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INSIDE!
Book Review 4
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1
F R E E
CHECK IT OUT
November 2012
NEW AND OF INTEREST
Bake It in A Cupcake: 50 Treats With a Surprise Inside Cupcakes made even better Page 2
Hitless Wonder: A Life in Minor League Rock and Roll
8 11
Oestreich delivers life on the road with Watershed! Page 5
Following Grandfather Dealing with loss Page 7
I Love Cinnamon Rolls! By Judith Fertig, Andrew McMeel Publishing $19.99, 112 pages
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This deceptively small book has an unusually big heart. Once again, Fertig holds us spellbound with another beautifully composed cookbook to join her other bestsellers. Beginning with a brief explanation of the ingredients involved and some basic step-by-step instructions for handling the dough, we are then introduced to eight different doughs — including vegan, glutenfree, no-knead and, of course, a traditional dough. What follows is a sinful descent into a gooey, sticky mess from which there is no
promised return. Eight chapters guide us through the fi llings and recipes for each of the doughs — although readers could easily mix and match. Recipes include such devilry as Bacon-Brown Sugar Cinnamon Rolls and Pineapple Upside-Down Cinnamon Rolls. Classic recipes sit alongside traditional favorites like Shnecken, Korvapuusti and Cinnamon Rugelach. Sweet Cheese and Cinnamon Streusel Crowns, made with a noknead dough, assure even the novice cook of See I Love Cinnamon Rolls!, cont’d on page 5
Buried on Avenue B: A Novel
De Jonge delivers on Avenue B Page 10
Churchill: The Power of Words Churchill’s most inspiring words Page 13
55 Reviews INSIDE!
Book Reviews
Category
Cookbooks SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Bake It in a Cupcake: 50 Treats With a Surprise Inside By Megan Seling Andrews McMeel Publishing, $24.99, 164 pages Check this out! Think cupcakes are delicious and can’t possibly get any better? Try putting a tiny pumpkin pie in the middle. Based on her blog bakeitinacake.com, Seling’s book gives ambitious bakers fifty ways to improve upon a classic, and they are all amazing. Not a fan of pumpkin pie? You can add baklava instead. Or perhaps a mini pancake. Not a fan of sweets? Why not whip up some corn muffins with jalapeno poppers inside? From the simple (Chili- and Cheddar- fi lled biscuits) to the incredibly complex (Boston Cream Puff Pie Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache), all of these recipes are exciting, unexpected, and scrumptious. Be warned, however, that most of them do require a lot of work. If you want to bake something inside a cupcake, you have to make that something first, so many of these require double the effort of a typical dessert. That said, they are worth the extra work. You will love the results, and all your friends and family will think you’re a baking genius. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, the pictures are mouthwatering, and the idea is brilliant. Every baker should own this book. Reviewed by Audrey Curtis Gluten-Free Baking for the Holidays: 60 Recipes for Traditional Festive Treats By Jeanne Sauvage Chronicle Books, $24.95, 167 pages Check this out! Jeanne Sauvage’s Gluten-Free Baking for the Holidays: 60 Recipes for Traditional Festive Treats will take your gluten-free holiday by storm. For the gluten-free eater, missing out on traditional foods can be difficult to face during the holidays. Sauvage, in this beautiful and colorful book, shows the gluten-free baker how to tackle seasonal favorites—from Thanksgiving to Twelfth Night—from a variety of cultures. Sauvage includes a primer on gluten-free baking along with tips and her recipe for her all-purpose gluten-free flour, then launches into her five other sections:
cookies, cakes, pies and tarts, breads and crackers, and deep-fried treats. Sauvage covers the basic shortbread cookies and gingerbread house (with a template for house pieces) while adding the tantalizing pfeffernuesse, King Cake, trifle, and steam plum pudding. For anyone who has been glutenfree for a holiday season, many missing special treats are what Sauvage resurrects. She has included a United Nations collection of desserts, including the Mexican wedding cookies, panettone, stollen, St. Lucia buns, sufganiyot, and Norwegian krumkake. Sauvage, a long-time baker who writes the blog Art of Gluten-Free Baking, turned to gluten-free baking after celiac testing. No gluten-free baker should be without this book for the holidays and beyond! Reviewed by Elizabeth Humphrey Sweet & Easy Vegan: Treats Made With Whole Grains and Natural Sweeteners By Robin Asbell, Joseph De Leo (photographer) Chronicle Books, $35.00, 207 pages Check this out! This book is for those of us who enjoy indulging in the occasional sweet treat, but dislike the thought of wasting energy on a nutrition-devoid puff of refined sugar. Why not have your cake, and eat nutrients, too? Illustrated with gorgeous color photographs of mouth-watering delectables like Cinnamon-Crunch Stuffed Cake, Mocha Scones with Cacao Nibs, and Peach Pie with Streusel, this book teaches that just because a dish is sweet and rewarding, doesn’t mean it needs to be empty calories. Especially useful for those of us learning to avoid refined sugars, this book will appeal to a wide range of audiences particularly those with refined-sugar sensitivities, and those avoiding inflammatory foods. This book differs from other sweet baking books in that it is not just desserts, like Blueberry Tart or Chocolate Layer Cake (although there are plenty of those!), but it is also an instruction manual on sweet breakfast dishes, like Pumpkin-Spice Granola, Pomegranate and Dried Blueberry Muesli, and any-time foods like Raspberry Muffins or Warm Apple Pudding. With an introduction that explains the sources and uses of various sweeteners like palm sugar, agave, refined sugars, and honey, this cookbook will become a useful manual for anybody interested in increasing their nutrient intake, while still satisfying the hungry sweet tooth! Reviewed by Andrea Huehnerhoff
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MYSTERIES/THRILLERS
COMING SOON
TO TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY Search the library’s catalog at http://tulsalibrary.org to reserve your copies now.
Talking to the Dead
by Harry %*#$ )ƫđƫThis U.S. debut by an award-winning British novelist introduces rookie cop Fiona Griffiths, who on the cusp of breaking her first big case uncovers a dire conspiracy that takes her into a dark underworld that threatens her with her own personal demons.
Shadow Creek
by Joy Fielding A group of unlikely traveling companions – a woman, her two oddball friends, her teenage daughter and her soon-to-beex-husband’s new fiancée – find themselves on a camping trip in the Adirondacks at the same time that a pair of teenage killers is terrorizing the area.
The Hiding Place
by David Bell A detective and a newspaper reporter raise new questions and open old wounds to ultimately help Janet find resolution 25 years after her brother’s murder in this new novel from the author of Cemetery Girl.
Sacrifice Fly by Tim O’Mara
Becoming a teacher after an accident ends his promising career as a Brooklyn police officer, Raymond Donne is drawn back into detective work by the disappearance of one of his students, a promising baseball athlete whose father has been found murdered.
The Bookseller
by Mark Pryor When his bookseller friend, a former Holocaust survivor and Nazi hunter, is kidnapped and other booksellers are murdered, Hugo Marston, head of security for the U.S. embassy in Paris, discovers a shocking conspiracy.
Hard Twisted
by C. Joseph Greaves In May 1934, outside of Hugo, Okla., a homeless man and his 13-yearold daughter are befriended by a charismatic drifter, newly released from the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan. The drifter, Clint Palmer, lures father and daughter to Texas, where the father, Dillard Garrett, mysteriously disappears, and where his daughter, Lucile, begins a one-year ordeal as Palmer’s captive on a crime spree culminating in the notorious Greenville, Texas, “skeleton murder” trial of 1935. C. Joseph Greaves weaves a chilling tale of survival and redemption, encompassing iconic landscapes, historic figures, America’s last Indian uprising and one of the most celebrated criminal trials of the Public Enemy era, all rooted in the intensely personal story of a young girl’s coming of age in a world as cruel as it is beautiful.
The Three-Day Affair
by Michael Kardos Leading respective lives after a close shared childhood, Will, Jeffrey and Nolan share three fateful days of psychological turmoil and danger after Jeffrey attempts to rob a convenience store and abducts a young woman.
Tulsa
Book Review
IN THIS ISSUE Cookbooks .....................................................2
Tulsa City-County Library 400 Civic Center Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103 Ph. (918) 549-7323 EDITOR IN CHIEF Ross Rojek ross@1776productions.com
Fiction ...........................................................4 Popular Culture .............................................5 Mind & Body Fitness ......................................5
GRAPHIC DESIGN/LAYOUT Grayson Hjaltalin
Picture Books ................................................6
grayson.hjaltalin@1776productions.com
Kids’ Books ..............................................6 & 7 COPY EDITORS Lori Freeze Diane Jinson Lori Miller Robyn Oxborrow Holly Scudero Kim Winterheimer
Tween Reads ..................................................8 Teen Scene .....................................................9 Mystery .......................................................10
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Shanyn Day Christopher Hayden Erin McDonough Lisa Rodgers Justin Salazar-Stewart Elizabeth Tropp
WEBSITE TulsaBookReview.com
Philosophy ...................................................11 Business.......................................................11 Fantasy ........................................................12 History & Current Events ............................13
DISTRIBUTED BY Urban Tulsa Weekly The Tulsa Book Review is published monthly by 1776 Productions, LLC. The opinions expressed in these pages are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Tulsa Book Review or 1776 Productions advertisers. All images are copyrighted by their respective copyright holders. All words ©2012, LLC.
1776 Productions,
Nature & Science.......................................... 14 Biography & Memoir ...................................15 Distinguished Author Award .......................16
FROM THE PUBLISHER It is a great month for readers in Tulsa County! First, we have world-famous author, storyteller, illustrator and performer Mo Willems coming to Tulsa on Nov. 16 to be a part of the library’s 10th anniversary Books to Treasure program, sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust through a generous grant from the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation. Mo first came to prominence with his delightful children’s book Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Through Books to Treasure, every second-grader in Tulsa County will receive a copy of Mo’s book Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator!, as well as a library card featuring an illustration from the book. What better time than now to get a library card as we recently changed our circulation policy and are no longer charging fines on children’s, tween and young adult materials. This will give busy families more time to read without having to worry about accruing overdue fines. Plus, on Dec. 8, the library will welcome essayist, novelist, poet and farmer Wendell Berry to the Central Library for a free presentation. Berry will be in Tulsa to accept the Tulsa Library Trust’s 2012 Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award. We hope you will join us for either or both of these author presentations, as they are among the many ways that Tulsa City-County Library is working to change the lives of Tulsans each and every day. We hope to see you at the library really soon. Best,
Gary Shaffer Tulsa City-County Library CEO
Coming Up!
Attention: aspiring writers! If you love to write poetry, short stories, children’s fiction or informal essays, put your talent to the test by entering the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries’ Adult Creative Writing Contest. Cash prizes are awarded. The contest begins in November and continues through Jan. 31, 2013. Visit http://tulsalibrary.org/friends/contest for more information.
Book Reviews
Category
unconventional parents’ disappearance. Title, Peter’s sister, seems to have her senses about her, which draws the siblings deeper into a confl ict that’s not of their own making. Reviewed by Elizabeth Humphrey
Fiction SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Shine Shine Shine By Lydia Netzer St. Martin’s Press, $24.95, 320 pages Check this out! “Maxon Mann’s Three Laws of Robotics: A robot cannot love. A robot cannot regret. A robot cannot forgive.” NASA engineer and robotics pioneer Maxon Mann creates robots that are extraordinarily lifelike, not in their form, but in their function. Maxon believes that humans, products of “a lot of evolution,” do everything they do for a reason, though that reason may be not be readily apparent. Maxon’s robots, therefore, cry, laugh, sooth one another, and more. The only things his robots cannot do are love, regret, and forgive, not because he can’t program them to do so, but because he’s not sure they should. Maxon is not sure why he feels these emotions. Maxon behaves much like a robot himself. He has been taught how to interact socially: how to model his facial expressions to match those around him, how to enact the proper social niceties, how and when to express emotion. These lessons have translated well to the programming of robots, but don’t always help him when dealing with his quixotic wife and autistic son. When Maxon boards a space shuttle to escort his creations to the moon, he leaves his family ill equipped to cope with life on Earth without him. Imagine a snapshot of the perfect family: blond, demure wife wed to tall, handsome scientist, parents of well-behaved, intelligent son. This is the ideal Maxon’s wife Sunny strives to achieve. Born completely without hair, Sunny spent most of her life pursuing two contradictory goals, being herself and trying to be “normal.” When Maxon proposes parenthood, Sunny believes she must recreate herself as the ideal mother. As a result, she jettisons her individuality and buys a perfectly coifed wig, her first. She spends the next three years embodying her ideal of motherhood: buying just the right house, furniture, clothes, car; sending their son to the absolute best school (and drugging him so he’ll behave there); corralling Maxon into proper social behavior. Now pregnant with a dying mother, an absent husband, and an increasingly unmanageable son, Sunny’s cracks are beginning to show.
