Texas Books

This book is a very witty and entertaining read. Chris Wham has managed to create characters that invite both ridicule and empathy. It was refreshing to find a book that articulates many of my frustrations at our country's current climate of religious conservatism.

Mr. Wham's witty and astute discourse on the trials and tribulations of the search for spiritual meaning revolves around the sometimes surreal dreams of no less an Entity than God Himself. Or should I say Herself? Or Itself? It all depends on what day it is and what pancake you're looking at. But that's okay. After all, aren't we all a little confused sometimes about what God is and where that confusion takes us in our search for spiritual answers? While The Miracle Pancake of Delgado, Texas doesn't give any perfect formulas about where to find the answers to our spiritual questions, or what those answers might be, it does give us a number of entertaining choices to ponder and pokes some good fun at all of us in our search.

A quick read, incredibly funny...Wham manages to get in equal jabs at psycho-babblers, artistes, action flick heroes, football players, and everyone's favorite, the TV preacher. The story gets in close, juxtaposing true believers against the sleazy suits dying to make a dime off anything. Truly the best book I've read in a long time.

I devoured this book. One of the best works of fiction I have read in a long time. The characters are quirky and real-straight out of Texas. Chris has written a book that is funny and entertaining but it also has a great message. Read this book and pass it on.

I am related to General William L.Cazneau 1807-1876 and his wife Jane McManus Cazneau 1807-1878, the subject of this book. I met the author in November 1999 in Texas. A great amount of research has gone in to this book and it took years to collect it all. I am a direct descendent of General Thomas Nugent Cazneau 1812-1873 of California, brother of William. I am sending copies to libraries and friends. God Bless You !!

History is a passion of mine and this book is so very good. I can not imagine how long it took to do all this research. It gave me a different understanding of our government history. Just to think if our politions had had the foresight that Jane McManus and Aaron Burr had, Cuba, Doninican Republic, and Mexico just to name a few, could have been States today. I would love to have been Jane because she was so smart and brave. I found her one of the most fascinating persons in history. I loved this book.

History is a passion of mine and this book is so very good. I can not imagine how long it took to do all this research. It gave me a different understanding of our government history. Just to think if our politions had had the foresight that Jane McManus and Aaron Burr had, Cuba, Doninican Republic, and Mexico just to name a few, could have been States today. I would love to have been Jane because she was so smart and brave. I found her one of the most fascinating persons in history. I loved this book.

Linda Hudson has done a wonderful job of following the travels and trials of Jane McManus Storm Cazneau from her youth in New York to her involvement in Texas land deals in the 1830's and her mission to Mexico City in the midst of the Mexican War in the 1840's to her life in Eagle Pass, Texas, (which she somehow did not at first realize was literally the middle of no where) to her exploits in Cuba and her return to New York City to play a role in the presidential campaign of 1852.

She has shown the complexity of the politics of the times especially as they relate to the question of slavery and its expansion into Texas. She has also related the very complicated life of a woman who was liberated long before being a liberated woman was considered cool. In doing so, she has created a far more complex view of society in the United States in the middle of the 19th century than many historians have uncovered...or been willing to admit to having uncovered.

It is a wonderful trip into the history not only of the United States but also of Mexico and the Caribbean that she has taken with Jane Cazneau and that she allows the reader to share.

I am a screenwriter. And I find that Vladimir Propp's structure works great for my stories. Have a look at it and try to apply it to any modern movie:

