Connecticut Books

More than words was prepared by the Department of Christian Education of the Executive Council of the Protestant Episcopal Church at the direction of General Convention as part of the seventh-grade course in The Seabury Series (the Church's Teaching for closely graded church schools).

When I was researching my historical fiction children's book, Tagger, Alone Along the Mystic River, to assure historical accuracy, I used Bill Peterson's book as a reference point. He's done a masterful job of capturing the shipbuilding activities that took place on the Mystic River. Also, he's recognized as the number one expert on life on the Mystic throughout its history.

This small (24 pages) volume was published in 1913. It contains everything known about Nathaniel Merriman at that time. It is great for geneology. The books is a series of facts in chronological sequence. Therefore, it is dry reading for the average reader.

Ideal for planing your trip to New England area. You will have several routs to explore this part of the country. Tips, Maps and Photographs that give you a very good picture of your trip. This will help you to don't miss any of the important places of the road.

Jenny's a painter in a family full of sports lovers. She can't catch a ball to save her life. Is it any wonder she feels like an outsider in her own family?

While she has always known that she's the product of a sperm donor, it never really made much difference until she reads an article about tracking down relations. Now she can't let go of the idea.

Could there be a sibling out there, just like her? Is Jenny brave enough to meet her half-sister once she finds her?

Finally, Jenny believes she's found the part of her that's been missing for years.

Emily Franklin's written another notable drama full of high angst where the main character struggles to find her identity.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

Probably the most captivating book I have ever read. See throught the eyes of an black man before, during and after the civil war. Get first hand accounts of his options and interactions during the 19th century. You really feel as if he is sitting before you and telling about his life as a black man, soldier, and Christian. Hear of his first hand encounter with President Lincoln. This is a must read book for anyone that has a bit of interest in history, as well as anyone that has a concern for plight of African Americans through out American history and today. You will not regret buying this book ever and you will want everyone you know to read it.

This book, wonderfully written by Dr. Herb Janick, chronicles the life of this small state university from its beginnings as a State Normal School through its current status as a high quality, affordable state university. Janick writes the book as if he were there - his research skills are astounding, and his obvious adoration for the topic are so evident. I would recmmend this book whole-heartedly, even for someone who doesn't know the school or is even interested in attending Western; you'll be glad you know a bit more about the history of this university and the history of the city of Danbury, Connecticut.

This book is incredibly well written. Warner uses beautiful language to captivate her readers. The book is full of information on the historic town of Middletown. It provides great reading and you're sure to get your money's worth. For an even better deal, be sure to check out the copy signed by the author.

Heuman's book is fun & informative. Informative because it gives a rich and realistic account of the institutional roles and norms relevant to the world of plea bargaining. We hear what lawyers and judges really think about the plea bargaining process - plea bargaining is described in terms of economic efficiency, strategic game-playing, gambling (ie calling the other guy's bluff), social work, and even insurance adjusting. Anyone who thinks that for our criminal justice system Gideon's trumpet is the rule rather than the exception will surely realize her naivete after considering Heumann's research. The book is fun because of the candid - often profane - responses (I happen to like the image of lawyers one-upping each other in court using made up cases...). We even hear about the "lighter side" of the study as the young, awkward, and bespectacled researcher barges through the judge's entrance and into a courtroom before a standing audience, much to his embarassment.

I am concerned that the research may be dated. The study may have been valuable in 1973 to contest the "Perry Mason" caricature of the criminal justice system. I would guess that law school graduates and public law students would not be so surprised by the "real world" of plea bargaining in 1998. Not only are we 25 years less naïve than the generation raised on Perry Mason, I think we tend to approach the criminal justice system with the same cynical outlook described in the research. Shows like Perry Mason, and more recently, Matlock and L.A. Law, have since been replaced by NYPD Blue, Law and Order, and Homicide Life On The Street (not to mention the nightly news). Adaptation to plea bargaining roles is surely still necessary, but I would expect that today's newcomers are not taken totally off guard as are Heumann's interviewees. As cynicism, bureaucratization, and even plea bargaining have become more commonplace in our legal, educational, and popular cultures, I would not be surprised if the same research conducted today would have different and less-revelatory results.

I am more concerned about the relevance of the research in the context of contemporary public law literature. As is often the case with political science research (in sub-fields other than political theory, that is) the research itself is top-notch but the theory section (a scant six pages) is somewhat lacking. The book appears to be a welcome addition to literature on plea bargaining and an excellent case for adjusting law school curricula to the real world of criminal justice. I am less clear on the relevance of the research to political science. The book's strength is also its greatest weakness: in presenting a focused and detailed account of the goings-on behind closed doors, the research risks taking the "public" out of public law. The only justification Heumann offers for contesting the "case pressure" thesis is to make a case against the abolition of plea bargaining (p. 2). Yet midway through, the researcher admits that he has only put himself up against a Straw-Man: (p. 117) "prosecutors tend to view the very notion of eliminating plea bargaining as a fake issue, a straw-man proposition." I am even less convinced that the abolition of plea bargaining is a relevant argument in today's context, let alone in 1973.

Fortunately, the research is good enough that it is interesting in its own right despite its dated-ness and questionable relevance to political science. This is good reading, but for today's public law students it is like a pile of even the best home-fried potatoes: to be taken with a grain of salt.

Voice recreates 1946 small town, post war America in December. Katie is stalked by an anonymous letter writer accusing her of murder - the accidental drowning of her foster sister when they were children. Curtiss recreates the nosiness of small town America. One woman feels it is early too decorate her shop for Christmas - in early December! The characters are believeable: Katie the young career woman from New York City, her childhood boyfriend now engaged to the witness to the accidental drowning, Katie's fiance, and a mild mannered detective who reminds the reader of a young LIeutenant Columbo, quiet but capable and not to be underestimated. Curtiss creates a neatly interwoven set of characters during a New England winter. As the cold and snow increase, so do the murders. Keeps the reader guessing to the very end. Great climactic scene when Katie realizes the identity of the killer who realizes HIS error...