Black Books

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Harrowing, at times bleak, but a superbly written memoir of a very special lady and the historical times she helped create.

Aside from being a celebration of the human spirit, Ms. Holland's Memoir offers a fresh, interesting, and unique glimpse into the early days of the Civil Rights Movement. This focus alone, I believe, renders the book meritorious.

Ms. Holland tells the civil rights story from the perspective of individuals born and raised in the muck and mire of Mississippi's lethal brand of white supremacy and racial hatred. Through her eyes, we get a close-up view of what had to be overcome; and, what was required of ordinary folk brave enough to get involved in a situation that could and DID, literally, cost them their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

These unsung heroes deserve national attention and recognition if the story of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States of America is to be told in its entirety. But, if this isn't reason enough to add Ms. Holland's book to your 'must read' list, I believe the author's superior craftsmanship will certainly convince you her work is worthy of the acclaim she is sure to receive once her book gains a wider readership. And, above all, the Memoir is a magnificent read!

Usually, I find it awkward and sometimes unnerving to read books written in a black, southern, vernacular. However, as in the case of Zora Neale Hurston, Endesha Ida Mae Holland writes with such a pure and authentic voice, I found myself falling effortlessly into her rhythm.

I'm a voracious reader and the authors I most enjoy are great storytellers. My current favorite is Barbara Kingsolver, and my all time favorite is Zora Neale Hurston. Endesha Ida Mae Holland 'puts me in the mind of' both these writers.

She also reminds me of Frank McCourt (Angela's Ashes & 'Tis). Like McCourt, Ms. Holland transports you back to her childhood and growing up years with such seamless ease, you find yourself sharing her heartbeat through every single experience she lives to tell about. Almost immediately, I found myself caring deeply about her; I grew to love her mother, her child, her neighbors, her friends; and, I found no strangers among those who populate her world.

What an exquisite gift of storytelling she has! I certainly hope she plans to write more 'from the Mississippi Delta,' because her talent is as rich and fertile as her source.

Obviously, I've become a devoted fan of Ms. Holland and her work ~ a designation I'm hoping you and I will soon share. Who knows, your reading experience with Ms. Holland may inspire you to join me in asking Oprah Winfrey to feature the author and her book on the Oprah Show, as well as making 'From The Mississippi Delta,' an Oprah Book Club selection.

I was moved to make this appeal to Ms. Winfrey because I believe we all benefit from an increased national and international exposure to brave and talented women like Ms.Holland. These women are profoundly inspirational and deserving of our applause and recognition.

Endesha's story, rich in its southern dialect is a remarkable story of triumph, and a testimony that affirms regardless of our past, our pain, our short-comings that within each of us is a tiny seed waiting to blossom. Her ability to surmount the many obstacles growing up in the Mississippi Delta (a black girl) in the 60's serves as a beacon of light for African Americans who are today experiencing the pitfalls of poverty and injustice. Endesha has shown us how a committed spirit can burst forward to claim all that the Almighty has in store for us. Dr. Lady, thank you for pioneering the way. Keep writing!

'Inspirational' has become one of those watered-down adjectives like 'brilliant'. Though we know certain words might signal something monumental, perhaps our frequent usage of them has lost some of the grandeur in their meaning. We no longer arch our backs or allow a goose bump to rise. Behold, along comes a work like From the Mississippi Delta: A Memoir. Dr. Endesha Ida Mae Holland turns the term, 'inspirational' on its ear. What is most remarkable about 'Delta'? Is it the phenomenal story itself or is it Holland's gift for unrelenting and witty story-telling? Holland never abandons humor even at the crux of tragedy. Her pen is as brazen as it is impeccably descriptive. She writes with an immediacy to jar the reader's sense of time so that we relive her most defining moments with bated breath. From Emmett Till's death to Dr. Martin Luther King's visit, Holland's simplest daily encounters mark turning points in American history.

Notably, 'Delta' celebrates the tenacious spirit of a true woman-child. Holland narrates from a clever perspective that never quite chooses between the wise narrator looking back and the rambunctious girl reaching forward. This devise is poignant. Arguably, young girls (in particular, young, black girls) are some of society's most disenfranchised members. When Holland employs that voice, the reader is humbled. One is reminded of Anne Frank's influence. When the worst aspects of humanity are articulated through the voice of a little girl, we see ourselves so clearly--vulnerable, restless, but especially hopeful. Thank you, Doc. Your struggle is instructional. Your literary prowess is an inspiration.

