Hattie Big Sky

Book Description

Alone in the world, teen-aged Hattie is driven to prove up on her uncle's homesteading claim.
For years, sixteen-year-old Hattie's been shuttled between relatives. Tired of being Hattie Here-and-There, she courageously leaves Iowa to prove up on her late uncle's homestead claim near Vida, Montana. With a stubborn stick-to-itiveness, Hattie faces frost, drought and blizzards. Despite many hardships, Hattie forges ahead, sharing her adventures with her friends--especially Charlie, fighting in France--through letters and articles for her hometown paper.

Her backbreaking quest for a home is lightened by her neighbors, the Muellers. But she feels threatened by pressure to be a "Loyal" American, forbidding friendships with folks of German descent. Despite everything, Hattie's determined to stay until a tragedy causes her to discover the true meaning of home.

Customer Reviews:

No way does this deserve a Newbery Award.......2007-08-05

I waited for a very long time until I finally found Hattie Big Sky at the library. Hearing some very good reviews and reading the general synopsis for the book, I was excited about reading this story. And now, once again, I'm going to veer from what everyone else has said and give my part.

Hattie Big Sky follows the story of Hattie, who catches some luck when her uncle, Chester Brooks, unexpectedly sends her a will deeming her the sole owner of some new land in Montana. This is particularly fortunate because Hattie, orphaned very young, was on the brink of having to work at a boarding house. The story basically follows her path and journey in making her home her own.
First of all, kudos to the author for keeping everything clean. I do greatly respect that.

Now, the bad part. Hattie is a little too perfect for my taste. I'm not saying I wanted her to break out and rob someone or anything, but like many stories I'm so tired of reading because of the protagonists' syrupy sweetness, this made her extremely dull. At several points in the story, Hattie makes a remark that if her aunt could only see her, she would have been disapproving. This made me flip back and go disapproving of what? One of the times, the author did make the source clear and the others were just kind of thrown in. So Hattie's constantly saying I'm doing things people won't like and none of the things she's doing really seem wrong at all. And I don't get the impression it was about her taking care of her home all alone...
Then of course there is Hattie's quicksilver change of feelings that I believe was a mistake on the author's part. She contradicts herself constantly, saying she feels a certain way and then two paragraphs later the author writes something going against that.
----SPOILER----
Hattie is asked to sell her land right after a kind of heat spell as if the person is too eager to wait until she isn't weak. Her first reaction is anger, and the author verifies this. "I fought down the hot anger boiling up in my stomach..." This one is not as contradictory as some others, but she quickly changes her feelings, going from anger to, oh, he's so right. She immediately, only a sentence later, begins to take on another thought process entirely. I should really be thankful he's doing this...yadayadayada...This was annoying.
----END SPOILER----
I think all characters should be rock solid in their development. Hattie seems too vacillating when it comes to her own choices and is too good, which I hate hearing and saying, but it's true.

Continuing on a note of characterization, I also found major problems with the character of Perilee, who quickly becomes friends with Hattie. I kind of felt like I was reading a Stepford Wives-Little House on the Prairie blending. Perilee is also too perfect, although her character remains one-dimensional the whole story. She mentions horrible things that happened in her past and stays absolutely, sickly pleasant about it all. Also, at times she seems overly kind and childish. I don't know why. She wasn't developed enough. Perilee's husband (And I just knew they'd have something like this.), Karl, who just so happens to be a foreigner and living in Montana during World War I, is generically ostracized and is thrown through the usual torment of these types of characters, mainly there, I am beginning to think, to fill in the empty pages that needed filling. Everyone in the town refuses to help or even be seen with his family...blah, blah, blah. I'm so tired of this type of plotline that I didn't even care; plus, he wasn't very well written either.
My biggest problem with this story was the way everything flashes by so fast. Hattie mentions some major hurdles, like moving across several states just to reach Montana, having to learn, after living in the city, how to plant and take care all of the inherited land by herself, building a fence that reaches regulations, and farming her land. But each of these problems never lasts long and is quickly done away with. Hattie's journey to Montana is barely even mentioned; she arrives to a house that looks more like a shed and that fades away. She states that she knows nothing about farming, gets some manuals on the subject and only a paragraph later is an expert...Nothing is ever drawn out. Also, she has money problems which, like everything else, is resolved immediately. This became so annoying to me that I wanted to jump into the story and strangle the main character. Basically, following Kirby Larson's writing, homesteading seems very simple, more than simple, child's play...I say, if you're making a point of writing a story about a young girls' difficulty in surviving and raising her own land, there needs to be some evidence, not the miraculous sponge that Hattie turned out to be, reading and using her read knowledge with precision.
It sounds like I hated this book and after writing this review and reviewing the many issues, I almost do, but not quite. I am just very picky about everything, from plotlines to miniscule details. While Hattie's character was too nice, she was not unlikable, and while I didn't take too much of a shine to the story it was okay. I did feel like I wanted to keep reading although most of the time I was frustrated and wondering just where exactly I've heard this story before, finding familiar, overly-used elements that have been written much better over the years...