1.. A member of a family leaves home (the hero is introduced);
2.. An interdiction is addressed to the hero ('don't go there', 'go to this place');
3.. The interdiction is violated (villain enters the tale);
4.. The villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance (either villain tries to find the children/jewels etc; or intended victim questions the villain);
5.. The villain gains information about the victim;
6.. The villain attempts to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings (trickery; villain disguised, tries to win confidence of victim);
7.. Victim taken in by deception, unwittingly helping the enemy;
8.. Villain causes harm/injury to family member (by abduction, theft of magical agent, spoiling crops, plunders in other forms, causes a disappearance, expels someone, casts spell on someone, substitutes child etc, comits murder, imprisons/detains someone, threatens forced marriage, provides nightly torments); Alternatively, a member of family lacks something or desires something (magical potion etc);
9.. Misfortune or lack is made known, (hero is dispatched, hears call for help etc/ alternative is that victimised hero is sent away, freed from imprisonment);
10.. Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action;
11.. Hero leaves home;
12.. Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc, preparing the way for his/her receiving magical agent or helper (donor);
13.. Hero reacts to actions of future donor (withstands/fails the test, frees captive, reconciles disputants, performs service, uses adversary's powers against them);
14.. Hero acquires use of a magical agent (directly transferred, located, purchased, prepared, spontaneously appears, eaten/drunk, help offered by other characters);
15.. Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search;
16.. Hero and villain join in direct combat;
17.. Hero is branded (wounded/marked, receives ring or scarf);
18.. Villain is defeated (killed in combat, defeated in contest, killed while asleep, banished);
19.. Initial misfortune or lack is resolved (object of search distributed, spell broken, slain person revivied, captive freed);
20.. Hero returns;
21.. Hero is pursued (pursuer tries to kill, eat, undermine the hero);
22.. Hero is rescued from pursuit (obstacles delay pursuer, hero hides or is hidden, hero transforms unrecognisably, hero saved from attempt on his/her life);
23.. Hero unrecognised, arrives home or in another country;
24.. False hero presents unfounded claims;
25.. Difficult task proposed to the hero (trial by ordeal, riddles, test of strength/endurance, other tasks);
26.. Task is resolved;
27.. Hero is recognised (by mark, brand, or thing given to him/her);
28.. False hero or villain is exposed;
29.. Hero is given a new appearance (is made whole, handsome, new garments etc);
30.. Villain is punished;
31.. Hero marries and ascends the throne (is rewarded/promoted).

This structure works for many stories and films. I do recommed the book for any writer and screenwriter especially for those who write modern fairy tales. It's a must!

This is the first work to systematically characterize and describe a corpus of folktales. It includes a list of possible plot twists, in their correct chronological order for any story, and numerous examples from actual Russian fairy tales. This translation in particular reads well and makes a point of not departing from the text's literal meaning in any significant way. I would highly recommend this work for anyone interested in folktales or oral literature in general.

This seminal work is essential for an understanding of structuralist theory and the theory of folklore. It differs from the psychological view of the folktale in its descriptive ability. This theory is based on objective description and sytagmatic conjunction and complementation. Because of that, it is more applicable and flexible than any psychological dissection. Also, two people will reach roughly the same conclusions with this method- something impossible with a psychological approach. This is excellent for anyone interested in attacking the down and dirty working parts of a narrative.

This is an attempt to work out the underlying structural patterns (types of characters, what they do, how they are ordered) of Russian folktales, based on classic collections made in the nineteenth-century. If you are fortunate enough to have read a large collection of such stories -- preferably in translation, not "retold by ..." -- you will soon see the point of Propp's argument. Other European, and some non-European, traditions provide an almost equally good starting point, although the examples often are not so close as to be immediately convincing. Ideally, "Morphology of the Folktale" would be bound with at least a selection of the Russian folktales Propp analyzes, but this does not seem likely to happen.

Taken by itself, however, Propp's exploration is going to seem both dry and confusing. Try to imagine a book about the five-act structure of Shakespeare's tragedies being read by someone who had never seen or read a play before, and you may understand the problem.

