There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in The Other America

Amazon.com

There Are No Children Here, the true story of brothers Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers, ages 11 and 9 at the start, brings home the horror of trying to make it in a violence-ridden public housing project. The boys live in a gang-plagued war zone on Chicago's West Side, literally learning how to dodge bullets the way kids in the suburbs learn to chase baseballs. "If I grow up, I'd like to be a bus driver," says Lafeyette at one point. That's if, not when--spoken with the complete innocence of a child. The book's title comes from a comment made by the brothers' mother as she and author Alex Kotlowitz contemplate the challenges of living in such a hostile environment: "There are no children here," she says. "They've seen too much to be children." This book humanizes the problem of inner-city pathology, makes readers care about Lafeyette and Pharoah more than they may expect to, and offers a sliver of hope buried deep within a world of chaos.

Book Description

This is the moving and powerful account of two remarkable boys struggling to survive in Chicago's Henry Horner Homes, a public housing complex disfigured by crime and neglect.

Customer Reviews:

The other America indeed.......2007-09-25

Nice mix of anecdote and historical background on life in inner city America. Excellent insight into the everyday difficulties faced by families and some of the root causes. This book, though almost 20 years old, still has a message that needs to be heard.

a sobering account of the horrendous state of America's impoverished.......2007-07-18

You don't need to look to Africa or the Middle East to find crime and poverty. Millions live in gang-riddled public housing projects, where violence is a fact of life. If these thoughts don't stir your heart, this book will.

impressive work of reserach and great story telling.......2007-04-30

As in his other book, The other side of the River, Alex Kotlowitz proves again what an amazing story teller he is. Kotlowitz spent a couple of years living with and getting to Know Pharaoh and Lafeyette in the Chiacgo housing project, a place where even the police are afraid to go into without back up. The life of these children seems to be written in the stars, everything is planned for them - poverty, delinquency, prison, abuse, drugs and finally death. Regardless of your stand on social (in)equality, wellfare and other government help, it is easy to relate to Kotlowitz' regard for the boys and some of their friends, although most of us are on the "right" side of the law and the more affluent side of society. The poignant story brings to mind the chicken and the egg debate - do people sink into poverty because of inadequate government help or do they have a hand in it? The boys' mother has 8 children, no job and her husband wont provide for them. Why does she continue to have more children? The government built housing for the people, but the housing is substandard, and reinforces the residents' feelings of being left behind, not on society's top priority. Has America given up on these children?
Can't wait for Alex to write an update, 10 years later.

Great Reading.......2007-04-07

I was required to read this book for a class and loved it! The story of these boys was so moving. I would recommend this book to everyone!

You MUST read this book.......2007-01-10

This goes out to everyone living in America today.... you have to read this book. I grew up in a small rural town. My only experience of urban life came from movies and rap music. This book made it plainly clear to me that we are sweeping Americas own problems under a rug. Though I feel strongly for the plight of others all over the world, how can we help them when we haven't spent the time and energy that we need to fix our own backyard? We need to invest in our future and it needs to happen now. This book should be required reading in our schools especially with regards to small town schools. These schools tend to "glamorize" urban life and gangs instead of understanding what they are, a means of survival for our scared youth looking for protection and who don't see another way out nor a future for themselves.

"Reading Don't Fix No Chevys": Literacy in the Lives of Young Men

Average customer rating:

An Essential Read for All High School Teachers
We're failing our boys by ignoring their interests
Brilliant and Inspiring for Any Teacher of Language Arts

"Reading Don't Fix No Chevys": Literacy in the Lives of Young Men
Michael W. Smith , and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm
Manufacturer: Heinemann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Literacy | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0867095091

Book Description

The problems of boys in schools, especially in reading and writing, have been the focus of statistical data, but rarely does research point out how literacy educators can combat those problems. That situation has changed. Michael Smith and Jeff Wilhelm, two of the most respected names in English education and in the teaching of reading, worked with a very diverse group of young men to understand how they use literacy and what conditions promote it. In this book they share what they have learned.

