Children's Books

"Good fences make good neighbors." That's what Cass's dad said when he found out a black family was moving in next door. Cass even helped him build the fence. But as the new neighbors moved in, Cass couldn't help but be curious. Watching through a peephole in the fence, Cass's blue eye found a brown eye staring back at her.

Cass asked Jemmie, "Do you like to run?"

Jemmie responded, "Run? Girl, I don't run, I fly. Can't nobody beat me."

The race was on. They both sneaked out of their homes the next morning to find out who was fastest, and instead found "Chocolate Milk."

This is the story of their friendship. It's also a story of crossing boundaries, change, and eventual acceptance. Theirs is a natural friendship, a friendship that's tried by the bigotry of Cass's dad, and the stubbornness of Jemmie's mother. It takes the misfortunes of a tiny baby for the parents to begin tearing down their mental fences.

Adrian Fogelin does a beautiful job of portraying tenuous relationships that exist among people trying to understand cultures different from their own, The girls are sweet and fun; their dialogue is well-written, immersing the reader in the long, hot, dog days of summer in Tallahassee, Florida.

CROSSING JORDAN leaves the reader with hope for future generations, that they will be inspired to appreciate each other, just as Cass and Jemmie were inspired to call themselves Chocolate Milk. This is the first book of Adrian Fogelin's that I've read, and I'm sure I'll be looking for more of her titles.

Reviewed by: Cana Rensberger

Crossing Jordan is one of the best Young Adult books ever written. A great lesson in race relations, an admission of being wrong, making amends and building an enduring friendship. It also teaches that friendship is more important than winning. The two girls are compared to chocolate milk, one black, one white that blend together to make a special flavor of friendship.
Adrian writes from the experiences of her neighborhood and the children that populate it. Every adult should read it too. In fact, I recommend it to adults,you will understand your child better. It's a five star rating with five more as bonuses. Once you read Crossing Jordan, you'll be hooked. Adrian Fogelin has a special talent that everyone should experience.
Ronald G. Miller, Amelia Island, Fl.

I enjoyed this book because it was adventurous. This book was about two girls who are of different races and are neighbors. The girls, Cass and Jemmie, eventually become friends in secret. Both of their parents find out about their friendship and disapprove.

Near the end of the book the girls run a race together for Sicle Cell Anemia. They are " Chocolate Milk" ,a team. At the end of the race Jemmie falls. Cass tries to help her but Jemmie says go on. But Cass doesn't. She says we are a team Chocolate Milk and they finish the race together. Everyone cheered them on as they crossed the finish line.

At the end of the book the girls had accomplished running a race, reading a long book called Jane Erye, and brought their familes together for a delicious dinner.

I enjoyed Crossing Jordan immensely. This book is about how two neighbor girls, who are of different races become friends. Both girls, Cass and Jemmie, have disapproving parents, who interfere with their friendship, but they communicate in secret. By the end of the book, the girls have run a race, read Jane Eyre and have brought their families so close that they have a potluck supper.

My favorite part of this book was when Jemmie falls in the race right before the finish line. Instead of coming in first place, Cass helps Jemmie limp across the line and they tie it in last, because they are a team, called "Chocolate Milk". I like to think of them equal in race, and finishing the race equally. They didn't win, but they each won by the other's standards. They also end up on the front page of the newspaper.

I would recommend this book to people all ages, because it has a message that that is never too late to be learned. In addition it has many historical references and generally makes a good read for anyone, especially girls.

Crossing Jordan is a book that will make it cry. It shows you that it doesn't matter how you look, anyone can be your friend. To all the people who dislike people who aren't your skin color, read Crossing Jordan and I know you'll change your mind. -Kayla Parker (11) Tallahassee, FL

The book Cry of the Wolf was an awesome book. It has dragons, wolves and griffins, some of my favorite mythical creatures. My favorite character is Adriane. Adriane is about 14; she has two friends' that are total opposites. My favorite part is when she battles the manticore.
Cry of the Wolf is about a girl named Adriane who lets her bonded animal Stormbringer (bonded animal is an animal that balances their magic) go into the magical world Aldenmore with wolves. Adriane gets worried and goes after her. While she looks for her she makes friends with a boy named Zach and gets a dragon for a bonded animal.
The dark sorceress captures her. While she's in the dungeon she finds another mistwolf. With the help of the other animals in the dungeon she gets out. When she gets out she has to battle the manticore . After that Stormbringer comes back with the rest of the pack. So Adriane finds her bonded animal and goes back to earth.

Finally Adrianne is on action. In the book there is alot of action and suspence though one part is kinda sad. Adrianne and her boned animal Storm hav a close bond when these other mistwolves come and Storm decides to join with the pack leaving Adrianne torn. The warrior then goes on a journey to find Storm. She then is on Aldenmore and meets with this one boy named Zach(human) and this strange rock. Soon they become friends and Adrianne soon learns about his past. Adrianne later figures out that the rock is not really what it seems. So far this is my faverite book in the series and I think everyone will love it.

