Young Americans Books

I began to read The Winter People because it is on my school reading list. It is not the type of book I would normally pick up to read for pleasure. However once I got into the book I found it quite interesting. The book takes place before people were civilized like they are now, and is about people who have a completely different way of living. I can actually say I learned about another culture, by reading this book.

The story is about an Indian tribe that gets torn apart by white people. But specifically the book tells about a boy names Saxso that, in my opinion, truly becomes a man by the end. He gets separated from his mother and two sisters while escaping, and as the head of the family it is his job to get his family back together. After learning they had been taken by whites, Saxso sets off for a long, difficult journey to rescue them.

The Winter People is the type of book that is hard to start, but once you get into it, you'll be glad you kept reading.

I thought was a beautifully written story by Joseph Bruchac, about the Indian tribe, the Abenaki's. The simple and yet complex way he wrote it from the point of view of 14 year old Native American named Saxso, made it all the more interesting. Saxso is probably the most interesting character in this book aside from his cousin and grandfather. The description of what the British (the white people, or the winter people, the people with winter/cold in their hearts) were doing to the Native Americans after they captured them from the village upon their raid, actually brought tears to my eyes (I've never even heard of the British eating the Native Americans until I read this book. More genocidal things the world continues to hide from the people about what the Europeans, and British, among others who wronged these people, hide.). I continued to read the book until the very end which was satisfying in aspect of the word. I recommend this book to anyone who has a interest in Native Americans and their lives during the many wars that took place on the land they lived on.

This is a truly fasincating story told in a different perspective, through the eyes of a Native American. The novel shows us a totally opposite side of the stories and documents recorded and still used today in life. After I finally finished reading "The Winter People", I had an unique and new perspective towards the Abenakis. You will too, and I still do, hold a strong respect towards these people and their way of life.

I found this to be both an easy to read book, and historically accurate as well. Bruchac is an amazing writer, and teaches many lessons while the the story is told. This book should definately be read by middle school-high school students because it will help teach about both the native peoples and the Seven Years war, and help to wash away some of the stereotypes that have plagued native peoples for many years.
Justin

The author of this book is Brian Boru Dunne (1878-1962). The editors of this remarkable memoir want to point out that it is unlike anything we might expect from one writer memorializing another. Brian Dunne was a very young man from an Irish-American family, who had recently studied in a Belgian college with princes of the aristocratic de Croy family, met Gissing by accident in Siena, and then spent several months with him in Rome. The Roman period was an unusually happy one for Gissing, who entertained H.G. Wells and socialized with many important people there, including such other writers as Arthur Conan Doyle and Ernest Hornung. As Gissing's frequent companion, Dunne wrote it all down in his diary, preserving a record of their daily escapades and quotidian conversations in the fresh, unguarded manner of a young man whose mind was uncluttered by any adult protocol, social philosophy, or professional agenda. He went on to become the city editor of the Santa Fe New Mexican, met and interviewed most of the leading figures of the day, and wrote several memoirs which will be published in due time. In Gissing's case, he remained faithful to his diary and produced a lively, vivid, and patently authentic account aof a man who was regarded as one of the leading novelists of the time. Paul F. Mattheisen

As a long-time student of George Gissing's work and one of his first biographers, I was delighted to read this vivid and perceptive first-hand account of his activities and opinions. Few people who knew Gissing personally have left memoirs of him, and Dunne's is certainly the fullest up-close portrait that we have. He describes Gissing's writing and eating habits, his attention to clothes, his reactions to Italy and his people, and his opinions of other writers, and all this helps to clarify the novelist's character. I especially appreciated the excellent informative notes, which provided much needed background, and brought Dunne himself forward as an interesting and significant figure.

