Tulsa
event guide
INSIDE!
Book Review 2 7 10
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 9
F R E E
NEW AND OF INTEREST
C H E C K
How to Cook Gluten-Free: Over 150 Recipes That Really Work
I T
A colorful gluten-free cooking guide Page 4
The Other Baby Book: A Natural Approach to Baby’s First Year
O U T
A fantastic primer for those interested in “alternative” parenting practices Page 6
A Tribute to Community By Wendell Berry Counterpoint, $14.95, 190 pages
15
July 2012
As Hannah Coulter nears the end of her life, she spends more and more time telling herself the story of her life, in order to get the details right. It’s a story of her love for her husband, for her children, and for the membership of Port William. “This is the story of my life, that while I lived it weighed upon me and pressed against me and filled all my senses to overflowing and now is like a dream dreamed.” Hannah’s life is unremarkable in its simplicity. She married a farmer and worked with him in the daily maintenance of the farm as the children
grew up and moved away, as she and her husband aged, and as he eventually sickened and died. Hannah Coulter is a tribute to the gradually disappearing life of the farming community, what Hannah calls “the membership.” The strength of the book lies not in the uneventful plot, but in its ability to capture that lost sense of community, the sense of place, and feeling of belonging that only occur when people live and die in the same place as their parents and grandparents, See HANNAH, cont’d on page 4
The Grave Robber’s Apprentince The rocky road to truth Page 8
The Big Green Book of the Big Blue Sea Importance of the ocean Page 11
57 Reviews INSIDE!
Book Reviews
MYSTERIES/THRILLERS Category
Mystery SNAP IT for additional book summaries. Midnight Alley By Miles Corwin Oceanview Publishing, $25.95, 286 pages Check this out! LAPD detective Ash Levine is a complex, well-realized character. Son of a Holocaust survivor, his sense of obligation to justice is strong. Trained in the Israel Defense Force, his attitude and techniques conflict with the standard operating procedures of his agency. His on-again, off-again attempts at repairing an all-but-failed marriage complicate his emotional life. Having slid into early middle age, he looks backward and forward with a mixture of wariness and bull-headedness. Levine is investigating the case of two young black men found slain in Venice Alley, one of them the son of a city councilman who has no confidence or respect for the police. The investigation leads to a connection between these deaths and a magnificent, enormously valuable mask that has been stolen from the collections of Iraq’s major museum. Discovering the connection will lead to discovering the killer: or is the killer already tracking Levine? In setting Ash in motion, the author offers a riveting picture of contemporary Los Angeles, the internal dynamics of homicide investigation, and a background story growing out of soldiers’ experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. The welter of hard investigative detail and the skillful buildup of suspense are totally satisfying. Reviewed by Phil Jason The Lost Years By Mary Higgins Clark Simon & Schuster, $26.99, 292 pages Check this out! The literary world considers her to be America’s Queen of Suspense. Having sold more than 100 million books, the New York Times recognizes her as a best-selling author, and fans all over the world know her as a consistently good storyteller. Mary Higgins Clark’s latest story begins in 1474 A.D. with the introduction of a letter written by Jesus Christ to Joseph of Arimathea. If authenticated, this document may be one
of the most important religious objects in the world. Skip to 500 years later, where Clark’s tale picks up. A biblical scholar has found the parchment, but before he can prove it is real, he is murdered. Friends, family, health-care providers, maids, colleagues and religious experts all have a motive. Clark does an admirable job including the topic of religious relics in her suspenseful and fast-paced writing. The inner dialogues of multiple characters flesh out the story and leave the reader wanting to know more. Alzheimer’s disease, financial greed, marriage vows, loyalty and religious devoutness are all concepts that add a great deal of context to Clark’s newest work. She has written another best seller! Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin Unwanted By Kristina Ohlsson Emily Bestler Books/Atria, $25.00, 357 pages Check this out! Unwanted explores the dark side of child abduction as a child is taken from a raucous train ... only the girl’s shoes remain to bear witness. Ohlsson, who works in a counterterrorism office and previously was a security policy analyst for the National Swedish Police Board, obviously understands dark motives. Unwanted is the first installment of her crime series with Frederika Bergman, a somewhat prickly civilian investigative analyst specializing in crimes against women and children. In the midst of this investigation, Bergman seems to battle against the sexist male police officers (namely Alex Recht, a renowned detective, and Peder Rydh, a cocky and less-experienced detective) that have little respect for — or confidence in — her. The suspense builds within this difficult situation, while meanwhile 6-year-old Lillian has been abducted and Bergman’s See UNWANTED, cont’d on page 6
Tulsa Book Review • July 2012 • 2
COMING SOON
TO TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY Search the library’s catalog at http://tulsalibrary.org to reserve your copies now.
The Reckoning
By Jane Casey When the murders of two released sex offenders point to the work of a vigilante, DC Maeve Kerrigan and the division’s new DI, Josh Derwent, follow leads to a man who has been searching for his missing teenage daughter in a case that has Maeve wondering who she can trust.
Nor All Your Tears
By Keith McCarthy When Dr. Lance Elliott and his girlfriend Max attend Parents Evening to show support for retired Dr. Benjamin Elliott’s Horticultural Club at a local school, the pair find themselves caught up in a killing spree, as teachers from the school are being targeted.
Nights of Awe
By Harri Nykanen While investigating the murder of two Arabs near Finland’s capital, Inspector Ariel Kafka finds two more bodies at an Iraqi-owned garage, leading him to question whether the perpetrators are part of a gang or international terrorists.
A Deeper Darkness
By J.T. Ellison When an old boyfriend’s mother asks her to do a second autopsy on her son, medical examiner Samantha Owen discovers that the ex-ranger was murdered and loses herself in the mystery contained within his old notes, which leads her into a war zone between the military and the nation’s capital.
Getaway
By Lisa Brackmann Michelle Moran comes to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to temporarily escape her problems, but a date with an attractive man leads her into a world of danger and deception, and soon her only goal is to get out of Mexico alive. From the author of New York Times best-selling Rock Paper Tiger comes the most electrifying thriller of the summer.
House of the Hunted
By Mark Mills Having retired to 1930s French Riviera, former intelligence operative Tom Nash finds his respite broken when someone tries to kill him in his sleep, and must pretend to live the normal life of a retiree as he tries to flush out those who want him dead.
Tulsa
Book Review
IN THIS ISSUE Mystery.......................................................... 2
Tulsa City-County Library 400 Civic Center Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103 Ph. (918) 549-7323 EDITOR IN CHIEF Ross Rojek ross@1776productions.com
Cookbooks...................................................... 4 Home, Garden & DIY...................................... 5 Mind, Body & Fitness...................................... 6
GRAPHIC DESIGN/LAYOUT Grayson Hjaltalin grayson.hjaltalin@1776productions.com
COPY EDITORS Lori Freeze Diane Jinson Lori Miller Robyn Oxborrow Holly Scudero Kim Winterheimer Katie Beim-Esche
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Shanyn Day Christopher Hayden Elizabeth Tropp James Rasmussen Missy McEwin Audrey Curtis
Fiction............................................................ 7 Tween Reads................................................... 8 Teen Scene...................................................... 9 Picture Books............................................... 10 Kids’ Books................................................... 11 Biography & Memoir.................................... 12 Nature & Science.......................................... 13
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FROM THE PUBLISHER Nothing brings a community together like a good book. That is why Tulsa CityCounty Library has initiated “One Book, One Tulsa,” a community-wide initiative centered on the book Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry. If you only read one book this year, make this the one as it will be the book everyone is talking about. Imagine having a conversation with a complete stranger but sharing a common experience through a shared book – thousands of people all reading the same book. Now that’s a way to start a conversation! Before the end of this year, the library will host more than 40 programs all centered on the themes featured in this book – food, gardening, health and sustainability. Whether you visit the Smithsonian exhibit “Key Ingredients: America by Food” currently on display at our Collinsville Library, or you attend the program “Now Read This Take Five: The Food Edition” at Central Library on July 24, you’ll be sure to come away with a new appreciation for food and your family’s health. You will even get a chance to meet the author of Hannah Coulter when he comes to Tulsa Dec. 7 and 8 to receive the Tulsa Library Trust’s 2012 Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award. So, be sure to check out Hannah Coulter, attend a related event and join in the conversation! Best wishes,
Gary Shaffer Tulsa City-County Library CEO
Spirituality & Religion................................. 13 Fantasy......................................................... 14 Horror.......................................................... 14 History & Current Events............................. 15 Family History Month.................................. 16
Jacqueline Woodson, national awardwinning author of Miracle’s Boys, is coming to Tulsa Aug. 24 and 25 to receive the Tulsa Library Trust’s 2012 Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers’ Literature. See the July Event Guide in this publication for more details. PLEASE NOTE: Check this out! designates books that are available for checkout through the Tulsa City-County Library.
Book Reviews Category
Cookbooks SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Betty Crocker The Big Book of Weeknight Dinners By Betty Crocker Betty Crocker, $19.99, 335 pages If you’re anything like me, you’re always looking for new, healthy meals for your family to enjoy. It helps if they’re quick and easy, and use everyday ingredients. For 200-plus family friendly new ideas, check out Betty Crocker’s The Big Book of Weeknight Dinners. Colorful, comprehensive, and stock-full of recipes kids will actually eat, this cookbook simply can’t be beat. The first thing that attracted me was the book’s vibrantly colorful pages. The food photography is outstanding. I love seeing what I’m making! Everything looked fabulous. I couldn’t wait to try the Loaded Baked Potato Pizza, Cheesy Rigatoni With Eggplant Sauce and Minestrone Casserole. There were plenty of vegetarian-friendly recipes, like Greek Quesadillas, Cheese and Veggie Sandwiches, Veggie Focaccia Sandwiches and Healthified Homemade Pizza. Meat lovers, fear not. This cookbook won’t leave you hanging. Try the Texas TwoMeat Chili, Root Beer Barbecue Beef Sandwiches and Lemon-Chicken Rigatoni With Broccoli, and you’ll be begging for more. The Quick Variations provide lots of ideas for spicing up recipes and Quick Menu Ideas quickly turn a main dish into a meal. I like the Healthy Variation Ideas and the Moment’s Notice Menu Ideas for those nights when you don’t have time to plan ahead and prepare a big dinner. This cookbook has earned its revered place on my countertop and will surely be a handy favorite for years to come. Reviewed by Jennifer Melville How to Cook Gluten-Free: Over 150 Recipes That Really Work By Elizabeth Barbone Lake Isle Press, $27.95, 283 pages How to Cook Gluten-Free: Over 150 Recipes that Really Work is a full, beautiful cookbook of gluten-free recipes that also caters to other allergy sufferers. Barbone, author
of Easy Gluten-Free Baking, provides an attractive and colorful cookbook. It is spiralbound with a hardcover, so it lays flat. In the front section of the book, Barbone gives an introduction to cooking gluten-free and why Barbone chose to go GF, as well as a section of essential cooking lessons. Barbone expands on planning meals, pre- paring a recipe and stocking your kitchen. Most importantly, Barbone explains how to replace wheat flour with gluten-free substitutes. Barbone does not expand on other gluten offending flours, but her menu selections provide alternatives. The 12 sections run the gamut of breakfasts and snacks, pastas and casseroles, main dishes and burgers. Barbone provides her share of gluten-free comfort foods, such as the Powder Sugar Doughnut, Muffins, Creamy Macaroni and Cheese, and Cheesecake Cups. Barbone also includes some of her recipes for her baked goods, and her Rustic Pie with the blueberry-peach filling will do wonders with bountiful summer fruits. A good, basic gluten-free cookbook. Reviewed by Elizabeth Humphrey
writing is very good, giving both American and metric measurements; the layout is equally cook friendly; and the headnotes are worth reading, as well as the introduction to each chapter. Most are little stories and anecdotes about the recipe and where each came from. The recipe ingredients are set in pleasing brown script for convenience. Most ingredients are readily available, but a Middle Eastern or Moroccan market is helpful, though Koehler gives substitutes. This is not for a novice cook, yet the recipes are not hard to reproduce. The well cross-referenced index is excellent. Reviewed by George Erdosh Pure BBQ By Steffen Eichhorn, Stefan Marquard, Stephan Otto Schiffer Publishing, $24.99, 126 pages Pure BBQ is a pure pleasure to read and look at, and just as useful to have it on your kitchen bookshelf (or on your coffee table). I reviewed the same authors’ first cookbook, Pure Steak, which was an equally beautiful production, but the awkward translation from German made it nearly just as awkward. This cookbook, however, corrected the problem. The photo illustrations are stunning, with precise recipe instructions, set in large, clear circles, and ingredients nicely listed in sidebars. Though the authors are German, the ingredients are mostly readily
Morocco By Jeff Koehler Chronicle Books, $29.95, 223 pages When reviewing regional cookbooks, it’s a nice change to look at something other than Italian and French. To many, the cuisine of Morocco at least matches the cooking of her neighbors across the Mediterranean. Jeff Koehler creates a most beautiful cookbook of the Moroccan cuisine, profusely illustrated with his own wonderful photos: food, landscapes, people. In fact, this book eas- ily takes the place of your most artistic coffee-table book. The 38-page introduction includes the country’s culinary history, a cooking tour of Morocco’s seven regions, the pantry and kitchen tools needed. A convenient list of recipes precedes each chapter. The recipe Tulsa Book Review • July 2012 • 4
available for American cooks. Wherever a smoker is called for instead of a grill, a clear smoker symbol indicates that. The recipes are excellent — some are quick over hot fire (or grilling), others are of pure southern barbecue using large chunks of meat over very slow fire for many hours. A 23-page introduction explains not only equipment, barbecuing and smoking, but also animal breeds, fodder, butchering and aging to arrive at the best possible starting material. Side dishes (all on the grill) are intriguing (Eggs Grilled in Red Peppers). The two indexes, one general and one recipe, are very good and crossreferenced. Reviewed by George Erdosh HANNAH, cont’d from page 1 working hard together to improve themselves and their homes. Hannah Coulter did not surprise me, but Hannah’s beautiful insights into what it means to live and remember an ordinary life took my breath away. Reviewed by Tammy McCartney
F E AT U R I N G
Book Reviews Category
Home, Garden & DIY SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Circular Knitting Workshop: Essential Techniques to Master Knitting in the Round By Margaret Radcliffe Storey Publishing, $24.95, 320 pages Check this out! For those somewhat familiar with knitting flatly back and forth on two needles, this book is an excellent resource to continue onto knitting in the round. In well-organized sections, master teacher Margaret Radcliffe clearly explains the nitty-gritty of circular knitting. With descriptions of the essentials such as the required needles, type of yarns, gauge measurements and other supplies, instructions are presented for various projects. Projects for knitting bags, hats, circular shawls, socks, mittens, gloves and sweaters are included. While these project details are for small sizes, instructions are provided to render the knitted undertakings into larger versions. The uniqueness of this book rests not only in the clarity of its presentation, but also with the accompanying magnified photographs which colorfully illustrate each direction from knitting stitches to finished project. If you prefer knitted garments with few to no seams, then circular knitting is the way to go. Circular knitting produces less of a strain on the arms, the knitting itself flows continuously without the awkwardness of shifting needles, and the entire project can easily be compressed and folded for storage without the worry of isolated long needles stabbing oneself or others. This is a useful book to gain proficiency in knitting in the round. Reviewed by Aron Row
Gardening Vertically: 24 Ideas for Creating Your Own Green Walls By Noemie Vialard W. W. Norton & Company, $24.95, 144 pages Don’t worry if you lack garden space, now you can place all your plants on a wall. Instead of looking at your flower or veggie patch horizontally, think of viewing it vertically. Sort of reminiscent of the hanging gardens of Babylon, the author discloses how French botanist Patrick Blanc developed the wall gardens displayed as planting art which can be seen on museum walls in Spain, shopping malls in Thailand and in a neighborhood in Paris. In addition to describing these floral wonders, the author carefully describes how to create your own personal herbal wall.
