Book Description
It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .
Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.
This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.
Customer Reviews:
A truly remarkable book.......2007-10-15
"A human doesn't have a heart like mine. The human heart is a line, whereas my own is a circle, and I have the endless ability to be in the right place at the right time. The consequence of this is that I'm always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both."
So muses the narrator of Markus Zusak's powerful and moving bestselling novel of 2006, THE BOOK THIEF, which is now out in paperback. As you might guess, this is no ordinary narrator. The contemplative first person guiding you through this book is Death, an at-once fitting and ironic vanguard for a tale that both celebrates the power of words and agonizes over the consequences of their use.
Set against the tragedy-stained canvas of World War II, Death tells the story of young Liesel Meminger (the eponymous book thief) growing up in Nazi Germany under the watchful eye of a staunch foster mother and kindly foster father who teaches her to read. She attends meetings of the BDM, a youth group aimed at indoctrinating young girls into Hitler's ideology. She plays soccer with the boys on her street, holding her own in any disputes that arise. And all the while, dreams of her dead brother haunt and goad her into a fascination with reading and words that inevitably leads to her life of crime.
As she settles into her new home, Liesel befriends Rudy Steiner, a boy her age who becomes known for his love of Olympic runner Jesse Owens (Rudy paints himself black and runs through the town's streets). Together, they navigate the confusing world set before them by the adults in their lives and attempt to come to terms with the racism prevalent in their homeland's current political state. Liesel also makes the acquaintance of the mayor's wife, whose pristine library astounds Liesel and becomes an open playground for Liesel's "thievery."
It is a meeting with Max Vandenburg, a 24-year-old Jewish man being hidden in Liesel's basement by her compassionate foster parents, that alters the course of Liesel's life. Max, too, is haunted by nightmares of a family he lost in the harrowing aftermath of Kristallnacht. Together, Max and Liesel discover a shared love of words that leads to a decisive understanding about the role words play in both bravery and cowardice. Each, in their own way, sets out to use this knowledge to shape the world around them.
While other writers have employed Death as a narrator, Zusak makes his own indelible mark on the technique in the dimensions he gives to the character. Death is simultaneously dispassionate about his work and the impact it can have while striving to understand humanity's resilience. Death boasts an omniscience of what will happen in life but also a naivety about what can happen in the human heart.
In the ultimate expression of his dichotomous theme, Zusak creates a touching love letter to books and writing, framed in arguably the most horrific period in human history. But his greatest triumph is delivering a reminder that no writer enters this world quietly. Writers are born of eruptions and detonations, and the truly exceptional ones, like Zusak, continue to channel these explosive energies to craft a truly remarkable book that will be admired for generations.
--- Reviewed by Brian Farrey
A New View on a Bad Time.......2007-10-14
The Book Thief was one of my first ventures from my warn cocoon of fantasy adventure novels. I must say I was left... amazed.
Markus Zusak manages to weave a beautiful story with the not-quite-real settings and characters. But manages to put them into terribly real situations with the nitty gritty of life.
The story tells of the holocaust from a different perspective. Whereas we find most books such as The Diary of Anna Frank telling the story from inside the Ghettos and concentration camps, this book shifts your view 180 degrees. Looking at the situation from the other way around. Seeing as I've grown up in Israel, this is a view very rarely acknowledged.
The storytelling is flowing and engrossing. It takes about 50 pages to take off, but when it does. You get caught in the slipstream and are just dragged from page to page.
I recomended this book to many people and have passed it around to my family, people from work... Everyone thought the same thing - 5 stars!
good book.......2007-10-10
The book was in good shape. The print was large enough to read comfortaby. I liked the book.
Insightful..........2007-10-10
It is a romance with a historic background...some would say the other way around, where the author talks about the 2WW thru the personal drama of this little girl, Liesel and her peculiar way of getting satisfaction on a life full of difficulties. What I most liked about it was the way the author talks about the 2WW using an unusual perspective.
Riviting and Emotionally engaging.......2007-10-10
I haven't been so emotionally engaged in a book in I can't remember how long. The only fault that I find is that reviews keep saying that the target audience for this book is teens! While I find the story and the historic significance important, I would argue that the reader who gets more out of this book is a reader who has experienced more out of life. I loved all of the figurative language and the perspective that Zusak wrote from. And although I was a bit annoyed that Death was a blabber-mouth, in the end it didn't take away from how I felt reading the last 80 pages of the book. This book was our community book for 2007 (a grant provides them at no cost to anyone who wants to read one). Everyone I've talked to has literally sobbed through the ending, feeling everything that Liesel does along the way.
Phenomenal. I recommend it to everyone.
Book Description
This is an outstanding resource and covers more essential topics than any other.
Customer Reviews:
Not all that........2007-01-28
Well, another hyped up child custody/divorce manual that has been drastically over-rated by a few readers. What caused me to give this book at three star? Well it does have plenty of content. Kind of like when you go to a book store or library. How many of the books in there are you going to want to read? Maybe ten percent of them at best. Well this book will probably have ten percent of which may be possible to use in your court cases, and actually have it become applicable and useful to the reader. Another big problem I had with it was that the suggestions and information that the book was advising were too vague for it's readers,especially those involved in a custody battle. So many things in the book were way too generalized for the reader to be able to know how to precisely use them as effective tools. In essence, kind of when you read a horoscope, it's way too generalized to even know how and what makes this work. Also the book had the usual bias slant and actually gave much more advice to women going through child custody problems than it did fathers. The book seemed to focus more on how to legally screw over the father more by the mother than visa versa. Another drawback to the book is that it is very disorganized. There is really no order to it. It would of helpful if perhaps there were a chronological order to the advice using topics and subtopics relating to how events usually occur in pre/during/post divorce. It basically is a mumble-jumble and conglomeration of patches that were inserted while editing the book that say a lot, but say nothing useful. Authority and precedence is what is needed to be established in a family court. That is what a judge wants. The court cases that are mentioned in the book are relevant to the issue being referenced therein, but rarely apply to a lot of the situations that a father is going through. There are requirements that have to be meet while using a past court case that was established as precedence to be used. The only way to get applicable court cases for precedence is to use state family law books that are found at a law library. This book would be okay for a "quick read" at a bookstore.
Good resource.......2007-01-18
This was a good resource for someone going through custody battles. I would recommend it to anyone, but would also mention the fact that there were more misspelled words, typos, major lack of editing issues than any other book I've ever read. WOW. But, the content makes up for this gross neglect. Still, for the price I paid for this book, I did expect better from the editing...
10 Star Resource.......2006-12-13
Someone gave me a 1994 edition of this book at the start of my divorce and custody dispute. It was a better resource book than anything else at the Baker & Taylor Bookstore. When I found the 11th edition it was double the price of the 3rd edition and quadrupel the information. I am so greatful for the new book and it is again better than anything else available, even on Amazon. I read it for the information and because it is interesting. I appreciate seeing examples of reports and studies before I have to face them myself. Win Your Child Custody War, also helps me keep a healthy prespective on what is going on in my life because I can see what others have dealt with. I have used the letters and examples and they really made a positive difference. A great living, breathing piece of work and an outstanding reference!
