Love is Forever
By Casey Rislov, illus. by Rachael Balsaitis
Casper, Wyo. : Casey Rislov Books, 2013
Death is not an easy subject to approach with children, but there are times in their young lives when they have questions, or, sadly, they experience the loss of someone close to them. In Love is Forever, Casey Rislov attempts to make the topic more approachable for young children by explaining how even when someone we love dies, the love lives on in our memories and within us. Rachael Balsaitis did an excellent job with the adorable illustrations of the owl family dealing with their loss of Grandfather Owl. Perhaps the best part of the book is the wealth of information at the end in a “From the Experts” section. It includes advice from a pediatrician, a reverend, and a social worker, plus a resource list of websites and books to access when needed. All in all, this could be a helpful book to share with grieving children, and it just might remind the adult reader to not let go of the love that lives on, either.
Mary Borthwick, Library Media Specialist
Stocktrail Elementary School, Gillette
Watch My Rising : a Recovery Anthology, 37 Stories & Poems about Recovery from Addiction
Edited by Lynn G. Carlson
Ft. Collins, CO : Tuliptree Publishing, 2016
It’s obvious the journey toward recovery from addiction to alcohol or drugs is never easy. The stories and poem in this book make that very clear. This is no amateur production, however. The writings are polished, artful, and worthwhile. Many of the authors, who come from Wyoming, from all over the country, and even from other countries, have published books or articles in literary reviews. All have had some experience with their own recoveries or others’ close to them. Reading the selections is comforting because most of the works offer a sense of hope for those fighting the addiction battle. The writers were not compensated monetarily; they received free anthology copies. We guess their motivation was purely to share their own personal responses and offer needed optimism. The book is a project of Recover Wyoming, a center assisting people seeking long-term recovery which is located in Cheyenne. Laura N. Griffith is founder and director. All involved with creation of this anthology deserve much praise for an outstanding effort.
Edie Phillips, Technical Services
Park County Library System, Cody, WY