Seven Books

Silver Days takes place in America. It's about a Jewish family who leaves Germany to get away from the Nazis. It focases mainly on Lisa Platt, a 13 year old girl wanting to live a normal life and fit in and be popular, but is overshadowed by the family's poverty. She has a dream to become a famous dancer.
It's a good book. It's interesting, but it kind of leaves you hanging at the end. I think she should have went on a little more and explained things a little better. I would recommend it. If you liked Anne Frank, then you would like this. I also think that girls would probably enjoy it more since its mainly about a girl's life.

At first I picked Silver Days as an accelerated reader book for school. After i got done i was amazed! This was by far the best book I have ever read. It shows alot of feelings and emotions, it also shows you how hard the Jewish people had it back then. I think people can learn alot from this book. It was interesting and educational. I think this book desrves 5 stars

I think Silver Days by Sonia Levitin was a great book. It deserves five stars. I think it really shows how hard it was for Jewish people to get a decent living when they fled from Nazi Germany. This great novel is a sequel to Journey to America. This story starts out where Journey to America left off. Lisa Platt and her family were awaiting tickets for a boat to America from their father, who already was in America. They had to wait one year in Switzerland for the tickets. They reached America just as World War II was beginning in Europe. When they saw their apartment, all they had for furniture were orange crates and beds. During this period, they endure racial discrimination. They feel that in order to get away from this is to move to California. When they get a house there, their treatment is about the same, but they believe it is much better than New York. At school, Lisa gets back to dancing after five years, but her teacher, who people call "The Nazi", does not allow her to take the classes until she practices. After her teacher accepts her into her class, she becomes one of the best dancers in the school. Along the way, she and her older sister Ruth fall in love. When they receive a letter from their old maid, they find out that what they have been missing is faith. In the end they go back to their roots, beliefs, rituals and everything they did in Germany, even though they wanted to be as American as possible.

Silver Days, by Sonia Levitin is a story about a family that comes from Germany to the United States. Their Family moves to the United States because there is a war going on in Germany and they run from the Nazis. Everyone tries to adjust to the United States. The family tries to adjust to the United Sates. The family suffers with little money. However when the family starts helping everything gets better.

The novel is set in the United States. The theme of the novel would be if you stick together you could go though anything. The characters Ruth and Lisa adjust the most in good in bad ways. Lisa starts doing the things she likes and what she did in Germany. Everyone was very proud of her. Ruth fits in great and everyone likes her. She has a problem and doesn't know how to solve it. My favorite part in the book is when everyone starts getting better. The ending of the book was satisfying...

The author's style was very good. It was like you couldn't put the book down. I think that the author gives to many details. The vocabulary was very easy I either knew or I had already learned it in school. The part of the book I really dislike is when something really bad happens everyone gets under a lot of stress. I would recommend this book from ages 9-15 to read this book. People who like to read books about when we had wars and would like to learn what it would be like being in the middle of the war and people being prejudice would like to read this book. ...[Five stars.]
HLW

The story I have chosen to write a review on is called Siler Days
by Sonia Levitin. It is a historical fiction book about a Jewish girl's life during the Holacost. Lisa Platt has moved to New York
from Germany to be safe from Adolf Hitler. Lisa lives with her mother and father and her two sisters Ruth and Annie. Lisa's family has very little money for food and a nice place to place to live. They struggle everyday to keep up with their very little money and their lives. The Platt's and Lisa never give up though. They have courage, hope and bravery. They're living through hard times but they hope to manage. This was a wonderful book and I hope others will read it. Sonia Levitin is a great writer so I suggest you read the other books she's written. If you decide to read Silver Days, have fun!

Volume IV of "In Search of Lost Time" begins in the afternoon of the day of Princess of Guermantes's party, the one that Marcel had looked forward for so long as his definitive entrance into the world of high society. That afternoon, by spying on them, Marcel discovers with his own eyes, for the first time, homosexuality, in the form of an encounter between the depraved Baron de Charlus and the tailor Jupien, Marcel's neighbor in the property of the Guermantes. Later that evening, Marcel attends the party, attended also by a cast of characters like very few in literature: Charlus himself, a Swann close to his death, and others. The Dreyfuss cause keeps winning adepts, among them the very Prince and Princess of Guermantes, as the injustice of the sentence is revealed. In the party, Marcel continues on his way to disappointment about noblesse: they are people just like everyone else, only with grand names and big egos, but not much more.

Days later, with his mother, Marcel returns to Balbec, where, alone in his room he finally feels all the weight and sorrow of his grandmother's death, which had happened a year and a half before or so. It is a profound passage about the perception of death, everyday indifference to it, and the memories left to us by our beloved's passing away. In Balbec, Marcel reencounters with Albertine, in that perverted play of seduction and deceit, of attraction and rejection, which foreshadows a sick relationship. Disturbed by the graphic discovery of homosexuality, Marcel broods a lot about it. Two women who stay at the same hotel, and who openly show their lesbianism, awaken in Marcel a deep suspicion about Albertine's mysterious life, and so begins a torment of permanent jealousy, of anxiety and anguish which reminds the reader of the similar episode, in times gone by, of the beginning of the relationship between Swann and Odette. Meanwhile, Marcel has simultaneous relationships with a couple of maids of the hotel (literally simultaneous).