I stumbled onto George Gissing two years ago through his travel classic "By The Ionian Sea: Notes on a Ramble Through Southern Italy." I had not read much late-Victorian writing, except for brief forays into Thomas Hardy. Now I have found a new champion -- George Gissing -- and am discovering that post-industrial era through his works. In this process, I discovered Dunne's delightful memoir and was drawn to it because it recalled a time in Gissing's life when he seem most happiest: his 1897-1898 tour of Southern Italy, the setting for "By the Ionian Sea." Dunne's memoir -- wonderfully edited to fully explain all references, from obvious to obscure -- can be read on more than one level. First, it gives a vivid recounting, through an innocent young journalist's eyes that miss little, of a golden three or four months or so in Rome, hobnobbing with Gissing and two other Victorian writers, H.G. Wells and Arthur Conan Doyle. It also can be seen as "a work in progress" where the reader can examine how Dunne, by now in middle age and an accomplished writer in his own right, moved from diary through drafts of memoirs. And particularly important for the Gissing enthusiast is the introduction, which puts the era in perspective and paints a vivid picture of the players in Dunne's Roman holiday.

Out of left field, from the editors of The Collected Letters of George Gissing, comes a refeshing new view of Gissing--plus some charming turn-of-century Americana. The oddly successful combinaton comes about in this way. When the English novelist, desperate to escape for a time from his miserable marriage, visited Italy in 1897-98, he met there a 20-year old American traveller named Brian Boru Dunne. The precocious young man, who would later become a journalist in Santa Fe, New Mexico, kept a diary of their conversations over several months, recording Gissing's opinions on literature, modern and ancient Rome, and everything else that interested them. Years later, he wrote p some of his notes. The diary is lost, but the editors have used Dunne's surviving materials to create a fascinating portrait that shows us a more unbuttoned and humorous Gissing than we knew. Because Dunne is worthy of interest in himself, they have seen fit to include some other pieces: William Jennings Bryan's unconsciously hilarious rules for oratory; Cardinal Gibons' recipe for longevity; and an interview with Mark Twain written by Twain himself. Their 40-page introduction to Dunne and Gissing is unexpectedly fascinating. The voluminous footnotes explain so much, and in such style, that they are an integral part of the reading experience. This beautifully produced, amusing, and illuminating miscellany should attract all Gissing readers, and they will be rewarded by more than they bargained for.

I read The Worry Week with my 8 year old. We loved it so much. It was easy for her to relate to the main character and was fun to see what would happen next. It was also a good lesson in what is really involved in surviving and taking care of others.

A great book that explores a childhood fantasy of being on your own and getting by in the wilderness - no parents allowed! I recently reread this book that I enjoyed as a kid and it is still pretty great. It would make a fun movie.

Anne Lindbergh shines! A great book

This is a great book to read when you're on vacation or at the beach. It's the story of 3 sisters Alice, Allegra, and Edith (aka Minnow) who are reluctant to leave their summer house when their parents vacation plans are suddenly changed. Rather than spend a week with their boring and strict aunt, they concoct a plan which will allow them to stay behind without their parents. As Allegra puts it "We'll be on the island and we won't have a worry in the world!" But their plan goes awry and they find themselves facing dilemma after dilemma: sprained ankles, sunburns, murdering thieves (not really) and NO food. Some parents may worry about the ideas sent by of three young girls living for a week without adult supervision. Not to mention there's a lot of skinny dipping. But if you're going to oppose the book on those grounds, you may as well tell people to burn copies of "Pippi Longstocking". The book is well written with a definitively humorous tone. The characters are very real and well portrayed. Overall the story is charming and witty and exciting. If you like it you may want to read Lindbergh's 'Pinapple Place' books, though I think this book outshines them.

Seriously, just like I expected this was SOO awesome!! If u want to cheer up and see that you're NOT the only one who has totally embarrasing moments, and laugh your butt off I really recommend this book to anyone!

Its a collection of humilating, mortifyiung, and totally embarrasing moments. It is guarranteed to crack you up. Seriousy. Any embarrasing moment that could actually happen to you is in this book. From flashing people in school, to thinking out loud about ur crush ... when he actually sits few rows from you.

