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Books told in first person can instantly transport us into the mind of the character. Eve Bunting’s most recent picture book, One Green Apple, is no exception. In an unadorned, plain-spoken voice, Farah, a recent Muslim immigrant, begins the story of her experience in America. This is my second day in the new school, in the new country. . . . Farah and her new classmates are about to embark on an excursion, a field trip to an apple orchard. Farah feels isolated, alone and different. She does not speak English. Though she wears the typical American garb of jeans and T-shirt, she also wears a dupatta, a traditional headscarf. Other children eye her suspiciously and she hears her country mentioned, although not in pleasant tones.

All is not grim however. Farah sits side by side on a hay wagon with the other children and hears the echoes of her father’s words, it will be good for us here, in time. One girl, Anna, introduces herself and in the two-page spread of the girls’ faces, there is hope. Illustrator Ted Lewin ably captures the myriad of emotions on the faces of the other children: distrust, interest, unease, as they are greeted with the presence of this strange new classmate. The day’s activities include making cider, and each child adds one apple to the mix. Farah’s contribution, the titular green apple, is starkly different, but when combined with the red ones of the other children, creates a drink no less sweet. Farah begins to see the common threads of this culture and her own. Laughs, sneezes and even belches sound the same as in her village. The dogs still romp and hay still tickles the nose. Lewin’s art drenches the book in green, gold and violet hues. His watercolors wash each page in warm light and reinforce the hopeful tone of Bunting’s text. A story of contrasts, One Green Apple gently juxtaposes wariness with kindness and leaves the reader with an image of Farah’s smile as she takes her first step toward self-confidence on a journey of change. Jennifer Robinson is a teacher in Baltimore.

Books told in first person can instantly transport us into the mind of the character. Eve Bunting's most recent picture book, One Green Apple, is no exception. In an unadorned, plain-spoken voice, Farah, a recent Muslim immigrant, begins the story of her experience in America.…
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There’s something to the old saying, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” Crafty people know the pleasure, pride and peaceful satisfaction derived from creating something by hand. Those interested in converting others to their way of thinking might pass along one of these books to anyone whose heart could be helped by busying her hands. You’ll not only spread that sense of peace and accomplishment, but thwart the devil a little as well. Making memorable keepsakes As Nancy Ouchida-Howells writes in Calligraphy: Easel Does It (HarperDesign, $16.95, 96 pages, ISBN 0060588349), the ancient art of beautiful writing demands “full attention and concentration, a balance between control and freedom that creates a meditative, peaceful state as you immerse yourself in the act of creating.” Her book is designed to stand up like an easel for easy reference while following its photographed step-by-step instructions. Ouchida-Howells begins with the basics: materials needed, how to maneuver the pens and basic lettering, then guides you through eight projects “easily adjusted to suit your needs,” such as greeting cards, wrapping paper and invitations. Several calligraphic styles are demonstrated, including Gothic, Renaissance, Celtic, Romanesque and Modern Revival. There’s even a scrapbook cover project that segues nicely into the next book, Scrapbook Tips and Techniques. In fact, since scrapbooks often include lots of lettering, your homemade keepsake album is likely to benefit from your newfound penmanship skills throughout its pages not just on the cover.

If you’re like me, with boxes and boxes of photos, souvenirs and mementos and some vague notion of creatively organizing them “someday,” Scrapbook Tips and Techniques can propel you into action. Chapter titles include “From Chaos to Order: 10 Easy Steps to Photo Organization” (sign me up!), “Collage Craze” and “Border Ideas.” While giving detailed instructions and containing numerous lovely and inspiring example pages, this book is far from being simplistic. For the serious scrapbooker or the seriously artistic, many advanced techniques and mediums are covered, such as creating stained-glass embellishments using watercolors, embossing, or fiber and eyelets for different effects.

