The Flame Trees of Thika: Memories of an African Childhood (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics)

Book Description

New editions of Elspeth Huxley's stirring account of her childhood in Kenya and her novel of the destructive forces of colonization.

In an open cart Elspeth Huxley set off with her parents to travel to Thika in Kenya. As pioneering settlers, they built a house of grass, ate off a damask cloth spread over packing cases, and discovered--the hard way--the world of the African. With an extraordinary gift for detail and a keen sense of humor, Huxley recalls her childhood on the small farm at a time when Europeans waged their fortunes on a land that was as harsh as it was beautiful. For a young girl, it was a time of adventure and freedom, and Huxley paints an unforgettable portrait of growing up among the Masai and Kikuyu people, discovering both the beauty and the terrors of the jungle, and enduring the rugged realities of the pioneer life.

Customer Reviews:

Nostalgia for Happy Valley.......2007-06-23

This is by now a revered classic of a young girl's childhood in the Kenyan countryside under British rule. One reads this and instantly identifies with the colonial family. It's a kind of Swiss Family Robinson story about that magical time in Kenya and thereabouts before World War I when the world seemed to be at the feet of the British King and all globes glowed pink under the Empire. Were people ever so free and happy as the colonialists in Africa who instantly had countless servants, nearly free land, and the British fleet for protection? This is Out of Africa for the middle class, as opposed to Isak Dinesen's aristocratic take on things. Still, the going was good, as Evelyn Waugh once said. Ms Huxley is a charming writer. Required reading for lovers of things African.

The Flame Trees of Thika: Memories of an African Childhood.......2007-02-02

The Flame Trees of Thika is a wonderfully written book giving the reader a glimpse of what it must have been like to grow up in Colonial Africa. It is an experience most of us will only have through reading and can only be compared to what it must have been to be one of the early settlers on the American Frontier.

Love this Author.......2007-01-10

I loved this book. It is beautifully written and is a gripping story on growing up in Africa.

Truly A Classic.......2006-02-16

In 1913, a little English girl named Elspeth relocated with her family from their native country to begin a coffee plantation in the wilds of Kenya. Similar in a way to Laura Ingall Wilder's adventurous and sentimental "take" on what was surely a very difficult experience for her family, Elspeth remembers Kenya as a wonderful place and tells us with lingering excitement of her experiences there in the short time before the First World War changed nearly everything. A delightful memoir that is a pleasure every time it's read.

When can I get a plane to Africa?!.......2004-10-18

If you are interested in other cultures and ways of life, this book is a treasure. Yes, there has to be a bit of willing suspension of disbelief that this would be the way a child would see and describe things, but if you can live with the fact that this is an adult looking back on her childhood, it's a small thing to get over. The descriptions I found perfect--very vivid, yet not so extensive that they became boring and slowed down the story. And just in what happens and isn't even excused (her parents leave her with neighbors, she accompanies the neighbor's worker to the city, where he leaves her with some more strangers--we'd be calling the police, and her parents are just slightly inconvenienced! And everyone else there has just left their small children at boarding school, not seeing them for years!), the book gives a lot of food for thought about the realities of life in that time and place.

Keepers of Life: Discovering Plants Through Native American Stories and Earth Activities Forchildren (Keepers of the Earth)

Average customer rating:

I can't say enough about these books!
Great for Homeschooling Ecology Unit

Keepers of Life: Discovering Plants Through Native American Stories and Earth Activities Forchildren (Keepers of the Earth)
Michael J. Caduto , and Joseph Bruchac
Manufacturer: Fulcrum Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1555913873

Customer Reviews:

I can't say enough about these books!.......2002-04-02

The entire series is excellent!!! I have all four and I highly reccomend them. They teach science, literature, native american culture, and give children a respect for the natural world at the same time. (there is even the occasional bit of math thrown in). My son loves doing the activities with me! Excellent for unit studies!

Great for Homeschooling Ecology Unit.......2001-08-02

We use this book as a homeschool social studies/ecology resource. Each section begins with a Native American story related to the topic of the chapter, then moves on to a discussion of the subject matter. Each section also has activities/experiments, questions for review and discussion, and recommendations for materials for further study. My kids really look forward to each lesson in this book, because the information is presented in a fun manner, and the activities are appropriate for a wide-range of ages!

Average customer rating:

Enchanting!
My 8 year old loves this book!
A Must-Have for Every Family's Library
Great book
4 1/2* The Remembrance of Trees Past,

Our Tree Named Steve
Alan Zweibel
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0142407437

Book Description

Dear Kids, A long time ago, when you were little, Mom and I took you to where we wanted to build a house. . . . I remember there was one tree, however, that the three of you couldn't stop staring at. . . .

After the family spares him from the builders, Steve the tree quickly works his way into their lives. He holds their underwear when the dryer breaks down, he's there when Adam and Lindsay get their first crushes, and he's the centerpiece at their outdoor family parties. With a surprising lack of anthropomorphizing, this is a uniquely poignant celebration of fatherhood, families, love, and change.

Customer Reviews:

Enchanting!.......2007-09-20

Enchanting, charming, and SWEET! We have an equally wonderful tree in our front yard, which has held a swing, provided shade, as well as a home to a family of squirrels that have been with us for years (much to our dog's amusement). Although we have never thought about naming our tree we have, after reading this heartwarming book, decided to name our tree. Announcing for the first time ever in print, our big old maple tree, MAY!

My 8 year old loves this book!.......2007-05-06

My 8 year old checked this book out at the school library and had to have it. She read it over and over! Good book for any family that may be dealing with the loss of something or someone special.

