When I Was Young in the Mountains (Reading Rainbow Books)

Book Description

For twenty years, Cynthia Rylant's story of childhood in the Appalachian Mountains has been an enduring favorite. Growing up in the mountains is depicted with a spare, lyrical text and beautiful, tender illustrations by Diane Goode. The book was awarded a Caldecott Honor Medal.

To celebrate its twentieth anniversary, When I Was Young in the Mountains is being released with a commemorative copper-colored band.

Illustrated by Diane Goode

Customer Reviews:

LOVE THIS LITTLE BOOK........2006-11-25

This work is rather realistic. For anyone who grew up in similiar surroundings, it brings on waves of nostalgia. Growing up in the Ozark Mountains was quite similar to the setting of this story. These were simpler times, for good and bad, and it is good that we have something like this to pass on to our children. The illustrations in this book are soft and wonderful. The text is quite to the point and quite readable and understandable. The book leaves much room for open discussion, although it helps a lot if you actually grew up in these conditions, when discussing it with the young ones. I find that the simple fact there there was no electricity, no T.V., no radios, no running water, etc. quite difficult for children to understand and grasp. This book helps a lot. Recommend this one highly.

A way to connect .......2006-08-28

I read When I was young in the mountains, then took it to my father, who read it. Rylant is slightly older than me, but she grew up near where my dad was born and raised. My father said after reading that he'd pretty much grown up the same way. He left the poverty of Appalachia as a teenager via the poor man's college-- the service. I was born and raised in Utah. Books such as When I was young in the Mountains were a way for me to connect with a way of life I knew very little about, and I am very thankful for Rylant's work, especially since Dad died recently.

West Virginia.......2006-06-23

Growing up in West Virginia myself, I relate to to this book. Although I'm now 20 and currently attending college, I still love to read it. It is something I plan to read to my children.

Memories of the Mountaina.......2006-03-11

This book showed us what is best about the mountains and the traditions of those living in those mountains. It has been so easy for our society to stereotype Appalachian mountain people as ignorant, backwards hillbillies that it is refreshing to see a depiction that shows mountain people in a different light. The old ways are disappearing. So are the mountains. The Appalachian mountains are one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, containing one of the most diverse hardwood forests on earth. Mountain top coal removal, strip mining, and valley fills are destroying these mountains. Soon, the only way we will be able to show our children the beauty and wonder of these mountains will be through books and memories. "When I Was Young in the Mountains" will be a treasure in our house for generations. I encourage everyone to not only read this book, but also to support efforts to stop destructive, non-sustainable coal mining practices so we will be able to show our children and grandchildren more than just beautiful pictures of what once existed!

A way of life .......2005-08-23

A poignant reminiscence of a way of life that has largely disappeared.

A History of US: Book 3: From Colonies to Country 1735-1791 (History of Us)

Average customer rating:

One of only a few books on history that novices will love and read cover to cover.
An invitation to history.
The engaging story of America gaining its independence

A History of US: Book 3: From Colonies to Country 1735-1791 (History of Us)
Joy Hakim
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

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A History of US, Book 2: Making Thirteen Colonies (History of US)
The New Nation (History of Us) Vol. 4
A History of US: Book 5: Liberty for All? 1820-1860 (History of Us)
The First Americans, Third Edition: Prehistory-1600 (A History of US, Book 1)
A History of US: Book 6: War, Terrible War 1855-1865 (History of Us, Book 6)

ASIN: 0195153243

Book Description

How did compliant colonials with strong ties to Europe get the notion to become an independent nation? Perhaps the seeds of liberty were planted in the 1735 historic courtroom battle for the freedom of the press. Or maybe the French and Indian War did it, when colonists were called "Americans" for the first time by the English, and the great English army proved itself not so formidable after all. But for sure when King George III started levying some heavy-handed taxes on the colonies, the break from the motherland was imminent. With such enthralling characters as George Washington, Sam Adams, Patrick Henry, Eliza Pinckney, and Alexander Hamilton throughout, From Colonies to Country is an amazing story of a nation-making transformation.

Customer Reviews:

One of only a few books on history that novices will love and read cover to cover........2006-10-28

Truly an exceptional book and series. Hakim has an amazing writing style that draws you into events and then seems to pause to let your mind reflect. Comprehensive but quickly paced. Lots of pictures and interestingly obscure facts right along side the major events. Buy this with another of my recommendations; The Elementary Common Sense of Thomas Paine. This is how history is suppose to be; interesting, educational and fun.

An invitation to history........2005-12-06

Joy Hakim is a master storyteller. Her series of books are enjoyable to children and adults. Her presentation style makes history understandable, even if you never seemed to "get it" as a student. History teachers -- PLEASE TAKE A LESSON HERE!! Definitely worth the price.

The engaging story of America gaining its independence.......2003-08-01

"From Colonies to Country: 1735-1791" is the third volume in Joy Hakim's "A History of US." This book begins with the British kicking the French out of North America and ends with the American colonists winning independence from the British. After a first chapter that establishes the principle of Freedom of the Press that would come to play a key part in not just the American Revolution but throughout the entire history of the United States, the rest of the book falls into four main sections. The first (Chapters 2-6) covers the transition as the English essentially kicked the French out of North America as a result of the French & Indian War. The second (Chapters 7-14) traces the growing dissent in the American colonies with British rule that ended in the Boston Massacre and the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The third (Chapters 15-31) details the Revolutionary War, including the writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence. The final section (Chapters 32-42) covers the means by which the thirteen colonies were turned into a country through the writing and adoption of the Constitution. The back of the book contains an extensive look at great documents including not only the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, but also the Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom. Hakim also talks about how to consider great documents (and stay awake while doing so). The Atlas this time around focuses on the question of how the politics of cartography comes into mapmaking.