Through a variety of creative research methods and an extended series of interviews with 49 young men in middle and high school who differ in class, race, academic achievement, kind of school, and geography, the authors identified the factors that motivated these young men to become accomplished in the activities they most enjoyedfactors that marked the boys' literate activities outside of school, but were largely absent from their literate lives in school. Their study questions the way reading and literature are typically taught and suggests powerful alternatives to traditional instruction.

Building their findings on their understanding of the powerful and engaging experiences boys had outside of school, Smith and Wilhelm discuss why boys embrace or reject certain ways of being literate, how boys read and engage with different kinds of texts, and what qualities of texts appeal to boys. Throughout, the authors highlight the importance of choice, the boys' need to be shown how to read, the cost of the traditional teaching of difficult canonical texts, and the crucial place of meaningful social activity.

The authors' data-driven findings are provocative, explaining why boys reject much of school literacy and how progressive curricula and instruction might help boys engage with literacy and all learning in more productive ways. Providing both challenges and practical advice for overcoming those challenges, Smith and Wilhelm have produced a book that will appeal to teachers, teacher educators, and parents alike.

Customer Reviews:

An Essential Read for All High School Teachers .......2005-11-13

I read this book as a part of a Graduate level course in education I am taking at Rutgers University; the very University its author Michael Smith (who co-wrote with Jeffrey Wilhelm) once taught at. I found this book indispensible in its informative snapshots of high school boys from different backgrounds. It is clear that the language arts do not suffer from irrelevance for boys but perhaps from being taught in such a way that does not connect the texts with the boys' existing literary knowledge. After reading this book, you will learn that there are many ways to engage boys in the teaching of the language arts. I highly recommend this book. It is one of the top five best educational books I have read so far. Exceptional!

We're failing our boys by ignoring their interests.......2003-09-25

I heard about this book on Amazon, and quickly picked it up. As a teacher of middle school English learners who will soon be transitioning to mainstream classes, I have had many battles with students, especially boys, who hate to read. At the beginning of the year, I have my students complete this statement on a piece of paper: "When I read, I feel....". From the boys, I've gotten such responses as "bored", "tired", "sleepy", and, strangely enough, "hungry". The reality is, our male students are falling through the cracks because they are not engaged with the texts. If students aren't engaged by "Death of a Salesman" or "The Scarlet Letter", then why do we still force them to read these books? One solution to solving the problem of low literacy skills among boys would be to allow more book choices. Literature circles are great, because they give students a choice. If one circle is reading "Lord of the Flies" and doesn't want to read it, then he could get in the group that's reading the book he wants to read. "Reading Don't Fix No Chevys" is an insightful, well-researched book that I have been recommending to all my fellow Language Arts and ESL/ELD teachers. Bravo!

Brilliant and Inspiring for Any Teacher of Language Arts.......2002-10-13

This book significantly changed the way I, as a teacher of Language Arts, think about what we do in secondary classrooms every day. Without ever being strident or laying blame, the authors methodically, movingly demonstrate that in so many ways, most middle schools and high schools are still far off the mark in how they teach English. And yet, the answer is right there--all we have to do is listen to the kids.

Sure, it's easy for us to listen to the good readers, the ones who zipped through "Lord of the Rings" in 5th grade, who devour books. But when do we really listen and respond to the needs of those kids--particularly, as the authors point out, boys--who never read, who say they hate to read?

The authors studied, and carried on extensive dialogues, with 49 boys in grades 7-12. What they found will shock and dismay some readers. To others, it will come as no surprise. Still others may see it as a call to action: Increasingly, many children--and boys in particular--fail to make any significant connection with what goes on in the language arts classroom. Even passionate teachers may be of little help, so long as they insist on imposing the conventional canon of "great literature" on all students. What's more, students who resist traditional reading are by no means necessarily illiterate. Many are highly competent readers of computer manuals, sports magazines, graphic novels and internet communications--to name just a few. Many are passionate about these alternative literary activities. But they find no reinforcement for them in school; often, it is quite the opposite.

