Appeared originally in the Sunday, April 29  issue of the Tri-City Herald

Looking for a new book?  Try one of these....

On Bear Mountain, by Deborah Smith.  In her latest novel, Smith returns to the familiar themes she has explored in her previous books, that of alienation

Ursula Powell and Quentin Riconni come from widely diverse, yet similar, backgrounds.  She is the educated daughter of a poor chicken farmer, Thomas Powell, whose love of art is unbounded by his depressed finances.  He is the son of  Richard Riconni, an obsessed artist who gives up his family, his honor and eventually his life for his art. 

One event entwines the two families when Riconni's abstract sculpture of a bear is installed on the college campus in Ursula's hometown. Most of the townsfolk in Bear Creek, Ga., think the sculpture is "junk and nonsense," but Tom Powell spends his last $200 to save the iron bear from the scrap yard when the town fathers decide to remove it.

When Ursula's mother dies in childbirth for lack of money to pay the doctor, Ursula cannot forgive her father's extravagance.  The baby, Arthur, survives, but is autistic and needs constant care.  Arthur's anchor to reality is the iron bear.  Quention is 8 when his father leaves Brooklyn to pursue his career as a sculptor.  Quentin and his mother endure poverty and humiliation as they fight to keep their creditors at bay.

The sale of the iron bear is one brief moment of hope in a series of setbacks and anonymity for Richard Riconni.  Twenty years after Riconni's death, his works finally gain recognition; proof that Angele Riconni's faith was not misplaced in spite of the hardships she and Quentin suffered.   To please his mother and bring closure to his feelings for his father, Quentin travels to Bear Creek to purchase the iron bear from the Powells.  Despite the financial comfort the money would bring, Ursula refuses to sell the sculpture that means so much to her brother.  The only option is for Quentin to stay on Bear Mountain and learn what his legacy means to the lives of the Powells and perhaps by doing so, learn to forgive his father and himself.

Smith's protagonists are smart, humorous and tormented by their inability to accept failure in others.  It is only by living the lives of their fathers that Quentin and Ursula can regain the child-like acceptance of human frailty they lost so long ago.

[Little Brown Co., 3 Center Plaza, Boston, MA 02108.  342 pages, 2001.  Reviewed by Marsha Bates, Kennewick Branch.]

The Marines of Autumn, by James Brady.  This, quite simply, is one of the best war novels I have ever read.  While this is a "novel," it so rings with veracity that it could only have been written by someone with first-hand knowledge and experience.

The book follows Marine Capt. Tom Verity, a reservist called up and sent to Korea because of his knowledge and background in China.

Following the successful landing at Inchon, the North Korean Army is in rout and being pursued by American forces to the Yalu River, the boundary with China.

There are abundant signs that the Chinese will not allow their ally to be pushed off the Korean Peninsula, but MacArthur and other military leaders are so convinced of their invincibility that they ignore the warnings and push on.

Leading the way was the famed First Marine Division, heroes of the Pacific.  As they got further north, they became ever more wary.  There were signs of the Chinese everywhere.  Also, there were indications that a very severe winter was coming.

As the Marines came to the huge Chosin Reservoir, both the Chinese Army and winter hit with full force.

The Marines' fighting withdrawal has long been one of their greatest triumphs over adversity.

What this book does is put a face, a feel, a real image to it.

The cold, the movement south, the sights and sounds, the unrelenting weariness, the fear, the hardships and the tremendous heroism all come across vividly.

More than anything, the book conveys the mind-numbing fatigue and cold that affects everyone, from general to private.

This is no story of John Wayne-like heroes, of men charging machine guns for "mom and apple pie."  Instead, this is the story of men overcoming incredible odds just to survive.  One cannot read this and feel anything but awe for those who experienced the "Frozen Chosin" and the Korean War.

This truly unforgettable book makes history as real as possible to the reader without actually being there.  And after reading this book, no one in his or her right mind would have wanted to be there.

[St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10010.  274 pages, 2000.  Reviewed by Phelps Shepard, Library Director.]

Mystic River, by Dennis Lehane.  Dennis Lehane, a talented young writer, switches from his normal series characters to deliver a haunting and memorable work.

What is haunting and disturbing about this novel is how vividly it shows that some things are never gotten over, that sometimes you simply cannot move beyond history.

The story starts in a working-class area of Boston with three young boys playing together.  A car stops and two boys do not get in; the third does and nothing is ever the same again.

Twenty-five years later, the three former friends are again thrown together following a tragedy -- the murder of one friend's daughter.

Sean Devine is now a homicide detective, placed in charge of the investigation.  Jimmy Marcus, a former con gone straight, is the grieving father.

And the third boy, Dave Boyle -- the one who got in the car -- emerges as a prime suspect, in large part because of  "what happened to him after he got in the car."

The book paints a powerful picture of a close-knit, Boston Irish neighborhood and the families in it.  It shows how a terrible crime doesn't just touch the lives of the victim's family but the entire neighborhood.  And most, it shows that no matter how you try, what you do, who you are, there is no escaping the past.

[William Morrow, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10019.  401 pages, 2001.  Reviewed by Phelps Shepard.]

Appeared in the February 25, 2001 Tri-City Herald

Many people come to a branch of the Mid-Columbia Library knowing what book, or what author, or at least what kind of book they want. But if you are just looking for a new book, any new book, as long as it’s good, try one of these…

Darwin’s Blade, by Dan Simmons. Dan Simmons’ writing is difficult to categorize. His books cover several genres, from horror and suspense, to science fiction, to black humor mainstream. The protagonist of Darwin’s Blade is equally difficult to pin down. Dr. Darwin Minor is a brilliant physicist who can visually construct fatal accidents without becoming emotionally involved. He’s also a grieving widower still recovering from the loss of his wife and infant son in a plane crash. His talents put him in demand by both insurance fraud investigators and the Russian Mafia, who would like him to suffer a fatal accident of his own.

Bizarre incidents are the norm for Dr. Minor, the more puzzling, the better. Simmons uses some great "Darwin Award Winners" for examples. If you’re unfamiliar with the Darwin Awards, they’re given to the person who does the most for the gene pool by killing himself under the stupidest circumstances. When Dar becomes the target of a series of near-fatalities, he agrees to join the FBI task force investigating widespread insurance fraud in the form of "swoop and squat" squads on the California freeways. When it looks like the good guys are going to lose the fight, Dar calls on his skills as a former Marine sniper to even the odds.

Simmon’s droll wit and spare prose paint a vivid picture of a profession most people know nothing about. While he humanizes Darwin as a grammatical zealot who is aging gracefully, if reluctantly, Simmons assumes the reader is as impressed as he is with the physics of reconstructing events. His writing is informative, but the reader may balk at pages of physics equations explaining trajectory, velocity, etc.

