The Piano Teacher
by Janice Y. K. Lee
Published 2009 by Viking Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780670020485

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Jacket Notes:

In the sweeping tradition of "The English Patient" comes this gripping tale set in war-torn Hong Kong. Rich with intrigue, romance, and betrayal, this wonderfully written, utterly captivating novel dazzles . . .--Chang-rae Lee.

REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 09/08/2008

Former Elle editor Lee delivers a standout debut dealing with the rigors of love and survival during a time of war, and the consequences of choices made under duress. Claire Pendleton, newly married and arrived in Hong Kong in 1952, finds work giving piano lessons to the daughter of Melody and Victor Chen, a wealthy Chinese couple. While the girl is less than interested in music, the Chens' flinty British expat driver, Will Truesdale, is certainly interested in Claire, and vice versa. Their fast-blossoming affair is juxtaposed against a plot line beginning in 1941 when Will gets swept up by the beautiful and tempestuous Trudy Liang, and then follows through his life during the Japanese occupation. As Claire and Will's affair becomes common knowledge, so do the specifics of Will's murky past, Trudy's motivations and Victor's role in past events. The rippling of past actions through to the present lends the narrative layers of intrigue and more than a few unexpected twists. Lee covers a little-known time in Chinese history without melodrama, and deconstructs without judgment the choices people make in order to live one more day under torturous circumstances. (Jan.)

Running for My Life: My Journey in the Game of Football and Beyond
by Warrick Dunn
Published 2008 by HarperEntertainment

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780061432644

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Jacket Notes:

NFL star running back Warrick Dunn tells his extraordinary life story, from raising two of his five siblings while attending college after their police officer mother was killed while working a second job.

Liberty
by Garrison Keillor
Published 2008 by Viking Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780670019915

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A national holiday in Lake Wobegon is always gaudy and joyful. But what is going on between Clint Bunsen and Miss Liberty? It's Lake Wobegon as it's always been--good, loving people who drive each other crazy.

REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 08/18/2008

Clint Bunsen of Keillor's Lake Wobegon is planning his sixth Fourth of July celebration, but by the time it rolls around he's been booted from the planning committee; his wife, Irene, is chillier than ever; and his 60-something hormones have him lusting after the much-younger Angelica Pflame, whose "commando" performance as the Statue of Liberty in last year's parade is still a hot topic in the sleepy burg. In other words, everything's as you'd expect in a Keillor novel. There are quite a few subplots bubbling along quietly until everything erupts in a madcap denouement that combines elements of the Keystone Kops, I Love Lucy and Monty Python. Keillor's pacing and command of smalltown plot is impeccable; just at the moment when Clint's obsession with a genealogical discovery has become unbearable, the rug gets pulled out from under him. It's a Keillor novel that does what Keillor novels do: entertain and color nicely within the lines. (Sept.)

The Gargoyle
by Andrew Davidson
Published 2008 by Doubleday Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780385524940

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Jacket Notes:

An extraordinary debut novel of love that survives the fires of hell and transcends the boundaries of time, "The Gargoyle" is a hypnotic, horrifying, astonishing novel that manages, against all odds, to be redemptive (Sara Gruen, author of "Water for Elephants").

REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 06/16/2008

At the start of Davidson's powerful debut, the unnamed narrator, "a coke-addled pornographer," drives his car off a mountain road in a part of the country that's never specified. During his painful recovery from horrific burns suffered in the crash, the narrator plots to end his life after his release from the hospital. When a schizophrenic fellow patient, Marianne Engel, begins to visit him and describe her memories of their love affair in medieval Germany, the narrator is at first skeptical, but grows less so. Eventually, he abandons his elaborate suicide plan and envisions a life with Engel, a sculptress specializing in gargoyles. Davidson, in addition to making his flawed protagonist fully sympathetic, blends convincing historical detail with deeply felt emotion in both Engel's recollections of her past life with the narrator and her moving accounts of tragic love. Once launched into this intense tale of unconventional romance, few readers will want to put it down. (Aug.)

Sports Shorts: An Anthology of Short Stories
by Joseph Bruchac
Published 2005 by Darby Creek Publishing

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9781581960402

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This anthology of short, autobiographical stories features well-known authors telling tales of their own real-life athletic incidents. Some stories are funny, some are serious, and some put their own twist on the whole "sports" concept. The stories include tales of dodgeball, wrestling, track, softball, and even ballet-as-a-sport. Kids will relate to the struggling non-jocks as well as the athletes who take the trophy home.

