This is an authoritative guide to the "roads less traveled" in Nebraska. I loved it. I have an old worn out copy. I used it on weekends to travel the backroads to explore...and find those quaint little sites no one else goes to. I wish there was a companion guide for each of the other States. Excellent guidebook...inspired by Mrs Lamb...a true Nebraskan. Go Big Red!

A fine novel, a masterpiece of concision, considering the breadth of the story. What saddens me is that there are no other Morris novels in print. This one is no better or worse than any of his other wonderful novels, but evidently rates publication because it has the word "female" in the title. His best novel, The Field of Vision, also won the National Book award.

As a collector of children's literature, I can see that the genius of the book lies in the fact that the narrative focuses on feelings familiar to children: separation from a parent, getting lost, and the threat of physical harm from a bully - in this case a shark! The story may even work to lessen fear in children as Stormy's escape shows that injuries are not necessarily fatal and can be overcome. Instead of reporting Stormy's condition secondhand, from the perspective of a concerned adult, the author dramatizes Stormy's perilous journey from a first-dolphin point of view, evoking the listener's sympathy for a creature possibly just as complex, just as sensitive as ourselves.

Stranded, Stormy's Adventure might have been written to highlight the role of the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, but the book is also full of basic biological and ecological facts about dolphins. As Stormy's adventure unfolds, children encounter these concepts - not bluntly, in the form of a lecture, but organically, as a natural part of the narrative. Stormy must learn survival skills from elders, just as young humans do. The reader hears him click and whistle, demonstrating the cetacean form of communication, and learn the role of Stormy's dorsal fin in helping him to maintain balance. Stormy also experiences the dangers of his ocean habitat: dolphins can get caught in fishing nets and might run out of air underwater.

The double-page spreads keep the action flowing as the plot progresses. Reading skills are reinforced by the placement of the text within the pictures, showing the connection between verbal and pictorial representation. C.A. Guire's renderings of the dolphin's features and expression are obviously well researched.

I recommend Stranded, Stormy's Adventure to all elementary science teachers, and anyone interested in exposing children to the fauna of the Gulf Coast.

K.B. Hollingsworth, Educator

It is a very entertaining and educational book based on a moving true story. The book is refreshingly written from a dolphin's point of view, and the illustrations are vividly rendered. Kids will not only enjoy but also learn a lot from reading this book.

"It's a new take on the coming-of-age story. It's a telling narrative of self-discovery with intense action sequences and the main character is a dolphin. In fact, give or take a few token sharks and humans, all the characters are dolphins." R.Baca, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

The book "Guided with a Steady Hand" is recommended reading for those historians interested in the history of Mother Neff State Park, Texas. It provides input into the general role of the Civilian Conservation Corps in the "New Deal" era, but contains little relavent material for areas outside of Texas. This book makes for easy reading and is loaded with information about the Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept., and the daily life of one particular CCC camp. However, for those readers who have no interest in the history of state parks in Texas, this book is of little value.

I bought this primarily for the photography. Although Wright Morris is an excellent writer on things Midwestern (though I prefer Sinclair Lewis and Theodore Dreiser), Morris has a keen sense of observation and a sensitive approach to writing.

Unfortunately, though, the printing of the photographs is wretched, flat and unworthy of the master photographer.

Instead of this book, I recommend "Distinctly American: The Photography of Wright Morris," if what you're after is pristine rendering of his photographs.