One Grain Of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale

Amazon.com

Exotic, beautiful, and instructive, this "mathematical folktale" by author-illustrator Demi emerged from her love of India. The narrative and the evocative illustrations combine to create a real sense of the culture and atmosphere of this romantic land.

It's the story of Rani, a clever girl who outsmarts a very selfish raja and saves her village. When offered a reward for a good deed, she asks only for one grain of rice, doubled each day for 30 days. Remember your math? That's lots of rice: enough to feed a village for a good long time--and to teach a greedy raja a lesson.

Book Description

A reward of one grain of rice doubles day by day into millions of grains of rice when a selfish raja is outwitted by a clever village girl.

Customer Reviews:

Great book for all ages, really!.......2006-12-29

I have purchased 5 copies of this book - one for my kids and the rest as gifts. I've also suggested it to others to give children as gifts. My older son is 2 1/2 years old and he enjoys this book. Certainly, I can expect an older child, around 5 or older, to get more of the mathematical detials from the book, but my son likes it too.

Instead of reading the numbers aloud, I show him that Rani shared the single grain of rice with this bird, 2 grains with that peacock.. the bagful of rice with the tiger... etc. He loves it. The illustrations are outstanding!! I always feel like I'm reading a book from the "royal" archives when I pick this up.

Enjoy!

A lot to learn, including girl-power.......2006-04-19

This is Demi's re-telling of an old folktale of a king who orders that all rice in his kingdom must be stored in the royal granaries so that there would be food in times of famine; but when his people start to go hungry, he refuses to open the granaries, claiming that the situation was not bad enough to warrant doing so - until a small child outsmarts him by asking for a grain of rice doubled every day for a month.

I love this book because there is a lot to be learned from it. Of course, there is the math: the concept of doubling and how quickly doubling makes the numbers grow. There is the art: lovely Indian-inspired illustrations with stunning gold effects. There are also moral lessons, namely that power can corrupt, and that even a small child can teach a mighty king.

Then, there is a special lesson for all little girls everywhere - that girls can do math. After all, the math-smart hero of the story is a little girl herself.

a tale to delight both young and old.......2005-11-02

My daughter is three and loves this book -- not just for the gorgeous fold-out illustrated spread of the caravan of elephants carrying the rice on the 30th day -- but because she can follow along with the story. The tale is of a rich greedy rajah who doesn't want to share, but is then outwitted by a young girl and forced to give up all the grain in his storehouses. At the end, he is humbled and vows to be a more fair and wise ruler. My daughter loves to sit with one grain of rice in her hand like Rani on the title page of the book. I can see her forming rudimentary mathematical concepts, but I won't push it. There's plenty of time to return to this book when we introduce the times tables.

The visual progression of the increasing volume of rice is shown by the variety of animals which deliver the daily ration. First, just a series of birds with grains of rice in their beaks. Then on to a leopard, a tiger, and a lion each carrying a small pouch in their mouths. By the sixteenth day, a goat is pulling a cart on which sits a bag of rice. On the twenty-fourth day, eight deer each bring her a basket strapped to their backs. And so on until the enormous procession of elephants! The last page of the book is a very useful table called "from one grain of rice to one billion" which shows the actual numerical progression. Demi outdid herself with this book, which any homeschooling family will find useful.

One grain of rice = many valuable lessons for students.......2005-08-29

One Grain of RIce is not only a book of math, it is also a folktale. It shows how rice can grow from one grain, to two grains,to four grains, to 8 grains to 16 grains and all the way up to a whole barn full of grain.
It also tells of how people were treated by the leaders of the country in which they lived. A very valuable lesson.

One Grain of Rice A Mathematical Folktale.......2004-10-18

The story One Grain of Rice A Mathematical Folktale, has a worthwhile theme, teaching morals and the importance of keeping one's promises. The book also touches on the need to plan for the future, as well as teaching a mathematical concept. The book tells the story of a village girl named Rani who outsmarts a raja; teaching him a valuable lesson in the process.
The illustrations are just as important as the text in telling and moving the story along. The drawings of Rani appear to move across the page--drawing the reader's eyes to follow her to the next page of the story. The book evokes the reader's curiosity and encourages him/her to predict the outcome of the story. The reader is touched on an emotional level with the introduction of the real-life situation of famine and one person's humanitarian solution to the problem.
From a mathematical viewpoint the story provides a base on which to build and expand one's knowledge of patterns and relationships; encouraging the use of algebraic thinking in order to solve the mathematical problem presented in the story. A problem I had with the story was that I felt the story was written at about a 1-4th grade level while the mathematical question it presented was more appropriate for a 6th grade classroom. The book dealt with this by including double-page fold outs that helped to illustrate to younger readers how the number of grains of rice were growing. My favorite aspect of the book was the use of the female character of Rani. The book showed that females are capable of understanding and in some cases outsmarting males when it comes to mathematical concepts and knowledge.
One Grain of Rice provides a multitude of opportunities for teachers and students to research and expand on details presented in the story. Students may want to explore the culture, art, and governments of other countries such as India. They may also want to learn about the different types of animals illustrated in the story, or discover where rice comes from and how it is grown. Teachers may want to expand the mathematical lesson further by giving his/her students the task of discovering how many people the rice Rani received as her reward would feed. The book One Grain of Rice A Mathematical Folktale would be a wonderful addition to any library or classroom.