Maxon and Sunny are robots with an intentional design and a purpose in mind. Yet both find this behavior to be untenable in times of crisis. When a meteor hits Maxon’s shuttle knocking it off course, when Sunny’s mother dies, it is not programming on which the couple relies, but on those human qualities Maxon has not yet replicated: love, regret, and forgiveness. Shine Shine Shine captivates as the unique first novel of a talented author. While the plot is refreshingly and entertainingly different, the confl icts are all too familiar. What can be sacrificed to fit the norm? How important is it to be an individual? How does one balance social roles with individual desires and dreams? Quirky and emphatically different, Sunny and Maxon will surprise you with their choices. For the jaded reader who’s read it all, Shine Shine Shine is a welcome deviation from the average book: space story, domestic drama, and murder mystery rolled into one. Reviewed by Tammy McCartney The Elephant Keepers’ Children By Peter HØeg Other Press, $27.95, 512 pages Check this out! Peter HØeg, the writer who burst from his native Denmark with Smilla’s Sense of Snow, has a new, lyrical offering. The Elephant Keepers’ Children takes place in the imaginary place of Fino and is told through the perspective of an intelligent, thoughtful 14-year-old. HØeg’s protagonist, named Peter, has an honest edge that makes him easily believable. (It also helps that Peter often addresses the reader throughout and skillfully brings you into the story in that way.) The youngest of three siblings, Peter pulls readers into his story as he details, in entrancing snippets, the discovery of love and the door “… just before Mother and Father disappeared for the first time” and how there is so much more to life. Peter poses thought-provoking questions, such as “if you can recall a moment in your life at which you were happy” that adds to the introspective, poetic feel to HØeg’s prose. HØeg’s story is captivating as Peter uses the flashback technique to lead the reader into his family’s life and what led to his
Penelope By Rebecca Harrington Vintage, $14.95, 274 pages Check this out! Incoming Harvard freshman, Penelope O’Shaunessy, of “average height and lank hair,” is the type of girl who walks around with coffee stains on her white shirt, can’t tell when people are joking, and plays Tetris on her phone at parties. She’s got a lot to learn about college. She’s also the perfect nerd heroine for debut novelist Rebecca Harrington’s parody on the pretensions of college life. The overwhelmed and overworked students and their efforts to get into all the right clubs and classes, along with their frantic studying and compulsive partying; and class hasn’t even begun yet! Penelope’s deadpan humor and run-ins with fellow classmates and kids from the college dorm keep her aloof even as she’s absorbed into the machine of the university. Through bad existential plays and coffee-fueled all-nighters, Penelope remains charmingly clueless as she navigates her freshman year at Harvard. Written in the vein of Prep and The Marriage Plot, Penelope is a snarky but memorable look at college life, with a quirky, clueless nerd of a heroine who can charm any reader who isn’t starring beside her in Caligula, or expects a coherent report on the census information of Luxembourg after umpteen cups of coffee. Reviewed by Axie Barclay The Last Policeman By Ben H. Winters Quirk, $14.95, 316 pages Check this out! There are numerous post-apocalyptic stories, and everyone has seen movies about an impending doom, wherein everyone is scrambling to survive. However, Winters’s vision is uniquely sad and refreshing. An asteroid is coming, and no one can stop it. Everyone knows there are only six months until the world as we know it ends. What results is a rash of suicides, uninhibited behavior, and a few people who are devoted to living their lives as normally as possible right up until the end. One of those people is Hank Palace, a newly promoted detective who decides that
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something is off about his most recent suicide. Instead of shrugging Peter Zell off as another hanger, he investigates. What he finds is so much more than a simple case. It’s a mystery involving multiple suspects and motives, a drug operation, and attempted (and successful) murder. Through it all, he is trying to convince everyone, including himself, that the evidence indicates foul play. Winters crafts this story beautifully. Information is doled out slowly, drawing readers into the world and constantly pulling us along with new information and new intrigue. Every character is multifaceted and described with respect. The protagonist is not a superhero or someone whose skill set prepares him for the impending apocalypse. He is simply a young man who finally has his dream job and who sees no reason to let a giant asteroid stop him from living. I love this book. I stayed up until seven in the morning reading because I could not stop. Full of compelling twists, likable characters, and a sad beauty, The Last Policeman is a gem. It’s the first in a trilogy, and I am already excited for book two. Reviewed by Audrey Curtis The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Nicholas Frankel (editor) Belknap Press, $12.95, 217 pages Check this out! Oscar Fingal O’Flahete Wills Wilde was one of the world’s greatest wits. His play “The Importance of Being Earnest” is unfailingly delightful. I laugh just recalling some of the dialogue. While being most known as a follower and advocate of the aesthetic movement and a devoted hedonist, The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray, his only novel, is the fl ip side of that philosophy. It is a horror story with the moral that beauty is not good unless it does good. As another follower of aestheticism, the poet John Keats writes “A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness.” However, this is only true for objects of art; the human condition is opposite. We age. Even the most beautiful among us are ravaged by time and eventual decay. Dorian Gray wishes his beauty to remain constant. Flattered by the attentions of a painter and corrupted by his worldly friend, Gray takes the road of gratification and remains forever young and beautiful; his portrait, however, shows the ravages of time and his misdeeds and becomes a portrait of his horrible conscience. Dorian Gray hides the portrait away in his childhood schoolroom in the attic. He visits it to mark how his adventures have marred the painting. He is drawn to look at it and See Dorian Gray, cont’d on page 8
Book Reviews established. The book contains a glossary and two appendices— Original Yoga Practice Guidelines, which Rosen peppers with his own observations, and The Literature of Hatha Yoga. Rosen is the author of three other yoga books. Original Yoga is a fascinating walk through the history and poses of Hatha Yoga. Reviewed by Elizabeth Humphrey
Category
Popular Culture SNAP IT for additional book summaries. Hitless Wonder: A Life in Minor League Rock and Roll By Joe Oestreich Lyons Press, $16.95, 294 pages Check this out! Ever want to travel on the road with a band? Joe Oestreich may have you thinking twice about that in his Hitless Wonder: A Life in Minor League Rock and Roll. Oestreich plays bass and sings for Watershed, a band from Ohio. Oestreich has delivered a pithy and humorous memoir chasing the dream of making it big one day. While the band has had a following in certain parts of the country, the band has started aging and settling
down. Even Oestreich has moved across country. But Oestreich and his bandmates from his high school days are starting a two-week tour. As Oestreich sets out on this less-than-sold-out adventure, he reflects on the band’s beginnings, the glamourless aspects of touring and the reason the band keeps plugging away. Even if you are not a big music fan, this book is poignant and funny, observant and wistful. Oestreich captures a tone and voice that carries you through Watershed’s triumphs and defeats. And, as you might find in a CD (or vinyl record!), Hitless Wonder comes complete with comical liner notes that help to clarify a comment in the main text. Reviewed by Elizabeth Humphrey
A Room With a Pew: Sleeping Our Way Through Spain’s Ancient Monasteries By Richard Starks, Miriam Murcutt Lyons Press, $16.95, 244 pages Check this out! Travelers see Spain as a land of sun and shore, artistic heritage and a language with a certain familiarity. The two authors of A Room with a Pew (surely the title of the year!) chose another path. Plotting strategically in advance, they traveled southwest from Barcelona to Malaga, staying in a series of ancient monasteries that open their doors to overnight visitors.
The book’s humor and sassiness match the title. If never irreverent, the couple show an indisputably lighthearted attitude to the religious they meet as they drive their rented car with its ‘lawnmower’ engine along highways and the baffl ing lanes of age-old towns. Faith-based travel is an up and coming fashion, but hardly describes this adventure. Only towards the end of their trip, in a Cistercian monastery in Andalusia, faith enters in and they temporarily forsake decision-making to attend the succession of services that dictate the monks’ daily life. Travel books can get repetitive or dull. Not this one. Brimming over with witty asides and accounts of occasional disappointments, even the ‘how to’ pages are as enticing as they are informative. Reviewed by Jane Manaster I Love Cinnamon Rolls!, cont’d from page 1
success and an impressive display of decadence. There are rolls for every occasion — Festive Cranberry-Orange Cinnamon Rolls, Whole-Wheat Pumpkin-Pecan Cinnamon Crowns and Cinnamon Bear Claws, to name but a paltry few. First-timers and old hands alike will find something new in this book, leaving everybody well-fed and feeling like a high roller. Reviewed by Andrea Huehnerhoff
Category
Mind & Body Fitness SNAP IT for additional book summaries. Original Yoga: Rediscovering Traditional Practices of Hatha Yoga By Richard Rosen Shambhala, $24.95, 286 pages Check this out! With all the various flavors of yoga these days, perhaps you find yourself confused about the origins of yoga. Original Yoga: Rediscovering Traditional Practices of Hatha Yoga by Richard Rosen takes you on a philosophical journey (and extended yoga class) exploring traditional Hatha Yoga. Rosen sets out to explore the early yoga manuals, which date back to as early as 200 B.C.E.
Rosen explains the changes that Hatha Yoga has gone through his study of the seventeenth century yoga compendiums: Gheranda-Samhita and Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika. Rosen helps us discover what modern Hatha Yoga is missing from its development, including those elements that made yoga more palatable (and easier) for Westerners. As a yoga teacher for more than 20 years and a contributing editor to Yoga Journal, Rosen knows his subject intimately. However, he steps back to ensure that his reader is on the same page. Rosen then builds on the common understanding he’s
Mango is an online language-learning system that can help you learn languages like: Spanish French Japanese Brazilian Portuguese German Mandarin Chinese English as a Second Language
Greek Italian Russian Hebrew Thai Vietnamese
Choose from nearly 40 languages and learn by listening to native speakers and engaging in the interactive lessons offered through this user-friendly language instruction tool. Visit TulsaLibrary.org/language and use your Tulsa City-County Library card to access Mango Languages.