This book has got to be the best book I've ever read, I couldn't stop I read it in 6 hours continously! This is amazing for me because I'm usually the guy who never reads anything. I'm sure this book is a best buy and I can't wait for the second book to come out!!! For all you kids like me, pick up Hoopster today!

The book i read was 'The Hoopster" by Alan Lawrence Sitomer. My book was about a young African Amercin man named Andre. Andre is really good at basketball, maybe even good enough to play proffesional ball. His nickname is the Hoopster. His long life dream is to become a magazine writer. He is a vary talented writer but no one knew it yet. He worked at a magazine editorial, but he was just an errand boy for the writers. Until one day someone had seen an artical that he wrote just for fun and thought he could be good enough to write an article for them, so they offered him an oppertunity to write about racism. The article was spectacular. but not everyone liked it. A man kept herassing Andre, telling him to stop writing or else they would hurt him. Andre didn't listen so one day after work he was walking to his car and a van pulled up next to him. A group of white men came out and beat him, they also kept crushing his hand in a car door. i liked this book because it was about basketball, it also showed that racism is bad and still around. And you shouldn't let people bring you down.

THIS IS THE GREATEST BOOK EVER. i couldn't but it down til i finish it. i love how Alan kept us on the edge of our seat when Andre was getting beat up. i can't wait til the next book comes out.

This is the type of book one can never let go. It is an excellent book and I am 99.9% sure that teens will like it. Well, yeah good job Alan Sitomer. Buy. Read. Re-read. Enjoy. Don't bother me.... I'm reading.

The Hoopster


The Hoopster, by Alan Sitomer, is a compelling book that allows you to see arguably the toughest year of Andre's life. Things look good at first; he has a hot new girlfriend, Gwen, just received a promotion in his job working for a magazine, and is his usual dominant self on the basketball court. Andre's new assignment is to write each month an article about race. Since he is a very bright African-American, his input on the topic becomes meaningful to nearly all the subscribers. One group, however, does not think so highly of his writings. One night when Andre is leaving work, his life forever changes...
The Hoopster is the book for you if you enjoy fast-paced, action-packed, sports thrillers with many unexpected twists. This book is not for a sensitive reader and I would not recommend it to anyone below the middle school level, because the content is not always G or PG. Overall, I think anyone over 12 would truly enjoy this book, and it would open up anyone's eyes about and make the reader think twice before stereotyping another African American.

I am not a huge KJV fan,but this particular Bible is the best made of any I have ever purchased.

Pros
It is Smyth Sewn so it will be a lifetime tool. The pages will not fall out in future years. It has great Bible paper that is opaque with little or no bleed through of text or my own written notes. I would still use .005 Micron acid free pen that you can find at scrap book stores. The pens will not bleed through, they write dark, and they will not deteriorate the paper since they are acide free. The goatskin cover is absolutely worth the extra dollars. It is supple beyond belief and is the finest I have found including those made by Allan's. Buy the goatskin please, the other leathers offered cannot even come close. The margins are wide on both sides of the double column text. The print of the Bible is very bold. A little small but appears much larger because it is bold.

Cons
None. If you like the KJV and this version is the main version you use this is a MUST BUY FOR YOU.

Breathtaking! This is the first bible I have ever owned that somewhat does justice to the beauty of God's word and I have been a Christian for close to 30 years. I have owned a Thompson chain reference bible in Premium calfskin leather and it in no way can rival this edition. I have to say it brought tears to my eyes to finally own a Bible that imparts a sense of grandeur.

I am so pleased. I noticed the slightest imperfection (not even really) where the beautiful supple leather wraps around the front cover's corner edge but it only serves to accentuate the beauty of this edition even more.

