St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 80

Gil BEST BOOKS st. louis post-dispatch ARTS ENTERTAINMENT Sunday, November 25, 2000 contin. 4' memory of his father "The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis" selected by Caroline Kennedy (Hyperion, 192 pages, A fine, lively choice of old and new poems, favorites of Jackie Kennedy, introduced by her daughter. The 114 poems include work from ancient Greek, Chinese and biblical texts to the present. Among favorite poets are Frost, W.B.

Yeats, Emily Dickinson and Langston Hughes. Jackie's personality and spirit permeate this whole collection. "Fox: Poems 1998-2000" by Adrienne Rich (Norton, 80 pages, $21). Rich has a versatile style ranging from clear and open to staccato, surreal phrasing and cinematic imagery "Song of the World Becoming: New and Collected Poems, 1981-2001" by Pattiann Rogers (Milkweed Editions, 550 pages, Rogers' work will delight readers who seek depth, music and meaning in new poetry. Her voice and style are precise, consistent, at once mystical and open, natural and spiritual.

Few poets can describe nature more eloquently, with scientific knowledge and insight than this Joplin, native. "Night Picnic" by Charles Simic (Harcourt, 96 pages, $23). Simic deals with ordinary people, places and events in startlingly precise language and imagery. There are strong undercurrents of love and death, and sheer beauty, in these 68 new poems by Simic, whose unique vision and energy have been a major force in recent American writing. James (Knopf, 415 pages, $25).

Inspector Adam Dalgleish is a sensitive poet as well as a policeman, and James' stories contain reflections on such topics as trends in society, literature, Christian faith and the state of the Church of England, all laced with wit and humor. And they never fail to remind us of the many different losses that a murder involves, not only the loss of a life, but of innocence and privacy as welh "Death in Holy Orders" is one of James' best. "The Good German" by Joseph Kanon (Henry Holt, 496 pages, $26). In freshly conquered Berlin in the summer of 1945, a Gl's murder raises uncomfortable questions about who if anyone has a claim to morality. "Black House" by Stephen King and Peter Straub (Random House, 625 pages, A man vs.

monster story with just enough supernatural, other-worldly themes to keep all readers happy and King fans ecstatic. "Exile" by Denise Mina (364 pages, Carroll Graf, $25). Maureen O'Donnell fights the demons of her past and of the present in a mystery that moves from Glasgow to London and back again to Scotland. Solid characters, well-paced plotting, glimmers of good and more than a few surprises make this bleak tale an absorbing read. "The Last Blue Plate Special" by Abigail Padgett (Mysterious Press, 296 pages, In a genre flooded with cops and private investigators, Blue McCarron is a rarity: a social psychologist who interprets patterns, not individual behavior.

She predicts a problem when the police are still thinking coincidence, then has to convince them of her own innocence before setting out to find a culprit. "Protect and Defend" by Richard North Patterson (Knopf, 546 pages, A presidential nomination for a Supreme Court seat put the nominee a woman in the hot seat because of her views on abortion. "Enemy Within" by Robert K. Tanenbaum (Pocket Books, 353 pages, New York prosecutor Butch Karp appears for a 10th time in this vividly drawn account of the trials of doing justice in the Big Apple. I Children's meteoric rise of the Jazz Age poetess and her descent into drug and alcohol addiction.

A meticulously -researched work that offers never before published passages from Millay's personal papers. "Theodore Rex" by Edmund Morris (Random House, 864 pages, $35). In this sequel to "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt," TR rises to the White House in a surge of energy. It's a zesty account of an extremely zesty American. "Harry and Ike: The Partnership That Remade the Postwar World" by Steve Neal (Scribner, 368 pages, $26).

The wartime partnership between President Harry Truman and General Dwight D. Eisenhower turned to rivalry when the Republican Party seized on Eisenhower's popularity to make him the party's 1952 presidential candidate. The ensuing antagonism wounded both men, but in the end they achieved a measure of reconciliation. "President Nixon: Alone in the White House" by Richard Reeves (Simon Schuster, 704 pages, $28). Were this devastating account of the conduct and character of Richard Nixon during his presidency not documented in meticulous detail, only certified Nixon loathers would consider it credible.