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Book Reviews
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Picture Books SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
The Extraordinary Music of Mr. Ives By Joanne Stanbridge Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, $16.99, 32 pages Check this out! It is early in the twentieth century, and Mr. Ives sits in an office, working with numbers, adding and subtracting all day. But he stops now and then and writes down music – strong, unusual music that is fi lled with the sounds of the city. He hears traf-
fic sounds, people talking, trains running, boat whistles, and lots of other sounds most people don’t pay any attention to, and he incorporates all those sounds into his music. But the sinking of the ocean liner Lusitania saddens him so much it silences his music. Until, that is, he hears the sound of a hurdy-gurdy playing an old hymn and all the people begin to sing it. That inspires his greatest work. It is years after Mr. Ives dies that his epic work is performed, but the
work inspires others to write great music – others like Aaron Copland and John Adams. Joanne Stanbridge has written an endearing look at a largely unknown American composer while informing her young readers of one of the most tragic happenings of the early twentieth century with the sinking of the Lusitania. Her charming illustrations are the perfect complement for Mr. Ives story. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck You Are My Wonders By Maryann Cusimano Love, Satomi Ichikawa (illustrator) Philomel, $16.99, 32 pages Check this out! Imagine finding yourself in a most wondrous classroom fi lled with charming, colorful, living stuffed toys led by a sweet, smart, appreciative teacher-elephant. Now imagine the story of the very special bond young students form with great, caring teachers being told in lyrical, enchanting verse. Little ones who find the idea of going off to school daunting, be it pre-school or
kindergarten, will find this lovely story to be of great comfort. School is art and music and play and stories and dance and games and friendships and so many kinds of learning. This will help little ones find their way into school without the fear that often accompanies that step. There is enough silliness and fun in both the verse and the delightful illustrations to bring youngsters back to this book over and over again. The illustrations are soft and sweet, while full of color and terrific details. Youngsters will find new things with each and every reading of the story. Maryann Cusimano Love, writer, and Satomi Ichikawa, illustrator, have followed their earlier popular collaborations with a fitting glimpse of the magical time of starting school. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck
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Kids’ Books SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
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Me and Momma and Big John By Mara Rockliff, William Low (illustrator) Candlewick Press, $16.99, 32 pages Check this out! Momma goes to work early in the morning, and when she comes home late in the day, she is covered with the dust of stones. Though tired, she seems happy. She seems to love what she does. A single mother with three children, every day is a struggle for this young family, but it is clear there is love, respect, and cooperation in this family as well. Momma is working on building a great cathedral along with many other stone cutters. Momma is an artist and her skill with stone cutting is nearly a lost art. When Momma announces her work on her stone is done, the family makes a trip to “Big John,” the great cathe-
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dral Momma is helping to build. It is hard for the children to understand Momma’s “art,” but they do seem to appreciate the magnitude of the job being done. Mara Rockliff ’s story is sweet and well written, but perhaps the real strength of this book is the powerful, luminous art of William Low. Every page is awash in color, full of light and warmth, depicting a family that is equally warm. Children will enjoy this beautiful book based on actually events. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Noah Webster and His Words By Jeri Chase Ferris, Vincent X. Kirsch (illustrator) Houghton Mifflin, $16.99, 32 pages Check this out! Noah Webster was a bright young man and had no trouble sharing that information. He grew up on a farm, but did not like the work of farming. He wanted to study and
Book Reviews
go to school. That was a hardship for the family, but Noah’s teacher convinced his father that Noah should go to college. After college, he became a teacher, but was frustrated at not having appropriate books for his job, so he wrote a spelling book. This led to writing other books, all of which were quite successful for the publishers. As time went on, Noah undertook his greatest venture — writing an American dictionary — a job that took 20 years. It became the foundation of American English and outsold every book other than the Bible. Many books have been written about Noah Webster, but this is a delightfully fresh look at his life and is written in such a way that makes it very accessible to young readers. Words that are more sophisticated than those young children might use have definitions embedded in the text. Awardwinning children’s author Jeri Chase Ferris tells Noah’s story in a charming and engaging way. Vincent X. Kirsch’s cheery illustrations complete this captivating biography. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Pretty Penny Comes Up Short (Step Into Reading) By Devon Kinch Random House Children’s, $3.99, 48 pages Check this out! Penny and Iggy are playing when Buck comes by. He is busy putting up flyers. He volunteers at Doodles Animal Farm, and they need to raise money to feed all the sheep, cows, pigs, and horses that live there. Penny wants to donate money to the farm, but she doesn’t have much. She only has a few dollars to donate, and she wants to do much more than that. She talks it over with her Grandma Bunny and finally comes up with the idea to have a drive-in movie in the neighborhood. She calls on her good friends Emma and Maggie to help. They all have jobs to do. Even Iggy has a job. Iggy is to run the snack stand. Now, Iggy loves snacks. And when he sees all the money people are spending on snacks, he feels that since he’s an animal and the money is for feeding animals, maybe he should just keep that money for himself. This latest of the Pretty Penny franchise speaks to author and illustrator Devon Kinch’s belief that children should learn
Kids’ Books
financial responsibility early, and he does a fine job of tucking the lesson into a cute story. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Cheesie Mack Is Cool in a Duel By Steve Cotler, Adam McCauley (illustrator) Random House Children’s, $15.99, 240 pages Check this out! Cheesie Mack is headed for camp when he has an irresistible opportunity to embarrass his older sister, Goon (also known as June) and her boyfriend, Kevin. Of course, Cheesie is caught in the act. When Cheesie blows a spitball at Kevin’s brother, the spitball hits Kevin. This sets up a battle between Cheesie and Kevin that lasts the whole time at camp. To make matters worse, Cheesie and his best friend, Georgie, who are really still Little Guys, are assigned to the Big Guys cabin, the same one Kevin’s in. Cheesie challenges Kevin to a duel. Whoever is the coolest by the end of the week wins. While all this goes on, two girls have Cheesie and Georgie help them break into the computer lab every day so one of the girls can text her brother, who she claims has two broken legs and is very sad. Summer camp really heats up with all this going on! Steve Cotler is a funny guy and his books prove it. This second book, in what is a great series, is every bit as much fun and just as clever as the first book. Adam McCauley’s slightly wacky illustrations are a great compliment to the smart writing. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Following Grandfather By Rosemary Wells, Christopher Denise (illustrator) Candlewick Press, $14.99, 64 pages Jenny loves her grandfather. She loves him as much as any tiny mouse can love a grandparent. While her parents work, running the family restaurant, Jenny is shown the sights of Boston by Grandfather and learns her way around the city. She sees the rich mice that live at the home of Henry Cabot Lodge while at the beach, and she thinks their lives must be pretty good. Grandfather roasts clams over the fire and teaches Jenny all about shells. He promises that someday she will find a rare queen’s teacup shell of her own. Her life is pretty good, too. Jenny learns about Grandfather’s immigration from Italy
and how he started his own restaurant in the attic of Salvatore’s, a people restaurant in Boston. Grandfather’s restaurant was a hit and still supports their family. Then one day, Grandfather is gone. Jenny has to deal with the deep, wrenching grief of that loss. Rosemary Wells has written a sweet chapter book for early readers that reveals grief for a loved one in a simple, but pretty powerful, way. Christopher Denise’s enchanting illustrations perfectly match this gentle story. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Junie B., First Grader: Turkeys We Have Loved and Eaten (and Other Thankful Stuff) By Barbara Park, Denise Brunkus (illustrator) Random House Children’s, $11.99, 144 pages Check this out! Junie B. Jones is back after a long absence. Her classroom, Room One, is working on a list of things for which they are thankful. The kids come up with some very interesting items to put on their list — items like exploding biscuits (the kind that come in a
can that explodes when getting the dough out), toilet paper, rainbow sprinkles and cranberry jelly in a can. Their teacher, Mr. Scary, isn’t too happy with the list. After all, there is a contest for the class that has the very best list. As much encouragement as Mr. Scary gives the kids, their list continues to reflect what it is that first-graders are thankful for rather than what adults think they should be thankful for. And, of course, there are a few conflicts and problems along the way. But when all is said and done, it turns out to be quite a spectacular day for everyone. After five long years, Barbara Park has come out with a new Junie B. Jones tale. Young fans will be thrilled with this latest edition. Denise Brunkus is also back to fill the book with her funny and cute illustrations. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck
, CHILDREN S NONFICTION
COMING SOON
TO TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY Search the library’s catalog at http://tulsalibrary.org to reserve your copies now.
It’s a Dog’s Life by Susan E. Goodman
Have you ever wondered what your dog sees when he looks at a sunset? Or what she smells when she has her nose to the ground? And what IS your pooch trying to say when he looks at you with those big puppy eyes? It’s a Dog’s Life answers those questions and a whole lot more.
Barnum’s Bones by Tracey E. Fern
Barnum Brown’s (1873-1963) parents named him after the circus icon P.T. Barnum, hoping that he would do something extraordinary – and he did! As a paleontologist for the American Museum of Natural History, he discovered the first documented skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, as well as most of the other dinosaurs on display there
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today. An appealing and fun picture book biography, Barnum’s Bones captures the spirit of this remarkable man.
Stay: The True Story of Ten Dogs
by Michaela Muntean Meet Luciano Anastasini, a man who calls the circus home. Meet 10 dogs that have no home. When fate brings man and dogs together, a remarkable story of belief and second chances unfolds.
How Things Work in the House
by Lisa Campbell .*/0ƫđƫThe author uses detailed, easy-tounderstand language, plus meticulous and cleverly labeled pictures to describe the function of everyday items, such as soap, scissors and house keys. This book is a marvelous companion to the much-praised How Things Work Around the Yard.
Book Reviews
Category
Tween Reads SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
The Empty City: Survivors #1 By Erin Hunter Harper, $16.99, 275 pages Check this out! Lucky is a Lone Dog who was in a kennel when the Big Growl came. When he escapes he sees his city has become something else entirely. There are huge holes in the ground and the city is deserted, except for the animals left behind to fend for themselves. When Lucky is cornered he is saved by an unlikely Pack, one of soft, leash dogs. Surprised to find that one of them is his sister, Lucky decides to teach them how to survive. Content to be a Lone Dog, he plans to leave them once they can take care of themselves. But different times call for different measures, and Lucky needs to decide if he should change his ways or not. Erin Hunter starts off another animal series with The Empty City: Survivors #1. And in this book she doesn’t disappoint, creating a modern version of Watership Down, with just as much imagination and creativity. The vacant city will appeal to apocalypse fans while also interesting past readers; there is always excitement around every corner. Everything is described as relative to dogs, a skill that Hunter has well developed. With just as much originality as her last books, Erin Hunter creates another series that is sure to capture many readers. Reviewed by Amanda Muir
The Scorpions of Zahir By Christine Brodien-Jones Delacorte Press, $17.99, 369 pages Check this out! Zagora, daughter of an archeologist and sister to a brainy nerd, has always dreamed of going to the desert with her father and brother. So when her father receives a message from her long-lost, believed-to-be-dead friend in Zahir, Zagora is excited she will finally be able to have the adventure she has dreamed of. However, there is something fishy going on. Zahir was taken over by giant scorpions when the Oryx Stone from the protective pyramid in Zahir’s center was stolen. That stone is on a string around Zagora’s neck! Zagora must brave the unforgiving desert, battle a crazy scorpion breeder, find her father, and return the Oryx Stone before a planet crashes into the Earth. I really enjoyed this book. It is like “Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos,” except with a nice Theodosia and in the Sahara desert. I liked the descriptive and vivid scenes, which were beautifully expressed. The plot moved quickly, and the characters were interesting and engaging. I will definitely read this book again, and recommend it to my friends! Reviewed by Gretl, Age 11 Summer at Forsaken Lake By Michael D. Beil Knopf Children’s, $16.99, 322 pages Check this out! Summer in Ohio with a great uncle they’ve seen three times seems dreary to twelve-year-old Nicholas and his younger twin sisters. But Dad is in Africa with Doctors Without Borders, Mom is vice president for a public-relations firm in the city, and the apartment building in New York City is being renovated. “Uncle Nick” is full of surprises. He has one arm, but drives his pick-up truck and sails his boat with ease, and he even built a boat. He immediately sets to teaching Nich-
olas and his sisters need to sail. He’s good at baseball, and teaches Nicholas to step up to those mean curve balls pitched by a girl named Charlie, one of the most likable “costars” of a book you’ll meet. She and Nicholas hit it off right away. The tower room Nicholas sleeps in has surprises, too: a secret compartment in the wall yields an old letter, an old notebook, and an old movie fi lm canister, all of which stir up memories and mysteries and interwoven lives in this small town, in a richly developed plot with characters you feel you know. This was truly a book I hated to finish. Reviewed by Elizabeth Varadan
The Mourning Emporium By Michelle Lovric Delacorte Press, $17.99, 411 pages Check this out! Teo and Renzo live in Venice, but Venice has been flooded, killing Renzo’s mother and leaving him an orphan. Teo’s adoptive parents have been abducted. The Mayor signs Renzo off onto a floating orphanage called the Scilla, where young orphan boys learn to be sailors to be able to take care of themselves when grown. Teo sneaks aboard the ship as well to help her friend, but when the master of the ship goes missing and a cruel woman becomes the new master, Teo and Renzo are stuck on the ship as it sails now for murder and plunder. Teo, Renzo, and the other boys on the ship rebel against the cruel master and sail for England, where Renzo has always dreamed of going. When they get there, they realize an ancient enemy of Venice has returned and is threatening Venice and London both. This book had some very interesting characters and I liked the dialects. The characters were spunky and cheerful no matter what. They found creative ways to solve their problems. Highly recommended! Reviewed by Gretl, age 11
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The Voyage of Lucy P. Simmons By Barbara Mariconda Katharine Tegen Books, $16.99, 252 pages Check this out! A family outing in a sailboat turns into disaster when Lucy’s father, a retired sailor, tries to save a man whose rowboat has capsized. Lucy’s parents both lose their lives. When Uncle Victor and Aunt Margaret show up for the reading of the will, twelve-yearold Lucy realizes her own life may be in danger. Unless Aunt Pru can be contacted, these two will become her guardians, and it’s clear they do not have kind intentions. Aunt Pru is in Australia, tracking down family history and rumors of a family curse. But Lucy has unexpected allies: the ship’s bell out front clangs warnings. Desk drawers unlock themselves, revealing important papers. Her father’s flute pipes a reassuring melody. Shutters bang disapproval of her uncle, and a sparkly cloud protects Lucy more than once. A mysterious silver-haired lady emerges from waves on the beach one night and stares up at Lucy’s window. Set in the New England of 1905, the world of ships and sailing comes to life with Mariconda’s rich details. Her poetic descriptions make the magical events plausible. The surprise ending gives the book’s title a nice twist and raises expectations for an exciting sequel. Reviewed by Elizabeth Varadan
See Dorian Gray, cont’d from page 8
repulsed by the record of his horrible life. It is so sad to me that such a great artist as Wilde must have had an inner life like Dorian Gray. So glib and quick on the outside, Wilde must have been torn by “love that dare not speak its name” and the consequences of his profl igate nature. Wilde studied Catholicism throughout his short life and seemed to be drawn to a more spiritual existence. Unfortunately, his pursuit of pleasure and the hubris of an artist’s invulnerability caused his great personal tragedy. He served two years in prison for “gross indecency.” Because of his notoriety, his publishers censored his work. Finally we have the uncensored version of this masterpiece. Reviewed by Julia McMichael
TulsaLibrary.org
918.549.READ
A FREE MONTHLy GuIDE TO yOuR COMMuNITy LIBRARy, ITS PROGRAMS AND SERvICES Tulsa City-County Library is partnering with Tulsa Global Gardens and other organizations to invite Tulsans to engage in a communitywide effort to gather around the table to share a family meal at home at least four times a week throughout the month of November. Research shows that families who dine together are less likely to have children who participate in risky behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse. The library has several great resources to complement the Set the Table Tulsa initiative. TITLES INCLUDE:
We know that busy families have hectic schedules
adult/teen events BIxBy LIBrAry
Read a biography of your choice and then share it with us at this lively meeting. For adults.