A Must-Have for Every Family's Library.......2007-05-06

In a perfect world children would never have to experience the pain of loss. But, of course, this is not a perfect world, and just like their adult counterparts, youngsters need help coping when they lose someone they love. Be it that pet hamster who meets with an untimely (and usually slightly suspicious) end, a beloved grandparent who passes away, or the giant tree in the family's backyard that is cut down after providing so many years of comfort to those who hung from its limbs and took shelter under its shade- we all need help getting our children through such rough times. "Our Tree Named Steve" is the perfect book for such times.

Written in the form of a tender letter from a father to his three children this book teaches children about the importance of loving, to their fullest capacity, those who impact their lives; and then, when that most precious person is gone physically, embracing that same love, and, most importantly, feeling empowered by that love- perpetuating it so to speak. This book reminds its readers, both young and not-so young, that once someone has taken up residence in our hearts, they exist there eternally. Perhaps, in a different, less tangible form as the end of the book suggests- but they reside there nonetheless.

An obvious departure from the more adult-oriented comedy writing for which he is most recognized, Alan Zweibel has written a children's book that is entertaining, thought-provoking, and even a bit spiritual in its universal theme. But despite the heavy subject matter, the book is written with a softness and gentility that is soothing to children. It's also quite funny- the line "... and whenever our dryer broke down, he (Steve, the tree) held our underwear with pride" will undoubtedly make every child giggle because `underwear' is always funny! The illustrations that accompany Mr. Zweibel's thoughtful text are both beautiful and comical, and I simply love the colors David Catrow used. They jump off the page.

I highly recommend this book- it is one that should be accessible on the family bookshelf at all times for those days when your child needs some comforting... heck, it'll probably provide some solace to a few grown-ups, too.

Great book.......2007-03-18

My first graders loved this book and they noticed some characters from other book that Catrow illustrated show up in this story. It made them sad at the end.
For adults, it makes you think about childhood memories,

4 1/2* The Remembrance of Trees Past,.......2005-09-29

This sometimes poignant story focuses on the long-term intersections of family life and nature (here, a tree named "Steve"), and mixes humor and pathos appropriate for toddlers to early elementary school age kids. While there are some minor flaws that a good editor might have corrected, the narrative and (especially) the illustrations tell an original story about nature's centrality in our development and our memories.

The story line is in the form of a letter from a father to his three grown-up kids, describing how "a long time ago, when you were little, Mom and I took you to where we wanted to build a house for us to live in." This information would be obvious and sound a little redundant if really written to three grown-up children. Although very talented, Zweibel doesn't completely resolve the difficult problem of writing a children's story through the modus operandi of a letter for grown-ups. Still, Zweibel captures the power and appeal of reminiscence as "Dad" recounts realistic details such as two-year old Sari's calling out "Steve" as a mispronunciation of Steve, and the tree's increasing importance to the entire family:

"He quickly worked his way into your lives as a swing holder, target, third base, hiding place, jump-rope turner... and whenever our dryer broke down, he held our underwear with pride."

The latter phrase once again shows the primacy of the book's audience over the letter's audience--the grown-up children. While this is understandable and even laudable (shouldn't the reader come first?), it makes the letter-writing device seem a bit manipulative. Rather than being profound and transcendental, the tone seems a bit expedient and overly sentimental. This is particularly the case on the two-page spread showing Kirby the dog sniffing the stump where Steve once stood, a victim of disease and a recent storm. Against a monochromatic purple background that practically resembles the burning of Atlanta in "Gone With The Wind," we read in Dad's letter:

"...even in his final moments, when he could have fallen on our house, Sari's swings, Kirby's house, or Mom's garden, Steve performed his last trick and protected all of us to the very end, and friends like this are hard to find."

It's some 20 or so years later, and Sari's swings are still up and Dad talks to his grown-ups kids about Steve's "tricks"? This is a bit much, and seems antithetical to the book's theme of change. Furthermore, time seems to change unevenly in "Steve's" neck of the woods. Years later, the house looks much the same as it did when the family first moved there. The two older children do begin to look like teenagers, but young Sari's picture is ill-defined and static.

Still, Zweibel touches upon important and difficult issues of discovery, change, destruction, and renewal. More impressively, he seems to have struck a chord with his adult audience about the sometimes forgotten importance of memory and personal meaning. (Read the reviews here, in which people often mention a tree or other well-loved and often used natural object from their childhood.) I also liked the conclusion in which Steve's remnants make up a new tree house in a new tree.

Although there are the necessary comical interludes featuring the mugging dog. David Catrow's pencil and watercolor illustrations have the look of memory. In the best pictures, the foggy, muted colors recall a fondly remembered past, and some of the pictures impart a mythic stature to the beloved tree. For adults, "Steve" symbolizes a past to which we cannot fully return; for children, Steve is the embodiment of the joy, the intimacy, and the unpredictability of nature. A book with special poignancy after the recent Gulf Coast floods, its appeal seems to transcend Zweibel and Catrow's material.

Ghost Town at Sundown (Magic Tree House)

Average customer rating:

My favorite part
MY BOY LOVES READING IT
Cool!
Recommended by this reading specialist
I love this book

Ghost Town at Sundown (Magic Tree House)
Mary Pope Osborne
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679883398
Release Date: 1997-09-16

Book Description

The saga and success of The Magic Tree House continues! The tenth adventure, Ghost Town at Sundown, is filled with the excitement, action, and fun facts always found in Magic Tree House books.
Morgan le Fay has promised to make Jack and Annie masters of the tree house if they can solve four riddles. In Ghost Town at Sundown, the Magic Tree House whisks Jack and Annie back to a ghost town in the Wild West of the 1880s. There, they meet a mustang herder named Slim as they search for the answer to the second riddle.