Although Propp's exposition sometimes seems labored, he presents a convincing case that at least some oral prose narratives are built up of a stock of situations and events which can be slightly reordered, multiplied, and otherwise complicated, but amount to a "language" (a vocabulary, grammar, and syntax) of story-telling. This puts a new light on the problem of the distribution of folktales, and how they develop variants, two of the great issues of folklore studies in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Despite its origins in a single body of oral literature, Propp's methods have been applied to other literature with known or suspected oral roots, sometimes with slightly contradictory results. I know of at least two different Proppian analyses of "Beowulf," for example. This is due at least in part to Propp's attempt to introduce fine divisions between similar plot elements, which, again, seem to work better with his source material than with other groups of stories. (And "Beowulf" has long been recognized to include elements later found in European fairy tales, so the possibility of applying Propp's structures was more intriguing than revolutionary.)

In "Feud in the Icelandic Saga" (1983), Jesse Byock reviewed efforts to apply Propp's methods to the Sagas of the Icelanders, another body of prose literature supposed to be grounded in oral techniques. He argued that a different approach is needed to their formally realistic stories about personalities, and the functioning of society; which does not diminish the validity of Propp's approach to the wonder-tale.

Excellent map/manual for someone with stamina for mountain biking. Intresting geographiacal, geological, meteorological information with incredible personal touch and wonderful pictures. I recommend this book to any audience. This book is even good on rainy days to crawl in bed with-good reading. You'll love it! Besides, you want to see the baby picture of Chuck on a wooden horse, he is adorable! Those dimples and ray in the corners of his cutest eyes....

Reading Chuck Cypert's book is like sitting in a cozy living room talking with an old friend. His writing style tells the reader all they need to know about the trails, while at the same time providing lot of smiles. Anyone that is interested in mountain biking, from absolute beginner to thrillseeking pro will enjoy and benefit from this book.

Since I am the author I think this is the best trail guide book on the market for my two favorite states, Oklahoma and Texas. I worked my ...off on this project, it is the second guide book I have done about mountain biking in these two states, actually the second edition of the same book.

I had such a blast working on this project but was quite glad to see it finished. Now I have a blast going back and rereading it and remembering what fun I had while out on research trips. Most were a pleasure, I got to meet some great folks and do some very excellent riding, though there were a few trips that bordered on miserable due to bad weather or general fatigue on my part as I neared the end of traveling for research.

My hat is off to the many bike clubs and excellent shops I encountered along the way, and all the super people who helped me complete this project.

Thanx to you all, hope to see you and ride again soon.

Chuck in DAllas

This is a well written book,If you wanted to take the ultimate vacation,grab your bike,a bottle of gatoraid and this book,and head for the hills.
the author has taken the time to rate all aspects of the trails from length, to difficulty.He even decribes the scenery.
The maps are first rate and are a nice addition.For those who are new to mt biking the glossary in the back of the book will come in handy when you get around all the hardcore bike freaks and will enable you to hold your own with them!
To sum it all up,. I would recomend this book to anyone with the slightest interest in oklahoma or texas,or cycling in general.

I am eighth grader. This memoir tells you how Kathi Appelt misses her old life when her loving father and mother were together and happy. It goes through many feelings and emotions of a young teenager and how she copes with change. Kathi gains a new family and loses part of her old one. this book also talks about how her dad included her and her sisters with his new family and how difficult it was for them. I recomend this book to any teenager or anyone who is experiencing change in their life.

I teach sixth grade, and my students and I love this book. What a great book to spark writing. There are many vignettes that can be read aloud in isolation or in patterns. Sensory details, concrete language, and a poetic style make this book a winner for many purposes. I often use its passages to get my students writing. Kids like reading it because of the shortness of each vignette. But don't let the shortness fool you--they pack a wallup.

