ABC-CLIO

The last kamikaze; the story of Admiral Matome Ugaki. (reprint, 1993)

Hoyt, a noted author and historian who specializes in Japan, China and the War in the Pacific, uses the personal diary of Vice Admiral Matome Ugaki to document the eventual destruction of the Japanese Navy at the hands of Allied forces throughout World War II. The author begins by detailing Ugaki's role in the preparation and planning of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and then provides this officer's insights into such battles as Midway and Guadalcanal. Military historians will appreciate this insider's perspective into the collapse of the Japanese military and its eventual surrender, which culminates in Ugaki's final kamikaze mission against the wishes of Emperor Hirohito. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Latino American folktales.

Continuing his series collecting folktales of various national and ethnic groups in the US, Green (anthropology, Texas A&M U.) presents a selection of fictional tales, legends, myths, and personal experience narratives from people of Latin American heritage. Among the titles are Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca, Maria the ash girl, Francisco Trujillo and Billy the Kid, Princess Papantzin's resurrection, the accursed bell, and the witch deer. He has gleaned the tales from previous collections, and introduces each one briefly. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The leasing of Guantanamo Bay.

Strauss (international relations, Centre d'Etudes Diplomatiques et Stratégiques, Paris) has used unpublished and previously classified government correspondence to document the historical emergence of Guantanamo Bay as a US military base and center for anti-terrorist efforts. The author explores the somewhat "murky" leasing arrangements that defy both sovereignty and jurisdiction rights and provides students and scholars with the facts concerning the objectives of the territorial lease and the recent and current debates concerning the future of Guantanamo Bay. Appendices include relevant documents such as the Treaty of Paris, the Platt Amendment and the Guantanamo Bay Expansion Treaty of 1912. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Managing sticky situations at work; communication secrets for success in the workplace.

Curtis, the CEO of a communications coaching firm, provides both employers and employees with "forthright, sensitive and systematic" strategies for dealing with unproductive and uncomfortable working conditions. The author describes 26 workplace scenarios from the world of health care, information technology, retail and small business and applies a Say It Just Right model for effective and long-lasting resolutions. Difficult scenarios include such common workplace issues as bullying bosses, inappropriate emails and office romances. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Militant Islamists; terrorists without frontiers.

Alaolmolki (political science, Hiram College, Ohio) analyzes transnational militant Islam at domestic, regional and global levels, noting that the driving force in political violence cannot be isolated to a single source or ideology. Written for students and scholars interested in Islamic extremism, this volume examines the causes for the expansion of these movements such as the predominance of poverty and lack of democracy in Arab and Muslim nations, historic conflicts in the Middle East and Asia and interventions from the Western world. The author also discusses the shift in Islamic beliefs since 9/11, the consequences of the Iraqi invasion and the need for non-military solutions for extremist activity. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Modern sports ethics; a reference handbook.

Some fans and critics consider sports ethics an oxymoron. Lumpkin (health, sport, and exercise sciences, U. of Kansas in Lawrence) addresses challenges to sports' traditional values. Following historical context on sports for character development and ethical theories relevant to such issues as cheating, eligibility, and violence, she discusses problematic issues at the interscholastic level and proposes reforms. She then treats sexism, scandals, and ethical codes specific to the Olympic Games. The handbook includes a chronology of unethical behaviors in sports, statistical tables and figures, a substantial resources section, and glossary. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Mongolian folktales.

This collection of more than 60 traditional Mongolian folktales is designed for both scholars and general audiences who want to know more about the legends, myths and humor that populate the customs of that country. Editor Pellowski is an author and former librarian from the New York City Library, and she has enlisted the help of famous Mongolian writer and storyteller Dashdondong and photographer and travel guide Borolzoi to translate and retell these tales. Cultural and historical backgrounds are provided for these tales, and extras include Mongolian recipes, glossaries, photographs, maps, drawings and activities for children. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

More readers theatre for middle school boys; adventures with mythical creatures.

