Amazon.com
Actor Michael Palin has managed to keep busy since his days with the British comedy group Monty Python. First, he traveled Around the World in 80 Days while a BBC crew filmed his adventures; in Pole to Pole, Palin once again straps on his old kit bag--this time to traverse the globe from north to south. Accompanied once again by a dauntless film crew, Palin begins in the far, frozen wastes of the Arctic Circle, then passes through 17 countries, including Norway, the former USSR, Turkey, Egypt, South Africa, and Chile, before standing at last at the South Pole. Along the way the company is faced with revolution, illness and injury, and not a few bumpy plane rides--occurrences they meet with the obligatory stiff upper lip. Palin also rides in a hot air balloon, acquires a camel, consults a witch doctor, and plunges into the heart of a South African diamond mine, two kilometers beneath the surface of the earth.
These adventures and more are related in Palin's journal entries and illustrated by dozens of color and black-and-white photographs. The best travel stories often chronicle trips no sane person would care to experience herself; in Pole to Pole, Michael Palin has done the suffering for us, leaving readers to enjoy the humor, excitement, and joy of exotic climes from the comfort of our armchairs.
Customer Reviews:
Still Fresh.......2006-09-26
"Pole to Pole" is one of the earlier, and therefore better, of Michael Palin's travel series. It benefits from a definite aim (a journey from the North to the South Pole) rather than being a rather aimless wander.
It also has the advantage of being a record of a world on the edge of huge changes - for example Palin passes through what turned out to be the end of a decaying USSR. Within days of leaving Odessa, the anti-Gorbachev coup took place which hastened the break up of the Soviet Union. Later on Palin's journey took him through Zimbabwe, which from the account in the book had not yet fallen to pieces. On the downside, the Sudan was in civil war at that time, and still is.
This was Palin's second major travel project after "Around the World in 80 Days" and still has a fresh feeling about it. The humour is wry, and Palin does not spare the reader the downside of travelling through the countries he encounters - poor accommodation, constant health worries and so on. In all, an enjoyable read.
G Rodgers
North Pole to South Pole via Africa.......2005-12-28
This review is based on watching the DVD version of "Pole to Pole", the BBC TV program made in 1991 that showed Michael Palin traveling from the North Pole to the South Pole.
The trip was based on several rules. The use of aircraft was only allowed when surface travel was not possible, and public transportation was used as much as possible. The trip attempted to follow the 30 degree east longitude line, down through Scandinavia, the then-existing USSR, Turkey and all the way down through the continent of Africa.
The trip took five months and was quite arduous at times. Transportation was almost non-existent in central Africa, parts of Africa had to be avoided due to civil war and Michael Palin was hit by several health problems including two cracked ribs.
The wonderful thing about Michael Palin's travelogues is the enthusiasm, wit and charm that Mr. Palin shows. There are many impromptu encounters with the local people that are humorous and interesting. And, of course, there's the beautiful photography showing the stunning nature that was found along the way.
On the down side it was depressing to see the poverty and hints of political repression and social unrest in parts of Africa. The AIDS epidemic in Africa was also mentioned, and Michael Palin visited an evacuated village near Chernobyl.
This trip was made in 1991 and already when the trip was over world history had changed the landscape, in that the USSR completely unraveled shortly after Michael Palin traveled through it. The years that have passed since 1991 can be noticed in other ways too. For example, the situation in most of Africa has unfortunately gotten worse rather than better. And Antarctica, almost completely inaccessible in 1991, now has a tourist trade with 23,000 landed tourists during the 2004-2005 season!
The DVD version of this trip consists of three discs. These contain eight 50-minute episodes (total of six hours 40 minutes) and, as extra material, a 30-minute interview with Michael Palin. I found the interview to be very interesting and am glad that it was included.
Highly recommended, as is the book version of this trip and all of Michael Palin's other trips, both in DVD version and as books.
Rennie Petersen
Best of the series.......2004-05-19
This time, avoiding the obvious too-much-time-at-sea problems of "Around the World in 80 days", Palin's team becomes a marvel of light travel and problem-solving in this somewhat dangerous, honest and good-natured tour of 1990 Eastern Europe and Africa. The music's better too. The best of his series, without a doubt, and possibly the best of this genre of travelogue.
