Great Falls by Steve Watkins

Great Falls by Steve Watkins is an adventure story that I read in a day.  The main characters are two brothers, Shane who attends high school and plays football, and Jeremy, a Marine Captain awarded the Purple Heart who has completed three tours of duty and is clearly experiencing signs of PTSD.  Jeremy is seven years older than Shane and the two have always bonded over their dislike of their step-father, an authoritarian bully figure they call the Colonel.  

Jeremy is married with two young daughters, but struggles to spend time with them and to control his emotions.  Instead, it is often Shane who steps in and helps Annie with chores and caring for the children. The brothers also share a passion for football and end up running off together after one of Shane’s high school games.  They head to a cabin in rural Virginia with an M-16, a 9mm gun and end up eventually navigating white water on the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers.  Great Falls will intrigue even reluctant young adult readers; fast-paced and full of suspense, the story also explores the serious issues of PTSD and the disturbing impact on soldiers and their families.

Great Falls received a starred review from Kirkus and is recommended for readers grades 8 and up by School Library Journal.

Before We Visit the Goddess by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

I thoroughly enjoyed Before We Visit the Goddess by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, an award-winning author and McDavid professor of Creative Writing at the University of Houston. Her novel tells the story of three generations of women and their ties to India.  The eldest, Sabitri, still lives in India where she had an unexpected opportunity to attend school, to marry, and to even start her own business.  Her daughter, Bela, emmigrates to the United States where granddaughter Tara is born and raised. Before We Visit the Goddess is told in a non-linear format with chapters from the mid-1990s interspersed around one from 1963, and then others from the 1970s and 2000s. That style was different, but not difficult, and actually enhanced the emotions and tensions between these strong, independent women.

As I read, I kept wishing for an end to the estrangement between the generations and for an opportunity for Tara to have a greater appreciation of her heritage.  At the same time, I think that the rather selfish focus on their own needs and rejection or questioning of the parent’s culture may be the more universal experience and Divakaruni was extremely adept at exploring feelings, emotions and consequences of their life decisions. Before We Visit the Goddess received a starred review from Booklist.

Vitamin N by Richard Louv

It is difficult to believe that Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods was published almost a decade ago and we are still (perhaps even more so) in need of awareness and action around nature-deficit disorder. Louv attempts to further address this gap with his newest book, Vitamin N: the essential guide to a nature-rich life, which contains over 500 nature centered activities for children and adults.

Louv is an enthusiastic proponent of the benefits of nature and is straightforward in addressing potential barriers and concerns such as living in an urban area, limited time, or budget constraints. He clearly practices what he preaches as he describes activities with his own children. Be a bird counter, a star-gazer or a plant salvager or gardener. Ride a horse, paddle a kayak or visit a zoo. Due to the great deal of variety in the activities that Louv presents, parents, educators, and volunteers will find much to explore with children in their care. An extensive bibliography is provided and numerous organizations are highlighted.  Vitamin N received a starred review from Booklist.