Non-fiction Books

The story of Olive shows us how we all have strengths and those strengths are important even if they are different from others. It can teach us to be creative on how we can best use our strengths. Most of all it is a sweet story about a very sweet dog named Olive. I loved reading it as an adult and gave it to someone who also enjoyed it very much.

this is a great edition of Olive. the illustration is as wonderful as the story. it's one of my husband's favorites and he wasn't disappointed. the look of this book corresponds with the latest movie edition.

No other Christmas carol has such a hold on children's imaginations as "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer." (*see note) Even the youngest child understands the joke of this book's title.

When a little dog named Olive hears the lyrics "All of the other reindeer..." she thinks the line is, "Olive, the other reindeer" and concludes that she is in fact, a reindeer, not a dog. Hi-jinks ensue.

This tenth anniversary edition has scratch and sniff gumdrops, flaps to open, levers to pull and a pop-up scene at the end. Reading the "otto-biography" of Seibold on the Chronicle Books site, I learned that the names of his children (and their images) are tucked into the illustrations, shades of Marc Brown and his Arthur books.

Skip the video and enjoy this book. It is a charmer.

I got this for my 3 granddaughters, ages 6 and under. They loved it!

What a great book! My family and I loved the dog, Olive, that came with the book, too. I plan to read this book, and share the stuffed toy with the area school.

This is a wonderful story for girls. Read it aloud, savor it, laugh and even cry over it.Whatever you do, though, just get it! You'll be glad you did.

I had never heard of this book until it was listed in the AmblesideOnline curriculum. We checked it out and my girls fell in love with it. I finally bought them their own copy and they treasure it. We read it again, and now they argue over who owns it, and who gets to keep it for their own children.
Great read!

Understood Betsy" was one of my favorite books from childhood and I was happy to see that it was available from Amazon. Even though it was first published in 1917, it is very contemporary in it's message about the importance of gaining self-esteem through accomplishment. In this day and age when parents tend to hover and worry over every small concern, this book show how Betsy, when sent to a farm to live, became a very confident and happy child due to the adults in her life who let her stretch her wings. Many of the ways in which these adults gave her a new life are very subtle but moving. Highly recommended for mid-elementary girls.

The book came in exactly the described condition and the delivery was prompt. I definitely recommend this seller.

I was introduced to this book by a friend while staying at their vacation home on Lake Champlain in Vermont. It had rained most of the stay and I had exhausted my own supply of books and was wandering through their dusty library shelves when the dame of the home entered and knowing that I am an avid reader, recommended this book. She is a woman in her 70's and said that to this day she reads the book about once a year. I was instantly smitten and spent the next day and a half reading constantly, much to the chagrine of my husband who could not believe that I took the book in the tub, on the boat, to bed, and to a hidden spot in the servant's quarters in the attic to finally finish the text.

The writing is easy and eloquent. The story is funny and simple. I love how Ms. Fisher gives us the ability to see what's going on in Betsy's mind and the haughty-taughty little gal is a hoot! I found myself wishing I was 12 and had just read the book. I know I would put on the character and emulate the old-fashioned principles idealized in this quaint story!

I read this book in High School (late 80's) on a recomendation of a friend and I just loved it. Recently I found a copy at a coffee shop for $1 and just had to buy it and read it again. Again it is a very gripping book about the vietnam war and a ranger team. This is a must for any fan of military stories and veterans.

This one of the best books I've ever read. I'm in college and don't get to read other books often, but this is a must read if you like action books.

I first read this book back in the summer of 1985. I was in jump school down at Benning. The author of this book was the commander of the school at the time. He was a little guy, but don't let that fool ya, because he carried himself like a giant. And while we were running in formation in the hot Georgia heat, he would be running around us and yelling, "gotta love it". We would all yell back in unison, "charlie mike, sir!" Man, that guy was full of energy. You should know that "charlie mike" means "continue mission... no matter what... and against whatever odds". The book carries the same intensity as the colonel.

During those 3 weeks of airborne school I must have read that book 4 times. Boy-oh-boy I loved that book. And of course I went with all my fresh-made buddies to the Benning PX to have the Colonel sign it one Sunday.

I guess I was kind of surprised 2 years later in the summer of 1987 back at Benning for Ranger School when we were all running on that hot Georgia hardball. Because there he was again! Commander of Ranger School.

I'll never forget during that first week there, called "zero week", on one morning jog, he comes running up to me and says, "Ranger, are you an officer?" I says, "yes, sir." And he says, "what school you from Ranger?" I sound off, "Lehigh, Sir." He then yells back, "Rangers from that school don't usually do very well here at Ranger School." So I sound off again, "We'll see, sir."

I figured he probably said that to a lot of us kids. But I took that as a challenge coming from this colonel. That's the way he was. He was always challenging us. Making us push ourselves to do better. It felt pretty good 8 weeks later after Camp Merrill, deserts of Utah, swamps of Florida, and then back on that parade field at Benning when ol' Scott pinned that black and yellow tab on my shoulder. I got pay back from a school that had just washed out 50% of the class.

