BROOKS, Bruce 1950-

PERSONAL: Born September 23, 1950, in Washington, DC; son of Donald D. Brooks and Lelia Colleen Collins; married Penelope Winslow, June 17, 1978; children: Alexander. Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, B.A., 1972; University of Iowa, M.F.A, 1982 Politics: "Certainly." Religion: "Lapsed Baptist." Hobbies and other interests: Music, nature study, sports, reading.

ADDRESSES: Home and office—11208 Legato Way, Silver Spring, MD 20901.

CAREER: Writer. Has worked variously as a letterpress printer, newspaper and magazine reporter, and teacher.

AWARDS, HONORS: School Library Journal Best Book, American Library Association (ALA) Notable Children's Book, and New York Times Notable Book of the Year designations, all 1984, and Boston Globe/Horn Book Award, and Newbery Honor Book, both 1985, all for The Moves That Make the Man; School Library Journal Best Book, and ALA Best Book for Young Adults designations, both 1986, Horn Book Fanfare Honor List book, and National Council of Teachers of English Teachers' Choice, both 1987, International Reading Association Young Adult Choice, 1988, and ALA Best of the 1980s Book for Young Adults designations, all for Midnight Hour Encores; ALA Best Book for Young Adults and Young Adult Editor's Choice, School Library Journal Best Book, and Notable Children's Trade Book in social studies designation, all 1989, all for No Kidding; ALA Notable Children's Book, and School Library Journal Best Book designations, both 1990, both for Everywhere; John Burroughs List choice, 1991, for Nature by Design, 1994, and for Making Sense; Newbery Honor Book designation, ALA Best Book for Young Adults and Notable Children's Book Award, and Horn Book Fanfare Book, all 1993, all for What Hearts; Orbus Pictus Award, 1994, for Making Sense.

WRITINGS:

FICTION

The Moves Make the Man, Harper (New York, NY), 1984.

Midnight Hour Encores, Harper (New York, NY), 1986.

No Kidding, Harper (New York, NY), 1989.

Everywhere, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1990.

What Hearts, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1992.

Each a Piece (picture book), illustrated by Elena Pavlov, Harper Collins (New York, NY), 1996, hardcover edition, 1998.

Asylum for Nightface, Laura Geringer Book (New York, NY), 1996.

Vanishing, Laura Geringer Book (New York, NY), 1999.

Throwing Smoke, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2000.

All That Remains, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2001.

Dolores: Seven Stories about Her, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2002.

"WOLFBAY WINGS" SERIES; YOUNG-ADULT FICTION

Woodsie, Laura Geringer Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Zip, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1997.

Cody, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1997.

Boot, Laura Geringer Book (New York, NY), 1998.

Prince, Laura Geringer Book (New York, NY), 1998.

Shark, Laura Geringer Book (New York, NY), 1998.

Billy, Laura Geringer Book (New York, NY), 1998.

Dooby, Laura Geringer Book (New York, NY), 1998.

Reed, Laura Geringer Book (New York, NY), 1998.

Subtle, Laura Geringer Book (New York, NY), 1999.

Barry, Laura Geringer Book (New York, NY), 1999.

Woodsie, Again, Harper Trophy (New York, NY), 1999.

NONFICTION

On the Wing: The Life of Birds from Feathers to Flight, Scribner (New York, NY), 1989.

Predator, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1991.

Nature by Design, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1991.

(With Glenn Rivers) Those Who Love the Game: Glenn "Doc" Rivers on Life in the NBA and Elsewhere, Henry Holt (New York, NY), 1993.

Making Sense: Animal Perception and Communication, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1993.

NBA by the Numbers, photographs from the National Basketball Association, Scholastic Press (New York, NY), 1997.

ESSAYS

Boys Will Be, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1995.

(Editor) The Red Wasteland: A Personal Selection of Writings about Nature for Young Readers, Henry Holt (New York, NY), 1998.

Author of introductions to reprinted sports fiction of John R. Tunis, including The Kid from Tomkinsville, Rookie of the Year, World Series, and Keystone Kids. Contributor to Horn Book.