The authors argue that we must reach students first through the literate activities they already know and value, and tap into these interests, these sometimes unconventional literacies, as ways to engage them in meaningful, real activities. Then, if all goes well, they will begin to seek out wonder and meaning in ways that go deeper than the surface, and the door may open, for some, on that world of symbolic, philosophical, emotional meaning that is so valued by teachers and other lifelong readers.

Average customer rating:

Victims No Longer

Long-But has good info/advice

Awesome read

Victims No Longer

Absolutely Recommended

Victims No Longer: The Classic Guide for Men Recovering from Sexual Child Abuse
Mike Lew
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Beyond Betrayal: Taking Charge of Your Life after Boyhood Sexual Abuse

Abused Boys: The Neglected Victims of Sexual Abuse

Allies in Healing: When the Person You Love Was Sexually Abused as a Child

Wounded Boys Heroic Men: A Man's Guide to Recovering from Child Abuse

Broken Boys / Mending Men: Recovery from Childhood Sexual Abuse

ASIN: 006053026X
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Book Description

For millions of men on the path to recovery, Victims No Longer is the next step.

The first book written specifically for men, Victims No Longer examines the changing cultural attitudes toward male survivors of incest and other sexual trauma. Now, in this Second Edition, this invaluable resource continues to offer compassionate and practical advice, supported by personal anecdotes and statements of male survivors. Victims No Longer helps survivors to:

Identify and validate their childhood experiences
Explore strategies of survival and healing
Work through issues such as trust, intimacy, and sexual confusion
Establish a support network for continued personal recovery
Make choices that aren't determined by abuse

Psychotherapist Mike Lew has worked with thousands of men and women in their healing from the effects of childhood sexual abuse, rape, physical violence, emotional abuse, and neglect. The development of strategies for recovery from incest and other abuse, particularly for men, has been a major focus of his work as a counselor and group leader.

Thoroughly updated and revised, and including an expanded Resources section, Victims No Longer educates survivors and professionals about the recovery process -- speaking to the pain, needs, fears, and hopes of the adult male survivor.

Customer Reviews:

Victims No Longer.......2007-09-29

This is an excellent, straight-forward, sensitive book that deals with a topic that is difficult. It is written so that it can be easily understood and is incredibly helpful to victims as well as therapists who treat them. The author validates the victim's world and encourages the victim to get help and talks about the many males who have survived and are healing.

Long-But has good info/advice.......2007-08-25

As a spouse of a survivor, I read this book which also offered advice to partners and spouses. This book gave way too many examples and other info for the first 4 chapters. Most of us already have an idea of what sexual abuse against boys can entail, there were just way too many stories of survivors that were disturbing and difficult to read. It did however give important insight and ways to get help and help yourself but it came along with a lot of unneeded information. If you have the time and patience it is a good tool towards recovery.

Awesome read.......2007-08-24

I gave this wonderful book to my husband who is in recovery from childhood sexual abuse by his father. He cried and read , cried and read from start to finish. The book is empowering, healing and filled with truth that heals. I recommend it as an essential read for those in recovery and for those who love them. Kate

Victims No Longer.......2007-01-23

This is an excellent book. I am a counselor and the issues addressed regarding male child sexual abuse are so important. So many males have been molested and/or incested and carry shame, so that they, perhaps more than females, do not report it. Yet, these unresolved issues carry into adult sexual and friendship relationships until they are healed. I bought a copy for myself to use clinically and one for a friend who is a survivor of incest.

Absolutely Recommended.......2006-03-11

This book is a great resource for clinicians, survivors, and anyone who knows a survivor.