That's the way COL Scott was though. He pushed us. And he taught us how to push ourselves. And the book is no different. The characters have been taught the same way. Because when the chips are down, they push themselves to continue, to continue mission.

So last year when my 16 year old son asked me what Ranger School was like and what Rangers do, I told him. But then I said, "if you really want to know you should hear it from the guy who taught me." So I ordered the book off Amazon (my signed copy had been lost over the years) and after he read it, he told me he wanted to be one, too.

Charlie Mike, Sir.
Airborne Ranger

This is probably on of the best books i've read ever. I just could not put it down.

This is a great book taking you out of this world and into the jungles of Vietnam. You make great friends and loose them but in the end you look at the world and life in a whole new way. Breathtaking from start to finish.

After High School, I joined the U.S. Army and Attended Jump School. LTC Scott was my commander and I bought the book at the Post Exchange, December 1985. I loved it and have the autographed copy still today.

The impact of this novel is materially diminished by its reliance on obsolete paradigms of the previous century. Science seeks to reanimate creatures of the past not with incantations, wall inscriptions and the usual mumbo gumbo of witchcraft and sorcery, but with the information storing capacity of DNA macromolecules and cellular implants. In Lovecraft's works, as in certain scriptural references, matter is endowed only with minimal capacities to create the inorganic realm - but living creatures need to have the influence of nonmaterial spiritual influences from BEYOND. Lovecraft hints at methods and materials used in the "experiments" he describes, but relies too heavily on "fancy" language to create atmosphere...a practice losing its impact after frequent repetition. His work would have proved prophetic if he invisioned the capacity of inanimate matter to link free energy with self-organizing potential. Beyond these failures of prescience, the novel also exhibits artistic failures: the plot develops much too slowly......the material would have fit more comfortably in a short story or a novelette....... it seems H. P. might have started writing a handbook for tour guides of Providence, R. I. and took a sudden turn on Route 2 in Cranston - that excursion being included is an obvious diversion from the main story line. The reader might also consider an amusing thought postcard of the of the REAL Providence and its appeal - consisting until recent times - mainly of sidewalk art of prostrate bodies, crowds of pan-handling bums, or rats scurrying about freely in daylight along the canal. In spite of these comments I would recommend this book. Read this volume and then go for a walk in the environs described therein ---watch out for ..."shunned culverts, hideously dark - wherein lurk formless masses rubbing softly in the depths...evoking delerious thoughts of sodden, ravenous rats....."

If you want really classic Lovecraft at the top of his form, then this novel is it. It is a good, tight, driven read- except for the extensive prose tour of his beloved old Providence near the beginning. Yet, even this detailed introduction helps to weave an unmatched atmosphere that draws you deeply into Lovecraft's world. This is an ode to Providence, and to those unobtrusive and unlikely heroes that would keep it safe from cosmic evil.

Lovecraft carries us from colonial days to the "modern" 1920's in this tale. We are introduced to the hidden brotherhood of dark magicians and necromancers- those to seek to wield unnatural power from beyond the grave and beyond the stars. So much concentrated occult information, or rather enticing hints of such information, is packed into the narrative. Mystery within mystery unfolds. Yet, it is rather ordinary men that are called upon to confront this inconceivable evil, even though it threatens their very sanity.

Besides being an extremely well written tale of supernatural suspense it also serves as a teaching tale. There is madness out of time and a horror from beyond the spheres that threatens to entrap and destroy the unwary. Do not call up what ye lack the power to put down. Upon this depends more than can be put into words- all civilization, all natural law, perhaps the fate of the solar system and the universe. Perhaps even more than this- all because one fool opened a door and there was no one there with the knowledge to close it...

This is the type of story that you sit back and imerse yourself in the setting. With each new tid bit of information the horror of Joseph Curwen becomes clearer and clearer. The final chapter however sent chills down my spine, as Dr Willet searches through Curwen's undergroud, antedeluvian laboratory. The dank putrid odors, the slime green walls, and the horrific wailing from the darkness... the build up is phenominal, and the pay off will have you sleeping with your lights on!

Great read, you will go back to it again and again.

At 48,000 words, this is the longest tale that H.P. Lovecraft ever wrote. It is also his best.

This novel has both good plotting and an otherworldly atmosphere that pervades the book. The setting is 1920's New England where there was a revival in interest in the occult. However, the key to the tale is the 18th Century New England scene that Lovecraft had a lifetime interest in.

The character of Charles Dexter Ward was based on Lovecraft himself: a lonely intellectual who was an antiquarian who detested the Industrial Revolution. Ward's research into the occult leads to the reincarnation of one of his ancestors who in turn hatches a plot with both Ward and one of Ward's friends for a mass resurrection of the dead who would become mindless zombies dedicated to both the destruction of heavy industry in America as well as the forced expulsion, if not mass murder, of the Roman Catholic immigrants who Lovecraft detested so much from America.

