A Girl Named Zippy

A Girl Named Zippy (Growing Up Small in Mooreland, Indiana) (2001) by Haven Kimmel. Vignettes from the childhood of the author, who was born in 1965 in the tiny (population 300) town of Mooreland, Indiana. Told from the child's point of view, the stories are nostalgic, poignant and funny. Although her family seems to be poor (we never do find out what her father does for a living), her childhood is rich in detail and Important Events. Grade: A-

The Genius Factory

The Genius Factory (The Curious History of the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank) (2005) by David Plotz. Plotz traces the inception of the sperm bank and its founder, Robert Graham, from 1980 to the present. Although the title sperm bank is now closed, there is abundant material for the book concerning past sperm donors and the children they "fathered." Plotz, at the time of the writing of the book, was employed by Slate, the online magazine, and he made good use of the Internet to find mothers and children and to try to track down the sperm donors, whose identities were kept secret by the sperm bank. It's a bit of a slow read at points, but finishes strong. Grade: B+

Assassination Vacation

Assassination Vacation (2005) by Sarah Vowell. Vowell is a unique voice along the lines of David Sedaris, but different. In this book she traces the history of the assassinations of Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley, all the while sightseeing and taking diverting side trips down history lane. Surprisingly entertaining. Grade: A-