Marcel rents a car to go around with Albertine through the countryside and the coast, deepening his relationship with the capricious, naughty, annoying and elusive Albertine. In her company, he begins to frequent the little band of the social-climbing Verdurins (where Swann had met Odette years before), in the country estate they have rented from the Marquises of Cambremer. The central part of the book narrates that summer in Balbec and its surroundings, above all the wide mosaic of characters surrounding the Verdurins: insecure but arrogant Doctor Cottard and his simple wife; musician Vinteuil; the rustic and silent sculptor Ski; Professor Saniette, pathetic and constantly humiliated; and Madame Verdurin herself, presumptuous and increasingly successful in society. Over this fresco is shown the repulsive couple of Charlus and musician Morel, son of a former servant of the Prousts. Morel is the worst kind of climber and representative of sexual and moral corruption. In contrast with what happens in the first three volumes, here it seems that it is the nobles who yearn to be accepted in bourgeois society, and not the other way around. It is the bourgeois who attract interesting people: intellectuals, scientists, artists. Charlus makes a fool of himself big time, pretending everybody ignores his homosexuality, when in fact he is the target of cruel jokes and gossip. So continues the great saga of memory, sex, love, longing, and social observation of the XX Century.

Like in no one of the previous volumes, in this one the subject of homosexuality is analyzed in all its complexity. Marcel and Albertine's relationship forebodes hell. Charlus begins to sink. The bourgeois approach triumph. Like in all the previous volumes, what astounds the reader is Proust's immense power of microscopic vision to analyze individuals and dissect societies. It includes a magical reflection on dreams, as well as precious depictions of landscapes, sexual assaults, personalities and emotions.

Sodom and Gomorrah makes it difficult for those who speak of Proust and attempt to reduce his grand work to mere flowery social observation. This is a bold and often disturbing installment of la recherché, as Marcel recalls brutal homosexual sadomasochism among two of the principle characters, and has to deal with great loss and self-loathing.

The narrator also returns us to the superficial world of the Verdurins, where Swann and Odette first made their interactions in Swann in Love.

Marcel falls deeply in love with Albertine, but later discovers that she has been involved in homosexual relationships with two women, mirroring Swann's problems with Odette. There are remarkable passages on the nature of love in here: "But if something brings about a violent change in the position of that soul in relation to us, shows us that it is love with others and not with us, then by beating of our shattered heart we feel that it is not a few feet away from us but within us that the beloved creature was. Within us, in regions more or less superficial" (pg. 720)

Sodom and Gomorrah is a deeply felt and complex development in Proust's extraordinarily full and beautiful search.

I am writing here of the "Penguin Proust" translation by John Sturrock. (Much of what appears on this page is misleading, with the editorial matter referring to an audiobook and many reader reviews to an earlier translation. Even first-sentence quote is not from Sturrock's translation!)

Of the four Penguin Proust volumes I've read so far, this is my favorite--a wonderfully funny study of society (if not of sex). Proust specializes in transformations. We'll be introduced to a character and led to believe that we know everything of importance about him, only to have him turn up in a later volume as entirely different. In this volume, the remote and terrible Baron de Charlus is tranformed a pathetic tubby, besotted by the pianist Morel (himself a bit of a transformation, since he first appeared in the novel as the son of a valet).

Marcel (the narrator) meanwhile finds himself more deeply involved with Albertine, herself probably a stand-in for a male secretary of Proust's, Alfred Agostinelli. To complicate matters, I see elements of this relationship not only in the Marcel-Albertine affair, but also in the Charlus-Morel romance. It's as if Proust divided his experience into two parts, giving the romantic elements to Marcel and the comic part to Charlus.

The two romances come together at the seaside salon of the awful Madame Verdurin, who is inexorably rising in the world. In one of Proust's hundred-page setpieces, the aristocratic baron has his first clash with the social-climbing Verdurins. I found myself cheering for Charlus, whom I'd earlier learned to dislike, because he is so genuine and she is such a fraud. And I know in my heart (and through my earlier readings of this great novel) that things are not going to turn out well for Charlus. Against all logic, Proust in one of his hundred-page dissections of French society is able to keep me on tenterhooks.

The less said about Albertine, the better. I am not one of those who find her/him a convincing character. So it is with a bit of apprehension that I now turn to volume five of the Proust Penguin, containing the two books of the "Albertine cycle."

But back to Sodom (as it were): this is a wonderful translation of a riveting story. If you stick with "In Search of Lost Time" thus far, you will know that you are in the middle of one of the great experiences of your life.

"Sodom and Gomorrah," the fourth volume of Proust's masterwork "In Search of Lost Time," contains two very long set pieces that strike me as amazing achievements in the entire canon of literature. The first is an evening party at the mansion of the Prince and Princess de Guermantes attended by Proust's young narrator despite his doubt about having been properly invited, and the second is a dinner at the seaside clifftop house of the Verdurins filled with absurd but fascinating conversation. These episodes combined cover hundreds of pages of narration yet never give the impression of being stretched because Proust evokes the natural importance in every detail and human gesture, as though the course of the world depended on every little thing that transpires.

These details unify under the banner of the entire novel into a series of fictionalized memories of Proust's social life as a young man making his way through Parisian aristocratic circles and observing the events which develop his artistic conscience. These memories tend to be romanticized visions of the past, wistful dreams of what he might have really wanted his life to be: "We dream much of paradise, or rather of a number of successive paradises, but each of them is, long before we die, a paradise lost, in which we should feel ourselves lost too."

The title of the volume implies love between men and women, and men and men, and women and women. Here, the young Marcel chronicles the torrid romances of the Baron de Charlus, brother of the Duke de Guermantes, whose salon was the focal arena of the previous volume. Upon his spying--innocently, not judgmentally--on de Charlus and Jupien the tailor in an act of sodomy, he expounds on the societal attitudes confronting male homosexuality and on the ways de Charlus must go about procuring younger men for himself, such as he does with a conceited young violinist named Morel.

