Awards Books

Bought this for my borther in law and he liked it alot, its a book he wanted to get and now owns it. He does wood carvings of birds and this is a very detailed good book for beginners and pros alike!

I have an extensive library of carving books to include the two classics "Raptors" and "Owls" by Floyd Scholz. Lori Corbett's book has earned a place among my finest carving books. It is well conceived, well organized and clearly written. Steps in carving are logical and easy to follow; yet, not trite. The writing is crisp and interesting. While there are many, many books on carving Lori's sets a high standard for others to strive. In all aspects this book excels to include pictures, illustrations, diagrams, and both carving and painting instructions. I recommend that if a carver can only afford one book of instruction and inspiration, then purchase Lori's "Carving Award Winning Songbirds" -- and at half the price of most other books! In the near future, I shall attempt to learn whether Lori can instruct as well as she can write. My thanks for a marvelous book. Mel Donaho, long time carver and instructor

I found the instructions to be clear and well written. The photography is outstanding. One of the best books I own.

The book gives a refreshing look at newer techniques with allot of good reference material.

Simply the most comprehensive manual on bird carving that I own.

Most books suffer some kind of short-coming. Muehlmatt's book is good, but lacks painting information. Hillman's are totally worthless..

But this book covers everything....painting, habitat, anatomy...everything.

If you are new to bird carving...buy this book FIRST! If you are a seasoned carver, buy it because you will learn something from it.

I was facing the challenge of helping a startup IT company. They were unclear as to what goals they wanted to set for the next few years, and how they would go about achieving their goals.

I used the methodology described in this book as a model to help my client. The simple structure and logical flow of the steps made sense to the client and provided them with the framework they needed. This framework was then used to identify improvement opportunities within the client processes, and to establish focused goals for the next couple years.

I truly believe that my client immensely benefited from the methodology described in this book. A must have for management consultants !

This book clearly presents a well designed methodology for process improvement consulting engagements. Although it works as a general guide to a team-approach consulting process, it is clearly intended as a handbook to be used specifically by consultants who become members of an organization called the Consulting Alliance. This is not just an overview or general guide; it is a step-by-step procedure manual for running engagements. It should be pointed out that this methodology was specifically designed for non-profits and SMB organizations and is not geared to F500 environments.

The accompanying Web site contains a number of forms and other tools to be used in conjunction with the book, so this is really a robust system, and much more than just a handbook. Although production values are simple (spiral-bound), the book and accompanying materials still represent good value for the money and equally important, match the mission of the organization and the values of their clients.

This book details a process that every manager should embrace. It is time sensitive (both for the project and your own), budget focussed and guarenteed to effect immediate results if followed properly. Sound like every other management booklet you have been pushed, probably but Maxwell's Methodology is truely cradle to grave, inception to implementation with a level of detail and due diligence missing from many strategic and operational management planning tools.

This manual is a superb introduction to management consulting. It is a pleasure to read, presented in a narrative format that is easy to relate to and that clearly defines terms. The Priority of Team Improvement is a step-by-step guide for the improvement identification process, a management tool that can be used to help your team identify problems that are causing it to underperform and develop potential solutions that are truly implementable. This consulting approach gives the team ownership over the entire process, which helps to ensure success. The strategies included in this manual can be applied to many situations and are something you will want to continually come back to.

The book "Consulting Alliance - The Priority of Team Improvement" is an example of an improvement process, of which there are probably hundreds available under the umbrella of business processes.

The big issue is the price, the "book" is only a pamphlet that looks like it was just printed out on a bubble-jet printer, not what I was expecting for $18. A more realistic price would be $5.

I talked to the author, he is a really nice guy and very serious about the work that USA Leadership Consulting does.

I don't if I can find the words needed to describe this work. It is fantastic, superb, well crafted. It is indeed very sad that many seem to overlook it. Perhaps it is because of the topic, with illegal immigrants being something very much pressed and talked about lately. I don't know. But this story is indeed about human courage and the desire to have the "American Dream" that so many of us never seem to realize.
Uhna, a Korean woman illegally in the states, is very cleverly painted. Her personality is well-defined, her character strong. Sam is also well defined. Their struggles are real, illustrating the difficulties that many face in their situations. This could be a story of very real people trying to live.
I had only one problem with the text, and that was a lack of quotation marks for dialogue. It made it a bit hard to decipher which was thought and which was actual dialogue, but other then that, I greatly enjoyed the read. I sincerely hope that this story is given a chance to come into print. I think it has great potential and definitely want to see how it is resolved.