11/01/2005 REVIEW: School Library Journal

Gr 5-9 -Well-known YA authors provide clever, "semi-autobiographical" snapshots that most people would love to forget. While many of the stories are about failed physical efforts, others celebrate athletic achievement. Many are endearingly and identifiably familiar, either from a nostalgically bittersweet perspective, or from the point of view of a young and hopeful athlete. The element of humor counters the trip-ups, bruised egos, and foiled attempts that accompany organized play. The revelation, especially for students, is that everybody (even successful authors) has had pitfalls. Sometimes the failures are more interesting and laughable than the triumphs. The sports theme will make this book a hit with kids, and the well-crafted prose will assure its repeated use by teachers. Laughter, action, and personal anecdotes are a perfect fit for middle-schoolers wrestling with the pressures to conform to unrealistic social and physical norms.-Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY

Do You Love Me?
by Joost Elffers
Published 2008 by Bowen Press HR

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780061667992

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Jacket Notes:

Clean, crisp, and super-appealing, this irresistible book answers the ultimate Valentine's Day question. Full color.

REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 11/03/2008

Elffers (Food Play) teams up with Curious Pictures, producer of such TV shows as Little Einsteins, to introduce Snuzzles. Amorphous and solid-colored, the Snuzzles look a lot like rubber squeak toys, with their heads defined only by protrusions for noses and ears and by googly eyes, but they seem destined for the big time, given that an animated video series is in pre-production. A series of exchanges between Snuzzles big and small, the gentle, rhyming text is the straightforward stuff of bedtime rituals. But while the questions are expected, the answers feel fresh ("Would you leave me?/ Never ever./ Do you want me?/ Only forever"). Set against high-contrast, single-color backgrounds, the action takes place at close range, so that just their heads, or parts of their heads, are visible. Some Snuzzles clearly resemble rabbits or elephants, while others merely have bulbous pseudo ears or noses. The flap copy says that the Snuzzles "express their love by putting nose to nose"; readers are likely to follow their example and "snuzzle closer" themselves. Ages 2-5. (Dec.)

12/01/2008 REVIEW: School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-Slightly offbeat, slick computerized illustrations give this paean to parental love an unusual and effective new twist. The rhyming text, clearly intended to be a dialogue between a variety of children and their caregivers, is concise and to the point: "do you love me?/always, dear./do you need me?/ever near." It continues in this vein, ending with: "hug me, hold me./snug and tight./snuzzle closer./kiss good night." With no more than two sentences per page, some of them fragments, the text is easily accessible to the youngest listeners, as well as beginning readers. The artwork, done in bright primary colors on solid backgrounds, depicts close-ups of the faces of large-nosed, round-eyed, mouthless Q-Bertesque creatures. The surprisingly appealing characters, which resemble everything from bears to rabbits to elephants, are portrayed touching noses on most spreads. The reassuring language, soothing rhythm, and charming characters will hold young listeners' attention and likely have a soporific effect at bedtime. A refreshing addition for libraries looking for something a little bit different to spice up their picture-book collections.-Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT

The Wheat Doll
by Alison L. Randall
Published 2008 by Peachtree Publishers

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9781561454563

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11/01/2008 REVIEW: School Library Journal

Gr 1-4-Mary Ann is a pioneer girl who lives on a rustic Utah farm with her mother and father. Her best friend is her homemade wheat-filled doll. One day Mary Ann sets Betty on a stump while she pulls carrots in the garden. Suddenly a storm sweeps across the valley, and Mary Ann's parents hurry her into the safety of the cabin. After the storm, the girl searches everywhere but she cannot find her beloved doll. Mary Ann is lonely without it all winter, but in spring she discovers a doll-shaped patch of wheat sprouting from the mud near where the toy was lost. She tends the sprouts and makes a new doll from the grains. This is a sweet story of loss and renewal told with empathy and feeling that is never heavy-handed. There is just the right amount of detail to make the setting seem real without bogging down the narrative. Farnsworth's realistic oil paintings have a warm, soft quality that matches the tone of the text. Like the author, he adds just enough detail to establish the setting without distracting from the main subject. This picture book is a great addition to all collections, but has special appeal to libraries in areas with a pioneer heritage.-Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT