Literature Books

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.

This was one of the first Marilyn books I owned and I have to say it still stands out as one of my very favorites because it is so intimate, and the pictures show a very down to earth Marilyn that you feel like you could reach out and touch. George Barris was actually a long time photographer of Monroe, he had the pleasure of catching some of her most iconic moments on camera such as the famous shirt blowing scene from THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH and many more. These are by far his best of her though and I personally favor pics from Marilyn's later years (60's). I love the stories that Barris tells and I am getting ready to reread this book as it has been a few years, I think it is the type of book one can read over and over anyhow. As I have said all the pics are amazing especially the ones of Marilyn on the beach. These however are not the very last pics taken of Marilyn, just the last photo session. The very last shots of her can be found in the book "Mr. S.: The Last Word on Frank Sinatra" when she was on a yacht with Sinatra and at the Cal-Neva Lodge & Casino shortly before her death. Over all though this book is HIGHLY recommended and is essential for any Marilyn fan!

I was surprised at this book in Marilyn's own words. This interview was only a few weeks before her death. The pictures were amazing and beautiful. She did not seem at all depressed and was looking forward to the future. Makes you wonder if she was murdered. Surely seems that way after I read the book and looked at those pictures. It almost seems to say "see I want to live" and little did she know that her life was in danger! Poor Marilyn. I hope wherever she is, she knows that some people believe that she did not kill herself. And I hope she is at peace.

This book is unique in that it comes from George Barris's last days spent with her. I love the photos because they are candid not posed. This bok also includes the last photo ever taken of her. I'm on my way to own almost every Marilyn book and Im am pleased with this one.

This was indeed a touching tribute. I felt very connected to Marilyn while reading her stories. The photos were just as gorgeous. I could have gone without George Barris' interjections as they usually just repeated what Marilyn said. But it was his book and she was apparently his friend, so I suppose he deserves some spotlight too.

Add this to your Monroe collections! It's a definite keeper.

I have to say that it is just amazing how after 44 years Marilyn Monroe is still considerd one of the most beautiful women to ever live. After seeing the photographs of Marilyn Monroe taken by Mr. Barris in this book I am not suprised that people are still captivated with the beauty of Marilyn Monroe. The pictures of Marilyn in this book are amazing and beautiful. Marilyn shows her true character in the most natural looking pictures I have ever seen of her. Each picture tells a story and shows you the woman Marilyn really was. Marilyn truely was a naturally beautiful woman and it shows in this book. This great book also lets you read and learn about the real person Marilyn Monroe was in her own words. Marilyn tells her life story in this book, taking you through her young years as Norma Jean to her Hollywood life as Marilyn Monroe. When you are reading this book it is very interesting to hear Marilyn talk about her life in her own words. Marilyn takes you along her life journey through the pages in this book. The only sad thing is when you are reading this book you wish Marilyn's life story would continue past the inevitable days of Marilyn's death on August 4-5,1962. I alreadly knew Marilyn was going to die before reading but it really made me sad because after reading this book it makes you feel like you actually knew Marilyn personally. That just goes to show how well written this book is. I have to say Mr. Barris you have done a great job writing this excellant book. Marilyn would truely have been happy with this book. Whether you are a Marilyn Monroe fan or you are just curious about this iconic Hollywood actress this book will definitely be intresting to read. Before I read this book I thought Marilyn Monroe was all Hollywood glitz and glamour. After reading this book however I found that Marilyn was a sweet down to earth woman who just wanted to be loved. I only hope Marilyn made it into heaven, because in her life most of the people that said they loved her and called themselves her friend only used and betrayed Marilyn. I hope that one day Marilyn's death will finally be proven as murder and this case of wrong doing can be closed so Marilyn can finally rest in peace.

This is great trivia for those who already have a basic knowledge of the middle ages. It's filled with gross and gristly bits that will entertain and inform. Don't let the juvenile presentation of the book deter you. A really fun read for teens and adults alike. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series.

