Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems (Caldecott Honor Book, BCCB Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award)

Book Description

From spring's first thaw to autumn's chill, the world of the pond is a dramatic place. Though seemingly quiet, ponds are teeming with life and full of surprises. Their denizensfrom peepers to painted turtles, duckweed to diving beetleslead secret and fascinating lives. A unique blend of whimsy, science, poetry, and hand-colored woodcuts, this collection invites us to take a closer look at our hidden ponds and wetlands. Here is a celebration of their beauty and their mystery.

Customer Reviews:

This is a beautiful book in word and illustration.......2007-10-06

I waited for this to arrive and now it has. It is one of the most totally beautiful books I've bought. The illustrations are wood cut and water color. I love them. The poems just pull you into the pictures. The subject matter is new to me and now I realize what I have been missing.
Can't wait to read this a million times to my grandchildren.

My baby loves to hear these poems.......2006-12-04

Since I had a baby this past summer, I have been looking for great books to read to her that are educational and just plain fun to read. She is now 5 months and I read her "The Song of the Water Boatman," and her eyes light up and she laughs and smiles. This is not only a whimsical little collection of poems about pond life, it is beautifully illustrated and informational on a pond's wild inhabitants.

Superlative book should stave off "nature-deficit disorder". . ........2006-03-20

This book is an absolute delight, and the 'pairing' of poet and artist is inspired. Beckie Prange's woodcuts are reminiscent of the genius of work by Gustave Baumann (1881-1971: Chicago, Brown County INDIANA, & New Mexico).

"Song of the Water Boatman" is given its wider readership just as psychologists are announcing concerns about "nature-deprived" children." Blessed be all educators who use this book to plan units & field trips that open eyes and hearts to the natural world so greatly in need of future protectors.

Joyce Sidman packs as much information per square inch as there are microorganisms in the drop of water showing off the "water bear," or "tardigrada." There are favorite segments on every page. In southern Indiana we already are being 'lullabied' by Spring Peepers, grateful for our woods and pond setting. Children are responding with glee to the repetitious "In the Depths of the Summer Pond" - - a musical chant in a four-page spread with 'lessons' about survival and the food chain. Not as beautiful as the dragon fly, the remarkable metamorphosis of the caddis fly, described as a "fashion story" of transformation, will nonetheless fascinate all. Other revelations include the water boatman, and its not-quite-mirror-image, the back swimmer which always swims on its back; both carrying their own bubbles of air with them.

This reviewer will never venture out-of-doors again without more finely tuning my senses to these wonders. We will definitely be exploring our creek with increased enthusiasm. Reviewer mcHAIKU urges that we not allow "nature-deficit" to creep into our souls, and allow our minds to limit periods of hibernation! LET'S THRIVE ON LIVING & LEARNING !

Listen for me on a spring night...and I'll sing you to sleep.......2006-03-07

Take it from one who grew up -- and still lives -- across the street from a pond, Joyce Sidman knows pond life! With the beautiful, strong first poem "Listen to Me" about the peeper frogs waking in the spring, SONG OF THE WATER BOATMAN introduces readers to all aspects of pond life, from cattails to painted turtles to the food chain. In addition to poems written a variety of styles, Sidman also includes a paragraph of interesting facts about the subject. And it's all capped off with the Caldecott-honor-worthy woodcuts created by Beckie Prange. All in all, a wonderful read-aloud for kids grade 1-4 studying ponds, ecosystems, or poetry...or just for fun. "Listen to Me" joins my personal list of all-time favorite poems. 2006 Caldecott Honor Book.

Bug bug bugsy.......2006-02-02

Poetry's not my bag, baby, so when I find myself reviewing a children's book of poetry my confidence just ooooozes away. Oozily. I know enough about poetry to know that I can't judge meter or metaphor or any of that jazz. I can tell if a line scans or not, and that officially marks the limits of my poetry-criticism qualifications. It's so much easier when a book garners universal praise. That way I know it's good and I can follow suit. Now as of this review "Song of the Water Boatman" has appeared on School Library Journals Best Books of 2005, the Boston-Globe Winners of 2005, the Bulletin of the Center For Children's Books Blue Ribbon Awards of 2005, and the New York Public Library's 100 Titles For Reading and Sharing circa 2005. Oh. And a little something called the Caldecott Honor, but who's counting? From all these high muckety-mucks in their own little separate worlds, I can only reach the obvious conclusion that there's something pretty cool going on with "Water Boatman" here. A quick peek inside, a swift skimming of a poem or two, and then an in-depth read of every word and image did indeed convince me that it's a lovely work. Would I go about handing it shiny silver medals? Probably not. But as poetry goes it's gorgeous and, almost more importantly, there's a little non-fiction stirred into the mix for spice!

Eleven poems about ponds and their animals, that's what we've got here. North American ponds, to be exact. On her bookflap, author Joyce Sidman clarifies the impetus that drew her to this project. "I noticed a pool that was obviously drying up and wondered about its inhabitants: Where would they go? I imagined them as creatures in a drama, with personalities of their own". That is where Sidman excels, actually. No matter how big or small or downright bizarre a critter is, they appear on these pages as full-bodied three-dimensional characters. The poem, "Diving Beetle's Food-Sharing Rules" gives you a pretty good sense of this. "if it moves, it is mine / If it's anywhere near me, it is mine / If I'm hungry (and I'm always hungry), / it is mine, mine mine". The last line? "do not forget what is mine / For if I return / and you have taken it / YOU / are mine". As with every other creature in this book, there is factual information placed on the page opposite the poems giving in-depth details and little known facts about the pond denizen speaking. From all this we learn about the food chain, what the real nature of duck weed is, the cleverness of the caddis worm, and the definition of "emergents". Couple everything with artist and first-time children's book illustrator Beckie Prange's superb woodcuts ala watercolors and you've a book that simultaneously fulfills intellectual curiosity as well as poetic leanings.

I could be forgiven for not necessarily knowing who Joyce Sidman was before looking through this book. A resident of beautiful Wayzata, Minnesota (I once had to commute there on a daily basis from St. Paul, and it truly is a lovely little area) Sidman is obviously drawing on Minnesotan wildlife for this book. To my mind, the saving grace of the book (not that it isn't nice BUT) is that it has humor. Humor is so undervalued these days that whenever I read through a children's book and find even a scrap of it lurking in the corners I am filled with a kind of manic glee. This manic glee response came to me more than once while reading Sidman's words. Only she would think to make the titular song of the waterboatman (with a refrain by a cheery backswimmer) sound more like a tune fit for a pirate than a bug. She even works in an accumulative poem (ala "The House That Jack Built") with her food-chainish, "In the Depths of the Summer Pond". Lest I steer you wrong, let me just say that Prange's illustrations are realistic and not cartoonish in the least. If you're looking for a visual humor to back up the written, look elsewhere. I was disappointed, by the way, to find that though Prange lists her webpage in the back of the book, the site says that it will be up and running in the "winter". I am writing this in February of 2006. Can't get much more wintery than that, now can you?

