Canada Books

What a beautiful memoir! The setting, a small town in central Canada, was almost exotic to me. The writing is poem-like, clean and meditative. With his gentle voice, Mr. O'Connor takes you to the world of the sensitive boy whose longing and wonder towards his mysterious father is so vividly felt. The beautiful images in the book will remain with me for a long time. I highly recommend this special work.

What a fascinating story! And so well written. It brilliantly brings the author's world to life in all its wonderful and awful detail. The people are portrayed so artfully, both as individuals and collectively, that you feel you are among them. And the central story is beautifully touching.

I work with the author. So much for full disclosure. And I had been told by another colleague before I read it that his book was wonderful. I wasn't prepared, though, to be overwhelmed, and I was: by the richness of its style, the honesty of its emotion, the entertainment of its anecdote, the relief of its humor amid pain and personal discovery. O'Connor travels two paths in search of answers about the emotional chill in his childhood home in Canada and the strange allure of cold climes. This yields on one side beautifully drawn pictures of smalltown life in which O'Connor's growing self-awareness and his tracking of family history coalesce. On the other, its offers perfectly rendered vignettes and lore about famous explorers, plain life and survival in the frigid north. Sometimes the juxtaposition seems impossibly apt, yet never forced. Along each trail run themes in varying proportions of love and hurt, sacrifice and estrangement, distance and intimacy, ambition and constraint. Through it all runs a classically balanced voice, blunt and eloquent and wry in confronting simple or hard truths. There is finally and happily about the book a physical irony in which I regretted its ending so soon but relished the knowledge that I could always find time to return time and again to a book as modest in size as it is grand in reward.

O'Connor's beautiful language is as smooth as ice, as clean as fresh snow. This is a haunting, mysterious story of family secrets, which the author tells partly through direct memoir narrative and partly through metaphorical history and legend of the far north. I found the scenes of O'Connor's boyhood to be particularly well drawn: the ways in which he conjures child logic and perception are magical. Touching, strange, cathartic.

I thought this was just beautifully done. The father, both of the parents, are so well-drawn in it. And the alternation of northern lore with the author's personal story works perfectly: O'Connor's voice is so specific and true, you stay with him as he swings between eskimo legends, a natural history of the northern parts of the continent, and a wildly funny drunken bar room contretemps, easily finding meaningful connections between it all. The main story is wrenching with a beautiful payoff. Read this book!

In War Orphan in San Francisco, Phyllis Helene Mattson tells the engrossing story of her childhood spent in San Francisco where her mother managed to send her in 1940, in the final window of opportunity for escaping the Nazi occupation of Vienna. Initially Mattson stays with an aunt and then in foster homes and orphanages. Her mother, never able to secure the necessary papers that would allow her out of Austria, worked as forced labor. Mattson's father was thrown out of Vienna late in 1939 by the Germans and then spent the war in an Australian internment camp when England, his temporary home, declared war on Germany and he became a prisoner of war.

Mattson found herself as the primary link for the scattered family from the time she was ten until her father came to the US when she was seventeen. She used the treasure trove of letters, long stored in a box in the garage, to help tell her story.

As a woman's memoir writing coach, I read memoirs at multiple levels. I examine each story for its strength in writing, in engaging the reader and in providing ideas to other women who are writing their memoirs. Mattson's book gets stars on all of these dimensions. In addition to being well written and engrossing (I tried to figure out how I would handle a similar situation and could not envision that I would be as strong as she was), I especially liked the way she used her source documents.

If you are working on your memoir consider: Do you have documents or records that may shed light on your story? Family records? Letters? Legal documents? Medical records? How might you use them? As background information? Selected brief quotes? Organizing themes for chapters? Reproduced in full? The Internet offers many opportunities to research elements of your story even when you don't have copies of documents and records.

Mattson writes, "As I told my story, I told it as through it happened to another child, factually without emotion, a way to distance myself from the tragedy that I had experienced..." Again, as a memoir writing coach, I value how this book raises the question: How close or how distant do you need to be from your story in order to tell it? Many women with difficult, even tragic stories, need to find enough distance from the story to write it, yet show enough closeness that the reader shares in her experience. Mattson has gracefully achieved both of these goals.

