France Books

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This small selection of some of the delightful children's poems by Robert Louis Stevenson is a real treasure. What will capture the fascination of all children (as well as adults like me!) are the illustrations by Lucy Corvino. This artist's beautiful illustrations are perfect for the magic that all children love in these classic poems. You keep returning to each picture, and always discover more fascinating detail. A lovely job - a lovely gift book for any small child, and for "grown-ups" like me who can't resist such perfect art work.

When I showed this beautiful book to a friend, she wanted one for both her children (so they can keep it when they grow up) and also one for her mother. The poetry is timeless--it takes you back instantly into your childhood imagination--and the illustrations are superb. These pictures are funny, mysterious, comforting, poignant, all at the same time, and filled with gorgeous soft color and intriguing details. As a child, I would have spent hours looking at them.

As an elementary school teacher, I found "Poetry for Young People" by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Lucy Corvino, a wonderful book. It's a great way to introduce poetry to children because the poems are short and easy to understand. The illustrations have magnificently detailed illustrations without being overly complex or confusing. The children are drawn to the pictures, which heightens what is being read to them. They unanimously respond with great enthusiasm, and they eagerly ask for more. I highly recommend this book to parents, teachers and anyone who regularly spends time with children.

There's a living quality to the photos in this book, most of which are pictures of the land. A few photos of Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Inverness add the city sense but even those crawl to life with nature all about each picture.

The title may be Portrait of Scotland but the land is alive in this book.
Each page conjures a sense of the romance that the very name of Scotland invokes.

I do a little family history and wanted to know what the homeland of my possible ancestors looked like...Mr. Baxter makes me want to fly to Scotland and see it up close and personal. His photography is excellent and beautifully done and I couldn't be more pleased with the purchase.

Colin Baxter pushed his way up to the top photographers in my book when I saw this book! The way he photographs this lovely country is amazing! The love he has for Scotland shows in the way the photos are taken, printed, and arranged in this masterpiece of Scottish photography! It's one of my favorites in several books that he's published with his talent, definately on the top of the list.

This is a beautiful book which brought a lump to the throat of my Scottish husband (now living in the USA). This is the real Scotland that he and I (an English woman) both know and love. Highly recommended.

A most delightful book. Arrived in good condition and in a timely fashion. Thanks.

It must be pretty good, my wife liked it so much she got a couple more for friends.

This is a lovely piece of work. A wise and lively book filled with both verve and insight. The writer is a mature woman with an idiosyncratic ?lan who retains a girlish vivacity and whimsy. Her insights and observations are both fine and fun, serious and serendipitous. She tells about her two homes; the one she hails, and the one where she's staked a new claim -- one that made her who she is, and the other she is making her own. Her mounting passion for gardening and how she recounts her progress -- or lack thereof -- offers a full dollop of wonderful lagniappe. Her politics are honestly rendered; she is not out to preach or proselytize, they are just part and parcel of all her other wherewithal.

The price of water in Finistere is a book with dimensions from here to paradise. It can be read or eaten, or both.

I have read it as a manifest for breaking up, as an inspirig script for gardening, as an historical book and what not.

Bodil Malmsten has the gift of putting a glimpse of eternity in the everyday life. The language itself is a glimpse of eternity - the way she spellbounds the reader by using no other word but that which is just perfect. Her way of making a sentence by putting together the words you never thought you would see in the same context simply makes every second of reading an adventure.

Bodil M invites the reader into her private room without getting sentimental. She will laugh with you, cry with you - she even yells at you but never without blaming herself first and foremost. This is a book about what it is to be human, but without the scholarcrap. Read and proceed, cultivate your garden with The price of water in Finistere.

I really enjoyed this read.

Mr. Zollo has kept this story inside for a long time but it was worth the wait.

Beautifully written with real characters. If a novel can be more realistically set into history, I want to read it!

I thank the author for entertaining me with his modern memory of a difficult period in history.

"Prisoners" is a true story presented in a gripping fictional manner.