SIDELIGHTS: Bruce Brooks is an award-winning and versatile writer of nonfiction, novels, and stories. Brooks's novels, which include The Moves Make the Man, Midnight Hour Encores, No Kidding, and Everywhere, have been described by reviewers as intelligent and thought-provoking. Christine McDonnell, writing in Horn Book, praised the "strong voice, unusual characters, and powerful emotional ties" exhibited in Brooks's stories. Publishers Weekly contributor Leonard Marcus was equally enthusiastic, deeming the author's works "impassioned, [and] often psychologically complex." Critical attention to these aspects of his work pleases Brooks who, in an interview with Authors and Artists for Young Adults (AAYA), remarked, "We are capable as readers of a wild and intricate world of thought and response and feeling—things going on in different layers at the same time. I hope to write books that involve all those layers of the thinking and feeling in my reader."

Brooks's first book, The Moves Make the Man, is set in 1950s North Carolina and chronicles the budding interracial friendship of two boys, Jerome and Bix. The boys discover that their racial differences prove less important than their common personality traits. Both loners, they frequent a secluded basketball court where Jerome teaches Bix how to play the game. Through this activity, Jerome learns about his new friend's unfortunate domestic situation. Bix's confidence and happiness has eroded since his mother suffered a nervous breakdown and entered the hospital. In addition, his stepfather refuses to take Bix to see her. Determined to visit his mother, Bix proposes a deal to his stepfather. If Bix beats him at a game of one-on-one, they will go to the hospital. Although Bix wins and invites Jerome along for the ensuing trip, the reunion is not what Bix had expected and he runs away from home, leaving Jerome alone to sort out the jarring events.

The Moves Make the Man earned enthusiastic critical response; it was named a Newbery honor book and won a Boston Globe/Horn Book Award. Yet, Brooks confessed that such praise was not as heady as might be expected for a first-time novelist. At the times the awards were bestowed, the author explained to AAYA, "I hadn't written a word of fiction in three years. I'd been working out the story on my second book, Midnight Hour Encores, for three years mentally, but I had not written anything because I was too busy earning a living and I had a new child. So when the awards came, I felt like a hypocrite." Nonetheless, Brooks's success afforded him new career opportunities. He decided to quit his job and write full-time.

For Brooks's next, and equally successful venture, he produced Midnight Hour Encores, a story narrated by Sibilance (Sib for short), a sixteen-year-old musical prodigy. Sib, whose parents separated after her birth, lives with her father, Taxi, in Washington, D.C., and has never met her mother. The self-absorbed Sib, one of the top-ranked cello players in the world, is wrapped up in her practices, competitions, and concerts, and is preparing to attend the prestigious Juilliard School of Music in New York City. While searching for a mentor after her cello teacher dies, Sib discovers that a brilliant but reclusive player may accept a teaching post at a new music school in California. Under the guise of visiting her mother who also lives in the state, Sib travels to California to audition for the institution. Taxi drives her there, afraid all the while that his daughter will leave him. After an enjoyable and educational stay with her mother, Sib gradually becomes aware of what her parents mean to her. Midnight Hour Encores ends as Sib decides what school to attend and, consequently, which parent to live with.

Midnight Hour Encores was favorably received by critics. Deeming the work "another terrific book" for Brooks, Washington Post Book World contributor Katherine Paterson acknowledged the welcome complexity of the novel. "This is a book the reader will have to fool around with, poke into, and tell in his own accents," Paterson insisted. Although several reviews of the book focused on the novel's coming-of-age slant, Brooks remarked in AAYA that "to me Midnight Hour Encores is about being a father. I wrote that book in the year after my son was born. The most important thing in my life was being a father. . . . My curiosity about the future—of what you get when you invest certain things in the very early days of your child's life—inspired my imagination to come up with those characters and that story."

Brooks's 1989 literary enterprise, No Kidding, again tackles a sophisticated topic. Set in twenty-first century Washington, D.C., No Kidding presents a bleak environment in which alcoholics comprise the majority of the population. Society is overwhelmed by this problem and schools have curriculum geared specifically toward alcoholics' offspring, more commonly referred to as "AOs." The fourteen-year-old protagonist, an AO named Sam, has been forced to assume adult-level responsibility in his fatherless home. He previously committed his mother to a rehabilitation program and placed his younger brother, Ollie, with foster parents. Now that his mother's stint is completed, Sam must decide whether to reunite the family. At the book's end, however, Sam's mother manipulates events to generate the outcome, giving Sam the chance to assume the role of a child once again. Elizabeth S. Watson, writing in Horn Book, remarked that "Brooks is a fine writer," and although she found some of the issues perplexing for young readers, she conceded that "Brooks has created a wonderful vehicle for discussion."