"So put down your spades and rakes for awhile, and get out your drills and staplers: they will plunge you into a whole new world." The essential materials include a special matting resistant to rot but which allows the plant roots to embrace and thrive on its surface. Along with this basic substrate, frames need to be constructed and materials for watering and fertilizing must be provided. Scores of plants suitable for different vertical situations are listed and described. The majestic illustrations enrich the text describing how to construct foliage walls, or aromatic herb panels, or walls of ferns. Perhaps you would prefer circles of thyme, or succulent patchworks, or maybe a drain dressed with clematis sounds attractive to you. This is a beautiful book full of ideas that will especially appeal to the dedicated gardener. Reviewed by Aron Row
Tulsa Book Review • July 2012 • 5
Join Tulsa County residents in reading this inspiring novel, which follows the life of a small-town woman as she reflects on her rural lifestyle that is giving way to progress in the name of development. Many of the themes covered in the book mirror the challenges faced by rural and urban families today. The author, Wendell Berry, an American writer and farmer, will be in Tulsa Dec. 7 and 8 to receive the Tulsa Library Trust’s Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award. Using “Hannah Coulter” as a conversation starter, this year’s One Book, One Tulsa initiative focuses on food, gardening, health and sustainability with more than 40 free programs scheduled at area libraries throughout the year. One Book, One Tulsa is sponsored the Tulsa Library Trust and Tulsa World.
R E L AT E D L I B R A R Y P R O G R A M M I N G F O R J U LY Meet Judy Steiger Howard, Author of “1905 Cookbook: Food for Body and Soul” Sunday, July 15 • 2-3 p.m. Collinsville Library, 1223 W. Main Converting Old Recipes Into Healthy Recipes Presented by Pam Webb of Three Sisters Catering Tuesday, July 17 • 7-8 p.m. Collinsville Library Canning Food Techniques Presented by the OSU Extension Office Saturday, July 21 • 10-11 a.m. Collinsville Library Heirloom Gardening Presented by the OSU Extension Office Saturday, July 21 • 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Collinsville Library Tablescape Contest Sunday, July 22 • 3-5 p.m. Collinsville Library Prizes will be awarded. For contest rules or to enter, call 918-549-7528 or email sbabbit@tulsalibrary.org. Now Read This Take Five: The Food Edition Tuesday, July 24 • 7 p.m. Central Library, Aaronson Auditorium Fourth Street and Denver Avenue Indulge your appetite for good reads and smart conversations. Five local presenters will speak for five minutes about five books that have made a difference in their lives. Topics include the
(Now Read This Take Five continued)
art of cooking, food in fiction, hunger and food policy, mind and body wellness, gardening and sustainability. Bring a cookbook to swap and a nonperishable food item to donate. Diabetes Education: Losing Weight the Smart Way Presented by Susan Nole From Couch Pharmacy Thursday, July 26 • 3-4 p.m. Nathan Hale Library, 6038 E. 23rd St. Preregistration is required. Call 918-549-7617 or 918-835-9577 to register. Show-and-Tell Saturday, July 28 • 3-4:30 p.m. Collinsville Library Showcase your family’s favorite food-related treasures, such as salt and pepper shakers, pie birds, old cooking tools, butter churns, aprons and cookbooks. If you would like to have a table, please call 918-549-7528 or email sbabbit@tulsalibrary.org. A Very Small Farm Tour Sunday, July 29 • 3-5 p.m. Collinsville Library William Winchester, author of “A Very Small Farm,” will conduct a tour of his self-sustaining farm. Meet at the library at 3 p.m. to view the Smithsonian exhibit “Key Ingredients: America by Food,” and then caravan to the farm. Preregistration is required and is limited to the first 20 participants.
Book Reviews Category
Mind, Body & Fitness SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Paintracking: Your Personal Guide to Living Well With Chronic Pain By Deborah Barrett Prometheus Books, $20.00, 400 pages Check this out! Thanks to the outstanding work at the Stanford University Pain Management Center, a lot more is understood about treatment for pain. For the chronic pain sufferer, it is not unusual to be frustrated by the nebulous nature of pain, put on edge by its onset, over- or under-medicated and treated by dismissive doctors. Sociologist Deborah Barrett has written an encyclopedic reference book to help manage pain and understand its onset. The author tackles a wide range of subjects from understanding medications to communicating effectively with doctors and avoidance of activity. It is a good book, particularly for those who feel that they are suffering needlessly and lacking in resources. By tracking the pain and daily activities, one can feel more in control of pain management and develop enough understanding to cope and live better with pain and its debilitation. “Answers come from collecting data on the factors that may be affecting how you feel and seeing how they relate to your wellbeing.” As the US population ages, it is important to come to terms with pain — whatever its cause — and live with acceptance and with the fullest life possible. Reviewed by Julia McMichael The Other Baby Book: A Natural Approach to Baby’s First Year By Megan McGrory Massaro, Miriam Katz Full Cup Press, $12.99, 184 pages When pregnant, most women read scores of books about labor and delivery, not to mention books about raising a baby once it’s here. But often mainstream ideas about parenting simply do not resonate with new moth- ers. Sleep training?
Traditional timetables for introducing solid foods? Feeding schedules? Some women intuitively feel that the norm is not for them; thankfully, this book was written for those parents. The authors aim to present a number of alternative practices from a balanced perspective, offering a brief tutorial on many topics (and an extensive reference list at the end for those who want more in-depth knowledge). Topics include birth, home vs. birth center vs. hospital, care providers and interventions; attachment parenting, baby wearing and the importance of touch; cosleeping; elimination communication; and more. As a mama already interested in most of these subjects, I didn’t find much new information, although I did appreciate the references to specific studies and statistics supporting these practices. But this would be a fantastic introduction for the new or expecting parent who wants to know more but isn’t sure where to start. It’s refreshing to see a new, engaging, well-written book on alternative practices hit the shelves, and I hope that it inspires parents to think outside the box when it comes to the first year of their baby’s life. Reviewed by Holly Scudero
UNWANTED, cont’d from page 2 colleagues seem only focused on the child’s father. Bergman senses something else. Ohlsson should be added to reading lists that include other Scandinavian suspense authors, such as Jo Nesbo. However, Ohlsson’s work stands apart for its female protagonist who seems to break many stereotypical roles. It takes another abduction to refocus the team and solve these heartbreaking crimes. Unwanted is easily an addition to any suspense or crime fan. Reviewed by Elizabeth Humphrey
Tulsa Book Review • July 2012 • 6
BESTSELLERS COMING SOON
TO TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY Search the library’s catalog at http://tulsalibrary.org to reserve your copies now.
Robert B. Parker’s Fool Me Twice
By Michael Brandman Summer in Paradise, Mass., is usually an idyllic season, but not this time. A Hollywood movie company has come to town, and brought with it a huge cast, crew and a troubled star. Marisol Hinton is very beautiful, reasonably talented and scared out of her wits that her estranged husband’s jealousy might take a dangerous turn. When she becomes the subject of a death threat, Jesse and the rest of the Paradise police department go on high alert.
The Giving Quilt: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel
By Jennifer Chiaverini At Elm Creek Manor, the week after Thanksgiving is Quiltsgiving, a time to commence a season of generosity. From near and far, quilters and aspiring quilters – a librarian, a teacher, a college student and a quilt-shop clerk among them – gather for a special winter session of quilt camp, to make quilts for Project Linus. Love and comfort are sewn into the warm, bright, beautiful quilts they stitch, and their stories collectively consider the strength of human connection and its rich rewards.
The Tombs
By Clive Cussler and Thomas Perry Husband-and-wife team Sam and Remi Fargo are intrigued when an archaeologist friend requests their help excavating a top-secret historical site. What they find will set them on a hunt for a prize greater than they could ever imagine, and the Fargos will find themselves pitted against a thieving group of amateur treasure hunters, a cunning Russian businessman and a ruthless Hungarian who claims
(The Tombs continued) direct descent from Attila himself – and will stop at nothing to claim the tombs’ riches as his own.
The Racketeer
By John Grisham Given the importance of what they do, the controversies that often surround them and the violent people they sometimes confront, it is remarkable that in the history of this country only four active federal judges have been murdered. Judge Raymond Fogletree just became number five. His body was found in the basement of a lakeside cabin he had built himself and frequently used on weekends. When he did not show up for a trial on Monday morning, his law clerks panicked, called the FBI, and in due course the agents found the crime scene. There was no forced entry, no struggle, just two dead bodies – Judge Fogletree and his young secretary.
Angels at the Table: A Shirley, Goodness and Mercy Christmas Story
By Debbie Macomber In this joyous and whimsical holiday novel, Debbie Macomber rings in the season with the return of Shirley, Goodness and Mercy delivering laughs, love and a charming dose of angelic intervention.
An Outlaw’s Christmas
By Linda Lael Miller The shirtless, bandaged stranger recuperating in teacher Piper St. James’ room behind the schoolhouse says he’s a McKettrick, but he looks like an outlaw. As they wait out the storm, the handsome loner has Piper remembering long-ago dreams of marriage and motherhood. But for how long is Sawyer willing to call Blue River home?
