The Big Book of How is a wonderful addition to any child's library. The information is given through easy but not condescending text and playful illustrations. This is a book even uncles and aunts and grandparents should have on hand for those rainy day visits by the children they love. Highly recommended.

John the Skeleton is one of those books that is a welcome surprise and a joyful way to brighten your day. Triinu Laan has given us this wonderful story of a retired school skeleton that becomes part of a older couples' life. John has his adventures mainly through his inclusion into every day life by his new companions. The illustrations are great and fit both the characters and the stories perfectly. I have a few nieces and nephews to send copies and a couple adults who will love it just as much. Highly recommended.

The Goat and the Stoat and the Boat by Em Lynas & Matt Hunt.

The story in this book is told in verse with clever and funny rhymes that will delight children and the adults who share it. The illustrations are colorful and lively. The story tells of a friendship that didn't start smoothly but ends up with two happy fellow passengers on a boat. I can't wait to have on of my great nieces or nephews read it.
Highly recommended.

Old Indian Legends by Zitkala-Sa. This is a wonderful book of Native American stories many learned by the author when she was a child growing up on the Yankton Lakota reservation. Zitkala-Sa was a leading advocate for Native American rights and co-founder of the National Council of American Indians in 1926. She was also a well respected musician and writer who, with William F. Hanson composed the first Native American opera The Sun Dance Opera. The stories in this book reflect the pride that the author had in her culture. She originally collected them to be read by children but the wisdom and joy found in these stories will touch any reader that opens their hearts to them.

"Women Warriors" by Pamela Toler is a fascinating and important book. It tells the stories of women warriors, many of whom have been forgotten or relegated to the back pages of history. This book not only brings their stories to light but also puts them into historical context and illuminates the reader to the importance of their struggles. The book moves quickly from one story, one theme to the next and is a book you won't be able to put down. I highly recommend it for all.

I enjoyed Andy Duncan's recent collection of short stories, "An Agent of Utopia" a great deal. The characters - many taken from the real world - were filled with human frailties and strengths. The complexity of his characters propelled the stories along and provided interesting twists and turns as the stories unfolded. I especially enjoyed the title story, Zora and the Zombies and Unique Chicken Goes in Reverse. The Map to the Homes of the Stars was almost an anti-coming of age story. I liked the way the stories teetered on the edge of fantasy. Highly recommended.

"Tales of India" is a excellent book on so many levels. Physically the cover and design are beautiful and harken back to the days when books were works of art. The wonderful illustrations by Svabbu Kohli and Viplov Singh are colorful, playful and perfectly suited to each story. The stories represent tales from Bengal, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu and include stories that are classics and some that are a bit more unknown. The types of tales covered are Animal Tales, Outwitting and Outwitted and Life and Death. This book will appeal to older children and adults alike. The book is a excellent introduction to the beautiful folktales of India and will engage both your eyes and your imagination. Highly recommended.

Ghostly Tales is a beautiful book that would make a great gift to a friend or even to yourself. Bill Bragg's illustrations are perfect for the stories and give each tale just the right visual atmosphere. The stories are by well known authors and are available in other collections but this volume with its great illustrations, elegant design and well selected tales is a perfect book to read on Halloween night or to send to a friend who enjoys the thrill of a scary story. Recommended.

First Time Ever: A Memoir by Peggy Seeger
Faber & Faber, 2017
978-0-571-33679-1

“First Time Ever” is an incredible book written with honesty and candor by one of the seminal figures in the folk music scene. Peggy Seeger comes from a musical family, her parents Charles and Ruth and her brothers Mike and Pete and was exposed during her childhood to some of the most influential artists of that era. We get to see that parade of people through her eyes in this wonderful book and also insights into the postwar era of America. She also lets us into her personal world with honest observations about the world that she has travelled in during her life as a musician. She recalls her years with writer and performer Ewan MacColl; their love and their collaborations. I recommend this book highly not only to those who love folk music but those who love life.

Innocent Heroes by Sigmund Brouwer. Innocent Heroes is a book about the animals that are caught up in the horrors of World War One. Each fictional chapter is followed by the true story that inspired it. The stories not only talk about the heroism of the animals involved but also address issues of racism, the bond between soldiers, and the rise of the a national identity for Canada. I found the stories to be very heart warming and the three main human characters soon become very real. The amazing stories of the dogs, pigeons, horses, mules, and cats that interact and often save the lives of their human companions reinforce the bond that we know we have with the animal world. An important book for both young adults and adults. The history behind the stories of the Battle of Vimy Ridge and its part in the rise of of a Canadian identity was also most interesting.

"Now With Kung Fu Grip" is an important book for any American martial artist. Author Jared Miracle traces the history of the martial arts of Asia and their journey to America and their evolution in the hands of American martial artists. Miracle talks about the scholars like Donn Draeger and Robert Smith as well as the self promoting shadowy figures like Count Dante. He debunks many of the myths commonly found in dojos and also talks about their place in the folklore of the martial arts community. In the book he talks about the evolution of the masculine identity in America, the relationship in Japan between the martial arts and radical imperialism, and the tension between those who see the martial arts in their true historical context and those who see it for self promotion and monetary gain. An important book that I will recommend to all my friends who are interested in the martial arts.