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‘The Big Skinny’ not the average diet book
King Features — “The Big Skinny” is somewhat unusual for a “diet book.” First, and most obviously, it’s in comic format. Graphic novel memoirs are nothing new, but Lay’s is a particularly accessi...
2 years ago | 0 0 comments | 17 17 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Bernanke’s Test: Ben Bernanke, Alan Greenspan, and the Drama of the Central Banker” by Johan Van Overtveldt c.2009, B2 Books 287 pages, includes notes and index
‘Bernanke’s Test’ a difficult and heavy, but important read about the Fed
You walked into the living room last night and instantly felt terror. Wide-eyed, you couldn’t bear to approach the television. You had remotophobia. Remotophobia: that fearfully sick, averse fee...
2 years ago | 0 0 comments | 30 30 recommendations | email to a friend
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“A is for Amazing Moments” by Brad Herzog, illustrated by Melanie Rose c.2008, Sleeping Bear Press 40 pages
Sports-minded will love alphabet book
So, Sport… what’s your favorite sport? Are you a nut for a net, or goofy for golf? Do you go bats for baseball? Bonkers over biking? Passionate for the pommel horse? Are you a basket-case for ...
2 years ago | 0 0 comments | 22 22 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Harry Houdini for Kids” by Laurie Carlson c.2009, Chicago Review Press 136 pages
Kids, adult fans of illusion will appreciate ‘Harry Houdini for Kids’
Have you ever watched a card trick really close? The performer shows you a card and asks you to memorize it. He puts it in the deck and then — abracadabra, poof — it’s gone. But wait, there it i...
2 years ago | 0 0 comments | 20 20 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Remember the Sweet Things” by Ellen Greene c.2009, William Morrow 288 pages
The small stuff matters in ‘Remember the Sweet Things’
He did it again. Even though he knows it irritates you and makes you want to scream, he persists in doing that which really bugs you. Is he doing it on purpose? You wonder. Once upon a time, his...
2 years ago | 0 0 comments | 32 32 recommendations | email to a friend
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“The Survivors Club” by Ben Sherwood c.2009, Grand Central Publishing 384 pages
‘The Survivors Club’ documents keys to surviving critical, tragic situations
What would you’ve done if you’d been on the plane that landed in the Hudson River? Would you have panicked and hoped someone took charge? Or would you have sat frozen, positive you were going t...
2 years ago | 0 0 comments | 34 34 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Bones of Betrayal” by Jefferson Bass c.2009, William Morrow 357 pages
Details in ‘Bones of Betrayal’ may have delicate readers squirming
"Say cheeeeese!” As a child, you undoubtedly held “cheese” in your mouth while your mother was on the backside of a camera. Birthdays, picnics, silly backyard days in a blow-up pool, holidays with...
2 years ago | 0 0 comments | 18 18 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Made from Scratch” by Jenna Woginrich c.2008, Storey Publishing 192 pages
Getting back to a simpler life is not so simple in ‘Made from Scratch’
Eggs have gone up in price. So have fruit, milk, cheese and vegetables. In fact, everything you put on your table costs more these days than it ever did before. You try to bargain shop and get the...
