The Tao of Pooh

Amazon.com

Is there such thing as a Western Taoist? Benjamin Hoff says there is, and this Taoist's favorite food is honey. Through brilliant and witty dialogue with the beloved Pooh-bear and his companions, the author of this smash bestseller explains with ease and aplomb that rather than being a distant and mysterious concept, Taoism is as near and practical to us as our morning breakfast bowl. Romp through the enchanting world of Winnie-the-Pooh while soaking up invaluable lessons on simplicity and natural living.

Book Description

One of the world's great Taoist masters isn't Chinese, or a venerable philosopher, but is in fact none other than A. A. Milne's effortlessly calm, still, reflective bear Winnie-the-Pooh. While Eeyore frets and Piglet hesitates and Rabbit calculates and Owl pontificates, Pooh just is. And that's the clue to the secret wisdom of the Taoists.

Customer Reviews:

A particular way of living.......2007-10-19

This book is based around the idea that A. A. Milne's stories of Winnie-The-Pooh can be used to illustrate the basic notions of Taoism. Hoff is not by any means arguing that Milne was a Taoist. He is merely saying that Milne's inner attitude to life, as revealed by the stories, intuitively follow along the same path as Taoism. Owl is wise, Rabbit is cleaver and Eeore is smugly superior but the real hero of the books is Pooh, the apparently stupid yet strangely successful and able bear.

The book covers the Taoist principles of:

Tao, or the indescribable Way of the universe,
P'u, or natural simplicity, the Uncarved Block,
Inner Nature, being those things that make us exactly who we are,
Wu Wei, or proceeding without doing, causing, or making,
Tzu Jan, or 'self so', meaning that things happen by themselves, spontaneously,
Tz'u, or caring and compassion, and,
T'ai Hsu, or the Great Nothing.

Along the way we learn the pitfalls of being too busy and the benefits of doing nothing (for example meditation and contemplation). Having read this I now try to arrange my day so that I can spend half an hour a day in my garden with my cat just doing nothing but observing nature and thinking the thoughts that come to mind. I recommend it to everyone.

Non Fiction.......2007-09-03

A complete waste of time. I suppose it is a whimsical idea to use Pooh to explain the version of philosophy that you favor. Others might term this exploitative. In fact, there is probably a comic in there somewhere, The Revenge of Pooh, where pragmatic realistic toys with weapons come and kick the stuffing out of wacko writers.

What a great book.......2007-08-27

If you only read two books this year, this and "The Te of Piglet" should be those.

wonderful, insightful book..........2007-08-08

I found this to be a simply delightful read. It was easy to comprehend and get through. Whoever thought that Pooh might one day come back and enlighten me as much as he entertained me as a kid growing up.

Interesting concepts.......2007-08-04

I learned of this book through my truck insurance auto person in Minnesota. He told me of this book and I bought it and thought it had some great insites on life. They were always there but Pooh brings them out in a way that makes me think farther into it. Really good. PSM

Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp

Average customer rating:

Beautiful and Inspiring
Connecting Childen to History
Children of the Dust Bowl
Readable for ages five (with help from parent) and up.
Children of the Dust Bowl

Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp
Jerry Stanley
Manufacturer: Crown Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0517880946
Release Date: 1993-07-13

Book Description

Illus. with photographs from the Dust Bowl era. This true story took place at the emergency farm-labor camp immortalized in Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. Ostracized as "dumb Okies," the children of Dust Bowl migrant laborers went without school--until Superintendent Leo Hart and 50 Okie kids built their own school in a nearby field.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful and Inspiring.......2007-10-09

This book is a beautiful testiment to the human spirit, and the resilancy of the American spirit.
It is also the story of taking a chance on people that other's find useless.
A beautiful book and a beautiful story.

Connecting Childen to History.......2005-09-09

this book is an excellent companion to the historical ficiton book "Bud, Not Buddy." By reading aloud sections of Children of the Dustbowl, teachers could build some of the background knowledge that would help children understand how the daily lives of the average person changed as a result of the Great Depression and the 5-year drought in the Midwest.
Given the devastation of Hurriicane Katrina, this book also offers insight on what can happen when large numbers of people must migrate because of weather-related disasters.

Children of the Dust Bowl.......2005-09-08

The book appeared to be new, no marks, and sent immediately.

Readable for ages five (with help from parent) and up........2002-04-04

The writing in this book is excellent, flowing evenly from page to page. Many of the photographs within are pure art, having been taken by Russell Lee, Dorothea Lange, and others. These two people are the Pieter Bruegel and Thomas Hart Benton (depicting plain, everyday folk) of American photography. This book relates a small chunk of American history, to be sure, but more than that, it relates universal themes of the human condition. Overall, the book relates the brutal conditions of the dust bowl, the migration over the mountains and desert, taunting and prejudice from settled Californians, and eventual attainment of excellence, as revealed by the construction and maintenance of the Weedpatch School, which eventually became a model school in the community. My 5 1/2 year old enjoyed reading every page, and found particular mirth in the unusual daily chore that the dust bowl children did with their cows. The description of this unusual chore is worth the price of the book. What was this daily chore? One way to find out is to borrow or purchase this book.

Children of the Dust Bowl.......2000-07-26

I am a student at St. Lawrence University, and doing a summer fellowship about the works of John Steinbeck. This book, while written as a children's book, is a valuable look at the Arvin Federal Emergency School, the conditions of the Dust Bowl, American attitudes about the poor, and Leo Hart, the man whose vision for a "broader curriculum" among his students was so influential and inspiring.