[William Morrow, 10 E. 53^rd St., NY NY 10022, 368 pages, 2000;

Reviewed by Marsha Bates, MCL-Kennewick Branch]

The Runner, by Christopher Reich. Christopher Reich crafts a riveting thriller from a fascinating period—Germany immediately after the defeat of Hitler. The Americans and the Russians have taken over the country and are already becoming untrusting of each other, both are trying to round up the last of Hitler’s followers, the American soldiers want to go home but fear being sent to fight Japan instead, and the German people are trying to establish some order amid the ruin. Against this backdrop of chaos, emotion and retribution, Devlin Judge, and Army lawyer and former New York police detective, enters the picture. He has been sent to assist in the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal, but his real passion is in tracking down a fugitive Nazi war criminal, Erich Seyss. Seyss is a German hero, a former Olympic runner, an SS officer, a spy, and…the murderer of Judge’s prisoner-of-war brother.

The pursuit of Seyss quickly becomes more than a manhunt for an escaped murderer. Seyss is part of something far larger than Judge ever dreamed of. The hunt soon involves former Nazis, Americans, the CIA predecessor OSS, and leads up to American hero General George Patton and the upcoming Potsdam Conference of Allied leaders Truman, Stalin and Churchill. Real characters such as Klaus Barbie, OSS Head Bill Donovan, and others are interspersed with the fictional in such a way to make the plot plausible. The backdrop of a destroyed nation and the reader’s knowledge of the looming Cold War combine with excellent writing and a fast-paced plot to make a book you can’t put down.

[Delacorte, 1540 Broadway, NY NY 10036, 440 pages, 2000; Reviewed by Phelps Shepard, Library Director]

The Naked Detective, by Laurence Shames. I have long believed that, as a general rule, you cannot go wrong with mysteries set in Florida. Carl Hiassen, Elmore Leonard, James Hall, Laurence Shames and others have long turned out outlandish, fun, wacky novels. Then came this past year and we all realized that they weren’t exaggerating the bizarreness of Florida after all. So now, with Laurence Shames’ latest, you find yourself thinking, "Yes, yes, this could all happen—probably does every day."

Pete Amsterdam is a Key West detective. Actually he is a Key West transplant "drop out" whose accountant convinced him to get a P. I. license as a tax dodge so he could write off the remodel work for the hot tub and wine cellar in his home "office". This works for Pete until one day the good life is interrupted by—gasp—A CASE. Pete tries to avoid involvement, truthfully argues his ignorance and inability, and intends to continue his good life, when the murder of his turned-away client begins to draw him in. With a cast of colorful Key West characters, a plot involving stolen water jets and a derelict gambling boat, descriptions of moving about the island on his bicycle (his only mode of transportation), and Pete’s primary objective of trying to get the dead man’s girlfriend into his hot tub, this book must be a "real life" story from the Sunshine State. As the cover says, "Raymond Chandler meets Woody Allen" in this fun romp through murder, mayhem, and the search for eternal youth.

[Villard, 1540 Broadway, NY NY 10036, 225 pages, 2000; Reviewed by Phelps Shepard]

Historical Atlas of Expeditions, by Karen Farrington. As the title suggests, this book covers a lot of territory, both geographically and historically. Expeditions of discovery on all continents are covered, from those of Hannu, an Egyptian who explored the Red Sea in about 2800 BC, through modern day journeys of Freya Stark across much of the Middle East. The fact that many of the explorers chronicled were primarily motivated by military conquest or the pursuit of riches, and sometimes brought on the destruction of rich cultures, is often noted. The author seems to suggest, correctly, that you can be a courageous, visionary, skillful explorer and a horrible human being at the same time. The text is supported by a wealth of maps, photographs and period drawings. Historical Atlas of Expeditions is a wonderful resource for school papers for middle school readers and up, and a fun read for any armchair explorer.

[Checkmark Books, 11 Penn Plaza, NY NY 10001, 190 pages, 2000; Reviewed by Brian Soneda, Assistant Director, Public Services]

Appeared in the May 20, 2001 issue of the Tri-City Herald

Not So Funny When It Happened: The Best of Travel Humor and Misadventure, edited by Tim Cahill. This collection of thirty-four true stories told by such well-known world travelers as Dave Barry, David Sedaris, Bill Bryson and others, varies from the hilarious to the bizarre. You’ll cringe at the crude dental surgery of a Cameroon "dentist" who pulls teeth first and administers Novocain later, and chuckle at Anne Lamott’s essay entitled, "Me and My Aunties," an affectionate nickname she has bestowed on her sagging buttocks which put her in a perpetual state of "Butt Mind" when she wears a swimsuit in public. Laugh along with Doug Lansky as he risks life and limb to get a haircut in countries where he doesn’t speak the language and nearly ends up having his forehead shaved.

If there is one truism that binds these stories together, it is the relief with which the traveler, safely home again, can look back on an embarrassing, horrifying or just plain scary incident and find the humor in the situation that was not so funny when it happened.

[Traveler’s Tales Inc., Townsend St., Suite 208, San Francisco, CA 94107 207 pages, 2000.   Reviewed by Marsha Bates, MCL-Kennewick Branch]

The Art of Fiction, by Ayn Rand. A book about writing fiction by the author of Atlas Shrugged! How could I not read this transcription of the course she gave in her own living room in 1958? Her incisive lessons are done in inimitable Ayn Rand style.

"That something happened to you," she says of the subjects to write about, "is of no importance to anyone, not even to you (and you are now hearing it from the archapostle of selfishness). The important thing about you is what you choose to make happen—your values and choices (page 16)."

She gives excellent insights into rules for writing, and evaluating writing. She shows how to combine abstract ideas with concrete action and description; discusses theme, plot characterization and style; and presents "plot-theme," a useful category of her own that modern how-to writing proponents seem to have lost. The flavor of who she was comes across even for those who have never read her other work, although one can get a sense of it from the excerpts she cites as examples of good writing. Her critique of Victor Hugo, Sinclair Lewis and others is shocking but illuminating. She describes how to "show, don’t tell" more clearly than modern teachers. Her book made me think and I gained new pointers about writing and reading.

[Plume, 375 Hudson St., NY NY 10014, 176 pages, 2000
Reviewed by Stephanie Jo Grant, library patron]

You Don’t Know Me, by David Klass. "You don’t know me," accuses John, the fourteen-year-old protagonist. Not his mother, not his friends, not even his sympathetic music teacher, Mr. Steenwilly, really knows what goes on in John’s "life-that’s-not-a-life." Inside his "house-that’s-not-a-house", John tries to survive the brutality of the "man-who’s-not-my-father" while, at the same time attending "anti-school" and struggling with the mysteries of algebra, friendship and girls.

Klass, an award-winning author for young adults, is at times wickedly funny and shockingly honest in his portrayal of a lonely teen trying to cope with his mother’s betrayal. John’s narrative thought takes him farther and farther from reality until the shattering climax when John discovers he is wrong. Someone knows him and cares about him very much indeed.

[Farrar/Frances Foster Books, Gordonsville, VA 22942, 262 pages, 2001
Reviewed by Marsha Bates]

Appeared originally Sunday, June 18, 2001, in the Tri-City Herald

Red Moon, by Robert Westbrook. Howard Moon Deer is a young Native American scholar living in San Geronimo, New Mexico. He and his partner, Jack Wilder, a blind ex-cop from San Francisco, are the sole employees of Wilder & Associate detective agency. While San Geronimo is a picturesque mountain community with a burgeoning artist population, it’s not without its shameful secrets and felonious characters.

