Big Cherry Holler: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle)

Big Cherry Holler: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
Average customer rating:

Excellent Book!

Life goes on...

The second of the "Big Stone Gap" quartet

Another excellent book by Trigiani

What a bummer

Big Cherry Holler: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
Adriana Trigiani
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Milk Glass Moon: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle)

Big Stone Gap

Home to Big Stone Gap: A Novel

The Queen of the Big Time: A Novel

Lucia, Lucia: A Novel

ASIN: 0345445848
Release Date: 2002-03-26

Book Description

BIG CHERRY HOLLER, the extraordinary sequel to BIG STONE GAP, takes us back to the mountain life that enchanted us in Adriana Trigiani’s best selling debut novel. It’s been eight years since the town pharmacist and long time spinster Ave Maria Mulligan married coal miner Jack MacChesney. With her new found belief in love and its possibilities, Ave Maria makes a life for herself and her growing family, hoping that her fearless leap into commitment will make happiness stay. What she didn’t count on was that fate, life, and the ghosts of the past would come to haunt her and, eventually, test the love she has for her husband. The mountain walls that have protected her all of her life can not spare Ave Maria the life lessons she must learn.

BIG CHERRY HOLLER is the story of a marriage, revealing the deep secrets, the power struggle, the betrayal and the unmet expectations that exist between husband and wife. It is the story of a community that must reinvent itself as it comes to grips with the decline of the coal mining industry. It is the story of an extended family, the people of Big Stone Gap, who are there for one another especially when times are tough —including bookmobile librarian and sexpert Iva Lou Wade Makin, savvy businesswoman Pearl Grimes, crusty cashier Fleeta Mullins, and Rescue Squad captain Spec Broadwater, who faces the complications of his double life. Ave Maria’s best friend Theodore Tipton, now band director at the University of Tennessee, continues to be her chief counselor and conscience as he reaches the pinnacle of marching band success.

When Ave Maria takes her daughter to Italy for the summer, she meets a handsome stranger who offers her a life beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains. Ave Maria is forced to confront what is truly important: to her, to her marriage, and to her family. Brimming with humor, wisdom, honesty, and the drama and local color of mountain life from Virginia to Italy, BIG CHERRY HOLLER is a deeply felt, brilliantly evoked story of two lovers who have lost their way and their struggle to find one another again.

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

In a hilarious and heartwarming sequel to the bestselling Big Stone Gap, Ave Maria and Jack MacChesney find their marriage strained by a summer spent apart.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Book! .......2007-10-01

I had never read any books by this author before this series. I'm hooked, she is a great writer & her books are fantastic!

Life goes on..........2007-01-04

Following on from Big Stone Gap, part 2 of Trigiani's trilogy picks up Ave Maria's life 8 years after her marriage to Jack.
Darker, sadder but more honest and insightful than Big Stone Gap, Big Cherry Holler faces up to the fact that
a) life isn't always a bed of roses
b) people often screw up
... but it doesn't have to be the end of the world when it happens.

NB: I'd ordered this at the same time as Big Stone Gap, and enjoyed reading them back-to-back, while the characters and `history'of Big Stone Gap was still fresh in my mind.

The second of the "Big Stone Gap" quartet.......2006-09-09

In this sequel to "Big Stone Gap," it's eight years after Ave Maria and Jack began their lives together. They are struggling to give 10-year-old daughter Etta a normal childhood, while mourning the sudden death of four-year-old Joe several years earlier.

Largely due to their intense sorrow, Ave Maria and Jack begin drifting apart. Ave Maria begins to suspect her husband of intimacy with Karen Bell, a woman he met through work; and she herself is faced with a difficult decision after meeting a man on a trip to her relatives in Italy.

The humorous color of the side characters first introduced in the previous novel balances well with the seriousness of the MacChesney family's problems. It also gives hope that in the end, what's good will prevail.

This book is the second of the "Big Stone Gap" quartet; the fourth book is scheduled for release at the end of October 2006.

Another excellent book by Trigiani.......2006-05-24

I loved this book, just as I like the first one, Big Stone Gap. I can't get enough of Ave Maria, Jack and Etta. I look forward to Milk Glass Moon.

