Customer Reviews:
Painfully Boring! .......2006-08-01
I must agree with the reviews of Perri Litton, Kevin Lee, and P. Wilson. This book is extremely boring. I'm halfway through the book. It's painful to try to finish. I paid money for this book. That is the only reason I haven't put the book back on the book shelf. This book is 232 pages. I can normally read such a short book in one day but I've been struggling for 8 days to finish.
I've read 3 of James Earl Hardy's previous novels; "B-Boy Blues", "2nd Time Around" and "If Only For One Nite". "A House Is Not A Home" is by far the worst.
I was hoping that it would get better as I go along. I lost hope when I read the reviews. If you MUST read this book, check it out from the library.
What was I thinking .......2006-01-16
I am glad that a friend brought the book and gave it to me a gift (which I regifted). For one I wish the author would learn to keep a consistent writing style or learn how to keep his in a range. I cannot compare this book to ealier writings. I can be truthful and say this B-Boys blues was the best and Love the one your with was good, Everything else was horrible. James Earl Hardy was very sloppy with the other three books not mention (for your own sake), I actually started reading this book in a book store and realized it was not good enough to buy. Thank goodness for amazon's discounts because you would be wasting some serious money on this.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.......2006-01-12
The "B" in B-Boy Blues must stand for BORING. I gave it 1 star because zero stars are not permitted.
A Jood Mess.......2005-10-26
I'm sorry, but did I read the same book as the other reviewers? I purchased this book just knowing it was going to be off da chain just based on the reviews from this site. Damn I was wrong. I own every book in the B-boy Blues series and I must say that this maybe the worst of them all. What about going out with a bang? I gave this book 2 stars just because he caught us up pretty well with everyone. I consider the rest a jood mess.
A Sweet and Simple Swan Song.......2005-09-01
James Earl Hardy ends his ground-breaking B-Boy Blues series with a sweet, simple, and constantly affirming tale of black same gender-loving life and love, with particular and powerful focus on the diverse black family.
The sometimes stormy romance, first introduced in 1992, involving buppie journalist Mitchell and Harlem homeboy Raheim, has come full circle when we encounter them in the 2003-set "A House Is Not A Home."
After more than a decade together, they have separated, but have not fully parted, though both re-explore past sexual connections.
Raheim, who has had some Hollywood success and continues to battle certain addictions, must consider the ramifications of coming out to the whole world when he is offered a plum lead in a film about an openly gay athlete.
Mitchell is pretty much a stay-at-home dad. He has a five year old daughter adopted as a new-born from blood relatives. He is also rearing his live-in godson, Erroll, Raheim's 15 year old son we have gotten to know as "Junior" in the 5 previous installments.
Though Mitchell's parenting skills are noteworthy and productive, and are fully supported on both sides of the sexual orientation spectrum, Mitchell, a gifted literary and journalistic artist, wants more out of life.
'House' explores Mitchell, 37, and Raheim, 30, facing life's crossroads, as well as confronting the truths about their mutual relationship.
Told in an easy, dialogue-rich manner (Hardy's ace), 'House' is marvelously deceptive in its unadorned but diamond-class celebration of 'real' family values and the 'it-takes-a-village-credo.
This gentle, unassuming, and heartwarming story, spanning a 4 day Spring weekend in the Big Apple, is filled with universal themes that at once transcend and embrace the sexual and humanitarian natures of our two appealing protagonist. Black or white, gay or straight, "A House Is Not a Home" is a lovely family portrait worthy of being in that honored place on the mantle, above the soothing fireplace.
The fell-good novel of the year.
Customer Reviews:
Oui Oui - This book is great!.......2007-07-03
This book is fantastic. My son loves it! We borrowed it from the library 4 times in a row so I finally came online to buy it for him. He walks around my house saying Oui Oui French can be said....
It's a must read every night before bed.
Extraordinary!.......2005-05-04
My wife and I just finished reading this piece to our 5 and 3 year olds. All were in agreement that it was a fine selection for an evening's recitation. However, when we delved deeper, and happily peeled our way through the book's many layers, there was much spirited discussion!
On the surface, this is the story of the mysterious and improbable appearance of a specimen from the Leporidae family atop a slumbering child. (They do not go into the precise Taxonomy of the "bunny", and the whimsical illustration style makes accurate identification difficult. However, in an equally spirited aside, we narrowed the possibilities to S. floridanus, the "Eastern Cottontail", or L. corsicanus, the "Corsican Hare".)
The real fun, however, begins when we explore the possible underlying meanings of the rabbit (or hare.) Is the beast Freud's "id", as my daughter hypothesized? Certainly not "Ego", we were all in agreement. We also similarly balked, collectively, at the idea that the bunny holds a veiled Judaio-Christian agenda. This piece seems above such denominational jockeying. My son, 5, made a strong case for the bunny as representation of the child's "hopping" upward within Kohlberg's "Stages of Moral Development", from the Pre-conventional Level of "Self Focused Morality" to the Conventional Level of "Other Focused Morality" That often marks the transition to adolescence. Ahh, the mind of a child!...
