Catherine, Called Birdy (rpkg) (Trophy Newbery)

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.

Average customer rating:

Review
Wanted more of an autobiography
Intriguing,surprising insights about foucs & tenacity
The Women Who Raised Me
A wonderful book

The Women Who Raised Me: A Memoir
Victoria Rowell
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 006124659X
Release Date: 2007-04-10

Book Description

The story of a remarkable woman's rise out of the foster-care system to attain the American dream—and of the unlikely series of women who lifted her up in marvelous and distinctive ways

Born as a ward of the state of Maine—the child of an unmarried Yankee blueblood mother and an unknown black father—Victoria Rowell beat the odds. Unlike so many other children who fall through the cracks of our overburdened foster-care system, her experience was nothing short of miraculous, thanks to several extraordinary women who stepped forward to love, nurture, guide, teach, and challenge her to become the accomplished actress, philanthropist, and mother that she is today.

Rowell spent her first weeks of life as a boarder infant before being placed with a Caucasian foster family. Although her stay lasted for only two years, at this critical stage Rowell was given a foundation of love by the first of what would be an amazing array of women, each of whom presented herself for different purposes at every dramatic turn of Rowell's life.

In this deeply touching memoir, Rowell pays tribute to her personal champions: the mothers, grandmothers, aunts, mentors, teachers, and sisters who each have fascinating stories to tell. Among them are Agatha Armstead, Rowell's longest-term foster mother, a black Bostonian on whose rural Maine farm Rowell's fire to reach for greatness was lit; Esther Brooks, a Paris-trained prima ballerina, Rowell's first mentor at the Cambridge School of Ballet; Rosa Turner, a Boston inner-city fosterer who taught Rowell lessons of independence; Sylvia Silverman, a mother and teacher whose home in a well-kept middle-class suburban neighborhood prepared Rowell for her transition out of foster care and into New York City's wild worlds of ballet and acting and adulthood.

In spite of support from individuals and agencies, Rowell nonetheless carried the burden of loneliness and anxiety, common to most foster children, particularly those "orphans of the living" who are never adopted. Heroically overcoming those obstacles, Rowell also reaches a moment when she can embrace her biological mother, Dorothy, and, most important, accept herself.

Ultimately, The Women Who Raised Me is a story that belongs to each of us as it shines a glowing light on the transformational power of mentoring, love, art, and womanhood.

Customer Reviews:

Review.......2007-09-07

This was a well written book. The author gives a heartfelt account of her life in foster care. She begins her story as a small child in rural Maine and concludes as an adult actress in Hollywood. This is a great book that deals with foster care, mental illness, achievements, and adversity in a young woman's life.

Wanted more of an autobiography.......2007-08-16

I know the title says the women who raised me, but I really wanted to read more about how she got into acting, what it was like to be on the young and the restless and work with dick van dyke. She spends many chapters about her ballet years, but doesnt mention what it was like to get into tv acting, which is really her career, not ballet. She is known for being a TV star. She did a great deal of research into her families/friends - I think too much. I had to skip many many pages because it got boring. She mentions her marriage, but never talks about getting divorced. I never knew if she married Wynton or not, had to look it up on the net. She doesn't get into her relationships with men much or her children. I got the impression Wynton was raising her son? but who knows. She seems very multi talented though and it was great that she put so much time into writing a book in addition to her other charities/career.

Intriguing,surprising insights about foucs & tenacity.......2007-08-10

This is an exceptionally touching journey through the life of a foster child that was exposed to a number of phenomenal women.

All their lives were woven together beautifully by the author [Rowell]and revealed that despite backgrounds that were so different, these women all exhibited determined, giving spirits through their own talents.

A must read!!

The Women Who Raised Me.......2007-07-28

A very touching story , well written and informative. So sad at times. I loved that there were pictures of these incredible women to put faces on the heroes! Inspiring too, that with love and guidance, our children can thrive in difficult life situations.
As a grandmother to a mixed race child, very distubing also, that we still have so far to go in the US.

A wonderful book.......2007-07-01

I could not put down Ms. Rowell's life journey. I knew very little about her, only that she was an actress in a soap opera. She is an incredibly strong woman. I have great admiration for her. She could so easily have turned her back on her painful past and distanced herself from orphans; but she chose not to. She embraces her birth mother and all who assisted her.

The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade

Average customer rating:

shocked and saddened
Heartbreaking
The true story of "birthmothers"
Elizabeth Counts, Where Are You?
Riveting and heartbreaking.

The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade
Ann Fessler
Manufacturer: Penguin Press HC, The
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: B000NA1XTO

Book Description

A powerful and groundbreaking revelation of the secret history of the 1.5 million women who surrendered children for adoption in the several decades before Roe v. Wade

In this deeply moving work, Ann Fessler brings to light the lives of hundreds of thousands of young single American women forced to give up their newborn children in the years following World War II and before Roe v. Wade. The Girls Who Went Away tells a story not of wild and carefree sexual liberation, but rather of a devastating double standard that has had punishing long-term effects on these women and on the children they gave up for adoption. Based on Fessler's groundbreaking interviews, it brings to brilliant life these women's voices and the spirit of the time, allowing each to share her own experience in gripping and intimate detail. Today, when the future of the Roe decision and women's reproductive rights stand squarely at the front of a divisive national debate, Fessler brings to the fore a long-overlooked history of single women in the fifties, sixties, and early seventies.

In 2002, Fessler, an adoptee herself, traveled the country interviewing women willing to speak publicly about why they relinquished their children. Researching archival records and the political and social climate of the time, she uncovered a story of three decades of women who, under enormous social and family pressure, were coerced or outright forced to give their babies up for adoption. Fessler deftly describes the impossible position in which these women found themselves: as a sexual revolution heated up in the postwar years, birth control was tightly restricted, and abortion proved prohibitively expensive or life endangering. At the same time, a postwar economic boom brought millions of American families into the middle class, exerting its own pressures to conform to a model of family perfection. Caught in the middle, single pregnant women were shunned by family and friends, evicted from schools, sent away to maternity homes to have their children alone, and often treated with cold contempt by doctors, nurses, and clergy.

The majority of the women Fessler interviewed have never spoken of their experiences, and most have been haunted by grief and shame their entire adult lives. A searing and important look into a long-overlooked social history, The Girls Who Went Away is their story.