Book Reviews
lical overtones of jealousy, despair, adultery, abandonment, and suicide, explores how, when, and why a person leaves his homeland. Suddenly, for another man? Secretly, for adventure? Job-like in tenacity, Jack is “a stickler, a settler,” and Ellie, too, knows what she wants from her man, and it’s more than a winter holiday in the Caribbean. Reviewed by Zara Raab
Category
Fiction SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Canada By Richard Ford Ecco, $27.99, 420 pages Check this out! This is Richard Ford’s first novel in six years, and perhaps his last. Dell Parsons is fifteen when his parents rob a bank. After they’re arrested, except for one hapless jail visit, he never sees them again. His mother commits suicide in jail, and he never knows what happened to his father. He is secretly packed off from Montana to Saskatchewan, while his twin sister runs away to San Francisco. This is in 1960. Dell tells the story of his bizarre coming of age fifty years later, remembering those “inexplicable” events. He takes the facts, what he calls the “arrangement of unequal things,” reflecting on what happened, what could have happened, and why, as if he’s an innocent bystander, which, of course, he was; as what he thought to be his secure world (ready for high school, learning to play chess) was shattered and he was given shelter by a Gatsby-like American in the middle-of-nowhere empty prairie, becoming passively complicit in murder. Despite that year, things turned out pretty well, though Dell doesn’t talk much about the intervening years. Ford, 68, best known for his great novel The Sportswriter and the two sequels that make up the “Frank Bascombe” trilogy, gives us a taut, perfectly cadenced, skewed rumination on character, destiny, and loneliness, without redemption. Reviewed by Phil Semler The Sins of the Father By Jeffrey Archer St. Martin’s Press, $27.99, 384 pages Check this out! Sins of the father indeed. Sins of the Father is the second book in the Clifton chronicles and is every bit as good as the first installment Only Time Will Tell.What we have here is the tale of a boy (Harry Clifton), who becomes a man looking for the truth about his heritage. This story
is heart-warming and filled with intrigue. The story picks up where Only Time Will Tell left off. In The Sins of the Father you don’t get any of the back story that occurred in Only Time Will Tell, so you’ll need to read that book first. There are many things at stake for Harry, including his life and the love of his life. This part of the series is set in the 1930s and 40s in England and the United States during war time. Archer does a great job of putting the reader in the era through descriptive period writing. Archer continually builds suspense through his writing style and the way he switches from one character to another at key points, to keep the reader reading until he brings you back to that character. Archer’s writing style has an easy flow to it that keeps the reader wanting more. Reviewed by Marc Filippelli Wish You Were Here By Graham Swift Knopf, $25.00, 319 pages Check this out! The dourness of Graham Swift’s characters reminds me of my mother’s people, who came here a few hundred years ago from Devon, England. “Wish you were here” is a blithe expression, but the psychological depth and sheer size of this well-crafted novel make it serious as Greek melodrama, with the standoff between Jack and his wife, Ellie, resolved in a single afternoon, but only after the complex web of events leading up to it is artfully laid bare. Married a decade, Jack and Ellie grew up on neighboring farms in Devon, in the kind of closed world of village life described by Thomas Hardy in Return of the Native a century ago. But the farms fall into “more or less equal dereliction,” so they buy a caravan park (English for “trailer park”) for tourists on the Isle of Wight. Their story, with its bib-
Miss Julia to the Rescue: A Novel By Ann B. Ross Viking, $25.95, 320 pages Check this out! How did I not discover the existence of Miss Julia until now—her 13th adventure? Darned if I know, but I’m making up for lost time, starting now. Miss Julia is a Southern lady of a certain age, living in Abbotsville, North Carolina, but she has a tiger in her tank, believe me! Woe betide anyone who tangles with Miss Julia! Of course, she’s Mrs. Sam Murdoch now, having been married for several years. Prior to Sam, she was married for a good many years to Wesley Lloyd Springer, who was, sadly, not the husband she thought he was. This discovery came shortly after his death when a young woman (Hazel Marie Puckett) appeared at her door and announced that her nine-year-old son, Lloyd, was the bastard child of Mr. Springer. Needless to say, this event rather discombobulated Miss Julia, but not for long! Soon, Hazel Marie and Lloyd were residents of the Springer home where they were tended to by the longtime cook/housekeeper Lillian. By now, Lillian’s granddaughter Latisha is nearly as old as Lloyd, and she helps out some, too. That’s all background. In this adventure, Hazel Marie’s new husband, private investigator J. D. Pickens, has come up missing while working on a case. Thanks to the cell phone he carried, Miss Julia and Lloyd discover he’s in a hospital in West Virginia. However, the sheriff over there, Ardis McAfee, won’t let anyone speak to J. D. to find out how he is, or why he’s hospitalized. Since Sam has gone off to the Holy Land for two weeks with their church group, Miss Julia rounds up her friend Etta Mae, who works at a hospital, and the two of them set off to rescue J. D. You’ll laugh out loud at their adventures as they successfully kidnap their friend and take him home to recover. In the meantime while Sam is gone, Miss Julia has arranged to have their home remodeled to better suit the two of them. (Sam has given his former home to Hazel Marie and Lloyd, plus J. D. and the twin girl babies.) Of course, problems arise with the workmen and the architect, who seem to have fallen under the spell of a wealthy woman who once lived here, moved away, and returned. Agnes Whitman introduces herself as a minister of the Church of Body Modifica-
Tulsa Book Review • July 2012 • 7
tion—primarily tattoos and piercings, designed to test the limits of flesh and spirit. You can well imagine how this goes over in the small town South, commonly known to be rather reserved Baptist and Presbyterian! Miss Julia is a veritable treasure if you like witty and clean stories that radiate goodness and caring for one’s neighbors. They remind one of gentler times, indeed. Reviewed by Kelly Ferjutz Grace By T. Greenwood Kensington, $15.00, 352 pages Every so often a story comes along that stays with you. This is one of those rare encounters. Greenwood invites readers into the intricately spun lives of the Kennedys and the people around them. She illustrates just how related we all are, how each life is invisibly connected. Trevor is a battered junior-high student, mercilessly bullied by his peers, who finds release through the lens of a camera. He relies on making the hideous beautiful with just a slanted manipulation of light. His parents are working-class and weary from the pressures of reality, relying on denial and shoplifting to fill the voids. Grace is the young daughter who brings the obvious light to her family and displays the innocence of a life still burgeoning with hope. As the story develops, we see a theme of fractured lives that look very different under the surface. Greenwood is flawless in her suspense building, fluidity of prose and sense of human poetry; each character is fully developed and leaves an imprint on the reader’s heart. This is a story that held me captive from the start, so much so that after I closed it I still carried it around with me for the rest of the day. Its soft and beautiful pain and grace lingers, loudly. Reviewed by Sky Sanchez-Fischer The Beginner’s Goodbye By Anne Tyler Knopf, $24.95, 208 pages Check this out! If only he’d helped her find the Triscuits, Aaron’s wife, Dorothy, wouldn’t have died. Regrets like these consume Aaron long after he has moved in with his sister and hired contractors to restore his house. Aaron, an editor in his family’s vanity publishing company, finds it hard to continue with his life as if nothing has happened. He knows he is supposed to be moving on with his life, is supposed to stop missing Dorothy so intensely, but he can’t … until she starts to visit him. Her visits shine a light on parts of his marriage GOODBYE, cont’d on page 10
, CHILDREN S NONFICTION
Book Reviews Category
Tween Reads
SNAP IT for additional book summaries. One for the Murphys By Lynda Mullaly Hunt Nancy Paulsen Books, $16.99, 256 pages Check this out! Twelve-year-old Carley Connor has built serious walls around herself. Her life has been lousy and now, after a stay in the hospital due to her new stepfather beating her unconscious, she’s placed in foster care until her mother recovers from a similar beating. The big difference is, Carley remembers her mother holding her for him when her stepfather came after her. Carley is pretty angry at just about everything. The Murphys, her foster family, expected a boy as they already have three of their own. She even has to sleep in the littlest boy’s room, decorated for someone who wants to grow up and be a fireman. Her defenses go up and she has every intention of keeping them up. When she finds herself at a new school with absolutely no friends, it can’t get much worse. But the Murphys start to worm their way into her life and her heart. Just as she finally decides to let them in, she is faced with the most difficult decision of her young life. Lynda Mullaly Hunt’s debut novel is powerful, honest, and heart-breakingly beautiful. This is a book for everyone, not just middle-school girls; teens and adults will love it as well. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck The Cabinet of Earths By Anne Nesbet HarperCollins, $16.99, 272 pages Check this out! Maya and her family have just moved to Paris, where her father has been given a year-long fellowship. She’s not at all happy about leaving behind her home and friends in California, but her mother, who is recovering from cancer, wanted to do it, so she wouldn’t want to refuse that request. Even so, she’s not eagerly embracing all of the opportunities of the city housing the Eiffel Tower or, as her
five-year-old brother James calls it, the Evil Tower. Still, Maya ends up running into a mystery involving two men named Henri de Fourcroy, both of whom may be distant relations to her; a strange society in which all the members are young and radiant, and a beautiful, elaborate cabinet she can’t help but be drawn toward. All of it would simply be an odd diversion until James is threatened. Now, Maya must make some difficult decisions. The Cabinet of Earths is a fine fantasy tale for young readers. The story is gripping and the family relationships are sweet, playing an important role in the plot itself. Middle readers should thoroughly enjoy it. Reviewed by Cathy Carmode Lim The Grave Robber’s Apprentice By Allan Stratton HarperCollins, $16.99, 278 pages Check this out! Young Hans digs up dead people for a living. Orphaned as a baby, he is adopted by Knobbe the grave robber and learns the tricks of the trade. Hans doesn’t know where he came from or who he really is. He hates what he must do to survive as a peasant, but where else can he turn? Twelve-year-old Countess Angela lives in a splendid castle. Except for her marionettes and a childhood nurse, she is left alone by her parents and is expected to grow up and marry a strange prince and live in his splendid castle. Both children long to be free. When Angela is kidnapped by the evil Archduke Arnulf, only Hans can save her. Readers join Hans and Angela on a daring quest of rescue and redemption. Can the duo discover Hans’ true identity and save Angela from the Archduke? Both girls and boys will be drawn to the strong hero and heroine in Allan Stratton’s The Grave Robber’s Apprentice. Each chapter begins with a fascinating drawing of events to come. Stratton has a way with words, and adults will find themselves immersed in the story as well. Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin Tulsa Book Review • July 2012 • 8
COMING SOON
TO TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY Search the library’s catalog at http://tulsalibrary.org to reserve your copies now.
Backseat A-B-See
By Maria Van Lieshout • Vroom! Vroom! From the backseat, what do you see? Whether on a cross-country road trip or a quick jaunt across town, there’s no end to what a child can see from the backseat of a car. Using familiar road signs, this striking book introduces little ones not just to the alphabet but also to the world around them. Equally perfect for transportation-obsessed children and those just learning to read, this fresh and dynamic picture book will entertain and educate at home, in the classroom and on the go.
Ocean Sunlight: How Tiny Plants Feed the Seas
By Molly Bang • Acclaimed Caldecott artist Molly Bang paints a stunning, sweeping view of our ever-changing oceans. In this timely book, award winner Molly Bang uses her signature poetic language and dazzling illustrations to introduce the oceanic world. From tiny aquatic plants to the biggest whale or fish, Bang presents a moving, living picture of the miraculous balance sustaining each life cycle and food chain deep within our wondrous oceans.
This Book Requires Safety Goggles: A Collection of Bizarre Science Trivia
By Kristi Lew • Did you know that there is a cave large enough to hold the Empire State Building? That ordinary table salt is a mixture of a poisonous gas and an explosive metal? Or that most of the cells living in your body don’t even belong to you? Learn the scientific reasons behind these and many more amazing facts when you read this collection of awesome science trivia!
G Is for Gold Medal: An Olympics Alphabet
By Brad Herzog • From the first games held in ancient Greece to the cultural extravaganzas of recent years, there have been some incredible and amazing events and milestones in the world of Olympic sports. This wonderful book showcases those athletes and events that not only set sports records but also impacted history and world views.
The Golden Book of Family Fun
By Peggy Brown • There’s something for everyone in this book – from making a backyard water park, to classic outdoor games such as “Kick the Can” and “Ghost in the Graveyard,” to instructions for making a camping stove, plus ghost stories, card games, easy-to-make snacks and crafts galore. Written in a witty, accessible style by one of today’s most successful game inventors and crafts experts, The Golden Book of Family Fun is a deluxe, affordable source for recession-proof, down-home, big fun!