They should have called it a day after "80 days"!.......2004-01-04
This is another of those programmes that has, and will be, repeated ad nauseam on UK TV, but why, I can only put down to the popularity of Michael Palin and the fact that there's a lot of air time to fill, so repeats are a cheap alternative to new programmes! Following the success of "Aroung the world in 80 days" they decided to send Palin on another gimmick travelogue on celluloid. Unfortunately, "Pole to Pole" pales by comparison. Although it sets out rather well, when Palin gets to Africa - and there is an awful lot of Africa in "Pole to Pole", things get very dull, and you get the feeling that Palin is also bored by the experience a little too. Once you have crossed the deserts of North Africa, from there down, everything looks pretty much the same. One mud hut looks like another; one smiling black face looks like any other smiling black face; you've seen one elephant and you've seen them all and when the jeeps get stuck in the mud yet again, you can but roll your eyes and look at the clock to see when the net programme begins!
Finally, to cap it all, "Pole" ends with an anticlimax, much as "80 days" did, with Palin not being able to finish his journey at the Reform Club in London. This time, however, Palin is no where near the South Pole, as someone at the BBC did not make sure that the supply boat which only sails once a year from the Cape to the South Pole had room for the expedition team! It just ends with the feeling that there should be one more episode - Palin sits on the dock with his back to the camera and just says something on the lines of "That's all folks". I expected more. I mean, couldn't they have layed on a jet or something, even just to complete the journey. They could have lied, even, and said that he had made the boat aafter all. We wouldn't have minded, would we?
This expedition was poorly planned by the BBC and incompleted as it was, it should not have been aired in the first place!
Palin-esque at it's best.......2003-12-03
This is probably the best of the Palin travel series - excellent and highly recommended. It's a shame it seems to be so difficult to find!
Product Description
An easy to read book explaining how the north pole and south pole are related to summer and winter and how the earth spins, as well as what types of animals live near each.
Customer Reviews:
Really Nice Basic Reader about the North and South Poles.......2004-12-17
I highly recommend this book for students who read at the beginning level or need some reinforcement on understanding the North/South Poles. It provides good clear information with a great comparison/ contrast format. I learned a lot from it!
Book Description
This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1884 edition by Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, and Rivington, London.
Customer Reviews:
An introduction to the history of polar exploration.......2007-02-21
This book is a good introduction to the history of polar exploration. It is geared toward younger readers and is suitable for middle school media centers and family libraries.
It focuses extensively on the centuries-long search for a Northwest Passage, the Cook-Peary controversy and the Scott-Amundsen race to the South Pole. It includes an excerpt from a Jules Verne novel concerning the tragic 1845 Franklin expedition, as well as facsimiles of documents and photographs of relics from that expedition. It contains a section on polar resources and sets forth the salient articles of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty which governs the use of those resources. It is lavishly illustrated and features a chronology of polar exploration and an index. I was particularly impressed with the Further Reading List which contains bibliographic citations to many primary source materials by such polar explorers as Amundsen, Byrd, Cook, Franklin, Nansen, Peary, Scott and Shackleton. Armed with this reading list, students can go on to read first-hand accounts of polar exploration.
The text of this book is well-written and fast-paced. Its author, Bertrand Imbert, is himself a polar explorer. He has put together a fascinating resource on polar exploration for middle school to high school-aged readers.
many problems.......2000-06-11
Overall, an informative book on the race for the poles. Just be sure you know a bit about the subject before you read this.
This book is loaded with illustrations and photos, covering all periods of polar exploration. Unfortunately, maps aren't given the same treatment. Dozens upon dozens of voyages are covered in the text, but when it comes to showing the paths these explorers took, you are stuck with two maps, one for each pole, with lines, dashes, arrows, and dates all thrown together. Many of the explorers aren't even represented on the maps at all. It would be nice to have the maps broken up more, grouping the earliest voyages, the ones that almost crossed the Circles, etc.
Also, the format of the chapters could use some cleaning up and more chronological order. The text rapidly darts from one subject to another, and jumping forward and backward in the text was often required. Startling to me was the fact that a discussion of Antarctica's environment, geography, etc, is presented in the BACK of the book! Sure, this book is on the explorers, but it would be nice to let the reader know early on exactly what the explorers were up against and why they were limited in how far they could go.
