Hawaii Books

I had read another book, Alaska Twilight, written by this author. I doubted that "Midnight Sea" could be as terrific a book as the former. I was wrong! Colleen's way of telling a story couldn't be any better in keeping a reader glued to the pages. The story locale is Hawaii in the midst of the many coffee plantations. Leilani Tagama, known as Lani, is the featured girl in the book. Lani has a terrible accident that leaves her blind and prevents her memory from seeing who she had seen murder a good friend. Lani had always been a very active person and she could not imagine how she could live a decent life without her sight. In her previous years Lani had been very loose in her many romances with men. She had recently turned to God to get her life in gear and now could not understand why God allowed this blindness to occur.

Ben Mahoney had taken on training guide dogs to assist those that had lost their sight to live a much better life. At this time he was training a two-year old golden retriever and "Fisher" was doing quite well. He was almost ready to help those in need of his services. While in training, Ben and Fisher had run into Ben's former police partner, Yoshi Tagama, a cousin of Lani's. Yoshi requested the help of Ben and a guide dog for Lani. Ben wasn't sure that Fisher was ready for active work yet but finally gave in and told Yoshi he would take Fisher to Lani to see how it would work out. His hesitation was further enhanced knowing Lani's past reputation as being too free with the men but realized Lani needed help with her total blindness.

Ben's brother, Ethan and wife, Natalie, are almost always spaced out on alcohol, leaving their adorable daughter, Meg, without caring parents. A boating accident takes the lives of Ethan and Natalie but somehow Meg survived in her life vest. The accident also exposed criminal activity taking place in the area. Ben and Lani then cared for Meg.

The story continues as it brings Ben and Lani closer together through Meg and their feelings for each other even though they did not express those feelings to each other. Lani's life was at risk because the killer felt Lani had seen him before her sight was lost and would someday remember who he was. Lani and Fisher made a great team as they adjusted to life together and Lani grew so attached to him that she told Ben she could never give up Fisher even if she regained her sight, which she felt she would some day.

Yoshi stayed as close to Lani and Meg as he could but he had other police work to do and could not spend every hour protecting them. Lani had several attempts on her life and her senses had saved her along with her friends being on the alert constantly. She even got to the point where she could distinguish by feel the ripe coffee beans and helped in the picking with Meg sometimes at her side and other times with friends and family watching Meg. Meg loved gum and everyone knew that fact as she insisted loudly that she wanted some gum!

The Christian atmosphere all through the book stand out especially well as Lani sometimes wonders why God let all these thing happen but then realized that God had done so many good things for her too. Midnight Tea is a page-turner that is extremely hard to put down. The reading is easy but pleasant and certainly not boring. There are no slow sections to bog you down. I highly recommend it.

Midnight Sea transported me right away with the rich setting and tropical details. I enjoyed the tidbits about coffee production as well as the complex plot which kept me guessing. I am a mystery gal and I didn't guess the ending! Lani's relationship with Ben and Fisher the guide dog were interesting to watch as they evolved. A very enjoyable read! Dana Mentink

Colleen, you did it again. Every book in this Aloha Reef series just kept getting better and better. More mystery. More intrigue. More romance. Is this really the last book. I want to read more. Thanks for the series.

As a person who loves the Hawaiian Islands, this series of books from Colleen Coble has been a refreshing way to transport myself from the mainland to the islands by just picking up the books and begin reading. I love the fact that the places she references in the stories are real and accurate in her descriptions. I am able to actually visualize what she is speaking of through the characters. I am sad that when I finish Midnight Sea book #4 in the Aloha Reef Series that I am at the end! I hope Colleen writes a 5th book!

I enjoyed the first 3 books in this series, and this one is wonderful! The characters are people that I want to know more about, plus there is a connection to characters from the other books. Once I started reading, I had to keep going to find out what happened, so start this book when you have a good chunk of time to spend with it!

As a frequent traveler to Hawaii and a big mystery fan I like to combine the two and read books with Hawaiian settings. So often it quickly becomes clear that the author's use of a Hawaiian setting is a gimmick and/or based on travel brochure myth of what The Islands are like. Not so at all with Chip Hughes' books in the Surfing Detective series, Murder on Molokai and Wipeout. I was recently in Hawaii and was scanning bookshop for local authors and found the first two books in this series. Two days later after reading them both straight through, I was surprised and delighted to find both books rich in Hawaiian flavor and well written with interesting stories and characters. I highly recommend both books for fans of Hawaii, mystery detective PI fiction or just good books to read!