Who says history has to be boring and serious? Measly Middle Ages tells the history of the middle ages while completely entertaining the reader. The book itself is filled with lots of interesting information, surprising facts, and insider jokes. It's great fun!

Measly Middle Ages is part of a series of Horrible Histories which teaches history in a interesting, fun, and humorous way. All of these books have great titles like Rotten Romans, Awesome Egyptians, Groovy Greeks, and Vicious Vikings. A copy of these books should be in every local school library.

This great, enchanting, and captivating series attracted me since i was a child. Not only is this an educating experience, this also provides information in a very enjoyable way. Attractive to the most intelligent minds, and interesting to every child, this makes a great gift and also a great reader.
It will make you smile and even laugh out loud as you read book after book. My only question is, why would they ever stop priting? I ask Scholastic to continue print so all who desire a book can recieve one. Thank you.

The book really had no main characters. This book was an informational book covering the Middle ages. The book covered such great people in history as Queen Isabeau, King Richard II, and King Richard III.

The plot of the story is about the middle ages. Also about
how the people changed history and life as it was during the Middle Ages. The history that I learned was a lot different of how it is today. The story also focused on famous kings and Queens and important people who changes history forever and their improtant contributions to the Middle Ages.

The setting of the story is during the Middle Ages which is from 410A.D.-1453A.D.

The Measly Middle Ages is about the people in life that made a diffrence for the people of today. It also tells you about important events and the historic importance of individuals of during the middle ages.

One of the resons I liked this book is because I am realy into history. Another reason that I liked reading this book is because of the awsome illistrations throughout the book. I also enjoyed how the book kept my attention throghtout the story and this is why this was one of best books i have read in a long time.

I came across Terry Deary completely by accident ~ in a gift shop in Scotland, shoved amongst other more "scholarly" hardcovers. As my graduate area of study is the Middle Ages, I was intrigued and bought the book on a whim ~ and haven't stopped buying Terry Deary's books since! Are the books chock-full of historical facts guaranteed to allow someone to walk away thinking they know everything about the Middle Ages, Greece, Rome, France, or any of Deary's other topics? No, of course not. Are the books a wonderfully entertaining (and illustrated!) way of addressing what can admittedly be a bit of a dry topic? Of course! I say any books that can make someone, young or old, become interested in history should be embraced fully. And, hey, I learn something new from every book I read, which is an added bonus! Further, I think these books definitely appeal to adults who have an interest or education in history ~ much as what "The Reduced Shakespeare Company" teaches us about Shakepeare is true about Deary's treatment of history: the better you know the original, the more funny and entertaining the condensed versions are.

The Priddy board books are very sturdy and have great photos--all my boys have loved them!

My son Nathaniel who is 3 years old absolutely loves this train book. I bought it along with All about Train DVD. He loves to point to the trains in the book while he spots them on the DVD. Nathaniel takes this book everywhere he goes. He also has My big Truck book which is by the same author. Very good books I recommend them. I will eventually buy the whole collection.

As a retired elementary teacher, I value literacy experiences for young children. I purchased this book for my grandson's third birthday. He already had "My Big Truck Book" and loves it, it is one of his favorites. He has well over 100 at the present time, but turns again and again to this one. "My Big Train Book" is fast becoming another favorite. The bright pictures are great. I would recommend either or both these books.

My son asks to have this book read to him over and over. It's a hit!

This book has gone through two of my sons. Fantastic for the 'little' train lover with clear colourful pictures.

"MY BOUQUET OF KISSES IS A PHENOMONAL STORY. IT TAKES YOU ON SUCH AN EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER. YOU WILL LAUGH AND CRY FROM YOUR HEART AND FROM YOUR SOUL.
WHILE READING THIS HEART BREAKING STORY, I FELT EVERY BIT OF THE PAIN, DISAPPOINTMENT, DISCRIMINATION, EMBARRASSMENT, FRUSTRATION AND HEARTACHE THE TWINS ENDURED, FROM THE SEXUAL ABUSE AND THE SNATCHING OF THEIR SELF-ESTEEM, TO THE LOYALTY AND LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER.
EVERYONE WHO READS "MY BOUQUET OF KISSES" WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY WITH AT LEAST ONE OF THE CHARACTERS OR ONE OF THE TERRIFYING OBSTACLES THE TWINS BRAVELY SURVIVED!!
CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK FROM J. D. ANDERSON! FABULOUS JOB JANICE!!"