Average customer rating:

little black sambo
Review of book purchase.
Important historically, but not delightful
Rembering the good old days
Noteworthy Because of its historical context

The Story of Little Black Sambo

Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0397300069

Book Description

The jolly and exciting tale of the little boy who lost his red coat and his blue trousers and his purple shoes but who was saved from the tigers to eat 169 pancakes for his supper, has been universally loved by generations of children. First written in 1899, the story has become a childhood classic and the authorized American edition with the original drawings by the author has sold hundreds of thousands of copies.

Little Black Sambo is a book that speaks the common language of all nations, and has added more to the joy of little children than perhaps any other story. They love to hear it again and again; to read it to themselves; to act it out in their play.

Customer Reviews:

little black sambo.......2007-09-16

check book dimensions. I was surprised at the size. My mother read this book as a child and has always wanted a copy. I knew of the controversy but had never seen the book myself. After buying it I was eager to see what the fuss was about. I don't get! Apparently it is the pictures which were not done buy a professional(in 1899). As for the name sambo, it was turned into a slur by some bigot and probably would have happened with any name chosen. I'm sure many will be offended when I say "get over it" you brought more attention to this "offense" than it ever would have gotten otherwise. EVERYONE has had an unflattering portrayal at sometime. Let it go. I thought it was a cute story.

Review of book purchase........2007-09-10

I was very pleased with my purchase - prompt and efficient service, reasonable price. I was a little surprised that the book was "mini" size and wished that had been indicated; but I liked it nevertheless. I would definitely purchase again.

Important historically, but not delightful.......2007-04-26

To me, it is not a matter of being offended or not. But if you can read this without any discomfort you need to review your history. Of course kids can like it, but they like throwing rocks at ducks too. What is disturbing to me is how anyone can be nostalgic for a colonial past. Sambo is very lovable, but that is the point. It paid to maintain that the 'primitive' races were childlike, endearingly innocent. This idea of a paternalistic love actually supported Western dominance. They were the 'white man's burden,' permanently in childlike relation to the West, incapable of self rule or living in a modern world. In exchange for being guided to civilization, their natural resources could be had for the superior races. The childlike, innocent native is cut from the same cloth as the threatening cannibal, or the easily scared servant, or the lazy slave. All of these stories came out of that system of beliefs. This is not an Indian folk tale, however clever and tricky Sambo is. This is not, as one reviewer writes, "A loving attempt to reach across the racial divide." The historical record contradicts this reading. Read just a line or two from the official reports written by colonial administrators like Helen Bannerman's husband. This kind of nostalgia erases the history of colonial rule. Maintaining divisions between a ruling class (British) and a subaltern class (colonial subjects) was the whole point of colonialism, of which this tale is a product.You and your children may find this character cute and cuddly, but stop and think about that. So are puppies. It is quite possible to love your mammy or your servant, just as you love your dog. (The mother in this tale is a direct relation of Aunt Jemima and her pancake mix, introduced at the Chicago World's Fair just two years previously) Exactly WHO is nostalgic for this past? I understand how remembering black slaves and coolies as 'happy darkies' is a lot less painful than actually remembering the truth. This was not a simpler time but one in which brutal subordination of a people was sanctioned by the state. If you miss that 'simpler time' I hope you don't live next door to me. My children would not be safe.

Rembering the good old days.......2007-03-09

My wife and I had this book when we were children. We are now in our late 60s.And often talked about this book. Didn't know we could still buy them. This was a great little book.Think every one should read this book. keep up the good work. Thanks

Noteworthy Because of its historical context.......2007-03-05

I recall Little Black Sambo from my childhood as well. My Aunt worked as a domestic for a Jewish household and they would give her their children's discarded playthings to take to her nephews. Little Black Sambo was among the offerings. I remember reading with fascination the story of this child and I knew nothing at the time of its racist connotations. Unfortunately, despite the denial of some of the prior reviewers, it cannot be ignored that this book might be considered offensive to some. Just like the black lawn jockeys that were so popular at one time, and the Aunt Jemima pancake box before they took the bandana off of her head, these icons represent post cival rights era reality. I supppose some of you see nothing wrong with the Little Rascal character Farina with the rags tied in his head, or Buckweat either. I would not advocate banning any of the aforementioned symbols, because I think they should be cherished as a sign of just how far we've come. I have mammy salt and pepper shakers, cookie jars, etc., because as a Black man in America, I want to remember and cherish the past. If I find the version of this book I had as child in which Sambo was jet black with white eyes and huge red lips, I'd add it to my collection in a heartbeat!

