Andre Books

This is an incredibly useful guide to addressing personal and business problems or to simply reinforce your capability to reach your aim. While it is indeed motivational this book is so much more, with incredibly practical and concrete suggestions that have been extremely helpful in enabling me to "frame" the big challenges I'm facing and create an action plan to overcome them. After listening I'm re-focused and see my way to my most important goals. It felt like Andre was speaking directly to me, almost holding my hand and understood what I've been going through. His personal stories and anecdotes were really inspiring. I can't recommend this program enough. Powerful and energizing!

You Herman Me Mary is a great book which is perfect for any beginner reader. It shows how important education is and therefore it is perfect for small children who are esaily influenced. In this book Mary a little girl is walking through the forest when she meets Herman. Herman a Tarzan like character who has lost Wanda his housekeeper. Wanda has left Herman a letter however Herman is illiterate and therfore cannot read the letter. Mary comes to the rescue and reads the letter for him.I recommend everyone to buy this book for their child no matter what their age is.

Through the media, we frequently hear about problems associated with athletes, such as drug abuse, illiteracy and low graduation rates. This book is written for the young athlete to help him or her avoid such pitfalls. It addresses issues such as steroid abuse, alcohol abuse and date rape. It also discusses NCAA requirements and athletic scholarships. In addition, it offers great tips on networking, budgeting, studying for exams effectively and maintaining self-discipline. With all of the pressures that young people face today, it is great to read a book whose purpose is to steer young people in a positive direction. I highly recommend it.

I loved it. I'm going on safari to the river soon and I wanted something that would give me history and beautiful photographs to help me prepare. This book is all that and, includes some beautiful drawings of the wildlife.

This book belongs in the collection of any Africaphile.

We received this book very quickly, in the described condition. It was an earlier print of the book with a smaller font, but overall it was a great
buying experience.

My babysitter got this out for my 8 year old daughter who loves to read, and I started reading it first to see if she would like it. I remember reading it as a child but couldn't remember whether I liked it or not. As an adult I found it somewhat interesting but not captivating. Nothing much happens, and I didn't think it was written in a way which would excite my daughter. I found myself wishing Scott ODell were a better writer--the descriptions of how food or clothing is made from natural products are so thin, compared to the Little House books (which are masterpieces). Since so many people seem to love it, I guess you just have to check it out of the library and see.

What a great book! Virtually every part of this book is writing at it's very best.

The setting is magical. Odell seems to tell us about another part of the island and the water with each chapter. I wish he had made a companion book to just explore the island.

The young girl is amazing. She's making spears, building huts, killing devil fish, dogs, and the like, she's exploring nearby islands, trying to escape. There's so many ways to describe her, but the simplest and the best has to be: COURAGOUS.

What I like about this book, is that Odell helps the young reader talk about some issues of life that for many young people is not talked about, subjects like loneliness, independence, loyalty, and death. This is a book that can start a great many discussions between teacher and student, and parent and student.

What makes this book even cooler for me is that it is based in large part on a true story!

I have to say that this book is truly one of, if not the greatest newbery books ever written.

This book touched me as a young girl. I think I read it about ten times growing up. It is a wonderful story about courage, survival, isolation, and trust. It is an amazing adventure and I recommend it for all children. The book is deserving of awards but I would have loved it even if it had been an obscure story that never won awards - there are a lot of good stories out there that are like that. I am going to buy an extra copy of this for a little niece, so she will have it to read in a few years. I think this type of book has the power to mold and shape lives, who we are and who we will become.

i was forced to read this in school and i could not stand it... i got about halfway in before i was forced, out of bordom, to skim the rest of the book... save you time and effort and do not read this book.

I wanted to love this book. And I almost did. I was hooked at the beginning, but the further I read, the more discouraged I became. I could not really like any of the people and I was not impressed at all with "Mommy" or at least the portrayal of her. I think the story was good, but the telling of it was weak, unclear and toward the end, rambling. There were several spots where it could have and in my opinion should have, ended. Indeed, I set it aside for over a week with only 50 pages to go and only finished it when I had nothing else to read.

This book was recommended to me by a friend who also happens to be an English professor. I won't go into the story line as others have done so here already. Suffice it to say that it is a beautifully crafted book about love and the human spirit. Don't miss it!