Amazon.com

In Cynthia Kadohata's lively, lovely, funny and sad novel -- winner of the 2005 Newbery Medal -- the Japanese-American Takeshima family moves from Iowa to Georgia in the 1950s when Katie, the narrator, is just in kindergarten. Though her parents endure grueling conditions and impossible hours in the non-unionized poultry plant and hatchery where they work, they somehow manage to create a loving, stable home for their three children: Lynn, Katie, and Sammy. Katie's trust in, and admiration for, her older sister Lynn never falters, even when her sisterly advice doesn't seem to make sense. Lynn teaches her about everything from how the sky, the ocean, and people's eyes are special to the injustice of racial prejudice. The two girls dream of buying a house for the family someday and even save $100 in candy money: "Our other favorite book was Silas Marner. We were quite capitalistic and liked the idea of Silas keeping all that gold underneath the floorboards." When Lynn develops lymphoma, it's heartbreaking, but through the course of her worsening illness, Katie does her best to remember Lynn's "kira-kira" (glittery, shining) outlook on life. Small moments shine the brightest in this poignant story; told beautifully and lyrically in Katie's fresh, honest voice. (Ages 11 to 14) --Karin Snelson

Book Description

kira-kira (kee ra kee ra): glittering; shining

Glittering. That's how Katie Takeshima's sister, Lynn, makes everything seem. The sky is kira-kira because its color is deep but see-through at the same time. The sea is kira-kira for the same reason. And so are people's eyes. When Katie and her family move from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia, it's Lynn who explains to her why people stop on the street to stare. And it's Lynn who, with her special way of viewing the world, teaches Katie to look beyond tomorrow. But when Lynn becomes desperately ill, and the whole family begins to fall apart, it is up to Katie to find a way to remind them all that there is always something glittering -- kira-kira -- in the future.

Customer Reviews:

Only her way of viewing the world may help her family.......2007-08-07

Cynthia Kadohata's KIRA-KIRA tells of Katie and her family, who move from a Japanese community in Iowa to Georgia, where younger sister Lynn teaches the family a special way of seeing the world, beyond the immediate future. When Lynn falls ill, only her way of viewing the world may help her family in the moving KIRA-KIRA.

Good enough, I guess.......2007-07-19

I honestly have never felt so let down by a Newbery book. As an English teacher, I usually love them. But this story just does not ring true in so many places that I have to give it three stars. Had its editor done his/her job better, perhaps it could have earned more.

I live in GA, where the story is set, and my husband has had cancer, which one sister also fights. Granted, some of the scenes about Lynn's cancer and its wearing on her caregivers are very well-written; however, I think it was implausible that the sister who so desperately wants to see the ocean never does. I mean, in southwest Georgia, they would not have been more than 5 hours from the Atlantic and less than that from the Gulf. Also, some of the scenes crash into each other with no transition at all--it nearly drove me mad. Also, the ex-best friend would have come to the funeral. They always do.

Parts of it were excellent, but many parts were not. For desperate AR readers, however, I'm sure this would be a quick last-minute read!

Glittering, Shining.......2007-07-08

I really liked this book. The author has great descriptions, and I felt like I could relate to the characters. Of course, there's the younger sister who wants things to stay the same, and the older one who just changes with time. This is one of those books that truly makes you cry. People call some books tearjerkers, when they aren't all that sad. But this book ... it made me cry and think. It gave me a different outlook on things. Life is short. This book will remind you of that. I recommend this one. It'll show you that there can be sad endings, but all in all, your world can still be kira-kira (shining).

A Shining Book.......2007-06-15

Kira-kira means glittering in Japanese, most things that glitter get the attention of the looker, and this book got my attention as the reader very quickly with a near-tragic meeting with a dog. Kira-Kira is the story, told through the words of Katie, a young Japanese-American girl, growing up in the 1950's in a small Georgia town, not overly populated with Japanese-Americans. Katie's story revolves around her family, with the main focus on her sister, Lynn, who she adores and believes is a genius. As is the case in life there are happy and sad times, just like this book where you can read about racial injustice,friendships,financial struggles,and a family's hopes, dreams, and losses.

Kira-Kira.......2007-05-13

Excellent story of a family that experiences hard times and death of a child. Well-written, well read!

Children of the Great Depression (Golden Kite Awards (Awards))

Average customer rating:

At least one in five was hungry

Children of the Great Depression (Golden Kite Awards (Awards))
Russell Freedman
Manufacturer: Clarion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0618446303

Book Description

As he did for frontier children in his enormously popular Children of the Wild West, Russell Freedman illuminates the lives of the American children affected by the economic and social changes of the Great Depression. Middle-class urban youth, migrant farm laborers, boxcar kids, children whose families found themselves struggling for survival . . . all Depression-era young people faced challenges like unemployed and demoralized parents, inadequate food and shelter, schools they couldn't attend because they had to go to work, schools that simply closed their doors. Even so, life had its bright spotslike favorite games and radio showsand many young people remained upbeat and optimistic about the future. Drawing on memoirs, diaries, letters, and other firsthand accounts, and richly illustrated with classic archival photographs, this book by one of the most celebrated authors of nonfiction for children places the Great Depression in context and shows young readers its human face. Endnotes, selected bibliography, index.