Customer Reviews:

My favorite part.......2007-03-23

My favorite part was when Jack and Annie figured out that the book they had was written by Slim Cooley.

This was a very great book, because it was a good story.

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!

Cool!.......2005-12-09

The book where Jack and Annie are warped in Wild West and sees a ghost!

Recommended by this reading specialist.......2005-02-17

I'm a children's reading specialist and author (Teaching Kids To Read for Dummies). I use these books with kids who are really starting to take off with their reading and consistently get great feedback. Kids love the Magic Tree House series so if you're looking for great gifts or a bunch of books to keep your reader hooked, buy the lot.

I love this book.......2004-03-22

Annie & Jack find out that there's a rattlesnake in a ghost town and they have to hide from some people. And they find a piano that's playing all by itself. And we don't know what ...was playing it. It's a surprise for you, because you might find out. And I might find out too, because I have it at home. I have a lot of Magic Tree House books at my house. ...

Average customer rating:

Wonderful!
How organisms and species cooperate to survive
where was suzuki when i was failing high school science?
Great Informative Read!
A Book that Salutes Life

Tree: A Life Story
David Suzuki , and Wayne Grady
Manufacturer: Greystone Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 155365126X

Book Description

“Only God can make a tree,” wrote Joyce Kilmer in one of the most celebrated of poems. In Tree: A Life Story, authors David Suzuki and Wayne Grady extend that celebration in a “biography” of this extraordinary — and extraordinarily important — organism. A story that spans a millennium and includes a cast of millions but focuses on a single tree, a Douglas fir, Tree describes in poetic detail the organism’s modest origins that begin with a dramatic burst of millions of microscopic grains of pollen. The authors recount the amazing characteristics of the species, how they reproduce and how they receive from and offer nourishment to generations of other plants and animals. The tree’s pivotal role in making life possible for the creatures around it — including human beings — is lovingly explored. The richly detailed text and Robert Bateman’s original art pay tribute to this ubiquitous organism that is too often taken for granted.

Customer Reviews:

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

I read this book initially because I wanted a primer in how a forest works. This slim, beautifully-written book gave me what I was after, but also much more.

This is one of the best 'popular science' books I've read in ages. It manages to be poetic and profound without being pretentious or New Agey... Instead the authors allow reality (as it's currently perceived by scientists) to reveal its own mind-blowing beauty and power.

This book also explains the process of evolution, the significance of biodiversity and the extent of ecosystem interconnectedness more clearly and eloquently than anything I've read before.

Even though I read a library copy, I've now bought it, since it's one of those books I've just gotta have on the shelf...

How organisms and species cooperate to survive.......2007-04-19

Like the other reviewers of this book, I found it a delightful, informative, but troubling experience. What struck me most powerfully were the ways in which trees and other plants, including fungi, cooperate with one another in the primeval forest to promote their common welfare. The Douglas fir, for example, does not disperse its seeds widely, as some trees do. Instead, most of them drop to the forest floor near its roots. As they grow, their roots and those of its parent tree grow together, and the parent tree, which is much better at producing nutrients than its offspring, actually feeds its young until they become established. As the seedlings become tall, mature trees, they return the favor by contributing to the overall health of the forest, which is literally joined at the roots. I wish the social Darwinists who think everything in nature and society is individualistic cut-throat competition and survival of the fittest would reflect on this book's description of the forest ecosystem and apply it to human society.

where was suzuki when i was failing high school science?.......2005-03-27

i was a terrible science student in high school. i could never wrap my head around how microorganisms affected my world outside the classroom. but then, i didn't have teachers like david suzuki and wayne grady. this fascinating book looks at a single tree, and examines it life up to its death. they have an engaging writing style that is informative and clear. two big thumbs up.

Great Informative Read!.......2005-02-25

It seems fitting that on the same day I received an e-mail
regarding Kimberly-Clark's indiscriminate use of old growth
forests to produce Kleenex tissues I finished reading "Tree:
A Life Story," a new book by acclaimed geneticist and
environmentalist Dr. David Suzuki, and nature writer Wayne
Grady. The book focuses on the life of a Douglas-fir, to
illustrate plant evolution, biology, and the interdependence
of organisms. Throughout the chronological account of the
tree's life, the authors interweave short biographies of
noted botanists and their historical roles in helping us to
further understand and appreciate life and death in the
forest. The book is also interspersed with drawings by
well-known nature artist, Robert Bateman.

The authors allude to the story of Genesis to depict the
first days of life: "In the beginning," early forms of
bacteria, and algae gradually made their move from the ocean
to land's rocky surface. These life forms evolved into
mosses and then into plants such as ferns. Competition for
sunlight caused these ferns to thicken their stems and grow
taller; these plants evolved into trees.

Our main character is born around 1400, into favorable
conditions created by a recent all-consuming fire. Through
the tree's 500 year lifespan, we gain further insight into
scientific concepts presented in earlier chapters. We learn
that various fungi, which grow on the tree's roots, are
capable of extracting a thousand times more water from the
soil than the root itself. The fungi supply the tree with
nutrients and water and, in turn, receive sugars produced
through photosynthesis (the process whereby light energy is
used to transform carbon into nutrients) in the tree's
canopy. This is just one example of many where the
interdependence of organisms is illustrated.

The authors expand on the theory that a tree is forever
"part dying and part being born," which was originally
stated by Theophrastus, otherwise known as the "father of
botany." A student of Plato and Aristotle's, and one of the
first field scientists to present extensive data on plants,
Theophrastuses theory is illustrated in the following ways:
our tree's core is made of dead wood; over the years, new
layers of wood will grow around the "heartwood" core. When
our Douglas-fir finally dies, it stands as a "snag" for
about 60 years and becomes home for a range of species, such
as flying squirrels and spotted owls. In the end, when the
trunk falls to the forest floor, it serves as a nursery for
seedlings; even in death, it possesses life-sustaining
qualities.

