Flush

Book Description

You know it’s going to be a rough summer when you spend Father’s Day visiting your dad in the local lockup.
Noah’s dad is sure that the owner of the Coral Queen casino boat is flushing raw sewage into the harbor–which has made taking a dip at the local beach like swimming in a toilet. He can’t prove it though, and so he decides that sinking the boat will make an effective statement. Right. The boat is pumped out and back in business within days and Noah’s dad is stuck in the clink.
Now Noah is determined to succeed where his dad failed. He will prove that the Coral Queen is dumping illegally . . . somehow. His allies may not add up to much–his sister Abbey, an unreformed childhood biter; Lice Peeking, a greedy sot with poor hygiene; Shelly, a bartender and a woman scorned; and a mysterious pirate–but Noah’s got a plan to flush this crook out into the open. A plan that should sink the crooked little casino, once and for all.

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Carl Hiaasen is a columnist for the Miami Herald and is the author of many bestselling novels, including Basket Case and Skinny Dip. Hiassen’s first novel for young readers, Hoot, was also a bestseller, and received a Newbery Honor Award. The author lives in the Florida Keys.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Flush.......2007-10-10

Flush
By Carl Hiaasen
Mystery

Flush is about a 13 year old boy named Noah, whose dad has just gotten arrested from sinking a gambling ship, and putting it out of business. Dusty Muleman, the owner, wants him to go to an anger management class. But Noah doesn't believe his dad is crazy. What could have really happened. Noah's dad accused him of dumping the boat's sewage into the ocean, but can Noah and his 11 year old sister Abbey prove what really happened.
Flush relates to my life, because I have a sister, but her name isn't Abbey, who is cool sometimes, but sometimes she just gets on my nerves. My dad is also kind of crazy, but he wouldn't sink a ship would he?
Carl Hiaasen's writing is amazing, because you never get left behind. You are right alongside the hero of the story the whole time.
I loved this book, but the reason I only gave it 4 stars is because I thought the story was kind of weird. Weird but believable.
I can't exactly recall any books that relate to Flush, it's one of a kind.

Good Book!.......2007-07-28

This book is about a boy named Noah who's dad sunk a man's casino boat for dumping raw sewage into the ocean and is now in jail. The only way to get his dad out of jail is to prove that his dad is right. This book is great for all ages, it has action and humor, I think this book is a good read for everyone!

Flush Book Review.......2007-06-02

Flush is about a teenage boy, Noah, who tries to save the environment, by following his dad's footsteps. The story begins with Noah's dad in jail accused of sinking a casino boat after realizing that the owner of the boat had been dumping sewage waste into the water ruining the water quality and habitat of turtles and fish. Noah and his sister then try to explain their dad's action by trying to document and find evidence of the dumping.
I think Flush is a fascinating book. The characters have unique and interesting personalities. I especially like Noah's courage and his dedication to helping his family and to protect the environment. I recommend Flush to anyone who is concerned with saving the environment.

This was a good book but not a Super Book.......2007-06-01

I thought Flush wush was a good story, but not a good as the Tommytown series that I just finished reading. In Tommytown the boys, Barry, Noah and Petey acted like 11 and 12 year olds. Their sister Karen also seemed like a real 14 year old. Even being poor didn't stop the boys from having fun and the story was very exciting. Tommytown and The Boys From Tommytown are Super books. (I actually inserted a book. WOw.Hope I did it right.) Please read them you won't be sorry! Have a great summer!

Grandpa and Granddaughter Recommended!.......2007-05-31

There aren't many books that can appeal to both a grandfather and granddaughter, without leaving one or both of them feeling just a little shortchanged. Flush is that very, very rare exception!

Carl Hiassen has mixed in his usual elements into a froth that's appropriate for youths, but remains equally appealing to adults. There's a comic bad guy who values profit over quality of life (in this case the owner of a floating casino); a few witless thugs (both adult and kid-sized) and a man with anger management issues (a little reminiscent of the guy in Sick Puppy). But the heart of the story rests with the narrator, Noah and his little sister Abbey, two kids that share their dad's love for the Florida Keys.

Noah's dad has already tried to stop the Coral Queen casino boat from dumping raw sewage into water around the Keys, by sinking it. Unfortunately, the efforts of the local sheriff have restricted his ability to follow through once the boat is raised and reopened within a week. That leaves Noah and Abbey to find a way to shut down the boat, and clear their dad before their mom loses her patience and leaves him. But how do you prove that a specific boat is the source of foul bacteria and worse, especially when there's rat in the Coast Guard office that tips off the boat's operator whenever they are about to pop a surprise inspection?

It helps if you're resourceful and don't mind riding your bike everywhere. It also helps if you befriend a semi-rough blonde with a barb wire tattoo, and can stay clear of the boat owner's bully of a son.

I bought this book for my 10 year old granddaughter and she loved it! Then I read it and loved it. Within a month or so I suspect that everyone in the family will have finished it, with similar results.

Average customer rating:

The River
the river by gary paulsen
The River
Engaging reading for teenage boys
This book is freakin sweet!!!

The River
Gary Paulsen
Manufacturer: Yearling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0440407532
Release Date: 1993-01-01

Book Description

"We want you to do it again."

These words, spoken to Brian Robeson, will change his life. Two years earlier, Brian was stranded alone in the wilderness for fifty-four days with nothing but a small hatchet. Yet he survived. Now the government wants him to do it again--to go back into the wilderness so that astronauts and the military can learn the survival techniques that kept Brian alive.

This time he won't be alone: Derek Holtzer, a government psychologist, will accompany him to observe and take notes. But during a freak storm, Derek is hit by lightning and falls into a coma. Their radio transmitter is dead. Brian is afraid that derek will die of dehydration unless he can get him to a doctor. His only hope is to build a raft and try to transport Derek a hundred miles down the river to a trading post--if the map he has is accurate.