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discussion. This is the title chosen for Books to Treasure With Mo Willems the library's community-wide reading Come toinitiative the Table: A Dinner: A Love Story One Time for Dinner The Hour That The Surprising Power Are you interested Celebration "One Book, Tulsa," Location: Second Floor of Family Life by Jenny by Victoria Granof Matters Most of Family Meals by Doris Christopher Rosenstrach by Les Parrott by Miriam Weinstein in discussing current issues with focusing on food, health, gardening Award-winning author and illustrator Mo other people in the community? If and Berry the winner Willems Visitsustainability. http://tulsalibrary.org and searchisthe catalog for other food-related titles is coming to Tulsa to celebrate you and Peggy your children read. Visit http://www.global-gardens.org so, join us on the second and fourth of thefor2012 v.to Helmerich the beauty and power of children's for more information about Tulsa Global Gardens. Wednesday of the month for lively Distinguished Author Award and will literature. Books will be for sale and a topical discussions on local, national speak at a free public presentation at book signing will follow. For all ages. and international issues. For adults. Central Library on Saturday, Dec. 8 at Seating is limited. Sponsored by the Tulsa 10:30 a.m. For adults. Library Trust through a grant from the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation. Broken Arrow Sidewalk Astronomers invite you to learn about Jupiter's star qualities. After an informative presentation, we will go outside for some sky gazing (weather permitting). you may bring your own telescope. For all ages.
For ages 13-18.
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What's all the excitement about Pinterest? Everything from holiday centerpieces, to unique Christmas cookies, to savory appetizers for a New year's Day football party can be found on this social-media website. Join us to discover new ideas for the fall and winter holidays. Plus, bring your unwanted yarn, buttons, fabric and other craft supplies to swap with other attendees. Basic computer knowledge is necessary. For ages 16 and older.
Books Sandwiched In Location: Aaronson Auditorium Rodger Randle, former Tulsa mayor and professor of graduate studies at Ou-Tulsa, will review "The Presidents Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity" by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy. For adults and teens. Sponsored by the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries.
Location: Plaza room Read Wendell Berry's novel "Hannah Coulter," and then join us for a lively
Books Sandwiched In update your rĂŠsumĂŠ, 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. Class size is limited. novel Talk Presents ...
Location: Aaronson Auditorium Wendell Berry, winner of the Tulsa Library Trust's 2012 Peggy v. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award, is equally accomplished in poetry, essays and novels. In the last Novel Talk of 2012, community leaders will read from Berry's works and share their personal responses to his artistry and ideas. For adults.
Location: Aaronson Auditorium Gerry Hendon, past president of the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries and Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma, will review "The Eighty Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse That Inspired a Nation" by Elizabeth Letts. For adults and teens. Sponsored by the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries. Books Sandwiched In Location: Aaronson Auditorium Georgia Snoke, author and former columnist for The Tulsa Tribune, will review "Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman" by Robert Massie. For adults and teens. Sponsored by the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries. TO SEARCH FOR EvENTS, SCAN THIS CODE uSING yOuR MOBILE DEvICE AND QR SCANNER APP.
All Tulsa City-County Library locations will be closed on
L I B r A r y Nov. 11, 12 for veterans Day and Nov. 22 for Thanksgiving. Also, all libraries will close at 5 p.m. on Nov. 21.
Hearing loop available. Switch hearing aid to T-coil.
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(Central Library continued)
LIBrAry This workshop provides nonprofit managers, employees and volunteers the basic knowledge needed to seek out grant funds. you will learn about the Foundation Center and TCCL's Cooperating Collection, plus you will learn the basics of the grant-seeking process and become familiar with the resources available to you for grant seeking. Basic computer and Internet search skills are needed for the workshop. For adults. Preregistration is required. Class size is limited. Call 918549-7425 to register.
Beginners or experienced ... all levels of knitting expertise are welcome to join us for this fun and instructional afternoon. For adults. Patchworkers If you want to learn to quilt or are an experienced quilter, join us for an informative and fun evening. For adults.
Learn how to start your family history research and discover the many resources available at the Genealogy Center. For adults.
Familysearch.org is one of the largest free genealogical databases. Learn about the many free digital images available on familysearch.org and how to incorporate them in your research. For adults.
Bring cotton yarn and knitting needles or crochet hook. This group will meet weekly. For adults. Preregistration is required. Class size is limited. Call 918549-7535 to register and for more info about supplies.
Bring your knitting, crocheting, crossstitch, weaving, spinning and other fiber arts, and join us for coffee, company and conversation. For adults.
Make in Their estate Plans Location: Pecan room Will your family be one of those casualties? Join Karen L. Carmichael, estate-planning attorney, and discover how you can avoid mistakes in these key areas: probate costs and delays, nursing-home costs, divorce, remarriage, creditor protection for children, incapacity and loss of tax benefits. For adults. Seating is limited. To reserve a seat, call 918-549-7363. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust.
We know that busy families have hectic schedules
November is Lifewriting Month, so stretch your mnemonic muscles. Join Karl as he gets you to remember details about a scene from your past to make your writing more vivid. For ages 13-18. Preregistration is required. Register online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ TotalWritingRecall or call 918-549-7556.
Location: Pecan room With cameraphones and cheap digicams available, most everyone is shooting up a storm! How can you make the photos you take stand out from the crowd? volunteers from the Tulsa Digital Photography Group will teach you how to capture the best possible image, even before you crop it and post it for all to see. For ages 1318. Preregistration is required. Register online at https://www.surveymonkey. com/s/Instabrary or call 918-549-7556.
Join the Peggy Helmerich Advisory Teens as we get creative with duct tape! The possibilities are endless ... from wallets to roses to clothing! Supplies are provided. Preregistration is required. Call 918-549-7631 or email cwalsh@tulsalibrary.org to register. For ages 12 and older. Sponsored by the Friends of the Helmerich Library.
LIBrAry Minute to Win It Come and play these fun and challenging games just like you see on Tv. We will provide refreshments. For ages 10-18.
LIBrAry kAISer LIBrAry in oklahoma?
Have questions about navigating our catalog to download e-books to your Kindle, Nook, iPad or other electronic device? A librarian will be on hand to help, so drop in. For teens and adults.
Differing perspectives from the majestic continent of Africa is our topic. We will discuss Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart," Isak Dinesan's "Out of Africa," and a memoir, "Born Wild" by Tony Fitzjohn. For adults. Light refreshments are provided. Sponsored by the Friends of the Helmerich Library.
Join attorney Rita Foster as she discusses wills, revocable trusts, powers of attorney and other estateplanning documents. Learn how to avoid probate. For adults. Seating is limited. For more information or to reserve a seat, call 918-549-7363. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust.
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Participants should read the selected book prior to the program. Call 918549-7570 for title. For adults.
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 Hispanic Resource Center.
update your rĂŠsumĂŠ, 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
a d u l t / t e e n printing charges apply. Library staff and resources will be in the lab to provide assistance. For adults. Teen Time Join us for Wii and board games, work on your homework or enjoy other fun activities. For teens and tweens.
Celebrate the final "Twilight" movie. Show your knowledge at "Twilight" jeopardy and trivia and get your craft on! Come dressed as your favorite "Twilight" character to join our costume contest. For teens.
Munch on Pocky and meet up with other manga fans to discuss your favorite books and movies, characters and plot twists from this popular Japanese publishing trend. For sixth-graders and up.
Provide a teen perspective on the services and materials that the Martin Regional Library offers. For ages 12-18.
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The Tulsa Health Department will provide free health screenings, including blood pressure, cholesterol (full lipid panel), glucose hemoglobin A1C (no fasting required), body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio measurements. This program complements Tulsa City-County Library's "One Book, One Tulsa" initiative exploring food, health, gardening and sustainability. For all ages.
What do donuts, brownies and cherry pie have in common? They all can be re-created in a healthier diabetic friendly way. Join Susan Nole from Couch Pharmacy for this diabetes education seminar. This program complements Tulsa CityCounty Library's "One Book, One Tulsa" communitywide reading iniative focusing on food, health, gardening and sustainability. For all ages.
oWASSo LIBrAry Wednesday, nov. 14
Pick up a copy of this month's selected book, read it and then join us for a spirited discussion. For adults.
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.
Enjoy refreshments while you play games and have a blast with friends! For ages 12-18.
SkIATook LIBrAry Teen Time Play Wii and board games, plus make a craft. For sixth-graders and up.
computer classes LIBrAry
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MS excel 1 Learn how to create formulas, use automatic fill and change basic formatting. MS Word 1
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 Learn how to create various kinds of documents; use the toolbar; set margins; apply spell check; and preview, save and print documents. Internet Basics 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 will learn to preview, print and save information. Participants should have some experience using a mouse.
Learn how to create and format tables, use bulleted and numbered lists, and apply and format columns in a document.
Learn how to create various kinds of documents; use the toolbar; set margins; apply spell check; and preview, save and print documents.
Learn how to create and format tables, use bulleted and numbered lists, and apply and format columns in a document.
Learn how to create and edit formulas, and apply functions and advanced formatting to your spreadsheets and workbooks.
We will show you how to set up an email account and the basics, such as checking and sending email.
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.
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Learn how to create and use borders and shading, headers and footers, page numbering and drawing tools.
Teen Thursday
MS Word 4
This class is designed for new computer users who have little or no previous experience using computers, Windows, a mouse or the Internet, and little or no knowledge of basic computer terms.
Join us for Wii, X-Box 360 and other fun activities! For ages 10-18.
Explore mail merge, use tables to perform calculations and create onscreen forms.
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Have fun competing against other tweens and teens to see who's the king or queen of chess! For ages 10-18.
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Join us to discuss Japanese anime and manga. For ages 12-18.
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Business Plan Basics
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Join us for Wii games. For ages 12-18.
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Compete against other tweens and teens on the Wii and X-Box 360 for some sweet prizes! For ages 10-18.
Twitter Me This What's all the fuss about Twitter? How is it different from Facebook? How much can you really do in just 140 characters? Answer these questions and learn about hashtags, trending topics and more. Participants should have a working knowledge of email or have completed an email class.
This class is designed for new computer users who have little or no previous experience using computers, Windows, a mouse or the Internet, and little or no knowledge of basic computer terms.
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Learn how to create various kinds of documents; use the toolbar; set margins; apply spell check; and preview, save and print documents.
Learn how to navigate the World Wide Web and use the library’s online catalog and resources.
LIBrAry
This class is designed for new computer users who have little or no previous experience using computers, Windows, a mouse or the Internet, and little or no knowledge of basic computer terms.
Learn how to navigate the World Wide Web and use the library’s online catalog and resources.
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Preschool Storytime For ages 3-5.