William Han's entry deserves more attention than it has received. It is very well-written in a clear, minimalist style. These tales of Korean immigrants promise to be moving and enlightening. Unha's crossing, wobbling on a bicycle so the border patrol cheer her on rather than stop her, made me smile. I was anxious for Sam, soon to do unpleasant work for Mr. Oh, and surprisingly touched by Sam's wife's wonder at finding herself a mother. I would love to follow these characters through to the end.

I concur that William Han's beautiful novel excerpt is not getting the attention it deserves. The concept -- "a mosaic of stories about the American dream" -- is a grand one, and one which the writing lives up to. I love Han's quiet, straightforward, unsympathetic style, and he crafts his characters and their plight so masterfully you ache for them. The opening scene (the opening line!) draws you right into the story -- the fate of Unha literally depends on her ability to ride a bicycle, and as the border guards are calling, "Go, go, go!" you find yourself cheering for her as she approaches the gate. I am similarly drawn to Sam, Yunjin, and David, and would love to see how their stories connect with Unha's. I'm hoping for all the best for Han and his beautifully written story.

This is a well written and interesting story about the struggles of Koreans immigrants who are in, or entering the United States, and what life here is like for them. The story is timely, as we in the middle of a debate on immigration policy and also an interesting look into the Korean society in the United States. This excerpt is a gem that has been missed and deserves much more attention than it has received.

This little-rated excerpt is a true treasure. We've read a great deal about Hispanics illegally crossing the US border from Tijuana, but what about Korean women? They don't speak Spanish, they speak little English. In the opening scene, Unha has to ride a bicycle across the border. She's never ridden a bike and not sure she can.

Her life, and that of Sam, another Korean who have crossed the border do not look to be pleasant ones--they will have to pay their debts to the Korean equivalent of 'coyotes' who have gotten them over.

The writing is authentic and has a strong voice. The excerpt probably should have some light editing of punctuation so that quotes are set out by quotation marks, so they're easier to read. Still, "Crossings" is a very worthwhile read and one I strongly recommend to hear a different side of the border saga.

I don't typically read this type of fiction. I gravitate towards legal fiction instead. The first chapters of this book may have changed my way of thinking. I would be very interested in reading the rest of this book. I find the topic especially interesting since I live and work less than ten miles from Reston, Virginia!

I thought this was a great idea for a novel. What do I have to do to get the full version? This topic seems especially interesting to me given the fact that it seems like there are always different viral outbreaks happening like MRSA and SARS. Additionally,I think this is interesting because it ties in the fear we all have of viruses with the real possibility that terrorists could try and use this type of virus as a weapon!

Death Scourge has everything -- strong settings, a strong main character, great pacing and style and a story line that won't let go. It's contemporary, and compelling. I want to meet Rishad Zharmakhan and find out what happens next!

this is a very interesting beginning. I would like to know how things turn out. It could possibly happen in our terrorist prone world. Very timely subject.

A remarkable intriguing idea for a historical and scientific seat-of-your-pants thriller. I wonder if the plot was actually based on any historical evidence. The author does the most with his intriguing idea. He clearly has a great knowledge of science and combines it with writing skills. The reader is kept wondering, 'What is going to happen now?" and keeps reading to find out.

The wonderful illustrations and clever story about a girl's fantastical journey to prove her ability to do a "man's work" has quickly made it to the favorites in our home library. I can imagine the inspiration it may offer a young girl, but having only a son...I share it with him in hopes that he appreciates early on gender equality. He enjoys the art and the musical aspect of the story.

Our family absolutely loves this book.
My daughter Ailia (age 4) enjoys the story, illustrations and wonderful colors in this book.
It is a fairly quick read, but not too short, a great one for bedtime.
and for us glassblowers... it simply warms the heart,
signed,
Edward T. Schmid
author of "Beginning Glassblowing" and "Advanced Glassworking Techniques"-(also available through Amazon.com or at: glassmtn.com)

This book has wonderful drawings and an imaginative story--very much in line with South American magical realism. My son loved it dubbed himself coyote (one of the characters) for two months.

