Arizona Books

Terri Fields' Counting Arizona's Treasures is a simple counting book for young readers. Each two-page spread features beautiful photographs by tony Marinella of locations to visit in Arizona, and ten little lizards scurry around and split up to visit each one of them, later getting together to share their stories. A simple and enjoyable celebration of Arizona as well as a countdown book from 10 to 1.

This book is currently out of print, and there's no good reason for it. It's a fine, wonderfully written, well controled narrative about a teenager growing up in a man's world of cowboying in New Mexico and Arizona of the early 20th century. The narrator is all of 14 years old when he leaves home in East Texas, confronting a world of misadventure and discouragement as he looks for work, drifting from ranch to ranch, learning how to break horses, and taking whatever job he can find.

Along the way he meets and befriends a good many men who do the real job of cowboying for ranch owners. One of them is a foreman, Mack, who takes the boy under his wing. A top hand, he is the actual cowboy of the book's title. The boy's admiration for him is heart-felt, and the scenes between them are touching. Meanwhile, we learn a lot about what it takes to become any kind of hand at all, as the boy struggles against all odds to give it his best. A realistic portrayal of cowboy life, without a single villain, stage holdup, or shoot-out on the main street of town. Readers will also enjoy Walt Coburn's "Stirrup High" and Ralph Moody's "The Home Ranch," both of which ARE in print.

A Cowman's Wife is a fasinating account of one woman's adventure in south-western Arizona. Mary Kidder Rak captured this chapter of her life in very personal and humurous terms as well as giving us a glimpse into ranch life in the early 1900's. If you're looking for a book that gives you an up close and personal view of the life of an adventurous woman or of life in the American SW., this is a must read! PS: Check your maps for the ranch Mary and her husband lived on, it's still a landmark!

This is a wonderful book about kids who go to a one-room school in southern Arizona in 1938. There are twelve of them, most from Mexican-American families; a nice young teacher, Miss Byers; and her dog Chipito, who lives at the school with her. The school bus is a beat-up old car that bumps over dirt roads from one ranch to another picking up children and sometimes breaking down - and once running over a rattlesnake, whose 5'7" skin hangs on the schoolroom wall next to President Roosevelt's picture.
Monchi, a fourth grader, tells about the big events of the year, like Miss Byers' swell idea to start a newspaper, and the Halloween party and roundup on the ranch. And everyone writes stories or draws pictures for the "Coyote News" paper, which is printed in the book, so we can read about the nurse's visit and Christmas wishes and Miss Byers' radio and Loli's lost tooth and the school's float at La Fiesta de los Vaqueros in Tucson.
Joan Sandin weaves these events into an absorbing story that easily incorporates some Spanish words (a glossary is provided.) Her bright, detailed pictures tell even more about ranch and school life and about the twelve children of Coyote School. To look at their group picture on the last day of school and then back at their first-day picture is to see how well we have come to know each one, and how pleased we are at how they've grown.
This lively story should fascinate kids, who will discover that in spite of the unique setting and the long-ago time, Coyote School children aren't all that different from themselves. The range of the children's ages makes it a great book for family read-alouds. And it's just the kind of book a good teacher looks
for: it's full of information, but first of all,it's a good story.

Crime & Punishment in Early Arizona promises a comprehensive view of illegal activity and law enforcement in frontier Arizona, and it delivers that and more. The book covers the period before and after the traditional "wild west" era by presenting every aspect of the subject from the time the area came under U.S. control until the arbitrary date when Arizona became the last continental state. If the reader wants to know anything about the enforcement of law, prisons or prisoners they'll find it here. Many of the vingettes are exciting and well written, but the real value of this book seems to be the reference value of the historical detail. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the old west or early Arizona, and to anyone searching for their roots in that region of America.

I bought this book based on this quote in the Preface: "Wise men and women say that the greatest spiritual challenge facing "civilizd" human beings today is to regain knowledge that has been lost -- knowledge of our oneness with each other and nature -- and to return to lifestyles that reflect this oneness." In my thinking: therein lies the answer for personal peace and happiness and the hope for peace in our world. The author -- who is an acknowledged authority on different cultures -- explores through the venerable Hopi people of North America their cultural code words that anchor them to the spritual side of their nature and also the world at large. He masterfully weaves the information to provide a "prescription" that we can utilize to learn to align our lifestyles and be in accord with our own nature. In so doing, we can learn to live as close to spiritual bliss as our inner selves will allow.

I am a fan of this author, and love this book. Boye De Mente, an acknowledged expert on different cultures, continues to provide us with books that enhance our understanding of ourselves and others, and are current with the needs of the human spirit in this space and time. By plumbing the depths of the anient Navajo culture and its multi-dimensional language, he deciphers key code words that reveal the heart, history, wisdom and traditional customs of the Navajo people. In the process we are led once again to the eternal wisdom of seeking to be in harmony with each other and the world around us. A must read and definitely a book to own.

Of all the books written about the Lost Dutchman's mine, this book offers a believable tale to the possibilities of the existance of Jacob's gold mine in the Superstition Mountains.

Entering this review for Kit: She says "I loved it! I couldn't put it down. I felt like I was right there riding in the wilderness. The imagery was incredible and the story was intriguing. I'm going to recomend this book to all my horse loving friends!