Tigers at Twilight (Magic Tree House, No. 19)

Average customer rating:

Good Book
MY BOY LOVES READING IT
Tigers at Twilight
read this one.
A Really Good Book

Tigers at Twilight (Magic Tree House, No. 19)
Mary Pope Osborne
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679890653
Release Date: 1999-08-17

Amazon.com

"This little dog is under a spell and needs your help. To free him, you must be given four special things:

A gift from a ship lost at sea,
A gift from the prairie blue,
A gift from a forest far away,
A gift from a kangaroo."

How would you feel if you found a note like this in your magic tree house? Eight-year-old Jack and his 7-year-old sister Annie love the funny, enchanted dog Teddy--and know they have no choice but to collect the gifts and break the mysterious spell. In Tigers at Twilight--the 19th adventure in award-winning author Mary Pope Osborne's popular Magic Tree House series--these brave, resourceful children have already found the first two gifts, and must find the third in "a forest far away." Knowing that the books in Morgan Le Fey's magic tree house have the power to transport them all over the world, they see their next destination on the cover of Wildlife of India. Once in the thick of the Indian jungle, it doesn't take them long to make friends with the monkeys, to see the huge gashes that tiger claws have made on the tree trunks, and to spot a python. This story is straight out of an episode of Wild Kingdom; the children spot animal after animal, with only a few close calls. When they find a rare tiger in a poacher's trap, however, the story turns around, and the children are eventually led to the third gift. A tribute to the disappearing tiger, and an animal-filled, action-focused adventure with plenty of cartoon-style illustrations, this slight book is sure to keep kids' attention. A generous layout combined with simple, short sentences promote quick reading that will build confidence in beginning readers. (Ages 4 to 8)

Book Description

Jack and Annie are whisked back in time to the jungle of India where they'll meet snakes and tigers and find ancient ruins.

Customer Reviews:

Good Book.......2007-06-11

I purchased this book in order to replace a damaged book and I had no problems with the transaction and the price was great.

MY BOY LOVES READING IT.......2007-01-07

My 1st grader hates to put it down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. In his kindergarten class the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not to give her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!

Tigers at Twilight.......2006-11-01

Magic Tree House: Tigers at Twilight # 19
by Mary Pope Osborne

Would you be excited if you had a tree house that could travel through time? That's what happens to 8 year-old Jack and 7 year-old Annie in the book Tigers at Twilight #19 by Mary Pope Osborne. So far this is the best book I read in the series because a tiger gets stuck in a bear trap and the kids try to rescue it. Then, the tiger is about to attack them, but I'm not saying any more. You should read the book to find out what happens.

Jared, 9
Cunniff School
Watertown, MA

read this one........2005-12-15

no one shuld read this book becuse I don`t like it so no one shuld. Do you want to know why? Becuse I read ALL the rest of them and they were good sooo if you want to read one don`t read this one.

A Really Good Book.......2005-03-20

Dear Reader,
Magic Treehouse Book #19 Tigers at Twilight is a really good book because Jack and Annie go to a forest in India with a dog named Teddy. This book is funny and scary!! I would recommend this book to kids that like all Magic Treehouse Books!
By, Jacob

The Story of Little Black Sambo (Wee Books for Wee Folk)

Average customer rating:

"The White Man's Burden"
Black Sambo lives forever
A Wonderful Story of a Loving Family
Racism starts in young
Childhood memories

The Story of Little Black Sambo (Wee Books for Wee Folk)
Helen Bannerman
Manufacturer: Applewood Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1557094144

Book Description

The classic story by Helen Banner man of a young Indian boy who meets up with a tiger and turns him into butter.

