Non-fiction Books

It was great to find this. My husband read it as a boy and wanted to find a copy to read to our sons.

This is a touching story written from the perspective of a little Chinese boy and his journey home through war raveged territory. I've read it over 5 times (including each year to my 5th grade class) and it's sweetneess still brings tears to my eyes.

Boys can be picky readers, so I always take notes if they actually love a book. My 8 year old carried this book everywhere and told be about it every night for a week. Besides Redwall or Harry Potter, this is the first book he has raved about.

I read this book aloud to my sixth grade reading class. They loved it, and always wanted to hear more. Its also a great way to introduce students to some of the history of China, Japan and US involvement in the war there.

I read this book as a child and, in turn, read it to my children. It has a permanent place in our hearts. It is the well written story of a young Chinese boy and his beloved pig, "Glory of the Republic", who get separated from his family and caught behind Japanese lines when Japan invaded China in the late 1930's. It has some very scary moments. It also has tragedy. I think your child should be about 5th or 6th grade to be able to fully appreciate it. But the book will open your eyes as to what it might be like as a child to be caught in a war. The boy does get reunited with his family, but have your kleenex handy. As a parent you will definitely need it at the end.

I used to read this book aloud in a church nursery when I was in my 20's. When I had my daughter at age 36, I remembered how fun it was to read and how much the kids loved it. I added it to her collection and it is one of her favorites. I just read it to her again the other night and she is ten years old (not too old for a bedtime story yet)! I highly recommend this Seuss favorite.

This is one of the great Dr. Seuss books that a lot of people don't seem to know about. Really, really fun and a little bit different from the others. My nephew cracks up every single time I read it to him.

"I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today!" is a fun Dr. Seuss book which contains three stories and 1365 words. The book's Accelerated Reading designation is given as 2.9 which means the text is suitable for children reading at an advanced Second Grade level. [2.9 translates as a book that an "average" child should be able to read when in the 9th month of 2nd Grade. It can be enjoyed by people of any age, of course.]

At our house the stories were met with almost universal praise from both the 6 and 8 year old. And what's nice about Seuss books, besides the rampant craziness, is the fact that children often forget how many words they are reading as they work away at finding out what happens.

Summary ::: A fun Seuss reader which contains three stories. The AR designation is 2.9 but the word-magic of story and rhyme makes this book appropriate for non-reading children as well.

Pam T~

This is not your typical Seuss book - it has 3 stories, all of which teach a little lesson. Once again, Seuss' language can be a little obnoxious so I must warn you there that you'll need to change a few words like "stupid" as you go. That word just doesn't sound too great coming from a two-year-old. Anyway, it shows how you should be careful of what you say before you say it in I can lick 30 tigers (meaning, beat them up and not actually "taste them" as you may think), how you should take care of yourself and not let others tell you what to do in King Louie, and to watch what you think about and how you spend your spare time in Thunk Glunk. Valuable lessons and entertaining as well. Not too big of a favorite in this house, but worth reading once in awhile.

"I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today! and Other Stories" presents a trio of stories told in verse and illustrated by Dr. Seuss in 1969. Each story makes a simple point. The title story is about a young fellow who looks like a smaller version of the Cat in the Hat (there is reason to believe he is part of the next generation) who declares that he can lick thirty tigers today. However, as soon as he see the thirty tigers he starts finding reasons to whittle down that number, which should indicate to young readers the problems of biting off more than you can chew (pick whatever phrase that expresses this idea you like even if it is your eyes are bigger than your stomach).

"King Looie Katz" is about the fancy cat named Looie who was the King of Katzen-stein and who was so proud of his royal tail that not only did he wash it every morning in a ten-gallon golden pail. In fact, King Looie is so proud that he decides that his tail should never be allowed to touch the earth and he made Fooie Katz follow him around and keep from dragging on the ground. When Fooie notices his tail is sagging he makes Kooie Katz lift up his tail. Soon all the cats in Katzen-stein are walking round and round keeping each other's tails from dragging on the ground. All the cats, that is, except one in this simple story about being more "demo-catic."

