Journals Books

In this VOICES IN POETRY title, Berry's biographical sketch of the reclusive 19th century American poet Emily Dickinson is interspersed with some of her poems. Each poem is chosen to illustrate important aspects of her life and character, which are still something of a mystery to this day. Stermer's illustrations effectively complement the tone and subject of both the poems and Berry's own text. For both young people and casual readers, this is a beautiful and useful introduction to Dickinson and her poetry.

I cannot think of a better way to introduce the poetry or Emily Dickinson than this small volume. The selection is excellent and of interest you the young reader. The commentary is quite relevant as are the pictures which accompany it. I find that often now, our young people go all the way through the early grades in school and many of them have never heard of Emily Dickinson,much less read their poetry. This was the sort of stuff my generation and the generation before it grew up on and cut our teeth on. I do not feel I am any worse for the wear. I am fearful that we are bringing up an entire generation (rightfully or wrong, although I feel it is the later) of young folks who will have no appreciation to this great art form and will miss a lot. This book helps. This entire series helps, as a matter of fact and I certainly recommend you add this one and the others to your library. Actually, it is rather fun reading these with the young folk and then talking about them. Not only do you get to enjoy the work your self and perhaps bring back some great memories, but you have the opportunity to interact with your child or student. It is actually rather surprising what some of the kids come up with. I read these to my grandchildren and to the kids in my classes at school. For the most part, when I really get to discussing the work with them, they enjoy it. Recommend this one highly.

As an adult, I didn't realize how much that I would appreciate this book. I wish that it had been available to me when I was younger. I believe that this book is definitely intended for children between the ages of 9 to 12. I think a child under that age may not understand the full impact of the poetry.

The introduction to this book gave a good synopsis of the life of Emily Dickinson. Also, I liked how some of the poems were mentioned by page number to check out in the book.

Visually, this book was on target. The illustrator was very detailed with the drawings. In one section of the book, Emily Dickinson writes some poems that were riddles. The drawings give you the answer to those riddles.

It was very helpful to find definitions at the bottom of each page for some of the poems that may have had more difficult words. I learned that a frigate was a medium-sized warship with sails and that coursers were graceful, swift horses or runners.

This book supports the ideas of reading and poetry. I will end this review with one of Emily Dickinson's poems, on page 44, to support those ideas:

There is no frigate like a book/ To take us lands away,/ Nor any coursers like a page/ Of prancing poetry/ This traverse may the poorest take/ Without oppress of toll;/ How frugal is the chariot/ That bears a human soul!

All the Poetry For Young People books are wonderful for all ages, for those who "want" to like poetry but just don't know where to start. Each has a biography of the poet, and the poems are guided by illustrations, background info, and helpful word definitions. So much better than opening a huge book of just words... this is such a gentle, approachable introduction!

I got this address book as a gift for my birthday, I love this very much, here are the reasons why I love this book.

- it has thick pages so that they wont tear easily - hooray!
- there's a picture for each letter in the alphabet and the name of someone you know, for example - black birds - there's a picture of black birds and Emily.
- it's easy to carry
- it has a few pages for you to fill in and those pages say black thoughts at the top of each page
- once you've finished writing your family or friends number etc. there's 2 boxes, and you can tick one of them it says part of the posse, or part of the problem
- there's a line that says secret. You write down the secret that you know about that person.
- three pages of stickers - HOORAY!!!!!
but don't be fooled, each page has the same stickers.
So, if you get this book, get ready to be strange!
Now get strange, or get lost!
Emily The Strange, the stranger!

I love this address book!
It's pretty thick but I love the size. It's small enough to fit into a medium size purse. It's also very well made, the cover is very sturdy, and the address pages are thicker than I expected. So you don't need to worry about them easily tearing from the spiral binding.

This book is full of cute details, address pages are black and red with lines for the name and address, spaces for two phone numbers, e-mail, and best of all a space for this persons "secret" in case you were thinking of calling them up to blackmail them for a favor. And boxes to check this person as "part of the posse" or "part of the problem".

