SPINNING THE GLOBE: THE RISE AND FALL AND RETURN TO GREATNESS OF THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS -- Ben Green

Amistad (An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)
New York -- ©2005 -- 397 pp
ISBN: 0-06-055549-1
Uncorrect Proof edition
Foreword by Bill Cosby

A well-researched history of one of the most famous basketball teams of all time.

This history/biography of the Harlem Globetrotters and their more famous players, seems to be very well researched and quite thorough. What's more, Ben Green has managed to keep it exciting. We re-live each of their most important games with nail-biting excitement.

As a white male who grew up in the 1960's, my impression of the Globetrotters was that they were a comedy team that played basketball. What I learned was that they were truly the world's best basketball team that began incorporating comedy routines. Their popularity was such that they often played on a double bill with pro teams to draw crowds to the pro (white) games. The Globetrotters very likely saved basketball as we know it from fading away due to lack of interest.

I was also surprised to learn that Meadowlark Lemon was not thought of very highly by his fellow players. He was not considered a "team" player, was NOT a good basketball player, and his comedy routines were very carefully rehearsed, rather than coming spur of the moment as they did with the great Goose Tatum.

An excellent read. I only wish that this uncorrected proof had photos.

WINDCHASER -- Scott Ciencin

a DINOTOPIA novel
Bullseye Books - Random House
New York -- ©1995 -- 148pp
ISBN: 0-679-86981-6
cover illustration by Michael Welply

After their ship bound for Australia is lost at sea during a storm, two boy (Raymond, the son of the ship's doctor, and Hugh, a petty thief) are brought by dolphins to the island of Dinotopia, where the boys, and a "Skybax," learn the value of friendship and trust.

I remember really enjoying this book when I first read it, about the time that it first came out. It was mostly because of this book that I recommended the Dinotopia series as books for emerging readers.

As I read it out-loud to my sons at bed-time, I felt it lost some of the magic that I had initially felt, and I was even surprised at the apparent lack of dinosaurs included. However, my eldest son thought the book was "awesome" and wants me to read all the books in the series to him, so perhaps it still retains the magic after all.

THE PROMISE OF LIGHT -- Paul Watkins

Picador USA
New York - ©1992 - 271pp
ISBN: 0-312-26766-5

In 1921, Ben Sheridan learns that his Irish-American father is not his real father after he dies from Ben's blood transfusion. Ben seeks out the truth, and his real father, in Ireland and becomes involved in the bloody Irish Republican Army war against the brutal British troops.

I like Watkins' style, reminding me somewhat of Hemingway. His prose seems very laid-back, almost lethargic, yet his action sequences of fighting in the war take your breath away.

I love the set up...the father dying because what would seem to be a straightforward blood transfusion fails because Ben is not the real son -- something he never knew.

Becoming involved in the IRA through deception and circumstance works well, but I do feel that Watkins missed out on giving us (and Ben) the information we were looking for about his American father. The meeting between Ben and his real father happens after the book ends, and that works, but without the information that we were off to learn, I feel cheated.

To be fair, information does come about, but it seems (even to Ben, I think) romanticized fondness or jealous anger and I never felt that the truth was anywhere in there.

I like Paul Watkins and will seek out more of his work, but this is not one I'd recommend to a new-comer.