This novel will evoke both pride and shame in dealing with the dehumanizing effects of war.

It's a "can't put down" read.

Jerome Ferdinand

Talk about an anti-war book... I don't know if there exists another book that examines this fascinating yet horrific aspect of World War II; and, it does so by telling a story of the conditions and the near-hopelessness of the German POWs' situation -- without ever failing to remind us that the prisoners are Nazis.

I wasn't surprised to read that author has first-hand knowledge of the camps, as the story is told in oftentimes excrutiating detail -- but the type of detail that you hunger for. This is clearly a can't-put-down-until-you're-finished novel that tells a tough tale sensitively, artfully, and -- at times -- shockingly.

This is a wonderful novel on an aspect of WWII that is rarely read about, even in textbooks and is coupled with beautiful prose. The story is told gracefully and smoothly. Rarely, during the duration that I read it, was the book closed. Because of the books interested plot, story background and exquisite writing, this book is a MUST READ!

In this outstanding book, Prophet, the Hatmaker's Son, author Doug Gillies provides a detailed and insightful portrayal of the earler life and times of Dr. Robert Muller...a legend of our times, who as a youth, experienced first-hand the social turbulance and heart-wrenching injustices of war from both the Allied and German perspectives.

Based on a series of in-depth interviews and insightful conversations with Dr. Muller, author Gillies has painted a series of realistic and emotionally sensitive collages which portray in humanistic detail the shifting cultural landscapes of Europe, as social stability become shattered and virtually every aspect of normal life is dramatically disrupted by the overwhelming impacts of World War II.

Following his youthful adventures as a French Resistance Fighter, Robert Muller launched his long and fruitful career as a Global Peacemaker. The grim realities and emotional turmoil he had experienced in the wartime environment, inspired him to make a soul commitment to himself...that he would dedicate his unique multilingual and intercultural abilities for the rest of his life to the cause of Conflict Resolution, Social Justice, and Global Peace. This book reveals the poignant details of this fascinating career odyssey, which eventually led Dr. Muller to become a key player in the formation and dynamic interplays of the United Nations theater...in his role as UN Assistant Secretary General.

As a result of his overriding quest to redirect the efforts of Mankind away from war and destruction, and into more peaceful and enlightened pursuits, Dr. Muller (regarded as the Father of Global Education) developed a unique "Core Curriculum," which formsd the basis for a number of Robert Muller Schools. He is also Co-Founder and Chancellor Emeritus for the University of Peace in Costa Rics.

In addition to being the recepient of numerous prestegious World Peace Awards, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize some 22 times!

For those individuals interested in realistic historical dramas, and the making of a legendary global leader, this book should have a broad audience appeal, and will most certainly enrich the literary experience of anyone who reads it.

At first I hesitated in reading this book. Even after the first couple of chapters I wondered if I should continue. Politics is something I don't like to deal with, and reading about them is even harder. But something about PROPHET kept me wanting to know more. So I continued to read it to its completion, and I am so glad I did. I've heard the name "Robert Muller" but never knew anything about him. This book takes you through his life, and what made him who he was and how he formed his beliefs in this thing called "peace", and why he accepted the United Nations invite. To know that his beliefs were founded on events that he experienced, encountered, and/or observed makes his life more compelling to know. Douglas Gillies does an outstanding job relating not only Robert Mullers life, but the historical, spiritual, and self-knowledge significance that surrounds him. War and peace, two issues that Muller dealt with all his life, fighting against one, and for the other, are issues that all of us face and have to decide what we, ourselves, stand for. For Muller, peace was the overwhelming decision and one that very few can truly understand.

"Prophet is a genuine literary gem. The true mark of an excellent performance is when one hears the music, rather than the notes. Prophet meets that test and goes considerbly beyond. Douglas Gillies is an extraordinary writer. He involves us in Robert Muller's story immediately and continues doing so in subtle ways that hold us as active participants throughout. Prophet is universal in spirit and nature, encompassing all of us as human beings. Its tone and style are exquisite, and its intergenerational flow carries us all along on its living stream."
-Margery Layton, educator.

