The Night Before Easter

Book Description

"Twas the night before Easter, just before dawn, Not a creature was stirring out on the lawn" The Easter bunny takes center stage in this delightful spin on Clement C. Moore's beloved poem that will send families hopping to the bookstore for an Easter treat sweeter than any sugar plum!

Customer Reviews:

Cute Idea for a Book.......2007-10-02

I haven't given this to my granddaughters yet, will at Easter time. But the book is cute, something they will enjoy the night before Easter.

The Night Before Easter.......2007-05-10

A bright happy book! Fun to find other objects in the story after reading the whole book. Would definitly recommend this book. Looking forward to purchasing other The Night Before books!

Cute!.......2007-03-22

I ordered this book for my grandson for Easter. I also have "The Night Before Thanksgiving". Since my 5-year old grandson liked that one so much, I decided to order the Easter version. The "story" is similar to "The Night Before Christmas".

Terrific Holiday Book.......2004-03-24

My son received this as an Easter Gift for his first Easter, and we are still reading it three Easters later. He loves to hear it, and I love to read it to him. This makes a great addition to your Easter Basket!

Twas the Night Before Easter.......2000-01-20

A charming Easter tale sure to delight young and old alike. Children will love looking for the eggs hidden in the pictures and listening to the rhythmic language; adults will smile at the new and original twists on this Easter time take-off of the well-loved Twas the Night Before Christmas. The perfect Easter basket gift!

Average customer rating:

Perfection (With a Twist!)
The Night Before Kindergarten
Portrays Kindergarten as a scary place
Excellent Encouragement for Parents & Kids!
If only I had these books when my children...

The Night Before Kindergarten

Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

jp-unknown1 | Specialty Stores | Books

First Day of School | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

School | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0448425009

Book Description

'Twas the night before kindergarten, and as they prepared,
kids were excited,
and a little bit scared.

It's the first day of school! Join the kids as they prepare for kindergarten, packing school supplies, posing for pictures, and the hardest part of all-saying goodbye to Mom and Dad. But maybe it won't be so hard once they discover just how much fun kindergarten really is! Colorful illustrations illuminate this uplifting takeoff on the classic Clement C. Moore Christmas poem.

Customer Reviews:

Perfection (With a Twist!).......2007-10-02

This will be a favorite storybook for younger children preparing for the first day at school! All over the town, there are children tossing and turning in their beds, worried about teachers, friends, leaving play and family behind, "while visions of school supplies danced in their heads."

Of course, all is well! The teacher is the best and it's the parents in the end who shed a tear or two as they leave their kindergarten scholars behind!

Kids will enjoy hearing this story over and over again! A really sweet read for parents and children!

The Night Before Kindergarten.......2007-09-13

This was a GREAT book for children starting Kindergarten. My daughter was wondering why all the parents were crying at the end of the book. I guess you just have to be a parent to understand! :0)

Portrays Kindergarten as a scary place.......2007-09-04

I do not recommend because it essentially presupposes that kindergarten is a scary place and that you only need to overcome your fears when entering this frightening place. That's how it seemed to me, at least.

Instead of describing kindergarten as a fun, happy, loving place, it talks about how children are at first afraid, but then learn to like it. Why even suggest that your child should be afraid?

Worse, in the book, all the parents stay in the classroom, outside the door watching. That's not how school works. The parents are not there, so why suggest that they are going to be at the door looking in during the day?

Not recommended. The other "night before" books I like, just not this one.

Excellent Encouragement for Parents & Kids!.......2007-08-26

This was supposed to be a gift for a friend's birthday party which became a second gift and of course one for my very own little girl who will be entering kindergarten now in a matter of days! A wonderful, heart felt book...not too long, just right to capture the hearts and minds of parents and kids alike! Highly recommend! A+!!

If only I had these books when my children..........2007-08-05

Another book my granddaughter loved. She starts Kindergarden this week and I bought all these books several months ago to prepare her.
Then, her school had "Kindergarden Camp" and I donated the books to their little library. The teachers were thrilled. Great book!