We had only gotten this far when it was time for brushing teeth, and for our nightly "Find-the-Constellation" game. But the mere thought of a second, more detailed study of this book around the hearth this evening makes me aflutter with anticipation!
Highly, highly recommended!
Wonderful for kids, thought provoking for parents.......2005-05-03
On the face, this book is a wonderful, adventurous story about a boy with a bunny on his head. My 6 year-old daughter loves the wonderful places they visit, especially the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. My son, 3, simply loves the silliness of it all, right from the opening line, "Once upon a time, a boy woke up with a bunny on his head." The book is more than worth the purchase price if for this alone.
But the true genius behind this seemingly benign children's book is the brilliant parallel sub structure. It is truly one of the finest allegories of our time.
From simple deduction and from using the first and third letters in each word and rearranging them, we learn that the boy represents our inner child while the rabbit symbolizes Guttenberg and the importance of the printed word.
Everything is here: the complex equilibrium of pre-civil rights race relations; the conflict between Yankee capitalism and Southern agrarian values; a meditation on time, consciousness, and Western philosophy. And all of it is rendered in prose so gorgeous it can take your breath away, once you get past the abrupt, unannounced time shifts.
This is a truly remarkable first novel from this talented duo.
Bunny phobe? Yes. Boy/Bunny book lover? Also yes........2005-04-30
My two year old daughter recently received this book as a gift from her grandparents. As she had been dropping not-so-subtle hints for disbursements of candy, chocolate or potato chips over the last several months, she was less than thrilled. To say she was angry, would be to put it mildly. To say she threatened to run away to live with the Care Bears would be an out and out lie, as she said nothing of the sort. But, really, you could see it in her eyes.
Her attitude, however, quickly changed after we opened the book (and, I'm admitting somewhat reluctantly here, some Taffy). She was fascinated by the simple, almost sophmoric, art direction, the equally simple, almost yo-yoey, word play. Taken seperately, the reader would be left wishing for more. Together, they are powerful, mesmerizing relationship, like Bogie and Bacall, Brad and Jennnifer, Jay Leno and his wife, whatshername.
This is a wonderful, fascinating tale that is best appreciated through the eyes of a child. Our daughter remains as rapt today as she was eight days ago when she first received this wonderful tome. For a child fueled almost exclusively by sugar, aspartame, sucrose, high fructose corn sryup and pudding, this is saying something.
Bravo to the authors. Would I be lying if I said I wanted to see a sequeal? No. I wouldn't. Would I be lying if I said I didn't sneak some of that Taffy from my daughter? Yes, yes, I would.
My daughter's favorite book!.......2005-04-30
My daughter received this book as an Easter present and it has quickly become her favorite book! The story is sweet and creative and the illustrations are fun and amusing! The book's simple premise of "You can do anything...with a bunny on your head!" takes us all on a journey of imagination and adventure. From riding on mopeds to exploring seabeds, this is a terrific book for young and old. We've now made a family game of coming up with new ideas of what we'd all do if "Fred" were on our head...Highly recommend it!!! It's my Mother's Day present to all my friends with young children!
Book Description
When he was born in 1879, Albert was a peculiarly fat baby with an unusually big and misshaped head. When he was older, he hit his sister, frustrated his teachers, and had few friends. But Albert's strange childhood also included his brilliant capacity for puzzles and problem solving: the mystery of a compass's swirling needle, the intricacies of Mozart's music, the secrets of geometryset his mind spinning with ideas. In fact, Albert Einstein's ideas were destined to change the way we know and understand the world and our place in the universe. In spare, precise text filled with graceful detail and accompanied by sometimes humorous, sometimes lonely portraits, Don Brown introduces us to the less than magnificent beginnings of an odd boy out. The result is a tender rendering of the adventures of growing up for one of the most important thinkers of the twentieth century.
Customer Reviews:
Relatively (ha ha) good.......2005-10-03
If every adult biographer has his or her own personal style, why should the case be any different for children's book biographers? And when it comes to picture book biographies, certain names come to mind. David Adler, of course, though his books are so uncommonly dull that I tend to pity the children I hand them to (being a children's librarian and all). Peter Sis, though his bios require a great deal of time and patience to parse. James Rumford to some extent, though "Sequoyah" is probably his best bio to date. No, when it comes down to it Don Brown is the picture book biographer that nine of ten kids prefer every time. I don't have any actual statistics to back that statement up, I just say what I see. And what I see is an author who is able to take unknown heroes (Mary Kingsley, Alice Ramsey, Ruth Law, etc.) and too well-known heroes (Albert Einstein, Mark Twain, etc.) and give them interesting picture book biographies that kids will both relate to and love.
