Education Books

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon is about a bat named Stellaluna. When she was barely born she was with her mother. Then an owl struck Stellaluna's mother. Stellaluna went down faster and faster until she hit a branch, hung up side down and covered herself. The next day she fell down in a nest. She never knew the nest. She met some birds named Pip, Flitter and Flap. Mama Bird came and let her stay. She also brought a green grasshopper for Stellaluna to eat so she won't be hungry. Stellaluna got in trouble by Mama Bird because she was hanging upside down with Pip, Flap and Flitter. Mama Bird said that if she doesn't behave she will not live in the nest. The next day it was time to learn how to fly. When Stellaluna flew she was full of happiness. When she landed she was trying to stand on the branch. Then she did it. It took her a lot of time but she got it. She flew a lot with Pip, Flitter and Flap. Then the birds went home. Stellaluna was hanging by her wings, too tired to soar. There came a bat hanging upside down. A lot of bats came. Bats were asking her questions. Someone wanted to see her. It was her mother! She was so happy. Stellaluna was hungry. Her mother said they would fly at night to find fruit. They found mangoes. When she was done she was upside down with Flitter, Pip, and Flap. At night they couldn't see. Quickly they were falling down but Stellaluna caught their hands wrapping them closely like they were sisters and brothers.

It doesn't matter if you're different. You can still be friends. Stellaluna and the birds ate different things. They fly at different times. They were different but Stellaluna still saved them. Stellaluna taught the birds how to hang upside down. I liked the way that Stellaluna was a bat and she still saved the birds when they weren't brothers and sisters.

By Jose

This book was in excellent condition. I gave it as a gift. Also I received it very quickly.

This was worth the purchase. My daughter has been in love with Stellaluna since the moment she discovered it at the library. She asked for this book for Easter in lieu of an Easter basket. It's a beautifully illustrated storybook. The story itself is wonderful; being both educational on a rudimentary level concerning the nature of fruit bats and so forth and for the moral of the story which is really about being true to oneself and living your life according to who you really are. We highly recommened this children's book.

This is one of the greatest childrens books I have read for a mostly unpopular animal. (A bat) It was warm, humorous, and delightful. A must read for all ages.

I love the book Stellaluna. It is a great book to read. I have always been a bat lover when I was young. I still love bats. I would love to have a pet bat! This is a great book and I hope you'll enjoy it!

There are some hard parts to get through describing the fire, but you'll appreciate the Chicago history, the history around the event, what it did to the surrounding neighborhood and how it changed fire codes in the U.S. and likely the world. Your children are safer today because of what happened to these kids.

The book also made me replace all of my smoke detectors!

This is one Chicago tragedy that resonates with me strongly. My former attorney, recently deceased, was a survivor of the deadly fire at Our Lady of Angels Catholic School.

Despite our shared interest in history, he never spoke of the fire during the twenty years in which I knew him. Last year, I found a web site maintained by survivors of the fire and questioned him about the inclusion of his name and that of his sister on the list. His sole response was that the entries were correct. Both had attended school on December 1, 1958, the date of the fire. Our brief conversation proceeded no further. My friend was visibly uncomfortable and I did not make press him with additional inquiries.

Having read this well written account of the fire and the arson investigation, I can understand why my friend preferred to change the subject. This book is compelling, but it is not for the faint of heart. The descriptions contained in "To Sleep With Angels" will haunt and disturb you. You may not be able to read the book without pausing to weep.
I could not read the book in a single sitting.

It is difficult to forget any of the tragic events described in "To Sleep With the Angels." In no particular order, the random images include a father, who rushed to the school with a ladder to rescue trapped children, watching his own son perish in a cloud of toxic smoke as the ladder was too short to reach a high window; a sick ten year old girl had a premonitory dream, but within a few hours the same child felt much better and asked her mother to let her attend school after recess; from an upper floor window, frightened children recognized an adult neighbor, the owner of the local candy store, and began shouting at the woman and begging her to help save them. The terrible list goes on and on as the authors relate the individual memories and recollections of many of the survivors, the families of the victims, the witnesses and the investigators.