Average customer rating:

Can you say "formulaic"? I knew that you could!
Good Mystery
GOOD READ
Well, this was... different...
Too Long and Repetitive

The Night Before
Lisa Jackson
Manufacturer: Zebra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0821769367

Book Description

Blood Will Be Spilled…

In the dark shadows of a sultry southern town, a serial killer strikes. It's an act of sinister precision that has happened many times before…every victim an offering to a hunger that can never be sated…

Night After Night…

The next morning, Caitlyn Montgomery Bandeaux wakes covered in blood. But Caitlyn has no memory of the night before, when her estranged husband was brutally murdered like so many others she has known…

After Night…

Wanted by the police and haunted by horrifying, fragmented memories, Caitlyn turns to Adam Hunt, the town's new psychologist. But how far can she really trust him? For as a twisted killer strikes again and again, Caitlyn's about to discover that those who appear the most innocent are usually the most evil...

Customer Reviews:

Can you say "formulaic"? I knew that you could!.......2007-09-16

Many of Lisa Jackson's novels are repetitive and contain the same wording and elements, so rather than talk about them, I came up with a drinking game!
*******************************
A Drinking Game for Lisa Jackson Novels
Supplies: Any Lisa Jackson novel, your favorite beverage.

As you read the novel, take a drink every time:

-any character lights up/takes a drag off a cigarette
-a man calls a woman "darlin'"
-anyone "leans a hip" against something - counter, table, etc.
-someone gets into or out of a "rig"
-anyone uses "Hell!" or "Oh Hell!" as an exclamation - chug your whole drink if it was said immediately before a kiss
-a man "growls" something at woman - chug your whole drink if it was said immediately before a kiss
-someone touches another person's "crown" - chug your whole drink if it was said during sex
-the main character has a detailed dream
-any Catholic element is mentioned
-you find any grammar or spelling errors
-any portion of the story is repeated

Happy Reading!

Good Mystery.......2007-08-08

This book was about the extremely dysfunctional Montgomery family. It appeared that they are very unlucky and then became apparent that someone was eliminating them. Though I was able to guess some of the Montgomery secrets, I did not guess the identity of the killer. I am an avid mystery reader and this character never entered my mind. I think some of the book could have been condensed and it would have made it a 5 star mystery.

GOOD READ.......2007-06-01

LOVE HER BOOKS. NOT A BAD ONE YET. READ EVERYONE I GET MY HANDS ON.

Well, this was... different..........2006-03-21

Of all the repetitive, unlikely, unengaging books this has to be the absolute top of the list. As a matter of fact, the most appealing characters in this monumental work are the lead detective's sidekick's kids--largely because we never meet them. The whole thing makes you wonder if the editor was literate or even awake. Else it's virtually impossible to miss such gems as 'water foul'--those smelly swimming birds--or the schizophrenic, DID-afflicted, twin-channeling (so what's it to be?!) heroine pulling on her 'pasties'--to walk around festooned in snack food, I suppose.

Save your money!

Too Long and Repetitive.......2005-07-13

The story was okay, but the book could have been cut 100 pages. The biggest problems with this book was the excessive incest and repetitiveness.

The characters also never seemed to develop in a book this size. The female cop, Morrisette, was the most aggravating character in the book. Everytime she opened her mouth all I could think was how much more stupid can this character get. The cops were bumbling idiots who were going around in circles.

There was something missing with this book. I bought the Morning After, and I hope its better. But if the character Reed is the protagonist, I'm already doubting it.

The Night Before First Grade (Reading Railroad Books)

Average customer rating:

Great book
The Night Before First Grade
Cute Story
Great book to help with anxieties
A great introduction to the first grade world!

The Night Before First Grade (Reading Railroad Books)
Natasha Wing
Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

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

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

First Day of School | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

School | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0448437473

Book Description

It's the night before the Big Day—first grade. Penny is excited to start the year with her best friend right beside her in the same classroom. This humorous take on Clement C. Moore's classic tale has a perfect twist ending that will surprise readers—as well as the "heroine" of the story—and help all about-to-be first-graders through their own backto- school jitters.