Alphabet separators are thick, and fully illustrated, with cat eyes on one side and a reason why emily thinks "black is best" on the other. Add pages in back for "black thoughts" and three pages of Emily stickers and this address book is perfect!

I recommend it for any girl as gift, even if the person has no idea who Emiy is. This book is THAT cool.

Well this adress book is just plain awesome to begin with! contains some pages for you to write down your dark thoughts and three pages of awesome stickers to put anywhere! I love Emily!

this is an address book and the illustrated pages are cool.a must buy for all emily's fan and all the dark angels out there

I don't know if I have ever been moved to write an author about a book before. This book - I did. I loved the story and how there is a whole lot more to the story than "just a read." If you are paying attention - it has the potential to change your life. I ordered 10 copies for our small group to read and do as a book study for the summer. Living with purpose - FINALLY someone has put what I have been attempting to live for a long time into a well written story that you can actually see yourself living out. It affirms the fact that every life has significance and that you CAN make a difference in the world around you.
Well done!

One rule of fiction is that the main character has to undergo a change by the end of the story. Well, Emma wasn't the same person her family knew. Oh yeah, she'd lost weight. There was also a greater interest in church. But they really didn't spend much time with her. The key was in her last words, which they missed too. Read the journal! Her friends knew about that journal. Many had started keeping one too. Entries are included, though not in chronological order. Besides changing her own life, Emma had impacted her entire community. When the journal is missing, her friends lead the charge to find it. They also reach out to her family. This story is quite intriguing. Her daughter-in-law is quite a trip. She's mean and controlling. Her husband and pastor usually give in to her wishes. She flaunts her faith, but doesn't really live it. Maybe you've known someone like this. Even worse is to be that person. Emma's daughter has her own problems. Her husband left her for a man. She had a daughter out of wedlock. This girl is inspired to start her own journal. Maybe you will be too. My only beef is that the ending could have been stronger. Still, this is a page turner. I highly recommend it. We could use more Emmas. She reached out to others, regardless of age, race, or background. You will be greatly blessed.

I like to read, but a book has to really hold my interest or I won't finish it. Maybe one in ten books I start get read cover to cover. I started reading Emma's Journal on a prop plane ride back from Greensboro NC last night and I was late for work this morning because I had to finish it. The characters are well developed and I found myself reading one chapter after another to find the conclusion. The author has a way of drawing you right into the story. Anyone that reads this book will probably re-evaluate and maybe reorder their priorities in life. Rowell gives you some new ways to look at "living on purpose" and you may find you self wanting to make some of the life changes that Emma made. Please keep writing, Ed Rowell, it just may be your purpose!!

Don't let Publisher's Weekly fool you- this book is well-written and the characters are perfectly depicted for the purpose of the book. Emma's Journal is inspiring and touching.

The truth about what, why and how this country became what it is today. A virtual lesson in one's man's honest opinion and a lesson we should all learn. This book is absolutely awesome and with all the seriousness in it's contents, shouldn't be taken lightly. A must read.

I've have long dealt on the theory of reparations to African-Americans for their enslavement. After reading this book, I'd have to agree with Mr. Kenyada. Forget the 40 acres and the mule. Give an apology! This writer creates thoughts in your mind that you've had trouble putting into words. Clears the brain so that one sees things without a question mark. This book definately should be required reading in every school in this country.

I'll preface my review by stating that I am professionally acquainted with Mr. Kenyada (we're both engineers). We're also about the same age, so we've experienced pretty much the same events, but from two different viewpoints: I'm white and he is black. I'm used to seeing his letters in the editorial section of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but I was very pleasantly surprised (and envious!) to see his first book published.

The quality of the writing is A+. Mr. Kenyada does a marvelous job of being literate, passionate, and compelling, all at the same time. Mr. Kenyada writes of his life experiences and his feelings as an African-America growing up in the United States in the 2nd half of the 20th century. His essays range from harsh assessments of American history and society to some very sweet memories.

I have to admit that the title gave me a bit of uneasiness, evoking images of the raised fists of Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the Mexico City Olympics. With some trepidation, I began reading the first essay, "The APOLOGY," and after reading it I understood why APOLOGY was in capital letters. A very frank, powerful essay with a message for both blacks and whites. It made me think, which is quite an accomplishment.

