Winter Tidings (Prairie River, Book 3)

Book Description

It is December 1865, and Nessa feels safe and at home in Prairie River. But when on a blustery night Reverend McDuff arrives unexpectedly at the Lockett's door, Nessa's hopes of leaving her past behind are shattered. Only Ivy and Mrs. Lockett know her secret - her reason for fleeing Independence. Now she fears the town will judge her and revoke her position as schoolteacher. Furthermore, her dear friend Albert had promised to warn her if the McDuff headed west, yet no word. Nessa's sense of self is shaken. In what promises to be a long and fierce winter, Nessa must be stronger than ever.

Customer Reviews:

An enjoyable continuation..........2005-01-09

Nessa continues to grow and mature into a young woman who puts her faith in God during difficult circumstances. This book will help young readers understand that everyone has challenges in life and provides insight into how one young woman faced her diffculties with God's help. The book is inspiring, a relaxing and easily read book for young adults. I recommend it heartily and look forward to the next volume of the series.

Average customer rating:

Blackthorn Winter reveiw by Julie D.
Such a good book -- a review by Nina
Blackthorn Winter
An Exciting Coming-of-Age Mystery

Blackthorn Winter
Kathryn Reiss
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Divorce | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Mysteries | Teens | Subjects | Books

General | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0152054790

Book Description

The last place fifteen-year-old Juliana wants to be is halfway around the world in Blackthorn, England, an idyllic seaside artists' colony her mother has dragged her off to while her parents weather a trial separation. Juliana misses her father terribly and doesn't understand why her mother needs to travel so far to resurrect her artistic self, which she claims to have lost in the marriage.

Soon after they arrive in the tiny village of Blackthorn, the artists' colony is set on its heels by the murder of one of its own. Juliana feels compelled to solve the crime, but she is shocked and frightened when it seems that clues in the matter are hitting a little too close to home. Can she figure out who the murderer is before anyone else--herself included--gets hurt?

Customer Reviews:

Blackthorn Winter reveiw by Julie D........2006-03-19

In one of her latest novels, Blackthorn Winter, Kathryn Reiss puts everything you would think of in a mystery, and more into the plot. This book wasn't just your average "who done it" mystery; it included drama, suspense, and more. I have to say, I have read a lot of mysteries in my life, and this one definitely is on the top of my list. Some mysteries are a little unrealistic, but this one I could understand how she was feeling, and it all seemed real to me.
When Juliana Martin-Drake's parents split, her mom drags her and her two other siblings off to a small artist's town in England, called Blackthorn Village. Juliana is adopted, and can't remember anything from before she was five years old. When she arrives in Blackthorn, she starts to have strange dreams, and gets a sense of insecurity. Just when the Martin-Drake family starts to get settled in to their small cottage, one of their close friends is murdered. A prime suspect was immediately arrested, but Juliana was sure that he was innocent. When Juliana started looking into the murder more, she makes a shocking discovery. While all of that was going on, there was more drama; new friends, and even a boy named Duncan. Kathryn Reiss does a great job of making the dialog of the people interesting. For example, a very uneducated person, had very poor speech, and she wrote it like that. All of those little details made the story more realistic. Sometimes I felt like I was inside the book; when Juliana felt someone watching her, I would actually look around the room.
If I was asked what the main tone, or feeling of this book was, I would have to say suspense. I know I say it a lot, but that's what the book mainly was; full of suspense. There were many moments when I felt my own heart pounding. I have to say, the ending of this novel was only average. It wasn't great, but on the other hand, it wasn't totally horrible. It was basically the typical mystery ending; the criminal is arrested, and everyone is happy. There were a few more little details, such as Juliana finding out who her dead mother's parents are. I just wish that the author had extended the ending a little farther. I would have liked to see what Juliana's grandparents were like.
Overall, Blackthorn Winter was a great book. It included all of the great key things that need to be in a mystery. It can be a little scary at times, but that's what makes you never want to put it down. Trust me, I know; I spent a couple hours at a time reading this book. I would recommend this great book to a person who enjoys mysteries and suspense. You won't be disappointed.

