Mugglenet.Com's What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7: Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Falls in Love and How Will the Adventure Finally End

Book Description

As anticipation of the final Harry Potter book intensifies, a debate is raging among fans about what’s in store for Harry and the rest of the gang at Hogwart's. In this book, the experts at MuggleNet.com present a wide range of hard facts and bold predictions about the most popular storylines, favorite characters, and final outcome of the Harry Potter saga. Drawing on their intimate knowledge of the previous six books, as well as tips and suggestions made by millions of MuggleNet.com fans (not to mention a personal interview with J.K. Rowling), the authors offer answers to the burning questions of Harry Potter readers everywhere: Will Hogwart's School be open for Harry’s final year and will Harry even be in attendance? Will Harry’s quest for the remaining Horcruxes be rewarded? Where do Severus Snape’s true loyalties lie? And, most importantly, will Harry survive the final battle with Lord Voldemort?

Customer Reviews:

The right and wrong answers.......2007-09-03

Though admittedly few people see much point in reading this book now that the final istalment of Harry Potter has already been read and is now safely tucked in our book-shelves, I beg to differ. I read Deathly Hallows before reading this book, and so knew all the answers to (most) questions, what drove me to buy the book was my uncontrollable curiosity. Being a fan of the website, I thought I'd help them out by buying the book, but what intrested me the most was the arguments. I don't care whether they guessed right or wrong, but how they came to those conclusions! 9/10 times the right answer doesn't matter, as long as you can back it up with sound reason and judgment, which is why I liked this book, and would still recommend it.

No point in buying it now.......2007-08-30

Not only were the predictions incorrect, Now that book 7 is out who would want to read this?

Must Read!!.......2007-08-27

After reading the final installment of Harry Potter I would def. say this a must read. First, it is a quick summary and primer of important info in the past six books. Plus, unless you are super obsessed or a literary genius there are bound to be a few things you learn in the book.

very pratical.......2007-08-23

it really does help to understand some questions you could have or did not
remember why this is there. Good to have before reading Vol.7

Well Researched Book.......2007-07-31

I bought this book just before Book 7 came out and really enjoyed it. While many of the assumptions in this book turned out to be false once I had read Book 7, it was nonetheless a well-researched book. The arguments for each stance they took - both pro and con - were plausible and quite believable and convincing. You could tell the authors had done their homework and really knew the world of Harry Potter. I think I may go back and read it again now that I know what really happens to see where they were spoton and where their ideas missed the mark. In any case, it is a great resource whether you have been a Harry Potter fan or are just discovering his world.

Catherine, Called Birdy (rpkg) (Trophy Newbery)

Average customer rating:

Quite the entertaining read
For the young an dyoung at heart
Catherine, Called Birdy
As I recall...
Catherine Called Birdy - - Bad or Good????

Catherine, Called Birdy (rpkg) (Trophy Newbery)
Karen Cushman
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064405842
Release Date: 2020-01-01

Book Description

"Corpus Bones! I utterly loathe my life."

Catherine feels trapped. Her father is determined to marry her off to arich man--any rich man, no matter how awful.

But by wit, trickery, and luck, Catherine manages to send several would-be husbands packing. Then a shaggy-bearded suitor from the north comes to call--by far the oldest, ugliest, most revolting suitor of them all.

Unfortunately, he is also the richest.

Can a sharp-tongued, high-spirited, clever young maiden with a mind of her own actually lose the battle against an ill-mannered, piglike lord and an unimaginative, greedy toad of a father?

Deus! Not if Catherine has anything to say about it!

Catherine feels trapped. Her father is determined to marry her off to a rich man--any rich man, no mater how awful.
But by wit, trickery, and luck, Catherine manages to send several would-be husbands packing. Then a shaggy-bearded suitor from the north comes to call--by far the oldest, ugliest, most revolting suitor of them all.
Unfortunately, he is also the richest.
Can a sharp-tongued, high-spirited, clever young maiden with a mind of her own actualy lose the battle against an ill-mannared, piglike lord and an unimaginative, greedy toad of a father?
Deus! Not if Catherine has anything to say about it!

Customer Reviews:

Quite the entertaining read.......2007-10-08

Karen Cushman has written a delightful literary work for young adults, providing a small and oftimes irreverent (but mostly true) glimpse of the Middle Ages. The protagonist, fourteen-year-old Catherine (nicknamed "Birdy" by her family members"), writes a chronicle of her day-to-day life in the year 1290, initially intending it solely for her adored brother Edward's eyes. Birdy writes of her daily activities (especially the loathed art of needlework), her family troubles (among which include her overbearing, abusive father and her gentle mother, who often gets with child only to miscarry), and her keen observations of the bawdy goings-on within the peasantry surrounding her father's manor.
Spirited and independent in a way that far decries the usual attitude of the women of the time, Birdy fights a constant battle with her "beast of a father" over the endless stream of suitors he sends her way in an attempt to marry her off and make a bit of money in the process. She manages to outwit several of them and send them packing--one of the most memorable incidents includes putting mouse-bones in her hair, blackening her teeth, and talking gibberish at the dinner table--but at last her father seems to have procured the most loathsome, leech-like suitor of them all, a man who is never named, but whom Birdy simply refers to as "Shaggy Beard." None of Birdy's brilliant attempts at scaring off this suitor seem to work. As the wedding day draws slowly nearer, Birdy becomes increasingly desperate, a feeling remarkably and painfully tangible in her writing as the novel nears its sweet and satisfying finish.
At times heartrendingly accurate and sincerely honest, at times laugh-out-loud funny, Birdy's "diary" is a wonderful way for young adults to immerse themselves in the rich history of the Middle Ages. The few sexual references Birdy makes are purely observatory, largely comical and tongue-in-cheek, not at all a cause for concern among parents, and while these references are humorously obvious to the older spectrum of young adult readers, much younger readers might not even make a connection.
All in all, it's definitely worth a read. Even when afflicted with a pounding headache, I couldn't put it down. I can only imagine the appeal it might have to a reader much younger than myself.

For the young an dyoung at heart.......2007-09-29

This diary of a 14-year-old in 13th century England reads smoothly and believably, not an easy task when trying to recreate the inner thoughts of a young adult from a strange culture. Ms. Cushman writes so that a young adult can empathize with with Birdy, and an older adult can remember their own angst at a similar age. (Humorously for me. I broke out laughing in several places.)

Catherine, Called Birdy.......2007-09-02

This lively tale, told from the point of view of a young girl named Catherine, is a diary format that will appeal to many readers. I tend to think that girls will enjoy this story more than boys, due to the main character being a girl. Set in the, "Year of our Lord 1290" we can follow the daily life and times of Catherine, who is of middle wealth in old England. Students who are studying about this time period would be greatly attracted to this novel. It is easy to read and has many stories that bring to life what it might have been like for a young girl at this time period. Catherine is outspoken (often slapped and sent to her room), energetic (dresses up like a villager to play in the mud), daring (walks on foot for 2 days to reach her cousin George's home in York), caring (uses her last money to buy a bear to keep it from being slaughtered), loves to read and paint, eccentric (keeps 10 birds in her room for the company), and most of all, bound and determined to not be married off due to the whim and greed of her father. She may not be an average girl of the times, but as the readers, we certainly get an authentic feel for the times. While reading this story, I was often dismayed by the food descriptions; swan's neck pudding and eel pie! A good comparison activity of how different foods are acceptable to different people at different times. I enjoyed Catherine's relationship with all the characters in the story, and learned at a lot about a country manor and how it was run in 1290. Catherine is ingenious in developing ways to run off prospective suitors, in the end, her trap becomes her savior. The man she was supposed to marry dies, and she is instead given to the son, who has the strange habit of reading and bathing with regular frequency. That which she was avoided all through the book becomes her best way of escaping her father, and growing to live her own life with a man who may just accept her for herself.

As I recall..........2007-08-27

I had to read this in 3rd or 4th grade. I recall finding it rather boring. I struggled through it. Perhaps I would enjoy it more now.

Catherine Called Birdy - - Bad or Good????.......2007-05-23

ok, this book is good AND bad. Birdy (Catherine) is a brat living in Mid evil England. She is very much a tomboy. Her Father, referred to often as The "Beast" is determined to marry her off to the "highest bidder" With her quick thinking she manages to get rid of most of the suitors. However, the one she cannot get rid of is the worst by far. I don't want to give it away, but Birdy makes a heart breaking decision to save a bear, which is stupid in my opinion.

This book is written in journal form. It includes the dates of saints. It also tells a lot of mid evil medicine. The over all plot is pretty good, because it explains the life and perils of the average teenager living in the 13th century. However, it is a bit exaggerated. Girls in that time would not fart, spit, burp, or be allowed to ask questions and say things like wanting to be in a crusade. Also, she would be in big trouble for lighting a suitor on fire, because in the book she is merely spoken to. I recommend this book for kids about 12 years old. If your much older it'll seem stupid (trust me!!!!) and much younger it won't make much sense. (trust me!!!!) Overall, though it was o.k., I'd have to say it was more bad than good.

Trial And Triumph: Stories From Church History

Average customer rating:

Biased hagiography
An Excellent Beginning to Church History
Best kids' church history book available
Very interesting and well written
book

Trial And Triumph: Stories From Church History
Richard M. Hannula
Manufacturer: Canon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1885767544

Book Description

Family stories are so important, and stories from our Church-family may be even more so. In this collection of brief biographies, Hannula sketches the stirring trials and triumphs of many famous and lesser known fathers and mothers of our faith-including Augustine, Charlemagne, Anselm, Luther, Bunyan, and C.S. Lewis. Written for ages 5-12.

Customer Reviews:

Biased hagiography.......2007-09-05

I'm not sure that there's a time or a place for hagiography. Anyone other than a Christian from a reformed tradition will have difficulty with the biographies here. In general they fail to show the full human-ness of the subjects -- tho' the specifically Catholic or liturgical traditions are, if not condemned outright then certainly have a disapproving eye cast upon them. This work, like others of this kind, fail dismally in that they sanitize the lives of real, sinful human beings -- a standard even the Bible does not aspire to. Yes, many of these Christians have served God faithfully -- but in many more cases God has worked in spite of their failings -- some of which count among the serious sins -- abuse of fellow creatures, adultery etc. To set these people up as some kind of standard to which all Christians should aspire is a real problem, especially when the whole story is not presented. Frankly I find it much more inspiring to know that God can work through little old me, in spite of my many sins and failings. Faithfulness in the midst of sometimes significant short-comings is a much more realistic and holy goal. I bought this book as part of our homeschooling program, but I shall re-sell it. I'm not about to subject my children to these misleading stories.