Excellent book, amazing imagery and captivating all the way through. It's not excessivly long and drawn out.

Murder on Molokai is a thouroughly enjoyable read. This murder mystery novel grabs your attention from the first page and the surprising plot twists keep you on your toes.

Chip Hughes writes a very entertaining murder mystery. He also refers to many places and people on Oahu and Molokai that will pleasantly jog the memories of those who have visited there, and make those who haven't visited there want to.

I read this book while vacationing on the island of O'ahu, and I simply could not put it down. This is one mystery that kept me turning pages until I was finished, and the character of "The Surfing Detective", Kai Cooke, is a great one. While making this character totally unique, Chip Hughes has taken some of the better attributes of some of our most beloved detectives and given them to Kai Cooke. If you can picture Magnum, P.I. with a touch of a Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler, you would have Kai Cooke. I thoroughly urge you to give this author and this story an opportunity to impress you as I was impressed. You will finish the story with a 'Mahalo' to Chip for one fine story! I cannot wait until further volumes about the surfing detective become available.

we loved this story I didn't not realize there was a history on these
people. and it was done so well I would recommend you read Malaki first
then this book after. good read

Aloha kakou,
Outstanding collaborative effort by two very important Native Hawaiian voices. This wonderful portrait details a man`s life spent well--dealing with the challenges and trials of surviving Hansen`s disease in Kalaupapa, Moloka`i. Not an in depth about Hansen`s or Kalaupapa, this is Henry`s story, his life, loves, talents and legacy. Henry tells his story, through Sally-Jo`s sensitive handling, with the self effacing, off hand manner of a true local Bruddah. Typical of Hawaiians of his generation, he can do a handful of difficult things really well. This celebration of a life lived with purpose also shows what can result from a life lived purposefully with Aloha. I strongly recommend this book.

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (3/07)

This is an amazing story. It is Henry's story. Henry Nalielua, diagnosed with Hansen's disease at the age of ten, was branded leprous. "No Footprints in the Sand" is an important memoir. It tells of the journey that took Henry from a sugar plantation community on the Island of Hawaii to Kalaupapa, a remote settlement on the Hawaiian island of Molokai.

Nalaielua's story is inspiring. Even in exile, with lifelong medical and physical challenges and isolation from his family, he faced life with hope, perseverance, courage, and humor. Henry learned to draw and paint. He became an artist. Henry loved music and mastered the ukulele and upright bass. He became a musician. Henry's mind was sharp. He was determined and quick-to-learn. He became an historian. Henry has also served on numerous public agency advisory boards. When the facility at Kalaupapa was named a National Historic Park, Henry became a guide for park visitors. He still resides at Kalaupapa

Co-author Sally-Jo Bowman worked determinedly over a period of years to help bring Henry's story to publication. She first met Henry in 1995, when he helped her with on-site research at Kaluapapa for several magazine articles about the Hansen's disease colony.

Henry's story is unforgettable. It is told with intimacy and openness. "No Footprints in the Sand" is a heartwarming memoir that will inspire anyone facing adversity, long term illness, or needing encouragement. This was a very positive reading experience.

I've now given away so many copies of No Footprints that I should have bought a dozen or twenty at wholesale. Henry's is an amazing story of a kolohe kanaka - naughty Hawaiian - who had the misfortune to contract a dreaded disease in 1936. Sally-Jo Bowman's input makes it a fascinating read. Sounds just like Henry sat down and wrote it all by himself, but we know it doesn't work that way. I chuckled at Henry's can-do attitude. Man after my own heart. I'm glad the book includes all his Casanova events. What a guy, a real renaissance kanaka kane - Hawaiian man. Great title!

In his powerful first book, "Uncle Henry" Nalaielua tells a story that has rarely been told, of a dark moment of Hawai'i's history; not from the distant viewpoint of the historian, but from the first-person testimony of its survivor.