More than ninety persons perished that on that cold December afternoon. In addition to ninety-two students, three nuns were also killed in the burning building. A majority of the victims succumbed on account of smoke inhalation. In the aftermath of the fire, a national campaign was launched to improved fire safety at schools throughout the USA.

Almost as painful as the fire itself was the ultimate fate of many of the survivors. Following the tragedy, many local residents began to move away from their formerly beloved parish. Some people would describe the exodus of the families from the blue collar West Side neighborhood as white flight, but others believed that it was simply too painful for many parents and children to continue living in close proximity to the school where their loved ones had died. They needed to find new surroundings in which to live rather than be reminded of the tragedy on a daily basis. There were far too many unanswerable questions: How many additional lives might have been saved if a set of doors had been closed? How many children would have been spared if the fire had occurred fifteen minutes later after the three o'clock dismissal bell? Why wasn't the fire alarm bell sounded at the school more quickly? Firefighters felt that they could have saved many more lives if they had been given the correct building address and had arrived on the scene four minutes sooner.

No one was ever prosecuted for the crime of arson in connection with the suspicious fire. A juvenile offender set the fire, but he could not be tried under Illinois law since the crime occurred before his thirteenth birthday. This same minor was subsequently tried and convicted for a series of arsons committed in suburban Cicero, where his family moved after the fire at Our Lady of the Angels. The authors posit that church and civil authorities sought to shield the identity of the boy on account of his minority. This explanation is wholly credible.

After my friend's funeral, his two sisters related that their brother regularly attended memorial masses held to honor those who died in the fire at Our Lady of the Angels. The elder sister, who had also attended the school on the day of the fire, exited the building safely. Her brother was also escaped without serious injury. Their father heard a radio broadcast concerning the fire while driving his car and he was permitted to enter the police cordon to look for his children. He was unaware that they had arrived home safely during the confusion. There was a great deal of crying when the children and parents were reunited at their home that afternoon. These personal stories are not repeated in the book.
************************************************************************
In a bizarre and equally disturbing development, one of the authors of this book was convicted of arson after setting a fire to a storage building opposite St. Benedict's Catholic Church on the North side of Chicago in June of 2005. Thankfully, only property damage resulted from the fire. David Cowan was said to be despondent after losing his janitorial job. The defendant, who was also a former suburban firefighter, was sentenced to serve a three year prison term in December of that same year. He has been paroled. Ironically, he was also the author a book entitled, "Great Chicago Fires" and had reported on fires for various newspapers.

This book was given to me to read when I took my first fire fighter class. My instructor loaned me her copy and I ended up buying my own copy. The tragic events detailed in this book led me into teaching fire prevention and making sure that a tragedy such as this never happens again.

I have recommended this book to several people both in and outside of the fire service. Everyone that I know who have read it have been touched by this story. I have also given this book as a gift to several students taking their first steps into the fire service so that they never forget the impact a tragic fire can have.

I love to read and I feel that this is one of the best books I have ever read. I am also a firefighter and decided to read this book because it had to do with a historic fire, little did I know that I would love this book for much more than historic and educational reasons. This book was very well written and showed all aspects of this event from the firefighters to the victims themselves. I would recomden this book to anyone who wants a good read, as well as to anyone who is interested in fire history.

This was a fascinating book. I bought it to read on a trip, because of the excellent ratings. We were stuck in a plane on a runway in Dallas for 6 hours. The wait seemed much shorter, because I was thoroughly involved in reading this book.

I highly recommend it.

This book was delivered to me before time and also paid a decent price for it.

The book is really perfect and is exactly I hoped.
However, the main and only bad critic I want to highlight is the shipping.
The package was very light and the book cover arrived damaged: the corner were maltreated.
No really, only a box including 2 plastic bubbles is not serious and totally insufficient to correctly protect such kind of nice books.