TulsaLibrary.org
918.549.READ
JULY 2012
A FREE MONTHLY GUIDE TO YOUR COMMUNITY LIBRARY, ITS PROGRAMS AND SERVICES Pick up a Summer Reading Program Event Guide for more July events for children and teens. SEE THIS SMITHSONIAN EXHIBIT AT COLLINSVILLE LIBRARY • PAGE 1
adult/teen events BIXBY LIBRARY A-Book-A-Month Discussion Group for Adults Wednesday, July 18 • 2-3 p.m. Read "Breaking Out of Bedlam" by Leslie Larson and then join us for a lively discussion.
CENTRAL LIBRARY Registration Deadline for Literacy Tutor Training Tuesday, July 3 • The four-part literacy tutor training workshop will be held from 5:45 to 8:45 p.m. on July 17, 19, 24 and 26. Tulsa City-County Library's Ruth G. Hardman Adult Literacy Service needs volunteer tutors to help adults improve their reading and writing skills. Tutors must be 18 years or older and have graduated from high school. Each trained volunteer is matched with an adult student to provide one-on-one tutoring once or twice a week. Volunteers are asked to make a one-year commitment to tutor. Tutors must complete all sessions of this workshop. Preregistration is required. The registration deadline is Tuesday, July 3. To register for the workshop or for dates of additional
L I B R A R Y CLOSINGS
FAMILY HISTORY MONTH PROGRAMS ARE MARKED WITH THIS SYMBOL • PAGE 2 workshops scheduled throughout the year, call 918-549-7400 or visit www.tulsalibrary.org/literacy. Book Discussion Thursday, July 12 • 2-3 p.m. Location: Plaza Room Read "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" by Muriel Barbery and then join us for a lively discussion. For adults. Job Lab Thursday, July 12 • 2-3:30 p.m. Monday, July 23 • 2-3:30 p.m. Location: Computer Training Room Update your résumé, search for jobs online or explore a new career in this special computer lab just for job seekers. You will have access to Microsoft Office software and the Internet. USB flash drives are available for purchasing, or you can bring your own to save your work. Standard printing charges apply. Library staff and resources will be in the lab to provide assistance. For adults. Now Read This Take Five: The Food Edition Tuesday, July 24 • 7 p.m. Location: Aaronson Auditorium Indulge your appetite for good reads and smart conversations. As a part of Tulsa City-County Library's "One Book, One Tulsa" initiative exploring food, health, gardening and sustainability, this program will focus on the role food plays in our lives. Five local presenters will speak for five minutes about five books that have made a difference in their lives. Topics will include the art of cooking, food in fiction, hunger and food policy, mind and body wellness, gardening and
All Tulsa City-County Library locations will be closed on Wednesday, July 4 for Independence Day.
AUTHOR JACQUELINE WOODSON IS COMING TO TULSA • PAGE 3 sustainability. Bring a cookbook to swap and a nonperishable food item to donate to the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. For adults. Sponsored by the Tulsa City-County Library Staff Association.
COLLINSVILLE LIBRARY Key Ingredients: America by Food 1905 Cookbook: Food for Body and Soul Sunday, July 15 • 2-3 p.m. Judy Steiger Howard, author of "1905 Cookbook: Food for Body and Soul," will discuss how she used an old 1905 cookbook to reconstruct the lifestyle of the people who wrote the recipes. For all ages. Key Ingredients: America by Food Converting Old Recipes Into Healthy Recipes Tuesday, July 17 • 7-8 p.m. Pam Webb of Three Sisters Catering will demonstrate techniques for converting old family recipes into healthier ones for your family. For all ages. Key Ingredients: America by Food Canning Is Cool Saturday, July 21 • 10-11 a.m. Join a representative from the OSU Extension Office for this workshop on the techniques of canning food. For all ages. Key Ingredients: America by Food Heirloom Gardening Saturday, July 21 • 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Join a representative from the OSU Extension Office for this workshop on techniques of heirloom gardening. For all ages.
Key Ingredients: America by Food Tablescape Contest Sunday, July 22 • 3-5 p.m. Prizes will be awarded in several categories. If you would like to enter the contest, call 918-549-7528 or email sbabbit@tulsalibrary.org for contest rules and more information. Setup will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Viewing is from 3 to 5 p.m. and is open to the public. For all ages. Key Ingredients: America by Food Show-and-Tell Saturday, July 28 • 3-4:30 p.m. You are invited to set up a table in the library with your favorite foodrelated family treasures to showcase to the community. Ideas include: salt and pepper shakers, pie birds, old cooking tools, butter churns, aprons and cookbooks. If you would like to have a table, please call 918-5497528 or email sbabbit@tulsalibrary.org and let us know what you would like to showcase. For all ages. Key Ingredients: America by Food A Very Small Farm Tour Sunday, July 29 • 3-5 p.m. William Winchester, author of "A Very Small Farm," will conduct a tour of his self-sustaining farm in the Collinsville area. Meet at the Collinsville Library at 3 p.m. to view the Smithsonian exhibit "Key Ingredients: America by Food," and then caravan to the farm. Preregistration is required and is limited to the first 20 participants. For all ages.
Hearing loop available. Switch hearing aid to T-coil.
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HARDESTY REGIONAL LIBRARY Beginning Genealogy Workshop Saturday, July 7 • 9:30 a.m.-noon Learn how to begin your family history research. For adults. Free Genealogy Websites Saturday, July 7 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Join Genealogy Center associate Liz Walker and discover useful free genealogy websites. For adults. Information Overload: Organizing Your Genealogy Records Saturday, July 7 • 3-4 p.m. Discover solutions to managing all of your genealogy information at home, online and on the road. For adults. My Family Will Not Let Me Read Mom's Will Wednesday, July 11 • noon-1 p.m. Location: Pecan Room Join attorney Rita Foster as she discusses wills, revocable trusts, powers of attorney and other estate planning documents. Learn how to avoid probate. For adults. Seating is limited. For more information or to reserve a seat at the seminar, call 918-549-7363. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust. Treasure Hunting in the Oklahoma Historical Society's Indian Archives Saturday, July 14 • 10-11:30 a.m. The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is home to one of the country's largest collections of American Indian materials. Join Mary Jane Warde, retired OHS Indian historian and archivist, as she takes us on a tour of the collection and highlights some of its most popular items. For adults. Historygeo.com Historic Maps Saturday, July 14 • 2-3:30 p.m. Historygeo.com is a new family history software service for linking old maps and land records to your genealogy research. Join software creator Greg Boyd and learn how to use this new groundbreaking tool. For adults. Adoptees Have Rights, Too! Saturday, July 21 • 9:30-10:30 a.m. Many adoptees would like to know their family history but find it difficult because records are sealed in most states. Join adoption researcher Linda Colvard to learn the steps necessary to open the records and gain access to your family history. For adults.
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Navigating the Genealogy Center's New Web Page Saturday, July 21 • 11 a.m.-noon The Genealogy Center will tout a new virtual look in July, along with Tulsa City-County Library's new website design. Let Genealogy Center associates Liz Walker and Carissa Kellerby be your guides to navigate our new layout. They will show you how to find the genealogy resources and databases you've come to know and love. For adults. Tulsa Area Genealogy Libraries and Museums Saturday, July 21 • 1:30-3 p.m. Join representatives from the Broken Arrow Genealogical Society, the Sapulpa Public Library and the Sand Springs Museum for an overview of their genealogy collections and services. For adults. What's Coming on the Internet Saturday, July 28 • 9:30-10:30 a.m. Learn about the new players and websites coming to an online site near you. Join popular genealogy speaker and lecturer Mark Lowe and discover what the big guys are saying and what sites are becoming quick favorites with genealogists. For adults. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust. Locating Online Manuscripts Saturday, July 28 • 11 a.m.-noon Discover the wonderful letters, diaries, family histories and documents that tell the story of early families and pioneer settlers. Certified genealogist and Tulsa favorite Mark Lowe will show you how and where to find these items to further your research. For adults. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust. Beginning to Understand Land Records Saturday, July 28 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Join popular genealogist Mark Lowe and learn the basics of following an individual through property records and how to trace a specific property over time. For adults. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust.
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War ancestor, both Union and Confederate. Genealogy researcher and lecturer Mark Lowe will review basic military records and follow a soldier throughout all available records (online and textual). He will discuss and share a variety of alternate records, including local civil records, state agency records, home guard and militia records, manuscripts and newspapers. For adults. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust.
JENKS LIBRARY Jenks Book Discussion Group Thursday, July 19 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Participants should read the selected book prior to this program. Call 918-549-7570 for book title. For adults.
MARTIN REGIONAL LIBRARY Job Lab Mondays, July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 • 9-11 a.m. Update your résumé, search for jobs online or explore a new career in this special computer lab just for job seekers. You will have access to Microsoft Office software and the Internet. USB flash drives are available for purchasing, or you can bring your own to save your work. Standard printing charges apply. Library staff and resources will be in the lab to provide assistance. For adults.
en español BIBLIOTECA REGIONAL MARTIN
Sift Through South Carolina Saturday, July 28 • 3-4 p.m. Understand how this colony began and the strategies you need to find ancestors there. Popular genealogist Mark Lowe will show us how to make every record count. For adults. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust.
Computación e Internet para Principiantes Miércoles, 11 de julio • 9:30-11:30 a.m. Miércoles, 11 de julio • 6:15-8:30 p.m. Esta clase es para las personas con poca o ninguna experiencia usando computadoras y el Internet. Los familiarizará con el uso y la terminología de la computación. Para todas las edades.
Step-by-Step: Finding Ancestors in the Civil War Sunday, July 29 • 1:30-4:30 p.m. Using a record-based approach, learn to find the basic records of your Civil
Correo Electrónico I Miércoles, 18 de julio • 9:30-11:30 a.m. Les enseñaremos cómo crear una cuenta de correo electrónico y cómo usarla para enviar y recibir correo. Para todas las edades.
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Spanish Conversation Club "Charlas" Saturdays, July 7, 14, 21, 28 • noon-1 p.m. Practice your Spanish in a low-stress setting. This class is for people who have completed AT LEAST one course, preferably more, and are not yet comfortable with spontaneous Spanish conversation. For ages 16 and older. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust and the Hispanic Resource Center. E-book Lab Tuesday, July 10 • 2-4 p.m. You have an e-reader. Now what? Drop by with your Nook, Kindle or other compatible device to learn the basics of downloading library materials. For teens and adults.
NATHAN HALE LIBRARY Losing Weight the Smart Way Thursday, July 26 • 3-4 p.m. Join Susan Nole from Couch Pharmacy for this diabetes education seminar for everyday living. Preregistration is required. Call 918-549-7617 or 918835-9577 to register. This program complements Tulsa City-County Library's "One Book, One Tulsa" initiative exploring food, health, gardening and sustainability. For adults.
OWASSO LIBRARY Books With Barbara Wednesday, July 11 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. • Read Myra Goldberg's "The False Friend" and then join us for a fun discussion. For adults.
Patrocinado por el Centro Hispano y el Fideicomiso de las Bibliotecas de Tulsa. Informes al 918-549-7597.
TulsaLibrary.org/hrc Correo electrónico y el internet: uso y aplicación en la vida cotidiana Miércoles, 18 de julio • 6:15-8:30 p.m. Les enseñaremos cómo crear una cuenta de correo electrónico, cómo usarla para enviar y recibir correo. De ahí, veremos cómo aprovechar el internet para acceso a los servicios de la biblioteca incluyendo sitios en línea para apender inglés. Para todas las edades. Correo Electrónico II Miércoles, 25 de julio • 9:30-11:30 a.m. Les enseñaremos cómo usar el correo electrónico más eficientemente, crear carpetas, abrir archivos, guardar fotos. Para todas las edades. Currículum, presentaciones, volantes y otros usos de la computadora Miércoles, 25 de julio • 6:15-8:30 p.m. En esta clase te enseñaremos cómo usar programas de Microsoft para escribir y diseñar varios documentos en la computadora. Para todas las edades.