Customer Reviews:

At least one in five was hungry.......2006-08-03

I thought this was an excellent introduction to the Depression years for younger readers. Russell Freedman writes in a straightforward style and nicely avoids contractions ('did not' instead of 'didn't') popping up throughout his text. There are two stories in these pages, the Depression and life in the Thirties and the same years as they relate to children, so there are chapters devoted to 'In and out of school', 'Kids at work' and 'Boxcar kids' for example.

What really makes the book come alive for me are the excellent photos, all with captions including the date and photographer. Virtually all of them are from the now famous FSA files in the Library of Congress. Russell Lee, Dorothea Lange, Arthur Rothstein and Ben Shahn have the most and they perfectly work with the text. As well as great photos the design of the book is simple and elegant with the photos printed in a sepia green, there is a bibliography and index.

Another worthwhile childrens book about the same period is 'Welcome to Kit's world: 1934. Growing up during America's Great Depression' (ISBN 158485359X) beautifully designed with the story told as extended captions to the hundreds of photos and period graphics. This title is really aimed at young girls.

For a photobook of FSA children images have a look at 'Children of the Depression (ISBN 0253340314) a large format, one photo to a page book that probably has the best of what is available from the files. This book is mentioned in the bibliography of 'Children of the Great Depression'

All three books explore the lives of children in hard times with sympathetic words and powerful pictures.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow

Average customer rating:

Biased didacticism, not history.
Used in teaching about WWII
who was hitler?
The Children Loove Hitler
Truth from the other point of view!!!

Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow
Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Manufacturer: Scholastic Nonfiction
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0439353793

Book Description

"I begin with the young. We older ones are used up . . . But my magnificent youngsters! Look at these men and boys! What material! With them, I can create a new world." --Adolf Hitler, Nuremberg 1933 By the time Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, 3.5 million children belonged to the Hitler Youth. It would become the largest youth group in history. Susan Campbell Bartoletti explores how Hitler gained the loyalty, trust, and passion of so many of Germany's young people. Her research includes telling interviews with surviving Hitler Youth members.

Customer Reviews:

Biased didacticism, not history. .......2007-04-16

Halfway through listening to this book on CD, I wondered why it seemed like the author was talking down to me. The writing was very simplistic and the extremely irritating narrator felt obligated to remind us that Nazism was bad by reading every race-related word with the utmost sarcasm possible, e.g. "Hitler wanted a 'puuuuure' (tee-hee) 'Aaaaaryan' (rotfl!) 'race' (hahahaha!)." This book also felt the need to explain even the most elemental German terms, the most hilarious being when the author told us that "Heil Hitler" means "Hail Hitler" in English. I was kind of offended at the condescension until I finally looked at the CD case and saw that the book was meant for grade-school kids. It contains some interesting accounts of time in the Hitler Youth, but nothing too revelatory. I guess the point of writing this book was to tell kids that racism is bad and not to be conformist. The author goes overboard though by declaring that "All scientists agree that race is only skin deep". (That quote may not be verbatim.) Even leaving aside questions of intelligence, that statement is a blatant lie, as widely varying racial susceptibility to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc. will attest. Does Ms. Campbell Bartoletti really want children to be independent thinkers, or does she merely want to indoctrinate them in her own egalitarian ideology?

Used in teaching about WWII.......2007-03-07

When pairing this book with books about World War II from the Allied perspective and the Jewish perspective, it really provides a completely different point of view. It allows students to see the historical event from more than one view, and this will encourage them to be open-minded and willing to see the points of view of others in life.

who was hitler?.......2007-02-13

this is a good book that tells the story of adolf hitler's little army the hitler youth.this book tells the story of many people tha died when hitler was a leader i relly like this book because i had heard of his little army and some of the people that were in his army. this is a very good book if you want to learn of hitler's power

The Children Loove Hitler.......2007-02-09

What do you think it would feel like if you lived during the time of World War II? The book Hitler Youth tells stories of children during this time period. There are many main characters telling the story of their lives during World War II.

The layout of this book is an easy read, but there are a lot of words and pictures on a page. There might also be a word in German that might be hard to read, but there aren't that many.

If you are interested in reading this book, then I think you should be at least in sixth grade or up. It is not a complicated book, but I think that Middle schoolers have more of an interest in World War II. I also think that this book would interest people who want to know what happened to the children during this particular time.

Susan Campbell Bartoletti has written other great books besides the Hitler Youth. She wrote Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, and Dear America: A Coal Miner's Bride.

Hitler Youth is a great book for studying, or for a free read. I recommend this book to read to anyone interested in World War II. I think it is important for people to know what happened the late 1930's to the early 1940's, because it had such a big impact in the world.
PR7

Truth from the other point of view!!!.......2006-11-30

This book is really good! It tells the story of young people of Germany. Usually the books on WWII focus on the victims of the Holocaust and the Allies, but this book tells the point of view of the Hitler Youth. I think this shows how the young people of Germany were also targeted. Hitler manipulated his way to become the chancellor of Germany. This book has a lot of interviews with Hitler Youth boys and girls. They tell their story and how they felt about the war, school, and their life. I strongly recommend this book to adults and young people.

Average customer rating:

Not angry... Just historically honest
Descriptive, emotional, engaging
Wasn't reasonable or logical or comprehensible
Prompt Service
Remarkable, Unforgettable, Invaluable, Candid, Daring, Astounding...

Coming of Age in Mississippi
Anne Moody
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0440314887
Release Date: 1992-01-04

Book Description

Written without a trace of sentimentality or apology, this is an unforgettable personal story -- the truth as a remarkable young woman named Anne Moody lived it. To read her book is to know what it is to have grown up black in Mississippi in the forties an fifties -- and to have survived with pride and courage intact.