An excellent book. The only comment that I have that has not been covered is that you should know c++ templates to use this book... theres a problem with that, most if not all template books require you to know STL. You will have to read both in conjunction if you do not all ready know templates.
Once you get past that little pit fall though, this book is invaluable to any c++ programmer.

This is far and away one of the best written programming and reference books I have purchased in 20+ yrs of programming.

It gives a perspective on state-of-the-art C++ style, language constructs, and technique that only a choice few people in the industry can offer. The book has all of the meticulous attention to detail and design formalities that one could expect of the finest academic.

Bravo, Mr. Josuttis, and THANK YOU!

Tutorial? Hardly. Reference? I can find better, more complete, and more accessible reference material in 10 seconds with google. Whenever I open this book to find information about some aspect of the STL, I end up googling for the same information a few minutes later.

The examples are near useless. They are all minimal examples of basic functionality and offer no help in using the library for real-life tasks. They do show you which header files to include, which is a plus.

Hash maps are completely left out of the book. While not officially part of the stl, they are still a significant part of it, and one that requires more explaining than the rest.

I am to understand the +5 reviews were because there are no better books on this subject, similarily my +2 review is because there are not enough negative reviews of this book.

I think that other reviews have done a fine job of praising the importance and genius of Bastiat's work. And I thoroughly enjoyed his reasoning and clarity as well. But I was pretty disappointed by the quality of this edition. The book has misplaced punctuation and typos in it -- the kind that would be caught by a simple spell checker. Maybe I'm picky, but I find such errors to be rather distracting when reading. When I buy a book, I expect that someone has carefully proofread it, but somehow that seems to have been overlooked here.

So, 5+ stars for Bastiat, and a generous 2 stars for the publisher.

The Bible , The Art of Warfare, The Prince and the respective the Law is a must read for all people educated and pragmatic.

Best Regards
André Rafnsson.

The author of this book was clearly blessed with a stellar mind capable of powerful reasoning and the most cogent elucidation of his mental products. His presentation in this book of the right use of law versus the manipulation of law is virtually inarguable. The logic is glaringly clear and unavoidable. Every, and I mean every U.S citizen, should read this book. In fact, had this book been required reading in public schools from 1850 (its origination) our nation would not presently be on the precipitous decline that it is. Any person with the main of his mental faculties in proper working order will inevitably be convinced by Bastiat's case that the definition of Law is the organizing of force for the maintenance of justice, and therefore, its application should be strictly limited to protecting individual liberty. It requires only that the reader accept that justice be understood as the unhindered presence and practice of liberty- which ensures that each individual is free to exercise his God given faculties (his humanity) according to his own conscience (or the direction of God if he is wise) rather than according to the coercion of other men. Can there be a better definition or objective for the law than this? Bastiat argues forcefully that this situation of liberty will naturally be the most peaceful and prosperous for any society. This book will change your mind or greatly enhance your thinking regarding the matter of the right use of the law.

This is a formative, classic work. If you are into politics, do yourself a favor and read it ASAP. This is really a light-weight primer to libertarianism, and yet it is very powerful and heavy-duty at the same time. If more people would read (and adopt) these ideas, I think our political environment would slowly move in the right direction!

In 1850 a French guy wrote this little essay on the Law. It could have been written today in the US, in Europe, because we are certainly not progressing in terms of common-sense, politically. Here are some ideas:

-Justice is the absence of injustice. Nothing more than that.

-What God does is well done. Do not claim to know more than Him. The fact that this rule is almost universally broken says much about our level of hubris.

For Bastiat Law is a minus, it takes away. His subject is so relevant today that we can see the results of the States' false philanthropy, just as Orwell warned us in his Animal Farm. Western governments certainly know how to belittle us... we couldn't do without them. In Spain we have this government commercial encouraging drivers to drive well: "We can't drive for you!" They wished. The only idea that they think about it tells how far they've got under our skin.