With honesty, humor and vivid detail, Henry's courageous tale touched my soul, so profoundly, that I kept wanting to know more. I couldn't put it down and finished it in one sitting, wishing that it wouldn't end. It stirred emotions in the same way as Paulo Coelho's, "The Alchemist," in its message of following one's dream, despite all obstacles. (Except, this is no fable; it is a real life piece.)

Along with his brilliant co-author, Sally-Jo Bowman, he weaves an intimate story of strength and perserverence, which will surely be known for decades to come as one of the islands' finest mo`olelo.

This is a must read for everyone and makes for a wonderful gift. It will touch you in surprising ways, and make you want to meet this incredible man and the spiritual place that he would finally call, "home."

Every year I tell my friends that *this* is the year I'm going to Hawaii - and every year they give me another travel book on the 50th state. This year I received Rum & Reggae's Hawaii and I've finally booked my trip. Thanks to Mr. Runge's thorough (and thoroughly entertaining) descriptions, I know exactly where to go, where to stay, and what to avoid. I've been waiting for a travel book to really tell me what's what for years. I can see I'm not the only one who appreciates an opinionated travel book - there are far too many dull ones out there. This book pushed me over the edge to finally go to Hawaii - quite an accomplishment. Buy it for a friend of yours!

Just returned from the Islands of Hawaii (Oahu, Maui, Lanai, and big island) - can't wait to go back and explore the other parts of such a wonderful part of the world. I will say that without my copy of Rum&Reggae's Hawaii travel guide - I would have been lost and probably would have had a much lessor experience. I bought the book well ahead of my departure and used it as the foundation for my trip - setting up an appropriate itinerary, logistics, great places to stay, authentic restaurants, and unique places to see not covered in any other guide books I looked at - The tourist scale rating system was really helpful and accurate - without a doubt this guide book is right on the mark. Not only was the book my best reference while I was traveling, but it also was fun to read about the history and cultural stuff I did not know along the way. As with the Rum&Reggae's Carribean guide book (which I used and would also highly recommend if headed there), I found this book very readable, no-bull, and colorfully different from other stuffy, flat guide books I have tried to use many times in the past. Thank you Rum&Reggae for this book - I will go back with your book in hand! My next trip is to South America - when is your travel Guide on Brazil coming out?

This is not my first encounter with Mr. Runge's work nor, I hope, will it be my last. I started with Rum & Reggae 2000, the definitive "inside scoop" on the caribbean, and I've been hooked on Runge ever since.

This is not your ordinary travel guide. It reads more like a converstation with a friend over cocktails. And what better way to plan your next trip than to chat with a friend who has 'been there and done that'?

Be it solitude or 'sauce' that you seek; deserted beaches or a little cha-cha-cha, you'll find it here.

This is not my first encounter with Mr. Runge's work nor, I hope, will it be my last. I started with Rum & Reggae 2000, the definitive "inside scoop" on the caribbean, and I've been hooked on Runge ever since.

This is not your ordinary travel guide. It reads more like a converstation with a friend over cocktails. And what better way to plan your next trip than to chat with a friend who has 'been there and done that'?

Be it solitude or 'sauce' that you seek; deserted beaches or a little cha-cha-cha, you'll find it here.

I wanted to let anyone looking for what to do/where to stay/what are the best deals in Hawaii -- that you need look no further than this terrific new guide book from Jonathan Runge.

Just as he did in 'Hot on Hawaii', he makes you want to go to places on various islands that you'd not thought of - or even known of before! The research and detail that has gone into this 2nd effort, is first rate and I applaud the time he put into it.

If you have only one guide book on Hawaii that you want to keep on hand, I suggest that you make it this one!

Tom & Tina Finnigan
San Francisco, CA

If snorkeling is your thing, this book will provide a complete guide as to equipment recommendations, locations, getting to the right location, safety issues, as well as many beautiful photos which identify a number of fish available when you snorkel. I have these authors' book on Maui snorkeling which is quite good. This one is even better and more complete. A must buy for the avid Hawaiian snorkeler!

This guide is indispensable for locating the best snorkeling sites in Kauai. The information on public parking as well as entering and exiting the water at the sites is very helpful. I just returned from a trip to Kauai, and this book was absolutely priceless in helping me choose the best snorkeling sites on the island. If you're a serious snorkeler, this is the book for you! Even if you're interested only in swimming beaches on Kauai, this book is great for getting directions to the beaches and info on public parking.