Book Description

Welcome to the Home Tree! This is where Tinker Bell and all the Disney Fairies live in their own beautifully- and personally-decorated bedrooms. Girls can lift the large gatefolds on each spread of this unique and interactive book and peek inside each of the fairies' rooms. The intricate metalwork on Tink's bed, the seaweed curtains on Rani's windows, and even the saddle Beck uses when riding frogs are just a few of the delightful fairy treasures to be discovered!

Customer Reviews:

Detailed.......2007-09-16

This wasn't exactly what I had in mine when I ordered this book. It doesn't fit my needs for creating fairy homes for my fairys. But, it won't go to waste, I will pass it on to my 2 year old grand-daughter.

Adorable!.......2007-08-23

This book is so detailed. All little girls, ages 5-10, that love fairies will love this book! Is is an insider's look into how the fairies live and it sparks a fairy lover's imagination. My daughter loves to draw fairies and their houses and this book is a big inspiration!

Great Book!.......2007-05-15

This is another in the Disney Fairy series. My seven year old loves these books!

Beautiful!.......2007-04-10

My 6 year old loves this, and so do I! The illustrations in this book are amazing and I love that it's interactive with my child. We love to find all the items listed then go back through for the things we may have missed.

Great book!

Just beautiful!.......2007-03-20

I was at Walmart and noticed this book. I love fairies so I had to look at it. I fell in love with the beautiful artwork and detail. It is a must for fairy lovers!

Average customer rating:

A Book About Survival
Beautiful story
A Tough 14-year-old Girl
Shaun Grewal
Droning, Unrealistic Sleeping Pill

Where the Lilies Bloom
Bill Cleaver , and Vera Cleaver
Manufacturer: HarperTeen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

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Where the Lilies Bloom
Where the Red Fern Grows
The Yearling (Aladdin Classics)
Swear to Howdy
My Side of the Mountain (Puffin Modern Classics)

ASIN: 0064470059

Book Description

Mary Call has promised her dying father to keep her brother and sisters together forever on the mountain, and never to take any help from strangers. She is determined to keep her word. No matter what. At first she is sure she can manage. Romey, Ima Dean, and Devola help gather herbs to sell in town; the riches of the mountains will surely keep the family clothed and fed. But then winter comes, fast and furious, and Mary Call has to learn that the land where the lilies bloom is also a cruel and unforgiving place, and it may take more than a promise to keep her family together.

Customer Reviews:

A Book About Survival.......2007-01-05

I first read it when I was young and loved it and the movie. Now as a teacher with young teenagers I thought it would be a good book to read in our Language Arts class. The girls thought the book was a good book on the theme of survival. The connected with Mary Call being fourteen and trying to keep her family together. They thought she was courageous and showed great determination. Each of my students felt the eay Mary Call felt in the events that uncurled. It is a great book about a young girl trying to survive in a world that presents itself with many obstacles.

Beautiful story.......2006-06-28

This book transfixed me like no other has for a long time. The story alone is one that pulls in the reader; how will these four children survive against the odds? Very little money, no adult to help them, and they are trying desperately to live up to promises made to their late father before he died.

But it's the language, the writing that really captivates the reader. The voices are so strong; you can hear Appalachia in every utterance; the cadence is so real. I was with this family -- in particular 14-year-old Mary Call -- for the entire journey, sharing their small victories, aching along with their profound sadness. Mary Call is a strong character; with her steely determination she is a force, a great role model for young girls.

I would highly recommend this book to young readers. It's an absolute treasure.

A Tough 14-year-old Girl.......2006-01-11

Meet Mary Call, a fourteen-year-old who has what it takes to get along in the world: spunk! When she vows to hold her secretly--yes, secretly--orphaned family together, and to keep her dreamy sister from marrying a "villain," she turn into one of the most enterprising, tough, courageous, and unforgettable heroines you will ever meet. (There is a movie about this story.)

Shaun Grewal.......2005-12-02

The beginning was kinda boring, but when you get into the book it starts to get really good and sad. Mary Call's father died of sickness and before he died his father said to not tell anyone about his death. She also has two other sisters and a brother and one of her sisters has a man that loves her, but she's only fourteen and the guy (Kiser) is pushing fourty.So Mary Call has to take care of her brother (Romey), and her two sisters (Ima Dean and Devola) without telling nobody of the death of her father. This book is really good for young adults.

Droning, Unrealistic Sleeping Pill.......2005-03-21

(First of all, I'm not "B. Rothermel". I'm 13 years old.) I had to read "Where the Lilies Bloom" for 8th grade reading. This book is about as exciting as toast crumbs! NOTHING HAPPENS!!! Except, of course, for Mary Call's dad dying, which is just this huge covered-up secret throughout the book. The authors never explain how on earth Mary Call continues to keep her father's death a secret! I thought the main character was a grim, cold, stick in the mud with no personality aside from very harsh. The reader has no reason to like ANY of the characters, therefore, we DON'T!! The book was also filled with unrealistic dialouge ("Mary Call, you shore are ugly!" "Yes, Romey. I am ugly.") and stereotypical characters, each one more boring than the next. I can't recall a single happy thing that happens in this book. It was just one long, suffocating, boring as all get out read. THIS BOOK WAS AMAZINGLY DULL!!!!

Average customer rating:

powerful story about family
Amazing Stuff
Good Night Mr. Tom
A Great Book for Realistic Fiction Lovers!
A real tear jerker, but a great book.