This book is dynamite. Makes one see the world today in a clear and detached way. Who are the philanthropists that we "owe so much devotion to"? Take Gore's greedy schemes with his mineral mines behind his climactic facade. Take another homeless, Soros, the preacher of the Left, whose God is money.

To be a Pharisee is indeed to love the Law while hating man, to use the Law to make Injustice legal, to pervert Justice, to become a new god to modern State worshippers, wellfare addicts. Yes, Bastiat would sure be ashamed to see what the West has become: the legalized plunder by the State.

Can recite the whole book. I always buy this for baby showers!. It is a fun and happy book and I always loved reading it to children.

My grandson loves this book. He's only 18 months but loves to cuddle up w/this book.

i enjoyed this book as a child, so
i got it for my grandson[17 months old]. I hope he will be happy with it as well.

this was one of my favorite books as a child, and when i picked it up after 35 years, i remembered and recognized the illustrations and scenes as if i had read it yesterday. this is a pleasure to read with its simple verse-like writing, its wonderful drawings, its bright colors, and its loveable characters. i couldn't reocmmend a book more highly, especially good for young dog lovers, like our son. don't bother with the board book version, which takes down 76 pages to about 6. this original is easy to read and a joy.

Is there a better childrens book than Go Dog Go? Great colors, simple but satisfying pictures, and of course, lots of dogs. Finally just wore the cover off the original with the third kid. If your child age 3 to 8 doesn't like GDG perhaps you should make an appointment. With a lot of Barney/Pooh Bear/TV tie in knockoffs out there, get an original. Also good are: the Bernstein Bears, the Olivia series, Roosevelt and the magic pebble, Ten apples up on top, Are you my Mother?,and for girls the Madeline books to name just a few.

A petty thief wrongfully convicted of murder by a French court in 1931. The bulk of this narrative, and it is a tremendous one, is this man's incarcerations in penal colonies in French Guyana: the many escape scenarios and attempts; the final escape to the mainland; and 2 years living with the local Indians.

Charriere's writing style is spontaneous, lucid, and totally without pretense; real storytelling prowess. The storylines are inbued with perserverance, grit, and undercurrents of humor. He never surrenders to despair; his sense of intrepid survival and courage sustain him throughout the 13 years of his imprisonments. The will to live is the engine that drives these riveting episodes.

The question of the authenticity of this narrative, like the Castaneda books, arises; but ultimately, it doesn't matter if this story is true or not. This is an adventure story; and hyperbole is always involved in the narration of any adventure, regardless of degree. It is the power of the storyteller that mesmerizes the listener/reader in this, a hero's journey. In this case, it is a journey of liberation from a series of hells.

After reading this book, you will come away feeling enriched by this man's intrepid spirit. Highly recommended.

Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts

Charriere's book was impossible to put down. Whether novel or real, his story as a prisoner is unforgettable. Highly recommended.

One of the great adventure books of any time; certainly had had huge impact on my childhood as it was more mesmerizing and novel and gripping than any of the more conventional classics. There it was: a documentary that once again proved that the human spirit at its highest truly becomes indomitable and cannot be destroyed.
The writer erected the monument to the spirit that went unbroken even in the harshest brutality of the Guyana's tropical gulag.

After reading the book, I almost fancy committing a crime with the hope of a prison sentence and the chance of escape! This is an excellent read! I have traveled in Guyana and around the southern Caribbean to some extent and the sea is very rough. He must have been some sailor!

Guyana is such an amazing and beautiful country, sadly remembered for the horrifying stories of "the bagne", its tropical deadly diseases, its giant ants and migales, its poisonous snakes, frogs and spiders, etc. During colonial times and later, the living conditions were indeed so difficult that diseases, i.e. dysentery and typhoid fever, would spread by the day or hour, mainly due to the lack of hygiene and the lack of access to medical facilities,. Malaria and yellow fever also caused more deaths among inmates than the internment horrendous conditions and other atrocities. The name and reputation of Guyana has not yet completely recovered since that time. The "bagne" was officially closed down in 1943. I can only wonder how one would ever think of an escape from it. Guyana is in the middle on nowhere. North and South is just the plain, thick, green, giant rainforest. What about Rivers, cricks? Then, probably only an expert Wayana could paddle a canoe and maneuvers through the strong stream of the Maroni or the Oyapock muddy rivers.