Great information, Easy to read, Well organized.......2006-04-28
Remarkable. Because each case is so different it would be useless to present this information in any other form.
5 star easy! Highly recommended for its priceless content!.......2006-03-31
I wish someone would have recommended this book at the start of my divorce and custody dispute. This book is by far the best resource book for custody disputes and surviving a divorce. At first glance one would think that it is a bit expensive. However, once you receive it you will be thankful that you did. You could combine numerous other books in this genre and they would not compare to this single book. This book goes in depth without losing the reader. You will find yourself referencing it throughout your divorce and/or custody dispute. Chapters include: 1) Strategies to win custody 2)False Allegations 3)Evidence documentation 4)Grandparents 5)Hiring a detective 6)Rights during visitation 7)Parental Alienation Syndrome 8) Conflict resolution 9)DNA Testing 10)Case Law and so much more! 640 plus pages. An incredible resource worth every penny! Robert Pedersen founder of www.fatherachildsright.org
Book Description
Provides a complete, comprehensive overview of the Prequel movies (Episodes I-III) and the Trilogy (Episodes IV-VI), this is the definitive photographic guide to the entire Star Wars saga.
Customer Reviews:
The Complete Visual Dictionary of Star Wars.......2007-09-26
This book is extraordinary. The pictures are sharp and extremely detailed. There are explanations of many characters that are only seen in the background scenes. I highly recommend if you're a Star Wars fan. My 4 year old won't give it up.
My Star Wars fanatic loves this book.......2007-09-26
I bought this for my 6 year old who is a Star Wars FREAK. He sat down with this book immediately and has not really stopped looking at it since. He can barely read, but he loves examining all of the characters, and the way they are broken down and labeled is very exciting to him. He likes to see everything that he's seen in the movies, and video game, in full detail.
I can't comment on how this book is similar or different to any other book, but I can say, it's very detailed, it covers a lot of information and describes alot of the relationships and uses of the characters & items. My 6 year old can identify way more than I can. This book is well set up, with loads of information and LOTS AND LOTS of details full color high quality photos which is just what we were looking for.
Good luck!
A Must-Have for any Star Wars fan.......2007-09-21
My son constantly wants to look at this book, and he is only 6 and has never seen any of the movies. That pretty much says how good this book is. I grew up with the original Star Wars movies, so looking through this book is like looking into the past for me. It is well put-together, very concise with a lot of nice photos and a plethora of Star Wars information. An excellent resource for any Star Wars aficionado.
Star Wars is a Five star choice for the ultimate fan.......2007-09-09
This book is just fantastic, and it is worth every penny. I originally bought it for my friends son who loves Star Wars. The kid walked around with the book under his arm like a bible! He never put it down. I recently bought it for my own two elementary age boys and they love it just as much. This is wonderful gift to get for any Star Wars fan -- Once again DK has cornered the market on wonderful visual books for young children. Their books are so well executed and so wonderfully edited, they know exactly how to appeal to this age group by giving just enough information with out making it too simple. An adult fan would actually love this book too. It's a great purchase.
My 9-year-old loves this book!.......2007-09-03
I purchased this book for my 9-year-old son who has been a Star Wars fan for a few years. He has spent hours looking through the book on his own or alongside his friends. I have never seen the movies and I have little knowledge of the people in them, but I could easily learn A LOT from this book if I wanted to. The pictures of the people and tools/weapons are great! I also like the fact that they show pictures from movie scenes that depict the people or the tools being discussed on that particular page. This was a great price for a large hardcover book with great details and pictures!
Average customer rating:
- KCS Number the Stars
- Wonderful story for old and young alike!
- A Simple but Moving Story
- A teacher told me about this book.
- great book!!
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Number the Stars
Lois Lowry
Manufacturer: Laurel Leaf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Maniac Magee
ASIN: 0440227534
Release Date: 1998-02-09 |
Amazon.com
The evacuation of Jews from Nazi-held Denmark is one of the great untold stories of World War II. On September 29, 1943, word got out in Denmark that Jews were to be detained and then sent to the death camps. Within hours the Danish resistance, population and police arranged a small flotilla to herd 7,000 Jews to Sweden. Lois Lowry fictionalizes a true-story account to bring this courageous tale to life. She brings the experience to life through the eyes of 10-year-old Annemarie Johannesen, whose family harbors her best friend, Ellen Rosen, on the eve of the round-up and helps smuggles Ellen's family out of the country.
Number the Stars won the 1990 Newbery Medal.
Book Description
Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It's now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are "relocated," Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen's life.
Customer Reviews:
KCS Number the Stars.......2007-10-11
Have you ever feared of being prisoners and your parents were staying in a place you don't know, you would be staying in your friends apartment for a while and this would all be happening because of your religion. This book takes place in a town called Copenhagen during World War 2 in the year 1943. The main character is Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen (who they are hiding from the Nazi soldiers). Annemarie has short blond hair and Ellen who has dark black hair.
The problem that they faced in the book was that the Nazi soldiers were coming after all Jewish people. They got the list of all the Jewish people and where they lived by getting the list of all the Jews at the synagogue. So Rosen's parents have to go somewhere and hide but they do not want to leave Rosen alone so they take her to stay with Annemarie's family.
The main idea of this book is to never give up in yourself and in others and also to have courage. The plot summary of the book is that Rosen and the other Jews will be in danger because the Nazis are trying to capture them and take them somewhere no one knows where it is but they are calling it "relocation". The meaning of the title "Number the Stars" is how the Nazis are trying to gather up all the Jewish people to put them in a camp, so they call it that because the Jewish symbol is the Star of David the Nazis are trying to gather them and count them up so they are numbering the people that are Jewish.
The pacing of the book was very fast and exciting with everything they did, it seemed like they were never left with nothing to do. The authors craft is a sad but happy style to it and it pulls you in so you want to keep reading more. It doesn't say if Annemarie's family is Christian so I don't know if it is written from a Christian perspective. The genre of the book is Historical because I know that World War 2 did actually happen but I don't know if Annemarie was a real person so it might be Historical Fiction. Over all I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars and I would recommend it to people ages 10-12 because it was fairly easy for me.
Wonderful story for old and young alike!.......2007-10-09
I really enjoyed "Number the Stars" not only because it was a great story, but it was also educational. I have to admit that I have been ignorant to the effect WW2 had on Denmark, until I read this book. I have heard and read so much about the other European countries, but I have hardly heard a thing about Denmark. Thus, I liked how the author weaved in the reasons for Denmark not fighting the Germans, and how the king of Denmark remained uncontrolled during the occupation. I also enjoyed learning little facts about the Danish Resistance.
As far as the fictional side of the book, I found it to be an easy read that young and old alike could enjoy. Lowry has such a good imagination, that you can't help but be captured by the characters bravery and courage. At times when reading this book, I asked myself if I could have made the same courageous choices.
