acrylic-and-pencil drawings that poke fun at the records that people keep. Here is Lewis' limerick to the world's largest potato: "There once was a tater named spud / Who said to his tater tot, 'Bud, / Remember the size is / What takes Tater Prizes, / So don't be a stick-in-the-mud!' " I can imagine young readers dragging out almanacs and record books to write other record-breaking poetry.

Just for laughs
Oops! by Alan Katz, illustrated by New Yorker cartoonist Edward Koren, indulges in silly rhymes. Katz recently scored a hit with Take Me Out of the Bathtub and this collection promises to appeal to the same audience. Sometimes treading on the edge of what adults would call good taste, Katz proves once again that poetry can be very funny indeed. "Hair? Where?" is told from a mischievous boy's point of view: "Dad says, 'You're giving me gray hair!' / At my behavior / he's often appalled. / But I don't see much / gray hair was up there . . . / looks more like I'm making him / bald!" Katz is all about groan-producing puns and plays on words that will have kids rolling their eyes. When he makes sly references to bodily functions, the surprised reader will laugh out loud. Perfect for sharing with boys.

In combat
Lee Bennett Hopkins, one of the most prolific poets and anthologists in the world, compiles powerful poems about centuries of conflict in America at War, illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. Tracing American history from the Revolutionary War to the current war in Iraq, Hopkins chooses poems from familiar voices like Sandburg and Whitman, Levertov and cummings, but also introduces the gut-wrenching poignancy of poems by Iraqi veterans. Part history book, part art book and all poetry, this volume will be as comfortable in a classroom as on a coffee table. These poems get at the heart of what it means to fight in a war, serve in the military and be affected by war.

Abuzz about bees
Naomi Shihab Nye's new collection, Honeybee is a response, in poems and essays, to the recent news of the honeybee's decline. It seems Nye has always been interested in the language of bees and the news that the bees were ailing inspired this volume. Nye's unique voice for peace and justice, coupled with her unwavering wonder, make her one of my favorite poets. Whether she is writing about the variety of humans at an airport or the return of the frogs' song, Nye seems alive in a way that ordinary people can only imagine. Nye's perspective is the prism of hope and the trust that people can live together in peace. I keep coming back to this phrase from "Missing Thomas Jefferson," "I am looking for the human who admits his flaws / Who shocks the adversary / By being kinder and not stronger / What would that be like? / We don't even know." If you are a newcomer to Nye, start here; then, like a honeybee, dip into the nectar of her many other collections.

Children's & YA, Picture Book, YA, YA Fiction

Children's & YA YA Fiction YA Picture Book

Remembering larger-than-life heroes of black history

Feature by Robin Smith

by Robin Smith

I love the careful, almost photographic style of illustrator (and now writer) Kadir Nelson and was thrilled to hear that he was working on a history of Negro League baseball for young readers. We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball was well worth the wait. Everything about this book is beautiful, even the copyright and dedication pages, which are lightly printed with quotations from Negro League greats such as Satchel Paige and Buck O'Neil. In my town, there was a baseball card store where former Negro League players used to sit around and tell stories over coffee, while adoring fans looked on. This book has the feel of a grandfather telling stories from way-back-when, during Jim Crow. And what stories they are! In nine chapters, called innings, of course, the stories flow with the cadence of the spoken word . . . and some of the bravado that often goes along with oral storytelling. "Some of those guys would spike their mother if she were blocking home plate." Can't you picture the old guys nodding their heads in agreement?

Though the stories flow in We Are the Ship, it's the artwork that is absolutely stunning. Nelson frames most of the illustrations from a perspective slightly below the level of the subject, as sports photographers often do. That allows the players to appear larger than life, towering over the reader. With its fascinating details about life as a black person in America, from Jim Crow through the current baseball era, this book will appeal to anyone interested in the history of baseball, African Americans and race. With all the talk of steroids and drugs in baseball this year, Nelson reminds us of another time, a time when players played for the love of the game.

A FAITHFUL COMPANION
Night Running: How James Escaped with the Help of His Faithful Dog, written by Elisa Carbone and illustrated by E.B. Lewis, is a true story that Carbone found while researching her young adult novel, Stealing Freedom. It tells the story of James and his dog, Zeus, who eventually make it across the Ohio River to freedom. James worries that Zeus will be a burden on the long trip, but it turns out that Zeus is one special dog one who will sniff out slave catchers, fight off other dogs and even pull his boy out of a river. Another gripping story brought to life with the watercolors of the incomparable E.B. Lewis, who knows how to sniff out a fantastic manuscript himself.

