Book Description
When Haven Kimmel was born in 1965, Mooreland, Indiana, was a sleepy little hamlet of three hundred people. Nicknamed "Zippy" for the way she would bolt around the house, this small girl was possessed of big eyes and even bigger ears. In this witty and lovingly told memoir, Kimmel takes readers back to a time when small-town America was caught in the amber of the innocent postwar period–people helped their neighbors, went to church on Sunday, and kept barnyard animals in their backyards.
Laced with fine storytelling, sharp wit, dead-on observations, and moments of sheer joy, Haven Kimmel's straight-shooting portrait of her childhood gives us a heroine who is wonderfully sweet and sly as she navigates the quirky adult world that surrounds Zippy.
Download Description
When Haven Kimmel was born in 1965, Mooreland, Indiana, was a sleepy little hamlet of three hundred people. Nicknamed "Zippy" for the way she would bolt around the house, this small girl was possessed of big eyes and even bigger ears. In this witty and lovingly told memoir, Kimmel takes readers back to a time when small-town America was caught in the amber of the innocent postwar period -- people helped their neighbors, went to church on Sunday, and kept barnyard animals in their backyards.
Laced with fine storytelling, sharp wit, dead-on observations, and moments of sheer joy, Haven Kimmel's straight-shooting portrait of her childhood gives us a heroine who is wonderfully sweet and sly as she navigates the quirky adult world that surrounds Zippy.
Customer Reviews:
Another lovely Hoosier memoir.......2007-10-14
I am originally from NW Indiana, so Mooreland is too far away from my childhood. But I enjoyed this easy read, the beautiful prose, and how the author wrote from a young girl's perspective.
She loved and adored her family, although her father's gambling and her mother's depression were hardly touched but maybe that is why Kimmel wrote a second book. Depression in the 1960s was stricly a woman's problem and of no concern to men and thus of no value to society.
Zippy was the youngest of three children. Her two older siblings were years older than her. She learned to admire them from a young age.
Smalltown life is wonderfully depicted in this little book. Ignorant farmers, arrogant Californians, mean old ladies lurking behind dark curtains (at least that is from a child's mind) all come to life here.
Because there was no epilogue in the end, the book leaves us wondering what happened to all the characters. Where did Dana go? What happened to Julie? How are her parents now, if they are still around? Did her brother follow ministry? There are so many questions left unanswered.
A Girl Named Zippy.......2007-10-01
Cute and thoughtful. An easy read that makes you remember how things were different way back when.
I liked reading a memoir that was just plain fun.......2007-08-29
I was able to laugh through this memoir..I have since picked up her second memoir and I am saving that for a rainy (or snowy) day when I can kick back and read it all day long-
A bit lacking in zip..........2007-08-07
It seems as though everyone these days feels compelled to write an autobiography, and Kimmel was no exception. Born in 1965 in small-town Indiana, the author recalls her childhood, when she was known as "Zippy" for her talent at racing from place to place.
While some of Kimmel's story is intriguing -- her best friend Julie, strangely mute; her friend Dana, who arrives from L.A. in the second grade, wearing a black leather jacket -- much of her recollections are just run-of-the-mill little-girl recollections. While most of us can relate to lazy summer afternoons, browsing comics at the store or visiting friends, there's usually got to be some compelling reason to want to read about others' experiences doing the same. As far as I could see, there was really no unique "hook," or anything that made me think, "Wow, this person is worthy of a book!"
Don't get me wrong; it's not a BAD book. It's just not likely to stay in your memory for more than a day.
Just What I Needed ...........2007-06-27
I just picked this book up at a rummage sale. Whoever donated it to the sale has my undying gratitude because this book was the sweetest and funniest book I have read in quite some time. I am a fan of memoirs and biographies but this one is so unlike any others that I am now hooked on Kimmel's writings. I want more Zippy!
Like Zippy, who is four years older than I am by the way, I grew up in a small midwestern town but not as small as hers! I would be considered big city girl in comparison! But the midwestern attitude is so familiar that reading this book was like traveling down memory lane for me! She's the youngest in a family of three kids. Her older brother and sister were already in Junior high by the time she arrived. Her mother refers to her lovingly as an "after thought." That is how the book started out (well, almost). Named Haven at birth, her dad decided to call her Zippy since she could never sit still. You can say that her memories of childhood reeked of love, laughter and cigarettes.
Zippy is precocious. Zippy is curious. Zippy is Zippy, a character that you will never forget. My favorite part is the scene where her sister told her that she's adopted. Outraged, she stomps in and asks her mother if that's true. Her mother stops reading for a moment and says, yes, you are. A band of roving gypsies with a pack of wolves that stand up and preach during a full moon came through the area. The whole conversation had me repeating it to my husband as it was so hilarious and something exactly like what my father would spin out to me when I was a child.
I haven't raved about a book in a real long time though I have read lots of really good books ~~ but this book is something I am going to urge my book club to read sometime in the next year. It is something I think we'll enjoy because not only is it funny and engaging, but it talks about a childhood that is now lost in the mists of time. Building your own bike? Who does that anymore? There are many instances in this book that I remember doing as a kid or have heard my parents do when they were kids. I know that Christmas is more different today than it was in the early 70s. It seems to be a simpler time back then even though it was harder especially after the Vietnam War ended. It was a time of change but Zippy had a happy childhood and those memories are funny and bittersweet.
This book comes highly recommended. If you need a laugh, this book is a good place to get one! It is just a really good read and perfect for a summer read!
6-28-07
Average customer rating:
- It's Perfectly Normal
- Honest, relaxed & absolutely educational
- An Excellent Learning Tool
- Fabulous book if you believe in giving complete information
- Three of Three: For Middle High Youth!