This book is prehaps my favorite out of all of the books. Adriane is willful and strong. When she is pulled into Aldenmore, even if she feels like she can't go on, she keeps her head high and moves forward. The mistwolves are a major part of the entire series and in this book, they are shown in a new light, slightly harsh and sometimes cruel, but always for the safety and wellfare of the pack. I would recomend this book to anyone who is willing to sit down and read a fantasy story about loyalty, friendship and the never ending bond that is love.

I really like how this one is mostly about Adriane and her friendship with Stormbringer. I also love how she meets alot of other magical creatures-=some friends, and some foes. Her experieance on Aldenmor really helped her come out of her shell.

Adrianne and Storm share a bond unlike any other. Storm thinks that she is the last mistwolf living since she has no membory of the pack and Adrianne thinks that she has some blood of a mistwolf but not sure yet... until the mistwolf pack arrive and Storm sadly joins. Adrianne cannot since shes not a mistwolf and the leader of the pack believes that humans always bring destruction. When they leave that does not stop Adrianne from finding Storm. With the help of her friends the d flies make a portal though Adrianne gets sucked in to the world of Aldenmore. The action begins as the warrior fights monsters and meets this rock and this boy named Zach. Eventually Adrianne finds Storm and the pack accepts as Adrianne their wolf sister so shes part of the pack!

I've been reading this genre (i.e., paranormal young adult fiction) with a vengeance and am writing reviews for the few that really kept me reading (like this one.) Intriguing with a nice romantic sub-plot.

i absolutly loved this book and it made me have to read the others knowing that legacy of lies was just as good so if ther where others who knows they could be better i cant wait to read the others

Lauren Brandt returns back to Wisteria, a small town where she was born, seven years after her famous mother's mysterious drowning. But Wisteria isn't like what Lauren thought it would be; it's not as peaceful as before. For some reason Aunt Jule, Lauren's godmother, refuse to get help for her mentally unstable daughter, Nora. Holly, Aunt Jule's other daughter, seems to be in charge of everything in their family. Nora seems to be haunted and obsessed with Sondra, Lauren's dead mother, and disturbs Lauren about it.
They said Sondra's death was an accident, but who knows. Soon Lauren begins to be curious about her mother's death and thinks it's not an accident but an, murder.
Dark Secret-Don't Tell is similar to The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes because they are both about mysteries and murders. But except Sherlock Holmes is more of an old book and Dark Secret-Don't Tell is more modern.
I think readers that like mysterious, murders, spooky, and fast-pace books would like this book.
I chose this book for this assignment because my classmate, Ariel, said it was so interesting that she finished in two days and I tend to like interesting and fast pace books.
The best parts in this book would probably be those scene where Lauren asks Nora about some but Nora just replied, "Don't tell, it's a secret." This is an awesome book overall and I would rate it a 10/10.

Lauren comes to Wisteria to live with her godmother, Aunt Jule and Jule's daughters, Holly and Nora. Lauren reunites with Nick, their childhood friend, who seems to want to be more than friends with her but then later on in the book he sides with Holly and Lauren is confused. Nora has been acting very weird towards Lauren and Holly tries to convince Aunt Jule to get her psychiatric help because she is also afraid of water and keeps saying that Sondra, Lauren's mom who had died here 7 years before, is still here. Lauren keeps finding everything in her room tied in knots, just what happened to her mom near the time she died. The news had claimed that her death was just an accident and Aunt Jule had stopped the investigations, but Lauren doesnt believe that, she believes it was murder. She has to find out the truth before she dies too, because the things that happened to Sondra before she died are happening to Lauren as well. Whenever something strange happens or Nora does something unexplainable, and Lauren asks her about it, Nora says "dont tell, its a secret". So to find out what really is going on and if her mom really was murdered, read this book.

Don't Tell is one of the Dark Secrets series that I highly recommend to be read - in fact I also highly suggest that everyone read all the Dark Secrets books. Don't Tell is about a seventeen year old girl name Lauren, who has finally came home to where her mother had died mysteriously seven years ago. While just arriving there, she meets her old friend Nick who flirts and tease with her before realizing that she was his old playmate. When she finally arrives to her Aunt's Jule's house, everyone seems to be very warm and welcoming - everyone that is except Nora. Lauren discovers that she wasn't the only one that finds Nora's behaviour strange, Holly, Nora's sister, does too but Aunt Jule doesn't believe that Nora really needs medical attention and wasn't planning to do anything about. Then unexpectedly Lauren finds things in her room twisted in knots - just like what happened to her mother before she died. Nick at first seems to be nice and acting more than a friend to Lauren, but then all of a sudden turns cold and hating towards her and starts to stick to Holly and take her side. Then Lauren experience many horrifying collisons - which she was told to be only 'accidents'. Was her mother's death really accident just as everyone told her? Someone wants her dead, just as someone had wanted her mother... Lauren better hurry and find the killer before they get her...

