Wisconsin Books

Moran has done a wonderful job capturing this magical run to the Final Four. Anyone who was there will relive their moments, and those that weren't will feel like they were. This is a must read for all followers of Marquette Basketball.

This book has it all! It shows the fascinating and touching interactions of preschoolers and teachers, the dilemmas and joys parents face as they watch their children grow, and the nitty-gritty details of what a child-care center needs to do to survive financially and provide high quality care. The characterization is strong, and I found that I really came to care about the particular children and teachers in the book. As a parent, I was entertained by some of the children's very familiar antics. When I was finished with the book, I passed it along to the director of my son's preschool, and she found it so interesting and informative that she's been having her staff read it. Enjoy!

Wisconsin has a very strange and notorious history of serial killers and macabre murders ranging from such infamous characters as Ed Gein and Jeffrey Dahmer. "Got Murder?: The Shocking Story Of Wisconsin's Notorious Killers" by Wisconsin author Martin Hintz is a compilation of Badger State crimes and criminals whose lethal behavior has never been so well detailed and annotated. as they have in this compendium of true crime stories. From the murder of Frank Lloyd Wrights lover and her children with a hatchet; to Ed Gein's grave robbing and bizarre butchery; to a deer-hunting trip that left six people dead, to the cannibalism of Jeffrey Dahmer, these stories range from Wisconsin's pioneer era down to today's newspaper headlines. Strongly recommended for personal and community library 'true crime' collections and reading lists, "Got Murder?" is fascinating, riveting anthology of stories that brings a whole new and dark dimension to Wisconsin history.

If you grew up in the 1950s, you like reading about the era, or you like the solid, no-nonsense delicious cooking of the period, check out Farmington, New Mexico author Louise Hoffmann's autobiography `Goulash and Picking Pickles.' Ms. Hoffmann grew up in Wisconsin, a teacher's kid in a German Lutheran family. Her father taught her from first through 8th grade, and he expected nothing but the best school work from her.

He also loved her, in his way. So did her mother and four siblings. Therefore `Goulash and Picking Pickles' is a zesty mix of tender, frustrating, funny, scary, wonderful, and terrifying moments of growing up the daughter of a fairly important person in a small, homogenous town.

Anyone with strong ethnic roots will find something to identify with in `Goulash and Picking Pickles.' Hoffmann recalls such things of singing `Silent Night' in both German and English, following the strict rules laid down by her father, and learning about her roots from her grandparents.

Baby boomers will especially like `Goulash and Picking Pickles,' because it describes the things kids did in the 1950s and 1960s: sleep-overs, sock hops, finding ways to earn pocket money, going to church, wondering about boys, love--and death.

Ms. Hoffmann closes each chapter of her book with a family recipe, Grandma's Potato Salad, Zucchini Pickles, or Easy Summer Salad. The simple directions and ingredients will bring back memories to anyone who grew upon family picnics and church covered-dish suppers.

A teacher and librarian, Louise Hoffmann writes in an easy-to-read down-home style that will get a lot of older readers saying `gee I remember when---,' and a lot of younger ones asking Grandma `what happened when--?'

`Goulash and Picking Pickles' should be on on every family's list of heritage books to read. It's a great way to get people telling family stories. It's a good example to look at if someone is interested in writing their own memoir or autobiography.

The Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) was the first and largest of the veterans organizations of the 19th century. Comprised of survivors who served in the Union army during the American Civil War, the G.A.R. became a social, economic, and political influence in America's post-war affairs well into the early years of the 20th century. Researched, compiled, and organized by Thomas J. McCrory, Grand Army Of The Republic: Department Of Wisconsin is a unique and comprehensive resource of detailed information about Wisconsin's representation in the ranks of the G.A.R., complete with listings of officers and other leaders, rosters of the state's posts, data about membership, information on all medals and badges, and a great deal more. Simply put, no academic library's Civil Wars Studies collection in general, and no Badger State community library's Wisconsin History collection in particular, can be considered complete or comprehensive without the inclusion of Thomas McCrory's Grand Army Of The Republic: Department Of Wisconsin.

I'd like to collect these, but the prices for the sets are insane and buying them individually means shipping costs added on. However, if you're lucky enough to find these somewhere or can afford them, I highly recommend these books! They're written at a junior high/YA age level but could be enjoyed by grade school readers with good reading skills. They'd also be good read-alouds because adults will enjoy them, too. They take place at the turn of the century--1910 in this book--in Wisconsin.

This one, Grandpa's Stolen Treasure, is about Kate O'Connell and her family. Kate's grandparents are arriving from Sweden, and everyone waits for them at the station...but they never arrive. Then a telegram arrives from Grandpa, who is in Duluth and writes that he's lost Grandma! But Grandma isn't lost...she's been kidnapped and the family must find out why anyone would want to steal their grandmother. It's hard to resist a book about stolen grandmothers...and stolen treasure.

(The above numerical rating is a default setting embedded in Amazon's format. This reviewer does not generally employ numerical ratings.)

Preston carefully examines the many forms of advertising misrepresentation, with special attention to "puffery", which is currently legal but which the author shows to be harmful to the unwary consumer.

Source notes, table of legal cases, index.

This is possibly Vesaas' main work, and at least among his 5 best tales. The book is about Per, the farm he is born on, and everything that comes from that. It is simply put the classic European tale of pre-modern rural life. The family is large; their lives revolve around the different seasons and not much decadence at all is to be found. You could call this an epic tale, since it spans Per's entire life; from childhood to old age. He has no desire to take over the farm from his father, but as the time passes by, he realizes that he too is part of the great cycle, hence the title. I can't recommend this enough; the only annoying part I can think of is the fact that I'm unsure if the follow-up novel has been translated to English. Although, don't let that be any reason to keep you away from this book, because if you want to read one of the North's greatest author at his best, then this is the place to start. Two thumbs up!

(I read a different edition of the book)

This is a great book for those of you who enjoy golfing in out-of-the-way courses. We used this book for a recent vacation and had a wonderful time. The book had accurate descriptions of courses. Enjoy!!

Great Moments In Wisconsin Sports is a trivia book especially for Wisconsin sports fans, collecting more than 40 of the greatest achievements in Wisconsin sports history. Categorizing its remarkable events by individual sport, Great Moments In Wisconsin Sports covers individual and team athletic accomplishments, incredible winning streaks, little-known records, jaw-dropping trivia secrets and much more. An especial delight for sports enthusiasts and trivia buffs.