New &Noteworthy Paperbacks
Editors' choices of recent paperback books of particular interest. |
And Bear in Mind
Editors' choices of recent hardcover books of particular interest. |
Books in Brief: Nonfiction
A new book examines John Singer Sargent's late portraits. Also reviewed: Virginia Nicholson, Annette Kobak, M. Jeffrey Hardwick, P. J. O'Rourke and Tim Russert. |
Howling Mad
James Lee Burke's political passions threaten to overwhelm the plot of his new novel. Also reviewed: Janet Evanovich, Eric Dezenhall and Susan Kandel. |
Letters
Regarding the reviews of "Grant and Twain,"Philip Larkin's "Collected Poems"and books about global warming. Also, a correction regarding the review of "The Fate of Family Farming." |
Bookshelf
<p>THE DADDY MOUNTAIN. Written and illustrated by Jules Feiffer. Michael di Capua/Hyperion. $15.95. (Ages 2 and up) Like an athlete or an intrepid explorer, our brave heroine prepares herself for a daunting challenge. She considers the possibilities for falling. It's slippery going, but she grabs and pulls and triumphantly gets to the top of the Daddy Mountain. Her mom is scared to find her perched way up there. A splendid tale, economically told. IT'S TOO SOON! Written and illustrated by Nigel McMullen. Simon & Schuster. $14.95. (Ages 2 to 5) Gramps is taking care of Anna tonight and his watch says it is time for bed. But Anna knows her elaborate bedtime routine, which includes putting away her toys, having her milk and cookies, bath and brushing teeth and even a story. She leads Gramps through the whole routine politely, then, everything accomplished, they fall asleep. Inspiring. ACTUAL SIZE. Written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins. Houghton Mifflin. $16. (All ages) These collage illustrations, ranging from the atlas moth to the teeth of a great white shark, show the scale of species. POTATOES, POTATOES. Written and illustrated by Anita Lobel. Greenwillow. $15.99. (Ages 5 and up) First published in 1967, this story about a foolish war, brothers who join opposing armies, their wise mother, famine and a potato field, remains fresh and powerful. KINGDOM OF THE GOLDEN DRAGON. By Isabel Allende. Translated by Margaret Sayers Peden. HarperCollins. $19.99. (Ages 10 and up) In the sequel to ''City of the Beasts,'' Allende's first novel for young readers, Alexander Cold, the American boy, and his friend Nadia Santos join a journalistic team searching the Himalayas for the Golden Dragon. Simultaneously published in the original Spanish. SCUBA BUNNIES. By Christine Loomis. Illustrated by Ora Eitan. Putnam. $15.99. (Ages 2 and up) This time those charming bedtime bunnies, who roamed the plains as cowboys and the stars as astronauts, explore the deep before bedt</p> |
'Magic Thinks Big' and Other Children's Books
<p>A cat requires options much more than it actually needs to exercise them by, say, moving from a sunny spot. That's why Magic, a big, soft, utterly at-ease tom, is lying on a threshold. He's half indoors, half outdoors on a lakeside porch, considering his options. That's all he's really going to do in this completely charming book, but that's not to say it isn't an adventure story.</p> |
What Not to Wear
In two new children's books, young protagonists learn how self-image can be defined by fashion choices. |
Books Make You a Boring Person
There's a new piety in the air: the self-congratulation of book lovers. But we all know people who have read everything and have nothing to say. |
Muse of the Beltway Book
Alice Mayhew is that rare editor whose name is known outside the industry; her books have made news through seven presidencies. |
'All Fishermen Are Liars': Catch and Don't Release
Linda Greenlaw takes time off from fishing to tell more stories of the sailing life. |
'The State Boys Rebellion': A Ledger of Broken Arms
Michael D'Antonio documents the Dickensian abuse daily endured at a school for the "feebleminded"in the 1950's and its consequences. |
'Shameless': 'Scuse Me While I Kiss This Guy
In Paul Burston's novel, a 32-year-old Londoner ventures into the gay singles scene after being dumped by his boyfriend. |
'American Taboo': A Cold Case
In 1976, a young Peace Corps volunteer was murdered in Tonga. Then the crime was swept under the rug, reports Philip Weiss in a new book. |
'A Year at the Races': A Horse Is a Horse
The novelist Jane Smiley, an owner and breeder of horses, celebrates her passion for the sport of kings in a memoir. |
'Letters, 1928-1946': The Book of Isaiah (Berlin)
The correspondence of a towering intellectual maps out much of 20th-century England's social and literary history. |
'Natasha': The Latvian Debutante's Handbook
David Bezmozgis's collection of linked stories follows the fortunes of a family of immigrants in Canada. |
'Sweet Land Stories': The Call of the Wild Ones
E. L. Doctorow's stories depict criminality and hatefulness, but they are told in a spirit of sweet affirmation. |
'The Lemon Table': Growing-Old Country
Julian Barnes's collection concerns itself with old age and aging, territory upon which he imposes a fine variety of plots and moods. |
'Oblivion': Genius Overload
The narrator of David Foster Wallace's stories is aware of everything, all the time. |