Customer Reviews:

Great book.......2007-09-29

I gave all of my kindergarten students this book on the last day of school. In September when they arrived as first graders, they were all telling me how much they loved the book over the summer. One parent e-mailed me and told me how helpful she found the book to be over the summer while they were preparing for first grade. I would recommend this book highly!

The Night Before First Grade.......2007-08-01

Excellent! I was a little skeptical at first, but this book is wonderful. My 6 year old has read the book on her own and the illustrations were very helpful to assist her in identifying some new words on the page.

She has enjoyed the book so much that she has decided to include the book in her summer book report reading list. It is just the correct length for a child entering first grade. My daughter's school only has 1 of each grade, but it has helped her realize to give things a chance. She realizes there will be new children and she may not be seated right next to her friends but there are many other things for her to explore.

First grade can be scary. It's entering what my daughter's school calls 'the upper grades'.

Overall, the book is one that both children and parents will enjoy with it's great ending.

Cute Story.......2006-11-03

Good story with plenty of play on words!
Kids will enjoy this, and makes for a goos converstaion starter about preparing for going back to school!

Great book to help with anxieties.......2006-11-02

This was funny and inspiring book to read the night before school. It helped my daughter get over her anxieties about a new teacher and a new grade.

A great introduction to the first grade world!.......2006-01-19

It's hard to write a book about first grade jitters. Many of the books out there make the first day seem just perfect, when it often isn't. What I like about The Night Before First Grade is the way in which the author recognizes the potentially frightening aspects of the first day of school and resolves them in a realistic manner.

For example, when the protagonist arrives at school, she learns that there are two sections of first grade and that her best friend will be in the other section. Bravely waving goodbye to her friend, she discovers new interests in her classroom. The lunchroom is busy and a bit scary, but she weathers it nicely.

The text is in a rhythmic prose style, patterned after "The Night Before Christmas." I was a bit skeptical at first, but it works, and young readers will appreciate the consistent beat of the narrative. Deborah Zemke's illustrations are upbeat and slightly funky - just like first grade!

Average customer rating:

This is a great to read to your children
Great Story!
Fun Book
FUN HALLOWEEN BOOKS
The Night Before Halloween is wonderful , colorful and cute.

The Night Before Halloween
Natasha Wing
Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

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

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

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0448419653

Book Description

"'Twas the night before Halloween, and all through the house,
All the creatures were stirring, except for the mouse.
The monsters had gathered to plan and prepare,
For the trick-or-treaters who soon would be there...."

Little monsters and goofy goblins take center stage in this silly, spooky spin on Clement C. Moore's beloved poem. But what will happen on Halloween when the monsters come face to face with human trick-or-treaters in this fun-filled book by the author of The Night Before Easter?

* Ages 4-8

Customer Reviews:

This is a great to read to your children.......2006-11-10

My 5-year old twins loved this book, and wanted to read it for weeks before Halloween. It is very easy to read, since it follows the format of "The Night Before Christmas." That familiarity also made it fun for the kids. They are now looking forward to starting "The Night Before Thanksgiving," though I am trying to wait until it gets a little closer to the actual day.

Great Story!.......2006-11-06

I love Natasha Wing. She is a wonderful author and this story is really cute. I teach and I enjoy reading it to my kids at school.

Fun Book.......2005-10-07

My 5 year old son loves holloween books. This one is up there with one of his favorites! Great illustrations and story.

FUN HALLOWEEN BOOKS.......2005-02-08

My 2 1/2 year old just loves Halloween. He was born Oct. 28th so he's definitely a Halloween baby and he loves everything to do with the holiday including seeing pumpkins, bats and spiders. This delightful book by Natasha Wing is a Halloween takeoff on "Twas the Night Before Christmas" following the same pattern except that in this book various ghouls and goblins are preparing for Halloween and for the children who will soon be knocking at their front door. The Illustrations by Cynthia Fisher perfectly fit the fun tone and pace of the book and my little loves reading this one over and over...