Average customer rating:

The Not-so good book
Overwhelming.
Another side of the story
Ugh ...
Thoughts on No-No Boy

No-No Boy
John Okada
Manufacturer: University of Washington Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0295955252

Customer Reviews:

The Not-so good book.......2007-08-25

I read this book, and couldn't figure out what Okada was trying to tell the reader. He is all over the place. It is fine to have different experiences, moods, and challenges, but it seems like Okada is over analyzing every single one of those things. And it is not a pleasant read. I am sure that he went through a lot. But the characters in this book are, for the most part, not right. Okada left me feeling apathetic towards almost every character. And the people we surround ourselves with are a representation of who we are.

Overwhelming........2007-02-19

In general, John Okada may have created one of the greatest piece of fiction I have ever read in the Asian American diaspora. The story kept me transfixed to the pages and I had no trouble keeping up. I thoroughly enjoyed the great detail and lengths he goes to accurately depict the life of a "No-No" boy in a world confused by a country whom had betrayed them and by their people who shun their existence. Powerful read.

Another side of the story.......2006-03-26

I have read many books dealing with the Japanese internment during WWII and the aftermath, but this book was the first I have seen that tells a very different story. Beautifully written, the author tells of the conflicts and guilt of a young man who refuses to serve in the US military during the war while his family was being held in an internment camp. After spending two years in jail for the refusal, he returns to the Japanese community in Seattle and struggles to reconcile his dual identify as Japanese and as an American.

Ugh ... .......2006-02-01

This book stinks, the plot is trivial, the characters suck, and the chapters go on and on and on and on and on about nothing, nothing at all. Here is my favorite passage from the book "There was nothing for him to do but roll over and try to sleep. Somewhere, sometime, he had even forgotten how to cry." Yeah the entire book is like that.

Thoughts on No-No Boy.......2005-12-13

John Okada's No-No Boy is an interesting perspective into Japanese-American life post WWII. The reader explores the protagonist Ichiro's struggles with being a "No No boy," or Japanese who refused the draft after the Japanese were put into internment camps. The placement of Japanese-Americans into internment camps pre-WWII is a historical subject that seems to be given little consideration outside the world of academia. This book explores the ways Japanese culture intersects with American culture, and how traditional Japanese values are or are not merged with American values. Those Japanese who refused the draft were abhorred by Japanese-American culture thereafter, and Okada explores the cultural and political implications of why this happened through Ichiro's struggle. The examination of the reaction of white America to Ichiro's experience opposed to the reaction of Japanese-America presents some interesting cultural differences concerning value. While certain people in white American would forgive and understand the perspective of Ichiro, he is seen as a threat to solidarity within the Japanese community. The expectations and standards that society places on an individual is made much more complicated if a person must do this between two different societal value systems, and also does not completely agree with either. Okada explores why this is relevant to the understanding of the history through the Ichiro's struggle. Okada's work is an interesting exploration of the intersection of different values, standards, stereotypes and politics.

A Boy No More (Aladdin Historical Fiction)

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A Boy No More
A Boy No More
A Boy No More
My Son Loved This Book!!!
Reprinted from the Aug 2006 "The Historical Novels Review"

A Boy No More (Aladdin Historical Fiction)
Harry Mazer
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1416914048

Book Description

"WHAT ABOUT WHAT THEY DID TO MY FATHER?...

THE JAPS KILLED HIM!"

Adam Pelko witnessed something horrible: the sinking of the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor -- with his father aboard. Since then, Adam and his mother and sister have moved to California, where they are trying to rebuild their lives.

But no matter where Adam goes, he can't get away from the effects of the war. His best friend, Davi, has asked for help. Davi is Japanese American, and his father has been arrested, taken to Manzanar, a Japanese internment camp.

Adam isn't sure what to do. If he goes to Manzanar and starts asking questions, he could be risking his own life. But can he simply do nothing and risk losing Davi's friendship forever? Are Davi, his father, and all the other Japanese Americans taken from their homes responsible for what happened at Pearl Harbor?

In this riveting follow-up to his acclaimed book A Boy at War, Harry Mazer explores questions of friendship and loyalty against the backdrop of World War II, a time when boys had to grow up fast.