I visited what remains of the internment camps in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, which gate stayed opened wide like a dead man's mouth, and the one in "Ile Saint-Joseph": a few compounds without doors or roofs still stand, black walls falling in decrepitude, zinc and iron bars rusted by the rain and the humidity... Surely, much of the tales of Charriere are pure fiction. Anybody (except of course the native Amerindians) will get lost and die just trying to find his or her way through the maze and thickness of the rainforest, and escaping through the sea doesn't looks such a better idea either. It is said that the sea, which is blue at the "Iles du Salut", is full of sharks who regularly swim about and around the islands to prey for sea turtles. Plus, there are at least 15 miles between the islands and the coast...

In fact, Charriere's publisher, Robert Laffont, revealed in an interview before he died that Charriere submitted the book to him as a novel. However, Laffont, who had a true-life series of books on the go, persuaded him to present it as a true story. He also said that Charriere combined the experiences of several convicts (and we can only speculate how much they exaggerated their exploits)into his book.

Indeed, it is highly likely that the book was ghost-written anyway. Yet, you should still read it.

No, there's no need whatsoever for some poor sod to re-translate the whole book! It still reads beautifully. But, and this is a BIG but, the translation is, today, WAY TOO TAME. The quaint, oblique, charming English expletives he employs now badly interfere with the book's mood and thrillingly immediate, rough flavour. He translated this book way back in 1969; even the English aren't so delicate any longer. Please, isn't it time to honour Charriere's original manuscript, and dirty things up a bit??!

I must admit I was a bit sceptical when I first purchased this book. Couponing seemed an unlikely way to save any substantial amount of money. Boy was I wrong! This book has truly impacted our finances for the better. I am a new stay at home mother and this book really does work! I cannot believe how much money we save (or how much I wasted before). It does take time and effort to really make it work, but the savings are phenomenal. I now feel like I am contributing to our family's financial well being while staying home with our child as well. Who could ask for more! I strongly recommend this book!

When you're facing financial difficulty, the last thing you should be doing is buying consumer products like books, right? Except maybe this one and one by Mary Hunt on managing money. I remember my mom cutting coupons but I never exactly studied the science of it. Ellie Kay breaks it all down for you. you get taught about ways to save money I had no idea existed. It's a quick, easy read that you can gain skills from and immediately apply. It is the kind of lesson where you can use the tools you gain slowly then apply on a larger scale after you master some steps. It is definitely worth owning, reviewing, and referring to. I actually was directed to this book by another of Ellie's books I received upon becoming engaged--The New Bride Guide. That was a surprisingly refreshing, honest, and useful book--and believe me I read dozens of them! That one was not cliche either. Anyways, definitely pick up Shop,Save,and Share. It is worth your money and time--I promise whether you plan on cutting brand buying out of your habits or not. The beauty of learning the actual science is that you can apply it to your lifestyle at a level of stringency that is comfortable for you and your family.

