Library Journal : Starred Review. In prewar 1930s Shanghai, carefree sisters Pearl Chin and younger, prettier May are the "beautiful girls" whose images on posters beckon viewers to buy products. They openly scoff at their parents' superstitious, old-world ways, but they soon learn that the good life is but an illusion. The Japanese army's brutal invasion of the city makes their lives as beautiful girls impossible. Their businessman father loses everything to the ruthless mob, and to pay off his debts he forces his daughters into arranged marriages to Chinese men living in the United States. See is masterly in her powerful depictions of the prejudice and harsh treatment the sisters encounter as they try to assimilate into the strange new world of Los Angeles. Possibly the best book yet from the author of Peony in Love; highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/1/09.]—Marika Zemke, Commerce Twshp. Community Lib., MI

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Publishers Weekly : Peony in Love) explores tradition, the ravages of war and the importance of family in her excellent latest. Pearl and her younger sister, May, enjoy an upper-crust life in 1930s Shanghai, until their father reveals that his gambling habit has decimated the family's finances and to make good on his debts, he has sold both girls to a wealthy Chinese-American as wives for his sons. Pearl and May have no intention of leaving home, but after Japanese bombs and soldiers ravage their city and both their parents disappear, the sisters head for California, where their husbands-to-be live and where it soon becomes apparent that one of them is hiding a secret that will alter each of their fates. As they adjust to marriage with strangers and the challenges of living in a foreign land, Pearl and May learn that long-established customs can provide comfort in unbearable times. See's skillful plotting and richly drawn characters immediately draw in the reader, covering 20 years of love, loss, heartbreak and joy while delivering a sobering history lesson. While the ending is ambiguous, this is an accomplished and absorbing novel. (June)

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Publishers Weekly : Hamilton's 17th Anita Blake novel draws the vampire hunter into a game of cat-and-mouse with a particularly monstrous vampire named Vittorio. Aided by sadistic serial killer Otto Jefferies, convenient sociopath Edward Kemper and fanged escorts handpicked by her lover Jean-Claude, U.S. marshal Anita offers her services to Las Vegas, now under siege from Vittorio's army of enthralled preternatural beings. Manipulated by the cunning Vittorio and occasionally misled by coincidental events, Anita employs her insight into Vittorio's condition and weaponized libido as the decisive weapons in this struggle. The book is largely concerned with the melodramatic conflict between hunter and hunter and Blake's soap-operatic love life, but Hamilton does manage some genuinely moving passages, particularly those describing the terror of innocent vampires caught up in the arbitrary and draconian U.S. legal system. (June)

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School Library Journal: Gr 1-5–The second release in the Stories in Music series is a winner. In the tradition of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, this production features the classic 1888 poem by Ernest Lawrence Thayer with music composed and conducted by Stephen Simon. “Yadu the Famous Narratorâ€� (a.k.a. Dr. Konrad Czynski) gives a dramatic reading of the text. The London Symphony Orchestra supplies not only music, but also the sounds of the crowds and the crack of the bat, completing the listener's transport to Mudville and the day of misery. The rest of the recording extends the story and appreciation for the music: producer Bonnie Ward Simon relays background information about the poem, The Michigan State University Band performs the rousing “Casey March,â€� the Rhonda Cole Studio Suzuki students play a simplified version of the music theme, and a combo band finishes with “The Casey Tango.â€� Additionally, the Young Singers of St. Patrick's Day School perform another story song, “In a Cabin in the Wood.â€� Stephen Simon then describes the action in this second song and breaks the music down to a very basic level, providing prompts about what to listen for when the music repeats. The accompanying teacher's guide includes lyrics, music, games, and activities. A fun family experience as well as an excellent tool to use in music appreciation training.–Stephanie Bange, Wilmington-Stroop Branch, Dayton Metro Library, OH

