Bridge to Terabithia

Product Description

Jess Aaron's greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new kid, a new girl, boldly crosses over to the boy's side of the playground and outruns everyone.

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The story starts out simply enough: Jess Aarons wants to be the fastest boy in the fifth grade--he wants it so bad he can taste it. He's been practicing all summer, running in the fields around his farmhouse until he collapses in a sweat. Then a tomboy named Leslie Burke moves into the farmhouse next door and changes his life forever. Not only does Leslie not look or act like any girls Jess knows, but she also turns out to be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. After getting over the shock and humiliation of being beaten by a girl, Jess begins to think Leslie might be okay.

Despite their superficial differences, it's clear that Jess and Leslie are soul mates. The two create a secret kingdom in the woods named Terabithia, where the only way to get into the castle is by swinging out over a gully on an enchanted rope. Here they reign as king and queen, fighting off imaginary giants and the walking dead, sharing stories and dreams, and plotting against the schoolmates who tease them. Jess and Leslie find solace in the sanctuary of Terabithia until a tragedy strikes and the two are separated forever. In a style that is both plain and powerful, Katherine Paterson's characters will stir your heart and put a lump in your throat.

Customer Reviews:

Makes You Feel Like A Kid Again.......2007-09-29

Katherine Paterson, with vividly beautiful prose, tells a story about the friendship between a young boy and a young girl, and how that friendship transforms the life of that boy from something dull and normal to something as spectacular as a imaginary fantasy land. The book itself is short and an easy read, but what the book really says to the reader is quite a bit bigger than its page count. Much like growing up, this book is both sweet and painful, and Paterson truly has a great handle on what its like to be a ten year old, fifth grade boy. So for all those readers who aren't afraid of a book that will make them cry (for both sad and warmer reasons) than I recommend this book. It doesn't matter if you're a child or an adult, "Bridge to Terabithia" is universal.

10/10 Classic.

Bridge to Terabithia CD.......2007-09-27

Love the CD. It is done very well. You may need to be aware however that there are curse words in the book.

Read this one with your child.......2007-08-22

There are some pretty heavy subject matters within this beautiful work of fiction. Yet, they are subjects that need to be dealt with, and what better conversation starter than a response to something you've read together? This is the story of Jess and Leslie, two outcasts of their 5th grade class (although I found both to be interesting). They become neighbors and fast friends, and make up an imaginary kingdom deep in the forest, called Terabithia. There, they have the confidence and control which eludes them in the real world. But an amazing thing happens in that they begin to see the world in a different, more favorable light. They find that people are not who they seem, and this makes them better and more compassionate individuals. The first time I read this, I was absolutely stunned by the tragedy that takes place. Even still, after several times rereading it, it tears at my emotions. I commend Katherine Paterson for bravely venturing into such sensitive matters, ones that will make children better capable of dealing head-on with their own emotions.

What was this book about?.......2007-08-10

I did not understand why this book was written. What was it all about? The only point it seemed to make was Leslie's death at the end of the book. Overall I thought that it was exteremly uneventful. Terabithia seemed to have a small role to play in the book. 'Much ado about nothing' fits this novel.
I cannot, however, ginve this book only one star. Giving it one star would be hating this book. I did not hate it I just thought that it never did get to the point. If it was a memior I would have liked it. As a memior I would have thought it was a good book because I would have expected this. (I wouldn't have picked it up though. Memior isn't quite my style.) I liked the characters and was sad when that girl died. I think that that is why I haven't given it one star.
Not a ringing endorsement, but if memior is what you like I'd give it a shot.
-cdm

A wonderful tale of friendship and loss.......2007-08-09

This book digs deep into the lives of two children just trying to make it in a world where everyone sees them as outcasts. The slow start to friendship is quite clear and gripping as we see Jesse struggle with his ability to allow a girl, someone that beats him at something he is supposed to be the best at, enter his life and transform his world.

This is a great book about a friendship that goes slowly, and ends too quickly. Wonderful fantasy lies within which will surely make your children want to create their own Terabithia.

The Assertiveness Workbook: How to Express Your Ideas and Stand Up for Yourself at Work and in Relationships

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BUY IT NOW!
Clearly to the point
Excellent!
Good enough to write a review
A portable behavior coach

The Assertiveness Workbook: How to Express Your Ideas and Stand Up for Yourself at Work and in Relationships
Randy J. Paterson Ph.D.
Manufacturer: New Harbinger Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1572242094

Book Description

This self-directed program teaches readers to speak up and say what they mean at work and at home. Written supportively, it uses proven cognitive behavioral techniques to help individuals build self-confidence, set boundaries, and determine appropriate responses.