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RUDISILL REGIONAL LIBRARY Community Help Series: Home Buyer Assistance/Counseling Saturday, July 14 • 9 a.m.-3 p.m. If you are interested in becoming a home owner and needing downpayment assstance, this seminar is for you. A representative from the Metropolitan Tulsa Urban League (MTUL) will present this seminar. MTUL is a HUD-certified Housing Counseling Agency that provides home buyer education and counseling, and assists with up to $5,000 in downpayment assistance for those who qualify. Preregistration is required. Class size is limited. Call MTUL, 918584-0001, to register. For adults. Cosponsored by the Friends of the Rudisill Regional Library. Business Plan Basics Saturday, July 21 • 10 a.m.-noon Whether you are starting a new business or expanding an existing company, a thorough business plan is important. Volunteers from SCORE: Counselors to America's Small Business, Tulsa Chapter 194, will take you through the steps to develop your own business plan. Learn why a business plan is important and what research is required. You also will review an actual business plan and learn about helpful library resources. Preregistration is required. Call 918549-7645 to register. For adults. Job Lab Tuesday, July 24 • 1-3 p.m. Update your résumé, search for jobs online or explore a new career in this special computer lab just for job seekers. You will have access to Microsoft Office software and the Internet. USB flash drives are available for purchasing, or you can bring your own to save your work. Standard printing charges apply. Library staff and resources will be in the lab to provide assistance. For adults. Preregistration is required. Class size is limited. Call 918-549-7645 to register. African-Americans in Oklahoma History Thursday, July 26 • 6-8 p.m. Dr. Hugh Foley, professor of Native American studies at Rogers State University, will discuss AfricanAmerican Freedmen, Afro-Native interactions, prestatehood, Indian Territory and the impact of Jim Crow Laws on Oklahoma history. For adults and teens. Sponsored by the AfricanAmerican Resource Center.
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MEET AUTHOR
Jacqueline Woodson
Zarrow Award Presentation
2012 Young People’s Creative Writing Contest Awards Presentation
WINNER OF THE TULSA LIBRARY TRUST’S 2012 ANNE V. ZARROW AWARD FOR YOUNG READERS’ LITERATURE Friday, Aug. 24 • 7 p.m. Central Library, second floor
Saturday, Aug. 25 • 10 a.m. Hardesty Regional Library, Connor’s Cove
Jacqueline Woodson is the national award-winning author of 24 picture and young adult books. She is best known for “Miracle’s Boys,” which received the Coretta Scott King Award, Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the American Library Association’s Best Book for Young Adults. In 2002, filmmaker Spike Lee turned “Miracle’s Boys” into a miniseries. She garnered a Newbery Honor Medal for both “Feathers” and “Show Way.” Her book “Coming on Home Soon” received the Caldecott Honor. Her novel “Locomotion” was a National Book Award finalist and received a Coretta Scott King Honor distinction. In 1990, she released her first picture book, “Martin Luther King Jr. and His Birthday,” illustrated by Oklahoma artist Floyd Cooper. She partnered with Cooper again for “Sweet, Sweet Memory” in 2000. Woodson will speak about her life and works, and sign books at both events. Copies of her works will be available for purchasing.
SCHUSTERMAN-BENSON LIBRARY Mystery Readers' Roundtable Thursday, July 5 • 2-3 p.m. Come and tell us about the mysteries you've been reading. For adults. Locally Speaking Wednesday, July 11 • 1-2 p.m. Join us for a visit with Sandy Jones, longtime Tulsa English teacher and co-author of Tulsa's classic walking and touring guide "Footsteps Through Tulsa." An avid reader, Jones will share stories and anecdotes about writing, reading, birding and retirement. Refreshments will be served. For adults. Game On! Wednesday, July 18 • 2-4 p.m. Enjoy gaming and refreshments. If you do not like gaming, we will have board games available, too! For tweens and teens.
computer classes HARDESTY REGIONAL LIBRARY
CLASSES ARE LIMITED TO 18 ON A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED BASIS. Really Basic PC Class Saturday, July 7 • 10-11 a.m. This class is designed for new PC users who have little or no experience using Windows, a mouse or the Internet, and little knowledge of basic computer terms.
MS Word 1 Tuesday, July 10 • 6-8 p.m. Learn how to create various kinds of documents; use the toolbar; set margins; apply spell check; and preview, save and print documents. Internet Basics Thursday, July 12 • 10-11 a.m. This class is designed for PC users with little or no experience surfing the Internet. You will navigate the World Wide Web and explore various search engines. You also will learn to preview, print and save information. MS Word 2 Tuesday, July 17 • 6-8 p.m. Learn how to create and format tables, use bulleted and numbered lists, and apply and format columns in a document. MS Word 3 Tuesday, July 24 • 6-8 p.m. Learn how to create and use borders and shading, headers and footers, page numbering and drawing tools. MS Word 4 Tuesday, July 31 • 6-8 p.m. Explore mail merge, use tables to perform calculations and create onscreen forms.
MARTIN REGIONAL LIBRARY
MS Excel 1 Saturday, July 7 • 10 a.m.-noon Learn how to create formulas, use automatic fill and change basic formatting. MS Excel 2 Saturday, July 14 • 10 a.m.-noon Learn how to create and edit formulas, and apply functions and advanced formatting to your spreadsheets and workbooks. MS Excel 3 Saturday, July 21 • 10 a.m.-noon Learn how to create visual representations of spreadsheet and workbook data. Learn how to create charts, apply conditional formatting and control the appearance of printed spreadsheets. Introduction to MS PowerPoint Saturday, July 28 • 10 a.m.-noon Learn how to create group presentations and slide shows. Email 201 Tuesday, July 31 • 1:30-3:30 p.m. Have you got a grasp of email but want to learn more? This class will teach you about attaching files and pictures, setting up an address book and even give you an overview of using your email as a daily calendar!
CLASSES ARE LIMITED TO 12 ON A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED BASIS.
RUDISILL REGIONAL LIBRARY
Email 101 Tuesday, July 3 • 1:30-3:30 p.m. Does email leave you confused? Would you like some help with the basics, including setting up an email account? If so, join us for this very basic email class.
Really Basic Computer Class Friday, July 13 • 9:30-11 a.m. This class is designed for new computer users who have little or no
FOR ADULTS. PREREGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. CLASS SIZES ARE LIMITED. CALL 918-549-7645 TO REGISTER.
TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY EVENT GUIDE
JULY 2012
c o m p u t e r
c l a s s e s
c o n t i n u e d
(Rudisill Regional Library continued)
previous experience using computers, Windows, a mouse or the Internet, and little or no knowledge of basic computer terms. Introduction to MS Word 2007 Friday, July 20 • 9:30-11 a.m. Learn how to create various kinds of documents; use the toolbar; set margins; apply spell check; and preview, save and print documents. Internet @ the Library Friday, July 27 • 9:30-11 a.m. Learn how to navigate the World Wide Web and use the library’s online catalog and resources.
children’s events For a complete list of children's events for July, pick up a Summer Reading Program Event Guide or visit tulsalibrary.org.
JENKS LIBRARY PAWS for Reading Tuesday, July 17 • 4-5 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry,
/
c h i l d r e n ' s
four-pawed friend. Preregistration is required. Call 918-549-7570 to register. Walk-ins may participate if space is available.
NATHAN HALE LIBRARY
e v e n t s TO SEARCH FOR EVENTS, SCAN THIS CODE USING YOUR MOBILE DEVICE AND QR SCANNER APP.
Preschool Storytime Thursdays, July 5, 12, 19, 26 10:30-11 a.m. • For ages 5 and younger. PAWS for Reading Saturday, July 28 • 1-2 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Preregistration is required. Call 918-549-7617 to register.
Free and Open to the Public If you are hearing-impaired and need a qualified interpreter, please call the library 48 hours in advance of the program. The Tulsa Book Review and Tulsa City-County Library Event Guide are printed on partially recycled paper.
tulsa city-county library locations 1 Bixby Library 20 E. Breckenridge, 74008 • 918-549-7514 M-Th, 12-8; Fri., 12-6; Sat., 10-5 2 Broken Arrow Library 300 W. Broadway, 74012 • 918-549-7500 M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 3 Broken Arrow Library/South 3600 S. Chestnut, 74011 • 918-549-7662 M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 4 Brookside Library 1207 E. 45th Place, 74105 • 918-549-7507 M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 5 Central Library and American Indian Resource Center 400 Civic Center, 74103 • 918-549-7323 M-Th, 9-9; Fri.-Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5, Sept.-May 6 Charles Page Library 551 E. Fourth St., Sand Springs, 74063 918-549-7521 • M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 7 Collinsville Library 1223 Main, 74021 • 918-549-7528 M-Th, 12-8; Fri., 12-5; Sat., 10-5 8 Genealogy Center 2901 S. Harvard, 74114 • 918-549-7691 M-W, 10-5; Th, 1-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 9 Glenpool Library 730 E. 141st St., 74033 • 918-549-7535 M-Th, 12-8; Fri., 12-5; Sat., 10-5 10 Hardesty Regional Library and Connor’s Cove 8316 E. 93rd St., 74133 • 918-549-7550 M-Th, 9-9; Fri., 9-6; Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5 11 Helmerich Library 5131 E. 91st St., 74137 • 918-549-7631 M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 12 Herman and Kate Kaiser Library 5202 S. Hudson Ave., Suite B, 74135 918-549-7542 • M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 13 Jenks Library 523 W. B St., 74037 • 918-549-7570 M-T, 12-8; W-Th, 10-6; Fri., 12-5; Sat., 10-5
14 Judy Z. Kishner Library 10150 N. Cincinnati Ave. E., Sperry 74073 • 918-549-7577 M-T, 12-7; W, 10-5; Th, 12-7; Fri., 12-5; Sat., 10-5 15 Kendall-Whittier Library 21 S. Lewis, 74104 • 918-549-7584 M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 16 Martin Regional Library and Hispanic Resource Center 2601 S. Garnett Road, 74129 • 918-549-7590 M-Th, 9-9; Fri., 9-6; Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5 17 Maxwell Park Library 1313 N. Canton, 74115 • 918-549-7610 M-F, 10-6; Sat., 10-5 18 Nathan Hale Library 6038 E. 23rd St., 74114 • 918-549-7617 M, 12-8; T-Th, 10-6; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 19 Owasso Library 103 W. Broadway, 74055 • 918-549-7624 M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 20 Pratt Library 3219 S. 113th W. Ave., Sand Springs, 74063 • 918-549-7638 M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 21 Rudisill Regional Library and African-American Resource Center 1520 N. Hartford, 74106 • 918-549-7645 M-Th, 9-9; Fri.-Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5 22 Schusterman-Benson Library 3333 E. 32nd Place, 74135 • 918-549-7670 M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 23 Skiatook Library 316 E. Rogers, 74070 • 918-549-7676 M, 12-8; T-Th, 10-6; Fri.-Sat., 11-5 24 Suburban Acres Library 4606 N. Garrison, 74126 • 918-549-7655 M-Th, 10-6; Fri.-Sat., 11-5 25 Zarrow Regional Library 2224 W. 51st St., 74107 918-549-7683 M-Th, 9-9; Fri.-Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5
T u l s a L i b r a r y . o r g
The Tulsa City-County Library Event Guide is produced by the Public Relations Office of the Tulsa City-County Library. For questions or concerns, call 918-549-7389.
