Connecticut Books

"Arsenic Under the Elms" focuses on the murders of two women from Victorian New Haven & their subsequent trials. These stories are as much about the actual crimes as they are about the norms for court trials in this period. There is also a good bit of information on advancement in scientific evidence during the late 1800s. I found the entire book very engrossing, & it would likely appeal to anyone interested in the social mores of 19th century America as well as lovers of true crime books.

this was a great book! I loved the comparison of how the world & justice worked in the time setting of the 2 stories versus how we have it now. I am fasinated by the victorian era & true crime. This book blended both into a very ingrossing experience. I can't wait to read her 2nd book "Sympathy for the Devil:the Emmanuel Baptist Murders." and hope there will be more after that!

"Arsenic Under the Elms" is thoroughly an intriguing, mind challenging read. I felt Virginia A. McConnell did a wonderful job presenting the known facts, as well as including her speculations, but leaving the final verdict up to the reader. The explanations of the era and how they dealt with these sorts of crimes, as well as how they dealt with it legally and medically were very educational and thought provoking. I'm sure many criminalists, physiologists, lawyers, judges, and crime scene analysts, would have a field day solving these crimes. If only they had the technology of today, back then. Even if your genre is not "true crime," this book is a great read. I recommend.

The author's enthusiasm for these compelling stories is apparent in her research and writing. She brings to life two still-shocking crimes with a refreshing lack of sensationalism. However, the writing itself rarely rises above the level of a bright college sophomore's term paper. In spots, the editing is poor, for example, the author will reference facts that hadn't been presented yet by that point in the book. Too much attempt is made to judge by modern mores and motives, sometimes implicitly and sometimes explicitly (repeated comparisons to the OJ Simpson trial, for example)...further research into social history of the time would have improved the book. It's often not entirely clear what facts are documented (or how) and what is speculation, even with reference to the copious footnotes. Worth a read, but look for it at the library.

I bought this book on a Saturday and once I started I couldn't put it down. Ms. McConnell writes about two obscure murders in Victorian Connecticut in a style that compels the reader to keep turning the pages. Learning about the mores and workings of the criminal justice system during this period was fascinating! I highly recommend it!

I found this book to be very frustrating and not very useful. The birds are arranged by "color" so for instance two of the Colorado hummingbirds are under one color, while the third hummingbird is under another color. All three hummingbirds should be together so you don't have to thumb back and forth when trying to identify the bird in front of you. It was also lacking photos of birds flying, so I never could identify the number of different swallows that I saw. I would skip this book and stick to the National Geographic or Audubon field guides.

I bought this because we recently moved to the Rocky Mountains about 50 miles NE of Denver (9000 ft elevation), and there were many different kinds of birds that would visit our feeder. This book really helped me in identifying all the birds I've seen so far, and it also describes what kind of nesting the bird does, migration patterns, interesting facts about the bird, and general overall description. It is also sorted by the color of the bird for fast ID. The photographs are large and clear, and the bird's info is always on the page next to the photo. I am looking forward to purchasing the author's other 2 books on Colorado mammals and plantlife. I would reccomend this book for anyone living in or visiting Colorado, and is interested in birds!

Great book. Lots of pictures to differentiate between male and female birds (and also a description of immature birds). I found this book to immensely helpful in identifying birds in my backyard. It was everything that I was looking for in a book on CT birds.

This book is easy to use, well-organized, beautiful photos, chuck full of information. I highly recommend it for the novice bird watcher.

I love this bird book. It is divided by color and very easy to use. The Stan's notes section has interesting facts and useful information. The photos are close up and very helpful when identifying a bird.

Do you dare to dream? The Uconn Huskies basketball team goes on a big dream ride during the 1999 season. Jim Calhoun is the coach of the Huskies. He has worked them hard for their chance into the Final FOur. Most people didn't think Uconn was a big factor in the tournament. So Uconn was out to prove to the world that they could play with the big dogs. They might have never been to the Final Four before, but this year feels like they've been there before.
I like this book because I love sports and it gives you an idea of good teamwork. I think this book is good because if you work hard it might pay off. I watched the team come together right before my eyes. I felt like I was helping them along to win or I was in the story.
I would recommend this book to people who like sports or who enjoy a good book. I also think that anyone who likes to get lost in a book would love this! The book is exciting and suspenseful. I think people who don't mind getting trapped in the best sports book in the world should read this book!!!!