The Night Before Halloween is wonderful , colorful and cute........1999-10-26

The idea of the monsters getting ready for Haloween was great. I loved the book. I bought 10 copies and gave them to friends and relatives. They had received the Night Before Easter Book and were looking forward to the continuation of the next Night Before series. We are anxiously awaiting The Night Before Valentines Day.

The Lull-A-Baby Sleep Plan: The Soothing, Superfast Way to Help Your New Baby Sleep Through the Night...and Prevent Sleep Problems Before They Develop

Average customer rating:

The Lull-A-Baby Sleep Plan
Same info different book!
seemed very similar to The Baby Whisperer
Nice but still making child dependent on you!
Very kind and gentle

The Lull-A-Baby Sleep Plan: The Soothing, Superfast Way to Help Your New Baby Sleep Through the Night...and Prevent Sleep Problems Before They Develop
Cathryn Tobin
Manufacturer: Rodale Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1594862222
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Book Description

A renowned pediatrician explains her revolutionary new method for training infants to sleep right . . . from the start

Dr. Cathryn Tobin, pediatrician of 25 years, midwife, and mother of four, reveals a breakthrough discovery that will transform the way that parents put their infants and toddlers to bed. Dr. Tobin has found that a physiological window of opportunity opens—usually at 6 to 8 weeks—when a baby can learn great sleep habits before bad ones develop. If parents follow her 7-day plan and take advantage of this crucial time in child development, they and their newborn will be sleeping through the night sooner than any other sleep book promises . . . and without the crying and screaming that comes with other approaches.

This is the first sleep manual that focuses on preventing infant sleep problems before they have a chance to begin. But if a parent has missed the window, there’s still hope and HELP: Dr. Tobin’s no-cry program for re-training older babies and toddlers. Dr. Tobin developed this program after sleep deprivation caused a car accident that almost cost her life. Since then she has successfully used her method with hundreds of grateful parents.

Customer Reviews:

The Lull-A-Baby Sleep Plan.......2007-07-18

I used to believe that being a parent and a lack of sleep where synonymous. All of my children were problem sleepers. They never slept through the night until they were practically toddlers. They were sleep deprived and so was I.

When I saw The Lull-A-Baby Sleep Plan, which states that this method could turn any baby into a great sleeper in 7 days, I had to check it out. I was rather interested in finding out about the latest philosophy of getting babies to sleep. I knew that all the methods that I had tried definitely failed.

The Lull-A-Baby Sleep Plan states that like everything in a baby's life there is a particular phase in which they learn how to be a good sleeper. Unfortunately, during this phase most new parents actually teach their child some really bad habits such as needing to be rocked, nursed, or coddled to sleep. In this way, the baby never learns that their crib is a place to fall asleep and never learns how to self sooth when they have little wake up periods at night. This book guides the new parent through ways to teach their child sleeping skills and even gives advice to get rid of those bad habits that are going to keep their baby (and themselves) from having a good night sleep.

Same info different book! .......2007-06-14

This book is easy to read and very reassuring but basically it's the same information you will find in other books that claim to help babies learn to sleep without crying. If you are looking for the long road to sleep training your baby...then this book has some good ideas/info. We were already using most of these techniques before I bought the book. Our little one does respond to some of the soothing techniques but it requires lots of time and persistence. We finally gave in and let her cry it out...she is sleeping much better now!

seemed very similar to The Baby Whisperer.......2007-05-10

The best ideas in this book (in my opinion) seemed to be a rehash of "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" (published in 2002), and I think the plan in Baby Whisperer is easier to follow. I didn't find much else useful in this book, unfortunately.

