The scariest book I have read in a while is The Day of Islam: The Annihilation of America and the Western World by Paul L. Williams ($25.00, Prometheus Books). Chapter by chapter, Williams, a journalist and author who has written two previous books on al Qaeda, documents the near certainty that al Qaeda has acquired nuclear weapons. Williams describes how easy it would be to smuggle small, but deadly nuclear weapons into the United States. Their detonation would dwarf 9/11 by comparison, wiping out New York City, Washington, D.C., and five other targeted cities. Williams documents how lax our national security agencies have been and, apparently, continue to be, both pre-and-post 9/11. The national debate over the immigration bill pales in comparison with the fact that hundreds of al Qaeda operatives have likely made their way into our country from both national borders, but most particularly the one with Mexico. Fact piles on fact as Williams describes the threat we face. If only half of what Williams projects is true, we live only because Osama bin Laden permits us to; all the more reason to defeat al Qaeda at the earliest possible moment. While we celebrate the Fourth of July, plans are underway to destroy our nation.

Talking about Mexico, a "hot button" issue these days is the legislation proposed to reform immigration laws that, as this is being written, has been delayed from a vote in the Senate due to the public outcry against it. One author, Erik Rush, has come up with a unique solution to the problem in Annexing Mexico: Solving the Border Problem through Annexation and Assimilation ($24.95, Level4Press, Jamul, CA). The author makes a very cogent, rational and fact-filled argument for simply making Mexico a part of the U.S.A. Ten percent of its population of 107 million people already live in America and fifteen percent of its workers come here, legally and illegally, every year. Moreover, since the illegals already burden our schools, hospitals, and legal system, why not turn them all into taxpayers? The author notes that by 2006 we were spending $12 billion on border enforcement. The argument can be made for expanding our national sovereignty through annexation to reform Mexico’s endemic governmental corruption while insuring the U.S.A. becomes energy independent via access to its vast oil reserves? Visit www.level4press.com to learn more and to purchase this book.

Politics these days is fought in part with books. It is, after all, ideas that drive politics. Ideas about what the government should and should not do. These and other issues bring people to the polls to elect their representatives. One man who has seen many elections is Victor Gold. In 1964 he was the press aide to Barry Goldwater and later a speechwriter for George H.W. Bush. From the vantage point of four decades in the political trenches, Gold has written Invasion of the Party Snatchers: How the Holy-Rollers and the Neo-Cons Destroyed the GOP ($26.95, Sourcebooks). Anyone, but of course particularly Republicans, will find this exegesis of how the party was taken over by people indifferent to its long devotion to small government, fiscal prudence, the avoidance of foreign wars—let alone preemptive ones—will find this book fascinating reading. His view of the Bush-Cheney Administration is scathing. Alan Dershowitz, a noted attorney, has written Blasphemy: How the Religious Right is Hijacking Our Declaration of Independence ($22.95, Wiley). The author examines the separation of church and state that has been an enduring principle since the founding of the nation. A defender of civil liberties, Dershowitz contends that the religious right has been misinterpreting the Declaration of Independence and willfully manipulating its message in an effort to "Christianize" America. The irony, of course, is that Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration, was a firm believer in the boundaries between church and state. While America was founded in the belief that the rights enumerated in the Constitution come from the Creator, the founders created a system that insured government would not become an instrument for any religion to impose its values on those of a different faith. This book is a lively, provocative polemic. In The Extreme Makeover of Hillary (Rodham) Clinton ($27.95, Regnery Publishing), Bay Buchanan skillfully examines the former First Lady and candidate for the Democrat nomination for President in 2008, to explore how the cold facts of her past are being ignored by her supporters in order to portray her as a centrist, as opposed to her established credentials as a liberal. I expected a mean-spirited tone to the book, as is frequently the case with political tracts, but Ms. Buchanan at times almost feels sorry for a women she describes as seriously lacking self-confidence despite a career that included graduation from Yale Law School, work in a leading law firm in Arkansas, and of course her years in the White House. This book, footnoted and documented throughout, will give the reader pause to consider whether to put the fate of the nation in Ms. Clinton’s hands. The portrait that emerges is that of a flawed and narcissistic personality. The author has spent the last thirty years in politics. She is the sister of Pat Buchanan.