A Simple but Moving Story.......2007-10-09
This is a moving story ~~ written simply for the younger audience and it's perfect for all ages who want to remember the lost and the forgotten of World War II. This is a simple story of "What Should You Do?" in times like this ~~ where the Jews are forced underground or to leave their homes. This is a story of a young girl who delivered a life-saving package to her uncle who was about to be boarded on his fishing boat by the Germans. He was smuggling his niece's friends and other people to Sweden.
It is a simple story ~~ there are other stories out there that are better written and more well-rounded but this is a perfect start for young kids who want to learn more about history. It's written beautifully and simplistically and yet realistically. It is a story of courage and defiance and strength even in moments of sheer terror. It is a story that honors the old commandent: "Thou Shall Love Thy Neighbors."
It is a must-read for all serious readers.
10-9-07
A teacher told me about this book........2007-09-24
I really enjoyed the book. I went on a trip to Washington D.C. and visited the Holocaust Museum. Since then I have been interested in WWII and mostly the Holocaust. A teacher told me about this book. I read the book very quickly, it was so interesting. My mom liked it too, and read with me. I'm reading it again!
great book!!.......2007-07-12
My granddaughter,11, read this on our vacation, and she told me she absolutely loved it!
Book Description
This amazing title unites all four Incredible Cross-Sections books in one volume, enlarged and updated with brand-new illustrations-including the TIE bomber, Imperial shuttle, A-wing, and B-wing-along with revised technical introductions, behind-the-scenes pages, glossary, and index. (c) 2006 Lucasfilm Ltd. and TM AUTHOR BIO: Hans Jenssen Hans Jenssen has spent the last nine years in a galaxy far, far away, co-illustrating a total of ten Star Wars books with Richard Chasemore, with whom he has developed a close friendship. They have traveled across three continents, sampled exotic beverages with Boba Fett, and partied with R2-D2. He now lives a quiet life in Devon, England, with his partner and young son. RICHARD CHASEMORE Richard Chasemore has worked as an illustrator and 3-D computer artist in the United States and Europe, most notably on DK's Star Wars: Incredible Cross-Sections and, Inside the Worlds of the Star Wars series. Lately he has written educational books for budding digital artists. He lives on the south coast of England, where he enjoys sports involving boards and high speeds!
Customer Reviews:
OUTSTANDING REFERENCE TOOL.......2007-09-14
Previously, DK Books has release four volumes in their Star Wars cross-sections series, covering the various Star Wars films. In celebration of the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, they've now combines all four of those volumes, along with new illustrations into the massive Star Wars: The Complete Cross Sections. This coffee table-sized hardcover book packs information on every ship and vehicle used in the six films into 152 full-color pages. John Knoll, the Visual Effects Supervisor for episodes I - III, provides the foreword to the book.
The book is basically an encyclopedia for Star Wars ships and vehicles. The items are shown in a cutaway art, allowing the reader to not only see the outside, but also see the interiors as well. This gives fans a unique viewpoint as you generally didn't get a chance to see inside many of these ships and vehicles in the films themselves. Most of these are given a full two-page spread which include data files about each one. The data files provide information such as design and manufacture, wingspan, speed, crew capacity, armament, dimensions, ship or vehicle type, and other special features.
The book begins with Episode I, The Phantom Menace with each of the first three episodes getting their own chapter while the original three films are combined into the last chapter. In addition to the data files, a host of other information is provided on each vehicle as well. Text keys with map lines are drawn to each, pointing out important features of each vehicle. These are about the next best thing to the actual ships blueprints. The detail is simply amazing! On the Naboo Cruiser for example we see where the fuel tanks and fuel lines are located, along with coolant ducts, deflector shield projectors, sensor arrays and even mundane things such as the crew lounge and locker areas. These allow the reader to get inside these massive vehicles and ships and almost take a virtual tour through them.
Get up close and personal with Jango Boba Fett's heavily armed Slave I ship with its blaster cannons, laser cannons, missile launchers, and mine layers. Other ships included from the episodes I to III include Padme's Starship, ARC -170 Fighter, General Grievous's Wheel Bike, Pod Racers, and Palpatine's Shuttle.
The final chapter dealing with the three original films has certainly the most popular ships for fans including the Millennium Falcon, AT-AT Walker, Jabba's Barge, and Darth Vader's Tie Fighter. Several of the major ships and vehicles get fold out sections that provide four full pages worth of data. Chief among these is the first Death Star. The Slave I makes a second appearance here that includes the modifications made by Jango Fett's son, Boba.
Hats off to DK Books for also profiling the two artists whose brilliant work is on display here, Hans Jenssen and Richard Chasemore. The detail and effort that went into these drawings is truly phenomenal. This is one of those items that is tailor-made for the hardcore Star Wars fan, a reference tool that can be consulted over and over again.
REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON
5 stars for COMPLETE Cross-sections!!.......2007-08-23
People should get Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections.
Here are three reasons why anyone who likes Star Wars should get this book.
1. Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections includes information about ALL six episodes in one book. It's great to have it all in one volume instead of four separate books (Episodes I, II, III, and the Trilogy).
2. Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections has extra content not included in the separate volumes. The Imperial Shuttle, the RZ-1 A-Wing, and the B-Wing Star Fighter are new material in the combined book.
3. Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections is jam-packed with large full color illustrations and tons of fascinating facts. The pages are crowded, but the information is great.
The Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections book rules the galaxy and any Star Wars fan would just love to have a copy. I checked it out of the library, but now it's on my Christmas wish list!!
My 5 year old loves it!.......2007-08-11
I purchased this for my 5 year old because he loves Star Wars. We have a couple of other Star Wars guides. He loves the cross section book because "it shows all the ships and details and that's cool". He loves finding something small that I would have missed. Great book for all ages.
Not What I Expected But Great Nontheless.......2007-07-05
Don't know why but I was expecting technical drawings of the Star Wars vehicles. Instead I get beautiful drawings of the vehicles and some of the characters which was an unexpected plus. Especially for scale comparison with some of the bigger vehicles. The reason this item dose not get five stars from me is because when reading the book things can get somewhat confusing there is so much info on each page it practically spills out from the sides. I would recommend it to anybody who wants more information on their favorite Star Wars vehicles!
Star wars.......2007-06-09
My son has not put this book away since we bought it. It goes on every car ride with us, and even to school for free time reading. The pictures are beautiful. He absolutely loves it.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful Conclusion.......2007-07-10
This book wrapped up many things in the Underland and ended this fantastic series adequately. With the warrior's death prophesized and an impending doom on gregor and all of the underland this book captured emotion through suspence, action, and saying goodbye, whilling to sacrifice for the ones you love. To be honest every time gregor said goodbye to one of his friends I cried, just knowing he'd accepted that he was going to die made tears come to my eyes. The only reason I gave this book four stars was because of the ending, how he just decided to leave, what about Luxa?? HELLO??
But other than that I thought it was a great book that wrapped up the story with style. I am going to miss this series.