What a bummer.......2006-02-18

After the magic and suble romance of the first, this one was a real bummer. No love, no magic...at least not in the first chapter or two. I didn't make it any further because it was just too danged depressing with no sign of happiness on down the road.

My Loose Tooth (Step-Into-Reading, Step 2)

Average customer rating:

My Loose Tooth (Step-Into-Reading, Step 2)
Stephen Krensky
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Humorous | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Readers | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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Bones (Step-Into-Reading, Step 2)
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Tiger Is a Scaredy Cat (Step into Reading, Step 2)

ASIN: 0679888470
Release Date: 1999-01-19

Book Description

What's it like to have a wiggly, twisty-turny tooth inside your mouth? Stephen Krensky's funny, kid-friendly, rhyming text answers this question and more! "Do lions have this problem, too? What do sharks and hippos do?" This Step 1 book is perfect for first-time readers and those about to lose their first tooth!

A Modern Reader's Guide to Dante's Inferno (American University Studies Series II, Romance Languages and Literature)

Average customer rating:

An illuminating guide!
The BESTguide to the Inferno around!

A Modern Reader's Guide to Dante's Inferno (American University Studies Series II, Romance Languages and Literature)
Rodney J. Payton
Manufacturer: Peter Lang Pub Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Italian | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0820418277

Customer Reviews:

An illuminating guide!.......1999-03-14

A Modern Readers Guide changed my life! By far the best resource for understanding Dante. A must read!

The BESTguide to the Inferno around!.......1998-02-20

This book provides a fantastic guide to the Inferno. It made reading the Inferno 100% more meaningful and enjoyable for me. An absolute must for anyone reading the Inferno!!

Under Copp's Hill (American Girl History Mysteries)

Average customer rating:

History mystory #8 a 5 star book!
Is The Settlement House Haunted?
A Great Bok For All Ages
Living History
Another good History Mysteries book.

Under Copp's Hill (American Girl History Mysteries)
Katherine Ayres
Manufacturer: Pleasant Company Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Watcher in the Piney Woods (American Girl History Mysteries)
Mystery on Skull Island (American Girl History Mysteries)
Shadows in the Glasshouse (American Girl History Mysteries)
Riddle of the Prairie Bride (American Girl History Mysteries)
Circle of Fire (American Girl History Mysteries)

ASIN: 1584850884

Customer Reviews:

History mystory #8 a 5 star book!.......2002-08-25

It's 1908 and Innie joins her sister's book club. She has fun going there every week with her friend and her sister but when she breaks some pottery there she gets in trouble. Then things in the book club get lost and she gets blamed for everything that is missing. How will she prove that she didn't do it?

Is The Settlement House Haunted?.......2001-05-17

That's the key question in this "history mystery". The setting is Boston's North End in 1908. Innocenza "Innie" Moretti, an eleven-year-old girl, lives in a tenement with her Uncle Giovanni's family and her grandmother. Her parents were killed in a fire when she was only two. She loves the club for girls from immigrant families at the new settlement house in her neighborhood. Here she can listen to stories, borrow books, and make new friends. But when things begin disappearing from the settlement house, and other things turn up in odd places, suspicion fastens on Innie. Helped by her new friend, a Jewish girl from Russia named Matela, Innie must find out what is going on. Is there a thief, or is the house haunted?

Readers of "Under Copp's Hill" experience late night vigils in an old cemetery and explore a dank old tunnel. The plot is not complicated, but there is plenty of tension for pre-teens as Innie tries to solve the mystery before she is kicked out of the club. Beyond that, the story also has something to say about the difficulties faced by immigrants in America in the early 1900's, and about how people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds could put their old-world differences behind them. All in all, this is another fine entry in the "history mystery" series. My daughter now ranks "Under Copp's Hill" as her second favorite of the nine we've read so far, behind only "The Smuggler's Treasure". I recommend the entire series to young readers and their parents.

A Great Bok For All Ages.......2001-05-03

A great book for all ages is definatly a way to describe under copps hill. It's a perfect mystery with tension suspense and releif. Once you open this book you'll never be able to put it down with it's secret sord , a promise that could ruin a life ,and a dangerous accusation. These are the main problems in tis wonderful and enchanting story.