Customer Reviews:

"The White Man's Burden".......2007-04-26

This is not, as one reviewer writes, "A loving attempt to reach across the racial divide." Unfortunately the historical record contradicts this reading, and this kind of nostalgia for a 'simpler time' erases the history of colonial rule. Maintaining divisions between a ruling class (British) and a subaltern class (colonial subjects) was the whole point of colonialism. The story of a cute native is part and parcel of the same ideology that produces the story of the threatening savage, or the easily scared native. Even if he is clever. This idea supported Western dominance. You may find this character cute and cuddly, but stop and think about that. So are puppies. It paid to maintain that the 'primitive' races were refreshingly childlike, endearingly innocent, incapable of self rule or living in a modern world. They were the 'white man's burden,' and their natural resources could be had for the superior races. You would see this more clearly if you had a look at any of the official papers written by colonial administrators like Helen Bannerman's husband. All of these stories came out of that system of beliefs. Exactly WHO is nostalgic for this past? Certainly not Black and Brown descendants of a conquered people. This was not a simpler time but one in which brutal subordination of a people was sanctioned by the state. If you miss that 'simpler time' I hope you don't live next door to me. My children would not be safe.

Black Sambo lives forever.......2006-04-22

This is the best book my parents have ever read to me. I lauged when asked if black peoples lips are really that big. They told me yes but that Maxine Waters has the biggest. Well i don't know who he is but i think the writer meant to say waffles instead of pancakes at the end. Oh and the father didn't drink malt liquer so that's why i think this isn't a true story.

A Wonderful Story of a Loving Family.......2006-03-07

Bannerman, a white Scot living in India, wrote a children's fantasy about a young Black boy and his loving family. Negative attacks of this work reveal people who use the material as mirrors to guilty souls that live in irrational fear. Their solution to handle this state is empty appeasement and shallow references to stereotypical Black history. This ignores the rich heritage of "unpopularized" Black cultural artifacts. Authors of one race can write about characters of another without being racist. Racist symbols are picked from many non racist sources. The racist use of the word "Sambo" and the similarity of the illistrations to "Blackface" style is after the fact and unfortunate. The book "The Story of Little Black Sambo" is really a loving attempt to reach across a racial divide and can be used in a positive way today.

Racism starts in young.......2005-05-08

Whether Sambo is African, African American, or Indian, he still represents a colonized or enslaved people who are nearly always identified as childlike and ignorant. This was true for the Indians who were colonized by the British, the Africans enslaved by Europeans, and African Americans enslaved and held down by structural racism in America. And they continue to be portrayed like this main character. The problem with this book is that the racism is masked within a child's story, and is therefore entertaining. For those of you who don't see the harm in it, imagine reading a white counterpart in this story. What if the character were Polish? How would your reaction be different? It is perhaps easier now to see then that this story may be hurtful to some people? Other white counterparts of Sambo include the invariably inebriated Irishman or Scotsman, the ever questioning and unintelligent Swede, or the ever mob-affiliated Italian--all of which are extraordinarily offensive, though they have been lodged within various forms of entertainment for years such as movies and jokes. The fact that sometimes this book sells off the shelves is no surprise because most people don't understand the racial significance of this book and don't care to know (as seen in such reviews celebrating the greatness of this book). The privilege of calling ones preferences "not racist" comes with scrutinizing every aspect of things we like, and rooting out anything that is even in the slightest bit racist. If for you this book is a great book devoid of racism, well, you might want to think twice about thinking yourself as a progressive, unbiased person when it comes to race. If you're reading this book for any reason, it should be coupled with a class on racist ideology and how American culture is infused with it in the shape of seemingly benign forms of advertising and entertainment (i.e. Dairy Queen's "Moolatte", Aunt Jemima, etc). This is therefore not a children's book. For something a lot less offensive, that introduces your kids to other cultures, try Favorite African Folktales edited by Nelson Mandela.

Childhood memories.......2005-02-27

Little Black Sambo was one of my favorite stories as a first grader. My school was blown away by a tornado in 1942 and the my book with it. At 67, I still remember the tigers melting into butter. He was my hero. I ran a google search and was delighted to find it. I agree, " the truth is that the story is delightful, and depicts Sambo as a smart, inventive and perceptive young boy." It should not be offensive to anyone. It is a wonderful story for a 4 to 6 year old.

Average customer rating:

Be ready to wait for this item
A Clever boy
great
beautiful edition
Little Black Sambo with illustrations by Bing

The Story of Little Black Sambo
Helen Bannerman
Manufacturer: Handprint
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1929766556

Book Description

A remarkable celebration from the Caldecott Honor-winning artist!
A clever young boy outwits a band of voracious tigers and returns home in triumph to a splendid feast of a yard-high stack of pancakes. The story, penned by Helen Brodie Bannerman for her two daughters in 1889, has captured the imagination of readers around the world and across many generations. But the pictures which accompanied her text were crudely stereotypical and hurtful to many. Caldecott Honor-winning artist Christopher Bing has spent almost fifteen years rediscovering the joy and energy of the original story. He respects that Bannerman was writing in an Indian setting and with Indian animals-after all, there are no tigers in Africa-and faithfully adheres to the original text. However, recognizing that the image of Sambo has been used as a symbol of repression of Africans and African-Americans, Christopher Bing celebrates Sambo as proudly African, a child of beauty and joy, wit and resourcefulness.
In recreating the illusion of an antique, weathered, tiger-clawed storybook filled with exquisitely detailed paintings that draw upon a lush jungle-inspired palette, Christopher Bing s interpretation of Sambo s world seamlessly melds a grand sense of wonder with the minutiae of nature, and a story with history.

