Linda Park Books

I don't know why I feel this way, but you'd think there would be a lot of Newbery winning children's authors who'd switch their focus from time to time to picture books. And yet, this is not the case. In fact, it's rather rare for someone of Lunda Sue Park's stature to go about writing for children younger than her usual fare. It's almost as if she's slumming. But Park (who won the Newbery for "A Single Shard") has discovered what most winners fail to realize. That a picture book can be every bit as morally complex and intricate as a 230-some page novel. All it takes is excellent writing and an illustrator who knows their stuff. Which makes, "The Firekeeper's Son" a perfect example of a picture book that does everything right and ends up wowing the reader with its intensity.

Sang-hee lives in a small, unassuming, and peaceful village in Korea. One day, his father informs him that their little space is infinitely important (a fact that Sang-hee has a bit of difficulty believing). But his father is absolutely correct. Located beside the sea and just next to the first of a row of mountains, it understood that in the event of a seaward attack by Korea's enemies, this village is the first line of defense. That is why, every night, Sang-hee's father climbs the nearby mountain and lights a fire that can be seen for miles. Then, someone on the next mountain will see that fire and light their own. This continues all the way to the king's palace where, if the king sees the last mountain lit, he'll know that all is well. Of course, if the fire is not lit, the king would immediately send his soldiers out to battle with the enemy. Now this system has gone on for generations, but Sang-hee is not content. He would love to see the king's glorious soldiers more than anything else in the world. Then, one night, his father hurts his ankle while climbing up the mountain. Sang-hee is given the task of lighting the fire himself, but as he nears the pile of dried twigs he thinks about how much he'd like to see a soldier up close. And the hot coals are slowly burning out...

The book weighs an individual's personal wants and fantasies against the greater good of the whole, and does so beautifully. You completely understand Sang-hee's dilemma. On the one hand, there's the fact that not lighting the fire would be a callous lie. On the other hand, "Maybe there is a soldier who would be glad for a chance to visit the sea". Park's story is based on factual information, as she mentions in her Author's Note. However, the system by which bonfires informed the king of potential attacks was, in real life, far more complex than the one featured here. As Park herself mentions, "additional fires could be lit to convey further information, so the court would know not only which province was facing danger but things like the size of the enemy forces and how well armed they were!". She provides additional resources for further reading.

It was a real stroke of luck that Park was paired with illustrator Julie Downing too. Downing plays with lush watercolors and pastels that perfectly convey not only the cool blue nights Sang-hee must run through, but also the glow of the slowly dying coals and eventual hot orange flames. If you look on the cover of the book, you can see dream soldiers fighting in the fire and the bright orange flickers reflected in the black of Sang-hee's eyes. Downing's images are the perfect compliment to Park's deeply rich story.

As historical fiction picture books go, this one has to be one of the most beautiful on record. If you'd like a picture book that lures those sometimes hard to interest boy readers, but is just as doggone interesting to the girls of the world, this book's a safe bet. It's beautiful to look at and remarkably complex to contemplate. Art in the purest sense.

The book is so interesting, so informative, and so gorgeous. Also, my kids enjoyed comparing the fires on the mountains to their favorite fantasy, LORD OF THE RINGS. The tie-in made it even batter for them.
Well done, Ms. Park, and while I am here, let me say, KEOKO is my other favorite of yours.

Set in Korea, some time in the nineteenth century, a young boy discovers the great responsibility of lighting the bonfires. When Sang Hee and his mother see that his father has not yet lit the bonfire, and see that there is no enemy coming from the sea, the boy takes up a responsibility that has been in the family for generations. He follows the path up the mountain to find his father injured and unable to climb the mountain. His internal conflict is against the temptation of satisfying his curiosity of soldiers versus responsibility. Good judgment outweighs his selfishness and the bonfire is lit. The systematic communication sends the message to the palace that the kingdom is peaceful. Park is an accomplished writer. The narrative is moving and interesting. The radiant colors of Julie Downing are well crafted.

Perhaps for centuries, the royal court of Korea kept infomred of invading forces and problems in it eight provinces through a series of bonfires lit from one hilltop to the next. In this story, a young boy and his father live in a seacoast village on the first line of defense for the bonfires. Each night, the boy's father lights a bonfire which is seen by hilltop after hilltop all the way back to the king. But when he in injured, his son must light the fire. But would it not be better to not light it, so that some excitement and soldiers will come to the village? Or does reponsibility win out?