Meanwhile, Marcel's love affair with Albertine, the pretty girl whom he met at the seaside resort of Balbec in Volume II, is progressing slowly but not smoothly. He notices that she, as Odette used to do with Charles Swann, is beginning to play games with his propensity for jealousy, flirting first with a girl named Andree and then with Marcel's friend, the soldier Saint-Loup. As the volume wraps up, Marcel resolves to marry her, hoping to draw her away from her Sapphic inclinations.

Proust portrays a wide range of colorful supporting characters, who I have no doubt are based on people he knew in real life. While staying at Balbec, Marcel meets an eccentric family named Cambremer whom the lift-boy at the hotel mistakenly but amusingly calls Camembert and whose acquaintance provides a springboard for the dinner at the Verdurin estate. Here we experience the personalities of the physician Cottard, whose preoccupation with his Verdurin invitations affects his professional ethics; the shy, socially graceless Saniette, who is continuously bullied by Verdurin; and a pedantic bore named Brichot, who talks almost exclusively about the etymology of place names.

The motifs recurring in this volume include the society-enveloping controversy over the Dreyfus affair, the snobbery involved in invitations to certain salons, and Marcel's association with the aging and ill Swann and his wife Odette, who now have some hard-earned esteem in the Faubourg Saint-Germain. In his deeply contemplative approach to narration, Proust functions as an essayist as much as he does a novelist, but his genius is that he merges both forms seamlessly. His sentences, at least as translated into English by Moncrieff and Kilmartin, are consistently worthy of applause and inspire me to write with more sensitivity to my surroundings.

The fourth volume of "In search of lost time" (Sodom and Gomorrah) begins with the sickness of Marcel's grandmother's sickness, which will lead her to the grave. During the dissease she will be treated by doctor Huxley, whose behavior surrounding the woman's unavoidable death awakens Marcel's digressions. Once she dies, the story resumes his contact with the high spheres of society. Marcel travels once again to Balbec, where he finds Albertine again. Their relationship grows as they assist to Mme. Verdurin's gatherings. Her "wednesdays", as she calls them, now that she attends in Balbec to her group of friends. Marcel's mind games surrounding Albertine are comparable to those utilized by Charlus to manipulate his young lover, the son of an old servant of his (Marcel's) grandfather... who plays the violin. Marcel is involved in this relationship as an comunicating vessel between Charlus and his "Adonis". It is rather curious how telephones, automobiles and trains are more and more involved in the telling of the events. The encounters in the stations, the dangers of traveling in an automobile, the unpersonalized feel to talking to someone through a telephone, etc... All these entail not only technological changes, but social ones as well: how people relate to one another begins to be considered outside the reduced space of fixed spheres... now, they move all over the space, they can even be broken into pieces... their voices, their bodies, the possibility of an effective transport that also allows privacy and secrecy (such as Marcel and Albertine's travels in the car, and all the implied events surrounding this machine -involving Charlus and his young "friend").
Marcel's doubts about Albertine's likes, are more overwhelming everyday... and he finally decides to marry Albertine, to take her to Paris with him.
In this volume, Marcel Proust submerges deeper in the waters of human affections and desires. If in the second volume he began to experience love for the first time, in this one, he is experiencing love outside the protection of young idelism and romanticism... instead, he realizes the conection between love, desire, snobism and pain: the truth of love is far from being an eternal, selfless and happy feeling: it is the constant haunting of a question, the everlasting wonder about evil within and without.
It is most memorable when Marcel assists to a party and describes the unfixed nature of gender differentiation: how much can a woman look like a man, how much can a woman desire another woman... and how much like a woman can one man desire another man.

Connelly makes his readers fall in love with his characters; in particular, Keegan, who is such an identifiable and likable young man that I was practically begging him for the duration of the story not to carry out the plan he sets in Chapter One. Only by reading it can you find out the power in what happens in the end. Wow...what a story.

I was struck by the Cover art-I longed to check the book out just to study the cover.The opening line of "It's not so bad being dead" Caught my attention right away,having read the summary on the jacket I thought immediatly Oh God he actually kills himself the book is told from a true teenager's point of view.From acting out his wish of reading other people's notes to wondering how far his dream girl has gone with her boyfriend this could be the guy who sat next to you in History.As a student of religion and psychology Keagan's thoughts of what he views as sin and finding loopholes to get good with God made me cry and fall over laughing more then once.I recomend to teen,parent,teacher and anyone who's ever thought of changing destiny.

"Who is supposed to know more about this book--me the author or you the reader?" -Neil Connelly

In talking to Neil about this book (I am a student at McNeese State Univeristy) I began to understand that this book does not deal specifically with guilt, with suicide, or any one specific issue. Neil deals with the idea, in the manifestation of Keegan, that life is hard and different for evryone, and everyone must deal with it in a different way. He developes Keegan, who has to deal with who he is, and Nathan Looby, who is also forced to look at himself for who he is. Nathan refuses to bend, and tries to answer life with one swoop...that it "has to be this way." Keegan is able to bend and overcome this guilt that hangs over his head, and that's the card he plays in the hand he is dealt. Keegan's mother goes insane over her situation; His father becomes very cold and distant; and brother Patrick runs from his family. Neil makes a very profound statement about life: Life cannot be summed up in a profound statement. There is no one mantra to live life by. Life is a series of experiences, and in those experiences meaning is made of a life. Neil gives the reader glimpses into Keegan's life, memories that shaped him, and, ultimately, guided him to try to rekindle the family love. His use of wrestling, a very physical manifestation of the tumult within Keegan's mind. Michael becomes a face for the inner self that Keegan struggles against, and this is climaxed when Keegan believes himself to be wrestling Michael. A powerfully woven self discovery of a human being that will move any reader to, for lack of a better word, grab life by the horns. Neil weaves a message about life in such a way, using the very simple, powerful voice of Keegan, that it has some resonance within us all. Neil Connelly has something to say, so read this book and listen up, but also listen in to yourself as you will begin to come to your own understanding about the meaning of life.

