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by Anne Rivers Siddons

Publishers Weekly: No one does coastal melodrama like veteran Siddons (Homeplace). Lilly Constable McCall, 53, has led an enviable life—marriage and children with a successful architect, her own success as a sculptor—but husband Cam's death sends her spiraling. She returns to the coastal family cottage in Edgewater, Maine, where she spent her childhood, and where Cam died. There, she recalls the summer of 1962, and the arrival in town of new girl Peaches Davenport, who envies all Lilly has. That includes the attentions of attractive older boy Jon Lowell, who awakens grown-up feelings in Lilly's 11-year-old heart. But it's Lilly's place as the daughter of a Washington, D.C., professor and the sporadically successful painter and activist Elizabeth Constable—that makes Lilly's childhood most attractive to Peaches, and to readers. Jon may have shared her first kiss, and Cam her home and children, but it's the changing relationship between Lilly and the elusive, enigmatic Elizabeth that makes this story fresh. (Aug.)

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Newbery Medal Winners

Jacob Have I Loved

by Katherine Paterson

Publishers Weekly : Jance keeps former L.A. TV news anchor Ali Reynolds in her native Arizona for her third lead appearance (following Web of Evil). Ali, still recovering from the murder of her not-quite-ex-husband, is aided by her parents and her old high school chum, newly divorced detective and marine reservist Dave Holman. Meanwhile, wealthy, reclusive Arabella Ashcroft, whose family's college scholarship program supported Ali as an undergrad, has read Ali's grief-filled blog, cutlooseblog.com, and wants Ali's help in writing an incest memoir: elderly Arabella says that her childhood was despoiled by a late stepbrother, Bill, and that she's being threatened by his son should she go through with writing about it. Soon after, Dave's daughter Crystal disappears from the Las Vegas home of his ex- and her new husband; Dave seeks Ali's counsel before barreling out there. Jance crowds the book with subplots, and her characters air a lot of opinions about sexual abuse and health care. But sparks between Ali and Dave and an upbeat ending keep this latest Ali outing on track. (Dec.)

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

Publishers Weekly : Jance keeps former L.A. TV news anchor Ali Reynolds in her native Arizona for her third lead appearance (following Web of Evil). Ali, still recovering from the murder of her not-quite-ex-husband, is aided by her parents and her old high school chum, newly divorced detective and marine reservist Dave Holman. Meanwhile, wealthy, reclusive Arabella Ashcroft, whose family's college scholarship program supported Ali as an undergrad, has read Ali's grief-filled blog, cutlooseblog.com, and wants Ali's help in writing an incest memoir: elderly Arabella says that her childhood was despoiled by a late stepbrother, Bill, and that she's being threatened by his son should she go through with writing about it. Soon after, Dave's daughter Crystal disappears from the Las Vegas home of his ex- and her new husband; Dave seeks Ali's counsel before barreling out there. Jance crowds the book with subplots, and her characters air a lot of opinions about sexual abuse and health care. But sparks between Ali and Dave and an upbeat ending keep this latest Ali outing on track. (Dec.)

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

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Caldecott Medal Winners

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

by Simms Taback

Publishers Weekly : As in his Caldecott Honor book, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, Taback's inventive use of die-cut pages shows off his signature artwork, here newly created for his 1977 adaptation of a Yiddish folk song. This diverting, sequential story unravels as swiftly as the threads of Joseph's well-loved, patch-covered plaid coat. A flip of the page allows children to peek through to subsequent spreads as Joseph's tailoring produces items of decreasing size. The author puts a droll spin on his narrative when Joseph loses the last remnant of the coat--a button--and decides to make a book about it. "Which shows... you can always make something out of nothing," writes Taback, who wryly slips himself into his story by depicting Joseph creating a dummy for the book that readers are holding. Still, it's the bustling mixed-media artwork, highlighted by the strategically placed die-cuts, that steals the show. Taback works into his folk art a menagerie of wide-eyed animals witnessing the overcoat's transformation, miniature photographs superimposed on paintings and some clever asides reproduced in small print (a wall hanging declares, "Better to have an ugly patch than a beautiful hole"; a newspaper headline announces, "Fiddler on Roof Falls off Roof"). With its effective repetition and an abundance of visual humor, this is tailor-made for reading aloud. All ages. (Oct.)

Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

School Library Journal : Pre-Gr 3-A book bursting at the seams with ingenuity and creative spirit. When Joseph's overcoat becomes "old and worn," he snips off the patches and turns it into a jacket. When his jacket is beyond repair, he makes a vest. Joseph recycles his garments until he has nothing left. But by trading in his scissors for a pen and paintbrush he creates a story, showing "you can always make something out of nothing." Clever die-cut holes provide clues as to what Joseph will make next: windowpanes in one scene become a scarf upon turning the page. Striking gouache, watercolor, and collage illustrations are chock-full of witty details-letters to read, proverbs on the walls, even a fiddler on the roof. Taback adapted this tale from a Yiddish folk song and the music and English lyrics are appended. The rhythm and repetition make it a perfect storytime read-aloud.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

