ABC-CLIO

Encyclopedia of contemporary LGBTQ literature of the United States; 2v.

This two-volume encyclopedia explores the literature, authors, movements, genres, and social issues in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer (LGBTQ) realm. In addition to hundreds of A-Z entries, the encyclopedia includes a guide to related topics and bibliographies for specific entries to help readers find additional information sources. While it will be extremely useful for students of literature, history, and social issues, the book also will interest general readers who want to learn more about LGBTQ society. Editor Nelson teaches English at the State U. New York. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Energy security challenges for the 21st century; a reference handbook.

Editors Luft and Korin (Institute for the Analysis of Global Security) and 20 co-contributors offer a timely and comprehensive look at the role of energy in modern life and the different approaches countries employ to maintain energy security. The overview of the energy system also examines the growing concern over its vulnerabilities. Essentially, the book provides a debate regarding resource conflicts and control by covering issues such as terrorism, maritime security, the role of multinationals in energy security, security through diversification of sources, and development of alternative energy. It also explores the tradeoffs inherent in domestic and foreign policy required to maintain a safe, affordable energy supply. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Environmental justice; a reference handbook, rev. ed.

Veteran science educator Newton sets out the essentials of the movement that resulted from the cross-fertilization of the civil rights and the environmental movements. He begins with the background and history since 1982. Then he identifies some of the problems, controversies, and solutions that the movement deals with, among them progress and environment degradation, responding to environmental inequalities, the absence of the US government in the movement, and combining tools. Other sections cover worldwide perspectives, a chronology, biographical sketches, dates and documents, a directory of organizations, and an annotated bibliography. No date is cited for the first edition. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Fairy tales readers theatre.

Fredericks (York College, York, Pennsylvania) has some 40 years of experience as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, curriculum coordinator, staff developer, professional storyteller, and college professor, and is the author of 75-plus teacher resource books. He offers teachers and librarians a practical guide for using fairy tales in a readers theater format with Grade 3-6 students, to facilitate their literacy acquisition and communication skills development. Following an introduction to readers theater, the benefits of its use in the classroom and library, and tips on performing readers theater for audiences, the text contains 19 script versions of famous fairy tales, six additional scripts of humorous alternatives, and list of additional print resources for teachers. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Feet and footwear; a cultural encyclopedia.

DeMello (sociology, cultural studies, and anthropology; Central New Mexico Community College) has written previously about body ornament, among other topics. Here she limits herself to one dimension of the body and lets all the other dimensions flow free. A brief sampling of entries includes Alaska, Cinderella, crush videos, Dr. Scholl's, flat feet and fallen arches, hosiery, jack boots, moccasins, Nike, pedicure, reflexology, sandals, socks, Spice Girls, These Boots are Made for Walkin, webbed toes, and The Wizard of Oz. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Food culture in the Pacific Islands.

Written for students, general readers, and foodies alike, Haden's (gastronomy, history of food and drink, U. of Adelaide, Australia) text provides a solid introduction to the food culture of the 22 diverse Pacific Ocean countries located on some 12,000 islands spread across roughly one-third of the earth's surface. A general introduction is followed by an historical overview of the region, description of major foods and ingredients, cooking techniques and technologies, typical meals, regional specialties, traditional dining practices versus eating out, special foods for special occasions, and diet and health issues. In addition to a map of the region, a timeline of key historical and food-related events, a glossary of terms, and a list of online, video/film, and print resources, the text includes a sampling of traditional recipes. Illustrated with b&w photographs. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Fun with finance; math + literacy = success.

This introduction to finance for students in Grades 4 through 6 uses scripts from Readers Theatre presentations to cover such basic concepts as money, investment, credit and planning for a financial future. Peterson is a stock investor, real estate agent and legal assistant, and she provides both the text and the illustrations for chapters that explain employment, building a business, budgets, stocks and bonds and real estate. Exercises in each chapter introduce students to such skills as getting through a job interview, comparing values of world currencies, managing a financial portfolio and improving credit scores. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Gangland Gotham; New York's notorious mob bosses.