Why is it important that this book be written? I will tell you, faithful readers. Picture this: A high-faluting children's room in New York City just across the street from the Museum of Modern Art. A uniquely talented and, if I might be so bold, cute-as-a-bug children's librarian is approached by an addled teacher. The teacher says that she wants an interesting book on ponds. "Not a problem", says the perky librarian, looking up the keyword "pond" in her database because while she's excellent on the Library of Congress decimal system, Dewey has never been her strength. "Oh", says the teacher as an afterthought, "And it needs to be for young kids. First graders". "Erm... okay", says the now less-than-confident but still game librarian. Her searches only seem to be yielding the names of titles of books published in 1943 anyway. "And can the book be kind of fictional but with lots of facts in it as well?". If this librarian is aware of the existence of "Song of the Water Boatman", she will be able to deal with this request with aplomb. If she is not aware of it, she will suffer the indignity of trying to refer the patron to other library branches. This, ladies and gentlemen, happens in one form or another EVERY DAY. Thousands of children's librarians are peppered with ridiculously intense requests for very specific types of books. And while you may not believe me, I actually got this kind of a "pond" request about a year ago. "Song of the Water Boatman" had not yet reached my shelves. Hence, my gratitude for its existence now.

The book reminded me of many many other titles out there already. The songs coming from insects and the variety of different poetical styles brought to mind Paul Fleischman's Newbery Award winning, "Joyful Noise: Poems For Two Voices". It would be an excellent companion to this title. Also, the idea of pairing animal and insect poems alongside remarkably beautiful and strangely (for the author) subdued illustrations is found in, "If Not For the Cat" by Jack Prelutsky. Of course, in that particular case we're dealing with watercolors and not woodcuts, but Beckie Prange is just as adept with the watercolor brush as Ted Rand so the two pair up quite nicely. I don't want to imply that this book will only be interesting to those people into pond poems and pond facts. There's a lot of superb information in here that rural and urban kids will equally enjoy. Just the same, no matter where you're living I suggest you take a trip to a pond straightaway with "Song of the Water Boatman" at your side. Show your children how an ecosystem really works and how some of these bugs really act. This book is great in and of itself, but nailing it home with a little one-on-one experience will truly make it memorable.

Average customer rating:

DELIGHTFUL - THIS IS ONE TO READ WITH YOUR CHILD.
Know an avid gardener?
A Book in Letters and Pictures
A wonderful book on several levels
The Gardener is a must have for your home or school library.

The Gardener (Caldecott Honor Award)
Sarah Stewart
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0374325170

Book Description

By the author-and-illustrator team of the bestselling The Library

Lydia Grace Finch brings a suitcase full of seeds to the big gray city, where she goes to stay with her Uncle Jim, a cantankerous baker. There she initiates a gradual transformation, bit by bit brightening the shop and bringing smiles to customers' faces with the flowers she grows. But it is in a secret place that Lydia Grace works on her masterpiece -- an ambitious rooftop garden -- which she hopes will make even Uncle Jim smile. Sarah Stewart introduces readers to an engaging and determined young heroine, whose story is told through letters written home, while David Small's illustrations beautifully evoke the Depression-era setting.

Customer Reviews:

DELIGHTFUL - THIS IS ONE TO READ WITH YOUR CHILD. .......2007-05-04

The time of this story takes place in the mid 1930s and the family of the little girl of the story has had some hard times as so many families did during those horrible years. Briefly, the little girl is sent to live with her uncle Jim in the city until her father can find work and get the family back on thier feet. The author has chosen to tell this story via letter written back home to the little girl's family, by the girl herself. The story is through her eyes. The story is excellent, as it points out just what one person, even a little one, can do to change people lives. The running theme throughout of course is the little girls love for gardening. I certainly will not go into a blow by blow account of the plot, etc. as that has been done here several times, and done quite well. The text though, is quite readable and the illustrations are great. One other theme, other than the gardening, that runs through the story, is the fact that the little girl seems to be quite concerned over the fact that uncle Jim never smiles. In the end....well, you will have to read the story yourself, does he or does he not smile...you figure it out! Love this book and recommend it highly.

Know an avid gardener?.......2007-01-31

This children's book is a great gift for anyone with a heart who loves to garden. The little girl in the story must go to live with her uncle during hard times. He is a gruff baker but his little niece brightens his world with her loving charm and amazing gardening skills.

A Book in Letters and Pictures.......2007-01-19

This is a book is written as a series in letters and has a lot of great pictures. It is about a little girl whose mother and father don't have jobs. She also has a grandmother who gave her, her love for gardening. Lynda-Grace (the girl) has to go live with her uncle who never smiles. When she gets there she finds out that her uncle own a bakery and has helpers. One of the helpers name's is Emma. Emma and Lynda-Grace and Emma have a scheme to make Uncle Jim smile! Read the book to find out what happens!

This is a really good picture book. As I said before, it is in teh form of letters from Lynda-Grace to her parent's and grandmother. It is a fantastic book for all ages!

Give "The Gardener" a try!

A wonderful book on several levels.......2007-01-10

My mom bought this book last year for my daughter, now 6. My daughter loves gardening and "old-fashioned" books, and really enjoys the story and the pictures. She focuses mostly on Lydia's garden and cat. I cry every time I read it, because I focus on the little girl leaving her parents. My mom used to read this at a parenting group she ran at a women's prison. She said all the women were touched by it, as they had the experience of sending their kids away to live with other people. My mom pointed out that while Lydia's letters are very brave and positive, the pictures often show the sadness and loneliness of Lydia's situation in the first half of the book. So this is a very complex and thoughtful book, but still simple enough to be enjoyed by young children.

The Gardener is a must have for your home or school library........2006-11-11

For those of us that love flowers... well the basic plot of planting in a dingy city will bring much enjoyment. But there is much more in this book than beautiful flowers. There is a theme of enduring and the main character, Lydia Grace, models for us that we can bloom where we are planted. And in a simple way, she models for us that getting busy with a healthy project can be a nice way to cope and persevere. Her flowers, which transform her Uncle's bakery, are a great example of how we can touch others. When we let our own life flow and gently pursue our passions maybe we help others more indirectly than if we try too hard to please or try to become something we are not.

And speaking of being authentic and real, Uncle Jim in the story demonstrates for us that we all express our emotions and feelings differently! And not only is this more than okay, it is what makes us better. Uncle Jim never smiles, even when Lydia touches his life, and it is just how he is. Lydia's concern for her Uncle Jim reminds us that we should and CAN care about others, even in the midst of our own trying times! Lydia is far from home, in a dingy city, and maybe she is too young to realize the depressing facts of the hardship around her. Or just maybe... she models for us that we need NOT get worn out and broken from hard times; instead, we need to keep on living! And when we carry on with the things we love we can possibly inspire and help others. Lydia does just this - especially when she transforms the roof with her flowers. She touches lives and leaves us with a feeling that there is strength in unity and that our individuality makes us better, more balanced, and needs to be celebrated.

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My review- SG
Lily's Crossing
wonderful ending!
Lily's Crossing By Patricia Giff
Summer of Change

Lily's Crossing (Yearling Newberg)
Patricia Reilly Giff
Manufacturer: Yearling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0440414539
Release Date: 1999-01-12

Amazon.com

Elizabeth Mollahan--the Lily of Lily's Crossing--lost her mom when she was little. Her father and a grandmother are her only family. Every summer the three of them flee sweaty New York City for a beach house in New York's Rockaways.