Elena's Serenade is the first book to receive the Comstock Book Award for the year's best picture book to read aloud to older children, ages eight to twelve.

Young Elena leaves her home to embark on a magical journey to Monterrey, Mexico in order to follow her dream of learning the art of glassblowing. Later, she returns home to her father, who had refused to teach her his trade because no one had ever "heard of a girl glassblower." This story celebrates Elena's uniqueness as an artist and a person, as well as the importance of pursuing a dream.

With acrylic and crayons, Juan has created luminous paintings with an expressionistic, folk-art quality and a palette of desert colors. Juan's use of light is particularly noteworthy, especially in the illustrations depicting glassblowing. The rounded figure of Elena and her expressive facial features make her an attractive character. The colors, movement, and details of each painting invite one to linger over every page.

In selecting this book for the Award, the Read Aloud Committee noted the lyrical quality of the text, as well as children's special appreciation of the illustrations. In addition, children were interested in the conflict between Elena and her father and also enjoyed the sprinkling of Spanish words. Readers found the Spanish-English Glossary in the front of the book helpful.

Elena's Serenade is about a little girl who travels to Monterrey, Mexico to become a glassblower. I did enjoy the story and especially the illustrations. My favorite illustration is of Elena dressed in her brother's clothes trying to look macho. I think kids will enjoy the bright sometimes humorous pictures, and the imaginative story.

Wonderful book stuffed full of easy and practical advice. I couldn't put it down. It's fun writing style makes turning each page a treat in itself. It's obvious why this book won the 06 ASA Literary Work of the Year. It's a gem! ENJOY!! Joanna Keating-Velasco, Author, A Is for Autism, F Is for Friend.

Quit reading these reviews and get this book! Every parent or professional who advocates for individuals on the autism spectrum needs to read, underline, and share this book with someone else. Parents will realize they are not alone in their feelings and experiences and professionals will gain much needed insight into the lives of the families who sit with them in IEP meetings and parent-teacher conferences.
I can't say enough good things about the practical advice in Ms. Sakai's book. For example, her chapter on tools for building a relationship with the school is priceless.
"Finding Our Way" is a unique resource that earns a spot on the "must have" list of books about Asperger Syndrome.

It takes a wise person to see the good news in the great struggles of living and Kristi Sakai has done it. Without offering any pat answers or any new "isms" she is able to show families with children with Asperger Syndrome what it means to not only survive but thrive. There is nothing in this book but good news and authentic observations. Obviously adept in the clinical and psychological issues affecting persons with AS, Mrs. Sakai takes you into her home and her heart and wants you to know that there is genuine hope and real help for you. Get it while you can. It's going fast, folks!

This is an excellent teaching tool for families with children who have Asperger's Syndrome. Kristi Sakai, the mother of three children with Asperger's provides excellent tips; explanations and vivid vignettes describing spectrum behavior. The book also includes funny little drawings that are clear and direct and people on the spectrum should have no difficulty decoding their expressions. I love this book!

Kristi Sakai was blessed with the gift of humor. Humor is one impetus that keeps this book rolling. I love her quick quips for judgmental comments people endure when their child is suffering during a meltdown or having trouble navigating on social territory. This book really is a Godsend!

One part that made me laugh was when Sakai wrote about a boy who disliked baths because of sensory issues and provided very real, very legitimate reasons for why he resisted enduring them. I also like the way she provided an alternative approach to ensure his cooperation during an unpleasant activity. The part that had me laughing was when she said her daughter Kaede, upon being needled about not liking to have her hair washed, said she didn't have to suffer that unpleasant activity - she poured the shampoo down the sink! (Sounds like the kind of thing I would have done - only I poured shampoo in the toilet at that age or in the tub and said it was bubble bath). In all honesty, hair washing is about the least favorite activity of many, myself included.

Regardless of where on the spectrum you are, on or off or someone directly involved with people who do have Asperger's, you will get a lot of mileage out of this book and will often turn to it. It is one of the best teaching guides I have ever come across.

This is a must read for anyone who loves or cares for a child with asperger syndrome, be they parent, teacher, paraprofessional, babysitter, grandparent, Sunday School teacher or doctor. Written by one who has been down in the trenches and knows, this book is packed full of logical, doable and compassionate systems which parents can easily master in order to facilitate a more enjoyable existence for the whole family. You will feel like you have a found a new friend as you laugh at her poignant insights and find comfort in the shared experiences of aspergers. Evaluators and doctors would do well to hand this one out to parents of newly diagnosed children to serve as a soft cushion to ease the fall from what can be a devastating diagnosis. Ms. Sakai is a true friend who will help light a path to a way through what can be a dark time and find solace on the other side. Bravo!

