Big Books

Wild Card Quilt is a follow-up to Ecology of a Cracker Childhood in which the author builds on prior relationships and revisits childhood from the perspective of an adult. She honors her parents without agreeing with them and is apparently honored and respected in return. Some old disagreements persist!
While raising her son as single parent she lives a life of simplicity. Home she finds has values differing from those she has developed.
Her love and appreciation for the vanishing habitats of south Georgia propel her to activism. Her deep seated need to write forms new diverse relationships.
Enjoying things she loves leads to romance and fulfillment in an unexpected place.
Come stroll the long leaf pine forest with Janisse Ray.

Excellent,,,took you home and if you weren't from there you went with your imagination....

If Janisse Ray's first memoir, "Ecology of a Cracker Childhood," is an evocative reclamation of a treasured Southern ecological system, her sequel, "Wild Card Quilt" emerges as a moving, inspiring and passionate attempt to reclaim her adult life. Ray's poetic prose is part autobiography, part self-identification with place and part manifesto. Her writing soars with exquisite metaphor and astounding revelation. She is unapologetic in her defense of the longleaf pine ecosystem and convincing in her appeals for Americans to redefine the very nature of our national character. "Wild Card Quilt" required courage to write, and Ray more than met the challenge. Years from now, she will be recognized as instrumental to late twentieth-century ecology as Rachel Carson was some half-century earlier.

After having fled her restrictive and repressive childhood home in rural Georgia, Ray discovers herself adrift and alienated as an adult. A single mother of an inquisitive and sensitive son, her spiritual restlessness compels her to return to her grandmother's isolated shotgun cabin and reclaim her life. In so doing, she rediscovers her fervent, but latent, identification with the disappearing longleaf pine forests of the Southeast. As she had in "Cracker Childhood," Ray provides masterful descriptions of this endangered ecology, lavishing as much love on the richly interdependent plant and animal life as she does on the family and community with which she interlaces herself in Baxley, Georgia.

Firmly linking herself with those social critics of American life who decry our culture's obsession with consumption and lack of identification with nature, Ray agrees with Paul Gruchow's conclusion that "we raise our most capable rural children...to expect that as soon as possible they will leave." Against this diaspora, Ray launches numerous campaigns, not only to preserve the ecology of her home, but the social structure groaning under the pressures of eradication in the name of jobs, progress and consumption.

As moving as her political polemics are, Ray reserves her best writing in portraying her people. Likening her family to homemade pure cane syrup, Ray surmises, "It's sweetness that keeps people together. Sweetness. The sweetness of our tongues, of kind words, of praise." But not only that. It is also the "sweetness, too, of acts of imagination and love." Quiet, nearly invisible kin earn her respect. Her reclusive uncle Percy, "not a man to reach out...or...demand much from life," through Ray's characterization, gains enormous dignity from his modesty. Percy, who excels at attending church and mowing the lawn, is as "extreme in his quiescence as Hemingway had been in his ardor to eat life's marrow." Content to allow life to come to him, "Percy nibbled at the crust."

From her mother, whose labors produce the quilt which gives the memoir its title, arises a sense of beauty that fits with Ray's defense of rural life. Her mother's quilts originate from "necessity, using rags and torn clothes." To Ray, "the need for usefulness...produces objects of the greatest beauty." The adult Ray has a kinder, more forgiving understanding of her father's psychology. Never giving in to his rigidity, she forgives him, and in so doing, opens the door for his reconciliation with Ray's oldest sister, with whom he had been estranged for nearly two decades.

Towering above everything in "Wild Card Quilt" is Janisse Ray's unabashed sense of hope. This infectious optimism, infused with deep conviction and enormous compassion, may align itself with our nation's longstanding sense of hope and vision. As the author becomes increasingly integrated in her Baxley environment, as she becomes ever more passionate in her advocacy for the longleaf pine forests, as she plants her own taproot deep in the fertile soils of family love and community solidarity, she outlines not only a personal blueprint of redemption, but a national one as well.

"Somebody, I thought, has to fight to protect the ravaged places. If a place loses the ones who care, the ones who can make a difference, what kind of doom does that spell? If the Southerners who love the wild leave the South, well, what happens then?"
--Janisse Ray, in Wild Card Quilt

Sadly, the answer to Janisse Ray's earnest question can be seen all over, and not just in the South. Too often, "what happens" is rampant, fragmented, inadequately planned development, communities without community, places devoid of a sense of place. Her new book Wild Card Quilt chronicles her return to homeplace Baxley, Georgia, to reestablish family connections and create a sustainable life for herself and her son Silas. Her "experiment in rural community" is largely successful. That it is so is due to Ray herself. A less outgoing, less imaginative, less self-sufficient person would likely find a hamlet like Baxley too isolated, its often-parochial attitudes suffocating. Indeed, Ray does battle feelings of loneliness and futility, and these she shares eloquently. But more often she is hopeful, ardently forging associations with people who share her ideals, creating friendships that restore her sense of purpose and connectedness. She joins with other Baxley residents to save their small school, participates in the creation of a watchdog organization to protect the Altamaha River, advocates for the preservation of Moody Swamp, an ancient, old-growth forest of cypress and longleaf pine, and joins with several other aspiring authors to form a writers' group.

