Join Miz Mozetta as she jitterbugs with a new generation. This beautifully illustrated Corretta Scott King Honor book celebrates the heyday of Jazz to a rhythm young readers will enjoy.

The August 19th edition of Stateside featured books about Michigan outdoors including novels, narratives and short stories. Literary critic Keith Taylor read passages from one of the most highly regarded novels of early Michigan, Loon Feather by Iola Fuller. It is the story of an Indian girl destined to grow up with the incompatible traditions of her own people and of the white traders on Mackinac Island. This sensitive and accurate portrayal of Native American culture won her the Hopwood Award as well as ongoing popularity among library patrons.

Robert Traver’s Trout Madness was another of Taylor’s favorites and, by his estimation, a better book than Traver’s more famous work, Anatomy of a Murder. Read them both and let us know whether you agree with Taylor.

Betty M. Adelson is the author of The Lives of Dwarfs: Their Journey from Public Curiosity toward Social Liberation

In the preface to the book she writes:

“Ever since my daughter Anna was born thirty years ago with achondroplasia, a type of dwarfism, I have recognized the need for a book about the lives of dwarfs. At that time I eagerly searched the literature and found only some specialized medical articles that were not very helpful, and sometimes alarming. Subsequently, I came upon books with titles like Freaks, Human Oddities, or Victorian Grotesque: their inadequacies and biases strengthened my resolve to offer a truer narrative to dwarfs and their families and to a society that had all too often been unwelcoming and uncomprehending. The work would be a social history that described the presence of dwarfs in other eras, in mythology and the arts, but one that would also cast light on the lives of dwarfs today and be informed by my own and others’ personal experiences.

Tasha Tudor, one of the most famous and acclaimed children’s author/illustrators in the world will be 90 years old on August 28, 2005. Some favorite books of hers are Corgiville Fair, Take Joy! The Tasha Tudor Christmas Book, A is for Annabelle and Becky’s Christmas. Stay well Tasha Tudor and Happy Birthday!!

Books for girls ages 8 - 12 are always in demand. Consider the popularity of such titles as Because of Winn Dixie, Ida B, Spitting Image, and Walk Two Moons. All of these books have strong girl protaganists who learn about life and how to make their place in it.

The first youth title by author Karry Madden, Gentle's Holler, can be added to this list. 12-year-old Livy longs to see the world outside the small mountain house she shares with her parents and eight siblings. Being a part of such a large family is an issue. Her father's pipe dream of writing a hit song is another. He spends his time trying to sell his music rather than working at a paying job. Gentle, Livy's younger sister, is blind. The family has many issues but few resources to deal with them. How Livy makes her way in these circumstances is the heart of this story. It's highly recommended for fans of "girl books".

Scottish chamber pop band Belle and Sebastian has always had the annoying habit of releasing some of their best music on import-only EPs. Now they've finally collected seven of their hard-to-find (they're now all out of print) EPs on a handy, two-disc set. The collection spans five years and features the bittersweet and clever lyrics typical of Belle and Sebastian's work, and music that ranges from country-inspired to lushly orchestrated. If you're new to Belle and Sebastian this is a great place to start, but it is an essential for old fans as well.

American Gothic by Grant Wood is one of the most recognizable emblems in our cultural landscape, much like the flag, the American eagle and the Statue of Liberty.
In Steven Biel’s American Gothic: a life of America's most famous painting the author followed Route 16 out of Eldon, Iowa to trace the making of this American icon.

Full of details, delightful trivia (Wood recruited his reluctant sister and a local dentist to pose; the pitchfork was originally a rake; and the cameo belonged to Wood's mother) and thoughtful discussions on the impact of the painting on our national and regional consciousness, this book is highly recommended.

Curious about other works by Wood? Check out the Cedar Rapids Musuem's Grant Wood Studio.

American Gothic is part of the permanent collection at The Art Institute of Chicago.

It’s mid-August and baseball fans are gearing up for this year’s major league pennant drives. A recent book by H.G. (Buzz) Bissinger, 3 Nights in August: Strategy, Heartbreak, and Joy Inside the Mind of a Manager, is an enthralling read for armchair managers. Given unrestricted access to the St.Louis Cardinals’ manager Tony La Russa, Bissinger follows the intricacies of managerial preparation, strategy and decision-making during a crucial series with the Chicago Cubs during last season’s National League pennant race. Bissinger is a Pulitzer Prize winner and author of the high school football classic Friday Night Lights which has also been made into a movie.

Filming for the epic fantasy adventure, Eragon, based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Christopher Paolini, is scheduled to begin in August in Budapest, Hungary.

The movie is set for release on June 16, 2006. A world-wide casting search for the title role ended with the selection of newcomer Ed Speleers. Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, and Djimon Hounsou are said to be in negotiations for key roles. Sienna Guillory will star as Arya.

... Grizzly Man, the new, heart-wrenching documentary by legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog about grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, you might consider checking out what may well be its perfect antidote: Project Grizzly. This whimsical film documents Canadian Troy Hurtubise's seven-year quest to design a protective suit that will stand up to a Grizzly attack.

More Herzog films, including Signs of Life and Land of Silence and Darkness, are also on the way.