I had not even heard of Enid Blyton until an aunt in Australia sent me a copy of 'Five Go Down To The Sea'. That would have been about 1955 and I was immediately captivated by Enid's pure sense of mood and adventure.
I must have re-read the book a half-dozen times in just a few weeks and got to know farmer Penruthlan, Yan, The Barnies and Clopper the horse as if they were real friends of my very own.
I relived that adventure again when I got to read a chapter or two aloud each night to my two sons when they were toddlers. They, too, were enthralled with the story. And I truly believe that the noble actions of Julian, Dick, George, Anne and Timmy helped to mould my sons' lives, as they did mine.
Even now, at the 'grand old age' of 57, I am not ashamed to admit that, seeking escape from this troubled world, I have read Five Go Down To The Sea again, by myself.
Now, I can't wait to have grandchildren, so I can read the book to them at bed-time...unless my sons beat me to it, of course!

when i was a kid of 7 or 8 my mom got me interested in books by Enid Blyton, like Famous Five, Secret Seven, and those Adventure series. I just loved famous five and in fact have read all 21 of their regular books. In addition to that i also read their special editions, around 10 . These books are so addictive, once my father even told me u shouldnt read that much , u're studies might get affected, or i'll weaken my eyesight! haha! but in reality these really capture the imagination of a young kid and i highly recommend them to any kids new to reading novels

I could not put it down once I started reading it. After I finished reading the book, I felt sad. I have read the book two times in two days!

I must have read every Famous Five book and Secret Seven book I could get my hands on when I first took an intrest in books. They kept me sneaking the flashlight under the covers to finish off that exciting chapter and wondering what the next chapter had in store for me...please I hope they all come back out in print soon!

My aunt, who lived in Edinburgh (Scotland), sent me Famous Five novels for Christmas and birthdays. I don't think I ever enjoyed any presents so much in my entire life as those books. I highly reccomend them to any prospective young readers.

My kindergartner and I love to read books, especially about animals. This is a great story about dogs, love and protection by a mother, and kids.

Paul M. Howey's Freckles: The Mystery Of The Little White Dog In The Desert is a heartwarming true story about the love and comradeship offered by a dog and her puppies. The black-and-white illustrations of Judy Mehn Zabriskie adds an especially endearing touch of charm to the text story, which is sophisticated enough to appeal to young readers who are almost ready to move on from picturebooks to more complicated reading material. Freckles is highly recommended - especially for young animal lovers.

What a beautiful story about man's love and appreciation for one of our true friends. A touching story to read children of all ages. Proof that dogs like humans care deeply for their young and will nuture and protect them. When given the chance these beautiful creatures will give back in many rewarding ways. Kudos to Mr. Howey for his ability to put this on paper with such style and grace. The illustrations by MS. Judy Zabriskie could not have completed this book any better. If you did not fall in love with the words, you would with the illustrations.

I think that Paul Howey's message can be heard not only by children, but adults too. Freckles teaches us that all animals deeply love and show love in their own wonderful way, and that respect towards our animals on this planet should be of utmost importance in our lives and our childrens lives. What a great inspiration Mr. Howey is to all people on the planet to remember what loving creatures animals truly are. Bless you Mr. Howey.

I was able to meet Freckles before the book came out. At that time she was somewhat withdrawn. As time went by and with love and care by Paul and his wife Trish, she has become a warm and loving creature. Now, with the popularity of her (or Paul's) book, she is a shining star. She brings this life to the children she visits.
I am biased, but this is truly a magical story of being found, being loved and giving all the love back. It's a story for all children of any age.