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward is a fantasy/horror novel that tells you a lot about its author. H.P. Lovecraft was a self-styled aristocrat from a decadent Old Money family who bitterly hated the Roman Catholic Church and especially the Irish and Italian immigrants who by 1928, when this novel was first published, had already assumed a position of political power at the expense of the WASP elite that Lovecraft was a member of. Clearly, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward was reflective of Lovecraft's religious bigotry and his hateful tendencies towards certain ethnic and religious groups. It should come as no surprise that during the 1930's, Lovecraft frequently praised Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward is a uniquely powerful and compelling work by a master of horror fantasy.

Charles Dexter Ward is a young man in Providence, RI who is fascinated by antiquities --- too fascinated, perhaps. He becomes obsessed with an ancestor, an alleged warlock named Joseph Curwen who escaped persecution in Salem over 200 years before and fled to Providence. A unusually long-lived ancestor, I might add.

If you aren't used to reading Lovecraft, or other writers of the same time period, the language and writing style might be a little tough at first, but it is well worth getting into. Lovecraft leaves a lot to the imagination of the reader --- a device that works quite well in this story.

This is one of my favorite novellas --- actually, one of my favorite stories, even. I first read when I was in high school, and I have re-read it every few years ever since. I re-read it again a couple of days ago and I still love it. This is Lovecraft at his best.

Like the mood swings of its central characters, this book took me to giddy highs and pensive lows. Wimmer takes you on a great ride with fellow travelers you come to care about as they search for love and their place in the world.

Dick Wimmer gives us a world and a set of characters vibrant with life and humanity. Seamus Boyne is as endearing as Joyce Cary's Gully Jimson and twice as irrepressible. This book is a sleeper. Why doesn't everybody know about it?
--Doug Ramsey

Wimmer's look at life,love,and laugher is not to be missed.He touches on every aspect of all that life has to offer,and along the way leaves the reader rolling in the aisles.You get so caught up in his unique characters,that you forget about the mad romp this gem of a book takes you on. Drop whatever you're reading now and do yourself a favor, pick up The Irish Wine Trilogy, you will not disappointed. More than any other novelist in recent memory, Wimmer gives us a story that makes us glad to be alive. You will laugh out loud, over, and over, again. Bravo, Mr. Wimmer. You are a treasure.

Irish Wine, by Dick Wimmer, is a stunningly lyrical, achingly funny trilogy that presents some of the brightest, yet most flawed, characters I've encountered. Wimmer portrays the Artist, in various incarnations--the frustrated, the famous, the obsessive, the unrecognized, the paralyzed. These characterizations are poignant, yet completely irreverent. As a result, Wimmer creates an unexpected literary delight: fast-paced poetry that you can't put down.
What an accomplishment!
As an added bonus, no male writer I've ever read, has written better about sex from a woman's point of view, than Wimmer. Bravo!

Dick Wimmer's beautiful, high-energy writing took me on an adventure filled with all of the things that make life delicious: love, joy, passion, risk and lots of laugh out loud humor. I found myself adoring the larger than life painter,Seamus Boyne, from the beginning of the first novel and growing to love him more and more as his passion fueled the craziest of situations. His love for his estranged daughter, Tory, was deeply moving and provided terrific emotional glue for the wonderful zaniness found in the second novel. The third novel was very different, but equally rich and satisfying - a story about moving through fear to claim one's joy. Wimmer's style is completely unexpected and utterly enjoyable. I loved it!

A disorienting story, much too contrived. A patchwork of events taking place in both dimensions, space and time. Definitely confusing and surely inconsistent. Consequently, when the protagonists (and the author) are stuck in jeopardy somewhere or somewhen, something or someone appears out of the blue to get them (and him) out of their predicament. I must confess I didn't understand all of it... and I didn't seek to do it.

In my opinion one of the all time science fiction classics,along with Radix.You can skip the other two of the quadralogy.The story and the science are top notch.attanasio at the top of his game.I recommend this to all science fiction buffs and a great introduction to the work of Mr.Attanasio.

I love this book. I read it years ago and forgot the name of the book, the author and only now do I realize it was part of a series of books, and yet I have never forgotten the story. I think for me the most powerful part is how limited humans are relative to the Tryl (a species on Earth that evolves to an intelligence and grace greater than humans 1 billion years after we kill ourselves off) and yet we keep on, going on. Attanasio gives us the big and little of humanity sometimes within the same sentence. I read a lot of science fiction and generally the harder the better but Attanasio, like David Zindell's Neverness series, is an exception to the rule. There is enough "hard" science, like Gai's jumping up from basically the zero point dimension into a dimension much less dense and at much lower energy, to be fascinating in its own right. Another great book it reminds me of -- the Oddessy. The relationship between Gai and Ned O'Tennis (the fighter pilot) is very similar to that between Athena and Oddyseus. All in all, a great read.

