By MYRTLE OSNER

The Children's Department at The Bookstore in McHenry Village has changed; Anita Young has moved on to be librarian at a Stockton public library. It's a major loss to The Bookstore. But, we here at Connections are happy to report that Anita will continue as our layout editor. She's responsible for the neatness, precision, and the nice graphics that grace the pages.

There is probably no more lasting gift to a child than a book, especially if it is read aloud in a loving embrace. From the newsletter of The Bookstore, Ltd., courtesy of their reviewers, we are reprinting some holiday giving suggestions.

But first, my own personal suggestion:

King Island Christmas, by Jean Rogers, illustrated by Rie Munoz. Now out in paperback, this book is so popular and unique in its story of the Eskimos of King Island that Greenwillow is reprinting it. It was recently made into a musical. (A large poster of the book's cover is hanging on the wall of The Bookstore.)

Clockwork by Philip Pullman. A tale of chilling suspense with compelling characters whose actions intertwine much as the parts of a clock collaborate. The stunning black and white illustrations, evanescent and dreamlike, enhance this memorable book.

The 20th Century Children's Book Treasury, an outstanding anthology compiled by Janet Schulman. Includes the most popular and enduring stories of the last forty years. Several Caldecott Award winners are included. Comprehensive and classic.

The Christmas Story, with paintings by Gennady Spirin. Tells the story of the birth of Christ according to the gospels of Matthew and Luke, King James version of the Bible. Elegant images, visual grandeur.

Zoo in the Sky, National Geographic Society, by Jacqueline Mitton, illustrated by Christina Balit. An introduction to astronomy for the young reader, this brilliantly illustrated book will fascinate readers. Mitton presents sixteen constellations , which were believed by the ancients to resemble various animals.

The Emperor's New Clothes: An All-Star Retelling of the Classic Fairy Tale. This unique book, complete with CD, is a humorous retelling of Hans Christian Anderson's classic. The story is told by forty-six celebrities and illustrators, who have donated their time and talents to the projects. Royalties will benefit The Starlight Foundation, "an innovative, charitable organization, committed to improving the lives of seriously ill children."

Coppelia by Margot Fonteyn. Prima ballerina Fonteyn tells the classic story of a doll whose beauty is almost lifelike. Beautifully illustrated.

The Angel Tree by Helena Clare Pillman and Jo Ellen M. Stamen. Young readers meet Cyrus McCafferty, a kind old gentleman, who brings the wonder of the season into the lives of his neighbors.. An exhilarating ending makes it outstanding.

Children's Reading for Hanukkah: These are not all new books but do bring alive the customs of Hanukkah.

A Hanukkah Treasury by Eric A. Kimmel

On Hanukkah, by Cathy Goldberg Fishman

The Magic Dreidles by Eric A. Kimmel

Melly's Menorah by Amye Rosenberg

The Trees of the Dancing Goats, by Patricia Polacco

Beni's Family Treasury: Stories for the Jewish Holidays, by Jane Breskin Zalben. Beautifully illustrated and elegantly designed, this collection can be enjoyed year round (all ages)

Kwanzaa is celebrated for seven days beginning Dec. 26 by African-Americans. Children's books that can help your child learn more about this relatively new holiday are also at The Bookstore:

Kwanzaa Contest, by Miriam Moore

Seven Days of Kwanzaa, by Ella Grier

Kwanzaa Celebration a Pop-up Book By Nancy Williams

Kwanzaa: A Family Affair by Mildred Walter

And, one book that is an interfaith story that captures the holiday spirit (ages 6 and up): Elijah's Angel: A Story for Hanukkah and Christmas, by Michael Rosen.

Stanislaus County Library children's section has a three page list of suggestions for gifts, all of which are available at local bookstores, including some old favorites.

Picture Book Format:

La Mariposa/The Butterfly, by Francisco Jimenez. Francisco tells of his early school days where he understood no English. He watched and drew the life cycle of a caterpillar and won recognition from his classmates for his beautiful art.

In the Park, by Huy Voun Lee. The clever cut paper illustrations make this story. Look closely for the picture that best matches the Chinese characters in this romp in the park.

You and Me: Poems of Friendship, selected by Salley Mavor. What better poetry to share with young children than poems about friendship. The 3-dimensional illustrations seem to jump off the page.

Look-Alikes, by Joan Steiner. A true "picture" book, in the style of the I Spy books, photographer Steiner creates scenes that, upon closer inspection, are formed by careful placement of ordinary objects used in extraordinary ways. A book for young and old to pour over.

Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day, by Jamie Lee Curtis. The good, the bad and the ugly. Kids can really relate to the moods captured in this book, and can create their faces by dialing the wheel to match expressions with a feeling.

