Massachusetts Books

Although I have, as yet, been unable to read the book, I have had the opportunity to be a student of the author's. He is an amazing teacher, full of insight and a passion for the English language. As far as I am concerned, anything Bruce Michelson writes is well worth reading. Look for his new book next fall.

I want to preface this review by saying I grew up at the same time of Mark's fight and in the neighboring town the Hoyles' crusade ignorance took place. I remember hearing everything that was being said about the family and read everything being written about Mark's story.

Jay Hoyle's story of his beloved son Mark was the first book that ever made me cry. Written from his perspective, Jay Hoyle does an incredible job of telling his family's difficult story in a small, unknowing town. Mark was one of the first people in southeastern Massachusetts to contract AIDS, and not much was known about the disease at the time. The family had to battle an entire town and region for acceptance, but their story took a backseat to Ryan White, who became nationally known for his battle against society at the same time. The Hoyles' story is inspirational and touching and will make anyone who reads it question their thoughts and beliefs on certain things in this world.

"Mark" is a wonderfully touching account of a family's struggle with a disease many people knew little about. Jay Hoyle holds nothing back in this memoir and the family's story will inspire anyone who reads it. From the first time Mark started getting sick to finally receiving the fateful diagnosis, the Hoyle family stuck together and expressed nothing but unconditional love. Mark's battle with the disease was difficult, but he and his family kept nothing but optimism alive. The chronology of Mark's down-turn is sad and it made me wish a cure for this horrible disease was found. Even nearly 20 years after Mark's death and 15 years after reading this book, I still remember his story from what I read in this book.

In 35 short chapters, Ralph Fletcher shares stories of his childhood neighborhood, family, and friends. Covering topics that include a description of his neighborhood, his feelings and memories of the important people in his life, games he played, school days, pets, and childhood illnesses, this story kept me entranced from start to finish. I loved the author's simple yet moving revelation of his own feelings, especially the poignant chapter about his father, "Last Kiss."

Publisher information sets reader age at grades 5 to 8, but the kid-friendly layout of this book will appeal to readers in grades 2-4, particularly if read aloud. Teens working on author reports or personal essays will find the book interesting as well. Teachers will find this memoir a handy tool in writing workshops, if used in conjunction with specific writing topics such as description, characterization, or dialogue. Fletcher's use of details brings his stories to life. Student writers can learn much about turning ordinary life events and feelings into effective stories.

As an adult reader, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It's got a little something for every reader. I can't recommend this book enough for teachers. If you assign journal writing for young writers, this book will provide infinite topic inspiration.

Once again, Robert Kaufman has done it! Take a trip through Massachusetts with this incredible talent.

I read this book years ago and it still stands among my top three books of all time. I'm sorry it wasn't required reading during high school - I would have come away from graduation with a much more meaningful understanding of the growth of my home state.

To an extent, colonial Massachusetts had the most important affect on the emergence of the United States out of the thirteen colonies. The Boston Massacre, the fighting at Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill, the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere's ride, are just a few of the events that took place in Massachusetts. This slim book will tell you all about it, and more.

The "Portrait of America" series is a wonderful introduction for pre-teens to the 50 states and to the places and events that shaped the history of the United States. This "Massachusetts" installment is particularly good. The book is broken down into sections like "History", "Culture", "Economy" etc., and each section is thoughtfully written and edited. The "History" section is, of course, the most satisfying part of this volume.

This book, as well as the entire "Portrait of America" series, will prove to be a valuable teaching tool to all primary school educators.

The pilgrims in America was predated by Martin Luther and John Calvin in the early 1500s. It says but doesn't spoonfeed that Catholic was like 1,000 years out of date, leading to Luther's founding of Protestant. The pilgrims started in like the 1580s or 1590s, landing on The Mayflower, my ancestors in the like 1623. Only 100 and some survived that first winter, but they deliberatly had tons of kids together to keep it going. Those indians who weren't killed were kixed with the mostly French pilgrims, my ancestors- you needed SOME indian blood in you to adapt to the polar to tropical climates of the New World in America. So I'm a trade Indian. Very few generationals of those pilgrims who landed on The Mayflower survive today nearly 600 years later, but those who do are treated like royalty. The first edition in 1974 still hasn't sold out on this booklet, so get it while you can to learn the story of your ancestors' founding of Plymouth colony in present day Plymouth, Massachussets and Jamestown, Pennsylvania. Those whites who migrated to the South are still around today, but thrown up as horror and gothic icons, their repoutations and history tarnished by yesterday's wannabe goths looking to exploit their look and image for "star" purposes, to put it that way. But I see still the real thing every now and then...

This wide-ranging and insightful study effectively synthesizes behavioral risk factor data for the State of Massachusetts. Epidemiologist Jeanne Holden-Wiltse presents an incisive analysis of the myriad threats to public health and well-being.

Massachusetts residents who are more than casual bird observers will find this weighty reference a treasure trove of invaluable information: Collaborative compiled and co-edited by Wayne Petersen and W. Roger Meservey, the Massachusetts Breeding Bird Atlas offers over a hundred grid maps almost two hundred depicting the distribution of all breeding birds, provides full-page accounts for all confirmed species, and includes nature art by John Sill and Barry Van Dusen. Add distribution maps and you have a superb contribution to the growing library of ornithological reference literature.

Dr Kuehne takes on an important aspect of the political thought of the time and how that influence is important in US political development into the modern era.