The last legends of earth is a wonderfully fantastical story were the classical limitations of time and space are broken. Aliens of the future interact in a bid for god-like supremacy long after the civilizations of man have been lost in the dust. Humans become the fodder for spider-like beings and a battle for human freedom ensues. The worlds Attanasio describes are imaginative and timeless. This is a story is a classic Sci-fi adventure but also has retains a sense of humanity, love and the human spirit. This is one of my favorite books by the author; I also recommend his Arthurian series.

In my opinion, this is (along with the first book in the Tetralogy, Radix) one of the finest sci-fi/fantasy novels written in the past 30 years. It's a rollicking good time, with good vs evil, heroes and villains, interesting scientific concepts, a romance that even manly men could appreciate, and a tempo that speeds up and slows down at just the right times.

Heavily influenced by Lovecraft, Attanasio writes stuff that is not intended to be the joy of English majors or grammar prudes but is deeply fascinating and tells great, highly imaginative stories. This book is no exception. If character is the end-all and be-all of literature to you (ugh!) and story and plot are less interesting to you, then you may not find most of Attanasio's work to your tastes, although his characters are certainly believable. Certainly in LLoE there are some highly interesting characters to add to a mind blowing story that spans billions of years.

After having read the original book in the tetralogy, Radix, when it came out so many years ago, and being so impressed by it, I was disappointed by the next two books in the series. They were interesting but lacked stories that sucked you in. Not so with LLoE, which is a page turner of the highest order. I don't think you'd have to be a sci-fi fantasy buff to appreciate it, but if you are it's one of the best. It certainly has one of the most evil races of monsters in ALL of literature, the zotl. If you can read about them and not get the creeps, you should probably be in an institution somewhere.

In fact, if all you read of the tetralogy were Radix and LLoE, you would be well served, but you might want to read the others for the sake of completeness.

I haven't had time to read for fun since graduating from high school. Nor was I about to, until I was assigned to read LBM for a Lit class in college. I was only assigned to read a small section.

But damn if I couldn't put the book down once I reached that assigned point. Berger created an absorbing novel with many good points. The most obvious is the narrator, Jack Crabb. By the time I finished reading LBM, Crabb had got my sympathy whether he wanted it or not. His cynicism from being surrounded by people during the first thirty-four years of his life, yet never quite connected to them, seemed tangible at times. The ending is especially moving, when he literally becomes alone in the world.

I can't speak of the ending without mentioning another fine feature: the settings. Berger describes places in a vivid manner, which is all the more impressive when considering he likely did not visit all of those places before writing LBM. Some of my favorites include Crabb's sighting of the so-called millions of buffalo (probably an exaggeration but a nice image nonetheless) on the plains, the description of the Little Bighorn valley and, of course, the aforementioned final scene at the mountaintop.

Although my class read LBM because of its historical references to the American Indians, I must admit I was more drawn to the theme of alienation that Berger crafted.

The last thing of note is the epilogue. Says Ralph: "A pity that we will never get the account of his later years, which he led me to believe were no less remarkable than his first thirty-four" (439). Well, Berger did provide that account with The Return of Little Big Man (which I will find and read this summer). And, assuming he divided Crabb's life about even in both novels, that means some more years of Crabb's life remains untold. So hopefully a third novel featuring Jack will be made in the future.

(Just an aside if the author ever reads this: is that a typo on p.360? "I was thirty-six..." Yet on p.432 Crabb is "only thirty-four years of age." I'm aware that Crabb interjects future events to Ralph, like when he says he reads about Amelia's bigshot husband in the papers, but at the point where he says he's thirty-six, it seems like he's in the moment so to speak. Thus since his story is in sequential order, for the most part, the contradiction is obvious)

Many reviews have been written about this book, so you already know that it is a great read. I just wanted to add that this is one of those books that you keep and pick up again many years later and then loving share with your son or daughter on a boring rainy afternoon.

What a wonderful literary adventure is Little Big Man. This is a genuine American saga as told by a genuine historical novelist, Thomas Burger. While this is a work of fiction, Burger allows the reader the impression that it is a true story. The source of this story is one lovable, sagely old man, Jack Crabb. Crabb, interviewed by the author in his wheelchair in a nursing home, at age 111; delivers a recollection worthy of a raconteur of royal proportions. Each of Jack's adventures and misadventures, childhood through manhood, are told with uncanny wit and wisdom; in the unrefined nuances of a wise old geezer who has literally seen it all.

Jack's story begins at age 10 when heading west with his family in a wagon train. Jack's dad is fascinated with the Mormon faith's concept of multiple wives. So, it is for Salt Lake City they are headed. Furthermore, Dad believes, as do the Mormons, that American natives are a lost tribe of Israel and therefore speak Hebrew! When the wagon train is stopped by a band of Cheyenne, a failure to communicate of titanic proportions ensues, directly resulting in Jack and his sister being kidnapped by the Cheyenne. Thus begins Jack's life as a Cheyenne Indian, "Little Big Man". Six years later, during a losing battle with the 12th Calvary, Jack abandons the tribe, deciding it is better to be white than dead.

