Young Americans Books

This is a real find of a book, unique in spec fic, I think. One thing that the previous reviews don't touch on is that there is a sort of social satire going on just below the surface. The beings she lives with show tendancies to be chauvinistic, ethnocentric and conformist. Take some cues from the main character's views and you'll see what I mean. It's very funny to read it that way!

Amazingly imaginative and funny science fiction - I am suprised no one has made a movie yet.

A silly and gritty space parable of gender difference. Vivid -- the characters and settings stay with me still.

BTW, Nancy Bogen is the author, not really the editor. Felice Rothman is the main character from whose perspective the book is written.

just the way I like em. All gay stories, all well written. Mostly pushing the boundaries, but not all the way. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a good hard tantalizing read.

In this day, a collection of short stories dealing with the sexual interaction between adult men and teen-aged boys is always a dangerous undertaking. But the authors approach the subject with humor, sensitivity and remembered insight of how it felt to be "of that age" ie: emotionally half formed, physically adult but restricted by the conventions of society at large.

What's legal in one place and time, Patrick points out in his introduction, is often forbidden in another, and some of the boys in the stories collected here would be offbase in more conservative jurisdictions. Generally, though, the stories are of older teens, and while the boys are always young, they are rarely innocent. Hustlers and porn stars turn up in a surprising number of tales, though with more than 500 pages of stories, guys who prefer the shy, boy-next-door type will find some pieces to please.

This book is the perfect driver's ed graduation gift. It will speak directly to teens who are finally getting that ticket to freedom: the driver's liscense! It's funny, touching and thought provoking - a smoothe ride down a fascinating highway.

If I hadn't known anything of Janet Wong, I would never have noticed this book based on the title. In fact, people who saw me reading it thought I must be really bored to pick it up. Don't be fooled! It's worth the time and money to check it out. Because the poems are simple and real, I use them in my classroom with 5th and 6th graders.

Janet Wong uses driving as a metaphor for growing up. As the mother of a 16-year-old son with two moving violations and two accidents under his belt already, the collection made me laugh and cry.

This was a nice little read about the memories of World War II from Dale Aldrich who served as a Ball Gunner on a B-17.

Dale didn't volunteer for the war. He was drafted. He says he wasn't afraid and would fight if so called on. Dale found himself being trained as an air mechanic simply because he drove tractors. It was assumed he knew how to work on them. He decides to become a gunner after he finds himself not being able to get something to eat since he worked a graveyard shift at an airfield. A clerk tried to warn him off saying gunners get killed.

He later gets assigned to a B-17 and trains with them. He also finds out that the ship carrying the mechanics was torpedoed. Jumping to gunners school probably saved his life.

Eventually, he finds himself in England. He becomes a ball gunner by trading positions with another taller man. He describes what it was like and the fact he used to sleep while the plane was in flight simply because it was warm in the ball turret versus the rest of the plane. Again, his life is saved as the other man get's killed on a mission while fighting fighters. His plane is shot down and he finds himself in Holland. He is betrayed and becomes a Prisoner of war and ends up in Stalag 17. Eventually, he gets his freedom and returns home.

Overall, this book is aimed at the high school level. For what it is; it's a good book about a man sharing his experiences which are interesting to hear as they give an idea as to what hit was like versus the "romanticized" versions that come from movies. Stories such as Dales are invaluable especially when considering his generation is dying off and the war starts moving in to mythical realms.

The stories are interesting such as Dale talking about Corporal Schultz versus Sargent Schultz of Hogans Heros. What happened in Stalag 17 and how some of that actually was used the movie Stalag 17.

Some of the photos are interesting. Two I found particularly interesting were a photo of a guard fence where the Germans tossed used cans to build a sound barrier against possible escape and another where the author was examining a restored B-17G called the "Nine-O-Nine" which was a plane that I once got to take a ride in.

The Belly Gunner is the dramatic, first-person narrative story of Dale Aldrich, an American GI who served in World War II, and who told of his life to author Carol Edgemon Hipperson. Eyewitness experiences, gripping and deadly battles, black-and-white photographs and an era that changed the world forever are all presented in vivid detail, in this straightforward account especially suitable for readers age 12 through 17, and is highly recommended for school and community library collections.

This book is fantastic, and loaded with history. You can't put it down once you've stared it. Good for all ages, and Vets will love it! Good job Carol.

Books by Augusta Stevenson can always be counted on to deliver a good story and to respect a child's intelligence - and to teach. The book opens: "A long time ago, away up in New England in the little city of Boston there was a certain blue ball. It was about the size of a cocoanut, and it hung above the front door of a certain little house. On this blue ball was a name - Josiah Franklin. That was all, but it was enough. Everyone in Boston knew that the blue ball was the sign Josiah Franklin used for his candle-and-soap shop in Union Street. They knew that he lived in this little house, too, as most tradesmen did in those days. They knew that the shop was in the front room facing the street, and that the Franklin family lived in the big room just back of it." The Childhood of Family Americans series, almost 100 years old now, chronicles the early years of famous American men and women in an accessible manner. Each book is faithful in spirit to the values and experiences that influenced the person's development. These books reaffirm the importance of our American heritage.

I thought that it was a good book because I like biographies. I especially liked the part when he went to the Latin School and he couldn't say the poem because the school master gave Ben the wrong poem. I recommend this book to you if you like to read biographies. I also recommend this book if you think that a president's life would be interesting.

us historians of our past...I highly recommend this biography of a young printer, Benjamin Franklin. Stevenson talks about the bigger of Ben's life, however going into smallest details in ocations(In my opinion: Like all biographers should.)This is a small price for a large book and may be ordered from Amazon.com!