Hey i loved reading the boook Heven Shop, I never wanted to put it down it rocked it was so fantasicing!!! I have loved all of your books that I have read!!!
Carly.....13yrs Ontario

The heaven Shop, By Deborah Ellis is about a 13- year old girl, Binti Phiri who works at a popular radio show called, "Gogo's Family," to help earn for the family. Binti lives with her brother, Kwasi, her older sister, Junie and her father, who earns money for the family by making coffins at his shop, The Heaven Shop. Binti's mother had died of AIDS when Binti was a child. As a responsible and typical child, Binti is shocked to hear her father has also passed away, because of the same horrible disease: AIDS. Now, Binti is only an AIDS orphan, separated from her Kwasi and forced to live with her Uncle Wysom and Aunt Agnes. Junie's fiancé's, Noel, breaks up their engagement because as said by Noel her family had been "tainted by AIDS." At Binti's new home she and her sister are treated worse than slaves and are forced to give up all their belongings to Aunt Agnes' daughters. Leaving school, Junie runs away from her new home at the urge of finding a new job and leaves a note commanding Binti to go to her Gogo (grandma) who is looking after a group of AIDS orphans and young homeless people (pg. 105). Once again at a new home, Binti meets 13 year old Memory, who already has a child due to Memory's uncle (an HIV positive), who thought raping a virgin will cure AIDS. Binti learns her sister had become a prostitute at one point (pg. 169) and takes help from Jeremiah, an HIV positive man, who helps Binti, find Junie (now HIV Positive) and Kwasi. Kwasi, Junie, Memory and Binti now start a profitable business of coffins to help improve the condition of the AIDS orphanage. They name their business, The Heaven Shop.

The story of Binti a young radio actress. She has no mother and her father dies. Her family is split between relatives, can she get them together again?
A wonderful book. I gives you a childs point of veiw of the aids crisis.
It is well written and apropriate for children and adults alike.

This book is about a girl Binti, living in Malawi in Africa. Her mother died from a disease called Aids. She comes a poor family. She has a brother Kwasi, sister Junnie and her father in her family Every Saturday she goes to her radio studio and earns some money for the family. Her father runs a coffin shop, which is called "The Heaven Shop."

When her father dies of Aids she has only enough money to pay for his funeral. But when her grandmother Gogo says that her father died of Aids she is treated badly by all her relatives. Her whole family is split apart and Binti vows that she will find her brother who as been sent away to their Aunt. But from now on Binti is sent to live with her Aunt and Uncle who are incredibly rude and obnoxious and will not go near her just in case she might have Aids. Their children play horrible tricks on her. She gets hit with a fly swatter almost every day. "No!" she said that was enough so Binti and her sister decide to run away. But her sister has to find work and Binti has to go on her own to Grandmother Gogo's house.

Binti has to find her way to safety but without her sister or her brother. It's very hard for her and she has to face many challenges. When she gets to grandmother Gogo's house she meets a girl who has Aids. She didn't get treated differently because of her positive attitude and she wouldn't let herself feel different to anyone else. So I think the moral of the story is no matter how different the person may look or if they have a disease or anything that makes them different you should always treat them the same
"Treat others the way you would like to be treated."

My favorite quote in this book was from grandmother Gogo it is
"In the old days, when there were still lions around, if a lion came into our village and carry away our young, we did not keep silent! If we were silent it would keep eating our children we had to make noise. We banged pots and yelled, there is a lion in the village! Then we could get rid of the lion and save our children. There is a lion in our village now. It's called AIDS. It carries away our children and our adults."





This is a very gripping book and it is very intense you will never want to put it down. It carries you away to another world. Here we are thinking that a holiday is fun and there they are thinking that getting some food is amazing! When you compare your life to theirs it makes you think how lucky you are and it makes you appreciate your life and the world around you.

How would you feel if you had AIDS and you were treated differently to others? I can tell you that. I would feel awful. I would feel as though I've been thrown into a ditch and left there. But like Binti and Memory I would pick myself up and carry on and not let myself or anyone make me feel different or be treated differently.

By: Rima (New Zealand)

This book is about a girl named Binti. Her father owns a shop called the Heaven Shop. Her mother died of a disease called Aids. Binti works for a radio show called Gogo's family. then her father dies of Aids. Her sister and her brother loose everything. Her sister and Binti go to their Uncle's,where they work in the bar that they own. Their brother on the other hand got to their Aunts where he gets caught stealing and gets sent to jail.He only stole the food because they were starving him, he was better feed in the jail.Everyhting goes to their releatives, they manage to save alot of money and then of course they find it. Binti and her sister escape and got in search for their grandmother, Gogo. Her sister takes of elsewhere. Later she comes back HIV positive. Binti meets a girl her age Miracle that has AIDS and is still strong. She even has a baby with AIDS. in the end they all get united. t didn't matter that her sister was HIV positive and that their parents both die of AIDS. When you read this book it will take you on an adventure that discovers that it doesn't matter if you have AIDS or your HIV positive, just live your life to the fullest because you never know when it might end. Your still the same person inside whether you have a disease or not.Trust me you will not want to put this book down i know i didn't.Go ahead take a chance read it it will truly change the way you think about something.

