Excerpt: "
Koi: A Modern Folktale is a magnificent read, and the exquisite photographs by Margery Gray Harnick and Matt Harnick help elevate the book to a higher level. It truly transports the reader to different realms, and it touches their reading audience on an emotional level, thus leaving them in total awe of the koi."
Excerpt: "Ellis's narrative is inspired by the real-life reemergence of St. Thomas from the receding waters of the drought-sapped Lake Mead, and the story is told from the perspective of Henry's grandson, "Little" Henry, who is shocked to see the foundation of his ancestral home in the
Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Lords of St. Thomas is, in some respects, a coming-of-age story. It is similar to countless other narratives of growing up in a place which no longer exists, with the unique distinction of that being literallyso."
Excerpt: "Each story is an exercise in high adventure. Cessna prop planes, dugout canoes, rattletrap sports cars, and hipped-out VW vans transport characters across America to Grateful Dead concerts, and up the Amazon River in search of a new species of frog. The author's attraction for the outdoors in inescapable, with each installment a trip to another country, or occasionally, a mind trip on LSD . . . Weed writes as a realist, never coddling his stars. Teeth are kicked out, and hearts are broken. Perhaps gritty is the optimum word to describe his treatment of behavior and consequence, where even the innocent are not insulated from the impact of their decisions, nor the decisions of unkind others. In A Field Guide to Murder & Fly Fishing, no one is granted immunity from life . . . Provocative and memorable, this collection strikes all the right chords."
"A hate crime thrusts two high school acquaintances in rural Vermont into a quandary of loyalty and moral responsibility. To subdue the temper of handsome, jealous boyfriend David, Leda suggests a skinny dip. When they arrive at the reservoir, gay couple Jonathan and Ricky are already there. David cites religion and biology to support his disgust and summons a cohort to "scare" the boys. Leda pleads for David to leave them alone but is sequestered in the car, frozen. The attack escalates into gunfire, and while Jonathan escapes, Ricky is beaten into a catatonic state. Meanwhile, Leda is blackmailed by David into being his alibi. Wishing to escape the highly publicized hate-crime trial, Leda and Jonathan unwittingly end up at the same wealthy family's remote lakeside resort (Leda as nanny, Jonathan as family guest). Knowing her alibi is false, Jonathan aggressively confronts Leda. Emphasizing that there's no shame in recovering at your own pace but no refuge from responsibility either, three illustrated Aesop fables punctuate the well-paced novel, reinforcing the messages imparted. David and his macho cohorts demonstrate that despite progress, retaliation fueled by misguided zealotry is still a real threat. The reprehensibility of not being an ally is communicated without proselytizing, and a discussion guide serves as a conversation starter for this difficult subject. All main characters are white. A mindful dissection of how allied strength can combat hate. (discussion guide, resources) (Fiction. 12-18) "
Excerpt: "Ekeocha offers what is needed most: a vision grounded in hope that goes hand in hand with high expectations. To sail through life without high expectations is to invite shipwreck; they may be hard but they best unleash human agency. She has set the bar high because that is where it needs to be - for Africans just as much as Westerners. It's a universal-quite Catholic-thing."
Excerpt: "The book is written in a poetic, cadenced style that is almost music in itself . . . the imagery is beautiful and evocative, from the glister boys and glam girls . . . to the electrum light flowing over the city . . . recommended for young adults and fans of the glamour rock scene."
