Wing Nut

Book Description

rady Flood and his mom, Lila, have been on the road ever since Grady's dad died seven years ago. When their old car breaks down, they find themselves stranded in rural Pennsylvania where Lila gets work as a cook and caretaker. There's nothing out of the ordinary in that, unless you factor in her new employer. Eighty-five-year-old Charlie Fernwald, a skilled mechanic and bird enthusiast, is definitely out of the ordinary. In fact, if Grady's not mistaken, Charlie is a certifiable 'wing nut.' Grady and Lila plan to leave as soon as they have enough money to repair their car. For the time being, Grady figures, he can help Charlie with his birds and maybe even learn how to fix a car engine. But before he can do either, something goes terribly wrong. In her warm and engaging style, MJ Auch crafts a compelling novel about family, forgiveness, and the true meaning of home.

Customer Reviews:

Wing Nut.......2007-08-13

I thought that this book took place a long time ago with the look of the cover and reading the first few chapters, but it takes place now. It's about a 12 year old boy Grady and how he and his mom are trying to just get by. Grady reads in this book about another character to make his life feel better and if you think your life is tough you may feel better about your situation after reading about Grady although there is a more happy than sad ending.

Characters shine in this story.......2005-09-12

Twelve-year-old Grady Flood shines in this story of a boy, his mother, and the strange old man who reluctantly takes them in after their car breaks down in a rural Pennsylvania town. After his father was crushed under a car he was repairing, Grady and his mother, Lila, drift from place to place trying to survive. Lila, a hard but uneducated worker, falls back on her skills as a housekeeper and cook to find work in communes. Grady is alternately annoyed and worried about his pretty mother. He feels an urgent need to protect her from unwanted male attention, yet wishes in turn that she would worry more about his needs for a permanent home.

At first, old Charlie Fernwald, a retired farmer who knows how to repair engines and has a passion for saving purple martins, refuses to take the pair in. But since his son insists he needs a caretaker, he allows Lila and Grady to stay just long enough to fool his son into thinking someone is caring for him. Lila works hard to prove her worth as a cook while Grady follows the old man around. He thinks Charlie's fascination with purple martins makes him a "wing nut" and soon he is secretly saving the house sparrows that Charlie wants to kill because he insists they attack his purple martins.

Charlie and Grady form an uneasy but endearing friendship. Gruff and stubborn, Charlie can't help being disarmed by Grady's willingness to work hard. He soon sees Grady's vulnerabilities and worries and takes an interest in Grady's spotty schooling, even offering to home-school Grady.

M. J. Auch gradually reveals more and more facets of Grady's character. He comes across as a multi-faceted and realistic boy. His thoughts reveal a boy who is struggling with a variety of developmental issues. He willingly takes on responsibility but soon makes mistakes that reveal his need for guidance from Charlie. And Grady does make plenty of mistakes. He's stubborn, opinionated, and determined to control some of Lila's choices in an attempt to control his own life.

Charlie, too, is well-developed and endearing. He reveals his own prejudices and hard-headedness, yet soon shows a softer side as he tries to father young Grady. Grady and Lila have a difficult time accepting help from Charlie, and he has a hard time giving it at times, but soon the three of them begin to form a family unit despite their determination not to get involved with each other.

Their attachment is threatened by Grady's mistakes and Charlie's anger, but each character has grown just enough to overcome the failures and hang on to what they've found together.

There's a lot to learn in this quiet story. Just as they grow to like each other, these characters grow on the reader, pulling you into their lives and leaving you satisfied that despite their many challenges, they've all found a hopeful new beginning by story's end.

The Amazing Life of Birds: The Twenty-Day Puberty Journal of Duane Homer Leech

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Delightful Look at A Boy Going Through Puberty
The Amazing Llif of Birds: The Twenty-Day Puberty Journal of Duane Home Leech

The Amazing Life of Birds: The Twenty-Day Puberty Journal of Duane Homer Leech
Gary Paulsen
Manufacturer: Wendy Lamb Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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

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ASIN: 0385746601
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Book Description

Zit monster.