Customer Reviews:

A Boy No More.......2007-03-08

A Boy No More is a great book. I would recomend this book to any one who needs to read a historical fiction book. A Boy At War is the first book in this series. It is about a boy named Adam who father was killed during the attacks on Pearl Harbor. Later in the book he goes to visit his Japenese friend father in a prison camp. Just because he looks Japanese he was sent to a way. When Adam comes back home his mom is angry because he did not tell her where he was going and he went to the camp called Manzanar and he was gone for a while. So she does not speak to him for a while Adam wants to go to his grandfathers because he wants to sign up for the marines. His mom won't sign for him to get into the marines. So he's going to go down to his grandfathers and ask. Will his grandfather say yes for him to come down? I will have to read the rest of the series to find out.

A Boy No More.......2007-01-10

I bought this book for a gift for my 11-year-old nephew. He wrote me when he had finished it - he loved it!

A Boy No More.......2006-12-15

The reason why I rated this book a two is because it jumps from day to day so fast. I couldn't tell where I was. Another reason is the main character was not believeable. He would do things that teenagers wouldn't do. He went on a train for two days. I thought that it was going to have a little action, but it was nothing like the first book. The first book had Pearl Harbor in it. I thought the second have another important battle/event of World War II. Over all this book stinks, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

My Son Loved This Book!!!.......2006-11-10

I have bought all 3 of the books in this series for my 10 yr old son...and he has loved them all.....I'm sorry there aren't more lol...So this year for Christmas I am buying any other books written by Harry Mazer...Just this week we cleaned out my sons closets and packed away things he no longer uses or plays with...and he said he wanted to keep this series of books so when he has a son, his son can read them...when a 10 yr old is planning to save a book for that lenght of time then the book made an impression....

Reprinted from the Aug 2006 "The Historical Novels Review".......2006-08-26

In this sequel to "A Boy at War", author Harry Mazer picks up the story of young Adam Pelko after the attack on Pearl Harbor, where he witnessed his father's death on the USS Arizona. Now evacuated to San Diego with his mother and sister, Adam is faced with the task of rebuilding his life. However, the effects of the new war follow him in many ways, most of all in the form of a letter from his best friend in Hawaii, Davi Mori. Davi's father has been arrested and he needs Adam's help. This letter launches him on a mission to get word to Davi's uncle in Fresno. On the subsequent journey Adam not only is forced into conflict with his mother, but learns first hand of the nation's new fear and hatred of the Japanese. When he finally reaches the uncle, Adam finds his friend and his entire family have been relocated to the forbidding internment camp at Manzanar.

The author does a masterful job of blending the issues of a boy becoming a young man with the larger reality of the nation's treatment of its citizens of Japanese descent. Mr. Mazer was inspired by the tragedies of September 11, and he wished to have his readers recognize "the parallels and perils" of the prejudice and guilt by association mentality that gripped the nation after Pearl Harbor. I believe he has succeeded in this, telling a story that is at once historical and deeply human. He also includes several pages of factual background, an excellent addition for young readers who are probably not familiar with this period of history

Having visited an internment camp similar to Manzanar, I find the author's descriptions to be accurate. The thoughts and actions of Adam Pelko also ring true. This is a wonderful book, well suited to its intended audience of ages 10 to 14.

Lost Boy No More: A True Story Of Survival And Salvation

Average customer rating:

Lost book
A story of hope
An Emotional Read
The Real Thing
What an eye-opening book!

Lost Boy No More: A True Story Of Survival And Salvation
Abraham Nhial , and DiAnn Mills
Manufacturer: B&H Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Religious | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0805431861

Book Description

Lost Boy No More tells the incredible true story of Abraham Nhial—but the story is not his alone.

As a nine year-old child, Abraham found himself orphaned as civil war in his homeland of Sudan ravaged his entire village because they refused to embrace Islam. His journey is one of a perilous walk along with 35,000 lost boys of Sudan who fled to Ethiopia. Abraham and others like him made it to the border but hard times were not over as he endured the refugee camps of Ethiopia. Abraham becomes a lost boy no more when he discovers real salvation through Jesus Christ. Lost Boy No More gives more than a narrative of Abraham's story. It also gives a history of Sudan and the persecution of Christians by Islamic militants.