Its undeniable credibility, however, confirms the wisdom of an astute remark by former senator Bob Dole: "The most extraordinary thing about (Nixon's) presidency was not the way it ended but that it happened." "Andrew Jackson and His Indian Wars" by Robert V. Remini (Viking, 336 pages, After providing a detailed, chilling account of the treatment of American Indians by Andrew Jackson and his contemporaries, Robert Remini reluctantly accepts Jackson's view that removal of Indians to western lands rescued these tribes from annihilation. "John Maynard Keynes, Volume III" by Robert Skidelsky (Viking, 508 pages, Skidelsky completes his thorough and eminently fair grand opus on the life and thought of one of the greatest economists in history. This work, which covers the years from 1937 to Keynes' death in 1946, shows how this great thinker was also a powerful man of affairs, and especially concentrates on his key role in devising the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. This is a very detailed, but distinctly important biography.

"Sometimes Madness Is Wisdom: Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, A Marriage" by Kendall Taylor (Ballantine, 442 pages, $28). Taylor provides a detailed account of the Jazz Age world of Scott and Zelda, with a particular emphasis on Zelda. The book benefits from newly available letters and diaries by her, and newly released medical documents about her. "Romancing: The Life and Work of Henry Green" by Jeremy Treglown (Random House, 331 pages, Written with balance, stylistic verve and depth, this illustrated first biography of an English novelist (1905-73) much admired by Eudora Welty and John Updike earns high marks for its insights into its subject's funny, disturbing novels as well as his messy, fascinating life. "The Dream Machine: J.C.R.

Licklider and the Revolution That Made Computing Personal" by M. Mitchell Waldrop (Viking, 502 pages, This detailed history of the Internet traces its roots to the pervasive influence of J.C.R. Licklider, a St. Louis native whose expertise was not just technology but how human beings can use it to the best advantage of both. Mifflin Children's Books, 48 pages, $15).

This nonfiction picture book allows readers to explore 20 historic sites, from Cahokia in 1200 to an 1893 Chicago mansion at Christmas. Take time to discover the details. "And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon" by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel (Harcourt, 48 pages, $17). The sister team brings classic nursery rhyme characters together again in their newest collaboration, When Dish ran away with Spoon, they always came back until now. Dish and Spoon are missing, and it's up to Cow, Dog and Cat to find them in time for their rhyme to be read again.

An exciting mystery for children ages 5-8. "Ignis" by Gina Wilson, illustrated by RJ. Lynch (Candlewick Press, 38 pages, A dragon adventure nb one should miss. Ignis the dragon has much to be proud of, but there is something missing in his life, something he needs to feel whole. The search for his own flame takes him on adventures he never thought possible.

Lynch's watercolor and gouache illustrations are rich and endearing, each double-page spread bringing awe and wonderment to an unforgettable story for children ages 4-8. "Some From the Moon Some From the Sun, Poems and Songs for Everyone" by Margot Zemach (48 pages, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $17). Classic childhood poems and songs make a wonderful return in this posthumous collection by a Caldecott winner. Zemach's final book stands in a class all its own, bringing smiles and rhymes to children of all ages. For older readers "Whale Talk" by Chris Crutcher (Greenwillow Books, 220 pages, When TJ struggles to form a school swim team, he isn't surprised when only the outcasts sign up.

A gripping exploration of respect and belonging as well as the effects of abuse on young lives. "Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art" by Jan Greenberg (Abrams, 80 pages, Original poems are printed next to the artwork that inspired them. A beautiful and original book for all ages. "Witness" by Karen Hesse (Scholastic Press, 161 pages, When the Klan moves into a small Vermont town in the 1920s, everyone from possible victims to potential recruits is affected. Each tells his or her own story in this haunting tale from a Newbery-winning author.

"We Were There, Too! Young People in U.S. History" by Phillip M. Hoose (Farrar, Straus Giroux, 272 pages, A fascinating and well-researched history of the many roles young people have played in U.S. history. For instance, on one of Columbus' voyages, more than half his crew was under 18.