Book Reviews
Langman, but more than that, he has created a whole cast of bright, funny secondary characters who populate this laugh-out-loud YA novel. The voice is dead-on teen talk and the jokes are just what you’d expect from teenage boys. Buy this book! Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck
Category
Teen Scene
SNAP IT for additional book summaries. Boy21 By Matthew Quick Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 250 pages Check this out! Narrated by Finley, a boy in love with basketball, Boy21 by Matthew Quick will catch readers by surprise with its combination of unique characters, emotion, and friendship. Finley is the only white player on his basketball team, and has earned himself a starting position with his dedication to practice and training. When Russ moves to town, Coach asks Finley to stick with him and eventually get him to go out for basketball. Finley finds this is no easy task, as Russ only answers to the name Boy21 and has an unusual fascination with space. Perhaps the worst part for Finley is that Boy21 was an all-star basketball player on his last team-not only playing as the same jersey number (21), but also in the same position as Finley. Their friendship helps Russ deal with the past he ran from, but the strain on their relationship due to basketball allows true reflection and excellent prose from Quick to shine. The narration from Finley strikes a perfect balance between inner dialogue and emotion as he struggles to find his place after Coach essentially asks him to do what’s best for the team. Reviewed by Shanyn Day Dreamless By Josephine Angelini HarperTeen, $17.99, 487 pages Check this out! Fans of Starcrossed will not be disappointed with the sequel, Dreamless. Helen descends into the Underworld each night in an attempt to find a way to stop the Furies and end the curse all Scions are under to try and kill those from rival houses. It’s taking a toll on her, along with the torment she faces having to deny her feelings for Lucas. Her one solace is meeting Orion in the Underworld, as he joins her on her quest. There is a lot going on in this book, and readers are introduced to several new Greek
gods and goddesses that are not as well known at the twelve major gods. This adds to the action and throws in a few twists and turns that readers will not see coming. Orion is also a nice addition to the story, despite the fact that he can be considered a part of a love triangle. Fortunately, the love triangle aspect isn’t over, and readers can simply enjoy Orion’s wit and sense of humor. The only minor drawback to this book is there is not as much Helen-Lucas interaction, but the latest revelations make it still a story well worth reading. Reviewed by Debbie Suzuki Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator By Josh Berk Knopf Books for Young Readers, $16.99, 240 pages Check this out! The day of Guy’s father’s funeral is hard on Guy. He is a pallbearer and delivers the eulogy and he’s only sixteen. He thought his dad would live forever. Now all he has left is memories of his dad’s advice, none of it very good, and three gold coins. Guy is talked into joining the afterschool Forensics Club by his best friend, Anoop, who shows Guy a note from Raquel – the girl of Guy’s dreams – saying she will be there. When Guy discovers someone has broken into his house and stolen the gold coins his father left, the skills he’s learned in Forensics Club come in handy. They have prints, but no exemplar, although something is familiar about the print. The Forensics Club has a competition with another club, and Anoop and Guy find a real dead body, someone who looks remarkably like Guy. The plot thickens! Josh Berk has created a bright, irreverent, and truly funny protagonist in Guy
Wanderlove By Kirsten Hubbard Delacorte Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 352 pages Check this out! Wanderlove is an excellent sophomore novel by Kirsten Hubbard. Bria signs up for a guided tour of South America, but when she arrives she finds herself surrounded by middle-aged tourists, leaving no one her age for her to connect with on the trip. She soon meets Rowan, a backpacker, and is intrigued by his attitude and outlook on life. Taking a huge chance, she ditches her tour group and heads off with Rowan and his sister on a tour of South America she will never forget. Watching the relationship between Rowan and Bria grow is a delight, especially when they bond during the various traveling legs they have to do (bus, back of a truck, and on). Bria is on the quest for independence while Rowan is trying to get back on track from bad decisions he has made, and this dynamic is written very well. The most special part of Wanderlove falls in a unique category, how- ever: author Kirsten Hubbard has included some of her own illustrations to accompany the text. Clearly written by someone who has traveled herself, Wanderlove manages to combine friendship, discovery, and travel in a near perfect package. Reviewed by Shanyn Day Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe By Shelley Coriell Amulet Books, $16.95, 320 pages Check this out! Chloe is a social fish, queen of the school, whom everyone laughs and has a good time with. So she gets an ugly shock when her friends Brie and Mercedes exclude her at school after spring break, determined to ruin her social life line. She knows that Brie has been having family troubles, but Chloe has been dealing with some of her ownmatters that cannot be dissolved with a joke. To make matters worse she has to redo her whole JISP paper, something she cannot graduate without. For her subject Chloe gets signed up to work at the school’s failing radio station, with a crew who may have their own problems but support each other as an odd family. She develops a crush on the technician, Duncan, whose life revolves around his problems at home. Chloe learns that listening is just as good, and sometimes better than talking to help someone. Shelley Coriell creates the most interest-
Tulsa Book Review • July 2012 • 9
ing, in depth, and satisfying novel I have read in a long time. The readers watch as Chloe grows in her understanding of herself and those around her as she tries to lighten everyone’s problems. The importance of laughter everyday is explored, while the idea of balance is reached. The stress of problems at home that some students have is well portrayed, bringing a very realistic and understanding quality to the book. It sends an important message to bounce back from hard times. Readers understand how important friends and family are in their support for one another, and how others don’t have these bonds. The pages will fly through in Chloe’s voice, leading readers through her life. Reviewed by Amanda Muir Applewhites at Wit’s End By Stephanie S. Tolan HarperCollins, $15.99, 272 pages Check this out! Randolph Applewhite returns home to North Carolina after directing a show in New York to announce to the family that all their money has been embezzled. The family is destitute and they will have to sell the family homestead. The members of the extended family who live at Wit’s End are all artists of one kind or another and need their space and quiet to continue their creative endeavors. They finally come up with the idea of running a summer camp for creative prodigies. With all their diverse talents, they have no doubt they can run workshops to keep a dozen young people busy for eight weeks and restore enough of the family fortune to keep Wit’s End. What could possibly go wrong? First, they only get six campers, not the twelve they need to make a good profit.
“She smoothed out one and slipped it into her spiral notebook. The others she put back with the rest of the trash. Then she picked up one of the balled-up sheets of paper and carefully straightened it out. It had been printed on what looked like an ink-jet printer. There was not much on it, but what there was sent a shiver up her spine.” Then they meet the campers. This sequel to Surviving the Applewhites has the same cast of slightly crazy characters with the addition of six campers who fit right into the Wit’s End lunacy. It’s fun and silly and, other than the annoying baby-talk of young Destiny, this is a thoroughly enjoyable book for kids ten and up. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck
Book Reviews
ing the fireball before it touches down. Our hero Randy winds up getting the greatest hit of them all in a tale that tells children that their own, unique personal strengths are priceless. Beautifully illustrated. Reviewed by Joseph Arellano
Category
Picture Books SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Cindy Moo By Lori Mortensen, Jeff Mack (illustrator) HarperCollins, $16.99, 32 pages Check this out! When Cindy’s fellow cows on the Diddle farm hear a nursery rhyme about a cow who jumped over the moon, they scoff at the idea. Cows can’t jump over the moon. Cindy has her own ideas about that. The rhyme inspires her: Surely she’s just the cow to jump the moon and prove her friends wrong. But several attempts make her realize that jumping the moon is not so easily done. The moon is farther away than she thought. Some creative thinking and a stroke of luck lead her to a solution that will delight youngsters (and maybe make them try to jump over the moon themselves.) Mortensen’s rhyme and rhythm are singsong-y and delightful, following the pattern of the classic nursery rhyme. Jeff Mack’s colorful illustrations capture bovine expressions and are full of life. This book is a fun romp and will please parents and children alike. Reviewed by Elizabeth Varadan Every Cowgirl Loves a Rodeo By Rebecca Janni, Lynne Avril (illustrator) Dial Books for Young Readers, $16.99, 32 pages Check this out! Bicycles have replaced horses in the hearts of some little girls, but the dream lives on. Every Cowgirl Loves a Rodeo is the story of Nellie Sue and her bike, and her dreams of winning a blue ribbon at the county fair bicycle rodeo. Although she shows that she has the stuff, as she demonstrates to the current winner, she must make the horrible
choice of winning or saving her friend. She makes the right choice, and rides off into her own sunset, or sundae as the case may be. This is a fun book. The illustrations are fun, and really get the fantasy and reality across; this book would be recommended for the artwork alone. However, it also makes a great point about not only doing the right thing, but also that two people can be rivals and still be friends; when rivals are villainized to the point of absurdity in most books, showing that they can be friends and actually help push each other to success is a pretty powerful message. This is a great book, and one that preschoolers will enjoy. Reviewed by Jamais Jochim Randy Riley’s Really Big Hit By Chris Van Dusen Candlewick Press, $15.99, 32 pages Check this out! Author and illlustrator Chris Van Dusen has fashioned a children’s book that should be quite popular with male children, ages 4 and above. It will especially appeal to those kids — male or female — who are just becoming exposed to the game of baseball, either Pee Wee League style or softball. Randy Riley is a boy who would love, more than anything, to be the next Ted Williams of his Little League team. But while he’s a very smart whiz-kid when it comes to space and science, he’s not able to hit a baseball, no matter how hard he tries. In this story set in the 1950s, Randy uses his powerful telescope to determine that a meteor fireball is on its way toward planet Earth and will destroy the town he lives in. Randy is unable to convince anyone — including his absolutely clueless parents — that the meteor is on its way. So he has just 19 days to find a solution; a way of destroy-
You Are a Lion! And Other Fun Yoga Poses By Taeeun Yoo Nancy Paulsen Books, $16.99, 32 pages Check this out! You Are a Lion! And Other Fun Yoga Poses by Taeeun Yoo is a simple introduction to yoga for children from 3 to 5. Yoo, who is the author and illustrator of The Little Red Fish, sets the book up as if your child is entering a yoga class. Gentle illustrations greet the reader and accompany the child throughout. The opening lines—and the pictures of children practicing yoga moves and the verses that follow—invite the reader into an easy and calming class. Yoo’s language - “When the golden sun rises” - gently rocks and suggests calm.
Yoo provides simple instructions for children to capture the animals of the yoga poses: a lion, a butterfly, a dog, a snake, a frog, and a cat. At the end, the children come together in mountain pose, finishing to “Relax in silence.” Each child in the book demonstrates the getting into a pose; the following pages include the child in scenery of the animal. For example, the child demonstrating cat pose kneels on one page, rounds her back in the second illustration and, turn the page, a cat and a child creep quietly along a tree branch like a cat meowing at the moon. Reviewed by Elizabeth Humphrey GOODBYE, cont’d from page 7 on parts of his marriage that he hadn’t considered, allowing him to see Dorothy in a new way and helping him to let go. The Beginner’s Goodbye is wittily named after the series of books that Aaron edits, books with titles like The Beginner’s Wine Guide and The Beginner’s Monthly Budget. “Anything is manageable if it’s divided into small enough increments, was the theory; even life’s most complicated lessons.” Even saying goodbye to a loved one? Aaron certainly bungles the process and could use some help. His poignant mishaps and socially awkward interactions inspire a wry smile and a desire for readers to save him from himself. Reviewed by Tammy McCartney
Kids Book Review
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Book Reviews
have a better life. Sam is hired to be a stand-in for Trevor because he looks so much like him they could be twins. When Trevor’s mother sees them together she gets Sam fired and banned from the studio. The boys talk and discover they are both adopted. Maybe they could really be twins. Trevor’s movie-star friend McKenna Steele, on whom Sam has an immediate crush (and the feeling is mutual), helps the boys trade places for a couple of weeks. But then the wheels start to come off. Think The Prince and the Pauper in modern-day Hollywood. This is great fun—a story both boys and girls of middle-school age will like a lot. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck
Category
Kids’ Books
SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Nasty Bugs By Lee Bennett Hopkins, Will Terry (illustrator) Dial, $17.99, 32 pages Check this out! The sixteen poems in Nasty Bugs are not for the faint of heart. These nasty bugs will suck your blood, sting your skin, eat your crops, and destroy your furniture. And then they’ll ask for more! Fun and educational, these poems playfully describe the lives and appetites of mankind’s least favorite insects. With titles like “Ode to a Dead Mosquito” and “Barbed and Dangerous,” Nasty Bugs will make curious readers squeal “Eeeeww, gross!” with delight. Terry’s bright and colorful illustrations are realistic enough to give young entymologists a clear idea of what the insects look like, while being cartoonish enough to contribute to the book’s sense of fun. The expressions on both the insects’ and their victims’ faces made me laugh. The book concludes with a section titled “About the Nasty Bugs,” which features a thumbnail picture of each bug, its scientific name, and a few interesting facts. Information embedded in poetry, combined with silly illustrations, gives Nasty Bugs the right balance between education and entertainment. Reviewed by Tammy McCartney Kaspar the Titanic Cat By Michael Morpurgo, Michael Foreman (illustrator) HarperCollins, $16.99, 208 pages Check this out! Orphan Johnny Trott works as a bell-boy at the Savoy Hotel. Opera singer Count-
ess Kandinsky stays at the hotel for three months with her cat Kaspar. Johnny takes care of the cat, walking him during his breaks and making sure he is fed and cared for when the Countess is away at practices and performances. When the countess is killed in a traffic accident, Johnny takes care of Kaspar, but the cat will not eat. He loses weight and his coat dulls. A wealthy American family, the Stantons, comes to the Savoy for two months prior to their up-coming trip on the new ocean liner, the Titanic. The Stanton’s young daughter, Lizziebeth, discovers Kaspar and gets him to eat again. They become great friends, and Lizziebeth befriends Johnny as well. Johnny ends up saving her life and the Stantons reward him. When it is the time for them to leave, Johnny gives Kaspar to Lizziebeth, and the Stantons take Johnny along to help them settle in on the Titanic. Johnny stows away on the ill-fated ship. Michael Morpurgo is a master story-teller and this lovely story will not disappoint middle-school readers. Both boys and girls will like it equally well. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Pinch Hit By Tim Green HarperCollins, $16.99, 320 pages Check this out! Trevor is a star. No, really, a movie star. He’s thirteen years old and has a dressing room trailer, a movie-star mother and big-shot dad, and he lives in a mansion in Bel Air. He has everything, except what he really wants—to play baseball on a team with other kids. Sam lives in a trailer in a garbage dump with his father, an aspiring screenwriter. Sam plays baseball and he is good. Really good. Going-to-themajors-someday good. He wants his dad to succeed in movies to
The Bell Bandit By Jacqueline Davies Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, $15.99, 192 pages Check this out! Jessie and Evan travel with their mother (who they strangely think of as Mrs. Treski) to see their grandmother in the hospital after a house fire and a bad fall. When they arrive, they find the house damaged much worse than expected. Clearly, this holiday season won’t be what they are used to. To top everything off, they find that Grandmother’s bell, the ringing of which is a New Year’s Eve tradition, has been stolen! Jessie meets a neighbor boy, Maxwell, who has odd habits, odd ways of moving, and difficulty communicating. While Evan works sideby-side with the man repairing the house, Jessie befriends Maxwell and decides they should become spies and find the bell thief. When Grandmother comes home, she is not herself. At times she doesn’t know who Evan is, and she makes poor choices that put her in danger. Jessie and Maxwell run into trouble when they spy on some “mean boys” in the neighborhood while looking for the bell. This is a well-structured mystery that will engage young readers with the story while taking on difficult issues such as Alzheimer’s and autism. Sometimes the point of view is a bit confusing, but overall kids will like this book. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck The Super Sluggers: Rainmaker By Kevin Markey HarperCollins, $15.99, 240 pages Check this out! The Rambletown Rounders are in their last season together and headed into playoffs and, hopefully, the championship. There is just one problem – their star pitcher, Slingshot Slocum, can’t get a pitch over the plate. More than that, every time he tries to pitch, rain pours down so hard and fast, thoughts of building an ark spring to mind. The Rounders win one game, because they are ahead when the rain comes and another
