Writers Books

Sholom's Treasure is a sweet story about the writer Sholom Aleichem and how he decided to become a writer. The illustrations are great and the story is simple and a pleasure to read and share.

This winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award for Young Readers is just charming and works on many levels. Mordecai Gerstein's illustrations complement the text perfectly. It is a biography for younger readers; a story reminiscent of a fairy tale with a mean step-mother and a dreams that comes true; and a lesson that you will succeed if you pursue your passion.

Sholom's Treasure is the 2006 winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Younger Readers Category, presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries for the best in Jewish children's literature. An interview with the author and illustrator may be heard on the Jewish literature podcast The Book of Life at www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com (the January 2006 episode), and information about all Sydney Taylor Book Award winners is available at www.SydneyTaylorBookAward.org.

The subtitle of this book, "How Sholom Aleichem Became a Writer" accurately describes this childhood portrait of the famous author. From toddlerhood to the teen-age, we learn of the influences on the writer's work, from his shtetl upbringing to his collecting of interesting curses uttered by his stepmother. The story ends with the boy's realization that he will become a writer; his adult life is not depicted. This is not a shortcoming; anyone who has seen Fiddler on the Roof knows who Sholom grew up to be, but this book satisfies our
curiosity as to how he became that person.

This picture book biography is a perfect blend of text and
illustration. The writing is simple and clear, engaging and full of interesting detail and well-placed dialogue. The illustrations are busy, at first glance perhaps too much so; yet further examination reveals that they are incredibly alive and that they perfectly complement and flesh out the text. The use of cartoon-style series of small illustrations interspersed with full-page scenes moves the story along and supports the pacing of the text. Faces and body language are expressive and vivid. Sholom comes to life as a lovable rascal despite the potentially distancing old-fashioned clothing and long side-curls.

Sholom's Jewish identity is unapologetically front and center in this biography. Explanations of Jewish life are not necessary, as the story itself smoothly defines all terms and customs. The Jewish aspects of the story are not coyly told for insiders nor stiffly recited to educate non-Jews, but are described matter-of-factly; Sholom's culture is an integral part of his individuality and of his life story.

This is a vital, engaging, living-and-breathing portrait of one of modern Judaism's most famous and beloved champions. The book stands along beautifully but would also make a perfect introduction to Sholom Aleichem's own works.

Grades 2-5

In an opening author's note Erica Silverman tells of being taken to a Broadway production of "Fiddler On The Roof" by her grandmother. She writes that as she watched the musical she felt she was looking into the world of her grandmother's childhood. When she questioned her grandmother after the playing, saying she wanted to learn more, the reply was "Read Sholom Aleichem." That's on the spot advice for all.

Born in Russia in 1859 as Sholom Rabinowitz, he became known as Sholom Aleichem, "a Yiddish greeting that means `Peace be with you.'" There was very little peace to be found in his turbulent childhood, but as the author notes, although he was quite cognizant of the difficulties and deprivation around him he was somehow able to see humor in almost any situation. And, he believed that "laughter was healthy, even necessary, to survival." Anyone who has seen "Fiddler On The Roof," which is based on his stories knows the truth of that statement.

One of 12 children, Aleichem loved to hear his father read stories, and he thoroughly enjoyed watching the pleasure this gave to others. Evidently, he, too, decided he wanted to make others happy so he became a bit of a clown, an accomplished mimic. However, it wasn't too long before greater hardships visited his small village, Voronko. His father lost his share of a business, and the family moved to Pereyaslav, a veritable city with wooden sidewalks. Once there, his parents bought a rather dilapidated inn.

Two months after Aleichem's bar mitzvah a cholera epidemic enveloped Pereyslav, and his mother died. What would become of his family now?

Erica Silverman has crafted a trenchant, thoughtful biography, and it is illustrated by the incomparable Mordicai Gerstein. Last year's Caldecott Medal winner, his pictures are often humorous, always touching.

We learn that in Aleichem's will he asked that his name "be recalled with laughter." It is - with laughter and gratitude.

- Gail Cooke

Illustrator Mordicai Gerstein never ceases to amuse me. Sometimes his pictures are too loosey-goosey to hold my attention (as with any of the books he's illustrated for Elizabeth Levy) while other times he bowls me over with his originality and spice (as with the adorable "Seal Mother"). I did not, on the outset, have high hopes for "Sholom's Treasure", I admit. Sure I knew the name Sholom Aleichem. That's the fella who wrote the stories that "Fiddler On the Roof" was based on, yes? But how interesting could a children's biography of him be? I'm not a huge biography fan to begin with. Seems to me that most picture book bios are deathly dull David A. Adler-like affairs. The are usually the perfect way to put the kiddies to sleep. Fortunately there are smash-hit artists like Erica Silverman and the aforementioned Mr. Gerstein to put me in my place whenever I think this way. "Sholom's Treasure" is definitely one of Gerstein's best books, helped in no small way by Silverman's skill at winnowing out a slice of the great man's life that makes for a fabulous story. Evil stepmothers, a treasure, hardship, glory, putting a bully in his place, it's all here! Best of all, it's the kind of thing kids will actually want to hear about.