Puberty Werewolf.

Potty Boy.

Doo Doo Rules!

I’m Duane. Duane Homer Leech. Don’t ask.

I’m 12. And one week. What I want to know is, where is this whole puberty thing going? So far it’s just something put on earth to destroy me.

And I don’t have a clue what’s coming next.

Customer Reviews:

Delightful Look at A Boy Going Through Puberty.......2007-05-13

What a little (84 pages) gem this is! I picked it up because it's written by Gary Paulsen, whose book Harris and Me is one of my all-time favorites, and I found this to be a charming, funny look at a twelve year old boy's puberty/growing pains.

Sparsely told, we follow poor Duane through 20 days of his life by reading his journal about all the horrible things that occur to him on a daily basis. What a sympathetic creature he is! From zits to ELBOWS (you have to read the book to understand) to smashing a girl's face with a volleyball, Duane "Doo Doo" Leech suffers more than his fair share of pre-teen tragedy in such a short period of time. The best part of this book is the tie-in to the little bird's nest found just outside Duane's windowsill; he chronicles what's going on with the baby bird, drawing parallels to his own growing pains and eventually learning that he might be able to fly, too, at least figuratively.

Paulsen has taken an awkward time in a boy's life and made it humorous, cringe-worthy, and at times even poignant. My biggest complaint is its length; this book should easily have been longer and it might have used a bit less tragedy--how much can one boy take? But overally I loved it and can easily recommend it, especially to all those boys who feel that they may never make it through middle school. I can easily envision a sequel--are you listening, Mr. Paulsen??

The Amazing Llif of Birds: The Twenty-Day Puberty Journal of Duane Home Leech.......2007-01-10

Using a humorous approach to everyday life of young boys, many lessons can be learned and enjoyed. I bought this for my 3 grandsons

Penucquem Speaks: A Look at Our World From a Different Culture

Average customer rating:

Yes.
An Extraordinary Memoir
A cultural landmark
Unique Book
Cultural Wisdom -

Penucquem Speaks: A Look at Our World From a Different Culture
Ronald Thomas West
Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Doctors & Medicine | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Satire, General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1419646745
Release Date: 2006-08-30

Book Description

EXTRAORDINARY MEMOIR: I found PENUCQUEM SPEAKS totally fascinating, unlike anything else I've ever read. I don't know of anyone who has had the unique experience Ron has had, of living in two cultures, and therefore being in a position to learn from that. Quite an amazing trajectory, from Vietnam to Blackfeet culture. And Ron's analysis of Whiteman thinking, Whiteman culture, fundamentalism, the difference between Jesus and Paul -- all very interesting to me. Ron West brings us back to what Indian culture cherished, the equality of women, the preservation of nature, everything that "progress" and "civilization" have corrupted. HOWARD ZINN

Customer Reviews:

Yes........2007-08-31

This is a good book. It is real. Buy it, read it, believe it.

An Extraordinary Memoir.......2006-12-14

Dear Ron:
I finally got around to reading PENUCQUEM SPEAKS, and find it totally fascinating, unlike anything else I've ever read. I don't know of anyone who has had the unique experience you have had, of living in two cultures, and therefore being in a position to learn from that. Quite an amazing trajectory, from Vietnam to Blackfeet culture. And your analysis of Whiteman thinking, Whiteman culture, fundamentalism, the difference between Jesus and Paul -- all very interesting to me. You bring us back to what Indian culture cherished, the equality of women, the preservation of nature, everything that "progress" and "civilization" have corrupted.
Thanks so much for letting me have your book.

Howard Zinn

A cultural landmark.......2006-10-13

Ron's work is a true landmark!

The book provides a striking balance between cultural ethnography, personal confessional, and mythic parable all rolled into one. You will be entertained by West's singular humor, frankness, and perspective regarding life at the intersection of two distinct worlds. Its a book that's hard to put down in its unflinching look at life in Indian Country, within the context of modern America.