One of its great icons of conservatism has had his writings gathered in The Essential Russell Kirk: Selected Essays, edited by George A. Panichas ($20.00, ISI Books, Wilmington, DE). For the sheer pleasure of contact with a great, but accessible intellect, the reading of this collection yields moments of inspiration and insight that will renew one’s belief in the fundamental values and principles upon which America was founded and the importance of protecting them against efforts to ignore them. For those who perceive themselves as politically conservative, Kirk provides the historical and philosophical context for their viewpoint. However, this is a book for anyone who loves the exploration of the great ideas and trends that have both built and attacked civilization, will read with much pleasure. This book can read for its many individual essays and one sure to be taken down from the shelf to read again and again. Kirk produced an enormous body of writing in his lifetime and became a genuine American treasure.

As we celebrate our nation’s birthday, it’s a good time to remember how close we came to tearing ourselves apart during the Civil War. Do you ever wonder how the people who lived through it got their news about its battles and other events? Thanks to Donagh Bracken, you can read The Words of War: The Civil War Battle Reportage of The New York Times and The Charleston Mercury…and What Historians Say Really Happened ($24.95, History Publishing Company, PO Box 700, Palisades, NY 10964-0700). This is a fascinating insight to those times because newspapers sent correspondents to the battlefields to report back to the northern and southern home fronts. The reports were filtered through the views of the combatants and, happily, this book reveals how the events actually occurred. The Charleston Mercury was ablaze with the passion for secession. The New York Times defended the Union. Of interest to a journalist like myself is the language of the times which was more florid than modern styles, but it was clear that the readers felt well served by the news, for good or ill. What the reader gains is the temper of the times, the very human striving involved, the vast carnage, and the commitment to the aims of the war, whether for or against Union.

There are people who take great pleasure in reading the Scriptures and the analysis of the Old and New Testament. For those whose main interest is the Torah, the bible of the Jews that was incorporated into the Christian faith as well, I would heartily recommend Canon Without Closure: Torah Commentaries by Professor Ismar Schorsch ($34.95, Aviv Press, New York). This is both scholarship and yet easily accessible insight written by a man who, for twenty years, was Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, a center for the conservative branch of modern Judaism. What we find in its pages is the product of a mind that has devoted itself to understanding the Torah and delights in sharing that understanding in a quest for holiness. For the non-Jew, this book will provide many moments of spiritual illumination. For the Jew, it will deepen understanding of the holy texts. One of the interesting trends in the book world is the bestseller status of books by and for atheists. Christopher Hitchen’s God is Not Great is topping the charts these days and one can listen to the audio edition from Hachette ($38.98) on 8 CDs for nine hours as he makes his case. This is about his intellectual journey to a secular life and, like the book, is quite compelling. He makes a strong case for religion as the source of much conflict and bloodshed over the centuries, though I will hold to the notion of a Creator. In an interesting memoir, Nica Lalli tells of growing up in a household with no religion. Her book, Nothing: Something to Believe In ($17.00, Prometheus Books) relates what it was like to believe in nothing spiritual, but constantly come in contact with religion. Her story is actually told with a lot of wit. Ironically, her husband came from a fundamentalist Christian family. In the end, she embraces belief in nothing spiritual as a philosophy and tells us why.

One of the most unusual books I have received in a while is One With the Herd: A Spiritual Journey by Liz Mitten Ryan ($39.95, Communication Creativity). The author tells the story of a leap of faith she took seven years ago to dissolve her old life, leave her job, and relocate with her architect husband to a remove 320-acre ranch. She did not know what to expect, but what she discovered was that the silence and serenity of her new life would provide a higher consciousness as she began to breed and train horses. She discovered "the wisdom of the herd" and the photos and original artwork that came out of that experience augment the text which tells her story and her discoveries as she observed the eleven horses roam free and as riding any one of them with just a halter became a lesson in harmony. Horse lovers will love this book. Anyone who has shared this unique lifestyle or wants to know what she has learned from it will find this a wonderful reading experience. Visit www.onewiththeherd.com to learn more.