This year though, Lily's father announces that he's enlisted in the Army; days later, he is gone. Alone with her grandmother, Lily sees a long lonely summer ahead. And then, Albert appears. A refugee from the Nazis, his family thrown to the winds, young Albert bears a grief and sadness of his own.

It's a pleasure to read along as Lily and Albert negotiate the pain they feel and the secrets and adventures they share. With subtlety and compassion, this gift of a book reminds us that wars happen to children, too.

[10 and up. Adults should sneak a peek too.]

Amazon.com Audiobook Review

Lily's blissful summer of 1944 comes to a rude halt when her father is drafted into the military. Left alone with her grandmother in the family's summer home in Rockaway, New York, Lily befriends Albert, a shy Hungarian refugee her own age. Narrator Mia Dillon convincingly conveys the emotional complexity of both children, capturing the urgency and doubt that arise from Lily's internal dialogue and providing a sensitive portrayal of Albert, complete with Hungarian accent. Albert's tentativeness and sorrow are apparent to the listener long before Lily can fully understand his painful experiences in war-torn Europe. Dillon establishes the tension of the story early on, and consistently maintains the character and emotion of the respective players in this winner of the 1999 Audie Award for best children's production. (Running time: 3.5 hours, 3 cassettes) --Bryony Angell

Book Description

When Lily meets Albert, a refugee from Hungary, during the summer of 1944, they begin a special friendship. However, Lily and Albert have both told lies, and Lily has told a lie that may cost Albert his life.

Download Description

During a summer spent at Rockaway Beach in 1944, Lily's friendship with a young Hungarian refugee causes her to see the war and her own world differently.

Customer Reviews:

My review- SG.......2007-08-14

This book is about a young girl named Lily who went to Rockaway for the summer with her Gram, but when her good friend Margaret moves away to Willow Run, Lily knows her summer is ruined. With her father going into World War II, her summer becomes even worse until, Albert, a refugee from Hungary, comes to live with his aunt, Mrs. Orban, (Lily's neighbor) because his parents died and his sister, Ruth, is in Europe with the measles. Now Albert and Lily become friends and they both tell many lies, but Lily tells one that almost costs Albert his lfe. He tries to swim to Europe to get his sister, but the problem is Albert doesn't know how to swim. Lily also finds something sewn in Albert's coat. Read this awesome book to find out what's sewn in his coat and what happens next summer (at the end).

I enjoyed this book very much because I wanted to keep reading and never put the book down. There are also lots of cliff hangers which I liked.
The one thing I did not like about this book is that I thought the secret
sewn in Albert's pocket would be much more interesting than it was, and that it would be the plot of the story, but it wasn't. Overall, this book was great. I recommend this book very much to people who like history!

Lily's Crossing.......2007-07-12

Wonderful story! I plan to use this book for my middle school reading class.

wonderful ending!.......2007-05-15

Lily's Crossing takes place during World War II, in the summer of 1944. Lily Mollahan, lives with her father and grandmother, in the town of St. Albans. In the past summers, Lily has gone to her house on the beach in Rockaway, to have fun all summer with her best friend Margaret; but when Margaret's brother Eddie goes off to fight in the war, and her father and family move to a wartime factory town, Lily is left friendless for the summer.

Lily is convinced the summer will be ruined when she finds out her poppy is going off to fight in the war, and without Margaret there to comfort her. But when she forms a very close friendship with a boy named Albert, a refugee from Hungary, both their lies makes this summer one they will never forget.

Lily's crossing was an O.K book with a wonderful ending. I really thought the author did a great job pulling the book together and making the book worth reading. I wouldn't recommend reading this book for fun, but if you're interested in a decent war book with a very satisfying ending, Lily's Crossing is the book for you!

Lily's Crossing By Patricia Giff.......2007-05-03

Review By Blair

School is out, and Lily goes to her Grandma's beach house in Rockaway every summer. But in 1944, World War II is going on. Once lily gets to Rockaway, her only friend Margaret tells her she is moving to a war factory. Lily is really upset, but to make matters worst, her father has to go overseas to help in the war. Then Lily meets a boy named Albert and they become best friends. Albert is a refugee, and has lost most of his family. Albert is staying wit hhis cousins, the Orbans, who live next door to Lily's Grandma's house. When Lily teaches Albert how to swim, he wants to go back to France to go find his sister Ruth, and Lily said that he could! One afternoon Albert tries to swim, and almost drowns. Once summer is close to an end they say googd-bye to each other. Then Lily's dad comes home. They all go eat at the Orbans, and Albert and Ruth are there to greet them!

I would reccomend this book to everyone. This book was very, very suspenseful, and easy to comprehend. I never wanted to stop reading. This was one of my favorite books. I loved it!

Summer of Change.......2007-04-26

Every summer Lily looks forward to her vacation with her father and grandmother at Rockaway, on the Atlantic Ocean. She loves to go to a place where no one really knows her--they don't know she doesn't do well in school, she lies all of the time and makes up stories, and she doesn't have friends. Lily does have a friend in Rockaway--Margaret has been her friend since they could walk.

This summer is different, though. First Margaret's family has to move away to a wartime factory to help with World War II. Then Lily's own father finds out he has to go to war as an engineer, helping in Europe. He may be gone a very long time, and he has to leave Lily all alone with her grandmother. Terrible!

But then Albert, a boy about Lily's age, arrives at Rockaway. He speaks English with a heavy accent, and Lily soon learns he is a refugee from the war. Will Lily be able to become his friend and stop her cycle of lies?

I liked that over the course of the summer, Lily discovers things about her grandmother she hadn't seen before, and that strengthens their relationship. I liked the descriptions of the town of Rockaway. I didn't like the fact that Lily's personality isn't very well described. I couldn't really get a feel for the character.

"I'm Staying with My Boys..." The Heroic Life of Sgt. John Basilone, USMC

Average customer rating:

A MUST READ ! ! !
It sounds so prophetic
A must read
Excellent
An Extraordinary Biography and Full Frontal View of War

"I'm Staying with My Boys..." The Heroic Life of Sgt. John Basilone, USMC
jim Proser , and Jerry Cutter
Manufacturer: Lightbearer Communications Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0975546104

Product Description

I'M STAYING WITH MY BOYS... is a first-hand look inside the life of one of the greatest heroes of the greatest generation. Sgt. John Basilone was lauded by General Douglas MacArthur as ...A ONE MAN ARMY and awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic defense of a vital airfield early in World War 2. It was the turning point of the war and Basilones foxhole was the site of the turning point in that battle. Distinctive among military biographies, the story is narrated by Sgt. Basilone himself allowing readers to experience the development of Johnny Basilone, the aimless youth, into Gunnery Sergeant MANILA JOHN Basilone, the clear-eyed warrior, undefeated light-heavyweight boxer and nationally revered war hero. This publication is the only family-authorized biography. The story is woven with surprising personal details such as Sgt. Basilones uncanny premonitions. Three times he confided to his family unlikely visions of his future. All three times the visions came to pass - including the final one that foretold his death. In spite of his final revelation, and true to his unwavering dedication to his men, he returned to battle and was killed on the beach at Iwo Jima - an emotional true story

Customer Reviews:

A MUST READ ! ! !.......2005-09-15

My friend loaned me this book to read and I must say that it gave me a new found appreciation of what those men and women did for us in WWII. This book was very easy to read, and should be included in the curriculum of every Recent American History course taught in High School or College. I HIGHLY recommend picking up a copy of this book. I have already purchased a copy for myself after reading my friends copy.