Another outstanding, riveting Gregor fantasy........2007-07-10
Suzanne Collins' GREGOR AND THE CODE OF CLAW presents the fifth in the Underland Chronicles': prior familiarity with the other adventures will lend a satisfying uniformity to this story of Gregor, who finds out the prophecy fortells his death - and the time is coming to face off an army of rats. Somehow Gregor must defend his home and get his family home safely; and key to this and his survival is a code which must be cracked and a war which will change his world. Another outstanding, riveting Gregor fantasy.
The last Gregor.......2007-06-08
I've read all the books in the series and read through this one in 2 days. It does a great job of wrapping everything up. The battle scenes were quite a bit more graphic than in the other books, which disturbed me a little, and a few events were not what I "wanted" for the characters, but overall it was a very logical and good way to end the series. I especially liked how Suzanne Collins addressed all the characters introduced throughout the other 4 books. This is a definite "must read" for any fan of the series.
THE MOST IMPORTANT REVIEW.......2007-05-25
Look people I'm nopt here to ruin the book but you can ovbiously tell what happens at the end. When gregor defeats the bane he goes back thinking he is dead but NO WAY. He is very alive very sore but alive many things happen between that time and the time he has to leave. Everyone who has read the 4th book knows that gregor has the hots for luxa. And when it is parting time they are both very sad. Gregor family flys off with luxa and she sees her first glimpse of the overland. Gregor kisses her goodbye and say farwell forever. He goes home depressed that the people he love are gone. He then talks to himself he convinces himsself that he does not belong in the overland he says he does not belong anywhere. So he has a nightmere the night before about how Henry died exept gregor was in Henries situation and he hit the bottom and died. He woke up frightend expecting someone to be there comforting him but knowone was there. The next day he goes the the museum to see the thing that had helped him exept the fact that he was going to die and wanted it to comfort him now. He arrives and sees the stone soldier could not comfort him anymore the soldier had tought him how to die now he needed someone to teach him how to live. Surprisingly he does not find anyone to teach him how to live unless you look really closely and read the last chapter like 10 times. Its everyone he knows is the people that have to teach him how to live boots lizzie his mom, dad mrs.cormaci anyone who has helped in the journeis through the underland do read this unless you can handle the suspense of needing another book and there not being one. When the tragic book ended i wished i hadnt even started the series if i had known how bad it was going to end adn I am 13 not like 9 i feel very sad from what happend and i think we should like beg her to write new ones so whoever is reading this come to this page and find her email or her address and we will email her until she writes another book it left me heartbroken do not read it unlkess you can handle the suspense and the sadness.
Gregor and the Code of Claw.......2007-05-18
This series is perfect for every fantasy fan. It has action and everything a fantasy series should have but it doesn't have a cheesy plot or souped up characters. The author is perfect in writing her characters in a deep and serious way. Unlike most other authors her characters are balanced and doesn't have a perfect main character. Every character is different and are essential in some way. Because of this the series has a realistic sense.
Also the way she describes the settings are incredible. She can make you imagine them in your mind with amazing clarity. The settings blend perfectly to whats happening and the characters themselves. She uses this to her advantage and creates impressive scenes complete with environments.
The blend of the story is also something that the author is very good at. As I have said before she can blend settings, characters, and plots perfectly together. That is what makes the Underland series an excellent read.
Average customer rating:
- big can beat small...
- Buy two, keep one and give the other to a friend.
- The ending will leave you speechless
- The Great South African Novel
- One of my Favorites
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The Power of One
Bryce Courtenay
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0394575202
Release Date: 1989-06-11 |
Book Description
In 1939, hatred took root in South Africa, where the seeds of apartheid were newly sown. There a boy called Peekay was born. He spoke the wrong language–English. He was nursed by a woman of the wrong color–black. His childhood was marked by humiliation and abandonment. Yet he vowed to survive–he would become welterweight champion of the world, he would dream heroic dreams.
But his dreams were nothing compared to what awaited him. For he embarked on an epic journey, where he would learn the power of words, the power to transform lives, and the mystical power that would sustain him even when it appeared that villainy would rule the world: The Power of One.
Customer Reviews:
big can beat small..........2007-10-16
This book really draws you into the story of a little boy that gets inspired to become a boxing champ. The different challenges he faces along the way and people that influence him all bring the story to life, leaving you wanting for more when the story comes to, for me, a rather abrupt end. It is a little cheesy at times but you can forgive that.
Buy two, keep one and give the other to a friend........2007-07-17
My favorite book of all time - and I'm a picky reader. You will become entranced in Peekay's world and never want to leave it. This should be on every person's bookshelf and handed out to every young adult.
Other advice: rent the movie first, then read the novel and you'll be able to appreciate the book more. Also, the sequel "Tandia" is good, but not as powerful as TPOO
The ending will leave you speechless.......2007-06-30
Most five year olds feel insecure and afraid in the world, but take away a child's mother, an apparently absent father, and only a black nanny to take care of the while child in South Africa and what remains will undoubtedly be a child that quickly learns to fend for himself. The question that remains is how successful will that child be? Peekay, with a strong mind and stronger heart, proves that the Power of One can be all the power one needs to succeed.
Peekay, an English child in South Africa at the start of WWII, has everything that he knows turned upside down when he is told that his mother has suffered a nervous breakdown and he must attend boarding school many miles from home. He is the youngest student by two years and is picked on mercilessly by the older children. This physical and mental abuse causes him to wet the bed which, in turn, increases his torment. Peekay uses life's earliest challenges to form the inner strength that he will need to overcome lifelong adversity. Over the years he develops a love for boxing and his goals surround the sport. He also discovers his aptitude for academics and is brought along by friends that are unique in their quirkiness as well as loyalty.
The Power of One is a moving and highly entertaining story of a boy who will not let himself fail. The novel portrays a courage and spirit of youth that defies one's expectations given the obstacles that get in the main character's way. Supporting characters are developed so that they come alive and the reader will be unable to follow Peekay's successes without a sense of pride themselves. The last twenty pages turn the book on it's head and finish with such an unexpected shock that it will leave the reader speechless. But somehow, it is a fitting ending to a thrilling journey that is difficult to put down.
The Great South African Novel.......2007-06-18
This expertly written novel tells the story of a boy whose chance meeting with a boxer leads him to focus his life on becoming the welterweight champion of the world.
The heart of the novel is the inspiring friendships he forms with the richly shaped characters that he encounters as he grows up.
The author's ability to tell a capturing story, and the smooth way he tells it, has produced a classic book well worth reading.
One of my Favorites.......2007-05-25
The Power of One is one of my favorite books of all time! You won't want to put it down until you finish!
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- Ghettos, War, Angels, Jackboots, and a Boy named Stopthief.
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- Milkweed was a Great Book!