My final problem with this book, and probably the largest, is its emphasis on Scott's Antarctic expedition, romanticizing it like so many other texts (and history in general) have done. Even though Amundsen was first, he always gets overshadowed by Scott's disaster. More emphasis should be put on Amundsen's expedition, which succeeded due to experience and planning, instead of relying on luck and "the human spirit".
The "Discoveries Series" appears to be designed for first-time readers, but I couldn't recommend this book to one.
Customer Reviews:
A Fact-filled, Fun Excursion Through the Back Alleys of NY.......1998-08-24
It is a shame that this book has not received the critical attention that it justly deserves. I discovered Andrew Roth's volume in Chicago's "Savvy Traveler" book store, and I took it with me during a four day getaway to Manhattan last year. It is much more than a guidebook to the notorious, though he provides us with a "roadmap" to tourist sites that are well off the beaten path. Mr. Roth is a compelling storyteller who dusts off the famous and forgotten news stories and brings them back to life. Mob assassinations, famous holdups, disasters, it's all here and it is clear to me that the author has an appreciation for the finer details of his stories, and is caught up in the subject matter. Mr. Roth must have devoted a lot of time to gathering the research from newspapers and secondary sources, and then tracking down the crime scenes to see which buildings remain, and what part of our history that has been lost. Without question this was a real labor of love for the author, and I look forward to seeing more of his work in the future.
Average customer rating:
- Sorting Out Identity
- amazing story of finding yourself.
- A Delicious Story About a Girl's Budding Sexuality
- It offers many questions for discussion.
- Touching!
|
The House You Pass on the Way
Jacqueline Woodson
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Family Life
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
African-American
| Multicultural Stories
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| Homosexuality
| Social Issues
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
Being a Teen
| Social Issues
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
Woodson, Jacqueline
| ( W )
| Authors, A-Z
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Family Life
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
African-American
| Multicultural Stories
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
( W )
| Authors, A-Z
| Teens
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Teens
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Being a Teen
| Social Issues
| Teens
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Homosexuality
| Social Issues
| Teens
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Dear One
-
I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This
-
Behind You
-
From The Notebooks Of Melanin Sun
-
Hush
ASIN: 0142501913 |
Book Description
Staggerlee is used to being alone. As the granddaughter of celebrities and the daughter of an interracial couple in an all-black town, she has become adept at isolating herself from curious neighbors. But then her cousin, Trout, comes to visit. Trout is exactly like Staggerlee wishes she could be: outspoken, sure of herself, beautiful. Finally, Staggerlee has a friend, someone she can share her deepest, most private thoughts with. Someone who will teach her how to be the strong girl she longs to be. But is Trout really the girl Staggerlee thinks she is?
Customer Reviews:
Sorting Out Identity.......2007-05-31
Staggerlee is fifteen years old and insecure. Her mother is white and quiet, so she is seen as a snob by the people in town. Her father is black and fits in well with the men in this town where he grew up. Staggerlee isn't quite sure where she fits in. She doesn't have friends at school; she walks with her head down and doesn't speak much to her classmates. Her grandparents were famous performers who were killed by a bomb while attending a rally, and Staggerlee's family is sometimes harassed by the media and people who want to make a movie out of their lives. Staggerlee is uncomfortable with the attention and uncomfortable with herself, and she can't stop thinking about the way she felt when she kissed a girl from school.
When Staggerlee's estranged aunt dies after years of shunning her brother's marriage to a white woman, Staggerlee's other estranged aunt gets in touch with their family. She doesn't want any more time to go by with the family not speaking. Furthermore, she wants to send her daughter to visit that summe. When she arrives, Staggerlee feels an immediate connection to her cousin. Could it be she has finally found someone who will understand her?
I liked the dynamic in Staggerlee's family. I liked how they treated each other and related to each other. I also liked how the issue of Staggerlee's atrraction to a girl in her class wasn't a huge crisis for her; it was just something she was trying to figure out and deal with. However, I would have liked more of the story right away in this book. I wasn't sure from the beginning what was going on and why Staggerlee was upset. I also didn't like what happened in the end with Staggerlee's cousin. It sort of ruined the rest of the story for me.
amazing story of finding yourself........2006-04-28
"seemed like this town, their house, was all just something you passed along the way".