He was born Sholom Rabinowitz and was one of twelve children. He lived in Russia in 1859 and attended kheyder like the other boys. Though a fabulous student, Sholom was also a class clown. Mimicry was his talent though nobody appreciated it as much as he would have liked. In his spare time he and his friend Shmulik would discuss how to locate a treasure that they were sure was buried under a nearby hill. Unfortunately the family had to move soon thereafter and then Sholom's mother died. When his father remarried, the new stepmother was not exactly a kindly sort. Still, Sholom was able to have a fair amount of small adventures and triumphs in his own way. In the end, he realized exactly what kind of treasure it was that he would someday present to his father. He was going to be a writer. An Afterword describes how Sholom spent the rest of his life, the number of works he created (more than six thousand stories, essays, plays and novels) and where and when he died. There is also a particularly well written list of Sources and Archival material used by Silverman to tell this truly interesting tale.

Usually I do not trust award winners. This particular story won the 2006 Sydney Taylor Book Award and so I picked it up with the faintest moue of apprehension gracing my lips. I mean, award winners tend to have one thing in common - they're dull dull deathly deadly dull. And winners of awards for a specific ethnic or religious minority have such a small pool to pull from to begin with that often I find myself deeply disappointed with what I find. "Sholom's Treasure" breaks that rule squarely in two and does so with a kind of manic glee. The glee can be attributed directly to two participants - Silverman and Gerstein. Let's take Silverman for a start. It's really remarkably difficult to take a famous figure, condense their life (or, in this case, a portion of their life) into picture book size with simple words AND give the tale a beginning, a middle, and an end. This she has done beautifully. We read about Sholom wanting to dig up a mysterious treasure so that he could present it to his family. Later, he realizes what the true treasure he could present could be. Along the way we get to read funny little anecdotes, such as the time Sholom copied down his step-mother's insults and curses into a compiled (and alphabetized) dictionary entitled, "The Sharp Tongue of the Stepmother". Little humorous touches like this one give the book a depth that few children's book biographies achieve.

Then there is Mr. Gerstein's work. As I mentioned before, I'm never sure if I'm going to like what he does from book to book. I enjoyed, "The Man Who Walked Between the Towers", but I had a hard time figuring out whether or not the art was good enough for the story. No such wavering exists with "Sholom". Gerstein has given his hero particularly bright blue eyes and some yellow curls that make him easy to find even in group settings. When Sholom is described as mimicking someone, we see split panels where the "victim" does something and then Sholom does the same thing, only goofier. There's a truly enjoyable sequence where Sholom stands fascinated by his stepmother's curses. In brightly colored squares we see each curse turned to its literal visible equivalent. There's a picture of Sholom covered in worms for "May worms eat you!" and Sholom in various pieces for "May you ache and break!". To my chagrin, publishers like Farrar, Straus & Giroux don't seem to care to mention the artistic process their illustrators use to make their pictures on their publication pages anymore. A Publisher's Weekly review once said that the book used pen & ink and watercolor washes to create the pictures. I don't have anything to back this information up with, so I guess we'll just have to trust PW on this one.

The Author's Note at the beginning of the book clears up quite a few misconceptions of its own. I was delighted to find that Sholom's pen name (Sholom Aleichem) was a kind of play on words. He changed his last name to the humorous "Aleichem" so that every time you said his title in full you were basically saying "peace be with you" in Yiddish. I also appreciated that there was a note at the beginning mentioning that, "The dialogue in this book is based on Sholom Aleichem's own words as they appear in his autobiography, `From the Fair'". That's just in case you were worried that Silverman made some of this stuff up.

The book has received two awards as of this review (the aforementioned Sidney Taylor and the New York Public Library's 100 Titles For Reading and Sharing) and has been given glowing reviews by at least nine legitimate review resources. It may sound greedy, but I wish more people knew about it. It's a pity it didn't garner itself a Caldecott Honor, but that's the way it goes sometimes. In any case, it's a lovely little book and an even cleverer pairing of selective story and finely honed artwork. A treasure for people of every culture and persuasion.

This is the first novel by Reinaldo and his only work published in cuba. This is a fine work. It is in my opion not as easy as some of his other works. The language is in keeping with his other works such as The Assult, and The Brightest Star. The descritive, expressionist language can at times be complex but this is wonderfully readable. I have been working my way through Reinaldo's pentagonia and this must be read to understand the author. Marvelous.