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It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health
Robie H. Harris
Manufacturer: Candlewick
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Binding: Paperback
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Personal Hygiene
| Health
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Sexuality
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ASIN: 0763624330
Release Date: 2004-07-22 |
Book Description
"Alternately playful and realistic, Emberley's . . . art reinforces
Harris's message that bodies come in all sizes, shapes, and colors — and that each variation is 'perfectly normal.'" — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review)
When young people have questions about sex, real answers can be hard to find. Providing accurate, unbiased answers to nearly every imaginable question, from conception and puberty to birth control and AIDS, IT'S PERFECTLY NORMAL offers young people the information they need — now more than ever — to make responsible decisions and to stay healthy. Already used as a trusted resource in twenty-five countries around the world (and translated into twenty-one languages), IT'S PERFECTLY NORMAL marks its tenth anniversary with a thoroughly updated edition that includes the latest information on such topics as birth control, hepatitis, HIV, and adoption, among others. This definitive new edition also reflects the recent input of parents, teachers, librarians, clergy, scientists, health professionals, and young readers themselves.
Customer Reviews:
It's Perfectly Normal.......2007-08-18
I love this book! I purchased it for my almost 11 year old granddaughter.
It speaks frankly and is very easy to understand. The drawings are anatomically correct without being lewd. The material is presented in a "no nonsense" way which promotes understanding but is not judgemental.
Wish I had this when I was a young girl.
The real test will be my granddaughter's comments when she reads it.
Honest, relaxed & absolutely educational.......2007-08-06
I, too, was really surprised by the scattered negative reviews of this book. My husband, daughter and I have read less than half of it together, but have enjoyed its friendly, informative style and already the parent-child lines of communication are solidly set and wide open.
I purchased the book several months ago for my 8 yo daughter in anticipation of questions I could already feel coming. Not a month afterward I discovered our pediatrician has a copy in her office and recommends it to other parents. I admit to being a little apprehensive about showing my 8 yo some of the more graphic drawings (they are cartoonish, but still correct), but we have been able to share many deep conversations that started with one basic question.
This is not a book you hand over to your child and offer to answer any questions later - share it, read it, discuss it together and enjoy knowing you have reinforced reliable information, a positive self image and a strong relationship with your son or daughter.
An Excellent Learning Tool.......2007-05-28
WOW - this is a fabulous book - I found it at my local library when searching for something balanced and informational for my husband to show my 10 year-old step-son.
I think the illustrations, while accurate, are not lewd or pornographic, and quite frankly I'm stunned by the negative reviews of this book. The fact that it has been listed to be banned amazes me.
I believe that the best deterrent to unwanted teenage pregnancy, abortion, STDs, etc., is educating young people about positive human sexuality.
Fabulous book if you believe in giving complete information.......2007-05-07
I highly recommend this book. It is informative, interesting, presents an up-front and broad perspective, and leaves the moral message to the families. My boys, now 9 and 13, found it fascinating and poured over it for hours. A great resource for both the facts and for reassuring the kids that they are, in fact, normal - and that there is a very wide range of both normal and healthy: a necessary message for children in a phase where they believe that they are the only ones who...
Three of Three: For Middle High Youth!.......2007-03-13
This book came to me through the Our Whole Lives faith and sexuality curriculum. It has two partner books, for older age groups. All three are excellent, and have been "tested" with several friends' families.
I highly recommend this book, and its "younger siblings," It's So Amazing and It's Not the Stork. Check out all three, then look for a church or organization that offers Our Whole Lives!
Book Description
Here is Claudia Black's best-selling classic on the experience and legacy of being raised in an addictive household. In an all too familiar scenario, played out in millions of homes everyday, children who grow up in addictive families abide by certain rules: don't talk, don't trust, don't feel. And they take on rigid survival roles--the responsible child, the adjuster, the placater, the acting-out child--that are youthful coping behaviours which can eventually contribute to problems of depression, loneliness and addiction in adulthood. Using poignant personal stories, revealing explanations, and helpful exercises, Black helps readers gain personal insights and develop new skills that lead to a healthier, happier, more fulfilling life. While continuing to recognize alcohol as the primary addiction within families, this newly revised edition of "It Will Never Happen to Me" broadens concepts to include addictive disorders involving other drugs, money, food, sex and work.
Customer Reviews:
Really good.......2007-05-15
This is a great read for anyone who has grown up or is growing up in an alcoholic family. It helps the reader in very simple ways to understand the dynamics of alcoholic families and offers concrete ways of dealing with issues and problems. I recommend it to anyone currently dealing with alcoholism or dealing with the aftermath of an alcoholic upbringing, or even for someone just curious about the effects of alcoholism on families.
awakening.......2006-01-18
This book was recommended by my therapist and after reading it I gave it to a friend who is also an adult child of an alcoholic. I haven't got the book back so I'm buying another copy for myself. I NEED to read it again and again. It opened my eyes and put a lot of the pieces of the puzzle together for me. Although it's hard to face some of the realities this book points out, I believe it to be one of the vital steps I am taking in trying to change my life for the better. It's never too late.
accurate and helpful.......2005-10-29
claudia black is a respected author in the field of addictions. she writes for adults and children for both alcoholics and their families. i have read many books in this area and she is one of my favorite authors. the book is short, accutate,compassionately written, and forever timely. worth reading!
Excellent Insight into Who I am and Why.......2005-08-07
I read this book AFTER reading ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS by Janet Woititz. Both provided me with insight into a problem I only recently realized I have. However, Black's book is both easier to read and has more detailed analysis. She divides ACoAs into four categories: The Responsible One, The Adjuster, The Placater, and "Acting Out". I fit the profile of Responsible in every way. I now understand myself better, and am beginning therapy for the first time in my life at the age of 55. Thank you, Dr. Black, for opening my eyes!