An Excellent Beginning to Church History.......2007-01-07

Many people have a bias against history, thinking it is either boring or that it has no application and value for the modern time. As a result, many people of the past and their contributions to what we are now are never known. This book can change that. Its well written and engaging style warmly introduces the reader to many important people in Christian history, giving a brief summary of the lives of 46 Christian men and women, beginning with Polycarp down to the modern time ending with Richard Wurmbrand. We've been reading a chapter a week in our church's Wednesday night studies to a mixed crowd of adults and children. I think it says something of the author's ability to communicate when both adults and children say that have been blessed and inspired by the witness of these saints as Hannula tells their stories.

Best kids' church history book available.......2006-09-25

Very informative and wonderfully written stories of the heroes of the Christian faith. Riveting and inspiring! I've used this with my own children, in teaching Sunday School and in my 4th grade class. It's always the preferred book, even when reading from several other sources. Every Christian should read this book.

Very interesting and well written.......2006-05-13

We have used this book in our home school studies of the Middle Ages, and have loved it. The author makes the history come alive with his wonderful writing style and interesting information. We have used it alongside other books that sometimes discuss the same people in history, and this one is by far the most interesting narrative. I love it, as do my 5th and 2nd grader. We use it as a read aloud, but an older student could easily tackle it as a reader.

book.......2005-07-20

It was very interesting and informative. It gave us a view of what people go through to stay faithful to their belief in God

Up & Down New York (New York Bound Books)

Average customer rating:

Delightful
Irresistable
A Jazz Age portfolio of the Big Apple
Classic New York at it's finest

Up & Down New York (New York Bound Books)
Tony Sarg
Manufacturer: Universe
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Travel | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0789315483
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Book Description

Originally published in 1926, Up & Down New York is an imaginative, charming, quirky, and delightful period piece-but it is also timeless. This facsimile edition of the nostalgic classic reproduces Sarg's delightful illustrations of the dynamic and vibrant streets and famous places in New York. The surprise is in finding how much remains the same in many New York neighborhoods after 80 years, including Grand Central Station, Times Square, The American Museum of Natural History, City Hall, the Stock Exchange, the Great White Way (Broadway), the shuttle in the subway-not to mention the busyness and vibrancy that characterizes the city. The places that do not exist anymore, including the aquarium at the Battery and Washington Market, give us a glimpse of New York in its first heyday. This new edition of Tony Sarg's Up & Down New York will appeal to kids of all ages, to designers, illustrators, and book collectors, as well as anyone interested in New York or 1920s-era drawings.

Customer Reviews:

Delightful.......2007-08-16

I love New York and this amazing collection of late 1920's illustrations reinforces my rapture. Sarg not only captures the architecture of some great landmarks, but also infuses them with vibrancy by populating the scenes with human vignettes out of Breughel, or Where's Waldo if you prefer.

I find the material dazzlingly contemporary, but believe it makes a tremendous gift for parents or grandparents who can use these images to bond with their progeny.

It's fun to view the citizens on the streets in their jackets and ties as a picture of the past; and elders will have a grand time pointing out the way things were (as in "that's the old look of the Museum of Natural History" or "I remember the Metropolitan Museum when the knights in armor were in the main hall."

Get it or give it. It's grand and at a bargain price.

Irresistable.......2007-07-14

Every time I pick this book up I am drawn into a NYC gone-by that feels so much like the NYC of today. I love to get lost in its world.

A Jazz Age portfolio of the Big Apple.......2007-07-05

This attractive book packages a compendium of Tony Sarg's humorous, bird's-eye perspectives of 1920's New York. Each page of the oversized volume yields the Where's Waldo variety of delights for people watching, but also beautiful architectural renderings of the city's most famous historic landmarks.

But how much money do you want to pay for what amounts to 23 full page prints (and a couple of pages of studies)? There's the (charcoal) rub... but I suggest that if you think of this volume as a bound portfolio, it is worth every cent.

Classic New York at it's finest.......2007-05-13

If you love this town, you'll love this book!

Art Fraud Detective: Spot the Difference, Solve the Crime!

Average customer rating:

fun problem solving puzzle to introduce art to kids
Art without the "awwww Mom"
Art Fraud Detective
Art with a twist
Mystery lovers will love this book

Art Fraud Detective: Spot the Difference, Solve the Crime!
Anna Nilsen
Manufacturer: Kingfisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0753453088

Book Description

The Museum of Art has a big problem. Some of the museum's priceless masterpieces have been stolen and replaced by cunning forgeries! Are your eyes sharp enough to spot the differences between the fake and the real Rousseau? Hone your detective skills and find the tell-tale clues that will help the police track down the master forgers, and bring back the missing masterpieces. This one-of-a-kind book combines a mystery story, fun spot-the-difference puzzles, and a fantastic introduction to some of the world's greatest art. Guaranteed to enthrall children of all ages, Art Fraud Detective includes historical information on each painting, tips on the techniques of the Old Masters, and a glossary of art terms. Features art by: Rembrandt; Constable; Monet; Picasso; Raphael; Van Gogh; and more!