CRACK UP guarraneed!!

<3

I love reading embarassing moment books so when I came accross this book I just had to read it. I read it in one day, as a great quick read. Some of the stories you can relate to or hope they never happen to you. Either way this book is a must read for anyone who wants a quick book that makes you laugh.

This book made me laugh! I didn't want it to end! So of the story's in it are so embarrasing! Ym did a great job of putting all the funny storys together. If you are looking for a great book to make you laugh, this is it!

My friends and I love to read the embarrassing moments in magazines all of the time. This book truly has the best of the best. My friends and I couldn't stop laughing. I recommend this book for anybody who feels like laughing!

I would highly reccomend this book for any young reader. It is mainly suitable for the age group of 9-12. The author outlines major historical events of the period without going into the true to life graphic detail of the battles/conditions of the time. Definately a good primer for children to later expand on.

Joseph Plumb Martin is fifteen in 1775 when tensions between the American colonists and their British rulers erupt. He witnesses the organization and recruitment of a local military force, untrained and undersupplied. Martin hesitatingly enlists for the limit period of six months, required by the state militia. He sees combat at Gowanus Creek and is part of Washington's retreat to Manhattan Island. After colonial morale is lifted by Washington's surprise attack on the British at Trenton, Joseph re-enlists for the duration of the war and participates in the long, miserable winter march to and encampment at Valley Forge. Joseph remains in the Continental Army until the signing of the provisional peace treaty with the British in 1783. By this time he is twenty-two and has grown from a boy to a man.
This is an excellent choice of historical non-fiction for young adults for several reasons. First of all, the personal story, told in Martin's own strikingly honest words, is never embellished upon, and helps to focus an otherwise complex political story. Secondly, the American forces, often depicted in domestic versions of this war as having been invincibly heroic, are here described exactly as the poorly trained and undisciplined force that they initially were. Washington's losses and retreats from the British are diligently explained. Since Martin's military experience involved serving in several capacities, he is a good choice for a commentator. The author, who has received awards for his previous works on military history for young adults, does not shy away from the unpleasant news that Americans, confronted by a superior fighting force and often low on morale, walked away from battlefields once their enlistments were up and, in some cases, deserted. Moreover, he points out that, while Washington's army was starving at Valley Forge, the local citizenry had food in surplus and could have shared more with the soldiers, many of whom had no shoes that winter.
Heavily illustrated with reproductions of prints and paintings of the events discussed, this creative approach to an old subject highlights the subjectivity and propagandistic nature of "historical" art: The same series of events are depicted differently by various artists depending on their political affiliations. Murphy is careful to point out that elegant artistic renderings of American troops have very little in common with the crude reality of their service. A complete bibliography is provided as well as a useful time line. This book is highly recommended for grades six and up as well as for adults interested in an objective account of the American War for Independence.

I'm 12 years-old and I thought this story was very exciting. My older brother read it also, and he said it was great. It is about a fifteen-year-old boy who is eager to go to war. However, it ends up being the most horrifying life a young man could have. I would give six stars if I could. Since I can't, I'll write it down: six stars!

I am 13 years old and i absolutly love this book, Murphy (the author) describes the American Revolution so clearly that u actually feel like you are in the story! This book is about a boy named Joseph who signs up to be in the Continental Army, he goes through hard times and good times as well! I would say any history fan would love this book!!!!

I bought the book on sale and I'm very glad to own it. It does have A LOT of stories, so there's something for everyone. There are a few stories that I didn't like, but I enjoyed almost all of them, which is really something. I'm picky, and putting almost a hundred stories that I like in one book is quite a feat.

The stories are all very different from each other. Some a funny, some are frightening, and some are very dramatic.