The essay "The First Thanksgiving" was one of the most uplifting assessments of the aftermath of 9/11 that I have read anywhere.

Thanks to the author for turning me on to Phyllis Hyman. I have since downloaded some of her songs and enjoy them very much.

I disagree with Mr. Kenyada's opinions on President Bush, the 2000 election, and the Iraq war. I think history will be kinder to President Bush than than are many of his detractors, but that's just my opinion.

Overall, the book is superb, with far more meat in it than its length would suggest. I wish millions of people - of all races - would read it. The honest, intelligent writing is worth more than dozens of the absurd "race dialogues" that are held every year, where everyone sits around and filters everything they say through political correctness filters to avoid the risk of offending anyone. So nothing meaningful ever gets said, everyone present gets the warm fuzzies, then they pat themselves on the back and go home. Mr. Kenyada's essays didn't always give me the warm fuzzies, but that's really not the reason for writing, is it?

Community activist and author Richard Kenyada has written a penetrating collection of social commentary that examines the historically predominant issues of race: raparations for slavery, white privilege, black rage, terrorism, black fraternity in war, racial profiling, the digital divide, the vacancy of black leadership, and more. But it's not all doom 'n gloom. It's lyrical, often satirical... Thought-provoking for everyone, inspirationally imperative reading for African Americans - this is an honest and, at times, painfully personal exploration of race in America... and it takes no prisoners.

excelent resource for the bedside nurse to care for patients with advanced illness. Great tables and recommendations for multiple symptoms.

Although I have been a icu nurse for the past 20 years, I am new to end of life care. This book is with me for reference. I am becoming more informed each day. I especially like the fact I can research a symptom and then treat it without delay. The lay out of the book is easy to follow with fifteen of the most common symptoms experienced with the dying.

An excellent Primer on the subject with clinical vignettes and straight-forward discussion and therapeutic suggestions.

I recently started as a Hospice Nurse. I have found this book to be a great tool. It is very simple to use and easily understood.

If you want to gain insight into the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald then seek no further. This amazing compilation of Fitzgerald's correspondences to family, friends, business associates and acquaintances portrays the man and the writer in a way no biographer could imagine. In his letters can be clearly seen Fitzgerald the literary genius, Fitzgerald the loving husband and father as well as Fitzgerald the sycophant and Fitzgerald the tortured and insecure neurotic.The genesis and the demise of one of the most fascinating men of his time eloquently presented in his own words.

F. Scott Fitzgerald scholar Matthew J. Bruccoli offers a discerning sample of Fitzgerald's letters that serve as an informal biography. Fitzgerald suffered many demons. Alcoholism and poor health were the obvious problems. From reading his letters, we learn that protecting his artistic integrity also weighed heavily on him. Money problems forced him to spend time writing lightweight but commercially viable stories for magazines. This took precious time away from his major work of writing serious novels. His afflicted wife, Zelda, was another dilemma. In 1930, Zelda had her first breakdown, and never recovered. Providing for her care and treatment added to his money woes. Although Fitzgerald enjoyed early success in 1920 with "This Side of Paradise," it was short-lived. By 1924, he wrote to Edmund Wilson, "I really worked hard as hell last winter--but it was all trash and it nearly broke my heart." There was critical success in 1925 with "The Great Gatsby," but it was a financial disappointment. Fitzgerald spent the next nine years writing, revising, and agonizing over "Tender Is the Night." Contrary to hope, that book failed to restore his reputation. The letters display deep introspection, opinions on other writers, comments of manners and morals, and daily concerns of money. There are also amusing and chatty letters to his daughter, Scottie. Fitzgerald's letters to Scribner's Maxwell Perkins and his literary agent, Harold Ober, are the most interesting, and reveal much of his concerns and ideas. Letters written to Zelda in the sanitarium are generally tender and loving, but occasionally they are cross and complaining. The book stops with a letter written to Scottie shortly before Fitzgerald's death in December 1940. Recommended reading for F. Scott Fitzgerald fans. ;-)

This is the sort of book that makes one long for the days prior to-email, when people actually wrote letters to one another and correspondence other than bills and junk mail filled one's mailbox. The book is a valuable supplement to Fitzgerald's many biographies; his letters reveal a remarkable clarity and self-awareness. My heart ached after reading some of them. A must read for all Fitzgerald historians.