Jack specialized in the art and craft of coincidence. At age 17, he was taught the quick-draw by none other than Wild Bill Hickok. Later, he had the distinction of facing down Wyatt Earp, yelling, "Draw, you belch you". Jack called Wyatt "belch" because he said his name sounded like one.

At age 18, he joined the Calvary, serving under General Custer at the fateful battle of Little Big Horn. Owing to his acumen as an erstwhile redskin, Crabb was the only survivor.

Aside from the plethora of twists of fate and fancy, this heartwarming story is replete with trivial, yet fascinating facts of the lives of American Indians during the most tumultuous era of their history. These facts will paint the "redskins" for you, as for me, in a very sympathetic light.

The lives, loves and lore of Jack Crabb, Little Big Man; deserves a conspicuous place in every one's library of classic American literature.

I was pretty much hooked by the narrator's first words: "I'm a white man and never forget it" (followed by "but I was brought up by Cheyenne from the age of ten"). A few paragraphs later: "I never suspected it at the time, being just a young boy, but I realize now that my Pa was a lunatic," and I was a complete goner.

Little Big Man is an extremely humorous novel of the American west, wonderfully narrated in a breezy, informal style, peppered with humorous colloquialisms and directness, reminiscent of Huckleberry Finn, by the 111 year old Jack Crabb, a (so he claims) surviver (and the sole survivor) of Custer's last stand.

But it's also touching and heartbreaking at times, and with tension as he rides with Custer to the Little Big Horn.

As Crabb recounts his life, moving between the white man's world and that of the Indians, stopping at many stations along the way in the kaleidescopic West, we are often given a detailed pictured of what various aspects of life were like back then. From what it's like eating dog in the tepee to Hickcock's advice on gunfighting, to the traveling snake oil salesman and his occupational risks.

In this way also it's much like the Last of the Mohicans, giving an inside view, hopefully a researched, accurate one, of the frontier to those of us safely and comfortably ensconced at home in greater civilization.

Definitely high in the echelon of American novels I've read.

I got this book as an Easter present from my parents when I was [...], back in the late 1970's, so the book was at least 15 years old then. I think I had not long before seen the film with Dustin Hoffman. I'd always had a fascination with American Indians as they were known then and at that time was just about beginning to read/ see more than what I had been exposed to through John Wayne style westerns - about the same time one of my uncles bought me 'Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee'.

The book is - as usual- far more broader in its scope than the film, although the film is excellent too. It begins with an amateur researcher tracking down a survivor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The 111 year old survivor begins the story in 1852 when as a ten year old boy he (Jack Crabb)and his elder sister end up living with a small group of Cheyenne who have killed his father and the other men on their wagon train during a drunken mistake. The elder sister runs away the first night leaving the young Jack with in his own words "newly joined a pack of barbarians".

The book takes the reader through Jacks life up to the age of 34 in 1876 when indeed he survives the Battle of the Little Big Horn (Custers Last Stand) - saved by a complex relationship to a Cheyenne playmate from his youth. Throughout the intervening years between 1852 and 1876 Jack oscillates between living with the Cheyenne and frontier society. Often feeling fundamentally 'white' when among the Cheyenne, and feeling fundamentally 'Cheyenne' when among the whites.

The book is laced with great humour, great characterisations (Caroline Crabb, Old Lodge Skins, Little Horse, Younger Bear, Lavender, Reverend Pendrake, Sunshine, Allardyce. T. Meriweather and Botts for example) and moments of pure reflections upon the great and most mundane things all of us encounter within our lives. I especially liked the fact that the whole book is written in the vernacular of the American frontier. That and the historical accuracy of the book are testament to the research Thomas Berger put into the work.

Read it and hopefully you'll love it as much as I did.

"Ramona And Her Mother" is a later entry in the Ramona & Beezus series, and yet it is also one of the finest books of its kind, another in a long line of great books by the masterful Beverly Cleary.

First pubished in 1979, the book finds the gauzy comfort of the Eisenhower era (when the first Henry Huggins and Beezus books were written) replaced by the strain and worry of the recessionary 'Seventies. Ramona's dad, who recently lost his job, has found new work at a local supermarket, but he doesn't like the position, and having both parents out working full-time places new strains on the family. Ramona, who is now seven years old, is no longer an overt brat, but there's a lot going on in her little head, as she struggles with the demands that come with growing up. She is envious of her teenage older sister, who she sees as a goodie-goodie and as her parent's favorite. Her relationship with her mom seems to be up in the air as well, and her parents, both tired from long days at work, have started to argue, which worries the kids. Of course, Cleary finds the silver lining, and while young readers may both recognize their own families (and become anxious for exactly the same reasons as Ramona does) Cleary magically produces happy endings that still do not deny the hardships and imperfections of life. If you've enjoyed Ramona's earlier adventures, you will not be disappointed with this funny, quick volume. (ReadThatAgain children's book reviews)

The book Ramona and her mother is about a 7 year old little girl who is jealous of her big sister Beatrice and she wants to spend time with her mommy as mommy's little girl but Beezus has already taken on that role. In the end, Ramona Quimby gets her wish...To spend time with her mother. You'll need to read this book and find out how it all actually ends. Though this book does have some boring parts, I would recommend this book to any elementary or beginning middle school girl who loves Beverly Cleary books or any girl who might be experiencing what Ramona is going through. I myself can relate because I go through this almost on a daily basis. Sometimes I'm jealous of my baby cousin who gets most of all the attention but in the end (just like Ramona), I get my mommy all to myself.