2 years ago | 0 0 comments | 18 18 recommendations | email to a friend
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“The Little Giant of Aberdeen County” by Tiffany Baker c.2009, Grand Central Publishing 341 pages
Quirky ‘Little Giant of Aberdeen County’ keeps readers guessing with plot twists
You know despair when you see it. And you were looking straight at it. The child was on the edge of the playground, all by herself. From the way she was kicking the dirt and from the angle of her ...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 74 74 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Rich Like Them” by Ryan D’Agostino c.2008, Little, Brown 256 pages
‘Rich Like Them’ offers insightful blueprint to wealth
The sign said “Open Today!” and you couldn’t resist. So what possessed you to go through a for-sale house that you could never afford? Curiosity, sure. But maybe it was a little bit of what-iffing...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 19 19 recommendations | email to a friend
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“American Buffalo” by Steven Rinella c.2008, Spiegel & Grau 278 pages, includes notes
Once-in-a-lifetime buffalo hunt
Have you ever played the lottery? If you have, you know the drill: plunk down cash, pick your numbers, and walk out with ticket in hand and the hope that you’ll hit paydirt. They say somebody has ...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 33 33 recommendations | email to a friend
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“La Clínica: A Doctor’s Journey Across Borders” by David P. Sklar c.2008, University of New Mexico Press 234 pages
‘La Clinica’ documents man’s journey across the borders
It happened again the other day, and you could just kick yourself. Somebody was looking for volunteers for something, and you — without careful consideration and though you’re short on time and al...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 18 18 recommendations | email to a friend
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“’Tis the Season!” by Lorna Landvik c.2008, Ballantine Books 226 pages
Messages make up Christmas story
You never meant to do it. You were out with friends, that’s all, just having a little cheer. The waiter brought you a glass of something bubbly, and in between reminiscing and laughter, the glas...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 53 53 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Outliers: The Story of Success” by Malcolm Gladwell c.2008, Little, Brown and Company 320 pages
‘Outliers: The Story of Success’ teaches how to spot success
Your college alumni letter came the other day. You read it, surprised and a little depressed. A first-class slacker you graduated with is a multi-millionaire now. The Guy Most Likely to Succeed ...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 51 51 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Thanksgiving: The True Story” by Penny Colman c.2008, Henry Holt 160 pages
Evolution of Turkey Day to be revealed through ‘Thanksgiving: The True Story’
The size of a basketball hoop. As big as a tire. Or… larger than a bike rim. No, wait — the size of a small planet. That’s how big your plate will be this Thanksgiving because just thinking of al...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 30 30 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Behind the Grand Ole Opry Curtain” by Robert K. Oermann c.2008, Center Street 403 pages, includes notes
Stars spotlighted in each chapter of tell-all book about ‘Grand Ole Opry’
You can’t help it. Your toes have to tap when the radio’s on. Pretty soon, you’re moving your fingers in time to the music, too, and maybe nodding your head. If it’s not the steel guitar that has ...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 39 39 recommendations | email to a friend
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Mexican culture, history and legends brought to light in ‘P is for Piñata’
For practically all your life, you’ve known the ABCs. The alphabet is one of the first things your parents taught you. Even some of your favorite baby toys had the ABCs on them and your teacher mi...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 20 20 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Beef: The Untold Story of How Milk, Meat, and Muscle Shaped the World” by Andrew Rimas & Evan D.G. Fraser c.2008, Wm. Morrow 238 pages, includes index
Lively stories make ‘Beef’ interesting
It might be early to ask, but what’s for dinner? How about steak? Think about it: thick, tender, cooked to within an inch of perfect, topped with mushrooms, dripping with marinade that goes well w...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 19 19 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Our White House”, created by 108 Renowned Authors and Illustrators and the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance, with an introduction by David McCullough c.2008, Candlewick Press 242 pages, includes index slideshow
108 authors, illustrators makes ‘Our White House’ worth reading
Have you ever slept in a tent? How about a teepee? Ever slept in an igloo, a yurt, or a mud hut? Spent the night in a building made of grass or glass, twigs or paper? What about a castle? Have you...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 18 18 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Lore of the Ghost” by Brian Haughton, illustrated by Daniele Serra c.2008, New Page Books 192 pages, includes index slideshow
‘Lore of the Ghost’ isn’t spooky, but rather a peek into haunting legends
Your neighbor has things hanging from her tree, but they’re not fruit. She put up a few rags and some gauzy stuff to make her house look haunted. There are cardboard skeletons in her window and ca...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 20 20 recommendations | email to a friend
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“The Lucky One” by Nicholas Sparks c.2008, Grand Central Publishing 326 pages