Cambridge should be commended for honoring God's word, by presenting it in a style worthy to carry the inscription . . , "HOLY BIBLE"

I've always wanted a Cambridge Bible. They look so sleek and well made. When I bought mine (goatskin, of course, haha), I was very impressed with the craftmanship. I have and do own alot of Bibles and this one by far surpasses them all. The binding is extra tight on this version (which I guess has been an issue on other versions). The pages are beautiful, the type is great, and the leather, OH THE LEATHER IS AWESOME. I often show my friends how I can literaly fold the front or back cover in half, and it simply springs back to place, without any crease marks, dents, etc. It's amazing. The features are also a plus. There's extra lettered pages for your own concordance, as well as lined paper for notes. The maps are great too. They're from the Moody Bible Institute. My favorite part however, is the wide margins. Perfect for the serious student. WAY TO GO CAMBRIDGE! Thanks for such a quality product. Buy it from amazon and you will save tons of money. I bought mine for half the price of other retail stores. WOW!

The Cambridge King James Version Concord Wide-Margin Reference Bible is the best bible out there! The quality and print of the bible is excellent! Don't be concerned about what others say in regards to the print size; it's great!
Don't waste your money on cheap bibles that will exceed the cost of this bible any way; buy quality now! By the way -- amazon is the place that sells this bible for the lowest cost.

God Bless You

This is one of the worlds best Bibles. Only the Bibles of Allan and Son's surpass it! Grace and Peace

The Man Called Cash is a very good book. very informative.I think a child 11-12 years old could read it and beable to understand what they are reading.I think it gose behond some of the other books I have read on Johhny Cash.I would recomend it to any one who is interested in seeing where Johnny Cash were he came from and the legacey he left.

I am a legally blind man and and I usually get my books to listen to through the library, but after I saw the movie walk the line I felt I had to know more about the ledgend of Cash through an audiobook if I could find one. I was lucky to find this one. I love the way Kris Kristofferson reads the book. Since he was a friend of cash's, he put feeling into the reading like no other person can. Through the author's extensive research on Cash, I found out things I never knew about him. The Movie is good, but if you really want to know who Cash is, just by this and Listen to Kristofferson tell you about his friend. The man in black.

I learned a lot about Johnny Cash, as well as people like Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, and many others who were the ones that generated so much buzz about music in the 1950's. Toward the end of the book, I was sad because I knew that it would speak of his death. I found myself not wanting to hear about it, because I had loved learning about his life so much.

My favorite story in the whole book was about a prayer he prayed at dinner. His dinner guest recalled the story:

Cash prayed and said, "... and we thank you Lord for this food, and we ask that you would bless it to our body. We pray these things in Jesus' name, Amen. When he finished praying he winked at me and said, "I still miss the drugs though."

It is precisely that juxtaposition of piety and weakness that I think I love about him. It reminds me of another man who is known well for his writing when he said:

I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do ... What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

In case you didn't catch that, the other man to whom I referred is the Apostle Paul. He happened to be one of Cash's favorite people for obvious reasons. I have wondered why I am so enamored by people like Johnny Cash and Paul; these men of such conviction, but at the same time so open about their transgressions. I think it is because they knew themselves well, and they never allowed the good in them to elevate them to a place where they could look down at others. They knew the darkness, and that it was always waiting if they would just relent and turn to it.

Cash turned to it a lot. However, like Paul, he also said:

Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

At the end of his life, after June Carter died he hung around for a few months more. He could barely walk, was in massive pain, and was eighty percent blind. In this state, however, he still had the Bible enlarged big enough so he could read it. Others spoke about his love of Jesus, his kindness, his generosity, and his faithfulness to June.

So many want to be cynical about people who struggle, fall, get up, and fall again. They like to point and yell to expose someone else's flaws. I am more convinced that the ones who yell the loudest are the ones who are the most scared of having their flaws exposed.

One of my favorite lines in music comes from a song sung by Cash. It was written by Bono and performed with U2 (yeah, I know big surprise). The line goes:

I went out there,
In search of experience,
To taste and to touch,
And to feel as much,
As a man can,
Before he repents.

