The Three Stooges scrapbook by Jeff Lenburg. Citadel press, NJ. (1982)

Written by Moe's daughter, Joan Howard Maurer, The Three Stooges ScrapBook is a personal and very loving memoir of the iconic comedy team. While there is nothing new in the bio and filmography sections-- done quite a bit and found in many places, actually, because The Three Stooges Scapbook is written by Moe's daughter (and Shemp and Curley's niece) it is filled with personal photos and family memories and stories not available elsewhere. It is full of stories and personal remembrances that read like what they are-- old timers reminiscing about the old days. On the face of it, the work is nothing special, but to stooge fans and old timers and folks who like this sort of thing--(that would be folks like me)--the Scrapbook is an enjoyable trip down memory lane. It is the only Early Reviewer's book I ever recieved from LT where EVERYONE who saw it at my house said "Three Stooges" and opened it up to look. I enjoyed it.

Strength in what remains Tracy Kidder New York : Random House, 2009.

Truly a great book. So well written that the lovely words flow and you are lulled into forgetting the truly horrific history of the events that took place in Burundi and Rwanda. Until Deo (through Kidder) reminds us. The narrative flips back and forth between Burundi and Rwanda and New York and while primarily documenting events in the 1990s, includes Deo's personal memories from the 1970s nad 80s, as well as some historical background to the genocide of the 90s. i had forgotten what a great writer Kidder is. A strong and powerful work-- a memoir, an urban tale, africana , world affairs and social justice all in one book. great literature-- i highly recommend it to eveyone who has an interest. A total stranger was thrilled to see me with it and then disappointed that it was not really out in soft cover yet-- Not to be missed

Greetings From Somewhere Else A Novel by Monica McInerney. Ballentine Books, 2009. 448 pages

A very light weight, chick lit novel about Lainey Byrne, type A career girl with lots of family problems and responsibilities who suddenly finds herself forced to leave everything behind to run a bed and breakfast in Ireland in order to meet the terms of a dead aunt's will so her father can inherit the land and sell it to pay for his much needed medical treatments. How's that for a family guilt trip? Lainey-- dutiful daughter that she is-- is totally selfless and, being the only one the family can count on, gives up everything, her career, her home, her love, in order to make this thing work.
The story is weak and predicable and , as noted by a previous LT early reviewer, the supporting characters are undeveloped types more than well thought out characters in their own right. I did not care for Lainey nor for her ridiculous predicament and i doubt anyone else will either. Sorry-- this one is not for me and I would not recommend it to anyone.

A Greener Christmas by Sheheerazade Goldsmith. Dorling Kindersley, 2008. 350 pages.

A Greener Christmas was not exactly what I expected-- it is a holiday craft book-- a good one-- but not all that different from countless others. A great book for someone who needs a holiday craft book, but if you have a few already there is no reason to purchase it.
Now- if you ARE in the market for a holiday craft book, this one has lots to recommend it. The photos are gorgeous and because this is a british import, it has a little something many domestic books do not. The crafts are simple and mostly easy to do, the traditional british recipes are very simple and lovely and appropriately old fashioned christmassy. The recipes and craft and decorating ideas are interspersed throughout the book. There are some green ideas in the book-- recycle your tree, reuse wrapping paper, buy organic, etc. and, of course, the simpler more down to earth things do leave less of a carbon footprint, but in general you a getting a holiday craft book, albeit a well done one. i would recommend it to the right person...but i still can't get my dried orange and lemon slice ornaments to look the way hers does!