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four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Preregistration is required. Call 918-549-7507 to register. Book Buddies
Does Pigeon want to drive the bus? No .... Does Pigeon want a puppy? Not this time .... Pigeon wants a party! Join us as we celebrate the books of author Mo Willems with exciting games, snacks and a craft. For ages 5-12. Seating is limited. Children given first priority. Adults admitted if space available. Sensory Storytime Does your child have difficulty sitting through storytime? If so, this inclusive, interactive program of stories, songs, and activities may be just what you are looking for! Sensory Storytime focuses on learning with all five senses and is especially designed for children with a variety of learning styles or sensory integration challenges. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Preregistration is required. Register online at http://kids. tulsalibrary.org/sensorystorytime or by calling 918-549-7500. For ages 3-6. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust.
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Join Miss Dana for a fun craft project and seasonal read. For ages 7-12.
Listen to stories about children who use their imaginations to create characters and environments from a world full of inspiration, and then create works of art based on their flights of fancy. For ages 3-6 and their caregivers. Space is limited. Reservations are required. Call 918596-2774 or email sarah-wright@ utulsa.edu for reservations or more information. Co-sponsored by Central Library’s Children’s Department. My First Storytime
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Let's have fun while we read and debate some of this year's Sequoyah Book Award nominees. Refreshments will be provided. Participants should read "The Fast and the Furriest" by Andy Behrens prior to the program. For third- through fifth-graders.
Join us for stories, songs, crafts and more. For newborns to 4-year-olds and their caregivers.
Enjoy stories, rhymes, songs and finger plays. For newborns to 5-year-olds and their caregivers.
LIBrAry Toddler Time
For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers. Preschool Storytime For ages 3-5.
Join Ms. Josie for stories, songs and finger plays. For ages 2-3 and their caregivers.
Books to Treasure With Mo Willems
children’s events
My First Storytime For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers. Toddler Time
BIxBy LIBrAry My First Storytime For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers.
Touch, explore and learn something new. Exploring the world is what we do. Join us for stories, songs and action rhymes. For 1-year-olds to 36-month-olds and their caregivers.
Preschool Storytime For ages 2-5. An adult must accompany 2-year-olds.
Preschool Storytime
nov. 19
For ags 2-5. An adult must accompany 2-year-olds.
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My First Storytime
My First Storytime
For newborns to 24-month-olds and their caregivers.
For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers.
Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 7-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry,
Location: Second Floor Award-winning author and illustrator Mo Willems is coming to Tulsa to celebrate the beauty and power of children's literature. Books will be for sale and a book signing will follow. For all ages. Seating is limited. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust through a grant from the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation.
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. Please call 918549-7438 to sign up. Walk-ins may participate if space is available.
Preschool Storytime For ages 5 and younger. I Love Music!
For ages 3-5. Marvelous Monday Stories Join Ms. Karen for stories and other fun activities. For all ages. My First Storytime For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers. Preschool Storytime With Ms. kristie Join us for stories, music and activities. For ages 3-5.
Celebrate author/illustrator Mo Willems' upcoming visit to Tulsa with a Pigeon Party featuring stories, crafts, games and snacks. Don't let the pigeon come to this party! For all ages. The Que Pastas This Texas-based "Kindie" duo plays original music for children and their families. Come and jam out with The
c h i l d r e n ' s Que Pastas at their first show in Tulsa! For ages 3 and older. Seating is limited. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust.
Family Storytime Enjoy fall books, fun music, flannel board and math! For all ages.
kAISer LIBrAry Stay and Play Storytime For babies and toddlers, playing is learning! Enjoy storytime and then stay after for games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers. Preschool Storytime For ages 3-5.
Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry,
e v e n t s
c o n t i n u e d
four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Class size is limited.
Preschool Storytime
Pajama Storytime
nov. 14
It's a pajama jammy jam with Ms. Kristen and Mr. David! Wear your pj's and join us for some bedtime stories. For ages 4-8. Sensory Storytime Does your child have difficulty sitting through storytime? If so, this inclusive, interactive program of stories, songs and activities may be just what you are looking for! Sensory Storytime focuses on learning with all five senses and is especially designed for children with a variety of learning styles or sensory integration challenges. Preregistration is required. Register online at http://kids.tulsalibrary. org/sensorystorytime or by calling 918-549-7542. For ages 5 and younger accompanied by an adult. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust.
JenkS LIBrAry My First Storytime
LIBrAry
For ages 3-5.
Enjoy favorite stories in English and Spanish. For ages 12 and younger. 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 918-549-7570 to register.
Enjoy favorite stories and activities in English and Spanish. For ages 3-5.
LIBrAry LIBrAry Saturday Stories For age 5 and younger. Totally Terrific Thursdays Join us for an entertaining afternoon exploring a range of topics and activities such as science experiments, cooking lessons, arts and crafts, or book talks. For ages 5-12.
For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers.
Enjoy stories, songs, and activities in English and Spanish. For ages 5 and younger.
Learn about this traditional Mexican holiday by helping us create an "ofrenda" display for the library. Enjoy crafts and activities. For ages 5-12. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust and Hispanic Resource Center.
Tulsa City-County Library is partnering with Tulsa Global Gardens and other organizations to invite Tulsans to engage in a communitywide effort to gather around the table to share a family meal at home at least four times a week throughout the month of November. Research shows that families who dine together are less likely to have children who participate in risky behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse. The library has several great resources to complement the Set the Table Tulsa initiative. TITLES INCLUDE:
Come to the Table: A Dinner: A Love Story Celebration of Family Life by Jenny by Doris Christopher Rosenstrach
Time for Dinner by Victoria Granof
The Hour That Matters Most by Les Parrott
The Surprising Power of Family Meals by Miriam Weinstein
Visit http://tulsalibrary.org and search the catalog for other food-related titles for you and your children to read. Visit http://www.global-gardens.org for more information about Tulsa Global Gardens.
c h i l d r e n ’ s (Martin Regional Library continued)
Join the hunt for mythical dragons and create your own field guide. This is the first program in the new "Tracker" series. For ages 10-14. Preschool Storytime For ages 3-5. Childcare groups, please call before attending. Seating is limited so we may refer you to another library.
e v e n t s
games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For ages 1-5 and their caregivers. Child-care groups, please call before attending. Seating is limited so we may refer you to another library.
c o n t i n u e d
own rocket! Play games and have snacks with other rocket scientists! For ages 8-12. Preregistration is required. Call 918-549-7590 to register. Sponsored by the Library Staff Association.
your stuffed animal is invited for a sleepover at the library! For ages 3-5.
Preschool Storytime For ages 3-5.
Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 4-9 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.
Join the hunt for mythical dragons and create your own rare dragon egg. Bring your field guide and add to your collection. For ages 10-14. Bedtime Storytime
Celebrate Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with stories, music and crafts. For ages 5-12.
Stay and Play After our regularly scheduled storytime, join us for
Blast off at the library by building your
Join us for a special storytime for you and your stuffed animal. After storytime,
tulsa city-county library locations 14
1
10150 N. Cincinnati Ave. E., Sperry
M-Th, 12-8; Fri., 12-6; Sat., 10-5
M-T, 12-7; W, 10-5; Th, 12-7; Fri., 12-5; Sat., 10-5
M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5
M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5
and
16
M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 4
M-Th, 9-9; Fri., 9-6; Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5
M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 and
M-F, 10-6; Sat., 10-5
M-Th, 9-9; Fri.-Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5, 6
551 E. Fourth St., Sand Springs, 74063
M, 12-8; T-Th, 10-6; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 19
M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 M-Th, 12-8; Fri., 12-5; Sat., 10-5
3219 S. 113th W. Ave., Sand Springs, M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5
M-W, 10-5; Th, 1-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5
and
9
M-Th, 12-8; Fri., 12-5; Sat., 10-5
and
M-Th, 9-9; Fri., 9-6; Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5
M-Th, 9-9; Fri.-Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5 M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5
11
M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5
M, 12-8; T-Th, 10-6; Fri.-Sat., 11-5
5202 S. Hudson Ave., Suite B, 74135
M-Th, 10-6; Fri.-Sat., 11-5
M-T, 12-8; W-Th, 10-6; Fri., 12-5; Sat., 10-5
2224 W. 51st St., 74107 918-549-7683 M-Th, 9-9; Fri.-Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5
Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited
c h i l d r e n ’ s
e v e n t s
c o n t i n u e d
to read their favorite books to a furry four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust.
more. For newborns to 5-year-olds and their caregivers.
oWASSo LIBrAry
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.
My First Storytime For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers. Preschool Storytime For ages 3-5. Stay and Play
Homeschooled children are invited to join us for stories and a craft. For ages 5-12.
en español para adultos
Books and More Have fun with books, ideas and activities For ages 5-12.
SkIATook LIBrAry Preschool Storytime
After our regularly scheduled storytime, join us for games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For ages 1-5 and their caregivers.
Patrocinado por el Centro Hispano y el Fideicomiso de las Bibliotecas de Tulsa. Informes al 918-549-7597.
Join us for stories, songs, rhymes and a craft. For newborns to 6-year-olds and their caregivers. Child-care groups, please call before attending. Seating is limited so we may refer you to another library. Pumpkin Time! Turkey Time! Thankful Me! Winter Bears
Invitamos al público en general para dialogar con representantes de universidades, colegios y escuelas vocacionales sobre los pasos necesarios a tomar para cursar estudios superiores en Oklahoma. Las presentaciones se harán en español;tocaremos temas como Acción Diferida, becas y más. Para padres de familia.
En esta clase te familiarizarás con los usos "gratis" del internet encontrando recursos para hacer tareas, buscar trabajo, aprender inglés y más. Para todas las edades. Microsoft Word I En esta clase te enseñaremos a usar el programa de Microsoft Word para formatear texto, escribir cartas y documentos. Para todas las edades.
programas infantiles
clases de informática MArTIn
LIBrAry Read a book together and then join us for a fun discussion. For girls ages 9-12 and their mothers. Preregistration is required. Call 918-549-7624 to register and for book title.
My First Storytime For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers. Stay and Play Storytime
LIBrAry Preschool Storytime For ages 2-5. An adult must accompany 2-year-olds
BenSon LIBrAry
Enjoy storytime and then stay after for games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For ages 2-5 and their caregivers.
Join us for Lego building fun! Legos will be provided, or you may bring your own. For ages 5-12.
Preschool Storytime For ages 3-5. My First Storytime
This fun high-energy program features instruments, scarves, movement and
Abrimos el ‘salón de cómputo’ para los que quieran aprovechar el tiempo para practicar con el teclado y con el ratón o para practicar navegar el Internet, llenar formularios o aplicaciones. La maestra estará presente como personal de apoyo. Para todas las edades.
Aprenderemos sobre este día festivo tradicional mientras preparamos una ofrenda para la biblioteca. Habrá manualidades y actividades para niños de 5 a 12 años de edad.
Ahorra dinero, elimina el estrés y prepárate para la época navideña. En esta clase aprenderás a hacer compras en el Internet de una manera más segura. Para todas las edades.
Join us for fun stories and Thanksgiving crafts as we spend some quality fun time together! For ages 5-10 and their families.
For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers. Music and Me Monday, nov. 19
Disfruta cuentos, canciones, y actividades en inglés y español. Para niños de 0 a 5 años.
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.
Free and Open to the Public If you are hearing-impaired and need a 48 hours in advance of the program. The Tulsa Book Review and Tulsa City-County Library Event Guide are printed on partially recycled paper.
The Tulsa City-County Library Event Guide is produced by the Public Relations Office of the Tulsa City-County Library.
“Hooray for Amanda and Her alligator!” by mo willems. copyright 2011.