How can hope live when everything around you is painful and negative? It took inner strength and the memory of the warm kisses received from an estranged mother.

Adopted when they were babies, Jan and her twin brother Joe lived with a lady they would call, 'Mom'. From the time they could remember, three things reigned supreme: Mom was physically abusive, there was no one to save them, and no one to love them. Around the age of five, a tall African Queen, at least that's how she looked to Jan, visited them, showering them with what Jan called a bouquet of hugs and kisses; their birth mother. But her stay was short-lived, and they were again smothered by the cruelty of Mom. The twins responded differently, Joe retreated into himself and Jan became the protector, but they both feared and hated Mom.

Before their fourteenth birthday, the family relocated from California to Mississippi. Jan hoped desperately that it would be a positive change, but it wasn't really. The one plus from that move is it acquainted the twins with their maternal family. Immediately after graduating high-school Jan enlisted in the Marines and began yet another saga of her tattered life.

MY BOUQUET OF KISSES is a painful account of a woman's struggle to rise above the emotional and physical pain which desperately fought to rule her life. Their childhood was full of secrets, with bits and pieces of truth revealed in underhanded and accidental ways. After over thirty years Jan found some retribution and began to find herself. J.D. Anderson shared this story because writing it was her way of releasing the demons that kept her afraid of life. It vividly captures the suffering of young lives due to human fallacies in programs erected to help innocent children.

Reviewed by aNN
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

My Bouquet of Kisses is an emotional life story of the struggles and heartbreak of a young girl growing up in an unknown world. Along with her twin brother, the feeling of being loved is all J.D. Anderson ever longed for. This book makes you laugh, cry, and wish you can save her from this life. From the first page to the last, J.D. Anderson pours out her heart to tell her story and the importance of love and forgiveness.

I really enjoyed reading "My Bouquet of Kisses."It was a page turner. Once you start reading it, I promise, it will be hard to put down because you want to know what happened next and pray for the silver lining in Jan's life. She really had a tragic childhood, but she never gave up. Reading this book will make you laugh, make you cry and make you wish you could have been there for her to give her the love and support she needed as a child. I feel this book could possibly make it to the best sellers list if it can get the right sponsors. I met Jan because of this book. She is in deed a beautiful, caring person as she is in her book. I really wish her the best. She deserves a break.

This book was a X-mas gift. From the first page I couldn't put it down. On every page I felt like I was there. I am a father myself and I wanted to reach out to the author and hug her tight. When I got to the end of the book I wanted more but it was the poem that got to me. It shook me. I became emotional. It tied the entire book together. I had never heard of this writer before. I just found out this was her first book. I can't wait for her next. Right now my wife is reading and enjoying it. Everyone should read this book.

huge,bottomless,overwhelming as the worlds oceans this awesome tome provides hours of mind blowing eye candy with great educational text.this book uses state of the art photography & excellent graphics.dk are the best when it comes to visual guides.

This book contains stunning pictures, interesting fact and information, information on the most spectacular beaches and ocean crated phenomena, tidal and wave phenomena, weather related phenomena, and information on many, many species of sharks, whales, jellyfish, fish, crabs, coral, etc. A must buy for any ocean/nature lovers, nonfiction coffee table book fans/collectors, or anyone who just love interesting facts and appreciates stunning photography.

This is a huge book packed with information and gorgeous photography. There is plenty of science contained in these glossy pages from how the planets in our solar system formed, to the breakup and movement of our land masses to their current day positions, ocean currents, weather, ecology, glacial periods, and so much more. Most of the first half of the book is devoted to these subjects. The second half of the book gets into ocean life, from the smallest to the largest, how they live, feed, defend themselves. The pictures are breathtaking. This is a great educational book for all family members. Trust me, this one won't just sit around on your coffee table.

