Bell Books

Zibby Payne's class has a new girl, Gertrude Long, and Zibby finds her absolutely fascinating. Gertrude's offbeat clothing style, her artistic tendencies, and even her old-lady name (which was inspired by a famous writer, she says)--everything about her just seems so exotic. Zibby's excited to have such a new, interesting friend.

But her old best friend, Sarah, doesn't like Gertrude at all. Sarah hates how Gertrude is always talking about how great things were back in her old town, and thinks that she was rude in insisting that none of the snacks at Sarah's house were healthy enough. Suddenly, Zibby finds herself stuck in the middle, with her two best friends fighting for her time. Zibby cooks up one scheme after another to try and get them to come together peacefully, but nothing seems to work. What can she do to keep both her friends...and bring out the truth in Gertrude?

The fourth of the Zibby Payne books brings us nothing less than the others as we follow our engaging heroine in her search for creative solutions to life's crazy problems.

Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose

We've all been through this situation growing up -- Alison Bell treats the subject with humor and compassion for all the tortured trio. I like the way she takes a subject that can be very painful and shows how to resolve it - and also how it doesn't have to wreck your life (which can be difficult for kids to see at that age). I think this book can really help girls solve their own issues, AND encourage reading too!

Three's a crowd in Zibby Payne and the Trio Trouble, the fourth book in the adorable Zibby Payne series by Alison Bell. New girl Gertrude seems cool from the second she enters the classroom. With her funky vintage clothes, she certainly doesn't dress like any of her classmates. Soon, Zibby learns that Gertrude has odd allergies, that she is an artist, and that she doesn't eat junk food. She's an individual, that's for sure, and Zibby befriends her almost instantly.

Unfortunately, Zibby's best friend Sarah is wary of the newcomer, and the feeling is mutual. Ever the peacekeeper, Zibby tries to find common ground for her two best buds to stand on. She concocts Operation Friendship in an effort to make them get along, but her plan backfires: when Gertrude and Sarah finally do bond, they start doing things without Zibby! Finally, when the girls realize they don't have to out-do each other or fib to make friends, three becomes company.

Were they contemporaries, Ramona Quimby and Zibby Payne would be best friends too. I highly recommend all of the Zibby Payne books, especially to kids who are just entering middle school. Alison Bell accurately captures that tough transition period and allows Zibby to learn lessons naturally, without ever being heavy-handed or sappy. The books are realistic, funny, and fun. Share them with your family.

I loved this book, a collection of short essays that discuss the meaning of race and class in the aftermath of Katrina. I study American Studies at University and have become engrossed in African America, and Katrina is the defining event of recent times for race relations and "the color line".

This book does not simply argue that the U.S is some racist hell and point blame at the federal government, rather it eloquently outlines the arguments both for and against the theory that race caused the situation in New Orleans post-hurricane devastation.

Some writers conclude that racism had everything to do with it, others point out that the blame game itself and the lack of black America's responsibility for its own destiny were to blame. Some blame Mayor Nagin and the new middle class black America for not doing enough, others point to the legacy of slavery and the inability of New Orleans to save itself. Some argue that as all the low lying areas of the city were cheaper places to live and thus liable to storm surge, its a legacy of poverty that caused such disaster for the 98% African-American areas of New Orleans East, St.Bernard and the Lower Ninth Ward.

Whatever your view, remember that all these writers are black and all arguments are put forward in an intelligent and thought provoking manner.

Recommended not just for those wishing to understand Katrina, but anyone who wants to look at race relations in America and the sociological and psychological legacy of the old south. An excellent read i recommend to anyone.

I lived in New Orleans 18 years and have relocated since Katrina. My fellow law professors have done an excellent job exposing the reality of New Orleans before and after the storm. I recommend this collection of thoughtful essays to anyone who wants a candid look at how race is relevant even when it shouldn't be. All Americans should be outraged and continue to seek justice for our fellow citizens.

I just want to correct an error. This item is now published by Alta Book Center Publishers, not Alemany Press.