Customer Reviews:

fun problem solving puzzle to introduce art to kids.......2007-04-09

This book was a lot of fun for my son and I. Readers are told that four gangs of forgers have replaced most of an art museum's paintings, and only we can help figure out which are real and which are forged. Using a magnifying glass, you compare 8" by 5" four color paintings to 4" by 4" originals, looking for changes (such as missing items or objects with different coloration). This allows you to fill in a chart which allows you to deduce the forgers, the snitch and the unchanged paintings, thereby saving the museum. 34 painintgs are here, by Van Eyck, Piero, Uccello, Botticelli, Raphael, Leonardo, Gossaert, Massys, Holbein, Marinus, Brueghel, Avercamp, Brugghen, Rembrandt, Steenwyck, Velde, Hooch, Vermeer, Chardin, Perronneau, Gainsborough, Turner, Constable, Watteau, Os, Delaroche, Ingres, Morisot, Degas, Monet, Rousseau, Seurat, Van Gogh and Picasso. Each painting is accompanied by a couple of paragraphs about the artist and the painting. We both enjoyed finding the mistakes, filling out the chart and solving the puzzle; the game also stimulated a discussion of painting and artists. It took us a few sessions to solve everything, but it was enjoyable time. I would buy other books by this author.

Art without the "awwww Mom".......2006-11-10

I have found that this book sets the stage for helping children to really look at art. The "fraud puzzle" presented in the book makes the children really spot unique techniques of the artists in several different styles. They are able to see what makes one style of art unique from others over the centuries as styles changed.

Art Fraud Detective.......2006-02-26

I bought this book for my very bright 10 year old granddaughter's birthday. My friend who is a librarian had bought it for her 12 year old niece and said she loved it and has asked if there are anymore in the series which there are. My daughter taped the answer pages together so she couldn't look at the answers and says that my granddaughter can't put it down. She loves it and I am willing to bet she will ask for the next in the series when she finishes Art Fraud Detective. This book is a great way to foster interest in art and artists.

Art with a twist.......2006-02-21

This book is a great way to familiarize children (and adults) with some of the greatest artists in history. Searching for clues as to whether or not each masterpiece is a fraud causes one to closely study the pieces in great detail. My daughters love looking at the art and doing the detective work. They usually want to go through several pieces each time we pull this book out. I highly recommend it to people of all ages!

Mystery lovers will love this book.......2006-01-31

My seven-year-old son says that he wished it were more entertaining. I guess I feel somewhat disappointed that he races through to detect clues to determine the frauds without reading the artist write-ups. But it's a good introduction to art history and appreciation and it certainly captivates those who love to read mysteries.

A History of US: Book 6: War, Terrible War 1855-1865 (History of Us, 6)

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Book!
The History of US series gets the story of the Civil War
The History of US series gets the story of the Civil War
Horn Book couldn't be more wrong
War Terrible War

A History of US: Book 6: War, Terrible War 1855-1865 (History of Us, 6)
Joy Hakim
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0195153294

Book Description

Riveting, moving, and impossible to put down, War, Terrible War takes us into the heart of the Civil War, from the battle of Manassas to the battle of Gettysburg and on to the South's surrender at Appomattox Court House. Follow the common soldiers in blue and gray as they endure long marches, freezing winter camps, and the bloodiest battles ever fought on American soil. Off the war fields, War, Terrible War captures the passion and commitment of abolitionists and slaveowners alike in their fiery debates throughout the land. With profiles of Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, John Brown, Harriet Tubman, Jefferson Davis, soldiers on both sides, slave owners, abolitionists, average citizens, and others, War, Terrible War is the compelling story of a people affected by the horrors of war during this tragic and dramatic period in A History of US.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Book!.......2007-04-20

We used this book as a supplement to Ken Burns Civil War DVD set (which is wonderful). They follow each other nicely! This has become a valuable part of our homeschool classroom. Well laid out, easy to read and understand.

The History of US series gets the story of the Civil War.......2003-08-04

"War, Terrible War: 1855-1865," the sixth volume in Joy Hakim's A History of US series, tells the story of the Civil War, although the author points out that there was nothing civil about it. Instead, Hakim favors Lincoln's notion that the purpose of the war was to give the nation a "new birth of freedom." Within these pages young readers will learn about the bloody conflict, beginning with Fort Sumter and the battle of Manassas to Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House and the assassination of President Lincoln.

However, I have to admit I was a bit distracted because while I understood 1865 was the year the Civil War ended I was not sure what 1855 was supposed to signify as a starting point. The previous volume in the series, "Liberty for All?" set up the slavery issue and created some overlap in covering the years 1820-1860. But why the year 1855? The Compromise of 1850 was in 1850, Harriet Beecher Stowe published "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in 1852, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was in 1854, the Dred Scott decision in 1857, the Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858, and John Brown's attack on Harpers Ferry in 1859. Off the top of my head I would say that the Republican Party might have been founded in 1855, since they put up their first candidate in 1856, but that is not mentioned in this volume.