Tulsa Book Review • July 2012 • 11
through gutsy play without Slingshot in the line-up. The boys get a well-deserved break for a camping and rafting trip down the Big Fork River, home of the ghostly tale of the Moonlight Bandit and the Devil’s Furnace. When Slingshot starts skipping stones, the boys’ raft is swept right into the Devil’s Furnace. Will they find the treasure? Can they ever get out? And then there’s the championship game. This final book in Kevin Markey’s Super Slugger series will give his fans lots to cheer about. The boys face some really tough challenges and persevere. There are lots of laughs and a good mystery wrapped up in this fast-paced page turner for young kids. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck The Big Green Book of the Big Blue Sea By Helaine Becker, Willow Dawson (illustrator) Kids Can Press, $15.95, 80 pages Check this out! This hands-on book about the ocean offers interesting experiments to illustrate the extensive information offered. The participation through these activities gives children a better knowledge of the ocean. What makes the ocean salty? What happens when it reaches the sea? After an introduction to the ocean, icebergs, tsunami, global warming, and more are explained in the first section, “Wet and Wild.” Section two offers “Fun with Fish,” teaching about camouflage, glow-inthe-dark, what keeps fish floating and not sinking, and how fish breathe, to name a few. Part three shares “More Marine Marvels” from feathers, blubber, shapes, and sizes, to squids, spots, and jellyfish. Each topic includes the answers to “What’s Going On?” and “What’s Happening Now?” that furthers a fuller understanding. Concluding with “The Ocean of the Future,” the book’s message is clearly stated:
“The ocean is so important to all of Earth’s creatures and processes that one plain fact becomes clear: If the ocean isn’t healthy, then nothing else on Earth can be healthy.” “The ocean’s well-being is in your hands and in the hands of ordinary people everywhere who want to make a difference.” This method of pairing science instruction with a sense of personal responsibility is an encouraging way to teach children. Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Book Reviews Category
Biography & Memoir SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Eisenhower in War and Peace By Jean Edward Smith Random House, $40.00, 950 pages Check this out! Just when you thought that award winning biographer Jean Edward Smith could not out-do his prize winner FDR and Pulitzer finalist Grant, he dazzles us with the topper to them both in a no-holds-barred account of the life and trials of Dwight David Eisenhower. Smith recalls the journey from a general’s general to Commander-In-Chief, showing how Ike made it look easy while unveiling the personal struggles that threatened to ruin him at every turn. Ike’s accomplishments rival contemporary national heroes. In WWII he commanded the largest multinational army ever assembled, and as President of the United States he enjoyed the highest average approval rating since that era, all the while fielding detractors lobbing rumors about Miss Kay Summersby and his executive golf habit. A soldier who understood the human cost of war and pricelessness of peace, Eisenhower ended Truman’s three-year bloodletting in Korea, and for the next eight years not a single American died in combat. He stone-walled pressure to use nuclear weapons and faced down Khrushchev over Berlin. And yet, Smith reveals why Ike remains on of the most underrated men of his generation. Reviewed by C.D. Quyn
James Madison: A Son of Virginia and a Founder of the Nation By Jeff Broadwater University of North Carolina Press, $30.00, 266 pages Check this out! The third James Madison biography to come out this year, this book focuses on a couple of different aspects of Madison’s life: his time as president, and his views on slavery. This biography covers his early life and career quickly, from his time at school to his struggle to settle into a career before the Revolution. He quickly became involved in politics and was elected many times. His role in the convention was to speak about his ideas, but also to keep notes of what others were saying. After he became president he started to realize the limits of power and that changes might be needed. His views on slavery changed over time, and he felt that for Virginia to prosper, it must end slavery and resettle free slaves back in Africa. Broadwater does a good job describing Madison’s life and views and how they shifted over the years as circumstances changed. Madison could change his mind about topics and believed it was important for politicians to see their errors and to change with the times. The biography is short and one of the better researched ones on the market. Reviewed by Kevin Winter
for experiencing black history on an intense level, Dean saddled up his horse, Sankofa, and traveled across the United States. Through the vagaries of traffic, weather, and circumstance, we hear tales of black slaves, abolitionists, soldiers, jockies, cowboys, and more. For those who yearn for non-fiction, this highly readable story appeals to the senses and the intellect. Teen readers, especially males, will enjoy this opportunity to study history from the shared perspective of an African-American adult male with a dream of adventure and the guts to carry it out. Winkler has included a map with notes about Miles Dean’s cross-country travels, a reading group guide, and an index. All of these handy tools would assist history buffs or the teacher who might assign the book for class. Reviewed by Alicia Latimer Uncovering the Truth About Meriwether Lewis By Thomas C. Danisi Prometheus Books, $26.00, 466 pages Thomas Danisi’s most recent work about the life of Meriwether Lewis brings to light newly discovered evidence to lay to rest the most controversial issues of the famed ex-
On the Trail of the Ancestors: A Black Cowboy’s Ride Across America By Lisa K. Winkler CreateSpace, $12.95, 150 pages Actively engaging young people in the learning process can be a challenge. When it comes to ensuring that little-known facts are provided for inquiring minds, it seems that encasing these facts within an interesting story line is a highly workable process. Lisa K. Winkler, in describing the journey of African-American cowboy Miles Dean, shares with the reader the joys and hardships encountered on a modern-day 5000 mile journey on horseback. With a passion Tulsa Book Review • July 2012 • 12
plorer. Among these, Danisi includes in the appendix—which takes up half the book— documentary exhibits heretofore lost for the past two hundred years. This work might be best viewed as a supplement to the critically acclaimed biography, Meriwether Lewis, which Danisi recently co-authored. We are drawn into Danisi’s insatiable curiosity to explore the events of Lewis’s life now that the entire court martial proceeding transcript vindicates the young officer of all previous assumptions. Documentation confirms that Lewis suffered from the incurable disease of malaria, which alters the paradigm of his whole life and tragic death. Coupled with more evidence to refute claims that General James Wilkinson orchestrated Lewis’s death, and the role Major Neelly played in Lewis’s last days, Danisi’s work sets aside the speculation of other reputable historians that Lewis committed suicide. Equally critical to solving the mysteries of Lewis’s life and demise, Danisi demonstrates how Lewis’s financial problems were created by an over zealous clerk accountant of the War Department. Reviewed by C.D. Quyn
Book Reviews
have been known to catch their prey on the wing, while docile birds like ducks remain sharply aware of dangers from above with the senses nature has provided them. Birds have to recognize calls, danger, and predatory animals. They have to persevere and struggle to survive, to endure flight to reach new breeding grounds or hunting grounds and to avoid becoming another bird’s lunch. The author invigorates the reader with a constant flow of fresh, enlightening material, enriching the overall discussions under each topic. He does so utilizing extensive resources, many long forgotten. Like The Private Lives of Birds by Bridget Stutchbury, Bird Sense is a special volume—a gem that should be recognized as the hallmark of bird studies. Reviewed by D. Wayne Dworsky
Category
Nature & Science SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Bird Sense: What It’s Like to Be a Bird By Tim Birkhead Walker, $25.00, 355 pages Check this out! Describing the senses of birds provides an unusually informative insight into what it’s like to be the creature. According to Birkhead, birds have a special knack of seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and otherwise feeling and sensing the stimuli in the environment. The author found that birds’ visual processing is 10 times as fast as that of humans. Their three types of vision means that birds, depending on whether predator or prey, have evolved to deal with any predicament. Apparently, birds of prey need binocular
vision, like humans, to be able to see depth, and calculate distances. Grazing birds, which are often prey to other birds and animals, have evolved ways to keep up. They’ve developed eyes on the sides of their heads for a wider field of vision, not needing a field of depth. The birds’ eyes have additional devices that enable richer vision and faster image processing, and give predatory birds deadly precision. Most animals can either see fine detail or can quickly spot a moving target. Birds appear to possess both high visual acuity and intensely high processing power, like a camera on steroids. In addition, it appears as though some birds such as owls are designed as sound receptors. Owls glide through the night air soundlessly, acutely aware of rustling sounds that small mammals make in the woods. They clutch their prey with deadly talons before the prey even knows it. Many large birds such as falcons
Category
Spirituality & Religion SNAP IT for additional book summaries. Ordinary Sacred: The Simple Beauty of Everyday Life By Kent Nerburn New World Library, $14.00, 122 pages We’ve all heard the phrase “stop and smell the roses.” It’s in the time we take to notice the beauty in the ordinary, in day-to-day life that we will see the “divine,” the sacred. Even if you’re not a religious person, it’s hard to deny the beauty in the world around us, and if we take the time to notice, to listen, to truly see, we can acknowledge a certain
“sacredness” about what we see. Author Kent Nerburn shows us, in simple observations that if we truly take the time, we will see something worth seeing and learning from. Nerburn’s prose is easily read. He has a talent with words, and a keen eye for finding the extraordinary in what most might see
How We Age: A Doctor’s Journey into the Heart of Growing Old By Marc Agronin Da Capo Lifelong Books, $15.00, 320 pages Check this out! In this youth obsessed culture, aging is a topic that is shunned. Yet all of us, if fortunate, will ultimately attain the golden years. For those lacking the experience, Dr. Agronin presents a vivid picture of how the older person changes both physically, emotionally, and cerebrally. In his role as a geriatric psychiatrist working in a nursing home in Miami, he encounters a diverse population of seniors who might be labeled as septagenarians (70), octagenarians (80), nonagenarians (90), and even some who pass the hundred or centarian level. Within the five sections, the author describes his family influences, especially his reverence for his grandparents. Clinically, several case studies from his practice are compassionately as ordinary. I was especially moved by his experience and observations from attending the funeral of a former student in the environment and traditions of Native Americans on a reservation. It was powerful and made a big impact upon him. It’s through Nerburn’s imagry-filled writing style that we might sense a “spirit” in things as simple as birdsongs, kites, even the rhythm of a pow wow drum. Just open your eyes, open your ears, open your heart to the possibility. Reviewed by Laura Friedkin Small Mercies: Glimpses of God in Everyday Life By Nancy Jo Sullivan Loyola Press, $12.95, 112 pages This sliver of a book is a pearl. Nancy Jo Sullivan embarks on a journey to share the mercies, blessings from the Extraordinary, in the ordinary of everyday routine. Her honesty is expressed as she deals with the loss of a daughter and a marriage, and she opens her heart to every bit of compassion that God has to offer. She encourages her readers to also look for these “glimpses of God” in a morning cup of coffee, the afterschool drive with the teens and a friendly
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reviewed. A portrayal of the aging guru Eric Ericson is especially moving. Dementia, depression, spiritual rejuvenation, reassessment of values; both the lows and highs, those features that influence the mental outlook of the maturing individuals are analyzed and dissected. For the baby boomers whose increasing numbers will attempt to break through the barrier of invisibility that seniors are now accorded, this is a valuable book that looks into the mind of our elders. Reviewed by Aron Row The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human By Jonathan Gottschall Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $24.00, 256 pages Check this out! It’s about time someone has chosen to put storytelling into its proper perspective. And the author does so in superb detail. The Storytelling Animal is a fun-packed adventure of the human soul, driving the reader into the familiar domain that grabs our attention. He raises the important question: why do humans tell stories at all? The manner in which he addresses this concern triggers digging into the heart of the human animal - making us the storytelling animal. In that pursuit, the book is peppered with delightful old-world photos and many, many illustrations of the human condition. He brings our innate drive to the forefront, where we can appreciate storytelling and how it sets us apart as being human. See STORYTELLING, cont’d on page 14 smile from a stranger. God spreads his love all around; all it takes is the invitation of an open heart and willing mind. A slim read that entertains and amuses its readers, Small Merciesenters the everyday, and, along with that, the funny sides of living. Don’t miss the date cookie chapter. Remember mercies come in all shapes, sizes and flavors. At the end of each chapter she shares “Receive the Mercies,” which offers a prayer, fasting and almsgiving prompt. These quick and enlivening intentions are inspiring and thought-provoking, lending deeper meaning and connection to both your Creator and yourself. Though it may only take an afternoon to read, this book may sit on your nightstand as a reminder to take it all in, maybe even lending to a second and third read. Reviewed by Sky Sanchez-Fischer
Book Reviews Category
Fantasy SNAP IT for additional book summaries. 1636: The Kremlin Games (Ring of Fire) By Eric Flint, Gorg Huff, Paula Goodlett Baen, $25.00, 409 pages Check this out! Bernie hadn’t adjusted well when his town of Grantville was suddenly wrenched out of the twentieth century and plopped down in 15th century Germany. His mom had died from lack of the medications that were keeping her alive. He had no immediate skills that were in demand. How many car mechanics did you need when there was no gas? He had been working on the road gangs and drinking for some time. When the Russians came calling and asked him to go with them he figured what did he have to
lose? What Bernie didn’t know is what he, and the country he would come to regard as his own, had to gain. Bernie didn’t even know what he knew, or what he could learn, but he and those with him would gradually make sweeping changes, of the head, heart, and soul. I love this series, but this is a standout even in a wonderful series. It has war, political intrigue, romance, even car chases! It follows Russia from the first rumors of the ring of fire, and brings it up to date with the rest of the series. Don’t miss this! Reviewed by Beth Revers Destroyer of Worlds (Kingdom of the Serpent, Book 3) By Mark Chadbourn Pyr, $17.95, 390 pages The end time is here. For all the doom and gloom prophesied in the Kingdom of
Category
Horror SNAP IT for additional book summaries. The Best Horror of the Year Volume 4 By Ellen Datlow (editor) Night Shade Books, $15.99, 387 pages Check this out! “Best of the Year” is not a title to take lightly, but this anthology does live up to its name. It is jam-packed with famous, and infamous, writers from around the world. The book stars off strong with the help of horror champion Stephen King. It ends triumphantly with a short by Peter Straub. If you don’t know these names, this is a great pace to get acquainted with great storytellers. While each story is different, all have the same theme: fear comes in all shapes and sizes. Do not let the word “horror” or the terrifying black cover scare you away from
this book. The spectrum of feelings that it presents is not limited only to shades of fear. There are moments that are funny, sad, charming, and chilling. The book is diverse. Each of the stories are short, with the longest being 50 pages, so it is quick to read. There are some stories I fell in love with, like “Final Girl Theory” by A.C. Wise, and “The Moraine” by Simon Bestwick. I also liked the overall theme. Each story showcases fear and paranoia in a different manner, and it was exciting to read. Horror fan and fans of great storytelling, pick up this book now. Reviewed by Kevin Brown The Cabin in the Woods: The Official Movie Novelization By Tim Lebbon Titan Books, $7.99, 272 pages Five college friends gather for a fun weekend at a remote lakeside cabin in the woods, unaware of the horrors that await them.