We all know some basic facts about Einstein. He was a guy with a head of white unruly hair. When you yell, "Hey, Einstein!", you are making reference to the fact that he was once a genius. So how much do you know about this great man as a child? In this book, Brown introduces us to Albert from day one (March 14, 1879, to be exact). As a boy, Albert has his good moods and he has his bad moods. In a good mood he can create a house of cards fourteen stories high and ponder the mysteries of a compass for fun. In a bad mood he is prone to hitting his little sister, terrifying his tutor, and getting so upset that his nose turns white. As we watch, Albert is given an amazing amount of freedom. He wanders the Munich streets alone at the age of four. He discovers geometry with the help of a friendly medical student. The book progresses and we learn a little about Albert's personality from offhand comments. "Soldiers on parade excite the boys. They disturb Albert". At end of this journey, Albert comes up with theory of relativity and, "For the world, Einstein comes to mean not fat baby, or angry child, or odd boy, but great thinker". And now our children can understand where all genius has its beginnings. In the ordinary and familiar.
What I enjoyed about the book was that Brown doesn't linger on just the good things in Einstein's life. No child's a saint, and Albert is no exception. Brown humanizes this latter-day god, giving him a family, a childhood, and a history that kids today (in spite of their love of computerization and high-tech toys) will understand. Who amongst us doesn't recognize Albert's reluctance to engage in organized sports as something we, or someone we know, have also felt? The story is laid out beautifully. The illustrations are little more haphazard. Granted, I really liked the picture of Albert engaged in a temper tantrum. His little fists are clenched and his nose, true to the text, is a slightly whitish color. By and large these pen and ink pictures colored in with watercolors work well. There's just the occasional oddity. When teachers wonder if Albert is dull-witted, Brown illustrates a disturbingly glazed-eyed kid who reinforces their concern. It's a peculiar picture, but there's no denying that it conveys the text well.
I saw Mr. Brown speak not too long ago to a gathering of librarians, and I found that I was not especially impressed with him as a person. Nonetheless, the man does nice work. And of the work that he has done, "Odd Boy Out" is probably one of his best. It's a beautifully rendered story that kids will prefer far above and beyond similar Einstein biographies. Not genius, but pretty darn close.
Odd boy out is one great book!.......2004-11-15
Odd boy out is a wonderful book with nice illustraions of the life of Albert Einstein.
Albert was born a fat baby with a big head. He had a bad temper
and was condsidered very odd. He didn't like to play sports, and he was disturbed with the things other boys liked. Einstein grows and soon becomes what we know as the famous scientist Einstein.
Book Description
From the brilliant author of The Long Ball comes an unforgettable account of the epic World Series clash between the celebrated Los Angeles Dodgers and the perennial underdog Baltimore Orioles. Nobody expected the Orioles to win; after all, by 1966, the Dodgers had replaced the Yankees as the dominant team in baseball, winning two of the previous three World Series. Few outside of Baltimore gave the Orioles more than a fighting chance. What transpired over four games astonished and mesmerized a nation in turmoil. Baltimores young pitchers shredded the veteran Dodgers lineup, setting Major League records along the way. Nobody had ever seen dominating pitching like this before: In the entire Series, the Dodgers scored only two runs and collected a mere 17 hits. Their team batting average was a lowly .142, andincrediblyfor the last 33 innings of the series, they were held scoreless.
Customer Reviews:
Poorly Researched Book.......2007-10-03
This book takes a wonderful story about major league baseball and a city and turns it into a minor league work. Adelman apparently never visited Baltimore, consulted a map or talked to anyone who was directly involved in the events he attempts to describe. He relies on second-hand sources and commits enough factual errors (Frank Robinson's Mother's Day home run off Luis Tiant, Baltimore as the capital of Maryland?, etc.)to be put into the DH role. If you are from Baltimore or have fond memories of the 1966 World Series, you'll want to read this book - but you'll be frustrated and angry once you do because the book is a slap at the intelligence of baseball fans everywhere.
BATS VERSUS ARMS.......2007-05-20
THIS IS BOOK IS ABOUT THE 1966 WORLD SERIES, ORIOLES VS DODGERS. IT WAS A CLASSIC MATCHUP OF THE HOMERUN POWER OF BALTIMORE AND THE BEST PITCHING STAFF IN BASEBALL, LOS ANGELES. IT TURNED OUT TO BE A VERY LOW SCORING AND BORING SERIES, IF YOU DON'T LIKE PITCHING DUELS. THIS SERIES WAS A DREAM COME TRUE FOR FRANK ROBINSON AND THEIR VERY YOUNG PITCHING STAFF OF THE ORIOLES. IT ALSO MARKED THE LAST GAME SANDY KOUFAX WOULD EVER PITCH. THE BOOK COVERS IN DETAIL EACH GAME AND ALSO GIVES US MUCH INSIGHT INTO SUCH PLAYERS AS BOOG POWELL, THE DAVIS BOYS AND THE TRUE STAR OF THE SERIES, FRANK ROBINSON. THEIR ARE SOME MINOR ERRORS IN THE BOOK BUT IF OVERLOOKED, IT IS WELL WORTH READING. I SUGGEST IT FOR ALL ORIOLE AND NOSTALIGIC FANS.