Customer Reviews:

shocked and saddened.......2007-10-10

i'm currently reading this book. it's taking me a while because although it's a fascinating and compelling read, i get so angry while reading it I slam the book shut, point my finger at whoever is nearest me and start shouting about these poor women who had their babies taken from them without any consideration for their mental, physical, emotional health or well being. anyone who says roe v. wade isn't the best ruling the supreme court ever made should be dope-slapped repeatedly. and anyone who isn't absolutely enraged or brought to tears by this book is not human. I knew people born in the 50's & 60's who were adopted and said they really had no desire to meet their biological mother because they were "given up," and i used to agree with them. i suggest you read this book, it will make you see things from a different angle.

Heartbreaking.......2007-10-10

I cried throughout - this is a heartbreaking book and a reminder of how greatful we should all be for a change in the times. I gave it to my mother in England, whose roommate had given up for baby for adoption and it was the most emotional that I had ever seen her (and that is saying something for an English person!) I have given this book to many friends as it is simply the best book I have read in years.

The true story of "birthmothers".......2007-08-11

This book is a powerful explanation of the pain that so many women experienced after being convinced or coerced to place their out-of-wedlock children in adoptive homes. The case histories are told by the individual women and illuminate the shame and guilt that so many women experienced. It is important social history and will be very empowering reading for women who "went away" to have a baby.

Elizabeth Counts, Where Are You?.......2007-07-28

Between the end of World War II in 1945 and the 1973 United States Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, many unwed girls and women were forced by society to "go away" during unplanned pregnancies - < to "hide" the physical evidence of their perceived moral turpitude, while the fathers, blameless and shameless, were free to roam about their usual lives and wild oat sowing> - and surrender the baby to "good homes" (2 parent households.) Then, adding insult to past psychological injuries, the Men in power continue to refuse to allow adequate access to birth and adoption records such that the members of the "adoption triad" (birth parents, adoptive parents and adoptee) can't find each other. Thus is created a large segment of the "Baby Boom" generation without medical/genetic history.

Ann Fessler found her history and has written an excellent, empathetic, anecdotal and well -researched history of her mother and other mothers who "gave up" their babies and the confluence of forces in the age of Ozzie and Harriet, McCarthy, and beyond. As this reviewer has cautioned in other reviews, a lot of younger women take for granted the great strides made in the brief period between the 1960's and now. This book and In Our Time: Memoir of A Revolution will remind those of us who lived through this period of the progress we've made - and teach the younger generations that they must be eternally vigilant, lest those rights be taken away. Rosie the Riveter, paragon of "We Can Do It!" womanhood in the 1940s, was shuffled off to June Cleaver's kitchen in the 1950s. As Santayana said: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Elizabeth Counts, your past is calling. Please contact me. Your daughter, my client, is looking for you. /TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer

Riveting and heartbreaking. .......2007-07-23

I am an adult adoptee who has been reunited with my birth mother, birth grandparents and birth uncle. I found this book to be an eye opening look into the world my birth mother was living in at the time of her pregnancy and my birth. I've always been grateful to my birth mom for giving me my family, but this book shows that I didn't really understand what she was up against in 1967. I've spoken at high schools regarding my experience as an adoptee, and some people seem surprised that I'm 'normal'. Surprised that I have nothing but praise for my birth mother, the woman who 'gave' me away. As a mother myself, I cannot imagine a pain worse than giving your child away. I believe my birth mother did it as a selfless act, but reading this book has made me wonder exactly how much society influenced her decision. The stories in this book seem straight out of another world in terms of how pregnant girls were treated.

In response to another reviewer, this book really has nothing to do with abortion. I don't even recall it being mentioned more than a few times and even then it was just in a brief mention regarding society at the time or as part of a personal story. This book certainly does not condone abortion or suggest it as a better option than adoption. I'm sure that most, if not all, of the women in the book would say they are glad they had their children, whether reunited with them or not.

Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Wartime SarajevoRevised Edition

Average customer rating:

Great Book
Good read
It's a diary, not a book.
Zlata's Diary
Zlata's Review

Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Wartime SarajevoRevised Edition
Zlata Filipovic
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Freedom Writers Diary : How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
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ASIN: 0143036874

Book Description

When Zlata's Diary was first published at the height of the Bosnian conflict, it became an international bestseller and was compared to The Diary of Anne Frank, both for the freshness of its voice and the grimness of the world it describes. It begins as the day-today record of the life of a typical eleven-year-old girl, preoccupied by piano lessons and birthday parties. But as war engulfs Sarajevo, Zlata Filipovi´c becomes a witness to food shortages and the deaths of friends and learns to wait out bombardments in a neighbor's cellar. Yet throughout she remains courageous and observant. The result is a book that has the power to move and instruct readers a world away.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book .......2007-05-25

Sheesh...this is the product of a child, not the work of a Pulitzer prize winning journalist. It is an excellent diary, an excellent primary source and an excellent text for a better understanding of the Yugoslav wars. Yes...it does only tell one point of view - hers - it is her diary! Some readers are offended because of the comparison to Anne Frank; a comparison that Filipovic and others make in the book. The comparison is totally fair. Both are intelligent children caught up in situations they have no control over during wars of ethnic cleansing and extermination. It is a testament to Zlata that she can make the connection to Anne Frank...obviously the rest of the world couldn't. They (We) abandoned the Jews sixty years ago and abandoned hundreds of thousands of Croats/Bosniaks/Serbs to genocide forty years later. Zlata remembered Anne Frank's words...the world didn't.

Good read.......2007-05-07

I remember reading this book as a child and picked it up again as an adult. It was a quick read, but really showed how a child deals with war. It made me think of how children in Iraq are feeling right now. Very interesting.

It's a diary, not a book........2007-05-04

To the reader who wrote comment "we all had our delusional moments when we were teenagers"...you should be ashamed of yourself. This "delusional moment" was war and struggle for survival in besieged city of Sarajevo.
Why don't you try and write a book, and/or diary, sitting in a basement without food, water and electricity for four years. All that while granates and bombs are raining on your city. In the meantime, one by one, all of your neighbors and friends are gone six feet under...
How about that for delusional moment...

Zlata's Diary.......2007-04-20

Zlata's Diary is about a young girl's diary named Mimi during the war in her town of Sarajeavo. She writes of the hardships of being a war child. She tells of the changes of her world during the war such as her parents may have grown older one year but looked ten years older. She is constantly hearing of people being shot and wounded. And how might I know this? She was asked if she had a diary. And guess what she did and it was sent to be published. I think this book was over all pretty well written. I would recomend this book to you if you liked the book The Diary Of Anne Frank. So to find out what happens pick up Zlata's Diary.
-Christine Lanier

Zlata's Review.......2007-04-18

Taylor (Lanier Middle School)

Zlata's Dairy is the real life issue of how an eleven year old girl struggles to stay alive during a civil war in Sarajevo, (1991-93) but more importantly trying to cope with the pain friends and family leaving to escape the war. During the whole process she decides to keep a diary which then later becomes published in the years 1992 and 1993.