In this now classic autobiography, she details the sights, smells, and suffering of growing up in a racist society and candidily reveals the soul of a black girl who had the courage to challenge it. The result is a touchstone work: an accurate, authoritative portrait of black family life in the rural South and a moving account of a woman's indomitable heart.

Customer Reviews:

Not angry... Just historically honest.......2007-07-10

Though I read this book many years ago, I had to strongly disagree with part of the editor's initial characterization of this book as being "angry". Powerful, painful and anxiety producing, yes. Angry, no.

I personally came away with the lasting impression of a very honest and heart-felt description of the events and struggles that shaped Ann Moody's life, and her active participation in the Civil Rights Movement. She describes beautifully the fears and pains felt by communities during tragic events such as the murder of the young Emmett Till, and injects the intensity felt by the leaders of the Movement, including MLK Jr., as they constantly tried to dodge authorities.

I strongly believe, and echo other reviewer's opinions, that every High School and young college student should be required to read this book.

Descriptive, emotional, engaging.......2007-03-20

Thus a civil rights advocate was born.

I read this book seven years ago, on a whim, because I was wanting to understand why Southerners were especially proud of their heritage when there was so much suffering among its own people, especially its blacks.

Ann Moddy lived a life that most whites would be ashamed of, but that many blacks endured. This is a part of American history that mainstreem history books seldom cover in any detail and leave to the "Black Studies" department.

Moody lived her life struggling for identity, struggling for change, struggling for advancement. She made something of herself and has never looked back. (I read somewhere that she doesn't like to talk about her growing-up years and has lived a life of seclusion.). She can only be admired for what she has made of herself.

Moody never once expresses hurt. All she wanted was justice for all. She left Mississippi with more than a tinge of anger.

This book should be required reading for all social studies classes. It is engrossing without being sentimental or overly emotional (and it certainly is not "girly" at all.) For anyone, regardless of color, gender or legal status, this should be a must-read.

Wasn't reasonable or logical or comprehensible.......2007-03-05

I quit early on and here's why.
Anne's mother leaves her 6 month old infant and Anne (who is "almost 4") in the hands of her (anne's mother) 8 y/o brother, then later her 12y/o brother, for 12+ hours every day. According to Anne they never took care of them and in fact took off as soon as her parents were out of sight.
Who's feeding the 6 month old for those 12+ hours? They were living on a farm with lots of other black families. Surely the women had some kind of communal child care system going. Where's the wet nurse? I don't believe it.

Same happens with the next infant. Mom's never home. All male babysitters. One male adult would take all three kids (ages 5, 2.5 and a little over a year old) HUNTING with him in the swamps! I don't believe it. I don't believe Anne Moody.

How is it that Anne goes to school at age 5 but her mom's 8 y/o and 12y/o brothers don't?
In Anne Moody's story the boys and some men stayed home and babysat while the girls go to school/work. Now I always thought it was just the opposite. Girls usually stayed home and tended to their younger siblings, cleaned, cooked etc., while the boys if they didn't go to school, worked along side the men.

How is it that little 5 y/o Anne walks 2 miles up and 2 miles back to school everyday all by herself. Just try and picture that in your mind. A tiny little threadbare 5 y/o girl all alone walking 4 miles a day in the rain, humid heat or cold. Then hiding in the schools outhouse for as long as she can because she doesn't like school or the teacher! I don't see it. I don't believe it. Four miles is nothing for a healthy adult/teen/kid but a 5 y/o "baby"? I don't think they'd have the mind to do it nor the legs.

How is it that when Anne is 6 and back at school, her mom just leaves the 3.5 y/o and 1.5 y/o all by themselves, all day at the house, no babysitter? I don't believe it. Was Anne's mother mentally retarded? They're living in town at this time. What about the neighbors, friends or church? Women have always gotten together to help care for the children?

The story just wasn't adding up so I quit. Sorry.

I also don't believe the memoirs of Augusten Burroughs "Running with Scissors" etc. and Mary Karr "The Liars' Club".

Prompt Service.......2007-02-28

I do not have any complaints about Amazon.com service. I got my book on time and in the conditions stated on the site. I am very satisfied. The book is a great addition for my library and it is very helpful for my classes in college.

Remarkable, Unforgettable, Invaluable, Candid, Daring, Astounding..........2007-01-29

This book is one of the the best books to help you to REALLY understand the Civil Rights Movement and what it meant to be black in the south during that era. Anne Moody lets the reader into her life in a remarkable way and helps her audience comprehend what the south was like (not only for the black population, but for black women as well) and why Civil Rights workers, like herself, put up with so much for their cause. It is very hard for me to put into words what a great book this is-it will open your eyes to history even if you don't like history or reading I guarantee you will LOVE this book! Definitely a MUST READ.

Other books that compliment this book well, if you're interested in the subject are: Passing, Quicksand, and Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Up & Down New York (New York Bound Books)

Average customer rating:

Delightful
Irresistable
A Jazz Age portfolio of the Big Apple
Classic New York at it's finest

Up & Down New York (New York Bound Books)
Tony Sarg
Manufacturer: Universe
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0789315483
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Book Description

Originally published in 1926, Up & Down New York is an imaginative, charming, quirky, and delightful period piece-but it is also timeless. This facsimile edition of the nostalgic classic reproduces Sarg's delightful illustrations of the dynamic and vibrant streets and famous places in New York. The surprise is in finding how much remains the same in many New York neighborhoods after 80 years, including Grand Central Station, Times Square, The American Museum of Natural History, City Hall, the Stock Exchange, the Great White Way (Broadway), the shuttle in the subway-not to mention the busyness and vibrancy that characterizes the city. The places that do not exist anymore, including the aquarium at the Battery and Washington Market, give us a glimpse of New York in its first heyday. This new edition of Tony Sarg's Up & Down New York will appeal to kids of all ages, to designers, illustrators, and book collectors, as well as anyone interested in New York or 1920s-era drawings.