Nice but still making child dependent on you!.......2007-03-12

While i love that this book does not advocate letting a child sceam or cry themselves to sleep which I find unhealthy I find it odd that the author frowns on using "Crutches" to help the baby fall asleep like rocking and nursing. But she advocates sitting next to the child and singing and or talking to the child to get them to sleep. How is this helpping the child but rocking isn't? The author also says that if a child is used to be rocked to sleep or nursed that the child will then wake up and expect the same treatment. But if you sit and sing or talk to the child til they fall asleep how is that any different? The child will still wake up and expect to see you there!. And I don't find anything wrong with nurising or rocking to sleep and I don't find the child wakes up and expects the same things all night long. I find just the opposite. The child is comforted to bed just like you suggest. How is it that singing or talking a baby to sleep is not a crutch but the other stuff is?
I hate people who say that it is wrong to parent a child to sleep. It is not wrong. It is just different.

Very kind and gentle.......2007-01-13

As a professional nanny/ newborn specialist of nearly 12 years I have to say that this is one of the best baby sleep books on the market. There are so many things that I have learned from spending so much time with babies and I have long wished that parents could know those things ahead of time before bringing home the little ones. I often feel like parents either start to address sleep issues too early or too late and this book really helps you to find the right time for your child, a time that will make it as easy and gentle as possible to encourage your baby to fall asleep and stay asleep. It is a great book for all types of parents, including those who follow attachment parenting. The Author does not try to tell you where your baby should sleep but rather respects the choice that your family makes. The whole basis of the book is that there is a very particular window of opportunity in which your child can very easily be taught how to fall asleep unassisted and stay asleep longer. She never recommends withholding food and says often that a hungry baby should be fed. Nor does she recommend allowing your baby to cry alone in his/her bed. All in all, it is just so much more gentle than many of the "cry it out" options but at the same time, better sleep will be gained MUCH faster than with the books at the other end of the spectrum, namely books by Dr. Sears, which are wonderful but certainly do not help all families in addressing sleep issues. If you are in the market for better sleep, I am certain that this book will be of some help.

Average customer rating:

Beutiful, Glorious
Cuba Libre!
A life of rebellion at the intersection of sex and literature
it aint pretty
real people with dirt on their feet

Before Night Falls: A Memoir
Reinaldo Arenas
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Authors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Gay | Biographies & Memoirs | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

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

Caribbean & Latin American | History & Criticism | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Biografías y memorias | Libros en español | Formats | Books

Memorias | Biografías y memorias | Libros en español | Formats | Books

ASIN: 0140157654

Customer Reviews:

Beutiful, Glorious.......2007-05-14

My review will be quite simple, this book is... marvelous, magnificent, beautiful, brilliant, painful, poetic, and glorious. Read it!!!!!!!!

Cuba Libre!.......2007-04-07

Anyone can put the their life on paper, but few such endeavors are worth reading. A fine memoir must come alive, must breathe, must sweat, must bleed, must become flesh and blood and acquire a `life` beyond that of its creator. A memoir worth reading (more than once) must become a Frankenstein. Reinaldo Arenas` supremely moving and magical autobiographical journey has become just that, a freakish, terrifying and stunningly gorgeous creation that will carry the memory of its creator well into the future. If Arenas had never written anything else, `Before Night Falls` would have been enough to rocket its author into the pantheon of literary greats.

When I first devoured this book more than ten years ago, it gripped me like some nagging fever. I just couldn`t put it down, nor put its collection of macabre images and revealing epiphanies out of mind. Coming back to it once again, I was amazed that its power and pathos can still hold the reader spellbound. And what exactly is the secret of its magic? The answer lays with Arenas`s unflinching desire to lay himself bare before the reader, completely shorn of the disingenuous veils through which we all like to see ourselves and be seen by others. Arenas makes no such attempt to airbrush his forty-seven years of life into a pretty portrait for posterity. Instead, he gives us what was and nothing more.