Individual profiles of gutsy kids will surprise many readers. "Zazoo" by Richard Mosher (Clarion Books, 248 pages, $16). When a handsome young man pedals up and begins asking questions, Zazoo feels compelled to supply the answers. In doing so, she uncovers some surprising facts about this French village's role in World War II. A poetic exploration of good and evil in the human soul.

"Witch Child" by Celia Rees (Candlewick Press, 272 pages, In a world where being different is deadly, Mary, skilled with herbs, poses as a Puritan immigrant to escape the fate of her healer grandmother, who was executed for witchcraft. An eye-opening historic fantasy. "Zach's Lie" by Roland Smith (Hyperion, 211 pages, A gripping, fast-paced tale of a boy's struggle to hang on to shreds of his old identity when his family is placed in the Witness Protection Program after his father is caught transporting drugs. "Sights" by Susanna Vance (Dela-corte Press, 216 pages, Although Baby Girl has always felt blessed by her gift of sight, in a new town she finds that it can also separate her from her peers. A touching coming-of-age story in a town in the 1950s.

"The Boy in the Burning House" by Tim Wynne-Jones (Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 214 pages, $16). Jim can't believe his father was murdered by a family friend, but when he sets out to disprove these claims he uncovers some surprising answers. A dramatic exploration of the tenuous nature of credibility. "Venice: Lion City" by Garry Wills (Simon Schuster, 371 pages, $35). Urban history is popular today, but of course all cities are not equal.

Some remain in obscurity, whereas others, like Venice, get lots of attention. Garry Wills is in love with Venice, most especially the city-state in its heyday, before 1650. He admires the social cohesion, political stability, and power of the city, but above all its art. This is a modern version of Ruskin's famous essay on Venice, interlarded with dry wit. "Fire on the Beach" by David Wright and David Zoby (Scribner, 335 pages, $26).

The riveting, previously untold story of the extraordinary heroism of former slaves and freed-men who became lifesavers on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in the years following the Civil War, battling prejudice as well as the great storms that made these barrier islands "The Graveyard of the "In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo" by Michela Wrong (HarperCollins, 336 pages, $26). How could a country as rich as Congo see its wealth of natural resources and talented people squandered by charismatic dictators, corrupt politicians and satraps? Michela Wrong provides some answers, and they aren't always politically correct because they don't blame everything on the Belgians' brutal colonial rule. "A History of the Wife" by Marilyn Yalom (441 pages, HarperCollins, $30). A history of the wife is also a history of wife-beating for 3,000 years.

Yalom weaves fictional wives with factual ones, emphasizing the "his-tory" part of "history," as she presents others' through letters and studies. More readable than academic, both blessing and curse. Biography memoirs "Standing on a Volcano: The Life and Times of David Rowland Francis" by Harper BarneUMissouri Historical Society pages, $22.95 paper). Barnes follows the "boy mayor" of St. Louis to Russia, where the ambassador witnessed the Bolshevik revolution.

"Marie Antoinette" by Antonia Fraser (Doubleday, 458 pages, $35). The French Revolution has always been a polarizing event; Fraser takes her place among the deplorers, as she sets forth to refute the 200-year-old canards about the unfortunate queen with her customary gusto. "Fanny Burney" by Claire Harmon (404 pages, Knopf, $30.) The subject is England's first widely admired woman novelist. But she came from a famous family whose members mingled with major figures of the day. The book therefore becomes a portrait of an age of the composer Handel, of King George III, of Revolutionary and Napoleonic France.

"Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand (Random House, 399 pages, A fascinating biography of a crooked-legged racehorse who, Hillenbrand says, became the nation's No. 1 newsmaker of 1938. "A Hero of Our Own" by Sheila Isenberg (Random House, 273 pages, Varian Fry went to Vichy France in 1940 and made it possible for a couple of thousand men and women to escape from the Nazis to America. Among these were many of the most important cultural giants of the last century; Fry's work is thus a valuable footnote to modern history. He comes across as a genuine saint; this little book is a life of a saint equal to any medieval tome.