This book is not a typical "coffee table" book. Although full of beautiful photographs, there is equal emphasis on educational text. Instead of being a book containing only full-page photos of ocean life, each page is a collage of wonderful photos and short articles that you will want to read. The publisher of this book (DK), offers a variety of books in this format (travel, etc), and the layout of this book is similar. That is not to knock the photos at all - they are great and some are full-page, but this book isn't page after page of full-page photos as some others are.

That said, this is an excellent educational text with so much interesting information to offer. (It made me want to read the book cover-to-cover, which would probably keep me busy for at least a few days!)

The four main sections of the book include:

Introduction
Ocean Environments
Ocean Life
Atlas of the Oceans

The Introduction section takes a scientific look at the earth. A sampling of the topics of this section include "The Evolution of the Oceans", "Tectonics and the Ocean Floor", "Hurricanes", and "El Nino and La Nina". Mixed in with the photos are a number of color drawings and graphs to help the reader understand the concepts.

The section on Ocean Environments includes articles on specific places like San Francisco Bay and Hardanger Fjord as well as general information on habitats such as Salt Marshes, Mangrove Swamps and Rocky Sea Beds. The pages are full of photos of the areas as well as typical species found there.

The largest section is on Ocean Life and focuses on the variety of creatures found in the sea. Exhibited within these pages are a number of amazing photos of plants and animals that I had not seen before (though I'm not an expert on this subject) including creatures such as the Glass Squid, the Blue-Ringed Octopus and the Goblin Shark. I thoroughly enjoyed the short paragraph articles describing unique aspects of the species shown as well as the longer texts on topics like "Echinoderms" that includes anatomy, reproduction, feeding and defense sub-articles.

The last section is Atlas of the Oceans and includes maps of the different oceans and text describing them.

Again, the focus of this book is learning, not just amazing photography, and it does an excellent job of offering a smorgasbord of articles on different topics. If you really want to learn about the ocean and its inhabitants while paging through fantastic photographs, you will thoroughly enjoy this book!

NOT 500 pages and if I had paused to read the item description properly I wouldn't have bought this book! Way too good a price to be true, it is not another edition of the wonderful Cousteau-forwarded book, but a perfectly respectable DK full-color children's book with many very nice color photos. Probably very worth $7.99 and I was just far too greedy to read the fine print.

The original texts in each language were somewhat difficult, specially Old Norse (2 pages took me five hours) and even Old English, the rest were a bit easier for me. If you have not the patience to look up word by word in the included "dictionary", this book is probably not for you. In Old English the difficulty relied in the fact that all grammar rules were the other way around so in the texts I did not understand if the king killed them (his enemies) or if they killed the king until I went to the translated text.

The phonology and grammar sections of this book are also difficult and dry. I did not like grammar at school and I did not like it in this book either. Specially when you include all the cases and declinations found in germanic languages you can get a headache.

I bought the book mainly for phonological relationships, I have always been intrigued by the following words: Deich (German) - dijk (Dutch) - dike (English) / Reich (G) - rijk (D) - reign (E). I got my explanation for part of these similarities & differences. I also bought the book because it mentioned that it had a brief history of the people speaking those languages. I wanted to know which was first the egg or the hen in the evolution of these words: did the Saxons take these words from what is now Germany through The Netherlands and then to the UK or did Norse invasions bring them to the UK and The Netherlands and from The Netherlands to Germany?

The brief chapters on history including maps were really interesting. I supposed there was a straightforward answer to my questions and apparently it is not so easy. Dating of phonological differences is difficult since they are not always documented, the writing or spelling can differ from the pronounciation, so a change in pronounciation might already have occured while the spelling remained the same or the other way around; the same pronounciation can be spelled differently even by people of the same linguistic group (spelling was not regulated, copying mistakes, translation mistakes, etc.). Additionally, the cultures can inffluence each other back and forth by trade relationships, etc. However, it seems that there existed a Proto-Germanic language from which all three (German, Dutch and English) derived and departed.