An excellent book of well-prepared interactive discussions for the Intermediate/Advanced English as a Second Language classroom. Mss. Coelho, Winer and Winn-Bell Olsen have given us 2 interesting preparatory activities and 5 substantial discussions of increasing difficulty which get the students involved in discussion with EACH OTHER, not just the teacher. Designed to work with a multi-level classroom (upper intermediate and above) each "Jigsaw Activity" can occupy your students over several days, up to 5 hours of class time. My students get very involved with the material, and more important, with each other on these topics. The overall goal of the activities, beyond plenty of vocabulary building, and natural discussion forums, is for the students to become aware of other POINTS OF VIEW, other ways of seeing "Truth". Thank you, ladies, for this well-crafted curriculum. I only wish there were a sequel.

Someone gave me this book, and I am lucky, for I never would have read it otherwise. But it seems that almost no one has ever read "American Daughter"(originally published in 1967), though it should be listed as of the greats of American letters. Thompson is quoted in the preface as saying, "Usually an autobiography is written near the end of a long and distinguished career, but not taking any chances, I wrote mine first, then began to live." That's tongue-in-cheek, and characteristically self-effacing. Very much so. After writing "American Daughter", Thompson went on to be associate editor of the newly established EBONY magazine, as just the start of a distinguished publishing and writing career. But it is this memoir, which should be reissued for mainstream attention--that is her great triumph--a touching, beautifully written book that enriches the lives of all who read it.

Miss Thompson has done an incredible job here. Her autobiography is so personal and touching. In reading her story, I watched her grow up in North Dakota and saw how the family struggled when they first started farming. From the early morning sunrise to the bitter cold weather, Era Bell Thompson is a master of description. She paints a beautiful picture of life, and likewise how hard the death of her mother and father were on her.
Her early 1900 work ethic makes us pale in comparison. Her friendships blossom on the pages. Her sorrows, pains, joys, love, and strength of spirit are poignant and enduring.
She is brave and hard working. She wants to share her soul with us, the readers, and has done a trememdous job!
Please purchase this book and read it. I promise it will be hard to put down and you will have been blessed by reading it.
Come share with me what I experienced by learning about a true american daughter, Era Bell Thompson.

This book was better than I expected for one that has been written so long ago. Great theory never goes out of fashion.

The book was written ninety years ago. People who repond instantly to art may not be capable of talking about it. One must start with the personal experience, a peculiar emotion. It is possible for theories of aesthetics to have general validity.

How quaint to be discussing Landseer, Frith, Alma Tadema. What is primitive tends to move people. For appreciation we need only a sense of form and color. The aesthetically challenged will remember paintings by their subjects. People are more humble about appreciating music than the visual arts.

Clive Bell says that significant form moves him. He claims there are only two kinds of art--good and bad. He sees Post Impressionism as a return to first principles. The artist has got to feel the necessity of making his work right.

Religion like art is concerned with the world of emotional reality. There is a connection of religion and art and it is history. The moral justification for art may be considered to be linked to pleasure, goodness, beauty, utility. It may be a matter of valuation. If art produces a good state of mind, and it does, it is ethical.

Greek civilization was sick by the time of sack of Corinth. Materialism infected the ages of Marcus Aurelius and Queen Victoria. The paintings in the catacombs are classical. Bell seeks to identify eras of enthusiasm. One has to think of what has survived successfully. Every artist sacrifices form to substance.

Bell calls Giotto a peak. Afterwards there was a long decline. It is claimed that all of the artists of the nineteenth century are ominous. Modern artists owe a debt to Cezanne. He showed a method. Humans need to be freed from erudition and well-meaning efforts to induce art appreciation.

The book will paint vivid images in your mind of heart warming tales that are not just circumstantial; rather inspirational.

"And God Answered," is inspiring and fun reading, spanning most of the 1900's as Jean Bell Mosley shares vignettes of her growing up on a farm and small community in southeast Missouri with a three-generation family who gave love and guidance through example that carried her through into adult life. A great book to enjoy, looking back, knowing that good can triumph. A good book to give to your mother, aunt, friend who will enjoy remembering.