What a pleasure it is to read an artist's prose after all the politicos and journalists and scientists I have been reading lately. Not to denigrate them, but Nona Caspers is an artist with words, a person of exacting craft who composes bittersweet tales of life and love filled with yearnings and disappointments and triumphs and little parcels of hope. Caspers writes about the people of Wisconsin and Minnesota, farm people, people who milk cows and harvest alfalfa: country girls and mangy dogs. And she writes about people who have escaped from the farm. She writes about an unspeakable desire burning in the heart and an angst like something unclear, like something lost or not yet found, and love like joy and something exquisitely indefinable that stays and stays. And then is lost.

She writes of girls and vulnerable men, taciturn fathers or ineloquent husbands; deeply introspective and emotionally fragile girls and strong farm women with sturdy bones and a susceptibility to society's inexorable ways. She loves the girls, and the girls typically love other girls they cannot quite reach or keep. And they marry young and wonder if they did the right thing.

Her prose is infused with the lay of the land and the smell of the soil and the cows and the dogs and the trees and the breath of someone close, so close your heart bleeds. She manages a natural tension that moves the stories to a climax and leaves the reader with a lingering aftermath.

In the first story, "Country Girls," 14-year-old Nora "was so forwardly in love, so passionately in love, so unabashedly in love, so presumptuously in love, so selfishly in love, so innocently in love" with Cynthia that the very weight of her love offended the rural community and in consequence killed her love. In the second story, "Wide Like an Eagle's Wings," Manny is the secretary of the JFK campaign at Saint Theresa" Elementary School. It's 1960. She lives and breathes everything John F. Kennedy; and through him she finds oneness and a sense of social responsibility even though a child. And then comes a tragedy that we know will change her forever. In the title story, it is the devil who weights us down and makes us "heavier than air" so that we can't float up to heaven, or so one of her characters in part believes.

One of my favorites is "The EE Cry" formerly called "Fat" which I think is a better title. It is about a man whose wife Jan leaves him, not because he is fat (although he is) but because she has found that she is who she is, and that she has fallen in love with another person, and that person is a woman. She returns to get a rug she left. She tells him, "...I'm short on money. I thought it can't hurt to ask." "Does," he says. And then adds, "Does hurt, Jan. Hurts all the damn time." And with this simplicity of expression we can feel his pain.

The triumph of Caspers' art comes from her mastery of craft in which every word is carefully selected and everything extraneous to the desired effect deleted. She has the kind of narrative control that allows her to shift from the present to the past and back again with ease. She has such a keen sense of the reader's needs that the hard detail that leads to atmosphere and character development is never neglected, but never overdone, so that the reader is always informed and immersed. She has developed narrative devices that are invisible to the reader but startlingly beautiful to the writer. For example in "The Fifth Season" lesbian Lorrie is visiting gay Marc who is dying of complications from AIDS. His sister enters the room. They are on "death duty." Caspers describes the sister and then writes:

"'I wish he would just let go.' Lines delivered to me two weeks earlier--and only now do I forgive her.
"I pictured Marc on a rope in midair. He had swung on a gymnastic rope through the gymnasium in the middle of a school lecture. About a month before his father was indicted. Mr. Ricklick pulled him down, dragged him up the aisles by his hair.
"He's a twenty-nine-year-old man, I thought. Why should he let go?"

Notice how Caspers is able to shift between three different times, now, two weeks ago, the distant past, and now again, with consummate ease. This is not easily done. It looks easy, but it is not easy.

She writes in the first person or the third with such naturalness that one does not recall which person she used in any particular story. Perhaps her greatest strength though is in how immediate she makes the experiences of her characters. Everything is as close as the scent of the beloved's skin, as sharp as thistle pricks or the smell of fresh poop, as intense as first love--or first betrayal. Caspers writes from a crafty heart and a mind sharp with the need for something close to mathematically precision. What she achieves is a kind of non-linearity that is the mark of great poetry and great fiction.