Book Reviews Category
Teen Scene SNAP IT for additional book summaries. Beautiful Lies By Jessica Warman Walker, $17.99, 432 pages Check this out! Beatiful Lies is wonderful nighttime reading, full of suspense and plot-turns for the peculiar night-owl and light reader alike. I couldn’t put it down! The basic premise, of twin sisters who are physically linked, seems simple on the outset – but Jessica Warman does a delightful job of setting up a world that slowly tears away at the edges the longer you are in it. From the first page, there is a sense of oncoming or pervasive disturbance; even the descriptions of the teens themselves and their friends seem off-kilter and odd. As the novel progresses, this awkward sense of reality grows more and more apparent, until the surprising ending that I’m still reeling from. These teen siblings and their friends belong to our world – and it isn’t sugar coated. The sheer amount of trauma that children are accustomed to from an early age speaks to a world reminiscent of The Lovely Bones, only in a contemporary setting. Warman accurately portrays teens suffering from situations of abuse, abandonment, familial deaths, and mental illness who find strength in their bonds to one another and within themselves. Her voices are all genuine, without romanticizing or demonizing her teenage characters. These teens are very real – bumps, scars, sassy humor, and all. I highly suggest this novel for motherdaughter book clubs, or for sisters to read together. I can’t wait to send a copy to my own sister!!! The protagonist is easy to love; her devotion to her sister is infallible and her lovably flawed personality is full of win. Reviewed by Kelsey Campbell Before I Wake By Rachel Vincent Harlequin Teen, $9.99, 346 pages Check this out! Before I Wake is another fantastic installment in the Soul Screamers series. There’s much that goes on in this fifth novel and it’s
quite a ride. One of the things that I most love about Rachel Vincent’s writing is her ability to transport the reader to another world. A world that is full of excitement as well as twists and turns. While Before I Wake is not my favorite in this series — that honor goes to If I Die — I really loved this book. I loved it because we see the characters grow so much. I was a huge Nash fan in the first two books and I was so disappointed with him in the subsequent books. However, I always wanted to see him redeem himself in some way and I think he definitely starts doing that for me in Before I Wake. The interactions between Nash and Kaylee were really refreshing and I felt like the author really did them justice. Another thing that I really loved was the relationship building between Tod and Kaylee. I loved to see where their relationship goes and how much they are willing to do for each other. Among all the excitement and action there are some very sweet and tender moments between the two that were so awesome. If you are a fan of the Soul Screamers series, I highly recommend this book and if you have not yet picked up this series … what are you waiting for? Reviewed by Patricia Mendoza Seraphina By Rachel Hartman Random House Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 465 pages Check this out! Dragons and humans have never gotten along well in the kingdom of Goredd. Even after forty years of peace, dragons are still mistrusted. They take the human form to contribute their mathematical skills to universities as teachers and scholars. However, as the anniversary of the peace treaty nears, the mistrust between humans and dragons gets worse. Seraphina Dombegh joins the royal court to become a music assistant. Shortly after she joins the court, a member of the royal family is murdered in a suspiciously dragon-like way. The peace might be
ruined by this murder and Seraphina has to work with the head of the Queen’s Guard, Prince Lucian Kiggs, to solve the mystery. As they discover plots to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to keep her many secrets - one so terrible it could mean her death while keeping the trust of Prince Lucian. Seraphina is a suspenseful novel. It has magic, romance, music, humor, and dragons. It is an original book with great characters and a wonderful heroine. I couldn’t put it down! Reviewed by Delaney, Age 12 Dead Cat Bounce By Nic Bennett Razorbill, $17.99, 345 pages Check this out! Jonah Lightbody and his father, Daniel, have never gotten along well. So when it is ‘Bring Your Kid to Work’ Day at Helsby Cattermole Jonah has to plead and connive his way into getting a tour. It is there that Jonah is inducted into the world of stocks and trades by his father’s old enemy, the Baron.
As Jonah grows up under the Baron’s tutelage he comes to realize that the Baron is not as kind as he seems; instead, he runs an international scam to bring down the financial world. When Jonah reconciles with his dad and attempts to escape the Baron’s clutches he finds that the Baron will stop at nothing to kill them both. This book was fun; it had a lot of action in a realistic world. The plot moved swiftly but at the same time was entertaining and developed the characters well. For example, Jonah was shallow at the beginning of the book but had grown and reconciled with his father toward the end. I enjoyed the way that the author spliced in a unique perspective on the 2008 financial crisis and the realistic and entertaining way it portrayed the world stock market. I highly recommend this book. Reviewed by Peterson, Age 14
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Book Reviews This confirms the killer must be someone working at the restaurant, which is what they knew when they went undercover. Such deductive leaps are what make this book such fun to read. This is the least well-qualified pair of PIs I can recall meeting and, as a measure of their success, driving a used box truck in need of repair says it all. Hot Stuff is a good puzzle, solved with wit and style. Reviewed by David Marshall
Category
Mystery SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Buried on Avenue B: A Novel By Peter de Jonge Harper, $25.99, 308 pages Check this out! Peter de Jonge’s Buried on Avenue B is a fast-moving, gritty New York mystery. Detective Darlene O’Hara has been moved to Homicide South, which is known to have fewer murders than other precincts and being a soft place to work. O’Hara has some of her own problems she’s working on — including her college-aged son and her affinity for grapefruit juice and vodka. Then Paulette Williamson shows up asking for a female detective and she relays the tale that one of her home-health patients admitted to murder — twice. Gus, who has Alzheimer’s, has even shown Paulette where he buried the body. O’Hara’s not convinced, but there’s nothing to keep her from investigating Gus and his story about burying someone under a tree on Avenue B. It’s only once they discover there is a body, it’s not the one Gus told O’Hara and Paulette about. De Jonge knows about suspense and mystery — he wrote Shadows Still Remain and co-authored three books with James Patterson. Buried on Avenue B takes you for a thrilling ride with O’Hara as she takes on a bold group of New York’s criminals. Reviewed by Elizabeth Humphrey Falling Glass By Adrian McKinty Serpent’s Tail, $14.95, 309 pages Check this out! Falling Glass is a high-class thriller dealing with the aftermath of the troubles in Northern Ireland. The question, of course, is what happens to all the paramilitaries after formal disarmament? Some will fit comfortably into civilian lives,
run businesses and start families. Others will continue lives which are potentially or actually criminal. Meet Killian. He’s working freelance as a debt collector and general enforcer although everything we see of him shows the soft skills of talking prevail over the harder skills of baseball-bat wielding and shooting. He’s recruited to find the wife of millionaire Richard Coulter who’s run off with the two children of the family in breach of a court order. Finding her is never going to be much of a challenge, but when the actual reason for her disappearance is revealed, Killian has a very difficult decision. After a moderately gentle introduction to the main characters, this is a violent and thrilling race to the end where Killian’s natural acceptance of loyalty comes under pressure from a more general sense of justice. Falling Glass is an insightful book, violent but with flashes of humor, muscular prose with poetry in its veins. Reviewed by David Marshall
Munster’s Case: An Inspector Van Veeteren Mystery By Hakan Nesser, Laurie Thompson (translator) Pantheon, $25.95, 306 pages Check this out! If you’ve been avoiding Scandinavian mystery writers because you’ve heard they are too dark, Swedish mystery writer Håkan Nesser may be the answer for you. Münster’s Case is one in his Inspector Van Veeteren mysteries, except the chief inspector has taken leave and his subordinate (Intendent Münster) is in charge. The murder is a gruesome at-
Hot Stuff By Don Bruns Oceanview Publishing, $25.95, 295 pages Check this out! Hot Stuff continues the Stuff series with another exciting episode, ripped from the Annals of Extraordinary PIs. This time Skip and James go undercover in a highend restaurant run by a celebrity chef. Sadly, a girl James once dated has been murdered and, since said victim was also BFF with Skip’s current girlfriend, there’s no chance of them escaping this investigation. Fortunately, James has the skills to work as a sous-chef and Skip has the mind of a dishwasher, so between them, they fit in. Except almost immediately, there’s what seems to be a death threat to James — perhaps they’re afraid his cooking skills will put the kitchen out of business — followed up by a half-hearted attempt to kill him. 5VMTB #PPL 3FWJFX t /PWFNCFS t
tack on an elderly man, part of a quartet of retired men who have just won the lottery. The case seems straightforward when someone confesses, but the body count still has not stopped. Münster and his colleague Ewa Moreno focus on finding the killer and unraveling the intrigue. With each chapter, Nesser brings the reader into the heads of the police working the case. In doing so, the reader is exposed to the mundane and often humorous thoughts going on as they go about their jobs—many not related to the investigation. Or the characters add the levity: Van Veeteren has given up toothpicks because they were addicting and has taken up smoking; one colleague has a propensity for finding restaurants where he can eat fish for free. Münster’s Case is a well written and fast-paced addition to the Scandinavian mysteries roster. Reviewed by Elizabeth Humphrey
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Book Reviews Category
Philosophy Everything Is the Way: Ordinary Mind Zen By Elihu Genmyo Smith Shambhala, $17.95, 286 pages Check this out! This book’s cover shows blades of grass, one of Smith’s striking metaphors for life’s many circumstances. Sometimes you say, “Oh, I don’t like this!” But what you don’t like is just one of many grasses— circumstances––of your life. In another striking metaphor, Smith describes the body as a bell, ringing and articulating empty space. Zen practice is sitting still, being intimate, being who we are. Smith counsels that whether we are sitting, walking, or eating, we are being who we are. We get into trouble
when we get caught up in what we think and believe. Attachment to beliefs, even simple concepts like past and future, blinds us and prevents us from being who we are. Ideas are good only if they support us in what we need to do, which is being right here now. Reading this, I sometimes thought, “He is repeating himself;” yet each repetition also sheds fresh light on the matter. I like this book, but remember, if you get caught up in anything I’ve written here, the words become “stinky words.” But there are no weeds! As best you can, turn your anger, greed, and delusions like compost back into the garden, back to this moment. Reviewed by Zara Raab
don’t know how. Instead of becoming more financially secure, we stay in the same situation. Luckily, Marty Martin is here to help. The Inner World of Money is full of helpful tips and tricks to figure out what changes we need to make and how to actually make them. Combining economics with psychology, Martin approaches the financial self-help book in a new way. Yes, he offers lots of advice concerning how to save and invest, but he also focuses on personal goals, motivations, and happiness. Maintaining a nonjudgmental tone, he encourages readers to examine why we value money (as a means to an end or as an end in itself). He asks us to think about the ways in which money contributes to our life satisfaction, and he wants to help everyone use money in the way that is best suited to his or her desires and expectations. Because of this, his book goes beyond simply offering tips to make more cash. It seeks to increase individual happiness. Featuring exercises geared toward exploring our relationship with money, our problem spots, and our desire to change, this book is interactive. Martin is not just telling us how we can improve; it feels as though he is working with us to improve. Completing the exercises and contemplating the re-
sults allows you to tailor his advice to your specific needs. If you truly engage with the book in the way that Martin intends, it has the potential to significantly change the way that you think about and use money. In addition to the interaction, Martin’s tone works to make the topic more interesting. He speaks to the reader in a conversational way, making even the most complex areas of study easy to understand and livening up his information with jokes and anecdotes. Lastly, the sheer span of this book is impressive. Covering such topics as underearning, impulsive spending, effective communication, teaching kids about money, sticking to a plan, and so much more, The Inner World of Money features everything you need to be able to relate to money in a mature, successful manner. Furthermore, though he focuses solely on finances, his advice can be used to change any behavior. Everyone, regardless of his or her income, habits, or goals, can benefit from this book. Reviewed by Audrey Curtis
Category
Business SNAP IT for additional book summaries. Grow Your Handmade Business: How to Envision, Develop and Sustain a Successful Creative Business By Kari Chapin Storey, $16.95, 271 pages Check this out! A follow-up to Kari Chapin’s 2010 success, The Handmade Marketplace, Grow Your Handmade Business answers the next question: “Can I make a living doing this?” Part one helps you dream big and map where you want (or, more importantly, where you don’t want!) to go, helping with tips and tricks along the way. Part two is devoted to planning for success, from the business plan to the budget and finding professional support. Chapin calls on eclectic and creative entrepreneurs, who she calls “the creative collective,” and shares their tales from the trenches on living the life of creative, handcrafted businesspersons. Part how-to, part inspiration, Grow Your Handmade Business helps you to realize and
follow your dreams while planning carefully, evaluating realistically and keeping your sanity. Chapin has genuine warmth and enthusiasm for both her topic and her readers. It’s easy to read, with down-to-earth, realistic advice, with a good breakdown and clear on identifying your realistic objectives and following them, not just a feel-good piece of fluff. You’ll want to follow the exercises and keep a notebook handy for rough planning and brainstorming sessions. Chapin advises that you’ll have to do things you don’t want to do in order to get to do what you want to do. Are you willing to make the trade-off ? If you are, this book will help take your business from the kitchen table to fulfi lling your individualized dream of a meaningful and lucrative creative business. Reviewed by Axie Barclay The Inner World of Money: Taking Control of Your Financial Decisions and Behaviors By Marty Martin Praeger, $37.00, 212 pages Check this out! Many people, including me, know that we need to change our financial habits, but we 5VMTB #PPL 3FWJFX t /PWFNCFS t
Life is a challenge. Let us help. Whether you want to start or grow a small business, or build a nest egg with investment analysis resources, Tulsa City-County Library can help you with all your business information needs. Visit http://guides.tulsalibrary.org/business and get free detailed access to a premier public library collection of online and print business resources, including: Consumer Market Data Patents, Trademarks & Copyright Finance/Investments Entrepreneurship Legal Aspects of Business New Businesses in Tulsa Industries/Global Commerce And much more! For questions, call the AskUs Hotline at 918-549-7323 or email askus@tulsalibrary.org.