A true testament to the book's overall success is that the
lyrical way in which the science was conveyed whetted my
appetite to revisit "Tree," in order to fully absorb all of
its vital information. At times, however, the abundance of
technical terms slowed my reading pace considerably. A short
glossary would help the scientifically unfamiliar reader to
carry concepts and terms from chapter to chapter.

It's no accident that the authors chose a Douglas-fir -the
most important old growth species in the forest industry
today- as their main character. Though several lines
protesting the industry's indiscriminate harvesting of these
trees are present, they are never preachy. The book relies,
instead, on supported evidence of how life depends on life,
and that blind destruction of such forests will eventually
lead to our own demise. On a personal note, I'm grateful to
the authors for providing me with the scientific knowledge
and the emotional charge needed to write my letter to the
Kimberly Clark Corporation.

Dan Goldman, Reviewer For Bookpleasures

A Book that Salutes Life.......2005-02-06

+++++

This easy-to-read book, by zoologist, geneticist, environmentalist, TV host, & author David Suzuki and author & translator Wayne Grady is advertised to be a biography of one tree, a Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziessi). This story connects us to other times in history and to all parts of the world. However, this story can be thought of as the story of all trees as well as all life throughout Earth.

This book explores the many mechanisms by which the tree is able to thrive for centuries while remaining rooted in one spot. It also looks at the tree's complex relationships with other organisms in its community, from such things as lichens, ferns, mosses, and fungi to other trees to such things as woodpeckers, squirrels, owls, cougars, bears, termites, ants, salamanders, and salmon. In addition, this book shows how a tree connects us to the atmosphere, the soil, and the world's oceans, as well as linking us all the way back to the universe's origins.

Examples of other topics covered include the history of botany, insect, bird, and mammal portraits, genetics, anatomy, nomenclature and taxonomy, climate, chemistry, biochemistry, and environmental issues. The amazing thing about this book is that these topics and others are combined in such a way as to make the main narrative extremely interesting and never dull. The authors say this more eloquently: "In this book, we have tried to restore a layperson's sense of wonder and questioning and added the kind of information acquired by scientists."

I was surprised to learn that "after [a] millennia of study, there is still much about a tree we do not know." This book definitely tells the reader what is known not only about a tree but about life as well.

Finally, there are over a dozen black and white illustrations in this book. They were created by internationally known wildlife artist Robert Bateman. These illustrations add another dimension to this book.

In conclusion, this is a book that has richly detailed text that's augmented by evocative original art. The final result "is a revelation, a salute to life itself."

(first published 2004; acknowledgements; introduction; 5 chapters; main narrative 180 pages; references; index)

+++++

Average customer rating:

Dreams Are Important
A Former Non-Fan of De Lint
People don't understand these stories are not new.....
Sadly, de Lint and Newford stumble -
Charming modern folk tales--convincing and emotional

Tapping the Dream Tree
Charles de Lint
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312874014

Amazon.com

Tapping the Dream Tree collects 18 stories by bestselling contemporary fantasy master Charles de Lint. One story, "The Witching Hour," is original to this volume, with a few others taken from limited-edition chapbooks; the remaining tales have been drawn from an impressive diversity of magazines and anthologies. The stories are set in and around de Lint's mythic, haunted American city of Newford, and fans will recognize several characters from de Lint's popular series.

The powerful story "Ten for The Devil" is a superb choice for an opener: it showcases de Lint's literary strengths and treats of his recurring themes of magic, music, creativity, and human worth. Musician Staley Cross's grandmother has always warned her to be careful when she plays her blue fiddle. But Staley never quite believed that her music could rouse dangerous magic... until one night, playing in a faraway field, she discovers the Devil doesn't only go down to Georgia. First published before the filming of O Brother, Where Art Thou?, "Ten for the Devil" draws upon the same crossroads myth as does the movie, but takes a very different road as it follows Staley's search for her only hope of soul survival: a mysterious bluesman known as Robert. --Cynthia Ward

Book Description

Charles de Lints urban fantasies, including Moonheart, Forests of the Heart, and The Onion Girl, have earned him a devoted following and critical acclaim as a master of contemporary magical fiction. At the heart of his work is the ongoing Newford series, of which this is the latest volume.The city of Newford could be any contemporary North American city . . . except that magic lurks in its music, in its art, in the shadows of its grittiest streets where mythic beings walk disguised. And its people are like you and me, each looking for a bit of magic to shape their lives and transform their fate.Now, in this latest volume, we meet a bluesman hiding from the devil; a Buffalo Man at the edge of death; a murderous ghost looking for revenge; a wolf man on his first blind date; and many more. Were reunited with Jilly, Geordie, Sophie, the Crow Girls, and other characters whose lives have become part of the great Newford myth. And de Lint takes us beyond Newfords streets to the pastoral hills north of the city, where magic and music have a flavor different but powerful still.

Customer Reviews:

Dreams Are Important.......2005-08-28

"Tapping the Dream Tree" is a weighty collection of Newford stories by Charles De Lint, revisiting some of his favoriate characters such as Jilly, Sophie and the Crow Girls. It does include a novelette --'Seven Wild Sisters'. For those of us who have had to search for vanished magazine copies of the stories, this anthology is a wonderful find. His characters are real, in some universe, and it's great to know more about them and their lives. Any De Lint reader needs to have this volume in their collection.

