LeRoy’s Family Adventures, opens on Oak Hills Country Club’s palatial fairways, home to LeRoy’s squirrel community—a place where small creatures learn the rhythms of safety and play. LeRoy’s tranquil, carefree existence abruptly shifts when the unthinkable happens. LeRoy’s new unknown fuels the adventure and gives young readers a way to talk about place, belonging, and what it means to care for one another and their environment. When children step into Oak Hills,they enter a world where curiosity becomes acceptance and every small act matters. Parents, teachers, and librarians find an adventure that speaks plainly to courage and community without losing the delight of surprise.
The Jersey brings a new dimension to what it means to be an African-American “first.” It draws us into the history of passing that many African Americans considered a necessary survival strategy or a viable path to success in a racist America and acknowledges the racial triumphs obscured by this phenomenon. Although the novel unveils troubling aspects of our culture, it also presents a story of a budding romance and of female solidarity in the male-dominated world of professional sports. Strane presents us with an enlightening and ultimately heart-warming read. Barbara J. Wilcots, Ph.D. Vice President, Students Affairs Regis University Denver, Colorado.The Jersey, the impressive debut novel by author Alvin Strane, is an addictive page tuning romp bridging baseball’s early origins with the corporate drama of today’s national pastime. Toss in the discovery of when and how the sport may have actually been integrated based on modern forensic science and you have a classic in the making. LeRoy M. Graham MD, FCCP