Linda Sue Park's The Firekeeper's Son is a picture book that tells of life in a Korean village several hundred years ago. At that time fires were lit as signals that all was well. It is an exciting story the pits a young boys dreams for excitement against his duty and responsibility. Julie Downing's illustrations showing traditional Korean village life really bring the past alive.

Like Linda Sue Park (as she says in her afterword), I don't remember learning to score a baseball game, but I know it was one of the many things my parents taught me to do as I was growing up. And like Maggie in this wonderful story, keeping score only added to my love of the game.

Park combines a story of a girl growing up with her love of the Brooklyn Dodgers (although the story ends before she would experience the ultimate disappointment of their move to Los Angeles) with a story about her concern about a friend who is sent to Korea and her growing awareness of the conflict there.

I couldn't give this book 5 stars because it gets a bit sappy near the end. But the rest of the book is well worth it, especially for Dodgers fans!

In Keeping Score, Linda Sue Park again gives us an opportunity to really feel what it was like to be a particular kid in a particular place and time quite different from our own. In Maggie-O's mid-twentieth century New York, the technology was different, but the kids still had problems that today's kids can relate to. Baseball without TV or the Internet -- just imagine! Maggie tunes in to the game by listening to radios through open windows while walking through the neighborhood. She shares the ups and downs of her favorite team with the whole community. Her baseball experience includes no visuals at all except the black-and-white photos in the morning paper. When Maggie-O first lays eyes on that field we are right there with her, seeing what she sees (GREEN!) and feeling what she feels. Her obsession with score keeping, her magical thinking and superstitions are quirky but quite age appropriate, and her growth through disillusionment seems quite genuine. Maggie's experience of the effect of the Korean War on her friend Jim will give today's kids a peak at some of the difficulties facing our own soldiers today. Here's a book that is serious and intelligent, but tremendously engaging. It's a great choice for preteens who like to see how the world looks through someone else's eyes, even if they couldn't care less about baseball. I think this wonderful story also has cross-generational appeal--giving parents a glimpse into the universal experience of tweener angst and giving sixty-somethings a chance to rekindle memories from their younger days. Another home run for Ms. Park!
Janet Gingold
author of Danger, Long Division

Here is a baseball book that appeals to both boys and girls and to kids who may not know a walk from a balk or what team Willie Mays played on.

Willie Mays plays a central role in this novel set in Brooklyn in the early 1950s. He was a New York Giant then and, amazingly, the favorite player of young Maggie Fortini.

Amazing, because Maggie lives, breathes and suffers with her hometown Dodgers, and the Giants are their archrivals (still are, in fact). Maggie's brother Joey-Mick tells her she has to have a Dodger as her favorite. "Besides, it's double-stupid to pick a player from your worst-enemy team."

But her buddy at the firehouse, Jim, is a Giants fan. Jim teaches Maggie to keep score while listening to Giants games during Willie Mays' breakout rookie season. Keeping score makes Maggie feel as if she has some control over the progress and outcome of a baseball game.

She also uses that skill to "keep score" of the Korean war after Jim is drafted and then stops sending letters home to Maggie.

Linda Sue Park does an excellent job implying that Jim is suffering from PTSD, a disorder not recognized in the '50s but familiar to kids who know about veterans from our current wars.

Resourceful as ever, Maggie cooks up a scheme and saves all her money to pull Jim out of his funk and get her family and friends to a Dodgers-Giants game. She isn't entirely successful, but she doesn't strike out either.

Maggie-O is a believable, eminently likable character with a good heart and who knows her game.

[Review originally appeared in the Palo Alto Weekly, 7/9/08]

Of me and my sis -- growing up in the Bronx in the 1950's. I was personality-wise, something like Maggie (but I could not work a scorecard) and Sis was a little like Joey-Mick

Sis was a Brooklyn Dodger Fan-atic. Like Maggie, Sis kept METICULOUS score sheets of their games. For the life of me, I (a YANKEE FAN) tried but could not master that system of keeping score -- but then again I was having WAAAY more fun, going outside and playing baseball like a maniac (I am a GOIL) -- AND one of the big guys who lived across my stoop usta be a New York Yankees Pitcher!!! What a wonderful life for a skinny little kid (me) growing up in the Bronx!!