This resource brings together 10 readers theater scripts aimed at stimulating the imagination and literacy learning of middle school boys. The scripts tell stories about mythical and fantastic creatures, tricksters, and monsters from African, American Indian, Arabian, Greek, Indian, Irish, and Scandinavian cultures. They tell stories about Medusa, Vishnu, Siegfried, Gilgamesh, and others. Background information and production notes are given for each. There is no index. Black (literature and creative writing, Northwestern State U. of Louisiana) is a former English teacher, actress, writer, and producer of children's radio dramas. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Multi-grade readers theatre; picture book authors and illustrators.

This volume contains 36 readers theater scripts relating to the lives of picture book authors, poets, and illustrators to help students become better readers. It has a script for each week of the school year, on individuals such as Margaret Wise Brown, Bill Peet, James Marshall, Bill Martin Jr., Beatrix Potter, Stan Berenstain, Shel Silverstein, and Tasha Tudor. The reproducible scripts, which are meant to take up a 30-minute class period, are aimed at different reading levels; half are for grades one to three and the other half are for grades two to four. They contain core vocabulary words, background information, presentation suggestions, and discussion questions, and include a large number of reading parts. Barchers, an author and editor, has served as a public school teacher and affiliate faculty for the U. of Colorado-Denver. Pfeffinger is a retired educator and author. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The new woman; resource book.

In the context of U.S. history from the colonial era to the present, changing conceptions of the roles of women are examined as exemplified by the lives of architect Julia Morgan (1872-1957) and Betty Friedan (1921-2006), feminist activist/author of The Feminine Mystique. The text includes lesson plan handouts and a teacher's guide for classroom activities; featured women's biographies, related movements, documents, court cases, and government acts; period illustrations; and further resources for integrating material into National History Day using ABC-CLIO databases for researching women's roles; and additional topic ideas. The unspecified target grade level appears to be high school. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Oman's foreign policy; foundation and practice.

Al-Khaliki (strategic studies and the modern Middle East, Florida International U.) offers new insights into Oman's foreign policy and its effects on oil production and distribution. The book begins in the early 20th century and continues into the 21st century, providing background relevant to recent events. It includes a detailed profile of Sultan Said, often considered responsible for the development of modern Oman, as well as an examination of the sultanate's oil revenue-fueled rapid modernization during the 1970s and 1980s. It also examines the shift in Oman's foreign policy following the 1991 Gulf War. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Outstanding in their field; how women corporate directors succeed.

This volume outlines the steps women can take to become qualified and competent directors on for-profit or corporate boards. Ghaffari describes the six most prominent paths to success and women directors who followed them through nonprofit, academic, government, corporate, investment, and entrepreneurship fields. Fifteen women from California Fortune 1000 firms (as of 2006-2007) are profiled. The profiles include discussion about their decisions, lessons learned, and various positions. Ghaffari is associated with a technology advisory firm. Her Surveys of Women on Boards of Directors at California-Based Fortune 1000 Firms provided the biographical and research foundation for the volume. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The Pacific war and its political legacies.

Roy is a noted author and Senior Fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu, and he has written this volume to analyze tensions and grievances in Asia resulting from the outcome of World War II that still affect international diplomacy and trade in the 21st century. Written for those interested in international relations, this book first provides a summary of events such as Nanjing Massacre and the dropping of the atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The author proceeds to analyze the interpretations of these events and shows how the positions and policies of postwar governments continue to be shaped by these wartime grievances. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Personal learning networks; professional development for the isolated school librarian.

Harlan, a school librarian, explains how to build a personal learning network for librarians who want to feel connected to the educational world and enhance their professional growth. She details aspects of Web 2.0 for those new to the environment; describes the use of RSS feeds, wikis, blogs, social bookmarking, social networking, podcasting, vodcasting, short message blogging through Twitter, book networks, and Second Life; and provides background on the importance of professional development, as well as traditional tools like conferences, organizations, online courses, and listservs. She gives descriptions of many sites throughout. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Picture that! from Mendel to Normandy; curriculum and connections — for 'tweens and teens.