A great story of a troubled teen. Neil Connelly does a great job of drawing the reader into his world at OLPH. I got so drawn in, it is as if I lived some of that life with Keegan. So much can be taken from this book at many different levels. I would recommend this book for high school students and parents of high school students. The book can be used as a tool teach, among many things, the value of communication. I also recommend this book for anyone who is just looking for a fun read. It is a story with which we can learn and a story in which we can just have fun with.

I look forward to his next novel.

I could repeat what all the reviews say about Connelly's work, as they are all true. However, I'll just say that Connelly's book has to be one of the best books that I've read in the past few years, if not many of the past years. The way Connelly writes makes it feel as if you are always right there next to Keegan or perhaps next to Nathan or Angela. You feel as though you are a student at Our Lady of Perpetual Help. You can feel Nicky Carpelli's noogies, punches, and pounds. There's never a dull moment in the book, and even if you don't have the time, you'll want to finish reading the book in one day.

Every 15-year-old in the walled city of Noveskina is about to take part in Demonstration Day...except Miri. Unlike Eris, with the power to fly, and her best friend, Jalene, who can tell the most incredible stories, Miri has not developed a Talent. Jalene swears that their friendship will not change on the day of their Masking, when they will officially become adults of Noveskina and bonded with the rest of their age-mates, but Miri isn't so sure. If she doesn't find her Talent, she will be doomed to a life in the lower classes, bringing shame on her family of Important Officials. In this city, where voices are regulated by the Mask you wear, she may lose all privilege to speak her mind.

As Masking Day arrives and Miri still has not found her Talent, her parents force their decision on her, but Miri is determined to keep her friendships alive. When she witnesses parts of a secret ritual, Miri finds herself on the run, expelled from the life she knew and the people she loves. Suddenly, more is on her shoulders than her place in society, while she discovers much more about her world than she was ever allowed to know.

I loved the imagery throughout this book, and was entranced with the workings of Miri's world. Throughout it all, Miri's trials are sure to resonant with most anyone who has every struggled to live up to their promised potential. This story breathes with a rich harmony that leaves the reader captivated up until the last page.

Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose

Miri's treacherous journey is sure to wrap you into the pages of worry, fear, excitement, victory, and the miraculous beauty of music! I've read the book five times, and If I read it again, I still wouldn't be at all bored. Read it. You'll see what I mean!



Sonia Copple, age 8

Once again Ellen Davidson has given us science fiction which is both a joy to read and thought provoking. The setting she creates may be exotic, but her characters are very close to home. Miri's ability to transcend the limitations imposed by her upbringing are an inspiration, and Ms. Davidson's fertile imagination creates such fun that the reader hardly notices that there is a lesson to be learned.

My daugher adored this book! She couldn't put it down, and in fact missed out on some full nights of sleep since she stayed up so late reading it. She has also read and loved "When the Third Moon Wanes" by the same author, and was disappointed when I told her Ms. Davidson didn't have any other books published at this point. A terrific book for preteen and teenage girls!

Stolen Voices written by Ellen Dee Davidson is an excellent book for young adults. I read this book not knowing what to expect and a little skeptical, but ended up really enjoying it. I am planning on using this book in my classroom one day in either a literature class or a writing class. I would highly recommend this book to other teachers because it addresses pertinent young adult issues in a very creative and different way.

Young adults are very interested in themselves and finding out who they really are, what talents and strengths they have that make them unique. They want to separate themselves from others, especially their parents, using their own voice. Having friends and what they think is the be-all end-all in their lives. Learning how they are going to contribute to the adult community and transition to that new world is a pressing matter they are trying to deal with, among other things. These are the issues that Stolen Voices addresses. This book is perfect to use in a writing class when you're teaching the students about finding their own voice in their writing, which goes along with finding their own voice in their daily lives, not just on paper.

I really liked that Davidson used a fantasy kind of setting to write about very real matters; that contrast was something that helps draw readers in. It also makes discussing these things easier because they aren't hitting so close to home, which allows students to more honestly respond to them.

Short novella about Mia's 16th birthday, her grandmere's attempts to film it for MTV, her best friend's craziness, and issues with her boyfriend. Just another day for Mia. Short, sweet, fluff book that reminds me why this series continues to be a guilty pleasure. Grade: B+

This is a very short story about Mia's 16th birthday. It is very cute and filled with lots of moments between Michael and Mia that make you feel warm and fuzzy. Very Cute!!

I'm not going to go over the plot with you,I'm just here to tell you what I like and dislike. What I like? That's easy. Meg Cabot has once again outdone herself with this novel. Like I said, I'm not going to go over the plot, so you will have to read it or wonder for the rest of your life(okay, exaggeration). Dislikes: Just one. IT IS NINETY-SIX PAGES! I know, I know. Book 4 1/2 was fifty pages. What is the problem here? I'll tell you: This isn't a in-between book. It is supposed to be equivalent to 150 page novels previously written by Meg Cabot. Not to mention the fact that 4 1/2 had pretty much NO plot, whereas this one has a real setting, story, and more than ten characters.
That is all I have to say. Oh, yeah, one more thing:
READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book was great! Meg Cabot really outdid herself. However, I wish it were longer. There is certainly enough plot, but only 96 pages? Really.
All in all, I would say it is a great book. You would be best getting it at a public library, because for $9, you only get 96 pages[hardcover].

I won't delve into the plot, since many other reviewers have already done so. Instead, I'll say that Mia is progressively coming into her own, as this installment proves. She may be nervous addressing parents and school officials, but finally she has learned to emphatically lay down the law with her friends, something she certainly had trouble with at the beginning of this series. However, I found it frustrating that the book was over so quickly, especially at full cover price. I highly suggest you purchase a used copy if you don't have lots of money to burn.