But was, was truly a life lived to the full. As full as possible within the Island prison of Fidel Castro. When the first page begins with little Reinaldo expelling a painful and ferocious stomach worm (the result of too much dirt eating!), the die is cast. Page after page, Arenas documents his impoverished upbringing within the wilds of Eastern Cuba. With his stark and matter-of-fact diction, Arenas shades nothing. Yet, through the very simplicity of his language, the images of his magical youth do achieve something of that overused phenomenon within Latin American letters, `magical realism.` Whether describing his lonely and forsaken mother, superstitous grandmother or lecherous grandfather, Arenas` tiny familial world comes alive like that of a Marquez novel. And everpresent throughout are the forces of nature, the rich, luxurious island fauna, the extremes of rain and sun and especially, the powerful and mysterious Caribbean. Throughout his life, the sea remained a mythic and revered instrument of freedom for Arenas, always enticing and prodding him to abandon his island prison, which he eventually did in 1980 with the Mariel exodus.

And in a book where the forces of nature play a central role, sexuality is omnipresent. Arenas` homosexuality was central to who he was as a man and as a writer, and he lived a life many would deem promiscuous at the very least. With seering intensity and unmatched candor, Arenas catalogues his sexual history like few have done before. From the group encounters with his childhood playmates (even a few animals) to the legions of encounters and partners in adulthood, Arenas leaves no stone unturned in documenting the importance of sex in his life. Yet, Arenas` lusty descriptions of his extraordinary erotic life are neither strictly prurient nor solely for voyeuristic thrill. Instead, one feels the palpable, if albeit transitory, joy that the erotic held for Arenas. While some parts of the book will be hard going for the puritan, the arm-chair psychotherapist will have a field day constructing theories as to the source of Arenas` grandiose appetites. Yet, Arenas` makes no excuses nor explanations for his behavior, rather he documents what was, without blinders, without shame.

Like in Kundera`s Czechoslovakia, Arenas` Cuba was/is a place of profound spiritual, emotional and physical suffering. A place where the `state` forced its way into every perimeter of human existence. Sexual expression, along with artistic expression, was the only way of asserting any individual autonomy. But even this was/is controlled and oppressed by the all-compassing arms of Castro`s revolutionary state. Arenas suffered persecution and torture for both his uncompromising sexual autonomy and for his individual artistic voice. Branded a `degenerate` and `counter-revolutionary,` Arenas paid a heavy price for his refusal to conform. Some of `Before Night Falls` most endearing and moving passages involve Arenas` internment in the infamous `El Morro` concentration camp.

While the constant references to the Cuban literary milieu and its inhabitants can confuse the reader (who informed on who!), they never wholly detract from the fluidity of the narrative nor from the power of the voice locked within. `Before Night Falls` is like a boulder rolling down a steep cliff. With each page, it only gains in intensity and ferocity.

With Arenas`decision to end his richly lived and endured years, `Before Night Falls` comes to an abrupt stop. But not end, for this is truly an unfinished work. Arenas` spirit stays with the reader long after the last word is digested, feverishly waiting for his country to catch up with him.

Arenas` last words say it best, `Cuba will be free. I already am.`

A life of rebellion at the intersection of sex and literature.......2007-02-20

Many readers may have a difficult time getting past the first third of Reinaldo Arenas's memoir. Its opening chapters describe both the author's sexual awakening and his unorthodox (to say the least) adventures at the beaches and in the bushes and even in public restrooms in Cuba before and after the rise of Castro. "In spite of everything, youth in the sixties managed to conspire, not against the regime but in favor of life." He regales his readers both unashamedly and unreservedly with his exploits, and the more homogeneous audience members may be repelled by his homo-heterodoxy.

Yet these tales are an integral part of Arenas's message: in a totalitarian society, everything is an act of rebellion--even sex, which is often subversive and furtive and (in spite of any regime's puritanical attempt to control it) always available. For Arenas, his sexual prowess is of a piece with his literary expression, and his brave and headstrong need to write often overlap with his desire to be a gay man in a society that doesn't want homosexuals--or writers--to exist. The bulk of the book, dealing with his life as a writer, as a rebel, as a fugitive, as a prisoner, and as an exile, is identical in tone and spirit to the early passages about his libidinous youth.