Customer Reviews:

Delightful.......2007-08-16

I love New York and this amazing collection of late 1920's illustrations reinforces my rapture. Sarg not only captures the architecture of some great landmarks, but also infuses them with vibrancy by populating the scenes with human vignettes out of Breughel, or Where's Waldo if you prefer.

I find the material dazzlingly contemporary, but believe it makes a tremendous gift for parents or grandparents who can use these images to bond with their progeny.

It's fun to view the citizens on the streets in their jackets and ties as a picture of the past; and elders will have a grand time pointing out the way things were (as in "that's the old look of the Museum of Natural History" or "I remember the Metropolitan Museum when the knights in armor were in the main hall."

Get it or give it. It's grand and at a bargain price.

Irresistable.......2007-07-14

Every time I pick this book up I am drawn into a NYC gone-by that feels so much like the NYC of today. I love to get lost in its world.

A Jazz Age portfolio of the Big Apple.......2007-07-05

This attractive book packages a compendium of Tony Sarg's humorous, bird's-eye perspectives of 1920's New York. Each page of the oversized volume yields the Where's Waldo variety of delights for people watching, but also beautiful architectural renderings of the city's most famous historic landmarks.

But how much money do you want to pay for what amounts to 23 full page prints (and a couple of pages of studies)? There's the (charcoal) rub... but I suggest that if you think of this volume as a bound portfolio, it is worth every cent.

Classic New York at it's finest.......2007-05-13

If you love this town, you'll love this book!

Average customer rating:

Hysterical Fiction
Excellent Teen Novel
Great read for adults too!
Great Story
A Pleasure to be savored...for Adults as well

A Northern Light
Jennifer Donnelly
Manufacturer: Harcourt Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0152053107

Amazon.com

It's 1906 and 16-year-old Mattie Gokey is at a crossroads in her life. She's escaped the overwhelming responsibilities of helping to run her father's brokedown farm in exchange for a paid summer job as a serving girl at a fancy hotel in the Adirondacks. She's saving as much of her salary as she can, but she's having trouble deciding how she's going to use the money at the end of the summer. Mattie's gift is for writing and she's been accepted to Barnard College in New York City, but she's held back by her sense of responsibility to her family--and by her budding romance with handsome-but-dull Royal Loomis. Royal awakens feelings in Mattie that she doesn't want to ignore, but she can't deny her passion for words and her desire to write.

At the hotel, Mattie gets caught up in the disappearance of a young couple who had gone out together in a rowboat. Mattie spoke with the young woman, Grace Brown, just before the fateful boating trip, when Grace gave her a packet of love letters and asked her to burn them. When Grace is found drowned, Mattie reads the letters and finds that she holds the key to unraveling the girl's death and her beau's mysterious disappearance. Grace Brown's story is a true one (it's the same story told in Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy and in the film adaptation, A Place in the Sun), and author Jennifer Donnelly masterfully interweaves the real-life story with Mattie's, making her seem even more real.

Mattie's frank voice reveals much about poverty, racism, and feminism at the turn of the twentieth century. She witnesses illness and death at a range far closer than most teens do today, and she's there when her best friend Minnie gives birth to twins. Mattie describes Minnie's harrowing labor with gut-wrenching clarity, and a visit with Minnie and the twins a few weeks later dispels any romance from the reality of young motherhood (and marriage). Overall, readers will get a taste of how bitter--and how sweet--ordinary life in the early 1900s could be. Despite the wide variety of troubles Mattie describes, the book never feels melodramatic, just heartbreakingly real. (14 and older) --Jennifer Lindsay

Book Description

Sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey has big dreams but little hope of seeing them come true. Desperate for money, she takes a job at the Glenmore, where hotel guest Grace Brown entrusts her with the task of burning a secret bundle of letters. But when Grace's drowned body is fished from the lake, Mattie discovers that the letters could reveal the grim truth behind a murder.

Set in 1906 against the backdrop of the murder that inspired Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy, Jennifer Donnelly's astonishing debut novel effortlessly weaves romance, history, and a murder mystery into something moving, and real, and wholly original.

Includes a reader's guide and an interview with the author.

Customer Reviews:

Hysterical Fiction.......2007-08-09

The Amazon reviewer writes that "the book never feels melodramatic," and the SLJ writes that "Donnelly's characters ring true to life," and, "an outstanding choice for historical fiction fans." Perhaps the reviewers at Amazon and the SLJ are young teenagers?

A Northern Light is not a bad book, it's just not what I hoped or expected it would be, based on descriptions and reviews. First, it's a YA book through and through. Some might call it a coming of age story, but it is so chock-full of "lessons" for adolescents that it seems more like a classroom than a story. In almost every chapter, and every week, of young Mattie's life, there is an eye-opening and paradigm-expanding "experience," all of them methodically sequenced in order to help Mattie - and the young readers of this book - step into less-than-innocent adulthood. There are all the usual lessons of coming of age YA novels, such as boyfriends, girlfriends, kissing, desire, sex, and love. There are additional lessons in pregnancy, birth, postpartum depression, disease, lust, adultery, greed, and racism. And then there is a rather odd and protracted lesson in masturbation and exhibitionism.