Isn't that all of our stories? I know it's mine. I also know that it is mine everyday. I walk around, and like a little kid test the boundaries of God's love. Some days, I may not go far, other days I may feel restless and I just want to run. Yet each time I return home to talk with God I find myself speaking the words of Paul:

Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

I usually don't read many biographies, but I received this one for Christmas one year since I am a huge Johnny Cash fan. I was glad to see that this book was very well written and also a very easy read. I knew it was going to be good when the first chapter was pretty emotional, as it starts off with June Carter Cash dying. The book also focuses well on some key moments in Johnny Cash's life that made the most significant difference - the first being the death of his brother, Jack, and the others that revolved around June. Like other reviewers have stated, Walk The Line used a lot of moments from the book and I would recommend reading the book as well as watching the movie. I think what was great about Johnny Cash, and what we can all relate too, is how open he was with how he was a sinner and how he had made a lot of mistakes (ie. drugs, affairs, etc.), but he changed his ways when he fully committed himself to Jesus and his faith. I think this book can be a great tool to those who have struggled and have difficult pasts because Cash showed that it doesn't matter what you have done, that you have forgiveness and that you can always start over. Great message and this book has a lot of interesting and funny stories that will want to make you laugh, smile, shake your head, or make you feel sad. Steve Turner has done a great job and had made me rethink biographies. If you're a Johnny Cash fan, this a must-have!

Before I read this book, THE MAN CALLED CASH, by Steve Turner, from 2004, I had also read the 1997 book called CASH: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY (with Patrick Carr). They both cover similar ground. The 1997 book seems more homey, like Johnny Cash is talking to you, but this book, by Steve Turner, seems more accurate.

Having know Johnny and his family for over a decade, author Steve Turner was actually hired to help write another autobiography, but June and Johnny died unexpectedly, and the book turned into an in-depth research research project, instead of just helping Johnny write with decent grammar, or whatever it takes two authors to do with an AUTObiography.

Both books seem to be equally long in content, though the page counts and page sizes differ between the hardcover of this book and the small paperback of THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY book that I read.

Though both books cover a lot of the same incidents from Johnny's life, this book, THE MAN CALLED CASH, features some highly interesting coverage of the last living days of June and Johnny, before they both passed on in 2003. There is also plenty of more in-depth coverage of events told in THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY, and there are also plenty of events from Johnny's life that are not mentioned in the 1997 autobiography. I recommend that you read both books, actually.

The author also points out that since he had to do research, instead of just typing out whatever Johnny told him, he has discovered that Johnny Cash never had trouble telling a good story, or making a good story even better! For example, Johnny Cash has written and talked about how rowdy he was in the Air Force, fighting with the military police, etc., but Steve Turner points out that the people who were in the Air Force with him don't remember any of that kind of rowdiness from Johnny, who never got into much trouble, and would have been widely known on the air base if he HAD fought with the guards, etc. This book also tells about how Johnny would play music with other airmen in his dorm, and Johnny was the worst of the bunch, learning a lot from the others!

There are many interesting b/w photos, although mostly small, but in high quantity! There is a photo of his brother Jack, whose childhood death affected Johnny for the rest of his life.

This book also has a chronology of major events in Johnny's life, and a discography of his primary releases, which is good to use as a shopping list, for me.

This book does have some distracting typos that I hope get fixed in future printings. On one page the same sentence appears twice in a row. In the Chronology, the death of his father, Ray Cash, appears twice on the list, in 1985 (correct), and then again in 1993 (incorrect). This is unfortunate, but these two are the worst distractions that I found without even trying.

It is also interesting to see how the movie WALK THE LINE compares to what is contained in both of these books! For instance, both books say that June Carter never really met or toured with Johnny until he was a big, established star, years into his music career, while the movie gives me the impression that they met on Johnny's first fledgling tour.

THE MAN CALLED CASH gives information about the the saw accident and his brother Jack. This book says that actually there was another 12 year old boy there, who witnessed the event, and Johnny suspected him of being involved in a bad way, though none of the adults thought so at the time, or ever! Both books mention how Johnny would see Jack appear in his dreams for the rest of his life, always a few years older than Johnny at whatever the age Johnny dreamed the appearance.

This book talks about Johnny's friendship with the evangelist, Billy Graham. I personally enjoy Johnny's Gospel albums and projects, but I am a little bit disappointed over the wasted years of drug abuse and family neglect from Johnny, who thought of himself often as a lost Christian, but a Christian none the less. What do you think about that?

The Bible says, "What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." -- Philippians 1:18. Using this Bible verse as a model, it tells me that Johnny Cash's Gospel works, as good as they are, are also totally legitimate as long as they correctly preach the Word of God--regardless of the depths of sin and abuse that Johnny heaped upon himself and his loved ones.