Crafts for home and garden A versatile and portable craft, crochet is a quiet, contained activity you can do almost anywhere, and Crochet Basics: All You Need to Know to Get Hooked on Crochet (Barron’s, $22.95, 128 pages, ISBN 0764156780), by Jan Eaton, is the book to get you hooking away. Designed for the absolute beginner, Eaton’s book points out that you don’t need to invest in expensive supplies to get started: all you need is a ball of yarn and a crochet hook or two. With large, clearly defined photos of each step, she walks you through 12 separate projects starting with a simple scarf and progressing to more complicated designs such as a child’s sweater, purses, a lace evening wrap and a colorful Harlequin afghan. “Once you have the hang of holding hook and yarn comfortably,” she notes, “the basic techniques of crochet are surprisingly easy to master, and all crochet forms, no matter how intricate they look at first, are based on a small number of stitches that are very easy to learn.” Finally, if turning trash to treasure floats your creative craft, and you’re not afraid of basic tools like a hammer, sandpaper and paintbrushes, then Flea Market Makeovers for the Outdoors: Projects ∧ Ideas Using Flea Market Finds ∧ Recycled Bargain Buys (Bulfinch, $29.95, 160 pages, ISBN 0821228617), by B.J. Berti, is the book for you. In these pages a weathered trellis, too fragile for garden use, becomes an appealing plant holder, discarded woolen sweaters become a cozy patchwork throw, and rusty thrift-store trays become trendy purveyors of cooling beverages. Berti offers plenty of projects complete with material lists, numbered instructions and photos. My favorite is the romantic painted candelabra for the outdoors, created by removing the light sockets and the wiring from an electric chandelier, painting it and then substituting candles for the milk glass lightbulb covers. Just keep the fire limited to your imagination!

There's something to the old saying, "Idle hands are the devil's workshop." Crafty people know the pleasure, pride and peaceful satisfaction derived from creating something by hand. Those interested in converting others to their way of thinking might pass along one of these books…
Review by

In 1944, U.S. researchers conducted what is still considered to be the definitive study on human starvation. The goal was not to replicate the then-famine conditions of World War II Europe, but to scientifically isolate and examine the effects of hunger from various perspectives. The hope was that the information obtained would be used to alleviate suffering and death. Todd Tucker’s compelling and provocative narrative of that experience, The Great Starvation Experiment: The Heroic Men Who Starved So That Millions Could Live, shows how three disparate groups scientists, the U.S. military and the conscientious objectors who volunteered to be human guinea pigs collaborated for a combination of national security, humanitarian, and scientific reasons.

The idea for the project came from Dr. Ancel Keys, perhaps best known for the K Ration issued to U.S. troops during the war. Dr. Keys had used pacifist draftees, who were officially part of the Civilian Public Service, in other experiments. In the one Tucker writes about here, each man was to attain the normal weight for his height during the first three months of the experiment. In the second period, there would be six months of starvation with each man’s diet cut in half, causing him to endure a 25 percent weight loss. Keys’ goal was nothing less than a complete cataloging of every quantifiable change that occurs in a famished human being, writes Tucker. The final three months, the rehabilitation period what Tucker refers to as the heart of the study was concerned with recovery diets and recording the effects. Tucker follows the volunteers through each phase, and we get to know several as individuals as they endure the grueling ordeal with varying degrees of physical and psychological deterioration. (One, Max Kampelman, impressively, completed his law school course and became an attorney while engaged in the experiment.) Of the original group of 36, 32 made it to the rehabilitation phase. Interviewed in later years, many said participating in the experiment was the most important experience of their lives. For Keys, the most significant finding of the study was, Tucker writes, that the human body was supremely well equipped to deal with starvation. . . . The human body was very, very tough. The author enlightens us about the evolving history of conscientious objection in the U.S. Many CO’s served as combat medics in World War II, including Desmond T. Doss, a devout Seventh-day Adventist, who received the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroic actions on Okinawa. Tucker also contrasts Keys’ experiment, which used idealistic volunteers, with the horrible medical experiments conducted on unwilling victims in Nazi Germany and Japan and traces the attempts by the international medical community to deal with the abuse of human beings in such studies. This well-searched and lucidly written account captures an important experiment little known to the general public. It is consistently compelling and provocative. Roger Bishop is a Nashville bookseller and a frequent contributor to BookPage.