Customer Reviews:

Lost book.......2005-07-19

I couldn't read this book. I skimmed it, but I couldn't read it. It was disjointed and disappointing. I don't think it adequately portrayed the situation. Also, I don't mind reading religious material, but I like to know it's religious material before I buy it.

A story of hope.......2005-02-05

So begins the story of the Lost Boys, children, some much younger than Abraham, who fled from the horror of those who butchered their families into the desert. They fled without adequate food, water and clothes. They fled, pursued by soldiers who found pleasure in torture. Yet, despite the hardships, many not only survive, but found their faith sustained them.

Read entire review at AUTHOR'S CHOICE REVIEWS http://come.to/bookreviews

An Emotional Read.......2005-02-02

Lost Boy No More will touch your heart and set your soul on fire! I cried as I read this emotional journey and the tribulations these boys went through. My heart cried out to them. Powerful and insightful, this is a must-read. For more of my reviews, visit my website at www.robinmillerbooks.com

The Real Thing.......2005-02-02

It is one thing to read about the atrocities in the Sudan in the daily newspaper. It is quite another to hear first-hand the stories of real people who witnessed and experienced unspeakable crimes against humanity. I was shaken to the core by this book. It is one that everyone should read, especially those of us who will never travel to the Sudan in person. It challenges us to pray, to write to our government for assistance for these people, and to give from our own wealth to help in whatever way is possible.

What an eye-opening book!.......2005-01-18

This book draws attention to unimaginable atrocities in Sudan. Thirty-five thousand boys, caught in the crossfire of a religious and civil war, are stripped of their families, homes, and food sources. These orphaned boys join together to trek across Africa to refugee camps, and thousands die during their journey. However, by relying on each other and God, many boys rise above the violence they have witnessed. They vow to get an education and somehow make a difference in their native land.

This is a book that everyone should read. The Sudanese genocide represents an era in recent world history that the media has overlooked and under-reported. Kudos to DiAnn Mills for bringing these boys' true stories to life. This book will make your heart go out to the "lost boys" while you realize how much we take our religious freedom for granted.

Melissa Lowe Richardson
www.BlueDoveMinistries.com

ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN - BOY DETECTIVE (America's Sherlock Holmes in Sneakers, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

An Old Favorite
The best book in the world
A Fantastic Book
Giving geeks a good name.
Are You a good detective?

ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN - BOY DETECTIVE (America's Sherlock Holmes in Sneakers, No. 1)
Donald J. Sobol
Manufacturer: Yearling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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

Amazon.com

A Civil War sword, missing roller skates, a trapeze artist's inheritance, a ghost who whistles, eight stuffed penguins... Is there any case this kid can't crack? Introduce your favorite bookworm to boy detective Encyclopedia Brown, fifth-grade mastermind behind Idaville's police force, "a complete library walking around in sneakers." Each book is set up so that readers can try to solve the case along with the boy genius, and the answers to all the mysteries are found in the back. This introductory set includes four paperbacks: Donald J. Sobol's Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective (Book 1), Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret Pitch (Book 2), Encyclopedia Brown Finds the Clues (Book 3), and Encyclopedia Brown Gets His Man (Book 4). (Ages 7 to 12)

Book Description

Leroy Brown, aka Encyclopedia Brown, is Idaville neighborhood's ten-year-old star detective. With an uncanny knack for trivia, he solves mysteries for the neighborhood kids through his own detective agency. But his dad also happens to be the chief of the Idaville police department, and every night around the dinner table, Encyclopedia helps him solve his most baffling crimes. And with ten confounding mysteries in each book, not only does Encyclopedia have a chance to solve them, but the reader is given all the clues as well. Interactive and chock full of interesting bits of information—it's classic Encyclopedia Brown!