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Because of his success surviving alone in the wilderness for fifty-four days, fifteen-year-old Brian, profoundly changed by his time in the wild, is asked to undergo a similar experience to help scientists learn more about the psychology of survival.

Customer Reviews:

The River.......2007-06-13

If you like stories of survival, then this is the book for you. It's about a boy named Brian who is about 15 years old and a scientist named Derek who is in his 30's go out into the wilderness so Brian can show him how to survive, since he did it about a year before when his plane crashed in the Canadian wilderness. They have to live out there for 3 weeks. After 3 days a lightening storm hits and Derek is struck by lightning and goes into a coma, so Brian has to build a raft and go for help at the trading post before it's too late for Derek.

The best part in the book was when Brian finished the raft and finally heads down the river to get help. Brian has to stay awake the whole time until he gets to the trading post because he has to steer the raft. At one point he loses track of the raft and loses it along with Derek because he got knocked off the raft.

The theme of this story is survival because Brian has to survive and keep Derek alive too.

This was a great book to read. I like how suddenly things turn bad for Brian when Derek goes into a coma. He has to keep himself and Derek alive and get help

the river by gary paulsen.......2007-05-22

"The River" is a book in which a surprising turn of events puts Brian Robeson back into the wilderness fighting for his and somebody else's life.

To start this book off a C.I.A. agent named Derek comes to Brian Robeson's house and says, "I want you to do it again". He is asking Brian to go back into the wilderness to teach of survival. After much thought Brian reluctantly agrees. Once they get to the lake where they will be staying Derek starts to unload all of their supplies. Brian tells him to stop. IF they have all of those things, it's not desperation, it's not survival. After walking around a little bit Brian says there will be a rainstorm soon. Sadly, they find out it is true. That rainstorm turns into a lightning storm. In which Derek gets hit by lightning and falls into a coma. Brian is scared he will die of dehydration so while trying to find a way out, he finds a map, and in finding that, he finds a chance. For Derek to live.

Opinion: I thought this was a VERY good book. This book shows how even if you don't expect it, you can find answer to your problems. I recommend this book to boys who like adventure stories. The river is definitely worth reading to me.

The River.......2007-04-25

Nick Wright
mod2

The River

The River is about Brian Robeson (from the Hatchet) going back into the wilderness. This time he goes with Derek Holtzer, a government psychologist, so Derek can learn how he survived and show astronauts and military survival techniques. During a storm Derek his put into a coma and Brian must find a way to get him to safety.
My favorite part in this book is when the storm comes. Brian wakes up in the middle of the night and hears the thunder and lightening. He remembers the tornado but said there is no way he could go through such a bad storm twice in one life. When he reawakens all he can see is lightening. Brian told Derek to just stay low and don't get hit. Derek couldn't hear him and went into his bag. The lightening jumped of the tree, hit Derek's radio, which was there only way of communication with the real world and it was ruined, and hits Derek. Brian wakes the next day to find Derek in a coma.
I think this is a good book for anyone. It teaches two main things. One is think about your decisions because they can come back to haunt you. Like when Brian told Derek to put all the stuff back in the plane he didn't have the gear when he needed it. Second, it teaches that when you need to take a risk to get a great reward you sometimes have to take it. Like Brian had to take the risk of bringing Derek on a raft one hundred miles down a river to a trading post. I think The River was a good book.

Engaging reading for teenage boys.......2007-04-08

I teach a middle school special education class and we have been doing a novel study on Gary Paulsen's books. We listen to the book on audio and follow along in the book. They love them. The story does take a while to get going, but once it does you're racing down "the river" with Brian Robeson. Peter Coyote's voice lends to the action and draws you in to the story.

This book is freakin sweet!!!.......2006-12-14

This book is pretty kewl. It is filled with action and leaves you on the edge of your seat the entire time you are reading it. In the last book "The Hatchet" his plane crashed and he was forced to survive in the wilderness alone! In this book a government official named Derek comes to his house to ask him to do it all over again... just without the crashing part! So he agrees and they go out there and the guy is struck by lightning and is in a coma, and Brian knows the only way to save him is to build a raft to go down river to the trading post so he can get medical attention. The rest you will have to find out by yourself!!!

Children of the River (Laurel-Leaf Contemporary Fiction)

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children Of The river
children Of The river
Children Of The River
Children of the River
Children of the River

Children of the River (Laurel-Leaf Contemporary Fiction)
Linda Crew
Manufacturer: Laurel Leaf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0440210224
Release Date: 1991-08-01

Book Description

Grades 7 and up

Sundara fled Cambodia with her aunt's family to escape the Khmer Rouge army when she was thirteen, leaving behind her parents, her brother and sister, and the boy she had loved since she was a child.

Now, four years later, she struggles to fit in at her Oregon high school and to be "a good Cambodian girl" at home. A good Cambodian girl never dates; she waits for her family to arrange her marriage to a Cambodian boy. Yet Sundara and Jonathan, an extraordinary American boy, are powerfully drawn to each other. Haunted by grief for her lost family and for the life left behind, Sundara longs to be with him. At the same time she wonders, Are her hopes for happiness and new life in America disloyal to her past and her people?