In 1990 Brooks published a short novel titled Everywhere. In this book, a nameless young protagonist frets about his beloved grandfather who has suffered a heart attack and is near death. As the boy keeps a vigil, a local nurse arrives with her nephew, Dooley, who suggests killing an animal in a soul-switching ceremony to save the grandfather. During the course of the story, the boy ponders his grandfather's fate, his own mortality, and the ethics of taking one life to save another. Recognizing both the accessibility and complex issues in Everywhere, Horn Book contributor Nancy Vasilakis deemed the work a "masterly novella" and added that "Brooks's precise use of language is a tour de force."

Brooks won his second Newbery Honor for What Heart in 1992. This book presents four short stories about seven-year-old Asa and his efforts to deal with life-changing events. As he grows, Asa experiences the break up of his home, conflicts with Dave, his new stepfather, falling in love for the first time, and beginning a new life with his mother without Dave. The stories are held together by the common element of love—within the family, among friends, between boy and girl, between mother and son. Vasilakis said, "The book defies category and asks much of the reader." A Publishers Weekly reviewer described this book as "honest and intense from beginning to end." Vasilakis called it "original in structure and subtle in scope."

Patsy Campbell, writing for Horn Book, described Brooks's career as "notable for audacious undertakings and unexpected shifts to new styles and genres, as well as memorable characters and distinguished writing." In Asylum for Nightface, Vanishing, and All That Remains, Brooks lives up to this reputation, taking on "philosophical and theological questions" that, according to Deborah Stevenson in the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, "are rarely raised in children's literature."

Asylum tells the story of Zim, a religious fourteen-year-old whose "party-happy" parents transform their zeal for self-indulgence and drug abuse into a cult-like zest for religion. Zim's initial pleasure in his parents' religious awakening turns to concern as they attempt to force their religion on him in much the same way they had previously tried to force their drugs on him. The story is told by Zim as a narrator "beset by feelings of alienation and confusion. Many young adult readers will have similar emotions," said Kirk Beetz, editor of Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults. "How [Zim] manifests his rebellious nature and copes . . . makes the book attractive and stimulating," Beetz concluded. The conflict reaches critical mass when Zim's parents decide that he is "marked by God for a holy purpose" and proclaim him the perfect "living Saint," ideal to serve as poster boy for their sect. Zim resolves a difficult moral choice by deciding to prove himself to be human, not saint.

Vanishing is a compelling glimpse into the reality of two eleven-year-olds sharing a hospital room. Rex is dying of cancer. Alice is in and out of hallucination while dying of self-inflicted starvation—a choice deemed preferable to life with an alcoholic mother and racist stepfather. A Horn Book reviewer called Vanishing "a trenchant and powerful fable" with characters "preternaturally precocious for eleven-year-olds" yet whose "dialogue is so inventive and witty that it achieves a . . . hyper-reality [revealing] truths too cruel to express more directly."

Of the three novellas that comprise All That Remains, "any one rates discussion," according to a reviewer in Horn Book, and "together they are . . . provocative." Each of this trio of novellas is concerned with teenagers encountering and dealing with death—some more effectively and maturely than others. According to a Booklist critic, "There is nothing ghoulish or creepy here . . . clever wordplay and gallows humor bring a new dimension to death and how we deal with it." In the (rather bizarre) title story, cousins conspire against AIDS prejudice and the law to keep their aunt from a pauper's burial by cremating her remains in a potter's kiln and substituting the body of a deer for delivery to the State. In the second story, Playing the Creeps, a decidedly cool teen mentors his decidedly un-cool cousin to fulfill a promise made to a dying uncle. The final story, Teeing Up, features a young girl laden with a backpack who joins a trio of boys in a round of golf. As the story progresses, the relationship between golfers transforms from antagonism to friendship, culminating as the boys convince her to leave the contents of her backpack, the ashes of her father, in the course's sand traps. In these macabre and poignant stories, "Brooks challenges readers with an assortment of themes, including loyalty, acceptance, friendship, and defiance of stereotypes," said Tim Rausch in School Library Journal. Despite the serious nature of death as the central theme, a Publishers Weekly critic called these tales "surprisingly life-affirming as they reveal the many faces of grief," joining three mood pieces "to create a unified requiem."