This is the story of an optimist who worked at the United Nations from its founding. Muller grew up on the German border, in occupied France and joined the Resistance. You will hear his story of World War II and the founding and growth of the UN.

Douglas Gillies is a gifted writer. He brings this story to life and makes this book a page-turner. He writes the story as through he was there himself.

Robert Muller has touched a lot of people. You can tell by the number of endorsement that have been gathered for this book.

I love history and I love this book. The story would make a great movie.

Dan Poynter, ParaPublishing.com

I have never seen any 'postmodern' theorist who writes with such clarity and wit. This will help you understand Freud, in a whole new light, and shows that autobiography is much more complicated than "the truth." I have taught classes using Flieger's books and articles, and my students always really profit from and enjoy them.

Tired of trying to figure out what the poststructuralists mean? Here's a nice, clear account, reading the likes of Derrida through Freud's joke theory! I learned a great deal about Freud (beyond 'phallic symbols' and 'Freudian slips') as well as 'postmodernism' in literature.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in the theory of laughter, or in the high-falutin French theorists.

This is an important rereading of Freudian and Lacanian theory as anticipations of poststructuralist philosophy and aesthetics. It also stands as an evaluation of Freud as a major theory of literature and culture, through a striking rereading of the Oedipal configuration not as "family romance" but as aesthetic structure. Highest rating!

I have seen references to this book, and to Jerry Aline Flieger's work, by some of the top theorists and critics writing today, including Slavoj Zizek and Sander Gillman. She is without a doubt one of the best theorists of this generation, because her writing is deeply intelligent and insightful, but also CLEAR. I always recommend this book to people who want a really original take on humour.

A book that finally provides a history (and excellent coverage via footnoted documentation) on a long forgotten and overlooked occupation and its accompanying attrocities. The cynicism of the time had prompted many to dismiss these atrocities as propaganda. Let the cynics of the present and the future not be so blinded as to dismiss the crimes against humanity being committed worldwide today, especially in distant and far-off lands such as Darfur.

I have long held the view that the United States should have stayed out of World War I. Larry Zukerman is making me think twice about our involvement. Germany was guilty of war crimes against he people of Belgium. Its behavior during the invasion simply cannot be explained away. The German military did indeed seem to deliberately terrorize the population. Unfortunately, the shabbily put together Bryce Report encouraged outsiders to dismiss all reports of atrocities as mere exaggerations and outright lies. I consider this current review as incomplete. Am I perhaps too reluctant to admit being wrong in the past? Whatever, I strongly recommend The Rape of Belgium to all those interested in the history of this savage war. I will also be adding future insights in the comment section.

Growing up in Post WW2 Belgium, I never understood why those who lived through the war could not stop recalling their experience.
Couldn't they just leave the past behind?
And then I grew up and I began asking questions?

My father's parents lived on the Dutch border, by Vise and so were some of the first to witness the invasion. My grandfather was deported to Bavaria for 5 years. His wife was left to fend for herself and their 6 year old son.

My mother's parents lived a few days' walk from the border, in Jauche. They, along with many others, fled Belgium with only the clothes they had on their backs. Watching the horizon for advancing German troops from the second floor of their homes, those who had survived WW1 had encouraged their adult children to just run. Why? Was that not cowardice?

I found the answer. It was not cowardice. It was survival instincts.

In its horrifying retelling, the book presents a sort of play rehearsal for the Holocaust.
The invaders' total disregard of the law and treaties but most of all their ability to get away with it all, set the tone for the next war. A German population, lulled by false propaganda, believed they had been victimized by the Allies. When the 'right' leader came along how could they resist seeking what they felt was righteous vindication.
How wrong they were though!

How Belgium and the Belgians ever managed to get back on their feet amazes me...

WW2 might not have happened had the issue of War Crimes been taken seriously. Millions of lives might have been spared. But hindsight is 20/20.