Living History.......2000-11-06

This book is spirited, only the "ghosts" here have real legs, and they walk right into today's world, as our own foremothers. The writer is talented enough to make the emotions real, without sugar-coating or preaching. Her sense of place is as good as her sense of people. The immigrant girls clash with the expectations of their own families about them, and find themselves in conflict with the granite-like solidity, self-assurance, and at times denseness of high-principled Yankee settlement workers (who cannot quite trust them). There is a mysterious theft which brings out the economic differences cruelly. Based on an historic settlement house in Boston's North End, where teenaged immigrants from Italy and Russia produced pottery that has now great collector value (Paul Revere Pottery's Saturday Evening Girls, in the Arts and Crafts style), eventual triumph is hidden in portents of disaster. In this story, understanding between the girls themselves foreshadows the eventual detente between different ethnic factions in later years, and celebrates the capacity of a great city, Boston, to nurture generations of new Americans. Those of us whose families partake of some (or in my case all) of the ethnic streams mentioned, can take an especially delicious satisfaction in sensing how but for some amazing grace, it wouldn't have turned out so well. I know Boston well enough to know how good this story is. It makes me want to read the others to connect with the history of other places. If this is where American Girl stories are going, it's a fine trend.

Another good History Mysteries book........2000-09-22

Every since her Italian immigrant parents died in a fire when she was just two, Innie Moretti has lived with her grandmother in a tenament in Boston's North End. The year is 1908, and Innie is now twelve. When a settlement house for girls opens in her neighborhood, Innie is eager to attend, and join the library club. However, soon things start to dissapear from the house. Because she is thought of as a troublemaker due to several incidents that were not really her fault, Innie immediatley falls under suspicion for the thefts. If she doesn't prove that she is innocent, Innie will no longer be able to attend the library club, and reading is one of the few joys in her dreary, tedious, and difficult life. So she determines to solve the mystery and catch the real thief. While not the best from the series, this was still an excellant book that I reccomend to girls who enjoy historical fiction.

Toni Morrison Explained: A Reader's Road Map to the Novels

Average customer rating:

Teachers, don't bother
toni morrison explained at last--in plain language!
Save your money!
Well Thought and Explained . .
Explained is as Explained does

Toni Morrison Explained: A Reader's Road Map to the Novels
Ron David
Manufacturer: Random House Reference
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0375707328
Release Date: 2000-04-18

Amazon.com

Ron David isn't so audacious as to actually try to explain Toni Morrison. Like a great novel, a complex individual is beyond factual explanation. His "explanation" of Morrison is more an attempt to provide readers with enough information and insight so they can explain Toni Morrison to themselves. For starters, David writes the kind of introduction to an author that he says he would like to read: "creative, provocative, irreverent, passionate, funny, spontaneous, and real." Add "unpretentious" to the list and you get a fair idea of the sort of tone David strives for--and achieves. His stated goals: to get people to read Morrison's books, and once read, to provoke folks to rethink the standard interpretations. David also embraces honesty and humor. He writes, "Toni Morrison is in grave danger of being treated like a sacred cow. I have done my best to protect her from that cruel fate."

But above all, David's book is shaped by his belief in spoken language, that the best way to engage readers in lit crit is to write the way you speak, "you and I, hanging out over coffee, talking like real people." Engaging and readable as his writing is, however, David's prose is more astute and poetic than most coffee clutch conversations. One rarely overhears small talk of "wordmusic" and "Literary Hedonism" while passing Starbucks. There's no harm done, however, by his flair for expression. His folksy, just-us-chatting tone renders his sharp insights and commentary all the more penetrating. The focus of his commentary is on Morrison's books--the beauty of her language, the subtext of her novels. Her biographical story plays second fiddle--a scant one third of the book-wherein he tells the tale of her life in the context of her fascination with her ancestors (both African and American). David doesn't linger over Morrison's life, but he does cover all her published works and provides a good sketch of her most formative moments and experiences.