Good Night, Mr. Tom
Michelle Magorian
Manufacturer: HarperTeen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Goodnight Mister Tom
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Clear Light of Day

ASIN: 006440174X

Book Description

London is poised on the brink of World War 11. Timid, scrawny Willie Beech -- the abused child of a single mother -- is evacuated to the English countryside. At first, he is terrified of everything, of the country sounds and sights, even of Mr. Tom, the gruff, kindly old man who has taken him in. But gradually Willie forgets the hate and despair of his past. He learns to love a world he never knew existed, a world of friendship and affection in which harsh words and daily beatings have no place. Then a telegram comes. Willie must return to his mother in London. When weeks pass by with no word from Willie, Mr. Tom sets out for London to look for the young boy he has come to love as a son.

Customer Reviews:

powerful story about family.......2007-07-11

Timid, scrawny, Willie Beech is the abused child of a single mother. She sends him to Mr. Tom, who lives in the English countryside, because London is being bombed by the Nazis.

The two main adults in this story, the mother and Mr. Tom, seem very similar in the beginning. Yet, by the end, we see that they are completely different. What really hit home was this: hard times can make hard people, but one's true colors shine through when faced with others in need.

Mr. Tom's gruff exterior is only his exterior. He's really got a warm heart, which he opens up to Willie and shows him the love that's supposed to be in a family.

The mother's quiet, strict exterior masks her bitter, mean nature. She has no love for her children, and abuses them in subtle, neglectful ways.

We don't actually see the abuse, we see the end result...which, in my opinion, is far more powerful. I cried for Willie at the end of this book, and cheered Mr. Tom for doing everything he could to save this poor boy. When children are old enough to understand the results of abuse, every family should read this book.

Amazing Stuff.......2007-03-18

I decided to read this book for seventh grade accellerated reader. This great piece of literature has quickly become one of my all time favorite books. I'm very hard to please when it comes to books. When you read this, you become so attached to every last character. It is truly amazing.

Good Night Mr. Tom.......2006-11-08

I thought that this book was a very good book to read. I thought that it gave a lot of details and it was very interesting and exciting. This book was sort of hard to understand because Mr. Tom said different words funny. I really liked the part where Mr. Tom went over to London to try to find Will at his house. I also liked the part where Will was taken from his hospital bed and brought back to Mr. Tom's home. The ending left me hanging because at the end he said Dad I'm growing. I would give this book about five stars.

A Great Book for Realistic Fiction Lovers!.......2006-10-07

Willie (Will) Beech, the likable main character in "Good Night, Mr. Tom", is a shy, scared, malnourished 8-year-old evacuated to the English countryside from London in World War II. Willie goes to live with a kind older man, Tom Oakley, whom Willie affectionately calls Mr. Tom. Willie, who was frequently abused by his mother in the past, learns new, loving ways of life while in the care of Tom. He grows both physically and emotionally during his stay, but many times this growth is interrupted by thrilling plot-twists.

Though "Good Night, Mr. Tom" is heart-warming and most definitely a page-turner, there are parts that are quite graphic, and others that are remarkably sad. I would not recommend it to those who prefer stories that are entirely happy, or to those who cannot tolerate gore. However, I would definitely recommend "Good Night, Mr. Tom" to anyone else.

USEFUL INFORMATION: Since the story is set in England, (the English countryside, more specifically), the author writes each word exactly as the characters would say it. This dialect can be a bit confusing, but it's not too hard to comprehend.

A real tear jerker, but a great book........2006-07-13

My son had to pick a book from a long list to read over the summer for school. After reading the reviews for this book, we chose it. It was a very touching story, sad in places and happy in others. You really are cheering for Will and Mr. Tom. The author uses colloquial accents of rural England, but you really get used to it. My son is reading the book now and isn't having a problem understanding what the characters are saying. He is also enjoying the book a great deal, and having a hard time putting it down.

Average customer rating:

A fascinating glimpse at English life in the early 1800s
One of Austen's most overtly feminist works
A Less Romantic, More Realistic Austen
An Exceptional and A Sophisticated Novel
5 STARS IS NOT ENOUGH FOR THIS AUSTEN NOVEL!

Mansfield Park (Penguin Classics)
Jane Austen , and Kathryn Sutherland
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0141439807
Release Date: 2003-04-29

Book Description

New chronology and further reading; Tony Tanner's original introduction reinstated

Edited with an introduction by Kathryn Sutherland.

Customer Reviews:

A fascinating glimpse at English life in the early 1800s.......2006-09-28

Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen (whose death at an early age was a tragedy for literature), was an intriguing window into the life of English families in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The arrogance and pomposity of the land holding families, the invisibility of servants, the status of women, class consciousness, and the self-centeredness of those who didn't have to work for a living all come out in this novel.

The story focuses on Fanny, the daughter of a sister who didn't marry as well as another sister. In a fit of compassion (loosely defined), the wealthier sister takes on Fanny as a companion to use and a project to make. Over the next decade, Fanny evolves from a homesick and chronically shy girl into a most balanced character. Surrounding this story are the highs and lows of the other characters, her aunts, uncle, and her cousins and their friends.

As a story, Mansfield Park is rather tedious and sleep-inducing. The detail is almost overwhelming. The insight into this period, however, is fascinating. Jane Austin clearly was a very astute observer of the life and times of people around her.

One of Austen's most overtly feminist works.......2006-09-24

Jane Austen once mused that her novels are like a miniature mural painted on a two-inch square of ivory. While that's a lovely image, and while Austen was a master of deep character and thoroughly explored emotion, her books have important political elements that should not be overlooked. I'm surprised that more people haven't picked up on this, but Mansfield Park is certainly a defense of feminism and a profound statement on the importance of women's education. It is also, perhaps, a response to people's reactions to the heroines in her earlier works Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice.