His stubbornness is awe-inspiring. We read about the many times Arenas's manuscripts, often hidden in the roof or left with friends, were discovered and destroyed. Nevertheless, he would shirk off the dangers and re-create them from memory. The novels he managed to smuggle out of the country resulted in a slim international celebrity that made him a pariah of the government yet immunized him from becoming simply a political prisoner. After his arrest, he confessed to "ideological weaknesses," but his public trial was for sexual offences. "By convicting me of a common crime, they would avoid an international scandal," and the court condemned him as "a counterrevolutionary and an immoral person [who] should be sentenced for corruption of minors." (It is almost beside the point that the two swarthy "victims," both of whom recanted their testimony at the trial out of embarrassment, were hardly minors.) All of Arenas's battles were fought at the intersection of sex and literature.

Arenas has little good to say about the Batista era, but his recollections are a bracing and much-needed rebuttal to those who make apologies for the Castro regime. He reserves his bitterness especially for fellow writers like Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Alejo Carpentier who have helped prop up Castro with an aura of respectability. He reminds us that Carpentier wrote his best work (in exile) before 1959 but became part of a group of writers who "once they embraced the new dictatorship, never wrote anything worthwhile again."

Arenas begins his book with "The End," a chapter summarizing his final struggle with AIDS and acknowledging the irony that after the "thousand adversities" he suffered in Cuba, "the only escape for me was death." The paradox of Arena's life is that he finally escaped his homeland, only to die in a decade by his own hand in a dingy New York City apartment. Repression, imprisonment, and torture couldn't destroy him in a land that liberty forgot, but the fight ended once he reached the land of the free.

it aint pretty.......2007-01-11

No pretty prose passages, no magical realism, no lovable eccentrics. Thank God. This isn't Marquez or Allende. This is true life, sonny Jim, dirty, brutal, hilarious, dark and unrepentant. This is a great book filled with creations, copulations, imprisonments, escapes, knife fights, love affairs and a deep, deep love of a rich beautiful Cuba that one day Arenas hopes will be free from tyranny.

Arenas hates what Castro and his cronies did to him and the island. He shows us the secret police, the prisoners, the informers, the labor camps all in intense and sometimes horrifying detail. He levels his wrath at deluded pro Castroites in the United States and Latin America and doesnt hold back from accusing fellow writers (including Marquez, Carpentier and Paz) of being stooges of the Castro brothers.

I personally could have done without the AIDS conspiracy theories and the copious beastiality, but that doesnt detract from a terrific book.

real people with dirt on their feet.......2006-09-02

If you're sick of cute little stories that follow some godforsaken formula, you might get some juices flowing with this book. I can count on my fingers all the books I've read that resulted in what I would call "an experience." This is one of them.

The Night Before Thanksgiving (Reading Railroad Books)

Average customer rating:

Thanksgiving bliss.
Thanksgiving fun
Merry Thanksgiving
Just Picked This One Up
Can't stop reading it

The Night Before Thanksgiving (Reading Railroad Books)
Natasha Wing
Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

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

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0448425297

Book Description

A creative spin on the Clement C. Moore classic, The Night Before Thanksgiving is a warm, whimsical celebration of everyone's favorite fun-filled, family-filled, food-filled holiday! Follow along as the feast is prepared, cousins are greeted, and thanks are given, all with an extra helping of holiday fun.

Customer Reviews:

Thanksgiving bliss........2007-01-25

It's along the lines of A Night Before Christmas. It's family harmony at T-giving.

Thanksgiving fun.......2007-01-09

Our whole family enjoys this book, which makes us giggle and feel the warmth and love of sharing a holiday with family.

Merry Thanksgiving.......2005-11-20

I love this book. My 2.5 year old daughter also loves this book. It brings about the festiveness you usually feel at Christmastime but for Thanksgiving. Told in the classic 'Twas the Night before Christmas' style, it has laughs, tradition and warmth all wrapped up in a book that is perfect to curl up with some hot apple cider and share with the whole family.