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Edgar Awards

Silent Joe

by T. Jefferson Parker

Publishers Weekly: Parker (Red Light) lowers the volume from his usual roar and adds a subtle backbeat to this bittersweet thriller about a man's anguished search for his father's killer. Joe Trona is a dutiful son, but horrible facial scars have made him an outcast. He lived in an orphanage until he was adopted at five by Will Trona, a powerful politician in Southern California's Orange County. As a hulking teenager and later as a young man, Joe became Will's right-hand man running errands, extracting revenge on enemies, protecting his flank all the while living a lonely life because of his disfigurement. One night, Joe drops his guard for a moment, and Will is gunned down. Despite aggressive investigations by the FBI and sheriff's department, Joe seeks his own vengeance. He starts sifting through his father's life and gradually discovers that Will brokered secret deals, blackmailed enemies, had extramarital affairs and in his final days appeared to be involved in the kidnapping of an 11-year-old girl. Joe's investigation becomes a personal voyage, casting light on the dark corners of his own past and allowing him to start overcoming the crushing indignity that his injury has forced him to endure. Capped by a violent yet poignant finale, the plot is loaded with familiar Parker themes a faithless government, the heavy hand of big business and the corruption of the wealthy. Parker's tone, however, is more pensive this time. He crafts an intricately layered story reaching beyond his usual domain into more personal territory, at times evoking the work of Ross MacDonald. (Apr. 25)Forecast: A teaser chapter in the paperback of L.A. Times bestseller Red Light, a $150,000 marketing campaign and a five-city author tour will speak up for what is perhaps Parker's most ambitious work to date.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

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ALA Best Books for Young Adults

Coal Black Horse

by Robert Olmstead

School Library Journal : Adult/High School—Although the basic plot is simple, the emotional impact of this book is complex. Robey, 14, is sent to find his father, a Civil War soldier, after his mother has a premonition. At the beginning of the journey, he is given a coal black horse that takes on almost mythic connotations. The early part of the quest is like any other, and the portrayal of the countryside is beguiling and effective. Those whom Robey meets along the way become increasingly threatening. At one point, he is the trapped observer of a brutal rape. He later meets its victim and must confront his sense of guilt. Robey finds his dying father on the battlefield and, in order to survive, he must learn to kill. Certainly this novel invites comparison with Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage, but there are more layers of guilt and redemption here. The story can be read on several levels: some teens will enjoy Robey's adventure and close association with the coal black horse, while other readers will be rewarded by a book that raises troubling issues about the nature of war and carnage. The writing is lyrical and descriptive throughout.—Teri Titus, San Mateo County Library, CA

Oprah's Book Club

Black and Blue

by Anna Quindlen

Publishers Weekly : Intermittently striking joyous and sad notes, Seidler's (Mean Margaret) somewhat unevenly paced, ultimately uplifting novel opens as three siblings arrive home from summer camp thrilled to find the four kittens that their beloved pet delivered while they were away. One of the litter, Toes, so named for the seven toes on each of his paws, is soon spurned by his siblings, who resent his dexterity and superior skill at such activities as playing soccer with a ball of yarn. The narrative moves easily between human dialogue and cat conversation, and the author has fun with the cat's discoveries of television and music. Toes, in an attempt to clean himself up after his vengeful siblings throw him into the litterbox, ventures outside on Halloween night and takes refuge in a basement. The action slows as the lonely feline survives for months (he overhears TV reports of the holidays and "things called valentines"), with just the company of mice who speak to him in rhyme. However, a new, gratifying phase of Toes's life begins when a desperate turn of events prompts him to make his presence known to the house's occupant, a kind, struggling musician who hasn't been able to realize his dream of joining an orchestra, and the two bond immediately. Readers will likely happily suspend disbelief at the music-loving cat's extraordinary intelligence—and the measures he takes to help out his new owner. A warm, unabashedly sentimental story that will particularly please young cat lovers. Ages 8-up.

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

Publishers Weekly : Intermittently striking joyous and sad notes, Seidler's (Mean Margaret) somewhat unevenly paced, ultimately uplifting novel opens as three siblings arrive home from summer camp thrilled to find the four kittens that their beloved pet delivered while they were away. One of the litter, Toes, so named for the seven toes on each of his paws, is soon spurned by his siblings, who resent his dexterity and superior skill at such activities as playing soccer with a ball of yarn. The narrative moves easily between human dialogue and cat conversation, and the author has fun with the cat's discoveries of television and music. Toes, in an attempt to clean himself up after his vengeful siblings throw him into the litterbox, ventures outside on Halloween night and takes refuge in a basement. The action slows as the lonely feline survives for months (he overhears TV reports of the holidays and "things called valentines"), with just the company of mice who speak to him in rhyme. However, a new, gratifying phase of Toes's life begins when a desperate turn of events prompts him to make his presence known to the house's occupant, a kind, struggling musician who hasn't been able to realize his dream of joining an orchestra, and the two bond immediately. Readers will likely happily suspend disbelief at the music-loving cat's extraordinary intelligence—and the measures he takes to help out his new owner. A warm, unabashedly sentimental story that will particularly please young cat lovers. Ages 8-up.