At the time, women of a certain class were expected to be "accomplished," but not necessarily educated. We see this also in "Pride and Prejudice," when Mr. Darcy chides Miss Bingley on being so very accomplished in such vital arts as table painting though not well-read. Here, the heroine of Mansfield Park, Fanny Price, reads a great deal, but her older cousins the Misses Maria and Julia Bertrams are more accomplished in needlework and playing the pianoforte, as befits the daughters of a baronet. The middle set-piece of the book, the theatricals (they put on a play!), we see how each of the girls reacts when presented with an opportunity to do something fun that is perhaps a tad disreputable and, more importantly, something they know will piss off their father. In the latter part of the book, the three girls are offered various marriages and situations in life. Maria makes disastrous choices that still draw gasps (or at least rolled eyes) today. Julia's choices are hasty and panic-driven, though not as deplorable as her elder sister's. Only Fanny Price is patient, makes the correct moral choices that are not mercenary, and marries for love and honor.

Sir Thomas Bertrams muses that, "...the most direful mistake in his plan of education [of Maria and Julia]. Something must have been wanting within, or time would have worn away much of its ill effect. He feared that principle, active principle, had been wanting; that they had never been properly taught to govern their inclinations and tempers by that sense of duty which alone can suffice. They had been instructed theoretically in their religion, but never required to bring it into daily practice. To be distinguished for elegance and accomplishments - the authorized subject of their youth - could have had no useful influence that way, no moral effect on the mind. He had meant them to be good, but his cares had been directed to the understanding and manners, not the disposition; and the necessity of self-denial and humility, he feared, they had never heard from any lips that could profit them. Bitterly did he deplore a deficiency which now he could scarcely comprehend to have been possible. Wretchedly did he feel, that with all the cost and care of an anxious and expensive education, he had brought up his daughters without their understanding their first duties, or his being acquainted with their character and temper."

Sir Thomas's sentiments and even vocabulary are astonishingly similar to those of Mary Wollstonecraft in "A Vindication of the Rights of Women": that "The conduct and manners of women...prove that their minds are not in a healthy state ... one cause of this ... I attribute to a false system of education, ...more anxious to make them alluring mistresses than affectionate wives and rational mothers; and the understanding of the sex has been so [deluded] by this specious homage, that the civilized women of the present century ... are only anxious to inspire love, when they ought to cherish a nobler ambition, and by their abilities and virtues exact respect. ... It is acknowledged that they spend many of the first years of their lives in acquiring a smattering of accomplishments; meanwhile strength of body and mind are sacrificed to libertine notions of beauty, to the desire of establishing themselves, --the only way women can rise in the world, --by marriage. And this desire making mere animals of them, when they marry they act as such children may be expected to act: they dress; they paint, and nickname God's creatures [TK: a reference to Hamlet.] Surely these weak beings are only fit for a seraglio! ... Women are told from their infancy, and taught by the example of their mothers, that a little knowledge of human weakness, justly termed cunning, softness of temper, outward obedience, and a scrupulous attention to a puerile kind of propriety, will obtain for them the protection of a man; and should they be beautiful, everything else is needless, for at least, twenty years." Wollstonecraft's ultimate point is that if women have immortal souls, the only way that women can save them is to be educated, for without education, women are merely animals of habit and beasts of fashion.

Ultimately, Fanny Price is the central figure of this novel. Others vilify her as passive and puritanical. Indeed, when asked to join the theatrical production, Fanny insists several times, "I cannot act!" and this repeated statement has more meaning as a metaphor than as a statement of a lack of thespian abilities.

Fanny is, however, good and moral. She does the right thing. She does not marry for money, though everyone urges her to, and even though it means she may end up a spinster and a burden to her cousins and uncle. She finally does marry for love, and one is again reminded of Wollstonecraft's statement that, "the woman who strengthens her body and exercises her mind will ... become the friend, and not the humble dependent of her husband." Fanny gets a happy marriage.

Fanny's erstwhile friend, Mary Crawford, (who some people like but who I think is horrible) is obviously an answer to those people who liked Elizabeth Bennet (of P&P) a little too much. While Elizabeth Bennet is smart and witty, Mary Crawford has a sparkling but superficial wit. Mary Crawford does not think deeply upon anything but pops off whatever witticism (even ribald ones) that rise to the top of her head. Mary urges Fanny to go to Everingham, the country house that Fanny would live in if she married the wrong man, in a reflection of Elizabeth Bennet's comment in P&P that she started to love Mr. Darcy when she saw the grounds of his house (Pemberly.) In the end, when confronted with a moral fiasco, Mary refuses to consider how the perpetrator has wounded those around her and offended God by breaking a sacrament, and only laments that so many people know about it.

TK Kenyon
Author of RABID, coming in Spring, 2007 from Kunati Books

A Less Romantic, More Realistic Austen.......2006-07-15

As a fairly big Jane Austen fan I came into this masterful novel (after the first fifty pages) expecting a great love story put off by the lowly financial means of the protagonist. However, the central figure, Fanny, has many qualities that make her an ulikely figure for the role of seductress. She is quiet, shy, and completely unsure of herself. She indeed has very few qualities that make the reader expectant that she will be able to marry above her means. Instead of an enthralling love story I found the novel full of subtle but interesting social commentary and excellent characterization of the protagonist. While not quite a Pride and Prejudice style page turner, Mansfield Park is worthwhile for its character development and carefully crafted, mature writing.

An Exceptional and A Sophisticated Novel.......2006-05-01

The present novel is about a young girl, Fanny Price, who comes from a poor family of ten children in Portsmouth. At the age of 10, she is adopted by a wealthy family, the Bertrams, who live at Mansfield Park. Mrs. Bertram is Fanny's aunt on her mother's side, and the aunt has had the good fortune of marrying into wealth. The novel follows Fanny's life from age 10 until she marries and the interaction between the Bertrams and another family in Mansfield Park. Beyond knowing those facts, you should not read any more about the plot until you read the novel, or you will risk spoiling the read. I will not give away the plot, but will only describe the writing style and structure.

