~ Maia

The Spirited Review

The purpose of the Spirited Review is to offer an ecospiritual perspective on literature, including fiction, poetry, essays, and picture books. I review both "adult" and "children's" titles; these distinctions are at times arbitrary, as many children's books are written on multiple levels, making them as rich for adults as for little people.

In the Spirited Review, I try to present a sense of the flavor of each book, and I offer my own perspectives on the beauties and possible applications of each text. Particularly with the children's books, I try to include reasoning for why I think a given title will serve to enhance a love of and respect for their earth; I also often suggest questions that can be used to plumb the depths with older children, teens and adults.

The titles I select include books that are in print and out of print, books that are from small and self-publishers and from the major houses and imprints. I think that it is important that good books not "die"; books that are out of print can be borrowed from community, college and university libraries and through interlibrary loan programs, and all of the books I review can be found in new or used bookstores, on the web and on the street. If you are looking for book sources, I invite you to visit the resources page.

I hope that you enjoy the reviews within! Please feel free to send me comments or suggestions.