I read this book when I was in the 11th grade, I simply love it. I actually had to reread the first 4 chapters twice, because I was so confused at first. Tha authors style of writing and they way the book was split leaves you a little confused, but then u realize it is his life and then his mothers. I simply enjoyed this book. It not only discusses what life is like for a black boy, but for a white woman engaged in an interracial relationship and the struggles she faced. We so often hear about the Black struggle...its good to see boths sides for once!

Not only is writing a review something I don't usually do...it"s something I have never done,(as an adult,} I was not ready for the emotional strangelhold "the Color of Water," had on me from page one. I had to keep checking to see if this was truly a real story of a life unparalleled, or a wild imagination. James McBride is so cool.I intend to find his recordings and of cours read the rest of his literery offerings.Since reading "Water", I have purchased several books for friends and they too have shown their critique by humbling me with their thanks. I was in the film business for many years and if I were just twenty years younger, I would find the money to purchase the film rights. To wrap it all up, it was one hell of an experience...one I wish I could have shared with mr.McBride. Len Howad,Las Vegas NV

This book is a wonderful book that tells two different stories of a boy and his mother trying to find themselves. In this story, James McBride struggles to find himself, torn between the racial divide of whites and blacks. The son of a black man and a Jewish Orthodox mother, he finds himself (like his mother) fleeing to the black side of life. His mother's story parallels his own, with her living with her intolerant Rabbi father, crippled mother, and brother and sister living in Suffolk, Virginia. Rachel Shilsky finally has enough of living under her father's cruel gaze, knowing that he does not care for her sick mother. She leaves and meets Andrew McBride who helps her find God and herself. Rachel Shilsky becomes Ruth McBride Jordan. After eight kids with her first husband, Ruth married Hunter Jordan and had four more children, and somehow through the will of God sent them all to college. This book shows how both James and Ruth found God and therefore found themselves. It also shows James McBride finally coming to terms with being bi-racial, and how finally getting to know his mother helps him get to know himself.

I somehow tragically managed to make my way to adulthood with never reading anything but the kiddie version of this book. When I found this book for super-cheap in the teachers' lounge book sale and I figured "hey, why not?" And thus I picked it up and immediately fell in love with the sheer Old-South charm that only Twain can deliver. Really, people, it is no wonder that this book is such a classic! It may not have the soulful human reflections of "Huckleberry Finn", but in the solemn concern for the pleasures of boyhood it certainly makes its own mark.

Mark Twain tells the story purely from a storyteller's view. No deep analysis of character that takes you right inside of Tom Sawyer's psyche, nothing blatantly philosophical. It is as if Mr. Twain lives to simply tells us into what trouble Tom is getting. He does not go out of his way to give lengthy, dull descriptions or even fully flesh out the details of just what Tom and his friends are doing. It gives it a charming, folksy style that allows for plenty of plot and action. Even, so the writing is unparalleled.

And it truly is a great story. It's fun! I don't know how many poor students have been tricked into believing it is not. It has all the great elements of a good boy story, what with the murders and buried treasure and faked deaths and hoodoo--not to mention the delight taken away by discovery of bacteria.

I'm also a huge fan of this Whole Story edition. It's beautiful, easy to carry around, and I guess I'm a sucker for the documentary feature.

Fantastic, fun story. Everyone should read it.

These audio books help children that are having trouble with the written word. I also use them in the car, so each trip we hear more of the story. The kids love them and I think it makes them interested in reading.

To understand America in the nineteenth century, you must understand Tom Sawyer. His life, so full of adventure set amidst the bustle of a changing nation, is in many ways the dream of nearly all male children. To spend your time swimming in the creek, gathering "treasures" and eating goodies is truly the good life. Tom's romance with Becky is also the way it is with most boys. Girls are universally considered to have some kind of contagious disease, when I was young, they had cooties, until you see that one perfect girl that you will share everything with.
The wonder and mischief of Tom and Huck are captured in this book, superbly illustrated by Michael Ploog. Tom is wide-eyed, freckled and has bulbous cheeks. Huck has a pointed nose, bright eyes and a suitably scruffy demeanor. With the exception of Sundays, the boy's clothes consist of a series of patches sewn over rags. This book is an excellent introduction to what is the tale of American youth of the nineteenth century, very appropriate for classes in English. Of course, after covering this book, the students should be required to read the original.