PLAYING WITH PASSION
Biographies are an important part of the books available for young history readers. Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum, by Robert Andrew Parker, tells the story of someone I am embarrassed to say I had never heard of. But that is the magic of the story—I was drawn in from the first page and found myself thinking about Art Tatum for weeks. I went to websites to explore his music and was completely amazed that this jazz pianist, mostly self-taught and nearly blind since birth, found the prominence he did. Written in the first person and illustrated in Parker's familiar filmy watercolors outlined with pen, this biography reveals the author's obvious admiration for his subject. From the time Tatum started playing in clubs in 1926 at the age of 16, his short life spanned the heyday of the Jazz Age through the mid-1950s. Parker's telling makes it all so alive that it is hard not to want to know more. Children often ignore the end matter that is so important in books, but I hope they will read about the author and Tatum in the fascinating endnotes. For the child or adult who has a passion, whether musical or not, and is inspired by others who follow their passions, this would be a welcome gift.

REVISITING A TRAILBLAZER
Most children learn about George Washington Carver in school and are able to connect him with the words "peanut" and "sweet potato." Tonya Bolden explores Carver more seriously in George Washington Carver, a book to accompany a traveling exhibit on Carver from the Field Museum in Chicago. Filled with archival photographs, artifacts and Carver's own scientific drawings, this is a book to slowly savor. Maybe it's because Carver working in his lab reminds me so much of my own grandfather working in his pharmacy, but Carver has always been a hero to me. His dedication to the earth and his reverence for nature will surely resound with ecologically aware students today. I particularly enjoyed the tidbits that Bolden sprinkles into her narrative—Carver saving everything, even string; Carver knitting and doing embroidery; and, my favorite, a photo of Carver taking his early morning walk, specimen case in one hand, a branch in the other, and a flower tucked in his lapel. Reading about the research he completed with the most basic tools renews my admiration for him. Bolden's straight-shooting afterword addresses Carver's detractors (he did not publicly oppose segregation, which put him at odds with some in the Civil Rights movement) and brings him back into the fold of famous scientists. Now, I just have to hope that the traveling exhibit comes to my city (check fieldmuseum.org to see if it's coming to yours).

INSPIRING PORTRAITS
If you're looking for a new reference book on civil rights history for young children, David Adler's newest offering is a good place to start. Heroes for Civil Rights, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth, discusses eight men, two women and three groups of people who fought for civil rights. The heroes are arranged alphabetically, from Ralph Abernathy to Earl Warren. I especially enjoyed revisiting the stories of Fannie Lou Hamer and Fred Shuttlesworth, two lesser-known heroes. Adler includes Lyndon Baines Johnson and Earl Warren to remind children that some white people, too, fought for civil rights. Farnsworth's oil paintings remind me of the formal portraits we often see hung in businesses or schools to honor past presidents and principals. Sepia tones add to the serious presentation. It's hard to look in the eyes of murdered civil rights workers Goodman, Schwerner and Chaney without thinking about their ages—early 20s—the ages of my own children. Simple, spare and easy to navigate, this is a great resource for children who love history.

WHAT LIES BENEATH
Though the horrors of slavery are acknowledged in Jean Ferris' fine young adult novel, Underground, set in the Mammoth Cave region of Kentucky in 1839, they are mostly a thing of the past for Charlotte Brown and her beau, the brilliant cave explorer Stephen Bishop (a real-life figure). Their new owner treats them well, even allowing Stephen to explore and map caves on his own for days at a time. When Stephen brings Charlotte into Mammoth Cave for privacy as he teaches her to read, Charlotte finds a safe place to hide runaway slaves from the slave catchers and their dogs. She also discovers that she loves Stephen and that she has the inner resources it takes to lie in order to protect the runaways.

Though Charlotte and Stephen are the main characters of this novel, Mammoth Cave itself also figures prominently in the story. A beautiful but peculiar place, filled with blind fish, white crickets and sounds that resemble the voices of spirits, the cave seems to have a life of its own. Ferris weaves interesting details about the daily life of slaves into her fast-paced story. Historical information about the Underground Railroad is also seamlessly included in this suspenseful page-turner, as is an overall sense of respect for the cave itself.