G.B.M. Sanders - 6th grade - Hammond Middle
Alexandria, VA

Ramona is seven-and-a-half-years-old right now. She is going through a difficult time trying to figure out if she wants to be mommy's little girl or grow up. Ramona's mother invited Ramona's best friends family over for brunch. When Howie's little sister Willa Jean arrives Ramona can't stand to be jealous. Willa Jean is a little girl with curled hair and has pretty little dresses. When Ramona sees her bear, Roger she will do anything to get her hands on it . Ramona's mom puts her in charge of watching Willa Jean. While Beezus and the adults eat brunch the adults refer to her as mother's girl. Ramona is trying to figure out why she doesn't get in trouble for anything and gets away with everything. Ramona never gets away with anything and is always in trouble. When she squirts the whole tube of toothpaste in the sink, she gets yelled at and when she has a tantrum, she is told to stop right away. In Ramona's world nothing is fair. She can't stand that her mother has to work and she is forced to be watched by Willa Jean's grandmother evryday after school. Ramona would rather stay at home sewing, cooking, reading, and watching T.V. with her mom, but things never seem to work out. All she wants to do is be mommy's little girl forever. Now time passes by and she realizes she will just have to grow up.

Ramona is seven-and-a-half-years-old right now. She is going through a difficult time trying to figure out if she wants to be mommy's little girl or grow up. Ramona's mother invited Ramona's best friends family over for brunch. When Howie's little sister Willa Jean arrives Ramona can't stand to be jealous. Willa Jean is a little girl with curled hair and has pretty little dresses. When Ramona sees her bear, Roger shes will do anything to get her hands on it . Ramona's mom puts her in charge of watching Willa Jean. While Beezus and the adults eat brunch and she keeps getting called mother's girl. Ramona is trying to figure out why she doesn't get in trouble for anything and gets away with everything. Ramona never gets away with anything and is always in trouble. When she squirts the whole tube of toothpaste in the sink, she gets yelled at and when she has a tantrum, she is told to stop right away. In Ramona's world nothing is fair. She can't stand that her mother has to work and she is forced to be watched by Willa Jean's grandmother evryday after school. Ramona would rather stay at home sewing, cooking, reading, and watching T.V. with her mom, but things never seem to work out. All she wants to do is be mommy's little girl forever. Now time passes by and she relizes she will just have to grow up.

Being seven-and-a-half-years-old (right now!) may seem like a simple task, but for second-grader, Ramona Quimby, it's proving to be a mix of difficulty and confusion. After all, she's between two strange ages - seven and eight - and can't figure out what she wants to do. Part of her is determined to stay her mother's little bunny, twitching her nose and being babied; while the other part wants to act like a grown-up, and do whatever she pleases. When Ramona's parents throw a New Year's brunch to celebrate her father finding a new job, she's thrilled to get the chance to eat a mix of breakfast and lunch. But when her best friend Howie's younger sister, Willa Jean arrives, Ramona can't help but feel jealous of the "little angel." For one, Willa Jean has ruffles sewed onto her underpants; and two, she's holding a stuffed bear - aptly named Woger - that Ramona would do anything to get her hands on. But, alas, even at her young age, Willa Jean is determined not to part with Woger. To make matters worse, Ramona's mother leaves her in charge of Willa Jean while Beezus and the rest of the adults get to fraternize with one another over hot muffins, coffee, sausage, and so much more. Ramona can't understand why her parents are treating her like a baby, while Beezus is constantly called her "mother's girl." Beezus doesn't even get in trouble for anything, because everyone says that she's at a "difficult" age. Ramona feels that she's at a difficult age, as well. But she never gets away with anything. When she squirts a whole tube of toothpaste into the bathroom sink, she gets yelled at; when she has a tantrum, she's told to "stop this instant," when she wants to stay up later than her bedtime, she's not allowed. In Ramona's eyes, nothing is fair. She can't stand that her mother has to work, and that she's forced to be watched by Willa Jean's grandmother everyday after school, and the fact that Beezus gets to go to her friends houses only makes matters worse. Ramona would do anything to just spend everyday with her mother - sewing, cooking, reading, watching TV. But things never seem to work out the way Ramona wants them to. All she wants is to stay her mother's little girl forever, but the more time that passes the more Ramona begins to realize that, perhaps, her wish will never be granted, and she'll be forced to grow up.