This book sounds like it is going to be really cheesy, but it is really great! This book is so good, that I almost bought this book at well known books store, and (I never buy books!). But, I was lucky enough to find this at the library. A lot of the stories are creepy, and almost seem believable! The stories are so well written that you can picture things clearly as you read them. I have read a few stories, and they don't all seem to deal with black magic or the devil. They are just creepy like I stated above. This is a fun book to read around Halloween! The cover alone seems creepy and "Halloweenish". If you have ever wished that you could know a real life witch, like I have then this book is def. for you! Grandma Grunt is defiantely one of the creepies stories that I have ever read! This book is probably ok for kids twelve and over, but I think it would really scare younger kids. If you like good Horror stories, don't pass this one up!

100 Wicked Little Witch Stories is a wonderful collection of short stories covering every kind of witch. I love this book and have gone back to it many times because it has such variety. Within this book you will find stories that are funny, loveable, charming, and ones that are downright scary. (The kind that keep you up at night!) All in all, this book is a must have for anyone who enjoys witchcraft folklore.

21 PROMS tells the stories of, well, twenty-one proms. Twenty-one fantastic authors contributed to this collection, and each and every one of the stories is fabulous and enjoyable. A few, however, really stick out in my mind after finishing this book.

Holly Black's IN VODKA VERITAS is a creepy story about an evil Latin club. "MOM CALLED, SHE SAID YOU HAVE TO GO TO PROM" is Adrienne Maria Vrettos' contribution to the book. It's a great story that manages, in just a few pages, to create wonderfully three-dimensional characters that I'd love to read more about. BETTER BE GOOD TO ME by Daniel Ehrenhaft is a brilliantly written and romantic story. Aimee Friedman's THREE FATES is a hilarious story about what happens when Abby ends up with three dates instead of going dateless the way she thought she would. THE QUESTION is Brent Hartinger's one-act play that would be wonderful to see performed. PRIMATE THE PROM is Libba Bray's very interesting, original, and unusual story of a boy going to prom with his boyfriend -- who just happens to be a gorilla. THE BACKUP DATE, by Leslie Margolis, is a fabulously well-written story about Jasmine, a whiny but completely believable character, going to prom with her boyfriend and brother's best friend.

As you can see, there are quite a few fabulous stories in this collection. The two that I loved the most, however, were these: Melissa de la Cruz told the absolutely true and absolutely hilarious story of her prom in A SIX-PACK OF BUD, A FIFTH OF WHISKEY, AND ME. THE GREAT AMERICAN MORP is John Green's absolutely brilliant story and one of my two favorites about a couple of girls having a "morp," a party that is a backwards prom. In this funny and fantastic story, he introduces characters that I'd absolutely love to see again.

I did notice one thing that is interesting, and I want to know why this is: people seem much more likely to write about two gay guys than two lesbians. Quite a few of the stories had gay guys in them, but I can't think of any about two girls who wanted to go to prom together; I don't know why. In fact, I can only think of one book that I've read where the main character is a lesbian: KEEPING YOU A SECRET, by Julie Anne Peters.

A good short story, one that has good characters or a hold-your-breath-suspenseful plot or something, has to do it in just a few pages. These were some of the best short stories I can ever remember reading!

Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce

This book was awesome. It's a powerful collection, with a wide range of prom stories. There are the traditional prom stories, where a good time is had by all ... or most. There are the anti-prom people, who want nothing to do with the dresses and the disco balls, but make their own fun. And there are a bunch of other stories involving gorillas, chickens, condom dresses, and six-packs of Bud.

My favorites from the collection were three amazing stories that stood out against the rest:

- "Mom called, she says you have to go the prom" by Adrienne Maria Vrettos
- Chicken by Jodi Lynn Anderson
- The Great American Morp by John Green

I liked them all for different reasons, and I'm not going to spoil the surprises that are hiding in this book. I'm just going to tell you that it's worth the read.

I loved every minute of this book. I have read most of the authors' other works, so I shouldn't have been so surprised with how much I enjoyed reading every story, every page.

