Maine Books

A very enjoyable story for children as well as adults. It teaches a valuable lesson about overcoming obstacles to achieve a goal. The story is both entertaining and educational. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about what life was like in Maine during the shipbuilding era of the early 1900s.

Ken Nye's poems share the joys of home and family life in the beautiful Maine countryside. Here is a poetic feast for those who love the state of Maine and those who simply love a Maine state of mind. His images are strong and honest and the reader will come away with a sense of friendship with this fine, accessible poet.

When I was a young woman, I was drawn to Vanessa's character, a woman unhappy in marriage and her seeming lack of possibilities. Her story stayed with me, over the years, and I am pleased to learn this book is available for me to re-read and reacquaint myself with her from a more mature perspective. It is a story of forbidden passion, a woman who finds herself in the eyes of a married man, a woman who has to learn to deal with the unCinderella like ending.

I had been to Sebago Lake once to visit a relative and have ancestors from the Standish and Baldwin, Maine areas so it was very interesting and informative to see photos of the area.

I read one chapter a day of The Secret of the Missing Grave to my students in grades three through six in preparation for a visit from the author, David Crossman. At the end of each chapter there was always a chorus of, "No! Don't stop now!" as new plot twists kept readers on the edge of their seats. The end of the book had students begging for the sequel, Mystery of the Black Moriah. There was not a single student, boy or girl, third grader or sixth grader, who was not enthralled with the book.

The cover of Brenda Kay Ledford's poetry book causes you to open the book and begin reading about the people of Shew Bird Mountain. Her poems recall the past with imaginative quality and universal appeal for anyone who has experienced rural life. Her poems come from the culture of southwestern North Carolina, a vivid description of quiltings, churning butter, preparing foods, blue grass music and the scenic beauty around Shew Bird Mountain. Her childhood memories give her a magnificent treasure chest that she uses most effectively. I will read "Shew Bird Mountain" often to recall a time that is quickly passing away.

A Shower of Stars is a fascinating book about the Civil War. This is a true study of our American History, Mr. Pullen has reseached and interviewed the historians of the Civil War era. The anthropological skills of this author is amazing! In each of our attics (storage places), holds the future of the truth. I wholeheartedly endorse this book. A Shower of Stars is brilliantly written!

Howard Stein greets us where "prairie grasslands sprawl," "Cottonwood line a creek bed," and "a thunderstorm approaches / the way a mouth engulfs its prey." Stein's vivid poems welcome the reader to join in on the poet's journey of finding beauty in simple things, all the while provoking us to a deeper level of thought and self reflection. Excellent!

This book documents how one shipping family began a career in maritime entrepreneurship that ultimately spanned three centuries. Using primary source documents, particularly commerce records, account books and ship's logbooks, Erminie Reynolds and Ken Martin have woven a highly readable, energetic chronicle of shipbuilding that transcends previous histories on these topics.

Several revelations are striking and worthy of note. One is the influence of local entrepreneurs in the 18th and early 19th century on shaping issues and decisions at the national and international levels. Another is the pervading influence of maritime trade on 19th century life.

A fine publication from the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath. 246 pgs., including comprehensive Index, Bibliography, and Appendices that cover listings of Skolfield and Related Vessels, and Skolfield Mariners.

Olmstead is a master of the language, technical and common. The book itself may be one of the most mythic stories ever told, yet Olmstead never tries to make the story or its residents "large." He is content to place his characters in your path and smile when you are bowled over by the love that resonates in their lives.