As I said, the lessons get in the way of the story, or rather, the story is the vehicle for the lessons. I do not consider this historical fiction, as there are precious few lessons in history, and the characters do not "ring true." For example, there is one black character, Weaver. Weaver and his mother are the only two black people that Mattie has ever seen or known. Weaver's father was lynched. Weaver is Mattie's best friend and he is the smartest kid around, on track to go to a fine university on scholarship. Everyone likes Weaver, he is friends with all the white folks, he goes to the same schools, is welcomed in everyone's home, and works at the same jobs as the white kids. But Weaver brandishes physical rage against anyone who shows him any kind of disrespect. Weaver always manages to escape the consequences of his destructive behavior, because everybody, including the sheriffs and the judges, like him so much. This hardly rings true to life.

The real mystery of this story is the murder, the real-life murder of Grace Brown. At the end, I wondered why the author included it. The murder and its investigation do not play an important role in the story. For most of the story it's barely in the background. And yet, Mattie has letters from the victim showing that Grace was murdered, and even after Mattie realizes this, she goes on with her adolescent life as if she didn't know. She decides to give the letters to the sheriff only at the end, but there's no explanation as to why Mattie waited that long. I think perhaps the best parts of this book are the real-life letters that Grace Brown had written, which are included in the story as Mattie reads about one each day. Given that we know Grace's fate, the letters evoke even more empathy, and make this book worth reading, almost.

Excellent Teen Novel.......2007-08-06

This novel is probably one of the best coming-of-age novels I've ever read. It details accurately the life back in the twenteeith century, as well as giving two stories at the same time. This book is recommended to everyone out there; I know you're going to love it because I did. Excellent teen debut novel from an excellent author.

Great read for adults too!.......2007-07-27

I loved A Northern Light. Mattie is a fully drawn main character and the author paints a compelling picture of life in the Adirondacks in the early 1900s. The first chapter really draws you in.

My only (minor) complaint is that the jumping back and forth in time got a little confusing. The book starts out only about a day before the point where it ends. Almost everything in between is in the past, but it's hard at times to know for sure what is in the past, and what is real time in the chapters between the beginning and the end.

Other than that, it's a great read for older young adults and just plain adults as well!

Great Story.......2007-07-16

When I picked up this book at the half price bookstore, I did not realize it was a young adult book. The book summary on the back of the book got my attention. I read the book, and what a surprise! A very good story. I like that it tied into a true story. Makes me want to read more about the real story, An American Tragedy (Signet Classics) I loved the character development. Jennifer Donnelly is a great storyteller. There were sad moments, happy moments, laugh out loud moments and just good thinking about "life in general" moments. I really enjoyed her style of writing so much, I went and bought The Tea Rose. Once again, the prologue already got me wanting more!. I have read 80 pages of this book and I am throughly enjoying every page. I was lucky enough to find a copy of the next book, The Winter Rose which is difficult to get at the moment. Cannot wait to read it, and I understand that there will be a third book, The Wild Rose. (Triology). I highly recommend this author. Great summer reading.

A Pleasure to be savored...for Adults as well.......2007-07-03

This was a wonderful story. I loved the characters and the time period and the setting.

I loved the Mattie Gokey, our 16 year old narrator, who struggles to make choices that will shape the rest of her life. She is a bright and gifted young woman who is the eldest sister in a farming family.

The story takes place in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. Where Mattie eventually goes to work at the Glenmore Hotel on Big Moose Lake serving the rich tourists in the dinning room.

She waits on a young couple there and sadly before the end of the day the woman, Grace Brown, is pulled from the lake, dead. Earlier in the day she had given Mattie a bundle of secret letters. Mattie realizes that they hold the answers to what really happened to Grace and her missing companion.

Why this was marketed as a young adult novel I don't know...I thought it was well written, rich with detailed narrative and dealt with serious issues; adultery, marriage, feminism, parenthood, racism, death and murder. There are several different story lines with conflict and tension, all realistic and realistically resolved.

I also liked the fact that the story line revolving around Grace Brown was inspired by historical facts.

I thought this was a really enjoyable read. The only criticism I can make is that I thought Jennifer Donnelly could have added more physical descriptions of the many different characters in this story. Otherwise is was just perfect.

Average customer rating:

A Gentle Read
Waiting For A Memory...
They call you again and again

Geronimo
Joseph Bruchac
Manufacturer: Scholastic Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Historical Fiction | History & Historical Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0439353602

Book Description

"He held up his right hand to show how his third finger was bent back from being struck by a bullet. Then he thumped his palm against his chest, his shoulder, his thigh, touching places where bullets and knives had pierced his flesh...where scars showed how hard it was to kill Geronimo..." After years of standing against the U.S. government, the great warrior and spiritual leader Geronimo's life is coming to an end, as his grandson visits him where he is imprisoned, in Fort Sill, OK in 1908.

Customer Reviews:

A Gentle Read.......2007-09-21

Okay, call me easy to please. I loved this book. I love historical fiction anyway. I loved the chapter headings which were excerpts from historical documents. I loved the point of view --grandchildren tend to love their grandparents unconditionally. The feeling of the great respect that the author has for Geronimo comes through loud and clear. How can reading about a people being forced into exile be boring? It was heartbreaking. For me, there was a sense of relief once Geronimo was reunited with some of his wives and children. The telling of this story taught me a few of the more obscure facts of the "Indian Wars" such as the fact that Chiricahua Apaches "prisoners of war" were encouraged to join the Army but upon their honorable discharges, they weren't allowed back into the prisoner of war camps (relocation centers such as Mount Vernon, Alabama) because as former soldiers, they were no longer prisoners of war and then unable rejoin their families. The book was a tender view of a man the world likes to see in anything but a tender way.