I could not put this book down ...even though sometimes I thought I would throw up..incredibly honest and very descriptive, I actually fell in love with Reinaldo, if he were alive today I would give anything to meet him..even though I am female , I think he would like me , and our love of the ocean would bind us together!!!oops this review is meant for before night falls

As a student of literature I have read my fair share of books. So far, this is my favorite. It is incredibly emotional and I found myself completely attached to the narrator. I have not read the rest of the books in Arena's collection, what he calls the Pentagonia, but now I plan to do so. Read this book! It is worth your time.

The first novel of Arenas's "Pentagonia" ... beautiful, poignant, and at times downright frustrating. Reality and fantasy seamlessly interweave in this depiction of a boy's childhood in pre-Castro Cuba. I am having a difficult time putting into words my experience with this novel. Arenas's prose is gorgeous, poetic in its lyricism, crossing into a style that reads like a fusion between Walt Whitman and James Joyce, reminiscent of the latter particularly in the novel's final section, a mad and hallucinatory set piece that takes place during Christmas and is written completely as dialogue. There is much abuse - both physical and psychological - to be endured in these pages, yet through it all Arenas maintains a strangely uplifting tone. His descriptions of nature are stunning in their simplicity and detail, as is the relationship between the young narrator and his mother that provides the through-line around which the action of the novel centers.

By its end, the reader is left moved and exhilarated, yet painfully aware that life for this boy and his mother really isn't going to get much better ... and, if we are to read the narrator as Reinaldo Arenas himself, in fact, will get much much worse.

I was frequently reminded of Julian Schnabel's film of Arenas's memoir "Before Night Falls", particularly of the early childhood scenes at the beginning of the film. If you haven't seen it, it serves as an excellent introduction to the life of this amazing artist. If you have seen it, the film stands to be viewed again.

"There went my mother, she just went running out the door. She was screaming like a crazy woman that she was going to jump down the well. I see my mother at the bottom of the well. I see her floating in the greenish water choked with leaves. So I run for the yard, out to where the well is, that's fenced around with a wellhead of naked-boy saplings so rickety it's almost falling in."

So begins Singing from the Well. In some respects, this book reminds me of Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury. In Singing from the Well, we read the tale of a young boy in the poverty of pre-revolutionary Cuba, a tale in which the characters are not only the boy's family, but who are allegories for Cuba. The narrative jumps about and is mixed with both what the boy sees as real and what he fantasizes about. Reality for the boy holds violence, both at the hands of his peers and his family. So he takes solice in another reality that includes his dead cousin Celestino, who carves beautiful poetry into the trunks of trees.

This is the first book in a series by Arenas that follows this boy's life during the period just before the revolution. It is a tremendously moving book, but cannot be considered uplifting. The reader who takes the challenge to read this will be rewarded.

I highly reccomend this book, it shares very interesting stories about others experiences with life, very upbeat and inspiring.

This just a great book, and I liked the way it was delieved so fast.

Shirley Brosius has written a beautiful and important book that I would highly receommend for every woman (and even man!). SISTERHOOD OF FAITH provides a stunning array of strong Christian women (365 in all) who have powerfully influenced the world for the better. From Abigail Adams to Catherine Marshall and more, Brosius insightfully captures the essence of their different committment and courage, and she reveals their power through her words. Each woman's story also includes a helpful Biblical verse and a question for thought. My wife and I very much appreciated their stories and the way in which they inspired our own. In a society that is often rocked by demeaning culture, Brosius's book shines as an example of love, courage and risk. It is, indeed, a beautiful and inspiring work.

At first glance, I thought this was just another devotional book written by the women on the cover. It surprised me that it is not a devo but a collection of inspirational short stories, written by the author, about women who have made -- some who are making -- a difference in the world. Then I discovered the alphabetical order of names, making it an easy reference to locate a woman and read about her. The enormous variety of women was a surprise; one funded a seminary, "Biddy" Chambers published her husband's sermons, one was a martyr for Christ, some were preachers, monarchs, reformers, stay-at-home moms who founded companies, others today are singers, songwriters, and evangelists, and one is our First Lady. What a surprise to discover the scores of websites and resources listed in the back. I'm pleasantly surprised with the easy-to-read format and challenging "My Response" question at the end of each short story.

As a professional speaker and writer on child behavior, I recognize many of my colleagues. This book is well-written and enlightening. It's definitely a delight and a keeper!

The Birth to Five Book: Confident Childrearing Right from the Start

I was so inspired by the pages of Sisterhood of Faith. Each page tells of women making a difference for the cause of Christ. Sometimes we look at our lives and struggle with our day to day issues. When I begin my morning reading a page from this book it helps me put my life into perspective. The women of this book took their ordinary lives and focused their efforts towards the cause of Christ. If you are a housewife that needs encouragement, a woman in ministry who is struggling with her call or someone who wants to start her day being uplifted, this is the book for you! You have got to have it!