Snorkel Kaua'i has all of the great things we found in the Malinowskis' Snorkel Hawai'i, especially the snorkeling tips, site maps, and the very useful "Sites at a Glance" table. The table saved us a lot of time we put to better use by being in the water. The site descriptions and "how to" hints are written in a such a way that you feel sure the authors have experienced what they're describing. This book has something that the one on the Big Island doesn't -- the delightful color landscape and creature photos by Mel Malinowski and underwater shots by Jay Torborg. Besides being a valuable resource, it's a beautiful book.

Very fast transaction! What great pictures! The directions and locales seem clear, can't wait to use this guide!

Excellent guide. Gets you there, shows you where to go in, when not to go in, and what to look for. I've been to Kauai snorkeling at least 5 times, and this was the best ever, thanks to this guide. Highly recommended.

Over the years I have made every recipe in this book. This book is like a trusted old friend. There is nothing in the book that isn't good. I still have the Nepalese Vegetable Curry once a week. It is often requested when there is a get together. I recently purchased a used copy. My original one is stained with pages falling out. Buy one if you find it.

and I have a lot of them! The glossary in the book is quite helpful and she even names the brands that she finds the best. Her recipes are SO good and there are many unique ones such as Cauliflower-Cheese enchiladas, Nepalese Vegetable Curry, and Indonesian Tempeh and vegetables. Buy this book if you get the chance- you won't regret it.

I love this cookbook so much I bought an extra one. Glad I did since it's now out of print. Waiting for it to come out again and waiting for Mandoe's next book.

I love this book, and hope Mandoe writes another.The recipes are clear, easy to do,and the results are excellent. I have made many of the recipes, and don't have a single complaint. Just a top notch cookbook, simple...yet complete.

This is my favorite, worn out, food splattered, beloved cookbook! I stumbled across it by accident in a Whole Foods in Houston when a friend and I wanted to find a recipe for a cake to make for our dual birthday party. She knew I couldn't eat refined sugar and always try to eat healthy. We picked the "Fabulous Fudge Cake", it's incredibly easy to make, you can make both the cake and and the frosting in a blender! I substituted Fruitsweet for the honey. It's important to note the natural desserts taste better over time as the flavor develops. The day of the party, it was okay. We left half the cake in the fridge and had some a week later, it was divine! I also served this cake at another party where people wanted me to make "something you would eat." People loved it and couldn't believe it had no refined sugar. I have also had success with her carrot cake, spinach lasagna and cornbread. In addition to the recipes, there are many warmly written anecdotes that give the reader a real feel for Bonnie's personality and make one feel as if they are reading short letters from a friend. I only wish this book had gotten more promotion so more people would know about it.

The best treatment of traditional Pacific navigation practices, written by someone who actually could navigate.

This book is well-written, displels a lot of strange myths about native Pacific navigation, and provides a lot of interesting details useful to modern navigators when they run out of batteries in the middle of the ocean.

For most of us, sailing across 2000+ miles of open ocean from Hawaii to Tahiti (or vice versa) would be daunting enough even with using every modern navigation device such as a GPS. Consider that in 1927 with compasses, sextants, radio, etc, in the Dole Air Race from Oakland to Honolulu (the same distance as Tahiti to Hawaii) 3 out of the 5 planes that started out were lost at sea. Then consider that a thousand years ago the Polynesians in 50-foot twin-hulled canoes were regularly making such voyages without any kind of instruments, and that crossing 50 or 100 miles of ocean was thought almost trivially easy.

That a primitive (by European or American standards) people were skilled at ocean navigation was thought absurd. Kon-Tiki was an attempt to show that Oceania could be populated from South America by drifting on rafts and sheer luck of landfall. But it is now established that there was skilled and purposeful exploration and colonization--including Rapa Nui (Easter Island) which is 1000 miles from the nearest other habitable island. We, the Navigators is a fascinating look at "primitive" navigation techniques, and the author himself sailed from Hawaii to Tahiti using only these ancient techniques.