Finally there is "The Glunk that Got Thunk," which has the distinction of being the wordiest Dr. Seuss story I have ever read. The sister of the small cat we met in the first story likes to go upstairs after supper and use her Thinker-Upper. Usually she thinks up friendly little things with smiles and fuzzy fur. But one night she decides to go for go for something more fun and discovers she has thunked a Glunk. There are two problems with this. First, a Glunk cannot be UN-thunk. Second, this Glunk calls his mother each night, which is an expensive long distance phone call (ten dollars a minute), and this particular Glunk will never stop talking (which explains why this story gets so wordy; beginning readers will be amazed). There are actually several lessons that can be drawn from this one.

None of these are what I would call first level Dr. Seuss books but there are three of them, which just about adds up to a solid collection. You readers might find it strange to find three short stories collected in one, but there are other such collections out there. These stories are a bit more inclined towards making points beyond the good doctor's normal delightful infatuation with the realm of imagination.

Excellent. With a very interesting plot, the author uses a plain language that becomes an adictive reading, and as a bonus...educative!

Excelente. Resulta un ejemplo perfecto de cómo una historia debe ser contada.
Con un argumento extraordinariamente interesante, el autor utiliza un lenguaje siempre claro que redunda en una lectura adictiva y como valor agregado resulta educativa.

From the first pages M. Druon takes you back into the history, centuries ago when France was devastated and nobels were gods, whilst people were treated as nothing. The dirt of relations between royal personas, conspiracy, accusations, treasons and love - all in The Accursed Kings.

M. Druon's language is so easy to understand and the way he buit all the volumes makes you feel living in France, in 14th century; when you close the book for a moment, you still feel the presence of that time...

Admirers of classic literature and world history will be addicted to reading The Accursed Kings over and over again.

Thumbs up! Six stars! Sure this series ranks as one of the best (perhaps the best) historical novels I have read. From the first book to the seventh one, it is impossible to stop reading. The books are historically accurate and M. Druon depicts the events in the most amazing and gripping way. Read the whole series (seven books).

This historical novel deals with the extermination of the Knights Templar and the curse that came upon the french monarchy as a result.

However interesting and easy to read, lacks a bit of character and plot depth. The author builds up a situation or conflict, only to resolve it in very few paragraphs, and to a certain extent in very predictable ways.

If I compare it to the Alexandros Trilogy (Manfredi), I'd have to say this one is not as good and left me with a certain sense of emptiness.

This is the first of 7 volumes and based on this one, I'll go as far as one more and see what happens.

This is probably the best historical novel (or series, as there are seven of them) ever written. Entrancing, vicious, beuatiful, innocent, short-sighted people get caught in this story of fate and destruction. Great, thumbs up!

This book arrived in top condition and in time. In a college book store this book cost a lot more, so I am very pleased to be able to buy it from this seller.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the descriptive way the author wrote. I have been through Colorado and have seen the beauty she described. Also enjoyed the story because there wasn't a lot of violence and if there was any sex, it was only in our imagination which is the greatest kind. I was amazed at how the lady rode for miles in rugged wilderness without seeming to get lost. The fact that she could subsist on meager food was also interesting.

For many years I saw this book in National Park bookstores and passed it by thinking it would be an example of the overwritten, rather tedious journals of other Victorian travelers. When I finally found it at a used bookstore and rather reluctantly bought it, I was surprised to find out how exciting and relevant her story was.

Because I live in Colorado, I recoginize and travel through many of the places she describes. Just this weekend as we traveled along Highway 67, my husband and I remarked on the likelihood, that this was the same route she'd taken out of Colorado Springs.

Her accounts lend life to the grey, weatherbeaten cabins, abandoned roads and rusting rails that we see. Even though many parts of Europe and the US were relatively modern at the time of her adventures, it is surprising to read just how primitive and precarious was the life of many Colorado settlers.