Where was the editor? The proofreader? Hmmm???.......2007-05-14
The subject of this book is one that resonates with me more than four decades later --- the year the O's finally broke through, launching 20 years of excellence.
That is why some of the factual errors are so annoying. Admittedly, most of you probably don't care that Frank Robinson's record-setting homer flew out of Memorial Stadium on May EIGHTH (rather than the 7th, as the author claims). However, it is important to me, for two reasons. One, you cannot change the calendar. And, two, I was there when it happened. (Also, F-Robby didn't homer on Luis Tiant's FIRST pitch. The count was 1-1.)
As some of you have stated, it is confusing for Oriole fans of that era if someone refers to "Robby", without clarifying which one ("B" or "F"). Frank was certainly better-known nationally, but, in Ballmer, "Robby" means "Brooks", and "F-Robby" means "Frank".
Finally --- come on --- Baltimore is NOT the capital of Maryland. (Annapolis is the capital. You know ... the city with the famous NAVAL ACADEMY?)
Great Book.......2006-11-06
I bought this book for my husband and he loved it! He talked about it so much that I later purchased it again for my brother.
Black and Blue, The Golden Arm, the Robinson Boys, and the 1966 World Series that Stunned America.......2006-09-18
The title is one mouthful. Being from Baltimore I was expecting a good read about my favorite baseball team and one I grew up watching and listening to. It is a shame the book was written by someone not at all familiar with Baltimore or one would assume baseball for that matter. Continually refering to "Jack Robinson" in the book instead of the name we all know him by as Jackie Robinson was an unbelievable gaff. Then calling Baltimore the capital of Maryland over and over again. Couple these with the other errors that pop out to anyone that lived through the 1966 season and lived in Baltimore and you gotta wonder about the research that actually went into this book and who was responsible at Little John for proofing it. One has to assume that the behind the scenes facts and the interviews were accurate but were they? I guess we will never know until someone writes another book about the 1966 season so that we can compare them. I enjoyed the book for the memories that it rekindled for me about the 1966 baseball season and the personalities on the Orioles team and those in Baltimore. The read for me was a nostalgic trip down memory lane for one that lived through it.
If you want to read a great Baltimore sports book, pick up a copy of Johnny U, The Life and Times of John Unitas by Tom Callahan. It will bring a tear to a true "Baltimoreon!"
Customer Reviews:
An Indiana Children's Classic.......2006-09-17
The Bears of Blue River is a book I can heartily recommend parents to buy and read to their children. This book, about the many pioneer outdoors experiences of young Balser in the 1820's, is a great way to introduce youngsters to life in a simpler, yet challenging time. My children are captivated as they hang on every word of Balser's bear hunting exploits in the forests of the then-young State of Indiana. My Mother, who is 91 years of age, purchased the book for my young son, and wrote in the forward "Your Grandpa Wayne liked these stories when he was a boy". Eighty-five years later, his 12 year old and 4 year old grandsons are equally enthusiastic. Don't miss this one for your sons!
Bears of Blue River - Favorite Book.......2006-08-30
In 1953 I started first-grade in southern Indiana. My teacher, Pearl Monroe, read Charles Major's 1900 Bears of Blue River to us. She, also, read it to my father in a one-room school house. It was my favorite book. There was one sad part in the book where Mrs. Monroe always cried. She would have an older student finish the chapter. In about 1980, I read it to my kindergarten age son. I also cried when the Polly died in an explosion that killed the dreaded Fire Bear. About five years ago, in a used book store in Colorado. I read it to my father who was in his 80's. Together we enjoyed the memories it brought back. This year I started teaching fourth-grade at the Odessa Christian School here in Odessa, TX - having just retired after 21 years with the pubilc schools. I just finished reading this marvelous adventure story to my class. They all acclaimed that it was the best book they ever heard read. I highly recommend this book and the sequel, Uncle Tom Andy Bill. Donald Potter
The Bears of Blue River.......2006-02-17
What a great book! My husband enjoyed the book when he was a boy. We shared it with our children. They loved it,too! Great adventures.
My Favorite.......2005-02-17
I am an elementary teacher in southern Indiana. I have read the Bears of Blue River to my students almost every year I have taught, which means I have read it to students for over 30 years. The only exception being that the teacher who had the class the previous year, had already read it. My students have always loved it. Many of them would check the book out of the library to read after I had read it to the class. Some of my former students remind me how much they loved that book. It is truly an enjoyable book, not only for kids, but for adults as well.