This book tells a story of family, friendship, and most of all courage. Though a war might be going on, Zlata Filipovic still manages to go to school. Zlata lives in an average sized apartment with her mother and father.

The life lesson in this book is that no matter how hard things get you will always have your family there with you. And that thing's in life will get though, but eventually they will get better. Also never dwell on the bad things, but the good.

I personally do not like this book. The fact that this is a diary is one of the reasons I don't like this book, it skips around and does not tell you everything that happens.It also repeats everything, so all you are reading is what you read before.I would recamend this book to all, even though I did not like it, does'n mean you don't.

Average customer rating:

REVELING IN CORSET-LESS CHIC
Applause! Applause!
CHARMINGLY ILLUSTRATED STORY OF THE FAMED COURTIER'S LIFE
Wonderful

Different Like Coco

Manufacturer: Candlewick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0763625485
Release Date: 2007-02-13

Book Description

The rags-to-riches story of Coco Chanel plays out in a wonderful picture-book biography as full of style and spirit as its heroine.

Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel was always different. And she vowed to prove that being different was an advantage! Poor, skinny, and orphaned, Coco stubbornly believed that she was as good as the wealthier girls of Paris. Tapping into her creativity and her sewing skills, she began making clothes that suited her (and her pocketbook) — and soon a new generation of independent working women craved her sleek, comfortable, and practical designs. Now an icon of fashion and culture, Coco Chanel continues to inspire young readers, showing just how far a person can come with spunk, determination, and flair.

Customer Reviews:

REVELING IN CORSET-LESS CHIC .......2007-05-08

As Maurice Chevalier sang, "Thank Heaven for little girls" . . . at least we can thank Heaven for one who grew up with an independent spirit, and an imagination for corset-Less chic. Coco Chanel (1883-1971) said "In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different." The book's end papers reproduce other quotations from this fashion icon, including "Fashion is made to become unfashionable!"

Elizabeth Matthews has written a perfect Springtime fancy, and the pen & ink illustrations are every bit as lively, just right for introducing children & their very willing parents to a story about the little girl Coco who overcame her tough childhood with sewing skills learned in a Catholic orphanage. She could hold her own with snobby students of privilege and learned much by watching her peers. She later hung fabric on mannequin forms and basted in her relaxed styles which brought her fashion immortality.

The author, who graduated from the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, chose Chanel as her somewhat innovative subject for children's picture books. Matthews is sure to have studied much about Coco Chanel and her clever "inventions" of the cartigan suit, and in 1926 "the little black dress." Reviewer mcHaiku isn't quite as old as the famed Chanel No. 5; it contained more than 80 ingredients, a new fact about 'parfum' for this reader. Chanel epitomizes a certain fortitude & determination that we hope young readers will try to replicate.

Perhaps they will remember another of her sayings: "INNOVATION! One cannot be forever innovating. I want to create CLASSICS."

Applause! Applause!.......2007-03-23

Children's non-fiction books have come a long way, not just in style but in subject matter. How great that Candlewick saw fit to publish a picture book biography of, astonishingly, someone the average child is probably unfamiliar with -- a woman who died long before the child was born, from a country not much studied in grade schools, representing a profession hardly mentioned at all: fashion designer. But Elizabeth Matthews, through text and pictures, has made Coco Chanel someone little girls (and open-minded little boys?) can identify with. Chanel's story is a literal rags-to-riches tale, and Matthews' enchanting art work captures her heroine's style and joie de vivre (not to mention chutzpah, to mix linguistic tags) beautifully. The cover image itself could be posted on a little girl's bedroom wall. And underneath, perhaps, the words "Dare to be Different. Like Coco."

CHARMINGLY ILLUSTRATED STORY OF THE FAMED COURTIER'S LIFE.......2007-02-28

First time children's book author/illustrator Elizabeth Matthews could haven't chosen a better subject than Coco Chanel. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design Matthews obviously has an appreciation of Chanel's numerous contributions and reflects that feeling in this charmingly illustrated story of the famed courtier's life.

Orphaned at the age of 12, Chanel and her two sisters were relegated to an orphanage. It was a mixed blessing because it was there that Chanel learned to sew. She had a lively imagination and often dreamed of being with a family again and being accepted by a society that now ignored her because she had no position, no funds.

Later, at the age of 18 she was dispatched as a charity case to Notre Dame, a finishing school. There the difference between rich and poor was more marked than ever so Chanel learned how to emulate the wealthy - she studied their manners, and the way they walked.

Upon leaving Notre Dame Chanel found work at a tailoring shop. Even then she was determined to better herself. Obviously, she couldn't afford to dress the way the rich women did, the ones she wanted to accept her. So, she made a life altering decision - she would deliberately be different. She made her own dresses, very unlike the corseted gowns the wealthy ladies wore. She carried this off with style and a touch of arrogance.

When a wealthy young man fell in love with her he bought her a small shop in Paris - the rest is fashion history.

"Different Like Coco" is not only an entertaining story for young readers but is also an example of how someone can "embrace their uniqueness and dream big."

- Gail Cooke

Wonderful.......2007-02-23

This is an adorable book for any little girl or boy who loves fashion. A great story with wonderful illustrations!

Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman

Average customer rating:

Awesome book!!!!!
freedom train
The Underground Railroad
Important and inspirational tale of a young woman who defied slavery
Freedom Train

Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman
Dorothy Sterling
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Similar Items:

The Wright Brothers (Landmark Books)
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George Washington Carver: Man's Slave Becomes God's Scientist (Sower Series) (Sower Series)
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ASIN: 0590436287

Book Description

Born into slavery, young Harriet Tubman knew only hard work and hunger. Escape seemed impossible--certainly dangerous. Yet Harriet did escape North, by the secret route called the Underground Railroad. Harriet didn't forget her people. Again and again she risked her life to lead them on the same secret, dangerous journey.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome book!!!!!.......2007-01-31

I am reading this book right now in t.a.g/school and it is very good. It inspires all chilldren to take a stand. This is a good book for excellent readers!!! Buy the book for 5 dollars on amazon.com and read great book Freedom Train!!!!~~~~!!!!

freedom train.......2006-11-28

The book I read was called freedom train. It was about harriet tubman trying to escape. An one day she found a tunnel that lead to Canada. Happy as she was she went to tell everyone. and they were free!and also this book made me feel I could do something too. Because when she caped on saying I can do it!And she never gave up!I will reccomand this to my friends because I hope they will enjoy the things she did,And feel the same way I felt.