Customer Reviews:

BUY IT NOW!.......2007-06-17

If you're reading this review, you probably suspect that you have a problem with assertiveness, so take the first step towards improving your life by purchasing this book. If you have a problem saying no to unreasonable requests, if your legitimate and reasonable requests for what you need are repeatedly denied, ignored, or trivialized, if you feel surrounded by manipulative, controlling people, if you have been in a long-term verbally abusive relationship, if you are easily intimidated by aggressive people, or even if you're just mildly curious, this book will be invaluable to you. It's not just a quick read, though. It has thought-provoking exercises to help you determine why you have difficulty asserting yourself as well as practice exercises to prepare you to be assertive when the need arises. Even if you don't think you need improvement, this book is a great resource on communication.

Clearly to the point.......2007-05-12

Excellent resource for how to deal with PA's and others-the book's no nonsense approach (yes, it's hard to change and yes your significants others will resist you), exercises, and examples give you inspiration without alot of nonsense and over the top 'you can do it' every paragraph.
Accessible and easily readable, this practical guide will help you get what you need or establish your personal boundaries without all the new age style rhetoric.

Excellent!.......2007-02-18

This book is by far the most helpful book I've ever read. It is very informative, but in plain words that almost anyone can understand. The exercises it suggests really do help. I'm only half-way through it, but I've already made significant changes in my behavior. It really helped me understand the different communication styles and how to tweak my style to make me more satisfied with my communication with others. It's so simple to do! I've always been lazy about change or given up too early, but this truly couldn't be any easier.

Good enough to write a review.......2006-11-22

I had reached a point where I needed to learn how to assert myself and stop being miserable in certain situations. This book helped me take action and understand how to react when confronted. If you feel that you are in need of some "tools" this is a great book.

A portable behavior coach .......2005-03-14

Being a passive personality, I went looking for some kind of guidance after a recent confrontation. It goes through many basic terms and concepts of human relationships and behavior. The author wants us to understand assertiveness before trying to put new ways of thinking into practice. The important part of the author's lesson is reminding us that assertiveness is part of a person's behavior but is not the person. It builds up to the ten steps of preparing for a confrontation. The written exercises are useful, the diagrams and check boxes not so much. Some terms were basic but many times when things are not working right, we have to be reminded of the basics. Personally, I would not choose to use the assertiveness scorecards in my regular day-to-day routine. It goes over what a DESO script, Describe, Express, Script, Outcome; could mean to anybody's personal and work relationships. How one can change a few steps in giving criticism to create positive feedback. The Assertiveness workbook makes you take a breath, and think before speaking. Clear, easy-to-read, straight-to-the-point chapters are there to help when needed.

A People and a Nation: A History of the United States; Volume One: To 1877

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A People and a Nation: A History of the United States; Volume One: To 1877
Mary Beth Norton , David M. Katzman , David W. Blight , Howard P. Chudacoff , Fredrik Logevall , Beth Bailey , Thomas G. Paterson , and William M., Jr. Tuttle
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0618391762

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Makes You Feel Like A Kid Again
A profound tale of fantasy and legacy
A true classic!
A Journey of Self-Discovery.
Bridge to Terabithia (5th grader's opinion)

Bridge to Terabithia (Movie Tie-in)
Katherine Paterson
Manufacturer: HarperEntertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0061227285
Release Date: 2006-12-26

Book Description

Now a major motion picture, discover the beloved Newbery Medal-winning story of Jess Aarons and Leslie Burke. Join Jess and Leslie as they form an unlikely friendship and create the imaginary land of Terabithia. There they rule as king and queen, until a terrible tragedy occurs that helps Jess understand just how much he has learned from Leslie.

Customer Reviews:

Makes You Feel Like A Kid Again.......2007-09-29

A profound tale of fantasy and legacy.......2007-09-18

The Newberry Award winning Bridge to Terabithia touches the heart as only a story influenced by real life experience can. The book is dedicated to the author's son David Paterson and his childhood friend Lisa Hill who was killed by a lightning strike. The book was written while the author was coming to terms with this tragic loss.

Jesse Aarons is boy growing up in the 70's in a rural area outside of Washington D.C. that time forgot. He is the middle child of five, the other four children being girls who his mother appears to favor. He has an artistic nature which his father attempts to discourage as not fitting to a boy. Mr. Aarons is gone from dawn to dusk working in the city, leaving little time for his son who gets stuck doing all the farm work.

About to enter the 5th grade, Jess is determined to be the fastest runner at Lark Creek Elementary School this year. Winning has become symbolic for everything he feels everyone expects from him. This dream is shattered when a new family moves in to the place next door.

The new neighbors are city folk, the parents both writers who have decided that the city is no place to raise their child, Leslie. Leslie is just plain different. Disdained by the girls because she wears pants to school, Leslie enters the recess races traditionally designated for boys only and wins. When a classroom assignment forces Leslie to reveal the fact that her family has no television, Jess finds it in his heart to forgive her transgression and the two misfits become fast friends.

With Leslie, Jess can be himself and he reveals his love of drawing to her. Leslie has a fertile imagination, no doubt inherited from her parents and tells stories that Jess just itches to draw. When Leslie decides that the woods need exploring, Jess swallows his fear of the place and together the pair creates the magical kingdom of Terabithia where they are King and Queen.