This book is a great example of what makes Twain one of America's most belvoed writers. Twain's unique sense of humor and his keen insights into human nature shine through in this book. Twain's style is wonderful, the characters are dynamic and the plot never hits a snag. Twain has created a novel here that is light enough on the surface to entertain young readers yet contatins enough substance to speak volumes to an adult audience. You are sure to love this one is you have read any of Twain's other works. If you haven't read Twain, delay no further--this book is the perfect starting point.

Ever since my dad first read this timeless classic to my sister & me as kids, while camping in our trailer during the summer, it has left its indelible impression upon my imagination. How I too wanted to shove off from shore on my "skiff" and have my own adventures down the Mississippi! I know of no other book that so wonderfully captures the essence and joy of carefree boyhood.

When I say "carefree", however, I am not forgetting the grim and serious elements of the novel. But these work just as well as the sunnier and funnier parts. In fact, just when the narrative needs it, a murder comes along which boosts the plot most effectively, giving it a shot in the arm. And speaking of the darker aspects, does not Injun Joe have to rank highly on the list of greatest villains in the history of literature? I can assure you that as a boy listening to the cave chapters, his menace was palpable and unforgettable.

Unfortunately, literary snobs have often found it fashionable to belittle Tom Sawyer as inconsequential and a 'lightweight' seen against the towering greatness of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". I couldn't disagree more. (I love Huckleberry Finn dearly and plan to review it soon as well). I read a quote in a foreword that I thought was very insightful: "Huckleberry Finn is a greater book, but not a better one." I think this is exactly so. Extol the greatness of HF by all means, but don't make the mistake of downgrading Twain's other masterpiece, just because its theme is not so weighty and grave. In fact, the episodic nature of the telling of Tom Sawyer fit Twain's particular brand of genius perfectly (whereas there were some sub par stretches in Huck Finn).

Loved it as a boy, love it no less as a man. Thank you, dad, for imparting such an enduring gift.

I have loved this book ever since I was in grade school! I bought this copy because I wanted a nice, hardbound version and I liked the illustrations.

The words are so crowded. So I won't suggest this one.

I bought this book as a gift to impress the receiver. To my shock, the receiver told me the book was very nice indeed but it contained only the first half of the book. I did not see anywhere where we are told about this being only half of the book unless you include the Library Journal description.

This is a classic we wanted our grand daughter to read. The illustrations are professional and wonderful

I love to read and have begun reading many classics. My teacher recommended "Little Women" for me to read. So, I went off and bought it at the bookstore. In this edition you read an introductin first which I thought was a bit boring and long. It tells about the back round of the author and how this book was made. This story is broken up into two parts. The story starts out with four girls- Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. Their father is away at war. The first part of the story was too drawn out I thought. There is a description for everything. I did however enjoy reading it. The second part had a lot of action. There are weddings and births, and sadly even a death. It was more paced then the first part. I think Jo had the best character. She was so realistic. All in all, I thought this story was pretty good and I am not disappointed in it. I am very happy I read it. I know it is a classic and I do understand why.

This was my favorite book as a child. Still love it today. MUCH better than any of the movies made!

A spoiled girl living in India and raised by servants because her mother (Chapter 1) "cared only to go to parties and amuse herself with gay people" and her father "had always been busy and ill himself" was, by six years of age "as tyrannical and selfish a little pig ever lived" and at nine years old, the only remaining of her family, her parents having died during a cholera outbreak. "Self-absorbed" as she was, "she did not miss her [mother] at all" and, after a brief stay at poor English clergyman's house, during which she is dubbed "Mistress Mary Quite Contrary" by his children, is sent to her mother's recluse widower brother at Misselthwaite Manor in England. Cared for, again, by servants in the 600-year-old house situated at the edge of a moor, Mary is allowed to wander and explore from dawn to dusk. And doesn't meet her new guardian, Mr. Wes Craven, for an entire month. Listening to Martha, the housemaid, as she shares stories of her poor but happy life with her loving mother and many siblings, Mary is especially intrigued by anecdotes involving her brother, Dicken, who is said to have a way with wild creatures. Through luck and the help of a seemingly magical bird, friend of a gruff, stoic, tactless gardener (the very gardener who cared for Mrs. Craven's garden), Mary finds the overgrown, abandoned (for ten years) forbidden garden. She learns some secrets about the house and its inhabitants and befriends a sad, sickly boy who believes he will die and so spends all his time indoors terrorizing the servants with his demands. The two form a strong bond and, together with Dicken, share many adventures together in the secret garden. But although the story's message is overwhelmingly positive, there are some negatives, especially the racist views of Mary. In India, she treats the native servants badly. She (Chapter 2) "always slapped her Ayah in the face when she was angry." And is so outraged that Martha expected her to be "black," calls her "daughter of a pig." During the same conversation, she tells Martha that "They [natives] are not people - they're servants who must salaam to you." Racism (and the annoying Yorkshire speech) aside, the children's transformation from spoiled to spirited and the perfectly sappy ending make this an excellent story about the power of positive thinking, friendship and love. Better: Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

If there is a main character for the book it is Misselthwaite Manor. If there is a present theme is that we (metaphorically speaking) can all unlock our secret garden and make it grow and make a world which we can invite others into.

The story examines a series of characters from Mary Lennox, Dicken Sowersby, Martha Sowersby and of course Colin Craven as they find their lives revolving around the gardens and the moores of a place located in Yorkshire England as they find 'the magic' of the place managing to provoke life changing lessons for all of them.

Like her other book 'The Little Princess', the book starts off in India, and like 'Little Princess', Mary suffers the death of her parents and finds herself trapped in England but that is where the novels part ways. Instead we are immersed into a world of robins, flowers, gardens and shimmering fog and springtime activities. Mistress Mary is cast among a world she barely understand but must learn to survive in. She unlocks mysteries, gets new friends and changes the life of another -- Colin forever.

Both my daughter and I enjoyed the novel until the very end where it decays a bit into endless exposition as Colin begins his scientific experiments. The ending itself almost leaves open a sequel as several character issues find themselves a bit hanging in a lurch but the focus is not on any one single character -- mistress Mary pretty much drops out of the novel halfway through it. It is on the world around us and how it can change us if we let it. We all have beautiful secret gardens in all of us if we are willing to find them and share them with others and in the world of today, that's a great message.

In the story, The Secret Garden, the main character is a ten year old girl named Mary Lennox. She is a selfish, sour little girl who gets everything she wants. When her parents die, she gets sent off in a train, from India, to her uncle's house, Misselthwaite Manor, in Yorkshire, England.
At the house she expects to get everything she wants, but doesn't. There is nothing to do so she goes outside. Usually she would have sat inside all day in India and have people wait on her, but nothing is the same in England.
Outside, is a vast open land called the moor. There is not much on it except for shrubs and grass. It is fall, so the whole land is gray and empty. Then one evening Mary hears about a secret garden that has been locked up for ten years. Apparently her uncle's wife had died in the garden. So Mary tries to find it.
After awhile she makes friends with a robin who shows her where the garden is. It is surrounded by walls and inside everything is dead. Dry, gray vines hang over the walls, while dead flowers and plants lay aimlessly on the ground.
Everyday Mary tends to the garden with her friend Dickon, an animal charmer, who she met.
He helps Mary make the garden come alive.
Then one night she heard strange crying noises in the house. She went to investigate and found out that it was a boy named Colin who actually turned out to be her cousin. Colin was a spoiled and sickly child, just like Mary used to be, and had tantrums nearly every night. Everyone was ordered to do whatever he wanted. It was also expected that he would die soon, being unable to walk and so sick all the time.
The two children enjoyed each other. Together, they would laugh and play. Soon enough Mary told Colin about the garden and he decided to go see it in his wheel chair.
After he had seen the garden, it was decided that it would be kept a secret and that they would go and play there without anyone ever knowing. Everyday, all three children went outside in secrecy and tended to it, in hope it would come alive. Colin then began walking and soon running.
Finally the garden came alive and it looked just like and better than the children had imagined it. Then one afternoon, Colin's father came home. He saw that Colin was healthy and excepted him. They had become a family once again.
I thought this book was very touching and sweet. It is not the type of book that is full of action, but the plot is simply and has a good message. The way the plot shows changes in the characters makes them come alive more and seem like real people.
Even though the story was good, I thought it was a little slow. The conflicts were not very straight forward and it was a little bit too predictable. For example, Colin cannot walk. He the goes outside, which he would never do. It is very clear that he is going to get stronger and walk.
The slow paste is good for less advanced readers but is nice if you would like to read a less exciting book. So I would recommend the book for relaxed reading.