There is a subtle presence that lives within this book, with powerful truths both concealed and revealed throughout its pages, in layers of meaning and insight waiting to be revealed to the right eyes and ears.

Ron West is also an investigative journalist and legal historian who has chronicled to unparalled depths the true story of Indian-American affairs and the unfortunate deceits of history.

Much wisdom and mirth lies in these pages!

Unique Book .......2006-09-17

Over the last 200 years Ron West is one of the few whites to get an unfettered inside view of the Native American world. He does not look in from the outside, but was directly taught by widely known and respected healers. He became a part of it. His transition from western civilization to the ancient Oral Tradition Indian world allowed him to acquire a unique knowledge. You discover the outcome in this book, a deep insight into this world from the Native perspective. The attentive reader will find information unavailable to this time because westerners were not allowed this knowledge, forbidden to outsiders. Dr. Karl Schlesier mentions in his foreword the chapter on the Stick Game divination is the best ever written in literature. Why has this happened now? You may find the answer in the very first sentences of the book, in Medicine Man Pat Kennedy's words:" I want the whole world to know". These words invite the reader to see and understand. With much Indian humor and sharp words of truth, westerners should bear in mind this is not only a book to explain the Indian worldview. You're also going to see your own civilization from the Indian eyes. This is sometimes a painful thing, even to the open minded. To those who are deeply rooted in western society and believe ours is the only road to walk, it could be a hazard to read this book.
Be that as it may, let's go on a journey with Strawberry (my favorite chapter) and keep in mind everybody is welcome to become the 23rd generation.

Cultural Wisdom -.......2006-09-12

Ron West has written a compelling book that will plunge you into Indian culture told from a very powerful, instightful voice. Hunter Thompson-esque, this great piece of work. From the first draft I had the privilege to review, I was impressed with his unique voice and edgy humor. Ron's important work is a must read.

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Stegner hits all his concerns here
Perfect, Funny, and Wise
Every word counts
Something of a failure.
A subtle, thoughtful and accomplished work of literature

The Spectator Bird
Wallace Stegner
Manufacturer: University of Nebraska Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0803291078

Customer Reviews:

Stegner hits all his concerns here.......2007-01-31

Stegner has three narrative concerns, and the SB hits them all. There is Stegner's nearly vice grip hatred of the counter culture. There is the fascination with the decay of the old, and finally, an interest in eugenics, here expressed in a Danish noble and his son who attempt to inbreed with their servants to create a vibrant strain of humans. Overall, SB, like most of Stegner's work, gives a neat view of what a writer can do when he or she tenaciously latches onto a theme, and exploits it to great effect, adding nuance each time. I think Stegner does that here, and that is what prevents SB from being merely a repetition.

Perfect, Funny, and Wise.......2005-05-06

In all the entangled limbs, passionate melodrama, wild fantasy, and bloody gore of today's pop and contemporary fiction, there is no match for this fine masterwork. In just a little over two hundred pages, Wallace Stegner manages to present a brilliant portrait of a real marriage, an entertaining story of a husband's pursuit of his mother's memory, and an astonishing portrayal of a bereft Danish countess whose beauty and elegance is haunting and sad. Stegner also gets in his digs about the so-called hip writers of his time, while maintaining a wonderful sense of humor and a poetic and rich style second to none. And, in perfectly chosen prose, Stegner describes what it's like to age and to know that one is aging. In his America of the 1970s, anyone past 65 was just plain forgotten and invisible, except when it came time to vote or be bait for a swindle. Nothing on that score is different today. In fact, this novel is filled with universal truths and with a steady current of wisdom that will make your reading it one of the most rewarding experiences you've had in a long time. I guarantee it.