Aside for his time with Leslie and recess, the only other thing Jess enjoys is their Friday music class. He has a crush on his teacher who is unique as well. The parents have labeled Ms. Edmunds a hippy because her appearance is different and the songs she teaches are often political in nature. Ms. Edmunds was the only other person besides Leslie that Jesse could show his drawings. She'd understood his need to draw and had even been complimentary.

Days of rain has swollen the dry creek bed between their homes and their imaginary kingdom. Jesse who is unable to swim is consumed by fear of crossing the creek. The excuse he needs to avoid the situation comes when Ms. Edmunds offers him the chance to visit the National Gallery with her. The invitation makes Jess feel important and even though a little guilty about missing his playtime with Leslie and for not thinking to invite her along, he enjoys the day immensely.

He expects to face the music when he gets home, but instead returns to unthinkable tragedy. Jess goes through all the stages of a person who has experienced a horrible loss, guilt, anger, and crushing grief and comes out on the other side a richer person for his experience. He has new insight when it comes to others and views his teacher, his family, and even the school bully with new eyes. He also realizes that in order for Terabithia to retain its magic it must be shared with others.

This story reflects the joy and pain that all humans experience while growing up, finding our own identity and coping with those who would keep us from it. While the tragic aspect of the plot is painful to read, it brings home the fact that every friendship is precious and that even if short lived can profoundly affect the person we become. Jess and Leslie are every child, filled with imagination and living in a world of their own creation, one which can't be crushed by the mundane aspects of everyday life or even the tragic ones. They live in all of us.

Note: the movie for the most part stays true to the book (David Paterson the author's son was one of the producers), some of the nuances are lost because the story is told as if it occurs in 2007 instead of the late 1970's, and some of the scenes have been changed but overall there was little poetic liscense take with the original text. I will admit that I cried more reading the book even though I knew what was going to happen. The movie though slow paced at times moved fairly quickly through Jesse's grief to the scene where he recreates Terabithia for his little sister. The imagery was beautiful. Nice touch making putting the school bully's face on the Terabithian giant!

Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch for PNR Reviews

A true classic!.......2007-08-08

I absolutely love the movie, but I didn't read the novel until later. It works in different ways, but it's excellent! The movie develops certain story threads more than the book, and I love the changes, but it's fairly faithful to the original, which is still a moving story. It's easy to see why this book has become such a perennial favorite among readers.

A Journey of Self-Discovery........2007-04-12

I started reading BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA after my sister encouraged me to give it a try. Having worked in libraries, I had often seen the book checked out and I new that it was a Newberry winner. However, I was always turned off by the book's cover (which featured a young boy and girl next to a tree) and by the book's blurb which gave me the impression that story was a piece of chick lit geared toward young girls. My attitude towards the book first softened when I saw trailers for the BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA movie from Walden Entertainment. Those trailers didn't look anything like the blurbs and jacket covers I had read. Shortly after seeing those trailers my sister told me I should read the story and that I would probably like it. She was right.

Though BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA is often marketed and read en-mass by pre-teen and teenage girls, the book actually revolves around a boy named Jess Aarons. Jess lives on a poor, small farm in rural Virginia. He is the only boy of five children. There isn't anyone nearby that is close to his age and so after completing his chores, he spends a lot of time alone tramping through the fields, running, reading books, and drawing pictures. At the end of summer a new family moves into the vacant house next door. The parents are both writers and they have one child, a daughter named Leslie who is Jess' age. Jess and Leslie quickly befriend each other and become best friends. They spend all of their time together create an imaginary kingdom in the woods, Terabithia, that they rule together. Jess brings out the best in Leslie and vice versa and though neither acknowledges it they fall in love with each other. Then one glorious day, a terrible tragedy strikes. Jess is forced to examine his life and realize just how big of an impact Leslie has had upon it.

I have to admit that BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA was a much better book than I thought it would be and that it touched me. The story reminded me of one of my favorite books of all time, STARGIRL, by Jerry Spinelli. Both books deal with some of the same themes (close friendships, first love, nonconformity, etc.) and have similar characters (Stargirl is like an older version of Leslie), but STARGIRL is aimed at an older audience than BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA, though BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA is more tragic.

BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA is a wonderful book and is the first work of Katherine Paterson's that I have read. I highly recommend it and look forward to reading more of Paterson's writings in the future.

Bridge to Terabithia (5th grader's opinion).......2007-04-11

Have you ever wondered if your imagination could create a world??? Well in this adventure book you can.

This book is called Bridge to Terabithia. I must also thank the great author Katherine Paterson. For making a great mischievous adventure book.

Bridge to Terabithia is about a boy named Jess who is having a rough time in life. But, then his class has a new girl named Leslie and she keeps talking to Jess about his imagination. Then they find out that they are neighbors so they decide to race each other down a road when they find a rope attached to a tree and under the tree is a river.

So Leslie decides to jump on the rope and go across to the other side of the river so Jess follows her across. Once they get to the other side they decide to use their imagination to create a land called Terabithia to help them conquer there fears from the school bully named Janis. So then...... I guess you will have to read the book to find out anymore.