Such a good book -- a review by Nina.......2006-03-05

This book is one of the best books I've ever read. Its about a girl named Juliana whose family goes to live in England. A friend of the family mysteriously gets murdered and Juliana must find out who has done it.
A very exciting book indeed - I recommend every one of Kathryn Reiss' books - all are terrific.

Blackthorn Winter.......2006-02-17

Sunny skies and warm beaches was the life for fifteen year-old Juliana Martin-Drake. All of this
would change when her mother moves to Blackthorn, an "artist's paradise", on the coast of
England. Along with her two siblings, Edmund and Ivy, (more often referred to as the Goops) she
and her mother arrive in Blacthorn, and they meet her mother's old (literally) friend, Liza
Pethering, who didn't have a good looking appearance. She looked like a witch: old, black hair,
a crooked nose, and an attitude that could drive anyone mad. Juliana especially meets a
British teen named Duncan, whose stepfather, Quent Carrington, is renting her family an old
stone cottage, and is a talented sculptor, too. She also meets a photographer who's referred to
as Kate, whose mother, Celia Glendenning, isn't a fan of Liza Pethering either. It seems in
Blackthorn that everyone's against Liza Pethering, but no one pays any attention until she's
found dead in a stream after leaving the party drunk. The suspected killer, Simon Jukes, is
arrested and taken to the police. All is well until his brother keeps claiming that he's innocent,
and she suspects that maybe someone else killed Liza Perthering, and not Simon Jukes. That's
when she find's out the clues. First, in her own house, she discovers a bloodstain on the floor, and notices that a couple pieces of jewelry that was given to her mother was missing. One of them,
a beach rock, could have been used to knock Liza out, and then she would have been dragged
to the stream where she would have drowned. Then she finds the evidence that whoever did
this did use the rock, which was found in the stream. Then, Juliana finds a beach stone on her
porch threatening for her family to go home to America. All of a sudden, Juliana finds out
about her past, and figures out who has commited the crime: Quent Carrington, her family's
landlord, and Duncan's stepfather. After getting chased down an underground tunnel, Juliana
learns Quent's motive: jealousy. After Liza Pethering became such an accomplished artist, he
killed her. Either way, Juliana becomes a local hero, and even her father moves to England
where her family is finally reunited. Blackthorn Winter, by Kathryn Reiss, is an excellent novel
to read because of its suspense, its adventure, and how the English countryside is accurately
described.

Blackthorn Winter, by Kathryn Reiss, is an excellent novel to read because of its great suspense.
Throughout the novel, there are exerts that would literally put the reader on the edge of his or her
seat. In the later section of the book, Juliana is coming home from a trek around the town when
she hears something. A loud flush is heard, and a door opens - the bathroom door, as Celia
Glendenning comes out of it. Another is when Juliana is being chased down the underground
tunnel. Built during the Middle Ages, the tunnel is dark, damp, and has a fork in it or two. This will
make the reader think, "Which path should she take?" or, "Will it be a dead end?" Blackthorn
Winter, by Kathryn Reiss, has enough suspense for anyone who like to read books. This is a
complete must for people who are mystery fans, or fans of thrillers, too.

Blackthorn Winter, by Kathryn Reiss, is a book that is an absolute must for those who crave
adventure. The novel has several portions in which adventure would cause the reader to be
caught up into reading it. In one section, Juliana is constantly trying to discover the real culprit
of the mystery, and finds out being caught up being entagled in another mystery, one of her past.
Being adopted at the age of five, Juliana has never known her biological parents, until she sees
a flashback that relates to the current mystery in Blackthorn. Her mother and father, homeless
teenagers, were trying to raise their child, soon to be called Juliana. Her father, who died in
a motorcycle accident, and her mother, who died of a drug overdose, left her in the "care" of one
of her friends. Juliana then remembers where her mother was left to die: in a closet. All of this
adventure leads Juliana to discover who the real culprit of the mystery is. All of this adventure
makes those who are reading the novel spellbound, and they will want to read more and more
until the novel is over.