Overall: Okay read, nothing worth a Newbery, which I find incredibly hard to believe and almost impossible to believe; but the facts speak for themselves. I would not have read this if I knew beforehand what it would turn out to be like, nor would I recommend it. Waste of time.

Fall into the time period!.......2007-07-01

Within the first few pages I felt like I was right back in 1918 Montana. Enjoyable book, well written.

Hooray for Hattie Big Sky.......2007-03-26

I love historical fiction, and this is one of the best books I have read in a while. I couldn't put it down and felt connected with the characters. It is about a simple 16-year-old girl who has moved around from relative to relative ever since her parents died. Then one day she gets a letter with her Uncle's will that he left her his claim in Montana. Hattie goes along with the journey and meets very exciting people along the way , dealing with troubles of proving up her claim and being friends with a German in WWI. This is a great book and anyone who loves historical fiction will love this book.

What? No shock value?!.......2007-03-23

It's refreshing to read an elementary/middle school appropriate book (award winning or otherwise) that does NOT rely on shock value tactics such as inappropriate language or behavior. Just proves that the opening lines or paragraphs of a novel do not have to be filled with swear words or questionable words or acts worthy of a much older audience. Thank you.

Hattie Big Sky.......2007-03-09

HATTIE BIG SKY is a wonderfully written story with likeable characters. Larson portrays both the pioneer life and America during World War I very well. However, the book failed to wow me.

Sixteen-year-old orphan Hattie Brooks is tired of being Hattie Here-and-There, so she was so happy to learn that her deceased uncle whom she never knew has left her his Montana homestead. Off she goes from Iowa to Montana, basically to the middle of nowhere, to begin her own life in her own home. With the help of her neighbors, most especially the Muellers, Hattie works to prove up on her claim so that the land is hers forever. Meanwhile, Hattie deals with the anti-German sentiment in the community as well as sacrifices what cannot be sacrificed to help in the war effort. By the end of the book, Hattie has grown up considerably and has learned the truth about home and family.

This book was sweet, but I've read bits and pieces of it in other books. In many ways, HATTIE BIG SKY reminded me of MONKEY TOWN by Ronald Kidd, which I enjoyed more. The questions that faced Frances, the heroine of MONKEY TOWN, were deeper. However, I'd still recommend HATTIE BIG SKY as an enjoyable story about one young woman's search for a place to call her own.

PS. I absolutely love the cover.

The Last of the Sky Pirates (The Edge Chronicles, Book 5)

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A Startling Change
More than it seems
The Last of the Sky Pirates (The Edge Chronicles, Book 5) by Paul Stuart
The sequel to Midnight Over Sanctaphrax
I love this book! But add a caution regarding young readers

The Last of the Sky Pirates (The Edge Chronicles, Book 5)
Paul Stewart , and Chris Riddell
Manufacturer: David Fickling Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0385750781
Release Date: 2005-06-28

Book Description

A dramatic and exuberant fantasy adventure filled with colourful and imaginative characters and illustrated with exquisite detail.