There are some books that do not fall into any easy category and often they are the most fun of all. Consider The Ultimate Book of Useless Information by Noel Botham and The Useless Information Society($12.95, Penguin, softcover), which, I must say, lives up to its name, and, in the process, offers lots of entertainment. For example, a grass snake can move at 4.2 miles per hour. If you can’t remember the seven deadly sins, virtues, ancient wonders of the world or seas, you will find them named here. Lovers of trivia will definitely want to slip this book in their pocket. Why Don’t Penguins’ Feet Freeze? That and 114 other questions gathered from New Scientist Magazine into an entertaining collection ($14.00, Free Press, softcover) for those who want a scientific answer.

Another book I enjoyed is Control + Alt + Delete: A Dictionary of Cyberslang by Jonathon Keats ($14.95, Globe Pequot Press, softcover) that is a boon to people like myself who often find the new language of the computer and all forms of high-tech a bit of a mystery. From bit to blog to broadband, you will find the definitions to these terms that now rule our lives. Three cheers for Keats excellent book for anyone who is confused by a cookie or still doesn’t know what an MP3 is. Lucy Kavaler’s Mushrooms, Molds, and Miracles ($22.95, iUniverse) is a classic book about fungi that does something extraordinary. It makes you want to learn all the secrets between its covers. This is a book that goes beyond just the facts about fungi, but reveals its role in history as well, from the early Egyptians to the discovery of penicillin, and much more. This book was hailed as a classic when it was first published. You can check it out at www.backinprint.com.

There are, I’m told, thousands of "Dead Heads" who faithfully attended the concerts of the Grateful Dead, a band that became a legend. They sang along and danced together, united by the music. The fan based stretched across generations and is incredibly diverse. I have no doubt they will welcome news that The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics has been published ($18.00, Free Press) in softcover. David Dodd has compiled the words to every original song. Robert Hunter has written a foreword and Jim Carpenter has illustrated it with nearly 200 original pieces of artwork.

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Real People’s Lives

I suppose that as long as there have been families and tribes, the urge to tell one’s life story has been around, preserving pieces of the past, weaving myths and such. In the case of autobiographies, biographies and memoirs, the need to say, "This was my life" or "This is what we know about whoever" is alive and well.

Twice As Good: Condoleezza Rice and Her Path to Power by Marcus Mabry ($27.50, Modern Times, an imprint of Rodale) says it is the first biography to reveal the private woman behind the public image. Written by the Newsweek Chief of Correspondents, it is a very credible biography of a woman who became a national figure when George W. Bush selected her to become his adviser, leading the National Security Council in the White House and later to become the first black woman Secretary of State. Being first was something her parents prepared her for, encouraging her to be the best at whatever she turned her talents and intelligence to achieve. She became an accomplished pianist and, in time, her intellect led her to the world of international affairs. For a time she was the provost at Stanford University and, when she began advising Bush on world affairs, they formed a bond of shared viewpoints. She became one of the now famed "neocons" around the President. How history will judge her is something for the future to determine. For now, this biography will prove very satisfying.

We now live in a world created by Sigmund Freud. That is to say, we bandy about words like ego and id, talk about the subconscious, and pretty much excuse all kinds of really bad behavior as having been caused by anything other than a bad attitude or common form of lunacy. Freud’s Wizard: Ernest Jones and the Transformation of Psychoanalysis ($26.00, Da Capo Press) is by Brenda Maddox, a biographer of some considerable merit. Most people, including myself, have never heard of Jones. He was a disciple of Freud, a colleague, and a biographer. He brought the international psychoanalytic movement to London and helped it spread from there to New York and Boston. It was Jones who saved Freud from the Nazis on the eve of World War II, finding refuge for him and for other Jews. A very complex man, he moved in an elite circle of literati and others when psychoanalysis was new and it is he who is credited with making Freud a household name. Well, I suppose everyone needs their own public relations man. This one led a very interesting life and, in his way, transformed a theory into an accepted form of medical practice. Another victim of the Nazis was not so lucky and Countess Karolina Lanckoronska recalls her life in Michelangelo in Ravensbruck: One Woman’s War Against the Nazis ($26.00, Da Capo Press). She was Poland’s first female professor of art history, a devout Christian and a patriot who chose to stay with her students and join the Polish underground resistance. When discovered, she was arrested and sentenced to death. Incarcerated in three different prisons, she was eventually sent to the Ravensbruck concentration camp. The conditions were beyond one’s imagination, including experimental bone operations on some of the women. In all, she was imprisoned for five years until the president of the International Red Cross was able to secure her release. She penned this book from 1945 to 1946, but it would not see the light of day for more than fifty years. For anyone born since those dark years, it is a powerful insight to the depths of depravity an entire society can fall when it permits itself to be ruled by psychopaths and thugs. It is history that has a way of repeating itself.