A Former Non-Fan of De Lint .......2005-02-15

After reading the reviews posted here I realize that I have missed out on quite a lot of excellent reading material over the years. The only three de Lint books I have ever come into contact with are The Onion Girl, Tapping the Dream Tree, and Spirits in the Wires. Some die-hard fans will therefore, I am sure, immediately discount my disagreement with the seemingly negative opinion of this book shown by the majority of the reviewers here. In particular, I strongly disagree with the review that states, "This one is for the fans... only" because this is the first De Lint book I ever read.

I will freely admit that I am a sucker for a good short story. I must also say that, if the first de Lint I had read was a continuous novel, I might not have gone around town recommending it to everyone I knew, as I did with Tapping the Dream Tree. This might not be as deep or as emotional or as detailed as some of de Lint's other work, but, from my reading of the stories, de Lint writes into these stories as much detail and emotional description as a short story can possibly contain.

As a short-story writer, one of the most difficult things to do well is to leave out parts that you could write in. If you choose well, these left out pieces add to your characters and stories more effectively than their inclusion. de Lint is excellent in this respect. Some of these characters are so well written that you want to step into their world and find out what they are like on a normal day and if they've ever had a normal day and what they like in their coffee or if they like coffee at all. They are characters that have deep wells of untouchably fascinating personality.

In summary... I loved this book. I loved these characters. This is the first De Lint book I ever read. This is still my favorite De Lint book. If you have never read de Lint, and if you like short stories from Bradbury (all of his shorts, not just his Martian Chronicles), and you would like to find a book of fantasy that captures the same feelings of making all things strange and, in strangeness, strangely beautiful, read de Lint's Tapping the Dream Tree. It is good enough to be worth reading.

People don't understand these stories are not new............2004-04-17

All of these stories are from previous rare Chap books and other small press printings from many many years of Mr. De Lint's body of work.
So some of the stories aren't as well told because well they were written 10-15 years ago.....also this clearly states it is full of SHORT stories..short stories can't go into the kind of detail several folks seem to be demanding from De Lint. If you want more details of some of these characters by the OTHER anthologies of Newford as well as the full length novels. Don't whine and complain because you feel like you got dropped into the middle when the books clearly says it is MORE tales from Newford..not ALL the tales from Newford....sigh.
Beautiful collection lovely lyrical quality and and engaging characters. I have only a few De lints I have not enjoyed and this certianly not one of them.

Sadly, de Lint and Newford stumble -.......2004-03-10

I'm a fan of Charles de Lint, and I love Newford, the city he's created and in which he's set so many good tales. I was eager to get to this fourth volume of Newford stories.

I confess that I'm one of a billion fans silently pressuring de Lint to tell me more about all my favorite characters, and here they are - the Riddels, the Kelledys, the crow girls. Well, mother always said to be careful what you wish for.

These stories are just so disappointing. The characters you love... just coasting, covering no new ground, sad shadows of themselves. Here, for example, is Jilly Coppercorn - mouthing catchphrases and jerking around like an automaton. Christy Riddel meats a ghost - who has a hell of a lot more life than he does. Suddenly the conflicted, intelligent writer is a cardboard cut-out, as deep and nuanced as a french fry. And here's Sophie, on another magical adventure - having the same tired argument with herself about whether the magic is real.

Yes, there are new characters. In one excruciatingly badly written tale, told entirely in dialogue, two young men discover magic power and Learn About Themselves. Bleh. A man and woman save a stranger from getting killed and discover he was being hunted by fallen angels. How to keep the "freaks" (a word he uses WAY too often, here and elsewhere) from coming for revenge?

"Live a good life. Be good people. Keep hateful thoughts out of your heart and mind." This theme is repeated throughout the anthology, over and over and over, just this clumsily. Every tale a morality tale, everywhere a Message.

Really, some of these stories are so bad, one wonders why people published them in their anthologies and magazines and such. I guess because they say "Charles de Lint" on them. Maybe nobody wants to hurt his feelings. And maybe that's a problem. The Onion Girl, and now Tapping the Dream Tree, suggest that maybe de Lint doesn't have anything more to say about our beloved characters, or even magical Newford. Somebody, something, needs to push him to use his powerful, wonderful imagination again. Hey, I know, nobody's perfect. But the time period covered by these stories... that's a long time stumbling.

Fans may want to grit through this collection, despite the flaws and disappointments. "Ten for the Devil," "Pixel Pixies," and "Big City Littles" are worth reading, and harken back to the GOOD collections of Newford tales, in spirit.

Honestly, though, it's a waste of time, money, and hope. And a sorry waste of Charles de Lint.

Charming modern folk tales--convincing and emotional.......2003-06-28

A killer who reads minds, a group of young women who find pixies coming from their computers, hobs in their bookstores, and lovers in their dreams, people who sell their souls to the devil, and seven red-haired sisters who live in the forest and discover the war between the sang fairies and the bee fairies. Author Charles de Lint provides a delightful assortment of modern fairy tales. De Lint's stories are charming and fresh, dealing with authentic people rather than shallow fairy-tale heros--and with real magic.

TAPPING THE DREAM TREE is a wonderful collection of stand-alone stories, connected stories about the dream tree and a dream city, and a short novel of the seven sisters. This isn't a dark cyber-punk return-of-magic story, but a modern version of folk stories where fairie creatures may be powerful and beautiful, but are frequently indifferent to humans. Most of the stories are set in the countryside rather than in the city and reflect a peaceful pacing.

De Lint's writing paints pictures for his stories, compelling the reader without any sense of hurry. I found myself savoring the stories even though a part of me wanted to plunge on and find out what happens next. If you've read de Lint before, you know what to expect and you'll be delighted to find it. If you haven't, you're in for a treat. De Lint is a winner and TAPPING THE DREAM TREE is a powerful collection of stories that needs to be added to your must-read pile.

Average customer rating:

Small book, big bite

An enchanting and fascinating read, highly recommended for plant lovers of all walks of life.