The Amazing Story of The Bears of Blue River.......2003-12-02
The Bears of Blue River was written by Charles Major a native of Indiana. The story takes place in the early nineteenth century in rural Indiana. Indiana was just a baby state during the time of the story.
The characters of this story are very significant. Balser Brent and his wife moved their family including three children, Little Balser, a younger brother Jim and a one year old sister, to Indiana. The family moved from North Carolina. When they moved to Indiana the family purchased 80 acres of land. The land was located on the east bank of the Big Blue River.
Little Balser is the main character of the book. He was a very brave young man. He was brave because he always had encounters with bears and wildlife. One day Little Balsers mother told him to go fishing and take his fathers gun incase he ran into some bears. As he was on his way back home with the fish he had caught, he ran into a bear. It was standing in front of Balser. Balser fed the bear one of the fish and then Balser shot the bear with his father's gun.
Little Balser had a big dream to own his own gun someday. Balser helped a young couple to escape to be married. The couple wanted to repay Balser, but they didn't know how. So they asked Balser if there was something they could bring him. Balser told them he really wanted his own gun. A few weeks later the couple brought Balser back his very own gun from Indianapolis.
There are many other exciting adventures with Balser. One significant part is when Balser and his father found two cubs in a cave close to Conns Creek. They had killed the momma and papa bears, so Balser took the cubs home to raise. Balser named the cubs Tom and Jerry. This is significant because the statue on the north end of the circle in Shelbyville, Indiana is Balser holding up the two cubs. Every summer Shelbyville holds a celebration "The Bears of Blue River." The celebration consists of a parade and entertainment to remember Shelbyville, Indiana and how it once was in the past
Product Description
From his early days playing piano in the church and living with his grandparents to his stardom on television and in movies, Eric Bishop has been a delight to watch. As Jamie Foxx, he has entertained audiences with his humor as well as dazzled them with his ability to take on dramatic roles. His career has been impressive, from his hilarious Ugly Wanda skits on In Living Color, through major dramatic movie roles, and on to singer and musician. Find out how it all began for this star in the little town of Terrell, Texas, and an eager second-grade class. Jamie Foxxs journey is one straight to stardom with no end in sight!
Average customer rating:
- Girl meets book she likes!
- Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
- Wow.
- Simply the Best
- Boy Meets ME!!
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Boy Meets Boy (Bccb Blue Ribbon Fiction Books (Awards))
David Levithan
Manufacturer: Knopf Books for Young Readers
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ASIN: 0375824006
Release Date: 2003-09-09 |
Amazon.com
In this delightful young adult novel for readers 12 and up, high school sophomore Paul says, "There isn't really a gay scene or a straight scene in our town. They got all mixed up a while back, which I think is for the best." And, as he observes at the end of the story, "It's a wonderful world." Paul has both gay and straight friends, and they all hang out together at terrific bookstores and concerts, and advise one another on the sometimes troubled progress of their various romances. Paul is smitten with Noah, and they are beginning a serious relationship when Kyle, Paul's ex, complicates things by deciding that all is forgiven. Joni is going out with Chuck, who dominates her, much to her friends' disapproval. Tony's conservative parents refuse to acknowledge that he is gay, so the others must bone up on Bible verses all week so they can pretend Saturday night is a study group. And then there's Infinite Darlene, football quarterback and Homecoming Queen, who deserves a whole romance novel of her own. Life in their town is gloriously accepting of differences and only occasionally verges on magic realism, in this first novel in which same sex preference is not the problem. --Patty Campbell
Book Description
This is the story of Paul, a sophomore at a high school like no other: The cheerleaders ride Harleys, the homecoming queen used to be a guy named Daryl (she now prefers Infinite Darlene and is also the star quarterback), and the gay-straight alliance was formed to help the straight kids learn how to dance.
When Paul meets Noah, he thinks he’s found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him getting Noah back, but Paul’s not giving up without playing his love really loud. His best friend Joni might be drifting away, his other best friend Tony might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might not be going away anytime soon, but sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right.
This is a happy-meaningful romantic comedy about finding love, losing love, and doing what it takes to get love back in a crazy-wonderful world.
Customer Reviews:
Girl meets book she likes!.......2007-10-08
This is an awesome, easy read. I had to constantly remind myself that the story is about a same sex relationship because it reads like any other heterosexual teen romance. If you ever wondered what it could possibly feel like to be in a gay relationship, your answer lies within these pages. Every tense moment before a kiss, the excitement of brushing up against each other, the preoccupation of the next time you talk, touch or meet - it is the same sensation for both gay and straight. "I notice Noah has been facing me the whole time instead of looking to the water or facing the direction we're paddling; he is not just telling this story - he is giving it to me." (p. 68) This books explores the full range of emotions Young Adults encounter in a fun, positive, and upbeat way. Get ready to laugh!