In all her endeavors, Ray adopts a stalwart but cooperative stance with those she seeks to persuade. She is nonjudgmental, preferring to inspire and connect, rather than to scold. This is an approach we should emulate in our own efforts to promote habitat conservation and restoration. However convinced we are of our own rectitude, we must not alienate people by being ideologically rigid or unnecessarily confrontational.
Central to the book is the notion that building human connections is not only important for our emotional health as individuals, but that these ties strengthen our communities and make them better, stronger, more pleasant places to live. The bonds we form in working on community projects helps us individually, as well as helping society collectively. I know this has been true for me, as I count as invaluable the opportunities for fellowship provided by my volunteer activities.

The gravity of these themes is lightened by Ray's obvious joy in life's simple pleasures, in the earth's natural beauty and wild creatures, and in her sweet and entertaining descriptions of the ways and characters of Baxley, like her chain-smoking, church-going Uncle Percy, and the stubbornly self-reliant photographer E.D. McCool, who lives in a bus and tootles around town on a riding lawnmower. She relates her experiences at a pork cook-off, a syrup-boiling, the local Martin Luther King Parade, and a night-time gator hunt with good humor that is often self-deprecating. The result is a book that is heartwarming and uplifting, especially to those who love nature and want to preserve it.

Zomo is a rabbit who is "clever" but wants "wisdom" so goes to SkyGod, who tells him he must do "three impossible things:" bring him "the scales of Big Fish in the sea, "the milk of Wild Cow" and "the tooth of leopard." Zomo tricks the fish into dancing to his drumbeat until his scales fall off, tricks the cow into ramming the palm tree until she's stuck so he can milk her (reminds me of Brer Rabbit and Sis Cow), and then trips the leopard on the slippery scales and milk to get the tooth. Unique, vividly colored illustrations accompany the simple story. I will say I don't quite get the ending where he earns wisdom, and all he does with it is run very fast (wasn't he doing that already?). Overall however, the illustrations and clever rabbit make a great story for my toddler.

With Zomo the Rabbit : A Trickster Tale from Africa, Gerald McDermott demonstrates again why he is our favorite when it comes to children's books. The tale is clever. The illustrations are spectacular, as always. McDermott's books are the favorites of my 7-year old, who reads them over and over again. My 2-year old also loves them.

Is there any higher praise an author/illustrator can receive than to hear a reviewer say, "Well, I never really loved anything else this person did, but I think this book is bloody brilliant"? Probably. But I for one feel that Gerald McDermott (who I've always respected but never felt any real affection for) really hit the nail on the head with this book. "Zomo" has the near impossible task of being both amusing and informative. So many African folktales relayed in children's picture books end up being a little dry and dated. For example, the book "Zomo" most resembles in plot is, "A Story, A Story" by G. Haley. Yet that book is a dour dull creation when compared to this amazing little concoction. This is a book that every child should read at least once in their lives.

As you open the book you see a clever little rabbit all decked out in kinte cloth. The text reads, "Zomo! Zomo the rabbit. He is not big. He is not strong. But he is very clever". When Zomo decides that being clever is not enough and that he wants wisdom as well he quickly requests it from the Sky God. To attain wisdom's secrets, the Sky God commands Zomo to fetch him the scales of Big Fish of the sea, the milk of Wild Cow, and the tooth of Leopard. Zomo immediately sets out to fulfill these tasks. For the fish he plays a catchy tune on his drum, so entrancing the sea dwelling creature that it dances its scales off. The Wild Cow is lured into a tree and, while stuck, Zomo milks it. As for Leopard, some of the slippery scales dropped into slippery milk cause the feline to slip and knock out a tooth. When Zomo presents these items to the Sky God he is instantly told that wisdom consists of courage, good sense, and caution. Zomo has thus far had the first two, but now with three new enemies he should exercise the last for a while.

I think what I loved best about this book was Zomo himself. This is a remarkable thing too. Too often the cocky hero of a tale (especially a trickster tale) is too brash and self-important to garner any real love from the reader. But Zomo's different. He's sprightly and a joy to follow. From the geometric patterns of his face to the energetic dancing of his little black furry feet, he's a pure pleasure to watch. The illustrations themselves are so bright and cheery it puts such similarly colorful stories like, "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" to shame. But best of all is the narration. I've given you the first sentence of the book, but the rest reads just as well. It's catchy and delightfully placed upon each and every page.

