Book Description
You've gotta learn to defend yourself. Never let your enemy know what you are feeling.
-- The soldier assigned to protect Melba
Please, God, let me learn how to stop being a warrior. Sometimes I just need to be a girl.
-- Melba's diary, on her sixteenth birthday
In 1957 Melba Pattillo turned sixteen. That was also the year she became a warrior on the front lines of a civil rights firestorm. Following the landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling, Brown v. Board Education, she was one of nine teenagers chosen to integrate Little Rock's Central High School. This is her remarkable story.
You will listen to the cruel taunts of her schoolmates and their parents. You will run with her from the threat of a lynch mob's rope. You will share her terror as she dodges lighted sticks of dynamite, and her pain as she washes away the acid sprayed into her eyes. But most of all you will share Melba's dignity and courage as she refuses to back down.
Customer Reviews:
I T CAME TO PASS.......2007-08-13
sO MUCH OUR RACE OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN THROUGH , AND THE BOOK TELLS A LOT OF THE TRIUMPHS WE WENT THROUGH, AND STILL SOME OF THOSE THINGS STILL ARE GOING ON TODAy. So the title it came to pass is the right title because god said in his word nothing but the rightous.
Repetition Galore.......2007-07-05
Melba Pattillo Beals' "Warriors Don't Cry" was amateur at best. While the purpose of the memoir is inspiring, Beals just appeared to be a broken record.
Upon reading other reviews, I thought this memoir was going to be heartbreaking and inspiring. Yet as I began to read, a pattern developed. The book dragged on and on yet there seemed to be no progression. I found myself void of emotion throughout the whole recount. Needless to say, this was a disappointment, and extremely poorly written.
Warriors Don't Cry.......2007-06-27
We are coming up on the 50th anniversary of the integration of Central High in Little Rock. This book is written by one of the courageous students who braved a racist mob to claim the equality and justice we are all promised in a democracy. The photographs of one student, Elizabeth Eckford, facing the abusive and threatening crowds became iconic, part of history and public memory. What is not as well known is what life was like for the nine students inside the school everyday. Everyday they were threatened, physically attacked, suffered abusive language and attitudes from the white, segregationist students. The author, Melba Patillo Beals, is an extraordinary writer, storyteller and she is blazingly honest. As a way of celebrating July 4th, read this book and give it to every young person over the age of 10 that you know.
"With All Deliberate Speed . . .".......2007-05-15
Melba Joy Pattillo Beals was at the heart of a vortex of history as one of the "Little Rock Nine" who integrated Arkansas' preeminent public school in 1957. In the wake of the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision, "Brown v. Board of Education," schools throughout the United States were ordered to integrate "with all deliberate speed."
Violent opposition to the integration of Central High led to the garrisoning of Little Rock by the 101st Airborne Division, the first (and thus far only) active-engagement use of Federal troops in the South since Reconstruction.
Ms. Beals (now a journalist) has a journalist's eye as she recalls her experiences at Central High that year. Drawing on her memories and on the copious and detailed diaries she kept, Ms. Beals puts us right into her well-shined saddle shoes, and right into the halls of Central.
At first glance, Melba Pattillo would have seemed to be the wrong sort of person to be on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement. At fifteen, she was a girl given to romantic daydreams, a girl seemingly perfectly content to listen to Buddy Holly on the radio while cuddling with her stuffed animal collection amidst her flouncy white comforter and matching pillows.
But deep inside, Melba Pattillo had a core of steel. Her mother held an advanced degree in Education, and her gentle, stern, and unyielding Grandmother India had an unshakeable faith both in God, and in Melba, a faith which she transmitted almost by osmosis to her granddaughter---"God's warriors don't cry, child."
If other members of Melba's family and community did not share these ideas, ideals, and values, at least they all understood that this remarkable young lady (and her eight fellow classmates) was doing something that needed to be done, something that portended a sea change in the world.
But for all the fine rhetoric, life at Central was a hell of crowded corridors, shadowy stairwells, and constant terror. From day one, avowed segregationists in the school, in the community, and in the government (including Governor Orval Faubus) tried to break the back of the integration by means foul and fouler. Adult members of Little Rock's White Citizens Council educated their charges at Central in the ways and means of torture.
Anyone stunned by the constant reports of current-day "violence in our schools" will be shattered by Ms. Beals' seemingly endless recitation of the horrors inflicted upon the Little Rock Nine in the halls of Central High. Being cursed at, spat upon, and called a "N****r" was nothing much; open threats with weapons, violent beatings and stompings, stabbings, scaldings with near-boiling hot water, dousings with unspeakable liquids, strangulations, attempts at immolation, and acid sprays in the eyes were commonplace. These were not just hurtful acts. They were often life-threatening, and the passivity (or even gleeful acquiescence) of most of the CHS school officials in the face of such ongoing abuse of these children put in their care is enough to enrage the reader.
