Delaware Books

Pitiful. If you want a book that has no point to it and too many grammatical errors to count this book is for you.

I read Memoir: Delaware County Prison in a few hours. Reginald's story telling was straight to the point and fresh. However, I typically am drawn to books whose main character is at least sympathetic, and I found the author's experience to be extremely unsympathetic. At no point did I, the reader, feel that he was the least bit remorseful for what he did to get himself into this situation.Rather, he was just sorry that he got caught.
We the readers are treated to a rainstorm of tears and homesickness, laced with his quest to find the right guy with the right feet. Nothing was ever right for this poor soul. It was too hot in E-Block, and too cold in the trailers..everything was too nasty and the food wasn't good enough so he opted to starve himself than eat what was given him.
Everytime he was moved somewhere relatively better, he messes it up. There were a few intances where other inmates were trying to use him as their form of "release" and some even took a liking to him, and he used it to get what he wanted. But then, later, he complains that he can't understand why one day, the inmates like him, and the next day they don't.
On the synopsis at the back cover, there is talk of drug dabbling and illicit sex..and I found nothing of the sort in the story. The author's narrative was however very entertaining and probably at times inadvertently so.
Overall, I thought it was a good book; it certainly kept my attention. But, I love to read about people who I feel I can root for, and with him, I felt, "Let him stay his behind in there!"

This Book was very well written ,Reginald Hall takes the reader inside behind prison walls to experience life as he lived it, I really enjoyed this book, my only issue is that The author did not expose how Violent and brutal life behind bars really is, but I guess it was his personal experience that he wrote about,other han that it was a Very Good Book & I recommend it!Im half way thru his other book Smoking Ciggarets and so far it too is very Good!

Memoir: Delaware County Prison chronicles the months Reginald (a.k.a. Reg) has to spend in the prison for committing credit card fraud. The author doesn't give detail of the offense and I'd assume there was a prior offense because he was already on probation and a "detainer" by the probation office is the main reason he's confined for eight months, as opposed to a couple of days. I'm confused. So the question is: What was he on probation for? Was it for committing credit card fraud or something else?

The memoir starts with his initial intake, goes through his perils of being gay and in prison and ends at outtake. Hall speaks of the incidents he was subjected to just for being gay (i.e., attempted rape, gay bashing, and assault). He also brings to light another interesting subject that seems to plague Black men - homosexual behavior while inmates. There were a few instances where Reg noted he had "crushes" on a few "straight" men and one ultimately led to a sexual encounter. However, the person he had the encounter with emphasized that he didn't "go that way" yet he went there with Reg. How scary is that?

Memoir: Delaware County Prison reads like he has jotted down his memory of the incidents but without much detail. It misses the most important element - a plot. To have been written by a teenager, expressing his horrible time in prison, it's cute. The synopsis makes the book seem interesting; however, none of the subjects were touched upon. Had he given detail on his attempting suicide, taking drugs, engaging in other self-destructive behavior, along with "why" he was in prison it would have made for a more interesting read. But for now it's just - cute.

Reviewed by Esther "Ess" Mays for Loose Leaves Book Review

In MEMOIR: DELAWARE COUNTY PRISON, author Reginald Hall painstakingly chronicles his sojourn as a prison inmate. Using a very clear, simple and precise writing style, Hall essentially unveils a story filled with all the nuances, innuendoes and uncertainties of prison life. More importantly, MEMOIR: DELAWARE COUNTY PRISON gives insight into the indignities suffered by an eighteen year old, who also happens to be gay, in an environment where machismo is the dominant culture.

Hall's unobtrusive writing style adds an edge to the story, but this is blurred by his introduction of characters that are often superficial or one dimensional. The story never quite reaches its true potential and often the reader is left with the sense that there are exciting and at times dangerous possibilities lurking beneath the author's straightforward prose, which are never fully realized.

MEMOIR: DELAWARE COUNTY PRISON is a valiant first effort for noted gay rights advocate Reginald Hall. He manages to capture the readers attention with the possibilities the title seems to offer, and it does have its bright moments. The story, however, would benefit from more attention to detail especially in the area of character development.

Reviewed by Autumn
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I liked this book and didn't find the PC-ness overwhelming, frankly. Norma Johnston is all about exploring the way America lives and has lived, and this book is supposed to be a capsule of Americana at the turn of the 21st century. I don't think the religious or ethnic composition of the heroine's friends is at all unusual (or jarring or even noteworthy, actually) for modern times. The mystic, otherworldliness of the ghost story surely isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I thought it was well done, and very touching. While this isn't Norma Johnston's very best work, and I personally like her historical novels better (Of Time and of Seasons, the Keeping Days stories), I think it is one of her better contemporaries. I'm glad to have read it.