Customer Reviews:

children Of The river.......2007-03-26

Sarah
3/26/07

The book "Children Of The River" by: Linda Crew is about a young girl named Sundra and her aunts family, who are traveling from Cambodia to America. Sundra and her aunts family don't know what happend to her family because they were unable to escape from Cambodia. It was hard for Sundra to live in America because they had to work from dawn to dusk trying to make enough money to live in a house and to buy food. When Sundra turns 18 years old she has to get married because it's a Cambodian tradition and, usually her parents would arrange the marrage but since her family was gone her aunt arranged the wedding. Sundra's uncle is forbidding her from seeing the American boy because he is "white" But Sundra really likes the boy and he really likes her.
My opinion on the book is that it was pretty good because there was really good details and, the author really discribed the characters. But it was hard to understand since there were harder words in it. I also thought that the book ws a little bit borring at some parts. Maybe if there was more action in the book it would have been better. I would reccomend this book to people who like reading about culture and the different types of people and their historical background.

children Of The river.......2007-03-26

Children Of The River.......2007-03-23

Jasmine
2/28/07
Review: Children of The River

"Children of the River", in my opinion, was not a very good book. At first it got my attention because the summery on the back cover, worded it, as a adventurous survival story. A story of a 13 year old Native American who flew off to Cambodia to escape the Khmer Ruge Army, and left her family behind, in search of a new life. And yes that did happen in this book, but the story was stretched out, long, and boring. I would not recommend this book to anyone, unless they have some time to waist. On a scale from one to five i would rate this book a two. Only because it may help some people with an idea of Native American history.

Children of the River.......2007-03-23

Allison
3/9/07
Book review: Children of the River

The book I am reading "Children of the River" is about a little girl and her family having to move to the United States, and them trying to fit in and trying to find there place in this strange new place. They really like to pick berries and they work in a market place for their monthly income. This is not the best book in the world but there are somethings I like about the book. The theme of the book is about history and I am not really big into history. So if you really like history this is the book for you. One of the things I like about the book is how they freak out about things that are really things that are good for them. For example in the story the family gets this letter about they are going to get money and they think that they have to pay this big fine. The kind of books I like are the ones about people my age and are going through break ups with their boyfriends, and this book is nothing like that.

Children of the River.......2006-04-06

This book is wonderful and exciting ...... Its a warm tale about girl escaping from her country at war and dealing with the conflicts and changes of living in America. This story will keep you glued from the beginning to the end.

Average customer rating:

Love it, love it, love it!!!
Disappointment....
Another Amazing Allende
To people who want to go the Amazon River
Painful, Painful, Painful.

Ciudad de las Bestias, La
Isabel Allende
Manufacturer: Rayo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060510323
Release Date: 2003-09-16

Book Description

Alexander Cold, un joven de quince años está a punto de embarcarse con su temeraria abuela, en el viaje de su vida. Una expedición de la International Geographic se dirige hacia la remotas y peligrosas tierras salvajes de Suramérica para documentar al legendario Yeti del Amazonas, más conocido como "La Bestia."

Alex y su amiga Nadia descubrirán que el impenetrable mundo de la selva tropical esconde mucho más de lo que jamás hubieran imaginado. Con la fuerza de sus dos animales totémicos -- el jaguar para Alexander, y el águila para Nadia -- ambos jóvenes se embarcan en una apasionante e inolvidable aventura que los lleva al descubrimiento de . . .

Customer Reviews:

Love it, love it, love it!!!.......2007-10-06

Love this book!!! great story, very original!!! It's a only a little long, but you get hooked by it! what are you waiting for, buy it!!!

Disappointment...........2007-09-20

City of Beasts is a book that rockets off to a great beginning, a mediocre middle, and a plunging, just awful ending. In my opinion, it are the books like City of Beasts that disappoint me the most. I mean, you have a fantastic opening. GREAT! Keep going before you lose both the suspense and the momentum! However, the plot just keeps slowing down and twisting. By the time you reach the end, BAM the book finishs with a crash, and you end up with wasted money and time. I bet if Isabel Allende had spent a couple more months revising the ending, City of the Beasts would have been an A+ novel. But sadly, it isn't....

Another Amazing Allende.......2007-07-21

This book is the first of three books and it was something I first read in 4th grade. It just was a very powerful book and gave me a different look on life and the rainforest. The Indians were being murdered and it was made me think how evil some people in the world are by cutting down the rainforest and how in history making the tribes see civilization. In history many have died from being exposed to sickness, but in this novel they are given what is basically a dose of death.

To people who want to go the Amazon River.......2007-05-30

I'm a High School Freshman. In my class I read this book in for my book club. This novel is very interesting because I like the story of adventure. Also, I very much enjoyed the secret and conflict in this story. You can see the main character named Alex is growing up in bad situation, and I can think about if I will go to the Amazon River. Furthermore, this book is so exciting when I read the person is attacked by an anaconda. I really hate things that kind of snake. Because the author described that as real, I was excited about that. However, I think this book is for pretty young student such as middle and primary. It is easy to think about each character. However, I like the last the turning over part that kind doctor changed to bad person. In addition, you can feel that about family. After I read this book, I had to think about that family is a sacrifice for themselves. The main character tries hard for his mom. It seems very nice. These things made me interested and excited. This book has very clearly events, so you can figure out the special and important events in the book very easily. It helps to you read this book very comfortable and easy. Therefore, the very young teenager can understand and figure out the important things about character, situation and lessons.

Painful, Painful, Painful........2007-05-30

When I first began "City of the Beasts" I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable and readable it was. . .until a quarter way through the book. That's when the book, which could have been an amazing, adventurous tour of the Amazon through the young eyes of Alexander Cold, morphs into some lame, supernatural "save the planet" hoopla. Don't get me wrong, I think it's imperative to remind people the importance of preserving the earth, but it would have been better delivered solely through Alexander's experiences rather than adding in all the mythical Beasts, and the ability to morph into animals, and "The People of the Mist" who can become invisible, etc. Seriously, after page 100 the book reads like one seriously bad peyote trip. Since there are allusions to hallucinogenic drugs in the book, I have to assume that this is what the reader is witnessing, the Amazon through a drug induced stupor.

"City of the Beasts" was a really disappointing read. And just because supernatural/mystical plotlines are hot right now in children's lit., it doesn't mean that every book fits nicely, nor should be forced into that genre. Allende really should have stuck with what she had, an awesome coming of age adventure through the Amazon.

Going Up the River: Travels in a Prison Nation

Average customer rating:

One informative and great read.
Very Insighful
Timely and informative
There's a World Out There We Don't Know About
I learned a LOT from this book...