Even if you aren't from Colorado, read this book to become aquainted with a Victorian woman who found a way to live life fully. Read it to learn about life in the west. Read it just because it's a good read.

I bought this book while visiting Estes Park, CO...hungry for books about life in the West that may not be so readily available here in NJ. I found it to be one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read! Isabella's descriptions of the Rocky Mountains and the climate through which she travelled are vivid and gripping. But more than that, she gives a detailed and honest account of what life was like for settlers on the frontier. How she managed to ride thru the mountains where the only "trails" were tracks of wagons or animals, when often those were covered with the seemingly constant snow, boggles the mind. Her love for Colorado sings out in every word she writes. I too was deeply touched by its beauty, and hope to return again, this time with an enriched appreciation due to this wonderful recounting of Isabella Bird's journey.

Did you ever read any of the BEANY MALONE novels by Lenora Mattingly Weber? In them I first read about Isabella Bird and her remarkable life in the American West. Beany's older brother, Johnny Malone, is a teenager when the series begins, a young Denver boy with a remarkable passion for unearthing the memoirs and daguerrotypes of Colorado pioneers and taking notes on the old-timers who settled the state. Their colorful lives make his ordinary life seem rather pastel, so he often sinks into a nostalgia of the past, while his family members tease him about the dreamy look in his eyes. He helps a veteran journalist, Emerson Worth, complete his magnum opus, OUR CITY HAS DEEP ROOTS. And among the pioneers Johnny obsessed about was none other than Isabella Bird, so when I found this book on a recent trip to Boulder, I added it to my rucksack.

If you are reading on horseback, as Isabella Bird did, this is perhaps the ideal book to carry with you. She was a woman used to the English-style horse with its Ascot breeding and high carriage. What she found in Colorado were, naturally, the horses of the West, more perfectly adapted to the mile-high atmospheres, but slung somewhat lower than anything she's been used to and slightly swaybacked. Bird adapted quickly, and the fun of her autobiography is to see her taking in her stride a series of calamities and hardships that would have Job complaining bitterly! No matter if it's an insect infestation or tumbling right through a sheet of ice into zero degree river chills, for Isabella Bird it's all part of a day's fun. Travel writing in the 19th century was, of course, the leading genre of prose. From no other source were English-speaking readers able to find out more about other people's lives, and the curiosity was immense.

You'll like Isabella, and her crazy love affair with Colorado. She remains very much a lady, but will challenge your preconceived notions of what a lady is and isn't. Most of all you will thrill to follow the course of her journeys up and down the mountains through which, now, there are some better trails but still the same amazing sunrises which she describes with the thrill of one for whom every day's an adventure.

My 13-month-old generally has no patience for books, but she pulled this one off the shelf at the bookstore and squealed with delight. There's something about the illustrations that holds her interest, and the story has a nice rhythm for reading aloud.

This book is perfect for kids. It uses simple words, which lets you imagine everything the characters do. It uses what every children books should have. And as i say, it is Perfect!

Very pleased. It was purchased for a baby shower gift basket. Absolutely
adorable. Will purchase again for future gifts and hopefully my own grandchildren some day.

My 4 month old loves this book! We read it every night. The ducks are big and the text repetitive.
This one is by far her favorite.

Perfect for my 3-year-old: just the right amount of lines per page with double-page illustrations that are just outstanding. In this book the five ducklings leave the nest to "paddle on the water" with their Mama. Little Piddle wiggles into the water with a "sploosh." My daughter found the word sploosh so hilarious, it's now an open invitation for a tickle and has also become our family's word for a belly flop in the pool. Mama duck's mantra "you can do it, I know you can" has also proven useful.