Every word counts.......2005-03-29

This is my third Stegner book and I enjoy him more each time. In this short book he tells a lot about getting/being old, grief of actual loss, wonder for a what-might-have-been relationship and WWII/post-war experiences in Denmark. There is a lot to tell and Stegner does so but with an economy of words that is astounding in the power that it can still achieve. Stegner is able to make the reader see both a man's and a woman's point of view, making one understand and sympathize with each. If you re looking for an introduction to one great and relatively unknown author, this is a powerful, easy-to-read and short way to do it.

Something of a failure........2005-03-01

This book has an interesting construction. A happily married couple is living out a very comfortable, uneventful retirement. Occasioned by a postcard from a woman they met on an extended trip to Denmark, they re-read the husband's diary of the trip. He had been tempted by the Danish woman, who is the heroine of what can only be described as a Gothic tale, one the couple briefly became involved in. As you might expect from Stegner, much of the writing is good, although there is one scene (midnight on the lake), when the similes come so fast, it is almost a parody. The Gothic tale is engrossing. Yet, for me the novel was something of a failure. As a senior citizen I can appreciate the validity of Stegner's portrayal of the challenges and rewards of retirement and a good marriage, but I found the portrayal lifeless for the most part.

A subtle, thoughtful and accomplished work of literature.......2004-12-21

This is a very rewarding piece of fiction written by the late Wallace Stegner. His writing is accessible, but nuanced and deep.

In this work, the National Book Award winner for 1977, Stegner profiles a few days in the lives of Joe Allston and his wife Ruth, who are in their twilight years, almost 70, and retired in relative comfort near San Francisco. A respected literary agent, Allston feels the pang or sense of not having accomplished much of direct or lasting value or personal satisfaction in his own life, paralleling his own experiences with that of the bird that watches and observes the living of other, more active and involved birds. He sees himself as being on the perimeter of the lives of those writers that he represents and also reads; but whom he both loves and hates.

Having regard to the title and parallels, this is not really a book about birds, for if it was, I doubt I could have stayed the course. It is a story of a man both in part frustrated and satisfied, although not at a point of admitting either emotion fully, who explores a period in his life some twenty years before, which had a profound and lasting impact on his life since. His son having died many years before, he has lived out his life with Ruth, and there are silences, a few secrets, many knowing looks, questions, but also many shared emotions that give their marriage and this story much resonance. A large part of the book follows his journal writing 20 years earlier while on a sabbatical with his wife in Denmark, the land of his mother's birth, and from where she fled at a young age. There are some secrets buried in that place that form the backdrop for this story. This is a story of reflecting and learning, rather than neat thirty minute lessons lived out with happy conclusions. Much that might help Joe is not apparent to him at the time he is experiencing it.

The story captures the irritations of family and over-familiarity with those we love but who can also drive us crazy. And coupled with that, the lure of the unfamiliar and exotic. As his life and the story evolves, Joe rediscovers the deep love he has for his wife and partner, Ruth.

Joe's questions and torment are perhaps reflected well in the following passage:

"What was it? Did I feel cheated? Did I look back and feel that I had given up my chance for what they call fulfillment? Did I count the mountain peaks of my life and find every one a knoll? Was I that fellow whose mother loved him, but she died; whose son had been a tragedy to both his parents and himself; whose wife up to the age of twenty had been a nice girl and since the age of twenty a nice woman? Whose profession was something he did not choose, but fell into, and which he practiced with intelligence but without joy? Had I gone through my adult life glancing desperately sidelong in hope of diversion, rescue, transfiguration."

Joe does not get all the answers to these questions in a neat little bundle, so neither do we. But he acknowledges finally that he has been on part of the journey of life as more than just a spectator.