Just Picked This One Up.......2005-11-16

i was at Walden Books Yesterday and my wife called and asked me to pickup a Thanksgiving book for our three year old son. There were Biscuit and Clifford Thanksgiving books but I settled on this one. Told in the same manner as The Night Before Christmas, it follows really a traditional American Family Thanksgiving celebration including all the activities and preparation that goes into this great holiday. Actually its not so much about the night before as it is the day of, but that's ok. What appealed to me was how much it had in common with my own family's Thanksgiving from waking up in the morning and watching the parades, to family coming over for dinner. My three year old really enjoyed it!

Can't stop reading it.......2005-11-03

My one and three year old love this book as much as I do. Great pictures and fun to read.

Librarian's Night Before Christmas (Night Before Christmas Series)

Average customer rating:

Librarian's Night Before Christmas (Night Before Christmas Series)
David Davis
Manufacturer: Pelican Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1589803361

Book Description

Due to low staffing, a librarian must spend her Christmas Eve stacking the shelves at a library in desperate need of renovations. After the strain of a long night that has left her feeling "like Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol," she is pleasantly surprised to see Santa and his elves coming to her rescue in a red bookmobile. Santa helps out by signing Newbery winners and starred Caldecotts and then reads to the children. His elves, eager to help, stock the library shelves with Hawthorne, Steinbeck, Millay, and Hemingway and then replace the rugs, fix leaks, and organize gifts according to the Dewey decimal system. After paying overdue library fines, Santa tells everyone, "Do one more good deed. Have a real merry Christmas--teach someone to read!"

Home Before Night: Memories of an Irish Time and Place

Average customer rating:

Da
A must read...
Nostalgic and loveable.

Home Before Night: Memories of an Irish Time and Place
Hugh Leonard
Manufacturer: Atheneum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Irish | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Da.......2007-01-03

Hugh Leonard, an Irish playwright and journalist, was born in Dublin in 1926. He spent fourteen years working for the Irish Civil Service, before he was able to concentrate fully on his writing. Leonard - known in 'real' life as John Keyes Byrne - received the Tony Award in 1977 for the play "Da", which was largely based on his own youth and his relationship with his adoptive father. (It was also made into a movie, with Martin Sheen playing the Hugh Leonard role). "Home Before Night" tells part of his life story in prose form.

This is a hugely enjoyable book - it's very easily read, though some might say it's a touch sentimental. Parts are told from Leonard's own perspective ("I choked and retched, and the wind knifed through my wet clothes"), though other parts are written about Jack ("Jack's da was too slow to take Sonny's meaning"). It's a bit strange to begin with, but it doesn't interfere with the story at all. In fact, some of my favourite parts involve Jack and his pet dog - also called Jack ! Not surprisingly, it's also a little old-fashioned in places - though it's worth pointing out that certain words and phrases didn't mean then what they mean today. Definitely recommended, as is its follow-up "Out After Dark".

A must read..........2001-10-22

Hugh Leonard writing heals the soul the way a crackling fire warms a body on a winters night. His skill at capturing a life in Dalkey, a place I am so familiar with albeit a more modern one, is unique, setting in place a slice of historical life for generations to come. His settings and story capture a more simple Dublin yet one that we are all familiar with. It breathes life into a lovely town set in a beautiful part of Ireland. This book is my favourite...ever.

Nostalgic and loveable........2000-08-18

This is the tale of a boy growing up in Dalkey in the 1940's and 50's. It is autobiographical and gives an intimate view of Leonard and the influences that effected him in his youth. The book is a collection of cameos of life in a small Irish village just south of Dublin. Dalkey is now part of the greater Dublin Sprawl, but this book captures a time when it was only a village. Leonard regales us with hilarious tales, the dog who attacks priests and policemen, his job interview in a pub where he learns the one great truth in life ( in a pub toilet incoming traffic has right of way). If you know Leonard through his plays (Da and a Life especially) you will have seen some of this material. Even so, the impeccable writing and a real feel for prose makes this book worth a read.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books