In the course of an individuals maturation process, there are certain immutable truths that transcend the [genders] and the generations. Benjamin David has grasped that process and articulated it in such a fashion that any person who has been through, or will go through, these turbulent years, can identify with. In detailing the trials and tribulations of persons whom I can easily recognize, it was refreshing to see that I was not alone in my thoughts-awkward or normal, his characters embody life for a person my age. As each page passes and the characters unfold, it is easy to see a friend, an acquaintance, or even yourself evolving with the story. Truly a delight to read and an enlightening experience. I look forward to more stories from this talented, energetic, realistic and enlightening author.

So This is Wilderness... offers some of the most insightful prose about growing up and learning who we are and what is important to us of any book around. The book's several stories offer characters, situations, and feelings that one can relate to, which is, after all, the hallmark of a great story. David's writing style is unique, inviting, and reflective of the way in which we think about things. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys short and intriguing stories that will undoubtedly strike a chord of nostalgia.

This book was recommended to me by a friend and I want to spread the word. I loved it and I can't wait for Benjamin David's next book.

Twenty three year old Benjamin David here presents his readership with a colorful collage of American Jewish youth in turn-of-the-century times. Miami apartments. Pennsylvania dormitory rooms. Used-clothing shops. Jerusalem movie theatres. Bar Mitzvahs, grocery stores, pubs, malls, bus rides... David's (extraordinarily well-developed) characters find themselves in the most awkward and maddening situations imaginable, again and again encountering figures altogether perplexing. His band of liberal Jews have us move from laughter to sobs and back to laugter all in the span of a couple of minutes. These stories epitomize the struggle that is and has been American Judaism. The book is sensational and needs to be read.

This book is a MUST read! The author has such a wonderful way with words! He tells his stories in a gentle and informative way. The reader will feel that he has a very close personal relationship with the characters, and at times the narrator of these enchanting stories. With a warm personal style David invites his readers into the mind and the heart of his characters. He reveals to us clear and poignant pictures of a young Jewish man as he experiences life in Israel and in what appears to be his native United States. The reader will also feel a close relationship with the protagonists friends, lovers, and even his relatives. Anyone who enjoys well written yet entertaining short stories must read this book.

I don't read autobiographies because they're usually self-serving. I wait until someone with distance does justice to a life.

Soldier, though, is the exception to my rule. June Jordan is able to look back over what seems a chaotic and sometimes cold, cruel childhood, and put it into the context of her life.

The style is many times lyrical and poetic. The words draw you in and keep you reading. The story works back and forth between what's actually happening to June, the child, and what she's thinking about as it unfolds. It's quite different from most autobiographies.

While I understand her father's quest to make sure his child is never a victim, his methods seem too brutal for words. It was a different time, and reality for an African-American is different, too, but reading about it is grueling.

I did have a problem with the fact that June's memories seem much too clear. I may be missing the point, but I don't know anyone who can remember her childhood with such clarity and from the age of six months. Perhaps this is literacy license. If so, fine. The problem, then, is mine.

No matter, this book is a fabulous read. I whipped through it in two hours.

June Jordan, African American Studies professor at UC Berkeley, has written a moving testament to her chaotic, challenging, and bittersweet childhood. This memoir written in a poetic manner is reminiscent of Sandra Cisneros' "House on Mango Street". The daughter of West Indian immigrants who revered education and hard work, she endured almost daily verbal assaults on her gender and physical abuse from her father. He was on one hand a supporter of Marcus Garvey and on the other hand felt the need to put down the American black at every turn. Her mother was a submissive, silent woman who realized that her daughter was her husband's son. Jordan's memories of the people who made an impact on her life and character, her Nanny, her Uncle Teddy, her camp friend, Jodi along with tales of childhood death-defying accidents, academic excellence, and first crushes are just bits and parts that serve to make this memoir a compelling read.

Sure to be a classic. A wonderfully charming and moving series of memories, observations, and poetic passages about a childhood at turns sweet, innocent, and difficult. Sometimes children make the most clear-eyed and wise observers, and it is the rare adult, such as June Jordan, who can recapture and communicate the experience of childhood in both its wonder and bewilderment. Although the elements of Jordan's childhood are specific - 19302/1940s, brusque, occaisionally-violent immigrant father, Harlem and Brooklyn neighborhoods, racial and social inequity - the themes are universal. Wonderful!

June Jordan is not a victim. She shows us that difficult childhoods aren't as straightfoward as that. Her violent father may have taught her to solve problems with violence, but he also taught her to be observant. The best part of this book is that we hear the words and see places that influenced Jordan's writing style: her father, her Uncle Teddy, New York of the 30's and 40's.