I read the present book "Mansfield Park," then read some analysis by Nabokov from his Cornell "Lectures on Literature" and the comments of Jane Stabler from the introduction of the Oxford version.

After that I got a bit excited and read Austen's early writing "Sense and Sensibility," along with the analysis by Margaret Doody in the Oxford version. Yes, I guess I am now an Austen fan, and it is a pity that she did not live longer. "Emma" and "Pride and Prejudice" are on my "to read list."

Based on the two novels written over two different time periods, it is clear that she developed a certain fixed writing style and a common structure. She uses the early pages to introduce the families, and other characters, and give start the story. She moves characters around from place to place in part for time shifting. She does a wrap up in the last few chapters.

Those opening chapters are an obstacle for most readers. She uses her own vocabulary and has an unusual way of structuring her prose. That structure is a trademark of Austen's writing. Also, she manages to work in a lot of drama and social issues with some humour and irony.

Based on what Nabokov and others are saying, she got her inspiration from Sheridan, Richardson, Henry Fielding, Sir Walter Scott, and the poetry of Cowper. She modulates the complexity of the prose to reflect the characters - such as making the sentences of Sir Thomas Bertram in "Mansfield Park" somewhat elaborate instead of describing how the character is dressed or a similar description to convey qualities and traits, i.e.: she uses the complexity of speech to convey character. Also, she uses lateral shifts and epigrammatic notations and similar literary techniques. These techniques are interesting for some readers but just confusing for others. It is all part of the price of admission to entering the world of Jane Austen, and it is part of the fun in reading her novels.

Overall, once you get past reading and digesting 50 pages or so and have absorbed the Jane Austen vocabulary (words such as felicity, remonstrance, countenance, etc.) and understand the structure of her prose, the book becomes a compelling read. The second Austen novel seems much easier than the first.

This was written by a mature Jane Austen and many think it is her best work, and likely one of the most sophisticated from a viewpoint of style and structure.

5 STARS IS NOT ENOUGH FOR THIS AUSTEN NOVEL!.......2006-03-21

After recently viewing a film based on a Jane Austen novel, I was left wanting the real thing, not a lightweight, fluffy adaptation that only slightly resembled the original. I wanted something beautifully written with some meat! I have read my beloved Jane Austen's other books many, many times; P & P doesn't even have a kiss yet to me, is the most romantic book I have ever read. But I had not, I'm ashamed to say ever read MANSFIELD PARK. I saw the wonderful movie when it came out several years ago and really enjoyed it. Of course, after having read the book, there are some major differences--see the movie first so you have nothing to compare it to!

The reviews that have been written preceding this one are all astounding-- written poignantly and exquisitely by my fellow Jane Austen aficionados. Some of you all could be authors yourselves. But I will try to write some of my own musings about this wonderful book.

MANSFIELD PARK is not a romance although it does have my 'happily ever after' ending. It is really a biography of Miss Fanny Price, a young girl who is fortuitously taken in by her wealthy Aunt and Uncle, Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram to their large estate, Mansfield Park. The ten year-old child has left her poor, low class ineffectual parents and their large brood of children in a small, unorganized and filthy home. Fanny never felt love at home (with the exception of her beloved older brother William) and she has been transplanted to a place that is the polar opposite. Her new home is magnificent and everything is quiet and orderly. Fanny is miserable but is saved by the attentions of her adored moral, sanctimonious but very kind cousin, Edmund. Since Fanny is so painfully shy, she spends most of her day observing everyone else's behavior. And, with Edmund's influence, Fanny, although very sweet and innocent does have a tendency to be 'holier than thou!' Miss Price becomes the sole companion to her Aunt Bertram, a sweet, but shallow woman who has to ask her husband if she is hungry. Fanny's other Aunt Norris is cruel and really contributes to her low self-esteem (as we call it today).

Austen always paints pictures of the most quirky and delicious characters. There is the superficial developmentally delayed Mr. Rushworth who is engaged to Fanny's cousin, Maria. I laughed out loud reading about this man trying to learn even one line for the play. There are the Crawford siblings who are not only attractive but seem to always be the life of the party with their charming personalities. I could go on and on but just know that Jane Austen does a wonderful job with her character development. Each person has such distinctive qualities that we all know people like that in real life, today, two hundred years later!

I really think of Fanny as a duckling who turns into a beautiful swan. She starts her life as a shy, mousy, introverted little girl who never feels quite at home. Her face is rarely seen without a blush. She then grows into a lovely, confident young lady who develops quite a backbone. During her three months at Plymouth she realizes that her home and all the people she dearly loves are part of her beloved Mansfield Park

I agree with the other reviewers when they say that this book is a little more difficult to get into. For people just starting Austen, read her other novels first and then go to this one. Give it a few chapters and I promise that you won't be able to put it down.

Domitila: A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican Tradition

Average customer rating:

Good Book
Now including culture, morals, and interest for boys
A beautiful, superbly illustrated picturebook tale.

Domitila: A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican Tradition
Jewell Reinhart Coburn
Manufacturer: Shen's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Short Story Collections | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1885008139

Book Description

Domitila is not only "sweeter than a cactus bloom in early spring," she is also a talented cook and an amazing leather artist. most of the classical elements of a Cinderella story can be found in Domitila. A gentle weaving of her mother's nurturing with strong family traditions is the secret ingredient for Domitila to rise above hardship to eventually become the Governor's bride. Moreover, with a firm belief in simplicity and realism, Domitila makes a lasting impression as a triumphant Cinderella in her humility, service, and unassuming modesty.