The Jumping-Off Place by Marian Hurd McNeely. South Dakota Historical Press, 2008 (1929) 321 pages

After the death of their beloved uncle, four orphaned siblings settle a homesteading claim in South Dakota in 1910. Led by their older teen sister, Becky, they spend their first year on the prairie. Originally published in 1929, this is definitely an old fashioned children's book, and it is very reminiscent of the Little House series. The book starts off a little slowly, but Hurd McNeely develops her characters very well-- quietly but quickly--and i found my self pulled deeper into a story that is quiet but consistent-- chronicling events --not adventures, exactly-- that occur during the family's first year on the claim. The story ends when the year finishes, and while the ending is certainly predictable, it is also satisfying-- and in keeping with the quiet nature of the work itself. I really enjoyed the book --- it is very well written and full of subtleties that enhance the story without hitting you over the head-- for example, the seasonal weather on the prairie mirrors the mood of the narrative as it progresses. i knew little about South Dakota or the prairie experience before The Jumping-Off Place and i did not expect to like the book anywhere near as much as i did, and i have a new found understanding for the settler experience. When i talk about this book and this period, however, I do feel compelled to point out that this was the last of the large native american land thefts, and this land ----that the Linville kids and other prairie families so loved-- was stolen from native people as part of US policy to decimate the Indian population, separate the people from their ancestral lands and destroy native culture. I believe the book's afterward, by Jean L. S. Patrick, should have made this point more clearly. So....that being said, I clearly liked the book quite a bit, and while it is not for every child, i think that for upper elementary and middle school kids with a taste for the Little House series, or A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, or Secret Garden, etc. I would recommend it. Also, a great Read-A-Loud for a younger group. Recommended-with historical notes--

Runaway Radish/El Rabano Que Escapo by Janice Levy. Raven Tree Press C/O Delta (2008), Edition: Bilingual, Hardcover, 32 pages

i really wanted to like this book-- i love folktales, i love Oaxaca, i love bilingual books.... but I was so disappointed. i love Oaxaca and have visited many times---i am familiar with the radish festival, although i have never been. I love the gingerbread man but this story does not flow, does not feel or sound authentic and seems very hokey to me. While i understand that the target audience is not latino, but US born children--Levy's tale still has a clumsy and stereotypical feel to it. i do not like the art work at all--it had an unfinished quality to it that was unappealing and failed to enhance the story. The other reviewers, who all liked the work, were correct to try it out on an audience, and so i read it at a storytime filled with boys and girls from 3-10. The kids listene, but by no means did they love it--and the 2 nine year olds immediately began talking about the gingerbread man --a great connection, of course-- but they then requested the gingerbread man which was a real crowd pleaser. So, while I love the concept, i am very disappointed in the work, and cannot recommend it. Mexico has plenty of lovely folktales that are readily available in english and spanish --Cucú, by Lois Ehlert, La Mujer que brillaba aún más que el sol, by Martinez and Horse and Hooves by Neil Philip, to name a very few. Runaway Radish just cannot compare.

Hot Girl by Dream Jordan. St Martin's Griffin, NY. 2008. 214 pages

Kate has had a tough life so far; her drug addicted parents forfeited their parental rights to the state when she was only months old, and Kate, a former gang-banger, has bounced from foster home to group home to foster home all her life. With the help of a much respected social worker, Kate is staying clear of trouble--but its hard. Then Kate meets wild and sexy Naleejah and things change fast...With the help of her new friend kate is now hot and sexy and commanding everyman's attention, even Charles, her homeboy and not so secret crush...of course things don't stay happy long and street smart Kate realizes she should have followed her instincts about Naleejah--who does not really have her interests in mind...
I did not care for this book at first-- i thought the neverending streetslang was over the top...but i was wrong--some kids do speak like that and the dialog language changed even within characters--depending on the situation and whom the character was speaking--just as it does in real life. Kudos to Jordan for that. Plus, i really like t Kate--and find the characters and the situations very authentic and real on many levels. The characters are interesting and believable and the story is fast paced and interesting, and i love the ending--really loved it- it was both positive and credible at the same time--no small feat for any literature, let alone YA lit. In fact, the deeper i got into the novel, the more i liked and appreciated it. Hot Girl is great for a girl's group, a book club, a classroom or on its own. There is already an informal waiting list for my review copy and i am ordering it for our YA collection where i know it will be a huge hit!