"Edith and Woodrow: The Wilson White House" by Phyllis Lee Levin (Scribner, 608 pages, $35). This "dual biography" assaults the fortress Edith Gait Wilson built around President Woodrow Wilson's vulnerabilities and shortcomings. Levin's stark conclusions concerning Wilson's chronic ill health and debilitating 1919 stroke, as well as his sexual for adulation, and extreme stubbornness place Wilson's'accomplishments and failures in a problematical light. "John'Adams" by David McCuflough (Simon Schuster, 736 pages, $35). Without ignoring the well-known disagreeable qualities in John Adams' character, McCullough shows in this elegantly written book that, balanced with more agreeable ones, they played an important part in the development of his career.

With the explicit and implicit collaboration of his gifted wife, Abigail, Adams was an important, too-often-overlooked figure in American history. "Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay" by Nancy Milford (Random House, 576 passes, Milfor traces the "Marie Antoinette" By Antonia Fraser "John Adams" By David McCullough Itv "The Blue Last" By Martha Grimes "Louise in Love" By Mary Jo Bang "Interrogations at Noon" By Dana Giola "Some Assembly Required" By George Bradley rr: tilr-riitTiTlli "Zach's Lie" By Roland Smith if 1 1 uxj Martha 1 i i lA I Picture Books "Handel, Who Knew What He Liked" by M.T. Anderson, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes (48 pages, Can-dlewick Press, One of this year's best biographies for children ages 8-12. Anderson uncovers the humor and perseverance of the infamous wig-wearing musician whose repertoire included smuggling a clavichord into his parents' attic, bringing opera to England and creating the ever popular "Messiah" oratorio.

You'll find tidbits of musical information in the footnotes, which are equally entertaining. Hawkes' detailed, lively paintings bring the spirit, life and times of Handel into full chorus. "Mansa Musa: The Lion of Mali" by Khephra Burns, illustrated by two-time Caldecott Medal winners Leo Diane Dillon (Harcourt, 56 pages, $18). A must read for all ages. This beautifully written story of one of Africa's most celebrated kings is filled with magic and adventures that touch and fill a reader's heart and soul.

The Dillons' provocative illustrations are mesmerizing, regal perfection. "Where Are You, Blue Kangaroo?" written and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Double-day, 32 pages, A delightful sequel to "I Love You Blue Kangaroo." Lily loves to take Blue Kangaroo everywhere she goes, but she just can't seem to hold tight enough, and Blue Kangaroo always gets lost until she finds the perfect way to hold tight to a blue kangaroo. Clark's bold and animated illustrations bring out the emotions, love and suspense of her story. This sweet and loving picture book is a comforting must read for any child who has ever lost a favorite toy. "A Poke in the A Collection of Concrete Poems" by Paul Janeczko (Candlewick Press, 48 pages, These eye-opening concrete poems convey movement, rhythm and speed, through layout, lettering and funky illustrations.

An irresistible temptation. "The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins" by Barbara Kerley with drawings by Brian Selznick (Scholastic Press, 48 pages, Another one of this year's best biographies for children ages 8-12. Waterhouse Hawkins dazzled the public by building the first life-size models of dinosaurs, and today Kerley and Selznick dazzle readers in much the same way. Selznick's stirring drawings, based on Hawkins' original sketches, and Kerley's text, inspired by Hawkins' "otherworldly dinner party," bring together the perfect detail and excitement fit for this legendary man. "Albert" by Donna Jo Napoli, illustrated by Jim LaMarche, (Silver WhistleHarcourt, 32 pages, $16).

One of this year's most heartwarming, eye-opening and refreshing picture books. When two cardinals decide to make their nest in Albert's hand, his life is transformed for the better. For the first time, Albert is forced to take a close look at life's little miracles, and realizes that they've been there all along. Napoli has created a gentle and satisfying picture book for ages 5-8. LaMarche's color pencil drawings on watercolor paper add a warm and vibrant realness to a book that won't soon be forgotten.