This is the first book in a 4 novel series, and also the first published novel of Mr. Watt-Evans. The book is well written, and shows all the promise and excitement of a new and talented writer. The story has many familiar trappings as Garth is sent out on the first of many quests. Though the use of Garth the Overman as the main character makes for an interesting and differant read. I would recommend this book and series. If you enjoy the wryness of the story, check out The Misenchanted Sword for some fun.

This short book (clocking at only 200 pages) is the beginning of a four-book series.
I haven't yet read the other books, but I must honestly say that the author made good use of description (But it's not slow and boring, like it is in Ursula LeGuin's or Tad Williams' books).
The Main character, the Overman Garth, a renowned warrior among his people, goes on a quest for something any sane person has always wanted, immortal fame.
In order to thus gain what he desires he visits the Forgotten King, an exiled Sorceror Lord residing in the city of Skelleth, who directs him to take a quest to capture and bring to the Forgotten King the first living thing he discovers in the crypts of the lost city of Mormoreth.
Garth proceeds to make his way there, fighting off bandits and the enchanter Shang.
As for the characters, I liked how the author made the chivalrous hero of the story non-human, and how he dealt with how the protagonist's system of values and personal beliefs differed from those of a human being.
The other main characters in the story are a soldier, a bandit leader, and of course, the bad guys.
The three main bad guys are not all villains in the story.
The forgotten king is left mysterious in order to establish himself as a character in the later books.
The Baron of Skelleth, who'd like to see Garth dead, is despite this, somewhat of a sympathetic character, having been placed in a dreadful corner of the world because of a decision of his father's, and has a mysterious illness.
The actual "villain," here, then, would be Shang, Although an enemy of the Forgotten King, Shang seems to be equally as vile in his actions.
Thus it was a quick read, and a good descriptive work with intriguing characters. Recommended.

I have read Lawrence Watt-Evans' entire world of Esthar series and enjoyed the majority of the books in that series. Based on my experience with the Ethshar series, I decided to give the "Lords of Dus" series a try and having completed the first book I can say the following: The storyline is an entertaining but fairly stock fantasy plot, a hero's quest for glory. The protagonist is well fleshed out, likeable yet pragmatic and complete with personality flaws that make him believable. The world setting is vivid and described well enough, but it would have been nice to have a bit more of the history revealed, explaining the current state of events. For the majority of the book, the plotting was good and moved along at the right clip, only bogging down in a couple of sections. Characters development outside of the protagonist did come across as weak with the majority of the other characters in the story seemingly designed to be disposable. Perhaps this was done intentionally as a way to emphasize the aloofness that a member the main character's race feels towards mere men, but it would still have been nice to have some of the other characters built up a bit. Overall I enjoyed the book and look forward to picking up the remaining books in the series.

Garth, Prince of Ordunin, Lord of the Overmen of the Northern Waste, doesn't want much. He is tired of being inconsequential in the grand scheme of things and wants to be remembered by everyone in the world, as long as anyone remains alive. Having demanded advice from the local oracles he gets a surprising answer. Go to the worn out town of Skelleth, and offer his services to a worn out beggar dressed in a tacky yellow robe. He does, and thereby hangs this tale.

Garth receives the first of what will become a series of quests, to retrieve the first animal he finds in the crypts beneath Mormoreth. Easier said, of course, than done. Marmoreth is a deserted city ruled over by the enchanter, Shang. Various robbers and brigands, all in Shang's pay, watch the road to Marmoreth. And Korg, Garth's giant warbeast is perpetually hungry. Oh! I forgot! The only animal in the crypts of Marmoreth is a basilisk. An irritable, poisonous, and generally impossible basilisk.

As Garth works his way through the twists of this quest with an engineer's attention to detail, and a slight tendency to be absent minded at critical moments, we get occasional glimpses of how humans would look to another intelligent life form. Somewhat insane, of course. Even to someone on a quest as insane as moving a basilisk cross-country.

Watt-Evans fills his story with little wry moments that mave all two hundred pages enjoyable. With the advantage of years, we know that this first effort turned itself into an entire series, with Garth becoming the perfect outsider whose encounters with humanity (and the King in Yellow) inevitably have unexpected results.

