Review by Mack Hassler “‘You are Israel’s teacher, said Jesus, ‘and do you not understand … ?’ — John 2:25 “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God”‘ — John 3:…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Thomas L. Pelissero’s Bring One Home: A Memoir of Boyhood, Basketball, and Hometown Spirit brought to life a basketball team’s multiple losses: the town’s loss of jobs, the school’s financial strife, amongst a never-ending hometown spirit. The story took place during the 1960s in the small town of…
Review by Deborah K Frontiera The Stormy Kromer Kitten by Erin Byrnes Bailey is a historical fiction picture book tells how the Stormy Kromer caps might have come to be. Set in 1903, George and Ida Kromer came up with an idea for a warm hat that would not blow…
Review by Mack Hassler Tantae molis erat Romanem condere gentum “How hard it was to found the race of Rome” Near the end of Book I, Vergil The Aeneid, written close to Christ’s birth I love the interplay in this epigraph between the language play in ancient thought given to…
Review by Mack Hassler “That is why it was called Babel— because the Lord confused the language of the whole world” Genesis 11:9 I think I will always, in a way, be thankful that God’s new creation of mankind in the Garden was a failed experiment. Adam and Eve and…
Review by Deborah K Frontiera A Is for Agates is a great alphabet book that, literally, has it all—for the child being read to and the adult reading it to a child, or children. Words roll easily out when reading it aloud—rhymes and rhythm flow without any tongue tripping. So…
Review by Mack Hassler “…In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Fourth Gospel, by Saint John, 1:1 I have…
Review by Sharon Brunner Phyllis Carlson’s “Dairies That Delivered Milk to the Residents of Dickinson County, Michigan” introduced a number of dairies that were in operation in the aforementioned county from the late 1800s to the 1970s during a time when lumbering and mining served as prevalent sources of income….
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Phil Bellfy’s “Merciless Savages (NOT): A how to guide to help you write and talk respectfully about American Indians” provides a culturally appropriate approach for addressing the Indigenous population. He applied humor and honest critical references in this book. The Declaration of Independence referred to the Indigenous…
Review by Mack Hassler A beautifully-designed chapbook by Amy Hansen, Superior Stories is the product of workshopping for creative writers and chosen by chief judge Brian Gruley as the latest of this long series of chapbook winners. I have not reviewed any of the series previously, but the work of…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Eleen Lord’s book Vigil: Poems captures the nuances of everyday life and its vast array of emotions. Lord portrays an early December morning and how cold suspends time. She pictured an old cabin which was currently empty and memories such as counting the time between lightening strikes…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Dylan Bolander’s Until We Meow Again spun a web of supernatural heroism. The story took place in Texas, New Jersey, Marquette, Michigan, an Upper Peninsula of Michigan city (U.P.), rainbow bridges, and various realms outside of the Earth’s plane. In the story there was more than one…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Johnny Storm’s Upper Peninsula in the Sun: Hooray for Camp Days portrayed the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (U.P.) as an enjoyable place to spend time outside, sight seeing and having fun with family. The main characters were the author’s family who spent time at the Keweenaw Peninsula and…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Terri Martin’s Straw Horse was filled with intrigue, suspense and humor coupled with a blooming romance. The story took place in the Northwoods at a fictional town called Peshekee located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (U.P.). The main characters in the book were Kat, Nikko, Sheriff…
Review by Mack Hassler One of my great literary heroes is Samuel Johnson, “…the style of a man who thinks with rigorous clarity and as the author of a dictionary has the whole language at his command.” (from the Preface to Johnson’s The History of Ressalas by Michael Lewis, professor…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Clyde Wainio’s If it Snows, Go Fishing: 60 Years of Stream Fishing in the Copper Country celebrates a lifetime of fishing adventures in the captivating Upper Peninsula of Michigan (U.P). Main characters in the story were Ed, someone he fished with for years, his brother Wil, his…
Review by Sharon Brunner Linda M. Kramer and Carol L. Schultz offer a fun and entertaining story about puppies and dogs in their book “Nibble Nosers Can’t Drive” and portray dogs’ endearing behaviors. The term nibble noser was derived from a dog’s and puppy’s need to smell and chew. As…
Review by Sharon Brunner Diana Magnuson’s Garden Sleeping, Garden Growing: In and Around All Year Long celebrates gardens and the joys they bring to people who nurture them in their growth throughout the year. The main characters were Aunt Noriko and her niece Dehlia. The location of the story was…
