Bernardine Books

In his compelling new history of "Juvenile Justice in the Making", David S. Tanenhaus has accomplished what many scholars considered all but impossible: a fresh historical interpretation of the development, operation, and enduring importance of the juvenile court. Scholars, lawyers, child welfare workers (or children's advocates), and policy pundits will wrestle with the significance and perhaps even more with the lessons of Tanenhaus' bold new opening. (author Harvey J. Graff)

"Juvenile Justice in the Making" captures the timeless lessons of the early juvenile court and applies them intelligently and passionately to the complex challenges it faces today. Tanenhaus carefully reconstructs the early history of this resilient institution to remind us how a separate court for children evolved through swirling social contexts and political cultures to give a recurring institutional voice to our enduring notions about children and the law."--

From the Publisher: "In this time of despair over the very possibility of achieving juvenile justice, David Tanenhaus makes a compelling case for understanding the present by looking backward. "Juvenile Justice in the Making" reminds us of the persistent power of the belief that the young deserve a separate system designed expressly for them. And he insightfully explains why we must understand that the American juvenile justice system did not emerge full born, but evolved over time out of determined attempts to realize its critical mission. By giving juvenile justice back its past, Tanenhaus pens a persuasive argument for rethinking its present and reimagining its future." --Michael Grossberg, Professor of History & Law, Indiana University

From the Publisher: "Juvenile Justice in the Making" is a must read for anyone concerned with children. David Tanenhaus suggests that our view of childhood has changed quite radically in recent years. With the storytelling skills of an historian and the clearheadedness of a law scholar, Tanenhaus takes us back to the founding of the juvenile court to illustrate how far we've strayed from our faith in childhood as a separate province from adulthood."--Alex Kotlowitz, author, "There Are No Children Here"

I am a history teacher and wanted a story on the Underground Railroad that my students would enjoy. This book tells a wonderful story and has beautiful illustrations.

This is an excellent story of escape from slavery using the Underground Railroad. It explains the song and its symbolism. It also explains the fears of families during slavery -- they might be sold and separated from one another. The accompanying CD or Cassette, narrated by Morgan Freeman with music by Taj Mahal, makes this book/CD unforgettable. Kids will be spellbound.

THE PICTURES ALONE ARE WORTH MUCH MORE THAN THE PRICE OF THE BOOK-HAVING BEEN TAKEN BY A SHUTTER BUG--MR. HAGAN. THE BUILDING
OF THE HOUSE IS DESCRIBED IN DETAIL IN WORDS AND PHOTOS-FROM BARE
LAND ON A KNOB TO THE FINISHED PRODUCT. GREAT READ IN ALL PHASES.

Kentuck Knob: Frank Lloyd Wright's House For I.N. and Bernardine Hagan is the author's personal and detailed story of what it was like to be a client of and to work with the legendary Wisconsin architect to build the home known as "Kentuck Knob" and her life in this rural and idyllic location. Kentuck Knob is replete with stories, more than 150 b/w photos, 8 pages of color photos, insightful correspondence, and informative observations. Written by one of the last people still living who actually knew Frank Lloyd Wright and the experience of being a client of the great and controversial American architect, Bernardine Hagan's Kentuck Knob is "must" reading for devotees of Wright's work, as well as a seminal contribution to professional and academic Architectural Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

As an adult Historian I actually enjoyed reading this book, finding it a great resource on a topic most history books only touch base on. Not so here and though it's an excellent book for children, adults might enjoy it if you're not into heavy reading as it's works well for a handy resource, too. Though not a thick book by most accounts, it does however cover information on various crats used during the earliest Colonial era in America, ranging from the tools and techniques used by such tradesmen like coopers, joiners, woodworders to masons, sawyers, bricklawyers, builders, metalworkers.

Bernardine S. Stevens includes sections about silversmiths, blacksmiths, farriers, and leather workers, and papermakers, printers, bookbinders, and more. Stevens didn't leave out the knowlege shared by Native Americans either, and how they assisted early settlers - something I found of interest while researching my family history. His thoughtful writing skills would be an easy read for any child, yet older adults might find this book substantial, or even one new to genealogy. As an American, I love my country as this book actually helped me understand about traditional skills this countries pioneer settlers brought with them which helped them survive in unknown territories which Stevens investiges for the reader. I especially enjoyed the various line art depicting colonial craftspeople working at their trade and there is descriptive parts explaining various roles such as indentured servants and enslaved workers. This part actually helped me comprehend a bit more (in more simplier terms) about this type of labor because my 8th great grandfather was indentured, himself.