Tired of a world filled with death and decay, Garth the overman is directed by an oracle to go south into the human lands and serve one known as the Forgotten King, where he will win fame that will endure to the end of the world. But, the King's first command sends Garth off to find and bring back a nightmare creature out of legend, and to get it Garth must overcome bandits, foul magic, greed and madness. But, why does the Forgotten King want this loathsome creature? This is a strange and difficult quest, one that might give Garth what he does not want.

I am a great fan of Lawrence Watt-Evans' wonderful Ethshar series, and now that I can't find any more to read, I decided to move onto his Lords of Dus series (of which this is book one). Well, I was not disappointed! This is a great fantasy story, complete with magic, strange creatures, and lots of swordplay. In particular, I found the author's use of a non-human as the protagonist to be quite intriguing and masterfully done.

So, if you are a fan of fantasy literature, then you must get this book. You will not be disappointed.

Keely Wilson discovers that life can change in the blink of an eye, but she'd determined to fight her way past a potentially career-ending injury and get her life back. But she needs help. She goes to her old coach, Mac McCandless, for help, and finds a man who's had to deal with his own life changing injury. Rather than fighting against, Mac has accepted his limitations and built a new life. Together Mac and Keely learn that there are things you can't control...sometimes it's physical limitations, and sometimes it's a love that won't be denied, whatever the obstacles.

Fay Robinson story of Mac and Keely is a warm, touching story that's guaranteed to touch the readers heart.

Fay Robinson's debut novel A MAN LIKE MAC is a true example of an author who knows how to involve her readers. The character that she creates leaves you feeling as if you are experiencing the tragedy life has dealt each of them. For anyone lucky enough to read this book it will leave you with a sense of satisfaction to know you have experienced something special.

Keely Wilson, a successful Olympic runner, is involved in accident which doctors predict will end her Olympic career. Refusing to accept the doctor's grim diagnose she turns to her former coach, John "Mac" McCandless. She believes Mac will provide her the rehabilitation she needs to get her back on track for the Olympic gold. In finding Mac she is devastated to learn he also has been involved in an accident and is confined to a wheelchair.

Mac McCandless has always held a secret infatuation with his once young track star Keely Wilson. Delighted to be given the opportunity to help Keely recover from her injuries he is unprepared for the reaction she has when she learns of his disability. Reviewing the medical records, he finds there is no hope for her to have a complete recovery. Now the challenge he is faced with is (1) to get Keely to accept her limitations, and (2) to get Keely to accept him as a man.

This book illustrates the true meaning of love and romance as well as to the phrase "Love Conquers All." Be warned, the tears and laughter are sure to flow once you open the first page of this book. Not only is the romance wonderful, it also provides insight about the challenges the disabled face on a daily basis.

CAUTION SPOILER: This was different from most romance novels because Mac was in a wheelchair. After she sees him, Keely wants to avoid having a romantic relationship, but later she falls in love with him and marries him. It was nice to see how the guys in wheelchairs date, dance, have sex, and do other things. It was a good story. It was interesting. Sexual content: moderate.

A Man Like Mac was a surprising book for me mainly because of the fact that Mac is not the typical hero with a disability that is usually pictured in romance novels.He does not waste his days with feeling sorry for himself.His strength, talent, and joy of life has made me adore him.He is unbelievably gentle, caring, considerate, and talented.His abilities truely outweigh his disabilities.Of course,his attractiveness adds to his wonderful qualities. Keely on the other hand,does not seem like a very lovely character at first.For instance,when she first sees Mac in a wheelchair she feels like throwing up,and that may easily make you hate her, but you discover that Mac has always been her hero, and it is not easy to accept that he is not perfect anymore. It takes a man like Mac to make realise Keely what the true values in life are and that she is more than a pair of legs.I began to like her from the moment she decided to surrender her feelings for Mac and persuaded him that love can defeat all the obstacles.Ms.Robinson has done a wonderful job of revealing the true personalities of the hero and the heroine step by step.By the time your read a few chapters, you realise that you are absorbed into Mac's world.He will make you smile and he tear your heart at the same.This is not a bubble romance novel where you will have perfect heroes gathered in a Cindrella tail.A Man Like Mac is amazingly romantic,but very very real.

