By SARA SYVERSON

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- What to buy that avid reader for Christmas this year?

There are plenty of local and regional writers to keep any dedicated reader interested .

"We have a lot of unique history here," said Sheldon Rieke, owner of Rieke's Books, in New Ulm, "We have a lot of history here -- we have a good rich history. Maybe we're more aware of it than other communities."

Boys by Bill Bockus tells the story of boys in the 1920s and is set in New Ulm.

"It's like reading Our Gang," said Rieke, "It's just charming. He captures the voice of that era."

Rieke gets a fair number of customers who request books written by local or regional writers.

"It makes a good gift for family members who have moved away," said Rieke, "If people are looking for stuff with a local slant, there's some good stuff available. The quality is in the writing. If they are good, they are good -- and it's not whether they are regional or national writers."

For the history lovers there are books like Over the Earth I Come: The Great Sioux Uprising of 1862 by Duane Schultz; The Sioux Uprising of 1862, by Kenneth Carley; and New Ulm Area Defenders of August 1862, Dakota Indians and Pioneer Settlers, by Elroy Ubl.

For the music lovers there are books on musicians in the New Ulm area such as Old Timers Picture Album No. 2 Bands.

There is a small company in New York that started publishing four of Wanda Gag's children's picture books. Gag grew up in New Ulm and is nationally recognized for her illustrated children's books and printmaking.

"They had been out of print for almost 30 years," said Rieke. Those books are Wanda Gag are Snippy &Snappy, The Funny Thing, Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, and Nothing At All.

Rieke began selling books written by local and regional authors when he opened his business ten years ago.

"The rest of the books you can get anywhere," said Rieke, "These (local) books ­ you're only going to get here -- or it's harder to get them other places."

Rieke also carries a book devoted top Gag's artwork. It is written by Audur H. Winnan and titled simply Wanda Gag, A Catalogue Raisonne of the Prints. It also contains excerpts from her dairies and letters.

Jerry and Pam Chamberlain, owners of Bookshelves & Coffeecups in downtown New Ulm, carry used books written by Minnesota authors.

"We actually put up a couple of shelves for Minnesota authors," said Jerry Chamberlain, "There's fiction, general fiction and non-fiction."

The Minnesota writers' works at Bookshelves & Coffeecups include Tami Hoag, Jim Klobuchar, Loni Anderson, Will Weaver, Kathleen Wood, LaVyrle Spencer, Garrison Keillor and Sinclair Lewis.

Books by regional authors

abound for Christmas gifts