2book multi

Nonfiction

Celebrating the season of the Cub

Feature 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.

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.

NonfictionReligion & Spirituality

Easter journeys of life and love

Feature 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.

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.

Women poets who challenge boundaries

Feature 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

Excerpted from the poetry collection There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé published by Tin House Books. © 2017 Morgan Parker.

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 & YAPicture Book

Words at play

Feature 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.

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.

Children's & YA

Halloween reading for scaredy-cats

Feature 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.

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…

Children's & YA

Rhymes for young readers

Feature 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.

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.…

Children's & YAYA FictionYAPicture Book

Remembering larger-than-life heroes of black history

Feature 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.

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…

YA FictionYA

Summer sizzlers: Terrific teen novels for lazy days

Feature 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.

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.

Children's & YA

Verses, riddles and rhymes

Feature 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.

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.

Children's & YA

Gift ideas for the budding bibliophile

Feature by Lynn Beckwith

Lush, beautiful coffee table books aren't only for adults. A number of stunning new volumes will please the younger members of the family and make welcome gifts this holiday season.

HarperCollins Treasury of Picture Book Classics: A Child's First Collection covers a lot of territory and will make the perfect gift for a new baby or a child who is just entering the world of books. Most adult readers will sigh and smile as they turn the pages and renew old friendships. The magical first words of Goodnight Moon, published in 1947, still sound fresh and spare and alive: "In the great green room/There was a telephone/And a red balloon/And a picture of/The cow jumping over the moon." Like Brown's classic, each book in this volume has stood the test of time, from the funny peddler and his monkeys in Caps for Sale to Harold and his magical crayon. There are a few lesser-known characters here, but that's all the more reason to love this treasury of 12 stories, all beautifully illustrated and presented in one big (and heavy!) volume. The perfect way to start a library.

Yann Arthus-Bertand and Robert Burleigh have created the breathtaking Earth From Above for Young Readers. Arthus-Bertand is the well-known aerial photographer and author of numerous adult books, including last year's Earth From Above 365 Days. Though readable and interesting text accompanies these double-page spreads, the photos are the elements that will truly captivate young readers. Each photo demands close inspection: Is that a human dancing on a block of ice? (Nope it's an exuberant penguin.) Are those really ghostly camels? (Or shadows?) Each continent is represented in these brilliant pictures, which reflect the awesome diversity of life on earth.

The Making of America is a history book for elementary readers and a fine reference book for every family. From the first chapter, the author, Robert D. Johnston, Ph.D., does not mince words about Columbus' role in American history. "It was Christopher Columbus who set in motion the most dramatic and devastating assaults on Native American life and culture," he says. This straightforward telling of the story of our country's birth and development is just one of the reasons this beautifully designed and illustrated book should find a spot in the library of every family and school. The chapters are sensibly short, and each page has informative paintings, pictures, photographs or maps to draw the reader into the story and allow browsing by the casual reader. Biographical profiles and questions for debate punctuate each of the eight chapters, giving a framework for the interpretation of history. Even the last chapter, which brings us to events that are shaping our history right now, asks the difficult question, "How Should America Combat the War on Terrorism at Home?" Web sites, a state-by-state visitors' guide to historic places and scrupulous source notes complete this reference book .

The World Almanac for Kids 2003, edited by Kevin Seabrooke, is just the sort of book my children loved and dragged out during games of Trivial Pursuit. What child can resist looking up his birthday in an almanac to find out who shares it? The colorful, busy pages will attract and keep the attention of the most dedicated multi-tasker in your house. Even the table of contents, with subtitles like "Largest, Smallest, Fastest" and "20 Popular Kids Videos of 2001," will draw in fact-finders. While there is certainly enough information in these pages to help with almost any school assignment, most kids will stick this under their pillow to sneak a forbidden peek late in the evening. In the morning, your little scientist will be able to tell you all about puffer fish and their toxins and the number of Chihuahuas registered with the American Kennel Club. All this might come in handy if your well-informed child ever gets to show his stuff on Jeopardy. And if you keep supplying him or her with good books, it could happen.

Lush, beautiful coffee table books aren't only for adults. A number of stunning new volumes will please the younger members of the family and make welcome gifts this holiday season.