I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing their children or even their family members to understand a bit more on the subject of early colonial period trades, and why they should be referred to as skills - they were. The lessons of Native Americans helping pioneers is invaluable as it lead to very foundation of our labor force today - to them they're hard-learned labors were "crafts," like an "art." At the very least, you and your child will walk away with a much higher respect and appreciation about our early pioneer settlers and just how intelligent, and crafty they were.

Bernard Kielty has compiled great artists in one book categorizing them by locale. You will find the artists works along with historical information on their life and times. It is a wonderful addition to any artist or historians library. A must have.

"Geshmak" is Yiddish for "delicious," and it's the only way I can describe this collection. I don't have it yet, but I have the three works that comprise it. There'll be plenty of bs reviews here about WUO rhetoric and left wing craziness, but O had that rhetoric seeped into the heads of every Amerikkkan and O had that craziness infected the whole country. Maybe we'll all be bi, tie-dye, and high by now. It'd be a helluva lot better than all these yellow-ribbons and dead kids in the mid-east (not to mention in midwest high-school shooting sprees). G-d this country sux. And recuerdate kids ... this is a review from an Nice Orthodox Jewish Boy. I should be all up in the right wing heterosexist neo-creationist war-in going down in the Yoo Ess Ay these days, but I ain't.

Teachers, administrators, parents, and taxpayers should read this book. As a criminal justice student, this was not my first encounter with studies that show corporal punishment, humiliation-based punishments and exclusionary tactics work against rather than for the safety policy makers, board members and principals hope to achieve. Zero Tolerance polices grew largely out of fears of violence associated with gangs, drugs, and school shootings. While none of these things are desirable in schools, none are prevented by zero tolerance policies. School shooters, in particular, tend to be suicidal and thus not deterred by the prospect of exclusion from educational opportunities. Gangs offer family, support, and protection to children who often feel they cannot get such things elsewhere.

What we really are creating with zero tolerance polices is an increased need for prisons, racial and socioeconomic disparities, and a future without hope for a great many students. This book offers alternatives that have been tried and proven, accounts of misuse of zero tolerance policies, study findings showing disparities along race and class lines, legal ramifications and oppositional options.

I had to read this book for a seminar I was going to attend. Not being a great poetry reader I did not expect to enjoy it. I read the book in one session, and after the first few pages did not remember that I was reading poetry. It flows really easily, the language making it very easy to dive into the strange world of the author's Roman London. The modern slang and approach make the setting familiar in some ways, and then the very different customs of the period bring the reader up short. The scene set at the local "games" needs a strong stomach to read. Highly recommended.

I bought this book with low expectation for both the poetry and the story. I'm happy to say that I was wrong. Emperor's Babe is sexy, stylish and just the most original book I've read in ages. The heroine is a tough little customer, a hip Afro Roman living in Londinium who meets the man of her dreams and loses everything else. By the time you come to last page I promise that you will be moved by her story.

It's been a while since I've been knocked off my feet by a book in way The Emperor's Babe did. Maybe not since I read Rimbaud at highschool... Proverbs keep flying through my head when I want to describe the book: funny, intelligent, sophisticated, heart-warming, etc. etc. What struck me first (of course) was the verse. Steady two line most of the time, but changing pace in more intimate sections and by that changing atmosphere at once. The book is somewhat of a classic lyrical epic and bc of that rhythm it grips you from the first pair of lines, and (I have to say this) it swings!!

Second: the main character, Zuleika, is a welcome apparition in present-day literature. Zuleika is tough, smart and gets what she wants. No whining like Bridget J. or all the other 30-ish single women-books and definitely nothing of the "I've lived through it all" Oprah-books. Zuleika's got a certain sense of girl-power (sorry for that word) and that makes you love her from the start.