It sounds so prophetic.......2005-01-26

He knew he was going to die, and he just kept on fighting. He never abandoned his marines and thats just what he should have done. Its how the writer makes this so real that is so inspiring, not that his deeds werent great, but there have probably been thousands who have done just what he did, they just werent famous. But overall this is a good book. I like how it takes us to a time when being "patriotic" didnt get us arrested or sued.

A must read.......2005-01-06

Wonderfully moving and well written insight into a true American hero. It is a must read for all patriotic Americans and almost a responsiblity for us all to be aware of one of the US Marine's best.

Excellent.......2004-10-25

If you are interested in a personal story of WWII, then this is an excellent book. Rather than getting into the details of the conflicts this book focuses on the personal story of John Basilone - one of the handful of true American Heroes from WWII.

Written in the first person with an ample dose of personal details from his family, this book truly brings Manilla John back to life for many. I've been studying WWII for only 10 years and have read my share of the technical assessments of the important battles in WWII. This book stands out in my mind because it puts the reader in touch with the qualities of America's best young men and women of the 1940's; selflessness, courage, a supreme sense of duty, and in Basilon's case, a supreme sense of destiny.

Highly recommended for anyone with a passing interest in WWII, or for anyone who wants to learn about what made America's young people "tick" 60 years ago.

An Extraordinary Biography and Full Frontal View of War.......2004-08-28

Author and Film Producer Jim Prosser has created a richly detailed, raptly written, devastatingly powerful book about the life of American War hero John Basilone. This book is especially pungent at this time in history because it revives a lost tradition of the country's view of maritime heroism. Since the atrocities of the Vietnam mistake to the present harrowing details of a similar (or worse) war in Iraq the concept of war is now very much in a negative light. Even the words 'war hero' seem an oxymoron, so strident are the feelings about America's latest aggressions. But to appreciate this fine book requires a return to the mindset of the US during World War II when not only was Europe under the vile threat of Hitler and Mussolini, but the Japanese warriors were annihilating China, Korea, and ultimately the Philippines in the mission to own the Pacific Ocean. And even in those early years the threat seemed frightening but distant until the Japanese successfully decimate the US Pacific Fleet on December 7, 1941. That incident unified the country, creating a fighting force and support system at home that eventually resulted in the defeat of the massive evil outside the borders of the USA.

Given that atmosphere of over a half century ago, author Proser has created one of the most convincing portraits of a military hero in literature. And the intensively researched and detailed approach results in a biography that fully restores the ambience of WW II. John Basilone was a nice Italian boy form Raritan, New Jersey, a lad who quit school to follow his recurring visions. He caddied for Japanese businessmen at a country club, seeing in his prophetic mind that at some day he would be at war with Japan. After trying multiple jobs he finally enlists in the Army, makes the best of boot camp by gambling and boxing, and is shipped to the Philippines where he spent time waiting, boxing (becoming a champion nicknamed Manila John), running a little bar with his Island sweetheart, and finally returning home. Frustrated once again with the boredom of work and the embarrassment of not having finished his education, Basilone finally returns to the military by signing on with the USMC, trains hard at Quantico, Cuba, and other US training camp swamps, and finally is shipped to Guadalcanal where his brilliance and dedication to his commanding officer ("Chesty" Puller) through one of the most devastating battles in the Pacific arena earned him not only the respect of his men, but also the Medal of Honor - the highest commendation offered by his country. Returning home form this mission he ride the waves of adulation form the American people, hobnobs with movies stars, sells War Bonds, and falls in love, only to be shipped out once again to the Pacific where he is killed in action in the battle for Iwo Jima.

The amazing (that is, ONE of the amazing) aspect of this book is that Proser has elected to write it in the first person of John Basilone. Everything is told as Basilone perceives it, lives, feels, and survives it. Rarely has a story been written with such clarity and perception: we truly feel that Basilone has written his memoirs. The language of the period is exactly right, the descriptions of the various battles and conditions of being a soldier under tremendously adverse conditions are vivid, and the soldiers' mentality of being in the thick of war are written with such bulls-eye focus that no matter what the reader's opinion of War might be, this book makes it all understandable form the point of view of the soldiers who fought. Some of the battle passages are tough to read: "On October 23, a light tank and infantry attack across the mouth of the Matanikau ran right into the teeth of Vandegrift's defenses. It was chewed up in short order with over 600 Japs killed, many of them trapped in a jungle clearing where US tanks just drove over them instead of wasting ammunition. They ground the poor bastards up like sausage under the tank treads until the entire clearing was covered in gore and left to rot in the sun." And a soldier's impressions: "We all heard a lot about the bravery of the Japanese soldier before we got on the island. They were supposed to be the most fearless warriors ever to fight. But I kept thinking what kind of bravery it was that sent them, one after the other, right into the same guns that mowed down dozens before them. I don't know if that was bravery. I don't know what it was. Either they were crazy or they just didn't care. So I didn't care either. They weren't even men anymore. They were dumb animals who wanted me dead and had killed all my friends."

Proser very cleverly weaves snippets of Iwo Jima from the opening of the book to its finish, which in an act of brilliance makes the whole story more pungent in retrospect. There is little doubt the Sgt. John Basilone was an extraordinary soldier and military hero along with the thousands of others who lost their lives in the incomprehensibly vast WW II. I think this is a very important book that everyone should read, and I say that as a pacifist, as a Vietnam Veteran convinced that war on any level is simply not an option. This book is vastly important, well written, and contains a story and moment of history we all should face and incorporate. And perhaps then we can all better empathize with soldiers form throughout history to the very present. Recommended without reservation!

Average customer rating:

Excellent Product & Prompt Delivery
Escher and imagination
Worlds Above the Rest
I'm a big fan.
fun and imaginative!

Sector 7 (Caldecott Honor Book)

Manufacturer: Clarion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0395746566

Amazon.com

In another wondrous, wordless picture book by Caldecott Medal winner David Wiesner (Tuesday and June 29, 1999), a class visiting the Empire State Building finds complete cloud cover and no visibility. One boy makes friends with a cloud (identifiable in the mists by the red mittens, hat, and scarf and swipes from the boy), and goes AWOL on a wonderful adventure. The cloud whisks him away to the "Sector 7" floating cloud factory, a bizarre sky station that looks like a Victorian design for a submarine.