The other readers must have read this right after the Huskies won the championship--the fact that it was such an intoxicating moment for UCONN lovers must have hurt their judgement. I for one *LOVE* UCONN, yet this book reads like a rough draft. Calhoun also reveals little about the season that a devote UCONN fan wouldn't already know. I reccomend "Huskie-Mania" by Jim Shea for Huskie fans out there.

...for the Connecticut Huskies you must read this book. I am a 1995 Graduate of UConn. I was at the school for a chunk of this miraculous decade. And I have never felt more proud of that school or that amazing basketball team than I do after reading this book. Jim Calhoun is funny, strong, tender and candid in this book. A man whom we don't often get an insight to (other than reading a few four letter words on his lips from the sidelines) opens his heart and soul to us in this book. He shares the moments that tore him down, and the moments that made him realize he has the best job in the world. He is an inspiration. A leader. A great coach. And, a champion.

As a UCONN grad (class of 88) this book was a wonderful retrospective of Jim Calhoun's work ethic, love, tragedies, perseverence and humor that led to a storybook finish at the NCAA Final Four. I couldn't put this book down as it took me down memory lane. I really enjoyed Jim's wit and honesty and understand why he has built such a great program. It shows how success is created; with a lttle luck but alot of hard work, perseverence, discipline and making the best of what you have. I think this is a great read for any sports fan but is a must read if you have been caught up in the magic of Connecticut basketball.

Calhoun and Montville have crafted a masterpiece!

Calhoun writes like he talks, quick and witty (yes, it's funny!). It is an effective, fast-break style that has readers feeling like they are participating in one of Calhoun's practices. It is never boring, always moving. If you love UConn hoops, you will love this book -- guaranteed.

Calhoun is never chest-thumping. His tone is honest, warm, and humble. He is even a little self-effacing (hey, not even The Coach is above reproach).

Calhoun takes us from his days at Northeastern and prior, through the Dream Season, and into the X's and O's of the Championship Season. You will want read this slowly because you won't want it to end! There are a plethora of tid-bits and stories about the Calhoun era that even the most avid fans will respond with frequent shouts of "Wow!" and pumps of the fist.

Thanks Coach, and thanks, Leigh -- two guys who bleed Husky blue just like the rest of us in Husky Nation!

this book strays from the inhuman, demonic from hell type of thinking. it goes into quantom physics, and the rip in time, big bang way of thinking.the only thing imight question is his photos of ghosts. ir lights give off a host of lightrefraction, dust e.t.c. all in all a good read. not for your pop ghost hunter. i book that gives one pause to think.

I enjoyed most of the book and the author had some good ideas and interesting tales on the paranormal and combating negative energy. However, I could have done without the anti-liberal tirade near the end.

The writer could have gotten his point across without this sort of commentary, especially when "liberals" are more inclined to be open-minded about subjects like the paranormal and not treat the believer as is he/she is a crackpot. This was the first book I have read by Mr. Eno, but I will never read another because of these comments. If you want to sell a book or want the reader to read more, don't insult them.

This book was better than faces in the window, although it was good too, This is a book I will keep in my library.

While the stories in "Footsteps in the Attic" weren't anything shocking or amazing in most cases, I found them more believable because of it. Eno's simple, no-nonsense style presented the facts of each investigation in logically order.

I was struck by the way Eno would attempt to explain any paranormal activity in non-paranormal terms. This approach gave quiet credence to everything from his personal written accounts to the photographs in the book.

Furthermore, I enjoyed Eno's scientific approach to explaining the existence of ghosts. I found it very plausible, and supported much more strongly than previous explanations I had heard. Eno laid evidence as he saw it on the table repeatedly throughout the book, but always in what I felt were appropriate moments.