I can't believe I missed reading this growing up. My daughter and I just read this together. It was wonderful, and we both loved it. She likes to read books over and over, and I think she will appreciate reading this even more when she gets a little older. She loved the idea of secrets, twins, and the transformation of Mary. Having not had similar experiences to the characters in the books, such as losing close family members, she didn't quite understand the concept of a person having to learn to love and cry.

I loved the symbolism of the young girl blossoming with the garden, the relationship she develops with her cousin, the flower imagery, and the many little details like the birds nesting in the chairs in the run-down part of the manor. The mystery of this story is also wonderful and very suspenseful.

I think many adults who missed reading this growing up would enjoy this book. And I think all children, both boys and girls, should read this at least once. It is an absolute treasure.

The language is inescapably lush and beautiful. The layers of storytelling are breath-taking. The emotional power is undeniable. This novel has humor, pathos, tragedy and hope. A joy from beginning to end.

So far my favorite by Toni Morrison who is just incredibly creative, original. There is really nobody who writes like her, able to convey multiple topics in such a magical way. Every page is filled with beauty, magic, history, and sharp observations on human psychology. The stories of the characters are unpredictable, but make perfect sense in the end. The writing is fluid, poetic, and mythical. Toni Morrison truly is one of the best writers of our time!

I can't believe that an artist like Toni Morrison would allow the book to be slashed and altered with this abridgment. The result of this Reader's Digest style alteration is a work that bears no relation to the novel. If you want to misunderstand the novel, use this recording. You'd be better off in Sparknotes than in listening to this. What a waste.

... pretty terrible. I had to read this book for a class in high school. It has the appearance of being deep and meaningful, but in reality, Toni Morrison just throws a bunch of symbols together and calls it a book.

Morrison's "Song of Solomon" encapsulates her strongest skills into one novel.

The story line is unparalleled - it eclipses even some of her other highly acclaimed pieces like "Sula" or "Beloved." The dialect delivered by the people is equal to that shown in "Jazz" or "Beloved." And, her weaving of the story lines throughout the pages of the novel, sews the novel's fabric or philosophies deeply into the reader's mind - as only great novels seem to be do.

This may be the Southern America's finest glory in literature - rivaled only by Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" or Faulkner's greats - "As I Lay Dying" or "The Sound and the Fury." This is one of the great African American novels - rivaled only by Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man", Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God" or James Baldwin's "Go Tell It On The Mountain." In short, this a great novel.

Many aspects of the life of Macon Death III, a/k/a Milkman - whose life we watch from birth to his early 30's - are happy and dreary. We learn about his witch-like aunt, Pilate, whose lazy daughter Reba birth's his lover, Hagar. As he grows in wealth, his soul feels closer to his name. "My name's Macon; I'm already dead." And, many are trying to prompt invitation to his dying to his name - first his father, then his girlfriend, then a knife-wielding maniac in a small town, and lastly his best friend.

During a search for life, and seeking to find an exit from his "Death", Milkman seeks to find what others may know about his past. His parent's contradictory statements about what the other did to present the dysfunctional aspects of their family both confuse and anger him. His aunt delivers more light on who he is as she speaks about his grandfather's apparition's requests. His father silently will not negate this statement. And, others see ghosts too - something not uncommon for a Morrison novel - particularly in "Beloved."

And, like most Morrison novels, inhumane treatment by men upon other men delivers premature death or destruction of family. Morrison's novels commonly have white man's grotesquely cruel acts upon innocent black children affect the innocents - so affected that main characters often become morally corrupt. This novel is no different. But, the degree of corruption establishes new heights with an organization called the Seven Days. This organization belays the Judeo-Christian ethic, its vigilantes become terrorist murderers of innocent whites - reciprocating to the whites what happened to them or their peers. Southern communities are akin to Palestine. Fighting "bad people" apparently backfires - the acts of violence (whites upon blacks or vice versa) does not exterminate the "other's" hatred, it breeds more hatred which concurrently breeds more violence.

If one uses metaphor to describe Morrison's writing, her high couture is not fundamentally created by the fabric - but rather a composition founded upon the artistry, the sewing. She does not use large words or deeply rooted symbolism which may confuse some readers. Instead, she writes in a manner which can be understood by a wide audience.

Powerfully written, this book makes you pour through the pages to see what happens next. This is the premier work by a premier author and should not be overlooked.