Customer Reviews:

Be ready to wait for this item.......2007-06-07

I ordered this item in December, it is now June ... be advised, you'll have to wait more than 1-3 months for this item.

A Clever boy.......2007-04-17

This book is beautifully made, and features a strong, clever boy of color who gets gifts from his parents, outwits the tigers, and feeds his family by his cleverness. I have liked every book Christopher Bing has worked on, and think this is one of the best. I am certain I do not want to perpetuate a stereotype or raise my children with any racism, but I do no think that this incarnation of the book does that.

great.......2007-01-12

My kids love it just like I did and it arrived quickly and in good condition.

beautiful edition.......2006-03-17

gorgeous illustrations and great font. my grandchild (not yet three) was spellbound.

Little Black Sambo with illustrations by Bing.......2004-12-06

I saw this book in a bookstore this summer. I have been getting other editions from England to give to children as gifts. This is a magnificent book with great illustrations by Bing. I have read the other reviews and trust me that this story stands on its own to delight children. When I taught second grade the class loved to hear it. It is not racist in the least.Sambo worries that he will get into trouble when he loses all his new clothes. And children relate to getting into trouble with their parents. He uses his head to outwit the tigers and children naturally indentify with him; like they do with other hero figures in books and television and movies. He has a loving home with two parents who sit down with him to enjoy a wonderful pancake breakfast at the end of the story. Little Black Sambo is a story of a timeless hero! Stop worrying that the setting is India and the child looks African for Pete`a sake! Its FICTION!! Children don`t care about such picky details! This story has been delighting children for generations. Adults should go find something else to stew about!

Average customer rating:

A Good Spy Story That You Really Need to Read for Yourself
My Favorite Novel
It's too hard
Kim
The Great Game's Donnie Brasco

Kim (Penguin Classics)
Rudyard Kipling
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140183523

Amazon.com

One of the particular pleasures of reading Kim is the full range of emotion, knowledge, and experience that Rudyard Kipling gives his complex hero. Kim O'Hara, the orphaned son of an Irish soldier stationed in India, is neither innocent nor victimized. Raised by an opium-addicted half-caste woman since his equally dissolute father's death, the boy has grown up in the streets of Lahore:

Though he was burned black as any native; though he spoke the vernacular by preference, and his mother-tongue in a clipped uncertain sing-song; though he consorted on terms of perfect equality with the small boys of the bazar; Kim was white--a poor white of the very poorest.

From his father and the woman who raised him, Kim has come to believe that a great destiny awaits him. The details, however, are a bit fuzzy, consisting as they do of the woman's addled prophecies of "'a great Red Bull on a green field, and the Colonel riding on his tall horse, yes, and'--dropping into English--'nine hundred devils.'"

In the meantime, Kim amuses himself with intrigues, executing "commissions by night on the crowded housetops for sleek and shiny young men of fashion." His peculiar heritage as a white child gone native, combined with his "love of the game for its own sake," makes him uniquely suited for a bigger game. And when, at last, the long-awaited colonel comes along, Kim is recruited as a spy in Britain's struggle to maintain its colonial grip on India. Kipling was, first and foremost, a man of his time; born and raised in India in the 19th century, he was a fervid supporter of the Raj. Nevertheless, his portrait of India and its people is remarkably sympathetic. Yes, there is the stereotypical Westernized Indian Babu Huree Chander with his atrocious English, but there is also Kim's friend and mentor, the Afghani horse trader Mahub Ali, and the gentle Tibetan lama with whom Kim travels along the Grand Trunk Road. The humanity of his characters consistently belies Kipling's private prejudices, and raises Kim above the mere ripping good yarn to the level of a timeless classic. --Alix Wilber

Book Description

When his father, a soldier stationed in India, dies suddenly, young Kimball O'Hara is left to fend for himself on the streets of Lahore. A proper English lad, Kim is plunged into an exotic and unfamiliar world of crowded bazaars and noisy markets, gilded temples, sahibs and fakirs, beggars, whirling dervishes, soldiers, and spies. Forced to live hand-to-mouth, Kim must rely on his cunning and wit to survive.But his life takes a curious twist when he meets a holy man, a lama, who is about to embark on a very mysterious quest: a pilgrimage that will take him across the vast continent, across mighty rivers and up the majestic Himalayas. He wants Kim to accompany him.But where will the journey lead? For Kim, all roads lead to adventure!