I can add very little to what others have said except to join the list of those praising this very well thought out and excellently executed book. Books dealing with relationships where one partner is disabled often are puerile and totally unrealistic. From personal experience, I can say that this is a terrible shame. Disabilities are infinitely varied but, in the end, mutual acceptance, courage, patience and love are what make such relationships work and these are the themes which make wonderful romantic books. Readers who are interested in this particular theme may like to seek out a copy of Lyn Dycoty's Pocketful of Dreams - an old Harelquin Temptation title from 1984 which is one of the few books I've read that comes up to Ms Robinson's standards. I hope other authors are encouraged to tell such stories with such honesty and integrity. Well done and thank you!

I basically agree with all the reviews so far. I read this in my teens and it left a lasting impression on me. I've re-read it since on a fairly regular basis. Brilliant evocation of an early culture far removed from our own but peopled with those whose emotional reactions one can so empathise with - doubt, uncertainty and deepening friendship.

I am delighted it is back in print, although a bit ambivalent about the cover design. When will "The Sword at Sunset" be re-printed - preferably unabridged and with the map that some of the early editions had?

I really love this book. I picked it up in high school for a book report and got sucked into Rosemary Sutcliff's world. I'm glad to see a new printing is coming out, because you couldn't find this book anywhere, and the copy I have I stole from school, that's how much I love this book. I also highly recommend The Sword and the Circle, a telling of the Arthurian legend.

The "Mark of the Horse Lord" is a beautifully written story of loyalty, honor and sacrifice. The ancient Scottish setting and characters are masterfully portrayed and the story line grabs the reader on the first page and holds on tight to the very end!
Rosemary Sutcliff writes wonderfully engaging historical novels. While her books give the reader a great feel for the time period and setting, story line is never compromised! Most of her books are written for children and young adults, however, this book is more appropriate for adults and older teens. Younger readers may find the wording a little difficult to follow. Highly recommended!

One of Rosemary Sutcliff's best books is back in print. Several of her titles have been unavailable for years: Dawn Wind, Knight's Fee, The Shield Ring, Frontier Wolf, Sword at Sunset, The Mark of the Horse Lord.

Previous reviewers have provided a plot summary of this book; please see their comments on the story.

Like much of her work, TMOTHL is based on real events. Sutcliff is perhaps the finest children's historical novelist. Folks of all ages enjoy reading her work. She could research an episode in Britain's past and add memorable people and descriptive period language. The resulting tale would be true to history and her characters' humanity. As other reviewers have stated, "She makes you believe it happened just this way."

I hope Front Street Publishing succeeds with Horse Lord, and decides to bring back more Sutcliff books currently out of print.

If I were sent to a deserted island with as many books as there are fingers on my right hand, this would be one of them. I found this book in its original edition in a small town library over twenty years ago and have sought it out in every library in every town I've been in since. Its that kind of story.

If the heart of a good story is the soul-journey taken by the main character, then this book deserves a place in the canon of great literature because Phaedros' journey is truly epic, starting tightly coiled within his own needs, spiraling outward with each challenge he faces, finally culminating in the most magnificently expansive act a man can perform.

Images from this story will rematerialize in the reader's mind long after the back cover is closed upon the bittersweet ending. Highly recommended.

As an aside, if you have read Megan Whalen Turner's Thief series you may have noticed that she also apparently is an admirer of Sutcliff. I'm pretty certain she has planted some pointed references to this book and Eagle of the Ninth in her own books. Anyone else spot those?