A must-read for anyone truly interested in learning from the Past.

The propaganda wars in the First World War produced a strong reaction against the distortions on both sides. But, as the author shows, the result in the case of Belgium was to forget the reality of the German invasion and occupation, which in many ways was the first episode of the twentieth century savagery of warfare against civilian populations. The term 'totalitarian' had not yet entered the language, but the war system created to plunder and repress the Belgians was in many ways the first instance of the type. Sixth place in the ranks of industrialized nations, Belgium was plundered of its industrial capital and infrastructure. This history was a premonition of the tactics of the Nazis to come. Sets the record straight in an area where it is difficult, short of the archival research provided, to maintain objective judgments.

There are certain stories you read in childhood that stay with you forever; I don't know exactly why this story has stayed with me so, but certainly it has. Hedwig's uncertainty and her desperate need to find a place to feel loved and safe were very well portrayed. I can remember reading about her loneliness even now, a good twenty years later.

This book had a profound effect on me as a child and I have never forgotten how it made me feel. Would recommend for any young girl between 9 and 12.

Ready Made Family and Runaway Alice are the type of books you read as a child, and remember as an adult, I recently reread Ready Made Family and I enjoyed it just as much.

Hedy and her brother and sister have been bounced around by their aunts, uncles, cousins and other family members until they no longer trust that anything good will ever happen to them, learning to be a family and for Hedy to just be a kid takes time.

Read it if you can find it.

Hedwig Kowalski isn't sure she wants to be placed out. With her brother, Peter, and sister, Mary Rose, Hedwig had been passed from one relative to another. Things are better in the state home, and besides, nobody wants Peter. Hedwig's aunt had said that he was a natural born thief. He tells lies, and breaks things, and causes trouble. Hedy is afraid Peter will be sent to reform school. Then thier family will be split up.

Hedy likes thier new home with the Kennedys. So does Mary Rose. But Peter, well, Peter is still Peter. Why does he have to be such a problem? Why can't he behave? And what will happen when money is found missing from Mrs. Kennedy's handbag?

My mother read this book in grade school, and we still have her old paperback book. I don't know how many times I have read it, but it is a great story. If you can find it, I greatly recomend it.

I find it laughable that people are charging over $30 for a used, older version of the book, when it is available new from the publisher (SRI) for $20.00. Smells like profiteering to me.

I am writing this review after finding my previously misplaced copy of 'Recipe for Reading'. This book is the missing piece in the phonics instruction puzzle. Although information abounds regarding the sequence of phonics instruction this book is truly complete. It offers a solid multisensory approach and continued reinforcement (both crucial for struggling readers).

I have a deeper knowledge of the book because we went through the entire book for my Orton-Gillingham training but I can say that it, and my training manual, are the backbone of my reading program. The sound instructional methods and clear systematic, sequential approach to phonics instruction are simply excellent. This book is truly a sequential phonics program (some of you may be familiar with the disappointment that the plethora of 'phonics' books elicit from unsuspecting, yet good intentioned, buyers). The sequence chart alone is fantastic. From the basic alphabet to multisyllabic words with blends this book will cover the entire reading sequence in a truly systematic fashion. You do not have to piece it together and it makes complete sense. Having the words for spelling and sentence dictation and reading means that much of the work is done for you. The alliterative sentences are also an excellent addition to this book.

If you want to teach children to read utilizing a systematic, sequential, multisensory approach this book will prove invaluable. I am so happy my copy is no longer misplaced!

As a special education instructor, I have found this book to be a useful tool to form a succinct pattern for teaching reading to the reluctant student. Nina Traub's book starts out with the teaching of consonants and proceeds to short vowel sounds, etc. Each section requires the student to recall prior learning, therefore ensuring mastery of material. This is a great tool for not only the reluctant reader but also children with learning disabilities.

I learned about this book through a special education teacher. I have used it for the last five years, and the truth is, it's a great way to get to those kids who just can't '"get it". It is very flexible and adaptable to each student's needs.