As long as Jesus Christ is being preached correctly, the sins of the messenger do not negate the message itself (and we are all sinners, just not as extreme as Johnny was, I suspect)! I do not and cannot condone his sinful abuses, (though I have done most of them myself, before I got Saved 8 years ago), but I will let God judge his own servant, and I will continue to enjoy the many beautiful Gospel projects which Johnny Cash was always eager and happy to work on!

GOSPEL GLORY is my favorite Johnny Cash Gospel CD, so far. His movie, THE GOSPEL ROAD, is on DVD and is also really cool! My favorite Gospel project from Johnny Cash is his spoken word reading of the entire NEW TESTAMENT on 16 CDs, very affordably priced from amazon.com, and all three of these items come highly recommended by me!

I can recommend both of these books for anybody who enjoyed the WALK THE LINE film.

Bottom line: read CASH: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY for a fun time spent with Johnny Cash in his own words, then read this book, THE MAN CALLED CASH, for the REAL story on how many of those stories actually went down!

Since most everyone should be familiar with the basic premise of the novel by the time this review is read, I'll point out a few worthy considerations. Mapp and Lucia, the fourth volume in the Lucia series by the inimitable E.F. Benson, is simultaneously fantastic and sublime. Benson's brilliance is his ability to translate significant, though sometimes easily missed observations onto the page using the most exquisite and economical description possible. He manages to take some of the silliest social aspects of human behavior, renders it important, and turns it into a first-rate triumph. The reader walks away from Benson completely satisfied and certainly hungry for more.

I'm sure the fourth installment can be read on its own, but I consider the first three in the series (Queen Lucia, Lucia in London : A Novel and Miss Mapp) indispensable in getting the most out of Mapp and Lucia. While all three are delectable entertainments (think social reality TV done to its fullest potential), this one departs its counterparts in a rather bizarre turn of events in the plot. Despite its absurd hilarity, it was logical and it worked, almost too perfectly.

Many thanks go to the originator (In Honor Bound) of this fabulous fondness for Lucia in our family. I am now officially and unashamedly a Luciaphile (would it be too much to admit that I've picked up a thing or two from her? Or would Benson be proud?), and I have no problems getting others on this habit. Just make sure you pair this series with your favorite treat--time with Lucia is worthy of indulgence.

Oover the last fifteen years I have been meaning to read certain authors. H.E. Bates, Anthony Trollope, P.G. Wodehouse, E.F. Benson and the like.

Last week I succumbed to a nasty bout of influenza and E.F. Benson. I had grabbed the slender volume of "Mapp & Lucia" from the library shelf and it had rested in my bookcase for almost a week. Not wanting to dull my brain with endless hours of television, I cracked open "Mapp & Lucia".

Ten pages into the book and I was hooked. Lucia, her period of mourning almost over is looking to regain her iron control on her hometown. First action, regain her star role as Queen Elizabeth in the village fete.

As I read Lucia's plots and plans, a strange thought hit me. Lucia is the creature Hyacinth Bucket (the main character of the BBC's Keeping Up Appearances) secretly dreams of being. Having taken over the fete from her dazed and confused friend, Lucia goes onto greater pastures, the hometown of Miss Elizabeth Mapp, reigning social goddesss.

Miss Elizabeth Mapp (known as Mapp) plots with her friends to rent out their respective homes a profit. Lucia and her best friend (a gentleman who brings to mind a cross between KUA's Richard and AYBS Mr Humphries) move and slowly begin to take over the town. Mapp is not pleased and a genteel war of one-upsmanship begins between the two ladies.

Drawings are rejected from the art exhibit, parties given, ownership of produce and fruit desputed with the poor town in the middle. Matters come to a head on Boxing Day (December 26) when Mapp decides to steal a longed for recipe that Lucia refuses to give to her.

Lucia stumbles on her rival in the kitchen and both women are swept out to sea on Lucia's kitchen table (yes, Lucia's kitchen table, this is a not a mis-type). The town mourns the two ladies as lost and the Great War of Mapp-Lucia as over.

Okay, enough said. You'll have to succumb to the collective charms of the ladies Mapp and Lucia yourself and find out all the bits I've left out. Now, I'm off hunt down and read the rest of E.F. Benson's wonderful books.