Grizzlies and Grizzled Old Men: A Tribute to Those Who Fought to Save the Great Bear

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Grizzlies and Grizzled Old Men: A Tribute to Those Who Fought to Save the Great Bear
Mike Lapinski
Manufacturer: Falcon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0762736534

Alamo House: Women Without Men, Men Without Brains

Average customer rating:

Grad school in a whole new light
a very engaging read
Bird's got it going ON!!!
Remember the Alamo...
I wish there were more than 5 Stars

Alamo House: Women Without Men, Men Without Brains
Sarah Bird
Manufacturer: W W Norton & Co Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

The Boyfriend School (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
The Mommy Club (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
The Yokota Officers Club: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
Virgin of the Rodeo
The Flamenco Academy: A Novel

ASIN: 0393023230

Book Description

The sorority sisters of Alamo House at the University of Texas may be at comic odds with each other, but at least they have one thing in common: They all hate the fraternity rats across the street, the Sigma Upsilon Kappas—aka the SUKs. But amid the collegiate turmoil, Alamo House is also the scene of an extraordinary, endearing friendship among three women: Mary Jo, hilariously confused about life and love but determined to get both right; Fayrene, flushed with freedom after her escape from Baptist Waco; and Collie, party girl and self-proclaimed guide to the ways of the world. Together they embark on a roller coaster of escapades that changes them all—and galvanizes Alamo House into an all-out counterattack against the SUKs. The result is infectious, side-splitting fun sure to convince everyone that Mary Jo, Collie, and Fayrene are the best southwestern mixture since tequila, lime, and salt.

Customer Reviews:

Grad school in a whole new light.......2005-01-14

What can I say? I loved this book. After reading Bird's The Yokota Officer's Club, I was hooked on her writing style and voice. Her characters are well developed and so fabulously quirky and this novel most certainly delivers.

Mary Jo has been living with her boyfriend thinking that she had found her "settled down" life. Unfortunately that included cleaning up his messes which he perpetually left in their house. Fed up, stressed out and preparing to enter grad school, Mary Jo seeks out other living arrangements. As a last ditch effort on her way home from work, she stops at the Alamo House. A Co-op for female graduate students at the University of Texas, Alamo House seemed a little too creepy for her. Then she got home. Shortly there after she was moving into the Alamo House.

Filled with the spectrum of people only found on college campuses, Mary Jo comes to be a part of this easily missed community. She meets Collie who teaches her the Axiom and Fayrene, a girl with a photographic memory timid about life in the big city after leaving her very Baptist life in a small Texas town who come to be her inseperable cohorts in crime. From taking down the SUKs from within to their daily swimming ritual, these girls know how to play off of each other's traits and become stronger on their own.

I also enjoyed the story line that revolved around her rock star coworker and their time at the LBJ library. Tommy reinvented his band four times just in this one book! His take on Birdiana is hilarious and well worth waiting to read about it.

This had a good ending and there was room for more to be told. As with every good book I wish there was more to read but the ending was satisfying. I highly encourage you to read the Reader's Guide in the back. When I read Yokota it was actually an interview with Bird and her sisters. This time it is an essay by Bird reliving her time at the grad school co-op she lived in and it is totally entertaining. I cannot wait to read more books from this author.

a very engaging read.......2004-09-14

This is a story about being at a crossroads in life, wondering which way to turn or staying in the rut and not bothering at all. It begins with a young woman in a bad relationship who doesn't really want to leave, thereby cutting off the possibility of getting married, but knows she should try something......and ends up at a sad excuse for housing called the Alamo House, which at first glance appears to be full of a bunch of weirdos and losers or as the frat house residents across the street call them - dykes (the ultimate macho jerk insult). These guys harass them unmercifully. As we met the inhabitants of this book and take a closer look, we smile in recognition. By the end of the story we are rooting for Alamo House and plotting the destruction of the frat house right along side the girls. The reader forgets how the characters were first described and see them in a much kinder light. This plot is just the backdrop to the real story of the friendship formed between three girls, our narrator, an overweight girl away for the first time from her bible thumping family and a drama major who is a beautiful whirlwind that dresses up as doomed women (Marilyn Monroe, Sylvia Papth, etc.). Their story is the most compelling and emotionally touching. Oh yeah, the concept of feminism from all perspectives is also present in this story. The author delivers all of these themes in one well written novel. Kudos to Sarah Bird. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading other books by this author.

