LITTLE OSCAR is like no other novel you have ever read. On one side of the literary ledger, it is a story of inordinate love, overt affection and total commitment between a desperate boy and his young mother, while on the other side of the same accounting is the contrasting counterbalance of sordid sex, corrosive hate and unrelenting rejection that pull constantly at Little Oscar and his helpless mother, dragging them downward into a pervasive morass that is all-engulfing, all-consuming, while pushing the tense narrative forward along its relentless path to a searing climax--literally. Carmen Anthony Fiore had to return to his social worker days to write LITTLE OSCAR, delving deep into his jarring experiences to bring forth the unique tale about a youthful protagonist and his immoderate relationship with his attractive mother versus the varied lowlife men of her urban world; and later in seeking acceptance, then retribution from her bigoted, rejecting parents back on the family farm--that other lost life from his mother's past.

The setting for THE SNAKESKIN is the New Jersey Pine Barrens during the wartime summer of August 1944. Skip, his sister Betsy, and their new friend Arnold are enjoying a leisure-filled vacation in the wilderness of "The Pines." But when they make a decision to seek excitement elsewhere, it eventualy leads to dangerous complications. And they soon learn how important the enduring values of loyalty, cooperation, unselfish caring and family togetherness can be to survival. Comments about THE SNAKESKIN: "...engaging adventure of children learning the importance of teamwork and cooperation...wonderful integration of literature, science and social studies...can be used to develop critical thinking and to build decision making." Dawn Gillen, Elementary School Teacher, Maurice H. Hawk School, West Windsor, NJ "...lively reading...deftly plotted...swift-paced adventure...packed with intrigue, action and creative problem solving...appreciation and feeling for the New Jersey Pine Barrens enhanced by the illustrations." Jacqueline Lenox, Teacher of Gifted & Talented, Hamilton, NJ School System "...would appeal to boys and girls alike...a book that you will not want to put down until you have finished reading it...a must for all New Jersey school and public libraries." Elizabeth B. Carnevale, School Media Specialist/Librarian, Harrison School, Trenton, NJ "...a delightful story about friendship and survival... descriptions of the children and the woods made you feel as if you were with them...explicit details crystalize the images...a definite addition to school and public libraries." Joyce Palumbo, Supervisor of Librarians, Hamilton, NJ School System "...the young reader shares the excitement of Skip, Betsy and Arnold in their discovery of the ingenuity, cooperation and courage necessary to survive and mature...both boys and girls will enjoy this fast-paced adventure story." Mary Claycomb, Publisher, Claycomb Press, Chevy Chase, MD "THE SNAKESKIN was interesting. Seeing how well they acted in a terrible position was fun. It is a totaly great book." Charles Kolinofsky, Fifth Grader, Alexander School, Hamilton, NJ