Great book.......2005-01-28
This book is a must-read for everyone who grew up in an alcoholic family.
Book Description
This new Readers Circle edition includes a reading group guide and a conversation between Firoozeh Dumas and Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner.”
In 1972, when she was seven, Firoozeh Dumas and her family moved from Iran to Southern California, arriving with no firsthand knowledge of this country beyond her father’s glowing memories of his graduate school years here. More family soon followed, and the clan has been here ever since.
Funny in Farsi chronicles the American journey of Dumas’s wonderfully engaging family: her engineer father, a sweetly quixotic dreamer who first sought riches on Bowling for Dollars and in Las Vegas, and later lost his job during the Iranian revolution; her elegant mother, who never fully mastered English (nor cared to); her uncle, who combated the effects of American fast food with an army of miraculous American weight-loss gadgets; and Firoozeh herself, who as a girl changed her name to Julie, and who encountered a second wave of culture shock when she met and married a Frenchman, becoming part of a one-couple melting pot.
In a series of deftly drawn scenes, we watch the family grapple with American English (hot dogs and hush puppies?—a complete mystery), American traditions (Thanksgiving turkey?—an even greater mystery, since it tastes like nothing), and American culture (Firoozeh’s parents laugh uproariously at Bob Hope on television, although they don’t get the jokes even when she translates them into Farsi).
Above all, this is an unforgettable story of identity, discovery, and the power of family love. It is a book that will leave us all laughing—without an accent.
Customer Reviews:
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!.......2007-09-15
I PICKED THIS BOOK UP AT THE LIBRARY, JUST RANDOMLY A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND LET ME SAY, THIS WAS THE FIRST BOOK TO EVER MAKE ME LAUGH OUTLOUD! THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAD WITH IT WAS IT WAS TOO SHORT!...IT TOOK ME 1 WEEK TO READ IT ONLY BECAUSE I TOOK MY TIME SAVORING IT..OTHER WISE I COULDHAVE FINISHED IT IN A COUPLE OF DAYS..I WAS SO ENDEARED WITH IT, I HAD TO PRCHASE MY OWN COPY..IM JUST WAITING FOR HER NEXT BOOK.
Funny in Farsi.......2007-08-24
It was a cute book, and I would rate it between 3 and 4. Some of it was cute and funny but overall, I was a little disappointed.
A perfect read.......2007-08-23
The book was great, I actually laughed out loud a couple of times. The book runs stacatto, so you don't have the time to get bored with long, drawn out chapters. I think anyone can relate to this book.
A must read.
FUNNY IN FARSI.......2007-08-01
Delightfully funny, FUNNY IN FARSI is an excellent journey into what it is like to assimilate into another culture. It is not often we get this type of story told with delicious humor, the range of experiences, or the perspective from having lived in each of her home countries twice. As an insight into what American culture is like to the foreigner, Firoozeh Dumas deserves much praise.
My recommendation is strong enough that I will be using this book as required reading for my eighth-grade International Baccalaureate students this year when we look at the subject of Cultural Influence. I expect that they, too, will find her story fresh, hilarious, and eye-opening. To walk in someone else's shoes is necessary for understanding; this book accomplishes a lot towards that goal. Also, the serious discussion of what it's like to be a Muslim in America should hopefully open a few minds.
That said, I do have a BIG problem with how this book is structured. More of a collection of essays than the story of her learning how to be an "American," the author (and editor) have given us a scattered approach to the story of assimilation that seems to pooh-pooh any dedication to chronology. In one chapter she is ten-years-old and in the next she discusses her French husband. Huh?! The erratic organization of this book is frustrating for the reader, because Dumas's editor could have solved this problem easily, but failed to do so.
If possible, I would have given this book four and a half stars instead of five.
Nevertheless, this book will make you laugh out loud...more than once! It's a delightful collection of essays (about the size you'd find in a magazine) about a family of Iranian immigrants who experience life in a new country told perceptively by a writer who really should become a regular magazine humorist/essayist. This is a book you can really enjoy one chapter at a time.
Funny in any language!.......2007-07-26
What a great read! This book was required reading for a Sociology course on Minorities in the United States. This book was a delightful surprise from the usually dull assigned books.
Ms. Dumas is cleaver and witty as she tells the tale of her family's immigration from Iran to the US in the early seventies. I definately recommend this book to all.
Amazon.com
"Hanging Low, Keeping Cool," "A Hairy Question," "Feeling Private/Feeling Guilty," "You Don't See Any Blind, Crazy Morons Around Here, Do Ya?"