Unlike most ivory tower Cinderellas, the only transformation in this story is Timoteo's—Domitila's suitor—as we watch him mature from an arrogant politician's son to a compassionate family man. There is no glass slipper to fight over, and no fairy godmother to save the day. All Domitila has are her innate qualities and her family legacy. Finally, the readers are invited to get to know Cinderella for who she is, unlike the typical fantasy character!

With love and care in every stroke, McLennan captured on canvas the warmth of relationships, the fondness for color and texture, and the versatile patterns characteristic of the Mexican people. Readers will soon fall in love with the shimmering light of the desert landscape and this well-told story of Cinderella-with-a-twist.

Customer Reviews:

Good Book.......2002-04-04

This story is one of the Cinderella tales however this one is from Mexico. A young girl goes and cooks for the governor, and the governor is amazed by the taste of the meals that this girl can cook. However Domitila's mother dies and she must return home. The prince wanting to taste the wonderful food again goes out and searches for the woman who can cook a feast out of weeds. Although the governor faces some hardships and dishonest people in the end finds Domitila and marries her. This is a wonderful take off of the classic Cinderella story. I like it because it has Mexican traditions in it and the illustrations are wonderful. This book would be great to use as an introduction to different cultures. If I were to use this in my classroom I would try to get other countries versions of Cinderella so that they children could see even more differences and similarities in the stories.

Now including culture, morals, and interest for boys.......2001-04-24

The story of a Mexican Cinderella character, this book is beautifully done with warmly coloured oil on canvas paintings that poignantly draw to mind the dry Mexican landscape. Most importantly, the illustrator has resisted the urge to create perfect characters, and instead presents a pleasant looking "Cinderella" with bland features and a square jaw, perhaps because the story is based on the family legend of the Rivero family of Hidalgo, Mexico. The author's text is mostly traditional for a fairy tale, but includes Spanish words with translations on the back page. The plot holds more interest than the traditional Cinderella tale, as the Prince is a Governor's son who begins the story haughty and spoiled, but while on a quest for the girl who makes delicious nopales (edible cactus, made by the common people), changes into a person of worth who can truly love a girl of the common people. This focus and character development of the often forgotten prince may make this tale more interesting to boys, as the male character is the hero on a quest, rather than the reward at the end of a girl's suffering. Furthermore, the tale is woven of realistic elements, rather than the fairy godmother, singing mice, and glass slipper of tradition, as it is explained why the father remarries, and includes a period of grief after the mother's death. However, beyond the plot and setting, the author waxes moralistic, presenting the likeable, yet lifeless Domitila as a goody-goody with a loving heart who follows her mother's instructions to "do every task with care, and always add a generous dash of love." Additionally, the text is framed in proverbs, presented both in English and Spanish, on the subjects of love and work, which add "atmosphere," but may get too sermonic to hold the attention of a child. Includes appealing history of the tale, as well as a recipe for Domitila's nopales on the last page.

A beautiful, superbly illustrated picturebook tale........2000-05-09

Jewell Reinhart Coburn's Domitila provides a Mexican Cinderella story as it tells of a talented cook and artist who becomes the Governor's bride. A beautiful account.

Harriers: The Making of a Championship Cross Country Team

Average customer rating:

Good story, perhaps too many details
Fascinating Read about the ins and outs of high school running teams
The Shivers cousins have done it again!
Jim Enright - author of Flagstaff Hill
High School Cross-Country Breakout: Memiors of State Champions

Harriers: The Making of a Championship Cross Country Team
Joseph Shivers , and Paul Shivers
Manufacturer: Holy Macro! Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Running & Jogging | Individual Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

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Coaching Cross Country Successfully (Coaching Successfully)

ASIN: 1932802959

Book Description

A fresh perspective enlivens this classic story about a losing team with an energetic new coach. Written by two Ohio teenagers about their high school's cross-country team, this account offers engaging portraits of the kids and their coach, passes on lessons of hard work and sacrifice, and follows the ascent of the Salem Quakers cross-country team to a first-place ranking in their conference and third place at the 2003 state championships. Along the way the teenagers learn the unromantic truth about the athletic association that regulates their high school sport—legal wrangling and uproar ensue when officials find scoring errors in a postseason meet. As they develop their talents and teamwork, the teens also learn valuable lessons about sports rules, bureaucracy, and true success.

Customer Reviews:

Good story, perhaps too many details.......2007-07-30

I enjoyed this story, very motivational. Those not intimately acquainted with xc running might have difficulty with some of the technical aspects of scoring meets. I personally would have preferred less of that and more on the human interest angle. It is a very creditable job considering the age of the authors.

Fascinating Read about the ins and outs of high school running teams.......2006-12-01

I just finished reading this book and found it fascinating.

Living in Western Australia, High School Cross country team running was not something I had ever been familiar with, and that made this book even more appealing to me.

It appears to be aimed at a younger reader but the authors are very mature in their writing and learning about the ins and outs of being part of a running team was really interesting. There are also parts of the book that cover the girls team too.

A really great read.

The Shivers cousins have done it again!.......2006-06-18

The book is truthful, it doesn't cut any corners and shows each team-mate in his true colors. The ups and downs of the team are covered. How these trials are dealt with is what made the team, and this book, excel. Harriers is a must read for any athlete or coach.

Jim Enright - author of Flagstaff Hill.......2006-05-24

Highly recommended for cross-country runners and their coaches.

As a runner I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of all the championship races. The authors gave execellent insights into the moods and outside interests that can cause chaos on any team.

As a coach, the book held my interest since the writers were runners on the Salem XC team. However, more detailed descriptions of the training during the season would have made the book more interesting.