- Milkweed
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Milkweed (Readers Circle)
Jerry Spinelli
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ASIN: 0440420059
Release Date: 2005-09-13 |
Amazon.com
Newbery Medal-winning author Jerry Spinelli (Maniac McGee, Stargirl) paints a vivid picture of the streets of the Nazi-occupied Warsaw during World War II, as seen through the eyes of a curious, kind, heartbreakingly naïve orphan with many names. His name is Stopthief when people shout "Stop! Thief!" as he flees with stolen bread. Or it's Jew, "filthy son of Abraham," depending on who's talking to him. Or, maybe he's a Gypsy, because his eyes are black, his skin is dark, and he wears a mysterious yellow stone around his neck. His new friend and protector Uri forces him to take the name Misha Pilsudski and to memorize a made-up story about his Gypsy background so that no one will mistake him for a Jew and kill him. Misha, a very young boy, is slow to understand what's happening around him. When he sees people running, he thinks it's a race. Nazis (Jackboots, as the children call them) marching through the streets appear to him as a delightful parade of magnificent boots. He wants to be a Jackboot! (Uri smacks him for saying this.) He compares bombs to sauerkraut kettles, machine guns to praying mantises, and tanks to "colossal gray long-snouted beetles." The story of Misha and his band of orphans trying to survive on their own would have a deliciously Dickensian quality, if it weren't for the devastation around them--people hurrying to dig trenches to stop Nazi tanks, shops exploding in flames, the wailing of sirens, buzzing airplanes, bombs, and human torture. Spinelli has written a powerfully moving story of survival--readers will love Misha the dreamer and his wonderfully poetic observations of the world around him, his instinct to befriend a Jewish girl and her family, his impulse to steal food for a local orphanage and his friends in the ghetto, and his ability to delight in small things even surrounded by the horror of the Holocaust. A remarkable achievement. (Ages 11 and older) --Karin Snelson
Book Description
He’s a boy called Jew. Gypsy. Stopthief. Runt. Happy. Fast. Filthy son of Abraham.
He’s a boy who lives in the streets of Warsaw. He’s a boy who steals food for himself and the other orphans. He’s a boy who believes in bread, and mothers, and angels. He’s a boy who wants to be a Nazi some day, with tall shiny jackboots and a gleaming Eagle hat of his own. Until the day that suddenly makes him change his mind. And when the trains come to empty the Jews from the ghetto of the damned, he’s a boy who realizes it’s safest of all to be nobody.
Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli takes us to one of the most devastating settings imaginable—Nazi-occupied Warsaw of World War II—and tells a tale of heartbreak, hope, and survival through the bright eyes of a young orphan.
From the Hardcover edition.
Download Description
He's a boy called Jew. Gypsy. Stopthief. Runt. Happy. Fast. Filthy son of Abraham.
He's a boy who lives in the streets of Warsaw. He's a boy who steals food for himself and the other orphans. He's a boy who believes in bread, and mothers, and angels. He's a boy who wants to be a Nazi some day, with tall shiny jackboots and a gleaming Eagle hat of his own. Until the day that suddenly makes him change his mind. And when the trains come to empty the Jews from the ghetto of the damned, he's a boy who realizes it's safest of all to be nobody.
Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli takes us to one of the most devastating settings imaginable -- Nazi-occupied Warsaw of World War II -- and tells a tale of heartbreak, hope, and survival through the bright eyes of a young orphan.
Customer Reviews:
Ghettos, War, Angels, Jackboots, and a Boy named Stopthief........2007-08-27
Call him whatever you'd like. Everyone else does.
Stopthief. Jew. Gypsy. Fast. Happy. Runt. Filthy son of Abraham. Misha Pilsudski is the name that Uri, the leader of the street orphans, finally gives him, along with a made-up story about his past and his family history. It's the name that sticks. For a while.
This orphan boy from Warsaw, U.S.S.R., figures if someone calls him a name, it just might mean that it's true. Take "Fast," a name Uri calls him. If it wasn't true about him, how else would he explain how good he is at stealing bread from women walking on the street? Bread which he faithfully shares half with Doctor Korczak's orphans at the group home. He wouldn't be able to outrun the venders, the police, or the Jackboots. That's his name for the Nazi soldiers that can be seen marching around town. Someday, he'd like to be a Jackboot.
Then a Jewish girl named Janina from a poor neighborhood befriends him. With Janina, Misha feels he has a real family, a place he can belong. When families all over the city, Jewish families at first, start getting relocated into the walled-off ghettos, Misha moves in with her. Spinelli's sings the despair of the ghettos with a raw and tragic melody of characters. Outside the ghetto walls they call Heaven. Food is rotten and scarce. New bodies lie covered in the streets each day. And angels are everywhere, if you know how to look.
They call him Stopthief. Catch him if you can.
--- Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens
Perfect.......2007-06-19
Jerry Spinelli does a perfect job portraying the hardships and struggles of the Jewish people during the most unfortunate of times, the Holocaust, in a manner in which younger readers can relate. Appropriate for almost all ages [I wouldn't read it as a bedtime story], this book had me hooked. It entails the struggles of Misha Pilsudski [later Misha Milgrom, and finally Jack Milgrom] through the Nazi invasion of Warszawa [Warsaw] Poland. I recommend anyone looking for a good, quick read to buy this book. I read it for a book report assignment back in 7th, and it was definitly well worth it.
superbook!.......2007-04-18
Milkweed was the best! I didn't really like it for any particular reason. it was just a great book. It was very exciting! Milkweed was cool because it felt like I was in the book itself! If you don't like books that are sad, then I suggest that you don't read this book. Milkweed is a book about a boy who lives on the streets. He spends his days stealing food because that's the only way he could get it. He is an orphan and he doesn't have a name, but his friend gives him one. Misha. It was one of the best books I ever read!
Milkweed was a Great Book!.......2007-03-16
He had been called many things - Jew, stopthief, happy, runt, fast, filthy son of Abraham. He lived on the streets and steals food to survive. He believes in bread, mothers, and angels. He wanted to be a Nazi someday , with tall jackboots and an eagle cap - that is, until the day that suddenly made him change his mind. When the trains came to empty the ghetto, he's a boy who realized it is safest of all to be a nobody.
A young, swift orphan arrived on the streets of Warsaw with no recollection of his past - not so much as his name. He began living with another orphan in an abandoned barbershop, and together they stole everything they needed. The other orphan, who went by the name Uri, named the nameless child by the name of Misha Pilsudski. Misha and Uri had a decent life - they were never hungry, they hung out with other orphan folk, and Misha even had a rich friend (Janina) - until the day the jackboots came. The men in "jackboots" were actually Nazis, and they came to raid Warsaw. Soon the town was in shambles and they began to round up all the Jews to send to the ghetto. Misha claimed he was a Gypsy (although he had no idea whatsoever what he was), but went to the ghetto anyway because he thought it looked fun. He visited Janina's family many times while the wall was in the process of being built, because he could just step over it. However, once the wall was finished, Uri stayed out while Misha lived there full time. In the ghetto, the conditions rapidly degraded and soon, everyone was starving. Misha found a two-brick hole in the wall he could fit through, so every night he slipped through this miniature escape route and get food for Janina and her family. This system worked pretty well, and soon Janina would even come with him on his adventures. One night, at a hotel in Warsaw where Misha was trying to steal rations, he saw Uri for the first time in a long time, who worked for the Nazis. Uri warned Misha about the plan to send the Jews to the ovens, so he would have a heads up. Sure enough, the next day the soldiers began loading the Jews onto trains to the ovens. Janina's father warned Misha and Janina to get out and stay out, so the two left and ran towards the countryside. Janina, who was in an unstable mental state after the two years or so in the ghetto, ran away. Misha tried to follow her, but a farmer stopped him. The farmer kept Misha for three years, and at night, they would have to tie him up so he would not run away to the ovens, where he desperately wanted to see his friend. Then the war ended, and Misha came to America, where he married and then divorced. Misha kept a quiet life and did not meet his daughter, Katherine, until she had a child of her own. Katherine left her daughter Wendy's middle name blank for Misha to name. He chose Janina.