The Underground Railroad.......2006-11-23

If I could, I'd give this book 6 stars. It's the story of Harriet Tubman who was born into slavery. Harriet Tubman escaped and then helped other slaves escape with the underground railroad. I learned more about the Civil War and how courageous Harriet was. It is a good book for those who want to learn more about the Civil War. This would be good for all ages to read.

Important and inspirational tale of a young woman who defied slavery.......2006-02-25

Harriet Tubman has to rate as one of the most amazing heroines in history. A slave born in America in about 1820, (I say about as she never really new her birth date). She was always fired with a stronger will than her 'master' and 'mistress' liked. As a very young girl she was taken to the big house but she never got on with the mistress. She ended up whipped and sent back to be a field hand. She was short, but she worked so hard she soon was capable of doing a mans work. However she never wished to bow her head to any one.

When she was quite young she helped another slave escape and in the process was badly injured. Despite leaving her with sudden sleeping spells she escaped and went on to join the freedom train. Her inspirational way, strength and sheer will made her extremely successful at freeing many others - even when they eventually had to take the 'train' all the way to Canada. She even helped her elderly parents escape.

This is as much a story of slavery in America as this outlines the background of what Harriet was doing. Why she suddenly had to take her 'passengers' beyond the Delaware border to Canada. The wrangling of the slave-owning congress who wanted all slaves returned, that Lincoln refused to allow black troops in the civil war at first - and paid them only 2/3rds of what the white troops were earning.

It also talks about Harriet's life after the end of the civl war and her support of her family, friends and freedmen institutions to better her community.

This is a very well written, informative and entertaining book suitable for 8-12 year olds and I would highly recommend it. It is inpirational - about a girl who would not give up hope and when she could acted on it. I really liked the fact that this story is about someone who actually made change. This is not a glamouress herione, but one who really changed the face of America.

Freedom Train.......2004-05-20

The setting is on a plantation. The main character is Harriet Tubman. In the beginging the is a little girl and she is a house servant. She takes care of the baby and other thing too. But when she tries to get a piece of candy off the table at dinner the Mistress catches her. The Mistress goes to get her wip and Harriet runs out the door............
You all know or at least heard of Harriet Tubman. To see what happens next READ the book!!!

You Know You Love Me: A Gossip Girl Novel

Average customer rating:

B, N S, D & J are back and up to no good!
Great 2nd novel!
GREAT
You know you love me.
The gossip keeps on entertaining

You Know You Love Me: A Gossip Girl Novel
Cecily von Ziegesar
Manufacturer: Poppy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Gossip Girl | Series | Teens | Subjects | Books

All I Want Is Everything (Gossip Girl, 3)
Gossip Girl #1: A Novel (Gossip Girl Series)
Gossip Girl: Because I'm Worth It
I Like It Like That: A Gossip Girl Novel
Gossip Girl #6: You're the One That I Want: A Gossip Girl Novel (Gossip Girl)

Accessories:

Conair Pro Color Accents Temporary Hair Color Kit
Conair MDF2R Facial Sauna With Timer

ASIN: 0316911488

Book Description

lder teens and adult readers can't get enough of Gossip Girl, the anonymous narrator who made her catty debut in the bestselling Gossip Girl and titillated readers in the juicy sequel, You Know You Love Me. Now in All I Want Is Everything, readers will love her even more as Gossip Girl dishes up dose after hefty dose of dirt on all her friends-New York's wealthiest private school teens. Sharp wit, intriguing characters, and high-stakes melodrama drive the action of this wildly popular new series.

Customer Reviews:

B, N S, D & J are back and up to no good!.......2007-07-17

In the second installment of the Gossip Girl series our favorite spoiled brats are back and at it again, and this time they are trying to get into college. As if the stress of college applications and interviews wasn't enough for Blair, she now also has to deal with the wedding of the year...her mother's (complete with cute but annoying step-brother and all) and the gnawing feeling something between her and Nate just isn't right. Poor Blair.
Serena on the other hand is just as happy go lucky as ever, however, her newfound relationship with Dan appears to be on the rocks already...ah well; there are more fish in the sea!
Lastly there seems to be a new girl catching Nate's eye and you will never guess who it is! You'll have to read to find out.

While I found the first Gossip Girl book to be mildly entertaining, `YOU KNOW YOU LOVE ME' hooked me! I will definitely spend my summer trying to play catch up before the Gossip Girl series airs on the CW this fall! Fun read for teen's and adult's (who like a little scandal) alike!

Great 2nd novel!.......2007-07-05

Cecily von Ziegesar impresses her audience again with the second installment in the Gossip Girl series. In this one, Blairs mother announces that she is going to get married to Cyrus Rose, a stubby, annoying rich man, and only after a 2-month relationship. Blair has to deal with a new family, which includes Cyrus' son, Aaron, who is a vegan, hippie, who smokes herbal cigarettes. She is still mad at Serena, who slept with Blairs boyfriend, Nate, who is "in love" with a freshman named Jenny "Jennifer" Humphrey. Blair and Serena both screw up their interviews for college. Dan Humphrey also gets on Serena's nerves and later falls in love with Vanessa Abrams. In the end Blair and Serena become friends again, when Serena comforts Blair after everything she's done to her. Cecily wrote another great book for this series, which is addicting. This book was really fun to read, and a great summer read!

GREAT.......2007-03-24

I love this book. It is written soo well and so funny. i couldnt stop reading it.

You know you love me........2006-12-15

I think that this book is really good i thought the way that the charaters interact with eachother are really descriptive. And the book is very well written also. I recommend this book to teenagers because it has alot of drama in it and it has to do with some of the situtaions that teens are put under today such as friends, prepressure and family. So there is this girl named Blair and her boyfriend is Nate and she caught Nate cheating on her with her best friend at that time her best friends name was Serena. Once she found out that her boyfriend cheated on her with her bestfriend she is not friends with Serena and she really doesnt like her and never wants to talk to her ever again. Blair goes up to have an interview for her college and her moms fiance takes her to Yale for her interview and on the way up there she realzes he is actually cute and developes a crush on him. So for months now Blair and Serena have not talked so on Blairs moms wedding day they both bump into eachother in the bathroom and they make peace. They planned a new years party and Nate showed up and he had a girlfriend her name was Jenny and at that party she walks in on her boyfriend Nate and Blair kissing.

The gossip keeps on entertaining.......2006-09-03

Book two in the gossip girl series finds Blair Waldorf getting ready to lose her virginity to her boyfriend Nate. This is the second time the couple has planned a romantic evening for such a momentous occasion, and soon becomes the second time that they are interrupted. To Blair's shock and horror, they are interrupted by her mother who informs them that she is getting remarried to a man Blair loathes and the wedding will be in 3 weeks - on Blair's birthday!! For Blair this is the icing on an already rotten cake as she is suspicious of Nate's loyalty and worried about college applications.