Five Stars.

Waiting For A Memory..........2006-08-01

Geronimo was a legendary figure in American culture, and during the last half of his lifetime, a tourist attraction wherever he went. And while Joseph Bruchac's novel GERONIMO describes this vividly, he also paints a portrait of a real man. Told through the eyes of "Little Foot" or "Willie" this fictional grandchild of Geronimo is responsible for passing on his legacy through the stories he shares.

"Remember That is what I now do. I tell the story as best I can. With each line of my tale I will place a kernel of corn on the ground. Then, when I am done, that corn will be there for you to pick up. Eat it and this story may stay with you as it has stayed with me. Do not fall asleep, or the story may be broken, as were our lives. Listen" (5).

While it doesn't follow strictly chronological guidelines, the main story takes place between 1883 and 1908. The heart of the story is the imprisonment of the Apache Indians--yes, I know there is a more descriptive, more accurate name, and their exile from their land in Arizona. They were deported by train, under guard, to camps and forts in Alabamba and Florida. The train carrying Geronimo became a tourist attraction at every stop along the way, and a money-making venture.

"'They are waiting for a memory,' Wratten said to me as we passed slowly by yet another great crowd of waving, shouting people. 'They want to be able to tell their children they saw Geronimo.'" (78)

The memories they make for themselves in their new homes were anything but pleasant. Full of hard work, sadness, depression, and disease--their camps were prone to malaria--they were often separated from their families...wives from husbands, and children from parents. Many children were sent to a school in Pennsylvania where many became sick with tuberculosis and died.

Woven into the stories of hardships and broken promises, are stories of the past both pleasant and bittersweet. Their days of peace and contentment, and their days of battle fighting the Mexicans and Americans.

Beautifully written, I hope this book finds its audience because it is a truly memorable book.

They call you again and again.......2006-03-15

By and large, you shouldn't start a review of a book by saying that you, the reviewer, are an idiot. Just the same, I am an idiot. Why am I an idiot? Because I'm fairly certain that I've been walking around as a full-fledged children's librarian, all my credentials in place, while thinking that Joseph Bruchac was Michael Dorris. This is a pretty good litmus test of idiocy. Just now, JUST now, I went to Amazon.com to confirm that Bruchac had written, "Sees Behind Trees". Imagine my shock when I discovered that for years now I've been giving credit to the wrong danged guy. Now I did read and enjoy Bruchac's, "A Boy Called Slow" years and years ago, but that does little to offset my embarrassment. In any case, I've read a Bruchac book now and I've come away with it with mixed feelings. Telling the tale of the great Geronimo's life through the eyes of a fictional grandson, Bruchac has meticulously researched and lovingly drawn a portrait of this impressive figure. His book is full of factual information and heartbreaking detail and life. Unfortunately, the first half makes for a very dry read. If kids can get through it and proceed on to the second, they'll find themselves more than adequately rewarded by the tale's end. A great but mixed read.

Little Foot was adopted as a kind of grandson to the great warrior Geronimo when his parents were killed in a Mexican raid many years ago. Over time he has stood by his Apache people, finally standing down to the American army when Geronimo surrenders with the feeling that they should fight no more. En masse the Apaches are taken from their homes in Arizona and sent by train to Florida as prisoners of war. Through Little Foot's eyes we see the history and betrayal of the Apache people. Their inordinate trust in a white government bent on their destruction. How they watched as their children were sent far far away to the infamous Carlisle Indian School (and subsequently killed by the school's diseases). Finally, we view Geronimo's life in Fort Sill, Oklahoma and his constant yearning to return home. Jumping backwards and forwards in time, readers get a well-rounded view of Geronimo's life and a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding the lies people told (and still tell) about him.

The book is an excellent antidote to such ill-prepared Native American titles as, "My Heart Is On the Ground" and its ilk. With Bruchac you are in safe hands. Well-researched and fairly bursting with an overabundance of factual information, the story is fiction but it reads like fact. The author knows enough to write some humor, even in the bleakest of moments, into the tale. Better still, you really do come to care for Geronimo and Little Foot. Even the magical realism, which is a bit off-putting in such a realistic novel, is handled with grace. Now there are problems with this book, but they aren't simple mistakes. I dare say Bruchac never puts a word out of place or a sentence out of alignment. What he says is always the best way OF saying something. Unfortunately, I didn't think it all needed to be said. Put in plain English, the book bored me sometimes. We're watching a story that begins when Geronimo and his people step onto a train that is taking them far far from their home. It ends when his grandson returns to his tribe and Geronimo at long last. In between, however, Bruchac has a hard time with continuity. That's facetious of me to say. Of course he knows exactly what he's doing. It just doesn't happen to work. What the book does, right from the beginning, is engage in constant shifts between the present, the past, and the future (if you deem the train time "the present"). Not only is this confusing but it draws out a story that could be more fascinating than it's presented. The train details are great. The stories of Geronimo's life are great. But when you get to page 174 and the characters are STILL on the train, you begin to worry that the action will remain permanently bogged down. It doesn't, of course. Halfway through the book it picks up and makes for a great read. It's just that first half that's the difficult slog.