Milkweed was an excellent story. It had happiness, but some sad parts too. In addition, it's filled with historical references, even though it was a fictional book.
A few examples of happiness in Milkweed include the time when Misha has to play on the carousel, when Janina gave Misha a piece of his favorite candy, and when Misha saw Uri again. One time, before the jackboots came, a carousel with beautiful painted horses was built in Warsaw. Uri advised Misha to stay away, as "street filth" such as Misha was unwanted at places like that. However, one day, the temptation was just too much for Misha, so after hours (they kept the carousel running all the time) he climbed on and had the time of his life. Another example of happiness included the time when Janina snuck out of the ghetto using the petite hole in the wall and looked all over town for buttermilk creams with hazelnut hearts, Misha's favorite candy. She came back and gave a single piece to him, as that was all she could find, and Misha was delighted to taste that luscious candy after eating ghetto food for so long. The last good example of happiness was when Misha saw Uri in the fancy hotel. Misha ran up to him and asked if it was really Uri, with joy glittering in his eyes. Uri was not as happy as Misha was - he could have gotten in serious trouble if caught talking to him. Misha was even happier later when Uri's tip about the ovens saved his life.
Milkweed had its fair share of sadness, however. The saddest part was when Janina ran towards the ovens and Misha never saw him again. In fact, he wanted to see her so badly that the farmers he stayed with tied him to the barn every night for three years to prevent him from running to find her. Another sad part was when Misha's wife in America, Vivian, divorced him after a few short months because he was going crazy. The last significant sad part of the story was when Misha had to say goodbye to Janina's father before running away from the ghetto and the ovens.
Although Milkweed is a fictional book, it still has many examples of history tied into it. The whole time era was World War II, when the Nazis tried to win power and superiority. The book specifically mentioned the times when the Nazis marched into Poland and the bombing of Warsaw. Another historical reference were the Jewish ghettos, which were not uncommon in Europe at the time. The last major historical reference were the ovens where everyone in the ghetto was sent to die, which were a fixture in death camps at the time.
Milkweed was a really well written book and is perfect for anyone who like to read but does not mind a little grief. It had happiness, but there was some sadness as well, and it even mentioned some major points of history.
-Elizabeth H =]
Milkweed.......2007-03-15
Milkweed, by Jerry Spinelli, is book is the best book I have read all year. When I sat down to read milkweed I thought it was going to be another boring WWII story . Man was I wrong. Within the first 30 pages I realized Spinelli's book was going to be different. Milkweed tells the life of a young Gypsy boy, Misha, who is taken in by a Jewish family and lives with them in the ghetto created for them by the Nazis. As the story progresses Misha grows older and more knowledgeable of the world around him. He learns that the Nazis don't like him, that the people under the news paper are NOT sleeping, and that Mothers, Angels, and Oranges really do exist. The story of the life of Jewish people living during WWII are not uncommon, but none have captured it quite like Milkweed has. Having grown up as an orphan, Misha is ignorant to the world, but that is one of his wonderful qualities. When he learned what "Happy" was, during Hanukah, He tried to fill Janina's with the "Happy" that he had. My favorite part of Milkweed was when anyone would ever call Misha Jewish, he would turn around and angrily shout, " I'M NOT JEWISH! I'M A GYPSY!". In the end , After he was adopted by the Milgroms, when someone called him Jewish he just ran. At the end of the book, after WWII had ended, it told how Misha moved to America, was named Jack, and married and met his great granddaughter , Janina.
I believe anyone who is looking for a good read should read Milkweed, its like a Butter Milk chocolate in a box of chocolates.
Rose M.
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- rudy against the empire
- hey jude great job!
- Five Stars
- Cliff Hangers as usual, mild spoilers possible
- Best of the best!!
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Secret Weapon (Star Wars: Last of the Jedi, Book 7)
Jude Watson
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
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ASIN: 0439681405 |
Customer Reviews:
rudy against the empire.......2007-09-30
i know myself that i'm almost finished w/ the novel but haven't read it through... but it's very good, i can't wait what will happen to ferus olin and see ben kenobi along w/ him. i love the front and back cover of the book
over in Coruscant. I will hoping to read all through 10 novels of TLOTJ series.
hey jude great job!.......2007-08-14
i disagree with that other reviewer who said timothy zahn is the best with jude watson.i hate the timothy zahn books.and that was when us star wars fans were starving for something new to read about star wars and heir to the empire came out,i bought it like many others wanting something new to read.and i was greatly dissapointed and his 2nd and 3rd book of that trilogy didnt get any better so i stopped buying his books.i guess i been spoiled by the star wars books i read growing up by writers like the great brian daley may he rest in peace,and the great alan dean foster.and i have been dissapointed by most of the new books and the different new authors to star wars books that have come out.finally a writer that is worthy of star wars has come along.a great writer and im happy that jude gets to write more books for star wars.i also enjoyed jude's first book star wars journal princess leia's diary of episode 4.captive to evil.
Five Stars.......2007-08-07
Ferus is still working as a double agent struggling the thin line of going along with Palpatine to keep from being killed and trying to he's position to help out his resistance friends. This becomes very difficult in this book when the Empire wants Ferus to return to his homeplanet as a poster boy for former resistance leader turned Empire. The Empire taking control of the factories which looks as if their helping the planet by providing jobs. This naturally will make it appear to the resistance that Ferus is completely with the Empire. Naturally the Empire's plans are not that nice with Vader on his tail Ferus finds it even more difficult to contact his friends to convince them their still on his side and attempting to undo the Empire's plan without Vader or the Empire finding out. The way this turns out was surprises as was then when Palpatine has yet another offer for Ferus. With Palpatine...its so hard to say no.
Cliff Hangers as usual, mild spoilers possible.......2007-06-14
One always questions the validity and entertainment value in a spin-off of a spin-off series, but The Last of the Jedi is shaping up to be exciting. Ferus Olin's in full blown double agent mode and that's got him and his friends worried. Friendship and loyalty are certainly tested when it comes down to the question of "who do you serve?" or "How much hurt can one inflict while doing something necessary?"
Jude Watson's got a nice narrative style and a good sense for where to stick in humor. I can't wait until the next one comes out. (Yes, I'm an adult; yes, I know this is a kid's book; yes, this book is totally worth the $6.00)
Best of the best!!.......2007-04-03
I've been a reader from day one and by far this is the most intense part of the series. I loved that there was a list of characters. I almost forgot some of the ones from the beginning and it was good to get familiar with them again. As I was reading, I felt the momentum of the story pick up towards the middle and then it just sky rocketed!! So much so, I left imprints of my fingers on the front and back cover! I don't want to give any of the storyline away but, I'll just say that I had to read some parts over again because of their emotional intensity and depth (I know, I know....I take these stories too seriously) It's such a great story. You'll definitely love it.