If you enjoy ghost stories, paranormal events, or even speculating on the afterlife this is the book for you.

I ripped through this book in a couple of sittings, and literally could not put it down. Paul Eno offers up some fascinating and, what I would call, groundbreaking theories about what exactly ghosts are, and where a lot of those strange little occurrences we have come from. His quantum mechanics approach may set any preconceived notion you have about why we see ghosts on its ear. Be prepared to consider a completely new perspective. The theories are not "dumbed-down" for those of us who have not made a study of quantum physics. They are explained in clear, thoughtful, and concise terms that any lay-person can understand.

The theories he poses go a long way in explaining the extreme and persistent déjà vu I have experienced all my life. The chapter on parasites gave me much insight into what that shadowy little wisp I had in my benign little middle-class house was, why it gained strength over the course of almost two years, and then turned not-so-nice after all. A trusted psychic told me at the time that the thing I had was not human, and that I had picked it up through Tarot cards, both of which Mr. Eno verifies with his explanations.

This is paranormal investigation at its finest. Paul Eno has set himself apart as a top-notch investigator of the paranormal. He and his team investigate, with methodical precision, each of these ghosts, poltergeists/parasites, and "tortured souls" with intellect and compassion. After reading this book, I will NEVER touch a Ouija Board again. Much information is here for the taking - highly recommended for anyone seeking an alternative explanation which is not afraid to deviate from the norm.

Before I state my opinion, let me just say that The River's Edge is a well-written book. There's nothing wrong with the writing, or story line. I gave it a 2-1/2 stars because it is not my cup of tea. It was a bit slow for me and too "clean." It read to me like a Christian type of book that I would pick up at a Christian bookstore. Again, nothing wrong with that, it's just not for me. It felt a little drawn out for me, but it wasn't a bad book.

This is a great book for historical fiction fans, especially those who like World War II stories. The characters are very believable and I especially enjoyed the warmth of humor of Elise's adopted family. I love the way that the author paints a picture, the descriptions are so vivid. I read Marie Bostwick's FIELDS OF GOLD also and I can see that this new authors books are worth my continuing attention. These are stories I continue to think about after I finish the last page and I hated to see them end.

Once again, Marie Bostwick produces a novel that reads like the loveliest painting. Her magical ability to portray every facet of life inspires the reader to self reflect while becoming immersed in the joys, hopes and fears, and challenges of a young girl, as she grows and matures. Interspersed with historical fact, the story creatively places us within the depths of World War II and its affect on families of both Germany and the United States. Although River's Edge points out that life is filled with innumerable boundaries and contradictions, it teaches us that fulfillment is achieved in learning that we are all connected, we have all that we need when we embrace family and friends. Do yourself a favor, buy the book, read the prologue, and I know you will find a connection and want to continue.

This is the story of Elise, a young German whose mother has died and whose military father sends her to America to live with distant relatives she has never met. You feel her pain and frustration for being sent away against her will to a strange land that she eventually learns to love. Then as WWII develops and the US becomes involved, you again feel Elise's pain as she is scorned simply because she is German. And you grow to love the family that took her in as their own and defend her. The story line is amazing and the emotions run deep and the characters are well described and feel like family -- you understand their faults but love them anyway. This book will make you laugh and cry and stay in your thoughts after the last chapter is read.

Even the prologue grabs you right quick and doesn't let go. I had to go back and re-read it again after I finished the novel, as her descriptive prose about the Connecticut River (pages 6 and 7) makes the reader feel as if you were standing at the River's Edge.

This is one of the best novels I have ever read, and by a "newbie" so to speak. This is only her second novel, but is written as if the words just flowed effortlessly from her fingertips. I just love the way she puts her words together and by the time you finish this book you feel connected to the characters in a way that doesn't easily leave you once you close the cover and put the book on the shelf.