Download Description

Reared in the teeming streets of India at the turn of the century, the orphan Kim is the 'Friend of all the world', an imp with an endless interest in the extraordinary characters he meets daily. One of them, an old Tibetan lama, sets him on the path that will lead him to travel the Great Trunk Road, and become a spy for the British.

Customer Reviews:

A Good Spy Story That You Really Need to Read for Yourself.......2007-07-06

'Kim', taken solely on its own terms, is a late 19th century adventure tale, an early spy story, a travelogue of northern India, a coming-of-age story all set in the midst of the Great Game, the Russo-British contest for imperial dominance in Central Asia. It's a good tale well told, if the language is somewhat dated for the modern reader.

But, of course, 'Kim' is generally not simply taken on it own terms because its author Rudyard Kipling came to personify British imperialism as much as Lord Kitchener. The Norton Edition includes excellent articles that provide historical context as well as several critical essays. I consider myself an anti-imperialist, but also admittedly somewhat of a romantic about the British Empire, and I did not detect jingoism in 'Kim'.

Readers interested in even more background will want to read Quest for Kim: In Search of Kipling's Great Game. Readers needing to be disabused of romanticism about British imperialism may want to consider Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya.

At the end of the day, 'Kim' is quite a good adventure tale and a book that really need to read for yourself. Highly Recommended.

My Favorite Novel.......2007-05-24

After fifty plus years of reading, I think I can say that Kim is my favorite novel. I'm not sure it is the best novel I ever read, whatever "best" might mean, and it certainly isn't the most profound, but there is simply no other book I have enjoyed as much or have reread as often. Many other Amazon reviewers have said that they liked the book very much, often for different reasons: some like the "Great Game" aspect and others enjoy the rich narrative description of India for which the book is justly famous. (A few reviewers found the book "difficult", apparently because of the language device that Kipling uses when speakers are speaking in languages other than English, or for Kipling's use of unfamiliar words, and others found it boring, a criticism I find nearly incomprehensible. I honestly believe that if you find Kim boring, you just don't like to read fiction, except perhaps at the level of Tom Clancy novels. And don't be put off by those reviews that found the book difficult. I presume these readers were looking for a continuation of The Jungle Book and found an adult novel instead. Kim is much easier reading than the novels of many of Kipling's contemporaries, such as Conrad or James, and is no more difficult than Twain.)

At least one other reviewer shares my view that in essence Kim is a coming of age novel, and one of the best, in a league with Huckleberry Finn and A Portrait of the Artist. The Great Game provides the book with the bones of a plot, and Kipling's description of India, much like Twain's description of the Mississippi River environs in Huckleberry Finn, published 16 years before Kim, is the flesh. But the heart of the book is the development of the relationship between Kim and the Red Lama, the fundamental story of two people, one an orphan boy and the other an elderly mystic, finding many of the things they are seeking in caring for and looking after one another.

Again, it is hard to avoid comparing Kim with Huckleberry Finn. The core of the latter book is the development of the relationship between Huck and Jim, and it seems likely that Kipling was influenced by the earlier book. Kipling had clearly read and admired Huckleberry Finn, and once referred to its author as "The great and God-like Clemens." Not that I find the notion that Kipling was influenced by Twain to in any way diminish Kim. It is an absolutely wonderful book and I envy anyone who hasn't read it that is about to do so. Come to think of it, that's true of both Kim and Huckleberry Finn.

It's too hard.......2007-04-12

Unless you enjoy working hard at reading novels, I don't recommend this book. Before you start take a look at the 411 notes in the back that you will have to study (unless you know already know) to get something out of this work.

Kim.......2007-02-20

A difficult book for me to read but worth the effort. At times very complicated and difficult to follow but beautifully written. Great insight into the culture and beautiful landscapes of India.

The Great Game's Donnie Brasco.......2007-02-13

The United States needs a modern-day Kimball O'Hara or two if it is ever to be successful in thwarting future large-scale terror attacks. The likelihood of that happening is few-and-far-between.

This Rudyard Kipling classic has recently found its way on to US military officer reading lists, and this review will approach the novel from that perspective. As cultural understanding and sensitivity crawls its way up the priority list for military personnel serving abroad, there are few better or more enjoyable ways to appreciate the issue than reading "Kim."

The main character is a British orphan about thirteen years of age when the story begins who has been raised on the streets of Lahore in present-day Pakistan. He speaks fluent Hindi, understands various dialects and, perhaps most important of all, intimately understands the kaleidoscopic whirl of religions and cultures that travel and trade along the northwest border of British India. He takes to the road as a disciple or "chela" of a wandering Tibetan priest in search of a mythical holy river with healing powers. Along the way, he has a chance encounter with his deceased father's old army regiment and his identity is revealed. The army sends him to a prestigious English language Catholic school in the south, but his potential value is quickly gleaned by a member of the British secret service, which is engaged in a cloak-and-dagger contest with the Russians as their two spreading empires converged along the Hindu Kush in the last decades of the 19th century.

There are a number of ways to analyze or appreciate Kipling's writing and the complex narrative he creates. One is historical. The author grew up in India and sets the story on a timeline that would have exactly equated with his own youth in the British colony. The sights, sounds, phrases, references, and personalities in "Kim" are entirely authentic. The volume I read included footnotes that explained the arcane expressions and places. Without this helpful aid much of the story would have been lost (to me at least), so it is worth checking to see if the volume you are buying has notes or a glossary.

Another angle on the story is what is says about modern human intelligence operations. The leading British intelligent agent in the novel, Colonel Creighton, recognizes that Kim has language, culture skills, and local street smarts that simply cannot be taught in any academy. He is lucky that Kim begrudgingly accepts his "obligation" as a Sahib (white man) and agrees to help Britain in its game of wits with the Russians - and it happens to offer him the freedom and adventure he desperately craves.

So, whether one is interested in 19th century India and Pakistan or simply enjoys a good spy novel, "Kim" is as fine a book as can be recommended.

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Touching, thought provoking book about Bombay
Living on the Edge

Children of Bombay
Dario Mitidieri , Firdaus Kanga , and Peter Dalgish
Manufacturer: Dewi Lewis Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1899235000

Book Description

Some 30,000 children are homeless in Bombay; living on its streets, under bridges, in railway stations, anywhere they can to escape harrassment by both police and criminals. Considered a nuisance and with no rights, they are at best ignored by the majority of people. Sexual exploitation, drug addiction and criminal gangs make this a cruelly hazardous background for these young people.

Customer Reviews:

Touching, thought provoking book about Bombay.......2004-01-19

Captures the harsh life on Bombay streets that most of us deny
the existence of.

The following hindi movies "Salaam Bombay" and "Chandni Bar"
on same theme are worth watching.

Living on the Edge.......2003-10-16

The children of Bombay who live on it's streets will strike a note deep to your heart if you open it to the pain and joy of their daily LIFE.

Anklet for a Princess: A Cinderella Story from India

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A captivating picture book story

Anklet for a Princess: A Cinderella Story from India
Meredith Babeaux Brucker , and Lila Mehta
Manufacturer: Shen's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1885008201

Book Description

Cinduri has a lot of work to do. Every day she walks to the lake to fetch drinking water, milks the cow, cleans the house, prepares the meals, cleans the animal pens, and sells vegetables. Her stepmother and stepsister, however, don't do any of the work. They just order Cinduri about and give her a bowl of rice and a few leftovers to eat.

The lake, however, is full of magic. When Godfather Snake hears of Cinduri's troubles, he vows to make her life easier. And when the Prince comes to visit the village during the annual Navaratri Festival, Godfather Snake makes it possible for her to go, dressed in the most beautiful gold-threaded sari and sparkling diamond anklets. It is there that she wins the heart of the Prince.

Adapted from the East Indian story "Nagami" (Jewel of the Snake), this version of the tale is rich with the traditions and culture of India while also conveying the universal values of the Cinderella story. Beautiful watercolor depictions of Indian life and styles accompany this introduction to Indian folklore.

Customer Reviews:

A captivating picture book story.......2003-01-11

Anklet For A Princess: A Cinderella Story From India is an fabulous adaptation of the East Indian story "Nagami" (Jewel of the Snake), a legend that in many ways resembles the classic fairy tale Cinderella. The young woman Cinduri is overburdened with work from her stepmother and stepsister, and receives barely enough to eat in return. But Godfather Snake learns of her troubles and helps her attend the village's annual Navaratri Festival dressed in the most beautiful golden-threaded sari and diamond anklets, and there she wins the heart of the Prince. A captivating picture book story commendably written by Lila Mehta, deftly adapted by Meredith Brucker, and wondrously illustrated in full color by Youshan Tang, Anklet For A Princess would make a welcome and popular addition to any school or community library picture book collection.

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Great Book!
A beautiful book
Review by Selena Knight
interesting plot
Homeless bird

Homeless Bird
Gloria Whelan
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064408191
Release Date: 2001-08-21

Amazon.com

"What if I don't like him?"
"Of course you will like him."
"But what if I don't?"
Maa impatiently slapped at a fly. "Then you must learn to like him."