Can you guess what all these chapter titles are about? Give you a hint: everything you ever wanted to know about (but were afraid to ask)... You got it, boys and puberty! Author Lynda Madaras and her daughter Area Madaras have expanded and updated their sensitive, detailed, often witty guide for boys on the cusp of adolescence. To help boys realize they are not alone in their concerns about masturbation, body hair, growth spurts (or lack thereof), female puberty, voice changes, perspiration, shaving, and sexuality, this classic guide is written in a down-to-earth, nonjudgmental style and filled with answers to the many questions boys have as their bodies begin the transformation into adulthood. As a result of thousands of reader letters over the years, as well as the ever growing body of information about puberty in boys, the third edition has been revised to include more detailed discussion of penis size (the authors get more questions about penis size than all other topics combined), updated information on acne treatment, expanded sections on eating right, exercise, steroid abuse, and weight training, and important facts about STDs, AIDS, and birth control. Filled with anecdotes, illustrations, and diagrams, the guide is designed with the understanding that some boys and parents will want to read it together, while others will want to pore over it on their own. Either way, this resource will prove to be incredibly useful for boys and their parents over these strange, exciting years. The companion volume for girls, What's Happening to My Body? Book for Girls is a must-read as well. (Ages 8 to 15) --Emilie Coulter
Book Description
The best book on puberty for 9-15 year old boys completely updated for the first time in 12 years! Selected as a "Best Book for Young Adults" by the American Library Association--The classic puberty education book for 9-15 year-old boys (over 500,000 copies sold), now thoroughly updated and freshly redesigned for the first time in 12 years. This classic book covers the body's changing size and shape, hair, voice changes, perspiration, pimples, the reproductive organs, sexuality, puberty in girls and adds new sections on diet, exercise, and health. It also includes vital information on AIDS, STDs, and birth control appropriate for this age group, and an introduction for parents and educators. Responding to letters and new data about teenage concerns, some of the changes in this edition include:
* new, more detailed discussions of penis size ("the subject of most letters I get," says Madaras)
* new, more detailed discussions on eating right and exercise, steroid abuse, and weight training
* more practical advice on hygienic products, shaving products, and treatment of acne
* more reassuring stories from boys and men to help relieve the embarrassment and anxiety over erections, orgasms, masturbation, wet dreams, and health issues including injuries and testicular cancer
* expanded resource section on sexuality, homosexuality, birth control, sexually transmitted diseases.
Over 1,200,000 copies of Lynda Madaras books sold!
Customer Reviews:
Growing Up.......2007-08-11
A very good book that has answers to questions that some parents have a hard time explaining and talking about. Worth getting and keeping on your book shelf.
It depends on the child - great for my son!.......2007-07-10
I got this book on recommendation of a friend who read it with her son at age 10.
I read a prior reviewer's comment that no pre-teen boy would ever read this book on his own. My husband and I introduced this book to my son when he was 11 (right before the start of 6th grade). My husband and I pre-read the book and then I casually gave it to my son, asked him to read it and to ask us any questions. At first I noticed him glancing through it and skipping around from chapter to chapter. Whenever he had a question, he'd come to one of us - but not too frequently.
Two months into middle school, my son seemed to be reading the book all the time. I am assuming it was because of the "older" discussions, etc. the boys were having. I also thought that he may be trying to figure out if the information he was getting from friends at school was correct. My son initiated several discussions with us about information he read in the book. I don't think he found any of the terms too clinical. In fact, I believe the book gives the correct terminology and some common or slang terms as well. (i.e. "wet dreams") I have always taught my son the correct terminology for body parts, etc.
When my son's school (all boys) had their health seminar at the end of 6th grade, he took the book to school with him - I believe to share it with the teacher (a female).
All in all, I think the book was very informative and gave my son the truth.
I would suggest that parents read it first to determine if their sons can handle it. I cannot imagine giving my child this book on his 10th birthday - he was definitely NOT ready then. But my friend did just that and she, her husband, and her son developed weekly discussions on it.
Good conversation starter........2007-05-17
My husband and I have always been very open with our son regarding sex and body issues, in an age-appropriate way. He is now nearly 11 and we got this book for him. He giggled a bit about it but when I let him know I'd be glad to talk about any of the chapters with him, I was a little surprised that the first thing he wanted to talk about was the section on girls..... being a boy, we'd been filling him in on what to expect from his own body but forgot that he'd be curious about the "gentler sex". It's been a nice tool and we have left it on the bookshelf in his room. He can peruse it at his own pace and when he's wondering about things, knowing that he can always come to us with questions about anything.
I think it's an informative book that is, like my title suggests, a good conversation starter. It's not a substitute for talking with your kids about sex and the things that happen during puberty and beyond.
We're very happy with this book and it fits our parenting style.
Moms need this! More than dads. Maybe more than sons........2007-04-19
Dads may know all this stuff already, but moms don't have a clue! And moms are the ones who actually explain male anatomy & physiology to their sons. We're the ones who spend the most time with young boys and have the most opportunities to teach. Since we don't have first hand experience, we need factual information.
I have two sons, and learned only from this book, how boys develop and what is typical. I was shocked to learn this information, until you consider that, as a girl, I had no opportunity to learn. And this topic can be so uncomfortable for men, that they don't know this information either. They may be relying on only their personal experience or viewpoints.
I actually consider this one of the most important books a mother can read. This is more important for a son's future self esteem than all those books about the problems of rearing toddlers that mothers are encouraged to read. I feel so strongly about our collective ignorance as mothers that I had to write. In fact, I'm giving this book as a gift to other mothers. Moms need to read this book. Learn something.
Boys need this.......2007-01-13
Boys may be too shy to ask their parents about these issues. This book helps to open the door for further discussion.
Book Description
As time-tested as it is timely, the expert advice in this book has helped thousands of readers improve on their parenting practices. Now, substantially revised and expanded, Growing Up Again offers further guidance on providing children with the structure and nurturing that are so critical to their healthy development -- and to our own. Jean Illsley Clarke and Connie Dawson provide the information every adult caring for children should know -- about ages and stages of development, ways to nurture our children and ourselves, and tools for personal and family growth. This new edition also addresses the special demands of parenting adopted children and the problem of overindulgence; a recognition and exploration of prenatal life and our final days as unique life stages; new examples of nurturing, structuring, and discounting, as well as concise ways to identify them; help for handling parenting conflicts in blended families, and guidelines on supporting children's spiritual growth. About the Authors: Jean Illsley Clarke is a parent educator, teacher trainer, the author of Self-Esteem: A Family Affair, and co-author of the Help! for Parents series. She is a popular international lecturer and workshop presenter on the topics of self-esteem, parenting, family dynamics, and adult children of alcoholics. Clarke resides in Plymouth, Minnesota. Connie Dawson is a consultant and lecturer who works with adults who work with kids. A former teacher, she trains youth workers to identify and help young people who are at risk. Dawson lives in Evergreen, Colorado.