In fact, after a preface that sets the stage for the Civil War by recalling the infamous dinner in 1830 when President Andrew Jackson and his Vice President John C. Calhoun quarreled over the issue of Union, the first chapter of this book is devoted Southern states leaving the Union after Lincoln's election in 1860. The war begins in the second chapter with the Confederates firing on Fort Sumter and the battle of First Manassas (note Hakim lets the winning side name the battle). Then Hakim goes back in time to Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin," the story of Harriet Tubman, and the mythological political career of Abraham Lincoln. Chronology continues to become a secondary consideration as Hakim devotes a chapter to Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy, before looking at the slavery issue and the story of John Brown. Only after establishing Lincoln's problem in trying to hold the Union together does Hakim return to a chronological account of the major campaigns and battles. But never a mention of why 1855 is the starting point for the volume.

That is a minor concern, because I prefer a solid argumentative structure to mere chronology. Consequently "War, Terrible War" can be seen as having four distinct sections. The first (Chapters 1-2), establishes the spark that started the Civil War. The second (Chapters 3-10) goes back and provides key background elements that will help young readers to understand the issues and personalities that are played out in this particular drama. The third (Chapters 11-25) covers the Civil War through the Battle of Gettysburg and includes both the Emancipation Proclamation that made this a war to free the slaves and the Gettysburg Address that reestablished the idea that "all men are created equal" as the supreme American principle. The final unit (Chapters 26-31) covers the end of the war and the brutal irony of Lincoln's assassination once the threat to the Union was ended.

Throughout the book Hakim not only relates events, she captures the passion and commitment of abolitionists and slave owners through a series of profiles of politicians and soldiers on both sides, slave owners, abolitionists, average citizens, and others. These books are richly illustrated with historic photographs, etchings, political cartoons, maps, and the like. The margins are crammed with definitions and mini-biographies, as well as quotations from both historic figures and contemporary historians. As always, the major strength of this series is that Hakim keeps her young audience first and foremost in mind. Constantly asking her readers to think about these events from the perspective of the participants, she also does a marvelous job of anticipating questions from them as well. For example, if anyone has seen the Ken Burns documentary on "The Civil War" or the film "Gettysburg" and is wondering why Hakim does not talk about Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, there is a note in the margins to check out the book "The Killer Angels."

If there is a better juvenile American history series out there for young students who are being home schooled, then I have yet to see it. This is a superb series that does an admirable job of adapting a wealth of information and historical details to its audience. Hakim knows that her readers have grown up on computers and the Internet, but she does not sacrifice her subject matter on the altar of stylish presentation.

The History of US series gets the story of the Civil War.......2003-08-04

Horn Book couldn't be more wrong.......2002-02-17

Both my sons are reluctant readers, and I've never seen them respond to books like they have to War, Terribe, War. I've read them too, and it's the most engaging, honest, and informative history of the Civil War I've ever encountered. Horn Book (above) says the pictures are "gruesome"--wasn't the Civil War gruesome? When are these educators going to realize that kids are far more saavy and capable of thinking about tough issues than they think? That's why my children are usually so reluctant to read. Hakim treats them with respect and the results are amazing. As for the writing not being clear and true, did the reviewer even read the book? I can't believe they did if that's what they're saying. I highly recommend this book to curious readers of all ages. We're going to order all the other History of US books.

War Terrible War.......2000-04-24

I have been teaching American History for the last five years. In my experience, I have found the History of US series by Joy Hakim, to be a great supplemental resource to educational textbooks and curriculum. In particular, I have found War Terrible War to be one of the finest books of the series. I highly recommend this book and series to students, parents, and people who enjoy history.

Of Beetles and Angels: A Boy's Remarkable Journey from a Refugee Camp to Harvard

Average customer rating:

review by amanda g
eye opening
An Inspiring Memoir of the American Dream
Heart warming and inspiring
Miracles in many forms

Of Beetles and Angels: A Boy's Remarkable Journey from a Refugee Camp to Harvard
Mawi Asgedom
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0316826200

Book Description

Originally self-published in hardcover in 2000, this acclaimed memoir is now in a revised paperback edition, complete with 14 black and white photographs and a new epilogue. Here is an unforgettable true story of a young boy's remarkable journey from a refugee camp in Sudan to an affluent Chicago suburb where his family survives on welfare.Following his father's advice to "treat all people - even the most unsightly beetles - as though they were angels sent from heaven," Mawi Asgedom overcomes racial prejudice, language barriers, and financial disadvantage, eventually realizing his dream of a full-tuition scholarship to Harvard University. Of Beetles and Angels is a compelling survival story sure to inspire readers of all ages and backgrounds.