Though he congratulates himself a tad too often on just how nonpedantic he is, Ron David accomplishes what he sets out to do: educate the world about Toni Morrison and the beautiful literature she has created, encourage novices to read and enjoy her writing, and challenge academia to reread her works and interpret them in new ways. And he does so in a familiar, comfortable, entertaining tone that keeps you reading lit crit, even when it hasn't been assigned and there's no paper due. --Stephanie Gold

Book Description

Navigate the complex terrain of Toni Morrison's novels with the clear guidance and contagious enthusiasm of Ron David.

Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison is a much-read and much-loved author -- but her books are often difficult to understand and frustrating for even her most ardent fans. Now Ron David has drawn a clear road map through Morrison's novels, outlining themes within and across books, clarifying plot lines, and opening Morrison's world to all readers.

Conversational in tone, thoughtful, and chock-full of eurekas, Ron David's easy-to-follow guide to Toni Morrison's novels will be welcomed by reading groups, students, and Toni Morrison fans everywhere.

Customer Reviews:

Teachers, don't bother.......2003-09-20

If you're planning to teach Morrison, don't bother purchasing this book; for lit instructors, it isn't going to provide profound insights. "Approaches to Teaching the Novels of Toni Morrison" was far more helpful in my experience.

toni morrison explained at last--in plain language!.......2002-04-20

It's wonderful to read analyses of Morrison's extremely complicated novels written by a real person, in real language that isn't phony, confusing, or pretentious. Ron David writes as a real person would talk, something that I found extremely enjoyable (although I can see where some would find it annoying). I love that, while he praises Morrison as the finest author of our time, he is not afraid to point out and openly criticize much of her writing, particularly THE BLUEST EYE. I thoroughly enjoyed what he had to say about JAZZ; if anything, he makes you feel better about not understanding all of her writings. David's admittance that he doesn't understand what the hell JAZZ was all about is enough to make us all feel better about not understanding it, either. His style is wonderfully intimate, friendly, and easily readable. This book is highly reccommended to anyone who has struggled with Morrison. It also made me feel proud to discover that many readers are never even able to finish her books--and I've read four.

Save your money!.......2001-11-12

In this book one will find information about Morrison's novels which is universally known. It is a kind of anthology of bit and pieces of reviews and critiques; it is bereft of anything original. What is missing is any attempt by the author to analyze subtextually any of the novels. I found the chapter on "Jazz" woefully inadequate and chatty. If, according to the author's admission, he did not understand "Jazz," why on earth did he assay an attempt to "analyze" it. I think Oprah could have done a better job!!!

Well Thought and Explained . ........2001-02-06

This is definitely my recommendation for a "one-stop" analysis of Morrison's fiction. I do not agree with all of David's opinions - we all have them. However, like an archeologist excavating a buried treasure, he meticulously unravels the meaning behind the language, the naming of the characters, the technique behind the delivery. He further demonstrates how Morrison makes use of biblical doctrine, musical structure and myth in her work. The analysis of Paradise is by far the most intelligent, well-written critique I've read to date. Toni Morrison Explained provides a range of possible interpretations for the reader to ponder and ultimately integrate with our own experience of the Nobel novelist writings. Kudos to David for doing the work required to experience Morrison's fiction on a whole `nother level.

Explained is as Explained does.......2000-08-02

Even if you have never read any of Toni Morrison's work, reading this commentary and explication is such an enjoyable experience, you might put aside that other book that you haven't yet finished. David has a technique and style of drawing you into his unique approach to literary criticism--which this is not--and to chatty and healthy conversation about what Toni Morrison did or did not do, and what her books really mean. Eye-opening and quite entertaining, this work will likely be consulted by many a student in many a literature course, and by many a fan of Morrison. It jusy might open the door to a whole new school of interpretation!

Average customer rating:

A great achievement!

The Italian American Reader
Bill Tonelli
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Our Roots Are Deep With Passion: Creative Nonfiction Collects New Essays by Italian-American Writers
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Hollywood Italians: Dagos, Palookas, Romeos, Wise Guys, And Sopranos

ASIN: 0060006676
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Book Description

This anthology -- the first general-reader collection of writing by Italian American authors -- is part manifesto, part Sunday dinner. A gathering of voices old and new, some speak in the accents of another age, some completely contemporary and assured, and all together for the first time. To stand with all the other popular media images we represent, now, at last, one exists in written form, the literature of Italian American life.