If your interest is more than casual - that is, you actually intend to implement - this is the one to have in hand. Complete in its treatment of VRML 2.0, and full of important details. When your VRML doesn't come out right, this book is sure to tell you where you went wrong.

I haven't completed this book yet, but it is the required text for a class at Inter-American University in Puerto Rico

Willy Ley died of a heart attack on July, 1969. His final "For Your Information" column appeared in the November 1969 issue of _Galaxy_. It was about the latest theory concerning the death of the dinosaurs-- the notion that a temporary loss of the earth's magnetic field coupled with a solar flare caused a time of great dying at the end of the Cretaceous. Ley did not altogether rule it out, but he was cautious. We don't really know how long it took the dinosaurs to die out, he concluded. This essay was the end of an era. For eighteen years, many _Galaxy_ readers turned to Ley's column before they read anything else. Ley gave the magazine a certain flavor.

_Another Look at Atlantis_ (1969) is a collection of sixteen science essays from _Galaxy_ that must have been assembled just before his death. Like the first collection, _For Your Information: On Earth and in the Sky_ (1965), it is both informative and entertaining.

What strikes me as a bit unusual is what is not there. There is an absence of columns on spacecraft. Ley wrote plenty of columns of this sort for _Galaxy_ over the years-- on artificial satellites, manned orbital spacecraft, proposed space stations and lunar rockets, and weather probes and sounding rockets. And he answered a multitude of basic questions from readers about how rockets worked. These columns were certainly popular with readers, and sometimes they even recieved cover illustrations. But it may be that by 1969, many of these articles were considered a bit dated. There are several astronomy related pieces here, however-- all at the end of the book. "Who'll Own the Planets?" is a fascinating look at space law and how planets or asteroids may be claimed in the future. "The Re-Designed Solar System," published in 1966, gives an updated description of the solar system in the wake of the Zond and Mariner space probes. It is a somewhat regretful farewell to the old system with its Martian canals and deep blue Martian skies. "The Sound of Meteors" reminds us that it won't be the same in different parts of the atmosphere. And "Death of the Sun" describes how our sun will finally die-- 8,000 million years from now.

Two articles-- "Another Look at Atlantis" and "The Great Pyramid, the Golden Section, and Pi"-- are sensible treatments of two pseudoscientific areas. I don't suppose that they will change the minds of any True Believers, but they will certainly appeal to readers of a more critical bent.

There are a lot of articles on curious animals. "Largest of Their Kind" was written in response to a letter from a high school class asking for Ley to tell them which animals (bird, reptile, mammal, etc.) were the biggest. They probably didn't realize how complex their question really was. There is a chapter on odd newly discovered animals. And there are individual chapters on the ground sloth, the pangolin, the moa, and the dodo. The chapter on the dodo is really two related essays. And if you think that this strange bird doesn't merit that much attention, I challenge you to read chapter 9. "Let's Build an Extraterrestrial!" is about the construction of various mythical beasts.

"Who Invented the Crossbow?" might seem like a strange topic. But Ley was interested in the history of weaponry. He wrote knowledgeably in other essays about the development of the torpedo, the smallest bombs of WW II, the V-1 and V-2 rockets, and the development of cannons. In an earlier article (not, however, for _Galaxy_), Ley recounted how German scientists once taught that the sound barrier was impenitrable while on the opposite side of town, soldiers were daily breaking the sound barrier when they fired their cannons for target practice. If you want to know the finer points of how crossbows and catapults work, this is the essay for you.

"The Wreck of the _La Lutine_" deals with the sinking of a treasure ship off the coast of Holland and the various salvage methods used to recover the loot. "The Laws of Utter Chaos," in spite of the title, does not really have anything to do with modern chaos theory. It is instead a discussion about the good old-fashioned Brownian motion of molecules. Of course, your high school chemistry teacher told you about this early in the school year... But be honest. Do you _really_ remember what it is? In detail? Read Ley's chapter for a quick review.

When I was in high school, I once heard Ley give a talk. He had a strong German accent, but he was understandable. His subject was the early days of the space race, and he was filled with anecdotes about rocket tests that exploded in a spectacular manner and how various security agencies were spying on each other as well as on the scientists. He was fascinating to hear in person. You will likewise find him fascinating to read.