Some books you pick up and groan when your kids want you to read them forty or fifty times in a row. Other books you wish they'd ask you sixty or seventy times more. "Zomo" is in the latter category. A fun filled romp with a delightful West African base, the book is one of the best I've ever had the pleasure to peruse. Highly recommended from here to the sky and back.

One of the universal figures in mythology is the trickster, from Hermes of classical mythology to Iktomi of the Indians of the American plains. Zomo the Rabbit is an example of an animal trickster and is often at the center of many of the traditional tales of West Africa, while other cultures tell similar stories about the Spider and the Tortoise using guile and trickery to outwit their larger foes.

In "Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa" Gerald McDermott knows that he is clever but wishes to acquire wisdom. But before he can earn wisdom the Sky God gives him three impossible tasks and requires Zomo to bring him the scales of Big Fish in the sea, the milk of Wild Cow, and the tooth of Leopard. The question is whether Zomo's cleverness can make up for the fact that the is not big and he is not strong. Well, of course, he can, but that does not necessarily mean that gaining wisdom will make his life any easier out in the jungle.

McDermott's colorful artwork is influenced by African designs and he tells the tale with simple, rhythmic language that will appeal to the youngest of readers. The author and illustrator has been studying the trickster motif in folklore and mythology for some time, having earned a Caldecott Honor for "Anansi the Spider," another tale from Africa. "Zomo the Rabbit" will obviously remind many young readers of another rascally rabbit, which will help establish the idea that the trickster has been around for a long time in many different, but similar, guises.

I have a large family with 4 children and they are all invovled in tons of activities. I was always trying to shorthand everything on those tiny little calandars then I got this Calandar for 2007 and I am purchasing one for 2008. I will never again go back to a dinky calandar. I can write all my appointment on it clearly. It is also full of helpful hints. I love it and I am going to buy this every year for as long as they make it.

Lots of space to write! That's what I love about this calendar. Any one who is a stay at home Mom or even a working Mom will love this calendar.

I just received my 2008 calendar. I love this calendar. There's plenty of space to write all functions. There's a special section to help plan meals, which makes life so easy. Don't forget the stickers in back. They draw extra attention at a glance to a particular date.

This is a great family organizer. Even my husband uses it!

My son loves this book...it is full of great, bright pictures and he is constantly carrying it around and reading it. Very delightful and well constructed!

This is a great book. It has all kinds of trucks, trains and rescue vehicles. My grandchildren love looking at it. The pictures are great and it keeps them interested for a long time.

I've often thought kids (esp. boys) think of themselves as vehicles with legs instead of wheels. This sturdy large board book with its wonderfully detailed photos will certainly feed the imagination of every kid with a similar philosophy. Trucks, trains, planes, rescue vehicles, coast guard cutters, tow trucks, what my little brother called "farnches", steam engines, subway trains, cherry picker trucks, combines, tractors, it's all here. It's slobberproof too.

INTERRUPTS AND THE 8259 CHIP

INTERRUPTS AND THE 8259 CHIP

This book has exceptional detail, all the way from debug routines to determine hardware addresses, to assembly and C programs to control the hardware. Numerous schematics and timing tables are also provided. Usually, several books are needed to provide the breadth and depth that this book provides. This book is succinct enough to present virtually all the information I need to dig into PC hardware. If you want to know exactly what is happening in the guts of the IBM PC compatible: from the BIOS calls, to interrupt servicing, to the chips that interface the PC to memory, to the exact timing of the strobe line on the printer port, you should get this book.

Big Nate is a crack-up...the picture of the 11 year old boy! his sarcasm and wit cross generational and gender lines-it's just plain funny! very smooth, simple drawing style is perfect for the subject matter...i could read it over and over and never tire of it! EXCELLENT!

Great comic strip about a kid who likes to draw cartoons. The illustrations are very cleaver because they look like children's illustrations on lined paper. It has very funny dialoge. Can't wait until your next book!

These comics cracked me and my parents up! Nate is a realistic sixth-grade boy. He has all the characteristics of the class clowns in my school! He is witty, a show-off, and is a kid obsessed with blood and gore. Much to the disliking of his teachers. Read it and be careful or you might fall off your chair laughing like an extremely cracked nuthead!

I loved this book and CD!

You can't help but smile and bounce along to these fun filled tales. The music is bright and lively and the characters so lovable!

As a past teacher, I also appreciate that this book does not limit its vocabulary for children. It's full of all sorts of rich and whimsical words - children and adults will love sharing it together!

A must hear to appreciate!