If you're wondering what happens next and why its called Bridge To Terabithia when they get to Terabithia by a rope not a bridge then you'll have to read the book to find out.

My opinion is that this book would be a two thumbs up. If you like adventure and especially imagination books then this is the book for you. It's a really descriptive book I am sure you will enjoy it. This book I would give it five stars because it's a wonderful children's book

Also after you read Bridge To Terabithia then make sure to see the movie as well. My opinion is that if you're going to see the movie then make sure your read the book before you go to the movies.

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Substance and Beauty, Too
A meticulously researched historical novel
Moving story of a mine strike's politics and dangers.
Beware that movement that generates its own songs.

Bread and Roses, Too
Katherine Paterson
Manufacturer: Clarion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0618654798

Book Description

Rosa's mother is singing again, for the first time since Papa died in an accident in the mills. But instead of filling their cramped tenement apartment with Italian lullabies, Mamma is out on the streets singing union songs, and Rosa is terrified that her mother and older sister, Anna, are endangering their lives by marching against the corrupt mill owners. After all, didn't Miss Finch tell the class that the strikers are nothing but rabble-rousers;an uneducated, violent mob? Suppose Mamma and Anna are jailed or, worse, killed? What will happen to Rosa and little Ricci? When Rosa is sent to Vermont with other children to live with strangers until the strike is over, she fears she will never see her family again. Then, on the train, a boy begs her to pretend that he is her brother. Alone and far from home, she agrees to protect him . . . even though she suspects that he is hiding some terrible secret. From a beloved, award-winning author, here is a moving story based on real events surrounding an infamous 1912 strike.

Customer Reviews:

Substance and Beauty, Too.......2007-03-23

This lovely story tells about two children caught up in the infamous Lawrence, MA, mill strike of 1912. Rosa Serutti is caught between the anti-union pronouncements of her teacher and the harsh reality of tenement life for her immigrant family. Jake Beale runs from his alcoholic father and finds friends among the Italian mill-workers. As the story progresses, Rosa and Jake are taken in by Mr. and Mrs. Gerbati in Barre, Vermont. Here they receive clothing and food and love from Mrs. Gerbati, but both Jake and Mr. Gerbati are troubled by something from the past. Through the beauty of roses blooming from granite, Jake finds a new life and Mr. Gerbati breaks out of his shell. The strike ends and Rosa returns to her Italian mamma, the woman who deserved not only bread for her family, but roses too.

This is historical fiction of the highest calibre, with authentic details, well-developed characters, and a touching ending. It is a story of substance and beauty, too.

A meticulously researched historical novel.......2007-02-09

Bread and Roses, Too is told from the alternating perspectives of two very different children. Jake Beale has faked his papers to work at the local mill, is largely illiterate, and spends most of his time running away from his abusive, drunken father. He respects no one, and sleeps literally in garbage heaps. Rosa Serutti is the daughter of Italian immigrants, and attends school, though her mother and older sister work in the mills. She's studious, prissy, and quiet, and worries a lot.

Though they have different backgrounds and experiences, both children find their lives turned upside down when the Lawrence mill-workers go on strike. To tell the truth, neither reacts well. Jake steals, lies, and fails to appreciate people's kindness to him. Rosa lectures her mother about the perils of striking, and slinks along on the fringes of the marches and demonstrations that arise, even as she is sometimes inspired by them. I didn't much like either child, early in the story. But things do get better. Eventually, Jake and Rosa's lives intertwine. Rosa is sent away to live in safety with a family in Vermont, and Jake escapes along with her, towing a dark secret.

All of the major events in the book are based on meticulously researched historical events (as detailed in a historical note at the end of the book). The Lawrence strikes are depicted as they happened, in terms of local and state responses, the presence of union organizers, and the humanitarian "vacations" provided for many of the mill-workers children. Barre, Vermont really did host several children from Lawrence during the strikes. A photo of the children inspired the author to look further into the story.

The historical detail does slow the book down a bit, especially in the early part, when Jake and Rosa are still in Lawrence. Because of this, I had a bit of trouble getting into this book. However, it won me over by the end, and had me in tears (in a good way). The two strongest aspects of the book, I think, are the depth of the immersion into the world of the immigrant mill-workers, and the complexity of the characterization.

Regarding the immersion, this is a book that will make readers feel lucky to have food, and warmth, and clean water, and not to have to worry about basic survival. Here's an example, when one of the Italian strikers buys lunch for Jake, giving him a platter of spaghetti:

"It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. The tomato sauce even sported a few bits of greasy sausage. Jake forgot the crowd around him, forgot the strike, forgot the menace that waited for him in the shack, and fell to, his nose almost in the steaming plate. He hadn't had a full platter of food to himself in his entire thirteen years of life."