Staggerlee is a young woman of fourteen who has taken on a separate identity. She used the titular character of the famous song to honor the point that the character in the song struggled to break out of the gates someone had built around him. For her this rings true, because there are several obstacles she struggles against daily. For one thing her grandparents were famous civil rights activists who were killed for their cause in a bombing some years back. Then there's the fact that Staggerlee is the daughter of a white woman and a black man in a community that is predominately black to begin with and her parents are the only bi-racial couple. This has caused tension in her family on her father's side because his sisters have refused to accept the validity of the marriage and have chosen estrangement in lieu of accepting the marriage. Finally, there's the struggle of Staggerlee's sexuality to deal with. When she was in the sixth grade she kissed a friend named Hazel who immediately shunned her for doing this, so Staggerlee has closeted her feelings towards women thinking them taboo and not something people talk about.
When Staggerlee's Aunt Hallique dies her other Aunt Ida Mae sends a letter to her parents telling of it, and that she wishes to send her adopted daughter, Tyler, to visit for the summer. This seems odd to her father, Elijah, that for years they were ignored and then out of nowhere they send their daughter to see them. At first he won't allow it but Staggerlee argues for the visit when she realizes that Tyler is her age, and she sees a photo of her and finds her intriguing. Elijah gives in and when Tyler does arrive she stirs up all sorts of emotions in Staggerlee not unlike her experience with Hazel. Her interest in Tyler is doubled when on their meeting Tyler asks to be called Trout and explains that a trout will fight you with all it's strength to be free when you catch one. This appeals to Staggerlee and the to become fast friends, eventually confessing their mutual attraction to women and what this might mean in the grand scheme of things.
This book has so many layers to it, which is amazing considering it's a mere 114 pages long. For the one thing there is the question of race, the ethical and the implications of accepting people for more than just the color of their skin. Second there is the sexual aspect of it. It is so important for young people who are gay to understand that it is not wrong or evil like some narrow minded people would have one believe. Even in this book it is hard for the two girls to say the word "gay" and admit that they might be so, and even when one decides that it is easier to be straight and go along with everything that she "should" be doing the other girl who seems more sure still won't say that she is gay or not. What about our culture makes this a dirty word? Why must we still view movies like "Brokeback Mountain" or books like "The House You Pass on the Way" as "controversial" or "groundbreaking" work? How many more years before work like this is accepted as the social norm? I realize the implications in this book concerning civil rights of course. 40 years ago we were fighting for African American rights and that of other minorities (women's rights, Latino, Asian, senior citizens, etc.) and really one of the last frontiers we have to deal with when it comes to civil rights is to open the doors for the GLBTQ community to be allowed to marry, visit their spouses in the hospital, share benefits such as health insurance and other medical benefits, and be seen as equals, not just a marginalized group. I found the parallels of those two movements fascinating and enjoyed the contrast in the attitudes. Whereas Staggerlee's parents were unaccepted for their choice in love would her parents have been understanding in accepting her for hers?
This is a very important book for everyone to read, not just young adults. As a gay woman I see the power of literature like this. As a gay woman I am also offended that this was a title I had to order into the book store I work at because our distributor didn't find it necessary to carry something like this in our children's section. Please, we need more work of this caliber. Everyone needs to realize that these are issues that are present in our world and cannot be ignored as if they are not there because a few people are unwilling to see the truth. Read this book, buy it for a friend, buy it for anyone who wants something with a bit of an edge to it (I shudder to even use the word "edge" as I wish this subject matter wasn't considered "edgy"). Read it because it's something that simply needs to be said.
A Delicious Story About a Girl's Budding Sexuality.......2005-10-06
Remember what it was like having your first crush, that delicious sensation of something sweet and forbidden, but tingling with anticipation of doing it again?
That feeling is captured in Jacqueline Woodson's tender novel, THE HOUSE YOU PASS ALONG THE WAY. Evangeline "Staggerlee" Canan, the 14-year-old biracial protagonist of this tale, deals with her true feelings when her cousin, Trout, comes to visit.