Over the past 40 years civil rights has come a long way and progress has been made in areas that makes life easier. But imagine if you had to struggle with poor education, terrible living conditions, and even segregation. Now imagine trying to get ahead in a world and society that was making all this an impossible task.

June Jordan takes you on a twelve year journey through the eyes of one person who life was given these circumstances and somehow managed to succeed and become one of the most successful people, her own. June Jordan tells a story through words and poems that has you stopping and thinking throughout the entire 260 pages.

The book is one of the first I have read that makes a clear representation of how a child caught up in turmoil can block out what they see and find something good in the life they have been given. Jordan's ability to capture the reader makes this book one of the most impressive I have read so far this year.

After reading this book and seeing how the tough and often overbearing father along with the serine and religious mother were at odds, I gained a deeper understating of how difficult it must have been for any African American to try to make and succeed in the white man's world.

Jordan has written several other books and has won a number of prestigious awards over the years. I found this book enjoyable and easy to read. Take time out and follow through the 12 years with a child who I found dealt with the same things I did as a child, only Jordan had them magnified. An excellent book!

I've read the Soldiers of Summer twice already.... Not because he's my father, but because it brings you back to a time when we weren't on the edge of fascism, and police did their job based on talent and skill instead of cameras and patriot acts.... A talented police officer, writer, and professional bodyguard tells a compelling story about life behind the badge... Beautifully written. It's a refreshing look at a time when Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Dio, Ozzy, and all the metal greats were about to rule the airwaves. A time when black was black and white was white... a time of national and cultural identity and strength.... As Joseph put it.... Before 9-11-2001....

The Soldiers Of Summer is one of the finest novels I have ever read. Mr. Phillips takes us on a journey that begins in the quite of a suburban morning and ends on a battlefield of wills and emotions in the upstate of Fort Drum, NY. Phillips' protagonists are five New York City police officers who believe their two week training duty for the Army Reserve will be like a vacation for them but upon arrival find out this is not the case. After getting chewed out by their Platoon Sergeant, James Corey, for being late, they encounter their commanding officer, Captain Lyle Longjohnson, a strange man wearing dark glasses at night and slapping a riding crop against his thigh as he speaks. Things go progressively downhill after that; late night guard duty, full work days that begin at dawn, and forced marches ensue, leaving them their only consolation, alcohol. They name their bivouac area Whiskey Hill and vow not to succumb to their Captain's willful attempts at trying to destroy them due to his mistaken belief they're trying to prevent him from getting a promotion to Major he covets.
However, along the way Phillips treats us to an insiders view of what the cop life in New York really entails and how alochol becomes an escape, much the way Joseph Wambaugh did in his novels about L.A. cops, a fraternity that has much in common no matter what coast you live on. Broken marriages due to infidelity abound but here you find out why they happened, as Phillips' emotionally bloodied protagonists forge their way to a conclusion that becomes inevitable if the reader has been paying attention.
As far as Mr. Phillips writing, it is smooth, easy and flows well allowing the reader to fully enjoy his gifted prose style much the way readers have enjoyed those noted few who came before him. Yes, Soldiers is a real literary find and a stunning achievement for someone the reading public knows little of but should know much about to give him his proper place in the American literary scene of today. GET THIS BOOK TODAY!!!!

What happens when a group of ordinary men find themselves in the middle of chaos, disorder, and violence? This is the question explored by author, Joseph L. Phillips, in his new book, THE SOLDIERS OF SUMMER. The main characters, Welles, Devlin, and Griffin, a group of New York City police officers, journey into the throes of chaos at a two-week summer camp for the Army Reserve. Mr. Phillip's offers his readers an intimate look into what "can" or "might" happen to a person and the choices growing out of such unexpected events. Set in 1978, THE SOLDIERS OF SUMMER, is a crazy beer-soaked romp that travels from New York to Canada and back again, skillfully incorporating the anti-war sentiment of Vietnam into the storyline. It mirrors the world in which we live as well as some people we would rather not meet! A poignant and disturbing look at the various sides of human behavior and character, THE SOLDIERS OF SUMMER is a novel intended to enlighten and challenge its readers, as well as to make them take a deeper look at the positive and negatives sides of humanity. The "good guys" head off to summer camp in good spirits, while trying to recover from hang-overs, in the comical opening scene. The characters are realistic and will be familiar to many as an old friend or the neighbor down the street. They are the "average guy", caught-up in his middle-age-years during the late 1970's. Phillips gives extensive background scenes on the characters, relating their mishaps and obstacles to past experiences in a way that aids the reader in understanding the complexity of the characters, their motivation and their goals. A good book for audiences who enjoy genre fiction novels of this nature, THE SOLDIERS OF SUMMER, is not without some problems. Mr. Phillip's presents an interesting, action-packed story, but he leaves the reader confused and distracted by some of the "telling" interspersed in the story. Elaborate sentence structure, and a seemingly "too literate" langauge from characters at certain points in the story, detract from the flow of action. However, Mr. Phillip's does an excellent job overall with the dialog and is most often real, true and vibrant. This brings the characters to life and creates clear personality traits and tendencies that the reader will recognize and identify with. There are some passages that leave the reader a little off-track and confused. Still, THE SOLDIERS OF SUMMER succeeds in its effort to tell a story about real people who must deal with situations unusual and foreign to them. The fact that these people are police officers simply makes the tale more intriguing. Even with its problems, THE SOLDIERS OF SUMMER is a vivid tale that engages the reader as it explores the harsher side of humanity. A good book for the "summer reader" to take along to the beach with them.