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan .......2007-09-26
Falling in love is hard enough without freaking out over old boyfriends, friends who aren't boyfriends and best friends who break up with you. Add in a dance that's best organized in a cemetery and a homecoming queen and quarterback who are one in the same, and you only begin to touch the plot and subplots that weave together to make this one of the best love stories I've ever read. In fact, it's one of the best stories I've ever read - period.
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
©2003 - Published by Alfred A. Knopf - An Imprint of Random House Children's Books
"Sometimes the space between knowing what to do and actually doing it is a very short walk."
For me, that walk was into my study to get my laptop. This was one of the hardest books for me to review. I became so emotionally invested with the characters that I feared that I would not be able to put into words the way I feel about this piece of literature. I say literature because I don't want to simply call this another piece of teen fiction, a young adult story, or even an adolescent novel, and it actually would fit all three definitions. This piece is different because of the writing and voice that David Levithan has created.
The plot is a true and blue formula. Paul meets Noah. Noah likes Paul and Paul likes Noah. They get together, they fall apart and . . .
I will agree that it seems to be a familiar plot, however, it's the writing and execution of the conflicts and mishaps that come together in the right places - not always at the right times - that make this a heartfelt and fun story to read.
I'm not going to tell you the ending. I will tell you that this story is told in first person by Paul who introduces you through his eyes and voice to a high school and town that is unique and nonjudgmental. David Levithan writes in a way that makes it as if you're listening to Paul rather than reading. Paul tells you about being thrust as head of a dance committee while trying to deal with a best friend who is also gay and is in battle with his parents and their religion. You also get a chance to share the pain and frustration that Paul feels when another of his best friends suddenly takes on a new boyfriend that she adores, but who is barely tolerated by others. The interaction of the adults in this does not overshadow the story, but they too are portrayed in the same uniqueness as the rest of the characters. Along with Paul and Noah, you will meet Joni, Toni, Ted, Chuck, and Infinite Darlene.
I chose this book for my BellaOnline Pop Music book club because I discovered singer/song writer, Patty Griffin after reading the acknowledgements. I also fell in love with a concept in the book about "Painting Music".
"Just listen to the music and paint. Follow the sound. Don't think about rules. Don't worry about getting it perfect. Just let the song carry you."
I loved the whole idea of using music to be creative and have since tried it with my own writing.
I'm on my second paperback copy of this book. I bought my first copy and wrote so many notes to the characters in the margins that you can hardly read it. I bought a second paperback copy along with a hardback copy. As usual, the paperback is for reading and the hardback is for my desk.
Wow........2007-08-05
This book was absolutely astounding. It really was a great read, and it was just an amazing love story. I definately recommend it if you're looking for a great book. Absolutely my new favorite book.
Simply the Best.......2007-06-14
Someone on a message board recommended this book to me. I AM SO GLAD THEY DID!!!
This is the way school should be, and maybe someday will be. It's a beautiful story, with lovable characters you would like to take home with you. This book is a keeper, I have already read it three times. I recommend it to everyone; gay, straight, boy, girl.
Boy Meets ME!!.......2007-06-05
This book was great! David Levithan is really a wonderful author.All the corners of our world are mixed into this. There is this guy named Paul. He is gay but that doesn't seem to matter in his town. He has straight friends, a boyfriend, and even the Football Quarterback was the homecoming queen! He has a great group of friends. They all go through life and growing up. There are the relationships that everyone thinks is perfect until an ex comes back into the picture. Then there is the one with the strong beautiful girl that suddenly has a very dominating boyfriend. There is the bestfriend who's parents don't want to believe he is gay. And of course you have Darlene, the star of the school. Best Quarterback around...also the homecoming queen. He's the best, lol. David Levithan has a way of writing that will just leave you completely satisfied when you finish reading...and then you want to read the rest of his books, lol. This is one of my favorites and if you read it I'm sure it will be one of yours too.
Amazon.com
Long before he entered politics, when he was just in his early 20s, South Dakotan George McGovern flew 35 bomber missions over Nazi-occupied Europe, earning a Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery under fire. Stephen Ambrose, the industrious historian, focuses on McGovern and the young crew of his B-24 bomber, volunteers all, in this vivid study of the air war in Europe.
Manufactured by a consortium of companies that included Ford Motor and Douglas Aircraft, the B-24 bomber, dubbed the Liberator, was designed to drop high explosives on enemy positions well behind the front lines--and especially on the German capital, Berlin. Unheated, drafty, and only lightly armored, the planes were dangerous places to be, and indeed, only 50 percent of their crews survived to the war's end. Dangerous or not, they did their job, delivering thousand- pound bombs to targets deep within Germany and Austria.