The story line revolves around World War II, but is not about the war itself, although historical facts and a few actual incidents and characters are portrayed. It is about a young German girl, Elise, who is sent by her father to live in the States just prior to war-time. Her mother is dead and her father is an officer in the German military and fears for his daughter's safety. An American minister and his family take her in to live with them on their tobacco farm in Connecticut and consequently raise her and love her as one of their own. The other children in the family find her strange and resent her, and Elise struggles to earn their approval and trust, in a land totally unlike her own. After the war breaks and hatred spreads for the Germans and for the loss of American life, Elise is the target of prejudice and hatred in the town where they live, just for what she is and where she came from. The reader accompanies Elise in her struggle to forgive, to understand, to grow, and yes to love, all the people that influenced her on her journey into womanhood. It is amazingly written and wonderful. Don't miss it. Buy it today, and pick up an extra one for a gift. Christmas is right around the corner. Thanks Marie, for a wonderful story. This is a great discussion book for our book club.
October, 2006

Once I started to read this book I couldn't stop until I finished. There were many clues along the way and I kept deciding who was guilty, over and over, a different person each time, until the ending. Juke was a great guy who I would like to meet and, even though he was depressed, the book was uplifting in the end. I hope this turns into a series so I can read every one of them!

I'm always looking for a good book that is easy to read and hard to put down. This is the first book I read by this author, and I absolutely love Juke. I am a big mystery fan but tire of the same old types of heros and heroines. This guy was human. Loved the plot twists and was surprised with the ending. I like when I keep asking myself, "Then WHO could it be?"

Being a huge fan of Mr. Bechard's writing, I was glad to see he wrote another book. Hoping for something in the way of his earlier books, "The Second Greatest Story Ever Told," and "Balls," which are truely excellent books to be treasured! (Note: Do not ever lend these books out without making sure you will get them back! I guarantee you won't!) I was very suprised to find out it was a mystery, without a female heroine, but I warmed up to Juke Miller as soon as I started reading the book. Juke is just as intelligent, humorous, and good hearted as Mr. Bechard's other main character's.

For being a 360 degree turn in genre, I was intrigued with "Good Neighbors." I liked the characters and was totally fooled by the twists and turns in plot. I never guessed the ending! Recommendation: Get the book while it is available or you will be out of luck.

Mr. Bechard has another hit on his hands!

For fans of Lawrence Block's "Matt Scudder" crime novels, or those who would look forward to a combination of "Spencer" and "87th Precinct," I urge you to give Gorman Bechard's "Good Neighbors" a try. In what I hope will be the first of a new series, meet Juke Miller, an ex-cop and current bar owner in a small Connecticut town, who will take you on a truth searching ride that you'll not soon forget; while at the same time giving new meaning to the word "friendship." I very much look forward to Juke Miller's return, and welcome his creator to a short list of superior crime writers. And to the publisher, Carroll & Graf, I humbly suggest it find a new jacket designer for future "Juke Miller" books.

From the minute I started reading this book, I could not put it down. Gorman Bechard once again creates warm, deep characters who are truly believable. This book reminded me of the best character mysteries by Michael Connelly ("The Poet", The Bosch Series) with the humanity of Minette Walters ("The Scuptress", "Scolds Bridle"). Gorman Bechard moves to the top of my 'must read' author list.

Actually this is the second copy of this book I purchased. The first copy my wife and I read, and then sent to friends and relatives in Florida.

This past summer, we had relatives from the mid-west who visited and were impressed with New England and especially Connecticut, so we purchased another copy to send to them. It gives you a taste of Connecticut and leaves you looking for more. So hopefully they will come back to visit Connecticut again.

I ordered this book for my husband, we now reside in California, so I thought he would enjoy it for Christmas. I also purchased one for my inlaws. When I received it I was very surprised at how samll this book is. It measures approx. 7 - 8 inches across the cover. I would have liked it more if it was a bigger book with larger pictures.