In 1944, U.S. researchers conducted what is still considered to be the definitive study on human starvation. The goal was not to replicate the then-famine conditions of World War II Europe, but to scientifically isolate and examine the effects of hunger from various perspectives. The…
Review by

There’s something to the old saying, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” Crafty people know the pleasure, pride and peaceful satisfaction derived from creating something by hand. Those interested in converting others to their way of thinking might pass along one of these books to anyone whose heart could be helped by busying her hands. You’ll not only spread that sense of peace and accomplishment, but thwart the devil a little as well. Making memorable keepsakes As Nancy Ouchida-Howells writes in Calligraphy: Easel Does It , the ancient art of beautiful writing demands “full attention and concentration, a balance between control and freedom that creates a meditative, peaceful state as you immerse yourself in the act of creating.” Her book is designed to stand up like an easel for easy reference while following its photographed step-by-step instructions. Ouchida-Howells begins with the basics: materials needed, how to maneuver the pens and basic lettering, then guides you through eight projects “easily adjusted to suit your needs,” such as greeting cards, wrapping paper and invitations. Several calligraphic styles are demonstrated, including Gothic, Renaissance, Celtic, Romanesque and Modern Revival. There’s even a scrapbook cover project that segues nicely into the next book, Scrapbook Tips and Techniques (Leisure Arts, $16.95, 288 pages, ISBN 157486422X). In fact, since scrapbooks often include lots of lettering, your homemade keepsake album is likely to benefit from your newfound penmanship skills throughout its pages not just on the cover.

If you’re like me, with boxes and boxes of photos, souvenirs and mementos and some vague notion of creatively organizing them “someday,” Scrapbook Tips and Techniques can propel you into action. Chapter titles include “From Chaos to Order: 10 Easy Steps to Photo Organization” (sign me up!), “Collage Craze” and “Border Ideas.” While giving detailed instructions and containing numerous lovely and inspiring example pages, this book is far from being simplistic. For the serious scrapbooker or the seriously artistic, many advanced techniques and mediums are covered, such as creating stained-glass embellishments using watercolors, embossing, or fiber and eyelets for different effects.

Crafts for home and garden A versatile and portable craft, crochet is a quiet, contained activity you can do almost anywhere, and Crochet Basics: All You Need to Know to Get Hooked on Crochet (Barron’s, $22.95, 128 pages, ISBN 0764156780), by Jan Eaton, is the book to get you hooking away. Designed for the absolute beginner, Eaton’s book points out that you don’t need to invest in expensive supplies to get started: all you need is a ball of yarn and a crochet hook or two. With large, clearly defined photos of each step, she walks you through 12 separate projects starting with a simple scarf and progressing to more complicated designs such as a child’s sweater, purses, a lace evening wrap and a colorful Harlequin afghan. “Once you have the hang of holding hook and yarn comfortably,” she notes, “the basic techniques of crochet are surprisingly easy to master, and all crochet forms, no matter how intricate they look at first, are based on a small number of stitches that are very easy to learn.” Finally, if turning trash to treasure floats your creative craft, and you’re not afraid of basic tools like a hammer, sandpaper and paintbrushes, then Flea Market Makeovers for the Outdoors: Projects ∧ Ideas Using Flea Market Finds ∧ Recycled Bargain Buys (Bulfinch, $29.95, 160 pages, ISBN 0821228617), by B.J. Berti, is the book for you. In these pages a weathered trellis, too fragile for garden use, becomes an appealing plant holder, discarded woolen sweaters become a cozy patchwork throw, and rusty thrift-store trays become trendy purveyors of cooling beverages. Berti offers plenty of projects complete with material lists, numbered instructions and photos. My favorite is the romantic painted candelabra for the outdoors, created by removing the light sockets and the wiring from an electric chandelier, painting it and then substituting candles for the milk glass lightbulb covers. Just keep the fire limited to your imagination!