Customer Reviews:

An Old Favorite.......2007-08-14

Give this book to a winsome young boy and you might inspire a scientist. I loved this book as a boy and recently bought a copy for my nephew. I read it quickly before wrapping it. Wonderful stories even if they are a little dated. Enjoy!

The best book in the world.......2007-03-10

I loooove this book. Donald J. Sobol is one of my favorite authors. If u love great books u should get this. I have all of the books in the series and u should too.

A Fantastic Book.......2007-03-05

I loooooooove this book. It is the best book in the world. I am glad there are a lot of those books. I have almost all of them and I am going to get more soon. Donald J. Sobol is a great author with fantastic books.
I would soooooo buy all of them.

Giving geeks a good name........2005-10-27

Encyclopedia Brown was my childhood hero. I liked him so much I named my cat Sally Kimball. Not one to stand out in a crowd, Cyc (on the covers of the old scholastic paperbooks) looked like a carbon copy of my 2nd grade self. Of course, I was sitting inside reading about his adventures during recess, not solving crimes, with wits perhaps not quite so sharp. And my suburb did not have quite as many opportunities for me to distinguish myself with crime-solving ability. Still, Cyc taught me lessons that I saw myself one day applying, once I escaped Red China.
This was before I got into snorting Pixie Stix.

Are You a good detective?.......2005-10-13

This story is about a boy who starts a detective business and his name is Leroy Brown, but all his friends call him Encyclopedia. His father is the cheif of police and no one in the city of Idaville(where he lives)had gotten away with any crime in over one year! Whenever his father gets a hard case, he tells it to Leroy and it's solved very fast, but it's their little secret. The answers to all the cases are in the back of the book, but sometimes it's fun to solve them yourself. Some cases are easier than others and some are harder than others but they all make this a good book!

Up to No Good: The Rascally Things Boys Do

Average customer rating:

Laugh until you hurt
cruelty isn't "naughty"
Enjoy & Share It
Quick and fun to read
Perfect Father's Day Gift!

Up to No Good: The Rascally Things Boys Do
Kitty Harman , and Heather Gilson
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Essays | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0811826880

Amazon.com

Boys will be boys. Which is to say they will be naughty. Up to No Good is a charming look at the "rascally things boys do," with fun black-and-white photos of a diverse assortment of lads and anecdotes related by now-grown men about their youthful exploits. (Last names have been omitted to protect the guilty.) John, born in 1959 in Connecticut, remembers kissing rocks and throwing them at his favorite girls. Peter (1964, New York) recalls making a nun scream by smearing ketchup on his shirt and pretending to have jumped out his Catholic school window. Mark (1960, Ohio) admits to pocketing a dissected pig snout in biology class and reattaching it to a school water fountain. The stories evoke a more innocent time, when sticks and stones were the principal weapons, and a prank could be forgiven if imaginative enough. Up to No Good makes a fine gift book for Dad or that particularly mischievous fellow we all know.

Book Description

Up to No Good is a collection of hysterical stories from grown men about the havoc they wreaked when they were boys. Nothing is sacred in this collection that makes Eddie Haskall look like a goody two shoes--terrified nuns, electric fences, science classes gone bad--the list goes on and on. The storytellers are purportedly "perfectly decent grown men," although judging from these tales that's hard to believe. It's impossible to flip through the pages without remembering some of your own pranks--and punishments--and cringing at the thought of the poor adults who had to grin and bear it. For all the former bad boys who've been ensconced in corner offices and carpool caravans across the country, here's a great way to jog a heretofore selective memory and recall a time when gross was good and mischief was there for the making.