Children's & YA

Filling in the blanks of history

Feature by Lynn Beckwith

I have always been interested in American history, especially the history of women, people of color and other groups remarkably absent from the books I found in my classrooms when I was young. Luckily, I had high school history teachers who found articles and academic books to satisfy my interests, and I attended a college where I could take as many courses in black history as I liked. Today's young readers are much luckier numerous books on minority populations are published every year, and Black History Month is the perfect time to spotlight some of the best titles.

Poet Eloise Greenfield and illustrator Jan Spivey Gilchrist have teamed up to create the informative How They Got Over: African Americans and the Call of the Sea. A collection of short, easy-to-read biographies of African-Americans who have a connection to the ocean, this volume will serve as a fine introduction to nautical history for young readers. Seven profiles comprise the heart of this slim volume. Readers will find the story of freed slave Paul Cuffe, whose successful shipping and whaling business in Massachusetts allowed him to become an abolitionist. Convinced that the only hope for the descendants of African slaves was to return to Africa, he offered his ships to anyone who wanted to go to Sierra Leone. Greenfield manages to sneak a great deal of history into her vignettes, and she does not shy away from some of the most difficult issues these historical figures faced. This would be a great book to share with a child who loves history and wants to learn more about some little-known African Americans. The large font, simple writing and clear connections to better-known areas of history make this a good choice for the youngest historian.

Gail Buckley's American Patriots: The Story of Blacks in the Military from the Revolution to Desert Storm has recently been adapted by Tonya Bolden in a special version aimed at younger readers. Buckley's adult book won the 2002 Robert F. Kennedy Award, and this new edition reflects all the finest qualities of the original. Following the timeline of American history, Buckley and Bolden tell the story of black Americans in the military. Much of the history is vaguely familiar: Crispus Attucks and the Boston Massacre, Peter Salem and the Battle of Concord, blacks serving as laborers in the Confederate army, the shameful treatment of blacks who fought valiantly in World War II, the rise of Colin Powell in Desert Storm. Though the volume is easy to read, it is also jam-packed with historical details that make it more useful as a reference title than as a book to curl up with. The historic photos, dating as far back as the Civil War, greatly enhance the book for the casual reader (in one photograph, Buckley's mother, Lena Horne, is pictured entertaining the troops in 1943). This is a fine story and an excellent resource for young history buffs.

Bravery, ingenuity, faith and cooperation are the hallmarks of the Yao people in Ann Grifalconi's newest picture book The Village That Vanished. Slavers come to Njemile's village, and because all the men are away, the women and elderly people have no protection. Just when things look bleakest, Njemile thinks of a plan a scheme involving cunning and trickery, incredible courage and faith. Told in the tradition of African storytellers, featuring Grifalconi's gentle prose and Kadir Nelson's rich pencil and watercolor illustrations, the book tells the unforgettable tale of Yao villagers as they dismantle their huts, hide them from the slavers and disappear into the deep forest. Nelson's remarkable illustrations, reminiscent of scratchboard, raise this wonderful story to the level of instant classic.

While there are many fine collections of African folktales available, a new one Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales deserves a place on the shelf next to the picture books of Verna Aardema and Ashley Bryan. Each tale is from a different area of Africa, though most are from the southern part of the continent, Mandela's home. The stories are illustrated by 19 talented artists who work in many media, from watercolor to gouache to acrylics. Each tale reflects the storyteller, so the reader and listener are treated to a wonderfully wide range of styles. I was drawn to Judy Woodborne's illustration of a fat baby surrounded by a cow, a snake, a butterfly, a bird and a chameleon, and just had to read "Mpipidi and the Motlopi Tree," an adoption story like no other! Each narrative is about three pages long, the perfect length for reading right before bed. A treasure.

I have always been interested in American history, especially the history of women, people of color and other groups remarkably absent from the books I found in my classrooms when I was young. Luckily, I had high school history teachers who found articles and academic books to satisfy my interests, and I attended a college where I could take as many courses in black history as I liked. Today's young readers are much luckier numerous books on minority populations are published every year, and Black History Month is the perfect time to spotlight some of the best titles.

Children's & YA

Picture books bring black history to life

Feature by Lynn Beckwith

Sometimes it is difficult to find books about civil rights that can be read comfortably by the youngest reader, but This Is the Dream, written by Diane Z. Shore and Jessica Alexander and illustrated by James Ransome, fits the bill. The authors have created a clear and concise poem following a simple rhythm that illuminates the milestones of civil rights history, from Jim Crow to the present. Ransome's understated, powerful collage illustrations bring together iconic images from newspapers with the faces of lesser-known people who bravely put themselves in harm's way to demand change. Ransome does not shy away from including unpleasant pictures of the time, especially the angry looks on the faces of white people. When the time shifts to the present, the colors change to warm blues as we see a water fountain, this time being shared by all: "This is the fountain that stands in the square,/and the unwritten rule is to take turns and share."