I find this book to be very thrilling a moment then strange the next. I read it in two hours or so because I kept wondering about lots of things and so I couldn't put it down. When you read this book everything may seem strange and odd, but at the end it gives you answers to all the questions you have been wondering about. I didn't really understand the whole book till I read the ending. However, I don't suggest you skip to the end till your there, it ruins the value of the book and then you won't find it thrilling any longer. Don't Tell definitely deserves a rating of five stars. In most hte Elizabeth Chandler's books the person you always least expect to be the 'bad guy' always end up being it, I found that many people have written that they don't like it. Well I find it an excellent way of writing, it keeps you wondering and guessing who actually did the crime, and at the end it makes you go oh why haven't you thought of it, and thats partly why I read her books so I don't really know why people are saying they hate it. In reality thats mostly what happens, the person who you mostly suspect ends up to be innocent. If Elizabeth Chandler writes that the person everyone suspect is the bad guy then it won't really surprise me and it won't be that good. I just wanted to clarify that. Other than that I hope everyone reads this book because is worth taking time to read!

David Shannon has once again created a valuable book for the youngest readers. Duck on a Bike tells the fun adventure of an average farm duck with a desire to do something exciting. The story begins with Duck's hungry stare at a red bike, and ends with the same look of desire, only Duck has found a bigger challenge in a tractor. This book has Shannon's signature full page, vividly colored illustrations of farm animals. Shannon's ability to depict human emotion in the facial expressions of animals is a good way for parents to teach children how to anticipate the contents of a story. This book is perfect for young audiences who have just learned the familiar sounds of farm animals. Since the predictable introduction to each animal begins with the standard animal sound, parents can encourage young audiences to interact with the story by voicing the sound of each animal. Duck on a Bike is fun, adorable, and a must read for every toddler and beginning reader.

Great book for young children. Especially for those who are currently learning how to ride a bike. The illustrations are fantastic.

I was hesitant to purchase this book. I usually try to buy books that rhyme, because they're easier and more fun for me to read (over, and over, and over). Though this is not a rhyming story, it is very cute and I love all the animals. It will be easy for me to engage my 3 yr old son with this book. I don't have his opinion yet since it's for Christmas, but based on his preferences, I know he's going to love it!

Even if you don't care for the "David" books by Shannon (which I don't), this is a great book.

My four year old thinks it's hilarious to see Duck riding a bike and we both agree that the best page is at the end where the duck is pondering driving a tractor! We enjoy reading this together and he reads the animal parts while I narrate This is an enjoyable read aloud for kids and parents.

Great book. My 14month old wants this read every evening. The artwork is very nice and we are always discovering something new on the pages.

By Lorenzo Contreras, age 13, White Plains, New York

Have you ever wanted something so bad you would do anything to get it? This is the case with the realistic fiction book EVEREST, book three the summit. The author Gordon Korman makes you feel like you're on the mountain with the climbers.


This book is part of a three part trilogy; it is a story of Dominic Alexis and four other young climbers who are trying to be the youngest person ever to summit Everest. He is going on the trip with a team of other kids who won a contest to get a spot on the team now that the summit athletic team is on Everest as they start to climb for the second time as the first attempt failed. Many obstacles occur and one of the other climbers is trying to sabotage Dominic and when the the news about the storm comes even more problems arise. My opinion of this book is that it is great for all ages because it keeps you asking questions and on the edge of your seat. It made wonder if they would ever make it to the summit in time before the climbing season ends.

This book reminds me of two others I have read one is called Everest Book One The Contest. And Everest Book Two The Climb these are the other two books in the trilogy. The theme of this book is being that being over competitive can be dangerous. You will learn how this theme makes sense if you read this book.

I highly recommend this book because it is very interesting and is filled with action and will keep you guessing. The target audience is ages 9-13.

Are you looking for an outstanding adventure book? Look no farther than Everest, Book Three, The Summit by Gordon Korman. Four kids, Dominic, Tilt, Perry, Sammi, and veteran climber Cap Cicero, take their chances to climb Everest. Two of them, Tilt and Dominic, are eligible to beat out Ethan Zaph and become the youngest to reach the summit. One of them will do anything to beat out the other, even if it means death. This book is realistic fiction; the realistic part coming from the places they pass, (i.e. Southern Col, The Balcony) which are real places there. The book shows determination of young teens who try to climb Everest. You may want to read the first two books, but when I did, I easily caught on. If you are a young teen or not and want to read about determination of kids to climb Everest, check out this book.
Everest, The Summit is one of the best books I have ever read. Dominic is my favorite character since he has such determination to climb. My favorite part of the story is when, well, maybe I shouldn't give it away. The last thing I'll add is the book ends with a funeral. I'm not telling you who. You have to read to find out!