"Mapp & Lucia" is like reading Trollope's "Barchester Towers" with the gloves off. The teacup may be small, but the battles rumble like thunder on the bay. Lucia is incredible. She combines absolute self-absorption with ironclad charming resolve to succeed in her every endeavor. She really is wasted being queen of Society in a small English village when fulfilling the duties of Lord High Admiral would not cause her so much as a tiny frown.

Lucia is a newly minted widow in this hilarious outing. Her fires have been banked, and she is anxious to get back in the swing and show her mettle. She rents a house for the summer from the formidable Miss Elizabeth Mapp of Tilling. Miss Mapp is clearly the leader of society in Tilling and revels in her role. Lucia eyes the situation, and the lines are drawn in the most charming but resolute way possible Lucia is the richer of the two and possibly more clever, but Miss Mapp has some powerful advantages of her own. She has pride of place, a town full of quaking allies, and indomnable perseverance. When these two square off, the fun begins and doesn't let up.

This is a delightful read, a mood lifter of the first magnitude. "Mapp & Lucia" is my introduction to Lucia, and I cannot wait to further my acquaintance with this fascinating lady.
-sweetmolly-Amazon Reviewer

Read these books and discover the truth. It's all there -- the vanity, greed, passion, jealousy, and exultation. Don't let the objects of all these towering emotions fool you (lobster recipes, psychic bridge, red currant fool, babytalk Italian, dead budgies, suspect gurus, the Moonlight Sonata), it is the stuff of life!

E F Benson's characters are just sublimely and achingly funny, it seems with Mapp and Lucia he was aiming to scrutinise and satarise the nosensical heirarchy and rivalry of bored and over privelaged upper middle class folk.
This aspect of the British Class system was one he knew well and which was breathing it's last in the times in which Mapp and Lucia live, witness the somewaht irritating coldness with which the Ladies treat their Maids, Drivers and Shop staff.
Lucia is the dominant character, lithe, fashionable and razor sharp while Mapp is clumsy, mumsy and opts for bulldog tactics.
The two appear in many novels, Lucia more often and one cannot help wonder if she was based on a Lady whom Benson was ever so slightly in love with, but here they meet for the first time, as Lucia moves to "Tilling" for the summer in Mapps rented out home "Mallards". The array of colurful charcters they surround themselves with and draw into their delighfully bitchy and cunning war agaisnt each other, are of equal delight, of particualr note are Quaint Irene and Georgie. Perhaps seen as little more than bohemian in their day but doubtless these characters would now be seen as obviously Lesbain and Gay; with the former being in love with Lucia. A daring inclusion in Benson's time but subtle and beautifully inclusive one.
Fans of these deliciously naughty pair should see the 1986 TV series which is available on DVD. Geraldine McKewan (of current Miss Marple fame)is petite, pretty, acid and simply perfect as Lucia while Prunella Scales (Cybil of Fawlty Towers) brings Miss Mapp to dusty, dowdy and bullish life! Excellent stuff!
The series was filmed in Rye in Sussex, home town of Benson, it used many locations close to his home (Lamb House), such as the lovley houses of Watchbell Street (My favourite being No 11 which was used as Godiva's house) and "Twistevens" shop on Mermaid Street, actually a Tea Room in reality.
WELL WORTH A VISIT! Literature fans may also wish to know that Lamb House was once home to American novelist, Henry James before Benson's time. One can also visit Benson's Grave in the town. Benson was Lord Mayor of Rye for a while and the river "Tilling"-ton flows through the town.

Excellent tool for teaching your children about the Orchestra. The CD that comes with it is great.

"Santa" brought this book for our 4 year old. She loves it! It is layed out in a way that we can read just portions of each page without her getting overwhelmed. It is definitely a book she can grow with. Because a mom has to brag: My daughter can now easily name each instrument and knows which "family" it belongs. She laughs hysterically over Beethoven's picture, knows Tchaikovsky composed Swan Lake and the Nutcracker (the sweetest thing is hearing a 4 year old rattle of Tchaikovsky and Vivaldi!) etc. Highly recommended!

We bought this book (with accompanying CD) as a self-contained music course for our homeschooled son (10). Although he had no prior interest in orchestra music, he is reading along together with Mom in the book and listening to an excerpt of orchestra music once a week. The first part of the book has interesting tidbits on musical eras of orchestra music, with biographical overviews of some of the major conductors of each era. The second part of the book contains drawings and descriptions of various orchestra instruments. After a composer or instrument is discussed, the book then refers you to listen to a track on the CD that illustrates the composer's work or the instrument's sound. It's surprisingly difficult to find a good self-contained program for teaching music to children. This book and CD worked well for us.