I am so thankful to find such a Treaure! Ellie Kay has really done a work in educating the beginner to the novice shopper on saving and sharing!
My first jaw dropping moment was when I went to Wallie World and my total was $111.09 and after my coupons my total was $46.97! WOW.... I felt like doing the running man right there at the checkout! The cashier looked at me and said, "I want to go shopping w/you!" It was a really GREAT moment! I would've saved even more money if I had went to Meijer where they double coupons up to .50. But at the time Wal-Mart was my comfort zone. Even though Wal-Mart redeems your coupons at face value, Shop, Save, and Share teaches you to use your coupons in conjunction. For example, I had 3 coupons for Huggies: two $5 OFF coupons for diapers [got these by simply calling Kimberly-Clark and telling them what I thought of their product, Ellie teaches you this too] and 1 coupon for free wipes with the purchase of 2 packages. I never thought to do this.
Another thing I incorporated from this book was to call every manufacturing company and gave them feedback on their product, I received so many coupons, coupon booklets [all at higher price value and longer expiration dates - if any], put on their mailing list and received samples - just by calling! My shopping time has been cut in half, because she also teaches you to make your grocery/shopping list in aisle order of your store. My family has also incorporated giving to local charities, neighbors, and our local church on items that I receive free w/my coupons and items that only cost me a few pennies. For example Dog treats were on sale for $2, I had a coupon for $1 that doubled to me getting them FREE! I gave them to my neighbor and it blessed them and me too!
Although, I am a much better saver now, I still refer back to the book.
Thank you Ellie so much for all the help! You've helped me save money, spend more time w/my fam - instead of in the store and to simply bless others!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who does the bulk of their grocery shopping. Using many of the principles in Ellie's book I was able to purchase $91.82 worth of groceries and toiletries for only $28.73!! Many of the items purchased were not necessarily things that my family uses but because I was able to get many of them free I felt good knowing that I would be able to help our local food pantry.
And not only does this book help you save money but the stories are inspiring, and Ellie's own personal stories are hilarious.

This book is AWESOME. Since I read it I've been giving "coupon seminars" from my office. My coworkers are amazed by ability to cut my grocery bill by two-thirds.

I also found a distant cousin who is stationed at an air base in Germany and plan on sending my coupons to his family soon.

Ellie Kay has inspired me to save and serve.

Absolutely stunning book. Rippetoe discusses big excercises in great detail, shows fine points of technique and explains why they are important.

I learned more about weight training from this book in a short time than I learned from years of practice. Invaluable whether starting or experienced

Get this book. It is that simple. This book includes all of the information you need to know about CORRECT, SAFE form on the squat, deadlift, power clean, overhead press and bench press. It also delves into nutrition, assistance exercises, and Rippetoe's 3x5 novice program. Don't want to hear about technique on theses "hard" lifts? This book is not for you. These are the lifts that Rippetoe says should be the central focus of any training program, and failing to perform them is hurting potential progress. If you are looking for technique on exercises like shoulder raises, or tricep extensions you are not going to like this book. Isolation exercises are very highly discoruaged by Rippetoe, and for good reason. If you follow his advice and begin the novice program, you will see that he is right.

This book will change your outlook on training.

Think you're squatting, deadlifting, benching, and overhead pressing in good form and the most efficient way? I did. But this book has taught me so much more than I thought I knew. Granted, the bulk of it covers just 5 exercises, but it is easily the best investment I've ever made in a weight training book. In fact, you'll be tempted to skim the lengthly chapters on each of the exercises, but don't: you will undoubtedtly learn something important from each one, whether you're a novice, intermediate, or advanced lifter.
Yes, the book is geared toward novice trainees and their coaches, but the whole thing comes across as such an eye-opener for all levels of trainees. The pages are large, the pictures and diagrams plentiful, and the writing is easy to follow, backed by sound, thoughtful reasoning for the methods advocated.
It's just an amazing book. Can't believe I waited so long to get it.

I've been lifting weights and going to the gym off and on since I was 14 (I'm 24 now), starting from basic machine work and cardio to more advanced dumbbell exercises and free weights to finally barbell exercises a few years ago. I was amazed with the difference of going from machines to dumbbells and finally from dumbbells to complex muscle exercises like the deadlift and the squat.

After going through 2-3 years of deadlifts and squats, without injury, I'm shocked to note that I was doing them wrong. Not wrong by a huge degree, but I was not using all the muscles I could and was not making my body hit all the right positions. I read many resources online, and asked for advice from experienced bodybuilders, but no one could have pointed out all the different things I needed learned about a squat. Mark Rippetoe's book taught me more about a squat in 15 minutes than I've tried hours to learn by watching videos and reading websites online.