"Places In Time: A New Atlas of American History" by Elspeth Lea-cock and Susan Buckley (Ijjoughton 1.1 Poetry "Louise in Love" by Mary Jo Bang (Grove Press, 96 pages, $13 paper). This collection describes a woman in love (Louise) who travels with her lover (Ham) and others in a rambling, dreamlike journey in changing seasons and settings. The 53 episodes (poems) are disjointed in time, space and themes, but are brilliantly original in style and presentation. The poetry is airy esh, sophisticated. "Subterranean" by Jill Bialosky (Knopf, 96 pages, $23).

Thirty-three narrative poems in four loosely linked parts, ranging widely in form and substance, from the erotic and confessional to episodes of innocence betrayed. Bialosky recounts skillfully her experiences, desires and imaginings. Her grief (on the loss of a child), temptation, longing and other emotions are expressed with a classical elegance. "Some Assembly Required" by George Bradley (Knopf, 96 pages, $23). Bradley, who has worked in construction, ad writing and other jobs, is refreshingly nonacademic, reminiscent of the modernist Hart Crane.

His poetry, both free and formal, is practical and visionary. "Interrogations at Noon" by Dana Giola (Graywolf Press, 80 pages, $14). This ninth collection of Giola's poetry maintains his reputation as one of the best and most finished craftsmen of our time. Influenced by Seneca, T.S. Eliot and others, Giola has created a new "dynamic concept" of tradition in poems dealing with time, space, life and death.

This is a unique, enduring collection, "The Darkness and the Light" by Anthony Hecht (Knopf, 76 pages, $23). The poefs underlying strength, his broad vision of past and present, is reflected in these 44 poems (including nine elegant translations), many dealing with extraordinary events of history from classical and biblical times to the Holocaust. Hecht is one of the steadiest and most distinguished American poets. "Collected Poems" by James Merrill (Knopf, 736 pages, $35). A splendid, massive collection of the late poet's work excluding his epic work, but including previously uncollected poems.

Merrill (1926-1995) is sometimes compared with Frost, but has more in common with Wallace Stevens and Conrad Aiken. Yet he was more prolific and wide-ranging (in forms, themes and settings) than any of those poets. His poetry, from the earliest to the last, is marked by striking imagery. "The Pupil: Poems" by W.S. Mer-win (Knopf, 112 pages, $23).

Nature permeates nearly all of these poems, even in urban scenes. Profoundly meditative and retrospective, these poems have a sharp, appealing immediacy as in the poet's 1) 1 Mysteries Thrillers "The Tin Collectors" by Stephen J. Cannell (St. Martin's, 389 pages, Cannell uses his skill as a TV writer to inject a wham-bam pace into this story of corruption among high-ranking Los Angeles cops. "Mapping the Edge" by Sarah Dunant (301 pages, Random House, Anna disappears while on a trip to Italy.

Is she in the throes of a love affair or in the clutches of a psychopath? Dunant keeps the reader guessing in this story of plausible possibilities. "The Blue Last," by Martha Grimes (Viking, 415 pages, Grimes is at her best in this tangled tale. At its root is a London pub destroyed during a German bombing in World War II and the families tied together by that event and those that follow. "Candyland" by Evan Hunter and Ed McBain (Simon Schuster, 302 pages, $25). Two names, one author, one gripping novel HunterMcBain uses both of his engaging styles to tell the tale of a sex-obsessed architect's misadventures in New York and how police investigate the result.

"Death in Hoi Orders" by PD. The reviewers Martha K. Baker, Harper Barnes, Robert Boyd, Jan Garden Castro, Michael Castro, Patricia Cor-rigan, Sue Bradford Edwards, Judith Evans, John Freeman, Charles Guenther, Charles Hamang, Jane Henderson, Repps Hudson, Harry Levins, Joseph Losos, Myron A. Marty, Gail Pennington, Suzanne Rhodenbaugh, Michelle RG. Richardson, Lee Ann Sandweiss, Kern Knapp Sawyer, Nancy Schapiro, Jeremy C.

Shea, Dale Singer, Jamie Spencer, Colleen Kelly Warren, Steve Weinberg, Peter Wolfe..