Customer Reviews:

Laugh until you hurt.......2007-01-11

Up to No Good is an engrossing and funny book describing stunts young boys pull during their childhood. Yes, some of the stunts are dangerous, a few of them are unkind, but they are a reality with many boys, most of whom grow into respectable adults (like the boys featured in the book). We read portions of the book at a family reunion, and it started a whole round of tales of crazy boy stunts done by the boys in our families. Great book.

cruelty isn't "naughty".......2006-04-20

I'd already added this book to my shopping cart when I started looking at some of the pages and took it out. I'm not an animal-rights activist. I eat meat. But teasing humans, who might actually have a sense of humor, falls in a different moral category than killing animals because you can. No, I don't want to buy this for my nephew. Thank God I had daughters.

Enjoy & Share It.......2005-01-30

This is hilarious! I grew up with two brothers and these stories are "spot on". I only gave the book 4 stars because there are so many missing stories... I've given this book to several people and also just shared it with many friends. Every grown man that reads the book is immediately prompted to share his own stories. There should be a sequel...

Quick and fun to read.......2003-08-14

This is a fun book to make you laugh and to remind you that boys do have a mischievous streak (as if you needed reminding)! The author has collected accounts of the childhood pranks of men who are now (she claims) perfectly respectable adults. There is nothing deep or thought-provoking here, but I laughed out loud many times reading this. By the way, there is no way I would give this to my boys until they have outgrown their mischievous stage! The squeamish among us may wish that the author had left out some of her collection of stories, but overall it is reading that will tickle your funny bone. I wish it had been longer.

Perfect Father's Day Gift!.......2000-12-28

As a daughter of a wonderful father, I would like to think that I have a better glimpse into what he must have been like as a boy! We shared laughter while reading the book together and enjoyed blessed moment of closeness through the help of this sweet little book!

Average customer rating:

This one did not hit the spot
A really good book about gambling
A royal flush of a read

No Limit
Pete Hautman
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 1416905049

Book Description

"All I want is to play cards, to run my fingers over those slick, hard surfaces, to feel that cold power flowing in and out through my hands and eyes."

Dennis Doyle is feeling lucky. His landscaping business is thriving, his girlfriend loves him, he's got money in the bank, and the city bus that ran into him that morning left him alive and well. Soon he'll turn sixteen and buy himself a car. Everything is going his way. So when his buddies ask him to play poker, Denn says yes. The cards are dealt, the money is bet...and the worst possible thing happens. Denn wins.

And he likes it.

Customer Reviews:

This one did not hit the spot.......2006-11-04

I'm a big fan of this author, but this book just didn't cut it for me. There is nothing in the material about the book that indicates it is written for the youth market, but it certainly seems as though that is the case. A rather simple story, quite briefly, but not badly told. It warns about addiction, which I belive the author has had to deal with in his life. In any event, I was disappointed. You will have to make your own judgment.

A really good book about gambling.......2006-09-13

This book is about your average sixteen-year-old, who owns his own landscaping business, and isn't quite sure he wants to return to school for twelfth grade. His name is Dennis Doyle. When some buddies of his want to play poker, he half-heartedly says yes. Then, something really, really bad happens; he wins. After that, Dennis is hooked on this game, full of luck and strategy. Winning game after game after game, Dennis seems to have it all. But there are some surprises around the corner that even Dennis, with all his money, may not be able to face.

A royal flush of a read.......2006-01-09

I found No Limit to be disturbingly real. Hautman does a great job of showing a how a young man changes from earning money by mowing lawns to professional gambling.

"This the part where you maybe think I'm going to tell you that I lost all my money. It could have happened that way. Sometimes I wish it had." That quote haunted me throughout my reading of the book. I could not put it down. I cheered when Doyle lost. I grieved when he won.

A mature reader will recognize what gambling cost Doyle, an immature reader will not.

The characters are realistic, the effort to alert Doyle to the consequences of his actions are superbly done. I felt I knew Doyle. I have live near gambling establishments of one sort or another most of my life and have seen first hand what can happen.

This was a real story. I am looking forward to the sequel. Thanks Pete for a great book!

Danger Zone (Hardy Boys Casefiles, No 37)

Average customer rating:

Danger Zone (Hardy Boys Casefiles, No 37)
Franklin W. Dixon
Manufacturer: Demco Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Turtleback

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