SPOILER!
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I also wonder if this book is setting up a possible future romance between Mia and another guy...

The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales is a novel about a young girl named Sofia and her journy to get into Saint Luke's Epscopal School in Austin. Sofia lives with her mother her father and her sister Lucy. She lives across the road from her cousin Berta. Sofia is at the top of her lass academacly but she is not at the top in her social life. She always has to sit at the other end aof the caffateria because she brings tacos everday, while she wants to bring a sandwich to fit in. She enjoys playing soccer and she is very happy when she finds out that her new school has a good soccer team. Her family has great Mexican culture and they take there religion very seriously. Sofia is somewhat emberresed of her culture once she sees what it is like on the other side of her town. She goes trick or treating and sees how much nicer the other houses are. They have heat and they are made of nice white brick. Sofia gets a invite to a good school but her and her family have to come up with 400 dollars. This is a lot of money for her family but she wants to go to experience something new and see what the world has to offer. I personaly liked this book. It was full of funny stories and it kept me entertaind while i was reading it. It helped pass the time when i needed something to do. The book was 199 pages long so it wasn't to long but it wasn't to short. I usually like action books but this book related a lot to real life. It was about a girl about my age, it portrayed her family as a middle class, it showed how kids can be outcast just because of how they look, and how a girl can want what she doesn't have. It also gave me alot more information about the Mexican culture. It showed me how they celebrated there holidays differently than us. For example for haloween the families she went to in her comunity gave her vegitables and other random items while we americans give out candy.
I gave this book a four out of five because even though i would rather a book with action this book kept me entertained the whole time i was reading it. It had some good backround information to set the mood of the story. It also was broken up into good chapters and it told the story of Sofia well. It showed that even a girl from a middle class, almost lower class can make it and get into a good school, and then later get a good education and job. I would recomend this book to a person if they would want to learn about the Mexican culture or if they just want a good book they can read that relates to there everyday life. Also i wouldn't recomend this book to a younger child. They may pick this book out because the cover looks like a little kids book, but it is acutally a little hard to understand all of the information given about the hispanic culture, and the catholic religion. If i had the choice I would deffinality read this book again, and i may even use it as a recource for a school report on the hispanic culture.

This is one of the best books I have read in quite some time. Having grown up in South Texas, I had many Mexican-American friends and I can relate to many of the stories told in this book.

Sofia is coming of age in a very traditional Mexican-American family. The reader will learn about many of these traditions, such as the quinceanera, comadres, cascarones, canicula, and the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos).

This is a very heartwarming book that anyone would enjoy reading.

This story is truly woven rather than written! Canales brings readers into the world of a teenage Mexican-American girl, Sophia, growing up in the barrio with a "mule-kicking" spirit that seems to both imprison her and help her to transcend life's obstacles simultaneously. Sophia is a very intelligent young lady with big dreams of going to Harvard. Her family roots are firmly and deeply entrenched in tradition ~ the reader instantly sympathizes with Sophia's desire to be a "typical" American teen and her quest to both embrace her roots while living in the mainstream.

Sophia blossoms in this book from a teen to a woman intellectually and perhaps most gracefully ~ spiritually. I highly recommend this book for students in grades 6-8. It will expose students to a phenomenal multicultural novel that instantly brings the setting and culture alive while endearing the reader to a character that is steeped in the complexities of coming-of-age.

The Tequila Worm tells the story of a young and intelligent Mexican American schoolgirl, Sofia, growing up in McAllen, Texas. Sofia comes from a close family with many traditions- from making Easter cascarones to celebrating quinceañeras. Sofia is accepted to a boarding school in Austin, Texas, three hundred and fifty miles away from her home, but she struggles to leave her family even though she longs to go this new school.
I enjoyed this book very much. This book was both amusing and touching. For example, Sofia tells the story of Easter celebration with all her relatives. As part of the celebration they all find hidden cascarones (hollowed eggs that had been decorated and stuffed with things such as confetti) and smash them on each other's heads. Sofia saves a special egg for her cousin, Berta, which she has filled with flour. Berta also has a special egg for her cousin, an egg filled with mustard. Little does Berta know, but Sofia's younger sister Lucy also has a special egg.

As I kicked the air and swiped at the yellow gobs on my hair, face, and stinging eyes, I could hear Berta's big fat laugh.
Then- silence! There was Berta with real egg running down her hair and face, mixing with the flour. She was spitting and glaring at someone.
I turned to see Lucy smiling from ear to ear, no longer holding her secret egg. (Canales 25)

From this book I learned more about Mexican- American traditions and culture. Some aspects of Mexican- American culture that this book touches on are celebrating Día de los Muertos, quinceañeras (the American equivalent of a "Sweet Sixteen" only it is celebrated when a girl is fifteen), religion, and Mexican- American cuisine.
This is a terrific book, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to get a glimpse at Mexican- American culture or just a good read. (Viola Canales uses simplistic language so it is not a very strenuous novel or difficult to read.)

Sofia, a Mexican-American girl from the Rio Grande Valley town of McAllen, Texas, studies while her best friend dreams of her quinceanera. To achieve her dream of attending the private academy that has awarded her a scholarship, Sofia needs $400, five new dresses, and her mother's permission. Although each of these tasks seem individually insoluble to her, through their accomplishment, she learns the value of having good comadres-and being one.