I purchased this book in preparation for teaching a group of homeschooled students (ages 7-14) a short course in music appreciation. It was a terrific resource for them. The text was brief but engaging; the cartoons were entertaining; and the photography was so eyecatching. It covered the musical periods, with information on several representative composers. Then each of the orchestra sections was covered, with a helpful CD included to hear snips from pieces that featured the instruments. The students all learned quite a bit from this book. I recommend it highly.

I was looking for resources to help make teaching about classical music and composers to primary grade children more entertaining and I found what I needed all wrapped up in this book and CD combination.

Part I of the book concerns composers and is separated into the periods in which they composed, ie., Baroque, etc., with a brief description of art, architecture and feeling of the period. The composers covered for all periods are Vivaldi, Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Mahler, Debussy, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Gershwin, Copland and Bernstein.

Part II of the book is about the instruments of the orchestra. Again, this is further broken down into the different sections of the orchestra such as strings, woodwinds, etc. Then within each of those sections a feature on the individual instruments.

The accompanying CD has brief examples of the compositions introduced in the composers section and for each instrument. It really helps the kids hear what they've been discussing.

One of the best things about this book are the illustrations. They are colorful and entertaining. Sometimes there are humorous illustrations such as a drawing of the ideal Baroque instrumentalist needing 2 right hands, 3 left hands, and 3 eyes which really had my 3rd grade kids in giggles after hearing the intricacies of "Spring" by Vivaldi. There are also entertaining illustrations showing how an instrument produces its sound and they are mixed with photographs of the instrument itself. I highly recommend this book for music teachers to use as a reference and for parents who have children interested in learning an instrument.

Great, easy and riveting read with brilliant premise. Black Sea Affair draws attention to the potentially dangerous game of maritime terrorism, something that we apparently aren't all that equipped to deal with. Couldn't put the book down.

Don Brown's Black Sea Affair is a thrilling novel about a hydrogen bomb being built in the bowels of an ocean-going freighter loosed on the high seas. Can the U.S. Navy find it, track it, and stop it in the nick of time? Bonechilling, frightening, and highly entertaining!

Don Brown's Black Sea Affair is action, action and more action! From the start of the book to the end of it 320 pages later, Brown kept me up, kept me twisting and kept me unable to sleep because I couldn't put the darn book down. Great read!

Don Brown's Black Sea Affair gives him a breakout novel in the mold of Clancy or Baldacci. I love naval fiction, and this was perhaps the most tension-filled and action packed novel that I have ever read. Sub skipper Pete Miranda is a strong, yet complex hero in the tradition of Jack Ryan who voluntarily puts his life and his men on the line to try and avoid nuclear war. A great read!

Did you realize that the ports of the United States are virtually defenseless against some foreign ship sailing into port with a nuclear bomb in it's belly? Did you realize that the Navy and Coast Guard have virtually no way to stop it? I didn't either, until I read Don Brown's exhilarating novel Black Sea Affair. This novel exposes the bonechilling scenarios of rogue freighters at loose on the high sea with nuclear weapons being constructed on the inside. In the novel, a rogue Russian Freighter, financed by terrorists, is on the high seas with a hydrogen bomb in it's belly. Where will it wind up? Couldn't put this novel down!

Abu Ishak died! Alec inherits the Black! Now he has both the Black and Satan, his son!
The two horses are to run in the same race, the Black ridden by Alec and Satan ridden by another jockey Alec trusts. But when one of the horses at the race comes down with a deadly disease and must be put down, all the horses are quarantined will the race even go on?
At the end of the book it's not just a race for fun but more for survival.
AMAZING BOOK!

Walter Farley is a fantastic author about horses. He knows his stuff.

This book is extrodinary.While you're reading this book El Dorado gets swamp fever.The other horses are checked for swamp fever.There's a wildfire and Alec tries to save the horses.Any girl that loves horses I recommend this book.

This book is extrodinary.While you're reading this book El Dorado gets swamp fever.The other horses are checked for swamp fever.There's a wildfire and Alec tries to save the horses.Any girl that loves horses I recommend this book.

