REVIEW WEDNESDAY - STARS of the ROCK 'N' ROLL HIGHWAY - Victoria Micklish Pasmore

Take a trip back in time when music really got a party going with STARS of the ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HIGHWAY by Victoria Micklish Pasmore. Passmore’s research led her along U.S. Highway 67, officially designated Rock ‘n’ Roll Highway 67 by the Arkansas General Assembly in 2009. Stretching from Newport AR north to the Missouri border, the 111- mile route was once dotted with nightclubs, honky-tonks as well as school gyms and cafeterias where the first rock ‘n’ rollers staged their early performances and honed their skills in the 1950s and early ‘60s… the cusp of the Rockabilly era.

The publisher, Plum Street Publishers,  took the direct approach, putting a name most young people will recognize as the lead story – Elvis Presley. Geared towards readers in grades 5-8, STARS of the ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HIGHWAY is a great read for those of us who remember names like Elvis Presley, Conway Twitty and Wanda Jackson. While there were a lot more people Ms Pasmore could have included in her book, she focused on twenty, bringing the book to a quick read for any attention span. As I read the book, several thoughts went through my mind. First and foremost was how much musical history is right out my back door and I was not even aware. The other became a running list of names of people I knew who would enjoy this book as much as I was.

One thing I felt really set this book apart from others were the 'Did You Know' facts - five factoids - given at the end of each chapter. 

STARS of the ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HIGHWAY is the perfect read for anyone. Whether you like music in general, grew up listening to Jerry LeeLewis, Carl Perkins or Charlie Rich, or enjoy history in any form. And if as an adult you want your children to learn about when you were their age, this is the perfect door to opening dialogue. Don’t wait until your gone for them to begin asking questions and receiving no answers. Introduce them to the magic now that was the ‘rock n roll highway’.

I’m giving this book:

About the Author:

Victoria Micklish Pasmore holds undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Art and master's degrees in Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling. She has taught math, art, and special education to K-12 students for thirty years. A native Arkansan living in Mississippi and Wales, she is a world traveler and an enthusiastic fan of rockabilly and early rock 'n' roll music.

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - Haunted Legends of Arkansas - Layne Livingston Anderson

HAUNTED LEGENDS OF ARKANSAS - Thirteen Historic Sites in the (Super) Natural State
is the perfect book to kick off October. Okay, so I'm three-quarters of the way into the month posting this, but I read the book a couple of months ago then found myself referring back to some of the stories while on a trip to Arkansas.

On the first read, I felt the writing a bit slow-paced for my attention. But, as I read through the second time, I realized I had been expecting a bone-chilling hand around the wrist kind of grab. This book was not written as a 'ghost stories around the camp fire' kind of book. I was not expecting the historic background build-up to the ghost story itself, therefore I felt taken out of the scare factor I thought I would get.

HAUNTED LEGENDS is geared toward students in grades 8-12. In my opinion, this is going to be of interest to anyone interested in the history behind haunted places. The average person just wanting a good ghost story will have a challenge breaking ground to get to the corpse lying beneath.

As I read further into the stories, like any other pieces of history, I was interested more in some than in others. One of the things I found most interesting were that while seven of the sites were scattered like autumn leaves across the state, six are centered in Pulaski County.

Of the thirteen haunted legend locations, I have visited only one... so far. The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs has its share of entities - both non-threatening and others downright evil. I suspect the same can be said of the other twelve locations Ms Anderson focused on for this book. I am especially intrigued by the Keller Chapel & Cemetery in Jonesboro and the Old Confederate Cemetery in Helena - West Helena.

What interests me about those places in particular? You will need to pick up a copy of this book and find out for yourself. I am giving HAUNTED LEGENDS OF ARKANSAS;

You can purchase a copy through PlumStreetPublishers or Amazon