Everest. The climber's ultimate dream. Four teens are about to climb it to become the youngest person ever to summit the highest point in the world. The climbers names are Sammi, the only girl, age 15, Perry, age 15, Tilt, age 14, and Dominic, the youngest, age 13. If Dominic is to summit he would crush the record by almost 3 years. Unfortunately, there midnight summit try is ended early because of a rescue mission. The kids have to go back to base camp where the Nepal government comes and says it is "too dangerous" for Dominic to climb, so he will not be able to climb with the team. However, the story takes an unexpected turn when Dominic climbs with Ethan Zaph, the current record holder. If you want to find out what happens next, read Everest Book Three: The Summit.
In Everest Gordon Korman pulled me from my beanbag to the Lhoste Face where I was climbing with Sammi, Perry, Tilt, and Dominic. I thought Everest was an amazing book. Unfortunately, one of the climbers is sabotaging the others. The book ends with a happy and sad ending. There is a record broken but also it ends with a funeral. If you want to see what happens to Ethan and Dominic, or see who breaks the record, read Everest Book Three: The Summit.

It was thrilling and kept our son interested to the end. The book is just the right length to keep one reading but not too long to overwhelm a young reader.

This is truly one of my favorite books I have ever read. It is packed with action, has a very rich plot, and is very well written. The trilogy is approx. 440 pages, and can easily be read in less than 1 week. It has a lot of detail that, while it is very exciting to read, is easy to forget, which allows for it to be read over and over again without getting old. I am now reading it for the 4th time, and I am enjoying it as much as I read it the first time. I also love the trilogy setup, even though it means the books (especially 3) do not mean anything without reading the others.

If you are looking for a perfect mix of action and drama, this is the book you have been seeking. It also does an excellent job of bringing new life to the classic adventure theme of 4 children facing challenges against time and the elements. If you liked Korman's trilogy Island, then you will definetly enjoy this book. It is very involving, very vivid, and reading it will make you feel like you are on the mountain, climbing with the characters. You will grow to love them and feel like you are a part of the "family".

In terms of the mountain in reality, the book is extremely accurate, and I have learned quite a bit from it. If there is a downside to the book, it is the fact that it is addictive. Once you read it, you will not be able to stop; once you finish the book, you will be obsessed with Mount Everest. If you are already educated in Everest, then you will all the more enjoy the book because of its bullseye accuracy and vivid descriptions. It also leaves plenty of room to let your imagination run wild.

Here is a brief description of each of the 3 books in the trilogy:

The 1st book is themed around 20 kids at a boot camp in Colorado, training for a month to climb Everest. As the story goes on, the training becomes more harsh and intense, and as people are eliminated to form the final team of 4, freindships become increasingly strong. It also has a very exciting life-or-death climax at the end as the team goes through their final simulation of what they will be doing on Everest.

The 2nd book takes place on the mountain, as the kids are introduced to the world's tallest mountain. It is packed with drama and action together, as almost everything in relation to the climb is an uncertainty. Even more loveable (and loatheable) characters are introduced, and everyone's personality and goal on the mountain comes out even more as the freinds become a family. I love how the book introduces the 4 camps, at which they stay, one by one and how it shows the chances of successfully summiting the mountain going down as the summer monsoons approach. This book, like the 1st, also has an exciting life-or-death climax at the end, only it is much bigger and much more amazing.

The 3rd book is really 1 big scene, taking place in Everest's harsh early-summer weather. It is a breath-holding race against time as they try to get themselves up to the summit before the final blizzard arrives. Challenges they face include temperatures so low that they can freeze an eyeball solid, 200mph winds that can rip a climber off of a mountain like a napkin, and a 30% oxygen level that starves the brain and causes bad thinking. In the end, though, they do have to pay a huge price. The climb ends with a bitter moment that is in one way completely unexpected and in another way a necessary fate. The story has an excellent ending, though, and the story is polished off very nicely.

I would strongly recommend this book to any young reader, especially one who is interested in adventure/survival. It just might be the start of something new...

I receieved my books in couples of day, in pretty good condition, I have no complaints.