When you look back at your childhood, you remember the great things, the bad things, and even sometimes the unusual things. The book My Father's Summers: A daughters Memoir by Kathi Appelt, is a fascinating arrangement of Kathi's childhood memories. While reading this memoir you know all of Kathi's feelings and emotions when she is going through anything, such as staying with her dad and new mom and brothers. The memories are the good, bad and random things she remembered about her life. All ages would enjoy reading about Kathi's ups and downs in her early days. What I loved about this book is that it made me feel as if I are watching Kathi live her life because of the wonderful format her life as been presented in this book.
Each page is a different day in Kathi's childhood that narrates a different amazing adventure that Kathi takes you on. The adventure started on her 11th birthday when her dad sent her a letter from Arabia saying happy birthday. It ends with a great black and white photo of her young dad hold her as a baby, still loving her, more than ever. "It's clear he is happy to be holding me, hanging on to me. Despite everything, that was always clear." There are remarkable black and white photographs placed through out the book helping the reader recognize what Kathi is explaining and gives a good image of what life was like when the story is taking place.
When you read autobiographies of people who are reflecting on their childhood, they usually cover only happy and sad points in their life. However, in My Father's Summers: A daughters Memoir, Kathi writes about anything that she can pull out of her mind to put on paper. On every page that goes by, a day goes by and more events happen to her. She includes every bit and end of her life. This memoir keeps you on your toes about what event is going to happen next, or what her next birthday will bring. Nothing is boring and everything is so real.

The memory of our childhood is like a collection of snap shots that capture not only high points but unrelated odds and ends that are preserved for reasons we can not even suspect any more. An autobiography tries to connect all the dots and provide a smooth narrative flow, filling in gaps the way the scientists in "Jurassic Park" spliced in other genes to make a complete strand of DNA. However, the artificiality of such life stories and the way they lose reality but making all the pieces fit is revealed by Kathi Appelt's "My Father's Summers: A Daughter's Memoir." What we have here are a series of prose poems that provide brief glimpses at the bits and pieces of a life more vividly than would a complete autobiography.

"My Father's Summers" are created for Kathi and her two younger sisters when the absence of her father working half a world away in Arabia turns to a smaller but more devastating move across town to a new life with another woman her sons, suddenly stepbrothers for a little girl who cannot understand what has happened to her family but who can appreciate the emotional pain. Against such stark moments as the whispered insinuations that her mother was not a good wife or the constant connections between life in general and what had happened with her father (e.g., the idea that crabs leave one shell to find another), there are touches of wonder, such as the sweet boy with brown hair and deep brown eyes who made sure Appelt had been kissed before her 16th birthday.

There are a couple dozen black & white family photographs scattered throughout the book, some tied specifically to the prose poems and others just showing Appelt, her sisters and her parents (but, somewhat surprisingly, none of Karen, the best friend of which she often writes). While there is a rough chronological structure to the arrangement of the prose poems, the topics go where memory takes and other tenuous connections take them; at one point the photographs of Appelt are going backwards in time. Memories are unstuck in time.

The description on the front flap of "My Father's Summers" describes it as a "memoir of coming-of-age in Houston, Texas" and sometimes it is difficult to think of it in those terms because the title and the revelation that Appelt's father found a variety of ways of being absent from his daughter's life becomes the dominant element of the book. Even when she does not write explicitly about her father and his absences, he is a presence, even when the death that ends the story is not his own. The poignancy of Appelt's work will have a resonance beyond that for the daughters of divorce or those who grew up in Houston or some similar place, because these remembrances combine the bitter disappointments and unforgettable delights that make up the life of any child.

I stayed up reading this book and then stayed up another night re-reading it. Often, I felt the pang of something so profound and felt on the verge of tears, even in its funniest moments. The book is hilarious, and yet heartbreaking. It offers a glimpse into a time and the people and the bit of America that seems filled with dreams and nostalgia. It's an addicting read.

I loved this book. It was about where my mother as born a raised. We readed it aloud to each other. We laughed all weekend. I could just see all the people he wrote about. My mother knew some of them. I readed it a couple of times. Laugh every time.