This novel, Blackthorn Winter, by Kathryn Reiss, is an excellent novel to get interrested into
because of its accurate description of the English countryside, its people, and its culture. The
author, Kathryn Reiss, wrote what a normal English person would say. All of the right vocabulary
was used, such as the word telly instead of T.V., and all of the different foods are described
correctly, like chips, or french fries. Any person from the United States who is going to visit
England should definitely read this novel.

Blackthorn Winter, by Kathryn Reiss, is a great novel to look into because it has a thrilling
suspense, an exciting adventure, and has the right aspects of a book. Although all of the
characters were fake, it told a story that matched what ordinary people would say. I would
reccomend this novel to anyone who likes to read because it has all of the elements of a
spectacular mystery. I rate this story a total of five stars out of five.

A. Chappell

An Exciting Coming-of-Age Mystery.......2006-02-02

Juliana Martin-Drake has enough on her mind. Her mother has dragged her and her brother and sister halfway around the world in an effort to "find herself" as an artist. Not only does Juliana miss her dad, she worries that her parents will be getting a divorce. Then there's trying to fit into the artist's colony at Blackthorn.

Everything is different in England. Juliana misses the California sunshine, along with her private American bathroom and her gregarious friends. She doesn't know anyone in England; when she speaks to them, she only understands about half of what they're saying. And of course there's the tiny matter of her memory. Juliana can't remember anything from the time before she was adopted, at age 5. It has always bothered her, but --- somehow here in England, separated from almost everything familiar --- it seems even worse.

So the last thing she needs is to be involved in a murder mystery. But when someone bashes neighboring artist Liza Pethering on the back of the head and then leaves her in a river to drown, Juliana finds herself caught up in the drama. Everyone else seems relieved and almost happy when the police arrest the ne'er-do-well of the neighborhood, Simon Jukes. But to Juliana, things just don't add up. There are so many other people with better motives: Liza's henpecked husband; the local patron of the arts who's enraged by the cruel portrait Liza painted of her; the girl Liza recently fired, whose response was to wish Liza dead; and maybe even Juliana's own mother.

Despite mysterious warnings to back off, Juliana continues to investigate. The closer she gets to a solution, the more difficult she finds it to shake the feeling that this is all tied up with her own mysterious past. Will she succeed in unraveling the mystery before the murderer decides to make her the next victim?

BLACKTHORN WINTER is an exciting combination of a novel about coming-of-age angst and a mystery. Kathryn Reiss does a good job of devoting equal time to each aspect, and of integrating the two themes into a great read. With believable characters, a fascinating setting and a compulsively readable mystery, BLACKTHORN WINTER is a wonderful addition to anyone's library.

--- Reviewed by Paula Jolin

Average customer rating:

The Winter Is Moving On...
Disappointing
If you like moving books, read this one.
Disappointing
Tough Girls Finish First!

Winter
John Marsden
Manufacturer: Scholastic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books

jp-unknown1 | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0439368499

Book Description

For twelve years Winter has been haunted. Her past, her memories, her feelings, will not leave her alone. And now, at sixteen, the time has come for her to act. She must head back to her old home, where a pair of family tragedies forever altered her life. What she discovers is powerful and shocking -- but must be dealt with in order for life to go on. This is the striking new novel from John Marsden, Australia's #1 best-selling author for teens, who is ready for his US breakthrough. It rings with hard truths that will resonate incredibly with YA readers.

Customer Reviews:

The Winter Is Moving On..........2005-08-24

This book touched me so badly, I cried. It has a beautiful, entrancing plot with an exciting climax. Winter is a likeable and richly textured character. John Marsden is one of the best authors of all time! If you read this book and dislike it, there is something wring with you. Warning though: this book is a tear jerker. I better finish up here... I'm off to the library to renue my copy. ;)

Disappointing.......2005-08-09

Disappointing is probably the best word I can find for this book. There are a lot of questions left unanswered, the plot is somewhat rambly, and the situation that the main character (who struck me as very flat and shallow, a strange thing for a John Marsden character) is in raises too many questions for it to be believable or flow properly. I was quite shocked to find myself not liking this book at all; especially since I'm quite a big fan of Marsden's other works.