Going Up the River: Travels in a Prison Nation
Joseph Hallinan
Manufacturer: Random House Trade Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Amazon.com

Imagine a prison built "not because it was needed but because it was wanted--by politicians who thought it would bring them votes, by voters who hoped it would bring them jobs, and by a corrections establishment that no longer believed in correction." In exploring America's prison system--a system that holds more inmates than any other country in the world--Joseph Hallinan discovered that crime was big business. Further, he writes, "Few people complain. Prisons are tremendous public works projects, throwing off money as a wet dog throws off water."

In Going up the River, Hallinan comprehensively chronicles America's prisons, investigating how prison authority has passed from hard-nosed wardens to the federal court system, a change that simultaneously improved the treatment of prisoners while making inmate rehabilitation and safety more difficult to attain. He also addresses the prison boom: facilities quickly built for economic reasons, resulting in poor prison conditions and a system "so lucrative its founders have become rich men." This immense financial gain is ironically juxtaposed with the fact that most people view prisons as a terrible waste of money.

Hallinan also relays the stories of current wardens, guards, inmates, and even townspeople living in the shadow of a prison. He also focuses on the many challenges prisoners face, including gangs, fighting, and rape, as well as the sensitivity of controversial issues such as conjugal visits. The book makes obvious that America's prison system is in disarray, though neither the source nor the solution can be easily isolated. Hallinan does not offer answers or personal opinions; instead, he presents all angles and leaves the reader to consideration. --Jacque Holthusen

Book Description

The American prison system has grown tenfold in thirty years, while crime rates have been relatively flat: 2 million people are behind bars on any given day, more prisoners than in any other country in the world — half a million more than in Communist China, and the largest prison expansion the world has ever known. In Going Up The River, Joseph Hallinan gets to the heart of America’s biggest growth industry, a self-perpetuating prison-industrial complex that has become entrenched without public awareness, much less voter consent. He answers, in an extraordinary way, the essential question: What, in human terms, is the price we pay? He has looked for answers to that question in every corner of the “prison nation,” a world far off the media grid — the America of struggling towns and cities left behind by the information age and desperate for jobs and money. Hallinan shows why the more prisons we build, the more prisoners we create, placating everyone at the expense of the voiceless prisoners, who together make up one of the largest migrations in our nation’s history.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

One informative and great read........2007-07-28

Joseph Hallinan's book manages to be even handed in examining the prison culture and industry in our nation. Instead of taking a tempting tangent into the sociopolitical realm, Hallinan for the most part stays true to his investigative roots. While some of the material may not be new to those that have studied criminology or sociology, there is enough meat in the book to satisfy those in that arena. Hallian does a difficult task of informing the uninitiated as well as giving those within the aforementioned disciples something to chew on. With respect to building our way (prisons) as a means for a more effective criminal justice system, we may very well be beyond the point of no return. Hallinan's book only underscores the pandering and lack of true political will that has led to our prison nation.

Very Insighful.......2007-03-11

This is a very well written, insightful text on our "prison industrial complex." As a corrections professional, I am quite skeptical of the constant onslaught of prison-bashing books, citing the various incompetencies and underlying corruption inherent in many departments of correction. Hallinen's writing style makes for an easy read, almost like reading a novel. The book is full of personal interest stories and minimizes the use of statistics. I recommend this book to anyone interested in corrections, and certainly to policy-makers at the state level.

Timely and informative.......2006-11-02

Reads like a novel. As the United States becomes more and more of a prison nation, exporting the culture of incarceration around the globe, prison studies should become a bonafide topic of study in colleges and even high schools, and this inside glimpse should be one of the assigned readings.

There's a World Out There We Don't Know About.......2006-06-20

To me this book is sort of a Prisons 101 type book. For those of us who , fortunately, don't know much about the current prison system in the US it is very eye opening. For instance, I had no idea how many private prisons there are and how they have become an industry. We have reached the point that there are many people in the US with a vested economic interest in locking up more of 'em and keeping 'em there. Also, the author visits several prisons in small white rural towns with mostly black and Hispanic prisoners. Here again the prisons are about jobs in the community rather than rehabilitating prisoners ( Great line in the book, someone says rehabilitation doesn't work because you cannot rehabilitate someone who has never been habilitated ).

I was somewhat disappointed that the author, after having documented a lot of real world situations, didn't have any more suggestions for improving the whole mess. The book just sort of ended with the author saying he saw only a couple of approaches that boded well for the future. Left me somewhat depressed with it all.

I learned a LOT from this book..........2005-11-09

Fascinating book about the history, the sociology, conditions, traditions, etc. on US prisons. Very, very interesting. The author is a self-professed 'prison buff.'

I learned an awful lot from this book. I didn't realize how big of an industry prison actually is. Inmates make everything from the stereotypical license plate to clothing for regular people! Industries sometimes fight to have their business put in a prison. Food and toiletry industries, among others, compete for the prisons' business. And I was completely not aware of the fact that there are PRIVATE prisons in the US. Private prisons, not run by the state or the government, prisons that are there to make people money. Convicts are now a business. Amazing what this world has come to.

Average customer rating:

A BOOK FOR A WOMAN
Uneven at best
Fascinating read
Captivating story
excellent and touching story!

Up Island
Anne Rivers Siddons
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060176156

Amazon.com

Up Island chronicles the mass redemption of a unlikely group, thrown together by the vicissitudes of love and fate: "a six foot Southern Betrayed Wife and her widowed father and a senile old Portuguese lesbian and a one-legged schoolteacher and a mongrel dog and two aberrant swans..." As the novel begins, newly divorced Molly Redwine is in the market for some redemption. Battered and numb from loss, she comes to Martha's Vineyard to escape and heal if she can. For the next 300 pages, the story shuttles between Molly's heart, packed with pain, regret, and guilt, and the sea-licked open spaces of the island. By book's end, both places are terra cognita. There are family secrets, haunted dreams, and enough death to do Shakespeare proud--balanced delicately with small pleasures, kindness, and unbreakable bonds. Up Island is a fractal of a book: complicated but ultimately satisfying as only the completion of a pattern can be. Intelligent and insightful, it is good story tenderly told.