‘The Lucky One’ is one of author Nicholas Sparks’ best
Where did you meet your beloved? Was he a fix-up, a down-load, or a sideswipe as you ran for the elevator? Did you notice him from afar and hope for an introduction? Or was he the passion perpet...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 20 20 recommendations | email to a friend
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Read ‘The Carbon-Free Home’ for ideas to reduce carbon footprint
Mortgage. Check. Electricity bill. Check.Gas bill. Check. Without a doubt, you write plenty of checks each month. With higher heating bills predicted, rising food prices, and the cost of building ...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 21 21 recommendations | email to a friend
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“The Deceivers” by Harold Robbins and Junius Podrug c.2008, Forge 336 pages
‘The Deceivers’ will appeal to fans of Robbins and Podrug, and newcomers
In this economy, it happens too often. Now it’s happened to you. You lost your job. You think you can find another one quick, but pretty soon you’re downsizing. Restaurant meals are first to go;...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 20 20 recommendations | email to a friend
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“A Tale Out of Luck” by Willie Nelson (with Mike Blakely) c.2008, Center Street Publishing 256 pages
Die-hard Western fans won’t find any luck with ‘A Tale Out of Luck’
Let’s say someone wronged you. They cut you off in traffic. Stole from you. Backed into your car and didn’t leave a note. Hacked into your computer and left a virus. Things like that make you mad...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 29 29 recommendations | email to a friend
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“The Year of Eating Dangerously” by Tom Parker Bowles c.2007, St. Martin’s Press 374 pages
Quest for regional cuisine in ‘The Year of Eating Dangerously’
The weather is warm, the weekends are sunny and free, and you know what that means… It’s time for you to don your secret identity. You know who you are, and so do your friends and family. You are...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 25 25 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Angel Girl” by Laurie Friedman, illustrations by Ofra Amit c.2008, Carolrhoda Books 32 pages
‘Angel Girl’ may be too powerful for children, but not for adults
Do you have lots of friends? You probably have tons of them. You’ve got friends from school and friends from your neighborhood, the pals you’ve got from summer school and the ones you play with at...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 31 31 recommendations | email to a friend
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‘Good is Not Enough’ explores more than just minority issues in the workplace
Ever since you were a kid, you’ve been told that you could do anything. Now you’re wondering if someone’s been lying to you all these years. You set your sights on business, you got the “right” d...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 34 34 recommendations | email to a friend
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‘Swan Peak’ is a thrilling murder mystery novel
When you go on vacation, you want to see the countryside, maybe travel a little. You want to sleep in, wear sloppy clothes, do things you don’t normally do, and have thoughts that don’t tax your br...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 33 33 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Underground America”, compiled and edited by Peter Orner, foreword by Luis Alberto Urrea c.2008, McSweeney’s Books 379 pages, includes appendices and glossary
Immigrants’ stories are inspiring, but repetitive, in book
Let’s imagine for a minute, the unthinkable. Let’s imagine the U.S. government has been overthrown and a powerful, armed group of soldiers has taken over. Chaos ensues. Inflation rises. Education ...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 32 32 recommendations | email to a friend
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‘Encore’ explores senior citizens working after typical retirement
Why do you work? For most of us, we hold a job down so we can pay bills, have a home, buy stuff. Some of us work because we like the social aspect. For others, it’s the challenge we love most abou...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 38 38 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Obsessions” by Marshall Cook c.2008, Bleak House Books 298 pages
Gentle murder mystery ‘Obsessions’ has likeable, believable characters
At some point in your life, you made a promise to yourself. Chances are, it started out as “Someday….” Someday, I’ll travel through Europe. Someday, I’ll track down that classic car I wanted in hi...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 37 37 recommendations | email to a friend
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“From Baghdad to America” by Jay Kopelman c.2008, Skyhorse Publishing 196 pages, includes appendices and resources
Raw ‘From Baghdad to America’ not for pet lovers
by Terri Schlichenmeyer Guest Writer Much has been written lately about the horrors of puppy mills. Dog lovers would agree: go to the pound, the shelter, the Humane Society, SPCA or wherever ther...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 43 43 recommendations | email to a friend
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“After River” by Donna Milner c.2008, HarperCollins 320 pages
Touching ‘After River’ keeps readers guessing
Remember your high school crush? Do you recall the first time you saw him, the way his hair curled, the carefree way his jacket sleeves were pushed up, the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled? Fo...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 42 42 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Little House on the Prairie” by Laura Ingalls Wilder, performed by Cherry Jones, fiddle performance by Paul Woodiel c.1963, Little House Heritage Trust / HarperAudio 5 1/2 hours / 6 compact discs