Customer Reviews:
The best manual on parenting.......2007-04-18
I picked up this book before having our first child thinking I would get some insights into how to raise our daughter. What I found was that the book was really for me. Through it, I learned about how I have some of the same needs as children--needs like recognition, feeling valued, loved for who I am, unconditionally.
What's more,it helped me understand better what my needs really are and how to get them met by myself and from others who love me. Most importantly I learned that in order to parent my daugther the I way I want her to grow up, I needed to parent myself and make sure my actions are congruent with my what I want for her. I strongly recommend this book for anyone who wants to create a solid, loving, nurturing environment for themselves and their children.
What a good book.......2007-01-14
This book is meant for those that need help to see what they are missing in their life and how that relates to how they parent. I like how they have redone the entire book and still kept the same excellent content. This a workbook type study manuel and it is worth getting. So many parents didn't have superior parenting and this helps fill in the gaps without making the parent feel worthless or stupid.
A book everyone should read !.......2006-11-05
I love this book because of the way it teaches parents how to interact with children of all ages. You do not need to be a parent to benefit from this book. As grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends, we all come in contact with children. I did not have this book when I first became a parent but it is never to late to use this information no matter how old you or your children are. I have given this book to new parents as a gift.
Parenting ourselves, Parenting our children.......2006-10-29
This is a user friendly book that really helps change the pattern we grew up with and helps us to become the healthy parent we needed and did not have. I highly recomment it to become aware of ourselves and to heal into healthy individuals.
Definitely Growing Up Again.......2005-09-23
The book zoned in on what I had missed emotionally in my youth. I was able to put a finger on the fact that my life's foundation was based on denial and discounting, a topic that the book touched on a lot.
The chapter on "Ages and Stages" is definitely an eye opener and you can relate a lot of experiences from it.
It's a must read for everyone.
Amazon.com
There Are No Children Here, the true story of brothers Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers, ages 11 and 9 at the start, brings home the horror of trying to make it in a violence-ridden public housing project. The boys live in a gang-plagued war zone on Chicago's West Side, literally learning how to dodge bullets the way kids in the suburbs learn to chase baseballs. "If I grow up, I'd like to be a bus driver," says Lafeyette at one point. That's if, not when--spoken with the complete innocence of a child. The book's title comes from a comment made by the brothers' mother as she and author Alex Kotlowitz contemplate the challenges of living in such a hostile environment: "There are no children here," she says. "They've seen too much to be children." This book humanizes the problem of inner-city pathology, makes readers care about Lafeyette and Pharoah more than they may expect to, and offers a sliver of hope buried deep within a world of chaos.
Book Description
This is the moving and powerful account of two remarkable boys struggling to survive in Chicago's Henry Horner Homes, a public housing complex disfigured by crime and neglect.
Customer Reviews:
The other America indeed.......2007-09-25
Nice mix of anecdote and historical background on life in inner city America. Excellent insight into the everyday difficulties faced by families and some of the root causes. This book, though almost 20 years old, still has a message that needs to be heard.
a sobering account of the horrendous state of America's impoverished.......2007-07-18
You don't need to look to Africa or the Middle East to find crime and poverty. Millions live in gang-riddled public housing projects, where violence is a fact of life. If these thoughts don't stir your heart, this book will.
impressive work of reserach and great story telling.......2007-04-30
As in his other book, The other side of the River, Alex Kotlowitz proves again what an amazing story teller he is. Kotlowitz spent a couple of years living with and getting to Know Pharaoh and Lafeyette in the Chiacgo housing project, a place where even the police are afraid to go into without back up. The life of these children seems to be written in the stars, everything is planned for them - poverty, delinquency, prison, abuse, drugs and finally death. Regardless of your stand on social (in)equality, wellfare and other government help, it is easy to relate to Kotlowitz' regard for the boys and some of their friends, although most of us are on the "right" side of the law and the more affluent side of society. The poignant story brings to mind the chicken and the egg debate - do people sink into poverty because of inadequate government help or do they have a hand in it? The boys' mother has 8 children, no job and her husband wont provide for them. Why does she continue to have more children? The government built housing for the people, but the housing is substandard, and reinforces the residents' feelings of being left behind, not on society's top priority. Has America given up on these children?
Can't wait for Alex to write an update, 10 years later.
Great Reading.......2007-04-07
I was required to read this book for a class and loved it! The story of these boys was so moving. I would recommend this book to everyone!
You MUST read this book.......2007-01-10
This goes out to everyone living in America today.... you have to read this book. I grew up in a small rural town. My only experience of urban life came from movies and rap music. This book made it plainly clear to me that we are sweeping Americas own problems under a rug. Though I feel strongly for the plight of others all over the world, how can we help them when we haven't spent the time and energy that we need to fix our own backyard? We need to invest in our future and it needs to happen now. This book should be required reading in our schools especially with regards to small town schools. These schools tend to "glamorize" urban life and gangs instead of understanding what they are, a means of survival for our scared youth looking for protection and who don't see another way out nor a future for themselves.
Average customer rating:
- love this author
- Candid, thoughtful, and highly recommended!
- A good, but hardly exceptional, memoir
- Completely absorbing, entertaining and inspiring!