The Savage by David Almond. Candlewick (2008), Hardcover, 80 pages

When Blue's father dies, everything changes for him--the loss is enormous, huge, devastating, and raw. At the same time blue is also forced to deal with a bully---a really meanspirited and viscous boy--who torments him in a really disturbing way. As the child becomes depressed and more introverted, his teacher suggests he write a story to help him deal with his feelings--Blue writes from the pain and creates a savage character (this is the graphic) who may be real or not, who may be Blue, or not....The story Blue creates is intensely personal--for a long time he will not share it with even his mother--and the Savage becomes an embodiment of Blue's feelings--the pain, the frustration, the rage--and desire for revenge--and in the end, becomes the catalyst for Blue to recover..with a little magical realism help!
I really like The Savage-- i found it beautifully written-- slim in volume but deep in emotion. And like all works for young people that deal with the issue of bullying in an authentic manner, the adults in the story--even loving, caring ones, fail to deal with the issue in any direct or effective way---leaving the victim feeling truly on his own. This is a British import filled with british english expressions that i think it is good to expose our kids to. The graphic within a novel format works very well, allowing us to see both sides of Blue--the boy and his psyche---and his healing. Magic and emotion, pain, bullying, fear, shame , anger, revenge, longing--the book has lots to think and talk and teach about. Highly recommended.

The stories of devil-girl by Anya Achtenberg. Ann Arbor, MI : Modern History Press, 2008. 103 pages

There is so much to say about this slim novella, but i have trouble finding the words. Devil-Girl grows up in a cold, disfunctional home, neglected by a physically and emotionally abusive mother. Brief descriptions of her father drift in and out of the work, and i get the impression that he abandons devil girl and the rest of the family. A loveless, unhappy home---devil girl is repeatedly told --and comes to believe--she is worthless of any thing good and worthy of all the abuse she gets--almost seeking it as a young adult. She moves or is thrown out of hte house, then becomes homeless, a drunk, drug addict, petty criminal, prostitute whore, eventually marrying an abusive man. Similar in many ways to Sapphire's PUSH, Devil-Girl eventually finds community, friendship, purpose and self worth in education, at a school in Boston and later in Minnesota. She is saved, redeemed, renewed. In fact, my only complaint about the work is that Achtenberg does not tell us more about the road to recovery...does not go into more detail and carry us along on the recovery route...That will be the next Devil-Girl novella, perhaps?? Beautifully written --lyrical, musical language that moves --rich in imagery ..."Fatherless, I roam. Dead-tongued kisses lodged in my throat." Achtenberg correctly states that this work sounds like poetry and reads like prose--part diary, part memoir, part storytelling, The Stories of Devi-Girl is beautifully written but difficult to read. It is not for everyone-to be sure, but i really liked it and enjoyed reading some parts aloud-- Anya Achtenberg is a very strong writer.

Meeting Lizzy by SarahBeth Carter. LJW Publishing, 2008. 211 pages

I'm so disappointed with this book--it is very poorly written and looks as if it is self published or computer generated.While i like the concept of a book written from dual points of view--the narrative really lacks authenticity--One voice--purported to be told from the point of view of a male 17 year old, particularly does not ring true, --- no teen ever sees themselves, let alone speaks of themselves as "in disguise" as a freak because i hate my father. In public, Cy goes around dressed like what sounds like a poor man's version of Edward ScissorHands--everywhere, even to school where he is shunned for this by all but one, even stranger, friend...while at home (where he lives alone because his father is always out of town) Cy washes the makeup off his face and wears jeans and t-shirts, so he can be "normal" in secret. It is so contrived it is ridiculous and no teen will ever take this seriously...Domestic violence among teens is a topic of enormous importance and very little is written on it--the subject deserves better treatment than this. Poorly written, unappealing, contrived, contorted and ludicrous storylines such as this one hold the entire subject up to ridicule.