• Marian Wright Edelman, National Children's Defense Fund founding president and CEO:

        Ordinary Resurrections: Children in Years of Hope by Jonathan Kozol (Harper Collins; $14).

        “It tells you the strengths and resiliency of children. These young people show you what they can do. There are odds against them, but the success of the children is inspiring.”

        • Phillip C. Long, Director, Taft Museum of Art:

        The Razor's Edge by Somerset Maugham (Penguin USA; $12.95).

        “I read it in the '60s and I decided to reread it, and I loved it. A little further down the road in life, you get a different meaning. It's well-written with classic characters, and it depicts Europe in the '30s. There's a wonderful feeling about the book.”

        Fencing Master by Arturo Perez-Reverte (Harcourt; $13).

        “I like Spanish culture. It's about Spain in the mid-19th century and an aging fencing master. People think he's behind the times and that fencing is in the past because of the invention of guns. The book gives a grand feeling for a time that's no longer with us. It's a good read for anyone with a romantic streak.”

A helping hand, a helping home
'Action Auction' hits record
Tea totals many little-known uses
Ex-teacher passes predictability test
Soprano Battle charms welcoming audience
Food an art at Taste of Duveneck
Get to It
Arriving & happening in bookstores
Tristate Best Sellers List
What Tristaters are reading