A seemingly innocent request to investigate a wealthy socialite’s dead-beat husband sets off a chain of events leading to the death of a mysterious street person known as the Rainbow Man. With Howard distracted by the possible breakup of his relationship with a cellist, Claire Knightsbridge, it is up to Jack to expose the killer. Further clues point to a twenty-five year old murder and the theft of an early painting by Georgia O’Keeffe. The body count rises and Jack has reason to be grateful he’s kept practicing his skills with a handgun (by sound targeting) despite his wife and Howard’s protests.

This is the third mystery in Westbrook’s Howard Moon Deer series and the first to give us more of an inside look at Jack, an intelligent middle-aged man with no patience for his recent disability. Although Howard acts as Jack’s eyes, the blind investigator must rely on his other senses and his aural memory to guide him to the answers in this complex case.

[Signet, 375 Hudson St., NY NY 10014, 292 pages, 2000; reviewed by Marsha Bates, MCL-Kennewick Branch]

These Granite Islands, by Sarah Stonich. Ninety-nine year old Isobel is dying, attended by her youngest son, Thomas. On her deathbed she recalls the fateful summer of 1936.

Isobel is the daughter of Victor, a tailor, and the mother of Henry, Louisa and Thomas. She herself is a very creative milliner in the small northern mining town of Cypress. In the summer of 1936 Isobel becomes close friends with dynamic, passionate Cathryn, the wife of a visiting mining engineer. When Cathryn meets Jack, a forestry employee, Isobel becomes an accomplice in their love affair. However, tragedy intrudes in all their lives. During the course of the summer Isobel is forced to examine her beliefs, her loyalties, her life and to confront her fears. On her deathbed, as she remembers the distant past, threads of remembrances connect her to the present, the lives of her children and her life with Victor. This is a story of loss, regret and survival.

[Little, Brown & Co, 3 Center Plaza, Boston, MA 02108, 310 pages, 2001;  reviewed by Wilma Page, Assistant Director, Support Services]

Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher. Mining his personal life experience as an athlete, school teacher and as a child and family therapist, Crutcher has written seven young adult novels in his two decade writing career, each one of which has been anointed as an "ALA Best Book for Young Adults". Add to this remarkable run of high level consistency another novel, Whale Talk. A group of misfits, led by one gifted athlete, forms a swim team at a high school in a small northeastern Washington town that doesn’t even have a regulation pool, and battles for respect against great odds. If there is a fault to this book, it is that the hero, T. J. Jones, sounds way too good to be true. The biracial senior is smart, charismatic, funny, athletic, brave and honorable as the day is long. The reader will forgive that fault as Crutcher uses T. J.’s quixotic quest to explore racism, child abuse, school bullying, and the redemptive power of sports team camaraderie, in brutally honest and often lyrical fashion.

[Greenwillow Books, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, NY NY 10019, 220 pages, 2001; reviewed by Brian Soneda, Assistant Director, Public Services]

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, by Eric Schlosser. My parents and I recently read this book, a fascinating history of the development of the fast food industry and a vivid description of the current state of the industry. My mom sent a list of the most eye-opening facts in Fast Food Nation and even wrote a concerned letter to MacDonald’s headquarters. This modern day counterpart of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle may influence your consumption of fast food. Packed full of information but very readable.

[Houghton Mifflin, 222 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116, 356 pages, 2001;  reviewed by Heidi Mikkelsen, MCL-Kennewick Branch]

Today I Am a Ma’am, by Valerie Harper (with Catherine Whitney). Television personality, Valerie Harper, uses her humorous outlook to encourage WOACA (women of a certain age) to embrace their middle years, their inner beauty and their accomplishments. There comes a time when the realization hits some women that we are all the little old ladies of sixty we never thought we’d become. According to Harper, the prevailing media wisdom says, "…women have a shelf life" and "if life imitated television, teenagers would be twenty-five, mom would be thirty and grandma would be thirty-three." To combat this depressing and unrealistic expectation, Harper hopes to "give women a laugh, a bit of encouragement and a brighter view of themselves." She accomplishes this with a series of anecdotes, loosely categorized by those phobias most women share. Her theory is: "When we poke fun at the bizarre standards by which we are judged, we gain confidence."

Fearlessly, she tackles such areas of feminine humiliation as: size obsession—"Does someone who wears a size zero really exist?"; dieting—"Dessert doesn’t count if you eat under an assumed identity"; cosmetic surgery—"Things to consider before plastic surgery…Will I look as if I’m standing in a 100mph wind?"; and menopause—"We have two choices, to grow old or to grow older…one is a destination, while the other is a process and a path."

Mixed in with the self-deprecating humor, Harper offers her own set of "Golden Rules" for women to live by. It’s clear that this sixty-year-old author is ready to embrace her middle years with confidence and laughter.

[HarperCollins, 10 E. 3^rd St., NY NY 10022, 157 pages, 2001;  reviewed by Marsha Bates]

Reviews first appeared in Tri-City Herald July 15, 2001

Jane and the Stillroom Maid, by Stephanie Barron. Jane Austen did not write mysteries, but what if she had? What if someone today discovered the manuscripts and edited them for publication? Stephanie Barron answered these questions. Researching the life and times of Austen’s England of the 19^th Century, she wrote mysteries as if Jane Austen had penned them herself.

In the fifth of the series, Jane is enjoying a summer walk through Derbyshire’s countryside when she sees the body of a gentleman, who’s been shot in the forehead and brutally mutilated. The surgeon finds the deceased is actually Tess Arnold, a maidservant wearing the clothes of her master at Penfolds Hall. In charge of the stillroom at Penfolds and known as an adept at compounding home remedies, Tess was recently dismissed for a scandalous indiscretion. Was Tess, Jane wonders, prey to a madman loose in the hills, a cast-off impediment to a nobleman’s marriage, or a victim of a ritual execution by the Freemasons? As Jane observes and interrogates the local gentry, she places herself at risk from a lurking killer.

Barron’s artful use of Austen’s style makes the reader forget that Jane Austen did not write this riveting mystery herself.

[Bantam Books, 1540 Broadway, NY NY , 277 pages, 2000;  reviewed by Stephanie Jo Grant, library patron]

Cassada, by James Salter. James Salter is one of those authors who are not especially well known but are highly regarded by other authors and critics. This book shows why. Salter, a former fighter pilot who became an author and screenwriter, uses both his experiences and his immense writing skills to weave an intricate picture of a Cold War-era fighter squadron in Germany. Like a gifted painter using sparse lines to draw a picture, Salter uses sparse language to convey a complicated picture of ambition, jealousy, excitement and fear.

Cassada is an eager, young pilot from Puerto Rico who is fulfilling his dream by joining an Air Force fighter squadron in 1950’s Germany. Days are spent flying and honing the skills needed to survive an unforgiving profession. The squadron is no merry band of brothers but rather a collection of career pilots with everyday worries: promotions, wives, money and competitive drive. Cassada is the odd one out: young, untested, unjaded. His only friend is Isbell, a Korean War combat veteran who senses in Cassada a beauty and innocence lacking in himself and the others. This friendship leads to misplaced confidence and risk taking with the book’s focal point following their efforts to land planes through the thick clouds and darkening skies of a storm.

