Michigan Books

Patricia Reilly Giff's WILLOW RUN tells of Margaret, whose life is changed by World War II and the fact that her grandfather is German - and suspected of being a spy despite his love for America. Her family's move to Michigan where her father will build planes in a factory takes her away from her grandfather and all she knows in this poignant story of war and change.

Willow Run
Patricia Reilly Giff
Wendy Lamp Books

What would you do if you had to leave your whole life behind you and move away because of war? This great book Willow Run is the story of Meggie Dillon, who has to move because her family needs money. Because Meggie's brother has gone to war. The family moves to a place called Willow Run. Here Meggie faces many obstacles when she finds out her brother is missing in action, then realizes she doesn't remember his face. Meggie also steals some icecreame from the icecream truck and then feels guilty, and wants to pay for the the icecream she had stolen, that means she has to face Arnold, the icecram man, who she and her friends think is a spy. This book is filled with friends, icecreme, letters, war, and truth. You will discover all of this and more in Willow Run.

Meggie (Margaret) Dillon is an eleven year old girl from Rockaway New York, who has to move to Willow Run Missouri, because her brother is fighting in war, so there family doesn't have as much money as they used to. Meggies dad has to work in a factory that makes B-42 Bombers for the war. Meggie is very emotional and she is very brave. Meggie has to face many obstacles in this book. Meggie is very truthful and is always writing to home and writing down her thoughts. She handles her situation very well and she acts very strong.

I definitely recommend this book and its companion, Lilly's Crossing. to kids ages nine to twelve. This book is definitely a page turner. Every time I put it down it was like I was stopping the story and the characters were just waiting for me to pick the book up again so they could continue their story. This book will also interest people who like history. It gave me a good impression of what it was like in that time during World War Two. I felt like I was in the story with Meggie. Does Eddie ever come back? Does Meggie remember his face? You find out what happens....

The year is 1944 when Margaret "Meggie" Dillon leaves her grandfather and her best friend Lily behind in Rockaway, New York and moves to Willow Run, Michigan, so her father can work at a factory building airplanes. Her older brother Eddie is fighting the war in Europe and Meggie misses him terribly. To make matters worse, her new house looks like a long box with few windows and no grass or trees in the yard. Her home in Rockaway had been near the sea; she used to hear the call of seagulls and breathe in the fresh, salty air. All she has to remind her of home are a few seeds from her grandfather's vegetable garden.

Slowly Meggie begins to make friends and rebuild her life. She meets Patches and Harlan, along with other kids who are in a similar situation. Their parents brought them to Willow Run so they could find better work in a factory building war planes. Meggie knows that this arrangement is not permanent because everyone keeps telling her that it is just for the duration.

Patricia Reilly Giff fills the book with vivid details that keep the reader anchored in time. Meggie is always entering wartime jingle writing contests and watching war newsreels at the movie theater.

Giff, a former reading teacher, is the author of many books for children, and several of her novels for young adults were named ALA Notable Books and ALA Best Books, including THE GIFT OF THE PIRATE KING, ALL THE WAY HOME, and NORY RYAN'S SONG.

Meggie Dillon lived during uncertain times, just like many young people today. Readers will learn about the power of friendship and hope to pull us through difficult times when they pick up a copy of WILLOW RUN.

--- Reviewed by Renee Kirchner [...]

Having particpated in some of Linda McLyman's leadership sessions, I was excited to read her new book. Linda presents 8 fundamental behaviors that underlie wise leadership.

Wise Leadership is simply written, yet it is to the point presenting the values and actions that comprise each leadership behavior. I find the discussions and examples are real and powerful insights into evolved leadership.

I now carry with me the 8 fundamental behaviors as a reminder of my personal goals to ehance my leadership style. I have this book sitting on my desk as an easy reference guide when I feel the need for some leadership inspiration! This is a book that I practice and am sharing with my peers and employees.

Wise Leadership is a must read for anyone in a leadership position or who aspires to be a leader. This book is a very easy read, filled with great thoughts and ideas, some of which may stop you dead in your tracks! This isn't the "same old, same old." This isn't just about leadership, it's about "wise" leadership!

Linda McLyman's Wise Leadership reflects her deep commitment to both the practical side of leadership and the emotional/spiritual aspects of the issue. Her voice is authentic, compassionate and no-nonsense, reflecting her vast experience and knowledge. I loved this book for its willingness to be useful, thought-provoking and inspirational. I read it at one sitting and I have picked it up since to re-read and re-consider.