The proess of getting the book was excellent. I got the book as expected. Excellent customer service.

Continuing a tradition of publishing a series that has become the measurement of play-writing excellence over the decades, Applause produces The Best American Short Plays 2003-04, which identifies new cutting edge playwrights who've produced winners. 12 plays - half written by women - reflect the latest industry achievers and are some of the best in print, making this a top pick for any drama collection.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

These 12 plays take issues of the recent past (50-60 years) and puts them into short, entertaining one-acts. These one-acts would be good for those needing or wanting to perform something from recent history, possibly even events that they can relate to. This book takes issues such as terrorism, life as a soldier, post 9/11 life, a "Perfect" life, anti-semitism, teachers' dreams, hysterical fans, love, deceit, choice, friendship, and betrayal. These are issues that because we can relate, the stories bring us in. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in theatre and plays.

Beautiful book. Great gift to anyone but especially to our Native American family and friends.

This is my third copy. . Its a wonderful overview of many Native American cultural traditions. The map in the back is also outstanding. I keep giving it away. I really think it is special

This book is beautiful and has inspired my class to write & draw.

I just finished reading Beyond Paradise and I loved it. The author, Jane Hertenstein, used wonderful description, and I had a picture of each scene painted in my head. This book is a great way to teach us about the tragedies that took place in other countries during World War II.
This book is about a fifteen year old girl, Louise and her family. They move to the Philippines during the beginning of World War II. As her father goes out to meet their friend's son, he is captured by the Japanese. Louise's Mother then feels awful and is too weak to do anything. Next, her family is captured too, but they are sent to a different internment camp called Santo Tomas Internment Camp. After suffering a whole year there she is told they well be set free. Everyone piles onto a ship when they are informed that they are just being sent to another camp. Then, it occurs to Louise that this was the camp her father was at. When she finally arrives she is informed that her father was just sent away. Finally she meets up with her father and they are all in the same camp together. After another year the American soldiers come and set them free. Louise becomes friends with a young soldier but eventually has to say a sad goodbye when Louise Keller returns to America.
I recommend this book to anyone from ages 9-13. It has a wonderful plotline and extremely interesting characters. I was always eager to turn the page and find out what happened next.

...you'll love Beyond Paradise. Ms. Hartenstein's writing is subtle and beautiful. She handles a horrific experience, interrment during WWII, gently but honestly, for young readers. The main character, Louise, keeps a journal of poetry. These lovely poems are sprinkled through the text. I highly recommend this book, and I hope Ms Hertenstein writes more! END

As a nine to twelve year old girl in the Japanese internment camp, Santo Tomas Internment Camp in Manila, P I, I had many of the same experiences as Louise Keller. I was several years younger than Louise but the accuracy of Jane Hertenstein's novel is amazing. A friend gave me the book on Wednesday afternoon. I read the book Wednesday evening and was "blown" away. My memories came flooding in and my emotions flooding out. Ms. Hertenstein has done her homework. I would love to get in touch with her just to tell her how much I appreciated reading Beyond Paradise and that I have ordered six copies for my friends and my sister. I know of three different groups who are, at this time, are on their way over to the Philippines for the fifty fifth reunion of our liberation from the Japanese. By the way, I was born in Iloilo on the island of Panay in the Philippines!

I want to let readers know this is a truly must read for all ages. Pre-teens, teens, young adults and adults alike will gain truth and insight into themselves; reminding them that freedom is not free. Having not heard of this author before, I can honestly say this writer has heart and wants to reach his readers on many levels. I cannot say enough good things and what a wonderful feeling I walked away with after reading it. My hope is this is not a one-hit wonder. If you like the work of Nicholas Sparks or Nicholas Evans, you'll enjoy the likes of David Dudley even more!

An excellent read from start to finish. It is wonderful to see an author who takes the time to develop characters and drive the plot without offering two-bit explanations and inch-deep resolutions to conflict. Dudley does not try to solve all of Carissa's problems, and presents good lessons on life's hardships and the need to know what is worth fighting for. A solid work for all ages, especially for young people developing their sense of moral character and integrity. Highly reccommended.

Having moved to a small rural community when I was young from a larger city, I was really able to identify with Carissa and her difficulties fitting in and making friends. A wonderful example of when to stand up for yourself and also when to move on and not let people drag you down to their level. I enjoyed the interactions of the characters and the glimpse into hardships of the time period. I'm looking forward to other books by the author!

Wonderful book for Children. Great Photography. A must for the Christmas Stocking from Santa Claus

Living in Boston, you are constantly affected by Big Dig-related twists, turns, and upsets. One day the one-way street heads east; the next it has been re-routed west. Few of us venture into the heart of this truly amazing engineering feat, but this book shows us why we should pay more attention. Vanderwarker's spectacular photographs are thrilling to see and they give a glimpse of just why so much money has been poured into this project. We get to see things only the workers would normally see. But perhaps best of all is the glimpse it gives of cutting-edge engineering and technology. Seldom have I seen so clearly how yesterday's sci-fi has become today's "sci" and tomorrow's business as usual.

This book is so much fun to read. The photography is wonderful. Vanderwalker has such a good "eye" for beauty, even in construction.

A must buy for the kids at Christmas