I have always been more the fan of literay works with emphasis on characters than the genre novels that seem to dominate today's market and in The Soldiers Of Summer I have found one. Mr. Phillips, a retired police officer, takes us on what could have been just another cop tale but this one has a twist. These men are members of the Army Reserve doing their two weeks summer camp during the summer of 1978. It should be a vacation but it turns out to be a nightmare they can only cope with by sequestering themselves into their own tight knit group where whiskey and their camaraderie becomes their only source of relief. They also have their own personal demons to deal with from problems on their job, lingering nightmares for some from the Vietnam War, to broken marriages and relationships that have made their lives a bitter pill to swallow. There are a few comedic interludes along the way, a weekend trip to Lake George that ends in a fight and a trip to Canada that goes awry. This novel has all the makings of a damn good movie also along the lines of The Last Detail, and if someone doesn't snap up the rights they're crazy. This is a great read with characters that will stay with you long after you've put it down, so don't let this one slip by.

I'll admit it, I've always liked books by ex-policemen about life in the cop shop and beyond. Joseph Wambaugh's Lines and Shadows is still one of my favorites. The Soldiers of Summer, however elevates the genre several steps beyond ordinary fiction and into the realm of literature. Joseph Phillips, who patroled the streets of New York in the 1970s and 1980s, in the pre-Guiliano wild days, paints a portrait of policing that is at once compassionate and compelling, with riveting characters who will remain in your head long after you put this book down. His prose style is short, sweet and to the point, enough so that Hemingway would be proud! Even if you're not an avid fan of cop books, this one's worth a read. Give it a try--you won't be sorry.

Peter Shandy, a botanical expert, is on a mission in Pickwance, to discover a mystery about some lupines that are growing in an area where they usually do not. All goes well until one night when a local man, Jasper Flodge, dies while eating his dinner at the same Inn Peter is staying at. Over the course of a few days the restaurant is a busy place; full of new characters discovering the past of Jasper; trying to unravel the mystery of his untimely demise. It takes another murder and a great deal of gossip before Peter and his wife, whom he called to come help solve this mystery, to settle the case. This book is one that is full of suspense and thrills. There are many mini-plots that run through it to tie the entire novel into a unimaginable conclusion. This is a must read; one of Charlotte's pieces.

This book is not only a great science fiction read which is full of suspense but it is also a touching love story. I am not normally a science fiction reader but I loved this book. The characters were real and well rounded. The suspense was great. I couldn't wait to turn each page. I look forward to a long and fruitful writing career from Mr Blaylock.

If you have come across this page, you had better read this book. I could not recomend a better one.

There is no getting this story out of my head. The best part is when the people Moo. Do yourself a favor and check this one out.

Loaded with celebrity fun... I was looking for something to touch on my gigglebox & this was it. I loved this wacky roller coaster story - complete with romance, time travel, celebrity appearances, coming of age, and the unearthing of the government's water conspiracy. I highly recommend this to all folks that need a little dose of humor, solid characters, and just an all around good story.

I read this book before my first trip to Nashville and was miles ahead of others coming to town who had not read this masterpiece. It is by far the most thoroughly researched, informative, complete, concise guide to Nashville's music industry ever published, and should be on the best seller list. If you have ever considered a career as a songwriter or want to be a successful recording artist, you must read this book cover to cover. It's easy reading, packed with useful info, and written by a very nice, successful woman who lives in Nashville and knows the industry because she has worked in it her whole life.

This compact little book is a great read and full of great advice for songwriters and musicians looking to pursue opportunities in country music, specifically Nashville.

Ms. Bond is a music publisher and has worked in the Nashville arena for years. She gives examples on the Nashville number system (for reading/recording music), how to label your CD's and inserts and she gives the addresses and names of some of the best and more affordable recording studios in and around Music City. She also included the contact info for some of the top producers, publishers and A&R in country today! There's also a great section on all of the best open mic spots, restaurants and accommodations in and near Nashville.