The Teeth of the Lion: The Story of the Beloved and Despised Dandelion
Anita Sanchez
Manufacturer: The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Perfect Paperback

General | Plants | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 093992322X

Product Description

The Teeth of the Lion tells the story of the common dandelion, that remarkably widespread plant that is known, for better or worse, by just about everybody. Through a series of short essays, written in accessible language and a thoroughly engaging style, Anita Sanchez takes the reader on a journey through the natural history of the dandelion and its long association with humans. Joan Jobson s illustrations add important details and subtle accents that enhance this journey. Well adapted ecologically to spread into and thrive within disturbed sites -- such as the lawns, playgrounds, roadsides, and parking lots in which they are most often encountered today, and viewed as weeds -- dandelions also have had a lengthy, welcomed association with humans as medicine, food, and objects of ritual, magic, and folklore. The Teeth of the Lion will be a source of enjoyable, fascinating, memorable information of interest to all users. It will provide naturalists, wildflower enthusiasts, gardeners, interpreters, teachers, landscapers, and homeowners a better understanding of one of the most common, well-known, and perhaps underappreciated plants to be found anywhere.

Customer Reviews:

Small book, big bite.......2007-05-17

The Teeth of the Lion conveys the fascinating story of the dandelion and considerably more.

Authoritative, yet never overbearing, this lively book provides the facts on dandelions while leading the reader to ponder knowledge gained and lost, the art and practice of medicine and just how our planet might fare in the future. An impressive scope for a little book about an underappreciated little plant.

Read this book and you won't look at dandelions or the world in the same way.

An enchanting and fascinating read, highly recommended for plant lovers of all walks of life........2007-03-07

Written by senior environmental educator Anita Sanchez, The Teeth of the Lion is the true story of the ubiquitous dandelion, a flower so ecologically adapted, flourishing in so many lawns, playgrounds, roadsides, and parking lots, that it is commonly perceived as a weed. Yet the dandelion has an extended history as medicine, food, and the focus of ritual and folklore. "...are dandelions bad? If forced to answer the question, I'd say that dandelions are a bad thing, an alien species, with many redeeming virtues. They're an unbelievably nutritious plant that heals the earth as well as people, they're medicine, and magic, and, yes, beauty... in the great scheme of the world's ecology, what's a few dandelions on a lawn?" An enchanting and fascinating read, highly recommended for plant lovers of all walks of life.

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In a Town This Size
Tells all about a Georgia family in 1906
Hilarious
Excellant story and expertly read.
Cold Sassy Hot'n'Sassy

Cold Sassy Tree
Olive Ann Burns
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0899193099

Book Description

The one thing you can depend on in Cold Sassy, Georgia, is that word gets around - fast. When Grandpa E. Rucker Blakeslee announces one July morning in 1906 that he's aiming to marry the young and freckledy milliner, Miss Love Simpson - a bare three weeks after Granny Blakeslee has gone to her reward - the news is served up all over town with that afternoon's dinner. And young Will Tweedy suddenly finds himself eyewitness to a major scandal. Boggled by the sheer audacity of it all, and not a little jealous of his grandpa's new wife, Will nevertheless approves of this May-December match and follows its progress with just a smidgen of youthful prurience. As the newlyweds' chaperone, conspirator, and confidant, Will is privy to his one-armed, renegade grandfather's second adolescence; meanwhile, he does some growing up of his own. He gets run over by a train and lives to tell about it; he kisses his first girl, and survives that too. Olive Ann Burns has given us a timeless, funny, resplendent novel - about a romance that rocks an entire town, about a boy's passage through the momentous but elusive year when childhood melts into adolescence, and about just how people lived and died in a small Southern town at the turn of the century. Inhabited by characters who are wise and loony, unimpeachably pious and deliciously irreverent, Cold Sassy, Georgia, is the perfect setting for the debut of a storyteller of rare brio, exuberance, and style.

Customer Reviews:

In a Town This Size.......2007-10-06

This book was on my daughter's summer reading list for ninth grade. It's the story of life in small Cold Sassy, Georgia in the early 20th century, told through the eyes of a young boy whose grandfather marries the milliner from his general store just days after his wife of many years dies. Burns wrote this book, based on the memories of her grandfather, when she was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease in middle age. She finished it and part of the followup Leaving Cold Sassy before she died.

Looking back, the story had a lot in common with one of my favorite musicals, Fiddler on the Roof (Special Edition), except that it's the older generation that tries to break with tradition. Grandson Will Tweedy, whose grandfather always addresses by both names, represents the future of Cold Sassy and other small towns--torn between the comfort and support of tradition and the promises of happiness and progress based on new ways of thought. Personally, I'm happy to live in a world where everyone's just a little more detached from their neighbor's business than were the people of Cold Sassy. On his duets album In Spite Of Ourselves, John Prine and Dolores Kane sang a duet about the situation, "In a Town This Size"--"In a town this size/There is no place to hide. . ." Ironically, the Internet is taking us back in time, but on a larger scale, where everyone can know everything about everyone, at least to the extent that someone is willing to share it on line.

But that's getting away from Ms. Burns' book, which shimmers with authenticity of time, place and language. You'll almost choke in the dust roiled up by grandpa's first trips in his new Buick. And, boy howdy, you'll try out some of the Southernisms out loud just to test whether people could really talk that way. (My daughter and I got a big kick out of this.)

With "Cold Sassy Tree", Ms. Burns accomplishes everything she set out to do--preserve the memory of a place and time in her past; honor the life of her grandfather; and entertain generations of readers. Five enthusiastic stars for all readers from 12 to 112.