None of the characters in this book are one-dimensional, with the exception of Jake's dad, who is largely off-screen. Rosa's teacher is not very nice to the children in her class, and she tries to coerce them to convince their parents not to strike. And yet... she travels though the violence-prone streets to ask why Rosa isn't coming to school anymore, and she ends up providing lunch every day for the kids who remain in her class. The man in Barre that Rosa and Jake are sent to stay with, Mr. Gerbati, starts out silent and grouchy, and especially resentful of Jake. But when Jake actually gives him reason to be disapproving, Mr. Gerbati displays unexpected kindness "like his flowers blooming from the cold gray granite." Rosa's mamma is uncouth and uneducated, and somewhat careless of her children, but she has a voice like an angel, and she wants better for her Rosa than she ever had. Isn't that the immigrant dream?

I think that the book is accurate in capturing Rosa's struggles as the "smart one" in an immigrant family. She wants to fit in with her family, but even though she's still a child, her education is taking her beyond them. She's the only one who reads and writes fluently in English. At one point she thinks:

"She would be an American, an educated, civilized, respected American, not a despised child of an immigrant race. When she grew up she'd change her name and marry a real American and have real American children. She wouldn't go out to work in a mill and leave them in the care of someone's old granny who couldn't even speak English. She'd stay home and cook American food and read them American books and ... But even as she thought these determined thoughts, somewhere in the back of her mind she could smell rigatoni smothered in tomato sauce with bits of sausage in it and could hear her mamma's beautiful voice singing Un Bel Di."

I think that there are plenty of immigrant kids today facing the same sort of conflict between the promise of being American and the pull of their own culture.

This is a book that I'll remember for a long time. There is so much unflinching detail: Jake sleeping in the garbage; the welts on Jake's back; the wide-eyed awe of the children when they visit the Gerbati's house for the first time; and the feeling that Rosa has of being part of something larger than herself, during the demonstrations. I think this is one of those books that gets better in your memory, the longer it stays with you. I hope that kids will be able to get past the "good for you" feeling of the early historical parts, because the story has a lot to offer.

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on February 8, 2007.

Moving story of a mine strike's politics and dangers........2006-12-10

Rosa's mother seems happy again after recording from the mining death of Rosa's father - but she's out in the streets singing union songs, and Rosa's frightened of the corrupt mill owners. When she's sent away to live with strangers in Vermont until the strike is over, she worries she'll never see her family again. Her adoption of a younger boy will help protect them both in this moving story of a mine strike's politics and dangers.

Beware that movement that generates its own songs........2006-09-25

Doggone it, Katherine Paterson, stop making me cry! Under normal circumstances the number of books that make me tear up is a slim number that could be counted on one hand. And most of those books, if I was going to be honest with you, were probably written by Katherine Paterson. Ms. Paterson is a bit of a wonder. Year after year, decade after decade, she churns out consistently well-written meaningful pieces of children's fiction. The last book of Ms. Paterson's that I read was her rather remarkable, "The Same Stuff As Stars". Now, however, she's decided to traipse back into the world of historical fiction, alongside all the other authors this year, and produce a bit of fascinating history that can show a situation clear distinctions between good and bad, and yet leave enough room for people with nebulous motives. If complex narratives is the name of the game, consider Paterson a player.

On the one hand there's Jake. On the other hand there's Rosa. Both children live in Lawrence, Massachusetts in less than stellar conditions. For Jake, life is especially rough. His father's a drunkard who steals his son's money all the time and beats him senseless. And though Jake can usually make a little money in the local mills, it's rarely enough to keep him fed and warm. Rosa, in contrast, is relatively lucky. She lives with her mama, elder sister, and little baby brother in one of the city's many tenements. But life at the mill has been getting worse and worse and when it looks as if the mill owners are going to cut the workers' pay yet again, that's the straw that breaks the camel's back. Now Rosa's mother is joining in with the 1912 strike alongside workers from a variety of different backgrounds. And that might not be so bad except that Rosa is firmly convinced that her mama is putting their entire way of life in jeopardy. Her worst fears are confirmed too when her mother puts her on a train to Barre, Vermont to wait out the strike with a kind family there. On the train Jake meets up with Rosa and though they are only barely acquainted, he convinces her to say that he's her brother so that he can get out of town fast. As it happens, Jake has a secret he's trying to escape while Rosa has a life she's trying to remember.

Though it's clear from the get go that the mill owners are bad and the mill workers are good, Paterson works tirelessly to muddle the issue through Rosa's eyes. As far the girl is concerned, joining in the strike is dangerous and common. And Jake's no better a person with his constant schemes on how to get ahead and lie his way out of most situations. When he finds himself with the striking workers the book reads that, "This was the excitement of being a thief in the middle of hundreds of thieves, all set to steal away the world of Billy Wood", who is the mill's owner. In fact, you could probably say that there are few main characters out there half as self-centered as Rosa and Jake. For a long time all they think about is themselves. It takes a long time for them to get on that train headed for Vermont (150 pages or so), though once they do they're taken far enough away from what they're used to to think about something other than me me me. Rosa's schoolteacher Miss Finch is another complicated character. Unlike the mill schoolteacher in "Counting On Grace", Miss Finch is completely on the side of the owners. She doesn't want Rosa to be taken out of school, but she also encourages the children vehemently to keep their parents from striking. Rosa is, of course, completely on her teacher's side, and it's interesting to watch as Paterson pulls the child reader's strings back and forth and back again. She never tells her audience what to think and she doesn't have to. This book is an excellent example of "show, don't tell".