In my opinion, this book is for someone that is seriously considering a career as a country musician/songwriter. And if that's you, then it's a great reference book to have in your arsenal.

This is a great book that fills a real need -- practical advice for anyone who aspires to be a songwriter or performer in Nashville. I work in the music industry in Nashville and am often asked for advice from songwriters new in town. I'm not necessarily qualified to give advice, so now I can recommend this book. One of the most interesting features is a chapter that suggests a week's itinerary, including where to eat lunch. Often people will come to town and not have any idea of what to do. They'll try to drop in on busy publishers, get turned away again and again and then go home thinking everyone on Music Row is unfriendly. Bond explains the right way to get your foot in the door. Again, highly recommended.

Sherry Bond's book is an absolute must for anyone who wishes to pursue a career as a songwriter or performer. Her book covers many areas other guide books leave out, such as the importance of networking and where to go to make contacts. For me, it gave me the confidence that I could go out and make a living as a songwriter. I recommend it for everyone interested in the music business as a whole - not just Country.

The fine art of songwriting and marketing it to a music business audience is covered in this title, which provides an examination of the Nashville music industry and how an aspiring songwriter or musician can get heard in the big city. Bond is a songwriter and music publisher who blends interviews with music professionals with details on record companies, producers, recording studios, and others. Chapters cover all the basics, from preparing a product to marketing and avoiding common errors.

Sorrell and Son is a beautiful story of the love and commitment of a father to his son. Returning to civilian life in England after fighting in World War I as an officer and being decorated for bravery, he comes home to find no place to fit in. His wife leaves him, he cannot find a job and raised as a gentleman has no marketable skills. The only thing that keeps him going is his twelve-year-old son who is utterly dependent on him.
The book spans the boy's youth and adulthood. It's a story of self-sacrifice and love and finding meaning in a harsh environment.
The only thing that bothered me in the first half was the author's negative portrayal of women in general but he made up for it in the end with his understanding of the young woman Sorrell's son falls in love with.
The author shows a sympathy for the limitations women faced at that time with only wife and motherhood their only real options. Sorrell's son has to nearly lose her, as well as his own life, to understand that she, too, deserves to find a fullfillment in her work.
Wonderfully told, really, really well-written.

This is a book to read over and again. The central theme has its Horatio Alger aspect in Sorrell's climb from adversity (failed marriage,underemployment), to affluence and success, through the combined forces of hard work and professionalism with a good dash of luck.

The secondary story is Sorrell's wonderful relationship with his son, and his strong but tender rearing and overseeing his of education in school and in life.

This book is a first rate read and a must addition to your library.

This intriguing story takes place in England in the early twentieth century. This book was about a man who devoted his life to making his son's life a success. So many deep intellectual questions are asked, but not necessarily answered about life, marriage,love, career and relationships between father and son, husband and wife, and life in general. Definetly food for thought. He wanted his son to be more than just a worker. He wanted him to be someone special. This story has a surprise and delightful ending.

Simply an outstanding story! An excellent book! Honor, duty, loyalty, beauty and truth - We could well use this book as a guideline for the values needed both now and into the 21st Century.

When I first began to read Sorrell and Son, I was prepared not to like the main characters because I felt that the excessive pride and snobbery was beyond that which I, a born American, was able to tolerate.

However, when Sorrell bows his neck to fate and takes the job of porter at a somewhat disreputable inn owned and run by a horrible sadistic woman in order to be able to make a living for his son, I was hooked.

Neither adversity nor hard-work is able to defeat Sorrell. His and his son's "job" is the preparation of Kit for a successful life. Nothing is too demeaning for Sorrell if it will help further the "job." Slowly but surely, Sorrell begins to be smiled upon by the gods and his situation in life improves until he is quite well-off and is able to send Kit to excellent schools and the obtain a Tutor who prepares him for University after Kit has decided that he wants to become a surgeon.

The son, Christopher, could well have become a spoiled self-serving little prig, but he did not. Instead, he grows up to be a strongly principled, intelligent, caring man. My, what a lucky boy he is to have a father like Sorrell, and, Sorrell, my, what lucky man he is to have a son like Kit! Even the fleshy, self-indulgent mother's reappearance with her Circe's charms to offer Kit after an absence of ten years is not enough to tempt him away from his "pater."

As a result of Sorrell's later success in life, Kit is not required to scrabble about hungrily trying to make a living while studying medicine and yet his physical ease neither softens him nor makes him any less intent on succeeding at the "job."

The ending, albeit a tear-jerker, is not in the slightest bit maudlin. Sorrell maintains his unflappable dignity until the very end.