And then the story: London 211. It's dirty, rotten and sexy. But that's all I say, just go and read. And after that go and look for her first book "Lara". You won't be sorry...

this book is well-written, well-organized, and very inspiring! it is crucial to bring forward the voice of young people in this day and age, the people who are so often unheard, but who are actually mobilizing to create radical change. i highly recommend that every parent, organizer, teacher, youth, and anyone who interacts with youth read this book.

Our society loves to gush about how 'pro-child' it is. Then it places youth in deplorable situations, and becomes surprised when those youth actually want a better deal out of their life. Even among some adult activists there might be a desire to 'protect' youth by doing community organizing for them as opposed to with them.

This is an anthology of writings by young activists trying to make the world a better place. I am impressed that this collection communicates with both other generations of activists and parents--letting them know that they are going to communicate their politics. Northwestern University Law Professor Bernadine Dohrn (a former member of the Weather Underground) provides an introduction giving her own experience with community organizing, but does not patronize the contributor perspectives.

It also acknowledges that inter-movement politics themselves are not as egalitarian as we sincerely want them to be. Because we have lived under the dominant society, activists also are prone to racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, and ableism despite our wanting to believe that we are automatically above it. Changing the world is impossible when the movement itself is not in order.

Reading their impassioned words took me back to my own burgeoning political consciousness and the frustration I felt at being the only one who 'saw' and cared about issues. A book like this is essential to inspiring youth and letting them know that they are not alone.

I've since found that my best activism comes from my first noticing problems in my own environment. Thus, it's not at all surprising that the youth are tackling the same issues which personally confront them. The best activism comes from something which you feel very strongly about, and it is going to differ among people.

Acknowledging young people's desire and capabilities to make the world a better place is very inspiring. This book is a great pick me up for anybody. It would be especially beneficial for a young activist to read. They are not alone.

I don't understand why Publishers Weekly gave this book such a poor review. I thoroughly enjoyed it, though I do have a few minor criticisms of it that deter me from giving it the 5 stars that perhaps it really deserves. While the majority of the essays are insightful and well-written, a few smack of a wishy-washy liberalism, rather than providing a more radical social analysis. For example, some argue for more government spending for public education, rather than advocating for homeschooling or freeschooling. (To learn more about the homeschooling movement, check out Grace Llewellyn's wonderful book, "The Teenage Liberation Handbook.") Likewise, while there isn't consensus among the young writers about gay marriage, some support it, rather than critiquing marriage and monogamy as oppressive, patriarchal institutions of social control. Moreover, there were not any essays written by young environmentalists, which surprised me, given the enormity of the ecological crisis we are in. Nevertheless, it's encouraging to read essays by activist youth interrogating issues of gender, race, class, disabilty and sexuality. Despite some of its flaws, I highly recommend this book for kids, parents, young adults and progressive youth allies.

The book starts off by telling you how the current government administration is deluding us with one sided facts. Fair enough, maybe they'll go on an prove this... nope. And thus, a major theme of the book has been unveiled: a one sided presentation of unsubstantiated opinion. Unfortunately, the perpetrators are the authors.

I couldn't say I read one convincing argument throughout the entire book. I realize these are informal letters, but it comes across more as whining than a plan of action, unified by a sense of need for change (which the editors purport it to be).

As an example:
"I believe it is the fault of the United States educational system that my mother has been on the streets since she was thirteen years old; that my parents and many other parents divorce; that I, and many other children, have been sexually molested; that incest continues to occur; that my mother, like many others, abandoned my siblings and me; that my mother, father, other parents, and youth have been in and out of prison, that my sisters and brother word at fast food restaurants; that my sisters get pregnant at a young age; that my cousins and friends are dying because of gangs; and that the cycle of violence continues."
-Jessica Vasquez

That's some belief. A lot of the letters, this one especially, ooze a total lack of self responsibility. Not to say that this isn't a bad state of affairs, and that schools can't be improved, but try to find any proof of the correlation in this article and you'll be wasting your time.

Don't let your children read this if you're worried about exposing them to poor ideals of self-responsibility, or if you're worried that their idea of what an argument (with facts...) might be negatively affected.

The author's name is Bernardine Kielty Scherman. This is part of a series of books for teenagers about world history (World Landmark books) in the 1950's. I read it with avidity when I was 14 years old, and I developed a passion for Byzantine history which never left me. It was only years later that I discovered that the entire text was borrowed from Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.