Black or White, young or old, male or female, gay or straight can appreciate the glimpses of life portrayed in The Mee Street Chronicles. Ms. Lennon artfully transports the reader to times and places that come alive through superb storytelling. This author captures the ambience so well that the reader becomes an invisible spectator within every scene.



Demonstrating courage possessed by few authors, she has been willing to share some of the most intimate details of her own life struggle. If you have traveled similar roads, you will nod in recognition. Whether your life includes comparable experiences or not, put this book on your "must read" list!

Frankie and I went to Indiana University together. She showed her writing talent during the her college days. Life has perfected those talents. I can relate to her stories of her childhood because regardless of where you grew up, as a Black child at that time our parents all taught from the same book. Once I started reading, I almost could not put the book down. The stories were woven in such a way that you will feel as if you are standing in a corner watching the action. I am proud of the strong woman she has become.

Thankfully I got to see the process of this work being produced but even being in on that aspect of it didn't prepare me for the impact it would have in the world of literature and me personally. Frankie is adept in weaving stories that are at both times personal and communal. What I mean by that is when I read these stories I know I am reading about Frankie but the feeling that they give me lets me know I am reading about my sisters, mother, grandmother, aunts, friends, and on a certain level even myself. The stories transcend so many categories in an outstanding way. You owe it to yourself to get this book and be fulfilled...

The Mee Street Chronicles: Straight Up Stories of a Black Woman's Life by Frankie Lennon has been one of my favorite books that I have read as a college student. The author uses an authentic way of telling her stories by using anecdotes and descriptions of the events that happened in her life and the lives of the important characters she introduces to the audience. All the stories in this book have been very exciting to read, but one of my most favorite is "The Code", in this story I feel a deep personal connection to the author due to our cultural similarities. Overall it was a great book to read since I originally thought I would not find a connection to the stories due to our different cultural backgrounds, but it was a shocker to familiarize with some of the stories. I have already recommended the book to a couple friends and would recommend to a lot more people because it's such a great book to read.

Franke Lennon has written a moving, honest, difficult and, ultimately, a life affirming memoir. Her amazingly Norman Rockwell-Huck Finn childhood in Knoxville is tenderly rendered only to slyly transmorgrify into the struggles that a young black woman growing up in the Jim Crow Bible-belt South would face upon the recognition of a forbidden same sex attraction.

Ms. Lennon's clarity in realizing and struggling with her lesbianism is achingly rendered and all too familiar to anyone who has felt like an outcast, not always because of outside forces, but due to an internalized self-loathing.

Her first female love leaves an indellible mark on her; a scar, if you will, and this woman--Stacey--haunts throughout this powerful confessional.

Throughout her life, Ms. Lennon struggles through many things--her sexual nature, alcoholism, watching close friends being taken away by AIDS, sexism, racism--but forever the cock-eyed optimist, she tells a tale of falling down and getting back up in classic style.

At the chore of this collection of stories (although I found it to be one marvelous story of an incredible black woman and the many compelling chapters of her life) is a never-say-die mantra. Frankie Lennon, like Molly Brown, is not about to be blown over by the bigotry of others.

Oh yes, it took her a moment to get there, maybe even a good part of a lifetime, but get there she does! When she has her 'Hell No!' moment(s), you'll cheer. When she finally says 'Hell yes!' to life, tears will fall between the hands you so furiosly applaud her with.

This book is a brilliant affirmation and should be read by anyone who questions their place at God's unconditional table because of man's narrow stupid conditional rules.Looker: A Novel

I really enjoyed reading Molly's Pilgrim. It was just the right reading level for me. It was not too hard and not too long, but it was interesting. It is about a girl who comes to a new school and is different from everyone else. It is hard for her to adjust. One of the parts that made an impression is when the teacher likes Molly's pilgrim doll best and appreciated it. I would recommend this book to girls who might get discouraged with books that are long, because even though it is not a hard book, it's really interesting. By HG.