I was disappointed in this book. On top of weaknesses pointed out by other reviewers..., the book's Political Correctness got predictable and boring. The heroine blames Whites for the massacre of an Indian tribe, but nothing is said about the massacres American Indians performed on each other. The heroine has a black friend and a Jewish friend and a grandfather "Pappy" and Mom and Dad who are simplistic caricatures. Her dog Max is almost interesting but mostly he just has to be walked at times convenient for seeing The Ghost. All in all: no edge, just bland.

I love this author, especially anything in the Keeping Days series, including the many prequels/sequels. This heroine in this book, Becca Standish Robinson, does have a link to those books - I believe its supposed to be the same Standish family from the books set in Ocean Grove NJ.
This book was good, but didn't measure up to her other works. Some aspects of the book were just odd: take the grandfather, Pappy, who is supposed to be the beloved grandfather. To be blunt, Pappy is a control freak who dictates what the family does. He hides the grandmother's illness until its too late for any family member to return home; be buys a house that the family moves into without consulting the family; etc. Pappy keeps making important decisions and taking control of situations, until the mother and father are reduced to little more than additional children in the family. No one ever objects! Pappy's treatment of other family members -- and the family members passive acceptance of it -- left a bad taste in my mouth.

I really enjoyed this book. I disagree strongly with the opinions in the published editorial review--I'm glad I read the book despite the editorial review's somewhat defensive negativity, because had I skipped it, I would have missed a very good read.

The story is very different from your typical young adult book--it is set in 1999/2000, with the heroine moving from Europe to rural New Jersey after the death of her grandmother. As she makes new friends and adapts to her new home, she learns to come to peace with herself, her family history and the death of loved ones. Along the way, she discovers that she can see the ghost of a Native American ancestor, and ultimately is able to help him find the peace that has eluded him over the years. I found the book to be interesting and somewhat thought provoking, with a very real view of family relationships. Enjoy!

Although there were some weaknesses regarding the character developement of the adults in modern time in this book, the novel's main strength lay in it's vivid discription of the old Pennsylvania woods, and the sympathetic and realistic way in which the Lennape Indians are portrayed. They are not shown as noble savages, but as an actual culture, with faults and strengths of its own. Kip and Maggie, were also very well developed characters. Although the author never outright explains Kip's feelings about the tragedy that occured, they are present throughout the book and serve as Kip's main drive in wanting to run away to the past. This book was very good, and i also particularly liked the way that it concentrated more on indian culture at the time, and not european culture in America, because there are enough books on European settlers, and not enough sympathetic and accurate portrayals of American Indians. This book was a very enjoyable read.

Dark Shade is about a girl named Maggie Gilmour and how she fells into a hole that goes back in time when there was Indian tribes.It was summer when this all happen.Maggie was 16, in school she takes American literature program that will prepare her to study veterinary medicine, like her dad. In class with her is Kip, a childhood companion,who is now a silent presence, ever since a fire that left him scarred physically and emotionally. She follows Kip into the forest near their western Pennsylvania home.Kip fell into a hole Maggie thought Kip lost her. Maggie falls into the same hole Kip falls in and she notices that every thing is differant from the place she was before she fell into the hole.It is a dark forest and there is lots of trees. Maggie founds out she has falling into time. She sees indians tribes and Kip. he does not want to leave the tribe, but Maggie does want to leave and go back home.Maggie finds she must save a Scots soldier of the War and find a way to free her friend Kip from the Lenape Indians, so they cound go home. At first Kip wants to stay, but every thing started getting rough, like war between the Indians and the French. They get away and they never forget that day they fall in time.

The combination of its story about time travel to the French and Indian War and the Indian adoption of a white teen is what led me to read "Dark Shade." Overall, I was a little disappointed in the book, mainly because I didn't like how tentative the main character, Maggie, was about her time travelling adventures. I think it would have been a more intriguing story if Maggie had been allowed to more fully explore the 18th century world she stumbled in upon. Instead she only makes hestitant steps into it. Maggie's tentative reaction is probably a realistic one, but, since time travel stories are pure fantasy anyway, her reaction is not a particularly interesting one. Also I thought the sudden appearance of romantic feelings between two characters, who barely interact with each other throughout the book, came across as tacked on and contrived.

However, "Dark Shade" does have one great strength- the author's wonderfully detailed description of the primeval forest that once stretched across Pennsylvannia. Thanks to Ms. Curry's description, the reader can almost see, smell, and feel that dark, ancient, and never-ending forest. Also the author reminds the reader that people in the 18th century weren't so big on bathing so that their aroma must have been rather pungent.

for someone who is interested in allegory but not well-versed in literary criticism, i found this book helpful and easy to understand. the writing was simple enough without being paronizing and the definitions and examples provided were clear enough for anyone to grasp.

For a work of literary theory, I thought the book very well written. The argument about allegory's ability only to reinforce what we already know--rather than teach us something new, as fiction can--is very compelling.

Greatly in need of a rewrit

I was looking for a more in depth description of plays, rather than fullback goes at #2. How does the fullback get there? I was a little disappointed after hearing so much about Coach Raymond, that he would publish something like this. Anyone can draw up plays.

The book was decent, but I was a little disappointed with how a play, to the right and left side, counts as 2 plays out of the 101. Some good ideas, but it doesn't seem like 101 different plays, because it is not. Terminology is too vague and confusing, and the play names don't seem to give enough info. I would like to discuss it with fellow football fans. Evan Scharf RScharf106@aol.com

Ernest J. Moyne's Raising the Wind represents years of painstaking research into a trope of Western (and particularly English) literature - that of the Lapp (Sami) or Finn witch or wizard. As one who has studied the phenomenon in Scandinavian literature, it was amazing to me to discover how prevalent it was in English-language discourse. Although the text may not be an edge-of-the-seat, keep-you-up-all-night thriller, it is a substantial academic resource and should be read as such. Anyone researching constructions and representations of witchcraft, magic, the Wild Man, the Noble Savage, or the indigenous Other, ought to read and make use of this book.

Raising the Wind is the life's work of Professor Ernest J. Moyne. Indeed, it was not published until after his death in 1976. This book is an exhaustive list of literary references to the use of strings or bags to generate winds throughout history. Many references are given to stories mentioning Manx strings, Scottish strings, Finnish strings and Lapp strings.

I found this to be a real boring book. I had hoped that this book might provide some stories about Finnish or Lapp wizards or folktales, but was profoundly disappointed. So, if you want a book mentioning (but not going into any depth) about the use of string to generate winds, then this book is for you. For anyone else, I would suggest that you don't bother with this book.

Admittedly, this text isn't standard Shakespearean criticism in the vein of critics such as Kott, Brooks, & Bloom, etc. ad infinitum. Rather, in eschewing the 'old wine' critical approach (as well as a highly politicized one), Rozett explores the broader culture of Shakespeare through an extensive analysis of revisions, transformations, and creative supplements of the Early-Modern poet's dramatic works. These instances of "Talking Back," in Rozett's terms, form the history of a fascinating sub-genre dating back to the 17th Century--one that has continued unabated. In fact, much of the material treated by Rozett is contemporary, dating from the mid-1960s through the mid-1990s. Yet, this analysis is but a small portion of the text, and a careful reading will reveal that this history is subserviant to the greater pedagogical purpose of helping students develop and articulate their own interpretations of Shakespeare's plays. As someone who has used the strategies outlined by Rozett to great success in my own undergratuate Shakespeare courses, I can honestly say that _Talking Back to Shakespeare_ has proved a valuable resource.

Do we really need to plow through the obvious . . . again? Did Jan Kott's "Shakespeare: Our Contemporary" not give us the same information years before this? Not the best place to start for Shakespearean criticism, which Rozett obviously hasn't read a whole lot of. Though the effort is a worthy one, please--don't give us old wine in new bottles!

When compared with the American Civil War and World War II, the historical literature dealing with America's role in World War I, is noticeable lacking. Although recent publications have added to the diluted historiography that once consisted primarily of memoirs, this crucial period is a potential gold mine of unwritten scholarship that could shed light on American military policy. In _The Test of Battle: The American Expeditionary Forces in the Meuse Argonne Campaign_, Paul F. Braim evaluates the American performance and combat effectiveness during this, the American Expeditionary Force's (AEF) largest and most significant campaign. Dr. Braim, a veteran of three wars, represents the delicate blending of the academic historian and their brethren in uniform that bring a high level of technical military expertise to the profession. That combination has some drawbacks here, however.The author does not grade the AEF's performance too highly. Among the weaknesses the author mentions are: poor leadership, inadequate training, and inexperience of the American units and command structure. Unpreparedness, a lingering malady of American "citizen soldiers" is the underlying theme here. Unfortunately, Braim devotes only seventy-five pages to the actual Meuse-Argonne Campaign. In the process, one gets the impression that he is placing the Meuse-Argonne Campaign under a microscope applying all the stored technical knowledge and jargon inherent in a modern day military professional. Braim dissects the Meuse-Argonne as if he were refereeing a recent exercise held at Fort Benning, Georgia. The author incorporates way too much hindsight for my taste. The majority of the book, is nothing more than a diluted political overview and massive military buildup that mirrors the work of other historians. Nearly half of its 245-pages is a series of appendices containing graphs and tables reproduced from an original record titled: "Final Reports of Assistant Chief of Staff ... to Commander-in-Chief, American Expeditionary Forces." Most interesting, however, is the table indicating the "Responses of 728 Veterans of the Meuse-Argonne Campaign..." conducted by the U.S. Army Military History Institute at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. It is this unique perspective of veterans that adds originality to a study of this type. Generous maps and battlefield photographs taken after the war are faithfully duplicated within these pages. Yet a book cannot be judged by cosmetic make-overs alone. Braim cites poor leadership wracked the Meuse-Argonne Campaign, with particular finger-pointing at Pershing. The author suggests Pershing was afflicted with a myopia which could be called "Battlefield Fixation," and compares this preoccupation to the symptoms of Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg. Braim has consulted an adequate collection of published and unpublished sources. According to the results of the questionnaire, the veterans agree with Braim concerning inadequate training, due to "lack of time." The veterans disagree with Braim, however, on leadership. Of the 503 responses to the 'leadership" criterion, 467 veterans thought the leadership in the AEF was "good" noting that the "leaders cared" for the American soldier. It is also noteworthy to mention that Braim sent out queries to a group of the most highly respected military historians in the field to ask their views on this topic. They could not rescue Braim's bout with acute bad prose, however. The author's account is, for the most part, fluid, but contains annoying peculiarities. For instance, Braim repeatedly refers to himself throughout the text as "this author" and sprinkles his prose with contractions and the anachronistic exclamation point. Quoting a well known historian of the period, Braim exclaims, "That's the sum of it! This author wishes he'd said that." When confronted with a debate over leadership, Brain once again blurts out: "If fired upon on this matter, this author will retreat!" This reader had to retreat for some fresh air or get sick. This book had all the makings of a great study. A qualified editor would have made all the difference.