Books for Middle Grade Readers:

Summer Reading Is Killing Me, by Jon Scieszka. From the Time Warp Trio series. Lots of references to our favorite children's stories as the 3 heroes leap through time with a magic book.

Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K. Rowling. Harry is an orphan, raised by neglectful relatives. Little does he know that he is descended from a long line of magicians and sorcerers and has been selected to attend the prestigious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Part Roald Dahl, part C.S. Lewis, totally enjoyable.

Holes, by Louis Sachar. Recalcitrant adolescents are sent to a reform center where their punishment is to dig holes all day. The intrigue starts when some inmates discover they are really digging for buried treasure.

Books for Young Adults:

Whirligig, by Paul Fleischman. An exploration of tragedy and its aftermath. Brent, angry and depressed, tries to end his life but instead kills an innocent girl in a car crash. His penance, meted out to him by the girl's mother, is to create whirligigs that reflect some aspect of her daughter's personality and to erect them in the Earth-Shattering Poems, ed. by Liz Rosenberg. A fine collection of poems spanning centuries. Lots of appeal to young adults because of their emotional impact.

Heroes, by Robert Cormier. A story of a lost love, a lost future and betrayal by a trusted mentor. Set in WW II with action both at home and in combat in France, the moral dilemmas will challenge the reader.

Gallow's Hill, by Lois Duncan. The author is a teen favorite for her suspenseful novels. This one involves a time-slip between modern life and the tormented time of the Salem witch trials.

By DOTTIE STEVENS

Harvest Son: Planting Roots in American Soil, by David Mas Masumoto had a great appeal to me, because it states so lovingly the plight of the small farmer in our urbanized world. It seemed to be a continuation of my grandfather's dream to grow and market Thompson Seedless grapes for raisins in the Central Valley.

And so I wrote the following letter to Mas, handing it to him at his reading here in Modesto in October.

Dear Mas:

Thank you for writing "your story" in "Harvest Son." It has triggered an interest in "my story" and I have copied a few historical tidbits from my family's history.

You see, I am the granddaughter of W.R. Nutting who was responsible for the development of the Thompson Seedless industry in the Central Valley. And I am the daughter of Ralph and Louise Mitchell who lived in DelRey from 1912 to 1919 while Dad was the general manager for the DelRey raisin processing plant. Later he went on to Sun Maid and became their superintendent of the packing plant for some 30-40 years. He knew all the growers by name and even in his 80's still made the inspection tours to check on sugar content of the grapes. Long after he retired he worked in their receiving area during the busy season.

We had many friends of Japanese ancestry in Fresno where I grew up; especially in the Japanese Congregational Church. My mom was devastated when the evacuation was ordered and spent days helping her friends settle in at the Pinedale Evacuation Center. She loved flowers and would go each week with cardboard trays of her blooms so that her friends could have some and share with others.

And then, my husband, Ken, and I married in the Quaker meeting in Berkeley (1942) and worked for the National Student Relocation Council under the American Friends Service Committee. The Council was helping to pave the way for college students from the centers to relocate into the midwest and eastern colleges. We lived at that time on Post Street in San Francisco in a 3-story house left in the care of the AFSC by the Sakai family when they were evacuated. The AFSC at that time was moved to the Japanese YWCA on Sutter Street. Later we moved to Hawaii and were active in the Meeting there. In a couple of years we went to Iowa to complete Ken's college education and enroute we got off the train so we could visit 4 to 5 Hawaii Issei who were interned by the Justice Department in Santa Fe, New Mexico. What a delight it was for them to have visitors from their families - and they loved our year old daughter whom we let play on the table in front of them.

I hope to meet you at your "signing" and I will have book copies for myself as well as my two remaining siblings (82 and 84) for you to sign. You have a wonderful way with your descriptions and I am anxious to meet you.

Gratefully yours,

Dottie Stevens

Mas now wonders if he is farming the same DelRey acres that my grandfather planted in the early 1900's! After Mas spent years at college and in Japan, he decided to return to the family farm. Mas gradually changed from the accepted practice of using chemicals and pesticides. He planted thick cover crops, mixing in a few wild flowers, and added other natural enrichments to the soil. He tells of the struggle to find the right strains, the proper timing to plant, the best irrigation schedule for the varying types of soil, and a myriad of other details. He becomes the "story teller" for his community - he listens to his friends and neighbors and can tell their stories. His section on the relocation of his family during World War II is very descriptive. I loved the section on "brown rice sushi" which he had the audacity to bring to a Japanese community potluck. He writes about sweat, the weather, the desire to "give up," but then he sees the glorious sunsets, hears the insects, the bird songs - and he knows working the land on his family farm is his calling.

The book is fast, enjoyable reading. I certainly recommend Harvest Son, and his earlier book Epitaph for a Peach.