- Far better than I'd imagined
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Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table
Ruth Reichl
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Baking
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Essays
| Gastronomy
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
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ASIN: 0767903382
Release Date: 1999-03-02 |
Amazon.com
New York Times restaurant critic Ruth Reichl shares lessons learned at the hands (and kitchen counters) of family members and friends throughout her life, from growing up with her taste-blind mother to the comfort of cream puffs while away at boarding school on "Mars" (Montreal seemed just as far away) to her most memorable meal, taken on a mountainside in Greece.
Her stories shine with the voices and recipes of those she has encountered on the way, such as her Aunt Birdie's maid and companion, Alice, who first taught Reichl both the power of cooking and how to make perfect apple dumplings; the family's mysterious patrician housekeeper, Mrs. Peavey, who always remembered to make extra pastry for the beef Wellington; Serafina, the college roommate with whom Reichl explored a time of protest and political and personal discovery; and, finally, cookbook author Marion Cunningham, who, after tales of her midlife struggles and transformation, gave Reichl the strength to overcome her own anxieties.
Reichl's wry and gentle humor pervades the book, and makes readers feel as if they're right at the table, laughing at one great story after another (and delighting in a gourmet meal at the same time, of course). Reichl's narrative of a life lived and remembered through the palate will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.
Book Description
At an early age, Ruth Reichl discovered that "food could be a way of making sense of the world. . . . If you watched people as they ate, you could find out who they were." Her deliciously crafted memoir,
Tender at the Bone, is the story of a life determined, enhanced, and defined in equal measure by a passion for food, unforgettable people, and the love of tales well told. Beginning with Reichl's mother, the notorious food-poisoner known as the Queen of Mold, Reichl introduces us to the fascinating characters who shaped her world and her tastes, from the gourmand Monsieur du Croix, who served Reichl her first soufflé, to those at her politically correct table in Berkeley who championed the organic food revolution in the 1970s. Spiced with Reichl's infectious humor and sprinkled with her favorite recipes,
Tender at the Bone is a witty and compelling chronicle of a culinary sensualist's coming-of-age.
Customer Reviews:
love this author.......2007-10-11
I love this author. She writes about life and food in such a way that you want to run out and learn to do the same. You want to try each recipe in the books and head to frence and learn french. Great read. Cannot wait to read the next.
Candid, thoughtful, and highly recommended!.......2007-09-04
Why have I been reading so long without knowing there was a subgenre of books called "foodie books"??? Perhaps it was because I didn't care all that much until my son became a sous chef and then his friend and former coworker became a contestant on the current season of the Emmy-nominated reality TV program, Top Chef. I grew up in a small town of parents from the Midwest. Meat and potatoes were their game and meat and potatoes were what sustained our family and my family when I was a young wife and mother. It wasn't until I acquired the cookbooks of Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins (The Silver Palate and The New Basics) That I began to eat a little differently.
It wasn't until I met my husband that I was introduced to more nouveau cuisine in restaurants; I had never been able to afford food like this before. We went to all the nice restaurants in the Seattle area, Portland, and many in Palm Springs, Las Vegas, Southern California, Scottsdale, Arizona and even Hawaii on our trips. But still a lot of the terminology and recipes remained unfamiliar to me. So until the last few years fancy recipes and restaurants didn't mean much to me, so why would I care about food memoirs even if I had known they existed?
But I digress. Back to Reichl's memoir. I had heard about this genre first when it was mentioned in one of my online book groups. Then I happened to download a wonderful interview with the author done by the CBC onto my iPod. I couldn't wait to read her books. I immediately ordered Tender at the Bone but while waiting for it to arrive (and it still hasn't) ordered it from my local library. I was immediately taken in by the story of this woman who rose to fame by being a restaurant critic for the New York Times and then editor of Gourmet magazine whose mother cooked such horrible meals that she once poisoned the entire guest list of an engagement party. This woman who while a young dissident in Berkeley in the early 70s made meals made primarily of ingredients garnered from Dumpster diving. How in the world did she get to where she is now? I had to know more.
How could one woman have so many colorful characters come into her life? How could she have so many food adventures? An amazing book. I absolutely couldn't put it down.
Reichl's candor makes the reader feel like they are almost a voyeur in her life. I love this woman's writing!!! Where has she been all my life???? I want to know what in the world happens between her and Doug and did she ever remain friends with Serafina? Will we ever find out what happened to Mrs. Peavey? Inquiring minds want to know!!!! I was lucky to have her second memoir, Comfort Me With Apples, Growing Up at the Table here from the library as well and immediately picked it up. Hopefully I will get some of the answers in this second book. Her third, Garlic and Sapphires, is on order.
A good, but hardly exceptional, memoir.......2007-08-20
[Review written Mar 2005]
Ruth Reichl was the former food writer for the NY Times, and as of this writing, she's the editor in chief of gourmet magazine.
Her autobiographical "Adventures at the Table" series spans 2 books:
1) Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table
2) Comfort Me with Apples: More Adventures at the Table
As far as memoirs go, Reichl's is more interesting and diverting than most. She's a good, if unspectacular, writer, and she has the requisite ability (required of all professional food writers) to wax poetic, at need, when discussing food related experiences. However, she never really succeeded in impressing me (as a reader) with her narration. She's certainly very competent at what she does (as a restaurant reviewer), but she just sort of drifts along in her book(s), in that lacadaisical barefoot Berkeley commune kind of way of hers. Good, but not exceptional. She's at her literary best when she's talking about food - or more specifically, writing food reviews.
There are some entertaining moments in her book(s) - such as when she was a newly hired food writer, and she pulled up to an uber-exclusive restaurant (I forget which) in her clunker of a car, shaggy hair, and decidedly casual attire, and was (predictably) treated like a persona-non-grata by the valets and snobs in charge ... and she gleefully took them to task for it in her subsequent review (good for her !). On the other hand I wanted to reach into her book and smack her when she wrote how she had a casual affair with a married man in Paris (rather self-centered, flighty and unethical, if you ask me - to each their own I suppose). Lastly, some of her food memories (but not nearly enough of them) occasionally include recipes for the reader to try ... such as Danny Kaye's sublimely simple fresh pasta in lemon-butter.