The descriptions of flying, the intense and complicated relationships of the flyers, and the evocation of a past place and way of life all combine to make this book an excellent read. What truly places it apart, however, is the writing—the prose is as well crafted and finely put together as a tapestry. This book is to the usual fly, fight and bluster books of Clancy, Coombs et al as Ichiro and the Mariners are to the t-ball teams playing on the Westgate Elementary fields.

[Counterpoint, P. O. Box 65793, Washington, DC 20035, 208 pages, 2000;  reviewed by Phelps Shepard, Library Director]

Reviews first appeared in the Tri-City Herald August 26, 2001

It’s a Bunny-Eat-Bunny World, by Olga Litowinsky. The author offers a fresh and sometimes humorous perspective on the children’s book publishing industry in her guide for aspiring writers. From the unique position of both author and editor, Litowinsky has seen a flourishing cross-section of small presses and imprints gobbled up the conglomerate publishing houses of New York. Still, her message is one of optimism for the new writer.

In the first part of her book, Litowinsky offers a chronology of the children’s book publishing industry in America. The market phenomenon of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series clearly shows that juvenile publishing has become big business. While some aspiring writers may not be ready to tackle the ins-and-outs of the corporate maze, Litowinsky demystifies the process and offers her vast experience on what to expect from today’s editors and publishing giants.

Part two follows the career of "Gus Casey", a new author seeking publication of his middle grade manuscript. Litowinsky addresses the fears, hopes, confusion and anxiety Gus feels as he queries agents and editors in his attempt to sell his first book. Step by step, we follow Gus on his journey from the word processor’s blank screen to the marketing of his novel. Along the way, Litowinsky recommends informative websites, professional journals and organizations for the aspiring writer, and provides a comprehensive bibliography for further reading. Her humor, enthusiasm and encouragement are just what the aspiring author needs.

[Walker and Company, 435 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014, 228 pages, 2001; reviewed by Marsha Bates, MCL-Kennewick Branch]

The Midnight Bride, by Susan Carroll. In the third volume of Carroll’s Bride Finder series, we meet Kate Fitzleger, adopted London waif who has fallen in love with Dr. Valentine St. Leger. According to family legend, the "bride finder" has predicted that Val will never marry. Val knows that if he defies the bride finder and chooses his own wife, she will suffer a tragic curse. Kate is unwilling to be ruled by such superstitions and impulsively casts a love spell over Val. Her magic backfires leaving him a changed, tormented man. Something dark has entered his soul and Kate is desperate to reverse the spell.

Set in 18^th century Cornwall, this atmospheric historical romance is a worthy sequel to Carroll’s novels, The Bride Finder and The Night Drifter. Carroll brings a touch of the supernatural to her tale of love, revenge and redemption. Prospero, the St. Leger family ghost, adds a note of whimsy, humor and irony. The author’s vivid prose and sensitive characterizations allow the reader to believe anything is possible in this family.

[Ballantine Books, Westminster, MD 21157, 307 pages, 2001; reviewed by Marsha Bates, MCL-Kennewick Branch]

Die Upon a Kiss, by Barbara Hambly. Here we have Barbara Hambly’s latest novel, featuring our hero, Benjamin January. Picture New Orleans in 1835. Picture Carnival, parties, music, theater, opera, as well as rivalry, politics, intrigue, revenge, competition and murder. Hambly thoroughly researched her history of New Orleans and the local theaters to bring the reader right into the sound, taste, smell and atmosphere of the place and time.

Ben, very tall and very black, helps his friend, Shaw, an uncouth "Kaintuck," solve another perplexing and complicated crime. Ben must constantly keep in mind the truth of his time; although his is a free man of color, his life and liberty are always in jeopardy just in day-to-day existence, let alone during his adventures as an amateur detective.

I highly recommend this book and this series by Barbara Hambly. Do read the books in order though; this is the fifth. The first one is titled, A Free Man of Color.

[Random House, 1540 Broadway, NY NY 10036, 333 pages, 2001; reviewed by Elaine Jones, MCL-Kennewick Branch]

Reviews appeared in the Tri-City Herald November 4, 2001

So many great new fiction and non-fiction books at the branches of the Mid-Columbia Library involve food and/or cooking as a core element. Here are four staff favorites.

On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town, by Susan Herrmann Loomis. Susan Loomis is in love with the French and their cuisine and it shows in her wonderfully descriptive prose on their culture, especially as it concerns food. This love affair began twenty years ago when she was an apprentice at the fabled cooking school, La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine, in Paris. Even though she returned to the States, France was in her blood, so in 1994 she and her family moved to Louviers, in Normandy, where they purchased and subsequently restored a dilapidated convent. What wonders they uncovered during the restoration! How hospitable the neighbors were eventually! Reading this book is as good as sharing their food, flowers and friends. There is even a recipe for Roasted Leg of Wild Boar!!

[Broadway Books, 1540 Broadway, NY NY 10036, 288 pages, 2001; reviewed by Wilma Page, Assistant Director, Support Services]

The Foods of the Greek Islands: Cooking and Culture at the Crossroads of the Mediterranean, by Aglaia Kremezi. When I opened this beautiful book, I felt as if I was looking into my mother’s kitchen. There were her recipes, just as she prepared them, simply, with fresh picked vegetables and herbs; olives from trees so revered they had names; cheeses made from sheep and goats milk, pungent and low fat. Included is a wonderful recipe for stew I brought for lunch today with lemon peel, cloves and mint.

There are cultural descriptions of every Greek island the author visits, from the coast of Turkey to the Ionian Sea, as well as many photographs of life as it is lived there. These recipes are simple to make yet have gourmet flair. The preparation methods are modern and easy to follow. A list of U.S. sources for original Greek products is also included.

[Houghton Mifflin, 222 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116, 298 pages, 2000; reviewed by Judi Rizzuti-Hare, Managing Librarian, Pasco/Keewaydin Park Region]

Bread Alone, by Judith Ryan Hendricks, is a modern day novel where the heroine succeeds by failing. Failing to keep her husband from straying. Failing to become the trophy wife and society matron as is expected of her. Failing to have a career and even failing to prevent her father from dying.

While in college, Wynter Morrison served as an apprentice baker at a French boulangerie. When her husband, David, announces that their marriage is a mistake, she is shocked to realize how dependent she has become. A move to Seattle to be with CM, her best friend since third grade, revives her interest in bread and her NEED to bake bread. With the help of CM and the eccentric and mostly caring staff at the Queen Street Bakery, Wynter learns to accept that things change, that contentment can be found in a simple life and that there is a future. Recipes of course!

[William Morrow, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, NY NY 10019, 352 pages, 2001; reviewed by Wilma Page]

Crime Brûlée, by Nancy Fairbanks. Much to her surprise, Carolyn Blue, a forty-something housewife, a travel article about eating goat in Spain that she submits to her local newspaper eventually results in a publishing contract for a book about eating abroad. As her husband is a much-traveled chemistry professor who loves conferences, she finds herself in New Orleans at an international chemistry conference, (not "abroad" but an exotic enough spot for the publisher), attending the odd conference session but mainly sampling the local Creole and Cajun specialties at various restaurants. Her dear childhood friend, also in town for the conference, disappears after a nasty argument with her husband. Has she been kidnapped or, worse yet, murdered? Carolyn is determined to find out, at much risk to her health, with the help of a debonair New Orleans Police Department lieutenant.