I loved reading Phyllis's story; it provoked every emotion in me.

She tells her story of separation from her family and living in a strange country with strange people in a very insightful manner with perceptions very mature for a young girl. Throughout her ordeal she grows through lifes' stages well adjusted and content despite experiencing dire circumstances. The love that stretched across the miles held her steady to refute bitter scars and rebellion.

The thoughtful retelling of her youth made me laugh as I had recalled similar attitudes growing up but in much different circumstances.
Her spunk as a teen in San Francisco is high spirited and joyful. The written teasing with her father, so many miles away, .... is truely endearing and inspiring. Her deep love and longing for family back in Europe emanates from the pages. And the answers to her life long questions made me sob.

Phyllis writes her wonderful story of courage and inspiration. Young and adult readers will enjoy her heartfelt story.

Imagine yourself in an old attic. A dusty trunk beckons from the corner and you crawl over to it, aware that the attic and the trunk don't belong to you. But your curiosity overpowers your propriety and you open it to discover it brimming with intimate letters and photographs of a family from a time and place foreign to your own. Such is the wealth of experience awaiting you in Phyllis Mattson's memoir of her childhood surviving the Nazi holocaust.
She sets the scene - Vienna just before Nazi takeover - and introduces us to her humble, but proud Jewish family. As a child she witnesses the march of Nazis into Vienna and hears the "Christkiller" chants. A dark cloud of fear settles over her family and friends as parents begin desperate efforts to get their children out of Austria on a Kindertransport - to the safety of Britain or the US. Through letters and photographs, we wake with Phyllis to the terrors of Kristallnacht, as her family is dragged from their apartment by Hitler's SS. When her father is taken to prison the real horror starts. Her mother frantically pleads with relatives in San Francisco to take Phyllis in and, when they agree, mother and daughter part at the train station, never to see each other again. Phyllis arrives in New York and struggles to learn a new name, a new language, a new country, leaving behind all her traditions. Five days alone on a train, unable to communicate to anyone, finally brings her to San Francisco.
Only letters bind this extended family across oceans and time and Phyllis makes you eager to turn the page, read the next words from father, mother, friends and relatives, and her own letters. In a quiet child's voice you hear the resilience of the human spirit, to not just survive, but to thrive in a new home of challenges.
With a teacher's objectivity, Phyllis recalls world-shattering political events through her own ten year-old eyes. She frequently admits her adult memories either clash with her own written words as a child, or don't exist at all. Her own awareness that she has psychologically buried memories makes the child's letters even more poignant.
I strongly recommend this book to any student of WWII, but I believe all freedom-loving people would be touched by this story of survival and the bond of family.

I have known Phyllis for about a year, have heard her speak to middle and high school students several times, and thought I knew what would be in the book.

I was wrong.

This is a story of a young girl growing up in the most unstable of times. It is written with truth and honesty, and makes Phyllis a three-dimensional person to the reader. I highly recommend it!

You wouldn't expect a war story to leave you smiling, but that is what Phyllis Mattson's "War Orphan in San Francisco" does. It is a surprisingly upbeat story of 10-year-old "stateless" Felicitas Finkel sent to safety in the U.S. by her parents in Austria in WWII. It is drawn from letters and a few photos kept for years in a box in the garage, a box like many of us probably have in a corner somewhere, with stories too sad or scary to bring out very often--but when we do, we find stories of adventure, bravery, growth, dreams, and all the joys of life mixed in with the sad, scary parts.

As an English teacher, I am interested in letters. They record events and feelings and reflect our growth. They catalog our special story and place us in the world. They are evidence that we lived.

As I sit at my computer writing email that is delivered instantly, I appreciate the time and effort people spent writing letters to maintain ties. They wrote during war when paper and pencil were difficult to get, going from edge to edge on pages of thin paper, knowing that the messages might take weeks or months to arrive, and might arrive with pieces cut out, or not arrive at all. They wrote because the connections were important to them. And they are important today because they record the world as it was, with the dailiness and details of how people survived, and suggest where we might go next.