Hiding behind his new cumulonimbus friend, the boy enters an area resembling Grand Central Station (complete with "Arrivals" and "Departures" boards) and watches officious human types in uniform giving the clouds their weather assignments. When the clouds complain to the boy that their assigned shapes are boring, he, a talented artist, creates new blueprints for them. The stuffy grownups are furious when clouds start emerging in the shape of fantastic fish; they shout at the clouds, tear up the new designs, and escort the boy back to his school group. But the revolt of the clouds is unstoppable now, and in the last few pages the skies over Manhattan suddenly get a lot more interesting. (Click to see a sample spread. Copyright 1999 by David Wiesner. With permission of Clarion Books.) (Ages 2 to 8) --Richard Farr

Book Description

Only the person who gave us Tuesday could have devised this fantastic tale, which begins with a school trip to the Empire State Building. There a boy makes friends with a mischievous little cloud, who whisks him away to the Cloud Dispatch Center for Sector 7 (the region that includes New York City). The clouds are bored with their everyday shapes, so the boy obligingly starts to sketch some new ones. . . . The wordless yet eloquent account of this unparalleled adventure is a funny, touching story about art, friendship, and the weather, as well as a visual tour de force.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Product & Prompt Delivery.......2007-09-15

This item was exactly as described in the item description. It was in the original packaging and is in excellent condition. I am very satisfied and I highly recommend this seller and product to everyone. This is an excellent book by an excellent author!

Escher and imagination.......2007-08-05

Flotsam and Freefall were the first two books I explored by David Wiesner. Sector 7 is not to be missed either. Wiesner's style and creativity are wonderful explorations for all humans(and especially children). M.C. Escher has an honored presence in this book, as he does in Freefall. The theme of flying is present here, as in all of Wiesner's books, and the fanciful creative nature of Wiesner's story and illustrations (paintings?) are not to be missed. Second language learners will immediately have something to say (in their own language) about this book. So will everyone else who reads it. Anyone who has taken the time to sit back and enjoy the show clouds put on will appreciate the ideas within this book. Don't hesitate!

Worlds Above the Rest.......2007-05-07

Wiesner, D. (1999). Sector 7. New York: Clarion Books.

Synopsis: Cloud watching on a lazy day while lying in the grass, is a fun summertime activity for adults and children of all ages. But how are these clouds formed? Who created them? David Wiesner amazes readers once again with another wordless book that tells the incredible adventure of a young boy who goes on a field trip to the Empire State Building. The imaginative and creative young boy yearns to express his creativity meanwhile he is approached by a friendly cloud that takes for a tour of Sector 7 where clouds are created for this portion New York City. Sector 7 resembles an old train station with departure and arrival times posted which provide clouds with their assigned locations. The boy encounters clouds that are bored with their usual shapes. With a wild imagination and skilled artistry, he designs inspiring shapes that excite the clouds. When the staff discovers the changes, they are perturbed by the clouds that stray from their usual and regimented routines. The boy is sent back to his class field trip. However there is no undoing the chaos he has created which begins to spread out across Sector 7.

Evaluation: David Wiesner's Caldecott Honor award winning book allows readers to create the text and interpretations within their minds. Wiesner's wordless tale captures your mind with its full page watercolor illustrations and story board formatted frames. The vivid, yet soft watercolor illustrations provide humor combined with elegance. Readers can create their own individual stories based on their personal experiences. The main character is wildly imaginative with a talent for skilled artistry. Wiesner's tale leaves readers wondering if there are depots like Sector 7 where imaginative clouds are created. Educators will find that this tale allows children to create their own words to this magical adventure. It will encourage struggling writers to utilize their imaginations and picture themselves in the boy's position and be able to write a terrific tale of visiting the place where clouds are made. Children ages 6-10 will love this enchanting journey.

I'm a big fan........2007-02-25

I loved the art in this book. A great story told through pictures.

fun and imaginative!.......2006-11-07

My 5 year old loves this book and wants to read it a couple of times a week. He always asks new questions as he points out things he hadn't discovered last time. Even telling this story (since there are no words) changes each time as you(as the reader) will surely discover more things as well.

Average customer rating:

WW2 -SOUTH AMERICAN ACTION.
A Superb Story Well Told
Magnificent, Captivating, Rich, and Wonderful! SCORE: (A+)
Bound with Honor
Character Building into a Magnificent Nove

Honor Bound
W. E. B. Griffin
Manufacturer: Jove
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0515114863

Customer Reviews:

WW2 -SOUTH AMERICAN ACTION........2006-08-01

WEB Griffin fills a gap in my military history of actions outside the main combat arenas. He obviously researches thoroughly and the result is gripping all the way through.

A Superb Story Well Told.......2005-06-20

Honor Bound captures your attention at the start and never lets go. While there is not really a lot of "action," the story, the settings and the character development all make for an excellent book.

The story is the recruitment and development of an OSS team to carry out a secret mission to disrupt German submarine activity in neutral Argentina during WWII. The sub story is the reconnection of a powerful Argentine father and his American son who have not seen each other since the son was an infant. Several other sub stories are also woven in. All are interesting and well told.

The primary setting is WWII Buenos Aires. Most of us are unaware of the atmosphere there during the war, so that makes for a good learning experience. Other settings include Guadacanal, Midland (Texas) and New Orleans. All add interest to the story.

Griffen also does an excellent job of developing his characters. The primary ones really come to life.

If you are looking for "shoot 'em up" action, this book is not for you. If you are looking for a fascinating book about an arena that you probably know little about, give this a try. I am pretty sure you won't be disappointed.

Magnificent, Captivating, Rich, and Wonderful! SCORE: (A+).......2003-12-26

The book set in WWII Argentina, "Honor Bound" is a great historical fiction of the WWII espionage game, coupled with an intense and dynamic story line. Cletus Frade, is a magnificent hero who has intensity, likeability, and charm. The secondary characters are richly developed and are as interesting in many cases as the hero. This story wraps you up in the characters, make you care about them, and takes you on a wonderful journey that ends way too soon, thankfully there are two more books in the series.
This is the best W.E.B. Griffin book yet in my opinion, and one of the most enjoyable books that I have ever had the pleasure of reading!
OVERALL SCORE: (A+)
PLOT: (A+), CHARATERS: (A+), DIALOGUE: (A), SETTING: (A), ACTION/COMBAT: (B-), ANTAGONISTS: (A+), ROMANCE: (A-), SEX: (Light), AGE LEVEL: (PG)

Bound with Honor.......2002-05-29

Shipped home from the Pacific, Cletus Frade learns that he will be sent to Argentina to aid in the war effort against the Nazis. He and two other Americans are sent to Argentina to sink a Nazi ship refueling and rearming German U-boats. In Argentina Cletus meets his long lost father, a very important man in Argentina and tries to sway him toward the United States. During the course of his mission Frade comes upon many problems, falls in love and builds a strong relationship with his father.
I recommend this book very highly. This book never had a dull moment. This is the second book of W.E.B. Griffin that I have read and I enjoyed both of them. This book takes place during World War Two and contains a lot of real to the time's technology and information. Griffin obviously spent a great deal of time researching before he wrote this book. It pays off. The quality of the story is greatly enhanced by the use of factual information. Of the many books in this genre that I have read this is one of the better ones. The story line drives along at a steady action packed pace. Though this book is projected more towards the middle-aged male demographic, I think that anyone who enjoys espionage, romance, anyone interested in World War Two or anyone who enjoys fiction would greatly enjoy reading this book. This is a great book and I recommend it to anyone.