Based on the above, you might guess that plot of Crime Brûlée veers into the implausible at times. That would be a good guess. But Carolyn is a fun sleuth, one who is not above leveraging her food critic status into a seat at an exclusive (and full) restaurant. Fans of New Orleans cookery will enjoy the recipes included and the look inside four star and no star restaurants in the French Quarter.

[Berkeley Prime, 375 Hudson St., NY NY 10014, 275 pages, 2001;  reviewed by Brian Soneda, Assistant Director, Public Services]

Reviews appeared in the Tri-City Herald November 25, 2001

Nothing beats curling up in a comfortable chair with a great book on a cold evening, except maybe curling up with a great book in a comfortable chair in front of a warm fireplace. The branches of the Mid-Columbia Library have great new books to curl up with. Many of them have the comfortable chairs. One (the Kennewick Branch) even has the warm fireplace. Here are three highly recommended books.

Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer. Artemis Fowl, age 12 and heir to a centuries-old family of international thieves and con artists, may be the most brilliant of them all. Some say he has a bit of Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, and Attila the Hun in him. He plans to outwit the fairies and get their gold. He tricks a drunken fairy into loaning him her Book, scans it with his digital camera, and emails it to his computer at the Fowl mansion in Ireland.

Using his knowledge of myth and his wizardry with computers, Artemis becomes the first human to decode the fairies’ secrets. These present-day fairies are armed and dangerous, but so is Artemis. He kidnaps a leprechaun and the battle begins. Artemis thinks he has his opponents where he wants them, but the fairies stop playing by the rules. Artemis must decide what he values most.

Artemis Fowl is a devilishly clever mixture of thrills, mystery, magic and humor; this is a good read for children and adults alike.

[Hyperion Books for Children, 114 Fifth Avenue, NY NY 10011, 279 pages, 2001; reviewed by Stephanie Jo Grant, library patron]

April 1865: The Month That Saved America, by Jay Winik. I happened to be reading this book during the tragic events of this past September. Yes, September 2001 has changed America and continues to do so. However, our nation has undergone periods equally—or even more—unsettling in its history and probably none more so than April, 1865.

Historian Jay Winik paints a fascinating, spellbinding picture of the incredible events of that historic month: Lee surrenders to Grant; fighting comes to a close across the South; Lincoln is assassinated as part of a plot to kill all the Union leadership; and chaos and confusion briefly reigned. The Union’s nightmare going into April, 1865, was that they knew their armies would prevail but they did not know if that meant an end to the fighting or if the Southern armies would take to the hills and engage in prolonged and divisive guerrilla warfare. They had seen the terrible effects of this type of warfare in "Bloody Missouri" and wanted to avoid it at all costs as they could never rebuild the nation under those conditions. Lincoln and Grant were in agreement that the best way for all was to offer lenient peace terms and not to seek retribution. To their great relief, Lee accepted their terms, despite Jefferson Davis’s call to continue the fight. Other Southern generals followed Lee’s lead and hopes for restoring the Nation began to grow. John Wilkes Booth brought this all into question on the terrible evening of April 14. The dream of a reunified nation was in doubt.

This book was gripping even though you knew how it all turned out. It conveyed a true sense of the confusion, anger, terror, fear and turmoil of this momentous period. What came through was the strength of our system and the determination of good people on both sides of the conflict to rebuild an even better and stronger union. America emerged from those events as a modern, strong nation with the blight of slavery removed and truly the world’s greatest democracy. This book is excellent reading now as it makes clear that America will emerge from these current events as a stronger, better nation for, as historians know, the truest guide to the future is the past.

[HarperCollins, 10 E. 53^rd Street, NY NY 10022, 462 pages, 2001; reviewed by Phelps Shepard, MCL Library Director]

The Holy Road, by Michael Blake. There is a joy to the beloved novel, Dances With Wolves, that is missing from its sequel, The Holy Road, which takes place in the last decades of the 1800’s. This lack of joy, although lamentable, is understandable. The period was one of fleeting freedom for the Comanches, as well as other Native Americans. It was a perilous time when many died, and those who were left grieved.

Michael Blake is such a fine writer, there is a sense that he was there and saw the events he tells about. The portrayal of tribal life is vivid, intriguing and poignant. The white Civil War solder turned Indian is once again the central character, along with the Comanche white woman he married and their three children. The "holy road" is what the tribe calls the railroad. Its relentless advance and the Comanche’s inevitable defeat sound like a predictable story. It is not. There is courage and there is human hope taking the story through complex turns that linger in the mind long after the last page is turned.

It is possible, and many will hope, that there will be a third novel. Blake, who cares deeply for America’s native peoples, surely has more to share about the Comanches who survived.

[Villard Books, 201 E. 50^th Street, NY NY 10022, 339 pages, 2001; reviewed by Bonnie Taylor, Chair, MCL Board of Trustees]

Reviews appeared in the Tri-City Herald January 27, 2002

More great new books for your winter reading at the Mid-Columbia Library.

Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones, by Quincy Jones. I just watched a PBS special on Quincy Jones or "Q" as he is called and was most impressed by his "no holds barred" honesty. Quincy is a musician, composer and arranger who has worked with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Michael Jackson and Stephen Spielburg. He grew up in Seattle and Chicago without a mother and this moving life story, told with passion and style, is a must read.

[Random House, 1540 Broadway, NY NY 10036, 352 pages, 2001; reviewed by Judi Rizutti-Hare, Managing Librarian, Pasco/Keewaydin Park Region]

Riddle of the Bones, by Roger Downey. The saga of Kennewick Man, as told in Riddle of the Bones, unfolds more like a bungled Pink Panther heist than scientific research. The fight over who should possess the bones, the rush by the Corps of Engineers to bury the site, the losing of the bones and their mysterious reappearance, the squabbling scientists—these are just a few of the antics that make you wonder if Inspector Clouseau was in charge.

The author takes a big swipe at the mass media, particularly electronic talking heads. He contends that the wrong questions were asked from the start about the Kennewick Man and his origins; now the search for scientific "truth" is most likely at a dead-end. Headlines about the ancient skeleton being a pre-European Caucasoid set the tone for the indignant reactions across the country; some calling for reburying Kennewick Man, others calling for his study in the name of science. Dr. Jim Chatters, who took part in news conferences and was the first to study the bones, seemed to suggest that the skeleton was not that of a Native American. In large part, this was because Kennewick Man has a skull difference from modern Native Americans.

Downey leaves no doubt that he has little respect for the merit of the research on Kennewick Man over the last five years, writing, "By now, it no longer matters that many of these questions are, scientifically speaking, all but meaningless. Kennewick Man and his less-publicized ilk have long ceased to be elements of evidence for rational argument, but rather have become characters in a drama, a tabloid fantasy of the past, in which probability counts little when weighed against colorful speculation, and trust is routinely ignored in the search of a good story."

