"Here I Am a Writer" by Christopher McIlroy (Kitsune Books, $15).
One of the co-founders of ArtsReach, a creative-writing program for Native American children started 25 years ago, McIlroy visits some of his former students.
An accomplished writer himself, McIlroy's goal is partly to see if their experiment with writing has influenced their lives and partly to reconnect with talented pupils.
It is a heartwarming book recounting success and failure and filled with details of Native American life.
"Stu! Your Hair's On Fire! How a Newspaper Lived - and Died" by Paul L. Allen and Peter M. Pegnam (Self-published, $20.52).
Longtime Tucson Citizen staffers Allen and Pegnam have put together an entertaining collection of memories of their fellow employees. This is mostly behind-the-scenes-in-the-newsroom stuff, so it's about people who were known to Citizen readers by their bylines, but rarely personally.
One chapter, however, dips into reader participation - the Citizen's famous weather jingles. They began appearing in December 1949. When the creative juices of the Citizen staffers ran low, readers were invited to contribute and I well remember a friend of mine achieving celebrity with "Max and Min, we know them well. Min's okay but Max is hell."
"Tropic Born War Torn: Untold Tales of WWII in the Philippines" compiled and edited by Susan Vance (Inkwater Press, $15.95).
When Gloria Haube Vance got to Peoria, Ill., after the conclusion of the war in the Pacific, there didn't seem to be anyone to whom the war bride raised in the Philippine Islands could relate. That meant her stories of surviving the Japanese occupation of the islands went untold. Until now.
Daughter Susan Vance got them down on tape. By combining them with her grandfather William Haube's diary, she has preserved a remarkable slice of history. The Haube family decided to avoid internment, which for Gloria, her mother and brothers meant they were pretty much on the run for the four years of the war in the Pacific.
It took courage, ingenuity, determination, luck and help from Philippine natives to survive.
"Mortuary School" by Gracie Roberts (Self-published, $10.89).
Jake Malone, in his late 20s, is still looking for elements of a satisfying life when he goes to work for a likable Italian family of San Francisco butchers. Woven into this search is the possibility that he might become a mortician.
"Myths and Mysteries of New Mexico: True Stories of the Unsolved and Unexplained" by Barbara Marriott (Globe Pequot Press $14.95).
Marriott updates what is known (or still not known) about an entertaining collection of unsolved murders, lost civilizations, lost gold mines and intriguing characters.
"A Can of Worms: A Collection of Short Stories" by Jon Seawright (Xlibris, $23.99 paperback, $34.99 hardcover).
Although there is a stern warning at the start that the "… names, places and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously …" a quick read of the author's biography bears a strong resemblance to the book. Travelogues and character sketches dominate as the author (University of Arizona, class of 1966) travels around the world, either in the Merchant Marine or as a freelance tour guide. In between those activities, it would be hard to name a job he hasn't tried. He is also a good photographer.
"A Gilded Walk: The Path to Heaven" by Jerry McDermott (iUniverse, Inc. $16.95).
Once destined for the priesthood, McDermott became instead a staff engineer at GTE and an account executive at Texas Instruments and eventually a lay pastor. He gives an account of his many rewarding spiritual experiences and his trust in God.
"Sara's Secret" by Cynthia Badger, illustrated by Anthony Trujillo (AuthorHouse, $13.95).
Sara's father loses his job and wrecks the family car while Sara's mother discovers she is pregnant. A guardian angel in the form of a frog teaches Sara that thinking positively is the guide to solving problems, and sure enough, it works.
"A Visit from the Zoo" by Michael Stofko, illustrated by Sarah Howard (AuthorHouse, $12.77).
A pair of raccoons put on the gloves and start to box in a young boy's backyard. The match draws the entire Milwaukee zoo. The resulting mayhem, told in rhyme, is resolved when the hero wakes up.
"Once in Every Generation" by Lauren B. Grossman (Wheatmark, $15.95).
Angelina Mariano, who has a beautiful singing voice, achieves success through her pupil, Lisa Forester, an equally gifted singer. But life has challenges in store that each must overcome. Grossman, an actress, has battled multiple sclerosis since 1993 so there appears to be personal history involved in the story she has written.
"Novel Concept" by Teagan Bentley (Do Life Right Inc.,$12.99)
Two friends, 11 and 12, enter a book-writing contest. The heroine of their novel is an unusual little girl who can control the weather. The "Novel Concept," author herself, according to the author's note, is also an unusual little girl - of 10.
If you are an author and live in Southern Arizona and would like your book to be included in this column, please send a copy to: J.C. Martin, P.O. Box 65388, Tucson, 85728-5388. State the price and give the name of someone who can be reached for additional information. After the titles appear, they go to the Pima Community College West Campus library. Most of the books are available locally at Mostly Books or Antigone's.
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