This book is an excellent historical reference on American participation on the Western Front. It provides ample politico-military information, as well as illuminating the reader on other scholarship in the field. However, it does suffer a bit on what I would describe as inferior editing. Basically, I would recommend this book for a serious historian looking for a good entry into American involvement on the ground in WW1. Once you have it and read it, it ought to stay on your bookshelf to help you find and work with other texts. If you are just a buff interested in a little light reading on WW1, go elsewhere.

This book could be 100 times better if there was half of the info and better organization. You buy this book to tell you "what are some good trips around the DC area" but it doesn't tell you that at all. YOU have to figure out where you want to go then this book gives you some basic info about every city or attraction in neighboring states. But I could get all that information from the internet! What I want is information organized by length (short trips, long trips), types of attraction, and "reviews" -- i.e., good or bad. There is almost none of that. It is just a catalog of every city in 7 states that has some tourist activities. No what is good or what is bad. What is good with kids? What about day trips? Or afternoon trips? Or trips with your dog? Nada. Kind of useless book, which is sad because a usefull book that was well organized would be great.

This guide is a great companion for anyone seeking unique and clever discoveries in the mid-atlantic region. The book dives into nature, history, unique facts and unknown charms that most travel guides hardly touch.

What did Delaware? Try This on for Size.
a review by garrie keyman
of Sonia Bleeker's The Delaware Indians: Eastern Fishermen and Farmers


I recently encountered Sonia Bleeker's absorbing children's book, The Delaware Indians (1953 William Morrow & Co.) during a library excursion with my ten-year-old daughter. Part of a larger body of children's books about various Native American Tribes, Bleeker's work puts an affable face on history and brings it to life by taking the reader on an intimate day-to-day visit with one family.

Accompanied by illustrator Patricia Boodell's warmly endearing if simple artwork, The Delaware Indians is exactly the kind of book I would have found enticing when I was ten, one book from precisely the kind of series I would have avidly sought to collect.

Meet the residents of Oyster Village, a village of the Lenape (the oldest of the Algonquin) tribe living on the eastern seaboard of what eventually would become the United States; the year, approximately 1583. Specifically, meet one young boy (Elkhair) and his family, including his grandfather, the village sachem, his mother, his father, his infant brother and his older sister, Gathers-nuts-girl.

As the family goes about their daily tasks, the young reader goes along, worshiping and give thanks to the spirit world, participating in ceremonies and traditions important to their way of life, and getting a close-up view of the homes, clothing, meals and social customs of their Native American hosts. Bleeker wraps up her 152 page book with a chapter (a century hence) on the historic meeting and consequent treaty between the Native American leader, Tamanend (for whom Tammany Hall in NYC would later be named), and William Penn.

Along the way readers are treated to interesting details, such as the origins of the name Delaware (after the Englishman, Lord De La Warr) and New Jersey's Cape May (after the Dutchman, Jacobsen May).

As a former homeschool mom, I can say I would love to have discovered this series when my sons were younger. Bleeker's work appeals to me as particularly great for lower- to middle-elementary aged students, especially as shared reading between parent and child. Unfortunately, these books are likely out of print and may be difficult to find, though tracking them down might be fun and definitely would be worthwhile.

Now excuse me, I have a reading date with another of Bleeker's books.