The lack of direct adult interest in what the Little Rock Nine were going through is paralyzing to consider. Little was done to protect them, even by their supporters. The 101st was pulled out of Little Rock in a deal brokered by Beltway Bandits, and what was actually happening to the Little Rock Nine was abstract to the politicians. The price these nine black teens paid for our freedom is beyond valuation.
And if the constancy of the violence portrayed in the telling of the tale somewhat blunts the reader's emotions after a time, it is harder to feel blunted when Melba Beals talks about the wrenching changes that went on within herself. Her fame (or notoriety among segregationists) meant that her home became a fortress-prison from which she could rarely escape. Drive-by shootings and bomb threats kept most of the lifelong friends she had made among "our people" (as she calls the blacks in her community) far away, and she was not invited to parties and outings. Holidays passed without the usual gaggle of friends and relations. The sad retelling of her unattended Sweet Sixteen Party is a heartbreaking moment in time, and her sorrow still reaches across the years to touch the reader.
But there are the finer moments as well: Every day spent at Central is at the end a day of victory; her meetings with remarkable men such as Thurgood Marshall are treasured moments in her life; her gratitude to the brave men of the 101st Airborne and the task they undertook to uphold the law of the land just so a girl could go to school where she chose, is inspiring; her first few tentative friendships with some white Central High students gives us cause for hope. Melba Pattillo traded her childhood for adulthood too soon, and her innocence for a hard-honed survival instinct by force.
We live in a far different society today, and in part that is due to Melba Beals. We can thank whatever Spirit moves us that she was given the talent to write this incredible memoir. This is an essential read.
Very good book.......2007-03-30
I loved this book. It was very sad to hear about all the hardships that the 9 students had to endure to integrate Central High. I think it made them better people and I feel sorry that they had to go through those things. The description used by Melba Pattillo Beals was excellent and very useful when you were trying to get a feel for how they felt. You almost felt as if you were there with them and were going through the same things. I would definetly recommend this book to other readers. I would avise that the reader be a little bit older so that they can understand the things that the blacks were going through. Other than being a harsh book because of the things that needed to be describe it was an amazing book.
Book Description
During his lifetime, legendary martial artist Bruce Lee formulated a complex personal philosophy--a synthesis of Eastern and Western ideals--that extolled the virtues of knowledge and total mastery of one's self. However, most of his philosophical writings could be found only within the personal library of the Bruce Lee estate--until now. The Warrior Within is the most comprehensive volume of these teachings, meant to help you apply Lee's philosophies to your own life. This unique guide reveals such life-affirming secrets as:
- Seeing the totality of life and putting things into perspective
- Understanding the concept of Yin and Yang
- Defeating adversity by adapting to circumstances
- Tapping into inner spiritual forces to help shape the future
With a foreword by Linda Lee Cadwell and photographs and other memorabilia from Bruce Lee's short but celebrated life, The Warrior Within is an engrossing and easy-to-understand guide to the little-explored world of Bruce Lee. John Little has been identified as "one of the foremost authorities on Bruce Lee in the world" by Black Belt magazine. He edited a three-volume series for the Bruce Lee estate and has written articles for several publications, including Men's Fitness, Official Karate, and Inside Kung Fu.
Customer Reviews:
RARE INSIGHT INTO ONE OF THIS GENERATIONS GREATEST ARTISTS!.......2007-03-16
One of the best books I have ever read. Buy it, read it & understand. But thats up to you. Walk on......
Inproved my way of thinking........2007-02-16
This is a must own. I have never read anything on Bruce Lee but this book has changed my thinking. It describes his life and what he has learned from Gung fu. His signposts are most important part of this book. In the words of the master himself "Be like water my friend".
I gave it 3 stars because it's Bruce Lee.......2005-11-05
This book as far as it being a good read is kind of boring. Aside from the boredom it gives you a lesson in comparative studies the west sucks and the east has the natural flow of things. However, having said that don't think that this book do not have any revelance. According to John Little, Bruce Lee's whole philosophy revolves around martial arts and that is the basis for all of his metaphors. I do not have a problem with that as I took karate as a child for a whole day! Anyway, Bruce said all knowledge is self knowledge. WOW! I have never thought of it like that before but I suppose he is right. Such things like that make the book worth the read. Is it a self help book per se no, but it can help you become someone spiritual especially for those who are into martial arts or like me just like to read and develop metaphors.