OUT OF THE PAST profiles figures from nearly 400 years of American history and follows one young woman making history today. The first documentary on lesbian and gay history made for viewers of all ages, the film has won high praise from filmmakers, educators, and audiences across the country and around the world.

Out of the Past makes the connection between past and present, following a young woman's struggle to start a gay-straight alliance in her public high school in Salt Lake City, Utah. When Kelli Peterson formed the club in 1996, she had no idea that she would become the focus of a state-wide battle and national attention. In the spotlight at a moment of crisis, Kelli led a fight that mobilized thousands of young people and galvanized an entire community.

Kelli's story frames five portraits of lesbians and gay men from crucial periods of American history, from the days of the Puritan New England colonies through the turbulent 1960's. Their stories are told through first-person accounts from diaries and letters by such well-known actors as Gwyneth Paltrow and Edward Norton.

Local viewers comment:

"After viewing this film, I think it would be an excellent addition to the video list of acceptable films for U.S. History classes at the high school level (11th grade)."

"The first time I saw the film, Out of the Past, I was in the Castro Theatre with 1500 other people--gays, lesbians, straights, bisexuals, transgenders. The audience was electrified by the film. Personally, I was in awe of the quality of the production--it reminded me of every Ken Burns documentary I'd seen. Very professional. The depth of coverage of these people's lives in 8 minute segments was amazing. I felt as if I really had known these people once a long time ago.

"The figure who most inspired me was Barbara Gittings who relentlessly pursued equal rights for homosexuals throughout the 1960's and 70's. I found her activism something I could admire and emulate. She never seemed to give up the struggle. She put herself out on the line and let America see that homosexuals could be happy, healthy individuals, just as are most Americans. She has become a role model for me. I recently had the opportunity to meet her at the GLSEN National Conference in Oakland last month and I told her that she was one of my heroes."

"Recently I had the privilege of attending the moderated screening of the movie that won accolades at the Sundance Film Festival this year. What made this particular screening more memorable was that Kevin Jennings, the Executive Director of GLSEN, and one of the main people instrumental in putting together the documentary, was there to answer questions. [The film] provides a much needed look at the historical contributions of gays and lesbians that has been left out of the textbooks and also follows one young woman who is currently making history.

"The contemporary portion of the film was interwoven with still pictures and old film clips in a very effective manner. It worked to show that history is not just a distant past event but is constantly evolving, including this very screening we attended at MJC. Up until the last 30 years the history that was presented in K-12 involved mostly "his story" of the most influential white males of western civilization. Young women and various ethnic groups had very little if any exposure to positive role models that looked or sounded like them. Through the efforts of women's and other ethnic studies we have learned that many other groups and individuals contributed greatly to the rich tapestry of today's knowledge and achievements.

"The importance has been established for young people to have positive role models, especially role models that the students could identify with because they looked, sounded, or had a similar life experience with the student. The increase of these positive role models has had a major influence in encouraging young persons of all persuasions that there is no limit to their possibilities. The end result has been major inroads by people in fields of study and work that they were excluded or discouraged from pursuing. By learning about people similar to themselves who were able to leave their mark upon humanity by their positive life, the student is empowered. The importance of providing positive role models was the purpose in making Out of the Past. This documentary is a brief review of the positive contributions by gays and lesbians during the last three hundred years. During the movie we were also introduced to a young woman in Salt Lake City who, with other students, attempted to form a support club on their high school campus composed of gays, lesbians, and straight students. Their struggle is interwoven throughout the movie. I was especially impressed with how the efforts of a small group of dedicated students grew to the point that a major demonstration occurred that included students, parents, and even community members who were outraged by the tactics of the school board. By standing together the students and community were able to make a positive difference.

"It was an awakening to learn that so many of the historical people that we know as great contributors to the advancement of the human condition in so many areas were incidentally gay or lesbian. I use the term incidental because their sexual orientation was a very small part of who they were. The loss to the world was that many times their full potential contribution was restricted by society's reaction to their sexuality. It is that possible loss of human potential that is one of the major casualties caused by bigotry. Human potential can be restricted by many methods, especially for a gay young person in school. Constant verbal or physical abuse in and around the school can hinder their ability to receive a good education, and in the worst instances can end in suicide or even murder. This documentary is effective in educating viewers that many people who we have historically admired and respected for their achievements were also gay, and that now knowing that they were gay should make no difference in our acknowledgment of the contributions of their life.

"I would recommend that both adults and students view this documentary. It is very well done, informative, provides many positive role models, and supports the position that all people have contributed to human "his story", including gays and lesbians. This is a beginning to finally rectify that ignored portion of history."

ACTION: For further information, PBS website: www.pbs.org/outofthepast/home or GLSEN website: www.glsen.org