Washington Books

A PRIDE OF AFRICAN TALES is a collection of folktales which have their roots in several West African nations including Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria. Each story is preceded by a brief introduction which gives readers a little background on the history and origin of the particular tale. Although I enjoyed all of the stories in the collection, my two favorites were "Shansa Mutoungo Shima" and "The Roof of Leaves." "Shansa Mutoungo Shima" tells the story of Bwalya, a young woman who learns an important lesson about judging people by the way they look. In "The Roof of Leaves" a married couple has an argument followed by a misunderstanding, and both of them must learn an important lesson about swallowing their pride and more importantly about forgiveness.

In the introduction, author Donna L. Washington states that the stories which make up this collection are meant to be told not read, and she encourages readers to bring the stories to life. This book is a "must have" for any child's library, as it is the type of book that can be read over and over again. The book is well organized and the stories are diverse and will appeal to both boys and girls. Washington has compiled a wonderful collection which pairs West African Folktales with a splash of history. Additional resources are provided at the end of the book for readers wanting to learn more about the origins of a particular story and for further reading. James Ransome's eye-catching illustrations add yet another dimension to this collection, and I was impressed by the way the illustrations for each story were consistent with the setting in which it took place.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I don't mean to take anything away from the compiler of these
tales (Donna Washington) because they are a fine group and
she does a wonderful job of retelling them. But I am a collector
of children's books and I collect with the quality of llustrations in mind. So my review is mostly about the illustrations.

James Ransome has had the happy fortune to often be associated with books of really high quality, and I would have to say that of all those that I am familiar with, this is probably his best. It is a great coming together of story, illustration, & printing that makes collecting children's books fun and satisfying.

The illustrations are vivid, lush, and provide a real sense of
place. Ransome captures the villages, the market place, the
forests & grasslands of Africa that I have found equalled only by illustrator Trina Schart Hyman.

A wonderful bonus to the book is the map in the front and
the "Story Notes and Further Reading" in the back. A perfect
book for a school library.

Um. Yeah. I felt totally tripped with this book, like you know that feeling? Like...feeling in TUNE With those dead peots prophets puppets and kings. But, I wish the topic of exorcism were covered more deeply, because I felt like my pagan heritage was insulted by this conglomeration of falsities in the christian religion! Satan is NOT EVIL!! SATAN IS NOT EVIL!!! but...... McDonalds is. Thank you and may the pentogram be in your dreams.
with h8,
-George Bulls

This book Rocks, it tells the story of my man Jesus and his wonderful travels it is A+ man I read it in school and it is really good book, a must read for all you religious buffs out there. Wonderfully written.

This book was a great read, I was compleatly enthralled with the character's. I would love to read another book from this author. I recomend it to everyone!

For a first time writer, Mr. Heumann is off to a roaring start! From the first page to the last, Protocambria was difficult to put down.
The characters are compelling, and the story moves along at an easy pace. For a first novel, I would recommend this book to everyone.
When is the sequel due?

The Pygmalion Venture is well-researched, smartly written, and has vivid descriptions of Washington DC area and lower Alabama. I became emotionally involved with the characters and could not put the book down until finished. It is throughly entertaining and has significant social benefits arising from characters' experiences in America's serious drug trafficing problems. I will definitely look forward to reading the next publication from this new author.

Affluent members of Washington society, the lowest of the lowlife,big time drug deals,amnesia,plastic surgery - there is a lot going on in this one. Plenty of great dialogue and just enough descriptions to put you securely in the scene without bogging you down with details. This writer has surely done her research on a wide variety of subjects.
Bonus for an already great book - chapters that are short enough to make for efficient reading for someone too busy to read in extensive sittings. One is never too far from a scene change and thus a convenient chapter ending stopping place.

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (11/06)

James Quander was a trailblazer. He was an African American living in a society that had not yet accepted equality of all. He was a man with diabetes at a time when it was considered a disability and something that should be hidden.

After a severe insulin reaction, Rohulamin encouraged his dad to write his courageous story. Rohulamin felt that reading about James' struggle with juvenile diabetes could encourage millions of others. Others needed to know that you can live successfully with this ailment. Together James and Rohulamin wrote this book.

James was born in 1918 in Washington, D.C. He was officially diagnosed with diabetes.
Bedwetting had become a problem. On one particular Easter Sunday James woke up tired and grouchy. He wasn't feeling well and was barely dragging along. "I collapsed onto one of the two forest green park benches that we always sat on in the front yard in the evenings. I just could not move and relished the fact that I was home... at least almost in my own room, in my own bed." When his father rushed to see if he was ok, "I answered, "Papa, Papa come get me. I'm too weak to get up. I can hardly move. Come get me." James was too weak to walk. Dr. Wilder was called, he suspected Juvenile Diabetes. Dr. Wilder and James became a team working together to prevent the condition from getting worse. "Never once did Mama or Papa ever let on to me that they believed that I was not going to make it. Instead they decided that they would do everything within their human ability to provide me with a quality of life equal to that of my two brothers and three sisters."

James Quander shares his experiences with us, from being diabetic to playing basketball in high school, to his struggle with Scarlet Fever, to his academic achievements. I enjoyed reading Mr. Quander's story. It is one of success, and courage. The writing is superb; the cover introduces the book well. I highly recommend "The Quander Quality" to all who enjoy non-fiction, and to those who have diabetes or are parents of a diabetic.