A refreshing relief from the "true psychic experiences" pulp. Scholarly discussion of many scientific phenomena.

Amazing and very special and valuable book for all the ages ,this book gives you all the information on silk embroidery and not only embroidery it is history and costum of asian tradition .. i recomend this book to the one's how is interested in asian textile ....this book was selected by the Metropolitan Musem of Art as a art book of the year 1981 ....Daniel and Yvonne
WE have from the same of the author the silken thread and painting with needles.

A very good "how to" manual for embroidery styles found in Japan, China and Korea. Covers the history of embroidery technique from personal and home accessories, to Chinese Dragon Robes, Japanese Kimono and Korean Wedding Robes. Full color plates augmented with black and white line drawings showing robe construction and embrodery placement. A very nice section in the back covering Chinese symbolism as found in dragon robes and other classical textiles.

The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission was the first of NASA's "Faster, Better Cheaper" spacecraft. Its primary mission was to orbit the asteroid 433 Eros, thereby becoming the first robotic explorer to orbit and eventually land on an asteroid. On the journey to Eros, NEAR flew by the main-belt asteroid Mathilde as well as our home planet, the Earth and returned dozens of pictures; however, the journey to Eros was almost lost when a software error caused the main engine to shut down prematurely. Due to the efforts the engineers and scientists supporting this project, the space probe was saved and the NEAR mission became one of the most successful NASA missions. In the end, the mission returned with hundreds of thousands of images, spectra, and other measurements about the large near-Earth asteroid Eros.

In this book, the author, Jim Bell, a planetary scientist and professor at Cornell, has assembled nine different articles about various aspects of this mission into one concise book about all aspects of this specular mission. The book opens with a chapter providing an overview of Eros and then moves into two chapters dedicated to the spacecraft and its mission, and its trip to Eros, from launch to rendezvous. The remaining chapters cover the different discovers made by the NEAR spacecraft, such as its overall landscape, its history, and several on its geology. There is also one chapter, which explains the photography planning, and eventual execution of this plan.

In general, I did not find the book to be very technical and there is a glossary of terms to help the layman as well as numerous photographs, figures and graphs are found throughout the book to further explain a given topic.

If you are interested in planetary exploration or the space program in general, this book would an excellent addition to your library.

The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission completed in 2001 was the first to orbit and eventually land on an asteroid. That fact makes it significant. The fact that the mission was an unqualified success-when a success for NASA was truly critical in the aftermath of two successive failures with Mars probes in 1999-makes it rare. The fact that it was conducted by the Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory over the protests of the mighty Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA's traditional solar system exploration center, makes it politically sensitive. The fact that the NEAR team performed the mission on the cheap, spending less than $150 million, makes it unprecedented for deep space probes. The fact that it returned thousands of images, spectra, and other measurements about the large near-Earth asteroid 433 Eros makes it scientifically relevant.

After a long gestation period, NEAR began its voyage to Eros on 17 February 1996, the first mission flown under NASA's new Discovery program, a series of low-cost planetary science projects. NEAR finally moved into orbit around Eros on 14 February 2000, roughly a year later than intended.

Throughout 2000, NEAR explored Eros offering spectacular pictures and a rich harvest of spectroscopy data. At the conclusion of the mission, on 12 February 2001, the mission team landed it on the surface of Eros. Although the NEAR spacecraft was not designed to survive landing, its instruments remained operational until 1 March 2001.

In "Asteroid Rendezvous" several of the scientists and engineers who conducted the NEAR mission describe it in their own words from initial concept studies through development, launch, and cruise operations. The book is liberally illustrated throughout with both stunning images from the mission and explanatory diagrams.

"Asteroid Rendezvous" is long on description and celebration and short on analysis and critical examination. Even so, it is a very interesting book, and a fine start in documenting the history of this important mission. It will be of interest to amateur astronomers and general readers who want to know about the American space program. It will serve as grist for future serious historical studies of planetary exploration.