I request a lot of books each season planning out columns that will work around different themes (such as my upcoming Cuban lit column this summer). I am always amazed though by the books that are not sent my way compared to those that are. It's one thing when a book only goes out to a limited number of reviewers or a publicist figures I'm not the best fit for it - I get that. What's puzzling though are books I never see and yet the publisher sends me instead multiple titles I never requested (and do not want). It's such a huge waste of time and money and frustrates me to no end. It's pointless and although I have related this on multiple occasions to multiple publicists you would think that having a 21st century database at a publisher is asking for the moon.

I mean seriously - imagine if Amazon operated the same way Harper Collins did and just mailed out what they think you wanted as opposed to what you really asked for. Welcome to my frustration.

Here then is the first in a semi-regular series of posts I'll be doing about books I requested that never arrived. I'm putting them up here to give them some slight exposure as I haven't heard much about them elsewhere (although that could always change). Each appealed to me for a variety of reasons and honestly I have no idea at all if they live up to their promise but they sound interesting and might very well be worth your time.

Rock and Roll Soldier by Dean Kohler (Harper Teen). A true story about a soldier's experiences as an MP in Vietnam where he also performed in a rock band for the troops. From Booklist: "The war memoir gets a unique spin with Kohler's recollection of his time playing rock and roll in the Vietnam jungle... The theme hits you in the gut: the restorative power of music is real... A sober but ultimately inspiring read."

I thought this one would be good for teen boys in particular, for obvious reasons.

Drizzle by KD Van Cleve (Dial Books). This is a MG confection - one of those sweet titles that seems tailor made for summer reading. PW gave it a starred review. Here's a bit: "With a sense of magic that recalls Ingrid Law's Savvy, this bighearted coming-of-age story stars 11-year-old Polly Peabody, who lives with her family on a farm like no other. At Rupert's Rhubarb Farm, magic abounds: chocolate rhubarb flourishes; it rains at 1 p.m. every Monday; there's a lake in which no one can drown; and tourists clamor for rides on the giant umbrella. But when a mysterious mist descends, things go haywire: Polly's brother, Freddy, gets sick, her Aunt Edith threatens to sell the farm, and Polly gets in a fight with her best friend, Harry (a chocolate rhubarb plant). While Aunt Edith encourages Polly to read Emerson and look for opportunities away from the farm, in her heart Polly knows that she belongs nowhere else, and she must overcome her numerous fears (like of the farm's giant insects and slimy 'slugsand') to discover her own gift and save the farm."

Fans of the Penderwicks should take special note.

Probably the World's Best Story About a Dog and the Girl Who Loved Me by D James Smith (Atheneum). Looks like the paperback release on this one might just be delayed so it could still show up. It came out initially in 2006. And again, this one looks like a great MG read for the summer. From Booklist: "Paolo's dog, Rufus, has been dognapped, and the only clue is a ransom note. It's not as if Paolo's life isn't already complicated enough: his family is large and noisy, he has a new paper route, and there's a strange boy locked up in the Pineroe mansion. Paolo is further distracted by Theresa Mueller's alarming crush on him, so he needs plenty of help to sort through the dognapping suspects. The narrative voice occasionally seems too adult, but Paolo's struggle to understand Theresa's bewildering effect on him feels just right, and the nostalgic story, set in 1951, winds around like a pleasant small-town street until it reaches a satisfying end."

By far the hardest books to nail down have been the Cuban titles - but after several follow-up emails I now have three, with a fourth on the way and hopefully the fifth will arrive as scheduled. (It's from Candlewick so it should be here.) I usually don't work that hard on getting books for a column...if they don't show, then they don't show and I move on. But the idea of doing a column all on this country for MG and YA readers is way too appealing to pass up. I'll be sure to mention some contemporary titles with Cuban flair (Down to the Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole for example) as well.