A delightful compendium of Charles Monagan's Connecticut Magazine columns written over the years, his collection features some of Connecticut's most beloved sights. It also includes a few of Connecticut's own original inventions, such as Pez, Mounds Bar, The Colt .45, Wiffle Ball, The Top-Sider, Raggedy Ann, Silly Putty, The Sunfish, and Witch Hazel. It's a collection that will leave even those who have lived in Connecticut all of their lives saying, "Wow, I never knew that about Connecticut!" Monagan's prose is elegant, colorful and rich in detail, and each of the 50 essays is thoroughly enjoyable.

The author takes us on a journey through a State that is vibrant in all of its natural offerings. His first stop is "that charming little archipelago off the Branford coast" - The Thimble Islands, one of which Monahan describes with characteristic eloquence: "a lone house sits possessively astride its rock like an insect on a bread crumb." His collection concludes with a look at Connecticut's lighthouses. He asks the reader, "Who isn't drawn to the image of the faithful, unwavering light flashing high above the crashing waves or through a gathering mist?" Who isn't indeed!

Monagan artfully captures with vivid imagery the finer points of the Connecticut locales he has chosen to profile, including such interesting spots as The Sleeping Giant, Hammonasset Beach, Cornwall Bridge (a 137 year old covered bridge that spans the Housatonic River between Sharon and West Cornwall, Gillette Castle, and Castle Craig. He takes us along the Merritt Parkway and the Post Road, to the Waterbury Train Tower, to the Town Greens and the State Capitol, and shows us with luscious language what makes each attraction special in its own unique Connecticut kind of way.

This book is a wonderful resource and great conversation starter. Every Nutmegger should have one on the coffee table!

"Connecticut Icons: 50 Symbols of the Nutmeg State" by Charles Monagan, provides a multi-angled window on the frugal beauty of this place of American origin, Connecticut, evoking its character, traits, and values. Each of the entries gives pithy portraits of sites, facts, and things, resonant with history and laden with a poetic meaning as well as the pragmatism of a people who like to make things work. Whether writing on the hot dog from Blackie's or a gaudy castle, an Italianate train tower in Waterbury or the wiffle ball born of Shelton plastics, roadways as cluttered as the Berlin Turnpike or as would-be pastoral as the Merritt Parkway, a Mounds bar from the Armenian ingenuity of Naugatuck or the Sperry top-sider concocted on the Long Island shores in 1937, amusement parks of yesteryear or white clam pizza, the Yale Bowl's football unheroics or the state capitol's misplaced golden dome, Monagan can turn the banality of the everyday into poetry and history. "Connecticut icons" conjures taken-for-granted foods, tools, greens, roadways, or buildings into signifying traits of deeper value, ethical qualities like "reliability," spareness, frugality, decorum, pride in labor, under-statement, exactitude. This is a splendid book, a work of character, insight and staunch beauty worthy of its subjects.

Pondering "things most of us see but take for granted, that could take a closer look," Monagan graphs a deft "iconography" of place combining sensibility and research, humor, local color, and common sense. If Connecticut "sit[s] between Rhode Island clam chowder and Manhattan clam chowder without a chowder to call our own," there is much else to savor and praise. From witch hazel to tobacco sheds and steamed cheeseburgers and the Cornwall Bridge, "Connecticut Icons" is a work the great Walt Whitman would love and honor as bric-a-brac of the American sublime.

There is a superb essay on Connecticut as ethos and place by the great American poet, Wallace Stevens, who spent the better part of his life in the insurance business and poetry vocation in Hartford, where he had migrated from Pennsylvania Bucks County. It is the best meditation I had ever read on what makes Connecticut abide as place, value, and style in some thrifty, pragmatic way. "It is a question of coming home to the American self in the sort of place in which it was formed," Stevens writes, affirming his ties to "an origin of hardihood, good faith and good will." I go back to it now and then, for inspiration and an overview of this "place of origin." In these bleak times, we need to be reminded of such values. Steven's essay is the only thing that comes close--though in a far less detailed and dated way-- to the under-stated beauty, joy, and insight of "Connecticut Icons."