I first discovered Ramona Quimby when I was about six-years-old, and instantly fell in love with her pesty antics, and penchant for throwing tantrums at the worst possible moments. Now, with the re-publication of the RAMONA series, however, I am beginning to realize that I missed out on quite a few of Ramona's tales, and have decided to re-immerse myself in the life of the Quimby family. Now, even though so many years have passed, I find that Beverly Cleary's tales about Ramona are still enjoyable, and quite irresistible. Ramona, as always, is the perfect example of a precocious child embarking on the trials and tribulations that accompany growing up. Her ability to act slightly mature at times, then revert back to full-blown childish behavior is spot-on with how growing children truly act; while her jealousy, and ability to find herself in countless bizarre situations only prove to make her even more hilarious. Cleary manages to balance humor with family problems by placing a slight emphasis on difficulties with money, a parent losing a job, and being bombarded with bills. While subjects such as money problems, and not wanting to grow-up are often sore spots, Cleary presents them in a neutral way that offers parents the opportunity to discuss such issues with their children in an effort to put their minds at ease. However, even by introducing these problems, Cleary never overshadows the humorous side of Ramona, and never talks down to the reader. In fact, Ramona remains as lovable as ever as she traverses the muddy waters of second grade, and works to accept the new teacher whom she's still unsure of; while, at the same time, working overtime to twitch her nose to remind her mother that she is, and always will be, her little bunny. The most obnoxious - yet entertaining - little sister in fiction!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

In spare, poetic and very beautiful dialect, old and grumpy Guernsey misanthrope, Ebenezer Le Page, recounts the story of his life; a tale of disillusionment, loss and remarkable resiliance.

Edwards makes Le Page a Guernseyan "Everyman." Le Page represents an embattled folk community: colonized by the French, occupied by the Germans and finally overrun by English tourists.

Like the butler, Stevens, in *The Remains of the Day,* Le Page has an epiphany that transforms him. But while Stevens' epiphany is of the rather subtle dry sherry variety, Le Page's knocks you flat like a good shot of white lightening, poteen or whatever it is that Guernsey people drink when they want to see God.

*The Book of Ebenezer Le Page* is about a small miracle of the human spirit in the face of war, poverty and souless consumerism.

One of the best books I have read in a long time...The universality of Ebenezer is wonderful. It brings the reader back to another time and place. I highly recommend this book.

What can I add to the almost unanimous chorus of praise and rave reviews? Not much. But this is such an exceptional yet so inexplicably little-known book that I feel obliged to join the chorus.

THE BOOK OF EBENEZER LE PAGE reminds me, as unlikely as this particular combination may sound, of both Thomas Hardy and Mark Twain. Indeed, for a rough approximation of the narrator Ebenezer Le Page and his personality and humor, imagine that Sam Clemens had been born in 1890 on the Channel Island of Guernsey, lived there his entire life, and then nearing 90 set down the story of his life and his world. Although not as cosmopolitan as Sam Clemens, Ebenezer Le Page is every bit as independent a free-thinker, as open-minded, as cantankerous, as wise, and as ruthlessly disdainful of cant, self-righteousness, and those who better themselves at the expense of others. And almost as funny.

For all its greatness, THE BOOK OF EBENEZER LE PAGE is not a page-turner that you are likely to devour in one fell swoop. It took me two weeks to read it. But each time I returned to it, I was eager to do so. It is not unlike an idiosyncratically crusty grandfather telling tales from his life after dinner; as much as one loves to listen to him every evening for an hour or two, one is not prepared to listen to him day in and day out, to the exclusion of everything else.

This novel is sui generis. It also is, in my experience, the greatest novel by a "single-work author." (It far surpasses John Kennedy Toole's "A Confederacy of Dunces.") But it should not be regarded solely as some sort of curiosity. It is a great work of literature, and it merits far wider recognition and a far wider readership.

This is a book for good readers only. And for good readers who enter the book at the right time when they are willing to invest the effort to get far enough into the story to care about it. There is much to complain about. It is a first person narrative written by a person who is not always likeable about other people who are not always likeable and who are often two dimensional. It is written in an idiosyncratic style that reflects both the education level and patois of the narrator. The setting is limited, obscure and unfamiliar to most readers. Somehow those very complaints gradually reverse themselves to become the strengths of the book. The author asks a lot from the reader because you have to plow through a lot of words and page after page until you become aware of the reversal. You become very interested in the narrator's life story, the vast cast of characters continues to increase with every page but they seem more human and not so irritating, the writing style becomes familiar and essential to the story as the narrator's personality and a reflection of the richness of the setting. This is a long book full of a long life story and many small stories. The small stories are some of the most memorable, particularly during the time of occupation. Some of the little stores are entertaining, like the two pigs and some are tragic, like the story of the young prisoner. I found myself more caught up in the little stories than in the larger tragedy of Raymond and Horace. My recommendation is to skip the introduction by John Fowles which is long and unnecessary and save your endurance to see if you can get far enough into the book to reach the point where you stop having to work at reading and want to pick it up. It is brilliant, even as it is astounding that a publisher read enough of it to make the decision to publish it.