Book Description

If there was ever one woman who knew what was important, that woman was Molly Bell Redwine. From childhood, Molly was taught by her difficult, charismatic mother that "The Family" was the world's most vital entity -- and its maintenance would be Molly's special talent. But, in a heartbeat, Molly is set adrift: her husband of more than twenty years leaves her for a younger woman, her domineering mother dies, and her Atlanta family scatters to the four winds.

Molly takes refuge by visiting friends on Martha's Vineyard. The very different world of the Vineyard hastens her changing identity, and Molly decides to stay on after the seasons, in a small cottage on a remote up-island pond. Her duties includes acting as caretaker to her bitter, aging landlady, as well as looking after the woman ill and estranged son, Dennis.

Keeping watch over Dennis, her landlady, and her newly-widowed father, Molly at last lets go of her outworn notions of family and begins to become a part of a strange -- and very real -- new one. As the long Vineyard winter closes in, Molly braces herself to search for renewal, identity, and strength until the healing spring finally comes. Up Island is Anne Rivers Siddons at her lyrical, storytelling best.

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E-Book Extra: Family Binds: A Reading Group Guide

When Molly Bell Redwine's husband of more than twenty years leaves her for a younger woman, and her domineering mother dies, she takes refuge with a friend in Martha's Vineyard, and becomes part of a strange -- and very real -- new family.If there was ever one woman who knew what was important, that woman was Molly Bell Redwine. From childhood, Molly was taught by her charismatic, demanding mother that "family is everything." But in what seems like an instant, Molly discovers that family can change without warning. Her husband of more than twenty years leaves her for a younger woman, her domineering mother dies, and her Atlanta clan scatters to the four winds. In a heartbeat Molly is set adrift. Devasting by her crumbling world, Molly takes refuge with a friend on Martha's Vineyard where she tries to come to terms with who she really is. After the summer season, Molly decides to stay on in this very different world, renting a small cottage on a remote up-island pond.As Molly's stay up island widens the distance between her and her old life in Atlanta, she lets go of her outworn notions of family and begins to become part of a strange -- and very real -- new family.As the long Vineyard winter closes in, she braces herself for the search for renewal, identity, and strength, until the healing spring finally comes.

Customer Reviews:

A BOOK FOR A WOMAN.......2007-08-05

I read the Editorial Reviews and I have to look at the book in my hands to make sure we're all reading the same one. Can you tell I don't always agree with their summary?

This author writes for women. Men could never understand the emotion she puts into her characters and their lives. This book is good. It's well written and the plot won't take you in a million different directions. It also won't quench your thirst for sex, violence or vulgar language.

It's fiction at it's best but not one you can read in between classes or whenever you get the time. You need to sit down, tell everyone to leave you alone and begin to read. Then feel the magic as you get pulled into a wonderful work of fiction, not total reality. After all, isn't that why we read fiction instead of non-fiction?

Uneven at best.......2007-04-17

Lucky for me I am a very fast reader because I would have hated to spend any more time than necessary with this book. Although I thought the beginning was pretty good and found myself being drawn into Molly's story, the feeling was gone before the novel was half over.

One of the reviewers correctly pointed out an example of poor editing at the start when Molly contradicts herself about her mother's age (19 or 21?) and marital status (pregnant at the wedding or a year later?) and I also found another glaring error. The University of Arizona (where Teddy decides to attend architecture school) is in TUCSON not Phoenix. Arizona State University, which ARS may have been referring to, is in TEMPE outside of Phoenix. She needs a more careful editor.

As for the writing, I found it very uneven. Most of the dialogue was first rate, I thought. Many of the descriptions were right on, too. But some of the characters were badly drawn. I was sick of her mother's hat, Lazarus the dog and the swan couple pretty quickly. I thought the book really lost momentum once Livvy left Chappy and Molly began her new life Up Island.

This was a disappointing introduction for me to ARS, an author I have heard good things about. There are so many fine books out there to read but this was not one of them for me.

Fascinating read.......2006-06-22

I picked this book basically because I have enjoyed most of the author's other books and it is one of the very few that I have not read (or heard of). This book is definitely perfect for a winter reading since it's more of a depressing book than an uplifting book like some of her others.

This book focuses on Molly Redwine whose world just shattered when she found out that her husband, Tee, is having an affair and was leaving her for an upstart from Florida. Then her son, Teddy, tells her that he's not returning to Georgia and her mother dies. So with her life basically in shambles, Molly accepted her best friend's invitation to stay at Martha's Vineyard. That month-long invitation turned into a much longer stay as Molly didn't want to return home and pick up the pieces. Together, with her father, they nursed two ailing women and a former schoolteacher who lost his leg due to cancer. Along that journey, Molly rediscovers what family really is and rediscovers who she is as well.

Siddons has the magical touch of keeping me spellbound while reading her books ~~ her characters are vividly drawn and the story keeps moving. But this time, instead of giving this book a four or a five ~~ I was a bit disappointed. It lagged towards the end then bam! The ending was here and left a lot of issues unresolved. The book starts out with Molly's divorce (or not wanting one) and ends on a different note. It is a bit confusing to read. And it was a let down too as if the story didn't have the ending neatly wrapped and tidy for the reader.

If you don't care how it is as you're a Siddons' fan ~~ then be sure to read this book. It's wonderful as always except for that flaw. If you're new to Siddons' books, don't start with this one. It is definitely not one of the best one in her library.