Book Reviews Category
Fantasy SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Blood of the Emperor: The Annals of Drakis: Book Three By Tracy Hickman DAW, $24.95, 294 pages Check this out! Fans of Tracy Hickman’s series The Annals of Drakis, your wait is over! The former human slave named Drakis is now widely hailed to be the man of prophesy, champion of the slaves of the elven Rhonas empire, and destined to bring that empire down and create a new beginning for all. With the dragons as his allies and a new kind of magic at the fingertips of some in his army, the war will soon be brought home to the emperor. But Drakis himself, who only desires a peaceful life that he feels can no longer be his, has doubts about how things are escalating. Among his companions, there are some who seek to turn events to their own favor. And hanging above all of their heads is the risk that if things are not handled properly, the coming of Drakis could instead herald chaos and the destruction of many. This third book in Hickman’s series will sweep readers along for the ride as Drakis and his army approach the elven capital. Hickman strikes a perfect balance between action and intrigue, blending all elements of this story seamlessly into an epic conclusion that will keep fans guessing until the end. Reviewed by Holly Scudero Gunmetal Magic: A Novel in the World of Kate Daniels By Ilona Andrews Ace, $7.99, 435 pages Check this out! The husband-wife writing team is back with another wonderful novel in the world of Kate Daniels. Written from the perspective of Kate’s best friend, Andrea Nash, Gunmetal Magic offers up a wild and emotionally intense ride. The novel starts with a bang, with Andrea waking up in the closet clutching a knife before running to save her neighbor and his dog from giant bugs. It only gets
more exciting from there. In the course of a murder investigation, Andrea has to learn to accept her beast-kin nature, deal with her still-loved ex (and his shiny new fiancé), and take down a minor god. Despite plot elements that involve childhood trauma, multiple murders, kidnapped children, and many life or death situations, Andrews provides frequent moments of comic relief that keep the novel exhilarating and fun. The exchanges between Andrea and Kate are particularly charming, and the mini prank war is sidesplitting. Featuring an additional novella explaining what Kate’s been up to during the time frame of the story, Gunmetal Magic is wonderfully satisfying. Every Kate Daniels fan, along with anyone who loves urban fantasy, will love this book. Reviewed by Audrey Curtis Legion By Brandon Sanderson Subterranean Press, $20.00, 88 pages Check this out! Anyone who’s read Brandon Sanderson knows he’s a prolific writer with a number of epic fantasy tomes under his belt already. When done with a big project, Sanderson takes a sort of break from working on the next long book and works on something shorter and different. Legion is exactly that: something very short and different from what his fans are used to, but at the same time it shows his breadth and ability as a writer. Stephen Leeds (AKA Legion) is a troubled man who sees imaginary people. They are hallucinations that only he can see, but when he has a question to answer or a problem to solve, these hallucinations (which are logically just figments of his imagination) are able to provide an answer to said question or skillfully solve said problem. Legion is
also able to create further hallucinations to fit his needs: if he needs to learn a specific language, he creates a hallucination who speaks it; if he needs to know a particular type of engineering, he creates that engineer. And now Legion’s services are being required once more, as he must search for the missing Balubal Razon, who has a very special camera in his possession that could change the very world as we know it. Sanderson has done what he does best: creating a compelling story, with powerful characters and a riveting plot, only this time the stage is not that of the fantasy. Also in Sanderson’s classic style, while the main mystery is solved, the reader is left wanting more of this unique world and its characters. Reviewed by Alex Telander The Skybound Sea: The Aeons’ Gate: Book 3 By Sam Sykes Pyr, $17.95, 520 pages Check this out! The grand adventure that started with Tome of the Undergates is about to come to a dramatic and epic conclusion. Lenk, Kataria and Gariath have set off for Jaga, the island where the Kraken Queen is imprisoned, and Denaos, Asper and Dreadaeleon soon follow after. There they home to find the tome, the black book that was the original goal of their accursed journey, and in the process
prevent the return of Ulbecetonth. But they are not the only ones seeking the tome; the purple-skinned netherlings are on the same trail, and Ulbecetonth’s children search for a way to bring their mother back into the world. And of course, life wouldn’t be normal if Lenk and his friends weren’t dealing with their own problems and making half-hearted attempts to kill one another. It’s all about to come to a head. This final volume in Sykes’ The Aeons’ Gate series is perhaps the best of the three, as it seems the author has really gotten into his groove. The references to bodily functions are toned down, the pithy comments are increased, and the characters he has created have really come into their own. The last book lagged a little, but the final volume doesn’t pull any punches, and readers will no doubt be pleased with the epic final battle between the adventurers, the netherlings and the demons. Sykes leaves open the possibility of future books set in this world, and I am surely not alone in hoping that Lenk and his companions will return someday. Reviewed by Holly Scudero
Traveling the Mother Road this fall?
Download the Guide to Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives for diners on this route and many others.
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Book Reviews Category
History & Current Events SNAP IT for additional book summaries. A Nation of Deadbeats: An Uncommon History of America’s Financial Disasters By Scott Reynolds Nelson Knopf, $27.95, 330 pages Check this out! This amazing study seeks to apply economic principles to tell the history of America’s economic downfall from the 1880s to the 1950s. It points out that the new economic history of the 1960s and 1970s, or so called “Econometric history,” aimed to measure America’s gross domestic product, gross income, and collective return on investment. Previously, this measurement data was not available to have an objective view of America’s wealth or make any substantive economic projections for America’s future. The economic panics in 1792, 1829, 1837, 1857, 1873, 1893, and 1929 created tremendous declines in the US economy. The first major panic in 1792 was caused by foreign leaders’ doubts regarding America’s ability to subdue Western Indians who had blocked western expansion. The economic growth of the United States also suffered a loss in 1815, when America and Britain failed to reach an agreement on importing English woolen coats, resulting in America losing its strongest trading partner. The panic of 1857 was due in part from British concerns on whether US railroads had full title to the land they were building their railroads on, and if farmers, who would utilize the railroads to move their crops, were successful enough to pay their mortgages and stay in business. Lessons from reading this impressive book include some of the following: controversies over liquor sales and use increase exponentially after economic downturns, the NY clearing houses as well as the banks of the United States had a role in state and federal elections, and the founding of the NY stock exchange and the President’s meetings with economic advisers created a sense of financial panic among the American public. Reviewed by Claude Ury
Churchill: The Power of Words By Winston Churchill, Martin Gilbert (editor) Da Capo Press, $30.00, 486 pages Check this out! Recently on the David Letterman show, Tom Brokaw recommended this book. As the author of THE GREATEST GENERATION, Brokaw knows that Winston Churchill was one of the greatest of that “great generation.” Who would have guessed that the architect of Gallipoli (WWI), one of Britain’s worst wartime decisions would have been the champion of Britain’s endurance during the horrible bombings of WWII? Churchill’s life was packed with highs and lows. His political career would be elevated as Lord of the Admiralty in WWI, but Gallipoli forced his resignation from office. He was Prime Minister from l940-45 and again from l951 through l955. During wartime, his friendship with Franklin Roosevelt and his powers of persuasion brought America into the European front and Britain gained a formidable ally with huge resources. Churchill once stayed at the White House for an entire month causing some distress to Mrs. Roosevelt as he reportedly drank up their entire store of liquor. It is remarkable that he was born during the reign of Queen Victoria and lived through the moon landing and space age. Winston Churchill was many things in his long life; prime minister, aristocrat, polo player, artist, historian, amateur bricklayer, writer, army officer, royal advisor, POW, pilot, but chief amongst these is orator. After imbibing his nocturnal champagne and brandy, Churchill would dictate magnificent speeches, books and essays. The Power of Words may come from the power of speaking aloud in dictation. At any rate, Churchill penned 43 books in 72 volumes. This book, rather than print Churchill’s words in toto, wisely excerpts the best and most notable speeches and writings from Churchill’s childhood to his death at age 91. The editor notes the year and age of Churchill at the top of the pages for helpful context.|During his remarkable life, Churchill also held 19 political offices, many of England’s highest decorations and a Nobel Prize for literature.
His views were not always popular; he was known to go against the grain and speak his mind. Prior to WWII, he tirelessly warned about Hitler in the face of Neville Chamberlain’s pacifistic compromises to that same regime. He also was most unpopular for advocating for Edward VII’s continued reign instead of abdication in favor of Mrs. Simpson. His loyalty to the crown was unwavering in spite of their peccadilloes. He was a loyal and steadfast advisor to Edward VII’s successor and the now reigning Queen Elizabeth. Surely, the Queen benefitted from Churchill’s long career and insider’s knowledge when she assumed the crown. Churchill also said some very nasty things against Gandhi and advocated continued colonization of India. It could be that his early experience of atrocities while serving there colored his better judgment. On the other hand, his friendship with the IRA leader, Michael Collins and his recognition of Ireland’s contribution to the war effort is inspiring. He also pleaded for generosity in the treatment of postwar Germany. |Churchill the Power of Words will give the reader great insight into the history of Britain during the time of Churchill and Churchill’s own development into the leader during their “finest hour.” Highly recommended especially in this age of politics over character. Reviewed by Julia McMichael Fatal Dive: Solving the World War II Mystery of the USS Grunion By Peter F. Stevens Regnery History, $24.95, 256 pages Check this out! The cry “Battle Stations!” sends seventy Americans scrambling to their posts around the submarine in the frigid waters off the volcanic coast of Kiska Island, where a Japanese ship emerges from the fog. The Skipper orders torpedoes fired, and a salvo of the newest secret weapon, the MK14, launches toward the enemy. Two strike their target without detonation. One passes under the ship harmlessly. Another explodes on its mark, turning the Kano Maru freighter into a sitting duck. The submarine advances for the kill. Jim Abele, the Skipper, orders another salvo of torpedoes loaded. But, suddenly, out of nowhere, his sub is struck. Author Peter Stevens weaves two stories of suspense into one with this documentary of war, government betrayal, and family loyalty. Although the U.S. Navy possesses evidence that its newest torpedoes are defective, the brass keeps it a secret from those whose lives are most in peril. And when the USS Grunion sinks, the government goes silent. The loved ones of the crew are left with no answer for sixty-five years. However, the
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Skipper’s three sons never give up looking. In a Herculean effort, they locate their father’s sub, and piece together its fatal dive. The search for the USS Grunion coincided with a search for the loved ones of her crew. The U.S. government refused to participate or assist in either of these. In fact, for years the government refused to acknowledge that the crew of the submarine was engaged in battle at its last sighting, much less admit that the possibility existed that it was sunk by its own defective torpedo. Without the assistance of Japanese maps, logs, and other details that the U.S. government also possessed but refused to relinquish, the lost submarine might never have been found. Other facets of this discovery add heartwarming luster to the story. The contagious determination of the Abele family overcomes the discouragement of seasoned professionals like Robert Ballard, the Argonaut credited with finding the “Titanic,” who told them finding the lost sub in the treacherous Bering Sea was a long shot at best. Imbued with the Abele’s enthusiasm over the first sonar images of the lost sub, volunteers affectionately known as the “Sub Ladies” work all the more diligently to find and notify families and loved ones of each and every crewman of the USS Grunion. Ceremonies honor those men at last, and each crewman aboard is memorialized in detail in the final pages of the book. On Columbus Day weekend, 2008, at the USS Cod Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, in a solemn memorial service where the honor roll of the seventy officers and crewmen are called name by name, the ship’s bell peals over a hushed crowd. Finally, the families have answers. Still the U.S. government clings doggedly to seventy-year-old reports it deems “classified,” but finally admits that the USS Grunion went down in battle. Reviewed by C.D. Quyn Journeys on the Silk Road: A Desert Explorer, Buddha’s Secret Library and the Unearthing of the World’s Oldest Printed Book By Joyce Morgan, Conrad Walters Lyons Press, $24.95, 336 pages Check this out! Indiana Jones is fake. Real archeology is not that fun, nor are the tales that heroic. But Aurel Stein is the closest thing we will ever have. Joyce Morgan and Conrad Walters team up to tell the tale of Stien and his team as they journey on the silk road in the early 1900s. They found revolutionary artifacts that forever changed history books and challenged people’s perceptions about history and Asia. His team not only explored the old silk road trails, but also discovered key artifacts like the oldSee Silk Road, cont’d on page 15
Book Reviews Category
Nature & Science SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Death at SeaWorld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity By David Kirby St. Martin’s Press, $26.99, 469 pages Check this out! A brilliant and indepth analysis of socalled killer whales in captivity and the outrages they and their captors have caused against one another, Death at SeaWorld reads like a thriller and horrifies like Hannibal Lector. Around 15 percent of SeaWorld’s orcas have been involved in serious acts of aggression, while in the wild there are no records of serious injury or death in orca-human interactions. Orcas in captivity have a mortality rate 2.5 times higher than other Pacific Northwest orcas and typically only live into their teens and 20s whereas in wild whales, males live into their 60s or 70s and females can achieve 90, with an average age of 46. Wild orcas swim up to a 100 miles per day. Captive orcas are typically kept in a tank the size of an Olympic-sized swimming pool, sometimes smaller. Captive whales are never allowed to retire from entertaining humans. They are literally worked up until the time they die. These are just some of the disturbing facts addressed in Kirby’s book. Death at SeaWorld focuses on the 2010 death of trainer Dawn Brancheau, putting it in context with the brutality and controversy of whales in captivity. With input from the real people involved in the debate about keeping orcas in captivity, Kirby leads the reader through the history of whales and humans, the lives of the SeaWorld trainers, and animal behavior that will inform and amaze readers. His great attention to detail and immense backstory in this debate only deepens and impresses the gross immorality of the current situation of these highly intelligent, highly social animals. Brilliantly and intensively researched and conveyed with clarity and thoughtfulness, Kirby’s work of high-quality non-fiction busts the whale debate wide open, with
interviews with former SeaWorld trainers, including reports of abuses and injuries behind the cheerful mask. Reminiscent of the atrocities suffered by circus and performing elephants of the early 20th century, the story of the killer whales in Death at SeaWorld will move you, disgust you, make you think, and, above all, ensure you never view a whale show the same way again. Reviewed by Axie Barclay Unusual Creatures: A Mostly Accurate Account of Some of Earth’s Strangest Animals By Michael Hearst Chronicle Books, $16.99, 109 pages Check this out! The variety of animals on Earth is staggering. Every time we think we’ve seen everything, a new discovery rewrites our feeble attempts at cataloguing the unbelievable diversity of fauna on our little blue marble of a planet. And the inherent strangeness of some creatures borders on the mythological. Unusual Creatures introduces readers to a wide swath of the weirdest and most wonderful animals to walk, crawl, swim, and fly into our collective awareness. A mixture of fact, trivia, and playful jokes, the book sheds light on numerous off beat denizens of Earth -- the axolotl, the dugong, the flying snake, the Jesus Christ lizard, and the mimic octopus among them -- even managing to include a few I’d never heard of, like the bilby, Cantor’s giant soft-shelled turtle, and yeti crab. An accessible and informative guide sure to delight readers of all ages, Unusual Creatures is silly without being obnoxious, educational without being pedantic, and the perfect introduction to the endless possibilities of life. What great fun. I can’t wait to share it with my nieces and nephews. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas
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BESTSELLERS COMING SOON
TO TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY Search the library’s catalog at http://tulsalibrary.org to reserve your copies now.
