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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Can’t Find Great Book For A Young Girl? Try ‘Let’s Hear It’

Some girls have a hard time finding anything interesting to read. Erica Bauermeister and Holly Smith want to show them the way.

In their book “Let’s Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14” (Penguin Books, 224 pages, $10.95 paperback, ISBN 0-14-025732-2), the co-authors do for the younger set what they’ve already done for women.

Bauermeister, a Seattle writer, and Smith, a Seattle bookseller, also co-authored (with Jesse Larsen) “500 Great Books by Women: A Reader’s Guide.”

Want a good picture book? Turn to an early section and you’ll find something for ages 2 to 5, such as Marog Loh’s “Tucking Mommy In” and Robert N. Munsch’s “The Paper Bag Princess.”

Moving up, you can find storybooks (ages 3 to 8) such as Jan Brett’s “Trouble With Trolls,” books with actual chapters (ages 6 to 11) such as Alison Lurie’s “Clever Gretchen and Other Forgotten Folktales” and several for readers 10 and older.

Broken down by age, with each book described in detail, “Let’s Hear It for the Girls” also boasts indexes of books by title, author, date, genre, subject and region.

“We have created this guide with a belief in the power of books to give children a vision of what is possible,” the authors wrote in their preface.

“In making our selections, we looked for books with strong and resourceful girls and women … meeting once-in-a-lifetime challenges or dealing with daily routine; books that makes you laugh or cry and give you a vision of another life. May they help make you and the children in your life strong and brave and full of dreams.”

Time for kids

If all you parents of pre-schoolers are looking for a literary diversion, remember that Jacquie Baucom tells stories at 11 a.m. every Wednesday at the Children’s Corner Bookshop, and the Skywalk level at 714 W. Main. For further information, call 624-4820.

The reader board

Gary Ferguson will present a slide-show on the Yellowstone wolves, and he will read from his book “Sylvan Path: A Journey Through America’s Forests” at 6 tonight at BookPeople, 512 S. Main, Moscow.

Mary Clearman Blew will read from her book “Balsamroot: A Memoir” at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Auntie’s Bookstore, Main and Washington. Blew’s reading is sponsored by the creative writing department at Eastern Washington University.

Cameron Stracher will read from his book “Laws of Return” at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the University of Idaho Law School Courtroom in Moscow.

Ron Hansen will read from his new novel “Atticus” at 7:30 p.m Wednesday at Auntie’s Bookstore.

Christopher Howell will read from his poetry collection “Memory and Heaven,” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Auntie’s Bookstore.

Horace Axtell and Margo Aragon will read from their book “A Little Bit of Wisdom,” a collection of conversations with Nez Perce elders, at 7 p.m. Friday at the University of Idaho Law School Courtroom in Moscow.

Mitch Finley will read from his book “101 Ways to Nourish Your Soul” at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at The Camlu Apartments, 606 Best Ave., Coeur d’Alene. All Camlu readings are free and open to the public. For further information, call 535-3763 or (208) 664-3138.

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