Sis threw a fit, just like Joey-Mick-- when I named my tiny little kitten (whom I'd gently carry thru the apartment in the palm of my hand) "Pee Wee" -- ("I KNOW You named her after Pee Wee Reese!!!" screamed Sis, indignantly. Well, no I didn't)

Anyway -- these personal memories kept cropping up as I read through Linda Sue Park's excellent book -- And, when I read of Maggie's scrupulous conscience (LOL!)) oh how that reminded me of myself, as I was "fine-tuning" my way thru the world, as a child becoming a teen-ager.

Seems like Maggie was a very thoughtful introspective and tough little kid -- but hey Maggie if you had just picked up a bat and hit a few fungoes to the outfield- I think you woulda gotten hooked.

Linda Sue Parks takes the stuff legends are made of and weaves them into the life of a little girl, Maggie (named after Joe Dimaggio by her dad), an ardent Brookly nDodgers fan.

Women's baseball teams of the 1940's, The Brooklyn Dodger ("Da Bums" as they wuz affectionaly called), the Yankees, the great neighborhoods of Brooklyn (each one a world unto itself) and their equally memorable denizens come to life through Maggie's eyes and experiences.

Sal Maglie, Duke Snider, Raplph Branca, Jackie Robinson -- Say Hey Wille Mays -- those legendary players come back to life in this book, and once again thrill us with their love of the game, and I saw them thru the eyes of a 13 yr old -- me -- in the same way as Maggie would view their heroic exploits.

Linda Sue Parks enthralls the reader with the true stories of the agony and ecstasy of those magic years of the early to mid 50's when the Brooklyn Dodgers came so close to grabbing that GOlden Fleece (winning the World Series), and how this impacted Maggie and her friends at the firehouse who listen spellbound to each Dodger game on the radio (and Mel Barber's mellifluous voice -- how can I ever forget that voice?!!).

The part about the radios tuned into the game thoughout the neighborhood, so Maggie could hear the games, even though she was running errands for her mom and Dad -- is So very true!!! Yes that DID happen -- the play by play from those radios (being played in every mom and pop store) and those cheers echoing down the street was the next best thing to Actually Being There!!! And I (sadly!!!) remember walking past my Bronx neighborhood candy store when Mazeroski hit that home run in 1960.......

Maggie has some tough decisions to make -- she grows up a little more each day as she tries to reach out to a friend who has vanished, even though he is still there in the flesh.

Treecie, her best friend, is a good foil for Maggie - a little more practical and a good stabilizer for Maggie's emotions, I think. The guys at the firehouse are good friends of the family-- her Dad, a former firefighter is Maggie's rock. Maggies Mom has a few surprises up her sleeve, and Maggie's faith in her friend Jim's ability to heal, and her Childlike Novena is very touching.

And the games play on, and the Dodgers win em and lose em. But they don't win the ones they should.....and all of Brooklyn was still waiting.....

The Korean War (which is what we called it back then -- I remember Mom saying in 1953 -- "It's finally over!!!") is brought to life in the Maggie's thoughful tracings of those maps over the years, sobering images of what was, then.

And the finale of this great book is heartwarming -- a one-two punch -- Giants and Dodgers -- and I can still hear those Cheers from those stadiums, and from those little radios in every Mom and Pop shop, from more than 50 years ago.

And BTW - if MAggie had only grabbed one of her brother's bats and hit a few fungoes into the outfield, she WOULD have been hooked on playing baseball-- even my very own Score-card keeping Sister played a few games with me!!