Warning: If you are a devout christian then you may be offended that Bruce did not believe in GOD.
At the end of the day:
After reading the book a spark went off in my brain.
"I am the greatest teacher and I am also the greatest student so, therefore I will not fail in any obstacles". Hey that is what works for me. You must find what works for you.
I reccommend the book simply because Bruce encourages anyone to follow their own way.
Dr.Phil ain't got nothing on Bruce Lee.......2004-01-26
Bruce Lee was always some one that I always Looked up to. He truly had a strong Vibe about Himself&the way he worded things&Put things into Perspective is still very Uplifiting to Me.He was a Very Intelligent Man&a strong Philosopher. this Book truly is Great for self-Esteem&Finding Inner Peace. a Must read.
Timeless.......2001-07-22
I would like to thank the authors for presenting such useful information. A few things that really impacted me were: 1. Bruce Lee felt that to strike back to people who are aggressive shows weakness. 2. He really worked his stomach. I have worked out for years and once I read about his stomach work I felt the affects immediately. 3. I love his thoughts on stress managemnt. I always kind of knew when I ate junk food that it was somehow related to stress. Now that I practice stress reducing excercises, I eat less junk food and I have no desire to eat it. 4. I appreciate his philosophy on total health. Like I said, what I read has totally changed my ideas on a lot of things. Thank you for an awesome book!
Book Description
The battle which took place on the Little Bighorn river on June 25, 1876 has passed into legend as “Custer's Last Stand”. This remarkable book is a unique analysis of the oral and pictorial evidence for the appearance of nearly 30 named Sioux and Cheyenne warriors who were present that day, and for their parts in the battle. The fruit of many years' study by one of today’s most internationally respected interpreters and illustrators of Native American material culture, it offers biographical notes and meticulously researched color reconstructions, together with rare photographs and pictographs.
Book Description
Dzanibaa' is alone when U.S. troops swoop down on her family's hogan. Before she can run to safety, a soldier grabs her and puts her on his horse. She is taken to Fort Canby, and from there is forced to walk to Bosque Redondo. For four long years, Dzanibaa' and her family endure incredible hardship and sacrifice. Crops wither. Food is scarce or so tainted that it poisons. Illness strikes. At times there seems no hope of a better future. Nevertheless, this time of trial gives Dzanibaa' a profound sense of herself as a Navajo and of the importance of her culture. As never before, Dzanibaa' realizes the significance of the clan system, of the prayers and songs of her people, and of exerting herself to help her family. Hear Dzanibaa''s story, and discover why she is the Little Woman Warrior Who Came Home.
Customer Reviews:
The story follows a young Navajo girl who was forced upon the Long Walk that attempted to resettle the Navajos in a barren land.......2005-09-12
Superbly illustrated by Irving Toddy, Dzani Yazhi Naazbaa': Little Woman Warrior Who Came Home is a bilingual picturebook written in both Navajo and English by Northern Arizona University professor Evangeline Parsons Yazzie. The story follows a young Navajo girl who was forced upon the Long Walk that attempted to resettle the Navajos in a barren land. Illness, famine, and earth that cannot yield healthy crops causes much suffering and death among the people. Yet amid the hardship, the young girl learns the steadfast significance of the clan system, the prayers and songs of her brethren, and the importance of coming together in dark times to help one another. Though many individuals would be lost and mourned, she and her people would survive the ordeal, and through her courage she would earn the name the Little Woman Warrior Who Came Home. The realistic color illustrations make the story come alive, and the text is sufficiently involved to make Dzani Yazhi Naazbaa' ideal for young readers who are just about ready to make the transition from picturebooks to chapter books.
The story follows a young Navajo girl who was forced upon the Long Walk that attempted to resettle the Navajos in a barren land.......2005-09-12
Superbly illustrated by Irving Toddy, Dzani Yazhi Naazbaa': Little Woman Warrior Who Came Home is a bilingual picturebook written in both Navajo and English by Northern Arizona University professor Evangeline Parsons Yazzie. The story follows a young Navajo girl who was forced upon the Long Walk that attempted to resettle the Navajos in a barren land. Illness, famine, and earth that cannot yield healthy crops causes much suffering and death among the people. Yet amid the hardship, the young girl learns the steadfast significance of the clan system, the prayers and songs of her brethren, and the importance of coming together in dark times to help one another. Though many individuals would be lost and mourned, she and her people would survive the ordeal, and through her courage she would earn the name the Little Woman Warrior Who Came Home. The realistic color illustrations make the story come alive, and the text is sufficiently involved to make Dzani Yazhi Naazbaa' ideal for young readers who are just about ready to make the transition from picturebooks to chapter books.