The Black Stallion and Satan is a great book by Walter Farley. It is the 3rd book in the Black Stallion series. This 178 page book was just as amazing as all the other Black Stallion books, so if you enjoyed the other book I suggest you read this one as well.

Right from the begining this book is exciting and suspensfull, you wont want to put it down. Alex gets a letter from Abu's daughter, telling him that her father has died, when he was thrown from the black. In his will Abu has left the Black to Alec. Abu has entered the black in a race. So Alec decided to let the Black run in that last race before his retirment, instead the Black and Satan end up in a race for there lives!

This is a great book that you will love just as much as the other Black Stallion books, but if you haven't read the other books I suggest that you read them before this one. This book would be good for anyone in there teens to adult.

My kids really liked the book, but it has an element of death. It is labeled as for seven and up, but I personally prefer children's stories to be lighter in subject matter. If this was read to a very young child, parents would probably need to have a discussion about death with them. What my kids liked best: the fox helping the squirrel, the dwarf and his secrets, and the black stag because the fairies got to ride on his antlers.

In this installment of The Fairy Chronicles, several new fairies are introduced. The same fairy team of the first three books is present, except Dragonfly on vacation with family, but Periwinkle is added to the mix. She is a Native American fairy with special skills coinciding with her culture, to add to her fairy gift of sun tolerance to fit with pink periwinkles. I have been buying these for my granddaughter. Since I only see her about once a month, I get to read her books before gifting them to her. She agrees with me that Firefly and the Black Squirrel is wonderful. When the fairies go to their Fairy Circle, more fairies are introduced. We can't wait for their adventures. We took a drive to a park last week and along the way we saw what we deemed as purple meadows and white meadows. They weren't the same as the ones in the book, but we still had fun imagining that there were fairies flitting about them on a fun adventure. We really liked this book.

Firefly and the Quest of the Black Squirrel has a fantastic assortment of characters: dwarf, black squirrel, goblin, twenty plus assorted fairies with six being the main participants in this fairy mission, bees, hornets, birds, brownies, the magical Black Stag, the Shadow of Death, and a magical creature known as a squit. Each of these characters is given a colorful personality, even the bees and hornets, to add to the intricate kaleidoscope. The squit, Firecracker, who is a furry, fluffy creature about the size of a basketball when dry (and a baseball when wet) has a wonderful personality. The fact that he might not even be real adds a certain charm to this book, making it extremely memorable. My two children loved this story, and I am looking forward to reading it again and sharing it with other family and friends. I think this book would appeal to a multitude of readers, and I do recommend it along with the others in this series. The books contain activities and nature facts in the backs as a bonus.

Firefly is a fairy. She goes camping with her friends. They go to Fairy Circle and meet new fairies. They go on a Quest to save all black squirrels. I like this book because they are saving black squirrels. Most books the people go and save other people. The fairies save the black squirrels and they end up saving people too. I didn't know there were black squirrels, but they are real. The dwarf has a squit named Firecracker. The fairies get to ride on the antlers of the black stag. They find blue moon clover to save the squirrels. This is a good book.

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

Great book. Love it. Cool pictures and sketches from the production included. Quite a few awesome full page pictures from the film.

I bought this as a present for my boyfriend since he is a big fan of
this movie. Just got the book in the mail yesterday in good condition.
He'll really love it. I recommend buying it for the Gladiator fan in your life. :)

this book is awsome although I would have prefered more pictures of the cast on location.

This is a fantastic 'making of' book charting the fascinating process of filmmaking from script to screen. And it doesn't skimp on the color pics either. Ridley Scott' epic GLADIATOR is given the full epic treatment here, with accolades aplenty and no shortage of impressive obstacles faced while making the film. I love all of Scott's films, from The Duelists to the recently released Kingdom of Heaven. But sometimes the accompanying books don't quite match the majestic tone of the films themselves. This is different. Walter Parkes' treatment is fair and doesn't fail to connect with the reader. Showcasing all the necessary film techniques and humorous asides along with abandoned concepts, this also contains cast and crew thoughts and praises Scott for his remarkable visionary touch. A solid read and well worth the price. Buy it now!

this book is awsome although I would have prefered more info on the cast on the set.