‘Little House on the Prairie’ audiobook a classic Old West listen
Has your family ever moved? Even if they haven’t, you know the drill. Your bed is taken apart, your clothes come out of the closet, and your stuff comes off the wall. All your belongings, includin...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 40 40 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Made in the U.S.A.” by Billie Letts c.2008, Grand Central Publishing 355 pages
‘Made in the U.S.A.’ is farfetched, but keeps readers going
When you were a teenager and living under your parents’ medieval rules, you probably couldn’t wait to grow up, get an apartment, and have a life of your own. Once you grew up, got an apartment, an...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 39 39 recommendations | email to a friend
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“America’s Hidden History” by Kenneth C. Davis c.2008, Smithsonian Books / Collins 272 pages, includes index
Unknown tidbits of early American times come alive in history book
Everybody laughed, but you couldn’t help yourself. Even now, years later, you’re a class reunion remember-when story. It was almost inevitable back then. Every afternoon during high school history...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 48 48 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Queen of the Road” by Doreen Orion c.2008, Broadway Books 272 pages
‘Queen of the Road’ takes readers on a trip
Since way last summer, you’ve been planning your dream vacation. It was always going to be a road trip, somewhat reminiscent of the ones your parents took you on 40 years ago. You envisioned the fu...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 49 49 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America 1789-1989” by Michael Beschloss c.2007, Simon & Schuster 448 pages, includes index
Political aficionados will enjoy reading ‘Presidential Courage’
According to the U.S. Constitution (Article II, Section 1, Clause 5), anyone can be president of the United States, as long as he or she is a natural-born citizen, age 35 or older, and has lived th...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 50 50 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Gorgeously Green” by Sophie Uliano c.2008, HarperCollins 309 pages
‘Gorgeously Green’ offers do-able tips to become earth-friendly
Every time you turn around, someone mentions “going green.” All that talk is making you positively blue. You already recycle. You buy organic, you re-use grocery bags, and saving gas is a no-brain...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 47 47 recommendations | email to a friend
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“The Compassionate Carnivore” by Catherine Friend c.2008, DaCapo Lifelong 256 pages
‘The Compassionate Carnivore’ about dilemma of eating and raising meat
This weekend, it’s time for a family splurge. There’s a restaurant that just opened nearby, and you’re dying to sample the cuisine. Friends who’ve been there say the prices are just right and the ...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 34 34 recommendations | email to a friend
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“People of the Weeping Eye” by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O’Neal Gear c.2008, Forge 432 pages
Lower Mississippi life comes alive in book
Did you ever hold an arrowhead in your hand? If you did, you understand the awe that an ancient artifact brings when it’s touched today, centuries later. Many years ago, someone sat in the dirt a...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 31 31 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Bigger Deal” by Anthony Holden c.2007, Simon & Schuster Trade Paperbacks 304 pages
Poker players can bet on ‘Bigger Deal’ being an exciting read
Football, theoretically speaking, lasts for four 15-minute periods, not including time-outs. Overall, fans can expect about three hours in — and out of — their seats. Baseball can be over in a few...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 29 29 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Where Are You Now?” by Mary Higgins Clark c.2008, Simon & Schuster 289 pages
Satisfy the sleuth in you with ‘Where Are You Now’
Did you ever have one of those days where you just want to step away from the world and maybe disappear for a minute? We all go through times when we’re just better-off left alone. Some people, th...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 26 26 recommendations | email to a friend
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“His Panic: Why Americans Fear Hispanics in the U.S.” by Geraldo Rivera c.2008, Celebra / Penguin USA 262 pages
Geraldo Rivera tackles hot topic of immigration in ‘His Panic’
Almost 122 years ago, the nation of France gave America a very large gift. At the bottom of the gift, a plaque immortalizes the words of Emma Lazarus: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled m...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 27 27 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Sit, Ubu, Sit” by Gary David Goldberg c.2008, Harmony 258 pages
‘Sit, Ubu, Sit’ a comical love story about adoration and friendship
When you’re sick and have to stay home from work, nothing feels better than a warm spot on the sofa, a blanket, comfort food, and comfort TV. Those old reruns make you laugh. They take you back to...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 16 16 recommendations | email to a friend
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“The Devil’s Bones” by Jefferson Bass c.2008, HarperAudio 6 hours / 5 CDs
Dual authors write from experience in true-crime mystery, ‘The Devil’s Bones’
So the other day, you were getting something out of the oven and you weren’t paying attention. You grabbed the hotpads, opened the door, and as you leaned in and touched the pan, your arm accidenta...