The reader will follow the story of a young Sofia and cousin Berta from first communion, to Day of the Dead celebrations, and finally to Berta's quinceanera, after which Sofia exits for her private school and new experiences there. The charm, though is in the details of the quiet moments depicted with Sofia's family--telling stories from the storyteller's bag, cleaning pinto beans, and discussing the problems of the day at the sobremesa-and the excellent characterization. The reader can't help but smile at Tia Petra and her penchant for plastic, or at Sofia's bafflement of Berta's newfound enjoyment of sappy charro movies, but mild amusement is not the only emotion that will be provoked during the course of this read. Tequila Worm touches on the reality of death at various points of the story at different levels of reaction, and the reader should not be surprised to learn that this is a build-up to the climax and greatest lesson of the novel as a whole.

The loosely woven chapters of The Tequila Worm are chronological, but can stand alone with their individual lessons of life with family and friends in the small Texas town of McAllen. Canales shows off excellent story-telling skills in this almost-autobiography. Sofia and the other characters feel authentic, and fresh, presenting a neighborhood life that may rarely exist outside of fiction for many of the target audience of grades six to nine. Although holding special appeal for readers of Mexican-American descent, this book has the capacity to entertain and teach a lesson in understanding one's own self to many readers, regardless of their previous experience with Mexican traditions.

Paige Covington, a spoiled 17-year-old young woman (a modern day scrooge), thought only of one thing in this life-herself. She made selfish choices with little consideration or thought for others around her. Selling her loyal bay gelding simply because he did not bring home the first place ribbon after a jumping competition or walking out of store with unpaid merchandise when she felt the sales clerks were wasting her valuable time, were just two examples of the way Paige lived her life.

To her surprise, she was arrested for the shoplifting, and fortunate for her, the judge did not care that her intentions were to send the money via mail with a nasty complaint letter regarding the slow service of the store. He sentenced her to 60 hours community service working with the handicap at a hippotherapy clinic.

Between this experience and a developed friendship with levelheaded kindhearted 14-year-old Lindsey, Paige found herself challenged. By the time her community service was completed, Paige discovered there was more to life than simply thinking of herself resulting in one special memorable Christmas.

A Tuff-To-Beat Christmas is a warm heart-felt story that will surely reach anyone who reads this book. Once I started, I could not put it down until the last page read. Betty Briggs is an inspiring visual writer worthy of consideration and I highly recommend this young adult book.

I really liked the author's light, engaging style and her use of humor and dialogue. I don't know much about horses myself, but Briggs skillfully weaves in everything you need to know to appreciate the story.

A very cute book. Paige is a teen ager who parents has given her everything she want, because of being an only child. Paige learns a very valueble lesson by sharing with others who haven't much. It is a good book, I throughly enjoyed it. I'll put it on my list of Christmas books to read.

I really enjoyed this book. Very cute! A great story on service, which showed how the one serving is often the one more blessed than those they serve.

What a great Christmas book for any age! I truly enjoyed reading this and now my three girls will take turns, as well. :) The photographs were a fun bonus and I dipped my toe into an area that I wasn't too familiar with--horses!! I was also reminded exactly what the true meaning of Christmas is all about and that warmed my heart! :)

Written in language that anyone can understand. Many people in modest income brackets that are having trouble with finances will want to read this book and then utilize the principles and ideas that Penelople recommends for their particular problem.

Penelople applies real life situations i.e. problems to help the reader identify with the solution. The book does not dictate or talk down to the reader (like so many similar books do) but instead attempts to educate people that have financial difficulties through positive encouragement and tangible, traditional solutions but with a twist. This is not simply another book that relies upon charts or graphs to reinforce a point but instead it makes you analyze your problems and then develop solutions for the individual. Chapter 2 was by far the best chapter in my view and I was able to use a couple of these ideas myself.

Any household that is experiencing any kind of budgeting difficulties, regardless of the level should consider adding this book to their collection.

Dr. Penelope Tzougros's book Wealthy Choices: The Seven Competencies of Financial Success is brillant, insightful and thought provoking. It is a "must read" for everyone as it depicts, in an easy to read fashion, ordinary people in ordinary situations.

There are so many wonderful stories in the Gifting Chapter that I identified with. I totally agree that "the card" is a gift of caring. I have saved cards for years that special people have sent me.

I also have learned that what would be appreciated by the recipient in a gift giving situation is extremely important. Regardless of whether it's an item or money, the gift needs to be what the receiver wants, without any condition imposed by the giver and what would give the receiver the most pleasure. Dr. Tzougros gives many excellent examples of this common situation and suggestions on how to make it a pleasurable experience for everyone or to come to a common agreement that is acceptable to all parties.

We can all identify with Dr. Tzougros's perspective on the "whole of gifting" and its importance and the delightfullness of it. We have all gifted a smile to someone, gifted a compliment, called a family member long distance, spent time with grandchildren in a fun and loving environment and gifted a percentage of our income to charities to help others.

In the Valuing Chapter, Dr. Tzougros asks questions and encourages the reader to think and evaluate ordinary situations and ways that they have handled money matters. She clearly wants to help the reader to improve their financial situation. I am in total agreement with her as I also believe that we are genetically coded from before birth with a "money blueprint." I believe that as we grow, it affects all of our values surrounding money and our whole life in a positive or negative way.

Dr. Tzougros has captured the human spirit and her compassion, understanding and caring comes through in such a way that the reader will surely become a more enlightened human being.

I'm amazed at the amount of thought-provoking, potentially life-changing ideas contained in Dr. Penelope Tzougros' excellent book. The practical aspect of dealing with money is covered in depth; but so is the broader concept of how we think and feel about money and how that affects our relationships and our lives.

It begins by leading us on a fascinating self-discovery voyage, where we learn how our values translate into our money behaviors. Then Dr. Tzougros leaves no stone unturned in addressing all the major areas involving money. In addition to the values evaluation, she covers day-to-day bill paying; how we lose money and how not to; making our dreams and goals a reality; growing money, and even a thoughtful section about gifts. The advice is simple and doable, and can be used immediately, regardless of your financial status.