I do recommend reading one of Fitzgerald's many biographies prior to reading his letters, as it is a fascinating exercise comparing Fitzgerald's interpretation/rationalization of an event with a third party's.

If you want to gain insight into the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald then seek no further. This amazing compilation of Fitzgerald's correspondences to family, friends, business associates and acquaintances portrays the man and the writer in a way no biographer could imagine. In his letters can be clearly seen Fitzgerald the literary genius, Fitzgerald the loving husband and father as well as Fitzgerald the sycophant and Fitzgerald the tortured and insecure neurotic.The genesis and the demise of one of the most fascinating men of his time eloquently presented in his own words.

I LOVE to bake pies, and this book is my pie-Bible! My family particularly raves over the cherry and apple pies I have made from this cookbook. I like to try different pie crust recipes from this book, besides all the different fillings. This is the ONE cookbook I turn to when I am going to bake a pie for company or a bake sale. Each recipe has been delicious.

There are sections devoted to fruit pies, cream pies, and savory pies. There are instructions on how to bake a no-fail pie crust. There are many full-color pictures of the completed pies, too. All in all, it's a treasure! Add this to your cookbook collection and you won't be disappointed.

This pie cookbook has techniques and recipes for everone from the beginning pie baker to the most experienced. The fruit pies cannot be beat, and the main dish pies are very good. Best of all is the section on crusts - different types, and how to produce a great-looking and great-tasting pie.

My copy of this book is over 20-years old. If there is ever a fire, I'm saving the Farm Journal pie cookbook.

I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK. I PURCHASED MINE 25 YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE AND IT IS A WONDERFUL COOKBOOK. THE PIE CRUSTS RECEIPES ARE TRIED & TRUE. ONE CRUST, TWO CRUST, HEART HEALTHY, TARTS, TURNOVERS, PUFF PASTRY, AND MORE! THE DIRECTIONS ARE CLEAR AND CONSISE. THE BOOK IS WRITTEN IN A GREAT STYLE. A SHORT DESCRIPTION/HISTORY PRECEEDS EACH RECEIPE, ADDING INTEREST FOR THE BAKER. ALSO TIPS ARE GIVEN ON HOW TO MAKE YOUR PIES LOOK NICE-CRUST EDGINGS & SHINY TOPS. MANY RECEIPES, FRUIT, MAIN DISH, ETC. MY COPY IS FALLING APART & FLOUR DUST THE PAGES. A GREAT BOOK.

I recently received this book as a gift and to be honest I had never baked a pie before. I thought that I would never be able to master making my own pastry or even come close to baking a successful pie but this book has so many great recipes and instructional passages that it was a snap. Baking pies is now one of my favorite things to do. There is even a section of "savory main dish pies", that contains a number of quick and easy recipes for dinner-time. Great as a gift for yourself or someone else!

This cookbook came out in 1977--and I was fortunate enough to buy a copy then. I now own dozens of cookbooks, but none have as many wonderful recipes in one place as this one. If I want a really GOOD recipe, it's the one I turn to. If I could give it more than five stars, I definitely would! (I've even considered buying an extra copy so that if--horror of horrors--something happened to mine, I would have a spare!)

I *LOVE* this book. I have tried many (probably most) of the recipes, and each was an unqualified success, which became a treasured favorite. The recipes are unfailingly delectable, easy to make, and don't require any special or exotic ingredients. If you want to be begged for your recipes, get a copy of this book ... truly wonderful.