Tells all about a Georgia family in 1906.......2007-09-18

Olive Ann Burns was 59 when she published her first and only book, Cold Sassy Tree, which became an instant classic in 1986. People across the country loved the book, and though Burns tried to write its sequel, she died six years later with only the first 14 chapters written. A real perfectionist, she wrote and rewrote and re-wrote, looking for the perfect words with an obsession for detail.

Cold Sassy Tree is the story of a family living in a small Georgia town at the turn of the century-1906. It's told from the viewpoint of 14-year-old Will Tweedy in the colorful Southern dialect which took Burns years to get just right. She based the story on her own parents and grandparents' stories.

Interesting as Will is, the real main character here is his Grandpa Blakeslee. Three week after his wife of 36 years dies, Grandpa announces to his family that he's going to marry the (much) younger Miss Love Simpson, who works in his shop.

When his horrified daughters protest, Grandpa remarks that while he loved Grandma for many, many years, he sees no reason to wait a year to remarry, because "she's as dead as she's ever gonna be, ain't she?" and stomps off.

Thus begins a years of an emotional rollercoaster ride for Will and his family, with all of Cold Sassy looking on in fascination and horror. The story is lively and funny and poignant by turns and has been called the most realistic portrait of a small town in the early 1900s ever written.

Mariner Books is re-issuing Cold Sassy Tree along with its unfinished sequel, Leaving Cold Sassy. I recommend that a whole new generation visit the South which Olive Ann Baker loved and wrote about so well.

Armchair Interview agrees.

Hilarious.......2007-09-16

I cracked up reading this one

Woman Submit! Christians & Domestic Violence

Excellant story and expertly read........2007-09-05

This is an exceptionally well done audio CD. The story is great and the speaker does a really great job. Wonderful choice for anyone confined to bed. Really helps the time go by.

Cold Sassy Hot'n'Sassy.......2007-08-30

I first read Cold Sassy Tree as a book reviewer, and I was impressed by the attention to detail and the depth of the characters it holds. Will Tweedy tells the story, but his Grandpa Blakeslee is the real main mover here. The plot covers a year in a small Southern town at the turn of the century (the 1900's) when society was proscribed and its rules set in granite. You did not do certain things--like marry a women young enough to be your granddaughter, elope with her, and worse yet, have a child by her. There is a lot of realism to these characters--they're easily human, with all the flaws and strong points that entails. The author spent years writing and re-writing her novel, even while she was ill with cancer and heart failure, and in the end produced something that was an instant bestseller. This is the only complete novel she wrote; and I think she did an outstanding job.--C. L. Rossman

Apples to Oregon: Being the (Slightly) True Narrative of How a Brave Pioneer Father Brought Apples, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Grapes, and Cherries (and Children) ... the Plains (Golden Kite Awards (Awards))

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Perfect Blend of Words and Pictures
4½ A Delicous Version of How the West was Won
Being the review of a gal who likes her tall tales spunky
Delicious!

Apples to Oregon: Being the (Slightly) True Narrative of How a Brave Pioneer Father Brought Apples, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Grapes, and Cherries (and Children) ... the Plains (Golden Kite Awards (Awards))
Deborah Hopkinson
Manufacturer: Atheneum/Anne Schwartz Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0689847696

Book Description

Apples, ho!

When Papa decides to pull up roots and move from Iowa to Oregon, he can't bear to leave his precious apple trees behind. Or his peaches, plums, grapes, cherries, and pears. Oh, and he takes his family along too. But the trail is cruel -- first there's a river to cross that's wider than Texas...and then there are hailstones as big as plums...and there's even a drought, sure to crisp the cherries. Those poor pippins! Luckily Delicious (the nonedible apple of Daddy's eye) is strong -- as young 'uns raised on apples are -- and won't let anything stop her father's darling saps from tasting the sweet Oregon soil.

Here's a hilarious tall tale -- from the team that brought you Fannie in the Kitchen -- that's loosely based on the life of a real fruiting pioneer.

Apple Facts

More than 7,500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world.

About 2,500 varieties grow in the United States.

The apple variety Delicious is the most widely grown in the United States.

Apples are part of the rose family.

The science of fruit growing is called pomology.

Fresh apples float. That's because 25 percent of their volume is air.

Cut an apple in half, across the core, and you'll see a star shape.

It takes apple trees four to five years to produce their first fruit.

It takes about thirty-six apples to make one gallon of apple cider.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect Blend of Words and Pictures.......2006-04-02

This story has so much going for it: delightful phrasing, conflict, humor, and a satisfying ending.

I love that the story is told from a child's perspective. "Delicious" truly saves the day. Isn't that the dream of every child? ;-)

The illustrations are the cherry on this story sundae. They're colorful, fun and engaging. Yum!

4½ A Delicous Version of How the West was Won.......2005-08-29

This is the vegan version of "Oregon Trail," an ancient computer game that was once -played on the Apple IIe, and featured "blam-blam" cheesy sounds as you gunned down moose, dear, and bear. Here, there's no fishing or hunting, but you follow the same trail past Chimney and Courthouse Rock, ford a river, climb the Rockies, and raft down the Columbia River to Oregon. Although I wondered the book violated any copyright laws, all resemblance to the "Oregon Trail" ends there.

Unlike the game, there's no dysentery, crooked traders, stampeding animals, or cranky settlers. Instead, a plucky family travels from Iowa to Oregon with a gigantic wagon holding a holding a whole orchard of fruit trees: Apples, plums, cherries, pears, and peaches. The book is more enjoyable than I expected, given its resemblance to the game, mostly because of the colorful girl, "Delicious," who narrates the story, and the sometimes silly obsession of her fruit-minded father. When "Delicious" (at least her father didn't name her "Gravenstein") alerts us "Daddy was ready for the most daring adventure in the history of fruit," you know you're in for a clever and exciting tall tale.