~ "Sometimes I feel more like a policeman then the eldest of six kids," says Cliff a boy who has four brothers and one sister and feels like he is the baby-sitter and can't do anything he wants to except make sure his siblings don't get in trouble. If they do he gets yelled at instead of them-that doesn't seem to fair to me!
~Cliff as you know has five siblings, all younger. Cliff is in fifth grade. Nate the next oldest is in forth grade. Cyn, the only girl is in third grade. Teddy, the trouble maker is in second grade. Brad, the sweet one is in first grade. And of course little Josh is only thr-ee.This book goes through a year of events and goes back in time on Christmas up until the last none -the greatest one yet. Each sibling has a big thing they're going through, from thinking your part of another family, to getting really hurt, this story made me laugh , cry, made me feel guilty and many more feelings came to me, you can feel too.
~I love this book so much, in fact, so much I read it three times! My favorite part was when an accident happened, and Cliff couldn't cry and he felt guilty. When his uncle takes him and Nate to the beach, he says, "When something bad happens, you are handed a big bowl of steaming hot sadness. You can eat it all up right away, or you can save it for latter and let it cool, no matter what you'll eat the whole thing." That's my favorite part because it's very true, and it makes me think about it, and peoples bowls can be different sizes depending on how close you are to the situation, like his mom probably got the biggest bowl and so on. What made me think about that is Cliff talks about how close his family is to him, he says his family is like the million of blankets on you in the winter, Nate is his closest blanket, then Cyn, Teddy, Brad and then Josh. He can't feel the ones on top but he knows they're keeping him warm. That's another favorite part of mine. I also love this book because I had a lot of connections to it. I'm the eldest of three kids, I always have to watch over them, and I feel the same way as Cliff. Even the little things I can connect to, like when he gets a fishing pole, he pretends to fish in the grass -I do that with my brother and sister on a big hill in the back yard of our time share, right across the street from Mirror Lake.
~I highly recommend this book to anyone who would love to laugh, cry, and have a great time in one fantastic novel, and Ralph Fletcher is just as fantastic so read Fig Pudding!

I thourghly enjoyed reading 'Fig Pudding'. It was really neat how the author used some of his own life experiences in the book. What the family did what happened in the in the story was unpredictable!

The best part of the book was in chapter nine. While Teddy was getting out of the car he stepped right into the container of fig pudding. His dad said that since he had on a pair of brand new shoes, it was okay. the family walked inside and never said a word about it.

I really liked the climax of the book, I never saw it comming. Because of the tone of the story it really suprised me. I also liked the theme. The story is about six children and their parents. It is told in the perspective of the oldest child, Cliff (11 years old). He tells about what it is like living with five siblings and what goes on in their lives.

This is one of my favorites. It's a little old for the third graders I teach, due to the tragedy in the middle of the book, but it's great for older children and fabulous for adults. It has one of the most touching views on tragedies I've ever read and I quote it often.

I first heard this book as a third grader- my teacher read it to our class. It loved it then: the characters were lovable, the writing was amusing and rich, and the story was captivating and memorable. So memorable that 8 years later, I borrowed this book from the library to reread and re-enjoy. I highly recommend this book to 3rd- 5th graders as a independent read or older kids for a quick read.

This book is hard to find in book stores, so buy online or borrow from the library.

Lesley Thomas has done what would seem to be the impossible -- taken us deep inside the Inupiat world, in the voice and mind of an extraordinary young woman with still more extraordinary powers. I know of no book like this. "Smilla's Sense of Snow" is a distant second. But two movies come to mind: "Fast Runner," and "Dersu Uzala." If you love either of these movies, you'll be stunned by the depth and scope of this novel and the unique and unmistakably true voice of its heroine. And if you've never seen them, read "Flight of the Goose" first!

It is the Alaskan Arctic, it is 1971, and Kayuqtuq "Gretchen" Ugungoreseok is a troubled with young woman with a difficult past. She does not know what happened to her mother, her first foster family were pathetic, uncaring, money-grubbers who were very poor, and she has an ambivalent relationship with her second foster family. Now, in her twenties, and quite attractive, Kayuqtuq, or Gretchen as the Outsiders have named her, is trying to figure out who and what she is, including whether she is an apprentice shaman, a rarity for a woman, at that time and in that area. Then, life becomes much more complex, with the arrival of Leif Trygvesen, an Outsider who is a field biologist trying to study a certain species of goose, as well as measuring the impact of oil spills on the local ecology. The inevitable slowly happens, as Gretchen and Leif fall in love, while trying to grasp each other's culture.

This work of fiction, often told in journal format or by showing letters exchanged between Leif and Kayuqtuq, is loaded with information on the cultures and the era involved, and the degree of detail is impressive. I found the degree of detail to also be oppressive. The complexity of romance often makes a good story, and cross-cultural romances add another dimension. As many romances are, the Kayuqtuq-Leif romance is on-again-off-again. However, it changes direction so often that it becomes predictable and redundant. The same is true for the culture-shock issues, with repeated misunderstandings, miscommunications, and just plain misery.

Several years ago, I wrote a novel, still in search of a publisher. As I wrote, I became intoxicated with the process, and my "final" copy was close to 200,000 words long. Not long ago, I entered the novel in a contest, that had a maximum of 175,000 words for entries. I was able to cut enough out to meet the limit, and I believe that my leaner version was better. I think that the experience of writing-intoxication might have occurred in Flight of the Goose, and I think that a trimmer version would be a better book.

