Aviation History
By David K. Randall
In the early 1920s, Britain was the world’s leader in aviation. The United States, which invented the heavier-than-air aircraft, was nearly last, with no airlines and few airfields. Americans were indifferent to aviation. To rekindle U.S. interest in aviation, the Army Air Service announced it would make the first around-the-world flight in 1924. Challenged, Britain started its own circumnavigation flight. French, Portuguese, Argentinian and Italian aviators soon followed. The race was on.
History
By Arthur J. Magida
Survival typically requires several factors, like courage, skill, wits, and luck. Cioma Schönhaus had these in spades. A young Jewish kid in Nazi Berlin, he endured the methodical elimination of Jews throughout the city and country. But he didn’t simply endure, and in fact, he didn’t simply survive, but he thrived within the community of resistors. A talented artist with a charismatic flair, Schönhaus’s story is not just inspiring, it is a roadmap for how to survive when most want you dead.
Novel
By Miles Arceneaux
It is 1953 on Ransom Island, between Port Aransas and Corpus Christi. The Sweetwater brothers own the Shady Palm Bar and Grill, a fish camp, dance hall, and ice house. It just landed its biggest act ever: one show by Duke Ellington’s band. The brothers offer racially mixed seating, a radical plan in segregated Texas. Then an unwilling mob princess comes to Ransom Island, fleeing her past. Mob boss dad sends enforcers to bring her back. The result is a volatile and frequently hilarious mixture.
Cooking
By Caroline Chambers
You’ve raced around all day, and now it’s time to throw together a healthy meal for the family. Or maybe you just want something tasty and quick for supper. Here’s a cookbook that will do the trick. Chambers has organized the recipes by preparation times. There’s lots of tips on swap-outs if you’re missing ingredients, and the results are delicious. Add Eva Kolenko’s great photos, and you have a beautiful book for beginners in the kitchen or for anyone who wants a meal made nice and easy.
Classics
By Robert Frost
This collection brings together three of Robert Frost’s books: “A Boy’s Will,” “North of Boston,” and “Mountain Interval.” Here you’ll find his best-known poems, like “The Death of the Hired Man” and “The Road Not Taken,” along with many other less familiar pieces. Included as well is a miscellany of Frost’s early poetry. Thomas Nason’s plentiful wood engravings, the cover art, the sturdy binding, and the heavy paper make this book itself an object of beauty. A great gift for any occasion.
For Kids
By Beatrix Potter
Beatrix Potter’s classic “tale of a tail” is the perfect selection from her original collection during the autumn months, when squirrels are actively scurrying about outside. Complete with Potter’s famed, adorable illustrations, “The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin” is a true delight and as enjoyable today as it was over 100 years ago when first published.