Felicitas / Phyllis's mother told her not to cry, to be brave, and to "write to me and Papa weekly, giving all the details." Phyllis's letter writing started in 1940, when she arrived in San Francisco, and continued through 1946, when her father was finally able to join her in San Francisco. Her mother's letters stopped in 1942, and the reader feels 12-year-old Phyllis avoiding the obvious conclusion, stepping around the larger-world facts, and continuing to write to her Papa, "giving all the details," while avoiding the big picture.

Reflections by the adult Phyllis are wonderfully insightful. The adult wonders why she and her father never mentioned the lack of letters from her mother. Even years later, things hinted in the letters remained unresolved. Sometimes the letters give the bare bones of what was happening, and details are filled in by Phyllis today; sometimes, there is nothing beyond the letter. In her first year, Phyllis went from speaking no English to speaking, reading, and writing English and her mother, in a letter, implored her to not forget her German. Today, Phyllis has published articles and a technical book in English yet had to get a German translator for her treasured letters written in German.

The family always signed their letters with endearments--love, hugs, lots of kisses, millions and millions of hugs; yet other everyday feelings are side-by-side in the letters, as when her father wrote:
"... Much as I like reading your letters, however there is always something in it that I do not like. For instance in today's letter the language used by you ... is shocking... All my love and heaps of kisses from your Daddy."

Interaction at a distance is not perfect but as the saying goes, it beats the alternative. Letters were better than nothing at all. They buoyed the young girl alone in San Francisco as she moved in and out of foster homes. As the adult Phyllis observes, her early success in moving on alone led her eventually to new experiences all over the world. "War Orphan in San Francisco" is a reflection of and tribute to the human spirit finding and upholding values in life, building bridges in hard times, through one of mankind's oldest ways of communication. It will make you want to sit right down and write a letter.

This very fine history of North America covers 10,000 or so years of exploration and settlement all in one volume. It is written in a clear, concise prose, and although it is loaded with facts and anecdotes it is never dry. Morgan starts out by describing the peopling of North America via the Bering land bridge. Then he moves into the stories of the European explorers and early settlers, and how they deal with the Native Americans. After many hardships and failures, the Spanish end up with permanent settlements in the south, the French in the north and the English on the Atlantic Coast. Morgan then describes the emergence of the Americans and how they eventually dominate the continent and displace Europeans and Native Americans alike.

I highly recommend this if you enjoy American history.

Beginning with the passage of people across the Bering Strait, Wilderness at Dawn : The Settling of the North American Continent takes us through the westward expansion of the United States. Carefull attention is given to the Spanish, French and British influences on the American way of life. An excellent and concise reference for anyone interested in North American History. Easy to read, and full of real life history

Breathtaking approach to a well known subject. History from the people's viewpoint. No dull dates, battles, generals, presidents; but living, breathing stories by and of the most unique and most common. Must also read Shovel of Stars, the sequel (also 10)

Ted Morgan's "Wilderness at Dawn" is one of the best of a crop of North American colonial histories published since 1990. Rather than a comprehensive history, it is a series of incidents that add up to a very readable whole. Morgan begins with pre-Columbian history and goes on to relate the experiences of the Spanish, French, Dutch, and various flavors of English colonies. One of my favorite stories is how the godly Pilgrims found themselves neighbors to a riotous colony led by one Thomas Morton. Before Miles Standish put their rivals out of business, Morton's drunken crew traded guns and booze to the Indians in exchange for beaver pelts and sexual favors. Anyone who believes history is boring has not read Ted Morgan's and other recent works about the American colonies. The last section of this book addresses the problems of post-Revolutionary War colonization, including chapters about the appalling dangers of trans-Appalachian settlement and about how the Old Northwest was surveyed.

Reading these first person accounts of day-to-day and moment-to-moment life in pre-Colonial America gave me such an appreciation for what our predecessors went through to make our country the great one it is today. This is the book our children should read in their American history classes. Exceptionally well-written, with a "you are there" feel to it. Makes me want to learn more about the young George Washington after reading about his escape from the center of the freezing river. Well-written, entertaining and informative. I'm lapsing into cliches, but this book is a MUST READ. Just brilliant. You'll admire the everyday people who built our country one day at a time, and never tire of reading about their adventures. I hated to see it end, so thank God there's a sequel!

This book was interesting, and the family dynamics were fascinating. I think a lot of the sex and foul language was not necessary. I wish the title was mentioned more than once in the book. Why didn't the parents sing at the wedding? Just one question I would have for the author. Quick read and will keep your attention, I just thought it could have been better.