Nearly every child has heard of Rosa Parks, the recently deceased heroine of the Montgomery bus boycott. To honor her, poet Nikki Giovanni and artist Bryan Collier have teamed up to create a stunning new volume, Rosa. Moving beyond the familiar mythology of a woman too tired to move out of her seat, Giovanni and Collier tell the whole story of a strong woman with a mind of her own who knew the power of working with others. She sighed as she realized she was tired. Not tired from work but tired of putting white people first. Tired of stepping off sidewalks to let white people pass, tired of eating at separate lunch counters and learning at separate schools. . . . Tired of 'separate,' and definitely tired of 'not equal.' The cover shows the bus driver angrily willing this strong black woman to move and Parks' quiet defiance. The yellow wash of the illustrations reflects the hot Alabama sun as the book marches toward its stunning climax: a fold-out mural showing the proud, tired, resolved people of Montgomery preparing for the hard work to come.

Have you heard of W.W. Law of Savannah, Georgia? Well, I hadn't until I read Jim Haskins' Delivering Justice. Haskins, who died in July, was an award-winning writer who spent his career chronicling the history of African Americans. In his final book, he focuses on W.W. Law, who received little acclaim for his contribution to the civil rights movement. Through his activities with the NAACP, Law started the Savannah Boycott, a nonviolent protest by the black community that lasted for more than a year. With blacks refusing to shop in downtown Savannah, the city's businesses began to fail. Law used his job as a letter carrier to communicate with the white community, and little by little helped the two groups come together. Benny Andrews' oil and collage illustrations bring this important time to life for today's children and their parents.

Daphne Muse's collection of poetry, The Entrance Place of Wonders: Poems of the Harlem Renaissance, illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb, is a celebration of a rich cultural tradition. From Countee Cullen and Langston Hughes to James Weldon Johnson, the leading poets of the Harlem Renaissance are all represented here. Though some adults might long for the stronger, more political poems these poets are famous for, young readers will enjoy the child-friendly poems that tread on some of the typical territory of childhood: reading, wishing, eating, singing and playing.

Every school and home library should find space for these fine books, during Black History Month and the whole year 'round.

Every school and home library should find space for these fine books, during Black History Month and the whole year 'round.
Fiction

Going home again

Feature by Savanna Walker

A woman returning to her childhood home is a perennial plot we never get tired of. Whether it’s a small Southern town or a California vineyard, the mix of old memories and new revelations always leads to satisfying drama. These three novels offer a particularly enticing take.

BREAKING NEW GROUND
Catherine West’s latest inspirational novel, The Memory of You, is an affecting portrait of two families struggling with trauma and forgiveness, set in a sun-drenched Sonoma vineyard.

Natalie Mitchell hasn’t set foot in her family’s winery, Maoilios, since her twin sister died there when they were both 13. But as the majority shareholder, it’s up to her to decide whether to support her father’s wishes and close the vineyard down, or to support her grandfather, who still lives on the property and runs the business.

Natalie has been burdened by her parents’ expectations and the trauma of her sister’s death for years, and returning to Maoilios fills her with warring emotions. She basks in the familiarity of the vineyard and the renewal of her relationship with her grandfather, but under it all is the fear that being back at the site of her sister’s death will catastrophically escalate the PTSD she’s fought so hard to control. West uses the wide-open landscape of Northern California to excellent effect. Natalie’s environment is beautiful and warm, but also agoraphobia-inducing—a sprawling space under constant sun where she feels on guard against her recurring symptoms.

The Memory of You nails the way mental illness can glacially advance through a person’s mind or suddenly strike in full force, depicting both Natalie’s panic attacks and fluctuating anxiety with unvarnished realism. West also sensitively captures Natalie’s constant desire to hide her PTSD from those around her, and the ways in which throwing herself into studying possible improvements to the vineyard both soothes and exacerbates her symptoms.