In a brisk change of pace for Brooks, Throwing Smoke is a lighthearted fantasy that exalts the value of playing sports for fun before glory. Whiz is the pitcher and co-captain of a baseball team with more love of the game and each other than sports talent. In what a Horn Book reviewer called a "delectably unnerving fantasy element," Whiz introduces magic into "this cerebral sports novel," by creating baseball cards first for his teammates and then for his "dream" players—players who magically come to life on the baseball field. Not all critics were immediately taken with this book. A Publishers Weekly reviewer described the characterization as "sketchy" and lacking dynamics, pointing out that "the immediacy and involvement . . . conveyed so compellingly in Brooks's 'Wolfbay Wings' series goes missing here." Shelle Rosenfeld of Booklist had a more positive opinion, saying that "readers will be drawn by the witty, edgy prose, great dialogue, dimensional, diverse characters, and abundant baseball lingo."

Upon first glance, Dolores: Seven Stories about Her might be considered similar to What Hearts in that both are short stories about a child growing up through adversity. Yet, the similarities end here. In the first story, seven-year-old Dolores is abducted, then rescued by her brother. In the last story, sixteen-year-old Dolores is again abducted, then rescued by her own actions. In the five stories in between, Brooks presents the free-spirited Dolores through the dynamic interactions of her family, her peers, her enemies, and her friends. A Kirkus Reviews critic described Dolores as "articulate and opinionated . . . a winning heroine, gifted with a fierce intelligence, combative personality, and an unconventional turn of mind." A Kirkus Reviews writer felt that Dolores as a character may be too good to be true, saying, "a fetching and fascinating creation . . . she doesn't seem to be quite of this earth." However, the same reviewer concluded that despite any perceived negatives, "Brooks wows the reader with his finely honed craft, piercing dry wit, and clever turn of phrase."

Ably demonstrating his versatility as a writer of fiction, Brooks created the "Wolfbay Wings" series of hockey books and the picture book Each a Piece, two vastly dissimilar endeavors yet equally thoughtful literature for young adults. Each book in the "Wolfbay Wings" series focuses on a different member of the team, beginning with Dixon "Woodsie" Woods as he begins his rookie year with the team. Typical of Brooks, the series comes full circle with the twelfth and final book revisiting Woodsie and the team two seasons later. A Kirkus reviewer called the series "thoughtful though action-oriented" and noted that the "intelligence that informs the book is every bit as sharp as the action."

Brooks's first picture book received mixed reviews. Each a Piece, according to a reviewer for the Encyclopedia of Children's Literature, was "admired for its memorable characters and stimulating scenes." However, a Publishers Weekly reviewer criticized it for its "disjointed text which is overwhelmed by . . . nostalgic collages of Victorian illustrations." A Publishers Weekly reviewer concluded that the book may appeal to "collectors of Victoriana, but for others, it will be a conundrum."

With each of his literary endeavors Brooks has shown his versatility. The opportunity for variety pleases the author, who concluded in AAYA: "One of the nice things about being a writer is also the biggest challenge about being a writer: you're always going to be a beginner as soon as you finish something. You wrap up one book and immediately you are a rookie again because you've never written your next book. You start all over and you're fresh and you're challenged and you're green, and you don't yet know how to solve all the problems that are going to come up. You're going to have to gain wisdom and technique as you write, so that you can take care of these new challenges."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Authors and Artists for Young Adults, Volume 8, Thomson Gale (Detroit, MI), 1992, pp. 17-24.

Beetz, Kirk H., editor, Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults, Volume 9, Thomson Gale (Detroit, MI), 1999, pp. 4444-4451.

Cullinan, Bernice E., and Diane G. Person, editors, Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature, Continuum (New York, NY), 2001, pp. 115-117.

Drew, Bernard A., editor, The 100 Most Popular Young-Adult Authors: Biographical Sketches and Bibliographies, Libraries Unlimited (Englewood, CO), 1996, pp. 62-64.

Gallo, Donald R., editor, Speaking for Ourselves, National Council of Teachers of English (Urbana, IL), 1988, pp. 33-35.

Helbig, Alethea, and Agnes Regan Perkins, editors, in Dictionary of American Children's Fiction, 1985-1989, Greenwood Press (Westport, CT), 1993, p. 35.