YA, YA Fiction

YA Fiction YA

Summer sizzlers: Terrific teen novels for lazy days

Feature by Lynn Beckwith

by Lynn Beckwith

Once kids hit the age of 13, they seem to be stuck between different worlds. They're still children, but they wish they were adults. They want to be trusted, but often act impulsively. Their reading, appropriately enough, is just as unpredictable as they are. One minute, they pick books from the bestseller lists, and the next, they nostalgically curl up with Dr. Seuss. Because teens are such a tough audience, we've rounded up some new books that are sure to keep them entertained during those long June afternoons.

KEEPER OF THE NIGHT
In her new book Keeper of the Night, writer Kimberly Willis Holt takes on a sensitive subject a mother's depression and suicide. Holt addressed the topic of mentally challenged parents in My Louisiana Sky and the treatment of the morbidly obese in When Zachary Beaver Came to Town. Both books have a loyal following and are on summer reading lists across the country. Set in the Guam of her military brat childhood, Holt's newest novel has a shroud of mystery hanging about it, as the child narrator struggles in the months following her mother's suicide.

Holt's plain, direct prose belies the deep pain the narrator feels as she tries to understand her mother's life and death. The book opens with the breathtaking sentence, "My mother died praying on her knees." Slowly, almost like the stories that surface during therapy sessions, Isabel's sadness and confusion emerge. The death is terrible enough, but the aftermath threatens to engulf every member of Isabel's family. Tata, her father, sleeps curled on the floor next to his bed. Little sister Olivia's bedwetting and nightmares disrupt her sleep. Older brother Frank uses the long nights to carve words in the wall next to his bed and eventually into his own skin.

Isabel's story is both heartbreaking and inspirational, as we watch her sink further into sadness. But, at the breaking point, she and her family are saved by their ability to tell their stories, forgive themselves and begin again.

THE DREAM BEARER
Walter Dean Myers returns this summer with another powerful story of young men growing up in Harlem. In The Dream Bearer, David Curry meets mysterious Moses Littlejohn, an African-American man with white hair, a stubbly beard and baggy clothes, who professes to be a 303-year-old dream carrier. Moses is looking for someone to pass his dreams to, and, as it turns out, David could use a few.

Caught between his violent, unpredictable father, his dedicated mother and Tyrone, his older brother, who is beginning to succumb to the temptations of gang and drug life, David is a gentle boy who listens to the older man's dreams, which soon become a part of him, adding to his understanding of himself, his family and the larger world of Harlem. Myers' latest is a tale that will linger with readers.

A NORTHERN LIGHT
Jennifer Donnelly's first book for young adults, A Northern Light, is a story as big and bold as the North Woods of New York State where it is set. In the tradition of Gene Stratton Porter, Donnelly delivers a novel filled with the particulars of life at the turn of the century, weaving in details of the local farming and logging cultures, and examining attitudes of racial prejudice and feminism.

Narrator Mattie Gokey loves poetry and would like nothing more than to accept the scholarship to Barnard that her teacher, Miss Wilcox, has helped her earn. But her mother recently died of breast cancer, her brother left the family farm after a fight with her dad, and she is desperately needed at home, where her sisters and brothers are too old to be bossed but too young to do farm work.

A talented writer with a thirst for books, Mattie tells her own story in a strong but conflicted voice. Her best friend, Weaver Smith, is also hoping to go to college, but as a black boy saving money for Columbia he faces his own challenges. Their unusual but completely believable friendship sustains Mattie through a difficult year and helps her decide on a course for her life. As the novel progresses, she makes two big promises, and these promises frame the narrative.

For readers who will eventually graduate to the sweeping books of John Irving and Barbara Kingsolver, A Northern Light is the perfect stepping-stone. Deft foreshadowing and a real-life mystery keep the story moving along.

LUCAS
With Lucas, author Kevin Brooks tells the poignant story of Caitlin McCann and her family, who are also reeling from a death. Caitlin's mother died almost 10 years ago, but the wounds still fester, especially for her father. At his suggestion to "let it all out," to "cry herself a story," Caitlin recounts the events of her 15th summer, from the first time she sees the beautiful outsider, Lucas, to the tragic events on the mudflats.

In between, Caitlin spins a dark, suspenseful tale of British life in a small island village not the resort town you might imagine, but a small-minded, inbred community characterized by alcohol abuse, gossip, prejudice and evil. When Lucas, a pale boy with a ghostly presence, suddenly appears on the island nothing is the same for Caitlin. She is bewitched by his manner and his kindness. Lucas seems to have a sixth sense about people, and he warns Caitlin about her companions, whom he sees as dangerous, angry and cruel. Turns out he's right about everything.