I keep rereading this book. I've probably read it 20 times, in full and in part, since encountering it 20 years ago. The pageant of characters who march through are so alive I feel like I know them, and the number and variety of experiences the protagonist relates are as rich as life itself, despite the fact that Ebenezer left his home island of Guernsey only once, as a young man, for a short period of time.

However, I have lent or given a copy of this book to at least a half dozen people over the years, and not one of them was able to finish it.

Also, I do suspect that John Fowles wrote the book and perpetrated a grand hoax. I doubt that G. B. Edwards ever existed, at least as the author of this wonderful volume.

I have always loved this book, it is one of my favorites of this author's works. It is a sweet story, not very long, and has a way of sticking with you. Patricia McKillip must have a very interesting way of seeing the world!

This is a storyline with a unique plot, although I did find some flaws within the story that made this somewhat difficult to read. This is the first Patricia A. McKilip book that I have read and so I am not sure of her writing style as of yet, however the characters were rather empty. If she didn't state plainly that one character was in love with another, by the story surrounding them, I wouldn't have known. The protagonist is even distant as well and reading this story felt like taking a peek at snipets of the lives of others and drawing my own story from what I saw and coming to my own conclusions. This is common in books for young adults however, and being an adult reader used to epic novels, I don't know if I would be fair in faulting it for that. The character dialog was also hard to follow and at times it was hard for me to tell who was speaking. This is makes for a very choppy read at least to me.

This is still a special story that should have been written in novel form and not short story from, as there is som much more potential for it. Peri is the main character of the story and The Changeling Sea begins by describing her hatred for the sea that stole her father's life and captured her mother's soul, spellbinding her. Peri is an unkempt teen who works at the local bar/inn scrubbing the floors and keeping the inn clean. She never dreams of adventure or excitement at all, only wanting to one day escape the sea that so destroyed her life. Peri, no longer receiving the affection and caring from her mother, spends many nights at a village elder's home. The old woman looks after Peri and teaches her spells and hexes. Then one day the woman is gone, no where to be found or heard from again. Most likely lost to the sea, Peri thought. She had had enough of losing people she cared for to the sea and decided to hex it. The story builds from here with adventures of the Prince who becomes her friend and a lost sea-dragon and his mysterious appearance and trying to find answers as to his sudden apparition. She receives help from a mage and works at putting everyone's life together again, fitting in all of the pieces of the puzzle. At the end of the story she succedes in putting the pieces of her own life together as well.

I would reccomend this book for the young adults who have minds capable of seeing and reading between the lines where an adult's can't with a fantasy such as this. Although the story is a little slow throughout the telling, and the tale is implanted with a constant need to "just finish" the story so that one can see what is really happening, this is still a unique story and it is enjoyable. A collector of her works shouldn't pass this book up.

this was a great story. i love this author, she just has a certain style that brings whatever she says to another level. this said, the story isn't perfect. the major relationships between the main character and those around her aren't very strong, not strong enough anyways. at the end, not to spoil it, but she asks someone to come back for her, but the relationship between them wasn't strong enough for her to ask that of him... or at least we the readers weren't privy to it. they don't have to be ridiculously close or anything, the perceived distance between the characters is fine, but the draw between characters must make sense to the reader. if the author spent more time fleshing out relationships i think the story would've been better, because the relationships are very compelling, we just know too little of them. peri says she enjoyed certain people's company because they needed her. unless she is so weak and needy that someone recognizing her existence would make her go crazy, which i don't think she was, there is a part of the story the readers don't know about, or have to fabricate for themselves. so in a way it felt like she was grasping at straws, and the introductions of some characters, namely the workers at the inn, were kind of awkward.
criticism aside, it was a wonderful story. the plot was well thought out and kept me interested. i thought the author did a great job of characterizing the sea. Kir was a great emphasis for this because he was half of the sea himself, so we had the sea both as itself and humanized in Kir. periwinkle was ok, not the strongest heroine but compelling in her own way. i liked her name though, periwinkle, you get few characters with such whimsical names.
it was a great story though. it was short, i read it in a couple of hours, and it left me feeling kind of whimsical .

This is the first book I ever read of hers and it remains one of my all-time favorite books ever. It enchanting and beautiful, haunting and wonderful. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy. McKillip's writing is so fluid and beautiful, she transports you to her worlds effortlessly and you don't want to leave.

I'm still at a complete loss as to why I had never heard of this book before. The storyline is delightfully complex for as short as it is. The descriptions are lush and beautiful, but not so much as to bore. As a new English teacher, I plan on using this book for my classes during our study of fantasy-based romance. The characters are deep and very profound, and it would be an excellent read for people of all ages. Don't be deterred by how thin and short it seems, it's length doesn't make it any less powerful. I, myself, am extremely picky about what I ready and even more so when I'm reading anything with romance in it. I prefer a strong central female character, which Peri truly is, and of course a strong male central character who isn't questionable in his morals. This book checked all the blocks for my standards and I've put it promptly among my favorites.