Book Description
Bruce Lee's last movie, Game of Death, was released shortly after the megastar's tragic death. From its first screening, controversy surrounded the film, with millions of fans worldwide believing it misrepresented Lee's vision and undermined his legitimacy as a martial artist and philosopher. Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey offers readers a unique insider's account of the remaking of this incomparable film--a film in which Lee intended to showcase not only his mastery as a martial artist and actor but also his personal philosophy.
After searching nearly thirty years, Bruce Lee expert and award-winning filmmaker John Little found Lee's original scripting notes, directorial instructions, and more than ninety-five minutes of unreleased footage from this film. In the late 1990s, working closely with Lee's widow and referring to Lee's own copious notes, Little painstakingly reconstructed the movie according to Lee's vision. Here, readers get the inside story, firsthand from the man who made the discovery, remade the movie, and, in doing so, honored the best-loved and most highly respected martial artist in living history.
The perfect complement to Warner Home Video's movie of the same name, Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey offers fans a rare behind-the-scenes account of remaking the film as well as the most comprehensive presentation of Lee's philosophy available to date.
Book Description
Winner of the Western Heritage Award for "Outstanding Western Novel" 2005
As the Cheyenne fought that June day in 1876, warrior Comes in Sight faced grave danger. His horse had been shot out from under him, and he was left stranded on the battlefield. Suddenly, a rider galloped through enemy fire, pulled Comes in Sight onto the back of her horse, and spirited him to safety. It was Buffalo Calf Road Woman—the warrior’s own sister.
While white men refer to this clash as the Battle of the Rosebud, the Cheyenne know it as the battle, “Where the Girl Saved Her Brother.” Days later, Buffalo Calf fought at the Battle of Little Bighorn—the only woman to do so. And now a controversy is brewing over her role in that battle: Did Buffalo Calf strike the fatal blow that killed Custer?
In this award-winning novel, authors Rosemary Agonito and Joseph Agonito depict the life and times of this brave young woman and the devastating effects of white man’s westward migration. Based on true events, this epic tale of love and war is an inspiring journey through one of history’s most moving sagas.
Customer Reviews:
Buffalo Calf Road Woman-A brief review.......2006-10-07
This well written book is the recipient of the prestigious 2006 Western Heritage award for outstanding Western novel. It vividly brings to life one of the most momenteous, shameful, but yet heroic eras in American History. The Agonitos skillfully weave the individual story of a single brave and courageous woman against the larger canvas of the trials and traumas of the Cheyenne. The reader cannot remain emotionally aloof from their struggles and passions, instead they are drawn in to their lives and times in a personal way. The imagery invoked by the authors makes the reader feel that he or she is right there as history and herstory unfolds. If you are a feminist, a student of History, or a lover of romance and drama, I highly recommend this book! It has been thorougly researched and is very easy and enjoyable to read!
Simply a Fine Read .......2006-05-12
I have no way to gauge the accuracy of the history recounted in Buffalo Calf Road Woman. I am neither a descendent of the Northern Cheyenne nor an historian of Native American peoples. A couple of reviewers take issue with the presentation of some "facts" in this book. While there is no fair way to resolve those issues in this online book review forum, I do offer this perspective:
There were ample caveats in the book's preface to advise readers of the inherent limitations of retrieving comprehensive and indisputable facts about plains Indians history. Therefore, what I expected and hoped for in reading Buffalo Calf Road Woman were to learn about general themes in Northern Cheyenne history, to be inspired by the life of a courageous and strong-willed woman, and to enjoy the experience along the way.
My expectations were more than met. The Agonitos' writing is easy, effective, and filled with a cadence that evokes images of life and travel in the open plains country. The only "agenda" I detected on the part of the authors was to help inform more people of the complex and heart-wrenching struggle for life and dignity inflicted upon Native Americans in "white man's" pursuit of land and resources. All of the characters in the book (including the protagonist) were shown in their multi-dimensional humanity, with their flaws, heroism, and conflicts.
I was transported from my life as I turned the pages of this well written, plainly interesting story. Unlike some other reviewers who hold the success of this book - a work of Native American History/Fiction - hostage to some perceived agenda on the part of the authors, I found it simply a fine read.
a bit of a hagiography.......2006-05-04
Contrary to the many New York Reviews, the Northern Cheyenne review is supportable. Throughout the journey up from the Darlington Agency the authors protagonist shares the lead with Little Wolf, choosing campsites, motivating people, settling dissension. In reality, she was not even there! She and Black Coyote did not catch up with Little Wolf's band until the sand hills, after the split from Dull Knife's band.