This heartfelt, endearing, nostalgic and educational tale is set in Brooklyn, New York in July 1951. The main character is Maggie Fortini who is nine going on ten years-old. She is known to everyone as Maggie-o and her older brother is known as Joey-Mick, both being named after their Father's favorite New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio. But here's the "rub": Maggie-o, Joey-Mick, and their Mom, absolutely love and "live-and die" with the Brooklyn Dodgers! "DEM BUMS" as all Brooklyn fans affectionately called their beloved Dodgers, were the center of their lives. Their entire neighborhood regardless of race, creed, color, or sex, shared their mutual love of the Dodgers in the same manner as "O-positive" blood was a universal donor in an emergency room. Whenever there was a Dodger game being played, the radio in Maggie-o's house was always turned on with Red Barber (and later on Vince Scully) providing the play by play with such favorite phrases as: "a can of corn" for an easy pop fly, and "sitting in the catbird's seat" when "DEM BUMS" had a good lead. It was an unspoken rule in the house that if Mr. Fortini wanted to listen to a big Yankee game he had to go somewhere else. If Maggie-o had to leave the house to go to school, or go to the store, or go to the firehouse, while a game was on, she never missed a pitch as long as she was in the neighborhood. Every house and every store she passed had the Dodger game on and it was like stereo coming from all the windows.

Maggie-o's Father had been a fireman until he suffered a bad leg injury fighting a fire. Now he worked in an administrative position at another location. His old firehouse was just down the block and Maggie-o spent countless hours there with the firemen and their dog Chalky. During baseball season the men would sit outside and listen to the Dodger games and Maggie-o would always join them when she wasn't in school. There was nothing but Dodger fans at the firehouse until one day there was a new recruit named Jim Maine who was a Giant fan. The other firemen wouldn't let Jim listen to the Giant games loud, so at times he would lay on the floor next to his radio. Maggie-o befriended Jim or it could just have easily been the other way around, and before you knew it, Jim was teaching Maggie-o the official way to keep play-by-play score of a baseball game. Maggie-o started keeping "official" scorecards of every inning of every game when she wasn't in school. Jim even taught her how to keep track of every ball and every strike, even differentiating between called strikes and swinging strikes.

This was the point in time of the Korean War/Conflict, and bad news hit the firehouse when Jim received his draft notice and had to report for active duty. Maggie-o immediately started writing letters, even before his ship crossed the ocean to Korea. Jim started writing back for awhile, and then all of a sudden he stopped. Maggie-o was distraught and couldn't find out why Jim had stopped writing. She then put as much effort into learning everything about the Korean Conflict (It hadn't been officially classified as a war yet) as she did into learning how to keep official score. I must admit I learned things about the Korean War that I didn't know based on Maggie-o's maps and footnotes. During this gloomy time in Maggie-o's life, she became extra diligent in her scorekeeping in honor of Jim. She even prayed harder, and without giving away a major part of the story, I'll suffice to say that she even convinced herself to commit the biggest sin in Brooklyn, by secretly rooting one year for the HATED Giants to win, because she hoped and prayed that would help Jim.

According to the promotional information regarding the release of this book, it is supposedly geared for children aged 9-12 years old. I am a Grandfather, who is originally from Brooklyn, and my entire family was born with the Dodger's as the very blood that pumped through our veins, and this story is so realistic in every way. The pedestal that Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, Carl Furillo and Maggie-o's Mother's favorite pitcher that "fine young Mr. Labine", and the other bums were put on, was portrayed as true as life! I actually had tears come down my face a number of times. Some of the tears were because I got to go back and relive some of my fondest childhood memories by living through Maggie-o's beautiful Brooklyn Dodger loving eyes. My parents are long gone, but this story brought my families most cherished times to life again in my heart because of this author's beautiful (And for my family accurate) story telling. Other tears were because of the many sorrow's that are an awful by product of war. This is a wonderful, wonderful, book that would make a great "Hallmark Hall Of Fame" type movie that would be enjoyed by entire generations of a family.

As far as my tears; Maggie-o said it best on page 179: "MAGGIE BLINKED SEVERAL TIMES, HARD. THERE WASN'T ANY WAY TO STOP TEARS FROM FILLING YOUR EYES ONCE THEY HAD DECIDED TO DO IT. YOU COULD BLINK THEM AWAY, BUT ONLY AFTER THEY WERE ALREADY THERE."

First there were the fires in Yellowstone in Summer of Fire, and now we have earthquakes and volcanoes in Rain of Fire. Wow! What a ride! I could not put this book down. It grabbed me from the first page and had me sitting up late at night devouring it until the very end. The details of Yellowstone and the surrounding areas is fantastic.