In his fast-paced narrative, Ambrose follows many other flyers (including the Tuskegee Airmen, the African American pilots who gave the B-24s essential fighter support on some of their most dangerous missions) as they brave the long odds against them, facing moments of glory and terror alike. "It would be an exaggeration to say that the B-24 won the war for the Allies," Ambrose writes. "But don't ask how they could have won the war without it." --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
The very young men who flew the B24s over Germany in World War II against terrible odds were an exemplary band of brothers. In The Wild Blue, Stephen Ambrose recounts their extraordinary brand of heroism, skill, daring, and comradeship.
Stephen Ambrose describes how the Army Air Forces recruited, trained, and chose those few who would undertake the most demanding and dangerous jobs in the war. These are the boys -- turned pilots, bombardiers, navigators, and gunners of the B24s -- who suffered over 50 percent casualties.
Ambrose carries us along in the crowded, uncomfortable, and dangerous B24s as their crews fought to the death through thick, black, deadly flak to reach their targets and destroy the German war machine or else went down in flames. Twenty-two-year-old George McGovern who was to become a United States senator and a presidential candidate, flew thirty-five combat missions (all the Army would allow) and won the Distinguished Flying Cross. We meet him and his mates, his co-pilot killed in action, and crews of other planes -- many of whom did not come back.
As Band of Brothers and Citizen Soldiers portrayed the bravery and ultimate victory of the American soldier from Normandy on to Germany, The Wild Blue makes clear the contribution these young men of the Army Air Forces stationed in Italy made to the Allied victory.
Download Description
Stephen Ambrose is the acknowledged dean of the historians of World War II in Europe. In three highly acclaimed, bestselling volumes, he has told the story of the bravery, steadfastness, and ingenuity of the ordinary young men, the citizen soldiers, who fought the enemy to a standstill -- the band of brothers who endured together. The very young men who flew the B-24s over Germany in World War II against terrible odds were yet another exceptional band of brothers, and, in The Wild Blue, Ambrose recounts their extraordinary brand of heroism, skill, daring, and comradeship with the same vivid detail and affection. Ambrose describes how the Army Air Forces recruited, trained, and then chose those few who would undertake the most demanding and dangerous jobs in the war. These are the boys -- turned pilots, bombardiers, navigators, and gunners of the B-24s -- who suffered over 50 percent casualties. With his remarkable gift for bringing alive the action and tension of combat, Ambrose carries us along in the crowded, uncomfortable, and dangerous B-24s as their crews fought to the death through thick black smoke and deadly flak to reach their targets and destroy the German war machine. Twenty-two-year-old George McGovern, who was to become a United States senator and a presidential candidate, flew thirty-five combat missions (all the Army would allow) and won the Distinguished Flying Cross. We meet him and his mates, his co-pilot killed in action, and crews of other planes. Many went down in flames. As Band of Brothers and Citizen Soldiers portrayed the bravery and ultimate victory of the American soldiers from Normandy on to Germany, The Wild Blue makes clear the contribution these young men of the Army Air Forces stationed in Italy made to the Allied victory.
Customer Reviews:
Save your money unless you love Mc Govern.......2007-07-20
This book is not about the men and boys who flew the B 24 it is a book about Mc Govern. Reading the book sort of makes you feel like he was the only man in the war. I purchased the book to read about all the men. The author could have even shown some about other men that did basicaly the same that became famous: Kennedy, Jimmy Stewert and others. He focused only on McGovern and I certinaly wonder how much he paid to get Stephen to write this book or is Stephen that much in love with Mc Govern. I can not stand the man now and will not ever knowingly buy another book of his.
Mary Jo PottsThe Wild Blue : The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany 1944-45
The Wild Blue .......2007-04-21
The Wild Blue is about the young men who flew the B-24 over Germany in World War 2 against all odds. Mr. Ambrose describes the heroism, courage, and skill with a lot of detail. He successfully makes you feel like you are in the great lumbering bomber in the hostile skies over Germany. He also describes how the Army Air Force (only after the war were the army and air force separate) recruited, trained and then chose those few that would undertake the most dangerous job in the war. The pilots, bombardiers, navigators and, the gunners of the B-24s suffered a 50 percent casualty rate.
This book follows the lives of ten men from different towns and different backgrounds and watches them come together and form a team. The trust was important because up in the skies of Germany it was good to know that someone had your back. I believe that Mr. Ambrose captures that perfectly. He takes the reader along in the crowded, uncomfortable planes as the men aboard fought to the death through smoke and terrifying flack to reach their industrial targets in the Rhineland. Their goal was to destroy the German war machine.