If you like moving books, read this one........2004-07-29

Sixteen-year-old Winter De Salis lost her parents twelve years ago, but she doesn't know how they died! She's been haunted by it ever since, and her feelings will not go away. She's now back in Warriewood after living with the Robinson family --- and she's determined to find out the truth.

While living in Warriewood, she starts to do some research on her parent's deaths. One day she finds their graves and learns that her father died in a drowning accident. She starts asking people about her mother's death, but she doesn't believe any of the stories she hears. Will she ever find out how her mother died, or will the truth be kept from her forever?

I liked this book because Winter's personality is similar to mine. If I was Winter, I would have wanted to find out how my parents died too, because I believe that you should always know the truth about your family. If you like moving books, read this one to find out if Winter ever discovers the truth.

--- Reviewed by Ashley Hartlaub

Disappointing.......2004-03-06

After reading and liking several of John Marsden's book, I looked forward to reading this one.

Unfortunately, this reads more like a rough first draft than a completed novel: sub-plots are left unresolved, characters react completely out of character (and no explanation for why is given, or even acknowledgement that the characters has just acted oddly is given), and the main character, unlike Marsden's other "troubled" teen female protagonists, does not evoke any sympathy.

Tough Girls Finish First!.......2003-03-18

At sixteen Winter has come home. Not that anyone wants her there but the farm is hers and she won't be stopped. But for all her bull-headedness and the reader's wonder at why she's so stubborn soon becomes apparent when Winter sees better than the adults do what is really going on on her land. We thrill to Winter's cleverness at finding the guilty freeloaders and tossing them out on their ears.
The memories that have been teasing Winter about her parents are also chillingly brought to life by her Great-Aunt Rita.
Through it all we think that Winter will be just fine. And we're sort of glad she gets to be a kid again, too.

Winter's Orphans (The Shadow Fae Trilogy)

Average customer rating:

I really WANTED to love it, but...
One of the Best Fantasy Books I have read...Wow!!
Industrial fantasy?
For more than young adults
Original and fast-moving

Winter's Orphans (The Shadow Fae Trilogy)
Elaine Corvidae
Manufacturer: Mundania Press LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Magic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1594261245

Book Description

A slave-woman trying to work off her contract finds her life in danger when she makes mysterious things happen.

Download Description

At the dawn of the Industrial Age, the kingdom of Niune is ruled by the Seelie Court-half-human faelings descended from seelie fae. Sworn to the forces of light, the Seelie Court is dedicated to the destruction of all who bear the taint of unseelie fae blood. Mina Cole is an indentured worker-a factory slave. She has lived her entire life ignorant of her fae heritage, until at last a moment of terror reveals the winter magic that has lain dormant within. Now that her power is awakened, the hunters of the Seelie Court will not rest until they have slain Mina and all who stand with her. Her only hope of survival lies in the hands of man crippled in both body and spirit. One terrible night thirty-five years ago, Duncan RiDahn lost both his lover and the use of his legs to the Seelie Court. Into Duncan's web of regret comes Mina, whose dark power both alarms and attracts him. For Mina wields a terrible magic that may ultimately prove a greater threat to the faelings of Niune than all the hunters of the Seelie Court combined.

Customer Reviews:

I really WANTED to love it, but..........2007-09-15

I bought this book because it got so many rave reviews on Amazon, and because I like books in the fantasy genre. When I first opened the book, I read the blurb inside the back cover about the author, and immediately loved her - she's funny, she has cats, she's a vegetarian, and she sounds like a worthy and intelligent person, the kind I'd usually choose to hang out with in real life. Plus, I loved the name of the publisher - Mundania. It just sounds so cool!

At that point, I was sure I was going to love the book. I wanted desperately to love it.