The book "Molly's Pilgrim" by Barbara Cohen is about a girl named Molly. It is her first Thanksgiving and she founds out that she really doesn't have anything to be thankful for. Her classmates really make fun of her because of her unfamiliarity with American ways.
Then when it comes to doing a project Molly gets embarassed because her mom helps with the project. She helps by making a little doll that looked more like a Russian girl than a pilgrim. But she explains thatthe doll her mom did was because she tried to explain that her mom is a pilgrim because she came for freedom to worshiip god as her own way.

Barbara Cohen understands ESL students like no other author ever has! In "Molly's Pilgrim" she describes the pain of a Russian Jewish immigrant in her American school in Winter Hill. Molly is mocked and ridiculed by the most popular girl in Miss Stickley's class, and Molly's "limitations" are made even more evident because Molly and her mother don't understand Thanksgiving from the viewpoint of American culture. The assignment is to design a clothespin doll to look like a pilgrim woman, but Molly's mother designs the doll to look like a Russian immigrant girl. In the process, the class learns that pilgrims did not stop coming to America for religious freedom in the 1600s. Molly's family are pilgrims too!

Equally important to my ESL classes is Barbara Cohen's sequel: "Make a Wish, Molly", when Molly's Jewish culture conflicts with that of her classmates. Molly's parents are excited because in America they are finally free to celebrate Passover for the first time. Then Molly is invited to her first American birthday party during Passover week. That luscious pink birthday cake contains leaven! Should Molly keep the Passover, or should she enjoy her first American birthday party? The painful conflict between first and second cultures is one which every ESL student can understand. I recommend both books highly to ESL classes everywhere!

Molly's Pilgrim is the best book! Molly is a little Jewish girl from Russia. She doesn't like to go to school because the girls are teasing her. There are no other Jewish girls at Winter Hill and they think she looks and talks different. She wishes she could go back to Russia or even New York City. Molly had an assignment to make a clothespin Pilgrim doll. Her mom made it to look like herself-because mama sees herself as a Pilgrim from Russia. Molly thinks the doll is beautiful but is also ashamed of the doll because she doesn't think it is a real Pilgrim. She brings it to school and hides it in her desk. When Elizabeth and her friends see it, they make fun of it. Molly explains to Miss Stickly that her mother made the doll to look like her because she came from Russia for freedom just like the Pilgrims. Miss Stickly praises it and puts it in a special place on her desk. This makes Molly proud. We loved this book!!
By Mrs. Lee's 1st and 2nd Grade Red Group at Nike Elementary!

Molly is a young, Jewish immigrant from Russia, who moves to Winter Hill where she is a black sheep among the rest of her classmates. They tease her, and call her names, making fun of her voice, and her eyes, and anything else that they could possibly think of to make fun of her. When Miss Stickley, Molly's third-grade teacher, begins teaching the class about Thanksgiving, Molly is lost. That is, until she finds that Thanksgiving is an American holiday where everyone is grateful for what they have. The problem? Molly doesn't feel thankful. In fact, the only thing that would make her thankful is if her family could move back to New York City, and that won't be happening anytime soon. When Miss Stickley informs the class that they must make pilgrim dolls, Molly is excited to do the project. But when she finds that her mother has made the doll look more like a Russian immigrant, rather than a pilgrim, Molly knows that her troubles at school are about to get worse. But maybe...just maybe, the little Pilgrim is exactly what Molly needs...

It is rare that a book as short as Barbara Cohen's MOLLY'S PILGRIM could bring out such strong emotions in the reader, but that is exactly what it did. The character of Molly is sweet, and kind, and the way she is treated at school could bring tears to anyone's eyes, even if you aren't a crier by nature. The awful songs that Molly's classmates sing about her will choke everyone up, but, at the same time, let the reader feel exactly how people who are "different" are treated. This is a wonderful story that will warm everyone's heart, and teach the whole family about the first Thanksgiving.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper