Patrick F McManus - Rubber Legs and White Tail Hairs

YA McManus' anthology is a loony look at human foibles in the backwoods and byways of life, but it is more universal than that. The outdoors and activities thereof are, for McManus, vehicles for showing the crazy side of human nature. Fishermen are not the only ones who will find meaning in the ``Angler's Dictionary,'' and almost anyone will laugh knowingly at ``Muldoon in Love.'' These short pieces with long laughs should have special appeal for reluctant readers. Karl Penny, Houston Public Library