But I quickly found that wanting just wasn't enough. I didn't and couldn't love the book. Nor did I hate it, though, to be fair. But it just wasn't one of those 'I can't put it down' kind of books. I suppose that my making a mental comparison as I read it to several other truly excellent books I'd recently read about the fae ('Moon Called' and 'Blood Bound' by Patricia Briggs - both of which are now firmly amongst my fave books of all time) didn't help this book's cause, since this book was nowhere near as good as those two. Plus, I was under the impression before I bought it that this was a fantasy book, with a hint of romance in it. It wasn't. It was a ROMANCE book with a fantasy theme. It was written not in the style of fantasy writers, but in the style of romance writers. For instance, romance writers typically have a habit of rating any male character's (and often female character's, too) attractiveness and attributes whenever the character is introduced into a scene, and often many times thereafter as well. It's something I find annoying, not least of all since I think a person's beauty lies in MORE than just their physical features...constantly rating characters' looks is something that fantasy writers usually DON'T do; it's too shallow and repetitive for their liking. Fantasy writers are more likely to make you like or hate a character based on their deeds and words. Also, the bad guys in this book were rather stereotypical villains, 2D cliches lacking depth and imagination, often laughably bad - another trait much more typical of romance writers than fantasy writers. There were other aspects as well that defined this as romance, not fantasy, but I won't bore you by going into them all here.

Also, this book wasn't entirely original. Plotlines were borrowed from various sources (X-Men, for instance), as were characters - Fox seemed the spitting image of Drusilla from 'Buffy', albeit with an altruistic side, and Mina was very reminiscent in looks, powers and motivations to Felice from Julian May's excellent 'Saga of the Exiles' series (although I vastly prefer Felice.) The metal slave collars that Mina and her comrades wore also seemed borrowed from the 'Exiles' series. Also, the opera scene seemed borrowed from 'Pretty Woman'. And as for the last two pages of the ending - THAT was copied from practically every romance book ever written! (Which was a shame, really, because up until that point it was a pretty interesting ending.)

There were aspects about the story I did really like. The character of Abby, for instance, was entirely endearing, and the author took the unusual step of making her a lesbian, which DOESN'T usually happen in a romance. Also, there were some unusual backdrops (the Victorian London-style setting, for instance) and a few nice plot twists. Plus, for an independantly published book, the spelling and grammar were pretty damned good - the publisher used a real editor, rather than just spell check, and it shows. All in all, the book's good qualities (as well as its bad ones) mean that it's a book I will long remember.

But overall, it could have been written better, in a more flowing and poignant style, and I can see why a big publisher didn't snap it up. This writer has potential to be good, but she's not quite there yet. I hope sometime in the future she steps back from the romance writing style and takes a stab at writing in pure fantasy style. She could really shine at that, given a bit of experience and coaching. (Whatever she chooses to do in her future, though, I wish her good luck and best wishes!)

One last item to add to my gripes about the book, though - the heroine, Mina, was a chain smoker. There didn't seem a good reason for her to be a smoker. Certainly, it seemed highly unlikely that anyone so poor that they couldn't afford food or plates or clothes, and who had the threat of debtors prison always hanging over her, would or could waste money on cigarettes! And the fact that Mina chose to spend her money on buying cigarettes (and on alcohol, for that matter) just made her seem, well, really truly stupid (kind of like those people in our modern society who are on welfare, who spend their money on alcohol and gambling instead of food or nappies for their babies). Also, I hate it when writers glamourise smoking. I'm allergic to cigarette smoke, and I know people who've died from smoking, so my feelings about it are biased, perhaps, but justifiably so, I believe.

Anyway, to sum it up, this book is probably not going to appeal to your typical fantasy book fan. And it is definitely NOT written for the typical male reader! It is probably most suitable for readers who like romance books with a fantasy theme, and who also don't mind the somewhat lower standard of books usually released by smaller publishers.