Serena is also back in this episode and still suffering socially because Blair has shut her out. Her friendship with Dan is growing, but it doesn't seem to be going where Dan would like it to go. Serena is also extremely concerned about getting into college and knows that she will have to win the school film festival to have a shot at her college applications being taken seriously by reputable schools.

Once again, these snotty, self-absorbed, rich kids are back with their trips to Barney's, Manolo Blahniks, and everything trendy. But that's what makes these books such a guilty pleasure. The reader is SUPPOSED to hate them. At the same time, it is a look into the world of the perfect and reminds us that no one is perfect, no matter where they get their milk pedicures and facials. Not great literature, but a quick and enjoyable read.

Let Me Play: The Story of Title IX: The Law That Changed the Future of Girls in America

Average customer rating:

a must read for any middle school or high school age girl
Absolutely imperative if you are a woman
Linking women's equality to Title IX
Much-needed history for today's young women
Richie's Picks: LET ME PLAY

Let Me Play: The Story of Title IX: The Law That Changed the Future of Girls in America
Karen Blumenthal
Manufacturer: Atheneum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Law & Crime | Reference & Nonfiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Politics & Government | Reference & Nonfiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Sports & Activities | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

A Place on the Team: The Triumph and Tragedy of Title IX (Princeton Paperbacks)
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Nike is a Goddess: The History of Women in Sports

ASIN: 0689859570

Book Description

Can girls play softball? Can girls be school crossing guards? Can girls play basketball or ice hockey or soccer? Can girls become lawyers or doctors or engineers?
Of course they can...

today. But just a few decades ago, opportunities for girls were far more limited, not because they weren't capable of playing or didn't want to become doctors or lawyers, but because they weren't allowed to. Then quietly, in 1972, something momentous happened: Congress passed a law called "Title IX," forever changing the lives of American girls.

Hundreds of determined lawmakers, teachers, parents, and athletes carefully plotted to ensure that the law was passed, protected, and enforced. Time and time again, they were pushed back by Þerce opposition. But as a result of their perseverance, millions of American girls can now play sports. Young women make up half of the nation's medical and law students, and star on the best basketball, soccer, and softball teams in the world. This small law made a huge difference.

From the Sibert Honor-winning author of Six Days in October comes this powerful tale of courage and persistence, the stories of the people who believed that girls could do anything -- and were willing to fight to prove it.

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Customer Reviews:

a must read for any middle school or high school age girl.......2007-08-10

I am a middle school English and Social Studies teacher, and I just finished reading this book. I think it's a must read for any middle school or high school age girl. It's a bit dry in parts, but has a good explanation of how our government actually works with respect to a topic that has certainly affected their lives (whether they know it or not!) There are some more interesting side bars, and I really enjoyed the charts of statistics showing how the numbers of girls and women in different areas of sports and education increased every year following passage of the law. I think current teens will be surprised to find out how little was allowed for (or expected of) girls even at the time that their moms were entering school.

Absolutely imperative if you are a woman.......2006-10-17

I consider myself quite well informed about current women's issues, but had always wondered what the impetus was behind Title IX. I had no idea that the law we hear about that applies to women's equal access to sports, was aimed at equal access to college admissions and financial assistance. I cried several time while reading this book; I was mad at the earlier treatment of women, I was saddened by the personal stories of disappointment suffered by the women who were shut out of playing games they loved only because they were girls. I was also proud of the triumphs of the recent past, but mostly I was moved to buy another copy and pass it around to as many women as I can. ANY WOMAN WHO HAS PLAYED SPORTS OR GONE TO COLLEGE IN THE LAST 30 YEARS, OWES IT TO THEMSELVES TO READ, APPRECIATE, AND SHARE THIS BOOK WITH THE NEXT GENERATION OF GIRLS. Laurie in Utah

Linking women's equality to Title IX .......2006-08-29

Let Me Play puts a passionate perspective on the plight of women in the fight to obtain simple civil liberties and human equalities. Author Karen Blumenthal presents her work in a format targeted to a young audience, making this easily manageable book appealing to people of all ages that appreciate the continuing battle for equal rights.

Let Me Play is not simply the history of Title IX, part of the 1972 education amendments to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but an outline of the ongoing fight women have endured in demanding equal treatment. It tells the stories of women all over the country fighting for recognition as something more than homemakers. Let Me Play fervently depicts, through narration, anecdotes, pictures and cartoons, the ways women fought, and still fight, for status as equal humans of equal worth.

In her book, Blumenthal vividly profiles the lives of many empowered women from soccer superstar Mia Hamm, who grew up playing on boys' soccer and American football teams, to 1993 University of Louisville Medical School graduate Dot Richardson, Olympic softball gold medalist and orthopedic surgeon. The stories of these women are heartening and relatable. No matter their field or occupation, each of them was once a girl growing up in a boy's world.

Let Me Play is a powerful addition to the unique genre of children's books adopted by Blumenthal, celebrated author and Wall Street Journal reporter. She has a way of capturing the meaning and relative application of a major historical event and conveying it in a way that is straightforward and dynamic, educational and entertaining.

Let Me Play is, essentially, the very recent, very true and very shocking story of girls being denied the right to not only participate in school-sanctioned sports and activities but also to take top-level math and science classes and be admitted to top universities, solely because of their gender.

The underlying message of Let Me Play is this: Know the words of Title IX and remember that, by law, no one can deny you the right to play, learn, advance and win.

A fiery and well examined recounting of the road to equality for women peppered with fun political cartoons and unforgettable quotes, this book is a necessity for any girl who plays ball in a once strictly male park.

Much-needed history for today's young women.......2006-01-26

I'm so glad to see a history for today's young women about what it was like before Title 9 - which, while it wasn't that long ago, seems unreal to my daughter's generation. I remember The Days Before, when the boys got the gym and were formed into athletic teams while the girls got WHAT PASSED for PE - calisthenics in the cafeteria! (and instructional time was used to move the tables and chairs aside)

In a day when feminism is facing a hostile backlash, Ms. Blumenthal's book is a valuable reminder that "what used to be" wasn't as rosy as some claim, a reminder of the gains made in sports by talented girls, and of what we DON'T want to return to! Five stars!

Richie's Picks: LET ME PLAY.......2005-06-13

"Female admissions to colleges and graduate programs picked up speed, driven by female ambition, the law, and a growing acceptance that it was simply wrong to reject someone just for being a girl. Between 1971 and 1976 the number of women attending college jumped 40 percent. By the fall of 1976 one in every four law students was a woman, up from fewer than one in ten in 1971; likewise, a quarter of first-year medical students were female, up from about one in seven just five years before."