So you'll see how the Polynesians used the sun, moon, and stars to achieve accurate navigation. They also used the ocean swells (as distinct from waves): islands reflect and deflect swells, so by careful observation, you can get a sense of direction to landfall. Land also changes cloud patterns. Birds were watched intently. New Zealand was one of the last places found and peopled--from 1600 miles away from the northeast, perhaps by watching birds migrate in that direction. Different kinds of birds travel different distances from land--some travel 40-50 miles, others 20-25 miles: by observing at dawn where the birds came from, and observing which direction they went towards sunset, and seeing what kind of bird it was, you could tell that there was land, and what direction it was, and how far away it was as well. On leaving land, backsights would be taken to help establish currents and drift. The book has lots of drawings and illustrations--it's a real treat!

This book is written by an academic. I don't necessarily mean this in a negative sense. The author has done a very thorough research on the topic and presented his findings. The effect is a book that can be called a comprehensive treatment as far as it can be done given that the practictioners are disappearing fast.
The downside is that it can send you to sleep as the author systematically compares how the navigational techniques are practiced in the various island groups.

The strength of the book is not only its thoroughness but also the fact that the author is a skilled sailor who has gone on trips using these techniques. This makes the material so much more authentic, because the reader can relate how effective these skills are and yet how much practice they require.

The author provides commentary on many practices and relates them to our modern day knowledge. An example was their ability to recognize the impact of sub surface currents, something that is today a rather specialist piece of knowledge not available to the everyday sailor.

The most complete study of early navigation I have come across. The author does a fantastic job of comparing the different styles of landfinding as used by the Pacific islanders. Lewis brings the knowledge and experience of an accomplished western sailor and navigator to his studies, and in doing so is able compare and contrast ancient and modern techniques. A scholarly study of primitive navigation, the book is not always an easy read, however for the reader looking for a complete comparison this is the volume to have.

RUSS and BLYTH CARPENTER.
The Blessings of Bhutan
Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2002. v, 186 pp. Colour plates, notes, glossary, index. US$24.95, paper.

It is rare that one has the chance to review a book so inadequate that one is hard-pushed to find a positive word to write about it.

The Blessings of Bhutan is, most unfortunately, such a book. One cannot imagine why University of Hawai'i Press, an otherwise reputable press that previously released the charming Painter's Year in the Forests of Bhutan by A. K. Hellum, has now published the Carpenters' recycled clichés and Orientalist imaginings. The authors start out on a hapless tack "... visitors often feel altered by Bhutan ... their inner selves are stirred ... [and] many come home with a nagging feeling that they
were at the edge of learning something important, something primary" (p. 1). With this Conradesque backdrop in place, Russ and Blyth Carpenter enter the Heart of Lightness with their readers in tow. Their account of travelling and working in Bhutan is so personalised that those of us who have never visited their home in the USA wonder why they so frequently refer to it: "Bhutan reminds us of Vida, Oregon. Our hometown has a store ..." (p. 7).

Their rambling anecdotes come across as impressionistic accounts from a journal, and are surely more suited to family archives or a Christmas letter home to friends than to publication as a monograph by an academic press. The authors trade in stereotype and are partial to a disparaging kind of anti-intellectualism, embodied by the statements:

"only a masochist would want to know the names of all the languages spoken in
Central and Eastern Bhutan" and "Bhutan's geography changes from challenging to
nearly hopeless" (p. 8). As if this were not disturbing enough, their hagiography of the kings of Bhutan as embodying "wisdom, strength, vision, and selfless behaviour" which they "daydream about the United States borrowing" (p. 9) is surely at odds with the sentence handed down by a previous king who had a citizen "whipped with peach branches until he convulsed and fell unconscious" (p. 18).

While this book has no scholarly pretensions, and readers would do better to travel to Bhutan with the Lonely Planet guidebook, the lack of engagement with issues that affect contemporary Bhutan, such as the activities of Indian rebels along the southern border or the plight of the Lhotsampa refugees (Bhutanese Hindus of Nepali origin) is simply negligent.

In only one place are these issues touched upon, and then shrouded in euphemism and dodged in an amateurish and unconvincing way: "Many of the things we could say here about the southern problem would be out-of-date by the time this book is published" (p. 168).