Do you recall the late 60s and early 70s when the talents of Crosby, Stills, and Nash rocked the music world? There were others such as Linda Ronstadt, the Eagles, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, and James Taylor. Now you can read about their true-life adventures in Hotel California by Barney Hoskyns ($15.95, Wiley, softcover). This delightful book evokes the Los Angeles where these leading musicians of that era lighted up the place and the nation with their creativity. A music journalist, Hoskyns draws on exclusive interviews as he recreates the excitement and energy of those years.

Fans of the late June Carter Cash will enjoy a memoir written by her son, John Carter Cash, Anchored in Love, ($24.99, Thomas Nelson). This is a true inside, personal look at his mother’s life and many accomplishments, from her early fame with the Carter family to her Grammy Award-winning album in 2003. Captured here, too, are her failed marriages, her romance and marriage to Johnny Cash, and the story of the drug addiction in the last years of her life with which she struggled. June Carter Cash is already a country music legend and icon. Despite the many problems she had in her life, she will be remembered for her shining talent. This book is a fit and proper tribute to her.

Julia Cameron has published twenty-three books of fiction and non-fiction. In Floor Sample: A Creative Memoir ($14.95, Tarcher/Penguin, softcover), to tells a candid story of a very turbulent life, beginning with her parent’s mental illnesses, a failed marriage to a young Martin Scorsese, to a lifelong battle with alcohol and health crises. This is no garden-variety memoir. It is the story of one woman’s courageous effort to realize her artistic potential despite a lifetime of upheaval, illness, and heartbreak. She would survive to become a guru of recovery. Alan Bennett has been one of England’s leading dramatists since the success of Beyond the Fringe in the 1960s. He is a man of enormous talent, winning Tony Awards and just about every other one available over a long life of writing that includes The Madness of King George III. His fans will enjoy Untold Stories ($20.00, Picador, an imprint of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, softcover). It is a memoir that includes diary excerpts and essays.

Sports, too, yields its measure of memoirs. Pride and Pinstripes: The Yankees, Mets, and Surviving Life’s Challenges is by Mel Stottlemyre and John Harper ($24.95, Harper Entertainment). The former major league all-star enjoyed unprecedented success as a pitching coach, winning the World Series with both the Mets and the Yankees while mentoring some of the top pitchers in the game. Throughout his five decades in the game and player and coach, he earned a reputation as a hard-working, well-respected man. Anyone who loves baseball is going to want to read this interesting, revealing story about his life on and off the field. Those who love prize fighting will find Adam Pitluk’s biography, Standing Eight: The Inspiring Story of Jesus ‘El Matador’ Chavez ($14.95, Da Capo Press, softcover). This man had to fight for everything he ever got in life, from illegal status to citizen, gang-banger to pillar of the community, convict to champion, he has lived the U.S. dream of reinvention and redemption. It is astonishing that he survived at all, given the many difficulties he encountered from the days his mother, younger sister and he entered American illegally to meet up with his father in Chicago. Deported twice, despite having grown up here, he was finally permitted to return and went on to win the Super Featherweight Championship of the world.

I recall recommending Still Life with Chickens: Starting Over in a House By the Sea ($12.00, Plume, softcover) when it was originally published. It is a beautifully written memoir that reminds us that hope is within all of us if we look hard enough. Catherine Goldhammer begins her story as a newly separated mother with a 12-year-old daughter who has had to sell her house, uproot herself from a posh New England suburb, and resettle into a "rustic" house by the sea, where she must use her mind and heart to transform the house and their lives. It is about starting over and a reminder that everyone has the capacity to do so.