The Quander Quality: The True Story Of A Black Trailblazing Diabetic co-authored by the father and son team of James W. Quander and Rohulamin Quander is the engaging biography of the late James W. Quander (1918-2004). Telling the intriguing story of Quander's diagnosis of diabetes shortly before his sixth birthday, and his dedicated and courageous pursuit to live a fulfilled and purposeful life, The Quander Quality is the inspirational and deeply personal history of how Quander eventually became on of the sixteen men ordained in the United States when the Permanent Diaconate was revived after an eight-hundred-year hiatus. An inspirational and engaging example of living and pursuing life to its greatest limits, The Quander Quality is very highly recommended as for all readers searching for a true life example of timely and enduring truths manifested in an ordinary human being with an extraordinary determination.

I liked the book a lot because i think that Jean was trying to inform people about what can happen in real life. It's sad because nobody hardly cared that Rider was missing except his family. The story has a great ending to it. I would like to read more of Jean Thesman's books.

It first started off boring then it got to the exciting part and I thought that it was the best book Jean Thesman had made!!!!!!!1

Joann Roe has written a wonderful biography and book on some great History. Ranald MacDonald comes to life and the history his actions affected is explained in great detail. Joann Roe has done her homework. She not only uses original sources but she visited the places she describes. Where material from Ranald's life doesn't exist she fills in the blanks with others views and explains the surrounding history. She starts with Ranald being born in the now present day Astoria, Oregon. His father is a rising star and eventual Chief Factor in the Hudson's Bay Company and Mother is Princess Raven, a daughter of the local Chief Conconlly of the Chinook tribe. He is given a gentleman's education and his first job as a bank clerk. He is bored with this and runs away to sea. From there he joins a whaler and starts his trek around the world. He becomes one of the first Americans to set foot on Japan and teach English while held in captivity and run down the whole country before being released. Then he ends up in Australia for a while looking for gold. Then from there more ships and a couple of ship wrecks while globetrotting. Eventually he ends up back in western Canada and is greatly involved in the Gold rush around the Fraser River and exploration of Vancouver Island. His last days are spent in Eastern Washington near the site of the old Hudson's Bay Company Fort Colville on a ranch near some cousins and a niece. He led an amazing life and has an amazing story that more should know.

Jo Ann Roe has written a magnificent book, adding considerable information and insight on Ranald MacDonald. In addition to the biographical content, she added valuable scope by describing and explaining the context, for instance the Japanese forces at play at the time of MacDonald's arrival, the gold rush in Australia and British Columbia, etc. Thanks to her lively style, Ranald MacDonald becomes very present to the reader. It is a remarkable historical research.

I sent this book to my daughter, a 7th grade math teacher, and she was thrilled as were her collegues.

Everywhere I go, teachers are using this book in their classrooms, and looking for more by the same author. The math problems are easy to comprehend, the words are true, and 4th-12th grade students who use the book quickly get an understanding of just how useful math is going to be. There's a truck driver, an archeologist, a lawyer, a farmer, a nurse, a veterinarian, a pizza cook, and an arson detective, to name a few.

Reading this book you start to feel like you can predict what Kurin will say when faced with different situations. This is not a bad thing. What I mean is, you learn how he looks at his job as an anthropologist/ethnographer/broker of culture. The discussions of how the visiting teams and the American hosts had to overcome assumptions and produce accurate, honest, sensitive cultural events for the Smithsonian is really fascinating. We love Kurin from his first chapter (Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief) through the freedom he allows the Festival of India performers to transform the festival, into his head-butting with Soviet beaurocrats, and right to his conclusion when he discusses the future-- globalism, tourism, indigenous products, culture policy and more. Kurin is doing amazing work and I am thankful he found time to write this book and let us know about it.

This book includes interesting essays on ways that cultural traditions are brokered in public programs and within academic research. The case studies are especially interesting and provide excellent ideas about major issues involved in coordinating public events. The chapters on the state of anthropology, the controversy over the Enola Gay exhibit, and the future development of public programs are especially strong. The writing will be useful to coordinators of events that display history, folklife, and culture to audiences, and the book will also appeal to anyone who attends festivals, concerts, museum exhibits, and other presentations of culture.

I didn't know what to expect when I picked this up. I have to say that I found a diamond in the rough. You never know when you take a chance to read a work by an author you don't know. I heard of Mr. Washington's book through a friend. I have now thanked that friend tremendously!

Refrigerator Poetry is such a fun read. It seemed to me that Mr. Washington just let it all hang out. He had a poem for just about everything thing. My favorite "shelfs" of the book had to be everyDay pt.1 and everyDay pt.2 because there was a little bit of everything in there to think about. Some of my favorite poems in those sections were "down yonder", "fronts", "changes", "metro", and various haikus.

I have to say that Mr. Washington is a professional wordsmith who knows how to shape even the shortest poem into the biggest picture you could imagine. I never thought that a book filled with short poems would make such an impact on me.

I highly recommend this to all poetry lovers

whitty and insightful, funny, soulful, crisp and new An innovative book of poetry that evokes different feelings and perspectives out of each person who reads it