Character Building into a Magnificent Nove.......2001-09-23

Griffith is well known for his military books that have real characters doing unreal things that make the entire novel a real story of unreal quality. Ok just a confusing enough sentence to make you read more. Griffith is such a writer that his characters are what carries the story; meaning the reader wants to know how the characters are going to develop in the situations. Cletus Frade is akin to another of WEB's great characters...Craig Lowell.

Amazon.com

Don't be deceived by the blockbuster size of W.E.B. Griffin's third installment in the Honor Bound series. Secret Honor is an intricate book that reveals a remarkable attentiveness to historical detail and characterization. It is also a top-notch thriller set in Griffin's quasi-fictional version of WWII.

The plot is woven with so many threads, all of them worthwhile, that it actually feels more like a chronicle than a novel, but the central story takes up the continuing adventures of OSS agent Cletus Frade. Frade, a U.S. Marine whose father was almost the president of Argentina, was raised in Texas and now uses his father's special status in Argentine society to penetrate Nazi plans for South America. This time, however, Frade is not so much fighting the Nazis as supporting them. While one group, Himmler among them, is secretly stashing funds in Argentina to prepare for an escape when the Reich finally crumbles, a second group, including a German general and his son, are actually plotting to assassinate Hitler. Meanwhile, the OSS is on the verge of ex-communicating Frade, given his unwillingness to reveal the identity of the son, code-named "Galahad."

The details are what make this book: Cletus Frade is imprinted on the mind, clad in grease-stained khaki trousers, spouting Spanish-Texan four-letter epithets, and sporting cowboy boots as he repairs his father's ravaged old Horch touring sedan at Estancia San Pedro y San Pablo. Particularly engaging is Griffin's account of Argentine upper-strata social "politics," as Father Welner steers Cletus into his inevitable marriage. Reading Secret Honor, one enters many vividly drawn places--from Nazi secret meetings to Argentine estates--that bring this pivotal era to life. Finishing the book leaves one feeling a rare combination of sadness in leaving close colleagues behind and exhilaration at having witnessed history being made. --Patrick O'Kelley

Book Description

A crackling new novel in the bestselling Honor Bound series, by the master of the military thriller.

Abridged. Four cassettes, 6 hours

Simultaneous release with the G. P. Putnam's Sons hardcover

Customer Reviews:

W.E.B. Griffin - Secret Honor.......2007-01-12

If you like Griffin as I do, this is another good tale. You learn a little real history along the way. If you don't know Griffin, he tells very good readable stories but they are certainly not Shakespear. Purely fun with a little true history thrown in.

WW2 in Argentina........2006-08-01

Again WEB Griffin provides information about areas of conflict not writtn about. With its polyglot population of Italian, German, and British immigrants it must have been a hotbed of intrigue. He brings it to life.

Secret Honor.......2005-05-01

Griffins book Secret Honor is a big dissappointment, I would suggest he has become a troll of commercialism. No plot, no suspence, no excitement, no story line. This book reads like a soap opera, a high school student could have written a better story. It seems Griffin is relying on his name to sell this book, also his other novels in this series are somewhat dull and redundent in character. I hope he wakes up, I will not purchase or recommend any more of his books.

Excellent detail, but lacking substance.......2004-10-15

This book was a disappointment. While it seems like the book is relatively realistic (unless you count the fact that there are military officers that are allowed to run around, doing as they please), it lacks the story to make use of that realism. The plot is hard to follow, taking turns that end up right where they started. It seems that throughout the book, the reader is bothered with the characters' problems that simply exist and do not affect the character.

This book has an somewhat interesting plot, but it is bogged down with memos between Nazi officers, which take attention away from the main plot. There is simply too much information to keep straight, especially since many of the titles of the character's are in German. A large portion of the book could have been eliminated, and the book would have made more sense and had more impact.
When I finished the book, I was not beside myself that I would never again experience that adventure of the characters again. I was happy that I was done with the book, and I then wondered where all my time had gone. At the end of the book, I ended up having a greater knowledge of the Nazi beuracracy. This is not a book that I would recommend.

READING CON BRIO.......2004-02-23

Griffin proved himself to be a champion of military suspense with "Honor Bound" and "Blood and Honor." Brace yourselves for a roller coaster of thrills because he's done it again.

In "Secret Honor," a German general plots the assassination of Adolf Hitler. At the same time in Buenos Aires the general's son is targeted by the SS following a botched Nazi operation. OSS agent Cletus Frade knows them both and he knows the truth. But, Frade is branded a rogue agent by the OSS. All three men are in peril.

Amazon.com

If you enjoyed W. E. B. Griffin's Honor Bound, you should segue with pleasure into this involving sequel. Set in Buenos Aires in 1943, it follows the adventures of three American soldiers as they think and fight their way through a complex story about Nazi sympathizers, dedicated supporters of the Allied cause, and other people just trying to stay alive. As we've come to expect from his many books about soldiers and cops, Griffin knows how to use the small moments of crime and war to invent a compelling canvas for his solid characters.

Customer Reviews:

A great summer read.......2006-07-08

I make a habit of reading a W.E.B. Griffin book almost every summer. I think they make the perfect beach book. They read easily, hold my attention, and are chock full of historical information. I always enjoy a fiction book where I still feel like I am picking up all sorts of historical info.

This is the second book in the series about the exploits of a former Marine Corps Aviator turned OSS operative in World War II Argentina. Griffin always paints the military in a good light, but he really loves the Marine Corps. His extremely detailed knowledge of the German military makes his Nazi characters feel genuine. It was obvious Griffin spent considerable time in Buenos Aires, since the city and its culture are described in such intimate detail. While he is known as an action writer, most of the 600+ page book is extensive dialogue. The German and Argentine characters speak in a very formal and drawn out manner, which while realistic, often slowed the pace of the book down. Most of the action takes place in the final 150 pages of the book. These were all minor points. It was a great summer read and I look forward to the final book in the series.

Great Adventure.......2006-03-24

Typical WEB Griffin. A wonderful story teller with a great backround in all things military.

H e Makes You Care.......2005-07-26

I get almost annoyed that I get so involved with the characters and plots of Griffin's books.I HATE it when they end,I waited for however long it takes for the sequels.I may not like killing off the good col.Frade,but that's life,and it goes on.I care about the good Germans,like Kurt,fighting their inner battles for their own souls and survival in a world filled with the deadliest of dangers.You can't put a Griffin book down and I guess that is what it was all about.Some I have read more than once.I like the WWII books best.They put me a little in touch with the world that formed my parents lives,as he helped chase the nazis across Europe and my mother worried herself sick at home,while doing her part in the effort.

Great buildup, but to what?.......2004-04-17

I enjoyed this book for the first 700 pages tremendously. However, I soon realized that the only way to wrap up all the complex story lines Griffin offered us, was by a disappointing ending. My worst fears were realized when the book came to a screeching halt. The climax was lackluster at best and entire story lines were completely forgotten. I enjoyed the great character development, however, there were at least 1/2 dozen characters that were completely left hanging when the end came. It was almost as if Griffin had a 723 page limit and was ineffective at providing a successful conclusion to all the plots derived. I was extremely disappointed when I put the book down, and question if I should read any other books by Griffin, despite all the critical acclaim he receives.