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Health Topics: Diabetes and Food Allergies

There are some 20.8 million Americans, seven percent of the population, who have diabetes. It’s estimated that 14.6 million have been diagnosed, but some 6.2 million who are unaware they have the disease. The American Diabetes Association has enlisted Ellen Haas, one of the leading authorities on healthy eating, to produce Diabetes Fit Food ($16.95, softcover). It is a collection of more than 200 recipes from the world’s greatest chefs that includes the author’s advice on how to enjoy a healthy and safe diet for those with diabetes. The good news is that diabetics can treat themselves to tasty, delicious foods of all kinds and the recipes are proof of that. Indeed, for anyone intent on a healthy diet, this book will provide a world of reading and eating pleasure. Another book that will prove extremely useful to diabetics is The Type 2 Diabetes Sourcebook by David Drum and Terry Zierenberg, R.N., CDE ($17.95, McGraw-Hill, softcover) now in its third edition. This hefty volume is an A-to-Z guide filled with diet and exercise advice, news of new testing and clinical practices, as well as new medications, and tons more information.

An estimated 11 million Americans have food allergies. The good news is that Dr. Paul J. Hannaway, M.D., has authored On The Nature of Food Allergy ($19.95, Lighthouse Press, Marblehead, MA, softcover), a complete handbook on food allergy for patients, parents, and others such as restaurant personnel, child-care providers, educators and school nurses. No one knows why these allergies are increasing, but ironically, it is good hygiene that is blamed for not permitting youngsters to develop their immune systems sufficiently. One thing’s for sure; food allergy is the leading reason for emergency room visits, a sign of a real problem. This book will prove very useful to anyone who must respond to it.

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Kid Stuff: Books for Children and Young Adults

Summer is a good time to try to pry your children away from the television and other devices that provide the stimulation a good book provides.

One of the best books you can purchase for any youngster old enough to read is The World Almanac for Kids 2008 ($21.99/$12.99, hard and softcover, World Almanac Books). There are 352 pages of entertaining and engaging answers to thousands of questions and things to do during the summer and for back-to-school. Like all almanacs, it covers a vast gamut of topics, but this one is also richly illustrated and, of course, oriented to the interests of younger readers. The facts, the games, the experiments, and other elements will engage the interest of any young reader and this is so much better for them than just watching television or time spent on video games. There’s even a website for them to visit, www.WaforKids.com. It just doesn’t get much better than this!

July Fourth, of course, is our nation’s birthday, so Celebrate Independence Day by Deborah Heiligman ($15.95, National Geographic) as an ideal way to introduce the youngest members of the family to the holiday and how Americans celebrate it with parades, picnics and fireworks. Filled with photos and an easy text, it is a good book to read to a pre-schooler or one that an early reader can enjoy.

Happily, there are many interesting stories being written for this audience. National Geographic has a "Mysteries in our National Parks" series, novels written by Gloria Shurzynski and Alan E. Ferguson. The one I got to see was Night of the Black Bear ($4.99) set in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Others include Wolf Stalker, Cliff-Hanger, and Ghost Horses. They’re all ideal to keep a young reader turning the pages and there are at least eight others in the pipeline. Another series of novels will begin in September, though its first book will be available next month. Mirrorstone is an imprint of the fabulous fantasy publisher, Wizards of the Coast. Aimed at girls aged 12 and up, it offers danger, romance, and intrigue. The first book in the "Hallowmere" series is In the Serpent’s Coils by Tiffany Trent ($8.95, softcover) in which six girls from around the world will be drawn together to rescue their missing schoolmates and prevent catastrophe in an epic battle between dark Fey worlds and the mortal world. This has ‘winner’ written all over it. Parents can check it out at www.mirrorstonebooks.com and www.hallowmere.com.