One of the Best Fantasy Books I have read...Wow!!.......2007-02-05

This was one of the best fantasy books I have read yet. I read it in one evening, I could not put it down. It had me capitivated from beginning to end. The story starts with a woman, Mina, who is enslaved as a factory worker while she is paying off her debt. She is miserable, tired, lonely, hungry and just plain fed up with the injustices in life. She has no family at all, and only one friend, her roomate Abby. She knows she is different from everyone else, but does not understand why or how. When she meets Duncan, a teacher, a man who says he is dedicated in helping her explore her Faeling powers, and how to use them, her life finally starts to seem like it is worth living. He teaches her there are two kinds of Faelings, seelie and unseelie. She and him are the latter. He also explains to her how their race is in danger and is constantly hunted by the seelie race. He becomes her friend, her best friend, and she cannot get enough of his company. But quickly the events in her life get much worse, and not only does she have to deal with her everyday hardships like working and finding food and shelter, but now she has to deal with the seelie faeling race trying to kill her.

I loved how strong Mina was. She had one hardship after another, but she kept going. And Duncan was a character I fell in love with. He was smart, wounded, and somehow very caring and compassionate towards Mina. He truly loved her and it was so touching to watch it grow. This book had my emotions on edge. I even cried a few times. There were twists and turns in the plot and secrets that were uncovered. I was wrapped up in this fantasy world were humans existed with faelings. The characters in the book were so developed that they seemed real to me; I was totally enthralled in their lives. This book is a must read, you will not be disapointed.

Industrial fantasy?.......2006-04-12

I honestly don't know exactly what prompted me to pick this book up. I had never heard of the author and I don't remember even reading a blurb on it. Needless to say when I started the book I didn't have too many expectations. That definitely worked in Winter's Orphans favor. Rarely have I been so pleasantly surprised by a book. I ended up finishing it in a parking lot after starting it at lunch, which isn't as unusual for me as it sounds. The only reason that I wouldn't give Winter's Orphans a 5 is that I thought a couple of areas were underdeveloped. The major characters were very interesting and believable, the world is fascinating and the plot is quite good. Call it a 4.5.

For more than young adults.......2005-11-14

Just my impressions, as this book has been synopsized before.

I'm just finishing up on reading this book for the 2nd time - as another poster states, it's fast moving and intriguing. The characters are 3 dimensional and one is atypical in standard fantasy fare (a man in a wheelchair, although IMHO he's not a sympathetic character all the time). The setting has a Victorian-era feel to it (think the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century) combined with all things faery.

Bodice-ripper doesn't seem appropriate for this novel, IMHO. There aren't a lot of sex scenes (there's one, and it's handled quite well, without getting too detailed), there's not a lot of heavy panting, endless jumping into beds, etc. The love that grows between 2 of the characters doesn't seem forced or overt to me, and most of the time, the 2 characters deny their love for one another (it *almost* gets tedious, but not quite). Yes, there are plenty of scenes of the seamy side of life, but since we're talking about a woman who's an indentured servant/slave, I didn't expect her to be hanging out in fancy restaurants.

Now published through Mundania Press, I see Ms. Corvidae has turned this into Book One of a trilogy, the Shadow Fae Trilogy. But don't worry; the story in this book is wrapped up by the time you turn to the last page.

It'll be interesting to see where Ms. Corvidae takes this tale, as I'll gladly buy at least the next one in this series.

Original and fast-moving.......2005-08-24

But I think I would have enjoyed it more had I been a teenage girl. While free from errors and with characters not totally flat, it did still read like a book intended for "young adults." And while only a tiny element of the book, when other reviewers say "romance," what they really mean is "bodice-ripper." Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book as a light read. I'm just not sure that I will continue on to her other novels.

The Mystery on the Ice (The Boxcar Children Winter Special #1)

Average customer rating:

A great mystery
What is this book anyway????

The Mystery on the Ice (The Boxcar Children Winter Special #1)
Gertrude Chandler Warner
Manufacturer: Albert Whitman & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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

Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0807554138

Customer Reviews:

A great mystery.......2001-02-25

This is a great mystery. The diamonds are in the place you least expect. Two people get engaged in this book too. One of the characters is really funny. This is a good book if you like mysteries.