As a writer, I was amazed at the quality of writing these high school authors exhibited. Excellent job! Their personal insights into the runner's feelings and moods were top notch.

High School Cross-Country Breakout: Memiors of State Champions .......2006-05-02

This is a true account of cross-country seasons at Salem HS written by two gifted students on the team. This is a participant's view of a team that over the course of two years develops from a very competitive region team to a team that wins State. The book is well detailed on cross-country in the sense that the student authors appropriately make the point that no matter how good the top runners are on a team, and they have several excellent runners, winning a championship depends on where your 5th man finishes. The other nice emphasis, as the authors nicely describe, is how each individual develops in training and in actual races. You get a nice feel for cross-country racing as the authors give a personal perspective on what it is like to prepare for race day, how they determine their race plans (preference for pace or going out with the leaders), the effect of the course terrain and the weather and what it is like on those days that you feel great and those when you know you don't have it.

The story is fascinating reading not only how the four stars improve and compete among themselves but they authors also write a healthy description of the competition for the 5th, 6th and final varsity spot. And as the authors well describe, the 6th and 7th man do make a difference particularly when the 5th man falters. The book spends most of its time on cross-country with short references to track but the authors note that all three of the top runners run the two mile close to 10 flat with their top runner breaking out with a 9:40 prior to the second CC season. I would have liked to have known more about their post CC workouts as the school seemed to produce some very good talent with depth. The team's top runners were very talented and placed very high in their region and state yet they were beat by some outstanding individuals at the big meets. Thus they were in a very competitive state division. Besides the dedication of the athletes, the coaching is impressive along with how the runners adapted to the workouts. For example, in a quality distance run, the runners occasionally wear heart monitors in order to maintain a specific effort for a specific period of time. In another technical note, their advanced coach uses a GPS to determine where the true mile splits on race courses are to help his team with their pace during races. The school also features an outstanding booster club that is pretty unique for HS distance runners. The book also captures the difficulties of success, such as over training injuries or too much success or praise's effect on a young runner. And, a nicety of the book is capturing the coach's efforts to tailor a workout appropriate for particular athletes as some require more recovery than others. And there is suspense, a great finish marred by technical officiating failures that leave you guessing what will happen and what is fascinating is that it is a true story. A satellite story is the development of the girls' team that features two outstanding athletes and the girls eventually rival the boys in regards to success at the State meet. There is also the cross-country/track coach's greatest fear, exemplified in Runner's World editorials by Marc Bloom, that soccer may steal your best runner as it almost does in this story. The book is ideal for young high school aspiring runners and in fact it could be used as a HS coach's recruitment tool. This book is an excellent view of cross-country from the trenches or from the ground.

Circling the Globe: A Young Peoples Guide to Countries and Cultures of the World

Average customer rating:

My first book ever and the best as well...
A highly educational and fun book about world history.
Wonderfull Book

Circling the Globe: A Young Peoples Guide to Countries and Cultures of the World

Manufacturer: Larousse Kingfisher Chambers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Exploration & Discovery | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1856975614

Customer Reviews:

My first book ever and the best as well..........2005-08-29

In this book, I find myself very good at memorizing the capital cities of each country. My I.Q. was improved by this book. Circling the book is one of the best atlas books ever made. They give additional information about every country, its emblem, facts and figures, delicacies and even some languages. Reading the whole books is even better than just peeking at its pictures. Worth the read! ^_^enjoy

A highly educational and fun book about world history........2004-03-26

I got this as a Christmas present in Christman of 1995 and let me say that this is one of my favorite history books that I own considering that I love reading about World history.

The way they illustrate the various styles of cultures in the various countries and regions of the world is just amazing and the description is vivid without being too overwhelming for younger readers eager to learn about foreign countries around the world.

I really enjoy the statistics of each country mentioned in this book and while some of them are a bit heartbreaking, it's true and satisfies my curiousity about the numerous countries and the societies in them.

I also like the illustrations of the landscapes and the pictures of the tribes, populations, and city illustrations. It really makes this book fun to read.

This encyclopedia is very outdated considering that it was released way back in 1995 but I still read it a lot because they did a great job at creating a great educational tool not just for kids but also for older kids and adults and elders of all ages to enjoy reading as well.

Wonderfull Book.......2000-08-16

I liked this book alot it taught me a lot of interesting things that I never knew about the world and it got me interested in geography!

Book Description

In a small Oklahoma town, one star linebacker must decide what kind of man he wants to be--both on and off the field.
Welcome to Kennisaw--where Friday night high school football ranks right up there with God and country, and sometimes even comes in first. This year, the Kennisaw Knights are going for their fifth straight undefeated season, and if they succeed, they'll be more than the best high school team in the eastern Oklahoma hill country--they'll be legends.

But the Knights' legacy is a heavy weight to carry for Hampton, linebacker and star of the team. On the field, he's so in control you'd think he was able to stop time. But his life off the field is a different story. His father walked out on him and his mom years ago, and now his mom has a new boyfriend every week. He's drawn to a smart, quirky girl at school--the type a star athlete just isn't supposed to associate with. And meanwhile, his best friend and teammate Blaine--the true friend who first introduced Hampton to football back when he had nothing else--is becoming uncomfortably competitive, and he's demanding Hampton's loyalty even as Hampton thinks he's going too far.

This unforgettable novel is the story of a boy whose choices will decide the kind of man he becomes, and raises powerful questions about sportsmanship, loyalty, and the deceptiveness of legends.