Inside, there are excerpts from novels, memoirs, short stories, essays, and poems -- by the living and the dead, the famous and the obscure. The excerpts are variously moving, funny, poignant, lusty, biting, reverent, witty, loving, angry, and wise, dealing in the most profound aspects of our lives no matter who we are: home, love, sex, family, food, work, God, death.

Characters range from gangsters to grandmas, lovers to fighters, thinkers to doers, sinners to saints, with special appearances by Frank Sinatra and the Virgin Mary.

Customer Reviews:

A great achievement!.......2005-01-30

I stopped dead in my tracks in the bookstore when I saw this, because it looks exactly like a box of Ronzoni pasta, the macaroni of my youth. And the contents of the book brought me back to my childhood, too, in many ways--the richness of the voices of the writers included here, most of whom were unknown to me beforehand, reminds me of what it was like to live surrounded by italian americans. this ia a great, great book and I'm going to buy several more copies to give as gifts. A must-have for anybody who cares about good reading, italian-style.

Knots in My Yo-yo String: The Autobiography of a Kid

Average customer rating:

Do you want to go on an adventure?
My Own KNots
Marvelous Book
Excellent Recollection of a Writer's Life
Knots in My Yo-yo String

Knots in My Yo-yo String: The Autobiography of a Kid
Jerry Spinelli
Manufacturer: Scholastic, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Looking Back: A Book of Memories
Who Put That Hair in My Toothbrush?
Report To The Principal's Office! (School Days Series)
Space Station Seventh Grade
When I Was Your Age, Volume Two: Original Stories About Growing Up (When I Was Your Age)

ASIN: 0439162203

Book Description

"A master of those embarrassing, gloppy, painful, and suddenly wonderful things that happen on the razor's edge between childhood and full-fledged adolescence" (The Washington Post), Newbery medalist Jerry Spinelli has penned his early autobiography with all the warmth, humor, and drama of his best-selling fiction. From first memories through high school, including first kiss, first punch, first trip to the principal's office, and first humiliating sports experience, this is not merely an account of a highly unusual childhood. Rather, like Spinelli's fiction, its appeal lies in the accessibility and universality of his life. Entertaining and fast-paced, this is a highly readable memoir-- a must-have for Spinelli fans of all ages.

Customer Reviews:

Do you want to go on an adventure?.......2007-01-11

Knots in my yoyo strings
By Jerry Spinelli.

From playing baseball to losing girlfriends, playing basketball to making new friends, this is a book written by Jerry Spinelli called Knots in my yoyo strings. It's an autobiography of Jerry Spinelli.
He is a famous writer and has written many other books.
This is one book that I guarantee you will take you on one of the biggest adventures you've ever been on. if you even only read this book halfway through the book will just pull you in and you just cant stop reading it. Plus this book is really popular and over one million people have read it so if you're interested in reading this book then great and if you're lucky sometimes this book has a surprise in it if that kind of person.

My Own KNots.......2006-12-07

Knots rocks my socks. I love this book. Jerry Spinelli really explains what it is like to be a kid and makes me see how he felt when he was a kid

Marvelous Book.......2006-07-11

Knots in my yo-yo string is a great book.This novel is about the one and only Jerry Spinelli and his childhood.The most interesting chapter to me was, When I Was King.The reason that chapter was interesting to me was that,it fun to hear about a great author being elected for class president.I give this book 4 stars out of 5 because, first when i was reading the book, i didn't like it.But as i kept reading the book, i started to like it more when i got to the middle of the book. I recormmend this book to children and adults who likes to biographies.This is a great book about a childhood of the marvelous Jerry Spinelli.

Excellent Recollection of a Writer's Life.......2005-08-03

Knots in My Yo-Yo String is an autobiography of the childhood of the writer Jerry Spinnelli. It was an excellent book. He did not hold anything back as this book showed the ups, downs, hopes, and sadness as a kid. It goes through his childhood and his many houses to his high school graduation. I have enjoyed it very much and I would recommend it to any child or child at heart.