Page 76. Little Wolf was shot six times throughout Mackenzie's attack as he led the women and children to safety. The authors cast him aside at the beginning of the battle and place their protagonist in his stead.
Page 20. Black Coyote considers the heroines complaint that women should be allowed at Council. His response was, "You may be right Calf,... it must be tough being a woman." As sensitive, romantic and PC as it sounds this conversation is almost laughable when one considers the social equanimity of the Cheyenne prior to colonialism.
Page 32. "She marveled at Limpy's foolishness in exposing himself so, ... How strange was a man's pride, Calf thought, to expose himself so." In reality, acts of this type were seen as very courageous by all plains Indian tribes. Outsiders saw it as foolishness. This statement, and others like it (pp. 72, 81, etc.)attempt to portray sagacity. Great for creating a heroine, but lousy for cultural respect and awareness.
Throughout - The Sacred Buffalo Hat and Sacred Arrows are not "objects." Traditional Cheyennes consider them to be living covenants, or entities.
As an attempt to create a romantic Indian story, this book is commendable, however, as an accurate portrayal of Cheyenne history, it fails. A book I would like to have seen in the bibliography is: So You Want to Write About American Indians by Devon Mihesuah
An Amazing Tribute and a Great Love Story.......2006-04-11
I am a St. Regis Mohawk born off the reservation. Much of all of the history of the sovereign nations residing inside the borders of the United States is oral history. As such, even my own family's history is difficult to obtain and has as many versions as the people who tell it. This book is remarkable in that it attempts a balance of those truths, as indeed each person who tells the history is telling his or her own truth, while creating for the reader an image of the brave struggle of Native Peoples in those times and of a remarkable woman. I am astounded each time I meet a sister or a brother from any sovereign nation who does not think the telling of such a story by anyone is in any way corrupting our peoples. It is a tribute to the sensitivity of these writers that they chose to write about us at all, so dismissed have we always been by history. I do not pretend to be a scholar. I tend to find most of them a boring lot of preachers who care only for their own point of view and who interpret history according to their own agenda. I saw no agenda in this book. I saw only beauty, truth, and love. This book will move you. It is a book you will recommend to friends and family. Yes, the writers are white but they speak with a straight tongue.
Teouwya - St. Regis Mohawk
Outstanding Historical Novel.......2006-04-07
Buffalo Calf Road Woman, by Rosemary and Joseph Agonito, is a remarkable achievement crafted by two serious scholars and gifted writers. In this award-winning book, the authors have skillfully incorporated the fruits of many years of research in the archives of the Northern Cheyenne with realistic and compelling dialogue. This poignant, well balanced work highlights the injustices that inform this chapter of the history of the American West. Highly recommended for the general reader as well as senior high school students and undergraduates.
Book Description
Little Bill and his friends are trying out for the baseball team.Little Bill is sure he'll be picked for second base. But then a girl tries out, and she's really good! Little Bill is worried. Will the coach choose the girl for second base?
Average customer rating:
- Showdown on the Great Plains
|
Custer and Crazy Horse: A Story of Two Warriors (Scholastic Biography)
Jim Razzi
Manufacturer: Scholastic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| History & Historical Fiction
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 9-12
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 059041836X |
Customer Reviews:
Showdown on the Great Plains.......2006-06-23
I read this book when I was in junior high school and found it to be quite a good read; it helped to spark my life long interest in American history. This book details the life of Custer and Crazy Horse, from the beginnings of each's life to their showdown at the Battle of Little Big Horn, to the years immediately following this. Custer is shown as an ambitious and assertive man with political ambitions. His hope was that a military victory over the Sioux would catapult his name into the national political arena. Likewise, Chief Crazy Horse was disappointed at his tribes continuiung retreat away from white settlers. After repeated attempts, he and Chief Sitting Bull finally convinced enough natives to join together and fight the settlers. The result was the Battle of Little Big Horn in which Custer let his arrogance rule over common sense and caution. Several hundred American troops advanced on a series of Sioux villages, only to find themselves surrounded by two thousand plus warriors. The end result was a slaughter. Unfortunately, the Sioux could not keep their forces together long enough to deal with the other groups of US soldiers in the area. Chief Sitting Bull took his forces north into Canada and Crazy Horse was eventually defeated in battle.
The book is written for the early-teens reading level and is quite interesting. I recommend this book as a good introduction to American - Native American history for youngsters.
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