Reviews appeared in the Tri-City Herald February 17, 2002

 The Mid-Columbia Library has a great collection of books for Young Adults (otherwise known as teenagers). Visit your local branch and discover new books for Young Adults.

Of Sound Mind, by Jean Ferris. At a time when most high school seniors are filling out applications for college, Theo is torn between his obligations to his family and resentment of their dependence upon him. Theo’s parents and little brother are deaf. His brother, Jeremy, relies on him for help with his homework, while his mother, Palma, a famous artist, distrusts strangers and will allow only Theo to interpret for her. His father, Tom, tries not to be a burden; even to the extent of not asking Theo translate his doctor’s orders.

Theo feels different because of his family’s disabilities and his knowledge of sign language. Then he meets Ivy, a new student at his school. Ivy’s father is deaf. She understands the burden this can place on a hearing child. She understands when Theo is absent from school to facilitate for his demanding mother. What she can’t comprehend is why Theo is willing to forego his dream of going to MIT simply because his mother insists she needs him. She shows Theo what it would be like to be free from worry and guilt.

Everything changes when Theo’s father becomes gravely ill. Palma retreats into her studio, leaving Theo to care for Tom and Jeremy. With the help of Ivy and some new friends, Theo learns to share his burdens and Palma learns to trust "hearies."

Jean Ferris has written a thought-provoking novel with a cast of genuine and sympathetic characters. Her young adult novel gives us valuable insights into the lives of the hearing impaired and their families.

[Farrar Strauss Giroux, 19 Union Square West, NY NY, 10003, 2001, 215 pages; reviewed by Marsha Bates, MCL-Kennewick Branch]

On the Fringe, edited by Donald Gallo, is a unique collection of eleven short stories inspired by the tragedy of classroom violence at Columbine School. These award-winning authors of young adult fiction tell the stories of the outsiders; alienated teens who suffer every day because they are different. They endure labeling, taunting, harassment and physical abuse because they cannot protect themselves from bullies and school administration turns a blind eye.

In "Geeks Bearing Gifts," by Ron Koertge, Renee, a popular cheerleader, must interview the lunchroom outsiders for a journalism assignment. She discovers that they are not the ‘losers’ her ex-boyfriend thinks they are. Her universe changes when she discovers the world doesn’t revolve around her narrow circle of friends. Could it be that she is the true outsider? In "Standing on the Roof Naked," by Francess Lantz, Jeannie finds a positive way to express her anger and frustration for all the slights and torment she has suffered because of her androgynous looks. Her medium? Rap music. "Great Expectations," by M. E. Kerr, concerns a shy student who dreams of standing up to students who call him Mousey. The possibility of unearned wealth briefly bolsters his confidence, but his deception teaches him a valuable lesson.

Chris Crutcher’s story, "Guns for Geeks," examines the mental fall-out of guilt and shame after a violent outburst in the classroom. Sam doesn’t feel like a hero. He knows at least one classmate died because he was too scared to act quickly. Crutcher examines the issue of blame from a classmate and grieving father’s point of view.

On the Fringe is dedicated to "Every kid who has ever been called a hurtful name and to every kid who has tried to feel superior by putting down someone else."

[Dial Books, 345 Hudson St., NY NY 10014, 2001, 225 pages; reviewed by Marsha Bates]

Slap Your Sides, by M. E. Kerr. This young adult novel, set in rural Pennsylvania during World War II, is the story of three brothers and the decisions they must face based on their religious convictions. The story opens when the oldest Shoemaker son, Bud, a Quaker and conscientious objector, leaves home to fulfill his alternative service. The middle son, Tom, plans to register as a non-combatant, to please his Quaker mother. Jubal, the youngest, longs to be like Bud, but fears he hasn’t the strength to stand up to the extreme prejudice "conchies" face when the entire country is pro-war.

Their father’s department store is repeatedly vandalized and business drops off after Bud leaves. Jubal sets a trap to discover who the vandal is, but he doesn’t expect to capture Daria Daniels with paint on her hands. She is the daughter of the local radio broadcaster and the sister of two soldiers off at war. Although Jubal and Daria develop a clandestine friendship, she is unrepentant for her stance against "conchies." As much as he admires his brother, Jubal wants people to judge him for the person he is, not because his brother protests the war.

Two tragic events test both Jubal and Daria’s convictions and forever change the way they judge each other’s lives. They learn that there are victims on both fronts of the war, both in the jungle and the insane asylum where Bud does volunteer work as well as in their own neighborhood.

Kerr tells a poignant story about a time when war was a source of America’s unity, strength and pride. Her settings ring true, from the Friends meetings, to the jingles on the local radio station, to the conditions in a 1940’s mental hospital.

New at the Mid-Columbia Library May 19, 2002

The Path of Practice: A Woman’s Book of Healing with Food, Breath, and Sound, by Bri. Maya Tiwari. Bravo! A holistic program of health by a woman for women! The author is a world-renowned teacher of Ayurvedic medicine, whose natural, spiritual techniques she has reclaimed from ancient India for use in modern life.

In her early twenties, after radical surgeries and chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, Bri. Maya was prescribed morphine for the remaining two months she was expected to live. Instead, alone in a cabin in Vermont, she began several months of intensive meditation and holistic nutrition. She returned to New York with renewed health and vitality. Spectacular visions and memories of her family and ancestors inspired her to study with one of India’s masters of the Vedas.

Now, twenty-five years later, she writes about how she continues to help others heal physically, emotionally, and spiritually. At the heart of her teachings are sadhanas, daily practices that reflect and re-create within us the universe’s energies and rhythms. The practices include nutrition and cooking with whole foods, breath work and chanting, and chanting with healing sounds.

Bri. Maya’s book is abundantly filled with simple-to-follow recipes and directions for breath work and chanting, as well as suggestions for adapting the program to our own lifestyles and traditions. She also describes her unique method of recovering ancestral memories that lead to discovering our particular life’s mission and our connection to the divine within and in the outer world. This practical and profound book is a wellspring of instruction and wisdom from which to draw again and again.

[Ballantine Publishing, 201 E. 50^th St., New York, NY 10022, 401 pages, 2001; reviewed by Stephanie Jo Grant, library patron]

Truffled Feathers, by Nancy Fairbanks. This is the second novel in a promising new mystery series by the author. Carolyn Blue, a travel/cuisine writer, and her scientist husband travel to New York City, she to meet with various publishing connections and he to interview for a job at a cutting edge chemical research company. When, just after their arrival, their stereotypically crazy New York cab driver informs Jason Blue that his potential new boss has been murdered, some serious amateur investigating commences.

We already know from Crime Brûlée that the wildly imaginative Carolyn fancies herself a worthy assistant to any law enforcement types she encounters, but we soon find that her terminally grounded husband has certain gifts of deduction as well. Told in alternating points of view by Carolyn and Jason, the plot involves industrial espionage, a crusty cop and his refined cop partner, organized crime, the garment district, and depictions of meals at the classiest restaurants (and a few dives) in the city. Truffled Feathers is a wild, tongue-in-cheek, barely plausible, but fun ride through the Big Apple.