One thing that I look for in a novel is whether I can identify with one or more of the main characters, and possibly even like them. I did end up liking both Kayuqtuq and Leif, and felt that I knew and understood them enough to make them interesting. That is the main reason why I was able to stick it through to the end. That is not enough, though, to make this is good and recommendable book.

I have at least one other quibble for this book. At the back of the book, there is a glossary of terms in Inupiaq, the language of the Alaskan Arctic villagers in this story. At its core, this is a good idea, to use these terms, interspersed throughout the story, and have the glossary to help translate. It adds color, and an air of authenticity. However, even as the author, Lesley Thomas, got carried away with details, and with the ups and downs of cross-cultural romance, I think that she also over-did this native language idea. I think that the best way to illustrate this is to show good and bad examples of its usage.

I found it helpful to know that "Aka" not only meant "grandmother" but was also a term of respect for a woman who was an elder. That enriched the story. The same is true for the term "angutkoq" that roughly translates to "shaman" but definitely has many local cultural connotations to it. Some of terms were not readily translated into English, and were so culturally embedded that the use of the rough English translation would miss the mark and diminish the concept. A prime example would be "atka", to refer to the part of the soul that lies within one's name. However, having a wolf be referred to as an "ameguq" or using "ninaq" for "sullen, sulky" did not add anything as far as I am concerned.

So, is this a good book? If you like cross-cultural romances, and you are comfortable with a slow pace and a high level of detail, this book might be right up your alley. I believe that this book was a labor of love for Lesley Thomas, and that she put a huge amount of time, effort, information, and, yes, a bit of her soul, into this book. But, for the average reader, some of that will go unappreciated. It was not the book for me. I would have enjoyed it more if more of the focus had been on Kayuqtuq's quest to become a shaman, and less on the romance. I am generally a patient reader, and I have read, and enjoyed several huge books that were very slow-paced. This one really tested me, though.

The sexual encounters between Leif and Kayuqtuq are described pretty graphically at times. This is definitely a book for adults.

That FLIGHT OF THE GOOSE is a first novel by Lesley Thomas is the first hurdle the reader must overcome, so rich in detail, research, and technical finesse are the over four hundred pages of this fascinating book. What does become obvious with even the first few pages is the fact that here is a writer who can address significant world environment issues while building love stories - between a remarkably real Inupiat girl and a Swedish scientist, between the world of the spirit and the realm of the universe, and between the mysteries of past traditions with those beings longing to preserve the enormous habitat that is transforming before our grieving eyes - stories that intermingle to create a total experience that simply refuses to end with the closing of the final cover.

Thomas opens her book with a Prologue and with words like the following the reader is assured the presence of an enriching encounter: 'Let me tell what happened, and don't ask at the end what the message is. Whatever is already in us at birth, we find again in stories. We see it in the face of the moon, in the face of our lover, in our own death, in the flight of the goose.' From this point she unravels the Norn's threadball of time relating the changes that are taking place in Alaska in 1971, mixing the daily arduous charges of living with distant echoes of world events that are reshaping the life of our main character (Gretchen/Kayuqtuq). Thomas builds a blindingly realistic love story between the native, orphaned, shamanistic Kayuqtuq with ornithologist, peace advocate Leif Trygvesen and in creating a fully rounded and metaphorically meaningful relationship Thomas resorts to sharing the story from the vantage of both of these unique souls. From this launching point we learn about Eskimo traits and foods and history and manner of survival in a culture that is being eroded by technologic 'civilization', a series of sidebar stories that Thomas always manages to remain centered and focused while expanding the scope of her immensely interesting and important story.

FLIGHT OF THE GOOSE is a novel so rich that deserves to be in the library of everyone who values fine storytelling while simultaneously respecting the threats and conditions of change that are only now being brought to our attention by the environmentalists. To manage to accomplish this service to mankind in as fine a book as this establishes Lesley Thomas as an important author. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, December 07

Lesley Thomas detailed this book so intricately that it seems real. I was most especially fascinated by the character of Kayuqtuq "Gretchen" Ugungoraseok, who is an orphan Native American adopted by the Inupiat, which means real people.

Kayuqtuq is a young woman living in a subsistence culture with roots that extend thousands of years into the past. Her observations of people, including naluagmiu (white man) Leif Trygvesen, are from the perspective of her culture. I was completely fascinated.

Though Kayuqtuq is already a young woman in this story, which is set in 1971, emotionally she is dealing with trauma from her childhood; perhaps she is also dealing with the continuous trauma of harsh life in the Arctic. The result is that Kayuqtuq's story is frequently more like a coming of age story than the story of a person who has already reached adulthood.