Customer Reviews:

review by amanda g.......2006-12-13

Scared for your life in the midst of a civil war. Then put into a Sudanese refugee camp, disconnected from your father but left with your terrified mother and siblings. After a while, you are reunited with your father, and your entire family is together. Then in America, where you must start over in an alien place, where you get most of your possessions from dumpsters. This was the childhood experience that Mawi Asgedom underwent.
The book "Of Beetles & Angels" shows the extraordinary experiences throughout Mawi Asgedom's young life, which led him to America and to graduate from Harvard University. His amazing story shows the hardships, as well as the joyful occasions, as he discovers American culture and starts an American life. I thoroughly enjoyed his book and believe that I caught a glimpse at just how hard his childhood was.
The chapters within the book are separated into different stories and times of Mawi's life. This way, the reader truly gets to see how wonderful and cruel our country can be to those who are starting over in a new place, and how Mawi and his family start in a new and foreign place. The book also shows Mawi's experiences viewing racism, biased brutality, and what it is like to be noticeably different from most others around you. " Most of our classmates treated us nicely, others ignored us, and the rest -- well, we could only wish that they would ignore us. We may not have understood their words, but we always understood the meaning behind their laughter. `African boodie-scratcher! Scratch that boodie!' `Black donkey! You're so ugly!' `Why don't you go back to Africa where you came from?' We were just two, and they were often many. But they had grown up in a wealthy American suburb, and we had grown up in a Sudanese refugee camp. We were accustomed to fighting almost daily, using sticks, stones, wood chips, and whatever else we could get our hands on. So it was usually no contest, especially when the two of us double-teamed them, as we had done so many times in Sudan. The cruelty of brutal beatings and the name calling left Mawi and his older brother scared and unsure about their new found home America.
Mawi Asgedom's parents dreamed that their children would do well in school. The primary values that they taught their kids were that education was most important, knowledge was power, and that if all of the children within their family studied hard, they could earn scholarships and become smart and powerful leaders within their new country. Mawi kept his parents' values close and fulfilled them all. "I graduated from Harvard one year ago and have since thought much about my parents' dream. By earning my scholarship and graduating, I have fulfilled it. But along the way, I have found greater value in other dreams. And while Harvard University taught me well, my true education has come from less-likely sources. As I look back to the angels, the Charlenes and the Beth Raneys; as I look back to God's servants, dressed as beggrs and as beetles; as I look back to my inspirations, to the Mamas and Tewoldes, I see true guidance staring back at me. True power comes from focusing on what we can give, not what we can take." Mawi learned so much throughout his life and not only made his parents' dreams come true, but also made his own dreams come true.
This book, with all of its extraordinary detail and description, probably cannot entirely summarize all of the struggles, hardships, and rewards Mawi and his family endured from their journey to America and once in America. However, throughout the pages and dialogue of the story "Of Beetles & Angels", the book does an exceptional job of showing how unique Mawi Asgedom's life was as a child. I absolutely recommend this book.

eye opening.......2006-07-11

Beginning in 2001 I worked with two refugee families from Liberia. I wish I had read this book first, because it would have helped me to understand better the sorts of things these families might have experienced before they arrived in our country. While experiences of war, persecution and homelessness vary among people arriving in the USA, the feeling of confusion (even when you speak English, like 'my' families did) and dependence mixed with utter relief of finally getting here seem to be common among all. "My" families knew basic things, but our housing, food and school systems were totally overwhelming even for these educated people. And the police, which we're taught to depend upon, strike fear into every refugee I've ever met. Most of them have had bad experiences with police.
So when I read this book I could relate to some things, I cried over others, and I put others in the back of my mind to remember for when I'm working again with refugee immigrants, especially in these days of heated debates about immigrants.
Personally I think this book should be a must-read in every high school curriculum and for every teacher, not only because it's such a compelling story, but it helps us to see others through another lens and it is ultimately a story of hope.
From a strictly literature point of view there are better books out there, but this one tugs at the heart. And it's also a fast read if you want it to be.

An Inspiring Memoir of the American Dream .......2005-10-23

Of Beetles and Angles is the remarkable non-fiction account of Mawi Asgedom's jouney as an African war refugee to America and the obstacles that he and his family had to overcome. In his own words he describes his inspiring transformation into a man with traditional values and principles mixed in with the demands of everyday life in a new society. Influenced by his older brother and father, Mawi sets out to experience the American dream and more importantly, look upon each and every person as angels sent to test the will of our hearts.

Heart warming and inspiring.......2005-08-11

I won't take a lot of space stating what the book is about. Just get it and read it, everyone from middle school through adults. You'll be glad you did.

Miracles in many forms.......2005-01-24

This book told me one thing: everyone can be an angel. No matter in what form, that thing could be an angel.
From this story, a boy named Mawi was a refugee. His homeland had been involved in a war. His father decided the family would flee to Amerikha, as they called it. It was a place of peace, which was something that didnt exist in Eritrea, their homeland.
Many perils were made in America. Mawi needed to go to school, with his brothers and sister. He survived through prejudice and violence at school. His dream was to be welcomed with a scholarship into a special university. He worked very hard to achieve his goal.
How did it happen? Just read the book and find out!

