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by Beth Alison Maloney (Crown, $23.99)
At 12, Maloney's son Sammy won math awards but exhibited bizarre symptoms. The newly divorced mothers concerns grew as Sammy started hopping and spinning instead of walking and repeatedly resorted to uncontrollable headbanging. His disintegration, diagnosed without any thought about causation as sudden onset obsessive-compulsive disorder, included verbal tics, hours-long crying jags, and sporadic refusals to eat. Linking infection to mental illness, as strep antibodies are linked to the neurological Tourettes syndrome, has been rejected by many doctors since the rise of psychoanalysis, but Maloney insisted Sammy be tested for strep titers when he became unable to attend school and to walk. He was diagnosed with pediatric neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections, caused by strep antibodies attacking the basal ganglia controlling behavior. Antibiotics ended two torturous years for the family, and Sammys regains came as rapidly as the symptoms had overtaken him. This stirring account of a mothers determination and a boys astonishing bravery makes you want to stand up and cheer. Beth Alison Maloney lives in Saco, Maine.
 
by Nancy Griffin (Macintyre Purcells. $14.95)
Well known Mainers weigh in on their favorite things about Maine. Adventurer Steve Callahan gives us five ocean adventures you shouldn't miss, Dave Mallett tell us his five favorite Maine show business moments, world renowned author Tess Gerritsen tells us her favorite fry joints, author Chris Fahy gives us his five favorite nonfiction books about our state, poet Betsy Sholl tells us her five favorite expressions that define Maine to her. From politics and weather to the origins behind place names, Maine slang, and the Native Americans . . . it is all here!
 
by Linda & John Meyers (Stewart Tabori & Chang, $27.50)
What some view as trash, Linda and John Meyers see as raw material. The wife-and-husband team--subscribers to the "reduce, reuse, recycle" ethos--have perfected a design strategy that will save you money, help the planet, and provide hours of DIY fun. Linda and John live in Portland.
 
by Steve Pinkham (Down East, $16.95)
How did a mountain get the name Moose's Bosom? And what's afoot with the name Toenail Ridge? Avid hiker Steve Pinkham provides informative, quirky, and sometimes downright hilarious answers to these questions. Arranged alphabetically within regions are capsule histories highlighting natural features, origins of place names, and intriguing facts and local legends. Pinkham also delivers sidebars about selected trails, towns, and other points of interest. This book includes all significant peaks and hills throughout Maine.