For The Cut— ”Author Mara, with 75 books to his credit, uses the financial Russian roulette typical of sports franchises to create some sizzingly genuine ambience. Identifiable characters and a very satisfying conclusion elevate this second entry in (his) NFL series above most of the competition in the sports-fiction arena.” —Wes Lukowksy, Booklist ”Great pro football novel. Wil Mara...knows his football. His characters are believable and well-formed. The story focuses on training camp rather than the actual season. The unexpected ending is very satisfying.” —Gerald Rosen, BookReporter.com For Wave— “Wil Mara's new book, Wave (Plexus Publishing), delivers its punch with such force that the tension will be palpable as you quickly turn each page of this thriller. This is a fast-paced, nail-biting treat for the reader, especially those of you who are familiar with the New Jersey vacation spot [where the story is set]. Mara uses real locales as backdrops for his action and sustains the suspense by following specific colorful characters who live in this summer haven. The panic generated by a total evacuation of the island highlights the inadequacies of our alleged "preparedness" for catastrophes of this sort. Wave is an exciting but frightening glimpse of an all-too-plausible scenario. Read it at your own risk.” —Mara Zukowski, Home News Tribune ”Wave has emerged as a summer hit among the throngs of Jersey shore residents and beach-goers. As buzz continues to grow about this new thriller set on Long Beach Island (L.B.I.), New Jersey, the book is steadily climbing Amazon.com's sales rankings. L.B.I. vacationers and inhabitants in particular are so enthralled with Wave that local booksellers have had difficulty keeping the book in stock. The surprisingly strong demand from booksellers required Plexus to go back on press months earlier than is typical for the small regional publisher.” —Bloomberg Newswire For Dian Fossey: Among the Gorillas, in the ‘Great Life Stories’ series — “An excellent installment in the ‘Great Life Stories’ series, this biography clearly presents the life of Dian Fossey, who devoted herself to researching and protecting gorillas in the Virunga Mountains of Africa. Mara reveals her as a human being, not an icon, explaining how she felt about her parents, the men she met, the people she worked with, and the gorillas. Readers cannot help but put her life in context, given the boxes throughout the text that explain what was happening in the United States or Africa as certain events occurred in Fossey’s life. Mara explains the confusing world of academic research. How does one get money? By being associated with a famous researcher like Louis Leakey. How does one get respect? By obtaining a Ph.D., at least. How does one get famous, thereby bringing world attention to a cause? By giving lectures, publishing articles in widely circulated magazines like National Geographic, and writing books (such as Fossey’s Gorillas in the Mist) that then get made into movies. He explores the issue of balancing research with raising money from interested visitors who can disturb and even destroy the research and of the difficulty of starting a foundation that is run by others elsewhere who don’t know what is really going on at the research site. Fossey was sometimes out of touch with other people, lacking social skills in dealing with the Digit Fund, for example, but she was never out of touch with those dearest to her heart, the gorillas.” —Kathryn Erskine, Children’s Literature For Thurgood Marshall: Champion for Civil Rights, in the ‘Great Life Stories’ series— “Mara has created an excellent resource for middle school and high school research. The text is large with colorful titles, headings, and sidebars throughout. Well-captioned illustrations. In addition to biographical information, the text includes a great timeline that not only chronicles Thurgood Marshall’s life but the major world events that occurred during his lifetime. Along with bibliographical references, there is a list of Web sites for organizations and research sites. A very readable and sure-to-be used text.” —Pat Wachter, SSBRC For Haiti, in the ‘Discovering Cultures’ series— ”The series ‘Discovering Cultures’ is dedicated to bringing a wealth of information into the hands of its readers. The book on Haiti offers insight into a unique country with a turbulent past and present. The book deals frankly and carefully with its presentation of Haiti and the Haitian people. The tone of the book, it must be noted, is far different than that of the other books that I have read in this collection. It is a somber piece, yet it offers the joys of Haitian traditions and celebrations. Children and adults alike will enjoy reading about Haitian celebrations and details about such thing as: Haitian money which is called gourde, and the Haitian flag whose colors represent the triumph and the sacrifice of the Haitian people. The book also offers the readers the opportunity to have a taste of Haiti with the recipe for Bananes Pesees or fried plantains. This title is highly recommended and would be a valuable asset to any home or classroom.” —Haley Cox, Children’s Literature For The Fragile Frog— “Very lively writing and good color photos and drawings eloquently express the plight of this beautiful frog and many other frog and toad species across the U.S.” —Denia Hester, Booklist “This concisely written introduction focuses on the Pine Barrens treefrog, now found in only five states, in Eastern and Southeastern U.S. The text briefly describes the physical characteristics of frogs in general while also discussing the special characteristics, life-cycle, and environmental needs of this rare species. The Fragile Frog will be a useful addition to the endangered-animals sections of most collections and will be particularly valuable to libraries located in areas where this rare amphibian resides.” —Karey Wehner, School Library Journal For Abraham Lincoln, in the ‘Rookie Biographies’ series— “This is a good introduction to one of America’s greatest presidents. Abraham Lincoln had an interesting life and this little book manages to capture it very well.” —Marya Jansen-Gruber, Children’s Literature