I am a cookbook "buff". I have over 200 cookbooks on my shelf, and this is the one I turn to time and again. The recipes are down to earth and easy to follow. The ingredients are not exotic or unattainable. Every recipe I have tried from this book has been successful. This is not an exaggeration! I am currently looking for another copy of this out-of-print cookbook for my sister who is getting married. An excellent book for the beginner cook, or for one with experience. This book is truly worth the time and effort of tracking down another one.

The recipes are easy to follow; the ingredients are easy to find. This is good, plain all American cooking. I have NEVER had a bad result from ANY recipe I've tried out of this book. I have been searching for an extra copy of this book, for my mother, for YEARS. I have been just photo-copying the recipes out of it, and mailing them down to her. I have been a modest collector of cookbooks, and this one, again, is the very best one I have

Quinn, who grew up in one of the small suburban towns that dot the meadowlands, really captures the essense of this wilderness in the middle of the megalopolis. I never knew about how many people used (and still use) the meadowlands for hunting, trapping, fishing, etc.

While other authors deal with the cultural significance of something like the meadowlands, Quinn takes the position of a passionate naturalist and friend of the meadowlands, describing in detail wildlife, regional ecology and geology, history of the area and the many pressures the meadows face today.

A must if you're a fan of urban ecology, New Jersey, or just well-written nonfiction.

To all caring and compassionate environmentalists out there, Fields of Sun and Grass, the latest offering by gifted naturalist, writer, and artist John R. Quinn, is a glorious cry of victory via a remarkable portrayal of some of the most durable and stubbornly determined survivors in the faunal and floral kindgdom.

The setting is the New Jersey Meadowlands, a wild and reedy tract located a mere six miles west of New York's Times Square. It is considered by many as nothing more than a "toxic wasteland," but is in fact home to a dazzling array of often overlooked plants and animals. While there is little doubt that many of the life forms that once thrived here are long gone, many others remain, and these are the primary focus of this book. Many, many species are discussed; far too many to list here. Suffice it to say Quinn leaves no stones unturned.

The book has three central parts, respectively called "Yesterday," "Today," and "Tomorrow." Each covers a different time period in the ecological life of the Meadowlands. There also is an "Introduction," a "Starting Point," an "Epilogue," a bibliography, an index, and an interesting sort of "hands-on" chapter called "Exploring the Meadowlands." This will be of particular interest to anyone who lives within traveling distance of the region. It gives helpful and experienced advice on enjoyed the Meadowlands firsthand through boating, fishing, hiking, and the visiting of local parks.

Quinn's text is thorough, complete, and offered in a beautifully poetic yet pragmatic prose, making the read that much more pleasant and inviting. A memorable example can be found right at the beginning of the introduction-"Six miles-and ten thousand years-to the west of Manhattan's Times Square lies one of the grandest environmental paradoxes on Earth. Here, beneath a sun often obscured by smoky industrial exhalations, a river of many bends makes its way to the sea." It is peppered throughout with the occasional personal anecdote, like the touching retelling of an experience an eight-year-old Quinn had with his beloved grandfather in the summer of 1946 called "Grandpa and the Red Herring" (page 36). The paperback version is 348 pages in length, and much to Quinn's credit, a great deal of it is made up of his thoughtful and well-researched text.

The author's artwork is perhaps the aspect of the book that most effectively haunts you. It is simple black-and-white ink sketches, but there is an emotional complexity to each that is hard to describe, yet easy to appreciate. Quinn's clever focus on the wildlife while making sure to almost always include some image from man's industrial intervention does a marvelous job of hammering the book's point home. A glaring example of this can be found on pages 124 and 125, where we see a lone kestrel perched on the peak of a weed, while in the background looms the vague but unmistakable figure of a pair of tractors and a group of hard-hatted workers. Somehow the lack of colorization adds to the feeling of both positive and negative, of humankind's destructiveness (both intentional and inadvertent), and of the wildlife's determination to go on.

John Quinn is no stranger to the region, having been born and raised in the Village of Ridgefield Park, which rests on the Meadowland's northern edge. According to the author bio, he has published ten other books on nature and science. A potential reader can be comforted and assured by the fact that Quinn's experience and sincerity are deeply invested into every word and every drawing. In this age of the slipshod, assembly-line product, here we find an honest and lovingly crafted work by a man who genuinely cares about what he's doing.