6-21-06

Captivating story.......2005-09-25

Up Island is the first work I have read of this author' and I will read more. the overall pace and storyline kept me reading. At times I did skip ahead when the description became a bit much and once or twice the deatial seemed confusing or unbeliable, but the charachters always came across as real and to me that is the most important.

excellent and touching story!.......2004-07-10

The is the second novel I have read by this author. I find her writing enthralling. Her tale of an aggrieved woman grips you and you must read on and on... I found myself engrossed in her characters as though I had met them myself. The story will also make you want to tour every inch of Martha's Vinyard.

The River at the Center of the World, Revised: A Journey Up the Yangtze, and Back in Chinese Time

Average customer rating:

A Fascinating Collection of Historic Details Traveling Up a River
Following the Yangtze and learning about China -- one man's perspective.
Permit for Entry to China
Me like pictures!
Yes, terribly disappointing!

The River at the Center of the World, Revised: A Journey Up the Yangtze, and Back in Chinese Time
Simon Winchester
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Essays & Travelogues | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0312423373

Amazon.com

British born author Simon Winchester lived in Hong Kong before setting off on a journey up the Chang Jiang or Yangtze River as it is most often referred to in the West. In The River at the Center of the World: A Journey Up the Yangtze and Back in Chinese Time, he chronicles his adventures across China along the 3,964-mile River. Employing nearly every mode of transportation--including boat, train, jeep and shoe leather--Winchester recalls his passionate exploration of the countryside, while providing important and engaging historical information. His recollections of the Chinese people are often less complimentary, as he exudes an air of disgust at the country's apparent disregard for pollution, its awkward modern architecture and decaying historical monuments.

Book Description

Rising in the mountains of the Tibetan border, the symbolic heart of China pierces 3,900 miles of rugged country before debouching into the oily swells of the East China Sea. Connecting China's heartland cities with the volatile coastal giant, Shanghai, it has also historically connected China to the outside world through its nearly one thousand miles of navigable waters. To travel those waters is to travel back in history, to sense the soul of China, and Simon Winchester takes us along with him as he encounters the essence of China-its history and politics, its geography and climate as well as engage in its culture, and its people in remote and almost inaccessible places. This is travel writing at its best: lively, informative, and thoroughly enchanting.

Customer Reviews:

A Fascinating Collection of Historic Details Traveling Up a River.......2007-08-03

I had never read Winchester before. On our recent trip down the Yangtze a fellow traveler was reading this book and recommended it. After reading it I would consider it a rich cultural experience through the history of this river.

Following the Yangtze and learning about China -- one man's perspective........2007-05-28

This travel essay from the author of "The Professor and the Madman" is subtitled, "A Journey Up the Yangtze and Back in Chinese Time". Here, the author uses all his journalistic and investigative skills to tell the story of his 1996 journey through China. He is an Englishman who has lived for many years in Hong Kong and had taken several trips to China at the time of the writing. His desire, however, was to explore areas where westerners were few and far between as well as learn more about this 3,900 mile river which runs through the entire land mass of China and begins in Tibet. As he is a trained geologist, he includes all the interesting details of the natural wonders of this river, as well as discussing the cultural history and introducing us to the varied ethnic groups who consider themselves Chinese.

Most of the area he explored is off-limits to foreigners because there is just too much red tape involved. But he planned his trip carefully, enrolled a Chinese companion and, starting in Shanghai, used whatever means available to take this journey. He was a passenger on several different kinds of boats and there were also some legs of the trip that included motor vehicles. The result is a lesson in history, geography and culture that is unique in its perspective.

The outside world connected through China through trade in its waterways and the history of this trade is fascinating. I learned about the tea industry and the opium wars and the agreements with the United Kingdom that changed the face of China forever. I also learned about the cultural revolution from a different prospective and started to understand the kind of man Mao was who was able to bring about a change from imperial rule to a communist country in just one generation. Mostly though, I learned about the environmental disasters that China is now bringing on itself, especially in the construction of the Three Gorges Dam project. As the book was written in 1996 I was curious about what was going on with this project my internet research found out it is scheduled for completion in 2009 and cost more than 25 billion dollars.

Simon Winchester is a fine writer. His descriptions made his journey come alive for me. There's a big map in the front of the book and a smaller map at the beginning of every chapter. The big map did not include every place name he talked about and so I had to look at the little maps. This made it a little confusing to follow but I was determined and so I had to put some effort into following these maps.

Armchair traveler that I am, I definitely recommend this book. I especially liked it because it piqued my interest in learning even more.

Permit for Entry to China .......2006-12-16

I agree with some of the previous reviews that it would have been an asset to the book to include more images of the trip (especially the Three Gorges Area), and to have more content on the people of the areas he visits. The book is still excellent. To cover every interest for a region like this would make it a three volume, 2,000 page edition. China is a rich subject and this is a one person of a billion view.

The author has done his work and achieved permits to travel the entire length of the River from the China Sea to Tibet. I am grateful to be able to read an account of a journey that is probably impossible for most of us. I read the book last summer and I still find myself thinking of it from the impression of the 21st. century city of Shanghai to the horrific history of the city of Nanking, the ledge walks above the Three River Gorges, and the remote, cold, snowy heights of the headwaters.

If you are not upset about a Brit-centrict view of the history of China and long for an impossible journey through lands beyond reach you will feel that this book is a very worthwhile read.

Me like pictures!.......2006-06-02

Maybe I should be a little embarrassed about this, but my first reaction is...why weren't there any pictures?

I know that travel writers often don't include pictures in with their accounts, and a lot of the time, that's okay. For example, Bill Bryson writes about journeying up the Appalachian Trail, and that atmosphere is familiar enough to me (and I would imagine many of his readers) that pictures of all the trees and mountains really are not necessary.