As with any compilation, there were some real standouts, but they were mostly because I could totally relate to them or laughed out loud. "`Mom called, she said you have to go to the prom'" by Adrienne Maria Vrettos was a fantastic story about an uninhibited girl who has the time of her life putting her oddities on display for the world to see. "Prom for Fat Girls" by Rachel Cohn was great because, honestly, what fat girl doesn't want to read about another fat girl getting the guy? And they saved the best for last. John Green's "The Great American Morp" rocked--it was the reason I gave this book five stars rather than four.

Great Authors + Great Stories = A Great Read. (Okay, that was pretty cliché and cheesy even for me.)

As a professor of Creative Drama and Children's Theatre at the University of New Mexico, I am always looking for books that students in our children's classes will enjoy acting out. ABBIE AGAINST THE STORM is a rich and exciting source of dramatic action and historical fact as well as being a lively and moving reading experience. Abbie is a magnificently brave teen-age girl who struggles against her own fear and self-doubt as well as struggling with the raging forces of nature. Vaughan paints wonderful word pictures with sound and visual imagery. Her use of words suggest how spoken language may have sounded in the mid-nineteenth century. Bill Farnsworth's gorgeous illustrations are equally dramatic and embody the strong spirit of Abby, the wildness of the sea, and the individuality of each character. This is a wonderful book for young readers. It will introduce them to a different era through the eyes of a woman who lived over a century ago. The epilogue that gives historical facts about the real Abby is an excellent addition to the story and makes it resonate with even more meaning.

Abbie is a young girl who actually lived in another century. Her lighthouse did not have electricity but only whaleoil lamps. This made her job of polishing mirrors so important. The book describes the storm so well that you can almost hear the wind howling. Her courage in fighting against the storm and saving her family and her chickens are things that my grandson will relate to. The pictures make even an old person love Abbie Burgess because they illustrate her bravery.

I chose the book because our family had stayed at a lighthouse in a big storm a couple of years ago. The wind was howling and the rain was coming down and it was very frightening to my kids.

So, when I saw this book, I thought wow - this could be good.

My daughter and I read this book together. I liked the story and the struggle that this young woman went through. The pictures were great!

Later in the week I saw her play on the play structure pretending it was a lighthouse. Obviously it touched her imagination - the mark of a good book.

My high school Drama Peformance class performed this play in front of our freshman Health & Careers classes and sophomore English classes during the school day and for the community at night (free of charge) on Wednesday, March 24th, 2004. It was a phenominal success. Everyone loved it and it really protrayed the reality of the drugs and alcohol world. It made sure that no-one who saw it will ever do drugs again, if ever.

This play is incredibly powerful...a sure-fire winner with students and parents alike. Mr. McDonough is consistently the best playwright for teenagers. His voice with drama is exceptional...but he doesn't stop there! His comedies are even better! Check them out -- FAUGH, Rumors, Arrivals -- Incredible comedy from a dramtic master.

Jerome Mcdonough's Addict is, by far, my favorite play ever written. I have extensive theatrical experience and last Spring I chose Addict as my student-directed one-act in a theatre class. I adapted it to a black-box performance, added a theme song--"the freshman" by The Verve Pipe and rehearsed for two months. I've never received such an amazing reaction from an audience nor my friends, family and teachers who saw the performance (which was free of charge). I adore Jerome McDonough for writting a script so incredible that I am now a respected dramatist with the aspiration of directing more plays in the adult life ahead of me. Those around me finally have faith in what I am capable of becoming. I wish to not only direct more plays by McDonough and other playwrites, but I, too, wish to become a writer. Addict has inspired me to want to write my own plays that touch the hearts and awaken the souls of audiences, thespians, and directors everywhere. I also recommend Alky, Juvie, Hoods, The Lottery, and all of the other McDonough masterpieces which I've yet to enjoy.

From the first paragraph of "An Affair of Honor," you know you are in the hands of a master. The people who live in it, the dazzling structure that compells you from page to page, and the challenging and exciting intelligence author Richard Marius brought to the issues covered in the novel remind us of why we read fiction.