Bottom line: a somewhat above average, but hardly spectacular, memoir - heavily garnished with mildly diverting food related memories.
Comparatively speaking, Peter Mayle is a more gifted and entertaining writer; Anthony Bourdain writes with more edginess and wit; and Arthur Schwartz writes with more breadth, focus, and depth on the subject. Ruth Reichl just sort of flounders along in their footprints, in her lackadaisical dilettantish fashion. It's good, but hardly exceptional.
Completely absorbing, entertaining and inspiring!.......2007-05-08
I loved this book - with every chapter I was inspired to learn French, drink French wine, try out the recipes. I can't wait to read "Garlic & Sapphires" which I ordered and should be receiving shortly!
Far better than I'd imagined.......2007-04-20
I really enjoy Gourmet magazine, but I had no idea how much of an influence its editor really has on the quality of the writing until I read her first book. I think it's her best, but others may think differently. Either way, it's a must-read for any foodie.
Book Description
This leading introduction to gifted and talented children retains proven parts of its original structure and combines it with the knowledge and best practices from a variety of sources. It incorporates knowledge from many disciplines and integrates best practices from classrooms to inform readers of how to work with children who grow up gifted and bring their gifts to the world. The author encourages readers to understand intelligence in order to help more children realize their unique potential of gifts and talents. New chapters contain the latest information on “hot” areas of interest: Outreach of Programs and Program Evaluation, and Planning for Integrative Education: Using Brain Research in the Classroom. A unique chapter on diversity considers the impact of gender, race, ethnicity, and poverty on the development and expression of giftedness—and offers interventions to overcome the barriers these cultural groups might present. Other content includes identification of special students and explores the issues and controversies surrounding the education of these children. For teachers of gifted and talented students.
Customer Reviews:
Only When Required.......2007-07-15
At $100.00 this book demonstrated what it really means to be gifted: get your average textbook to be required in education courses needed by public school teachers and charge as much as you can for it. No way should this book cost what it does. It is not bad, but the price is ridiculous. Enough said.
Best book on gifted education.......2005-10-04
This book is an invaluable resource to both parents and teachers
Among the best books on early education.......2004-09-15
This is not the "XXX for the Dummies" type of book. This book is a textbook for college classes. It has theories and cites primary research data. If you do not like reading demanding textbooks for college students, this book is not for you, considering its high price.
It not only suggests you what to do, but also explains the reason behind it. You need to read it carefully and critically.
There are an overwhelming number of books on this subject that you probably won't read them all, and frankly the vast majority of them are just not worth reading. This one is clearly worth reading and your child will benefit invaluably, if you spend serious time on this book, no matter your child is gifted or not.
This is THE book on the subject.......2003-01-25
I suspect this is mainly used as a textbook for teachers or counselors and the like...but I bouoght it as a parent and I highly recommend this book.
I first saw a 1985 edition on our library shelves, read it and got so much useful information from it I took a chance on the newer version. I was not disappointed.
I have quoted and used this book at length in trying to educate the teachers and other staff involved in my son's education. I showed or told them what she wrote and quoted her, which lent some authority to my assertions.
She helped explain why my son is the way he is, in so many of his complexities. At last I understood why he reacts to things in such puzzling ways!
There might be other books on gifted kids out there, but I'm not sure they could beat her patient, highly educated, helpful tone.
Take notes as you go, there'll be a lot of things you'll want to find later to share with others interested in the same issues. Such as, one of the most important keys in finding an effective teacher for any student is the teacher's own self-image. Or, there IS a model of education that is shown to be effective for all levels of intelligence at once--the hands-on or whole topic curriculum (also called project-based). Or that the level of intelligence we now call gifted IS possible for all people to reach, if only they were raised in the "right" way--and that it is largely learned, not inherited. Or that teachers are a fairly poor identifier of the gifted kids; other kids are better at it!
These are my recollections only--but just as a sample of the kinds of things she says.
There's so much there you'll probably need to skip the parts that don't apply, or read more than once.
I never knew what gifted was..........1999-11-05
Last year I stumbled across an older edition of this book completely by accident while researching a paper on inclusion/mainstreaming of severely LD/BD/ED kids. My parents have hidden (or tried to hide) my giftedness from me since they found out when I was three. This book sent my head spinning, but I'm glad I found it. I devoured it in about a day, and it left me hungry for more. Growing Up Gifted is a great book for parents, teachers, counselors, and the gifted alike. I learned a lot about myself. Ms. Clark touches on pretty much every aspect of giftedness more than well enough to give an ignorant, undereducated GT girl an excellent foothold in the climb to discovering what "this gifted stuff" is all about.
Book Description
Join Donald Miller, the best-selling author of Blue Like Jazz, with mentor John MacMurray, as he presents a transparent, thought-provoking, and humorous chronicle of life lessons found in a life without a Dad.
Customer Reviews:
wonderful!!!.......2007-10-10
This is one of the best books I have ever read! I had just finished Blue Like Jazz and loved it so much I ordered all Donald Millers books. Anyone wanting to understand the meaning of Christianity needs to read these books!It's all about relationship not religion! A must read!
Entertaining, Insightful, Comforting.......2007-09-25
Don Miller has an amazing gift to come across as a not-so-special individual, but his way with words and ability to relate to his audience is anything but un-special.