Winchester's account, however, is of travelling all the way from the mouth of the Yangtze River, near Shanghai, to its headwaters, just to the north of Tibet. You would think that this is a sufficiently unusual location that pictures might be appropriate. I'd venture a guess that 99.9x% of American readers have not ever been to the backwoods of China, so we, going in, wouldn't have the faintest idea of how to visualize what he talks about. A thousand words, like they say. (Probably more than that, in this case!) This omission is particularly annoying, in this case, because Winchester goes out of his way to note that he did, in fact, bring his Leica M6, a very expensive (almost $2000), high-quality camera that could, and no doubt did, take wonderful pictures of the awe-inspiring scenery that Winchester describes in words...and more words...and more words.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed the book a great deal. I really liked the basic idea of the book, and I was fascinated by his descriptions of the people and places in the more remote regions of China. The book does have sort of an unusual format, in that the farther Winchester travels up the river, the farther back in Chinese time he pulls history and historical anecdotes from. The history lessons are well-written, and it's obvious that Winchester knows his material very well. It's clear why he structured the book this way, although the historical digressions be disorienting (as in, "Wait...what were they doing again? Who is Mr. Tang?").

I do wish Winchester had included some of the mundane, day-to-day stuff, like random conversations he had with Lily, and the other unusual characters he meets along the way. I had very little feeling of what any of the people he met were really like; even Lily, who is with him for the entire journey, only speaks in the book when she has something important to say (usually a political rant). By the end of the story, I still had almost no feel for what she was actually like as a person, and this is even more true for the various minor characters he briefly introduces throughout the trip. As far as interactions with the locals go, this is a strictly-the-essentials book, meaning that unless there is some really good reason for including a snippet of dialogue or observation into the text, it won't be included. This lends the journey a kind of stripped-down air, which I think is not good in travel writing. Travel writing ought to have a sense of immediacy; immersing the reader in the journey important, and his omissions in that regard have reduced this immersion considerably, to the book's detriment, I think.

Also, I have to say, this book made me want to visit Tibet (or at least remote Qinghai), although, unless the situation has changed significantly since this book was written (1996), that probably remains an impossibility, since the Chinese government keeps the borders to Tibet locked with an iron fist.

Yes, terribly disappointing!.......2006-01-08

I agree totally with Yau in the previous review. Mr. Winchester is more interested in sharing the British (yawn) history of China, not giving us much else about the culture and beauty of the Yangtze and its people. I have been to China 2&1/2 wks and also taken a cruise (5 days) of the Yangtze and for him to make it all so boring is more than annoying, it is almost criminal. Perhaps his ego supersedes him. I would not buy this book, in fact I was uanble to even read more than a couple chapters, it was that boring and dry. The one by Mr. Hessler is an absolute winner. I read it once a year at least to refresh my amazing memories of China.

Up on the River: With the People and Wildlife of the Upper Mississippi

Average customer rating:

An accurate description of life along the upper river.

Up on the River: With the People and Wildlife of the Upper Mississippi
John Madson
Manufacturer: The Lyons Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Travel | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1585741884

Book Description

Here is a richly drawn and vibrantly personal exploration of America's supreme river.

“Some of my best time on the River has been in the company of game wardens, biologists, commercial fishermen, clammers, trappers, hunters, and a smelly, mud-smeared coterie of river rats in general,” wrote John Madson of his thirty-year acquaintance with the Mississippi. UP ON THE RIVER takes us into this world, with forays into the river's fascinating history and ecology. This is a loving and sometimes uproariously funny tribute, full of unforgettable characters and creatures. Like Joseph Mitchell's Up in the Old Hotel or William Warner's Beautiful Swimmers, this is a classic book about a singular American place.

An experienced biologist, conservationist, and outdoorsman, John Madson traveled America from the Rockies to the Florida Everglades. His books include Where the Sky Began, which was named a New York Times “Notable Book” of 1982; Out Home; and Stories From Under the Sky. Madson died in 1995, leaving behind a rich legacy.

Customer Reviews:

An accurate description of life along the upper river........1999-01-11

Madson's book is a refreshingly accurate and honest disclosure of the lives of those who have made their lives along the banks of the upper Mississippi. He takes the time to get to know those people and then he welcomes the reader into their homes, stores, and living rooms. Reminiscent of a Steinbeck, "Travels With Charlie", the reader is charmed into the history and personality of the river towns and their people from Beaver Island to Harper's Ferry. Madson's understanding of the river and his ability to share it with all readers, regardless of their previous Mississippi River experience, is a tribute to "River Rats" everywhere. This book is a Terry Redlin in text form.

Average customer rating:

Well written
A fictional take on history
A Childhood Favorite
What a great book!!!!!
A new view of a classic tale

Streams to the River, River to the Sea
Scott O'Dell
Manufacturer: Fawcett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Historical Fiction | History & Historical Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0449702448
Release Date: 1987-11-12

Book Description

Scagawea, a Shashone Indian, guided and interpreted for explorers Lewis and Clarke as they traveled up the Mississippi, but she had adventures long before that one, like the time she was captured by the Minnetarees, and taken away from her family and everything that she knew and loved....

Customer Reviews:

Well written.......2007-09-13

Although this story may be historical fiction the character of Sacajawea comes alive through O'dells writing. From what I have read very little is known about Sacajawea and this story brings an unknown personality to life even though it is just through the author's imagination. I have used this book with 3rd grade readers and they enjoyed it very much. They became interested in the the journey of Lewis and Clark because of the book. I have had a hard time finding well written stories about Native Americans so I especially like O'dells books--another favorite I have is Sing Down the Moon about the Navajo long walk. I recommend both of these stories for anyone interested in Native American historical fiction.

A fictional take on history.......2007-03-01

Sacagawea is a young girl when this story begins, and is captured by the Minnatarees in the first chapter. The book continues with her captivity, marriage, and journey with the Lewis and Clark expedition. I think it is interesting if you are looking for fiction in this setting, but not if you want the facts. None of the history I have read substantiates any kind of romance between Sacagawea and William Clark, for example.

Also, the book seems geared to children about the age of thirteen, as that is Sacagawea's age for most of it. I would not recommend it to children that young, as I think the themes of her marriage and attraction to William Clark are too mature.

