The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 127

4Q Dks Moines SrxiuY Registkr February 7, 1999 Here is an array of books for children that focus on African-American history cy. That reality impels Levi and Jupiter into a suspenseful journey into the Deep South to find and rescue Darcy without telling anyone what they're up to. They meet legendary Underground Railroad characters, as well as beautifully realized fictional characters. If the boys' Jemison, Ella J. Baker, Ruby Dee, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Marian Wright Edelman, Alice Walker, Alexa Canady, Septima Clark and the Delaney Sisters.

Each woman's short biography succeeds her photograph; each face is compelling. A list of other women of hope and an annotated bibliography are also included. Moe Foner, executive director and founder of the Bread and Roses Cultural Project, whose posters supply the book's portraits, writes a foreword. Again, nicely done. Anita Larsen is a book reviewer who specializes in children's books.

She lives in New Mexico. I 5 A i journey is unsuc- cessful at the time 1 xi, a by Aao Taylor picture by Jlarjocie van Hwrden medicine, law, the arts Ida Wells-Barnett, Fannie Lou Hamer, Mae Reviewed by ANITA LARSEN 1 lack History Month February provides a focus for mentioning some fine books dealing with African-American history, including one book for very young children. "Baby Dance," by Ann Taylor, illustrated by Marjorie van Heer-den unpaged); Harper Grouting Tree, $5.95. Parents (grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends) of babies old enough to respond to music and movement will find a swirl of activity in this bright board book. In the poem, exhausted Mom naps on the sofa with the cat comfy in her lap.

Dad lifts the little one and whirls her into the chortle and glee of a sing-along dance that wakes both Mom and cat and both are smiling. The warmth of this family moment can't help but be replayed many times. "Dear Austin: Letters from the Underground Railroad," by Elvira Woodruff, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter 136 pages); Knopf, $16. An affecting and satisfying sequel to "Dear Levi," which finds 11-year-old Levi Ives writing to his in-the-West brother and readers in the immediacy of first person. The news is all upper-elementary boy the torture of dance class, exploits of the Daredevil Club undertaken with his buddies Jupiter and Possum in Pennsylvania and so on.

Jupiter, who can't speak, and his little sister Darcy, who can't resist singing, are free, but that technicality doesn't deter slave catchers from snatching Dar- National uicy iiiuai niu it, Joyce Hansen the author's finely turned epilogue tells readers of the power of dreams. Delayed, they can still come true. Nancy Carpenter's black-and-white pencil drawings evoke an earlier age of children's books, a fitting quality in this exciting historical novel. "The Last Safe House: A Story of the Underground Railroad," by Barbara Greenwood, illustrated by Heather Collins (119 pages); Kids Can, $16.95 he, $9.95, paper. For the same 8-12 readership as the previous title and with similar subject matter, the perspective this time is a girl's.

Johanna Reid lives with her family in St. Catharines, Canada West (now Ontario). Her family is increased one night in 1856 by Eliza Jackson, a girl her own age who escapes slavery by "following the drinking gourd's" north star to Canada. The author's exhaustive research has resulted in a satisfying story, as well as informative factual inserts the layout of a cotton plantation, for example, and the instructions for making a cornhusk doll like Eliza's. A glossary and bib- liography are included.

The book is a valuable acquisition for upper-elementary classrooms studying the Underground Railroad. "A Drawing in the Sand: A Story of African American Art," by Jerry Butler (64 pages); Zino, $24.95. There are a lot of things going on in this vibrant art book. Artist Jerry Butler's book design guides readers clearly through the book's multiple focuses. His autobiography reflects the lives of other artists, of which he provides an overview.

He joins the history of society with that of art. His paintings mix with artworks of others, and an appended list of artists and short bibliography can draw readers age 8 and up to further research. Nicely done. "Women of Hope: African-Americans Who Made a Difference," by Joyce Hansen (32 pages); Scholastic, $16.95. This is another collection of lives that fairly cry out to be investigated, for readers age 8 and up.

The lives are those of women in fields as diverse as onage during Cold War. 9 SIMPLE ABUNDANCE, by Sarah Ban Breathnach. Warner, $20. A day-by-day journal for counting one's blessings. 1 THE CENTURY, by Peter Jennings and Todd Brewster.

Doubleday, $60. Lavishly illustrated survey of the 20th century. 1 1 CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD, BOOK 3, by Neale Donald Walscfi. Hampton Roads, $22.95. The series moves on to "universal truths." 1 2tHE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN, by Simon Wichester.

HarperCollins. $22. W.C. Minor, Civil War veteran and certified lunatic, contributed many entries to the Oxford English Dictionary, from England's Broadmoor Asylum. 1 3 IN THE MEANTIME, by lyanla Vanzant.

Simon Schuster, $23. Inspirational author and speaker writes about "finding yourself and the love you want." 14 PLAYING FOR KEEPS, David Halberstam. Random House, $24.95. The world of Michael Jordan, with all its attendant orchestration and great wealth, is laid out in layman's terms. 1 5 DIETING WITH THE DUCHESS, by Sarah, the Duchess of York.

Simon Schuster, $25. The Duchess of York relates the troubles she's had try- -ing to control her weight. Bestsellers GENERAL 1 THE GREATEST GENERATION, by Tom Brokaw. Random House, $24.95. TV anchor's accounts of "ordinary" people who came of age in the Great Depression and World War II and lived truly extraordinary lives.