Richard Marius died in 1999, and it seemed that there would be ever again be anything by him to experience. His 1993 "After the War" is one of the five best novels I have ever read in a lifetime of book-loving. I envy anyone who gets to sit down with it for the first time.

Marius wrote about the imaginary town of Bourbonville, Tennessee. While "After the War" dealt with post World War I, "An Affair of Honor" is placed in the decade after World War II.

Twenty-year-old Charles Alexander leaves work late one night and witnesses a man he knows killing two people, one of them the man's own wife. Hope Kirby sees Charles and puts the muzzle of the gun to the boy's forehead. But he does not kill him. He lets Charles go after the terrified divinity student promises not to tell anyone what he has seen. The sheriff knows Charles would have been near the place of the killings at the time they happened, and the shattered young man cannot withold the truth.

Should he have lied? Charles, who has lost his faith and is wracked by the loss of his own innocence is not sure. Blurting out the truth to the sheriff came from someplace so deep, so organic, that it could not be held back. Yet, his heart goes out to Hope Kirby, a war hero from the back hills, and he knows that he broke the promise that saved his life.

Questions of truth, faith, promises, war, and madness dog all the characters in the book, who must work them out in order to go on. So confident was Marius in his characters and the compelling questions he raised that he dared to put Hope's trial in the middle of the book, if for no other reason than to show us that it was not the climax of the story at all. "An Affair of Honor" is impossible to stop reading, and then hard to stop thinking about. A brilliant novel and a fine end to an exemplary writing career.

A wonderful book, on a par with the work of Ferrol Sams and T.R.
Pearson, set in Bourbonville, Tennessee (a fictionalized
Lenoir City) 25 miles SW of Knoxville. An excellent sense of
place and time, the third book in a trilogy starting with The
Coming of Rain (Bourbonville in 1885) and followed by After the
War (Bourbonville 1917-1927 or so). Affair of Honor takes place
in the mid-1950s and after (saying when might give away some of
the plot)--characters, children and grandchildren of characters
from the other two novels appear here. In many ways this is the
richest and most tapestried of the three books. As with the
books of Ferrol Sams and T.R. Pearson, this is one you look
forward to rereading a year from now.

Thepageturner's review (below) inspired me to get this book, and Marius's hypnotic writing kept me reading it, almost non-stop. This is a huge, panoramic novel of 1950's Tennessee, set in Bourbonville, also the setting for After the War, and involving later generations of some of the same families. Hope Kirby's killing of his wife and her lover start the spiralling action in this thoughtful, but exciting, novel and provide the forum for the author's extended study of the different ways we define justice and seek retribution.

Charles Alexander, a college student and newspaper reporter who accidentally witnesses the double murder, escapes being executed by Kirby only because he promises not to tell what he's seen. Charles, however, eventually becomes overwhelmed with guilt and confesses to the sheriff that he was a witness. While this action might seem on the surface to be clearly a correct action, it is not so simple in Bourbonville, where many believe the "code of the hills" is inviolate and Charles's breaking of his word of honor to be a serious betrayal. Even the clergy get in on the action, some advocating that he retract his statement, and Charles finds himself with few friends and even fewer supporters.

Plenty of drama, and even melodrama, keep the reader going, and the pages fly by, as we become totally caught up in the plot and in the lives of the characters, all of whom face demons of some sort. Marius is a master of keeping mysteries alive and making us understand and care for these characters, even those we dislike or consider misguided, because he makes us share their experiences, often through flashbacks. The complexities of religious faith, which we see as Charles and many other characters battle their doubts, are brought into sharp focus as we also share the traumas many characters have experienced during World War II, traumas still affecting both their earthly and spiritual lives. Marius takes on the big questions and provides a fascinating novel in which love and justice sometimes seem ineffable goals in a society which often honors tradition and shared community values far more than humanity and individual worth. Mary Whipple