This book was very hard to put down. I would have read it in one day if not for the fact that the next day was Thanksgiving and I had stuff to do! Needless to say, as soon as I could, I picked up where I left off. Very well written, great characters. Looking forward to reading her other books.

This book takes a poignant look at sisters and the Jewish culture. Very funny and very entertaining.

Estelle Zarr dreams of making it in Hollywood as a highly regarded movie director and to find her soulmate, but so far has failed on both fronts. Having never left their hometown of Toronto, her sister Jessie worries about everything involving her two children Levi and Ilana as her marriage fails. The third sibling Erica lives in New York where she dreams of becoming writer, but instead lives her aspirations through her live-in lover, novelist Paul. Their parents also living in Toronto, Lilly and former songwriter Milton, struggle with the ennui of their golden years that seem tarnished lately.

When Milton's former partner Gladys dies, he feels his mortality. His two daughters living in the States join the third sister in Toronto to attend the funeral of a person who was like an aunt to them and to offer their condolences especially to their father. Each of the sisters looks at how green the grass is under the feet of their siblings, how jealous of the attention their mom showers on the other two, and makes decisions about their future. Estelle decides her film career needs her attention not finding a husband; Jessie seeks warmth in an affair that further deteriorates her marriage; Erica and Paul break up as both need breathing room.

This is a terrific family drama as Joanna Goodman manages to keep the five Zarrs and their lovers and offspring unique and totally different from one another. Each of the three siblings and their parents face a personal crisis filled with doubts as to the best course of action. YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU is a strong character study that rotates first person perspective so that the audience gets deep inside of the cast to understand what motivates them. Ms. Goodman has provided a fascinating contemporary tale.

Harriet Klausner

This book was thoroughly addictive and I could not put it down once I started. The journey of the Zarr sisters was one to which I could relate as the characters were immensely rich and real. I found myself reflecting on my own life as I travelled their path with them.

What a fabulous story of life, family and the choices we make. Kudos, Joanna! When is your next book coming out?!

I found this book to teach my boys (ages 3 and almost 5) about their parents' home country - Canada. It is great on so many levels. It teaches geography, symbols, animals and so many other aspects of Canada. It even mentions the Calgary Stampede which is in my hometown.

This book is a great book for youngsters. While its immediate impact would be on early readers due to its effectiveness in reinforcing the alphabet and helping them learn about Canada in a simplistic format, I think upper elementary and even some lower junior high readers can appreciate its sentiments. Even adults who enjoy a good picture book can enjoy this read. A great gift for up and coming readers! Looking for something similar with a little more depth and a higher reading level for older readers- try M is for Maple by Mike Ulmer.

My two year old daughter loved this book when I brought it home, and it has remained a favourite over the last 8 months. The illustrations are great, the choices of words contain a good mix of things and places (all very Canadian) - I recommend it highly!

We received this book as a gift. My son loves it and has taken it to Show and Tell at school several times. His favorite is the letter Z.

I recently gave this book to my American friend at her baby shower.. Everyone loved it and wondered where they could buy one.. This book outlines all the great things about Canada (ie: H for Hockey)... Too funny! A simple book with beautiful bright colors and pictures...

This is a great book!! It is well worth your money. If you are planning a vaction, then buy this book. It has theme parks from Disney to Universal Orlando, to Cedar Point, all of the Paramount Parks and many, many more!! The ultimate guide to rollercoasters is this book!!

I had gone to the conference with much knowledge about the subject. I was told about the book from there. Could I have obtained it, I would have been the top in the list of performers.

This book is a must for all amusement park fans. It gives all the information you would need to have a fun and exciting day at any park in the U.S. or Canada. Mr. O'Brien has done a masterful job of helping you plan your visit by giving the operating times as well as the best rides and shows. There is also a listing of all the roller coasters in the park. His vivid description of the park gives you the feeling of being there. I would recommend this guide book to anyone planing a trip to an amusement park in the future.

This is, truly, the bible of amusement park guides. I am always amazed at its thorough coverage of parks, both large and small, in the United States and Canada - is there an international edition in the works??? If so, put me on the list of buyers.