In short, this book fails to deliver at all levels. The obvious delight the authors have in Bhutan is marred by their thinly disguised condescension: "in our view, the Bhutanese do not understand the insidious and destructive consequences of television" (p. 174) and platitudinous generalisations such as "we have no hesitations about the essential intellectual capability of the Bhutanese people" (p. 169). At best, perhaps the Carpenters could recycle their text for an in-flight magazine on Bhutan's national airline.

MARK TURIN
University of Cambridge

This meaty little book is informed by the experience of the authors'numerous visits (including working trips) to Bhutan, extensive research, and the wisdom of many lively but respectful conversations with Bhutanese friends. Gorgeous color photographs by the authors supplement the vivid, lucid writing. There is intrigue in seeimg how these two self-described linear thinkers are gradually changed by confronting an intuitive culture with a Tantric lifestyle and a heritage of both Tibetan Buddhism and the remnants of the pre-Buddhist Bon religion. What will be the effect of television, which has only now entered the culture, on this relatively isolated culture? What do monks do all day? What does it mean to measure a culture by its Gross National Happiness? Why is Bhutan known as Little Switzerland? These are among the many questions the Carpenters answer. One could not have better guides to this intriguing country.

"The Blessings of Bhutan" is a personal and fascinating compilation of very short, and very readable, essays (or "sketches") about authors Russ and Blyth Carpenter's experiences and understanding of Bhutanese life. The book is separated into eight parts covering Bhutanese culture and geography; ancient Bhutanese religion and its relationship to Buddhism and Bhutanese archery; Tantric Buddhism; Bhutanese art and medicine; reincarnation (especially as it applies to the environment); sexuality in Bhutanese culture; women in Bhutan; and the Carpenter's reflections on Bhutan's policy of "Gross National Happiness" and on Bhutan's future. The book also has a very useful glossary of terms that makes reading much easier as well as a recommending reading list.

The authors' love and admiration of Bhutan and Bhutanese people is very apparent in their sketches. While many things about Bhutan can easily baffle a tourist (like the almost contradictory sexual attitude of the Bhutanese or the concept of "Gross National Happiness"), they explain these things in terms of the Bhutanese culture. I found the book extremely easy to read and engaging, and appreciated the experiences the Carpenters shared as well as the facts. You can read the book back to front or just skip around and read about which aspects of the culture you're interested in.

This is the first book I have read about Bhutan, and I'm glad I got it!

The Carpenters' book is not the first one that I have read on this magical Asian kingdom but it is definitely one of the best summaries out there. The authors succeeded in bringing the abstract closer to us; they offer an easily digestable, very interesting and engaging reading about Bhutan. What is even better they bring up further topics of interest and discussion that may make you look for more reading on the country itself, some of the characters from Bhutanese history or Buddhism in general. However, if you would like to find out more about tourist destinations in Bhutan I recommend that you get Pommaret's book or the Lonely Planet guide, as this book is more about the spiritual side, the soul of Bhutanese people and its manifestations in everyday life, religion and culture.

Absolutely one of the best books that I have read on the country of Bhutan. After reading several chapters, I was ready to travel on one of the tours to Bhutan, which are led by authors Russ and Blyth Carpenter.

I read this book when I was an early teen, and it still haunts me to this day. I remember crying while reading this book. It is a very moving and touching novel and I highly recommend it.

Sarah is a girl from Boston, she has friends, a good teacher, basically her life was easy, but not for long. Her life was too good for too long.
Her family moves to Hawaii for five months. Sarah's life flipped. Nobody is kind so she has no friends, the teachers are cruel, and since her Grandma is sick, her parents won't pay any attention to her. Now all she has is her weird older brother Sam (oh great), and a tape recorder that she talks to and then sends home to Boston for her class to hear. One day Sam takes Sarah to a forbidden lava field and they both here a yelping. A cat! Its leg was stuck between two rocks. Sam and Sarah couldn't just leave the cat so they pulled and tugged and got the cat out, only to realize that they now have a secret, a friend, and a cat.
I recommend this book to anyone, young or old; I mean who wouldn't want to read a book with an animal, a secret, friend-ship, who knows, maybe a tear or two. I liked how Jan put dialogue, made it clear, put cliff-hangers, and slowly would change the mood to the book.
Out of 10 stars, I would give this book 10. The Broccoli Tapes is a spectacular book.