There’s a series of stories by Jason Edwards, published by Rogue Bear Press, that are hysterically funny. They star Will Allen, a short fifth grade student who is plagued by fears that literally come to life. Thus, when Will discovers there’s a monster under his bed, you can bet there really is one. That’s the theme of Will Allen and the Great Monster Detective ($5.95, POB 513, Ardsley, NY, softcover) and it is just too funny from first page to last while introducing Bigelow Hawkins, a detective who specializes of course in great monsters. It is a mix of fantasy, mystery, and very wry humor. I loved it. Other "Will Allen" stories include the Ring of Terror, the Hideous Shroud, the Terrible Truth, the Unconquerable Beast, and the Greatest Mystery of All, to name just a few. I guarantee that any young reader, age 8 to 12 or so, will find them wonderfully entertaining. Travel is the theme of a series from Incredible Journey Books by Connie Lee Berry. Perfect for ages 7 to 9, they are fast-paced, worldly stories set in the Cayman Islands and in Tahiti featuring two adventurous boys, Max and Sam. A visit to www.IJBooks.com will provide more information. Parents, educators, and kids will thoroughly enjoy a great way to learn about far-off places.

Girls ages 10 to 14 will enjoy Do the Math: Secrets, Lies, and Algebra ($15.99, Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins, softcover) in which Tess has concluded that math is a perfect metaphor for life until, that is, she hits eighth grade and starts to study algebra, discovering there is more than one way to solve a problem, and some problems don’t even have answers. Cute books who cheat, best friends who break a promise, a mother who is keeping a scary secret, where are the equations for figuring it all out? Wendy Lichtman has perfect pitch for her storytelling. The author of four other novels for young readers, she holds a B.A. in mathematics.

A younger age group, ages 7 to 10, will enjoy a series "The Adventures of Commander Zack Proton" written by Brian Anderson and illustrated by Doug Holgate. In the latest edition to the series The Adventures of Commander Zack Proton and the Wrong Planet ($4.99, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, softcover) a whimsical story starring Zack and his trusty companions, Omega Chimp and FE-203, takes the reader to planet Bounceback and a huge wormhole that consumes it, along with 16 million reluctant singing pigs. Yeah, sure, it’s silly, but it’s great fun. You can check it out at www.zackproton.com. Stuck in the 70s By D.L. Garfinkle ($16.99, G.P. Putnam’s Sons) is appropriate for those aged 12 and up. It is sure to entertain with its story of how Shay, a girl, wakes up naked in Tyler’s bathtub. He tells her it’s 1978 and she is either dreaming, drunk, or just plain crazy! Shay insists she is from 2006. Eventually she convinces him and he agrees to help her return to the future, but the more time Shay spends in 1978, the more she likes it! Meanwhile, she is wreaking havoc with his life. This is just too much fun!

National Geographic, of course, publishes lots of extraordinarily illustrated books, often featuring marvelous photography. They range over many different topics, generally introducing young readers to other cultures, to history, and to nature. Among the latest is one almost entirely made up of photos called A Little Peace by Barbara Kerley ($16.95) that advances the idea that simple gestures can inspire peace among all peoples. It is intended to be read to or by the very young and, while the sentiment is lovely, the reality is that many things interfere with the peace to which the author aspires and the world we share is often hostile. From its series, "Holidays Around the World", there’s Celebrate Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur by Deborah Heiligman ($15.95) and combines an excellent text and beautiful photos to explain the various elements of these Jewish holy days and the ways Jews around the world celebrate them. A good book for those ages 6 to 9 or so.

History is well served by National Geographic books. Julius Caesar: The Boy Who Conquered an Empire by Ellen Galford ($17.95) joins a series devoted to great figures from history such as Saladin and Marco Polo. Those aged 8 to 12 would find this of interest and it does a great job of describing the times in which Caesar was born and came to power and fame in Rome. It’s always a good idea to turn a youngster onto history because there are so many lessons to be drawn from it and applied to the present. A World Made New: Why the Age of Exploration Happened & How it Changed the World by Marc Aronson and John W. Glenn ($17.95) is another example of how an excellent text and eye-catching artwork can capture the imagination while imparting new knowledge. It is hard for today’s youngsters to grasp a world in which vast oceans kept people from knowing about faraway places. Complex civilizations clashed. Beginning in 1491, the world did, indeed, change. Those age 8 and up will find this book fascinating.

Natural history is another topic National Geographic books excel. Two of the latest are Face to Face with Grizzlies by Joel Sartore ($16.95) and Face to Face with Caterpillars by Darlyne A. Murawski ($16.95) and any child, age six to 10, will find these first-person accounts of the creatures in each book a wonderful way to explore their worlds through the enthusiasm of the authors and the extraordinary photography of either book.