Truth Stained Lies
by Terri Blackstock Cathy Cramer is a former lawyer and investigative blogger who writes commentary on local homicides. When she finds a threatening note warning her that she’s about to experience the same kind of judgment and speculation that she dishes out in her blog, Cathy writes it off as mischief ... until her brother is caught in the middle of a murder investigation – the victim is his ex-wife. As her brother is tried and convicted in the media, and bloggers and commentators like her have a field day, Cathy wonders if she should have taken the threat more seriously. Cathy and her two sisters moonlight as parttime private investigators, working to solve their brother’s ex-wife’s murder.
Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker
by Jennifer Chiaverini The author presents a stunning account of the friendship that blossomed between Mary Todd Lincoln and her seamstress, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Keckley, a former slave who gained her professional reputation in Washington, D.C., by outfitting the city’s elite. Keckley made history by sewing for the first lady within the White House, a trusted witness to many private moments between the president and his wife.
The Chance
by Karen Kingsbury Years ago, the day before Ellie moved from Georgia to California, she and her best friend Nolan sat beneath the Spanish moss of an ancient oak tree where they wrote letters to each other and sealed them in a rusty old metal box. The plan was to return 11 years later and read them. But now, as that date arrives, much has changed. Ellie, bereft of the faith she grew up with, is a single mom living in a tired apartment trying to make ends meet. Sometimes she watches television to catch a glimpse of her old
friend, Nolan, now an NBA star, whose terrible personal tragedies fueled his faith and athletic drive in equal measure. But Nolan also suffers from a transcendent loneliness that nothing has ever eased. In their separate lives, as Ellie and Nolan move toward the possibility of a reunion at the oak tree, Kingsbury weaves a tale of heartwrenching loss, the power of faith and the wounds that only love can heal.
The Icecutter’s Daughter
by Tracie Peterson Merrill Krause longs for a family of her own, but she’s bound by a promise to her dying mother to care for her father and older brothers until they no longer need her. She enjoys being part of the family business, harvesting ice during the brutal Minnesota winters. Merrill actively takes part – despite the advice of her good friend, who disapproves of her unladylike behavior. When Rurik Jorgenson arrives in their small town to join his uncle doing carpentry, he soon crosses paths with Merrill. But unlike other men, who are often frightened away by her older brothers, Rurik isn’t intimidated by them or by Merrill’s strength and lack of femininity. As he thrives under the mentorship of his uncle, Rurik dreams of inheriting the business and claiming Merrill as his wife. But while he is determined to start a new life, the past is determined to follow him when his former fiancée and her brother show up in town.
The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult In this astonishing novel about redemption and forgiveness, Sage Singer becomes friends with an old man who’s particularly beloved in her community after they strike up a conversation at the bakery where she works. Josef Weber is everyone’s favorite retired teacher and Little League coach. One day he asks Sage for a favor: to kill him. Shocked, Sage refuses … but then he tells her he deserves to die. Once he reveals his secret, Sage wonders if he’s right. What do you do when evil lives next door?
Book Reviews Category
Biography & Memoir SNAP IT for additional book summaries. An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting With Destiny By Laura Schroff, Alex Tresniowski Howard Books, $14.99, 238 pages Check this out! Laura Schroff speaks to us as if in the room, sitting across the coffee table, sharing the remaining tissues as her story unfolds with intimately personal detail. She tells us about a boy she met on the streets of Manhattan-dirty, hungry, destitute--a single voice crying out from the multitudes of panhandlers, hustlers, and talking-heads. “Excuse me, lady, do you have any spare change?” At first, she does what most of us do in pursuit of our busy schedules: she walks on by as if deaf. But then she turns around. She takes him to McDonald’s. She learns that his world, although just down the block from her apartment, gobbles up one generation of kids after another, swallows their souls and spits out the husks. At first she gets casually involved in Maurice’s life, and then she really commits herself. She allows their worlds to intersect with the full knowledge that such vulnerability might wreck her. Now in the telling of Marice’s world and how he escaped it, Scroff makes herself vulnerable again by sharing the dark secrets of her own childhood. This narrative reveals the redemptive power of two tormented souls who work to save each other. Reviewed by C.D. Quyn Courage Beyond the Game: The Freddie Steinmark Story By Jim Dent Thomas Dunne Books, $15.99, 333 pages Check this out! Amid the turbulent 1960s, when the hundred year anniversary of college football draws the country’s attention away from the Vietnam War, a stunning young athlete at
the University of Texas dazzles fans in the march for the national title. Despite being the smallest player on the field, Freddie’s contagious enthusiasm and talent infect everyone around him. No one knows the intensity of his pain. Nobody suspects the cancer that has consumed Freddie’s left leg. A seasoned journalist, Dent relates more than just another “Gipper story.” He captures the explosive emotion of the time, and reminds us why, forty years later, this generation of Texas Longhorns still give Freddie’s picture the “Hookem’ Horns” sign as they pass by. Hardly a month after the amputation of Freddie’s leg, the stadium is fi lled for the championship game. The teams race onto the field. The cheers die down at the sight of a lone figure on crutches, pumping his way to the grass at the far end. Someone calls his name, then another. As Freddie appears in the sunlit end zone, spectators on all sides rise to their feet, chanting as he makes his way to the sideline. Little do they know, now he’s fighting for his life. Reviewed by C.D. Quyn Eating Dirt: Deep Forests, Big Timber and Life With the Tree-Planting Tribe By Charlotte Gill Greystone Books, $16.95, 246 pages Check this out! “A furious way of being.” Twenty years as a tree planter. Twenty years of back-breaking, low-paying (sometimes no-paying), thankless and intense labor, with good humor and bad food creates the backdrop for Charlotte Gill and her tree-planting tribe of men and women. This seldom seen and remote world of hard work, and rough living, of clear-cuts and virgin timber, Eating Dirt takes the reader into the charged and unsentimental memoir of Gill’s million-tree career. “We revere trees … but we also can’t bear to leave them standing.”
Eating Dirt is an inspired narrative in a unique topic that is half memoir, half magic. It focuses less on Gill herself than on the wonder of trees, the dirt and fungi beneath, and the politics that swirl around the controversial resource that is timber and trees. Gill writes with a sense of wonder, from the work of tree planting to the desolate beauty of clear-cuts, and her acute attention to fascinating details of nature makes this book read more like a stream of poetry than a memoir. In this radiant piece of nonfiction by a talented writer, the descriptions will make your back ache by the time you finish reading it. “I learned it was easy to do something once. The trick was doing it a thousand times.” Reviewed by Axie Barclay Forever Young: A Life of Adventure in Air and Space By John W. Young, James R. Hansen University Press of Florida, $29.95, 415 pages Check this out! John Young, we are told, flew into space on Gemini III, the first manned fl ight from America. On Apollo 10, he was the first pilot to fly solo around the moon. In 1983, he was aboard the Colombia shuttle for a second time. When not flying, he helped plan and draw future space fl ights as a Senior Technical Adviser in Houston. We are told in this impressive biography about the immense training that is involved in becoming an astronaut. This training involves a series of medical and psychological tests including running on tread mills, during which the blood pressure of the astronauts is elevated to over 200. In March 1965, news came that Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov had made the world’s first space walk as part of the Soviet’s Voskhod fl ight, and had remained outside the spacecraft for twelve minutes and nine seconds. At this time, Americans were doing a great deal of vehicle testing on the launch pad for their next missile. The Americans were finally ready to launch their spacecraft and have a man walk on the moon in the early 1980s. This launch was very quiet and the lift off was smooth. During that time, NASA proposed a large permanent space station on the moon called “Freedom.” The basic lesson to be learned after reading this brilliant biography of John Young’s
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life as an astronaut is how the next space trip could be made into the most exciting, educational, and safest journey into space ever. Reviewed by Claude Ury The Grand Tour: Around the World With the Queen of Mystery By Agatha Christie Harper, $29.99, 384 pages Check this out! Personal letters, even someone else’s, can make enjoyable reading. Ninety years ago the author Agatha Christie set off with her husband and a selected group on a promotional mission to garner concrete support for the British Empire exhibition scheduled to open in London in 1924. The group traveled to distant dominions and colonies, some perhaps more cynically known now as the British Commonwealth. In letters and snapshots mailed home, she describes meetings with dignitaries, and opportunities to visit the industrial and agricultural pride of their owners and spend time with their expatriate families. To say the letters are humdrum is unfair; their disarming simplicity and honesty about her fellow travelers are compensation. In an era when touring was a limited prerogative, she reveled in seeing the best of the pink spots on the world map and enjoying a holiday in Hawaii, her happiness marred only by debilitating seasickness and missing her little daughter. How extraordinary that so few of the experiences and characters she met reappear in the annals of Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple! Reviewed by Jane Manaster
See Silk Road, cont’d from page 13
est printed book. This is more than a story about history; it is about life, death, and the journey that we all take. The book’s narrative can be a bit confusing at times, but after a while you start catching onto the rhythm of the writing. I love this book, and the stories made me want to go and read Stien’s original works. The narrative was a mix of Stein’s story along with the history of the items’ he rediscovered and the role they had in history. Stein and his crew are real people and the book makes them come alive on the pages. The book is also enjoyable enough that people that know nothing about the silk road will be addicted. It is a great balance of education, story, and suspense. If you are looking for a gripping book to read, do not be afraid to take this journey. Reviewed by Kevin Brown
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