For those amongst us who don't know their American history as they should, I think I might not be the only one who thought that the title, "Bread and Roses, Too", meant that this story was a sequel. I know, I know. I'm a Neanderthal. I accept that. Really, it wasn't until the story showed how Rosa participated in naming the Bread and Roses Strike personally that I knew where the title even came from. Ms. Paterson, who is always good with clarification, mentions in the book's Historical Note at the end that no one really knows who came up with that phrase. She just took the liberty of assigning the job to Rosa, and it works like a dream.

Part of the privilege that comes with being a writer is that if you would like to set a book partly in your own hometown, you have that right. Ms. Paterson sets part of this book in Barre, Vermont where she herself lives. The people of Barre have long been known for the role they played in hosting the children of the Lawrence strikers. Ms. Paterson used all kinds of Barre historians to aid her in the writing of this book, and the result is a story that certainly gives the city its due. The writing for its own part is, of course, pitch perfect at all times. And while the book's first sentence is nothing to crow about, its last one is amazing. You won't understand much of what it means without having read the book, but I'll write it here just so you can get a taste of what Paterson's about. "How strange, how wonderful it semed to be running, not away from petty crime or deadly fear, but toward a new life where bread was never wanting and roses grew in stone."

It's interesting to note that Paterson doesn't go into the details of what working in a mill would entail in this book. We see the result of horrid working conditions rather than the cause. Technically she already showed the cause in her book "Lyddie". And if you happen to be desperate to read about what it was like for mill children, definitely seek out Elizabeth Winthrop's remarkable, "Counting On Grace". If children reading this book can get past Rosa's self-centeredness (she doesn't ever seem to get behind the strike until it seems as if she's named it herself) and they don't get bogged down in the story's first half, they'll be rewarded with a remarkable addition to the Paterson oeuvre. Reading "Bread and Roses, Too", makes you feel, when you are done, as if you've become a better person for the reading. A lovely little novel.

American Foreign Relations: A History to 1920

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American Foreign Relations: A History to 1920
Thomas G. Paterson
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0618370714

Book Description

This text presents the best synthesis of current scholarship available to emphasize the theme of expansionism and its manifestations. The inclusion of recently declassified documents allows for new perspectives on American intervention in the Bolshevik Revolution, the origins of the Cold War and the Korean War, and the Cuban missile crisis.

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Sometimes it doesnt turn out to be what we want.......
An adult review
The Great Gilly Hopkins
The Great Great Gilly Hopkins
the best of the "baddest"

The Great Gilly Hopkins
Katherine Paterson
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064402010
Release Date: 2004-04-13

Amazon.com

Gilly Hopkins is a determined-to-be-unpleasant 11-year-old foster kid who the reader can't help but like by the end. Gilly has been in the foster system all her life, and she dreams of getting back to her (as she imagines) wonderful mother. (The mother makes these longings worse by writing the occasional letter.) Gilly is all the more determined to leave after she's placed in a new foster home with a "gross guardian and a freaky kid." But she soon learns about illusions--the hard way. This Newbery Honor Book manages to treat a somewhat grim, and definitely grown-up theme with love and humor, making it a terrific read for a young reader who's ready to learn that "happy" and "ending" don't always go together. (Ages 9 to 12) --Richard Farr

Book Description

Eleven-year-old Gilly has been stuck in more foster families than she can remember, and she's disliked them all. She has a county-wide reputation for being brash, brilliant, and completely unmanageable. So when she's sent to live with the Trotters -- by far the strangest family yet -- Gilly decides to put her sharp mind to work. Before long she's devised an elaborate scheme to get her real mother to come rescue her.

But the rescue doesn't work out, and the great Gilly Hopkins is left thinking that maybe life with the Trotters wasn't so bad ...

Customer Reviews:

Sometimes it doesnt turn out to be what we want..............2007-03-25

....thats why I like this book. Everything we do isn't always happily ever after sometimes its just BLAH. You get pulled into this book and its hard to put it down. Even though its for young readers I still enjoy this book to this day. I remember my first time reading it and I still had a problem with having to stop.... must finish reading it. Katherine Paterson is a good author. Next stop Bridge to Terabithia.......*grin* Great Book!

An adult review.......2007-02-14

This book follows Gilly a foster child as she gorws up. Through her feeling of hate toward her foster mother and brother to her angst at school. Gilly learns that no matter how much anger, discomfort, and hardships you put people through the ones who really love you aren't going to stop because you did something bad.