Blood & Honor.......2001-07-20

In general, people who review books fall into two categories: (1) "hooked on..." folks (like me), and (2) Self-styled critics, that live to criticize - even if there is nothing to criticise, and they don't even know why they read the book. "Blood & Honor" was another in the ongoing productions of Mr. Griffin that so enthralled all of us "hookies" since the first series. I've read every one, by the way, and can never wait till the next in whichever series arrives for us. Bravo W.E.B. - and please, please continue. Many thanks, Jim Malone

Average customer rating:

Honor East, Honor West, Honor Old, Honor Gone?
The First Google-Book
Victim of Nostalgia
Vital to understand this topic, but not as full a key as I'd like
worthless

Honor: A History
James Bowman
Manufacturer: Encounter Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1594031428

Book Description

The suicide bombings carried out in London in 2005 by British Muslims revealed an alarming network of Islamist terrorists and their sympathizers. Under the noses of British intelligence, London became the European hub for the promotion, recruitment and financing of Islamist terror and extremism - so much so that it has been mockingly dubbed Londonistan. In this ground-breaking book, Melanie Phillips pieces together the story of how Londonistan developed as a result of the collapse of British self-confidence and national identity and its resulting paralysis by multiculturalism and appeasement. The result is an ugly climate in Britain of irrationality and defeatism, which now threatens to undermine the alliance with America and imperil the defence of the free world.

Customer Reviews:

Honor East, Honor West, Honor Old, Honor Gone?.......2007-08-28

Early on in his exposition, Bowman cites Napoleon bemoaning England as a 'Nation of shopkeepers.' Wow, why does that sobriquet sting? Is there really all that much glory (honor) in being a soldier? While his prose can be stiff at times, Bowman's observatons are powerful. Are we living in a post honor time? When I hear being 'ethical' mocked, I cringe. So what has replaced honor? Treachery? Honor as the original 'groupthink.' Also Bowman addresses the issue of honor east vs honor west. Originally saw this author on CSPAN. See my listmania comtemporary world/future world

The First Google-Book.......2007-08-05

I think we have discovered a new way to write a non-fiction book. Google a word (in this case "honor") and just follow the links, filling up your hard drive with drivel. Then, to make it sound serious, subtitle it "A History." Now, I don't know that this is how Bowman wrote this book, but it certainly reads like it. A history it is not.

Did you ever see an unappetizing pedestrian and said to yourself "Thank God he/she isn't naked. I'd never get over the sight." Well, Bowman has a totally uninteresting and pedestrian mind, and we are witness to his baring it all. I will get over it, but only because I've only read half the book. Five years and I'll be as good as new.

This book is chock full of little stories of no particular interest, except they bear in some tangential way on the subject of "honor." After telling a few stories, Bowman will add his own personal comments, usually some right-wing condemnation of feminism, psychology, sociology, the decline of manliness, the pervasiveness of liberalism, or one the Right's other perennial bugaboos. No doubt this is how he managed to get a number of right-wing gurus to give a rave blurb for the book. Surprisingly, this includes Charles Murray, who is actually very talented an insightful. The next time I see him, I'm going to ask him to reimburse me for the price of this lame excuse for a "history" of honor.

The only positive things I can say are (a) I hope I've saved you from wasting your money; (b) I don't have to read any more of this chatty gumbo; and (c) as for the author, there but for the grace of God go I.

Victim of Nostalgia.......2007-07-28

Early in his book Bowman, in his discussion of Malory and the legend of Camelot notes: "Honor cultures always tend to be nostalgic about the past...since honor's tendency to venerate the authoritative and traditional naturally creates built in dissatisfaction with the present." (p. 44) He is warning us against the rose colored glasses of nostalgia distorting our vision, presenting an idealized and inaccurate impression of times past. Yet this is precisely what he presents - a tribute to the noble gentlemen of the Victorian era, and a dark vision of the "honorless" world in which we live now.

There was much to admire in Victorian conceptions of honor. But there was also much to condemn. It was for example not honorable to appear smarter than your peers, much less your superiors. The effect in the British military was to discourage intellectual pursuits, including the study of weapons, tactics or strategy. Orders were to be followed without discussion no matter how absurd. One dramatic example is the "Camperdown disaster", where the Mediterranean flagship sank because no one on the bridge would tell the admiral that his orders would result in collision with another battleship. This dark side of Victorian honor was paid for in blood during the First World War.

Next we are to believe that the honor culture was destroyed under the onslaught of psychiatry, feminism, and the brutality of modern warfare. So therefore the history of the last couple of generations is without honor. He uses the American response to 9/11 as an example, noting that there were people who counseled moderation & consideration of how US policies may have contributed to the attack. I'm not sure where Mr. Bowman was living at the time, but those of us living in the United States will remember those few voices even hinting at moderation being roundly condemned in the media and the general populace. Not since Pearl Harbor had American citizens been more united. There was a nearly universal demand for retribution, in exactly the sense Bowman describes as "reflexive honor."

The Anglo-Saxon world did not lose its culture of honor, as Mr. Bowman claims. But the culture did evolve over time, as it always has done. He points out that the word honor is rarely used anymore. While this is true, consider the word hero. The word is indiscriminately applied to soldiers, police and firefighters - those the civilian population depend on for protection. Hero once meant someone who took an exceptionally brave action, falling on a grenade to save the rest of the squad for example. Now hero means those with professions involving risk to themselves to protect the nation - in other words men and women of honor.

Mr. Bowman started out with the belief in the superiority of the Victorian past, the inferiority of the English-speaking world today, and carefully picked out examples of people, literature, film and behavior to support his point of view. Another author could have as easily done the opposite, "proving" that the Victorians were hypocrites and hence dishonorable, while the present time was the most honorable of all.

What frustrates this writer about Bowman is that despite these flaws he has some valuable things to say. It is worthwhile to look back into the past, and perhaps discover lessons of value to current times. He argues that the attack on the twin towers could be seen as a logical outcome of Americas limited or entirely lacking response to the series of terrorist attacks from the Carter presidency up to the day before 9/11. Yet it is not difficult to find historic parallels. In Victorian times for example contradictory, passive and penny pinching policies allowed the rise of the Mahdi in the Sudan, eventually terminating in a very costly war. Firm countermeasures at the start of the uprising could have saved thousands of lives at a fraction of the cost to the treasury.

This book will be a pleasant read for those ready to believe in the superiority of the Victorians, and the decay and corruption of present times. Those readers seeking a balanced and historically based book on the evolution of honor should consider Paul Robinson's: Military Honour and the Conduct of War: From Ancient Greece to Iraq.