It's difficult to think of a park that isn't listed here - from the mainstream parks such as Disneyworld and Universal, to the tiny, neighborhood parks such as Weona and Nelly Bly, they're all here, and beautifully documented. Signature rides are listed for each park - from the big, modern coasters, to the rarer flats. As a huge fan of Flying Scooters and Lusse Auto Skooters (you fellow park nuts will know what I'm talking about, here), I love that such rides are included. Park histories are here, as well, for all of us preservationists.

Directions, websites, and further information are included for the parks, also, which greatly helps if one wishes to visit a park. Also, common-sense tips for park visitors are here, as well as little-known secrets that assist with getting around a park to the greatest efficiency.

I was fortunate enough to find this book while visiting Knoebels Grove (the best park in America, as far as I'm concerned), and couldn't put it down during the entire ride home. It's addictive, informative, and, well, a must-have. What with the summer practically here, run, don't walk, and get your copy NOW.

This book is just awesome...it reviews over 350 theme parks, amusement parks, and waterparks all over the U.S. and Canada, providing everything you'd want to know about every park...the great roller coasters and other thrill rides, costs, operation schedule, directions, special tips, insider facts and trivia, historical milestones, etc. Also gives phone numbers and website addresses for each park. The author is a life-long park expert and senior editor of a major park industry publication...he really seems to know his stuff, and he injects some fun and personality into the book. It's a great guide to use to plan your park trips and to carry with you for quick reference. It's also fun to to sit down and read through it because it gives so much interesting trivia on the parks. Just a fantastic, authoratative, fun, easy-to-use resource on parks.

An informative summary of the wonderful Avro Arrow aircraft which was way ahead of its time but killed off by stupidity, politically motivated interference from the US and Canadian governments and deliberate misinformation from all sides. A fascinating but sad and familiar chapter in the history of western aviation. See also the BAC TSR-2 aircraft and the Decca Secondary Surveillance Radar system.

This was the original serious history of the Arrow, and remains one of the best sources for information on one of the greatest should-have-beens in aviation history. Minimal politics, maximum info.
When it was first released, it had no equal for the number of drawings (three view and schematic), let alone the number of photos it included. Introducing the swept wing follow-on to the CF-100, and supplying more information on the tentative projects that resulted in the selection of the Arrow, the book was and remains a landmark, not just for the Arrow, but for the extent of information in anything short of a pilots manual. The first three view of the Arrow with the modified air-intakes, and even a little on the Mach 3 Arrow, as well as a flight log for each flight of the Arrow. A treasure then, and a treasure now, data and graphics from this book are to be found on most websites that deal with the Arrow.

I am now a believer in Avro. Wish things had gone different for this part of human history.

Jim Pendleton

Good Book

Bought this for my husband's birthday and he loves it. Enjoyed the technical part and feels the story line is pretty close to the facts. Pictures are great.

One of the finest book dedicated to this controversial program! Being interested in technical details and aircraft perfomances,I found many factory drawings about structures, internal systems arrangements, armament layout and cutaway views. Important performance figures are available from tables and charts. But the most interesting feature is the the description of the development and testing phase that shows all the potential of this doomed plane. Finally some basic facts on an aircraft still surrounded by an halo of mistery about its birth and its death!

Wow!! What a terrific book . . . the text, the sounds, the selection of species, the layout . . . everything works perfectly together. And, the Western book is just as impressive as its eastern companion.

I opened my pre-release copy, intending to spend just a few minutes and return to it later. Two hours went by, and I was still reading and listening; I couldn't stop turning the pages.

Of course, I went right to my favorite birds, reading the text and pushing the buttons to listen, as I expect that most people will do. But then I settled in and went to other species, and then I read the introductory pages. The information there will bring you to a whole new level of enjoying these remarkable creatures.

I have struggled for years to identify birds through their song, aided by mostly meaningless mnemonics as these are presented in most guides. For the first time, Kroodsma's full description of each species' song gives readers enough detail and context to help them understand what they are listening to. These birds come to life in the text and then the icing is the lovely songs themselves. Push the loon button and you are immediately transported to remote northern lakes. Push the phoebe button and hear how he sings his two different songs. Hear how animated a pewee is at dawn compared to later in the day. Try the wrens, thrushes, warblers, sparrows. They're all there and more, in the text and at the push of a button!