Bird's got it going ON!!!.......2004-04-25

Bored and browsing the Sam's book aisle, I reluctantly picked up the trade paperback copies of Sarah Bird's titles, "Alamo House" and "The Mommy Club", gave in and bought them, but I didn't open them. Just shelved them for that "mood hits me" time. I guess I didn't think Sarah Bird's writing was up the level I wanted at the time.

Well, after a rather serious and great non-fiction read, I went to the shelves and pulled out "Alamo House" and pulled an all-nighter reading this tome. It was like Animal House (the SUKs, appropriate name, eh?) meets the weirdo scholarly dames. And it was/is fun and funny and poignant.

I am so glad I met these women and entered into their lives and lived a bit of fictional/autobiographical Bird history of University of Texas Austin, circa the '80's. I will now grab hold of "The Mommy Club" and find the other Bird reads to indulge myself in her clever storytelling.

In addition, I will recommend this read to my fellow book clubbers and to my sister Red Hatters, especially those that loved "Ya-ya Sisterhood".

I especially enjoyed reading Sarah Bird's "Conversation with the Author" at the book's end.

Do yourself a favor and remember the Alamo in this version! No need to go to the movies yet.

But wouldn't this book make a fun movie, though?

Remember the Alamo..........2003-11-30

I happened to read an article about Sarah Bird in the Austin American Statesman and it mentioned the re-release of three of her books. After reading brief descriptions of them, I ran out and bought them. Alamo House is a scream. It's an easy and quick read making you feel as if you, too, live right there in Alamo House with Mary Jo, Fayrene and Collie. I can't wait to pass my copy on to my friends who attended the University of Texas.

I wish there were more than 5 Stars.......2003-10-15

March 14, 2000

I can't believe this book is out of print. it is so well written, so funny, absolutely one of the best books i've ever read. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title

Average customer rating:

Bird Boy grows up

Bird Boy
Elizabeth Starr Hill
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

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ASIN: 0374406596

Book Description

All his life, Chang has not been able to speak. The only sounds he can make are the squawks and caws of the cormorants his father trains for fishing. Chang loves the birds, and is thrilled when he is finally old enough to help raise a cormorant chick. But this is more challenging than Chang expects, for in the process he must learn hard lessons about untrustworthy friends and what it really means to prove himself.

Elizabeth Starr Hill's poignant story, set on the Li River in southern China, is accompanied by the evocative illustrations of Taiwanese artist Lesley Liu.

Customer Reviews:

Bird Boy grows up.......2007-03-27

First he is allowed to help his father with a big fishing event and then he has the responsibility of caring for a cormorant chick. But when his friend's big brother plays a trick on him things require a lot of work from Chang, who is mute, to fix. The story is easy to read and fast paced. There are nice illustrations as well. I recommend this book with no qualms.

Average customer rating:

Great Book, Terrible Ending
What is a Good Deed?
Highly recommended!
A funny and thoughtful story about discovering the person you're supposed to be

Three Good Deeds
Vivian Vande Velde
Manufacturer: Magic Carpet Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

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The Big House
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The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy
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ASIN: 0152054553

Book Description

If Howard had known the old hag was a witch, he never would have taunted her. But he did, and she did what witches do--cursed him--and now he's a goose! Howard is desperate to become a human again. But the only way to break the curse is to do three good deeds. How can you help others when you've got webbed feet, wings for hands, and can't say anything but "Honk"?

Customer Reviews:

Great Book, Terrible Ending.......2007-02-22

As an elementary school librarian I read a lot of books for kids and to kids. This book hooked me right away with it's entertaining story about a boy being held responsible for his bad behavior. The book is funny and would make an excellent read aloud. It also would be a great choice for a child who is just getting started reading novels. I really enjoyed it.... until I got to the ending.....

What a let down! The ending wraps up the entire in the most ridiculous ending I have ever read. I think most readers would be greatly disappointed in the conclusion and some would actually be "creeped out" by it.

It's really rather sad because the book is AWESOME up until page 136.