Many books in the area of financial planning can be heavy-handed. Not so here. Dr. Tzougros' style is natural and unassuming. She uses real life scenarios and typical conversations about money to illustrate the concepts she discusses. This enables the reader to relate in a way that's immediate and practical.

What I found most appealing and unique about this book, however, is the underlying current of real concern for people on the part of the author. Dr. Tzougros has a purpose larger than simply doling out dry, utilitarian financial advice. Her commitment to helping people live better lives comes through in every page. As one example, she offers insight and advice as to why people fight about money and how to solve this problem.

Dr. Tzougros' sincerity in wanting people to live fuller, more joyful lives makes her book stand apart from many other books on business and finance, and is what makes it a pleasure to read. I never expected a book in this genre to be a page-turner, but this one is.

Wealthy Choices: The 7 Competencies Of Financial Success by Boston-based financial planner Penelope S. Tzougros is an impressively accessible financial self-help guide to easy and small steps that any for non-specialist general reader can take to improve his or her financial situation. From dealing with problems paying the bills; to guarding against financial losses; to realistically evaluating financial dreams and lifestyle aspirations; to dealing with gift obligations in a thoughtful yet affordable way, and so much more, Wealthy Choices is a superbly presented resource for people of all financial standings which offers a wealth of tips, tricks, techniques, and insights to balancing fiscally related responsibilities and conserve hard earned dollars.

Amidst the proliferation of books purporting to help us with our finances, WEALTHY CHOICES stands head and shoulders above the others because of its accessibility and practicality. The author approaches her subject in a unique manner. This is no dry as dust discussion of the mechanics of stocks, bonds, options adinfinitum. The author divides money concerns into 7 different categories - called life compentencies - Valuing,Paying the Bills, Losing, Leveraging, Growing, Dreaming, and Gifting. She then humanizes these experiences with believable vignettes of people's encounters with money in their lives. Each one is followed by her analysis to bring home salient points to the reader. This unsuual approach to the volatile ,complicated, and often anguished encounters with money tht we all have had in our lives is tremendously refreshing. It makes learning and thinking about money an enjoyable experience.Anyone who wants to learn how to use and control their money, rather than having thir money control them should read this book.

I am a third grader in Houston. I'm not a computer geek but I'm realinterested in technology and know a lot about computers for a kid myage. I love to read as much as I like to play sports. I think theInternet is one of the greatest inventions of all time. It's sort of the Michael Jordan of inventions.

Willie & the WWW is an incredible book. I usually read chapter books. This picture book is extremely cool and kids in all the grades here read it. Mr. Geissen was invited to our school and spoke about his book. I'll always remember meeting him. Some famous authors come to our school. But a lot of their presentations are boring. And these authors are usually sort of stuck up. The digital presentation Mr. Geissen did was awesome. Our librarian told me he is younger than most of the authors who write kid's books. I think this is probably why he is more with it when it comes to knowing a lot about the Net, and he knows how to talk to kids. He's just a nice guy. He told us all that the attention he's gotten because he came up with idea for Willie & the WWW, the ideas for illustrations, and wrote it doesn't make him special or better than anyone else.

Mr. Geissen talked to my dad and me about computer technology and writing and answered all the questions I had. Mr. Geissen isn't a computer geek either. He has written about computer technology for a long time and knows a lot about it. He said he included the basketball parts in the book because he loves this sport and has played basketball and tennis almost all his life. He's the only author who has come out to our school who can dunk a basketball.

I think he should write a sequel to Willie. He told me he didn't plan to write a sequel. That he just wrote Willie & the WWW for his son. He has gotten a lot of emails from parents and teachers asking for sequels. He said he would probably come out with two more Willie books after he publishes a chapter book called "The Blue Leaf Sled". This is going to be an awesome book. He read part of it at our school. My Mom and Dad encouraged me to write this review to tell other kids about the Willie book. They think other kids and parents will like this book as much as I do. And my Mom and Dad also want a sequel.

This book is a big hit at my daughter's elementary school school, where the teachers, library staff, parents and the community have worked together to incorporate the Internet into the curriculum as a resource for teachers and children.

The author contrasts the themes of reality and virtual reality against a backdrop of the digital frontier of the Internet, and uses the techniques of traditional fables along the way. My only criticism is I think the publisher would have produced better art by using an artist who specializes in digital imaging techniques to produce illustrations that were less static. This is a story that could use more complex images, which better convey movement and better accompany the vivid imagery the writer uses.

I highly recommend the book, though. Particularly after seeing the teachers' and kids' reaction to it. The Web is a new frontier. And the space metaphors and the character of Evelyn, the astronaut who advances the plot (and seems to be based on Amelia Earhart), fit perfectly with the book's theme of moderation and the need for a healthy balance between things in the digital world and the "real" world. I think this is an important issue for parents raising kids today. Overall, this is an imaginative and memorable book for elementary kids of all ages.

As a parent of two and a founder of a Silicon Valley-based startup Internet business, this unique book caught my eye. It's the only picture book for elementary children I've seen that features a Web theme.

The story captured the imagination of my children. And I was surpised to find myself reading a picture book on the Internet that was entertaining for young kids, yet did not condescend to them (or me). This book cleverly provides a window into current and future information age themes -- the very issues we in Silicon Valley confront each day and that are profoundly changing our society.

I highly recommend this book, particularly to people interested in prompting their children to think about the pros and cons of technology, the choices technology requires us to make, and how we can best use it in our lives.

I'm a children's literature professor and our students use this book to introduce students at elementary schools in Los Angeles to Internet concepts. The children love it. The conversations it stimulates are wonderful! The author cleverly uses many metaphors to address issues the Net is raising in society. Often children pick up on more of the metaphors than the adults who read it. I recommend this book to parents and educators who are looking for a good way to start interesting discussions among children about the Web.