This is a truly special book. I'd give it ten stars if I could. Now I have the perfect gift to give to my friends to show them why I've always been so thrilled to hear a singing bird.

(Originally submitted 4/29/08 but missing from current list of reviews)

This is the bird identification book I, personally, have been waiting for all my life. Easy to use, easy to share with kids to introduce them to the joy of hearing that bird and then seeing it. Easy to share with bird experts, who love filling in whatever is always left out.And a joy to share with anyone in between (like myself and my friends) who just thinks birds are so much fun. Sincerely, S. Phaeton

A great book with an innovative way to engage the children in learning about birds. A descriptive passage is written about each bird. Also an authentic audible sound can be created simply by pushing a button. Great for adults as well.
gary

I got this for my Dad for Fathers Day and he loves it. He was impressed with the quality of the recordings and the different meanings of the songs that some birds sing.

The illustrations & descriptions for each bird are done very well. The sound quality of the individual bird songs is excellent. This book is a great way for anyone to begin learning about common backyard birds and their songs.

this story is about a princess who loves balloons and uses them to rid the kingdom of evil, with the help of some friends. it's a cute story with a simple but effective message. i love phoebe gliman, she writes amazing children's books that, though they are nothing complex, are truly epic. one of those stories you'll remember when you're older. this one isn't my favourite by her, i prefer something from nothing, or jillian jiggs, but this one is great as well... exactly what i would expect from her. i recommend this author.

My Gramma gave me this book when I was a child (over 20 years ago). I read it so much that the book is actually falling apart now. The story is magical, as are the illustrations. I intend on buying another copy of this book for myself and one for my students to enjoy. This book is truly a treasure for both children and adults.

The Balloon Tree by phoebe Gilman is a great book for kids. It expresses a great sence of imagination with a wonderful happily ever after ending. The Balloon Tree is a classic tale of good triumphing over evil.

A friend sent this book to me for my granddaughters and it has become their favorite book of all time. It reads like a classical fairy tale and the illustrations are true works of art in anyones eyes. Totally mesmerizing, it will be a book they will want to keep forever.

I am buying a second copy tonight so each grand will have her own!

"The Balloon Tree" is one of my favourite stories. The pictures are breath taking. Not only are the pictures great but so is the story! I'm an adult and I still love this story. Every child should have this in their collection. Also adults who have not lost the fun in reading these books should have it in their collections too!

Sex and the City meets Dr. Phil
It may not be quick, easy, or pretty, but with a little help from the girls and your friends, you will:
* Throw your own (very short) pity party
* Resist the seductive lure of the "moment of weakness"
* Survive your first post-breakup solo appearance
* And tackle all of the issues in between
Bittergirl takes you from initiation into the bittergirl club, including warning signs, the shock of rejection, the seductive lure of "the moment of weakness," and relationship apathy, through your first solo appearance, and on to the bittersweet moment when our bittergirl realizes, "Wow, I'm over him."
If you ever need a little help to move on, this IS your bible bittergirls everywhere!

Just when I thought I'd never laugh again the bittergirls came to the rescue! The bittergirls made me laugh out loud, asked some great questions and made me think long and hard about this break-up. Best advice for me? Relationship Mythology - don't make him better than he was. He's a guy. Not a superhero. Thanks bittergirls.

honestly. i went from thinking i was a happy, balanced seemingly normal gal, to feeling like an angry, lost and slightly psychopathic wreck. this read gave me a hearty laugh and some damn good pointers to getting it togther. um... perspective! plus the voices of a few other ladies who have clearly been there. even if you're not broken up, you probably will be eventually at some point (sorry... just the way the cookie crumbles) or you'll need to advice another fellow foe. so read the book anyway! it's a fun AND funny ride that will make any state feel better.

Best thing I've read about how to NOT enter into a breakup. Funny and biting and, according to the women I know who've read it, oh so true.

What a great read - the best laugh in a long time. No matter what stage of life you're at you can relate to the hillarious and very real antics and moments caught and brought to life by the Bittergirls. A nice reminder that getting dumped is something that eventually each of us can learn from and more importantly laugh about.