Pendergast, Tom, and Sara Pendergast, editors, St. James Guide to Young Adult Writers, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1988, pp. 102-104.

Senick, Gerard J., editor, Children's Literature Review, Volume 25, Thomson Gale (Detroit, MI), 1991, pp. 16-26.

Silvey, Anita, editor, Children's Books and Their Creators, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1995, p. 95.

PERIODICALS

ALAN Review, fall, 1988, "The Difference between Reading and Reading," p. 1.

Appraisal, summer, 1992, review of Nature by Design, p. 71; summer, 1992, review of Predator!, p. 71.

Booklist, October 15, 1990, Carolyn Phelan, review of Everywhere, p. 441; January 1, 1992, Chris Sherman, review of Predator! and Nature by Design, p. 82; March 15, 1992, review of Predator!, p. 1362; September 1, 1992, Hazel Rochman, review of What Hearts, p. 53; March 15, 1993, review of What Hearts, p. 1334; July 1, 1993, review of The Moves Make the Man, p. 1864; October 1, 1993, review of The Moves Make the Man, p. 334; December 1, 1993, Carolyn Phelan, review of Making Sense: Animal Perception and Communication, p. 687; December 1, 1993, Hazel Rochman, review of Boys Will Be, p. 697; April 15, 1994, Bill Ott, review of Those Who Love the Game: Glenn "Doc" Rivers on Life in the NBA and Elsewhere, p. 1524; October 15, 1994, review of The Moves Make the Man, p. 413; February 1, 1985, Denise M. Wilms, review of The Moves Make the Man, p. 782-783; June 1, 1996, Michael Cart, review of Asylum for Night-face, p. 1696; March 1, 1997, Carolyn Phelan, review of NBA by the Numbers, p. 1168; May 15, 1997, A. James, audio book review of The Moves Make the Man, p. 1595; January 1, 1998, Lauren Peterson, review of Zip, p. 809; January 1, 1998, Lauren Peterson, review of Woodsie, p. 809; April 15, 1998, review of Everywhere, p. 1445; June 1, 1998, review of Asylum for Nightface, p. 1696; August, 1998, Hazel Rochman, review of The Red Wasteland: A Personal Selection of Writings about Nature for Young Readers, p. 1987; September 15, 1998, Sally Estes and Hazel Rochman, review of No Kidding, p. 219; May 15, 1999, GraceAnne A. DeCandido, review of Vanishing, p. 1696; May, 2000, Shelle Rosenfeld, review of Throwing Smoke, p. 1743; May, 2001, Debbie Carton, review of All That Remains, p. 1682; July, 2001, Jennifer Hubert and Patrick Jones, review of Boys Will Be, p. 1998; September 1, 2001, Jean Hatfield, review of Vanishing, p. 128; May 15, 2002, Ilene Cooper, review of Dolores: Seven Stories about Her, p. 1590.

Book Report, May-June, 1994, Clyde Hofflund, review of Boys Will Be, p. 59; September-October, 1996, William McLoughlin, review of Asylum for Nightface, p. 36; January-February, 1999, Corine H. Smith, review of The Red Wasteland, p. 70.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, January, 1992, review of Nature by Design, p. 119; January, 1992, review of Predator!, p. 119; December, 1992, review of What Hearts, p. 106; December, 1993, review of Boys Will Be, p. 116; January, 1994, Roger Sutton, review of Making Sense, pp. 148-149; June, 1996, Deborah Stevenson, review of Asylum for Nightface, p. 328; November, 1998, review of Each a Piece, p. 90; May, 1999, review of Vanishing, p. 309; June, 2001, review of All That Remains, p. 367.

Canadian Materials, October 31, 1997, Dave Jenkinson, review of NBA by the Numbers.

Children's Book Review Service, February, 1992, review of Nature by Design, p. 79; November, 1993, review of Boys Will Be, p. 33; July, 1996, review of Asylum for Nightface, p. 154; December, 1998, review of A Piece of Each, p. 37; spring, 1999, review of Vanishing, p. 141.

Children's Bookwatch, January, 1992, review of "Knowing Nature" Series, p. 4; January, 1992, review of Nature by Design, p. 4; January, 1992, review of Predator!, p. 4; March, 1993, review of What Hearts, p. 4; September, 1999, review of Vanishing, p. 4.