Affable Ali

A Cat's Life
There were four things I liked about the book I read. One was when Sara and Sam found a black cat they called "Broccoli." Sara and Sam called the cat Broccoli because when they gave her the first meal from the restaurant, she went right for the broccoli. The second thing I liked was when Sam and Sara met Eddy and became friends with him. That was the only friend they had. The third thing I liked was when Sara would make tapes for her classmates to let them know everything was going O.K. with Broccoli and her. The last thing I really liked was when they found out that Broccoli was a girl and not a boy because they had thought Broccoli was a boy. I recommend this book because it's about showing love and care for an animal.

The title of this book is The Broccoli Tapes.The author is Jan Slepian.This book was published in 1989. Publisher is Philomel Books a division of Putnam and Grooset. This book is about a family who goes to Hawaii for a vacation. Sara and Sam are brother and sister. They are apart of the family who visits Hawaii. One day at the lava field they found a cat who is trapped in the rocks. This cat was wild. Their parents told them to stay away from the cat . But they didn't listen. They feed him broccoli one day and he liked it, so they named him Broccoli. I do recommend this book because I like adventure bookes. If you like adveture books you should read this book because its very exsiting and you read things you dont expect. I hope you read this book you'll love it.

THIS BOOK IS ABOUT A GIRL NAME SARA.HER PARENTS WANTS TO MOVE FROM BOSTON TO HAWAII AND THEY THINK SHE WOULD LIKE HAWAII ALOT.SHE DOESN'T WANTS TO MOVE BECAUSE SHE IS GOING TO MISS HER FRIENDS IN BOSTON.SHE ALSO HAS A YOUNGER BROTHER.THEY BEEN LIVING IN HAWAII FOR 5 MONTHS AND SHE REALLY LIKES IT NOW. SHE HAS 2 BEST FRIENDS. ONE OF HER FRIENDS IS TAPE RECORDER THAT MAKES UP HER DAIRY. AND THE OTHER ONE IS A BLACK CAT THAT HER AND HER BROTHER FOUND.SHE SENDS HER TAPES TO HER FRIENDS IN BOSTON SO THEY CAN KNOW HOW SHE IS DOING AND WHAT SHE IS DOING.

The Second World War completely changed its major participants and exacted some huge sacrifices from all involved. This and other books about the people who did the fighting shows how similar the attitudes were on all sides. The main character changes some of his thinking after the war, but his thoughts and actions during the war are really interesting, especially when compared to the thoughts and actions of the people on other sides.

If ever a book (other than the Bible) showed the divine hand and providence of God, this is it. I wish I could have met the man.

Excellent detailed story of Pearl Harbor's lead Navy pilot who through special circumstances wrought only by God found himself after the war travelling in the USA with Billy Graham and preaching the Gospel in Christian Crusades.

A friend of mine introduced me to this book in April of this year. He told me it was unlike any book about the Pacific war that he had ever read. Although skeptical at first, I sill went ahead and purchased the book. I left it on my book-shelve for several months and forgot all about it. As I began packing up in July to move I noticed this book again, so I picked it up and began reading it. I found the style of writing extremely fluid, and the chapters were concise. This well balanced account of Mitsuo Fuchida life traces it from his days as an Imperial naval aviator to Christian evangelist. 'God's Samurai' is a truly inspirational book filled with numerous accounts of honor, bravery, loyalty, and sacrifice - all the codes of a Samurai warrior. I have enjoyed this book tremendously, and I have just begun reading, 'Midway: The Battle That Doomed Japan: The Japanese Navy's Story' by Mitsuo Fuchida, Roger Pineau (Editor),Masatake Okumiya(Contributor). Both 'God's Samurai' and 'Midway' are 'must-have' books for anyone who is truly interested in the Pacific war and naval battles!

An awesome true story. Definitely one of the three best books I've read in the past decade. In a time like this of Osama bin Labens and shocking inter-civilizational conflict, Fuchida's life story shows how true reconciliation and inter-cultural brotherhood can be experienced. It gives hope in spite of the huge obstacles to inter-cultural understanding. A powerful human interest story. Don't miss it!