Knots in My Yo-yo String.......2004-07-23

Jerry Spinelli's autobiography is interesting and funny. He takes the reader back to the magical days of his childhood. He was a runner and a sports player. He was the perfectionist who colored inside the lines. He didn't like to read regular books but loved comic books and the sports section in the newspaper. He holds the reader's attention with his attention to detail. While reading about his neighborhood and life, the reader becomes well aware that many of these details are what he uses when he writes his books. If you're lucky, his descriptions remind you of that time in your life when you were young and the most important thing at the moment was watching a turtle cross the road. A well-written, engaging account that middle grade students will be able to relate to. Students should find interest in the fact that much of Spinelli's writing success comes from using the memories of his childhood. The only criticism is with the book's title and cover. Students might need to look beyond these two unexciting items to get started.

The Italian American Reader: A Collection of Outstanding Stories, Memoirs, Journalism, Essays, and Poetry

Average customer rating:

No Definitive at All & Too Much Mafia
A Feast Indeed!
A book full of discoveries
Delightfully Lost
Nice going, Tonelli

The Italian American Reader: A Collection of Outstanding Stories, Memoirs, Journalism, Essays, and Poetry
Bill Tonelli , and Nick Tosches
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Don't Tell Mama!: The Penguin Book of Italian American Writing
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ASIN: 0060006668
Release Date: 2003-03-18

Book Description

The Italian American Reader has been seven decades in the making. It could simply and accurately be described as a dazzlingly smart and lively collection of superb works by some of America's most gifted writers. All their surnames happen to end in vowels, true, but that need not affect your enjoyment of this volume one way or the other. America, too, is an Italian name ending in a vowel.

Inside, there are nearly seventy excellent things for you to read -- excerpts from novels and memoirs, short stories, essays, and poems -- by the living and the dead, the famous and the obscure. Some date back to the 1930s; others were freshly hatched in the twenty-first century. They are variously moving, funny, poignant, lusty, biting, reverent, witty, loving, angry, and wise. They deal in the most profound aspects of our lives no matter who we are: home, love, sex, family, food, work, God, death. Many feature familiar Italian American characters, settings, and themes, but not all.

No matter what they are about, they are all in the end about who and what we are, the essence of history and memory and blood. There are gangsters in here, but there are grandmas too, along side lovers and fighters, thinkers and doers, cops and robbers, poets and grocers, sinners and saints. There are plenty of moms and pops and aunts and uncles and cousins. Frank Sinatra and the Virgin Mary make appearances.

This anthology is a genuine landmark -- the first general-reader hardcover collection of writing by Italian American authors. It is part manifesto, part Sunday dinner -- a gathering of voices old and new, some speaking in the accents of another age, some completely contemporary and assured, all together for the first time. To stand with all the other popular media images we represent, now, at last, one exists in written form, the literature of Italian American lifethe past, present, and future, which is also America's future.

Customer Reviews:

No Definitive at All & Too Much Mafia.......2003-12-04

This book is not at all definitive. DON'T TELL MAMA from Viking or FROM THE MARGIN from Purdue U Press are better represenations of the top Italian American authors. Authors like Daniela Gioseffi, Ben Morreale, Gioia Timpanelli or Maria Mazziotti belong here more than some who are represented. And, Tonelli, a jerk about the Mafia stereotype and a fan of the horrible defamatory Sopranos ought to be tarred and feathered and ousted from his own community for representing the over glut of Mafia stories perpetuated by a myth that refuses to recognize the most important fact about Italian American culture; There is no more percentage of organized crime among Italian Americans than any other ethnic group. less. than .01 % of Italian Americans are involved in organized crime and there is no big international Mafia cartel of Italians involved in crime. That was a myth perpetuated by certain powers to make a scape goat for syndicated crime. The S & L scandal of white collar crime on Wall St. and the Enron, Anderson debacle are still the greatest crimes of theivery committed in the history of the world. Hollywood and television have deliberately tried to scapegoat Italians to keep the eye off the real international criminals, and Tonelli should know better than to represent this theme at all. He is a fool for falling for this social engineering and it mars his book horribly, along with the fact that he leaves some of the best writers of all out. Other books on this subject have done a better job, and how can the reviewer from BOOK LIST get away with such nonsense, by saying the culture that produced Michaelangelo, which is the mainland Italian culture, did not produce a Shakespeare? Where has that reader been that he hasn't heard of Dante, the predated, rival of Shakespeare and the great world writer of Italian literature and culture--a different matter than Italian American immigrant culture. Tonelli and his misguided reveiwers show their ignorance. though Tonelli does well to include Mario Puzo's THE FORTUNATE PILGRIM mistitled in the first media review above. It is Puzo's best and truest book --much better than The Godfather, according to Puzo and all his literary critics, too. So read it instead while we send Tonelli back to the drawing boards to do a better job of representing his culture. He's an upstart who really doesn't know how to edit a good book on his subject. And his professional reviewers at top make factual mistakes and don't really know the subject well enough to write a true reveiw.