Also, it's very difficult to care for a book when after every happy moment you have to deal with a chapter that closes with a variation on, "What they did ended up sending us all on this endless train journey toward the dawn, a journey that would have no destination for many of us other than disease, despair, and death". Even when it looks like things are perking up or that the Apache might have a little happiness in store, that hope is swiftly crushed with lines like, "I did not know how wrong I was". Obviously this isn't a happy-go-lucky tale and Bruchac DOES balance his woe with as much cheer as he can honestly muster. Though some Indians were sent to Florida in trains without even so much as bathroom facilities (a fact Little Foot is careful to mention), Bruchac mentions this and then gives his own characters slightly better fare. There are funny stories here and amusing anecdotes and jokes. I just wish a little more care could have been taken with the countless bleak chapter closing sentences.

But in the end the book rises above such flaws. I would certainly not hand it to any reluctant readers and you should not purchase this title under the mistaken apprehension that it's a non-fiction biography. Bruchac notes right there on the cover that it's a novel. It's often painful, often heartbreaking, and always interesting. It takes an especially skilled author to bring together a story based on real life that has as great a sense of closure as "Geronimo". Bruchac is so skilled. And then some.

Average customer rating:

Great Addition to your Library
A Gem of a Book!
Beautiful and moving
Kind, heroic American soldier grants German child's wish
The Impact of Adults in the Life of a Child.

Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot
Margot Theis Raven
Manufacturer: Sleeping Bear Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1585360694

Book Description

A True Story of the Berlin Airlift and the Candy that Dropped from the Sky.

Life was grim in 1948 West Berlin, Germany. Josef Stalin blockaded all ground routes coming in and out of Berlin to cut off West Berliners from all food and essential supplies. Without outside help, over 2.2 million people would die.

Thus began the Berlin Airlift, a humanitarian rescue mission that utilized British and American airplanes and pilots to fly in needed supplies. As one of the American pilots participating in the Airlift mission, Lt. Gail S. Halvorsen helped to provide not only nourishment to the children but also gave them a reason to hope for a better world. From one thoughtful, generous act came a lifelong relationship between Lt. Gail and the children of Berlin.

This is the true story of a seven-year-old girl named Mercedes who lived in West Berlin during the Airlift and of the American who came to be known as the Chocolate Pilot.

Artist Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen's evocative paintings illuminate Margot Theis Raven's powerful story of hope, friendship and remembrance.

About the Author: Margot Theis Raven has been a professional writer working in the fields of radio, television, magazines, newspapers, and children's books for thirty years. She has won five national awards, including an IRA Teacher's Choice award. Ms. Raven earned her degree in English from Rosemont College and attended Villanova University for theater study, and Kent State University for German language. Ms. Raven splits her time living in Concord, MA, Charleston, SC and West Chesterfield, NH.

About the Illustrator: Born in the Netherlands, Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen studied at the Royal Academy of Arts in Holland. He immigrated to the United States in 1976, and years later he became a children's book illustrator. Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot is Nick's ninth children's book with Sleeping Bear Press.

Customer Reviews:

Great Addition to your Library.......2007-09-09

We loved this book. We read it last year while studying about Germany. We loved it so much we bought it ourselves. Beautiful true story about how even in the hardships of war, blessing happen. The kids and I even cried a little as we read this one. Just a great read with great illustrations as well.

A Gem of a Book!.......2007-06-08

Some years ago, I "dragged" my wife and son to meet the Candy Bomber when he came through town. He gave a really nice speech in which he told the story of Mercedes. Amazingly, I had finally found a pilot who hit a sweet note with them. A year or two later, they even went to meet him again, and my son caught candy he dropped at the airport. Well, when the book came out, my wife latched onto it in an instant. She was so taken with the book and the retelling of the story of Mercedes, that she has incorporated it into her class room. Super nice man and touching story. The author did a splendid job that does both justice. You'll enjoy this one!

Beautiful and moving.......2007-05-27

A lovely story of a little-known episode in post-World War II Europe, the Berlin Airlift, and the American pilot who knew that for children, chocolates and sweets were almost more important than the basic supplies the Airlift was providing the citizens of West Berlin, so he sent those along with the rest of his cargo, and in doing so, gave them hope.

Margot Theis Raven movingly depicts an important time in history and the gallantry and heart of the man who `rained down sweets' on a city that needed it. A wonderful read with fascinating historical information that kids and adults will enjoy.

Bravo, Ms. Raven!

Kind, heroic American soldier grants German child's wish.......2003-04-08

This true story of hope, kindness and heroism is a reminder that there are American soldiers who have provided a variety of rescues for people in other countries, a reminder that every child is important, a reminder that one caring person can change the world. There's even a subtle message of the power of prayer. The illustrations are as beautiful, sweet, and historically accurate as the story itself. The heart-warming text gives children a true living American hero to emulate in the Chocolate Pilot and a child to relate to in Mercedes. Grown-ups love this book as much as children do.

The Impact of Adults in the Life of a Child........2003-01-15

"Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot: A True Story of the Berlin "Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot": This is a true Story of the Berlin Airlift and the Candy That Dropped from the Sky by Margot Theis Raven, Gijsbert Van Frankenhuyzen" demonstrates the true meaning of the human sprit and the impact of that sprit upon generation after generation. While I was reading this story I was reminded of a saying which emphasizes how truly important our roles, as adults, are in the lives of children, ...but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child." This true story is truly remarkable and a must to share with adults and children.

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