Fifty years after the floating city of Sanctaphrax was swept away, the Edgeworld has changed for the worse. Cruel shrykes control the great Mire Road, while slave labour is endemic.

When a young apprentice knight-academic, Rook, sets out on a perilous journey through the Deepwoods, he meets a mysterious stranger living with the banderbears and is propelled right into the middle of a dangerous adventure in which a small group of fighters must challenge the dark might of the Guardians of the Night.

Customer Reviews:

A Startling Change.......2007-05-11

In the fifth installment of the Edge Chronicles, The Last of the Sky Pirates, the story continues with Rook Barkwater, a librarian. Chosen for a quest by the librarian knights, he must travel across the land to reach his goal, along with two other companions. I found the sudden shift of characters both abrupt and irritating. I had been looking forward to Twig's future, but instead Stewart brought about Twig's downfall and started a new character. Though I found this sequel disappointing, the plot does seem to have the usual "dose" that Stewart injects into his books. There's plenty of action and adventure to keep the reader occupied.

More than it seems.......2007-05-07

I have to disagree with the editorial review that "There's not a lot of substance here". While the edge chronicles are full of icky creatures and battles, there is a lot more going on. What I love about these books is how imaginative they are. I love how every culture has a different way of life. In fact, I would say the underlying theme of these books is exploring ways of living..and how those way change with things like environmental destruction.
I would say that these books have as much "substance" as most adult books that I read (I am 24 years old). In fact, my friends and I have been discussing the philosophy of The Edge Chronicles since we started reading them. I have truly enjoy these books and I will be sad when I finish reading them all.

The Last of the Sky Pirates (The Edge Chronicles, Book 5) by Paul Stuart.......2005-09-27

The Last of the Sky Pirates was a great fantasy/adventure story. I especialy liked the way Paul Stuart connected the first few books in the series to the latest few. I can't wiat for the next books in the series to come out!
Annomus Writer sining off!

The sequel to Midnight Over Sanctaphrax.......2005-08-09

When I finished book 4, "The Curse of the Gloamglozer", I realized that the stage had been set for an incredible book 5. Thankfully, the books in this series come out much more quickly than the ones from J. K. Rowling , so I didn't have long to wait for "The Last of the Sky Pirates", the best in the series so far.

Set fifty years after "Midnight Over Sanctaphrax" (book 3), it doesn't continue from book 4, the first chronologically in the series, which sounds awfully confusing, but actually isn't. The Edge is a totally different place, with the mighty sky ships unable to fly, and New Sanctaphrax barely teetering on wooden supports after the dreaded stone sickness destroys the buoyant floating rocks. The Librarian Academics have been driven underground into the sewers, where they have constructed a vast library of scientific studies, and are forced to send worthy young scholars on covert and perilous missions for training, before they complete their life's quest by studying and documenting their chosen field of nature study.

In this book we follow the trail of young Rook Barkwater, a clever young under-librarian who is destined to become a Librarian Knight, doing research on the secret gatherings of banderbears, to whom he feels an unexplainable connection. His mission is dangerous and exciting, filled with wonderfully named, described and illustrated creatures that would otherwise defy the imagination.

During his thrilling adventures, he meets Captain Twig, who was thought to have perished with his crew in book 3, and begins a whole new adventure to rescue Twig's friend Cowlquape from the prisons of the Most High Guardian of Night, the villainous scoundrel of this episode.

Just as dark as the other books, but with a lot more action and adventure, I recommend this one heartily to fans of the series, but would advise newcomers to read at least books 1 to 3 first.

Amanda Richards, August 8, 2005

I love this book! But add a caution regarding young readers.......2005-06-30

This series is amazing-- I love it! The author/illustrator collaboration is really special. I even ordered two books from the United Kingdom Amazon because they won't be published here for a few more months. :)

A caution: some of the Edge Chronicles are very dark/have imagery which may be too disturbing for young readers. (For example, an earlier book features a serial killer who chops off the toes of his victims and keeps them in a massive pile! Yikes! A chilling moment for readers.) This book is the first of 3 volumes which follow the story of Rook Barkwater, a young librarian knight. The Rook Barkwater books seemed less disturbing to me than some of the earlier books. They are really enjoyable, full of endearing characters and heroism. So... if your kids are old enough, you may really enjoy reading the Edge Chonicles together.