Customer Reviews:

Hampton's a Winner.......2007-08-19

My friends might be surprised that I read a book that wasn't a fantasy, let alone a sports book, but good writing transcends genre and subject matter, and Knights of the Hill Country is very good writing. The best thing about this book is narrator Hampton Green's voice, which gives a whole new meaning to that overused expression, "pitch-perfect." I was just wondering this morning if I was a little too harsh in a couple of recent reviews, and then I read this book and felt justified by the difference in quality! Talk about a dimensional character--teenage football player Hampton is SUCH a real and unique person, his voice colored by a regional tone which simply adds to the story telling.

Hampton plays football on a virtually unbeatable high school team because his best friend Blaine and Blaine's father have taught him to play hard and well. Over the years, Hampton has relied heavily on those relationships, with his own father gone and his mother largely unavailable. But during Hampton's senior year, he finds himself becoming aware of a disconnect between his vision of the world and Blaine's outlook on life. Hampton thinks of himself as slow, but he's starting to realize that it's not because he's stupid; instead, he mulls things over. Unlike Blaine, Hampton has trouble expressing his thoughts on the spot.

Hampton gradually becomes disillusioned with being a follower, particularly Blaine's follower. The fact that Hampton has turned out to be a very good football player, while Blaine is held back by an untreated knee injury, is one reason for the conflict--a frustrated and envious Blaine puts a strain on Hampton's straightforward loyalty with his increasingly irrational demands. Among other things, Blaine tries to put a stop to Hampton's interest in a girl Blaine feels isn't sufficiently popular and good-looking. But Hampton's relationship with Sara helps him to think in new ways and break Blaine's hold over him. Hampton wisely realizes that he can love football and play to win without neglecting other possibilities and joys in life.

All of this growth is shown in the context of Hampton and Blaine's activities at school, on dates, and especially during football games. The sports scenes are particularly well written, given greater meaning by Hampton's take on the game. (I like how Hampton ruefully contrasts his ability to make exactly the right moves in football with his inability to say the right things in social settings.)

The book's pivotal moment shows that Hampton's deep loyalty to Blaine can move him to do something which, while it infuriates Blaine, saves Blaine from himself. In a very satisfying evolution, seemingly passive Hampton becomes the action-taker--and we realize that his integrity has given his "still waters" choices increasing power, in contrast to Blaine's frenetically petty mistakes. I highly recommend Knights of the Hill Country. When I updated my program's library, I didn't find very many excellent sports-centered YA novels, but this one definitely earns a place on that shelf.

Richie's Picks: KNIGHTS OF THE HILL COUNTRY.......2006-10-20

What is this world coming to? Two football stories worth my talking about in the same year? What is next -- me out there barbecuing tofu at a tailgate party?

Back when Hampton Green was nine years old, his father abandoned the family. Hampton and his mom had moved downstate to a modest rental in Kennisaw, Oklahoma. Mom landed a job in a store and, in the ensuing years, has gone through a series of boyfriends. During those years she has never been there emotionally for Hampton.

Hampton's salvation since moving to Kennisaw had been his long friendship with Blaine Keller. A generation ago Blaine's dad had been part of the Kennisaw Knights high school football team that went undefeated for five straight years. Blaine and his dad taught Hampton the game of football and now the two friends are seniors and stars on this generation's miracle Knights team, aiming at completing their own fifth undefeated season to match that legendary streak of the past.

But Blaine has been trying to hide from the adults how badly his knee was injured in a game at the end of the previous season. It becomes painfully clear to us that the increasingly bitter Blaine Keller -- with his unforgiving father on his back -- is not going to achieve the greatness beyond high school that he's got all his chips riding on. Meanwhile, the big, redheaded, six foot-four Hampton is only getting better as he continues to develop his unmatched intuitive sense of the game.

Unfortunately, Hampton doesn't have the same intuitive sense when it comes to school assignments or to talking with girls. But on the plus side, despite being in the position to ride Blaine's coattails and consort with the most popular girls at school, Hampton has developed a quiet admiration for a shy yet articulate girl with baggy clothes named Sara Reynolds whom, thanks to her wild hair, the popular kids scathingly refer to as Bush Girl.

It is Sara who has some important things to teach Hampton.

"Darnell didn't see how nobody with an ounce of brains could fight for the Confederates and Lana said she had ancestors that was on the South's side and they was fighting for a way of life and old-fashion family values.
"Darnell turned over to me. 'Can you believe this girl, Hamp? You explain it to her. I'm wore out.'
" 'I don't know that much about it,' I said. looking down. Last thing I wanted to do was get balled up in a controversy. As good of a fighter as I was on the football field, I hated a argument in civilian life. Darnell was my best friend after Blaine and he was black, so I wasn't about to take the South's side, but I didn't want to hurt Lana's feelings neither. Besides, I didn't know but what Sara might have some relatives from the South somewheres along the line too.
"Darnell threw up his hands. 'How about you Sara? You're smart. Let me ask you. Was slavery wrong?'
" 'Of course,' she said.
" 'Well, then, let me ask you another thing. What reason could anyone have for fighting on a side that wants to own slaves?'
"Sara was quiet for a moment, her long lashes shading down over her eyes. 'Well,' she said finally, 'I guess a lot of folks want to be part of a side so much they just go along with what their side says is right.'
" 'Even when it's really wrong,' Darnell threw in.
" 'That's just it,' Sara said. 'Some people don't know who they really are themselves, so how are they going to know what they think is right or wrong?'"

One of the seminal themes in young adult literature involves adolescent characters learning to speak, and to speak up, as they create their own voices and identities. Hampton's innocence and blind loyalty to Blaine have totally impeded his ability to develop that individual identity and voice, but with the end of high school in sight we are rooting loudly for this big, goodhearted Oklahoma kid with his "durns," "done alreadys," and folksy metaphors, to heed Sara's lessons and become his own person.

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