As a librarian at a large library in NYC whose been fortunate enough to have the resources to acquire a wide and comprehensive collection of wonderful children's picture books, I and my colleagues whom I most respect tend to be reserved in our praise of new picture books. Today, many of the best visual artists are producing striking and inventive books. They now grace the coffee tables of fashionable homes and corporate offices. All this, in my opinion, is wonderful. For all their artistry and polish, though, even the large publisher's top-list picture books often fall short when it comes to combining artistry with an intelligent and meaningful narrative on important current events.

Willie & the World Wide Web is gaining a cult status among children's librarians, especially among librarians who embrace the responsible use of the Internet, for a good reason. The author uses lucid prose to explore the key issues that are the subject of much debate as the Internet becomes such a powerful force in society. Don't turn to this book for the sort of stunning fine-art illustrations that are on the level of picture books illustrated by the well-known visual artists who work in the picture book field. The images here are fine, though, and complement the text as they should. I read a feature article in which the publisher said future editions will include more sophisticated illustrations. The total effect of the first edition of this book is what makes it special.

First, I and a group of elementary children found ourselves enjoying the whimsy and subtle humor of this book. On a closer reading, I saw the author had carefully woven a thread through this story that explored issues ranging from the complexities of reality verses virtual reality, the seemingly infinite possibilities the Internet provides for innovation, the addictive power of interactive technologies, the convergence of new media and traditional media, the Net's great potential as an educational resource, privacy in the information age, the pros and cons of electronic commerce and new forms of global communication, the fact that the Internet can and is being used for good as well as bad, and that our society is being challenged to confront a number of new and difficult choices as this technology becomes more powerful and pervasive by the day.

In my view, Mr. Geissen wrote this book to say we are in store for a great adventure. He poses many of the large questions. And he poses them well and in an engaging way that intrigues his young audience. How will we respond? How will our kids respond? I couldn't agree more that these issues need to be discussed among elementary children. The author challenges children to consider these issues and ask questions. And with a little good guidance, the children who read this book do. Their insightful questions and answers about Internet issues are ones adults should pause to consider.

The book's use of the motifs such as outer space images and Amelia Earhart's airplane are creative and wise. The story ends right where it should, with a relevant inversion of the "was-it-all-a-dream?" technique of traditional fables. That all this is done within the context of 32 pages of fiction, which doesn't waste words, and that appeals to computer-savvy kids and stimulates their imagination is what makes this book stand out from the crowd. Every library should have a copy of this remarkable picture book for children.

The Wright brothers were an amazing team. Working part time, these two previously undistinguished bicycle dealers from Dayton, Ohio, solved a problem that had baffled, frustrated and defeated (sometimes fatally) some of the most well-educated, well-capitalized and well known scientific entrepreneurs of their and all prior time. The story of how and why they succeeded in creating and flying the first airplane is not only fascinating, but also rich in didactic value for parents, teachers and businesspeople. Author Mark Eppler does an admirable job of drawing you into the story of the Wright brothers. We relishe the problem-solving principles he defines, which are, at times, refreshingly unorthodox. He abstracts these principles well and phrases them clearly, but the best demonstration of the principles lies in his retelling of the Wright brothers' absorbing story. A very good book indeed.

The Wright brothers were an amazing team. Working part time, these two previously undistinguished bicycle dealers from Dayton, Ohio, solved a problem that had baffled, frustrated and defeated (sometimes fatally) some of the most well-educated, well-capitalized and well known scientific entrepreneurs of their and all prior time. The story of how and why they succeeded in creating and flying the first airplane is not only fascinating, but also rich in didactic value for parents, teachers and businesspeople. Author Mark Eppler does an admirable job of drawing you into the story of the Wright brothers. Relishing the problem-solving principles he defines, which are, at times, refreshingly unorthodox. He abstracts these principles well and phrases them clearly, but the best demonstration of the principles lies in his retelling of the Wright brothers' absorbing story. A very good book indeed.

I have made it a point to read all the best selling business books to keep abreast of any new concepts in selling and management. Most books are long on theory and short on application. Or worse, very entertaining, but lacking enough detail do to anything more than enjoy the read!

The Wright Way is masterfully written to offer the reader problem solving principles related to issues that companies are experiencing NOW along with an added bonus of historical context and current events that emphasize relevancy. Technology has made it possible for companies of all sizes to become global thereby increasing the challenges (problems) a business can face. Mr. Eppler presents the reader with an outline that companies can employ whether the problem be related to technology, product lines, facilites, mergers, markets or culture within the organization. The Wright Way is not only a read, but a re-read!

It is not often that you can pick up a "managment principles" book and find it to also be entertaining and inspiring. This book is. One might think, or expect, that The Wright Way would be a "gimmick book", rehashing old managment principles with a Wright brother's twist, just to capitalize on the publicity surrounding the 100th anniversary of the first heavier than air flight. Not so. The obvious exhaustive research that went into this book reflects the authors passion about "how" the Wright brothers did what the did, not just what they did. As the CEO of a $6 million not-for-profit business, the "seven principles" struck home for me. For starters, from now on I'm going to tackle the tyrant at the get go! Enjoy this eassy, fun, and useful read.

This book is a great idea! Take one of the greatest inventions of the 20th Century and breakdown the framework that lead to its creation.

The book is well researched and the author's conclusions about the Wright Brothers appear to be firmly grounded in fact and history. My only criticisim, and it is minor, is the book would have been a 5-star if the author had included more modern business management examples to support his 7 problem solving techniques. Curent business solution stories that parallell the Wright Brothers techniques would have really hammered the points home.

Overall, excellent book.