Sigmund Freud and other therapists have written case histories as gripping as fine short stories. Add to that list Martha Wakenshaw, a mental health counselor in Seattle, who is more compassionate and less theoretical than Freud, but... Read More

This author dares to look for wisdom in an age of poetic narcissism. Norris’s book is a journey—both through thirty years of writing (including material from previous books of poetry) and through regions of belonging, in the realms... Read More

Elephants and etiquette are a fresh combination in the world of picture books. This unlikely pairing lends liveliness and interest to Levitin’s newest picture book, a descriptive guide to proper party behavior. A girl receives an... Read More

Beginning with a long flexible tail grasping a fruit on its cover, here’s a book where “ends” come first. Originally published in Japan under the title How Animal Tails Work, this vividly illustrated book challenges the reader to... Read More

The old bear has danced the kookamonga one too many times. Bear’s heady existence as the best friend of a small girl is one that most families will recognize. A child’s best baby, best quilt, or best bear are the ones most likely to... Read More

The Greeks called them “amphibia,” meaning, “living two lives.” Visitors to wetland areas are familiar with frogs, toads, and salamanders, which begin their lives in the water and move to land as adults, and kids have always been... Read More

Uncertainty in love threatens the foundation of many dream houses. In her debut short story collection, Bean leaves the back door open allowing a glimpse into the domestic lives of her Midwestern teachers, students, and academics. A... Read More

Like the turning of carefully synchronized gears, like the tinkling orchestrations of an antique music box, Karp’s book makes music. And like one of the minor characters, a street kid named Jitters who has a bizarre neurological... Read More