This taut story, though quite a bit longer than most young adult novels, will keep readers in its web, much like Lucas keeps Cait captivated throughout the narrative. As the tale unwinds, we see Lucas become the object of jealousy and suspicion, as mean Jamie Tait and his cohorts plot to rid their island of this "gyppo." Brooks' wonderful novel, told by an unforgettable protagonist, reminds us of the redemptive power of stories.

Children's & YA

Children's & YA

Verses, riddles and rhymes

Feature by Lynn Beckwith

by Lynn Beckwith

Perhaps no other genre has the power of poetry. With the ability to get at the heart of the most common or complex ideas and examine them anew, the form offers something for every youngster, from the fledgling reader to the reflective teenager. April National Poetry Month is the perfect time to acquaint children with the pleasures of verse.

Jack Prelutsky, the high king of humorous rhyming poetry, has written a hilarious new volume called The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders. Accompanied by wonderful illustrations from Petra Mathers, these verses are about people and places from all over the United States. The poems range from the amusing title piece to the historic "In the Heart of South Dakota." Short, readable and easily memorized, they are sure to amuse the youngest readers. Prelutsky's signature rhythmic cadence is a favorite with kids, and this book will not disappoint his fans.

Better read with the eyes than heard with the ears, Outside the Lines: Poetry at Play is a collection of concrete poems written by Brad Burg and illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon. For the uninitiated, concrete poems are those that have a shape and a feeling of motion. The words in "Swing" follow the trajectory of a swinging child's feet. The words of some poems, like "Kites," start at the bottom of the page and soar to the top. "Soccer" is made up of words connected by dots that follow the trail of a soccer ball to an exuberant "GOAL!" Surely this is one time when the author and illustrator worked closely together. Concrete poems may be new to many adults, but the playful discipline they require is a lot of fun for children.

Alison Jay and J. Patrick Lewis team up in A World of Wonders: Geographic Travels in Verse and Rhyme, a book of intriguing illustrations and whimsical poems that celebrate geography. Jay's ingenious visuals oil paintings that appear to be overlaid with cracking varnish charmingly complement the varied verses. The collection includes concrete poems and explores many other forms as well, including the acrostic, a child-pleasing poetic trick in which the first letter of each line forms a word or phrase. For instance, the first letters of the lines of the poem "Christopher Columbus" actually form the words "Santa Maria." Young readers will enjoy the volume's riddles and may be inspired to write some of their own.

The simple elegance of haiku makes it a pleasure to read, and Miriam Chaikin has put together a lovely introduction to this ancient form in Don't Step on the Sky: A Handful of Haiku. The subject matter is typical of the form a celebration of the natural world but this is the natural world of young children. Chaikin deviates from the strict rules of haiku we learned in high school, and the freedom she demonstrates in her verse reflects the wildness of her subject. Capturing the curiosity of a child, she writes, "A blade of grass/pushes through the cement/Hello, world." Hiroe Nakata's nearly translucent watercolor illustrations have a naive style that is the perfect accompaniment to this marvelous helping of haiku.

More serious and reflective are the poems of Naomi Shihab Nye. Her newest volume, 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East, is a collection of poems for young people that focuses on one of the world's most troubled areas. Adults may be familiar with Nye's passionate voice from her visits to A Prairie Home Companion or her various volumes of poetry. Now young readers can experience her clear, heartfelt words in this slim, accessible volume. Nye's introduction to the book is a new poem entitled "Flinn, On the Bus." It begins, "Three hours after the buildings fell,/he took a seat beside me./Fresh out of prison, after 24 months,/you're my first hello!" Nye goes on to chronicle, in painful, careful free verse, the story of an ex-con who does not yet know of the events of September 11. She ends, "He'd find out/soon enough. Flinn, take it easy./Peace is rough." Most of these poems have been published in other volumes and journals, and most were written well before the events discussed in Nye's introduction. Perhaps that is why they are doubly powerful. Though high school students and adults might best appreciate her verse, this is a powerful, thought-provoking volume for all.

All Features

Boys get beastie

Celebrating the season of the Cub

Easter journeys of life and love

Women poets who challenge boundaries

Words at play

Untold stories

Romance with a twist

Sustained by faith

Halloween reading for scaredy-cats

Rhymes for young readers

Remembering larger-than-life heroes of black history

Summer sizzlers: Terrific teen novels for lazy days

Verses, riddles and rhymes

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