I received this book recently, and couldn't put it down until after I perused every page. This book is a remarkable compilation of photos and stories of the rich history of descendants of slaves who planted an indelible mark of courage, perseverance, strength and faith into the lives of everyone and anyone who's ever lived in Spartanburg or surrounding areas. I was born in Spartanburg over 50 years ago, and never knew about the rich heritage and traditions of some of the people who raised and nurtured me during the primary years of my life. This book ignited wonderful memories of the matriachs/patriachs-- who lived in Tobe Hartwell Extension where I lived with my mother, brother and sister--who watched out for your safety. I graduated from Mary H. Wright Elementary, and spent a summer in band practice at the beloved Carver High School just prior to relocating to NY. A few years later, Urban Renewal came in and completely transformed not just my old neighborhood, but the only community I've ever known. Thanks to Beatrice Hill and Brenda Lee for re-planting in our hearts the memories of our beginnings, for re-paving the pain and loss of a thriving and successful African American community, for the rehabilitation of all the parts, pieces and past that they so eloquently portray in this book. Undoubtedly, your heart will be full, page after page, when you read this book. Thanks to Beatrice and Brenda for the gift of the restoration of a historical treasure in my lifetime! M. Drake

This book has truly been a blessing for me. When I received the book in the mail - I could not put it down. I read the book in one sitting.

My late parents were both born and raised in Spartanburg. My father's military career kept him traveling around this country and other parts of the world so my brothers and sisters and myself only knew of Spartanburg through visits. We lived in Spartanburg for one year while our father was stationed in Korea so I don't remember a lot about Spartanburg. I have been attempting to do some research of both sides of my family in Spartanburg. This book has reignited that spark for me to continue.

This book shed a piece of information about my family that I was not aware of and all the rich history of the "South of Main" area that is a must know for all, especially for the black people near and far who have roots in Spartanburg.

God Bless you and thank you Beatrice, Brenda and Raymond for a job well done.

I was anxious to receive my copy of South of Main and my waiting was not in vain. I'm truly Blessed to have come from these roots and be able to claim my portion of such an uplifting heritage. Once, I picked up the book, it was so hard to put it down. I fell asleep a couple times only to wake up with it lying on my chest, ready to dive back into the words that jumped out at me giving me the feeling of being in Spartanburg as a child again. I want to thank all of you who took the time and energy to publish this book. It's very educational and will serve as a source of knowledge for the children and future offsprings that
reside in Spartanburg.

I was very intrigued with all the information about the South side of Spartanburg. I lived there from age 9 until age 17 after I graduated from Carver High. I was not aware of how the area began. Neither was I aware of the role that some of the residents played in establishing the neighborhood. I am looking forward to a sequel to the book that will tell the story of some of the other people that played an important part in establishing the city.

Okay, I'm a tad prejudiced because I'm a native of Spartanburg, SC (the city studied in this book) and I have family members whose photos appear, but I'll keep it objective.

Basically, this is a case study of a Black neighborhood formed by ex-slaves in the above-mentioned city. In spite of Jim Crow, a narrowly-averted race riot in 1917 (described in one oral history by 97-year old Ms. Harriet Dawkins) and attempt to sabatoge their education, these people manage to build a thriving, self-contained community known as the Southside, with it's own hospital, hotel, movie theater, restaurants, Red cross, Boy Scouts, etc. Sort of the (early) Harlem of South carolina's upstate. The book is filled with pictures and oral histories that cover all this.

One particularly inspiring story tells the tale of Cedar Hill Academy. When the School superintendant tries to reduce the level of courses in the city's Black schools in the 1910s, local parents and educators break away and form their own Cedar Hill Academy.

Then in the late 1960s and early 70s, urban renewal comes in and under the guise of promises of better homes, the city all but destroys the Southside. No wonder Dick Gregory has referred to urban renewal as "Negro removal." For the record, the Southside neighborhood and most of its schools still exist, although most of the businesses are gone.

Variations of this story can be told of many other such neighborhoods and cities, and South of Main does a good job as a case study of urban renewal/Negro removal. The large number of oral histories and photos and stories of the Southside's heyday really helps to personalize what many Black neighborhoods were about in the Jim crow era, which is becoming a distant memory.

However, I like the fact that the book does not fall into the foolish trap that some other books of this time do in going too far into glorifying the Jim Crow era. The book makes clear the obstacles that the residents faced in those days and should offer hope for the current generation to escape it's crisis. But all in all, Black history and urban studies fans will find this a worthwhile purchase.

Incidentally, another book that covers some information not included in this about Spartanburg's Black history is "Things Hidden" by Dwain Pruitt which is avaiable mostly in Spartanburg and "Hub City Music Makers," which includes some more information of the "Sparkle City's" major contributions to Black musical history and is also available on Amazon.