Children's Literature Association Quarterly, winter, 1994, review of Nature by Design, p. 148.

Children's Literature in Education, June, 1992, review of Midnight Hour Encores, p. 101.

Emergency Librarian, May, 1993, review of What Hearts, p. 52; May, 1996, review of Asylum for Nightface, p. 43.

Horn Book, March-April, 1987, Christine McDonnell, "New Voices, New Visions: Bruce Brooks" (interview), pp. 188-190; July, 1989, Elizabeth S., Watson, review of No Kidding, p. 486; January, 1991, Nancy Vasilakis, review of Everywhere, pp. 72-73; January, 1992, review of Nature by Design, p. 96; January, 1992, review of Predator!, p. 96; January-February, 1993, Nancy Vasilakis, review of What Hearts, p. 89; January-February, 1994, Peter D. Sieruta, review of Boys Will Be, p. 86; November, 1995, review of The Moves Make the Man, p. 777; July-August, 1996, Patsy Campbell, review of Asylum for Nightface, p. 492; September-October, 1996, Maria B. Salvadore, review of Asylum for Nightface, p. 601; May-June, 1998, C. Heppermann, "Bruce Brooks on Ice"; May, 1999, review of Vanishing, p. 327; May, 2000, C.M.H., review of Throwing Smoke, p. 308; May, 2001, Kristi Beavin, audiobook review of Vanishing, p. 358; July, 2001 review of All That Remains, p. 447.

Hungry Mind Review, fall, 1996, review of Asylum for Nightface, p. 36; fall, 1998, review of The Red Wasteland, p. 33.

Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, December, 1996, review of The Moves Make the Man, p. 318; September, 1999, review of Billy, p. 92; September, 1999, review of Cody, p. 92; September, 1999, review of Shark, p. 92; September, 1999, review of Zip, p. 92; September, 1999, review of Woodsie, p. 92.

Journal of Reading, November, 1993, review of Predator!, p. 225; May, 1994, review of Boys Will Be, p. 704.

Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 1992, review of What Hearts, p. 1307; October 1, 1993, review of Boys Will Be, p. 1270; October 1, 1993, review of Shark, p. 1270; November 15, 1993, review of Making Sense, p. 1458; May 1, 1996, review of Asylum for Nightface, p. 685; October 1, 1997, review of Woodsie, p. 1270; April 1, 1998, review of Shark, p. 493; April 1, 1998, review of Each a Piece, p. 1381; June 1, 1998, review of The Red Wasteland, p. 808; September 15, 1998, review of Each a Piece, p. 1381; May 1, 1999, review of Vanishing, p. 119; June 1, 1999, review of Vanishing; April 1, 2001, review of All That Remains, p. 495; March 1, 2002, review of Dolores, p. 329.

Kliatt, March, 1995, review of What Hearts, p. 4; September, 1996, review of Asylum for Nightface, p. 72; January, 1998, audiobook review of What Hearts, p. 46; June 20, 1999, review of Vanishing, p. 20; July, 1999, review of Vanishing, p. 6; May, 2001, review of All That Remains, p. 8.

Language Arts, November, 1992, review of Nature by Design, p. 516; January, 1993, review of The Moves Make the Man, p. 64; October, 1994, review of Making Sense, p. 454.

Library Talk, May, 1992, review of Nature by Design, p. 44; May, 1992, review of Predator!, p. 44; September, 1994, review of Making Sense, p. 54.

Los Angeles Times Book Review, February 13, 1994, review of Boys Will Be, p. 12; September 12, 1999, review of Vanishing, p. 4.

New Advocate, winter, 1993, review of What Hearts, p. 84; spring, 1992, "The Creative Process: Imagination, the Source of Reading," pp. 79-85.

New York Times Book Review, November 11, 1984, Mel Watkins, "A Trickster and His Upright Friends," p. 54; April 6, 1986, "Playing Fields of Fiction," p. 20; January 4, 1987, p. 33; June 25, 1989, p. 30; September 8, 1991, p. 40; November 8, 1992, review of What Hearts, p. 40; November 9, 1992; June 20, 1999, review of Vanishing, p. 20; July 15, 2001, review of All That Remains, p. 24.

