LITERARY LAS VEGAS

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Las Vegas resident Carol Ann Hartnell's biographical novel "More Than a Pinch, Less Than a Bee Sting" describes her experiences at age 11 growing up during the introduction and testing of the polio vaccine in1955.

Most of the characters and action in the book are rooted in reality. Hartnell's aunt, Dr. Ruth McCammon, was a pathologist, working in Los Angeles. "No one talked about it, but I knew Aunt Ruthie worked on things related to polio and the polio vaccine," Harnell wrote.

While polio, and the scares surrounding a bad batch of vaccine, are central to the book, readers also will find themselves transported to the '50s with passages on duck-and-cover drills, hot rods, food (along with a few family recipes), parties and school.