Before Trout's arrival, Staggerlee's life is filled with longing. Despite being surrounded by a loving family, she's lonely and doesn't have many friends. She does grow close to new classmate Hazel, whom she kisses in between the cornflowers, but that soon fades once Hazel discovers Staggerlee's tragic family past.
Before her parents married, Staggerlee's grandparents were killed by a car bomb. Both famous entertainers, they were immortalized in her small town of Sweet Gum. Because of it--and her parents being an interracial couple--people look at Staggerlee and her family differently. They assume she's stuck up and treat her as an outcast.
Everything changes when Trout comes to Sweet Gum. Staggerlee's never met her 15-year-old cousin. But when she does, she's taken aback by Trout's beauty and presence. Trout's a little pensive at first, but the more the two spend time together, they learn they have a lot more in common. They share a love girls, both having had their first same-sex crushes. Because of this connection, their bond evolves into a deep friendship. Staggerlee has found somebody who truly knows how she feels. She realizes that her feelings for girls are real and valid.
Once Trout returns home, things do become different between them. But by then, Staggerlee has the confidence to be herself and gain friends in the process.
Woodson is a truly gifted writer to craft such a beautiful novel about a girl's seach for self. Not only did it showcase a young woman's budding sexuality, but highlighted the unconditional love of a family. One can truly say this novel takes you back to the past when love was fresh and new and innocent.
It offers many questions for discussion. .......2004-07-26
Young Staggerlee named herself after seeing her late, famous grandparents perform a song with that name on old tapes of The Ed Sullivan Show. She knows she is different from other girls. Being the middle child in a busy family makes it hard enough to find her way. One of her favorite memories is when she kissed her friend, a girl named Hazel. Unfortunately, Hazel soon turned on her at school, and that was the end of their friendship.
When her adopted cousin Tyler is sent to stay with them for the summer, she finds out that Tyler is confused about herself as well. What a relief to discover she is not alone.
Jacqueline Woodson is the winner of the Coretta Scott King Award for MIRACLE'S BOYS and has been nominated twice for the National Book Award. She is undoubtedly a versatile writer --- as she is able to deal with the subject of sexual identity in this book and discuss a family tragedy in poetry, as she did in last year's LOCOMOTION.
Staggerlee's story is no exception. One of the best features about the book is the theme that teens may explore different identities before finding themselves. The book also does not have black and white rules --- it offers many questions for discussion. THE HOUSE YOU PASS ON THE WAY has multiple layers that should not be overlooked.
--- Reviewed by Amy Alessio
Touching!.......2003-06-11
It is a beautiful story. It addresses issues of racism, interracial marriage, a high school girl's crush..on another girl, a beautiful friendshp all without ever sounding preachy. The writing is crisp, descriptive and succinct.
Average customer rating:
|
THE HOUSE YOU PASS ON THE WAY
WOODSON JACQUELINE
Manufacturer: LAUREL-LEAF BOOKS, BANTAM
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Woodson, Jacqueline
| ( W )
| Authors, A-Z
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B000PGHLW4 |
Books:
- Randy Wayne White's Gulf Coast Cookbook: With Memories and Photos of Sanibel Island
- Reworking Success: New Communities at the Millennium
- Safari Style
- SAS Survival Handbook: How to Survive in the Wild, in Any Climate, on Land or at Sea
- Secrets of Dripping Fang, Book Six: Attack of the Giant Octopus (Secrets of Dripping Fang)
- Spirit of Animals
- Steam Power Engineering: Thermal and Hydraulic Design Principles
- Steep Trails
- Storm of the Century: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 (Adventure Press)
- Storm Warning: The Story of a Killer Tornado
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A Guide to Strengthening and Sustaining O
- Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog
- Mapping Benjamin: The Work of Art in the Digital Age
- History: Fiction or Science
- Led Zeppelin Classics
- Speak, Memory: An Autobiography Revisited
- New Guinea: An Island Apart
- Work and Community in the Jungle: Chicago's Packinghouse Workers, 1894-1922
- Kick Off Your Career
- Vanuatu: Business Intelligence Report
Around the World in 80 Days: Companion to the Pbs Series (Best of the BBC)
Full Circle: One Man's Journey by Air, Train, Boat and Occasionally Very Sore Feet Around the 50,000 Miles of the Pacific Rim
Himalaya
Michael Palin's Hemingway Adventure
Sahara