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School Library Journal: Gr 1-5–The second release in the Stories in Music series is a winner. In the tradition of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, this production features the classic 1888 poem by Ernest Lawrence Thayer with music composed and conducted by Stephen Simon. “Yadu the Famous Narratorâ€� (a.k.a. Dr. Konrad Czynski) gives a dramatic reading of the text. The London Symphony Orchestra supplies not only music, but also the sounds of the crowds and the crack of the bat, completing the listener's transport to Mudville and the day of misery. The rest of the recording extends the story and appreciation for the music: producer Bonnie Ward Simon relays background information about the poem, The Michigan State University Band performs the rousing “Casey March,â€� the Rhonda Cole Studio Suzuki students play a simplified version of the music theme, and a combo band finishes with “The Casey Tango.â€� Additionally, the Young Singers of St. Patrick's Day School perform another story song, “In a Cabin in the Wood.â€� Stephen Simon then describes the action in this second song and breaks the music down to a very basic level, providing prompts about what to listen for when the music repeats. The accompanying teacher's guide includes lyrics, music, games, and activities. A fun family experience as well as an excellent tool to use in music appreciation training.–Stephanie Bange, Wilmington-Stroop Branch, Dayton Metro Library, OH

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

School Library Journal: Gr 1-5–The second release in the Stories in Music series is a winner. In the tradition of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, this production features the classic 1888 poem by Ernest Lawrence Thayer with music composed and conducted by Stephen Simon. “Yadu the Famous Narratorâ€� (a.k.a. Dr. Konrad Czynski) gives a dramatic reading of the text. The London Symphony Orchestra supplies not only music, but also the sounds of the crowds and the crack of the bat, completing the listener's transport to Mudville and the day of misery. The rest of the recording extends the story and appreciation for the music: producer Bonnie Ward Simon relays background information about the poem, The Michigan State University Band performs the rousing “Casey March,â€� the Rhonda Cole Studio Suzuki students play a simplified version of the music theme, and a combo band finishes with “The Casey Tango.â€� Additionally, the Young Singers of St. Patrick's Day School perform another story song, “In a Cabin in the Wood.â€� Stephen Simon then describes the action in this second song and breaks the music down to a very basic level, providing prompts about what to listen for when the music repeats. The accompanying teacher's guide includes lyrics, music, games, and activities. A fun family experience as well as an excellent tool to use in music appreciation training.–Stephanie Bange, Wilmington-Stroop Branch, Dayton Metro Library, OH

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

School Library Journal: Gr 1-5–The second release in the Stories in Music series is a winner. In the tradition of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, this production features the classic 1888 poem by Ernest Lawrence Thayer with music composed and conducted by Stephen Simon. “Yadu the Famous Narratorâ€� (a.k.a. Dr. Konrad Czynski) gives a dramatic reading of the text. The London Symphony Orchestra supplies not only music, but also the sounds of the crowds and the crack of the bat, completing the listener's transport to Mudville and the day of misery. The rest of the recording extends the story and appreciation for the music: producer Bonnie Ward Simon relays background information about the poem, The Michigan State University Band performs the rousing “Casey March,â€� the Rhonda Cole Studio Suzuki students play a simplified version of the music theme, and a combo band finishes with “The Casey Tango.â€� Additionally, the Young Singers of St. Patrick's Day School perform another story song, “In a Cabin in the Wood.â€� Stephen Simon then describes the action in this second song and breaks the music down to a very basic level, providing prompts about what to listen for when the music repeats. The accompanying teacher's guide includes lyrics, music, games, and activities. A fun family experience as well as an excellent tool to use in music appreciation training.–Stephanie Bange, Wilmington-Stroop Branch, Dayton Metro Library, OH

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School Library Journal : Gr 6–10—Set in New York City at the beginning of the American Revolution, Chains addresses the price of freedom both for a nation and for individuals. Isabel tells the story of her life as a slave. She was sold with her five-year-old sister to a cruel Loyalist family even though the girls were to be free upon the death of their former owner. She has hopes of finding a way to freedom and becomes a spy for the rebels, but soon realizes that it is difficult to trust anyone. She chooses to find someone to help her no matter which side he or she is on. With short chapters, each beginning with a historical quote, this fast-paced novel reveals the heartache and struggles of a country and slave fighting for freedom. The characters are well developed, and the situations are realistic. An author's note gives insight into issues surrounding the Revolutionary War and the fight for the nation's freedom even though 20 percent of its people were in chains. Well researched and affecting in its presentation, the story offers readers a fresh look at the conflict and struggle of a developing nation.—Denise Moore, O'Gorman Junior High School, Sioux Falls, SD

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