Starting Strength only goes over 5 basic exercises -- Squat, Bench, Deadlift, Press, and Power Clean. I was a bit disappointed to not read more on other dumbbell exercises I still do (bicep curls, tricep extensions, lateral raises) but the degree he breaks each individual motion down is impressive, and would no way lower my rating from 5 stars to 4. He writes for two people -- the trainee and the trainer, but giving both perspectives allow the reader to fully understand the mechanisms behind each movement.

As far as my squat, Starting Strength broke down why I needed to make sure my hips went below my knees, explained why my heels (and not toes) should be shoulder width and 30 degrees off axis, and explained proper hand positioning (on top of the bar, not gripping the bar). He goes over similar pointers in each of the 5 exercises, and I'm already incorporating them into my routine, finally understanding WHY each movement needs to be done (not just how).

As an intermediate gym monkey, I haven't actually done any Power Cleans, but Rippetoe's book and pointers serve as a great starting point for this hard exercise I thought I'd never learn. Rippetoe also explains training programs (warmups, lifting for strength vs. endurance, reptitions per week) very well, and that's also guided my workout.

I wish I could end by saying I've gained a huge amount of muscle since picking up Rippetoe's book, but I only started reading it 3 days ago so I've only been through 2 workouts since. The 2 workouts I did do, though, were refreshingly solid and the exercises felt like I was doing 20-30 pounds less than I actually was, because of my improved form.

Overall, a great read for the advanced and intermediate bodybuilder and athlete, and good advice for those looking to give barbells a try. This isn't really a book written for people with no knowledge at all of lifting weights, or people looking to lose 100 pounds, but it would be a good read nonetheless. There aren't any better beginning exercises out there than the exercises detailed in this book, and if you follow a strict lifting routine, a good diet, and cardio, you'll be well on your way to a sculpted body.

This well written, enjoyable book portrays a realistic story about three young men and their issues with their sexuality, friendships, homophobic peers, relationships with each other, and their parents. The book portrays realities of today's teenager and the problems and issues that they face. The characters talk using the language that today's teenager uses, which gives the story credibility. Homosexuality, homophobia, HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus), and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) are some of controversial topics that are discussed, in an open and unprejudiced manner. Homophobia is discussed in the book. There are characters that attend school with the boys that constantly harass Nelson, and eventually Kyle. The word "queer" is written on Kyle's locker, but he decides not to let this bother him and later spray paints "and proud" underneath it. Verbally offensive words including faggot, queer, and homo are used in the book by peers and Jason's father. On the reverse end, the term breeder is also used in retaliation by Nelson. Physical violence also takes place when Jason's father fights Jason when he comes out to his family. Violence also takes place, throughout the book, through the multiple beatings that Nelson endured and the fight when peers attacked Kyle and Nelson. The author, for the most part, avoids stereotypes through Jason and Kyle. Nelson's character can be tagged as a stereotypical homosexual because he wears nail polish, dyes his hair, wears trendy clothes, and supports gay bands. There are no illustrations for the book, which does not hurt the book, since the book is appropriate for adolescents in high school. The overall quality of the book was superb because the book honestly represented the problems that current teenagers face with their sexuality. This book can be read as a class or independently, but the book must have approval from the administration and parents, due to its sexual content and homosexuality. This book could face many barriers in the classroom. Many districts do not allow teachers to discuss homosexuality in the classroom. If the district has no problem with the book and its material, then it must get approval from administrators. This is really important because some parents may question the book; therefore a teacher will need the support from administrators. Once administrators support the book, the teacher must notify parents about the book, its purpose in the classroom, and description of the overall lesson. Parents must be notified in case there is a religious belief against homosexuality or a general opposition of the book. If a parent does not allow the child to read the book, a different book must be available for the student to read. The topics of homosexuality and HIV can scare many teachers from using this book, but one must look past the taboo ideas and realize that this book deals with real life situations and problems. Teachers can incorporate a variety of instruction ideas including journals, K-W-L charts, cause and effect charts, reports, and presentations.