When the Utah Institute Director Professor Stanton suffers a debilitating stroke, he wants geologist Kyle Stone to replace him. Instead ambitious Dr. Hollis Delbert pulls a stunt and takes charge. He removes Kyle's earthquake reading equipment slated for Yellowstone, which has had some activity of late, and uses it for his study of the Salt Lake areas though that has been inundated with equipment since just before the 2002 Olympics.

Still she defies Hollis and brings some portables to the area where her parents died during an earthquake in 1959 when she was a little girl. Desperate for help, she turns to her former lover volcanologist Dr. Nicholas Darden, who assists her with some of his equipment. As the tremors increase, Hollis manipulates the Institute brass leading to Kyle's firing even as Ranger Wyatt Ellison and Nicholas heat the air as much as the geo-thermal activities do the ground as they compete for her affection.

RAIN OF FIRE is an exciting thriller that grips the audience with the tremors that threaten Yellowstone as a time when there seems to be an increase in major natural disasters. The story line is action-packed but driven by the rivalr between Hollis and Kyle in which he behaves totally unprofessional while she is absolutely dedicated. The romantic triangle is deftly handled, but the tale is more a cautionary thriller warning people about the potential of natural disaster in a place where most people fail to realize the danger.

Have read both of Linda's Yellowstone books and loved them both. Makes you want to get in your car and go!!. Linda knows the park and her info is right on target. Rain of Fire will scare you with its natural activites, and you can not wait for the next page.

The world's largest volcano does not reside beneath Hawaii's mountains, or in Washington state, but Yellowstone National Park. Past eruptions have darkened our continent and covered it with a blanket of ash that smothered both plant and animal life. Now the supervolcano, with its earthquakes and geysers, is monitored on a daily basis for signs of the beast reawakening. As a terrified child, geologist Kyle Stone watched her family die in the 1959 Hebgen Lake Earthquake near Yellowstone. Fighting a lifetime of fears, she is one of the scientists with a finger on Yellowstone's pulse. When a new hot spring appears overnight in the park and a noted naturalist is scalded to death, Kyle mounts an expedition into the Yellowstone backcountry to unravel the mystery. Accompanying her are Ranger Wyatt Ellison, former student and friend, and Dr. Nicholas Darden, volcanologist and former lover. More than just a volcano is heating up. Amid personal conflict, earthquakes uprooting the land, and poison gases killing wildlife, Kyle finds herself in the unenviable position of convincing park officials to evacuate Yellowstone before tens of thousands of people die. As the earth shudders, Kyle must also choose between past and present, and defeat her darkest terror simply to survive. According to NY Times Bestselling author Robert Vaughan 'Rain of Fire is a thrilling vision of what might happen tomorrow. Based on fact, the book details the signs, warnings, and the eruption that could take place in Yellowstone - tomorrow. Fast-paced, yet with touchingly human characters, Rain of Fire is a page-turner of the first magnitude.' Yellowstone Superintendent Bob Barbee says, 'Linda Jacobs is in the zone. This book is a grabber for sure.'

GREAT BOOK! This simple to follow workbook makes writing a business plan for a small business an easy to understand, easy to complete task! The book contains worksheets within each chapter, which, when compiled, leave you with a written business plan that makes sense. Best of all, the book is written in plain english -- no jargon, no complicated ratios and formulas, no assuming you already possess an MBA. This book is perfect for real world use -- nothing theoretical here. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

What a delight! Intelligent, thoughtful, provocative, helpful, thoroughly entertaining. A rare find!

I found this book to be simple to follow and full of practical, real world advice. There is no business theory here, just real steps to take to market on a shoestring, write a business plan, manage cash flow, understand financial statements, set goals and keep records. I enjoyed the common sense approach, and easy to understand advice.

Hansa: The True Story Of An Asian Elephant Baby is a remarkable picturebook for young readers about a baby elephant born in the Woodland Park Zoo. Children will learn that Hansa was 235 pounds when born and by her first birthday had gained almost 800 pounds! Filled cover to cover with true facts about elephants and splendid color photographs from the Woodland Park Zoo, Hansa is very highly recommended for young people who want to learn more about this wondrous, exotic animal species.

Even though this book is really written for older children, my 17-month-old son loves it too! We don't read the words to him, but he loves to look at the pictures and make elephant sounds. As he gets older, I'm sure he'll appreciate the information more, and my husband and I find it very interesting too.