While writing about the many discrepancies and contradictions in the life histories of 10 infamous New York mob bosses of the 20th century, the author notes which facts rest on popular tales or theories, and often gives several versions of the same event. The biographies describe the early years of each man, chart his rise to prominence within the mob, provide reactions from those who knew him, and chronicle the last years of his life. Each biography is illustrated with a picture of its subject and concludes with a listing of print and electronic resources. Two of those profiled, Joe Adonis and Albert Anastasia, have not had any biographies published about them until now. A 35-page timeline from 1882 to 1976 allows readers to track the birth, death, and important events in the life of each mobster. May has written many articles on organized crime. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Gifted biographies, gifted readers!; higher order thinking with picture book biographies.

Polette (Lindenwood U., Missouri) has 40-plus years of experience as an educator and is the author of some 150 professional books. Her latest text explains how teachers and librarians can use picture book biographies to help young students learn about the wide range of special talents people possess and to recognize forms of giftedness in themselves. Following general discussion and guidelines, the text contains 90-plus annotated recommendations of picture book biographies published since 2000, each accompanied by discussion questions to foster critical thinking. The materials are organized into sections on heroes and heroines; leaders in government and social change; discovery, invention, and exploration; literary giants; music and dance; artists; and gifted athletes. The text also includes a selection of reproducible reader response activities and handouts. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

God in the corridors of power; Christian conseratives, the media, and politics in America.

Writing so as to be accessible and of interest to a general audience, Ryan (communication, U. of Houston) and Switzer (emeritus, communication and history, U. of Houston) analyze the role of Christian conservatism in American politics from the emergence of Protestant conservatism at the beginning of the 20th century through to the present. They explore how Protestant conservatism merged with a larger conservative coalition that achieved astonishing electoral success at all levels of American government partly because of their ability to achieve a coalition of political interests, partly because of an emerging consensus about what constitutes the conservative mindset, and partly because of conservative success in using their ownership and influence over commercial and noncommercial media to disseminate their ideas and attitudes. They also argue that the conservative coalition has been fracturing in recent years and consider the impact that this might have on the Christian conservative voice in American politics. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Going global; an information sourcebook for small and medium-sized businesses.

In this resource guide, Awe (university libraries, U. of New Mexico) outlines how small and medium-sized business owners can become global companies. She explains the reasons to get involved in international trade, and annotates resources on the advantages and disadvantages of international business, information gathering, the importance of business, export, marketing plans, international selling, and using the internet to sell globally, as well as explaining these topics and how to write a business plan, analyze the competition and the market, find foreign customers, and set up and manage a global business. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Graphic novels beyond the basics; insights and issues for libraries.

In this collection of ten chapters by librarians, graphic novel writers, and others based in the US, Cornog, a freelance researcher and writer who writes a graphic novel column for Library Journal, and Perper, an editor for Mechademia: An Annual Forum for Anime, Manga, and the Fan Arts, introduce librarians to graphic novels. Chapters explain genres, superhero comics, manga, graphic fiction and nonfiction, comics for girls and women, international comics, and issues relating to purchasing, cataloging, preserving, collecting related media like anime films and video games, collecting for academic libraries, and dealing with potential complaints and censorship. Core lists of recommended titles are included, and an appendix lists graphic novels of interest to African Americans, Latinos, LGBT patrons, and those interested in religious themes. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Great Depression; people and perspectives.

This reference for general readers and students in high school and up gives voice to American men, women, and children from a range of economic classes and ethnic backgrounds during the Great Depression. Some areas explored are coming of age in the 1930s, medicine and the family, scripts of racial segregation in New Deal America, American technology in the 1930s, and the conflict between social scientists and policymakers responding to the crisis. A section of about 20 pages of one- to two-page excerpts from primary source documents details the experiences of everyday Americans through excerpts from news articles, diaries, letters, and b&w historical photographs. A glossary of terms, key figures and events, and concepts is included. Topics in the series are selected to fit curricular standards for both high school history classes and undergraduate American history courses. An emphasis on social history brings historical analysis into the classroom, while still focusing on topics that will engage students. Cravens is Professor of History at Iowa State University (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Green reads; best environmental resources for youth, k-12.