A Feast Indeed!.......2003-08-03

I've been savoring every selection, so I add my thanks to Bill Tonelli for taking me back...

A book full of discoveries.......2003-04-11

I was familiar with some of the better-known authors (Mario Puzo, Gay Talese) but I'm finding one wonderful writer after another thanks to this terrific collection. As a result of this I've already ordered books by Rita Ciresi, Josephine Gattuso Hendin, Richard Russo--all of whom wrote great domestic fiction, not a gangster or a gun in sight, for the book. They're writing about the average Italian American life, which has always existed out here in its normal, law-abiding way, though you might not know it if you never move from in front of the TV. Now I'm going to try and convince my reading club to do this book next. A real find.

Delightfully Lost.......2003-04-11

Even for non-Italians this book has merit. I used it as airplane literature, and every time I looked up it was an hour later. Tonelli's made a nice selection blending auto-biographical material with fiction and poetry. It reads like a big box of chocolates - it's hard to stop at just one, that next one looks.....

Nice going, Tonelli.......2003-04-08

This book is a feast.

Peppe the Lamplighter (Caldecott Honor Book)

Average customer rating:

This Little Light of Mine...
You are the light of the world
My 3 year old son loves it
Stunning artwork makes this book special
Introduces immigration early in the 20th century.

Peppe the Lamplighter (Caldecott Honor Book)
Elisa Bartone
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Travel | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Grandfather's Journey (Caldecott Medal Book)
The Relatives Came
When I Was Young in the Mountains (Reading Rainbow Books)
Mirette on the High Wire
Letters from Rifka

ASIN: 0688102689

Book Description

Peppe becomes a lamplighter to help support his immigrant family in turn-of-the-century New York City, despite his papa's disapproval. But when Peppe's job helps save his little sister, he earns the respect of his entire family.

Customer Reviews:

This Little Light of Mine..........2007-07-20

A young boy of modest means seeks a job to contribute to the needs of his family. Initially, his father is disappointed in the lowly responsibility that his son fulfills. The young man takes inspiration from his sister's admiration of him and finds that his job as a humble lamplighter blesses others beyond his understanding. The breath-taking illustrations span the entire two-page spread. This is a beautiful story of how everyone has their important role in life and can embrace it with excellence and passion.

You are the light of the world.......2004-08-10

There's a whole genre of picture books that examine the working class members of American society throughout history. These stories are usually based on the lives of the relatives and ancestors of the authors. "Peppe the Lamplighter" is no exception. Loosely based on the grandfather of author Elisa Bartone, the book examines one boy's occupation and his struggle be accepted in the eyes of his father.

Peppe lives with his sick father and seven sisters (not including the one in Naples) in the section of New York known as Little Italy. Taking place in what looks to be the 1910s, Peppe moves from store to store, attempting to find work. His father, is too sick to work himself, and all the children in the family must strive to find some kind of money. One day, old Domenico the lamplighter asks Peppe if he would light the lamps for him while he returns to Italy to fetch his wife. Peppe agrees readily and is delighted with the prospect. Delight slowly sours to shame, however, when his father is horrified by the job. Says he, "Did I come to America for my son to light the streetlamps?". As time goes by, Peppe's disenchantment with the job grows until he doesn't light the lamps at all. Only through the discovery of how important his job is to others can Peppe find the strength to return to lighting the lamps of New York City.