As the son of a single mom, Miller finds solace in a friend's advice who encourages Don to discover who he is through the eyes of God, not those of society. Miller's vulnerability with his own fears will seem very familiar to most readers of this fantastic book - even those who grew up with both parents.
Readable for ages 12 and up. Primary audience 20-35.
Take the Dragon back.......2007-08-12
If you've done any kind of reading on the topic of fatherlessness or manhood, this book will be a snoozer. In my opinion it brings very little new to the table. The book is decently written including humor and a few interesting points. Many times I felt like the main thrust of the book was cut off by the authors need to tell another self deprecating story with very little depth. While I'm sure this was cathartic for the author, as a reader I felt myself skipping over paragraphs intensely looking for the "meat" of the book.
It appears from the reviews here that this book did have an intended audience who clearly found this it "ground breaking" and "thought provoking". I really found it neither. If you have done quite a bit of reading such as Brennan Manning or John Eldridge, I wouldn't even bother with this book. If you are newer to the topics of rediscovering manhood, this will be a light-hearted introduction.
Book Review: To Own A Dragon.......2007-07-13
In To Own a Dragon, Donald Miller writes to men, and reflects on his experience of growing up without a father. The book is co-authored by John McMurray, a Bible teacher slash photographer slash married father of three from Portland who took a 20-something Donald Miller into his home to show him the workings of a functional family.
His forth consecutive yearly release, Donald Miller continues a form of writing that has made him very popular with Millennial and Y Christians. In his books, Miller seemingly writes with ruthless honesty about himself, to almost a self-deprecating extent. It has sort of become his trademark. Don't expect to read anything by Donald Miller without him criticizing his own physique, intelligence, and/or spiritual shortcomings. He will write that he is immature, that he lies, lusts, drinks, transfers his roommate's laundry from the drier directly onto the basement floor, covets, and that he needs abundant and continual grace. This is a breath of fresh air. In having the courage to reveal himself, Miller manages something other Christian writers can't. He connects with his readers! And whether he is being completely honest, or is just really good at pretending to be honest, it's brilliant.
While authors today strive to adopt a more conversational writing style, Donald Miller takes it to the next level. He somehow convinces readers that he knows them. I, for one, am induced to believe Miller can recall my name, where I live, my favorite food. He probably has my cell phone number. If I ever see him in person, I'll pretty much expect him to recognize me (it's a bit of voodoo to be sure). Moreover, Miller's words are so casual, so unforced, you get the impression that he's writing down his thoughts as they come, or that he's free associating the whole book, or that he's making the whole thing up as he goes along! If you read enough of his writings you'll notice his ideas have a consistent ebb and flow that goes something like: "I'm Donald. I used to think things were like this: [insert ludicrous assertion here], but now I see that they are actually [insert spiritual reflection here]."
In addition, Miller is unique in that he forsakes the status quo of making clear and concise points. He repeats himself, and then he repeats himself again, something I have to give kudos to the editors at Navpress for not destroying. Let me give you an example; here Miller talks about the focus of To Own a Dragon: "...in writing some thoughts about a father, or not having a father, I feel as though I am writing a book about a dragon or troll under a bridge. For me a father is nothing more than a character in a fairy tale. And I know fathers are not like dragons in that fathers actually exist, but I don't remember feeling that a father existed for me." Miller writes the word father six times in two sentences. Six times in two sentences Miller writes the word father (see, it doesn't work when I do it)!
Donald Miller rejects formulaic approaches. There are no 10 steps to recovery from a fatherless childhood. In fact, Miller doesn't really prescribe a path to healing and growth as much as he describes a problematic situation and tells you how he himself handled it, or is still in its midst. Miller writes in the introduction "this book has been healing for me to get on paper. A writer learns more from what he writes than the reader, and often applies the perspectives after the book is written. We're a depraved group in that way. As for the healing, I hope something like my experience in writing this book happens to you in the reading." Hence, Miller doesn't seem to want to preach as much as he wants to share his experience. Other Christian writers should be taking notes.
So, if you're a man and interested in the topic of father absence, or interested in how father absence affects men, read the book (Note: I really don't think the book will be that helpful to women dealing with father absence issues; the experience seems too qualitatively different). If you're not so interested in the topic, Miller's book Blue Like Jazz: Non-religious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality is the bestseller that catalyzed his popularity and it still stands as his best work to date. It's really good. I've read it no less than three times. I've gifted no less than five copies.
One more thing: Miller is not just writing about how father absence affects men, he's doing something about it. Donald is Founder of The Belmont Foundation, a not-for-profit which partners with local churches to create mentoring programs for young men growing up without fathers. You can read more about it at www.belmontfoundation.org
Good Read, But Not Just for the Fatherless.......2007-07-11
Miller's story is sadly all too common today, and his experiences as he learned about the REAL fatherhood God provides are well-written. The book should be helpful to many stuck in sadness, bitterness, or alienation from their lost relationships. However, only 3 stars because he too easily idolizes the role of fathers in human families, and, as a result, there may well be some--fathers and children--who will unnecessarily feel like they have failed by not having achieved the kind of relationship Miller seems to think all fathers who stay in the home will provide. I'm sure there are many with loving, but fallible, fathers who feel some of the same gaps in the guidance and close relationship they wish they could have received.
There are lots of wonderful insights here; just don't get discouraged if your family doesn't quite measure up to what the MacMurrays seem to be.
Books:
- A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
- A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
- A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-first Century
- Adopted Son: Washington, Lafayette, and the Friendship that Saved the Revolution
- All God's Children: Inside the Dark and Violent World of Street Families
- American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation
- Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
- Atomic Ranch
- Autobiography of a Yogi
- Beethoven`s Piano Sonatas: A Short Companion
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