This resource for teachers, librarians, environmental educators, and parents organizes and describes some 500 current fiction and nonfiction environmental books, CDs, and DVDs for young people in kindergarten through 12th grade. Nonfiction titles were published from 2004 on, and fiction titles date from 1999 to the present. The 'Recycled Favorites' section of each chapter lists titles before those dates. Most of the resources described reflect the position that global warming is affected by human behavior; however, some of the titles represent opposing and alternate viewpoints. Material is grouped in chapters on global warming, pollution, Earth's resources, recycling, and conservation, with special subchapters on green science fiction and fantasy for teens, and Earth Day. In each entry, bibliographic material is followed by a basic summary of the item, its features, and best uses. Icons indicate whether it is primarily entertaining, factual, or hands-on and practical. Also included are scripts for storytime activities for younger children, and activities for older children, such as class projects and field trips. Wesson is the continuing education coordinator for the Tennessee State Library and Archives. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The handbook of near-death experiences; thirty years of investigation.

Practitioners and researchers specializing in near-death experiences review the scientific literature in and from the perspectives of their various disciplines, mostly mental health, but also other health care fields and the social sciences. Among the topics are pleasurable western adult near-death experiences and their after effect, western children and teens, a census of non-western experiences to 2005, world religions, veridical perceptions, explanatory models, and practical applications of the research. Most of the 11 studies are based on presentations at a fall 2006 conference in Houston, Texas. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Head of household; money management for single parents.

Written by a financial writer who is also a single parent, this practical guide for general readers uses plain language and a sense of humor to explain 11 basic financial topics of concern to today's single parent, including budgeting, credit, childcare, health care, and housing, and offers advice tailored specifically for the priorities of single-parent households. Principles are demonstrated with stories of real families who found creative solutions for the financial situations faced most often by single parents. Six sample budget worksheets help readers develop their own workable plan. A glossary of terms and an extensive list of web sites are included. Stefan is a freelance writer specializing in the financial services and insurance industries. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Hispanic American religious cultures; 2v.

In his introduction to this two-volume reference editor De La Torre (social ethics, Iliff School of Theology, Denver) emphasizes the multifaceted composition of what Euro-Americans might consider, erroneously, a monolithic group. He also emphasizes that this reference represents the combined efforts of a diverse group of scholars of religion and of Hispanic Americans in the United States. To give an idea of the range of topics addressed in the 100 tautly written, yet accessible, signed entries (each about three or four pages long, with references and further reading lists), here's a sampling of topics: aesthetics, assimilation, curanderismo, environmentalism, Islam, Jews, justice, language, mission system, reconquista, sexuality, spiritual hybridity, transnationalism, US political parties, and Virgin Mary. Eighteen extended essays address topics that include liberation theology, liturgy and worship, sacraments and sacramentals, spirituality, and teologia en conjunto. Thoughtfully prepared, carefully indexed, this reference will serve a wide audience of scholars, professionals, and students within the Hispanic American community and the broader community as well. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Holy war and human bondage; tales of Christian-Muslim slavery in the early-modern Mediterranean.

Off and on for hundreds of years between the Crusades and the early 19th century, says Davis (Italian Renaissance and early modern Mediterranean history, Ohio State U.-Columbus), Christians and Muslims enslaved each other along the interface between the religion, stretching from Iberia and Morocco in the west to the Balkans and the Levant in the east. Rather than offering an account and explanation of the phenomenon in all its temporal and geographical scope, he presents 15 narratives that reveal the actual experience of slavery from various perspectives. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The inner edge; 10 personal practices of personal leadership.

Jay, an executive leadership coach, outlines 10 essential components of personal leadership, with examples from company leaders she has interviewed, worked with, or coached. Arguing that effective leadership skills connect to living well, she describes how leadership must start with oneself and involve understanding the personal role in the process. She explains how readers can apply the principles of leadership in their personal lives, subsequently producing better results in business. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

International labor organizations and organized labor in Latin America and the Caribbean; a history.

A leading scholar on Latin American history and politics, Alexander (Economics and Political Science, Rutgers University) explores the relationships between labor unions within countries, in region-wide organizations, and in the worldwide organized labor movement. The author focuses on the activities of international labor institutions and organizations such as the Pan American Federation of Labor and American Institute for Labor Development and describes the formation of the Confederacion de Trabajadores de America Latina — the first attempt to form a multinational labor organization exclusively for Latin American nations. Alexander's account includes numerous original documents and many original interviews with individuals who participated in the events that he describes. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)