A Childhood Favorite.......2006-12-17

I found this book as a child in my elementary school library and I spent alot of time trying to track it back down so that I could pass it on to my cousin, Sarah. The story is not all true, but I feel that it is a really important read for young ladies. I know that reading this book helped me see the importance of women in history. This is a really great book, full of excitement and emotion!

What a great book!!!!!.......2006-09-19

A thriteen yearold shoeshine girl named Sacagwea was out picking berrys when along comes the Minnetarees ,and took her sister and her to be slaves. Her sister escapes. She maries Captain Clark,and has a baby boy.Later on her husband and her go on a voyage then the boat tips over.Now they are stuck on a island ,now thats where the adventure begins. Now you read the rest of the book to know the ending .I reconmend you to read this book ,it is a great book!

A new view of a classic tale.......2006-08-30

In 1803, Lewis and Clark set out to explore the land known as the Louisiana Purchase. Although their expedition was very successful, it would have failed without their Indian guide Sacagawea. Poor Sacagawea often gets overlooked, but no longer. Now you can follow the expedition through the eyes of this remarkable young woman.

This tale is good for its unique quality alone. Learn about Sacagawea's life before the expedition, and see it's trials through her eyes. All in all it is a new take on a famous historical happening. Fans of Scott O'Dell will especially enjoy this tale, written in his unique style.

From the Bottom Up: One Man's Crusade to Clean America's Rivers

Average customer rating:

We need more people like this!
Fantastic!
Rising to the Top
Great, very entertaining story about one man's idea and his ability to get thousands to help.
It's a real CRUSADE - action - danger - adventure & comic relief!

From the Bottom Up: One Man's Crusade to Clean America's Rivers
Chad Pregracke , and Jeff Barrow
Manufacturer: National Geographic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Rivers | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1426201001
Release Date: 2007-04-10

Book Description

Chad Pregracke was a high school student when he first glimpsed the trash that littered the bottom of the Mississippi, a shocking sight that launched him on a quest to clean up the river. After four discouraging years seeking government help without success, he decided to take his fund-raising private—and a corporate sponsor decided to take a chance on this naive but unshakably determined young man.

Ten years later Chad's one-man project has grown into a $500,000 operation with more than 60 sponsors (including National Geographic). His work has been featured on national news and won numerous honors and accolades, but its grassroots, can-do spirit still thrives aboard the 135-foot barge that serves as home base for his organization, a floating environmental classroom, and an inspiration to people of all ages.

This is the story of his personal triumph as an advocate for America's rivers. Chad measures success in tons of garbage removed and thousands of people with a new stake in—and a new understanding of—the river environment. But From the Bottom Up is much more as well: a first-person chronicle of Chad's own life along the Mississippi featuring colorful characters, a near-death experience, a haunted swamp, and other flourishes worthy of a modern Mark Twain; and a fascinating portrait of the river itself which explores everything from the natural history of mussels and catfish to Indian lore to the key role of the Mississippi in our country's history.

Customer Reviews:

We need more people like this! .......2007-08-23

It's a great book that details how one person saw a need for change no matter what it took. Chad perservered (and continues to) and has created this movement that draws in sponsors, staff and volunteers who are happy and willing to help with enthusiasim. It's very well written and makes for a good read. Thanks Chad and Jeff - keep up the good work!

Fantastic! .......2007-06-15

I could not be more engaged in the book than I am - it is so thrilling and to read about the experiences they have had it makes you wish that you could have been there! It is just excellent! I love it - and I'm so excited when I carry the book somewhere and people ask me what I'm reading because I can't wait to tell people some of the CRAZY things that have happened to Chad and his crew.

ANYONE could read this book and thoroughly enjoy it - I even share parts of the book with my 6 year old son who can't wait to get back out the XStream Clean up this year!

It's amazing how he can take something seemingly so mundane as picking up garbage - write a book about it - and it is just an amazing adventure!

Rising to the Top.......2007-05-29

"From the Bottom Up" is an enormously impressive account of the prodigious effort and success of Chad Pregracke and his clean-up team to take on a difficult and necessary problem in our environment.
Our world needs this motivation, talent, work, and hands-on planning to protect our planet. Jeff Barrow's excellent writing makes the information flow easily and captivates the reader's interest. The dedicated and hard-working team forces attention to rise to the top of our consciousness and educates the reader on the necessity of cleaning up our waterways, taking responsibility for our environment, and stimulates our will to do it.

Great, very entertaining story about one man's idea and his ability to get thousands to help........2007-05-01

It's hard to write an accurate description of this book, let alone Chad Pregracke's accomplishments. Do you measure it in the number (545) of refrigerators he's pulled from rivers? Do you measure it in the number (15,991) of tires his group has pulled up? Or possibly by the number (1) of horse's heads he's pulled from the river? Combine these stats with tons of press coverage alongside a trip to the White House to receive an award alongside Rudy Giuliani and Bill and Melinda Gates and you've got a very good story.

Over the past 10 years Chad has assembled a group of volunteers, sponsors, and genuinely interesting people to help him accomplish a daunting goal of cleaning up America's rivers. This has extended into an audacious goal of planting a million trees and educating thousands of students on his "floating classroom."

This book will give you an inspiring, very entertaining snapshot of how it was done and even gives you a quick blueprint of how to do something in your own area. Read it for an inspiring portrait of a true original who started with a small idea and turned it into a national movement.

It's a real CRUSADE - action - danger - adventure & comic relief!.......2007-04-27

This is an amazing story with never a dull moment. Chad has to be one of the most tenacious persons on the face of the earth! The obstacles he overcame were numerous and the spirit he faced them with was awe inspiring. They don't call it the Mighty Mississippi for no reason. Chad's fabulous sensce of humor comes shining through from this self appointed trash talking, picking, sorting, recycling dude.

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