I bought this book as a gift for a Connecticut native who moved out of state for work and he said it is one of the best gifts he has ever received. This book makes a great gift for your friends who love Connecticut and now find themselves living elsewhere but still pining for Connecticut. It is also a nice way to introduce people to many of the charming sites in Connecticut.

This is a book I will use for a beginning writing class at the university level. It's a quick read for that purpose and relates a piece of black and white history previously unknown. Because of the size and large print, it has the feel of a children's book, but it reads like adult nonfiction.

This book is about a woman named Prudence Crandal who risked her life to teach african american students. This book is filled with pictures that make the book more fun to read. I definitally reccomed this book!

This story is about a white woman who taught African American girls. They were tormented, the house was set on fire. Pictures are artifacts.

This was beyond a doubt the best non-fiction book I have ever read. The author describes things so vividly it is almost as if you are with Prudence Crandall from the time she opened her school until after it was closed in 1835. Suzanne Jurmain photocopied actual newspaper articles about the schoolhouse and the events surrounding the schoolhouse in the book, so we readers could see them, and not just have the quotes. I recommend this book because I loved every minute of reading it. Every chapter ended with a cliffhanger. For instance, at the end of chapter three: "Things were even better than Prudence might have expected. The pieces were falling into place. The building was ready. The students were waiting. All Prudence had to do now was open her new school."
I like historical non-fiction (from the 1800's) because I like knowing how life was during the time period. How did people dress? How did they act? I like to be able to answer my own questions like that, and this book explains it well. It was really like being there with Prudence Crandall.

In this book, The Forbidden School House, by Suzanne Jurmain, the author uses great detail to describe the lives of the young students, and the teacher Ms. Prudence Crandall, who was a major women's and equal rights advocate. "Although many nineteenth-century people thought educating women was a waste Prudence didn't agree. She expected her girls to learn." p. 2. This quote from the book really expresses the way that

Prudence felt about educating women, and the classes that she taught are also a strong example that she loved teaching and wanted her students to get the most out of it. Prudence was already way ahead of her time opening this incredible private girls academy, but when she began letting young black girls in the school I knew I had hit the climax of the book and found how really implausible Ms. Crandall really was. Though she went through many hardships in her teaching and lost many students when a black girl was enrolled, she kept pursuing her goal, which was to help the young black girls of America get a good education. Ms. Prudence Crandall really strived to reach her goal, and although she may not have changed the governments mind about the feelings towards black people she helped begin it. And to finish something or to reach a goal one must begin.
This was an amazing book, I was incredibly moved by the story of Ms. Prudence Crandall and will never forget it. I really agreed and was inspired by her remarkable actions, giving myself the self-esteem to pursue a risky goal. To me Prudence was a remarkable women and this book really gave me a great insight into what she and her students had to go through to make a difference that would change black and white women's education forever. Although Prudence was forced to shut her school down she never gave up her dream to fight against slavery. She knew that what she had done by opening the school to African-American girls in the country was a huge step up to where we are today, where the color of skin does not matter and women are encouraged to peruse an education.

Richard Yates' "A Good School" is a good book. It takes you through the last days of a declining prep school in the Northeast during World War II. It is less a book about one person than about the chorus of people who make up the community -- from the Coach to the French teacher to the foreign student to the daughter of the Headmaster to the regular students themselves.

I went to a prep school. There's a lot to remind me of that time -- the oddity of being alone in a place that spends so much emphasis on rigid rituals, at a time in life when you need personal attention.

I suppose it reminds me a lot of "Seasoned Timber," another novel about private schools in New England.

It is not just the subject but really the approach. Yates has a way of spending a lot of time telling you what is happening. Some people prefer a writer who shows you things. The benefit is that as a reader you don't miss out on any of the underlying psychological weight among the characters. The cost is that you're one step removed from experiencing the story.