What is a Good Deed?.......2006-02-10

It was a normal day of pulling pranks with his best friend for Howard, until he finds himself alone at the local pond. Then, when in the middle of a prank, Howard gets turned into a goose by the local witch who wishes to teach him a lesson. He is told the only way to undo the spell is to do three good deeds.

This is the story of Howard's quest to do these three good deeds. He quickly realizes that it's not as easy as it seems in the beginning. True "good deeds" are not done with any expectation attached. They must come from the heart. This book allows young readers to discover with Howard the importance of compassion and sincerity even in those little daily tasks. Through some goose humor readers learn that even the small things count. Readers will stay entertained with pond scene images as Howard tries to make his life on the pond successful, all the while trying to achieve his good deeds. The rather abrupt and unexpected ending will illustrate for readers that even a prank-pulling boy can care for others.

This fun to read book is sure to please many readers. The humor and vivid imagery of life on the pond will keep the pages turning. The important message of helping others, just because it is the right thing to do, shines through without overpowering the book. For a read-aloud, or individual reading material, this book is highly recommended!

Highly recommended!.......2006-01-19

Howard is your typical nice, yet sometimes not-so-nice young boy. For one thing, he loves to play pranks, especially on defenseless geese and the poor old women who look like witches.

One day he tries to steal goose eggs from an old woman in his town, with disastrous consequences. This old woman, you see, happens to be a real witch who, to teach him a lesson, turns him into a goose. There's only one way for Howard to break the witch's curse and turn back into a boy: he must do three good deeds.

Easier said than done. As Howard tries to think up possible good deeds, he goes into a self-discovering journey without even realizing it, and becomes a much better person for it.

Three Good Deeds is a delight to read. The dialogue is engaging and the visual images transport the reader to the pond with the geese. The devious simplicity of the tale is what makes this book stand out. This is one of those excellent books which can work on two levels: as a light, fun, superficial story, and as a deeper, more complex one with a serious theme.

The author doesn't "spell out" the obvious to the young reader, allowing them to find out why Howard's presumably "good" deeds are not really good deeds at all. The ending is touching and transcends the more common, cute endings in many middle-reader novels published these days. Though actually serious in tone, it serves to both contrast and complement the earlier part of the book beautifully.

Armchair Interviews says: Three Good Deeds is highly recommended for ages 8-12.

A funny and thoughtful story about discovering the person you're supposed to be.......2005-11-18

Howard is a mischievous boy who, along with his friends, likes to pull pranks on the villagers of Dumphrey's Mill. Their latest victim is the supposed old witch who lives by Goose Pond. They find the elderly lady strange due to the fact that she lives on her own and tends to a flock of geese that live on the pond. They do mean things like tease the geese and steal their eggs. When Howard decides to steal from a nest one day, he is caught red-handed and accidentally breaks a couple of the eggs.

Fed up with the boy's antics, the old witch turns Howard into a goose! Howard understandably panics and tries to call for help, but realizes unfortunately that only the witch and her gaggle of geese can understand him. The witch tells the goose-boy that in order to redeem himself and be turned back, he must accomplish three good deeds. Howard thinks that the situation is silly, but quickly realizes the benefits (and disadvantages) of being a goose. From complimenting one of his new feathered friends to escaping poultry-hungry villagers, Howard discovers the person or goose he's meant to be.

THREE GOOD DEEDS is a funny, thoughtful story with a bittersweet conclusion. Readers may be a bit disappointed at the story's sudden ending, but they will enjoy Howard's quest to find his inner golden goose.