Vital to understand this topic, but not as full a key as I'd like.......2007-07-24

The facile assumption that others think as we do is only true in part and gets us into conflicts which blow up in our faces. I recommend Bowman's book because it opens up a vital subject which has become unknown territory in the West. It is not so in the rest of the world, which in its turn shows the same incomprehension of our 'Post-Honor' culture.
The earlier part of the book is a tour de force examining the European history of honor culture, using literature and film extensively to make the points. Sceptical as I am of the use of fiction to research fact I found this readable, illuminating and responsible in execution. Two-for-the-price-of-one in fact, because I think I learned about the literature as well as the sociology.
When, at the end of the book, Bowman suggests what we should be doing about the dissonance between Western and Eastern (OK, Muslim) ideas of honor, we are in very different territory. It is nearly always thus. Brilliant analysts and critics become mere humans when they tell us how to put the world to rights. One is entitled to conclude that Bowman is to the right of the political average. But is the political average right to be so left? Personally I like a healthy dose of debunking of prevalent thought. Good on you, Bowman. But feminists of a sensitive disposition should not read this book.
Now for my own theory. Imagine you live in a country where it is absolutely expected that you will supplement your modest salary by collecting bribes. Where you are held in contempt if you do not use your position to provide jobs for your family and friends in preference to the most able. Someone wrongs your family, but you know that the police can be bought and are a lot less effective even than in Western countries. Your standing depends on getting justice despite the state's inability to provide it. Would you and I, in that situation, not have the inclination to take the law into our own hands to preserve the honor on which life can depend? Would we not do our utmost, if male, to project an image of masculine aggressiveness and live up to that when necessary in order to prevent worse?
Bowman touches only briefly on this aspect of honor culture, its role as a survival and coping mechanism. It's worth a chapter.
At the moment I don't know of a better book on the subject. It should certainly make you think. And that is surely the most important role of a book.

worthless.......2007-03-20

The author attributes all the West's ills to the decline of honor. But the problem is that this decline is a symptom of the loss of religious morality and purposefulness. The author, however, is muddled in his thinking and he keeps listing symptoms as causes. I was assigned this book for a class and it should tell you everything you need to know about this book, that the people most hostile to religion initially found the most to like about it. On the other hand, by the time they got to the end of the book, they found the author's anti-feminism offensive. Such is the fate of all fence straddlers, such as this author is, in the end their intellectual dishonesty ends up offending everyone.

Average customer rating:

Owls Rock!
so far
An Inspiring Book
A great book but I liked the Tommytown series better
give a Hoot about this book:0

Hoot (Newbery Honor Book)
Carl Hiaasen
Manufacturer: Knopf Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375821813
Release Date: 2002-09-10

Amazon.com

Roy Eberhardt is the new kid--again. This time around it's Trace Middle School in humid Coconut Grove, Florida. But it's still the same old routine: table by himself at lunch, no real friends, and thick-headed bullies like Dana Matherson pushing him around. But if it wasn't for Dana Matherson mashing his face against the school bus window that one day, he might never have seen the tow-headed running boy. And if he had never seen the running boy, he might never have met tall, tough, bully-beating Beatrice. And if he had never met Beatrice, he might never have discovered the burrowing owls living in the lot on the corner of East Oriole Avenue. And if he had never discovered the owls, he probably would have missed out on the adventure of a lifetime. Apparently, bullies do serve a greater purpose in the scope of the universe. Because if it wasn't for Dana Matherson...

In his first novel for a younger audience, Carl Hiaasen (Basket Case, etc.) plunges readers right into the middle of an ecological mystery, made up of endangered miniature owls, the Mother Paula's All-American Pancake House scheduled to be built over their burrows, and the owls' unlikely allies--three middle school kids determined to beat the screwed-up adult system. Hiaasen's tongue is firmly in cheek as he successfully cuts his slapstick sense of humor down to kid-size. Sure to be a hoot, er, hit with middle school mystery fans. (Ages 10 to 15) --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

Unfortunately, Roy’s first acquaintance in Florida is Dana Matherson, a well-known bully. Then again, if Dana hadn’t been sinking his thumbs into Roy’s temples and mashing his face against the school-bus window, Roy might never have spotted the running boy. And the running boy is intriguing: he was running away from the school bus, carried no books, and–here’s the odd part–wore no shoes. Sensing a mystery, Roy sets himself on the boy’s trail. The chase introduces him to potty-trained alligators, a fake-fart champion, some burrowing owls, a renegade eco-avenger, and several extremely poisonous snakes with unnaturally sparkling tails.
Roy has most definitely arrived in Carl Hiaasen’s Florida.

Download Description

2003 Newbery Honor Winner!

Unfortunately, Roy's first acquaintance in Florida is Dana Matherson, a well-known bully. Then again, if Dana hadn't been sinking his thumbs into Roy's temples and mashing his face against the school-bus window, Roy might never have spotted the running boy. And the running boy is intriguing: he was running away from the school bus, carried no books, and -- here's the odd part -- wore no shoes.

Sensing a mystery, Roy sets himself on the boy's trail. The chase introduces him to potty-trained alligators, a fake-fart champion, some burrowing owls, a renegade eco-avenger, and several extremely poisonous snakes with unnaturally sparkling tails.

Roy has most definitely arrived in Carl Hiaasen's Florida.

WINNER OF THE 2002 Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC) CHOICES AWARD!

Customer Reviews:

Owls Rock!.......2007-07-23

I loved this book! It was about kids saving endangered owls and I love wildlife and nature. The characters were interesting and funny; sometimes sarcastic, except for Roy. The plot was interesting and well-developed. I learned a little bit about Florida which I did not know before. This book made me want to visit Florida and it made me want to save endangered animals. It made me realize that kids can save endangered animals and make a difference in the world. I highly recommend this book; I think most kids would love this book.

so far.......2007-07-14

I've read three books this summer. My grandmother is paying me a dollar for every book I read so I'm not bragging. The first two weren't like work at all, but this one almost is. I thought it would be more adventerous. That's the kind of book I really like. For everybody who likes more adventer, adventuer / \ excitment, I think they should read The Misadventures of Maude March, and if they are a boy, they will like The Voyage of the Frog.

An Inspiring Book.......2007-06-04

I have recently read the book Hoot by Carl Hiaasen. Have you ever felt left out, or have you felt like your not where you're supposed to be? This is how Roy Eberhardt, a teenage boy from Montana, feels after moving to Florida. Roy investigates a mystery of the boy running with no shoes on, while he tries to save an owl species. Will life in Florida be looking up for Roy?
The theme or lesson of this book I think was to not let things get in your way. Hoot was very inspiring and it makes you want to help animals in your community. Also, you can literally feel yourself as if you were a character in the setting. I'd advise you to read Hoot because I know you'll love it.

A great book but I liked the Tommytown series better.......2007-06-01

I thought this was a great book, but not as good as the Tommytown series. In Tommytown the boys 11 -14 and the girl, Karen 14 years old acted more like their age and the scenes where funny and exciting. But both writers are super! Take a look at Tommytown and The Boys From Tommytown , (I actually did it. I inserted the titles) Anyway you won't be sorry.

give a Hoot about this book:0.......2007-05-22

I thought that this book by Carl Hiaasen was great! This was a very inspirational book about a boy named Roy who moves to Coconut Cove, Florida. He faces many problems like a bully named Dana Matherson, and he meets a girl Beatrice, and her mal treated step- brother. Together the kids try to save mini owls who were going to get hurt, or killed by a building company that was building a new Mother Paula's Pancake House. I would reccomend this book to any one, but especially animal lovers. It is a great novel just like Carl Hiaasens other novels.

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