Increasingly, there are books written for children to help explain things that grownups often find difficult to discuss. Wordsworth Dances the Waltz ($10.95, Watermark Publishing, Honolulu, Hawaii) uses the character of Wordsworth, a little Hawaiian mouse who loves poetry to describe what happens when his Grandma comes to live with the family. Written by Frances H. Kakugawa, with great artwork by Melissa DeSica, the story plays out against the drama of Grandma’s Alzheimer’s disease, as she becomes more forgetful. The author’s own mother was afflicted and the book is dedicated to her. It is a touching story told with poetry and prose, and I am sure that for any youngster, age 6 to 10 or so, it will make it easier to cope with a loved elder’s decline and loss.

Learning the alphabet is a lot easier thanks to ABC Safari by Karen Lee ($8.95, Sylvan Dell Publishing) who combines clever rhymes with great artwork featuring a variety of animals to teach this building block of all reading skills. No child could resist this treat. With a growing population of Hispanics, a few words in Spanish can help any youngster and that’s what Burro’s Tortillas teaches as it tells an entertaining story by Terri Fields, illustrated by Sherry Rogers ($8.95, Sylvan Dell Publishing). An industrious burro spots a field of corn and thinks about making some delicious tortillas, but when he asks his friends, a coyote, a jackrabbit, and a bobcat to help shell the corn, make the dough, and cook them, they all have excuses not to help. In the end, the burro concludes he doesn’t need any help eating them! There’s even a recipe in case you want to make some too. You can learn more about this publisher’s books at www.SylvanDellPublishing.com.

One of the giants of literature for younger readers is known simply as Avi. Apparently the great novels of Charles Dickens left their mark on him because this author of more than 60 books and winner of the 2003 Newbery Medal, has written a novel set in the nineteenth century of Victorian London, The Traitor’s Gate ($17.99, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster). If there’s someone in your home aged 11 to 14, they will swiftly want to know the fate of l4 year old John Huffam. The year is 1849 and he is a carefree young gentleman attending a military academy. When his father is arrested on the charge he owes 300 pounds to Finnegan O’Doul, a mysterious Irishman, John launches his own investigation to clear his father’s name. The author is thorough conversant with the history of the times and of London. He has written several books set in this time period. In ages hence, people will speak of Avi with the same regard as Dickens now enjoys.

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Novels, Novels, Novels!

Of novels there is no end! They flow off the presses in an endless tide of story telling because this making of tales goes deep in the history of mankind, from those told around the fires in the caves of pre-history to the epics of Greece. Let us examine as many of the most recent as briefly as possible to suggest some good reading this summer.

You can visit the Universe Entire in Kay Kenyon’s science fiction novel, Bright of the Sky: Book One of the Entire and the Rose ($25.00, Pyr, an imprint of Prometheus Books). In a land-locked galaxy that tunnels through our own under a sky of fire, there is a land of wonders, but the cruel Tarig rule supreme there. Trust me, this one has more plots than can be enumerated, but it for adventure, heroism, and all the other things lovers of this genre enjoy, this novel serves up plenty to dine upon. In a similar fashion, Pyr has also published Brasyl by Ian McDonald ($25.00). Think Bladerunner in the tropics. Part science fiction, history, and mystery, this is the past, present, and future Brazil, as three separate stories follow the main characters. It is a tour de force that moves across time, space and reality. Mother of Lies by Dave Duncan ($24.95, Tor) is a fantasy novel that is sure to please fans of this genre. It continues Duncan’s sprawling epic adventure that began in Children of Chaos. It centers on a mutiny against a ruthless reign, a liberation movement, filled with characters with odd names, but familiar challenges. The author draws you into this world by being humorous and intelligent about the swashbuckling interaction between siblings who must forge a new future.

