Idealogian

Book Review

I recently picked up a few books of interest at Barnes and Noble, and I thought I'd take a few lines to share some quick impressions and recommendations.

In the bittersweet coming-of-age tale Bedhead, a young boy named Oliver wakes one morning only to be overwhelmed by the burden of life's challenges. With the help of his family, he must learn to overcome adversity and face his fears. Though the book's ending is not a happy one, I greatly enjoyed the author's insights into courage, perseverance and honor.

Perfect for any music lover, M is for Music is an encyclopedia of musical terms from "Alto" to "(Louis) Armstrong," "Motown" to "Mariachi," "Zydeco" to "Zither." Though the list isn't quite as comprehensive as I would have liked (and some of the terms are even lacking definitions), this book's helpful illustrations more than make up for its shortfalls. And the undefined terms encourage readers to follow up with independent research.

And finally, The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales is filled with clear exposition that shakes to the very core many of the beliefs I'm sure we've all held since we were young. By the same author as the shocking exposé The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, this book strongly dispells some surprisingly widespread misconceptions, and challenges significant portions of early childhood education. (For example, the author makes the controversial claim that some ugly ducklings grow up to be, quite simply, ugly ducks, and not beautiful swans.) I certainly found this one to be an eye-opener.

All three volumes receive high marks and are highly recommended to anyone looking for a good read.