Richard Yates is one of the few truly great masters of 20th century fiction. His novels and short stories are populated with people who fiercely strive for what is just beyond their grasp, and who must - often quite painfully - suffer the consequences of their hopes and ambitions. The beauty of watching as these lives savagely unfold is the compassion Yates so delicately weaves into his depictions. First we feel a kind of condescending pity for these characters, then we find we are overwhelmed with their plight and their grief. And then finally the line between fiction and reality blurs, and we realize that these characters are not merely so much like us, they are us - with their denial and their fantasy and their unfounded hope in the future - and we grieve for them as we grieve for ourselves.
His short coming-of-age "A Good School" is something of a departure from the typical Yatesian heartbreak and squalor. In fact, the tone here, despite some shockingly grim and disturbing moments, is mostly upbeat. We follow the adolescent adventures of a boy named William Grove, a man with no real father figure (his parents are divorced) who tries to make a man out of himself after he is shipped to a boarding school designed for "individual" children who don't fit in elsewhere. Left to his own devices, without any real encouragement from the school or at home, and after several difficult missteps that nearly cement him as a permanent outcast, Grove slowly and unknowingly begins to make a name for himself by throwing himself into the only small door he is ever offered - the offices of the school paper.
The cast of the book is rounded out by in intriguing hodge-podge of boarding school characters, equally flailing around in their quest to become men. Even though their stories are unfolding off to the side, Yates somehow manages to tell each of their stories with a richness and intensity that belies their sparseness.
This is ground that has been covered before. One cannot help but think of other prep school novels (like Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye" and Hesse's "Beneath the Wheel") but even in familiar territory, Yates stakes out a claim all his own. This is a short, spare book filled with dozens of stories that build and develop throughout the novel. Old Yates fans will be pleased with this surprising detour into the world of adolescence, the unusual lightness of his tone, and the freshness of his view from this familiar literary perch. For new readers, I would definitely suggest reading the novel "Revolutionary Road," or some of the short stories first. But all in all, a must-read for everyone. I recommend it highly.

Richard Yates is simply a master of fiction. Although not as good as "Revolutionary Road" or his short stories, both of which are about as good as it gets, he still manages to take a microscope to the lives and interactions of many students and teachers at Dorset Academy, a small all-boys academy. Yates somehow manages to juggle dozens of characters and how they interact with one another in this small place, all with a war and a draft going on in a background. The book reads like "The Spoon River Anthology" with all of these characters flashing in and out, all the while Yates does a wonderful job of ensuring all of the voices are different. From the outcasts to the class president, each character is shown clearly and you never have what has been a common occurrence with fiction today that juggles multiple characters - that of all of the voices sounding exactly the same. I think what ultimately makes this novel successful is how vulnerable Yates is able to depict everyone. I loved this book and think this writer should forever remain in discussions of the best writers of the twentieth century.

Richard Yates is probably one of the greatest writers of the latter half of the 20th century. It is a shame that more attention is not paid to his works and that I had to wait until my senior year in college before I had even heard of him.

He is a master of getting at the core of human emotion. The frustration, anger, jealousy, pity, and loss that his characters experience is so real and raw that the reader almost feels uncomfortable at times just reading the words - almost as if Yates has transformed his audience into morbidly fascinated voyeurs, unable to look away but knowing that they should.

If one is to accomplish nothing else in their literary pursuits, they should take it upon themselves to read every book that Yates ever published. It is amazing what one can take away about themselves after reading his novels.

The late Richard Yates seems to have fallen through the cracks of 20th-century literature, but if you haven't read him, you owe yourself a look. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD is considered his masterpiece, but A GOOD SCHOOL is an accessible introduction to his oeuvre as well, especially if you are a fan of prep school books in the tradition of A SEPARATE PEACE and THE CATCHER IN THE RYE.

That said, readers should know that Yates' book is much more graphic than either Knowles' or Salinger's. No, it's not over-the-top or anything like that (being written in 1978), but it does have its "boys-will-be-disgusting-boys" moments, with the protagonist, William Grove, being one of the victims early in its pages.