At the end of the book there is a chapter summarizing the language changing processes that affected each language and thereby establishes similarities and differences in the languages. I would have put this chapter at the beginning of the book to better illustrate what the author was aiming to demonstrate in the individual chapters (instead of summary it would have been a better introduction).

I had the privilege to study the history of the Germanic languages from a photocopied version of the manuscript for this book back in the day. Though the title makes it seem targeted at students of Old English, it actually gives equal weight to all of the Germanic languages, notably Old High German, Gothic, and Old Norse (Icelandic).

Each chapter begins with the parable, "The Sower and the Seed," in the language of the chapter. This text was chosen because it's actually found in the existing manuscripts - - the Bible tended to be translated into the vernacular early on, and disseminated widely - - and because this story has a goodly amount of grammatical action. "A sower went out to sow seeds" gives you three variations on the basic stem of , and you can see how that idea is reflected in each language.

Using the same text also makes for great pedagogy. After a few chapters, the student *sees* the differences immediately, and automatically starts thinking about the language at hand.

It would be easy to make a book like this a collection of reference grammars with a boring list of similarities and differences from one language to the next. Robinson avoids this, and writes in a lively and interesting style. I highly recommend this book if you're interested in the history of the Germanic languages.

This is a wonderful book, and I doubt if any serious reviewer will give it less than five stars. It is exceptionally well-written by an author who wears his immense learning lightly. Devoting a chapter to each of the known early Germanic languages -- e.g., Old Germanic, Gothic, Old Saxon, Old English, Old Frisian, etc. -- Robinson shows how the languages developed, how they shared common characteristics and developed new ones, and how they to some extent must have cross-fertilized one another. In the process, he shares some fascinating information, such as the development of "Futhark," the runic alphabet in which Old Norse was originally written, and makes a cautionary remark which explains that we may know a good deal less about early Germanic writings skills than we think we do: "It is easier to write a letter on a stick than on a stone." He also tackles some deep linguistic issues, such as the reasons why the idea of a language-tree may be misleading, and why the analogy of biological taxonomy to language typology can be problematical. When biological species diverge, they never re-converge. But tribes, armies, villagers, etc., my split up, rejoing, form new groups, etc., so their languages may diverge, reconverge, borrow, meld, and otherwise demonstrate a more complicated history than a "divergence from a common ancestor" model might suggest. For example, Robinson concludes there never was a "common language" which could be called "West Germanic."

Robinson also points out the limits of our knowledge -- so much of our reconstruction of these ancient languages depends upon translations of the Bible and other religious texts that we know very little about the idiomatic usage which surely characterized the "everyday" use of these tongues. We have to be grateful to Robinson for a book which is unlikely to be equaled, much less surpassed, anytime soon.

Orrin Robinson has done what many suggested could never be done -- or done well at any rate: he has constructed a useful, solid introduction to the whole of early Germanic linguistics, hitting all the high points, with concision, without merely paying lip service to each language. It's a terrific starting point for comparative Germanic linguistics -- from which you can move on to more exhaustive works on the individual languages.

Robinson covers seven key Germanic languages here, each in its own chapter: Gothic, Old Norse, Old Saxon, Old English, Old Frisian, Old Low Franconian, and Old High German. In each chapter, he situates the language in its proper historical context, discusses its development from Primitive Germanic, explains its phonology (useful crib notes to refer back to when you need to remember how to pronounce Old Saxon or Gothic! :), talks about the key literary texts in the language, offers two or three reading samples in each language -- with glosses and cognates in the margin and a short glossary following, provides an overview of the grammar, and more. Each chapter also concludes with a Further Reading section, telling those interested in learning more where to turn next.

This is quite a lot to have accomplished in such a relatively short book (c.300 pp.). Robinson's writing is a model of clarity, and the book never plods or becomes too overwhelming or too dry. I've read this book more than once and I refer to it often, which is a compliment of another sort. Very highly recommended indeed!