A major source of stress is her childhood friend and former crush Tanner Collins, who now works as the winemaker for Maoilios. Tanner assumes that Natalie intends to shut the vineyard down, and he finds himself clashing with her despite his better instincts. While West makes clear that Tanner is going through struggles of his own, she refreshingly doesn’t let him off the hook and neither does Natalie. The terse, volatile interactions between the pair are compelling and complex, moving uneasily between irritation and attraction.

As Tanner and Natalie work through their respective problems, West weaves in both of their family histories, making clear that if the vineyard is going to be saved, both families will have to confront the lingering pain from their past.

FAMILY TIES
Three sisters descend on their mother’s home in Peachtree Bluff, Georgia, at the beginning of Kristy Woodson Harvey’s Slightly South of Simple. The oldest, Caroline, is in crisis. Her husband has left her for a supermodel and she’s several months pregnant. With Caroline’s failed marriage, youngest sister Emerson’s budding acting career and the usual family squabbles, it’s not surprising that Murphy family matriarch Ansley tries to keep her own personal life under wraps.

Right before her daughters arrive, Ansley’s life is rocked by the reappearance of Jack, her first love. Harvey makes Ansley’s confidence and maturity work as a dramatic device—every interaction between Ansley and Jack is weighed against Ansley’s love for her daughters, lingering grief for her late husband and security in the life she’s built for herself.

Harvey’s knack for realistic tension extends to the Murphy sisters. They frequently squabble but the brief blowups never upend their deep emotional bonds. They appreciate each other’s differences but still reach for the easy insult more out of habit than any real malice. Meddling, snobby older sister Caroline could have been the villain of the book, the big city woman who has to come home to her family to be knocked down from her self-made pedestal. But her sisters understand that Caroline often shows her devotion to her family in slightly unhealthy, but good-intentioned ways—like sending her aging mother arm workouts and expensive skin cream. But her boundless enthusiasm for bettering her family members’ lives also leads her to devotedly cheerlead Emerson’s acting career and encourage Jack to keep up his pursuit of Ansley.

Harvey’s devotion to realistic character development pays off by the end of the novel, which provides clear resolutions to some plots and leaves other hanging in a way that practically begs for a sequel. The lack of complete closure only works because Harvey is meticulous about closing out each character’s arc in a satisfying way. While this occasionally tips over into an overreliance on life lesson-style narration, Slightly South of Simple is so warm, inviting and real, that the reader forgives its flaws in favor of spending time with the Murphys.

AN UNEXPECTED INHERITANCE
When Sara Jenkins’ larger-than-life grandmother dies in Lauren K. Denton’s The Hideaway, she unexpectedly leaves her the titular dilapidated bed and breakfast. Margaret “Mags” Van Buren and a collection of her best friends have been living there since before Sara can remember. To make matters worse, her grandmother’s dying wish was that she renovate the crumbling Victorian house, so Sara has to go back to live in her hometown of Sweet Bay, Alabama, until the job is done.

The Hideaway jumps back and forth between Sara’s return and her grandmother’s very first visit in 1960, when it functioned as a sanctuary for artists and beatniks due to its functionally nonexistent rent. Having lost her patience with her cheating husband, small-town housewife Margaret is drawn to the freedom of the proto-hippie residents of the house. Denton nicely evokes their sense of hope and rebellion, as well as the shock such characters, as mild as they seem to us now, would evoke in someone like Margaret.

In the present day, Denton avoids easy answers for Sara’s dilemma. She begins Sara’s story in the midst of her bustling business in the French Quarter, and throughout the book makes it clear how much passion and satisfaction she derives from her work. The only reason Sara is able to take on the job of renovating The Hideaway in the first place is because of the skills and knowledge she’s accumulated over the years running her store. Ultimately, the slower pace of Sweet Bay gives Sara the space to survey her life for the first time.

Rather than force a big-city conformity vs. small-town individuality conflict, The Hideaway is more interested in how two women in different time periods learn to invest in their own lives and listen to their own needs. Mags’ journey is especially rewarding. She is such a delightful character, and her growth so fascinating to watch, one wishes the entire book was about her and Denton let us see more of her in her full mature glory, rather that relegate most of those details to stories told by her friends and Sara’s memories. But the inclusion of Sara leads to some poignant final reveals and reunions that make The Hideaway sweet and satisfying.

A woman returning to her childhood home is a perennial plot we never get tired of. Whether it’s a small Southern town or a California vineyard, the mix of old memories and new revelations always leads to satisfying drama. These three novels offer a particularly enticing…

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