Recently at this year's Book Expo in New York City, I had the pleasure of meeting and conversing with Patricia Macias. At publishing conventions, Patricia is known as the wife of author Ben Saenz. But back home in El Paso, she is more frequently referred to as "Your Honor."

As I wandered the exhibition halls at Book Expo, I frequently got the chance to catch up with old friends in the publishing industry. Many of the women I've known for years who are employed by the large publishing houses now have titles like "President & Publisher" or "Vice President and Associate Publisher." They not only have the positions; they have the power that accompanies those titles.

I also had the opportunity at Book Expo to chat briefly with my favorite member of the United States Senate. I feel so fortunate to be represented by Barbara Boxer who, like me, grew up in New York and moved westward. When we first elected Barbara to the US Senate in 1992, having her join Diane Feinstein there in representing California, it was the first time in US history that two women Senators were representing the same state at the same time.

Myra Bradwell would have though that it was long past time.

"In 1869, Mrs. Bradwell passed the Illinois bar exam with high honors and turned in her application to practice law. Though she easily qualified, she was turned down because she was a married woman. She filed a lawsuit, but the Illinois Supreme Court turned her down too, saying that her sex was 'a sufficient reason for not granting this license.'
"In one of the nation's first sex discrimination cases she appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. But America's top court had a different view than she did. 'Man is, or should be, woman's protector and defender,' the Court wrote in 1873. 'The natural and proper timidity and delicacy which belongs to the female sex evidently unfits it for many of the occupations of civil life.' It concluded: 'The paramount destiny and mission of woman [is] to fulfill the noble and benign offices of wife and mother. This is the law of the Creator.' "

It does not require looking back a hundred and something years to the life of Myra Bradwell (who, we learn, persevered to become America's first female lawyer) in order to recall when things were really unfair for women in America. I grew up a youngster not all THAT long ago, in a world where women didn't have the same opportunities as men to go to college, didn't have the same opportunities as men to work in many fields, to attain the highest positions in business, government, or education, to get paid the same money for the same work, and sure as heck didn't have the same athletic opportunities as their male counterparts.

As recalled in LET ME PLAY by Karen Blumenthal, it was in 1964 (when I turned nine, the same year the Beatles first came to America), that a Southern segregationist in Congress unintentionally played an important role in promoting women's rights when he "proposed adding the word 'sex' to the section [of the Civil Rights Act of 1964], so that it would forbid job discrimination against women as well as blacks." Congressman Howard W. Smith of Virginia was figuring that adding such an amendment would cause the male-dominated Congress to quickly sink the entire Act including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that the historic Civil Rights legislation would create. That Smith's plan backfired and the legislation passed meant for the first time in our history that it was illegal to pay a woman differently than a man employed in the same position as she.

"State universities in Virginia had turned away 21,000 women in the early 1960s; during the same time not a single man was turned away."

While the author takes us back to the 1800s and forward to the 1960s in setting the stage, the overwhelming focus of her fascinating and important book about women in America is on the fight for passage of and subsequent fights over enforcement of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as well as the far-reaching changes in our country that resulted from that landmark legislation.

Blumenthal's well-documented story of Title IX is interspersed with illuminating profiles and photos of notable twentieth century female athletes who got badly cheated by being born in the backward days of the earlier 1900s, along with great profiles of the federal legislative heroes responsible for Title IX passage, and a terrific assortment of strips from Doonsbury, Tank McNamara, Peanuts and other daily comics and political cartoons that shed light on the legislation and the issues behind it.

"At the University of Georgia the budget for women's sports grew to $120,000 in 1978 from $1,000 in 1973, but the men received $2.5 million. Among the differences: The men on the golf team got all the golf balls they needed. Women golfers got one for each competitive round they played."

If the words of the "stupid white men" on the Supreme Court in the 1870s seem like something from the Dark Ages, readers will discover that the ignorance of those words is easily matched by what Ronald Reagan and his minions did to try and destroy Title IX in the 1980s. I can't imagine any woman who's aware of what Reagan and Bush One carried out in those years not gagging over the current President's recent words that "We are blessed to live in a Nation, and a world, that have been shaped by the will, the leadership, and the vision of Ronald Reagan." I'd say there's a serious lack of vision when you've got your head in the place that Reagan obviously had his when it came to women's rights.

But now the question is, is the battle finally won?

When we consider what portion of Congress and Senate seats are currently filled by the majority gender in America, when we look at what portion of the CEOs of Fortune 500 corporations are female, or when we look at the gender of the Presidents of the nation's most distinguished universities, we must conclude that there is a long way to go.

A report released by the AAUW back when this week's high school graduates were in kindergarten found that "boys' expectations were built up while girls' were whittled back." That's THIS generation, not mine or a previous generation.

And lest anyone suggest the glass half-filled attitude, I'd hasten to suggest that they consider trading places and then claim that things are moving along quickly enough.

Edith Green, a major figure in the story, was fond of the saying: "The trouble with every generation is that they haven't read the minutes of the last meeting." Thanks to Karen Blumenthal, we now have an accurate set of minutes available from a pivotal episode in recent American history.

Average customer rating:

A book you will not drop till you finish it!
The Best Biography I ever read!
Fantastically researched
Fifty years later the horror still lingers
The heart still aches for her and her family...

Anne Frank: The Biography
Melissa Muller
Manufacturer: Holt Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Anne Frank Remembered
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank
Anne Frank: Beyond the Diary - A Photographic Remembrance
Anne Frank Remembered

ASIN: 0805059970

Amazon.com

One of this book's great strengths is writer Melissa Müller's ability to situate Anne Frank's famous diary within a larger historical and biographical context--more than half of it covers the years before the Franks went into hiding. Equally important is her discovery of the existence of five pages Otto Frank removed from his daughter's original diary and entrusted shortly before his death to Cor Sujik, international director of New York's Anne Frank Center. Sujik showed these pages to Müller, who accurately notes in the biography that they "enhance our understanding of the diary's author."

Until now, readers have known the eight people sequestered in the secret annex through Anne's eyes only. Müller reveals everyone's correct names (they were changed for the diary's publication) and tactfully corrects a teenager's skewed perceptions when necessary, always reminding us of the claustrophobic closeness and material deprivation that sometimes fueled Anne's uncharitable comments about, for example, the middle-aged dentist with whom she was forced to share a room. Müller also plausibly identifies the Dutch informant who betrayed the secret annex's inhabitants to the Gestapo. Horror suffuses Müller's grim recap of the Franks' ordeal at Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, though there is some comfort in survivors' reports that Anne, her mother, and her older sister formed "an inseparable trio," all former quarrels forgotten in their fierce struggle to save each other. They failed, and Müller does not gloss over that tragedy. But she reminds us that, "In the end, the Nazi terror could not silence Anne's voice, which still rings out for all of us."

