Some of you may remember last week's episode, in which I was trying to decide what book to read to my wife's class of third graders.

Well, the jury's in... The children voted for Grayson by Lynne Cox. It was all thumbs up for Grayson and just a few for The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Newbery award-winning writer Kate DiCamillo.

At least three of the kids had already read Edward Tulane, and one girl pretty much recited the entire plot. Yes, she raised her hand first.

So Grayson it is. I remain in awe of eight year-olds who would rather hear an adult book about a girl swimming with whales off the California coast than a book written specifically for their age group about a china doll who learns that love is important.

By the way, I would have voted for Grayson too, if I had a vote. Which I didn't.

Paul Takushi, who buys books for the UC Davis bookstore, writes: "Hello Tony, I know you didn't ask for suggestions, and you've probably got a ton of them already, but I'm going to give you two suggestions anyway (cause that's just the kind of guy I am).

"I have a friend who teaches third grade in Sacramento and she constantly thanks me for turning her on to Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived by Ralph Helfer.

"(She told me) 'When I read this book to my class, it blew them away.'"

Paul, an avid reader, as are most booksellers, adds, "This book is in my list of top ten favorites of all time."

Paul's second suggestion is Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques. He says, "Now, I don't have kids of my own, I'm not the kids' book buyer, and I've never read aloud to kids in a classroom. I just thought this novel was quite an adventure.

"And if that's not enough, here's one for your wife: 32 Third Graders & One Class Bunny: Life Lessons from Teaching by Phillip Done."

Well Paul, thank you so much. The best books always are the ones recommended by friends. If someone you know and trust suggests a book it's likely to be a good one. There's no better way to find your way through the maze of books published every year than listen to your peers to find out what books they've enjoyed.

---

This week I whipped through the latest 'Sharpe' novel by Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Fury.

I kept waiting for Captain Sharpe to be Fury-ous. I guess he was fairly furious in a few places. Richard Sharpe, soldier in His Majesty's army, fighting the French in Spain on behalf of Wellington in 1811, is cool when others are confused by the smoke and blood of battle.

The character Richard Sharpe is a tough street fighter, a private, who in the course of about 20 novels (with more to come) inadvertently makes his way up the ranks, into the officer corps. With his hard-earned street fighting skills he usually has better instincts than most of the officers who outrank him.

I've read a great number of Cornwell's Sharpe novels. Some plot elements grow predictable (for example, you know Sharpe will not die; there will be at least one British officer who wants Sharpe to fail; the French will be defeated; there will be a love interest who must eventually be forsaken, and so forth). All that doesn't matter because Cornwell is an absolute master of historical adventure writing.

His action scenes are numerous and unrelenting; his research impeccable, characters believable and often memorable. His stories are gripping. They're written to a formula, but full of surprises.

The Sharpe novels are the kind of books initiated readers await with longing and glee. You dare not start one late at night or you'll be up to the wee hours and exhausted next day.

And by the way, 14 of the Sharpe novels have been filmed for the BBC, and all currently are being aired Saturday nights on BBC America.

Aired Sunday September 3, 2006 at 10:55 am and Wednesday September 6, 2006 at 1:00 pm

Orders/Information:

Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived by Ralph Helfer. Harpercollins paperback $13.95. ISBN 0060929510.
"Spanning seven decades and three continents, this sweeping saga follows the life and times of a remarkable elephant and her faithful companion and trainer. Ralph Helfer, founder of Eden International, owned Modoc for the last 20 years of her life and witnessed the joyous reunion of the elephant and her trainer."

Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques. Penguin paperback $7.99. ISBN 0142501182.
"Trapped aboard the 'Flying Dutchman,' Ben and his dog, Ned, explore new places and times. When they land in the Victorian village of Chapelvale, they try to figure out the clues and riddles they keep discovering in hopes of perhaps saving Chapelvale and its people."

32 Third Graders & One Class Bunny: Life Lessons from Teaching by Phillip Done. Simon & Schuster hardcover $19.95. ISBN 0743272390.
From the publisher: "...for anyone who has ever taught children -- or been to third grade. It is a testament to the kids who uplift us -- and the teachers we will never forget. With just the right mix of humor and wisdom, Done reveals the enduring promise of elementary school as a powerful antidote to the cynicism of our times."

Sharpe's Fury: Barossa 1811 by Bernard Cornwell. Harpercollins hardcover $24.95. ISBN 0060530480.
From the publisher: "The year is 1811. With the British army penned into a small part of Portugal, and all of Spain fallen to the invader except for the coastal city of Cádiz, the French appear to have won their war. Captain Richard Sharpe has no business being in Cádiz, but when an attack on a French-held bridge goes disastrously wrong, Sharpe -- accompanied by Harper, his loyal Irish sergeant, and the obnoxious Brigadier Moon -- finds himself in a city under French siege. It is also a town riven by political rivalry. Some Spaniards believe their country's future would be best served if they broke their alliance with Britain and forged a friendship with Napoleon's France; their cause is only strengthened when some letters written to a prostitute by the British ambassador fall into their possession. They resort to blackmail, and Sharpe, raised in the gutters of London and taught to fight, is released into the alleys of Cádiz to find the woman and retrieve the letters.
Yet defeating the blackmailers will not save the city. That is up to the charismatic Scotsman, Sir Thomas Graham, who takes a small British force to attack the French siege lines. The attack goes horribly wrong; Sir Thomas' outnumbered army is trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea, and on a March morning, at Barrosa, Richard Sharpe finds himself embroiled in one of the most desperate infantry struggles ever fought. Sir Thomas has his own reasons for revenge, as does Sharpe, who goes into battle seeking the French colonel who precipitated the disaster that stranded Sharpe in Cádiz. In a bloody and stirring battle, Sharpe and the English get their revenge and their victory, but at a terrible cost. A triumph of both historical and battle fiction, Sharpe's Fury will sweep both old and new Sharpe fans into their hero's incredible adventures.