Part of Kayuqtuq's coping strategy is to become an angutkoq, or shaman. Regardless of whether Kayuqtuq has shaman powers or is incredibly intelligent, her insights and visions of events are remarkably accurate and frequently prescient. Unfortunately, her visions and insight fail to give her enough clarity to prevent tragedies.

This novel is primarily the story of Kayuqtuq "Gretchen" Ugungoraseok and Leif Trygvesen. The story is partially about the clash of cultures, but also about how Kayuqtuq and Leif react differently to the situations around them because of their cultures. Kayuqtuq and Leif's perspectives allow us to see how Inupiat culture views various situations in comparison to European culture.

Shading and complicating the cultural differences between Kayuqtuq and Leif is that each is multicultural in their own way. The Inupiat adopted Kayuqtuq, but she is Native American. European and Viking culture strongly influenced Leif's mother and father, but Leif is from the United States. Adding even more complexity is that each is an outsider in their culture. Kayuqtuq is trying to learn to become an angutkoq, which Inupiat elders forbid, and Leif is an environmentalist and against the war in Viet Nam, neither of which made him popular with "The Establishment" in 1971. It was probably inevitable that the two outsiders found kindred spirits in each other and came to love each other. Perhaps the tragedies that followed were just as inevitable.

Lesley Thomas's writing reminds me of the detail that Charles Dickens put into his novels. I like Dickens' writing very much and I am unable to recall any modern author to whom I have been exposed that writes with such intricacy and precision. However, Lesley's writing is so clear and organized that even with the complexity of the story I never got lost or had to re-read a section. This book is such a literary achievement that it has received awards from The National Federation of Press Women, The Alaska Press Women, and The Washington Press Association.

This book is neither a light read, nor is it a book that you will forget any time soon. I will admit that my eyes were moist as I finished Lesley Thomas's story of Kayuqtuq and Leif. Lesley's writing pulled me so deeply into the characters that they seemed real to me. Just as in real life, what happened to them can not be undone, no matter how we might wish otherwise. Even now, several days after finishing this novel, I wish I could undo what happened, but then Lesley's message would have been diluted, and I, and future readers, would have been less affected.

The awards this fictional novel has won are well-deserved. This book is one of the best modern novels I have read. It is truly a great novel. If you enjoy stories about the conflict in cultures, if you have ever liked Dickens, if you want to read about the effect modern culture has had on the Inupiat and the environment of the far north, or if you just want to read an incredibly well written book, get this one.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

This review is based on a copy of the book provided to me by the author.

I'm happy to recommend this intricate and poetic novel to those looking for more than a quick read or an easy story: looking for something more soulful, something that leaves the heart transformed.

Much has been written about the hundreds of cultures destroyed by Christian missionaries, whether they carry bibles or rifles or deeds or broken treaties. The setting of this drama is a small Alaskan village trying to hold itself together in the aftermath of partial colonization. But Lesley Thomas does not return preaching for preaching. Instead, she draws upon her own life experience to show the reader exactly what life there looks like detail by detail one conversation at a time, all of it set against an Alaskan landscape so searing and mysterious that it too becomes a character.

In this setting two people try to find each other: an Indian woman whose English name is Gretchen, and the biologist she calls the Birdman. Again and again they miss each other, only to be brought back together by a passion deeper than words: a fine demonstration of how much hurt can be inflicted on a budding romance to the extent lovers try to protect themselves from each other. There is a lovely byplay in which Gretchen sneaks into the biologist's camp to read his very personal journal, which he conveniently leaves under his pillow. How badly these two want to talk to each other, and how hard they find it to do so, is a tension behind the subplots playing out between Inupiat villagers, visiting whites, orphaned Gretchen, and a very confused but sensitive scientist suddenly exposed to a wider world than was dreamed of in his philosophy.

A complication: Gretchen is a practicing shaman who does not fully understand what she's doing. Her struggles are consistent with how other cultures understand shamanism (as opposed to New Age workshop "neoshamanism" bent to the agenda of self-improvement), including her spells of dissociation and the terrifying images she encounters. It's gratifying to read an author who has done her homework on this topic, especially at a time when so much Native lore has been appropriated, adulterated, and sold to people who don't know any better.

As a reader who teaches a graduate-level myth class, I appreciated the mythological references, quotes, stories, legends, all lightly touched on without interfering with the pace of events. A good question for the reader to wonder about while reading: What myth are the lovers caught up in, and what are their options for finding each other from within it? (The old Norse saying that starts the Prologue puts it well: "How can anyone know what is possible for those in love?")