But Koly never gets a chance to find out if she does care for her intended groom. Married and promptly widowed at 13, Koly finds herself in the grim position of being cast out by a society that has no place for girls like her. With a seemingly hopeless future in India, this courageous and spirited young woman sets out to forge her own destiny. Through perseverance, resourcefulness, and sheer luck, she manages not only to find a niche for herself, but even to find happiness again.

Gloria Whelan's tale of a remarkable girl in an extraordinary situation will linger with the reader long after the last page is read. The shaping of Koly's life, as anyone's, is in her own hands, as well as the hands of the society in which she lives. Her ability to express herself--and ultimately support herself--with her exceptional skill in embroidery is a symbol of the creative ingenuity that will serve her well throughout her tribulations. (Ages 8 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

Gloria Whelan's National Book Award–winning novel, chronicles the breathtaking story of a remarkable young woman who dares to defy fate.

Like many girls her age in India, thirteen–year–old Koly faces her arranged marriage with hope and courage. But Koly's story takes a terrible turn when in the wake of the ceremony, she discovers she's been horribly misled; her life has been sold for a dowry. In prose both graceful and unflinching, this powerful novel relays the story of a rare young woman, who even when cast out into a brutal current of time–worn tradition, sets out to forge her own remarkable future.Inspired by a newspaper article about the real thirteen–year–old widows in India today, this universally acclaimed best–selling novel, characterized by spare, lyrical language and remarkable detail, transports readers into the heart of a gripping tale of hope.

Ages 10+

Customer Reviews:

Great Book!.......2007-07-03

This book was a refreshing read. It was also an easy read. The characters were all very believable and I just really enjoyed reading it. Highly recommended!

A beautiful book.......2007-06-09

This is the book that took me to India when I was a young girl. When I was 11 years old, it was the first book that brought me to another country, and it placed me in the heart of Koli. Rereading it now that I am older, I find that the prose is just as lyrical, simple with a clarity of feeling and imagery. I can't tell you how much I lived with Koli and hoped for her, lost in the streets, sitting and sewing--everything. And I so completely smelled and tasted her world! A girl in a situation so different from mine, to be able to experience that when I was so young was wonderful, I still remember it now. Such a moving work for young girls, Gloria Whelan is a gifted writer!

Review by Selena Knight.......2007-06-05

Koly, a young 13 year old girl, is married off at the age of 13 for her dowry. Not wanted for herself, Koly is soon widowed as her dowry is not able to save the life of her young husband who is so ill. Koly learns the injustice of her society when she is mistreated and later abandoned by her husband's parents. Koly is thrust into a harsh world where she can not go back home, nor does she have the means to move forward. Through strength of spirit, and the help of a wealthy benefactor, Koly uses her talents to create a living for herself. She even finds true love with a boy that also has to work to overcome poverty. Koly's journey allows her to find an inner strength and pride in a society where women are less than equals.

interesting plot.......2007-04-02

I would recommend the book Homeless Bird, by Gloria Whelan, to other people. It is realistic fiction, so it is something that could actually happen to somebody, which I find interesting. Also, it is a book about a different country, so by reading it, you can get some incite into what other cultures are like. Finally, I would recommend this book because it is not boring. It has a way of making you want to read more and find out what happens

Homeless bird.......2007-03-29

The book Homeless bird was a great book, this book made me want to keep reading, this book was very interesting because Koly was very brave because she had to learn to live on her own. I wanted to find out what was going to happen to Koly. I think that many people would like readying the book Homeless Bird because it is a good book and many people might like it because they might want to find out how she survives her life being left alone in the village.

India The Moonstone Fairy (Jewel Fairies)

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JEWEL FAIRIES SERIES

India The Moonstone Fairy (Jewel Fairies)
Daisy Meadows
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0439935288

Book Description

Jack Frost is up to no good again! This time, he's stolen the seven jewels from Queen Titania's crown. Without them, the Jewel Fairies can't do their jobs. The magic in Fairyland is fading fast!

India the Moonstone Fairy is in charge of dream magic. Can Rachel and Kirsty help find the moonstone . . . before everything turns into a nightmare?

Find the sparkly jewel in each book and help bring the magic back to Fairyland!

Customer Reviews:

JEWEL FAIRIES SERIES.......2007-08-13

The first book in the series of Jewel Fairies (Ruby) I bought was for my granddaughter Eden, she really enjoyed the book and wanted the other books in the series. Since receiving the books, she enthusiasticly has read all that I ordered for her. Hope the author continues to write more books for this series for I will continue to purchase them for my excited granddaughter.

Anytime that we can get a child to read, it opens the door of possibilites for them.

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