The pictures in this book are wonderfully rendered. Here we find the New York City tenements in all their filthy glory. At the same time, we see the strength of the people living in them. The first painting in the book shows Peppe and his family staring at the viewer as if they were posing for a formal family photograph. The light from a single latern lights them all, and illustrator Ted Lewin shows off his talents. In many ways, the book is similar to Chris K. Soentpiet's style (of "Molly Bannaky" fame). Reading this book is to actually find yourself in early New York itself. Crowds come alive and individuals display a wide range of emotions. The best picture in the whole book, to my mind, is the image of Peppe lifting his little sister so that she can light the lamp on the street herself. The light is above them, illuminating their faces with incredibly intensity. The two stare up at it, entranced.

The story itself if good, if not overwhelming. Peppe's father has a somewhat unbelievable change of heart towards the end of the tale. For a man who has harbored so much bitterness towards his son's chosen profession, he seems to come around to it mighty fast when the mood calls for it. Otherwise, it's lovely. Peppe compares the lighting of the lamps to the lighting of candles at Mass, and even goes so far as to say a small prayer for each. Small details like this truly bring the story to life.

The book celebrates one small boy who can, in his sister Assunta's words, "scare the dark away". It is a book about how every human being, if they've a mind to, can bring light into the world in their own humble fashion. Peppe may only be a lamplighter, but even his father recognizes by the end that this honest job gives safety and comfort to others. We should all be so lucky as to have jobs that do half as much.

My 3 year old son loves it.......2002-01-09

I purchased this book for my husband for Father's Day (he's Italian American")--I didn't really think that our then 2.5 year old would really care for the book. But he loves it! It's a good story, although at times the messages can be a bit confusing for a very young child--but my son seems to enjoys the illustrations, the sounds of the Italian names, and of course the most elemental aspects of the story.

Stunning artwork makes this book special.......2002-01-03

"Peppe the Lamplighter" combines a story by Elisa Bartone with illustrations by Ted Lewin. The story takes place "[a] long time ago when there was no electricity and the street lamps in Little Italy had to be lit by hand." The hero of the book is Peppe, who lives with his widowed father and sisters in a tenement. Peppe's decision to get a job as a lamplighter leads to conflict between Peppe and his father.

This is a good story that is greatly enhanced by Lewin's superb artwork. Most of the illustrations are two-page spreads that are packed full of energy and emotion. Lewin's realistic style is well-suited to capturing many colorful details: the sausages hanging in the butcher shop, a crowded street scene, the old-fashioned iron stove in Peppe's home, etc. Overall, a memorable celebration of Italian-American history.

Introduces immigration early in the 20th century........2002-01-02

I think this is a moving book which helps students think about the lives of many immigrants in early 20th century New York.

Average customer rating:

27 1/3 cents per page.
Great for students or classrooms
Absurd

Breves Cuentos Hispanos
Thomas E. Kooreman , and Olga Muvdi Kooreman
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

Linguistics | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

Spanish Grammar in Review (3rd Edition)
Atando cabos (2nd Edition)
A que si!
Classic Spanish Stories and Plays : The Great Works of Spanish Literature for Intermediate Students
Portales: Comunidad y cultura

ASIN: 0130898554

Book Description

This book contains twelve stories and provides readers with enjoyable, short, and challenging stories. Includes a series of varied activities including grammar review, vocabulary development, comprehension, discussion, and opinion questions. Appropriate for anyone interested in stories in Spanish.

Customer Reviews:

27 1/3 cents per page........2005-07-18

The stories are mediocre at best, there is no answer key for the grammar exercises and the price is astronomical. The paperback book weighs in at 150 pages and is priced at $41.00! Absolutely ridiculous.

Great for students or classrooms.......2003-06-07

For an intermediate student of spanish, Breves cuentos is a magnificant tool for building an understanding of hispanic literature and vocabulary. Great insight to the lives of the authors and their literary styles.

Absurd.......2001-11-01

I ordered this book as a means of sharpening flagging Spanish language skills. I sent it back immediately, it was that bad. First of all the book is tiny (which is an insult considering the price); secondly the biographies of the authors (written in English) are longer than many of the stories themselves, which isn't saying much. Thirdly, though there are a variety of pre and post reading grammatical exercises there is NO ANSWER KEY, which renders all of the exercises meaningless.

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