What is this book anyway????.......1998-06-23

The biggest thing that bothered me about this book was that why a person would sew stolen jewels on a skating costume that was in plain sight of everyone. Children like the Aldens aren't smarter than grown-up dectectives. This book was really AWFUL!!

1609: Winter of the Dead: A Novel of the Founding of Jamestown (Young Founders)

Average customer rating:

Winter of the Dead- overly grim and dark?
Excellent Historical Novel for Young Adults
A Really Great Book of Adventure and History

1609: Winter of the Dead: A Novel of the Founding of Jamestown (Young Founders)
Elizabeth Massie
Manufacturer: Tor Teen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 076535604X

Book Description

Nathaniel and Richard are delighted when Captain John Smith hires them as laborers aboard a ship bound for the New World. They will discover gold! Instead, they find that Virginia is a land of both beauty and terrible hardship. If starvation does not kill them, bitter cold night might.

Customer Reviews:

Winter of the Dead- overly grim and dark?.......2005-01-27

Although this book was very informative and taught me a good deal about the first few years in James Towne and the hardships the colonists suffered, I found that it was overly dark and scary. I appreciated the historical accuracy, such as when John Smith was injured, but, especially nearing the end, I found it very horrific. I know that this is what it was really like, but to have John Ratcliffe tortured to death, Nicholas Skot cannibalize a fourteen-year-old boy's corpse, and Peter Scott tortured into confessing that he murdered his wife and then burned at the stake all in quick succession, while myriads of people are dying all around them all the time was simply to much. I am thirteen years old and didn't sleep well at all after I read this book. I would recommend it for those who have a strong stomach.

Excellent Historical Novel for Young Adults.......2003-02-12

I was so pleased to find this book! As a teacher, I found it compliments our study of Jamestown and the infancy of what would, in almost two hundred more years, become the United States perfectly. Although a fictional account of one of the boys who did, in fact, come over with the first three ships, it includes actual events faced by actual historical figures...Smith, Archer, Newport, Radcliffe, Pocahontas, and more. The book is well-researched and engaging, with lively dialogue that hints of old-style conversation, excellent detail, action, and adventure. My seventh grade students found the story fascinating as we read it over a period of two weeks. They were as interested in this as much they would be any well-told tale. They learned about the hardships, the struggles and occasional friendships the English forged with the Native Americans, the reasons for the English settlement and the fear of the Spanish, the terrible death of Archer and the wounding of Smith, the sickness and starvation in the "Starving Time", the desperation of the settlers -- all true events -- while feeling an empathy for teenaged Nat and his efforts to become a man in a foreign, difficult world. Some of my students even asked if there was a sequel to this book, so I directed them to history books that picked up after 1609, and they dove right in! What a way to get kids hooked on history! I highly recommend this for teachers of early American history or students who are looking for an teen adventure set in American history!

A Really Great Book of Adventure and History.......2000-07-29

I live in Yorktown and am in middle school and my favorite books to read are historical novels. This one is about Virginia history but also American history. It is about two boys who come to Jamestown in 1607 and settle with the other men like John Smith. Nathaniel, the main guy who was an orphan in England, likes to be left alone. He is strong and brave when terrible things happen to him and to the colony. John Smith, who he likes at first, really gets on his nerves but I won't say why because you need to find that out yourself. Nat learns a lot of things and even falls in love when a new ship comes in 1609 and a new girl arrives. The author makes everything seem really real and I think anyone would like this book, and all ages.

Changes for Samantha: A Winter Story (American Girls Collection)

Average customer rating:

great book!
Excellent book
Samantha's saga closes with a bang
Samantha's saga closes with a bang
Helping a homeless friend

Changes for Samantha: A Winter Story (American Girls Collection)
Valerie Tripp
Manufacturer: American Girl
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

General | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0937295477

Customer Reviews:

great book!.......2004-09-25

i got this book from the library. it was a great book,but the ending was even better,i asked my mom to get it for me becuse i liked it so much. i think YOU should get this.

