Based on historical records as well as Washington's letters and diaries this is a sprightly, fascinating account of the root of his problem (pun intended).

Youngsters will learn a bit of history as well as enjoy a rollicking good read. For instance, they'll learn about Washington crossing the Delaware, and that he then had only nine remaining teeth. He didn't have too many teeth to chatter during the frozen winter at Valley Forge as there were only seven left.

According to a letter Washington wrote he did at one time wear false teeth secured by wires hitched around his remaining teeth. His last set of dentures were made by a Dr. Greenwood, and carved from hippopotamus ivory.

This is a well researched book complete with excerpts from Washington's letters and diaries. Witty pastel illustrations enhance the text. For all ages.

- Gail Cooke

Celine hopes to graduate from high school a year early, but is having trouble closing the deal. She has not fulfilled her athletic requirement and is under the gun to finish a paper on The Catcher in the Rye in order to pass English. She hopes to live her own life after graduation with friends in Europe, but has, at this point, neither a definite plan nor parental permission. When it comes to the nuts and bolts of life, she shows her youth and inexperience. Socially, she is well outside the confines of the female teenage "box." She has little interest in clothes, sex, drugs, rock'n'roll, etc. She relaxes by vegetating in front of the television.

Her time has been co-opted by Jake, an eight-year-old boy who lives in the next apartment and whose parents have separated. Celine always treats Jake kindly and respectfully, unlike his foolish parents. In doing so, she shows her essential good nature.

The novel ends before Celine can accomplish all her objectives. The plot deals mainly with the humorous obstacles that life places in her path. She maintains a remarkable narrative voice throughout the book (she is the narrator). In fact, it was impossible (for me) to separate her voice from that of the author, Brock Cole. This is by no means a defect of the book-it explains her remarkable fluency without detracting from her charm.

As a voracious reader, I am always looking for a book that will take over my mind, my heart and my soul in one fell swoop. Imagine my surprise to find a book like this in a course on Children's Literature.

Brock Cole has written nothing less than a masterpiece. His book, The Goats, begins with two outcast, nerdy campers, a boy and a girl, who are stripped bare and left on Goat Island by their mean and nasty fellow campers. When they first find each other, naked and alone, they seem almost infantile in their needs. These two couldn't take care of themselves with clothes on, let alone off. Amazingly though, with the strength of their pride and humiliation behind them, they vow to get off the island and teach their fellow campers a lesson. What ensues is not quite plausible, yet totally believable. Abandoned not only by their camp mates, but on a much deeper level by their parents as well, these two goats manage to survive in the most extraordinary ways.

The most exceptional part of Cole's story is not how they survive physically, but how they survive mentally and emotionally. These two thirteen year olds, on the cusp of sexuality, develop an intensely intimate relationship. Cole has written something so beautiful, so adult-like, but it is doubtful that many adults ever really attain this level of intimacy. Literally stripped naked physically, the two characters find shelter and clothes within themseves, in their relationship with each other.

Anyone who wants to be touched in the deepest way, to come away from a book changed, will find the great satisfaction with Brock Cole's The Goats.

Through no fault of their own, two pre teens were chosen to be their camp's annual sacrificial victims (i.e. goats), by being forced to spend a few embarrassing hours on a nearby island. Ha-ha--very funny to the terrified kids, who recognize their degrading situation and who ultimately reject the decision. Thus Howie and Laura (who did not even know each other) are forced to rely on each other's wits and daring (strengths they did not realize that they possessed) to reverse the kids' malicious decree. Not only to escape their dismal fate, but to survive on the outskirts of society for 3 days. They determine to get even, to pay them back for all the humiliation. Anything rather than endure the ridiule of returning to camp.

They decide to be proactive to preserve their own digntiy, to wait until the girl's mother comes up for Parents' Weekend. The plot rivets your attention for the kids must overcome incredible obstacles--posed by adutls and other kids--to live without the pale. It is unlikely that such social outcasts could be transformed so quickly into a cool "bandit" and a "fox wearing glasses", but the plot presents an interesting concept of social and physical survival. The book reads swiftly due to extensive dialogue, without the usual teenage platitudes. Their journey of self-discovery makes a fascinating read, with dark social undertones. For kids of all ages and adults harboring hurt kids inside. You will not be disappitned!

The Indian in the Cupboard

The Return of the Indian (the one I'm reading)

The Secret of the Indian

The Mystery of the Cupboard

The Key to the Indian.

I plan on reading all these books in order and enjoying them from cover to cover.

The story is told in Linda's point of view. It is different because the story actually starts out with the conclusion, and the rest of the story tells what lead up to what is in the beginning (that sounds confusing, but once you read it, you will understand). Linda is a thirteen year old girl who was witness to the murder of her lover, who is twice her age. The killer, was actually her mother's boyfriend who was living with them. Linda tells the events in her life from the time she was little up until the murder, consisting of a very dysfunctional family life and a lot of moving around. The book was good all-in-all, but not really for children.

Evaluation: The Facts Speak For Themselves by Brock Cole contains a sad and powerful story. Cole writes in a beautiful and simple style that gives us access to Linda's inner thoughts. The protagonist in this book, Linda, is a victim of years of psychological, sexual and emotional abuse. This abuse is so normal for Linda that she does not recognize it as abuse. As she describes her situation Linda writes in a flat tone about taking care of her little brothers, being molested and watching the murder of her adult lover. It is heartbreaking to see adult after adult either abuse Linda or not offer her any help. Although this is a sad book, in the end Linda is removed from her situation and in a group home. Linda seems relatively happy in the home and she is grateful for the small things like having access to pencils. This ending puts a happy ending on the book that otherwise could make a reader lose all hope.