For classroom teachers, McElmeel (children's and young adult literature, U. of Wisconsin-Stout), an educational and literacy consultant, discusses about 63 picture books and how they can be used with older readers in grades four through 12 to help them understand curriculum, think critically, and grasp advanced topics. She suggests specific titles, describes how they can be used with already planned units in math, science, geography, and language arts, and how they can be used for further exploration and learning. Each listing includes a summary, extension ideas, and related books. An additional 280 titles are briefly annotated. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Political campaigns and political advertising; a media literacy guide.

Baker, a media literacy consultant and author, has written this media literacy guide for general readers who want more critical insight into propaganda and spin, political advertising and the role of new media technologies in election campaigns. The author uses clear and easy-to-understand language to examine and interpret the content of media messages in print, image and multimedia forms in an objective manner. The author supplies both a timeline of the history of media in politics from 1913 to the present and a glossary of political and media terms. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Preventing violence and crime in America's schools; from put-downs to lock-downs.

This guide to school violence prevention is designed for educators, parents and law enforcement officials who need a balance of practitioner viewpoints and research to assess best practices. Lassiter (manager, Center for the Prevention of School Violence, North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention) and Perry, an educational consultant, address everyday violence in schools such as bullying, harassment and intimidation and highlight the role of support personnel in preventing an escalation into more destructive and tragic incidents. A section also uses firsthand accounts to dispel common myths about school violence. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Primary source teaching the Web 2.0 way K-12.

This guide for library media specialists, technology educators, and classroom teachers shows how to bring digitized primary source materials, such as photos, letters, maps, films, and music, into the classroom. Early chapters review basic primary source concepts, outline links between primary source curricula and content standards, and discuss the increasing pressure on schools to help students function effectively in the technology-rich, global workplace of the 21st century. A core chapter explains the 'mystery' and buzz surrounding Web 2.0, using clear, nontechnical language, and offers a list of popular Web 2.0 tools, with descriptions and suggestions for using them with primary sources. Subsequent chapters cover six categories of primary sources, with an introduction to each in its historical context, information on online sources, and ideas for using them in the classroom. Information on subscription options and software features is also given. Each of these chapters includes a reproducible primary source analysis worksheet, which seems to be intended for advanced middle and high school students. A final chapter looks at the collaborative potential of Web 2.0 and tools such as wikis and bookmarks. B&w photos and illustrations are included. Johnson served for 13 years as library media specialist and technology coordinator at a Colorado Springs middle school, and now works as a writer and consultant in the field. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Problem-solving courts; justice for the twenty-first century?

Editors Higgins (sociology, U. of South Carolina, Columbia) and Mackinem (sociology, Clafin U.) have collected essays on the development of specialized courts over the last two decades, with expert commentators examining the reasons for the movement, the rationale and approaches of these courts and the anticipated benefits and pitfalls of these alternatives. Case studies are used to illustrate how these courts have been created to deal with specific types of offenses such as drug abuse, DUIs, domestic violence and mental health, and how these venues differ from traditional courts and other conventional solutions. The flaws of each type of court system are also analyzed for the benefits of students and scholars in criminology and criminal justice. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Psychopathy, perversion, and lust homicide; recognizing the mental disorders that power serial killers.

Dobbert (criminal forensic studies, Florida Gulf Coast U.) uses his 39 years of experience as a forensic behavioral analysis to examine the early sexual motivations, psychopathy and sexual disorders that drive most serial killers toward a life of crime. The author uses 13 case studies ranging from the 19th century killer Herman Mudgett to Jeffrey Dahmer to provide a detailed psychological profile of each subject. The author emphasizes the patterns and precursors that bind each case so that students and practitioners in the behavioral sciences can have a clear understanding of these precursor behaviors. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)