Publishers Weekly, July 29, 1990, Marcus Leonard, "Interview with Brooks," pp. 214-215; November 16, 1992, review of What Hearts, p. 65; September 27, 1993, review of Boys Will Be, p. 65; February 20, 1995, review of What Hearts, p. 207; May 1, 1995, review of Boys Will Be, p. 60; June, 1996, review of Asylum for Nightface, p. 84; September 1, 1997, review of Woodsie, p. 105; July 6, 1998, review of The Red Wasteland, p. 27; October 26, 1998, review of Each a Piece, p. 64; April 19, 1999, review of Vanishing, p. 74; November 1, 1999, review of Asylum for Nightface, p. 86; February 14, 2000, Leonard S. Marcus, interview with Brooks, p. 98; July 3, 2000, review of Throwing Smoke, p. 72; April 16, 2001, review of All That Remains, p. 66; February 18, 2002, review of Dolores, p. 97; November 18, 2002, Gerry Larson, review of Dolores, p. 142.

Reading Teacher, May, 1993, review of What Hearts, p. 695; November, 1993, review of What Hearts, p. 238.

San Francisco Review of Books, September, 1995, review of Boys Will Be, p. 47; September, 1995, review of Midnight Hour Encores, p. 47.

School Library Journal, December, 1984, Robert E. Unsworth, review of The Moves Make the Man, p. 103; February, 1992, Amy Nunley, review of Predator!, p. 112; February, 1992, Amy Nunley, review of Nature by Design, p. 112; July, 1992, review of The Moves Make the Man, p. 30; November, 1992, Jacqueline Rose, review of What Hearts, p. 116; December, 1993, Tom S. Hurlburt, review of Boys Will Be, p. 142; January, 1994, Cynthia M. Sturgis, review of Making Sense, p. 118; April, 1994, Tom S. Hurlburt, review of Those Who Love the Game, p. 164; June, 1996, Luann Toth, review of Asylum for Nightface, p. 150; December, 1997, Jana R. Fine, review of Zip, p. 123; December, 1997, Jana R. Fine, review of Woodsie, p. 123; December, 1997, Jana R. Fine, review of Cody, p. 123; November, 1997, audio book review of What Hearts, p. 70; March, 1998, Blair Christolon, review of Boot, p. 208; June, 1998, Blair Christolon, review of Shark, p. 143; June, 1998, Michele Snyder, review of The Red Wasteland, p. 143; June, 1998, Blair Christolon, review of Prince, p. 140; July, 1998, Barb Lawler, review of Billy, p. 92; September, 1998, review of Everywhere, p. 120; October, 1998, Pam Gosner, review of Each a Piece, p. 87; February, 1999, Todd Morning, review of Reed, p. 104; February, 1999, Todd Morning, review of Dooby, p. 104; June, 1999, Lauralyn Persson, review of Vanishing, p. 126; June, 2000, Todd Morning, review of Throwing Smoke, p. 142; September, 2000, Marcus Loenards, "Song of Myself" (interview), p. 50; March, 2001, Nicole A. Cooke, audio book review of Vanishing, p. 88; May 2001, Tim Rausch, review of All That Remains, p. 148; April, 2002, review of All That Remains, p. 63.

Science Books and Films, January, 1992, review of Nature by Design, p. 17; March, 1992, review of Predator!, p. 44.

Tribune Books (Chicago, IL), August 12, 1990, p. 5.

Village Voice, June 21, 1990, "Pulling Proof," pp. S22-S25.

Village Voice Literary Supplement, February, 1994, review of Boys Will Be, p. 26.

Voice of Youth Advocates, February, 1983, Allan A. Cuseo, review of The Moves Make the Man, p. 322; June, 1993, review of What Hearts, p. 86; February, 1994, review of Boys Will Be, p. 390; October, 1996, review of Asylum for Nightface, p. 206; June, 1998, review of Asylum for Nightface, p. 103; August, 1998, review of The Red Wasteland, p. 226; June, 2001, review of All That Remains, p. 119.

Washington Post Book World, November 9, 1986, Katherine Paterson, "Heart Strings and Other Attachments," p. 17; November 14, 1993, review of Boys Will Be, p. 8; November 14, 1993, review of Making Sense, p. 8.

Wilson Library Bulletin, June, 1993, Frances Bradburn, review of What Hearts, p. 102; February, 1994, Frances Bradburn, review of Making Sense, p. 89; June, 1986, Linda Perkins, review of Those Who Love the Game, p. 42.*