There's something to the old saying, "Idle hands are the devil's workshop." Crafty people know the pleasure, pride and peaceful satisfaction derived from creating something by hand. Those interested in converting others to their way of thinking might pass along one of these books…
Review by

At one point or another, we have all retraced our decisions to figure out what led to a certain moment. Often, this happens after an unexpected surprise losing our way in a strange city and stumbling into a childhood friend, reluctantly attending a wedding only to fall in love with the best man. Afterward, we celebrate these turning points where fate seems to have gently ushered us onto a better path. But what about the moments where something in our world shifts slightly, but too subtly for us to notice? It is these moments that intrigue Julia Glass in her second novel, The Whole World Over.

For Manhattan pastry chef Greenie Duquette, one such moment hinges on her out-of-this-world coconut cake. When a slice of that cake finds its way to the plate of the aggressively charismatic governor of New Mexico, he immediately offers Greenie a job as his personal chef. Faced with a thriving business but a stagnating marriage, Greenie’s initial hesitation quickly transforms from why to why not? and she packs her bags and her four-year-old son, George, to move to Santa Fe. This decision leads to the unraveling of the existing structure that had characterized Greenie’s life in New York. Her departure doesn’t sit well with her husband, Alan, who is deeply resentful of his wife’s decision less because of their current distance than his fear that the separation will become permanent. Her city-bred son becomes enamored by all things cowboy-related, with some ultimately dicey consequences. And Greenie is forced to contemplate a reconfiguration of her present and future, as well as her past. From here, an entire world opens up as Glass introduces a fascinating cast of characters (including Fenno McLeod from her National Book Award-winning debut, Three Junes) whose lives interconnect in surprising ways. But in the end, the story is about Alan and Greenie and the decisions that drive them apart and bind them together. Meredith McGuire writes from San Francisco.

At one point or another, we have all retraced our decisions to figure out what led to a certain moment. Often, this happens after an unexpected surprise losing our way in a strange city and stumbling into a childhood friend, reluctantly attending a wedding only…
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If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with colon cancer, you’ll want to read Dr. Mark Pochapin’s new book, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Colorectal Cancer. Pochapin is a colon cancer specialist who treated Jay Monahan, the husband of “Today” show anchor Katie Couric. After her husband’s death from the disease, Couric became a passionate advocate for colon cancer screening, even submitting to a televised colonoscopy. In her foreword, Couric writes, “This book provides the information I wish I had before Jay became ill.” Pochapin describes prevention methods, screening techniques, diagnosis and treatment. Straightforward but encouraging throughout, this book is a wonderful resource for patients and their families.

If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with colon cancer, you'll want to read Dr. Mark Pochapin's new book, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Colorectal Cancer. Pochapin is a colon cancer specialist who treated Jay Monahan, the husband…
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<b>More from McMurtry’s Wild West</b> Larry McMurtry’s humorous take on the realities of life in the often-glamorized Old West is in high gear in his latest novel, <b>Telegraph Days</b>, a rollicking odyssey bounding from the Oklahoma panhandle in the 1870s all the way to California and the early days of Hollywood.

Nellie Courtright and her brother Jackson hail from Virginia, but suddenly find themselves orphaned near the small town of Rio Blanca, in Oklahoma Territory. Nellie, as spunky and amorous as any of McMurtry’s previous heroines, talks the sheriff into hiring Jackson as his deputy, while she takes over the recently vacated job as the town telegrapher. Barely a week after their arrival, neophyte deputy Jackson manages to kill all six members of the notorious Yazee Gang with a series of extremely lucky shots.

This is the catalyst that sets Nellie moving she writes a pamphlet about the shootings that soon draws the attention of Buffalo Bill, who hires her to run his affairs in Nebraska while he’s off organizing his Wild West Show. Nellie sticks it out as Buffalo Bill’s majordomo for four years, but then decides to return to Rio Blanca. On the way, Nellie, the Forrest Gump of McMurty’s Wild West, is almost robbed by Jesse James, and meets Billy the Kid shortly before he’s shot. Six months later she and her beau, Zenas, arrive in Tombstone just as the shootout at the O.K. Corral breaks out. She writes up that story, too, contributing to her rapidly rising fame; when Tombstone turns into a ghost town at the end of the silver boom, she and Zenas head to California. There, Nellie throws herself into the movie business, where she meets scores of Hollywood notables. Lillian Gish plays the role of Nellie in <i>The Telegraph Lady</i>, but Nellie never goes to see it, because once is enough to live your life. <b>Telegraph Days</b> is McMurtry at his best a uniquely personal vision of the West, full of non-stereotypical characters and understated, wry humor. <i>Deborah Donovan writes from La Veta, Colorado, a small town with Old West roots.</i>

