Fidrych’s antics: patting down the mound, “talking” to the ball, and throwing balls “that had hits in them” back to the umpire, made him a national celebrity.  But he backed up his act with solid pitching, winning 19 games and Rookie of the Year honors that year.

Doug Wilson’s biography is as fun as “The Bird’s” happy-go-lucky personality.  While star athletes today are multimillionaires, Fidrych never became rich off his injury-shortened career.  In later life, he became a truck driver, which led to his untimely death in 2009, but even in his heyday, Fidrych seemed a “regular guy” – albeit one with a unique take on life.

Reviewed by Lynn Heitkamp

Reviewed by Fiona Swift

Reviewed by Jen Harden

Reviewed by Neica Dey

Reviewed by Jennie Tuttle, Wickes Library

Recommended for ages 3 – 6.

A Library Journal Best Book of the Year

Amazon “Best Books of the Month” February 2012

Barnes and Noble Discover Pick Spring 2012

Top 2012 Summer Read for NPR’s Morning Edition

Reviewed by Audrey Lewis

Reviewed by Linda Brown

Farrell, a 24 year Sports Writer for the Detroit Free Press, and Saginaw native, has written a new epilogue for this edition to bring readers up to date since the 2004 release of the title.  Fans are invited to reconnect themselves with key characters, including coach Chuck Daly, and players Thomas, Laimbeer, Dumars, Rodman, Mahorn and others.  They will also recall the championship battles with the Lakers and the Blazers.   A reflective collection of the greatest pistons stories ever told. 

Reviewed by Rhonda Farrell-Butler

As the truth of the present unfolded through the discoveries of the past, so did the future and the promise of romance.

Reviewed by Kathy Dittrich

George and his companions are in a state of near-constant danger as they ascend the mountain.  If the cold, snow, and threat of avalanches aren’t bad enough, lack of oxygen leads to altitude sickness, muddled thinking, and fatal human errors.

Meanwhile, Ruth can only hope that George is still safe as she reads the letters from him that take weeks to arrive home.  She wonders if he cares about her and their children as much as he does his mountain.  Both spouses regret the fissures developing in their marriage caused by his long absences, yet there’s still something in George that drives him to climb.

This novel takes a few historical liberties, but it’s a haunting read.  Although the fate of Mallory’s expedition is a matter of record, Rideout still keeps you in suspense until the . . . → Read More: ABOVE ALL THINGS by Tanis Rideout]]> George Mallory, the early 20th-Century British explorer, was once asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest.  He famously answered, “Because it’s there.”  Above All Things is a novel about mountaineering, obsession, and marital tension, as it alternates between Mallory’s grueling 1924 attempt to be the first to summit the world’s tallest mountain and chapters told from the perspective of his long-suffering wife, Ruth.

George and his companions are in a state of near-constant danger as they ascend the mountain.  If the cold, snow, and threat of avalanches aren’t bad enough, lack of oxygen leads to altitude sickness, muddled thinking, and fatal human errors.

Meanwhile, Ruth can only hope that George is still safe as she reads the letters from him that take weeks to arrive home.  She wonders if he cares about her and their children as much as he does his mountain.  Both spouses regret the fissures developing in their marriage caused by his long absences, yet there’s still something in George that drives him to climb.

This novel takes a few historical liberties, but it’s a haunting read.  Although the fate of Mallory’s expedition is a matter of record, Rideout still keeps you in suspense until the very end of the book.

Reviewed by Lynn Heitkamp