[Berkley, 375 Hudson St., NY NY 10014, 272 pages, 2001; reviewed by Brian Soneda, MCL-Assistant Director, Public Services]

Appeared originally in the June 9, 2002 edition of the Tri-City Herald

American Gods, by Neil Gaimon. Shadow has kept to himself during his three years in prison and is looking forward to staying out of trouble and returning to the loving arms of his wife and soul mate, Laura. But she is killed in an auto accident, and Shadow is released a few days ahead of schedule to attend the funeral. On the plane, he meets Mr. Wednesday, a grizzly and enigmatic grifter and rogue, who seems to know a great deal about him and offers him a job.

With nothing to lose, Shadow accepts, becoming Mr. Wednesday’s driver on a wild trip around the country. Is he a pawn in Mr. Wednesday’s schemes? The landscape becomes so kaleidoscopic in a series of surreal events that Shadow wonders if he’s dreaming. But as he encounters murderous Czernobog, impish Mr. Nancy, and gorgeous Easter, he learns that the stakes are higher than he could have imagined. Beneath the calm façade of everyday life that resembles Middle America brews a war between the ancient gods of faraway lands and the strange new gods of technology. The spoils promise to be the American soul.

In a magnificent mix of a Stephen King tale and an epic by Homer, Gaimon has written a riveting, haunting story of mythic proportions.

[William Morrow, 10 E. 53^rd, NY NY 1022, 461 pages, 2001; reviewed by Stephanie Jo Grant, library patron]

Alice at Heart, by Deborah Smith. Deborah Smith’s novels have become synonymous with poignant love stories about Southern families in conflict. With a delicate lyricism and wit, she draws the reader into her characters until we feel their pain, their joys and sorrows. Alice at Heart is similar to her previous excellent novels, except for one major difference: this is a modern day fantasy set on a mythical island off the coast of Georgia.

All her life Alice Riley has known she was different from the rest of her family. Her luxuriant hair grows so quickly, she must trim it daily and she can swim like a fish, thanks to a set of finely webbed toes. Ordinary foods make her ill and most remarkable of all, she can breathe underwater. Her eccentricities are closely guarded until the day she rescues a small child from drowning and is thrust into the spotlight against her will.

Alice’s fame spreads to a magical island where some long-lost relatives reside. Lillith, Mara and Pearl Bonavendier are three ageless sisters with wondrous talents. To their delight, they discover that Alice is the half-sister they never knew. They beckon her to the family compound on Sainte’s Point Island. Alice, though wary, is unable to resist the pleas of her new family. Her arrival sets in motion a series of events that could prove disastrous to Alice and her sisters. Not everyone in Georgia is ready to accept a family of mermaids in their midst.

Readers will enjoy Alice’s transformation from a frightened misfit to a confident young woman ready to embrace her heritage and destiny as a "half-ling." The author includes a glossary and addendum of mythical legends upon which her story is based.

[Bellebooks, P. O. Box 67, Smyrna GA 30081, 320 pages, 2002; reviewed by Marsha Bates, MCL-Kennewick Branch]

Appeared originally in the August 4, 2002 edition of the Tri-City Herald

Novels in the Young Adult (or YA) genre are becoming increasingly popular at the library. Young Adults are often described in the library world as being between 12 and 20 years of age, and the protagonists of YA novels are usually teen-agers. But many elementary age students who read well, and adults who like the short length and the to-the-point plot lines of the genre, are also drawn to Young Adult novels. MCL staff member, Marsha Bates, recommends these three new YA novels as some of the best she has read this year.

Run If You Dare, by Randy Powell. In the summer of Gardner Dickinson’s fourteenth year he notices some strange undercurrents within his family. His father has been unemployed for several months and can’t find the motivation to look for a new job. He spends all his time in the garage among piles of unread magazines polishing his golf clubs. Now that Gardner’s mother is working full-time, she’s too tired to keep up with the domestic chores she always managed before. Even Gardner’s older sister, Lacy, wants to pick a fight with him every time they talk. She accuses him of being "just like Dad" as if that were something to be ashamed of. Garner admits he has the same tendencies to let library books pile up in his bedroom, most unread, but his dad has always been his hero, someone he looks to for guidance and comfort. Lately, things have been tense between his parents and now his dad wants to confide his sense of failure to Gardner.

Gardner finds an outlet for his frustration and confusion by running and chopping wood. His motives are twofold. When he’s exerting himself physically, he finds time to think about what’s happening to his family. And the physical exertion is doing great things for his physique. When Annie Harris moves back into the neighborhood, Gardner asks her to join him on his runs. Gardner can confide his worries with Annie.

Several months go by and his dad still hasn’t looked for a job. Gardner realizes his dad’s mid-life crisis is endangering the family’s future. How Gardner deals with his dad’s depression and his sister’s acting out brings a new maturity and purpose to his life. Randy Powell addresses a timely issue from a unique viewpoint. How can a teen grow and mature when his role model seems to be regressing? Gardner Dickinson finds a way.

[Farrar, Strauss, Giroux, Gordonsville, VA 22942, 2001, 185 pages; reviewed by Marsha Bates, MCL-Kennewick Branch]

Ten Miles from Winnemucca, by Thelma Hatch Wyss. For many years it was just Marty and his mom. Then she married "Mr. Joe Wonderful," moved them both to Seattle, and left on her honeymoon to Europe. There are two major problems with this scenario. One, Seattle isn’t at all like Winnemucca where Marty’s friends are and, two; Marty’s new stepbrother doesn’t want him around and promptly dumps Marty’s stuff on the lawn.

Hurt and angry, Marty piles his belongings into his Jeep and heads home to Winnemucca, Nevada. But lack of planning leaves Marty miles short of his destination. He makes it as far as Red Rock, Idaho, where he finds a job in a hamburger joint. He’s homeless, but camps out in his Jeep in a hidden canyon not far from town. He meets some good folks in Red Rock and some interesting characters, both human and critter. Soon his wounded pride begins to heal.

When Marty’s illegal camp is discovered, he faces some tough decisions. Does he depend on the kindness of his new friends to bail him out or does he return to Seattle and confess why he ran away to his bewildered mom? And what about Burgess, his anti-social stepbrother?

Wyss’ novel for teens paints an engaging portrait of a resourceful sixteen year-old boy and his odyssey to discover where "home" truly exists. Is it a cliff-side mansion in Seattle, a modest ranch house in Winnemucca, or a rustic campsite in Red Rock canyon? Marty finds the answer in a surprising place.

[HarperCollins, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, NY NY 10019, 2002, 129 pages; reviewed by Marsha Bates]

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Ann Brashares. How can the same pair of jeans, purchased on a whim at the second-hand store, fit four remarkably different friends? Lena, Tibby, Bridget and Carmen decide the pants have magical qualities that will keep them close over the summer when they all head in different directions. Each teen will wear the pants until something momentous happens, then mail them on to the next "sister" on the list.