2 HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT AND WANT WHAT YOU HAVE, John Gray. Ph. 0. HarperCollins, $24.95. Subtitled: "A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Personal Success." 3 TUESDAYS WITH MOflRIE, by Mitch Al-bom.

Doubleday, $19 95. Memories of a dying college mentor by a sports-writer. 4 LIFE STRATEGIES, by Philip McGraw, Ph.D. Hyperion, $21 .95. Psychologist wants readers to be creators of their lives, not created by their lives.

5 ONE DAY MY SOUL JUST OPENED UP, by ly- anla Vanzant. $13. A 40-day, spiritual self-help program. 6 SUGAR BUSTERSI, by H. Leighton Steward, Morrison C.

Bethea, Sam Andrews. Luis A. Balart. Ballantine, $22. Diet book outlines eating plan that eliminates sugar.

7 THE STEPS TO FINANCIAL FREEDOM, by Suze Orman. Random House. $14. Subtitled "Practical and Spiritual Steps So You Can Stop Worrying." 8 BLIND MAN'S BLUFF. by Sherry Sontag and Christopher Drew with Annette L.

Drew. Public Affairs, $25. History of American submarine espi- Iowa author's illustrator wins Caldecott award Siamese cats provide the latest from Moose County, where a hiker has disappeared. Was it a UFO? 8 THE SIMPLE TRUTH, by David Baldacci. Warner, $25.

An appeal to the Supreme Court sets off a killing spree that produces enough corpses for each justice to go one-on-one. 9 WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, by James Patterson. Little. Brown. $25.

Bizarre events, including a girl named Max who has wings and a conspiracy involving genetics, touch the life of a Colorado veterinarian. 10 ANGEL'S FLIGHT. by Michael Connelly. Little. Brown, $25.

Hard-boiled detective Harry Bosch investigates the death of a high-profile African-American lawyer. 1 1 A NIGHT WITHOUT ARMOR, by Jewel Kilcher. HarperCollins, $15. The pop icon known as Jewel writes. 1 2 AMSTERDAM, by Ian McEwan.

Doubleday, $21 An expertly plotted "entertainment" that won Britain's Booker Prize. 13 BAG OF BONES, by Stephen King. Scrib-ner. $28. Romance writer Mike Noonan grapples with hauntings at the lake home loved by his late wife.

14 RAINBOW SIX, by Tom Clancy. Putnam, $27.95, Jack Ryan's shadow double, John Clark, takes center stage and sets up a crafty, well-equipped anti-terrorism unit in England. 1 5ARCHANGEL. Robert Harris. Random House, $24 95.

Thriller explores the lingering presence of Stalin amidst the corruption of modern-day Russia. FICTION I SOUTHERN CROSS. by Patricia Cornwall. Putnam, $25.95. The trio Irom 1997 "Hornet's Nest" is dispatched to Richmond, Va to quell the growing gang problem and modernize the beleaguered Richmond PD.

2 BIUY STRAIGHT, by Jonathan Kellerman. Random House, $25 95, Homeless 12-year-old on the streets of A must deal with the repercussions ot a murder he witnessed. 3 A MAN IN FULL, by Tom Wolfe. Farrar, Straus Giroux, $28 95 A sharp, funny satire of the totality of American life, centered on self-satisfied Atlanta developer Charlie Croker and the messes he gets into. 4 IN DANGER'S PATH.

by B. Griffin. Putnam, $24.95. Secret missions, coded messages, warlords and bandits in Grit-fin's 27th novel, the eighth In his Marine Corps Series. 5thepoisonwood BIBLE, by Barbara King-solver.

HarperFlamingo, $27.50, A Baptist preacher, his wife and four daughters tackle a doomed mission to the politically unstable Belgian Congo in 1959, with far-reaching consequences. 6 SEIZE THE NIGHT, by Dean Koontz. Bantam, $26.95. Hero Chris Snow Is caught in the middle of an ugly situation: Children are disappearing in Moonlight Bay, Calif. 7 THE CAT WHO SAW STARS, by Lilian Jackson Braun Putnam, $22.95.

In the 21 st book in the series, amateur sleuth Jim Qwilleran and his too illustrator," Martin said last week. "Snowflake Bentley" is a picture book biography of the life of Wilson Bentley, a Vermont farm boy who lived from 1865 to 1931 and was fascinated by snow-flakes. He became an expert on Eastern Iowa children's author Jacqueline Briggs Martin's picture book, "Snowflake Bentley," received one of the literary world's most prestigious honors on Monday morning. The book's illustrations, by Vermont printmaker Mary Azarian, won the Caldecott Medal, the highest honor in children's publishing, awarded by the American Library Association. Martin, who lives in Mount Vernon, has been writing children's books for about 20 years.

"Snow-flake Bentley" was her 11th. The book was not a collaboration with Azarian, Martin explains. She wrote the picture book manuscript and submitted it to the publisher, Houghton Mifflin. "They pick the snowflakes (hence the nickname) and many of his photos are still used. One winter day, when her children were college age, they were out walking in the snow and someone said, "Wouldn't Snowflake Bentley love this?" One of her children suggested she write a book about the character.

Martin has never met Azarian in person, and talked to her for the first time Monday when she called to congratulate the illustrator on the Caldecott. Though Azarian will get the medal at an award ceremony, Martin knows the story is hers and says, "the book is the most important thing." The story in "Snowflake Bentley" is 1,000 words with sidebars. A check with Des Moines bookstores early in the week found the book out of stock but on order. Kathy Berdan These hardcover fiction and nonfiction bestseller lists for the week ending Friday, Feb. 5, were compiled by Publishers Weekly magazine..