The Great Gilly Hopkins.......2007-01-29

The book I read was called The Great Gilly Hopkins. It was written by Katherine Paterson. I would give this book a 4 in star rating. In this book the main character is Gadriel Hopkins, but people call her Gilly. I gave this book a 4 because it is basically all about giving people a chance and that they can change wants you give them that chance. He Great Gilly Hopkins is about a foster child named Gilly. She has been moving around a lot and she really doesnt like it. One day she moves to a house with a lady named Maime Trotter and her son Willam Earnest. She hates it at first and she wants to try to get out of there and try to get to California and move in with her mom. After a while of living with Maime Trotter she starts to really like it and have some fun. Then when she really doesnt want to move anymore her grandma comes and wants Gilly to come and live with her. Gilly is forced to move again. when she gets to her grandmas she hates it, but just like at Maime Trotter she gave it a chance and then she likes it. Something big happens next, but Im not going to say anymore. I guess you'll just have to read it yourself. I recommend you to read this book, Jacob have I loved, and The upstairs room. The are all very good books. I love to play basketball.

The Great Great Gilly Hopkins.......2006-12-21

Gilly is a foster child who moves from home to home. She's tough, loud, and hard to work with. She has a very strong personality. She'll scare you if you just look into her eyes. Gilly always wanted to see her mother. The book starts with Gilly going to a new home. There is Trotter, William Ernest, and Mr. Randolph. She's not so sure about her new home. She only wants to be with Courtney. (her mother)
The moral of the story is being loved by a family, not being independent. This is a heartwarming story about a girl, Gilly, who is first independent, then was part of a family.
This is a great story. I think it's great because I like Gilly's character. She's fun and tough at the same time. So if you like realistic fiction with toughness and silliness, you'll like this book!

the best of the "baddest".......2006-12-01

"Is there a book this good?" They would ask me. I don't think so! It is about a girl who has been to three different homes less than three years. Her name is Gilly, in this book she has to tendency to act as if she was the big bad wolf, Gilly notices that once she finally meets someone she really likes she has to go away, if only she was the smartest girl in the world she could stay in one place. Gilly has now met the best family ever and don't know what to do! So,read the book and find out what would be the right thing for her to accomplish. There is also neat stuff for you to read in this book, like Gilly entering a Kentucky derby, and the worlds uncombed hair. now, like i said just read the book and you could tell your friends about this amazing book.......

Finding Time Again (In Search of Lost Time 6)

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You've come this far, don't stop now
again, a misleading heading

Finding Time Again (In Search of Lost Time 6)
Marcel Proust
Manufacturer: Penguin Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0141180366

Customer Reviews:

You've come this far, don't stop now.......2007-02-18

If you've read the first four volumes of the Penguin Modern Classic, Proust's In Search of Lost Time, then don't let the publication restriction in the US stop you from buying the British text versions. Except for minor presentation, they are exactly the same that will be published in the US when the copyrights expire. The only differences (which are hardly a great obstacle to the enjoyment of reading the novel), are the footnotes in back and the original French lyrics which Proust occasionally quotes from in the body of the work -- apparently the British assume we colonial philistines do not know as much French as they do.

The introduction to The Fugitive I found hugely welcome -- British translator Carol Clark is unapologetically direct in summing up for us what the previous 4 volumes have been about -- a long wished for insight as I have been dying to know up to this point whether or not I have been truly getting Proust all along.

The curse and the blessing is that Proust died before he could give the final sign off on these manuscripts before publication. A curse because he most certainly would have removed or resolved many errors, and extended or rewritten many parts which are its weakest sections. A blessing in that, to be sure, there are in this and the next volume several obvious errors which a good copy editor would have detected and eliminated, but with time have become such a part of Proustian lore that they can no more be removed than say Jimmy Durante's nose shortened or Richard Burton's pockmarks removed or Marilyn Manson's makeup wiped clean.

And if one has lasted this long, the addiction to Proust's peregrinations from the plot to discuss seemingly unrelated topics and issues in minute detail - as seen from the other end of binoculars, as Roger Shattuck writes in Proust's Binoculars- one will not be at all bothered about any perceived sloppiness in these last two volumes. On the contrary, one will feel proud to detect them for oneself, and have a private chuckle about it as Proust is forgiven for what would be unacceptable by today's publishing standards.

SO don't wait four more years - you'll not care by then or have forgotten much of the threads of the protean plot which keeps all volumes tied into one - for most of what is written in these last volumes is the rich reward the reader deserves after having hung in there until the end, to discover the final fate and full identities of all the rich and lively characters we have come to love - Charlus and St Loup, Albertine and Gilberte, oh, and Mme Potbus' maid - remember her?

The Prisoner and the Fugitive translated by Carol Clark

This is almost a novel within the novel as it deals in two parts with the final resolution of the narrator's relationship to Albertine, this character who, more so than any other, the narrator has kept directly from the reader's curious view and desire to know her in her own voice.