Lena takes the jeans to Greece when she visits her grandparents. Beauty is a burden to Lena. She’s suspicious of most overtures of friendship, particularly from boys. The traveling pants teach her about trust and honesty when a misunderstanding threatens to tear her family apart. Tibby spends the summer at home in Bethesda, Maryland. Her job at Wallman’s is a grinding bore until the day she meets an unusual little girl with a bad attitude, not unlike her own. When the traveling pants arrive, Tibby realizes life is too short to limit one’s circle of friends and that facing the hardest times is easier with a sister. Bridget and Carmen also take their turns with the pants.

While the lessons the four friends learn aren’t always pleasant, their support of each other, represented by the traveling pants, help them endure the harsh realities and tough choices that are part of growing up.

[Delacorte Press, 1540 Broadway, NY NY 10036, 2001, 294 pages; reviewed by Marsha Bates]

Young Adult novels continue to be popular items at the branches of the Mid-Columbia Library. Check out one of the following great new additions to the library’s Young Adult collections.

Big Mouth and Ugly Girl, by Joyce Carol Oates. What if you cracked a joke about blowing up the high school? What if someone misunderstood and the next thing you know, you’re under arrest? What if none of your "friends" will talk to you, call or even email you because they’re afraid to be labeled part of the "conspiracy"? Matt Donaghy wonders how everything got so twisted when he finds himself expelled from school with no one to defend him…except Ugly Girl.

Ursula Riggs is a star basketball player with a poor self-image, a volatile temper and a highly developed sense of moral obligation. She’d rather quit the team over a misunderstanding than have to explain herself to the coach, but she can’t stand by when Matt is accused unfairly. Against her parents’ wishes, she testifies on Matt’s behalf.

But Matt’s life has changed overnight. Even when he returns to school, the controversy refuses to die and his depression mounts. Joyce Carol Oates, in her debut novel for teens, examines the aftermath of a monumental misunderstanding. Big Mouth and Ugly Girl are two sensitive misfits trying to cope with disappointing adult behavior, the consequences of their own thoughtless actions and the motives of some malicious classmates.

[Harper Tempest, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, NY NY 10019, 2002, 266 pages; reviewed by Marsha Bates, MCL-Kennewick Branch]

Breathing Underwater, by Alex Flinn. "When is it okay to hit someone?" At one time, sixteen year-old Nick thought he knew the answer to this question, but since his girlfriend got a restraining order on him and he’s had to attend anger management classes, he’s not so sure anymore. His life seems to be spiraling out of control. He can’t protect himself against his father’s physical abuse and he can’t even tell his best friend what’s really going on.

The only person who truly understands him is Caitlin and now he’s hurt her and she won’t see him. Through journal entries about his relationship with Caitlin and alternating chapters about his progress in anger management class, we see Nick’s character evolve.

The author has chosen an issue she became familiar with during her internship at the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office and her volunteer and mentor work at a facility for battered women. This gritty novel for older teens addresses a very real issue in today’s society, domestic violence. Through the eyes of her well-written characters, we learn the truth about victims and abusers and the hope of breaking the cycle of violence from one generation to the next.

[HarperCollins, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, NY NY 10019, 2001, 263 pages; reviewed by Marsha Bates]

The Gospel According to Larry, by Janet Tashjian. What do you do when the alter-identity you’ve created begins to take over your life? Josh Swenson is not an average sixteen year-old boy. He enjoys doing homework, has fewer than 90 possessions and is an international guru for peace, freedom and anti-commercialism. However, no one knows about the last bit. At least no one knows that he is Larry, of TheGospelAccordingtoLarry.com.

His best friend, Beth, is enthralled by Larry’s sermons on loyalty, being a fake and the evil objectification of celebrities. Beth convinces Josh to join a Larry Fan Club and to demonstrate against clothing stores selling merchandise created in sweatshops. All is well until some disturbing postings show up on the "Larry" message board. At first, Josh doesn’t think much about them, but soon his life begins to fall apart.

[Henry Holt & Company, NY NY 10010, 2001, 227 pages; reviewed by Rachael K., teen reader at MCL]

Georgie, by Malachy Doyle. Georgie is fourteen, hasn’t spoken in seven years and is being moved to an institution for incorrigible mentally ill children. He’s frightened and angry and trusts no one, least of all himself. To be truly healed, Georgie must re-live the tragic events of his childhood that left him unable to cope with the present. With the help of a caring staff and two new therapists, one a professional and the other another inmate, Georgie learns to like the face he sees in the mirror. When he breaks his self-imposed barrier of silence, the reader knows that Georgie is on the threshold of a new life.

Malachy Doyle has a degree in psychology and this is his debut young adult novel. He presents Georgie’s life in grim detail, but young readers will cheer for this angry, yet innocent young man who is struggling to regain his equilibrium. Readers who enjoyed A Child Called It (by David Pelzer) will enjoy this book.

[Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books, 175 Fifth Ave. , NY NY 10010, 2001, 155 pages; reviewed by Marsha Bates]

The Mid-Columbia Library continues to add quality titles to the Young Adult collections of its eleven branches (and one bookmobile). Who reads these books? Teen aged kids of course, but also preteens looking for a challenging reading experience as well as adults who appreciate the shorter length of the format. Below are reviews of two new and very different "ya" titles that should appeal to a wide range of readers.

9-11: Emergency Relief. Dozens of comic book and comic strip artists contributed to this compilation of strips dealing with the 9-11 terrorist attacks. The reader will find the quality of the contributions to this "graphic novel" varies widely, but as an overall portrait of American shock, grief, anger and solidarity, the book is a tremendously moving experience. "School Daze" covers an afternoon in a school building not far from the Pentagon; the staff is ordered not to alarm students, but the kids know something is wrong as one by one, they are called to the office to be taken home by distraught parents. Another contribution connects the Attica Prison riot of 1971 to 9-11 and makes it work. Profits from the sale of 9-11: Emergency Relief have been earmarked for the American Red Cross.

[Alternative Comics, 503 NW 37^th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32609, 200 pages, 2002;
reviewed by Brian Soneda, Assistant Director, Public Services]

Free Radical, by Claire Rudolf Murphy. After seasons of hard work, 15 year-old Luke McHenry finally makes the Alaska All-Star baseball team. But what good is reaching your personal goal when your entire life has been a lie that’s about to be exposed in a big way? Luke’s mom has always been a private person who doesn’t enjoy crowds, has few friends and never wants her picture taken. Lately, she’s been extremely depressed. She confesses to Luke that her real name is Mary Margaret Cunningham and she’s been on the run for a crime she committed 31 years ago during her college years. As a student protestor during the Vietnam War, Luke’s mom help set off a bomb at the Berkeley ROTC office and someone was killed in the explosion. Now that Luke is older and has a new stepfather to care for him, his mom feels it’s time to turn herself in and pay for the crime she committed.

Luke is furious with his mom for her lies and her incredibly bad timing. He should be celebrating his best sports season ever; instead he’s afraid of what will happen to his mom and himself and he’s embarrassed by the press coverage of her pending sentencing. It takes another crime survivor to help Luke cope with his mother’s dilemma.

Amy is a paraplegic who was injured by a drunk driver. She shows Luke the way to help his mom find forgiveness from the dead student’s family and in the process, Luke finds some answers of his own.

[Clarion Books, 215 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10003, 198 pages, 2002;  reviewed by Marsha Bates, MCL-Kennewick Branch]