American POWs of World War II: Forgotten Men Tell Their Stories

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American POWs of World War II: Forgotten Men Tell Their Stories
Tom Bird
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0275937070

Book Description

During World War II, thousands of American servicemen were taken prisoner by the Axis powers. They were beaten and tortured; over half never reached home again. Of those who did, many never fully recovered from what they saw, what they lived through, and the feelings that so racked their lives. Almost all have or had a drinking problem. Some suffer such consistently extreme flashbacks that they are forced to use sleeping medication just to help them make it through the night. The ten interviews included in this work were chosen from dozens of contact POW accounts. Theirs are stories of hardship, pain, survival, and at times, enlightenment. From the introduction to Mario Garbin's interview: "Mario was one of the more fortunate POWs who put to use in his later life what he learned from his incarceration. At the present, he is retired from over twenty-six years of service with the Chrysler corporation. . . . Although powerful and charismatic, he still cried uncontrollably during one portion of the interview and had to pause several times to keep his composure in other portions." Hidden in the tales of these men is a message we can all relate to, making this book a must read not only for the ex-POW or World War II history buff, but for any reader who cares about life and freedom.

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Are you an Animal?
Metaphors Galore
This book blew me away, gently
This book blew me away, gently

Dillon Dillon
Kate Banks
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Journey to the River Sea

ASIN: 0374417156
Release Date: 2005-03-24

Book Description

What kind of parents would name their child Dillon Dillon?

For his tenth birthday, Dillon's parents give him a red rowboat with his name painted on the stern: Dillon Dillon. Why did his parents give him a name like that? To Dillon, it seems like the right time to find out. The truth alters everything Dillon has ever known or felt about himself and his family. But with the rowboat Dillon finds a new freedom as he embarks on a journey that takes him back to his beginnings. His discovery of an island and his memorable encounters with a pair of nesting loons bring him face-to-face with the magic and wonder of life. And though he cannot decipher all its mysteries, Dillon acquires, through these legendary birds, an understanding and acceptance of the world and his place in it.

In a powerful story full of questions, Kate Banks creates a character full of hope and courage. He lets us know what he is thinking - and it's this inner dialogue that we respond to, his constant bewilderment at the way things are that makes us love Dillon Dillon, from his crazy name to his tenacious spirit.

Customer Reviews:

Are you an Animal?.......2005-04-15

Did you ever think that you were an animal? The book I read was called Dillon Dillon by Kate Banks. In this book Dillon, the main character, thought that he was a loon because two loons became his friend and he thought that he could talk to them when they talked to him.
In the beginning of the story, Dillon was being made fun of because of his name, Dillon Dillon. He didn't like it when they made fun of him. So when he got really mad he would do mean stuff, like put pencil shavings in the kids' milk.
Every summer Dillon and his family go to their cabin on Lake Waban. This summer it was Dillon's 10th birthday. So he asked his parents why they gave him that name. That's when he found out that he was adopted. His real parents died in a plane crash and the family that had been taking care of him were really his aunt and uncle and his two cousins, Daisy and Didier.
While they were driving to the cabin, they stopped at a gas station and Dillon met a really nice girl named Eunice. While he was talking to her he noticed that he liked the same things that she did. So then Dillon asked her where she was going and she said Camp Tanglewood on Lake Waban. He was really surprised that she was going to be close to him all summer. But you will have to read the book to see if they meet at Lake Waban.
Now about the loons: While Dillon was at Lake Waban he met two loons that soon became his friends. He could talk to them when they were talking to him. One day, the loons took his shoe and made it into a nest. A couple of days later there was an egg in his shoe. A few months later the egg hatched and that baby soon liked Dillon. But one day something horrible happened to the mother and the father loon.
I think you should read this book if you like books full of adventure. I really liked this book and I hope you will like it too.

Metaphors Galore.......2005-03-01

This book is a book to read over and over. The many metaphors make it a meaningful book for adults as well as a great book for children. I read it after the death of my mother and found it helped with the grief process.

This book blew me away, gently.......2002-12-11

This book blew me gently away and a sense of piece descended on me. This is a beautiful written sensitive story of a warm and loving family and a very special boy. This writer has feelings and the courage to question life. The loon material added beauty and wonder and left me filled with a renewed appreciation of the world and our place in it. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone who shares this earth!

This book blew me away, gently.......2002-12-11

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