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The Latino Experience in U.S. History

Manufacturer: Globe Fearon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0835906418

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Politically Correct Revisionist History
Loved it!
A perfect biography
An ideal introduction for young readers

The New Big Book Of U.S. Presidents
Todd Davis , and Marc Frey
Manufacturer: Courage Bks.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0762420294
Release Date: 2005-02-01

Book Description

Our original Big Book of U.S. Presidents has sold more than 200,000 copies! It was also a Scholastic Book Club Selection, and continues to be a perennial favorite in the $9.98 Courage Children's line. This updated edition features a revised profile of George W. Bush, plus a look ahead to our next president. In fact, it will be published less than 3 months after the 2004 election, close to inauguration, and will be one of the first books to feature a profile of the newest president. This fascinating introduction to U.S. government includes famous quotes, achievements, and a detailed timeline for quick reference to historical eras and events, plus more than 50 illustrations.

Full-color illustrations

Customer Reviews:

Politically Correct Revisionist History.......2007-01-14

This book, and it's companion, The New Big Book of America, are written from an extremely liberal and politically correct point of view. The authors bend over backwards to make the white colonists and Presidents appear as arrogant, indifferent, and overbearing in regards to everyone who is not a white male. Each President's page is around 50% about the President's actual achievements, and around 50% about the current Native American, Women's suffrage, and Civil Rights issues of the day.

These authors have an agenda, and it comes across very clear. If you want your child influenced by this politically correct revisionist history, then be sure to pick this one up.

Loved it!.......2007-01-11

This book is fantastic for students who like to have a nice overview and not be bogged down in too many details. I liked that there was a picture of each and every president (perfect for visual learners), a nice timeline throughout the book, and some other pictures of related events. I also liked how it was so up-to-date and not missing any major events in recent history. My 80+ grandmother, my 58 year old father, and I all found it very interesting. It is a book that you could pick up and learn something in just a few minutes. I bought it for my young children. I think it will be perfect for reports and helping them get a general understanding of American History and Government. I wish I would've had a book like this when I was in 4th grade learning about all the presidents for the first time.

A perfect biography.......2005-03-16

This book was great! I am a person who truly enjoyed this book. This book gives facts in an easy -to- find way. A person of any age- from a child to an adult would be able to read and enjoy this book. This book interested me to read more biographies on U.S. presidents. I, being a child when I read this, recommend it to everyone who likes non-fiction books.

An ideal introduction for young readers .......2005-03-04

President's Day is the annual holiday in which we honor all the men who have served in the highest political office our country has -- the Presidency of the United States of America. Now in a fully revised and updated edition to include George W. Bush, and with new artwork to enhance an informative text identifying each president in our country's history, young readers will encounter fun facts such as Thomas Jefferson's personal library of approximately 6,000 books was donated by him to create the Library of Congress. Ulysses S. Grant once received a speeding ticket on his horse! Rutherford B. Hayes' wife was the first "First Lady" to graduate from college. Franklin Roosevelt was the first president to appoint a woman (Frances Perkins) to serve in the cabinet. Featuring a timeline detailing the great inventions, literature, wars, and other historical contributions that shaped the lives and offices of these men, The New Big Book Of U.S. Presidents is an ideal introduction for young readers to the lives and accomplishments of these great men.

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I T CAME TO PASS
Repetition Galore
Warriors Don't Cry
"With All Deliberate Speed . . ."
Very good book

Warriors Don't Cry (Archway Paperback)
Melba Patillo Beals
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0671899007

Book Description

You've gotta learn to defend yourself. Never let your enemy know what you are feeling.
-- The soldier assigned to protect Melba

Please, God, let me learn how to stop being a warrior. Sometimes I just need to be a girl.
-- Melba's diary, on her sixteenth birthday

In 1957 Melba Pattillo turned sixteen. That was also the year she became a warrior on the front lines of a civil rights firestorm. Following the landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling, Brown v. Board Education, she was one of nine teenagers chosen to integrate Little Rock's Central High School. This is her remarkable story.

You will listen to the cruel taunts of her schoolmates and their parents. You will run with her from the threat of a lynch mob's rope. You will share her terror as she dodges lighted sticks of dynamite, and her pain as she washes away the acid sprayed into her eyes. But most of all you will share Melba's dignity and courage as she refuses to back down.

Customer Reviews:

I T CAME TO PASS.......2007-08-13

sO MUCH OUR RACE OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN THROUGH , AND THE BOOK TELLS A LOT OF THE TRIUMPHS WE WENT THROUGH, AND STILL SOME OF THOSE THINGS STILL ARE GOING ON TODAy. So the title it came to pass is the right title because god said in his word nothing but the rightous.

Repetition Galore.......2007-07-05

Melba Pattillo Beals' "Warriors Don't Cry" was amateur at best. While the purpose of the memoir is inspiring, Beals just appeared to be a broken record.

Upon reading other reviews, I thought this memoir was going to be heartbreaking and inspiring. Yet as I began to read, a pattern developed. The book dragged on and on yet there seemed to be no progression. I found myself void of emotion throughout the whole recount. Needless to say, this was a disappointment, and extremely poorly written.