This book was my first introduction to Germanic linguistics. The book begins with a chapter entitled "The Germanic Language Family." Although the discussion is, for obvious reasons, framed in terms of the Germanic languages, this is incidentally the best and clearest exposition of the principles and techniques of historical linguistics that I have ever read.

The next chapter, "Germanic: A Grammatical Sketch", lists those features of phonology and grammar which characterize the Germanic languages, richly illustrated with examples, mostly from Gothic. That's because Gothic is considered to have preserved more archaic features than the other languages surveyed, and to best represent what proto-Germanic must have been like.

There follow chapters on each of the following languages: Gothic, Old Norse, Old Saxon, Old English, Old Frisian, Old Low Franconian, and Old High German. Each chapter begins with a short history of the tribe(s) which spoke that particular language, usually 4-5 pages worth.

Following this is a short listing of texts from which we derive our knowledge of the language. This obviously varies from language to language. In the case of Gothic and Old Saxon, the texts are few and are listed in their entirety. In the case of Old Norse, Old English, and Old High German, the number of texts which survived is too numerous to list them all, so the corpus is merely described by genre, with a few outstanding representative texts listed.

Next are two short readings in the language. These are limited by the scope of the texts that survive in the language in question. The first is usually the Parable of the Sower and the Seed from the New Testament, to allow for easy comparison between languages. The second is usually from a text unique to the language: for example, the second text in Old Norse is the story of Thor and Skrymir from the Edda; in Old High German, it's from the Muspilli; in Old Frisian, it's from a Frisian legal code.

Following the readings, there is a glossary of all words contained in the readings.

Next there is a short grammar of the language, which covers spelling and pronunciaton pretty thoroughly, and offers a less thorough treatment of grammar. The author clearly states that he did not intend to present a comprehensive grammar for each language. The intention is to give the reader the noteworthy characteristics of the language being considered, and especially to illuminate how it is similar to, and how it differs from, the other early Germanic languages.

The next section for each language covers some topic in Germanic linguistics; the author chooses a general topic which has special significance for that chapter's language. For example, for Old Saxon, he discusses Germanic alliterative poetry. This is particularly relevant to Old Saxon since our main representative text in that language is the Heliand, an alliterative epic retelling of the events in the life of Jesus.

Finally, there is a bibliography for each language, usually containing about 10-12 items, which directs those interested to further reading. The lists are relatively short, but I have found some real jewels there; McDonald-Stearns treatment of Crimean Gothic, for example.

The author concludes the work with a discussion of the grouping of the Germanic languages based on grammatical and phonological features, together with a chart listing some of these features and the early Germanic languages which exhibit them, for ease of comparison.

This is one of my most treasured books. I purchased it 10 years ago, and still keep it by my bedside. I've read it innumerable times from cover-to-cover, and also enjoy opening it at random.

i've only read some of the book so far, but i love it. i think it's great for preschool age kids. May God bless you when you read it with your little ones.

I love this book! The illustrations are beautiful and the messages are wonderful. I especially like the way the devotions are written for the small child. They are easy for them to understand and relate to everyday situations that they have probably experienced.

Preschoolers can relate to the stories in these devotionals and have often experienced something similar in their lives. The stories are short, so a little one can pay attention throughout. The prayers fit the stories very well and again, are short and sweet. I also like that actual the Bible Verse is included in each devotional.

I read this book to my daughter every night. The messages and illustrations soothe us and help us connect with each other.

Of the fifty-some children's books I own, this is one of three I actually enjoy reading. :)

This book was given to my 3+1/2 year old for Christmas, 2007. We have been reading the one page devotions every night before going to bed. I really enjoy the short sweet messages, prayers and scriptures. My daughter talks about Parker, Zoe, Kaitlyn and Jack as if they are a part of our family now! The illustations are adorable. A few words of caution...some of the readings bring up subject matter that might prompt a few questions from your little one (Holy Spirit, Heaven, death etc.) I would certainly recommend buying this for a parent and child to share together.

This book is a wonderful teaching tool . I will be using this in my Earth based spirituality church teachings. I teach the children here in Utah at The Church of the Sacred Circle. It has many great stories that I know the children will be able to relate to. Thank you for a great resource.