As a proud and concerned naturalist myself, I strongly urge you to pick up a copy of Fields of Sun and Grass.

I have come to treasure Fields of Sun and Grass - it is worthy of a keepsake box like those reserved for special shells and rocks. Mr. Quinn has created a labor of love as well crafted as any story quilt, full of fascinating animal and landscape sketches; historical reenactments on a personal scale; and easily read, well-researched passages on the human and geological history of a forsaken, not forgotten, ecological wonder. One comes away exposed to a deeply stirring portrait of the meadows that dares you not to care about their future.

L. Charkey, Co-Director, Bergen Save the Watershed Action Network (Bergen SWAN); Administrator, Hackensack River Watershed Fund

The first time I met John R. Quinn was a few years ago he was deeply involved in the gathering of stories that make up the Soul of the New Jersey meadows. His journalistic background was in control and he wanted to present as complete a picture as possible regarding the current controversey surrounding the future of the Meadowlands. At the time I was assisting the New Jersey Audubon Society by providing boat rides to conduct a migratory bird habitat inventory of the Meadowlands( published by NJAS and available to the public). We invited John to join us for a day on the River and he honored all of us by chronicling the trip in Fields of Sun and Grass. Now I can relive the personal experiences of that glorius day any time I want thanks to Johns eye for detail and his skill at turning a day of field research into a story about our adventure in the Urban Wilderness. Putting controveresy and advocacy aside I recommend this book to teachers througout the Hackensack River Watershed Everytime I take their students out on the Boat or go in to their classrooms to "talk to the children". As Riverkeeper I am contacted frequently by people who are requesting information about the Meadowlands thanks to John I have a ready reference and I have learned a lot about the estuary of the Hackensack that allows me to be a more effective advocate and a better Riverkeeper Captain Bill Sheehan Hackensack Riverkeeper Inc.

This book shows it all. If you are a carpenter, or want to be one, this book will show you in exhaustive detail how to do finish work. I can say that the tricks learned in this gem of a book have really benefited me, and increased my living as a carpenter. A must have.

If there is a textbook for finish carpentry this is it and Gary Katz is the professor. If its not in here you can generalize the techniques in the book to figure out how to do it. I wish I could apprentice for Gary Katz. OOOOHHHH hes my idol.

I'm a DIY'er who's tackled projects ranging from electrical to roofing to tile. My experience with finish carpentry was pretty much limited to base molding and the replacement of doors and their casing. I recently purchased a new home, and while walking through various model homes, I really fell in love with the finish carpentry upgrades such as crown molding, coffered ceilings and library-paneled walls. The problem with buying those types of upgrades from a home builder (or from a contractor) is the exorbitant cost. I initially bought this book in the hopes it would get me comfortable in installing crown moulding in a couple of rooms in my new home, but the more time I spend reading it, the more confident I feel in attempting projcets that are much more complex - and rewarding. Crown will now be in the rooms with the LEAST amount of treatment. This book contains many pictures and diagrams that, combined with the text, serve to really simplify the steps for a wide range of projects. The book also includes many tips that help people like me avoid angst and marital problems (like when and when not to use MDF, how to compensate for shoddy construction, etc). The best part is if I don't quite understand something the first time, I can read it again and again until it finally clicks. I've gone from looking at ornate projects and guessing how they were done to KNOWING how they were done, and being confident enough to attempt them myself.

Although the book has a lot of pictures (none in color), It is very comprenhensive. It covers diverse issues usually found in separate books:
Closets, bookshelves, hanging doors and windows, fireplace mantels, curved woodwork, etc.

All the chapters detail very well every project in a professional way: professional tools and methods to accomplish taks efficiently and economicaly. Do not expect a boring book to explain how to use every single tool or a buying guide.

This books goes directly to the target.
Great book to combine with other of the Taunton's books of the series "Build Like a Pro" or the "Traditional Woodwork : Adding Authentic Period Details to Any Home" of Mario Rodriguez.

The missing star is because of the lack of pictures in color.