Without saying too much here's a little outline....
Ferus is still with the Empire working as a double agent. He gets sent on a mission back to his homeworld of Bellassa to "help" settle any resistance from the people. He is seen by his people as a traitor but his closest friends of course know the truth. Vader keeps Ferus out of "the know" and it's hard for him to find out the real reasons for the Empire's stay on his home planet. As soon as Ferus gets close to the truth, Vader tears into his soul with hatred from the dark side. In the end, Ferus's will to go on is waning and he finds an offer from Emperor Palpatine extremely appealing.
Ok, now go and buy the book! :)
Book Description
Former Secretary of Education Rod Paige gives the inside story of how teachers' unions are selfishly shackling our students to a failing education system, exposing the bullying techniques of the National Education Association-how these unions terrorize teachers, students, and their parents.
Customer Reviews:
Correct on Some Points, Misleading On Others.......2007-07-30
I am a veteran public school teacher and read this entire captivating book in one sitting. Paige does make some valid arguments about the corrupt, anti-child actions of teachers unions. Some of his frustrations I share 100%. First of all, I agree that unions make it very difficult for school districts to fire blatantly incompetent teachers. I know that because being a teacher myself, I have had to work with some of these teachers. They are a cancer on our profession and make us all look bad. For example, a few years ago, I taught in a classroom next to a teacher who would scream and yell at her 3rd grade children (mostly Hispanic) that they were "stupid and lazy." One day, we could hear her yelling such vicious things at her students that even a few of my own 5th grade students started crying. In tears, one girl asked me why that teacher "was allowed to treat little kids that way" and if I could go next door and ask her to stop. This teacher would also have some of the very lowest test scores in the district year after year after year, therefore bringing down the academic ranking of our entire school. Everyone, including the principal, knew how horrible this teacher was, but the principal refused to do anything because she knew that the union would protect this teacher 100% and that therefore any attempt to discipline her would be a futile waste of time and effort.
I also agree with Paige that because of union contracts, there is very little incentive, apart from a teacher's own conscience, to go "above and beyond" to help the students learn. The teacher pay scale applies to every single teacher, regardless of his/her competence or effectiveness, and is based only on seniority and continuing education units. Therefore, the veteran 30-year teacher who does the bare minimum will usually make at least TWICE as much as the new teacher down the hall who comes to work early, stays late, works hard, and does a darn good job teaching the kids. Paige cites research which claims that a teacher's effectiveness declines after he/she has been on the job for five years. If this claim is accurate, it is probably due to the fact that a teacher's salary does not correlate even one bit to how good that teacher is. Once a teacher has been in the system for a while, he/she begins to realize this and as a result, there is a decline in motivation to perform the job well.
However, I do take issue with Paige on some points. First of all, it appears that he wants to make teachers unions the "scapegoat" and implies that these unions are the main cause (if not the sole cause) for low academic achievement. However, although teachers unions should bear some of the responsibility, they are by no means the only ones at fault. In fact, one reason why we need a union is to protect us from incompetent administrators in our school districts. The elimination of tenure would allow a principal to arbitrarily dismiss a teacher for any reason, even if that teacher is the most skilled and competent in the school. Such reasons might include something as trivial as a mere personality conflict or the adminstrator's own personal and subjective opinions about the teacher's performance. Teachers would be afraid to "blow the whistle" on a corrupt principal or administrator for fear of being fired. I can tell you that it would be very difficult for me to give my full attention to teaching the children if I were consistently worrying in the back of my head whether or not I would have a job the next year to pay my bills and support my own kids. Still, the fact remains that tenure does protect some pretty LOUSY teachers, but completely eliminating it would be even more disastrous for our students. I would also suggest that in my exprience, tenure and unions are not the only reasons why so many incompetent teachers remain in the clasroom. Often, the school principal is also to blame by not properly documenting a teacher's deficiencies, as well as top school district administrators who will not support principals who choose to take steps to have an incompetent teacher dismissed.
Paige also suggests that teacher pay should be tied with student academic performance measures (i.e. standardized tests). This suggestion is based on a deeply flawed assumption that if students are performing at a high level academically, their teacher must be outstanding, and that if students are failing, the teacher must be lousy. The idea of "merit pay" would end up harming the very students it aims in theory to protect. If merit pay ever became a reality, most of the nation's best teachers would flock to school districts in affluent suburban neighborhoods that have the highest test scores. The students in low income areas, the ones who need good teachers the most, would be stuck with whatever is "left over." This is the inevitable result of a system that would penalize an outstanding teacher just because that teacher works in a school with high poverty or with students still learning English as a second language, while at the same time handsomely rewarding a terrible teacher who is lucky enough to teach in an affluent district with more socioeconomically privileged students who would still ace the standardized tests even if they had been taught by a fruitfly!
There are really no easy answers regarding these issues, but for Paige to place the blame squarely on teachers unions misses the point and ignores many other factors that have contributed to the failure of many of our public schools. Nonetheless, the book is well written, correct on many points (whether teachers or their unions like it or not), and very insightful. It is definitely worth the read for anyone holding a stake in the education of our children.
The Ball Is in the Union's Court.......2007-06-26
I have written many critiques of articles and books, but this book had my head swirling. I was a teacher and union building rep (at the same time) for many years and although I did not agree with everything the union did (who does?) I was never aware of the union's practices and history that Paige reports.
I have always considered a union necessary because of the practices and working conditions foisted on teachers by principals and district staffers (for the superintendent and board). Even though I walked picket lines and encouraged fellow teachers to join with full membership, I never protected an obviously-incompetent or racist teacher. In fact, I encouraged the principal to deal with him or her--to the consternation of my union Higher-Up. (You see, we teachers don't always blindly follow the union...or the administrators.)
One repeating problem in my school and district was caused by the upper-level administration placing on teachers the burden of one educational fad after another--all (to my knowledge) ending in failure and the waste of millions of the taxpayers' dollars.
And just like some teachers pass students along with no justification, so do some teacher college professors pass potential teachers who immediately or eventually fail our students, the community and the nation.
As Paige would seem to agree, I think teachers' unions should be only a business entity dealing with working conditions and pay. Leave the curriculum up to the superintendent (not that he or she has done a great job), or, as in charter schools, up to the local school.
Yes, I have once or twice been the subject of union harassment by one or more of the union's "blind" followers, but I was tough enough to handle it. And I didn't consider this treatment pervasive. Paige has revealed many negative practices by teachers' unions that need to be answered by them. But, remember, unions do not hire teachers (even if a certain board may be in a union's pocket, as Paige reports), so blame the boards of education, the administrator and curriculum developers at the administration headquarters.