Mr. Swift has written a humorous, pathos filled and somewhat haunting view of a young man growing up in a very remote cultural part of Texas called 'The Big Thicket'. The stories of his family members, characters within the community and his journey with all these people in becoming the individual author that he is today are compelling and touching. The photos by Lynn Lennon are reminiscent of Eudora Welty's during the depression. This is a must read for lovers of Southern literature. Ed Swift presents a riveting study of this uniquely classic portion of Texas.

This is a poignant memoir but not at all in the sappy, cliched way. Mr. Swift eloquently brings a sense of place and culture for this area of the South. His portrayals of his characters are entertaining and are real tributes to their individualities. Even if you don't know eccentrics like these, you will finish reading this story deeply appreciating unique traits of those who are influential to you.

The book is about a 12 year old girl named Jill and she goes to her grandmother's texas ranch every summer and expects to see her best friend B.J , but this summer she is in for a big suprise. She finds out that B.J not only looks better , but is into boys , nailpolish , make-up , and not into climbing trees and riding bikes. Jill is going through a rough time this summer and gets talked into doing alot of things she does not want to do , but she learns that their is alot more to growing up then boys and make- up , you also learn lessons. So I would recommend this book to anyone. I loved it i read it 3 times.

The book is about a 12 year old girl named Jill and she goes to her grandmother's texas ranch every summer and expects to see her best friend B.J , but this summer she is in for a big suprise. She finds out that B.J not only looks better , but is into boys , nailpolish , make-up , and not into climbing trees and riding bikes. Jill is going through a rough time this summer and gets talked into doing alot of things she does not want to do , but she learns that their is alot more to growing up then boys and make- up , you also learn lessons. So I would recommend this book to anyone. I loved it i read it 3 times.

Jill goes out to the country to visit her grandma every summer. She has a friend out there namesd B.J. Their best friends. They tell stories to eachother and the latest information about the ranch. Jill is mad at B.J. because she is acting more mature by wearing lipstick, dresses and nailpolish. She is also hanging around with boys. All the things Jill doesnt do yet. So Jill doesnt really hang around with B.J. because she is haning around with the new boy in town Trey. Jill is just doing her own thing. Trey was looking for B.J. one day and Jill was the only one there so Trey hung around with her and she found out that Trey was pretty cool. So Trey showed Jill some of his stuff on astronomy which was his hobby. And Jill thought it was really cool. The fourth of July is a big thing where Jill's grandma lives. There are fireworks a party and lots of fun. Well something happens to Jill and Jill told B.J. her secret. Jill and B.J. havnt been very close this summer so you'll have to read the book to find out the end.

Being from Hawaii, I feel the author does a good job of bringing the situation to life. It's as if I were there with the characters. I recommend it to teachers, librarians and parents.:>

This book has been very tough to read but God has used it to encourage so many. The authors did such a fantastic job of giving the reader a comprehensive understanding of what took place at Wedgwood by weaving numerous eye witness accounts. The picture they provide is very rich and inspiring. I am very grateful for their work and how they tell the world how Christ was proclaimed.

It is sometimes harder to review books that hit close to home, but this book deserves mention. Dr. Dan Crawford did a wonderful job in putting into words what will always be a part of many people's lives. Dan catches the emotion (I did shed a few more tears), the shock,and the triumph in what happened at Wedgwood Baptist Church. To anyone reading this work it helps you to be there on that night with lights flashing and shocked expressions everywhere. Dan's book doesn't seek to mask what occured with platitudes and theories. The book tells it like it was, and what is the "Hope" that keeps Wedgwood Baptist Church going. Night of Tragedy, Dawning of Light accurately records the coming together of a community, and the reassurance that God can take the worst and turn it for good. It may not be the easiest book to read in terms of the emotions it evokes, but it is well worth the effort.