The book is very well written and the pictures are great. I highly recommend it for all ages, especially if you have an elephant fan of your own at home!

Linda Jacobs has done it again with this third novel in her Yellowstone series.
This time the setting is 1900 and Cord Sutton, is traveling from the Grand Tetons to the Lake Hotel in Yellowstone when he rescues heiress, Laura Fielding from a stagecoach robbery. Both of them are hiding secrets as they travel through the wilderness together only to have more than just their hidden identities to deal with once they arrive. Ms. Jacobs weaves an intriguing and interesting storyline while she treats you to park and surrounding area history, flora and fauna and the splendors of Yellowstone. I highly recommend not only this book both both of her previous books: Summer of Fire and Rain of Fire.

In 1900 Chicago heiress Laura Fielding travels by stagecoach to meet her father at the Lake Hotel near Yellowstone. However, robbers stop her coach, but a cowboy Cord Sutton saves her life. He safely guides her to her destination, which he assumes is her place of employment as he believes she is a maid at the Lake Hotel.

During the three day trek, strong feelings grow between them. However, In Yellowstone, he finds out how wealthy she is as the heiress daughter of a rival bidder for ownership of the Lake Hotel; and she learns who he really is. Still neither Laura nor Cord can stop from falling in love with one another. However, his being twenty-five percent Nez Perce makes him unsuitable for her almost as much as his being her father's business competitor and his Indian heritage makes him a target of the law forcing him to flee before twisted justice occurs.

Readers will enjoy this Americana romance that brings to life the business expansion across the western states. Fans will feel they are in Wyoming in 1900 as Linda Jacobs paints a vivid picture of the stagecoach trek and the town of Yellowstone at a time when the country celebrated the start of a new century. The star-crossed romance augments the historical elements of the well written engaging LAKE OF FIRE.

Harriet Klausner

I was featured in this book along with my mother(pg.22)and I remember when it was just a homework assignment in elementary school. When I was told it was a book I was amazed to see all of the people I knew and the moving stories it consisted of. I enjoy that book everytime I pick it up. It is especially easy for children to read because it was written by people aging 10-14. I especially love the foreword that was written by Rosa Parks herself. Very insiteful.

There are many wonderful stories told within the context of this rather difficult subject. For those who use writer's workshop . . . this is an excellent example of the use of interviews and other nonfiction techniques.

I have backpacked and camped for years, but when I decided to try canoe camping, I had questions. This book provided guidance. First, we were going to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and that's the focus area of this book. From Roughing It Elegantly, we gained a better idea of how to pack and portage a canoe, and learned about how canoeists pace themselves. I also got some great recipes! This book spends a good deal of time discussing the pleasantries of canoeing to and through a wild area, not just describing how to lug equipment. A pleasant and useful read.

This is the best how-to guide to canoe camping/tripping--period. Ms. Bell covers the gambut of canoe camping, from planning, equipment selection, considerations concerning traveling with children, health & safety issues, and on and on. It exhaustively covers every imaginable topic, and should answer any question any potential canoe tripper might have. We've been canoe tripping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for several years, and Roughing it Elegantly is our how-to guide book. Even veterans will find it useful.

For a scholarly consideration of Chaco Canyon's importance and discoveries, don't miss the college-level guide ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHACO CANYON: AN ELEVENTH-CENTURY PUEBLO REGIONAL CENTER. Two decades following the largest field research program to excavate Chaco, the original researchers and other Chaco scholars convened to evaluate what they knew and to discuss new theories and new data: a meeting which held an advanced seminar at the SAR, where the Chaco Project was born in 1968. ARCHAROLOGY OF CHACO CANYON reflects this meeting's insights and results and embraces over thirty years of research and ideas.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

A shoulder to cry to, someone who can comfort you in times of crisis just isn't something that's always available. "Becoming Your Own Emotional Support System: Creating a Community of One" acknowledges this and provides comfort and encouragement to those who are cut off from others that could help them. Promoting a step by step self-support system, it gives the invaluable information needed for the early steps of recovery. Enhanced with an index and with nearly two hundred pages of support, "Becoming Your Own Emotional Support System: Creating a Community of One" is highly recommended to self-help shelves everywhere and for loners who still need assistance in the recovery process.