The book is set in northern Connecticut -- a typical prep school milieu -- only it's the war years (1941-44) and this school is for boys that most prestigious private schools won't touch. Grove, of course, is perceived as a loser by the other boys and has to make a name for himself as he best can. Meanwhile, Yates treats us to a wide array of characters, from the teachers to the boys to a certain teacher's daughter, and somehow holds it together. We are treated to the usual issues of young love and lust -- as well as to the equally-usual issues of middle-aged love and lust. We also watch Groves as he finds a calling on the school newspaper while trying to fit in with the other boys.

Yates has a straight-forward style and understands the subtleties of the heart. He shows how desperate these boys are for friendship and recognition in the tumultuous "pecking order" of everyday life, and how awkward some of these pleas for friendship become. It's the little things that add up in this book, such as when we watch Groves and other boys trying to be casual as they ask another boy to room with them next year and when we see how crushed and hurt they are by rejection. More than once, he notes how similar the boys' desire for male friendship and acceptance comes to their longing for a girl and love. He is in that strange and sometimes dark terrain we know as the human heart.

I heartily recommend adding Yates to your reading résumé. This "good" school is tuition-free (for you) and will definitely pay off, hopefully leading you to other works by this fine writer.

Here We All Are (26 Fairmount Avenue)The next book in a wonderful series by Tomie dePaola, this short chapter book written especially for his chosen audience, is the part of his life when his family is completed; his baby sister is born. Parents and children will love the easy way that Tomie blends the real view points of children with the stuff that adults think is so important. Bravo.

Growing up can be a challenge for any young child and Tomie was no exception to the rule. Tomie took his liability and figured out how to turn it around to his advantage. This book shows that anyone big or small can follow their heart and make their dreams come true. Tome Depaola wrote and illustrated this book for readers to understand that time changes but childhood experiences remain the same for all individuals. I highly recommend this chapter book for any child experiencing the introduction of a new sibling or the adventure of moving to a new environment. Especially for a mischievous young boy who is full of life. I think this book can give them the positive drive to be creative and inspire them to bloom where they are planted.

This book really brings together all facets of the family that children and young readers can easily understand. I would recommend the book for all ages.

What makes Tomie de Paola such an endearing (and enduring) children's book writer is the fact that he has never lost touch with the magic of childhood. An autobiography that embodies this quality is bound to appeal to children, especially as Mr. de Paola relates this slice-of-life story from the perspective of a young boy growing up. In this installment of the 26 Fairmount Avenue series, Tomie recounts the arrival of his new baby sister, Maureen; to this day, he is extremely close to his younger sibling. The book, with de Paola's customary gentle wit, provides young readers and writers with an admirable example of the art of autobiography. The author's charming illustrations complement the lyrical text.

Here We All Are is the latest chapter book by Tomie dePaola about his childhood. It tells the story of Tomie and his family as they move into their new house at 26 Fairmount Avenue in Meriden, Connecticut, and the exciting things that happen to Tomie during his first year in school. Tomie is a very bright and curious little boy, but he doesn't always follow the rules his strict teacher sets out. He steals the show when the kindergartners put on a play, and often breaks into song when he is supposed to be napping. Things go better for Tomie when he begins taking dance lessons with the kind Miss Leah. The highlight of the book is the birth of Tomie's baby sister "with a red ribbon in her hair", just as Tomie hoped and prayed.

Our favorite parts of the book probably were the parts where Tomie caused trouble in school without really meaning too, especially when he totally derails the class production of "Peter Rabbit". Lots of kids can relate to the experience of getting in trouble for just being themselves. Knowing that young Tomie grew up to be a successful author, artist, and dancer helps kids see that they don't have to be perfect or just like everyone else in order to do well in life.

We would recommend this great book to anyone in grades K through 4. The stories in it are ones that children of that age would love to hear and would definitely be able to connect with, although it would probably need to be read aloud to kindergarten and first graders. The reading level is just about perfect for second and third grade. Fourth graders probably won't find the reading hard, but they will be able to use this book as a way to get a look into how Tomie's other stories and artwork came to be.

By the way, this book is the second in a series of chapter books about Tomie's childhood. The first is called 26 Fairmount Avenue, and it is just as good. The third one should be out later this year.