[close] From the man who catapulted the Covenant with Black America to number one on the New York Times bestseller list comes a searing memoir of poverty, ambition, pain and atonement. Celebrated talk-show host Tavis Smiley describes growing up in an all-white rural community in Indiana and the impact it had on his life. http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780385721721 [close]

[close] Roland Kelts, author of JAPANAMERICA, gives NPR's "Studio 360" host Kurt Andersen a colorful and chilling tour of Japan's pop culture mania--and its darker sides. [close]

[close] On sale now from Aladdin. While poking around their neighborhood, mystery-solving, swamp monster-fighting middle-graders Arlie and Ty fi nd a buried coffee can filled with the bones of a hamster and the handwritten curse (on glittery unicorn notepaper) from his home-schooled owner, Mandy: "Here lies Cuddles McGee. A curse upon those who disturb his grave." The fact that the i in "lies" is topped with a heart doesn't make them any less scared, especially when the obese, angry, and undead Cuddles comes back to life and starts trashing the town. Once again, it's up to Arlie, Ty, and Mr. Boots -- the fashionably dressed Chihuahua, to save the town from destruction, reanimated dead hamster-style. http://www.emilyecton.com hamster photo copyright of James Pockele [close]