I ordered this book for our library's collection (for education students, to help them understand all faiths their students might be), and I still have the habit of reading everything I order-and I'm very glad I read it.

The artwork is wonderful, but the real magic of this book is it's handling of many aspects of being raised Pagan. Young Rabbit has been raised Wiccan by her parents and each of the major rituals and Sabbats are examined from her point of view, as are their understandings of the dieties, how to deal with teasing, and stewardship of the Earth and other people. Stories of everyday life and ritual life are mixed in with explanations of Sabbats and there are great real-life examples of how to bring a child into Circle worship with parents. It makes me wish there was a larger family-centered Pagan community in my area to share with my son.
This is definatly a book written for an American child (it mentions the US more than once), but it would probably be appropriate for a UK Pagan, as well. Excellent resource for Pagan children up to about 3rd grade, for Pagan parents, and for educators or neighbors who have discovered there is a Witch in their community.

Beautiful art work. Execellent story and lesson for the pagan child or any child for that matter.

I've read this story to my daughter dozens of times, and while she is only 2 she loves this book. I've had to memorize it because she pulls it into her lap and pretends to read as she turns the pages. Okay, enough of the cute stuff. Lyon has captured essential pagan themes and practices in an absolutely terrific story about Rabbit and how she has learned pagan customs and festivals. If you have been searching for that book to help your child understand your beliefs, stop now, get this book. P.S. SHE ILLISTRATES IT TOO. This is one seriously talented author.

First of all I need to say that I personally know Lyon. But don't let that make you think I'm biased.

All of Lyon's books are fun and down to earth so they can be enjoyed by both children and adults alike.

Not only does she write children's books, but lives the spiritual lifestyle as well.

If you have young children in your life and follow the pagan lifestyle, I'm confident you will not be disappointed in this or any of Lyon's books.

Highly recommended!!

Whether you want a monolingual English dictionary to help expand the vocabulary of your intermediate or advanced ESL students, or you want to help a struggling beginning Chinese student make a link from their language to English, or you have five different language groups in the class and want to discuss with them the items in a kitchen or fruits or vegetables, the Oxford Picture Dictionary can be a great help. Since the subject-numbering for the pages in all versions of the dictionary are the same, all language groups can listen to the English pronunciation and read the same word in their own language without searching for the right page.
The indivisual students or the teacher needs to help control the rate that the oral words are introduced. Using Pause/Play on the computer for independent or group study or having the teacher or assistant read to the group are both possible. An Advance button on the computer would be much easier than Play/Pause. Maybe there is such a thing, just need to know.
A more accesable list of all the languages included in this publication would be useful. I can find most, but I never know if I've found them all. Over all, this is an extremely useful publication.

This well-structured and nicely illustrated English/Spanish dictionary is a good resource which could easily have been made excellent. Where it comes up short is the lack of bilingual coverage for many entries.

Though the product description does flag the fact that the dictionary's purpose is to "meet the needs of today's English language learners," the layout of the dictionary gives the impression that it is for English speakers learning Spanish as the initial entries are given in English. However, many examples -- most notably the practice exercises -- are given in English only. This could prove frustrating for those wanting learn or expand their Spanish with it or vice versa.

I have been teaching French, Spanish and ESL for many years. I have tried every teaching tool I could find. I can honestly say, this book is the best language tool ever! My students take this book with them everywhere they go and they are the ones who started calling this their "bible."

Apr 5, 2008: Has all sorts of practical vocabulary for everyday situations: household vocabulary, garden care vocabulary, medical vocabulary and many other situations. Would be valuable to communicate with Spanish speaking employees who may have limited literacy, because it is a picture book aimed at adult immigrants. Has lots of words for tools, car repair and furniture that you don't get in high school textbooks.

I am an English as a Second Language Instructor. Every time we use the class set of Oxford Picture Dictionaries my students always want to purchase them. I get a lot of requests for these. I see the students using them all of the time. It increases their knowledge of English & their confidence. I highly recommend it for anyone learning English or Spanish!