I have known the author all my life, she is my Mother! While this is her first published work I have had the good fortune of hearing and being enchanted by her stories all my life. They are all a magnificent journey to enjoy and are as good as any, in fact better then most published childrens books you'll find. Big Shot And Teeny Weeny is something that the adults enjoy as much as the children because the stories reveal so much simple wisdom and takes you to a giddy understanding of lifes joys. Adults are constantly saying to themselves "oh, isn't that clever". While the kids are enjoyng the fun rythm of the story and just getting it! The 2 CD's that are included in the Book are REAL easy on the ears and are asked for by my three year old all the time (then we all have a pleasant ride!). I think this book would be enjoyed by kids through 10 years old and then again when they are all grown up. So save it for the Grandchildren!

I was at a luncheon show casing authors. I heard some of the CD that is part of this book's entertainment package. The irrepessible quality of this author and the sound of her music and voice convinced me to get a copy for my granddaughters.

How sweet it is to have music an adult can love, too, when driving in the car with little ones. How sweet it is to have a story an adult can relate to when reading to them at night. Thank you, Mary Ann Mitchell.

(Carolyn Howard-Johnson's first two books have garnered eight awards in less than a year. The reviewer hopes that they will be read by her two granddaughters when they are old enough. In the meantime, literature like Mitchell's will be training them to love books.)

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of "This is the Place"

Excellent childrens book in the classic tradition. Robert Stanton is one of the best illustrators to ever come out of Disney! Inspiring stuff.

What a captivating book! My whole family loves it. Here is a charming, inspiring story with exquisite illustrations. The Adventures of Lady: The Big Storm is a real winner. It is a book that you will thoroughly enjoy sharing with your child. I am recommending it to everyone.

A must have book for your family. This is a beautifully illustrated book with the heart-warming story of a real life squirrel (Lady) who was separated from her squirrel family during a Florida hurricane. Rescued by a kind-hearted person and then raised with another squirrel, Lady was then returned to the wild. This is her story and it is a wonderful read for any member of your family.

in the deep of british blues with the complete and accurate work made in this book!
Great and rare photos within' an very good analysis of musicians and his music with date concerts over the years make of this book an must for fans and collectors.

There are fans, and there are FANS. And after paying several thousand dollars at a London auction house, a couple of years back, for the Gibson 345 guitar used by Alvin Lee at the 1970 Isle of Wight festival, Massachusetts-based long-time Ten Years After fan, Herb Staehr, has most definitely earned his place in that latter category. But he didn't stop there. For during the last few years Staehr has been meticulously marshalling his extensive collection of TYA and Alvin Lee memorabilia into the production of this mightily impressive book - to the best of my knowledge, the first one ever written about either this seminal British band or its brilliant guitarist frontman. It is - as its title implies - primarily a photographic history of the development of TYA, from its early sixties roots as a three-piece teenage band known as The Jaybirds, to its evolution into the four-piece stadium supergroup of thirty years ago. And what astonishing photographs there are. Staehr has not only unearthed literally scores of rare and previously unseen photos of the band in its glory years, but also fascinating images of the aforementioned pre-TYA Jaybirds. Following the break-up of the band in the mid-seventies, he has produced here a comprehensive catalogue of pictures detailing the development of Alvin Lee's solo career right up to the present day. Photos of the various TYA comebacks and reformations are also included, as well as images relating to the solo careers of other band members. So, if its photos you want, there will never be a better place to come, or a better book to buy. They include not only the examples listed above, but concert posters, album sleeves, ticket stubs, magazine covers - you name it, it's here. But Staehr has also provided a wealth of literary information too. There is a band biography, an impressively researched and massively detailed "concert chronology", album and gig reviews, extracts from interviews with band members and associates, all concluding with a comprehensive discography, a listing of T.V., film and video appearances, and finally an extensive biography. It goes without saying that this superb book is a "must buy" for all fans of Ten Years After and Alvin Lee. Yet its appeal should go wider than that. Anyone who was a fan of late sixties and early seventies blues-rock, or who counts themselves a member of the "Woodstock generation", or who just likes a darn good rock and roll read, will find themselves glad they purchased this book. No band rocked the blues like Ten Years After. No-one has recorded and written about that fact as well as Herb Staehr has done here.

I've been a TYA fan for 25 years. I own every album TYA and Alvin Lee has produced including seeing them when possible. All these years, it's been a search for more info on the band. Herb Staehr did an incredible job documenting the band and writing this book. It is certainly a must. The info you can pick up is priceless and really gets you "behind the scenes". You'll appreciate how hard the band worked, touring constantly and still produced some of the greatest rockin blues ever. Thank you Herb. Many links have spawned from the excellent book which have led to many live show recordings and web sites out there.

I like this story because I think people everywhere should read it. This story is about a blizzard. This story was good. People should learn to work together.

I like this story because I think people everwhere should read it.This story is about a blizzard. This story was good. People should learn to work together

Yes maam they should read this book because they might want to read about blizzards. I liked to read it because I like to know about blizzards.I liked it because they are playing Simon Says.