[Once upon a time I wrote book reviews for the local Public Opinion newspaper (Chambersburg, PA). I tried to include a fiction, non-fiction, and a children's book that were all available at the local libraries.]
Reading "Angela's Ashes" is like
sitting with a young Frank McCourt as he tells you the story of his early life
in America and Ireland. Starting his tale with the innocence of one who knows
no other life, he tells of an alcoholic father who abandons the family, deaths
of young siblings, begging for food, seeking guidance from the Catholic church
and the everyday nastiness of poverty. Growing up he sees the possibility of a
better life and is resourceful in finding work to get there. Although it was a
dismal life, he includes the light-hearted moments that every family enjoys.
Whether Irish luck is good or bad, in Janet
Evanovich's "Plum Lucky" it's definitely fun. Readers join bounty
hunter Stephanie Plum, lead character in the recent "One for the
Money" movie, on a plot-twist Atlantic City joy ride. Searching for
eccentric Grandma Mazur who's playing the slots with stolen mob money,
Stephanie is joined by an ex-jockey who thinks he's a leprechaun and Doug, the
kidnapped horse. Lula, her full-figured sidekick, and recurring characters from
the other Plum books are there, too. A short book that's long on laughs.
It's hard to remember that Howard Blum used
historical documents for "The Floor of Heaven: A True Tale of the Last
Frontier and Yukon Gold Rush." This lively story reads like a great
western novel. Starting with George Carmack, who discovered the first Klondike
gold in August 1896, Blum carries readers through life getting to and working a
gold claim.
While following Charlie Siringo, an
ex-cowboy turned Pinkerton detective, as he solves a puzzling gold theft, Blum
deftly describes daily life in the mining camps. Then there's Jeffrey
"Soapy" Smith, nicknamed for a bait-and-switch scam selling soap with
money inside, whose life of evading and bending the law adds colorful action to
this lawless time. Amidst lots of action, the author describes both city and
backcountry life during the gold rush madness.
March is change-of-weather season and
Marion Dane Bauer's wonderful picture book, "In Like a Lion, Out Like a
Lamb," leads young readers (Ages 4-8) from a fierce and messy winter lion
to a fluffy white lamb bringing spring flowers. Clever rhymes keep little ones
listening while Emily Arnold McCully's beautiful watercolor illustrations move
from washed-out winter to a greener spring. Now is the perfect time to share
this book.
Books are available in the Franklin County
Library System.
Carol Kagan, 2012
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