The Castro Gene by Todd Buchholz ($24.95, Oceanview Publishing) is a very timely and sure to be controversial debut novel that will take you into the secretive and dangerous world of hedge funds and the politics of Havana and Washington, D.C. The author is an internationally known financial commentator and award-winning economics professor at Harvard and one suspects that he is using this suspense story to address things that non-fiction cannot. If you like current events and want to learn more about the arcane world of high risk investments, this novel is sure to please. If you would prefer to listen to some action than read it, there are two audiobooks from Hachette Audio that will surely entertain you. Both are by famed suspense novelists. David Baldacci serves up Simple Genius ($49.98, 12 CDs) where two former Secret Service agents, turned private investigators, have their lives go awry. One, Michelle, lies unconscious in a hospital, and the other, Sean, must take on an investigation into a suspicious death of a scientist just inside a fence around a CIA facility. Soon his life is at risk. Here’s 13 hours of mind-boggling intrigue, enough to get you through several weekends on the beach. From James Patterson and Maxine Paetro comes The 6^th Target ($29.98, 5 CDs) to provide six hours of gripping suspense that begins with a burst of gunfire that leaves several people dead on a crowded ferry. Among them, clinging to life, is a member of the Women’s Murder Club, a group of four law enforcement friends who tackle the toughest cases. Even worse, children are disappearing with no messages from kidnappers, just silence.

Novels that will particular appeal to women are in abundance these days. From the author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Ann Brachares, comes The Last Summer (of You & Me) ($24.95, Riverhead Books, Penguin Group). In a town on Fire Island, the story is about the heartrending beach community friendship among three young adults for whom summer and this place is everything. Two sister are now in their twenties have returned to their parent’s modest beach house while Paul returns to a larger house, but is an important friend to both of them. A simmering attraction, a serious illness, and a deep secret collide as they are launched into an unfamiliar adult world. A similar world exists for the many tourists that come to the rugged landscape of East Sooke, on Canada’s Vancouver Island, in search of peace and quiet, a summer vacation away from the city. This is the setting for The Cottagers by Marshall N. Klimasewiski ($13.95, W.W. Norton, softcover). For friends, Nicholas, Samina and Hilda, their planned sabbatical with Greg and Laurel goes horribly wrong and the psychological fallout will remain a constant feature in the little town, and the family, forever. This is a story of "townies" and outsiders that is a gripping thriller for the reader when Nicholas goes missing. In Swapping Lives Jane Green ($14.00, Plume softcover), who has written nine novels to date, weaves a warm and poignant look at what happens when two women, both of whom think their bliss lies elsewhere, walk in each other’s shoes for a month, only to discover that happiness is closer than they had ever thought.

For anyone who loves the game of golf, James Y. Bartlett has served up Death in a Green Jacket ($14.99, Yeoman House, softcover) when a body is discovered in a bunker on the tenth hole three weeks before the famed Masters Tournament at Augusta, Georgia. Suspense ensues as a Columbian drug cartel hit man is spotted and attempts to shoot a local policeman. A golf writer’s life suffers a similar attempt to kill him and his girl friend is kidnapped. Golf and murder; who could ask for more?

Murder of a particular kind, euthanasia, is the theme of Infinite Kindness by Laurie Blauner ($22.95, Black Heron Press, Seattle, WA). A historical novel, the year is 1867 and Ann Russell, a nurse and veteran of the Crimean War, works at a charity hospital. Her transition to peacetime London has not been an easy one and she actually yearns for the excitement of the next war. Meanwhile, she is forced to confront a variety of problems as she decides to provide relief to those whose lives have become unbearable owing to wounds or injuries, poverty or degradation, by killing them, just as she did for the soldiers who begged her to kill them. These are timeless concerns and questions set in Victorian England in a very compelling novel.

Finally, for those who love a good short story, a collection of those written in the best tradition of Southern fiction is You Won’t Remember This by Kate Blackwell ($22.50, Southern Methodist University Press). At age 65, this is her first book, although she has been writing and publishing stories for years. These stories reveal an exceptional, well- crafted talent that invites us into places and the lives of characters the reader would not otherwise have access. These are edgy lives filled with conflict and tension, stories that span decades. This book is a real treat for anyone who loves good writing.

That’s it for July! Remember to tell your friends about Bookviews.com and don’t forget to visit our Featured Book section that always offers an eclectic selection of interesting, often offbeat, fiction and non-fiction.

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