Book Description

For people all over the world, Anne Frank, the vivacious, intelligent Jewish girl with a crooked smile and huge dark eyes, has become the human face of the Holocaust. Now in paperback, here is the highly acclaimed first biography of the girl whose fate touched the lives of millions. Drawing on exclusive interviews with family and friends, on previously unavailable correspondence, and on five diary pages long kept secret, Melissa Muller has created a nuanced portrait of her famous subject. This is the flesh-and-blood Anne Frank, unsentimentalized and so all the more affecting. Full of revelations, Muller's book casts new light on Anne's relations with her mother and solves an enduring mystery: who betrayed the families hiding in the annex just when liberation was at hand? An indispensable volume for all those who seek a deeper understanding of Anne Frank and the brutal times in which she lived and died.

Customer Reviews:

A book you will not drop till you finish it!.......2006-07-18

I think this is a great book because it gives you history about Germany and the Nazi's. Yes, yes most of us have heard all about it. But this book had vivid images of unhumane things that were done to these human beings. I think this is a book that helps you realize that even now a days we have problems with our society. I think it's a book that shows you the tolerance people had in that time. Lastly I must confess that I have never cried by reading a book. However, when I finished readying this book I was sobing. It's a book that really touched me. I would definitly recomment it!

The Best Biography I ever read!.......2005-08-26

Anne Frank is the most interesting book I ever read. She has interesting life with her family and friends. And it talk about her diaries and letters, including the five missing pages were found in 1998. Melissa Muller is a good writer. This is a great book to read! Beware!! in this book, it talk about who betray the eight jews in the secret annex in 1944, were never been prove who were the actual person who betray them. Read the book "The Hidden of Otto Frank" and it has a theory that someone who betray them.
The Emmy Award winning mini-series "Anne Frank" is the best mini-series I ever seen.

Fantastically researched.......2005-03-14

I recently went to the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam which prompted me to reread the diary. When I was in my local bookstore I came across this book and bought it. I am glad i did.

This book, while not telling me anything I hadn't really heard before somewhere in all the history books, manages to portray the living conditions of Jews before WII broke out in a simplistic manner. This biog gives a superb timeline as such, of the events preceding the Franks going into hiding.

I also went to Dachau while in Germany, which affected me more than I thought it would, while reading about Anne's time in the camp. I knew before going to Europe and before reading Melissa Mullers book about the conditions the Nazi victims were kept in, but again this book pulled it all together. It may have been that I've been to a camp since reading anything on the subject or it may just have been the incredibly well detailed portrayal of it in this book (I suspect it may be both) but it was all brought home to me hard. As well as being detailed this became personal. In the epilogue Miep Gies writes she doesn't like to hear Anne Frank being labelled the face of the 6 million, but that is inevitable and I don't feel that it lessens the importance of any other victims.

This is a superb biography and I recommend it be read in conjunction with Anne franks Diary. I also recommend visiting the Anne Frank House should you ever have the opportunity to be in Amsterdam

Fifty years later the horror still lingers.......2002-05-16

From the years of 1939 to 1945 mankind endured the darkest period of evil and brutality that has gone unparalleled in the modern (and ancient) era. One wicked man's irrational, murderous hatred and insatiable lust for power, combined with the cruel, sociopathic personalities of cowardly henchmen such as Hoess, Himmmler, Goering, and Eichmann, to name a mere few, swept the continent of Europe into total devastation and near destruction, destroying dreams and cancelling the futures of the soldiers who fought for both sides, those who were simple bystanders in bombing raids, and others who simply had the misfortune to be considered "undesirable" and who perished in inhumane, intolerable conditions in horrendous concentration camps such as Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, Dachau, Treblinka, Sobibor, and Neuengamme. The dreadfulness of their pain and the senseless of their deaths cannot be imagined, described, forgiven, or forgotten.

One of the millions who was murdered during the Holocaust was Anne Frank, the young Jewish girl who lived in hiding with her older sister Margot, their parents Otto and Edith, Hermann and Auguste Van Pels, their son Peter, and Dr Fritz Pfeffer, a dentist, in Amsterdam, Holland, in the secret annexe of the office building which still stands at 263 Prinsengracht. As a literary work and historical document, Anne's diary is perhaps one of the most important volumes to emerge from the twentieth century. However, when reading it, one must remember that it was written by an ordinary teenage girl who was forced to exist under extraordinary and wearisome conditions that would have strained the patience of the Lord himself. Neither Anne nor her co-habitants saw anyone but each other and their benefactors day in and day out, week in and week out, month in and month out, year in and year out. Hence I feel that the above situation must be considered when reflecting on her often harsh views of her fellow annexe dwellers.

Melissa Muller's book is a great companion to the diary but should not be read instead of it - to do this would be severely shortchanging to oneself. It provides a rounder, fuller narrative of the times, places, and people in Anne's life and of those that decided her fate. From the rise of the Nazi's and their use of bullying tactics as their tyranny and terrorism begins, to Anne's formative years, and a broader, wider, more objective description of the Frank's life in hiding. Particularly heartrending are the chapters in which Melissa Muller describes 4 August 1944, the day the annexe dwellers were arrested, betrayed, like Judas betrayed Jesus, for a symbolic twelve pieces of silver, and previously little known details of Anne's life in the death camps Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen as she bravely fought, and bravely lost, the battle for survival. The tears will fall as the words are read, as they will fall as we share the moment that Otto Frank learns of the terrible fate of his daughters. To lose a beloved spouse is bad enough, but to lose your child, to lose both your children, is an unfathomable and unimaginable grief that never fades even with the passage of many years. And Otto Frank was only one of many parents during the war whose children would never come home..............

Yes, this is a great biography of Anne Frank, the Jewish teenager who became world famous because of her diary, who became world famous because she expired in a concentration camp. But Anne is not merely ashes or dust - her soul lives on. And what of her diary? Her diary, the contents of which she guarded so fiercely, has become a gift to millions.

The heart still aches for her and her family..........2002-02-25

This is one of the most poignant biographies that I have ever read. As with most teenagers in the late 60's and in the 70's, Anne's diary was required reading in our highschool. I remember reading it, but not paying the attention I should have, because as a teenager, her story seemed to be a part of a world that no longer existed. Teenagers cannot appreciate the reality of that time, and though I grew up during the angst of the civil rights era and the Vietnamese War, it was not until some other life happenings occurred that I can now appreciate her story. This includes becoming a mother and an activist for disability rights, and seeing for myself in small and distant ways, man's inhumanity to man.