Excellent book.......2004-07-16

Ten-year-old Samantha Parkington, who is living in New York City with her Aunt Cornelia and Uncle Gard, learns that her best friend Nellie and Nellie's sisters, Bridget and Jenny, are living an an orphanage. Samantha secretly goes to visit her and finds out that Nellie and her sisters are about to be seperated. So Samantha hides them in her house. But soon the grumpy maid, Gertrude, finds out that Samantha is hiding them. What will Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia decide to do with Nellie and her sisters? Read this book and find out!

Samantha's saga closes with a bang.......2003-09-03

Rounding out the Samantha series, our young protagonist now heads off to New York to live with her newly married Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia. In contrast to the staid and demure life she knew with Gradmary, turn of the century New York City is bustling with energy, activty....and injustice.

Samantha discovers her old friend Nellie is also in the area, but fell on harder times when her uncle turned out to be abusive, and the best the equally impoverished woman downstairs could do was to take Nellie and sibblings to the local orphanage. Even if she personally liked them, this woman also realized the times they all lived in did not provide the means for reasonable support options.

Decidely more sober, coiffed, and put together than Miss Hannigan of Annie fame, the directress Miss Frouchy has simmilary warped social betterment ideas. Reinforcing the Victorian immutability of economic class and punnitative 'stain' of institutionalization, Nellie's hair is drab and she wears an equally unbecoming sack (which appears to be constructed of burlap).

Yet, this same social structure can be easily altered as demonstrated by Aunt Cornelia and Uncle Gard's adoption of Nellie and her sisters into their own homes---not as servants, but offspring. Because adoption of older children (from any social class, let alone low-income) was especially radical in the Victorian era, and still today (where infants are prefered)the story is a bit difficult to believe at this point, but the charming illustrations manage to convey friendship and loyalty throughout.

Samantha's saga closes with a bang.......2003-09-03

Helping a homeless friend.......2002-10-27

I liked this book alot.It is about a girl named Samantha who lives with her aunt and uncle while her grandma is on a cruise with her fiance.Nellies parents just died and she has too go with her uncle but then her uncle mistreats her and her sisters so now Nellie and her sisters have to go to a orphanage with a very cruel lady what else could go wrong?

Average customer rating:

Boot
Fun Book to Read

Boot (The Wolfbay Wings , No 4)
Bruce Brooks
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

Bullies | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Being a Teen | Social Issues | Teens | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0064406806

Book Description

On the ice and around the house where he lives with his eleven adopted siblings and distracted parents, Boot, the Wings' premier left wing, is most comfortable cruising the margins and sneaking in his best shots when they're least expected. But midway through his first Squirt season Boot discovers that a new weapon is allowed, one that appeals to everyone but him: bodychecking. Suddenly, surrounded by the threat of being hit by anyone at any angle at any speed, Boot finds his game is in big trouble. He can't check—or won't. The team is upset and everyone but Boot is getting creamed. Will he hold back so long that he loses not only his teammates' respect—but his place on the ice as a Wing?

Customer Reviews:

Boot.......2002-12-15

Boot, the Wings great right wing is great crusing the margins and sneaking in a shot when least expected. But midway body checking is allowed. Boot will not hit and he is the only one on the team that is being creamed. Will he hold back as long so he doesnt get respect or even worse lose his place on the Wings?

Fun Book to Read.......2000-03-26

Boot is the Woolfbay Wings right wing. He likes to sneak in his great shoots in games. But in the squirt season bodycheacking is allowed. Boot finds this hard and his game suffers. Will Boot find a way past this Problem?

Book Description

With her parents on a trial separation, the last thing fifteen-year-old Juliana wants is to be dragged by her mother to an artists' colony in England. Halfway across the world, Juliana misses her father terribly. But soon she has bigger worries when the sleepy town of Blackthorn is set on its heels by the murder of one of its own. Juliana feels compelled to solve the crime, but she is shocked and frightened when she uncovers clues that have chilling parallels to her own mysterious past. Can she figure out who the murderer is before anyone else--herself included--gets hurt?

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books