Virginia Books

At first glance, this looks like a childrens' book: large colorful photos of young animals, some of them remarkably adorable. But the Simpsons are naturalists and college teachers as well as photographers, and the text accompanying the images contains details that will hold the interest of adult readers. Also, many of the photographs are unusual because baby animals are often well-hidden and protected by a parent, so photographers more often take pictures of adult animals rather than their offspring.

There were several photos that were particularly delightful: soft-eyed fawns, pileated woodpecker chicks being fed by their parent, a mother flying squirrel curling up with her sleeping babies, ducklings on the march, and a bear cub rolling on its back.

Although the edition I read is a paperback book, it is of extremely high quality and the sharp reproductions do justice to the exceptional photography.

As Continental forces and Virginia militia units were engaged in winning independence, American quartermasters and provisioners struggled to provide these units with all the necessities of life, from meals and guns to meat, fodder for horses, the horses themselves, firewood, and every other type of material. Much of this was requisitioned from the civilian population and certificates were issued payable in either continental or state funds, depending on the units supplied, upon presentation to court authorities. Thousands of these certificates issued to Virginians were duly entered by the courts, and they provide a fascinating insight into the period of the Revolution. These "Publick" Claims booklets contain interesting and useful information about the contributions of ordinary people to the Revolutionary War. They provide some details of people's service in the militia or as guards for prisoners of war; they indicate where some bodies of troops were at particular times; and they identify providers of horses, wagons, cattle, grain, or other supplies. Much of the information in these booklets cannot be found anywhere else, which makes the surviving records particularly valuable. Also remarkable is the fact that records survived from virtually every county in the state at that time with the exception of the newly formed Kentucky counties. This makes the collection even more valuable in covering areas which heretofore in this time period have suffered from a lack of personal data. The "Virginia Publick Claims" are published by counties. In addition to a faithful transcription by Janice Luck Abercrombie and the late Richard Slatten, a complete index is provided for each county booklet. This series is an extremely important genealogical tool for searchers in Revolutionary-era materials.

This book is a wealth of knowledge for those rare bread of educators who are truly interested in integrating scientific knowledge of children into their instruction and assessments. Berninger has a unique way of organizing information and theory into a concise model that allows one to quickly apply that knowledge to almost any situation in education: assessment, curriculum assessment, child assessment, lesson design, special ed lesson design, and child behavior problems.

As a devoted Diane Chamberlain fan, I have read every one of her novels. This one was particulary intense and compelling. Diane deals realistically with the fallout from sexual abuse and survivor guilt. Sisters Claire and Vanessa share sharply different memories of summers spent with their grandfather, who was in the process of restoring an antique carousel. Claire has nothing but happy memories of lazy summer days spent with her beloved grandfather. Vanessa, after overcoming drug and alcohol addiction has become an activist for molested children. Claire does not understand why her sister Vanessa will have nothing to do with her.

Claire is witness to a suicide that triggers flashbacks that she doesn't understand. With the help of the victim's brother, she uncovers the terrible truth about her grandfather and her perceived role in her sister's trauma.

Claire's struggle to come to grips with her memories, her guilt, and her attempts to make amends with her sister will touch the hearts of anyone who hold themselves responsible for causing unspeakable pain to someone they truly love.

Highly recommeneded!

Shobhan Bantwal's book "The Dowry Bride" accomplishes two things. Some colorful incite into India's rich and diverse culture while also supplying us with an engaging story line that immediately draws you into the main characters world. Not to mention bringing the sometimes deadly practice of "The Dowry System" out in the open. I highly recommend this book for it's educational and entertainment value. Something not always found in modern Indian literature.

Like Sonya Haskin's other books, this one does a great job of bringing the history of the people who lived in Bristol to life. Anyone wanting to learn more about what life used to be like in Bristol will love this book. It is also great for helping children to better understand what life was like in previous decades.

I may be a bit prejiduced because this book was actually found in my grandmothers house, signed by the author. My grandmother had contributed help and info and pics to the author (as had my great grandmother) Both grew up in Bristol, as did my fathers entire family. Bud Phillips really grew to love the area and has truly captured so much history, the good and the bad and the sometimes funny, and color of the region. It (the book) may not interest someone from another area but the thing to remember is every area has a colorful history like Bristol, and after reading this book someone may want to know the history of their area, maybe in the process even spawning some new researchers and authors. Give it a try, as well as his other books......you may be quite pleasantly surprised

A clearly written and informatively unrivaled piece of work.
An extremely important book in this field.

As Continental forces and Virginia militia units were engaged in winning independence, American quartermasters and provisioners struggled to provide these units with all the necessities of life, from meals and guns to meat, fodder for horses, the horses themselves, firewood, and every other type of material. Much of this was requisitioned from the civilian population and certificates were issued payable in either continental or state funds, depending on the units supplied, upon presentation to court authorities. Thousands of these certificates issued to Virginians were duly entered by the courts, and they provide a fascinating insight into the period of the Revolution. These "Publick" Claims booklets contain interesting and useful information about the contributions of ordinary people to the Revolutionary War. They provide some details of people's service in the militia or as guards for prisoners of war; they indicate where some bodies of troops were at particular times; and they identify providers of horses, wagons, cattle, grain, or other supplies. Much of the information in these booklets cannot be found anywhere else, which makes the surviving records particularly valuable. Also remarkable is the fact that records survived from virtually every county in the state at that time with the exception of the newly formed Kentucky counties. This makes the collection even more valuable in covering areas which heretofore in this time period have suffered from a lack of personal data. The "Virginia Publick Claims" are published by counties. In addition to a faithful transcription by Janice Luck Abercrombie and the late Richard Slatten, a complete index is provided for each county booklet. This series is an extremely important genealogical tool for searchers in Revolutionary-era materials.

Buchanan County was formed in 1858, named for the current United States president, and taken from portions of Russell and Tazewell counties. In 1880 a parcel was taken from Buchanan to form part of newly-created Dickenson County. Buchanan County records have suffered from a series of disasters; first, a fire in 1862 destroyed the courthouse; then, in April, 1885, a second fire destroyed the courthouse again, together with all the records to that time. Finally, many records were damaged or destroyed by the flood which rampaged through the county in 1977. Thus, the Federal Census presents a very complete picture of this late-formed county on the eve of the War Between the States. The records are clear, although the No. 2 pencil with which the census-takers recorded their data on the sheets require careful reading in faint areas. The author has also incorporated valuable non-census information in this work, including data on births, deaths, marriages, and parents of many of the families enumerated. This helps to present a more complete picture of the persons in the list rather than the bare bones presented in the census. It also points up important inter-family relationships which existed throughout the county and area.

The order of the data is: Identification Number/Family Number; Name (Last, First, Middle)(Maiden Name); Age; Sex; Husband, Wife, Daughter, Son; Occupation; Value of Real Estate owned; Value of Personal Property owned; State of Birth; County of Birth; Marriage Date; Marriage Place; Parents of the couple being enumerated; Widow/widower, if applicable; Date of birth; Date of death; Notes.