Don't miss this collection, winner of the Grace Paley Prize in short fiction. I only wish I could write half as well.

Nona Caspers
University of Massachusetts Press Amberst, 2006
ISBN: 978-1-55849-644-6
Nora Caspers has a unique style of writing. In several of her stories, she takes the mundane and demonstrates the significance of the act. Such as the mere act of breathing; it does not seem so important until you are drowning.
The connecting thread in this anthology is rural life. Having grown up in a rural area during the 60's, it is easy to relate to many of the stories. Caspers has a talent for breathing life into her characters. Not every author is capable of connecting characters to readers. The descriptions of rural life made me feel almost like I was once again lying on my back watching the clouds form designs that only I could see, running barefoot through the tobacco patch, or pulling grass to feed my pet rabbit. Each story is slightly dark and has a bit of humor. The young adults are struggling to discover who they are and what their place is in the scheme of life. They desire to soar to higher heights. In reality, few of us attain the heights we seek.
Heavier Than Air will leave the reader pondering the story long after finishing it. If you are looking for happy-ever-after, this book is not for you. If you enjoy books written in an unassuming style that will stir your emotions and make you think, you will enjoy Heavier Than Air.

Heavier than Air, by Nona Caspers is a beautiful book. I read most of the book in one night. Although it's a book of fiction the characters have an authenticity and a humanity that brings them to life on the page. It's the beauty and emotion in the language and the landscape that lends texture and truth to the narratives. The vivid images of life and longing are compelling they uncover unusual aspects of the hearts terrain.
"I don't want you near me," she said. "Go home."
"In the hottest part of summer the corn takes on sharp edges, and thistles grow between the stalks though they can be avoided if you stay in the rows. I ran barefoot in my shorts straight at the corn stalks, smashing against the cobs, scraping the thistles against my skin. A sharp pain shot up my side and rose to my heart and I honestly believed I was having a heart attack, that my heart was cracking like and egg that falls out of a tree."

While reading "heavier than air" your heart opens up to life and passion and longing. A must read a beautiful book!

Rose Offner

Reading Nona Caspers is more than simply exploring the world of one writer's view of the world from the vantage of raw countryside of Minnesota. Reading Nona Caspers is a discovery of a writer with particularly well-honed gifts of creating unforgettable characters who become etched on our minds in the same way the great American writers of the past (and present) have entered our perception of what this country is all about. Caspers writes with a fluid style that wastes no words but describes nature and those animals that fly, crawl and walk this strange territory of rural Minnesota - and the rest of this country - in both harmony and dissonance. She manages to enter realms of thought and situations other writers avoid, and from these peculiar places she creates characters both strange and sad, some who border on decisions edging on ostracism and some who have already entered a plane misunderstood by friends and family.

The lead story, 'Country Girls', is one of the more realistic examinations of a young girl's discovery of same sex love with all the peripheral highs and lows that confrontation presents. In 'Wide Like An Eagle's Wings' we meet a young girl obsessed with the JFK campaign for presidency while coping with the a deeply moving, succinct account of a personal tragedy of death. Characters such as the sad Mr. Hellerman who is hospitalized as one unable to cope with the dwindling losses of his family land inheritance and hopeless future of his farm mix with other children and stunted adults who face changes in their lives that seem to force them into precarious places.

Not a book of sad or dreary tales, this, but one that is unafraid to make us think about the weightier subjects of life while entertaining us with some equally finely tuned comedy. Nona Caspers is a brilliant writer who has found the fabric of American fiction that she drapes and sculpts and molds as well as any of her fine colleagues whose names are household words. Reading HEAVIER THAN AIR is a tasty prelude to what is most assuredly going to be a fine career for a gifted writer. Very Highly Recommended! Grady Harp, June 08

This book reminds me of Dorothy Parker. She wrote of New York. Caspers writes of the Midwest. This is real classic writing. As a lover of all things classic like Sinclare Lewis and F. Scott Fitzgerald and their stories of the part of the country they knew, Nona Caspers is a writer of the Midwest and its unique culture and people. They are real and funny and warm. Caspers goes deep and looks at things as they really are.

Put this wonderful book on your night stand. Read it and enjoy it. You'll treasure it.

Highly recommended.

-Susanna K. Hutcheson