Could a Small Town in the U.P. be the Origin of the World’s Premier Winter Sport? Dr. William Sproule, a recently retired professor of civil and environmental engineering from Michigan Tech University, wrote the new book Houghton: The Birthplace of Professional Hockey with the hopes of cementing the Keewenaw’s crucial…
Lively Retelling of a Biblical Standard Review by Victor R. Volkman The Hungry Kitten’s Tale (Rivershore Books), written by Elizabeth Fust and illustrated by Mary MacArthur, is an imaginative fresh take on the old biblical story of the “loaves and the fishes” from the Gospel of Matthew. In case you…
A colorful and educational romp in Michigan’s National Park I Spy… Isle Royale, by Susanna Ausema, is a colorful and educational romp through the flora, fauna and geology of Michigan’s only remaining national park. Isle Royale is unique in so many ways it’s hard to list them all. The island…
A Playful Introduction to Swedish Culture Review by Victor R. Volkman A to Zåäö: Playing with History at the American Swedish Institute, by mother-and-son team Tara Sweeney and Nate Christopherson, is a playful introduction to Swedish culture and language. This coffee table quality hardcover from University of Minnesota Press is…
Native American Novel for Middle Grade Readers Entertains and Educates Review by Victor R. Volkman Ann Dallman’s debut middle grade novel Cady and the Bear Necklace is an enthralling tale that is equal parts mystery and first-love pangs. Cady Whirlwind Thunder is a Native American girl in the 8th grade…
Into the Digital Abyss.. and Back Again Review by Victor R. Volkman Ed. Note: “Into the Digital Maw” is currently out-of-print Ryan Hansen’s journeyman novel Into the Digital Maw is a sprawling, high-concept story of a lone hero attempting to free a society imprisoned in a post-apocalyptic digital landscape. In…
Murder Most Foul in Les Cheneaux Review by Victor R. Volkman Revelation at The Snows is the second book of the Sherriff George Kaughmann mysteries. Kaughmann is based in Cedarville, the town closest to the Les Cheneaux archipelago in Mackinaw County and about 30 minutes east of St. Ignace. Les…
Shining a Light on Life in the U.P. Review by Victor R. Volkman The Sunshine Room, by Jan Stafford Kellis, is a meditation on family and the search for who we really are. Kellis skillfully mixes equal parts mystery and family drama – with a dash of humor – to…
Stories of Broken Men and Shattered Lives in the U.P. Review by Victor R. Volkman Hunter’s Moon, by Philip Caputo, is a nihilistic romp through the lives of military veterans set against the backdrop of a bleak Upper Peninsula. Caputo, a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, is still probably best known for…
Children Can Appreciate Their Own Unique Talents Reviewed by Victor R. Volkman Jacqueline Briggs Martin’s Bim, Bam, Bop, and Oona (University of Minnesota Press, 2019) is a large-format, hardcover book lavishly illustrated by Larry Day. The seemingly nonsense words of the title are the character names of Indian Runner ducks…
Alpacas of the Upper Peninsula! Reviewed by Victor R. Volkman Get ready for a great day out with A Field Trip to the Alpaca Farm (Stinky Sneakers Media, 2018), written and illustrated by Kathy Kuczek. This “field trip” is a large-format, hardcover, professionally produced children’s book with edge-to-edge full-color illustrations,…
A Fish Story as Big as the Great Lakes Itself Review by Victor R. Volkman Parents and youth with a love for nature should check out A Great Lakes Odyssey with Louis and Louise by Stephen T. Schram (Orange Hat Publishing, 2018). Although this book is technically the second in…
Paranormal Activity on the Great Lakes Reviewed by Victor R. Volkman Michigan is home to the most lighthouses of any state in the USA, with 129 total lighthouses spread across both peninsulas on the Great Lakes. Diana Higgs Stampfler is a seasoned Michigan historian who, for more than 20 years,…
What Can a Future World Dominated by Insects Teach Us About Ourselves? Review by Victor R. Volkman Deborah K. Frontiera’s fourth book in the ongoing Chronicles of Henry Roach-Dairier, subtitled The Inception of the Combined Colonies, is a wild, post-apocalyptic story of the conflict of two races of beings. This…
Smolens Returns to Marquette County and Takes Us Out for an Adventure Reviewed by Victor R. Volkman “Out” is a word that probably has a hundred different uses in the English language—everything from “out cold” to “out of the closet” —and, in the case of John Smolens’ novel of the…
Ironwood Native Son and Playwright Details His Struggles for Acceptance and Love Reviewed by Victor R. Volkman Raymond Luczak’s collection of autobiographical essays, Assembly Required: Notes From a Deaf Gay Life was accessible to me because it is very much the story of an outsider growing up in the 1980s. …
Tichelaar’s New Tale of Marquette Highlights T.R.’s 1913 Visit When Teddy Came to Town by Tyler R. Tichelaar tells the story of the brief tenure of then former President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt’s visit to Marquette in the Spring of 1913. Roosevelt had been accused of being a drunkard by local…
Barry’s Adventure Novel Spans from DeTour to Detroit! A Dream of Steam (2018) is James W. Barry’s ambitious debut novel of industry and adventure in the closing years of 19th century Michigan. Loosely based on the largely forgotten exploits of the real-life Moilles brothers, who would do anything to save…