The Heroic Tales.......2007-03-30
Stephen Ambrose's The Wild Blue: the Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s over Germany tells the heroic tales of the B-24 Liberators and their crews from the 15th Army Air Force in Italy flying over Nazi Germany in World War II. The Wild Blue begins with the stories behind each crewman who will eventually fly aboard the "Dakota Queen" and a few crewmen who will fly aboard other B-24s. The stories behind the crewmen are a very nice addition to the book as it is the crewmen who make the majestic B-24s fly and fight. The reader actually gets to meet George McGovern who eventually flies the "Dakota Queen". McGovern was born on July 19, 1922, and was attending his second year at Dakota Wesleyan when he heard that Pearl Harbor had been attacked. The combat stories are complete to the detail of what it is like to fly over Nazi Germany against flak and the occasional fighter, what it is like to be shot down, and what it is like to watch a fellow B-24 get shot down. Ambrose was able to give this amount of detail because of his interviews with approximately fifty B-24 crewmen and their families. Without those interviews, this book would be bland and very unreal. But it is enjoyable and very real. The Wild Blue is a book that I would re-read and recommend to those who are interested in history, World War II, aircraft, or to those who just want to know the feeling of being taken up into a B-24 and flown over Nazi Germany.
More Bio than Battle .......2007-01-08
Mr. Ambrose wrote a unabashed tribute to George McGovern, too bad he tried to pass it off as a story about something else.
A SOLID READ - IF NOT THE AUTHOR'S BEST.......2006-07-16
While I enjoyed this one, it certainly was not the author's best work. It did draw attention to a group of very brave men, the B-24 crew members in the European Theater, which was good as this group and this plane is often overlooked. It did seem to me though that the author, on one side was trying to write a biography of George McGovern, or if he was trying to cover the air war during the last part of WWII. I did enjoy his trade mark technique of telling the stories of different men who participated, but he would always go back to McGovern. Perhaps if he had stuck to one or the other the book would have had more of an impact. Parts of this work did drag and were rather repetative. On the other hand, the author did not try to over dramatize McGovern's part in the war. The work was well crafted and you certainy would not waste your time in reading it. I suppose it is not quite fare to compare this work with other works by this author. After all, no one bats a thousand all the time. Overall, recommend this one with reservations. It is about very brave young men and we do need to know as much about them as possible.
Book Description
"Hot, hot, HOT sex scenes in this steamy manga is reason alone to buy this yaoi."-SequentialTart.com
Selling one's body at Japan's most popular host club comes naturally for Junsuke Aki. In fact, he is the club's top earner and easily the most popular host with the female clientele. However, his lover, a former host named Shinobu Hishiya, has forsaken the wild club lifestyle in favor of his new job as a construction worker. Together, they share wild days and passionate nights, making love whenever, wherever, and
however they want. But when jealousy and male pride arise, their blissful, sexy relationship may not be able to handle the strain.
Customer Reviews:
Don't waste your money..........2007-04-27
I have read a lot of Yaoi and, I admit, some of it I bought just for the naughty bits and I didn't care if it had a decent plot. This one fooled me! It led me to believe it had a real plot (it was disjointed and weak) and great naughty bits (denied again!). Plus, at first glance, the illustrations reminded me of Youka Nitta's style (not so much after I really looked at it...so disappointing...).
This (along with "Golden Cain" and "Gakuen Heaven") is the worst Yaoi I have purchased.
Don't waste your time or your money on this stinker!
Real Play boy Love.......2007-02-24
This book is good and the art is great. I love how they start with the sex in the begining. that lets me know that this is a true yaoi manga. When I buy a book by it's cover I don't like to be dissapointed and I wasn't. The book had a plot and it was that Shinobu like playing the field and he got a rude awakeing when he found out that the feelings he was having about Junsuke was love because he had never felt like that about anyone. To me if you have to read something twice to understand it what's the problem, it just means you get to experince it twice. I love the book and I'm looking forward to vol 2. you need this in your collection. buy it you will enjoy it.
confusing.......2006-10-06
Not that much happens in this sentimental drama: it is all about the relationship between the two lovers, intense, emotional, carnal. There are hot sexy scenes every other page in fact.
Problem is the thick - and important - dialogues are unintelligible: you never understand who is speaking what and this is quite a problem in this kind of story. The story seems interesting and emotionally full, I shall try to read it again and decipher it but will it be worth the effort?
Enjoyable Yaoi title!.......2006-05-13
Play Boy Blues is fast paced and entertaining, though the story does leave one wanting, in terms of deeper character and plot development. Still the mangaka's artwork is pleasing, with her boys, both tops and bottoms, long limbed and muscularly slim. However the publishing quality does lag behind that of dramaqueen and Blu, just compare the paper quality, including the cover, and the printing. Another annoying factor is the confusion in the dialogue. Lots of time I could not link the thoughts or dialogue to the right person and this is expecially annoying when the boys are expressing their feelings towards one another. Still, I am please to add this to my Yaoi collection.
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