Norman Silber's With All Deliberate Speed is a highly entertaining and informative presentation of Philip Elman's oral memoir. Silber's commentary, which he appends to the end of each chapter includes background material that is especially useful for readers who have only passing acquaintance with the dramatic doings of the Supreme Court during the 1940s, `50s and `60s, including brief summaries and citations of cases Elman refers to, as well as bibliographical material. The high-point of the book is Elman's recounting of his close relationship-perhaps improper ex parte relationship-with Felix Frankfurter and with his and their role in bringing about the inclusion of the phrase "with all deliberate speed" in Brown v. Board of Education. The beginning few chapters consist of Ellman's telling of his time at City College of New York and then at Harvard Law School, at which he first met Frankfurter. In the middle chapters, he recalls his two years as Frankfurter's clerk and his seventeen years in the Solicitor General's office, during which time he retained his intimate close relationship with Frankfurter. Elman's apparent comfort with Frankfurter's thinking of him as "his lifetime law clerk" is perhaps the most revealing mark of his character. The last few chapters recount Elman's work as an often dissident member of the Federal Trade Commission.
Much of the material concerning the Brown-case has already been published by Silber (and Elman) in the Harvard Law Review (100) 1987, 817-52. The current book, however, has the advantage of including Elman's discussion of the criticism of both Elman and Frankurter that arose as a result of that publication, especially concerning the propriety of Elman's substantive discussion of the case with Frankfurter, as well as of his belittling of the case presented by Thurgood Marhall.
It was through his frequent conversations with Frankfurter that Elman came to believe that the case could not be won without including in some fashion a proviso that would give the states time to prepare for integrated schools. Such a proviso, of course, is highly unusual. Those deprived of their constitutional rights are entitled to immediate relief. Moreover, as might well have been expected, the result of including such a proviso was lengthy delay and prolonged social turmoil. It is a humbling dilemma, and this reader deeply appreciates the opportunity to consider the thinking that led some of the key players to their decision.

While this fascinating book covers a number of interesting topics -- whether it be Harvard Law School in the 1930's; clerking for Felix Frankfurter; a long and distinguished tenure in the Solicitor General's office; or service as an activist FTC Commissioner -- probably the most significant issue is the relationship between Philip Elman and Justice Frankfurter during the Supreme Court's consideration of the Brown case. In 1987, when Harvard Law Review published excerpts from the oral history interviews upon which the book draws, quite a storm of controversy arose over ex parte contacts between Elman (then in the SG's office) and the Justice. Elman always defended himself as Frankfurter's "law clerk for life" and argued that the contacts occurred before the government knew it would enter the case. Others, such as Professors Randall Kennedy and Andrew Kaufman, were highly critical. Whether or not such contact was inappropriate, the book offers an invaluable insight into the hammering out of Brown. A helpful "Afterword" discusses the controversy. The editor's outstanding and extensive notes add a great deal to the significant contributions of this volume.

If you don't know who Philip Elman is, don't let that deter you. This is a fascinating book.

Elman, as it turns out--and as the cover photo suggests--was present for some of the greatest moments in mid-20th century American history. After clerking for Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter--one of the greatest legal minds ever to sit on the court--Elman became a government attorney. He first worked on the denazification effort in Germany after WWII, then became a key player in many of the earliest civil rights cases of the 1940s and '50s. It was then that he helped determine history with his work on Brown vs. Board of Education, writing the government brief that first devised the notion of gradual desegregation. This was a very controversial position. Elman claims that proposing a gradualist solution was the only way to get the Court to decide in favor of desegregation. Others (including well-known scholars such as Randall Kennedy) have vigorously objected to this claim, insisting that gradualism sold out an entire generation of young black people, who were left with a handshake and a promise.

Elman went on from the solicitor general's office to become a commissioner of the FTC, where he pioneered the consumer protection movement (he helped devise the now-famous health warning on cigarette packs). But the Brown material is really the heart of his story, and the moment at which, for good or ill, Philip Elman helped to shape the future of American liberalism and civil rights.

This book is well-written, even funny at times, is well-documented without seeming academic, and makes for an enjoyable and fascinating read. I wish they had titled it in a way that made the subject's importance more clear, but this is really a minor quibble.

It's surprising to see how actual the architecture in Mexico is nowadays.

Excellent, Norten is really building a new trend in architecture: the creation of spaces full of pleasure: light, functionality, metal and glass combined to greatness.

It's surprising to see how actual the architecture in Mexico is nowadays.

This book contains 1000 Grammar Tests that are easily reproduced for classroom use. These tests follow the sequence given in the authors series of Clear Grammar books but can easily be adapted to any lessons given on grammar. Each chapter has tests on a particular grammar point and at least two types of tests. (Multiple choice, fill in the blanks, sentence writing etc) This book and his series are designed for the beginner and intermediate ESL student but can easily be used in any school setting. Tests follow the same chapter sequence as the Clear Grammar Series but you can also look up tests by the grammar point you wish to test. This book does not teach any grammar points, it is simply a book of tests to help the teacher evaluate and re-inforce the information taught.

I teach adult male inmates in a maximum security prison, and besides ESL students, we have a number of very low level GED students, too. It is hard to find materials that are actually reproducible, so I jumped at this book when I found it listed on Amazon. I have used it about three weeks now. It has been an excellent addition to my class materials.

I was so pleased to get this book so quickly. I had looked other places for it to see if I could beat the price as it is a required text for one of my classes. The seller was great in communicating with me and delivered the product in the condition it was promised.

Back in 1970, wading through a mire of academic prose in graduate school, I was dazzled by my discovery of Nancy Milio's new book, "9226 Kercheval." Not only was the author a nurse (like me), she was working in the community (like me). Better still, she wasn't pontificating or theorizing. In her own voice, she told the story of how she worked with residents of a restless, inner-city neighborhood just coming to grips with the potential of black power, to start a health center for women and children. It was hard slogging, but worth it in the end. I never would have guessed that, ten years later, I'd be engaged in a similar undertaking, albeit in very different circumstances--and writing about it. A couple of years ago, I begged a friend for her precious copy of the original hardback edition and reread it. It still elicited a "Wow!" Now I've got my own copy. I hope all of you reading this will consider doing the same.

Detroit, Mo-town, city of automobile and industry, vibrant or dying? This book of wonderful poetry written by Detroit poets during the early and late 20th century is alive with feeling and emotion both specific to this working-class town and yet also universal in its appeal to the humanity and emotion in all of us. Detroiters and former Detroiters will recognize the people and places in these poems with specificity. They will have been there and lived these emotions. But so too will have anyone who has lived in any community that has felt the excitement and the hurt of change, both local and in society as a whole.
This book collects the poetry of over 100 poets with an enormity of diverse backgrounds and voices yet all with the common bond of having been a Detroiter. They reflect this yet also reflect a broader bond that we all have in our common humanity. The poems are generally short and easy to read. Pick up the book, flip it open to any page and begin reading. You will feel the honesty and clarity with which the poets write and likely these poems will stir up some very realistic feelings that have been buried deep within you. This poetry will help you to see within the soul of a city and its people whose microcosm may represent us all.

This poetry compilation achieves its goal by capturing whatever it means to be "Detroit". I sometimes close myself in a room and read loudly poems from this book to the wall just to remember what it feels like to live in an area not built on doubletalk (I live in Washington DC now).

I could never speak to whether this book would appeal to somebody who doesn't understand Detroit's turbulent life over the 20th century. I would certainly tell anybody who asked that they should at least flip through this book every so often because it tells the story of America, its pinnacles of glory and how they can get ripped right out from underneath without a moment's notice.

The poetry in 'Abandon Automobile' is beautifully visceral. There are no "thou"s or sappy sonnets about flowers in this book. It may seem simple and plain to people more accustomed to coffeeshop poetry, but it isn't once you let the words meld together. Much like Detroit is defined by what many people have done as a collective rather than what any particular individuals have done, these words together form Detroit. The language is practical, impassioned, riddled with strife and hope and somehow happiness. It has stories told through the grit of abandoned sidewalks that were once the busiest in the world, but now only support a couple averted-eye strangers passing one another.

Everyone I know who understands Detroit lives with an uneasy love / hate for it. It is the love of the automobile mixed with an utter disdain for what it has done to destroy its own city. This poetry captures that. The poems throw up an impassioned defense for all Detroit has quietly contributed to society and reveals a deep rooted frustration over its potential in a world that no longer cares about it.

Anyway - even if you've never found yourself saying 'Detroit' over and over until its images were wiped away and it settled deep in your throat as an entirely new and strange word, read this poetry. Some are better than most, but you'll find the really good ones and you'll find Detroit.

I have both of Marge Beaver's "Above Michigan" books - and look forward to another if it becomes available. Marge Beaver does amazing work, flying alone in her airplane over her home state of Michigan. These photographs are top quality, and just so beautiful. Move over, National Geographic!

Since lower Michigan is rather flat, it's sometimes hard to appreciate the vast beauty of the scenery. This book has many high quality photos showing the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline, fall foilage, dunes, and ice flows.

3.5.00 >! The title of this book is flushed stimulating to my constructive arrays thought interpretationals. >! Within effective dissolve i.e., the profound addressing to to emplode an sequence fort in examining memories about sports history. >! This is my mark to celebrate the existence of our the (GrEaT), baseball Player Mr. Vida Blue. >!

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3.5.00 >! The title of this book is flushed stimulating to my constructive arrays thought interpretationals. >! Within effective dissolve i.e., the profound addressing to to emplode an sequence fort in examining memories about sports history. >! This is my mark to celebrate the existence of our the (GrEaT), baseball Player Mr. Vida Blue. >!

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Written by an English teacher and lifelong friend of Canada's beloved, award-winning author Margaret Laurence, Alien Heart: The Life & Work Of Margaret Laurence is an inspirational evaluation of Laurence's works, drawing from insights into Laurence's life to foment a deeper understanding of her novels and short stories. Chapters follow Laurence from her girlhood to her passing in 1987, drawing deeply upon research as well as quotes and personal testimonies to weave the tapestry of her life. Enthusiastically recommended for fans and scholars of Laurence's books.

Written by an English teacher and lifelong friend of Canada's beloved, award-winning author Margaret Laurence, Alien Heart: The Life & Work Of Margaret Laurence is an inspirational evaluation of Laurence's works, drawing from insights into Laurence's life to foment a deeper understanding of her novels and short stories. Chapters follow Laurence from her girlhood to her passing in 1987, drawing deeply upon research as well as quotes and personal testimonies to weave the tapestry of her life. Enthusiastically recommended for fans and scholars of Laurence's books.