Muller did an exquisite job in the biography. She avoided speculation, which seems to be a problem for writers of biographies. Anne's story cannot be fully appreciated without more knowledge of her family and the people who protected them. As Anne and her father lived without bitterness for their fate, so too did Melissa Muller write with patience and understanding far beyond the abilities of most of us.

The book is eloquent in its simple praise for the goodness of people who made the right choices during that conflict between good and evil. I hope that reading of the courage of Miep Gies and her husband, and the others in the business formerly owned by Otto Frank, will inspire all of its readers to stand up for what is right whatever situation we may find ourselves in.

My heart still aches for the waste of human potential. And yet, Anne fulfilled so much of that potential and continues to inspire long after her life was over. Much of my heartache was felt for her parents, who in their desire to be with their children, left it until too late to get their children to safety. I understand their choices, and I know they must have lived with the knowledge that they put their children at great risk and berated themselves.

My admiration for the people in Holland and other occupied countries who helped those singled out for destruction on the basis of race and prejudice is immense. I continue to be surprised at how much was done by people who were not perfect, and at their own risk. This is a near perfect biography, in writing and in intelligence. I wish there were more like this out there...
Karen Sadler
University of Pittsburgh

Child of the Jungle: The True Story of a Girl Caught Between Two Worlds
Average customer rating:

Wonderful book!

AWESOME BOOK!

Better than interesting

Longing for Paradise Lost

Primitive voice makes tale unsatisfying to modern reader

Child of the Jungle: The True Story of a Girl Caught Between Two Worlds
Sabine Kuegler
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0446579068

Book Description

Sabine Kuegler's childhood was far from typical. The child of German linguists and missionaries, she spent her youth living among the Fayu tribe in the most remote jungles of West Papua, Indonesia. There, as her family struggled for acceptance among the tightly knit and fiercely loyal community, Sabine spent her time swimming with crocodiles, shooting poisonous spiders with arrows, and chewing on pieces of bat-wing in place of gum. And she was happy. It wasn't until the age of 17 when her world was upended that Sabine experienced true fear for the first time. She was sent off to a boarding school in Switzerland and forced to confront the culture clash of modern Western society--giving her plenty of reason to be afraid. This is her remarkable true story.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful book! .......2007-09-08

This book builds a bridge between two worlds and two cultures that are so far apart. Sabine Kuegler and her family went into the world of the Fayu, a tribal people who still lived in the stone age. These people lived by the law of brutal vengence and killing. They lived in daily fear as war and death were everpresent realities for them. The Kuegler family lived among them, learned from them, and taught them by example. Over the years they had a powerful and lasting impact on the Fayu.

Sabine Kuegler has successfully opened a window for us, allowing us a glimpse into the lives of the Fayu men, women, and children who have the same needs, fears, hopes, and dreams as we all have. She writes with great respect, love, and affection about a people who came to accept and love her family as their own. Over the years through the faith, work and life of the Kueglers the Fayu found that peace and forgiveness were possible and that such a life led to great improvements in their lives.

This book also challenges us to look at our western culture. We strive for progress and consider ourselves an advanced society with humane solutions to our dilemas. We treasure our physical comforts and possessions, but the emotional health of men, women, and children are a much greater challenge in our civilization than among the Fayu, whose lives are physically very hard but emotionally more whole.

AWESOME BOOK!.......2007-08-04

My parents are friends of Sabine's, and I grew up hearing tales of the Fayu people. I awaited this book with great anticipation. It did not let me down-- it was WELL worth the read! You will love this book!!

Better than interesting.......2007-07-10

When not fun, then fascinating; when not fascinating then interesting - and always well written.

I first read the start and the end of the book, about the meeting with the European world. Then I read the rest; and I took the hole book almost in one go in one evening.

Longing for Paradise Lost.......2007-05-01

G.K. Chesterton said, "the things common to all men are more important than the things peculiar to any men." Keugler writes of peculiar circumstances, but the deep, underlying story is one common to all: a deep, unfulfilled (yet) longing for Home. And because she clearly does not (yet) know where to turn to fulfill those longings, the book ends sadly with Sabine still lost: she does not belong in Germany, or among the Fayu, or anywhere. Yet.

But Kuegler's circumstances are familiar to some. I married a `child of the jungle'--same island, same jungle, different tribe. We know some of her places, and the book is especially interesting to us because we (both missionary kids) share some of her memories: jungles, multilingualism, cannibals, crocodiles, insects, intimate friendships with `natives,' helicopters, wars, boarding schools, and a traumatic transition to being westerners lost in the West--a poignant combination of comedy and tragedy.

Kuegler's childhood, like that of many `third culture kids,' was lived in snippets--little chunks of interrupted time (like her 2-4 page chapters): a few weeks or months in the village, then a trip `out' to Jayapura, then back to the village, then a semester at boarding school, then back to the village for Christmas vacation. Her book of short chapters is a skillfully interwoven (not disconnected), almost impressionistic, collection of topics and incidents.

The second half of Kuegler's book is pierced by a wistful, powerful `Sehnsucht' (a German word she does not use)--a deep longing for something she has difficulty describing, or even identifying. As she writes of death, of separation from family and Fayu friends, of feeling misfit among her `own kind,' readers can sense her longing to belong. She mourns paradise lost and fears there is none to be regained. In "Surprised by Joy," C. S. Lewis' life is also pervaded by this Sehnsucht, and then by the joy of its fulfillment. Kuegler, hopefully, will (like Lewis and Chesterton) look again to the `good Spirit' she briefly mentions in chapters 3, 30, and 45. This longing is His gift to prod us into finding our Home (Heb. 11:13-16). I hope then to read a more joyful sequel to Kuegler's delightful first book.

Primitive voice makes tale unsatisfying to modern reader.......2007-04-26

Sabine Kuegler is in an earnest struggle to find a home in the modern world - a place made incomprehensible by her Tarzan upbringing. Dependent on her missionary parents to explain the world, she is a young woman who accepts without question the value of her family's controversial work with a Stone Age tribe. The melancholy she exhibits belies the wisdom of such an unorthodox childhood.

Now a mother in Munich, she lies awake at night pondering the psychological stresses of current life and yearns to be back in the jungle although she knows she does not belong there. Her transition to life in the twenty-first century is incomplete -- the gap too far to bridge. Modern readers will find it hard to relate to "Mama and Papa" language reminiscent of wholesome Little House pioneer Laura Ingalls Wilder, while Kuegler's wide-eyed value judgments weigh down views of both the contemporary world and the Lost Valley of Irian Jaya.

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