Finding Time Again translated by Ian Patterson

The fates of the rest of the characters are revealed, and the narrator in this last volume himself ages (or catches up to the age at which he began telling this long story -- and we will learn why he had to write it all before his death, as the line between fiction and reality between Marcel the narrator and Marcel the famed French writer nearly disappears). This is the volume where, winding down at last from what was always a nebulous plot to one last social scene,like a curtain call, all the characters take their final bows together in old age (either still alive or in the narrator's memory of them). And there are some great surprises left to discover, which hopefully too much reading of Proustian criticism, biographies, and reviews hasn't already revealed to the `well informed but too reluctant to read A la Recherché du Temps Perdu for themselves' lover of literature.

again, a misleading heading.......2005-03-12

Though it bears the title of Proust's seven-volume masterpiece, this is actually just the final volume, called "Finding Time Again" in this new translation. This particular book would be the British paperback edition, for the American press run has so far only given us four volumes, all of which are for sale on Amazon in a uniform style.

There are small but real differences between the British and American editions. With their greater tolerance for continental foibles, the Brits retained French punctuation, using dashes instead of quotation marks for conversation. They also retained the French wherever Proust makes a literary reference, providing a translation in the notes; in the American edition, this policy is reversed.

In reading the first two volumes ("Swanns' Way" and "In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower") I noticed typographical errors that might well have resulted in converting the British to the American languages, rather than from French to English. For example, on page 95 of "In the Shadow" there is the phrase "Professor Cottard and his wife were not to partake of the pleasure" when the sentence should actually read "NOW to partake," since Swann has decided to introduce the Cottards to the Duchesse! Not earthshaking, but it does rather spoil Proust's little joke.

In short, these British paperbacks will serve very nicely if the American reader is in a hurry to complete the novel, and they may also be more free of errors. But I will probably wait for the uniform hardcover Viking volumes.

I haven't read Mr. Patterson's translation of volume seven, but I give it five stars based on the company it keeps.

A People and a Nation: A History of the United States

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awesome!

A People and a Nation: A History of the United States
David M. Katzman , David W. Blight , Howard P. Chudacoff , Thomas G. Paterson , William M., Jr. Tuttle , Paul D. Escott , and William J. Brophy
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0618214682

Book Description

A People and a Nation, Brief Sixth Edition, weaves the rich fabric of social history into a political, diplomatic, and economic narrative to tell "the whole story" of American history. The thoughtful discussion of the lives of everyday people, cultural diversity, work, and popular culture brings America's history to life.

New content in this edition includes new coverage of slavery in the colonial period; enhanced discussion of regional interconnections in the emerging market economy in the antebellum era; coordinated examination of the development of race theory and the social construction of racial identity; expanded consideration of the West throughout; new "integration" of the South into the national picture; new attention to the role of religion in American social and political history; new treatment of 20th century foreign relations culture; stronger emphasis on women; and enhanced discussion of the U.S. in the world.

Chapter-ending "Legacy for a People and a Nation" features focus on specific events, movements, or facts that show a striking relevance to present-day events and controversies. The features demonstrate how important the past is to the present, providing a forum for contemporary analysis.

Customer Reviews:

awesome!.......2005-09-15

book was in great condition! delivery time was early so that was really good.

Part of Me Died Too: Stories of Creative Survival Among Bereaved Children and Teenagers

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Good for any age
This book is amazing
Chapter 5 is about me
IT WAS EXCELLENT! I LOVED IT!

Part of Me Died Too: Stories of Creative Survival Among Bereaved Children and Teenagers
Virginia Lynn Fry , and Katherine Paterson
Manufacturer: Dutton Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0525450688

Customer Reviews:

Good for any age.......2007-05-29

Each chapter is a learning story unto itself. Some, very poignant. This book would be worthwhile for any age. Also, very instructive in showing how art therapy and tactile experience can be vital. Spending time with the recently deceased body is crucial to start the goodbye process, and, one chapter, especially, shows this well.

This book is amazing.......2003-10-03

I was given the amazing opportunity to spend time with Virginia Fry while living in Vermont this past winter. My 14 year old sister had recently passed away after her stuggle against cancer. I was completely lost, and met with Virginia several times. She is one of the most amazing people that I've ever been priviledged enough to have come into my life. This book enveloped every part of her ideas and extremely heartfelt suggestions to get you through the most horrible times. She is such an amazing person and this book reflects that to the fullest extent.

Chapter 5 is about me.......2002-02-08

My name is Amy Petrucelli and chapter 5 is about me, my sister Betsy and our brother Frankie.
The very first time I read Ginny's story and at that time it was a draft, it brought tears to my my eyes and my late mothers. If it were not for Ginny and Hospice to help us as children to cope with death and dying, I do not think I would be here today. This book is more than helpful and insightful, at least for me. I encourage any person(s) having known a child or know one who is going through death and dying to read this book and share it with that child and help them to work through their loss, questions and fears, Lord knows the author Virginia Fry did that for me.

IT WAS EXCELLENT! I LOVED IT!.......1999-03-16

I really enjoyed this book. I bought it a few years after my mother died, and it helped me a great deal with what I was feeling, thinking, and seeing. It also helped me deal with the day-to-day struggles that I encountered. Thank you so much for writing this book.

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