<b>More from McMurtry's Wild West</b> Larry McMurtry's humorous take on the realities of life in the often-glamorized Old West is in high gear in his latest novel, <b>Telegraph Days</b>, a rollicking odyssey bounding from the Oklahoma panhandle in the 1870s all the way to California…

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In the area of men’s health, one of the most talked-about topics is prostate cancer. Men want to know how to prevent prostate disease and what treatment to opt for if they get it. An interesting approach is outlined in The Prostate Health Program: A Guide to Preventing and Controlling Prostate Cancer. Dr. Daniel W. Nixon and Dr. Max Gomez put the emphasis on diet and nutrition, citing research that indicates 35 percent of all prostate cancers could be prevented through changes in diet. The authors offer a food pyramid, as well as specific menus and recipes, for putting their recommendations into action.

In the area of men's health, one of the most talked-about topics is prostate cancer. Men want to know how to prevent prostate disease and what treatment to opt for if they get it. An interesting approach is outlined in The Prostate Health Program:…
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1909, north central Montana. In the year since their mother died, 13-year-old Paul Milliron and his younger brothers have all found ways to cope. When their attentive but overworked father spies a newspaper ad for a housekeeper willing to trek from Minneapolis to Marias Coulee, Montana ( Can’t cook, but doesn’t bite, reads the headline), change sweeps in like the wind whistling down the Rockies on to the wide, dry prairie.

Rose Llewellyn can’t cook, but she can clean and whistle. And when the teacher in the one-room school runs off with a tent show preacher, Rose’s brother Morris Morgan is drafted to replace her. The fifth teacher in four years, Morrie appears to be a dandy with a mind full of trivia. Can he manage three dozen youngsters including farm boys, ditch diggers’ kids, the battling Swedes and Slavs? With a quick wit, a willingness to conspire and an uncanny ability to discern hidden needs and talents, Morrie is an unlikely success. When the state inspector shows up just in time for the school’s celebration of Halley’s comet, the children rise to the occasion and ensure the school’s future. But then Paul unexpectedly discovers the secret of Rose and Morrie’s past, and the whistling season threatens to end.

Ivan Doig’s memoir of a dryland boyhood, This House of Sky (1978), helped define modern Western literature, and he’s one of its masters. While other writers revel in Montana’s mountains, Doig gives us the plains in all their hard beauty. The Whistling Season, Doig’s eighth novel, returns to territory he first plowed in English Creek and Dancing at the Rascal Fair the deceptively simple stories of lives shaped by the land. Paul narrates The Whistling Season from his perspective nearly 40 years later as the state superintendent who must decide the future of Montana’s one-room schools. Adult Paul intervenes only when necessary, to tell the reader what the boy is still learning: that some of our greatest influences are people we loved for just a season. Leslie Budewitz is a native Montanan who still lives under the Big Sky.

1909, north central Montana. In the year since their mother died, 13-year-old Paul Milliron and his younger brothers have all found ways to cope. When their attentive but overworked father spies a newspaper ad for a housekeeper willing to trek from Minneapolis to Marias Coulee,…
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A wonderful gift for a first-time expectant mother, the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy is a reassuring reference on what to expect in pregnancy. Arranged in a month-by-month format, the guide describes the baby’s growth at each stage and explains how the mother is changing, as well, both physically and emotionally. It’s nice to be warned, for example, that at 17 to 20 weeks, mothers may experience dizziness, shortness of breath, heartburn and urinary tract infections. The book also offers decision guides on topics such as breastfeeding and circumcision and a reference section with common concerns of pregnancy arranged alphabetically. Authoritative, readable and well illustrated, this is an excellent addition to the already ample literature on pregnancy.