I bought this book for my son as a gift. He says they are well written and thinks that it's a good insight into the minds dilemmas and real life situations of queer youth. Thank you Mr Sanchez for writing something thought provoking and caring for these often forgotten group of people! We have now purchased all of these books.

i loved this book so much the first time that i picked it up i couldn't put it down i had to read the other 2 books

I have just finished Rainbow Boys and am completely shocked. I have never thought that I could feel so much better about myself after one book. Sanchez is a very talented author and I hope will continue writing books like these. Anyone can relate to this book as he has plotted three completely opposite characters and bring them together off of one topic: homosexuality. For the past couple of months, I have been struggling as well with my sexuality and after reading this book and The God Boxalso written by Alex Sanchez. Have felt so much better. I recommend this to anyone struggling, wondering, or even just wanting to read this book out of curiosity to read it. It's compelling and you won't regret it.

From the first to last page I was hooked on this book. It was so good that I am thrilled that the stories continue. Alex you have a new fan!

Rosewell high is any ordinary high school, but the only thing is that you don't know what's really happening.
There are 7 caracters theire names are Max, Liz, Maria, Alex, Michael, Kyle, Sherif Valenti, and Isabel.
Max, Liz, Maria, Isabel, Michael, sherif valenti are the main main caracters. Max always liked liz and when she was shoot in the stomach max healed her and she thought she was going to die and he told her to lie and she did and
after she went to his house and she asked him how and he told her he was an alien and she freaked out. So he thinks she hates him until later. Liz never liked him but wounce she found out she found this urge to just fall in love with him and do everything to save his life. Max, isabel, micheal, and maria are all aliens and hopes that liz dosent tell sherif valenti about theire discovery.I would really recommend this book to all ages.

This book is GREAT! Probaly the only book in the series that the TeleVision adaption kept completely - The outsider is a great piece of literature. Its cute, quick, daring, and intresting. ESPECIALLY if you keep reading the series, you'll notice how unique and great the customers are. A Definate Must-read. Esspecially for teens.

Although meant for young adult readers, this book is a worthy read by adult standards as well. As a lover of Roswell the WB series, I was at first elated to discover that they were rooted in this wonderful series by Melinda Metz. After I read the series, however, I became apalled at what a mess the show writers made of the situations and characters involved. It is unfortunate that they lost their vision of who their characters were meant to be. Luckily, Metz never does.

Wow! What a great read! I couldn't put it down. I wanted to read the book because I'm such a big fan of the TV show. It's soo much better!! The story is basically a modern Romeo and Juliet love story. Max is an alien from another planet who is in love with a human girl named Liz. When he saves her life, both their lives and everyone elses dramatically changes. This book focuses on Max and LIz's love story but there are also other interesting characters like the other 2 aliens, Micheal and Isabel, and Liz's 2 friends Alex and Maria who all have their own stories unfolding. The first book is by far my favorite out of the series, but you have to read them all. Just to warn some people: it is a story about ALIENS but it mostly centers on the characters relationships with each other. I would steer clear if your a BIg SF fan.

The pilot episode of Roswell was one of the better episodes of the series I've always thought, I got a copy of this book because it's the one the series is based on. While the writing style is probably aimed more at the teen market if you're older and liked the series this book won't be a bad item.
A few things are very different, Max is a blond and blue eyed senior, Liz is Liz Ortecho (whose dead older sister Rosa O'D on drugs)- instead of Parker, Michael Guerin is an A student (all three aliens are)and Isabel is the little sister- a junior in High School.
Liz's shooting is a little different than the series, Sheriff Valenti and son Kyle are meaner (and Valenti is a member of a secret government anti alien group). The incubation pods are mentioned, as is the cave, but in the book Michael came out of his pod days before the Evans (who shared a pod). A lot of things show similarity to the first season of Roswell, although not all were in the same episode- it seems obvious to me that the writers used this book as a sort of guide.
I don't know if I'll get the rest of the series but this one was a quick, fun little thing to read, and a lot more like what you saw on TV than most book to TV adaptations usually are.