Serpent books, it all comes to a head at this point in time. Jack Churchill, our protagonist from the very beginning, must take the fight to the Enemy. He brings with him the acquaintances that he made along the extended journey. Not only is he joined with Gods, Myths, and legends, but even his own band of friends. When the dust settles, Church’s finds out that there are more surprises in his future than he thought. All of the books have been leading to this point. For being the final book, it does pull out all the stops to make for a very fast paced, enjoyable adventure. Chadbourn keeps a strong focus throughout the book. There are no loose ends or questions left at the end of the book. It is great to see these characters change and grow throughout the series. Like the other books, Destroyer of Worlds is able to sneak in philosophical questions about the essences of being and moral decisions. It is enough to be thoughtprovoking, but not overly preachy. For those that have read the last two books, pick this one up right now. Reviewed by Kevin Brown The Black Opera By Mary Gentle Night Shade Books, $15.99, 550 pages Check this out! When young, I was part of a stage management team and, from time to time, our (Rest assured on one count: no spoilers appear in this review!) Although this description might sound like a dozen plots you’ve read before, you’re in for a thrilling surprise. You’ve likely seen trailers for The Cabin in the Woods, a film from Joss Whedon, the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Drew Goddard, writer of Cloverfield. If watching the trailer made your heart race, pick up the official movie novelization by Tim Lebbon. Readers will discover twists and turns upon twists and turns. Even if you have already seen the film, the book will still be a fun read. Lebbon fills in the details behind the characters’ emotions and actions. Because the book is based on a movie, reading it really does feel like a trip to the theater, and your mind provides the specific visual details. This can often be even scarier than watching someone else’s creation on screen. You never know what is lurking in the depths of your own creative mind. Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin
Tulsa Book Review • July 2012 • 14
theater staged operas. That experience considerably enhanced my enjoyment of The Black Opera by Mary Gentle, which details the conception, writing, and staging of a classical opera. Imagine an alternate history for our world in which supernatural things happen and some magic works. Now suppose that when, as an experiment, dark operatic arias are sung to this world’s equivalent of Krakatoa, it erupts. It could be coincidence or it could be the first step to destroy European civilization by provoking all the major Italian volcanoes to spread ash everywhere and ruin agricultural production. The Black Opera is intended as the ultimate act of Satanic terrorism. So the Italian kings must stage a “white opera” to keep Etna and Stromboli quiet. Except there’s only six weeks to the critical date. And, of course, the black team sabotage and, if necessary, murder members of the white team to stop them from completing the work on time. Mary Gentle has yet again produced a magnificent alternate history, cleverly exploiting ideas about the power of emotion through music to change the world. The result is wonderfully entertaining. Reviewed by David Marshall
STORYTELLING, cont’d from page 13 spirit. In these detailed accounts he categorizes the various forms of story and identifies the mechanics of each form. Later, he relates anecdotes that further strengthen his story concept. And he repeats this message throughout the book. He describes all the aspects of story, such as the riddle of fiction, how hell is story-friendly, night story, and he explains that the mind is a storyteller. Don’t forget about the “story” in “history.” The author has crafted an account of something we all take for granted and yet need to hear. In the end, he describes the future of story as the natural outcome of the human event. We are storytelling animals. PutThe Storytelling Animal on your summer reading list. Reviewed by D. Wayne Dworsky
Book Reviews
York time, on September 11, 2001… After the first sample broke into the shape of a cross and a crossshaped davit bit came up with a section of rope draped over its arms, a Russian scientist eerily lamented that the objects were a bad omen and that a third cross would soon be seen.” The combination of research from expeditions, survivor stories, and current tragedy made for a more powerful account of the Titanic than I have ever read before. Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Category
History & Current Events SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Farewell, Titanic: Her Final Legacy By Charles Pellegrino Wiley, $27.95, 333 pages Pellegrino’s writing has captured so much information in a readable and compassionate way. He offers information from deepsea explorations of more than twenty-five years complemented by firsthand accounts of the tragedy from Titanic survivors. Readers get a deeper sense of being there when survivors describe conditions before, dur-
ing, and after hitting the iceberg. Sixteen pages of color photographs of the sunken Titanic add to a better understanding of the vessel before the ship’s infrastructure collapses in the next few years. What I found particularly chilling were the events recounted during the September 2001 research expedition that synchronized so closely to another tragedy of lost innocent lives. The caption under one of the photographs describes it: “At 7:30 a.m. New
Hide & Seek: The Irish Priest in the Vatican Who Defied the Nazi Command By Stephen Walker Lyons Press, $24.95, 306 pages The Swastika flew over Rome in 1943 and its shadow fell heavily over the Vatican as well. While the Pope remained outwardly neutral, Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty made the decision that he could not stand by and do nothing. With the help of British Envoy to the Vatican, D’Arcy Osborne, O’Flaherty aided, fed, sheltered, and just plain saved over 8,000 Allied POWs and Jews. Herbert Kappler, the Nazi SS Obersturmbanfuhrer in Rome, was determined to put
Tulsa Book Review • July 2012 • 15
a stop to O’Flaherty’s “Escape Line,” going so far as to attempt kidnapping him multiple times with plans to assassinate him. O’Flaherty and Kappler played a deadly cat and mouse game up until the day that the Allies rode their tanks through the streets of Rome. Special and well-deserved attention is given to the Ardeatine Caves Massacre of March 24, 1944, when Kappler led his men in the killing of 335 Italians as a reprisal for the Resistance killing thirty-two German soldiers with a bombing. Kappler was put on trial for war crimes and sentenced to life imprisonment where again, he crossed paths with O’Flaherty in a very different way. The story of what some were willing to risk to do to save lives is compelling and the aftermath of those choices is at times painful. Walker’s work gives a view of the Vatican that is more favorable than most and again emphasizes just how many shades of gray there were during the war. Lines in the sand are easily drawn, but forgiveness is often the hardest thing to do. Reviewed by Gwen Stackler
Genealogy
for
Programming
Family History Month Hardesty Regional Library • 8316 E. 93rd St.
Family History Month programs are presented by Tulsa City-County Library’s Genealogy Center. For more information about programs, call the Genealogy Center at 918-549-7691.
Beginning Genealogy Workshop Saturday, July 7 • 9:30 a.m.-noon Learn how to begin your family history research.
Free Genealogy Websites
Saturday, July 7 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Join Genealogy Center associate Liz Walker and discover useful free genealogy websites.
Information Overload: Organizing Your Genealogy Records Saturday, July 7 • 3-4 p.m. Discover solutions to managing all of your genealogy information at home, online and on the road.
Treasure Hunting in the Oklahoma Historical Society’s Indian Archives
Saturday, July 14 • 10-11:30 a.m. The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is home to one of the country’s largest collections of American Indian materials. Join Mary Jane Warde, retired OHS Indian historian and archivist, as she takes us on a tour of the collection and highlights some of its most popular items.
Historygeo.com Historic Maps
Saturday, July 14 • 2-3:30 p.m. Historygeo.com is a new family history software service for linking old maps and land records to your genealogy research. Join software creator Greg Boyd and learn how to use this new groundbreaking tool.
Adoptees Have Rights, Too!
Locating Online Manuscripts
Navigating the Genealogy Center’s New Web Page
Beginning to Understand Land Records
Saturday, July 21 • 9:30-10:30 a.m. Many adoptees would like to know their family history but find it difficult because records are sealed in most states. Join adoption researcher Linda Colvard to learn the steps necessary to open the records and gain access to your family history.
Saturday, July 21 • 11 a.m.-noon The Genealogy Center will tout a new virtual look in July, along with Tulsa City-County Library’s new website design. Let Genealogy Center associates Liz Walker and Carissa Kellerby be your guides to navigate our new layout. They will show you how to find the genealogy resources and databases you’ve come to know and love.
Tulsa Area Genealogy Libraries and Museums
Saturday, July 21 • 1:30-3 p.m. Join representatives from the Broken Arrow Genealogical Society, the Sapulpa Public Library and the Sand Springs Museum for an overview of their genealogy collections and services.
What’s Coming on the Internet
Saturday, July 28 • 9:30-10:30 a.m. Learn about the new players and websites coming to an online site near you. Join popular genealogy speaker and lecturer Mark Lowe and discover what the big guys are saying and what sites are becoming quick favorites with genealogists.
Saturday, July 28 • 11 a.m.-noon Discover the wonderful letters, diaries, family histories and documents that tell the story of early families and pioneer settlers. Certified genealogist and Tulsa favorite Mark Lowe will show you how and where to find these items to further your research.
Saturday, July 28 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Join popular genealogist Mark Lowe and learn the basics of following an individual through property records and how to trace a specific property over time.
Sift Through South Carolina
Saturday, July 28 • 3-4 p.m. Understand how this colony began and the strategies you need to find ancestors there. Popular genealogist Mark Lowe will show us how to make every record count.
Step-by-Step: Finding Ancestors in the Civil War
Sunday, July 29 • 1:30-4:30 p.m. Using a record-based approach, learn to find the basic records of your Civil War ancestor, both Union and Confederate. Genealogy researcher and lecturer Mark Lowe will review basic military records and follow a soldier throughout all available records (online and textual). He will discuss and share a variety of alternate records, including local civil records, state agency records, home guard and militia records, manuscripts and newspapers. Imagery from the Beryl Ford Collection.