I am not in sympathy with the idea--pushed by Paige--that teachers should receive merit or performance pay for a job well done. In my own classes I had students who learned much faster than others--and all of my students were poor enough to have a lunch subsidy. I worked very hard to get results, but a teacher in an area where most students are on level can get the same results or better and not have to put in the hours and effort I did, and he or she may receive merit pay, but not me. So, additional pay based on test scores (measured against a standard) is not fair to teachers.
Let me explain further. I say hire only quality teachers and check that quality not by how the students meet a standard, but how much progress the students have made toward that standard. If--and I'm not exaggerating here, especially for big-city schools--50 to 75 percent of my 8th graders enter my class not knowing their times tables (which means their math is hardly above grade 3) and they leave my room testing at the end of grade 6, they have made around 3 years of progress in one year! Yet, they are still 2 years behind being ready to move into grade 9. This means, they don't meet the acceptable standard for math. And I don't deserve performance pay. This is what I know and it is what teachers' unions know. "Merit" pay is a theory in the field of teaching youngsters. If it's put into practice and schools still don't improve performance that much (meaning some teachers may be fired), what are we to do, given that teaching has one of the greatest turn-over rates of any profession? The reality is that up to 50% of new teachers leave the profession within five years. I think supporters of performance pay are barking up the wrong tree.
If one is wondering if teachers need unions, one needs only read of the history of U.S. teaching to get an answer. (See my book, MT. HOREB: THE LITTLE WHITE SCHOOLHOUSE ON LITTLE DEER CREEK to get a short history; then check the bibliography.) We can't go back to the days when teachers were basically educational missionaries: Paige lauds those teachers that spend their days, nights and weekends (yes, cell-phone available) "serving" their students and indicating that this is what he thinks is a good example of dedication.
And for some interesting and moving labor songs (union history) get the lively CD "Classic Labor Songs."
I agree with Paige that for the sake of the students and the nation changes in most teachers' unions' non-student/teacher-oriented power needs to change. How those changes can be crafted to the benefit of all does need to be hammered out. Paige gives some of his ideas for improvement. How are the unions going to react? How are parents going to react? His book is against teachers' unions (of course, he will protest that, mildly)--though he does rightly praise a few union "mavericks," as he calls them. He says (after much criticism) that he thinks most teachers are praiseworthy, except that they are not quite so because of their blind allegiance to their unions who, he says, blinded them. He thinks he has strongly presented his evidence, now let the strong unions counter.
Let's hope this sorry state of affairs is soon corrected. It's not practical to think we can throw the babies (some unions, boards, teachers, teachers' colleges and even parents) out with the bath water (techniques for change), but let's do change the diapers (some present philosophies).
take back our schools.......2007-05-07
This book did an excellent job uncovering the danger our public schools are experiencing.It is a must read for all Americans.We must force our elected officials to address the teachers unions and make teachers accountable.The education system should reward excellent teachers and extract bad ones.The time is now.Encourage good business people to run for school boards.The system has to be changed to secure America's future.
I hope this is read by everyone who pays taxes to fund our public schools.......2007-04-25
This topic is so heated that it is easy for each side to accuse the other of bad faith and to make accusations that do not have substance. Let me say right out that I believe that nearly all classroom teachers are dedicated people who care about their students and most are good at what they do. Some are excellent and some are incompetent, but this is something that is known by everyone about people who work in every field of endeavor. Also, I am NOT against labor unions.
I do think they are most often brought about by bad employers, but there are also unions who are brought about by politics. And it is the mix of politics and union economic power that is as toxic as the mix of big business and politics. Each situation hurts society by stifling competition and moving the purpose of the organization from producing what it was created to do to providing jobs or economic rents for parties with the political power. Both are bad things and should be fought against, strenuously.
Neither is Rod Paige, the author of this book, attacking teachers or even unions in general. What he is against is that in our present educational system, the unions have linked their identity as the classroom teachers when they are something apart from them even while representing them. The unions have not only tremendous political power to stifle reform, they also have often hand picked and gotten elected the board that is supposed to negotiate with the unions in setting the rules and signing the contracts. How can this be good? And if the kids aren't learning, what is the use of providing jobs for the teachers in the first place? It would be similar to create a car factory that could not build proper cars, but all the energy went into issues surround those building the cars (that weren't being built well) instead of facing squarely why the cars were coming off the line in such poor condition. Obviously, in the real world such a company would face competition and, if it couldn't fix its problems, would simply go out of business. However, for some reason we feel we cannot allow competition to improve the quality of education our children receive. This craziness isn't the fault of the teachers, but of the system that empowers the unions to block meaningful reform and competition.
This is an excellent book that should be read by everyone interested in the power of the teacher's unions and how they behave in preventing meaningful change or even experimentation in trying to find a better way for educating our children.
Let me say again, I am PRO TEACHER. I think they need to be paid fairly. However, we have school systems to educate OUR children. They do not belong to society. They belong to us. We pay the tax dollars that fund the schools. We should have almost complete say in how our school systems are run, how they are funded, and the curriculum taught. Yet, we do not. This book can help you understand who has that power, how they got it, and why we can't seem to get it back. The author points out that when people are crying out for more funding, as they always do, they are really saying they are out of meaningful ideas. Money never fixes anything. That is true.
Here is a little thought experiment. People say we need to pay teachers more to get improvement by getting the best teachers. But when we raise teacher pay, do we get rid of the existing teachers and hire in new and better teachers at the new higher pay? Of course not! We just pay the existing people more. How does that get us better teachers? If you go to McDonalds and pay $2 more for a Big Mac, does it become a better hamburger? No. It is exactly the same. It doesn't change simply because you pay more for it. You would need to go to a place that serves better hamburgers at the higher price to get a better burger.
As long as the same people occupy their places they are not going to improve over increased salaries. There may be things we can do with infrastructure that can help. But simply stuffing the teachers' pockets or hiring more administrators (heaven forfend) will not educate our children more effectively.
The idea that we exist simply to provide tax dollars and do the bidding of the present education establishment while they make all the decisions about curriculum and get their advantages made into laws further disenfranchising those who should be in control of the school districts is obscene to me. But you will have to decide for yourself. This book can present you with great information about the present situation.
Books:
- The Complete Visual Dictionary of Star Wars: The Ultimate Guide to Characters and Creatures from the Entire Star Wars Saga
- The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason
- The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine
- The Face of Battle: A Study of Agincourt, Waterloo, and the Somme
- The Iliad (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
- The Illustrated Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era
- The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour
- The Leadership Lessons of the U.S. Navy SEALS : Battle-Tested Strategies for Creating Successful Organizations and Inspiring Extraordinary Results
- The Mortarmen
- The Origins of FBI Counterintelligence (Modern War Studies)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
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- Counter Culture: The Allure of Mini-Mannequins
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- The Big Book of Ford Tractors: The Complete Model-by-Model Encyclopedia...Plus Classic Toys, Brochur
- The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos is Designed for Discovery
- Business Dynamics: Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World with CD-ROM
- A Place of Execution
- The Art of French Country Living
- The Architecture of Ralph Adams Cram and His Office
- Genetic Analysis of Pathogenic Bacteria: A Laboratory Manual
I Am the Messenger
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)
Suite Francaise
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party