3 years ago | 0 0 comments | 16 16 recommendations | email to a friend
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“The Warmest Room in the House” by Steven Gdula c.2008, Bloomsbury 238 pages, includes notes and index
Author cooks up tasty history of food, home
So you say you had lots of people at your house during the holidays. For days, you bust your tail making hors d’oeuvres, obsessed over the liquid libations list, and cleaned the house until the li...
4 years ago | 0 0 comments | 17 17 recommendations | email to a friend
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“People of the Book” by Geraldine Brooks c.2008, Viking 372 pages
Historical mystery starts out slow, but is rewarding in the end
The next time you hold something old — an antique, an heirloom, an artifact — imagine the stories it could tell if it could talk. Someone bought that item new, or made it for a beloved. Maybe it w...
4 years ago | 0 0 comments | 17 17 recommendations | email to a friend
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“The Hearts of Horses” by Molly Gloss c.2007, Houghton Mifflin 298 pages
‘The Hearts of Horses’ book full of beautiful language, blunt story line
If you could live out your dreams, what kind of job would you want to have? Would you find employment in traveling the world and seeing places you’ve only read about? Or would you work with people...
4 years ago | 0 0 comments | 16 16 recommendations | email to a friend
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“The Trailblazing Life of Daniel Boone and How Early American s Took to the Road” by Cheryl Harness c.2007, National Geographic 144 pages
Kids who like history, adventure will love book about Daniel Boone
Do you sometimes wonder what it was like to live in another time in history? Maybe you wish you had been a sheriff in the Wild West, keeping peace in town and bringing outlaws to justice. Or you t...
4 years ago | 0 0 comments | 17 17 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Good Germs, Bad Germs” by Jessica Snyder Sachs c.2007, Hill and Wang 290 pages, includes index
Too much science packed into 'Good Germs, Bad Germs' book
You brushed your teeth this morning after breakfast. You showered and washed your hair, scrubbed yourself down, put on some antibacterial handcreme, spritzed on deodorant and put on newly-laundered...
4 years ago | 0 0 comments | 19 19 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Gold Medal for Weird” by Kevin Sylvester c.2007, Kids Can Press, 111 pages
Book about Olympics, athletes deserves a gold medal
If you’re like most kids, you want to be famous. You’d love to be on TV, maybe even get a medal or trophy. You imagine how proud everyone would be, how loud the cheers will sound, and how you’ll lo...
4 years ago | 0 0 comments | 17 17 recommendations | email to a friend
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“After Jackie” by Carl Fussman c.2007, ESPN Books 244 pages
‘After Jackie’ hits a home run with baseball fans
The next time you drive past a group of kids playing an impromptu game of baseball, slow down for a minute and sneak a peek. Is there a little up-and-coming Barry Bonds in that group? How about ...
4 years ago | 0 0 comments | 18 18 recommendations | email to a friend
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“Band of Sisters” by Kirsten Holmstedt c.2007, Stackpole Books 325 pages, includes index
Women soldiers serving in Iraq share war stories in ‘Band of Sisters’
Think of a warrior, and what comes to mind first? A loincloth-clad athlete with arrows and slings, defending himself in hand-to-hand combat? A robust knight in armor, riding his horse into the m...
4 years ago | 0 0 comments | 17 17 recommendations | email to a friend
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