A wonderful gift for a first-time expectant mother, the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy is a reassuring reference on what to expect in pregnancy. Arranged in a month-by-month format, the guide describes the baby's growth at each stage and explains how the…
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“Comprehensive” is definitely the first word that comes to mind to describe The New Harvard Guide to Women’s Health. This hefty volume, an updated version of the first guide, published in 1996, covers almost every imaginable women’s health concern, from face-lifts to fibromyalgia. Incorporating new findings from the Women’s Health Initiative, the authors (two Harvard doctors and a medical writer) delve into such hot topics as estrogen replacement therapy and perimenopause. The text is detailed, but presented in a way that’s understandable for the lay reader. Helpful charts and illustrations explain anatomical references. Appropriate for readers of any age, The New Harvard Guide to Women’s Health can help to ensure that women are informed partners in their own medical care.

"Comprehensive" is definitely the first word that comes to mind to describe The New Harvard Guide to Women's Health. This hefty volume, an updated version of the first guide, published in 1996, covers almost every imaginable women's health concern, from face-lifts to fibromyalgia. Incorporating…
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One look at the sullen girl on the cover of I Can’t Believe You Went Through My Stuff!, and you know you’re dealing with teens. Peter Sheras, Ph.

D., addresses a delicate balance aptly summed up in his book’s subtitle: “How to give your teens the privacy they crave and the guidance they need.” No matter what your relationship with your teen, at some point you’ll have to weigh the matter of ensuring their privacy versus making sure they’re not getting into trouble. Sheras provides excellent advice on how to address this and related subjects, such as how to handle your kids’ secrets, and how and when to confront your teen with any information you might have gleaned. Sheras also gives practical advice about handling such issues as Internet romances and pornography.

We parents often address issues like these by the seat of our pants, so it’s a godsend to have sound advice from an expert. Sheras calls parenting teens “Stage 2 parenting,” explaining that useful methods for younger children no longer work. He advocates several valuable strategies, such as “Listen first, speak second,” and explains how to “stay informed about what your child is up to, without embarrassing or infuriating her and driving her farther underground.” Sheras also acknowledges that it’s normal for teens to have secrets it’s a necessary part of growing up. I Can’t Believe You Went Through My Stuff! is a short, easy-to-read book packed with sensible approaches. I recommend it for any parent of a teen or preteen.

Reading these books makes parenting seem like a snap. Now comes the hard part: laying the books aside and putting the theories into action. Good luck!

One look at the sullen girl on the cover of I Can't Believe You Went Through My Stuff!, and you know you're dealing with teens. Peter Sheras, Ph.

D., addresses a delicate balance aptly summed up in his book's subtitle: "How to give…
Review by

Independent woman versus proud parent which will it be? Proving the two roles don’t have to exist in opposition, I’m Too Sexy for My Volvo: A Mom’s Guide to Staying Fabulous by Betty Londergan is full of great tips on how women can retain their identities in the face of motherhood. Londergan has a spirited style and a sassy attitude, and she offers some great ideas for mothers who are struggling to find private time and maintain a sense of self. Londergan kicks things off with a word of warning for new moms: There is literally no limit to the life your kids will want you to give up so you’d better draw the line in the sand now. A little self-indulgence every now and again is OK, says Londergan in fact, it’s absolutely critical. She encourages new mothers to pamper themselves, cultivate friends and hobbies, and have fulfilling romantic lives, all without feeling guilty. Each chapter of the book covers a different stage of motherhood, moving from pre- to post-pregnancy and beyond, with advice on topics like how to pick a preschool, how to monitor a child’s Internet use, and how to simply say no to that darling daughter or super son. Londergan writes with cheek and humor, dispensing practical, no-nonsense advice in a fizzy, fast-paced fashion that will make harried mothers smile.

Independent woman versus proud parent which will it be? Proving the two roles don't have to exist in opposition, I'm Too Sexy for My Volvo: A Mom's Guide to Staying Fabulous by Betty Londergan is full of great tips on how women can retain…

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