Another dimension to this novel is the ecological, particularly as people on the scene (including the biologist) note the climate changes and business decisions that threaten the Alaskans. The ultimate fate of everyone in range--and nowadays we are all in range--is clear: "The animals are sickening and we are told not to eat them, nor nurse our own babies. Soon we must leave our home, retreating from the rising waves. We will join the saddened animals and wander, hoping for mercy from strangers." It would seem to be a law of history and psychology too that those who experience themselves as perpetually angry exiles and outcasts tend to inflict displacement on other creatures unless a way is found to bind up the original wounds and find a sense of homecoming.

Many poignant episodes appear throughout the story. One occurs about two-thirds of the way through when Gretchen, who thinks of herself as ugly, is finally able to experience some of her own inner and outer beauty by trying to retrieve the soul of the man she loves and yet torments.

Mental health professionals in the U.S. have been slow to realize that not all psychological anguish arises from within. What happened to both Gretchen and the Birdman to make them both so guarded and so easily injured has roots in the shadows and pathologies of their cultures. Part of the difficulty of healing and connecting involves their attempts to shoulder what are actually historical-colonial legacies of wounding playing out in personal relationships.

To end these terrible legacies: how to do that? What will it take to make the dominant culture less lethal to itself, to Earth, to people it regards as Other? The myths of many times and this novel offer a hint: the story must be rewritten from within it, starting with many small and large acts of sacrifice carried out in love strong enough to fly like the goose into the heavens.

I love all of the stories by Keith Graves. My kids laugh, tell people about the books, and read them over and over again. He is a fantastic children's author!

As an elementary, music teacher I will use this adorable book every year. It encourages less confident students to participate in creative movement. I enjoy it as much as my students!

This is a great book about Frank who just wants to dance. The pictures are great. It is funny for adults as well as kids!

My three kids, ages 6 to 3, absolutely love this book. We ran across it at the library one day and before we bought it we borrowed it about 10 times! The kids think it is just hillarious, especially if you tell it with enthusiasm. My oldest now knows it by heart and loves to retell it to her sister and brother. We even shared it with their schools. Great funny read.

My 18 month old just got this as a Halloween gift from her aunt. The illustrations are colorful, imaginative and full of interesting details. The rhyme is catchy and interesting - even for my toddler. This book can hold it's own with any age group. It makes a great read aloud. I'd love to see it in a board book edition.

This was the first book we bought to read to our son (he hasn't been born yet). We liked that it discussed the concept of nothing, and that it looks to be a book we won't mind reading over and over again.

A gift of nothing, especially during the holidays, will become part of our annual holiday tradition. The message in the story is that you don't need "things" to be happy. Spending simple, quiet time with loved ones is a gift in itself.

This book has the sweetest message. We give this book out every year for Christmas, and read it to the grandkids every time they come over.

I have always enjoyed "Mutts" daily in the paper - finding their minimalist approach to humour and various topics more than thought provoking. The "Gift of Nothing" achieves that again. In a comforting, humourous way it gets a great message across about the true value of Chrsitmas - the focus on family and friends and the ability to just enjoy the relationships you share with someone close to you.
I have made this gift, of nothing, an annual gift picking one member of my family or friends to demonstrate my appreciate of them.
This Gift of Nothing, really is something to share.

In this very material concentrated world, the simple and loving message in this book goes straight to the heart. It's a great way to teach kids (and adults!) that love is the best gift of all. Beautiful!

What a wonderful book! The illustrations are breathtakingly georgous and intricately detailed as is typical of all Jan Brett's books. The story of the Gingerbread Baby is a surprising and delightful retelling of the classic story. My children and I loved this book!

I really feel like the odd one out, but I wasn't too impressed with this book. Sure, the illustrations are gorgeous...By no means am I knocking Ms. Brett's skill here, but I just find the text a little long winded and ackward. Maybe it's the way I'm reading it...? It just doesn't seem too terribly well-written to me.

Beautiful illustrations. This is a great children's adventure book. It also teaches children the names of some animals.

When a Gingerbread Boy is peeked at when not supposed to, he becomes Gingerbread Baby! This is the main idea of Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett. This story is about a boy named Matti in Switzerland. This is a great children's book. I strongly recommend the book.

A boy named Matti decides it's a perfect day for gingerbread. But, when his mother tells him not to peek, he does anyways. Then out pops ... not the Gingerbread Man but ... The Gingerbread Baby! The Ginger bread Baby runs away and everyone chases him. It's very funny.

I think that the Gingerbread Baby is the best character. He's the best character because he is my favorite character. The main characters are, Matti, The Gingerbread Baby, and the animals. The writing style is great. The story is very easy to read. It's a great book.

I really like the illustrations. They really tell the story. Some of the pictures are funny. The Gingerbread Baby even has his own little saying like the Gingerbread Man. One saying is "Catch me if you can!"

The story was great and funny. I really enjoyed the book. I really hope you like the book too. I recommend the book for grades k-5. This book can be for any age, boy or girl.

The book was as promised, prompt delivery and good packaging. I will use this seller again.