The Journey of the Lost Boys: A Story of Courage, Faith and the Sheer Determination to Survive by a Group of Young Boys Called "The Lost Boys of Sudan"

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The Journey of the Lost Boys: A Story of Courage, Faith and the Sheer Determination to Survive by a Group of Young Boys Called "The Lost Boys of Sudan"
Joan Hecht
Manufacturer: Allswell Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0976387506
Release Date: 2005-05-30

Book Description

Imagine you're a young boy—maybe as young as three or four—separated from your family by civil war, traversing deserts and mountains with little food or water, no medical care, and no protection from wild animals. Imagine watching hundreds of boys perish around you from hunger, disease, or attacks by enemy soldiers and wild animals. To most of us, it is unimaginable, but this was reality for "The Lost Boys of Sudan," thousands of young boys who were separated from their families and forced to walk approximately 1,000 miles to reach safe refuge from war and certain death.

For the first time, this award winning book offers readers a chronological timeline of the epic journey taken by these children, beginning in their rural villages of Southern Sudan and ending with their arrival as young men to the United States. Narrated through the voice of Joan Hecht, one of their American mentors, whom they lovingly call "mom" or "Mama Joan;" "The Journey of the Lost Boys" is a compelling story of courage, faith and the sheer determination to survive by a group of young orphaned boys. Because of Joan Hecht's personal relationship with them, she is able to portray their story in a way that most famous reporters and authors cannot. In addition to her extensive research of the political and historical events surrounding the long lasting civil war in Sudan, are the heart-rending personal stories and original drawings of the boys themselves. A must read for anyone interested in the the true story of the Lost Boys of Sudan!

Average customer rating:

Excellent historical fiction for third or fourth graders.

More than just a children's book...

Spy in the Sky (Hyperion Chapters)
Kathleen Karr
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 078681165X

Customer Reviews:

Excellent historical fiction for third or fourth graders........1999-02-27

Kathleen Karr's Spy in the Sky is not just another Civil War book. In fifty-five pages the reader not only learns to care about the characters but also learns of this unique use of gas balloons in war. Teachers will find this useful in the Social Studies units. Third and fourth graders will be able to read it independently. Karr ends with a two page biography of Thaddeus Lowe. It is quite a story packed into 55 pages.

More than just a children's book..........1998-05-14

Thaddeus Lowe is the undisputed father of our U.S. Airforce, and grandfather to famed aviatrix Florence Lowe, aka Pancho Barnes. This children's book tell's Thadddeus's Civil War story as never told before. A great way to share aviation history with your children, and learn a little something for yourself too. - Stan McClain

Average customer rating:

A classic Heinlein read
I'm a great fan of Heinlein's juveniles -- but not this one.
A highly enjoyable read from Heinlein.
Lost in Space
Lightweight Heinlein

Orphans of the Sky
Robert A. Heinlein
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0671318454

Book Description

The Robert H. Heinlein novella "Universe" was published in the May 1941 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. Sequel novella "Common Sense" was published in ASF in October of the same year. Both were slightly modified by the author and published together as Orphans of the Sky in 1963.

This science fiction classic became a paradigm for many sf plots to follow. An interstellar ship drifting aimlessly through space is peopled by inhabitants who have forgotten its history. The ship is their universe as they farm, raise families, and battle the mutants that inhabit the ship's upper levels. Can young Hugh Hoyland unravel the ship's mysteries and convince its inhabitants of his discoveries? Heinlein adroitly explores issues of morality and the folly of blind loyalty while delivering an action-packed story full of believable characters.

Customer Reviews:

A classic Heinlein read.......2007-07-25

A classic Heinlein read.

Orphans of the Sky tells the story of a "multigenerational ship" (which, with a sleeper ship, is still what the human race would use to escape from our solar system) who were sent towards Alpha Centauri. The journey would have taken 60 years (according to plan).

At some point during the journey, a mutiny occurs and all of the ship's officers are killed. With no trained officers, it simply drifts through space, with the highly advanced life support of the ship ensures that the people inside it still have air to breathe and water to drink.
Many generations later, no one has any direct memory of the mutiny or the original purpose of the ship's mission, and mythology and superstition have replaced knowledge and scientific reasoning.

The "crew" members of the ship (living near the outer skin) conduct border skirmishes with the "muties" (mutants/mutiners) who live in the upper (interior) levels of the ship. Captured during a skirmish, the hero meets a two-headed mutant warlord that enables our hero to discover the truth about his "universe" that is is actually a moving vessel capable of being steered and guided to a specific destination.

Shame the novel isn't expanded on - lot's of potential additional story material. I recommend this one highly.

I'm a great fan of Heinlein's juveniles -- but not this one........2007-07-20

The idea in this Heinlein juvenile is a good one. In fact, it's the prototype for a much-used plot by later writers: A colony ship headed for Proxima Centauri disappears and is never heard from again. The ship is capable of maintaining essential systems indefinitely, however, and over the generations, the passengers and crew devolve into a "village" society with scientists at the top of the pyramid and peasants at the bottom, just trying to raise enough food to survive. Naturally, they have no idea they're all *inside* something. To them, the Ship equals the universe. But Hugh, a bright young man consumed with curiosity, gradually finds out different. Unfortunately, Heinlein throws all this away by telegraphing the entire plot in the very first lines of the first page, and the action is often sketchy in order to get to where the author wants to be for his next set-piece. And he tosses out various observations on this closed society (like the subordinate position of all women) without ever discussing the whys and wherefores -- which is very un-Heinleinian. Even the dialogue is rather colorless. Originally two separate magazine novelettes, this 187-page volume is basically a tailoring job. Still, it's almost an outline for what should have been a book of two or three times its length.

A highly enjoyable read from Heinlein........2006-11-22

Orphans of the Sky is about a group of humans who were sent in a very large spaceship toward a purportedly inhabitable star system. The journey would have taken many years, even guided by the expert knowledge of the astrogation crew and the ships officers. The rest of the ship's complement were mostly farmers and colonist types, not trained or inclined to the complex workings of the ship.

However, sometime during the journey, a mutiny occurs and all of the ship's trained officers are killed. With no one capable of steering the ship, it simply drifts through space, but the highly advanced machinery of the ship ensures that the people inside it still have air to breathe and water to drink, so long as the Mass Converter is kept in order. Fast forward many, many, many generations. Nobody aboard now has any direct memory of the mutiny or the original purpose of the ship's mission, and for those whose entire existence (and those of their fathers and grandfathers and great-grandfathers) has been aboard the ship, mythology and superstition have replaced knowledge and scientific reasoning.

The "normal" members of the crew occassionally do battle with the "muties" (mutants) who live in the upper levels of the ship (and thus are exposed to stellar radiation) but it is through meeting a two-headed mutant that the main character of the story goes about and eventually finds out that their "universe" is actually a moving vessel capable of being steered and guided to a specific destination.

I liked this novel very much - I found it interesting in that it got you thinking about origin myths and whether they were just made-up stories or derivations on what might have been an original truth. I recommend this one highly.

Lost in Space.......2006-05-02

This was originally written for a magazine in 1941 as novellas, later Heinlein did some revising resulting in this short novel. This is a quick read and could appeal to the young adult audience as an adventure story but as is often the case with RAH's work, there is far more weight here than the thicknesses of the book would indicate.

The story opens as three young men are exploring their world. It quickly becomes apparent that they are traveling on a space ship although they do not seem to be aware of this. Somehow the crew of this ship has forgotten how they got there or where they are going. One of the young explorers discovers answers, and more questions, in the most unexpected places.

This is very typical of Heinlein's work of the period, the heroes are young men who are questioning the rules of their society. Their quest causes the reader to in turn examine their own lives and long held beliefs. The biggest flaw that I see with this work is one that is sadly quite common with RAH's work from this time - he treats women as mere appendages to the men. There is only one female in the book who has a (minor) speaking role, the others are merely property.

Lightweight Heinlein.......2006-04-30

This short novel describes life on a generation ship. As a sub-genre of science fiction, I find the idea of a generation ship, that is a ship that has been travelling through space for hundreds or thousands of years, to be particularly appealing. What mysteries lie in the giant derelict space ship? There have probably been dozens of novels and short stories written along this line, none of which are particularly memorable, and that includes this story. Perhaps the sub-genre is too constraining. In any case, this is really a novel for kids, and many of the reviewers who were expecting something more serious were clearly disappointed. This is a short novel set in a very large type to fill out a book (it is really more of a novella). The story centers on one of the inhabitants of the generation ship, Hugh, and his discovery that the metal ship in which they inhabit is not the entire universe, but only a small part of it. Hugh's ancestors long ago forgot that they were on a ship or how to operate it. I would rate this as 2 stars, rounding up because of Heinlein and because I'm enamoured with generation ship stories. There really isn't much to this story, so don't expect too much and you won't be disappointed. The people who gave this book a 5 star rating are completely berserk. I only recommend this novel for Heinlein fans or those interested in stories about generation ships. Otherwise, don't bother.

Orphans of the Sky (Future History, Vol. 5)

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Orphans of the Sky (Future History, Vol. 5)
Robert A. Heinlein
Manufacturer: Signet (New American Library)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000FLRR3W

Product Description

An orphaned civilization in space, where people have no memory of Earth; from the master of science fiction.

Average customer rating:

Orphans of the Sky
Robert A. Heinlein
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000H2C9NC

Average customer rating:

Good Authors Don't Leave Their Audiences Hanging!
the best romantic book ever!
A love story for young adults
A Very Good Book
A forbidden love

Two Suns in the Sky
Miriam Bat-Ami
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0142300365

Amazon.com

Star-crossed lovers are the stuff of romantic dreams, but in Two Suns in the Sky Miriam Bat-Ami pursues this theme in an unlikely setting: the grim refugee camp at Oswego, New York, during World War II. Chris Cook, 15, is fed up with the boring town of Oswego but is fascinated by the exotic strangers living so close by. She and her friends sneak into the camp where she meets Adam Bornstein, a Yugoslavian Jew. "For stony limits cannot hold love out," says Shakespeare, and neither can the quarantine fences around the Emergency Refugee Shelter. The two fall passionately in love, in spite of their differences of language and religion--and the angry resistance of Chris's father to anything "foreign." Their voices, as distinctly different as their cultures, alternate in telling the story of their ill-fated attraction.

Miriam Bat-Ami, like Norma Fox Mazer in Good Night, Maman, has drawn on a forgotten piece of American history for her setting: the Emergency Refugee Shelter, the U.S. government's sole attempt to rescue Jews fleeing Hitler's persecution. Bat-Ami captures the collision of cultures in not only the poignant love story, but in the complex emotions of the townspeople, whose good will is tempered by a naive suspicion of strangers, and in the mixed feelings of the refugees themselves, whose gratitude for a place of warmth and shelter is dimmed by their frustration at finding themselves corralled behind barbed wire in the supposed land of the free. Quotations from former residents of the camp and a substantial Author's Note add to the strong authenticity of this intriguing novel. (Ages 11 to 15) --Patty Campbell

Book Description

Summer, 1944. World War II is raging in Europe. Fifteen-year-old Adam, a Yugoslavian Jew, has escaped, along with his mother and younger sister, to the safety of a refugee camp in Upstate New York. Christine, whose house is near the camp, sees in Adam's past all of the excitement and drama missing from her own life. The moment the two first see each other, they know they are meant to be together. Their parents refuse to even accept the possibility. Will their love prevail over the narrow-mindedness of the adults around them?

"Poignant, passionate, and bittersweet, their story is a moving reminder of the power of first love." (BCCB, starred review)

"Thought-provoking . . . A timely story that probes the refugee issue with sensitivity and depth." (The Horn Book

Customer Reviews:

Good Authors Don't Leave Their Audiences Hanging!.......2007-03-05

I don't know about this book but it's on the curriculum for my juniors in my high school. Anyway, I found it to be kind of mildly immature. I felt Christine's father was just a caricature of anti-Semite with no real purpose as to be the only obstacle between her and Adam. I felt that the author knew that this Jewish Romeo and Catholic Juliet was never going to get together anyway. Despite all the love between them, it's not enough to over cultural wars and religious differences. Not that Christine and Adam were so religious to begin with and sadly situations like this happened and hopefully we can go past them but it's hard when the author never tells us what happened to them after they separate. I felt kind of insulted when there was a Bible quiz after Thanksgiving Dinner written in the novel was ridiculous. Maybe not in Oswego but in Bible Country but in upstate New York. I felt that Adam and Christine only imagined a wonderful relationship because it was so foreign for both of them. You wonder would it have been bad if they got together even with religious differences aside. Love is love, it has no color, religion, or gender and I'll leave it that. Love has no agenda but society does.

the best romantic book ever!.......2005-03-12

This was a wonderful book. It is such a romantic twist! You won't be able to take your eyes off of it! I think that Christine and Adam made such a cute couple. Who in this world would want to break up such a couple that is truly meant to be? The ending of the book throws you off completely! This book I think personally should be made into a movie. It would be a great hit! My favorite character I'd say would be Christine. Christine is the cute, loving, caring, bittersweet, innocent girl that needs a little adventure in her life. The only adventure this girl very had was bad grades. So finally she meets Adam. Adam is the young, adventurous, boy who gets transported to America. Adam at first lived in Italy. Then the war struck ground and his family realized they needed to get out of the center of it. Then when they finally meet they just immediately know they are meant to be together. But, will their parents allow it? So I guess the saying is true, "war brought them together, and tore them apart."

A love story for young adults.......2004-12-01

This a story of a young girl, Christine Cook who is experiencing her first love with a boy named Adam. It just so happens to be a forbidden first love. Adam has just arrived at a refugee camp in Oswego, New York for Jewish people fleeing from Yugoslavia. Christine is forbidden to go to the refugee camp by her father. She disobeys his wishes and becomes friends with Adam. She soon develops her first crush on him. She gets an indescribable feeling when she is with him and soon discovers that she is in love with him. Through the school year she continually sneaks to the refugee camp to see him, until they both finally realize that they can not continue seeing each other because of the harm it is causing Christine's family.
This is an amazing book for young girls who are experiencing their first love. The story is beautifully told with out containing any graphic material and leaving just enough to the imagination. Christine shows girls how to deal with the insecurities they are facing in their lives. Christine's true self is portrayed by being described as strong, and adventurous, which both of these apply to many teenage girls. I think all teen girls should read this book by Miriam Bat-Ami, because of the adventure it sends you on as a reader and the ending that seems very appropriate.

A Very Good Book.......2004-07-30

Two Suns in the Sky by Miriam Bat-Ami is a wonderful story about first love and tolerance. The setting and events in the novel are based on factual events. The story is set during World War II. Jewish refugees come to the United States and stay at a refugee camp. Located at the site of Fort Ontario, a decommissioned army base, the Emergency Refugee Center served as a holding center for refugees until plans were finalized for their return to Europe or resettlement in the United States. This book is exciting, sad and it represents the reality of life for Jews during the War.

Miriam Bat-Ami has done an amazing job with the characters and setting. Her use of parallel voices chronicles both the problems of Jewish refugees and the responses to the refugees by Americans living near the shelter. She reinforces many of the themes and conflicts in the book by introducing each chapter with quotes from former refugees or other historical personages.

A forbidden love.......2003-11-25

Two Suns in the Sky was written by Miriam Bat-Ami. This wonderfully written book takes you on an adventureb through first character. Often switching from the refugee Adam to the american Christien but she prefers to be called Chris. In the beginning of the stroy through Adam's view you find out that his brother,father, and grandmother have been gone for a long time. He says an ad saying that you can come to the states for safety. After a long time with his mother she finally decides to take Adam and his sister to the states for safety. When you get to Chris's view in the beginning you find that she is a girl longing to be kissed and wishes for adventure. She wants to join the WAC and actually do something for the war.
As the story continues chris and aadm finally meet. As a kind gesture Chris puts her bike over the fence for Adam's lil sister to use. The press tries to put her on the news but she hides from them knowing that if her dad found out that if she ever showed up at the camp she would be grounded. Through mutual friends she has gotten to know and love Adam. she spends many hours in the refugee camp making friends and finding out that many people have suffered more than she probably ever will. For a while she meets Adam every day in the library. But when her dad finds out that she has been seeing him he gets furious and says that she can never see that refugee again. She keeps on going to her secret visits with him. But after awhile she finally admits all of this in confession and agrees to never do it again. How will this come to end. Will she ever get to love Adam again or is their relationship doomed to end? Yo find out read this beautiful love story called Two Suns in the Sky.

Average customer rating:

love it
A girl falls from the sky and the great adventure begins
I liked it! ^_^

Castle in the Sky, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1591161711

Book Description

Inspired by Gulliver's Travels and set in the legendary days of the first flying machines in the 19th century, Castle in the Sky features evil pirates, power-mad secret agents, and Sheeta, a young girl wearing a mysterious blue stone around her neck. The stone lets Sheeta defy gravity — and float down into the life of Pazu, a tough young orphan boy. Imaginative settings, dramatic air battles, and memorable characters distinguish this classic Miyazaki adventure. In this entry, the prize everyone is searching for is now very near. But will both sides destroy each other before they can set foot on Laputa?

Customer Reviews:

love it.......2006-02-25

eh...I wanted to give 4 1/2 stars but you can't do that on amazon. I like Castle in the sky, a lot. I muchly prefered it over other Miyazaki movies. Of course not as popular as oh say, Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away (both just as wonderful). The mangas are very good, the movie was also very good. Kids enjoy it. Adults (like my mother) enjoy it. Miyazaki is so brilliant.

A girl falls from the sky and the great adventure begins.......2005-05-04

Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli is the most beloved animator in Japan and when his film "Spirited Away" won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film, there were plenty of people on this side of the Pacific who were interested in seeing his earlier films, which included "Princess Mononoke," "Kiki's Delivery Service," "My Neighbor Totoro," and "Castle in the Sky." The last is retold in a four-part series of graphic novels that are printed and intended to be read in the original Japanese right-to-left format (although you can get in a couple of dozen pages starting from the "front" before you are clearly on the wrong track).

"Castle in the Sky" ("Tenkû no shiro Rapyuta") is the story of Sheeta, a young girl who wears a mysterious blue crystal around her neck that allows her to defy gravity, and Pazu, a young orphan and apprentice miner who is pretty inventive. They meet when pirates after a treasure and government secret agents hungry for power start chasing Sheeta and Pazu saves her when she falls out of an airship (he catches her when she floats down out of the sky). Muska has been assigned by the Special Agency to obtain the levitation stone while Dola is the captain of the pirate's airship. The stone has been in Sheeta's family forever and there is clearly a secret connection between it and the mythical Laputa, a floating city built by a lost race of people. This is probably my least favorite Miyazaki film, but is still well worth watching, or, in this case reading.

For those who have read what photo-novels of movies are like before, you are not really going to be prepared for what they will find in this graphic novel (it really is more like a comic book). Whether you have seen "Castle in the Sky" or not you will find this an interesting story and there is even a cliffhanger at the end of volume 1 to inspire you to move on to the next part. When you make the mistake of opening to the "front" of the book look over the guide to "Castle in the Sky" sound effects used in the "manga" (comic book) style adaptation of the actual anime (animated movie). The sound effects are usually written in the phonetic characters called "katakana." If the instructions are too complicated do not worry because there are three pages of annotations (three column per page) translating every sound from "whoor whoor whoor" to the final "kaasboom."

I liked it! ^_^.......2004-09-12

with the original sound effects (at least in my version) it has a very nice storyline and the art is very nice! elegable for thke whole family to watch and read ^_^

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ORPHANS IN THE SKY
Robert A. Heinlein
Manufacturer: Stealth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OA2E4G

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