Warriors Don't Cry.......2007-06-27

We are coming up on the 50th anniversary of the integration of Central High in Little Rock. This book is written by one of the courageous students who braved a racist mob to claim the equality and justice we are all promised in a democracy. The photographs of one student, Elizabeth Eckford, facing the abusive and threatening crowds became iconic, part of history and public memory. What is not as well known is what life was like for the nine students inside the school everyday. Everyday they were threatened, physically attacked, suffered abusive language and attitudes from the white, segregationist students. The author, Melba Patillo Beals, is an extraordinary writer, storyteller and she is blazingly honest. As a way of celebrating July 4th, read this book and give it to every young person over the age of 10 that you know.

"With All Deliberate Speed . . .".......2007-05-15

Melba Joy Pattillo Beals was at the heart of a vortex of history as one of the "Little Rock Nine" who integrated Arkansas' preeminent public school in 1957. In the wake of the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision, "Brown v. Board of Education," schools throughout the United States were ordered to integrate "with all deliberate speed."

Violent opposition to the integration of Central High led to the garrisoning of Little Rock by the 101st Airborne Division, the first (and thus far only) active-engagement use of Federal troops in the South since Reconstruction.

Ms. Beals (now a journalist) has a journalist's eye as she recalls her experiences at Central High that year. Drawing on her memories and on the copious and detailed diaries she kept, Ms. Beals puts us right into her well-shined saddle shoes, and right into the halls of Central.

At first glance, Melba Pattillo would have seemed to be the wrong sort of person to be on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement. At fifteen, she was a girl given to romantic daydreams, a girl seemingly perfectly content to listen to Buddy Holly on the radio while cuddling with her stuffed animal collection amidst her flouncy white comforter and matching pillows.

But deep inside, Melba Pattillo had a core of steel. Her mother held an advanced degree in Education, and her gentle, stern, and unyielding Grandmother India had an unshakeable faith both in God, and in Melba, a faith which she transmitted almost by osmosis to her granddaughter---"God's warriors don't cry, child."

If other members of Melba's family and community did not share these ideas, ideals, and values, at least they all understood that this remarkable young lady (and her eight fellow classmates) was doing something that needed to be done, something that portended a sea change in the world.

But for all the fine rhetoric, life at Central was a hell of crowded corridors, shadowy stairwells, and constant terror. From day one, avowed segregationists in the school, in the community, and in the government (including Governor Orval Faubus) tried to break the back of the integration by means foul and fouler. Adult members of Little Rock's White Citizens Council educated their charges at Central in the ways and means of torture.

Anyone stunned by the constant reports of current-day "violence in our schools" will be shattered by Ms. Beals' seemingly endless recitation of the horrors inflicted upon the Little Rock Nine in the halls of Central High. Being cursed at, spat upon, and called a "N****r" was nothing much; open threats with weapons, violent beatings and stompings, stabbings, scaldings with near-boiling hot water, dousings with unspeakable liquids, strangulations, attempts at immolation, and acid sprays in the eyes were commonplace. These were not just hurtful acts. They were often life-threatening, and the passivity (or even gleeful acquiescence) of most of the CHS school officials in the face of such ongoing abuse of these children put in their care is enough to enrage the reader.

The lack of direct adult interest in what the Little Rock Nine were going through is paralyzing to consider. Little was done to protect them, even by their supporters. The 101st was pulled out of Little Rock in a deal brokered by Beltway Bandits, and what was actually happening to the Little Rock Nine was abstract to the politicians. The price these nine black teens paid for our freedom is beyond valuation.

And if the constancy of the violence portrayed in the telling of the tale somewhat blunts the reader's emotions after a time, it is harder to feel blunted when Melba Beals talks about the wrenching changes that went on within herself. Her fame (or notoriety among segregationists) meant that her home became a fortress-prison from which she could rarely escape. Drive-by shootings and bomb threats kept most of the lifelong friends she had made among "our people" (as she calls the blacks in her community) far away, and she was not invited to parties and outings. Holidays passed without the usual gaggle of friends and relations. The sad retelling of her unattended Sweet Sixteen Party is a heartbreaking moment in time, and her sorrow still reaches across the years to touch the reader.

But there are the finer moments as well: Every day spent at Central is at the end a day of victory; her meetings with remarkable men such as Thurgood Marshall are treasured moments in her life; her gratitude to the brave men of the 101st Airborne and the task they undertook to uphold the law of the land just so a girl could go to school where she chose, is inspiring; her first few tentative friendships with some white Central High students gives us cause for hope. Melba Pattillo traded her childhood for adulthood too soon, and her innocence for a hard-honed survival instinct by force.

We live in a far different society today, and in part that is due to Melba Beals. We can thank whatever Spirit moves us that she was given the talent to write this incredible memoir. This is an essential read.

Very good book.......2007-03-30

I loved this book. It was very sad to hear about all the hardships that the 9 students had to endure to integrate Central High. I think it made them better people and I feel sorry that they had to go through those things. The description used by Melba Pattillo Beals was excellent and very useful when you were trying to get a feel for how they felt. You almost felt as if you were there with them and were going through the same things. I would definetly recommend this book to other readers. I would avise that the reader be a little bit older so that they can understand the things that the blacks were going through. Other than being a harsh book because of the things that needed to be describe it was an amazing book.

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