On the way to Oregon, the family encounters nasty skeptical fellow travelers, weather changes, and natural obstacles. They build a raft and start paddling the Platte River, the "muddy drink started to pull us down":

"'The peaches are plummeting!' my sisters shouted."
"'The plums are plunging,' boomed my brother."
"'Don't let my babies go belly-up!" howled Daddy.

Apparently, Daddy's has unbounded concern for the apples of his eye...and he also loves his kids. Delicious, who knows that children raised on apples are "mighty strong" (there's lots of "Western" dialect festooning these pages), gets her sibs to kick off their shoes and kick their feet against the Platte. Later, a windstorm strikes, half-denuding the family (sure to get some laughs from the younger set), and eliciting another cry from Daddy (always in big, bold font):

"Guard the grapes! Protect the peaches!"

The persistent, albeit slightly goofy Daddy, is shown on a great two-page spread resembling the Disneyland diorama of the Grand Canyon. The family is hauling the wagon up about a 50 degree incline, an impossible task, of course, while the unvanquished Daddy announces, "just a hundred miles to go." In one of many colorful illustrations, Delicious-looking more and more like a young pioneer woman, fights a wispy Jack Frost with a bonfire and a blanket. Very soon, "that low-down scoundrel was hightailing it out of there, heading straight for Walla, Washington. Delicious stands tall and proud. The illustrations slightly recall those of Patricia Polacco with their emphasis on people's faces and long exaggerated lines, although they're not quite as loopy and personal as Polacco's.

The books concludes with a successful orchard planting in Oregon, just as in the true story of the parents and their eight children who brought the first apple trees from Iowa to Oregon in 1847. Delicious, easily the most appealing and emotionally satisfying character in the book is last seen high up in an apple tree, munching away and pondering the Gold Rush that that began shortly after their trip. All those fruit trees, she says "made us richer than any prospector. We were happier, too. After all, apples taste a whole lot better than gold."

Being the review of a gal who likes her tall tales spunky.......2005-03-29

So I was doing my usual Thursday storytime (as is my librarianly duty) to a group of open-mouthed red-cheeked youngsters when I happened to ask if any of them knew what a tall tale was. You could have heard a pin drop. Now there were roughly ten or so children ranging in age from nine to toddlerhood and amongst these not a single child (that would admit it) knew that great family friendly and thoroughly American art of over exaggeration. I was sorely aggrieved but read from Anne Isaac's marvelous, "Swamp Angel" and felt much better in the end. Since that time, I have come to the conclusion that it is the duty of every good honest citizen of our fair Etas Unis that writes for children to make at least one tall taleish picture book in their lifetime. So far, there are plenty of writer/illustrators out there shirking their duties, but Deborah Hopkinson and Nancy Carpenter are not among them. Between the two of them they've concocted a rip-roaring, snorting, fit to be tied narrative based on true events and spun into utter silliness and fantasy. The result is the fun freewheeling, "Apples To Oregon", and after reading it your tots may well want to make the trip themselves.

Delicious and her daddy are two of a kind. They both love their beautiful Iowan fruit orchard. And they'd give everything they have to preserve and protect those awesomely tasty trees. So when Delicious's daddy decides that the family should pull up stakes and head for Oregon, it's only natural that the trees should come along with. Trouble is, it's hard enough to get a family the size of Delicious's across the plains (there are eight or so children), let alone finicky fruit bearers. But her daddy's determined, so off go Delicious, her mother, father, and seven siblings to make it to Oregon. Along the way they ford a mighty river using only their feet, battle a mighty windstorm, are saved of thirst by finding water filled boots, and finally engage in combat with the sneaky low down Jack Frost himself. By the end, Oregon has its trees and Delicious has a new home to settle in.

Hopkinson writes in an easygoing drawl that doesn't try too hard or rely on an abundance of silly cliches. And the various adventures visited upon the clan are silly but never too frightening or woeful. The fact that Delicious's father seems to care more for his trees than his children is a bit off-putting. And I can definitely see various children reading this story and getting ticked at his callousness. But if you take it for what it's worth, the rest of the reading is easy going. Hopkinson even includes in her Author's Note some information on the man this tale was loosely based on. It may certain interest adults to know that as a result of 1847's Henderson Luelling, Oregon remains one of the finest fruit producers in the continental United States.

As for illustrator Nancy Carpenter, she's given the pictures here a nice feel. You jump in sympathy as you see the poor kids leap through the sand without their boots (and you can't help but curse their lazy father who is not only booted but riding a horse... some Pop he is!). You cringe as Jack Frost's hand reaches to get past clever Delicious, ever watchful at her post. The pictures here are a sweet compliment to a nice story.

I don't know if I can say that this is the best tall tale book out there. But it is nice to see how the hero in this particular case is an entire family and not just one single striking individual. As I've noted, I've some problems with Delicious's father's misplaced loyalties, but otherwise this is a nice enough book and should make a fun storytime of its own. For anyone who's ever wanted to interest their very young offspring in the Oregon Trail, this might be a great way to spark interest at an early age.

Delicious!.......2004-08-21

I'm a second grade teacher and I love to use picture books in the classroom. What a find this is! With hilarious illustrations, it also covers all the bases -- apples, the Oregon trail, and a great story based (loosely) on real events, besides. I love the Apple Facts on the back cover. A great book!

Under the Tagalong Tree (Beers, V. Gilbert, Muffin Family Picture Bible.)

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Under the Tagalong Tree (Beers, V. Gilbert, Muffin Family Picture Bible.)
V. Gilbert Beers , and Helen Endres
Manufacturer: Moody Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0802490212

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