It's hard to forget the image when you turn on the news and see a mass shooting like the ones at Columbine High School or at the Jewish community center in Los Angeles. But, when you see it happen in your own community and in a church of your denomination, it makes it far worse. Dan Crawford does an excellent job over more than 375 pages detailing not only the destruction that Satan wrought on God's house at Wedgwood Baptist Church, but more importantly, shows the victory that only God is capable of providing. There are points where I got very angry, points where I cried, but at the end, I was reminded that Satan has already been defeated and our Lord has the victory. That's the true story of Sept. 15, 1999.

The Wedgwood Church shooting was a tramatic event for any evangelical church member because it eliminated one of the last safe zones for individuals and particularly for teenagers. Dr. Crawford's historical treatise captures the emotions of the events, those close to the tragedy, and the response of the entire world. This book should be read by anyone interested in current event history. The book contains the most complete record of events and is written in a very inviting style.

I'd like to see this book released in a smaller paperback edition, instead of the 'coffee table format' which is oversized, heavy and not conducive to reading. The message that the book conveys is vitally important, and should be easier to read and take along with you. The fonts chosen make the text almost impossible to read on some pages, as the color melts into the page. I'd like to be able to read this and buy copies for others to read as well. Maybe that's a strange complaint, that a coffee table book should have been published as a mass-market or trade paperback, but this is an important book that should be made widely available to encourage more people to buy it.


The photographs are simple and disturbing. The author readily acknowledges that some juveniles deserve to be behind bars, but not all of them are criminals. In Texas, as in most states, status offenders (runaways, habitual truants) are housed in juvenile detention centers with accused rapists and murderers. The child who enters the doors of the juvenile hall as a status offender may very well leave as a budding criminal, even after just a few weeks of being locked up.

The story isn't unique to Texas. Children who need mental health services, diversion programs, and drug rehab are out of luck if their families aren't well-insured. Like the adult prisons of America, our juvenile halls have become a dumping ground for children and young adults who are mentally ill or addicted to drugs. The author doesn't try to come up with pie in the sky solutions, because there aren't any to be found.

This is one of the most important books out there about our nation's children, and about correction in general. The photographs of the children are beautiful, honest, and heartbreaking. A powerful testimony to the state of our nation, which allows such hopelessnss to befall our children, their families, and our communities.

Steve's work is this book is utterly amazing. His insight into the lives of these children is insightful. The photography truly speaks to you - you feel the photos in your heart - you can hear these kids speaking to you from the pages.

Steve has done a fantastic job of showing many of us a whole different side of life.

Mr. Liss has managed to capture the humanity of this forgotten group of youth with an obvious awareness of his subject material. Having worked with similar youth, I found the book heartbreaking. I have a copy on my coffee-table, and have purchased several copies for friends and acquaintences. We should be doing better for our children...

It was good interesting book. The way the characters feelings changed they were happy then sad. There names are Joel and Tony the book started to go to Starved Rock Park, but they didn't make it. I think it was one of the best books I ever read.

This used to be my favorite book when I was younger. I would recemend it to any kid whos in 4th or 5th grade. I am in 8th grade now but sometimes when I get bored i take out that book and start to read it agin.

I highly recommend purchasing both "On My Honor" AND "Whene'r you Make Promise" for your personal resource, OR your Service Unit Library! Both are beautifully illustrated, and great tools for learning about the history of scouting in the US. Younger girls appreciate dressing the dolls in their period Uniforms and dresses, older girls can also enjoy the personal stories included. Use these books to tie in the requirements for many patches andd badges such as "Brownie Girl Scouts Through The Years" and "Her Story" try-its, The "Juliette Low" patch, and the "Girl Scouting Through the Years" Junior Badge.No girl is ever too old for paper dolls, and these are a high quality product line! My girls particularly liked trying to imagine camping in such complicated underclothes, as well as comparing patches and awards to today's equivalents. These books deserve an "A".

For those who enjoy paper dolls, this collection is a classic.

Seven paper dolls and twelve uniforms are offered in the first of a five-part history of Girl Scout uniforms.

The text, written through diary entries, capsules the early years of scouting.

A bit of Americana worth collecting.