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Shelf Life: Stories by the Book This collection of short stories all features the importance of books. My story, "Testing 1, 2, 3" is about a young boy who begins mowing lawns for a witch who offers him a unique book to help him study for his standards tests. Newbery Honor author Gary Paulsen has long been an ardent supporter of books, reading, and literacy programs. To further the cause of ProLiteracy Worldwide, he asked prominent authors to write an original story; the only restriction was that each story was to include mention of a book. The result is this collection, Shelf Life: Stories by the Book. From Jennifer L. Holm's story of a girl on Mars trying desperately to return to Earth to Gregory Maguire's domestic intrigue; from Kathleen Karr's story of a thief in turn-of-the-century Chicago to M.T. Anderson's mysterious shipboard adventure; from A. LaFaye's tale of magical wonderment to Marion Dane Bauer's story of doing good, this volume provides a full range of reading for every taste. Other authors featured here are Joan Bauer, Ellen Conford, Margaret Peterson Haddix, and Ellen Wittlinger. Sales of this book benefit ProLiteracy Worldwide, an international network with more than 1,400 programs in the United States and 79 partner programs abroad, whose mission is to change lives through literacy. Reviews To benefit ProLiteracy Worldwide, Paulsen has assembled a stellar lineup of children's and young adult authors to contribute original short stories in which books change lives. Paulsen's emotional introduction explains how books turned his life around for the better. It is an excellent preface to a diverse, entertaining collection. Jennifer L. Holm's intriguing "Follow the Water" features the first teenager on Mars, who compares her life on the Martian colony to the description of the Red Planet from an old science-fiction novel. In "Barcarole for Paper and Bones," M. T. Anderson created an intricate mystery about the written records of a deserted ship. Joan Bauer, Marion Dane Bauer, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Kathleen Karr, A. LaFaye, Gregory Maguire, and Ellen Wittinger also contributed stories that display a wide range of emotions in a variety of genres. There is a selection in this collection that will appeal to almost every reading taste. —School Library Journal |
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